Dancing With Delight

For quite some time, I've had a vision of my family going on regular bike rides to the local farmers market. We bought a bike seat for my son to ride in, but unfortunately it didn't fit on my bike. Several months have passed and we finally decided to purchase a new bike that will accommodate an infant seat. It is an early Mother's Day gift to me, and a gift I will cherish.
Today we had the wonderful experience of our first family bike ride. The sun was shining, birds were chirping and the trail was gently populated with people celebrating the arrival of spring. My vision for our family is on it's way to becoming a reality and my heart is dancing with delight.
My body also feels REALLY good after getting out and about for exercise. After several weeks of inactivity due to bed rest my body was aching to get outside and get moving. I feel much more energetic and mentally alert than I have for weeks now. Exercise, in a form that is enjoyable, is a great addition to any day!

A Tasty Treat

My husband's birthday is coming up so I've been searching for a sugar free, yet delicious, cake or cup cake recipe. I found this chocolate pecan muffin recipe and I must say it is definitely a contender! I gave it a try last night and my husband described it as a moist brownie without being too sweet like a typical brownie. I agree with him completely. It was more on the cake like side than a fudge brownie would be, but that's fine by me as I'm looking to use it as a cupcake.

Now I just need to find the perfect topping for them. That may be a tad more difficult to find, but I'm confident I will figure something out :)

Here is the recipe:

 Dark Chocolate Pecan Avocado Muffins

• 1/2 cup organic dark chocolate chips, melted (I'm going to try substituting with carob chips next time)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup organic soy milk (or almond milk works well)
• 1 ripe organic avocado
• 1 cup Agave syrup
• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup Pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. In a blender combine melted chocolate, vanilla, oil, milk, avocado and agave; puree until smooth. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, pecans, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir avocado puree into dry ingredients; mix well. Spoon into 12 muffin cups and bake for 30-35 minutes or until done.

All I can say is YUM!

Garbage In Garbage Out

I must admit, I thought buying organic was just a fad much like a fad diet. I would buy organic when it was on sale because I did want to be healthier. I had no idea just how bad the pesticides used on commercial farms are for my physical health, the health of my children as well as the health of our planet. I've been reading a lot of information on the endocrine system and how our hormones getting all out of whack can impact our metabolism. Guess what...pesticides are poison to our body (and our planet)...plain and simple.

This reminds me of that saying "garbage in, garbage out". I'm pretty sure I learned that in a computer science class but I believe it is equally accurate when it comes to our health and nutrition. If we put pesticides into our body, among other poisons, we will get garbage out in the form of low energy and ailments that may take years to show up.

Realizing that I have been feeding my child poisons that can cause cancer in his body later in life was a real wake up call for me. I want my child to be healthy and have a long and wonderful life. Heck, I want that for my husband and I as well. I am ready to take a stand for health and vitality in my family, are you?

If you want to read a great, to the point, article check it out here.