Sea-Band for Mamas and More Review #MomsMeet #ad

 *I received this product for free from Moms Meet (momsmeet.com), May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my honest opinion on my blog. The opinions posted are my own.

When I was pregnant with my son I suffered with severe morning sickness, well all day sickness until I discovered Sea-Band. I did not want to take any medications for the nausea and vomiting but could not figure out a natural way to help me. After some online research my husband went to the store and came back with Sea-Band. I try to look for natural remedies for health ailments and I thought its only a blue bracelet won't cause any harm to try them. Sea-Bands are acupressure bands that fit around your wrist just like a sweat band-with a pressure stud sewn inside. 

At first it felt a little tight like I needed to pull it a bit to make it fit with pressure but not much. After wearing it for a day I did not see too much relief but I think I was so focused on if it felt like they were working that stressing about it was not helping with nausea. The next day I wore them all day and did feel a lot less nauseated. I would put them on as soon as I woke up because I wanted to avoid any feeling of being sick to my stomach. For the remainder of my pregnancy they were my accessory to motherhood, my baby blue bracelets. 

I had significantly fewer headaches while I was using them too. I think it was due to the acupressure benefits of the bracelets. My son is 7 now but I still have those little blue bracelets for road trips and headaches.

Recently I saw a co-worker wearing them and asked her if they were Sea-Bands. She started to rave about how amazing they are for nauseousness just like I do anytime I see another fellow Sea-Band believer!

• Sea-Band is a knitted elasticated wrist band, which operates by applying pressure on the Nei Kuan acupressure point on each wrist by means of a plastic stud. The bands can be worn on each wrist whenever you feel nauseous.
• Recommended by midwives and pregnant women around the world, the Sea-Band Mama! acupressure wrist band provides a natural choice for effective morning sickness relief.
• Scienti c studies have proved that one of the most effective drug-free treatments is Acupressure on the P6 (Nei- Kuan) point between the two central tendons near the wrist.
• For Instructions on positioning the Sea-Band Mama! bands, please see this page: sea-band.com/mama/sea-band.
• Recently, JAMA (Journal of American Medical Association) recommended acupressure and Ginger as solutions to relieve morning sickness. An Italian study has also found that morning sickness was reduced in 70% of women who used Sea-Band acupressure bands.

Sea-Band Mama has some products on the market that I would like to try next time I need to cure nausea for pregnancy or may even be worth a try for my headaches. The Essential Oils Rollette contains Lime, Spearmint and Ginger that can be beneficial aromatherapy for nausea. You can buy Sea-Band products at Target, Walgreens, CVS and Walmart.

Since I do suffer from migraine headaches I like to wear my Sea-Bands when I feel like I maybe getting a headache, it can help stop them from becoming too intense. Early in the week I was wearing them as I cleaned up after my son was playing super heroes and reading a book in the living room. They come in many colors but I still love my light baby blue ones.

Almost Fall Apple Cream Torte

One of the best things about fall is the abundance of delicious apple recipes that I love finding and making. Of course, I love baking and cooking with pumpkins this time of year too, but there is just something about apple desserts that I find cozy and comforting.

I've never gone apple picking, but judging by all the pics on Instagram I've been seeing, there are a lot of people that do. It's definitely something I want to do one of these days, and preferably in a beautiful orchard with a plaid blanket and gorgeous picnic, and wine, and... ok, so not everything on Instagram is the way it appears, but dang, they make it look so good!

Anyway, back to this delicious Apple Cream Torte that I found in the September issue of Sunset Magazine. A cream torte is like a cross between a cake, a custard, and a Dutch baby, according to the magazine, and I completely agree with them. It's absolutely more custardy than a regular cake, and that's one of my favorite things about it.

The recipe calls for 3-4 thinly sliced apples, and I went with four and think that's the perfect amount for this torte. I love, love, love how the slices of apples bake on top of each other for this gorgeous effect you see when you slice into it. You can use a variety of different apples like Cameo, Fuji, or Gala, and I used Gala just because they are so easy to find. But next time I make this torte I'll try a different kind to see if it makes a difference in taste.

I made this for dessert for my family one night and they all loved it. The recipe is a keeper for sure, and one that I'll be sure to make again and again. If you wanted you could add a little crème fraiche or whipped cream on top, but I thought it was perfect without it.

Recipe for Apple Cream Torte

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. (3 or 4) tender sweet apples, such as Cameo, Fuji, or Gala 

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and generously flour a 9-inch spring form pan. Shake out excess flour and set aside.

Using a paring knife or sharp corer, core apples from stem down through seeds and base to remove in one cylinder. Peel apples and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch rings. Set apples aside.

In a large bowl, using a mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs and granulated sugar on high speed until pale and slightly thickened , 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add cream and vanilla. Beat about 30 seconds more to blend. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and blend on low speed until evenly combined.

Add apples (including any uneven end pieces) to batter and stir gently with a spatula to coat, separating slices. Pour mixture into prepared pan and arrange apples flat.

Bake cake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into center of cake (rather than an apple piece) comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cake cool on a rack 20 minutes, then run a slender knife between edge of cake and pan. Remove pan rim and cool cake at least 10 minutes more.

Serve warm or at room temperature, dusting with powdered sugar.

-Post by Patricia

I made this last year and it was so delicious that I thought I would share it again.



Rainbow Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Here in Nevada, the kids have already finished their second week of the new school year. My granddaughter Ashley started kindergarten and has surprised us all by how much she loves it. She is such a mama's girl that we thought she would have a hard time adjusting to being gone all day but thank goodness she loves it!

So I thought I would bake her and her two brothers some cookies last week for a yummy afterschool snack. I love being the kind of grandmother who bakes treats, and hopefully they will remember this from their childhoods. I never had a grandmother, so I'm trying to give them what I wished I'd had. Maybe it's a stereotype, a sweet baking granny, but I don't care. It makes me happy, and it makes them happy too.

Since we love chocolate chip cookies, I thought I would take it up a notch and made them with added M&Ms. Yum, right??

I've made these before and discovered the trick to making them look so good is to press a few M&Ms into each cookie right as they come out of the oven. They stick to the cookies but don't melt.

This recipe comes from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, Sally's Baking Addiction. Oh how I love Sally, she is just such an amazing baker and blogger. The great thing about her recipes are that they are all fairly easy to make and taste delicious.

And I'm super excited to get her new book, Sally's Cookie Addiction, when it comes out next month. I love making cookies for friends and family during the holidays, so I can't wait for this book to arrive on my doorstep.

So let's get on to this recipe for these yummy cookies. Just remember that you do have to let the dough chill for at least 2 hours before you can bake the cookies. I simply made the dough in the morning and them pulled it out of the refrigerator in the afternoon, about an hour before the kids got home from school.

And yes, they were very happy to come home from school to warm cookies and a cold glass of milk. I made lots of good grandma points that day!


Recipe for Rainbow Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup plain M&Ms (but I actually ended up using a little more than a cup)

Directions:

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the egg, then the egg yolk, followed by the vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. Fold in the chocolate chips and M&Ms. Cover the dough and chill for at least 2 hours (or up to 3 days).

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to soften slightly at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Roll the dough into balls, about 3 tablespoons of dough per cookie. If the dough is crumbly, the warmth of your hands will help it come together in a ball. Roll the cookie dough balls to be taller rather than wide. Place 8 balls of dough 3 inches apart onto each cookie sheet.

Bake each batch for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will look very soft and under baked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 10 days.  

Makes 16 large cookies. 

What Makes You a Wonder Woman? #sixflags #ad

*I was provided tickets to the park for my family to visit

On Saturday, August 12, you can meet Wonder Woman as part of the DC Super Hero Summer at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, CA.

From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wonder Woman will be available on the Kingdom Stage to meet guests and fans alike. As a special treat, you can meet legendary comic book artist and writer Trina Robbins, take a photo and get an autograph.

Ms. Robbins is known as the first female comic book artist ever to illustrate Wonder Woman for DC Comics and is world renowned for her art, activism and writing. Ranked as one of the top 25 best female comics creators of all time, Ms. Robbins is also a published author and historian and is listed as one of 12 women cartoonists deserving a lifetime achievement recognition by Comics Alliance.

Guests can also ride the newest and most thrilling ride attraction, Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth, a mammoth pendulum swing ride that has been hailed as the best ride ever by some.

This year for my birthday I wanted to have a theme to celebrate. Having a family of superhero lovers and a Wonder Woman fan myself I decided I would make it a Wonder Woman celebration. We planned a trip to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom to ride the new Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth and a trip to the theaters to see the new Wonder Woman movie.

My family always has a wonderful time when we visit Six Flags Discovery Kingdom. We have a few places we must visit on each trip, the Shark Experience and Butterfly Habitat are two of them. I feel like we have a new experience each time we visit them. This time when we went it was also Shark Week. We learned new facts about sharks, held a "Mermaids Purse" aka a nurse shark egg and also saw comic books that had shark characters in them.

As we walked around Six Flags I noticed that almost everyone there was wearing cool Superhero capes! Being the fun Mom I am I had to find out where the capes were being sold at. When we went to a store and I realized they were buy one get one free, the frugal side of me was elated! Of course my son and I both got a cape to wear around the park.

Most times we visit my son insists that my husband rides the family rides with him, it being my birthday my son wanted me to ride with him. Oh the fun I had watching him laugh and smile as we zoomed and whirled around on the rides. Even when he wanted to go on the same ride over and over I loved every moment of it!



I will admit I did not get on the Wonder Woman ride! I thought for sure I could do it but alas my fear of rides that are not on a track over came me. My son said I was still a "wonder woman" because of how hard I work and how sweet I am! That did make me feel a bit better. How we define ourselves as a "wonder woman" is entirely up to us. I work hard, love my family, take each opportunity I can to spread love and truth, just as the real Wonder Woman does.

What makes you a Wonder Woman?

Fall Road Trip Visiting Oceanside California #beachlife #Oceanside #California

For the last few years my family and I have made it a tradition to take a road-trip to Southern California in the Fall. I grew up in Southern CA and love to see how its changed over the years. Each time we take the trip we make sure to experience a day at the beach. I enjoy searching for a different beach each year. The beach experience in the Fall is different than a Summer trip but just as fun. Last Fall the beach we selected was Oceanside CA.

Oceanside is located halfway between San Diego and Los Angeles. The beaches are beautiful and the people were so friendly! I like Oceanside since it was not as crowded as some of the bigger beaches. We played in the sand, the waves and even the cool play ground right on the beach.

The Oceanside Pier was our main focal point to visit. Growing up in Southern CA I have a love for piers and the activities all around them. Many families were fishing from the pier, beautiful sea birds were walking around and even a 50's style restaurant at the end of the pier. The pier is 1,954 feet long, extending about a quarter of a mile into the water making it one of the longest piers on the west coast.

The main street along the beach is called "The Strand". I honestly love the beach style of all the surfers with their boards, the tourists walking around and the beach cruiser bikes going by the local shops and restaurants. The Strand is 4 miles long and lined with palm trees. There are clean bathrooms and changing areas for swimmers or in the case of my kid wave jumping in his clothes. 

We spent hours playing in the waves and sand. I could sit in the sand all day and watch my son with his big smile on his face jumping, splashing and getting covered in sand. I now know the joy my own Mom felt each summer when we went to the ocean. 

For lunch we ate at The Tin Fish Restaurant on the Strand. I always have to get clam chowder in a bread bowl anytime I visit the beach. I loved every bite of it, when my son asked if he could feed the birds with part of my bread bowl I had to say no since I could not let the deliciousness be shared plus we should not feed wild animals. 

After resting our bellies we decided to rent a surrey bike from Wheel Fun Rentals. I remember doing this as a kid with my family in Santa Barbara and wanted my own son to experience the fun of riding one by the ocean. I had more fun than I imagined I would. My husband did most of the pedaling on the bike and I was enjoying the view and giggles of my son. It was a perfect Fall day to be at the beach on a surrey bike. We rented ours a little later in the day saving us a bit of money of the rate.

The nice thing about Oceanside is the ability to use the beach even after dark. In the Fall it gets darker much earlier and we did not want our day of fun to stop. I went back to our car parked nearby to get a blanket to sit on and some snacks to watch the sunset over the ocean. We saw many families taking firewood to the cement fire pits on the beach and decided we were going to also have a bonfire. We had firewood in our trunk from a recent camping trip that was perfect for this. I was telling my husband how it was not good for gas mileage to have the wood in the trunk before we left on our trip and he replied with "You never know if we might need it on a road trip". He was so right and I was so glad to have it with us. Oh how I wished someone had been selling the stuff for s'mores on the beach!

Stuffed Bell Peppers With Bleu Cheese Crumbles

One of the things I have tried to be more conscious of in my cooking is trying to cook with the seasons. You know, eating what's plentiful, and in season  at the grocery store or farmer's market, and incorporating that into your meal plans.

Lately, the bell peppers have been so gorgeous that they inspired me to make one of my favorite meals, stuffed peppers.

I like the flexibility of ingredients for stuffed peppers, and you can use turkey, or beef, or make them without meat if you like, too. And you can put veggies in them, from zucchini to tomatoes, to carrots.

For this version of stuffed peppers, I made them with healthy and yummy ground turkey. I put in lots of onions and chopped some mushroom to add to the meat mixture.

This really is an easy meal, and I like knowing that the red peppers are so healthy for you.

The tomato sauce on top of the peppers adds to their great taste, and makes them look good.

I have been a little obsessed with these bleu cheese crumbles lately from Trader Joe's, and have been finding all kinds of ways to use them.

Ground turkey can be a little bland for me sometimes, and so I added the crumbles to top the peppers, and I was pretty much in heaven. They added a delicious kick to the peppers, and I'll make this recipe again, using the bleu cheese crumbles.

Just add some delicious garlic bread and your favorite glass of wine, and you have an easy and delicious summer dinner to enjoy!


Recipe for Stuffed Bell Peppers with Bleu Cheese Crumbles

Ingredients:

3 large red bell peppers
1 pound of lean ground turkey
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped button mushrooms
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
1 small can tomato sauce
3/4 cup bleu cheese crumbles, or top with the amount of your choice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large baking dish with vegetable oil.

Wash and cut peppers in half. Cut off stems and remove seeds.

In a large bowl, combine turkey, bread crumbs, egg, onion, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Pat meat mixture into each half of pepper. Put peppers into greased baking dish.

Spread each pepper with tomato sauce. Generously sprinkle Italian seasoning over peppers.

Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Top with bleu cheese crumbles.


post by Patricia

Game Day Dip Recipes with Foster Farms Snacks #FFBracketBusters

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. #FFBracketBusters #ad

As a parent I am always trying to find ways to incorporate fun and learning at the same time. Since my son seems to love basketball and even his homework in March has a basketball theme I decided this year we would watch some of the March college basketball tournament. I have been trying to learn more about the process of "bracketology" and must admit my bracket has been busted on the team I was rooting for. The fun still continues as my son and I are enjoying game time dunking of our own with my delicious dip recipes for our snacks. I baked Foster Farms Chicken Breast Nuggets and Mini Corn Dogs while I prepared my dips.

Recipe for Raspberry Honey Mustard Dip:

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup mustard
2 1/2 tbsp raspberry jam
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover and put in refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve with Foster Farms Mini Corn Dogs.

Recipe for Pineapple Lime Sweet and Spicy Dip:

2 medium sweet red peppers
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup of diced tomatoes (I use low sodium with chilies style)
1/2 cup of pineapples with juice ( I bought a canned version with juice included)
1 lime juice/zest
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp hot sauce
1/2 tsp cornstarch
pinch of salt

Dice sweet red peppers and garlic. Add to bowl with diced tomatoes and pineapples with juice. Add remaining ingredients into bowl and stir until incorporated. Put all ingredients in blender on chop setting, pulse only a few times until mixture is roughly blended. Cover and set in refrigerator for 1 hour. Stir before serving with Foster Farms Breast Chicken Nuggets.

While preparing to watch the basketball game my son and I tested our dunking skills with our dips and Foster Farm snacks. I included tomatoes and yellow sweet peppers to be dunked too. I made the snacks and veggies into kebobs served with a bit of each dip on a plate so we could sit down together and watch the game. We had fun enjoying our snacks and rooting for our favorite team in that round.

What are your favorite game watching snacks and dips?

I enjoy eating Foster Farms all natural chicken because it has no added hormones or steroids. Its also a convenient snack since it baked in about 20 minutes. It gives me time to prepare other items while they bake. I am hosting a giveaway for some Foster Farm free item coupons so that you can enjoy Foster Farms with your family and friends. I hope you have fun at your own home party like my family did.

Giveaway: 
One winner (US Only) will win $72 in Foster Farms coupons. 

3 of the $9.99 Foster Farms Frozen Cooked Chicken Coupons

6 of the $6.99 Foster Farms Corn Dog Coupons 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts March 31, 2017 and ends on April 7, 2017 at 12:01 am PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

Orange Pork Tenderloins With Caramelized Onions

I used to cook pork chops all the time, and I really like eating them a lot. But it's been a long time since I've cooked pork of any kind, so the other night I whipped up this delicious Simple Supper.

I think the thinner pork tenderloins work best for this dish, and they cook faster than the thicker kind. This recipe is super easy, and makes a great week night meal, but is also impressive enough for a dinner with friends. I made mashed potatoes and a green vegetable to go with it, but the sides you can serve with this is endless. It really is yummy!!

Orange Pork Tenderloins With Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

8 thin sliced pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Pace Picante sauce
1/2 cup orange marmalade
2 teaspoons grated orange zest

Cooking Instructions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until browned on both sides.

2. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook about 15 minutes, until soft and browned.

3. Put the picante sauce, marmalade, and orange zest into the skillet and stir together with the onions.
Return the pork to the skillet. Reduce heat to low, and cook for 10 minutes.

Serves 4-6 depending on serving sizes.

St. Patrick's Day Brownies and Recipe

Saint Patrick's Day is on Friday but I just couldn't wait to make something green. I love brownies, and so do my grandchildren, so I made these to share with them.

Here is one of my favorite brownie recipes, and it is super easy to make. The recipe makes a big pan, enough for a potluck, or hungry grandchildren :)

Recipe for Quick and Easy Brownies

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup walnut halves (optional)

Directions:

Melt the butter or margarine and mix all ingredients in the order given.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in a greased 9x13 pan.

Recipe For Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Do you like macaroons?

I love them, especially if they are dipped in chocolate. I came across this super easy recipe for making some.

These are perfect for an everyday cookie to keep in the cookie jar, or fancy enough to put in a pretty package and give as a gift. I'll be giving some at Easter for sure.

The recipe calls for very few ingredients, so use the best available. I buy the sweetened coconut from the bulk foods section of my grocery store. It's much fresher than the coconut in packages.

You can also use white, or milk chocolate to dip the macaroons in. I used dark chocolate this time.

Recipe for Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Ingredients:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 ounces dark, white, or milk chocolate, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, stir together flour, coconut, and salt. Add condensed milk and vanilla; stir until well combined.

Drop batter by tablespoonful, 1 inch apart, onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes or until just golden on bottoms.
Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. When cookies are cool, dip top halves into melted chocolate. Let stand until set.

Makes 1 dozen cookies.