Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup

Creamy Potato Soup

3 C diced yukon gold potatoes (rinsed with peels on)
2 C milk or coconut milk
2 C chicken or vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 C yellow onion, diced
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 T cornstarch

2-3 pcs. bacon, crumbled

2 T fresh chives, minced

Directions:

• Saute onion and garlic in oil on the stovetop until onions are translucent
• Place potatoes, milk and broth in a 4 Qt slow cooker
• Stir in onions and garlic
• Add spices (except fresh chives) and stir
• Cook on low for 7-8 hours
• Puree the soup using a hand blender
• Mix cornstarch in cold water with a whisk
• Pour cornstarch mixture in soup and stir.
• Stir in bacon crumbles
• Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes longer as it thickens
• Sprimkle top with fresh chives ans serve.
• Emjoy!

Clean Eating Coconut Apple Crisp

Clean Eating  CoconutApple Crisp
4-5 med-lg apples (I used Gala). peeled and sliced
1 T ground cinnamon
1 T coconut palm sugar

Topping
1 C old fashioned rolled oats
2 T coconut flour
1 T cinnamon
1/4 C coconut palm sugar
1/4 C unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 C coconut oil, melted

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Mix together apples, cinnamon & sugar, then pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish.
• In a medium bowl, mix together oats, flour, cinnamon, sugar and coconut until evenly combined.
• Stir in melted coconut oil until evenly combined, then pour evenly over the top of the apple mixture.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes. 
• Allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.
• Enjoy!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Cake Part
3 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 C raw sugar
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1 1/4 C coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C pumpkin puree

Topping
1/2 C coconut oil, melted
1/2 C cinnamon sugar
1/2 C old fashioned oats
1/2 C pecans, chopped

Gluten Free Raspberry Chia Seed Muffins

Gluten Free Raspberry Chia Seed Muffins
1 C Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Gluten Free Baking Flour
1 C Brown Rice Flour
1/3 C Sucanat
1/4 C chia seeds
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 C unsweetened almond milk
1/4 C coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 C frozen raspberries

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Combine flours, sucanat, chia seeds, salt and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside'
• In a small bowl, mix together egg, milk oil and extract
• Mix wet mixture in to dry mixture
• Fold in raspberries
• Bake for about 20 minutes

Coconut Flour Protein Coffee Cake

Coconut Flour Protein Coffee Cake

3/4 C coconut flour
3/4 C oat flour
1/2 C natural apple sauce
1 scoop vanilla protein shake mix
1 T stevia powder
4 eggs
1 1/2 C coffee
2 T coconut oil, melted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt


Topping
1/2 C pecans, chopped
1/4 C unsweetened coconut
1/4 C old fashioned oatmeal
1/4 C sucanat
1/4 C melted coconut oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
• Combine all cake ingredients in a food processor and process until well mixed
• Spread cake mixture into the greased cake pan
• Mix together all topping ingredients in a bowl, except the coconut oil
• Slowly pour in melted coconut oil and stir together until topping is evenly mixed
• Sprinkle topping on top of cake
• Bake for 40-45 minutes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes Recipe

Whether you are trying to eat healthy to get in better shape, as a new year's resolution or always try to eat with whole foods, switching to whole wheat flour from the all-purpose white flour is a good starting point and is easy to do. Pancakes are easy to make and when you can make them taste like pumpkin pie without any of the sugar, then then are even better. Consider using pure maple syrup, apple sauce, or another fruit sauce that you make yourself to be assured of the sugar content, like my Low Carb Raspberry Sauce recipe.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

3 c. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 C pumpkin puree
3 eggs
2 c. whole milk, or unsweetened almond milk
1/2 c. coconut oil, melted

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Add eggs; mix slightly and continue adding remaining wet ingredients. Stir until well combined. Using 1/3 c. measuring scoop, scoop batter on to heated griddle or pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cook 1-2 minutes until bubbles appear. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes until fluffy and golden brown. Enjoy!

Popcorn Teacher/Coach/Neighbor. Gift & Review of Franklin's Gourmet Popcorn Packs #ad

You still have time for a last minute teacher or coach gift and all you need to do is print off the FREE printable above and check out your pantry for some popcorn, head to the grocery store, or if you have a bit of time yet, I would highly recommend Franklin's Gourmet Popcorn Packs that you can buy on Amazon.

My Thoughts

What I love about Franklin's Gourmet Popcorn Packs is that they are made with 100% Organic Non-GMO popping corn and 100% Organic Coconut oil. My packs of popcorn were all 6oz, which makes a pretty huge bowl of popcorn that is the perfect for a family movie night for our family of four. They also sell pack in other sizes that include 2oz., 4 oz., 8oz., and 12 oz. All of them come in a pack of 24 individual packets that include the oil and seasoning and popcorn you need to make the given size of popcorn. This box of packets if perfect for using to make up gifts for teachers, coaches and neighbors.

We have tried the popcorn ourselves and is very tasty. There is quite a bit of seasoning, so you might want to season carefully and only use about half and then taste to see if you need more. It tastes much better than getting popcorn at the movie theater plus is it made with higher quality ingredients.

Product Description from Franklin's


Franklin's Gourmet Popcorn is a delicious organic popcorn portion pack that can be cooked in your popcorn machine or in a pot. The pre-measured pack includes popping corn (organic, non gmo, gluten free), seasoning, and 100% coconut oil. Its pre-measured for a perfect pop every time. Makes delicious popcorn that tastes just like the movies!

I received the above product for the purpose of reviewing on this blog. No monetary compensation was received. All thoughts,opinions and images within this post belong to this blog.

Low Carb Raspberry Sauce Recipe

Yes, I know that raspberry have naturally occurring sugar which adds carbs, but typically when we make a fruit sauce we add sugar. If you are eating low carb, berries are the way to go to add in fruit and have the lowest amount of carbs, also those on weight watchers will love this because raspberries are low in calories and high in fiber, so it makes a good addition to their menu.

You can certainly make this sauce with frozen raspberries, which are often cheaper than buying them fresh.

Come back next week and I will share my recipe for Coconut Flour Crepes that this tastes wonderful with, or if you can't wait, try it on these Low Carb Cream Cheese Pancakes.

Low Carb Raspberry Sauce
1 C raspberries
1 packet stevia
1/2 tsp water
1/2 tsp coconut oil (optional, but gives a nice additional flavor to compliment the raspberries)

Directions: 

Simmer all ingredients over low heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir and Enjoy!

Review: Gummy Vitamins

My Thoughts

I try to give my children balanced meals throughout the day, but sometimes we are less than balanced or are trying to give us a little more support during cold and flu season. I wanted to give these Nutrabear Vitamin B12 + Multivitamin Gummy Bears a try too see if they help provide my children with a bit more energy to get through their extracurricular activities at the end of the day. I know I like to take a B-complex to help boost my energy on days that need it or if I have an evening workout ahead of me.

These are great gummy vitamins. They are quite chewable and soft, which I like because other gummies we have tried can get hard and stick your teeth, these do not do that. Both the kids and myself enjoy these. The kids like them for the obvious reasons, they are tasty and are cute little bears. I like them because some times regular vitamins can give me an upset stomach  if I am trying to supplement before a run but don't want to eat a lot. This vitamin headlines with B12, which is provides 150% DV for children 4+, but it also has 150% DV (for ages 4+) for B6 and Vitamin D, plus also includes 10 other vitamins and minerals besides the 3 I named. I was very interested to see coconut oil and carnauba wax on the ingredient list.




Product Description from Nutrabear

This is the world's first Vitamin B12 gummy bear! Perfect for vegetarians looking to supplement their B12.

✔ Get your daily Vitamin B12 intake from 3 gummy bears. Easier to consume than chewable tablets, these yummy treats are perfect for kids and adults.
✔ 100% Gluten Free and Gelatin Free. No artificial flavors.
✔ Perfect for supplementing a vegetarian diet. Each ingredient is carefully chosen to help promote a healthy mind and body.
✔ Includes 9 other essential nutrients: Vitamins A, C, D, E, Pantothenic Acid, B6, B9, Zinc, Choline.
✔ Avoid a b12 deficiency. B12 deficiencies are common among vegetarians and vegans. Mild B12 deficiencies can result in low energy and poor mental performance. Severe deficiencies can result in permanent damage.


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.

Review: Ultimate Omega Junior & Vitamin C Gummies

We have been working through using these review samples of Nordic Naturals Vitamin C Gummies and Ultimate Omega Junior capsules for a while now, plus all the individual samples you can see that they sent me in the bottle picture.

My kids just loved the Nordic Naturals Vitamin C Gummies. What's not too love about them? They are tasty and in the shape of cute little orange slices. Just 2 of these little slices is a serving and contains 250mg of Vitamin C, which is DV 417%. They contain no artificial coloring, flavoring or preservatives and are 100% vegetarian (no gelatin!) My complaint is that there is only 60 in a bottle and with 2 kids each having 2 a day, we go through the bottle in 15 days. I like to buy enough for a month supply, so I guess I will have to buy 2 bottle at a time.

The other product we reviewed was the Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Junior, which is a fish oil that contains double the strength fish oil in half the size capsule. Honestly, as an adult I prefer a smaller capsule as well and like the size of the Junior capsule like this, but when I compared the nutritional information on both the larger size in the adult capsule does offer twice as much Omega 3s in the form of EPA, DHA and other Omega-3s (which is the same formula in the Junior Capsules). It does say that they capsules are chewable, but my kids did not like the flavor of them at all, but my 8 year old was fine with this as a swallowable capsule. My (almost) 5 year old hasn't really used many swallowable products before and had a little trouble with it.

I need to but more of the Ultimate Omega to see if it helps again with my daughter's eczema. My daughter had never had eczema outside of the winter season, but she did this summer and it was clearing up nicely when she was taking the Ultimate Omega, a probiotic and using hydrocortisone on the affected area. Her eczema has come back in the same spot on the back of her leg and doesn't look good and we are going to try using the Ultimate Omega again with a probiotic, but this time I am going to try using coconut oil on her eczema to see how that helps. The hydrocortisone no longer seems to be affective and I would rather try something more natural and see how that helps her body.

Product Description from Nordic Naturals




ULTIMATE OMEGA JUNIOR

--Double-strength EPA+DHA formula for increased omega-3 benefits

--High-intensity support for healthy brain, eye, and nervous system function in ages 5+*

--Easy-to-swallow, smaller soft gel

Ultimate Omega® Junior is one of our most popular concentrates and provides double-strength fish oil in an easy-to-swallow soft gel that's half the size of standard soft gels. And its great-tasting, all-natural strawberry flavor even makes it chewable. Just one serving (two soft gels) of Ultimate Omega Junior delivers 640 mg omega-3s, making it an excellent way to give children more omega-3s in fewer soft gels.

As with all Nordic Naturals products, Ultimate Omega Junior is in the triglyceride form for optimal absorption.* Our patented nitrogen processing ensures that Ultimate Omega Junior is absolutely pure and fresh. Fresh fish oils are better for the body, and do not create negative side effects such as repeat or burp-back.

VITAMIN C GUMMIES

-For ages 4+
-250 mg vitamin C per serving
-No artificial coloring, flavoring, or preservatives
-Pectin based and gelatin free
-100% vegetarian
-Supports a healthy immune system*
-Provides antioxidant support*


Vitamin C Gummies offers an essential nutrient that kids need for growth and development. In addition to supporting many of the body's physiological functions, vitamin C helps optimize immunity and provides antioxidant protection.* These delicious, sour, tangerine-flavored gummy slices are suitable for children ages 4+. Grown-ups love them, too!

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.

Review: Optimal Healthcare Labs Advanced Probiotic Ultra

I had the opportunity to review Optimal Healthcare Labs Advanced Probiotic Ultra with my daughter this summer. I mentioned in a another post that I was using a probiotic in conjunction with a fish oil to help clear up my daughter's eczema and that probiotic was Optimal Healthcare Labs Advanced Probiotic Ultra.

I need to buy more of the Optimal Healthcare Labs Advanced Probiotic Ultra to see if it helps again with my daughter's eczema. My daughter had never had eczema outside of the winter season, but she did this summer and it was clearing up nicely when she was taking the Optimal Healthcare Labs Advanced Probiotic Ultra, a fish oil and using hydrocortisone on the affected area. Her eczema has come back in the same spot on the back of her leg and doesn't look good and we are going to try using the Ultimate Omega again with a probiotic, but this time I am going to try using coconut oil on her eczema to see how that helps. The hydrocortisone no longer seems to be affective and I would rather try something more natural and see how that helps her body.

You can buy Optimal Healthcare Labs Advanced Probiotic Ultra  on Amazon.

Product Description from Optimal Healthcare Labs


Best Probiotics Supplement for your Body - Probiotic Supplement for Women, Kids and Men. Feel Great with Our All Natural Formula for Essential Good Health. 10.12 Billion Per Serving with More Than 50 Billion Cfus in One Bottle! Safe & No Side Effects, Great for Acne, Excellent for Colon Health and Constipation. Helps with Bloating and Abdominal Discomfort. Have a Digestive Advantage in your stomach today and Boost your Immune System with Billions of Live Cultures . 60 Vegetarian Capsules.

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.

Make It Monday: Coconut Flour Crepes

This is my third crepes recipe on Save Green Being Green. Can you tell we like crepes in our house? They all serve to fit different kinds of ways of eating. This particular recipe is more suited to a low carb or paleo diet. If you are looking for a different crepes recipe, try out Clean Eating Crepes or My Favorite Crepes (traditional with white flour) recipes.

Coconut Flour Crepes
6 eggs
1 tsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 T unsweetened almond milk
1 packet stevia
4 T coconut flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine with vigorous whisking or use the whisk attachment for an immersion blender. Coconut flour tends to be clumpy so you have to whisk vigorously.

Preheat a 10" frying pan over med-low heat.

Using a 1/4 C, scoop batter in to the heated (spray with non-stick spray before each crepe) frying pan and swirl the pan to spread the batter over the surface.

Cook until you see the sides are done and the middle begins to bubble. This will only take 15-20 seconds. Then flip and cook on the second side.

Top with you favorite low-carb toppings. I used Nutilight Low Carb Chocolate Hazelnut Chocolate Spread that I bought on Amazon and Low Carb Raspberry Sauce.

Enjoy!

Review: Paradise Coconut Oil

My Thoughts:

I love using coconut oil and was thrilled to be able to review TheraVita Paradise Coconut Oil. Below you can see a list of 8 different recipes that I have shared on SGBG in the past that I used coconut oil in, plus a link to see all the recipes that I have used coconut oil. It is such a wonderful oil that add a very slight coconut flavor and makes a baked product moist and more palatable. Coconut oil offers wonderful health benefits including being a source of fatty acids, helping increase your energy, are ketogenic, make help lower your risk for heart disease and help you lose weight.

To see more benefit from coconut oil, you need to consume more that just in a few baked goods here and there, so I thought I would try a teaspoon in my coffee every morning. It melts very quickly in hot coffee (see picture at the bottom) and can easily be consumed in your coffee. It does float on the top (since oil and water separate) but as you drink it you do get some of the oil and coffee.

I plan to start trying to make my own beauty products using coconut oil, so check back with me later as I share some recipes and thoughts with you on that.

Product Description from TheraVita:

Paradise is a 100% natural coconut oil that can be used for hair, skin, eating, cooking and smoothies!

Our coconuts are hand-picked by local farmers in Fiji! We put an incredible amount of care to ensure that EVERY single coconut we use remains in its natural state and is derived in its most nutritious form.

--Pure and Unrefined
--Cold Pressed
--Non-GMO
--Gluten Free
--Vegan
--Low Carb


It has no gross tastes or smells and, no side effects.

Here are a sampling of some of the recipes on Save Green Being Green that I use Coconut Oil In:

• Banana Cranberry Muffins
• Clean Eating Brownies
• Gluten- Free Banana Muffins
• Homemade Clean Eating Granola Bars
• Cherry Coconut Bread
• Pork and Pea Curry
• Clean Eating Banana Blueberry Bread
• Baked Puff Pancake

Or look at all the recipes with coconut oil on Save Green Being Green.

You can BUY Paradise Coconut Oil on Amazon!

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.

GIVEAWAY and Review: Lalicious Sugar Tiare Flower Whipped Sugar Scrub

Imagine my surprise when I found out I was getting an unexpected delivery of this LALICIOUS Sugar Tiare Flower Whipped Sugar Scrub and had the option of reviewing it on Save Green Being Green with the option of having a giveaway for my readers. Of course I wanted to review this and Of course my readers wanted a chance to win this!

I love the smell of this sugar scrub, but I am not able to distinguish which flower scent it is. Gardenia perhaps? The flower scent is a parfum on the ingredient list, but there are many other natural products listed on the ingredients list including cane sugar, coconut oil, sweet almond oil (they three are the first 3 ingredients listed too), soybean oil and honey.

I love how it feels on my body after I used it. The oils in it leave your skin feeling moisturized and the sugar that provides the scrubbing power is gentle and cleansing.

This Lalicious Sugar Tiare Flower Whipped Sugar Scrub is available in 2 sizes: 2 oz and 16 oz.

You can buy Lalicious Sugar Tiare Flower Whipped Sugar Scrub from Beauty Care Choices. While you are there, why not pick up some of the other products I have told you about that they sell (You get FREE SHIPPING for order $49+!)

• OSIS+ Mousse and Creme
• CHI Shine Spray

Be sure to also check out other items in the LALICIOUS line of products and see what else you would like to try. I think I would love to try one of the lip butter. My lips get dry in the winter and will probably need a product like that. 

ONE LUCKY READER WILL WIN A CONTAINER OF

Lalicious Sugar Tiare Flower Whipped Sugar Scrub

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was sent the above mentioned product with the option of having a review and giveaway. All thoughts, opinions and photographs belong to SGBG. No monetary compensation was received.

Gluten-Free Banana Muffins Recipe, PLUS Good Cook Kitchen Tools

I took the opportunity to make some Gluten Free Banana Muffins while I was reviewing these 5 items for Good Cook. I was not able to use all 5 items for this one recipe, but I did use 3 of them. I did take pictures of the other 2 items for you to see what they were and how I used them. I will talk more about his 2 items below with their pictures.

I used the Good Cook egg separator to do just that, separate my egg whites from the yolk. This fits very nicely on the side of a kitchen aid mixer.

Next I used the Good Cook Double-Sided Flip Measuring Spoons to measure out the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and vanilla.

Finally I used the Good Cook Smart Scoop Ice Cream Scoop to scoop out the mixture in to muffin cups. This ice cream scoop scoops out the perfect amount to fill them 2/3 full.

Gluten Free Banana Muffins

3 bananas, mashed
3 eggs whites
3/4 C raw sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1/4 C coconut oil
1 1/2 C all purpose Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Blend together bananas, egg whites, raw sugar. 
• Stir in baking powder, soda, cinnamon, vanilla and coconut oil.
• Fold in Gluten Free Baking Flour
  
• Scoop in to muffin cups (makes 15)
• Bake for 18 minutes
• Enjoy!

I was also sent the Good Cook 4 in 1 Safecut Can Opener and I have to tell you I just love this! This is going to make saving cans for crafts a breeze since it cuts the top completely off and there is no sharp edges.

Lastly, I had a chance to use the Utensil Pot Clip and what I love about this is that my spoon sits over the top of the pan and I am not dripping anything on my stove top or a spoon rest (that I would have to wash). It makes clean up a breeze!



Readers can participate in the first Good Cook 5-day product giveaway on Facebook starting June 2 – June 7 and win selected products they can add to their drawer. Also, there will be Instant winners! Every drawer entered has a chance to win an instant prize, and participants can submit a new drawer every day for a chance to win.

ALSO!!!! During this contest, everything on Good Cook.com is 25% off! How Awesome is That?!?!

Slow Cooker Saturday: Pork and Pea Curry

This recipe was a bit of an experiment because I was trying to see if I could achieve the desired flavors I wanted without using coconut milk, since so often curry recipes only call for half of the can. What am I going to do with the other half a can? I suppose I could make Pina Coladas! :) I had great success in achieving the flavors I desired by using coconut oil and greek yogurt instead. I hope you enjoy this recipe too!


Slow Cooker Pork and Pea Curry
2 lb pork, cubed
1 can garbanzo beans
1 med onion, thinly sliced
1 16 oz. bag frozen peas
3 C tomato sauce
3 T curry powder
2 T coconut oil, melted
3/4 C plain greek yogurt
1 C chicken broth

Directions:

• Lightly brown cubed pork on the stovetop.
• Mix together browned pork, garbanzo beans, onion, and peas in the slow cooker.
• Whisk together broth and yogurt, then mix in tomato sauce, curry powder and melted coconut oil.
• Pour sauce over the contents of the slow cooker and stir together.
• Cook on low for 8-9 hours
• Serve over brown rice.
• Enjoy!

GIVEAWAY and Review: North Coast Organics Deodorant

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Today I am going to tell you about North Coast Organics Deodorant which I was sent 3 pack of travel sizes to review. There are 3 different varieties in the travel pack size that include: "naked", which is the bare product and has no added scents to it; "Revolver", which has a musky scent to it and a scent that I think my husband would most enjoy; and Death by Lavender, which has as you expect a lavender scent to it.

I knew right away that I wanted to try "Death by Lavender" because I strongly prefer a scented deodorant and I love the smell of lavender. I do admit I was skeptical about trying another natural deodorant because as much as I want to use one I have yet to find one that I feel works well for me. So, I tried this deodorant in 3 different activities/ways to give it the best evaluation. I did check out the ingredient list on all of them, here is the list for "Death by Lavender":

Ingredients(Vegan): Coconut Oil*, Carnauba Wax*, Cornstarch*, Baking Soda, and Proprietary Blend of Essential Oils* . *Certified Organic

I know that all of our skins do not respond the same to all ingredients as I have known people who were allergic to aloe, whereas my body loves the use of aloe, but I have had issues with some products with baking soda in before so I proceeded with my review slowly. Also, I was very interested to see what happened it being sticky or smelly after working out or at the end of the day, which had been a problem with other natural deodorants I have tried.

First evaluation - I applied as my re-apply after I worked out. I wore my normal deodorant to my workout but I need to re-apply at some point in the day, so I tried this out to see how it worked. Successful! I loved the smell and did not get sticky or stinky or seem to have any reaction to it.

Second evaluation - I applied on a day when I was not working out and this was applied right after my shower. Successful! Love the scent! It dried nicely on my underarms and I did not get sticky or stinky.

Third evaluation - I applied after a shower and wore to a workout. This attempt was not successful for me. After 30 minutes of working out in Zumba class I started to feel irritation that lasted throughout the rest of my class. After I stopped sweating and cooled down, I did not feel any more irritation. I really feel it has to do with my sensitivity to baking soda and think it would be fine for others. I do want to mention though, that I did not get stinky and as I cooled down I was not sticky either. So, it did pass my stinky/sweaty evaluation.

I will continue to use this deodorant on my non-active days because it did work and I love the lavender scent.

ONE OF MY READER WILL GET A CHANCE TO WIN A 3-PACK OF TRAVEL SIZE 

NORTH COAST ORGANICS DEODORANT 

ENTER RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW

You can buy North Coast Organics Deodorant online!!


Find out more information about North Coast Organics and their products online:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

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.

Make It Monday: Oat Pumpkin Bread

I admit that I started experimenting and came up with the recipe because I was out of whole wheat flour and noticed I had 1 1/2 bags of oat flour in the pantry. This was a nice moist bread and my kids and I shared half a loaf for breakfast when I made this. This is a yummy recipe if you are gluten free or looking for a clean eating recipe, or just trying to eat healthier.

Oat Pumpkin Bread Recipe

1 C pumpkin
3/4 C raw sugar
1/4 C coconut oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 C oat flour
1 T molasses
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 C oatmeal

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a bread pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients until mixed. Pour in to bread pan and bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!

Make It Monday: Chocolate Almond Date Protein Balls

I was experimenting again because I couldn't find the protein balls recipe I made before with chia seeds and wheat germ and then I bought some dates because I had seen a different one that used dates and well, I couldn't find that one I liked either. I guess I should have pinned it. So, if you like this one, be sure to pin it so you don't forget where you found the recipe. This is a delightful clean eating recipe and it makes up a whole bunch, so you can easily go in the fridge and grab 3 of them for a quick snack.

Chocolate Almond Date Protein Energy Balls

1 C dried dates (soak for an hour before making the recipe if they are not very soft)
1 C unsalted almonds
2 T baking cocoa
2 T chia seeds
1 T honey
2 T natural peanut butter
2 T coconut oil
2 scoops chocolate protein powder


Directions:

• In a food processor, combine ALL ingredients on high. You may pulverize almonds first, but I didn't need to.
• Shape/Press in to 1" balls
• Makes 30 balls
• Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks

Make It Monday: Clean Eating Oat Protein Waffles

Waffles are such a comfort food, but they can easily be cleaned up and pumped up and then topped with your favorite fruits or real maple syrup. These are very filling and you will be surprised that you eat less of these than you would traditional waffles.

Clean Eating Oat Protein Waffles 

1 C oat flour
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C what germ
1 scoop vanilla protein shake mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
4 egg whites
1/4 C coconut oil
1 3/4 C milk (your preference)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients until blended. Bake in your waffle maker per manufacturer's instructions. Makes about 10 4" square waffles. Enjoy!