So I have been seeing coconut oil ALL over Pinterest and thought maybe I would jump on the band wagon with this one. I have seen lots of different uses for it. But I think I am going to use it for the facial scrub, facial wash, and body wash. I have used it for two days in a row and I have noticed my skin is much softer than when I just use moisturizer. I may even try it in my hair as well since my scalp seems to by very dry this winter.
Have any of you tried coconut oil for anything? I know it is used a lot for cooking as well. I found this chart off Pinterest showing some uses for it.
A lot of people say that they just end up using this instead of other face washes or scrubs. The good thing is, a little goes a longg way. So it should last a LONG time! I just used a spoon and scooped some out into a little bowl and heated it up for about 30-45 seconds. Then put a little in my hand and added a pinch of the baking soda and mixed it in my hand then put it on my face that I had previously dampened with water. Rubbed it in using circular motions, then washed it off. It does feel oily for the first few minutes then it soaks in. Usually after I wash my face with normal face wash it feels super dry and I immediately have to add moisturizer. With this I woke up and still feel soft! In between using this scrub I will just be washing with the coconut oil.
With the rest of the oil I melted, I just took it into the shower with me and put it on my loofah and used it that way minus the baking soda. It would be a good scrub every few days or once a week as well. I use if after I shave so that way it doesn't get all clogged up with the oil! My skin seems to be pretty soft without even using lotion as well!
I am curious to see how this works, and if it works well I may never go back to other washes! I also may expend my uses for it! The oil can be found in your baking aisle at a grocery store and ranges from $6-$12.
If you have used it for anything let me know! I would love to hear other people's experiences with it!
Who doesn't love funfetti? I mean really, come on! One of my favorites is funfetti anything! I found a recipe that's weight watchers friendly! 2 points plus per cupcake-UHM YES PLEASE! Instead of using oil and eggs, you use sprite zero. No calories, no fat! And for the frosting you use fat free cool whip and sugar free instant vanilla pudding. I found that my topping was not as much as it was in the picture I saw, they only got a little amount and I added sprinkles, but oh well, it's still 2 points for a freaking cupcake! They are super moist from the Sprite, although you will not get as much as you would a heavy dense cupcake. These are super light and fluffy and fun! And did I mention yummy?
2 points plus baby!
original recipe found here-http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/08/skinny-funfetti-cupcakes-recipe.html
1 pkg. Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix (just the powder, not the recipe on the box)
1 (12 ounce) can Sprite Zero
Frosting Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) container Fat Free Cool Whip
1 (1.5 ounce) pkg. Fat Free Vanilla Jello Instant Pudding (just the powder, not the recipe on the box)
Cupcake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine cake mix and Sprite together. Continue to mix until the batter is smooth without any lumps. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of batter into every cupcake wrapper. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool before frosting.
Frosting Directions:
In a mixing bowl, add Cool Whip and pudding. Mix with a whisk by hand or an electric hand mixer until smooth. I put mine into a ziplock bag and closed it, then squished it all down to one corner, cut a tiny piece of the corner, and then made a swirl design over the cooled cupcakes. Makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes.
I was really trying to push myself into liking mushrooms with this recipe, but I just can't do it! If it had less mushrooms I would probably be ok with it. I had to chop them up small to make it bareable but I was still picking them out! If you like mushrooms then you will love this!
Original recipe found here-http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/09/mushroom-stroganoff.html
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts Calories: 268 • Fat: 3.5 g • Carbs: 52.5 g • Fiber: 7 g • Protein: 12.5 g • Sugar: 4.5 g Sodium: 312 (without salt)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth (or beef if you're a carnivore)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp tomato paste
5 oz sliced Cremini mushrooms
8 oz sliced baby Bella mushrooms
3.5 oz Shiitake mushrooms
1/4 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp white wine or sherry
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
8 oz uncooked noodles (Ronzoni Smart Taste, Healthy Harvest or No-Yolk)
1 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Directions:
Cook noodles in a pot of salted water according to package directions, I like to under-cook them a bit so I can mix it with the sauce and let it finish cooking.
Meanwhile, while the water starts to boil for the noodles, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter over medium heat and add onions to the pan. Cook 2 - 3 minutes over medium-low heat.
Add flour; stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds. Gradually add broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper; stir and cook 4-5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.
This was my first time trying out spaghetti squash! It really tastes almost like normal noodles except it is just a harder texture. It is very tasty! I made this vegetarian from the original recipe by omitting the chicken from it. This version has sundried tomatoes, peas, and broccoli. This is not a weight watchers recipe though!
original recipe here-http://rufflesandtruffles.com/2010/09/spaghetti-squash-with-grilled-chicken-sundried-tomatoes-broccoli-and-peas/
Ingredients:
1 medium size spaghetti squash (about 2lb)
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen peas
1 broccoli crown, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
grated parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)
salt/pepper, to taste
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Scrape/remove seeds with a spoon. Place squash halves cut side down on a baking sheet; bake for 45 minutes. Let squash cool.
3. Using a fork, scrape the inside of the squash to remove strands.
4. In a large, deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic. Saute one minute, then add spaghetti squash and saute an additional 2 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth, sundried tomatoes, and broccoli. Saute 5 minutes.
6. Add peas, and remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth. Shake about 1/4 cup parmesan cheese into mixture (just enough to thicken the chicken broth).
7. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover skillet and simmer for about 3 minutes.
We recently have been trying to incorporate more vegetarian dishes into our dinners. Here is a crock pot vegetarian lasagna. I have never had eggplant, so it was interesting for me! I am also not a big mushroom fan but I am trying sooo hard! If I could change the recipe I would prob add some spice to it!
original recipe found here-http://www.laaloosh.com/2011/11/02/slow-cooker-vegetarian-lasagna-recipe/
Crock Pot Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
15 (12oz) whole-wheat lasagna noodles uncooked
1 15 oz container fat free ricotta
3 cups shredded reduced fat mozzarella
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 5-ounce package baby spinach, coarsely chopped
3 large portobello mushroom caps thinly sliced
1 small eggplant, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine egg substitute, ricotta, salt, pepper, oregano, spinach, mushrooms and eggplant.
Mix both kinds of tomatoes and their juice, basil and garlic, in a medium bowl.
Coat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker with non-fat cooking spray.
Spread 1 1/2 cups of the tomato mixture in the slow cooker.
Arrange 5 noodles over the sauce, overlapping them slightly and breaking into pieces to cover as much of the sauce as possible.
Spread half of the ricotta-vegetable mixture over the noodles and firmly pat down, then spoon on 1 1/2 cups sauce and sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella.
Repeat the layering one more time, starting with noodles. Top with a third layer of noodles. Evenly spread the remaining tomato sauce over the noodles.
Set aside the remaining 1 cup mozzarella.
Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on High for 2 hours or on Low for 4 hours.
Turn off the slow cooker, sprinkle the reserved mozzarella on the lasagna, cover and let stand for 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Preparation time: 20 minute(s)
Cooking time: 2-4 hour(s)
Number of servings (yield): 8
Entire recipe makes 8 servings Serving size is 1/8th of lasagna Each serving = 8 Points +
PER SERVING:290 calories; 7 g fat; 38 g carbohydrates; 29 g protein; 8 g fiber
As many of you know, I have talked about past and how I was a victim of rape. It has been quite the journey going through this and I have been working extremely hard since about March of last year to face this finally and move forward and heal. It has been a lengthy and at times torturous process. And I haven't talked about it in awhile and I just kind of wanted to put an update out there about it.
I know this is never an easy subject to approach, let alone have an in depth conversation about it. It is a rigorous daily effort to face the pain and the healing process that goes with it. But it is also such a freeing process as well, especially when you do begin to heal. I know this will always be a part of me, there will always be some sort of pain associated with it, but I can now tell you and fellow victims that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There is healing and joy. It seems impossible, I know I felt like it did, but with time, and God, all things are possible.
I couldn't have done this on my own. With the help of my therapist, my husband, my friends, family, and most of all God, I think I have finally begun the true healing process. I was so frustrated because I couldn't understand what was holding me back. Why was this taking so long to move forward and deal with? It just seemed like every time I thought about it, it was such heart wrenching pain. I realized that it was forgiving my assailant that was holding me back.
But HOW on earth do you forgive someone like that? How can you forgive the situation? I was under the impression that forgiveness looked like this- you had to wish the person well, and if you saw them in person you would be able to talk to them and just act like nothing ever happened. That you think nothing but good things towards them. And come on, that is just not possible in this situation. And then it brought me down because I felt like I was a horrible person, a horrible Christian because I couldn't forgive him. I felt like such a failure. And I knew this was what was holding me back from healing. But I just kept holding it in and didn't want to talk about it because I just didn't think it was possible.
It finally came up in therapy and she explained to me that my idea of forgiveness in this situation was not ideal. He doesn't deserve that type of forgiveness, but there is a way to forgive him. I did not need to wish him well, I did not need to have a friendship with him, I did not need to smile at him or talk to him, I did not need to feel obligated to think he was a nice person, because he isn't. That kind of forgiveness in this situation is not appropriate. Forgiveness in this situation looks like not wishing him ill will, or punishment upon him. Knowing that one day God will give him just that. Not letting him have the control over me. For example if I saw him, I would immediately panic and almost have a panic attack and just have to get out of the room. There will be a reaction to him, but if I have the control, this time I won't need to do that. Instead I can give him the look of we both know what you did, I dare you to come over here because I will kick your butt. Showing him he does not have that control over you anymore. It does not mean I need to wave and smile at him at all. It is releasing that control where every day is not consumed with thoughts of this and that you now control your thoughts and feelings towards this.
And let me tell you, getting back this control is AMAZING. It feels like part of my soul has been restored and that part of me that has been missing for so long has surfaced again. He never took my innocence, even though it felt like it, he did however hurt my innocence enough for it to lock itself up deep inside and never want to come out. She was always there, I just held to help release her. Once you have forgiven this person, then you actually get to start the grieving process for what happened. I had never grieved for what happened to my 19 year old self. And now that I had the control, I could allow myself too. This has been a few month process to allow myself to grieve. Some things I experienced during this time to help me grieve were working out to a song I could be angry at him and do some kickboxing and beat him up in my mind. Every time I feel vulnerable, I just listen to Kelly Clarkson-Never Again and it reminds me how he does not deserve his control on me, I am taking it back!
Another thing I did which was very hard, but I wrote a letter to myself at 19 right after it happened. I was myself now and told her what's been happening over all this time. But to not be scared and that we are ok now. And that I know it shut me down completely but it's ok to release that innocent me inside and come out. I am with someone I can trust to not hurt me. And it's ok to be happy and move on with life. And we now have control and won't let anything like that happen again. I also told her how sorry I was we had to go through this, but we know understand God has a plan for us. And from the bad, he finds joy and finds a way to use us. And that our misery is our ministry. And now I am working towards being part of the care team at church to help counsel other young woman about this and life in general. As horrible as that experience was, God is making it into something beautiful.
I also wrote him a letter and just let everything out, screamed at him and just said everything I have always wished I could. I honestly couldn't even read what I was writing by the end because I was just letting it flow out of me and screaming at the paper. It felt so good. So many things I wished I could scream at him and tell him how I thought of him. It was a release I needed in order to move through with the grieving process. After I finished writing it, I tore it up into a million pieces and threw him and his control away. Never again will I let this person control my thoughts or feelings, I am taking it back!
I finally feel that the healing process has begun. I am starting to feel alive again and feel comfortable in my own skin. Finding out who God created me to be all along not who I thought he wanted me to be. Finding out who I am as a wife, friend, and daughter of God. The real me that was behind a wall put up so long ago.
Today, a friend showed me this video. It is about one of the band members sisters being raped. It is not like songs are written about this all the time. It is such an amazing and powerful video. My hope is for all those who have been through this, that this video may help in some one. Know that someone out there understands. They care. You aren't alone. And you can cry out and let those feelings out.
Big and Rich-Holy Water
What I experienced watching this video was relief, tears of relief. I completely understand this pain so so very much and for so long this is how I felt. I just wanted it to be taken away, I just wanted to be taken away and not feel this anymore, it feels like endless pain. But today, I finally don't feel that way. Watching this made me realize I finally don't feel that vulnerable and out of control. I feel God's love and see I am in control now. I have taken back my life and it makes me so happy to see how far I have come and to not feel that excruciating pain anymore. I am healing. And this is a huge step for me. It does make me sad though to know I went through that pain, and to know so many women are stuck in that pain right now. I wish I could just hold them all and tell them how beautiful they are and they will be released from this one day.
This will always be a journey for me, and a part of me. I feel as though my wound is healing and I have a scab right now that is turning into a scar. There is still some pain but it's lessening every day as it heals. Once it turns into a scar, I will always look at it and remember the pain and what happened, but it will no longer hurt so bad. I accept what happen, and know it is a part of me, but God has shown me how beautiful this scar will be. It will not be an ugly scar to hide, but a scar to be proud of and be able to share with others.
My wish to all those experiencing this is that they one day too will be proud of this scar and see that God has a plan for them, a beautiful one. If you are trying to deal with this on your own I encourage you to see help from friends, family, counseling, and most importantly God. He is the one true healer and with him anything is possible. There is an end to all this pain, I promise you. One day you will be proud of who you are, scars and all. Proverbs 31:25-She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
Ok, a lot of people have been asking me to post this recipe on my blog! So I figured 3 months later is a good enough time to do so! Oops! So here it is! It is by far one of the best tomato soups I have ever tasted! And it makes it sooo much better since it is weight watchers!
Yum-O
Original source for the recipe-http://foodfeminismlife.blogspot.com/2012/05/creamy-tomato-soup.html
2 15oz cans of tomato sauce (only ingredients should be tomatoes & spices)
1/2 can of water
2 cups grape tomatoes, slightly pureed
1/2 vidalia onion, chopped small
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup of fat free half-and-half
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 TB sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried basil
OPTIONAL-tbsp of Franks Red Hot (if you want a little zing to your soup!)
Directions:
1) Puree the grape tomatoes with either a food chopper or the small bowl of your food processor. Don't have either? Toss them into the regular food processor & it will do just fine. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium soup pan & saute the garlic & onion until the onions are soft. Once soft, add the tomatoes & their juices.
2) Add all of the spices to the tomato mixture & toss. Add the two cans of tomato sauce & a half can of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium heat, & add the half-and-half. Simmer for about 15 minutes, taste for seasoning, and serve.
Enjoy everyone! Happy New Year, Merry Christmas, etc, you know all those holidays I have missed! Bad blogger! Hoping to get back into blogging more this year!
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