This blog will help you towards healthier lifestyle choices!

I owned a State Approved K-6 for over 20 years and when it closed, I was devastated. However, I decided to make lemonade out of lemons and so I thought: I went to school for 40 years (one class at a time) and I have a PhD, I'll just look for a better job.



And, I did.....look that is, the "finding" part eluded me. I was 60 years old, never got sick and could outwork almost anyone half my age but, as I was looking for a job, it was NOT looking for me!



In the first two years after my school's closure, I applied for over 450 jobs (everything from Starbucks, to Admin Assistant to jewelry sales) and had no luck.



Finally a friend asked why I was counting the jobs and I realized I was focusing on what was NOT happening instead of what might happen so I quit counting, but not applying.



In order to survive, I sold my house and lived off the proceeds while I continued applying. I lived extremely frugally because I knew that the money would not last forever.



Over the years, I have continued to live frugally and apply for jobs. However, there truly is ageism in America today and I have been unsuccessful in getting a "real" job.



What I have been successful at is cobbling together a life by working at my many part time jobs! Currently, I have 2 jobs each day (subbing in the Auburn School District and tutoring at Sylvan Learning Centers). And I do other jobs occasionally such as Real Estate Broker, Author, and Editor.



Because I am a Health Coach, my passion is helping people be healthier.
Over the years, I've learned much about how to be healthy even if I wasn't wealthy so I decided to share my expertise with you! I will bring you tips, recipes, and many ideas on how to choose a healthy lifestyle, even if you are eating out of the local Food Bank and/or don't have much money to pay for gym memberships!

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Zucchini, Bell Pepper, Tomato and Rice Stir

I made this recipe up because I was given a huge zucchini, some tomatoes and a red bell pepper.  I chopped them all up, put the into the oven for at 450 degrees for about 1/2 hour.  I put the mixture over cooked brown rice.

1 large zucchini chopped small
1 red bell pepper, chopped small
Several tomatoes, chopped small
1" of ginger finely diced

2 cups cooked brown rice

Cook the zucchini mixture in a 450 oven for about 30 minutes (or until the zucchini is very soft).  Pour it over the cooked rice.  Add some Bragg's Aminos to taste.

Very Yummy Almond. Carob Banana Smoothie!

I made this yesterday but didn't have time 2 put it on. It is so very yummy!

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops soy powder
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
2 heaping Tablespoons carob
2 handfuls raw almond slices
1 cup fresh spinach
6-8 frozen bananas, broken into thirds

Put all ingredients into VitaMix in order listed. Turn VitaMix slowly up to ten. Then turn to high & blend until smooth.  If you like your almonds a little chunky, don't blend quite so long. Car


Saturday, August 24, 2013

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Smoothie

Well, I was at the end of my one month of living on smoothies and I just combined all the leftovers into one smoothie.  It actually quite tasty. 

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops soy powder
2 Tablespoons flax
1 cup strawberries
1  cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 apple cut into quarters
1/4 inch fresh ginger
Juice of one lime

Put all ingredients into VitaMix in order listed.  Slowly turn to 10 and then turn onto high.  Blend until smooth.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Oh, Give Us Some Figgy Pudding Smoothie!

Well, actually, I've never had any "figgy pudding" (as it is called in the Christmas song) but this is my version for a smoothie.  I quite liked it.

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops soy powder
2 Tablespoons of flax seeds
6 figs
1 cup frozen strawberries
6 frozen bananas
1 dropperful of stevia

Put ingredients into VitaMix in order listed.  Turn VitaMix slowly up to 10.  Then turn onto high and blend until smooth.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Not Quite Reese's Smoothie

 I don't usually like peanut butter (too many years in childcare I think). But, somehow today I was in the mood for peanut butter.  I got to thinking about a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and wondered if I could approximate the taste.  Here's my contribution:

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops soy powder
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1/2 cup raw slivered almonds
4 heaping Tablespoons Adam's peanut butter
4 heaping Tablespoons carob
1 organic apple, quartered
6 frozen bananas, cut into thirds
2 droppers of stevia

Put all ingredients into a VitaMix in order listed.  Turn the VitaMix slowly to "10" and then onto "high".  Blend until smooth.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie

I used up the last of my strawberries in this smoothie:

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops powdered soy
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
4 cups frozen strawberries
5 frozen kiwis, cut into pieces
4 frozen bananas, cut into thirds
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 droppers of stevia

Put ingredients into blender in order listed.  Slowly turn VitaMix to 10 and then turn it to high. 

Berry Good Smoothie!

I have a friend with a blackberry patch and she told me I could come and pick.  Yea!  I picked enough for a week's worth of smoothies.  YUM! Here's one of my first recipes:

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops soy powder
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
3 cups frozen blackberries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
4 frozen bananas
1 handful fresh spinach

Put ingredients into VitaMix in order listed.  Slowly turn VitaMix up to number 10, then turn to high.  Blend until smooth. 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Peachy Keen Smoothie with a Touch of Ginger!

I made this smoothie this morning and it tastes great!

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops powdered soy
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
1 handful of spinach
3 organic peaches (cut away from the pit
1 cup frozen mangoes
1 organic apple, cut into about 1/8's
4 frozen bananas, cut into thirds
1 dropper full of Vanilla stevia

Put into VitaMix in order listed.  Turn VitaMix on variable and slowly turn knob to 10.  Then turn on "high" and blend until smooth. 

Friday, August 9, 2013

Emily's Favorite Green Drink

One of my students at Sylvan gave me this green drink.  She said her father made it and it was her favorite.  It has no soy in it so, if I were using it during this month of not being able to eat, I would certainly add soy.

2 cups distilled water
1 cup organic kale
1/2 cup parsley
1 granny smith apple
2 bananas

Put all ingredients into VitaMix in order listed.  Use variable and move slowly to 10.  Turn on to high and blend until smooth.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Yummy! Kiwi Lime Smoothie!

I still have about 3 weeks to go until I can eat regular food.  I made this smoothie this morning simply because I had the ingredients and thought I would try putting them all together.  I loved it!

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops powdered soy (or whatever taste you like best)
2 Tablespoons flax seeds
1 handful fresh organic spinach, washed
6 frozen kiwis (cut off the hard end and quarter)
4 frozen bananas, broken into 3 pieces each
1 cup raw slivered almonds
2 droppers full of Vanilla Stevia

Put into VitMix in order listed.  Turn "variable" setting slowly up to 10, then turn onto "high" setting.  Blend until smooth.  If too thick, add a bit more water.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Refreshing Green Drink!

I just put these ingredients together because they were all green and it tasted really yummy!

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops powdered soy
2 tablespoons organic flax seed
1 organic green apple
2 cups organic green grapes
2 cup organic spinach (I used the spinach that I grew in a planter pot)
4 organic frozen bananas (take the peel off before freezing)
Juice from 1 lime
Dropperful of stevia (I used vanilla, I think almond would have been tasty also)

Put into VitaMix in order listed.  Turn VitaMix on variable and slowly move from 1 to 10.  Turn on high and blend until you can't see any particles moving around.  Enjoy!


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Settle the Tummy Smoothie

I am having some stomach issues because of the Ibuprofen I am taking so I decided the best natural remedy was ginger. This smoothie has a LOT of ginger in it.

3 cups distilled water
2 scoops of Tofu drink mix, powdered soy milk or any alternative you particularly like.
4 frozen bananas broken into 3 pieces for each banana
1 cup frozen mangoes
1-2 cups ginger I used crystalized ginger, only because I happened to have it on hand when the stomach ache hit)
1 dropperful of Vanilla stevia

Put ingredients into a VitaMix in order listed.  Turn VitaMix on variable to "ten", then turn to high and blend until smooth. 

This settled my tummy ache in only 20 minutes.