I am an Asian food lover all the way. But once we started eating healthier, it meant no more trips to the Chinese Buffet or the Hibachi Grill, no more Ramen noodles, and definitely no more frozen Asian food from the supermarket. Sure, I miss it sometimes, but when I can make something so delicious, so amazing at home, I think I might be able to cope with the changes. Even the kids like it! They eat the whole bowl of it, broccoli, bamboo shoots, and all. What’s not to love?
So much of the food my family eats is produce, and because of that, most of our grocery bill each month comes from produce items. It became apparently clear that if we wanted to eat as much produce as we do and make sure that it was 100% organic, we had to grow it ourselves. Well, let me just tell you, when you have to grow enough produce for 10 people, your garden has to be pretty large. And believe me when I tell you that our garden in really big. About 3 years ago, we started our first garden and it consisted of 3 tomato plants. Three! Of course, back then we were eating Stouffer’s and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese all the time, so a large garden wasn’t necessary. In the summer of 2012, we moved to a new house with a very large yard and in the spring of 2013, my dad built us a very large garden in a spot in the yard that gets sun basically all day long. It was the perfect spot.
With the expansion of our garden, we realized the importance of having ample space not just for our produce but also for our family to thrive. The move to a new house with a spacious yard was pivotal in enabling us to cultivate our own organic bounty. As we nurtured our garden, we also found ourselves embracing the tranquility and beauty of our surroundings, enhancing our connection to nature and each other. Our journey into self-sufficiency led us to appreciate the value of a home that aligns with our lifestyle. If you’re seeking a place where you can cultivate your own garden oasis, explore the diverse range of properties available in Georgia at https://exprealty.com/us/ga/. Whether you’re drawn to the allure of expansive yards or the charm of rural retreats, there’s a perfect space waiting to be transformed into your own organic haven.
I have been craving chocolate a lot lately, and all I want to eat at this point is chocolate, preferably covered in chocolate. So I needed something healthy to satisfy my cravings and I needed something filling so that I wouldn’t have to make and eat 10 servings of it. Luckily, my brilliant mother likes to email me recipes she wants me to try, and Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding was among them. It was exactly what I needed. Can you imagine if I had baked and eaten 24 double chocolate chip cookies on my own? Or worse, bought highly processed ones from the store? I think I made a smart choice that day, because Lord knows it would not have been good for my thighs. This Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding is super rich, absolutely delightful, vegan, simple to make, and only uses a handful of ingredients.
Prior to making health conscious decisions regarding what we put into our mouths, my family wasn’t terribly unhealthy, but then again we weren’t very healthy either. We ate foods that hurt our bodies, and we encountered many health problems along the way. We consumed mass amounts of sugar, trans fats, food dyes, and the many forms of MSG. Making lasagna, jam, brownies, and biscuits ourselves was unheard of. Pancakes came out of a bag and sugar was always white (unless it was brown sugar). It wasn’t until we opened our eyes and started searching for answers that we realized how poor of a job we were doing of taking care ourselves. So, slowly but surely, we took baby steps towards cleansing our bodies of all the junk we had been eating and rebuilding our bodies to be strong and in working condition.
Just about every month, there’s a holiday. Sometimes, there’s even more than one holiday in a month. And usually around that time I’m running around with my head chopped off trying to plan and shop. For example, yesterday was Easter. Last week was so hectic, so I was very, very grateful that I had a menu plan to fall back on.
