Looking for Immunity? Start with these!
Cruciferous vegetables are so amazing for your body!
Arugula
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Broccoli rabe
Broccolini
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Collard Greens
Horseradish
Kale
Kohlrabi
Radishes
Rutabaga
Turnips/Turnip greens
Watercress
Wasabi
Did you know that Cruciferous vegetables detoxify your body? Consuming a variety of these on a daily basis (along with other healthy choices) gives you a huge boost and protection against infection and cancer. (Dr. Fuhrman, Super Immunity)
It is best to eat around 2 servings per day of these veggies - 1 raw (chew really well), 1 cooked (but don't over cook).
Experiment with these. You may be surprised that they taste great!
I love to combine rutabaga and turnips with carrots, onions, garlic, and potatoes and roast them covered in the oven.
Cut into small pieces, pour in vegetable broth to about an inch. Sprinkle with sea salt, onion powder, and oregano. (You can use oregano vitality oil instead of dried for a more robust flavor, but remember 1-2 drops is enough) 350 for 1 hr 30 min.
Most of these are great steamed with a little salt, or raw in a salad. There are a lot of creative recipes, but watch out for those that add in foods that are not healthy!
Happy eating!
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I love our Halloween tradition of carving pumpkins! The time we have together and the memories we have built are priceless! And, as my husband will attest, I love all things pumpkin! Pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin soup, pumpkin plain, pumpkin fancy! I looked around at a bunch of pumpkin recipes, and as I looked at the many variations, I decided to experiment and make my own creation.
Here is the result! Mmm! My sixteen year old said after eating her taco, "I hate pumpkin, so thank you! You finally found a pumpkin recipe I like!"
Pumpkin tacos
small head of cauliflower, cut into small pieces
2-3 cups of pumpkin, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup olive oil (just to barely coat)
1 lime juiced
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
2 teaspoons cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
toss together to coat
bake at 400 for 30 minutes
(For a variation, cannellini beans can be tossed in with the pumpkin after baking)
Toppings
shredded cabbage (I like purple best)
tomato, chopped
red onion, sliced
guacamole (see below)
Jalapeno cilantro sauce
1/2 cup cilantro
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno
1 cup coconut milk
blend until smooth
Guacamole
1 avocado
1/4 onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 roma tomato, diced
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 drops lime vitality essential oil
mash avocado, add the rest, mix, and enjoy!
Serve with whole wheat or
To assemble
Pile cabbage first, then pumpkin/cauliflower mixture, then the other toppings and sauce!
Enjoy! I know I did, as the kids had to tell me to stop making noises! lol!
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do! Adding variety to our diet is the best way to get all the nutrients we need for optimal health!
Join our Veggie Up!! Challenge to up your veggie game and feel the difference as your body thanks you!
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Is it a fight at your house?
Or do your kids eat spinach like Popeye?
Spinach: the super food!
Spinach is one of those super foods we all know is good for us, but getting most kids (and adults - let's be honest!) to eat it can be difficult!
One piece of advice for moms-to-be: eat a lot while you are pregnant** and breastfeeding and when you start your little one on solid foods, start with vegetables! This will help the taste be familiar and your child will accept it much more readily.
**Bonus - spinach contains folate, which you need for the optimum development of your sweet baby!
We need to eat greens both raw and cooked every day for the nutrients they contain. When served on a regular basis, kids and adults will get used to them and learn to enjoy them.
Pro parenting tip: serve vegetables first - this has helped our kids learn to eat just about everything - although it can be a process. Set the healthy expectation that everyone eats the same thing and vegetables are required!
One of my favorite ways to get spinach in our diet is to put it in smoothies! These are total kid pleasers! One of our "rules" is that a handful of spinach goes into every recipe. I use a Vitamix blender - it will blend just about anything super smooth!
Have Picky Eaters? Grab this guide: 7 Strategies to Help Picky Eaters Eat!
Here are a few of our morning pleasers.
Mango
1 handful of spinach
2 cups frozen mango
2 bananas (freckled)
1 peach
1/2 lemon - juiced
2-3 cups water/non dairy milk
3 drops cinnamon bark essential oil
Mixed berry
1 handful of spinach
2 cups frozen mixed berries
2 bananas (freckled)
1/2 carrot
1/2 lemon - juiced
2-3 cups water/non dairy milk
3 drops tangerine essential oil
Strawberry
1 handful of spinach
2 cups frozen strawberries
2 bananas (freckled)
1/2 lemon - juiced
1 apple
2-3 cups water/non dairy milk
3 drops lemon essential oil
This one is not sweet
Spinach/Kale
1-2 handfuls of spinach
1-2 handfuls of kale (spines taken out)
1 cucumber - skin scrubbed, but not peeled
1 thumbnail sized piece of fresh ginger
1 lime- juiced
1-2 drops ginger essential oil
1-2 drops lime essential oil
(This can also be juiced - if you prefer - add the essential oils at the end)
Use leftovers to fill popsicle molds for later - my kids go through these so fast! (I would recommend the Spinach/Kale smoothie to be consumed as a liquid.)
You may have noticed I use freckled bananas to sweeten them. Hard green bananas will not have the same effect.
If you are looking to transition gradually - sweeten the smoothies at first or add yogurt. Little by little lessen the amounts of those ingredients as your taste adjusts (and it will!).
Looking for additional reading material?
Super Foods Rx, By Steven Pratt, M.D., and Kathy Matthews is fantastic!
Eat to Live-audio / Eat to Live, by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. is excellent!
This page contains affiliate links.
Any purchase made is a blessing to my family at no extra cost to you!
Thank you for supporting us!
My blogs contain some affiliate links.
Any purchase made is a blessing to my family at no extra cost to you!
Thank you for supporting us!
Have any of you had the same experience? Back in March, when everything shut down, I treated the first week or so as a vacation - we chilled, no big deal. Then distance learning started, and with 5 kids in public education, and homeschooling 1, I got super stressed, overwhelmed, depressed. I'm not going to lie, there were tears, lots of them. I stopped exercising, stopped some of the self care I normally did - wore the same clothes more than one day. I missed everyone I normally hung out with, but didn't do much reaching out. Not such a pretty picture. I was pretty low.
Once school was done, I started gradually doing some of my normal stuff - gradually. Then I picked up this book, the Miracle Morning, by Hal Elrod. It spoke to me! I started exercising again, I started getting up at 6 am to do the Miracle Morning. If you know me and my struggle with CFS, you know that is huge! I am drinking my Ningxia like it's going out of style, and doing a few other things to support my health, and I am feeling amazing! I am in such a better place emotionally!
So . . . I've always loved reading (my degree is in Comparative Literature), and I have almost always been a part of an in person book club. Next month, I am starting an online book club - and we will start with this book! I am sure there are others who can benefit from the Miracle Morning. If you have felt any of what I felt during the last 6 months, you will find help with this! If you would like to participate, email me at holisticsupermom@gmail.com for details! I will run it via zoom, and would love to have a bunch of moms join in! With school starting soon, we need all the help we can get!! Start date TBD.
Grab the book here!
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Any purchase made is a blessing to my family at no extra cost to you!
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I know I am not the only gardener to be plagued by pests! Those tiny green or brown aphids that suck the life out of the leaves and stems, the teeny white flies that love to munch, but stay hidden on the underside of leaves, the microscopic mites that produce icky webbing, and leave the plants barren of the nutrients they need to produce good fruit.
I live in the central valley of California and it is hot and dry in the summer. This weather is perfect for those pests, but not ideal for many plants. One way to help prevent pests in the first place is to have the soil well balanced with nutrients so the plants are healthy and strong. Another way is to have consistent watering and enough water! I water early in the morning. There is not much humidity, so when it is in the 100s, I often water any drooping plants again in the evening just a little to help them perk up.
But that is not always enough. Pests invade anyway! They creep in quietly and before you are aware - you have a full-on infestation! Checking every day can help you spot trouble before it gets too bad.
Commercial sprays are full of chemicals that I choose not to use in my organic garden. Even if I didn't get the commercial sprays on the fruits and vegetables themselves, they would still have trace amounts inside. One reason I grow a garden is to stay away from the pesticide covered fruits and veggies in the stores! I have experimented with some things and found a combination of ingredients that works well as a DIY spray. It is critical to spray the underside of the leaves, as that is where they like to be. Spraying weekly can help trouble areas recover.
Recipe 1:
One squirt Thieves Dish Soap (about 1 teaspoon) You can also use Dr. Bronner's Castille soap
about 1 teaspoon fractionated coconut oil
5-10 drops Citronella essential oil
5-10 drops Peppermint essential oil
5-10 drops Tea Tree essential oil (This is especially helpful for powdery mildew, too)
Recipe 2:
One squirt Thieves Dish Soap (about 1 teaspoon) You can also use Dr. Bronner's Castille soap
about 1 teaspoon fractionated coconut oil
10 drops peppermint essential oil
10 drops orange essential oil
Fill bottle with water or a filtered infusion of citronella or peppermint leaves
Attach a spray top and enjoy.
Spray in the evening, as sunburn can occur when spraying during daylight hours.
You may get some on your skin - this will not harm you, but you may want to rinse the soap off afterwards as it is a little sticky.
Find Essential Oils and THieves dish soap here.
My blogs contain some affiliate links.
Any purchase made is a blessing to my family at no extra cost to you!
Thank you for supporting us!
