Randolph,Couple,Enjoys,Chemical-Free,Lifestyle
In an effort to raise healthy children, Melissa Brown not only tries very hard to feed her family healthy foods, she and her husband Nick, have developed an entire product line of chemical-free family and household products. She holds their youngest child, Remi, while displaying Grain-Free Protein Muffins and The Ultimate Healthy Protein Smoothie. Photos by Beverly Kehe-Rowland
More and more today’s families are investing in a healthier lifestyle, both by the food they eat and the products they use. Saying Melissa and Nick Brown of Randolph have taken this to a whole new level is an understatement.
“I used to buy prepackaged food until I learned how horrible they were. I started cooking whole food,” says Melissa. “Once we had kids we started thinking about what we were putting in our bodies and outside of our bodies. Our daughter had eczema. We started trying to eliminate traditional wheat and white flour. We got rid of artificial sweeteners and then food colors. It has been a progressive change, trying to eat cleanly, more whole foods.”
Not only were they building healthier bodies, but their daughter’s eczema was healed with their food choices and Radiantly You products.
“A lot of our recipes are plant-based. I can hide vegetables in juice. They don’t know it has a probiotic and flax seed in it because it tastes good. I try to do organic when possible and I try to stay away from the Dirty Dozen, a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that may contain the highest pesticide residue. We use almond milk and grass-fed butter.”
She points out that Aldi’s has organic and European foods, with GMO labeling.
Grain-Free Protein Muffins
“We try to be as grain-free as possible, using almond flour and coconut flour and we’ve started adding more ketogenic foods to our diet. We have eggs almost every morning,” she continues. “We don’t buy cereal. We make smoothies almost every day that consist of mango, strawberry, banana and I make sure to put coconut oil, a probiotic, chia and flax seeds in them. We have normal dinners, chicken, meatloaf, rice, quinoa. My husband likes making skillet (meals). He uses red palm oil which is really good for your brain.”
Recently they have started to prep several meals on Sunday afternoons to use throughout the week.
“My husband and I literally set the timer for two hours. We prep all veggies. I bag meals by putting all of the ingredients in one gallon zippers. That is how we are able to do it.”
Besides trying to feed their family a healthy diet, she took it a step further.
“There is so much gray area in labeling. I couldn’t find a company I trusted. I started consulting my colleagues and created a product line, everything from personal care to family care to cleaning products. This is how Radiantly You started. We have over fifty products.”
“I started making the first products in my apartment in Fredonia. At the time I had a health coaching practice, specializing in helping women conceive, was a yoga instructor and did a lot of community education. I created my original product line to sell to my clients.”
In the beginning, she sold her products primarily through the Internet.
“I was on Shark Tank with my product line. My products were in small boutiques and chiropractors and other health coaches carried them,” she says. “It was the Shark Tank thing that made me know I didn’t want to be another product on the shelf. I wanted to keep them handcrafted.”
“I had friends who had children and I saw them leaving their kids. I was blessed to be able to stay at home and at that time we became a direct marketing company.”
She started with twelve women in her home birth group and now has over one thousand Independent Wellness Guides.
“My mission is to educate and empower families about the chemicals in their homes. We care about your health and the health of your family, that’s why we pledge to use only the finest ingredients in our products. Built on the pillars of 100 percent natural and honest labeling, our organic and natural ingredients nourish you without any harmful chemicals. We strive everyday to offer you effective, safe products and we believe we have the purest options around.”
“Many of our ingredients are used in their raw, unrefined state. This means they have never been bleached, stripped or altered in any way-leaving them full of naturally occurring vitamins and nutrients. We source all of our ingredients from reputable, certified organic vendors and we take great care in making sure our ingredients are both ethically traded and sustainably harvested.”
“We carry a line of products including personal care (toothpastes, shampoos and lotions), family care (sunscreen, bug spray, diaper cream) to cleaning products (counter spray, laundry soap, natural bleach and bathroom cleaners).”
“My husband and I are very faith-based. We knew it (the business) was something God helped us do. We really believe we are shepherds of the earth. We believe we are creating a stronger and a healthier earth,” she states. “One of the ingredients I knew I wanted to use in our products was palm oil. I found a farmer’s coop in Bonambufei, Cameroon, Africa. I flew over there to make sure it was legit. This village is a three hour drive from an established city. They live off palm oil and farming. We wanted to give from the beginning, not only when we were big.”
When she visited their cement block school she learned they did not have lunch during their school day. Water was the only thing that was provided the entire day. The Browns are now in their third year of providing funding for a warm meal to be served each school day.
“The mothers in the community volunteer their time to cook the food and we provide it,” she smiles. “Once the kids had food, their school was number one in the subdivision, which is much larger than, but like our counties.”
“Last year we put in toilets, because they had none. Our project for this year is to give our percentage to put in solar panels for refrigeration for the school and the community building, which is really a hut. If we can get power there, they can have a medical center. If we reach our goal we are going back in January to install the solar panels.”
The Browns have five children ages six, four, three, 18 months and 4 months. The eighth and ninth members of the family are Tippie, their Chihuahua and a Yorkie-Poo named Chewy.
Following are some of the recipes the Browns serve their children.
“The Grain-Free Protein Muffins freeze amazingly well, so I usually 4 times the batch and store some away. The Pull-Aparts is Nick’s contribution. It is a family favorite. They always ask if Grandma is going to bring this. It’s full of sugar and shortening, but it tastes good. The Irish Cream is my Grandfather’s recipe and he was from Ireland. They would drink it at special occasions and parties.”
She claims Turmeric and Honey Super Booster is especially good to help combat spring seasonal allergies.
More information about Radiantly You can be found at www.radiantlyyou.com/corp.
Grain-Free Protein Muffins
¢ c Greek yogurt
2 T butter, melted
3 T xylitol or natural sweetener of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
™ tsp organic apple cider vinegar
1§ c almond flour
¢ tsp soda
™ tsp salt
3 eggs
¢ c blueberries or raspberries (we like to mix both!)
Preheat oven to 350. Add yogurt, butter, sweetener, vanilla and vinegar to blender. Add flour, baking soda and salt on top. Blend for 15 seconds or until combined. Add eggs and blend on low for another 30 seconds. Pour into bowl and stir in fruit by hand. Divide into muffin tin and place a few extra berries on top. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 8
Curry Butternut Squash and Quinoa Soup
Roast squash ahead a time to cut cooking time to just 10 minutes!
1 small butternut squash (2 c roasted puree)
1 c rice or white quinoa, cooked
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 T coconut oil
3 c vegetable stock
1 c coconut milk
1 tsp curry powder
™ tsp turmeric
™ tsp crushed red pepper
sea salt and coarse ground pepper
Heat you oven to 400 degrees. Cutsquash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and place in a roasting dish, cut side down. Add about an inch of water and roast until soft, about 40 minutes. While squash is roasting, saute onion, celery and garlic in olive oil in a large pot over low flame. After about 5-7 minutes add curry, turmeric, salt, crushed red pepper and vegetable broth. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes. Scoop out roasted squash and add to the soup along with the cooked rice/quinoa and coconut milk. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with a drizzle of coconut oil on top. Feeds 4 very hungry people.
Grilled Lemon Potatoes
7-9 white potatoes, halved and cut into pieces
¢ c butter, cut into chunks
2 tsp lemon juice
1¢ tsp lemon pepper
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Place potatoes in cast iron pan or any other grilling dish. Sprinkle remaining ingredients over potatoes. Grill 35 min, turning every 10 minutes.
Gill’s Irish Cream
1 pt half & half
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 T Hershey’s syrup
1 tsp vanilla
Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until combined. Add 1 cup Irish whiskey.
Strawberry Lemon Basil Infused Water
36 – 48 ounces of filtered water
1 c strawberries, thinly sliced or chopped
1 lemon, thinly sliced
A super large handful of basil, chopped
Combine all the ingredients in a pitcher. Add ice and drink as is or allow to sit refrigerated for a few hours. Strain the fruit and herbs and drink the beautiful pink water.
The Perfect Green Juice
5 leaves of curly or lacinato kale, ribs and all
3 cucumbers
4 stalks of celery
2 apples
1 lb carrots
One by one run each ingredient through juicer. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Yields about 32 ounces of juice.
The Ultimate Healthy Protein Smoothie
1 c frozen strawberries
1 c frozen mango
1 banana
2 handfuls of kale
¢ c plain Greek yogurt
1 T chia seeds
2 T melted coconut oil
4 capsules probiotic, broken open
2 scoops Sun Warrior Protein (any vanilla protein powder would do, we just prefer plant-based)
unsweetened almond milk (3-4 cups, depending on what it takes to reach smoothie consistency)
Layer all ingredients in blender, adding milk last. Blend until it reaches ideal consistency. Serves 4 hungry kids and two awesome parents
Turmeric and Honey Super Booster
Prep time: 5 minutes
1 T ground turmeric
™ c local, raw honey
1 tsp lemon zest
2 T raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Mix ground turmeric in a small mixing bowl, smoothing into a fine powder. Add honey, lemon zest and vinegar. Whisk or stir until smooth. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Makes ¢ cup or approximately 8 – 10 servings
Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
1/3 c tahini
™ c water
™ c roasted peppers, chopped
2 tsp. lemon juice
™ tsp salt
1 garlic clove, minced
1-15 ¢ oz can chickpeas
Place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Serve with veggies and tortilla chips.
Zesty Shrimp Cocktail Spread
1 package cream cheese, softened
¢ c sour cream
4 oz shredded American or cheddar cheese
§ cup cocktail sauce
6 oz cooked shrimp
™ c green onions, green onions
Combine cream cheese and sour cream in bowl. Stir in cheese. Spread into bottom of serving dish. Spread with cocktail sauce. Put shrimp into food processor to shred. Layer shredded shrimp over cocktail sauce. Sprinkle with onion and remaining cheese. Cool for 1 hour in refrigerator before serving.
Grandma Brown’s Pull-Aparts
1 c Crisco
¢ c sugar
2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 c warm milk
1 c warm water
2 T yeast
1 tsp sugar
6 c flour
Cream first three ingredients. Combine warm water and warm milk. Stir in yeast until dissolved. Set aside. Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs to yeast mixture. Make a dough of wet and dry ingredients. Knead dough. Cover and let rise for 30 mins or so. Roll it out and cut into rounds. Dip rounds into melted butter and then dip in a mixture of 2 T cinnamon and 2 c sugar. Layer in long loaf tins that have been well greased. Let rise. Bake at 350 approximately 20 minutes or until done. Frosting is optional.
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