Recipes

Monday, January 30, 2012

Juicing is worth it!

I have been asked about juicing machines and I know there are tons out there!  We purchased the Jack LaLanne's Juicer years ago when it was around $250.  It sat in the bottom of the pantry for quite sometime collecting dust after using it once just to make sure it worked :)
So this past year (2011) we watched the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (watch it for FREE on hulu-you don't have to sign up just follow this link and wait on the advertisements to finish)
Great insight not so much for me loosing weight (for those who know me, it's not an issue YET) but such wonderful benefits healthwise.  Many folks who juice have reduce their blood pressure, no longer need prescription drugs, and help with maintaining blood sugar. 
The benefits are AMAZING!  I like to juice for nutrition and detoxing.  Right away with two days of adding 2-3 glasses/day my face starting peeling.  I thought maybe it was drying my skin at first, but then realized it was actually clearing up my skin.  The toxins were being released and the dead skin cells were coming on off.  Kind of gross, I know, but I could acutally understand NOW why this was important.
I did run across it being a little expensive and tried to adjust our budget for fruits and veggies one week, then meats the next.  If you are need for more leafy vegetables Harris Teeter runs their Organic Kale around 99cents/lb and there is no weight to Kale so you can get plenty under $1.  My all time favorite is carrots and apples!  I was shocked at the sweet taste and fell in love immediately-quick and easy ones too! 
The best advice I can give is utilize it all!  Pulp (meat some would call it) comes out the back and can be used for various things.  Examples: After juicing strawberries, blueberries, and rasberries I took the pulp and made muffins.  Juicing cabbage & carrots is a great starter for your coleslaw.  There are tons of recipies in the books we got with the machine.  Jack's wife is outstanding in her book (big thick one) on adding it to your daily life, the nutrional factors, and tons of recipes for energy, morning boosters, juices that help in stomach issues, and utilizing the pulp!  

Have fun juicing and do remember the provider of it ALL!  God created these wonderful fruits and vegetables for us to maintain a healthy lifestyle!! 

Genesis 1:29-30 King James Version (KJV)

29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
30And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Organic Farm...really our neighbors!?!

This may turn out to be a little longer than it should but I do want to emphasize how God will lead you and place people in your lives at just the right time! I wish to acknowledge Him first knowing His plans for His children for His purpose... Thank you Lord for your many blessings. Thank you for knowing our hearts and our true intentions of all things. Thank you for knowing more than we do and allowing us to find comfort in You alone. You have continued to show us Your ways and I ask that You help each of us to open our eyes, hearts, and minds to be led by You and Your will for us. Help us to help each other and show Your Love to one another! I praise you Jesus and pray this in Your Loving Name. Amen

This past week has been super exciting not only for homeschooling opportunities but for organics & buying local too! We have had three trips that have been most helpful and an awesome start to some great relationships!

Our trip yesterday was so local that I just have to share the story. Back last October as I started more intense research on local Organics I had a really hard time finding them. Until late one night, I found Mary L Farms on an organic listing website. Now I knew, growing up around here we had farms and dairy farms but NO IDEA any of them could possibly be organic...to my surprise yes there are! I had the pleasure of growing up with some of these folks and had no idea they are doing such great things! I went ahead and made contact through a form online to Mary L Farm to find out some more info and was shocked to find out they do Organic Grass Fed Beef, Organic Turkey, Organic Chicken, and sell Organic Milk to Organic Valley! Now what's a shock is it is less than 4 minutes from my home! Can you say WOW...can't get much more local than your neighbors!

I was diligently working on Organic Christians website and trying to get it going, went ahead and listed the farms such as Mary L and just spent time focused on it for a while. My husband goes to the grocery store right before CHRISTmas and (here goes God) sees the owner of Mary L Farm. Now keep in mind, my husband and I both grew up in this area and have been married for 10 years and now hubby sees him at the store....hmmmm! Well, okay that pushes me a little more to get in contact. Then again within the week my husband sees him again at another store! So now with this situation, we as a family, see God's hand. He leads us when we are watchful doesn't He, in the most amazing ways sometimes. I had put off going to meet farmers and wanted to take my time researching and understanding everything, but God's little push helped us say Hey, maybe we should do this NOW! Good stuff!

So yesterday, we had the absolute privilege of meeting the family of Mary L Farm and experience their entire organic farm. It was so wonderful! They have transitioned into an Organic Farm and seen the differences first hand of conventional milking vs. organic. They were the first dairy in North Carolina to go Organic! They have taken all necessary steps to provide an environment where the animals are nurtured and taken care of so that you can see the animals contentment. I was expecting the "ladies" to be kicking and stressed when being milked but NO they were all calm and collect ready to provide to their loving family! Their gentleness and love for their animals encouraged me so much. To see so many farmers ridiculed I expected something a lot different. This is their life, their livelihood for their family and has been for over 50 years. I have experienced farm life and to be honest enjoy it more than the regular hustle and bustle but it has not been my daily life always. These guys over at Mary L Farm have shown me an even better appreciation for family support (as each work side by side daily to help each other) and a lifestyle that is hard work but worth it!

I think many times consumers forget a family is up at 3-4am starting their day and not finishing until late at night, to provide for US! Let me ask you, do you know your farmers? Are you buying from them and helping support your neighbors? I think we take for granted, consumers as a whole, all of the work involved and the giving of the farmers daily (7 days a week). The farmers like Mary L Farm do not get the credit they deserve, well I guess appreciation they deserve for their daily sacrifice for our families.

Since we homeschool I was able to take my daughter who bottle fed a baby calf and baby goat for the first time, watched cows actually get milked, see the ways Mary L Farm is trying to make a difference from an environmental stand point with their cooling system and organic means, gain new friendships and a new perspective on family support..thanks to this gracious family! An experience she will hold dear for her life (as will I) and a chance to share with her something she cannot get from a workbook! Please see pics and video on Organic Christians Facebook Page

Let me leave you with a few things to think about...what does community mean to you? Have you taken an effort to say thank you to your farmers or taken the time to even meet them? Do you appreciate the support and effort that goes into what you eat? And lastly, probably most importantly are you aware that God has placed folks in your life so that you can help, encourage and support them? What can you do today to say thank you to them?

LET ME SHARE A PUBLIC THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE FAMILY AT MARY L FARM! What you all are doing is wonderful and I am encouraging everyone in this area to help support you guys! Your kindness to us was unbelievable and the knowledge you shared was an experience I would not have wanted to miss. So thank you, thank you for getting up every morning and taking such effort in sharing your daily work with us. You are admired and appreciated for your hard work even though many take it for granted, please know God sees how you hard you work and it is for Him we do all things! Much Love and Blessings!

HELP SUPPORT THE FAMILIES YOU KNOW BY BUYING LOCAL

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Are you embarrased to be a CHRISTian?

Over the past few months I have watched Facebook constantly to see if there is a trend in posts!  There have been tons of scripture, inspirational quotes, prayers, and others post thanking God.  Now, I do understand that it depends on who your friends are and the pages you are receiving newsfeed from, however I have a diverse range of friends and I still have seen this happen.  After viewing a recent video that went "Viral" Why I Hate Religion, but Love Jesus, these lines seemed very important for me to share...
"Now I ain't judging I'm just saying quit putting on a fake look
Cause there's a problem if people only know you're a Christian by your Facebook
I mean in every other aspect of your life you know that logic's unworthy
It's like saying you play for the Lakers if you just put on a jersey"

So with that said, I can see the good that has come out of Facebook and the opportunities to share God's word with others.  The downside is it for real?  Are those sharing their faith doing so away from the virtual world of Facebook?  Are we growing as a Christian community being Courageous in our Faith or merely just online? 
I saw recently a post that said I have Talked the Talk, now it is time to Walk the Walk!  Isn't that we are called to do...live the life according to Jesus' example?  Loving others, Encouraging one another, Supporting fellow brothers/sisters.  This doesn't just mean online, it means everywhere All the time.  I recently put a Cross decal on my car and it has made me think twice about the image I am portraying-the word "accountability" comes to mind.  Not by law, but by example of good things that are pleasing to Glorify God!  Can a car decal do that...yes it most certainly did for me. The same goes for the clothing line through Organic Christians (huge reason for doing this)...  As I wear a shirt with a Cross or scripture, I am professing that I am working on being a disciple of Christ.  Desiring to share love, testimony, God's grace, whatever it may be that leads others down a better path for their life.  So do I feel a sense of accountability for my actions, more so now in courageously and outwardly expressing my faith.  During my time with business expos, chamber events, and business dealings over the years, I felt I needed to be politically correct.  I understand being respectful of others-don't get me wrong, I try very hard to do that, but I have found more often than not folks WANT to talk about God and their walk with Him.  It is amazing once you open the line of communication how similar we all really are.  Maybe it's where we live in a small southern town or maybe God is MOVING like crazy and pushing us towards UNITY with one another.  I have just been taken back by all of the posts and comments that have shown we do want to talk about God, Jesus, Love, Prayer, Inspiration (in-spirit), Encouragement, Support!  So this gentlemen who openly expressed his heart for the Lord through a viral video, is alot like the rest of us...wanting to express the True Love of Jesus.  Now, not all that he said was theologically accurate, but you could tell his genuine intentions were from the heart and to me that is what matters most!  So regardless of your scripture knowledge you can show that you are a CHRISTian and believe in the power of the Cross!  Let us remember every day and pray that we take the opportunity to be courageous!  Our relationship with the Lord is an individual one but we all have the chance to Shine His Light to each other!  Praise God that we live in a country that has Freedom of "Religion" and Freedom of speech.  So don't be afraid to let someone know you are a CHRISTian (Jesus Follower), what you say or do may impact someones life forever...in a Good Way!

There are many scriptures of boldness, bold to speak, courage,  (great study to do on these words) but may I just leave you with a couple...
Eph 3:12
12In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him
Psalm 31:24
24Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.