Green Bean Casserole THM-S

Green Bean Casserole

A Trim Healthy Mama S side dish

Ingredients:

1 onion, sliced

Coconut oil for frying

4 - 14oz cans of green beans, drain only 3 of the cans

1-2 Tbsp bacon grease (or coconut oil)

Salt and pepper

1/4 c butter

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1- 4 oz can of mushrooms, drained and minced finely

Heat coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium to medium high heat. Once it is hot, carefully drop onion slices into the oil. Only do enough at a time that they make a single layer in the oil. If the oil is hot enough, the onion should float right back to the top. Fry until the onion is a golden to dark brown.  You don't want them burnt, but you want them fried. Spoon out and drain on paper towel when done. Repeat until all onion slices are done, then set them aside. Remove this skillet to the side.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a separate, large skillet, on medium high heat, empty your green beans (remember 3 of the cans should be drained), add your bacon grease (or oil) and salt and pepper to taste. Cook these uncovered until all the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally. It will take 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of skillet and your heat. Once the liquid is gone, dump the green beans into whatever bowl you will be baking/serving them in. Turn your stove down to medium heat and leave your skillet on the heat. Immediately add your butter, cream and mushrooms. Stir constantly until it has started to thicken, it should make tracks in the skillet when you pull your spoon through. Just be careful not to scorch it. When thickened, turn heat off, remove from stove and dump the green beans back into the skillet. Stir until all beans are coated with sauce, add more salt and pepper if you need to and then pour back into your serving dish. Top with your fried onions and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

*I know many people frown on bacon grease which is why I said you can use coconut oil, but the grease gives an amazing flavor to the beans. 

This is how I always fix our green beans. When I am fixing them as a side dish, I let them cook past when the liquid evaporates and they brown a little in the pan. Delish!!

I will definitely be taking this to Thanksgiving dinner to replace the unhealthy version!

Blessings,

Rashel 

Chocolate Cheesecake Tartlets - THM S

I was inspired yesterday by a YouFood friend to get creative and make something yummy that follows the Trim Healthy Mama plan.

So today I had some time and decided I would try to make chocolate cheesecake tartlets.  I started by using my favorite pie crust recipe from Elana's Pantry. It is super yummy and super easy, which makes it super duper right?

Okay, I'll just leave that alone.

I mixed up a batch of pie crust, divided it into 24 pieces and pushed each piece into my mini muffin pan that was waiting with liners in it.

I baked them for about 8 minutes, until edges were lightly browned. I then set them aside to cool.

Next I made a batch of whipped topping using heavy whipping cream, you can see how I do that here.

I put it in the fridge to stay cool.

Heat up your coconut oil and mix in the cocoa. 

Put the cocoa mixture into your mixing bowl with your softened cream cheese and sweet blend and mix with the paddle until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Then fold in two cups of your whipped cream, gently until well combined. Place it back in the fridge to set up a little.

Then I mixed up a batch of ooey, gooey, yummy caramel sauce. Oh my word I love this stuff!!

 I'm talking I could just eat it out of the jar with a spoon. Or in my coffee. Or with skinny chocolate. Or off a spoon, did I say that already. Yes. It. Is. GOOD!

You can find the recipe I use here.

I also put it in the fridge to cool.

When everything is cooled and you are ready it is time for the fun part. Assembling.

Just take a crust, top with a small scoop of the chocolate cheesecake, follow with a nice dollop of whipped cream and a generous drizzle of caramel yumminess.

Then savor each bite, both of them - because these are tartlets. Think small. 

Then think these are small... and on plan.... so I can have another one. 

Oh yeah!

Chocolate Cheesecake Filling:

8 oz softened cream cheese

6 Tbsp cocoa

2 Tbsp coconut oil

2 Tbsp sweet blend
2 cups whipped cream

I apologize for not having more pictures, my computer is really acting up and it took way too long just to get these loaded. I will try to edit this post another time and add more photos.

I hope you enjoy them!

These are a Trim Healthy Mama S dessert.

Blessings,
Rashel

I think this would also be great as a regular pie! The tartlets are nice to take to a potluck or dinner though.

*Next time I think I am going to make the crusts thinner.

My Facebook Page

I just wanted to let you all know that while I may not be very consistent blogging on here, my Facebook page is much more active. It takes a lot less time to post a quick note on there compared to here and let's face it, we are all pretty busy - so I know you understand where I'm coming from.

This week I'm sharing some tips about how I make Trim Healthy Mama work for me so be sure to check out my page on Facebook. I also love the interaction there, I love hearing from all of you and getting to know you a little better on there. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Blessings,
Rashel

20 GGMS Variations (and counting)

I love the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle and I really enjoy the refreshing drinks. There are many versions of the Good Girl Moonshine floating around on the web, but I don't always have time to go searching for them. So, I decided I would make a post that linked all the ones I could find for easy reference.

Why I Stopped Making a Menu Plan

I used to make a menu plan, two weeks at a time to coincide with my grocery days.  But I stopped. 

I know, I know, everyone says to make a menu - it saves you time, it saves you money.

Well, it can but it can also waste a lot of time, for me anyway.

I would spend way too much time going through recipes, deciding what looked good and where it would fit in my week and then make my grocery list based on my menu. 

But do you know what happened, things would come up and we wouldn't follow the menu. Or a certain day and meal would come up and I just really wasn't in the mood for that particular meal that day. It eneded up being a waste of my time. 

So, I found a system that works much better for me.

Fuzzy Navel GGMS

Oh yeah, another one!

So, I told you about my quest to make an amaretto sour ggms here, but I didn't stop there.

Oh no, next I went for a fuzzy navel.

Oh yeah!

Amaretto GGMS

OH MY WORD!!!

You have GOT to try this!

Like right now!!

Okay, I'll give you a little history and then the recipe - but then you just have to go make it and tell me if you love it as much as me.

I haven't drank alcohol much in years, but yeah, I used to drink occasionally. We just choose not to now for personal reasons. However, one of my favorite drinks was amaretto sour and I have been CRAVING it lately. I have absolutely no idea why, because like I said, it's been years since I've had one. 

So I went on a mission to create an amaretto GGMS 

(good girl moonshine - a THM drink).

Oh yes, I did!

I won't make you wait any longer. Here it is:

Bumps on my path

I have a busy day ahead so I don't have long, but I did want to share something with you.

This morning for my run I made a new path around my field instead of just running the driveway, it's much prettier :)

The problem is that this is a new path, out in a hayfield, which means it is not flat or level in all places. As I'm running and praying that God would make the path flat and safe so I don't injure myself, He reminded me that sometimes there are going to be bumps in my journey. The bumps may make things harder and I may not always like them, but -

the bumps make me stronger!

Just like in life, we have bumps in our journey. 

Things are not always easy or safe, God never told me they would be. He just said follow me and His path was not easy either.

So remember in your journey, on your run of life, that you will have bumps in your path, but those bumps will make you stronger if you just keep going.

Rely on Him in all things.

Trust Him in all things.

God is in control and He wants what is best for you, always.

Blessings,

Rashel

I got some new running clothes this weekend!

Breakfast Casserole THM-S

I am not really a breakfast person, I could skip it normally, but I know I shouldn't. 

I rarely fix breakfast for the family, we normally do a fend for yourself kind of breakfast, but sometimes when hubby is home, I will cook.

Today was one of those days and I wanted to share this recipe with you because it is so yummy!

I call it breakfast casserole, not real original, I know. Today I used leftover ham, but cooked, crumbled sausage works well too. You could use whatever meat you wanted, it is pretty adaptable.

Breakfast Casserole:

1 cup cooked ham, diced (or meat of your choice)

4 eggs

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Butter a 9x13 pan and set aside, preheat oven to 350. 

Put eggs in medium bowl and mix with a fork, then add the cream, meat, and 1 cup of cheese. Stir well and put into greased pan. Top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is just slightly browned and eggs have puffed a bit.

It may seem like the eggs are runny but that is the cheese and the cream, as long as the top is slightly brown on edges and cheese is melted, it is done.

This is a THM - S

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Blessings,

Rashel

How my fitness effects my faith

I know that for some people their fitness, or their health, has nothing to do with their faith and they can't even see how one could possibly relate to the other.

But for me, it has everything to do with my faith.

Not only do I know that God gave me this body and that His Holy Spirit lives in it, therefore I should be a good steward of it, but I also know it goes deeper than that.

For me I develop my faith each time I push my self in an exercise I think is too hard or every time I choose to exercise when I would rather do something else. 

How?

It makes me think of Jesus as He was beaten, ridiculed and then hung on the cross - for me. He didn't give up. He didn't call the angels down to rescue Him or tell God He quit, that He didn't want to go through with it. He did it. 

He endured it. 

He suffered, for me. (And you)

If God can do all of that for me, I can push through a tough run for Him. I can do that last set of double crunches for Him.

There is more.

Each time I practice diligence in exercising, it helps me develop diligence in other areas of life. Each time I exercise self control in the foods I eat, it helps me develop self control in other walks of my life. Each time I choose to do what God has shown me in my fitness journey, it helps me choose what God would have me do in my faith journey. 

I pray to Him as I exercise, especially when I'm running and think I can't go any further. I pray for strength, for breath, for endurance. It helps me rely on Him to go farther than I think I can go, in exercise and in life.

I talk to Him as I'm walking; praising Him, thanking Him or pouring out my heart to Him. I listen to worship music that helps me focus my thoughts on Him or that encourages me in other ways. 

I keep my focus on Him.

My fitness is not just about looking good or even feeling good.

My fitness run helps me develop my faith run.

It makes me stronger for Him - in ALL ways!

Blessings,

Rashel

It IS Important

I'll start tomorrow. It's only one donut. We're all going to die anyway.

Yeah, I here people say these things all the time as excuses as to why they aren't taking care of their health. There are always excuses. Tons of them. There always will be. Be let me just say this...

IT IS IMPORTANT!

God created our bodies to be awesome, functioning machines, but we must put the right fuel into a machine for it to operate correctly. You don't put kool aid in a gas motor and expect it to run. So why would you think your body is any different? Yes, you will still live awhile, you will still breathe and be able to move - for awhile. Eventually, you will start slowing down, you will blame it on aging but is that really the reason. Maybe, just maybe, it's because you haven't been taking care of your machine properly.

Sometimes you don't even realize how sluggish your machine is running because it has become normal to you. Until I cleaned my system out I had no idea how bad I really felt. I was tired a lot, I had headaches often and my tummy was always rumbling. It was life, that was just how I was and I had gotten accustomed to it. Thank God He didn't allow me to stay like that. He nudged me and encouraged me to get healthy and I cannot tell you how thankful I am for that. I feel like a new person. I have energy I never had before. My headaches are few and far between, and quite honestly only when I eat poorly. My stomach is much quieter and I sleep SOOO much better.

IT IS IMPORTANT!  And what is more - IT IS WORTH IT!

You are worth the effort it takes to eat healthy! Your family is worth it, they deserve the best you that you can give them. God is worth it.

Yes, God!

How can you serve Him to the best of your abilities if you aren't the best you that you can be?

Your body is not your own, it is His. He bought it with a very high price. He is just letting you take care of it. So, how good of a job are you doing at that?

This might seem a little blunt, but sometimes that is exactly what it takes for some of us to see the truth.

Your health is important to God because you are important to God!

I'm running this same race with you and I know it can be really hard, but sister, it is so worth it. I pray that you start this journey, restart this journey or continue this journey - wherever you are right now, I am here with you. You are not alone. God is here too, always!

Planning to Succeed

With any journey you take, you must make plans if you want to succeed. Sometimes that means setting goals, it may mean choosing a destination or other times it means doing the little things ahead of time that make your journey easier. 

I think all of the things mentioned are important when you are on a journey to better health. 

If we don't take the necessary steps to help us succeed it's the same as sabotaging ourselves. One of the steps I must do to stay on target with my Trim Healthy Mama journey is to plan drinks and snacks ahead of time. I have learned that if I don't have these things prepared, I am much more likely to choose an unhealthy option - some sugar filled lemonade or just maybe a handful of chips. 

My 7 Month THM Update

I had someone ask me for an update on my Trim Healthy Mama journey and I agree it's about time for one.

I started following THM August 4, 2013 by joining the facebook group, reading all the files in that group and reading all of the reviews I could online, although, my book didn't arrive until August 14. I stayed as consistent as possible for the first three months and had amazing results!  I lost 13lbs! Considering I really didn't have much to lose, that was great to me. I went from a size 10 to a size 4-6. I had more energy, slept better as well as needed less sleep and just overall felt much better. With the weight loss I lost inches as well but what surprised me was that I would keep losing inches even when my weight would stall. I was actually a smaller size than what I was a few years ago at a lesser weight. I believe Trim Healthy Mama helps your body lose weight where it is needed and helps get you to your right proportions.

Are you wondering if I have continued to follow THM?

My Six Week Natural Parasite Cleanse and Detox

Today I started a six week detox and parasite cleanse in the hopes of thoroughly cleansing my body and achieving optimum health. I chose to use a natural approach and not purchase any parasite cleanse products or even herbs. It's not that I think those are bad, I don't; I just don't want to use them this time. I want to try to do it with what I have on hand, if I feel that it didn't work well enough, then I may choose to purchase an actual cleanse later. I researched quite a bit and found several articles about how to do a cleanse by using diatomaceous earth, apple cider vinegar and making changes to my diet; I will reference those articles at the end of this post.

Surgery wasn't quite what I had planned

I wasn't going to post about this but decided maybe I can help someone else or someone else can encourage me, so I will share. I prefer this to be for women only, so if you are not of the female gender, please don't read any further. There really isn't anything that will interest you in this post.

I have had problems with ovarian cysts for quite some time, but usually only one time during the month along with my cycle, sometimes not even every month. Since it wasn't severe and only monthly, I just tolerated it because I am against putting hormones in my body unneccesarily and birth control pills were the first medical treatment. So my doctor was fine with the watching game and we kept an eye on them. The first of this year I started having severe pains with my cysts but still only occasionally so I just continued to watch them. Then a couple months or so ago, my pains became more often and they were not in any sort of pattern at all, very unpredictable. I sought the help of an herbalist and quite honestly because the pains were different and more frequent I wasn't sure they were even related to my cysts. She treated me for a few things, (not cysts) and I decided to try the herbs and work on my diet to see if those things helped. I thought at first it did, but then my pains came back. Well, to shorten the story a bit, my pains gradually got to the point they were every day. The pains were pelvic, radiated into my thighs and into my lower back. I was drinking red rasberry tea and taking evening of primrose oil but I also had to take ibuprofen way more than I liked. When the pain became constant, never going away, I decided I had to do something. So I made an appointment with my doctor, but he was on vacation so I saw the nurse practioner. She gave me pain meds and scheduled me for an ultrasound the next day. Praise the Lord for the quickness of that! The ultrasound was on a Friday and the doctor called me Monday to give me the results and schedule an appointment to come back in. By this time the pain was so bad I was taking the prescribed pain medicine plus ibuprofen in between doses and Monday and Tuesday I pretty much stayed on the couch or in bed all day. The ultrasound showed an enlarged uterus, uterine fibroids, endometrial polyp and ovarian cysts. In between my bouts of being knocked out by the pain killers, I was researching all I could on my conditions and the treatments - from medical to natural.
Wednesday was my appointment with my doctor. We discussed my test results and my options and given my history, what we thought was the best treatment. We decided on a partial hysterectomy, I will keep my ovaries, although he will clean them up and remove the cysts. The plan is for laprascopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy tomorrow. Yes, that quick. He had a spot open and I wanted this over with, now! It also works out because this is my husbands long weekend off, which means he will be able to be with me without having to take extra days off.
Now I have to tell you that two days ago, I did not want a hysterectomy. I really wanted to heal myself naturally, or at least try to. However after much prayer, I am at total peace with this decision - I was at total peace the moment I made the decision in the doctor's office. I honestly believe this is what the Lord would have me do. He worked out all the details and the timing and gave me complete peace about it. I know many would opt for trying natural remedies first and believe me I did try for a month or so and I had the desire to do more, until I had to live with the pain. It pretty much put a stop to my life, I couldn't do anything the last week and I was constantly taking my medicines just to be able to tolerate the pain. I can't live like that and I won't make my family live with me like that. So, I'm having surgery tomorrow.
When I can, I will post how it went and how I am healing, all those sorts of things. But for now, I appreciate any prayers or any encouraging comments.
I really wasn't going to share this but then I decided if it would help someone else in any way, then I should. Other symptoms I am having are constipation and frequent urination. My uterus is pushing on my bowels and my bladder as well. I was even to the point at times I would not eat because eating intensified the pain. It seems because my uterus is pushing on my bowels, that when my bowels would move with digestion, it increased the pain. I just wanted to share in case someone else has any of those symptoms, it might be worth getting checked out.

Blessings to you all,
Rashel