Antioxidant Rich Raw Chocolate Smoothie

Since my other smoothie recipe was such a big hit, I decided to share another one with you guys! I actually came up with this recipe before the Energizing Lemon Blueberry Smoothie recipe, but didn't think about sharing it until now!

I try to pack as many servings of fruit, veggies, vitamins and antioxidants as possible into each smoothie I make. It is a ridiculously easy way to get all of the nutrients you need without having to think about it too much. Plus, if you consume the smoothie in the morning, it is an excellent jump start to your day! I can really tell the difference in my day to day depending on if I had time to make and enjoy a smoothie before my day starts.

One of my favorite smoothie combos are blueberries and chocolate.

For this specific recipe, I went with mixed berries 

and Boku Superfood Super Cacao Nibs.

Blueberries are high in antioxidants and they taste friggin' delicious!

SO delicious in fact, that when I spilled my pint of fresh organic blueberries last week, I simply rinsed off the dog hair and debris, and happily munched out on them anyway.. 

(The five second rule quickly turned into a 5 minute rule when I had to fight off three dogs to capture my precious berries... They love fruits and veggies!)

Blueberries are also known to improve memory function and reduce the effects of aging!

Raw Cacao Nibs are amazing! They are yummy straight out of the bag, on yogurt, in salad, or anything your beautiful brain can think up.

Like blueberries, cacao is FULL of antioxidants! But what Cacao is most know for their flavonoid content. (Also found in berries, as well as tea and grapes!!) Studies suggest flavonoids may help prevent things like cancer and Alzheimer's.

I hope you learned a couple things, and are inspired to make some healthy decisions today!

Smoothies are so much fun, as you can really vary the recipe any way you want!

Feel free to use some honey for added sweetness.

I also drizzled organic chocolate syrup around the inside of my jar.

Kicking Horse Coffee Company Review and Giveaway

 About Kicking Horse 

"What are you two schmucks going to do with your lives? Sell coffee from your garage?" once said Elana Rosenfeld's mother.

And so in 1996 Leo Johnson and Elana Rosenfeld did precisely that! In the Rocky Mountain town of Invermere, B.C., Canada, they began roasting coffee in their skivvies when it was hot out, balancing babies and experimenting with different products.

In 2003 Kicking Horse Coffee made the conscious decision to discontinue all conventional coffee and focuses efforts only purchasing and roasting 100% Certified Organic coffee beans.

By 2007, despite increasing pressure to source more green beans, Kicking Horse Coffee commits to discontinue the purchase of all non-Fair Trade coffee and develops our current 100% Certified Organic, Certified Fair Trade only, 21 blend product offering.

My Thoughts 

Kicking Horse Coffee sent me their Kick Ass variety of whole bean coffee. In fact, most of their coffee comes whole bean, which I love. Nothing better than freshly ground coffee to start off my mornings! If given the choice, I most likely would have chosen the Smart Ass to try, but the Kick Ass is definitely my next choice (they are both dark roasts.) It is sweet, smoky, and audacious. It is made from a great mix of Indonesian and Central American beans that is guaranteed to kick some sense into you. I love the can and the little donkey on the front. I cannot wait to reuse this for something else. The coffee itself was bold and delicious! I loved it by itself, never adding any milk or sweeteners. The Kick Ass coffee is definitely one of my new favorite coffees, and I cannot wait to try the other flavors Kicking Horse Coffee has to offer.I love that their coffees are organic AND fair trade. Those are two really important factors when it comes to choosing the perfect coffee beans.

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Disclosure: I received the above item in return for an honest, sincere review. I was not expected to leave a positive review, and would never post something I didn't feel fully confident in. No monetary compensation was provided. The above opinion is the sole opinion of me and my family, and may differ from your own. I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.  
 

Did I Ever Mention I Own Hens?!! And that I tend to spoil them silly?

 I have always had a fascination with chickens. Since moving to the country, it has been on my list to get a small flock going. In February I brought home 6 little Black Sex Link chicks. (They are called "sex link" due to the fact that you can determine what gender they are by the way they are colored. The females are all black, while the males will have white on their heads. Making this an easy breed to distinguish right away. I did not want any accidental roosters.) The next day, I went back to the feed store and you guessed it, came home with another armful of chicks. 4 adorable Golden Sex Links this time. 

So I went from dreaming of owning hens despite not really knowing much about them, to trying to cram as much chicken info into my brain (and chicken board, Homestead | Chickens on my Pinterest account) as possible while tending to 10 fussy little chicks. I don't advise doing that at all! I think it would have been best to learn and prepare more before taking some babies under my wing, but I am in love with all of my hens and wouldn't change a thing!

I treat my chickens like I do any of my other pets. They are absolutely spoiled! They are often getting fresh fruit and veggies, and sometimes they even get a cooked meal! It should come as no surprise that I like keeping a good supply of chicken treats on hand as well. When Treats for Chickens offered to send me a variety of their chicken treats, I was thrilled! They make all sorts of awesome organic chicken treats, sure to drive wild even the pickiest of fowl.

Chicken Crack: I love the name! (Actually, I love the names of all their products) They treats are perfectly named! My hens are definitely addicted to Chicken Crack, and have started recognizing the bag. Chicken Crack is a combination of certified organic grains, seeds, dried meal worms and dried river shrimp. My hens go wild for it!

I have one hen who particularly loves the Chicken Crack. She has a condition known as Scissor Beak, or Crossed Beak. It is when the top and bottom beaks do not align properly. It can be caused by injury, genetics, or when the chickens do not have access to rocks or a similar surface to file their beaks on. I think hers is genetic, as I started noticing it when she was tiny. It doesn't seem to hinder her in anyway, especially if I keep it trimmed down and filed for her. She is actually one of my larger hens, and one of the best eaters in the flock! She is affectionately known as Miss Scissors, and is known for her addiction to Chicken Crack! She is so persistent about getting into the bag that she will follow me around, crow at me, fly up at me, and sit on my feet until she gets what she wants! I let her eat of the bag since it is easier for her to use her bottom beak as a scoop.

Pullet Together: Another perfectly named product! A pullet is a young hen, less than one year old. My hens are pullets, as they are all about 8 months old. Pullet Together is made with wheat, barley, oats, cracked corn, oyster shell, sunflower seeds, and dried meal worms. You can see Lola giving me the evil eye wile trying to snap some pics. It is now her favorite! I can't even scatter it onto the ground without her attempting to get into the bag.

Nesting Box Blend: This is a humane, non-toxic, and eco friendly way to ward off all of the creepy crawlies and bugs that bug your chickens! You just add it during regular cleanings to keep your chickens calm and free of mites, lice, etc. It also helps to keep the hens calm while laying eggs. I bet it even helps prevent mice since it contains peppermint and some other herbs know to be avoided by mice. What's even more awesome is that you can add it right in with your diatomaceous earth. Right now my hens have been laying in the yard, but we are building them a larger coop and will be adding some top notch nesting boxes! (aka milk crates with hand sewn curtains) So I am saving this until then. I cannot wait to try it out. The blend itself looks and smells awesome, and contains several things I don't currently grow in my garden. It is an organic blend of lavender, chamomile, peppermint, wormwood, tansy, Eucalyptus leaves, Calendula (marigold!), catnip and spearmint! If you'd like to learn more about nesting box blends, visit The Nesting Box on the Treats for Chickens website.

Treats for Chickens also sent me several little packets of samples! I will definitely be purchasing some of these in full-size, as my gals are really digging some of them! 

I love watching them scratch around in the dirt looking for worms and their new treats! They are so cute!! Now that they are fat and full, they are nestling into some nice cool earth, flapping dirt into their feathers. It is time for me to fill up my coffee, and sit back and relax!

Do you have chickens at home?

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Disclosure: I received the above item/s in return for an honest, sincere review. I was not expected to leave a positive review, and would never post something I didn't feel fully confident in. No monetary compensation was provided. The above opinion is the sole opinion of me and my family, and may differ from your own. I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255. 

Coffee of the Day- One Village Coffee

One Village Coffee is a regional coffee roasting company that supports non-profit organizations around the world. Their goal is to become a coffee roasting company with the reputation of roasting premium, specialty coffee that is fairly traded and affordable to the consumer. They provide premium, specialty coffee by roasting each blend/origin uniquely and frequently in small batches, having inventory in a just-in-time manner in order to provide the freshest coffee to the consumer.

One Village Coffee seeks to see change within the communities that they support through their "Coffee with a Cause" campaign where non-profit organizations will receive 10% of the revenue of designated coffee blends. They wish to help alleviate poverty in these regions through raising awareness and helping to fund national health campaign in Honduras, microfinance initiatives in Indonesia, educational programs in the garbage dumps of Cairo, Egypt, and clean water projects in the Keiyo Valley of Kenya.

Read more about One Village on B Corp.

Working with fair trade the Artist Blend has generated $3,656 for bee hive training and building of hives for the community of Marcala Honduras where One Village sources much of their coffee from the COMSA Coffee Co-op of 1000 farmers! I love when a company really gives back!

I was sent two different types of coffee from One Village Coffee: the Artist Blend and the French Roast. I am in love with coffee, and had super high hopes for these beans! They totally met my expectations, and I have really been enjoying the pleasant flavors of their coffee.

 I like the packaging. The graphics are nice, the label is clear and helpful, and the package itself keeps the beans fresh and dry.

The Artist Blend is my favorite, as it seems to be with many other people. The Artist Blend just so happens to be One Village Coffee's most popular blend. It is a medium/dark roast with a touch of earthiness followed by a light hint of fruit. Artist Blend is a robust coffee that combines the best of two worlds. Dark smoky and earthy flavors are met by lighter fruited flavors and creamy finish. 

I am a fan of French Roasts and other dark roasts in general, but this one takes the cake. It is damn near perfect. If anything, I need a better machine to really bring out the flavors in this coffee. I love the smokiness and the subtle inclinations of cocoa and lingering vanilla. This coffee has been a great pick me up as well as perfect for my first of the morning brew. It is roasted in the fine tradition of French Style coffee. Sipping on it as we speak, this dark and glistening coffee fills my mouth with dark cocoa, smoky notes and a black peppercorn like finish. If you like your coffees roasty this one is for you.

It was definitely fresh! No worries about that. And I did indeed tap the bottom of the bag when I was near the end of the bag. I like to grind my coffee fresh, in smaller increments. It really seems to help preserve the flavor for as long as possible.

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 Disclosure: I received the above item in return for an honest, sincere review. I was not expected to leave a positive review, and would never post something I didn't feel fully confident in. No monetary compensation was provided. The above opinion is the sole opinion of me and my family, and may differ from your own. I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.   

What I Have Been Putting on my Skin Lately!- Acure Organics

Like most women, I love pampering myself. What I don't love is putting chemicals on my skin and paying for products that are bad for the environment. I don't care to have intense artificial scents and random color additives just to make the product appear more desirable. I feel like I have been searching for the perfect company forEVER, as they are really hard to come by! Unfortunately, I must have been living under a rock, because I just recently heard of Acure. I really wish I had heard of them sooner!

If you are not familiar with Acure, they are a family owned and operated company founded on sustainable principles to provide the highest quality fair trade, natural, and certified organic personal care products. All of their products are free from animal testing, parabens, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic fragrances, harmful preservatives and artificial colors.

They were ever so kind enough to send me a great selection of goodies for me to try out. I can confidently say that I enjoy all of them!

I was sent Lip Lush in Birthday Suit, Sensitive Facial Cleanser, Argan Cell Stimulating Body Wash, Lavender Echinacea Stem Cell Calming Body Lotion, along with their Moroccan Argan oil + Argan Stem Cell shampoo and conditioner.

The first product I tried was the Lip Lush. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and try it out! I love lip gloss, even though I normally just wear lip balm. I was so stoked that it actually lived up to my expectations. Not only is hard enough to find an organic lip gloss in the first place, it is uber hard to find a good quality one at a great price! The Lip Lush in Birthday Suit was just the perfect color! Or barely any color at all to be exact, which is what I was hoping for. I tend to wear a more natural look for my day to day makeup routine. 

I love how it glides on effortlessly, is not slippery, and did not get sticky or clumpy after wearing it for awhile. It had a subtle shimmer. Perfect for a day at work, lunch date, or worn over a lipstick for a evening look! 

Then I tried the Argan Cell Stimulating Body Wash. The smell is quite unique. Hard to place, almost like it has a hint of almonds! I really liked how it moisturized as it cleansed my skin. I only had to add a little bit to my sponge, as it seems to lather really well. Argan stem cells are added to help stimulate healthy healing and regeneration, while CoQ10 assists with vascular support. The pumpkin seed oil contains essential fatty acids, minerals and antioxidants and the sea buckthorn oil hydrates the skin! So many great things about this body wash. Not your cup of tea?! Acure offers a few other body washes to choose from, although I do highly recommend that you try this one.

Since I was already in the shower, the most obvious choice was to try the Moroccan Argan Oil and Argan Stem Cell shampoo and conditioner. They contain Argan Oil + Argan stem cells, CoQ10, Pumpkin seed oil (for mega shine) and organic Seabuckthorn Oil (which is super high in Omega 7). The Argan Stem Cell Shampoo was excellent to use. I didn't have to use a ton, despite having thick, long hair. The scent was great! And it left my hair feeling squeaky clean. It provided my hair with much needed moisture, even without the accompaniment of the conditioner. It left my hair shiny. I do tend to have thick, tangly hair so conditioner is a must. The Argan Stem Cell Conditioner was the perfect addition to the previous shampooing. I love how soft and manageable my hair was after using this conditioner for even the first time! This really is the perfect combo as they help lock in moisture, leave your hair shiny, soft and manageable, repair damage, and strengthen follicles. What more could you ask for?! 

(In case you are asking for more,

they have several other great hair care products as well! )

I don't know about you, but I like to take shortcuts. I am not lazy, persay, just careful about how I spend my time. What I am getting at is, I like to wash my face and brush my teeth in the shower on top of the normal shower things. I find it easier to have the shower rinse the cleanser away rather than cupping water in my hands over and over. THE MONOTANY! :p

So after my main shower routine, I busted out the Acure Sensitive Facial Cleanser with Argan Oil and probiotics. I have really sensitive skin, especially on my face, so it is really important for me to find a cleanser that works. I am happy to say that my skin actually accepted this product! No horrible flaking, itching skin! I just feel clean after using it, not all tight in the face like I normally do after washing it. Not only did this stuff work, it was relaxing and left my face feeling fresh and hydrated! Woo! Now that makes me happy :)

Find more Acure face care products here.

After getting out of the shower, I always suffer from extremely dry skin. I am talking EXTREMELY dry. They literally sometimes look all powdery, especially if I shave my legs. The Acure Calming Body Lotion formula is like a dream come true when used after I get out of the shower. I love lathering it on while my skin still feels a bit damp, to lock in extra moisture. This blend incorporates Echinacea Stem Cells to maximize production of stress fighting and immunity boosting agents while also helping to smooth and revitalize the skin. The lovely lavender works to soothe and contributes to a state of relaxation. I love the scent (whch seems to linger for a good while) and I really enjoy the way it makes my skin feel. 

If lavender isn't your cup of tea (what is wrong with you?!) then check out the other awesome lotions they carry!  

  

I really cannot get enough of Acure! I am really digging all of the products I just mentioned, and look forward to trying their other things out in the future.  I love using products that benefit my skin and hair, while knowing that the production of them isn't making the world a worse place.

Acure cares about the environment (almost) as much as I do! 

They started a program to plant trees, and have since planted over 20,000! That is pretty awesome. They are proud supporters of the Farmland Trust (which works to convert conventional farm land into certified organic farms!!) 

Acure even sponsors small organic farmers in Panama and and Costa Rica.

Their office and manufacturing facility is as green as can be! Using 100% solar and wind powered with Green-e certified renewable energy!!

Acure's products are 100% biodegradable. Meaning they will safely break down so that they won't pollute waterways after going down the drain. (Have you even thought about what happens to all of the products you flush down the drain each day?! Not to mention what is now in our drinking water..)

Even their packaging is eco-friendly! 

Check out the amazing sale they are having!

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Disclosure: I received the above item/s in return for an honest, sincere review. I was not expected to leave a positive review, and would never post something I didn't feel fully confident in. No monetary compensation was provided. The above opinion is the sole opinion of me and my family, and may differ from your own. I am disclosing in accordance with FTC 16 CFR Part 255.