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PBfit Review: Healthy and Delicious for the Whole Family

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PBfit

Delicious PBfit – All Natural, Vegan, and Gluten-Free

While I’m normally the class clown, I want to be somewhat serious for a minute.

I guess that’s somewhat of a benefit to being the person who’s never serious, when you ARE serious, people know it’s… well… serious.

Think back to when you were in grade school. If you’re a parent or grandparent, odds are you have trouble thinking of overweight kids or even teachers. I can, honestly, remember the names of the overweight kids because they were so few.

Today, sadly, things are much, much different. You cannot go to the store, it seems, without seeing precious children who are already dealing with weight as an issue – at an age when they’re only “issue” should be homework or keeping their little brother from snitching on them!

I don’t have to tell you how unhealthy and dangerous carrying extra weight is. I won’t insult your intelligence with any diabetes statistics. You know that there is an epidemic in our country – with children and adults. An epidemic that HAS to be confronted head-on with better nutrition.

PBfit Smoothie

Chocolate PBfit Smoothie with Apple and Banana

The problem is… kids have incredible appetites! They’re growing and busier than any self-respecting Type A bee, so that’s only natural. Starving them is most certainly NOT the answer. Fun activities and healthy food are the answers needed and, fortunately, healthy food couldn’t be easier.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, too. It’s delicious! In fact, eating healthy is so delicious – and makes you feel so much better – that the entire family will benefit.

PBfit is one of my family’s newest obsessions and it will surely become one of your family’s as well.  With 87% less fat than traditional peanut butter and 1/3 the calories, all natural PBfit makes meals and snacks healthier and even more delicious than ever.

You simply mix a little water with the PBfit mixture and… badabing!… delicious and creamy peanut butter. You only make the amount you need for the moment, so it’s always fresh and fantastic. If you want to add a little chopped peanuts or even a mashed banana, have at it. While the options are endless, it’s never better than when it is in its simplest form – good old fashioned peanut butter. PBfit Chocolate Peanut Butter

Chocolate PBfit Peanut Butter

It’s wonderful spread on bread, toast, or English muffins (with or without banana slices – YUM!) but I actually prefer dipping apple slices into the peanut butter. I also love making smoothies with the traditional PBfit as well as the Chocolate PBfit (it makes outstanding peanut butter, too… very reminiscent of Nutella).

When making your favorite smoothie, simply toss in some PBfit for extra protein and flavor. It is absolutely perfect in chocolate and banana smoothies. I usually throw an apple in, too, for good measure.

After all, an apple a day and all that…

There are a lot of excellent sounding PBfit recipes on the official website. I’m slowly but surely going to workmy way through each of them. Seriously, this is outstanding – you are going to love each of these – Chocolate PBfit, Organic PBfit, and the Original PBfit.

Kids will get a huge kick out of “making” their own peanut butter and you’ll never have to let them know how much healthier it is for them. Heck, even I get a kick out of “making” my own peanut butter and my qualification for “kid” expired quite a while back!

PBfit Smoothie

 

Each of the three varieties is IDEAL for smoothies and even milkshakes. They smoothly incorporate into the other ingredients – seemingly even better than traditional peanut butter does. I’ve actually been surprised just how smooth and creamy my smoothies are.

Below is a recipe from PBfit that’s a perfect example of the options when it comes to smoothies.

 PBfit and Jelly SmoothiePBfit & Jelly Smoothie

1 cup frozen blue berries
4 tbsp pbfit
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 tsp low carb sweetener, monk fruit
3/4 cup milk of choice
*** optional, 1 tsp goji berry powder for color added nutrients

Blend and enjoy!

Find more recipes, nutrition information, and a lot more on PBfit.com.

PBfit sent me the samples in the picture above in exchange for telling my readers about their product. They also graciously shared the PBfit & Jelly Smoothie recipe and picture with us. The raving words and opinions are all my own, of course (as are the rest of the pictures). I was blown away by PBfit – I honestly had no idea how delicious it would be, for one thing, or how many different ways it could be used for another.

You can find PBfit in most grocery stores as well as on Amazon. I hope you’ll check it out – you and your family will absolutely love this!

Raspberry Gradient Smoothie: Paleo, Vegan, Colorful, and Delicious

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Raspberry and Grape Juice Smoothie

As I said in my 350 Vegan Recipes review, I am crazy about the Desert Sunrise smoothie… all of the recipes I’ve tried from the book have been great, in fact.

One of my favorite things to do with recipes is (after trying them as is) to take them for spins around the block to see what else we can get into. Since raspberries are a particular obsession of mine, I knew this particular spin around the block would involve these outrageously beautiful berries.

I love Deb Roussou’s idea of using aloe vera juice and sparkling water in smoothies – then adding juice at the end. It makes for a gorgeous smoothie that’s also downright delicious.

I’ve been a smoothie fanatic for years, now, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be one for life. The tricky thing about smoothies is that they’re like another personal reason for getting out of bed in the morning – SALADS. They are only “healthy” if you, literally, make them healthy. Throw in too many bad or borderline bad ingredients and you’ve defeated your healthy purpose and shot yourself in the foot.

If you are accustomed to sweetening your smoothies to the point that they taste like milkshakes, I’d love to propose that you put down the sugar and step away. Some green smoothies or other vegetable-based smoothies DO need a little honey but fruit-based smoothies are perfectly sweet, as is. Your tastebuds will adjust to the difference and you will soon (very soon) prefer the ability to actually taste the fruit and healthy ingredients as opposed to just automatically thinking, “Sweeeeeeet.”

The smoothie recipe below is paleo, vegan (and, of course, therefore gluten-free and vegetarian).

All smoothies don’t have to have milk, alternative milks, or yogurt in them. Experiment and always try to keep your smoothies as natural and organic as possible.

Grape Juice and Sparkling Natural Mineral Water

This is the Grape Juice and Sparkling Water I Use

Raspberry Gradient Smoothie (based on Desert Sunrise, 350 Best Vegan Recipes.)

1-1/4 cups frozen raspberries
1/2 cup aloe vera juice
1 cup ice
2 TBS chia seeds, soaked in a little water for two minutes
1 cup sparkling water
1/2 cup grape juice

Combine the ingredients and pour into 2 glasses. Top each with 1/4 cup grape juice.

The pictures in the post were before I stirred the smoothie together – something you’ll want to do to distribute the juice throughout the drink.  I just had to take a picture because it looked so darn pretty!

Experiment with juices and frozen fruit in this smoothie – make it your own and give it a name. All smoothies should have names, after all.

The recipe in 350 Best Vegan Recipes called for fresh peaches (instead of raspberries), chopped dates (instead of chia seeds), and pomegranate juice (instead of grape juice).

Raspberry and Grape Juice Smoothie

 

350 Best Vegan Recipes: Great Cookbook for ANYONE, Vegan or Not

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350 Best Vegan Recipes

One of the cookbooks I’m currently getting the most use out of is Deb Roussou’s 350 Best Vegan Recipes.

Am I a vegan? No.

Am I a vegetarian? No.

Am I a vegan half the time? No.

Am I vegetarian half the time? Not so much.

And yet… this is a cookbook that I use regularly for recipes, ideas, and inspiration for my own recipes.

The last part of that, “inspiration for my own recipes” is probably the number one way I use cookbooks. While I almost always make it the way the recipe states first, I do love to take a great recipe for a joy ride and see what wonderful other sights we can see.

I’ll be posting a recipe in a few minutes that’s actually based on one of the smoothie recipes in 350 Best Vegan Recipes. The original “Desert Sunrise” is delicious, as are the other variations I’ve tried. Adding aloe vera juice and sparkling water makes for some out-of-this-world smoothies. As soon as I post the recipe, I’ll come back here and link to it right about here.

350 Best Vegan Recipes Cookbook Recipe

Some of the recipes in this cookbook:

  • Pan-Fried Onion and Potato Hash Browns
  • Basic Pizza Dough
  • Quick Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pizza
  • Manicotti Florentine
  • Orecchiette Pasta with Eggplant Garlic Sauce
  • Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle Dip
  • Ranch Dressing
  • Fragrant Rice-Stuffed Peppers
  • French Onion Soup with Croutons
  • Lemon Cucumber Tabbouleh
  • Stacked Green Chile Enchiladas
  • An a lot more – 350 in all.. and more when you “tinker” with the recipes and create new ones.

While this is not a “gluten-free” cookbook, substitutions are always possible and it’s usually as simple as replacing a regular pasta with a gluten-free pasta. Easy peasy.

350 Best Vegan Recipes is perfect for anyone’s cookbook collection, because even if you aren’t a vegan or vegetarian and even if you (like me) have zero intention of becoming one (my love for burgers and fish are simply too strong), the healthy, creative, and delicious recipes will add both flavor and nutrition to your meals.

If you ARE a vegan or vegetarian… you’d better go ahead and order this book today because you will love it with all your vegetarian heart.

 

 

Raspberry Bliss Smoothie Made Extra Fast (and Tasty) with SlimFast

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Raspberry Bliss Smoothie - with SlimFast Smoothie and Chia Seeds
As I’ve said before, I am beyond obsessed with raspberries, strawberries, and chia seeds. They don’t just float my boat – they power it, steer it, wash it, own it… At least my obsessions are healthy ones. Although the whole strawberry sundae addiction might raise a few question marks.

As you’d imagine, I try to work the thrillsome threesome into my life as often as possible. My Applesauce Raspberry Parfait recipe is a quick way to get my raspberry and chia seed fix, as is a smoothie I have on a regular basis – my beloved Raspberry Bliss Smoothie. It is, of course, just as delicious with other berries – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries… just use whichever berry is your own personal obsession.

This smoothie all begins with a cold bottle of SlimFast – if you have to/choose to eat gluten free, be sure you check the front of the bottle or case for the magic words GLUTEN FREE.  You can experiment with the flavors, but I usually go with Vanilla (unless Strawberries are the star of the day, then I go with Strawberry).

Pour the cold SlimFast into your blender and add:

  • 1 Cup Frozen Raspberries
  • 2 TBS (or however much you want) Chia Seeds

Blend until you have a beautiful smoothie staring you in the face.

{Health Benefits of Raspberries Below}

Raspberry Bliss Smoothie - with SlimFast Smoothie and Chia Seeds

Health Benefits of Raspberries

Given the rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrient mixture found in raspberries, it’s not surprising to see studies showing raspberry benefits in cancer prevention. Chronic excessive oxidative stress and chronic excessive inflammation can combine to trigger the development of cancer cells in a variety of human tissue. By providing a rich supply of antioxidants, raspberries can help lower risk of oxidative stress, and providing a rich supply of anti-inflammatory nutrients, raspberries can help lower the risk of excessive inflammation. When combined, these results mean decreased risk of cancer formation. In animal studies to date, the cancer types most closely examined in relationship to raspberry intake are cancers of the breast, cervix, colon, esophagus, and prostate. – WHFoods.com (Click the following link to read more about the health benefits of raspberries!)

As you can see in the picture above, I use The Raw Food World Organic Chia Seeds – you can find them for a great price on Amazon. Naturally, any Chia Seeds you have will be awesome. You could even leave them out if you wanted to… though I’m not sure why you’d do that. They’re healthy, delicious, and… let’s face it.. fun to eat.

You could also throw in a little flaxseed for extra nutrition. It doesn’t alter the flavor and, although I didn’t this particular time, I often do sprinkle at least a tablespoon in.

Raspberry Bliss Smoothie - with SlimFast Smoothie and Chia Seeds

Review: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water: Pretty (and Delicious!) in Pink

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Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie
Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie (Recipe Below)
I’ve been obsessed with all things coconut for as long as I can remember. In fact, I remember when I was a little girl my mom would have to buy two bags of coconut when she was making a coconut cake – one for the cake and one for me.

I can still taste the coconut as I retrieved it from the bag! One little handful after the next.

So it’s no wonder that coconut water is one of my favorite things in the history of favorite things. Not only is coconut water insanely delicious, it’s healthy. One of the healthiest things it does for you, of course, is it keeps you from reaching for soft drinks!

It’s also excellent for upset stomachs. Whenever I’ve accidentally digested gluten or wheat, coconut water comes to my rescue. I can’t explain WHY but it makes my gluten-ed up stomach pain much better.

Not surprisingly, I’ve found ways to work coconut water into my daily life. Harmless Coconut Water makes this as easy as it gets – Not only is their coconut water fresh and delicious, the bottles are designed in a “hand friendly” way that makes them ideal for carrying on walks or hikes.

I love when drink companies think things through.

Actually, they’ve thought a lot of things through at Harmless Harvest.  It’s as though the phrase, “Doing things the right way” was invented for them.

Harmless Harvest envisions a world where nutritious, clean, organic and healthy food and beverages are the standard rather than the exception; where all people involved in creating the product are treated with fairness; and the planet is treated harmlessly. – Read more of the Harmless Harvest Story…

Harmlessly.

{Review Continued Below….}

Harmless Coconut Water
Harmless Coconut Water
When you buy a bottle of Harmless Coconut Water, you might find that the water is actually pink. It’s completely natural and, if you ask me, pretty cool. What can I say? It wears it well.

Since I am nowhere near a scientist and couldn’t sound remotely scientific if I were paid to, I’ll let Harmless Harvest explain the “Pretty in Pink” phenomenon: Coconut water contains naturally occurring variations in levels of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, that can turn pink. All of our coconut water is clear when bottled; however some bottles turn pink with time when the antioxidants interact with light. Darker pinks are usually associated with a higher expression of PPO (polyphenol oxidase), one of the many active enzymes in our water. A higher PPO count can be due to the particular crop, season, etc. Read More…

Harmless Coconut Water - Pretty in Pink Harmless Coconut Water: Oh So Pretty in Pink
Obviously, a coconut fiend like me is going to love her coconut water straight from the bottle – I’m so hardcore like that  – but my favorite way to enjoy Harmless Coconut Water is actually in smoothies. It has a more intense, nutty flavor than other coconut waters on the market which makes it perfect for smoothies.

When it comes to smoothies, part of the fun is choosing your own fruits and “extras,” but the recipe below is my go-to smoothie recipe of the moment. Sometimes I’m a little more heavy-handed with the frozen raspberries than the peaches and other times I flip it and go nuts with the peaches.

Chia Seeds are one of my favorite “extras” for smoothies. They’re delicious, very nutritious, and… let’s face it… they look mah-ve-lous.

Harmless Harvest Coconut Water and frozen pineapple (as you’d imagine) also make knock-out smoothies.  While I’m deathly allergic to them, personally, I’d imagine that mangoes would also rock in a Harmless Coconut Water smoothie.

Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie

Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie

16 oz Bottle Harmless Harvest Coconut Water
1 TBS Raw Honey
2/3 Cup Soy Milk or Coconut Milk
2 TBS Chia Seeds
8 Frozen Peach Segments
1/2 Cup Frozen Raspberries

Blend. Get Comfortable. Enjoy!

I will be experimenting with a lot more Harmless Coconut Water Smoothies and will post the recipes on Get Cooking. It’s that time of year when I just can’t get enough smoothies and Harmless Harvest Coconut Water has opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

Look for Harmless Coconut Water in your grocery store. I’ve found them at Meijer’s and Kroger. They are found in the refrigerated section, hanging out with other delicious and healthy food. See the Locator page for more information.

Connect with Harmless Harvest:

Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie

Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie: Beautiful!

I was sent coupons to try Harmless Coconut Water in exchange for telling you all about them. The review, recipe, opinions, and photos are straight from me.

Cascade Ice: Deliciously Brilliant Way to Wean Your Kids (and Yourself!) Off Soft Drinks

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Cascade Ice

I was recently sent a bright, colorful, beautiful quintet of Cascade Ice beverages to review on Get Cooking. You can see the beauties above.

I honestly… legitimately… positively cannot tell you which one is my favorite.  Each time I thought I had a winner, I’d try the next one and… BOOM! We’d have a tie. It wasn’t long before the “two way tie” grew to a “five way tie.”

They are each absolutely perfect, absolutely delicious, and absolutely calorie free.

One of my daughters, Brittany, has been trying to give up soft drinks and diet soft drinks. The great taste and convenience of Cascade Ice is actually help to make the goal a reality.

These refreshing, zero calorie drinks can help your own kids (as well as you!) either cut back on or give up soft drinks and other calorie-heavy drinks.  They’re perfect for school lunches, taking to the office, and after school snacks.

Below are a favorite recipes for whipping up fast, extra-special after school treats.

Cascade Ice Recipes

  • Back-to-School Berry Blast: To create, mix 1 cup of apple slices, ¾ cup of Greek yogurt, ½ cup of soy or almond milk, a handful of fresh berries and 4oz of Cascade Ice Huckleberry Blackberry in a blender. Blend until smooth and top with a few more fresh berries.
  • Apple Fizzies: So delicious and fun to make! Just pour 6oz of Cascade Ice McIntosh Apple over ice, add in sliced apples and sprinkle in some cinnamon. For the perfect after-school combo, serve the extra apple slices with a tablespoon of peanut butter!
  • Watermelon Slushie: Watermelon is oh-so-delicious, and ripe for the pickin’ this fall. In a blender, combine a few handfuls of ice, several seedless watermelon chunks and 8oz of Cascade Ice Blueberry Watermelon.Then, pour in 6oz of club soda. Blend to desired consistency and enjoy!

Cascade Ice drinks are available in stores across the country.

Find more information and recipes at Cascade Ice.

Kelapo Apple Pie Smoothie Recipe

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Kelapo Apple Pie Smoothie Recipe

As I promised in my Kelapo Virgin Coconut Oil Review, here’s a wonderful smoothie recipe!

Kelapo Apple Pie Smoothie Recipe

1 cup lowfat vanilla frozen yogurt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 ts ground cinnamon
dash ground nutmeg
4-5 ice cubes
1 TBSP Kelapo Virgin Coconut Oil

Place all ingredients in blender and process until smooth and creamy.

Yield: 1 Serving (I doubled mine and the results were still exceptional)

Recipe Courtesy of Kelapo Virgin Coconut Oil