Health Benefits of Mint

We all know that fruits and veggies are packed full of good stuff (vitamins and nutrients) and can help play a major role in good health and well-being.  Consuming mint can also help do the same! 

Benefits of Mint Leaves

This year we are growing chocolate, lemon balm, pineapple, and orange mint.
They all taste and smell wonderful.

1. Digestion: 

Mint promotes digestion and soothes your stomach if you experience indigestion or inflammation. Drinking a cup of mint tea can help with nausea. 

Mint also eases the discomfort of IBS (irritable bowl syndrome).

2. Antioxidants: 
Mint leaves contain potent antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that prevent or delay some types of cell damage.

3. Pain Reliever: 
Mint leaves contain anti inflammatory properties. It's also a remedy to help relieve pain experienced during menstrual cramps.

4. Fresh Breath: 
Mint has anti bacterial properties which fight against tooth decay and bad breath. This is why its widely used in mouth washes and other breath fresheners. 

5. Common Cold: 
According to medicalnewsdaily.com, Mint contains menthol, which is a natural decongestant that helps to break up phlegm and mucus. Mint can also be effective, especially when combined with tea for relieving sore throats 

Mint comes in several different varieties and flavors. They all work the same and contain powerful nutrients.  

Storing Garden Picked Green Beans

Iv'e learned so much since we've started our garden and learning what to to with all these beans is one of them. Gardening has opened my eyes wider to some of Gods divine creations. It's simply amazing. Okay, back to what to do with extra beans...

How to Freeze Green Beans

• Wash your beans in cold or luke warm water
• Snap or cut each end off and break the bean into the size that you desire
• Place beans in boiling water, cover and boil for 3-5 minutes (called "blanching") 
• After beans are blanched, cool immediately in ice water to prevent over cooking

•  If you don't own a vacuum food sealer, place beans in a zip lock bag. Zip the top shut but leave enough room to squeeze as much air as you can out of the bag. You can also use a straw to suck the air out. Place the straw in the bag, zip it up as far as it will go, suck the air out, quickly remove the straw and zip the bag completely. 

                               

Date the bag if you'd like and place them in the freezer! They should last 9 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, cook them until hot and tender (about 3-5 minutes). Enjoy!

Click Here to learn about health benefits of green beans!

On the Menu

Pizza Night!

On the menu 

His: Pepporoni, Mushroom, Sausage and 6 different cheeses

Mine: Mushrooms, garlic, banana pepper, tomato, cucumber, spring mix, turkey pepperoni, and Parmesan cheese

Ingredients: 

- Pizza yeast dough (bought from the deli section of Publix) 

- 1 14oz jar of Prego Pizza Sauce

- Pizza Seasoning

- Desired toppings 

I really enjoyed being able to control my veggie toppings with this recipe. I chose based on what was picked from the garden this morning. Iv'e never had cucumbers on a pizza but it was surprisingly delicious. I will use this combo of veggies again. I'm Excited about left overs tomorrow.

Made by Chef Anthony

I Met My Matcha

Okay so I met my match-a over the weekend. Matcha Green Tea Powder was 1 of my 3 new things on last weeks grocery list. I have been tested and tried all three so I am here to tell you how it went.

 

 First up is the Matcha Green Tea Powder.

This powder tastes sort of earthy, like chopped up plants and leaves. It is said that the chlorophyll and amino acids give matcha it's unique taste. I tried using it in 3 different ways. 1. The first way I used it was in a green smoothie. I sprinkled about a tablespoon into whatever smoothie I was making for that day and with sweetener, it blended in perfectly. Without any sweetener, the matcha powder was a little strong. It was very easy to use the powder this way. I would recommend it to anyone . . . (well, I guess I am recommending it to everyone . . .) 2. Next, I tried boiling the powder in with some noodles. (My logic: I was just trying to see if the powder would turn my noodles green...) The out come? Well, It didn't effect the taste of the noodles much and the noodles came out with a green tint but not enough to tell much difference. I probably would not waste my powder in adding it in with my boiling noodle water again :-/ 3. Third way I tried using matcha green tea powder was adding it to some hot brewed tea. This worked out great and blended nicely with other herbal teas. 

Matcha powder can also be used in sauces, pastries, and lattes. Matcha green tea powder gets 2 thumbs up from me. 1 glass of Matcha is the equivalent of 10 glasses of green tea in terms of nutritional value and antioxidant content. To learn more about Matcha Powder go to  matcha source.

    

3 New Items on Jess' Grocery List

Picked Up Some New Items This Week

• Zucchini About $5.00 per Bag
• Matcha Green Tea Powder $19.99
• Hemp Protein Powder $12.99

Every now and then I get an urge to splurge. This week I ran into a couple of things that I have always heard about but never used (yes, Zucchini is one of them). These items are a little expensive but I am pretty confident that I can find them cheaper somewhere else. Because they are new to me, I didn't try to bargain shop for any of these items this time. I did find a bottle opener for 0.67 cents though ;-D


Here are Some Benefits of Each Item:

Matcha Green Tea Powder is packed full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help to fight off sickness and disease. Matcha is also said to increase your metabolism. Great to use in the winter to help fight off sickness. Can sprinkle in hot drinks such as coffee, lattes, and teas.
5 Ways to Use Matcha Powder

Zucchini is low in calories, helps to lower cholesterol, contains vitamins A and C, contains copper and manganese. Zucchini also helps to lower blood pressure.
26 Ways to Cook Zucchini

Hemp Protein Powder is a great way to incorporate more protein in your diet. Some say that it is one of the cleanest and best ways to incorporate protein into your diet. Hemp cleanses the liver, contains omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fatty acids, is rich in fiber. Has a nutty flavor and can be sprinkled on almost anything.
How to Use Hemp Protein

Now that I have done research on all of my new items I am ready to get started on my challenge! :D 

My Challenge: To use all of these items in one meal one day this week.







 

Never Knew 30 Could Feel So Good

Okay so soon Jenn and I will waltz right out of our 20's and dive into our 30's.

For some reason it made me sad to think about the fact that life goes by so fast. Getting older can be a little depressing. I am torn between the question of, "Is this a good thing or is it a bad thing?"

Well, in search of finding out what life after 30 feels like, I sent a text to all of my fellow 30+ year old's to see what type of advice they had for me.
The text simply said, " . . . I am turning 30 tomorrow. Any "Life After 30" Advice?'

Here are the top 12 responses in no particular order :) (Keep in mind that this is via text)

1. "Yea. Don't waist your time tryna grow somebody and find you somebody who can help you grow. Then you can grow together. If not then grow alone and you will run into someone who is the same eventually. There is alot of precious time that could be wasted because after 35 is 40. Then what?? All the wasteful years are behind you. Time to be productive and putting your plan into action. That's not what I nec. did. I tried to hang on to my twenties too long after i felt like i wasted alot of my time:) im getting there though. You already got a few steps ahead though because you are living through Christ. That's all I got to say. Lol."

2. "Life after 30 advice: did you know it was customary for the Jewish people to receive their inheritance at the age of 30? My advice to you is to receive and accept your inheritance from your Father. Did you know that Jesus started his ministry at age 30? My advice to you is to let God continue to use you in the area of ministry he has called you into. I Love you and I am excited for you and I know God is doing great and mighty things in you now and forever."

3.

4. " Keep on trusting God like you've been doing. Look back for a minute to see where God has brought you from."

5. "Yeah you'll get smarter."

6. " . . . don't look at your years but at the wisdom and beauty that you have gained :)."

7. " If your back starts to hurt the day after you turn 30 . . . Don't Cry."

8. "A seed is planted with anticipation of becoming a flower. The flower needs to be fed and kept until it is stable and strong to be called what it is . . . God has blessed you by feeding you with his word and giving you wisdom for life situations. You have grown into the woman that was purposed when that seed was first planted. Embrace where you are understanding that God is not finished. Capture each moment with eyes wide open and a heart to receive his continual feeding. I thank God for you. Happy 30..celebrate it Happy Birthday . . ."

9. " Live life to the fullest and make yourself happy not in a selfish way but in a good way."
 

10. Don't let the number get you. Enjoy the simple things of life. Bubbles, Chalk on the sidewalk, cartoons, and sunshine . . ."  11. 

12. Live it like every other day. Remember you're 29 today, so tomorrow ask yourself, "What has really changed? . . ."

 

Special thanks to those of you who took time out of your busy schedules to answer (Jess') crazy text this morning :) There was much more advice that was given, some advice was personal and some just good to know ;) I Love All That Responded including Mom and Dad! You two are the Best and Thanks for having Us! 

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things!

Getting ready for work: Excited about walking

I'm READY!

Alright! I stopped working out around 6 months of pregnancy due to unexpected circumstances but now . . . I'm Back and Feeling Stronger Than Ever.

 I Want to Blog About it! :D

 

Oh and . . .For those of you who don't know: I am 8 months pregnant! Hooray!

 

My Routine Was: brisk walking and working out on the elliptical ~ 4 days/wk for 30-45 minutes.
My workouts made me feel stronger and reduced my emotions and stress levels.
 
My Struggle: For me it was more of a struggle to work out being pregnant but keeping the benefits in mind helped me to be consistent with my routine. 

When the Problems Came: One night I decided that I wanted to play Michael Jackson the Experience on Wii for 45 min. On that same night, came pain and preterm contractions. (I'm not saying that the Wii game caused the contractions, but it was one of the new things I introduced during my pregnancy.)

Result: I was in the hospital for 2 days and on bed rest for a week!

WHAT NOW?

Solution: Since then, I've learned to take breaks often before my body tells me to take a break.  
Now I'm clear to resume regular activity with the advice of not "over doing it".

The Present: This week I am 31 weeks! I have been feeling very heavy, slow, tired, and sickly. Because of all of these feelings, I've mustard up the courage to start walking again in hopes to feel a little better and stronger. I'm a bit excited! 

My New Challenge: My new slow walk routine will be 4-5x/wk for 10-15 minutes.

Positive Results: Today and yesterday my walk went very well. I've never enjoyed walking as much as I do now. I was surprised how much better I felt after 15 minutes of walking very very very slow.

As slow as I was walking, I was still out of breath and even felt a slight burn in my legs. I think this walking routine will do my body good and I'm so thankful to complete the routine. 

This pregnancy journey has been quite interesting for me. I've learned many lessons, but one that stands out is: appreciating each day and being thankful for every moment of the ride. 

Happily Awaiting My R.A.W. "too"  

Jenn

To Die For Crock Pot Roast!

To Die for Crock Pot Roast 

A while back I was looking for a good crock pot recipe online and came across the To Die For Crock Pot Roast recipe. I thought since it had "to die for" as a part of the recipe name, that it couldn't be bad. I was right! This Pot roast recipe is delicious. It's so delicious that I could not help but to share the recipe with others!

Ingredients

1 beef roast, any kind
1-1/4 oz package of dried brown gravy mix
1-1/4 oz package of dried Italian salad dressing mix
1-1/4 oz package of dried ranch dressing mix
*(I added a small package of baby carrots and 2 medium sized potatoes)
1/2 cup water *(since I added carrots and pototoes I used 1c of water instead of 1/2c water)

  

Directions

Place beef roast in crock pot

Mix the dried ingredients together in a bowl and sprinkle over the roast.

(If desired) Place veggies in crock pot
Pour the water around the roast.
Cook on low for 7-9 hours.
One way to improve this recipe is to rub the dry ingredients on the roast instead of just sprinkling it.

Enjoy! 
Click Here to find other delicious recipes!

Pre-Plan For Stressful Days

No Sleep, Stressed, Unhealthy Relationships, Procrastination, Deadlines, Past Dues, Late Payments, and the list goes on and on and on...Agh! Will I ever get caught up?!

Hang on to your skinny jeans! This is where weight gain occurs.

Here are some ways you can help reduce weight gain when things get a little too overwhelming.

PRE PLAN for stressful days.

 Come up with good food plans for days when you know you will seek comfort in food. The notion of having a pint of ice cream set off to the side specifically for stressful days just doesn't cut it. What if you have 3 stressful days out of a week? That's 3 pints of ice cream! yikes. Stock up and be prepared for days when you just want to splurge and relax. Here are some ways to help you prepare ;) 

Find ways to make Comfort food...Healthy!

You have tossed ice cream and doughnuts out of the window...now what?
There are many food options that you can consider when it comes to filling your crave for sweet or salty snacks. Angela Lidon is the Queen of Healthy Comfort Food Recipes. Check her out here at OhSheGlows. Some of her recipes look a little "iffy" but, like the saying goes, "don't knock it till you try it." Angela knows her stuff ;)

 When Pre Planning: Travel International.

I'll tell you what...the last time I went grocery shopping, the international aisle blew my socks off!

I have to admit that I could not read most of the labels that were in the section of my interest because they were written in different languages but the ingredients...I Understood (they were written in English)! :D
I found great natural oil mixtures, pastas, and dips that I have never seen before (outside of an international market). The price was reasonable and it was a great experience. I couldn't wait to go home to test new recipes ;) The international aisle has been added to my... grocery list! :D

Get This (with food)

Stepping out of the box does not mean following the same pattern of baking traditional cakes, cookies, and pies all with base ingredients of butter, sugar,eggs, and milk...
Try to really challenge yourself by creating new family recipes with a fruit or veggie base such as a soup broth or fruit sweetener. You will be surprised at ideas you come up with!


I hope this helps in pinpointing some ways that you can change unhealthy eating habits. Happy Monday! :D

A Big Thanks To All The Murfreesboro Farmers!

I have to tell you guys about the Farmers Market Jenn and I visited on Yesterday. There were varieties of fruits, veggies, spices, homemade desserts, homemade wines and jellies, flowers, salsa, and more. The stands were set up and were easily located around the square of downtown Murfreesboro. We had a blast as we shopped at each market looking for a good bargain on fresh fruits and veggies. Look! I bought all of this for a little under $20.00! :-D And it's all ORGANIC! (for all of you organic folks)

Kale, Apples, Onions, Basil, 3 Kinds of Peppers
Oregano, Mint, and Sweet Potatoes

Buying food straight from the farmer makes for a good community feeling and closeness that you can't get in a grocery store. It also gives you the "Go Ahead" to practice your bargaining skills . . . I did this quite often, lol. Jenn just looked at me in humor as I put my skills to the test, lol. It was fun to see how much you could get for the amount of cash that you had in your pocket. We also got opportunities to talk about fresh recipes with the vendors. I received some great tips on how to tweak my salsa ;) It was a relief to find out that there were people just as excited as we were in eating healthy.

Jess trying a new bargaining technique (didn't work lol)

After shopping at the markets I couldn't wait to taste the pureness of buying food first hand. This is the first thing that I made :)



Rice with Jalapeno Pepper, Tomatoes, Basil,
Onions, Garlic, Lime, Cumin, and Salt

This creation was very simple and easy to make. Everything was so fresh and all of the flavors danced in my mouth. I was dancing too :)

For all of you local readers, information about the Farmers Market Me and Jenn went to will be posted below. As we Thank the Farmers we also want to Thank You for visiting our blog. We hope you enjoyed this post :) Happy Sunday ;)

Main Street Saturday Market will be open every Saturday of this month. The dates and times are October 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th from 8a.m. - Noon on the Courthouse Square. (June-October)