Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Kid Tested, Mother Approved - Paka Blueberry Muffin Mix

In the last year, I turned 40. I kind of had a midlife crisis and decided it was time to take control of my health and my weight. I lost the weight on my own, by doing a couple major dietary things, and many, many other small things. People ask me all the time, what I did, and how I did it. These are the two major dietary things I changed: 

1) I cut out all processed sugar (I did eat fruit.) 
2) I cut out all grain flour. I am not gluten intolerant, but had noticed that bread made me feel and look bloated.

Cutting out sugar is hard! If I had known about this company, it would have made my weight loss process much more bearable. I'm not gonna lie. I may have cried a few times when I was detoxing from processed sugar. I am so glad I have found Silver Fern Brand now, for maintenance. These baking mixes meet my two main criteria, no processed sugar, and no grain flower. They provide so much more than that! 


I was recently provided with a couple Paka Baking mixes, by Silver Fern Brand

I decided to try out the Blueberry Muffin Mix. The first thing I noticed when I opened the box, was that the mix filled the bag all the way to the top. It was fluffy, and smelled good! The muffins take two ingredients, 1/2 cup room temperature unsweetened applesauce, and 3 large room temperature eggs. Easy as can be.


It looks like a regular muffin mix when all the ingredients are combined. And, are those whole round blueberries, not just blueberry flavored dehydrated apple chips? Yes my friends, they are! All the ingredients in these baking mixes are all natural.


The muffins bake for 12 minutes, and remain in the muffin tin until they are completely cooled.



These muffins are a perfect balance of fluffy and dense. They are very moist, but not greasy! They are perfect muffin consistency. The flavor is amazing, and does not have a hint of a chemical flavoring, or a funny aftertaste. See the beautiful blueberries? I was thinking I would take a couple to healthy girlfriends on my street, but I am feeling a little greedy, and want to keep them all for myself! 


There are a couple things in these baking mixes, combined as a whole, that I have not seen in other mixes. 

1) Whole Algal Flour - This is rich in good fats, and not bioengineered whole food, and gluten free. It is made from a microalgae strain that was found in Holland, cultivated in Brazil, and processed the US. They have searched the world over, to bring us the very best in nutrients. 

 2) Acaia Gum - This is a prebiotic (promots a healthy gut) improves the way the muffin feels in your mouth.

3) Kakato Sweetener - this is not hard on your teeth, is also a prebiotic, is low glycemic, and has 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving! Who couldn't use a little more fiber?

What's a prebiotic? Prebiotics are new to me,  and I recently learned that they feed probiotics. They aid in the absorption of calcium and magnesium. They help triglycerides in your blood stay at a lower level. They also help your immune system. In a nut shell, they promote overall good health!

Every ingredient in these baking mixes is intentional, and serves a purpose. None of the ingredients are there just as a filler. Even the sweetener contains fiber!


These muffins don't crumble when you eat them. They have a great taste, texture, and overall look.


My last test was on my husband and kids. My two oldest have been going without processed sugar since January 1 of this year. They are doing it to earn some money at the end of December. They will each earn $200 if they can go a whole 12 months without. Can I take a moment and brag, and just say that my 11 year old son dropped 19 pounds in two months, by cutting processed sugar, and increasing his activity level? We are so very proud of him. We did not say a word about his weight when we started this process. The weight loss was just an added benefit, and he feels like a million bucks! 

Processed sugar is not healthy. Processed Sugar is not necessary. We function better without it. End of story.

My kids were SO EXCITED to try these muffins, and I didn't feel like they were cheating on their, "no sugar challenge," by having one, because of the amazing nutritional benefits. They all gave the muffins a, thumbs up!


My husband was a little reluctant to try one. He has never been a fan of low and no sugar, and low fat baked goods. After the kids had theirs (and were asking for seconds), he asked me if they really are good. I told him they are, so he tried one. Our youngest asked him how he liked it. He said, "They are pretty good." He took another bite, and said, "Actually, they are really good! Wow! What's in these, babe?"


I give this Paka Blueberry Muffin Baking Mix my seal of approval! I hope you'll try them out!

This post was sponsored by Sliver Fern Brand.
The opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a Happy, Creative and Healthy Day!

Risa

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Sanctuary Book Review

I recently received a copy on the new book, Sanctuary, Essential Wisdom for an Inspired Home, from the amazing Interior Designers at, Liv Showroom.

At first, I thought it might just be a book full of pretty pictures. It is full of pretty pictures, and it is so much more!

It is a guide for making your home a sanctuary, and creating feeling, rather than just pulling pretty things together. The book addresses Structure, Atmosphere, Expression, and Reflection in the home. 


This book has given me great direction for  a few projects I have coming up, including decorating my kids bedrooms. Each of my children have very different personalities, and I want to create a different feeling in each of their rooms, and create for each one of them, their own personal sanctuary. 

Besides practical advice, the book also provides you with yummy photos, that make you want to really think about, work on your space, and design with purpose. These are a few of my favorites, but they have photos and suggestions for every style.






A section of the book I really enjoyed, addresses the atmosphere you are trying to create in your home,


and the use of light.


You can get your own copy of the book here:


It even comes for your kindle! If you choose to buy using the link above, it helps support me and my blog.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a Happy and Creative Day!

Risa

How to use firefly lights!

Terarriums on Studio 5

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