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Seasonal Bloggers Giveaway

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It’s one of my favorite times of year…..Spring!!  I love the fresh smell in the air, the new buds on the trees and the longer days.  I start to feel so alive!!! It’s so great coming out of the long months of winter.

I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Spring than to get together with my blogging pals over at THM Bloggers Seasonal Recipes and do a great giveaway.  So fun!!!

We know that the spring can bring on a new or refreshed desire to make better choices and get moving more.  Having some excellent on plan supplies can help when making good choices.

We’re so excited for this Giveaway!  How better to set your self up for success than with an amazing $125 Amazon Gift Card???!

There you can find plenty of excellent items to help you on your journey with Trim Healthy Mama (learn more about THM here) .

$125 can get you lots of lovely goodies to help you stock your pantry,  or to get that exercise video you’ve had your eye on…. whatever you can think of that will help you reach your goals!   It’s totally your choice!

I am so excited about the community we, as THM food and lifestyle bloggers have. We enjoy working together on round ups, and giveaways to encourage you along your way with Trim Healthy Mama.  We have so much fun!!! 😀

💙💜💚Take some time and visit our blogs, to like our Facebook pages aond to follow us on Instagram so we can continue to spread the THM/low carb-healthy carb love with you all, through recipe development, giveaways, and inspiration. 💚💜💙

❤ Follow Chrissy on Instagram ❤
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Giveaway Collaborators:

Erin from My Fling with Food

Keri from My Table of Three

Sarah from My Montana Kitchen

Kristen from Joyful Jane

Robin from MamaShire

Rachel from Country Girl Cook’n

Briana from Briana Thomas

Rebekah from Lotsa Little Lambs

Sarah from Mrs. Criddle’s Kitchen

Teresia from Nana’s Little Kitchen 

Enter Giveaway Below:

Giveaway runs from Mar 25- Apr 1, 2017

Winner will be announced no later than April 2,  12pm AST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

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Main Dish

Smart Baking Company Review

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I was instantly interested in the Smart Baking Company when they came on the scene with their Smart Bun and their Smart Cakes.  I’d been looking for an excellent hamburger/miscellaneous bun for quite a while and was so happy to find one that was getting rave reviews within the Trim Health Mama/Low Carb community.

So when I got my box of samples to review from the Smart Baking Company I was delighted to put them to the test.  I kept it pretty simple to start.

I love that all the ingredients are great to use within the THM eating plan.  I love the Trim Healthy Mama plan, and it is so much easier to do when I can add the quick grab and go item that makes life easier for this busy mama.

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Smart Cakes Review

I like simple things, so for the Smart Cakes I tried them plain, straight up, no fancy toppings or additions.  To get different opinions I shared with my hubby and my kids.  I did add a variable in our tasting experiment though,  I placed half of each package of Smart Cakes in the fridge to chill before trying, and left the other half at room temp.  Why did I put them in the fridge?  With lots of low-carb baked goodies once they have time to chill in the fridge something magical happens, the flavors, sweetness and textures improve (in my humble opinion of course).  So upon comparing the un-chilled against the chilled Smart Cakes we all unanimously agreed the chilled ones tasted sweeter and the texture was more dense and cakey, which we all preferred.  However, the un-chilled Smart Cakes were still very good, just not as sweet and a bit more crumbly.  Our ‘over all favorite flavor’ among the three flavors (Chocolate, Coconut, and Cinnamon) was again, unanimously Cinnamon followed by a close second of Chocolate,  and Coconut finished very strong as our third favorite, and was still a yummy tasty treat.

We really enjoyed them all though, I’ve made it a point to order some to have on hand as they are an excellent snack to go to, especially with how high in fiber they are!  I don’t know about you but I love to have lots of grab and go options on hand.  It makes a difference whether I succeed or fail.  I generally have a well laid out food plan, but a wrench can get thrown in there from time to time making it hard to succeed otherwise.  I’m so glad to have these scrumptious little Smart Cakes as a quick, delicious option.

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Smart Bun Review

In reviewing the Smart bun, I wanted to use them in a recipe.  I love creating recipes, so coming up with two simple, tasty ones was a delicious task to have! You can order the Smart Bun two different ways, with sesame seeds and/or without sesame seeds.  I was given one bag of “without” sesame seed, and two of “with” sesame seeds to play with.

Before I share my recipes, I want to talk more about the buns.  They are soft and squishy, they hold up to whatever you’re eating without falling apart or crumbling to bits like other gluten free buns on the market.  They have a nice soft texture to bite into and are without a doubt the best gluten free hamburger bun I’ve ever tried…..and I’ve tried A WHOLE BUNCH!  These are truly a dream come true, low carb burgers will never be the same!!  These are becoming a staple in the Benoit household from now on.  Thank you Smart Baking Company for 2 excellent products that make me and my taste buds happy!!

Folks these buns are just the best thing since….

So for my first recipe I kept it very simple and just made a simple breakfast sandwich.  There’s nothing like being able to enjoy a hearty breakfast sandwich.  It’s a great meal at anytime of day and is so easy to make with simple whole ingredients.

I made two recipes to try these Smart Buns out.  Scroll down to get a sneak peek at those recipes….To view the full recipes click on the links shared.

Chrissy’s Breakfast Sandwich

See Recipe Here

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Easily make these for the whole family just increase the recipe by the number of people you’re looking to feed.  I made these for my whole family and we loved it.  Such as great morning meal.

 

 

See Recipe for Chrissy’s Breakfast Sandwich Here (THM S, E or FP)

 

Try something else…..

Chrissy’s Better Burgers (THM S)

See Recipe Here

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See Recipe for Chrissy’s Burgers (THM S) Here

 

So when it’s all said and done, I’ve loved trying out the goodies from The Smart Baking Company.  I recommend them to you and your household without issue.  I know they’ll be a constant in mine.

 

With love,

Chrissy  ❤

 

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S Fuel Recipes

Blueberry Grunt (THM S)

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Growing up in the East Coast of Canada we Maritimers enjoy this dessert on a regular basis during blueberry season.  I wouldn’t be surprised if you haven’t heard of it, it’s quite specific to this neck of the woods and it’s really one of our best kept secrets.  If you’ve ever traveled to our beautiful coast than you may have heard or tried this delicious dessert.  If not you need not wait any longer, it’s so easy to make and tastes soooo good. ❤

What’s with the silly name though?  Well that’s what speculation is all about.  Some people say it’s the grunting sound the blueberries make as the dessert bakes and others say it’s the grunting you make when you taste just how fantastic this dessert is.  I tend to lean toward the latter reason.  I personally grunt every time I take a bite of this amazing Maritime treat. ❤

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This dessert is as lovely to make as it is to eat as it comes together quickly.  Topping this dessert are sweet fluffy mounds of biscuit and under those yummy biscuity clouds you’ll find loads of wild blueberries that make you smile blue and fill your belly with pure joy.  So you can see why I needed to convert this with my way of eating on Trim Healthy Mama to make this a great S fuel type dessert. (Learn more about THM here)

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I have been making an effort to convert the recipes I’ve enjoyed throughout my life to be carb smart.  I’m looking to enjoy these dishes without spiking my insulin and sending my body into fat storage mode.  Surprisingly this dish was easy to convert, and I’m happy to share it with you now.

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Ingredients

3 cups of blueberries, (fresh are best but frozen will work)

½ tsp Nutmeg

½ tsp Cinnamon, ground

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

6 Tbsp Gentle Sweet Blend – OR – 3 Tbsp Super Sweet Blend – OR – 1 cup Erythritol (BUY HERE)

Biscuit Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Butter softened (or Coconut oil)

3 Tbsp + 1 tsp Gentle Sweet Blend – OR – 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp of Super Sweet Blend – OR – 1/2 cup Erythritol (BUY HERE)

1 Egg

1 cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk (or Coconut Milk)

3/4 cup Baking Blend (BUY HERE)

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 cup Almond Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder – aluminum free

Pinch of Mineral Salt (BUY HERE)

 

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a medium-sized bowl mix blueberries, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon juice and sweetener until berries are well coated
  3. Place blueberries in the bottom of a greased (with butter or coconut oil) 9 x 13 casserole dish.
  4. Cream together the butter, sweetener, and egg. Add the unsweetened almond milk, baking blend, and other flours, baking powder, and salt. Beat until evenly combined.
  5. Drop by Tbsp spoonfuls on top of the blueberry mixture.
  6. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 hour.
  7. Let cool for half an hour, serve and enjoy

Notes

1/6th of this recipe is one serving size to fit into an S setting as blueberries are limited to 1/2 cup serving size. 3 / 6 = .5

 

Enjoy!

With Love,

Chrissy  ❤

 

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Recent Posts

Chrissy’s Caesar Salad Dressing/ Dip

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This is not your mama’s regular ‘ol Caesar Dressing ladies and gents.   My tasty take on the classic Caesar recipe yields a flavorful,  slightly zippy, distinguished dressing!! If you’re not a fan of blue cheese you can omit it entirely if you have to.  Though, I’d suggest giving it a go.  There’s not enough of the blue cheese flavor to overpower this recipe.  It’s just a slight flavoring that helps make this dressing super creamy.

You don’t have to buy that bottle of dressing anymore.  Instead you can forgo the preservatives and additives and just get 100% full flavor.

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Drinks

Blueberry Lemon Creamsicle Shake (THM FP)

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So this is totally reminiscent of an orange creamsicle.  Don’t believe me?  You should make it and see for yourself.  It’s a blueberry blend of creamy citrusiness (yeah I made up a word, so what? lol)…..IT’S TOTALLY YUM!  It may not have the traditional orange flavor of a creamsicle, but it’s a nice berry-citrus infusion that’s a welcome treat.

During the last 2 week challenge in my Challenge Group (my Facebook group, learn more here), one of the guidelines was to have more smoothies.     I was looking for some new Fuel Pull shakes to enjoy and I came up with this one. (Fuel Pull is a Trim Healthy Mama term meaning low-carb, and low-fat)   I really enjoy being able to have a giant smoothie entirely on its own as a meal.  So they need to be protein packed and hearty enough to carry me those 3 hours THM suggests you wait between your meals.  This Blueberry Lemon Creamsicle Shake, is delicious, filling and protein packed and it’s a giant of a glass full …..I can easily fill a 32 oz (1 quart) glass jar with this recipe.  I’m not joking, it’s gonna fill you up good.  ♥

Really any excuse to use my super-duper fantastic OmniBlend blender is good enough for me.  My OmniBlend blender makes up the best smoothies I’ve ever had, I just ♥ ♥ ♥ it.

(Check OmniBlend out, you won’t be sorry US link / CAD link)

So just throw all the ingredients into your blender and let it whir.  Than let me know what you think about it by commenting below!  Oh, and follow my blog so you don’t miss any of my recipes.  ♥

 

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S Fuel Recipes

Peanut Butter Cup Frosting

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This frosting is so so delicious.  I made this up, scooped up a large spoonful, walked through my house to find my husband.  As he saw me coming with a spoon I told him to close his eyes and open his mouth.  I had him taste this frosting ….he opened his eyes and they widened, he smiled largely swallowing than he blurted “Wow!  That tastes better than a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup”.    Yes!!!  I love making food, the person I love making it for the most is my husband, when he loves it I do a little victory dance.  If you like this frosting as much as my hubby and kids do than I’ll do another victory dance just for you too!! <3

I’ve had a couple of people tell me that when they’ve made this it’s been too runny, this NEVER happens when I make this recipes.  The only thing I can think is that they are using a different cocoa powder and Peanut flour which aren’t as absorbent as the brand I use.

Let me suggest a way around getting a runny outcome as opposed to a  nice thick frosting.  Only add the almond milk if needed after all ingredients have been added.  Add a TBSP at a time, and use your best judgement with how thick you want it to turn out. 🙂

This is still one of my favorite frosting to add to a cake, it always comes out exactly the way I want it to and the flavor is perfect for my tastes.  Like everything when using natural sweeteners personal tastes vary, so taste test to achieve your perfect sweetness level and flavor.

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