Someday....

Some day I will have all my Christmas shopping done before Black Friday.

Some day I will have all the Christmas baking done two weeks before Christmas and shipped out one week before Christmas.

Some day I will be able to wrap the presents and put them under the tree without fear of toddler or dog.

Some day I will be able to spend the last week before Christmas with my feet up and relaxing....possibly laughing at the me that used to be, and my friends who still are the me I used to be....

Some day I will have Christmas cards made, addressed and mailed out two weeks before Christmas....

Some day I will spend the entire holiday season without stress or worry that I am forgetting someone, some present, or something that has the potential to ruin the holiday season....

Some day I will long for the craziness of the holiday season, because it is half the fun of it all anyway....

When To Step In??

When your kids are fussing and arguing with one another, when do you step in and intervene? Do you wait until things escalate to a physical level? Are there magic words that trigger you to say enough is enough? What is it that takes you from 'let them work it out,' to 'oh hell no, not in my house!'

I am lucky in the sense that while my two oldest do experience sibling rivalry it has been thus far pretty tame. There is usually some tattling, some she said/she said and the occasional stomping off in a huff. But for the most part, at 11 & 9, they have not yet worked my total last nerve. But they do argue, frequently.

Part of the problem is the complete opposite ends of the spectrum on which their personalities lie. My oldest is headstrong, confident, bossy and generally thinks she knows almost everything. Her younger by two years sister tends to be more insecure, and not have the voracity for life her sister does. She prefers to spread the love, leave the mess, and half-ass whatever chores she has because she does not like doing them. I hate to be brutal, but it's true. She is also the most affectionate of the two, and would give the shirt off her back to anyone, including her bossy, know-it-all sister.

Last night is a perfect example of how it goes here. They are Rainbow Loom obsessed, as are most kids their age right now. So they set up in the master bedroom to do a band exchange while we watched our nightly wind-down bit of tv. For those who do not know, the Rainbow Loom is a device on which you use small plastic rubber bands to make bracelets, rings, or other little creations. It has been all the rage for a little while now.

Anywho...within minutes, the bargaining table had degraded into a yelling match. The younger sister did not want to give up any of her white bands, and the older sister was desperate for the white bands. There were some successful trades, and negotiations. I heard a couple instances in which I felt the older sister was trying to take advantage of the younger one, but was pleasantly surprised when the younger one did not fall for the trickery.

I let them go on, bickering and all, until I heard the sentence, "Why won't you trade that, you're just stupid." That is when I called foul, and told them to put it all away. I will not tolerate either of them calling the other stupid. I know there are far worse names to be called, but in my mind it all starts somewhere.

If I let her get away with calling her sister stupid, what will she call her next? When will she lose her mind and call me stupid? How does calling her stupid help the situation at all? The answer is it does not help, it is not okay, and she better not call me stupid, ever.

My breaking point is name calling. You can disagree, you can argue. But if you stoop to name calling, that is when I call foul and send you both to neutral corners.

And all I was trying to do was watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer!!!

Sick Day

Yesterday my oldest got up, got dressed for school and then came down almost in tears. This is what happens when she does not feel well. She wants to go to school but she also wants to stay home. She knows she should go to school but she does not handle not feeling well very well at all. So she stayed home.

Staying home when you are borderline sick, but probably should have gone to school anyway gets you stuck with a little sidekick. So here sit my oldest and my youngest sharing a granola bar while watching Food Network.

This is pretty much how my oldest daughter's day went. By the end of the day a miracle happened, she is cured, and ready to head back to school.

She proclaimed to me last night, "I don't know how you do it with her all day. I love her and all, but she is really a handful, and kinda needy. Even if I am vomiting I am going to school tomorrow."

I did not have the heart to tell her that her little sister is very much like most two year old children, because someday I would like to have grandchildren and I do not want to scar her for life. The little one worships her big sisters, and just wants to be like them, and with them all the time. It's really adorable, except when you are 11 and trying to play hookie because you are over tired and slightly sick.

One Grain of Sand at a Time....

I love this quote because I often try the whole life overhaul and when I fail I feel beat down. I cannot figure out why I cannot eat healthy, exercise every day, keep the house spotless, the kids eternally happy and cooperative, the spouse happy, and the dog adequately walked, while I myself look like I stepped out of a magazine every day.

I have much more success when I take on little changes and build from there. You know, like the pyramids. One block at a time, one grain of sand at a time if you need. You cannot make life sweeping changes that will stick, overnight. Be realistic in your expectations of yourself.

When we start the new year, which is soon again can you even believe it?!?! We claim that this year will be better, we will eat healthy, workout every day, be positive every day. We claim that we are going to be totally different than we have been in years past. Why? What is so bad about who you are that every time a new year rolls around you feel you need a complete overhaul? Yes, we should exercise regularly, yes we should eat healthy, yes we should do our best to maintain kindness towards others. But these things should not be part of an overhaul we need. I get it, we get addicted to junk food. I get it, we do not exercise because we are just too darn busy to fit it in. Those things are best added in small doses to ensure successfully sticking with them.

What is it in your life that you are so unhappy about? Is it your job? Is it the way you parent? Is the spouse you are to your partner? What are you so desperate to change about yourself, and why? Yes, change is possible, and probable if done correctly. But do not beat yourself up if you backslide, to err is human, remember. If you are unhappy with your job, do not quit until you have a new job. Do not come home and dump your angst on your spouse every day. Realize that you are where you are for a reason. Then, brainstorm with ways to change your situation. Share THAT with your spouse, he or she may be able to help you. Determine where your passion lies, and how you can get there. Share THAT with your spouse, he or she may be a valuable asset to you accomplishing your goal which will bring you closer together.

Are you in need of some parenting tweeks? Do you constantly yell at your kids, with no result, or even worse with the result that they just become upset? Maybe you should take a parenting class, there is no shame in learning new skills, it is for the sake of your children. Leave all pride at the door. Maybe you need to seek counseling for anger that is being focused on the children. Maybe that is how your parents treated you, stop and think how it made you feel about your parents, is that how you want your children to feel about you? Obviously not, if it is an overhaul you are trying to make.

Whatever changes you desire to make you need a plan of action, not just the notion that you need a change. You need to figure out what your end goal is, and formulate a plan on how to get from point A to point B. And then you need to come up with a contingency plan, because you will need one at some point. Next, be real with yourself, you may fail, several times. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and try again. Try as many times as it takes until you get it right. Make as many plans as you need.

Seek support from friends and family. These people are here to lift you up, to inspire you. Any one that tears  you down with criticism need not be in your circle. Surround yourself with the people that are where you want to be, and become the best student ever. Stop trying to pretend you have it all together, you do not. No one has it ALL together. We are human, and to err is human.

Once you have found the support you need for change, there is another step in that process. Be the support for someone else. One of the best ways of learning something is to teach it. When you have your basic foundation, start looking to help those around you. You will feel inspired within yourself to do more, change more, do better, stay on track. You will also be inspiring others to make small changes which lead to big changes in their own lives. How awesome will it feel when you have not only accomplished your own goals but been a support for someone else to accomplish their own, and for them to support someone, and so on and so forth.

So about this whole "I'm fat," thing....

There was a story a while back where a mom outlawed use of the word fat around her child or something like that. I thought she was a little kooky for it, but hey, it was all out of love and efforts to protect her daughter.

Yesterday, I got to thinking. Maybe she has something. I mean, outlawing a word around your child will only work for so long, like until your kid goes to school. But I know I frequently refer to myself as feeling fat, or my fat ass, or something along those lines.

Now, while I am joking, mostly, I am beginning to wonder if one of my daughters would ever begin to take my comments personally, because she is build like me. So I have to wonder if she considers herself fat?? I know she has commented on being short, but hey that is beyond anyone's control. She is not short, she is average, but most of her classmates are ABOVE average. So she feels short.

One time she did make a comment about wanting to exercise more, to be in better shape. I asked her how much better shape she could possibly be in, because she looked pretty in shape to me. She pointed out her slight little tummy. The only place on her body where she has any body fat. Which is exactly how I referred to it.

She has a tendency to have the highest of expectations of herself, a bit anal retentive at times. She is a control freak to the utmost. She is a first born daughter. She strives academically, knows everything there is to know and will share it with anyone who needs to be told.

She also has a heart of gold, is the most well-behaved child I could have EVER asked for, and is so naturally beautiful it is almost scary. She is as smart as they come, as driven as they come, and as amazing as the come.

I think I will stop referring to my fat ass, my feeling fat, and whatever else I do to knock myself down. I think my own ego and hers will be all the better for it.

Life Changer???

Everyone has someone in their life that has made a profound impact. But, have you ever been told by someone that YOU are that person for them? It feels good, but it also comes with a little pressure to always be that influence.

What do you do in your friend's and family's lives that make you the life changing impact? Do you offer unmatched emotional support and guidance? Do you provide a lifestyle that allows for your loved ones to never worry about finances? You know what you do? Just be yourself. You be your best self, and that is the impact the people in your life need. We are all drawn to one another for a reason, yes, nothing is coincidental. Being your best self allows for your true purpose to shine through to others. Either you will inspire them, or support them, or teach them something.

Everyone in this world has something to offer. And everyone in this world has something to learn, something to gain from others. This makes our relationships symbiotic, each one gaining and giving in return. Sometimes, these relationships may feel one-sided. That just means you have to look deeper for the lesson. You have to examine the relationship closer in order to see what is not on the surface.

Even the most selfish of people teaches us something, even if it is as simple as how we do NOT want to be in our lives. Learning what not to do is as important as learning what TO do. It is just a different way of learning. Each of us impacts the universe. When you come across someone in a foul mood, do you not find yourself reacting in a foul way, at least at first? That person's negative attitude is testing you. Either you will adopt their example and feed into their negativity, or you will rise above. Either way, you have just been taught a lesson.

The person that falls prey to the negative Nelly learns that negativity is contagious and beware the attitude you spread to others. The positive Polly learns it takes effort to stay positive even in the face of adversity, and to never take a positive frame of mind for granted.

Either way, invaluable lessons have been learned.

So I ask you, how are you going to impact those around you today???

Passion

Do you have passion in your life? Do you wake up every day unable to wait to start your day? Do you love what you do with your life? Do you feel fulfilled, motivated? If not, why?

It's easy to get lost in the minutiae of life. It is easy to lose yourself in mundane, every day tasks and forget that you are a miracle. We view our children as miracles, yet as we get older we forget that we were once those children. Our parents once viewed us the miracles in their lives, and they probably still do.

Do you view yourself as a miracle in your own life? I know I don't. I have a whole complex where I put other people's needs first and then wonder why my own needs are not being met. It's something I am working on. Do you make yourself your own first priority? Odds are I would bet you view your children as your first priority. But, if something happened to you, it would hit them i the most profound way possible. So do you not at least owe it to your children, and yourself, to make YOU your top priority. You are teaching them self-esteem, self-confidence and independence. You are showing them how to treat themselves. When your children see mommy or daddy taking care of themselves first, they learn they too have to care for themselves first and foremost.

This will help your children not find themselves in abusive relationships, co-dependent relationships, or unhappy situations in general. Your children will grow up loving themselves too much to allow anyone to take advantage of them, or treat them with disdain. Your children will see their own value, early on, and be able to confidently go into the world and know exactly what they want and how to get it.

All that simply by making YOU a priority. Is that not a powerful feeling? You have the capacity to change your own life, and your children's simply by taking the best care of YOU that you can. Why oh why do we all not jump on this bandwagon?!  Because we were taught somewhere along the way that this is selfish. We were convinced that selfish behavior is ALWAYS bad. There are some positive aspects to some selfish behavior.

Being selfish is okay when it does not come at the expense of others. You can have a spa day as long as your bills are paid, and your kids are cared for first. You can go on vacation as long as the mortgage payment is on time and you have food in the fridge. Your selfish behavior has to match what your abilities are first. If you can only swing a self-manicure due to money being tight because you are a one income family, then you find the joy in that. You allow yourself the pampering and care that your life can support.

If you cannot afford to join a gym, find some stairs to run up and down, do push-ups and crunches, or jump rope. But take care of yourself! We have to balance taking care of ourselves, and making ourselves our first priority with what we can realistically afford monetarily, emotionally and mentally.

The lessons your children will learn are invaluable, and all you have to do is make yourself your first priority. It is a win-win situation.

Just Keep Swimming, You Won't Drown.....

This is a great quote. I struggle with this sometimes. When I have several things going on that preoccupy my mind it is a struggle for me to stay positive. I know I should, but it is not easy.

How do you get back to the positive place once you recognize that some of the negative fear is really taking over. Do you pray? Do you meditate? Do you exercise the negativity away? I feel like the negative thoughts are the boogie man, and once he gets you there is a struggle to get away. I know, it sounds child-like, and maybe it is.

I need to find my antidote for the negative Nellies. I need to find what works for me to snap out of the negative and just stay positive. It's hard when there are several issues at once that you just cannot seem to shake, but it is doable. I have seen many a person with a lot more than myself to be negative about be positive. Maybe I need to pray more, meditate more, exercise more.....wait, let's not get crazy now.

Today I resolve to finding my happy place, hopefully it is close and I won't need directions. Today I resolve to not let the negative issues that swim in my head take over the whole pool, so that I will not drown. Today I resolve to be in a good place. Today I will give myself a break from the tough life issues that I have no control over anyway, and let go. Today, I give my worries, my fears and my pain, both physical and emotional over to God, the universe, Mother Nature, anyone and everyone that is a higher power than myself. Today, I acknowledge that life is bigger than me, and I am but a woman on a journey.

What are you going to do with your today?

Parent Teacher Conferences

Today was parent teacher conference day for my two oldest girls. It is so nice to go into a meeting with teachers and have them rave about how great your kids are to them. My middle daughter is doing better, after a stint in the beginning of the year where she was forgetting to turn in homework.

Her teacher did a test at the beginning of the year and the results show how our children learn best. I think this test is ingenious, and should be done in classes all over. I learned that my child learns best musically. She scored 4 out of 5 for that category, and next was 3 out of 5 for logically. This means that when she can make sense out of something, put it in an order, it makes sense to her. I can see both of these. So now, since she is having some issues with remembering her times tables, we are going to hit up some old school School House Rock, and other musical avenues to help reinforce the times tables for her. I cannot wait to see how this works.

My oldest daughter proved yet again how much like her mother she really is. She is on track to be taking High School level Algebra when she hits 8th grade, just like me. Her teacher is really proud of the work she does, and the person she is. I cannot ask for any better than that.

I love parent teacher conference days because it gives a chance for my daughters' teachers to tell me what they see in my kids. I know what I see, I know what I think they are capable of, but it is nice to have that reiterated by the professionals that spend the entire day with them as well.

I love communicating with the teachers, it is always so insightful and positive. I learn something about my girls every time.

I feel it is every parent's obligation to be involved in their child's education. It is not up to the teachers to educate our children alone. We should participate in their education as much as we can, to show them how important what they do every day is to us.

Weaning Complete....

It is with both great joy and sadness that I announce my third, and final, child has been weaned. She breastfed for 25 months, longer than any of the others. Actually, she nursed longer than the other two COMBINED. She was a boobie hound, boobie-holic, whatever you want to call it. She took to nursing like a champion and never looked back. I tried to cut her back slowly, but she is just not that type of child.

It became clear to me that there would be no child-lead weaning here. If I wanted to be done, I had to call it, cut her off cold turkey and deal with the repercussions. I made the decision to do so about 3 weeks ago. It was not until about 3 days ago that she stopped asking for boobie. She has been having temper tantrums for the duration of the weaning, which I cannot completely attribute to the weaning. I mean, she did just turn two.

My boobs got engorged almost immediately, which was actually helpful when I told her they were broken. Every movement, every time she touched them, shoved her hands down my shirt, or even looked at them too hard, they hurt like CRAZY. She could tell I was in pain. I saw the empathy in my little child's eyes. She could somehow see that this was hurting me too. She stopped asking except for at bedtime. That has been a struggle, and continues to be, although she does not ask anymore. She does try to pull them out. Yes, I know it may sound creepy to some that I have to fight off a two year old. But that is because you are sexualizing the situation. Remember, we are talking about innocent breastfeeding. No nasty comments please.

So now, my little one has been weaned, and as far as I can tell I will never again nurse another baby. I am both happy to have my body back, and sad that this part of my life is over. I try to focus on the happy to have my body back part.

Letting Go....

There is a sense of relief that comes when you finally stop putting effort into something that is a black hole of emotion. You know, those people or situations that just keep taking and taking, without any giving back.

Sometimes these situations happen with a significant other, family member or a friend. Maybe you just went through a divorce and your ex is extremely bitter and vindictive. You cannot change that. You cannot him get over his anger and hurt. You cannot force him to act like a grown up, if he insists on acting like a child.

The same with family. Maybe you have a sibling that just refuses think about anyone but himself. He does not remember your birthday, call for Christmas or just to say hello. You call every week, plus on every special occasion known to man.

Either way, you are left feeling frustrated, hurt and disappointed, and why? Because you had an expectation of certain behavior from these people. When you let go of expecting certain people to behave a certain way, you will lose the hurt and frustration. But how the heck do we stop expecting things of our loved ones?!?! It is not easy, I struggle every day. But I will say this, when I can do it, when I can let go of expecting a person to behave the way I KNOW they should, I do feel better.

I believe it is all tied to ego. When someone "wrongs" us, we feel hurt, wounded and like they should have to make it right. When in reality, we only have control over how we react, and act. That is not to say let people walk all over like a doormat. Set boundaries, and enforce them. If your sibling does not call you, and that bothers you, say something. Tell him you wish he would remember your birthday. If he continues to disregard you, you have two choices either accept it and let go of your hurt, or walk away. Yes, walk away from your sibling. Not necessarily forever....but detach yourself from what is obviously an unhealthy relationship. Maybe once he realizes you are removing yourself he will stop and look at why.

As I said before, the only control we have is over our own actions. To steal a phrase from Dr. Phil, "You teach people how to treat you." If people are mistreating you, it is time to teach them a new way, a way in which you respect yourself enough to NOT put up with rotten behavior.

Let go, you cannot make people act any way but how they choose to act. Instead, lead by example.

What Lifted You Up Today??

I read an article that suggested you list three things daily that make you smile. They do not have to be big things, just the simple little things in your day that make you stop for a moment and appreciate life.

My first one was when my little Gabbi wrapped her arms around me this morning. She has not been feeling well and is even clingier to mommy lately. But she just wraps her arms around me, pats my back and melts my heart. It makes me stop, forget the sleepless night and just be.

The second moment happens five days a week. When I take my older two girls to school, we have the best time. We sing in the car, we goof on silly things we see and we play "Punch Bug, No Punch Backs." Our ride is 15 minutes, at most, but it is a really enjoyable time for me, because I feel good they are starting the day out in a happy note.

Today the third moment happened when I caught a side view glance of myself in the mirror and thought, "girl, are you losing weight?!?!" LOL! It was a welcome change from some of the usual negative feedback I give myself. So I gave myself a pat on the back for both the acknowledgement and the weight loss. Then I made baked mac-n-cheese for dinner, to really celebrate.

What are your thankful moments? Write them down, somewhere, everyday. Keep a journal, post it on Facebook, Instagram your moment. Do whatever you can to acknowledge the moment and solidify it to look back at later.

Parents Aging...

I never thought at this age I would be dealing with having two sick parents. My parents are in their late 50's and each of them has a host of medical issues. I do not have a relationship with my father, but I am besties with my mother. I am not sure which is harder to stomach. 

I have reached out several times in my life to my father. He was very absent when I was a child, and it did a great deal of damage to my psyche. Through years of counseling and self-esteem building, I was finally able to resolve a great deal of my own issues from the absence. But when I think about the potential that he could die and we do not speak, it just boggles my mind. I have to wonder, would I be welcome at his funeral? Certainly not by my grandparents, but I would by my sisters, and probably my aunt. I have a good relationship with my sisters, but not with anyone else on that side of the family. My sisters and I have hit a few bumps in the road (mostly on my behalf) but we are in a good place now. I love them dearly, and I don't think they realize how much. 

Then there is my mother. I talk to her every day, at least once. When I was a child she was...well...there is no other way to say it, she was bat-shit crazy.  I thought she was bi-polar, manic, you name it, she was it. But over the years, she has changed.....some. She is still a little crazy, but now that neither my brother or myself are in need of her care, she is only potentially harmful to herself. 

She has a host of issues that render her disabled. She is going tomorrow for a doctor appointment for yet a new crazy set of symptoms of some potentially life changing illness. If I lost her today, I would be completely and totally devastated. We have worked so hard to build our relationship into what it is today. We have both gone through some really tough introspection and work in order to be where we are today. If I lost her today, I would be heartbroken.

If I lost my father today, I would lose all hope that somehow, someway, things would change. I cannot accept the way he is now into my life. I need him to own his actions, or in-actions. I have to know that he loves and accepts me for who I am. I cannot tolerate the negative ball of emotion that he is. I just cannot. I spent too many years crying over this relationship. 

So, for two completely different reasons, the aging and degeneration of my parents is really hitting me hard right now.  

Miriam Carey

Being that I live in the Washington D.C. area, this story really scared the hell out of me when it was happening. I was sitting in carpool checking out Facebook, because what else is a bored mom to do. All of a sudden the news feeds starting updating with details about a high speed chase, and multiple gunshots around the Capitol building. I was shocked. Like many others, I immediately thought it was probably someone going off their rocker regarding the government shutdown.

Miriam Carey drove from Connecticut to D.C. with her one year old in the car, and wreaked havoc in the streets of our capitol. She used her car as a weapon, endangering herself, her child, and everyone else on the street. While I do not think she "deserved" to die, she brought this on herself.

Yes, I know she has a history of post-partum depression and was recently taken off her medication. But, there has to be some accountability here. If she was experiencing delusions, like her boyfriend said, why did no one help her? If she was actively expressing the thought that President Obama was stalking her, where was her help? How was she able to care for her child if she was that delusional?

I think the police did what they had to do. She was actively trying to ram into barricades and using her car as a weapon. It is a tragedy, yes, but the police served and protected. In the heat of the moment you react with what you know to do, what you are trained to do. The police are trained to stop that type of behavior any way possible, even if by force if no other method is working. People cannot go around trying to run people down, and ramming cars with children in them into barricades.

Her mental health is not important at that point in time. Certainly it is something that can lead to determining a motive later on, but in the heat of that moment there is no time to discern who this person is and what has led them to the dangerous behavior they are exhibiting.

So while it is tragic, I believe that the police did exactly what they had to regarding Miriam Carey.

Am I ADD?!?!

Now, before I get a host of nasty comments about the reality of ADD/ADHD and how I should not jest please do not get your panties in a wad over this.

I have been trying to keep this blog food relevant for a little bit now, and I just cannot. I know, I know, most successful blogs are focused and organized. Well, guess what, sometimes I am just all over the place. Sometimes I want to discuss potty training, and then jump to pre-teen issues. Sometimes I will talk about healthy vegetarian cooking, and follow it up with a recipe for something with chocolate, in chocolate, about chocolate....mmmmm....did someone say chocolate?!?!

The fact of the matter is this, I am who I am, and while I am a great Mom....well let's just put a period on the end of that sentence. I am a great Mom.

I have an active lifestyle which involves many facets and layers, like Shrek, I am an onion....only less green and not stinky.

So please have some patience with me while I adjust my subject matter yet again.  I do promise to keep up the recipe/food porn posting...OMG, a parenting blog with the word porn...someone stop this crazy woman.

So stay tuned. As I promised in the very, very beginning, this will be a roller coaster ride, so put your hair up in a pony tail, hike up your yoga pants, and get ready!

Cooking Should NOT Be a Household Chore

Cooking is a huge aspect of our lives in this house. My husband loves to cook, I love to cook, and my oldest daughter loves to cook. The middle daughter makes a great sous chef, and the little one is constantly in the mix. We enjoy cooking, so we put love and attention into our cooking and it shows.

Not to sound like I am bragging, but it is possible for anyone to be a great cook. Now, I am not going to be giving Chef Ramsey a run for his money any time soon, but knowing some basic cooking techniques can make for a great repertoire in the kitchen.

Also, when kids participate in the cooking of a meal, they are more apt to give new foods a try. The rule in my house is that you have to give any new food a good try, a bite or two. If you legitimately do not like it, you do not have to eat it. Now, it may come back in a few months, and you should try it then too, but if you still don't like it, I don't push it after that. I just make sure to have enough other options to replace it. Not, cooking two dinners, but other side item options that I KNOW the child likes....or sometimes the adult.

When cooking is done as a family activity it leads to communication of daily activities, fun stories, sharing, and caring. It really bonds a family very closely. It gives us a chance to really come together for the goal of continuing our family communication at the dinner table.

So whether or not you think you are a great cook, or you loathe the idea, give family meal prep a shot. Give everyone a job to do, and let the good times roll!!!

Take a Page from Popeye's Book....

I'm strong to the finach, cause I eats me spinach....lol....having flashbacks yet?  If you have been following my food porn lately, then you will have noticed that I have posted a great deal of meals that contain spinach. It may not be the favorite vegetable of everyone, but I am here to tell everyone why spinach should be incorporated into everyone's diet.

Spinach, according to WebMD, is loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber. It ranks third in nutritional value, behind kale and garlic. Spinach has been shown to fight against osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, and arthritis. It is an incredible food that can be eaten steamed, sauteed, fresh, frozen, or a host of other ways.

The World's Healthiest Foods, lists spinach as high in Vitamins K, A, C, B2, calcium, folate, manganese, and iron.

If you are a picky eater, or your child is a picky eater, spinach can be hidden very easily in things like smoothies. This way, the benefits are there, but the stigma of spinach is hidden.

Spinach is also very easy to flavor and cook. Baby spinach, with just a touch of olive oil, sea salt and pepper, has a sweetness to it, that makes it much more palatable than plain spinach. Also, mixing it in with tomato based sauces, hides any bitterness.

The fact is, spinach is really healthy, and an important part in any healthy eater's diet.

Scrambled Eggs and Scone

This was my breakfast this morning. I found some organic cranberry, orange, raisin scones, at the local grocery store.

I scrambled up a couple eggs, heated the scone and brushed it with a little butter over top.

This was delicious, and really, I was satisfied for quite some time.

I know a lot of people are low-carb nowadays, but I am still breastfeeding, and I get seriously hungry. So I eat carbs, but I try and eat healthier ones.

This was quick, easy, and totally delicious!!!

MANGIA MANGIA!!!

Going Green

Today's dinner was a quick throw together. I boiled some gluten-free spinach angel hair pasta. Then, I sauteed one zuccini with olive oil and added one cup of fresh baby spinach. sprinkle with some sea salt, pepper, and a little sprinkle of parmesan, and MANGIA MANGIA!!!

When I sat down to eat, I had to laugh, because I thought, "Hmmm, is it St. Patrick's Day?!?!"  This was a really great meal, had a little sweetness to it, because of the zucchini.  This is a great way to get some really important vitamins from the spinach and zucchini.

Fried Egg Sammy with Veggies

This sammy was so delicious, my hubby asked me to make him one after he took a bite of mine. I am all about a good egg sammy...as we call it in our house. Being vegetarian, we have to look for protein sources in places other than meat. So eggs, and green leafy veggies are a great option. 

This sandwich has the fried egg, which I like crispy on the edges, whole wheat toast, 1/4 cup baby spinach, 1/2 slice pepper jack cheese, 2 tablespoons of the leftover Banh Mi veggies, 2 tablespoons banana peppers. 

I could go for one right now...LOL! 

I recommend using sandwiches as a way to work in extra vegetables whenever possible. A handful of spinach adds flavor, crunch, and tons of vitamins.