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I am so excited to share something with you!!

Whether you are making baby steps living in the city, or you are living off the grid homesteading, you will will love listening to some amazing speakers talk about healthier living!!

This FREE online virtual conference is happening March 24-30, 2013. Listen to 35 of your favorite health experts, authors, doctors, bloggers, farmers and activists from the comfort of your own couch!

Click here to sign up now -- it's FREE!

When you sign up, you'll get an email with log in information. Then go back on Sunday, March 24th and listen all week for free.

If you are unable to join them online the week of March 24th, you can order the entire Healthy Life Summit to listen anytime, anywhere. Click here to pre-order now and save 75%!

 

On each day during the Summit, 5 presentations (1 from each track) will be posted on the Healthy Life Summit website. These presentations will be available for FREE, streaming for 24 hours (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time).

Click here to sign up now -- it's FREE!

At the end of the 24hour free viewing period, that day’s interviews will be taken down from their site and will be replaced by the next day’s interviews.  If you are unable to listen online the week of March 24th, you can order the entire Healthy Life Summit to listen anytime, anywhere.

Click here to pre-order now and save 75%!

I cannot wait to listen in as some experts in the field share their knowledge!  The best part?  I get to sit at home and let my kids join me and learn too!!  But I also know that the chances of listening to all 5 sessions each day is not that high, so make sure you sign up to have permanent access to the sessions to listen to later!!

Click here to sign up now -- it's FREE!

These are the sessions I am most excited about!!  There are others I will be tuning in to, but these are the ones I am making a priority!!

Day 1

FOLKS, THIS AIN'T NORMAL!
Joel Salatin, Polyface Farms

Joel discusses the industrial agriculture system and how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. Joel explains why kids need chores, how backyard chickens and edible landscapes are the future, and discusses the folly of  the synthetic-fertilizer-fueled Green Revolution.

Day 2

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL  DANGERS OF GMOs
Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette

Jeffrey covers the health and environmental hazards of GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. Learn how you can avoid being a lab rat in this frightening science experiment.

Day 3

HEALING THE MIND AND BODY WITH FOOD
Julia Ross, author of The Mood Cure
andThe Diet Cure

Julia reveals how nutrition can cure depression, anxiety, & other mood disorders & how to overcome addiction to junk foods and dependence on drugs.

……Okay, that was a glimpse – there are more: healthy cleaning products, feeding kids better, switching from junk food to real food.  This is the place to start if you are in baby-step mode, and the place to find encouragement if you are already waist deep in this healthy living journey!

So, what are you waiting for?  Check it out NOW!!  See the other speakers HERE.

Click here to sign up now -- it's FREE!

{There are affiliate links in this post}

Making Sauce

Normally I make spaghetti sauce in a big pot and then freeze it in ziplock bags.  This time I changed it up a bit!!

I have decided I love to make my sauce in the crock pot.  In the pot sometimes I would get a bit burned because I could not get the heat down far enough.  So now, I prep everything.  Sauté onions and peppers, then throw it in the crock pot and let it simmer all day!!

A friend shared a recipe too – can of crushed tomatoes (maybe stewed too) and an onion cut in half.  Let it simmer about 45 minutes, take the onion out and you have great marinara sauce.  I have made it many times, so this time I made it in the crock pot too. 

So, I filled 2 crock pots – one marinara (crushed toms and an onion) and another sautéed peppers onions, and tomatoes and cooked both all day.  I did add some garlic as well to both batches, because I love garlic – and a sprinkling of italian seasonings to the pepper and onion one.

Then I got my quart jars out and sanitized them, got a boiling water bath ready and I canned 6 quarts of spaghetti sauce!!  I love that I do not have to thaw it or anything!  Ready to open, heat and pour on my pasta!!  Great for pizza sauce too!

The best part?  All 6 quarts (and 2 more in the fridge that did not fit in my boiling water bath) cost about 6.50 for the tomatoes, and whatever 2-3 onions and 2 peppers will cost. (I get them in my veggie co-op so I am not sure what I would pay for them individually)  Either way about a dollar a quart and all natural, healthy and yummy!!

Sprouts anyone?

Oh the fun we have had!!  We went to a sustainable gardening club meeting recently and it was so much fun!!  At the meeting we met people who are thinking like us : garden, home raised meat, and even organic!  Not everyone thinking the same, but similar and encouraging!

As part of our meeting a friend taught us all how to sprout.  I have read tons of posts about this on the internet, but never ventured out to do it.  But this time, it was different!  Cheri sent us home with a baggie of seeds, a box to raise them, and the knowledge to do it!!

Start with a plastic shoe box (or you can use other stuff, but this time we used a plastic 89 cent shoe box from Walmart)

You need a fine strainer, we have a metal one.

Pour some seeds into strainer and rinse.

Then dump into shoe box. (yes they will be wet.

Cover the shoe box with lid and leave over night.

Review : Coconut Oil

My how I love Coconut Oil!!  I always have some on hand, and order it often to ensure I do not run out.  Order it, you wonder?  Well I order it because where I  live, the coconut oil that I can buy locally is highly refined.  So, rather than run out & buy a lower product, I try to keep some on hand at all times!!

I love it!  I use it all over my house and for tons of things!!

1.  I use it to bake with : Brownies, Cookies, muffins, Granola etc

(replace the called for oil in your recipe and go!)

2.  Hair Management : I scrunch my hair with coconut oil on my hands once I comb it out after a shower, and let it dry naturally.  I moisturizes my curly hair and keeps it from getting frizzy.

3.  I use it as a moisturizer, I simply put it on my hands and rub on my hands, arms, legs, anywhere I am dealing with dry skin.  Oh yeah, I use it daily on my face and neck.  DAILY.  This is my moisturizer for my face, PERIOD.

4.  I made Lotion Bars with it – and they have gotten rave reviews  from friends!!

5.  I stir fry with it, make soup, and saute fish and other things too.

6.  This may seem odd, but I use it for homemade deodorant too – and LOVE it!!

That is just a few of the ways we love coconut oil.

There are many options when it comes to coconut oil.  I have fallen in love with Tropical Traditions oil, not just because of the quality, but I love the heart behind their company!!

{Also, check out my give-away HERE}

Are you using Coconut Oil Yet?

If not, what are you waiting for?  Maybe some free coconut oil?  Well, stay tuned, shortly I will be offering some Free Coconut Oil to some blessed reader!!

Meanwhile, if you are wondering what you would do with Coconut Oil, well let me help you out!!

I use it in my home in the following ways:

In my Hair

  Almost two years ago I joined the Poo-Free movement.  I stopped using traditional shampoo and conditioner.  If you do not know what is in those products you need to check it out!!  Instead, I started using Baking Soda and water to wash my hair, and vinegar to condition it.  As a styling product I use a little bit of coconut oil.

   These days I am still Poo-Free, but I use the above mentioned products as well as a spray bottle with a mixture of Dr Bonner soap, vinegar, and some coconut oil as a all in one wash once in a while.

As a Lotion

  As for lotion, I hate that there are all sorts of poisons in our lotions, if you do not believe me check it out!  Formaldehyde is in most dove products for goodness sake!!

  So I use coconut oil as a moisturizer.  On my freshly shaven legs it is wonderful and never irritates.  I use it on my hands, arms, anywhere I feel like I need some lotion.

In my Kitchen

  Finally, the fact that I can use the same coconut oil in my kitchen to cook with and eat, is the best part!  I am putting something on my hair and skin that I can eat.  Guess what?  I feel much better about that than all the warnings on every other product on the store shelves that I used to use!!

   I love to bake with coconut oil, replace it as a 1 to 1 for butter, or any other oil in your recipes.  I fry fish in it, I fry lots of things in it.  And yes, some coconut oil has a coconut flavor, but we never seem to mind it.  My new coconut oil, however, does not have that flavor so you would never know you are using a healthier oil!!

   I love to use coconut oil in my granola, cookies, and even our oatmeal in the morning!!

If you want to see more uses check out TipNut.

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So, What are you waiting for? 

Try it out!

Where to find it?

Well, a great place is Tropical Traditions because they sell an amazing product!  If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you!  It’s a win/win!!

You want to get the Virgin Coconut Oil, and look for Cold Pressed, un-refined, and non-hydrogenated.  This will make sure you get the best quality oil!

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A little bit more about where this coconut oil comes from…..

To see some other videos, check out HERE.

Stay tuned, the give-away is right around the corner for this Quart jar of Coconut Oil!!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

Homemade Yogurt

I love to make granola.  I cannot make myself buy it hardly ever.  Since I love to make it, I really enjoy having it for breakfast but the side dish with granola is yogurt.  Yogurt is getting more and more expensive!  Not to mention you have to be careful what you buy these days with all the additives they throw in!!

I have read and heard over and over how easy it was to make yogurt, but I never really believed.  Then I saw a pin on Pinterest, and I followed it and was finally convinced.  Here is the post that inspired me.

Here are pics of my second batch of yogurt. 

I have made Greek yogurt both times now, and we are thoroughly enjoying it.  Normally, I buy 2 kinds of yogurt, 1 qt of Greek and 1 qt of regular.  Greek for me and regular for the kids (the price is almost twice for the Greek, hence I only get it!)

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies (sans sugar)

This sugar free living thing is certainly not black and white.  And, honestly, I really like life when it is black and white.  I know what to do, I follow rules, I like it when it is easy.

But as I am on my third month of a “Low/No Sugar Lifestyle” I am learning that life without any sugar is no life.  Life with artificial stuff is not much better than being addicted to the sugar itself.  So what do we do?  I am finding, that better choices – are the way.  Not the right choice, because I am not sure there is a right, unless you say no sugar, and like I said, that is no way to live.

So recently I went off with a  group of dear friends for the Sally Clarkson conference, I knew there would be tons of sugar, and more than tons of chocolate.  So, before I left, I decided that after 7 week of no sugar, that I was going to enjoy whatever that weekend.  However, I also went equipped with healthy options. I made my own chocolate chips cookies – my favorite recipe of all time, and I modified it to get the white, refined icky stuff out.  I was so happy to have my friend here when I made them, she was very experienced in sugar free baking, so she suggested options to help me out.

It is over! {imagine me doing the happy dance}

Whew.

I can finally have sugar again.  Can.  And yes, I will.  I am not sure when, how much or how, but I know I will be eating some sugar today and in the days to come.

Boy.   I have learned, that I can live without sugar.  I can.  But, since food is not my idol, nor does what I eat define me, I will not live without sugar. 

From today on, I plan to eat a Sugar-Less diet.  Not diet in the sense short term, but I plan to lessen the amount of sugar we eat as a family.  Robert has been wanting bees since before we arrived here, and I was always fully on board for getting them “later”.  Well, later is now.  I am not sure how soon now will be for us, but I am all for getting them as soon as we can.  If we can start to get our own honey, that would make sugar-less living so much easier!

But as a woman who loves God with all her heart, with all she is, I am a woman who is not defined by my body size, the calories I consume or by what I eat.  However, my body is a temple that God allows me to occupy for a set amount of time.  As I try to keep my house clean, and my kids healthy, I need to try to keep this body in the best shape I can as well.  So eating healthier is part of that.

Almost There!

I am about to wrap up my 2 week fast of no sugar.  I knew it was going to be a challenge, but I had no idea.

For instance, did  you know sugar is in just about every salad dressing? 

And Ketchup?  Crackers? Almost all bread?  Every yogurt I could find? 

When this started, I had severe headaches the first day.  The next few days I thought about sugar ALL day, when I say all day, I mean the thought was in my head every few minutes, if not more.  I could not think of anything but eating something with sugar.

A few days into it, I went to Whole Foods and stocked up – and this made my fast so much easier!!  I bought Stevia to put in coffee, tea, whatever.  I also got some amazing peanut butter that is so super healthy.  Not cheap, but I think may be our new go-to peanut butter.  It is loaded with flax seed, peanuts, agave nectar, and that is about it.  No sugar and instead full of super brain food stuff (flax seed).

At this point, I am ready to have some sugar.  I want a few things that I just plain WANT. 

But this brings me to the BIG question!  Why do we feel like we can have whatever we want to eat?  Let me clarify.  I know R rated movies are bad, the language is horrible, the nudity or partial is unacceptable, and the violence is over the top.  So we stopped watrching R rated movies.  Yes, this stinks when a great movie (looks that way anyway) comes out and we see it is R.  Oh well.  We skip it.  {I did make an exception for the King’s Speech, but the only exception in a LONG time).  Anyway…

We know this stuff is bad, so we avoid it.  We know smoking is bad.  We avoid it.  And yet, I know sugar is bad.  It feed cancer in your body.  It stops the white blood cells from doing their job (i.e. keeping you healthy) and yet – we jump head first into a life of sugar addiction.  This is one of the few area where we do not tell ourselves no.  We seem to think we are doing everything else okay, I deserve to eat what I want.  But what I want is based on what my body has become addicted to.  Check out Healthy Familes for God – read From All Natural to Class A Drug for some crazy mind-blowing info. 

I am not advocating a life of no sugar, but I want to know what I am eating and the consequences it will have on my body.  If we ignorant of what is going on we have no way of doing something about it – and this is not good.  Ignorance is not bliss!!

We start the day with it (unless you are an eggs and bacon eater, but watch out for what you put on toast…..) we include it is our drinks (juice, sweet tea, soda, etc) we eat it at lunch (think : peanut butter and jelly) and then if not in our dinner (but again, condiments are loaded) we end the day indulging in some ice cream, cake, or generally something sweet.

Now, stay with me.  I will repeat, I am certainly not advocating a life without sugar.  While this 2 week fast has been okay, I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I want to get there.  I want to be able to have some things that, unfortunately, contain sugar.  But, I think I want to stay off the Sugar-Addiction bandwagon.  I want to be aware of what I am letting my kids consume.  Because if I know it is bad for me, think what it is doing to their little bodies!  They need much more in t he category of nutrition that we do, and that sugar is replacing some much needed nutrients.  I do not want to raise 4 kids to grow up to be the sugar addict that I was.

Will this cost more?  Take more time?  Be hard? Yes, yes and yes.  It will.  Let’s be honest, healthy snacks take prep time, they do not come in a fun box you open ad serve.  It is more to buy things like healthy peanut butter and sugar free jelly.  But think about all those DR. bills.  If I avoid a co-pay I am saving $25 and that can buy a lot of even healthy peanut butter!

So for me this is my plan for 2012 & food:

1. No Candy in the house – if any, just the best and very little – otherwise NONE.

2. Peanut Butter – mostly, if not all, the good stuff

3.  Have more hummus, veggies and other good stuff for sandwiches

4.  Drink more smoothies with real (unsweetened) fruit

5.  Make granola every other week (enough to last); cut up veggies for snacks each week

6.  Make jelly lower in sugar (find a recipe to do this) – only eat homemade jelly

7.  Make cookies that are healthier (see Healthy Families for God)

8.  Make sweet tea with honey instead of sugar – drink less often; drink more water

9.  Be aware of the sugar we do eat (knowing is half the battle)

10.  Have dessert on celebrate days only – and other snacks other nights (nuts, popcorn, fruit, etc)

I know this is not what will work in every home, and I am not saying it should.  But we need to be advocates for our children and not just allowing them the candy they want because it is easier to say yes than no.  We can all attest that the more candy and junk they eat the more cavities and hyper-activity.  All is bad.  If we cut out candy almost all together, they would still be great, happy, healthy kids.  They would learn to deal with it.  It is possible.

There are so many options out there today, and this is a blessing.  It is possible to be healthier, it just takes work.

Sugar-less Eating

Well, we are a week (plus a few days) into the sugar free living.  So far, this week has been much better than last.  I still would love to have some sugar, but I am no longer craving it.

So a few successes we have had, for dessert tonight I made a frozen treat that we all enjoyed.  I used frozen bananas, almond milk, ice, natural (sugar free) peanut butter, and some stevia chocolate flavoring.  It was really yummy!

On Saturday night I whipped up Blender waffles from Passionate Homemaking.  I was really not sure what expect with these, but it was worth a try for me.  I also and not the one who makes waffles, so the recipe was new and the use of the waffle iron was new.  The kids loved them, and everyone requested seconds.  We had maple syrup on them, so we still avoided all processed sugar.

Sugar Free & Balance ???

I had no idea.  I mean, I knew it was not so good for us.  I knew I should cut back, but oh my!!

I have been feeling a little desire to cut out some sugar, so when a friend posted that she was going 2 weeks no sugar starting Jan 2, I thought I would join her.  Little did I know.

I knew I would hate it – but did not expect headaches on day 1.  And cravings, like I never {thought I }  felt before.  Ugh.

Then another friend sends a link to a blog about going sugar-free, and I can honestly tell you I think I am scared of sugar and what it is doing to us.  I encouraged (to put it mildly) my husband to join me on this 2 week (hopefully 4 week) endeavor.  But after reading some of this stuff, I think I am bringing the kids along too.  Crazy stuff out there about sugar.

{more} Toxin Free Living

For almost a year now, I have gone poo-free.  To some this seems normal and right, to others very weird!

I did not share anything about it before, because I guess I thought it was a bit weird  But now, I love it!!

Why would I do this?  Well, honestly after reading all about how toxic our shampoo and conditioner is, and all those other products, I decided I was done with these items.  I also changed us over to Dr Bonners soap in the showers (all of them).

Okay, so I was inspired by Simple Mom’s post about this topic.  Next, I got a squirt bottle, from walmart, in the housewares section.  Next, I bought some more baking soda.    I added a tablespoon of baking soda to my squirt bottle and filled with water.  This is my shampoo.  I squirt it into my wet hair, rub it around and rinse