Freezer Smoothie Bags

There is no better time to enjoy a daily smoothie than during the hottest season of the year. Fill your freezer with pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags. 

This post is brought to you in partnership with Naked Nutrition. It also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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The days are getting warmer and longer (hello sunset at 9pm) and more humid. The last thing I want to do is heat up a warm meal or sit and chew on a salad. Smoothies are the perfect replacement for breakfast, lunch or dare I say, dinner! They are so versatile by using your favorite fruits, veggies, nuts, etc. Then throw in some fancy powders and you have yourself one of the healthiest drinks EVER. 

My least favorite part of making smoothies used to be the cleanup. However, I learned a little trick to clean the blender super quick. Just rinse out the blender after use, fill halfway with hot water and drop in some dish soap. Turn the blender back on and bam - your blender just got a nice little cleaning.

Click to tweet: Genius - pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags!

Another thing I dislike about making smoothies is gathering all of the ingredients. Trying to manage and entertain a 3 month old can make simple things impossible and then my healthy smoothie turns into me grabbing a bag of chips or a dozen cookies. That's where pre-made individual sized drop-in-the-blender smoothie bags come into play. 

My favorite type of smoothies are simple. I can't really be bothered with loads of ingredients to make a new flavor each day. I typically just buy whatever frozen fruit is on sale or freeze my overly ripe fruit, some type of green, and freeze almond or coconut milk in ice cube trays. This is the basis of a delicious smoothie.

Pre-made Individual Sized Drop-In-The-Blender Smoothie Bags

Ingredients

• 2 handfuls frozen fruit
• handful frozen kale
• 2 ice cubes frozen almond or coconut milk
• fold top sandwich storage bags

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in fold top sandwich storage bag.
2. Store multiple sandwich bags in a gallon sized freezer bag and keep in freezer until ready to use.

How To Make Smoothie

1. Blend fruit, kale, frozen almond or coconut milk, and 8 ounces water in Ninja blender until smooth. 
2. *Optional: pulse in 1-2 scoops Naked Whey, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed and a few dashes ground cinnamon. 
3. Enjoy!

Naked Whey protein powder is the only protein powder I feel comfortable using while nursing. It contains only one ingredient (grass fed whey protein) with 25 grams of protein per serving. And you will love that it's gluten free and soy free too!

*Get 10% off Naked Nutrition products by using the code 'JENNATL' upon checkout. 

What are some of your favorite ingredients for smoothies?

Have you ever made smoothie bags before?

PIN for later. 

Chocolate Chai Tea Breakfast Drink

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

I don't always have time to make a well-rounded breakfast each morning because of lack of time or lack of desire. With the aid of caffeine and Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powder drink mix, I can have a tasty and fulfilling breakfast without spending more than 10 minutes in the kitchen. 
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Mornings always feel so rushed, don't they? That's mostly because I would rather hit the snooze button 12 times than get out of bed and prepare a full breakfast. I would bet that even you hit the snooze at least once eat morning! 

There are several solutions for those busy mornings to keep you from skipping the most important meal of the day. Some of those solutions include preparing breakfast items the night before - think overnight oats, muffins, breakfast cookies, etc. Or you could even prepare packages of ingredients that could be stored in the freezer to whip up a quick smoothie. But with all of the different breakfast hacks, I am nothing without caffeine in the morning. Anyone else with me?!

I've come up with be BEST solution to a quick, filling, and caffeinated breakfast that you will want every morning. That might be a bold statement but I am confident that this breakfast will solve all your morning problems. Besides helping your kids find matching socks or helping your husband remember to put the toilet seat down. 

Click to tweet: The BEST solution to a quick, filling & caffeinated breakfast!

Chocolate Chai Tea Breakfast Drink

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: 1 serving

Nutrition per serving: 210 Calories | 38 g Carbs | 1 g Fat | 13 g Protein | 30 g Sugar

Ingredients

• 1 cup Milk (your favorite type)
• 1 packet Carnation Breakfast Essentials Rich Milk Chocolate
• 1 teaspoon Chai Spice
• 1 Black Tea Bag

Cooking Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, mix together the milk, rich milk chocolate powder drink mix, and chai spice.
2. Heat mixture over medium heat until hot. Do not allow to boil.
3. Remove from heat and steep tea bag for 3-5 minutes.
4. Pour into drinking glass and enjoy.
5. *Optional - add whipped cream and additional chai spice

I have always loved chai lattes but often find them to be too sweet and I haven't found a chai tea that  has enough spice for me. So for years I have been making my own chai spice mixture that I can add to plain tea or make my own chai tea latte without all the added sugar. Now you can use this chai spice mixture and add it to a packet of Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powdered drink mix to make a delicious chai tea breakfast drink - something that is filling, quick, and caffeinated.

In my recipe above, I specifically used the rich milk chocolate powdered drink mix however, don't feel limited to that flavor. The breakfast drink would also be delicious with the dark chocolate or classic french vanilla powder drink mix. Also, if you would like to reduce the amount of sugar and calories, you could use the Carnation Breakfast Essentials® Light Start™ powder drink mix. 

Click to tweet: Make your breakfast easier w/ Chocolate Chai Tea

Now's your chance to stock up on Carnation Breakfast Essentials® powdered drink mix to make your mornings that much easier. Not only could you make my chocolate chai tea breakfast drink, but you could try out my strawberry crumble breakfast muffins. 

What are some breakfast hacks that you use?

How many times do you hit the snooze button in the morning?

Have you tried Carnation Breakfast Essentials® in a unique way?

Love this recipe? PIN for later. 

Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer

Celebrate spring with friends, a refreshing Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer, and blackberry and brie crostinis. This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BlackberryAffair #CollectiveBias.

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Spring is finally here and my screened deck is screaming to be used. Let's just forget completely that the temps are in the 40's and that they are predicting snow flurries over the weekend. Regardless, the deck is my happy place when the weather starts to warm.

There is an extremely short list as to why we bought this house when we moved to Maryland - it has beautiful built-ins, it's in a good school district, and has a large screened deck. Those three things sold us on this house. And last spring through fall we had several gatherings on that deck. It's a great extension of our house as we have a large doorwall (apparently this term is only a southeast Michigander term) that we can keep open.

Opening up the house to the outdoors really makes it easy to entertain. Now we haven't held any large parties at our house like we did in Indiana, our door is always open to friends and family. There are often times when a last minute call from a friend will come through saying they are in the neighborhood. This is when I just whip up an easy snack and tasty drinks.

Here's a list of items that I always keep on hand which make it extremely easy to entertain visitors:

- frozen fruit

- rustic bread

- cheese (brie, cheddar, etc)

- Canada Dry™(right now I have the seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale)

- lemonade

- tea

- vodka

Every week while I am grocery shopping, I check to see if I am running low on any of the items and make sure I grab a fresh baguette. Living so close to Giant Food makes it easy to grab everything I need, plus Giant Food is carrying the seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, which is oh so refreshing.

Arnold Palmers remind me of warm weather. They are light and refreshing, but you can customize the drink by turning it into a spritzer. The seasonal Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, made with real ginger, is the perfect addition to a plain Arnold Palmer. All you need are equal parts lemonade, tea, and Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale, with of course the addition of vodka if needed. Top the beverage off with some frozen blackberries and maybe basil if you have it on hand and you will impress your friends and family.

Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 2 minutes

Ingredients

• one part Lemonade
• one part Tea
• one part Canada Dry® Blackberry Ginger Ale
• optional Vodka
• garnish with blackberries and basil

Directions

1. Pour all ingredients into an ice filled cup.
2. Garnish with blackberries and fresh basil.
3. *Optional: Add a shot or two of vodka.
   
   

Whenever I am spending time with family and friends, a drink isn't enough. If food isn't being passed around, then I'm not interested. Only kidding! But really, I like food!

So I like to make crostinis and my blackberry and brie crostinis go hand-in-hand with the Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzers.

Blackberry and Brie Crostini

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

• Rustic Bread baguette
• 1/2 wheel Brie cheese, cut into thin strips
• 1 cup Blackberries, fresh or frozen
• drizzle of Honey
• 3-5 Basil leaves

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Cut baguette into 1/2 inch rounds and place on cookie sheet.
3. Place cut baguette in oven and toast for 3-5 minutes.
4. Once baguette is toasted and crunchy, top with brie slices, a few blackberries, drizzle with honey.
5. Garnish with sliced fresh basil leaves.
6. Enjoy!
   
   

Now go enjoy your spring gathering with the Arnold Palmer Blackberry Ginger Ale Spritzer and the blackberry and brie crostinis. Cheers!

Are you a fan of the traditional Arnold Palmer beverage?

What's your favorite fruit to pair with brie?

What is your favorite way to celebrate spring?

Pin for later:

Apple Pineapple Smoothie

Apple and Pineapple blended together with just a touch of cinnamon is like drinking applesauce. 

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I have been a big fan of applesauce since I was little. I remember getting a container of applesauce in my packed lunch at school almost every day. 

I don't eat applesauce nearly as much as I used too. I'm not entirely sure why. It's not like it's bad for you or anything, especially if you get it without any added sugar. 

Click to tweet: Blended breakfast applesauce?! Sign me up!

Today's smoothie for the Five Days of Smoothies series will remind you of applesauce. So if you are a fan like me, then you will love this smoothie. With frozen pineapple and plain greek yogurt, this smoothie is substantial enough to enjoy for breakfast. 

Apple Pineapple Smoothie

Recipe by a traveling Wife

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Frozen Pineapple
• 1/2 Medium Apple, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• dash of Cinnamon

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

Are you a fan of applesauce?

What's been your favorite smoothie this week during the Five Days of Smoothies recipes?

Peanut Butter Date Smoothie

Mark your calendars for a date with this dreamy Peanut Butter Date Smoothie. 
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There are certain things that were just meant to go together - peanut butter and jelly, chocolate and mint, caramel and salt, vodka and ice, bananas and peanut butter. But sometimes it's good to stray from the path and try something new.


Like I mentioned on Monday, smoothies usually call for bananas and/or avocados and I am breaking that rule this week by subbing those ingredients with something else. Today's Peanut Butter Date Smoothie was originally made with bananas. If you remove the bananas without replacing them with another ingredient, you might as well eat the peanut butter straight from the jar with a spoon. I wouldn't judge you if you wanted to do that anyway.

Click to tweet: Creamy, dreamy peanut butter date smoothie.

Instead, I added plain greek yogurt to help give some body to the smoothie and added honey for additional sweetness. It's perfection in a glass.

Peanut Butter Date Smoothie

Recipe adapted from Pumpkin & Peanut Butter

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Milk
• 4 Medjool Dates, pitted
• 3 tablespoons Peanut Butter
• 1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 tablespoon Honey
• handful of Ice
• shaved Dark Chocolate (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: A smoothie that is perfection in a glass!

What are some other items that are just meant to be together - perfect pairs?

Have you ever put dates in your smoothie?

Don't forget to check out the rest of the Five Days of Smoothies recipes. 

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Creamy and refreshing, this Orange Creamsicle Smoothie will make you want to head to the beach. 

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Welcome back to the second day of Smoothie Week (aka Five Days of Smoothies). Who's excited for a sweet smoothie that calls for a festive paper umbrella and will beg you to go lay on the beach? 

If you missed yesterday's Blueberry Muffin Smoothie post, you should give it a read, because it will explain the reasoning behind swapping certain ingredients from smoothies and replacing with latex-free ingredients (you might also want to read my post on Latex-Fruit Syndrome).

Click to tweet: A smoothie that will beg you to go lay on the beach.

Today's Orange Creamsicle Smoothie was created by Nourished and includes bananas. The bananas in this recipe help stabilize the ingredients and add the perfect amount of sweetness. Simply by removing the banana element from this smoothie, you are basically left with orange juice - not what we are looking for here. So I played around with a few alternatives and found a surprising swap - almond flour. 

You read that right! Almond flour helps build body in the smoothie and adds an extra creamy flavor to the creamsicle.

If you are unable to eat bananas or just don't like the taste, I recommend swapping some smoothies with almond flour instead. And if you do like bananas, why not try adding in some almond flour anyways?!

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Recipe adapted from Nourished

Ingredients

• 1 large Navel Orange, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tablespoon Almond Flour
• Handful of Ice

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: Orange Creamsicle Smoothie and #FiveDaysofSmoothies.

Have you ever added almond flour to a smoothie?

Don't want to miss out on this week's smoothie recipes? You can always follow me on Bloglovin'. 

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

Blending loads of ingredients together can result in delicious smoothies. Try this Blueberry Muffin Smoothie when you are craving blueberry muffins but can't be bothered with cooking them. 

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The wonderful world of smoothie combinations are endless. Just imagine your refrigerator filled with fruits and vegetables to create your nutritious beverage whenever you choose. What would you put in your smoothie? A very berry smoothie filled with sweet berries and some greek yogurt? Or how about a chocolatey dream with some protein powder and peanut butter? 

I'll bet that regardless of the ingredients you choose, you will 9 times out of 10 pick one, or both, of the most popular smoothie ingredients - banana and avocado. You guys, there isn't a smoothie recipe that I come across that doesn't include at least one of those ingredients. Rightfully so! They are tasty and add purpose to the particular smoothie.

Bananas when frozen create a velvety thick smoothie with natural sweetness. These smoothies will satisfy even the largest sweet tooth. Then there's avocados. These are also added to help create a perfect textured smoothie. 

But remember that time that I told you that I could not eat bananas or avocados, or a whole list of things - Latex-Fruit syndrome? So yeah, all those delicious smoothie recipes I find, I've tried to omit those ingredients but they just aren't that good. Who would have thought that bananas and avocados really make a smoothie?!

This week I am sharing with you five days of smoothies with and without those latex-laden fruits. My friends all shared some unique recipes that they created for me to test out. Then I swapped the bananas and/or avocados for ingredients I can actually eat to achieve the exact same flavors. You might ask yourself, "Well how would you know if they taste the same?" I brought in a tester for sensory screening, better known as A. He did the testing and verified that my recipe was indeed a dupe. 

Today's recipe is recreated from Emma's Little Kitchen. Because the recipe already calls for oats, which have thickening properties when blended, I didn't need the banana for the thick texture. Rather, I needed additional sweetness so I added some honey. I'm telling you, it's perfection. 

Blueberry Muffin Smoothie

Recipe adapted from Emma's Little Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Oats
• 1 cup Milk
• 3/4 cup Blueberries, frozen
• 1 tablespoon Almond Butter
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Cooking Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

Click to tweet: Blueberry Muffin Smoothie and the start of Smoothie Week! 

How often do you enjoy smoothies?
Do you like thick smoothies - so thick it could be mistaken for ice cream?
Don't want to miss out on this week's smoothie recipes? You can always follow me on Bloglovin'. 

Ginger Mint Tea - Two Ways

I am a big fan of all sorts of teas - herbal, black, white, etc. There's only one type of tea that I do not particularly like and that's green tea. But let's not discuss what I don't like and talk about my all time favorite tea - mint.

I've always really enjoyed the aroma and taste of peppermint tea. It's relaxing and comforting to the stomach. It wasn't until I experienced ginger mint tea a few years ago that my feelings for plain mint tea changed. Ginger mint tea is a game changer and can be enjoyed in so many ways.

The benefits of ginger are endless. It is probably most widely known for its ability to relieve nausea and other digestive problems. Mint is also known to help with nausea because of it's wonderful anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Pair these two delicious items together into a tea and it's magical. 

Click to tweet: Ginger Mint Tea recipe to help nausea. 

I'm not sure if you knew, but you can steep ginger and mint alone to create a tasty, natural tea. But if you are looking for a caffiene fix, you can add some black tea right alongside the ginger and mint. So grab your two, or three, ingredients - cheers!

Caffeinated Ginger Mint Tea

original recipe by a traveling Wife

one serving

Ingredients:

- 8 ounces boiling water

- one black tea bag or sachet of choice 

- 1-2 inches ginger root

- 5 mint leaves 

Directions:

- Steep your black tea for desired strength (3-5 minutes)

- Meanwhile, bruise mint leaves by either clapping them between your hands or by pressing knife over them on a cutting board

- Peel skin off ginger root. Cut the ginger root in half then press knife firmly flat on top to release juices

- Steep both mint and ginger in black tea for desired strength (8-10 minutes)

- Enjoy!

*Optional - add honey or sweetener of choice

Fresh Ginger Mint Tea

original recipe by a traveling Wife

one serving

Ingredients:

- 8 ounces boiling water

- 1-2 inches ginger root

- 5 mint leaves 

Directions:

- Bruise mint leaves by either clapping them between your hands or by pressing knife over them on a cutting board

- Peel skin off ginger root. Cut the ginger root in half then press knife firmly flat on top to release juices

- Steep both mint and ginger in boiled water for desired strength (8-10 minutes)

- Enjoy!

*Optional - add honey or sweetener of choice

Click to tweet: Try this ginger mint tea one of two ways.

Are you a tea drinker?

Have you ever had ginger mint tea?

Do you use any natural remedies to help with nausea?

Infused Water - Stay Hydrated

Long weekends are the best thing ever. Why don't we get more of them? I hope you all were able to enjoy an extended weekend and get out to enjoy some lovely weather - that is unless you are in Houston.

My hydration of choice over the past three days was water. I mean, malted water in the form of an adult beverage. Beers - give me all the beers! Because of this, I actually woke up with a headache most days. Why do I always seem to forget that I am not 21 anymore and that two drinks are enough to give me the Miller Lite Flu?! Now it is time to hydrate up with some water, but my favorite is infused water.

Here is a list of some of my favorite types of infused waters:

Lemon

Lime

Cucumber

Mint

Ginger

Orange

Pineapple

Strawberries

Raspberries

Watermelon

And you can make your taste buds extra happy by mixing some of these flavors together.

Lemon, Cucumber, Mint

Lemon, Lime

Watermelon, Mint

Ginger, Mint

Orange, Strawberry, Raspberry

The list goes on, and on. 

What is your favorite type of infused water? Do you use an infuser water bottle or just throw everything in a glass?

Chai Protein Shake - Recipe

*This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
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Recently I have been on this kick for spicy beverages. Whether that be spicy based on scoville scale or spicy as in cooking spices. I just can't get enough.

We went out to eat a few weeks ago and I ordered a spicy Moscow mule with habanero bitters. That bad boy was tasty! I have also really been enjoying a tea I found at Target; hot cinnamon sunset. Besides craving those two drinks on the reg, I have been enjoying a chai shake almost daily. I spruce the shake up with some protein powder for an after workout recovery beverage. The best part, it takes like ice cream!

I made a large container of the chai spice and just store it in my spice cabinet. If I didn't have this already pre-made, I probably wouldn't enjoy the chai shake as often as I do. I mix together ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground cardamom, and black pepper. The spices fill up the kitchen with this wonderful aroma. It simply cannot be beat.

I add a handful of ice, milk, vanilla protein powder, teaspoon of chai spice, and blend away. If you are looking for a recommendation for protein powder, I really enjoy Target's. It's not chalking and only has 6 grams of sugar. #win #win

The sweetness and spiciness of the chai protein shake helps to keep me on track when my sweet tooth kicks in. Plus, if you have one of those individual blenders, you can just blend and go. I am all about laziness!

Chai Protein Shake Recipe:

Chai Spice:

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground allspice

* Store in airtight container

Shake:

Handful ice cubes

12-16 oz milk (I use fat free but you could use almond milk)

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1-2 teaspoons chai spice

*blend away

Do you have a favorite protein shake or favorite spicy drink?

Snow and Hot Chocolate {Recipe}

I said in yesterday's post that today I was going to share a recipe that has been highly requested.

But first, snow dumped down on us last night.

This relates to the recipe!!

I may be done with having snow outside for the season but it sure is pretty to look at.

I opened up our balcony door and the puppy just helped herself out there.

She is such a snow dog, sitting her bum in the snow.

 "Mommy, I'm all done!"

Now that we have all this snow on the ground, I can bundle up in a blanket and drink some Nutella hot chocolate. That is right! Today's recipe is for Nutella Hot Chocolate.

I pretty much make this daily and do not measure any more, but here is the general breakdown below.

You will need:

Measure everything out.

Whisk, whisk, whisk until frothy.

Pour and enjoy!

Nutella Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 cup, or more depending on mug size, any type milk (2% is probably best but I like to use 1/2 fat free milk and 1/2 vanilla soy milk)

- 1-2 heaping Tablespoons Nutella (I use about 1.5 Tablespoons, depending how chocolatey you want it)

- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

- dash of cinnamon

Directions:

- Heat half the milk (mixture) and nutella in medium saucepan, whisking until melted.

- Add remainder of milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. 

- Whisk until warm/hot and frothy. 

*Linking up with Shanna @ Because Shanna Said So for Random Wednesdays.