Easter message

Among the most cherished thoughts and writings in this world is the divine statement of truth: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

The message of Easter is that the Savior lives! And because He lives all shall indeed live again. This knowledge provides the peace for loved ones of those who have passed on: "Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: 'I know that my Redeemer lives!' "This precious Son, our Lord and Savior, atoned for the sins of all mankind. That memorable night in Gethsemane His suffering was so great, His anguish so consuming that He pleaded, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Later, on the cruel cross, He died that we might live, and live everlastingly. Resurrection morning was preceded by pain, by suffering in accordance with the divine plan of God. Before Easter, there had to be a cross. The world has witnessed no greater gift, nor has it known more lasting love.

Thomas S. MonsonHenry B. EyringDieter F. Uchtdorf

Perfectly delicious healthy blueberry muffins

These are the best muffins. It's hard to believe they are healthy.

2 mashed ripe bananas
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax
1/3 cup RAW sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
grease or line 12 cup muffin pan

Mix all the wet ingredients including the bananas in mixer. In separate bowl mix the dry ingredients and add to wet all at once. Mix only until blended. Do not over-mix. Fill prepared pan and bake for 15-20 min.

Morning Routines

Do you or your husband usually walk out the door in the morning and come back in because you/he forgot his wallet/lunch/etc?  How about the kids, do they usually run to the bus stop carrying their jackets and with untied shoes?  Get out the door on time and organized with a few simple tips:

1.  Prepare lunches the night before.  I know it only takes 5 minutes to make a quick sandwich and throw in some snacks, but that's 5 minutes less for the morning routine!  Place lunches in their respective bags in the fridge so they are completely ready in the morning. To go along with this idea, make sure backpacks are packed too.  I set reminders on my cell phone to remember library day, etc so we don't forget to pack those extras too.

2.  Pick out clothes the night before.  Give your child 2 or 3 choices to pick from, and they will still feel like they are making a choice - and you have now eliminated the daily argument about what they are wearing to school.  If you have room in the closet,  get one of those weekly clothes organizers that hang.  Place their 7 outfits inside and tell them they can pick any cubby of clothes they want each day. 

3.  Always place backpacks, wallets, purses, keys, cell phones, etc. in the same place.  That's right - no more crazed search on the way out the door.  You may want to try a nice shelf with hooks near the door.  Keys, coats and purses go on the hooks - wallets and cell phones on the shelf.

4.  Have a morning routine.  We get up an hour before the kids need to leave.  First, they get dressed complete with socks and tied shoes.  Then, it's breakfast time followed by teeth brushing.  We then make doubly sure backpacks and coats are packed (see #1 and 3), and read our scriptures.  None of these things take  more than a few minutes, but because we have allowed extra time, we are generally not rushing out the door.

Anyone have ideas to add?  Comment below!

Orange Beef Stirfry

OK. I have been a lurker but i will contribute today with one of my favorite recipes! Oranges are very inexpensive right now and I have successfully frozen this meal in stages. {I will explain that later}

I snagged some super sweet and juicy oranges at Henry's for 4lbs for $1! We even had orange shakes for breakfast. Yum.

Recipe:

• 3 oranges
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 pounds trimmed boneless sirloin or rib eye cut into 1/2-inch-thick strips
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 6 scallions green parts only, cut into 1-inch lengths

Directions

1. Into a small bowl, finely grate zest and squeeze juice from 1 orange. Add garlic and soy sauce.
2. With a sharp paring knife, peel remaining 2 oranges. Slice oranges crosswise 1/2 inch thick, then halve slices; push out, and discard any seeds. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, toss meat with cornstarch until coated. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Working in batches (adding more oil if needed), brown beef on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
4. Pour juice mixture into skillet, and boil until syrupy, about 1 minute. Return beef to skillet; add orange slices and scallions. Toss until coated and heated through. Serve hot

To freeze, you can cook the beef, and combine the liquid ingredients (uncooked) and then store the meat and sauce in separate baggies having to add the fresh oranges and scallions when you're ready to eat. saves a lot of prep work when you don;t have to juice and zest oranges and cut meat, etc.

Super easy and heathy fish tacos

Many of you know that I am not an advocate for pre-made or processed meals however this was made from Gorton's Beer Battered fish fillets.You can make the fillets yourself, of course. However, 1 fillet from Gorton's has only 180 calories. And trust me, Ladies, you only need one on this fish taco. They are very filling. My kids love these too.

Corn tortillas- I just warmed them in the oven.
Gorton's Beer Battered Fish Fillet-cooked it in the oven using directions on bag.

Veggies- make sure you add plenty
tomatoes
baby spinach
chopped cabbage

Sauce- add about 1 tablespoon or so to each fish taco
white sauce
salsa (optional)

White sauce for fish (taste like Rubios)

equal parts- plain organic non-fat yogurt and

light mayonnaise

Add a little lemon or lime juice to taste.

Mix all ingredients and serve over fish tacos.

Chronic Dehydration and Weight Gain

You may not know this but it is estimated that 75% of all Americans are Chronically Dehydrated. Most don’t even know it! This means that most of us are not drinking enough water in a day. Our bodies are 75% water. The brain alone is made up with 80%. We cannot function properly if we are not giving our body this core nutrient it needs to survive. I’m not talking soda or juice or caffeine, I’m talking pure and simple water. Caffeine actually acts as a diuretic and causes the body to lose water.
So are you chronically dehydrated? Some common symptoms are fatigue, constipation, heartburn, bloating, hunger and you guessed it, weight gain. One for sure sign to tell if you’re getting enough water is the color of your urine. Yes people, it should be clear! If it’s not, you are not getting enough water, plain and simple.

You may be asking yourself how water has anything to do with weight loss. Everyone knows someone who has dieted. It is estimated that over 45 million people in the US diet every year, yet most of them struggle and remain overweight or obese. Many of these people are overweight due to many factors relating to weight loss, such as unhealthy eating or lack of exercise, hereditary or stress. What most people don’t realize is how important water consumption is to a person’s overall health and well being.

When your body is chronically dehydrated your body stores water, usually around your middle because it doesn’t know when it will get more. This not only causes bloating but it causes water weight to build up. But that is not all! When you are thirsty (BTW, if you are ever thirsty, you are well past the dehydration stage) your mind often times relays that as hunger, causing you to consume more food. Most people cannot tell the difference between hungry and thirsty. Your body will take water from the foods you eat but it is not enough so you crave more food.

How much water do we need? That is also simple! The old 8 glasses a day idea just doesn’t work for everyone. So here’s an idea that just might. In order for a person to replenish and metabolize fully a person needs to drink half his/her body weight in ounces. This means that if a person weighs 160 lbs he/she need to consume 80 ounces of water each day. Keep in mind that if you are exercising or sweating, in higher temps, or taking medications you will need an increased amount of water.

Consuming this much water may seem like a tedious task especially if you are not used to drinking water regularly. Here are a few tips:

1. Start early. The earlier you start the more likely you are to finish your daily amount.

2. Keep a log. Record how much water you are consuming so you can keep track.

3. Carry a water bottle around. If it’s always there you are more likely to drink it.

4. Drink a full glass of water before meals. This will also keep you from eating too much at dinner.

5. Add a lemon slice.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Good luck! Your body will thank you in so many ways. –Melissa Stengel

Fifteen Minutes At A Time...

Do you ever have a mess that just seem like it's absolutely insurmountable?  I love this technique:  Set an alarm for 15 minutes and work as hard as you can.  When the timer goes off, take a break.  Repeat every hour or two until the job is done.  This works great and you'd be surprised at what you can accomplish in those 15 minutes.  Besides, every time you come back, it looks easier than it did before;)