Product Review: Good Karma Flax Milk

I have been trying to write this post for a while, but thanks to some technical difficulties, it's been delayed until now.
Milk is a central part of the American diet it seems.  But if you can no longer have cow's milk,  finding a comparable alternative can be tricky. When I first went dairy free 7 years ago I immediately turned to soy milk as my go-to dairy free replacement.  When my youngest daughter started drinking milk, we put her on soymilk because she was showing signs of lactose intolerance.  However, the soy didn't seem to agree with her so we looked for another alternative.  We have tried almond, rice, and coconut milk. I am always looking for new types to try and see if they work better in recipes, or just have more health benefits than we currently use. We use almond milk on a regular basis now since it is the one all 5 of us can agree on.

Recently the good people at Good Karma sent me a cooler with two containers of their flax milk to try.  I had never had flax milk- I had never even heard of it! But since I am a HUGE fan of flaxseeds, I was more than happy to give their product a try.

What first caught my attention was that it has added protein- always a plus.  The first day I used it on my cereal and on my 3 daughters' bowls of cereal.  My girls can be pretty picky when it comes to the milk I put on their cereal- they don't like soy, rice, or coconut milks.  They can even tell when I switch brands of almond milk.  Several bowls of cereal have been dumped because they didn't like the milk.  The first to try it was the pickiest of the 3- the little one.  She ate her whole bowl and asked for more!  The middle one was able to give me more of a verbalized opinion.  She said she liked it, that it did taste a bit different than almond milk, but not bad different.  My husband and I also used it on our cereal and we both liked as well.  Test #1- success.

We are also HUGE smoothie fans- I make them pretty much everyday for my kids and husband.  My normal recipe calls for almond milk and flaxseed meal.  Since I was using flaxmilk, I replaced the flaxseed meal with chia seeds.  WOW!  Seriously the best smoothie I've ever made!  It was so creamy, the milk added no flavor to the smoothie (sometimes almond milk will if I have to use more the thicken it.)  Even my husband commented on how creamy the smoothies were with the flax milk as opposed to the almond milk.

We also used the flax milk in our pancake recipe- again it worked just as well as the other milks we have used. I had wanted to try it in my vegan gravy recipe but we drank it all before I got to that.  Oops. 

Instead I will share my smoothie recipes using the Flax milk.  If you have a chance, I highly recommend you try this.  It is probably the best alternative I have found so far.  In searching for it to buy I found it at Whole Foods.  I have not checked my local Kroger, Fresh Market, or Harris Teeter yet. 

My Favorite Green Monster Smoothie:
1 frozen Banana
handful of spinach
1 tablespoon all natural peanut butter,
1 tablespoon chia seeds.
Flax milk

Blend until smooth.  That's it.  So simple and so good.  The flax milk really adds a creamier consistency.

If you are looking for a healthy milk replacement for your coffee, the flax milk is also great for that.  I drink my coffee black now, but I did try it one morning, just to see how it would taste. It was much better than almond milk.

 Flax milk has now become a regular item in our fridge.  I even bought some to take on vacation.  In my personal opinion, it is hands down the BEST non-dairy option I have ever had.  I highly recommend giving it a try.

*All opinions in this post are my own.  I was not compensated in any way, other than receiving the product to try.*

3rd Birthday Fun

Her coming home outfit, the shirt from her 1st birthday, from her
2nd birthday, and this year.

Yesterday our littlest one turned 3- where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital! Now she's a funny, sweet, mischievous little monkey who keeps us laughing, and is always on the go.  She was definitely all the 2 year old she could be, but not in a bad way.  She's very inquisitive about everything, has a wildly active imagination, and loves to be outside.  She's very different than her sisters in every way possible.

We just had a simple party on Sunday afternoon with close friends and family. Saturday I was camping with my oldest one's Girl Scout troop, so while I was gone, my husband took care of some of the party prep. He cleaned the house (yes, you read that right), ordered balloons, wrapped presents, and took care of a few other chores.  We got home Sunday morning, and started in with all the prep for her party. Abby had decided she wanted cupcakes, so I made her vanilla bean cupcakes, and for the adults I made an orange cake. We kept it simple with all of Abby's favorite foods:  fruit and veggie platters, chips and salsa, and pizza - she LOVES pizza!  She had a blast being the center of attention-as usual.

She had the sweetest look on her face as we sang to her. 

Make a wish Abby!

After the candles were blown out (it took a couple tries of course!) and she had gotten the first cupcake, she got right down to business opening her gifts.  We had a hard time shopping for her because she doesn't actually play with toys.  She has so many toys and she just doesn't play with them.  And she is not a fan of stuffed animals.  She would rather play games, do puzzles, draw, or go outside than play with toys.  

We decided to get her a tricycle, since she is still a bit young for a bike, but wants to be big like her biggest sister.  We got her a good old fashioned Radio Flyer- the one she picked in the toy store last month actually.  Good thing Mommy has a great memory! ( It does have a handle on the back for parents to hold on to, but that will be coming off very, very soon I am sure.)  Although she loves to have her sisters push her around- she thinks it's "Awesome".  Of course, we got her a few other things too.

My parents got her the coolest bubble machine (my Dad picked it out).  It's a leaf blower shaped bubble blower.  The kid was in HEAVEN!  So was our friend Chad- it was the first gift out of the package, and the first one played with... by the adults of course! They also got her a picnic table, earrings, and outfits, but the bubble blower was the coolest thing ever.  

Abby absolutely loves "Uncle Chad":-)

Our friends also definitely spoiled her rotten with all of her favorite things and they all know her well- everyone included bubbles in their gifts.  She loved having them here, getting to play with the kids, getting her birthday hugs, and just being the center of attention.  She's a very lucky little girl to have such wonderful people in her life.  

Luckily the rain held off so we could get in some outside time as well.

I'm pretty sure this was her favorite gift!

She has grown and changed so much in the past year- from a toddler into a preschooler. She can count to 20, knows all her colors, her alphabet, her animals. She has opinions, likes and dislikes, and a hilarious sense of humor. While I am sad that my last baby is growing so fast, I am excited to see how much she will change and grow in her 3rd year. Happy 3rd  Birthday to our sweet baby girl.  

New Pescatarian Lifestyle, New Weekly Menu Plans

For Lent I gave up meat- beef, pork,and  poultry, and I haven't gone back to eating it yet. We had watched "Forks Over Knives" in February and the information in the documentary really struck a cord with me.  We had already gone to 3 meatless meals a week, but I found that certain kinds of meat were upsetting my stomach again. I also wanted to see if cleaning up my diet even more and going more plant based would help with my asthma, which was TERRIBLE during the end of summer last year.  I did decide to keep eating seafood since we get such great seafood where I live, and shrimp and salmon are two of my favorite foods.  That makes me a Pescatarian at this point in time.  I do still cook meat for my husband and kids- we grill burgers often and I'll have a veggie burger instead.  If we do chicken, I'll just make extra veggies, or baked buffalo or BBQ tofu (It's really good!) When we make our buffalo chicken dip, I'll make a small one for myself without chicken, and a large one for my family, and so on. We  try to do fish a couple times a week since we have a the best fresh fish market right down the road.  I also make a lot of vegetarian or vegan dishes that my family loves, so we have a huge menu to choose from. It's not been too much of an adjustment to be honest.
 My oldest daughter has asked me if I'll ever eat meat again, and my answer is yes, most likely I will. Life is a really long time and I can't imagine never having a steak again.  I have explained to her that everyone goes through dietary changes or phases in their lifetime, and that at this point meat doesn't really appeal to me.  (Although I do take Trader Joes turkey jerky on camping trips. Since we are so active I need the quick protein, and peanut butter just doesn't always do the trick. )   I will never go back to eating the same amount of meat as before, but I will reincorporate it in small quantities at some point, except pork.

This new way to eat has meant some changes in the way we meal plan and grocery shop.  We used to grocery shop twice a month- huge shopping trips on the Saturday of payday.  We would sit down together and make a huge list before heading out for a marathon shopping trip.  We would hit up BJ's, Trader Joes, and Kroger.  It did help us budget, and I never had to run out and buy anything during the week- which saved tons of money.  But it was tedious, and we couldn't get as many fresh fruits and veggies since A. my fridge isn't that big, and B. they wouldn't last a full 10 days.
We now eat at least twice as many fresh veggies as we used to so we have decided to shop once a week, and cut our BJ's trips down to once a month or less. Since we no longer need diapers or wipes in bulk, we don't need to go bulk shopping as often. It has actually cut our bill even more, and we waste far less than we used to.  We still don't have to make daily visits to the store because we plan ALL our meals- breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  My husband will stop at Whole Foods when he commutes to his office since there is one nearby (which is an hour from where we live.) He commutes once a week on average, and will take a short  list with him about twice a month- usually for bulk grains, dried beans, granola, GMO free oils, and a few treats we can only get there.

We get our beef fresh from a farm twice a year, and we have a plentiful garden in the backyard to pick from so this week's menu required 1 short trip to Trader Joes, and a very small grocery bill.

Monday: Baked chicken ( I'll have Gardein chicken strips), fresh fruits and veggies.
Tuesday: Stuffed Shells, baked fried zucchini,  fruit for dessert
Wednesday: French Bread pizza and mixed  veggies
Thursday: Burgers on the grill (Dr. Praegers for me), homemade mac and "cheese",  kale chips, sriracha baked beans.
Friday: Grilled Salmon, shrimp skewers, stir fried veggies, Asian pasta salad (recipe to come)
Saturday: We will put together next week's menu and grocery shop for the next week so dinner will be planned that day.

For lunches: I'll make up a Lemony Quinoa Salad, and have leftovers.  The girls have "snack plates"- fruits, veggies, cheese stick, tortilla chips. We also have peanut butter and jelly, or leftovers.
Breakfast: I made an orange cake yesterday that is good for breakfast or dessert, I'll make a banana bread today, and we have cereal. On the weekends Daddy make pancakes or Belgian waffles, or we have biscuits and gravy. 
Snacks: Cheese sticks, homemade granola bars, fruit- we have grapes, strawberries, pineapple, apples, and oranges, fresh cut up veggies, ants on a log, or chips and salsa.

So there you have it- our super easy meal plan that incorporates two different diets into one easy plan.  Next weekend we get to go to the Farmer's Market, and I can't wait to share that menu with you!

Lemony Quinoa Salad

 Quinoa has become one of our favorite grains to use- my daughters especially love it.  I keep a jar full in my cabinet at all times for lunchtime salads, casseroles, and quick side dishes. I've even started taking this salad on camping trips because it's a great source of protein and energy. It keeps well in a cooler, and a little goes a long way.  Needless to say I get a lot of questions whenever I break out the container of this "funny looking" food!  I also keep a bowl of this in the fridge during the week for quick lunches or a snack.  It's really good as a dip with tortilla chips, or in a wrap with baby spinach. The possibilities are endless with this simple salad.
 I change around the veggies each time I make it depending on what I have on hand, but the dressing remains the same. It has a summery, lemony flavor that goes with just about any veggies. So we'll call it Lemony Quinoa Salad

 Quinoa Salad:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• handful tomatoes, chopped ( I use grape tomatoes, cut in quarters)
• Pepper (your choice of color), chopped
• 1/4 of a red onion finely diced
• 1 cup white corn
• handful Cilantro, chopped finely

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• Rice Vinegar- add to the oil in the measuring cup - enough to get to the 1/3 line.
• Juice from 1 lemon
• teaspoon Sriracha

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions.  1 cup of quinoa cooks in 2 cups of water. Bring to a light boil and simmer until done.  Once cooked set aside to let cool.
2.Measure your olive oil in a measuring cup, then add the rice vinegar to that to get to the 1/3 line.  Add the juice from 1 lemon ( I microwave it first for 10 seconds to get the juice flowing), and add the teaspoon of Sriracha.  Whisk it all together so it is well mixed.
3. Once the Quinoa is cooled, add the veggies,  pour the dressing mix over it and mix well.  The dressing won't make it wet or oily- just give it a nice flavor.  If you can, make this ahead and let the flavors mingle for at least a couple hours in the fridge before eating.

This past weekend I made this same salad for a camping trip, but with diced carrots, English cucumber, corn, and tomatoes.  (Since I was camping I didn't want the onions to smell in the cooler).  I've also done shallots, corn, black beans, red peppers, and tomatoes.  

This has definitely become our go-to summer salad. What is one of your go-to summer salads?