A Year Without Wal-Mart

You read right! My last & final trip to Wal-Mart was Sunday, July 22, 2012 & I will not go back.


This thought has been in the making for a couple of years, but after changing my life, I vow to remove all things toxic from my life & I believe WalMart is as toxic as it gets (it may tie with McDonald's, which I have also eliminated from my life)


I don't care how "low" their prices are, because the "lowness" of their prices cost me my dignity every time I step foot into the store, of course after having to swim through a parking lot filled with trash & filth first.


After making the announcement, I did get a lot of "Where are you going to buy your things?" I think that's such a bad way of thinking about it, putting Walmart up on such a pedestal that we believe that Walmart is THE ONLY place we can buy our groceries, gifts, household items.


There are plenty of other places, including mom & pop shops that are struggling because of Walmart being in the neighborhood. I will go shopping there, support my local economy & give Walmart the boot.


I don't know how closely I will be documenting this, but I know I have step foot in Wally World for the very last time.


And of course if you're smart enough, you'll figure it out on your own why I am boycotting Walmart; if you're not, I suggest you do your research.


xo,
Nancy

DIY Mini Greenhouse - Grow your own veggies!

I have grown veggies in the past, but this was back home in my bountiful island of Puerto Rico, where it appeared that any seed that was tossed outside grew! Since moving to Florida in 2008, I have tried twice to start my garden. The first attempt, we did produce a few eggplants & broccoli...but the plants withered out of the blue. The second attempt, I failed horribly, again wanting to bite off more then I could chew.


This time around, I picked a veggie & my adorable hubby picked a veggie. I picked eggplant & found some heirloom white eggplant seeds off of ebay & Casey picked tomatoes, so I found some heirloom purple tomatoes from the same seed vendor. 


I found a website from a Florida farmer & found the chart of what veggie could be planted when according to where you were at in Florida. Perfect timing. I could plant my eggplants in July & Casey's maters in August.


I made mini greenhouses from plastic bottles that we were going to toss in the recycling & from an egg carton (the cardboard type). Below is the "recipe" on how to make these...such a simple DIY!

What you'll need:

Clear plastic water bottles (remove labels & lids)

Empty cardboard egg carton

Scissors 

Knife (in case plastic is too hard & you need some reinforcement)

You are going to end up cutting out the middle part of the bottle. You'll have a bottom half that's approx 3" tall & then the top half. They should then fit into one another....so you're just making the bottle shorter.

If the bottom half doesn't fit into the top half, take a pan & fill it with a bit of water & heat it at medium heat. Once it's hot, dip the part of the container that's cut into the hot water for a few seconds to shrink it. Keep checking it & try to fit it with its other half every few seconds until it fits.

Next, cut up the egg cartons & with a knife or scissors, cut an X at the bottom for the water.

Now you put the pieces together. Fill the egg cups with soil & seeds. Take the top part of the bottle off & place the egg cup in the bottom part, water & then place the top part back on! Instant mini greenhouse!

I planted these today & should be ready to harvest as early as Oct 5th; according to my chart. Hope you enjoyed!

xo,
Nancy

The "No-Bake-What-So-Ever" Energy Bites

Yes!!! And so delicious & simple. You can follow my recipe or substitute for something similar. And they are no bake, so if you have kiddies, they can even get in on the fun & turning them into balls!!!


I was able to make 50 balls with this recipe & the recipe was analyzed at Calorie Count based off of 1 ball. Obviously the nutritional info will vary according to how many you end up with at the end & the ingredients you end up using. 


Ingredients:


1 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/2 cup wheat germ (don't freak out if you've never heard of this before, you can find in the baking or cereal aisle!)
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I couldn't find dark chocolate! grrr)
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla


Mix all the ingredients for a minute until everything has been incorporated & then chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.

Once 30 minutes is up, roll them into tight balls. I placed them on wax paper on a cookie sheet & then put back in the fridge to continue to chill for a little bit. Then transfer to an air tight container & store in the fridge for up to 7 days. 

Although my balls aren't perfect, they sure taste yummy! lol.

Calories: 69

Total fat: 3.7g

Saturated fat: 1.3g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 3mg

Total carbs 7.7g

Dietary Fiber: 1.0g

Sugars: 4.8g

Protein: 2g

Following is based off of a 2000 calorie diet:

Vitamin A 0%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 1%

Iron 2%

This recipe has been graded a C- recipe. 

Good Points


Very low in cholesterol
Very low in sodium
High in manganese


Bad Points


High in sugar
Contains alcohol (bc of the vanilla)


Either way, it was super yummy & very soft & chewy! 


Enjoy & bon appetite!


xo,
Nancy

Puerto Rican Limber de Leche

This had to be one of my favorite treats while growing up in Puerto Rico!!! We would by the 7oz cup for .50 from the little corner store across the street from our house.


Limber de Leche, for those of you who don't know, is roughly translated to Milk Icee. Super easy to make & it taste sooo good!


This recipe makes 6-3oz cups & the recipe was analyzed at Calorie Count.


Ingredients


8oz evaporated milk
1/2 cup stevia
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon to taste
1 egg yolk


Mix the first 3 ingredients first, then separate the egg yolk from the egg whites (save for later!!), scramble & then add it into the mixture. Once it's all mixed, pour into 3oz (bathroom size plastic cups) and freeze!!!


Calories 62
Total fat 3.6g
Saturated fat 2.0g
Cholesterol 46mg
Sodium 42mg
Total carbs 4.0g
Sugars 3.9g
Protein 3g


The following is based off of a 2000 calorie diet.

Vitamin A 3%
Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 10%
Iron 1%


Good points


High in calcium
High in phosphorus
High in riboflavin


Bad points (yes, this one has some)


High in saturated fat
Very high in cholesterol
High in sugar
Contains alcohol (bc of the vanilla)


So, this is the reason why I chose to make them into 3oz cups & not 7. Sure it was rated a D, however you get very little of the bad stuff, you taste something sweet & don't feel as deprived. 


I don't think eating something "bad" is bad for you if you do it in moderation & if you're upfront about what you're taking into your body; meaning you have a full understanding of the caloric intake of your naughty item & don't pretend it didn't happen.


So, I have these stored away in the freezer & on the day I was super super good or just wanting something sweet, I'll just eat my limber!


Hope you enjoy & bon appetite!


xo,
Nancy

Brown Rice & Beets

Yes! You heard correctly!!! Don't go, bare with me first, you may like the idea. Yes, there are other veggies in there (& I'll give you the entire breakdown down below).


I had been craving beets for a while (NO!) & finally bought some fresh ones. Yes, they do turn your hands a nice shade of red, but it'll go away eventually.


This recipe makes approx 6 cups & the recipe was analyzed over at Calorie Count based off of one cup.


Ingredients



2 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 cup lentils
1 beet
1 yellow squash
1/2 cup green beans
1/2 cup carrots
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 medium sweet potato
1 cup Purple Potatoes


Cook rice separately according to the directions. 


While that's going, on a large skillet, you're going to sautee everything else (except for the ground flax seed). Feel free to add a bit of olive oil or just use the spray.


Once the rice is ready, the veggies should be ready too. Mix the rice in with the veggies, then add the ground flax seed & let simmer for a few minutes.


Sooooo easy!!!


Calories 380

Total fat 4.7g

Trans fat 0.0

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 37mg

Total carbs 72.9g

Dietary Fiber 11g

Sugars 4.1g

Protein 12g

The following percentages are based off of a 2000 calorie diet.

Vitamin A 106%

Vitamin C 31%

Calcium 7%

Iron 19%

Good points

Low in saturated fat

No cholesterol

Very low in sodium

High in dietary fiber

Very high in manganese

Very high in Vitamin A

Easy peasy! Hope you enjoy & bon apetite!

xo,

Nancy

Homemade Marinara Sauce

So, my dad gave me this huge basket of homegrown tomatoes from his neighbors yard & when life gives you tomatoes, you make your own marinara sauce! So that's what I did!


This was my first attempt & I really didn't follow any recipe but my own imagination & creativity. 


This recipe makes approx 4 cups of sauce & it was analyzed over at Calorie Count.


Ingredients


8 tomatoes
1 yellow squash
1/2 cup carrots
8oz no salt added tomato sauce
1/2 cup sweet onions
seasoning 


Dice up all the ingredients & add to a pot, along with the tomato sauce & let it cook at medium for approx 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Half way towards the cooking, add your spices (I added garlic, basil, rosemary & thyme) & stir.


Once it's cooked, you can use it right then & there or store for later use.


I ended up canning mine, however you can let til it gets to room temp & then fill up ziplock bags & seal.


It was so easy & super yummy. My hubby said it reminded him of Olive Garden (how awesome is that?! lol)


This recipe makes 8-1/2 cup servings & the info below is based off of 1/2 a cup.


Calories 58
Total fat .3g
Trans fat 0g
Sodium 27mg
Total Carbs 12.1g
Dietary Fiber 3.8g
Sugars 7.7g
Protein 2.4g


The info below is based off a 2000 calorie diet.


Vitamin A 50%
Vitamin C 40%
Calcium 2%
Iron 3%


Good Points


Very low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Low in sodium
Very high in dietary fiber
High in manganese
High in potassium
Very high in Vitamin A
High in B6
Very high in Vitamin C


Bad Points


Very high in sugar (although it's just sugar naturally found in the veggies. No additional sugar added)


Will be using one of the jars for dinner tomorrow!!! Can not wait. Enjoy & bon appetite!


xo,
Nancy

Banana-Blueberry Rolled Oats Pancakes - NO SUGAR!

I posted a similar recipe back in April, but I went ahead & took it to the next step (YES! It's possible! lol) Best news, NO SUGAR needs to be added to this recipe! Trust me, you'll like it.

Recipe was analyzed, as always, using the recipe calculator at Calorie Count.

Ingredients (makes 12 pancakes)

1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats

1 3/8 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp dry milk powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp egg whites (or 1 egg)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp unsweetened applesauce

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 bananas, mashed

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup ground flax seed

Mix all the ingredients & let sit for 5 minutes. In the meantime, heat the pan on medium (after the first couple are cooked, I typically lower it to 3).

Once the 5 mins are up, the pan should be hot enough (sprinkle water over it & if it sizzles, it's hot enough)

Cook for 2 minutes on each side.

Nutritional information is below is based off of 1 pancake. 

Calories 164

Total fat 3.9g

Trans fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg (will changed if you used a whole egg)

Sodium 196mg

Total carbs 27.6g

Dietary Fiber 3.8g

Sugars 4.2g

Protein 5.3g

The information below is based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Vitamin A 2%

Vitamin C 4%

Calcium 13%

Iron 10%

Good points

Low in saturated fat

Very low in cholesterol

High in manganese

High in selenium

High in thiamin 

Bad points

Contains alcohol (due to the vanilla)

So, what do you think? It was super yummy, even w/o sugar. 

Bon apetite!

xo,

Nancy

Whole Wheat Pizza Rolls

Yes! They look do look sinful, but it was graded a B+ when I analyzed the recipe at Calorie Count. I did use cheese & although I used the 75% reduced fat cheese from Cabot, the calculator didn't recognize it, so I had to use a generic "reduced fat" without taking into consideration the percentage. I hope that makes sense!


Anyway, this is a 2 part recipe. The dough was made first (using my handy dandy bread maker), but I will give you the breaks in the times as to what you need to do (it can be done manually as well!)


Dough:


3/4 tsp salt
4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp yeast
1 3/8 cup water
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil


Add all the ingredients in a bowl. (yeast is the last to be added on top of the flour) Here is the breakdown of what happens when in the bread maker & just follow along manually.


-Dough is kneaded (20 mins)
-Dough begins to rise (20 mins)
-Dough is "punched out" (30 secs)
-Dough rises for final time (50 mins)
-Dough is DONE!


This recipe makes 2 lbs of dough. 
-Roll it out & cut (I cut in 2, you can do 4, etc)


Here is what I used (and what the nutritional info is based off of in this recipe)


1 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup spinach
1/2 cup kale
1 cup broccoli
1/8 cup scallions
1/2 cup portabello mushrooms
2 boca burgers (defrosted & chopped up)
1 cup Cabot's 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese


-Divide the toppings equally onto the rolled dough.
-Then simply roll the dough into a roll. It was a bit trick when I just divided it into 2, will probably do 4 rolls next time.
-If there is any marinara sauce or cheese left over, spread on top.


Bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.


ALSO!!! I froze my cheese earlier that day so it wouldn't burn while in the oven. Just a suggestion.


This makes 8 slices of pizza roll & the nutritional information below reflects 1 serving of 1 piece. 


Calories 371
Total fat 9.6g
Saturated fat 2.8g
Cholesterol 11mg
Sodium 522mg
Total Carbs 56.0g
Dietary Fiber 4.0g
Sugars 3.3g
Protein 15.3g


The following is based off of a 2000 calorie diet:

Vitamin A 24%
Vitamin C 27%
Calcium 17%
Iron 22%


Good points 


Low in cholesterol
Low in sugar
High in selenium


NO BAD POINTS!!!


Bon apetite & enjoy!


xo,
Nancy