7 Simple Ways to Show Earth Some Love

Hey Butterflies! A couple of weeks ago I volunteered to help with the garden at my kid's school, not only was it a good physical activity and loads of fun, but it was also a great teaching/learning experience that got me thinking. About ten years ago I remember received an Earth Day t-shirt from an ex-employer and to this day I still wear it because it inspired me to be more cautious of my impact on our planet. Earth Day is celebrated yearly on April 22nd, as a way to bring attention to environmental issues so that we can better preserve  our planet.

One of my favorite quotes about earth is from William Shakespeare, he said: "The earth has music for those who listen." I totally agree and was inspired to share with you a few ways we can all show Mother Earth some love.

Business: 2016 ShiftCon Social Media Conference

Happy Earth Day Butterflies! What better day is there than Earth Day to share an upcoming green event with you guys. If you're interested in health, wellness and environmental issues (as we all should be) I have details on an upcoming conference for online influencers. Shiftcon Social Media Conference was created to support social media influencers who care about food, wellness, health and the environment. 

With a solid focus on green content creation, environmental activism, organic and nonGMO food, social media marketing, educating the public, natural products, recruiting additional influencers and making this world better for future generations. This conference will feature workshops, networking, parties, and more.

In the Kitchen: Papa Murphy's Take-And-Bake Pizza Company

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Papa Murphy’s, however all opinions expressed are my own. Ciao Butterflies! I was invited to take a "behind the counter” tour of a really cool take out eatery here in Texas that I'm sure my fellow pizza lovers will come to appreciate. Papa Murphy’s is a pizza shop that specializes in Take ‘n Bake pizzas. At Papa Murphy’s, you can customize a pizza for yourself and/or your family, by choosing from the many fresh ingredients Papa Murphy's has to offer. A Papa Murphy's team member will create it for you, using fresh, handmade ingredients, right in front of you. Then, you take it home and bake it so that it’s "straight out of the oven hot" whenever your ready to eat!

Wellness: KeVita Probiotic Drinks - Lemon Cayenne Cleanse

This is a sponsored post.

I recently tired two of the KeVita brand Sparkling Probiotic certified organic vegan beverages; the Strawberry Acai Coconut and the Daily Lemon Cayenne Cleanse. They retail at about $3 or $4 per bottle and are pretty hard to find, but not really. The closest store to me that carries the KeVita brand was a store that I don't really shop at that often and is ten + miles away. I found this product near the produce department.

Anyway, on to the good stuff; the Strawberry Acai Coconut was first up and I have to say it has a surprising taste. If I had to compare it to something I guess I would say it tastes like a lightly flavored club soda (if that makes sense). There are several things I love about these drinks such as the fact that they're handcrafted, gluten free, only five calories, Non-GMO, contains four strains of live probiotics and Blue Ocean Full-Spectrum Minerals. The only thing I didn't like about these drinks at first is the taste (takes some getting use to) and having to drive all over town to get them.

I was really ecstatic about trying the Daily Lemon Cayenne Cleanse. I researched the lemon cayenne master cleanse a few years ago (it was a huge weight loss/management trend then) and I was really interested in trying it but never did. Similar to the Strawberry Acai Coconut drink, the KeVita Daily Lemon Cayenne Cleanse also has the club soda taste with a hint of lemon and a lot of cayenne. The cayenne in the Daily Lemon Cayenne Cleanse actually burnt the back of my throat a little at first gulp.

Check out my KeVita Probiotic Drinks YouTube video below!

Click HERE to locate your nearest KeVita retailer.

Visiting Texas: Houston’s First Salata...the Next Generation Salad Bar + Giveaway

I've been wanting to check this place out for a while but honestly never took the time. As of last week I can officially say I had the pleasure of trying Salata and it was a real treat! Salata is a salad bar eatery with over 50 toppings to choose from including an array of lettuces, vegetables, fruits, cheeses, seeds, nuts, 10 different house-made dressings and your choice of several different chicken or seafood protein options. I think the serving bar set up is a great customer friendly idea. Let's face it, how many times have you been in line ready to order and the person in front of you didn't know what they wanted? Well Salata has thought up a neat way to make ordering lunch and eating healthy a little simpler by offer two choices; a salad or wrap.

Before trying Salata I heard a couple of people complaining about the cost per salad/wrap so that had me a little skeptical about if this would be I place I would enjoy but I am so glad I decided to give it a try for myself. I personally think it's fair priced at $8.00 per salad and $7 per wrap (not including a chicken or seafood add on) considering the unlimited toppings they offer and how large the salad bowls are.

All together I really enjoyed my Salata experience, the staff were friendly and very knowledgeable and I thought it was superb when I learned that all of the dressings, marinades and soups that Salata use and offer are gluten free which brings me to the Salata Fresh Combination Challenge. Salata recently entered into a partnership with the Houston Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics under the Salata Fresh Combination Challenge where registered dieticans provided sample salad and wrap combinations that individuals with special dietary needs (or individuals who just want to eat healthier) can use as a guide for making healthier meal choices when dining at Salata which I think is very awesome!

In addition to the portion size and topping options I really like the home-like vibe I get from eating at Salata although the salads I make at home are no competition for a Salata salad. All Salata dressings are gluten-free,  preservative-free and can be purchased at $6 for a 12oz bottle at any location to be used as a dressing or marinade. I brought home a bottle of Chipotle Ranch but because there are no preservatives I had to use in within the week before it went bad; it can last up to two weeks refrigerated.

My Favorites:

Lettuce - Salata Mix

Chicken - Herb Marinated Chicken or Asian BBQ

Tortilla - Cool Cucumber

Dressings - Balsamic Vinaigrette or Chipotle Ranch

Soup - Tomato Basil

Bread - Seedful Wheat Bread

Tea - Raspberry Tea

Salata has several locations in the Houston, DFW and Los Angeles areas with other locations opening soon. They're open for lunch and dinner and breakfast at some locations. Salata also offers catering and delivery to locations within their deliver area so be sure to verify before placing your order.

Check out these and all the photos from Salata visit HERE!
Also check out the BLS Salata Chipotle Ranch Chicken recipe HERE!

 

Giveaway:

Want to try Salata for FREE? Then enter our giveaway below! After you've entered be sure to check out our other current giveaways.

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was invited to try this product in exchange for my honest review. The giveaway is also sponsored by the same company, as they are providing the prize. All thoughts, opinions and expressions above are my own.

In the Kitchen: Quick Chicken Stir Fry + Little Soya Soy Sauce Review

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breast cut into pieces

2 bags of frozen stir fry veggies

 4 tbsp. of Soy Sauce

Direction: 

Lightly coat cooking pan in sesame seed or olive oil. Cook chicken thoroughly then mix in frozen veggies, add soy sauce then stir-cook on medium for about 10-15 minutes or until veggies are thoroughly cooked. Season to your liking and enjoy!

 

Product Review

  

I requested a sample of soy sauce from Houston based Little Soya a couple of weeks ago and it finally came last week so I thought I'd try it out asap. I tried it as a cooking sauce and as a dipping sauce and it tasted great both ways and had no weird after taste like I thought it would. I really enjoyed it and the fact that it's a Gluten-Free, Non-GMO sauce makes it even better. Also, I really loved the little cute individual "fish" packets, what a neat and very creative idea! Overall to my surprise I am in like with Little Soya Soy Sauce, if you're interested in trying Little Soya for your self click HERE to locate a Little Soya retailer near you.

Disclosure: The product reviewed here was received as a sample for my personal use.  All thoughts, opinions and expressions are my own.