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- Digest Pregnancy has a very high lipase activity per capsule. Lipase is the enzyme that breaks down fat, so it is very effective for issues related to fats.
- When supplemental vegetarian lipase is taken with meals, it starts working in the stomach to break down/digest fats in the food that is being eaten. It does not need bile to work. Also, Enzymedica uses Therablend for it’s lipase. This means the blend works in the acidic environment of the stomach as well as the more alkaline environment of the small intestine, which is where fat digestion and nutrient absorption takes place.
- Digest Pregnancy also has other vegetarian enzymes that will work throughout the entire digestive system, to digest proteins and carbohydrates. Because they work in different pHs, these enzymes support digestion, assimilation and elimination. Most people feel a difference quickly when they start taking enzymes regularly.
- Certified Organic Ginger — Zingiber officinale root (ginger) has a long history of use in reducing nausea in a variety
- of situations
- Amylase Thera-blend – a proprietary blend of amylases to aid in the digestion of carbohydrates
- Protease Thera-blend – a proprietary blend of proteases to aid in the proper digestion of proteins
- Lipase Thera-blend – a proprietary blend of lipases to increase the absorption of fats throughout the small intestine
- Cellulase Thera-blend – a proprietary blend to assist in the breakdown of cellulose in fruits and vegetables
- Glucoamylase – helps the breakdown of starches to glucose
- Alpha Galactosidase – helps to break down the galactose molecules in legumes and cruciferous vegetables,
- naturally reducing occasional gas and bloating*
- Lactase – aids in the digestion of lactose (milk sugar)
- Xylanase – aids in the breakdown of hemicellulose, one of the main components of plant cell walls
- Invertase – aids in the digestion of sucrose into fructose and glucose
- Pectinase – aids in the digestion of pectin, a natural food-based fiber
- Phytase – increases the digestion of phytates in the digestive tract (from
- vegetables) and the absorption of minerals (that phytates would inhibit)
- 13 corn tortillas (divided 5+5+3)
- 3 cups HERDEZ® Salsa Verde
- 2 chicken breasts (14 ounces)
- 2 roasted poblano peppers, sliced
- 3 cups queso quesdilla or Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 1/2 cups mushrooms, diced
- On 425 degrees, roast 2 poblano peppers.
- Rub each pepper with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet on the second to top rack in oven.
- Roast for 20 minutes. Meanwhile boil chicken breasts in a pot with water and oregano.
- After roasting, remove from oven and place immediately in a plastic bag to allow peppers to sweat. After they have been in the bag for 15 minutes, remove from the bag and peel the skin layer off the pepper and remove the stem and seeds from inside the pepper.
- Slice the pepper and set aside.
- Remove chicken from broth. Shred chicken with 2 forks and set aside.
- Slice 5 tortillas in strips for bottom and 2nd layer and CHOP the remaining 3 tortillas for top layer.
- Chop the mushrooms and red onions and set aside.
- In a 9x9 glass dish add 1 cup of green salsa to the bottom of the dish.
- Layer the 5 chopped tortillas, then alternate with 1/2 the chicken, 1/3 of the poblano peppers, half the mushrooms and onions, and 1 minced garlic.
- Add 1 cup of shredded cheese.
- Layer with 5 more chopped tortillas and then add 1 more cup of green salsa and repeat process.
- Finish with 3 chopped corn tortillas, cheese, and 1 more cup of green salsa and poblano peppers.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Serve with a green salad.
- 2 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
- 1 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup finely shredded beets
- 1 cup finely shredded carrots
- 1 cup diced button mushrooms
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, crushed
- 2 jars (48 oz.) Ragu® Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce
- 1 jar (24 oz.) Ragú® Old World Style® Sauce
- 20 ounces spaghetti, cooked and drained
- Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, eggs and 1/2 cup of any sauce in a large bowl.
- In a food processor, shred 1 small beet and 3-4 carrots.
- Combine. Also chop 5-7 button mushrooms very finely.
- Add the veggies to the meat mixture along with the minced garlic and salt and pepper.
- Shape the meat mixture into 30 meatballs.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium heat.
- Place 12 meatballs into the pot and brown them for 5-7 minutes, rotating in between.
- Remove from the Dutch oven onto a heat-resistant bowl and repeat process with the rest of the uncooked meatballs.
- Once the meatballs have been browned, bring remaining Sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Gently stir in browned meatballs.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer covered, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes.
- Serve over hot spaghetti and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
- Note: You can also freeze half of the browned meatballs for another meal and make half this recipe using one and a half bottles of sauce and 1 pound of spaghetti.
- 8-ounces dragon fruit pulp, white flesh scooped from inside the fruit
- 3-ounces lime juice
- 1.5-ounces turbinado sugar
- 5 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
- 6 ounces CAPTAIN MORGAN® Coconut Rum
- 4-ounces coconut water
- 4-ounces lime sparkling water
- crushed ice
- Place dragon fruit pulp in a blender with coconut water and blend on on low until the pulp is blended.
- In a medium container, pour the mixture through a sieve, using a spoon to make sure the juice and pulp go through the sieve.
- This separates the seeds allowing the host bartender to add as many seeds to their liking.
- In a mortar and pestle, crush the basil leaves with the turbinado sugar allowing the basil flavors to release in the sugar.
- Add the basil and sugar to the dragon fruit juice and then add the rum. Add about 1-2 Tablespoons of the dragon fruit seeds to the drink and mix.
- Divide the drink in two 8-ounce glasses and add lime sparkling water and crushed ice.
Enzymedica Digest Pregnancy Capsules {Review}
April 22nd, 2015
By now, everyone should know that I am pregnant with my third baby girl. We are so happy and ecstatic that God has chosen to help us to keep our brood female. I think my hubby is happy too. Pregnancy is such a beautiful time because it is just knowing that there is a human being forming in one’s tummy. With that in mind, I have come to realize that my body really gets sick with every pregnancy. My husband has to remind me that I am sick through the WHOLE pregnancy when my mommy brain forgets with each baby that this is how I roll.
As I have go through this THIRD pregnancy feeling like my nausea and morning sickness getting slightly worse, I feel like it has something to do with the fact I have no gallbladder. It has been nearly 12 years since I had it removed and I know the changes my body has gone through since not having one. Doctors tell you that it is not a necessity and if you are having a hard time dealing with pain and gallstones that the only option is removal.
Of course I believed them. Who wouldn’t? But here I am 12 years later, always regretting making that choice. Seeing that I do not bile production to break down fat has anyone recommended taking any supplements? NEVER. As I kept reading and investigating I kept running into articles stating that digestive enzymes should be taken for the rest of my life. I was infuriated because I read this on my own.
Although I have delayed taking any supplements I decided that it was time to make a move. Since getting pregnant with my darling child, I have to be very careful what I eat because it seems like everything makes me sick, gives me nausea, or I am constantly in the bathroom. What gives? I also saw that I suffered from more constipation DESPITE having plenty of fiber.
When I started chatting with a company called Enzymedica, I realized that they had several products that would work well in my present condition. They have a product called Digest Pregnancy that has a combination of digestive enzymes along with ginger to combat nausea and digestion. Wow, sounded perfect for me!
While I have been on it for almost 3 weeks, I see a HUGE improvement. I take ONE pill after each meal, sometimes 2 depending how heavy or fatty a meal is, and have seen drastic improvements in digestion and morning sickness.
I was getting sick, morning through evening folks! I am not your regular just-get-sick-in-the-morning type of gal. I was sick all the time. Now I am finding myself getting the normal MORNING sickness and keeping everything down throughout the day which is a wonderful improvement. Let me highlight what this product contains:
What are the ingredients?
If you are dealing with awful nausea or digestion, take a second to check out their digestive products on their WEBSITE. I know that I will be continuing to take these enzymes even AFTER I have my baby girl, because I know I have no gallbladder so I look forward transitioning to Digest Gold.
If you have food intolerances or you deal with intense bloating and gas, also consider looking into this product. While I am not certified and am not a doctor, researching your own issues CAN help ease your problems. I only share how these capsules have helped me in my current situation.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post and while I received product to test, all opinions are my own, due to my own experience.
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Easy Mexican Recipe: Authentic Green Chicken Enchilada Casserole
April 20th, 2015
On April 30th, Mexico will be celebrating Día del Niño, or Children’s Day, where children are made to feel special. This holiday as just as popular as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day but kids are given gifts, are given off from school and are celebrated. Sometimes special activities are organized and gifts are gathered to make orphans feel loved.
Truth be told, I never grew around this tradition despite being half Mexican. I grew up with a Mexican mother and a Chilean father who hardly incorporated traditions from their homelands. I am always learning new traditions as I grown older so I can instill them in my children. One of things I know that was taught to me were food traditions. Since my mother did not grow up in Mexico, she did not learn all the authentic dishes my grandmother would make, but every time we would go visit my relatives in Mexico, we would have amazing food that I would want my mother to recreate back home.
One of the dishes that soon became one of favorites were Enchiladas Suizas, or Swiss Enchiladas which were corn tortillas filled with shredded chicken with a green salsa mixed with cream and melted with lots of cheese. I would make it a habit to order it from any Mexican restaurant I would visit just get my fill of it. My mother learned how to make them for special occasions as well so I was a happy camper. You can say, that in a way, it made me feel special on many occasions.
When I started introducing my family to Mexican favorites, I started creating my own versions and even quicker versions in order to have quick meals during a weeknight. I am all about casseroles because I am able to stack ingredients with my favorite sauces and some cheese. My toddlers are definintely growing to acquire their own palates as long as dishes are not too spicy. My husband even likes the modified versions and even requests dishes I have not made in a while.
HERDEZ® products have definitely played a huge part of creating my Mexican dishes. While I like making my own tomatillo sauce, I rather have the convenience of sauces already available that taste so delicious and fresh! HERDEZ® Salsa Verde works great is so many dishes especially in my green enchilada recipe. I make a version of Enchiladas Suizas leaving out the cream and adding the cream as a condiment when serving the dish.
As this holiday celebrates the kid in everyone, HERDEZ brand is holding a #ThrowbackThursday photo contest on its Facebook wall! This promotion will last from April 6th to – April 30th.
Each week, three winners will be chosen to win a Día del Niño prize pack. One grand prize winner each week will win a socialmatic camera, film, HERDEZ product, HERDEZ apron and recipe cards. Two runner up winners each week will win a selfie stick, HERDEZ product, HERDEZ apron and recipe cards.
To enter, your audience will submit their favorite childhood photo tagged with #ThrowbackThursday directly on HERDEZ’s Facebook page.
While I have shared a recipe using HERDEZ® Salsa Verde, the company has a HUGE array of products to incorporate in your next authentic Mexican recipe. Check out their website for more RECIPES.
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Instructions
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Superhero Spaghetti and Meatballs with Ragú® Sauce
April 17th, 2015
When I got married my husband and I made it a priority to have couples over for dinner in order to get to know them a lot better with no expectation of being asked to their homes. We loved the art of cooking and entertaining so I was happy to do it along with my husband no matter how busy our lives could be at the time.
When I became a mother almost 4 years ago, it was challenging to keep having couples and families over for dinner because we were getting used to our kids’ schedules and rhythms. The longer we stayed away from having people over the harder it was to get back into the habit. I needed the gathering of friends and folks in order to keep human connection.
One of the desires I had as my girls were growing was the desire to have moms over for dinner on a regular basis. Since our schedules are constantly demanded of us I knew that dinner time was one of the times that was the most difficult. I knew a lot of families whose husbands worked late on certain days as did my own. Even though the work involved having moms with kids over to my house seemed a little daunting, I also looked forward to facing the challenge of having little ones over to play with my girls. With every new challenge there is the experience that we all have to go through in order to know whether we can conquer that feat or not.
Most of the meals that I thought would be Saucesome during a crazy hectic week always seemed to have pasta involved. When Ragú® asked me to recreate one of their own recipes called Mama’s Best Ever Spaghetti and Meatballs I was super excited. I knew the challenge would be fun and it would prove to be a successful Saucesome time with the moms and kids.
I recently had four to six moms over with their kids in the last 2 months and it was even more rewarding than I imagined. Although all the moms had a crazy week, I made simple meals that allowed all the moms to add their own special while the kids played with each other.
We knew that it would be a little challenging eating a meal with multiple kids, but it worked out great, giving the moms time to enjoy great conversation and help each other during dinner time. Ragú® is recognizing and celebrating everything that makes family mealtime Saucesome. From unique recipes to silly moments to crazy weeknights…it’s all Saucesome with the delicious help of Ragú® Sauce.
Ragú® Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce and Ragú® Old World Style® Sauce has a delicious taste your whole family will love. When I made my version of the Ragú® recipe, I decided to add a slew of veggies. One of the hard things to get our kids to eat are veggies in any form. I decided to sneak in some shredded beets, carrots, and mushrooms in the meat balls which made each meatball power-packed for moms and kids to enjoy. Hey, even sometimes I don’t eat my veggies so this was a wonderful way to introduce a new veggie or even get your kids to consume them.
I allowed the meatballs to simmer in two Sauces and it was a HIT! All kids ate their meal even one child whose mom was super impressed since her son is a super picky eater. She was so surprised and immediately asked me for the recipe. How wonderful is that? While I felt the recipe was very easy to make it had hidden goodness that made everyone happy.
I hope you get to make your weeknight Saucesome by making these amazing Superhero Spaghetti and Meatballs.
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Instructions
Notes
Note: You can also freeze half of the browned meatballs for another meal and make half this recipe using one and a half bottles of sauce and 1 pound of spaghetti.
Ragú® has the Authentic Italian taste American family’s love and a variety of great tasting, quick and easy to make family favorite recipes.
-Visit Ragú® Sauce on Facebook for additional delicious recipe ideas!
-Visit Ragú® Sauce on Pinterest for additional recipes mash ups and recipe ideas!
-Check out Ragú® on Twitter — @RaguSauce and #Saucesome Sauce
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with Modern Moms and Ragú® Sauce
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GIANT’S World Menu Items for Busy Families {Review}
April 15th, 2015
Somehow this season of life has been a little more busier than expected. Now that we are expecting our third baby girl in August it feels like there is so much to do and to tackle. While I really love and enjoy making home-cooked meals, I am finding myself requiring really quick meals for our family or even for my husband to have on some of the nights he is not home. Ready-made meals have not always been a go-to but sometimes life changes and requires just a bit of change and flexibility.
GIANT recently came out with a new line of World Menu products. Imagine ordering your favorite take-out food at your local Italian or Asian restaurant but now think of those favorite now being available at your local grocery store. Yes. Discover the tastes of internationally inspired cuisine while in the midst of your regular grocery shopping and bring the world to your dinner table in just minutes!
GIANT’S World Menu line currently features more than 50 Italian and Asian favorites, found primarily in the frozen section, all featuring quality ingredients and easy preparation. I was really excited to see how my family would like some old favorites along with some new selections I had never tasted before. One thing I like the do is to constantly introduce new foods and meals to my husband and girls. Sometimes they are well received and other times they are just too savory.
One night that I was able to put a quick chicken stir-fry together, I asked my husband to pick up some potstickers to go along with our meal at GIANT. He stopped by the freezer section and grabbed some chicken potstickers. He quickly brought them home and I pan fried them and within 10 minutes they were ready. It was truly fantastic since we really enjoy them.
My toddlers liked the “tacos” and ate them gladly before my stir-fry amusing enough. They each had 3 potstickers! This was the first time they had had them and it was a success but I could not help how they called them tacos.
Another day I did not have any leftovers for my husband to take for his dinner for one of his late evenings so I quickly cooked the ready-made Beef Udon Noodles and baked a few shrimp spring rolls. He called me later that evening to let me know how delicious the whole meal was. What a relief that I was able to send something with my husband that he also enjoyed.
Sundays we usually go out to lunch or home and have sandwiches or leftovers but since I was on my own this particular day, I decided to make it light. My girls had peanut butter sandwiches and I prepared a ready-made Italian meal for creamy mushroom and egg noodles. It was so delicious and so gourmet. I was truly happy I did not really have to cook to enjoy something so delicious.
I really cannot wait to continue trying more of these products in the coming weeks because there are so many choices for particular palates and even cravings for specific days. Here’s a pregnant mom talking. I am thankful that Pad Thai is another choice in the freezer section.
How is the price for each of these meals? They have a great range of prices from $3 to $8 for larger ready-made meals. I think all in all, it is a great value and I hope you get to try them out!
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post with GIANT Food Stores but all opinions and photos are my own.
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Dragon Fruit Coconut Basil Cocktail
April 13th, 2015
Today was perhaps the warmest day since winter said its last goodbyes just a little over a week ago. Even though I am excited about the warmer weather I am not sure how I am going to go through this third pregnancy during the warmer weather. I guess I will survive like the first two times. Now that the warmer weather is approaching it will be time to entertain outdoors and using more seasonal ingredients for drinks and grilling sessions.
I believe my husband has been looking forward getting out his grilling tools but he has also been excited to make some delicious cocktails for friends. Even though I am 6-months pregnant and not drinking alcohol, I imagine the drinks I could be having for the summer. A girl can dream right??? While I live vicariously through my imagination I laid out a few ingredients for my husband to try a new cocktail I have been dreaming up.
Recently CAPTAIN MORGAN® introduced three flavors to add to their portfolio of products —CAPTAINMORGAN® Pineapple Rum, CAPTAIN MORGAN® Coconut Rum, and CAPTAIN MORGAN® Grapefruit Rum. Captain Morgan’s new flavors are five times distilled and made with fine cane molasses. Each expression blends natural flavors with CAPTAIN MORGAN®White Rum, resulting in a liquid that can be enjoyed as the key ingredient in a number of island-inspired cocktails.
Since I cannot go to the Caribbean I decided to imagine going there by creating a one-of-a kind cocktail using dragon fruit otherwise known as pitaya in Mexico and in Central America. It is a fruit that grows on a specific cactus and is just super amazing to just be able to purchase anywhere. It has a bright pink skin with greenish leaves. The inside of the fruit is an amazing white pulp with black seeds almost looking like an albino kiwi. While the fruit is not as exciting to eat on its own, an added squeeze of lime and sugar makes it an exotic passage through time.
While it was hard to make a decision which Captain Morgan rum to use, I decided to go with CAPTAIN MORGAN® Coconut Rum because of the flavors and ingredients I decided to bring together to make this delicious cocktail. When making this cocktail, imagine a themed party and serve these tropical cocktails to your friends. They will all be asking you about dragon fruit. Make sure you have one on display because this will probably be a one time affair.
Thanks to my husband for mixing and taste testing, even though I did have ONE sip in order to approve. I easily made my own with coconut water and spritzer and pretended to be in my own beach cabana. Each bottle of Captain Morgan rums was amazing to smell. My husband truly enjoyed taste testing each rum. Enjoy!!
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Instructions
Make sure to check your local store for these new rums which are sold at a suggested retail price of $15.99 for a 750 mL bottle, each variant blends Captain MorganWhite Rum with natural flavors, making them perfect for simple cocktails, along with more complex, Caribbean-inspired drinks. I look forward making more cocktails for friends in the near future.
Disclosure: Samples were provided by Captain Morgan to facilitate this review. All opinions and recipes are my own.
