Take the challenge as part of a low-calorie diet and daily exercise program. Weight loss depends on individual needs.

New Year, New Routines! Take the Change A Meal Challenge with Smoothie King as part of new healthy habits to integrate into your 2017 resolutions & personal goals! #ad #changeameal

How is 2017 treating you so far? Did you make any New Year’s Resolutions? If so how are they going for you? For me, it was getting back to my healthier habits and routines to prepare for the arrival of my little girl! T minus 45 days and counting until she makes her grand appearance, or less if she decides to make her own time table

What has always worked best for me is to make small, manageable changes each day so when they are multiplied over time they add up and lead me to my big results! This is one reason that I was super excited to learn about and try out the Change A Meal Challenge from Smoothie King

What is the Change A Meal Challenge? It is an easy way to set your healthy lifestyle goals and go for it! Start with replacing one meal a day with one of Smoothie King’s 20 filling Meal Replacement Smoothies! Your options include:

• Greek Yogurt – Pineapple Mango, Strawberry Blueberry, Peach Papaya
• The Shredder™ – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla
• Lean1™ – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla, Pineapple Mango
• Original High Protein – Banana, Lemon, Pineapple
• Coffee High Protein – Vanilla
• The Activator® – Chocolate, Vanilla
• Gladiator® – Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla
• Vegan – Dark Chocolate Banana, Nutty Super Grain, Mango Kale

Click >> HERE << to find a Smoothie King location near you and join the Change A Meal Challenge!

My favorite meal replacement smoothie on the Change a Meal Challenge is the Greek Yogurt Strawberry Blueberry! I was also able to score a BOGO coupon and discount coupon at my local Smoothie King to help me save money on my smoothie purchases for the challenge!

The other simple steps for the Change a Meal Challenge is to exercise 30 minutes a day and choose other sensible meals! Sounds easy enough to me, right?

Grab your FREE WEEKLY MEAL PLANNER for the Change A Meal Challenge!

Now for further motivation our friends at Smoothie King have super fun giveaway going on now through March 26, 2017! They want to see your Smoothie Selfies! Every time you change a meal, you have a chance to win up to $500 in Smoothie King gift cards, a Fitbit or a brand new bike!!

To enter, post your Change A Meal Challenge photos using #changeameal #contest.

The more you post, the more you could win!  

Enter now through March 26, 2017. No purchase necessary. See official rules for details. 

Weight loss is dependent on each individual’s needs and is based on a low-calorie diet combined with an exercise program. Consult your physician before beginning any diet program. 400 calories is based on a 20-ounce cup.

Good luck everyone and let me know how the Change A Meal Challenge is going for you in the comments

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5 Unique and Creative Christmas Gifts for Cooks from UncommonGoods! Skip the crowds and frustrations of holiday shopping and give handcrafted gifts this year created in harmony with the environment without harm to animals or people.

I have never been a huge fan of crowds and dealing with the intensity of the holiday crowds is a sure fire way to stress me out!! ‘Tis the season to raise my blood pressure! You won’t find me hitting the stores on Black Friday, no matter the deal (and y’all know that I am a frugal gal), but you will find me shopping online…helllloooo my friend Cyber Monday

So when Uncommon Goods approached me about checking out some of their handcrafted gift ideas, I was super excited I learned (from information provided to me) and love that they are a privately-owned retailer that endeavors to feature unique jewelry, designer décor, tabletop items, and handcrafted gifts created in harmony with the environment without harm to animals or people. They run all their operations out of the historic Brooklyn Army Terminal, where the lowest-paid seasonal worker starts at 50% above the minimum wage. They make it their mission to support and provide a platform for artists and designers; in fact, half of what they sell is made by hand. Most of the jewelry products, home décor and tabletop items they carry are created right here in the USA, and about one-third of our entire collection incorporates recycled and/or upcycled materials. At the core of their company is a great respect for the integrity of the creative individual and the belief that it is their responsibility to use their business to impact the world in a positive way.

The first item that I received was the Jason Wolff Pottery Garlic Keeper Jar. This handmade and unique piece is gorgeous, functional and a must have for any cook’s kitchen. Each piece is hand thrown and altered in a beautiful Green Tea glaze allowing for slight variations. The ventilated air holes allow the outer skin on the garlic to dry, while preserving the garlic inside. I am loving mine which now has a prime display spot in my kitchen Click here to check out the Garlic Keeper and other creative Christmas gifts!

I recently created some delicious Creamy Baked Pumpkin Pie Empanadas and I really wish that I had this handy Empanada Fork that would have saved me tons of time!! Created by Ecuadorian, Hipatia Lopez, this high quality empanada fork is really a must-have addition to any kitchen!!

How adorable is this Row Boat Serving Bowl with Wood Serving Utensils going to look on my holiday table???? I absolutely cannot wait to serve a gorgeous salad to my guests

Boring salads are no more once you add this this Row Boat Serving Bowl with Wood Serving Utensils to your serving piece collection!! I can promise you that it will be making more appearances on the blog very soon as well

Enjoy a moment of zen with the handmade Buddha Bowl that nestles naturally in the palm of your hand. It has been featured on the O List “A few things that I think are just great.” – Oprah. I have been using my new fav bowl for everything from fruit and ice cream to soup and hot beverages. It is just so versatile and comforting and certainly would make creative Christmas gifts for anyone enjoys food on your list Buddha says: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become.”

Who else has a cabinet or drawer in their kitchen that is just full of mismatched plastic storage containers and lids??? We all do, am I right? Get organized and never struggle to find a lid that fits with the Joseph Joseph Nesting Storage Containers. It is a 12-piece compact storage container set that features easy-find snap together lids.

Every cook has storage needs, from prep work to leftovers, and during the holidays those needs just increase! These Nesting Storage Containers would make an ideal creative Christmas gifts!! Go to UncommonGoods website to see them and their great selection of gifts and stocking stuffers for women, men, kids and everyone on your list!

The post 5 Unique and Creative Christmas Gifts for Cooks from UncommonGoods appeared first on Becky's Best Bites.

Yum

Have you started thinking about the holiday season yet? I know that it is only the later part of September, but we anticipate a very hectic conclusion to 2016. Did I really just write that? It doesn’t seem right but we are almost into the final quarter of 2016 and I feel like it is never too early to start planning for all of those holiday parties, gatherings and family get together’s.

So, it was perfect timing that I teamed up with Wines of Garnacha to share more about their versatile monovarietal Garnacha wines and a simple appetizer perfect for entertaining, Kale Pesto Goat Cheese Crostini with Roasted Red Pepper. But before I get into the food, let’s chat about the wine…shall we?

Are you familiar with Garnacha wines? If you aren’t, don’t worry I wasn’t either!! Read on and I will share with you what I learned.  It is a monovarietal wine – that is the ones produced with just one variety – that originated in what is now Eastern Spain in the 12th Century. Through its long history, Garnacha has gone through several stages. It has been used as a workhorse variety and it has been blended with other varieties to produce some of the most renowned wines, but it has not stepped into the spotlight until recently. It is the only major grape variety with red and white variants, which allow it to produce very diverse wines: red, white, rosé and sweet. Its versatility makes it ideal for any season and to be paired with any cuisine depending on what you are looking for and the price is very reasonable ($10-20/bottle) making it accessible for any budget.

Garnacha wines are ideally adapted to American tastes and for a variety of occasions, thanks to its wide range of styles and excellent value. We received 5 wines to check out so we could experience some of the styles that the Wines of Garnacha has to offer. BTW… if you are interested in trying out some of the intriguing Wines of Garnacha, click –> HERE to find a wine tasting near you!!

The only white that we received was the Terra Alta – 2015 Vall Major White Wine. We learned that it is made with young wines showing all the fruity potential of the Garnacha grape, both red and white and sourced from a variety of vineyards, each with an average age of 20 years and with a crop of about 3 kilos (2.2 pounds) per vine. This wine really captures the full fruitiness of white Garnacha; white fruits and stone fruits combine with a background of citrus and dried mountain herbs. This is a medium-bodied wine that we think could be enjoyed on its own or with any meal. It is noticeably fruity on the palate with good acidity and the sweetness characteristic of this grape.

Next up is the Somontano – 2013 Pirineos Garnacha. This wine is from one of the more traditional vineyards in the Somontano region of Spain set against a distinctive landscape between the towns of Barbastro and Salas. At first glance you can definitely see that it is deep red with purple highlights. In that first sip, you can taste that it is powerfully fruity and concentrated with well-integrated oak. Rich and intense with fresh cherry, blackberry and raspberry aromas balanced by a minerality that will continue to develop with some bottle ageing. This wine would pair well with tomato based pastas, risottos, roasts, barbecued meat and cheeses.

Another lovely red that we received was the Las Rocas Vinas Viejas – 2012 Old Vine Garnacha. This wine hails from vineyards between 80 to 100 years old!!  It has a ruby color, with a spicy, rich cranberry and mineral bouquet. This well-structured wine has dark cherry flavors and elegant hints of oak, with round, supple tannins and fruit-filled finish.

And our next wine was the Coto De Hayas Tinto Joven, a 2015 Garnacha Syrah. It is 70% Garnacha 30% Syrah with a vine age of 30 years for Garnacha and 20 years for Syrah. This wine has a red cherry color, with very clean violet hues. We thought this wine was very clean, fruity and bright; yet smooth and well structured, round and rich with a long aftertaste.

And finally, we have the Menguante Garnacha – 2015 Garnacha. This wine showcases the subdued dark fruit and mineral aromas which carry into the lush, plum flavours with ripe chewy tannins. There are persistent finish features that perfectly balance the acidity with the sweet fruit tannins.

Now let’s talk about the lovely appetizer, Kale Pesto Goat Cheese Crostini with Roasted Red Pepper, that I put together to begin our Sunday supper while my family was trying out the Wines of Garnacha!

My summer garden is winding down, but I still had one more harvest of fresh basil and kale, so I thought that I would use them to make a kale/basil pesto that would be fresh with the added bonus of some veggie power to start off our appetizer I also used pistachios instead of pine nuts for this pesto just because I wanted something a little different and I actually had a half-eaten bag that needed to be used up Unlike most pestos, I did not add any parmesan cheese to this one because I knew that I was using the goat cheese in the dish.

I kept this dish very simple by simply toasting up a fresh baguette, topping it with the kale/basil pesto, some goat cheese crumbles and finally a piece of roasted red pepper (I just used store-bought, but you could totally make your own if you would like). The result is an elegant dish that looks very festive and tastes impressive, but it is super easy and can be whipped up in a matter of minutes (my kind of dish, right?)

Here is your recipe for Kale Pesto Goat Cheese Crostini with Roasted Red Pepper:

5.0 from 1 reviews

Kale Pesto Goat Cheese Crostini with Roasted Red Pepper + Wines of Garnacha

 

Save Print

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Becky's Best Bites

Serves: 20

Ingredients

• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced or pressed
• ½ cup pistachios, shelled
• 1 cup kale, loosely packed
• 1 cup basil, loosely packed
• ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 1 loaf baguette bread, sliced into ½ in. thick slices
• 8 oz. goat cheese crumbles
• ½ jar (about 7-8 oz.) roasted red peppers, sliced

Instructions

1. To make the pesto, combine garlic and pistachios in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped and then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. Add kale and basil and process until finely chopped, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the bowl.
3. Stream in the olive oil, while the food processor is running, to reach a spreadable consistency.
4. Add salt and pepper and pulse a couple more times to combine. Set pesto aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F.
6. Place slice of baguette bread on a baking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool to the touch before assembling the crostinis.
7. To assemble the crostinis, spread approximately 1 tbsp. of pesto on each toasted baguette slice.
8. Add approximately 1 tbsp. goat cheese crumbles on top of pesto on each baguette slice.
9. Top with a slice of roasted red pepper.
10. Serve warm or room temperature.
11. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for a couple of days.

Notes

You might have leftover pesto, goat cheese and red peppers. It all depends on how much you put on each crostini My measurements are just approximates.

3.5.3208

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Because they are family and I care about the health of my family and feed them healthy food, I am very careful about what I feed my pets. We have a dog (Joey) and a cat (Gabbi) that are our rescues and part of our little family…see I even give them human names because I really are my fur-babies. I really focus on finding and buying a quality food product for my fur-babies, so when I was introduced to Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food, I knew I wanted to try it out for Gabbi 

To say that my fur-babies are spoiled is an understatement!! Just look at this kitty condo that Chris built for Gabbi  This thing is a monster, but she loves it!! The queen is definitely on her castle

Before I purchased a new food for Gabbi I researched it on their website, I found that with Muse you don’t have to choose between natural nutrition and food that tastes great. Your cat can have both when you choose Muse. The product states “Natural has never been so delicious. Put Muse to the test with our clean plate guarantee.” I also found the following out about about this high quality cat food which helped me realize that it was an easy choice for me!

• All recipes made with real fish or poultry.
• No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
• 100% complete and balanced for adult cats
• 30 delicious recipes
• 24 grain-free varieties

Muse is also offer a sweet deal right now: a coupon for buy 3 get 3 free <–CLICK TO PRINT!!

So this frugal gal grabbed the coupon and headed out. Muse is available exclusively at PetsMart, which was another positive for me! I just love shopping at PetsMart for my fur-babies because they have such awesome products!!

I will say that Muse was a little hard to find for me. Our PetsMart has three aisles of cat food and of course it was on the last aisle that I went down!! You would figure that all the Purina cat food products would be together, but they are not! Muse was with the other natural cat food. Thinking about it now, that makes sense though…

I was pleasantly surprised on the price of Muse  The cans were only $1.00/each and the plastic tubs only $1.29/each with my Pet Perks card. Remember I also had the coupon for buy three, get three free so after picking up 6 different chicken varieties (Gabbi is picky and only likes chicken), I spent right at $4.

I decided that Gabbi would start with the Chicken in Broth, Grain Free variety. As soon as I opened up the packaging, you could tell that this was a high quality product!! You can see large chunks of real chicken and it smelled good, not like some wet cat foods.

Gabbi started chowing down as soon as I placed Muse in front of her!! It was a real treat for her because it tasted so good and for me because I knew it was a natural, quality food product for her.

Before I knew it she had eaten her entire portion and cleaned her plate  She had put Muse to the test and it scored an A+!! The Queen has put her stamp of approval on Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food!! Will you put Muse to the test with their clean plate guarantee?

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyCatMyMuse #CollectiveBias

The post Because they are family…Purina Muse® Natural Cat Food appeared first on Becky's Best Bites.

Get Your SuperFoods The Easy Way! #MomsMeet #AmazingGrass Green SuperFood is a powerful blend of nutrient-dense organic greens & antioxidant rich superfoods in convenient powder form. Just mix with water, juice, milk or into your favorite smoothie for powerful blend of whole food nutrition in convenient powder form to support overall health, immunity and energy levels.

Y’all it is getting down to crunch time (T-minus 48 days until the wedding) and I have not made any significant headway into that 10 pounds that I want to loose for the wedding… So when I was contact by Moms Meet to review Amazing Grass Green SuperFood, I thought it would be a great idea and might just help me push forward with my health goals!! I mean who doesn’t want more SuperFoods in their life, right?

Get Your SuperFoods The Easy Way #MomsMeet #AmazingGrass!! Amazing Grass was founded in 2002 by Todd and Brandon when they experienced first hand the positive health benefits of consuming organic greens on a daily basis. Their farm is where Brandon’s family has organically grown and harvested the most nutrient-dense cereal grasses on the planet. They thoughtfully craft them with the worlds highest quality superfoods to provide the whole food nutrition our bodies needs and the flavor our taste buds love.

Just one serving of Green SuperFood provides a powerful blend of whole food nutrition in convenient powder form to support overall health, immunity and energy levels.  The Green Superfood alkalizing greens help balance ph levels and their probiotic/enzyme blend naturally aids digestive function.  As a bonus, all Amazing Grass products are organic, non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free. They are available in ten flavors and functions: Original, Berry, Chocolate Infusion, Energy Lemon Lime, Energy Watermelon, ORAC Antioxidant Boost, Orange Dream, Pineapple Lemongrass, Tangerine Immunity Defense and Alkalize & Detox.

I received a sampling of seven flavors to try out. I first tried the Berry with just water. I have to say, while it didn’t taste bad, it didn’t taste good either! It was pretty bland. I was able to drink it and liked that there was little to no grit. The next day, I tried the chocolate with almond milk   I was very happy with the flavor of that combo!! It was a nutrient-dense chocolate milk and I really enjoyed it!!

Amazing Grass Green SuperFood Original (8.5 oz., 30 servings) retails for $29.99. Individual stick packs can be purchased at retail locations for approximately $1.29, or a 15-count box can be purchased on the Amazing Grass website for $21.99.

Learn More Online!

Amazing Grass Website

Visit them on Twitter

Visit them on Facebook

Visit them on Instagram

I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, 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 opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.

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Spring has sprung my friends, which means that we are that much closer to bathing suit season! Uh oh, that means that I really need to tighten my belt on my nutrition…literally!! I am also now in full wedding planning mode and really want to drop a few pounds to look great in my wedding dress and for the pictures Time to get back to my green smoothies for breakfast. Its a great way to start the day on the right foot. Filling and full of fiber, they keep you satisfied for a long time. Now I have also found my new secret weapon to an amazing green smoothie, Liberté Mediterranée Yogurt!

Liberté Mediterranée Yogurt is good stuff, y’all!!

I was looking at the yogurt selection at Publix and noticed that there was a new brand of yogurt that I hadn’t heard of, Liberté, so I decided that I would learn more about it. What I learned was that they select only the best whole milk and cream, live, active cultures and bold real fruit. They don’t add any gelatin, sugar substitutes or preservatives! Yay!!

You can’t beat the price either!! The everyday low price at Publix is 10 for $10 and I found a coupon to save even more!! I picked up 10 of them so I could try all the flavors!! They have helped me to help you try all the flavors too with a $15 PayPal Giveaway that you will find at the end of this post, so read on…

New Méditerranée Cappuccino

Flavors of bold espresso and sweet cream mingle in yogurt harmony.

New Méditerranée Caramel

A sensorial delight, with pure melted caramel tamed by rich milk.

Méditerranée Blackberry

Sweet, aromatic blackberries harmonize with velvety yogurt

Méditerranée Coconut

Milk and cream deepened with the earthy, nutty flavor of coconut.

Méditerranée French Vanilla

The exotic, heady perfume of our vanilla is anything but “vanilla.”

Méditerranée Lemon

Whole milk yogurt enlivened with the sharpness of lemon. Bracing but silky.

Méditerranée Strawberry

A twist on a classic. We used exceptional fruits for this winsome, summery flavor.

My favorite so far is this Very Berry Green Smoothie with Liberté Mediterranée Blackberry!! Berries are coming in season right now and they are so fresh and sweet!!

This green smoothie tastes like a treat, I promise, and it is that’s to this surprisingly luscious whole milk yogurt! All you need is Liberté Mediterranée Blackberry yogurt, blueberries, raspberrries (or any berries you like), greens, ice and water!!

I do like to use frozen blueberries in my green smoothie. It makes the smoothie colders and you need less ice. Throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined That’s it!!

The mint is optional but I thinks it gives an added layer of flavor! I found this mini mint variety that I have growing in my garden that I am loving!! It has a milder flavor and it’s just too cute…don’t you think?

The bold flavors of the berries and the creaminess of the Liberté Mediterranée Blackberry yogurt completely masks the greens!! I promise that you won’t even taste them but your body will thank you for them

Here is the recipe for Very Berry Green Smoothie with Liberté Mediterranée Yogurt:

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