Healthy Living Archives - Insanity Is Not An Option

D2 Coconut Water Fresh Fruit Pops

Gather as a family, watch Descendants 2, make Coconut Water Fresh Fruit Pops, and just enjoy some down time for a change! Oh yea, and I should tell you, I did receive a full party pack from Team Click to facilitate this post.

We loved the first Disney Descendants movie and we couldn’t wait for Descendants 2 to come out. The minute it did, I knew we needed a movie night so a movie night we had…with healthy popsicles and all. Because that’s how we roll. But don’t get me wrong…I didn’t do the the whole “I’m the perfect mom with healthy snacks and stuff” thing…we had wigs, and dancing…and we stayed up way too late. But we did have healthy popsicles (more on that later), so there’s that.

We put in the movie, we put on the wigs, we donned the hats, wore the necklaces…and we partied like Disney stars.

It was a fun night!

Descendants 2 Movie Synopsis

The story deepens in the music-driven sequel to the global smash hit, Descendants, as the teenage sons and daughters of Disney’s most infamous villains try to find their place in idyllic Auradon.

When the pressure to be royally perfect becomes too much for Mal, she returns to her rotten roots on the Isle of the Lost where her archenemy Uma, the daughter of Ursula, has taken her spot as self-proclaimed queen of the run-down town.

You’ll need to watch the movie, available today (August 15, 2017) at retailers near you, to find out how the story plays out!

D2 Coconut Water Fresh Fruit Pops

Although the kids absolutely loved the movie, the star of the show for them was the healthy popsicles. Just coconut water and lots and lots of fresh fruit; not even a teensy bit of sugar…and they loved them! Of course, these popsicles followed the color theme of our party…Mal (purple), Evie (blue), and Uma (green), so they were the perfect way to celebrate our watch party. As an added bonus, I was able to use my latest exotic fruit find, rambutan, in the ice pops as a natural sweetener. If you haven’t tried rambutan yet, you totally should!

D2 Coconut Water Fresh Fruit Pops

Author: Christy

Recipe type: Dessert/Snack

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 4 hours

Total time: 4 hours 5 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Popsicle molds
1 cup pure, unsweetened coconut water
½ cup purple grapes, halved
½ cup blueberries
½ cup honeydew, chopped into small pieces
2 rambutan, peeled and chopped into small pieces

Instructions

Layer fresh, chopped fruit into popsicle molds.
Fill with coconut water; it won't take much, this just holds the fruit together and adds extra health benefits.
Insert popsicle sticks.
Freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

What are you waiting for? Savor the dog days of summer with a great movie the whole family can enjoy. Whip up some healthy themed snacks and just enjoy some old-fashioned together time. Remember, you can head to your local retailer to pick up your DVD copy of Disney’s Descendants 2 today, and while you’re there, pick up your party supplies to make the most of your evening. Enjoy yourselves and you can just thank me and Team Click later!

A Family Beach Day, A Day in Photos

By Christy Leave a Comment

A family beach day is so cleansing to the soul. Sometimes, words aren’t necessary when the photos tell their own story. This is one of those occasions, and I’ll enjoy this photo journal for years to come! Random thoughts from a mom after a day at the beach.

Sometimes, just letting them enjoy each other’s space is enough.

And most of the time, just letting them be them…well, it’s enjoyable for both of you. I dig his style!

Bubbles! What’s a beach day without bubbles? What’s any good day without bubbles, actually?

A day without bubbles is like a day without a beach ninja. I mean, it’s not even really a day, is it?

The only sad part of the day is when you look through the lens and realize they might be growing up too fast. It all goes by too fast. Until…

You realize that one of them is looking back at you, from inside of a sand hole, enjoying life like only a small child can, and you realize that there are still many years of joy, and frustration, to come. Be still my heart!

And then there’s this. THIS is the beginning of a memory in the making, with a man that you adore making memories with.

It ended way worse than this, of course, but I was too busy unburying my baby (face and all) to get a photo. Sometimes, like this time, it’s not OK to just sit back and be the spectator…because…buried alive?!?!

And just when you realize you’re absent from your own online album, all of your family photos, you see that you were there all along. In their reflection. Capturing every moment. While they looked adoringly at you, and you realize you’re doing exactly what you were meant to do all along. Take care of them, love them, enjoy the moment, and capture the memories in their reflection while they reflect on the love that you give them.

In the end, that’s all that matters. The memories, their love, capturing their beauty. When you realize you’re doing what you love…while you’re watching the ones you love the most…enjoy themselves? That’s when you know you’ve made it. That’s when you know your life, your world is complete. That’s the moment you realize you’re living the life you intended, the life you’ve always wanted to live. That’s when you know love.

I know all of these things, and I’m glad my camera reminds me daily. I’ve made it. I’m happy to be in their reflections. I’m just happy. Not everyone achieves that level of success in life. I’m content that I’ve found my success from within my own little world.

Are you?

The Best Low Sodium Cheese Steak Sandwiches

By Christy 2 Comments

Just so you know, I received some amazing soapstone cookware from UncommonGoods that allowed me to make the best Low Sodium Cheese Steak Sandwiches in under 30 minutes and share the recipe here with you today!

With the perfect mix of fresh and frozen foods, and the help of some magical soapstone cookware, these Low Sodium Cheese Steak Sandwiches are a satisfying and healthy weeknight meal that can be on your table in less than 30 minutes. Sautéed fresh onions, mushrooms, and peppers, along with glorious melted cheese, sit atop steak patties on a toasted bun covered in spicy mustard. Stop drooling. I know. This might just be the perfect meal, right? Something you’d find at your favorite deli? One of those greasy tabu indulgences that you only get to enjoy once a year? Yea, those.

But today’s your lucky day. You know why? Because this amazing sandwich is NOT greasy, it’s incredibly economical, it houses all of the required food groups (you’re welcome, moms), it’s low in sodium (your heart can thank me now), AND it all comes together in less than 30 minutes…in one pan. Seriously, if you’re a ninja in the kitchen, this meal will be on the table in 20 minutes, but I have to give you that fluff factor so you don’t hold me to that 20-minute thing.

The Best Low Sodium Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Author: Christy

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 6 mins

Total time: 11 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

6 Steak-umm® Sliced Steaks
½ Red Onion, sliced
1 Bell Pepper, sliced thin
1 cup Mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp Garlic, minced
1 tsp Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Avocado Oil
4 slices Pepper Jack Cheese
4 Cheese Steak (or sub) Buns
1 tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard, optional

Instructions

In a soapstone sauté pan, heat avocado oil on low heat.
Slice vegetables and place in pan with spices, heat for 5 minutes until tender, and remove from pan and set aside.
Place 2 steak slices in pan and cook on one side for 1 minute, flip, cook another 15 seconds, then cut into slices.
Add ¼ of the vegetable mixture back into pan with the steak slices and top with one slice of cheese; heat until melted.
Place cheese steak mixture on a toasted bun with mustard (optional) and enjoy the awesome.
Repeat for each sandwich.

Notes

The average Cheese Steak Sandwich has approximately 1200 mg sodium, 600 calories, 60 grams carb, 90 mg cholesterol.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 sandwich Calories: 517 Fat: 30 g Carbohydrates: 37 g Sodium: 492 mg Cholesterol: 70 mg

Oh, so you say YOU can cook the perfect Cheese Steak Sandwich and you can make yours lower in sodium than traditional recipes too? Good for you and I’d love to try your recipe (please share your recipe with me), but I’m going to be pretty bold and pompous here when I tell you that I’m pretty certain that yours can’t cook as evenly and perfectly as mine. Don’t get mad. It’s not you, it’s me and my new magical cookware that cooks perfectly and evenly every time, even without my help.

Perfectly sautéed steak patties, red onions, bell peppers, and fresh mushrooms, all covered in melted cheese in one beautiful soapstone pan from UncommonGoods that’s easy to clean up and cooks effortlessly and evenly every single time. You see, these pans give family meals an Old World upgrade with their handcrafted beauty (as in, they’re so pretty, I leave them on my countertop as decorations when I’m not using them). Highlighted with hammered copper handles, this soapstone design serves as a timeless oven (or stove top) to table essential. Soapstone emits no odor and is able to withstand temperatures of up to 1832ºF (you never cook that high, no need to look that up), making it a versatile addition to your cooking arsenal. I’m in love and I don’t care who knows (Elf reference intended…it’s always Christmas here)!

Now, before I leave you with your drooling, I know you can Google soapstone cookware (YOU NEED THIS STUFF) and find it a little bit cheaper than my set (yes, I have a set…don’t hate), but there are reasons why I associate myself with certain brands and I do my homework so you don’t have to. Don’t buy from those other guys (PLEASE?!?!) because UncommonGoods is committed to offering you a creative and exciting merchandise assortment (they have SO much stuff) and are working with their suppliers – from artists to small manufacturers – to make their products in a more socially and environmentally responsible manner. AND they have a Better to Give Program that they started in 2001, which allows you to select a non-profit organization to receive a $1 donation from them at checkout. You’re welcome.

If you think you have the “perfect” Cheese Steak Sandwich recipe, please share it with me here. If you think your cookware for your perfect sandwich is better than mine, I challenge you to a cook-off. Now, what other low sodium recipes can we cook in our new cookware? I’d love to try your recipes, so be sure to share!