welcome to my thoughts
To my little – It’s your last day of elementary school.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson Well my little, it is here. Five years of elementary school have literally flown by for you. In true Callen fashion, you came barreling in and...
Mindful Eating 101
Do you ever think about how you eat? Do you grab just anything on the way to work and eat it in the car? Do you try to eat while checking emails or working? I know I am often guilty of this! If you are not being intentional about how and what you eat, it may be...
Sweet Potato Pancakes
If you are looking to change things up for breakfast, try these sweet potato pancakes! Subtly sweet and a great grain free alternative. Since I am feeding 3 growing boys, finding clean burning carbs is something I am always looking for. Serves 4 16 oz. (450g) sweet...
To my middle – It’s your last day of elementary school
It seems like just yesterday that I was writing a letter to your older brother and I am still having a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that it is your turn. Facebook popped up memories of your Kindergarten graduation and I about became a puddle. ...
To my first born son on your last day of elementary school.
How are we already here? It seems just like yesterday, that you were climbing on the bus as a chubby, smiling 5 year old, barely looking back because you were so excited about the opportunity in front of you. I know, I know every mom ahead of me always...
What Meditation has to do with Gut Health
When you think of meditation you probably don’t associate it with better digestion and gut health. I know I didn’t until I learned just how much stress influences our gut health and just how powerful meditation is for decreasing stress. What Evolution Has to do With...
A Resource for my Thyroid Clients (or a cookbook for anybody)
My blog has been really quite this past year. There are a lot of reasons for this, but I have been growing my coaching practice and also shifting more content sharing to social media platforms. That being said, I am still going to use the blog to share resources and...
Grain Free Veggie Pizza
So we have had an overabundance of broccoli at our house. My husband and I mixed up items on our grocery list and on the same day I bought a few heads of organic broccoli from Earthfare (they have had it on sale all month for $0.99) and he bought two huge bags of...
Kitchen Essentials :: Items I Use Everyday
I was asked a few weeks ago about my kitchen. Specifically, what tools could I not live without? And what would my dream kitchen look like? I actually love my kitchen. It’s an open concept and I don’t feel like I am stuck in a room away from people while I am cooking....
Protein Breakfast Bites
By the time I get to Friday mornings, I have pretty much run out of inspiration for breakfast. While I typically eat a protein smoothie, I am always looking for ideas to feed my growing boys, that are loaded with healthy fats and fiber, but eggs get boring quickly...
A Snapshot of Life: Packing Lunches
This year one of my goals is to share more about our daily lives. From the little things, like where I shop, how I buy in bulk, what school lunches look like, what snack time looks like etc. So today, I thought I would share a quick picture of my 1st graders school...
Our Favorite Cookie – Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies
One of my favorite childhood memories was making chocolate chip cookies with my mom. We used to make the traditional Toll House recipe off the back of a bag of Nestle chocolate chips. While things have changed dramatically in our house from those day (no flour, no...
Strawberry Vanilla Chia Smoothie
My favorite protein powder for smoothies is chocolate...but since we have been doing a lot of smoothies I have been trying to switch it up. I decided to grab a jar of the Vega Vanilla Protein & Greens the last time it was on sale at our local Earthfare. While I...
Our Favorite Breakfast Smoothie – Blueberry Chocolate Spinach
At the end of October, my husband and I decided to do a 21 day cleanse. We didn't follow any mainstream cleanses in which they try to sell product (I am not a fan), but we basically followed the principles set by Dr. Alejandro Junger and his Clean Gut Cleanse &...
A Favorite Quick Lunch – Zucchini Pizza Boats (gluten-free)
Pizza is a favorite to almost all kids. Our family loves pizza night, but being a completely gluten-free family, homemade pizza is both expensive and a little time consuming (and pre-made gluten free pizza...well, many resemble cardboard). So one of our favorite...
Paleo Chocolate Pudding with Grass-Fed Gelatin
Chocolate is the weakness in our house. The other night we were craving a quick dessert and I am always trying to find new ways to incorporate grass-fed gelatin into our diets. So I whipped up a quick pudding and it was loved by everyone in our house, especially my...
Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake (Gluten-free & Dairy-free)
As summer came to close, so did our fabulous season of zucchini. I decided I needed to create one last baked item with our remaining supply. Chocolate is always a favorite in our house and a cake sounded just perfect. This is a pretty quick and easy recipe, the...
strawberry rhubarb – chocolate tart (paleo, gluten free & dairy free)
We had a pile of fresh rhubarb and fresh strawberries in front of us and we knew we wanted a dessert, but a crisp didn't sound good. I looked at my husband and told him to figure out a compote style layer with the fruit and I would figure out the other layers. I...
Loaded Sloppy Joes (an evolution in veggies) – gluten free
I have never been a huge fan of sloppy joes. I would make them occasionally, but if I had ground beef to use, it would rarely be my first choice. Now we make what we call "loaded sloppy joes" all the time. It started with me having some celery that need used up, so...
Pecan Oat Stawberry Rhubarb Crisp (Gluten Free)
I am one of those people who loves spring. I barely survive winters in Indiana and can not wait for green grass, blossoms on trees and signs of life spouting out of the ground. Along with spring and early summer comes an over abundance of two of my favorite foods -...