Let's Make the Perfect Smoothie

One of my favorite things to consume to stay healthy is to eat a smoothie once a day. I have done green smoothies and Shakeology, but there are many healthy smoothies you can make. Many people have asked me what makes the perfect smoothie. Guess what, I don't know your taste buds! SO, let's talk about the ingredients that make up a perfect smoothie, and you can select what would make YOUR perfect smoothie!

1. Use a nut butter or yogurt to make it creamy
2. Add chia or flax seeds for natural protein
3. Fortify with a protein powder if you are consuming it right before or right after a workout (or using it as a meal replacement)
4. Add a liquid component (milk, juice, coconut water, etc)
5. Add some greens
6. Add some fruits

A Blender

Cuisinart - PowerEdge Blender - $199.00, See Site shipping - Available at Overstock.com
(2 reviews)

Peanut Butter

N Toys - Nuts 'N More Peanut Butter, 16 Ounce - $10.92, See Site Shipping - Available at Fullfillment By Amazon

Almond Butter Raw & Chia

Barney Butter - Barney Butter Almond Butter Raw & Chia -10 oz Jar - $6.49, Free Shipping - Available at Puritans Pride

Chia Seeds

Puritan's Pride - Chia Seeds-16 oz Seeds - $16.99, Free shipping - Available at Puritans Pride
(18 reviews)

Flax Seeds

Spectrum Organics - ESEENTIALS Organic Ground Essential Flax Seed 14 OZ - $4.98, See Site shipping - Available at LuckyVitamin.com
(92 reviews)

Protein Powder

DESIGNER WHEY - Aria Women's Protein Vanilla-12 oz Powder - $10.99, Free Shipping - Available at Puritans Pride
(5 reviews)

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links provided by Postpresso.

How can something so small do so much damage?

When it comes to eating healthy, it is fairly easy. Honestly, it is. What happens is you eliminate the temptations from your house. Not having access to a vehicle helps keep me on the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, I then I have a vehicle on the weekends. I derail EVERY weekend! A little white granule is so addictive and so tasty, I just can't seem to kick it. What is this small white granule?

You guessed it ... sugar

This is why most people gain weight over the holidays. You first have Halloween where you are doused with candy and other sweets. Then you have Thanksgiving and Christmas where people eat way too much. New Year's Eve brings in alcohol. January isn't innocent ... it's Girl Scout Cookie month. By now, you have this desire to lose weight but you just feel overwhelmed.


How is it that something so small can cause so much damage? That is what I am on the path to find out right now. How do I get over the addiction sugar has on me.  Is it possible for me to eradicate sugar from our diet? I see people doing the Whole 30 but I am just so scared that I won't be able to do something that extreme.

Instead, I am working on doing a 100 Days of Real Food Challenge and a Juice Cleanse. The thought of saying goodbye to things like Girl Scout cookies and soda make me sad. I know that regardless of what I do, the weight will come back if I don't say goodbye to these things ... but it just seems so hard.

Leave me a comment below to give me your advice or words of encouragement. Is being scared about kicking sugar to the curb normal? How hard is it really? How expensive is it? These are all things that float through my mind!

*A side note - did you see that there are gluten-free cookies this year for Girl Scouts?! YIKES!

Don't let construction come between you and good food!

Tonight I was given a rare opportunity to join six other blogging ladies here in the KC metro to dine at Renee Kelly's Harvest. It is this BEAUTIFUL diner that is built inside a castle. She has a wine cellar in the basement that holds a party of 30, a main floor, and then an upstairs party area that holds 22. The place is all lit up on the outside with Christmas lights, but it is nothing compared to the inside. You feel like you are walking into a little bed & breakfast almost in the snowcapped mountains of Colorado. I honestly could have sat by the fire and drank hot cocoa and been perfectly happy. However ... what DID transpire is an experience that I want to share with you. This is a restaurant that NEEDS to be on your list to visit ... ESPECIALLY if you have "weird" food allergies and want to trust that the food on your plate is something you can eat!

*note - I was given a complimentary tasting dinner in exchange for this blog post ... ALL opinions are my own!*

Let's first start with this adorable place called Renee Kelly's Harvest.

outside lights

cozy waiting area

decorated steps

        This restaurant is located just past Johnson Dr & Quivera in Shawnee, KS and is within walking distance of Old Shawnee Town. There has been NASTY construction going on at Johnson near 435 & I-35 but it is passable! You can take a bazillion different routes to Kelly's Harvest so if you're like me and abhor I-35 rush hour traffic ... email me! I'll help ya out.

They are open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday for lunch and Wednesday through Saturday for dinner. They only serve brunch on Sundays. What's even better about Renee's is ALL of their food is local! All of the meat comes from KS and MO farmers and then you can visit her Facebook page to see that she purchases produce from other local farmers.

Renee Kelly is just an awesome person as a whole. I met and fell in love with her when she was collecting food donations to help with the Joplin tornado recovery efforts. She is such a beautiful person, but her story behind Renee Kelly's is to die for. I know that I have MANY readers who will just totally GET her.

Renee suffered from migraines for YEARS and extremely bad vertigo. Despite a couple trips to the Mayo Clinic, they couldn't figure out what was triggering them. Finally, she decided to seek help from someone who worked with homeopathic remedies. Her doctor put her on a clean diet and she was 50% better in a process of 2 weeks. TWO WEEKS, y'all. In two months, she was 80% better. Her doctor said the key was to know your food, know the farmers, rotate food with the seasons, and watch your triggers. This life and healthy living has lead to Renee Kelly's Harvest being one of the few places in KC where you can list allergies that no one would think of, and be able to get a dish you can eat.

Well ... enough about the background. Let's get onto the food porn shall we?

We started off with appetizers. We were given a full tasting but I am not going to bombard you with that many photos. I am however going to give you a sampling and then tell you to GO EAT THERE. Seriously.

• Duck wings in Guinness Honey Sauce (note - this sauce is super sticky, finger-licking good)
• Pork Belly with a pear ginger glaze & quinoa (this is to die for comfort food)
• Rabbit Loin wrapped in prosciutto and served with saffron risotto and elderberry syrup (possibly my favorite starter

Next, we were given four salads and two soups to sample.

• Sweet & Simple Salad
• Salt roasted beet with caramelized pumpkin pecan, warm pear vinaigrette, and feta (LOVED this one)
• Apples with candied walnuts, petite greens, St. Rose Cheese, with a balsamic vinaigrette (skipped the cheese ... loved the rest!)
• Micrograin salad with bacon - didn't get a chance to sample that before it was gobbled up .. gotta fight for the bacon.
• Sweet potato & carrot bisque (another hearty comfort food)
• Chicken consomme with duck confit

Next came our main entrees. We were in HEAVEN with this meal.

cause really?!

• Rabbit saddle with white bean ragout braising greens pancetta
• Pork chop with winter squash, golden raisins, and bacon
• Short ribs with parsnip apple puree, roasted and raw and braising greens
• Crispy bass with red rice, kale, saffron cream, and ancho glaze
• Scotch filet  with sweet potato gnocchi, butter braised turnips, petite argula salad, and demi
• Duck breast with quinoa, arugula, poached apple, garnished with beet and huckleberry
• Swiss Chard Dumplings with squash, apple, pecan, and braising greens

So ... let's quickly talk about my favorite entrees.

Short ribs - these literally melt in your mouth. They are braised down with Sarsaparilla and Root Beer giving them a nice sweet taste to go with the greens and parsnip apple puree.

Scotch filet - this filet is basically the meat inside the prime ribs you see at buffets. It is seared hard to lock it into place for serving. It is also the ONLY place you can get a Scotch Filet in the KC Metro! *note - I could have eaten the sweet potato gnocchi all night long.

Finally, we got to the desserts. Holy yum, peeps!

• Homemade Smore's - FAVORITE
• Deconstructed Apple Pie
• Chocolate Cake
• Lemon ???? - will update this after I find if someone else got the name. Can't find the menu for desserts.

The Lemon SOMETHING

Chocolate Cake

Deconstructed Apple Pie

Homemade Smore's

Recipes from the Minecraft Party

I held a Minecraft party for my boychild knowing that Bullfrog LOVED Minecraft. I had EVERY intention of doing super simple treats ... like apple slices dipped in caramel for the apples and purchasing mini cookies for the cookies. However, how do you say no to a little boy whose eyes light up when he asks you so sweetly to make a couple different goodies.

To start with, Bullfrog wanted Grinch cookies for the cookies. I made them a few years ago using sugar cookie mix. I really didn't feel like using a sugar cookie base this time, so I went searching for a new Grinch cookie recipe.

This time, I turned to a blogger who made crinkle cookies. The picture isn't great so refer to her blog post for better pictures! One major downside of my apartment is the inability to take good food photographs. *sigh* (I know, blogger problems)

Okay, so by visiting A Northwood Christmas' blog on Grinch Cookies, you will have the recipe base that I used. However, I made some alterations. Let me tell you about them.

1. I did not use peppermint extract. We felt it was a little overbearing last time so we just omitted it this time. It tasted GREAT.
2. We didn't use Andes chips ... I DID however, visit the Dollar Tree and purchased a small bag of Andes mints and chopped them up myself. I know that Andes chips are about $2 to $3. I was perfectly fine with chopping my own mints and saving a buck or two.

I did roll them in powdered sugar and they turned out fantastic ... but I'm also a sucker for crinkle cookies.

Okay, moving on ... the apples. Those are Caramel Apple Blondies by The Love Nerds. I only changed the recipe a touch and it was due to my stupidity in forgetting to pick up a couple items. LOL

1. I forgot the parchment paper ... do not forget this. It causes MASSIVE problems.
2. I used Honey Crisp Apples ... these were SUCH a yummy addition. I could totally see how Granny Smith apples would be great, but I prefer Honey Crisp over EVERYTHING!
3. I forgot the chocolate chips for the topping ... do not forget this ... chocolate should NEVER be forgotten.
4. Cook for the FULL 35 minutes even if it kinda sounds odd. I cooked for 30 minutes and they could have totally used another 5 minutes ... didn't realize it until they were cooled and ready to cut.

So ... there ya are. Caramel Apple Blondies for the Apples and Grinch Cookies for the cookies ... and one very happy birthday boy!

Our pleas for 30-minute meals have been heard!

I prefer the term efficient over the term lazy. Lazy is such an ugly word. There are some people who are lazy ... there are even times when I am lazy. You know, when I can't find the remote, but too LAZY to get off the couch to turn off the TV so it just stays that way. However, letting someone else do the menu planning for me is EFFICIENT I tell ya .. efficient! *that's my story and I'm stickin' to it*


Here's my problem with menu planners though ... they come up with meals that take forever to make. I rarely have more than 30 minutes to cook, so unless I am doing a meal in the Crockpot, it is super basic meals for me. I have been using eMeals for awhile, but have had to adjust to fit with my schedule. You can see my original post on eMeals if you want to know even more about the menu planner.

If you haven't got time to cook, think again! You can make delicious and affordable dinners in a snap. Enjoy shorter recipes, fewer ingredients, quick-prep slow-cooker meals and superfast twists on some old favorites. In response to massive customer demand, eMeals has created a 30-minute meal plan focused on providing nightly meals that can be made in a blink! Plans can be shopped at any grocery store (including Aldi's), and all of the meals will take 30 minutes or less of preparation time. Depending on the season, this plan will often include 1 or 2 EASY PREP slow-cooker meals a week. Each week the eMeals 30-Minute Meal Plan will include tried-and-true classic recipes that will gain you the "Mom of the Year" award, along with simple, healthy options that are easy to prepare.

So ... does this sound as awesome to you as it does to me? Then sign up today! Save 20% with code SCHOOL on any eMeals Meal Plan, INCLUDING the new 30-Minute Meal Plan!

*Part of this post contains affiliate links but I have not been compensated for the post itself. All opinions are my own.*

Won a Noodles & Company Tasting

I am going to start this post by saying I was NOT informed I had to blog about it. I only won the sampling because I put my business card in their fishbowl. I took my best friend who has been there through everything for the last six years. My husband was so awesome and stayed home with the kids so I could enjoy a night out.

I wanted to talk about the sampling and give  little insight into this company. I have NEVER been disappointed with Noodles & Company. I go there every year for my birthday for their free meal ... but I also order food once or twice a year as a date with my husband. It is not cheap, but it isn't very expensive either. I put it in the same class as Chipotle and Schlotzsky's.

We were running late for our reservations, but we still ended before their closing time. It was slow and great, because our host (Skylar - who is AWESOME) was able to really interact with us. We started with Margarita Flatbread and Cheesy Garlic Bread. It was nice to nom on something while we waited for the entrees to start. I do have to apologize, my friend and I did a lot of talking and note taking, so there is only one photo. LOL

The first two dishes they brought out were the Penne Rosa with Parmesan-Crusted Chicken & Whole Grain Tuscan with Grilled Chicken. We noticed immediately that you HAVE to mix the grilled chicken in and let it sit for a bit for the flavors to really intermingle. When  we talked to Skylar about it, she told us that it was because they had people fearing they weren't getting their full amount, so they have to put it on top. I have to say that once it is mixed in, it is fine ... but I probably would just choose a different protein.

After those dishes, we were given the Chinese Chicken Chop and Med Salad (with Kalamata Olives) with Pulled Pork (they recommend chicken but Skylar loves it with pork and we couldn't agree more). The Med Salad was TOO DIE FOR! The Chinese Chicken Chop was real good but we had the same problem with the chicken. We did think it would be AWESOME with the tofu, and that is what I plan on getting next time.

Chinese Chicken Chop

Next came two of the fan favorites, Japanese Pan Noodles with steak and Bangkok Curry with grilled chicken. The pan noodles are my go to meal ... but not sure that will be the same after my sampling. I found a LOT of others that I REALLY like. I also would have really liked the Bangkok Curry with pulled pork. The curry was a sweet coconut curry and you will really want to mix it together to just marinate the flavors.

Those would have been our last dishes, but Skylar asked if there was anything on the menu we were looking forward to trying. I was really hoping to try the Thai Curry Soup, and my friend hoped to try the Indonesian Peanut Saute since Jeremy really liked it. You can really taste the turmeric in the yellow Thai sauce and it is just a very comforting dish. A little heat but it will definitely be something to order during the winter when colds start rolling in. I couldn't eat the Peanut Saute because it is too spicy, but my friend enjoyed it as much as my husband. Skylar gave us a spice to put on top and I tried a shrimp with the spice sprinkled on and it is a NEED in the homes. It is called Smolder from Boulder and it just really brings out the flavors with spices ... without being over the top.

Of course we had a lot of food to take home, and we were given the different desserts to try when we weren't rolling out the door. They were basic, but they were soft and yummy. They make Rice Krispy Treats and Cookies every morning.

So ... it was a great night, with great service. My friend had never been to Noodles & Company before and he was pleasantly surprised with how much he liked the food. They do offer gluten-free options, you can order online, and they have the free meal on your birthday (as I stated earlier).

Ready for cooking marathon

I think I am finally ready for the cooking marathon. In addition to bagging up 13 different types of hot pockets, burritos, and egg rolls, I have prepped 8 meals. Not all of my menu can be prepped ahead of time, so the meals I can't prep will be done on days I have more time in the evening.

So, what does 21 bags of dishes look like?

Wait ... Hold On ... I got this!

It never ceases to amaze me how much work goes into being a mom. Whether you are a stay at home mom or a working mom ... the work is ENDLESS. Moms who are at home all day have to keep up with the kids and the house. There is no real break. Most also do the cooking and schedules. Then if you work from home ... well, just add all that in. Working moms have to make sure their kids get to the sitter/school and figure out arrangements when the kids are sick. There is going to work all day and then still having all of the nightly chores. Neither one is a better option! This is COMPLETELY how I feel this week!

Source

Let's back up a little. This past weekend, I decided it was high time to get some set food in the house again. It is hard to cook for a family and drink a shake for myself. I figure, if I have all of the food ready to go ... I can have my shake made and ready to consume by the time their dinner is ready. THEN I thought ... you know, it has been a LONG time since I have done my "convenience food at home" baking spree. Sometimes it feels like "long ago, in a galaxy far, far away" ... but it really has only been about four years since my last freezer fill.

What do I put on my list for my convenience foods?

• Hot Pockets (17 different kinds)
• Breakfast Burritos
• Breakfast Egg Rolls
• Pop Tarts (2 different kinds)
• Homemade trail mix (dehydrated fruits, nuts, this & that)
• Prepped snacks (orange slices, carrot sticks)
• Fruit leather

So for today (and tomorrow off and on), I will have peeled and cut 3 bags of carrots, cut up 4 onions, chopped 6 heads of broccoli, turned 3 potatoes into hash browns, and cooked & divided up 3lbs stewing beef, 4lbs sausage, 5lbs hamburger, 5 full chicken breasts, 1lb ham, and 1 turkey roast! (of course, I am also making 8 batches of bread dough, 6 batches of biscuits, and one batch of wontons)

HOWEVER ... I will be able to grab a bag of stuff for dinners and not have to think about it. We will have no excuses because the food is there. It IS a lot of work and it does make me crazy ... but I absolutely LOVE the feeling when I'm done. (note - this is only on the cooking marathon ... I also have a couple dozen articles, several blog posts, 2 websites, school supply pickup, and my own school work on top of this list).

What are some things that you do that when you look back on it, you are not sure how you pulled it off? Let me know in the comments!

When you want a small tasty snack ...

Are you able to stop if you open a container of Pringles? How about a bag of trail mix with M&Ms? Am I the only one that has absolutely NO control when it comes to snack foods? I was informed about Graze boxes and had to give it a go. I could not be happier with the service and want to tell you guys about it!

*Disclaimer - This post contains affiliate links*

I got my first box free with a friend's code and I will show you how to get your first box free at the end of this post. Graze was developed by a group of seven people who wanted a healthy way to snack. The portions are perfectly sized by a dietician.

This is one of the boxes I have received. You are given a large selection of snacks and you can rate them as trash, try, like, love. The Smoothie & Flapjack are on my love status.

They do have a charity called Graze School of Farming where they teach others how to farm and be self sufficient. So ... are you ready to learn how you can get a box free?

All you need is to click on this link ... https://www.graze.com/us/p/WY2R4CHGP ... and it will walk you through the process. Did I mention that I didn't even have to pay for shipping on my first box?! Yup, awesomesauce.

Let me know if you sign up and what your favorite snack is!

Menu planning for specialty diets

I know I am not the only one that has problems with diets and allergies. I have several friends and family members who have very specific diets they must follow. I love menu planners such as eMeals because they help with the strict menus, but they all cost. So, what do people do who want an easy menu planner that does not charge and offers unique cuisine that they can eat?

The FitsMe App is a one of a kind web application that will allow you to browse recipes, create menus, and then email a shopping list to print and use! The meal plans can either be pre-selected or you can create one yourself. They have a fork up and fork down option so you can train the application to learn your likes and dislikes.

Main Page

Each ingredient is analyzed to make sure it fits in your dietary requirements and it is sure to tempt your taste buds.

Food personality

If you have problems with gluten, dairy, nuts, or shellfish ... this is a great application.
If you are a vegetarian, pescetarian, or eat a Paleo diet .... this is a great application.
If you desire a specific type of cuisine, such as Chinese, Italian, or Mexican ... this is a great application!

Menu Plan

I signed up for this menu planner with the hope it would help me eat healthier without getting stuck in a rut. I absolutely love cooking but I don't have time to find recipes that work for me. I end up making whatever and then cringe when the calories are logged. Being over 100 pounds overweight, I knew I needed a change.

My favorite feature right now is the shopping lists! You simply select the meals you are going to shop for ....

Then, you scale the recipe ... for me, I scale it to one or two because I am not eating dinner with the family at the moment. I am currently on a meal replacement for dinner to help cut back my sugar intake (which is also working nicely).

You will then want to select the items you already have in your home. :)

Finally, email the shopping list! (Note - this step IS optional)

So ... if you are like me and need some help getting your act together with menus and you have a specific diet or allergy you need to watch out for ... check out the FitsMe Application. It is free!

Pros:
~ Free
~ Diet Friendly
~ Allergy Friendly
~ Menu Planner
~ Shopping List
~ Customizable

Cons:
~ Not yet available for mobile devices

Follow FitsMe on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. They are also on AngelList.

How do you handle menu planning for special diets and allergies?

N - Nutrition

WAY behind on the #atozchallenge but I am NOT going to give up! I am going to get a few scheduled so that I have them ready to go. I started off on such a great foot and then went downhill quickly. Such is the parenting life, I suppose. The letter for today is N and the topic is Nutrition.

Nutrition is a hard topic for my family because I have children with busy schedules. Peanut and Bullfrog have no problem eating healthy. They are those sick children that will order broccoli instead of French Fries! As they have aged, they have begun to like more of the "junk" food, but they still turn to healthy food when given the chance.

Turtle is a garbage disposal. When she is not eating everything in sight, we know she is sick. She will devour her meal, come and snitch off of your meal, and then go in and take care of Monkey's meal if she doesn't get to it!

Monkey is my problem child. She has sensory issues that I haven't yet figured out. She took longer to get started on crawling, walking, and talking. She walks on her tip toes and has oral sensory issues. We have her off the binkie, but now she licks her shirt until it is soaking wet (and then wants a new one because her shirt is wet). *sigh* If she had her way ... her diet would be fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans, egg whites, juice, milk, chicken, hot dogs, and sweets. She is NOT a fan of meat and sometimes chicken can be a pain. She is NOT a fan of grain. We can get her to eat it in bits, but she would prefer peanut butter on the spoon instead of bread.

So, today, for nutrition ... I am going to talk about how I survive. I simply look at what the children need and make sure they get it.

Dairy - does not HAVE to be milk. You can find dairy in cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, sour cream
Protein - does not HAVE to be meat. You can find it in fish, eggs, tofu (another one of Monkey's faves), yogurt, nuts, beans
Vegetables - VARY the color!!
Fruits - Seeds on the inside (tomatoes are a fruit, people)
Carbs - does not HAVE to be bread/grains! You can find carbs in your fruits AND vegetables!

If your child is not eating the way the food pyramid suggests ...

Source

Then make sure you get the proper amount of carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits, dairy, and protein.

Source

How do you handle "picky" eaters? I put that in quotations because Monkey isn't really picky, she just doesn't eat the same way we do!