|
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
I have been using Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics for over a month and I feel great. I did get a cold that was going around, but my digestive health remained stable. In fact, I had to take antibiotics and using these probiotics helped keep my digestive health in tact even while on the antibiotics.
The capsules come in these convenient blister packs that are easy to throw in your purse or suitcase so you can stay healthy on the go.
Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics Original Formula contain a unique blend of:
• Prebiotics: Culture Medium: fermented vegetables and mushrooms that nourish the probiotics • PRObiotics: friendly bacteria that help you digest food and support immune response • POSTbiotics: pH balancing organic acids along with naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and amino acids to support digestive function and improve whole health. 
It is amazing how powerful these little capsules are. Since I have been taking them, I have not experienced any gas or bloating and feel that my digestive health is in fact very healthy.
Need a little more convincing? The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states probiotics work with your good gut bacteria to reduce sugar cravings and help keep your blood glucose in the healthy range if you do eat sweets. Probiotics can help with sugar cravings too and keeping blood glucose levels healthy. This might explain my lack of interest lately in my old nightly ice cream habit. I still eat ice cream, I just don't crave it all the time like I used too and I eat less of it. You can find Dr. Ohhira's Probiotics on Amazon. 
0 Comments
Disclosure: I received products to facilitate this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.
You're probably wondering why this is the third cranberry recipe I have posted in the last two weeks. To be honest I never really cooked with cranberries very much except for at Thanksgiving. But when Cape Cod Select sent me these gorgeous frozen cranberries, I was inspired and kept coming up with delicious ways to use them.
See...gorgeous! Fresh frozen right from the freezer when inspiration hits.
These little gems are delicious! Flaky layers of puff pastry filled with homemade cranberry sauce and anything else that inspires you. I made half of these with brie cheese and half with pork sausage. My favorite were the cranberry brie bites, but the males in the family (which is everyone else) preferred the cranberry sausage bites. Ok, more ideas please! What else would you put in these?
These look and taste amazing, but they are really easy to make since you can buy frozen puff pastry from the grocery store. Simply thaw dough according to package directions and cut into squares. I cut each sheet of dough into three long sections and then cut each section into three squares making nine squares of dough from one sheet. There are two sheets of dough in a box so you can make 18 cranberry puff pastry bites from one box of dough.
Simply place a small slice of brie or a T. of cooked crumbled sausage on half of each dough square. Then top cheese or sausage with a spoonful of cranberry sauce. Next you fold the puffed pastry over to make a small triangle and pinch edges to seal. Bake until golden and serve warm.
These delicious morsels are perfect for fall gatherings and I know it seems far away, but Christmas will be here before we know it.
Cranberry Puff Pastry Bites:
Ingredients: 1 box frozen puffed pastry, thawed 1 small wedge brie cheese or 1/4 lb. cooked crumbled pork sausage 2 C. Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries 1/2 C. orange juice 1/3 C. real maple syrup 1/3 C. sugar 1. Bring Cape Cod Select cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally. 2. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until cranberries pop. 3. Cut puff pastry as instructed above (a pizza wheel works great) 4. Place puff pastry squares on parchment lined baking sheet. 5. Simply place a small slice of brie or 1 T. of cooked crumbled sausage on half of each dough square. Then top cheese or sausage with a spoonful of cranberry sauce. 6. Next you fold the puffed pastry over to make a small triangle and pinch edges to seal. 7. Bake at 400 degrees F. for about 15 minutes until golden and serve warm.
Use this store locator to find Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries in a store near you. You can also order frozen cranberries from Cape Cod Select.
You can find Cape Cod Select on Social Media: Cape Cod Select Premium Cranberries @CapeCodSelect @CapeCodSelect www.pinterest.com/capecodselect 
Linking up at Inspire Me Monday
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post. This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
I've got some exciting news for all of my frugal minded readers. You can now find Hallmark cards at one of my favorite stores, Dollar Tree! If you have never been to Dollar Tree and you have a store in your area, make sure to check it out. There are lots of great products for $1 or less like these top quality Expressions From Hallmark cards for just $1.
Dollar Tree also has these great Expressions From Hallmark cards for kids! I can't wait to check out the new collection and see all the popular character cards for just $1 each!
Did you know there are over 6500 Dollar Tree stores across the nation? And now every store will carry Expressions From Hallmark cards for $1 each and Heartline a Hallmark company cards at just 2 for $1. You can't beat these deals! With hundreds of new cards to choose from, you can celebrate every moment with your friends and family without breaking the bank! Check out the wonderful assortment of Heartline cards above. So many nice choices for just 50 cents each!
For all of your greeting card needs head over to your local Dollar Tree store for the best deals on Hallmark cards. While you're there take a look around the party supplies area too. I always find great deals on gift wrapping and all the little things I need when planning a party. You can also check out www.DollarTree.com where everything's $1!
Disclosure: I received products to facilitate this post. All opinions are honest and are my own.
It's that time of year again. Time to start thinking about slow cookers and warm, comforting party food. Tailgating season is upon us and it won't be long before the holiday season is too. These delectable cranberry barbecue meatballs are perfect for entertaining!
Delicious as an appetizer or the main course. They will be the hit of the party or your family dinner. My kids kept asking for "more meatballs, please". We just harvested some sweet potatoes from the garden so I served the meatballs with mashed sweet potatoes and the cranberry barbecue sauce is so good on mashed sweet potatoes. It's the perfect compliment of sweet and savory.
To make the cranberry barbecue sauce I first make a simple cranberry sauce using Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries. It's as simple as bringing cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and a little sugar to a boil, then simmering for about 10 minutes until the cranberries pop.
The best part other than how incredibly delicious these are is that you can use store bought frozen (thawed) or fresh meatballs. I used store bought fresh turkey (Italian style) meatballs and they were amazing! I used 2 lb. of meatballs and we only had 3 meatballs left after our four boys heartily devoured them. If making for a party, I would make at least 3 lb., depending on how long the guest list is.
Slow Cooker Cranberry Barbecue Meatballs
Ingredients: 2 C. Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries 1/2 C. orange juice 1/3 C. real maple syrup 1/3 C. sugar 1 C. barbecue sauce 2 to 3 lb. frozen (thawed) or fresh meatballs 1. Bring Cape Cod Select cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup, and sugar to a boil, stirring occasionally. 2. Reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes until cranberries pop. 3. Place meatballs in a slow cooker. 4. Pour barbecue sauce and homemade cranberry sauce over the meatballs. 5. Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours.
Use this store locator to find Cape Cod Select frozen cranberries in a store near you. You can also order frozen cranberries from Cape Cod Select.
You can find Cape Cod Select on Social Media: Cape Cod Select Premium Cranberries @CapeCodSelect @CapeCodSelect www.pinterest.com/capecodselect 
Linking up at Inspire Me Monday
Hello old friend. I can't believe it has been a month since I have written a blog post. It has been a busy month. I finished up another grad class, we went on a 12-day European vacation with extended family (I promise to share pictures!) and as soon as we got back, the kids started school and my husband was back to teaching at the University. I actually had to go out and buy school supplies the day we returned. Our vacation was amazing and it was really great spending so much time with family, but it has been a whirlwind of a month and I am glad to be home and back into a routine again.
I just came up with this recipe Sunday. I had some chicken thighs and I thought wild rice and cranberries sounded really good with chicken. Turns out, it's a delicious combination and the slow cooker works really well with this.
So this is not one of those easy dump everything into your crockpot recipes. You have a few steps to follow, but these steps make it taste amazing and since you are cooking it in the slow cooker, you can do most of the work ahead of time.
I am always on the lookout for interesting dishes for food photography so I was excited to bring back this pasta plate from the Delft factory in Holland. We toured the factory, learned how they make the pottery and a little about the history and popularity of Delft pottery. This plate is part of a new line they have that is supposed to be for everyday use. It was still kind of expensive, but more affordable than traditional Delft pottery. Traditional Delft pottery is much more elaborate with hand painted detail so it is more expensive, but I love that this piece is so simple. My favorite part is the rough edges around the rim of the plate, giving it a rustic, modern look.
Enjoy the recipe!
Slow Cooker Chicken with Wild Rice and Cranberries
Serves: 6-8 Prep time 30 minutes or less Slow cooker time 5-6 hours Ingredients: 2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 T. butter 1 T. olive oil 1 sweet onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced Fresh ground salt and pepper 1/4 cup cooking sherry 3 cups vegetable broth 2 cups wild rice blend (I use a blend with Texmati white, brown, wild, and red rice) 1 1/2 cups frozen cranberries 1. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the butter and olive oil at a medium high heat. 2. Add diced onion and cook stirring for a few minutes to start to caramelize the onions. 3. Add chicken and garlic to the onions to lightly brown the chicken, turning it to brown both sides. Salt and pepper while cooking on both sides. 4. Do not cook the chicken through, just brown it and then remove it to place it in a large slow cooker. 5. Turn the heat off the skillet. Then add cooking sherry to the skillet to deglaze the pan and pour the onion/sherry mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker. 6. Next pour vegetable broth over the chicken in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours. 7. After cooking for 4 to 5 hours, add the rice and cranberries and continue to cook on low for another 45 minutes to an hour until rice is tender and cranberries are soft. You can add more fresh ground salt when adding the rice if you like. Make sure you wait until the end to add the rice and cranberries so they don't overcook and get mushy. They need less than an hour to cook. Here is what it looks like in the slow cooker when done. It is easy to serve. Just scoop out large spoonfuls of chicken, rice, and cranberries. 
We have had a great season in the community garden so far this summer! We have been so busy and traveled quite a bit that it has been challenging to use up or preserve all of our garden harvest. Good problems, I know, but still challenging. We have been able to share some of our surplus produce with friends which is always nice and it has been wonderful to see the boys working in the garden and realizing the fruits of their labor.
I started making this Caprese pasta dish last summer when we had lots of cherry and grape tomatoes to use. It is one of our favorite ways to use an abundant tomato harvest.
I know that balsamic vinegar is an integral part of a good caprese salad, but I don't use it here and I still call this a caprese pasta because of the tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil, and olive oil. You can always add a little balsamic vinegar or balsamic glaze if you like, but it is good on it's own.
We love this dish with all the wonderful flavors that compliment each other and the sweet Italian sausage is amazing, especially with fresh sweet basil. You can use plain Italian sausage if you like, but we prefer the subtle sweetness of sweet Italian sausage which is more kid-friendly. Our kids think regular Italian sausage is on the spicy side, but love the sweet.
I have made this pasta dish with orzo and with ditalini pasta and both are delicious. You could use any small pasta. Here is a picture from a pan made with orzo and fresh cubed mozzarella.
I have used fresh and frozen spinach when making this dish and don't think it makes a whole lot of difference. Usually it comes down to what I have on hand.
Enjoy this delicious summer pasta! Need more meal ideas? Here are a few of my favorite dishes for using fresh garden produce.
Stuffed Pepper Casserole Butternut Squash and Sausage Casserole Easy Weeknight Chicken Fajitas
Italian Sausage Caprese Pasta
Ingredients: Olive Oil 1 lb. ground Italian Sausage (we like sweet Italian sausage) 8 oz. Ditalini or Orzo pasta 1 package 6 oz. fresh Spinach or 1 box 10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed 1/2 to 1 lb. cherry or grape tomatoes, halved Cubed fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella Salt and Pepper to taste Fresh basil leaves, torn or sliced (optional) 1. Heat a saucepan of water to boiling to make pasta. 2. Heat skillet to medium. Drizzle hot skillet with a little olive oil. Brown Italian sausage in skillet until cooked through. 3. While sausage is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions. Once cooked, drain pasta. 4. Next add spinach to skillet (with sausage) to wilt. If using thawed frozen spinach you can add it here too. Add a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Then add cooked pasta. 5. Stir in tomatoes and cook for a few minutes to soften the tomatoes slightly. Salt and pepper to taste. 6. Top with some fresh mozzarella or shredded mozzarella if you like. 7. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh basil leaves. 
Linking up at Create with Joy
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
To be honest, I am usually not that happy with my hair. I have tried all kinds of shampoos and conditioners over the years, some natural, some expensive salon products, and lots of average products from the drug store. No matter what I use, my hair usually seems lackluster and frizzy. In more recent years, I have been using more natural products, especially when pregnant and nursing. After trying several natural shampoos and conditioners and not getting the results I wanted, I went back to expensive salon brands. They worked better for me, but still didn't give me the results I wanted.
So apparently I have double chins when I take selfies, ha ha. But in all seriousness, I have been very happy with Dessert Essence Anti-Breakage shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask. I have been using Dessert Essence products for about a month and have noticed that my hair feels softer and is more manageable. Even in the high humidity of June and July in Kentucky, I have noticed my hair looking shinier and less frizzy.
A few years ago, after my second son was born I decided to stop coloring my hair, partly to save money and partly to avoid the chemicals in hair color. To my surprise I really liked my natural color without hi-lights. Now I am adding Dessert Essence natural shampoo and conditioner to my regular beauty routine for healthier, stronger hair.
Dessert Essence Anti-Breakage products are infused with an exclusive blend of Country Life Maxi-Hair® plus Biotin, formulated with Keratin and Pro-Vitamin B5 to help reduce breakage up to 61%. It is also rich in nourishing Jojoba and coconut oils, aloe, and saw palmetto, which smooth and fortify hair cuticles, and revitalize hair strands to minimize breakage. The botanical oils and radish seed extract provide incredible shine. The aloe and moisturizing shea butter in the Anti-Breakage Conditioner help detangle and condition hair. I love the Dessert Essence line and have used the smoothing products too. They are all great products that I will continue to use for healthy, beautiful hair. Desert Essence Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner is available to purchase at Natural Grocers, Luckys Market, MOM’s Organic Market, and many other local natural food stores. To find Desert Essence Anti-Breakage Shampoo and Conditioner in your area, visit: desertessence.com/store-locator.
Take 20% off Anti-Breakage and Smoothing Hair Care Products on desertessence.com with the promo code DELovesMomsMeet
When I think of summer food, I think of grilling and one of my favorite things to grill is kabobs. I love kabobs because you can easily grill so many wonderful fresh fruits and vegetables along with flavorful morsels of meat.
Our favorites are onion, pineapple, and cherry tomatoes, but you can use any combination you like. Another favorite is mushrooms, red, yellow, or green peppers and onion. Zucchini and squash rounds would also be delicious. You could even try skewering small wedges of cabbage with onion, although they would probably take longer to grill.
And the marinade! Wow is it good! A simple teriyaki made from just 5 ingredients, olive oil, honey, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic. I love using honey in marinades. It gives it just the right sweetness. It takes a little longer to mix in the honey, but it is so worth it.
Yuuuummm! The flavors of summer slowly roasting on the grill. What more could you want? Maybe a glass of wine and a babysitter? Sounds good to me!
Actually, one of the best things about grilling is eating on the patio. When the kids are finished we usually let them play and we get a minute to ourselves to enjoy a glass of wine and a quiet moment together.
Honey Chicken Kabobs
1/4 cup olive oil 1/3 cup honey 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced 4-6 boneless chicken breast halves, cubed (Use as much or as little chicken as you need for your family. I would use approximately one chicken breast per person.) An assortment of fruit and vegetables: Onion, cut into wedges Mushrooms Red, yellow, or green bell peppers, cut into 2 inch pieces Canned or fresh pineapple chunks (I don't marinate pineapple) Zucchini or squash rounds or chunks Cherry tomatoes (I also don't marinate the tomatoes) Metal or bamboo skewers (If using bamboo, soak them in water for a couple of hours before assembling.) 1. In a large zipper seal bag or covered container combine oil, honey, soy sauce, pepper, and garlic. 2. Add the chicken and vegetables and marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours or more. 3. Skewer the meat and vegetables. 4. Preheat the grill and lightly oil the grill grate. 5. Grill until chicken looks done and juices run clear. 
I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com) to use and post my honest opinions. Compensation for this post was provided and this page may contain affiliate links.
Have you heard of CBD oil? I have seen it advertised for a couple of our local stores, but had not tried it until now . I was a sent a box of CBD oil products to try and since I am always interested in nutrition and health, I decided to try it out for myself.
CBD interacts with our innate internal system called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is composed of specialized lipids, their receptors, and the enzymes that produce and degrade them. Through direct and indirect actions, endocannabinoids are known to modulate and influence a variety of physiological systems, including appetite, pain, inflammation, thermoregulation, intraocular pressure, sensation, muscle control, energy balance, metabolism, sleep health, stress responses, motivation/reward, mood, and memory.
I didn't realize this before, but hemp is very nutritious providing essential fatty acids that our bodies need, but don't make on their own and must be consumed from food. 
As a busy mother of four juggling all of my roles of wife, mom, homemaker, blogger, and graduate student, I tend to get a little stressed. I often toss and turn at night thinking about all of the things on my to-do list. I started trying a little CBD oil in the liquid form using the spray or the dropper before bedtime and thought that it did help me to relax and sleep better. I then tried the capsules during the day for a more relaxed and balanced feeling which I do feel helped me to be more patient with the boys. Having four boys is an awesome gift, but there is a lot of activity, noise and dirt and it's really easy to lose my patience. If any of you are boy moms, I'm sure you can relate.
Finally, I tried the CBD oil balm which smells amazing! It feels so good on my skin. It is relaxing just to put it on and take a moment for myself. I find it very calming.
I love that CV Sciences is supporting agriculture and hemp farming in our home state of Kentucky. Our very own Murray State University is even listed in this brochure. I am excited to see what the future holds for hemp farming in KY!
To learn more, check out pluscbdoil.com where you can save 15% off online orders with the code momsmeet17.
Mornings are tough for us. Saying "we are not morning people" is an understatement. During the school year, we have to be out the door with the boys and on our way to school early, like by 7:15 to try to make the morning news and not be tardy. Breakfasts have to be fast in our house and these ham & egg muffin cups are one of our favorites.
I can put this together pretty quickly and pop it in the oven before the boys get up and by the time they are ready we have an easy and delicious breakfast.
Plus they LOVE these simple ham and egg muffin cups! My boys will eat these any time of day. This has been one of our summertime favorites since the boys have been home from school and seem to eat all day long.
One thing I have learned from making these so many times is that you want to use muffin liners. It is no fun scrubbing egg out the little crevices in the bottom of muffin a pan. My favorite muffin liners are the "If you Care" brand and parchment liners like "Paper Chef" Culinary baking cups. I recently bought a box of parchment baking cups at Kroger for $1.99 so they are affordable. I like these because they don't stick to the egg muffins and don't transfer color to the pan. I used decorated muffin liners once when making these and they transferred some color to my muffin pan. You may still get some egg in the pan, but it won't be bad when using paper liners. My mother-in-law just gave me a scrub daddy (from Shark Tank, my affiliate link at bottom of post) which works really well at getting any leftover egg out of the pan.
These are so easy to make! Simply place ham inside the muffin cup then crack an egg into each cup. Sprinkle with fresh ground salt and pepper then garnish with fresh herbs or spinach leaves. I used dill and basil from our herb planter in this batch.
Enjoy these perfectly cooked ham and egg cups on busy mornings or any time of day. Good enough for guests, easy enough for everyday.
These ham and egg muffin cups are great reheated too, although we don't usually have many leftover. You can refrigerate leftovers and pop them in the microwave for a yummy snack.
Ingredients for 12 ham and egg muffins:
Muffin liners (my favorite are parchment liners) 12 slices ham (round shape fits in the muffin cups easily, but any works) 1 dozen large eggs Fresh ground salt and pepper Fresh herbs or spinach leaves to garnish (pictured, basil and dill) 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Line muffin cups with paper liners. 3. Place a ham slice and an egg in each muffin cup. 4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper 5. Garnish with fresh herbs or spinach leaves (optional) 6. Bake for 20 minutes until eggs are set. 
|
Welcome to Home Ec @ HomeHi, I'm Faith, a former Family and Consumer Science (Home Economics) Teacher turned work at home Mom, bringing you family friendly, homemade recipes and homemaking tips to simplify your life. Join me on my homemaking and mothering journey. Most Popular Posts
Easy Weeknight Chicken Fajitas
Current Giveaways:
   
  |
RSS Feed