Healthy Finger Foods: Sweet Potato Bites

As Mara Mae transitions into her "independent" toddler phase I'm having to be creative while still trying to feed her nutritiously!  So I came up with these cute little finger foods... 

Sweet Potato Bites:

1st you will cut a raw sweet potato down the center..making a circular slice all the way around.  Then place the whole potato into boiling water.

After a few minutes of boiling, take the sweet potato out and place it in cold water.  Then....

Voila!!  The WHOLE entire skin slides right off!!  I can't take credit for the ingeniousness because I saw it on a you tube video and had to try ;)

Next you dice the potato up into small squares and you boil them for a few more minutes until tender.  Then you will strain them and let them cool for a few minutes.

Next you will next need a very cute subject to try out your new trick treat. :D

"Hmmm... "

 Ding! Ding! Ding! 
 We have a WINNER! 
 A happy Baby means a happy Mama!

And looky here...she even shares.  How" sweet!"

Your turn!!

My Story...what is all of the fuss about Isagenix?

I know some of you have got to be wondering...

...what is all of the fuss about Isagenix?!? 

Hi there!!  Remember me?  I'm the girl that last posted about my cleansing journey via Natalia Rose's Detox4Women book.  So here I am, months since my last blog post, here to tell you my "since-then" ventures.  Let me start from the beginning.. 

Roughly eleven months ago my sister had heard about this company from a very close friend of hers.  She blew it off, as did I when I first heard about it.  Months later she finally checked into it and decided to order...well of course she had to share the delicious details with yours truly and that's when my story began...After I received her call and she told me about all of the products that Isagenix had to offer, I have to say I was not buying it skeptical. There was just no way that these "foods" so they say have all of the nourishment your body needs to thrive!  So that's when I decided I was taking matters into my own hands. I mean, I knew nutrition... I had done cleanses...hello--how about my Natalia Rose 4 week detox??! 

•  I'm sure you guys remember that? (I spend roughly $150.00 a week on MY groceries ALONE and it was TOUGH..a lot of planning, preparing, etc..)

  Now let me fill you in a little bit more... my closest group of ladies, also known as my "health support group" were already all signed up for Isagenix.  So in the back of my mind I knew that if they were doing then it was more than likely legit.. but I just wanted to know for myself and use my own discernment.  Jay Bennet, who has been in Isagenix for a good many years, was coming to spread the "good word" and share information on the company and their products in Lexington.  So, I took my skeptical self up to the Wingate Hotel next to I-20 and listened to what the man had to say...

    After listening to the glowing 50-something year-old man, I knew that he must be doing something right.  I was sold.  I signed up the next day and haven't looked back since.  A few days on the shakes and Isagreens powder I had just as much energy as I did at the END of my Natalia Rose cleanse... but it wasn't fleeting either... it LASTED and is still continuing to help this mother, wife, personal trainer, and ex carb-a-holic have tons of energy, a speedy metabolism, LOSE MY CARB CRAVINGS (this is HUGE for me..you really have no idea), and create an incredible sense of mental clarity. 

You know, being a personal trainer has been very fulfilling.. there's something about helping people achieve their physical goals and dreams, that not much can hold a candle too.  Now I can give them a way to get their even faster and literally help them change their lives... and then show them how they too can help people they know also change their lives.  It's the gift that keeps on giving.

I come to you all here today as just a girl with a big dream and high hopes to help any and all of the people in my life be the healthiest human beings they can be.  I am blessed to have this opportunity in my life.  When it comes down to the "Why?" of why I am sharing Isagenix with people it really is rooted to the compassion I have in my heart to really want to make a difference in people's lives... the rest of the benefits just happen to come a long with it.  

Thank you for listening to my story. I LOVE YOU ALL!  If you want to know more about Isagenix go to my site http://jensmith-cleanse.com/  & type in Username: Bgrice2  & Password: gratitude .. watch, read, learn, and be transformed..

Who's life have you changed today?

Love, Life, & Health,

Bridgette

Easter Weekend 2011

As far as this little family goes...

this was Rick and I's:

8th Easter together

2nd Easter married

1st with Mara Mae (if you don't count her in utero!)

 

MM & Nonna

MM & Papa G

The Easter bunny sure is a lot more generous to youngin's these days!

She said she'll be walkin' in NOOO time ;)

Goin for the goods!

Visited a small church in the low county. 

Her FAVORITE place to be!

Certainly feeling EXTRA blessed this Easter.

{CURLS}

IN EASTER SPIRIT (..but against my better judgement) Mara Mae's FIRST taste of her very own DARK chocolate bunny :P

Hmmm....

"This is sweet..."

"Wait a second...."

                                                                       "THIS IS GRRREAT!!"

 

Ok, Mama let her baby girl get EXTRA crazy.. I even let her have a few licks of a lollipop.  Priceless moments tho!

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter!!!

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

MSG stands for Monosodium Glutatmate.

It is the sodium salt of glutamic acid (an amino acid) and a form of glutamate...MSG Hides Behind 45+ Name..(listed below).
MSG is added to food for the addictive effect it has on the human body. Here's the web site where you can buy the book, if you're interested:

http://www.spofamerica.com

What if someone were to tell you that a chemical (MSG) added to food could cause brain damage in your children, and that this chemical could effect how your children's nervous systems formed during development so that in later years they may have learning or emotional difficulties? What if there was scientific evidence that these chemicals could permanently damage a critical part of the brain known to control hormones so that later in life your child might have endocrine problems? How would you feel?

The MSG manufacturers themselves admit that it addicts people to their products. It makes people choose their product over others, and makes people eat more of it than they would if MSG wasn't added.

Not only is MSG scientifically proven to cause obesity, it is an addictive substance! Since being introduced 50 yrs. ago, MSG has been added in larger and larger doses of pre-packaged meals, soups, snacks and fast foods that we eat everyday. The FDA has set no limits on how much of it can be added to food. They claim it's safe to eat in any amount. How can they claim it safe when there are hundreds of scientific studies with titles like these?

“MSG is not the only taste enhancing food additive known to cause damage to the nervous system. In fact, there is a whole class of chemicals that can produce very similar damage and they all share one important property.
When neurons are exposed to these substances, they become very excited and fire their impulses very rapidly until they reach a state of extreme exhaustion.
Several hours later these neurons suddenly die, as if the cells were excited to death. Neuroscientists have dubbed this class of chemicals “excitotoxins”. More and more diseases of the nervous system are being linked to excitotoxin build-up in the brain. For example, disorders such as strokes, brain injury, hypoglycemic brain damage, seizures, migraine headaches, hypoxic brain damage, and even AIDS dementia have been linked to excitotoxin damage.”

Excitotoxins

Excitotoxins are shown to promote cancer growth and metastasis.
Definition of metastasis: the spread of a disease-producing agency, such as cancer cells, from the initial site of disease to a different part of the body.
One researcher noticed that when cancer cells were exposed to glutamate, they became more mobile, just as they do when exposed to MSG.

Food Additives that ALWAYS contain MSG

Monosodium Glutamate

Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein

Hydrolyzed Protein

Hydrolyzed Plant Protein

Plant Protein Extract

Sodium Caseinate

Calcium Caseinate

Yeast Extract

Textured Protein (Including TVP)

Autolyzed Yeast

Hydrolyzed Oat Flour

Corn Oil

Malt Extract

Malt Flavoring

Bouillon

Broth

Stock

Flavoring

Natural Flavors/Flavoring

Natural Beef Or Chicken Flavoring

Seasoning

Spices

==============================

Some of these items even I was unaware of ... educate,educate, educate.

Thanks for listening!!

- Bridgette

Adventure's in the life of Mara Mae..

Having fun in the bath tub..

"What shall I wear today???"

My sweet girl.

Mara Mae and her sweet daddy <3

Holding hands with the "boy next door." (Harper:)

Sweet, sweet babies