TBT: Throwback Thursday

A bright, warm sunny day in Brooklyn. Summer 2012, rocking my TWA (teeny weeny afro). Top vintage, skirt Forever 21. Can't wait for warmer days....

What I ate today....

I had a simple healthy breakfast this morning. Steel cut oats sprinkled with cinnamon and a teaspoon of TJ's cookie butter. I reached in the cabinet to get peanut butter and decided to be a little bad and use the cookie butter instead ;-). Oatmeal, while not my favorite is great for nursing mothers because it really boosts your milk supply. Green tea on the side, which is not necessarily recommended for nursing mothers because of the caffeine, but I it does have antioxidants and other health benefits and I had it in the house so I drank one cup.

Natural Toy Cleaning

I clean my son's toys at least once a day, sometimes more depending on the need. I have a couple of different, natural methods for cleaning them. As pictured above about once a week I put his hard smaller toys in a dish basin and soak in warm water with Dr. Bronners Castile soap (around 2 teaspoons) and Apple Cider Vinegar (about 2 teaspoons) for about 3-5 minutes. Then I drain the basin and sprinkle baking soda  over the toys and wipe them down with a clean damp cloth. I rinse the toys and lay them out on a clean surface to dry. For quick daily cleaning I keep a spray bottle of 1 part apple cider vinegar and 3 parts filtered water that I spray the toys with then wipe them down with a damp paper towel. Viola! Clean toys ready for playtime with the little one.

I use Dr. Bronner's Castile soap, Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking Soda all over my house for many purposes especially cleaning. Look forward to more posts with all the many benefits of these simple natural products. 

Quinoa Scrambled Eggs

I woke up this morning ravenous, blame it on the breast feeding. I wanted some scrambled eggs so I pulled the eggs and some spinach out of the fridge.I always put fresh chopped up spinach in my scrambled eggs. But I needed more, eggs are really never enough for me. I’m really trying to cut down on bread in my diet (there is so much added crapola in store-bought bread) at least until I find the time/energy/motivation to start making all my bread from scratch. I spotted some cooked quinoa left over from lunch this week, jackpot! 

I scrambled up three eggs in a bowl with salt, pepper and basil. Then I put a saucepan on the stove on medium heat with some coconut oil and a couple of chopped cloves of garlic. Added two handfuls of rinsed and chopped fresh spinach, then poured the scrambled eggs on top. Cooked the eggs for about 5 minutes then poured about a cup of cooked quinoa on top. Quick and painless and super tasty. This is definitely a very satisfying yet light and fresh meal. I really loved it. I just ate a serving of quinoa, spinach and garlic all before noon? Wow, I could eat crap for the rest of the day and still get away with it! I’m totally joking. Lol Enjoy your day loves. xoxo

Simple Lentil Soup

Lentils are a super food in my book which means they contain many nutrients and are easy to include in a tasty meal. To be so small they pack a mighty punch. Lentils are legumes ( part of the bean family) and are a great source of fiber and iron. If you are a vegetarian, vegan or participating in Meatless Mondays, lentils serve as a great meat replacement, paired with  peppers for better iron absorption. Lentils are also a great source of folate which is especially good for pregnant women, as folate helps prevent brain and spinal cord birth defects in babies. 

Lentils are almost magical in the bevy of health benefits they offer, check out my list below of all the goodies lentils contain: 

• Calcium 
• Folic Acid
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Phosphorus
• Potassium
• Thiamine
• Vitamin B6
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E

Sources: www.livestrong.com and www.3fatchicks.com

Now here’s my recipe for lentil soup. This is a really great and easy meal for using what you have in the kitchen for those times when you need to go grocery shopping/ don’t feel like cooking. This soup just tastes way too good to be this easy.

Denise’s Simple Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 5 carrots
• 1 16 oz bag of dried lentils
• 4-5 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• pinch of dried ginger
• teaspoon dried basil
• teaspoon salt
• teaspoon pepper

Procedure:

Chop up onion, garlic and carrots and saute in a stockpot on medium heat with the olive oil and salt, pepper and basil. Rinse the lentils in a strainer then add to pot and mix. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium/low and cover. Cook for 30-45 minutes depending on preference/ time constraints. I add the ginger and a little more pepper after finished cooking. Then Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional or nutritionist please consult your doctor before making any health decisions.

What’s your favorite way to make lentils?

Introduction

My sister called me up a few days ago and as I told her about my day she laughed and told me I’m like the Brooklyn housewife.

That comment sparked something in me. My interest in health, cooking, beauty and fashion and recently all things baby always lead me to new things. I research new and sometimes very old ways of doing things. I love to put my own spin on recipes and I often just go into the kitchen and create. I look for simplified ways and more chemical free options in almost everything from haircare to cleaning products.

I’m trying to eliminate processed foods from my diet, but every once in a while I crave a pizza and I’m too busy/tired/lazy to make it from scratch with better ingredients. I love cookies and chips  and wonder how some of these “crunchy” mamas find time to make everything from scratch. I’m the healthy go-to person among my friends and family and I always have an idea/suggestion/resource to give. When my husband and I got pregnant I immediately started a group for first time expecting moms and spent countless hours researching. Everything from the different stages of labor, and  pitocin, to the different cloth diaper options to natural ways to deal with morning sickness. That’s not even scraping the surface!

I’m on a journey to become a better mother, a better wife and a better person. I want to achieve a few goals, completely eliminate processed foods from my diet, and be more consistent with a lot of my more healthful practices among other things that you will discover along the way. 

I want to share my experiences/adventures/trial and errors/successes/joys/wackiness with you all. I hope you may benefit from my growth. So please stick around and share your ups and downs with me. What are some of your lifestyle/health goals