Healthy Brownies With a Secret Ingredient

 My friend posted about making brownies from a mix and adding black beans to the mix. I thought that was a great idea as my family could use the extra nutrition and fiber. I googled a recipe and found one at Food Network's website http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/melissa-darabian/black-bean-brownies-recipe/index.html

Ingredients
Butter, for greasing pan
3/4 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup vegetable oil, or olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee or espresso
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9-inch square baking pan.

In a blender, puree the beans with the oil. Add the eggs, cocoa, sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Melt half the chocolate chips and add to the blender. Blend on medium-high until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the blender and pulse until just incorporated. Stir in the remaining chocolate chips. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake until the surface looks somewhat matte around the edges and still a bit shiny in the middle, about 20 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting and removing from the pan. 

This recipe was easy to make as I made in in my food processor.

The brownies turned out really good and my family could not taste the beans.  My picky eater even ate them and said they were yummy. They were like cake brownies and I was happy that my family was getting some extra iron,protein, and fiber in their diet.

PENNINGTON® SMART FEED™ SPRAYER SYSTEM

I got this PENNINGTON® SMART FEED™ SPRAYER SYSTEM free from Bzzagent to test. Here is some info about it. You can buy the product at Home Depot,Walmart, and Lowes.

YOUR PERENNIALS WON’T TELL YOU WHAT YOU’RE DOING WRONG

So let the Pennington^® Smart Feed^™ Sprayer System take the guesswork out of fertilizing for you. Most conventional garden feeders make it impossible to know how much fertilizer you’re feeding your plants. That’s why Pennington developed their reusable Smart Feed^™Sprayer System; an easy, reliable way to apply fertilizer that delivers bigger, better results*. Simply attach the sprayer to your hose, load in a pre-measured Smart Feed^™ water-soluble fertilizer tablet and spray to release nutrients to your plants.

The Pennington^® Smart Feed^™ System delivers 100% of its nutrients in roughly 10 minutes. That’s half the time and half the water needed for competing products!

JUST THE FACTS

We promise you've never had this much to say about fertilizing before. Here's a rundown of the brand-new Pennington^® Smart Feed^™ Sprayer System, including what friends and family will want to know most:

• Innovative delivery system takes the guesswork out of fertilizing, delivering nutrients to your plants for bigger, better results*
• No mixing, no measuring, no mess — water-soluble fertilizer is pre-measured and compressed into tablets you can easily dispense through the hose attachment
• The Smart Feed^™ Sprayer has four different settings, so you can select the right spray pattern for your needs
• The clear chamber makes it easy to see when tablets have fully dissolved
• Each pre-measured Smart Feed^™ tablet fertilizes up to 300 square feet of outdoor space
• Tablet refills are currently available in three varieties: All Purpose, Flowers & Blooms and Tomato & Vegetable
• The sprayer system retails for a suggested price of $12.99, while the Smart Feed^™ refill tablets start at just $9.99
• The products are sold at Walmart, Home Depot and Lowe's

Chick-fil-A #FreshMade Blog App and A Giveaway

Forget about yesterday, today is #FreshMade! Each day we have a choice, a choice to do the same old routine or do something unique and different.  What have you wanted to do for a long time? 2013 is almost halfway over and it’s time to do something new. It’s time to grow, it’s time to make your dreams a reality.

Chick-fil-A is helping you make today #FreshMade, by creating new menu options that you can feel good about! They are introducing 3 new premium salads and an improved wrap all under 430 calories made with premium ingredients.

Take your taste buds to greener pastures. Now get to Chick-fil-A and taste the new premium salads and wraps. Your taste buds will thank you.



I am hosting a giveaway for my readers to win  2 Chick-fil-A Salad Coupons. Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below and good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



"These opinions are my own and I will receive two Chick-fil-A coupons for posting this information from PartnersHub."

Bob's Red Mill

I recently won a gift card to Bob's Red Mill and I had a blast shopping on their website. I already use Bob's Red Mill products as they not only taste good but are good for you. They have so many different items to choose from like grains, seeds, flours, and even gluten free products. I decided to choose some unique items as well as favorite ones like oatmeal. One of the items I choose was sweet brown rice to use to make healthy sushi. I already made a batch and it was yummy. Tonight I will try making sushi with it and later show you how that went. I also choose popcorn and Jesse and I made some today. We devoured it up. My favorite product to use is their chia seeds. I did not buy any as I have bought some earlier this month on Amazon. Chia seed is loaded with calcium, protein, fiber, omegas, and antioxidants. I just add a tablespoon to oatmeal or yogurt every day. It also adds no flavor just great health benefits. Chia seed also is great for endurance and I have noticed it in my running on days I eat chia seeds.
  You can purchase Bob's Red Mill products online at http://www.bobsredmill.com/ or at stores like Smiths, Sprouts, and Whole foods.
Check out their Facebook page
I will be using all these wonderful products in my cooking in future blog posts.

"These opinions are my own and I won a gift card from Bob's Red Mill. I was not obligated to write this post."

Fast Metabolism Diet "Make and Take" MommyParties

Mommy Parties selected me to help promote the release of this new book   The Fast Metabolism Diet by Haylie Pomroy. I love this book as it teaches people how to eat healthy as a lifestyle not a quick diet. The book helps you in 28 days to reset your metabolism to help you lose weight. The author Haylie Pomroy has spent more than 17 years helping people lose weight while still enjoying real food and not going hungry. She is highly regarded in Hollywood and in the medical field.

The diet is done in three phases and has you eating plenty of good food. There is also plenty of recipes in the book to get you started.

• Phase 1 ( Monday-Tuesday)- Lots of carbs and fruits
• Phase 2 ( Wednesday-Thursday)- Lots of proteins and veggies
• Phase 3 ( Friday-Sunday)- All of the above, plus healthy fats and oils

 They sent me copies of the book and other goodies to hand out to my friends.

I had a walk planned with my mom's group and seized the moment to tell them about this book as most of the moms are trying to lose weight. I also included some other goodies in the bags I gave them that went along with the books principals.

My moms were happy to get the books and the other goodies before we set out on our walk.

 As we walked we talked about the book and healthy eating. The moms were excited to read the book. Half way through, our walk which was 5 miles, we had a break.

Next week on our next walk, I will be excited to here the ladies thoughts on the book.

For more information on this wonderful book go to http://www.fastmetabolismdiet.com/

"These opinions are my own and I was sent the above book and samples from Mommy Parties to share with other moms."

Sambazon Organic Smoothies and Juices Giveaway

I love Sambazon smoothies and juices. I was sent some coupons and this wooden bowl and spoon from Moms Meet to do a post about. I was already drinking these wonderful drinks and was happy to help them let others know about them. Their bottles are cool looking also. I drank the Supergreens one and it was so good. I was surprised at how it was sweet and not bitter as it had kale in it. My son drank the Acai and love it. Here in Albuquerque you can fin Sambazon at Walmart, Sprouts, and Wholefoods.

.About Sambazon
Sambazon® offers a full range of fresh and organic juices, smoothies, and
frozen products in a variety of delicious and exotic flavors. Their products are
made with premium quality whole food Amazon plants and fruits that deliver
the highest bio-available nutrition. This company is truly dedicated to bringing
the next level of nutrition to the world while supporting the environmental
and social well-being of the Brazilian Amazon and its people. Sambazon
is both Organic and Fair Trade certified, supporting two million acres of the
Amazon Rainforest and over 10,000 family farmers.


Just the Facts

Just the Facts

• Sambazon juices and smoothies are made with the finest organic Amazon
Superfoods™ on the planet such as Açaí [Ah-sigh-ee], Acerola [Ah-sir-o-la], and
Yerba Mate [Yur-ba Mah-tay].
• Their juices and smoothies are available in ten different delicious flavor varieties,
and packed with antioxidants and healthy omega 3-6-9s.
• All Sambazon Superfood juices are NON-GMO, USDA organic, vegan, gluten-free,
and provide whole food nutrition.
• A bottle of Sambazon Superfood juice (10.5 ounces) retails for $2.99.


Available in a range of functional flavors providing a variety of health benefits
• Açaí/Antioxidant:
 This Original Amazon superfood juice is bursting with powerful
antioxidants and healthy omegas. It’s a delicious way to combat free radicals and
comes in two flavors: Original or Açaí+Blueberry+Pomegranate.
• Energy:
 This potent blend of Açaí berries, Yerba Mate, and Guarana delivers a
whole food experience that boosts the body and mind the way nature intended.
Energy is available in two flavors: A rich berry superfood juice blend with 50mg of
organic caffeine per bottle, and a new Mocha Java superfood smoothie with 80mg
of organic caffeine from fair trade coffee beans, plus a hint of chocolate.
• Protein:
 These indulgent smoothies are packed with 10g of organic vegan whole
food protein per bottle (which helps to build lean muscle) and healthy omegas to
keep you full longer. It comes in three yummy flavors: Açaí berry + Vanilla; Açaí
berry + Chocolate; Chocolate + Almond + Coconut milk
• Supergreens with Kale + Ginger:
 This is a potent blend of Açaí berries, a powerful
new blend of six varieties, plus a hint of ginger. It delivers around two servings of
whole fruits and veggies, without added sugar.
• Blended Breakfast:
 This is the first beverage to combine whole fruit with ancient
grains (like quinoa and amaranth), chia, and Organic/Non-GMO verified soymilk for
a smoothie that sustains and nourishes. This delicious strawberry-banana blend is
also a good source of fiber (7g per bottle).


Learn more and connect:
sambazon.com
facebook.com/sambazon
twitter.com/sambazon
pinterest.com/sambazon
instagram.com/sambazon
greenmomsmeet.com

I am also having a giveaway on my  blog where one lucky reader will win three free product vouchers and the bowl and spoon pictured above. Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below and good luck.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from
the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May
Media Group LLC, who received it directly from
the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I
agreed 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 the product."