Miracles Never Cease....

(Chicken Picata w/ artichoke, tomatoes, capers, etc...)

 For those of you who personally know me,

 it is a well known fact

 that my hubby and daughter

 are purely carnivores

and

purely junk- food- ivores.

It has been source of contention in my home

 for quite some time.

 (Beef, avocado, sprouts, & spinach rolls)

After having a family pow wow 

a week ago,

the other two thirds of my family

 decided to willingly surrender!

 (15 grain bread, low fat cheese, lean meat, pure joy)

We now drink a low fat,

fruit & protein filled

smoothie for breakfast,

then we eat several veggie & fruit filled

 mini meals throughout the day.

(the above pics are just a sampling) 

Words cannot convey

 the long awaited joy that I feel,

 knowing that I am

not serving my family foods that will

harm and possibly kill them.

This is truly a

Happy Mothers Day!

 Eloise & Cousin planting seeds.

 Some seeds that Eloise started earlier this year.

This is an old picture.

The plants are bigger now.

We actually used the sweet Basil 

in the Chicken Picata dish at the top.

This is a bonus post:
      I just wanted to share how industrious and resourceful my little darling is. About once a year, I go through my closet and get rid of all shoes that are really unbalanced. For some reason the outsides of my heels wear out really quickly. After a while, I can't walk in them comfortably because my feet fall to the outside. This in turn causes my ankles to twist, my knees to hurt, and my back gets all out of whack.
Anywho... I recently did a shoe tossing. After I dumped three pairs of shoes in the garbage, I returned to my closet to wipe down all of the keepers. I suddenly became aware of a whirring noise. Upon further investigation, I realized that Eloise had rescued the cast off shoes. She was using the "pedi paws" spinning pet-claw file to even out the heels. Now I can get another season out of my favorite sandals.

 I love that kid. 

Pass the staples please.....

...and I'm not talkin about the silver kind you use to hold papers together! I have been mostly shopping the perimeter of the grocery for about 6 years now. We all know that is where the fresh veggies, fruits, meats, dairy, and breads are. I made this lifestyle change when I opened a women's fitness facility. Even though "Katrina" destroyed the gym I still shop this way. I have to admit that it was very difficult for me at first because I had this notion that cooking from scratch was too hard. After working at it for a while it simply became a habit I am now thankful I have. With prices sky-rocketing at the grocery it pays to eliminate purchasing expensive kits & ready made meals, plus it really is liberating to start with a few basic staples and make whatever you want. With things like flour, sugar, eggs, oil, extracts, and spices, you can make a huge assortment of baked goods. Everything from simple breads and biscuits to delicious cakes and cookies. The best part about it is the fact that you know exactly what you are feeding your family. Contrary to popular belief it's not all that difficult either. The picture above is a simple dish I make when I'm pinched for time. I simply place a whole chicken in the crock pot with carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, spices, water, and a little bit of butter. My crock cooks according to time so I set it for 8 hours and let it work it's magic. Delicious, inexpensive, and healthy to boot! So with that I say....Pass the staples please. ;-)