DIY: Nausea Pops

Hello and thanks for dropping in! This post has been updated and moved to my new website. You can find the recipe and photos to pin there. I really hope this nausea pop recipe helps you find some relief!

Nausea Pops on The Honor Roll

"If you've experienced it at all, you know morning sickness is the worst! Especially when you just feel like you're going to throw up instead of actually blowing over. The 1st trimester of this pregnancy was really hard for me (which is thankfully now over and all those symptoms magically disappeared) and I felt sick all.day.long, every.single.day. It was a long two months.

But these frozen treats really helped me get through the day and actually out of bed in the mornings. Plus if you don't feel like eating much you're sure to get at least a serving of 2 of fruit. I won't disclose how many hours were logged lying on the couch but let's just say walking out to the backyard now makes me winded. So happy that's over with!

Here is the recipe to make your own batch.

Nausea Pops
3 cups strawberries, hulled & quartered
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup blueberries
1 cup apple juice
1 cup Greek yogurt, vanilla
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger

1. Wash and chop fruit and add to blender.
2. Add remaining ingredients to blender and blend on high until smooth.
3. Fresh ginger is more potent and works best but substitute powdered if it's all you have.
4. Pour into popsicle molds/paper cups with pop sticks or whatever works. My molds are Tupperware hand-me-downs from grandma, but these molds are cute, colorful and come in several different shapes. The fishie ones could later be used for homemade baby treats!
5. Freeze, enjoy and feel better!

Note: They are especially good when delivered to you in bed first thing in the morning ;)"

Homemade Coffee Creamer

I haven't been around this week and don't have any fashion to post today - all 3 kids and have bronchitis and are feeling rather blah. Getting dressed is a chore in itself let alone dressing up in something pretty.

But I did have a "duh, why didn't I think of that moment" this week which resulted in today's post. We went into the city to get grocery's on Sunday and while picking up our usual Coffeemate French Vanilla creamer I saw on the shelf above a creamer labeled all natural. A little curious, I picked it up to find a total of 4 ingredients on the label and all them things we already have in the fridge. In comparison, the creamer we had been drinking was full of partially hydrogenated garbage and preservatives. Why had it not occurred to me before that there was an alternative?

After a little experimentation, here is my super simple recipe.

1 half pint heavy cream
1 cup whole or 2% milk
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract or other flavor

It's not as rich or thick as the Coffeemate version without the partially hydrogenated oil, but still very tasty and much better for you.

And it's only taken a week to be fully weaned off the other stuff.

Have a lovely weekend!

Princess Birthday Week: Day 1 - Treats

Maybe I mentioned this last week, but Saturday was my daughter Aurora's 3rd birthday! It's hard to believe she is almost out of that toddler stage and is growing into such a lovely and polite little girl!!! I spent nearly 3 weeks planning and prepping and making decorations for the party only to have a blizzard warning cut back the attendance. What a shame. But we still had lots of fun and I wanted to share all the details with you in an entire Princess Party themed week!! - just in case you are planning your own princess party (minus the Disney).

I looked through lots of photos from Marie Antoinette for inspiration and although I probably couldn't bake any French pastries to save my life, was inspired to use a stuffed cupcake as her main dessert. Here is the recipe I used for the plain white cake (check out the reviews too - you need to add extra milk to keep the batter from getting too dry).

For the stuffing, I just mixed whipped cream with raspberry preserves and used a piping tip to fill after the cakes were baked. Here is the recipe for the buttercream icing - I added a few tablespoons of jam to it as well. Double the icing recipe if you plan on making more than 2 dozen cupcakes. Oh and leftovers will need to be stored in the fridge because of the whipped cream.

Mmmm, now which one shall I start with first?

Thanks with Dessert

We really are lucky to have such great neighbors and rather than waiting til Christmas to share my appreciation, I got a head start by baking and making a few cards to hand out during this season of gratefulness. It's so wonderful to know that if we need a last minute babysitter, someone to jump start the car battery or even someone to till the garden, help is only down the road.

My favorite of the set:

I found this amazing recipe for Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins on All Recipes and doubled it to make one set of muffins and two loafs of bread. The flavor from the apples and spices is so yummy and you get all the health benefits of pumpkin but the flavor doesn't take over. I substituted 1/4 of the sugar with brown sugar and 1/4 with honey to give it even more depth. Moist and delicious. Will definitely be making this again next autumn.

Who are you grateful for and how do you show them appreciation? I'd love to hear!

Recipe: Get a Husband Brunswick Stew

(source)

First off, I would just like to say that I am in no way trying to take credit for the creation of this hearty, man-pleasing recipe - that belongs to Allrecipes user RAKESTRAW. But since the season of comfort foods is nearly upon us and boyfriends and husbands will soon be adding to their, ahem, winter coats, I think its only fair to share a secret weapon I use to keep the man sedated while I'm out spending too much money in the name of holiday cheer. So here you have it, Get A Husband Brunswick Stew.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. real, full-fat butter
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tsp. minced garlic
1.5 lbs. ground chuck
1 lb pork sausage
3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (a full, roasted chicken is ideal)
3 - 14.5oz cans stewed tomatoes
1 C ketchup
1/2 C BBQ sauce
3 cans cream-style corn
1 tsp. hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, green pepper, celery and garlic and stir continuously until tender, being careful not to burn the butter.

2. Add hamburger and sausage to the pan and cook thoroughly.

3. Transfer saucepan contents to a large crockpot and add in the remaining ingredients. Stir and set temp to low. Cook for 6 hours. I've made this on the stovetop and in the crockpot but the crockpot definetly has better flavor.

You can see the original recipe here; I altered it a bit to suit our tastes. And if you have doubts of this recipe's magical properties, note this: my husband and his friend ate nearly the entire 5 quart crock full in one sitting. Yikes!

Recipe: Pan-Fried Zucchini

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One of my very favorite summer vegetables, the zucchini squash is packed full of healthy goodness such as potassium, folate and vitamin A and grows in abundance. Its too bad that most of our zucchini suffered from blossom end rot this season - the grocery squash are almost as good.

Ingredients:

3-4 medium zucchini (green, yellow or both), sliced

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp minced garlic

Cavender's, (the tastiest, most versatile all-in-one spice ever, hands down)

Parmesan

bread crumbs

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add zucchini, onion and garlic. Sprinkle generously with Cavender's and mix to coat the veggies in butter. Cover pan. Continue stirring every couple minutes until the texture is just on the edge of crisp but not yet mushy. Its a delicate balance. Turn heat off. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bread crumbs - put the lid back on and let it melt for a minute of two. Serve and enjoy.

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

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Cucumber is one ingredient that I don't find very versatile. Sliced and served with dip or diced and mixed in a pasta salad is the furthest my imagination has taken it. So here's a recipe that gives those cool cucs the spotlight.

Ingredients:

3 large cucumbers, sliced and quartered

1 large tomato, diced

1/4 cup mayo

2 Tbsp sun-dried tomato italian dressing

1 tsp vinegar

salt and peppa

Mix ingredients in a sealable container and let marinate for a couple hours in the fridge. Serve cold.

Flavored italian dressing take every cold salad type dish to another level. My personal favorite is Tuscan House.

Try it and enjoy!

the perfect lunch

I used to be pretty neurotic about eating the right amounts of food from each food group, each day, but since I've become a mom, the health of our little ones has replaced the concern about my own health. And I can really feel the effects of the neglect - sluggishness, uneven complexion and a bit of excess flesh too.

To counterbalance the fact that I don't eat breakfast, drink lots of coffee, snack the afternoon away, have a good dinner and then snack some more after the kids go to bed, I make this lunch - the perfect lunch - to help me feel healthy and get in at least a few important nutritional elements.

Caesar Salad
   2 cups romaine lettuce - fresh from the garden retains more vitamins
   6 quartered chicken nuggets - the kids are having them anyway
   1 tbsp sunflower seeds - extra protein
   8 seasoned croutons - they count as a grain, right?
   1 ounce Parmesan cheese
   lots of Caesar dressing
   grated pepper

1/2 cup of citrus fruit - pineapple or mandarin oranges, or sometimes watermelon

a big glass of water - so much more fun to drink from a goblet

Try it for yourself, having just one healthy meal in the afternoon puts you in the right mindset to make good choices the rest of the day.

Deviled Eggs

My husband makes a big fuss out of my deviled eggs and since I get a lot of compliments on them, I thought it would be nice to share my secrets. So here is the recipe; I just improvise on the quantity of ingredients.

1. boil one dozen eggs for 10 minutes. drain hot water and run under cold water until the eggs are cool   enough to handle (otherwise the outside of the yolk turns that moldy green color)

2. crack middle of shells all the way around and peel off. rinse eggs to remove any stray shell bits

3. slice eggs lengthwise and remove yolk; set yolks aside

4. mash yolks with a pastry blender or a fork until they resemble a crumbly flour mixture

5. in seperate bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayo, 1/3 cup miracle whip, 1/4 c dijon mustard, 1 tbsp horseradish, 1 tsp salt and a couple daps of hot sauce. add yolk crumbles to mayo mixture and mix well with a fork. it will be a little lumpy. an immersion blender might solve that problem.

6. spoon mixture into a sandwich baggie and close. snip the tip off of one corner and squeeze mixture into the egg cup. there will probably be leftovers to top off the eggs again.

7. sprinkle with paprika.

Now go and make your own! Soon your family will be asking you to make these so often you'll regret you ever did! (Kidding, but I only make these for special occasions now days. a little longing is healthy i think.)

goodight!

Sugarless Milkshakes

Our kids think these milkshakes are the best and I feel good about serving them because there is no sugar added other than what comes naturally in the milk and the fruit. These make a good summertime snack when its too hot to cook and too hot to eat. Also good to sneak in some fruit for a little one who refuses to eat anything other than peanut butter sandwiches or chicken nuggets.

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 bananas, sliced
1 cup berries, chopped
1/4 cup 100% frozen juice concentrate (orange pineapple banana is my favorite)

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender on high for about 30 seconds or until  fruit chunks are pulverized and mixture is frothy. Makes 4 child size servings. Serve immediately - mixture will begin to seperate.

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are not overly sweet and somewhat healthy so you can give seconds to the kids. This recipe makes 4-5 dozen cookies, so you can give some away too.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup veggie or canola oil
2 cups brown sugar
2 tbsp. honey
4 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (half white, half wheat)
3 cups oatmeal (not quick or instant)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp all-spice
2 cups raisins
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 little helper (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Measure out the dry ingredients (flour, oats, soda, salt and spices) and let your little helper dump them into a large mixing bowl. An apron would be helpful here.

3. Let your helper mix up all the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon while you melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat.

4.Once the butter is melted, add the brown sugar, stir to absorb and turn off the heat.

5. Add the oil to the butter mixture and stir well.

6. Don't forget to keep an eye on your helper or she will try to use her hands to stir and end up with a floured face!

7. Crack the eggs into a liquid measuring cup and mix well. Add the vanilla to the eggs.

8. Add butter mixture to the flour mixture and pour in eggs as well. Stir until there is no flour residue left in the bowl. Be sure to scrape the edges and bottom well.

9. Fold in the raisins and chocolate chips so they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.

10. Grease your baking sheet or just use parchment paper - it makes it much easier to clean-up and keeps your pans in better condition.

11. Drop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheet - you can put them fairly close together because this dough doesn't spread out too much.

12. Bake cookies at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Let them set on the hot cookie sheet for a couple minutes to brown the bottoms. Remove from pan and allow to cool. You can reuse the same piece of parchment paper on each batch - it doesn't stick!

13. Enjoy cookies with your little helper and let them help you bag up a dozen or two to give away - what a delicious way to teach them about sharing and doing nice things for others!

Spinach Quiche

I love eggs. Especially the brown farm ones my MIL brings over from her friend at work. And as a family of 5, we eat about 3 dozen eggs a week - so one day, when we finally own a house of our own, I will definetly be getting a few egg layers to care for.

So here is my recipe for spinach quiche. Its a combination of several different recipes from Allrecipes and a few extras that suit my taste buds.

Spinach Quiche

Prep Time: 30 mins + 2 hrs

Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients:

Crust:

1C Unbleached Flour, white or wheat + more for rolling

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp rosemary

1/2 C unsalted butter, cold

Filling:

5 large eggs

3C fresh spinach (or 9 oz bag)

1/2 large onion

handful cherry tomatoes

1C Colby Jack cheese

1/4C cream or whole milk

3 Tbsp butter

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dill

To Prepare:

1. Measure flour, salt and spices into a medium bowl. I like to use 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 white flour because its healthy but doesn't taste completely like sand.

2. Cut your butter up into tablespoons and toss it into the bowl.

3. Smash with a pastry blender until mixture resembles a coarse meal, then pack it into a ball with your hands.

4. Cover with plastic wrap or put in a covered bowl and set it the fridge for about 2 hours. Any longer and the dough will get too hard to roll out. If you are rushed for time, pop it into the freezer for 20 minutes and set a timer so you don't forget about it!

5. When the dough is set, flour your countertop and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a general circle shape. It should be no thinner than 1/4 inch. If the dough is hard to work, just keep rolling it out and smashing it back into a ball until it becomes more pliable.

6. Grease a round pan and preheat the oven to 350*.

7. Form dough into your pan and make sure it covers all the sides. Its doesn't have to be perfect. If the dough is longer on one side, tear it off and press it into a shorter side. Set aside.

8. Chop the onion as small as you can get it and saute it in the butter, in a large skillet on medium heat until it becomes translucent.

9. Add a handful of spinach at a time to the pan and cook it until it looks wilted and slimy.

10. Chop tomato into small bits.

11. Crack the eggs into a bowl - you can reuse the dough bowl to save on cleanup - then mix them up. Add the cream or milk to make the eggs fluffy and beat.

12. Add spinach, onion and tomato to the eggs, then cheese, salt and dill.

13. Mix it all up and pour it in the crust.

14. Bake @ 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until egg is set.

I served this with tube sausage and strawberries for dessert. The vitamin C in the strawberries helps you absorb all the Vitamin A and K in the spinach. Your body turns Vitamin A into retinol which fights wrinkles! (As does real butter) So eat your spinach! PS - Milk hinders that absorption.

The sausage of course is not at all good for you but it reminds me of my grandma and her German taste buds. That and Braunschweiger. Gross but still bittersweet.

Stay healthy! ♥