Friday Favorite: Fruit Infuser Water Bottle

Woo! Happy August everyone!

We are back on the blog and ready to share some fun stuff with you all!

Since today's Friday, I have a "favorite" to share with you. I discovered this wonderful infuser water bottle last month!

I posted back in June that I was trying to drink more water. I have also been experimenting with soda water + fruit. This handy water bottle is great for this purpose! There are a lot of infuser water bottles but I picked this one because I liked the straw and I could pick my fav color- orange!

Btw, this post isn't sponsored by anyone- just my humble opinion.

So I've been trying all sorts of fruit combos. When I was taking these pics I was using peaches + blueberries + mint leaves. It was delish.

I love the infuser. It keeps all the fruit together so the straw doesn't mush it around. I can use the same fruit for 2 days (I keep it refrigerated or on ice at all times) and there's no pulp or gross stringy stuff at the bottom of the bottle.

So far, my fav combo is strawberry + raspberry + mint. It is soooo good.

 It's so refreshing to have fruity water on hand. And it makes using soda water for a different flavor easy peasy too!

Let me know if you have a fav fruit + water combo- I'd love to try it!!

Sweet Snack: Fruity Grahams

Summer vacation is in full-swing here at my house. My kids don't seem to be too bored, but, we're only in week 2 of vacation. Actually, this is their first full week off, so I'm guessing by Friday afternoon I'll be hearing "I'm bored! There's nothing to do! Moooooom, lets do something!". It's inevitable.

When summer rolls around, I like to have lots of healthy and fun snacks on hand. I prep snacks on the weekend, which helps a ton during the week. All of the fruits and veggies are ready to eat and easily accessible, so, the kids can grab what they want without having to ask!

I have a few fun snacks that are my "go to" snacks during the summer- frozen grapes, frozen yogurt dots, and frozen peanut butter banana sammies. I may need to break for a snack now...

Earlier this week I was thinking really hard about a fun new snack I could make for the kids and these fruity grahams were the result. It's like a mini fruit pizza, but healthified. I swear it's a word. Well, it is now. I think I've used it enough times throughout my posts on the blog that it's justified as a word.

What I love about this snack is that it's simple. Graham crackers, fruit, plain greek yogurt, and a little pure maple syrup. That's it! It's also a fun way to get kids involved in the kitchen. Plus, it saves them from their boredom. ;)

Fruity Grahams

makes 12 

6 sheets of organic graham crackers, halved (just break in the middle)

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

assorted sliced fruits

In a small bowl, mix  yogurt and maple syrup until well combined. 

Spread a spoonful of yogurt on to each graham half. 

Top with your favorite fruits and enjoy! 

Tip for making for a crowd: Place graham cracker sheets on bottom of a cake pan, spread the yogurt on top, then top with fruits. The graham becomes soft if it isn't eaten right away, which would make for a yummy dessert to take on 4th of July or to your summer BBQ! 

Miss KK approves these, and she happily obliged to eat about 3 of them while I took pictures of her.

What is your favorite summer snack? 

Healthier Soda

Recently, I have made the decision to stop drinking pop (soda, coke, whatever you call it in your neck of the woods :-)).

I was able to completely cut out soda and I talked about that here. Now that I'm not craving pop anymore, I want to be able to enjoy a little fizz every now and then. Especially now that we have entered into the hot and humid Oklahoma summer days. There is something super refreshing about a fizzy, ice cold drink on a hot day. I didn't want to be tempted to fall back into my pop drinking ways, so, I've done some research and decided to purchase a SodaStream.

This post isn't sponsored, I have no affiliation with SodaStream what so ever. 

You can see here that SodaStream is a healthier alternative to many sodas you can buy at the store. But what I really loved was the opportunity to make my own syrups and even add fruit to the carbonated water so that I can enjoy a variety of healthy beverages this summer. Not to mention, it's a much greener alternative to buying all those bottles and cans!

I've already consulted Pinterest and found a few recipes I will be trying for homemade syrup. I have a few ideas of my own to test as well.  I will keep you updated on my favorites!

In case you're also considering purchasing a SodaStream- there's a $20 mail in rebate available now on all models over $65. This was what convinced me to go ahead and purchase ;-)

Do you have a favorite SodaStream flavor or recipe? I'd love to try it! Leave it in the comments, please and thank you!

Key Lime Pie Greek Frozen Yogurt

Ever since I made my strawberry chocolate chip greek frozen yogurt, my mind has been swirling with visions of other yummy flavor combos. Key lime pie, strawberry peach (I did make this- recipe to come another day), blueberry pomegranate, s'mores... the list goes on and on!

I love anything key lime. Shove a piece of key lime pie in front of me and I'll probably do just about anything you want me to do. That's serious love, people.

If you've been following the blog for any amount of time, you probably also know about my obsession with greek yogurt (and Starbucks). Key lime pie + greek yogurt = one happy marriage.

Just a couple of things before we get to the recipe...

1. The greek yogurt freezes really hard. There isn't a creamy consistency because there isn't any fat, so I suggest pulling it out of the freezer 30-45 minutes before you want to indulge. It'll be the perfect consistency.

2. The base I use for all of my recipes: 2 cups 0% plain greek yogurt + 3 tbsp. sugar. From there, you can add anything your little heart desires! You could also use a 2% greek yogurt for a slightly creamier consistency. I haven't tried it, so if you do, let me know how it turns out!

3. Make this gluten-free by using s'morables in place of graham crackers!

Key Lime Pie Greek Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients
2 C. plain greek yogurt
4 tbsp. key lime juice (freshly squeezed or store bought)
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
2 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together yogurt, key lime juice, and sugar. Set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until well combined. Set aside.

Add yogurt mixture to your ice cream maker and churn according to your machine's instructions.

Add graham cracker crumbs at the very end of the churning cycle. You can also layer the crumbs as you pack the frozen yogurt into its container instead of incorporating them throughout.

Pack frozen yogurt into a freezer safe container, freeze, and enjoy!

How Does My Garden Grow? {Part 4: Gardening Tips}

Oh how I love my little container garden. Now that the weather is warmer here in Oklahoma, my plants are growing like crazy!

I've had a few bumps in the road. We had a random frost that turned my basil brown, my two-almost-three-year-old pulled my green beans out, and two of my three lettuces mysteriously died.

I've made a few changes since the last time I posted {read that here}. I planted some marigolds and some onions. I replanted my green bean and carrot seeds. I've figured out fertilizing and watering patterns. In general, everything is doing well and I am anxiously awaiting my first pickings!

Here are some helpful hints and tips for a few things I've discovered over the past few weeks...

Fertilize once a week. I've been using coffee. Yes, coffee. I read somewhere (and I'm sorry I haven't found my exact source, but I know if you search Pinterest you will find similar advice) that sprinkling coffee grounds on your soil will fertilize and keep bugs away. IT WORKS! Last year my strawberry plants had tiny little bugs all over them, not this year! Coffee really is wonderful- in more ways than one.

Container #1- Basil, Cilantro, Strawberries, Onions, and Peppers + Marigolds

 *Strawberries take a couple of years to really get established so don't get discouraged your first year.

*Basil and Cilantro love warm weather. Their leaves may brown if it gets too cold- but as soon as it warms up again they will rebound.

Control the bugs. I've planted marigolds right in two of my containers, and the third one is very close to a pot of marigolds so it still works. Marigolds are fragrant enough to keep a lot of bugs away. Apparently mosquitos don't like them too, we shall see... between the marigolds and fertilizing with coffee my plants have been pest free so far.

Container #2- Tomatoes, Onions, Green Beans (I think I have had a GB plant sprout but I'm not 100% sure because I didn't plant it that way... stay tuned) + Marigolds

*Confession- the onions were a total impulse buy. I'm not sure if I'm taking care of them properly or not, but they are thriving so far.

*Tomatoes need support. I'm weaving the vines in and out of the cage so that I can have more than one plant supported by the same cage

*Tip for marigolds- once the flowers start to wilt, pinch off the blooms; this encourages faster regrowth.

Water in the evening. When it's really hot outside, water evaporates quickly. By watering your plants in the evening, you give them all night to soak up the water. If you water in the morning or afternoon most of the water you are giving the plants will evaporate. Give them a good soaking in the evening (pour water directly on the soil as much as possible) and your plants will be well hydrated to face the heat of the next day.

Container #3- Mint, Broccoli, Carrots, and Lettuce

*Lettuce doesn't love too much sun. I positioned the container so that there was a shadow on the 3 lettuce plants I had. For some unknown reason, 2 of them didn't make it.

  *I had to completely replant my carrot seeds. I moved them outside too early and a hard freeze did in the originals.

Catch up on the "How does my garden grow" series here:
{Part 1}
{Part 2}
{Part 3}

Here are some fun before and after shots, just one month and one week-ish apart:

 What a difference a month can make!

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

The weather is finally taking a turn for the better here in Minnesota and I am totally on the spring/summer train! I busted out my cold cups, icy drinks, and ice cream maker this week and have been letting the fresh air in. It's the best feeling to air out the house after a long and cold winter, and to be able to put away the heavy coats and boots. I'm crossing my fingers that I'm not getting ahead of myself here. :)

Last year for Mother's Day, the kids got me an ice cream maker. I dabbled in some ice cream making over the summer- I made Adam a chocolate peanut butter cup ice cream that was super yummy, and I'm still on the hunt for the perfect s'mores ice cream recipe (if you have one, link it or share below, please!).

I decided that I would try to use the ice cream maker more this spring and summer, so I started off with this super yummy strawberry chocolate chip greek frozen yogurt. It's a tart and has just the right amount of sweetness to satisfy my sweet tooth. Plus, it's super easy to throw together, and if you use frozen fruit instead of fresh, you don't even need an ice cream maker!

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients
2 C. Plain Greek Yogurt (Chobani non-fat is my favorite)
2 C. Frozen or fresh Unsweetened Strawberries
1/2 C. Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 C. Mini Chocolate Chips

Directions
In a blender, add yogurt, strawberries, sugar, and vanilla. Add a splash of water and blend on high until smooth.

Add to your ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's directions. Add in chocolate chips at the end of churning.

If you used frozen berries, you can probably skip the ice cream maker because the mixture will be pretty thick already. Just pour mix into container and mix in chocolate chips.

Add frozen yogurt to a freezer safe container and freeze until desired consistency is reached. You may need to check in on it every once in a while and stir around to get an even consistency.

March Favorites

I'm so glad Spring is here. My house is cleaner, we are spending more time outside, I've gotten my first "Spring pedicure"... good times, friends, good times.

March was a fun month. Here are my favorite posts:

Favorite Recipe Post- Apple Almond Oatmeal::perfect for chilly Spring mornings

Favorite Product Post- Kitchen Canisters::keep the kitchen looking good and keep baking supplies handy

Favorite Kid Post- Sneaky Orange Smoothie Pops::I hope my kids will share these with me

Enjoy the last day of March! I hope, wherever you are, you can open the windows and let in a little fresh Spring air.

Sneaky Orange Smoothie Pops

Dare I say that spring has arrived? As I'm typing this, I'm looking out on my back patio and the spring swallows have arrived to start scouting out my back porch for the perfect spot to build their nest. Thankfully for me, my husband already has plans to stop this nonsense this afternoon after work.

I must confess- I'm deathly afraid of birds. A couple years ago we had a robin nest right next to our back door and the mama loved to dive bomb me every time I tried to leave my house. I finally resorted to parking my car in the front until the birds left the nest, and vowed that I'd do whatever I needed to do to keep them away the next year! Last year swallows tried to nest on our porch and we put a stop to that pretty quickly. Did you know that PAM makes a great bird deterrent? :)

When I was little, every spring the swallows would build a nest on the front porch light of my parent's house. Again, I was dive bombed any time I came or went.... and obviously scarred for life.

Anyway, this morning I whipped up this yummy orange smoothie pop recipe for the kids. I hide butternut squash and carrots in this one... and they love it!

Why squash and carrots? They both provide a ton of antioxidants and fiber! They also are both packed full with B vitamins- specifically B6, which is great for bone health and for keeping the nervous and immune system healthy. Squash also had a good amount of potassium, which is super important to bone health.

These really are tasty... you might want to hide one in the back of the freezer for yourself.

Sneaky Orange Smoothie Pops
makes approximately 8 pops

1 C. unsweetened coconut milk
1 C. orange juice
1 small butternut squash, cooked
1/2 c. cooked carrots
1/2 banana
1/2 c. frozen peach slices
1/2 c. frozen pineapple

Combine all ingredients together in high-speed blender.
Pour into popsicle molds, freeze, and enjoy!

Enjoy, friends!

Skinny Taco Dip

My siblings and I recently had surprise party for our parents 31st anniversary. It was a murder mystery party, which they knew was happening, but what they didn't know was that some of their friends were going to be part of it as well! They were definitely surprised and we all had a great time with lots of laughs... and tons of FOOD.

The theme of the murder mystery we chose took place on a cruise ship. If you've ever been on a cruise, you know cruise ships are notorious for their buffets. My personal favorite is the midnight buffet, but you didn't hear that. What happens on the cruise ship, stays on the cruise ship. Err... my hips. Until I get home and exercise my butt off. I digress...

Point is, we had a few different buffet areas for the party and lots of food. My brother and sister-in-law brought taco dip- who doesn't loooooove taco dip?! It's something I normally don't make unless I'm going to a special get-together with family or friends because, well, let's face it- I would do some serious damage to a pan of taco dip.

Up until recently, I've always used cream and cheese and sour cream for my base mix. In an effort to make myself feel less guilty, I substituted greek yogurt for the sour cream. I also added in my favorite refried beans. I'm actually a pretty picky eater, so my toppings are limited, but I bet this would be yummy with fresh salsa, black olives, avocado, and tomatoes!

Skinny Taco Dip 

Ingredients
1 C. homemade refried beans (my favorite recipe is HERE)
4 oz. softened cream cheese
3/4 C. plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp. homemade taco seasoning (recipe HERE)
1 C. romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 C. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 C. red onion, diced

Directions

1. Combine cream cheese, greek yogurt, and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Mix well.
2. Spread an even layer of beans in an 8x8 casserole dish.
3. Spread cream cheese mixture over the bean layer.
4. Add your toppings and dig in!

February Favorites

What a lovely month February has been.

Here's a few of our most loved February moments:

Who loves a good treadmill workout? We do!

Wouldn't you love to eat this healthy spinach egg white omelette, like, right now?

I'm still loving my junk counter organization. It's made my life a little calmer.

March is going to be so Springy and green. We are excited to celebrate our blogiversary NEXT WEEK! If that's not reason enough to be excited about March then I don't know what is.

Happy Friday, friends!

Fruit & Veggie Pops

This is the winter that never ends... yes, it goes on and on my friends....

Seriously, friends. Here in MN we are in yet another blizzard! Since January, we've had a blizzard nearly every week and I am longing for the days of green grass, wagon rides, iced coffee on my front porch, and sunshine!

In hopes that warmer weather will be on the way soon, I whipped up a batch of fruit and veggie pops for my kiddos. It's a great way to get some good nutrition into the kids without them "knowing" and what kid doesn't love to have a freezer full of popsicles- even in the dead of winter?

Here is the recipe I used this morning- berry cool pops. It's the perfect mix of healthy fat (coconut milk), antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. It's also gluten and dairy free!

Berry Cool Frozen Pops
makes about 6 pops

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 generous handful of spinach leaves
1/2 ripe banana
1 cup frozen mixed berries
drizzle of honey to taste

1. Blend coconut milk and spinach leaves until smooth.

2. Add banana, mixed berries, and honey to spinach/milk mixture. For the honey, I usually drizzle a couple turns around the blender.

3. Blend until well combined and there are no chunks of fruit left and the mixture has turned purple.

4. Pour into popsicle molds, freeze, and enjoy!

Substitutions: You could certainly substitute the coconut milk for whole milk. Almond milk would probably work here, too, but might give the pops a slightly nutty flavor.

I got the popsicle molds on Amazon. Click HERE to get all the details on them- they are awesome molds!

I'll be sharing more of my frozen pop recipes soon- there is a whole world of possibilities out there beyond adding greens to your smoothie!

Until then, stay warm friends and visualize the beach! :)