No Bake Energy Bites: Protein Bars

1 c. dry oatmeal
1/2 c. chocolate or vanilla 180 Protein mix
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. peanut/almond butter
1/2 c. ground flaxseed
1/2 c. honey/pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla (optional)

I used chocolate 180 protein mix, used almond butter and honey.  It is a little messy mixing up but they are DELICIOUS!   This made approx. 34 balls (depending on the size you make them)

I hope you enjoyed them as much as I do!

Reasons why I use and LOVE Basic H

It was introduced in 1960 and it was one of the first concentrated, nontoxic, biodegradable household cleaners. It was actually green before green was cool. In 1970, Shaklee Basic-H® was named the official cleaning product of the very first Earth Day celebration. This is first product I bought in 2001 and I realized that I didn’t have to buy all these different cleaners, car wash, dog shampoo, etc. 16 oz. makes bottle creates an unbelievable 48 gallons of super-safe, really powerful, all purpose cleaner. One 16 oz. equals 5,824 (26 oz) window cleaners so you SAVE money!! That is the BEST part of why I LOVE this product. It is safe for our home, our planet and for ourselves. We always get the 64 oz. and it last FOREVER. But you can also purchase a 16 oz.

For windows and mirrors:

Add 1-2 drops to 16 oz. of water.

For all-purpose cleaning:

Add 1/4 tsp. to 16 oz. of water.

(stainless steel, granite, marble, woodwork, appliances, bathroom fixtures, tub and tile)

For degreasing:

Add 1 1/2 tsp. to 16 oz. of water. For bigger jobs, add 2 oz. to 1 gallon of water.

(stoves and even on our grill)

· Air Filters: Use 1 tsp. of Basic H2 to quart of warm water. Air filters are cleaned with excellent results, leaving them free of dirt, oil, or chemical residue.  

· Auto washing: 1/2 tablespoon of Basic H2. in a gallon of water. Easy removal of bugs, road grime. Wash small area at a time, and hose off. Wipe windshield, windows, chrome after rinsing rest of car.

· Burns & Cuts: Rub Basic H2 directly on, helps healing process. Reduces pain & redness, and prevents blistering

· Dusting: Use Basic H2 Wipes, and wipe up dust, fingerprints, candy spots, etc. Everything disappears from furniture, leaving wax finish beautifully bright and non-magnetic, making it unnecessary to dust as often. Or use 1/8 tsp Basic-H2 to16 oz. spray bottle of water. Spray lightly to dust cloth and wipe furniture.

· Floors: Use 1 Tbl Basic H2 to a gallon of cold water. Leaves floor shining.

· Hardwood Floors: 1 TBL Basic H to gallon water

· Insect Bites: Rub Basic H2 directly on bites. Relieves itching.

· Insect Repellent: Apply Basic H2 full strength or with equal parts of water to exposed areas. Biting insects, mosquitoes, chiggers, flies, fleas etc. don’t like it so will not bit where it has been applied.

· Ironing: A few drops of Basic H2 in a steam iron. It keeps jet and interior clean. Makes the steam wetter, and keeps iron free of mineral deposits. Iron a rag for the first time, it will clean out any old deposits

· Paint brushes (water-based paint): work a small amount of Basic H2 into brushes and wash under tap water.

· Shoes: 2 drops Basic H2 on a wet Get Clean Super Microfibre General Cleaning cloth to clean shoes. Shine shoes with a dry cleaning cloth. Or use Basic H2 wipes – It will not remove wax.

· Spot Remover: Apply Basic H2directly on spotted area. Use a toothbrush or finger to rub into area. Wipe off with damp cloth or rinse in basin of water (Coffee, lipstick, ink, grass, etc).

· Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Fill toilet tank dispenser with Basic-H2 .  Place in toilet tank. It will automatically release a measured amount of Basic-H2 when you flush and to keep toilet bowl clean for months.

· Winshield: 1-2 drops Basic H2 to litre of water and fill windshield washer reservoir. Add antifreeze in winter

· We give our dogs a bath with it – ¼ tsp to a gallon of water. Leaves their coat shiny and smooth and also helps with fleas. (That was one of first thing my husband said to me when we first met and he told me about Shaklee. I laughed and said a cleaner that can do ALL that and wash the dog and not hurt them?)

· I use it for all my floors tile, lineoum, hardwood floors and even put it in my steam cleaner when cleaning carpets.


There are over 1,000 uses for Basic H2 so that is impressive to me – what about you?

Salmon rub

Salmon rub

4-5 Salmon fillets – thawed

1 Tbsp. celery salt

1 Tbsp. nutmeg

1 Tbsp. hot chili powder

1Tbsp. garlic powder

1 Tbsp. onion powder

¾ Tbsp. salt

1 Tbsp. pepper

1 Tbsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients to create a rub.  Coat the salmon with the rub on both sides of the fillets.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cooking.  

Spray or rub fish with oil.  Grill fillets for approximately 3-4 minutes on each side until fish flakes when pierced.  Or place small amount of oil in pan and heat until very hot.  Cook salmon until firm to touch about 3-4 minutes on each side.

I used regular chili powder and I omitted the sugar.  As for me personally I would omit the chili powder all together as I don’t particularly like “spices” that are “hot” and I thought the chili powder made it a little too hot for me.  Steve & my step son said they really liked it and would keep the chili powder in.  And I cooked it in a little olive oil over a hot stove - next time I will grill it.  

When I met Steve in 2002 I wasn't much of a"fish" eater but I really loving it now.  It is much healthier for you.

How Toxic are your Household cleaners

I have had upper respiratory infections for years!  And really never knew why I kept getting them year after year.  I just know that I would feel miserable when I did get them and it took forever to get rid of it.  I kept reading on the internet how bad household cleaners were for your health. And all the chemicals and toxins they were putting into the cleaners.  That included bug and weed killer spray.  And I kept on thinking but I just LOVE the smell of my laundry detergent, fabric softener, and the air fresheners, etc.   

So I ask you these questions:

1.       Do you get headaches after using ANY household cleaner?

2.       Does the smell bother you when using them?

3.       Do you use gloves when using them?

4.       Do you have to wear a mask when using them?

5.       Do you have allergies?

6.       Do you get watery eyes?

7.       Do you cough after using them?

If you answered YES to any of these questions you need to start getting rid of ALL toxic cleaners and GO GREEN and natural.

Here are some facts:

We all use a wide array of scents, soaps, detergents, bleaching agents, softeners, scourers, polishes, and specialized cleaners for bathrooms, glass, drains, and ovens to keep our homes sparkling and sweet-smelling. But BEWARE cleaning ingredients vary in the type of health hazard they pose. Some cause acute, or immediate, hazards such as skin or respiratory irritation, watery eyes, or chemical burns, while others are associated with chronic, or long-term, effects such as cancer.

The most acutely dangerous cleaning products are corrosive drain cleaners, oven cleaners, and acidic toilet bowl cleaners. Corrosive chemicals can cause severe burns on eyes, skin and, if ingested, on the throat and esophagus. Ingredients with high acute toxicity include chlorine bleach and ammonia, which produce fumes that are highly irritating to eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and should not be used by people with asthma or lung or heart problems. These two chemicals pose an added threat in that they can react with each other or other chemicals to form lung-damaging gases. Combining products that contain chlorine and ammonia or ammonia and lye (in some oven cleaners) produces chloramine gases, while chlorine combined with acids (commonly used in toilet bowl cleaners) forms toxic chlorine gas.

Fragrances added to many cleaners, most notably laundry detergents and fabric softeners, may cause acute effects such as respiratory irritation, headache, sneezing, and watery eyes in sensitive individuals or allergy and asthma sufferers. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has found that one-third of the substances used in the fragrance industry are toxic. But because the chemical formulas of fragrances are considered trade secrets, companies aren't required to list their ingredients but merely label them as containing "fragrance."

The list goes on and on – I know I could write a book about it.  So does this information scare you?  I hope it does because it is scary to me.  

I finally decided to SHAKLEELIZE the whole house and use ALL of their GET CLEAN products.  Since I switched I have not an upper respiratory infection in almost a year.  And I’ve noticed my husband hasn’t been sick like he normally does either. We hardly get sick anymore and I don’t get headaches as often as I use to. I can tell when I go somewhere when they use bleach or some other cleaner.  It gives me a headache and the smell can really get to me.  And sometimes I will feel under the weather for a few days.  And when I get sick I take their Nutrition supplements to help stay healthy and make me feel better WITHOUT any side effects.

  GET CLEAN offers you nontoxic and natural cleaning choices that are SAFE, POWERFUL, GREEN and SMART. Because when it comes to keeping your house clean and the earth safe, you shouldn’t have to choose. When you use Get Clean, you’re never simply cleaning. While you make your home cleaner, you can make your family healthier. You also make the planet healthier for other families as well. 

Ways to fight Inflammation

Eating the right foods, getting enough sleep and exercising are essential to helping fight inflammation. 

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.
• Minimize saturated and trans fats.
• Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish or fish oil supplements and walnuts.
• Watch your intake of refined carbohydrates such as pasta and white rice.
• Eat plenty of whole grains such as brown rice and bulgur wheat.
• Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods.
• Avoid refined foods and processed foods.
• Spice it up. Ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory effect.

You need to sleep between seven and nine hours a night to give your body time to heal from the previous day’s demands.  A good night’s sleep can undo the effects of the inflammatory response, so don’t undervalue the simple act of going to bed on time. 

To reduce inflammation, try to get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day, five days a week. Almost any type of workout that raises your heart rate counts, such as brisk walking, playing tennis, mowing the lawn, or even gardening.  Please check with your doctor before doing any strenuous exercise.

These Shaklee products are wonderful for inflammation and I take them on a regular basis and I can tell a HUGE difference.  All natural with NO side effects!

Alfalfa –  anti-inflammatory; high in chlorophyll; helps reduce uric acid; anti-stiffness factor

OmegaGuard –   DHA, EPA and 5 other naturally found omega 3 fatty acids provides the missing link for halting diet induced inflammation.   OmegaGuard naturally balances the prostyglandins that prolong the inflammatory response to pain stimulus.  Rather than using drugs to suppress the inflammation, re-balance the body’s own ability to handle pain by changing your diet to eliminate hydrogenated fats and excess sugars plus taking enough OmegaGuard to change the Omega3.

OsteoMatrix/Cal-Mag Chewables (Calicum/Magnesium)-  Relaxes muscles (helps cramps muscle spasm, backache, growing pains)

Pain Relief Complex (Boswellia/Safflower) - Boswellia, from the frankincense family, is one of the oldest and most venerated herbal extracts in ayurvedic medicine used in India and Asia. It has been shown to provide natural pain relief through potent anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic and analgesic activity with virtually no side effects.  Safflower is high in Vitamin E which has anti-inflammatory properties by its ability to scavenge free radicals and prevent tissue oxidation.   Reduce the Inflammation that causes Pain! Relieve chronic pain without the detrimental GI effects that accompany anti-inflammatory most products.

Joint Health Complex (Glucosamine/Cat’s Claw) - Cat’s Claw extract dramatically increases the natural pain relief properties of Glucosamine It is anti-inflammatory in nature, having been shown to have a number of naturally occurring plant sterols which closely resemble anti-inflammatory steroids. Clinical studies have shown that it may reduce swelling by up to 50 percent.

What ways are  you using to help with inflammation?

Frozen Summer Treats

Frozen Summer Treat 4 kiwis, peeled and frozen 2 cups cantaloupe, cut into cubes and frozen 2 cups watermelon, cut into cubes and frozen Once the above fruits are frozen, blend individually to create a "slush" out of them. Layer in a fruit cup as below, and eat! ♥

Exercising with Joint Pain

Exercise is crucial for people with arthritis. It increases strength and flexibility, reduces joint pain, and helps combat fatigue. It helps strengthen the muscles around your joints; help you maintain bone strength; give you more strength and energy to get through the day. Though you might think exercise will aggravate your joint pain and stiffness, that’s not the case. Lack of exercise actually can make your joints even more painful and stiff. That’s because keeping your muscles and surrounding tissue strong is crucial to maintaining support for your bones. Not exercising weakens those supporting muscles, creating more stress on your joints. But it is important to talk to your doctor before exercising so he can advise you on types of exercises are best for you and depends on your type of arthritis and which joints are involved. I have been going swimming more this summer plus walking and I can tell a big difference in my pain when I do have it.