Health

Freedom From Fear

Published on: by catballou24 3 Comments

There are things we tell ourselves.   That we are not good enough.  That we are not strong enough.   We are not pretty enough.   We just don’t have what it takes.   We all know those voices.  They creep in at some point in our lives and change who we are depending on how long they stick around.   Sometimes right down to our very DNA until those thoughts and voices are just part of us, like a limb.  

For some of us, those can be a lifetime of inner doubts and ridicule.   They lead us down dark alleys, both figuratively and literally at times.  We make choices based on fear or apathy for our own selves.   And that fear can sometimes tell us it’s someone else’s fault, so we start developing resentments and sometimes fall into victim thinking.   It is too much for us to be responsible for, too overwhelming.   Some of us are silent in this and some of us will tell anyone who will listen.   It becomes a security blanket or shield.  It’s something we know and so to just push it away can be even scarier than staying in the muck and dis-ease of our thoughts.  

“What if we let it go and try to heal and things just get worse?   How much more can I take?  I think I will just stay here and guard my sadness.  I will just pretend to smile and people will like me.   I will say yes, all the time so no one gets mad at me.   I can keep all these balls in the air.   Until one drops.   Then look at me, I knew I would fail.  How can I hide my shame and guilt and fear?   I will retreat.   Lick my wounds and pretend it didn’t happen.   I will clutch my blanket tighter.  Smile, they won’t notice if you keep smiling.”  It’s exhausting.   

Sometimes, especially for a lot of women, our weaknesses are taken advantage of.   These awful moments can plunge us further into the darkness.     The voices tell us we deserved it.  We just are not good enough.   And we learn to cope, sometimes with unhealthy lifestyle choices whether it be alcohol, food, drugs, shopping, etc.  Sometimes we just cling onto other wounded souls and try to glean some comfort.  Unfortunately, their own dis-ease prohibits them from comforting us for too long.  And the cycle continues.   Resentment, fear, self doubt.  You get the picture.  It gets ugly.  

This is reality for so many in this world.   This was my reality for years and years, most of my life really.  My fear was my security and I clung to it like a drowning person clutching a rock.   Facing all of it has been incredibly scary.   There have been times I was sure I wasn’t able to breath.   But breath I did, and the most wonderful things started happening.  It’s been incredibly freeing.   I don’t have to be that victim.   I don’t have to make choices based on my own fear anymore.  I can actually be happy and mean it!  What?!

A little over 4 years ago I wasn’t sure this was possible for me.   I didn’t know that I could step into the light.   But then I found my community.   Like a scared animal, I slowly crept out of my cave and into the arms of these souls who did not coddle me, but who instead have guided me to seeing a brighter day.  

They answer the phone when I call and they listen, and then they help me take action.   They don’t tease me or make me feel small.  Their love and experience lifts me up when I am feeling weak and make my own light shine even brighter when I am feeling strong.   They know who they are.   They are men and women who have made different choices.  Healthier choices.   They guide me and help me guide others.  They help me find my faith, find my trust and find God.   And they allow me to fall down sometimes, without judgement, hands outstretched to help me back up again.   They teach me to be of service.   And we laugh, great joyful belly laughs.  Have you ever done that??   Just laughed until you cried and then just kept laughing some more??   It is so wonderful!  

And I found these friends both in my daily life and in my business life.  The two have melted into one and it’s truly a gift.   All these souls filling my heart with love and light and the beauty of God.  I never knew.   ❤️ 

So now, I can fall down.   And yes it sometimes hurts.  And yes, there are moments I don’t feel like standing back up.  And every so often those voices try to whisper.   But I have a better security blanket now.   Something much stronger and more real than I could imagine.   And I have a community to help me when I struggle.   And most importantly, I have God so am never truly alone.   

“Fear is only an illusion. It is the illusion that creates the feeling of separateness – the false sense of isolation that exists only in our imagination.”  Jeraldine Saunders 

Waking Up In Winter

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

So tomorrow we have a cold front moving in.   Here in Austin, we are just finishing with our real feel 100+ degree weather and most everyone is excited about the front.  Everyone will break out their flannels and jeans and boots, and I will be one of them.   The cold front will last 3 or 4 days before the temperature hikes back up to high 70’s/mid 80’s.  

We laugh about “sweater weather” here.   Our Arctic blast.  Most love the colder temps until they drop too far.  Too far for here is around 55 degrees.   After a few weeks of this, most seem to begin longing for the warmer days.  Many winters, we only get a handful of these colder temps.  It’s rare to have full on freezes and when it snows everyone loses their shit.   It’s exciting and frightening all at once.  Mind you, it rarely sticks and is usually only a few flakes mixed with rain and sleet.   But still, it is such a break in our common weather cycle that everyone decides they must shut down the city.  You East coasters must roll your eyes at us southerners.   By mid January, most here are ready for Spring.   

I have a confession to make.  I hate warm weather.   I cringe when I see even mid 70’s in the forecast.  I secretly pray every year that the 4 day cold front will miraculously turn into a full on blizzard.  I scout the internet for pictures like the one below and daydream about that being my space.   I long to sit at a coffee shop with a hot drink watching the cold through the window.   And there must be a fireplace somewhere in that scenario.  

Dark, cloudy, days make me happy — especially if it happens to be raining or snowing.   On a cloudy day there is beauty in the various colours and shapes of the clouds: white, light grey, dark grey, black. The clouds may be moving fast or slow, forever changing. There is a cool, refreshing breeze or a chilling bite in the air. And who doesn’t enjoy the beauty of falling snow or the fresh scent of the cool rain coming down. There is a sense of excitement when watching the weather forecast.  Something exciting is happening or about to happen.  Especially here in Central Texas.  Will an Arctic blast actually create a winter wonderland for us this year?   I have only seen it once in the 12 years I have lived here, and it only lasted a couple days.   Not long enough in my book!

Before anyone starts jumping to any conclusions, let me clarify. I am not sad or depressed in warm weather.  At least not excessively so.  I just withdraw more.   I am less excited about leaving the air conditioned space within my home, and I keep the window unit next to my bed at the lowest possible temperature.  Poor husband bravely freezes every night so I don’t overheat.  So am I weird? Possibly, but I don’t think so. 

Even though the numbers are low, I am not alone in liking grey skies, cold weather and thunderstorms.  Most people believe that seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is only triggered by winters or sunless, rainy days due to the lack of sunlight, but in some rare cases, people feel depressed on sunny days and cloudy, dull skies make them happy. The condition is known as reverse SAD.   About 10% of all SAD sufferers experience it in reverse.   I think I have a mild case to be honest.  

For me, when the cold temperatures hit I actually start feeling more alive.   My brain seems to wake up and ideas begin to flow again.  New York University’s professor Adam Alter said, “Sunshine dulls the mind to risk and thoughtfulness.” A research study conducted by social psychologists in Australia concluded that good weather could hinder our cognitive functions.  On cold cloudy days, our minds are less distracted and drawn inward to think more deeply, hence increasing our focus on the task at hand or the idea in our head. 

Spiritually I grow the most in the winter season.  My husband, who is the opposite of me in all this I will add, just spent some time in Aspen with some good friends.  One of them explained how she NEEDS the harsh winter weather to grow spiritually.   It isn’t a choice for her.  I completely understand, hence my fantasies of living in Sweden, bundled up by the fire.  I honestly pray that one year I will get to live out a winter season in a part of the world that actually has winter.  There is always the possibility of me hating it once I am in the thick of it.   But something inside me doesn’t believe that.   This is probably the number one reason why my husband isn’t likely to agree to it,  I imagine he is afraid I will never want to leave.  

My season is coming, tomorrow will be just a tease but I will take it.  My brain is stretching awake and my soul is opening up to all the possibilities of growth.  Will I get my blizzard this year?   I suppose anything is possible.  What season wakes you up to all your potential?   

Switching To Plant Based Eating

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

Today is Day 2 of my journey into plant based eating and so far so good.  I was a bit worried about my love for cheese breaking me down and having me running back to dairy, however a friend told me about cashew cheese so I headed over to Whole Foods yesterday and found some sliced.  I put it on my open faced avocado sandwich today and let me tell you, YUM!  This definitely is what I was hoping it would be.  I didn’t feel deprived at all!  If anything I filled up and am quite a happy camper with my lunch.

My sandwich consisted of:

2 slices toasted Ezekial bread

a dab of Earth Balance vegan butter on each half (making hummus for next time)

a slice of Cashew cheese on each half

handful of baby spinach

half an avocado divided

 

The smoothie was:

about 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries

dash of coconut water

Almond milk

scoop of plant based protein powder that includes powdered greens

 

I have my supplements from Young Living and am still drinking coffee.  I use Almond milk instead of nonfat cow milk.  Still just as good!  I have talked about this for far too long and now that I am actually diving in I am thrilled.  We never eat terrible, however I am not getting any younger and can feel the effects of my love for bread and cheese a bit too much these days.  I would like the second half of my life to be the best yet in regards to my health, so here we go!  I plan on being here for a very long time my friends!

A very good friend who is actually the catalyst to all this, is having an amazing 2 week plant based group starting on September 1 for anyone who is interested.  It will be 2 weeks of plant based eating to see if it’s something you want to continue, and she will have tons of information and education on nutrition and what really does a body good!  It’s a Facebook group so anyone from anywhere can join.  It’s called  Inside Out: Healing Our Body with Plants.

Click on the title to join!  I am so looking forward to learning more and cooking some yummy vegan deliciousness!  Want to come along on this journey?

 

~ Cat

Getting A Good Night’s Sleep

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

Every living creature needs to sleep. It is the primary activity of the brain during early development. By the age of two, most children have spent more time asleep than awake and overall, a child will spend 40 percent of his or her childhood asleep. Sleep is especially important for children as it directly impacts mental and physical development. It keeps them healthy in both mind, spirit and body.

Sleep is just as important as nutrition and exercise. It’s when the body repackages neurotransmitters, chemicals that enable brain cells to communicate. And experts have recently been able to demonstrate that sleep allows brain cells to “take out the trash” each night, flushing out disease-causing toxins. How cool is that?!

In our home to help promote a good night’s sleep, we diffuse these 4 oils together regularly. My kids call it the “sleeping gas” and are not always happy when they see me filling the diffusers because they know they won’t be able to fight it for very long. LOL!

The 4 EO’s we use are: 4 drops each of Valor, Peace and Calming, Lavender and Cedarwood.

Valor’s smell is very soothing and calming and may be especially calming and comforting to young children after an overactive and stressful day.

Peace & Calming® is a gentle, fragrant blend. When diffused, it helps calm and uplift the spirit, promoting relaxation and a deep sense of peace. You will find that children are also very drawn to this oil. I believe it’s the orange and tangerine oils combined. Do you remember as a child loving anything with orange in it? I do – orange juice, soda, candy, sherbet!

The benefits of Lavender oil include relaxation, easing stress and more. It is a gentle oil so can be used on children and even animals (our dogs and cats sleep well when the sleeping gas comes on I might add).

Cedarwood Essential Oil has an earthy aroma that is soothing and grounding. It is a well documented oil, used by the Sumerians, Egyptians and Tibetans. And is mentioned over 40 times in the Bible. Cedarwood oil contains the highest amount of sesquiterpenes which are a hydrocarbon group that is found in essential oils. They stimulate the limbic system of the brain which helps to elevate our mood and helps us relax (overcome stress). This explains why Cedarwood is relaxing and may help with focus.

This is the sleeping gas mixture we discovered when our journey started with Young Living. It has continued to work so we continue to use it. We can tell a difference now when we forget to fill the diffusers at night or are out of one of the oils…yikes! Using this blend the kids sleep better and so do us grown ups!

Essential Oils and Emotions

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

Hello friends! I want to talk about EO’s and emotions, specifically negative emotions that can get stuck.

We all have things we have gone through, areas in our lives we have had to look at in order to move forward in business and in life. Emotions are big in all aspects of our lives and can make or break our day in a heartbeat. We carry the burden of this emotional baggage around sometimes for years! And my friends, it’s damaging your body as well as your mind and spirit.

I want to identify 10 of the most commonly suck emotions that we have all felt at some time or another:
1. Anxiety
2. Disgusted
3. Grief-stricken
4. Criticized
5. Unsupported
6. Unsafe
7. Overwhelmed
8. Worthless
9. Helpless
10. Conflicted

I am sure you can look back and check off events in your life where you felt each one of these emotions, sometimes together! Our society tells us we must act a certain way, don’t rock the boat, so many times our fear forces us to stuff these emotions down. We will deal with them later, is a common thought. We see ourselves as making much ado about nothing. How many times have you told yourself it is “ridiculous to get upset over this!” or “not worth upsetting dad” to bring up. Those types of situations cause you to be at risk for trapping emotions. Emotions want a “voice” and if they are not acknowledged, they won’t go away. But carrying around this excess emotional weight can have consequences to our health.

Negative emotional energy can not only keep us up at night, but it can make us really sick. Everything has a frequency, including our bodies. When we are working with less than optimum frequency levels we tend to start feeling worn out, achy, we get sick.

Disease loves a low frequency body! And unless we truly release these stuck emotions we will find ourselves operating less than optimum in all areas of our lives. Oils are a great place to help push the process along as we work on releasing these emotions. There are several amazing oils that can be diffused or worn that help us cope better. The other part of using our oils is they help us take the steps we need to shed these emotional overloads and finally unpack some of that emotional suitcase we lug around. They may help us feel better about asking for help, eating better, etc..

Releasing these stuck emotions can be a daunting task, but once we start looking at them for what they are we can learn to let them go. Life becomes easier and things tend to fall into place faster once we are no longer slaves to whatever stuck emotion we may have.

Instead of backing away from negative emotions, accept them. Acknowledge how you are feeling without rushing to change your emotional state. Many people find it helpful to breathe slowly and deeply while learning to tolerate strong feelings or to imagine the feelings as floating clouds, as a reminder that they will pass. I wear Valor for these moments. I put a drop on my diffuser bracelet and when I need that breath I can use my Valor to help my mind work through the situation.

There are many different oils that can help. Some of these are:
Valor
Peace and Calming
Bergamot
Orange

You may also try doing mindfulness exercises to help you become aware of your present experience without passing judgment on it. Using Present Time oil during this practice can have amazing effects at keeping you grounded in the moment. While diffusing your oil, one way to train yourself to adopt this state is to focus on your breathing while meditating and simply acknowledge any fleeting thoughts or feelings.

There are many healthy ways to work through emotions and feelings on our personal growth path. We are in the perfect position to utilize tools such as oils to help with this. So diffusing while working through things is one of the best things you can do on your path to accepting and releasing negative emotions, and then they can be viewed as a huge growth spurt rather than something to fear.

Some other oils to consider trying:
Release
Clarity
Inner Child
Frankincense
Peppermint

And don’t forget about raising that frequency! Some oils that can help with that are:

Idaho Blue Spruce (one of the highest frequencies!)
Rose
Helichrysum
Ravensara

Put a drop on top of your head every morning, use in linen sprays and spray your pillow before bed, diffuse…just some ideas on how you can use these to raise your frequency.

 

Here’s to getting unstuck and unpacking some of that baggage!

Tips On How You Can Help

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

Diverse volunteers sorting food into cardboard boxes for charity

Did you know September is Hunger Action Month?

According to a 2014 study by Feeding America, 46.5 million Americans utilize a food bank.

Lisa Tomasi, Philanthropy Expert and Founder of e-giving site YouGiveGoods, stresses that while many may feel that a small effort isn’t enough to make a change, every little bit helps someone who is facing hunger. Lisa has provided her insight for those who want to band together and help a good cause.

Tips to Fight Back During Hunger Action Month:

  1. Advocate. Use your voice to spread the word about hunger in your community. Social media has made this quite easy to do. Alert your online community that we are in the midst of Hunger Action Month and about the plight of the hungry in their own backyards. Share quotes and statistics about hunger and ask them to support their local hunger relief organization.
  2. Volunteer. Most food banks, pantries and soup kitchens rely on volunteers to make their operations work. Volunteers can sort donations, stock shelves and help with distribution. Volunteers can also frequently help from home in the form of virtual volunteering. Contact your local hunger relief organization to see if you can utilize your specific skills to help them with business operations like accounting, marketing, website and administration.
  3. Run a food drive. You can really increase your impact by organizing your own food drive. Food drives run in conjunction with your company, school, church or group tend to have the best results. And, always add an online component to your traditional drive (or run your online drive alone). Use YouGiveGoods.com to run an online drive for your local food pantry. The online drive service is free to use, easy to share on social media, and simple for supporters to shop online for brand-new most-needed food items which are shipped directly to the pantry at the close of the drive.
  4. Donate money. Hunger relief organizations need monetary donations to operate. Any size donation will be welcomed.
  5. Donate food. Don’t just walk by the donation bin at your school, store or company. Make a point to donate food whenever the opportunity arises.

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For more ways you can help, see Lisa’s site or contact your local Food Bank.  There is really no reason we should have a hunger problem here in America.

Pack It With Stonyfield and Justin’s For Back-to-School Lunches!

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

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Lunch time is easy when you have Stonyfield squeezers and Justin’s to go butters.  I know my kids are getting a great balance in nutrition, and they love the taste!    The Maple Almond Butter is hands down their favorite!  Easy to open pouches, I can throw these in with some crackers and they are thrilled.  Plus the Justin’s company is full of integrity!  Their values on sustainability, nutritionally sound, all natural products and giving back to the community fall right in line with our family values.   They have a variety of butters and snack items and can be found in your local grocery store.  I highly encourage you to try them and see how easy they are for kids on the go and how yummy they all taste!

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Adding Stonyfield Yogurt Squeezers to the bag makes their lunch even more special.  My youngest daughter loves the Lemonade flavor best.  We also freeze these for tasty after school treats!!  And Stonyfield is full of nothing but goodness for their bodies.  I know they are getting everything they need without all the junk they don’t!

Our newest addition to the back-to-school lunch routine is also our newest favorite!  The PackIt Lunch Cooler is so convenient and fun!  PackIt is the only bag that keeps food and drinks cool for up to 10 hours—no ice packs needed. Its secret sauce? A patented freezable gel that’s built into the walls of the bag.  It’s so simple to use, just throw store it in freezer and when it’s time to pack it, just open it and it’s ready to go!   Plus the patterns are fun and it comes in a huge variety of styles and colors!  We are definitely going to be picking up a couple more of these!  We got the Freezable Lunch Bag and it’s so simple to use.  Folds up neatly to the size of a thick paperback book. It secures with a handy Velcro tab for compact storage.  The entire bag goes in your freezer overnight (12 hours) to activate its built-in freezable gel. By morning, the walls of the bag will be completely frozen and ready to chill just like a fridge.  Everything stays cool and fresh all day!

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With our busy lives, it’s important to make the mornings go as smoothly as possible and these products certainly help!  Check out the PackIt systems here, and grab your Stonyfield and Justin’s products at your local grocery.  Your kids will thank you and your morning will run a bit smoother!!

**The opinions and thoughts contained in this post are 100% mine. I only ever work with companies I support and think you, my readers, will like. Please read my full review and endorsement policy here.

 

Biotta Beet Juice Review

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

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“The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.” Tom Robbins Jitterbug Perfume

The beetroot is the taproot portion of the beet plant, usually known in North America as the beet. It is one of several of the cultivated varieties of Beta vulgaris grown for their edible taproots and their leaves (called beet greens).

Although the leaves have been eaten since before written history, the beet root was generally used for medicinal purposes only until about 1800. The root adds flavor and sweetness to many dishes, and is often used as food coloring and dye. Many beet products are made from other Beta vulgaris varieties, particularly sugar beet.

Beets have therapeutic qualities as well and have been studied as an aid to lowering blood pressure.

A research review published in 2014 in Nitric Oxide, and a study published in 2015 in Hypertension, both showed that a diet including inorganic nitrates from beet juice can lower blood pressure; improve the ability to, and the duration of, exercise; boost oxygen delivery to the heart; and ehhance the general health of blood vessels.
(Everyday Health http://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/jared-bunch-rhythm-of-life/how-drinking-beetroot-juice-lowers-blood-pressure-and-relaxes-stiff-hearts/ )

Drinking a glass of beet juice may have an immediate impact on lowering blood pressure, according to a study.

The study shows that within hours of drinking it, beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by an average of 4-5 points among a small group of healthy men.
(WebMD http://www.m.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/news/20121212/beetroot-juice-blood-pressure )

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Biotta Beet Juice is USDA Organic, Vegan and Non-GMO verified and the main benefits can include boosted stamina, improved blood flow, and aids in the lowering of blood pressure.

We were given a bottle to try for ourselves and I can tell you it is yummy! So far we have used it in smoothies and everyone has enjoyed it! I highly recommend this brand of you want to add some good alternative medicine to your life! Your heart will thank you!

The opinions and thoughts contained in this post are 100% mine. I only ever work with companies I support and think you, my readers, will like. Please read my full review and endorsement policy here.

Stonyfield Goodness

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

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Hey all!  This month Stonyfield challenged the Yo Getters to come up with some recipes using Stonyfield Yogurt and Nativas Naturals products.  I received the Mulberry Berries and Hemp Seeds.  Both of these are super nutritious additions to any recipe.

Why do you want these in your pantry?  Read on…

Mulberry Berries

Mulberries are native to the Morus genus of trees and can be found in many parts of the world nowadays, but they originated in the Far East, traveling along the Silk Road from China to Turkey. Beyond their sweet and delicate flavor, mulberries are an excellent source of nutrients including iron, calcium, vitamin C, protein and fiber.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds provide a healthy dose of protein, omega fatty acids, fiber, antioxidants and minerals.

Hemp is a well-balanced vegetarian protein source that includes all of the essential amino acids. Not only is hemp one of the best veggie sources of protein, it’s easy for the body to digest and assimilate. Hemp also features plenty of other nutrients including abundant fiber, chlorophyll, vitamins and omega-3 and -6 essential fatty acids.

The Recipes

I made the best dinner the other night using Stonyfield Yogurts and Navita Naturals products.  I love testing new recipes and decided instead of doing just one recipe with my yogurt, why not base an entire meal around it?

So for your enjoyment, here is what I made:

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Middle Eastern Inspired Chicken

I love Middle Eastern and Mediterranean style food.  The spices and freshness are so appealing and healthy.  For this dish, the spices and yogurt were a perfect match.

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
2 lbs boneless skinless chicken

DIRECTIONS

Mix the yogurt with the seasonings and place in a plastic bag with the chicken.

Marinate for 2 hours to overnight.

Pound chicken in the bag with the marinade to 1/2 thick and grill, saute, skewer or bake until lightly browned and cooked through.

Serve with rice or pasta and salad and enjoy!

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Greek Inspired Salad

For the salad I chopped up Romaine lettuce and added heirloom cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, goat cheese crumbles, chopped cucumbers and topped it with Navitas Naturals Mulberry Berries and Hemp Seeds.  Super simple!  The dressing is a yogurt dressing I made and oh my gosh, Stonyfield organic yogurt is perfect for this.  All the flavor of Ranch without all the bad for you fat and extra ingredients!  This didn’t last the night.

Lemon-Dill Yogurt Dressing

1 cup while milk Stonyfield plain yogurt, drained for 1 hour in a strainer (save the whey that drips out for smoothies!)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

After yogurt has drained and thickened, combine everything into a bowl and refrigerate for an hour.  Great with salads or as a dip!!

And to top off the meal, a dessert using my yogurt and toppings!  These also didn’t hang out for long.

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French Yogurt Cupcakes

Nonstick canola oil spray
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup raw sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup plain whole-milk Stonyfield yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Navitas Naturals Mulberry Berries and Hemp Seeds.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat cupcake pan with canola oil spray or paper liners.

Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.

Using your fingers, rub raw sugar with lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Sprinkle help seeds and mulberries on top if desired. Bake until top of cakecakes are golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely.  Can top with homemade whipped cream if desired.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

So there you have it!  My Stonyfield based meal!  You can find Stonyfield products at most grocery stores.  The yogurt is perfect to use in recipes subbing out higher fat ingredients…we use it everyday!  Hope you enjoy and let me know what you have made with your Stonyfield products!

The opinions and thoughts contained in this post are 100% mine. I only ever work with companies I support and think you, my readers, will like. Please read my full review and endorsement policy here.

Ice Chips Review!

Published on: by catballou24 Comment

I recently received an assortment of Ice Chips from Bev and Charlotte to review and am thrilled with them!  What a great way to get the benefits of Xylitol in a sweet treat that I feel good giving to my girls.  Love them!

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Who are the Ice Chips Grandmas?

Bev Vines-Haines and Charlotte Clary have known each other since 1986.  They met in Washington state and bonded over their shared entrepreneurial spirits and love of all natural products.  Over the years they had many ideas they put into place, including all natural herbal salves and lotions.

In the fall of 2009, they were looking for a way to make Xylitol candy. They knew Xylitol was great for teeth and diabetics could enjoy it.  They wanted to create a good for you treat.  They had tried ordering a few different kinds but could not find one with the zing and the burst of flavors they wanted.  They are both grandmas and between them they have 37 grandchildren. They wanted a healthy candy that would taste good enough so that their grandchildren would gobble it the same way they gobbled sugar. Thus, Ice Chips Candy® was born.

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What is Xylitol?

Xylitol is a polyol, a sugar alcohol. It is all natural, safe for diabetics and has many health benefits.

Mostly, it is made from birch bark or corn. Ice Chips Candy uses only the birch bark Xylitol in order to avoid any chance of using Genetically Modified Corn (GMO).

What are some of the benefits of Xylitol?

  • Strengthens teeth
  • Reduces new tooth decay
  • Reduces cavity-causing bacteria
  • Inhibits growth of dental plaque
  • Stimulates saliva flow
  • Does NOT impact insulin levels
  • Contains zero net effective carbs
  • Delicious and satisfying
  • The FDA has approved xylitol as a Natural Sweetener
  • Xylitol is a natural sweetener found in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables
  • Xylitol is found in small amounts in the human body
  • One teaspoon of xylitol contains 40% less calories than sugar
  • Savoring ICE CHIPS Candy 3 to 5 times a day delivers maximum benefits
  • Use ICE CHIPS Candy immediately after meals or snacks
  • Recent studies have found a link between consuming Xylitol during pregnancy and stronger teeth in infants

BerryMixsm

I have to say, these little tins won’t be lasting long in our house!  The kids love them and I know they are getting some great benefits!  The Root Beer Float is my girls favorite!  I love the Peppermint.  But they all taste fantastic!

You can find Ice Chips at most Whole Foods and other health food stores.  Or you can order directly from the Grandmas!!

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