Lactation Cookies for Nursing Mamas: Help Increase Your Milk Supply While Breastfeeding with this COOKIE recipe!

If I'm going to be honest, I never thought I'd be so devoted to something like this... but I'm pretty passionate about nursing Delainey. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally on board with the "fed is best" movement - but for our family I believe breast is best (at least for now)! If you're a nursing mama, you know some days your baby cluster feeds enough that you feel you've run dry... while it's impossible to run out of milk if you're allowing your little one to nurse on demand, it is possible for you to do things to "up" your supply and hopefully help your milk become more established.

You can try all kinds of products, teas, tinctures, old wives tales, and more, but here's a little secret - you can eat cookies to help your supply! I've been experimenting with all kinds of items that are supposed to help and I stand behind this cookie recipe, I've noticed my supply seems to increase when I eat these... especially when I have a few a day!

That's right, I'm giving you a reason to eat a few cookies - every single day. That means you have the right to add cookies to your diet (in the plural form) whenever you want and the best part is that they will help you produce milk for your baby! What more could a new mama ask for? It's a bit like heaven, really - especially once you taste these little bits of gluten-free goodness.

Side Note: You can eat these "lactation" cookies whether you are breastfeeding a child or not, they are full of delicious and healthy ingredients for everyone... but these are especially beneficial if you're trying to up your milk supply!

For this recipe you will need:


Ingredients
1 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons flax seed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups gluten-free flour blend
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast (found at the health food store or amazon)
3 cup rolled oats
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3 tbsp chopped almonds


Directions

Start out by preheating the oven to 375. Now mix the flour, baking soda, brewer’s yeast and oats in a bowl and set aside while you cream together the butter and sugars. 

Now add the eggs, vanilla and flax to the butter and sugar mixture. Combining the ingredients thoroughly.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the chocolate chips and the dried cranberries.   

Now drop cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees F. for 10 minutes.

Let these yummy little pockets of goodness cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes and then move to a cooling rack. 

Enjoy & Nurse, nurse, nurse!

7 Tips For Living a Healthy Lifestyle with a Baby!

Leading a healthy life with a newborn can be difficult at times. I've heard all kinds of tips like "sleep while they are sleeping", "you can eat anything while breastfeeding and you won't gain", "you can't go out of the house until your baby is 6 weeks old", etc. While I'm certain every bit of advice has come with good intentions, I've come to realize living a healthy life with a newborn is kind of a "winging it" thing and you do what works for you.

Since I've kind of made my own healthy living plan with Delainey, I thought I'd share what works for both of us. I think it's great that I have so many people in my life willing to help me find our way in the world, so here's my two cents on how you can live a healthy life with a baby in tow.

1. Go with the less is more approach - We went overboard buying gadgets and dohickeys to make sure our daughter would be content... Now that she's here, I've come to realize she really didn't need nearly as much as we have for her. With two swings, a bassinet, a Rock & Play, a Pack & Play, and more, I feel like we could open an orphanage and still have space left for little one's to relax. I'm super happy we had enough to provide all these amazing things for her to choose to chill in, but I know with our next baby (yes, there may be another - at some point) we will be more of minimalist. If you're currently expecting, take a look at your registry and make sure you really need/want everything on there!

2. Learn to snack healthier - It's easy to get carried away when you finally have your appetite back, especially when you are nursing a newborn and it feels like they are taking all of your nutrition the second it hits your body... I'll be the first to admit I eat "lactation cookies" like they are going out of style. But I've also found ways to eat healthier versions of my favorite foods. Outshine Simply Yogurt bars and Outshine Fruit bars have become my daily ice cream fix. Whether I'm enjoying Outshine Fro-Yo bar first thing in the AM while reading a book and watching Lainey on her monitor or I'm having a Fruit bar as a midnight snack, I know I don't have to stress about counting calories... plus, they just taste better than other popsicles (so that's a total WIN)! Want to try the Outshine goodness for yourself and #SnackBrighter? You can find a location nearby you that carries the deliciousness here!

3. Increase your activity level slowly - Take it easy, let yourself get back into the swing of things at your own pace. While it's tempting to jump back into working out, you need to take it easy, as your doctor probably advised you. It's nice to go for a short walk with a newborn to get a little fresh air but be sure to listen to your body (and your intuition) and don't over do it!

4. Find sleeping arrangements that work for you - While co-sleeping isn't recommended, it's what has worked for us so far. I don't plan on always snuggling up with her in our bed and I often place her in her bassinet whenever she's napping or I'm pumping, etc. but sometimes she just needs to be held. It's easier while we are doing middle of the night nursing and I know we both cherish the skin-to-skin time as well. This tip is a sensitive topic but I know it's what is working for our family so I thought I'd share with you.

5. Be sure to take a moment and relax - Whether you're enjoying an Outshine Simply Yogurt bar on your back porch while watching your little one relax on the baby monitor... or you need to take a long hot shower, be sure to take some time for yourself. As a new mom, I didn't realize I was skipping showers until I finally got around to taking one after a few days of being sticky and smelly. It's like your whole world gets wrapped up in baby and while it's an amazing thing to experience, you need to be sure you are taking care of yourself first. Treat yourself, allow yourself a moment to breath deeply, and be sure to make sure you are clean - a shower may seem so insignificant, but sometimes it's just what I need to mellow out and be the best mama for Delainey I can be!

6. Invest in a new "mama friendly" wardrobe - If you are nursing, you'll want to buy yourself some nice nursing bras, a nursing tank top (or two), and of course, clothing that makes your breasts easily accessible. If you are hoping to achieve your pre-baby body in no time, I highly suggest looking into waist cinching undergarments as well. I know ot's easy to feel defeated when you try on your pre-baby clothing just after delivery, but give yourself time... it took you 9 months to put on the "baby weight", I suggest allowing yourself about half that time (if not longer) to lose it! In the mean time, buy yourself some waist cinching panties and a few new items of clothes that don't hug you as tightly and embrace the new curves!

7. Follow your intuition - If something doesn't feel right, then don't let it happen. Whether you aren't sure about your baby's new pediatrician and the way they manage their practice or you just know something isn't healing right during your recovery, don't be afraid to speak up. I haven't had either of these issues but I know it's good to listen to what my mama instinct is telling me. If your in-laws are sick and insist on coming over, remind them that you and your newborn are more vulnerable and that they need to stay away until you both have less weak immune systems.You have the power to make decisions so be sure to use that power and tell others that something is making you uncomfortable,


So tell me, are you a new mama too... or have you done this whole parenting thing before? I'd love to hear any advice you have to share on how to lead a healthy life with a newborn, leave me a comment telling me below!

Summertime Starbucks: DIY Thank You Card Upcycled K Cup Project + Coffee, Chai Tea, or Iced Tea?

Thanks to Starbucks for sending over these awesome K-cups and other beautiful items to include in my post today and a big thanks for offering a great affiliate program that I've linked below, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

Summer & Starbucks go together hand-in-hand, in my mind... Well Starbucks goes with every season and that's why I'm such a big fan. With so many amazing flavors and such a versatile line up of coffees and teas, I'm a bit of a Starbucks junkie... so I'm having to limit my intake while carrying Delainey and I can't wait to get back into my multi-cup routine soon.

While I'm not drinking more than a cup a day currently, I was more than overjoyed to dish out some coffee, chai tea, and iced tea goodness at my latest little get-together with our buddies so we could sample all of the delicious flavors Starbucks sent me to try out this summer.

I sipped on a glass of the Tazo Chai Vanilla Caramel Latte while I made a cup of Creme Brulee flavored coffee for my hubs, my friends each wanted to try something new so I served up a glass of the Tazo Iced Peachy Black tea and another Tazo Chai Vanilla Caramel Latte for each of them... paired with some delicious vegan, oatmeal cookies! We were all so impressed with the "homemade" beverages, I think I've officially earned the title of "Barista" at this point... Lucky for me, making delicious Starbucks coffee and tea at home is as easy as pressing a button.

While making the coffee is super easy and enjoyable, the same could be said about having great friends. Our buddies blessed us with so much adorable stuff for Delainey recently, I had to make something for them in return. I couldn't think of a thing they needed so I decided making them a little thank you card with a personal touch was the best way to thank them, with a little gift card attached to the back - I'm sure they will be more than happy with their little surprise.

Do you want to tell some one "Thanks a latte" for something amazing they've done for you recently? It's as easy as making a k-cup to make this adorable little card!

For this project you'll need:

a Starbucks Keurig Coffee or Tea box
a used K-cup (rinsed and cleaned)
a hot glue gun with glue
3-4 cotton balls

scissors
a black marker or pen

First things first, to get this project started go ahead and plug in your glue gun and warm it up.

Now go ahead and cut out the Starbucks logo from the Keurig box, being sure to leave the outer side without perforation untouched.

Your next step is to hot glue the Starbucks logo to the side of the K-cup.

Following that, quickly use the top of the K-cup to measure and cut out a circle piece of cardboard from one of the side pieces of "scrap" of the Keurig box, be sure to cut it large enough to cover the entire top of the K-cup. Glue this piece to the top once it's trimmed to fit.

Next you'll want to let the glue on these pieces dry and write a cute thank you message on the untouched, un-perforated side of the box. I wrote "Thanks a latte" but you could go with something like "Words cannot espresso my thanks" or whatever punny coffee line you want!

Once your message is written, go ahead and unravel the cotton balls. The brand I bought comes apart fairly easily so they became long strands within seconds. You'll want to have enough to "swirl" on the top of your cup to mimic whipped cream. My suggestion is to start forming it before gluing to insure you get the look you want with minimal effort. Now use your glue gun and glue the cotton balls/whipped cream to the top of the cardboard covered K-cup opening.

Take a quick second and add a few dots of glue to the back of the K-cup/Starbucks mini-cup, pressing it onto the piece of cardboard that has the thank you message written.

Now hand one of these bad boys out to every Starbucks loving friend you need to thank and they may just be thanking you for the adorable card showing your gratitude!

Plus, don't miss your chance to save some money... Click here & save Up to 30% on New Summer Markdowns at Starbucks.com! 

Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Muffins with Vanilla Iced Coffee Glaze!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of International Delight. The opinions and text are all mine.

During my pregnancy I've had all kinds of crazy cravings, from bacon and peanut butter donuts, to cheap noodles prepared with milk and hot sauce, to cheeseburgers for my first meal of the day... Our kitchen has produced some interesting dishes at odd times lately. Although I haven't had the stereotypical craving for pickles and ice cream, yet.

While my cravings have been a bit all over the place, this week things seem to have settled down a bit... I've been craving basic breakfast foods. I'm more than overjoyed to bite into a delicious cinnamon roll and sip on a glass of iced coffee. 

 
I'd be surprised if you don't agree, there's just something so special about a tasty pastry in the early AM - especially when it's homemade!

If you're a fellow breakfast time sweet treat lover you'll love these cinnamon roll muffins. They are the perfect mixture of cinnamon and sugar, sure to make your mouth water and combined with a Vanilla Iced Coffee infused glaze and served with a nice big ol' glass of International Delight Vanilla, Caramel Macchiato, or Mocha Iced Coffee, they are stellar!

Whether you're just wanting to treat yourself or you want to share something delicious with a few other people, I highly suggest you get in the kitchen in whip up a batch of these cinnamon roll muffins today... and don't forget to serve them with your favorite ID Iced Coffee!

For this recipe you will need:

Cinnamon Filling:
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening, melted and cooled
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Muffins:
2 cups gluten-free flour mix
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (unless your mix already includes xanthum gum)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup buttermilk

Sweet Icing Glaze:
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon Vanilla International Delight Iced Coffee
1 teaspoon milk
crystallized sugar sprinkles (optional)

Directions

You'll want to begin preperation for this recipe by preheating your oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin, and set it aside.

Next you'll want to lace mix the filling ingredients in a small bowl and combine well. Set aside until needed.

Now you'll make the muffin mix. In a medium-size bowl, mix your flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine well. Set the dry ingredients aside.

In a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat your softened butter on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the sugar, then the eggs, then the vanilla, and beat on medium speed until mixed well.

Now slowly add in the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk - I did this in three parts. (Note: The batter will be thick, but also fluffy - resembling pizza dough somewhat.)
 

This part is where your hands may get a little messy, place half of the muffin batter in the lined muffin tin, then add in a small bit of the filling. Swirl the filling around gently in the batter with a skewer, a toothpick, or the tongs of a fork. Now add more muffin batter and then top with the remaining filling and swirl again. Pat the top of each muffin until they are fairly flat.
 
Bake in the preheated oven for 17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow to cool.

While the cupcakes are cooling, it's time to make the sweet icing glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and 1 teaspoon of the Iced Coffee, mix to combine well. Now slowly add more milk by the 1/4 teaspoon measurement and mix well until you have a thick, but slowly pourable, glaze.

Here's the most delicious part, pour a bit of glaze over each cooled muffin, and topped with crystallized sugar sprinkles if you would like!

Enjoy!

Get ready to share this recipe with all of your friends, it's bound to be a hit! Plus, you'll probably be asked where you acquired your barista skills with the delicious International Delight Iced Coffee blends being paired with your delicious treats... the best part is, those are the easiest part of breakfast to serve! Just pour and enjoy!

So tell me, what breakfast foods do you enjoy the most? Are you the type to indulge in brunch as well? Do you like breakfast for dinner? I can't wait to hear all about your love for breakfast foods in the comments below... and if you love International Delight as much as I do, be sure to sign up for their newsletter here!

Treat Yourself to a Summertime Fruit Pizza Fresh From Florida!

This post was sponsored by Fresh From Florida as part of Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

I talk about this often, but living in Florida certainly has its benefits and as I recently discussed, the fresh produce is one of many reasons I love where I live. We always have the best farmers markets and the produce from the store tastes like it was brought straight to my home by the farmer.

I'll be honest and share, this summer I've been indulging a bit in some delicious pregnancy cravings! I still hate pickles so I won't be sharing any funky pickles and ice cream recipe... and I guess you could say I'm kind of lucky because my cravings mainly involve fresh fruit. It's nice to be able to indulge myself without having to worry about calories or sugar content and because it tastes so refreshing with each and every bite! The best part is it's all grown locally... From watermelon to blueberries, I love that I'm able to snack on some of my favorite fruits while also giving back to this gorgeous state I live in.

If you love Florida and fruit as much as I do, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to try out the recipe I'm sharing today! With just the right amount of sweetness topped with a surprising twist of mint oil and a balsamic vinaigrette reduction, this fruit inspired "pizza" is the most refreshing treat ever! The best part about this super delicious treat... it's actually pretty easy to whip together!

What do you need to make this simple fruit pizza? A Fresh from Florida watermelon with a handful of Fresh from Florida blueberries I added to the recipe just for kicks, as well as deliciously fresh feta cheese, mint, parsley, olive oil, sea salt, balsamic vinaigrette, and Florida Cane Sugar!

You can get the full recipe here but be warned, it's addicting and you'll absolutely be asked to make it again if you plan to share it with anyone else.

So if you're hosting a barbecue soon or maybe even planning a fun little get-together, this simple "fruit pizza" is the best way to keep your guests and yourself happy and feeling refreshed whenever snack time rolls around!

Have you ever made a fruit pizza? Tell me all about your experience but keep in mind, this healthy & simple treat is one you should definitely pin and try later! Plus, ALL of the delicious recipes from the Fresh From Florida website are worth checking out!

Host the Perfect Brunch & a Simple Breakfast Potato Bowl Recipe!

We've been blessed with warmer temperatures and sunny weather almost everyday in Florida as of late, so it's pretty safe to say I've got brunch on my mind. It probably comes as no surprise that I took the time to host an adorable and delicious brunch recently and I'll tell you right now, the items I served did not disappoint!

From delicious delights like donuts and fresh fruit to mason jars full of Milo's Cafe Style Tea, my brunch guests were treated like royalty and I wouldn't have it any other way!

If you're thinking about hosting a brunch soon, I don't mean to toot my own horn but this spread is the perfect way to impress your guests and serve up something that everyone will love.

So what do you need to make your brunch as spectacular as this? It's actually pretty easy to prep for a party like this.

I grabbed a fruit tray, the ingredients for my delicious breakfast potato bowls, fresh flowers, and Milo's Cafe Style Sweet Tea and Green Citrus Tea at Walmart!

Wondering where you can snag this new, fresh-brewed tea in your store? You'll find bottles of this super affordable, organic tea in the refrigerated juice & dairy section, because of it being all-natural it must stay chilled! It actually comes in light versions too, for those of you watching your figure! The light versions are made with the perfect blend of organic cane sugar and stevia, to give you the same great taste without all the calories!

While I was on my way home, I also grabbed a few donuts and pastries at a local shop to add to the spread... because you can't host a brunch without having some super sweet goodness on the table!

Once I was home, I set the table with bright springy colors, added the flowers into a pitcher, filled a drink bucket with ice for the tea, filled each mason jar with the home-made tasting Milo's Cafe Style Sweet Tea & Citrus Green Tea and got everything else together for the brunch-tastic occasion!

As I mentioned above, I made some delicious breakfast potato bowls to serve during brunch... and boy, were they a hit! You can find my recipe below and beware, paired with Milo's Cafe Style tea, you are in for one of the most delicious brunch meals of your life!

Breakfast Potato Bowls

Ingredients:
8 medium russet potatoes

1/4 cup chopped sweet pepper
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tbsp olive oil
6 eggs
1 tbsp milk
6 slices of bacon, cooked thoroughly and chopped somewhat finely
1/2 cup cheddar jack cheese
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper


You'll begin making these beauties by preheating the oven to 475 degrees.

Next you'll want to microwave all of the potatoes for approximately 9 minutes, then flip them and microwave for about 7 more minutes. Take the potatoes out of the microwave and let cool.

While you're waiting for the potatoes to chill, saute the chopped sweet pepper in a medium sized skillet. Once the peppers have softened some, add in the chopped onion and olive oil and allow the mixture to simmer until the onions are becoming clearish.

The next step in the recipe is to beat all of the eggs and the milk together. You'll want to add in the bacon and then pour the mixture into the pepper and onion scramble.

Now that the potatoes are likely cooler, cut each one in half and scoop out most of the inside, setting it aside in a large mixing bowl.

In the mixing bowl, add in the cheddar jack cheese and whipping cream, stirring vigorously. Pop this mixture in the microwave for just about 20 seconds or so and continue onto the next step.

Put skins face down on the pan and lightly add olive oil to each one.

Now in a small dish combine the garlic, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper and dust this mixture over the lightly oiled potato skins and bake approximately 8 minutes or so.

Take these beauties out of the oven and we're almost done!

To complete the recipe, add some of the potato mixture you removed and made earlier, top this with the egg scramble mixture and sprinkle with a nice amount of cheese over the top.

Place these back into the oven for around 4 minutes and serve!

Now that I've shared my brunch and all the deliciousness that went along with it, I'd love to know what you enjoy most while you're brunching? How will you celebrate summer with a glass of Milo's Cafe Style Tea in your hand? Leave a comment below and tell me all about it!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Milo’s Tea, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #TastetheMilosDifference  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV