{Blueberry French Toast} - Back in Action...

...well, sort of.

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Here's the skinny on what's been going on around here {then I'll share the how to on the yummy deliciousness from above}.

Our house is torn apart...literally, there is crap everywhere. We moved our bedroom back upstairs, and will be sharing a combined office where our bedroom previously was. We have a "den" off the kitchen on the main level that has a wood burning stove {love}, and is gigantic. We've been using that as our bedroom for several years now {not so love - it was B-Real's idea}. There is little privacy since it's off the kitchen, and it's soooo hot in the winter, because of the wood stove.

There will be plenty of space to share an office with B-Real, but getting everything in there and organized will be a monumental task. We decided since we are moving everything that we'd shampoo the carpets and dust mite treat them {B-Real is severely allergic to dust mites, and let's face it the shampooing of the carpets was the OCD in me kicking in} while all the furniture was out of the rooms. I can't wait to have all this done...and then 3 months from now do it all over again {well, the dust mite treatment...not the moving of entire rooms}.

I forgot to mention - we are now waiting on more dust mite treatment stuff...which should have been here by now. That's why everything is STILL torn apart! BAH!

We are all suffering from "the ick" right now also. Thank you B-Real for bringing a cold home! YAY!! I have to admit though, it's been over 9 months since I've had a cold, so I won't complain...too much. ha! The last time I was sick I was nine months pregnant, and couldn't take anything for it. It was horrible...but I obviously survived.

So, moving on to the good stuff...that's why you're really here, right?!

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If I would've had more time, there would be photos of the ingredients, photos of the process...etc. However, this was made {along with cornbread and breakfast casserole} while Squish was taking her afternoon nap.

Blueberry French Toast

1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
6 eggs
10 slices bread, cubed
1 cup frozen blueberries
3 oz cream cheese, cubed
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

* Grease 9 x 13" glass pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

* In a large bowl, combine first eight ingredients. I whisked the eggs together first, then added the remaining of the 8 ingredients.

* Add bread cubes and stir until thoroughly wet.

* Pour bread cubes mixture into pan. Top with blueberries, cream cheese, and pecans.

* Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

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I don't remember where this recipe originally came from. I found it in my recipe box when digging out the breakfast casserole recipe. I had written out the card, and I've never made it until now.

It is delish! Not too sweet...a little tart from the blueberries, a little zing from the cream cheese, a little crunch from the pecans.

Conscious Box - Box Review - August 2013



Disclaimer: I received this box to review. All the opinions within this post are solely my own. I have not been compensated for my opinions.


Conscious Box is a monthly subscription box that focuses on eco-friendly products. They just recently added two new categories to choose from aside from their Classic box.

The Cost: $19.95 a month

The Goods: Eco-friendly products in every item {beauty, home, food, etc.} They offer 3 categories to choose from - Classic {the box I'm reviewing}, Vegan, and Gluten Free.

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First look...box within a box. The practical {and snarky} side of me has a hard time wrapping my mind around this idea coming from an "eco-conscious" company. Just sayin'...

Info card

Second First look...at the box within the box. ;)



The Goods Lineup



Glu6 Craft Paste

{I'm pretty intrigued by this, and can't wait to try it out.}

Aroma Naturals Citronella Candle

{A citronella candle is a citronella candle...am I right??}

Acure 100% Organic Moroccan Argan Oil

{This had been partially open in the box, and leaked...that's my only complaint. I like Moroccan oil, and have one that I use on my hair. This can supposedly be used on elbows, hands, etc.}

Doctor's Best Suntheanine L-Theanine Caplets

{Yeah...I'm not into hinky "science based nutrition" pills that come in a subscription box. Just saying... I won't be taking these, but whatev...maybe they are miracle pills that I'll be missing out on. Can't miss something if you don't know it's there right?}

Barbara's Organic Snackimals Cereal in Vanilla Blast

{I haven't tried these yet, but they sound tasty.}

Barney Butter in Almond Butter

{I LOVE Almond butter, so anyone that sends me almond butter *looks to the blog viewers* will be in my heart forever! I scarfed this down at lunch the other day. Hey, there were no leftovers, and I threw this in my lunch pail with some fruit and veggies. It got me through.}

Goody Good Stuff Sour Fruit Salad Gummies

{These weren't bad...they weren't my favorite gummy that I've ever tried though. I did like all the different natural fruit and vegetable juices that are used to make these.}

Veggie Protein Dietary Supplement in Chocolate

{Again, I don't really do 'dietary supplements'. I'm breastfeeding, take vitamins, and I eat healthy...so I try to stay away from these sorts of things. I might try it some morning in a smoothie when an regular breakfast isn't an option.}

Holy moly that's some shiny packaging...these were a real bitch to photograph.

Quick Response Seeds Inc. Immunity Garden Seeds

{I really like these! I typically purchase all our seeds from Baker Creek Seed Company, but this was fun to get.}

D.I.Y. Mask Kits

{I'm drawing a blank on what company this is right now...I like the idea though, and will be trying these on a day that I get a free moment to do a mask...umm, maybe 3 years from now. ha!}

Smock Paper Co. Sympathy Card

{This card is REALLY nice. It's funny that they would send a Sympathy card in a box, and the timing was impeccable. My sister passed away around the same time that I received this box. Slightly eerie...but I digress.}

Conscious Box Postcard

{I don't know if they always include a postcard that has their advertising on it, but it's a clever way to spread the word about their company.}

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The Lowdown: The box was a mixed bag for me, some of the items were a hit...while others fell a little flat {the supplements}. A neat way to find out about different eco-friendly products that are on the market. I'm interested to see what the Gluten Free & Vegan boxes look like.

Overall the value is good for these boxes, and I had not personally been introduced to any of these companies until this box. {The whole box within a box thing still has be scratching my head though.}

The Art of...

...Keeping Ones Head Above Water.

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Lately I feel like I'm just trying to keep my head above the raging waves. I put on a happy face, and keep trudging on.

No worries though, I won't be sticking my head in the oven...even if I wanted to, I can't {see below}.  

I just feel overwhelmed lately. I don't feel like I have enough hours in the day. This is a typical feeling for me {especially since I've become Mom}, but lately it's like I'm struggling to breathe. I'm barely getting the minimum done lately.

...and there is so much to do!!!

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On a brighter note, I'm now officially a Stay at Home Mommy! :)  Well, I define myself as a Work at Home Mommy now. Once I have to shops back up and running into full functioning mode, I will feel more comfortable telling people that.

First things first, I must Fall clean my house. It's in such disrepair!

It's an interesting thing though, we paid off our house, and suddenly everything is breaking. BAH! My oven almost caught on fire yesterday...that was stellar! I had baked brownies {Sinful Brownies to be precise}for Nana Sally's birthday, and was almost finished baking Blueberry Buttermilk Breakfast Cake for B-Real to take to work {which he forgot to take this morning, of course}...I was sweeping the floors so I could then wash them {Chairman Meow had a full day of puking...all over the house}, and the coil in the bottom of the oven started to glow really bright, and then started to spark. I naturally freaked out, turned the oven off, flew open the door and was screaming obscenities.

What would've happened had I not been in there when it happened? How would I cook dinner tonight? Really, Really! The oven is dead! BAH!

Thankfully there was no fire, thankfully the entire oven isn't dead, and thankfully the broiler still works. :)

On a side note, I was scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands and knees because my lovely steam mop broke about 3 months ago. Seriously?!?!

Our A/C unit has been screwed up {because one of B-Real's friends installed it...incorrectly...because he's a hack HVAC guy}, and we just got some leaks fixed {by a reputable plumber}, and now our oven needs a makeover, and our bathroom sink is leaking. POOP!

I just need to get through this weekend, and get through tomorrow's memorial service for my sister, and things will finally slow down.

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That was a bit of ramble...but I only have so much time to get things done, and Squish will be up from her nap.

Coming up next week I will be finishing up the remaining food sub reviews, and there will be the starting of the '40 bags in 40 days' postings, plus I will have a couple DIY projects that I'm planning on knocking out.

Thanks for sticking through this absurd post! Sometimes I just gotta let it out...even if it's a ramble.

Nature Box - August 2013

 

Nature Box is a healthy snack food subscription box.

 

The Cost: $19.95 a month, and you have the option of adding on additional items each month {for an extra cost}.

 

The Goods: 5 healthy snacks that you choose, or you can choose the 'Surprise me' option. 

 

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First look

The Goods Lineup

{A couple of these bags are already in this photo...that's because B-Real got to the box before I did. He already knew that there was food in there since he had helped me pick the options out. He couldn't wait.}

Dried Pears

{When I start off by looking at the ingredients, and there is ONE item listed...I know it's going to be a good product for us! Ingredients: Pears Yep folks, that's all that there is in that bag...pears. They were really yummy...tasted just like off our pear tree in the back yard. My only complaint...some of them still had the stems on them. You should really be watching what you put in your mouth anyways, right?! ha! Two thumbs up on these. *This was one of my choices.}

Granny Smith Apples

{These were the same as the pears...one ingredient. They were really good. Tart just like fresh Granny Smith Apples. *This was a B-Real pick.}

Peppery Pistachios

{My favorite from the whole box. These were SOOOOOOO good! I wish I would've gotten a whole box of these times 10...seriously. I could eat these everyday. *This was B-Real's choice...but I would've picked them if he had not.}

South Pacific Plantains

{These were B-Reals favorite out of the whole box. He allowed me to have a couple of these, and I agree with him...they were really good. I've had cooked fresh plantains, and I really liked them. *This was a group choice.}

**These were the two bags that were opened before I got home to unbox this.**

Blueberry Almond Bites

{These were amazing! There are way too many carbs in them for me to get them on a regular basis, but they were so good. Intense blueberry flavor, hint of almond, and crunchy. *This was my choice.}

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The Lowdown: This is such a good box for us! I love that the snacks are in a large size, plus you get to pick what you want. I'm not good at surprises {I'm totally the kid that would snoop at Christmas time and know ahead of time what I was getting...and then act surprised about what it was} ...and they have SOOO many options to choose from. I love the fact that there is a complete section of Non-GMO products to pick from. This is a win in my book just for that option!

The value is great IMO considering the quality of the products.

Taste Trunk - Gourmet Trunk - August 2013

Outside of box. Very cute wax seal. BTW-Holy dark photos Batman!

Taste Trunk is a monthly food subscription box that comes in four different categories. {see below}

The Cost: $34.99 a month {$29 + $5.99 for shipping}

The Goods: 5 to 10 products in the category of your choice {you can switch up the trunk categories month to month} of Gourmet, Sweet, Healthy, or BBQ. They also include info on each company & product, as well as some coupon codes and recipes.

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First look - Look at that packaging...I know it's going to be a good box when this is my first look!

 



Second First Look - Nothing is getting broken in this box!




The Goods

The info cards

{I'm really impressed with the amount of company information, and the recipes on these cards. Fantastic!}

 

 

The Jam Stand in Drunken Monkey Jam

 

{I've seen this jam swirling around in the subscription box world, and I'm excited to finally have a chance to try it! I make jam & jelly...and can say that there is nothing better than well made jam, until you add booze to it! ha! I love to add alcohol to my jams & jellies, and I can't wait to try this one!}

 

 

Iveta Scone Mix in Apricot

 

{I'm always on the fence about mixes - probably because I make most of our goods from scratch...I make a dang good scone! I've found really good reviews on this one though, so I'm going to save this little gem for a rainy day when I'm out of scone ingredients.}

 

Two Snooty Chefs Kansas City Steak Seasoning

 

{I've already tried this on two different things: club steaks that we then broiled - YUM! and oven roasted Chicken - Equally YUM! I see this lovely seasoning being used up very quickly in our house. Squish was even intrigued by this - see the bottom of the post.}



 

The Girl & The Fig Lavender Sea Salt

 

{I'm at a loss on this one. I have NO idea what to do with this. If it was Lavender Sugar...oh, okay I know what I'd use it on, but it's sea salt. I might try it on a veggie bake or something...hmmm.}



 

 

Cucina & Amore Pesto Alla Siciliana Sun-Dried Tomato

 

{I die...seriously, the people at Taste Trunk must have really done their research on me - of course, I'm sure they do research on each individual customer right?? This is such a good fit for me! This item right here is the reason why I kept my subscription in the gourmet category.}

 

 



 

 

Susan's Gourmet Salsa Relish in Mild

 

{I'm excited to try this. It looks delish. B-Real wrinkled his nose at this, but it's a "poop fruit" product - tomato...so I'll be able to enjoy this little baby all by myself!}

 

 

The Lowdown: I really loved all the items in this first box from Taste Trunk. It wasn't a huge value over what I paid, but it was on point. The items are new to me, and I got to discover some products that normally I wouldn't have access to where we live.

 

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If you would like to sign up for your very own Taste Trunk, you can do so here. If you feel so inclined, put my name 'Jessica Potts' in the Special instruction section. :) 

 

Here's some cuteness for your consideration in the matter:

 

She loves the Kansas City Steak seasoning...that's mama's girl!

 **This post may contain company site links or affiliate links.**

Spinning My Wheels

I feel like I'm standing still. There is so much to do right now, and I feel like I'm starting about a million and one projects, and barely getting any of them done.

Today is the first day that I'm a SAHM...although I consider myself a WAHM {but the shops are not functional right now...soon though, soon!}.

It's been a good day so far. Laundry, visiting some of my favorite ladies at Heritage Inn, finding a leak under the downstairs bathroom sink {FML - more water problems}, getting flowers ordered for the memorial this weekend, more laundry, making lunch, making dinner and freezer meals, finishing up the memorial cards and thank you cards...and finally getting Squish to take a nap.

We will be having some hardcore play time this afternoon when she wakes up...while I fold laundry.

I've been neglecting the blog...a lot. I set it up to do all the reviews for each day of the week, but low and behold find out today that they have NOT been publishing themselves, like they are supposed to. BAH! If I would've been able to stick to my plan of writing a fun blog for each time I posted a review...this wouldn't have happened. C'est la vie!

Taste Guru - Box Review - August 2013



Outside of Box

Taste Guru is a monthly food subscription box that specializes in full size Gluten Free products.  


 The Cost: $34, $29, or $25/month depending on the subscription plan you purchase.
The Goods: Gluten Free Products

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First Look



The Goods Lineup



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LeVeneziane Gluten Free Pasta {2}

 

{I was amazed that they included 2 of these! I just cooked some up last week for Squish, and she really liked them. I tried a couple, and they are really yum.}

 

Namaste Foods GF Homestyle Coating Mix

 

{We haven't tried this yet, but sometime this fall I will be making fried chicken, or try the included recipe of Chicken Parm.}

 



 

Schar Vanilla Sandwich Cookies {4}

 

{There were originally four in the box when it came, however, one of these didn't make it to the photo shoot. What can I say...I love cookies. These were good, would've been better with a little milk.}

 

truebar

 

{I haven't tried this yet, but it looks yummy.}

 

Baba Joons Chocolate Chewies in Orange Almond

 

{I really wanted to like these...but I didn't. They were really dry, and hard...not a good combination. There was nothing "chewy" about these. I love the idea, but the execution fell flat.}



 

Happy Squeeze Super in Kiwi, Banana, & Apple {2}

 

{I'm on the fence about this company. I've seen it at Meijers - and I love the idea of Organic food pouches - I LOVE Plum Organics for Squish, but when reading the ingredient list...there are a bunch of words that are difficult to pronounce. I won't be giving these to Squish, but I might try them myself in a smoothie or something.}

 



 

 

Rocky Mountain Popcorn {White Cheddar & Jalapeno}

 

{The white cheddar popcorn was really yummy! I'm not a huge spicy fan anymore - since being pregnant with Squish - so this hasn't been consumed yet.}

 

 





 



 

 

Sea Fare Pacific Seafood Bisque

{This sounds really good...haven't tried it yet. We love Seafood Bisque though.}

 

~*~*~*~

The Lowdown: I really enjoyed this box. Almost all of the items in the box were a perfect fit for us. We are a low carb home, and I'm pretty new to the Gluten Free lifestyle...so I don't know if these are all common brands in the GF world. I thought this box offered a nice variety of gluten free products though.

I purchased this box as a one time box.

**This post may contain company site links or affiliate links.**



Love With Food - Review Box - July 2013

Disclaimer: I received this box as a review. However, all the opinions are solely my own, and I was not compensated in any way for my opinions.

Love With Food is a monthly food subscription box. For every box that is purchased, they donate a meal to a hungry child. Win-win.

The Cost: $10 + $2 shipping each month depending on your plan. $11/month & $10/month if you purchase the 6 month or year subscription respectively.

The Goods: You will get 8 or more Organic and all natural products each month. They follow a theme each month.

~*~*~*~

{The July Box Theme was SUMMER BASH}




First look




Inside of the lid...pat yourself on the box, you just helped donate a meal! :)




The goods lineup...how did all that stuff fit in that tiny box?? Secret ninja elf packaging...that 's how!



Turbana Plantain Chips Sweet

{These were okay. I really like Plantain chips, but I don't like them sweet...call me weird.}


Seaweed Love Roasted Seaweed Snacks

{I haven't tried these yet. I tried some from a different box, and didn't like them. In all fairness they were a different brand, and in a spicy chipotle flavor...not my thing. These have been chillin' in our 'snack basket' on top of the fridge since they arrived.}

Smooze! Fruit Ice in Coconut & Mango

{This sounds good...haven't tried it yet though. I think I will share this with Squish. She's teething & loves anything frozen right now.}

Organic Flavrz Drink Mix in Revive

{I'm sure I'll get around to trying this sometime. I have so many teas and drink mixes right now, and I rarely use them anymore.}

Do More Bars in Pineapple Coconut Cereal

{This was tasty. Not my favorite bar I've ever had, but if offered one again I'd probably eat it.}

SoyJoy in Pineapple

{Okay, so I've tried SoyJoy before...and I didn't like it then...top that with I try to avoid Soy products because let's face it - most of them are GMO. I gave it another chance, and it met my expectations of what I thought it was going to be...not very good. I'm sure lots of people like these. I'm just not one of those people. Give me a Luna bar any day!}

Surf Sweets Fruit Bears

{These were yummy. Not a traditional gummy that you would normally get. These were super soft...and lightly sweet, not overly sugary. I wish this was a larger bag. Then again I'm thankful they weren't because I'd want to eat them all.}

Pur Gum in Pomegranate Mint

{This gum is a win-semi win for me. I LOVE that it's Aspartame free...it's hard to find a gum without aspartame...go ahead, go to your local Quik-E-Mart & try to find a gum that doesn't have this as an ingredient. It also have xylitol...love! :) 

Organic Hard Candy in Blood Orange & Organic Apple

{I don't remember the name of the company that makes these...but they were yummy.}

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The Lowdown: Overall I really enjoyed this box. The value can't be beat, IMO. I also really like that they donate a meal for every box that is purchased. For the month of July they donated 2 meals for every box.

**This post may include company site links or affiliate links**