Cast Iron Skillet Casserole

My husband actually created this recipe using leftovers. We’ve tweaked it a little to where it’s become a family favorite.

You can use leftovers or cook each ingredient and put together for a delicious meal.

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Cast Iron Skillet Casserole
Course: Main Course
Servings: 4
Author: Debbie Bagley
Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 sliced onion
  • 1 cup cooked rice
  • 1-2 cups left-over roast meat, cut into bite size pieces
  • 1 can black beans, drained
  • 2 cups cooked vegetables (zucchini, yellow squash, carrots, broccoli, etc), at least two varieties
  • 1 can olives, sliced
  • 1/2-3/4 cup Italian Salad Dressing
  • 1 cup goat cheese, crumbled
  • Salt & Pepper, to taste
  • Adobo Seasoning, to taste
Instructions

  1. Drizzle olive oil in bottom of a 9"x9"cast iron skillet. Add sliced onions across the bottom. Then spread cooked rice over the onions. Top with meat, black beans, vegetables, and olives. Then sprinkle with salt, pepper and Adobo seasoning to taste.

  2. Lightly drizzle a little olive oil over the whole thing and then drizzle the Italian Salad Dressing. Sprinkle goat cheese on top.

  3. Grill or bake at 375* for about 20 minutes until cheese is lightly golden.

Recipe Notes

*Optional: When grilling, use smoked wood chips for added flavor.

*I make my own Italian Salad Dressing, using the Kolder Salad Dressing Mixer Bottle, Glass, 13 oz. I substitute honey for the sugar to make it healthier.

Beware of hidden MSG !

I have been increasingly aware of hidden MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) being in so many foods. I wanted to share some things I’ve been learning.

The FDA generally recognizes MSG as safe, but it is still being debated. So, the FDA doesn’t require companies to list what’s in their ‘natural flavorings’. Almost always, ‘natural flavorings’ contains some type of flavor enhancer, i.e. MSG.

Some health issues related to MSG are – Headaches and migraines; food addictions; obesity; chronic pain and inflammation; anxiety; depression; mood changes; Parkinson’s; Alzheimer’s; metabolic disorder; lesions on the brain causing cognitive, endocrinological and emotional abnormalities; liver damage; and heart disease, just to name a few.

I immediately get a severe headache/migraine when I eat foods containing MSG. For several years now, I’ve watched for MSG on the ingredient lists. MSG can be found in fast food, chips, snacks, frozen meals, soups (top ramen too), processed meats, condiments, etc. It’s easy to spot MSG when it is on the label. But with the FDA not requiring MSG to be listed now, companies can hide it under ‘natural flavors’. So now I avoid foods that say ‘natural flavorings’.

But, recently I’ve found out that nutritional yeast and yeast extracts also contain MSG. I used nutritional yeast to make my broccoli ‘cheese’ soup and ended up with a migraine. I couldn’t figure out why. After some research, I found out the cause was MSG in the nutritional yeast. Just the other day, I bought a new product meal I was so excited to try. The ingredient listing looked great, but I questioned and wondered what yeast extract was. To my surprise, I ended up with a headache. So I looked into yeast extract further. Yeast extract has glutamates in it. It isn’t as concentrated as monosodium glutamate, but it still has similar effects on the body, just not as severe.

The best thing to do for our health is to eat fresh fruits, vegetables and cook from scratch so we know what’s in our food. That isn’t always possible to do. But little changes in your diet can lead to being a healthier you. I hope this information will help others to know what is hiding in ingredients in our food.

Defrosting a Deep Freezer

The other day, I was defrosting my deep freezer and thought I’d share some tips that may be helpful for some. Most people now days have a self-defrosting freezer, but we still have an old freezer that has to be manually defrosted. So if you’re like us and still have to defrost, this post is for you.

Our freezer was really frosted over this time. I’d put it off for so long. To tackle this, I first turned off the freezer and switched the alarm to off (usually found on the very bottom of the freezer). Then I removed all the food and put in coolers. This is a good time to throw out food that is old or severly freezer burned. Here’s what it looked like before I started to defrost.

I put a few pans on the shelves to help collect the ice and water. I also put a couple towels on the bottom of the freezer and on the floor.

I have a Scunci steamer, but any steamer should work. I position the steamer hose on the top of the ice near the metal grates. It’s best to start at the top of the freezer and move down as the ice melts off.

I use a nylon spatula to help loosen the ice as it starts melting. At the beginning it takes some patience, but as the ice starts melting through, the process starts going quicker. When all the ice is melted and removed, I dry the whole inside of the freezer with towels. I then let it sit for a few minutes just to be sure it’s completely dry.

I replaced all the food, then turned the freezer back on. It felt so good to re-organize all the food and know what I have. You’ll also want to be sure you turn the alarm switch back on when you’re finished. Because our alarm is really sensitive, I have to wait about 6 hours for the freezer to refreeze well before I can turn it back on. I was so excited to be finished, that I neglected to take a finished picture of the defrosted freezer before I put the food back in. But it looked brand new! Whew, so glad to have that project done!

Being Fit and Healthy

Exercise is so important for our overall health.  When I was younger, I thought exercise was just to keep my weight down.  But after my fall injuring my back, the doctors told me I had to walk every day or I would be paralyzed.  Then as I began my recovery from heavy metal poisoning and thyroid issues (Hashimotos), I quickly learned that exercise has to be a way of life, to be able to function the way I need and want to.

Having an autoimmune disease requires a different kind of exercise though.  It can be hard on your body if you’re trying to do extreme, aggressive forms of exercise.  Gentle exercise programs are suggested for healing from these issues.  Walking, swimming, biking and a form of yoga are all forms of a gentler work-out.  The most important thing is that you find something you like and enjoy doing. That way you’ll keep going, and that’s so important to continue your exercise and make it a life habit you do every day.  I really enjoy biking, and enjoy that during the summer months.  But, I needed make sure I had a solid routine I could do every day know matter the weather or how I felt. 

The first time I went to an endocrinologist for my thyroid, she asked me if I was exercising.  I was walking every day about 30+ minutes, so I felt really good about what I was doing.  But she explained that wasn’t enough. She explained that I needed to also be doing a weight bearing exercise to strengthen my bones.  She suggested the Bar Method.  I had never heard of it, so went home and started researching to learn more.

Burr Leonard created the Bar Method in 1991.  The Bar Method is a combination of ballet, yoga, and gentle pilates. This form of weight bearing exercise helps with stronger bones, strengthens core, and helps with bone density.  It’s an exercise program that focuses on elongating muscles and burning fat.  The movements in the Bar Method also helps strengthen your bones, flatten abdominals, elongate and tone muscles in the legs, lift your buttocks, and provide well-stretched muscles throughout the body.

The benefits of the Bar Method include increased life span and endurance. The Bar Method has benefits equal to aerobic exercise – increased muscle mass which can help in the fight against cancer, diabetes as well as heart disease. Added benefits are improved posture, reduced back pain and muscle stabilization.

I began my exercise program of the Bar Method by ordering a beginners DVD on www.barmethod.com.  Other equipment needed: ballet bar or chair, stretching strap, exercise mat (or carpet if you have that), dumb-bells and a 7” playground ball.  There are Bar Method classes taught in person, so look for local classes being taught in your area.  Classes are available online.  Another website I use is www.barreamped.com.  Suzanne Bowen is another skilled teacher and I’ve enjoyed her programs too.

My regular daily routine is alternating days of walking and the Bar Method.  On days that I walk, I do a few minutes of some stretches and core exercises to help my back.  Because we have several months of really cold weather which bothers me a lot, I invested in a treadmill so I could walk inside when needed.  This was the best option for me.  Maybe you live in an area where the weather is usually nice for outside walking, or else the cold doesn’t bother you.  Just find what works best for you.

Happy Exercising!

New Year ‘Intention’

Every new year I ponder a lot on what my goals should be for the coming year. I’ll be honest, I actually kind of stress about it. A couple weeks before the end of this past year, my friend told me she was going to live with ‘intention’. That was going to be her goal. I thought a lot about that over the next couple weeks, and as I was reading different articles the word ‘intention’ kept coming up. It really started resonating with me. One morning I got up and took my thyroid medicine robotically like I always do early in the morning, and a few minutes later I couldn’t remember if I’d taken it or not. I decided right then and there that I was going to live with ‘intention’ and I was going to consciously be present.

For this year, I’m not stressing about goals. I feel at peace living with intention. I get up and intentionally take my medication and supplements thinking about the good they’ll do my body. I intentionally think about my morning workout, focusing on the muscles and motions my body is doing. I intentionally eat foods that I know are good for me and will help by body heal and be strong. It’s a great feeling to be conscious about the things I’m doing each day.

As you’re thinking about your New Years goals, whatever they maybe, do them with real intention. Another thing I’m doing is ‘living in the moment’. As I’m intentionally going about my day, living in the moment helps me appreciate everything I’m doing even more than before.

Another thing that has been on my mind a lot, is making small changes as we go along. Wanting to feel better quickly has been a big determination in my life the last several years. But I’ve learned that you can’t make changes all at once. It’s a process, step by step. In upcoming posts, I’ll be sharing some ideas of small changes you can make, just step by step, that will help you in your health journey.

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”

This statement is powerful and really makes you think about all we put our bodies through. Not only the foods we eat and our enviroment, but what we’re putting on our body.

About a year ago, I had a good friend give me some Native deodorant. She knows I’m always on the look out for good products that are safe and healthy for my body.

Native is aluminum free and paraben free. Contains all natural ingredients. It doesn’t irritate sensitive skin. It comes in several delicious scents. My favorite is the Coconut Vanilla.

I’ve also really enjoyed using their Body Wash. All natural ingredients, and smells wonderful and refreshing.

Get 10% off with code ‘HEALTH10’ at https://www.shareasale.com/u.cfm?d=400971&m=70522&u=2212170 You, and your body, will be glad you did!

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C-Rona Thoughts…

Since the middle of March 2020, our lives have changed dramatically because of a pandemic. We’ve had to stay at home, and if we go out we need to practice social distancing and wear masks.

In my town, the mayor and council put together a little video about what we are going through. A few things really stuck out to me. They decided to say ‘Physical Distancing – Social Togetherness’. This really hit home to me, because we are a social people. We can’t practice social distancing. Now more than ever, we need to join together. You can reach out to others through phone, text, zoom, etc. How blessed are we that we have so many social media outlets and this time. They also titled this year as, ‘2020 A Year of Hope and Coming Together’.

Each day I try to keep a positive attitude about what is happening around me. I reflect on the things I’m grateful for. I spend time outside enjoying nature, mostly in my backyard. I exercise each morning and eat healthy foods. I get dressed and do my hair and makeup. Doing that always helps me feel better about myself, and I can accomplish more when I get ready for the day.

Here’s hoping to get past this unprecidented time quickly!

Happy Halloween! Healthy dinner idea!

Why is it that Halloween is so fun? Is it that we get to be someone else other than ourselves? Is it the fun decorations in orange, black and purple? Is it the parties? Is it the candy and treats?

If you have food allergies or sensitivities, the candy and treats part might not be all that fun. We have several food allergies in our family right now. Everything from gluten, dairy, sugar and eggs. So we’re doing the teal pumpkin and giving out ‘trinkets or treats’ this year. With more and more allergies showing up for kids, I hope this will be a tradition that will become more widespread.

One thing I’ve tried to do is to have a really good nutritious dinner for the kids before they head out. I’ve taken our traditional dinner in a pumpkin recipe and made it more healthy. It’s so good, we have it other times throughout the year (just not in a pumpkin).

In the past, I’ve made Jello Jigglers in Halloween shape molds.  But because of the high sugar content in Jello, this year I’m going to try a healthier option with some Halloween Gelatin Gummies.  

Hope you have a fun, safe Halloween!

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Halloween Dinner in a Pumpkin

A healthier version of Dinner in a Pumpkin

Course: Main Course
Ingredients
  • 1 small - medium pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1-2 Tblsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 Tblsp coconut aminos
  • 2 Tblsp coconut sugar
  • 1 4 oz can sliced mushrooms, drained
  • 1 8 oz diced water chestnuts, drained
  • 1 13 oz canned coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
Instructions

  1. Cut off the pumpkin top and clean out all seeds and stringy pulp. Use a black marking pen to draw a jack-o-lantern face on the pumpkin. Saute onions in olive oil in a large skillet. Add meat and brown. Drain off grease. Add coconut aminos, coconut sugar, mushrooms, water chestnuts and coconut milk. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add cooked rice and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Pour mixture into pumpkin. Replace pumpkin top. Place the filled pumpkin on a baking sheet and bake in a 350* oven for 1 hour. The pumpkin should be tender when removed from the oven. Place on a serving platter. Serve the pumpkin as the vegetable along with the delicious meat mixture.

Got Kidney Stones?!

Have you ever had kidney stones? I just recently had one and it was the most excruciating pain ever, with no relief.  Oh my goodness! I truly feel for anyone that has had to go through this pain.

As a child I remember my dad having kidney stones a couple times. I remember him lying in a hot tub of water and laying over a pillow on the bed, crying out in pain. He said it was like having a baby (how would he know?) without the easing up of pain between contractions.  Well, I’ve had five boys and I can attest that it really is like having a baby, but with out any relief.  It makes you so sick and the pain is so bad, you can hardly breathe.

I never dreamed I would have kidney stones.  I eat a very healthy diet, exercise and keep my weight down.  I don’t drink soda pop.  I drink a ton of water everyday. How then could this happen to me?

In about a 5 week period, I had been to my doctor’s office twice to see if I had a bladder infection (UTI).  But the urine tests showed no infection, only blood.  Then it hit me! The pain in my kidney suddenly started and lasted for about 12 days. It was horrible. Now that it has passed, I still have some mild pain and tenderness in my kidney.

In doing some research, I found that by doing something really healthy, I was actually adding to the possibility of getting kidney stones.  I was making my smoothies with spinach every day.  I’d heard to switch the greens up, but I like spinach and I was getting mixed greens in my salad every day.  So I thought I would be okay. Well guess what, between having kidney stones genetically in my family and eating lots of spinach (full of oxalates that form calcium in your kidneys =Kidney Stones) it happened to me!

 

I’m switching up my greens. Now I make sure I get a lemon in my water every day. I juice a full lemon and add to my water, using a little raw honey to sweeten.  Or I use a drop of lemon essential oil mixed with a few drops of liquid stevia (vanilla cream is my favorite), then add water and drink. I also take a cranberry supplement called U-Tract Complete.  I use lemongrass essential oil (in a roller bottle with some coconut oil) to use topically on my kidneys.

I also found out through the tests that I had done on my kidneys, that my kidneys are stressed.  A few years ago, I had heavy metal poisoning (I talk about in ‘my story’) and I have Hashimotos.  My kidneys are having a hard time filtering toxins.  So we are in the process of getting an infrared sauna and water filter.  I will be writing more on those later.

Here’s where I get my essential oils (affiliate link)- https://www.doterra.com/US/en/site/butterfliesandlavender

I use Sweet Leaf liquid stevia. You can find it at health food stores or on Amazon.  You can find U-Tract Complete at either place also.

I never want to have a kidney stone again, and by doing these things hopefully I can avoid it.  Also, having a lemon everyday has a lot of other great benefits like detoxing, boosting your immunity, supporting the body’s metabolism, aiding in digestion and rejuvenating you.

Ideas for Dealing with Food Allergies in Social Situations

My husband reminded me the other day about the time our son with severe milk allergies attended scout camp.  We were so worried about the food situation, that we opted to provide all of his food for the week-long adventure.  My husband was going with him, so that was some relief to know he could help him.

They started out the first day with our son eating his own cold cereal with apple juice on it instead of milk.  The other boys thought this was so strange and couldn’t imagine doing such a thing.  But the next day, when everyone was getting their breakfasts ready, one by one the other boys asked if they could try apple juice on their cereal.  They all liked it, and continued having apple juice on their cereal through the rest of the week.  My husband was relieved to see how the boys rallied around our son, and in the end they were all eating their cereal the same way.  Just because we are accustomed to having milk on our cereal, doesn’t mean there isn’t another alternative that is really good.

I’ve found that sometimes we make assumptions or judge way too quickly.  Just because something is different doesn’t mean it’s bad, but there is a fear to try something new.  Once you can get past that fear and try it, usually you’ll find that it can be a good thing.

I’m so grateful for the support my son had with his friends, who although they were afraid to try something new, found that it was really good and they all ended up loving cereal with apple juice on it.

I’ve made a couple of pages with ideas on dealing with food allergies in different situations.  With the starting of another school year coming before you know it, I have some ideas for that too.

*Food Allergies – Ideas for Social Situations, Parties and Holidays: Click here to read and download the PDF: Food Allergy – Ideas…

*Off to School with Food Allergies: Click here to read and download the PDF: Off to School with Allergies