Secondhand Serenade - Vulnerable (Cover)

I absolutely LOVE this one-man band. No joke. One-man. I know, get outta town right?! But seriously… this band brings me back to high school. Used to listen to them all the time! And this guy sings this song amazingly!

Cover by Sam DeArmond

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Toxic Chemicals Found in Personal Care Products

So, as a kind of part two to my toxic chemicals posts, I thought I'd share my research about the toxic chemicals found in personal care products. After I researched this stuff about two months ago, I started reading all of the labels on my everyday personal care products like shampoo and lotions, and I was seriously astounded at the number of toxic chemicals that are found in each of these things that I put on my body everyday! It's really crazy to think of how many toxic things we put in or on our body on a daily basis…we give our bodies no time to get rid of these toxins. We just keep piling them on, no wonder the risk for cancer is super high. Here's a small list of toxins that I've comprised for you all.

• Isopropyl Alcohol - Found in hair color rinses, body rubs, lotions, after shave lotions, fragrances, etc. Causes headaches, mental depression, dizziness, and vomiting.
• Mineral Oil (Baby Oil) - Coats skin like plastic wrap. Causes skin not be able to release toxins, promotes acne and premature skin aging.
• PEG (Polyethylene Glycol) - Found in face cleansers that dissolve oils. Potentially causes cancer and leaves immune system vulnerable.
• PG (Propylene Glycol) - Found in make-up, hair products, lotions, after shave, deodorants, mouthwash, toothpaste. The active component is antifreeze. Causes brain, liver, and kidney abnormalities.
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) & Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) - Found in cosmetics, toothpaste, conditioner, shampoo and products that foam. Causes eye damage, depression, death, and damages the immune system.
• Chlorine - Found in tap water, showers, pools, cleaning agents. Contributes to asthma, anemia, bronchitis, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and possibly cancer.
• DEA (Diethanolamine), MEA (Momoethanolamine), & TEA (Triethanolamine) - Found in products that foam. These are hormone disrupting chemicals. Found to increase liver and kidney cancer.
• FD & C Color Pigments - Almost all of these cause cancer.
• Fragrance - There could be up to 4,000 different chemicals used to make the fragrance and they only have to put fragrance on the label. Many of these compounds cause cancer.

Like I said before I scared you with all of these chemicals, after researching these and taking a look at everything that I used on a daily basis, I freaked out a little. There was at least one of these toxic chemicals, if not more, in everything that I used! So my husband and I decided to buy some organic personal care products and see how those worked out for us. I found that Burt's Bees had some really great stuff! We went organic with our shampoo, conditioner, lotions, after shave, face wash and body wash. We still use some of our old stuff, but it's a start right? Just be aware of the stuff you're putting in and on your body…it really can make a difference!

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Bruno Mars - When I Was Your Man (Cover)

This guy is super talented…had to share. Love this song! I'm sure all the neighbors have heard me sing it by now =] Oops : P 

Cover by Luis Figureroa-Roig and Isaac Hann on Guitar.

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Scrumptious Egg Salad

My kryptonite… seriously. I love egg salad. Can't get enough. When I make this, I eat like a college student all over again. I actually had a sandwich for dinner last night. That good…yep. Oh and lunch =] I just can't help myself. Kryptonite I tell you. 

Whenever I'd come home from college, I'd have my mom make this for me. So naturally, I learned how to make it so I can make it for me on a regular basis! Me and only me…no sharing. Too good to share. 

What you'll need:

Dozen eggs

Mayo (I use Miracle Whip but the regular stuff would work too)

Yellow Mustard

Sweet Pickle Relish

What you'll need to do:

Boil the eggs. Wait till they cool. Peel em', dice em' up. Add about a cup of mayo, three Tbs yellow mustard, and about 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish. Stir, chill, spread on your favorite bread or toast, and enjoy the crap out of this!

P.S. Yes, that is my fine paper china that I used for this picture. Thanks for noticing =] Only the best for my blog pics!

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Toxic Chemicals Found in Foods

So lately I've been on a health/organic kick, and have done some research on the toxic chemicals that are found in our everyday foods. I thought that I'd share this info with everyone so that you can all be aware of what you're putting in your body and what it can do!

• Bisphenol A (BPA) - Found in plastic food containers and the lining of food and beverage cans. This has been linked to breast cancer.
• Phthalates - Found in some plastic containers. These can cause damage to sperm, premature breast development in girls, and premature birth.
• Zeranol - Found in beef. Increases cancer causing cells.
• rBGH/rBST - Known as bovine growth hormone. This increases insulin production and increases your risk for breast cancer.
• Sodium Nitrite - Found in processed meats (hotdogs, sausages, etc.) These are known to cause cancer. 
• Hydrogenated Oils - Found in cookies, crackers, margarine, etc. Causes high cholesterol, can increase risk for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
• MSG - Known as Monosodium Glutamate. This chemical can also be called yeast extract, torula yeast, autolyzed vegetable protein, textured soy protein concentrate, carrageenan, maltodextrin, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, modified cornstarch and hydrolyzed vegetable protein. This can cause accelerated bone loss, skin rashes, nausea, migraine headaches, heart irregularities, and even seizures.
• Sugar - Can also be called sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, and dextrose. Causes tissue damage linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
• Acrylamides - Formed when carbs are exposed to high heat. These are not always labeled since they form after the product is bought and heated. Found anywhere from bread crusts to snack chips. This is a carcinogenic.
• Aspartame - Chemical sweetener found in diet sodas, gum, mints. Also called NutraSweet or Equal. It causes neurological disorders, migraines, brain tumors, and can increase chance of lymphoma and leukimia.
• Casein - These are milk proteins found in soy cheese products. One of the worst proteins for your body. Increases risk for colonic tumors and cancer.
• Food Colors/ Dyes - Derived from petroleum and contain aluminum. These can potentially cause cancer, brain tumors, thyroid tumors, and kidney tumors.
• Homogenized Milk - Promotes prostate cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, anemia, MS, leukemia, and ovarian cancer.
• Hydrochloride - Synthetic Vitamin B that has no nutritional value. Just used to boost the Vitamin B levels on nutrition labels. Also called niacin amide and cyanocobalamin. Known to increase cancer.
• Phosphoric Acid - Found in sodas. This destroys tooth enamel.
• Propylene Glycol - Used to make fake blueberries. Also used to make anti-freeze and airport runway deicer.May cause liver and kidney damage.
• Sodium - The only good salt is "dirty" sea salt or pink Himalayan salt. These still have their nutrients in tact.
• Soy Protein - This is junk protein. For men, this can lead to a testosterone imbalance, infertility, low sperm count, and increased risk of cancers. For women, it can cause estrogen dominance, which has been linked to infertility, menstrual troubles and cancer.
• Sucralose - Also known as Splenda. Contains chlorine and promotes weight gain.
• Textured Vegetable Protein - Made with soy protein (listed above). 
• Palm Oil - Increases chance of getting blood clots and heat attacks.
• Sodium Benzoate/ Potassium Benzoate - Found in sodas. Causes serious thyroid damage.
• BHA - Butylated Hydroxyanisole - Causes cancer and can cause liver damage. Also used in jet fuel and embalming fluid. Found in hundreds of foods.
• Saccharin - A sugar substitute. Found in many diet foods and soft drinks. Linked to causing cancer of the bladder, uterus, ovaries, blood vessels, skin, and various other organs.
  

Now before you go and say that everything has these chemicals in it and there is nothing that you can eat that doesn't have anything toxic in it, take a walk down your fresh fruits and vegetable isle. The kind of products that have these chemicals in them are the processed foods, so buy fresh fruits and veggies! The organic kind is obviously the best due to the fact that there were no pesticides used to grow them. But if you cannot afford all organic, only try to buy some organic. The best things to buy organically grown are those that you eat the skin, like apples and grapes. If they are grown underground, like carrots or beets, not buying them organic will not be too bad, just make sure to wash them thoroughly before eating! 

Did you know… that in todays society, people do not have to eat meat at all. There are so many different options out there that can give your body all of its nutrients! People just eat meat today because that's what they've always done. But back in the old days, they needed the meat to survive, and today we no longer need meat as a means of survival. Just a little fun fact.

Now go, be healthy, and be cautious of what you're putting into your body!

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8 Fun sciency-type activities to do with boys

So today I was talking with one of my friends and she asked me if I knew of any good craft-like activities that she would be able to do with an eight year old boy. This got the gears turning… 

I told her that she could do science-like activities, which are pretty much crafts for boys ;) I gave her the good ole' make a volcano out of paper mache, make play dough, make bouncy balls, and the list goes on. 

So I've decided to compile a list of a ton of activities that can be fun for boys!

Monster Shoot Out

Salt Dough Dinosaurs

Ivory Soap Experiment

A Volcano of course!

Homemade Bouncy Balls

Easter Borax Crystals

(Leave these sitting in the solution over night!)

Dinosaur eggs

I couldn't find a link for this one, but I thought it was too cute to leave out! I would just take paper or a sheet of foam, cut it into whatever animal or shape I'd like for both the smaller and larger picture, then glue the smaller picture on the inside of the clothes pin and the larger picture on the outside! Super easy and really cute! Almost too cute not to make ;)

Hope this helps with anyone, especially my friend, who's trying to find a fun activity to do with a younger boy!

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Visitors to South Korea!!!

So, as you all know I get pretty bored here. Well, this past week I had VISITORS!!!! It was really exciting because I got to cook for them and shop with them and play card games (which I love all of these things). 

Who were my visitors you ask? My Mom and Stepdad! They came all the way from Ohio and stayed the week with me! I'm not a big picture-taker, I like to live in the moment rather than take pictures of the moment, so I don't have many pictures… but here's a couple from their visit!

Coffee in Pyeongtaek

Coffee in Pyeongtaek

Shopping in Suwon

Riding on the Subway

Pedicures!

Shopping at the market!

I had a great time with my family! They help make my time here better =] This was a much needed visit and I was so happy that they were able to come and see me! 

A girl will always need her mom!

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Green Power Smoothie

This is the most unexpected delicious smoothie packed with goodness that you will ever enjoy!

After making this smoothie for my Mom and Stepdad (that's her up there ^. What a foxy lady, right?!) , they've requested the recipe a couple times because it was THAT good!! It doesn't look too appetizing but you really can't beat the taste, or all of the nutritious delights it has packed into it! My husband especially loves this one… I get an order probably about once or twice a week to make it. 

Now, what makes this green you say? Well, some spinach and avocado account for the color. 

What makes it taste so yummy and scrumptious? That would have to be the bananas, dates and almond butter, oh and probably the almond milk since it has a bit of a sweet taste to it.

So what does this not-so-great looking green smoothie taste like? This really blew my socks off the first time that I made it, but it tasted just like……….BANANA BREAD! Sooooooo yummy! You get brain freeze gulping this down because it's such a delightful treat! 

Ok, now that you've got the five cent tour of how good this smoothie is, I'll share my recipe…

Green Power Smoothie

2 Handfuls Spinach

2 Bananas 

1/2 Avocado

2 Tbs Almond Butter

2 Tbs Flax Seeds

6 Dates

2 Cups Almond Milk

Blend it all together until smooth and enjoy!

This will make about three cups, or two large glasses. And, if you use fresh bananas instead of frozen, you'll need to add a handful of ice.

I hope you'll enjoy this smoothie as much as my family and I do!!

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Fresh Squeezed OJ. Yumm!

There's nothing better in the morning than fresh squeezed OJ… I'm not even kidding! You've never tasted orange juice until you've tasted some freshly juiced kind. It's like magic in your mouth! It doesn't need anything, no sweetener, no nothing, it's perfection! 

If you don't like orange juice, try adding some fresh pineapple. Yumm! Make yourself a tall glass of pineapple OJ and enjoy the day. 

I always cut the peels off of the oranges with a knife, trying to leave as much of the white rind as possible since that's where a lot of nutrients are stored. Cut the oranges in quarters, and you're ready to juice! Hope you enjoy!

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The Easiest Veggie Stew!

So whenever there's not much to eat in the house, I always can whip up a delicious veggie stew that is both satisfying and yummy! It's the easiest thing to do and takes little effort on my part, which is a plus!

 The most important ingredient, and the one that makes this stew, is the bouillon cube. So first you need to make the broth. You can add anything that suits your tastes! I always start off with five bouillon cubes and five cups of water in a deep pot, and put that to a boil. 

Then you start adding your spices. I add some rosemary, garlic salt, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. If you want to add a little spice, add some red pepper. You can seriously add anything that you want here…there are so many different combinations of spices that will make this a different, yet yummy meal! Put this to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes. 

After that has simmered, and the house smells delicious, add your veggies. You can add fresh or frozen, or a combination of both. This is the perfect place to add your Ziplock freezer baggies full of your juiced pulp! So once the veggies have been added, simmer for 30-60 minutes and you're done!! 

That's it! I always add cheese to mine because I'm a cheese fiend, and because it tastes that much more delicious! So easy and so yummy, you'd be crazy not to try it!

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Healthy Black Forest Brownie Pie with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

So I've recently purchased some coconut flour, and I've really wanted to try it. Naturally it had to be something that would indulge my sweet tooth and be healthy at the same time! As I was looking around my kitchen, I found some frozen cherries, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, and thought to myself… I'm going to make some black forest brownies! But, these won't be just any black forest brownies. NO! These are going to be healthy ones!! So here's what you'll need for the brownies…

Healthy Black Forest Brownie Pie
1/2 Cup Frozen Cherries
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
3 Tbs Coconut Oil
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Almond Milk
1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tbs Flax Seeds
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Here's how you make em'!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease pie pan.

First you start off with the frozen cherries and the applesauce. Put both of those in a blender and blend as well as you can. (This might not blend too well because there's not much liquid in there yet) Then add the coconut oil and vanilla extract and continue blending. (Again, this may not blend too well) After, add the almond milk to the blender and blend until no big cherry chunks remain. Now you're going to need a separate bowl to mix together the dry ingredients. (Excluding the dark chocolate chips) After the dry ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, add the blended cherry mixture to the bowl. Stir well, and then add the dark chocolate chips. Pour into greased pie pan and smooth so the mixture is spread evenly throughout the pan. Bake for 25-30 min or until toothpick from center comes out clean.

After baking the brownies, I decided that I needed to amp it up a bit and add a little whipped cream. I opted for a healthier style whipped cream than a fattier one. This whipped cream is made up of coconut milk, vanilla, and a little bit of sugar.

In order to make whipped cream out of coconut milk, you will need to chill a can of coconut milk in the fridge at least for two hours. I chill mine overnight so that I know it will be chilled and ready to go when I need it!

So grab your chilled can of coconut milk and open it. There will be some solid chunks of the coconut milk and that is what you'll be using. Spoon the chunky stuff into a bowl and drain all of the access liquid from the can. This is the kind I use, and this is what my bowl of coconut solid milk looks like.

After I put that in the bowl, I grabbed my hand mixer (you can use a stand mixer also, it'd be way easier!) and whip it just like a meringue. You'll need to whip it for a good 5 minutes until peeks form.

Once you're done whipping, add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tbs sugar. Give that a good whip and then you're finished!

After brownie is cooled, cut and plate. Drizzle with whipped cream and place a cherry on top! Voila! The perfect healthy dessert! 

P.S. My husband loved this one! He's not one for sweets, so when he says he loves a dessert it really says something! This one's not too sweet so it will make your teeth fall out, and it's not too bitter so you won't enjoy it. It's the best of both worlds and the perfect treat to end your day with!

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Max!

This is Max! 

I thought I needed to share some pics of my adorable pup =] He does the craziest, most random stuff that I have ever seen, but I absolutely adore him! Right now we've been in the process of teaching him to play dead when we point a gun made with our hand at him. It's pretty tedious but I think he's getting it…only if he gets a treat =] The bottom right pic is of him cuddled up in my blankie! He did that all himself, he apparently loves blankies lol

Here's the video that got me hooked on the whole playing dead with a gun made from your hand. The mice are the absolute best!!

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Berry-licious Smoothie

This smoothie is super easy to make and can be easily adapted to meet your needs. For the basic recipe, you'll only need some fresh or frozen berries, a fresh or frozen banana, Greek yogurt, honey, and ice. If you use all frozen, like I did, you'll need to add some liquid to the recipe or else it will never blend. I added some almond milk to mine, but you can add non-fat milk, coconut milk, or even water.

I usually like to use a fresh banana because I feel like it tastes better, but here in Korea, the bananas go bad so quickly, I have to freeze them or I would either be throwing a lot of them away or making a lot of banana bread… which is delicious, but not all the time =]

Any kind of berries will work for this. I always try to throw a lot of blueberries in there because of the antioxidants that they possess. But today I grabbed all of the berries that were in the freezer and threw them in! I had raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cherries.

To up the nutritious value, I like to add some flax seeds to the mix. I know it's not in the picture, but I did add them today…see I forgot about them and then when I went to put the almond milk away I saw them in the fridge and decided to add! You can also add chia seeds or rolled oats for the added proteins and fiber.

Oh! And talk about protein! That Greek yogurt has 12 grams of protein in one of those little cups, so adding that in there is awesome and adds a creaminess to your smoothie. You can also get the creaminess by adding an avocado to your smoothie, say if you're vegan and cannot have dairy.

Now for my easily buildable but totally perfect already if you don't want to add anything else recipe
1 Large Banana (Fresh or frozen)
1/2 Cup of each: (Fresh or frozen)
     Blueberries
     Strawberries
     Raspberries
     Cherries
1-2 Tbs Honey
2 Single Serving Cups of Greek Yogurt (I used Oikos)
If you used all fresh fruits, add a handful of ice
If you used all frozen fruits, add liquid (Almond Milk) until well blended in blender (About 1 Cup)
2 Tbs Flax Seeds

Blend in blender on medium speed and enjoy! I add the liquid about 1/4 cup at a time and blend, just so it doesn't have too much liquid in it. This makes enough for two, maybe...maybe even three people! I always have extra after filling up a cup for my husband and I =]

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