Crisp Lemon Cookies

This 6 month old, 1lb. 6 oz. little girl growing inside my belly, wants cookies....

I am always craving sweets. So this recipe this week was what I really wanted. Also, Spring is in the air. So lets kick it off with these crisp lemon cookies.  They are so refreshing and perfect by the pool:)

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1 1/3 c. soft butter

2 c. sugar

2 Tbs. lemon juice

2 tsp. grated lemon peel

1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

3/4 c. white choc. chips

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the lemon juice, peel and vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well.
2. Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Coat the bottom of a glass with cooking spray; dip in sugar. Flatten cookies with glass, redipping in sugar as needed.
3. Bake at 325° for 11-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Drizzle with melted vanilla chips. Yield: about 4-1/2 dozen.

St. Patty's Day | Lucky Charms Trifle

Life should be spent at the end of the rainbow eating fresh whipped cream and your favorite cereal Lucky Charms.  Well, lets just do that with this super easy dessert.  Not only does it look cool with the layering of green whipped cream and lucky charms, but why not have a whipped cream fight while making it with your friends.

Lucky Charms Trifle

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1) 1 C. of Whipping Cream

2) lots of Lucky Charms

3) Green Food Coloring

Whip up cream with an electric mixer or by hand with a whisk

Dye cream Green (one drop)

then taking a glass cup or I used a Champagne flute

Layer up the cream in the glass then adding lucky charms cereal till it reaches the top.

Decorate a dessert table or dig in with your friends.

Enjoy...

Avocado Banana Crème Brûlée

Who doesn't love a great Crème brûlée?  That rich custard topped with a hard carmel, has me drooling right now talking about it.  After dinner I typically want something sweet, but I don't wanna pay $15 at a fancy restaurant. And now-a-days I see them in the freezer section at your local grocery store.  But wait, who knows what type of ingredients are used to keep it preserved.   So I broke out my new Dessert Bullet and added my favorite ingredients to make my own  Crème Brûlée.

Avocados are the best way to get some healthy fat into our diets. They contribute nearly 20 vitamins and minerals making it a good nutrient choice.  Some might say, "I don't like avocados or the taste of them."  Well in this recipe, I pair it with something sweet: Bananas.  Lets talk about bananas.  Did you know bananas help with depression, swelling, blood pressure, heart health and many more great things?  They contain tryptophan, serotonin and norepinephrine, which help with depression, who knew? This is my favorite one. Since bananas are so easily digested they are perfect to start feeding to babies then move on to solid foods.  I could go on and on about bananas but lets make this Avocado Banana Crème brûlée.

First, take 1/2 an avocado and dice into cubes. Then place in the freezer till frozen.

One half of an avocado is 130 calories

Then take one whole banana and dice up.  Place in freezer to freeze.

One serving of banana contains 110 calories

Alternate frozen pieces of avocado and banana and place in shoot of Dessert Bullet.

Next, turn on, push down, and out comes your puree of avocado and banana.

Place in a shallow ramekin dish.

Then taking an offset spatula smoothing down the puree to level out.

Take 1 teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle on top.

This is optional if you're watching your sugar.

Using a flame torch, torch the top.

or

Place ramekin in oven on broil for 2 mins.

Serve and ENJOY!

Avocado Banana Crème Brûlée Recipe
1/2 an avocado and dice into cubes
one whole banana and dice up.
Place both in freezer to freeze.
Alternate frozen pieces of avocado and banana and place in shoot of Dessert Bullet.
Next, turn on, push down, and out comes your puree of avocado and banana.

Place in a shallow ramekin dish.

Then taking an offset spatula smoothing down the puree to level out.

Take 1 teaspoon of sugar and sprinkle on top.

This is optional if you're watching your sugar.

Using a flame torch, torch the top.

or

Place ramekin in oven on broil for 2 mins.
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My baby is a moving!

I should be editing my youtube video right now, but these wonderful kicks coming from inside my belly is affirmation that I am creating life, and she has me excited to share.

I started feeling tiny kicks at week 21.  I kept calling it hunger pains.  I will be 25 weeks pregnant tomorrow, and loving this so called pregnancy thing.  I was a tad nervous seeing how my mom told me horrible, scary stories on how my sister and I made her so sick, her skin was red and blotchy, and mostly sick as a dog.  I have been, oh so lucky.  I feel like, Brooklyn Decker in the movie, "What to Expect when Expecting."  Here I am strutting along in my cute shoes, feeling great, sexier, skinner, healthier skin, beautiful hair you name it.  I only hope that is what people are seeing on the outside. Even though the only thing that really matters is how you feel.  If you sit down to get to know me you will see I am a very optimistic person too. I can find the good in about mostly everything.  So I hit my third trimester tomorrow.  And very curious to see how much bigger I will get. So far I am the weight I was when I got pregnant. So I assume I am about to plump up.  My due date is June 27th 2014. Do I have any takers on when they think I'll deliver?

I stay away from salt and processed foods as much as I can. (If you can't say the name in the ingredients then don't eat it.)
My latest food crave is making my own egg Mc muffin as you would call it. My mother-in-law got me hooked on this last week.  So easy, I will toast up a whole grain english muffin, add cheese, (try to find cheese that isn't yellow they use a chemical to dye the cheese that color). I usually ask the deli to slice up white American for me, then fry up an egg, but make sure you pop the yellow yolk so it is cooked all the way through. Then throw on the skillet a slice of Healthy Canadian bacon from trader joes. Don't forget you have to heat up meats to burn off the bacteria if you're prego.  Then assemble on the muffin then wrap that bad boy up in wax paper for the heat of the egg and bacon to melt the cheese.  So good.

Water, Water! I have cut out caffeine, as they say in early pregnancy can lead to miscarriages.  Doctors say 8 oz. is ok, but why not just rid your body of the toxins that are in coffee and carbonated sodas.  Now that I am in the third trimester I am drinking a tad more coffee, and it just seems like a sin to go to the movies and not have a few sips of coke.  Those few sips are so good and make my eyes water in satisfaction:) really again in moderation:)  My drink of choice these days is a good ole water with lots of lemon, and if you forget my lemon lets just say, pregnant hater..LOL

Lots of salads, Kale mostly, and smoothies packed with spinach and fruits.  Since I am having a girl they say you crave sweets. I never have ever wanted more of anything in my life. Sure I would have cookies, cupcakes, and macarons some how coming home with me, but I would really try to curb that sweet craving with fresh fruit at night. It's really hard, but have you met me?  I am so hyper I hope my poor child will not be crazy too.

Wanna know what products i am using and loving right now?
I have teamed up with Honest.com to review their products and one that I have been using is the Organic Belly Balm. I love this product so far to reduce stretch marks, but not only that, it healed a wound on my sister the other day.  Love the smell and makes me feel so relaxed after a shower.
Don't forget to Subscribe to my YouTube channel where I will be doing more reviews for Honest.com products and lots to GIVEAWAY!!!!

Baby's room is almost completed.  I had my mom and sweet sister help paint our tiny second bedroom a fun herringbone pattern in the color sailor.
We have bought a  few Ikea pieces of furniture and nick nacks. Next we will make our own drapes- More creativity to come....

For more info on Baby Elle watch my YouTube show called LovelyLadyCakesTV

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Make Thin Mint Cookies just like Girl Scout Cookies.

St. Pattys day is around the corner.  And what is the one color we will be seeing everywhere? Green. Thinking green, seeing green, pinching people in green.  I love this month so much because its my Birthday month and Spring is in the air.  Lets not forget the girl scouts who are sitting outside our local grocery store selling their cookies.  Well, if you don't have a chance to support them here is an easy recipe.

To start off these cookies it begins with not a cookie, but a cracker. Yes, I know sounds weird, but right when you take a bite out of these, your mind will be blown:)

Thin Mint Cookies

18 crackers

melt 1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

add 1 tsp. crisco

add 1 tsp. mint extract

pour chocolate over the crackers

let set

enjoy..
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Healthy Smoothies

Smoothies are thankfully my coffee these days.  I have skipped the cup of coffee each morning and am grabbing a smoothie togo.  They have so many good things in them to help you throughout your day. Plus, are packed with natural vitamins giving you increased energy, weight loss, and overall improved health. Parents, this is the best way to sneak veggies into your children's’ diets.  Start them off young. By getting them in now this habit of healthy eating at an early age will help crave healthier decisions.

Tip to making your smoothie less green tasting add a little peanut butter or honey.
So my trick to making a smoothie in the morning is using what I have bought that is lying around in my fridge.  What do you love? I love bananas so I always have plenty going bad that I need to use.  I always have yogurt, and I always have spinach.  Hey, Looks like we got something going here.  So break out your blender and just go to town adding your favorite things.

Anna's Smoothie

1/2 cup of organic greek yogurt

1 banana (in chunks)

handful of spinach or kale

maybe carrots if I have them

2 Tbs or less of Peanut Butter

and 2-3 Tbs of OJ or a juice I have that week

For more Recipes go to my favorite product the NutiBullet
http://www.nutribullet.com/site/recipes

What kind or smoothies are your favorite to make?