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recipe – Page 3 – Luv Saving Money

PlateJoy is the meal planning service I never knew I needed until now

This post is sponsored by Platejoy. any opinions expressed are my own

I’m a mom of 4 busy kids and I also happen to work outside my home as well.  The idea of having a home cooked meal ready everyday was almost alien to me.  My typical day starts at 7 am and doesn’t end until about 10 pm.  There are days where it’s not quite as hectic so I do make a good home cooked meal.  Other days it was usually spaghetti, pizza, chicken nuggets, whatever I could throw together quickly.

Then Platejoy fell in my lap.  Honestly, I didn’t expect much.  I figured, if nothing else, maybe I’d get a few new meal ideas.  I didn’t know that I would use it consistently. Then I registered and got started and my mind changed about meal planning services.

Platejoy customizes your meal plan to you and your family.  You can customize by family size and it gives you the right ingredient amount, you can exclude ingredients you know you don’t use, you can choose a specific diet such as gluten-free, diabetic, keto, kosher, etc.  You can exclude allergen ingredients, you can even choose how many meals you want Platejoy to plan for a week. Maybe you only want 2 meals because you have the rest covered.  Maybe you want a new recipe every day.

Another thing I liked was that you can purposely choose to have a recipe that will make extra for leftovers.  I totally chose this option. Because on those crazy days I NEED this option.   The recipes are not difficult at all.  The first one I made was a batch recipe: Cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole.  No it didn’t look exactly like the picture but it was good. And the recipe made A LOT. It made plenty for my family of 6 and a bunch more for leftovers.

There was easy lunch recipes like the avocado, black bean, and rice burrito. So simple but so good. I ended up having it for lunch 2 days in a row.  Tonight’s dinner was Greek beef skillet with roasted cauliflower.  So good and I can’t wait until my hubby gets home from work to try it.

Not only was I able to customize the amount of portions for my family but I was able to put in there that my  hubby and I are trying to lose weight so it gave us healthier recipes.  I’m also able to track the recipes I make to my Fitbit which definitely helps with staying accountable.  Perfect for those with New Year’s resolutions to eat healthier or lose weight.

To sum up, here are my Top 10 reasons I love Platejoy:

  1.  customize my meal plan to my family size
  2.  exclude ingredients we don’t/won’t use
  3.  printable grocery list to make shopping for your meal plan a breeze
  4.   Update your “virtual pantry” so Platejoy knows what ingredients you already have
  5.   Search for recipe by ingredient
  6.   Can track your meals to your Fitbit to stay on track
  7.   Choose recipes portions so you purposely have left overs for those busy days
  8.   New recipe ideas every week
  9.    Exclude allergens in recipes such as peanuts
  10.    Platejoy app makes it easy to look up recipes, change meals at the last minute, and more

 

If you’d like to try Platejoy there are tons of Platejoy coupons and deals available for Platejoy on Dealpotr including a 10 day free trial!

 

Essential Oil Rollerball Recipe for Ear Infections and Sinus Infections and How To

**This post is not medical advice. Always seek medical advice from a medical professional.  This post is simply a home ready I use in compliment to professional medical care. If your or your child has a fever or is in pain please seek professional medical help first**

I love to use more natural remedies to compliment medical treatments.  I’m also a healthcare professional.  .  I do not substitute essential oils for doctor’s advice. Rather, I use them as a compliment to doctor recommendations.  One rollerball I keep ready and on hand, especially this time of year, is for earaches and sinus infections.

My youngest son, around 8 pm yesterday, told me his ear hurt a little bit in school. Very nonchalant.  I asked him if it still hurt he said “eh yea a little”. I noticed some gunk near his ear and knew he had been congested for a few days.  8 pm the pediatricians office was closed and so was the nearest urgent care. He wasn’t in a lot of pain so I didn’t think it warranted an ER visit.  I gave him some children’s ibuprofen and broke out the trusty ear infection/sinus infection rollers ball.  I applied it before bed. The next day he told me his ear felt a little better better but we still went to the Pediatrician.

What you need:

Put 10 drops of tea tree oil (melaleuca) essential oil and 10 drops of lavender essential oil in to the roller ball bottle.  Fill the rest with your carrier oil.  Pop the roller ball into the top of the glass bottle, put the lid on and shake to mix it.  For ear infection roll the roller ball behind the ear (NEVER put essential oils inside the ear).  For sinus infections, roll the roller ball of the sinuses infected (where you feel pressure) making sure to keep it away from your eyes.    You can apply 2 -3 times per day.

**this post has been updated. I’m no longer a Doterra advocate.  I have been getting my pure essential oils from Simply Earth.  Not an MLM, small business, and quality oils at a better price**

Here’s a Facebook live video I did for application:

NuNaturals Sugar Free Products Part of a Healthier Daily Routine + a Giveaway!

I received a sampling of NuNaturals products at no cost. Any opinions expressed are my own. 

A few years ago I discovered NuNaturals products.  In that time they’ve added more products, added new flavors, and helped me to live healthier.  I’ve never been a fan of sugar substitutes. They all tasted funny to me.  NuNaturals is different.  Probably my favorite products still are the NuStevia liquids. They come in a variety of flavors (and unflavored) and are alcohol free.

I love my coffee but I’d drink 2 or 3 cups a day and I just had to have my flavored creamer. Flavored creamer, of course, has lots of sugar and some fat in it.  Not exactly the healthiest.  When I started trying to make changes to have  healthier diet, that’s one thing I knew I could change.  The NuNaturals Vanilla Alcohol Free Liquid NuStevia was a great substitute. I was able to drink my coffee black or with a splash of unsweetened almond milk then a few drops of the liquid NuStevia.  Tastes so good without the sugar.

The sugar free cocoa syrup is another favorite of my family.  I make chocolate milk for the kids with it and they don’t know the difference between that and regular chocolate syrup.  They put it on their ice cream too.  So if you’ve been looking for a sugar free topping to put on your sugar free ice cream the sugar free cocoa syrup is it.  A great way to give kids the flavor they love without the sugar!

I’ve introduced NuNaturals products to my diabetic friends too and they love it.  NuNaturals products taste great and help you make healthier choices when sweetening your every day items.  I love to put the the Lemon, vanilla, or orange liquid alcohol free NuStevia in my plain greek yogurt for a healthier and tasty protein snack. The cocoa syrup is great for that too!  A good choice for those doing the 21 Day Fix like me.

Check out some of my recipe posts using NuNatural Products:

Drink Recipe: Vodka Collins or Virgin Collins

Breakfast Recipe: Gluten-Free Vanilla Ginger Pancakes

 

NuNaturals.com is offering 15% off site wide for Luv Saving Money readers using code: BLG1217 expires December 31, 2017

GIVEAWAY

4 Luv Saving Money reader will win a NuNaturals prize pack that includes:

– 1 bottle of Vanilla Alcohol free liquid NuStevia

– 1 bottle of sugar free cocoa syrup

– 1 package of NuNaturals cocoa powder

– 50 ct package of NuStevia No-Carbs Stevia packets

– + 1 surprise bonus item

Total value of each prize pack is $70!

NuNaturals Summer 2017 Giveaway

Gluten Free Vanilla Ginger Pancakes low FODMAP friendly

Several years ago I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and IBS.  Among other treatments, it was suggested I try a low FODMAP diet.  When I looked at the list I thought “well good gravy what am I allowed to eat?!” Ironically my regular gravies were off the list.  I was determined to feel better and give it an honest go. As I learned how to adapt my favorite foods, I started realizing it wasn’t so bad. Like this recipe for Gluten Free Vanilla Ginger Pancakes. My family loves pancakes. We’ll do pancakes for dinner sometimes. I’ve been experimenting with different pancake recipes.

NuNaturals, known for their stevia products, sent me some of their newest products. I couldn’t wait to try them out.  I’ve been using NuNaturals products for a few years now since stevia is allowed on the low FODMAP diet. I’m happy that NuNaturals has been adding gluten free and organic products to their line up too!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup NuNaturals Organic Green Banana Flour

1 Tablespoon NuNaturals Collagen Peptides 

1 Tablespoon NuNaturals Vanilla Ginger Syrup

1 pinch of salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

teaspoon of coconut oil

**Makes about 6 medium sized pancakes

 

Instructions

Mix all ingredients, except coconut oil,  in mixer on medium.  The whisk attachment of my mixer seemed to work best.  Heat frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Add teaspoon of coconut oil then scoop or pour pancake batter in.  I made medium size pancakes which ended up being plenty. These pancakes are very filling.

Once plated you can add a little extra Vanilla Ginger syrup on top and butter if you like. Because NuNaturals syrups use water, stevia, and extracts it is a good alternative to syrups containing high fructose corn syrup which is a no-no on the low-FODMAP diet. NuNaturals Organic Green Banana powder is gluten free and use low FODMAP friendly banana base but does not leave a banana taste when cooked/baked. The collagen peptides add protein to the pancakes and seems to make the batter thicken up a bit.

These pancakes were very filling. I gave myself 3 and half way through the 3rd one I hit a brick wall. I gave one of my son’s two of them and it filled him up.

I received the above mentioned NuNaturals products at no cost in order to complete an honest review. Any opinions expressed are my own.

RedPack Toss in the Flavor Promotion and a Recipe

I received samples of RedPack products to complete this post. No other compensation has been received.

It’s hard to believe that this weekend is Memorial Day weekend. Some will say, the unofficial start of summer. There will be more than a couple picnics going on this weekend. Are you tired of taking the same boring pastas salad or fruit salad to picnics? Redpack has some tasty recipes that will give you lots of ideas to change up your picnic sides.

RedPack sent me a kit so I could try one of their “Toss in the Flavor” recipes. They all sounded amazing from the Panzanella (Bread Salad) to the Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad. The one that I just had to try was the Southwest Quinoa Salad.

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Southwest Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa cooked (follow directions on package)
1 (28 oz) can REDPACK petite diced tomatoes or 2 (14.5 oz) cans REDPACK petite diced tomatoes drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed, and drained
2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
3 Tablespoons barbeque sauce of your choice
1 avocado, chopped
3 green onions, chipped
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Directions:

In large bowl combine quinoa, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, chicken, and barecue sauce. Fold in avocado, green onions, salt and black pepper

Top with cilantro and serve.

RedPack Southwest Quinoa Salad

This was very tasty. I never made anything quite like it before. The combination of flavors really compliment each other. While you’re here checking out the recipes you’ll want to stop by RedPack’s facebook page too and enter the Toss in the Flavor sweepstakes 3000 winners will win a custom Redpack tote and 4 winners will win a Redpack Picnic Prize Pack.

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a RedPack “Toss in the Flavor” prize pack that includes:
–2 (14.5 oz) RedPack petite diced tomatoes
–1 (28 oz can of RedPack petite diced tomatoes
–RedPack branded wine tote
–“Toss in the Flavor” recipe collection recipes