Mom Knows Best

What I Put Into My Smoothie Too Make It A Superfood Drink

I drink a mean green smoothie every morning and when I say it is green, it is very green. Now I know what you are thinking, my smoothie gets its green color from veggies. Well you are wrong. My smoothie gets its dark green color from the supplements that I put in it. I put 5 different supplements in my smoothie so I can get awesome health benefits. The 5 supplements that I use are spirulina, matcha, moringa, vitamin C powder, and flax meal. All of these supplements give me different health benefits to give my body great nutrition. My smoothie has a base of either yogurt or protein powder and along with the supplements I add some fruit and veggies for fiber and more nutrition. My kids like to make fun of my green drink, but I don’t care as I know how great I feel after drinking it.

My smoothie takes time to make every morning as I have to pull out 5 different containers which contain all my supplements. When I am making my smoothie every morning, I wish it did not take up so much time.

I have finally found a solution to my time problem. I discovered a product that takes all my supplements and more and combines them all into a super health powder. Pro Alpha Greens is a wonderful dietary supplement that promotes superior health with antioxidants, green superfoods, digestive enzymes, moringa leaf and 30 billion probiotics. I just love that my 5 favorite supplements are in one powder and this gives me an easier way to get those superfoods into my smoothie. I also love that I am getting extra wonderful things in my daily smoothie like probiotics (no more pills to swallow) and many other items like spinach, carrots, and other health promoting foods. There is just too many to list, but you can see all the wonderful items in the below picture.

So the question is how does this taste? I first tried this green drink when I was at the park with my boys. I mixed in water and yes it made a green looking drink. The taste was quite good and it had a nice sweet berry flavor to it. It was a little too sweet for my liking, next time I will use more water than what the container recommends. This green superfood drink was good enough for me to drink again as I just love all the wonderful nutrition that is going into my body.

The next I tried Pro Alpha Greens was in my morning smoothie. I added this wonderful supplement to a cup of yogurt and some water to thin it out. The result was a smoothie that was so much faster for me to make, as I didn’t have to pull out all the containers. One scoop from one container gave me a delicious drink filled with a powerhouse of nutrition. I love that I don’t have to buy five different containers of supplements, as one container of Pro Alpha Greens equals so much more.

Pro Alpha Greens is an awesome source of nutrition!

Key Features

• 20+ servings of fruits and vegetables

• 30 billion probiotics per serving

• Digestive enzymes to aid in better absorption of vitamins and minerals as well as prevention of GI tract inflammation

• High concentration of vitamin C for an immune boost

• 15,300 ORAC value to give you antioxidant power

• Moringa Leaf which contains all 9 essential amino acids

• Non-GMO ingredients

• Contains NO: soy, wheat, gluten, dairy, eggs, preservative, MSG, shellfish, nuts, artificial colors and flavors

To find out more about ProAlpha Greens, just click on the below link.

Pro Alpha Greens Superfood Powder

“These opinions are my own and I received the above mentioned product in exchange for a review.”

Easy Ice Cream Cake And A Surprise

I decided to make an ice cream cake for a 4th of July party that we were having. My whole family was going to be there except my 20 year old son. My son had just returned from overseas and would not get leave for a while to come see us. He is stationed in Virginia and I live in New Mexico. I thought since the rest of the family was going to be here we could Skype with him. I thought we could celebrate his safe return with a cake. I would of course make another cake when my son got leave to got visit us. As I was making my cake, I got an incredible surprise. My 20 year old son walked in the house. I did a second look as I was not expecting my son for at least another month. It was just like what you see on TV. The soldier surprising his mom after he had been overseas for 7 months. I was overjoyed that my son was able to be at our July 4th party. We were able to celebrate with him in person instead of online. My son returned to the states on July 1st and drove 3 days to surprise his family. It was awesome!

Here is the easy cake I was making when my son walked in. I was making an ice cream cake as it was too hot to turn on the oven. I know what you are thinking an ice cream cake is hard to make, but this one is easy to make as it uses ice cream sandwiches. The pictures don't really show how great the cake looks as it was a cloudy day and I was very distracted with the surprise visit from my son. Trust me this cake tastes delicious and is very rich. I was able to get 12 generous servings from this cake. This pictures below are in order showing the steps to making the cake. I did not get pictures of the frozen whipped topping step or the sprinkling of Heath milk chocolate toffee bits as like I said I was distracted with the joy of my son coming home. I will make this cake again to get better pictures. My son will be here until July 15th and that is the day of his birthday, another reason to make a cake.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

One box ice cream sandwich bars (box of 12)
One container frosting, any flavor
2 pints ice cream to frost the cake, chocolate or vanilla(keep in freezer until step 2)
8 ounces thawed frozen whipped topping( keep in fridge until step 3)
Heath milk chocolate toffee bits, Chocolate chips, Sprinkles, or mini M&Ms

Line a cookie sheet with foil and make sure the cookie sheet fits in the freezer before you start. You will be placing the cake in the freezer between steps and when it is complete.

1. Place 4 ice cream sandwiches on the foil and then spread the frosting on top of the sandwiches. Place 4 more sandwiches on top of the frosting and then spread more frosting on those sandwiches. Place the remaining ice cream sandwiches on the frosting. Use remaining frosting and spread around the outside of ice cream cake. Place the cake in the freezer for 30 minutes.

2. Take ice cream out of freezer and put in and bowl. Using a spoon cream the ice cream until whipped topping consistency. Then frost the ice cream cake with the ice cream. Frost all over the sides and top of cake. Work quickly as the ice cream melts fast. Place the cake back in the freezer for 30 minutes.

3. Take the cake out of freezer and spread the thawed whipped topping all over the top and sides. Sprinkle the topping of your choice, I used a mixture of Health bits and chocolate chips, all over the top of the cake. Wrap the cake up in foil and place in the freezer. Keep the cake in the freezer for 2 or more hours before serving. When you take the cake out of the freezer, sprinkle with more topping, if needed. To serve the cake, just slice it into slices.

I made another ice cream cake for another party. This time I used butterscotch chips and chocolate pieces.

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Chocolate Mocha Cake Made With Community Coffee

I love coffee as the taste is awesome. As I was enjoying my morning cup of coffee, it was French vanilla flavor, I thought to myself that this coffee would taste great with a slice of cake. So of course that led me to thinking about making a cake. I then thought about how a coffee flavored cake would taste awesome. Well one thing led to another and I made a cake using my French vanilla coffee. My cake was simple to make as I just used a box mix and substituted coffee for the water. The coffee gave the cake an awesome mocha flavor. I also made a wonderful coffee glaze for the cake. I love that coffee transformed a plain box cake to an amazing delicious cake.

I was sent three varieties of Community Coffee, in 3 delicious flavors, to enjoy as a great cup of coffee and to use in my baking. The yummy flavors that I was sent were Golden Caramel, French Vanilla, and Vanilla Crème Brulee . When I received the coffee it was hard to decide which flavor to enjoy first. The Vanilla Crème Brulee won as it was packaged in a K-cup and that meant I could enjoy my coffee faster. I popped that cup into my single serve machine and pressed the start button. Within seconds my coffee was brewing. The aroma was incredible, even my boys were saying “mom that smells yummy.” Wonderful caramel scents were awaiting my taste buds. I added my milk and sugar then poured it over a cup of ice, as it was a hot summer day. The taste of the coffee was even better and it was a yummy afternoon treat. The next day I enjoyed the Golden Caramel coffee and it was also wonderful with a great caramel taste. I could smell the caramel as soon as opened the bag of coffee and while it was brewing, the aroma of caramel was even stronger. My teen also brewed a cup of the Golden Caramel coffee and he said "mom there is caramel candy in the coffee." My cup of French Vanilla coffee was also very yummy. The aroma and taste of vanilla was intense.

About Community Coffee Company

Now in its 96th year, Community Coffee Company is the largest family-owned and operated coffee company in the U.S. Founded in 1919 , Community Coffee not only sells great tasting coffee, but they import and roast their own coffee beans and they are located in Baton Rouge, LA
You can see all the varieties of COMMUNITY Coffee on their website. From the intense, bold flavor and remarkably rich finish of their French Roast to the satiny smooth Golden Caramel flavored blend, the Community® coffee Premium line is lovingly made only with 100% select Arabica coffee beans—the best quality beans available.

Trust me you will have a hard time selecting which coffee to buy. Community coffee is available for purchase on their website and at grocery stores throughout the Southeast region of the United States. For more information, please visit CommunityCoffee.com.

Not only does Community Coffee sell great tasting coffee but they support those who serve our country through their Military Match program. This is a wonderful program that gives the men who serve our country a taste of home with a great cup of coffee. Over 55,000 pounds of or 2.2 million cups of Community coffee have been shipped to active-duty military personnel since the program’s inception. So say thank you to the men and women in the U.S. military by purchasing a cup of home and Community Coffee will double your customer coffee order through the Military Match program for free. Visit their website for more information.

http://www.communitycoffee.com/militarymatch

Now for the recipe for my delicious chocolate mocha cake. You can also find other wonderful recipes that use coffee at the Community Coffee website. They have recipes that incorporates their wonderful coffee into everything from ribs to waffles. There is one for Salted Caramel Espresso Brownies that I am just going to have to make as it sounds incredible.

http://communitycoffeerecipes.com/

What recipe will you incorporate coffee into?

Chocolate Mocha Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1¼ cups brewed coffee, I like Community Coffee French Vanilla
3 eggs
1/3 vegetable oil
glaze for cake
2 cups powder sugar
4 tablespoons brewed coffee

Preheat oven to 350F
Mix the cake mix with the coffee, eggs, and oil with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes, scraping bowl as needed. Then grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for an hour and then remove from the pan. Mix the glaze ingredients together until well combined, adding more powder sugar if needed for desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and sprinkle with sprinkles if desired.

Notes: If you like a stronger taste of coffee in the cake then brew your coffee stronger.

"These opinions are my own and was sent the above mentioned products in exchange for a review."

Fourth Of July Red, White & Blue Flag Pizza

Celebrate July 4th with a festive homemade pizza. This red, white, and blue pizza is so fun to make. It is a delicious way to celebrate the holiday.

When you think of July 4th, you think of barbecues and parties. Most people cook the standard burgers and hot dogs. Year after year, that can get quite boring. I have a great recipe for a 4th of July celebration that will be the hit of the party. I made this pizza to remember my son, who is in the Navy and was going to be overseas for the Fourth of July

For my 4th of July celebration, I am serving pizza that looks like the United States of America Flag. My family loves homemade pizza, and we eat it about once a week. You can serve this pizza as an appetizer or the main dish. Your guests will be amazed when they are served a pizza that looks like a flag.

I made my homemade pizza dough in a bread machine, but you can also make it without one. Making homemade pizza dough is so simple.

A fun 4th of July Activity for the whole Family

Making this festive 4th of July pizza is so fun. So gather the family and let the kids help make the pizza. Letting kids create in the kitchen helps them learn to bake. This is a great 4th of July family activity to celebrate this awesome holiday. If you are looking for other creative pizza or bread recipes, you need to check out this Frog Bread recipe and Focaccia Bread Flowers recipe.

Fourth Of July Red, White & Blue Flag Pizza

~ Is Easy to Make

~ Delicious

~ A crowd Pleaser

~ Creative

~ Patriotic

~ Fun to Make

Ingredients Needed for The Pizza

~ Pizza dough ~ see the recipe at the end of this article

~ Mozzarella Cheese

~ Tomatoes

~ Purple Potatoes

~ Olive Oil

Roll the pizza dough on a baking sheet

To make the pizza look like a flag, roll the pizza dough on a rectangular baking sheet. Make sure to lightly oil the baking sheet or use a silicone mat. That way, the pizza crust does not stick to the pan. I like to use a combination of my hands and a rolling pin to form the rectangular flag shape for the homemade pizza.

Add plenty of mozzarella cheese

The best-tasting pizzas use shredded mozzarella cheese. I like to buy my cheese by the pound and then shred it myself. You can also buy the mozzarella cheese already shredded to make things easier. If you want to add other white cheeses like parmesan for additional flavor, that can be done. If you have a dairy allergy or want a vegan pizza, use a plant-based pizza topping.

Add red, white, and blue pizza toppings

The pizza toppings are what matter in making the pizza look like a United States flag. I used diced tomatoes for the red stripes, and the cheese worked for the white stripes. To make the blue square on the flag, I used purple potatoes. I then used mozzarella cheese cubes for the stars. Other vegetables that would work for the blue section of the flag would be red onions, beets, and purple cauliflower. So the choice is up to you. My pizza looked so awesome when it was done, and the taste was so delicious. My family enjoyed eating a U.S.A. flag pizza on the Fourth of July.

If you enjoy pizza, then you will like these other pizza recipes

Wild Mushroom Pizza With Caramelized Onions

Sweet Potato And Corn Pizza

Easy To Make Pizza Rolls

Dairy-Free Sun-Dried Tomato & Artichoke Pizza

Red, White, and Blue Pizza

Serves 6-8
Ingredients
Pizza dough for one pizza- recipe at the end
1-pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half, or 4 Roma tomatoes cut into small pieces
2 purple potatoes, cooked and cubed into pieces
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2-4 ounces of mozzarella cheese, cut into tiny cubes for the stars
Olive oil

Oven 400F

Brush oil on a baking sheet. Roll the dough onto the baking sheet and then prick the dough with a fork. Place the cheese all over the dough. In the corner of the pizza dough, arrange the cooked potatoes to represent the blue part of the flag. Then take the sliced tomatoes and arrange them on the dough to represent the stripes. Take the cheese cubes and place them on the potatoes to look like stars. Bake the pizza for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the crust is crispy. Slice the pizza into squares to serve, but leave them on the baking sheet for a great presentation.

Pizza dough recipe

2 cups flour

3/4 cup warm water

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast or one yeast package

Combine all ingredients in a bread machine and set it on the dough setting. If making by hand, combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a floured surface into a ball. Let the dough rise in a warm place for an hour.

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