Platanos

A main incentive in pursuing a healthier lifestyle is lowering my cholesterol. My doctor strongly advised me to. So after my blood results came back and I got a letter from my doctor I googled "Foods to lower  cholesterol" and to my surprise, plantains were on the list! I grew up eating plantains and they have always been a favorite {usually sprinkled with sugar on top,  now I'll just have to omit the glittery goodness} 

FACTS ABOUT PLANTAINS : 

• They contain more vitamin A and C than bananas.
• Rich source of B-complex vitamins, particularly B6.
• DO NOT eat them raw..yucky...Unlike bananas, plantains must be cooked before you eat them.
• They can be baked, broiled, or fried. {I use a bit of coconut oil to fry them}

This is the way my momma taught me to cook plantains. Peel the plantain and be sure to save the peel {These will later be used to soak up the excess oil from the fried plantains instead of using paper towels} #GoGreen #NoPaperTowels.

Heat coconut oil,  and place the plantains once oil is nice and hot. Fry them until golden brown, approx. 5 minutes per side. 

Place the cooked plantains on the reserved peel to soak up excess oil, and voila! Ready to eat!

PALETAS

Our blog is back in business!!! 
I will soon be embarking on a journey into the world of Healthy Eating, and I will be posting recipes, pictures of food, findings, struggles {and hopefully some before and after pictures} 
A lot has happened in our lives since my last post back in 2012. Things like; having a baby, moving back to the states, getting to be a stay- at- home- mom, Ben working 2 jobs (so that I could be a Stay -at-home-mom), finding a new church, having a second baby, getting a teaching job (since my mom got the calling to be a stay-at-home-grandma and quit work to care for my babies), along with many experiences, new friendships and things to be oh so thankful for! 

I'm starting this blog again as a way to keep myself accountable during the journey.
I want to get back into pre-wedding shape, which sounds daunting and possibly impossible but I will try nonetheless. We've enjoyed 7 years of being an "unhealthy family", our freezer is always stocked up with ice cream, our pantry always filled with Oreos and/or chips. And besides it being time to shed some weight, I also want Ben and I to be healthy and active to give Harold and Lucy a healthy and active life lifestyle. ( I will, however, start after summer is officially over, I don't want to set myself up for failure, I am determined to lose weight slow and steady) 
Here's one of my best discoveries that has quickly become a Camp family favorite.

GREEN{ish} smoothies and posicles: {a.k.a. paletas or as Lucy calls them "poCsicles"

Ingredients 

• 2 cups of leafy greens {I use a spinach and kale mix}
• 2 cups of some sort of liquid  {I use the juice of 3 large oranges} no added sugar whatsoever.{Thanks to my cool Ninja Blender I can just peel the orange and throw the whole thing in there, seeds and all}
• 3 cups of fruit, your choice. Some of our favorites around here are frozen strawberries, mango, pineapple, and peaches. 

                  Simply blend the ingredients until desired consistency.

My adorable little assistant {in yet another pair of Christmas jammies}

Love all the pretty and bright colors

The recipe above makes enough for 2  servings in smoothie form and 6 kid friendly "poCsicles". 

• Harold and Lucy LOVE these things. I often use the popsicles to bribe them (We are a bribe friendly household) Harold has always been a picky eater, these things are a treat to him. And they are packed with fresh fruits and veggies, that's all, pure yummy healthy goodness. 
• Lucy has pounded 5 popsicles in 1 day. She also asks for popsicles for breakfastm which is totally fine with me since it's basically a healthy green smoothie. 
• Ben and I like the smoothies a lot. They're pretty yummy. I mean let's be honest, it's not Caramel- Frappucino -with -extra -caramel -yummy, but they do taste delicious. The mango and pineapple one is one of my favorites, it's so tropical and perfect for hot summer mornings!  {I must add, while I love the smoothies, the popsicles just don't tickle my fancy, they don't taste as good to me. Which is okay I guess, so there is more for the kids} 

Tiny hands. I love these tiny hands! 

~Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts~

~Diana