Those of you who know me, know I am a committed health freak who NEVER sways.

(Haha, okay take a moment to go change your pants from laughing so hard…)

Anyways, I spotted the film above on Netflix and was admittedly intrigued.

So, I dug my Breville Juicer out from beneath layers of dust and tried Joe’s MEAN GREEN juice…

MEAN GREEN JUICE:

6 Kale Leaves
1 Cucumber
4 Celery Stalks
2 Green Apples
1/2 Lemon
1 piece of ginger

It was… well… GREEN.

Have you tried it?  What did you think?  Are you going to do the 10-30-or-60-day juice cleanse?  Do you have any favorite juice recipes?

Welcome back!

This week’s FAB FIND are my Young Living Essential Oils.

They aren’t so much NEW, but they are something I want to share.  I LOVE this brand and the products.

These are definitely not the type of essential oils that are just used to make your room smell good – although they do that, too!  YL oils are 100 percent therapeutic grade (meaning you can ingest them safely).

THIEVES, R.C., and PEPPERMINT are my top 3 favorites for winter time when all of the nasty sickies are being passed around.  My family uses them to help combat sickies and relieve symptoms.  (Although these oils have MANY MORE USES.)

For example, we diffuse THIEVES in our home when one of us is sick or we’ve been around someone who is sick.  It helps kill airborne germs (also kills mold!)  We rub it on the soles of our feet and for the adults, it can be put under our tongues when we have sore throats, etc.

I use PEPPERMINT when I have a sore throat, nasal congestion, fever, or body aches.

R.C. is also a great immune support.

I could probably write a mini-book on just these 3 oils and what they’re good for and what my family personally uses them for.  They are THAT great!  If you have a question on how to use them or where to get them, shoot me an email at bosssanders@gmail.com.  I do have distributor permissions for the product line, so if you’d like to simply go online to order ( https://www.youngliving.com/signup/custType.faces)  and try them out for yourself, just use this number to log in:  1053515

What are some of your FABULOUS FUN FINDS for this week??

JUST DO IT:

12 oz spaghetti
1 (28 ounce) jars prepared spaghetti sauce
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce.  Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet.  Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl.  Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic.  Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9×13″ pan.  Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish.  Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce.  Sprinkle parmesan and mozz. cheeses on top as desired.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

Do you ever find a product or place that you absolutely LOVE?  –Something you want to share with the world but don’t necessarily want to write a 250 word description of it?  Maybe it’s a new eyeliner you found… or maybe you found an awesome brand of cloth diapers made by a lesser-known company or individual.  Heck, maybe your just wowed that your dog pooped rainbows in the yard after eating your kids’ crayons!

Or… do you ever wish you knew of a great mascara because yours is being discontinued?  Or, maybe you are looking for a new vacation spot… or money saving tips.

I’ve been in both camps before (and I imagine many of you have too!) – I’ve wanted to share and I’ve wanted to know.  So, with all of that said, I introduce to you:

FABULOUS FINDS FRIDAY!

Each Friday, I’ll post a fab find and invite you to post yours too!  You don’t have to be a blogger to participate, but if you are, you’ll be spreading the word about your own website … so yay!

Okay… So let’s get started!

My Fab Find for today is:

From Daniel’s Tears – a non-profit that brings hope to little ones in Burkina Faso.  Check out the video…

What are your fab finds for this week?

Our family has been trying lots of new recipes lately.  Our goal is to compile 50 “favorite” main dish go-to recipes to make a “menu” of sorts which will make meal planning THAT much easier!  Just pick and fix!

Here’s another of our favorites:

Easy Crockpot Italian Chicken:

4 chicken breasts, 1 packet Zesty Italian dressing seasoning, 1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened), 2 cans cream of chicken soup; Cook on low for 4 hours. (If sauce is to!o thick, add a little milk.) Serve over pasta.

What are some of your favorite “go-to” recipes?  I’d love to hear!

Deal Of The Day… Or Week!!

This is your chance to purchase discontinued products from previous catalogs at discounted prices! Lots of your favorite prints and products – perfect for all gift giving occasions!

(Also one of our family’s favorites…)

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, finely chopped  (or, onion powder/flakes…which is what we use)
  
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1 medium green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 medium sweet red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast (you can also use canned chicken for speed and ease!)
  
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted
• 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 12 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch strips
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese, divided
• Velveeta cheese as desired, melted on top
  

Directions

• In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, celery and peppers in oil until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the chicken, soups, tomatoes and chili powder.
• Line the bottom of a 3-qt. baking dish with half of the tortilla strips; top with half of the chicken mixture and 1 cup cheese. Repeat layers. Melt velveeta cheese and a little milk in microwave and pour on top.  Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until bubbly. Yield: 8 servings.

Note:  While it technically serves 8 people… you might want to double the recipe.  It’s THAT good!

I made these…and seriously…they rock.

LEMON CRINKLE COOKIES

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 tbsp lemon zest (or more)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 c. powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or grease with a light coat of non-stick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice until well combined. In small batches, add in the sifted dry ingredients, mixing just to combine. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or foil and place in refrigerator. Chill for at least an hour.

4. Place powdered sugar in a shallow dish or on a large plate. Roll chilled dough into one-inch balls. Roll each ball through the powdered sugar to coat, and then place on prepared cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven, or until bottoms have started to brown ever so slightly and cookie takes on a matte (not glossy) appearance. Be careful not to over bake. Recipe yields about two dozen cookies.

YUM!

This season has been both sweet and challenge-filled (Merry Christmas, by the way)!  First, our sweet baby boy came and then almost 4 weeks later, his daddy came home from Iraq.

… And a father met his son for the very first time…

… And lots of hugs and tears (and smiles) as our family learns to reintegrate.  –Which is darn hard, by the way… Taking expectations and what “used to be” and throwing them out the window and learning who each of us are now.  He’s changed.  The girls have changed.  I have changed…  Everything has changed.

He’s experienced a different lifestyle – something that almost resembled “single life” while being deprived of many other things…

He’s grown wiser in some ways but has forgotten other things that seem so simple to those of us who live them daily…

And, he’s been thrown into suddenly having an infant and middle-of-the-night feedings and changings and the craziness of 3 little ones 4 and under.

Rora no longer has a paci…and she talks in full sentences…

Rora also can use the potty some….

Lala has gotten BIG and is animated and curious and SO stinkin smart…

And me, I’m different too.  I’ve mostly been “on my own” and experienced some of worst fears, things I never wanted to do.  But, I did them anyhow.  And, now I know I can.  I’m stronger.  I’m more confident.  And…I’ve gotten used to doing things MY way.

As a couple, we’re re-learning how to be patient and understanding.  We’re re-learning how to work together and how to relax and just…be a couple.

It’s hard work.

And, it’s a challenge we all gladly accept.  <3