Why We Love Peaches (and You Should Too!)

Peaches just seem to be a traditional part of summer. Who doesn't remember munching on one while trying to not drip juice everywhere? My kids love peaches, which means I can put these in the fruit bowl and feel pretty certain that they will not just sit there and get rotten!

Plus, peaches can be a pretty healthy snack. For example, did you know that fuzzy fruit has only about 30-50 calories, and contains no cholesterol?  And there is more good reasons to consider eating a peach next time you want to munch on something.

Peaches Are a Heart-Healthy Food

Peaches (and other 'stone fruits' like plums and nectarines) may help prevent obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

A study from Texas A&M  has shown that phenolic compounds present in peaches and other stone fruits have anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic properties that may reduce bad cholesterol LDL which is associated with cardiovascular disease.

Peaches Make Our Skin Happy

Peaches have Vitamin C, an antioxidant that is good for our skin.  Vitamin C can help fight wrinkles and also helps promote the formation of collagen which supports healthy skin.

Peaches Are Good For Eye Health

Peaches have beta-carotene - and studies show that eating 3 or more servings daily of fruits containing beta-carotene helps promote healthy vision and can lessen the development of eye disease like cataracts and glaucoma. 

Peaches Can Be Good For Our Tummies

Fiber helps us stay regular...and guess what? Peaches have lots of fiber, So eating a peach just may help keep your tummy happy and healthy!

Okay, are you ready to check out some mouth-watering recipes with peaches now? Let the drooling begin.

 Easy 4-Ingredient Home-Made Peach Sorbet

Picture Credit: MARCUS NILSSON / MArtha Stewart.com

It's summer, and what could taste better than some refreshing homemade Peach Sorbet? This 4 ingredient peach recipe from Martha Stewart is so easy to make - you may already have the ingredients in your pantry!

Plus, you can let the kids eat this soft-serve style as soon as you finish making it, or better yet, you can freeze it up to 3 days and serve this dessert slushy-style.

Get the recipe

Peach Pancakes

Here you go: a perfect lazy Sunday brunch recipe! Don't forget to drizzle this homemade Chai pancake syrup  over your stack of peach pancakes!

Sweet Peach Tea

This recipe makes me feel like lounging outside under a umbrella and sipping my tea while enjoying the last few days of our summer vacation. {Sigh.}

Healthier-for-You Peach Crumble Recipe

This recipe alone is a reason to love peaches! Imagine being able to  enjoy a healthier version of this classic dessert.

10 Things About Moms (Every Kid Should Know)

Summer vacation is winding down, and might I say just in the nick of time?! The kiddos and I are at that point where we could all use some quality alone time. It has been awesome having long leisurely days relaxing at the pool, enjoying yummy drinkable yogurts and just hanging out with no set schedules.

Until now. Now tempers are beginning to run short, the kiddos are fighting with each other almost every 5 minutes, and boredom is at an all time high. Now I have reached the point of yelling, threatening and ultimately seeking refuge in the bathroom. My kids think I have morphed into crazy mom and bad mom, all rolled into one.

So I thought it was time that I let my kids know some important facts about moms. You know, so they might understand me better.

10 Things About Moms Every Kid Should Know.

1. Moms love their children. Usually. Almost everyday. Always.

2. We always like our children. Usually. Some Days.

3. We need breaks from you (sorry, it is true) to maintain our sanity.
    We miss you when we are apart.
    Weird, yes, but that is a mom for you.

4. Moms do not love wiping toilet seats. We do not love vacuuming cheerios off the floor. We may say a bad word or two when we step on one of your forgotten Lego pieces, it is true. But seriously, those HURT.  Playing chauffeur is not one of our favorite games. We really do not like it when you tell us you 'hate' us (even if we act like we don't care.)

5. We love hugs and kisses. Yes, those little things will make us cry sometimes, especially if they are offered without bribes or begging.

6. It hurts us when you cry. Always.

7. Snuggles in the night are better than chocolate.

8. We want you to become older, independent, happy successful human beings. We will guide you and help you find your own way out of the nest. Then we will miss you. Always.

9. We want you to be our babies forever.

10. We love you. Always.

3 Foods That May Trigger Adult Acne

Dealing with adult acne is just not fair. Being acne-free should be an undisputed perk of getting older. Sadly, most of us probably have had to deal with acne outbreaks as adults though (and for those of you who haven't, I would just like to go on record as saying I am jealous.)

We have heard and read that stress and hormones are usually the cause of acne in adults (and teens, too) but did you know that certain types of food can cause adult acne as well?

Three Types of Food That May Increase Adult Acne

1. Dairy. Yep, milk may do a body good, but according to dermatologist Dr. Joel Schlessinger, milk may also have high levels of hormones that can mess with our oil glands  - and help trigger acne breakouts in adults.

Important note here- an article on WebMD states there is not a direct confirmed link between dairy and acne. Dairy is an important source of calcium and vitamin D, which your bones (and the rest of your body) need. If you find that your skin clears up after you cut out dairy, see if you can have a little without breakouts. Some people can drink small amounts of milk and stay acne-free. Or try different kinds of dairy. Nonsweetened yogurt from cows, or dairy from other animals such as goats, may be more tolerable for your skin. And also remember that you need to replace the calcium that you would normally get from dairy by eating other foods such as calcium-rich leafy greens (like kale and mustard greens), broccoli, and sardines.

2. Sugar. No big surprise here. We know sugar is not exactly healthy for us anyway. But some studies also suggest that eating foods high in sugar can cause blood glucose to rise rapidly, triggering a boost in insulin and resulting in inflammation on a cellular level. This can lead to the growth of pore-clogging cells, as well as overactive oil gland activity. Clogged pores means higher chances of an acne breakout.

This may be why so many of us link eating chocolate with acne. The dairy and sugar in some chocolate could be why I will wake up to a nice red pimple after eating chocolate. There is some good news however - according to one study, chocolate inflames existing acne instead of causing it. And another study shows that patients who ate milk-free chocolate bars – not pure cacao – showed no connection at all. So if you love your chocolate, try eating dark chocolate because it usually has less dairy and sugar.

3. Fried Foods. So along with eating food with too much sugar, eating too much fried food is just not a great choice for us either. Many fried foods have unhealthy trans fats and omega 6 fatty acids which can trigger inflammation -which can aggravate acne. (not to be confused with healthy omega 3 fatty acids which can actually help reduce inflammation)

So what can we do as adults to try and limit acne flare-ups? Looks like cutting back on sugar is a must. And for more reasons than acne alone. Eating foods with healthy omega-3 fatty acids is important - and again, for more than just trying to avoid acne. And follow your instincts. If you suspect a specific food causes breakouts (be it milk, sweets or processed snacks), you can try to cut back or eliminate it for four weeks and see if your skin improves.

This Was Made With Avocado?

I am not a fan of the avocado. Not in a dip, not as an ingredient or a topping on tamales, tacos and burritos,and especially not on toast.

However, my daughter on the other hand, LOVES avocado.

So when my daughter was putting avocado on her toast the other morning, I became curious - could there be some recipe out there that uses avocado yet when you eat it you would exclaim something along the lines of, "This Was Made With Avocado?? Really? No WAY."

(Because we all know how healthy avocados are for us,I figure it is worth trying to get some in my diet somehow.)

After doing a little searching, I have now found 3 crazy avocado recipes that sound like they would taste really good. Sounds like. But would these recipes really trick someone like me who absolutely wants nothing to do with that dark green fruit??

So here are my top 3 avocado-based recipes I found that I just may try soon (when and if I do, I will post about it and let you know what I thought!) For any other non-avocado lovers out there, take a peek and see if one of these recipes makes you want to run out and buy an avocado right away.

1. Popsicles Made With Avocados and Pears. 

(this sounds pretty yummy for summer....learn how to make this two fruit dessert .)

2. Blender Made Avocado Lime Ice Cream 

 Ice Cream made with avocado just cannot be all bad, right? I am hoping this one is really good because I love ice cream.) Besides being made with avocado (and limes,) you don't need an ice cream maker to make this ice cream! All you need is your blender!

3. Avocado Margaritas.

What needs to be said here? Margaritas. Yea, I'll try this one. How sweet would it be if this is the recipe that makes you say, "THIS was made with Avocados?? NO WAY!"

How To Make Pickles At Home (3 Easy Pickle Recipes To Get You Started!)

 3 homemade pickle recipes are that are so easy to make, you are going to want to make your own pickles all the time. Whether you are a sweet and spicy pickle person or a lover of tangy dill pickles, there is a recipe here to satisfy your pickle craving (even a gin and tonic pickle recipe!)

I didn't start out today with pickles on my mind. Really. Yet sometime between my first cup of coffee and my third cup, I learned quite a bit about pickles, and how easy it is to make pickles at home. 

It all started with a picture of a cute jar of pickles.  As I drank my coffee and browsed around on my computer, this ridiculously cute picture of a jar of pickles with a little fork attached to it with twine popped up. (Seriously, this would make as awesome Diy jar gift for any pickle lovers you know.)

So the picture of the cute pickle jar led me to easy pickle recipes you can make at home. And I thought I would come here and share some of these easy recipes for anyone else who may be curious about how to make pickles.

1. Gin and Tonic Pickles 

Photo: The View From Great Island

So tell me. Who would not want to make their own pickles made with gin and tonic?

2. Sweet and Spicy Pickles Recipe

Photo: SimplySoGood.com

I am more of a dill pickle gal myself. But this sweet-spicy refrigerator pickle recipe sounds delicious. Plus, it turns out that refrigerator pickles are the easiest pickle recipes to make. There is no need for sterilizing jars and no canning is needed. (See how much I am learning about pickles??)

3. Quick and Easy Refrigerator Pickles

Photo: RachelCooks.com

This super easy refrigerator dill pickles recipe sounds like a perfectly simple recipe for beginners just learning how to make pickles at home. Like me. All it takes is about 15 minutes, some cucumbers and brine (which also sounds super easy to make, btw) to have a batch of pickles ready to go into the refrigerator. Of course, the hard part is waiting an hour or so to eat the pickles.