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#GirlsNightIn // Mocktails

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Pregnancy has really had me thinking about mocktails. I don’t know what it is about being pregnant that has me craving interesting drinks, maybe it’s all the water I have to drink? Anyways I have been in the mood for mocktails and have been making them regularly at home and ordering one often when we go out.

I prefer my mocktails fresh, fruity or citrusy and not too sweet. They can be super complex and interesting or simple like seltzer, lime and cranberry juice. One of the best mocktails I have had lately was when we were in Vermont and it was a combination of seltzer, fresh grapefruit juice, fresh orange juice and just a splash of cranberry juice for color. Bonus mocktails mean I can have a few without feeling guilty (or tipsy) and can share with Edith if I want.

All this mocktail talk though had me crafting ideas for a fun Girl’s Night In with mocktails or mocktails that could be turned into cocktails. Pair these mocktails with fresh and tasty appetizers such as fresh rolls, veggies and hummus, stuffed mushrooms or light salads. Add in a game or a movie and it sounds like the making of a perfect Girls’ Night In.

Here are a few mocktail recipes that I have been lusting after and ones that I think would be perfect for a Girls’ Night in.

Let’s talk about a few of these mocktails:

  • Cucumber Mojitos: cool and super refreshing! This is the perfect summer recipe using fresh and easy ingredients. It is also a beautiful drink so it would be perfect to enjoy with friends. Pair it with some spicy appetizers for a perfect combo.
  • Acai Grapefruit Raspberry Mocktails: This is exactly the type of mocktail that I crave. Made with at Trop50 Raspberry Açaí juice blend it is lightly sweet with a tart component to balance it all out. It would be wonderful paired with some fresh veggies, dip and pita or light salads.
  • Cantaloupe-Ginger Spritzer:  This mocktail caught my eye immediately because it’s not often that you find a drink made with cantaloupe. It is also so beautiful that it will impress your guests! This would pair well with some Asian dishes such as fresh rolls, dumplings or seasoned edamame pods.

I hope that these mocktails help to inspire your next Girls’ Night In and for additional inspiration check out the Trop50 collection on Foodie.

What is your favorite type of mocktail?

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Trop50 via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Trop50.

 

Friday I’m In Love: Vega Bars

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Disclaimer: This post was made possible by Fit Approach and Vega. I received a variety of Vega Bars to try and review on my blog. No other compensation was provided. As always all opinions are my own!

Happy Friday! Who is excited for the weekend? I am! I have a few events this weekend and plan on enjoying some quiet time with my family and my new computer – my old Mac officially died earlier this week and my new one should be here sometime today.
So let’s get down to the love of the day: Vega Bars.

Vega Bar Family Shot

I recently had the opportunity to try four different types of bars which included: Vega Snack Bar, Vega One Bar, Vega Sport Energy Bar, and Vega Protein Bar. Now I am not new to Vega, my husband and I have been long time consumers and fans of Vega products but I honestly haven’t really given the bars a try. Mostly we buy protein powders and the Vega Sport products but I think that might change now.

VegaSnackBarLet’s start with my favourite bar of the four- the Vega Snack Bar. This bar is brand new and I absolutely loved it. Seriously one of the best snack bars I have had recently and perfect for on the go or a quick snack while chasing my toddler. Speaking of toddlers, Edith also enjoyed sharing the Vega Snack Bars with me. I sampled two flavours of this bar: dark chocolate mixed nuts and sea salt and the cranberry almond. Both flavours were tasty but which one do you think I preferred? The chocolate one obviously! There are three other flavours that I now need to try once they are in stores. Which Snack Bar do you want to try first?

On to my next favourite bar- the Vega One Bar. I was a little hesitant when I opened this bar because I mean it looks like a glorified candy bar, so I mean how healthy can it really be? While it is coated in chocolate and might look and even taste like a candy bar it is also filled with protein, fiber, omega 3’s and lots of other vitamins and minerals that keep you satisfied.VegaOneBar

I was out and about yesterday running errands so I through one in my bag to try and of course mid-morning I was getting hangry for a second breakfast (pregnant + 6am wake up = two breakfasts) so I broke out my Chocolate Cherry Almond Vega One Bar. Let’s just say this was oh so good AND it gave me the pick me up I needed and kept me satisfied until lunch. I also was sent a Chocolate Peanut Butter one that I handed off to Neil because I can’t stomach PB right now and he enjoyed it and shared a bite with E who went nuts for it.

VegaSportEnergy

Third kind I tried was the Vega Sport Energy Bars and well I liked them but I didn’t love them. These bars are part of the Vega Sport series which have three categories: Prepare, Sustain & Recover. The Vega Sport Energy Bars are part of the Sustain category so they are intended to be eaten mid activity to help provide you with the energy needed to complete your workouts. They come in two flavours Chocolate Coconut Almond and Apple Cherry; of the two I preferred the chocolate. I can’t see myself buying these right now because I didn’t love them for snacking on and I am not currently doing any workouts that require fueling mid-workout. I do however think that these are perfect for those who are long distance runners or cyclist or hikers who need a snack to provide them with energy and is easy to eat and digest.

The last bar I received was the Vega Protein Bar which is also part of the Vega Sports series. It is intended to be eaten post workout for recovery. These bars are filled with protein and nutrients to help recharge you and repair your muscles post workout. Now I received two of these bars and realized just before I started this post that I didn’t get to try either of them because someone (I’m looking at you Neil) ate both of them before I had a chance to even sample them! What I can tell you is that he enjoyed both the Chocolate Coconut and Chocolate Mint flavours that he tried. Now I really was looking forward to the Chocolate Coconut flavour so I guess I’ll have to get my hands on one so I can actually try it out.

Vega Sport Bar- All

Have you tried Vega bars or products? What are your favourite? What kind of bar would you most like to try? I plan on stocking up on Vega One and Vega Snack bars for postpartum nursing snacks because I know with a toddler and a newborn I’m going to need quick and easy snacks on hand and I remember newborn nursing hunger with E was 10x worse than pregnancy hunger.

Get Your Good Going with Blue Diamond Almonds

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almonds. All opinions are my own.

I can’t believe that just last week we were in Vermont  in 50 degree weather and now we are back in Portland and it has been in the high 70’s/low 80’s. Beautiful weather of course means spending lots of time outside soaking up the sun, playing at the park and feeding the ducks and geese.

Blue Diamond AlmondsEdith and I have been getting out every afternoon for a nice walk before stopping at the park to run around and play ball. Of course a trip to the park is never complete without some sort of snack and lately our go to has been Blue Diamond Almonds. I love them and Edith has taken a liking to them as well.

I know some of you are thinking you let your 21 month old eat almonds? Won’t she choke? Yes I do and she is actually a really great nut eater. I of course supervise and never leave her alone because they are indeed a choking hazard but she loves them, especially the wasabi soy flavour.

Blue Diamond Almonds

Off to the Farmer’s Market!

We seem to take almonds with us every where, not just to the park. We took them on our trip to Vermont, on hikes, trips to the farmers market, basically they are with us at all times. Having a snack with me at all times stops me from getting hangry (no one wants to be around a hungry pregnant lady), helps keep E from getting hangry (hungry toddler = worse than a hungry pregnant lady), and it helps me to stay healthy instead of buying some convince snack out.

The favourite Blue Diamond Almond flavour around our house is wasabi soy but you can also find us toting around natural and lightly salted. Seriously individual packages make life so much easier.

How do you get your good going? How to do keep healthy when you’re out and about?

Foodie: 12 Spring Salad Recipes

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Foodie. All opinions are my own.

After being away for 10 days and eating out more and just not our usual meals we have been ready for greens, greens and salads. I actually stocked up with a big container of organic mixed greens, baby spinach, baby arugula, dino kale and curly kale.  We have been making salads daily and of course I’m always looking for more inspiration on how I can jazz up a salad recipe. Here are 12 Spring Salad Recipes that I am currently getting inspired by:

Let’s talk about a few of these Spring Salad recipes:

What are your favorite spring salad recipes or ingredients? I love radishes especially Easter radishes because of the variety of colors.  I also am just loving all the spring greens and asparagus!

#StyleNeverStops: Reebok Skyscape Maternity Style

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The following post is sponsored by FitFluential LLC on behalf of Reebok. All opinions are my own.

Reebok Skyscape’s are crafted borrowing the materials and soft molding process used to create lingerie <– doesn’t that just make these shoes sound sexier and well make you feel a little bit more sexy when wearing them? Huge bonus when you are 24 weeks pregnant with #2 and are showing like you are 30 weeks.

Reebok Skyscape Pregnancy Style #Fitfluential via Running With TongsI have recently reached a point in my pregnancy where my feet hurt if I have a busy day of standing or walking and all I really want are a pair of super comfortable shoes but I also want to pretend to be fashionable. Insert the Reebok Skyscape a shoe that looks cute with most everything and is light weight (only 5.0 ounces) and has Skyspring technology aka they are designed to help support the foot and provide ALL DAY comfort.

Reebok Skyscape Shoe Shot #Fitfluential via Running With TongsI love the low cut design and they are perfect for wearing without socks (I have tried them with socks but prefer them without). I was concerned at first that wearing them without socks would result in blisters but I’ve been wearing them sans socks for weeks now and haven’t experienced any rubbing or irritation. Yay for seamless construction!

Reebok Skyscape #Fitfluential via Running With Tongs

I have a very limited wardrobe right now so most of the time you can find me wearing them with the outfit above. I also love them with jeggings (best creation ever), maxi skirts or yoga pants (because lets be honest I spend 90% of the time in yoga pants).

Outfits I’m currently coveting that would go great with my pink Reebok Skyscape Shoes:

Reebok Skyscape

FYI: I will be sporting these shoes with everything for the remainder of my pregnancy (and beyond) so this is not going to be the last you see of these shoes.

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Bonus Facts: not only are they cute but they have some traction so I don’t have to worry so much about slipping and falling, a concern that I have right now when rainy Portland streets are wet combined with pregnancy balance. Oh and did I mention you can throw these shoes in the washing machine?? Perfect for muddy park days!

Pregnancy Cravings & Pure Leaf Iced Tea

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Current pregnancy cravings: berries, doughnuts, raspberry jam and crackers, lemonade, and iced tea.

While I avoided caffeine almost completely during my first 15 weeks of pregnancy I have been enjoying small amounts (8-12oz cup; 4-5 days per week) in the form of coffee or tea during my second trimester. While I usually enjoy hot coffee or tea I have been craving iced beverages specifically sweet iced tea. While I try to go unsweetened for the most part I have been enjoying a cup or two of Pure Leaf Lemon Iced Tea which is lightly sweetened.

lipton pureOne of the benefits of tea is that calms me down especially when the stresses of raging pregnancy hormones and a teething toddler takes over. I also like knowing that while I’m sipping on tea I am also taking in antioxidants and helping to fight free radicals in my body.

Like I said I prefer an unsweetened tea but have really been enjoying the fresh brewed taste and light sweetness of the Pure Leaf Lemon. It’s super refreshing and an 8oz glass satisfies my pregnancy iced tea cravings, plus I can pretend that it’s sunny and 80F while I sip on it rather than 55F and raining.

Side Story: Pure Leaf Lemon reminds me of the instant Lipton’s Lemon Iced Tea that my grandmother used to make in huge batches during the summer. Every sip is like being at grandma’s however rather than instant this tea is fresh brewed.

What is your favorite flavor of tea? Do you prefer hot or cold?

pureleafPure Leaf is real brewed iced tea, which means it’s brewed from REAL tea leaves picked at their freshest, never from powder or concentrate. The result is a refreshing iced tea with perfectly balanced aroma, body, and flavor. Learn more at http://www.facebook.com/pureleaf

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Pepsico via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Pepsico.

12 Vegan Pasta Dishes for Your Sunday Night Dinner

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Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by foodie.com. All opinions are my own.

Sunday dinners were never a big deal when I was growing up and even today we don’t do anything special but since working on this post I am thinking Sunday night pasta dinners sounds like a good idea. I remember growing up and watching TV shows and movies where Sunday pasta dinner was a thing and always wished that we did that in our house. So here are 12 recipes I plan on making (or making again) for our new Sunday Night Pasta tradition.

A little bit about these recipes:

  • The Super Quick Tomato Basil Cream Pasta has been a favorite for years. This recipe was featured back in 2008 on the blog VeganYumYum and I have been making it ever since. I often make this for omnivores and it is a huge hit!
  • The first time I had the Dairy-Free Spinach Stuffed Shells was actually right after Edith’s birth. A friend of ours brought them over as a baby meal and we have been making them ever since. I make these about every other month and often for potlucks and dinner parties. I also plan on making a batch (or two) for baby #2 freezer meals.
  • I am obsessed with pesto so the Tofurky Aritisan Sausage Pesto Pasta is one of my favorites to make.

Do you have a Sunday Night Meal tradition? What’s your favorite pasta recipe (share link below)?