Tag Archive | journey to complete wellness

The “Thank You” Game

Nov19

Note:  I originally posted this last year, but it is such a fun and rewarding game, I thought it was deserving of another post this year.  I hope you will play along! 🙂

feeling gratitude

One of the books that has had the greatest influence on my life so far is the book “Life Makeovers” by Cheryl Richardson.  This book is broken up into 52 weeks, and each week she focuses on a specific topic and gives advice and tips on ways to improve your life in that area. (Find out more about the book and how it has changed my life here.)

I have followed along with this book each week for the past 7 years, and my favorite piece of advice in the book comes from this week before Thanksgiving, Week 47.  The title of Week 47 is called The “Thank You” Game.  Cheryl suggests thanking one person a day for the next week.  It can be a teacher, bus driver, librarian, friend, spouse, child, a parent, postal worker, doctor, etc.  It can be anyone you come into contact with regularly that you would like to thank.  You can thank them by simply writing an unexpected note or e-mail, or by attaching a small gift like a box of chocolates or flowers or anything they might like.

We have been doing this for several years now, and it has become one of my favorite traditions!  I love this exercise because it is being done out of sincere gratitude, not obligation.  The recipient is usually not expecting anything, so they are usually very appreciative of the gesture.  It is a win-win situation on both sides.  We all love to feel appreciated, and it’s a great feeling to know your small gesture brightened someone’s day.

During the next 7 days, I am going to choose at least one person a day to thank.  Help me spread the gratitude and love this week by playing along with Cheryl Richardson’s “Thank You” game!  Who are you going to thank this week?

Meister Eckhart Thank You sunset4

October Unprocessed: Days 30 – 31 and Final Results

Nov5

October Unprocessed is Complete!!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to stay away from the Halloween candy as I was hoping to do.  This is what I ate during the final 2 days of the challenge:

Day 30:  Thursday, October 30

For breakfast, I had homemade granola, a hard-boiled egg, and freshly juiced apple juice.

Homemade Granola

For lunch, I had leftover haddock and mashed potatoes.

I had a Grain-Free Pumpkin Spice Muffin for a snack.  It was a recipe I had been wanting to try for a while.  I finally got all the ingredients, but unfortunately they tasted too plain for my taste.  One of my daughters enjoyed them, but the others did not like them at all, so I most likely will not be making them again.

October 31, 2014 007 crop

Day 31:  Friday, October 31 (Halloween)

For breakfast, I had homemade granola with yogurt, freshly juiced apple juice, and a slice of turkey.

For lunch, I had the rest of the leftover haddock and mashed potatoes.

For dinner, I made homemade pizza dough topped with homemade tomato sauce (using yellow tomatoes) and freshly shredded mozzarella cheese.

October 31, 2014 025 crop

Friday night, I went with my daughters trick-or-treating.  Unfortunately I couldn’t resist all the chocolate, so I had to have a few pieces.

Results and Thoughts

Unfortunately, this year I wasn’t into the challenge as much as I was last year.  I didn’t take it as seriously, so it felt like I cheated more often than I should have.

Last year, reading labels was all new to me.  I had a lot to learn and a lot of new, healthy foods and recipes to try.  I feel like I gained a lot of knowledge regarding foods and nutrition over the past year and it changed the way my family eats.  This year during the challenge, I feel like I just ate normal (which is MUCH healthier than we used to eat.)

While weight loss was NOT a goal for me during this challenge, last year I lost 7 pounds in October.  This year, I didn’t lose any.

Going Forward

October Unprocessed 2014 may be over, but I intend to continue to eat healthy and unprocessed foods whenever possible.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t been easy to do lately.  We have buckets of Halloween candy laying around the house, and it’s just not easy to ignore all that chocolate that is so readily available.  And since sugar is so addictive, I can’t just stop at one piece.  My daughter also just had a birthday 2 days ago, so we have ice cream cake readily available as well.  Chocolate and ice cream are 2 things I cannot resist!

Aside from the temptation of chocolate and ice cream, I continue to eat healthy.  I try not to buy anything that is packaged, I try to have an ample supply of fruits, vegetables, and nuts at all times, and my drink of choice is always water.

I do plan to join the challenge again next year, and I hope you will join with me!

In the meantime, feel free to join me in my November challenge:  30 Days of Thankful!

Recipe: Homemade Granola

Oct30

Homemade Granola

As promised in yesterday’s post, here is my recipe for homemade granola.  This post can also be found in my blog, Stacy Loves…

I made granola for the first time last week.  I had never realized before how easy it is to make.  After trying some that my friend had made, I had to have her recipe.  I modified it to my liking and according to the ingredients I had on hand at the time.  That is one of the great things about granola…you can use whichever nuts, seeds, and extras you personally prefer or have on-hand.

Homemade granola can be made at a fraction of the cost of store-bought granola, and it is really easy to make!  It is packed with nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and nutrition.  According to this article on WebMD, oats are one of the top ‘Superfoods’ that everyone needs.  Granola is an easy way to get lots of nutrients and superfoods into my kids’ diets.  I love to eat this plain, but it is also delicious mixed in yogurt or eaten as a cereal with milk.

The recipe I use is below, but feel free to modify the ingredients to your own liking.  Just try to keep the measured amounts the same.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup pecans (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup cashews (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup almonds (or nuts/seeds of your choice)
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cups dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc.)
  • (Optional) Extras:  Shredded coconut, chocolate chips, etc.

Instructions:

  1. Spread oats in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Bake at 325° for 7-10 minutes.
  2. Transfer oats to a large mixing bowl.
  3. Chop nuts/seeds in food processor until chopped but still coarse.
  4. Mix nuts/seeds into mixing bowl with oats.  Set aside.
  5. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, and coconut oil. Bring to a boil.
  6. Once boiling, remove from heat and add 1 teaspoon vanilla.
  7. Pour mixture into nut/seed/oats mixture and mix until combined.
  8. Add dried fruit.
  9. Bake at 325° for approximately 15 minutes.
  10. Add chocolate chips or other extras (if using).
  11. Let cool and transfer to an airtight container.
  12. ENJOY!!! 🙂

October Unprocessed: Days 4, 5, 6 & 7

Oct5

Day 4:  Saturday, October 4

For breakfast, I had scrambled eggs with roasted broccoli, zucchini & onions that were left over from dinner the other night.

October 5, 2014 003 crop

I had an apple, a peanut butter cookie, and some trail mix of cashews and chocolate chips as snacks throughout the morning.

For lunch, I had a green smoothie containing water, Kefir, spinach, frozen bluberries, and frozen bananas.

October 5, 2014 008 crop

For dinner, I finally finished off the potato salad I had made the other day.  Unprocessed foods go a long way in our house, since I’m the only one who will eat the leftovers.  Next time I will make a smaller batch.

For a snack, I made some energy bites containing 1/2 cup oats, 1/3 cup coconut flakes, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed, 1/4 cup chocolate chips, 2 1/2 tablespoons honey, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.

Day 5:  Sunday, October 5

For breakfast, I made Banana Oatmeal Pancakes with pure maple syrup.

October 5, 2014 017 crop

I also had 1/2 a banana and a few chocolate chips.

I had a few of the energy bites I made last night for a mid-morning snack.

For lunch, I had a salad made with lettuce, tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, cashews, chopped apples, chopped pears, and a few chocolate chips.

October 5, 2014 032 crop

I also had some of my daughter’s leftover scrambled eggs and another energy bite.

For dinner, I made turkey tenderloin roasted in olive oil, salt, and pepper.  I chopped it and put in in a salad with lettuce and cucumbers, and I sprinkled it with lemon juice as the dressing.

Day 6:  Monday, October 6

For breakfast, I made banana oatmeal pancakes again for my daughter.  I had her leftovers along with an apple and some cashews.

For lunch, I browned some grass-fed ground beef with some onions and I also roasted some potatoes in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

October 7, 2014 001 crop

For a mid-day snack, I roasted some of the pumpkin seeds from the pumpkins my daughters carved on Sunday.

October 7, 2014 013 crop

I also made a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie (my 7-year-old’s favorite drink!) and I had about 8 oz of that.

I snacked on a few grapes as well.

At dinnertime, I cheated a little.  I made homemade pizza for the kids.  While I was planning to just have a salad, I couldn’t resist the pizza, so I did have a slice.  I used the pizza crust I made, freshly shredded mozzarella, homemade tomato sauce, and I topped it with the ground beef/onion mixture I made at lunch.

October 7, 2014 009 crop

Day 7:  Tuesday, October 7

For breakfast, I had the rest of the pumpkin pie smoothie that was left over from yesterday.

My 10-year-old didn’t touch the toast I made her (that she asked for), so I ended up eating that, too.  I couldn’t bring myself to throw it away.

I had a few grapes for a snack.

For lunch, I had more of the ground beef that I made yesterday and the rest of the roasted potatoes.

For a snack, I had some trail mix containing raisins, cranberries, dates, and walnuts.  When the girls got home, I finished off their grapes from their lunches and I also had the rest of my daughter’s leftover pizza from last night.

For dinner, I made baked haddock, roasted butternut squash, and a salad.  The haddock did have Ritz crackers on top (which I shouldn’t be eating), but that’s the only way the rest of my family will eat fish, so I have to compromise.

October 7, 2014 012 crop

So, I’ve cheated a little every day on some of the small things, but overall I’m feeling pretty good about my progress.  My counter is overflowing with apples and other produce, so I’m going to be looking for some recipes in the next few days to use them up! 🙂

Inspiration Friday: What REALLY matters?

Sep26

Happy Friday!

Here is a beautiful reminder of what REALLY matters in life.  You can focus your time and energy on acquiring money, fame, or possessions, but they will not make you happy and will only leave you wanting more.  In the end, we must ask ourselves, “What REALLY matters?” and spend our time and energy on those things.  If you can’t see the video below, check it out here.

Life IS Good…here is the proof:

Sep4

I’m really excited!  I just started a new blog called STACY LOVES…!  It is a blog devoted to gratitude and looking for the good all around us.  I hope to share all the good things I have discovered in life…my favorite quotes, recipes, foods, products, craft ideas, books, movies, and stories that inspire me (and hopefully you, too!).  STACY LOVES… will be similar to Journey to Complete Wellness, only it will not be restricted to Health & Wellness topics.  I hope you will check it out and follow along with me as I discover more good things in life!  Check it out HERE!!

I strongly believe that the secret to happiness is gratitude.  We must all learn to be content with what we have and recognize the blessings that are continuously surrounding us each and every day!  Life IS good!!

gratitudehappiness

What are YOU thankful for today?

My Favorite Mantra…

Aug29

This week has been crazy busy for my family with the start of school, hosting our annual back-to-school ice cream party for the neighborhood kids, and preparing for the upcoming 4-H fair that my kids are involved in this weekend.  With all the fun and excitement going on this week, my house is a disaster and I have fallen behind in my usual weekly obligations (including my weekly blog post).  In lieu of writing a long post this week, I would love to share with you one of my favorite mantras.  I am constantly reminding myself of this, but this week it seems particularly appropriate.  Breathe mantra

Whenever I say this to myself, I always feel instantly better.  I have discovered that having complete trust in God and the universe IS the way to inner peace and the biggest stress reliever there is!

Have a great Labor Day weekend!!  Enjoy!! 🙂

 

 

 

 

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

Jul18

July 8, 2014 049 blueberry muffin2

It’s blueberry season!!   My daughters and I love picking blueberries just as much as we love picking strawberries.  Blueberry muffins were the first thing the girls wanted to make with our fresh-picked blueberries.  While this is not a typical recipe I would post on here (as I do not consider it healthy), it is something we enjoy making occasionally (and it is blueberry season), so I thought I would share it.  It is quick and simple to make.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Update 8/16/2014 – These blueberry muffins just won 2nd place in a baking contest at the Marshfield Fair in Marshfield, MA!! 🙂

To come up with this recipe, I started with a long-time favorite blueberry muffin recipe of ours which you can find here.  From there, I made a few healthy modifications and came up with this:

Ingredients

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup coconut oil

1 egg

about 1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

Topping:

½ cup white sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup butter, cubed

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with muffin liners.
  2. Combine 1 ½ cups flour, ¾ cup sugar, and baking powder.
  3. Place coconut oil into a 1-cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this into the flour mixture.
  4. Fold in blueberries
  5. Fill all 12 muffin cups evenly and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture (directions below.)
  6. Bake for approximately 18 minutes at 400°.

 

Crumb Topping:

 Mix together ½ cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, ¼ cup butter, and 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Yield: 12 muffins

Recipe: Omelet with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Onions, Peppers, and Feta

Mar5

When I was taking the October Unprocessed Challenge this past October 2013, I ate A LOT of omelets and eggs in many different forms.  I also tried sun-dried tomatoes for the first time during that month, and I absolutely LOVED them!  I was surprised at how flavorful they are.  I tried to come up with different recipes to use them in, so one day I put them into my omelet with some leftover Feta cheese I had, and I loved it.  Here is the recipe I came up with.

February 21, 2014 024 crop

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten

2 Tablespoons Feta cheese

2 Sun-dried tomatoes (packed in olive oil), chopped

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon coconut oil

¼ cup green pepper, diced

¼ cup onion, diced
Instructions:
  1. In an 8″ non-stick saute pan, melt 1 Tablespoon coconut oil over medium heat.
  2. Saute green pepper and onion in coconut oil until soft.
  3. Remove peppers and onions from pan.  Set aside.
  4. Add the teaspoon of coconut oil to the pan.  Pour the eggs into the omelet pan.  Do not stir.
  5. Once edges harden and you are able to get a rubber spatula underneath the eggs without them breaking, carefully flip the eggs.
  6. Add the cheese, peppers, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Cook until cheese is melted, and fold in half.  Enjoy!

Yield: 1 Omelet

Recipe: Buffalo Chicken Dip

Feb26
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Buffalo Chicken Dip

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 12 servings

My family loves Buffalo Chicken Dip! It is very quick and easy to make, very tasty, and a good way to use up some leftover chicken. I have been making it a lot lately. The recipes I had initially used (from the hot sauce bottle) called for Ranch or Bleu Cheese dressings. I didn't love all the processed ingredients in the dressings from the store, so I set out to find a healthier replacement. This is what I came up with, and my family and I are both happy with the result. I usually serve it with celery sticks or organic corn chips. Enjoy! 🙂
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. Package cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon dried dill
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ cup Frank’s REDHOT sauce
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
  • Serve with celery sticks or organic corn chips.
Instructions
  1. Place cream cheese into baking dish or glass pie plate.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients until mixed well.
  3. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes until hot. Stir.