Valentine's Day Gummies/Marshmallows (with Gelatin health benefits)

 It's that lovey dovey time of year again :) 

Forgive me for recycling this blog post, but these little Valentine's Day treats are super easy to make, and were a huge hit last year. 

And to top it all off, they're actually very healthy. And not in a "just not bad for you" kind of way. They actually have health benefits! Treats with health benefits? what??

The super awesome, multi-talented ingredient is Gelatin!  And not just any gelatin....grass-fed organic beef gelatin...this stuff.

The best part is that these have super-duper anti-ageing power! Yes.....the kind of power that smooths out sagging/thinning skin (which I've been noticing to be an increasing reality for me now that I'm safely "into my 30's" ...33 to be exact). And they don't just have the power to work on facial skin/wrinkles...they can actually help tighten up saggy tummy post-baby skin as well. And let me tell you, after having 3 giant baby boys live in this belly of mine, I need all the skin-shrinking help I can get!

Also, these gelatin-rich beauties are great for your joints/soft tissue/injuries. Yep...they pack a punch in the injury repair department as well. 

sign me up. :) 

(stay tuned for a future post about different ways to add gelatin and its amazing health benefits into your diet)

Raspberry Lemon Gummy Hearts/Lollipops

 I found this super-easy, 5 minute (literally) recipe here and made a couple of changes.

3 tbsp Grass Fed Gelatin Powder (I bought this brand)

3 tbsp Raw Honey

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

2 tbsp Raspberry Juice 

(I used frozen raspberries and heat them up in a saucepan with a little bit of water, then let them boil/reduce for a minute or so and strain to get the juice)

2 drops Young Living Lemon Oil 

(excellent immune-boosting health benefits, as well as anti-bacterial/fungal/viral properties)

I just followed the instructions on the Mommypotamus blog (lots of awesome GAPS/PALEO recipes on her blog!...definitely worth a peek).

I found some heart shaped silicone moulds in our local kitchen store, as well as little Valentine themed "lollipop" moulds at the Daiso. They both turned out really well, and I'm always surprised at how easy it is to pop the gummies out of the silicone moulds (they come out so perfectly and are pretty much indestructible!)

Recipe #2....

Fluffy Peppermint Marshmallow Hearts

Another recipe that I found on Mommypotamus and just did some minor changes...

1 cup Filtered Water (split into two half cups)

3 tbsp Grass Fed Gelatin Powder

1 cup Organic Honey

1 tsp Vanilla extract (I've also used vanilla bean seeds in the past, which worked really well)

1/4 tsp salt

3 drops Young Living Peppermint Oil (excellent digestive/stomach benefits)

1 Packet all-natural (no artificial food colouring) carnival sprinkles for sprinkling on top! (OPTIONAL)

These are a little more time-consuming to make than the gummies, but don't be intimidated!! They are super easy. You do need a candy thermometer, tho. At least, it's easier if you have one. If not, you'd probably be safe with boiling the honey/water/vanilla mixture for about 10 minutes.

Directions are here at the Mommypotamus, for the original "plain" vanilla marshmallows.

Once I followed her directions, and spread my marshmallow cream into the pan, I sprinkled the fun sprinkles on top, and let it set for about an hour. Then..I used a little heart cookie cutter to cut out heart shapes. This part is a little tricky...but I found it was easiest when I lightly greased the inside of the cookie cutter with butter (it didn't stick to the marshmallow so badly!). 

I put the marshmallow hearts into little parchment paper mini muffin liners, as well as a few gummy hearts and lollipops, and boxed them up all cute and Valentine"y" :) 

They look super cute, and I can't wait to see the boys' faces when they get to gobble them up :)

Happy Valentine's Day,  everyone!!

xoxo

In over my head....

(Begin rant.)

Ever have a day when you just feel like you might actually sink? Like you've just been treading water for too long, and it's getting exhausting? 

That's me today. 

I'm seriously in over my head with this mom-of-three/homeschooling/GAPS dieting/kids-in-the-bed/french immersion/Post-traumatic-stress-disorder craziness. Something's got to give, and I'm just not sure what. 

We didn't do school today. So sue me.

I've had a few people tell me that they're so impressed with how I seem to have it all together (what???!). How I can plan parties and bake healthy treats for my kids, etc. Well....honestly...I don't. Not even close to together. And, to be honest, I feel like planning a birthday party right now to take my mind off the everyday worries of 6-year old mood swings and babies that never stay asleep long enough for me to rinse the conditioner from my hair. 

My house is in shambles right now. It seems like as soon as I manage to conquer one room (and by conquer I mean get it tidy enough to be able to see the floor), there's another mess being made somewhere else. It's usually an even bigger one. But the thing is, it's not the fact that I can't keep the house under control, or the supper made (last night was a hodge-podge bbq beef sandwich made with leftover roast beef that I took one bite of and couldn't stomach the rest......somehow my gracious husband managed to get it down), or the homeschool lesson done for the day, or the kids to sleep in their own beds.....it's just the feeling of never having it together. Funny, right? I honestly think that someone needs something from me every single moment of the day. Ever felt like you spend the whole day getting snacks, and wiping butts, and breaking up fights, and getting more snacks and more snacks...and more flippin snacks? 

Everyone tells me that I need to take time for myself. Go to the gym, get a massage, take a bath, go to my Trauma Release therapy (EMDR), the list goes on......but I honestly just don't know how to fit that into the day. "Make it a priority", they say. Easier said than done. Getting them all dressed/fed/packed into the car and heading to the gym daycare takes more energy than I have available. I get to the gym and I'm so exhausted that the mere thought of hopping onto the elliptical is nauseating. I've been known to just sit on my yoga mat and try to clear my head (ok...I might throw in a few sun salutations just so I feel like it's all been worthwhile) for the entire 45 minutes. 

Oh my. I don't even know why I'm writing this. Keeping it real, that's all. 

I'm just tired. I know it's just a stage, and I need to enjoy the moments when they're little. And I do. I really do enjoy a lot of moments :). But today....today I'm in over my head. Out of control, crazy, mayhem.....this motherhood thing ain't for the faint of heart.

(end rant) ;)

So...if there's anyone out there that feels like they're sinking today...I'm right there with you. The good news is that somehow us mommas are pretty buoyant and we always seem to come back up. 

Tomorrow will be a better one. It almost always is :)

Now...I'm back to planning my tiny man's first birthday party. How is my baby almost one already?? What's that they say about the days being long and the years being short? So, so true. 

Hang in there, mommas. We can do this.

xo