Failing to plan is planning to Fail!

Back in the 7th grade I won the state oratory contest for a little speech I wrote about succeeding in life through preparation. I remember this speech so well and especially the quote, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." I use that little gem on my kids all the time when they just "happen" to run out of time to do the things that they need to do or want to do. It's all about the planning. As I have talked on previous blogs, I usually lay out my dinner plans for two weeks. This past week, I just didn't make the time. The day I usually make out the list was on the night of my bread class so I was busy. It just didn't happen after that. So, each night I stand in the kitchen with a look of puzzlement of what I am going to make and a quick run to the store to get the ingredients if I don't have what I need. Consequently , my week has not run too smoothly. My lack of planning has really cost me lots of time. I get asked quite frequently how much time I spend in the kitchen, with all of the cooking that I talk about, surely I must live there 24/7. Well, to the contrary, because I plan, I probably spend less time on meals than those who think they don't cook. This past week reaffirmed this for me. My meals have been a lot less creative and I have spent a lot more time in the kitchen. We have eaten dinner late each night and I still need to go to the store, again! The moral of the story, No plan of action= wasting time. Wasting time=still laundry to fold, still shower to clean, still tired. What a little lack of planning has done to my night time schedule is amazing. I can't wait to write my list again.


On that note of saving time, I wanted to fill you in on one of my favorite time saving tools. The George Foreman grill. A few years ago, my mom asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I really didn't know so just to give her something, I told her the George Foreman. I really didn't understand what I was asking for but it was something for the kitchen that I didn't have yet. Little did I know how much I would fall in love with George. George has delivered me beautiful cooked chicken from frozen tenders to cooked tenders in 4 minutes. He has given me perfectly cooked steaks, pannini's , grilled veggies and burgers. The time to cook is so quick because it cooks from both sides. It is also great because you don't need to add oil. Everyone needs one of these.(Go for the bigger & better one, they work better.) I am a huge fan of the chicken tenders because you get more marinated flavor with them since they are thin and they cook really fast. Always have a big frozen bag in your freezer for dinners in a pinch. Everyone has 4 minutes to make chicken. While it is cooking, tear your lettuce, cut some fruit, toast a bagel and have a great chicken salad all in under 5 minutes! You can't even get through a drive thru in that time.

My point is this, you don't have to spend all day in the kitchen to eat a home cooked, healthy meal. You just need the tools and the plan.

Here's a little marinade recipe my sister-in-law passed on to me. It is great for salads and any southwest type dish.


Southwest Chicken Marinade

2 T. olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1 t. chili powder
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. dried oregano leaves
1/2 t. salt
1 pound chicken

Combine all ingredients, coat both sides of chicken. Marinate in fridge a couple hours or just go ahead and grill on the spot if no time! Still tastes great.

Remember to make extra and freeze some for the future dinner!

Going Bananas? Maybe you should be!

My Grandfather-in-law always sends me cute little emails to read, but this one in particular caught my eye! It was research from a professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class. He was teaching his class about bananas. Now, I always knew bananas were good for you. I knew they were a good source of potassium and energy, but I never knew just how good they were for you. I have been enlightened. After you read this, you will definitely want to go bananas! Let me share:

"Bananas contain three natural sugars- sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90 minute work out. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

The banana isn't just a source of energy, however. It can also help overcome and prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions.

Depression: The banana contains tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts to serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels which affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: Extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. FDA has allowed the banana industry to now make claims for the fruits ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: Research has shown that the potassium packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. It helps reduce swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Vitamin B help calm the nervous system.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because it is soft and smooth. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates you body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.

Warts: Take a piece of bananas skin and place it on the wart with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a band aid or surgical tape."

When you compare a banana to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals.

I loved this article and just had to quote it for you. I love reading about the amazing healing powers of food. We really have all we need to make us healthy right in our grocery stores. So, if you are not going bananas yet, maybe it's time; especially when all of those little monkeys around the house are making you a little crazy!

Carribean Tacos

My friend, Kristi Moak, sent me a great recipe for a Honey Lime Chicken Enchilada. It was delicious. I loved the chicken so much I tried it in a few other venues. Here is one I loved particularly and was very quick. If you love the chicken, make a bunch and freeze it. It would be great in soft tacos, enchiladas and pannini's. Try it out!
Thanks for all of those who signed up for my class, I have two spots left so let me know quickly if you would like to come. If you have to cancel, please let me know so I can give your slot away. I am trying to keep the class small for an intimate gathering. If I have enough people that need another date or night class, I may try one more class. I am not really looking for a career at this point so we will see how it goes. I am excited though to get to know some of you and to show you my favorites!

Caribbean Tacos

4 T. Honey
3 T. Fresh Lime Juice
1 T. Oil
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/4 tsp. Garlic powder
1 - 1 1/2 pounds shredded and cooked chicken

Mix marinade and toss with cooked and shredded chicken. Take soft corn, table tortillas (these are the kinds that fold without breaking) or you can use regular corn tortillas, just fry them a bit or get them real crispy If you want to eat them saucer style.Fresh and Easy has cute mini corn tortillas. layer a little shredded green cabbage , chicken and some fresh mango salsa. I bought some great mango salsa from Costco. Vitamin A source. I wanted my tortilla a little crisp but didn't want to fry it so I put it in the toaster.It is very low fat that way.Someday's I just don't care and would go straight for the oil! Get creative! Enjoy!

Just a little more....

For those who I may have offended with my editorial, I am truly sorry. This was not my intention. However, I do feel that sometimes we need to be a little blunt. That sometimes there are too many excuses, not enough truths. It is hard. It will be hard, but the benefits are so important. When I talk about eating right, it is not for the sole purpose of being "skinny". That is not the point. I know that appearances are not what makes the person. My statement of the overweight Americans is not referring to the extra 20-30 pounds that accumulate over the years, or maybe even a little more. I am talking about gross neglect of the body. Even people that eat really healthy can have extra pounds, likewise, many skinny people are some of the unhealthiest! I am pushing eating for your health, not getting into a size 2. I have repeatedly stated that this is a gradual change to be healthy . Those that are ready can read what they want and incorporate what they want. I am sorry but I write for those who want to hear. I write so that you will not be ignorant, that you cannot blame your upbringing for how you eat now. I want to give you the information so that you CAN be in control. I am a blunt person, I know that this will strike a nerve, however, I do have compassion, that is why I write. If I didn't ,why would I spend my time typing with no benefit to myself?

Just An Editorial...

This is why I go crazy. This is why I wonder what is wrong with us over indulgent Americans. This is why I write to get out my frustrations. I was at Costco and as I frequently do, I was checking out peoples cart, checking to see what the average person buys. . I see this family just before me unloading their cart. First, we have grandma, very large and on oxygen. Next we have Mom and Dad, also very large. Then, three children, extremely large and bad skin. Now, to their cart. They start to unload every kind of processed food in the store, not one item I would every buy, not one fruit or vegetable. They had two carts full. The clincher was at the end. They unload from the bottom of the cart three cases of Fleet Enemas! Do they just not get it? They are killing themselves , willingly, just because they cannot control themselves. Stuff our mouths with what tastes good and use drugs to cover up the mess. What do we do to cover up our messes? What drugs are we on because we cannot control our addictions, our desires. I see how overweight the world is and I feel bad. I feel bad that we have been given our bodies as gifts and we choose to neglect them and destroy them. So, for those of you who need to make a change, do it now. It is time. If you put it off, you may not be able to turn back the clock. WE are the ones who are in control. If you don't make the choice for yourselves, make the choice for your children. I read a powerful book from a woman who was faced with her daughters severe illness that went on for years. She finally found the answers which was strictly nutritional. She started to cry,realizing that her daughter didn't have to go through these trials. Then, the impression came to her, "stop crying, you did this to her." She fed her, she let her eat what was slowly killing her. No one else.

What are we doing to our children because it is just easier to ignore what we know is best? They don't do the grocery shopping. It is up to us, the moms.

I hear so many emails from you and many are overwhelmed. I understand. Changing a lifestyle is the hardest thing you can do. But, it needs to be done. I have thought about this so much as I want everyone to find out how healthy of a life they can have and how they can overcome almost all of their afflictions. I want kids to stop having autism, ADD and chronic immune problems. Through the suggestion of some of you, I will have a class to have those who would be interested to come over and taste my favorite recipes and snacks. I will have a booklet with the recipes (about 15 to get you started), lists of grains and what they do and I will have a laminated card with ingredients to avoid to keep in your purse. Then you will have it with you when you grocery shop as this is the most confusing part. I will talk about how to start to change your eating lifestyle and your families to make it a little less overwhelming. I am not sure where all this is going. I just started this as a way to share recipes and it took on a whole life of its own! I feel so inspired to write now and so inspired by all of your stories.

If you are interested, the class will be on March 26th, 9:30 Am. There will be a $10 cost to cover my expenses and some of my time. I will email you the location if you email me that you will attend. If you cannot attend and would like the card and the booklet, let me know and I will mail it to you for $6. If you are interested in this class but cannot attend at that time, let me know and I will see about another class if people are interested.

Thanks for all of you who care, who are doing such a good job and are making changes. Thanks to all of you who inspire me and give me such great tips.

Nothing Tastes as good as Healthy Feels!

Another take on dairy....

If you would like a little more reading on dairy, a neighbor just emailed me with her take on dairy that she wrote last month on her blogsite. Our blogs have just about the same information but thought you might like someone else's opinion also. It is written very well, wish I read this earlier, it would have saved me typing! Thanks, Terri.

Read Here: Diary on Dairy.

Got Milk? Maybe you shouldn't.

For some reason I hesitate to write this blog although it is the number one thing I get emailed about and the first thing I tell people to eliminate. Why I hesitate to write is that it is such a huge controversy to speak against milk. We have been told since we were little, and our mothers before us, that we need 3 servings a day. Ad campaigns are everywhere , we can loose weight with milk, get strong bones, get a great milk mustache. But, who are the people telling us this? Hmmmmm, the American Dairy Council. Who are they? One of the big companies of America out to not make you healthy, but to take your money. So, why listen to them? Listen to the people that know what milk actually does to a body. One of my favorite famous Dr.'s is Andrew Weil, he is a big advocate of eliminating dairy, google his website and read up on any great topic. Dr. Spock , who was once a huge advocate for Milk has since withdrawn his support. The list goes on. So, why? Why not milk? What will happen if we don't drink milk? What will happen if we do?

First of all, we are not baby cows. All other mammals in life are weaned from their mothers in infancy and not supplemented with milk later on. Milk has a very high protein content, one that is too high for people, especially children. Cow's milk is hard on the intestinal tract and can lead to microscopic blood loss in infants which may lead to iron deficiency. People who once never had a problem with milk may develop an intolerance for milk later in life as we stop producing the enzyme to process lactose. I, myself am one of those.

But, the real problems is for the little ones. More than 50% of Americans are allergic to milk , and many who aren't develop that allergy later on. If your child has a constant runny nose and ear infections, chances are that they have a problem with dairy. It will start to lay in the stomach, corroded and make the child feel sick and miserable. Worse yet, it will start to trigger many other allergies if not removed along with asthma, eczema and illnesses. If it is removed, or better yet, never given to children, you can prevent and cure many ailments to come.

For me, I have never given my little ones milk after being weaned. They go right to a fortified rice milk which no one is really allergic to. It has just as much calcium. My little ones, after I found this out from my first one didn't have diaper rashes, runny noses and ear infections ( My last one had some ear infections due to other allergies). They never missed it. This doesn't mean that I don't have any dairy. Since my baby has a true allergy to milk, he doesn't ever touch any of it, but my others have some cheeses, occasional ice cream and I cook with it. But, no fluid milk. There is a difference. When people used to drink Raw milk, it was more digestible. Now that it is pasteurized, it is much harder. Milk that is left to cure is broken down into easier to digest proteins. For instance, hard block cheeses like cheddar, Parmesan, monterey jack and swiss are cured over 60 days. Also, homemade yogurt that is left to cure for 24 hours are better to digest and beneficial to the body.

What about calcium? Calcium is in many other foods, in fact, the calcium in milk is often hard to absorb as it is tangled up with the high protein content. Foods such as almonds, broccoli, spinach and carrots all contain calcium along with whole grains. This is why smoothies are so great to sneak in the spinach. So many studies have been conducted on people who drink milk and those who don't and calcium and bone density. There wasn't a difference. None of my children have had a broken bone. My little one who never has a bit of dairy has calcium tests and he is perfectly fine.

If I could give any advice, first, if you have a baby, never start them on milk. Second, if you have older children, stop letting them drink it. Enjoy the cheeses in moderation and occasional ice cream but no more drinking it. No more cold cereal, or at least in moderation. If you have children with runny noses , asthma and ear infections, this is critical to remove. Milk creates mucus. You will see huge improvements rapidly. Asthmatics should never drink milk. Ever.

There are great articles out there. This is not nutrition according to Shari. The top nutritional Docs are on board. Google it out. Read for yourselves. One article I like can be read here. It talks about the other concerns of milk.

I am not a fanatic. I just had a half a glass of a milk shake the other night, I felt really yucky afterwards but it tasted so good going down. I am old enough to be past the ear infections and diaper rashes, I most likely won't develop allergies from drinking it, your little ones might not be so fortunate. If you can keep the milk away from them now, most likely they won't have an allergy to it later on in life and a good chance you can keep them from developing many other allergies. Allergies are contagious. Once the stomach is inflamed from one allergy, it kicks out the response to start being inflamed and allergic to many other foods. Then you have a much bigger problem on your hands. Trust me, I am there with my little guy.

Please read up, find out what is best for your family. You are the mom. Be educated and don't trust just anyone to tell you what to do , especially the ad companies.

What's for Dinner?

I have had quite a few emails lately about dinner planning and execution. Dinner is always a hard time of day, but we all must eat dinner. We shouldn't be shocked everynight and most of the time, we are in charge. The more you can do to plan ahead of time, the easier it will be when the time comes. For me, I favor the two week list. I write out a list of meals for two weeks, I cook usually 5-6 nights a week. I write down recipes that I like and a few new ones to try. I then save these lists so that I have ideas to pull from other times when I can't think of ideas. If it is a new recipe, I will write down what recipe book it is in and what page. I try to plan out the meals so that I am cooking ahead. Here's a little example from last weeks schedule:

Monday: Thai Peanut Wraps
Tuesday: BBQ chicken chopped salad
Wednesday: Shredded pork chalupas
Thursday: Linguini with Basil and fresh tomatoes
Friday: Grilled pizzas

So, here is the execution - Since I had already shopped for the two week menu all the ingredients should theoretically be in the house. I know ahead of time what I am going to make that night so many ingredients are planned ahead. For instance: the Thai peanut wraps had nothing prepared ahead of time but I saved some of the peanut sauce for the grilled pizzas at the end of the week, Thai pizza's are delicious. Then next day, I made the BBQ chicken salad and used some left over grilled BBQ chicken from a previous week that I had frozen and chopped. All I needed to do is chop the lettuce and add the other ingredients, I had beans in the freezer also from a big batch I had made a few weeks ago. The next day I made shredded pork in a big batch also to freeze for another week to make enchiladas. Thursday was Linguini with Basil and tomato. Since I had bought a big bag of basil, I made some pesto to store for the following week. I just used that pesto last night for a pesto pasta dish. Simple and delicious. Friday night was supposed to be grilled pizza's but we went out instead. I saved the ingredients to make this week, some pesto for a pesto chicken pizza, some peanut sauce for a thai pizza.

Not all weeks go as easy, some weeks are more of the preparation weeks but if you get in the habit of thinking ahead, dinner time can be cut in half. You can make a dinner faster than you can get take out. It just takes time to plan. You must first take the time to be "dinner organized." Stock up on reusable tupperware containers to freeze everything. I hate to waste anything. I feel that it is not showing gratitude for my food if I do. I also hate leftovers so I will freeze what's freezable then bring in back, reincarnated into a different type of dish. I saved about 3/4 cup of spahetti sauce a few weeks ago for a calzone another week. I also buy a big bulk size of ground beef and will cook it up with onion and garlic. I freeze it up in small containers and can pull it out easily for tacos, sloppy joes, etc. When you grill chicken, double batch it, chop it and freeze it. You can use that chicken for all kinds of quick dinners.

Move over Rachel Ray...I can get dinner done in 15 minutes!

**Fellow E.H. April Haymore says the Happy Baby baby food is great for the little mouths to feed. You can find it at Target in the freezer section. So much better than the canned junk! Thanks, April for the comments!

Naturopathic Doctors

Many have asked me the name of a good Dr./ pediatrician in the East Valley. I have not even been to the team yet since my children are never really sick and my son sees a specialist, but I have a great one to forward on: The team name is East Valley Naturopathic Doctors, number 480-985-0000. I have heard rave reviews from them and will go there when needed. My sister-in-law took her little ones there, and for the one who was sick, the pediatrician told her to give him pro-biotics and fish oil! I am so impressed. No antibiotics, they think outside the box! Horray!

Also, just a report, after my husband had the flu for a week, the lay in bed, high fever one, I am pleased to report that none of the other 6 household inhabitants caught it! Thanks to the Oregano Oil and Emergen-C! I swear by it!

Another Note on Aspartame.......

Hopefully you have all had a chance to read the previous post and article on aspartame. But I just had to add a few more notes to those blogs. Aspartame isn't just an ingredient in diet sodas, it is slowly creeping up everywhere. If something says "sugar free" , chances are that it has aspartame. It's so much better to just have the sugar content. I used to buy the only gum out there, shy of Bubblicious, that didn't contain aspartame but now Wrigley's spearmint contains it. So, I just sort of decided that it couldn't be that bad in a little piece of gum and started chewing orbit. Great gum. I chew gum all the time, it is a great way to keep food out of my mouth. Well, unfortunately I can't stop googling and just had to look up aspartame in gum. Darn it. Why can't I just let things be! After reading this article: Aspartame in Gum (click to read), I had to change my school of thought. Read for yourselves. My children also constantly chew gum. I can't stand the thought that they have had so much of this poison. Now, I will pop a good orbitz now and then, I am not a fanatic, a little won't kill anyone, but I have switch to the original gum, GLEE.
I ordered it from Amazon in bulk so it turns out to be about 70 cents each. They are in chicle form and taste good but the flavor doesn't last long. If you order $25 worth, you get free shipping. It is made from all natural products, including the original rain forest chicle! (not quite sure what that is but sounds interesting)

Anyways, sorry to fill you with too much info, maybe you just don't want to know so much, but I feel I need to get the info out there since the Today show certainly won't tell you!

Thanks for all the emails and phone calls asking for certain blogs, I am busy doing my research on your questions so hopefully the blogs will be out this week!