Power Pancakes

Pancake recipe number three is a great way to start your day. If you're trying to eat clean or at least a little healthier this is a yummy way to do it. We all know that oatmeal is good for you and egg whites are a great way to add protein, so let's put them together!

You Will Need:
2 1/2 cups oats
6 egg whites
1 c milk
1 Tbs flax seed
1 Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Heat a griddle or skillet and spray with cooking spray or melt some coconut oil (what I use). Put all ingredients in a blender and turn it on. Mix it up good. Pour batter onto heated griddle by the 1/4 cup. Cook until pancakes start to bubble and then flip. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes. These pancakes are really thick and hearty, but cook through easily. Serve with applesauce, peanut butter, banana, agave, honey, whatever floats your boat.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Bath Soak - Thrifty Thursdays

Do you like babies' soft skin? Me too!

Since May is the month of Mothers Day, we thought it would be a perfect time to put together a few Homemade Spa Treatments that you can make as wonderful, well needed gifts. I think it would be fun to make a few of these, buy a candle and decorate a #10 can and make it a whole spa in a can experience for your mother, mother-in-law, wife, sister-in-law, best friend...etc.  We hope that you will enjoy these Thrifty Thursday posts and use them in your home right along with us.

How many of us take time to take a long warm bath?  I still remember that I had an 8th grade English teacher who told us that no matter what, she soaked in a long warm bath at least once a week.  She said she would light a candle, bring a book and lock the door so the kiddos would know to leave her alone and enjoy the quiet time.

I have kids that are too little for me to just lock out and plan on them taking care of themselves, but I can still make a goal to do something like this in the evening after they've gone to bed.  We deserve it, right?!

The first Spa Treatment we will be introducing to also happens to use quite a few bulk storage items.  What an awesome way to rotate through some things!  This recipe is close to the original from this site.  It also uses powdered milk which is on sale this month!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Bath Soak
Ingredients:
3/4 c oatmeal
1 c powdered milk
1/2 c baking soda
2 t cornstarch
1 t cream of tartar
1 t cinnamon
An air tight jar to keep out moisture (I just reused an old jam jar)

Directions:
1. Grind your oatmeal in a food processor.  Once it is finely ground, add your remaining ingredients and mix well with the food processor.
2. Put mixture in a moisture proof container so it will not go moldy in storage.
3. To use, simply add 1/2 c of the mixture in a warm full bath.  Soak and enjoy.

I decorated it with paper to be able to give it as a gift in a bucket, then realized since its going to be around water, the paper will get ruined.  I wrapped the paper with packing tape to protect the paper.

I thought it was cute because a little bit spilled on the table because I had been lazy and not got a funnel... anyway the kids were sooooo excited and started licking it up immediately.  My daughter was sad when I told her it was time for bed.  She said, Please don't wipe it mommy.  I'll eat it later.  So there you have it, makes your skin soft AND gives the kiddos taste buds a joy ride :)

Blueberry Muffin "Cake"

I've been wanting to make blueberry muffins for a while and this week I finally did! Sad to say in the past I usually just used a box to make blueberry muffins. I have been looking for an easy, yummy, and THRIVE friendly recipe for a while and I'm happy to say I found one!

The reason I call it a muffin cake, is because that's how I got Jaxon to eat it :) And it's a thicker consistency.

You will need:

1 cup THRIVE blueberries
2 cups THRIVE flour
1 cup THRIVE quick oats
2/3 cups THRIVE sugar
1 tsp THRIVE baking soda
1 tsp THRIVE baking powder
1/2 tsp THRIVE salt
2 THRIVE eggs
1 1/2 cups greek yogurt
2 Tbs THRIVE honey (prepared)
1/4 c butter melted

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin or spray with cooking spray.
2. Next place 1 cup THRIVE blueberries in a small bowl and add 1 cup of water. Let them soak while you mix the other ingredients.
3. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. If you are using THRIVE egg powder, go ahead and add 2 Tbs to the dry ingredients.
4. In a second bowl mix together yogurt, honey, and melted butter. If you're not using THRIVE eggs add 2 eggs here.
5. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry.
6. Drain the blueberries and add to the batter.
7. Spoon batter into muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes.
Makes 12 - 24 muffins (mine made 18).

Jaxon ate 2 "cakes" for breakfast, they must be good!

You can find the original recipe here.

Crockpot Oatmeal

One of the things I have learned is that oatmeal is really good for you. Growing up I ate the instant kind loaded with sugar. Now if I buy instant I look for the kinds that contain flax seed and are low on the sugar. I mainly reserve the packets for busy mornings. Generally I make my own oatmeal and don't add any sugar. I've been wanting to try steel cut oats for a while now, but wasn't sure about the best way to go about it. Then I decided to try it in the crockpot. It was so easy and made enough for my family and then some.

Steel cut oats are less processed than rolled or quick oats, basically they are the oat groat cut up into smaller bits. They have a lower glycemic index which means they stick to your ribs longer and has a slow and steady impact on blood glucose levels. They also have a denser consistency. The main draw back with steel cut oats are that they take longer to make, but if you do the crockpot method it basically doesn't take any time at all.

Unfortunately Thrive Life doesn't offer steel cut oats yet, but they do have oat groat~. However, we'll be using other Thrive Life food products to make our oatmeal extra yummy. Plus I'll be doing a few more posts using quick oats and oat groat so be on the look out for those (both of which Thrive Life carries).

You Will Need:
2 c steel cut oats
8-9 c water
1/2 c blueberries
1/2 c pears
1/4 c flax seed
cinnamon to taste
nuts (optional)
brown sugar (optional)
agave (optional)

Directions:
Dump your oats, blueberries, pears, flax seed, cinnamon, and water into the crock and mix it up. Add water. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or over night. I mixed all the dry ingredients together while I was cleaning up the kitchen after dinner. Then I added the water and turned it on about 10:00 before I went to bed. You may need to adjust the water or the time because it can burn and stick to the sides.
Stir it up a bit and serve with nuts and maybe a splash of milk and some brown sugar or agave for a little sweetness.
Makes about 6 servings. Store left overs in an air tight container in the fridge and reheat in the microwave for about 90 seconds.

I liked this method a lot and it would be easy to try different fruit combinations. The blueberries and pears soaked up a lot of the water, so they were really soft. I couldn't even see the pears when it was finished.

Mama Mondays - Healthy Mama Series

Good Morning Mamas!

I am so glad that you are joining us again this Monday! Today is an exciting one because I will be introducing another series as a part of Mama Mondays! This is something that I am really passionate about and something I have personally struggled with. Being a Healthy Mama!!!

I will be adding great tips, tricks, and recipes to help you throughout your pregnancy and again while breastfeeding! Tune in every 2nd Monday of the month!

Perhaps a little back story would help you understand why I care so much about healthy mamas!!!

When I was pregnant with Noah (He was a pleasant surprise FYI), I was waist deep in a very intensive Diagnostic Medical Sonography Degree. It required that I work 40 hr week at my clinical internship site (which was 45 minutes from home), and put in about 30 more hours of study, assignment time, just to stay afloat!! I was not an overachiever my any means! I was highly stressed and worn out! This did not make ideal conditions for a pregnancy. Once I started thinking about it, most moms now have to deal with less than ideal conditions while pregnant these days. So what can we do to make sure that we stay as healthy as possible? Let me tell you what I did.....

#1 Drink TONS of water!!!

While pregnant or nursing water is vital! You need plenty of water to keep you babies amniotic fluid at a good level as well as to clean the fluid. It is also very important for your own body. You are giving up so much to help that little one grow, your body needs the water to maintain its cells and critical functions, like the kidneys.

#2 Take some time for exercise!

I really loved to stretch while I was pregnant. You can find prenatal yoga and mediation videos everywhere!! This really helps to relieve some stress and help many fluids in your body to circulate much better!! Deep breaths and pamper those muscles!!! This can also help blood circulation and prevent varicose veins if done regularly.

#3 Plan to succeed!!! Plan Snacks & Meals!!!!

Make sure that you have a great eating plan. If you have a plan and take time to prepare your meals and snacks, you are giving yourself a head start. You are less likely to choose something that will will set you back. Healthy snacks and meals are essential to give your body the right fuel to keep you energized and grow that cute little baby! Here is some of my best advice....

Eat a really good breakfast! Make sure that you have a great protein source and that you add in some veggies!!! This gives you the best head start! MY favorite is to make an egg, veggie, and cheese omelet! Take your THRIVE Scrambled egg mix and create a "bed" for your favorite veggies and cheese. My favorite veggies are THRIVE Green Chile, THRIVE Asparagus, THRIVE Spinach, THRIVE Onions, and THRIVE Red and Green Bell peppers! I usually top it with just a little THRIVE Cheddar Cheese. Add some THRIVE Instant Milk and some THRIVE Quick Oatmeal to boost breast milk production!

Make sure that you plan some healthy snacks! One of my favorite snacks in the morning is an assortment of Yogurt bites and fruit and nuts! This ensures that you get a little protein! Add in any of your favorite THRIVE yogurt bites and favorite THRIVE fruits to some almonds and you are good to go! For a snack towards the afternoon (this is usually when most people begin to crave the sweets!) I love to add in something with a crunch! I LOVE the THRIVE Corn! It is almost like eating popcorn, but a little sweeter to satisfy my sweet tooth!

Make sure that your lunch is packed with good stuff! I love a great chicken salad with some fruit! Combine some of our THRIVE Superstars for a great lunch! Chicken, Onion, Celery, Apples or grapes, and some red or green bell peppers make an amazing chicken salad!

 

At dinner time it is important to pay attention to your balance between the carbs and proteins! You growing baby needs good proteins and veggies to carry you through the night. One of my favorite go to dinners is a stir fry! You get tons of protein and veggies in! Check back next Monday for my THRIVE Sizzle! Stir Fry recipe!!!

Last but not least, make sure that you are treating yourself! One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to be healthy is that they feel like you have to completely cut out all the "Bad" things! NOT!!! If you love ice cream....eat a little ice cream!! The trick is, only eat a true serving size!!

#4 Perhaps the most important, Get good Sleep!

Getting enough sleep is so important when pregnant or nursing and probably the hardest to come by! Try and help yourself by winding down about 30 minutes before bed by doing some stretches and rubbing your feet. Use some lotion and really try to calm yourself down.

 

Try to remember that in order to take care of your growing little ones, you have to take care of yourself! Once you start you will love it!!  

Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

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With 4 cute kiddos around the home, we go through a lot of snacks throughout the day.  These kids may seem tiny, but they have quite an appetite when it comes to granola bars.I have never been a fan of the "name brand" Chewy Granola Bars, but bought them for the kids at Costco a few times a year because they only equaled out to about 25 cents a piece.  Bingo...$1 and the 4 are fed, right?  Well, sort of...

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Breastfeeding Trial and Triumph!

So before we jump in to my recipe, there are a few things you should know about me...

1. Breastfeeding is the hardest, most rewarding thing I have EVER done.

2. I LOVE cookies. Love them!!!

3. I have a passion for natural solutions and taking charge of my own health.

4. I really love doing things the easy way...even if it means more work in the beginning.

So with that being said, let me introduce to you, my breastfeeding secret weapon!

I call them Breastmilk Boosting Breakfast cookies!

When I was working full time with an 8 week old baby and a hubby who worked longer hours than I did, these saved my life! Any mama knows that when you have a new baby...your focus is on them. However, mamas need good food too in order to make good milk! Take care of you too!! This is an easy way to do that! Let's Dive In!!!

What you are gonna need:

1 C. Butter

1 C. Sugar

1 C. Brown Sugar

4 Tbl. Water

2 Tbl. Flaxseed Meal

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

2 C. Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

3 C. Oats, or Barley Oats

2-4 Tbl. Brewers Yeast (I use closer to 4....)

Keep in mind that this is my base recipe. I add in different item for several different variations of this cookie. I love this recipe because you can do anything with it! Some of my favorites are Cran-Choco-Almond (white and milk chocolate chips, dried cranberry, and almonds-chopped), Reese's (I add milk chocolate chips, reese's chips, and 1/2 peanut butter), Tropical Paradise (Add coconut, pineapple, white chocolate chips, and i substitute vanilla extract with coconut extract), Smores (Milk chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs), etc! Use your imaginations! You can add anything you really love to eat.

Combine flax seeds and water. Let sit for 5 mins.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs 1 at a time. Stir in flax mixture and vanilla.

Add flour, yeast, soda, and salt gradually. Stir in oats and mix-ins!

Bake @ 350* for 10-12 minutes.

I get my handy-dandy cookie scoop (my favorite kitchen utensil) and make cookie dough balls that I can freeze and keep handy. This way I can just grab 2 (or 3 if I am feeling impulsive) in the morning and pop them in the toaster oven for breakfast on the way out the door. Or you can bake them all at once, just make sure to store them in the freezer. Don't forget the milk!

These little cookies are packed with tons of great things for mommies. They will help increase breast milk supply, regulate your digestive tract, and improve your mood! All great things for new mommy on the go! These are my go-to for my new mommy friends. I take them a full recipe to stick in their freezer so they can help get their supply strong from the get-go, instead of struggling like I did.

Hope you love em!

PS.  Don't forget to check out our Giveaway that's beginning in just a couple of days.