I love bright colors but when it comes to food, I hesitate because most of those colors come from food colorings and dyes which can be rather toxic.

But… what if I told you that there’s a plant called butterfly pea that can literally change colors when mixed with liquid with no dyes involved?!

A natural way to taste the rainbow!

When Adagio Teas asked me to try out their new tea blend called Bella Luna Blue Tea, I leapt at the chance! I’ve been wanting to try butterfly pea tea for such a long time and now I get to try a version made by one of my favorite tea companies!

I’ve tried their teas in the past and absolutely loved them. You can read my reviews here!

My favorite part of the Bella Luna Blue Tea (besides its really cool color-changing abilities) is the flavor. It tastes like blueberries! It is magic in a cup.

Seriously, just watch these gifs we made:

Butterfly pea tea changes colors according to the pH of whatever it is mixed with, so the sky’s the limit as to all the cool things you can create with it. It starts out light blue, then after some lemon juice is added, it turns purple and then magenta! Add some honey and it turns back into a gorgeous indigo. Want to turn it bright red? Add some organic hibiscus.

Magic. It is pure magic, in all of its technicolor glory.

Or in this case, nature. Butterfly pea is officially the coolest plant ever.

If you want to experience this tea for yourself, you can check it out here!

Disclaimer: Adagio Tea provided us with a sample of this tea to review but all opinions on ETG are our own.

The post Bella Luna Blue Tea Review – Butterfly Pea Tea appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

The title of this soup doesn’t give it justice. “The Most Amazing Soup Ever” is more like it!

At first glance, you might think carrots… tomatoes… whatever. But as a friend, let me tell you to stop right there. If you don’t try this soup, you are missing out. My sister and I LOVED this soup and could easily eat it every day. Tanney isn’t much of a soup person, except for clam chowder, but she finished her bowl and asked for another one.

Real-time thoughts after eating this soup:

Tanney: “We can post this on Tomato Tuesday.”
Josie: “What’s Tomato Tuesday”
Tanney: “I don’t know, I just made it up. Maybe it can be a day celebrating tomatoes, duh.”

We nicknamed this recipe glow soup, because our skin literally glowed the next day from the nutrients of the veggies and the bone broth.

Adding a touch of cream at the end makes the texture of the soup silky smooth and makes it look fancy, fancy.

Tanney: “Why does it look like there’s a UFO floating on top of my soup?”
Josie: “That’s supposed to be a rose.”

Enjoy this carrot tomato soup, it’s some good stuff!

Carrot Tomato Soup notes:

-We used our bone broth recipe to make this soup. So much tastier and healthier than the store bought kind! If you are short on time though, Pacific brand sells ready-made bone broth.

Carrot Tomato Soup

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

Author: Eat Thrive Glow

Serves: 8 bowls

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 5 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1.25 lbs butternut squash, peeled and sliced into cubes
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cans (14 oz each) whole peeled tomatoes
• 5 cups bone broth
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 3 tbs butter
• splash of cream

Instructions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot over low heat. Sautée the onions until translucent and golden brown, then add garlic, carrots, celery and squash, stirring vigorously until toasted. Add the tomatoes and broth and simmer covered with a lid for about 40 minutes, until the squash becomes tender. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro, basil, salt and pepper.
2. Puree in a blender in batches until smooth. Top with a splash of cream.

3.5.3208

The post Carrot Tomato Soup appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

I drink a ton of tea. It’s my favorite beverage, after pure water, and I love how there’s so many different types and flavors to satisfy my sweet tooth in a healthy way.

I tend to drink mostly green tea, though I do love a cup of iced peppermint tea on a hot day, or chai on an especially cold winter day. When Adagio Teas offered to send me some teas to review here on ETG, I jumped at the chance. Yay for tea!! I decided to try the silver needle tea (a type of white tea), candy cane tea (I know it’s not December but I LOVE anything candy cane/peppermint), peppermint tea (of course, how can I resist?), Christmas blend tea, chocolate chai (doesn’t it sound delicious?!), and regular masala chai.

Here are my verdicts:

Silver needle: Grassy, bright, delicious. This is a light tea compared to the others. I loved the flavor, it tasted so pure and clean. I think my father will really like this tea (he loves the delicate teas) so I need to send some to him!

Peppermint tea: So refreshing. Like… I felt like I took a nap and woke up refreshed or something- that’s how invigorating this tea is. Since I drink a lot of peppermint (and so does my sister), I think I will be ordering this tea in bulk, haha.

Candy cane tea: SO. GOOD. It tasted just like a candy cane, with a bit of a fruity aftertaste. Almost like if you were eating a peach-infused candy cane? This has officially become my new favorite tea. I didn’t add any sugar to the first batch I made and it turned out fine (it’s the right amount of delicate sweetness) but the second batch I made, I added a hint of raw sugar & I felt like I was drinking a liquid candy cane. So delicious. Will buy again. And again. And again…

Christmas tea: I LOVE THIS. Sorry for writing in all caps, but it is fabulous. It tastes kind of like chai, but with orange peel, which adds an amazing brightness and fruitiness to the tea. It seriously does taste like the holidays.

Chocolate chai: This tea was pretty good. It reminded me of a spiced hot chocolate, yummy. It’s just the thing for a cool winter’s night. Last week we had a snow storm here in Boston, and so I drank cups of this stuff to stay warm and cozy.

Masala chai: Classic and delicious. Adagio’s chai is spicy but not too overwhelming. It reminds me of home (my mom always has some chai brewing on the stove). When I told her about this chai, she became super excited at the thought of not having to make her own blend (she doesn’t like the chai that grocery stores sell because it tends to taste stale) and when I gave her the seal of approval, she made me promise that I’ll save her some for when she visits. If you like spicy chai, Adagio’s chai is the best kind to get. It’s fresh and tastes like authentic Indian chai.

I really love Adagio Teas and how many awesome types/flavors of tea they have. I will definitely be ordering from them again- I really want to try the fandom teas they have (you can find them by clicking on the “Blends” icon at the top right of their website. They have really amazing ones!

The one I will be ordering next is a Forest Lovers one described on the site as:

“The light sweetness of forest berries and warm undercurrents of honeybush vanilla make this a wonderful soothing cuppa. It’s perfect with a bit of strawberry sugar or a touch of honey. It’s also wonderful sweetened and chilled over ice. But be aware! Much like young love, this is a drink best tasted fresh after brewing. Left sit too long, the flavors shift slightly, producing a slightly tart aftertaste. This tea is fabulous iced!”

Doesn’t that tea blend sound amazing?! They also have some Harry Potter inspired ones:

And Star Wars:

I am freaking out from the awesome of this tea company. So many cool products and such great quality. You can tell that they really love tea! I highly recommend this company and their delicious & creative teas!

Disclaimer: Adagio Tea provided us with samples of these teas to review but all opinions on ETG are our own.

The post Adagio Teas Review appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

I love sandwiches. They’re simple to make and extremely filling, not to mention portable. Growing up, I used to eat a ton of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but nowadays, I tend to eat tuna or egg salad sandwiches for lunch instead.

Today’s recipe is the best of both worlds. It’s packed with an immense amount of protein to fill you up for the long day ahead, from the tuna, egg, and smoked salmon in it. Yes, you heard me right… three types of protein plus creamy avocado, tomato, and chopped parsley to keep things bright and delicious.

This protein-packed avocado, tuna, egg, and salmon salad sandwich is ridiculously good and ridiculously easy to make. Enjoy!

Protein-Packed Avocado, Tuna, Egg, and Salmon Salad Sandwich

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Author: Eat Thrive Glow

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 can white, no salt added tuna
• 4 oz hot smoked salmon
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 hardboiled eggs, sliced thin
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, sliced thin
• 1 rib of celery, diced
• 3 tbsp diced red onion
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 large avocado, sliced thin
• 8 sprigs parsley (optional to garnish)
• 4 slices bread (we used Udi's white gluten free bread in this recipe)

Instructions

1. Drain the liquid from the can of tuna. Place tuna, salmon, mayonnaise, celery, onion, and lemon zest into a large bowl, and stir thoroughly with a fork, making sure to break apart large chunks of fish as you mix.
2. Layer the tomato onto two pieces of bread, then spread the tuna and salmon salad on top of that. Add a layer of thinly sliced hardboiled eggs, then a layer of avocado, then sprinkle with parsley. Top with remaining bread slices.

3.5.3208

The post Protein-Packed Avocado, Tuna, Egg, and Salmon Salad Sandwich appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

With the summer heat at its peak, I’m ready for the cool and crisp fall weather to arrive. With crimson and gold autumn leaves abound, I can’t help but spend more time outdoors. And with all that walking and hiking, a girl needs some food to replenish her energy reserves! That’s where this dark chocolate peanut butter drizzled s’mores trail mix comes in.

My ideal trail mix is a little nutty and a little sweet, so I tossed together a handful of pistachio, macadamia, roasted cashews and some dark chocolate and peanut butter chips. I could have stopped there, but when I think of the great outdoors, I think of s’mores. Why not add mini-marshmallows, bite sized pieces of graham crackers, and drizzle the whole thing with more dark chocolate?

And the results are totally worth it! Seriously you guys, it tastes AMAZING.

Treat yourself to this delicious snack, and if you’re in the mood for something a bit more decadent, check out our S’mores Milkshake recipe!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Drizzled S’mores Trail Mix Notes:

-Feel free to add or substitute your favorite nuts into this recipe.
-You can buy nuts in bulk from Nuts.com if you want to make big batches of this trail mix. It stores well!
-Popcorn, chex mix, and dried fruit such as dried cherries add amazing flavor and texture to this s’mores trail mix recipe. I often add dried cranberries to mine for a splash of color and an extra antioxidant boost.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Drizzled S'mores Trail Mix

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

1 min

Total time

6 mins

 

Author: Eat Thrive Glow

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• ½ cup raw pistachios
• ½ cup raw macadamia nuts
• ½ cup roasted unsalted cashews
• ½ cup miniature marshmallows
• ½ cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup peanut butter chips
• 4 large graham crackers
• ⅛ tsp cinnamon
• kosher salt (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small microwave safe bowl (I used a ramekin), heat 3 tbsp of chocolate chips and 2 tbsp of peanut butter chips in the microwave using 20 second increments until melted. Stir after each increment to prevent burning.
2. Cut graham crackers into ½ inch sized pieces.
3. Mix pistachios, macadamia nuts, cashews, marshmallows, graham crackers, and remaining chocolate and peanut butter chips together in a large bowl. Dust with cinnamon.
4. Drizzle with melted chocolate and peanut butter chips.

Notes

If you want a salty, sweet taste combination, feel free to sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt on top. It is so good!

3.5.3208

The post Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Drizzled S’mores Trail Mix appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

Hey everyone! We’re excited to debut a book review section on our blog. Reading is good for the mind and soul, and we can’t wait to share our favorite books with you!

The first book we’re reviewing is Kevin Sands’s The Blackthorn Key. After reading the premise, a middle grade historical novel that takes place in London in the 1660s, I knew that I had to read it. I was on the waiting list at the Boston Public Library for almost three weeks, but the wait was worth it! The main character is an apothecary’s apprentice, and before he knows it, he’s wrapped in a dangerous mystery that only he can solve. I hadn’t read a middle grade book focusing on apothecaries before, so the plot felt fresh and interesting. With plenty of potions and recipes written in code, this book kept me on my toes and I finished the whole thing in one day. Kevin also is a great writer, and his word choices and depiction of the life of an apothecary during this time period really made the book spring to life. Kevin is coming out with a sequel, Mark of the Plague, which I can’t wait to read. Check out his website for updates: http://www.kevinsandsbooks.com/

The post Book Review: The Blackthorn Key appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

There’s nothing like a cup of tea to unwind after a long day. We were thrilled to receive this gift box of SuperGreen tea from Republic of Tea, which contains 4 canisters of green tea.

I love all things matcha, so I’m excited that The Republic of Tea has launched a new line of matcha. Matcha is made from ground green tea leaves, and is packed with antioxidants. It’s popular in Japan, where it’s used in tea ceremonies and to flavor desserts.

I was excited to try Lean Green, which has garcinia cambogia and cinnamon. I’ve had teas in the past where the cinnamon is overpowering, but the spice in this tea blend is subtle. Garcinia cambogia first became popular after Dr. Oz featured this supplement on his show. Caffeinated drinks like soda and energy drinks can cause weight gain, so this is a good option to consider if you’re looking for a pick-me-up without the extra calories. I also think that soaking some chia seeds in some steeped Lean Green tea and topped with banana would make an excellent healthy breakfast.

Serenity contains lavender and holy basil, and the floral notes in this tea are so aromatic and relaxing. Although lavender is associated with promoting sleep, I would recommend avoid drinking this tea late at night, as the caffeine in the green tea can affect your sleep.

The echinacea in Immunity can help battle colds. A spoonful of honey stirred into this citrusy tea, a good book, and some relaxation is perfect for days when I’m feeling under the weather. Also, this tea smells AMAZING, you guys!!

Brain Boost is my favorite. Not only does it have the cognitive boosting benefits of green tea (l-theanine), it also has ginkgo which is currently being studied as a possible memory enhancer. I love the taste of this tea, which I think comes from the black currants in it. It is fruity (but not too overpowering though!) and is so refreshing.

I also admire that fact that the Republic of Tea uses unbleached tea bags, in contrast to other brands that sell teas in bleached teabags or plastic sachets. Although the plastic sachets look pretty, it’s probably not a good idea to have hot water come in contact with plastic while steeping the tea. These unbleached tea bags are perfect!

Hope you have a relaxing day and enjoy a cup of tea!

Disclaimer: Republic of Tea provided us with samples of these teas to review but all opinions on ETG are our own.

The post Republic of Tea SuperGreen Tea Review appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

I know what you’re thinking. Lentils? In waffles? Trust me, these lentil waffles are delicious.

Don’t these waffles look amazing? I bet that you wouldn’t have guessed that there are lentils and chickpeas in them unless I spilled the beans (pun intended)! These waffles are a great way to sneak some lentils and chickpeas into your diet.

These lentil waffles taste best when drenched in rosemary pomegranate syrup. It’s seriously the best syrup that I’ve ever tasted in my life. I infused maple syrup with pomegranate juice and a sprig of rosemary to create a thick, luxurious syrup that’s bursting with flavor. You’ll never want to go back to plain maple syrup again.

These lentil waffles are naturally gluten-free and vegan, so they are perfect to serve for weekend brunches – everyone will love them!

Red Lentil Waffles with Rosemary Pomegranate Syrup notes:

-It is better to make the syrup first so it can thicken in the fridge while you’re making the waffles.
-The waffles are best eaten warm. Otherwise, they will firm up because they are packed with so much protein!

Red Lentil Waffles with Rosemary Pomegranate Syrup

 

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Cook time

40 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Author: Eat Thrive Glow

Serves: 14 waffles

Ingredients

• 1 cup lentils
• ½ cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 cups pomegranate juice
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 sprig of rosemary

Instructions

To make the red lentil waffles:

1. Soak the red lentils and rice overnight. Use enough water to cover the rice and lentils completely.
2. Drain the water the next day and rinse. Add the lentils, rice, and 2 cups of water to a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. Stir in chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour, baking powder, vanilla extract, and sugar. If the batter is too runny, add more chickpea flour until the consistency is that of pancake batter.
4. Grease the waffle maker before pouring in the batter. Make sure to grease the waffle maker after each waffle or else the waffles will stick!

To make the rosemary pomegranate syrup:

1. Whisk pomegranate juice and maple syrup together.
2. In a medium sized pot, cook the mixture on medium-low heat with a sprig of rosemary until it boils. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the syrup reduces to half of its size. Make sure to keep stirring frequently or else the syrup will burn!
3. Once the syrup has reduced in size, remove from heat and let cool. If you want to thicken the syrup further, place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes.

3.3.3077

The post Red Lentil Waffles with Rosemary Pomegranate Syrup appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

Pasta has always been one of my favorite comfort foods. I made this creamy, lemony fiddlehead and mushroom linguine and immediately fell in love with it. Fiddleheads are in abundance this time of the year in Massachusetts. I had never cooked a fiddlehead before, but was intrigued by the fact that it was an edible fern! I was enamored by its unique spiral shape and vibrant green color, so I grabbed a handful from the grocery store and decided to experiment with it in my kitchen. I was thrilled with the results, and this turned out to be my new go-to pasta recipe. The best part was that I felt like I was dining out at a fancy Italian restaurant, when in reality, I was eating this fiddlehead and mushroom linguine out of a cereal bowl in my pajamas.

Lemony Fiddlehead and Mushroom Linguine notes:

-Fiddleheads must be washed and cooked thoroughly before consumption! The best way to wash fiddleheads is to fill a large bowl with water and then rinse them, repeating the process multiple times. After the water turns clear, boil the fiddleheads in a fresh pot of water for approximately 15 minutes. Then you can begin sauteing them to create this dish. Do not eat fiddleheads raw or sauteed without boiling them first!

Lemony Fiddlehead and Mushroom Linguine

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Author: Eat Thrive Glow

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups fiddleheads
• 2.5 cups shitake mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp butter
• 8 oz linguine
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• zest of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. Clean fiddleheads thoroughly by washing them in water several times, then boil them for 15 minutes (see notes above)
2. Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and cook the linguine al dente.
3. In a separate pan, saute the mushrooms, fiddleheads, and garlic together in butter. Once you are done sauteing (the mushrooms will release their water, which will evaporate), add the cream, parmesan cheese, salt and lemon juice and zest.
4. Remove the pan from heat once the sauce starts to thicken, and then toss it with the pasta.

3.3.3077

The post Lemony Fiddlehead and Mushroom Linguine appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.

Because Eat Thrive Glow loves all things plant-based and natural, MegaFood sent us a box of goodies filled to the brim with vitamins, dried calendula flowers and pure sunflower oil.

In the past, I’ve been on the fence about taking vitamin supplements, since eating a well-balanced diet is the best way to make sure that my body gets the nutrients it needs. I know that nothing is a perfect substitute for real fruits and vegetables. Having said that, MegaFood vitamins might be the next best thing, since they use farm fresh fruits and veggies in their supplements! The produce gets picked, ground, dried, and packed into multivitamins. So much more appealing than other brands that may use synthetic ingredients or fillers in their vitamins.

What’s also impressive about MegaFood is that their vitamins are packaged in dark amber glass bottles and jars! We’ve all heard of the benefits of glass over plastic, but very few vitamin makers actually sell their products in glass bottles.

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to all sorts of issues like bone and muscle pain, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, etc. I was really excited to try the Vitamin D3, since I live in Boston and it’s hard for me to get much exposure to sunshine due to the long winters. I really like this supplement.

The MegaFood Complex C contains organic amla, rosehips, green peppers, and oranges, along with blueberries and cranberries, which is amazing. Vitamin C is great for boosting the immune system and making skin glow, so I will definitely be taking this regularly. I also drink smoothies everyday and love adding a pinch of the Daily C-Protect Nutrient Boost Powder to further boost its nutritional value. The only thing I don’t like about this product is that it doesn’t dissolve very well, so I would recommend blending it with other ingredients like avocado to make it easier to drink.

The Loriva Sunflower oil works great in my stir-frys and baked goods, and I love how it is cholesterol free, cold pressed, and is in a glass bottle. It is also Kosher and gluten-free.

I haven’t had a chance to try Dr Low Dog’s dried calendula flowers yet, but I’m looking forward to infusing the sunflower oil with the flowers as a nourishing skin balm during the winter.

Overall, I’m impressed by the quality of MegaFood products and would recommend them to those who are interested in taking vitamin supplements.

Please talk to your doctor before embarking on any new supplement regimens!

Disclaimer: MegaFood provided us with samples of these supplements to review as part of their Spring Forward blogger program but all opinions on ETG are our own.

The post MegaFood Vitamins Review appeared first on Eat Thrive Glow.