Clean Eating

Keto week 1-what does it mean to nourish

April 8, 2018 by Tanya 3 Comments

I have a new-ish and exciting chapter I would like to share with you.

But first let me say that I will still be sharing our DIY adventures, painted furniture re-do’s, before and after thrift store goodness and all the usual stuff too.

But, I am bringing in another part of my world that I have made some changes to and I am excited to share with you.

Eating not just to eat, but to nourish.

I have had seasons of my life where I am more intentional about the steps I take to prepare foods that nourish, and make time to take care of the matters of the spirit that leave us feeling filled up and healthy.

And seasons that I ate, and lived, but I slipped in my planning and choices, not putting my body and spirit first.

When that has happened I find myself tired, stressed, unable to sleep well, and my Fibromyalgia is coincidentally at it’s worst.

So as my pain level has steadily increased for months, I have struggled with energy and lack of sleep, and I have grown more frustrated I find myself turning back to a system that I have loved before, low-carb.

But this time I am utilizing more of a Keto approach. While I will be monitoring my total carb intake for the day closely, my desire is to incorporate easy to prepare meals and snacks that nourish not just feed.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clean Eating, Keto

How to make watermelon juice (jugo de sandia)

July 1, 2016 by Tanya 3 Comments

I don’t know about you, but when the watermelons begin to come into season I get giddy.

Especially when the first wave of semi-anemic looking melons have passed and the big, juicy watermelons we have waited for are ready to be brought home.

I live in the Pacific NW so many of our watermelons come from the Yakima Valley and Hermiston, OR.

We may not be growing any watermelons in our teeny garden this year, but I will share a few pictures of what we are growing.

Have you planted and grown fruits and vegetables with your kids? This is really our first year and they are loving it! They loved picking out the seeds, tilling up the soil, planting and even tending them (yes, the part that I thought would go to the wayside first) I think I am having more fun watching their excitement than if I were doing all the gardening myself!

I used to think I could not grow anything, and if someone gifted me a plant I thought to myself “I give this one three weeks.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clean Eating, DIY, Garden, Gluten Free Recipes, Recipes

Siracha + Sesame Zoodle Salad

January 11, 2016 by Tanya 2 Comments

I have to admit in all honesty that the sound and idea of making “noodles” with anything other than good old fashioned pasta (even gluten free pasta!) I was unsure about at first.

After receiving a vegetable slicer for Christmas, I knew that this would be my next low-carb, gluten free project.

And they are yummy.

I am a convert and I am not sure I will miss pasta now that I can sneak even more veggies into my own diet (yes, almost 45 years old and I have to trick myself to eat more of them.)

This is any easy recipe so I am not even going to use that fancy little recipe thing on the blog today (I am trying all kinds of new things!)

Here is what I used to make my Sesame + Siracha Zoodle Salad (this serves 2) [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clean Eating, Gluten Free Recipes, Low Carb Recipes

Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

December 6, 2014 by Tanya 14 Comments

Do you have a peanut butter lover in your life (it might be you!)

We love peanut butter at our house too.

I will plop down with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon and peruse Pinterest and work on posts
while enjoying a few spoonfuls. Ok maybe more than a few.

But I have to keep enough on hand for recipes too, like these super easy (NO BAKE) Chocolate
Peanut Butter Balls.

They are easy y’all.
And they are good.

I have more Homemade Gifts Ideas and Recipes coming all month long, but so far I think these
are my favorite! Here is how I made these easy No Bake Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Clean Eating, Food Gifts, Gifts From The Kitchen, Recipes

Banana Cream Pies | gluten + dairy free almond milk recipe

July 2, 2014 by Tanya 5 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.

You have probably seen me share enough recipes by now to see that I follow a gluten free diet. And, for the past four months I have also reduced my carbohydrates as well, losing 32 pounds so far!!
I am always on the lookout for ideas, products and recipes that not only my family loves, but I can eat as well. That can be hard. It has taken me a few years, but I have gotten much better at creating my own recipes and using healthy ingredients. Changing the way I eat has had a huge impact on my family as well. My husband has lost 35 pounds, and we have dramatically reduced the amount of processed foods in our lives. So, having shared a little background with you, I am so excited to give you the scoop on some ingredients that rocked my Banana cream pie recipe. So many people have a sensitivity to dairy or more commonly to milk, I thought it would be fun to try something different that even a sensitive tummy can handle.

This is why we love to use almond milk in our recipes. I use it in my coffee, the kids love it & it’s a great source of protein too. So, I had the chance to work with #CollectiveBias & grab some #SilkAlmondBlends recently when I was at Safeway, see it’s right here in the dairy aisle.

We have enjoyed almond milk for a long time, but when it is combined with coconut, which we know is good for us, like Silk Almond Coconut blend or has additional fiber, like Silk Almond Protein + Fiber, that is even better. Almond milk has a more mild taste that other non-dairy milks, and I don’t have a problem with it thickening for a pudding or cream sauce, etc… We love to add it to our breakfast cereal, recipes, morning smoothies and late night cookie munching.

But today I am sharing a favorite recipe of mine, and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Here is what I used to create an allergy-friendly Banana Cream Pie recipe for our family:

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Baking, Clean Eating, Gluten Free Recipes, Recipes

Slow cooker pulled pork recipe gluten free + low carb

June 30, 2014 by Tanya 3 Comments

Cooking pork has mystified me for years.
Every time I prepared it, even following a recipe it never seemed to turn out very tender.
Before I realized that wheat and I had to break up (it was a 39 year relationship so it wasn’t an easy one) I used to make
this and bring it camping, or serve all year long on big rolls with extra sauce.

Yum is right!

But, with wheat out of my life & realizing I needed to find some good celiac recipes, I altered many of my favorites to
fit my new diet. And since I have been on a low carb diet (30 pounds lost so far!) we roll this yummy pulled pork goodness
up like a lettuce wrap.

It’s easy, economical, tastes wonderful, travels well & can be made ahead.
Need I say more? I love it just in case I had not expressed it enough yet.
Ok, let’s git you some k?

Here is what I use to make my favorite pulled pork in the whole, big, entire world:

Low Carb Lasagna

June 8, 2014 by Tanya 10 Comments

Lasagna is one of my all time favorite recipes. Have you found yourself avoiding making lasagna because

it dirties too many pans or dishes, and seems to take too long? Me too. Then I had to take gluten out of

my life to feel better, but missed some of my favorite foods so much.

Using zucchini or other vegetables can replace the noodles in your recipe, reduce the carbohydrates, increase

the nutritional value and save time too. And if there is a shortcut, I gotta find it because I like to cook, but I

LOVE to eat.

Ok, let’s make a Low Carb Lasagna, or two since there may not be any leftovers… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Clean Eating, Gluten Free Recipes, Low Carb Recipes, Recipes, Weight Loss

Easy Pineapple Sorbet Recipe

May 27, 2014 by Tanya 7 Comments

We are ice cream people. Like run to the store just for ice cream type of folks.
I haven’t been eating much the past few months, but I was curious how hard sorbet
might be to make at home. I like the fact that I can use quite a few different types of
fruits, and only three ingredients is hard to beat!

I put this together this morning, and by mid afternoon my hungry crew was ready
for their afternoon snack. I love fruit any time, but especially in the summer and
for desserts. There is something so perfect about a little cup of sorbet to round
out a meal or just because (my personal favorite!)

This is a super easy recipe, you won’t have to worry about making any mistakes on
this one, and if you have a blender and freezer you are in business. Here is what I
used to make my Pineapple Sorbet…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clean Eating, Gluten Free Recipes, Recipes

Low Carb Protein Bar Recipe

May 6, 2014 by Tanya 6 Comments

After spending many years gaining and losing weight, and being continually frustrated with my
long term results I had to have a serious get real moment with me. As I researched, read, and
paid special attention to how I react to food (and my blood-work indicating Type II Diabetes)
it was time to take a good look at the food I was eating. Adhering to a low carb diet has made
a huge difference in my energy levels, sleep, brain fog, Fibroymyalgia symptoms, I can go
on and on. Oh, I have lost 22 pounds too. So basically eating this way has been life changing,
and I am excited to share my low carb recipes and ideas with you.

If you have ever bought Atkins bars, low carb meal or low carb snack bars, you know that they can
be expensive. While I still buy them (and love them!) I like to have an alternative for when I
am at home and don’t need to have a bar that is wrapped. Plus it’s kind of fun to make my own
homemade low carb bars and see what I come up with!

Here is a recipe I have been working on recently, and this last batch turned out exactly as I
was hoping. If you make the recipe in a 8″ x 8″ pan and cut them into 16 squares, each serving
packs just over 20 grams of protein and about 5.6 net carbs. And they taste like a caramel
brownie so I love them. I hope you do too.

Pumpkin Hummus Recipe

May 2, 2014 by Tanya 3 Comments

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Libby’s for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Do you love pumpkin?

Me too!!
We enjoy pumpkin recipes all year long, not just in the Fall.
Today I am sharing a fun and easy hummus recipe just in time for outdoor entertaining and BBQ season.

I found this recipe a while ago, and have tweaked it a bit over time. Making your own
hummus is super easy and the addition of pumpkin gives it a great flavor without
changing the hummus taste we are used to!
Did you know that pumpkin is a good source of Vitamin A, fiber & can be stirred in
and added to many of your favorite recipes to reduce fat and sodium?

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Clean Eating, Recipes, Uncategorized