>U Mom Knows Best: January 2016

Friday, January 29, 2016

Simple Household Organization With StickerYou Products



Start the new year with simple household organization.

Organization can apply to organization of closets, cupboards, bathrooms home office and such, but also routines. StickerYou has kids labels, clear labels, freezer labels, white labels and more that can all help with organization and  keeping parents on track with their new year's resolution and feeling good about 2016. StickerYou has the sticky product you need!
StickerYou is your one-stop shop for creating custom stickers, labels, decals, temporary tattoos and more.

For a very limited time, StickerYou is offering a 13% discount on your next order! Use promo code 13STICKER at checkout! Take a look to get started.

                                    http://www.stickeryou.com/




How To Make A Healthy Salted Caramel "Wendy's" Frosty

One taste of this copycat recipe and you will love it.


   My kids and I love going out for ice cream. Our favorite place for delicious cream chocolate ice cream is Wendys. We don't go there often for Frosty's as that yummy concoction is full of fat and sugar. The dessert also has artificial flavors and chemical ingredients that are hard to pronounce. My motto is if you can't pronounce the ingredient or know what it is, then maybe it is not good for my body. I am trying to be good this year and eat healthier, but I love ice cream. So what I am suppose to do? 
I discovered a copycat recipe that not only tastes just as good as a Wendy's frosty, I think it tastes better, but is way lower in fat and sugar. This wonderful dessert is also dairy free, yea for us that have lactose problems. I also used a delicious salted caramel syrup in my ice cream dessert which makes it taste so good. Salted Caramel and chocolate just go so great together. It tastes even better in a yummy frozen dessert.


I used a wonderful Salted Caramel Syrup that is made from all natural ingredients. This unique salted caramel syrup is handcrafted in Ashland Oregon and is made with just 4  natural ingredients: Caramelized cane sugar, Tahitian vanilla, GMO-free Boyajian maple, and French Celtic sea salt. My taste buds get excited just reading those ingredients. The first time I tried this syrup, I said OMG, this stuff is amazing! This Salted Caramel Syrup is all natural, fat-free and has a wonderful balance of salty and sweet. This luscious syrup has a wonderful vanilla maple flavor and is wonderful in recipes, coffee drinks, oatmeal, ice cream, and more.I just love to pair this Salted Caramel Syrup with chocolate to make my wonderful copycat frozen dessert.

My delicious Salted Caramel frosty is so simple to whip up and has only 4 ingredients in it. The ingredients that I used are all natural and make my fozen dessert so much healthier which means you can enjoy it everyday. You don't even need a ice cream maker or the freezer for my version of delicious ice cream. This recipe is also a great way to use up ripe bananas. 

Here is the link so you can buy some of this delicious Salted Caramel Syrup.

 What would you use this yummy syrup in?



Salted Caramel Frosty

Ingredients

6 ice cubes
1 Banana (very ripe and frozen)
2 tablespoons Salted Caramel Syrup
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup very cold cashew milk or almond milk

Place all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth and creamy. 

Makes 2 servings.





"These opinions are my own and I received a bottle of Lori's Salted Carmel Syrup to facilitate this recipe."






Free V8 Fusion +Energy


Free V8 Fusion +Energy Receive ONE (1) FREE V8 Fusion +Energy, any variety

Exp 02/14/2016


Calling all Kroger and affiliate shoppers! Hurry over here for this week’s Kroger FREE Friday download ofFree V8 Fusion +Energy Receive ONE (1) FREE V8 Fusion +Energy, any variety . This eCoupon is available for download today only, January 8th but you have until 02/14/2016 to redeem it. I love Kroger's freebie Friday!


http://kroger.softcoin.com/programs/kroger/freefri/

Kroger • Baker’s • City Market • Dillons • Fred Meyer • Fry’s •Gerbes • Jay C • King Soopers • Owen’s • Pay Less • QFC • Ralphs • Smith’s

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Savory Lentil Loaf With A Cranberry Glaze

This flavorful lentil loaf makes for a great meatless meal.


  Most people think that a meatless meal is boring and full of veggies. Last year when I attended my son's military ball, I ordered the vegetarian meal as I don't eat meat. I was shocked at what they considered a vegetarian meal when they brought out my plate. They simply served me a plate of mashed potatoes and vegetables, the same thing everyone else had on their plates, just without the meal. This was a fancy restaurant and the chef considered this to be a vegetarian meal. I just don't understand as it is so easy to make a delicious meal for vegetarians. The way to make meatless meals taste wonderful is by using flavorful sauces and herbs along with meatless protein options. Eating vegetarian does not mean you have to eat boring meals of vegetables.


    Savory Lentil Loaf With Cranberry Glaze
                       Serves: 6-7
          Ingredients
                       3 cups cooked lentils 
                       3 tbsp chia seed
                       1/2 cup water
                       1/2 cup chopped onion
                       2 tbsp olive oil
                       1/2 tsp sea salt
                       1 tsp minced garlic
                       1 cup oatmeal
                       2 pieces wheat bread
                       1/2 cup cranberry glaze-see below for recipe
                       1 cup chopped cashew nuts
                       1/2 cup water

Instructions  Preheat oven to 350F
1. Combine your chia and water, mix together and set aside to let it gel.
2. Combine the lentils, onion, garlic, salt, and oil all in a skillet and cook on medium until onion and lentils are soft about 10 minutes.
3. Place the lentil mixture in a large bowl and set aside.
4. Combine the oatmeal and bread in a food processor and grind into a flour texture.
5. Then add the oat flour and gelled chia to the lentils that are in a large bowl. Stir in the cranberry sauce, the chopped cashew nuts, and 1/2 cup water.
6. Mix everything together with a spoon or even your hands to make sure it gets well combined. Then press mixture into a 9X5 greased baking pan.
7. Bake for 45 minutes at 350F

When the lentil loaf is done, slice into slices and serve with the cranberry glaze.

    Cranberry Glaze

                  1 cup fresh cranberries
                  1/4 cup sugar
                  1/2 cup water
   Mix all ingredients in a saucepan over med-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir for ten minutes and lower heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Use this flavor glaze over the lentil loaf.

                           

Monday, January 25, 2016

Promote A Healthy Immune System With Herbs

Prevention is always the best medicine. 


   Prevention is always the best medicine. Cold and flu season is not something that parents like to deal with. There are germs everywhere and we can't avoid them, unless we never leave the house or let anyone in. For most people that is not an option, so we have to deal with all those nasty germs. We can be afraid of the germs or we can fight them. I like to fight germs by keeping my body healthy and giving it the things it needs to be able to fight germs. I also like to give my children natural herbs, in addition to a healthy diet, to help them maintain a healthy immune system so they kick those germs to the curb and not get sick.


  I find it so amazing that we can keep our bodies healthy with plants and herbs. I prefer natural herbs over medicine and would rather use these over chemicals. Now most people know that eating healthy helps keep our bodies healthy, but did you know that certain herbs can keep our immune system healthy? Gaia Herbs has a line of herbal formulas just for children—GaiaKids®. I was sent a sample of one of their products through greenmomsmeet.com and I couldn't wait to have my boys taste it. I already use natural immunne products like elderberry with my boys so I was excited to introduce GaiaKids® Bronchial Wellness for Kids to them. It is a germy world out there and I want my boys to have healthy immune systems to fight those germs. This alcohol-free herbal formula provides herbal support for the respiratory system and promotes healthy mucous membranes. It also has a kid friendly taste. Now taste is very important, as my child will not take something if it has a bad taste. I am happy to say that my picky son loves the taste of this formula. He was hesitant to try it as he said "the color looks nasty" but I told him to just take a sip. He did and drank up the whole teaspoon that I gave him. My son then said "this stuff actually tastes good."



I don't know about your kids, but when my kids get sick it always seems to attack their respiratory system with that bad cough and lots of gunk from their nose. I love that I can offer my boys a Bronchial Wellness herbal supplement to support that part of their immune system so just maybe this winter my boys will not experience that bad cough and nose gunk. 

Bronchial Wellness for Kids facts:

What is it for?
This natural support is for your child's throat and bronchial health. It is recommended for ages 2-15.

What are the key ingredients?
Plantain- a herb that supports a healthy inflammatory response in the respiratory tract.

Helichrysum's essential oil- a potent source of antioxidants that has been traditional uses to soothe occasional bronchial irritation.

Grindelia- has long been used to support the respiratory system and assist in the normal production and elimination of mucous. It also provides soothing support for the respiratory tract.

What makes it great?

It is 100% traceable!
It's USDA Certified Organic.
It tastes great!

Get a Sample and coupon for GaiaKids® Bronchial Wellness for Kids and discover more.



 Connect with Gaia Herbs online for the latest
news and get exclusive access to discounts and
special offers!






I received this product for free from
the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, 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.


They Are Only Little For A Short time



  My youngest two boys are not babies anymore and I miss those days. I can no longer call them the babies as they are 7 and 9 years old. For the longest time my older kids, who are now 16,21, and 25 called the youngest boys the babies instead of their real names. They are sixteen months apart and they are almost like twins. They were also a handful when they were babies as they are so close in age. The first years of their lives were very busy and I was not able to do many things with these two like I did with my older three kids. One of the things I wish I had time for was creating a baby book. You know the one with pictures and memories. I just never had time to make one. All the pictures of my boys are on our desk top computer. My boys just love watching the slide show of their pictures. This computer is old and is on its last leg so I need to get these pictures transferred to my laptop before it no longer works.


  My husband has a better idea for all these precious baby pictures of my youngest boys. He suggested that I make a memory book with the baby photos. I discovered Mixbook. This online website helps a person like me to create the perfect photo book so I can treasure all those pictures of my boys. Mixbook has a wide selection of photo books to choose from. I just love the selection of backgrounds that you can choose from to make your book special. Once you select the book that you want, they have books for kids, babies, weddings, and more, you then add the photos. This website makes it easy to customize your book so it can look awesome. I just love that you can customize the pages to hold as many or few pictures. You add words to the pages also. How you make your book look is all up to you. With Mixbook, everything is customizable. Add your own photos and text, change the layout, add stickers and backgrounds - you are free to design a Book that is personal to you!



  I have not made my photo book yet as the computer with all the boys baby pictures decided to not work, so husband needs to get a special cord to transfer them off the hard drive. While I am waiting I will ave fun browsing through all the different ways to design my photo book. I am thinking of the Sparkle And Shine book as it has pages that are filled with glittering zigzags, stripes, and polka dots to create vibrant backgrounds for all my photos.




"These opinions are my own and I received a credit to Mixbook to be able to make my own photo book exchange for this review."


How To Make A "Green" Smoothie That Does Not Look Or Taste Green




   I love my green smoothies as they are loaded with lots of nutrition, they only problem is the color. When I drink my green smoothies, my kids always say "mom that looks gross." My green smoothies taste great but how do I get my kids to drink them if they can't get past the dark green color. I think most people think like my kids. They won't drink a smoothie made with greens as they just look so gross. When I drink my green smoothie in public, I always put it in a stainless steel container as I don't want to gross people out. So I drink my green powerhouse smoothie in private. So how do I get my kids to drink my green smoothie that is loaded with yummy veggies like spinach and kale?



    My favorite company Garden of Life has made a wonderful protein powder that allows me to make a smoothie for my kids that has the goodness of green veggies but not have that dark ugly green look that grosses them out. Their new Raw Protein & greens is a combo of organic plant protein and organic veggies that includes green veggies like kale, spinach, alfalfa, and broccoli along with beets and carrots. This blend of six nutrient-rich has six times the nutrient density of whole leaf grass, plus organic spinach, organic kale, organic broccoli, organic carrot and organic beet. My boys don't have to know those veggies are in their smoothie. I will keep this secret to myself and just serve them a delicious tasting smoothie that is made with this protein powder. I love that my boys are getting a healthy drink that is loaded with protein and nutrient-rich, organic greens and veggies. The Garden of Life new Raw Protein & greens comes in three wonderful flavors: Vanilla, Chocolate Cacao ( both contain organic stevia extract) and Lightly Sweet (with no stevia).




   I love using Raw Protein & green in my smoothies too. I usually just add fruits like bananas and strawberries to my son's smoothies, they also like peanut butter in the Chocolate Cacao flavor, but to my smoothies, I will add other items to make them super powerhouse smoothies. Now I don't need to add anything else to this protein powder, as it is already loaded with great nutrition, but I like to add fruit to give my smoothie a great taste and spinach for more fiber. I also like to add flax seeds for heart healthy omegas. Just look at the all the healthy ingredients and nutrition that is in Raw Protein & greens. Oh, it is also NSF Gluten-Free Certified, Informed Choice trusted for sport and kosher.

 


   So anyone who wants the convenience of a clean, high-protein shake that also helps you get your daily servings of organic nutritious veggies and greens needs to try Garden of Life Raw Protein & green. Check out the below link for more information and where to buy this delicious protein powder.

   http://www.gardenoflife.com/Products-for-Life/RAW-Protein/RAW-Protein-greens.aspx



Here are some recipes for not so "green" smoothies. They are a great way to get those green veggies into your diet.



Chocolate Banana Peanut butter smoothie
         1 cup water
             1 banana
             2 tablespoons peanut butter
             1 scoop Garden of Life Raw Protein & green Chocolate Cacao flavor
             8 ice cubes

   Place all ingredients in a blender and combine until smooth. Serve to your kids and smile knowing they are getting their green veggies.




Vanilla Peach Smoothie
    1 cup water
    1 cup sliced frozen peaches, fresh or can works too
    1 scoop Garden of Life Raw Protein & green Vanilla flavor
    8 ice cubes

   Place all ingredients in a blender and combine until smooth. Serve to your kids and smile knowing they are getting their green veggies.


And for the brave who want to try my extra green smoothie.

      My Green Super Smoothie
                        1 cup water
                        1 cup sliced frozen peaches
                        1 cup frozen spinach
                        1 scoop Garden of Life Raw Protein & green Vanilla flavor
                        2 tablespoons flax seed
                        8 ice cubes
                     
   Place all ingredients in a blender and combine until smooth.



     
             "These opinions are my own and I received samples of Garden of Life Raw Protein & green to facilitate this post."

Green Tree Jewelry Giveaway! ($90 ARV) #GreenTreeJewelry


Green Tree Jewelry Giveaway! ($90 ARV) #GreenTreeJewelry

GreentreeGiveaway111
Deliciously Savvy is Hosting a Giveaway for 1 Lucky Winner to Receive all 6 pairs of These Fabulous... Made in the USA.... Green Tree Jewelry Wood Earrings! Total ARV $90! Enter Today & Good Luck! 1 Lucky Winner Will Win This Fabulous "Green" Line of Accessories That Anyone Would Love! It Is All About Feeling Beautiful and Living Stylishly with a "Green" Touch!

Sponsored By: Green Tree Jewelry

Hosted By: Deliciously Savvy

Co-Hosted By:

Amy & Aron's Real Life Reviews // Happily Ever Rushed // My Silly Little Gang // IMHO Views, Reviews and Giveaways // Here We Go Again Ready // Heartbeats ~ Soul Stains // Michigan Savings & More // Box Roundup

PLUS a Big Thank You To All Of The Fabulous Bloggers Helping To Promote This Giveaway ~ You Truly Are The Best!

1 LUCKY WINNER will receive 6 Pairs of Unique Green Tree Jewelry Earrings! (Pictured Above) These items are proudly made in the USA and they are based in San Diego! They are the creators of modern, laser cut jewelry pieces and other accessories... very cool! I just love the way these pieces look.

And Now The Giveaway!!!

Giveaway Dates ~ 1/27 9PM EST until 02/18 11:59 PM EST,
Entrants must be 18 years old to enter and giveaway is open to US residents only.
Any Questions Email Me At mcushing7 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
This giveaway is in no way endorsed, affiliated or associated with Facebook,
Twitter or any other Social Media Networking Site. This giveaway is valid only
in the United States. Entrants must be 18+ years of age to enter.
This giveaway will end at 11:59 PM (EST) on 02/18/2016.

Good Luck! Enter Below

Also we all “love it if you like us” on Facebook!

By Supporting Our Blogs Via Social Media, You Are Helping Us To Provide Fabulous Prizes For Amazing Future Giveaways! Good Luck & Thank You!

Blogger Opp ~ Eating Healthy In The New Year Giveaway with IONutrition #IONutrition

Blogger Opp ~ Eating Healthy In The New Year Giveaway with IONutrition #IONutrition

healthyeating222Deliciously Savvy Is Hosting A Healthy Eating Giveaway Sponsored By IONutrition! 2 Lucky Winners Will Receive 3 Paleo Breakfasts And 5 Paleo Entrees From IONutrition! Each Prize Pack Is Valued At $90 For A Total ARV Of $180! Now Deliciously Savvy Needs Your Help In Promoting! #Free & #Paid Links Available! As Always I Can Never Do It Without Each & Every One Of You..... Sign Up To Promote Today!

Sponsored By: IONutrition

Hosted By: Deliciously Savvy

Co-Hosted By: ???

2 Lucky Winners will Receive 3 Paleo Breakfasts and 5 Paleo Entrees from IONutritions! $90 ARV Each Prize for a Total ARV of $180!

Now…. Deliciously Savvy Needs Your Help Promoting! I cannot do it without each and every one of you so please sign up today! Thanks so much!

1 FREE Link For Agreeing To Post Giveaway On Time and Promote 3 to 4 times a week Via Social Media. (Choose from Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest ONLY)
PLUS Snag a 2nd & 3rd FREE Link If You Post The Announcement. (Choose From Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest OR Instagram)

ANNOUNCEMENT POST HERE

Co-Hosts Wanted & Needed ~ $5 for 5 links of your choice (and I mean any you choose other than Google+). You can do Facebook Comments, Blog Comments, Giveaway Entries, Daily Votes, Social Media Follows of your choice, Secret Word Pages ANYTHING! PLUS the 3 FREE links above gives you 8 Links Total! Co-Hosts will also be promoted via graphics and link backs to their site via extra follow pages & Co-Host Pages! (# of extra follow pages depends on # of sign ups so promote, promote, promote!) Co-Hosts are not required to post announcement but it is greatly appreciated!
Other Sign Up Options Available On Sign Up Form

SIGN UP HERE

Or Below

Sign Ups Close ~ 2/02 @ 11:59PM EST
Open To US and must be 18+ to enter
Giveaway Dates: 2/04 9PM EST until 2/18 11:59PM EST
Savvy Challenge!!! The Blogger With The Most Referrals will Receive a FREE Co-Host Spot On This Giveaway or a Future Giveaway! Promote Away and Make Sure They Know To Say You Sent Them! Minimum of 4 referrals to win free spot on next promotion or promotion you choose.
***To Enter On The New Google Document Just Click On The “Your Answer” Line and Type In The Information. Thank You***

Friday, January 22, 2016

My Plan To Start Running To Win A 5K

Check out some cool products from NatraCure that are great for runners.


   My New Years resolution is to start running again and win a 5K. Now when I talk about winning, it is not being the first person across the finish line, It is being one of the first 3 people in my age category. I am a runner by nature and I do quite well for my age. The only problem is I have not been able to run for over 6 months and this frustrates me. My running problems began over a year ago when I overtrained and had an Achille's tendon injury in my ankle. Through wearing a massive walking boot and supplements, my Achille's tendon recovered enough for me to start running again.


   I was able to run, but I still had some pain. Then I bought some new running shoes and experienced a couple of falls. It was not until the last fall that I realized that my new running shoes were the cause of my falls. I had purchased trail shoes and the tread of the shoe was getting caught in street cracks, causing me to fall. Here I thought I was just clumsy. The first two falls just had a lot of blood, but the last fall gave me a hamstring tear. That put me out of running for quite some time. I received physical therapy for my hamstring tear and my Achilles for two months. Physical therapy helped my injuries and I also learned about injury prevention and recovery. I learned that cold pack therapy helps with injuries and recovery. My therapist had this awesome big cold pack that helped my hamstring recover after I did therapy. I knew that I just had to have one. I knew that a FlexiKold Gel Cold Pack would be just the thing that would help when I started running again. This oversized cold pack is so awesome as it is flexible. I can practically use it anywhere there is pain or swelling. It folds up so I can store it in my fridge.




   I am ready to start running again, but I know I have to take it slow so I don't get any injuries. I have a new pair of shoes, yes I learned my lesson about my past running shoes, and I am ready to begin. I know I may experience some soreness when I start running again, but I am prepared with knowledge on how to treat it. I also have these cool Cold Therapy Socks that will help will my Achille's Tendon flare up. This is something that I may have to live with as the only alternative is surgery and that may not even help. I love that I can just put on a pair of socks after running and get cold therapy for immediate relief of pain and swelling. These socks come with a foot-length cold pack and a half-size cold pack. The socks have several different pockets to insert the cold packs into. I can choose to ice my bottom of my foot, my top of my foot, or the back of my foot. The socks keep the ice packs in place and I can get my cold therapy on my feet as I work on my computer.





   These two products from NatraCure are going to be great for the pain and soreness that I might/will experience with running. These products are just what I need to achieve my resolution of winning a 5K race. Check out some additional info about each product at the below links. NatraCure also sells many other products for innovative pain management solutions. I love that they have videos for all the products that they sell.






"These opinions are my own and I received the above-mentioned products to facilitate this post."

FREE Uncle Ben's® Flavored Grains


Calling all Kroger and affiliate shoppers! Hurry over here for this week’s Kroger FREE Friday download of FREE Uncle Ben's® Flavored Grains. This eCoupon is available for download today only, January 8th but you have until 02/07/2016 to redeem it. I love Kroger's freebie Friday!


http://kroger.softcoin.com/programs/kroger/freefri/

Kroger • Baker’s • City Market • Dillons • Fred Meyer • Fry’s •Gerbes • Jay C • King Soopers • Owen’s • Pay Less • QFC • Ralphs • Smith’s

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Blogger Opp ~ Green Tree Jewelry Giveaway! ($90 ARV)


Blogger Opp ~ Green Tree Jewelry Giveaway! ($90 ARV) #GreenTreeJewelry (Sign Ups Close 1/18) Free & Paid Options Available

GreentreeGiveaway111Deliciously Savvy is Hosting a Giveaway for 1 Lucky Winner to Receive all 6 pairs of These Fabulous... Made in the USA.... Green Tree Jewelry Wood Earrings! Total ARV $90! Sign Up now To Promote This Fabulous "Green" Line of Accessories That Everyone Will Love! It Is All About Feeling Beautiful and Living Stylishly with a "Green" Touch!

Sponsored By: Green Tree Jewelry

Hosted By: Deliciously Savvy

Co-Hosted By: ???

1 LUCKY WINNER will receive 6 Pairs of Unique Green Tree Jewelry Earrings! These items are proudly made in the USA and they are based in San Diego! They are the creators of modern, laser cut jewelry pieces and other accessories... very cool!

Now…. Deliciously Savvy Needs Your Help Promoting! I cannot do it without each and every one of you so please sign up today! Thanks so much!

1 FREE Link For Agreeing To Post Giveaway On Time and Promote 3 to 4 times a week Via Social Media. (Choose from Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest ONLY)
PLUS Snag a 2nd & 3rd FREE Link If You Post The Announcement (Choose From Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest OR Instagram)

ANNOUNCEMENT POST HERE

Co-Hosts Wanted & Needed ~ $5 for 5 links of your choice (and I mean any you choose other than Google+). You can do Facebook Comments, Blog Comments, Giveaway Entries, Daily Votes, Social Media Follows of your choice, Secret Word Pages ANYTHING! PLUS the 3 FREE links above gives you 8 Links Total! Co-Hosts will also be promoted via graphics and link backs to their site via extra follow pages & Co-Host Pages! (# of extra follow pages depends on # of sign ups so promote, promote, promote!) Co-Hosts are not required to post announcement but it is greatly appreciated!
Other Sign Up Options Available On Sign Up Form

SIGN UP HERE

Or Below
Sign Ups Close ~ 1/21 @ 11:59PM EST
Open To US and must be 18+ to enter
Giveaway Dates: 1/23 9PM EST until 2/14 11:59PM EST
Savvy Challenge!!! The Blogger With The Most Referrals will Receive a FREE Co-Host Spot On This Giveaway or a Future Giveaway! Promote Away and Make Sure They Know To Say You Sent Them! Minimum of 4 referrals to win free spot on next promotion or promotion you choose.
To Enter On The New Google Document Just Click On The “Your Answer” Line and Type In The Information. Thank You

Easy No Bake Homemade Granola Bars


You will love how easy these are to make.



  My family loves granola bars. They are an easy grab and go snack. My husband will grab a granola bar for breakfast out the door while my teen will stash a couple in his backpack for snacks before running. The two youngest boys enjoy granola bars for an after school snack. You see granola bars are so versatile. I just wish the ones you buy at the store were healthier as they are usually loaded with way too much sugar. I so want my family to eat better this year, but granola bars are my family's to go snack. My solution for a healthy granola bar is to make them myself. That way I can use healthy ingredients and control the amount of sugar in the granola bar. I discovered a granola bar recipe that is healthy and so easy to make. This granola bar recipe uses healthy oats and almond butter so they are loaded with fiber and protein. You can make them even healthier by adding nuts and chia seeds.

My granola bar recipe only uses five ingredients making them so simple to whip up the night before so my family can grab them out the door the next day. I used almond butter in my recipe but you can substitute peanut butter for a different flavor.


Easy No Bake Homemade Granola Bar
Makes 12 bars

2 cups oatmeal
1 cup almond butter or peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup agave syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


·       Combine the oatmeal, almond butter, chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and agave syrup in a medium size bowl. Stir until well combined.

·       Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to fall over the edges. Press the oatmeal mixture into the pan.

·       Place in the refrigerator for1 hour, or until firm. Remove paper from pan and then cut the large square in half. Then cut each half into 6 rectangles. Wrap bars individually with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

To make these granola bars healthier, add two tablespoons of chia seed, flax seed, nuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. Just add 1 tablespoon more agave syrup for each addition.




Tuesday, January 19, 2016

How To Brew A Perfect Cup Of Tea


I just love using these tea infusers when making a perfect cup of tea.



One would think making a cup of tea is simple, but if you don't follow directions you tea may be too strong or too weak. Most people use tea bags when brewing a cup of tea, but using tea leaves and a premium infuser takes your cup of tea to a whole new level. I find that my cup of tea just tastes so much better when I use my tea infuser. I can add the perfect amount of tea leaves and I avoid the dissolved paper in my tea cup. Those tea bags may make things easier, but I hate when the string falls into my tea up. I just hate fishing out that paper and staple from my cup.


        Did you know that the temperature of the water also affects the taste of your tea?

White and green leaves are delicate and too high of a temperature will ruin the flavor, so brew between 170 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit. Oolong teas should be brewed at temperatures between 180 and 190 degrees Fahrenheit. Black and Herbal teas brew best at a full boil temperatures 208 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

     How long should tea brew?

 A tea bag should brew for two to three minutes while loose tea leaves should brew for up to seven minutes. The larger the leaf, the longer the brewing time. A large leaf tea like Earl Grey may need five minutes while a smaller leaf only needs about four minutes. It is best to read the directions that came with the tea as brewing the tea too long leads to bitter tea.

  Other facts about tea.

Tea loves oxygen-it helps the flavor develop, so always use cold water in the tea kettle before heating. Tea also absorbs moisture and smells so keep tea in a sealed jar or tin. One teaspoon of loose tea per cup makes for a nice flavor, add more to make it the strength that you like. Some people say sugar masks the flavor of tea, but I prefer the sweetness in my tea. It is just a personal preference.


  I just love these tea infusers from CentiMom. They come in three sizes so you can use them for different sizes of tea cups, small or large teapots, pitchers, cooking pots, and even sun tea. I just love that they are made from 100% premium stainless steel which makes it great for extended use and high heat resistance. This set also includes three drip trays and a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon. The easy to twist lids stay on tight, so the tea leaves never float around in my tea cup. Each tea infuser has a long chain on it with a hook and weighted medallion to hold it in place so the chain does not fall into the cup. You can even use the hook in the chain to set your desired length of the chain. The three tea infusers also nest together so it does not take up a lot of space.







Buy the CeniMom Tea Infusers on Amazon. 


Get more information on their website.

Check out their Facebook page


"These opinions are my own and I received the CeniMom Tea Infusers to facilitate this post."
data-matched-content-rows-num="2" data-matched-content-columns-num="2"
Mom knows best