Healthy Snack Combos

While visiting my cousin, I found a great list of snack ideas on the side of her fridge. I typed the list, then began adding some of our favorite snacks. I'd love to know your families favorite snacks too, so I can add them to the compilation. Here's what we have so far:

1. orange sections & pretzel sticks
2. banana bread & lowfat milk
3. low fat yogurt & fruit
4. whole-wheat toast, spread w/ applesauce & topped w/ cinnamon
5. apple wedges & cheese
6. toasted english muffin w/ cheese
7. refried beans & cheese on tortillas
8. shredded whole wheat cereal w/ fruit slices & milk
9. pumpernickle bread & a tangerine
10. bran muffin & juice
11. oatmeal cookie & a plum
12. cinnamon rice cake & a peach
13. whole wheat toast & a sliced tomato
14. waffle square & strawberries
15. graham crackers & a pear
16. raisin toast & orange juice
17. pita bread & peanut butter
18. gingersnaps & applesauce
19. saltines & vegetable sticks
20. whole wheat breadsticksa & juice
21. toasted English muffin & lowfat milk
22. cinnamon toast & pineapple juice
23. bagel & orange slices
24. corn muffin, jam & juice
25. tortilla & nonfat refried beans
26. crackers & cheese
27. cheese & a fruit cup
28. trainl mix & juice
29. rye wafers, light cream cheese & juice
30. cucumber, carrot & cottage cheese
31. rice cakes & light cream cheese or peanut butter
32. cut up vegetables w/ non-fat ranch dressing
33. string cheese & celery
34. cottage cheese w/ crushed pineapple
35. low fat granola & a baked apple
36. sliced peaches in light syrup & lowfat milk
37. chocolate chip cookie & pineappple chunks
38. beef chili & lowfat milk
39. broccoli flowerets 2/ lowfat French salad dressing & corn muffin
40. French toast sticks w/ maple syrup & lowfat milk
41. graham crackers & lowfat milk
42. banana & lowfat chocolate milk
43. peanut butter & jelly sandwich on whole-wheat bread
44. soft bread sticks w/ spaghetti sauce
45. salad-in-a-bag: mixed salad greens w/ lowfat Italian dressing
46. baked potato wedges w/ cheese sauce & lowfat milk
47. pear & lowfat milk
48. apple & lowfat flavored yogurt
49. bagel w light cream cheese & juice
50. pasta & vegetable salad & lowfat milk
51. tuna salad sandwichmixed fruit in light syrup & lowfat chocolate milk
52. brownie & lowfat milk
53. sliced peaches in light syrup & lowfat milk
54. wheat crackers & lowfat chocolate milk
55. grape juice & lowfat American cheese cubes
56. soft pretzel & broccoli flowerets w/ lowfat French salad dressing
57. oatmeal-rasin cookie & lowfat milk
58. banana & lowfat flavored yogurt
59. carrot sticks/pepper strips w/ lowfat ranch dressing & lowfat milk
60. orange juice & soft bread sticks w/ spaghetti sauce
61. cereal bar & lowfat chocolate milk
62. pineapple chunks & blueberry muffin square
63. red or green grapes & mozzarella string cheese
64. raisin bread w/ light cream cheese & lowfat milk
65. cereal & lowfat milk or juice
66. tortilla chips w/ salsa & lowfat milk
67. apple juice & turkey ham cubes
68. sliced pears in light syrup & English muffin w/ peanut butter
69. pretzel sticks & lowfat milk
70. celery stuffed w/ cottage cheese & topped w/ rasins
71. baked apple filled w/ pineapple chunks & topped w/ nuts
72. cheese slice & a pickle
73. tomato slice w/ tuna & melted cheese
74. raw veggies w/ hummus (chickpea) or yogurt dip
75. open-face tomato & cucmber sandwich on whole-wheat bread
76. orange slices, dates, & shredded coconut
77. sliced cucumbers sprinkled w/ vinegar
78. health shake (yogurt, pineapple juice, strawberries, & banana mixed in blender)
79. cottage cheese w/ apple slices
80. banana pops (sliced bananas dipped in orange juice & rolled in wheat germ, finely chopped nutes, or coconut; wrapped in foil & refrigerate)
81. quick pizzas (tomato sauce, grated lowfat cheese, seasonings, chopped vegetables on half an english muffin)
82. a frozen banana
83. honeydew melon wedge sprinkled w/ lime juice
84. partially thoawed frozed strawberries w/ milk & vanilla
85. cantaloupe w/ cottage cheese
86. glass of buttermilk, flavored w/ orange juice concentrate
87. tahini (ground seasme-seed butter) on whole wheat toast
88. broccoli flowerets steamed & sprinkled w/ lemon
89. plain yogurt topped w/ fresh or water-packed peaches
90. banana slices topped w/ yogurt & cinnamon
91. cherry tomatoes dipped in yogurt
92. dates w/ lowfat cottage cheese
93. applesauce topped w/ cinnamon
94. peanut butter on oatmeal bread
95. carrot-rasin salad & yogurt dressing
96. air-popped popcorn & a smoothie (banana, frozen/fresh fruit, juice/gatorade, yogurt all blended together)
97. tortilla chips & salsa
98. chips w/ con queso cheese & sour cream
99. sliced apples w/ peanut butter
100. graham crackers w/ applesauce
101. saltine crackers w/ peanut butter
102. Quesadilla / cheese crisp (tortilla w/ cheese warmed in microwave or skillet)

Please! Add a commet with your favorite health snack ideas. I'd love to hear more ideas. ;)

Rest & Relief

After the stresses of college, unemplyment and a move. The boys and I are resting for a few days at our families places in. Personally, I have slept 22 hours in 2 nights... more than I have in the past week. (Actually, I am ready for a nap!)

The boys are enjoying being able to play and visit without lots of places to go, things to do, or the general chaos that comes with moving.

The biggest relief came this morning, when Tom received a job offer with Siemens. He will start work in two weeks, and so is planning to fly up here to join the boys and I on our camping trip. We'll start with Yellowstone (on Memorial Day weekend... not necessarily the ideal time to go there (it will be BUSY), but SO GLAD to be able to go out together as a family).

Now, for that nap...

Graduation Bliss

Just 19 years and 2 days, and 5 schools later, I FINALLY have earned a College Degree.


The lack of a college degree has haunted me for most of the past two decades.


It has taken a solid year's work (and lots of support from these three guys).


Tonight, I rid myself of the ghost by walking into an auditorium a-buzz with energy and walking out with an Associate of Arts Diploma in hand.


The completion of "just" a 2 year degree is so much sweeter because of the time and effort it took to achieve.

Amazing Essential Experience

This past Saturday, at 4:30pm, I realized a sinus infection was settling in. I've lived with sinus and ear infections as a part of my regular life since I was a child. As such, I know the signs and I know what the path I am on leads to (usually pain and discomfort for days). Since this incident was landing at the inconvenient time of the middle of the weekend, my traditional medical treatment options were 1) go to the Super Expensive Emergency Room (yes for anything medical on Saturday night or Sunday, in this town, that is your only option), or 2) wait until the infection was full blown and call to beg for an appointment on Monday (possibly being seen by Tuesday or Wednesday - I kid you not, there is a shortage of doctors here!)


I have been using essential oils since... let me think, 18 years (almost two decades!) Recently I met two ladies who knew SO MUCH more than I do about oils, and was flabbergasted to discover that they've only been using oils for TWO YEARS! I was intrigued to discover the source of their amazing oils and knowledge... dōTERRA.

Since I have been intrigued by dōTERRA, and I knew where my sinus infection would go without SOME intervention, I called Kelsie Jimenez. She had me come right over and try three different oils. I bought two to take home (for less than a doctor's visit and prescription cost - and quicker too!) With regular application of Grapefruit oil and PastTense (a headache blend) my potential Sinus Infection had run away in just 20 hours! That's it! I was sold!

dōTERRA offers oils that are safe for consumption and most of them may be applied directly to the skin (called "neat application"). This adds all sorts of interesting methods for use (including drinking, sinus rinse, of course massages, and even creating capsules for ingestion). More exciting to me though, is the amount of ongoing training they receive. dōTERRA is a home-based, direct-market business that is constantly training their product users.

As I researched the direct-market aspect, I liked the fact that you can sign up just for yourself to get wholesale prices. This month, they are effectively waiving the sign-up fee. You pay $50 this month, and next month get $50 in merchandise. Plus, the wholesale discount is effective immediately. Of course, if you want to sign up to make it a business and sell to others, you can, but you can just get the great oils AND training for free!

As some of you know, I am a consultant for The Pampered Chef. And as such, you realize I am the lowest pressure home sales person there is! Well, I've signed up with dōTERRA now too. As you know, I don't like to feel pushy about these things. But between the wonderful oils, great training, the incredible sign-up special ($50 now = $50 in merchandise next month), and my amazing experience with the oils, I HAD to share this with you!


Please look at dōTERRA. Give them a try! If you decide to sign up (which you really should since they are offering this great FREE ENROLLMENT special), let me know so that I can help you with that process (and yes, make a tiny percentage of commission off of your purchases / sales). Let me know if you'd like some oils without signing up, I can help you with that too.

Most of all though, get your hand on some essential oils and see how they can quickly and naturally bless you and your family... without doctors, drugs, and other artificial means.