Double Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie

I love milkshakes – they are just so delicious.  Drinking a milkshake for breakfast just feels wrong … in the best possible way.

I also love chocolate – the only thing better than chocolate is double chocolate.  Oddly enough I am not a fan of chocolate cake – weird I know!

Before I show you the pictures and give you the recipe ~ I just want to warn you that you are probably going to drool.  I also don’t want you to be jealous of my awesome blue counters – they don’t make them like this anymore.  Now that you have been warned, here it is:  

It is super easy to make too!  It takes less than 3 minutes!  Seriously – time yourself!

Double Chocolate Mint Protein Smoothie:

1 cup milk (I use 1%)

2 scoops chocolate Shaklee 180 Protein powder (or one packet)

1 tablespoon Hershey’s chocolate syrup

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

handful of ice

Put it all in your blender, blend and enjoy! 

I told you it was easy … don’t drink it too fast, you’ll get a brain freeze!   

So creamy and delicious!  LOTS of protein to keep you full until lunch too!

calories – 350, fat – 5.5g, protein – 26g, fiber – 7g

So good!  I took this picture then noticed there was a tiny bit left and slurped that right up!

Cleaning my Stovetop … the natural way

I have a confession to made – I enjoy cooking but I hate the clean up.  No matter how simple a recipe the dishes seems to multiply and the kitchen becomes a disaster.  Maybe this is a talent I have and nobody else has that problem, but it is annoying.  This is what my stove looked like for a week or three – oops. When we had our mothers over for Mothers Day lunch, I put the box the croissants came in over the burner that way they couldn’t see it.  Didn’t work … but I tried. 

Caked on nastiness is all I can think of to describe what is there.  Those grates (or whatever they are called) have always been just plain gross.  I’ve tried many different thinks to get them clean – bleach, ammonia, 409, comet, soaking then scrubbing – nothing seemed to work. 

I decided to make the switch to natural cleaners (can’t stand the smell of other cleaners) and ordered a Get Clean Kit.  This stove would be the ultimate test … 

I mixed up some degreaser from the Basic H and let it sit for about 5 minutes.

Wiped it off with a sponge and this is what it looked like – much better!

But, there was still some built on grime so I brought out the Scour Off and a scrubbing brush. 

Even in this bad lighting it looks good!  It looked so good that I pulled out an old toothbrush and used the Scour Off to get the nooks and crannies. 

Doesn’t it look great?

Meanwhile, I filled the sink with water and a drop or two of Basic H and let the grates sit while I was cleaning.  Then I scrubbed them and they look like new!

The best part … my mom was over for dinner a week or so after and she asked me when we got a new stove!!

Now that I have something that works so well and smells so good (seriously the Scour Off smells like cherry candy) I will not be putting off cleaning for weeks at a time.

Here they are – my cleaning champions!  Basic H and Scour Off – love them both!

Do you have any cleaning secrets?  I’d LOVE to hear them!

Simply Strawberry Protein Smoothie

I love breakfast and rarely go without it, let’s be honest I rarely skip a meal, but I was getting tired of my oatmeal every morning.  As the weather heats up the last thing I want is something hot for breakfast.  I love smoothies but they take usually so much time to put together in the morning.  Plus, I am practically starving half way to recess! Now that I’m on Summer Break I can eat whenever I want, but I still want something that will fill me up.

Here is a smoothie that fits my requirements for a quick & health breakfast: 

Simply Strawberry Protein Smoothie

1 cup milk (I use 1%)

2 scoops Shaklee 180 Smoothee Mix vanilla (strawberry would be extra tasty) 

or try the whey version

2/3 cup frozen strawberries (I usually don’t measure I just fill it to the fill line on my personal sized blender)

Blend until smooth and enjoy!

It literally takes less than 3 minutes from start to finish to make!  This is my kind of quick and healthy breakfast!

 calories - 350, fat – 5.5g, protein – 26g, and fiber – 8g

Ready for the best part?  I’ve been drinking one of these almost every morning for the past month.  I don’t get hungry until after 10:15 (recess time) when I usually have a snack.  Some days I don’t need a snack and this puppy fills me up until lunch!  This smoothie packs a whopping 26 grams of protein!  That is what keeps me feeling full for so long.  I also feel like I have more energy and am less crabby in the morning – a win-win for everyone!  And I’ve lost some weight! 

Pair a protein smoothie with exercise and of course a healthy lunch and dinner and that’s a recipe for healthy weight loss.  Now that it is summer I will be having one for breakfast and one for lunch.  Yum yum!    

What is YOUR favorite breakfast? 

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Introducing Shaklee …

My dad’s death in October was a wake-up call for me. I knew I needed to be as healthy as possible as Michael and I started our married life together. We’ve had love and now have a marriage … as the song says next comes a baby in a baby carriage. I knew I wanted to be healthy for our future family. No, I’m not pregnant – but someday I hope to tell you I am.

I know my food is the healthiest it can be.  I buy conventional produce from the grocery store and farmer’s markets.  I know that family farmers all over the country work hard to provide the best possible produce for me.  We eat lots of fruits and vegetables year round and also eat plenty of lean meat.  I admit I have a problem with bread and sweets – I eat way too much of both.  But, my food choices are healthy so I think I get a pass for that. I wanted to make the switch to natural cleaners.  I tried using vinegar and that works fine for dog grime on the wall, but doesn’t leave my floors or counters very clean.  I also tried other natural cleaners but they seemed to work like colored water … if I was going to clean with water I didn’t want to pay $6 a bottle for it. 

I found Shaklee about 2 years ago but hadn’t tried their products until a couple months ago. I like to do lots and lots of research on companies before I buy their products. I was impressed by everything I found. I wish I would have tried them sooner! They are an all natural company who prides themselves on providing the best and safest products to families all over the country. I LOVE the cleaning products – the best part about them is that they don’t give me a headache from the fumes. Now I’m not getting a headache while cleaning AND I am saving money using super concentrated Basic H instead of buying tons of bottles of various cleaners.

I fell so much in love with the products I decided to partner with them! I am just launching my business and I would love you to join me!

Visit my website now!

What are your favorite Shaklee products?  How do you keep your family as healthy as possible?