Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Minute Muffin

Ever since my boy has started going to school ALL day, I have experimented with healthy breakfasts that will keep him full till he gets to lunch. Of course it also has to taste good or I would have a very unhappy boy every morning! He never complains about how hungry he is when I give him these muffins in the morning and he LOVES the taste!

I started blogging about these microwave minute muffins a while back! They are so easy to make, healthy, and really YUMMY!!!

Over the months we have experimented with many different combinations of this muffin! It's fun to ask my children what they feel like adding to their muffin each time we make them. Here is my first post on the Morning Muffin & I also posted about a Carrot Cake Muffin!

Naturally, I had to experiment with pumpkin and come up with my FAVORITE combination, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip muffin!

Here is what you will need:

• 1/4 cup of flour (any kind)
• 1/4 cup of ground flax
• 1 egg
• 1/8- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 Tablespoon milk (or substitute)
• 2 teaspoons of sweetener (I use maple syrup)
• 1 teaspoon Coconut oil (or butter)
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

• pinch of nutmeg *optional
• pinch of cloves *optional
• 1 Tablespoon yogurt plain/vanilla *optional
• 1 Tablespoon of chia seeds *optional
• Grated Carrot *optional

 Simply mix all of the ingredients together in a large mug and throw in the microwave for 2 minutes!
Make sure you mix all the dry ingredients well. It helps me to add the wet ingredients to the mug first.

If you add the optional yogurt, your muffin might need an extra 30 seconds in the microwave because of added moisture!
Then dump on a plate, cut up, and eat!

      

No matter what muffin I make I alway shave two baby carrots in it! I love the added nutrition!

 Another ingredient I always add no matter what muffin I am making is Chia seeds. They are normally pretty expensive, however, Trader Joe's is now selling a 5.3oz bag for $4.99.

Here is a little more information about the health benefits of Chia seeds:

• Chia seeds are hydrophillic, meaning then can absorb over 10 times their weight in water. This makes them great for hydration, as they absorb the water we drink and hold it in our bodies.
• Eating chia seeds slows down how fast the body converts carbohydrates into simple sugars. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have huge benefits to diabetics.
• Chia seeds have 5 times the calcium of milk, 2 times the potassium of bananas, 3 times the iron of spinach and 3 times the antioxidants of blueberries!
•  Chia seeds have more omega-3′s than flax! And, unlike flax, chia seeds do not have to be ground to be digested and can be stored for years without going rancid.
• 19-23% of the seed’s weight is protein. Like quinoa, it contains a complete amino acid chain, giving your body complete protein on par with meat or eggs.
• Chia seeds reduce your cravings for sweets and junk foods because its high levels of soluble fiber allow for a measured release of unrefined carbs into the bloodstream. This is the opposite of a sugar rush and crash which creates more cravings.

The Avengers Homemade Hawkeye costume: Vest

OK everyone!!! I finally got to making the "vest" for the Hawkeye Costume!

I tried to make it as simple as possible and keep it low cost!

At first I was going to look for a hoodie or something that already had a zipper sewn into it but then I thought, the zipper doesn't really have to work! I figured my son was just going to wear a black tank top, so why not just put some finishing touches right onto the tank!

Here is what you will need:

• A black tank top (you can find these as undershirts or dye a white tank top undershirt with black dye) Also another idea would be to cut the sleeves of a black t-shirt because they are much easier to find!
• A piece of Maroon Fabric that has the width of the tank (I got 1/2 yard)
• More black fabric, same as used for finger glove and quiver strap (I got 1/8 yard)
• A zipper that stretches the length of your tank
• Steam-A-Seam2 
• needle and black thread

The first thing you are going to do is attach the maroon fabric to the front of the tank. If you have a sewing machine you can use that. I used Steam-ASeam2 to basically fuse the fabrics together by ironing.  I showed how to use this stuff in another blog post, click HERE to see what to do! This stuff is GREAT for so many things!!!

 Here is the pattern I ironed on to the tank! 

 I then added the second pattern onto the tank! I used the zipper to draw it out!

   

 Here is the tank top with the maroon fabric ironed onto it!

 I then took my needle and thread and hand stitched on the seam of the two pieces of maroon fabric. This was just for looks! You don't have to do this but I think it helps to bring out the design!

   

I then hand stitched the zipper to the middle of the tank! This zipper is fun because it really goes up and down! I wished I could have gotten one just slightly longer but they didn't have one with a silver zipper!

   

 Next you are going to make the shoulders of the "vest". I showed you the basic measurements below of my son's top but this probably will be different for everyone. It's also not crucial to be exact!

I made two sleeves with the black leather fabric used before in other parts of the costume!

The basic idea is, where your fabric comes to a point, that is the fold between the front and back of the tank. I sewed along the folded edge but you can just simply cut it if you don't care about the edge look.

   

 Here is the picture of how I put the sleeves on. I first put a little bit of hot glue between the fabrics to keep them in place and then I hand stitched around the edges.

 Here is a close up to show you the hand stitching.

 Then turn the tank over and do the same thing.

There you go, a simple way to make a Hawkeye top for your costume!

Click HERE if you want to see how to make the whole Costume!

Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispy Treats

Right about this time, I start to think about EVERYTHING Pumpkin! I saw this GREAT idea on Pinterest for Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispy Treats! You can click on the picture below to see her original recipe! I read the comments and a lot of people were having problems with the moisture that the added pumpkin gives to the treats. It was making them soggy! So, I changed the recipe up a bit and made the BEST Rice Krispy Treats EVER because they have PUMPKIN in them!!! I also made them to look like pumpkins and added my kids favorite candy, Tootsie Rolls, to the center to make a stem! 

Here is what you will need:

• 3 Tablespoons of butter
• 1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 bag mini marshmallows
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups of Crispy Rice Cereal
• Tootsie Roll candy (one per treat)

The first thing you will do is take most of the moisture out of your pumpkin puree. Just put it on a paper towel and squeeze it out! I did this three times, until I could actually pick up the pumpkin!

   

Melt your butter on the stove and then add your pumpkin. Stir till heated through and then add your marshmallows! Stir constantly till almost fully melted!

   

When almost melted add your spices, salt, and vanilla!

 This is what it will look like when ready to add you cereal!

   

 Take pot away from heat and let cool for a couple minutes. Then add your cereal and stir till all mixed together!

   

 Get your hands wet with cold water and then form your mixture into balls. You can make the balls any size you want! Then with your finger press a hole in the top center.

   

 Take the wrappers off your Tootsie Rolls and then push them into the center and let them stick up a bit to make the Pumpkin stem!

   

 For a fun look, I added a piece of fresh Basil!

I think it makes them look cute!

 For your kids, leave off the Basil and ENJOY!!!

These two kids are PRETTY EXCITED!!!!

The next day my son had one for his treat in his lunch at school and he said everyone was asking him about it! 

This is also a great idea for Halloween school parties!

Simple & Cute Idea to Replace Birthday Cards

 

Today is MY Birthday!!! So it is the perfect day to post about this topic!

I don't know about you but recently we have been going to AT LEAST one Birthday Party every weekend! Many of them are for my son's friends. 

Do you remember when you were a kid and you tried to be nice by opening the card and then THROWING it aside just to get to the present! Have you ever seen the movie Big Top Pee Wee? I always think of throwing the birthday card to the side the same as when Pee Wee throws the egg salad sandwich when Winnie isn't looking! =) I had to add this clip if you haven't seen it! 

"Ummm, Egg salady!"

Cards aren't cheap but still are necessary to know who the present came from. Since I love pictures so much I started to make personalized tags instead of cards! 

So simple and only the cost of a little printer ink and a piece of white paper!

It also really adds to the look of a present!

I just find a cute recent picture of who the present is from and bring it into Illustrator (program).

I type in a cool font "Happy Birthday______!"

Then "From____"

If you don't know how to do this with a program, simply print out a picture and write with a nice marker! 

If your child is old enough, have them write it out!

Simple as that!

One more reason this is good for a little child's present is because they can't read yet but they could still see who it is from!

Natural Mosquito Repellant

 It is definitely Mosquito time!!! I have been kind of freaked out because there are also cases of West Nile going around the States! It is said to be the worst year on record of the West Nile Virus!! I can't put any bug spray on my 3 month old baby and I really don't want to put any on my big kids either! This is because most of them contain the chemical DEET! When DEET is sprayed onto your skin it gets absorbed and eventually enters the bloodstream. It pumps through your nervous system and has been proven to kill brain cells, causing neurological damage. If you have heavy exposure to DEET, you may experience memory loss, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and shortness of breath....

With all of that information, I think I would rather just let the bugs bite! LOL

The only time I would use DEET bug spray is if I were going camping, hiking, hunting, etc because I would also be warding off ticks! The point is to have little to no exposure to DEET!

Recently, I heard that Mosquitos HATE the smell of fresh Thyme and fresh Basil!

I decided to test this out because I have two Basil plants.

What is great about Basil plants is that you have to pick the flowers off so it can keep growing AND it grows back really fast!

If you are putting it on your child you will have to get creative. With my kids, if it touched their skin, they complain about it being itchy!

So I picked some and put it into my daughters hair!

 Then I tied some to my sons shorts!

 I simply held the basil in my hand, touching it to my baby's head and legs, and playing with it which released it strong sent! This is a plus because I love the smell of Basil!

THIS WAS THE TEST:
 The night before I was outside and in a matter of 5 minutes I killed six mosquitos on my legs. I had to cut the conversation with the neighbors short and go inside because I was so frustrated with the bugs!
The next night, with fresh Basil in my hand,  I kept watching my legs and NOTHING!!! I am telling you, not one mosquito landed on my legs that I saw!

So it TOTALLY WORKS!!!

Another thing that you could also do is add a little citronella oil to some fragrance free lotion and it will act as a natural bug repellant. For 4oz. of lotion use about 1 teaspoon of oil! Below is a picture of Whole Foods brand of fragrance free lotion. It is really a great price (32oz bottle for around $5) and it is also free of Sulfates and Parabens!
This is a little off topic but I want to inform you about what Parabens are so you can make good choices when it comes to your body care products! Parabens are the most widely used preservatives in personal care products! They stop bacteria and fungus from growing in your favorite creams and makeup. There is a debate that these chemicals are harmful to our health. For example, they have the weak ability to mimic estrogen and have been found in breast cancer tumors!! Here are the names of Parabens on a bottle or package: methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and isobutylparaben! They can even be found in your MASCARA!!!
A tip: read labels of everything you put in your mouth or on your body!!!!!

My kids and I also use 365 shower gel. This was a lifesaver to me when I noticed my daughter had sensitive skin because fragrance free products marketed for babies can cost a FORTUNE!!! The lotion and shower gel also come in 16oz or 32oz bottles in mint, citrus grapefruit, lavender, and unscented!
I love the Lavender scent!

I'll leave you with this video I found on YouTube. This girl shares her favorite All Natural beauty products and she includes Whole Foods 365 body lotion as one of them! I think I'm gunna try out the liquid eyeliner she recommends!