Green Monster Smoothie

This is what I had for breakfast.

You are probably wondering two things.

Q1. What in the world is it?

Q2. Why in the world would I drink it?

A1. This is a Vegan Detox Green Monster Smoothie. I got it from Ambitious Kitchen. It is

• 3/4 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup cucumber peeled, sliced
• 1 large frozen banana, sliced
• 1 1/2 cup milk (I used Vanilla Almond Milk)
• 1 1/2 cup kale, loosely packed (just the leaves--not the stalks!)
• Large handful of Spinach

Throw it all in a high-powered blender and go! It makes a LARGE glassful of smoothie!

A2. I am currently on the Paleo diet... but that's a topic for another day... so this smoothie is perfect for me! Plus it's fast and easy to "eat" breakfast this way... And it does NOT taste like veggies at all. It tastes fresh and smooth and cold. This one is a keeper for sure!

Why should you eat Kale? WebMD says:

"One cup of kale is a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K -- and sulphur-containing phytonutrients. Carotenoids and flavonoids are the specific types of antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits. Kale is also rich in the eye-health promoting lutein and zeaxanthin compounds. Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw."

Obviously you could use regular cow's milk in this smoothie. The benefit of using almond milk is that it becomes dairy-free and can assist you in getting rid of toxins in your body. You won't miss the milk, I promise! And if you are someone who can't have milk--well then this is just for you!

She Has Five Favorites!

Today I am joining in with Moxie Wife and others and writing about a few things I'm loving right now.

1.  Green tea to start my day.  Particularly one that has some kind of fruity flavor added to it.  

I've been a coffee-first-thing-in-the-morning-please-don't-talk-to-me-until-I've-had-my-cup person for decades (pains me to say it) but recently I've replaced that first cup of joe with green tea.  

Makes me happy.

2.  Jillian Michaels on the DVD player.  Yeah, she's kinda annoying, and I guess I wouldn't say that She Personally is a Favorite, but her workout program is.  Surprise surprise, breaking a sweat every day (even only for 20-30 minutes) really really improves my mood and overall feeling of well-being.  Yep, you heard it here.  First probably.





3.  Lest you think I'm so last decade with Favorites #2 and #3 let me add Call the Midwife to the list.  Totally awesome show.  I cry over each and every episode.  Watch it online or get the DVDs from Netflix, whatevs, just Watch This Show.





4.  Peperoncini

Current fave way to consume is in a wrap sandwich -- get yourself a wrap of some sort (edible), spread it with a bit of mayo, layer deli turkey, some kind of cheese if you want, spring mix or other kind of green stuff, and then a bunch o' peperoncini. Sprinkle with black pepper, roll up, and enjoy!




5.  Um, I've owned this little gizmo (Pampered Chef Mini-Whipper) for years -- in fact I own two of them -- and only just realized what it's most especially good for.  Even the company's write-up doesn't tell you that if you pour some milk into a small saucepan and put it over medium heat and use this guy to whisk up the milk for all of maybe 20 seconds that you'll have perfectly frothed milk that you can continue to warm and then use to make an awesome homemade latte!  (Just add a few ounces of hot strong coffee or espresso -- I make mine from instant and it works great!) Why I didn't realize this I have no earthly idea.  So don't bother buying yourself a battery-operated milk frother thingy, just use this, which you probably already have and didn't know what it was good for.  Or maybe you do and I'm just the last person to realize...  yeah probably that's it. 



Head on over to Moxie Wife to read up on more Five Favorites!

Strawberry-Banana-Oats Smoothie

Thanks to this site I have found several more healthy meal-replacement smoothies to try!

Unfortunately my blender jar was in the dishwasher this morning. And of course it hasn't been run yet... so lazy me decided to try making my smoothie in the food processor instead. Which of course makes absolutely no sense since now not only do I have a dirty blender but also a dirty food processor. Yes, I am THAT smart.

But I got my smoothie in my belly faster and that's all that matters really.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp maple syrup
1 cup diced strawberries
1 banana
A small handful almonds
1/2 cup old fashioned oats

Blend! {or Process!}

When you are done, toss it in a large glass and grab a straw. It's a bit gritty because of the nuts, but it goes down just fine when you drink it through a straw. It has an earthy taste but is sweetened by the fruit and syrup. Even the baby girl gave it a few sips!

Make a Healthy Smoothie

In the last few weeks I have been introducing smoothies to my diet! I have been replacing one meal per day with a healthy, filling smoothie for two reasons:

1) To control my calorie intake
2) To make sure I actually eat something! I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to actually sit down and eat breakfast and lunch some days!

Here are my 2 new favorite smoothies--

Green Reset

Two handfuls of baby spinach, 1 apple, 1 banana, 1 cup of yogurt, 5 strawberries, 1/2 orange. Blend well and enjoy.

I use frozen spinach. I peel and dice my apple. I just dump the peeled banana in. I use less yogurt and it still works. I sometimes use some fresh juiced oranges instead. All options work great. You really can't mess it up! Here are some things I like to add:

• 1 Tbsp of flaxseed meal and/or
• 1 Tbsp of wheat germ
• Small handful of almonds
• 4 ice cubes (I personally like my smoothies REALLY COLD)

Chocolate Protein Shake

Throw everything in your blender and go until it's smooth.

• 1 1/2 cups cold milk  (The original recipe calls for chocolate milk, but I just use regular.)
• 2 scoops protein powder (Laura introduced me to Muscle Milk and it's yummy!)
• 1 banana
• 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter (I use ground peanuts)
• 3-4 ice cubes (I use four for sure, 'cause remember I like my smoothies cold!)

Both are filling and healthy! Who knew you could drink up so much good food in under 5 minutes! Good for us busy mamas...

She Who Doesn't Make Excuses - The Magical Exercise Ball!!

Do you have one of these??


In the world of costly fitness gadgets and machines, these synthetic spheres are super-cheap!!  But the benefit to you is priceless.  If you've never used one, let me tell you, these little numbers can give you a really intense workout.  They offer you the ability to isolate a particular muscle group and that is awesome, I promise you.

I really like BodyBuilding.com because they have a very well organized and easy to read website.  The guys who started the company are from Idaho, where I live, so I'm partial to supporting the hometown boys that done did good.  (Insert smiley face, here.)  So, the link below to help you learn how to use the ball is on their website.

Anyway, back to the question of do you have one of these balls or not....I'm telling you, if you don't have one, hustle on down to the local fitness or sports store and get yourself one, post-haste!  You won't be sorry.  Then check out these easy to follow instructions and go for it!  Exercises for the Exercise Ball  Set aside 10 minutes a session, maybe 3x a week.  Rotate between muscle groups.  Legs one day, abs the next, arms/upper body another day, and don't forget your back and core muscle groups!

New and Improved Banana Smoothies!

Yesterday I posted on my Facebook page that I made a fabulously yummy smoothie. A request came in for me to blog about it... well, I sorta did last October when I wrote She Eats Breakfast: Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie, but yesterday I changed it up a little bit.

My original post included this recipe--

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
3 ice cubes
1 sliced banana
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp ground flax seed (optional)



Here's my new version:

1/2 cup yogurt (either use vanilla flavored yogurt or Greek plain with a splash of vanilla extract)
4 ice cubes
1 banana (I buy the smaller sized ones...)
1 +/- Tbsp peanut butter
1 Tbsp flax seed meal
A small handful of raw almonds
Enough milk to thin it out a little bit and help it blend better (I add this after I already have my blender going)

Much improved! And if you are blessed like I am to have a self-cleaning blender, then you can make one of these every day!!! I am sure that my sister could also comment on how to improve this smoothie by adding some whey protein or something like that, Laura?! :-)

P.S. Breakfast is SOOO IMPORTANT. Don't forget to feed yourself!!!

She Who Doesn't Make...EXCUSES - Pt. 2 - Eating Right

So, "eating right."  Something you've heard so many times, but what does it really mean?  I have three words for you.  Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats.  In its simplest form, this is eating right. 

The first step to getting back into losing weight and/or getting into shape is making sure that your macronutrients (protein, carbs and fat) are in BALANCE.  Our society is too carb heavy.  We have become carb burning machines when really, we were made to be protein burning machines.  And in regard to fats, it's not that we aren't eating fats.  We are eating a lot of fats.  But not the RIGHT fats.  And protein, we are so protein deficient.  And the proteins that are coming in are in foods laden with bad fats or empty carbs.  In summary, the key word here is QUALITY.  Quality carbs (dark, green, leafy veggies!).  Quality fats in moderation (raw almonds, avocados, olive oil).  Quality protein (lean meats, fish).  Eat in balance and focus on quality.  THINK WHOLE FOODS!!

This is a complex topic, and I am only scratching the surface.  So, I want to inspire you to do some research and some journaling.  Check out: Calorie King or My Fitness Pal or my favorite, Fit Day, because it shows a really easy to use pie chart.  These websites will help you to journal what you're eating.

The second step is to figure your calories.  This doesn't have to be complicated.  You need a certain amount of calories just to LIVE.  Then if you are exercising, you need more to sustain that. Think of an automobile.  (You've all probably heard this analogy before.)  You cannot get anywhere if you have NO gas.  The more you drive, the more gas you need.  The more activity you engage in, the more food (fuel) you need.  You can create a bit of a deficit if you are trying to lose weight, but be careful.  Don't mess with your metabolism too much or it will falter.  Also, keep in mind that if you have your macronutrients in balance, your calories should be in pretty good balance, too.  Here's a helpful website to figure out what macronutrients you should be taking in (for your height, weight, age) and also how to calculate your calories: How to Calculate Macronutrients and Calories

The third step is journal.  Journal, journal, journal.  Journal the foods you eat.  Journal your macronutrients, study and learn what you are taking in.  Journal your exercise.  Discipline yourself to do this.  Without even knowing it or realizing it, over time you will LEARN SO MUCH.  It will build upon itself, it will be exponential.  You will learn portion control, what you can tolerate and what you are missing (carb sickness, fat overload, protein deficiency).  You will keep yourself accountable.  Very important stuff.  Journaling is so important.

So, in summary:
1. Get your macronutrients in balance.
2. Figure your needed calories to live and exercise.
3. JOURNAL!!  Sometimes accountability to yourself is all you really need!

I know you can do this!!!

She Who DOESN'T Make......Excuses

So you've been trying all year to....
exercise,
eat right,
get enough sleep
and drink more water.

But you just....
don't have time to exercise,
can't get organized to eat right,
are too busy to get good sleep
and can't remember to drink enough water.

Right?

Wrong! You know what these are.  We all do!   They're excuses. And if you think about it, what you really don't benefit from, most of all, are excuses. So here it comes, ladies - a little mini-series on She Who Makes....with a twist. She Who DOESN'T Make....Excuses. I'll give you the tools to get it done so the excuses are kicked to the curb, where they belong!

So first of all, let's slay one of the biggest excuse-dragons of all. Time. Time to exercise, mainly.  You know what? I bet you do have 12 minutes a day. You have 12 minutes to stop in the drive-thru and get a tall skinny mocha latte extra hot with whip, right? You have 12 minutes to shave your legs, right? And you have 12 minutes to check Facebook, right? There's nothing wrong with these things and in fact, we all really hope that you do take those 12 minutes to shave your legs!

Here's a 12 minute exercise routine that you will really benefit from. And best of all, there's no gym membership required, no special equipment required and best of all no huge time commitment required! It's just 12 minutes!

Okay, so here's how we're going to do it. You need comfy workout clothes and a timer or a stop watch or a clock with a second hand.
1. Choose an exerciose - push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups or chin-ups (if you have a bar).
2. Now do the exercise that you choose - all out - for 1 minute. Rest 30 seconds.
3. Repeat, until you reach 12 minutes.  You'll do it 8 times through.

That's it! Alternate between working out your arms, legs, abs, back, etc. Mix it up so that your muscles have a day or two to rest.

NEXT TIME - we'll talk about getting organized to eat right.

Taking a Blogging Break

Thank you to all She Who Makes readers who have encouraged and supported us during this past year as we've enjoyed posting our recipes, projects, and ideas!  We've been blogging here for almost a year and have shared over 200 posts!

The Spring has brought new challenges for us and Summer promises to bring more changes.  We need to have more time and energy to devote to our families, and therefore will be taking a break from blogging -- for the time being.

We hope to be back sometime in the future -- either here or somewhere else.

Meanwhile, enjoy the archives, and may God bless you and your family!

Heart and Home Challenge (Clean Sweep 2012)

In the mood to do some spring cleaning?

Probably not.

But it would be a really good idea.

I found this website recently and love their idea for doing a "clean sweep" of both your heart and your home. The week-long challenge gives you jobs to do in different areas of your house, but above each assignment there is a "heart scrub" ... a devotional of sorts to remind us to clean up our hearts and our minds each day.  Go try it out, even if you don't have time to do it this week -- it would still be a blessing both to you and your family any time of the year!

Yesterday I did the Living Room and Entry. It was a great feeling to open the windows wide and put on some music and really get down to it. The room looks so much better. I know that with three little ones it probably won't stay that way for long, but at least I know that under all those toys and clutter there aren't any crumbs or cobwebs or dust bunnies!!!

Today is Kitchen and Dining areas. Here's hoping I can do it!

If nothing else, go over and read about "A Temperant Heart of A Homemaker" and be encouraged.

Yum's the Word

One of the things I love about being in the UK.

Scones with Cornish clotted cream and jam.

For breakfast, afternoon tea... or anytime really.

[For more on Devonshire or Cornish Cream Tea go here.]

[And here is a recipe for making your own clotted cream at home!]

Sleep Training Your Baby

For any of you out there that may be thinking about sleep training your baby, I found the videos on this website to be extremely helpful!

Based on the recommendations from this coach, I created my own Baby's Daily Log for keeping track of my daughter's sleeping and eating patterns. I did this for 5 days and then averaged what she did into a schedule that was going to work for her.

Her schedule looks like this: (she is 10 1/2 months old)

Wake/Nurse (whenever she wants--still working on this)
Breakfast at 9:00am
Nurse at 10:30am -- Nap
Wake/Lunch around 12:00pm
Nurse at 1:30pm -- Nap
Wake/Snack around 4:00pm
Dinner/Nurse 7:00pm
Bedtime/Nurse at 8:30pm

Please view my Baby's Daily Log by clicking on this link. You can choose to download and print it if it would be helpful for your experience sleep training as well!

Bake Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti

Definition of yummo:  chocolate and pistachios.  Pair that with biscotti and you have a major, big-time yummo.  More specifically, Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti, which I first made years ago when I saw it in one of my Martha Stewart magazines.  Here’s the recipe, with my photos along the way.  Oh, and don’t eat too many pistachios and chocolate chips while you’re making it, you’ll get a tummy ache. -- Laura

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living, February 2001 

CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Softer than traditional biscotti, these are baked for a shorter time.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for baking sheet
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)
• Pistachio ice cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a baking sheet; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs; beat until well combined, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary. Add flour mixture, and stir to form a stiff dough. Stir in pistachios and chocolate chips. 
3. Transfer dough to prepared baking sheet; form into a slightly flattened log, about 12 by 4 inches. Bake until slightly firm, about 25 minutes. Cool about 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 300 degrees.
4. On a cutting board, using a sharp serrated knife, cut biscotti diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange biscotti, cut sides down, on baking sheet, and bake until crisp but still slightly soft in the center, about 8 minutes. Optional: Serve with pistachio ice cream. 

Lenten Challenge: 40 Bags in 40 Days!

As we enter into the Lenten Season, I have a challenge for you.

This time of year should be an opportunity to simplify. Strip things down to the basics. Remove distractions from your day so that you will hopefully have more time and space to focus on preparing for the coming of Easter!

So how about this -- on each one of the 40 days of Lent, collect a bag of "stuff" from one of 40 different areas in your home.  Once you have your (big or small!) bag full, you can then toss, recycle, or donate the stuff in it!  A simple step to achieve more freedom from the too-much-stuff that may be in your life.

[Note: Lent includes the days that start with Ash Wednesday and end on Holy Saturday (the day before Easter Sunday), except for Sundays!  Sunday is a feast day and is not part of Lent.  You can read more here.]  

Consider praying for the people that come to mind as you go through your home.  Use this exercise as an opportunity to be grateful for all the blessings in your life.  As you go through home and your day, pray about anything that is concerning you -- leaving that concern where it should be, with your loving Father! 

Here are the 40 areas in my house that I hope to collect from -- this list should give you some ideas for what you might do in your own home. As you can see from my list, I didn't necessarily come up with 40 separate locations to clean up!  Some of them are too big to do in one day or in one bag, so I gave myself a couple of days to do them. 

I can't wait to get started!

40 Bags in 40 Days

1. Junk Drawer in Kitchen   
2. Toy Cabinets in Living Room  
3. Storage Drawers in LR 
4. Linen Closet 
5. Baby Girl's Closet 
6. Baby Girl's Bedroom 
7. My Closet 
8. My Closet, Pt. II 
9. My Bedroom  
10. Boys’ Closet 
11. Boys’ Bedroom 
12. Boys’ Dresser 
13. Bathroom Cabinets 
14. Laundry Room/Cabinets 
15. Utility Area in Studio 
16. Pantry 
17. Pantry, Pt. II 
18. Pantry, Pt. III 
19. Desk 
20. Scrapbooking Lower Cabinets 
21. Scrapbooking Upper Cabinets 
22. Filing Cabinet 
23. Front Porch 
24. Back Patio 
25. Shop 
26. Shop, Pt. II 
27. Shop, Pt. III 
28. Shed 
29. Shed, Pt. II 
30. Shed, Pt. III 
31. Front yard / Back yard 
32. Minivan 
33. Jeep 
34. Truck 1 
35. Truck 2 
36. Kitchen Cabinets 
37. Bookshelves 
38. Attic 
39. Attic, Pt. II 
40. Attic, Pt. III

Honey Roasted Almonds

I had a craving.

So I made these.

Don't you just love being an adult who can make something when you want it?

HONEY ROASTED ALMONDS

Read more about it at www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1627,147186-241192,00.html Content Copyright © 2012 Cooks.com - All rights reserved. 2 c. whole almonds, skins on 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tbsp. honey 2 tbsp. water 2 tsp. almond or vegetable oil Spread the almonds in a single layer in a shallow ungreased baking pan and place in a cold oven. Bake at 350 degrees, stirring occasionally, until the internal color of nuts is tan (12 to 15 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside. Thoroughly mix the sugar and salt. Stir together the honey, water and oil in a medium size pan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the roasted almonds and continue to cook and stir until all the liquid has been absorbed by the nuts (about 5 minutes). Immediately transfer to a medium bowl and sprinkle sugar mixture over all and toss. Spread on wax paper and cool.

Reading through the comments listed below this recipe's post... I added some cinnamon as well. Yum! I found that maybe I should have roasted the almonds a bit longer than 12 minutes (more like 15 or more!), but my hubby likes them so I will definitely be trying them again!

"Simple Solutions for Everyday Organic" (#2)

These seven ideas for ways to lower your grocery bill were taken from an article I read in Mary Janes Farm magazine...

1. Buy outside the box. Shop the outer rim of the grocery store. All those center aisles are filled with boxed items that are expensive and processed and not good for you!

2. Think big. Buy items in bulk and divide them up into your own smaller containers to be reused. Check the store tags for price per unit and buy the cheapest packaging size. [We reuse many containers--for example my homemade laundry soap is currently in an old yogurt tub!]

3. Freeze it. Once you've bought those bigger items and divided them up, freeze them! It will be so fun to go grab that meat or cheese from the garage instead of the store!

4. Heads up. Don't buy those pre-packaged salads. Buy the items fresh and make it yourself. The cut ends of the produce spoil quicker since more of the leaf is exposed to oxygen.

5. Weighty issues. Weigh bags of potatoes, onions and fruit before you choose which one to get. Since they are packaged as 3, 5 or more lbs, you can possibly find up to 3/4 lb. larger bag and get that for the same price as a lighter one!

6. Herbal magic. Like to buy fresh herbs but can't use them up before they spoil? Take some away and hang it upside down to dry for later!

7. Tote it with you. Use a reusable shopping tote (some shops will give you a refund for using them!)

"Simple Solutions for Everyday Organic" (#1)

These seven ideas for ways to improve your own life were taken from an article I read in Mary Janes Farm magazine...

1. Take a walk outdoors. Sometimes even just walking down the street and back can pick up your spirits and give you energy to finish out your day.

2. Create a collage. Find a picture that speaks to you in some way? Start collecting them and turn them into an art project that displays what you love in life.

3. Find a few minutes for free writing. Find a beautiful journal just for you and write your thoughts in it. Track the path of your life by reading former entries.

4. Dance. Just do it. It's fun. Who cares whether you can or not.

5. Meditate. Even just five minutes of stillness can make all the difference in a busy day.

6. Create a meal, slowly. Make something just for you. Enjoy the cooking process as much as the eating of it.

7. Practice praise. Admire others and tell them.

Doesn't that make you feel better?

Homemade Treat for your Face

A few weeks ago -- I confess -- I had my very first professional facial.  It was beyond amazing -- the whole entire time I kept thinking, "I don't care what this costs me, I'll pay her whatever she wants!"  I don't know if I'll do it again any time soon (it actually was kinda pricey) but since it took me 48-and-a-half years to get to my first, I don't think it'll be so bad if I do go back a few more times before I leave this here earth.

The whole experience (well that, and my frustration with peri-menopausal, somewhat hormonally-wacky skin; sorry if that's TMI) got me thinking again about about self-care and paying attention to the skin on my face, and easy things I could do to give myself a boost.

Hence, Take Care of Yourself Tip #2:

This blog post has some other good ideas for taking care of your face and skin.

Feed your Face (Literally) Every Once in a While

An extremely simple way to do this is with a Yogurt-Oatmeal-Honey mask:

1. Open your fridge, take out a container of plain yogurt, put a large spoonful into a small bowl,
2. Add a squirt of honey and 
3. A spoonful of oatmeal (optional -- helps to exfoliate but leave it out if you want)

Stir together and -- here's the fun part -- smear it all over your face with a clean rubber spatula or your fingers.  So fun, and it kinda feels like some sort of pre-school activity run amuk too, so that's an added benefit.  Hey even more fun would be to go find your kids now and scare them.

Or not.

Anyway, leave this on your face (it feels really good!) for 10 minutes or so and then rinse off with lukewarm water.

Here is a short article which tells you all the health benefits of this particular combo.

Try it!  You'll definitely like it.

She Takes Care of Herself

At the beginning of this new year we would like to remind our readers that while we are taking care of our families we should not neglect to take care of ourselves. 

Sometimes it seems an impossible task (those among you with small children will most likely especially feel this way) but a few minutes here and there treating yourself or paying attention to your legitimate needs will go a long way.  Do not be tempted to take on a martyr role in your family!  No one is served by this.  Occasionally mention to your husband or older children ways in which they can care for you and don't hesitate to ask for help or a break when you need it!

Take a minute to read this short and to-the-point post entitled "Motherhood and Identity: Martyr is not spelled M-O-M."

I am certain that I have been guilty at times of taking on the martyr role and doing what this author describes as sacrificing my needs for the sake of my children's wants.   Might you be doing this too?

Occasionally mention to your husband or older children ways in which they can care for you and don't hesitate to ask for help or a break when you need it!

And  in the meanwhile -- here's "Take Care of Yourself Tip #1":

No chocolate chips and still yummy.

Regularly include chocolate in your life.  

This fun recipe was shared with me by a mother of seven (including twins), so if she has time to make this for herself every now and then I expect you do too!

Chocolate Mug Cake

You'll need:

• 1 microwaveable mug
• 1/4 c flour
• 1/4 c sugar
• 2 T cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 3 T milk
• 3 T oil
• 3 T chocolate chips (optional)
• small splash of vanilla extract

Add the flour, sugar, and cocoa powder to the mug.  [Note:  To simplify things you can use the 1/4 measuring cup for all measurements since 1/4 cup = 4 T.  Just eyeball it and fill the 1/4 cup measure half or 3/4 of the way depending on whether you want 2 T or 3 T].  Crack the egg into the mug and mix thoroughly.  Add the milk and oil and mix really well.  Add the chips if you are using them -- they create a soft of frosting in the bottom of the mug.  Add the vanilla and mix again.  Microwave for 2 minutes 30 seconds on 70% power.  Allow to cool a bit and enjoy!!  If you want to get really decadent you can put a bit of whipped cream on top.

Linked Up:

Raising Homemakers

This Chick Cooks