Dairy Free Apple Cobbler with a KICK!

Last night I felt my very first kick…HOORAY…at first I wasnt quite sure but when I felt the second and third back to back I just knew it! It kinda felt like a muscle twitch in my lower abdomen. I was soo soo excited! It happened during some amazing preaching at my church I guess it even got baby going =D

As far as my pregnancy goes everything is going great! I have managed to nearly have a spotless house. Caught up on a lot of things I need to do around the house. I have noticed my back begins to hurt really bad already after vacuuming and sweeping…which honestly doesnt seem like much to do that much damage. I have never had any back problems whatsoever so I know its definitely the baby weight =D

Im 4 months today!

@ 15 weeks and 5 days

God is good all the time =)

 As of last thursday im nausea free Oh YEAH! I feel like im almost back to normal except everytime I try to do any "major" house work my back starts to hurt this started yesterday I forgot to mention that in my 16 weeks update vid bellow.

I seriously cant begin to tell you guys how blissful (even through all the morning sickness) my pregnancy has been I am still beyond amazed Im experiencing this magical moment! I cant stop thinking of Gods goodness even through the hard times…its those hard times that makes our faith even stronger!

I have started looking at stuff like strollers, pack n plays and such. Does anyone have any suggestions. I want to know which brand to trust theres honestly so much to choose from its hard to even narrow down things. I obviously will want neutral colored things that are durable because I would like to have it if the Lord blesses us with another baby in the future.

I know that anytime now I can feel the baby move, I cant wait and neither can Chris he is too funny but im sure all you first time mothers know how silly husbands get when you get pregnant. Its so cute! He pampers me and I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband by my side. I hope you all have a beautiful weekend!

Love,
Jeni

P.S.
Heres a video update of my last few weeks and just a bit of pregnancy chat =)

Its a…baby!

@ 14 weeks, Chris took us out on a date to Skyline Drive

Today I am 14 weeks and 3 days pregnant. Still sickies I do believe my nausea and vomiting has gotten worse. I was hoping that I would be far more energetic and lively by now. Now I am able to function somewhat haha… my major task today cleaning up my house. Ive had to take mini breaks in between things but whatever works. I have been able to cook a little more if I cook once a day I feel beyond accomplished at this point. The problem I am facing is not wanting to eat what I made no matter how delicious it may seem.

Surprise!

Hello Darlings!!!

Sorry Ive been missing for such a long time. Theres been so much going on in my life during the last month, its seriously been crazy! So where to begin...hmm...well let me begin by saying...

I AM PREGNANT!

Precisely 12 weeks and 5 days. Theres a tiny miracle growing inside me and we couldnt be more happy! My husband and I found out September 5th after three weeks of driving myself crazy thinking I had the flu. Turns out that the week before I started feeling the dreaded “morning sickness” my in laws and hubby came down with the flu. So what was I to think? 

I was really dreading taking a pregnancy test. I had finally come to peace with the fact that perhaps I would never be able to conceive and taking a pregnancy test felt really insulting to myself because I think of it as a reminder of what I could supposedly NEVER accomplish. 

Vegan Banana Bread

This is my go to banana bread recipe.  I will have to say this is is pretty good. My love absolutely loves this and if I would let him he would probably eat this in one sitting hahaha! He is a junk food junkie I tell you. It is very easy to make, and more than likely you have most of the ingredients already on hand. I have made this about a number of times.

From Vegweb.com heres the link for the full recipe and directions you may also check out reviews http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=13413.0

Bellow are a few changes I have made listed in bold.

•     1 cup of sugar (I have used sugar on the raw, Xylitol but beware I feel that Xylitol is sweeter than regular sugar so I actually used 3/4 cup I still thought it was sweet but Hubby thought it was perfect!)
•     1/2 cup of butter substitute (Earth Balance can be used but I use Raw Coconut Oil )
•     egg substitute for 2 eggs (2 tablespoons of flax, ground up works well, and 6 tablespoons
•     of water) - 1/2 cup of Apple Sauce is also a good substitute
•     3 bananas (though 2 will work)
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     1 1/2 cups of flour - I use White Whole Wheat
•     1/4 teaspoon of salt
•     1 teaspoon of vanilla

Whats the Deal-io?

First off I want to thank everyone that entered the giveaway! Secondly I want to thank all of you darlings out there following me im almost up to 100 followers thats amazing!!! Thank you all so much for that.

The winner of the Misikko giveaway was already notified via email. The winner was Valerie a.k.a. The Lovely Blogger. Congratulations to you and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have mine.

I will be posting a few recipes following this post. I hope yall are doing great. I have had a lot going on lately so much I cant share at the moment but when the time comes and I actually have time to make a post of how my life has been lately I will pronto!

See you lovelies!

Jeni

Misikko Product review and a giveaway!

First I would like to thank John at Misikko for giving me the opportunity to review one of their products. It truly was a joy to receive my package from Misikko. I felt so pampered as soon as I opened the box. It was beautifully packaged and included lots of extra goodies =) and who doesnt like goodies? I wish I had a picture of how beautifully wrapped my stuff was but I was soo excited to dig into it I didnt get a chance for a picture! 

I had the opportunity to experience one of Misikko's top sellers, the Corioliss Classic Pro Flat Iron 1". 

I really enjoyed this hair straightener  and here is why:

• Not only did it do a fabulous job at de-frizzing my unruly hair but it did it in record time. 
• You can control its temperature, between 140-410 degrees. It was fully heated in a matter of seconds. What a time saver!  
• Its rounded edges makes it extra easy to flip or curl your hair. It does a fabulous job!
• It did not snag my hair like my previous straightener did. A huge plus for me :)

Vegan Black Bean Burger

Yummmy! That what I have to say about this burger! I have to be honest I did not know what to expect. I got this recipe from Hallelujah Acres they have fabulous vegan recipes and loads of information about food and healing, so if you can, go and check them out. They are a wonderful resource for anyone whether you're vegan or not.

This recipe had no review but it had a picture and it looked delicious. I was in search of a vegan black bean burger recipe since I had a black bean burger recipe that was delicious but unfortunately it had eggs =(

So there it is, the masterpiece =)

Growing Pains

I have got to say that out of the many joys PCOS brings you (joke,joke) I hate my acne and my hair loss =( the most.

Yes my acne has cleared up probably like 70% and it is much better than what it use to be thanks to a diet change. I still have the scars though and even if everyone says they cant tell I CAN and that is what matters. I hate that I dont go a day without one little pimple in my face….UGHHHH!

I lose hair all day everyday. I feel like Everywhere I sit theres a trail of my hair. Good thing I have a full head of hair that is very voluminous. I do have to say it makes me self conscious though I feel like I am going bald. When I wash my hair a handful of hair falls by the locks. Even more when I brush it and so it continues when I style it. Im sure theres many of you out there that understand.

Ugh I have pain in my ovaries and I hate it! Ive been having pain kinda on and off. Were thinking it may be a sign of them working and actually ovulating…that would be great =) 

I had my first close to normal period this month so that was a huge blessing. I feel like we are on the right track. My emotions have been up and down and the fact that Hubby has been working like crazy has driven me crazy…I miss him! 

I have lived through the worst of PCOS so I figure the best is yet to come. I am hoping that this slight pain in my ovaries means were going towards the right direction. So ill take the growing pains with grace and pray they dont become any worst.

I hope all you lovely ladies are having a good week and that you have an even better weekend.

Love,

Jeni 

A healthier Kettle Corn?

My husband and I volunteer at our church and run our summer baseball league concession stand. Now to be honest I could care less about hamburgers and dogs but the buttery popcorn aroma always seems to captivate me. So a couple of times after we get home I will ask my love to make us some pop corn and our favorite is Kettle corn nothing can beat that in my book, the sweet and salty mixture hits all the right spots =)

Ok so I dont exactly know that is necessarily healthy for you. One thing I do know is that it is better for you than regular kettle corn. I have replaced oil with coconut oil which not only has excellent health benefits for you but coconut oil can handle heat better than most oils meaning less risk of burnt popcorn. Coconut oil also adds a slight soft almost buttery taste that takes it to a new level. We have also made this with EVOO but Coconut oil works best according to my taste buds. Go ahead give this recipe a try, you wont be disappointed! 

Best Pancakes ever…and yes they are vegan and whole wheat!

If youre looking for some fluffly, yummy, delicious pancakes oh boy these are it. I cannot begin to tell you how many disappointing pancake recipes Ive tried since becoming vegan. So Ive searched and tried and finally feel like I found a winner. I will go as far as to say these are even better than many regular version of pancakes Ive had throughout my lifetime. I just love these =)

Delicious Vegan Corn Chowder

This stuff is yummy and best of all to those who have children. It is kid approved. I have my 7 year old sister with me for the summer and she was begging me all week to make this for her again. The first time she had it she ate 3 bowls. I was shocked at her little tiny self =) I am very happy she is enjoying just about every meal I have made for her, all except a horrible pancake recipe I tried that called for a lot of baking powder up until now she asks me if it has "spices" in it. Haha! If youve had anything with too much baking powder you know what she means. I am happy to report that I have found a delicious vegan pancake recipe, will post later. Onto  the corn chowder =)

Creamy Vegan Corn Chowder

From allrecipes.com 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 cubes vegetable bouillon
• 2 cups corn
• 2 cups soy milk - I use almond milk
• 1 tablespoon flour - I used corn starch 
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

Honey Spelt Bread

I was talking with my doctor recently about my digestion and we came across the subject of eating whole wheat she recommended I try spelt instead. Let me tell you I LOVE it very much! I tried a few bread recipes in my bread machine and I finally found a winner for my kitchen I have since made it a few times. Its so soft and moist I use it for my sandwich bread and toast ect.

Vegan Mexican Night

Hola!!!
Ok so I have a few more recipes I am wanting to share with you but I being the procrastinator that I am waited until the last night to pack for a trip I will be taking tomorrow so I will just be posting the others later. I was going to make yummy chick pea tacos but low and behold I went to the grocery store and no organic corn tortilla shells. I was far too busy and a bit lazy haha to make my own tortillas today so what did I do? Next best thing quickly made a batch of beans which my hubby wanted and I actually had made mexican brown rice yesterday so voila a meal was formed YAY!

SO heres the menu of my day today, hope you enjoy!

Chickpea Tacos Recipe

Rinsed and peeled

A big HELLO!

Here I am without a lick of makeup well other than lipgloss =) I could not have shown you my makeup less face 2 years ago. Now I am 50 pounds lighter, a vegan and still a happy housewife!

I have been gone for just over a month I've been a very busy gal. I have just adjusted to life back in the states, getting my house, life and health in order. I am still a strong vegan and loving it. The more recipes I try the more I fall in love with vegan cuisine. I realize now that there was this whole new world of food not yet explored and I am loving it!

PCOS and me (Part 2)

The continuation of the previous post...
Goes into a little more of what PCOS has brought into my life:



There is no cure for PCOS but symptoms can be controlled normally by prescription drugs for life. I have chosen to try to control them through my lifestyle and a natural treatment, I truly believe it can be done.

This is now part of my life, part of me but I refuse to let it define me…I will kick PCOS in the butt!

Prayers are always welcome =) thank you for watching! May this be a blessing to someone.

Jeni

Finally ready to share: PCOS and Me

Here is part 1 of my video explaining what PCOS has caused in my life I am in the middle of uploading the second part, hope this helps someone:

PCOS inspiration: How I Cured PCOS Naturally, Ep146

More about PCOS and the trauma it brings you life. I was so glad to find this! I have an inspiration and know it can be done! Please watch to learn more you may not know you have it. For many women it takes years to diagnose yet so many women have it. Very sad indeed!

Raw food living: Day 15 done and some exciting news!

It has been a wonderful experience I feel amazing and full of energy. Life could not be better at the moment I feel so at peace and healthy =) now it doesnt mean im healthy haha but I feel it. Somethings take time to process and heal themselves so I understand that I need to let time take its course and I need to make sure im doing as best as I possibly can.

Losing weight is a battle but as long as it comes off slow and steady im happy with that. Now wouldnt it be nice that as fast as it came on it would come off. SO far Ive lost 5 pounds but I feel real good and it feel like way more than 5.

Ive officially lost 50 pounds! Hooray for me! Im down 51 pounds putting me at 146 still some more to lose but im so happy I have gotten this far. Thank you everyone for your love!

Check out my video update to learn more of why I am doing raw food diet and more of my health.

Day 13 Update

Today is my 14th day i will update tomorrow and let you know more =)

Eating Raw: Week one

Its official its been one week since I started eating only raw fruits and veggies. Now I know its not a huge deal but to me it is. It is a huge deal that I have taken control of myself and my body, and with that I can lead myself to better health. Many of you know I already ate clean meaning, I ate only natural foods and organic when possible no processed food and no pork or red meat. The transition for me has not been as hard as others experience I think because I lead a pretty ok lifestyle before choosing to go raw.

Ive been eating salad and snacking on fruits and varieties of nuts all week long. I drink nothing but water, I try to drink half my body weight in ounces. Ive been walking and swimming when possible. It has been a hectic week with my cousin which is like a sister to me gave birth to a beautiful girl! So weve been up and down town with hospital visits and such.

After a week I feel so super amazing and its only been a week. I feel full of energy and alive.

So heres my video reflecting on my first week:

Going Raw - 20 pounds Challenge

I am challenging myself to lose 20 pounds…heres a vid with more info. I have no makeup, im sorry I look fugly. haha

I tried uploading a video last week but it didnt work out so heres a new one and since last week I have taken a different approach. Had you asked me a year ago if I could do it I wouldve said "NEVER!" however theres been changes in m life that little by little I learned not to live to eat but instead to eat to live. Now know that this wansnt in my plans my original plan was just giving up carbs for the most part, control my sugar and exercise a little more. I was talking to my sister in law a couple days ago and she mentioned she was going to try to eat raw, I asked myself,"Can I commit to doing that also?" I immediately said "YES!" an answer that even shocked me. hahaha.

I will try it first for two weeks in order to see how my body adjust if it goes well I plan on doing it for a whole month. I will keep you posted =)

So here I am eliminating everything from my diet except non cooked veggies and fruits. Drink lots of water and stay active. For right now I will be taking Spirulina in order to provide vitamin B12 to my diet, theres other benefis too but to be honest I dont know them all…yet.

Here goes nothing chicas:

5 Day Fruit Detox - DONE

Hey you! Yesterday was my last day on my 5 day detox plan which consisted of only eating fruits for 5 days suggested to me by my doctor. In I addition drink plenty of water, I juiced in the morning a recipe my doctor gave to me and I took herbal supplements my homeopathic doctor prescribed.

Am I glad it over? Yes, but to be honest it wouldnt bother me any if I had to keep going. I highly recommend doing something like this if even maybe for 3 days to get rid of junk in your body. Today as I break this I will eat fruits for breakfast and salad for lunch I was thinking of perhaps an egg but im not quite sure yet. I will eat a little chicken come Monday…today is Sunday, I dont want to completely shock my body!

It is important that a day before at least before the detox you eat lightly and things easy for your body to digest. Your body will transition better I believe. Drink plenty of water. The days before the detox are as important as the days after make sure youre not shocking your body by eating something terribly hard for your body to digest. Try to be aware of chewing your food give your tummy a hand =)

I am very excited to tell you I lost 8 pounds from this. Now please note I did NOT do this to lose weight! I did it because my Doctor suggested I did as I am starting a new part of my treatment.

Please also note that I am no expert nor do I claim to be. I am just a little housewife on the search of ultimate health.

Now that I did this I continue to eat non-processed foods, foods without hydrogenated oils, baked or grilled chicken and lots of fruits and veggies. I think the true secret to weight loss is eating what God intended us to anyways. Ive lost 40 pounds so far just by eating a clean non processed foods diet.

Thanks for reading
Have a Blessed week!

5 Day Fruit Detox

Hi you!

This is my third day in my 5 day fruit detox which my doctor recommended in order to strengthen my body and remove toxins from junk I ate during the holidays.

From what Ive read the hardest days are the first and second especially if you lead an unhealthy lifestyle. My cousins are doing it with me the worst theyve had is headaches and of coarse hunger. For me the first and second day have been rather easy but at night is when I begin to get hungry, thank goodness its bedtime =)

This morning I woke up with little energy and since im in Ecuador where its 90s all day long I woke up feeling rather hot today. I juice in the morning a juice that consist of a tomato, celery, parsley, carrots and fresh squeezed orange juice. After my juice I felt great! I am eating 5-10 fruits a day and drinking plenty of water. Taking my herbal supplements too. I feel real good and I am thankful that I only have 2 more days and so far so good I think I will do this again. I thank the Lord has tamed my hungry belly and this has become unusually easy for me. I thought it would be rather hard.

You definitely become more conscious of the many times you reach out for food because you think youre hungry when youre really not.

To be One Flesh

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall become one flesh."

Genesis 2:24 (KJV)

I dont think I fully understood how you truly become one flesh until March of last year.

I am in Ecuador again for a few months as a follow up to health concerns Ive been dealing with for the past two years. I miss my husband terribly I feel as if I cannot function. He is the fuel that keeps me going. He is my best friend and the man God chose for me to follow and submit to.

This is probably the 5th time I have come to Ecuador since my husband and I started our relationship. The first three times I came here we were still dating. The times I came before we got married I missed him but never like I do now. When you marry someone you truly become one in every sense of the word. It may be just me that feels this but I can no longer breath, walk, feel or think the same when I am without my better half…for he truly completes me. No matter how wonderful an experience may be its not the same without HIM.

I am so glad the Lord gave me the man I have for he loves the Lord which makes me love him even more. He has made me a better woman and a better christian by leading with his example. I wish I could explain the void I feel without him…maybe try tearing a limb off haha.

The Lord truly has made a wonderful perfect plan for each of us and call me old fashion and whatever you may please but I still believe one man and one woman by the grace of God can make it through anything. The Lord gives us the strength we need and perhaps the key to every happy marriage is just time on your knees, because if you ask, then God will surely answer.

I love my husband very much, but I know that no matter how big my love is for him, if we dont add God in the mix its sure to be a gamble if we make it. Theres the good times and those hard tough times and I know neither my husband or I are big enough or strong enough to solve them ourselves. I am glad I have my God to lean on and though right now I miss my husband terribly I know I have the Lords arms around me.

Whoever you are reading this I love you and God loves you…

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

1 John 4:8 (KJV)

Get to know him.

Distance never separates two hearts that really care, for our memories span the miles and in seconds we are there. But whenever I start feeling sad, because I miss you, I remind myself how lucky I am to have someone so special to miss.- I love you Chris and thank you for loving me!

Hello and Happy New Year!

I know im late but happy new year everyone! Ive been bumming it lately and sadly have been neglecting my makeup abilities! I hope that you guy like it :-)

Wait!…I want to tell yall about one thing that is rocking my world right now! I recently discovered Ulta which is like a small scale Sephora in comparison they also carry drugstore brands. They were having a buy one get one free sale so I decided to try their version of the MAC Penultimate Liner (which I also have). Hands down ladies I love love love Ultas version way more than MACs unless I got a bad one from MAC. ULTAs version flows much smoother much faster and works just the same. If any of you have an ULTA near you I suggest you try it out.

Now back to the regular scheduled programming...

Face:
Cover FX Natural in B15
NARS Orgasm Blush
NARS Albatross Highlither
MAC Shooting Star MSF

Eyes:
MAC PP
From inner lid to outer lid
MAC Nylon - Creamish white also a little was used under the brow
MAC Aquavert - Light Aqua green
MAC Gulfstream - Blue green
MAC Climate Blue - Dark blue
MAC Cocomotion -Dirty goldish brown - lining the blue

Mascara - LAncome Defenicils---its ok
Urban decay 24/7 Liner in Covet - Green
Ulta Precision eyeliner --I love this
Under eye - UD 24/7 Liner in Borboun

Lips:
NARS Orgasm Lip Gloss