Sunday, June 7, 2020

Welcome author Amanda Flower + book #giveaway


 

Please welcome our wonderful and prolific guest Amanda Flower.

Amanda , a USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award-winning author of over thirty cozy mystery novels, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. In addition to being an author, Amanda is a former librarian with fifteen years’ experience in Northeast Ohio. Her latest Amish mysteries are  Matchmaking Can Be Murder, the first in the Amish Matchmaker Mysteries and the next two Amish Candy Shop Mysteries are Botched Butterscotch (4/28/20) and Marshmallow Malice (5/26/20). Visit her online on her website, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Spring Smoothie to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth

I have a sweet tooth. I love ice cream, cupcakes, candy, and pies. If there is refined sugar in it, I’m interested. To make matters worse, I write about candy and treats for the Amish Candy Shop Mysteries, including Marshmallow Malice, the latest book in the series. So as you can imagine I think about sweets… a lot.
However, I’m getting married in a few short months, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t trying to lose weight for the wedding. Every woman, and dare I say every man too, wants to look their best on their wedding day. To satisfy my sweet tooth but eat healthier, I bought a blender and have been going smoothie crazy. I have one at least three times a week, and it’s definitely helped me to feel and look healthier! I’ve tried many recipes and made up my own, but my favorite is my Berry Smoothie that I’m sharing here. It could not be easier to make!
Enjoy! To a healthier and happier 2020!


Ingredients
one cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup Greek plain yogurt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
one banana
one tablespoon of chia seeds
handful of ice cubes

Directions
Put everything together in a blender and blend!

GIVEAWAY
Today, Amanda is offering a giveaway of TOXIC TOFFEE to one commenter.  
What do you do to eat healthy or watch calories?  Leave your email in case your name is selected.





46 comments:

  1. Add more vegetables and fresh fruit to diet.

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

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  2. I enjoy the Amish Candy Shop and Magical Bookstore series. The bookstore series led me to re read Little Women and some Edgar Allen Poe. Thanks for providing relaxing reading material. I was looking for something to do with blueberries and this smoothie recipe sounds interesting. lroth@pcext.com

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    Replies
    1. and I forgot to include my weight loss tips: no between meal snacks, no second helpings, dessert on only on days that contain a "u", and exercise three plus times/week. lroth@pcext.com

      Delete
  3. I like to snack on freeze dried apples to watch what I eat.
    bmedrano34@yahoo.com

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  4. I love vegetables so we eat them every day.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  5. I drink a veggie shake as a snack everyday.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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  6. I try to cook at home as much as possible so I know what’s going into my meal courtney.erland@gmail.com

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  7. everything I like is fattening so I just have to really cut back on eating to lose anything. cute cover. jlb12563@sbcglobal.net

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  8. I watch eating too many carbs. Fruits and vegetables are always a big part of my meals.
    marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
    Maryann

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  9. Preparing healthy meals with roasted veggies, salads and fish. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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  10. Snacks which are healthy. Almonds, fruit and cut up veggies. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  11. When I was in Greece, I had plain Greek yogurt every morning with berries. I had never had anything but sweet yogurt. Now my regular breakfast is plain yogurt with fruit and a sprinkle of granola on top. I feel like I'm back in Greece for a few minutes! marthajane758@gmail.com

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  12. I try not to eat a lot of chips and cookies. My husband and I eat dinner early in the evening to avoid eating late where calories can pile up and not get worked off with activity. lclee59(at)centurylink(dot)net

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  13. Looking at some of the comments has triggered one of my pet peeves.
    Fruits and vegetables are carbohydrates!
    What most people actually mean when they say they "want to cut back on carbs" is they want to reduce the amount of refined carbs they eat.
    Semantics, yes. But don't give all carbs a bad name.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Libby, absolutely. I know people get those confused. Refined carbs. You've prompted a new post for me. :)

      Delete
  14. Smaller portions, more salads and no desserts. dbahn(at)iw(dot)net

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  15. Oh I love smoothies. I try to drink lots of water to help fill me up between & before meals.
    turtle6422 at gmail dot com

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  16. I just stop eating when I start to feel full.
    jenkat98@gmail.com

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  17. I limit the amount of carbs and sugar I eat and also eat more vegetables.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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  18. I like to eat a banana when I want a snack. doward1952(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  19. I walk on my treadmill and try to limit how much I eat. stoeser(at)pie(dot)midco(dot)net

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  20. I eat yogurt daily and enjoy my fruits! Thanks for the recipe I'll have to give it a try! tWarner419(at)aol(dot)com

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  21. I try to eat more vegetables. I try to limit portions, but I have a horrible sweet tooth.

    kaye,killgore(at)comcast(dot)com

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  22. I make whatever treats I am craving, eat one piece and put the rest in the freezer. It was easier when I worked in an office with lots of other employees. I would take one piece of what I made and put the rest in the lunchroom and it would disappear.
    Bleakney750 at Yahoo dot com

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  23. I've been watching carbs along with my wife as she had to do this for her health. Since doing this, I have adapted existing recipes and made up new ones. It has been a creative journey as well as a health conscious one.

    Thanks for the chance.
    jlwinc(dot)org(at)live(dot)ca

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  24. I try to fill my plate with mostly non-starchy vegetables and fruit.

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  25. I eat very little bread and I use WW recipes. I love ice cream, so I make sure I have WW ice cream bars in the freezer.

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  26. I make sure to have lots of fresh fruits and veggies for snacking. Legallyblonde1961@yahoo.com

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  27. hi i make a big fruit smoothie every nite with my son. and my husband and i try to eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables every day.

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  28. I eat a lot of vegetables, especially green ones, and do not eat pork or beef. But, still too many carbs and fried foods. Small successes.
    browninggloria(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  29. Taylor R WilliamsJune 7, 2020 at 7:59 PM

    I am trying to get more organic items in my diet. One of my favorite comfort foods is spaghetti-o's and my grocery store has an organic version - not very healthy, but rather eat organic than not - trwilliams69(at)msn(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Okay, that's just fascinating. Organic Spaghetti-O's? Love it.

      Delete
  30. I don't watch calories. At almost 70 in September I eat whatever I want to. 😊 but I like vegetables and fruit. Your book looks amazing and fun to read. Thank you for the chance Donakutska7@gmail.com

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    Replies
    1. Donamae, you've won this giveaway. Amanda will be in touch. ~ Daryl

      Delete
  31. Thank you for the opportunity!!
    lindalou64(@)live(dot)com

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  32. I make recipes from the Skinnytaste website. I made her turkey meatloaf tonight and we all liked it. I also eat a lot of fruit and vegetables.
    sgiden at verizon(.)net


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  33. I eat fruits. vegetables, and drink a lot of water. lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  34. More fruits and vegetables, less carbs.
    Butlerrich(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  35. more vegetables, lots of water and portion control. wskwared at yahoo dot com

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  36. If I want a snack I try to eat fruit,yogurt or popcorn. I also try to eat a lot of vegetables. I like them but don't eat enough of them.
    clugston.kathy@yahoo.com

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  37. I try to limit soft drinks and go for a walk a few times a week. Thanks for the chance! JL_Minter(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  38. Sharon GuagliardoJune 8, 2020 at 7:33 PM

    We have been eating more fresh vegetables. catwoman-1(at)comcast(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  39. Balance is the answer. But I love steamed veggies. And over the years dealing with diabetes I've learned one small bit of sweet at the end is okay.

    Vhmaynard65@gmail.com

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  40. The winner of this giveaway is Donamae. Amanda will be in touch. Thanks to all for chiming in. ~ Daryl

    ReplyDelete