We are a group of bloggers who love to blog about food!  Each month we decide on an all-famous National Monthly Food Holiday to will base our recipes around. This month’s the ingredient is oatmeal.  Yes, January is National Oatmeal Month along with a whole array of other delightful things!! Get excited!

We hope you all enjoy our delicious oatmeal treats this month and come back to see what we bring for you next month.  If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza.  We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE. Be sure to enter the rafflecopter giveaway below for the fabulous Oatrageous Oatmeal cookbook by Kathy Hester!

Without further adieu, here is my twist on oats!

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. So many yummy possibilities. This Blueberry Oatmeal Super Smoothie is fun way to get some extra nutrients into my kiddos before school. Oats are a staple at our house and so I loved discovering that they make a great smoothie ingredient. The blender chops up the oats very finely so you get the nutrition of oatmeal – in a smoothie!

Blueberry Oatmeal Super Smoothie
Yields 4 cups

1/2 cup ice cubes
2 very ripe frozen bananas
4 ounces fresh or frozen blackberries (or substitute with berries of choice!)
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup coconut water

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blitz on high speed for a few minutes. Serve with optional garnish of banana slices and a drizzle of honey.

As you can see – this smoothie was a success at our house and is an old family favorite. Using frozen bananas and berries vs. fresh definitely gives it more of the smoothie texture. I love that the smoothie contains so many ingredients that I can feel good about giving my children. The oats and peanut butter fill their tummies and the fruits load them up with vitamins and minerals for the day. There aren’t huge amounts of each of the ingredients in the smoothie, but it sure beats a bowl of sugary cereal! Plus they think they are getting a treat for breakfast – can’t beat that.

Here are some of the benefits:

Calcium, from the milk

Vitamin D

Fiber, from the banana, blackberries, and oats

Protein, from the milk and peanut butter

Vitamin C, from the blackberries

In addition, you get all the health benefits from coconut water, too! Coconut water raises your metabolism, boosts your immune system, fights viruses, and aids in digestion!

Another of my favorite oatmeal breakfast recipes is my super easy Overnight Baked Oatmeal. I love that it uses fruit as a natural sweetener instead of a lot of extra sugar.And if you are looking for more berry recipes – the Quinoa Blueberry Breakfast is uber healthy! You can indulge and still be healthy with my Healthier Blueberry Crepes, too.

Be sure to check out these other yummy oatmeal recipes and enter the giveaway below!

Mushroom Ginger Congee / Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies / Making Miracles
Southwestern Oatmeal Cakes / A Day in the Life on the Farm
Oatmeal Pancakes / Sew You Think You Can Cook
Savory Ginger Lemon Oat Porridge / The Joyful Foodie
Chickpea Veggie Soup / Food Lust People Love
Salted Vanilla Oatmeal Cookies / Baking in Pyjamas
Berry Oatmeal Super Smoothie / Keep Moving Forward With Me
Bacon Whole Grain Granola Bars / Pantry Friendly Cooking
Apple Pie Overnight Oats / Wallflour Girl
Homemade Cranberry Almond Granola / Rhubarb and Honey
Mango Poppyseed Oat Muffins / The Sweet {Tooth} Life
Brown Sugar Barbecue Meatballs / Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Oat Cinnamon Rolls / Passion Kneaded
Peanut Butter Oat Snack Balls / Mrs. Penguin
Mini Oatmeal Meatballs / The Freshman Cook
Monster Cookie Granola / From Gate to Plate

The oat-guru Kathy Hester has been so generous in donating one of her books to one of our lucky Foodie Extravaganza readers. With her book OATrageous Oatmeals: Delicious & Surprising Plant-Based Dishes From This Humble, Heart-Healthy Grain (affiliate link), you will learn how to use heart-healthy oatmeal in new and exciting ways! You can find recipes such as Steel-cut Oat Sausage Crumbles, Chickpea Veggie Soup, and Blackberry Mojito Overnight Oats. Now go enter this awesome giveaway because I’m super jealous that I can’t enter! If you don’t win, feel free to grab the link from above to purchase your own! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions: This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada only, age 18 and older. The OATragous Oatmeals Cookbook giveaway runs from Wednesday, January 7, 2015 12:00am ET through Thursday, January 15, 2015 12:00am ET. Winners will be randomly chosen and announced on January 16, 2015. Winners will also be contacted by email and will have 24 hours to respond to the email. If a winner does not respond in that time a new winner will be chosen. 

What is your favorite oat recipe?

What breakfast disappears fastest at your house?

Did you make a healthy resolution this year?

The post Berry Oatmeal Super Smoothie + Giveaway #FoodieExtravaganza appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Just wrapped an incredibly inspiring weekend at a blog conference in Salt Lake City. I stayed at my mom’s house to lessen the commute and got to enjoy some great breakfast chats with her over this yummy dish – Breakfast Quinoa with Blueberries. We are both a few weeks into the The Fast Metabolism Diet (see how I lost 5 lbs in a week!). During Phase 1 grains and fruits are important – making this breakfast the perfect way to start your day! Quinoa definitely makes an appearance in our dinner and snack menu plans. Quinoa and Parmesan Cheese-Stuffed Tomatoes – yes, please! But I have yet to try quinoa for breakfast so I was intrigued when my mom shared this dish with me.

The dish is so simple to make!

Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten-Free Quinoa Rice & Shine Hot Cereal

1 cup of rinsed blueberries
Stevia
Cinnamon

Prepare according to the box instructions. Just add water – it’s super simple! Mix with fresh blueberries and top with sprinkles of cinnamon and Stevia. Enjoy!

I love recipes like this for Phase 1 of Haylie Pomeroy’s Fast Metabolism Diet. The quinoa adds a slightly nutty taste and the protein keeps you full for much longer.

You can find the Quinoa Rice and Shine at Harmon’s or also on Amazon.com at the link below. Love free shipping and you get 5 percent off when you add it to your subscribe and save order!

I am still loving this book and the results I am seeing from it! I took a mini-break while I was at the blogging conference, but now I am back on board!

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.com. I love getting my groceries delivered right to my order so I am happy to share!

Linking up with Nomday Monday!

What are your favorite healthy breakfast recipes?

The post Breakfast Quinoa with Blueberries appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

It’s no secret that we are working on living healthier. From clean eating to more family fitness, we are doing all we can to move forward and give our family a healthy new start.

This month has been particularly busy with house hunting, a blogging conference coming up this weekend (SNAP! Yay!), and planning for our trip to Disney World next month. When a family member mentioned a book that was working wonders for them and their weight loss, I cheered for them, but left it at that.

A month later, they had reached awesome weight loss goals and I decided I better give this book a second look! The book is The Fast Metabolism Diet: Eat More Food and Lose More Weight.

Let’s be honest, I am wary of the word “diet” and having to eat a certain meal plan every day. I know the importance of clean eating and avoiding processed foods, but have such a hard time on a limited diet. I was immediately impressed by the variety of foods you can eat on the plan.

When I started reading The Fast Metabolism Diet, the first thing I loved was that you switch up your meal plan every few days. I get so bored of eating the same thing or same types of things every day so this was perfect for me. I also liked that the plan provides you with easy, tried and true recipes. Every single one we have tried, we have liked! I’ve posted several of the pictures on my Instgram feed and my friends have been drooling over them.

The first week was an adjustment for me – our fridge was OVERFLOWING with fruits and vegetables. But by the end of the week, that produce was completely eaten and my husband and I both had more energy. It was also nice not to have to count calories or be hungry – I still got many of the foods I loved and my body got better fuel to burn off fat. I lost 5 pounds and my husband lost 8! Along with the recommended meal plan, we drank lots of water and did one day of cardio, one day of weight lighting, and one day of stretching/yoga.

For the most part, we stuck with the recipes in the book, but during the second week, my husband came up with one of his own. We added Tropical Oatmeal into our Phase 3 meal rotation.

The recipe is simple!

Tropical Oatmeal
Serves 1
1/4 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup fresh berries
1/2 cup fresh pineapple
Stevia
Ground Cinnamon

Bring 1 cup coconut milk to a boil on high and add the steel cut outs. Remove from heat and let soak-in for 5-7 minutes. Add the fresh berries, pineapple, stevia, and cinnamon to the top an enjoy! So simple! You can also soak the steel-cut oats overnight and try baking it in the oven – I am going to try that next week!

But back to the Fast Metabolism diet and the yummy recipes in the book!

The Fast Metabolism Diet divides the week into three phases:

PHASE ONE (Monday-Tuesday): Lots of carbs and fruits

This is such a yummy phase! The Strawberry French Toast recipe is one of my favorites.

PHASE TWO (Wednesday-Thursday): Lots of proteins and veggies

Phase two was the trickiest for us with so much protein and veggies, but snacks like this Stuffed Mushroom saved us!

PHASE THREE (Friday-Saturday-Sunday): All of the above, plus healthy fats and oils

This Three Egg Salad was my favorite recipe from Phase 3. So simple to make! You can find all of these recipes in The Fast Metabolism Diet book as well as the Cook Book!

Just a little disclosure, this is not a sponsored post. I bought the book on my own to try and I have loved it! The only affiliate links in this post are the ones from Amazon.com (thanks for supporting me!)

My husband and I are working on a few of our own recipes that work with each of the phases! And I was so happy to see that the author, Haylie Pomeroy, has more recipes online. You can see many of them on my Pinterest boards.

What are your favorite healthy foods to eat?

What are your favorite healthy family activities?

Linking up to NomDay Monday!

The post How I Lost 5 lbs in a Week! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

This month we are swapping greens into our meals thanks to Green Moms Meet and Fresh Express! From breakfast, to snack, to lunch, to dinner … I am excited to transform some of our favorite meals into healthier salads. We started our week with this delicious Tex Mex Salad! All you need is:

Fresh Express Tex Mex Salad

Fresh Express 50/50 Mix

Lake Country Asiago Cheese from Costco

Grape Tomatoes

Black Beans (drained)

Corn

Southwest Tortilla Chips

Lime for squeezing

Add all the ingredients together and enjoy! Simple, right?

Now I need to find 29 days more worth of salad swaps! Luckily, I am not alone in this endeavor. Fresh Express has made it uber easy for me and has even created an app to help me add greens to my daily meal plan.

I’ve been playing with it all morning and I love the suggestions! Once you sign in, you can select certain meals that you crave – from Chicken Alfredo to Grilled Cheese – and Fresh Express will provide you with a healthier green alternative. Know what my guilty pleasure is? Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers from Wendy’s! Clicked on it in the app and I was immediately directed to a yummy recipe! Try it here.

The app also helps you track your calories and exercise – perfect for me because I am headed to Florida in six weeks and getting in shape! Now for my favorite part, you can input the codes from your Fresh Express salad bags and they will send you valuable coupons. Win – win!

To prepare for my month of salad swaps I headed to Target to stock up on Fresh Express salads. Holy salads! I was greeted with a wall of options – more than even fit in my picture! Loved the variety from Baby Kale to Spinach to Spring mixes and more. These salads are all table ready. Fresh Express salads are thoroughly washed, rinsed, and gently dried, then sealed in patented “Keep-Crisp®” breathable bags to keep their just-picked freshness, without preservatives.

Yesterday we began our salad swap! One of my favorite ways to add veggies to breakfast is by adding them to eggs. I sauteed onions, grape tomatoes, and Fresh Express spinach before adding my eggs in to scramble. So simple and so delicious.

I’ve also been known to sneak greens into smoothies. So easy to add a handful of spinach or baby kale – especially when Fresh Express does the prewashing and drying for you!. Here is one of my favorite green smoothies – this recipe has lots of yummy mix and match options! My Berry Oatmeal Smoothie would also be delicious with some baby kale thrown in – I am excited to try it.

And if you are looking for a delicious seafood salad – check out my Grilled Tilapia Salad that can be made with Fresh Express baby kale. It is one of our family favorites!

Do I have you seeing green yet? Join in on the 30-day Salad Swap challenge and be sure to download your free app to help get you started!

Be sure to LIKE Fresh Express on Facebook to stay up to date on their latest offers! You can also follow Fresh Express on Pinterest for a plethora of salad recipes and ideas! They have a board for every month of they year – check it out!

You can stock up on your own Fresh Express salad kits with coupons available from Green Moms Meet.
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.

What is your favorite salad?

How do you get greens into your family’s diet?

The post Fresh Express Tex Mex Salad + Coupons and a free app! appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

As a Latter-day Saint, I look forward to hearing from our world-wide church leaders twice a year at General Conference. The event is held in downtown Salt Lake City, but is also broadcast to LDS church buildings worldwide as well as on the Internet and television. I am so excited to listen with my family!

Each year, I find myself asking, how do I prepare myself and my family for General Conference? The church has put together amazing resources (available at the above link) and I have also teamed with some of my favorite LDS  bloggers to share our favorite conference traditions, recipes, and activities. You can check out their fun links at the bottom of this post! 

My three children are ages 6, 4, and 2. Each year since our oldest was born, we have tweaked our traditions, but the basis is the same. A family gathered together listening to the prophet and apostles! A typical conference weekend for us includes delicious recipes, quiet activities for the little ones, and this mama saying a little prayer that our preparation pays off! Here’s a little sneak peek into a few of our favorite recipes and quiet activity ideas!

Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice … General Conference Preparation

My two oldest love watching this youtube video every year to help them learn the names of the apostles. Sometimes we have it on repeat over breakfast (at their request!).

As mentioned above, our kitchen table is prime real estate when it comes to places to learn! Kids have to eat so I take advantage of it. I first saw this at my neighbor’s home and I love the possibilities! I bought this clear, durable table cover  and rotate the content that goes underneath as my children learn or memorize it.  Right now we are working on learning the Family Proclamation with these printables from Chocolate on my Cranium. You could easily print off pictures of the first presidency and twelve apostles as well to help your children learn and recognize them. Easy pop quizzes at the dinner table!

General Conference Breakfast Ideas

Before the Saturday and Sunday morning sessions, we like to have a big family breakfast to start our day. These yummy blueberry crepes are on the menu for Saturday morning and I am debating between Cupcake Diary’s cinnamon and sugar pull-apart rolls and Love to be in the Kitchen’s homemade cinnamon rolls for Sunday morning! Can you tell I am a fan of cinnamon baked goods? We are going to be snacking on Live to be Inspired’s banana bread some time during the weekend as well!

General Conference Traditions and Quiet Activities

With three young children at home, I like to start General Conference weekend with a plethora of printables (see the blogger links below!) and quiet activity ideas. We’ve watched conference from our version of King Benjamin’s tents, illustrated the stories we are hearing on giant pieces of butcher paper, and played conference bingo many a time! I also like having a big basket of books available for my children to look at and read. I’ve listed some of our favorites below.

Books are a big part of our General Conference preparation! Earlier this year I helped make flip books with text and pictures for The Family: A Proclamation to the World from the Chocolate on my Cranium printables. My daughter loves reading her book because it matches the songs she is learning in Primary. She’s learned so many big words from reading it so often!

My children also have books with pictures of the Savior put together by their grandmother. She took card-sized pictures of the Savior by Greg Olson and put them in the sleeves of photo books to make darling books for each of her grandchildren. She wrote her testimony in the cover which is sweet for the children to have! My kids love looking through those as well.

Story of the Walnut Tree is one of our favorites to read while getting read for conference. It is the story of the walnut tree from President Hinckley’s home that was used to build the podium for the conference center. Knowing the story gives my children something familiar to look for during the sessions.

I am going to add The Giver of Holy Gifts to our collection this year in the children’s Easter baskets. The beautifully simple children’s board book shows some of the images from the Sacred Gifts art exhibition taking place at the Museum of Art at BYU right now and talks about Jesus’ holy gifts to us.

If Jesus Came to Visit Me and others by Jill Roman Lord are sweet board books as well. Perfect for the 2-6 year old crowd to look through during conference. We also have The Story of Easter and others by Patricia Pingrey in our book basket for conference.

Session Breaks 

In between sessions, we like to let our children get all their energy out! Whether it is a picnic in the back yard or a quick family walk to the local park. It definitely helps to let them play to their hearts content and get the wiggles out! After an hour or so of outside play, afternoon nap time is much more likely to happen!

In between the Sunday session, we like to update our 72 hour kits. So many stores have case lot deals and emergency essential sales. General conference weekend is a great time to see what you have and add what you need! I stay tuned to sites like Freebies2Deals to get the heads up on the best local and online preparedness deals. My children love rotating out the older clothes and munching on the 72 hour kit snacks!

Find more ideas on my General Conference and Primary Pinterest boards! Be sure to check out these fabulous ideas by my blogger friends as well!

We would love if you added your General Conference traditions to our link up! Just two requests, please link back to this post and it must be General Conference related! To find out more about the LDS Church and what we believe, click on this link! 

[inlinkz_linkup id=385371 mode=1]

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Now that my family is feeling better, we have jumped into the fun of February with full force. The first week and a half has been  packed with yummy food and activities leading up to two fabulous events – the Olympics and Valentines Day! 

For Valentines Day we love splurging on decadent desserts. Driscoll’s Berries was kind enough to send me some coupons for berries so I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect berry dessert. As luck would have it, I came across this recipe for Cheese Crepes from Natasha’s Kitchen when I was searching for Russian foods to make my family for the Olympics. I knew by substituting blueberries that the crepes would be the perfect treat for the Sochi 2014 Opening Ceremonies and then the perfect breakfast for Valentines Day!

To make these to-die-for crepes, I followed the recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen with a few alternations. One healthy substitution that Natasha makes is to use 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour instead of entirely white flour. You can also use low-fat cream cheese as well as fat-free cottage cheese to make it even healthier! By making the healthiest version of the recipe, I can still spoil my little family for special days like Valentines Day, but know we are on track when it comes to our health. My favorite substitution is the blueberries for the raisins.

Why? Because blueberries are a super food! February is American Heart Month and these sweet little berries will help keep your heart healthy in the following ways:

• Blueberries are an antioxidant rich super food. Antioxidants can help reverse and prevent health disease.
• Because blueberries are high in fiber, they help keep your cholesterol low which helps out your heart!
• Blueberries are high in Vitamin C and help boost your immune system.

Do I have you craving blueberries yet? If not, check out this yummy Raspberry and Blueberry Kale Salad!

I’ve teamed up with my blogger friends, The Bloggerettes, to bring you even more yummy recipes and heart-healthy activities this month. This post is the first collection of recipes and crafts brought to you by The Bloggerettes. Each month we are going to bring you a themed party post that will have all sorts of goodies in it.

Along side myself, I have seven other wonderful ladies. I think I should give them all an introduction… this is our first collective post and you need to know where you can find my awesome blogger friends! So here they are…

Amber, the creative mind and busy mom of a 1-year-old behind Rick-A-Bam-Boo
Christina from It’s a Keeper
Alexis, a lover of crafts, recipes, family fun and the busy mom of 3 under 3 at We Like to Learn as We Go
Summer, the cook, crafter and dessert lover behind Summer Scraps
Taralyn, the traveler, mother, and life-time learner behind Keep Moving Forward with Me
Kaylin, the messy cook behind Keep it Simple Sweetie where she shares how to keep meals simple and fun
Lauren, the aggie enthused chef behind From Gate to Plate
Aimee from Aims Creations

Now lets get to the rest of the fun…

As I mentioned above, February is National Heart Month and Valentine’s Day. We have brought you a collection of some of our favorite heart-healthy and heart-shaped recipes to spoil your family with this Valentines. If you choose one of our heart-shaped recipes, be sure to get outside and be active with your family!

Also, let us help you begin your journey to better heart health, by keeping these simple steps in mind:

Don’t go it alone. The journey is more fun when you have company. Ask loved ones to join you. 
Don’t get discouraged. You may not be able to finish all the steps at one time; take a break and come back to them later.
Don’t become overwhelmed. With each it step brings you closer to a healthier heart.
Reward yourself. Enjoy your hobbies, decrease your stress.

**************

Now that you’ve seen my healthier blueberry crepes, why don’t you take a look at what the others are sharing. Driscoll’s berries would be perfect in so many of these recipes!

Raspberry Angel Dessert by Summer Scraps
Iced Oatmeal Cookies {Heart-Shaped} by From Gate to Plate
Love Bug Sandwiches by It’s a Keeper
Healthier Heart Pancakes by We Like to Learn as We Go
Heart Healthy Easy Strawberry Citrus Salad by Keep it Simple, Sweetie
Chia Seed Pudding by Rick-A-Bam-Boo

Be sure to check back the last week of February for another themed party! {I know we said only one a month, but hey it’s a Double Dose February!}

What are your favorite foods for Valentines Day?

What is your favorite berry?

** Driscoll Berries provided me with coupons for this post. Thank you! Check out the Berry Community at their web-site for coupons of your own! 

The post I love you berry much – healthier blueberry crepes appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

One of my favorite places to visit is the Oregon coast. Whenever we go, we always stop at quaint restaurants and enjoy the local seafood. It is to-die-for scrumptious. For some reason, I never thought I could recreate the same mouth-watering tastes at home. Too hard to do in a land-locked state like Utah! That is until I discovered Gorton’s Seafood.

To my surprise, Wal-mart had an entire freezer dedicated to Gorton’s. I was seriously wowed by my choices! I snapped up some fish sticks for my kiddos, but checked out the grilled selections for myself.

P.S. Every member of my family devoured the fish sticks. That has not happened at a meal in way to long. Mommy & Gorton’s Seafood for the win!

I selected the Roasted Garlic and Butter Grilled Tilapia for my delicious salad (recipe below!). Usually, I am a breaded gal when it comes to fish, but Gorton’s makes grilled look easy so I thought I would give it a try! Here are the other yummy ingredients I picked up for the salad:

 The salad was so easy to whip up with my husband! While my husband chopped the onions and apples, I tossed the tilapia in the oven. It came out just a little bit later looking like this. Hello Gorgeous!

The tilapia was perfectly seasoned and incredibly flakey – just how I like it! The best part is – I just had to put it in the oven and then put it on top my salad! Love it! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

Gorton’s Roasted Garlic & Butter Grilled Tilapia
Baby Kale Blend with Garden Veggiees (or your favorite greens!)
Dried Mixed Berries
Chopped Walnuts
Feta Cheese
2 small Apples
Lemon Juice
Red Onion
2 slices of bacon
Poppyseed Dressing

Instructions

Prepare Gorton’s Roasted Garlic & Butter Grilled Tilapia as directed.
Cook 2 slices of bacon and crumble them.
Core and chop apples into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle with lemon juice to keep from turning brown
Chop red onion into your size of preference

Now comes the easy part! Load your plate with the yummy kale blend and then layer all of the ingredients on top. So yummy!

I love that this salad contains so many super foods! From the Omega-3s in the tilapia to the antioxidants in the berries. Everything I need to end my day right.

Now my readers are in luck because Gorton’s has a $1 coupon that you can print and one of my lucky readers will win a Gorton’s prize pack of their own to try! Enter on the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

After you’ve entered my giveaway, head on over to enter Gorton’s Real Fabulous Sweepstakes where you can win a $1000 makeover! After adding the delicious 80-calorie grilled tilapia to your dinners, you may need a new wardrobe to match your healthy lifestyle!

Gorton’s also has some delicious recipes on their web-site. We have the Grilled Tilapia Tacos on our menu plan for next week. And the Gorton’s Wicked Good Fish and Chips is going to make an appearance on our Super Bowl menu. So yummy – I cannot wait!

*I received free product to conduct my review. I only share products that my family has loved!

The post Grilled Tilapia Kale Salad appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Call me crazy, the brussel sprout is one of my favorite vegetables. Not just any brussel sprouts, brussel sprouts roasted in coconut oil and sea salt. I pop these yummy morsels in my mouth like candy. I seriously hesitate to share with my children and my husband’s fingers better move fast if he wants any.

When I was asked to try out Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil, I just knew it was perfect for my favorite brussel sprouts recipe. The Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil is certified organic and traditionally made. The taste is pure and delicious!

Ready to try out the infamous brussel sprouts? They are beyond easy to make. Most of the time, I guesstimate my ingredients for this recipe according to taste, but I’ve written out some estimations just for you. My sister in law shared this recipe with me and I’ve been a fan ever since!

Roasted Coconut Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

Brussell Sprouts – a bowlful

Sea Salt – 1/2 teaspoon

Tropical Traditions Organic Virgin Coconut Oil – 2 tablespoons

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet or pan with foil (all about avoiding messes!) Cut the stem off of each brussel sprout and then cut in half vertically. Gently rinse brussel sprouts. Place brussel sprouts with melted coconut oil and sea salt in a sealed plastic bag and shake. Pour onto baking sheet. Roast approximately 30-45 minutes. Be sure to check on them often during the last minutes to make sure they don’t burn! I love mine with just a little crisp!

Tropical Traditions has kindly agreed to give one of my readers their own 1 quart jar of Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil. I hope you love it as much as I do. You can find out more about the product in this video or at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h6eycjf29M

My family has been using coconut oil for about three years. It’s a fantastic addition to our pantry and has so many uses! You can check out more ways to use coconut oil here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

The post Roasted Coconut Brussel Sprouts appeared first on KeepMovingForwardWithMe.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. So many yummy possibilities. Recently we’ve been trying out new smoothies. I eventually want to start juicing (just watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead), but a new juicer isn’t in the budget yet. Last week’s Food Network Healthy Challenge focused on breakfast and this week we are focusing on whole grains. What better way to transition than a breakfast smoothie that includes oats. I am a HUGE fan of oats and oatmeal. I became attached to it during my pregnancy when I was trying to avoid high blood pressure.

This morning we experimented with this delicious looking recipe for a Blueberry Oatmeal Super Shake from Life is Great. I was out of some of the ingredients so we substituted and added some of our own. Here is what we came up with

Berry Oatmeal Super Smoothie
(modified from Jordan MacVay)
Yields 4 cups.

• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 4 ounces fresh blackberries
• 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
• 1/3 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup coconut water

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blitz on high speed for a few minutes. Serve with optional garnish of banana slices and some frozen blueberries with a drizzle of honey.

As you can see – it was a great success! I think next time I will make sure the bananas and berries are frozen for a thicker texture. I LOVED that the smoothie contained so many ingredients that I could feel good about giving my children. The honey soothed their little coughs. The oats and peanut butter filled their tummies. And the fruits loaded them up with vitamins and minerals for the day. There aren’t huge amounts of each of the ingredients in the smoothie, but it sure beats a bowl of sugary cereal! Plus they think they are getting a treat for breakfast – can’t beat that. Here are some of the benefits:

• Calcium, from the milk
• Vitamin D
• Potassium, from the banana & coconut water
• Fiber, from the banana & blackberries & oats
• Protein, from the milk & peanut butter
• High Vitamin C, from blackberries

In addition you get all the health benefits from coconut water:

• raises metabolism
• boosts immune system
• fights viruses
• aids in digestion

I am participating in

Beauty & Bedlam’s Tasty Tuesday
Food Network’s Healthy Weekly Challenge

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