Real Food, Real Healthy!

Author Archives: Tara Canlett

Natural Cleaners Made Easy

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Using natural cleaners is good for many reasons. The typical cleaners you find in the store contain many chemicals in them that are toxic and unhealthy to breathe or touch. They have been linked to allergies in children and adults, and they aren’t good for those of us with Fibromyalgia! The following cleaners contain only natural ingredients and are safe to breathe in. You don’t have to worry about your kids being around them so you don’t have to triple lock them up somewhere. They are good for the environment, and cost-friendly! Besides all of those benefits, they get the job done. The first 6 are basic cleaners I keep on hand and use frequently.
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  1. Glass Cleaner:
    In a spray bottle,1 part vinegar, 1 part water.
  2. Furniture Polish:
    In a spray bottle,1 part vinegar, 1 part lemon juice.
  3. Liquid Dish Soap or Hand Soap:
    1 part Castile soap, 1 part water.
  4. Toilet Cleaner:
    1 part baking soda, 1 part lemon juice.
    Let sit for 5 minutes and then scrub.
  5. Tub/Tile Cleaner:
    Just use Borax, or same mix for toilet cleaner.
  6. Bathroom Sink/Counter Tops:
    Baking soda and water or lemon juice, equal parts.
  7. Floor Cleaner:
    2 or 3 tablespoons (TB) of Castile soap in a bucket of water.
  8. Natural Febreeze:
    1 TB baking soda, 2 cups distilled water,10 drops of your favorite essential oil.
    In a bowl, add baking soda and then the essential oil on top. Using a fork, mix the oil into the baking soda. Put the mixture into a spray bottle and top off with water. Shake before use.
  9. Carpet Stain Cleaner:
    Soak Hydrogen Peroxide on the spot and let sit for 5 minutes. Blot and scrub with a damp cloth. Repeat as necessary.
  10. Mold Killer:
    In a spray bottle,2 tsp tea tree oil & 2 cups of water or straight vinegar.
    Spray mixture and let sit. Do not rinse.
  11. Bleach Alternative:
    12 cups water, ¼ cup lemon juice, 1 cup hydrogen peroxide.
    Mix, then add 2 cups per wash load or use in a spray bottle as a household cleaner.

5 Quick and Healthy Breakfasts for Busy Mornings on-the-go!

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*I serve fruit with every breakfast.

  1. Hard Boiled Eggs – You can make these the night before or just always have some handy in the fridge and the kids can just grab one. Fill small pot with water, ¾ full. Boil, turn down the heat to medium. Gently place the egg in the pan (I use a soup ladle) and cook for 12 min. Remove from heat and drain the water out. Add cold water and ice to cool the egg down before peeling.
  2. Oatmeal – This can be made the night before so you can just warm it up in the morning or it is pretty quick and easy to make the morning of. I buy the 100% whole grain quick oats and follow the directions on the container. Then I add 100% pure maple syrup and cinnamon. You can add other things like fruit, honey, vanilla. Tip: Use milk instead of water.
  3. Yogurt Parfait – Just add fruit/granola to their favorite yogurt. Organic preferred or as natural as possible. I know there aren’t a lot of good options out there.
  4. Leftover Pancakes – I make pancakes on the weekend sometimes and there’s usually leftovers. Then I can serve some to the kids during the week! Just warm up 1 or 2, with real butter and 100% pure maple syrup or organic jam. Pancake recipe (cut the amount of sugar in half and use organic): http://allrecipes.com/recipe/good-old-fashioned-pancakes/detail.aspx. Or this one is great for pumpkin pancakes. I use half the amount of sugar and coconut oil instead of vegetable oil: http://saymmm.com/recipe/pumpkin-spice-pancakes371. And zucchini pancakes: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/07/zucchini-bread-pancakes/.
  5. Cereal – Now there are organic cereals out there but you really have to read labels, or you can just use granola. For homemade granola, 100 Days of Real Food has a good recipe: http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/04/04/recipe-granola-bars-cereal/. I found some good granola at our local food co-op. Just add milk in a bowl and serve.

Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Pot Pie

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This is the perfect dish when you have leftover chicken (or turkey) to use. It is so yummy! I used the pie crust recipe from 100 Days of Real Food, except I cut the amount of salt in half.

chk pot pie 1chk pot pie 2

The Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup melted butter (unsalted), 2 TB milk.
Mix all ingredients in a 1 1/2 QT baking dish and form a dough. Shape the crust by thinning out with your fingers/hands into the baking dish. Push up the dish and peel off some of the edges to use later as a “hat” on top of the pot pie.

The Filling:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 white onion (diced), 1/4 cup flour, 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock, 1 cup broccoli, 1-2 cups cooked chicken (cut into small pieces), 1 cup cut carrots, 1/2 cup cut celery, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, salt & pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 2 TB parsley flakes.
If you don’t have the chicken cooked already, start that first. Melt butter in medium pot over medium heat. Add diced onions, celery and carrots. Cook until soft, about 4 min. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Let the paste cook for a minute or 2 to cook out the flour taste. Then slowly whisk in the chicken or vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer to make a light gravy. Add the cooked chicken, broccoli, cheese and seasonings. Mix thoroughly, then pour into the dish with the crust. Form the remaining dough into a flat circle for the top of the pot pie. Make a couple slits in the center and bake at 375 for about 25 min. Let cool for 5 min before serving.

Homemade Mac ‘n Cheese

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Most boxed mac ‘n cheese you find in the store contains yellow artificial dye. Click the following link for more information on food dyes: Food Babe’s info on Food Dyes. It is so easy to just make your own! I do buy the Annie’s boxed mac ‘n cheese sometimes but the consistency never seems right. This was a winner with our family and I hope you enjoy it too.

mac 'n cheese

Recipe:
Boil about 6 cups of water, then add 1 cup of macaroni noodles and cook at medium/medium high for about 10 min. Stir occasionally. Drain the noodles and return to the pan. Add 2 TB of butter, 2 TB of milk and about 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly. I add garlic salt and pepper, with parsley for a garnish.

Turkey Chili

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With the abundance of turkey after Thanksgiving, this is a good recipe to use that everyone will love.

turkey chili

Ingredients:
1 lb. hamburger
leftover turkey meat
Black beans (1 can or small bag, soaked the night before)
1 can fire roasted tomatoes (or use any diced tomatoes, from canning or fresh)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell peppers
2 cloves minced garlic
chili seasoning – 1/4 tsp sugar (optional), 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 cup chili powder.

Directions:
Brown the hamburger, add chili seasoning and turkey meat and mix thoroughly. Add black beans and tomatoes to the crockpot (do not drain), then add onion, bell peppers and garlic. Add the hamburger/turkey mixture to the crockpot and stir. Depending on the crockpot and what time you are putting this together, you can put it on high for the rest of the day or set to medium. Stir occasionally.

Serve with cornbread and enjoy!

First steps

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When you first switch over to eating organic, it can be very overwhelming. I would first start out trying to buy all the same kinds of foods you bought before, just a healthier version. You can find Fruity O’s that are like Fruit Loops but they use fruit/vegetable extracts for the color instead of dyes. And many other cereals like the ones we have always bought. You can find Newman’s O’s that are just like Oreos. Taste the same to me! Annie’s bunny crackers, instead of goldfish crackers. I buy fruit strips instead of fruit snacks and the kids love them. Just check out the organic section sometime and I think you will be pleasantly surprised. :) ~Tara

Natural Supplement

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Protandim is a natural supplement that has been known to help those with a chronic illness/autoimmune disease like Fibromyalgia. It consists of 5 natural ingredients: Turmeric extract, Green Tea extract, Ashwagandha, Bacopa extract, and Milk Thistle extract. This supplement helped me wean off one of the strongest antidepressants and feel like myself again. For more information on Protandim, go to www.mylifevantage.com/TaraAnne. ~Tara

Sticking with your exercise

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Here are some more tips for starting and staying with a good exercise program:

Months ago, I started with just playing at the park with my kids. It killed me physically. I couldn’t how difficult it was! I slowly saw myself improving and with eating heathy, drinking a TON of water, coconut water and Aloe juice, green tea as my special treats for over all health, the sun is shining finally in our Seattle Area, Life just feels better and I can do so much more! I ran for the first time in over a year, last Thursday. It made me feel so good. Please set a goal- work for it. You can do it!!! — Jeanette 

Start slowly. Many people with fibromyalgia have been inactive for a long time because of fatigue and pain and should not start a vigorous exercise program. Overexerting yourself may make your symptoms worse.
If 3 to 5 minutes of activity are all you can manage at first, just do that.
When you’re ready, try to exercise a little longer at a time. Increase slowly until you can exercise for 10 minutes at a time.
Build up your exercise program bit by bit, and aim for at least 2½ hours a week of moderate exercise.2 It’s fine to be active in blocks of 10 minutes or more throughout your day and week.
Stretch before and after you exercise. This may improve flexibility, maintain good posture, and prevent injury. Stretch slowly and gently. Do not bounce, but keep a gentle pull on the muscle.

A daily journal can also help you keep track of your symptoms as well as factors that may aggravate them. By making a record of these factors, you can create a clearer picture for yourself of just what triggers your fibromyalgia symptoms thereby helping you to avoid symptom flare-ups when possible. Maintaining a journal of your daily activities can help you manage many of your fibromyalgia symptoms. If you’re having troubles with fibrofog, writing down all your appointments and up-coming events will make it easier to remember those important dates.