Leprechaun Muffins.... shhhhh, it's spinach!

 

Sneaky little leprechauns putting spinach in the muffins!! 😉

Sharing this recipe again because it is perfect for one of my fave holidays... St. Patrick's Day!!

Kid friendly, naturally GREEN, and full of good stuff, with none of the bad!

Leprechaun Muffins aka Green Hulk Muffins

2 C Gluten Free All Purpose Flour (Sarah's Blend)

¾ cup coconut sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

¼ cup coconut oil

¾ cup coconut milk

1 (6 ounce) bag fresh baby spinach

½ cup mashed banana (from about 1 to 2 bananas)

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin pans with paper liners or oil.  Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.  In a blender, place everything else and blend until completely puréed.  Pour puréed mixture into dry mixture and fold together with a rubber spatula until completely combined.  Fill muffin cups about ⅔ full and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Enjoy for a fun and healthy St. Patrick's day breakfast or snack!! 

Be tough enough to accept sometimes you aren't tough at all...

 

They say destroy what destroys you...

But what if what destroys you is yourself?

It is then, more than ever, that you have to find the balance between soft and hard.

 

Develop body awareness, but don't just hear what it's telling you...LISTEN! Move when and how you need to move, breathe when you need to breathe, eat what and when you need eat, cry when you need to cry, and by all means... rest when you need to rest. 

Be tough enough to accept that sometimes you aren't tough at all.  

Because fighting with yourself isn't going to get you anywhere except more exhausted, frustrated, and discouraged.  Who needs that? 

Be on your own team, always! 

Breathing and sleeping easy diffuser blend

 

Because... #preschoolteacherlife 🤧😷 😴 

You teach 'em to share, but there's some things you don't want shared.  They do a great job covering their little sneezes and coughs for the most part, but... we all know that doesn't always work.

AND this is how teachers build bad ass immune systems!

BUT it is hard to sleep when you can't breathe! Try this!

#diffuserblend #breathe #chamomile #doterra #justbreathe #immunity #sleep #holistichealth #apennyformyglutenfreethoughts

Fat Tuesday Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya... gluten and dairy free

Happy Fat Tuesday y'all!!

I'm giving up alcohol for lent... for real!! How about you?? 

Even if you don't believe in that kind of thing, I think lent is a good chance for everyone to give up something that they know could be bringing them down a bit and see what happens.  Or make a commitment to add something that you know you need.  A great kickstart to forming some new kick ass habits or breaking some not so good ones.  Try it with me!

But before all that starts... celebrate Fat Tuesday with this Crock Pot Chicken Jambalaya!  It's not quite traditional, but it's just how I like it!  AND I've included my recipe for Cajun seasoning, which is good on practically anything! 

 

Fat Tuesday Crockpot Chicken Jambalaya 

1 lb chicken breast- cut into bite size pieces 

1 lb andouille sausage

1 onion, chopped

1 cup bell peppers, any color, chopped

3 stalks celery, sliced

5 cloves garlic, minced 

1  (14 1/2 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

1 or 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped, (optional) 

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 

1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce- make sure it's GF

Few shakes Hot sauce- I love Cholula

1 tbs. or more Cajun seasoning*

Sea Salt to taste 

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 bay leaves 

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups uncooked brown rice

First chop the veggies and then chop chicken and sausage.  Combine chicken, trinity (onions, celery, & peppers), rice, garlic, chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, jalapenos, and seasonings in 5 quart slow cooker. Mix well, cover,  and cook on low for 5 hours.  Stir well and add parsley, half of the green onions and hot sauce and cook on high for 30 to 40 more minutes. Discard bay leaves and garnish with remaining green onions before serving.

DIY Cajun Seasoning

2 1/2 T Paprika

1 1/2 T Sea Salt

2 T Garlic Powder

1 T Black Pepper

1 T Onion Powder

1 T Cayenne Pepper

1 T Dried Oregano

1 T Dried Thyme

1/2 t Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 t Celery Flakes

1/4 t Dill

Mix everything together and store in a cute little mason jar!

Seriously healthy banana protein pancakes... gluten and dairy free

Somedays you just eat whatever your tummy wants.

Today was one of those days for me... And I wanted pancakes.  But I also knew what I needed.  Luckily I could get both in my belly!

 

1 C oats- make sure they are certified gf

3 eggs

1/2 C almond milk

1 t pure vanilla

1 banana

2 T flax seed meal

2 scoops vanilla protein powder 

4 t baking powder

Pinch sea salt

Pinch cinnamon

Chocolate chips- kinda optional but kinda necessary 😉

Heat a griddle to medium.  Put everything in a blender (except chocolate chips) and blend until smooth.  Add a little more almond milk if the batter needs to be thinner.  Stir in any additions you love (chocolate chips, chopped nuts, chai seeds, blueberries...). Pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.  Let cook about 2-3 minutes, look for the edges to look a little dry.  Then carefully flip and cook the other side for 2-3 minutes. 

Bananas make these sweet enough without any added sugar.  Try not to ruin them by pouring a bunch of sugar syrup on top please and thank you!  I will judge you for the syrup, but I won't judge you for bacon!! Enjoy!! 😉🍌😂 🥓 

Being proud of your body doesn't have to have anything to do with appearances

 

My body image struggle is no secret.  I can't stop the bad thoughts, but I can change them and my own focus.

One of my favorite ideas to ponder...

 

When shit gets real I don't focus on what I look like, I focus on what I do.  

Instead of giving in to the ridiculous voice inside my head that tells me my biceps aren't strong enough one minute and then too strong the next, I focus on what those arms do for me.  The kids they hug, the yoga they teach, the vehicles they clean.  

Instead of worrying about my grey hair or eczema I focus on what's inside my head.  The brilliant ways my brain comes up with to teach children all kinds of things about the world and themselves, the words I write to share with y'all, the ability to change these thoughts, the crazy amount of song lyrics up in there, and all the sciencey knowledge it carries that helps me gain awareness of how incredible the human body really is.  

And finally instead of fretting over what my abs look like on any given day I marvel at how much of a badass my entire core is.  I mean come on, still functioning every single day despite my body trying to make it commit suicide.  All my intestines are still inside of me, still converting food to fuel, still nourishing my entire body, and still kicking autoimmune disease ass! Now that's amazing! That's something to be proud of.  

Buckwheat and Blueberry Banana Bread... gluten and dairy free

BuckWHEAT... are you sure??? 

There is still some confusion in the gluten free circuit about buckwheat.  My friends, it is both delicious and nutritious... and I only know this because it is indeed gluten free!  Trust my gut, it's safe!

Try it yourself...

 

1/3 C coconut oil- melted

1/2 C honey

2 large ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 C almond milk

1 t pure vanilla

1/2 t sea salt

1 t baking soda

1/2 t cinnamon

3/4 C oats- make sure they are certified GF!

1 C buckwheat flour

1 C blueberries

Preheat oven to 325 and grease 3 mini loaf pans with coconut oil.  Mash the bananas in a large bowl.  Beat in eggs and honey.  Add the coconut oil, milk, and vanilla.  Stir well.  If the coconut oil solidifies again just microwave it for a few seconds.  Stir in the flour, oats, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon.  Pour a little batter in the bottom of each pan, enough so the bottom in covered.  Gently fold the blueberries into the remaining batter.  Pour the rest of the batter into your pans.  Bake for 45-50 minutes.