Spotlight Sunday - Hail Merry

For today's Spotlight Sunday I want to talk about Hail Merry. Hail Merry doesn't know me or that I exist but I love their treats and I want other people to know about their deliciousness. Hail Merry makes a few different kinds of treats, Miracle Tarts, Macaroons, Grawnola and Nuts and Seeds. I've eaten the tarts and Macaroons and am seriously in love. 

One of my favorite things about Hail Merry is their commitment to quality, junk-free products. You can read about their philosophy here. Everything is raw, non-GMO, gluten free and kosher. My favorite part is that they're free of corn, SOY and starches. Anytime I can find a treat that doesn't have soy hiding in it, you know I'm a fan.

Because they're raw and not full of preservatives, you can find the tarts and macaroons in the refrigerated section of a lot of natural and specialty retailers. I get mine at Whole Foods and Fresh Market.

My FAVORITE is the Coconut Vanilla Miracle Tart. I have part of one of these in my fridge right now. It's so dang good and the crust is made of unicorn tears and rainbows, it's that dang good.

I love how few ingredients there are as well. Coconut, coconut oil, maple syrup, raw almond flour, raw cashews, organic palm sugar, coconut water. All real ingredients. Love it.

This isn't a diet food, it's full of good, healthy oils and fats. Those healthy fats make it really filling and believe me, half a tart is plenty.

I've also had the chocolate and raw almond butter tart and it's amazing too. Those ones sell out pretty quickly at Whole Foods and you have to be quick to grab one.

A few weeks ago I saw the Caramel Sea Salt Macaroons at Fresh Market and had to pick some up. OMG, these are AMAZING. 2 macaroons makes the perfect after dinner treat.

On average the tarts are a little over $4 at Whole Foods and a little under $4 at Fresh Market. I think the macaroons are around $5. Not cheap treats but it's not about eating cheap, it's about good, nourishing, junk-free food.

If you happen to see Hail Merry treats while you're out shopping, do yourself a favor and pick some up! You won't regret it!

Sunday Spotlight - The Best Protein Powder

Happy Sunday!

I know I missed last week's Spotlight Sunday. Sorry about that. That's what happens when you put off cleaning for company until the very last minute. But hey, it was clean!

Today's spotlight is on my very most favorite protein powder, Plant Fusion. Plant Fusion has no idea that I exist, I don't get anything for this but it's just too good not to share.

I have tried a lot, seriously, over 25 different kinds of protein powder and I've haven't found one that I like nearly as much as Plant Fusion. I want a protein powder that has at least 20 grams of protein, isn't full of junk, no HFCS, no soy, mixes well and can be used in baking. Yes, I have a lot of requirements and Plant Fusion meets all of these.

The nutritional stats are pretty good too. Being that it's plant based, the protein comes from peas, artichokes and non-GMO quinoa and amaranth. I am by no means a vegetarian or trying to eat a plant based diet, this just happens to be and it's delicious. On a side note, I saw a beef based protein powder at the store and it really freaked me out. Ewwww.... powdered beef.

One of my favorite things about this powder is that it bakes really well. Protein muffins, pancakes, you name it. The vanilla can be used in just about everything.

I made this Banana Protein Muffin recipe a few weeks ago using Plant Fusion and it was fantastic. Only 66 calories per muffin and 6 grams of protein apiece. I ate these for breakfast with a tablespoon of peanut butter smeared between the two. It kept me full for quite a while which is always a plus in my book. 

I'd share a picture but I ate them all. 

I get my Plant Fusion at Vitamin World but I'm sure you can order it on-line. If you're looking for a new protein powder, definitely check out Plant Fusion!

Sunday Spotlight - Blueberry Muffins

For today's Sunday Spotlight, Blueberry Muffins! See, it's not always going to be about Essential Oils, Spotlight Sunday is for all things awesome.

My Blueberry Muffin Recipe is just that, pretty damn awesome. You see, it came from a pretty awesome lady. This is Auntie Nell, she was a friend of the family that my grandma had knows for years and years. She lived in Massachusetts where they apparently amazing muffin recipes are born.

You know what else is awesome? My bowl haircut. Thanks Dorothy Hamill for a hair cut that inspired thousands of mothers to inflict it on their innocent children.

Blueberry Muffins:
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup oil (I used canola)
1/2 cup milk (I used almond)
pinch salt
1 cup blueberries (I used the ones that Kev picked off our blueberry bushes yesterday)

Dump everything but the blueberries in the bowl and mix it up. Then fold in the berries. Spoon into a muffin pan and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12.

Slap some butter on them, put one on a tiny plate and you're good to go! But you really can't eat just one. I've also made these in an 8x8 pan and baked them at 350 until they were done.

Nutritional Info:

Do yourself a favor and whip up a batch today!

Sunday Spotlight #2 - DigestZen

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you're having a fantastic weekend!

It's time for the second installment of Sunday Spotlight! I'm sticking with the Essential Oils this week and today I'm going to talk about one of my favorite oil blends, DigestZen

DigestZen is a blend that according to doTerra, can be useful in improving digestive function. The oils included have been studied for their ability to balance the system and soothe many digestive aliments. And let me tell you, yes, yes it does.

I've had assorted digestive issues for the last few years. In the end I'm pretty sure I have a sensitivity to soy and some gluten. For those of you with food sensitivities, you know it's pretty difficult to find out what's in the food, especially when you go out to eat. For me, If I accidentally eat soy or too much gluten, my stomach hurts and is extremely bloated. It'll eventually go away but noting I've tried over the counter has helped. Except DigestZen. I put a drop or 2 of the oil in a shot glass and in  minutes, the pain is gone and I feel considerably less bloated. 

The oils in the blend are  - Ginger, Peppermint, Tarragon, Fennel, Caraway, Coriander and Anise. And I think unicorn tears or some other sort of magical ingredient. I've also suffered from acid reflux on and off over the years and for a while had to take Nexium and Omeprazole. I also used to eat Tums like candy. I stopped a while ago and have been using the DigestZen when I have reflux and I can honestly say that the episodes have been fewer and further in between.

This is also the first oil that I used on Kev that started him believing in the benefits of essential oils. When he has a stomach ache, he likes to rub it on his stomach where it hurts. It takes about 10-15 minutes for it to sink in and take effect but he always gets relief. It's quicker if you take it internally but can be applied topically. I actually carry it in my purse at all times.

If you're interested in learning more about DigestZen, click on the doTerra link on the right side of  the blog or shoot me an email at larabadanes at gmail dot com.

What do you use to help with an upset stomach?

Sunday Spotlight

Back in my fist few posts I spoke a little bit about Essential Oils and I even have a (currently blank) Essential Oils page. Heck, I even have a doTerra link on the side bar, but I haven't mentioned it much since then. Kev and I have experienced some pretty amazing results since being introduced to Essential Oils and I really feel like I need to share, hence, Sunday Spotlight was born. Every Sunday I'm going to talk about a different oil, how we've used it and the results.

I'm by no means a health professional, I just found some things that really work for us and I think other people should know. I don't believe that essential oils replace traditional medicine, but I do think oils can be used in conjunction with them.

The first Spotlight is on Melaleuca. Also known as Tea Tree oil, Melaleuca is good for a ton of things. I'd heard of tea tree oil in the past but had no idea what it did our how it was used. Well, come to find out it's a great anti-bacterial agent and can kill tons of viruses and fungi on contact. Most commonly it's used as an facial antiseptic to help combat acne. You can also add a few drops to your shampoo to combat dandruff. 

Recently I've been having some break-outs on my chin. It's odd for me because I never really had acne or a problem with my skin in the past. Last night I had a pretty unhappy blemish and decided, what the heck, I'll slap some on. This morning when I woke up, IT WAS 80% GONE. Seriously. I've never experienced such quick results with anything I've ever tried in the past. I wish I'd taken a picture last night to document the difference but really, who thinks to take a picture of their pimples?

It wasn't just me who experienced the results. Kev recently had an issue that we were ready to make a doctors appointment for. It was the holiday weekend and it would be a while before we could get in. He applied Melaleuca to the problem area 2 or 3 times a day for 3 days and the problem is gone! (I won't go into all the details but suffice to say, the Melaleuca was the difference between a trip to the doctor or not)

I've also used it on cuts and scrapes and carry a little bottle of it in my purse at all times. In most cases you can apply it neat but should add a carrier oil like fractionated coconut oil when applying to sensitive areas.

Since I love Melaleuca so much, I want to share a sample with 2 lucky people.Each sample is 1/4 dram and has about 20 drops inside. Considering you need less than a drop per application, this should last a while and give you a good idea of how well it works! My Melaleuca is from doTerra and the use the highest quality (in my opinion) oils, free of fillers and junk. I know some have their own opinions but this is the company I choose to use.

Use the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway! I'll select a winner on Thursday. US or Canada entrants only please. Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you miss out, take a peek at the My doTERRA link on the right side, you can purchase it there as well!