Trader Joes Quick & Easy One Pan Chicken Fajitas Dinner

I always looked forward to cooking family meals….. Until the last year. These days it feels as if everything rushed, the kids only want particular things, and many meals go untried.

When the kids where young and we introduced foods, we did Baby Led weaning. You always hear everyone say that those who do baby wed weaning don’t have picky eaters. We did it more to allow self control and regulation when introducing foods. My daughter, who just turned 5, she isn’t really that picky. She will try and eat almost anything. My son, who is now 8, used to be the same. Key words are USED TO. This is definitely where a lot of the mealtime frustration has come from. I may even be guilty of bribing my son with toys and items to just try something or to just eat 5 bites.

Anyhow, I’ve always loved Trader Joe’s, I mean, who doesn’t? But did you know they have lots of simple recipes that are not only quick/easy, but delicious?

The best thing of all, my KIDS HAVE BEEN trying all the new recipes and loving them. Here is one we did the other night.

One pan Chicken Fajitas. I modified the recipe a tad and served with a side of broccoli since i knew the kids would eat their favorite veggie if they did not like the fajitas. They each devoured one!

Let me know if you try them and what your family thinks!

~Christel

Halloween Fun for Home and Class Parties

Who else just loves this time of the year?

from the fall foliage, cooler temps, flannel, everything pumpkin… I just love it all.

I particularly love making it fun for the kids. Subtle decorations around the house, Halloween games and crafts, and finding fun non candy treats for school Halloween party goody bags and to hand out to kiddos who may have an allergy.

Here is a roundup of some of this years plans.

1. Halloween Emoji game. I got this for my sons class Halloween part.

2. Halloween Bingo. Another game for the class Halloween party but we’ll also be playing at home.

3. Halloween Photo Props. Halloween class party FUN. Excited for this one!

4. Halloween Magnet Craft.

5. Sticky Toy. For class party goody bags and a non candy trick or treat item.

6. LED Light toys. For class party goody bags and a non candy trick or treat item.

7. Halloween Door Cover. Decorating fun!

8. Halloween Spider Webs. More decorating fun.

Açaí Bowl

Omg! You must try this Acai bowl. This is not only super delicious, but sooooo good for you too.

The best part? You can customize it and make it how YOU like it.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

3/4-1cup blueberries (any frozen berries

Packet of tropical strawberry Shakeology (what I use)

Blend!!!

I then topped mine with hemp seeds, superfoods crunch, chia seeds, and some almond butter.  I also enjoy adding coconut chips and flax seed crunch.

Try it out & let me know what you think

Grain Free Muffins

If you are looking for a healthier muffin option, they you MUST try these Protein Packed Grain Free muffins!

Gluten free, minimal sugars, lots of protein... A solid snack or part of a meal.

I make a batch of these every week for myself and the kiddos.  The great thing is that you can mix up the mixin's.  The base recipe is the same and then each week you make things interesting!

Ingredients:

6 Eggs  (note: I am not a quiche or egg person, i do NOT taste the egg in these and the consistency is muffin like!)

1/2 cup Coconut oil, Ghee, or Grass Fed Butter ( I often do 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 ghee)

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 - 1/3 cup Maple Syrup or Raw Honey

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Dash Salt

whatever mixins you'd like to add

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350d

Whisk eggs.

Mix whisked eggs with melted coconut oil or ghee or butter with the syrup/honey, and vanilla extract.

Fold in baking soda and coconut flour. Mix through.

Once you add your mixins and fold through the batter (see below), spoon into a muffin tin and pop into the oven. This typically makes 12-15 muffins for me!

Now it is time to get creative! Here are some of my favorites!

Pumpkin Cranberry --- add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and dried cranberries to batter and mix in.

Pumpkin Pistachio - add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree and 1/2 cup of chopped pistachios

Blueberry Walnut - Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Blueberry Lemon - Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries, 1 juiced lemon,1 tbsp of lemon zest

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip - Add 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of vegan chocolate chips

The combos are endless.

Swap out your nuts/seeds (almonds, pecans, pistachios, walnuts pumpkin seeds, etc.

Switch up the berries (raspberries, blueberries)

Try cinnamon. Really the options are endless!

I sure hope you try these out and would love for you to share if you do!

xo, Christel

Goji Berry Infused Water

Do you ever find yourself wanting something other than water?    You must try this Gogi Berry infused water!!!  We don't drink soft drinks or juice, and on occasion we do have unsweetened tea... But most days, it is just water or an infused water.
This infused water is super refreshing and is infused with Gogi Berries, cucumber, and lemon.  It is sweet and delicious without adding anything else!

I usually use a big glass pitcher but i happen to drop it and break it last week... Fun times.

Try out this recipe and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

Water

Handful of Gogi berries

Few slices of cucumber

sliver of lemon

Directions:

Toss the Gogi Berries, cucumber, and lemon into the water pitcher (your choice on water volume) and place in the fridge. It is typically ready within 3ish hours and I just keep refilling the water throughout the day. You can also use a mesh bag or cheese cloth if you want absolutely no pulp or floaters. Although, I never have many floaters with this concoction

I use the now plump Gogi Berries the next day in a shake or smoothie.
Try it out and let me know what you think!!!

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

I have been seeing so many yummy looking creamy, warm Fall soup recipes this year. Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of soup, especially when the temps drop and the leaves are changing. This Delicious Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup is just perfect!

Unfortunately, all of the recipes I was stumbling upon had some form of dairy in them. You guys know that we have some food intolerances and we avoid dairy, soy, and egg… That list used to include gluten, corn, nuts, avocado, and mango as well!
So….. In need of a yummy fall soup that was allergy friendly, this recipe came together. Since I am a busy mom, I made this super easy!
Ingredients:
1 diced medium onion (I like sweet onions)
1/2 pound bag of baby carrots or carrot slices
1 pound bag of frozen cubed butternut squash
1 small peeled and cut apple
3.5 cups of organic vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried sage
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 can of coconut milk

Directions:
1. Pour the broth in you slowcooker and then add the onion, carrots, squash, and apple. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. Basically until everything is soft.
2. Carefully pour into a blender and blend until smooth. I used my Vitamix (one of the best things ever.) You can use any blender or an immersion blender. Once smooth, pour back into the slow cooker.
3. Season with salt and pepper and add the can of coconut milk. Stir. Its now ready or you can let it cook on low a bit longer.Let me know what you think! I did feel like playing around and adding some different spices next time, but this is a great start.

Simple Handmade Foaming Hand Soap

Last week I shared a picture of a simple homemade hand soap that I frequently make on Facebook, and you guys wanted the recipe! Well, here it is! I sure hope you love it as much as I do. It is cheap. It is natural and chemical free and it sure does leave the hands soft and clean.

I LOVE making all natural and home-made products. Whether, deodorants or this super easy hand soap below.
I use a plastic foaming container, glass would be much better, however I have an active pre-schooler and have found the glass is not an option right now.

Recipe:
Castille soap (I use Bronner’s and/or Trader Joe’s)
Essential Oils ( a protective blend like Thieves or On Guard) or you can make your own blend (some good options – lemon, lavender, orange.) I use oils daily, so I do have wholesale accounts with both DoTerra (On Guard) and Young Living (Thieves) – if you’d like more info on them, let me know. However, there are lots of great oil brands out there and I have a collection of many.
1/2 tsp almond oil (can also use olive oil) — this is optional.

Directions:
I do 1 part Castille soap to 5 parts water. Add the water to your container first, then the Castille Soap. Then add about 8 drops of essential oils and the almond oil if using.

7 Ways To Use Crystals for Healing

There are so, so many different ways in which Crystals can be used for holistic healing. Lets chat briefly about 7 Ways to Use Crystals for Healing. In another post, we'll discuss how to choose specific crystals.

7 Ways to Use Crystals for Healing

1. Chakra Balancing

What is a chakra?  Chakras are energy systems within the body.  We have 7+ chakras. The root chakra, the sacral chakra, the solar plexus chakra, the heart chakra, the throat chakra, the third eye chakra, and the crown chakra. Each chakra has different functions within the body.

When there is a blockage in the chakra system, physical and non-physical signs can manifest leaving clues of a blockage. Crystals can be worn (necklace, pendant, etc) or even just placed on top of the desired chakra for balancing.  Specific crystals work best for certain chakras and often correlate by color.  For example, the root chakras color is red. Garnets, Red Carnelian, and Red Jasper are often 1st choices for bringing alignment and balance to the root chakra.

2. Energy Protection

Crystals are powerful aura cleansers and can really amplify your own personal energy fields.  This will not only protect you from environmental pollutants (air pollution, synthetic ingredients, computers, artificial lighting, air conditioning, and more) but will also protect you from low vibes/negative energy from others.

All crystals have these properties, however with some studying, you can narrow down specific crystals ideal for your situation/environment.

3. Improved Sleep

Placing a crystal near your bedside or under your pillow while sleeping can help improve the quality of your sleep. They can help with insomnia, ward off nightmares, assist with and dream recall.  Amethyst, quartz, and selenite are among my favorites for improved sleep.

4. Room Cleansing

We briefly talked about this with energy clearing. Crystals can neutralize any negative energy in a space and therefore amplify positive, feel good vibes.  This can be felt in homes, work environments, really any environment. Lots of fighting going on at home? Work place stress or hostility?  Try placing some crystals in your space.  Raw crystals and clusters tend to work best. Since the crystals are neutralizing negative energy, it is super important to cleanse your crystals. More on cleansing and charging your crystals later....

5. Gem Water

Gem Water is made by placing crystal gemstones (typically a quartz variety) inside a container or glass of fresh water . After leaving the glass in a window seal or anywhere it can catch some rays to charge for about 7 minutes, you can then enjoy your crystal infused water.  This allows the crystals to heal the body in ways a physical crystal cannot.  As mentioned, I tend to use quartz varieties, as you'll want to avoid any toxic crystals.

6. Meditation

Crystals can be a powerful tool to amplify your meditation practice, whether you're holding a crystal or a carefully chosen crystal is in your space.

7. Crystal Grids

Crystal grids are decorative grids that form a sacred geometry shape and can amplify healing and spiritual work.  Using your shape, crystals, and setting an intention, you'll then leave your crystal grid for a minimum of 24hrs so she can do her magic.  Grids sound confusing and complicated, but are not. More to come on the basics of crystals grids.

For more info or questions, feel free to reach out to me! If you are wanting to dive more into Healing with Crystals, consider checking out our Vibrational Crystal Healing Course

xo, Christel

Minimalist Mama

So,  I spent the last year minimizing our house and have really become a self declared minimalist mama!

I've been getting rid of stuff we don't need, things that don't serve a purpose, things that are just taking up space, and more...  They say a cluttered house is a cluttered mind, right?

Throughout this journey, I realized how attached we had become to things we thought we needed, newer things, upgraded things, more and more and more things.   There is always going to be something newer and it is just a never ending cycle that will never change until we are aware and make a change.

My journey began similar to that of my Attachment Parenting journey. It felt instinctual.  I dug into Facebook communities, blogs, documentaries, books, and have learned so much. This had changed my mindset on family life, my home business, my friendships, and so much more.

One of the BIGGEST things I've learned.... It isn't just about STUFF.  It is about how THINGS impact so many facets of life.  The constant picking up or clutter, toys, papers, and cleaning leaves me anxious and irritated. It takes time away from what is really important in life {to me.}   It impacted my parenting, impacted finances, and WHY? As a work from home mama, my goal was to work around my kiddos schedules. To be present, to teach, to learn, to grow with them.  Shouldn't I just be focused on those things? AND not stuff all the time?  Was STUFF --- tangible things, the wrong people, the wrong activities i was spending time on playing that big of a role in our lives?   YES!!! YES it was!

Over the last few months, i've shared my journey with friends and its often met by overwhelm. Wanting to get started but feeling bogged down by the enormity of it.

The number one thing that I tell my friends is that that you do not need to fit a molded definition of minimalism. You can make it your own.  Don't get fixated on a label and what it means to someone else.

Some people purge everything and keep very minimal things.

To some it is about aesthetic.

To some it is about being environmental responsible.

To some it is about the financial aspect.

To some it is about the emotional aspect.

To some its about all of these, or just a few of these, or a host of other reasons.

So....  how to get started?   Identify why you are intrigued with or wanting to focus on a minimalist life. AND remember, this can apply to the home, parenting, your business, how you spend free time, who you spend time with.  TIME is the biggest resource we have ;)

This is something I shared recently in some Facebook communities I am in:

Check out some resources AND remember, it doesn't have to be ALL or nothing.

Blogs

The Minimalists

Becoming Minimalist

Be More With Less

Unfancy

and some of my FAMILY FRIENDLY MAMA minimalists blogs....

Hippie in Disguise

Smallish

Documentaries

Minimalism

Consumed

Books

The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Essentialism

Simplicity Parenting

AND if you are looking for a community or some amazing Facebook groups, let me know!!!

xo,

Christel

Crunchy Homemade Deodorant

I made a post last week on my personal Facebook page sharing my day at home making my crunchy homemade deodorant and got a lot of requests for the recipe.This recipe is great and is my go to. I tend to not use my homemade versions during the Summer because the texture gets a big off with the warmth and I feel a bit more *stinky*….. but it works great in the Fall, Winter, and Spring!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tsp Beeswax (I buy the pellets)
3 Tbsp Baking Soda
2 Tbsp Shea Butter
2 Tbsp Arrowroot powder
1 TSP Beeswax
Essential Oils (whichever you enjoy)

Directions:

Melt the coconut butter and shea butter in a quart sized glass mason jar and place in a small/medium saucepan over medium heat until they are melted. You can also do a double boiler method instead.
Once melted, remove from the heat and then add the baking soda and arrowroot powder. Mix/stir it up.
Then add your scents (5-8 drops of essential oils).. I enjoy lavender and citrus blends.
You can leave it in the jar with a lid and scoop some out and apply to your underarms, or do what I do…. wait for it to harden a bit as it cools off and then transfer it to an old deodorant stick.

If you have a chance to make this, please share!!