Friday, April 29, 2011

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Good Morning! Anyone else still have watery eyes from watching the Royal Wedding? I can't quite decide if I get choked up because I love weddings and romance or if because when I got married I didn't inherit millions of dollars worth of jewels and an entire kingdom. 



Yesterday I made a quick and easy dinner...yet it is one of my favorites. This meal packs a punch with veggies and protein! 


Stuffed Peppers!

I stuffed mine with precooked quinoa, carrots, spinach, tofu, the tops of the peppers, Wildtree's Fajita Blend, and I also usually add black beans....but were out! I also topped it them with my favorite nutritional yeast sauce (veganaise, nutritional yeast and water)...it's pretty basic but it's so delicious! Then bake them at 375 for about 20 minutes......so easy! 


Stuffed peppers make the ugliest photos! 

We had yet another snowstorm last night, so it will be another day trainer! I also have a meeting with a few other Direct Sales Reps about starting a Networking Group! 

Something to try......This Tone it up workout made my buns burns!!





Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thai Wraps and Sticky Rice

Good Morning! Yesterday was the most unproductive day of my life.......the only thing I managed do to I did wrong. We were totally out of toilet paper and I headed to the store to get some and I left with everything BUT toilet paper......

I did however conjure up the energy to make my husband some dinner. I made Thai Wraps with lettuce, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, cuke, green onion and chicken made with Wildtree's Thai Sesame Sun Butter Sauce with a side of white (yes white....) sticky rice made with coconut milk. 



Dinner was light and easy and very delicious! 

I didn't however have the energy to wrap them ever so gingerly so they were nice to look at.......instead I wrapped them ever so lazily. 




I am getting more and more excited about the royal wedding.......however, one of my best friends from California is getting married Saturday and I really wanted to attend! It makes me so sad that I can't be there to watch her walk down the isle on one of the best days of her life. Sarah and I have been friends since Elementary School and I miss her terribly! 

Here is a picture of us from the Summer of 2001....months before we moved from Southern California to Virginia......these were also the days before thousands of dollars were spent on highlights. 


So will you be staying up late or getting up early to watch the big wedding tomorrow?? I just cant decide yet?!?!? 




Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Pizza Night

Good evening all!! 

Justin and I were going to take part in a bicycle road race with the Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club tonight, 
but the flurries threatening the skies cancelled it! Still in need of a workout Justin hopped on the trainer...and since I was already on the couch I just kept on sitting! 





It was probably a good thing though, since my right knee has been bugging me from our hard bike ride yesterday. It's just a little tendinitis that I have gotten before so nothing to worry about......I'll use athletic tape on it for tomorrows ride or run!  

Tuesdays always make great pizza night for us, since it's really our Monday. For dinner this evening I ate a nice fresh salad....that wasn't even worth photographing since I ate it out of the bag, but Justin ate a tasty looking pizza using the left over dough from last night's hamburger buns. We are trying to clear out our fridge a bit before we start switching our diets/lifestyle over to eating more Real/Homemade foods. 


I cut freshly made mozzarella (which I am going to try to make soon!), and sliced tomatoes, fresh basil and parmesean cheese. Once out of the oven I added some extra greens. Justin isn't very good about eating extra veggies...so I try to squeeze them in when I can. 


I also drizzled it with Wildtree's Garlic Grapeseed Oil...... no meal in our home is complete without Garlic Grapeseed Oil! 



Recently I have be trying to talk Justin into adopting a cat. After seeing my cousins cat being cute it really made me miss the cats I had at home before I was married. I actually left my parents with a ton of cats when I married Justin! When we moved from Southern California to Virginia when I was 15 one of my cats was my carry on! I also think Ridley needs a pal. So I have been browsing through the adoptable cats at the Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter. I know it may not be the best time...but I can still look....and want :)


I am going to head down there tomorrow just to peak around. 

Can't wait to see who gets voted off tonight on DWTS....I think it will be Chris Jericho, which I wont be happy about but someone needs to go home. 

Sidenote........just a few more days till the Royal Wedding!!! 

May 2011 Wildtree Monthly Newsletter Big Debut!


Today is my big Wildtree Monthly Newsletter debut! I wanted to create a Newsletter that came directly from me  and was completely personalized by me, and it is finally complete! Today I am presenting you with the May edition of my Newsletter! If you would like to join my email list to receive the monthly newsletter in your inbox please drop me an email cjraynes (@) gmail.com. Each month I will include recipes from other customers (or yourself if you share!), all the new product, new promos and fun ideas and ways to use your Wildtree product! 


Also if you are interested in ordering product and don't want to pay any shipping I am placing an order on Saturday April 30th. If you email me an order (I'll call for credit card information) by then I will pay the shipping!! cjraynes (@) gmail.com Click here for the catalog! 

Or, if you want to receive FREE product consider hosting a Virtual Tasting party, its easy, its cheap and it will get you FREE Wildtree product. Contact me for information cjraynes (@) gmail.com!

If you have questions about Wildtree please check out the website or email me! 

I hope you enjoy the fruits of my labor of my first ever Wildtree Monthly Newsletter! 





For other great recipes and ideas check out these posts:



Monday, April 25, 2011

Fresh Baked Buns and Manure

Good Evening! Yet again we had another great day here in Montana, unfortunately the evening skies are showing rain and snow. Before the cold and snowy weather returned Justin and I headed out for another road ride. We have to stick to road riding for now, because Justin sold his mountain bike and his new one isn't expected to arrive for another week or so. 

We rode 47 miles in 2 hours and 20 minutes (averaging over 20 MPH), and boy was it holy hills! Justin took me the route he took yesterday which was through cattle country and it was extremely hilly! Cattle country really stinks...literally, STINKS! At point a truck going in the opposite direction of us carrying cow poop (you may call it manure, but in all actuality its poop) and it was spilling all over the road and for 2 miles all I could do was gag. Call me a city slicker if you must, but that's smell you can never get use too. Road riding isn't for the faint of heart.....or nose....or stomach. I also ended up with a flat on this ride (must of been all the dirt roads we went down), luckily my mechanic was there to fix me up. 


As soon as we got home I got started on Homemade Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns. I originally wanted to use this recipe, but we don't have a bread maker. I had to google around a bit to find a recipe that involved being a little more Little House On The Prairie than high tech machine maker. I found this one from Heavenly Homemakers and it was simple, easy and sure to be tasty. 

Homemade Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns 

5 cups  (+) whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 pkgs regular or active dry yeast (4 1/2 t.)
2 T. honey
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup milk
2 T. butter
2 t. sea salt
In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3 cups of whole wheat flour and 1 1/2 cups warm water.  Set aside to let rest for 30 minutes.  In the meantime, mix together 1/4 cup water, yeast and honey.  Allow this to sit for at least 10 minutes to activate the yeast.
Melt butter, milk and salt in a small saucepan on the stove.  Do not allow the mixture to get above 120 degrees.
Pour yeast mixture and milk mixture into flour mixture.  Add remaining two cups of flour (more if needed). 
Knead for about 10 minutes until dough begins to look “shiny”.  Put dough back into the bowl, cover and let rise for at least an hour…or until it has doubled.
Pull dough onto a clean counter top and knead for a couple of minutes to get any air bubbles out.  Roll dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/2 inch thick. 
Cut circles from the dough with a large drinking glass or wide mouth jar.  Place circles on in a well buttered baking dish about an inch apart. 
Allow to rise for about 30 minutes.  Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Makes about 18 buns.


The only changes I made was before baking I brushed Wildtree's Garlic Grapeseed Oil over the top and sprinkled some Chia Seeds over it. 



So far my first step into making our bread products is going well. I haven't had the opportunity to shop for G-Free products for me, so I ate mine on a salad! I also saved half the dough so Justin can make a pizza for tomorrow night. I am really excited about the prospect of baking all our baked goods and experimenting more with G-Free products. My cousin Brittany over at Huney Bunches Baking has it down to an art. 


While Justin made the rest of dinner I gave my buddy a special treat....
I love this guy :)


Justin took our local organic beef we got at the butchers and mixed it with Grand Teton Beer and Wildtree's Rancher Steak Rub to make burgers.
Source



 I know we just had burgers the other night, but we are really running low on groceries .... obviously not meat, which was a super good deal last time I shopped. 


We also had Garlic Fries again with Wildtrees Garlic Grapeseed Oil.....obviously, potatoes were on sale too.




On a side note.........Hanson is on Dancing With The Stars, I can't even explain to you the love I had for them in Middle School. Once my family took a vacation to Oklahoma (like who would go to Oklahoma right....well, its our one and only big family vacation ever so don't knock it) and I looked everywhere for them. They also have a new album and I am extremely geeked out about it.....I am proudly a child who grew up in the 90's. 

Have a great night! 




Earth Day 2012

****Side note**** I will be placing a Wildtree Order on Saturday the 30th, if you order by than I will pay the shipping!!! Check out the catalog and email me (cjraynes @ gmail.com) with an order, then we can talk to get credit card info! Think about what you might need for Mother's Day or Memorial Day!  You can also order from my site.


I meant to have this post up Friday, but I struggled getting it finished since I was hibernating thanks to the snow. Justin and I had a talk, well actually I talked and Justin mildly listened, and I have come up with a few changes I would like our family to make.

We are actually a little behind on making these changes. 

It all started with watching Bea Johnson on the Today show earlier in the week.  I had begun to notice that we were flying through paper towels, trash bags, wasted food and napkins. I also noticed that I was spending more and more money on paper towels, trash bags, cleaning supplies, and processed food. We are lucky enough to live very close to the Bozeman Co-op where they have over 1,000 items in their bulk section, they carry an array of local foods and they are relatively inexpensive...hopefully soon I will have some pictures of the inside of the Co-op.




I was actually at the Co-op the other buying from the bulk bins. I was stuffing small amounts of flours and such into bags when it dawned on me that it would be easier for me and better for the environment if I had just brought my jars with me. After more consideration, and looking around the apartment I decided to make some changes.



Since changes take time and getting use to I plan to have all of these in affect by Earth Day 2012. We will be taking each change month by month, and figuring out if they are actually working for us. 

These changes are meant to be healthier for us (especially me and my inside problems), healthier for earth, and cost effective for our family. I whole heartedly sell  products that is free of preservatives, additives, MSG, HFCS and food dyes, and yet some of the foods in my home are laden with them. 
While I do look at labels I have often found myself more concerned about calories than eating "real" foods. I have really struggled the last few years with some intestinal problems, and I need it to come to an end- this means really eliminating gluten from my diet.  So when it comes to foods the things I would like to change are:

  • Eating whole and real foods. By doing this the majority of grocery items will come from the Bulk Bins, including beans, flours, rice, pastas, tea, coffee and snacks. By eliminating the bags and bringing my jars I will eliminate the trash I bring home. Many of the items are also from local farmers, which will help our community. 
  • Making our own bread, doughs, bagels, english muffins, (donuts), granola etc. By doing this I will more likely eat G-Free, Justin wont be eating junky breads for breakfast, we can eliminate white flour from our diets as well as the junk that is in store bought breads. I plan on premixing dough and freezing it as well breads and making it through out the week. The majority of the items needed to make these items can be found in the bulk section. 
  • I want to experiment with making our own butter, almond milk, flavored coffee creamer, yogurt and cheeses. There is a local organic dairy just up the road where we can purchase milk and cheeses. 
  • Since we are eating meats again regularly, I would like us to continue to purchase local meats. We have a butcher in town that sells local meats and so does the Co-op. 
  • The farmers market will be opening soon (actually more like mid July), and I plan on checking it out for produce. I know Montana isn't known for its fresh oranges, so for the majority of the year we will need to purchase produce at the Co-op. I also want to start growing herbs (legal ones) in my apartment. We have great windows and window sills in the apartment. Plus having plants in the apartment is good for the air. I am also in the process of sewing (by hand...since I have no sewing machine) produce bags for purchasing and storing. 
  • The Co-op has a compost bin, where we can drop off thrown out foods and veggie/fruit skins. The Co-op is less than a miles away so it should be pretty easy to make this work. 




Something Justin and are really behind on is using homemade cleaning products. We currently have a good amount of store bought cleaners so we are going to finish of those bottles, but when they are complete we are going to be switching over. After reading this blog post on KERF, I realized how much cheaper and better it is to create your own house cleaning products. Last year when Justin had MRSA I became obsessed with cleaning everything in bleach, but it isn't actually a necessity anymore. Justin's work is attached with an ACE hardware (the coolest Ace ever...they have a display of Kitchen Aid mixers in every color.....DROOL) and he gets a discount there, so we will be able to buy Mason Jars for the foods and cleaning supplies, but they also sell Dr. Bronner's products to create cleaning products. When is comes to cleaning products  we will be changing the following:


  • We are switching over to homemade cleaning products such as All Purpose Cleaner, Dish Soap, Laundry Soap and Window Cleaner



Hello, my Name is Chelsea and I am a paper towel abuser. 

I have always been a paper towel over-user. This is nothing new. We ran out of paper towels last week, and we are no longer purchasing them. I spent sometime this weekend going through our kitchen towels and rags, and I have separated them in several different areas. 
  • Firstly, I want NO rags cross contaminated between the Kitchen and bathroom/ body and cleaning. Therefore, the bathroom rags and washcloths (for the body) are in two different areas and are two different colors. The rags for the bathroom are in the hall closet and a different color then kitchen rags. 
  • In the kitchen there is 3 different areas. Firstly, cloth napkins I chose smaller and softer rags as cloth napkins. Dish rags, are a different color and are bigger and sturdier. Kitchen cleaning rags are ratty and kept under the sink...they are obviously rags. 
  • Toilet paper..........nothing is changing, we are still using toilet paper. 

I am hoping these changes will make us healthier and help us save money in the long run. Like I said, we will be making these changes slowly, by using what we have now before switching over completely. We sill also make sure these changes work for us and not force ourselves to do them. I also plan on Volunteering over at the Co-op, because it offers a discount and I can learn more about the products. 

I know alot of people have already made these changes, and I will be looking to them for advice. 
plus my cousin over at Huney Bunches Baking (she is an expert!)

If you have any recommendations PLEASE leave them for me!! I am for sure not an expert on all of this. 






Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter Sunday


Good Evening! I hope everyones Easter Sunday was fabulous. Although this is our first holiday away from our family and all alone I didn't let myself be down. Yes, our dinner wasn't the best, and there were no Easter baskets or egg hunts, but we enjoyed our day. 

 It was the warmest day we have had since we've been in Montana. It was bright and sunny and nearly 60 degrees. From the moment we woke up I knew it was going to be a beautiful day! I opened all the windows in the house and let the birds chirping infiltrate our home. 

Since it was such a beautiful day Justin and I headed out on our road bikes. We road 10 miles together than split ways. I continued on for another 30 miles. After 40 miles of mountains and wind I was purtty tired. Unfortunately, my computer didn't work the entire time so I had to MapMyRun my ride! I hate when my computer doesn't work......it's like heading out for a run and your Garmin isn't working (which mine currently isn't). 

BOOOOOO! Computer not working!

During my ride, someone near by lite off a rocket, and had I not had just stopped to use the restroom there would have been an issue. I really thought I was under attack. 



It was warm enough for shorts......and a tan! Both Justin and I returned home with bike short tans! However, Justin also wore athletic tan on one of his knees, so his tan is a little off. 




I ran out of water an hour and half into my ride. Ever since we have arrived in Montana I constantly feel dehydrated. I fill up my water bottle at least 25 times day, yet I never feel fully hydrated. I have however figured out that since I work from home now, we save a ton of money on gas, but spend it all on toilet paper. My hydration habit might be the reason. 


There was a certain someone who was very excited when I finally returned home......



Clearly his excitement couldn't be contained! 




Last night, (lets make that totally clear...this was last nights meal, we ate like paupers tonight) I whipped up a super quick meal that was absolutely delicious! 




I sauteed some turkey sausage with mixed veggies and placed that on brown rice. I used Wildtree's Cajun Seasoning, Garlic Grapeseed Oil and a tad bit of the Chili Mix. It was such a quick and easy meal yet so good! 





On another note, yesterday I spent the afternoon watching William and Kate on Lifetime (I don't always spend my Saturday afternoons watching Lifetime). I wasn't really into the whole Royal Wedding thing, until I watched the movie.....and now I am mildly obsessed. 

Once again I am embarrassing Justin by speaking only in an English accent and demanding tea in the afternoon. I haven't fully decided weather I will be waking up at 2 am to watch the wedding or just not even go to bed. 



Tomorrow I have some exciting changes that will happening here in the Raynes household that I would like to share! 








Saturday, April 23, 2011

Another day on the trainer.......

Just a quick post before I deep clean the house and do some organizing!! 

I spent the morning on the trainer while watching all 3 episodes of AMC's new show The Killing. Montana was to chilly this morning to take my ride outside, and I could tell Ridley didn't really want me to leave. I have yummy plans for diner tonight, maybe I'll share tomorrow! 

I hope everyone is enjoying their Easter weekend! 







Friday, April 22, 2011

Hot Cross Buns and Circuit Training

Hello!
Last night was very eventful! First off around 6 pm we were hit with a crazy snowstorm that even included lightning and thunder.

Ahhhh....snow. 


Then Justin had his meeting, and returned home around 10. He came running in the door frantic saying he couldn't start the car. So I went out there to use my magic women touch....which didn't even work. Justin was totally stressed out running around crazy. I was cool, calm and collective. Those who know me probably don't believe me, but I was totally calm. I didn't head to bed until after midnight and we had another issue with Ridley getting stuck under the bed and crying. He is by far the most dramatic dog I have ever met....almost reminds of Justin freaking out about the car. While I was helping Ridley out from under the bed he whipped his head back and busted me in the mouth. My lip was bleeding and my chin was numb. Justin also had to be to work work an hour early this morning so our alarm was set for super early. Since we a one car family Justin only had one choice...to ride his bike to work...on icy roads.

 Our Xterra


Well, at 6 am Justin went out and the car STARTED right up!! Oh, thank the Lord! After Justin left, I went back to bed (but don't tell him). I slept long and hard until almost 10 and it felt so good.....honestly we never sleep past 7 or 730 on "working" days. Geesh, don't judge me..... I use to get up at 4 am for work. 

I had purchased ingredients to make Hot Cross Buns today for Good Friday. Hot Cross Buns are a long and arduous task, so beware: Hot Cross Buns take ALL DAY to make.





Hot Cross Buns
12-14 buns
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (or instant)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cup warm whole milk (110 – 115 degrees F)
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon table salt)
1/3 cup currants
For the glaze:
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
Equipment:
1 medium bowl
1 large bowl, oiled
Plastic wrap or kitchen towel
1 (13 x 9-inch) baking dish, brushed with oil
2 small bowls
1 pastry brush
1 small whisk
1 tablespoon
1 large baking tray/sheet
1 wire rack
1 flat spatula

Add sugar to bowl along with milk and stir to dissolve sugar. Toss in yeast and give a little stir (be sure to wipe off any yeast stuck on the spoon), cover and leave to proof for 10 minutes in a warm place.
Add flour to bowl along with ground cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt and stir to mix thoroughly; toss in raisins and mix.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yeast-milk mixture and mix to form dough. Once formed, knead the dough for 2 minutes, place in an oiled bowl, cover and put in a warm place to rise for 1 -1/2 hours or until the dough has more than doubled in size.
Punch down risen dough and knead for 2 minutes and then cut dough into equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and place in oiled baking dish. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F with the rack in the middle 20 minutes before the 1 hour of rising is complete.
Add 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water to small bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.
Brush risen dough with sugar-water and transfer dish to the oven. Bake for 12 minutes; brush with sugar-water and bake for another 12 minutes. Brush again with sugar-water and bake for 3 minutes.
Remove dish from oven, place on wire rack and brush a few times with sugar-water and leave to cool in the dish for 10 – 12 minutes.
Use your spatula to pry the buns from the pan and transfer to wire rack then place the wire rack on the baking sheet/tray and let buns continue to cool.
Meanwhile, add icing sugar and milk to a bowl and whisk to dissolve. Using a tablespoon, drizzle the glaze all over the buns – on the top and sides. Let buns continue to cool until you are ready to serve them.


Drool Worthy :)

Yummy yummy in my tummy!
This was the easiest one I found by googling Hot Cross Buns. I did however make a few changes.....I'm not very good with directions. Instead of raisins I used dried currants. I also used raw sugar instead of white granulated sugar. I almost used whole wheat flour, but I didn't want to totally ruin the recipe. I did the sugar water glaze, but for the cross part I made a cream cheese frosting.....because there is nothing closer to God than cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese + powdered sugar + a smidgen of milk = awesomeness as pure as heaven. 

During the first hour and half rising I did a circuit workout in the living room while watching Nate and Hoda and KL. I use to circuit train really hard 3-4 times a week when I had to take some time off from running. Before I would head to the gym I would write out 5-6 different circuits that I would repeat 3 times. It usually would take 60-90 minutes. I really enjoy circuit training because you can include high intensity cardio and weight training. This mornings circuit had to be done in my home with minimal equipment. I used 3 different objects: 8 lbs dumbbells, a step and a mat. I had a great workout and ended up extra schweaty!





 So now I sit here, sore from from my leg heavy circuit and full from my Hot Cross Buns watching reruns of The Waltons listening to my neighbor above me play Rock Band with the base on. Snowy days make into hibernation. 

Since we are alone in our new city we don't have a big get together for Easter on Sunday. This is our first real Holiday all alone. We'll see how it goes....

Some questions for you..........................

What are your plans for Easter/weekend?
obviously nothing to much for us. Justin works Saturday and I'll more than likely get a road ride in on my bike since its going to be 50 degrees!!

Have you ever made Hot Cross Buns or eaten them??
This was actually my first time making them, but I have eaten them many times before ......at Panera!

What is your favorite at home workout?
i enjoy working out at home doing circuits or putting my bike on the trainer or even doing a workout video. 


Next week there will be a Wildtree giveaway from yours truly on another blog. I will announce it when it happens!!

Munchkin Land Designs Image from iStock

Welcome!

My name is Chelsea and I am 25 (nearly 26 year old) housewife/Wildtree Independent Direct Sales Rep. This blog follows my hubby and I as we set up a new home in Bozeman, MT where we don't know a soul, healthy living, exercise, food (usually Wildtree) and life with the worlds most stubborn chocolate lab. I love sweets and veggies and I am constantly learning how to balance the two!

Our Son Ridley

Our Son Ridley

My Wildtree Shop

I am a direct sales rep for a fabulous company called Wildtree! Wildtree sells a natural food products as wells as grapeseed oils. Every Wildtree product is natural, containing no additives, MSG or food dyes. For more information please email me cjraynes (at) gmail.com!

Followers

 
Designed by Munchkin Land Designs. Copyright 2011. All Rights Reserved.