Fit Family Friday- Baking With Kids

Happy Friday everyone! I've decided to start a new feature of my blog called "Fit Family Friday". On Fridays I will blog about ways that I try to include the kids in my healthy endeavours. I hope you enjoy!

Today I wanted to show you a way that I have allowed our almost-4-year-old to feel part of our healthy baking. She LOVES to bake with Mommy, so when she asked me to write her some recipes, I took it as a chance to teach her about healthy foods.

I decided to write some "kid friendly" recipes using recipe cards, with pictures and easy to understand language. (Please excuse my terrible drawings....I am definitely not an artist;)

Olivia loves her recipes, and we have put them together in her very own recipe book.

What are some ways you try to teach your kids about nutrition?

I'm linking to:

I Can Teach My Child

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino

Happy Thanksgiving weekend everyone! I realize there's a chance there may be some non-Canadian readers out there, and if you don't already know it's our Thanksgiving this weekend! Here's another yummy guilt-free pumpkin recipe for you to try! Remember I love comments, so feel free to share!

Pumpkin Spice "Frappuccino"

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

2 tbsp plain pumpkin

2 tsp vanilla instant pudding

1 cup ice (OR freeze some coffee in an ice cube tray....mmmm)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsb nutmeg

Whipped cream to top (optional)

Combine ingredients in a blender and let it whirl!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

HAPPY FALL EVERYONE!

Fall is by far my absolute favourite season.

Changing leaves.

Fall fairs.

Sweater weather.

ANYTHING pumpkin:)

I love it all! Today's recipe happens to be what I ate for breakfast this morning...Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. Who doesn't love dessert for breakfast?

Here are some benefits of eating pumpkin:

• a whole HEAP of nutrients including vitamins C and E (immune building)
• alpha and beta-carotine (good for vision and immune function)
• fiber (reduces LDL and controls blood sugar)

So I say let them eat Pumpkin!!!!

Here's the recipe:

1/2 cup quick oats

2 tbsp plain pumpkin

1/4 cup milk (or more/less depending on your thickness preference)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Sweetener of choice to taste

Combine all ingredients, and microwave for about 1:30 mins.

Banana Ice Cream Update...

Hey everyone! I can't believe it's almost August....where has the summer gone??? I don't know about you, but at our house, we have been trying to keep cool as much as possible (air conditioning always helps with that;).

One of the ways we have kept cool is finding new ways to fancy up our beloved banana ice cream (if you didn't catch that post, click here). Here are two ways we have experimented!

1. Ice Cream on Oatmeal

This is honestly my new favourite breakfast. I love the way the ice cream melts on the hot oatmeal, and it gives an otherwise bland food a kick of sweetness.

2. Raspberry Banana Ice Cream

This was actually my husband's idea to throw about a cup of frozen raspberries in with our frozen bananas. The result was fabulous! As Chris says "it is BETTER THAN regular ice cream"...That's quite a compliment from a picky eater like him!

Have you guys tried this recipe yet? Did you do try anything new with it?

This Ice Cream is Bananas!

I have to admit that when I heard that you can make ice cream out of just frozen bananas, I was pretty skeptical. I'm sure I mentioned it before, but I LOVE creamy food, and ice cream is on the top of my list. I stumbled upon this recipe somewhere in blogland, and have since adapted it to my own taste. From the first time I tried it, it changed my life...Dramatic words, I know, but it really did! With no added preservatives, sugar, and nothing but bananas, this stuff is AMAZING! Not only do I love it, but my picky husband and kids also LOVE it. Of course the girls love it because it's the only ice cream I let them eat for breakfast! Just try it, and let me know what you think:)

Banana Ice Cream

Ingredients: Frozen bananas (no kidding!)



1. Begin the night before by chopping up some bananas, and freezing them. I have found that ripe bananas work the best...You know when they are spotted, but not "over ripe" yet? That's the perfect time to try this one:)

2. Put your frozen chopped bananas in your food processor, and let it rip.

3. I must add that it can take a while before it starts to look like ice cream....be patient! For about 2-3 minutes, it will look like banana crumbles!


4. It's a good idea to stop the processor every so often and push down the sides with a spatula.


5. Getting creamy!
6. And it's done!

As you can see, it's a hit! You can totally try new things with this recipe, like adding fruit, chocolate sauce, etc. I love comments, so let me know if you found something that works good with this recipe!

Book Recommendation

Hey Everyone:)

I've been reading a great book that I thought I'd share with ya. It's called "Made to Crave" by Lysa Terkeurst.



This book falls under the "diet and fitness" topic heading, but unlike many "diet books", this book works at the heart of many women's weight issue: the need for God. Lysa draws from her own experiences with weight loss, and candidly shares her ups and downs.

At the end of each chapter are questions for reflection, so this would be a great as a bible study, or personal study.

Hopefully you all can pick up a copy of this easy to read, inspiring book!

My Heart's Cry

You guys have NO idea how excited I am to be writing this blog today. I'm sure you noticed that I haven't blogged much AT ALL in 2011, and I assure you there's a reason. 2010 was such an awesome year for me. I turned 30 and resolved that it would be the best year of my life. God spoke to me like never before and I felt freedom like I'd longed to experience my whole life.

Then 2011 came....How could this year measure up to the last? I found myself racked with uncertainty, and I went through a long period in which it seemed God didn't speak at all. I still clung deeply to the truths God had poured into me last year, but over time even those wonderful words seemed to become more and more quiet. I went back to work, and life got busier. I found myself resorting back to some unhealthy habits I had developed long ago.

The worst of such habits was my tendency to overeat. When I was a child, I found going to school each day very stressful. Being a homebody by nature, being away from the familiarity of home would bring great uneasiness inside. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED school, and learning, but hated being away from home all day. I have to admit, not a lot has changed!:) I still love being at home! The problem with this picture is that as a child, I developed the habit of overeating as soon as I got home. I would melt away the day's stress by indulging in whatever food I could get my hands on. To this day, when things get stressful, or I don't feel the security I feel in my home, I turn to food.

I think it's time we call it for what it is you guys! Overeating is a disorder. Just like not eating, eating too much is a pattern of disordered eating. Unfortunately, in the church today this disorder is widespread and often ignored. I believe that Satan has fooled many Christians into trusting food rather than God.

Now, here's what I'm so excited to share with you...what God has been sharing with me.

We can be completely and totally fulfilled with God!

If you're like me, at first you look past this truth, thinking "there's got to be more to it"! I've heard this sort of message since I was a child...nothing new here. But when you really let these words sink in, there is incredible power in them. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God "has put eternity in our hearts". That's the cry of our hearts, to be HOME. I'm not talking about the place you sleep and eat and watch TV. I'm talking about Heaven, the place where the deepest desire of our beings is fulfilled when we are forever in God's presence. Nothing on this earth is ever going to fill that longing in my heart that only eternity can fill.

This is big for me, you guys! It's my prayer for you today that God will reveal just how much He loves you! May your hearts be FULL with His goodness!

More to come! Be blessed!

Carrots!

So carrots were on sale this week at my favourite grocery store (No Frills...cheap and efficient:), so I picked up about 9 pounds of them:) Carrots have for a long time been a personal fav veggie for me, and I'm always looking for new ways to use them.

Today I came up with this yummy carrot muffin recipe. These muffins are extremely moist and don't rise much, so they're really more of a soft square/muffin...If that makes sense...I'm going to say just try them and you'll see what I mean. They are very tasty, freeze well, and, most importantly, are healthy! With natural sugars and whole grains, plus the fibre and nutrients from the carrot, these muffins were a hit in our house:)

Without further ado, here's the recipe:)

Healthy Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bran
2 cups grated carrots (2-4 carrots)
1 cup dates
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup raisons

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soak dates in warm water, and set aside for approx. 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, bran, baking soda and cinnamon.
3. Grind dates up in the food processor until they form a large ball.
4. In a separate bowl, mix dates, carrots, apple sauce and eggs. Fold into dry mixture. Throw in and mix the raisons.
4. Separate into a muffin tin, and bake for approximately 20-30 minutes.

More awesome carrot recipes to come! Be blessed today!

Breakfast On The Go!

First off, thank you all so much for your sweet comments about my last blog. Your feedback really is important to me, and it helps me to keep going knowing that there are people out there being blessed and inspired by my journey:) It also helps me to keep up the work when you all act as much cheerleaders:)

Now to the good stuff....FOOD:) I really want to include more recipes in my blog, so I'm bringing you one of my favourites....a smoothie recipe. I'm a sucker for creamy foods, especially milkshakes, so if I can fool myself into thinking I'm drinking one, that's a bonus:) This smoothie is great for breakfast, as it includes both fibre and protein, which I feel are the building blocks for the perfect breakfast.

For me, eating a good breakfast has been paramount in my weight loss journey. If I can fill up first thing in the day, I don't end up eating too much later. Since the new year, I've been back at work part time, and I'm finding mornings to be a bit of a scramble , getting myself and the kids ready and out the door. There have been a few days when breakfast has been a granola bar in the car on my way. This recipe is great because it's quick and you can have the ingredients ready ahead of time, so in the morning, you just have to dump it all into the blender and go:)



Oatmeal Protein Breakfast Shake

2 cups ground oatmeal (grind it up in the food processor...this can be done ahead of time)
2 cups low fat milk
1 scoop protein powder
fruit (I like banana, but you can really add any kind you want)
sprinkle of cinnamon to garnish
drizzle of honey to garnish

Throw the first 4 ingredients into the blender, and mix away. After you pour it into a glass, sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with honey.

Hope you like it! More recipes to come!

The Struggle

Gee willikers, it's been a while since my last post. Sorry everyone (at least I'm hoping more than 2 people read this blog:)...I've included blogging more regularly on my resolution list, so hopefully I'll be a little more consistent this year:)

If I can be real and raw with you all, part of the reason I haven't blogged for so long is that these past few months have been an honest to goodness struggle for me (in the health and fitness department, that is). Once the cold weather hit, running outside just hasn't happened, and I began to lose my focus. Christmas brought with it A LOT of unhealthy eating, and it's sometimes difficult for me to remember that Christmas is over, and eating like that needs to stop:)

Please tell me I'm not the only one who struggles! It's times like this that I'm so thankful for a God of second chances (and third, and fourth, and infinity and beyond...). I'm reminded of 1 Corinthians 10:13 which says,

"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

As much as I wish all my struggles and temptations would just disappear, I have to be honest with myself enough to say I may always struggle with this. The good news is, God IS FAITHFUL to be there throughout the long road ahead, and He promises to make our journey's load light. Will you join me in this journey? Will you believe with me that God will help us endure the struggles?

Be blessed, and remember God finishes the work he starts!!!