30 x 30 challenge.....and beyond

As soon as the weather gets warmer and the sun is shining, I just want to be outdoors. Me and the kiddies spend our time at parks, walking to school and around the neighbourhood. There is lots of research on the benefit of being outdoors. I don't really think we need research to tell us it's good for us, but here it is from Harvard and this has interesting facts from the National Wildlife Federation. Being outdoors makes us happy, increases focus and concentration, boosts our immune system, gives us a healthy dose of vtm. D and keeps us healthy and fit. Accordinng to the American Academy of Pedatrics, the recommendation is for kids to spend 1 hour outside, everyday.
David Suzuki foundation for the month of May has a 30x30 challenge. 30 minutes outdoors for 30 days in a row. Piece of cake in May. Let's try that in January.....
So here are a bunch of Iphone pictures taken so far this month. (I have been using instagram and you can follow me there at rachelsnd)

on the toronto island

wychwood barns

 on a stroll through wychwood park

 walking to school

working in papa's backyard

 dancing

 ball hockey at hillcrest park

 planting pea seeds

 smelling the sweet blossoms

mini skateboarder

not sure if you have been foloowing this challenge, but it's never too late to get on board.

Eggs.

while bella has to avoid eggs, aidan does so well with them and will have them for breakfast a few times per week.
they are such a great source of protein, as well as vitamins A, D and B12. depending on the eggs you buy, they often have omega 3 rich foods such as flax seeds added to the hens feed which will increase the eggs omega 3 content three to five times.
cage free hens have a richer colour egg yolk (which you can see here) and there is some evidence that these yolks could also be richer in nutrients, which you can read about here.

as long as i have peppers i will cook them in the ring of the pepper, which he then sweetly shares with his younger brother. i simply cook it in some butter, in a stainless steel pan. enjoy!

lentils, garlic, tumeric and coriander

It's cold and rainy here today. So I thought I'd cook some lentils. The lentils made me think of garlic, which led me to tumeric which took me to coriander, as everything is better with coriander! Found some baby spinach in the fridge and now I have a warming meal on this cold and rainy day.  

 

just a reminder

lentils are high in fiber and protein, stabalize blood sugar levels and support iron stores

garlic is anti-bacterial/viral/fungal

tumeric is anti-inflammatory, and supportive to the liver

coriander pulls toxins from the body, specifically mercury (and is delicious!)

happy (rainy) tuesday.....

Smoothies

I have been on a real smoothie kick recently. I need things to be fast, easy and simple. Check. I also would not say I am a highly energetic person (oh, how I love a good nap...), but for the last month I've been making these smoothies, and feeling energized. I've even been drinking them before my weekly tennis lesson and feel more vigour in my game. Interesting. An added bonus, the kids love drinking them too!  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

This is what I do.  The base is always the same, it's the fruit that changes.

Unsweetened Almond Milk. Maybe 1 cup? I never measure, just free pour.
1 tsp ground cinnamon (a warming spice and great for blood sugar regulation)
1 tbsp hemp hearts (for fiber and healthy fats)
1 scoop of GH Whey Protein Powder (I have vanilla. I've tried many proteins, not only is this one clean, but it is so smooth tasting)
Probiotics (helps the good guys in the digestive tract)
then I switch up the fruit, it's usually mango (the kids LOVE mango, so it's a crowd pleaser)

 

wild blueberries (these are frozen. aidan remembers the deliciousness of fresh wild blueberries from the summer and now snuffs at any other kind. what have i created!)

 strawberries (hand picked in the fall and frozen from Organics Family Farm)

 mango (high in vtm C and fiber. the best!)

mango with a handful of spinach. why not add some greens?

 he wants mine and his!

oh and I love the stainless steel reusable straws that I got from ecoexistence bye bye plastic.....

Vegan Brownies

Made these the other day from here. Kid approved and delicious. 

1 1/3 cup flour (your choice)
1/3 cup cacao
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice or water (i used water)
1/3 cup oil (i used grapeseed)
2 tsp vanilla

Mix the dry. Mix the wet. Mix the wet and dry.
Bake for 25 min. at 350F

Enjoy!

Sage

I have been using this herb this winter to help dry up mucus and wow is it good!

Salvia officinalis; the common sage, is a well known kitchen herb. It's natural habitat is the northern shores of the Mediterranean. It is a hardy plant and though a perennial, does not last above 3-4 years without degenerating, so you should replant it every 3-4 years.
The active constituents are; a yellow-green volatile oil, tannins and resins. These are present in the leaves and are actually much higher in quantity in the dried herb than fresh, which is good to hear as this is what most of us have in the kitchen!

So what's sage good for?
It is great for drying things up. ie. gross snotty runny noses. like this one.

and goopy eyes and congested coughs, as well as dry up hot flashes. However, it is not to be used by nursing moms as it will dry milk up aswell. 

It is also great for digestion ie. upset stomachs and improves brain function due to its anti-oxidant properties. 

It tastes good steeped as a tea, especially sweetened with a little organic honey. 

No complaints by this little one (except for the runny nose!)

catch up.

things have been busy. story of all our lives, i'm sure. 

we seem to be getting sick alot these day, which i attribute to less outdoor time with this ridiculously cold weather. we need spring to arrive! soon, right? 

did you know that NDs no longer have to charge HST? yeah! 

here's the link

 

here are some photos of what i've been up too! 

a photography class with Peter Gatt to help learn the basics

instagram. 

what immediate gratification. you can follow me at rachelsnd. we'll see how long i last at it. 

and some food photos, of course. 

hope you have all been warm and happy....

 playing with shutter speeds

 our delicious get togethers with wonderful tea and healthy snacks (those are black bean brownies!) 

all put together so beautifully by Du

 class shots

 AV mode for portraits.

f2

 f2.5

and food. 

a delicious sandwich on rustic bread, avocado, old cheddar, baby kale, cucumbers 

drizzled with a homemade olive oil dressing

and fruit and veg. a perfect snack for kids!