Monday, December 7, 2015

Fabulous Chicken Dinner Recipe

                                                      Chicken dinner recipe






Here is a great recipe for perfectly seasoned chicken!

Take boneless chicken and thaw it
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and while you wait make the seasoning for the chicken
In a bowl mix
3 TBS of pepper
2 TBS of seasoned salt
½ tsp of lemon pepper

½ tsp of kosher salt
some parsley flakes and a pinch of Cumin
Mix the seasoning together

place the chicken on your baking sheet and season the chicken lightly with the mix.
Place in the oven and in fifteen minutes flip the chicken and season the bottom.
Leave the chicken bottom side up and in another fifteen minutes flip the chicken again and add a little lemon juice to the top of each piece of chicken and fifteen minutes later check to see if the chicken is fully cooked. Temperature should be around 175 degrees internally. If you don't own a cooking thermometer, cut down the middle of a piece of chicken. There should be no pink visible. Depending on the size of your chicken it may need an extra fifteen minutes to cook. In the picture above it only took 45 minutes to fully cook. 

Why flip the chicken every fifteen minutes you ask? I find that the chicken comes out juicier and evenly seasoned if I flip it.
But that's just my preference If you prefer to preseason the chicken and let it be then that's fine too.

After the Chicken is at 175 internally,turn the temperature down to 200 degrees, pull the chicken out of the oven and add the desired veggies to the baking sheet. (in this picture I added a can of mixed veggies) Season the veggies with that same seasoning and put the sheet back in for another 5-10 minutes. Just enough time to warm them up.

Pull the baking sheet out and ENJOY!


That's it for this recipe I hope you enjoyed it! Remember to subscribe to my youtube channel 
 If you are interested in safe all Natural beauty products check out Neshamahessentials.com!
    
  Christina Peck

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Easy Holiday Baking Tips





     



The holidays are such a busy time of year. Between the shopping and baking who as any available "me time"? Well I will be posting some really easy dessert ideas for the holidays, so you can all enjoy some much needed "Me time"!

First up Holiday Dump Cake. Despite the unusual name, it is really quite delicious. I found an extra can of cranberry jelly and a box of strawberry cake mix and decided that it would make a great dessert! I was right it was delicious! 

Here is  the recipe:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a baking dish. 
Cut the cranberry jelly into sections and line the bottom of the baking dish. 
Pour the cake mix over the fruit evenly.
Cut a full stick of butter into squares and place them evenly over the cake mix. 
Place the cake into the oven for 30-60 minutes.
Remove the cake and let it cool for 15 minutes and add your favorite toppings (optional)
Then Enjoy!!

I posted the video below, I hope you enjoy!
Don't forget to subscribe! 

Christina Peck








              

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Major Corporations Say "Work Comes First"



Thanksgiving, a time to get together with loved ones and give thanks for our time together. I'm not saying we can't do this at any other time of the year, but most people have grown up, married and settled elsewhere to start a family and - or career that demands most of our attention.  And the holidays are time that some get a break to visit home again to reunite with loved ones and watch football. It seems that Thanksgiving is becoming just another day at the office though. Malls, department stores and other major corporations are opening their doors for people to abandon this tradition and spend time and money away from their family instead. I can't tell you the amount of people who are disgusted by this. Not only from the people who have to go in and work, but the families as well. Comments like "I'm not having a Thanksgiving this year, because my family has to work so I'll be alone this year."   Or "I guess my family is eating without me I have to work." These are just a couple statements I heard at work this passed week.  I know some people can work around it, but not everyone can.

                                    

I am not attacking relevant careers or causes at all. Fields like law enforcement, medicine, our military etc, we know you can't take the day off and we thank you for your services! Volunteers helping in, the community to feed the homeless, making sure that these people are being fed and given shelter is important. Small business-owners opening their doors to share a Thanksgiving meal for those who don't have family is heart warming, and usually done out of the kindness of their hearts. I'm  mainly disappointed in the major corporations that choose to open or stay open to make a buck. To encourage people who work so hard throughout the year to give up this one day set aside for family. I  know not everyone has family or can stand their family, but it doesn't make it any better.

Major corporations don't care about family and I know first hand. I was even given ultimatums over if I was going to choose my family or my job. If I chose my family then I wouldn't get a promotion and I needed to dedicate 100% of my life to this company. This meant working 10 hours on holiday even though I was promised I'd only have to work 5!  They even went as far as to say that my husband was holding me back with his disability and it was hurting my career. My husband was not holding me back, he had just has a hip replacement with extensive surgery and was on bed rest!

Once I realized I would ultimately have to sell my soul, hardly ever see my family, and give up my roll as mom, I felt lost. If it were not for the times I ended up in the hospital , I would probably still be there working today even. Not every  person who works in these major corporations are like that, but most are. The CEO's of these corporations get the time to spend with their families so why can't the rest of the employees?

Main point guys keeping the malls, departments stores and other chains open on the holidays is  just ridiculous! People nearly kill each other as it is on Black Friday over a stupid toy! Do we really want to start a day earlier? Thanksgiving is also one of the biggest bar nights of the year. So keeping these businesses open will cause more accidents with more people out on the roads! 

If you are choosing to go out this evening or tomorrow to do holiday shopping please be safe!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving!

Christina Peck




Sunday, November 15, 2015

Beauty Tips: Coconut Oil and Almond Oil Benefits




                                             Image result for coconut oil




Coconut oil, it  has so many health benefits. It helps reduce cravings for sugar and helps maintains metabolism among other benefits. Not only does it have health benefits, but it also has benefits for our skin and hair as well. Coconut Oil is moisturizing and also holds anti-aging properties. People who have used Coconut oil say it has helped reduce the appearance of scars and stretch marks. It has also been known to protect the skin from harmful rays.  People also use Coconut oil in shampoo. The vitamin E  in coconut oil gives not only your skin a healthy glow but it can also give your hair a shine! I for one am excited to try coconut oil as a hair treatment! 



                                    Image result for sweet almond oil for skin

Let's talk about Sweet Almond Oil too! It's moisturizing, and is great to use in beauty products!
It holds anti-inflammation properties and many people use it to soothe skin allergies. It can also be  used to treat MINOR wounds, chapped skin and with some raw honey it reduces dark circles! Spas choose to use sweet almond oil because it is less greasy and is known to balance  the PH levels in our skin. By balancing our skin's PH levels it allows the skin to have a natural healthy glow!  It is also used in natural sun block (or even on it's own) to protect our skin from sun rays and prevents it from wrinkling. It can reduce wrinkles by applying it to your skin. If you are interested in this beauty tip, here's some directions I found on http://www.newhealthguide.org/      

  "Almond oil contains vitamins that help it delay the appearance of wrinkles. It is best to apply almond at night after taking a shower. You could choose to do this twice a week or alternate days depending on how soon you wish to see the end results." 

For more beauty tips, check back often and subscribe to my YouTube channel 

 Below I posted a short review on one of my body butters and to order my all natural products go to NeshamahEssentials.com! Enjoy!


     
                         



 Christina Peck
Neshamahessentials.com




Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Benefits of Massage Therapy: Ways to Unwind

Image result for massage oil

After a long week of hard work and stress, who doesn't love the idea of a nice massage? Not only is relaxing, it also helps with blood circulation, helps with your nervous system, promotes cardiac health, and can even lift your mood. If your feeling depressed or if you feel a cold coming on, try a massage. I'm not saying don't seek medical attention; I'm saying use massage therapy along with it. Rubbing those tense, achy muscles releases lactic acid (toxins) built up in your body. Also, remember to drink plenty of water after a massage. The toxins need to be evacuated from your body; drinking lots of water will help your body get rid of them.

If you have a hard time falling and/or staying asleep at night, try a massage with lavender or cedarwood oils. People find both scents relaxing. I myself love the scents and seem to sleep better after rubbing some lavender oil on my feet. If you don't like the idea of a massage, then use an oil burner and burn the oils. People say it has the same effects as the massage would. If you have the opposite issue and can't seem to stay awake, try burning peppermint or lemon oils.

Do you love the idea of a massage but are on a budget? Make your own massage oils. I even have a DIY video posted below! It's quick and easy. Find your favorite carrier oil and essential oil and mix them together for a massage oil or perfume oil. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Come back soon to read more health and beauty tips and DIY recipes!  


                        For the latest videos, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!



Christina Peck



Monday, November 9, 2015

Febreze Alternatives: DIY recipes

Scented candles, air fresheners, potpourri, incense; all the things that make our homes smell amazing! These are also things that have toxic chemicals if we breathe them in. Most candle wicks have lead in them and air fresheners have Diethly Phthalate or DEP. According to ToxipediaDEP is linked to hormonal changes and genital development in humans. I, like most people, love a fresh smelling home but I also want to make sure my family is safe from harmful chemicals. My dad passed away 3 1/2 years ago from cancer and that is when I really started thinking about my family's health. They didn't know what caused the cancer in the first place and diagnosed it as cancers from unknown origins! I started looking at ingredients in everything we ate, candles we burned, and everything I wanted to buy; ingredients I never really worried about before. Even though I studied in the medical field, I never thought twice about these toxins. 

Image result for air freshener ingredients

The good news is there is hope. Ladies (and gentlemen who enjoy the scents as well), we can still have a fresh smelling home with all the fruity, floral, and woody scents that we love! How, you ask? We make them! Yep, we can make them with some everyday household ingredients! Well, natural ingredients. Today I'm going to share a simple DIY recipe for Frebeze!

It only takes four simple ingredients and here they are!

Recipe
32 Oz spray bottle
2 Cups of Distilled Water
1/2 - 1 Cup of Witch Hazel 
2 TBS of Baking Soda
5 drops of Essential Oils 
   
In a 32 Oz bottle, add 2 cups of distilled water and 1/2- 1 Cup of Witch Hazel. Take 2 TBS of baking soda and shake the bottle until the baking soda is almost or fully dissolved. Take your favorite essential oils and add them.  I use doTERRA Oils because a little goes a long way. I only needed to use 5 drops of Lavender vs. the 15-20 drops I would need to add from any other brand. I have other brands of essential oils that I use for many things but doTERRA is my favorite!
Lastly shake it all up and enjoy the fresh scents safely! 



For more all natural products, check out my website at Neshamahessentials.com.

And for videos on how to make recipes like this one and more, visit my YouTube channel at youtube.com/ChristinaPeckNE

Christina Peck



Sunday, October 25, 2015

Healthy Snacks

Kids love to snack and most of the time they want the snacks that are high in sugar! Kids need to eat a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables each day (between 5 and 13 servings). Here are some healthy alternatives to sugary snacks. First we'll start with a few fruits. Fruits are naturally sweet, high in good fibers and some even help prevent us from getting sick.

1) Blueberries: blueberries are high in vitamin C, antioxidants and manganese. Manganese helps the body process cholesterol and process nutrients such as carbohydrates and protein. Vitamin C is an immune booster and helps prevent colds, or at least helps you feel better if you have a cold. Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are also high in vitamin C.   

2) Bananas: bananas are a good source of Vitamin K (A.K.A potassium). Here's a hint for you. If you have ever had ringing in your ears, that is a sign of low potassium. If that happens, start eating more bananas or even baked potatoes with your dinners. The skin of potatoes are high in potassium and is great if the body is craving it. A peanut butter and banana sandwich is a very good alternative to high sugary and processed foods.

3) Raspberries: these delicious red berries have rheosmin which helps increase metabolism in your body. Increasing the body's metabolism can help burn the fat in our cells and that in turn can prevent obesity.  

Image result for fruit
Kids love bright colors. Making a colorful fruit salad or cutting up some fruits as a snack for them instead of  just handing them a candy bar can be beneficial for both you and them. Sugar is just going to hype them up. That, in turn, will drive you crazy and you'll wonder what ever got into them! 

Next, vegetables. Now, I know most kids won't go near a vegetable! Both my children (ages 4 and almost 2) don't mind them though. My daughter loves broccoli! Since my children are younger, I steam my vegetables. Usually, the best way to eat any fruit or vegetable is raw. Steaming drains them of most of their nutrients, but they are still a healthful food regardless. Some vegetables my daughter can eat raw, such as carrots and celery. A childhood favorite of mine was celery with peanut butter. Peanut butter is also high in protein and is a great to add with snack time!  

  Image result for vegetable snack
For some children, presentation is everything! If it is presented in an appealing way kids are more likely to eat it. Make it fun for them and easier for you! Let them help too! My daughter loves to eat anything she has helped make. They feel a sense of accomplishment when they help and, based on my experience with my daughter, she has always wanted to eat whatever she helped me make!  

Dessert. Yes there are healthful desserts and they are an option!  Dessert pizza made with fruits are both healthier and fun for the kids!

Here is a recipe that I recommend! 

It Makes 1 large pizza
for the crust
3 cups soft pitted dates
2 cups whole almonds
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)
for the middle
2 1/2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
for the toppings
strawberries, sliced
blueberries
blackberries
raspberries
Either oil a circular pizza pan (standard size) or line with parchment paper (I cut a circle from parchment paper to line mine).  Set aside.
In a food processor, processor the dates, almonds, coconut, and cocoa powder until broken down completely.  Add the honey and almond butter and process until it comes together and forms a ball.
Form the mixture into a ball. Using slightly wet hands, press the mixture onto the pizza pan.  Use a rolling pin or your hands to press the mixture to the edges of the pan. Work the mixture so it is evenly distributed all the way to the edge of the pan.
Put the crust in the freezer for 10 minutes.  (I washed and sliced my fruit during this time.)
Use a spatula to spread the Greek yogurt on the crust.
Top the crust with your fruit in a circular pattern as shown in the pictures.  I didn’t include measurements for the fruit as you can use as little or as much as you prefer.  Chill until ready to serve.  A pizza cutter works well for slicing when you are ready to serve.  Enjoy!  
That is it for this post. I hope you enjoyed and come back soon to read more on healthy living, recipes and beauty tips.
Christina Peck

Sunday, October 18, 2015

Energy Drinks: The Ugly Truth

Monster, Red Bull, Rip it, Rock Star, NOS and many others. These sugary drinks promise us non-stop energy, but instead of going non-stop they come with a harsh crash. It's true; drinking these heavily caffeinated beverages gives you a boost, but it only lasts so long, leading you to drink another one just to keep going. 

When coffee lost it's effect, I turned to energy drinks as a way to keep myself awake. This was when I worked swing shifts as a manager at McDonald's. I would work an overnight (sometimes even up to five in a row), then come home at 7 A.M. to help take care of my children and my husband (who was recovering from a hip replacement surgery). Afterward, I would attempt to fall asleep by 9 am, just to get up again by noon or 1 P.M. to go back to work. I'd work until 10 or 11 P.M., then try to sleep that night before getting up for an early morning shift. Then the cycle continued; it was terrible! 

I soon built up a tolerance to drinking only one energy drink, so I had to drink two during an 8-10 hour shift. I developed a bit of insomnia from drinking them. I soon was unable to sleep at all; I would be up for days at a time. On average, I would sleep a total of 9 hours or less a week. 

Studies show that developing insomnia is quite common when drinking energy drinks, especially the amount I was drinking. Insomnia can affect your judgment; it sure affected mine. I was so over-tired, I could hardly drive home in the mornings. On top of that, I would be jittery from the high amounts of caffeine and ginseng I was consuming on a daily basis. I'm also hypoglycemic (low blood sugar), so my blood sugar would spike and drop down too low when I started to crash. 

Energy drinks wear out the insulin-producing cells in the body's pancreas by raising the blood sugar then instantly dropping. This can lead to type 2 diabetes. Caffeine is a very addictive drug and can cause headaches. Even worse, migraines can occur if you go without drinking an energy drink for a period of time. I know this from personal experience; it is no fun. 

Studies in Australia found that one 8 OZ can of any energy drink can interfere with day to day tasks and cause anxiety. For sensitive people, drinking high doses of caffeine can bring on full-blown panic attacks; they should avoid these energy drinks completely! Cardiac arrest is something else that can be brought on by drinking energy drinks. It won't affect everyone this way, but people with heart conditions should avoid energy drinks and anything else highly caffeinated. Young children should never be given these drinks because it could be fatal. A study showed, between 2009 and 2011, there were 4854 calls to poison control centers regarding energy drinks. 51% of these calls were involving children. Another study (SRC) showed the link between energy drinks and cardiac issues among teens. This study recommends that teens consume no more than one 8 OZ energy drink per day and never before nor during sports or exercise.

There is also the problem of risky behavior in teens. Yes, believe it or not, drinking these beverages in the picture above can influence teens to take more risks. There was a study published in The Journal of American College Health that showed teens are more likely to take more dangerous risks when drinking these beverages. This can lead to legal trouble, severe injury, and even death. If you take vitamin B supplements, overdosing on Niacin (Vitamin B3) can happen. Mixing energy drinks and vitamin B supplements can cause reactions such as flushing, dizziness, rapid heart rate, itching, gout and diarrhea. The high sugar content in these beverages can cause tooth decay and leave you with a hefty dentist bill. 

For an energy boost, try only taking vitamin B. Vitamin B is a great way to get a boost of energy naturally and it lasts a long time without that crash later. Drink water instead of energy drinks. In the morning, instead of going straight for the caffeine, drink water first. Water will hydrate and wake you up faster. Before I grab a cup of coffee, I drink a glass of water. I feel better in the morning. There are even times I don't need a cup of coffee in the morning. 

As soon as I stopped working at McDonald's, I made a promise to myself to stop drinking energy drinks. I haven't touched one in over 3 months. I do drink coffee but I only drink one cup, sometimes two, but not every day. I no longer suffer from insomnia and my blood sugar issues are under control. I hope you all enjoyed this article. Please come back to read more up coming posts on health and beauty tips.

Christina Peck 

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Mechanically-Separated Meats and Fast Food: Healthy Alternatives

We've all heard the dangers of eating fast food and what it does to our bodies. Everything from childhood obesity to cancers and heart failure. So what are they putting in our food to cause these health problems?

Let's break it down starting with the main ingredient: the meat. The beef and chicken are loaded with GMO's and are not 100% beef and chicken as they claim. Most fast food meats are made from mechanically-separated chicken and beef. Mechanically-separated meat is a mixture of bone and animal carcasses.  This means that there is more than just chicken and beef meat in the nuggets and patties. They also include bone and entrails. Mechanical separation turns the carcass into a mush so it's easier to mold into the unrealistic shapes we see in our fast food joints. As a former fast food manager, I know the inside scoop on a what this "food" looks like before it's cooked. Many of the pictures you see and stories you read floating around the internet are very true.

 chicken

I found this picture on a Huffpost Taste newsletter; this is what mechanically-separated meat looks like. Strangely enough, when the nuggets and patties are left out, they melt into a puddle of goo and slime just like this picture. 

Next ingredient: gelatin. Gelatin is made from boiling skins, bones, and hides from cows and pigs. Boiling these bones and hides releases the collagen which they filter, dry, then ground down to a fine powder. Lastly, they add it to the meats we then ingest. 

Cochineal (aka Carmine or Carminic Acid): This is another disturbing ingredient. It is made from grinding coccus beetles. Grinding these beetles up produces a red dye which is used to color meats, juices, shakes, frappes and candies. I'm not just going after fast food here; it's put in everything.

MSG is also found in a lot of food. It's a flavor enhancer and, according to medical sites such as Web-MD, has been known to cause headaches, shortness of breath, chest pain and fatigue. These are very serious reactions that can cause fatality in our very young children. 

These chemicals and additives can lead to Type 2 diabetes, heart failure (among other cardiovascular problems), obesity and even death. I recently read an article on http://www.healthyeating.sfgate.com stating that a study conducted in Canada back in 2005 showed people are 2.52 times more likely to die from heart failure by consuming fast food than those who don't. Also, in 2010, Australia did the same study and found a ten percent increase in cardiovascular problems related to consuming fast food.    

Since cutting fast food out completely and being more mindful of what we buy to prepare for our family, we in my family find ourselves more energetic and over all healthier. My suggestion is to start eating more organic foods. I know it's hard to be completely chemical free, but try buying your meats and produce from farmers who choose to raise livestock without added hormones and antibiotics. Farmer's markets are a great place to get fresh and healthy produce without breaking your budget. Replace those fast food meals with easy-to-make and healthful meals.
   
Here are two recipes I found on Greatist.com that I will also be trying. It's only reasonable to start with the most important meal of the day: breakfast.

Chocolate-Banana Quinoa:

30 Healthy Breakfast Snacks for Mornings on the Run

Only 9 Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 1/4 cup almond milk, divided
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Sea salt
  • 1 banana, 1/2 mashed, 1/2 cut into slices
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Fresh mint
Directions

1. Bring quinoa, 1 cup almond milk, water, and 1 dash salt to a boil in a small pot.

2. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove quinoa from stove and transfer to a bowl.

3. Mix in mashed banana, honey, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Stir until evenly combined. Pour remaining 1/4 cup of almond milk over quinoa, and garnish with banana slices and some mint.

This looks absolutely amazing! This could be either Lunch or dinner.  Salmon is one of mine and my daughter's favorite dishes and here is a great recipe to try!

Healthy Dinner Recipe: Easy Sesame Salmon

 Only 7 Ingredients
  • 1 large clove garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon minced or pureed ginger root
  • Pinch dried chili flakes
  • 2-3 skinless wild salmon fillets
  • 2-3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
1. In a zip-top bag, combine garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and chili flakes. Place salmon fillets in the bag and let them marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. 

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

3. Pour sesame seeds onto a plate and shake the plate slightly so that they scatter into a single layer. Lay salmon fillets face-down in sesame seeds to coat the top. 

4. Place crusted salmon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on fillet thickness. If you like, switch the oven to broil for the final minute of cooking to lightly toast sesame seeds.
Try these recipes and others on Greatist.com. and look for upcoming blogs on healthier living.

Christina Peck
http://www.neshamahessentials.com