Life Update + How to Maximize Your Savings at BJ's Wholesale Club

Whew! It's been a while since I last posted!! I guess it's time to get back into things...

The last few months have been absolutely life-changing and incredible. I lost my job (for good reason), had three weeks off and began taking classes at The National Personal Training Institute. NPTI is the first and as of yet only hands-on, intensive learning program for personal training. I've been there for six weeks so far and it is astonishing how much I have learned! On Day 1 I was wondering how in the world I was ever going to learn all of the stuff on the syllabus, and how on earth I was ever going to become an effective trainer. Fast forward to the end of week six, or day 30, and I am a completely changed person inside and out. I have found a new love for all kinds of different fitness equipment, a confidence I never thought I could have, and I am fitter than I ever thought I could be. Just one example of body transformation is this -- on day 1 I could barely squeak out 5 push-ups in a row... now I am up to 20, and can perform 15+ on an unstable surface. It is really remarkable and it is so motivating to me as a trainer. I am learning that YES, I CAN... so my intent with my clients will always be YES, YOU CAN!!!

ANYWAY, onward to the main event here.

Do you shop at wholesale clubs? I do. I have memberships to all three of the big ones in the US, currently -- Sam's Club, Costco, and BJ's. But the one that stands out is BJ's, and here's why. They accept any and all manufacturer's coupons. Their program is fantastic. Here are a few lesser known highlights to their coupon policy:

• You can combine store coupons with manufacturer coupons. This means if you have a $1 off coupon provided by BJ's, and a $0.75 off coupon from the Sunday newspaper, you can use both.

• You can use TWO manufacturer's coupons for one item. You must have two (no doubling). I always use the self-checkout lanes so I can scan my own coupons. Example: I have two 55 cents coupons for Almond Breeze almond milk. I scan both for a total savings of $1.10. (This is particularly awesome when you have a $1 off BJ's coupon, too-- then you get an 86 oz jug of almond milk for $1.79!
  
• You can use two different coupons for the same item, too. So, if you have a $1 off coupon for Wholly Guacamole, and a $0.50 off coupon for Wholly Guacamole, you can scan both for a total savings of $1.50.
  
• If you forget your coupons or for some reason don't receive them at your house (I don't!) Go to the counter and ask for the latest coupons and they'll hand you a stack. Merry Christmas!
  
• At the front of the store there are also quite a few coupons to take a gander at. A few months ago there were coupons for organicgirl, and $1.50 off a bag of organic apples (THAT was a good couple of weeks!).

To boot, BJ's prices are already great on many items! They often have instant rebates on certain items and their store brand is also noteworthy. I recently snagged a great deal on a 16 oz. container of vanilla extract. Regular price was $8.99, but there was an instant rebate that brought the price down to $6.99, which put the price per ounce at 43 cents, which is lower than what I usually pay (99 cents/oz., at Aldi).  And I don't have to buy it as often! I plan on using the larger container to refill my smaller Aldi container.

Here are some of my favorite things to buy at BJ's... with or without coupons! There are a lot more things I buy there, too, but these are my staples!

• Organicgirl greens -- they have a HUGE variety of organicgirl greens ranging in price from $4.29/lb to $4.99/lb for the Super Greens mix (tasty!). I usually go for the spinach to use in my smoothies... for a while they had 55 cent off coupons stuck to the Super Greens containers that I peeled off and used on the spinach occasionally... -- I've also been able to print off an unlimited amount of $2 off any organicgirl product coupons in PDF format online. I used a total of 4 coupons, before the coupon expired (one on each box -- I did NOT use more than one per product, because I felt that was being a little too greedy!) which saved me a total of $8 -- essentially, that's almost two entire pounds of spinach for FREE.
  
• Organic quinoa -- $4.99 for a 2-lb bag. Costco's got 'em beat by a few cents on this one, at $9.79 for a 4-lb bag, but if you're on a budget or tight on space (it is recommended to keep quinoa in the refrigerator), then the 2-lb bag is perfect. And you don't need to wash this variety!
  
• Nasoya tofu -- $3.99 for two packages -- I've seen coupons, too! Same price as Whole Foods' store brand, but MUCH better price that Whole Foods for Nasoya brand.
  
• Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk -- $3.79/ 86-oz jug. Every time I go to Publix, I "harvest" about 4-6 of their $0.55 cents off coupons for Almond Breeze to use at BJ's :::guilty::: ... and I use two each time I buy a jug. It's always a good day when BJ's has a coupon, too. PLUS... the jugs are really sturdy and easy to pour. I save some of them and use them to store my homemade laundry detergent!
  
• Wholly Guacamole -- $6.99 for four packs -- NOT a better deal in comparison to Aldi's two packs for $2.99, however... I am about to buy some with $1.50 in coupons which WILL make it a better deal! It will make each package $1.37 as opposed to $1.49. Every penny counts!
  
• Organic apples -- currently $8.49 for a 5-lb bag, which equals out to $1.69/lb. NOT a bad price for organic apples. Publix usually has regular apples for higher than this. We always buy organic apples because it is #1 on the list of recommended produce items to buy organic due to pesticide content. Spinach is on there, too! I used to have apples on hand at all times but have taken to buying them every other week or so because of the price.
  
• Bananas -- $1.39 for a 3-lb bag ($0.46/lb) -- not a better price than Aldi, but close... Aldi's bananas are currently priced at $0.44/lb.
  
• Greeting cards -- I recently discovered this... birthday cards, holiday cards, the whole shebang -- 50 percent off!!! I will never buy another card at Walgreen's for as long as I live (unless I forget and am in a rush... lol).
  
• Raw sugar -- use it for baking delicious dark chocolate brownies ($5.99 for 4-lbs) I am not 100% on this, but I think I paid $3.99 for 2 lbs at Whole Foods, so this is the better deal.
  
• Organic carrots - $2.99 for 2 lbs  (this is the same price as when Publix puts theirs on sale!)
  
• Agave nectar -- $6.99 for a big 44-oz bottle (AMAZING DEAL! Better than Costco's two 22-oz containers for $7.99)
  
• Morningstar Farms veggie burgers -- $11.99 for 16 large patties (they are DELICIOUS and I love to microwave them a bit and cut them up/mash them for use in veggie tacos or skillet dinners!) Coupons for these items are always readily available and I see them in BJ's coupon books all the time! Remember -- you can use maximum 1 store coupon + 2 manufacturer's coupons!! 

I subscribe to the Sunday paper, which often has some good clippable coupons, but I also like to print coupons... my favorite place to print them is at Krazy Coupon Lady... click the name to go to the printable coupon list. A few times a month (I should do it more often...) I go through the entire list and look for items that I use. If you have more than one computer in your household, install the coupon printers and bookmark this site so you can print more of the same coupons -- there are usually limits of 1-2 on each coupon from the same computer.

Well, that's all the tips I have for right now! Happy saving... remember, every coupon you use for an item you are going to buy anyway is MONEY IN YOUR POCKET!

How to Live a Life at 80%

Put your thinking caps on. We're gonna do some math.

You may have heard of the 80/20 "principle" --where if you eat well 80% of the time, you can splurge the other 20%... some people have cheat days where they eat anything they want for one day, usually the same day, every week. Is this good? Does it help you stay on track? Maybe. But the more I have thought about this supposed principle, the more I think it could end up hurting you more than helping you. Think about it:

If you subscribe to the 80/20 principle, that usually means that 20% percent of your food, or more than an entire day's worth of meals, is just plain bad food. Little to no nutrients. Processed. Greasy. Fried. Artificial. Or maybe you just ate too much.

If food what we need to give us energy, we should want to eat the food that will give us the most, and the best, energy.. I know we don't always want to eat those kinds of foods--but 20% bad food per week is a lot. A serious amount. Even 20% of $20 is $4-- I could buy a lot for $4.

Essentially what we do to ourselves each time we insert edible foodstuffs, or stuff posing as actual food, into our mouths (processed, fried, fatty, farmed, cholesterol-laden foods would be examples of these foodstuffs), we are basically saying to our bodies "I don't care how this will make me feel." Usually when I eat something high in sugar, like ice cream or a slice of cake, I feel like taking a loooooong nap. What's wrong with this picture!? Food should be giving me energy, not taking it away.

So if we say "I don't care" to 20% of what passes through our pieholes (I hate that word), I believe we are limiting ourselves and our health. If I want to have a health level at 80%, an energy level at 80%, heck, even a sex drive (yep, I said it!!!) at 80%, -- then I will strive to feed my body properly at least 80% of the time. But I don't have time for that. Twenty percent of my day is a lot. Twenty percent makes a huge difference. Can you imagine if  our savings accounts had 20% interest rates?! Back in my school days, an 80% grade on a test was as good as failure for me. It was one point away from a *gasp* C! I can't afford to sacrifice 20% of my health and energy level every day of my life because I am causing my body to struggle to cleanse itself 20% of the time because I fed it garbage.

I really want to at least aim for 100%. I will probably never, ever get there. I'll still have my cravings, and I'll still give in to them now and then. And you know what, they come less and less often these days--because the more good, wholesome food I give my body, the more of that kind of food it craves. 

I've got to aim higher than 80%... because if I'd like to live at 100% for 100% of my life, I think need to care a bit more than that.

[Product Review] 100% Pure Cosmetics

I first bought makeup from this cosmetic line in December 2010, and I've been hooked ever since. I first used the fruit-pigmented Healthy Skin Foundation and I swear that my skin literally cleared up overnight. I had been using a makeup from Max Factor that lots of women swore by, but I had come to the conclusion after reading the label (I do that with foods, and I had started doing it with what I put ON my body as well) that these women were simply misinformed. Sure, the makeup does the job to cover up the spot and is the color of your skin... but what are its long term effects? Not good. Chemicals and preservatives all over your beautiful face, all day every day? No thanks.

My first bottle of Healthy Skin foundation is STILL half full, making it more than worth the $32 I spent on it back in December. You need very little. I apply it over my St. Ive's Timeless Skin moisturizer and 100% Pure's antioxidant primer. I love knowing that I am not putting chemicals into my skin and that it is all fruits and veggies! Here is a list of my old makeup's ingredients vs. my current makeup's ingredients... it is shocking the difference!

MAX FACTOR LASTING PERFORMANCE STAY-PUT MAKEUP

• Water
• Cyclopentasiloxane
• Propylene glycol
• dimethicone
• talc
• aluminum starch
• octenylsuccinate
• sodium chloride
• methiconelaureth-7
• PEG/PPG-18/18   otherwise known as WTF
• arachidyl behenate
• trihydroxystearin
• dehydroacetate
• silica
• ethylene brassylate
• synthetic wax
• methylparaben
• polyglyceryl-4
• isostearate
• propylparaben
• PVP
• hexyl laurate
• ethylene/methacrylate copolymer
• stearic acid
• aluminium hydroxide
• cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 dimethicone
• isopropyl titatium triisostearate
• titanium dioxide
• iron oxides

"MADE IN USA OF US AND IMPORTED PARTS"

VS.

100% Pure -- HEALTHY SKIN FOUNDATION WITH SUPER FRUITS, SPF 20 

• Titanium dioxide, zinc oxide (sunscreen)
• Organic Aloe Barbadensis Leaf (Aloe Juice)
• Rice Starch,
• Peach extract
• Apricot extract
• Cocoa bean extract
• goji berry extract
• Acai oil
• pomegranate oil
• Vitamin E (Tocopherol)
• Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate)
• Candelilla Wax
• white tea leaf extract
• coffee cherry
• maqui berry
• muscadine grape
• mangosteen
• acerola fruit
• elderberry
• grapefruit seed
• japanese honeysuckle

When I started using 100% Pure, my skin literally cleared up overnight. My skin is smoother, softer, there are less flakes, and it actually glows. I love the SPF in it, as well. I really do not like being in the sun. You will never find me tanning or "laying out" purposely to get a tan. I have been to the beach once in the last two years where I laid down on a towel with SPF 50 for less than 3 hours. The sun and I are not friends. But when I'm 50, 60, 70 years old, I will thank myself. Heck, I'm thanking myself already :)

So-Good-I-Forgot-To-Snap-A-Picture One Pot Pasta!!

This was the kind of meal Ben and I agreed our future children would beg me to make. Kid-friendly taste, full of veggies with vitamins & antioxidants, protein, fiber, good carbs... the whole works.  I love this recipe because it is ridiculously easy to throw together on a week night, and even suitable for a meal with the in-laws (I'm considering it!)... my only regret was, since this was a spur-of-the-moment kind of meal that I hadn't planned on making last night, I didn't have any fresh baked bread! It would have been INCREDIBLE to have soft bread to mop up our bowls with after we finished the meal. Next time... next time!

Absolutely wonderful flavor. The TVP absorbs whatever it is cooked in, and it has an outstanding texture that would honestly be mistaken for bits of ground beef by most. The frozen veggies cook perfectly with the pasta and add a nice little crunch into the otherwise relatively smooth sauce.

This recipe was inspired by One Pot Pasta on FatFreeVegan.com .

Ingredients:
1 tbsp EVOO
1 cup chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 15-oz cans organic diced tomatoes, pureed in a blender
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups water
2 cups frozen mixed veggies (i was DYING to get rid of the organic corn, carrot, green bean mix I had left from a Costco trip!)
1/2 cup dry TVP (I used the Bob's Red Mill kind. Available at W.F., not sure about Publix)
1 tbs italian seasoning/Herbs de Provence
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (i used the bottom of a jar to crush them the best I could)
3/4 tsp sea salt
2 cups whole grain or whole wheat pasta (or pasta of choice -- I used whole grain rotini)
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, with more to taste for garnish

Directions:
1. Heat the EVOO in a pot with a lid over medium heat.
2. Saute the onion and garlic until just beginning to soften.
3. Add the pureed tomatoes, vegetables, TVP, Italian herbs, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, sea salt, basil, and pasta.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cover the pot.
5. Simmer for about 12-15 minutes, or until pasta and TVP are tender.
6. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes, serve garnished with more chopped basil.

Makes 4 servings.

Next time I might add in almond milk for some of the water or even 1/3 cup nutritional yeast to make it even creamier!

Water, Weights & Real Exercise: Take the Burden OFF of your Body

I bounce out of bed Monday mornings at 5am to do kickboxing in my living room. Who is this person? It's me. And I'm approximately 137 pounds of awesome.

I should be feeling good. And I do! But I still get down in the dumps about the numbers sometimes.

When The Biggest Loser winner and runner-up, sisters Olivia and Hannah, weighed in at the finale at like 127, 128 lbs after 8 months of literally living in the gym--for some reason I vowed I could get to the 120's, too.  So I decided to work out harder and eat better to try and get there. Well, I worked out hard, and my energy level skyrocketed in comparison to where it was. I added in a lot more strength training and varied my cardio a lot. My "workout weeks" were averaging between 2-3 hours of exercise weekly, which for me was very inconsistent. Now, thanks to how much better I'm feeling and great technological inventions like The Gymbox , I am now averaging between 4-6 hours of intense workout time weekly! I used to aim for 4 days a week, now I'm at 6, and I even had a string of 8 workouts in a row (don't worry, one of those days was a lot less intense).

I did drop a few pounds, really noticed things getting firmer and tighter, my clothes were fitting better, and I really saw my abs come out! But then, while these things were happening, the number started to go back UP to where it was! I wondered why. I was definitely burning a ton more calories and eating all the right foods. I have heard about people not used to exercising putting on weight at first until their bodies get used to it. A common adage in the fitness world is "muscle weighs more than fat" -- which, when taken literally, doesn't make all that much sense. Five pounds of muscle weigh exactly the same as five pounds of fat. Similarly, a square inch of muscle really does weigh more than a square inch of fat. Muscle is simply more dense.But the two look and "hang" on your body in two drastically different ways. Behold:

Each of the above-pictured replicas represents five pounds. However, it is obvious that one takes up significantly more space than the other. One is also a lot "prettier" than the other.  I know which one I'd like to have in my body!

But I still hadn't figured out why I had gained weight... why does muscle weigh more? I was about to find out.


Water in the Body

I am almost done with my fitness nutrition certification course through ISSA. One of the things I have recently learned about was water content in the body. Did you know that muscle cells contain 75% water, whereas fat cells in adipose tissue contain only 25% water? All of a sudden, the fact that I had been trimming down but supposedly gaining weight made more sense. The stronger my muscles get, the larger the muscle cells become, which means they require more water. Obviously women's muscles, due to hormones, don't get indefinitely large.

Water is also used to repair torn muscles. So when I spend an hour lifting weights, and wake up the next two days practically unable to walk, this could very well be the muscles swollen with water trying to repair themselves. Water metabolizes fat and makes muscle more elastic. So drink up!
Exercise: What counts?

Don't be fooled as many Americans have-- as THIS article in Time magazine reveals, the most frequently reported moderate activities were food and drink preparation (25.7%), followed by lawn, garden, and houseplant care (10.6%). What is exercise, anyway? Most Americans would say that it is anything where you are moving. That could be true. But what does it take to get the health benefits? You have to get your heart rate up. It doesn't matter if you're vacuuming. If vacuuming gets your heartrate up, it's exercise. Do it often. What does NOT count as exercise is this: sweating. Just because you are doing something that makes you sweat (I sweat while cooking, while taking a stroll around the block with Ben, and even while sitting at my computer sometimes!!) only indicates your body temperature--not your heartrate--has increased and your body is trying to cool itself down.

Ok... so how much exercise do I need to fit into my already-busy schedule?

According to the CDC, you need a MINIMUM (stress the MINIMUM) of either ...

1. Two hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense aerobic activity each week (like brisk walking or cycling)
AND
muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week that work all major muscle groups--legs (including the booty!), hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.

OR

2. One hour, 15 minutes (75 minutes) of vigorous intensity aerobic activity (jogging, running, Spinning, kickboxing, boot camp)
AND
muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week that work all major muscle groups--legs (including the booty!), hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.

OR

3. An equivalent mix of both options 1. and 2.
AND
muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days of the week that work all major muscle groups--legs (including the booty!), hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.

So what doesn't count? Anything that doesn't get your heartrate up. Cooking. Shopping. Light gardening. You get the idea. Get that heart pumpin'!! It feels so good.



You can read more CDC guidelines by clicking here. The more time you put in, the more benefits. Getting your heart muscle and the rest of your muscles strong will make you not only look better, but FEEL better and BE actually BETTER. The top two leading causes of death in our country are heart disease and cancer. You know it wasn't always like this. Eating is very, very important to good health, but so is exercise. So if you're a healthy-eater that doesn't do their body good with at least the minimum amounts listed above, change something! We reap what we sow, so... sow what you know!

[RECIPE!] Skillet Lasagna

This weekend Ben decided he wanted to make dinner for me, and I told him he had to work "out of the pantry". We like to stock up about once a month so I don't have to shop as much or as often. This recipe came to mind immediately as one that would definitely meet that criteria.

My sweet hubby making this delicious meal for us on Saturday!

This is one of my all-time favorite crowd-pleasers. It was the first recipe I cooked out of Supermarket Vegan, which is my favorite cookbook ever. It's on page 78-79! My parents came over the second time I made it and everyone got seconds. I plan to feed it to my in-laws very soon, and this weekend, my husband Ben made it for dinner. It is almost foolproof.



A recipe almost exclusively from the pantry! We used a mixture of organic and conventional ingredients.


Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained.
1/3 cup wheat germ
1 1/4 cups water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano and/or rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles (whole wheat works the same), broken into bite-sized pieces
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, juices included
1 cup prepared pizza or marinara sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Method:
In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the beans, wheat germ, 1/4 cup of the water, tomato paste, oregano, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Scatter pasta over bean mixture without stirring. Cover and bring to a brisk simmer over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. adding the basil the last few minutes of cooking. Remove skillet from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Serve at once (with homemade bread!)

Per serving:
Calories: 378
Protein: 16g (or more, you can use whole wheat lasagna)
Total Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 0mg (of course)
Carbohydrates: 67g
Dietary Fiber: 8g (or more)
Sodium: 583mg (or more depending on what kind of tomatoes you use--you could use no-salt-added)

You can also add 4 ounces of chopped spinach when you add the basil!


The leftovers made a great lunch for us the next day! And you know, I was thinking how easy it would be to swap out the pasta used... as long as it is 8 ounces (half a box, usually) of the pasta, you can use whatever! Just make sure the sauce covers the noodles completely so they cook thoroughly. I might try it with penne or bowties sometime. Enjoy!

[RECIPE!] Homemade Salsa -- Restaurant Style!

Ben and I went on a mini-vacation to Melbourne Beach this weekend and had a blast. Time slowed down as we really focused on enjoying each other and this chance to really unwind. On the way home we talked about our favorite parts of the "vacation" -- we said things like just being together, the breezy beach Saturday morning, our fantastic Indian feast Friday night, seeing a seaturtle lay her eggs late Saturday night... and the salsa at Cantina Dos Amigos for dinner last night... yes, the salsa. It was fantastic. As I tried to pile on as much salsa per broken piece of chip as possible, I resolved right then that I would figure out how to make salsa as good as this...

...we got back at 5:00 p.m. after a tiring, HOT few hours' jaunt at Gatorland, and I did just that... the result was beautiful!

This is a REAL photograph of the deliciousness that resulted from my
mission to develop a salsa as tasty as the one we enjoyed at Cantina Dos Amigos...

Ingredients:
(makes enough to fill two 16-oz. salsa jars!)

1 1/2 cans of plain diced tomatoes, juices included (yes, I said canned!)
3-4 green onions, white parts included (not the roots)
1 small yellow onion, quartered
a few chunks or more of a red onion (I had some leftover in the fridge)
1/3 cup cilantro
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
juice of 1 small lime
~ 1 tsp sea salt
about 4 seconds' shaking of Tabasco sauce (optional)

Put all ingredients in a food processor in no particular order and process until desired consistency is reached... some folks like it chunky, some folks like it smooth... I like it a little in between :)

FOOD! African Beans + Potatoes

African beans and potatoes

Another feature from The Tropical Vegan Kitchen, tonight's dinner was a special genre request from my hubby for AFRICAN food...

Meat-free, egg-free and dairy-free, African Beans and Potatoes paired with a pile of baby spinach leaves + a piece of fresh homemade bread made for one well rounded plant-based meal. In the main dish alone, there is plenty (18 grams!) of protein, 11 grams of fiber, 52 grams carbs, and approximately 9 grams of total fat per delicious serving. I absolutely love meals like this--so full of flavor and character (YES, food has character!) without an ounce of cholesterol or less-than-appetizing animal-derived ingredients. Ben and I call this kind of food "damn good vegan food" and this is pretty much all we eat at home. We've even considered opening a restaurant! Even my mom has hopped onto the vegan train and is feeding my dad vegan versions of the foods he loves! Every time Ben's parents come over for dinner, we love to bless them with a vegan dining experience that tantalizes their taste buds and teaches them, little by little, that vegan food is NOT gross or bland or boring. And so far, I'm succeeding!

So without further ado, here is the recipe for tonight's dinner!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, chopped (I HATE celery so I left this out)
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used three... and I peeled them with my E-Z Rol!!)
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 pound round red or white potatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped (the recipe suggests swapping out for sweet potatoes... which I gladly did!)
1/2 tsp salt
1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup rinsed, drained pinto beans
2 tbs tomato paste
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped peanuts or pumpkin seeds (I used peanuts)
Hot pepper sauce (optional... but we sprinkled Tabasco!! yum!)

Directions:
In a medium deep-sided skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 7-10 minutes, adding the [celery and] garlic the last few minutes of cooking. Add the broth, potatoes, and salt, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer briskly, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender, approximately 10 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas, pinto beans, tomato paste and red pepper flakes; simmer, uncovered, stirring often from the bottom to prevent sticking, until the mixture is thickened, about 8 minutes. Serve warm, garnished with the peanuts and sprinkle with hot pepper sauce (if using).

ENJOY!

Magical Grapefruit Seed Extract

Magical liquid!!

I love this stuff. It is a natural antibiotic and antioxidant that is packed with bioflavonoids and other anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogenic properties! It does not work like other antibiotics by killing bacteria and making it resistant after prolonged use. Instead, grapefruit seed extract (GSE) alkalizes the environment inside the gut to make life unliveable for bad bacteria. You can Google it for a longer list of uses, but I'll just mention the main ways I have used grapefruit seed extract.

• To ward off yeast infections! -- To be frank, this has got to be the best use so far! Ever since I've been on birth control, I find that I am more susceptible to yeast overgrowth "down there". I didn't want to use any OTC shove-it-up-there product or use any prescription medication, so I just did some research on natural remedies and kept reading about grapefruit seed extract. So I got some, and started diluting about 15 drops in a glass of water (put the water in last), three times a day... and in about 2-3 days... no more itchiness or other unfavorable symptoms of yeast overgrowth. And as long as I drink a glass with 15 drops several times a week, I am safe from yeast infections and haven't had one since I've been using this stuff consistently. 

• To remove stains! -- A drop directly onto the site of a stain (I used it on blood!) with a little bit of water, and the stain was gone! You can also add several drops to your laundry to boost the cleaning power.

• To improve oral hygiene!! -- You can dilute 5 drops in a mouthful of water, and use it for mouthwash. Be careful not to use more than 5 drops or so or your tongue will be a little bit numb... it goes away, but it feels weird!!

• To moisturize and prevent breakouts! -- I put a few drops on my fingers when they are still wet from washing my face, and rub the GSE all over my face.

• To clean my kitchen! -- I mix 1.5 cups water, 1.5 cups white vinegar, and 30 drops of GSE into a spray bottle and my kitchen is bacteria and grime-free in no time!!

• To soothe sore throats! -- My husband Ben had a sore throat this weekend and, knowing its good reputation, I recommended that he gargle some GSE... he did, and the sore throat went away immediately. 

• A natural preservative! -- I put a few drops of this stuff into cosmetics with shorter shelf lives-- like my eye cream from 100% Pure (click name to visit site)  --  because it acts as a natural preservative for those kinds of products.

For just $13.50 for a 4 oz. bottle that lasts forEVER.... you get so many uses for so little money!
Click HERE to purchase!