Posts by admin:
- 1 cup quinoa flour (use 1/2 cup quinoa to grind)
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds, ground
- 1/2 teaspoon of guar gum or glucomannan (starch that binds)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 Tablespoon agave nectar
- 1 banana, mashed
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 almond milk
- 6-8 ounce chicken breast, sliced in tender strips
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Salt Free Original Blend
- 9 small bamboo skewers
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper
- 3 apples, sliced at width about 1/4 inch thick (1 apple per box)
- Use a small cookie cutter of choice to make fun shapes
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced 1/4-inch thick and cut in fun shapes (4-5 slices per box)
- 15 black olives (5 per box)
- 3 Tablespoons sunflower seeds ( 1 TBSP per box)
- 3 YumEarth Lollipop
- 3 Natures Promise Fruit Twists
- 4 teaspoons strawberries, diced (about 1 1/2 strawberries)
- 4 teaspoons bananas, diced
- 2 teaspoons walnuts, crushed
- 1-2 Weight Watchers Salted Caramel Brownie Bliss bars, chopped
- light whipped cream
Easier Cold Season with NeilMed Naspira Nasal-Oral Aspirator
September 23rd, 2016NeilMed Naspira Nasal-Oral Aspirator is pretty amazing if you have little babies and toddlers. Make cold season a lot easier by using an aspirator and help your kids breathe easier.
Cold Season
I am glad that it is officially fall but then I realize that it also means it is cold season. The kids have started school and I am already seeing my kids getting colds and it is only the 3rd week of school. I tell my girls to wash their hands as much as they can remember but they are only little kids and that only goes so far.
While the body has to go through these seasons, I know that I do not like when my kids get sick, most of all when they cannot breathe or when they cannot sleep well at night. Little kids sometimes make the worst patients, but when I share with them the options of feeling better versus feeling lousy, they usually comply to me helping them.
My little baby does not understand this, which makes it harder when I try new things with her, like using an aspirator.
NeilMed Naspira Nasal-Oral Aspirator
I am not a stranger to aspirators. I actually have been using them since I had my first child back in 2011. I know how great they are but I know the one I have been using is not perfect. When I had the chance to sample the NeilMed version, I knew I had to try it.
The aspirator is very sturdy coming with several components that are easily detached allowing for sterilizing. If you are not familiar with an aspirator, it is a hand-held system that aids in effectively suctioning stuffy, congested, or runny noses.
Now wait one minute. I know you might be thinking how gross this sounds, but it is a system that prevents anything from coming up the tube and into parents mouth. Yikes! There is a filter that separates the aspirator and the tubing that prevents such a thing. With the unique, transparent 2-in-1 design, you can either use it as a NeilMed® NasaBulb aspirator or as an effective Nasal-Oral suction device, where parents can use suction force generated by the mouth to alleviate nasal congestion in babies and small children
Easy to use and clean
The aspirator is easy to clean and really easy to sterilize using either boiling water or a microwave disinfection protocol. Let me tell you, there are plenty of instructions for those who might not be able to understand how to use this product but the tip is a nice silicone that will not hurt or injure your child.
I loved that there were an additional 7 in-line disposable filters ready to insert for another suction session with my kids. It is definitely advised and required to dump each filter after each use.
Connect with NeilMed to find out about their other products. The retail price of the NeilMed® Naspira® Nasal-Oral Aspirator ranges from $9.99 to $14.99 and is available at the following places:
Discount
USE MOMSBLOG promo code for $3 off the purchase of NeilMed® Naspira® Nasal-Oral Aspirator through NeilMed’s web store.
Disclosure
I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program (greenmomsmeet. 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 opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.
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Vegan Quinoa Banana Pancakes + Mockmill for Grains and Seeds
September 15th, 2016These Vegan Quinoa Banana Pancakes are easy and pack a protein punch for your morning meal. Mockmill is an exciting attachment for your KitchenAid mixers. It grinds grains, seeds, and more in different ways. I am excited to share the recipe and how much I liked this mill. I received the mill in exchange for an honest opinion.
Taking a Brief Break
I am sorry I have been out of the loop but I am officially two weeks into being an official stay-at-home mom. Many did not know that I had a corporate job but that really was my personal choice. After 14 years, it was time to call it quits in order for me to concentrate and being able to balance life with my little girls. Now that I have had time off, I feel like I have so much to do and so much energy. Oh yes, the work continues being there in different forms, but I am currently enjoying trying to find the right balance between chores, cooking, and even blogging.
I am definitely still cooking and writing recipes for the times and moments that I feel like I can spend time, sharing my developments and discoveries. For me, writing has become therapeutic as is cooking. I know that the start of school for my girls is my priority right now but that does not keep me from sharing little things in life through photos over on Instagram.
What’s Been Cooking?
Since the girls started preschool, I have had a little more time to actually bake and cook or even prepare meals in advance. Let me just share a bit. When you have TOO much on your plate, it is overwhelming to get anything done at all. I kept getting stress-paralyzed and I was not a happy person.
What makes me happy? I like being my best self by getting enough rest, preparing ahead of time, and making my family happy.
Mockmill for your Mixer
Do you have a desire to make your own nut flours or even want to save money on buying bagged flours when you could just grind it at home? I have been using my poor coffee grinder for simple ingredients like spice, or making my own powdered sugar so when I heard that there was an attachment for my KitchenAid to grind my own flours, I decided I needed to find out more.
In June 2015, Wolfgang Mock Company was re-launched with their first new product, the Mockmill. In May of this year (2016) their mother company Wolfgang Mock GmbH in Otzberg-Lengfeld, Germany (near Frankfurt/Main) founded Wolfgang Mock, Inc., wholly-owned subsidiary in Wilmington, DE, to serve American consumers.
How To Use the Mill
The Mockmill is super attractive and is easy to use. While my indicates it is for KitchenAid, it is also compatible with AEG, Electrolux, and Kenmore stand mixers. It is also compact and does not require extra counter space but can easily be tucked away in a cupboard.
Here is the mill in a diagram showing you each part. It consists of a stone that grinds at different variables from coarse to extra fine. It is, as described by the company, a ceramic-bonded corundum stone, which produces very fine flour and will not wear down in time. The clean-up is simple too!
While I had a chance to try barley and flax seeds, I ended up using the mill for quinoa, which is a staple in my home. I love the fact that if I have a recipe that will use a specialty grain, that I can just mill a little and not buy a whole bag that will later go to waste.
Vegan Quinoa Banana Pancakes
Once I ground the quinoa, after I toasted it, I made quick vegan pancakes for my girls since they love pancakes. These pancakes were dense and also great for my 13-month old who loves using her hands. It has lots of nutrition and a nice change from normal pancakes.
The mill really finely ground the quinoa without having to use a sieve. I also added chia seeds instead of an egg, so when I was milling the quinoa, I simple added the quinoa to the mill and it blended nicely in the mixture ready to use in my mixer.
Hope you like this recipe and make sure you check out the website. Right now the product is not in stock BUT it is AVAILABLE ON AMAZON. It is normally $229.00 but it available for $199.00 but with limited quantities. ACT now!
Vegan Quinoa Banana Pancakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3-4 minutes for each pancake
Ingredients (8-10 small pancakes)
Instructions
Quinoa flour and Chia Seeds
If you are interested in making your own, you can use a mill like I shared, or you could use a spice grinder, but a mill grinds it finer without having to use a sieve. You can also buy quinoa flour. I toast mine in a skillet over medium heat until it is slighty golden and you can smell a nutty aroma. Remove from skillet and cool and then grind and the chia seeds or flax seeds to grind as well.
Pancakes
Mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. In another bowl, add the mashed banana and the rest of the west ingredients. Add the dry to wet and fold until blended.
Do not grease non-stick pan since pancakes have oil.
Bake at medium heat and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Serve with coconut syrup and fresh fruit.
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Grilled Chicken Skewer Bento Box
September 6th, 2016These Grilled Chicken Skewers are ideal for your bento box rotation. Looking for new ideas for back to school lunches? This chicken is super moist and perfect for those kids that like the Grilled Chicken Nuggets at Chick-fil-A.
Hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day weekend. We had all the intentions to visit the beach one last time when we planned the month about a month ago, but after a busy first week for my husband, we all just wanted to take it easy and prep for the school week.
Back to School
I am so excited to get to girls started in their Pre-K classes. They have been talking about non-stop and I am almost afraid they will not get much sleep because of the excitement. I have been busily mentally preparing for meals during the week and even thinking of ideas for fun lunches.
Since my kids only have half days at their school, I pick them up and they are ready for more play time at the park and a snack, or they are ravenous and ready for lunch. I usually pack their lunches before I leave the house in the morning and drop them off so I know I have to be ready the night before.
If you get a chance, go visit Produce for Kids on Instagram where I will be taking over for the whole day showing how we do it on the first day of school! It is called #TakeoverTuesday and I will be helping them to promote #PowerYourLunchbox. Have you taken a pledge to pack healthier lunches??? Go to
Bento Box Lunches
Bento box lunches are so cool. I feel like a little kid when I pack my own box but even more so I feel happy when the girls look at the variety they have available to consume. The Bentology boxes are great because they come with color-coded boxes showing what each should be filled with. If you remember, it is important for our children to have a well-rounded lunches. It is even important for parents as well!
I wish I could share the noises, the thank yous, and the excitement that my girls show when I hand them their lunches in these boxes. Sometimes they are too excited and forget to eat, seriously but that is a different story. In reality these are great for picnics too because you prevent from using too many sandwich bags and bringing too much food as well!
I pack the lunches in an insulated bag with some reusable ice packs that is large enough to carry at least 3 bento boxes in addition to drinks if needed. I also have a baby so I try to pack her food in a bento too.
Grilled Chicken Skewer Bento Box
My girls like going to Chick-Fil-A a lot! Well, at least they request it often but I know that to keep within our budget we can only visit once every other week, if even. My girls had been asking for chicken so I made a quick healthy grilled chicken nugget skewer that made them super happy. I layered a skewer with the grilled chicken and fresh yellow bell pepper, and I was so happy to see them consume it quickly. What a great way to get protein in our little ones.
Grilled Chicken Skewer Bento Box
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Ingredients (8 half bamboo skewers)
For Chicken
For Skewer
For Bento Box
Instructions
For Chicken
In a non-stick skiller, heat oil.
Pat chicken dry and cut into tenders. Season with salt, pepper and Mrs. Dash.
Cook for 4 minutes on each side and remove from heat.
Cool chicken and then cut tenders into 1/2-inch pieces and place on skewer alternating with fresh bell pepper.
Bell peppers should be cut in 1/2 inch cubes.
Assemble and add to bento box. Add apples to one box and cucumbers and olives to another. Enjoy!
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Calling all Bloggers to WOW Summit 2016 + Giveaway
August 30th, 2016Wow Summit 2016 is a great networking event for moms, bloggers and even for brands. Check out what it’s all about! This is a sponsored post on behalf of Moms Meet. Make sure you ENTER giveaway at the end.
After a long summer of working and keeping up with my little ones, I am looking forward for the fall and all the events coming up. Many of you do not know that I have been blogging since 2009 and sometimes it is even hard for me to believe. Year after year I find something new and exciting to keep talking and sharing with my readers but this year I have a few more goals in mind.
Connecting with Bloggers
As a blogger, many do not understand that once you have been blogging for several years, it does not mean you have friends or even bloggers. It has taken me a while to share with others in my daily life that I share what I enjoy the most: creating recipes, sharing reviews, and doing giveaways.
The more I have been blogging I realize the necessity for connecting and networking. While I do not consider myself an introvert, I feel like one at times because I am home with my three children and hardly get to socialize. Despite that the longing to connect and learn from others is there.
I have had a chance in the last 2 years to attend small and sporadic conferences that have not only helped me write better, but also to set goals for my blog. Is it for fun? Do I want to make money? How do I connect with brands? These are a few of the questions I have had answered just by attending a few, but I still have lots to learn. I was able to connect with other bloggers in my niche at these conferences and I have gleaned from them.
Moms Meet WOW Summit 2016
WOW Summit has been one conference I have been wanting to attend the last few years but with little babies at home, it has been delayed. This year I am excited to attend and to go on both days. I love the fact that it will take place in National Harbor, MD because it is only 3 hours from Philly and 8 miles from Washington D.C. !
On Oct 7-8, this annual conference will be bringing healthy-minded moms and bloggers together to attend expert-led seminars and workshops, sample amazing products, build lifelong connections, and have fun!
There are several options for bloggers so please make sure to check out the link below. On Friday, the events will be all about bloggers! There will be several workshop sessions led by successful bloggers and they will be sharing about building your brand, boosting your social media presence, and more. Then, there will be a special networking event (think speed dating) where bloggers and brands can connect one-on-one. The day concludes with an awesome comedy and cocktail party where you can unwind and have a fun night! (BLOGGER PASS – $149 BUT save 15% using my promo code SK15)
I know we all have busy schedules so even if you could not attend Friday all day, you can still leave after work and make it to Comedy and Cocktail Party in order to start the weekend right. (VIP PASS –$99 BUT save 15% using my promo code SK15)
On Saturday, get ready for a full day of learning and connecting with like-minded moms. Everyone who attends will hear from guest speakers, attend educational workshops, and sample tons of free products from the exhibitor room. If you can only do SATURDAY, then there is the General Admission PASS which is $49 BUT you can save 15% using my promo code SK15.
Can I tell you about the amazing goody bag that you get to take home at the end of the day that is worth over $100? Not only will you be leaving with tons of information to grow your blog but you also will get to go home with amazing goodies! Check out the video from last year’s event in San Diego to get a feel for the weekend.
Sponsors
I am VERY excited that I will be getting to attend this event. Can you tell? Even more so because I will get a chance to meet some brands that I love. Here are a few of the brands that will be at the conference.
Giveaway and Promotion
Who is interested in meeting up that weekend? I would love to share a meal with you and get a chance to connect. Enter below for a chance to win a pass to attend WOW Summit 2016. You have a few weeks to enter the giveaway but you also have until LABOR day to enter another special deal.
From now until Monday, September 5th you can get 60% OFF any pass to attend using promo code LABORDAY. This would make General Admission tickets are only $19.60, VIP Passes are $39.60, and Blogger Passes are just $59.60!
Good luck and I hope you get to enter!!
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Easy Snack Recipes – Strawberry Banana Brownie Shooters
August 29th, 2016Snack recipes are usually more essential because they keep my day going. After a nice weekend to recuperate from a long week, I am ready to start this week. While our little family has been dealing with a strange virus, I am hopeful that we will be healthy super soon. Even though a lot of eating has not been happening, I know I have to keep my meal and snack times scheduled in order to keep up my energy.
Snack Time for Grownups
Snack times tend to be our whole family’s favorite time of day. Some days I can hardly get my kids to eat their main meals, but when I mention the word snack, everyone is there ready to consume their favorite snack. For me, I have to remind myself to eat my snacks in order to keep a more balanced day. If you are a mom, you know how it goes. There are so many distractions in our day to even get into the kitchen for a snack, let alone a meal that we can have without interruptions.
Survival mode hits once the kids go for a nap, and all I end up wanting is a nap myself. I am past the point where I can and want to nap. Nap time is my time to catch up on writing, laundry or even dinner plans. You know where I am going with this. I can get as busy during this sacred time but even so, I make it a point to have a snack to hold me over until dinner.
Easy Snack Recipes
I am not a stranger to Weight Watchers and to their products so while I was shopping at Giant Food Stores in Exton, I was happy to choose from a wide variety of snack options to keep this mommy energized. I like snacking with something sweet and something salty because it is just a great combination. The key is keeping snacks and snack recipes healthy with a bit of indulgence.
Instead of grabbing just a single Weight Watchers Salted Caramel Brownie Bliss, I decided to make a fruity brownie shooter to make my snack time exciting. Each brownie package is 4 points but when I created the shooter, it only required half a brownie but the option is still available to keep the whole brownie in the shooter. I cut up one strawberry and 1 Tablespoon of banana and added a few chopped walnuts with a bit of light whipped cream.
It was a perfect afternoon treat. Ok, so I ate two shooters but it was just fruit and one brownie.
After I enjoyed my little decadence with a shot of espresso, I also had a spicy cheese stick. I did mention that I like sweet and salty right? I know that I am keeping up my snacking in check because I have these healthier options. Especially if I want something cold and ice like these Dark Chocolate Raspberry Ice Cream Bars. They are a perfect combination of fruit and chocolate without compromise.
Stop by your local Giant Food Stores between 9/1/16 – 9/28/16 and when you buy any (5) FIVE participating Weight Watchers products (excluding Heinz SmartOnes & Meeting Room Products) you’ll save $3.00 instantly, while supplies last!
Strawberry Banana Brownie Shooters
These shooters will keep your health on track while enjoying a little indulgence. If you are like me, you will enjoy either a Weight Watchers cheese or jalapeno string cheese before or after your sweet shooter. Snack time will be your new favorite time without compromising!
Strawberry Banana Brownie Shooters
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Keywords: refrigerate vegetarian vegetarian recipes on recipage strawberries brownies nuts brownies parfaits
Ingredients (2 shooters)
Instructions
Add a little light whipping cream to the bottom of a shooter.
Sprinkle a 1/2 teaspoon of walnuts and then add 2-3 brownie pieces followed by 1 teaspoon each of strawberries and bananas.
End with a little more whipped cream and 2-3 brownie pieces.
Repeat with second shooter glass and enjoy.
This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Weight Watchers, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #WWMarket http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV
