Month: June 2017

The Life I Live

The Best Natural Deodorant and it’s Not What You’d Expect

I’ve found it. After years of searching and trying all the products I could get my hands on, I’d all but given up. But then..

Though a day, a yoga session, and a nights sleep, it worked. Through a day and a cardio workout, while stepping into the shower, I noticed it was still working.

And what’s more? It smells amazing. A friend suggested it and I couldn’t be more happy with the result! IMG_20170630_123306 (1)

Have you ever tried primal pit paste? Do you love it as much as me?? There are several other natural deodorants that I’ve tried and liked but none of them worked as well as this one.

Tell me if there’s others I should try and let me know if you like this one too! Happy Natural Deodorant using=)

Wanna try it right now? Here’s my favorite:

And the friend that told me about it, here’s the one she uses:

Dairy Free Paleo Recipes Vegan

Oven-Roasted Garlic Lemon Pepper Broccoli

It’s early Saturday morning but I can’t stop dreaming about the broccoli from dinner last night. Broccoli you say? Yes!

So I love broccoli, steamed, raw, and otherwise. My hubby, not so much. This recipe though? He told me how great he thought it was and I was floored to say the least.

This broccoli side is the easiest and tastiest. Just toss together a few ingredients and bake in the oven creating a crispy, crunchy, nutty flavor. This is going to be a new weekly staple for sure.

Oven Roasted Garlic Lemon Pepper BroccoliIMG_20170623_190647

  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes and enjoy!

Do you like this recipe? Check out my soup and salad book! You can read it for free this weekend (6/24 & 25.)

And here’s my other book too:

The Life I Live

My Newest Book is Out and Free to View Tomorrow (June 23rd) and All Weekend!

Here it is, my second book!

Everything’s Better With Soup and Salad is so perfect for this season. I have always loved soup and salad for meals and this collection is too good.

It’s also gluten free, full of vegetables, and full of flavor. Everyone needs more vegetables in their lives and these recipes are so good, you’ll forget how healthy they are.

Everything’s Better with Soup and Salad is FREE to readers all day tomorrow, June 23rd, 24th, and 25th 2017. Here’s the link:

Thanks for supporting my site. Enjoy these favorites from the book below and check out my the free promo in the coming days!

Chopped French Onion Soupimg_20161202_184156

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 small onions, chopped
  • 8 cloves roasted garlic
  • 30-40 oz beef stock
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 2 tablespoons Dry Sherry

In a medium to large stock pot, add butter, olive oil and chopped onions to the pan on medium high heat. You want to caramelize them, so stir often and heat until they began to turn brown or about 20 minutes. Add the roasted garlic, 30-40 ounces of beef stock, the thyme and sherry. Cook an additional 20 minutes on medium.

For restaurant style soup, break up pieces of bread onto the top of the soup along with 2 tablespoons of Italian cheeses (Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina, Romano) and broil on high until the cheese begins to brown and is bubbling. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Saladbuff chick

  • 1 cup salad, chopped
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cucumber, chopped
  • 1 hardboiled egg, quartered
  • 1 cup chicken, cooked and sliced
  • ½ cup onion, chopped, cooked, and cooled

Enjoy with Garlic Blue Cheese Dressing

For buffalo chicken, cook the chicken in this sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 teaspoon chili pepper
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons water

Make sure to check out my book and enjoy all the recipes! XOXO

Want my first book too? Here it is:

Dairy Free Paleo Recipes Vegan

Roasted Rosemary Carrots

Cooked carrots are easy and delicious, but I never really liked them. That is, until I started experimenting. These baked carrots are savory and yummy not to mention easy and quick.

Roasted Rosemary CarrotsIMG_20170430_171116 (2)

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
  • dash of salt and pepper
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced

Toss ingredients together and spread out on a small baking sheet pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender.

For sweet cooked carrots, check out these sweet and spicy carrots.

If you like these recipes, check out my books! Ebooks are available on Amazon. For a paperback version, leave me a comment or contact me directly!

Explorations The Life I Live

Healthy Traveler’s Tips: Tip One

Take advantage of healthy options offered around you (sometimes they’re even free!) If you’re staying at a hotel, look for healthy snacks and drinks that are provided.

Fresh Fruit 

Bananas and apples are often complementary during a hotel stay. Usually these are found in the hotel lobby or gym. It’s (literally) easy to grab and will last a few days sans refrigeration, making it a perfect on the go pick.

20161023_110315Bananas and apples are great “pre-workout” foods too. Grab a piece of fruit, lace up your shoes, and head outside to explore.

4 Reasons To Eat An Apple/Banana Each Day:

  • Both fruits are very nutrient dense foods with lots of vitamins and minerals. They will fill you up with good for your body carbs.
  • These fruits make great snacks. Their goodness provides the vitamins and minerals that help your body run at its best.
  • Did you know these fruit give a caffeine-free energy boost? Because of their easy to digest carbs, apples and bananas fuel your body almost as fast as you consume them.
  • Eating naturally high fiber foods is the best way to keep fiber in your diet. The fiber improves your gastrointestinal health too.

Drinks

Hot water for tea, coffee, and water are sometimes complementary as well. The coffee, tea and hot water are located in or near the lobby. And for chilled water, most hotel gyms have a water cooler or at least a bubbler. (For non-Wisconsinites, a water fountain LOL.)275px-A_small_cup_of_coffee

Some hotels have fruit water too. If not, limes, lemons, grapefruits, and oranges travel well, so if you like flavored water, keep some around so that you can have fruit water whenever you want.

Healthful living is possible whether you are constantly on the go or a constant homebody. Watch for more healthy tips and tricks to come!

Want healthy delicious snacks to keep in your purse or pocket? Here are a few of my favs!

 Lara Bars are delicious and their flavor is spot on!

 This popcorn is soy free and GF. You’ll love it.

 

 

Cardio Core/Abs Explorations Lower Body The Life I Live Upper Body Workouts Yoga

Healthy Traveler’s Tips: Introduction

Love to travel but dislike the unhealthy post trip feeling? Maybe you don’t love to travel all the time but work or personal life has you constantly on the go?

Let me tell you, there’s a way to travel healthfully and it really only takes a little extra IMG_20170604_173802effort to pull it off.

As a former preventative wellness employee and a current preventative wellness enthusiast, if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this.

You can’t look and feel healthy without a healthy diet. You just can’t.

And I get it. Life is busy and time is short. But I’m here to show you there are no excuses and there are healthy options everywhere.

Being on the road is no exception. Don’t believe me? I’ll show you how.

You’ll be surprised when you see how many healthy delicious things you can find IMG_20170611_071533when you’re on the road. Whether it’s work or fun, let me show you how easy it is to treat your body well when you’re in new environments.

The other part of a healthful life, get up and move. Everyday, no matter what. You only have time for a 10 minute walk? Do it. Need to get to the gym at least every other day to keep sane? Get there.

For a great core workout, a treadmill circuit, or a leg day, check out the links. If yoga is Y3 (1)more your speed, these moves are great too. Always keep moving, it’s easily one of the best things you can do for yourself. Here’s why:

Five Reasons to Move More Each Day:

  1. move more to reduce and maintain body fat
  2. move more to improve your mood
  3. move more to help you sleep better
  4. move more to keep your immune system strong
  5. move more to help you stay more focused

This could be as little as taking the steps. But do it everywhere you go. Just make sure that you get up and move everyday.

Watch for my travel tips to come! Leave any questions in the comments and be sure to check out some of my favorite travel must-haves below:

 This water bottle is BPA free and you can take it anywhere!

 My fleece blanket is pink, but I don’t travel without it!

 

 

img_20170107_171158

 

Essential oils are my go to for everyday life and travel too. My top three oil blends are used for allergies, my face, and a preventative oil blend I call, “No Sick.”

Want to order oils through me?  My Young Living member number is 3682018 and I would love to help introduce and teach you about oils.

 

Explorations The Life I Live

Exploring Ohio: The Old Mason Winery

With colorful wine flights, a 77-degree day, and a table in the shade, this wine tasting was pretty much perfect. We couldn’t have enjoyed trying and tasting each others wines more.

Driving through about 5 miles of hills, trees, and natural beauty, I knew we were about to go over the border. Crossing the state line from Indiana to Ohio was physically different from most of Indiana, so beautiful, and all new to me.

With lots of driving and less than a day of stay, we knew we didn’t have much time. But we just had to squeeze in a winery stop and Old Mason Winery was it. With a cute upper loft and several tables inside and out, it was a great wine stop from the start.

There were two wine flight options, $6 for 5-1 ounce tastings or $12 for 5-2 ounce Screenshot_20170601-102433tastings.

The Wine

As a fruit winemaker myself, I always love to sample new and different fruit wines. Old Mason Winery’s Concord was very similar to mine and delicious. The Statesman tasted like a blend of concord and another sweet wine and was also a favorite of mine.

I also really enjoyed the white blend, White Blossom.

Fruit wine isn’t my husband’s favorite but it turns out that The Razz, raspberry wine, was his favorite here. It’s no surprise to us that The Razz is Old Mason’s best seller.

If you’re ever in Ohio, passing through or otherwise, Old Mason Winery is a great stop. With snacks, drinks, and a great place to enjoy them, don’t miss out on this fun find.

Happy exploring!

 

 

 

Dairy Free Paleo Recipes The Life I Live

Honey Sweetened Skillet Pineapple

I’m starting to miss my own home cooking out here on the road! These pineapples in particular are an amazing fusion of sweet and spiced. Sliced, warmed, and flavored with cinnamon and honey, this skillet pineapple is great at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Honey Sweetened Skillet PineappleIMG_20170521_150728

  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pineapple, cored and speared
  • 2 tablespoons OJ

Core and cut the pineapple into strips/spears.

In a shallow skillet, warm coconut oil on medium heat until melted. Add the pineapple to the pan and brush or spoon on the honey. Shake the cinnamon evenly over top. Cook until warmed through and cooked, about 5 minutes.

Add the OJ to the pan and finish cooking an additional minute. You’ve got to try this recipe, it’s truly delicious.

Happy Cooking and Happy Monday!

Want more great recipes like these? Check out my books! For a paper copy, contact me or leave a comment=)

Explorations The Life I Live

Three and a Half Days in Canada: Day One

Hey! It’s just so fitting to start out with that. Born and raised in WI, “hey” is common place and used for “hi,” to get someones attention, and even sometimes as a statement or question.

Even walking into the hotel, “hey there,” was written on the door. Canada, we have arrived. (And for my first time ever!)

Our first day started with driving from Michigan and into Canada. Crossing the border took about half and hour but otherwise, it was a snap. Handed over our drivers licenses, US birth certificates, answered a couple of questions, and we were in.

Bridge to Canada
Getting through the border

Let’s back up. My husband and I are on a road trip for work. We started in Milwaukee WI, then onto/through Chicago IL, a night in Dayton Ohio, two nights in Detroit MI, and now Canada. He has meetings, I have “shops,” and we’re both writing a lot. Plus, of course, trying to take it all in and have some fun too.

Just driving into Canada, I couldn’t help but notice all the differences. Yet, at the very same time, all the similarities. Canada so far has looked (and felt) much like the Midwest. However, many of the similarities end there.

Here are all the differences so far:

Metrics

Canada, like most of the world, use metrics. Distance is kilometers, volume is litre, and temperature is Celsius. This is new and different to me. Ie, even our GPS uses kilometers which made me laugh.

French is everywhere!download

I knew that large parts of Canada spoke French and used French, but I didn’t expect to see it all over the place. As a Spanish speaker, I imagine I feel now like my hubby did when we lived in Panama. Ie, I can’t read the signs written in French and feel a little left out of it all.

But just a little. And I plan to learn a few words while I’m here. First is sucre or sugar in English=)

Signs

And finally, the biggest thing I noticed was the signs. So many are pictures without words! Have you seen this before? I love it. All of Canada uses emojis irl. Too cool.

I also saw a speed bump sign, no words, just waves.

And for fun, a picture of the monies.

IMG_20170603_100750.jpg

We have lots of things to do, see, and write about. For now, au revoir! (Bye in French=)

 

Explorations The Life I Live

On The Road: My Four Favorite Hotel Things

Currently my husband and I are in the middle of a two week work road trip. I’ve come to appreciate the things I love about staying at a hotel.

Don’t get me wrong, there are inevitably hiccups on the road. And only being places for a day or two makes for a lot of driving. But if you do it right, there are some things you can easily control.

Staying healthy and active on the road is one. A little prep work goes a long way and is worth it.  Enjoying amenities you don’t have at home is a plus too. We don’t have cable so hotel TV is one of our favorite night in activities.

Setting the temperature to very cold degree therefore lulling you into a deep sleep is another guilty pleasure on the road. These are my favorite things.

The Fitness CenterIMG_20170531_122229

I love a hotel gym. I remind myself of the boy I used to nanny for who would always want to go to a, “New park, new park!” There’s nothing I enjoy more than visiting the (new to me) hotel gym and getting in a solid workout.

No hotel gym? Make that work too. Walks to explore and get out and about are awesome and top my list. I also do circuits, stairs, run/walks, yoga, body weight workouts, and more. Want examples? Watch for on the road workouts to come!

Hotel TV

When Happy Hour is your go to for a “night out,” it’s fun to enjoy some TV time in your room. Well it doesn’t bother us to be cable-free at our place, catching up on Bar Rescue or finding old reruns of Modern Family makes for some great TV.

Air

It’s better to sleep in a cold temperature. Not only does it help your body regulate your internal temperature but it helps you sleep more deeply too. As a south FL resident, our place is kept at 77 during the day and around 75 at night. When I’m in a hotel, it’s whatever is comfortable during the day and 65 a night. Sleep tight, Zzzzzzzz.

IMG_20170602_081836Freshly Prepared Breakfast

I love a good hotel breakfast. Continental breakfast or hot, there are lots of healthy, filling options. Sometimes you even luck out with made-to-order omelettes.

It’s easy to make good choices that are not only healthful but delicious. To see the best way to eat well, watch for hotel breakfast and eating well anywhere articles.

I have traveled for work (and pleasure) in the past and am excited to share tips and tricks to being your healthiest you! With just a little prep and a yearning to feel great, incorporate these ideas to see how easy it is.

Watch for informational articles to come and until then, have a happy and healthy Friday!