Weekly Menu (5/19/13-5/25/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• cauliflower
• fava beans
• yams
• corn
• butternut squash
• tomatoes
• lettuce
• honeydew melon
• apricots
• bananas

We also got the Italian add-on pack which contains:

• mushrooms
• herbs
• zucchini
• eggplant
• lemons
• onions
• garlic

I also have carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, russet potatoes, and apples

This week for kids' breakfast and lunch:

For the Kids:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• french toast
• grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• breakfast sandwiches (toast with scrambled eggs and ham)
• fresh fruit and veggies
• cereal
• Smoothies

This week for school lunch:

• PB&J on Udi's bread
• Schar crispbread with pepperoni and cheese 
• Ham sandwiches
• carrot and celery sticks with almond butter
• clementines
• applesauce
• chips or crackers
• milk

For me and dinners, too: 

Sunday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in. :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers, tomatoes, and spinach
• morning snack (9am): veggies and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): apricot
• dinner (5-6pm):
• London Broil (using fresh rosemary, instead of dried) topped with sauteed mushrooms
• Sweet Potato Casserole (I now use coconut sugar instead of brown sugar)
• corn on the cob for the family
• sauteed fava beans and zucchini, with garlic and herbs
• green salad

Monday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): carrots and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): apricot
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• Indian spiced chicken
• butternut squash curry (I'll use fresh tomatoes, instead of canned and may add in cooked fava beans and cauliflower)
• basmati rice

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): apricots
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies with hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• tamales for the family
• beans and rice
• green salad
• sliced honeydew

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): apricot
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• grilled chicken
• pesto sauce
• GF pasta
• sauteed zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled egg with green peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): apricot
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• one-eyed sandwiches
• hashbrowns
• bacon
• apple slices

Friday: It's our 11th wedding anniversary!

• 1st breakfast (5am): apricot
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): banana
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner:
• maybe going out...we haven't decided yet.  If we do go out, it'll be something simple for the boys, like sandwiches or hot dogs

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery sticks with almond butter
• dinner:
• navajo tacos topped with refried beans, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

Essential Oil Tips: Balance

Happy Thursday, everyone! I thought share a little bit about one of my favorite DoTERRA blends: Balance. Balance does just what the name implies, it balances your body.  It brings a feeling of calmness, peace, and relaxation.  It helps harmonize the different physiological systems of the body, helping you feel grounded and balanced.

Some issues Balance can help address are: ADD/ADHD, Anxiety, Back Pain, Balance, Brain Integration, Bursitis, Coma, Confusion, Convulsions, Depression, Diabetic Sores, Energy, Fear, Grand Mal Seizure, Grief/Sorrow, Herniated Discs, Hot Flashes, Hyperactivity, Jet Lag, Lou Gehrig's Disease, Lupus, Metabolism, Mood Swings, Nervousness, Parkinson's Disease, and Seizures.

Balance contains a blend of Spruce, Rosewood, Blue Tansy, and Frankincense.  It also contains fractionated coconut oil to balance the combinaton of those four oils.

I want to talk about some of the properties of each of the oils in this blend. And how each of these oils contributes creating balance.

Spruce grounds the body.  It helps you open up to recieve and to give, balance your body that way.  It helps dilate the bronchial tubes, which improves oxygen exchange and it helps you release emotional blocks.

Rosewood is soothing to the skin, appeasing to the mind, relaxing to the body, and helps you feel at peace.

Blue Tansy helps cleanse the liver and calms the lymphatic system.  It helps you rid yourself of anger and promotes a feeling of self-control.

Frankincense helps oxygenate the pineal and pituitary glands through sesquiterpenes, components in frankincense that can cross the blood/brain barrier. It helps promote a positive attitude.  It helps with cellular regeneration.  It can help emotionally help relationships and spiritually help enhance your relationship with God.

As a blend, these oils work together to help address both physical issues, as well as mental, emotional, and spiritual issues, as well.  It literally helps you balance all aspects of your life.

For me, I apply 1-2 drops on the bottom of each foot every morning and evening.  You can also diffuse it.  It does seem most effective by applying to the feet, on the reflex points.

For more information on how to use the Solace or any of the other oils see:

http://www.mydoterra.com/pauladecaria/
http://www.everythingessential.me
http://doterrablog.com/

Teff Biscuits

Remember last week's recipe, Strawberry Rhubarb Chia See Jam? Well, when I made it, I wanted to eat it with some warm bread straight out of the oven...well, I didn't have the time or energy to make my favorite, my Teff Sandwich Bread, so I made my Garlic Dill Biscuits, minus the garlic and dill. ;) 

These are the fastest, easiest little morsels you can throw together and they are GOOD!  Really, I haven't made my sandwich bread since making these...these are just too easy.  

Now, they are best straight out of the oven, but can be perked back up a day or two later by covering with a damp paper towel and microwaving for a bit.  The steam from the paper towel with soften them up, and it will be like they are straight from the oven again. :)

Teff Biscuits
2/3 cup teff flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond meal
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup Pompeian Grapeseed Oil or olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.  Add in the milk and grapeseed oil and hand mix until combined.

Turn dough out on parchment paper.  Smooth the dough out and pat it out until it's to 1" thickness.

Cut biscuits with a sharp biscuit cutter, or with a sharp knife into wedges, and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Serve warm.


This post was shared on Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love, Gluten Free Fridays, and Whole Food Fridays.

Weekly Menu (5/12/13-5/18/13)

This week in our Bountiful Basket we got (which I share with my brother):

• broccoli
• cucumbers
• cabbage
• green peppers
• artichokes
• apples
• watermelon
• cantaloupe
• bananas

We also got an add-on pack srawberries.

I also have carrots, celery, spinach, and russet potatoes.

This week for kids' breakfast and lunch:

For the Kids:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins 
• Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
• french toast
• grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches
• breakfast sandwiches (toast with scrambled eggs and ham)
• fresh fruit and veggies
• cereal
• Smoothies

This week for school lunch:

• PB&J on Udi's bread
• Schar crispbread with pepperoni and cheese 
• Ham sandwiches
• carrot and celery sticks with almond butter
• clementines
• applesauce
• chips or crackers
• milk

For me and dinners, too: 

Sunday: Happy Mother's Day!

• 1st breakfast (5am): nothing, I'm sleeping in. :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): veggies and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): We are going to be at my parent's...we'll be feasting on ham, potatoes, fruit salad, and such. :)
• afternoon snack (3pm): nothing
• dinner (5-6pm):
• leftovers

Monday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): celery and peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): green smoothie
• morning snack (9am): veggies and hummus
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): apple slices
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• falafel (I got a mix from Laziz at the farmer's market) with homemade tortillas
• veggies and hummus (also got some from Laziz) :)
• steamed artichokes
• fruit salad

Tuesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): apple slices with peanut butter
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with bell peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): celery sticks with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies with hummus
• dinner (5-6pm): 
• chili or lentil chili
• baked potatoes
• sliced strawberries
• green salad

Wednesday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): smoothie
• morning snack (9am): apple
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• chicken nuggets
• oven fries
• veggie sticks
• salad

Thursday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): veggie sticks
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled egg with green peppers and spinach
• morning snack (9am): celery and peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner: 
• crepes with eggs and ham, strawberries and bananas, peanut butter and jelly, and anything else we can think of.

Friday:

• 1st breakfast (5am): apple
• 2nd breakfast (7am): smoothie
• morning snack (9am): carrot and celery sticks with peanut butter
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers or a lettuce wrap with veggies and ham
• afternoon snack (3pm): veggies and hummus
• dinner:
• pizza
• green salad

Saturday: 

• 1st breakfast (5am): sleeping in :)
• 2nd breakfast (7am): scrambled eggs with veggies
• morning snack (9am): carrots
• lunch (11am-12pm): leftovers
• afternoon snack (3pm): celery sticks with almond butter
• dinner:
• grilled hamburgers and hotdogs
• coleslaw
• veggies and hummus

Essential Oil Tips: Vetiver

Happy Thursday, everyone! I'm back to doing a full post.  So, I thought I'd talk this week on Vetiver.  Vetiver is part of the Gramineae family (grasses), and it's oil is steam distilled from the roots of the plant.  It is a very heavy, smoky, earthy fragrance.  Some people love the smell, others do not.  Historically, Vetiver has been used as a perfume in India since ancient times.

 

Why I love Vetiver? It's antibiotic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, calming, grounding, immune stimulant, warming (locally), sedative for the nervous system, and a stimulant for the circulatory system.

Vetiver is excellent for relieving stress and aiding in recovery from emotional traumas and shock.  It helps induce a restful sleep.  It is my number one recommendation for people with ADD/ADHD.  It calms the scattered mind and helps you focus.

It can also help with acne, anorexia, anxiety, arthritis, cuts, depression (including postpartum depression), insomnia, muscular rheumatism, nervousness, skin issues, sprains, and stress.

It can be applied neat.  For my boys, I put in on their reflex points on their feet...we apply along the bottom of the big toe, covering the brain, pineal, pituitary, parathyroid, and thyroid reflex points, to help them be calm, grounded, focused and ready for the day, and at bedtime to help them clear their minds and be ready for sleep.  We love, love, love this oil!

You can also diffuse it or take it internally by diluting 1 drop of oil in a teaspoon of honey or in a glass of water.

For more information on how to use the Vetiver or any of the other oils see:

http://www.mydoterra.com/pauladecaria/
http://www.everythingessential.me
http://doterrablog.com/