Big Changes & Happy Times

Since we moved we have been busy building garden beds, cutting down damaged trees and making this house our own.

I managed to have an amazing garden this summer which yielded over 30 lbs of tomatoes and lots of spaghetti squash and zucchini. I loved growing our own healthy food so we built some more raised beds a few weeks ago in preparation for next year!

I'm learning to appreciate all of the seasons since moving here. I really don't enjoy winter too much, but I am starting to get used to it and enjoy some of the outdoor activities we can do as a family. I also love the frost covered trees and pure silence the country has to offer.

Almost two weeks ago we added some chickens to our acreage. We got a rooster and two hens and I love everything about them so far. I look forward to opening up their coop in the morning, Joseph the rooster crowing and hearing their cute little noises when they hear me bringing their food.

Unfortunately there have been ups and downs in our clean eating since we moved. We're further from the grocery stores so sometimes we end up with less vegetables on our plates than I'd like! We're working on it though and I got a FitBit from Matt so I'm also increasing my exercise.

I had better sign off for now. A certain toddler is looking for someone to play blocks with. I have attached a few pictures of our new home and goings on around here.

First 30 Days of Clean!

Our family fell of the clean eating wagon big time over the holidays! So we decided to start back at it on January 1st. We had become addicted to sugar once again and that was the biggest hurdle to overcome. I started an event on Facebook with other friends to keep myself accountable because I was worried I would give in too much. The rules were simple- no refined sugar, whote flour, preservatives or alcohol for one month with the exception of one treat per week.
The sugar cravings were the hardest to overcome at first, I admit that I did eat a little chocolate but the more I resisted, the easier it got. This is how I found out that sugar truly is an addiction! I was in such a habit of heading straight for a Starbucks or grabbing a chocolate bar every time I did groceries, but after a month of resisting I don't even think about that Starbucks or chocolate fix.
During Abbey's birthday weekend we ate pizza and cake all in ine day. It was the sickest Matt and I have felt in a long time. We suffered with horrible stomach cramps and flu like symptoms the next day. That sealed the deal for me and made me decide that, that garbage food was poisoning our bodies!
I also starting working out 4 times a week and that alone helped me feel amazing. My sciatica starting getting betteragain and my aches slowly went away.
I am proud to say I stuck to my "rules" for January and didn't even have a drop of alcohol (mostly because I didn't want to waste my weekly treat on it!). I lost almost 10 lbs and feel amazing. Now that we are back on the right track, I plan on keeping it that way for good!
Here I am after a month of clean eating with clear skin and happy guts!

Clean Eating Tropical Birthday Carrot Cake

Our family fell off the clean eating wagon over the holidays, but we decided we'd better hop back on ASAP. And so far, so good! Then I realized Abbey's 3rd birthday was coming up and I had to think up a healthy birthday cake for her family party since we always do a small one on their actual birthday. She loves carrot cake and cream cheese so Isearched online but pretty much every recipe was full of fat and sugar! That's when I decided to take a bunch of recipes and create my own.

This recipe makes one small cake pan and a couple of muffins.

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup crushed pineapple, semi-drained
1 1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease pans with olive oil and sprinkle with flour. Cut out parchment paper to the size of the bottom of the pan and put it in prepared pan.
2) Mix eggs, vanilla, honey and sugar with whisk in a medium mixing bowl.
3) Whisk in cinnamon, applesauce and olive oil.
4) Add baking soda, salt and baking powder. Mix in pineapple, carrots, flour and coconut.
5) Pour into greased pans and bake for approx. 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Icing:
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup plain greek yogurt
2 Tbsp honey
Sprinkle of toasted coconut
Sprinkle of chopped pecans
While cake is baking, beat cream cheese, yogurt and honey together and refrigerate until cake is cooled.
Once cooled, ice cake then sprinkle with coconut and pecans on top.

The birthday girl enjoyed her cake very much and I hope you do too!