Buttered Tilapia, vegetables and mashed potatoes

Hello everybody! If you've been following this blog for a bit, then  you know that I gave up sugar (mostly, I'll rarely allow myself to have something with it) a while ago... And I went from going "baker extraordinaire" and the leader of a "cake baking group" (I really tried to hold on to that last one for as long as I could) to being a no sugar, no wheat (unless it's sprouted) gal! ... Well... When you hear "no sugar" "no wheat" the word "IMPOSSIBLE" usually comes to mind!  I know it did for me... but the Trim Healthy Mama Plan has so many more "YESES" than it has "NOS" that it's made it easier to fully embraced it and I am not looking back! And interestingly enough you can still HAVE A LOT OF SWEETS AND DESSERTS!  (Click here for some of those recipes) but just without the guilt that those things are usually accompanied with... These are treats made in such a way that they can actually help you lose weight!

Disclaimer: If you're still on sugar... You might still want to wait before trying these desserts... otherwise they'll taste like bitter sin in your mouth! Truvia/Stevia tastes bitter when you're still intoxicated by sugar... and it's not Stevia's fault... it's the sugar's fault that has flooded your system and even changed your taste buds (making you want more!). Trust me... I used to think all THMS were crazy for "liking such disgusting things" but... now I am in heaven when I eat them! I would've never thought I could ever, ever enjoy them.

Now... to the fun part and the purpose of today's post... share a recipe with you! A recipe that you wouldn't think of enjoying with the ultimate goal of slimming your figure! But ... in the THM plan this is what we eat! (Another disclaimer... I still have lots of weight to lose but it's not the plan's fault... I have thyroid issues that make it near to impossible for me to lose weight... with THM at least I am getting healthier and ... being able to eat like this without gaining weight is a victory in and of itself for me)

Here goes:

Buttered Tilapia with Vegetables and Mashed "Potatoes" - THM -S-

Some day I'll have money for a better camera that can make mashed things look good, for now, this will do!

This recipe is low carb, grain free, gluten free

Yield: 2 abundant servings or 4 smaller portions.

Ingredients: 

For the Fish:

• 4 good size tilapia fillets
• 2 tsp. coconut oil - I use this one
• 1/2 cup onions - finely chopped
• 6 oz. chopped white fresh mushrooms
• 1 lb. asparagus (chopped into smaller pieces, hard ends removed)
• 2 cloves of garlic Grated
• 2-3 tbsp. of butter in small pieces (I use Kerrygold, grassfed)
• 1/2 tbsp. of chicken stock (or water)
• salt and garlic powder to taste (Freshly Ground Pepper optional. I left it out)

For the mashed "potatoes" (this is actually a delicious cauliflower mash)

• 1 cauliflower head
• 4 tbsp. of butter (I use Kerrygold, grassfed) - softened -
• 2 oz. Neufchatel Cheese (1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese) - I use Philadelphia -
• 1/4 cup Grated cheddar cheese
• 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• Salt to taste (be generous)

Directions: 

For the fish: (Before you start with the fish you want to start preparing your cauliflower mash at the same time, see recipe below)

• Lightly rinse and pat dry your tilapia fillets, season them with some salt and garlic powder on both sides, set aside.
• On a large skillet warm up the coconut oil on medium/high. When the oil is hot add the chopped onions, mushrooms, asparagus, salt your veggies and stir frequently. When the onions are translucent turn the hear to med/low, add the garlic, stir for an extra minute, add 1 - 2 tbsp. of chicken stock (or water), stir again and place tilapia filets on top of your vegetables, cover with a lid and let it steam until fish is cooked through (It should be slightly flaky and opaque in color inside. about 10-15 minutes).
• Remove lid, place butter pieces on top of the fillets, cover and let it sit for 1 extra minute, until the butter is melted. Remove lid, serve immediately. (Place a tilapia fillet on the plate and veggies on top)

For the cauliflower:

• Steam the cauliflower until it's fork tender, drain any leftover liquid from the cauliflower, while it is still very hot (just be cautious) transfer to a Food Processor or Blender, add rest of the ingredients, blend until smooth, check seasonings and adjust to your taste if needed. Serve immediately. (You can always store leftovers in the fridge, add a tiny amount of liquid and/or butter and reheat later)

YUM!!!

Now... let me tell you something... If you are a THM you will need to invest a bit of money to get a good quality blender (food processor is optional but... it is VERY HELPFUL) ... Now... I know that big names like Vitamix are amazing... But I really cannot afford it... if you can, go for it!!! For me... I am very happy with my Ninja , it is reliable, they have great customer service (in my personal experience) and it does A GREAT JOB! crushes ice, frozen fruit... like... big chunks of frozen fruit! the food processor has a big capacity, my cuisinart broke as soon as I started making my daily smoothies... Ninja crushes those smoothies like it's nothing! Pretty noisy but the Vitamix is too... You can't "warm soups up" but I have pans/pots and a stove for that. So if you can't spend over 300 in a blender... Ninja is the way to go! (The megakitchen system comes with a food processor, 2 nutricups with their "lids to go") I don't get paid by ninja in any way to promote their product... but I am that in love with it!!!

Now... this is an affiliate link, which means if you buy the ninja through clicking on my link I will receive a small (oh so small) percentage of the price BUT it doesn't mean it adds any extra cost to you. I could be trying to convince you to get something "more expensive" but I don't want you to break the piggy bank! This will get you through it all! You will also make the smoothest purees in there!

© Paloma K.

 Disclaimer: Some links in this post are affiliate links, this means that you pay the same price, but I also receive a very small compensation. I recommend products I have tried and love.

Product recommendation - Xylitol

SWEETENER : Xylitol

Perfect for baking, no weird aftertaste, grind it and incorporate in your baking! I don't get the cramps or side effects I get with other sugar alcohols ... It is totally worth it! and THM approved for Sugar free baked goods. Made from real birch and not corn. You will love it.

© Paloma K.

Disclaimer: This product is recommended by my own personal experience, is the one I use and I highly recommend it... This post contains affiliate links.

Torch Coffee - Review and Exclusive Promo Code at the end

I've said several times that "Coffee" is not the only topic on this blog, but it is certainly our "original topic", it is what got this blog started and it is definitely what many times helps me focus so I can gather my ideas and write a post... Recently I heard that a friend (his name is Josh) joined the Torch Coffee Roasters Team  and I just knew it was the PERFECT job for him, he has great people skills, has always loved (almost to an addiction point) coffee and also loves serving the community.... Torch Coffee Roasters is allowing him to apply all of these strengths into this job! If you're interested to learn more about him, what he's doing with this company or if you'd like to learn about their ministry in China and how the need your prayers to spread their gospel allowing God to use their business please check this out.

So, intrigued by all this and wondering if it would be not only a good ministry to support but also a great product I ordered my first bag of Torch Coffee... I was excited when I received it

 I felt like a little girl on Christmas morning... so, there it was, the box and my impatience to open it... If you know my family and friends they will tell you that when I am asked for my opinion I will tell the truth... I will say it with love if I know it might hurt but I will still say it... so here goes my review for Torch:

- Shipment/Arrival: Excellent! There was no way the bag could open during the shipping process, it was well protected and safely packed in a cardboard box filled with enough protective packaging materials. It arrived quickly after I ordered.

- Packaging/Appearance: Beautiful! I loved their bag, it looks trendy and clean, keeps the coffee beans fresh and it's easy to understand, it even has a date that tells you exactly when it was roasted (mine was roasted the very day they shipped it! I am not kidding! It was that fresh)

Flavor: I got the SAN FRANCISCO Blend, it was honestly delicious and smooth but it's more for someone who is not a big fan of strong coffee, this blend was silky, very mild and not bitter... I love it for a relaxing night when you don't want a blend that will keep you awake all night. Hubby wasn't crazy about it, he LOVES CRAZY STRONG coffee (no cream, no sugar for him)... But I do recommend this one especially for that person that you want to "get started" into the coffee habit and they haven't gotten into it because they don't like the bitterness of coffee. I would almost dare to say this one has a certain "sweetness" to it.

PRICE:  I find it to be on the expensive side but still affordable (especially if you take advantage of the promo code I am sharing in this post),  I also find it to be worth the price because not only you'll be getting a great cup of gourmet coffee and a wonderful experience but also the satisfaction of knowing you're also helping a business with values, that has a vision for helping others, provide jobs here and abroad.

Their website: Torch Coffee Roasters

Look for yourself! I love their FB page as well, the customer service is fantastic and they keep their "audience" engaged, they communicate about what they're doing, where they're going and I love their videos as well. You should for sure check them out.

I love their wide selection of Gourmet Coffee... They have a special blend for every palate! Just check out their list:


So now... let's get to the part you've been waiting for. Today you'll get the opportunity to taste this coffee for a lot less! I am going to give you a 40% coupon (Courtesy of Torch) exclusive for the "The Coffee Shop" readers and followers. No need for "entry" you don't even have to "leave a comment" here or give me a "Like" on FB... (I'll love it if you do though) just check them out, get your first bag of Torch Coffee and you'll want more! ...  So... visit the Torch Coffee Store, select your favorite blend (Josh - my friend at Torch - highly recommends: "Season 2 Espresso" directly from Costa Rica (and their strongest roast), "El Durazno" from Chiapas, Mx (Chiapas has some of the best coffee in the world!) or Josh's  favorite blends, any of their "Kenyan's blends", he says they're fruity and delicious!  add your favorite (or favorites) to your cart and make sure you enter the following promo code: love4coffee (yes, like my blog address), share it with friends and come back for more, I will continue to share news and specials offers from Torch in the future, Torch and I are already planning on future deals for you!

Now... what do I gain from all this? Well, the satisfaction of helping a good, honest company with a great, high quality and delicious product and the great feeling of sharing a great deal with my readers... I am in no way compensated or receive any money in exchange for this review/promo

Just wanted to get that out of the way in case you were thinking something of the sorts.

again... Get your 40% discount over your total purchase at: Torch Coffee Store with the

love4coffee

promo code at checkout. You can't pass this opportunity. You can even buy several bags to give out as Christmas gifts... It will be PERFECT! 

Note: This code will be valid for a month and will expire on 11/26/2014

 © Paloma K.

Get free glasses with Firmoo! - Review

Hello everybody, as I type, hubby is finishing with his packing... I just did mine... it's Friday night and we are leaving tomorrow, we'll have about 1 week of vacation! YAY! So by the time you are reading this I hope I'll be spending some great time with my family! Anyway.... I said it's Friday and after a great Coffee Friday Check it out here I thought I would start writing my review about the Firmoo glasses I received last week. It turns out that Firmoo contacted me to know if I'd be interested in reviewing either their prescription glasses or sunglasses and I chose the first! I am always on the look for good glasses, I've had to use prescription since I was 18 so I've had my share of frames and lenses... and I know that most times to get "good ones" you do have to go on the higher price range... So I must admit I was very skeptic about Firmoo... Online glasses? How in the world am I going to know if I really like the frame? If it fits? if it goes well with my face shape? or... are they even going to be accurate with the prescription? Then I went to their site and I did like the frames I saw but the prices, being so low made me actually doubt them even more! But I still accepted the challenge! So let me talk a little more about the whole experience, from the online choosing to finally get to wear them:

1. Online selection: Firmoo has over 300 designs to choose from and they have an amazing feature where you can upload a picture of yours and have a "Virtual Try-On" that is actually fun to use! I tried ALL of their available frames! it makes it so easy to actually know how something looks on you and the cool thing is that since you are "trying" all these glasses in the privacy of your home and own computer, you actually dare to try all kinds of frames that you probably wouldn't try in the optometrist's office and it might be that you find that they actually look great on you!

2. Ordering: It is really simple! You just need to get the information from your optometrist. I didn't even know what I was asking about, but Firmoo has all the questions you need to ask about your prescription and once you get that info, by phone, from your doctor, you are good to go! You just "fill in the blanks" with your and you are set! Simple and detailed! You will also need a measuring tape to measure the distance between your eyes and stuff like that but it's very simple!

3. Receiving your glasses: I actually was informed during the whole process, the customer service department gave me a tracking number so I could track my package via UPS. I submitted my application on August 28th, was informed by their Customer Service that the glasses were shipped on Sept. 4th. and my glasses were in my hands on Sept. 8th. They were very nicely packaged!

This is what I received:

I also received a special screw driver (like a key chain) and an extra pair of arms (those that hold on to the nose) and screws with it. I just didn't include it in the picture, but it's all very nice!

Then it was time to try my glasses on...

I can see perfect with them, I was very surprised... And I've gotten nice comments from people who've noticed I am wearing new glasses. I ordered Model: #BC81150 and if I could just make one negative observation is that such model appears to have some pink transparent plastic in the "designed openings" on the sides of the glasses, (picture online) and mine were yellow/orangish ... I think I would've liked them better in pink ... but they are still very nice.

So I highly recommend you to not buy anymore super expensive glasses and try FIRMOO

I also have great news! To make more people try Firmoo’s quality products & excellent service, Firmoo has launched a program offering free eyewear for first-time buyers if that is their first purchase at Firmoo .


To know more about this, please check at http://www.firmoo.com/free-glasses.html

Disclaimer: The opinion expressed on the review above is entirely mine. I received the reviewed product (Firmoo Prescription Glasses) for free. I do not give favorable reviews just because the product was for free. I am giving an honest and unbiased opinion. I do not review products that do not align with my personal convictions. I do not accept money for reviewing products.

© Paloma K.

Divergent Trilogy and a Mexican Recipe!

 Hello friends, ready with your cup of coffee? I hope you've been enjoying your week so far! It's been very busy here and I haven't had much time to be on the computer! Just have had my days filled (which is great) and I re-started homeschooling my 3 yr. old. It's been so much fun! She loves it and I do too!

I've also been baking a lot and having friends over! Today I am going to help do something at church (I am not even sure what, but I jumped right in when a friend told me she'd be there to help lol!) then I'll be going to Chick-Fil-A for lunch (my girls love it, and even when I love it too I don't get too excited about going there at noon because it's always packed!)... anyway... I said Divergent Trilogy, right?

Well... about probably 2 weeks ago I bought (what I thought was) the 1st. book of the Divergent Trilogy...

It was weird because the name of the Book was "Insurgent" and I thought the name of the 1st. book would be "Divergent" ... I saw the Divergent Book, opened it and I could swear I saw something that said "the 2nd. book of the Divergent Trilogy" inside of it... then I went ahead and opened the "Insurgent" book in my hands and I could also swear it said "the first book of the divergent trilogy" ... what went wrong? I don't know! I was sooo unsure that was the first book so I thought I really checked twice before buying it but... I did.. and even when I started reading it something was off! Things didn't make sense... I had the feeling I was supposed to know what was going on ... but I didn't ... so I convinced myself it's probably just the style of the author... and maybe things would get clear later... things did get easier later ... and I got the personality of the characters and understood that a lot had happened before but I thought the author explained it all throughout the book... I was sure I was reading the 1st. book of the Trilogy!!! (ugh!) ... I wasn't!!!

Then... when I finished the book... I was eager to read the 2nd. one... so I went to the bookstore THAT NIGHT and got it... guess what... when I start reading... I realize... I was wrong! The whole time! And here I am ... reading the 1st. book with such disappointment because I now knew what was going to happen... I tried to convince myself this would be like watching "Batman" and then "Batman -The Beginning-" or something like that ... it hasn't been bad at all though... I thought I wouldn't be able to get into it since I know so much of what's going to happen! But it's been really great and I finally get details about the personalities and "lives" of the characters that I might have to read the second book again! LOL! ...

Anyway... I recommend this book! There are some things I haven't liked but overall it's a good read, I've liked it better than "The Hunger Games"  ... I am almost done with the first book (2nd. one for me... LOL!) of the Trilogy... and I can't wait for Fall 2013 to read the last book!

And now... A recipe!

I am going to just start sharing here some of the recipes of my "Mexican cooking Blog" since I haven't been around there for a while... for a long time actually! So... for all my followers here I'll just start bringing those recipes over! I hope you enjoy them! All AUTHENTIC!

I know the fact that these albondigas are stuffed with hard-boiled egg might make some people nervous, but trust me... my husband (who is a gringo) loved them! :) He was skeptic at first but they are delicious!

Albondigas rellenas de huevo / Meatballs stuffed hard-boiled egg

Yields: 8 Meatballs (4 servings)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb. ground beef
2. 1 chipotle pepper (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce) -it HAS TO BE chipotle, any other "chili pepper or powder wouldn't give this dish the wonderful smokey flavor -
3. 2 cloves of garlic
4. 1/4 white onion
5. 6 roma tomatoes (or about 4 of the whole red tomatoes) - cut in quarters or big chunks -
6. 3 hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters (you will probably only need 2 because we are making about 8 meatballs but cook 3 eggs just in case)
7. 1/4 cup of white rice
8. 1 cube of chicken bouillion
9. salt and pepper to taste (about 2 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. of black pepper... adjust to your taste)
10. about 1.5 tbsp. vegetable oil (or a little more if necessary)

Directions:
- In a middle sauce pan pour some water (fill it about half-way) and when the water starts boiling throw the 1/4 cup of white rice and let it boil for only 5 minutes, remove from the heat, drain the rice immediately and set aside (let it cool for about 5 minutes)

- Mix the ground beef with the rice, season with some salt and black pepper and mix it all well with your hands.
- With the meat start making "patties" (like hamburger patties) and wrapping the egg quarters with those patties (one quarter per each of the patties) Making sure the egg is completely wrapped by the mix of meat/rice. Do this with all the meat/rice mixture. You should have about 8 meatballs. Set aside.

- Put your tomatoes, garlic, chipotle pepper and about 1 cup of water in the blender. Blend it all until it makes a sauce (as smooth as possible)
- In an extended non-stick pan using medium-low heat add the oil and fry your 1/4 onion there (you can slice the onion if you want, it doesn't matter much but the onion will be removed) While the onion is frying and the oil is hot add your meatballs carefully so they don't open or fall apart, if you use medium or medium-high heat it might cause them to break so just be patient and seal your meatballs on all sides.

-Once they are browned on all sides (about 9-10 minutes) remove the oil and the oil excess. Add your sauce and chicken bouillion (you can add some salt at this point if necessary but wait until the sauce has been simmering for about 5 minutes to taste and adjust) once you add the sauce you can also add chopped potatoes if you want just to add something else, but I left it like that. Bring it all to a boil, cover, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about 35 minutes and serve. (side of rice, mashed potatoes or salad)

I hope you like this recipe! If you do please let me know! Comments are always a great encouragement to keep cooking/sharing.

© Paloma K.

Gigi's Cupcakes Reviewed

Good afternoon everybody! How are you doing? Ready for the weekend? Today is one of those last Friday's where we are not featuring our old "Coffee Friday" tradition! But it is coming back soon! And we'll be very happy to be featuring your pictures/blogs as long as the pictures you share are coffee-related... so, if you have any picture you would like us to publish please send it to love.for.coffee@gmail.com. Ok, back to our original topic. Today I am reviewing "Gigi's Cupcakes" Have you ever had one? I am interested in hearing someone else's opinion on them. I had never even heard about Gigi's cupcakes, but yesterday, a facebook friend posted a picture that looked soooo tempting! it was taken at Gigi's cupcakes and I KNEW RIGHT THEN AND THERE that tasting one would be my next thing to do! I went ahead and googled Gigi's cupcakes and I found their beautiful and well designed website. It is cute AND elegant which many times it is hard to find such a balanced combination, I loved the pictures on their website too and found all of their cupcakes very appealing (just the names are soo inviting!). Then I found Gigi's story and I felt deep admiration for such a hardworking, tenacious and persevering lady! (and pretty too) so as soon as hubby came home I told him about it and we went to visit Gigi's cupcakes store (which had just opened yesterday) to try them and here are my thoughts:

Place/Image
Just as their website, Image seems to be a priority for Gigi's cupcakes stores. The color selection, packaging of the cupcakes, items, logos, pictures, decor of the store, everything is just beautiful and inviting! The cupcakes are decorated in a way that you can't resist them at first glance! I also felt like Gigi has this "Martha Stewart" kind of look, not completely herself but the color selection, images. Everything also says "I am expensive!" and "I would make a perfect gift", It was a combination of elements that made it all feel "high quality and refined". If all of Gigi's stores are about the same size do not expect to be able to eat your cupcake there, it's basically "to go", fortunately it seems their locations make it easy for you to eat your cupcake right out of their stores (that if they are located, like this store we visited, close to other businesses, parks, etc)

My oldest daughter with a sample cupcake, those were really good!

Customer Service
The personnel was always smiley, happy and they also have BEAUTIFUL samples they are constantly offering to their customers. They are on top of things and seem to care a lot about having their customers leave happy.

Prices
I would say they are out of the normal price you would be willing to pay for a simple cupcake, their prices are around 3.50-3.97 per cupcake. You are basically paying for their image and the packaging, which is a beautiful box (1 per cupcake or bigger boxes for more cupcakes) but it is very unnecessary at the end of the day.  I think that's a price you would pay if you wanted to make a "sweet gift" to a special someone or if it was the "best cupcake you would ever had", for me, that was not the case.

 Flavor
 My review is based on my very personal experience and based on the ONLY cupcake I tried, I tried their  Midnight Magic Chocolate Chip (yum! right?) but once I had that big cupcake in front of me I realized that the "image" is more appealing when the cupcake is not in your hands, the amount of frosting is excessive (for me and my husband it seemed that way, even when he is a big fan of tons of frosting), I just thought it was way too much and not so inviting, the cupcake itself was good, moist, good flavor and fluffy as it should be but the frosting was heavy, too thick and I think it was just too much. As I mentioned, we only tried ONE of their cupcakes but I don't know when we would be trying more, at almost 4.00 per cupcake I wouldn't want to risk having another disappointment too soon when I can make my own cupcakes at home way cheaper. Maybe I will try their champagne cupcake (sounds good, huh???) I am really interested in giving it another try. I hope they keep growing and having a successful business. I think it's a FANTASTIC idea and I see lots of potential, it is just not very good when you get your expectations SOOO HIGH based on how good everything else seems to be (and how high their price is) and then have a cupcake that you find hard to eat for the amount of frosting and end up with at least 1/2 of it and a big beautiful box to throw away. It's like you have to really dig to get your money's worth back... and you kind of don't. Hubby and I even agreed that the best part of our experience was the "sampling" not because they were free but because of the size! Those little cupcakes were perfect! And you didn't feel like you had this big thing of frosting in front of you. So I think they definitely have something GREAT in their hands the thing is that it seems to be hidden under lots of frosting but for what I could read in Gigi's story she will definitely get where she wants to get with God's help.

Again, this was just our (hubby and I) very personal experience with Gigi's Midnight Magic Chocolate Chip cupcake...I know they also offer their cupcakes for weddings and events (everything looks so beautiful in the pictures) So I wonder if that's the strongest side of their business? I don't know. If anybody has tried them let me know what you think about them... if not, then give them a try and let me know how that went, will you? I might visit them again (on our next paycheck of course)

© Paloma King