Beef Coconut Curry

This recipe is a family favorite...even the kids LOVE it and somewhat 'clean' and very very easy.  A good source of protein and healthy fats.
What you need:

1 lb of lean ground beef, turkey,  or bison
1 onion chopped
1 apple chopped
1/2 bag frozen peas
2-3 TBS curry powder (I get mine at World Market)
13 oz can of LIGHT coconut milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper ( I really like black pepper)

Brown the meat.  Add apples and onion and sautee until the onions are translucent.  Add peas and cook until thawed.  Add coconut milk.  Simmer until warm.  Serve on quinoa or brown rice.

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Facebook

I am so blog illiterate...I do not know how to add a FB button on here...so please, if you haven't already, follow me on FB since sometimes I am too busy lazy to post recipes or workouts here

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XOXOXO and Thank you!

Addicting Veggie Dip

I made a Greek yogurt dip to eat with raw veggies and am addicted.  I cannot stop eating it and love that it helps me meet my protein needs for the day. My kids love it too.
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons chopped chives
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper (because I like pepper, you can use less)
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
2 tablespoon lemon juice

Just mix it all together and eat it with raw veggies or some whole wheat crackers.

Crappy iPhone pic:

 

A Day of Clean Eating

I had several requests this past year to post a typical day of eating for me.  First, let me say, I am not a nutritionist, so please don't think that this way of eating will be a miracle for you.  I have done lots of reading, research, and tweaking to make this fit MY body and MY lifestyle. ( I'm actually still tweaking it every day.) It may not wok for you.

I do not count calories or measure very carefully.  I kind of just eyeball things. The portion sizes that work for me, may not work for you and my portion sizes depend on my level of activity for that day.  Some days I have to eat a ton. I find that if I'm still hungry, I will blend up a quick smoothie with spinach and a frozen banana and that sometimes I need more fat from avocados, almonds, or nut butter.

This is my general rule of thumb for portions : protein (palm sized), carbs (1/2 cup) fats (a handful), raw veggies (unlimited).  Egg whites range between 2 and 6 egg whites per serving depending on the day.

I am pretty scatterbrained sometimes, so I have to prepare this before the week begins. This type of eating usually takes me about an hour or two of food prep on Sunday afternoon. It sounds like a lot, but it saves tons of time during the week. I boil and peel my eggs, make a container of oats, chop all of my veggies and fruits, and cook my protein for the week.  This food prep serves as my meals 1-4 for the week.  Meal 5 is dinnertime, so I eat what I am serving my family that night. Meal 6 is my fun meal where I can experiment with protein packed desserts. If I don't prep, I will just go into the pantry and grab any old junk to stuff in my face. If I prepped it, I will eat it.

I will try to do this a few more times since many of you requested daily meal ideas.  I will be posting more recipes and meal planning ideas on my FB page.  Hope this helps.

The Winner!!!

Time to announce the winner of the Alyce Hattie Bea products!

I decided to do this drawing the old fashioned way.  I put every entry  from both of my blogs into a bucket and had my daughter draw it out....because I'm web savvy that way!

annnnnndddd the winner is.....

Random Reflections...please email me at info@slsmithphotography.com before Wednesday, January 16 with your mailing address so I can get your prize out to you.

If  you all would like to order these very affordable and amazing products, check out the Alyce Hattie Bea website!

Pamper Yourself (a giveaway)

This time of year I have the worst dry, itchy winter skin and chapped lips. It's so hard to find good, chemical free products.  My very close  friend Alexis and mother of two sweet babies began a business called Alyce Hattie Bea. She has been so busy creating wonderful, chemical free products that she has not gotten around to completing her web page yet...but it's coming soon. Alexis creates goats milk soaps, creams, and lotions; lip balm, natural teething necklaces, scarves, gloves, hats,  aprons, breads, cheeses, pasta, etc.  Her products are selling in shops and farmer's markets all across New York.

When I say that her products are all natural and chemical free, I am not exaggerating.   Her soaps and lotions come from the milk of her own personal goats (who eat a sweet organic diet better than mine) and are treated like family members! Her teething necklaces come from trees on her property.  Her wool comes from local sheep. She often cleans, processes, and dyes the wool herself using natural dyes and then spins it into yarn which she then crochets into her awesome creations.  I love this self sustaining chica and am so excited she is sharing her products with the rest of us.

Today I am giving away a few of her items to one lucky winner. This prize includes her lavender goats milk soap, soothing peppermint lip balm, and a really cute necklace for mom that a baby can use for teething while mom wears it. Such a clever idea!

This is her gorgeous, sweet smelling soap.  Shops across New York are starting to carry this soap and it is selling out quickly. I have been using it for over a week now and my skin has never been softer.  I gave a bar to my son to use for his eczema and it has greatly reduced his itching and inflammation. I cannot wait to order more for myself! It's adorably packaged in paper and yarn that she made herself...yes, she MADE paper and yarn. I love this girl and her products.

I am addicted to this Peppermint lip soother.  I keep one in my car, and my nightstand, and in my gym bag.  The peppermint flavor is very subtle and not at all overwhelming. It goes on smooth and offers a long lasting smoothness to your lips. She makes it with organic olive oil, beeswax, and local honey.

This last product is a bit unusual and A LOT genius.  You know how your babies love to chew on your necklaces when you are holding them..but you don't want them to choke on the beads or brake the necklace?  Alexis created a solution for this.  These cute necklaces are great for teething babies. (TO BE WORN BY MOM ONLY) The teething part is made from wood that has been shaped and smoothed by hand and dyed with fruit/vegetable based dyes. Each necklace is unique and can be ordered without stain if your baby has a fruit or veggie allergy.

So, who wants to win this? All you have to do is leave a comment here on this blog.   


Mandatory to enter: Leave a comment here telling me what organic products you buy regularly.

Extra Entries:   (leave a comment here telling me each of these things you did)

1) Like Alyce Hattie Bea on FB.

2) Like Blood, Sweat, and Minivans on FB

3) Share this give away on Twitter or FB

*Only one person per household/IP address may enter.  This giveaway is open to US residents only and can only be shipped to continental US addresses. Winner will be selected after midnight CST on Friday, January 11, 2013.  The winner will be announced the weekend of January 12 and contacted via email.  The winner must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. 

Getting Dirrrrty

      Mud runs are one of my favorite event to participate in.  Notice that I said "participate" and not "compete".  A mud run usually is usually a 3-10 mile course filled with mud pits, tunnels, climbing walls, mud, ropes, jumping over fire, mud, cargo nets, more mud...you get the point.  For me, a mud run is a time to let loose, have fun, and just go crazy and be 10 years old again. Even if you are not athletic or don't consider yourself "in shape" a mud run would be a great time for you.  I love that! I love that people who had no desire to get in shape get hooked on mud runs and do them over and over again.

    Last weekend I participated in the Dirty Girl with some of my blogger friends. Dirty Girl is a mud run for women only (which helps with the intimidation factor) and benefits breast cancer.  In the past year I have lost a friend to breast cancer and watched another friend kick cancer's ass...so this was a special day.  I was so proud of my blogger ladies, The Blogaritas,  because some of them had never participated in an event like this before, and even though they were nervous, they KILLED it!
Here we are before the race:

Awwwwww...aren't we cute.....all sweet smelling...CLEAN.  Just look at those shiny shoes and brand new numbers!

Now let me tell you WHY I love this run.  Besides the fact that I love getting dirty, climbing, and playing in the mud, the women who participate are so supportive of each other.  Amongst all of the squealing, screaming and laughing;  I could hear support, clapping, cheering, and "C'mon, YOU GOT THIS", "YOU can DO this!!!", and "Way to go"!  Nobody was racing to the finish, but rather helping each other along the way.  We were all helping each other through the shoe sucking mud and over the tall slippery walls.  At one point I had trouble getting over one of the tall walls and a woman from another team held my foot so that I could make it down.
We watched as another woman got to the top pf the wall, looked down the other side, and panicked.  The look of fear on her face put tears in my eyes.  We all stopped and cheered words of encouragement while her teammates went on the other side and helped her over.  You KNOW she was proud of herself for doing it.
I LOVE knowing that many women came to the mud run nervous, frightened, and feeling like they would not even finished and they left there feeling proud, empowered, and strong.  Each woman left there different than who they were when they arrived.  I have tears in my eyes as I even type those words.  Yes, I am sap-tastic!

Here are some fun pictures of us during the run:

Now, if you ever plan on doing one of these, let me give you some helpful hints:
1) Bring a towel and a change of clothes
2) Bring extra shoes.  You can either donate your muddy shoes at the end or take them home and wash them. but you don't really want to wear them home.
3) If you don't feel like waiting in the shower line, have a couple of gallons of water waiting in your car...then you can at least rinse off a bit and change in the car.
4) Those Vibram 5 Fingers?   Totally helpful for gripping those slippery walls.
4) Rolling in the mud = wet t-shirt contest, so maybe wear a sports bra (or two) with padding and maybe some under armor boy shorts under your pants.  We did not realize this until we saw the photos and realized some of them had to be censored.  NO WONDER the husbands did not look bored on the sidelines!!!!

I got more muddy during this run than on my previous mud runs because, well, I was acting like a fool...and I have the bruises to prove it.  But, I had FUN!!!

Morena, Neven, Amy, Jen....I had not known you outside of our bloggy internet world before that day, but so happy we did this together.  I feel bonded for life and can't wait to see you ladies again!

If you like reading blogs and want to learn fun new things, laugh, and relax, check out the ladies above by clicking one their names!
If you are looking for a change in your life, a way to get started on a healthier path, or just a way to have some fun, check out a mud run...you will NOT regret it.