Pumpkin Pie Spice Muffins(Muffin Monday)

I could NOT resist! Seriously, I have had this bottle of pumpkin pie spice for a month now and I couldn’t wait any longer to open it. I don’t know about you, but when I opened that bottle it smelled like I was being enveloped in fall goodness! Incredible!

At 1am this morning I decided I wanted to have some muffins for breakfast. Since I have a strict criteria of what I can and cannot have, I knew I had to be mindful and look for the following: they had to be low carb(✔️), keto friendly(✔️), soy free(✔️), gluten free(✔️), grain free(✔️), and if possible dairy free(✔️). I got crazy lucky when I came across Healthful Pursuit’s recipe. The carb count comes out to about 4g net carbs per muffin, which is perfect really! You can have this alongside a scrambled egg and bacon for a well balanced meal. I plan to enjoy mine with a poached egg and some homemade turkey sausage patties.

I did take a little liberty in tweaking the recipe to my liking, here’s what I did.

You’ll Need:

4 large eggs

1/2 c avocado oil

1/2 c lactose free milk

2 tsp homemade vanilla extract

2 c almond flour

2/3 c granulated Stevia sweetener

1 tblsp + 1 tsp baking powder

1 tblsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

a healthy pinch of kosher salt

1/2 c Hemp Hearts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with muffin papers or use a silicone muffin pan. I used silicone muffin cups on a sheet pan.

In a medium bowl mix eggs, oil, milk, vanilla extract until emulsified.

Add dry ingredients, except hemp hearts, and mix till well combined. Fold in hemp hearts gently. Use a muffin scoop and portion out muffin batter. (Original recipe makes 12, I got 15 1/2) Bake for 15-18 minutes(mine were done after 16 minutes). Let cool and enjoy!

♦️Now, you could do as the original recipe and dip the tops of the muffins in coconut oil and then into your cinnamon “sugar” mixture for a snickerdoodle effect. Or you could make cinnamon ghee spread.

You’ll Need:

2 tblsp organic ghee

Granulated Stevia and Cinnamon to Taste(or you can use Pumpkin Pie Spice)

Directions:

Mix these ingredients in a bowl and spread on a warm muffin.

Alternative Spreads:

Low Carb Apple Butter

Low Carb Pumpkin Butter

Almond Butter

Sun Butter

Cashew Butter

🔷If you aren’t a fan of ghee, you can use organic butter instead. Whatever works best for you!

🔶If you would like more info about hemp hearts and their healthy benefits, click here.

Hope you enjoy and have a great Muffin Monday!

September is Here, Grab Your Teal!!

It’s THAT time of the year folks. All things teal, all affected women uniting together for their voices to be heard around the world. What are your plans to help make a difference this month?

For me, certain health issues have arisen that could NOT have been more untimely. Especially when I have certain things planned for this month and now I cannot do them. 😔

My acid reflux and IBS have been going haywire over the last few weeks and last week was the worst. By last Thursday I had made up my mind that I needed to go back on the GAPS Diet and not let anyone or anything deter me. Especially the holidays. One of the things I’ve been reading up on is how the GAPS Diet can help me as a PCOS Warrior.

Initially, the GAPS Diet is low carb. So long as you forgo the fruits and vegetable with naturally occurring fructose. This is the same rule when living a low carb lifestyle/keto, etc. This diet is also gluten free…aces, since I need to give my lower digestive system a break. Goodbye low carb tortillas. It’s also removes sugar from your daily consumption, with exception to raw organic honey. I get that honey is not low carb/keto legal but it is necessary when doing GAPS.

The first thing to help jump start your day is by drinking warm honey lemon water.

It’s not easy to give up the hot cup of joe, BELIEVE me. But after knowing the benefits of what drinking honey lemon water can do for ya, I’ll take a mug every day! 🙋🏻‍♀️ The benefits far out weigh the need for caffeine. Besides, when your gut is unhappy drowning it with coffee, tea, and sodas only makes things worse.

If you would like to read more about how the GAPS Diet can help with PCOS, click here!

If you have to pop multiple prescription meds in order to function, honey you aren’t even remotely healthy. Healthy is when you don’t have to take any medication. And it is possible to be in your 30’s, 40’s, heck 80 yrs old and not be on any medication. Hippocrates was ahead of his time, he knew that in order to live a healthy life you have to take care of what you put into your body. Just look at the typical American diet. Sugar. Carbs. More sugar. Gluten. GMO products. Chem lab foods. I’m always surprised when someone my age states that they are now taking cholesterol meds, diabetes medication, etc. I’m in my mid 30’s, what is wrong with this picture? Our bodies are screaming for help and tossing more medication at it is NOT the solution.

The GAPS Diet, as well as other elimination diets/protocols, can be an inconvenience. All the planning, prepping, cutting out the bulk of what’s been touted as “healthy food”, reducing stress…I get it, a lot of people don’t want to be bothered. You have to be at that breaking point of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. The upheaval this kind of diet causes is not for the feint of heart, but I can honestly tell you it’s worth it!

Last year from August to October I felt amazing! Actually started to feel normal again, well normal being the exact opposite of how I had been feeling prior. No more reflux, no more IBS, no more sleepless nights, and as a byproduct I was losing weight. Lost 35 pounds in 3 months. Going for it again and sticking to it. I want to be a healthier version of myself, to be able to eventually help others, and show my results along the way. For now, at least the next two weeks, everything is going to be GAPS driven. Stages 1&2 are brutal, by Stage 3 more variety gets added, so recipes will be shared by then. Hopefully I won’t lose anyone in the process.

I’ll end with this, please look over the 9 signs below and ask yourself…do I suffer from any of these? If you do, please consider looking more into following a healthy gut protocol. I’m here, shoot me a message anytime! Always happy to help.

Have a great Monday!!

Save the Date

Mark your calendars, next month is PCOS Awareness Month! Got some recipes lined up for y’all and a give away of my favorite low carb snacks, cookbook, and other treats! Plus some other fun things in store to help raise awareness, you don’t want to miss out!

The Night Before Chicken Salad

Ok, I wasn’t too sure what else to call it seeing that I did make it the night before I had to take it to a get together. And let’s face it, things made a day ahead tend to taste better! The flavors mellow and blend which helps in reducing an intense flavor. In this case, my chicken salad, it allows the seasoning mix bits to soften and be less “crunchy”. I guess I shouldn’t use the word “salad” but perhaps spread, pate fits as well! Whatever you want to call this, it’s great on potato rolls, in lettuce wraps, right out of the bowl with a spoon, with your favorite crackers or on a wrap with lettuce.

(You can cut this recipe in half or just make enough for two people. But my recipe is enough for a crowd and great for little finger sandwiches too!)

Chicken Salad (Spread)

6 large chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 packet Knorr Vegetable dip seasoning
1 packet Good Seasons Italian Seasoning
2 cups your favorite mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
Salt and Black Pepper to taste

Boil the chicken breasts until half the water is boiled out. Remove and place in a food processor. I was able to get about three breasts in my food processor. Process down until mostly smooth and pour into a large mixing bowl. Repeat until all the chicken has been processed down, stir in mayonnaise and sour cream along with vegetable and Italian seasonings. Add more mayonnaise if mixture is too dry. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight. Serve as desired the next day and enjoy!

I don’t have have to tell you that this is a fairly low carb meal, it’s great wrapped up in romaine leaves with slices of fresh cucumber. This is great to have when you want to meal prep for lunch and dinner. Just be sure to eat it up within a few days.

    

Don’t forget to spread awareness around this week. Love to all my Cysters around the world!

Have blessed day!!

~Why some women don’t have enough breastmilk for baby: Important role of insulin in making breast milk identified~

Afternoon Cysters,

I saw an article on FB last week and wanted to share it in the hopes that it will help shed light on an issue that has even affected me. If PCOS has in some way affected your body to the point where you can’t even breastfeed, please speak out about it! I want your voices to be heard.
To read the original article, click Why some women don’t have enough breastmilk for baby..

Have a blessed day!

•  

Be a Drop…

Ok, third times a charm right?! I was originally going to do a post about how plastic containers are making us fat, it was basically going to be a long boring article. Bottom line…use glass or stainless steel containers to store your foods. Here’s a link that talks about it, it’s the 4th Health Risk if you want to know more.

I was going to then write about my issues with morbid obesity. Another long and boring post. We get it, PCOS +Weigh Gain goes hand in hand.

I’m going to give you all a challenge. Instead of focusing on personal struggles, which I know we all have our fair share of them, I challenge you all to be a drop in someone’s life today. A drop creates a ripple effect, how can you be a drop in someone’s life?

• Share kind word
• Send an encouraging text
• Surprise someone with a cup of coffee and spend time catching up with them
• Do something that is going to make someone else smile.
• Pay it forward to someone behind you in the grocery store or the drive thru
• Randomly offer a hug to a stranger who is standing next to you at a crosswalk.
• Stand in the middle of the park and with everything inside you begin singing Amazing Grace.
• Bring someone a flower, card, or favorite candy.
• Surprise someone with a gift card to their favorite store.
• Make weekend plans(and keep them).
• Get together for dinner and bring a surprise dessert or pick up the check!

Because by doing something for someone else it will help you as well! The days when I can send a message out to a friend and it makes them laugh or smile it actually boosts my mood as well! It’s so easy to let depression take over, to feel sorry for ourselves and think everything is out to work against us.
When we take our eyes off of ourselves and focus on loving our neighbor(s) we will receive a bigger blessing than we could ever begin to imagine!

• Who can you bless today?
• Who can you make smile?
• Who can you share a laugh with?
• Who needs a hug?

 

Have a blessed day!

~PCOS Awareness Month Starts Today~

Hey everyone! Hope you all are enjoying this first day of September 🙂 I’m buzzing with excitement because this is the month where we usher in the fall season, consume numerous pumpkin and cinnamon delights, and most importantly talk A LOT about PCOS Awareness!!

I know I’ve gained some new peeps here and you may be wondering what PCOS is…the letters stand for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. It’s a misnomer for a much bigger issue that involves not just the ovaries, it affects the entire body. The actual name of this disorder is Stein-Leventhal Syndrome. It’s an endocrine disorder and there is cure for it. The internet is notorious for giving this false hope that there is a cure, science hasn’t come up with a way to replace or reboot the endocrine system. Until such a time comes, all we can do is treat the symptoms and there are many ways to do so. But first, here’s my story…

I was 18 when I was diagnosed with PCOS and at the time I didn’t really understand what it all meant. The explained what it was, but the shock of such a diagnosis kept me from computing what she was telling me. A couple of years later I decided to look deeper into the symptoms and boy is the list long!

• Hirsutism
• Hair Loss
• Infertility
• Infrequent or Absent Periods
• Obesity
• Acne
• Insulin Resistance(a biggie)
• Skin Tags
• Sleep Apnea

…and the list goes on. Do I have any of the symptoms listed above? You betcha and then some, I didn’t ask for this, it’s not contagious, but it can be hereditary. I’m the only one in the family with this particular syndrome, although my Dad’s side of the family is riddled with reproductive issues so it could very well stem from that. 

The goal for this month is not to overload everyone on the science of PCOS, but rather to encourage everyone to come together and spread the word. If you or someone you know has insulin resistance, suffers from infertility issues, unwanted hair growth in places that most women don’t have it, don’t just pass it off as “well, I’m getting older and my body is just acting weird.” Please make an appointment with your GYN and/or an endocrinologist and get yourself checked out. 1 in 4 women have PCOS, so it’s more common than you’d think.

I am also going to be sharing tasty recipes, do some giveaways, and since this is a brand new month for Jamberry there are a lot of new things to check out!!! If you are curious about what’s new, go visit my store Jonesin’ For Wraps. On the left hand side you will see things such as:

Stylebox(which a fun box you can sign up for monthly and get exclusive items that are not available on the website)

Buy All(if you are a “I gotta have it all” kind of gal, then this option is perfect! You will get all the new wrap designs including the Junior sizes)

TruShine Gel Enamel(this is Jamberry’s brand new product starting this month. You can buy individual gel enamel colors OR you can buy the kit. Jamberry gel enamels do not use UV light, instead they use an LED light which is safer for your nails and hardens the gel enamel in half the time)

and my absolute favorite…

Holiday wraps!!! There is so much to see, ooo and ahh over, start making those wishlists, get the word out to your girlfriends, and hey feel free to ask me any questions!

You can click on any of the links above, Jamberry offers a Buy 3 Get 1 Free for only wraps. This offer excludes the Collegiate, Sorority, Nail Art Studio Custom Made wraps and other Licensed nail wraps. But hey, that’s an awesome deal and great way to get some Christmas shopping done!

Hope you all have a blessed day!!

~5 Faves Friday: A tribute to my Plus Size Cysters~

I think it’s time I reveal one of my new favorites…Hilda the Plus Size Pinup! Let’s face it, society has decreed that being plus size is a crime. In fact the worst crime ever committed. You all can gather that I’m not a small woman, look at my birthday pictures from a year ago(my birthday post). I don’t deny that there is more of me to love, but neither do I like being ridiculed for something that is partially out of my hands to control.
Nope, not making excuses just stating a fact. When you live with an endocrine disorder and a hypothyroid you tend to get the short end of the stick 90% of the time. I have exercised to the point where I;.’ve injured myself more times than I can remember. I do my level best to eat the right foods, to minimize my carb consumption, and stay as active as I possibly can. I know when my body has had enough, and some days it doesn’t take much to slay me.

With all that said…Hilda is an inspiration to me and many of my other plus size gal pals. Certainly there is beauty all around us in all shapes and sizes. It is widely accepted that if you’re a particular size then you are inherently beautiful! However, when a woman is packing on more jelly rolls than what comes in a Little Debbie box, then we must ridicule her until she loses the weight. Hilda breaks the mold and her little sassy hot mess self pretty much makes people stop in their tracks and giggle! Her misadventures are truly epic! She does know how to bring a smile to ones face 😉

1) HILDA

       

My favorite is the one where she is in the hammock and has the fishing line tied to her toe 😀 And even better she’s enjoying a good book, is there anything else better in life?! Nah!!!

2) My Big Fat Fabulous Life star Whitney Thore.

There are many reasons why I love this show, though I would love it more without the language, but here’s a PCOS Cyster doing the very thing the rest of us wish we could do(ok, maybe only part of us…I’m too introverted to be on tv)…spreading the word about PCOS!! And not just on social media and in our own hometowns, but on TV!! Where millions of people tune in and actually learn something about why most women are fat. I will say this, she is definitely more limber than me and her positive outlook is infectious! A lady at my church came over to me and asked if I had watched the show and of course I have. She confessed she actually learned something new and was seeing me in a new way. I give a hearty thanks to Whitney Thore and others who are able to reach out to the masses. Join me and others in the  #NoBodyShameCampaign. This is for all sizes, no one is excluded!

3)Pinterest board, Plus Size Modest.

It’s a personal preference for me to dress modestly. I’m not a fan for wearing things above my ankles, but I do enjoy seeing what’s out there. Below are a few faves from that board…

  

IMHO(In My Humble Opinion), the only thing missing from the second picture is a light cotton cardigan, but this gives you an idea of what I like in the way of fashion. Long and flowing, in fact I’m going to go out on a limb and share a personal picture. This is not easy for me and by sharing this I will be inviting criticism. *drum roll*

It’s not the greatest photo, but I felt the most comfortable the day it was taken. I never dress to impress people, I dress for personal comfort. Fashion has never been a big thing for me. If it’s clean, modest and I can button it, then I’m gonna wear it! Simple. I’m a no fuss kind of gal, if an outfit has too much going on with it then I’m gonna opt for cozy knit pj’s and slippers. Wear what you love and makes you feel comfortable!

4)Be Kind. Always.

I’ve shared this one a couple of times on social media sites.
And it’s so very true! You will never know what someone is
going through until you are going/have gone through it yourself.
This holds true not just for overweight folks, but for those with
incurable diseases, cancers, life struggles, losses,etc. There is
already so much hatred in this world, and it will continue to
get worse unfortunately, but when you body shame someone
you are only making yourself look bad. Making everyone
aware of your own insecurities and intolerance. If you
really want to help someone, just be kind.
Be thoughtful. Be considerate. Be genuine. Be loving.

5)Focus on the Healthy

To be fat and healthy just doesn’t seem to go
together. It is possible to eat right, exercise
daily, do everything that is humanly possible
and never lose all the weight.
To never be the size that society says is acceptable.
AND THAT’S OK!! Look, with PCOS there’s more
to this health issue than just the weight. Yes,
the weight is a big concern, but there are hormones,
insulin, and a bunch of other little nasty issues that
we have to put up with on a daily basis. So there’s
absolutely no reason to push yourself to the point where
you are injured at the end of the day, or where you become
too depressed because you aren’t reaching the impossible
standards. Embrace the healthy life, eat the right kind
of foods for your Nutritional Type(a Dr. Mercola reference)
and do what you can when you can. Give up the overly
processed foods, seriously those aren’t good for anyone.
If you feel led to detox then do it, if you want to cut out
the carbs then do it, if you want to enjoy the healthy fats
then do it…do whatever it takes to be a healthier YOU!
Just don’t shoot yourself for not doing what everyone else
is doing. There are more important things in life than worrying
about a number on a scale. It’s a nice thing to check on
from time to time, but do not let it rule your life!

We all are!
Have a blessed day<3

Supreme Nachos

I didn’t grow up with a mom who went to all the trouble of making game day food for those FSU games. Yeah, growing up here in the south we didn’t watch the Alabama/Auburn games. Seeing that we were from Florida and being in a family that was divided between the Seminoles and Gators, I grew up a Noles fan for the longest time. Now, I’m not a fan of any of it. So we just didn’t do the whole chips and dip, wings, pizza, or oodles of soda and sweet treats thing, could have been because we didn’t have the extra funds to do stuff like that and it really wasn’t that big of a deal. Money went towards putting food on the table for a family of 5, special foodie days were for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Years Eve, and New Years Day. This is why I haven’t really promoted the whole tailgatin’, game day grubbin’, football recipe sharing route. It’s foreign to me, I do see great recipes on other sites and think wow that looks great to take to the next church social or Ladies get together. My mind doesn’t go to the next football game gathering.

Ok, before I sound like a broken record because I’m sure y’all have gotten the idea now….supreme nachos are going to be my contribution to the web 🙂 They’re easy, makes a lot and boy it is a crowd pleaser! I had to make a second pan last night because the fam just devoured the first pan as if they had never had nachos before! lol

My nephew thought I was making a nacho casserole, quite frankly even I wasn’t too sure how it was going to turn out but to his surprise(and well mine too) this turned out even better! When he saw the pan sitting on the stove top his first reaction was “whoa!” Yeah, I like that reaction 🙂

(For 1 pan of nachos)

1 bag of favorite tortilla chips

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 package favorite taco seasoning

1 can black beans, with liquid

1 can corn, drained

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp oregano

1 can refried beans

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 large tomato, chopped

2–3 scallions, chopped or 1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cup 4 cheese mexican cheese blend

lettuce for garnish

sour cream (optional)

guacamole (optional)

salsa (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with release foil.

Spread out your favorite tortilla chips on the pan. If it’s not all a single layer that’s ok. 

Brown the beef with onion and garlic. Drain the fat if you want, add in taco seasoning, black beans, corn, oregano, salt and pepper(if needed). Let simmer to bring together the flavors. While the meat mixture is cooking, chop up scallions, tomato, and lettuce. Set all aside in separate bowls.
In a medium size microwave safe bowl soften cream cheese. Cream with a hand mixer and add in refried beans mixing until cream cheese and beans are complete combined. Set aside.
Now it’s time to built the nachos! Dollop the cream cheese mixture all over the chips. Spread gently if you can, if not don’t worry about it. Spoon the meat mixture on, sprinkle around the tomatoes and scallions. Top with cheese and bake for 15 minutes.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa!

These were insanely good! Everyone said it reminded them of the taco dip that we all love, that’s because of the cream cheese refried beans mixture. This recipe is definitely tried, true, and oh so tasty! Make it today for your game day buddies or serve it up for your family during the week. Leftovers? Well, let me know if you have any because I will guarantee you there won’t be any 😉

Don’t forget to get to check out the Wrapping for PCOS fundraising party on Facebook! Kim and I are itching to do some giveaways 😀 And Jamberry still has their buy 3 get 1 free offer going on, with so many wraps to choose from you’ll definitely want to take advantage of that!

Have a great day!!

Wrapping for PCOS: New Teal Wrap for Teal Tuesday!!

Afternoon everyone! Today is Teal Tuesday, do you got some teal on? Don’t have anything in teal to wear? You’re in luck! Jamberry has released a new teal nail wrap with white polka dots, it’s so cute! Kim and I are both in love with the boysenberry wraps that pair so beautifully with the teal 🙂 Wanna see?

 

Aren’t those just gorgeous?! I even found a wrap that has a jogger on it for those who like to jog/run. But the fun doesn’t stop there 🙂 If you want to add a little bling to your nails there’s an icy boysenberry wrap.

Pair that with solid teal nails and it will certainly pop! Of course if you want less bling but still want to have that “wow” effect there is even a boysenberry chevron pattern that is fun for all ages!

These wraps are so versatile and pretty! You can buy 3 and get 1 free, share them with friends, family, co-workers…Cysters, have a wrapping party with your girlfriends. Get together on a weekend, bring your wraps, cuticle pushers, and don’t forget the snacks 🙂 There’s no drying time with these wraps, so in 10 minutes you’re going to have a professional looking mani/pedi and the rest of the night can be all fun and games!!

Since this Jamberry party is to help raise funds for the PCOS Foundation, when checking out please remember to pick “Wrapping for PCOS” during checkout. This way, a portion of the sale will go to the cause and help the PCOS Foundation reach more women and their families.

We need your help to spread the word about PCOS, how it affects the female body, the dangers it poses(increasing the risk for ovarian and breast cancer) and the importance for support. Often times we Cysters feel alone, even when we have the support of our family members and friends, we will have days where it feels like no one understands, that’s where reaching out to other PCOS women comes in, talking with cysters around the globe can sometimes make all the difference. I’ve had friends tell me how strong I am, but honestly there are stronger women out there that I’ve had the privilege in meeting through such online support groups. Women who are worse off health wise and can’t seem to catch a break with their symptoms. Those are the women I look up to, that I see as PCOS Warriors. They never give up even though every inch of them is screaming at them to throw in the towel.

Kim Lukowitz Birdsell and I thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for joining us this month in raising awareness and making a difference in millions of lives.

Be sure to visit the online party, (click HERE) today Kim has an all day game going on you don’t want to miss out on. She’s itching to give away some wraps, so be sure to get on over there, share your favorite color/style wrap for a chance to win that wrap!

(Please note Jamberry only sells and ships to the US and Canada. But I will be doing giveaways shortly which will include all my readers and followers from all over the world. Don’t miss out on that, more updates to come!)

Got Teal?