Trim Healthy Mama and a Baptism.....



O.K these two pictures are in the opposite order.  Our future son-in-law got rebaptized....

He didn't feel he understood what he was doing the first time... because he was very young so he asked my husband to baptize him again..... So we rejoice in this blessing. It is wonderful when a soul is added to the heavenly roster.

We have been knee deep in wedding plans with only five months left until the big day!!! With that said I know that I would like to lose about 15 pounds before all of the parties and feasting...and PICTURES!  Yikes...... Well way back in May I bought the Trim Healthy Mama Book and I was really jazzed up about it. Telling all of my family and friends. Well they have had great success and I well...... I have been less than diligent. O. K. a LOT less diligent than them.... If you haven't heard about this book you should really look into it. These to sisters wrote this book over a five year span. And I know it works, my Aunt has lost 22 pounds in just  a couple of months, my friend Julie is at a weight she hasn't seen in a while. Down to a 119 pounds!  I lost 4  pounds in a week..... all very healthfully. You can got to Gwen's Nest or Stacy Makes Cents, to read full reviews and look at recipes and tips on this book.

So why am I telling you my dear readers all of this? Well I want you to be my accountability partner! If I know I have to check in with you next Sunday and let you know how I am doing, I am hoping it will keep me motivated. So today is my first check in...and I am nervous about the whole thing but here goes my dignity LOL.....

5'3
135 Pounds....... Hoping to be around 120....in five months.


So my dear little accountability partners here it starts and next Sunday I will talk more about this little journey.....

Blessings,
Amy Jo

Zuchini Herb Casserole

I cooked this delicious casserole last week. It was sooo good. I made chicken breast and baked potatoes for everyone else but I just ate this casserole and it was very filling. I thought that it was good enough to share with you all. This serves 6 people and takes about an hour total including cooking time.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup uncooked rice

2/3 cup of water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, cubed

1 cup onion or 1 small onion

1 clove garlic minced

1 1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

1 1/2 cups seeded chopped tomatoes

2 cups cheddar cheese, divided ( I used less)

Directions:

1. Combine the rice and water in a sauce pan and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

2.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a shallow 1 1/2 qt casserole dish.

3. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat, cook zucchini, onion, and garlic 5 minutes. Season with garlic salt, basil, paprika, and oregano. Mix in cooked rice, tomatoes, and 1 cup cheese. Continue to cook and stir until heated through, transfer to casserole dish. Top with cheese.

4.  Bake uncovered 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I hope you give this recipe a try. It is so worth the effort and was great reheated the next day.

Blessings,

Amy Jo



The Oldest Health Plan in the World

No I am not talking vegan here... I don't think I could ever do without meat completely. My mother gave me this book several years ago and I never read it. It just sat on my bookshelf.  But recently my Mother had a few health issues and one of them was high cholesterol. If you read the side effects of the medication you will know that taking those cholesterol drugs can be just as scary as the condition itself. So she decided to try a natural approach, she started eating a mostly vegan diet and she only eats meat twice a week.

The result:  Well she feels amazing. And on top of it all, in just 2 months, she is smaller than she has been in years!! She weighs less than me and is taller than me. O.K. so this is the part that really caught my attention.... Oh vanity.... So I dug out this book and started reading it. This book is excellent! It describes the foods that were eaten in biblical times and why. The Author uses scripture and science to explain the details. It is nothing new (obviously) but when it is put in a biblical context it makes it easier for me to digest and accept. So Sunday I decided to start eating mostly vegetables and less meat. I feel good and I have lost 1 1/2 pounds!  In 4 days! And I have changed nothing else. Nothing.

Mandy over at Biblical Homemaking has been another source of inspiration. She has been eating on a similar plan and posting about it. There is great info on her blog. Lastly I want to mention the above CD collection from Vision Forum. I had really wanted to go to this conference but my husband said the only way he would take me is if I would fly!

 EEEK.... So needless to say I bought the seminar instead. ( I am a baby)  But I am so glad I bought this. It is a little bit expensive. But the way I look at it I saved a lot of money when I didn't fly to Texas and stay at a hotel.... The information has been so inspirational,  plainly spoken, and so far I am enjoying the Cd's. I highly recommend this seminar series. I know this isn't what I usually talk about here on my blog, but I am super excited about this. I have been mainly low carb for years. I feel that I have been missing out on so much. Nutritionally and pleasure wise as well. So I hope you will check out some of this info. Who knows, maybe it is just what you have been looking for. I hope you have a blessed day.

xoxo,

Amy Jo

Sorry for the Lack of Posting !

I have not been a good blogger lately.... but life has gotten in the way. My son woke up last Thursday with hives. I gave him Benadryl every four hours and the hives just continued to pop up. The next morning he woke up with head to toe hives...So I took him to Centra Care, a walk in clinic. They said keep him on the Benadryl and if he gets worse here is a prescription for steroids. I am not a fan of giving heavy medications unless absolutely necessary. So I waited. Next evening he was having trouble swallowing. So to the ER we went. Everything was ok once meds kicked in. Now it has been follow ups and soon some allergy testing. But all is getting back to normal. Today is the first day that he woke with no hives. So we shall see.... I will try to post more often.  I hope all of you are enjoying this wonderful spring like weather!

Be Back Soon,

Amy Jo



Surviving Thanksgiving

photo credit



My husband and I went to the Gym the other day and they had a table set up with a 2 pound model of fat and a 2 pound model of muscle. I am sure you know muscle is leaner and smaller than fat. They said the average person gains 15 pounds over the holiday season. That is right 15 POUNDS!(I'm not talking muscle here) It starts for many with Halloween and tons of garbage... and it never stops until after New Years. I would like to share with you some tips on how to avoid the average 5-7 pound gain that most achieve, over just the Thanksgiving holiday.

• Don't go to dinner hungry. Eat a good breakfast and lunch to avoid overeating at dinner. Don't save up calories for later. You will just go way overboard.
• Bring something you can eat such as vegetables with low-fat sour cream and a seasoning pack.
• Remember, Thanksgiving is not an all you can eat event. One plate well-proportioned with half of your plate vegetables, one quarter of it lean meat, and one quarter a starch. Try to avoid the bread basket. Eat slowly and enjoy the fellowship. Don't eat a second plate. Drink water with dinner.
• Take your turkey without the skin and try to eat the white meat.
• Watch your portions and get smaller amounts of everything you want to try. Remember moderation is key!
• Alcohol and caffeine dehydrate. So try to avoid them.
• If you want dessert have a sliver not a slice.
• Get out and get a little exercise. Maybe everyone could go for a walk, if weather permits.
• Remember it is a time of giving thanks. Enjoy your company and let that be the main focus.

I hope these tips can help you. It is so hard to lose weight once it is on. Remember an ounce of  prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Blessings,

Amy Jo

Homemade Cleaning Supplies

There are so many cleaning supplies on the market today and I really like some of them. But, it is nice to be able to make your own and save money. I got this information out of one of my homemaking books and I thought you might enjoy it too. The following ingredients, most of them you probably already have are all you will need to make virtually any cleaning product you need.

• Baking Soda
• Borax Powder
• Clear liquid dish soap, such as Ivory
• Club Soda
• Salt
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• regular tea bags
• White Vinegar

To Make An All Purpose Cleaner: all you need to do is mix 4 cups of water, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1 tspn of liquid dish soap, 1 tablespoon each of borax and baking soda. You can keep this in a spray bottle and make sure you shake it before each use.

To Remove Stains: from clothing and carpet, simply use club soda. Just blot the surface that has been soiled saturate the stain with club soda and blot with a clean rag. Continue this process until the stain is gone.

To Have Spot Free Dishes: In a lidded container keep the following 1 cup of borax mixed with 1/2 cup of baking soda. Add 1 tspn to each load that you run in your dishwasher, along with your regular cleaner.

Shower Cleaner:  Heat full strength vinegar on the stove until it is warm. Place in a spray bottle. Spray your showers down, rub with sponge and rinse well.

Sink Cleaner:  Make a past with equal part salt and baking soda, scrub well and rinse with water. To give the drain a good cleaning pour a good amount of baking soda down the drain and the follow with a little vinegar. Watch it work its magic.

Window Cleaner:  All you need is a solution of 1/3 cup white vinegar to a quart of warm water. Put into a spray bottle and spray.

Floor Cleaner:  for vinyl you would use 1 tblspn of borax to 1 gallon of warm water. For hardwood brew two tea bags in a quart of water. Let cool until slightly warm. Using a mop or a sponge clean the floor and wipe with a clean cloth.

Furniture Polish: This is for real wood surfaces, mix a 1/4 cup of white vinegar with 3/4 cup of olive oil. Wipe onto surface with one cloth and then wipe off with another clean cloth.

There you have it. These are really simple and cheap might I add. Not to mention they are not harmful to your health in any way. I hope you can use some of these tips around your home.

Until Next Time,

Amy Jo

Whole Wheat Carob Chip Cookies

Today is a very rainy day. So I got out this recipe my Mom makes, and made cookies. These are really good. The recipe only uses honey for a sweetner. They are not to sweet but just right :)  Start by heating your oven to 375 degrees.

1 cup butter                       2 eggs
1/2 cup honey                    1 tsp. water

Beat the above ingredients until fluffy, then sift in 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour and 1 tsp. baking soda. Mix well.

Then add: 1/2 cup raisins          2 cups oatmeal       1/2 cup peanut butter     1 tsp. vanilla    12 oz Carob Chips
Mix well and drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes.     

Don't they look delicious? They really are...and the great thing is that carob chips are cafeine free. So no children bouncing off the walls.LOL



Gluten-Free

Do any of you eat gluten-free? I have never tried it, until now..... 

 I went to my doctor yesterday for what I thought would be just the reading of follow up labs after a very horrible illness that started with eating left over shellfish. It all started last November when I took my daughter to Red Lobster and I had fish and shrimp. I brought home left overs and ate them the next night. Within minutes I had broke out all over my back with horrible bumps that itched and looked like ant bites. Off to the hospital we went... they gave me steroids and bennadryl. They told me to follow up with my primary care doctor on Monday. So I did. They put me on a sulfa drug as precaution, and that is when it got ugly. To make a long story short, I was in and out of the hospital over the next month, not able to keep potassium in my body, which would result in my legs drawing up and heart going hay wire. It was frightening!  The hospital told me that 90% of people who are given sulfa drugs have some kind of bad reaction. I did some research online and found whole websites dedicated to trying to let people know about the effects of these drugs. Some of the story's were from relatives as the person who had been given the drug had died due to it. I learned a very hard lesson, don't always trust everything you are told by your doctor.  I switched to my curtain doctor he is an MD as well as an ND.  So he tries to use natural medicine to help you become healthy and well.

With the reading of my labs over the last few months it is obvious that things aren't all that they should be. He believes that I have a wheat sensitivity. So he wanted me to go on a gluten-free diet. He told me it will not be easy. He gave me the basics and said do some research online.  Wow! I started researching online and there are a ton of websites to help get a person started on the journey.... but oh the things you can no longer have...... He did say that within 3 weeks he thinks I will feel like a new person. So I am going to give it my all. Oh yeah, and he said the weight will just fall off and I could even have the opposite problem, that of trying to keep weight on. Now I don't know about you ladies, but I think that sounds to good to be true! LOL! I am attaching a link to a site I found that really does a wonderful job of explaining the gluten-free diet. It may help some of you as well.

 My problems are no energy because my thyroid is really low. He did suggest going on a low dose medication, but I want to try natural first. Also my body is super low in vitamin D. He had me laying in the sun over the last few months to try to up that but it only got lower. He said when your having problems it is like a puzzle, little by little we research, try new things and see the results... If one thing does not work we go to the next.  With my body not processing the fat soluble vitamins, the thyroid being off and a few other little problems, he came to the conclusion that all of my healthy wheat grinding and baking, may not be to healthy for me :(...so on to a new journey........

http://new-tritionblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/gluten-free-without-fuss-go-to-guide.html



Until We Meet Again,

Amy Jo

Health and Fitness

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to wrap a strap around ourselves and lose weight and get in shape! As the years have progressed we have learned more and more about our bodies and what they need, to be healthy. The problem is that most of us have already been abusing our bodies for a significant amount of time. But just because we have, does not mean we can not move forward and commit ourselves to trying to be healthy today.

This has been a real struggle for me over the years.. . A couple of years ago I found myself at 146 pounds and feeling terrible and no matter what diet I tried I could not seem to overcome the fat. At this point I went to a nutrition and fitness expert. She helped me immensely! The key was a high protein, lower carb diet. WITHOUT SUGAR!  That last one is key. I find it very difficult to stick with this. It can be done though, it is mind over matter. Finding that inner strength to say I want this, I need this! And, we do need to be healthy. God calls our bodies a temple. He made us and He wants the absolute best for us. When I think about excercise and the time it takes, I start to feel guilty. I could spend that time in studying God's word, or more time on homeschooling or office work for our business, etc.. the list goes on and on. But if we are not healthy we can not do any of those other things very well.

I have recommited myself to following a healthy eating plan. I have gained a few unwanted pounds and I need to get them off. BEFORE it becomes such a huge chore again. I am journaling everything I eat and drink  and any excercise I am doing. I will share in another post what my eating plan is and what type of excercise I am doing. And I will let you know my progress. So if you think about it pray for my success!

Until We Meet Again,

Amy Jo