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     Today is officially "Waffle Iron Day." But, who can talk about waffle irons without talking about waffles? I mean, that little crispness on the outside and the fluffy goodness on the inside, all topped with your favorite toppings of fruit, syrup, butter, ice cream and myriads of other topping ideas.  And, the nice thing about waffles is the way they hold the syrup on every bite! 

     For Christmas, Maddy received this adorable Mickey Mouse Waffle Iron! The perfect gift for a Disney lover! Since we are planning a family reunion in Disneyland, she is planning to bake everyone Mickey waffles to keep that Disney theme going! 

     Of course, she has tried it out on her nieces and nephews already and made them this delicious vegan waffle recipe! These really are so good! And vegan! Who knew? 

The Most Delicious Pancake Or Waffle Recipe Ever (vegan!)

     When my husband and I were first married, we received a stove top Belgium Waffle Iron (similar to this one) than we used for years.  Finally one year, Lindsey bought me an electric one (similar here) that I have used ever since.  I don't even know what I have done with my stove top one, which is kind of sad because it did make really thick and fluffy Belgium Waffles!  But, my electric one does a great job as well (and is quicker and easier).  

     Of course, I love lots of fun toppings!  Here is what I made to show you on this post, blueberries and whipped cream! Yum! All on top of a great and super simple waffle recipe. 

Crisp And Fluffy Waffles

     Lindsey loves pumpkin pie spice everything, so her fave choice was a no brainer! And, Alicia reminds us that you don't always have to go super sweet with waffles, she loves chicken and waffles! 

        If you are in the mood for waffles now, or at least some pancakes, you may be interested in some of our past posts! 

Chunky Apple Pancakes with Creamy Red Hot Syrup!

​Lemon Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

​Peach Pancakes with Warm Peach Syrup

​Sprouted Wheat Kernel Blender Waffles

     How do you like your waffles?  Maybe this weekend will be a great time to enjoy them. 

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Hey Alicia here with another ancestral recipe from Italy. And today's recipe is one that after I tasted it I couldn't stop thinking about. It was so good, I ate it from breakfast and lunch the next day (super healthy, I know). This lasagna was really that good. Thinking of it right now I'm tempted to go make it again.

This lasagna is fairly simple and adapted from a recipe I found on Walks of Italy. It doesn't have a ton of cheese. It's swapped out with a delectable béchamel sauce, seasoned with a bit of nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Don't skip the nutmeg because it just adds this wonderful depth to the lasagna that makes it addicting. The ragu is stewed for an hour or more and the flavors develop making it so wonderful. And the freshly grated parmesan  sprinkled on top is the perfect ending for this dish. If you wish you can add parmesan in the other layers, I didn't and I found it to be perfect. But make sure you use fresh grated parmesan because the Kraft stuff just won't cut it.

I made this in a 9x13 dish but if you make it in a smaller dish you could do more than 3 layers.

3 Winks Design's Outstanding Lasagna

Please try this recipe! I honestly can't stop thinking about it. It's soooooooo good! Please try it. 

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      Do you have big plans for the 4th of July this year?  We have two events happening with family and friends. An early morning pancake breakfast and then in the evening a fireworks block party! Many people all across the country will be celebrating in similar ways! We thought it would be fun to come up with an invitation that can be used online as a jpeg, or to print off and add your own details to.  
     PicMonkey is a great place to design your own invitations and flyers for your own needs. They are who I used for this July 4th invitation. To add your own details on the computer, I would upload the jpeg to Google Drawing and use texts boxes to add your details.  You can also size the invitations to your own needs.  Then, just print! You can print them on white card stock, or do what I did and print them on regular paper and glue onto colored card stock.  Just use your paper cutter (I have this one) to cut everything to the right size.

     I am going to give you a couple of choices of ways to print the invitations, plus a pdf.  You can always just add your info and then upload the flyer to your Facebook page about the event, or print it off and hand it our without any card stock at all. Or, another choice is to just print off the blank invitations and write in your information by hand.

         Another event that we are going to try doing this year is Christmas in July.  We love getting together with extended family and having a Christmas craft day, but it is always so busy for everyone in December that we haven't been very consistent about it.  Since there is even a week in July labeled "Christmas in July", we've decided to take advantage of it.  I've even composed  little poem for these invitations!

     The files for these invitations are available on our subscribers only page.  go ahead and subscribe today and get access to all of the fun and useful things that are free to print from that page.

     Be sure to check back over the next couple of weeks as we share more ideas for the Christmas in July event! 

     Have you had a chance to listen to our first podcast? If not, go to our Cover to Reel page and give it a listen!  We have just recorded our second one, so be on the listen for that! 
      Have fun planning your summer/July events! If you have any great ideas for Christmas in July, we would love to hear them as we are still adding to our plans! Thanks! 

     
​I know that I didn't talk about food today, but this special Panna deal is to pass by and I wanted to let you know about it! 

   This year, Panna earned both a James Beard Award and an IACP award. To celebrate, they're offering a 7-day free trial (cancel anytime), then 50% off a year's membership!  It is so much fun to cook with these famous chefs! 

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      The month of June has some really interesting obscure holidays.  Yesterday was Go Skate Day as well as International Yoga Day. Tomorrow is Swim a Lap Day! Since yesterday was also the true beginning of summer, which means nothing in Phoenix because we have been in the middle of ridiculously high temperatures for quite some time now, I know which of those 3 activities is my favorite way to exercise, and that is swimming! I think that even when the temperatures aren't so high, I prefer swimming to any other form of exercise, except it would have to be in a heated pool.  For Friday Faves today my question is,
​                                                   What is your favorite form of exercise?

      If I am being completely honest, one other exercise that I enjoy is taking walks with my husband. We used to go walking a couple of miles together each morning.  We would go to a park and walk briskly and talk about everything under the sun.  When it was hot out, we would walk inside a mall.  But, his work schedule changed and our walks now come few and far between.  We are hoping to get back to them soon.  Swimming and walking are such good cardio and all muscle type exercises that are low impact on your joints.  I think the best exercise would be to take a walk, get hot and sweaty and then jump into the pool for a swim! Ideal! 

       Swimming was a favorite of almost all of us.  Another favorite was hiking. I guess that the difference between hiking and walking may be that in hiking the terrain might be more rugged and there may be more sight seeing involved.  I don't mind hiking, as long as there isn't too much climbing!  Hiking is a great thing to do as a family because kids have so much fun out in nature and it is an inexpensive way to spend time as a family while doing something really healthy! 

     
​Bicycling was another popular choice! And, it is another great thing to do together as a family! 

      Of course, there are times when exercising outdoors just won't work.  Maddy likes going to the gym and using the elliptical machine.  Stationary bikes and treadmills are also viable options. To me, driving to the gym is just a little more time out of my day.  I like doing things that I can do at home.  If you have a place for a home gym, then an elliptical machine could have a place there. Do you belong to a gym? Do you feel like it is worth the price? Are you good about going often? 

​       Because of social media, there are opportunities to have trainers to help and encourage us in our exercise and health endeavors! We happen to know someone who does just that! Her name is Ashton, (or Coach Lyddy), and she is a Fitness Coach!  She is so motivational and has so much perseverance that you can't help be impressed with her.   If you struggle, she is empathetic to your story because she has gone through her own struggles.  If you click this link, you can find out more about what she offers and how she can help you! Coach Lyddy will typically answer your messages within a day.  She is on Instagram all of the time giving pep talks and tips about loving ourselves and not being too hard on ourselves when we fail, but encouraging us to get up and go again! You should follow her!  (Sometimes her language can be a little rough, but I love her anyway,) Trainers like Ashton are out there to help us be able to get control of exercise regimens right in the comfort of our own homes and to educate us in nutrition and good health habits. This is one of the benefits of social media that we can take advantage of to help ourselves be fit.  

     Believe it or not, I have had some success using our Wii to help me exercise! If you have the original version of the Wii, the Wii Fit program is a good way to get moving.  There are yoga, cardio and strengthening exercises included, and the way they are presented makes exercising more fun.  Plus it keeps track of your weight and improvement. I lost the game disc to mine and had to buy a used one to replace it.  It was only a few dollars.  It is much less expensive to go to a place like GameStop for it than to order it on Amazon.  You will also need the Balance Board. There is also a program like it for the Wii U, which you can probably also get at GameStop.  But, here they are on Amazon in case you can't find them there. 

     Another way we get moving with the Wii, is to play Just Dance!  That game really gets your heart pumping and it is fun to get the entire family involved in it! One year at Christmas, Alicia and her husband, Adrian, gave our family Just Dance for Christmas.  We had so much fun all together that year dancing like maniacs! I don't feel guilty about having kids on an electronic game when it gets them up and moving!  I hear a new version is coming out soon! It is available for Xbox and for the New Nintendo Switch. 

     
      Since Summer is here and school is out, how do you fit in your exercise and get your kids involved in it? One thing I have learned is it is good to get them started young! Lindsey already has her 5 month old in swimming lessons, and she loves it! That is so important since Lindsey has a pool. She has found a place where she can take her to lessons all year round so that Emily won't forget what she learns.  I love that LIndsey is taking these steps to keep her daughter safe and to help her be active.  What are your tips and ideas?  Is anyone out there a runner? 

      
        On a final note, have you heard about our newest endeavor? We have started a podcast called Cover to Reel! Don't miss our first episode about Jurassic Park.  The new movie opens today!