Red hot love cake hearts

| February 6, 2015

I am so excited to be part of this wonderful Valentine’s day dessert blogger group. I can’t wait to try all of these yummy desserts. How about you? Which one is your favorite? I’d love to hear it below or on social media!

For day 6, we have red hot love cake hearts!

love cake
Visit Stefanie at Making of a Mom for the recipe for Red Hot Love Cake and check out all of the great options below for delicious Valentine’s Day Desserts!


What is in your vitamins?

| February 5, 2015
If you take vitamins, do you know what is in them? (If you don’t take vitamins, please read this.) There are a LOT of companies that manufacture vitamins. Please make sure if you are taking vitamins that you are getting what you think you are getting and paying for. 
Have you seen the recent news articles about several large manufacturers not producing quality vitamins? If not, one link is here. 
Supplement
One of the things I love about Shaklee is that their supplements are actually whole food supplements that are made from real ingredients and are totally pure! After researching the products and the company, I use and trust Shaklee for myself and my family. Shaklee also backs up every product and ingredient!
 
Here is a list of 5 simple questions to ask a company before purchasing their supplements. To make it a little easier on you and you fact finding quest, the names and phone numbers of some of the more popular supplement companies are listed below. 

1. Are your final products organic and free of pesticides, herbicides and chemicals?

Seeing the words “natural” and “organic” on the label or website unfortunately may not be enough. The “Organic” farm listed on the website does not tell you anything about the finished product.  The pill or shake that you ingest must be without any pesticides, herbicides, metals, chemicals, GMO, antibiotics, growth hormones, or any other nasty stuff. How does the company prove the finished product is free of these contaminants?

2. What are the ingredients in the product, and what country did they come from?

90% of supplement ingredients come from China where banned pesticides and chemicals are used. Remember, when it’s “natural” and out of the ground, the chemicals and sprays come along and never leave.

3. Is each bottle (not random testing) proven to be free from pesticides, heavy metals and lead?

Where is the scientific information to back up that claim and who tests it? It must be tested by a 3rd party NOT associated with the company. If it isn’t tested by a 3rd party, it’s like asking a child to check their own homework.

4. Who does the clinical studies on their products?

It must be associations not receiving profits from the sale of the product. Ask for copies. Must be more than 1 or 2. What doctors are on their research board? MAKE SURE THE DOCTORS DON’T OWN THE COMPANY.

5. Have results from studies of this product been published in trusted medical journals?

For example, clinical studies must be done on the bottled juice, not just clinical studies on the berries before juicing. Some examples of medical journals are: JAMA, American Journal of clinical nutrition. Do not trust journals that are made up or have no meaning in the scientific community.

Here is the information to call some of the bigger companies directly

Isagenix: 1-877-877-8111                              MonaVie: 1-866-956-1848

Body-by-Vi: 1-877-847-2587                       Juice Plus- no corporate # available

Shaklee: 1-800-SHAKLEE                           Melaleuca: 1-800-742-8094

Mannatech: 1-888-346-4636                      Body Wise: 1-800-830-9596

Herbalife: 1-866-866-4744                          Advocare: 1-800-542-4800

New Chapter: 1-800-543-7249                   Shakeology: 1-800-818-5174

Standard Process: 1-800-558-8740           Qivana: 1-800-378-0198

If you’re not taking Vitalizer, please make sure you getting everything you’re paying for.

To your health,
Stephanie

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase through my link. However, there is no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog and small business! (Please review the disclosure tab at the top for the full disclosure.)

Additionally, I am Shaklee Independent Distributor. The information provided on this website is not intended to diagnose or treat any medical or mental health condition. Please consult your healthcare provider. I share personal uses. Please check the Shaklee labels.

Red Velvet Fudge

| February 5, 2015

Welcome to day five of our 12 days of Valentine’s desserts! Easy Peasy Red Velvet Fudge is the recipe we have for you today!

Fudge

Sometimes you want a  yummy dessert to finish off a special meal (like Valentine’s Day) but what do you do when there just isn’t enough time to bake something? This Easy Peasy Red Velvet Fudge from Creative Cynchronicity is no bake, easy to make, and oh so yummy.

Ten minutes of preparation is all this recipe takes! Using a boxed Red Velvet cake mix helps you save time. Best of all, you can customize the toppings to your own preferences! And if you really want to kick it up a notch, top a scoop of ice cream with some of the fudge (cut into 1/2 inch cubes), and some hot fudge sauce!

Once you’ve checked out this recipe, be sure to have a look at the rest of the delicious recipes my blogging buddies have shared in our 12 Days of Valentine Desserts series by clicking on the links in the linky below.

Sundrop Pound Cake

| February 4, 2015

Welcome to Day three of our 12 days of Valentine’s desserts! If you are just joining us, during the first 12 days of February, myself and eleven other bloggers are sharing Valentine’s desserts! We hope you enjoy all of our favorite sweets! Today we have Dina’s Sundrop Pound Cake Recipe!

Pound cake

Dina of My UnEntitled Life has a great recipe to share with you. She’s made a moist delicious cake using a favorite drink! Whether you are a fan of this drink or not you will want to try this cake. It very moist especially with pudding added! To get the recipe, please click here My UnEntitled Life.

 

Strawberry Mocha Delight

| February 3, 2015

strawberry mocha delight

Welcome to day three of our 12 Days of Valentine’s Day Desserts! I have teamed up with some wonderful bloggers and for the first twelve days of February we will bring you some of the most delightful Valentine’s Day treats! Today Mandee at Raising My 5 Sons has shared with us her Strawberry Mocha Delight dessert. When you mix chocolate and strawberries you get a delicious dessert, but add in coffee and you’ve got a heavenly oh-so-delightful treat! This Strawberry Mocha Delight dessert is a delicious treat for anytime of the year, but we think it would make the perfect Valentine’s Day treat!

You can get the recipe by clicking on this link: Raising My 5 Sons.

Also be sure check out all of the other delicious Valentine’s Day Desserts that are part of our 12 Days of Valentine’s Day Desserts by stopping back tomorrow (and the next day). Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

| February 2, 2015

Chocolate covered strawberries seem to go hand in hand with Valentine’s Day. However, the same flavors also make a wonderful smoothie that is healthier and you can enjoy any day!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie

  • 8 ounces of milk – I use almond or coconut milk
  • 1 TBLSP of cocoa powder – adjust depending on taste
  • 1 cup of strawberries (fresh or frozen) – try to purchase organic as strawberries are on the dirty dozen list
  • 2 scoops of protein powder – you can use any kind, but my favorite is this one
  • Spinach – optional, but it is such a good way to sneak in some greens
  • Chia seeds – optional, but helps to keep you full

Chocolate covered strawberry smoothie

Blend and enjoy! If you make the smoothie thick enough (you can add some ice), you can dip strawberries into it, like you would dip them in chocolate!

Do you have a favorite healthier chocolate treat? I would love to hear it in this comments below or on my Facebook page!

Sweetly yours,
Stephanie

If you enjoyed this and would like to hear more, please subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters. To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see Facebook or Pinterest.

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive compensation if you make a purchase through my link. Thank you for supporting my blog and small business! (Please review the disclosure tab at the top for the full disclosure.)

Raspberry Cheesecake Truffles

| February 2, 2015

Welcome back to our wonderful Valentine’s Day dessert party! Our second blogger has created Raspberry Cheesecake Truffles for day two of our event! I hope you enjoy them!

raspberry truffle cheesecake

Are you looking for a sweet and unique treat this Valentine’s Day? Check out these Raspberry Cheesecakes over at donnahup.com. They a no bake recipe and easy to make. You can even swap out your favorite fruit topping too! To get the full recipe, please click here: http://donnahup.com/2015/02/01/cheesecake-truffles/

Valentine Blondies

| February 1, 2015

I am so excited to team up with twelve amazing bloggers to bring you the 12 days of Valentine’s Day desserts! Please come back and check out all of the fun desserts! I hope you enjoy these as much as I do! If you think any of your friends would enjoy these, please share them with your friends, too!

Blondies

Today is Day 1 and Janell at Saving You Dinero has an easy and delicious Valentine Blondie recipe for you. A Blondie is basically a chocolate chip cookie i…See More

Wedding Soup

| January 30, 2015

Have you heard of Wedding soup? Growing up near Youngstown, Ohio, where Italian Wedding Soup is very popular, we had a chance to taste many versions and create our favorite! This is one of my favorite recipes from childhood. When my aunt married into an Italian family, they helped us perfect the croutons, which make the soup so extra delicious! I hope you like it!

Wedding Soup

Wedding Soup

  • 1 organic whole chicken
  • 1 lb. lean organic ground beef (or pork)
  • 1 head of endive (cleaned and cut)
  • 1/4 cup (plus a dash more) bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup (plus a dash more) parmesan cheese
  • salt – to taste
  1. Put the chicken in a large pot and cover with water.
  2. Cook on high until boiling.
  3. Reduce heat and simmer for at least two hours.
  4. Salt to taste.
  5. In a bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs and cheese. Mix. (A picture showing the consistency is below.)
  6. Form into little meat balls. (A picture showing the size is below.)
  7. Take the chicken out (when cooked). Let cool and de-bone.
  8. Place meatballs and chicken back into the pan.
  9. Add endive and 1/4th of croutons (recipe below).
  10. Simmer at least 30 minutes

Meat balls

This is the consistency you would like in the meat balls.

meat balls and cat

This is the size of the meat balls (and our cat). They taste better smaller.

croutons

Croutons

  • 1 dozen eggs
  • 1 cup parmesan
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  1. Wisk the eggs in a bowl.
  2. Mix the three ingredients (be sure to get the lumps out) and spread on a lightly greased cookie sheet with edges or a glass pan. (The consistency is shown in the picture above.)
  3. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until it springs back when you press on it.
  4. Let it cool and cut into cubes.
  5. Add 1/4 of the croutons to the soup.
  6. Right before eating, add croutons to your bowl and top with the soup.

Soup and endive

Do you have a recipe that is popular where you live? Please leave it in the comments below or on social media! Please also share this with someone who may enjoy it, too!

All my best,
Stephanie

If you enjoyed this and would like to hear more, please subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters. To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see our Facebook or Pinterest pages! I look forward to connecting with you! Thank you!

Blended Veggie Soup

| January 28, 2015

This versatile blended veggie soup can be eaten as a nutritious snack or meal. You can add rice for a heartier soup and even add chicken to it. The first time I made it, I just made the soup and it didn’t go over too well. I was the only one who ate it! But because I liked it so much (and it is so good for you), I kept adapting it until I got everyone to eat it!

Now, I make the soup and I make a pot of whole grain brown rice using vegetable broth instead of water. Then, I make organic chicken thighs in the crock pot using only the meat, garlic, salt and pepper (it makes its own juice)! My son and daughter ate everything separately (with some applesauce). My husband put the rice down, then the chicken and added the soup as a sauce on top. I ate the soup with rice in it. Between these three methods, we all had a dinner we enjoyed! I was one happy mama! So, I wanted to share this with you in hopes you and your family will enjoy it, too!

Blended veggie soup

Blended Veggie Soup

  • 10 oz frozen organic broccoli
  • 5 oz frozen lima beans
  • 5 oz frozen organic corn
  • Scant 32 ounces vegetable broth (you can use chicken too). Add it slowly to get to your desired consistency.
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 tsp Bragg liquid aminos or salt – to taste
  • Pepper to taste
  • Nutritional yeast – optional, but yummy and good for you.
  • Cooked rice – is an optional add in
  1. Blend first five ingredients.
  2. Heat on stove and season to your desire.
  3. Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite meal for your family? Please leave it in the comments below or on social media! Please also share this with someone who may enjoy it, too!

Hugs and much love,
Stephanie

If you enjoyed this and would like to hear more, please subscribe (on the middle right sidebar) to get our SATZ newsletters. To stay connected with Sharing A to Z, please see our Facebook or Pinterest pages! I look forward to connecting with you! Thank you!

***This recipe was inspired by Melissa McCarthy’s veggie soup recipe that appeared in Good Housekeeping in the December 2012 issue. Thanks for sharing Melissa!