Friday, June 3, 2016

Green Spinach Smoothie Kid Friendly Recipe

Good Food


Editor's Note:
Mommy Blog Expert is growing by leaps and bounds and I'm excited to introduce readers to the newest blogger on our team. With this post, join me in welcoming Dahlia Rimmon, who will be covering food for MBE, inspiring you weekly with healthy and of course delicious and easy recipes you can make at home. Read about Dahlia's background in nutrition and get to know her by reading her bio below.



Dahlia Rimmon, MommyBlogExpert.com

RECIPE

Green Spinach Smoothie


by Dahlia Rimmon, Food Blogger
MommyBlogExpert.com


Dahlia Rimmon, MommyBlogExpert.com

An Easy to Make Vegan or Dairy Active Lifestyle Health Drink


This is one of my favorite drinks to have after I work out at the beginning of the day but it's really good anytime when you want to recharge your batteries. This was originally created when I wanted a breakfast (or snack) option that was light and condensed, packed with vitamins and minerals, and easy to take on the go. It's great for those of you who are not necessarily hungry in the morning but who want to start incorporating breakfast into your daily diet. Not only is my recipe simple and fast to make, the pretty green color is so appetizing and tastes yummy.


Dahlia Rimmon, MommyBlogExpert.com

Prep Time 10 minutes or less
Cook Time 0 minutes
Makes 1 Servings



Dahlia Rimmon, MommyBlogExpert.com

Ingredients
  • 1 frozen ripe banana, sliced
  • 2 packed cups of fresh baby spinach
  • 1/4 c. cow or nut milk
  • 3 T. (or 1 extra-large spoonful) plain Greek yogurt
  • Handful of ice

Dahlia Rimmon, MommyBlogExpert.com


Directions

1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth and creamy
2. Pour into a cup or for extra fun use a mason jar and enjoy!

Notes

1. It's easier to cut into a frozen banana if you let it thaw a bit 3-4 minutes before slicing. Another method is to slice before freezing.

2. Use more ice for a thicker smoothie consistency and less ice for a thinner drink.
3. Depending on the blender, you may have to add more milk for a smoother blending process.
4. For a more consistent (non-chunky) smoothie, use a high-power blender such as a Nutribullet or Vitamix.
5. For a sweeter smoothie you can add vanilla Greek yogurt instead of plain.
5. As another option, try adding a tablespoon of peanut butter which will add even more great taste to this health drink.


MommyBlogExpert.com


About Dahlia Rimmon
Dahlia Rimmon, Los Angeles, California, who is known as Dahlia Eats on Instagram, graduated from Stern College with a BA in Sociology. She is now pursuing a Master's in Nutrition and Dietetics and Dietetic Internship at California State University, Long Beach. To add to that already interesting combo, Dahlia is engaging her culinary creativity and passion for good food by concocting new, easy, and healthy recipes to share with this blog's readers, in addition to her friends and family. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, Krav Mega training, gardening with her husband, and smoothies. Seriously, Dahlia is obsessed with smoothies as you will soon see in her upcoming MBE posts. 

Follow Dahlia on Instagram @DahliaEats to see more of her beautiful photos taken with a Samsung Galaxy S5 smartphone of everything new, healthy and delicious she's cooking up.


FTC Disclosure: Recipe and photos provided by Dahlia Rimmon of Dahlia Eats. No payment or other compensation was exchanged in connection with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's home page and at the bottom of every individual page including this one.

ALDI Launches Grocery Concept in SoCal

Good Food


Exciting consumer shopping news has broken on the West Coast. In trend-setting Southern California, land of organic food, eco-friendly lifestyles, swimming pools and perfect-looking movie stars, the grocery store chain industry has finally gotten a badly needed and overdue face lift. 


MommyBlogExpert.com

MBE partnered with ALDI for this post

Meet ALDI, the new grocer in town. ALDI has gone from 0 to opening 25  stores in the Southland in the Los Angeles metro area and surrounding counties -- as far east as La Quinta, south as Calexico and north to Bakersfield. 

For this review, I shopped at the ALDI Inglewood, California store for the first time last week and am already hooked on this new option for buying groceries. Apparently so is my hubby and kids who did not come to the store with me but who are all asking when I am going on my next shopping trip there to bring home more of their favorite items. In this post you'll learn why you will love it too.


California Sunrise Medley Potatoes, MommyBlogExpert.com

With the Golden State joining the 40 year-old US family, ALDI now has more than 1500 locations in 34 states. All stores are built on the same simple concept: We consumers deserve a low-price grocery store option with multiple convenient locations in major metro areas that don't sacrifice quality or force shoppers to buy products in bulk to save money. 


Organic Avocados, MommyBlogExpert.com


What I'm talking about is a unique store I've learned first hand makes it easy for buyers to save up to 50% on our grocery bill because they offer predominantly ALDI exclusive brands that live up to or exceed the quality standards of America's best known national brands.
 

MommyBlogExpert.com

ALDI is a store stocking high quality products that are priced lower than anywhere else: organic items, including locally grown produce, fresh fish and USDA Choice meats, and large selections of both gluten-free and other products free of more than 125 artificial ingredients and preservatives.

Below you see  SimplyNature® Organic Spring Mix of Baby Lettuces, Green and Radicchio ($3.89/16 ozs), along with Garden Medley Tomatoes ($2.89/10 ozs) and Blueberries ($2.49/pint). The SimplyNature® line is one of the ALDI exclusive brands which includes USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO verified items. They also have an impressive array of fresh, packaged and frozen gluten-free products under the brand name liveGfree®.


MommyBlogExpert.com


Based on all the things I bought, just a fraction of which are pictured throughout this post, I'd estimate I would be spending at least 50% more at another supermarket, quite possibly even more.

For example, at other markets, I previously paid between $9.99-$14.99 a pound for fresh salmon. However, at ALDI I purchased Fresh Atlantic Salmon Fillets for just $5.99/pound and my entire family is raving that this was the best fish they've ever tasted at home or in a restaurant. 

And this gorgeous mixed bouquet of flowers for our table? Just $4.49. Item after item, I never ceased to be amazed by the excellent quality and low prices throughout the store.


MommyBlogExpert.com


How ALDI Keeps Costs Low, Quality High and is Eco-Friendly


From the moment I entered the lot with ample parking, I sensed this was going to be unlike any other grocery shopping experience I've ever had. As I walked toward the front door I noticed something I've never seen here in the USA, but have seen elsewhere in the world. 

Cart Rental System, MommyBlogExpert.com


To help cut hidden costs big supermarket chains pass on to consumers for lost shopping carts and the labor to wrangle them and bring them back, ALDI asks shoppers to rent a shopping cart for a quarter which you get back when you return your cart after you're done. How genius is that?

Inside the typical store, which is slightly smaller in total square footage than I've experienced elsewhere in a traditional supermarket, you'll find a spacious, cheery and bright layout with only four or five aisles which are wider than a single lane on an L.A. freeway. Just think you can actually shop without bumping into other customers or have to move wandering shopping carts out of the way.


Wide spacious aisles, MommyBlogExpert.com

With the goal of saving green (both the Earth and money), it's also important to point out that all ALDI locations are constructed with environmentally-friendly materials like energy-efficient refrigeration and LED lighting.


ALDI produce so fresh, low cost, MommyBlogExpert.com

Stay tuned for another post next week on the blog showing you all the delicious recipes I created using fresh and healthy ingredients bought at ALDI. 


Meanwhile... find an ALDI store within 30 minutes of where many of LA's celebrities live.




About ALDI

Learn more about ALDI, this week's special promotions, and find the store nearest you by visiting the official website. You can also keep up to date on everything this leading grocery retailer is doing by following the brand on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

FTC Disclosure: This post was sponsored by ALDI as part of Influencer Activation for Influence Central. However opinions here are our own. See complete FTC Disclosure that appears at the bottom of MBE's home page and at the bottom of every individual post including this one.

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

California Strawberry Festival Review

Family Events


By Norma Perez, Mom Blogger

MommyBlogExpert.com

Strawberry Theme Food, Crafts, Family Entertainment


My family and I had the opportunity to again attend the 33rd Annual California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard in coastal California, just about a 1-1/2 hour drive from Los Angeles proper. We've attended this outdoor event in past years and I could not have imagined that it was going to be even more fun this time around.


Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com


The weather could not have been more perfect for a fabulous day of fresh air with kids in beautiful Ventura County -- sunny and warm, but not scorching hot. It definitely was a good thing we took advantage of the free alternative transportation provided because after we arrived and got off the shuttle bus, we walked right past a huge stream of cars waiting to get into the on-site parking lot for the festival.


Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com


All I could think was boy what a happy crowd! Never before was I so glad to cover this wonderful event for MommyBlogExpert. With our family press passes in hand, we made our way through the gate, noting how multiple festival staff members continually offered to assist everyone, cheerfully providing help and patiently answering the same questions over and over again.


Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com

A few steps later we were past the gate, surrounded by all kinds of food booths, hundreds of arts and crafts vendor tents and family friendly entertainment galore. Judging by the enthusiasm around the booth, it was easy to see that the Strawberry Beer and Strawberry Wine drinks -- both served in commemorative glasses to take home -- were among the most popular of all the refreshments for sale, with proceeds going to support local charities.


Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com

Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com

Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com

As far as children's fun, Strawberryland was ready to please even the most adventurous kid. In the children's area the food stand that seemed to be attracting the most young and not so young strawberry lovers was probably the simply very yummy Strawberry Pop-corn and strawberry lemonade. 


Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com

The strawberry hat contest was really fun. But the booth that stole the most giggles from the little ones? That was the Strawberry Tart Throwing Contest, of course. How fun it was to watch best buddies willingly lined up to have friends and family toss delicious strawberry tarts at their faces, with staff  ready to hand out wipes and everyone not doing a very good job about holding back their laughter. 


Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com

Our last stop of the day was to the build your own strawberry short cake concession -- needless to say this was absolutely STRAWBERRYLICIOUS.


Norma Perez, MommyBlogExpert.com

As you can see from all the entertaining photos in this post, the festival was a blast. This is definitely a must-attend family annual event to consider attending if you're lucky enough to be in Southern California during the May weekend when it is held each year.

About California Strawberry Festival
For more information visit the official California Strawberry Festival website. You can also learn more and see additional photos from this year's event by following the organization on Twitter, FacebookInstagramPinterest and YouTube.


Image from California Strawberry Festival

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert received a family pack of all-access press passes to facilitate review of the California Strawberry Festival but did not receive payment.  See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.