Posts by admin:
- 1 1/2 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 small onion, peeled and sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 garlic cloves, ,minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed black paper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
- 1/4 cup black olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup green olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup hot and sweet cherry peppers, chopped
- 1 tub Sabra garlic hummus
- 1 tub Sabra spicy hummus
- 6 rice cakes
- 1/3 cup gorgonzola crumbles (for vegetarian version)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast ( for vegan version)
- 1/4 cup flat parsley, chopped (for garnish)
- Long leggings
- Racerback bra
- A shelf bra camisole
- Crew socks
- Classic fit bikini underwear
- Light weight hoodies
- Men’s boxer briefs
- 6 Spreadable Herb and Garlic Cheese Wedges
- ¼ cup roasted garlic, chopped
- 1 cup Sunshine Sweet corn kernels
- 1 zucchini, sliced thin in circles
- 4 small vine tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 red onion, shaved thin
- 2 cups baby arugula
- 12 ounces light mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4 Tablespoons herb paste
- 4 100-calorie flatbreads
- 4 Tablespoons balsamic glaze
- Sunshine Sweet Corn on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/freshsweetcorn/
- Sunshine Sweet Corn on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sweetfreshcorn
- Sunshine Sweet Corn on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetfreshcorn/
- Sunshine Sweet Corn on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetfreshcorn/
Grilled Mushroom and Hummus Topped Brown Rice Cakes
May 10th, 2017I have partnered with Sabra to create these Grilled Mushroom and Hummus Topped Brown Rice Cakes as part of their Tastemaker program. While I have been compensated for this post, my opinions are entirely my own.
Snack time for a Busy Mom
One of the things I am learning as a mother of three young girls is that snacking is so necessary even for me. Many times I thought that not eating would be better especially since I was busy with the girls and life in general. Since I have changed my way of eating since January, I have learned that it is so different from what I imagined. Eating frequent healthy meals is a MUST!! Here I was planning snacks for my kids and forgetting about myself, not realizing I was doing myself more a disservice.
Self-love and self-care are words that I am learning to keep in my vocabulary. As a hypoglycemic, I was the worst person delaying my meals because I was serving everyone else. In fact, being a mom martyr was not my calling. Loving my kids meant taking care of myself and what made me a better person. Learning to eat healthy and having ready made snacks was essential for a happy household.
Meal planning on steroids
At the beginning of the week, I make an assessment of what I have in my refrigerator. If you open my refrigerator you would see it stuffed with vegetables. Some weeks it is overwhelming to think about preparing those vegetables but then I think of the rushed and stressful feeling of not being prepared in the week and then it is all worth it. I mostly roast and steam my veggies so they are ready to pair with either brown rice and grilled chicken or fish.
Snacks are also important to plan ahead especially if on the go with little ones. Having things prepared ensures that I can just quickly pack and head out the door. I do not like to dine out lately because I am easily swayed by making a wrong choice especially if I am terribly hungry.
The Unofficial Meal
Let me talk about my latest easy snack and my go-to Unofficial Meal. It is about 11am and 3pm that I have my normal every day snacks. I have seen my metabolism get back in track by adding and incorporating little pick-me-up so I could make it to the next meal. Sabra hummus is definitely helpful to have on hand because we are always eating hummus in our household. My oldest daughter, age 5, can eat a whole tub if I do not monitor but then again, hummus is so healthy and is usually the protein of the meal, so I cannot complain.
My Unofficial Meal is usually very satisfying and is focused on being vegan or vegetarian. I am all about filling meals so I like giving more bulk to my snacks by adding a good portion of fruits and veggies. I keep hearing that snacking is totally not necessary and that they are bad habits that keep people eating all day, but I really do not care about that statistic. I do what works for my blood sugar and my families.
Grilled Mushroom and Hummus Topped Brown Rice Cakes
When people ask me what my favorite snack is, I usually cannot really tell them because I am constantly creating new snacks and meals. Personally I think it keeps the healthy eating journey exciting in order not to sway to unhealthy choices. Something that I keep in my pantry are rice cakes. They have really gotten a “bad rap” for being so boring or unexciting but they are in fact so fun to eat and very low-calorie. When they are paired with the correct toppings, rice cakes can easily become a mini Unofficial Meal for you to share with your friends or loved ones.
I quickly sautéed some button mushrooms with white onions with garlic and then added sliced green and black olives and some sweet peppers. I then used my favorite Sabra hummus dip and layered the rice cake with 2 Tablespoons of hummus and about 1/4 cup of the mushroom mix. To make it vegetarian I sprinkled some gorgonzola or feta cheese on top or if I wanted it vegan I added some nutritional yeast. It is an amazing informal meal and was a hit with my husband too! After a day, I chilled the mixture and it was even more delicious chilled.
Recipe
May 13th is National Hummus Day so this recipe is an easy way to celebrate! Grab your favorite Sabra hummus dip and make your own Grilled Mushroom and Hummus Topped Brown Rice Cakes. If you are on Weight Waters, each serving is 3 smartpoints.
Need a few more ideas? Check out my Baked Turkey Sausage Pizza Bites, Spicy Mexican Sopes, Mediterranean Gorditas, or these Summer Vegetable and Basil Hummus Phyllo Pockets.
Grilled Mushroom and Hummus Topped Brown Rice Cakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients (6 servings)
Mushroom Mix
Additional ingredients
Instructions
Mushroom Mix
In a medium non-stick pan, heat pan on medium heat. Slice mushrooms and onions. Spray with olive oil and add mushrooms and onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and dill and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Add the black and green olives and then the sweet peppers. Remove from heat and set aside.
Spread about 2 Tablespoons of either the Sabra garlic or spicy hummus onto one rice cake. Top with 1/4 cup of the mushroom mix and top with either 1/2 Tablespoon of gorgonzola or 1/2 Tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Repeat with the rest of the rice cakes. Sprinkle the cakes with chopped parsley.
The mushroom mix can be made ahead of time and served chilled and it is quite delicious.
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Cinco de Mayo and Friday Frenzy
May 4th, 2017Everyone excited for another holiday? Happy Cinco de Mayo folks. How will you be celebrating? Do you have recipes we could use for the fun foodie day? Link them up below and we’ll go check them out. Drinks, crafts, recipes are all welcome. Just make sure you invite your friends over so they can join in on the fun as well. Thanks!!!
Welcome to the Friday Frenzy. Your place to share the best of your crafts and recipes on the web. What makes us so special? Four blogs means quadruple the exposure for maximum traffic. But we can’t do that alone–we need each and every blogger to go and visit the other bloggers who link up. Go say hi to AT LEAST three of your fellow bloggers!
Friday Frenzy Link Party and Your Hosts:
Please follow your hosts 🙂
Laura at Little House Big Alaska – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
Rachel of Trampling Rose – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
Noelle of Opera Singer in the Kitchen – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
Kelly from Kelly Lynn’s Sweets & Treats – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
You GUYS! Check out this dream life outdoor dining room from Penny’s Vintage Home. In some other life I dream that I can put together a room like this. It’s so dreamy!
Right now though my life is more about getting control of junk and NOT losing it. Check out how the Thrifty Frugal Mom corrals stuff in her home. And on a budget thankyouverymuch! I was actually relieved to see I was partially doing it right.(WHEW!)
And how about a new and interesting side dish? These Salt and Vinegar Potato Wedges from Savory Moments look like something my kids would love. Ok fine I would love them too!
What have you been up to this week? Why not drop a couple links, new or old favorites, and share it with all of our readers? Be sure to also stop by and say hi to your fellow bloggers!
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Pact Organic Clothing for your Family + Special Discount
April 28th, 2017I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.
Comfortable Active wear
As a mother of three I find myself trying to wear clothing that is as comfortable as possible. I mostly enjoy wearing all cotton clothing because it’s cooler and breathable. It also allows for some stretching room as well because with active kids there must be an active mom.
When I got married, I realized that my skin really was sensitive to any other material so finding great cotton clothing has been hard to find as great adorable price. When I received my samples from Moms Meet, I was super excited to learn more about the company. Every piece I opened felt super soft and so comfortable.
Pact Organic Clothing
So why organic cotton? One thing I learned on Pact Organic’s site is that organic cotton doesn’t pollute the soil or air and uses 71% less water and 62% less energy than conventional cotton. Growing organic cotton keeps farmers and their families safe because they are not exposed to toxic chemicals. I will be the first one to say that I had no clue about the process but then as I read I realized that the process is similar to organic product and meat. Why not make an impact on what we shop and wear by learning about the process. It is shocking to learn that organic cotton only makes up less than 1% of the world’s global cotton supply!
I received the following items:
I simply loved the feel of every article that I tried. They were super soft and had just enough stretch for the perfect fit. My favorite pieces were the leggings and the underwear before they did not ride down. They stayed in their place and felt so comfortable. The only downside, if you can call it that, is that I have to order a size smaller for a few of my items because I have lost a significant amount of weight. Always a good thing right?
Be the change
It is good to now have the option of choosing what is not only best for one’s skin but a company that strives to help others and the environment. I am definitely learning little by little but we can start small and increase as time goes by. Pact Organic clothing is really affordable and is available for the whole family. Now that there are kids with more skin sensitivities, their cotton clothing would be ideal for this.
My husband does not usually wear boxers but he thought that the boxers felt different but that they were nice and comfortable. Check out the rest of the line of clothing available for women, men, and children on Pact Organic’s website.
Special Offer and Discount
From now until August 31, 3017, you can save 25% on your whole order!!! I already have a list of other items I want to order to replace and even increase my stash of active wear and underwear, especially for the upcoming summer. US the following code to order online:
Singer25
To get to know the company a little more, check out the social media channels below:
PACT Organic – Facebook
Pact Organic – Twitter
Pact Organic – Instagram
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Friday Frenzy in Full Force
April 27th, 2017
Hi! Kelly here….from Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats blog. I am your hostess for this weeks Friday Frenzy Link Party! Welcome to the Friday Frenzy. Your place to share the best of your crafts and recipes on the web. What makes us so special? Four blogs means quadruple the exposure for maximum traffic.
Friday Frenzy Link Party and Your Hosts:
Please follow your hosts 🙂
Laura at Little House Big Alaska – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
Rachel of Trampling Rose – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
Noelle of Opera Singer in the Kitchen – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
Kelly from Kelly Lynn’s Sweets & Treats – Pinterest – Facebook – Instagram
Happy last Friday of April! Yes…it is the last Friday in April. Where has the month gone?! Well I am hoping that April showers will bring May flowers, because I am totally ready for Spring. And the recipes and crafts from last weeks link party prove I am not the only one ready for Spring!
Thanks to all of the bloggers who linked up last week! There were so many great recipes and crafts, I had a hard time picking out my favorites…but here are a few that caught my eye:
The Banana Oat Blender Pancakes from Amy at Savory Moments blog. I LOVE pancakes and these look amazing…totally on my list of breakfast recipes to make!
I can’t think of a more perfect dinner than the Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes from Thrifty Frugal Mom. Just a few minutes of prep, then bake it off in the oven. Great for those busy weeknights!
And since I am all about Spring time (and I just so happened to get my Spring decorations up at my house this week!), I had to include this Free Spring Print that Cut Off in the Keweenaw shared last week:
Okay y’all…let’s get our Friday Frenzy on! Bloggers link up below!
Sharing is Caring!
Skinny Sweet Corn Vegetable Flatbread
April 25th, 2017This Skinny Sweet Corn Vegetable Flatbread post was sponsored by Sunshine Sweet Corn as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.
Where is Spring?
The weather teased us the last few weeks indicating marvelous with its sunshine. I know that April brings showers but, the weather has been slightly cooler than expected. I guess we can be glad that there is no snow, am I right? The past few weeks have proven to be a little more on the challenging side since I severely sprained my ankle the first week of April. I know, I have failed to really update you, my readers, but if you follow on Instagram, I have been sharing those updates there.
While my stringent exercise routine has been placed on hold, I feel like my workouts have taken a different approach. I have been stuck to crutches and a boot to continue to heal the ankle before I can get back to my normal activities. Some of those activities include cooking!!! You never know when life is going to change pace, so this has brought on a new perspective and is daily teaching me more patience.
Creative Cooking for a Demanding Lifestyle
Due to these series of events, preparing meals and cooking has proved to be challenging in the most creative ways. I have had to give instructions to my husband to cook and we have had to eat out a lot more often. Unfortunately, that takes a toll on my creative side and even for our health. When meal planning has not proved the best for our busy lives as musicians and parents, it has worked a little better these past few weeks.
I still love having the essentials in my fridge like a variety of fruit and veggies since we have some with every meal of the day including snacks. Seasonal produce is so exciting and makes for creative cooking in my kitchen. One of the most recent discoveries was finding out that I no longer had to wait until summer to enjoy sweet corn. Sunshine Sweet Corn from Florida was introduced recently and is now readily available in the spring seasons.
Sunshine Sweet Corn
I love the fact that those summer cookouts and sweet corn recipes can be highlighted in my spring recipes. Since it is grown in Florida, I imagine that the warmer weather allows for this non-GMO, cream of the crop to be available and extra sweet and tender. Now that I know that this veggie is available earlier than usual, I know that we can now add it as our springtime staple. Despite that, I was drawn to use the Sunshine Sweet Corn in a fancy yet simple meal that would bring a little sunshine in my home.
Sunshine Sweet Corn’s website has a delightful online selection of recipes but one that really caught my eye was the Sweet Corn and Vegetable Flatbread. Although it was a little higher in calories it did not deter me from creating my own version, especially since I am on Weight Watchers. The original recipe was close to 1700 calories for each flatbread but I was able to make my version for under 400 calories making it 11 smartpoints per flatbread.
Skinny Sweet Corn Vegetable Flatbread
This recipe was so ideal because I love loading my plate with veggies. Pizza is not something I enjoy quite often but since I have this lighter recipe, I can add a little chicken on occasion or enjoy the vegetarian version. These would make a great appetizer for friends or a light lunch with girlfriends with cocktails.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Lay out the flatbreads and pre-bake for 2-3 minutes, directly on rack.
Remove from oven and cool for a minute.
Spread 1 1/2 wedges on each flatbread.
Then sprinkle 1/4 cup sweet corn, divide the zucchini slices and add about 1/4 cup diced tomatoes.
Scatter about 2 tablespoons of thin red onions.
Grate 2 light string mozzarella cheese (about 3 ounces) and sprinkle evenly on top. Sprinkle with a half teaspoon of kosher salt.
Place each prepared flatbread in the oven and bake until crispy about 7 minutes.
Cut the flatbreads into 8 pieces.
Divide arugula between the flatbreads and drizzle 1 teaspoon of balsamic glaze.
More on Sunshine Sweet Corn
Sunshine Sweet Corn is now available and is on sale at your local grocery store. For more ideas on recipes or to know more about the brand, check out their social links below.
