'Not Just a Tea, but a Lifestyle!' -Our Journey With Teami

Some of you have recently seen me post on my Instagram, a few photos of my husband and I with our Teami Tea. I have had several inquiries, 'What is this detox?' and 'What is this tea like?' so, I wanted to share it here!

My husband Asa, was actually the daily consumer of this product so here is his story:

In a world of cleanses and detoxes, it can be challenging to find one that is more than just a gimmick or fancy label. It can be overwhelming to even know where to start! When I discovered TeaMi, I was ecstatic but admittedly skeptical too. I ordered the Skinny Loose Leaf Tea and the Colon Cleanse Tea Bags, to be drank together over a 30-day detox. I didn't closely study the reviews of weight loss, or the claims for health benefits because I wanted my experience to be authentic to me.
The tea, tumbler, and infuser arrived and I was impressed with their bright colors and high quality. The loose leaf tea in the tumbler has started more than a handful of conservations with strangers--when you see the tea leaves floating in the water, they are taken back by the full sized (not cut) leaves, swirling around and how I keep from drinking the leaves (they can't see the small strainer at the top). Who knew a tea tumbler could be a social experiment? 
The plan is simple enough: drink the skinny tea every day for thirty days. I typically steeped mine three times a day, never less than two. I'm a coffee fanatic, and I drink about 150oz of water a day; so for me, this pretty much looked like drinking something around the clock (but I don't think the average person needs to worry about this!) The Skinny Tea tastes good. If you like green tea, I think you will be pleasantly surprised with its' aroma and earthy flavors. I did not find the tea to be bitter, but if you must, I would suggest honey to sweeten it. To be honest, I don't typically eat breakfast, (I know...send in a nutritionalist to yell at me now!) but the Skinny Tea was great at helping keep my belly 'satisfied' until lunch time at work. 

The Colon Cleanse is also simple enough. You drink a cup of it before bedtime every other day. On day two, I drank a cup. Except... I didn't do it at bedtime. I did it around 7pm. I'm happy to report from day one it definitely did the job of cleansing...but I wish I had done it at bedtime (as recommended). On day four, I thought I would drink it way early and get the 'cleanse' before bed. Again, bad idea. Day six, I finally stopped pretending that I knew better than TeaMi so I drank a cup before bed and slept just fine and my stomach was much happier when I awoke. The flavor and aroma of this tea is a little different than the Skinny Tea, and it is definitely more earthy. However, it still wasn't too bitter for my pallet and I quite enjoyed the comforting warm drink at bedtime. It claims to have a little caffeine in it, but that never had an adverse effect for me. 

As the detox went on, I noticed a few things: 

•  Drinking water really DOES make a difference when I'm expecting to cleanse
• I was sleeping more soundly with less frequent wake ups (verified by my Fitbit) 
• I felt more alert at work and not nearly as groggy in the mornings
• I lost 5 pounds and 1.2% body fat

To be perfectly honest, I exercise about sixty minutes a day, six days a week. Before I started the Detox, my weight at plateaued at 211.5 (I'm 6'4"). It didn't seem to matter how much I exercised or how few calories I ate, I couldn't get the scale to move. So I appreciate that this cleanse didn't perform a drastic miracle BUT that it did get me over the hump! It's been during this time that my family and friends have actually noticed a transition in my body composition. I know five pounds doesn't sound like a lot, but I'll take slow and steady weight loss that isn't going to come right back on after a day. I know that weight quickly gained or lost is not truly authentic. Bottom line? In a market flooded with detoxes, I am very happy that TeaMi provided a natural and SAFE way to cleanse my body of toxins, clear my mind and stimulate some weight loss!

So for those of you who have had questions, here are the answers! I am so proud of my husband for going through this 30-day challenge and I absolutely witnessed firsthand, more energy and alertness coming from him, better nights sleep, and his body composition changing. Woo hoo, let's give him a huge air five! And HEY! If you use my PROMO code, ASHLEYGLASS10, you can get 10% off your order! If you have any other questions, feel free to e-mail me! 

*Thanks to TeaMi for sponsoring my post! As always, all opinions are 100% my own.*

Meals With my Man: Pesto Salmon + Bell Pepper Salad

It's not that I can't cook, it's several things: the first, is that years and years ago I vowed to meet a man who enjoyed cooking so I didn't need to; and the second is that God handed me just the man I asked for and he cooks a gazillion times better than I ever could. Seriously, his made-up recipes and from scratch ideas end up being WAY better than a single dish I try to re-create from Pinterest.

So in this space you will see some posts like this and I'm calling it Meals With my Man. You're welcome for providing you with such irresistible recipes, but don't just make them, leave a comment and share your experience with us! We would love to hear from you and see how your food turned out.

Today we are sharing a dish that is a spring + summer favorite: Pan Seared Salmon served on a warm Bell Pepper Salad.

Ingredients:
4 Salmon Filets with Skin
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
4 Bell Peppers (Various colors) Sliced
1 Onion (I like Red for the color) Halved and sliced
4 Tbsp. Pesto
Salt/Pepper

Directions: 
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. (He uses a iron skillet for this dish, but any skillet will do.)
Once the skillet is hot, add 1 tbsp. olive oil and bring to the smoke point. Meanwhile, liberally season both sides of the filet with salt and pepper.
Place the filets in the skillet, skin side down. Did it sizzle? Good. Depending on the thickness of your Salmon filet, cook for about 4 minutes and flip over to the other side. Cook an additional 4 minutes and then remove to a plate.

Add the remaining olive oil and toss in all the veggies.
Add some salt and pepper.
Toss the veggies and sauté for about 4-5 minutes, or until they are cooked but still crisp. Smooth out the layer of peppers and onions and place the salmon filets back in the skillet on the bed of veggies.
Add 1 tbsp. of pesto to each salmon filet, and about ¼ cup of cold water. Immediately cover with a lid and turn off the burner.
Allow everything to steam for a few minutes, and for that pesto to loosen up and run down the sides and edges of the salmon.
Serve the salmon over a bed of the veggies. 

How BEAUTIFUL is this dish?! Besides being pretty, salmon is jam packed with Vitamins D, B6 and B12 as well as tons of other nutrients. Hey, do you want to see more recipes like these?! I'll be posting here periodically but if you aren't following my husband, The Kentucky Kitchen, on Instagram OR his website, you are missing OUT. 

Have fun cooking and we can't wait to hear how you enjoyed this light and refreshing entrée!

Blueberry Goodness: A Pie to Welcome Spring

2015 was the year that I managed to keep a New Years Resolution for the first time EVER. If you followed my journey on Instagram, you can find the collection of posts under #piesbyashley.

Here we are, well into another new year, but  I wanted to share one of these goodies with you today! Currently in Kentucky, it is pouring rain, dark and dreary; however, this pie is sure to warm up your house AND mood. Inspired by my Grandmother (who lived to be one-hundred years old), blueberry pies are my absolute favorite traditional pie. I was blessed to inherit a couple of her journals and as I turned the pages I would often read bits like this:

"Baked four pies (blueberry) today. Put two in the freezer, ate one, and gave Beth one for the kids. Hope I can get at least four in the freezer. They're so nice to have ready in case of unexpected company..." [August 2, 1996).

My mom baked pies often as well. Living in Michigan, my summers were filled with fresh blueberries and warm, home-made blueberry pies. I have to say for this one, I highly recommend a from-scratch pie crust. There were several times I needed to buy a store bought one (I would often remember the last day of the month that I needed to bake in order to stand true to my Resolution!) After I post the recipe, I'll also share my devastating story that goes along with this particular blueberry pie, so keep reading!

Standard Crust {the recipe my mom and Grandma always used}
*This recipe makes two pie crusts so that you can use one for the lattice topping, should you choose*
2/3C + 2 tablespoons shortening
2C all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 to 5 tablespoons COLD water

Directions for the crust:
Cut the shortening into flour and salt until particles are size of small peas.
Sprinkle in the water, 1 TBS at a time, tossing with a fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans sides of bowl (1-2 TBS can be added if necessary).
Gather the pastry into a ball; divide pastry into halves and shape into two rounds (since this is for a two crust recipe).
Roll pastry two inches larger than inverted pie plate with floured stockinet-covered rolling pin.
Fold pastry into quarters; unfold and ease into plate, pressing firmly against bottom and side.
Put the second crust once flattened into the fridge until you are finished making the filling.

Filling Ingredients (for an 8 inch pie)
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3C fresh blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon margarine or butter

Directions:
Heat oven to 425-degrees.
Mix the sugar, flour and cinnamon and then stir in blueberries.
Pour into the prepared pie crust and sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter.
Cover the top crust however you prefer (i.e. lattice or covered with holes poked through)
Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the top crust, 35-45 minutes.
*Cover the edges with 2-3 inch strip of foil if edges are getting too brown*
Allow the pie to cool and then voila! Enjoy with your favorite scoop of ice cream! 

I was SUPER proud of this pie. A homemade crust, the beautiful lattice on top, the juicy and bubbly blueberry goodness... So I enjoyed one slice that evening for dinner, as did my kids. We all loved it and sang this recipe many praises. We went to Church the next morning and left the pie pushed back on our kitchen counter. Well... lo and behold, when we came back from the service, the pie dish remained (somehow!!?) on the counter, but the contents were no longer THERE!!!

Our ginormous Chocolate Lab had helped himself to my tasty treat and the blueberry goodness was no more... I actually sat on our steps and when my husband said, "Ash, I'm SO sorry!" I replied, "I am going to need a minute."

Lesson learned, dog. Lesson learned. And next time I make this heavenly pastry, I will NOT be leaving it on the kitchen counter unattended!
 

Chewy Chocolate Chip + Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Listen- I am fully aware of how easy it is to pull out our Smartphones and do a speedy search for literally any recipe we could imagine wanting. But what happened to good ol' fashioned cook books?! The ones you want to set out for display because the covers are just that pretty. With the crisp white pages, revealing proof of delicious meals. Well, we have a few... but they've been packed away for way too long to admit publicly. We haven't needed a cookbook with the Internet at our fingertips and I too, am the 21st Century Mom who Googles (or Pins) anything I "need." So what...?? Just grab your phone,  open your Pinterest app and search: "easy chocolate chip cookie recipe." Bam--hundreds of options lay at your fingertips. Click the link, scroll, and voila!

But I've missed pretty cookbooks. I had some money left over on an Anthropologie gift card and browsed for a while, searching all their beautiful (and out of my price range) home goods. Then I got to their Book section and saw exactly what I wanted: a baking cookbook, with a cover SO pretty I swear you could eat it. You all know my husband is a self-taught Chef. We don't desire to eat out very often because when we DO, I usually say something like, "Your meals are better," or, "You could do better than that." But I don't cook! Baking is my Sunday afternoon therapy and while the kids are asleep, there's almost nothing I would rather be doing! (Well... except maybe eating whatever it is that's in the mixing bowl!) Today was nothing less. It has been a few weeks since I found something I had the time and energy to bake. If you follow me on Instagram, maybe you saw my brownie post where I followed a recipe from Handmade Baking, by Kamran Siddiqi, well that was two weeks too long ago. Those brownies were from my Anthro book find, a gift to myself, and I am SO glad for the purchase. Last year, pies were my thing, a new pie each month; but this year I claimed cookies. A new cookie recipe a month. I flipped through this sturdy new baking book and found exactly what my taste buds were craving--chewy oatmeal-raisin cookies.

I'm not a huge fan of raisins by themselves, but give me the right cookie and I absolutely love them. I adapted Kamran's recipe a little; for one, I added chocolate chips because this girl always needs them in homemade cookies. And I didn't top them with cinnamon-sugar like he does because I just didn't have enough time. Mine turned out divine so gosh, I can only fathom had I taken that next step!

Pierson of course wanted to help me this afternoon. So I measured the ingredients that we needed and I let him pour each one into the mixing bowl while I read the recipe. Reese wanted to join (aka sneak some dough) and was super cute trying her best to sit still and not dump egg shells and oats all over the floor.

Adapted Ingredients:
1/2 C granulated sugar
1.5 C all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C at-room-temperature butter
1 C packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 C rolled oats
1 C raisins
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until pale and creamy.
3. Turn off mixer, scrape sides and on low speed, beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix until well incorporated.
4. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Still on low speed, add the oats, raisins and chocolate chips until just combined.
5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or until dough is firm.
6. Preheat the oven to 350° and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
7. Drop rounded 1 TBSP portions of dough onto the prepared sheets
8. Bake for 10-13 minutes (I baked mine nine).
9. Let the cookies bake a minute longer on the pans once pulled from the oven and then transfer to a cooling rack.
10. Pour yourself a giant glass of milk and enjoy yourself a (or five) soft and chewy chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin cookies!