Thursday, February 18, 2010

Coconut Oil: I'm a Believer!

Recently I've been reading up on the amazing health benefits of coconut oil. I'm really excited about implementing coconut oil into our family's diet, so I thought I'd share a little about it.

First off, coconut oil is extremely nutritious and can be substituted for butter in any recipe. But unlike butter, coconut oil has AMAZING health benefits, including weight loss, stress-relief, anti-aging, lowering cholesterol, boosting immunity, aiding in digestion, skincare, hair care and MANY MORE. To read more about the benefits of coconut oil, click here.

Another benefit of coconut oil is that it is delicious! This makes it easy to incorporate into your diet. You should add up to 3 tablespoons of coconut oil into your diet each day.

Today I made two new recipes using coconut oil, and they were both delish!

First, I made some "Pina Colada" smoothies! I just added a tablespoon of coconut oil to my Magic Bullet with some pineapple juice and half a container of yogurt. I added ice and blended it up. McPreachy and I both LOVED it! It tasted just like a fruity umbrella drink you'd get in Hawaii!

Then I made some healthy coconut almond chocolate chip cookies using coconut oil and whole wheat flour. They were really good too!

I am also planning on making this "Make Your Own Lara Bar" recipe this week (this was the reason I bought the coconut oil in the first place).

More info on coconut oil and recipes:


I'll keep you apprised of my progress!!!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

I Love You... I Honestly Love You: Cavender's Greek Seasoning


I met up with an old friend today at Cost Plus World Market. His name is Cavender's Greek Seasoning. And boy do I love him.


This seasoning was a tip from my friend Gina. It was a staple at her house growing up. And after she introduced us, it was love at first taste!


Use Cavender's as a simple seasoning for grilled chicken or shrimp... delish! Or sprinkle it on garlic bread before baking! YUM!


Today after I got home from Cost Plus, I made some delish, easy chicken with it using my healthy, no-fail-chicken-prep method:
I line a baking sheet with foil, place a few boneless skinless chicken breasts on top and then drizzle with olive oil. Then I season it liberally (today with Cavender's) and pop it in the broiler for about 7 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through. I use this method for making chicken fajitas, just changing up the seasonings (chili powder, onion, garlic, salt, pepper).

Usually at the beginning of each week, I make a big batch of chicken this way for use all week long in salads, pastas, casseroles, etc.

Try it!

Or as they say in Greece, Τον δοκιμάστε!

P.S. I wrote the above Greek using an online translator. I'm really hoping it's not a curse word.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Valentine's Day: A Pictorial Montage

Today:

Because I don't feel like writing a lot and spellchecking...

...because I am the worst blogger ever and haven't posted in a gazillion years...

...AND just because it's Wednesday, I'm hereby presenting you with a pictorial journey into Valentine's Day in the McPreachy house. Use it wisely.



Our little "Love Jar" we use to write things we love about each other during the month and then read them on Valentine's Day:



Our school time theme for February: LOVE!

Bennett and I made these little "Bear Hug" bags for his friends. They are filled with gummi bears and teddy grahams.


Old-school-magnet-love-poetry... on the fridge. (McPreachy is a wonderful fridge poet.)



Candy Cane Heart Lollipops!



Heart-shaped Rice Krispie Treats:



This is a craft we made at MOPS... Flower Lollipop Valentines! So cute, fun and easy!


For the McPreacher:


For Bennett:

Valentine's Books:


Happy Valentine's Day, lovebirds!