Freezer Meals Kids Love

Freezer Meals Kids Love

Hey there! I'm Jessica. I think that motherhood should be savored, like a good piece of chocolate. But sometimes it feels like more duty than delight. Am I right? I'm working to change that. Read more about me here and this blog here.

Looking for freezer meals kids love? I’ve got you covered. These freezer meals will please the kids AND save you time and money.

I’ve been making freezer meals since before my first child was born. This spring makes it 19 years that I’ve been making meals to freeze and enjoy later. It’s totally saved my bacon on a number of occasions.

Last month, while I was doing a Whole 30, I was never so happy as to pull a meal from the freezer that I knew the family would love while I cooked something different for myself. On date night, it’s so nice to hand my son a casserole of mac and cheese and walk away without any worry about what the kids will eat. It was so fun last week to see a pic of my brother’s kids’ smiling faces as they enjoyed enchiladas we sent home with them for the freezer.

Freezer meals can make the whole family happy, particularly if you make foods you know your kids enjoy. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite sure-fire winning freezer meals. The kids are always thrilled when I pull these out of the freezer.

May they earn you Parent of the Year, too!

Freezer Meals Kids Love:

Buttered Maple French Toast Casserole

Yes, freezer meals work for breakfast too! This Buttered Maple French Toast Casserole is a snap to make, and it tastes delicious. Just prep, freeze, and thaw before baking.

Chicken Bacon Subs

These Chicken Bacon Subs have been in my freezer cooking repertoire for years. Everyone loves them. I like to make these on small ciabatta rolls and wrap them individually in foil. I’ve found that they reheat really well in the slow cooker.

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Lawnmower Taco

We’ve dubbed this taco casserole Lawnmower Taco after one of our children balked at eating it for dinner. FishPapa cajoled him into taking a bite, “What do you mean you don’t like it? You love tacos. This is what happens when I run over tacos with the lawnmower.” FishBoy liked it, and it’s been a family favorite for years.

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Cheese Enchiladas

Cheese Enchiladas are quick and easy to prepare, but they taste like something special. This recipe makes two pans — perfect to eat one for dinner and freeze another for later use.

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Best Ever Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

This recipe for Best Ever Slow Cooker Pulled Pork is amazingly easy since the slow cooker does most of the work. Just combine a homemade rub with a cheap cut of pork and cook it slowly in the slow cooker. It makes a ton of meat that can be used as a filling for sandwiches, lettuce wraps, and tacos.

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Lasagna

Lasagna has always been one of my favorite meals to make and freeze. It’s filling, and it can be doctored up with veggies to make it a one-dish dinner. When served with salad, garlic bread, and a nice glass of wine for the adults, it makes the perfect company dinner, too. Since it is a little more labor intensive, make more than one pan at a time and freeze the extras for later.

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Easiest Mac and Cheese

This is the Easiest Mac and Cheese you’ll ever make. Seriously. I think it rivals the box in both taste and simplicity. Just cook the pasta, mix it up with some sour cream and cubed cheddar, and you’re ready to bake or freeze. Perfect, easy comfort food.

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What are YOUR favorite kid-friendly freezer meals?

Original article and pictures take lifeasmom.com site

Free Shipping and 50% off Palm Shortening!

Free Shipping and 50% off Palm Shortening!

It’s a Merry Christmas from Healthy Traditions! I love it when they offer this!

Through the 25th, Healthy Traditions (formerly Tropical Traditions) is offering free ground shipping and 50% off Palm Shortening. We have no choice but to stock up on this gem! (Sales like this usually only come about once each year.)

How I use Palm Shortening

I use Palm Shortening for these five main purposes and recipes:

• To fry Sweet Potato Fries
• To fry Whole Wheat Donuts
• To stir into my Peanut Butter (super creamy – like Skippy or Jif)
• To make Quick Baking Mix (like Bisquik)
• To make Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Palm Shortening is flavorless, so it will not change the taste of your fried foods or baked goods! We often hear that “all fried food is bad” but it’s important to note that food fried in coconut oil or palm shortening is perfectly healthy! This is because these particular oils can withstand the high temps required for frying without going rancid! There are oh so many French fried reasons to love Palm Shortening!

You can grab your 50% off Palm Shortening here.

Use the code christmas2017 at check-out for FREE SHIPPING to apply.

Important: This offer expires December 25, 2017.

These links are my referral links. If you are a new customer with Healthy Traditions, shopping through these links will reward you with a free Virgin Coconut Oil Cookbook!

Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site

Free Printable March Acts of Kindness Calendar

Free Printable March Acts of Kindness Calendar

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Original article and pictures take moneysavingmom.com site

Free New Summer Reading Challenge Printables For Your Family

Free New Summer Reading Challenge Printables For Your Family

When my kids were little, we went to the library every week during the summer for the special Summer Reading Program they offered. This kept our boys excited about books and they loved the opportunity they had to win small prizes and meet challenges.

As most of our boys hit the upper grades and outgrew the library program, I saw that our younger two boys needed a little extra motivation to read during the weeks of summer they were home. (Our older two are welcome to participate also, but they tend to be gone more than they are home during June and July.) So we started creating our own Summer Reading Challenge here at home. I set up a simple reward system – tailor made to what I knew would motivate them! I wrote about this last year and offered some free printables. This year, I made more to share with you!

Create Your Own Summer Reading Challenge

I’ll share how our family sets this up, then of course you can adapt it to meet your needs if the Summer Reading Challenge idea works for you!

1. Set up a system.

Decide how many minutes or hours your child needs to read before he/she earns a reward. Do the minutes/hours count if the child is being read to, or do they need to read on their own? How will you keep track of time spent reading? (I recommend using these charts!)

2. Talk to your child(ren) about what rewards would be fun motivation for them.

Our kids earn a prize after they have read for five hours. Typically our family’s prizes get a little bigger as they read more and more hours. Here are a few our kids came up with that they would enjoy:

• Redbox movie rental
• $1 ice cream cone from Runza
• Choose something from the Dollar Store
• Invite a friend for a sleep-over
• $2 Happy Hour Big Pizza Slice at Pizza Hut
• Drink from Captain Red Beard’s (our local coffee shop)
• Still brainstorming :)

3. Put it all into a chart.

My oldest boys don’t care about a cutesy chart to log their hours, but Malachi (age 11) still enjoys one. (However, even the older boys need to at least log their hours in a notebook so they don’t lose track.) The rewards are usually listed on our fridge.

This year, Malachi will use the Pirate Chart I made. (For some reason he didn’t choose the Flowers and Butterflies Chart?!?)

I’ve made these charts as generic as possible so that you can use them in whatever way your family prefers. The Pirate Chart and the Flowers and Butterflies Chart can be used a little differently than the others that are for writing lists and checking off goals. Consider writing prizes on each cut-out piece for your child to glue onto the chart once they’ve earned that particular prize.

Grab your free printables!

These are free for everyone and will connect you to our fun Heavenly Homemaker’s Learning Zone. It’s free, of course.

Enter your email address here, then check your inbox for download instructions. Print one, print them all, use them in whatever ways work best for your family to enjoy reading this summer!

If you are already subscribed to Heavenly Homemaker’s Learning Zone, you should have received an email yesterday giving you instant access to this freebie. Look in your inbox for the subject: FREE Summer Reading Challenge Charts!

Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site

FREE Lavender Lotion Bar from MadeOn ~ Two Days Only!

FREE Lavender Lotion Bar from MadeOn ~ Two Days Only!

Before you ask, there’s no catch. ;) Renee from MadeOn is giving all of us a free Lavender Lotion Bar just because she loves us.

Yes, we have to pay shipping on our freebie, otherwise we’d really put her in the hole, and we don’t want to put Renee in a hole, am I right? She’s too nice for that, what with her giving us freebies and all.

What I suggest is that you get the most out of your $4.95 shipping fee while you get your free lotion bar. Shipping on your entire order is a flat $4.95, so no matter how much you put in your cart, you only pay five bucks shipping.

And you get a free Lavender Lotion Bar.

If you’re new here and you’re wondering, “What’s so great about MadeOn Lotion Bars?” let me tell you all about why they are so great! Aside from the fact that they contain ingredients I feel absolutely good about…

My hands used to be awful, awful, awful. Dry, cracked, bleeding, miserable – all winter long and beyond. A few years ago Renee send me a MadeOn Lotion Bar to try and within ONE DAY my hands felt better. I haven’t looked back and my hands are gloriously soft and healthy…as long as I continue to use my Lotion Bar.

If I ignore my dry skin and don’t rub on the Lotion Bar, my hands feel awful again. Thus, I make sure I always have a supply of MadeOn Lotion Bars in my house. My family all uses these products and I send some to college with our oldest.

This is what makes this FREEBIE so much fun! This is about the time of year I stock up on MadeOn Lotion for winter dry skin. If I’m paying $4.95 shipping anyway, and I’m loading up on plenty of Lotion Bars (my fav is the BeeSilk, but I’m also loving the Lavender Lotion Bar they sent me to try) how awesome that I can aldo get a free Lavender Lotion Bar in my package!

This freebie offer is only good today and tomorrow (September 18-19), so go here now and add this Lavender Lotion Bar to your cart. Then add to your cart any other items you need. (There’s no other purchase necessary, by the way. You can simply get this freebie and nothing else!) At checkout use the code HHLavender and the cost of the Lavender Lotion Bar turns to $0.00 like magic.

Enjoy this fun goodie, and may your hands (and arms and legs and feet) be forever nourished and comfortable!

Offer expires Tuesday at midnight, PST. These links are my affiliate links.

Original article and pictures take heavenlyhomemakers.com site

Four Reasons Why Husbands Want Doulas - Even If They Don't Know It Yet!

Four Reasons Why Husbands Want Doulas - Even If They Don't Know It Yet!

When I told my husband I wanted a doula for the birth of our second child, Joe was more than a little hesitant. Even after he met my doula, Marta, he still wasn't sold. Not because he didn't like Marta - but because he still wasn't sure why I felt like I needed a doula if he was going to be present at the birth.

After our baby was here, though (read my birth story here), things changed significantly and Joe has become the biggest advocate for doulas that I know. Each time we find out a pair of our friends is expecting, he immediately turns to the husband and says "You need to make sure you hire a doula for your wife - trust me."

Since Joe has become such a huge advocate of doulas, I asked him to write his thoughts down for me so he could share a husband or birth partner's perspective about why doulas were so beneficial to the birth process. If you are a husband or birth partner, I hope you find this to be beneficial. Please feel free to ask Joe questions in the comments as well!

Watching my wife endure pain is stressful for me. It's stressful for any guy. Especially when I can't fix it, don't know what's normal, don't know what's a problem, and don't know when to intervene and rescue. No matter how many birth videos, or birth books I may read, it all tends to go out the window when the person who is my emotional support system is screaming. That is why every guy will thank themselves for getting a doula to help them through the birth process. A doula is a coach. A doula equals both convenience and peace of mind.

Here are my top four reasons why you, the husband, need to hire a doula. 1) Nurses and doctors will continually come and go, but a doula will stick around. Doctors operate on their own schedule but a doula is there for you through the whole process. 2) I can't rightly ask a doctor to help me and hand me a wet cloth to brush my wife's forehead, but I can ask the doula to help me. This is huge since many pain management techniques impair mobility of one or both partners. 3) When I feel like everything is chaos, the doula can say, "this is normal,” or “try this." As the birthing expert, my wife will believe her before she believes me. This really helps both soon-to-be parents to let go of their worry and relax, which in turn helps labor progress. 4) With a doula present I felt at liberty to leave the room for a breather without feeling guilty. It might be to get a soda, use the bathroom, or just decompress with a brief lap around the ward. The point is my wife is not abandoned with no one to help her. The saying goes that the first time the wife hires the doula, but the second time the husband does. Don't let the price tag make you blind to the help you both need. Many doulas will work out payment arrangements with you to help fit the cost more easily into your budget.

If you’re in the Portland, Oregon area, I highly recommend our doula, Marta of Dragonfly Doula. Do yourself a favor and get in touch with her or a doula in your part of the country today. You'll both be glad you did.

Joe describes himself as a skeptical researcher and a hesitant convert to an eco-friendly lifestyle. While many of the healthy choices his family makes were initially driven by his wife, Joe has come to embrace several greener lifestyle changes after seeing the financial and health benefits firsthand.

Original article and pictures take www.creativegreenliving.com site

Forget What You Know About Breastfeeding Positions. Try This Instead.

Forget What You Know About Breastfeeding Positions. Try This Instead.

Guest post by Andrea Vandiver

“Am I doing it right?”

That’s the first thing I said when my son began to nurse half an hour after he was born. I thought I was a professional. I thought I had prepared. I read The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding like three times.

I knew how important it was to get the perfect latch and without even thinking about it, went with the standard cross-cradle hold.

You know, the position you see every woman using.

But one week into new motherhood bliss, I had a severely cracked nipple and cringed any time a “helpful” family member said, “He’s hungry!” I literally wept every time I nursed him. After several days of pain and a couple of well-intentioned suggestions to switch to formula, I decided to go to a local La Leche League meeting.

It was there I met Ruth, who saved my nursing relationship and my sanity by introducing me to laid-back breastfeeding.

What is laid-back breastfeeding?

Laid-back breastfeeding, also known as biological nurturing, is kind of a non-positioned form of breastfeeding. The idea is that while breastfeeding is natural, it’s only instinctual for our babies. Us mothers have long since distanced ourselves from our primitive sides, but babies are born with a set of instincts that will keep them fed and alive. These instincts will drive and guide our sweet babes to the nipple, with little to no help from us. Breastfeeding shouldn’t be primarily about us learning a new skill; it should be about letting nature take its course.

How do I do it?

To begin, simply relax into a comfortable semi-reclined position. Imagine how you would sit to watch TV or read a book. Use pillows behind your back if needed. You want your neck, back and shoulders supported

Place your baby tummy-to-tummy with their feet pointed towards your feet. Allow your baby to find the nipple on his own. Some refer to this as the breast crawl – and laid-back breastfeeding is simply a continuation of that.

Why is it beneficial?

Laid-back breastfeeding allows the baby to do the latching, not the mother. If you were taught conventional breastfeeding positions, you were probably told to touch the baby’s nose and chin with your nipple and when the baby opens her mouth widely, bring the baby to you and let her latch.

The problem with this is that the baby doesn’t choose the angle, which can cause a shallow latch and create a lot pain and discomfort. Laid-back breastfeeding eliminates a lot of common latching problems.

This position is extremely helpful for babies born with a tongue or lip tie. Laid-back breastfeeding allows the baby to latch at the angle and position that works best for them.

With proper support, you can comfortably nurse like this for 30… 45… 60 minutes during those sometimes-tiring cluster feedings.

With the help of gravity, you won’t need more than an occasional steadying hand on the baby’s back, which frees you up to multi-task.

What if I had a c-section?

No problem. You can use this same approach by allowing baby to latch on from the side, with their nose pointed toward your chest and their feet pointed away from your body.

Is there a down side?

In the beginning it’s best to help your baby by having as much skin-to-skin contact as possible so they can use their senses to find the nipple. This might not be feasible if you need to nurse while out and about, but you can adjust as you and your baby’s comfort levels rise.

I specifically remember sitting in that La Leche League meeting with Ruth, cringing, as my son was about to nurse in this new position. He bobbed his little head around and latched on. And it didn’t hurt a bit. I immediately felt a surge of joy and a renewed bond with him. I knew this was what I should have been doing all along.

It seems that lactations consultants are embracing laid-back breastfeeding more and more and are designating it as the go-to way of nursing. While this may seem like a new thing, biological nurturing is thought to be nature’s intended way of breastfeeding.

Women face tremendous obstacles in breastfeeding as it is, so with fewer latch issues and less pain, maybe this is the start of a revolution. I’m thrilled to see it become mainstream!

And the best thing about it? No expensive breastfeeding pillows required!

Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site

Foraging Mullein for Earaches and Coughs

Foraging Mullein for Earaches and Coughs

Home Medicine: Mullein for Earaches and Coughs

Common mullein, Verbascum thapsus, is a tall biennial that tolerates a wide range of growing conditions and is found throughout most of North America. As an herb, mullein is most commonly used to treat earaches and coughs, but has other uses as well.

Mullein prefers to grow in the sun and is often found along roadsides or open fields. In its first year of growth mullein will form a wooly rosette growing low to the ground. In its second year, it sends up a tall spike which then flowers. Once the flowers go to seed the plant withers and dies, the seeds are dispersed, and the cycle begins again.

Please keep in mind that I am not a health care professional, I’m just sharing some of the ways I use everyday herbs as home remedies for my family.

DISCLOSURE: In order for me to pay my blogging expenses, I may receive monetary compensation for my endorsement and/or link to products mentioned on this blog. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Mullein’s alternate leaves have anti-spasmodic, expectorant, sedative and astringent properties which can be helpful in treating allergies, coughs, bronchial congestion and chest colds.

They may also be used as a poultice for boils, swollen glands, bruises and insect bites.

The pretty yellow flower with its 5 united sepals, 5 united petals, and 5 stamen can relieve pain and both prevent and fight infection. It is often used to fight mild to moderate ear infections. Keep in mind that it is not to be used to treat swimmer’s ear or any condition where water is in the ear. In these situations, it can make matters worse.

Mullein Oil for Earaches

Begin by harvesting about 1/4 cup of mullein flowers, just as they are opening. Allow the flowers to dry for about 24 hours at room temperature, or dry them in a dehydrator at low heat for an hour or two. Drying the herb helps to prevent mold from forming.

Place the dried flowers in a small mason jar and cover them completely with olive oil. Cover the jar and allow the flowers to infuse in the olive oil for about 2 weeks. For more information on infusing oils, and for ways to speed up the process, see this post.

Once infused, strain the flowers from the oil and bottle the mullein oil. Be sure to label the bottle with the contents and the date you made it.

To use: warm the oil over very low heat until just warm. Do not allow it to get hot. You may want to consider testing the oil in your own ear before placing any in a child’s ear to be sure the temperature is correct. You do not want the oil to be either cold or hot. Be sure to treat both ears since the infection can pass from ear to ear. Use 2 – 3 drops per ear, 2 – 3 times per day.

Mullein Leaves for Cough

When harvesting, be sure to choose healthy leaves. Dry the mullein leaves thoroughly. In a dehydrator this will take several hours at 125°F. They will dry more quickly if torn or cut into smaller pieces.

When dry, crumble them, and store in a zip-lock bag, or glass jar. Be sure to label and date the container.

To use: Place 1 Tablespoon of dried mullein in a tea strainer. Place in a cup and pour boiling water over the tea. Allow to steep for at least 10 minutes. Be sure the strainer you are using strains the tea completely since the small, hairy particles from the mullein leaf can irritate and actually cause coughing. You may want to consider making a tea bag from a coffee filter which does a great job of straining the tea. Sweeten with honey if desired.

Drink as often as needed until the cough subsides. If you are unable to find mullein leaf growing in your area, you can purchase it here.

For more information on medicinal teas, see this post.

Original article and pictures take learningandyearning.com site

For Parents Wondering if Their Baby Has Special Needs and Not Knowing Where to Start

For Parents Wondering if Their Baby Has Special Needs and Not Knowing Where to Start

This is taken from an appendix at the end of The Empowered Mother.

As a mom who has a child with special needs, I frequently find parents wondering out loud whether their child is showing delays or not. Most of the time I can reassure them that it looks like their baby is completely meeting his milestones on schedule, it just may be slower than other babies. Sometimes, though, I help them find some more information and help them to find local screening programs or services.

Part of being an Empowered Mother is knowing how to look for help when we need it, and with special needs children, more help is useful!

Below is my advice to parents who are questioning their child’s development.

The possibility of having a child with special needs, whether it’s something as small as a slight learning disability or as large as cerebral palsy or a chronic medical condition that requires specialized care, is an anxiety that surfaces for many parents during pregnancy and baby’s first years.

Because babies change so much during the first year, when one baby develops a bit more slowly than another baby of the same age, it can be alarming. In the majority of cases, this difference in development is completely normal.

You can ask your child’s doctor for a developmental milestone chart, or view the many available online. As long as he is considered ‘within the range of normal’ on the charts, there really is not much to be concerned about, even if your friend’s baby born the same week is developing at a completely different pace.

Missing milestones means that they are not completing their milestones such as sitting unassisted, rolling, babbling noises, eye contact, walking, etc, by the late-end range on the milestone charts. Missing one is usually not too concerning, but a pattern of missing multiple, or barely making them by the end of the time on the chart, is worth follow up with a developmental pediatrician to screen for possible other issues or get started with early intervention if she thinks it is warranted.

If your gut really says that something is off, and you want to start services but your doctor wants to wait and see, always follow your instinct and schedule a second opinion if needed.

If your child is missing milestones, or has medical issues (like significant prematurity or a chromosomal abnormality) that point to the child having special needs, Early Intervention is a great resource for many families.

Your child’s doctor should be able to point you in the direction of resources that you can get started with. Sometimes doctor appointments feel rushed, and if you don’t feel like you understand exactly how to get early intervention services, or screening for services, that your child needs you may need to find knowledgeable people in your area that can help you.

Hop on Google, and then start calling to make sure you’re covering your bases. It’s very unfortunate when a family misses out on needed services, or they end up paying out of pocket for services available for free through the school district, just because they didn’t know what was available to them.

When you call, just briefly describe your concerns, emphasizing missed milestones or diagnoses that your child may have. If this isn’t the right place for early intervention, ask if they have any suggestions.

Places to look (a quick Google search should turn up something in your area):

* Disability Resources

* Developmental Pediatricians

* Your local school district

* Regional Centers – this is what many areas call their disability resource centers

* Head Start

* Parent support groups for families with special needs

Deciding whether services are right for you

When you know what is available in your area, you can pick and choose what services work for your family.

When you are first looking into services, you might be surprised that many of them are done in your home. This is because the child is usually most comfortable in their home environment. This saves you time in the car and waiting – I love home-based services!

Some families will do more, some will do less. Some will look into supplements and dietary intervention, some will stick with mainstream therapies like ABA, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. Many families will do a combination of it all.

Coming to terms with having a child that has special needs

While we think about our future, and having children, it’s natural to imagine them growing up just as we did – with normal health and development. When our children get a diagnosis, anything from a small issue like dyslexia to a large life-changing one like autism or cerebral palsy, it is normal to mourn the dreams that we had and to fear the struggles that our child, and our family, may face because of their special need.

As you progress through your new normal of having a child with special needs, everything starts to seem easier. One of the biggest ways you can start to adjust is to talk to families with children that have diagnoses similar to what your child has, or families with a different diagnosis but otherwise they are similar to you. Seeing how other families live their lives after life threw them a curve ball can help you to start to see what your future will look like rather than living in the shock of a diagnosis.

Families ‘in the know’ can help you find services that work with your family, churches and other community groups that are more accommodating to your child if needed, and can provide the much needed empathy as you navigate having a child with special needs.

Reach out as much as you can so that you can find a support system that understands your particular struggles – at your child’s activities, to other parents in their classrooms, even parents in the waiting room at therapy sessions. Once people know you are friendly and are looking for help or just to talk, often they are happy to help share what they know and lend a listening ear.

You may also be interested in:

You Know We Have a Special Needs Child, Here are 10 Things We Might Not Have Told You

5 Things I learned by having a child with special needs that also applies to typically developing children

Original article and pictures take healthhomeandhappiness.com site

Foods to Avoid While you are Sick

Foods to Avoid While you are Sick

The foods you eat during an illness can either help the healing process or slow it down. Of course, when you or your child is sick you want to speed up healing and shorten the life of the cold or flu. There are a number of foods that assist in healing and there are foods that should be avoided. The foods that are not optimal choices to eat while you are sick are also foods that should be minimized or eliminated in Winter months. Most of these foods are better tolerated in the Spring or Summer.

Cold, Iced, and Raw Foods

While a person is sick it is important to keep warm. The body needs to use all it's energy resources to fight the infection or detox the body. Keeping the body warm allows the body to work on healing and not work to keep the body warm. Just as it is important to bundle up with a coat, hat, and scarf when going outside or to stay warm under blankets its important to keep the foods that you eat warm and cooked. A cold or iced beverage cools the body down and forced the body to work hard to warm back up instead of working to heal. Raw foods take extra energy to digest because they are not already warmed before eating. During an illness, cold, iced, and raw foods should be completely avoided.

Sugar and Acidic Foods

This is probably a well known “food” to avoid. Sugar feeds infections and works against healing so it is important to avoid it. The obvious things to stay away from are desserts, cookies, cake, and ice cream. A side note on ice cream – it's possibly the worst food to eat while you are sick – its cold, sugary, and dairy (which can be mucus forming). Not only should you stay away from these obvious foods but also any kind of fruit or fruit juice. Fruit, while it is a healthy food, contains natural sugar and should be avoided while an illness is present. Fruit juice is especially important to stay away from because it is a concentrated form of the sugars in fruit. Orange juice is sometimes used as a home remedy but unfortunately it is not helpful. The sugar and acidity of orange juice supports the germs and infection and keeps them around longer. Although it is important to stay hydrated while you are sick, all juice should be avoided.

Dairy

Most people who eat dairy products, eat commercial pasteurized dairy products, which lack the health promoting properties of raw dairy. All dairy products, especially pasteurized dairy, tend to increase mucus production in the body. While you are sick, foods that promote mucus production do not support healing and make you more uncomfortable. To help the body heal and promote health, all dairy should be avoided while illness is present. Years ago, before I attended The Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I regularly ate pasteurized dairy products and suffered from chronic sinus infections, colds, and strep throat. After eliminating dairy products 100% for three months my problems vanished. Now, years later, I am able to enjoy small amounts of high quality raw cheese or yogurt with no problems at all.

Heavy, Dense Foods

Like raw foods, heavy and dense foods require a lot of energy to digest, taking away from the energy needed to heal. While a person is sick the body is detoxing all of the excess junk hanging around that may have been the cause of the cold or illness. Eating heavy or dense foods can inhibit the detoxing process. Some foods that are heavy, like fried food, can make a person feel sluggish even when one is well. All fried foods, thick sauces, and thick heavy smoothies should be avoided while sick.

Damp and Moist Foods

In Chinese Medicine, there is a category of foods called damp and moist foods. The digestive system is slowed down is by foods that are damp in nature and it can slow down the transformation energy. Similar to cold foods, damp and moist foods, interrupt the digestive system and takes away from the energy to heal. When a person has too much dampness the symptoms are very similar to that of a cold or flu. Symptoms could include fatigue, sluggishness, and feeling like your body is heavy. Common damp foods that should be avoided are bananas, avocados, breads, refined flour products, and coffee.

One reason why a person could get sick is over consumption of inappropriate foods. It is possible that the illness is a result of the body's need to detox and get rid of all the excess junk that has been consumed. This point is important to consider because eating less food might be what you really need. Consuming warm healing broths and warm herbal teas and less food might be exactly what you body needs to detox and reset.

What foods do you avoid while you are sick?

Original article and pictures take theholisticmama.com site

Food Sensitivity Testing with EverlyWell

Food Sensitivity Testing with EverlyWell

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Back in December 2016, I was scrolling through good old Facebook when I came across a friend's post about her food sensitivity testing with EverlyWell. Completely curious, I read her entire post. And the whole time I was reading, I was super excited for her. I mean, what a great insight! She would be able to know which foods to avoid so that she can heal her gut and move towards wellness! So awesome!

I was so intrigued by this post I knew that I had to do food sensitivity testing with EveryWell for myself. Here's the thing. I feel fine. I eat pretty much everything. Except for canned tuna. I don't like canned tuna. But anyway, I was just wondering if I do happen to have any food sensitivities. I truly believed that my test would be negative for everything. Simply based on how I feel. Which is great! Actually, I figured that if any sensitivity came back, it would be gluten. I eliminated gluten for a while to see if it would help with my rosacea. It didn't help with that at all. Anyway.

On the flip side, I am smart enough to ask myself the question, “What if I could feel BETTER?” That's the thing! Most people don't realize that they COULD feel better. So, I decided to grab myself a test kit from EverlyWell and see what I see.

It really couldn't have been simpler. I got the test in the mail, gave my blood sample – which was hard by the way. The finger prick was the easy part. Squeezing my finger to get every last drop of blood out was the hard part. Go figure. So, I put it in the bag, slap the label on it, and drive it to a UPS store. Off it went.

It didn't take long to get the results, either! I got an email when they were ready and I simply logged on to see what came up!

Guess what? Gluten showed up in the Class 0 – low reactivity – section. What? I guess that is not what was causing my rosacea. HA! But, in Class 3 – high reactivity – here is what I found:

DAIRY!!!!!!!! I about DIED!!! I have homemade milk kefir in my smoothie every morning! And milk in my coffee? I LOVE cheese. I mean, who doesn't? I really, really do! And butter!? Oh dear. Each food is clickable. So, here is what it says when I clicked on Cows Milk:

So, I guess I need to try to eliminate Dairy and see what happens! But what about Class 2 foods? How did I do there? What else might be irritating to my body?

I guess I should take those out too! Can I just say that I didn't think I would feel completely overwhelmed when I saw the results of this test. The idea of removing dairy seems impossible. Because I love it so much. I realize that it isn't impossible. I can do it. It is just a mindset shift. I am VERY curious to learn what my normal feels like without dairy. Will it feel different?

So, what next? Obviously the next step is to begin eliminating these foods and see what happens. But what is my plan? I was able to convince my husband to try the Whole30. Doing the Whole30 will eliminate these foods, plus a lot more! Well, the Whole30 keeps almonds but gets rid of peanuts. Turns out peanuts don't really bother me, but almonds do! Gah!

Now, the question is WHEN? When do I say goodbye to these foods for a while? To be honest, I have been procrastinating. Because I know it will be hard at first. But then it will get easier! So, stay tuned for my progress and what I find!

Have you ever done food sensitivity testing? I think it is so fascinating! Lots of people have told me that they don't ever want to do that test because they don't want to know what they are sensitive to. They are afraid they would have to give up what they love eating. I consider it another tool in my bag of tricks. Knowledge is power AND freedom. And, in this case, health freedom! I have the knowledge. Now I just have to do something with it!

If you are curious about your own food sensitivities, give EverlyWell a shot! It was simple to do and the results can give you a great starting point!

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Original article and pictures take ohlardy.com site

Food from the Christmas Show!

Food from the Christmas Show!

As I explain over on Confessions of a Pioneer Woman today, my Christmas episode airs tomorrow on Food Network. Marlboro Man and I have some good friends over for a Christmas party, and I had so much fun pulling together all the food. While I did some prep ahead of time, I essentially wound up being able to make several dishes in just under three hours, and wound up with an exceedingly tasty (and dude-friendly) spread of festive food.

Here are just a few things I served. I’ll share a couple of the step-by-steps next week!

Quick and easy way to make regular ol’ cheese and crackers look extra special: arrange them on a tiered platter!

Beef, glorious beef…along with stuff for mini sandwiches.

The stuff that dreams are made of.

These were super fun and festive…

And these. Holy moly, you won’t believe the deliciousness. I call these Skewers of Glory and they’re in my new cookbook.

And these were a total cinch: cherry tomatoes, chunks of fresh mozzarella, and cooked spinach tortellini. Then I made a pesto dressing and spooned it over the top. So fresh, cool, and flavorful!

There are other things, too: sausages, cheese dip, etc.

But oh, will you love this fudge. It took me ten minutes to make, and I couldn’t quit popping it in my mouth.

Hope you enjoy the show, guys! The food is really delicious, and really simple…which leaves more time for enjoying friends and family.

And that’s really what the holidays are all about.

Original article and pictures take 1.gravatar.com site

Food Allergy Book, You Can’t Always Tell

Food Allergy Book, You Can’t Always Tell

I received a food allergy book review request from Priyanka Talwar, the author of you can’t always tell.

you can’t always tell is about how a young boy with food allergies who explains to a new friend why he can’t eat the cupcakes that she made. This is an important topic that all children who have food allergies should be well rehearsed in doing, which makes this book such a great tool.

I like the book because it is straight and to the point, easy to read, and short enough that it doesn’t lose the readers interest. Let’s face it, we all know that little kids don’t have the longest attention span! I also like it because it touches on a subject that is important for kids with food allergies (and their friends) to learn, never assuming that a food is safe!

I would recommend this book for teachers to read to their classrooms at the beginning of the year as a good way to open up dialogue about food allergies in the classroom.

Food Allergy Book, You Can’t Always Tell

Order a copy of the book here.

Thank you again, Priyanka, for sending me a copy of this great children’s book. I’ll be donating it to our elementary school for the teachers to use in their classrooms to further educate our town’s children about keeping our kids with food allergies safe.

-Elizabeth

Original article and pictures take www.eblfoodallergies.com site

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Original article and pictures take cleaneatingmealplan.blogspot.com site