MM - Baby Days! Snackage.....

Happy Monday everyone!!!

I don't know about all of you, but snacks make the world go 'round in our household. Once Noah could eat solids, snacks were gold, in fact, this is still the case! My little guy is a super eater and loves meal time. Most of the time we are super busy and snacks fill the gaps for us. So today I thought that I would give you some "food for thought"!

Has anyone tried those yogurt bites that they have in the baby isle? Either the gerber brand or the store brand, to me they taste so weird. Now, have you tried the THRIVE yogurt bites? AMAZING!!!! In my humble opinion, the THRIVE yogurt bites melt easier in the little ones mouth, taste WAY better, and kiddos love them!! Not to mention that they are a ton cheaper! Noah's fav is Strawberry!

The thing I love most about THRIVE foods is that they make the perfect snack right out of the can! The fruits and veggies are awesome for when your little one starts to feed themselves! Try the peas, corn, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mangos, and pears! They are great starter foods and they love the crunch! Noah absolutlely loves the fruits and veggies especially while he is teethin!! The applesauce is also amazing!



What about when they get a little older and goldfish are the bomb.com? Well, I was perusing the THRIVE cookbook the other day and I found this little gem! AMAZING!!! We made a batch this weekend and they were devoured!!!

***I have to add a disclaimer. I don't have an actual picture of the ones that we made this weekend. They were gobbled up rather quickly and I forgot to take a picture in the craziness that happened this weekend. Me and Noah got some burns on saturday as i was cooking. Some hot oil splashed on the both of us. Things have been just a little out of whack ever since then. ***


Photo courtesy of THRIVE Cookbook

Here is what you will need:
1 1/4 Cups TRIVE Flour (Whole wheat or white)
1/2 Cup THRIVE Cheese Blend
1/8 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Soda
1/4 teaspoon THRIVE Salt
3 Tablespoons Oil (I use coconut oil)
1/2 Cup Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all your dry ingredients. Slowly add oil until the mixture is crumbly. SLOWLY add water until you form a tight dough.
Roll out you dough very thin (they will puff up when they bake) about 1/8 of an inch. Cut into squares or your favorite shape. Poke a hole in the top of them and transfer onto a greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Cool completely before removing them from the pan.
Happy Snackin!

Mama Mondays - Prosperous Pregnancy

Happy Mondays Mamas!!!

I am hoping that we will all love the 4th Monday of the month as much as the others! Why you ask? Because every 4th Monday will be prosperous pregnancy Monday! YAY!!!

Ok so I realize that you may not be jumping for joy right now (especially if your baby belly is gettin bigger ;) these days!), but this is something that is very near and dear to my heart....so get excited!!!

While I was pregnant with my little one, I was also highly stressed and overworked, a plight not unlike most of you! What did I do to combat this? Well, I have already mentioned my top 5 tips, and those helped alot!!! I quickly learned that the way that I ate really affected my day. The days that I tried really hard to follow my eating plan, I felt so much better and had much more energy. The days when I "cheated" and ate differently, I felt crummy. So I decided to get some awesome go-to meals that packed a big punch! I usually make them in big batches and stick some in the freezer, that way I could just pop em in the toaster oven as I rushed out the door to work! 

Something that is important to remember while you are pregnant is that huge shifts in sugar affect your growing baby. You want to try and eat consistently and make sure that you have a great protein source when you eat.

My all time favorite breakfast is Ricotta Pancakes with fruit. (I love them with blueberries, but you can add anything to them!!) These are like a super food!! They pack in only 17 carbs per serving with a huge 12 g of protein!! YES!!! I KNOW!!! And they are so yummy!! Here is what you need:

Makes 2 Servings
3 Tablespoons THRIVE Flour
2 teaspoons THRIVE Sugar (or Stevia)
1 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon THRIVE Whole Egg Powder (or 1 egg)
2 Tablespoons Water
1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Raspberries, Blackberries, or whatever else you like! (You can rehydrate these or leave them freeze dried)

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Stir in egg powder, water and ricotta cheese until well blended. Gently fold in blueberries or other fruit.
Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto hot griddle for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form on top, then turn to brown other side.

If you want to do a big batch to have some on hand, you will need:
Makes 14 servings
1 and 1/4 Cups THRIVE Flour
1/4 Cup THRIVE Sugar (or Stevia)
2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon THRIVE Baking Powder
7 Tablespoons THRIVE Whole Egg Powder 14 Tablespoons Water
3 and 1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
Blueberries, Strawberries, Bananas, Raspberries, Blackberries, or whatever else you like!

I hope you love them!

Healthy Mama Top Tips

Happy Monday Everyone!!! We are on a mission to make Monday somethin that you look forward to instead of dread!!! Hopefully this post is a good start!!!

I have been working on a list of the best tips and advice that I have received or things that have helped me on my journey as a mama. Here goes:



Handy Dandy Water Glass!!

1.   Good ol' H2O!!!

Water is so important!!! Not only is water important to a healthy pregnancy, but also to a breastfeeding mama! You need so much water in order to make milk or keep your amniotic fluid goin strong, but also to keep your own body hydrated. I find that the best way to make sure that you are getting enough water during the day is to make yourself accountable! You will need 2 Liters everyday while pregnant or nursing (4 oz. extra for every 20lbs. overweight) What works best for me is to get a water bottle or cup that is around 1 liter. Then I divide up my day in 2 (I go from 6am-12noon and 12noon-6pm). that way you curb your intake before bed so you are not up all night! Then I just make sure that I drink the entire glass or bottle before that time! Also, I drink so much better if it is from a straw, so if that helps you, make sure to get a cup or bottle that has a straw. The idea here is to make it effortless!!!

2. Be prepared!

The easiest way to eat healthy foods is to have them ready and at your disposal. The reason that most of us eat junk food is because we have it lying around and it is usually in a nice little package that is easy and convenient. If you plan ahead a little bit and make sure that the healthy snacks are easy and convenient, you are much more likely to choose those. This is also why I make my Breastmilk Boosting Breakfast cookies! What I did was picked 1 day a week, usually Sunday because the hubby is home and can help, to pack snacks and plan meals. Make the snacks something you already like! My favorites are the THRIVE fruit line. Strawberries, Pineapple, Raspberries, Blueberries, and Blackberries are my favorites!! I usually make a "trail mix" type of snack bag by throwing in some of my favorite freeze dried fruits, nuts, and granola or yogurt chips. This way when I am out and about, I can just grab my snack bag and enjoy instead of being tempted by my other choices! :) These yummy granola bars are also an awesome option! Be creative and add what you like!

These are so yummy!!! We eat them right out of the can!

3. Indulge!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to treat yourself to something nice! It does not have to be food (although it certainly can be)! Get a pedicure, take a bath, rent a movie! It doesn't matter what you do, just do something! I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas, so for me, sweets are my indulgences! I love the THRIVE macaroons! Dipped in a little chocolate and I am in heaven! That is all it takes to make it easy for me to eat well the rest of the time...1 little macaroon...or maybe 2!

4. Find yourself in Awe...

Take a little but of time to think about just what we are doing here. If you are pregnant, just take a little time to think about what a miracle it is to be helping your little one grow! It takes a LOT of hard work to make a tiny person, and it truly is amazing! If you are a nursing mama, just think about all the steps your body goes through in order to make milk for your little one. I am still dumbfounded that it even works in the first place! Once you think about how amazing all of this is, eating healthy and taking care of yourself really doesn't seem so hard anymore!

And Last but certainly not least...

5. Catch some ZZZ's

I know that as a pregnant or new mama, sleep is something of a precious thing! However, it is one of the most important things that you can do for a healthy body. Do whatever you need to do to relax yourself and get some rest. If that means napping while your little one naps, then do it! Do not let anyone make you feel like a slacker for taking care of your body. After all, it is the only one you get!

Don't forget to check us out tomorrow for info on our big giveaway!! Happy Monday!

 

 





Fruit- My favorite line in the Shelf Reliance Spectrum

Currently Out of Stock Ultimate Fruit Package

473.29 plus shipping and tax

(This is not the picture of the package because I do not yet have a picture of this package.  The actual package has 30 #10 cans).   This makes the cans only $15.78 a piece!

Package Contents:

3 Strawberries (FD)

3 Raspberries (FD)

2 Blueberries (FD)

2 Blackberries (FD)

2 Peach Slices (FD)

3 Mangoes (FD)

2 Sliced Bananas (FD)

1 Pineapple Chunks (FD)

3 Pineapple

3 Apple Chips

3 Apple Slices

3 Banana Chips

This is a SMOKING DEAL so if you are ready to stock up for an incredible price, email me at ShelfRelianceMom@gmail.com.

Instant Pancakes in a Platter

Pancakes in a Platter Full Page
Pancakes in a Platter 3x5 or 4x6

 

Instant Pancakes are a quick variation of doing breakfast for a family on the go. Each bowl is an individual person’s portion similar to if you had made instant oatmeal.  These are a quick replacer for a long prep time if you’d like something besides cold cereal and are in a hurry.  They have become my family’s new favorite.

Original Instant Pancakes
10 T THRIVE Instant Pancake Mix (1/2 c plus 2T)
5 T Water

Measure ingredients into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 70-95 seconds, depending on microwave wattage. It should be spongey but not sticky to the touch.

Fruit Pancakes
2-3 T FD THRIVE fruit (Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries, Crushed Bananas)
3 T Water
10 T THRIVE Instant Pancake Mix (This is the same as ½ c plus 2T of mix)
3 ½ T Water

Measure FD fruit and 3 T water into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 20 seconds.  Add 10 T of pancake mix and remaining water and mix thoroughly with a fork.  Microwave on high for 70-95 seconds.  (Some fruits are a little more moist when the water is mixed and need a little more time to cook) Also, Microwave wattage may vary.

Optional: Sprinkle some additional dried fruit or nuts for more flavor and texture. Yum!

I am still experimenting with more combinations so if you have some you've tried, I'd love for you to comment and I'll add them on for other readers. Some yummy combo yet to come...peaches 'n cream, apples and cinnamon, blackberry...the possibilities are endless.

Tiffany Daumueller
Director at Shelf Reliance
ShelfRelianceMom@gmail.com
575-621-0274



I am an independent consultant for Shelf Reliance and as such I am able to sell products to you at Factory Direct pricing, no coupons needed! To get these discounts, simply go to www.shelfreliancemom.shelfreliance.com. Discounts will show up once your items are in the cart. To view the items that are currently on sale, please go to Current Discounts and Promos Page. To ensure you are getting the consultant discount it must say Shelf Reliance Mom-Tiffany Daumueller Discount Store at the top of the page.


Thanks for stopping by!

Tiffany's Fruit Granola Recipe

Shelf Reliance has an awesome granola recipe that we can serve at parties.  Although it is good as is, I made a few alterations to it myself which people keep asking for!  I will just share it on here so everyone will have it available to them.


To print 3x5 or 4x6 Recipe
To print Full Page Recipe

Tiffany’s Coconut Almond Fruit Granola

Yield 7 Cups

2 ½ c Oats                                     ¼ t nutmeg               1/3 c THRIVE Pears

½ c almonds, sliced                     ¼ t cloves                  1/3 c THRIVE Blueberries

½ c coconut                                  1 ¾ t cinnamon        1/3 c THRIVE Raspberries

½ c walnuts                                   2 T honey

½ c brown sugar                           ¼ c butter, unsalted (½ stick)

                                   

Preheat oven to 300°F. Mix first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Melt butter and honey in a small saucepan over low heat. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and toss well.  Line cookie sheet with foil and spread out mixture on lined sheet.  Bake 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally.  Cool on the baking sheet.  Toss with Freeze Dried fruit mixture (or one of your choice).  Store airtight at room temperature for 1-2 weeks.  Can be served as topping for yogurt, eaten as a cereal with milk or as a snack on its own.


I just have to give a shout out for our brown sugar which is good sealed in a can for 10 years!  Have you ever opened up a bag of hardened brown sugar when you were wanting to bake some cookies... never again!


To order any of these DELICIOUS ingredients for the cheapest price available, just go to www.shelfreliancemom.shelfreliance.com .