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December 5, 2024

Post-Thanksgiving Mini Reset

Thanksgiving may have left you feeling a little too much like the stuffed turkey centerpiece. If you’re ready to shake off the sluggishness before m

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Christmas, Food, Fun, Health
November 28, 2024

Savor, Stroll, and Stay Thankful

Thanksgiving. A time to enjoy the company of loved ones, share stories, and of course, indulge in delicious food. Here’s a tip to help you savor

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Family, Food, Fun, Health
November 19, 2024

Gobble Up These Thanksgiving Preparation Tips

Thanksgiving is a time for gratitude, gathering, and indulging in an amazing feast. However, hosting can sometimes feel more like a marathon than a ce

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Food
November 14, 2024

Mediterranean Feel-Good Soups for Fall

As we transition from fall into the holidays, staying mindful of our health goals can help us enjoy the season without feeling run down or overwhelmed

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Food, Health
November 7, 2024

Healthy Eating FAQs and Answers

Before I get into this week’s topic, I must first retract a statement that I made last week about Mr. Non-Compliant. I stand corrected, as he did NO

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Food, Health
October 31, 2024

Mr. Non-Compliant’s Birthday Fest

This week Mr. Non-Compliant (aka my dear hubby) celebrated a birthday. He flaunted his morning non-compliance by leaving the EMPTY cinnamon roll box o

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Family, Food, Fun, Health
October 24, 2024

Not a Vegetable Fan? Read This

It’s not just kids that wrinkle their nose at a plate of green stuff. Lots of fully-grown adults feel the same—inclined to hide their Brussels spr

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Food, Health
October 17, 2024

How Safe is Your Cinnamon?

I’m a huge cinnamon fan. I shake it in my coffee, smoothies, muffins, stewed apples, and of course, pumpkin pie. Years ago I mixed it with a little

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Food, Health
October 10, 2024

10 Simple Tips to Ease into Fall

Fall is officially here. I know this not only from the calendar and fewer hours of daylight, but by the temperature of my house when I wake up in the

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Food, Health
October 10, 2024

Cumin, Coriander, Fennel (CCF) Tea

To make a cup of CCF tea (Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel tea) using seeds, follow this simple recipe: Ingredients: 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon

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Everything Else, Recipes

Cookies, the Quarantine 15, and Easter

April 9, 2020
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Friendship, Health, Hope, Love

Curious minds want to know: Did Mr. Non-Compliant ever get his cookies?

Answer: Yes.

Thank you to several readers who offered to share their stash of flour, and a special thank you to my dear friend who dropped off an entire bag at my front door within 8 hours of reading my blog.  

Many gifts and blessings are presenting themselves in the midst of this crisis.

This past week I received an anxiety ridden email about the prediction of the “quarantine 15.”

What? Who says? I don’t plan on using a global pandemic to gain 15 pounds. Now, my freshman year in college was another story…for another day.

My email response went something like this: those of you who are currently working with me, have worked with me, or follow my blogs and/or Get Healthy articles, do not fall into that category. In fact, several of you are losing weight and finding creative ways to exercise.

YES!

YOU understand what you need to do to stay on course with your food, fitness, and your entire wellbeing—body, mind, and soul.

You’ve got this. We’ve got this.

Should you be tempted to stray, consider that the healthier you are in body, mind, and soul, the more likely you are to overcome any type of illness, at any time.

If you’re struggling, remember to join me this Saturday for Zoom group coaching. This is currently a GIFT to my community to help maneuver challenging times. Our discussions cover a variety of topics, and we’d love to have you join in.

This Sunday is Easter for some. I was reminded by another dear friend, that the first Easter was not a big celebration of singing, praising, enjoying ham, or chocolate bunnies. The disciples were locked in their house, fearing for their lives.

Their best friend had been crucified, and they thought they could be next.

They had heard the good news from some women, yet it seemed too good to be true. How could it be that life and love had overcome death?

Hope and faith won out, and those first disciples eventually had the courage to go into the world and share God’s love.  

Today, there is danger, and we must stay in our homes. It is like the first Easter. Yet, we maintain hope that we will soon be able to go out and see smiling faces instead of masks, hug our loved ones, and enjoy a deeper appreciation of what we mean to one another.

I wish you a peaceful, blessed, and happy Easter.

Much love,
Carol

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”—Pope John Paul II

Mr. Non-Compliant: Where Have All the Flours Gone?

April 2, 2020
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Blog, Family, Food, Fun, Health

Each trip to the grocery store these days is a new adventure. It has become such a conscious, thought-out process.

What time is best? Where am I most likely to find what I need? How quickly can I get back to my home?

As usual, more questions than answers.

While I was victorious in my hunt for toilet paper, there is another item that eludes me. My latest challenge is finding a bag of organic, unbleached (or any white) flour—full of gluten, mind you—so that I can make Mr. Non-Compliant his favorite cookies. Now, under “normal” circumstances, this is not a problem.

Interesting that every store I’ve been in has GOBS of sugar, and no flour. Perhaps the masses have taken up bread making, which is great. However, this leaves me with a very sad Mr. NC.  

In the meantime, I keep him happy with those Easter colored plain M&M’s—in small bags, so he doesn’t get carried away. I’ve heard that some folks are struggling to keep their weight in check with all this staying home business, since they find themselves going to the kitchen a few too many times throughout the day. (If this is YOU, I’ll see you at my Zoom Group Coaching on Saturday.)

The bottom line: if you are one of those people who bought flour to bake cookies, let Mr. NC know and he’ll drive by your house so you can toss a few in his direction. He told me he’s happy to help humanity with their struggle to fit in their jeans.

In case you need a new snack to make while you’re hanging around the house, here you go.

Crock Pot Trail Mix

This slightly sweet recipe will give you energy on and off the trail. The nuts offer protein, fiber, and fat, along with some vitamins and minerals. A handful, about ¼ cup, makes a great snack any time of day.

  • 2 cups raw walnuts (halves or coarsely chopped)
  • 1 cup raw whole almonds (or cashew halves)
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons coconut oil (or 1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons butter, cut in slices)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Place nuts, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla in a crock pot and mix. Place on High for 45 to 60 minutes and stir occasionally to prevent burning. Turn to Low and continue cooking for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, stirring a time or two. Place the nut mixture on paper towel to absorb excess oil, and let cool at least 15 minutes before mixing in the chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

Stay well, my friends.

Much love,
Carol

“All of us might wish at times that we lived in a more tranquil world, but we don’t. And if our times are difficult and perplexing, so are they challenging and filled with opportunity.”― Robert Kennedy

Crock Pot Trail Mix

April 2, 2020
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Recipes, Treats

This slightly sweet recipe will give you energy on and off the trail. The nuts offer protein, fiber, and fat, along with some vitamins and minerals. A handful, about ¼ cup, makes a great snack any time of day.

  • 2 cups raw walnuts (halves or coarsely chopped)
  • 1 cup raw whole almonds (or cashew halves)
  • 1 Tablespoon sugar
  • 2 to 3 Tablespoons coconut oil (or 1 to 1 ½ Tablespoons butter, cut in slices)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Place nuts, sugar, coconut oil, and vanilla in a crock pot and mix. Place on High for 45 to 60 minutes and stir occasionally to prevent burning. Turn to Low and continue cooking for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, stirring a time or two. Place the nut mixture on paper towel to absorb excess oil, and let cool at least 15 minutes before mixing in the chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container or Ziploc bag.

Cauliflower is the New Kale

March 26, 2020
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Food, Fun, Health

Cauliflower. You know it as my least favorite vegetable.

I realized something was up when I came to breakfast one recent morning and there was a cauliflower article awaiting me. Thank you, Mr. Non-Compliant, who is never one to agitate. I jest.

“Is this cauliflower article here for me?” I innocently asked. “Why, yes, it is,” he replied. Of course it was.

Turns out cauliflower is the new darling of vegetables, and farmers have expanded the acreage they use to grow it. Since it grows in 30 days, your odds of finding it are a great deal higher than finding a package of toilet paper these days. (Can I pleeeeeease trade you a head of cauliflower for 2 rolls of TP?) 

This vegetable is very versatile, and healthy. Cauliflower has made its way as a substitute for starch and dairy in pizza crust, “rice,” gnocchi, hummus, and vegan Gruyère cheese.

 Cauliflower can also be found in tortilla chips, at salad bars, mashed to replace mashed potatoes, and deep-fried at hot food bars. Health Coach Carol obviously does NOT recommend that last one.

You can also roast it, sauté it, dip it, toss it into casseroles, and add it to soups and salads. Some even make cauliflower mac and cheese. That seems rather…wrong. Guess I need to give it a whirl.

Due to its popularity, cauliflower now outsells kale, cabbage, and garlic. It still lags behind onions and lettuce–probably because I buy lots of onions and lettuce.

It is rich in fiber and nutrients, contains some protein, and is low in carbohydrates, making it the perfect choice for those who follow paleo and keto ways of eating.

I do enjoy cauliflower crust pizza, and can’t tell it’s cauliflower. I can even fool Mr. Non-Compliant. Other than that, well, I’m still not a big fan. I keep trying.

On a happier note…

Mark your calendars now for a FREE GROUP COACHING SESSION ON ZOOM, this Saturday at 11:00 AM central. It will last approximately 45 minutes.  

The topic will be: “Confronting Challenges in Creating the New Normal”

 We’ll be discussing the results from my Challenge, “Do the next right thing” and what people came up with that was right for them. Also: What has this past week been like for everyone emotionally? How do we continue to move forward when everything keeps disappearing from the calendar?  

Zoom is a video-conferencing platform where we are together virtually. On your computer, click on the Join Zoom Meeting link Saturday at 11:00 AM, and we’ll hang out with a bunch of our friends.

 Here’s the invitation:

Topic: Carol’s Group Coaching
Time: March 28, 2020 at 11:00 AM

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/688492449?pwd=cDdQZWJ4RVgyYmdyZmJwZVJBSlg0dz09

Meeting ID: 688 492 449
Password: 044748

I hope you can join me for this FREE online event. Let me know what you’re struggling with prior to our session, and I’ll address it on Saturday. Be sure to put it in your calendar so you don’t miss it. See you then!

Much love,
Carol

 “Few things bring us happiness like deeply rooted daily routines. There is something about healthy routines and rituals that leads the human person to flourish.”—Matthew Kelly, “Rediscover the Saints”

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