You’d think with all these food posts that I was pregnant or something!  (No, I’m NOT pregnant – that would take an act of God!)  I have to tell you about a really cool subscription box that I was gifted by NatureBox.  Subscription boxes are all the rave right now – you pay a monthly fee and each month you get a surprise box of goodies sent to your house.  NatureBox starts at $19.95/month and you get 5 full size bags of healthy snacks that you feel good about eating and sharing with your family.

I received the special May box that was inspired by Green Living Expert, Sara Snow.  Inside my box were tropical mango bites, lemon pucker pistachios, citrus kick almonds, mighty mix (trail mix), and my absolute favorite — Peanut Butter Nom Noms!  My kids ate most of the almonds and pistachios while I devoured the nom noms!  I had to share them with the kids but I didn’t want to – they were THAT GOOD!

What makes NatureBox different?  When you sign up the price for the regular box is always $19.95/month (unless you have a coupon) regardless of how many months you subscribe to.  They do an auto-renew type service but the price is always the same.  If you want to cancel later all you need to do is contact them but why on earth would you want to stop receiving these healthy goodies in your mail?  I have to go shopping and don’t frequent our local health food store because it’s “out of the way” so I am limited to what I can find at Publix when shopping for snacks.  You can’t find anything like these snacks at Publix for this price.  No high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, and no trans fats!

What are you waiting for?  Go sign up so you’ll get the June box delivered to your door.  My kids will be home with me almost all summer so I need to stock up on healthy snacks for the summer!

While searching aimlessly on Pinterest one evening I found a few pictures of chocolate covered bananas (like this one from Little B Cooks) and knew that my entire family would devour them.  My dear sweet husband recently found something similar in the freezer section of the grocery store but I hate buying things that are processed and pre-made.  I decided to tweak the recipe just slightly and add our own flare to it.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Chocolate Nutella Toffee Banana Bites Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Banana bites covered in chocolate-nutella and sprinkled with toffee chips before frozen. A little bit healthy and a little bit heavenly.

Author: Calley @TheEcoChic

Recipe type: Snack, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

• 1 cup of fairtrade organic chocolate morsels
• ½ cup of Nutella (or peanut butter would work well too)
• 1 cup of toffee chips
• 2 fresh bananas

Instructions

1. Peel and slice bananas into 1-2″ wide pieces.
2. In a small glass bowl melt chocolate morsels and Nutella (microwave or stove top).
3. Stir mixture until smooth and well blended.
4. Place banana slices on a lined cookie sheet and spoon on a tablespoon (aprox) of chocolate mixture over the bananas.
5. Top with toffee chips.
6. Freeze for one hour.
7. Wait until the kids go to bed and then enjoy your snacks and whatever you do – don’t share!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 4-8

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OK, I did end up sharing these with the family and I think they approved because there wasn’t anything left after our little after dinner snack.  You could really top them with anything.  I think next time I’ll mix chocolate with peanut butter and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.  What would you top them with?

BEWARE: They do melt in your hands and your children may look like this after eating them.  I don’t think she minds though.  Enjoy!  

I’ve always wanted to make a fruit salsa but my family usually snubs their nose when I get creative in the kitchen.  We picked up some chicken that was marinated in a mango coconut sauce at our friends new butcher shop and market, Southern Steer Butchers (US 19 and Curlew in Dunedin, FL), and this is the side dish that I prepared to go with the chicken.  I served it over a bed of fresh romaine with a sprinkle of parmesan and balsamic vinegar to balance the flavor of the mango.  DELICIOUS is an understatement!

Mango Avocado Fruit Salsa Recipe

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Mango, Pineapple, Strawberry, Avocado, Fruit Salsa – Perfect as a side dish, dessert, or served over a bed of lettuce.

Author: Calley @TheEcoChic

Recipe type: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 Mango
• 6 Strawberries
• 1 Small can pineapple tidbits (in pineapple juice)
• ½ Small tomato
• 1 Avocado
• Optional – Balsamic Vinegar
• Optional – Feta or parmesan cheese
• Optional – Romaine or any variety of lettuce

Instructions

1. Chop all of the fruits and vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
2. Toss gently.
3. Chill for 30 minutes.
4. Serve as a side dish, dessert, or as pictured over a bed of lettuce with balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 4

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I would have loved to share pictures of the mango coconut chicken but my dear sweet husband grilled it for a few minutes too long.  All of the wonderful marinade was hard to taste underneath the charred grill marks that were left behind.  I guess I need to take over the grilling duties next time but to his defense the chicken pieces were very thick and difficult to grill – he was trying to ensure that the inside was fully cooked.

How would you serve this mango avocado fruit salsa?  What would you pair it with?

Have you ever heard of chia seeds before?  No, not chia pets although that is the same type of flowery plant that produces the chia seeds.  Chia seeds are native to Mexico and Guatemala and have been around for centuries.  They have recently become popular in America and are considered a “superfood,” rich in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, calcium, antioxidants, and protein.  If you’ve been on Pinterest lately I’m sure you’ve seen chia seeds featured in many different recipes.

My “No Cook Chia Chocolate Porridge Recipe” was based off one of those pins I found months ago and have since lost (or I would gladly credit my influencer).  The original recipe had fruit and nuts but I need a little chocolate kick to get me started in the morning so I tweaked it.  I rarely measure any ingredients, if you like a thick porridge add more oats or if you like a thinner porridge add more milk.  There really isn’t too much you can do to this recipe that would mess it up.

No Cook Chia Chocolate Porridge Recipe

 

Print

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

3 hours

Total time

3 hours 5 mins

 

A simple to make, no mess, make-ahead breakfast. You could mix up this recipe with your own toppings; fruits, nuts, etc.

Author: Calley @TheEcoChic

Recipe type: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats (I used quick oats)
• Fair trade chocolate morsels
• Honey to taste
• 1-2 tbs organic chia seeds
• 1 Cup organic yogurt
• 1 Cup almond milk

Instructions

1. Start with a clean glass jar and begin to layer the ingredients.
2. Close the jar with a secure lid and shake until mixed.
3. Store in fridge 3 hours or overnight.
4. Serve cold.

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When you get ready to serve this just give it a quick stir to make sure you get all of the ingredients in your first bite.  The chocolate chips stay firm and crunchy while everything else is soft.  I like to eat it straight out of my storage container and it is usually enough for 2-3 servings because it’s very filling.  Enjoy!

How do you use your chia seeds?  What tasty ingredients would you use to make this recipe your own?

There’s a new local blog in the Bay and I’m one of the lucky contributors! I first heard of the City Mom Blogs from my friend Jenny (conscientiousconfusion) and role with the Dallas Moms Blog.  While we were having lunch on a recent trip to Dallas I found out that they had plans on launching a Tampa Bay Moms Blog (TBMB) here!  I was excited and began to look for more information.  I was immediately connected with the founder, Sheriss, and accepted as a contributor!

The TBMB launched on April 29th with a week full of giveaways from local businesses and companies.  The 13 contributors each introduced ourselves and shared more about why Tampa Bay is our home!  What else do we talk about?  Anything local!  Fitness, kids activities, our favorite parks, local businesses we love, and stories about our families.  There will also we local meet ups for moms and families to attend around the Bay.

To see some of my recent contributions visit TBMB and be sure to subscribe to our emails and follow us on your favorite social media outlet.   If you live in the Bay area leave a comment below and let me know what part of town you call home; I’m in Pinellas County (Palm Harbor to be exact)!

Posts by me:

Would YOU Reuse a Diaper?

Introducing Calley, a Weekend Beach Bum

In this weeks Green List I’m sharing some of the books that I’m reading now.  I have a pretty eclectic bookshelf with topics ranging from DIY, fitness with kids, and a few new cookbooks.  What are you reading right now?

DIY Books:

Sewing the Seasons: 23 Projects to Celebrate the Seasons by Sandi Henderson.  I’m itching to start sewing again and this book is full of fun projects that don’t look too complicated (remember I’m still learning).  The Farmers Market Tote is absolutely adorable as well as some of the cute Lemonade Swing Top (or dresses) patterns.  In addition to sewing projects Sandi includes a few seasonal recipes as well.

Fitness Books:

Yoga for Children by Lisa Flynn.  I’ve played around with Yoga for years and when my oldest was little we had fun practicing our poses together.  Now that my daughter is 4 I think she’d have fun doing Yoga with her brother and I.  My favorite part of the book is the sections on partner poses and family Yoga games.  I’m sure we’ll also enjoy the relaxation exercises before bedtime.

Recipe Books:

The Big Book of Gluten-Free Recipes by Kimberly A Tessmer.  We’re not a gluten-free family but we do have a lot of friends who are gluten-free.  Since we entertain a lot I thought it would be nice to have some recipe ideas on hand for our friends.  There are over 500 breakfast, snack appetizer, salad, side dish, and dessert recipes to choose from and I’m excited to try a few this week.  Perhaps some zucchini parmesan sticks might taste good with a crusted chicken.  I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

The Everything Giant Book of Juicing by Teresa Kennedy.  My husband bought us a juicer last year and it’s fun to see what different combinations of fruits and vegetables actually taste really good together.  Just tonight I juiced some pineapple, pear, broccoli, cucumber, and flaxseeds together for a light dinner (we ate a really late lunch).  With over 300 juice recipes this book has something for everyone.  It explains the differences between juicing and blending and even has a section on why organic produce is better for you.  I’m really excited to try the Breathe Easy Juice next time I have an asthma related allergy.  There are even recipes designed just for the kids.

Annelie’s Raw Food Power: Supercharged Raw Food Recipes and Remedies by Annelie Whitfield.  I’ve never ventured into the world of raw foods (aside from my favorite fruits and vegetables) but I’m intrigued by some of these recipes.  The only thing that intimidates me is all the fancy ingredients that you need to make them.  I’m afraid I’ll spend too much money on the ingredients and not like the outcome.  I am excited though to try the Morning Nut Milk recipe – my daughter is sensitive to cows milk and being able to make almond or nut milk at home would be nice.  The directions seem easy enough and the ingredients aren’t as intimidating – almonds, raw honey, vanilla extract, sea salt, and filtered water.  I’ll let you know how it comes out and if I get brave enough to try the hempy burritos or raw vanilla ice cream.

What my kids are reading:

My Very Own World Adventure by Maia Haag.  This is just one of the books in the I See Me! collection of personalized children’s books.  In My Very Own World Adventure your child becomes the guide on an adventure around the world.  The letters of their name decide what countries you will visit in the story.  I love that the book is personalized for my own child with her name in it.  She’s just beginning to recognize her name and the letters that make it up – she gets really excited when we read this one.  PS: Want to win one of these I See Me! books?  Don’t forget to RSVP for Tuesday nights Pin Around the World Twitter Party.  

Did you miss last weeks Green List?  I talked about some of my favorite cloth diapers.

Tell me, what are you reading this week?  Do you have a favorite topic you are interested in?  

Related articles

• The Weekly Green List #1 – Cloth Diapers
• RSVP for #WorldAdventure Twitter Party with @ISeeMe_Maia
• Pin Around the World with ISeeMe.com #worldadventure

I wanted to wish you all a very blessed Mother’s Day!  I pray that you are able to spend the day with your mom, your children, and any other special person in your life.  For me I’m blessed to have spent Saturday with my own mom – and eat all of her potato salad that she made just for me!

When I picked up Bailey at school on Friday this is part of the gift that her teacher helped each child make.  If you’d like to know more about the “real” Eco Chic then I guess you should ask my daughter because I really like the lady she’s describing!  It’s great to see how you look to a 4 year old.

Oh and everything she said is true!  I’m not going to tell her anything different!

• Why yes, I am 20 years old!  Of course that would mean I had my son when I was 10.
• Why yes, I have the same favorite color as you do!  Although my second favorite color is Tiffany Blue!
• Why yes, I catch my own fish for dinner – at Publix!
• Um, red wine? My 4 year old pays a bit too much attention to my beverage selection.
• Why yes, my favorite restaurant is Chick-fil-a and it’s funny that we just ate there on Thursday night!
• I plead the 5th on watching House Hunters – she does know me there!  Oh and if you see a house under a million dollars on an island in the Caribbean please let me know!
• I will let you believe that I come home and clean the house every day – those dust bunnies are our pets!
• “Disney together EVERY weekend.”  Well we do go quite a bit but EVERY weekend may be a bit of an exaggeration.

What would your child say about you?

Don’t forget to RSVP for Tuesday nights Twitter Party with I See Me!  You could win a $50 Amazon Gift Card or 1 of 4 I See Me! personalized children’s books.  RSVP here to enter to win: http://www.theecochic.com/2013/04/19/pin-world-iseeme-com-worldadventure/

Don’t forget to RSVP for Tuesday nights Twitter AND Pinterest party with I See Me!

We all know what a Twitter Party is but what is a Twitter AND Pinterest Party?  During the party we’ll be chatting on Twitter about the I See Me! personalized children’s books and their newest book, My Very Own World Adventure!  I See Me! has a Pin to Win contest on their Facebook page and we’re going to help you enter and share our favorite #worldadventure pinboards with you during the Twitter party.

Want to know more about I See Me?  They are a collection of children’s books that can each be personalized with your child’s name.  For instance, in My Very Own World Adventure the letters in your child’s name determines which countries you will visit in the book.  My daughters name is Bailey and she travels to Brazil, Argentina, Isreal, Latvia, Ethiopia, and Yunnan China in her book.  Each book is unique and your child will get to learn about different countries.  My daughter is only 4 but she loves to see her name in the book and helps me spell it as we turn the page.

Enter to Win 1 of 4 I See Me! Personalized Storybooks when you RSVP and Tweet with us during Tuesday night’s party!  To enter visit Pin Around the World #worldadventure and complete the Rafflecopter entry form.

Disclosure: This post and Twitter Party are part of a sponsored campaign with I See Me!and The Eco Chic.  The Pinterest Party is a separate campaign that is sponsored solely by I See Me!  All prizes will be sent from I See Me!  

With summer approaching quickly it’s time to start thinking about hurricane season again in Florida; except Florida isn’t the only place where hurricanes can strike.  Our biggest fear when moving to Tampa was fear of hurricanes and having to run from them each year.  What we realized is that these storms can strike anywhere and are likely to cause more damage to those areas who are not prepared.  Scientists have been indicating that climate change may be to blame for increased hurricane strength, making them even more dangerous.  With Hurricane Sandy devastating areas of New York it makes me wonder what this year’s hurricane season will look like.

Did you know that you can help alleviate the stress on our climate by conserving energy in our homes and cars?  Little things that we do at home can either waste energy or conserve energy.  According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the ENERGY STAR program helped to reduce utility bills (from consumers and businesses) by $24 billion dollars and prevented over 242 million metric tons on greenhouse gas emissions in the past year (2012).  Each time we install an ENERGY STAR light bulb, appliance, electronics we are making a small step to reduce our energy usage and reduce greenhouse gasses that cause climate change.  Just think about the impact if everyone made a few small changes in their lives.  

This summer ENERGY STAR is partnering with the PTO Today and LG Electronics to help educate our children and their families about the importance of saving energy.  The PTO Today is working with the makers of the new animated movie EPIC to bring their eco-warrior characters to help make energy saving fun.  EPIC tells the story of an ongoing battle between the forces of good, who keep the natural world alive, and the forces of evil, who wish to destroy it.  Hmmm….that doesn’t sound like our world at all does it?  Perhaps we should make our government and business leaders watch this film with their children.

7 Things YOU Can Do to Help Save Energy:

1. Install energy efficient lighting in your home.  CFL and LED lights can last up to 10 times longer than  fluorescent light bulbs and 4-10 times more efficient than fluorescent light bulbs.
2. Look for the ENERGY STAR label on all appliances and electronics that you purchase.
3. Turn off all lights and electronics when you leave a room and work by a window using natural light when possible.
4. Turn off room fans when you leave a room.  While they may help you feel cooler they use a lot of energy and don’t cool the room.
5. Unplug your cell phone, tablet, and laptop chargers when not in use.  These chargers pull electricity even when fully charged.
6. Join Team ENERGY STAR and help Change the World!  Families can download an ENERGY STAR Home Check-Up kit and other interactive material to help save energy at home.
7. Have your kids share their energy saving stories with ENERGY STAR and they’ll become eligible to win all kinds of great LG energy-saving electronics to help save even more energy and change the world!

Don’t forget that hurricane season officially starts June 1st.  Use the month of May to help prepare for the upcoming season.  Sit down as a family and create an emergency plan for natural disasters like hurricanes.  It’s important to know what to do before the storm hits, during a storm, and what to do after the storm hits.  We have to update our emergency supply box every year to ensure that batteries are still working and that the food and water is still good.  Did you know that plastic water bottles actually deteriorate?  Since we don’t regularly buy water in bottles, we only have a few bottles that we store for emergencies and the bottles actually start to get holes and leak within a year.  If you have a baby in diapers you may want to read my post about Diapering in a Disaster; tips for using cloth diapers when a natural disaster strikes.

Do you live in a hurricane prone area?  What steps do you take to be prepared and what does your family do to conserve energy?

Related articles

• Join Team ENERGY STAR & Get Ready for This Summer’s Eco Block-Buster

What is the Weekly Green List?  This is a new feature on that will appear each week with some of my favorite new (or new to me) finds.  These products and companies all have to be eco-friendly or help you live a more natural lifestyle.  To start out the Weekly Green List, we’re talking about cloth diapers.

Moraki Cloth Diapers - one of the newest and hottest brands of cloth diapers.  Moraki is a small family business located in California and all diapers are made in the US.  Fun and funky prints available in an AIO or AI2 diaper with their signature fold to fit hemp/cotton inserts.  My favorite prints include the Hippie tie dye diaper and the Fluffies, fun ruffle butt diapers!  Give Moraki Cloth a quick “Like” on Facebook to see what other fun diapers they come up with.

Smart Bottoms – A company from Grand Rapid, MI with all of their products made in the US.  Another small family owned business that offers some great organic cotton and hemp cloth diapers.  Their Too Smart 3.0 is their one-size cover with optional organic cotton inserts.  I love their AIO organic Smart One 3.0 with super soft organic cotton sewn in insert and lining, super soft!  In addition to their 3.0 series diapers they also make Smart Fold prefolds (cotton and hemp) that are perfect for nights and heavy wetters and the Lil Trainers organic cotton pull up style trainer with snap in inserts.  One final Smart option is the Smart Bags (wet bags) that come with a snap shut handle and zippered closure in coordinating prints.  To see what other “Smart” ideas they come up with follow Smart Bottoms on Facebook.

Rock-a-Bums - If you have a little rock star in cloth diapers you’ll want to check out Rock-a-Bums and their hip new 5-in-one style diaper.  The Rock-a-Bums can be used as an AIO, AI2, Pocket, hybrid or cover.  The adorable “BOMB Shell” cover has a fleece pocket with 2 snap in inserts.  The inserts can be stuffed in the pocket or laid inside like a cover.  If you don’t like microfiber you can change our the inserts with your favorite natural fiber, disposable insert, or even use it as a cover over a fitted or disposable.  Truly a functional diaper for any family – not just rock stars!  Find out what else is Rockin’ at Rock-a-Bums by following them on Facebook.

Little Comfort - A newer cloth diaper company in the US that comes all the way from Donegal Town in North West Ireland.  The Popeasy pocket diaper is a dual sized pocket diaper with snap in inserts.  The inserts are a bamboo and cotton fleece blend and are super soft!  The Bambee fitted by Little Comfort is also a dual sized diaper that is one of the softest fitted diapers I’ve found.  A blend of bamboo and cotton fleece with snap in inserts.  With eight layers of bamboo/cotton this is truly a diaper that would anything a heavy wetter could produce!  Don’t forget to add a cover over this fitted.  You can find a retailer of Little Comfort by giving Green Team Enterprises a “Like” on Facebook.

What new cloth diaper brand are you loving these days?  Which one of these are you most excited by?