 I'm not much of a shopper on-line or otherwise. In fact, I don't get excited by Black Friday or Cyber Monday deals. I'm one of the last people you'll see running out and standing in long lines to get $20 off that new fangled coffee pot, grill, or make-up kit. Nope, not me. Today was different though. Today, I hopped on-line to look at something on my YouTube channel, and of course something, intended to grab my attention, jumped out at me. After spending time researching products and determining the best deals, I had several items in my Amazon cart and I was DONE! Shopping energizes some, but tires me. Also, I'm very deliberate and methodical whenever I make a purchase. I share this because I've spent time today looking at some pretty good deals, some of which I've taken advantage of and want to share with you! DEALS 76% Off Top-Rated Stainless Steel Chef Kitchen Knife Was: $49.95 Now: $11.29 63% Off Instant PotDUO80 8 Qt 7-in 1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Saute, Yogurt Maker and Warmer Was: $129.95 Now: $81.99 56% Off Design Car Phone Holder for Safe Driving with iPhones, Samsung Galaxy and other Smart phone Was: $16.99 Now: $9.62 $26 Off FOUR Pack Mini LED Rocket Keychains Was: $39.99 Now: $13.99 $50 Off Amazon Echo Tap (Alexa Portable) Was: $129.99 Now: $79.99 $45 Off Amazon Echo Plus w/ Built in Hub Was: $164.98 Now: $119.99 $20 Off All New Amazon Echo Alexa Was: $99.99 Now: $79.99 $130 Off Hoverboard Self-Balancing Scooter Was: $399.99 Now: $269.99 $50 Off 500A Heavy Duty Emergency Car/Truck/Gas/Diesel Jump Starter and Power Bank Was: $89.99 Now: $39.99 Allison is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a
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 This recipe has been a Thanksgiving staple for us the past 5 years.
In November of 2012 I discovered an amazing recipe in the November issue of Rachael Ray's magazine, EveryDay with Rachael Ray! March 2012 was when I was officially diagnosed with discoid lupus, so by November I was already eating a plant-based diet and staying away from salt, oil, and sugar. That was the same month I found this recipe and converted it into a lupus friendly one! Before I continue, I do realize that I'm sharing this in the Nth hour; the eve before Thanksgiving. But you know what? I want to encourage you to grab that can of cranberry sauce out of you sister's hand, turn around, and quietly walk that thing out of the kitchen. Next, pray that there are still fresh cranberries at the grocery store, then head to the store to grab the few ingredients this sauce calls for. You'll be glad you did. . . and so will everyone else! The original Cranberry Mango Chutney recipe calls for a cup of sugar. While sugar isn't really good for anyone, it is especially not good for those of us with autoimmune disorders! Like I tell my girls - they are 4 1/2 years old -, 'sugar bugs' kill all the good guys in our stomachs. In adult speak, diets free of, or at least limited in, sugar equals good gut health! When our guts are healthy we don't risk the 'bad guys' causing inflammation in our intestinal tracks/gut linings. When the gut lining is inflamed, we actually allow all sorts of undigested proteins from bacteria and foods to leak into our bloodstreams! Yep! That's right! We let the 'bad guys' right in!! These sorts of invaders don't belong in our bloodstreams, so our bodies fight against it and voila! We've got an autoimmune flare! So, what do I replace the refined white sugar with? I used to replace it with agave nectar, but some would argue that isn't the best substitute and I've actually come to agree with that. I'll go with honey again this year. Here's the recipe: Makes 3 Cups Prep 25 minutes (or less depending on how fast you can peel a mango!) Cook 15 minutes 1 pkg (12 oz) fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups) 1 cup orange juice 1/2 cup honey 1 cup chopped fresh mango 1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger 1. In a large saucepan, bring the cranberries, orange juice, honey or date paste, mango, and ginger to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 15 minutes. 2. Transfer the chutney to a bowl. Refrigerate to cool and thicken. Serve shilled or at room temperature Vince and the girls love this recipe by the way! Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!!   OK, before you ask "What the heck are those?!?", let me explain. You know how you go to the store and you see something that you don't need, but you buy it anyway because you just might need it…one day? Well, that happened to me this week. I went to the commissary and spotted some really neat orange and black Halloween straws and thought to myself: "Wow, maybe orange and black straws will be on the 'volunteer to bring' list for at least one of my daughters' first grade Halloween parties!"- I have two first graders and they are in two different classes. Reflecting on why I bought them in the first place, I can't figure out why it made any sense at all. Seriously? My reasoning was flawed from the start. Who the heck asks someone to bring 200 straws to any elementary school party?!? First of all, there aren't 200 kids in first grade and second of all I'm sure if there are drinks they're juice boxes that come with their own straws. But the orange and black straws are so neat I had to get them! Yesterday I had a thought. I am not super crafty. You won't find me posting anything craft related with 20 million hits on Pinterest, but I knew I had to come up with some way to use these cool looking straws. Well...these are what I came up with! Aren't they amazing?!? Now you can ask me what the heck are they? They are anything you want them to be; thanks for asking! They can be ghouls, they can be mouthless goblins, they can even be ghosts with straw arms if you want! Whatever you want, they can be. The important thing is they are crafted out of the Halloween primary colors: white, black, and orange! So I bet you want to know how I made these bad boys don't you? Well I am not a big fan of food dyes, especially the red and blue variety so I went for the Pillsberry Moist Supreme Yellowcake. It claims to make 24 cupcakes; I eked out 17, but that's only because I over filled the first twelve cupcake wrappers. I used a couple of large free-range brown eggs and was about to use coconut oil instead of the half a cup of vegetable oil the instructions called for then it dawned on me!! Even though it's not a nut free school there might be a kid allergic to coconut. So, I put the brakes on that idea and whipped out the Great Value (Walmart brand) vegetable oil I had on hand. I seldom use vegetable oil and I'm not a fan of the Great Value variety, but I figured it would probably taste better than using olive oil in the cupcakes and be better than being the cause of an allergic reaction. Now for the eyes. I had milk-chocolate chips on hand, but I also had raisins. I figured if there was going to be any inkling of "healthly for you" in this snack I better opt for the Sun Maid raisins. The raisins worked perfectly as eyes. Look at them closely. See, some of them are mean and glaring, some of them are sad looking, and some of them just are. Finally, I cut down the straws to craft some arms with moveable joints for each of the mouthless goblins and voilà!! I'd created the perfect snack edition to any spooky party! They might not look like a Pinterest hit, but I can assure you that they were tasty. I should know since I ate the runt of the batch and took the remaining 16 to school. You know what?? I don't recall seeing ANYONE actually eat one...humm...that's a bit suspect because I got both of my baking pans back from both classrooms...empty. Strange. I'm sure someone enjoyed my cupcakes. Can't say what went through their heads when they reached for one to eat, but I know once it hit their lips (I used pre-made cream cheese icing ) it was delish, and left them begging for more!! Those raisins on that icing was the bomb!! Nailed it? Yes. Yes, I did! I'd love to hear about a time your creation was beyond the standard for creativity. Drop me a note below and tell me all about it!  Eenie Meenie Miney Moe  Raisins will make these cup cakes healthier!  |
AuthorAllison Marschean is a wife and mother of 8 year old twins girls and a 2 year old baby girl who is kicking an autoimmune disorder to the curb with food and fitness, all while living her dimensions! Archives
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