Organic Gluten Free Maple Glazed Granola

Oh yes, this granola tastes as amazing as the name sounds! Hey, who says you can't have treats and be healthy? We enjoyed this as a bedtime snack over a little unsweetened almond milk. Oh baby. 

Gluten-Free Maple Glazed Granola

(Please try and use all organic and as local of ingredients as possible for optimal nutrition)  

3 cups gluten free oats

1/2 cup chopped nuts and seeds (any you like, I used pecans and sesame seeds) 

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut (I used coconut flakes, but shreds would work as well)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup pure grade B maple syrup 

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix oats, nuts and seeds and coconut together. In a separate bowl melt coconut oil until liquified, add syrup, cinnamon, and salt and whisk together until mixed. Add the wet ingredients to the oat mixture and spread onto a large glass baking pan.  

Bake for 10 minutes, then flip mixture over as good as you can. Bake another 10 minutes and flip again. Bake for another 5 minutes and take out of oven to let cool. Once cool store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

Nutritional Benefits 

•oats-contain a certain type of fiber which helps lower cholesterol. Antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol and reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke

•pecans-excellent source of lowering cholesterol and provides a great source of omega 3 fatty acids crucial for helping to regulate heart rhythms. High in protein, fiber, and vital minerals for optimal health

•coconut oil-because coconut oils properties and benefits are so astonishing; here is a link to a fellow blogger who has wrote an excellent article on why you want coconut oil to be apart of your every day diet:  http://wellnessmama.com/2072/benefits-of-coconut-oil/

•maple syrup-this God made sweetner is so delicious and when used in moderation provides some crucial vitamins and minerals. It is high in antioxidants helping to combat inflammation throughout the body as well as cancer damaging free radicals. This awesome food also contains compounds that inhibit enzymes associated with type 2 diabetes. 

•cinnamon-the best cinnamon to use is Ceylon cinnamon; it is cinnamon in its purest form. It has many health benefits but the biggest one is it's ability to help regulate blood sugar. 

 

You've got cancer... But God didn't know what He was doing

I pray I never hear "you've got cancer".  But there are too many people that do and it's so heavy on my heart I'm about to scream!

According to the CDC, 7.6 million people die from the dreaded "C" word and it's only expected for that number to increase every year.  It is estimated by the time my young boys are adults that 1 in 2 people will have cancer. Which means one of my two boys will be diagnosed with cancer. 

When is enough, enough? I've had it, personally. I'm sick of seeing young kids never having a chance at life.  I'm sick of an elderly person who could have lived 10, 20, even 30 more years be taken to the grave way to soon. 

Unfortunatly, cancer is just the tip of the iceberg. We have people dying from cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and way too many man-made diseases to even list.

Death. We shiver at the word but when you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ it's a glorious reunion.  When you are a believer in the Father, son and Holy Spirit you are promised to spend eternity in Heaven; death is just a homecoming to your permanent home.  Your forever house. However, God does not intend for us to die young with PREVENTABLE, man made diseases. He means for us to live a long, abundant life fulfilling HIS glorious purpose for us using our gifts. He does NOT intend for us to suffer while our families sit in sorrow and disbelief of losing a loved one so soon.

God gives us instructions in the Bible, His Living Word, on how to live a long life. He gives us guidance on what food we should eat, to the way to cleanse ourselves mind, body and soul.  He instructs us on how to be joyous and give life to our bones. He promises no harm, only His riches and blessings. 

The enemy has other plans. And he comes as an angel of light making it hard for even believers to distinguish his evilness from goodness. But we have the Holy Spirit to help us discern that and if you are walking with Jesus every day, giving him your entire life, you have that wisdom that can only come from The Lord. 

His word says, "My people perish for a lack of knowledge." Did you get that? MY people. That means, the ones who are following Him, the good ole country boy, that precious baby girl, HIS people are perishing because they lack knowledge. 

Blame the enemy, disguised as man. 

•God made food so our bodies can function to its highest capapbility, giving life.  God made foods without genetically modified organisms, without chemicals and pesticides, and without being made in a factory. 

Man made food so our bodies fail, depleting and changing our very DNA, giving death. Man made genetically altered food, smothered on cancer causing chemicals and pesticides, and foods made in factories which actually is not food at all. So instead of having ALL of our food being organic and grown the way nature intended, we are stuck with paying outrageous prices just to find food that's grown and sourced organically, Gods way.  

But God didn't know what He was doing.

•God made our bodies to fight off bacteria, viruses, and disease. He made our immune system to work perfectly to keep our body healthy, killing the bad stuff around us and keeping the good stuff.

Man decided that when God made our immune system it wasn't good enough and man decided to make vaccinations in an effort to "boost our immune system" and provide "immunity" to our bodies. All the while man put known carcinogens, poisons, and bacteria and viruses grown on and from other animals in those vaccinations and called it helpful. (Let's keep in mind that the vaccination industry is a multi BILLION dollar industry)<----but nah, that doesn't affect anything, right? 

But God didn't know what He was doing.

•God made good germs to help fight bad germs, keeping a perfect balance on and around us. 

Man decided that all germs were bad and built an industry based on the fear of germs. It's called antibacterial-which wipes away 99.9 percent of ALL germs leaving our bodies out of whack. No wonder we can't fight off the bad guys, we've wiped the good guys away by the fear that if we don't disinfect and antibacterial everything we aren't clean enough. 

But God didn't know what He was doing. 

•God made our bodies to move. To flourish with activity by working hard, getting off the couch, and enjoying LIFE and nature.

Man has put it into our minds that in order to be healthy we need a structured gym and quick dieting program because who has time to work out and lose weight the way God intended.

But God didn't know what He was doing.  

•God desires us to have a harmonious, peaceful life; knowing we will face trials, stressors and hardships but can overcome those with promises from His word. He desires us to be pure in mind, keeping our thoughts on things that are Holy. He desires us to forgive others and love all people. 

Man desires for us to be stressed out so we can get a quick dose of an anti-depressant from the pharmaceutical company. (Which, again, is a multi BILLION dollar industry). Man desires us to be lustful, full of rage, anger, bitterness, dishonesty and hate because there's always a pill for that. And if we didn't crave sinful things our entertainment industry would be out of business. 

But God didn't know what He was doing. 

•God provided nature to heal us when we DO face sickness. He provided herbs, food and minerals to help us heal when our immune systems were burdened from environmental toxins and pollutants. 

Man made prescription drugs, eliminating herbs, food and minerals as way of healing because those can't be patented and marketed for sale. These prescription drugs have numerous side effects and most haven't been studied for long term effects. (Which we know by now the pharmaceutical company is a multi BILLION dollar industry)

But God didn't know what He was doing

The thing is, I'm pretty sure God did know what He was doing.

This isn't an argument on how to live your life. Praise The Lord we have the freedom to choose that. But my heart is bursting at the seams and I can't hold it in anymore. I choose to live the way God intended. I'm soaking in the knowledge from His word and basking in the wisdom imparted from the Holy Spirit. 

If I followed mans way, one of my precious boys will have cancer. 

And my boys aren't about to be a CDC statistic. 

I choose Gods way. Which way will you choose? 

(This list isn't exhaustive and certainly doesn't mean if you choose mans way you will get cancer or any other disease. I'm just putting in writing what the Holy Spirit has placed on my heart to open eyes that have been deceived by the enemy and man)

{Scripture references}

"For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from The Lord." -Proverbs 8:35

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones." -Proverbs 14:30

"The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit." 

"A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit." -Proverbs 15:13

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." -Proverbs 15:30

"For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad." -2 Corinthians 5:10

" I am greatly encourganed; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds." -2 Corinthians 7:4

Mans diets don't work-but Gods diet does.

Diets fail 100% of the time, every time. 

Why? Because once you stop the diet and go back to eating the way you were before, you gain the weight back and all of the westernized mentality is feeding your soul. 

Deprivation of anything, whether it be food, sleep, money, or time, is never successful and actually can cause more damage in the long run. Just like not getting enough sleep night after night-it doesn't immediately cause dangerous affects but after a few night of no sleep or very little sleep you can have all sorts of problems; from cognitive to mental. 

The same exact principal holds true with dieting. By depriving your body of vital nutrients you are causing your body to go into starvation mode. What happens when your body goes into starvation mode:

    "First your body will go into starvation mode. When this happens your metabolism starts to slowly shut down. You make your body think that it may not get food for a while so it will fight to keep every calorie and ounce of fat. It is basically like a protection mechanism which aids our survival. It would be beneficial if we were stranded out in the middle of nowhere and didn’t know when our next meal would come.

Secondly, after a period of starvation, most of us will crack. When we crack under severe hunger we tend to gorge. It’s pretty much uncontrollable so you really don’t ever want to get to that point. You shouldn’t ever have to.

Thirdly, gorging on a huge meal after your body is in starvation mode will cause the calories to be processed differently than normal. If your body is running on a slower metabolism and trying to cherish every calorie, the food that you throw at it all of a sudden will be stored as well. Guess what comes next? Yup, more body fat.

When you starve yourself you tend to just end up eating more at the end of the day anyways. The only difference is that your body will have a slow metabolism when you do eventually eat." (Source steadystrength.com) 

Dieting puts unreasonable boundaries on our mind, body and soul. Instead of desiring to be healthier and protecting our bodies by feeding it nourishing, life-giving food so we can live out the will of God, we fall for any quick fix just to shed a few pounds. Losing weight, if you are overweight, is a great goal, but this shouldn't be our main desire. We should want to become healthier mind, body and soul to have an abundant life. 

Friends, this is SO simple to do. By eating FULL fats, organic grass fed meats, fresh seasonal produce, and limiting grains and sugar and staying away from processed foods, you are giving your body the chance to thrive the way God intended. In return you will be more successful in your business because of your clarity of mind, you will have more energy for your family, and most of all you can LIVE out your life's purpose in a fulfilling way. 

I want to see you succeed and falling for a low fat, sugar free, gluten free, Atkins, South Beach, Jenny Craig, etc. diet, isn't the way to do it! 

Follow me and my journey. I promise to give you healthy meals, recipes, shopping lists, and plenty of tips and tricks to see your body, mind and soul thrive! 

Rainbow Meal (easy and healthy)

Want an easy meal? Ready in less than 30 minutes, seriously delicious and full of healthy food? 

I present to you...

Rainbow Meal 

Tuna and veggie patties, bacon creamed collard greens, and carrot, beet, apple raw salad. 

Bacon creamed collard green

10 oz collard greens

3 slices bacon chopped

1/2 onion chopped 

3/4 cup raw milk (or milk alternative)

2 tbls sprouted flour or buckwheat flour 

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp pink Himalayan sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper  

Coconut oil

Preheat oven to 325. Heat 2 tbls coconut oil in large pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add your onions and bacon. Let brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add collard greens, flour, paprika, salt and pepper and stir while collard greens become soft and wilt. Add milk and scrape the bottom of the pan to get the yummy drippings incorporated into your recipe let cook for 3 more minutes. Put in 8X8 glass oven safe dish and cook for 15 minutes. 

While the collard greens are cooking....

Prepare your tuna cakes.

Tuna and veggie patties

1 large egg

2 tablespoons sour cream

½ teaspoon Soy sauce 

½ teaspoon smoke paprika 

1/8 teaspoon salt

Other half of your chopped onion

1/2 bunch Swiss chard or other green of choice

2 cans wild caught no mercury tuna, drained

1 piece sprouted or sourdough bread (I always save the heals or end pieces of a loaf and freeze for using for breadcrumbs. To thaw just stick in microwave for 20 seconds) 

Coconut oil for frying 

Combine the egg, sour cream, soy suace, smoked paprika , salt, onion, and greens in blender and blend until combined. Add the tuna and piece of bread and blend until all chunks of bread are gone. 

Cover and refrigerate while you prepare next dish.

Carrot, beet, and apple raw salad

1 apple peeled and cored

1 beet peeled

5 baby carrots 

2 tbls shaved or shredded unsweetened coconut 

1/2 lemon

2 tbls hemp seeds 

In salad bowl shred apple, beet and carrots. Put in coconut and drizzle with lemon juice. Stir together and top with hemp seeds. Put in refrigerator and let combine until other food is done. 

Back to the tuna cakes...take out of mixture out of fridge and heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or a large griddle set over medium heat. Once oil is hot and shimmers (just below the smoking point), carefully place the patties one at a time in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook patties until they are golden brown on the first side, about 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove the patties from the oil once they are golden brown on each side. This made 6 palm sized patties. 

At this point your collard greens should be done. Take raw salad out of fridge and serve all the meal! So yummy and so healthy for you. 

Here's just some of the amazing nutritional information on why this meal rocks:

•tuna-has what's called selenium which is an antioxidant known for having healing properties, tuna also is great for cardiovascular strength specifically for atrial fribulation (AF)

•collard greens-cancer fighting and cholesterol lowering

•raw beets-antioxidant, helps tumors shrink, detoxifying and immune support

•coconut oil-helps reduce risk of Alzheimer's, immune support, heart health, also supports thyroid and metabolism 

Heal your cavities!!!

Do you have cavities, gum disease, or tooth decay? Did you know there's a way to HEAL and PREVENT tooth problems from ever occurring?

There is and it starts with your diet. Imagine that. 

We all know that white sugar is bad for not only our teeth but our bodies, but there are other foods that do equally as much damage. The biggest culprit is white, processed flours made into bread, pasta, donuts and pastries along with the over consumption of natural sugars such as fruit and honey. (Fruit and honey in moderation are excellent and health promoting however) 

The book Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nagel (who implements the Weston Price  protocol from years of extensive research) has been a tooth saver for our family. By eating the HomeGrown Plan way and implementing some of the suggestions from the book, we have stopped decay and reversed some problem spots. 

Some things you need to know about healing teeth naturally is:

•avoid processed foods

•no soda 

•use a clay based toothpaste 

•NEVER consume fluoride-even in your toothpaste 

•use organic pasture butter only 

•take a daily probiotic (because all good health starts in the gut)

•no sugar and use natural sugars sparingly 

•take a daily omega 3 supplement along with a daily whole foods organic multi vitamin

•use only raw dairy 

•make sure you are not magnesium deficient (you need enough magnesium in your body to absorb the calcium from your diet. Due to our depleted soils I recommend you take a magnesium supplement as 90% of Americans are magnesium deficient) 

•do all of the above PLUS eating the HomeGrown Plan way. 

If you have a problem spot already on your tooth you can apply collodial silver straight to the tooth-it is a natural anti-biotic which can heal any infection in, under or around the tooth until you can heal your cavity from the inside out. 

If you must get dental care, choose a naturopathic dentist who can help you implement dietary changes for healing your teeth. 

Who knew you have natural teeth healing capabilities at your fingertips?! 

Kid approved Green "ice cream" Smoothie

Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat their greens? Maybe you yourself have trouble. 

Smoothies are an absolute excellent, delicious way of getting your daily amount of greens. You should have fresh, raw greens with every meal. In reality, that would look like a heaping dinner sized plate full every day. For most of us, myself included, eating salads gets boring and mundane. 

To provide your body with optimal nutrition, getting a variety of raw greens is ideal. Some great options are spinach, kale, collard greens, sprouts, dandelion greens, Swiss chard, and so many more! 

Another benefit of smoothies is you can easily add Superfoods for extra nutritional benefit. I recommend you try and incorporate 1 or more superfoods with each meal. 

This recipe provides enough for 2 large smoothies or 4 small ones. 

Creamy Green Smoothie

(Use all organic and locally sources when possible for optimal nutrition and less chemicals) 

1/2 bunch of Swiss chard

2 large handfuls spinach 

2 frozen bananas

1 cup of frozen pineapple

2 tbs baoab fruit powder (superfood)

2 tbs sprouted chia seeds (superfood)

1 cup of coconut water

1 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Combine all in blender and blend until a creamy, smooth consistency. Enjoy! 

My kids love this one! They call it their "green ice cream drink". It really does have an ice cream flavor. 

Nutritional benefits:

•swiss chard-blood sugar regulator, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification support. 

•spinach-good source of protein, anti-inflammatory, and cancer reducer

•banana-high potassium fruit providing energy! Because of its high potassium content it's great for cardiovascular support, kidney health, eye support and digestive support. 

•pineapple-provides a natural sweetness to smoothies. On top of its sweet flavor it has anti-inflammatory properties and digestive support, high source of vitamin C providing beneficial immune support and also providing heightened eye function

•baoab fruit powder-3 times amount of vitamin C as an orange and one of the latest superfoods in helping to regulate blood sugar

•chia seeds-great source of protein with little to no fat. Helps cardiovascular function, fights against cancer cells and provides a beneficial amount of omega-3s.

•coconut water is great to use in smoothies because it is like a natural Gatorade by helping regulate electrolyte function. Plus combining it with pineapple gives your smoothie a tropical flavor  

A HUGE announcement

It's with serious excitement we announce a HUGE opportunity for you from The HomeGrown Lady.  We have been working on a much asked for service that will allow you to become a healthier YOU.

We are offering a unique service for you.  We have decided to offer this for a few reasons, one being that we cannot keep up with the private messages and inquiries about heathy living. But the biggest reason is that God has changed our hearts from eating spaghettios and BBQ chips, to craving to eat the way HE intended. In following His commands about living a healthy lifestyle, He has gifted us with abundant knowledge, resources, and a vision of helping families become the healthiest they can be so they can live out an ABUNDANT life! In return, we want to help YOU!

"There’s a verse in the Bible that says Jesus went into every village preaching, teaching, and healing. I say that preaching is evangelism; teaching is education; and healing is health care. Jesus didn’t only care about getting people into heaven. He cared about spirit, mind, and body. To me, health care isn’t simply helping the sick get well, but helping the well not get sick." -Rick Warren 

We want to work along side you to create a weekly menu plan customized to fit your families needs. We will provide you with a weekly menu, recipes, and shopping list. Along with all of the above, you will be apart of our exclusive Facebook group only open to members. The Facebook group is a valuable resource to share recipes and healthy living tips. On top of all of this and most importantly you will be able to start a pattern of lifelong habits that will create a healthier, more fulfilling life for you and your family.  

The HomeGrown Plan is different than any other dieting scheme out there because we are a lifestyle change, not a diet. We don't put restrictions on what you can eat as long as you're eating what God created! We guide you through health promoting daily living, encourage you, and provide you with resources that you may not be able to find or have the time to find yourself. 

Are you in?

Our desire is to see every family in America support the small business industry by purchasing from your local co-op, natural food store or straight from the farmer himself.  America needs a revolution!  We see too many people in our lives dying of unnecessary diseases stemming from our westernized diet, big Pharma, and too much government control. Did you know Gods plan doesn't include dying young from man made diseases? He has equipped this earth with more than enough resources to thrive. Man decided GMOs and processed foods were better . But we all know God knows best :)

If Jesus came to eat dinner at your house, would you serve Him food God, His father, created? Or would you serve Him food man created? We are positive you would serve Him food that God made, so why wouldn't you feed your own bodies (the Holy Spirits temple) that same food? 

What can you give up for $25 a week to change and possibly SAVE your life? 

In our next post we will share the way this program works. Stay tuned friends... We are so excited!!!! 

The breakdown

(Pictured is Easy Crockpot Vegetable Pasta Sauce over brown rice pasta with sautéed chicken sausage and Cherry and Red Onion Spinach Salad)

Here's the breakdown of the 

HomeGrown Plan:

Member levels

•seed level

$25 weekly//$65 monthly//$700 yearly 

-access to our private Facebook page where we share recipes and tips on healthy living

-a weekly menu of 6 dinners planned for you

-a weekly shopping guide to support the menu

-recipes for the menu

•sprout level

$50 weekly//$185 monthly//$2,000 yearly 

-all of the above in seed level PLUS

-6 added meals and 5 snacks PLUS

-a FREE 15 minute coaching session on healthy living done via phone once a month

•bloom level

$80 weekly//$275 monthly//$2900 yearly 

-access to our private Facebook page where we share recipes and tips on healthy living

-a customized weekly menu plan fit for your life (up to 45 meals and 10 snacks) 

-a weekly shopping guide to support the menu 

-recipes for your menu 

-a FREE 30 minute coaching session on healthy living done via phone once a month.  

•coaching sessions

$75 per hour (in 1 hour increments only) 

-we will share all the juicy details on how to live a fulfilling, ABUNDANT life. 

-we will work through healthy living fit just for you!

-need budgeting help to live a healthier life? We have tips and strategies for shopping and thriving on a budget. 

-have questions about personal care products? We can find the right "safe" products to work for you. 

Once you decide what membership level and/or an hourly coaching session of the HomeGrown Plan will work best for you, just email thehomegrownlady@gmail.com and get started on literally changing your life from the inside out! You will be emailed a few short questions so we can better understand what will work best for you. After your payment has cleared you will be sent a plan, starting on the next Sunday for the week, based on your membership level to begin using. If you signed up for a coaching session only, we will schedule a time via phone. 

Memberships may be cancelled at the end of each payment cycle whether you pay weekly, monthly or yearly, but we are confident you will stay around! :) (weeks are Sunday through Saturday.)