I’ll be honest…chocolate is one of my favorite things ever.

Dark, milk, semi-sweet, chocolate with caramel or peanut butter, truffles, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake. Doesn’t matter…I just love it. Yum. (Not white chocolate though, yuck.)

Its kinda sad at times how happy chocolate makes my taste buds. I have to keep the whole moderation issue in check with my chocolate love. Some times Mark jokes that I like it more than him!

Tonight, I’m thankful for chocolate and how the simple joy of an awesome tasting treat can make my day just a little bit better.

Last Christmas, my wonderful Mom gave Mark and I the gift of a couple’s weekend away to a hotel in the NC Mountains, baby sitting by Grandma included. Sweet deal! 9 months later, we finally got to use it a few weekends ago in September.  I chose September because its my birthday month (I’m 24 now, woo!), the weather would be cooler and more fall-ish, plus Jaxson would be over 10 months old and less dependent on me. Boy, did I underestimate the stress on me though in leaving my breastfed-on-demand child. I worried for his comfort, would he be okay leaving me for the first time? Would I have enough milk stashed? Would he sleep at all in a new setting?! Regardless, we couldn’t back out of the trip for many reasons so I just prayed a lot and trusted in my Mom’s ability to take care of my kids and looked forward to quality quiet time with my husband.

So, here’s a few lessons I learned in the mountains:

1. My kids do just fine without me, if not even better. Jaxson actually slept through the night one time for my mom…not fair! But, it was a relief to know that they were doing great and comfortable in their new surroundings.

2. Salsa’s in downtown Asheville is one of the best mexican-ish style food I’ve ever had, probably because everything seemed so fresh and healthy! I thoroughly enjoyed my chicken empanada stuffed with veggies and side of black beans and fresh salsa. Amazing. Even my non-veggie-loving hubby was brave and enjoyed it.

3. French Broad Chocolates has the best chocolates. Ever. Sure, my little souvenir box of 6 chocolates was a lovely’ $13….but it was worth the price. Mostly. I had a few that weren’t good choices for my taste (strawberry balsamic? Gag). My favorites were the lavender and honey, salted honey caramel, and one other one that I can’t find online that had caramel as well. Oh my word…such goodness. I treasured those 6 chocolates and spaced them out for days to enjoy when I got home.

4. The Waynesville Inn needs to work on their landscaping. Sure, their golf course was in excellent condition and beautifully taken care of….but for those who wanted to watch or enjoy the mountain view? Well, lets just say some bushes got in the way. Seriously? Whose grand plan was this? It sure gave Mark and I a good laugh though! We did enjoy their row of rocking chairs on the patio instead, which was a lovely way to spend our mornings watching the fog uncover the hiding mountains, hand in hand.

5. We needed this. All tourism aside, Mark and I needed this trip. We hadn’t had a trip just the 2 of us in about 3 years. This weekend made us realize we need to do this more…simply treasuring each other’s company and having quiet. Maybe that doesn’t mean a mountain getaway or a second honeymoon, but at least more date nights regularly. It was so incredibly nice to just feel like us again– letting go of chores and work responsibilities, getting to eat my food while it was still hot, not having to worry about getting strollers out, or tag teaming who gets who into the car. It felt like…freedom. Not to say I don’t enjoy and love our kids– I’ll take cold meals and dirty dishes any day if it means I have their joy in my life. But, it was so nice to step back and breathe for 2 days and come back feeling refreshed and in more in love with my husband.

And that, makes us even better parents in the long run.

Thank you mountains, and thanks Mom!

I myself do not have allergies that I know of, but for the sake of Jaxson and his apparent reactions to certain foods I eat transmitted through my milk, I chose to change my diet. It’s been 5 months now since his rashes started appearing and  the frustrations of “What the heck is causing this?!” consumed my mommy life. It’s been quite an adventure and change for us, taking into consideration many people’s opinions from doctors to other mom’s, spending lots of wasted money on ointments, and experimenting with supplemental foods. Back in March at the doctor we pinned down the allergens to be eggs, nuts, dairy, and since then I’ve added soy to the list.

How’s it going, you ask? Well for many months I tried to avoid those foods for his sake, but often failed because of my sweet tooth. Like, when my husband would bring home doughnuts (shame on him to bring home temptation!) or I’d be at a birthday party and sneak a bit of cake. Or, not picking a decent restaurant to avoid cross-contamination, like those cook-in-front-of-you Japanese steak houses where everything is cooked with butter and right next to the eggs for fried rice! So yes, my sweet tooth and eating out has been my biggest challenge. I was getting so frustrated that even though I was “being good” most of the time, he still would have red flared up cheeks that would come and go in intensity.  Get better, get worse, get better, get worse. I would have hope that we finally had it manageable and then I’d sneak another bite of something and make it worse again. Oh, the guilt!

Several times I’ve woken up to Jaxson with blood covered sheets and bright red cheeks, but one day I had had enough. Frustrated with how I had been handling things, I turned to the idea of finding a formula that maybe he would thrive on instead of literally tearing his skin off. Good news? They do make a soy and dairy free formula! Bad news? It costs at least $30 a can, making it over $100 per month. Oy. I like that breastfeeding is free. And plus, the more I thought about it, the more I mourned the idea of losing that special bond between Jaxson and I. I’ve written before how he adores that time, both for hunger and for comfort and quite honestly, I’m not ready to give that up if I don’t need to. Still, that night I nursed him and while doing so I prayed about what God would have me do. I kid you not, the next day his face was at least 50% clearer, when just the day before he had clawed his face over and over.  To me, it was a sign from God to keep trying. So I strapped on my big girl momma boots and determined to try harder.

And, I prayed a lot.

I prayed that God would take away the cravings of the foods that caused him to flare. I prayed that he would purify my milk and the allergens would leave his body. I prayed he wouldn’t itch and scratch. And, I gave thanks that his allergy reactions are just a rash and not anything life threatening like breathing problems (Seriously. Thank you, God!).

I tell you, prayers work! Soon after that my stepmom remembered what she used to do for my little brother when he had eczema (not food related, but same itchy skin situation). We realized that Savannah would eat a PB&J or eat cereal with milk and then kiss all over her baby brother, which easily could pass allergens along. So, I followed her advice of washing his cheeks and hands more often to wipe off any allergens that were lingering on the skin. That made a huge difference! And then, I bought yet another ointment to put on his rash. I’ve tried everything it seems like, natural or not, from Emu oil to paraban laden creams recommended by the dermatologist. Although I would like to find a natural solution, but this Eczema cream with Cortizone has made the most drastic difference.

Of course, I haven’t taken a current picture of him lately except on my cell phone (shame, shame). But, let’s just say he looks kind of like this where the rashes were edited out by an awesome photographer back in May when he was about 6.5 months old:

Minus the frowny face and the froggy hat.

Sure, we have our flare ups every now and then. But, as I stick to my diet for his sake (and improving my own health along the way!) they usually are very small and manageable compared to what the past months have looked like.

Praise God for clear cheeks!

First Trimester: Pizza.

I felt awful the first trimester and salty things were all about all I wanted. I try to eat healthy but I couldn’t battle all day sickness with healthy foods all the time if just the thought/smell of things would make me gag. Pizza was often my go-to meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Specifically freezer pizza and pizza rolls. I’m not proud of it, not exactly a nutritious way to grow a new being, but some times you gotta do what you can!

Second Trimester: Spinach.

Remember those spinach quesadillas and salads? I still eat them often because they are quick and healthy lunches, but they have lost their “this is amazing” factor when eating. Maybe I just ate too many of them, I’m sure it’s been hundreds in the last few months.

Third Trimester: Peanut Butter.

Apples with peanut butter, graham crackers with peanut butter, on toast, PB&J sandwiches, or straight out of the jar. Yum. I eat it for snacks every day, some times several times a day. At least it’s semi-healthy, right? (the sugar and fat in it quickly adds up)

Of course, there are other things I’ve craved this pregnancy (like marshmallows…) but these 3 stand out the most because they seriously are/were an every day-have-to-have kind of thing. And if I’m out? I have to buy more! With Kaylee and Savannah I craved different things, I guess the old wives tale was true for me. The first trimester I had to have Cheerios, all day long to battle morning sickness and I just loved the bland taste. After that it was a lot of fruit. It’s funny how things can be so different between pregnancies, but more on that later.

What did you crave?

I think it’s funny how my favorite foods expand as I grow older. I used to not really like broccoli or asparagus growing up, but now they are my favorite veggies with and in just about anything (within reason, of course, like pastas and stir fries or as a side dish to dinner. But, waffles and broccoli? No thanks). Same goes with cheese. I’m still not a huge cheese fan,  I can’t handle a lot at a time like lasagna or certain kinds like ricotta…but I eat a lot more of it in general and try different kinds than I would as child, or more than my own Dad will even now.

My newest discovery? I love spinach. Like, love it. I’ve eaten it just about every day this summer since friends introduced me to ways to eat it that is appealing (the cooked spinach I’ve seen like Popeye? Isn’t so appealing). My obsession started back in May with a spinach basil quesadilla a friend made me along with a homemade strawberry vinaigrette salad with soy nuts.  And, soy nuts? I hadn’t heard of them and normally only like peanuts, but soy nuts are fabulous on a salad!

And then, another friend made a spinach strawberry walnut salad last month with a raspberry vinaigrette. Yes, there is a difference than the one I had in May because it had real strawberries on it, not just nuts, and it was made with spinach leaves rather than lettuce. It took my love to a whole new level.  That is another new thing, fruit on salads never appealed to me until I actually tried it. And surprise! Spinach leaves tastes just like any other darker lettuce and I figure it’s a good way to get the iron I need for my growing boy. And since then, me and my spinach have been best friends for practically every lunch.

Since having my first spinach quesadilla, I’ve been perfecting it to my taste the past few months. My favorite way to make it goes something like this:

-A whole wheat tortilla in a greased pan (I use olive oil spray) on medium heat

-While tortilla is warming, add a light layer of shredded mozzarella cheese

-Break pieces of grilled chicken (I used the pre-cooked strips like Purdue Shortcuts) and fresh basil leaves (we have a plant outside, I wash and use about 3-4 leaves total) and place around tortilla

-Sprinkle of Herbs de Providence, onion powder, and garlic powder (this is what took the flavor the extra step of goodness!)

-Layer of raw spinach leafs (I used the pre-washed bagged stuff)

-A little more basil leaf pieces, another layer of cheese, and a top tortilla.

-Allow to cook until bottom tortilla is a golden brown, then flip and brown the top layer

-When everything is browned and melted perfectly, I use a pizza cutter and start munching!

The Strawberry Salad is super easy:

-Place washed raw spinach leafs in a bowl

-Throw some soy nuts on top (I found mine at Bloom, but I’m sure they would be at a health food store and I’ve heard even Walmart has them)

-Add fresh chopped strawberries (I was out when I took the picture above, sadly. The sweet berries with the sorta-salty soy nut is an amazing combo)

-Add your favorite raspberry or strawberry vinaigrette (I’ve been trying out different store bought ones, right now I’m using Newman’s Raspberry Walnut).

Sometimes I take fresh strawberries and puree them with the raspberry vinaigrette for an even better tastes-like-homemade dressing. I still use this little baby food guy for my puree needs even though we’ve been done with baby food for years. Love it. I’ve also heard people use walnuts, pecans, feta cheese, cranberries, etc. if that’s your thing. That’s what’s great about quesadillas and salads is that it’s so customizable!

And at least I’m craving something healthy everyday, right?

Drink tea.

While I write a paper. Drive to school. Snuggle my little girl (who steals a sip or two).  Eat breakfast. Catch up on blog readings. Read emails . Even while we viewed a piece of land yesterday (!).

I heart tea.

Me and tea, we go way back, and the bonds are everlasting.

And? I can do it guilt free with no caffeine and no sugar. I’ve been using “Ideal” brand Xylitol and love it. It tastes and looks like sugar, but it has zero calaries, low carbs, and no sugar. And, it’s actually good for you, unlike sugar and other artificial sweeteners: it  helps prevent cavities! Plus, it’s cheap.

So, I heart Xylitol as well. I just wish I could buy it in bulk in local stores :-/ More on xylitol later. It deserves it’s own post!

I’ve had several people asking about the agave peanut butter cookies I made for my birthday so I thought I’d share with everyone! I made the dough Thursday night and baked them on Friday.   I’ve made peanut butter cookies before (not using agave) without refrigerating the dough first and let me just say, it was much easier this time with the dough chilled. These turned out really well, they tasted exactly like other recipes I’ve made using regular processed sugar, and perhaps even more moist and tasty!  The only thing I might add next time is more peanut butter. I like my cookies to burst with flavor and even with the chopped nuts in it, it needed  more peanut kick (the same thing happened when I made regular peanut butter cookies last time) so I indulged in adding a tiny bit of a home made peanut butter frosting on top (using powdered sugar since I couldn’t find an agave frosting recipe online. If anyone know of an agave frosting please share). I also halved this recipe because I do not need to eat 5 dozen cookies by my self. So in short: these are tasty and could fool anyone who didn’t know it wasn’t a typical recipe!

Agave Peanut Butter Cookies

1/2C butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
2/3 cup honey OR agave nectar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/2 cups WW flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped peanuts

In a large bowl combine butter, peanut butter, honey (or agave), vanilla and egg. Beat thoroughly.

Stir together flour and baking soda. Add to peanut butter mixture and blend. Add peanuts and mix. Chill dough several hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 325F. Oil a baking sheet.

Drop dough by level tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let stand for a few minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire racks to cool.

Makes 5 dozen. NOTE: If using HONEY this would go under the 3 grams sugar rule. Broken down this would give you approx. 48tsp of honey, you are making 5 dozen, (60 cookies), broken down, this will give you 3.02 grams of sugar per cookie.

Source: 3fatchicks.com forum. They have a ton of great healthy recipes, but this is the only one I’ve tried so far.

P.S. Curious what agave is?  It’s a natural alternative to sugar from an agave plant. It’s very similar to the texture and sweetness of honey, but without the honey taste.  It’s a low glycemic sugar substitute so diabetics can use it, and I chose to use it to limit my intact of processed sugar and even though I am not diabetic I try to follow a low GI diet for my acne’s sack. I hate artificial sweeteners for their bitter after taste and for just how bad they are for your health, and this is neither of those!  It can easily be found in local health food stores like Trader Joes, Earthfare, etc. for about $5.

I inherited the love of ice cream from my Dad’s side, it’s our dessert weakness.  It’s better than birthday cake, coconut cream pie, candy, or a cinnabon.

However, as I’ve gotten older I’ve become a little more…picky…about the ice cream I like. 4 years ago my best friend introduced me to Coldstone Creamery, and man, that is the standard of good stuff right there. So in trying that most creamiest, flavorful ice cream full of fresh strawberries (birthday cake ice cream with strawberries, please) I put store bought ice cream behind. It just wasn’t good enough,  the texture wasn’t the same, the flavor tasted fake, and mostly it tasted like freezer burn.

Until…I found this:  Breyers Fried Ice Cream. I may have to say this is better than Coldstone Creamery or Marble Slab (maybe…).  It’s super flavorful, creamy, and I practically melt with the amazingness of each bite.   And it sure beats the price of paying $5 for a gallon versus $5 for one serving.  I’m in love.

It’s a cinnamon ice cream with swirls of caramel, and how is it “fried” you ask?  The bits of cinnamon sugar tostada pieces add the fried crunch (like what you get at a Mexican restaurant). Oh. My. Gosh. I saw some one describe it like Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal but in ice cream form (and so much better…).  Seriously, I eat a bowl every single day now and it makes my day a much happier place to be (especially no-nap-whiny-days like this past week has been). Yes, it’s not the healthiest food ever. But oh my, is it worth eating healthy to eat this as my treat.

Yum.

Ok yall, this past month has proven to be a trying one for us regarding Savannah.  Maybe it has something to do with “knowing” something is different with a new baby coming, maybe it’s just the fact that she’s 2 and fighting for any control she can get.  But, whatever it is, please help!

1)  She won’t eat. While this isn’t exactly a “new” thing, it’s normal for her to go through phases of not eating much and then suddenly being a pig again. The doctor has never been worried because it’s normal for kids to be like that and we figure she’ll eat when she’ hungry (heck, I’m the same way!). But for the past month she seriously refuses to eat, resulting in weight loss. Now, Savannah is already REALLY small for her age (like me) so she can’t afford to lose more weight than she already doesn’t have.  She asks for one thing and then asks for another, I used to oblige in hopes she would eat, but then I just end up with 2 plates of not touched wasted food.

She also suddenly is REALLY picky about what she will eat. The foods she used to love, she now won’t touch or will only eat a bite or two. She used to love meats as long as it had ketchup on it. Now all she will eat is fruit and veggies, which while it is healthy for her, it is NOT filling. Which leads me to my next issue…

2) She won’t sleep. I know I’ve said a million times that we’ve always had some kind of sleep issue or another with her. But usually those sleep phases are short lived and has reasons to them like sickness or teething.  This time? She is not sick, and all her teeth are in so the only conclusion I can find is that she is just scared and REALLY dependent on Mark or I being in the room with her while she sleeps, and I think she keeps waking up at night because she didn’t eat dinner, so she’s hungry (she always asks for a “sanwich” in the middle of the night). Also, I’ve found that the rare times she DOES eat a good dinner, her night wake up calls happens later (11pm versus 3 or 4am).  So I’m sure hunger has to do with part of it.

And then, back to the issue of her being scared or just dependent on us. I don’t know what to do about this. We’ve battled this a million times in her 2 years of life, usually crying it out or giving in is our only options. But, this time crying it out leads to me being awake for 2 hours in the middle of the night because SHE won’t give in.  Or even if I sit in there with her until she falls asleep, it takes her atleast an hour or two for her to fall back asleep. But, if one of us goes in there to sleep (and lays down on the bed versus sitting on the floor) she’ll go right out.  So basically, my husband and I haven’t slept in the same bed in weeks and I hate it.  I also can’t remember the last night we slept the whole night through, which is sad. I’m not used to this lifestyle anymore (guess she’s preparing me early for our December arrival?).

In the past we kind of “weaned” her from how long we would stay in there while she was falling asleep but she will NOT have that now.  If she cannot see us, even with the door wide open and she can hear us say “We’re right here” she freaks out. She has to know that we are physially right by her to go to sleep. She has to absolutely be asleep for us to be able to leave the room (or we just fall asleep there…) I can’t do this forever.

What to do? Help us!

3 days ago I started a diet.  I know everyone that has met me in person just gasped and said “No! Why?! You’re already too small!” And I totally agree, but my diet isn’t to loose weight, it’s just a makeover of my food choices to be more healthy in general.  And, to get rid of this acne that is only getting worse with age rather than better (it’s totally a myth that acne is for teenagers!).

For several months  I’ve been reading all that Fran over at High On Health has to say, along with reading about the experiences of other acne sufferers and what they had tried.  In most cases? Food was the problem and was the answer. However, being stubborn me, I didn’t look at my diet or change it, I just bought more products to try because nothing was working.  I even resorted to buying the Proactiv trial (for $5.00 on ebay!) because I was sick of my face and wanted a quick fix before school started back.   It didn’t clear my skin, I’ve just been left with acne and horribly dried out, bleached skin (and towels).  Obviously, that doesn’t sound to healthy either, so I’m switching to gentler and more natural products in the next few days.

Back to the diet.  I decided it was time to fight acne (and the other health issues I have such as suddenly being allergic to products, a rash I’ve had for a year, digestive issues, etc.) from the inside. I bought Fran’s ebook and went to the grocery store to start all over with my foods.  Basically, I’m following a Low GI diet (like a diabetic).  I am positive that it is sugar causing my acne, so this diet eliminates all the refined sugars and replaces it with healthy alternatives like honey and the natural sugars in fruits.  I realized that my acne started getting worse this summer when I started drinking coffee regularly.  And in my coffee? I had 1/3 cup of sugar (yes, you read that right. I like things SWEET!) and who knows how much vanilla coffee mate that has even more sugar.  So, I’ve completely stopped drinking coffee and now drink (decaf) tea with honey.  I’ve also switched to all whole grain breads, pasta, and rice.  Eating tons of fruits and veggies and I try to cook as much as I can, rather than resorting to processed foods.

The result?  Just in 3 days. 3 days, people! I have noticed a huge difference in my body.  My acne and the scars are already subsiding.  My digestive issues are more regular.  And I just feel better, folks. I’m excited for these new changes for a healthier life style.  I’m slowly making my way into livng a more “green” lifestyle, both inside and out.