Friday, August 28, 2015

Feature Friday: Through The Lens

{Gluten Free, Sugar Free} Peanut Butter Cookies

Happy Monday, everyone! Did you know that last Friday was national peanut butter cookie day? Seriously! So, of course I needed to make some pb cookies! But….I’m trying to stick with my Trim Healthy Mama plan for the rest of this pregnancy. I decided I would make this (almost) THM-style!
PB Cookies
Yum! Don’t they look delish?

Ingredients:
1 cup no-sugar added peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1 egg
1 cup stevia (or other natural sweetner)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Mix the first 4 ingredients together in a bowl. Shape into balls, and slightly flatten with your fingers. Press some chocolate chips on the tops of each cookie. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Let cool before moving them. Enjoy!

PB Chocolate Chip Cookies
Did you enjoy peanut butter cookies on Friday?
Sincerely,
Hannah Diane





About

Hey there! I’m Hannah Diane. I am married to my best friend, Luke. I have a horse, and we have two kittens. I love my Saviour, Jesus Christ, and have a love relationship with Him first and foremost. I am a book lover, and a lover of all things simple and old-fashioned. I wish I lived in the 1800s. I love blogging about my life….fitness, healthy living, recipes, DIY projects, horse training, what the Lord is teaching me in my life, and being a wife. I hope to make many friends along this journey…won’t you join me?
Engagement
Wedding
That there is my Handsome Man, Luke. He’s the best. He’s my best friend, encourager, leader. He’s so sweet and such a hard worker. I don’t know what I would do without him. We met when I was 15 and he was 19. We started courting when I was 17 and getting ready to start my senior year in High School. He proposed on Christmas Eve when I was 18 and we got married the day before our two year anniversary.
Eating Healthy Fruit Nitros and Running
I love working out and eating right. Wow! I never thought I’d say that. My struggle with being healthy and at a healthy weight has been life-long. But I seriously love working out! Lifting weights, biking, running and yoga are some of my favorite things.
Ameera Christmas with AmeeraI love my Ameera. She’s amazing. We’ve had our ups and our downs. Being a horse owner and training your two year old filly from the ground up can be difficult, frustrating, fun, exciting, but always rewarding. I’ve had Ameera for over two years now and we’re finally to the point of riding. I learn something new every time we work together.
ReadingDevotions
And my favorite….I blog about life. My relationship with Jesus Christ. What He has taught me and what I am learning. He’s my all in all. I would be nothing without Him. He took my dirty, nasty rags of self-righteousness and traded them for His spotless ones so I could have a relationship with my Father. To Him, I owe my life.
I hope you grab a cup of coffee (or water) and stay to chat. Let’s get to know each other, okay?
~Hannah Diane



You can check out her blog here. 

Friday, August 21, 2015

Feature Friday: Whole Food Bellies

Garlicky Quinoa and Spinach Brunch Bowl

 
For those of you who don’t know; we moved this weekend! It was a bit of a process, but we made it, and we are now all settled in our beautiful new home. It’s so lovely!
Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com
Now, I thought I was well prepared for the big weekend, as I had made lots of snacks for the kidlets, and I had packed all the necessary cooking utensils in an easy to access box.  The best laid plans huh….I forgot my kids have bottomless pits as tummies, and that moving is hungry work for mum and dad too. So the snacks didn’t last long. I also forgot to tell my husband that the box needed to be accessible…so it was only found and unpacked last night.
Ahhh, thank goodness for takeaway :)
Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com
Now we are (somewhat) unpacked, I have gotten back into the swing of things, and our fridge is full of real food again. Yay! I find it so hard to make good choices if I haven’t prepped for the week, so it was all falling apart for a while there.
Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com
This meal is delicious. I have had it for second breakfast brunch twice this week already, and my husband requested a double batch, so he could take some to work again today. My husband requesting spinach…unheard of!
Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com
It takes a maximum of 10 minutes to prepare (if you have pre-cooked your quinoa) and it really packs a punch flavour-wise. The perfect dish to serve up for brunch as it looks quite fancy and cafe-ish with a perfectly poached or fried egg on top, but is a cinch to prepare. I do make it quite heavy on the garlic, so adjust up or down depending on your preferences.
Hubby has suggested it would be perfect with a nice piece of fish nestled on top. I wholeheartedly agree, and will be trying that out this week :) How would you eat it?
Garlicky Quinoa @wholefoodbellies.com
I would love to hear what you think!


Garlicky Quinoa and Spinach Bowl
Rating 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 2 serves
Fragrant garlicky quinoa with wilted spinach and lemon zest - fantastic for brunch, with a perfectly poached or fried egg on top. Or make it for dinner and serve with a nice piece of fish.
Ingredients
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped spinach (or whole baby spinach to make it even quicker)
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 cup cooked quinoa
  • 2 poached or fried eggs (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Heat cooking oil of choice (I used avocado oil) in a medium sized saucepan (with a lid) over medium heat. When hot, add in the chopped garlic. Cook until fragrant
  2. Add in the chopped spinach and lemon zest, pop on the lid and leave for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has wilted
  3. Add in the cooked quinoa and stir to combine. Cook until just heated through and remove from the heat (I added in about a tablespoon of olive oil here to keep things from drying out)
  4. Serve up, salt and pepper to taste, and add a perfectly poached or fried egg to the top. Enjoy!



Meet Donna

Food was not something we worried about in our house when I was growing up. Don’t get me wrong we definitely ate plenty of it and we ate as a family as often as we could but food was, for the most part, something we ate just because we had to. Except for special occasions….and Friday nights. My parents weren’t into health or nutrition in any big way so food just wasn’t that big a deal. I remember helping my mum bake in the kitchen on the odd occasion, but it was always for a special treat, not something we did often.
My school lunches were filled with rubbish (sorry mum). Not literal rubbish of course but I’m talking chips, chocolate, a carton of juice, a ham sandwich and a wee piece of fruit. Mum wasn’t doing anything unusual, in fact, pretty much all of my friends had a similar packed lunch. I do remember having one friend who would come to school with these little homemade pork pies, salads and raw veggies and every time I saw her lunch I would thank god it wasn’t mine!
I moved out of home for university at seventeen and not much changed. The first couple of years of my degree were fuelled by 2 minute noodles, bake at home rolls with melted cheese and mashed potatoes. I can’t even claim the ‘poor student on a budget’ excuse as I worked a lot through uni and always had money….I just preferred to spend it on beer and music – priorities guys!!!
Then something happened…I met a boy (who would have guessed). He was, in my naive opinion of the time, the ultimate foodie. He had been one of those ‘weird’ kids who had been eating raw veggies and hummus for lunch and had eaten McDonalds maybe once a year. He cooked, he knew about all of these foods I had never heard of (wonton soup?) and food really excited him!
He cooked for me an embarrassing number of times before I finally ran out of excuses and was guilted into cooking for him. Having never used the internet for food research purposes I was way out of my depth in that field and ended up having to borrow a bloody cookbook for the occasion! Needless to say it was pretty average and being the competitive person I am I decided I was going to have to figure out this cooking thing.
Anyway we travelled the world and ate everything in sight and my foodie horizons broadened beyond my expectations. I became a little bit obsessed with all things food and spent a lot of time mastering my culinary skills. I thought I was pretty awesome….until I had my babies.
As soon as I became pregnant and suddenly responsible for the health and nutrition of someone other than myself I had to re-evaluate everything I knew about food! Sure I could cook all these lovely meals which I would never have dreamed about a few years back but they still contained a fair few ingredients I couldn’t in good faith give to my little people. Plus a lot of my lovely recipes called for a couple of hours in the kitchen….haha as if thats going to happen with two kids!
Overnight I became the women in the shop who scrutinises every label before putting anything in the cart, the women who literally dreams of ways to make favourite unhealthy foods into healthier and better versions…I am now even that mum who supplies the ‘weird’ food in the playground! But I will have you know that weird food is so yummy and popular my daughter has to guard her snacks very carefully (she is 2 and she literally guards her food – it’s pretty cute)! Plus I need to be able to make them while wearing one baby and entertaining the other. Oh how life has changed.
My foodie dream in life is to make sure our bellies are beautiful things filled with lovely whole foods that taste amazing :)
Happy eating!


You can check out Whole Food Bellies Here

Friday, August 14, 2015

Feature Friday: Up Parenting Creek



A Father for Feminism

One Father's Desire for His Daughter's Equality
I have made that joke about the shotgun. You know, someone says to the father that his daughter is beautiful or that she’s growing up fast or that she’ll be a heartbreaker, and the father smiles knowingly and says, yeah, he’s already shopping for shotguns. He’ll spend his daughter’s teenage years sitting on the porch and cleaning the sucker all day, just to make sure every boy who comes by sees him.
Because, of course, a daughter is a father’s property and he needs to protect his property from being stolen and potentially defiled by another man.


by Gabriel Amadeus © 2012
by Gabriel Amadeus © 2012
Not such a great joke when it’s put in those terms, is it?
But I’ve made the joke. Multiple times. Because I don’t always think before I try to be funny. And because, while I want my daughter to grow into a strong woman who loves deeply and who experiences life fully, I am afraid of the men who will, indeed, attempt to treat her like property.
Almost every culture throughout the world oppresses women. Our culture is not nearly as bad as some but that doesn’t mean our culture doesn’t have a lot of work to do. American fathers don’t make jokes about needing a shotgun when their sons come of age. We assume our sons will be mostly fine. I want a world in which we can assume our daughters will be mostly fine too.
I have a strategy for this. And a metaphor.
Fathers: Feminism is our shotgun.
 Read the full post here.



Friday, August 7, 2015

Feature Friday: Sequins In The South


DIY Painted Mason Jars + Giveaway

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Hey y’all I had so much fun painting these Mason Jars !! It’s so easy ! I will show you how step by step with explanation + a chance to win a set!
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Jars.
Paint.
Glitter (if you want).
Spray glue for glitter.
Sand paper to make it rustic a little bit.
Sponge brushes.
That’s all !!!
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1) Clean off the jars and make sure they are dry.
2) With the sponge brush, paint the jar. (Repeat this for about 3 coats. Wait 20-30 min in between coats.)
3) Using sandpaper or a sanding block, distress the words and areas that would seem to get naturally scuffed.
4) Enjoy ya’ll it really was that easy !! I know the directions seem small and they are but it’s easy so you can do it !! Just try a few tips to look at down below.
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I did this whole set in less than 2 hours. At the end i did spry with a clear coat just to seal them you don’t have to but i wanted to protect the glitter.
Now a few tips & tricks that helped me along the way:
– A lot of people say paint the inside of the jars I did NOT do this I did’y find that it was needed.
– I simply put my hand in the jar it wouldn’t go all the way in i just put it enough to paint the whole thing and move it around a bit as needed.
– When adding glitter to the rim if that’s the style you want don’t spray the glitter on it gets all over. I sprayed my sponge brush with the glue then applied where needed. and then sprinkled the glitter.
– The longer they dry between each coat the better.
– When applying the 2nd coat you will notice a but of paint “peeling” don’t stress it’s okay cause on coat 3 it covers it up & then when you distress with the sand paper it looks like it’s supposed to be that way.
– I used three different paints two were satin finish and one was matte the matte one honestly looks and works better.
– All my pictures will show my setup and what all i used as well.
– All you need is a tiny piece of sandpaper… go over the words and a few areas around the jar VERY lightly.
– Anytime i post a DIY craft you can ALWAYS ask me questions if i’m not clear on something :)
– If ya’ll like these as much as I do you can enter the giveaway at the bottom to win a set.
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You can check out her blog Sequins In The South here. 
Hey Yall !!
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis. Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does? But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind let’s have fun and raise a little heck. - See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf

Me Me Me


Hey Yall !!
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis. Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does? But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind let’s have fun and raise a little heck.
XOXO LC
♡●♡●♡
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf

Me Me Me


Hey Yall !!
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis. Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does? But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind let’s have fun and raise a little heck.
XOXO LC
♡●♡●♡
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf

Me Me Me


Hey Yall !!
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis. Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does? But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind let’s have fun and raise a little heck.
XOXO LC
♡●♡●♡
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf

Me Me Me


Hey Yall !!
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis. Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does? But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind let’s have fun and raise a little heck.
XOXO LC
♡●♡●♡
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf


Me Me Me


Hey Yall !!
This is my journey to make a blog inspire and find an outlet to be creative. I am new to this world of blogging and will not be politically correct nor will I please any English teachers out in the world (sorry sissy). I am 30 years young and married with 2 kids. With that being said that didn’t come easy I am not the ready made wife and PTO mom. I have a very colorful past full of hot mess that most southern belles would frown on. But that made me who I am and personally think made me more opened minded than most people you will run into on a daily basis. Sometimes I cuss to much and have to pitch myself and say hello is that how you want your almost 2 and 5 year old to talk ??? Umm no who does? But hey life gets in the way when you stomp your toe on the door frame and step on a hot wheels car. I have one bi-racial child my oldest Ca’Rin Shine that is already so hard headed and determined it’s insane maybe those two things will go great together when it’s not me trying to contain her to what a normal healthy 5 year old should be doing. Is a bi-racial child a great thing in the south I would think not but in the Carlson house hold its amazing and for the sun worshiping goddesses me and my sisters are we may be a little jealous of that year round pecan tan summer glow. Please go on this journey with me with an open mind let’s have fun and raise a little heck.
XOXO LC
♡●♡●♡
- See more at: http://sequinsinthesouth.com/me-me-me/#sthash.5IPYupCV.dpuf

Monday, August 3, 2015

How To Clean Kitchen Tile Grout

Until I moved into this house, I had no experience with tile floors. I had bathroom tiles, but they were always sealed and easy to clean. This new flooring presented a very big cleaning challenge: keeping the grout looking nice.



I've tried a multitude of cleaners, both commercial and homemade products. I'd even tried using straight bleach to get the grout back to its original color! But nothing seemed to work. I was resigned to scrubbing it by hand with rags and special brushes, and never truly getting it clean.

Until, on a whim, I decided to try toilet bowl cleaner. I don't know why- I was desperate. And it worked! It was wonderful! It cut my cleaning time in half and did a much better job than I ever had. I'm a true believer now, so I'll share with you how I do it.

I've tried several different types and brands of toilet bowl cleaners, and by far the best has been the Target brand generic cleaner.




The process is pretty simple. Squirt the cleaner directly into the grout. If you get some on the tiles, it's fine, but the floor will be slick until cleaned off, so be careful.







Cover all the grout you wish to clean. I don't have the patience to do my entire kitchen at one time, so I split it up into sections and work on it over a few days. I like to leave the cleaner on for at least 20 minutes, so I wait until the kids go to bed and get to work. I just cover the grout in the area I'm working on, then go take a shower or put away some laundry for a while.





You can see the cleaner start to bubble as it works out all the dirt. Because the grout is very porous, it holds onto dirt and crumbs. This bubbling really helps dig it all out.



Next, I just take a towel and wipe it off. You'll be amazed at the dirt and grime it picks up!




While the grout is still wet, it will appear darker. But rest assure, it's much cleaner! If you are worried about residue on the floor, or have pets and toddlers who eat off the floor, a quick rinse with a wet rag or sponge mop will clean it up.

Behold, your now clean grout!