MealEnders Review and Giveaway

MealEnders Signaling Lozenges are a first-of-its-kind weight management tool designed to curb overeating and teach portion control by using a combination of behavioral psychology and sensory science.  Free of stimulants or other harmful diet ingredients, MealEnders catalyze behavioral change by retraining the mind to stop eating with the eyes.

MealEnders consist of two components:  a sweet, outer reward layer and a cooling/tingling inner core.  the outer layer provides a measured dose of “dessert” associated with the end of a meal, while the inner core engages the trigeminal nerve (the nerve that senses taste) with long-lasting cooling/tingling sensations that cleanse the palate.

Sucking on a lozenge when you know you’ve consumed enough–but can’t stop–keeps your mouth and mind occupied during the 20-minute overeating zone, giving your body’s natural satiety process time to catch up.  MealEnders are and easy, safe and sustainable way to curb your appetite.

Each Signaling Lozenge contains only 2 grams of sugar and 15 calories.

Above is all the information from the MealEnders company.  My thoughts on the Signalizing Lozenges?  I think it’s a genius idea.  Anything that distracts me from my sweet cravings is pretty awesome in my mind.  The sweet outer layer isn’t bad.  It tastes like you are chewing on a piece of chocolate or candy.  The inner layer, however, is something to get used to.  It sort of numbs your taste buds and leaves a long lasting aftertaste on your tongue.  It certainly makes you not want to eat anything afterwards.  Do they work?  I think it just depends on the person.  It helps distract me for sure.  At least I’m getting something sweet in my mouth when a craving hits.  I’m pretty excited to continue using these lozenges to see if I can get my sweet cravings and impulse eating under control.

So does this sound like something you would want to try?  If so, enter my giveaway below.  MealEnders has given me the opportunity to give one lucky person the chance to win 4 packages of the Signalizing Lozenges–one of each of the following flavors:  Cinnamon, Mocha, Chocolate Mint and Citrus.  The giveaway ends on December 14, so hurry!  US only.  One prize per person.

Click here to enter the MealEnders Giveaway

If you decide you just can’t wait and you want to purchase the Signalizing Lozenges right away, visit the MealEnders page and enter the code FitHolidays20 to save 20% on your order!

Recipe: Spicy Vegetable Chili

So fall is a little over two weeks away.  It’s definitely my favorite season.  I love the smell in the air, the cooler weather, pumpkin spice EVERYTHING, and the leaves changing colors.  It also means we are that much closer to CHRISTMAS!! (Yeah, I’m one of those.)

Another reason I love fall is because it is the perfect weather for soups and stews!  Today’s recipe is the Spicy Vegetarian Chili from the Better Homes and Gardens Summer 2015 Slow Cooker Magazine.  I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand, and I have made a note of my modifications next to each ingredient.  My chili is in the slow cooker right now, and I already stole a taste.  It’s AMAZING!

Spicy Vegetable Chili

Prep time: 30 minutes

2 28oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained (I used one can of diced and one can of stewed tomatoes)

2 15oz cans dark red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (I used one can of dark red kidneys and one can of black beans)

2 15oz cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups chopped onions (I used a red onion)

1 15oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1.5 cups chopped green sweet peppers

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup water

1 6oz can tomato paste

2Tbs chili powder

8 cloves of garlic, minced (I used 7)

1Tbs Worcestershire sauce

1tsp ground cumin

1tsp dried oregano

1tsp bottled hot pepper sauce (I used Buffalo Tabasco sauce)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I left this out)

Sour cream (optional)

In a 6-7 quart slow cooker, stir together all ingredients except sour cream.  Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours.  If desired, top with sour cream.

Makes 10 servings

Per serving:  244 calories, 2g fat, 0mg chol., 916 mg sodium, 49g carb, 12 g fiber, 13 g pro

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Hope you guys enjoy this one!! It’s a keeper.

Recipe: Sweet and Savory Mini Meat Loaves.

Often times, I cook meals for my two boys in the slow cooker.  It allows me to not have to rush in the evenings to figure out what to cook for dinner.  Plus, it gives me an opportunity to cook a meat dish for them, since I am a pescatarian, and make something else for myself.

Today’s recipe comes from the Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Magazine called SlowCooker (Oven-Free Summer Recipes).  The recipe is as follows:

Sweet and Savory Mini Meat Loaves

Prep: 20 minutes (yeah right, if you’re chopping and have a toddler, you need at least an hour)

Cook: 10 minutes (apparently double cooking the meat is required)

Slow Cook: 6-7 hours on low or 3-3 1/2 hours on high

Ingredients:

2 eggs beaten

1/3 cup quick cooking oats

2Tbs snipped chives

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 cup finely chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup shredded carrot

2lb 93% lean ground turkey

2 Tbs canola oil (I use coconut oil because coconut oil trumps life)

1 1/2 cups chopped roma tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped sweet red pepper

1/2 cup chopped red onion

3 Tbs packed brown sugar

1 Tbs chili powder

1Tbs Dijon mustard

In a large bowl, combine eggs, oats, chives, 4 cloves of the garlic, 1 tsp of the salt, and the black pepper.  Stir in the mushrooms, celery and carrot.  Add turkey; mix well. Shape mixture into 8 oval loaves.  In an extra-large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.  Brown meat loaves on all sides in hot oil.

Meanwhile, in a 6-quart slow cooker, combine the remaining ingredients and the remaining 2 cloves garlic and 1/2 tsp salt.  Arrange browned met loaves on top of tomato mixture.  Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-3 1/2 hours.

Transfer meat loaves to a platter; cover to keep warm.  Pour tomato mixture into a bowl.  Using an immersion blender, blend until nearly smooth (I will be using my Nutribullet).  Spoon sauce over meat loaves.  Top with sliced green onion or snipped chives.

Per meat loaf: 227 cal, 15g fat, 130mg chol, 618mg sodium, 13g carbs, 2g fiber, 25g protein

The loaves are cooking as we speak, so I cannot yet feed my boys to get a review on the dish.  I’m sure it’s wonderful.  It wouldn’t be in a magazine if it weren’t.  Right?  As for a side dish.  I am roasting potatoes and cooking some veggies.  Voila.

Kitchen Hack: How to De-seed a Pomegranate in Two Minutes

Pomegranates are amazing super-foods that are great for your health.  But have you ever tried to de-seed a pomegranate underwater?  I tried…..once.  After that, I only bought prepared pomegranate seeds from the supermarket  (Do you know how hard those are to find??).  I just didn’t want to spend 20 minutes de-seeding a pomegranate because there are a lot of others things this new mama can do with that time.

So recently, my brother-in-law had a post on his Facebook page about de-seeding a pomegranate quickly.  I watched the video, and was slightly intrigued.  Then I tried it myself, and now I’m hooked.  I buy pomegranates all the time, and I actually enjoy getting the seeds out now.  Two minutes.  That’s all it takes.  Try it for yourself.  Then let me know how it went!