{healthy} Whole Wheat, Dairy & refined-sugar-free, chocolate cake

by Meghan // February 24, 2014 // Comments off

Say that 5xs fast!

Yesterday, we made this ah-mazing cake. Oh my goodness, really. It is so good. And much healthier than your average homemade of boxed cake.

It doesn’t take long, and makes either two round cakes, or one 9×13 cake.

Whole Wheat, Dairy-and-refined-sugar-free chocolate cake {with Marriage and Menu Monday linky}

20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Garden chocolate cake recipe
3/4 c coconut oil (not melted)
3 eggs
2 cups of whole wheat flour
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking sode
3/4 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp real salt
2 c sucanat
2 tsp real, organic vanilla (or homemade)
1 1/2 c rice milk (or you choice of non dairy milk)

Instructions

Grease your 2 round, or 1 9x13 pan(s)
In a medium bowl stir together: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt- set aside
Preheat oven to 350*
In a large mixing bowl beat coconut oil on med-high speed for 30 seconds
Gradually add sucanat 1/4c at a time, beating at med speed until well combined
Scrape side of bowl; beat 2 minutes
Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition (trust me, it makes a difference)
Beat in vanilla
Now, Alternately add flour mixture and rice milk to coconut oil mixture, beating on low speed until combined
Beat on medium to high speed 20 seconds more
Spread into pans
Bake 30-40 minutes, check doneness with a toothpick in center.

Notes

**If you want the healthy recipe but don't mind the dairy, replace the coconut oil with butter and the rice milk with cow's milk. 1:1

Juicing {with Marriage and Menu Monday Linkup}

by Meghan // February 17, 2014 // Comments off

Since we filled out our wedding registry in the fall of 2006, I have wanted a juicer. I actually registered for the Jack Lalanne Power Juicer then, which I think was relatively new to the juicing scene.

We didn’t get it as a gift, and my husband was determined it was something I would never use. So we didn’t purchased one with gift cards.

For the last 7 years I have been asking him if I could get a juicer- his answer was always no. =)

But, last week I found a brand new one on craigslist for half the retail price, and he said YES!

And let me tell you, I love it!

The juicer itself has quite a few parts, and they need to be rinsed out immediately after juicing, or the pulp gets stuck on pretty good. But, it is EASY to clean- I just rinse each piece under hot water, wipe with a rag is needed, and then lay on a drying mat. I don’t do the whole dishwasher thing because it would take up the whole top rack.

So, for this week’s Menu Monday, I wanted to share a little juicing recipe.

Juicing isn’t something that is necessarily cheap, you have to be mindful of what you are juicing to make it less expensive. I will never juice a million oranges to keep orange juice in the fridge; it just isn’t practical. But what I will do is juice veggies with a few fruits, so we can have a glass of healthy green vegetables each day, or every few days. Right now, I have given up coffee for the most part, and am replacing that with a morning juice. The kids LOVE the green juice recipe I am sharing; it makes enough for me to have a full glass, the kids to have a small glass each, and some left overs for later.

Here is what my 3 year old coined “Mommy’s green juice”

Mommy's Green Juice {for littles too}

See Detailed Nutrition Info on

Ingredients

Everything is washed, and only peeled if stated:
2 stalks kale
handful of broccoli
1/2 cucumber
2 stalks celery
4 carrots
2 small apples
1 lemon, peeled

Instructions

place in juicer, alternating "juicy" produce with less juicy produce. That helps extract more juice and push the produce through.

Do you juice? If you have been thinking about it, it is definitely worth a try. Maybe borrow a friend’s to see how you will like it.

Please link up your family friendly posts below.

The Best Natural Peanut Butter {with Marriage and Menu Monday linky}

by Meghan // February 10, 2014 // Comments off

Today, I am not bringing you a recipe. Mostly, because I forgot to take pictures of all the things I cooked this week. Haha But, I do want to mention an easy way to add healthier options into your family’s diet, without breaking the bank.

I don’t buy all organic, all the time. Right now, it just doesn’t fit into out budget, but I do buy what I can. When I can. And that is all any of us can ask for, right? To do our best.

So, I am going to start with my very favorite, never gets old and I could eat it at every meal, food- PEANUT BUTTER! haha

Note: My kids probably have peanut butter once a day, in some shape or form. Lexie doesn’t eat eggs (not matter how I disguise them… it’s a texture thing. no squishy foods allowed). So often times I smear peanut butter on her toast, sourdough pancakes, or whole wheat waffles. This adds protein and good fats to what would otherwise be just complex carbs.

My favorite peanut butter is Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter.

Why, you ask? The ingredients: peanuts, less than 1% salt. That is why.

It is absolutely the best peanut butter I have ever tried. I can’t eat regular Jiff or Peter Pan anymore- all I can taste is overly sweetened chemicals and unhealthy oils with no real flavor or texture. *blah*

Smucker’s Natural has no unhealthy vegetable oils, no refined sugar, and no chemical additives. It is just peanuts and a little salt. And man, is it good.

The best part is, you don’t have to go to a specialty grocery store to get it! I find mine at our local Walmart, it is usually on the very top shelf of the peanut butter section. You do however, need to stir the peanut butter, and then keep it in the fridge.

This is something, that although it isn’t organic, I can feel good feeding it to my family, especially my young children who don’t need any more refined sugars in their little systems than necessary.

If you aren’t quite as ready to make the leap to just peanuts and salt for your favorite spread, you can try Skippy’s Naturals. This peanut butter contains: peanuts, palm oil, and salt. Again, no sugar, and no bad vegetable oils. Palm oil is a relatively healthy oil, and many people use it in place of coconut and olive oil in recipes. This is the brand my husband prefers, so I buy it just for him, and sometimes the kids have it.

Buying a natural peanut butter is a small, healthy change that isn’t going to break the bank! I didn’t link to these products on amazon because right now they are outrageously expensive. But at you local grocery store they should run between $4-$5 for a big jar.

Try it, and let me know what you think. I bet your family will like it!

Essential Oils: Thieves Oil {52 weeks of favorites}

by Meghan // January 26, 2014 // Comments off

I finally figured out what my “52 weeks of favorites” will be! ESSENTIAL OILS! Woo hoo! If you’re looking for essential oils to buy try Jojoba by rouh.

Before we hit up the doctor or try prescriptions, I always try something from home first.

Our #1 go to is pure, therapeutic grade essential oils.

Real quick, I want to let you know that any brand can put the words “pure, therapeutic grade” on their products. These terms are not mandated by the FDA. However, I can tell you, Young Living brand is the only one that sets itself to the highest of standards in all areas of essential oils with its Seed to Seal guarantee. Here is a great explanation from a seasoned EO user:

“Call the customer service dept of any other company, and ask where their Peppermint was grown, distilled, what the chemical properties are, how long it is distilled, how many lbs of material they use to get 8 oz of oil, etc. You can actually find all these things out from Young Living but NO other company offers the same ability because no other company actually has their hands in the entire process. Because essential oils are not regulated by the FDA, absolutely every company can say, 100% pure therapeutic grade, that term doesn’t mean anything. It’s self defined. Because the other companies do not grow their own plants, they purchase from a third party broker and so they have no way of knowing for SURE if the oil was virgin soil, if the plant was sprayed with pesticides, and the list goes on. YL defines what they mean and they give a Seed to Seal guarantee.”

That gives me the peace of mind and satisfaction that what I am putting on and in my family’s bodies are safe.

I can’t even begin to tell you what a blessing Young Living essential oils have been to our family.

I guess I can start with Thieves oil, that is where my EO experience began. My uncle gave me a bottle when I was working in child care, and was constantly sick almost 10 year ago. I placed a few cotton balls in a small bottle, and put a few drops of thieves in. I would take the lid off and breathe in the oil throughout the day.

In 2012 during flu season, Max was a brand new baby and Lexie was in Mother’s Day Out twice a week. She had about 10 other kids in her class. One day I picked her up from school with the dreaded news- 3 kids in her class and their siblings had been confirmed to have the flu. Before the week was over several other children had the flu as well. Lexie, praise the Lord, escaped the flu. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the essential oils for colds I was using helped my family. Thieves was one of those oils.

This oil blend is beyond amazing. I use it on my children’s feet during cold and flu season to support their immune systems. I have also applied a tiny bit (diluted) to my son’s teething gums. Thieves is considered a “hot” oil, and should typically be diluted with a carrier oil (like coconut or olive oil) before placing on skin, especially on children. I make up a small bottle of diluted thieves and olive oil, 4:1 and keep it in both the kids’ rooms to have on hand.

When we flew during the holidays to see family, I applied thieves to the kids’ feet before our flights, and also on the base of their spines.

I also diffuse it in our home- diffusing allows the tiny particles to spread through the air.

If I could put a bottle of thieves oil in all my friends and family members homes, I would!

I can’t wait to share some of my other favorite oils with you all!

If you are interested in how you can purchase Young Living oils at wholesale price, with NO strings attached, let me know. I am a wholesale buyer for my family, and you can get your oils at 24% off the retail cost. Email me at: QuietInTheChaos at gmail dot com (no spaces) if you would like more info! You can also sign up on their website, using my member number: 1555405

See this article: essential oils kill super bug (MRSA) from BBC.

I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. It is for informational purposes only.

Traveling: On the Road with Healthy Menu Options {and M&M link-up}

by Meghan // January 20, 2014 // Comments off

We just came back from a wonderful family road trip- the husband and I loaded up the 3 year old and 16 month old, and hit the road for the beautiful mountains of Colorado.

I’ve not ever been skiing, or to CO. My husband has been a few times. It was amazing, and did I mention beautiful? The mountains were breathtaking!

We are so blessed to be able to travel for a little family vacation. And just because we are traveling doesn’t mean we go crazy with junk food. We try very hard to stick within a reasonable budget, and eat healthy snacks. {which exclude fast food!}

We see it as, the more money we save while on the road, the more we can enjoy spending on nice meals and fun for the kids, once we get where we’re going.

So what does our road trip food look like?

It looks like several pre made peanut butter sandwiches, 4-8 oranges, 3-4 apples, a container of clean grapes, a few bananas, and a bag of nuts or trail mix.

Then we pack a small cooler with Lexie’s rice milk and Mister’s coconut milk, along with lots of bottled water. In that cooler we usually add lunch meat, and anything else that needs to be kept cool or cold. The cooler goes in the very back of the van or suv with our luggage.

When we stop for gas we may grab a few snacks, like more nuts or pretzels.

This trip, we traveled for about 8 hours. Some people think we are crazy to travel for that long with two young children. Maybe we are! One of our friends said that we should fly instead and then get a quote from this relocation company. She said they would pick up our suv and take it to and from Colorado so that we could still drive it whilst we were away. This was tempting, but flying is more expensive and makes it harder to control what you are eating. And hey, the drive is part of the trip for us. We actually managed to rent a car seat for the kids, so that made things easier for us. We spent a lot of time in the car on this vacation so it was important that the kids were safe and comfortable whilst on the road.

At lunch time on our journey, we stopped at a park where I made us sandwiches with spinach, and we had salads with homemade dressing. The kids were able to run around and enjoy themselves, and then we were back on the road in less than an hour.

I also like to pack freezer food for meals once we get to our hotel. We stayed in a condo that had a small kitchen. I grabbed a bag of frozen mexican chicken soup, and some frozen sloppy joes. This way we can eat one or two nice meals out for dinner, and still have healthy, delicious meals in our condo a few nights to save on cash. We are a family that eats out maybe 3 times a month; we don’t really enjoy eating our every single meal while on vacation.

And that is it! It is so easy to pack a small cooler (you will be amazed what you can fit inside!) and a lunch bag with fruits and pre made sandwiches for easy, on the road meals.

Going on vacation doesn’t have to wreck havoc in your wallet, or your health!

Be encouraged, friends! What foods do you pack for road trips?

January 20th ~

Favorite Dairy Alternative: Coconut Products {week 1}

by Meghan // January 16, 2014 // Comments off

I am joining a “52 weeks of favorites” Link up hosted by a fellow blogger. I am beginning a few weeks, late so I will have more like 49 weeks. =)

I will begin with something my family could not live without- dairy alternatives.

My first pick for a dairy alternative, is coconut oil and milk. Coconut is a powerhouse of essential fats and nutrients.

Although coconut milk has a coconut flavor, the flavor doesn’t show much in things like muffins and other baked goods. I don’t think I would bake a chocolate cake with it …. but then again, that might be really good!

Coconut oil is a must have in our home, because the kids can’t have butter. I use Tropical Traditions coconut oil for all my cooking needs, instead of unhealthy vegetable oils. I trust Tropical Traditions, their standards are above all others, and they offer amazing sales.

I looove sales, and nutritious food! *Win*

For coconut milk, we buy Native Forest Organic Classic Coconut Milk from Amazon. Using Amazon Prime, we get free 2-day shipping, and a great value on real, organic coconut milk. This is what I use to make Mister’s coconut milk tonic. You can read more about it by clicking on that link.

My husband and I eat butter and use milk for our toast and coffee. But when it comes to baking and cooking for the entire family, I use these non dairy alternatives because I know they are healthy for my family, and are a great value!

You can replace any oil or butter in any recipe with expeller pressed coconut oil, with no coconut flavor. Expeller pressed coconut oil from Tropical Traditions is gently refined, so there is no coconut-y flavor to your food. Although, I have used regular virgin coconut oil, (which does have coconut flavor), and we didn’t notice any coconut coconut in our food. So, I really just use what I have on hand now.

We add it to smoothies, sautee our veggies in it, and use it on diaper rashes and cuts. Really, there are endless ways to use coconut oil!

DIY Homemade Taco Seasoning {with Marriage and Menu Monday Link Up}

by Meghan // January 6, 2014 // Comments off

Welcome to my first linkup for Marriage and Menu Mondays! This week I want to share a great recipe with you all.

We love tacos, mexican crockpot chicken, and chicken quesadillas at our house. A few years ago, I started making our taco seasoning. Store bought seasoning contain lots of additives and some nasty preservatives. Not to mention, the funky after taste? What’s up with that?

Here is a super easy alternative that you can make up in bulk, or just as you are cooking dinner. {Though I recommend making a large batch and storing in a pretty mason jar}

Homemade Taco Seasoning {DIY}

1Tbsp of chilli powder
1 1/2 tsp smoky ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sweet paprika {or regular paprika will be fine}
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp minced dried onion or onion powder {I use minced}
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp real Himalayan salt
black pepper to taste

This recipe doesn’t make much. I started out making it each time I needed it, but now I make it in bulk & keep it in a wide mouth mason jar in my spice cabinet. {looks like it is time to make some more!}

Homemade taco seasoning is healthier, cheaper, and just as easy as store bought.

Enjoy the Marriage and Menu Monday link up this week- Be blessed friends!

Udderly Smooth {a review}

by Meghan // December 19, 2013 // Comments off

I want to share a great product with you. Well, really my husband should share it!

I had the open box sitting on the counter, he walked in from work and said, “Oh hey- Udder(ly) Smooth! I love this stuff!”
Me, in my amusement, replied, “What?! When have you used it?”
Him- “Oh, yea. Mom used to buy this sometimes. It’s good stuff.”

Now you have to understand, my husband is a man’s man. He is an engineer, loves to build stuff, does woodowork, can wire electrical outlets, build decks, fix garage doors, chop and load firewood … I mean he’s pretty tough (and handy!).

But he hates for his hands to be dry. Every night on his way to bed, he stops at my dresser and rubs some lotion on his hands. His hands aren’t girly soft, but they aren’t dried and cracked (like mine from being in dishwater all the time).

My first thought was, for him to say it is good stuff, it really must be!

A little About Udderly SmoothUddlery Smooth is a greaseless, stainless, water-based moisturizer. The really fun thing about its origin, is it was originally developed for use on dairy cows! But it has proven to be a wonderful product for human skin.

You can find it at many of your favorite retailers like Walmart, Ace Hardware, Hyvee, Walgreens.com, and Menards. Here is a complete list of retailers.

What I Think
I have to tell you, this southern girl from the deep land of Dixie is used to humidity 24/7, all year round. After spending my first full year out in the midwest (Nebraska, to be exact), I have found my already dry skin, to be extra-dry. At the first sign of cold temps, my cuticles and hands start cracking. Most products burn when I put them on my hands (I guess because of the harsh chemicals and fragrances).

Udderly Smooth is amazing! I can already tell a difference in my skin, after just a few days use. They offer so many products, from the heavier, healing body cream, to an everyday hand lotion and moisturizer.

What I love:

This moisturizer has been made in the USA for over thirty years!
It is unlike other moisturizers, in that Udderly Smooth can be used not only on dry skin, cracked skin, but for diabetes foot care, & as a Facial Moisturizer as well!
The website lists the ingredients for each of their products so you know exactly what is going on your skin
They offer fragrance free options
No greasy feeling left on my skin, at all!
The price!

Price
Udderly Smooth ranges in price from $1.75 for a small 2oz tube, to $8.00 for a 10oz foot cream with a pump. It is so reasonably priced! Here is a direct link to order from their website.

Connect with Udderly Smooth

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Strawberry Allergy

by Meghan // November 14, 2013 // Comments off

Last week we discovered Lexie has a strawberry allergy.

So here’s the thing … Lexie constantly has an eczema-type break out on her face (which we know is allergy related). When she has too much dairy, or really acidic foods like tomatoes, the rash becomes actual fluid/puss filled sores that hurt. Because of this, we water her milk down- half water, half milk- and limit her dairy intake. The break out is always there, but doesn’t flare up like it used to. (we had to completely stop grilled cheese made with Kraft singles- it always triggered a bad flare up).

So after she ate the strawberries, within 20 minutes her face was broken out all over. We gave her benadryl, she took a nap, and when she woke up her face was COMPLETELY CLEAR. The constant breakout/eczema she always has on her face (which again, we are sure is dairy), was gone too! This tells me something she always eats/drinks is causing that breakout on her cheeks.

So, I think this week we are going to wean her onto almond milk and see if her face improves completely. By the evening that same day, after having had milk after nap and with dinner, the eczema type breakout was back, and has been there since. She tested positive at the chiropractor for dairy allergy, so we know she has it. It just isn’t as intense as Mister’s, so we were letting her have the raw milk, but now my gut just tells me we need to stop cow’s milk completely. Having your body constantly fighting like that is not good.

The challenge will be to get her to stop drinking cow’s milk… she does not like Max’s coconut milk, so I am not even going to try to get her to drink that. We will try almond I guess? and see what happens. I hope her face improves!

This post may contain affiliate links.

Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil {Giveaway!}

by Meghan // November 7, 2013 // Comments off

I mention in many of my blog posts how much we love coconut oil. However, not all coconut oil is created equal {by any means}. Of course, using coconut oil is much better than refined oils; but we have found the highest quality of real-food coconut oil comes from Tropical Traditions.

They have a gold label coconut oil, which is the highest quality, and has a coconut flavor. For cooking foods that I do NOT want coconut flavor, I use their expeller pressed coconut oil. Expeller pressed oil will not have the coconut flavor.

My children take coconut oil by the spoon full. We add it to smoothies, cook our eggs in it, and I replace it for butter in any recipe. With Max’s dairy allergy, I know we can rely on coconut oil for his health and safety. I trust Tropical Traditions, and the process by which they make coconut oil. {FYI: there is no such thing as “extra virgin” coconut oil. When you see that on a jar of coconut oil, they are just trying to grab your attention, because everyone associates the best olive oil with “extra virgin” olive oil.}

We use so much Tropical Traditions coconut oil, I am saving to buy it in the gallon! They run awesome sales on all their products, which is when I jump on my purchase, so be sure to sign up for their sales alerts!

Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!

Tropical Traditions is America’s source for coconut oil. Their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is hand crafted in small batches by family producers, and it is the highest quality coconut oil they offer. You can read more about how virgin coconut oil is different from other coconut oils on their website: What is Virgin Coconut Oil?

You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:

Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.

**The first mandatory entry for this giveaway is to subscribe to Tropical Traditions Sales Newsletter- trust me, even if you weren’t entering to win this giveaway, you would want to be subscribed to their newsletter!

It is full of wonderful information, and keeps you up to date on all their amazing sales (free shipping promotions, buy one get one free, etc).

Here is a video with many ways to use coconut oil.

***If you order by clicking on any of my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you. I did this on another blogger’s website, and received the book. It is a nice, thick, very informative book about virgin coconut oil. I have really enjoyed reading it.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.

*Winner of the giveaway has 24 hours, from the time I email them, to reply before I move along to another winner.

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