Just because you should....

Plant impossible gardens

                                      ~Sark

{...and let your kids paint the supports...}

 

 

Have a great day!

 

{Jenn}

Chocolate Chia Bars

If you are a cookbook hoarder like me, your pages might have notes written all over them like mine do.  I seem to have a hard time following directions, and I write all over the books, noting what I changed.  I like learning just enough about something to be dangerous.  If you get the basic gist of it down, you can make variations, or substitutions....sometimes with success...otherwise you at least learned what not to do again.

This recipe is one of those "she didn't follow the directions" ones...but it works beautifully, and I hope you give it a try.  My daughters love these bars too, so I consider that a major endorsement.

I adapted my recipe from one found in this book called CHIA, which was lent to me by a good friend who luckily shares her books with me {the link takes you to an article about the book}.  She is also a great taste-tester.....no complaints yet.  That's my kinda girl.

I will list the original recipe so you can see how it started out, and how I changed it to have more nutritional value without compromising on taste.  If you need a refresher of some of the ingredients, goto this post for info.

Original recipe (made about 20ish bars)

1/4c virgin liquid coconut oil

1Tbs milled chia

1c chopped, pitted dates

1/4c almond milk

1tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2c rolled oats

1/2c whole wheat pastry flower

1/3c chopped nuts

3/4tsp baking soda

1/2tsp salt

1/4-1/2c chocolate chips

My version.......

Jenn's Chocolate Chia Bars

1/2c coconut oil {liquid}

2Tbs milled chia seeds

2c chopped dates {about 30 dates}

1/2c almond milk

1-2tsp vanilla extract

3c oats

1/3c hemp protein powder

1/3c ground flaxseed

2/3c flour

1c chopped nuts {I used walnuts}

1 1/2tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1c chocolate chips

2Tbs organic agave syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray, or whatever you normally use. 

My food processor is my BFF~we waited so long to be together.  I think this is the easiest way to make prepping these bars go quickly. 

Step 1: Pulse in food processor or blender the dates, coconut oil, chia seeds, and nuts. 

Step 2: Add the vanilla extract, hemp, flaxseed, flour, baking soda, salt, agave and pulse a few times to combine.

Step 3: Scrape out the food processor concoction into a bowl so you can stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Step 4: Press the mixture onto a cookie sheet.  It probably will not fill the entire pan, but try to make it create a rectangle-ish shape.  Figure the bars will be about a 1/2 inch high, like a brownie.

Step 5: I use a wet pizza cutter to "pre-cut" the bars before baking.  My lines are crooked...I know...I try, people, I try....

Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes.  To be technical, I took mine out at 13 minutes.  This made about 42 bars for me.  I made them this afternoon, and they are disappearing quickly...

Eat!  But do yourself a favor...let them cool before picking them up to eat, or you will have some breakage....I didn't mind burning my fingers with melted chocolate, and maybe you won't either, but if you want your kids to not leave a trail like Hansel and Gretel through the house, then let them cool before handing them out.  Cutting them smaller helps with this too.  They are delicious, and you're getting some nutrition as well...worth the effort, I swear.

Have a great day!

{Jenn}

Perspective

If you change the way you look at things,

the things you look at change.

~Wayne Dyer

  

Have a great day!

 

{Jenn}

Good Deeds

Over the past two weeks, I have taught at our church summer program in the second grade class. Yes, I teach material from their books, and follow the curriculum, but I also try my best to show the kids how to make connections in their lives to the basic messages of kindness and love.

I really wish our kids in their "regular school year" classrooms had courses in how to be kind, how to pay it forward, and why that is so important. I think it's easy for us {as grown-ups} to forget that even though we understand its the right thing to be kind, it's just as important to teach kids the WHY.  

I don't just tell my own kids to brush their teeth, I tell them why it's important and what will happen if they don't {OK, maybe this was a bad example....I still have to poke and prod them....but you get the point}.

Each morning in my class, I asked the students to do two things: write a good deed they have done on a leaf cut-out, and write a prayer intention on a flower. Then the kids took turns reading the kind act they had done, and asked their friends to think of their special person or animal they were praying for that day.

On the first day there were 10 leaves of good deeds, 8 days later there were 80. Kind acts add up quickly when you are aware of them.

And that might be the point...we do nice things all the time for others, and we assume kids just 'get that' and why it's important. But making them aware of their behavior is really what makes it different.  Awareness is what make kids think twice before laughing along with the group if someone is being made fun of on the playground. It might just be what makes them speak up for that kid and say, 'Hey, let's go over here and play basketball'.  That might be the kindest thing they could do all week.  Imagine how it could change the course of a bullied-kid's life if he had a friend who stood up for him? Sounds small, but might turn out to be really huge to that kid. 

That was the biggest message I hope the kids understood.  These small, kind acts add up to create huge ripple effects in the lives of others.  If you are kind to someone, that might change their whole day and it gets passed on again, and again....

So in the comment section here, feel free to leave a note about a good deed your kids have done.  I asked my students to check in with me here and add something kind they have done over the summer......I told them they might be the ones who inspire others to do the same.   If this can be read all over the world, we're bound to get some good deed comments, right?  Maybe?

Below are some of the good deeds and the prayers of my students.  Let's see how big this "tree" can grow. 

Have a great day!

{Jenn}

I helped my Mom bring in the groceries

I will pray for my Mom who had cancer

When my sister wasn't looking I made her bed

I will pray for my Mom's dog Pepper

I pray for my Grandpa

I will pray for my great-great grandfather

I pray for my cat

I watered the plants

Cooking with Chicks

Up until about a year ago, I thought chickpeas {garbanzo beans} were just those things I picked out of my salad.  I wasn't really a big fan.
My next door neighbor is from Pakistan, and she introduced me to cooked chickpeas through her amazing dishes...thankfully, I changed my mind. I'll feature her specialty recipe here someday soon. It's flavored differently, but it's just as delicious. 

Why should you consider eating these? Chickpeas are packed with vitamins, minerals and they are an important protein source. If you are thinking about leaning into a vegetarian lifestyle, this will be a staple pantry item for you.

I came home for lunch the other day and realized  I was out of salad stuff, and wasn't in the mood for a shake... So I made a quick and easy lunch of chickpeas.  I know, it doesn't sound very enticing, but I promise the taste is great, and its sweet enough with a heated spice to be a little addictive.  The spice isn't a burning one, more like a warming, flavored one......it's a favorite of mine and worth trying.

5 minutes, 4 ingredients, 3 steps...

Sweet and spicy chic peas

1 can chickpeas {garbanzo beans}

1 chile in adobo {*see note below}

Organic Coconut oil {for quick frying in pan}

Organic Agave syrup

Step 1: Open and rinse chickpeas with water.  Drain.

Step 2: Add small amount of coconut oil {1 Tbs} in small skillet and bring the heat up to a sizzle

Step 3: Put one chile in adobo into pan, and break up a bit. Add chickpeas, and a swirl of agave syrup and stir around to coat the chic peas {sorry, you know I don't really measure!}. Adjust the 'sweet' to your taste, just remember that agave syrup is very sweet and you will need less than you might think. 

When the chickpeas start popping, they are heated through~it usually takes a few minutes. If you over cook them, I've noticed they can taste dry~so cook them quick and at a high temperature.

You will get about 3 portions out of the above ingredients. It's spicy from the chile, so I would be cautious giving this to kids. 

*Chiles in adobo are usually sold in the ethnic food aisle in the grocery store {Mexican section}, around the sliced jalapenos.  They are smoked, roasted jalapenos in adobo sauce, which has a smoky, spicy taste.  There will be a bunch packed into that tiny can.  Please don't do anything crazy, like eat one all by itself...you will choke.  It's spicy.  Using one chile, and breaking it up to flavor this dish is perfect.  I freeze my chilies in a freezer bag with the sauce it's packed in, making it easy to separate them when you need one.  That tiny can will go a long way....

Enjoy, and tell me what you think! Do you have a favorite chickpea recipe? Feel free to share and I'll feature it here :)

Have a great day!

{Jenn}

Read

School has been out for only a few days, and I am trying to adjust to having my kids in the house.  I realize they do live here, but they have been acting like slugs.  I won't be preparing breakfast all afternoon for much longer....

Three things I noticed after my kids were in the house for 48 hours of no school:
1. They were whining and complaining about each other
2. They tattled at a rate of 5 tattles per minute per kid
3. They were picking at each other

I had to remedy this.  HOW AM I GOING TO SURVIVE SUMMER if it literally just began and I'm exhausted already?  And how can I get them to start viewing each other as BFF's {my girls are great with one another, but a few hours of freedom had turned them into lunatics}?

I decided on that first day off, we'd head over to the library to join the library summer reading club.  Each week the kids can come to exchange books, and pick an age-appropriate gift from a treasure box.  I told the girls our summer reading would revolve around the once a week visit to pick new books, and get the next prize.  They like prizes.  This is good. This could work.   And that place is quiet....

Let's face it, I'm not the only one who has freaked out in years past when I realized I lost their summer reading lists for school, including the projects that would need to go with them, right?  Please say yes...  This year is going to be different {fingers crossed}. 

• I'm not going to let them wait until the last minute. 
• I'm going to make summer reading really, really cool. 

At least that's what I told myself a few days ago~and don't tell my kids, but it's working....

Think of me as Claire Dunphy from Modern Family...it's pretty much how my life operates.

Remember the episode where she tries to make her daughters team up "against her" because she was such a spaz?  Okay, that happens a lot, but that was my goal here.  Give them a common thread to hang on to of..."mom is a total dork" and go from there. I'm willing to take that hit for my own sanity, it's worth it.

I had to do something, so I came up with BOOK CLUB.

The first rule of Book Club?  There is no Book Club. 

Joking....OK, the Rules are:

1. I will read to them {from a chosen book series} for 15 minutes a night, then they can all take turns reading a little bit of their own book selections out loud, followed up with quiet reading, or they can have quiet reading at another time.
2. There will be listening to one another. 
3. This club is not optional. 
4. They will help each other read hard words if needed
5. They would each be required to ask one question about the other books 

Sounds like a crappy club, huh?  Nope.  It's awesome.  And they're doing it. They are already reading longer than I told them they had to.  If I have tamed these wild ponies and gotten them to team up after just one book club meeting, then you can too.

Here is what makes this club really work:

You have to make it special and feel important.  There is a secret chant we do on a pinky swear before we begin, and I read to them by flashlight, inside a tent, or outside. 

Think Dead Poets Society here...remember how the boys would steal away in the night to read beautiful poetry in the dark, and bond huddled in that cave area?  I do.  It made the reading a bit more whimsical, didn't it?  To me, this is the key.  Make it irresistible.
And I'm just saying, but you will have to buy into this too, or else forget it.  Don't stomp your feet and roll your own eyes.  Have fun with it.  They're only little for a little while, you know.

This special location and secret chant before reading does a few things:  First, it makes them think I'm a total loser for making it up, and making them repeat the secret chant out loud, thus creating a pack mentality of "Mom is such a dork" {You see?  They are already bonding and rolling their eyes in unison now.  It's magical}.  Next, they will remember this when they get older. It will be a pleasant memory.  And lastly, it is my hope that they will be dorks for their own kids someday too. 

Mission accomplished.



Yes, this got set up in my foyer
because it was going to
rain...

So try it. You can go to your local library and sign up right now, and make up a silly chant on a pinky swear. While your kids are doing something you want {reading and getting smarter} they're also doing something they need~building strong bonds with each other that will carry over into other parts of their lives~at least that's my hope and plan. 

That is priceless.  Totally worth my loser status.


In the spirit of Dead Poets Society,

Carpe Diem! and read....

{Jenn}

Thank You!

Good Morning! 

I think I need to say thank you this morning.....



It is not happy people who are thankful.
It is thankful people who are happy.
~Unknown

This little blog has now been read in over 20 countries around the world, by more than 2600 people, since my first post in February.  That is blowing my mind, since I didn't really think anyone would read the first post.  I love it.  It's amazing how easily we can connect to each other, and how small the world really gets through the Internet.  I appreciate every reader, and I hope I am putting good things out into the world that are helpful, & might inspire someone else to do the same. 
I'm not an expert at anything, and I am no Mark Twain, but I'm certainly grateful this space exists, and I get to unload all of this out of my mind.  All of our perspectives come from our life experiences, so why not share?  The more we know about each other the less likely we are to be adversaries, right? 
If my experience as a teacher helps some parents navigate the muddy waters of education, or you try some healthy recipie I make at home, then I'm doing something good...

Imagine the world our kids could live in if we all felt like the world was literally our neighborhood.  When I think about my own children, and their future children...it's the only kind of world I'm willing to consider. 


Thank you to all of you from.....

United States of America, Russia, China, Australia, France, Italy, United Kingdom, Canada, Greece, Serbia, Anguilla, Netherlands, Spain, New Zealand, Taiwan, Poland, Germany, Romania, Philippines, Belgium, Pakistan, China, Ukraine, Japan, Brazil {Brazil, you are the first from South America!}

.....and everyone from everywhere else inbetween who might stop by...

Have an amazing day!

{Jenn}

Summer Smoothie

Drinking a smoothie during the cold winter months is not appealing to me at all.  Now that it's warm, and I'm getting into summertime mode, that morning smoothie is top on my list. I don't like to eat much in the morning, and this fits the bill~it's packed with nutrition, gives a great energy boost, and keeps you feeling full. 

Note: If you are expecting this to be a smoothie from a chain store, or fast food place....it's NOT that.  This is actually healthy for you.  Promise.

I made my first breakfast of "smoothie-season" this morning {the ones in the evening with Bacardi don't count}.

You can tweak it to meet your own needs, making it sweeter in the beginning as you get used to drinking kale ;) I'm not giving exact amounts because when it comes to the blender, I'm an eye-ball kind of person, so I hope the pictures give you an idea of proportions.

Here are the main ingredients:

Jenn's Summer Smoothie

• Kale~if you are worried that you won't use the big bag of kale from the grocery store, do what I do and freeze it.  The bag is under $3.00 and it looks like a pillow.  It will last you awhile unless you are cooking with it as well, or adding it to salads.  It's worth it for the fiber, vitamins, and protein.
• Frozen blueberries~buy the big bag...if you are making smoothies and want your kids to drink them, they will think a purple drink is much more fun to drink than a green one.  That's how it works with my girls.
• Frozen bananas~when making a smoothie with kale, at least one frozen banana is a must for me to have the consistency that makes it 'taste right'.  If you make it without the banana, it will be kind of watery, and the taste is just blah.  You will curse me drinking it without this binder ingredient....and we should be friends.
• Water~I usually fill the blender up about half-way.  You can always add more later if it's too thick.
• Hemp protein powder~I added about 1/4 c of hemp to my smoothie for the added protein, Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids, and energy boost.  It doesn't change the taste at all.

I realize my pictures aren't super-fancy, but I was making my breakfast...it was early...you get the idea.  I hope you give it a try~and let me know what you think!  There really are endless variations....enjoy!

Step 1: Add about 1/2 to 2/3 blender full of kale

Step 2: Add about 2 cups worth of blueberries

Step 3: Add 2 frozen bananas {freeze them, skinless, when they start to darken with spots so they are sweet} 

Step 4: Add about 1/2 blender full of water

Step 5: Add about 1/4c of Hemp protein powder, and blend until smooth

Drink it up!

You will get about 2-3 large glass servings of this smoothie from this recipe.  I give my kids small glasses of it, and as long as it's not green colored, and sweet enough, they will drink it.  Most of the time without my prodding..... 

My tip is to give them straws...that's the easiest way for them NOT to realize there are tiny specs of kale in there.....also my blender is the one I got for my wedding 13 years ago....it is slowly dying.  I'm sure if I splurged and got the Vita-mix of my dreams, I would have a different consistency here....hint, hint to my husband.....we will see if he reads this post..... :)

Have a great day, drink up, and as my Nana would say, "To your health!"

{Jenn}

Prepare the Pantry

We've all heard the saying, "If you eat the way you've always eaten, you'll look the way you have always looked".  I'll take it a step further and say if you eat the way you've always eaten, you will never know the health that is waiting for you.  I have never felt better since changing my eating habits.  I know it sounds hokey, but I'm completely in tune with my body and how different foods affect me now.  When you clear out all of the junk...actually allowing yourself to feel hungry, you can tell right away what your body does and does not want in it. 

When you eat clean, the cravings you had in your former life of eating whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted to~go away.  It's like your brain had the craving switch flipped off. 

I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't experienced it for myself.  You owe it to yourself to give this "clean" lifestyle a shot.  Make your goal to eat this way 80-90% of the time.  That's what I do.  That way you can eat pizza with your kids on Friday night if you so choose, because you know you will only have a little since you are eating so many veggies to fill you up.  I don't deny myself anything, and I think that's why this works so well.

And I'm not always perfect....sometimes, like while on vacation {not like I just came back from vacation or anything.....choke, choke} I fall off the wagon a bit, and eat dips I normally wouldn't {with fresh veggies}...or snack on cracker packs {I was on the beach!} just because they were easy to grab...and I feel the repercussions.  Mainly the uncomfortable stomach bloating that comes from eating crap.  Now that vacation is over, I'm getting back to zero, and my body is breathing a sigh of relief.

The first thing you need to do when setting yourself up for success is to clean out the pantry, and fill it with new items.  Yes, I still buy a few things the kids want, but stop buying the cookies and regular potato chips...they will call your name {they talk to me too} and you may not have the power to ignore the siren's call {I don't give myself extra temptations}.  You will find you use these new items a lot, and you will be able to make substitutions easily when you need to.  I'm a Bob's Red Mill fan, so you will see me use lots of their products, and you can find them at most grocery stores or online.  I am a big fan of Newark Natural Foods {in Newark, DE}, and get most of my products there.  By changing what you eat, your kids will follow suit.  You can still make chocolate chip cookies, but know that they are not going to be a 'chips ahoy', okay?  Your kids will deal.  Mine are on board, and no one is suffering {or at least they realized complaining wasn't getting them anywhere with me...ha!}.

Don't let this list panic you.  You don't have to go out tomorrow and spend a fortune.  These are just my staples, and I will be posting some recipes soon which will include these ingredients.  I'm not paid for any of these opinions, and the brands I use are just my favorites. 

 

Oats~this super big jar gets filled and re-filled constantly in our house.  We always keep a large amount on hand.  Not only for oatmeal, but to add to bars, thicken shakes, make {healthy} cookies or even mix with our apple breakfast "cereal" if it needs to get beefed up a bit, or heated up {it just tastes better w/oats if it's warm}.

Shredded Coconut~I love using this in my bars, and I add it to my morning cereal as well.  This coconut is NOT what you'd buy in the grocery store near the chocolate chips.  That is the sweetened kind, which is junk!  This is unsweetened, and shredded...it's a must-have for me.

Walnuts, Almonds~I use nuts in many different ways.  I always buy nuts in the baking aisle in BJ's because they have large bags of unsalted nuts.  If you are always snacking on salted nuts, you will feel bloated and get way too much salt.  I try to buy walnut pieces {they're coarsely chopped} and sliced almonds, since they are easier to eat without breaking a tooth.  I use them in my bars, add them to my breakfast cereal, blend them to make flour, or even to make crusts for tarts.  It's the healthiest way I get fats into my diet.

Maca Powder~a slightly nutty flavored powder of the {you guessed it} maca root.  It's an excellent source of B-12, balances hormones, and gives an energy boost without caffeine.  I add it to the morning cereal concoction, to soups, dressings for salad, bars....it's also known to increase libido, especially in men.  You can thank me later, ladies.

Ground Flaxseed Meal~I buy the organic, ground flaxseed because that's the best way for our bodies to absorb the nutrients.  Otherwise it would just pass through your system. It's rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, high in fiber, and is high in lignans which balance hormones, especially in women.  It goes rancid easily, so keep in the fridge.

Dates~I use dates as a sweetener and as a binder in my bars, as well as chopped in our morning cereal.  There are so many good reasons to add dates to your diet...mainly for their high fiber content, the vitamins and minerals they contain, and how quick they can give you an energy boost when you need it.

Blue Agave~I use this instead of white sugar.  It has a low glycemic index, meaning it has less of an effect on blood sugar. It is way sweeter than sugar, so only small amounts are needed.  I use it in my bars, cookies, or drizzle over oatmeal.

Hemp Protein Powder~an excellent source of plant based protein that is super rich in minerals, essential fatty acids, and amino acids. So basically you will be in a great mood while getting the nutrition your body needs.

Hemp Seeds~these have a great, mildly nutty flavor, and are great sprinkled on salad, or in yogurt.

Almond Milk~I use almond milk for everything from drinking, adding to our morning "cereal", moistening bars, and to mix with my Vega powder for a meal replacement.  I buy unsweetened for most of my needs, but I also buy "original" which is lightly sweetened.  My kids all love the vanilla and chocolate options, and the added health benefit of getting extra dairy out of their systems has been amazing...Forget about the milk campaign that tells you 'milk does a body good'....I'll follow up with that at some point in a future post.  Promise.

Chia Seeds~This is a MUST HAVE for me.  I could go on and on about the benefits of chia seeds in your diet...and I'm sure I will at some point.  I drink them in water with a squeeze of lemon or lime {aka, "chia fresca"} using a straw...you will thank me when you don't have tiny seeds stuck to your face if you drink them without one.  You can also sprinkle them on salads, add them to bars, or make "puddings" with them, since the seeds create their own gel when soaked in water. 

In a nutshell, chia seeds are high in fiber, they contain Omega-3 fatty acids, they're gluten free, stabilize blood sugar, and can help "clean out your insides"...absorbing and getting rid of toxins in the body....keeping the pipes clean.  They do not go rancid, so you can keep them on the counter, unlike flaxseed.

Nutritional Yeast~a new addition for me, it is a great way to add minerals and protein to your diet.  It's also gluten free.  Sprinkle it on popcorn, veggies....really anything you would normally add cheese to.  It has a cheesy/nutty taste, and packs a great nutritional punch.



Nutritional Yeast



Yerba Mate~this tea, rich in antioxidants, enhances your ability to focus, and have sustained energy during physical activity.  It contains caffeine, but doesn't have the same let-down response you might have from drinking coffee or a soda drink.  I use this by cutting open the tea bags, and adding it to homemade sports gels I make for my husband during races {thank you, Brendan Brazier of Thrive}, or training. I've also added it to homemade sesame crackers, another Thrive recipe. 

I'll follow up with recipes soon.  Until then, have a great day!

{Jenn}