The Sweet Life of Sierra Sugar

Ok, so it is no secret that I LOVE #Influenster! In the most recent GoVoxBox I received two items from PROFOOT to try, ProFoot Triad Orthotic shoe inserts and the ProFoot Pedi-Rock. They are both wonderful!

Muller display at the Publix in Tampa, Florida. I got the strawberry (YUM!) using the complimentary coupon sent to me in the #Influenster #GoVoxBox to try.

In this age where fast food, processed foods, GMO's, "Low fat" but high sugar or sugar substitutes abound, choosing healthy food options is a must, yet often times a challenge.  I like to cook from scratch and avoid boxed or canned goods that are heavily processed and contain preservatives and artificial ingredients.  I also prefer natural sugar over sugar substitutes.  And along those lines I avoid "High Fructose Corn syrup"  (HFC's) like the plague!  Many of the popular brands of greek yogurt have lots of extra added sugar, and even *gasp* HFC!  So they never make it into my shopping cart.  

Yogurt is one of those healthy food choices that always find its way into my regular shopping.  Being hypoglycemic (chronic low blood sugar) I have always been advised to follow a high protein/low carb diet.  In a fast-paced world this is sometimes difficult to do.  Enter greek yogurt.  

Working out of town last week and I took my +Influenster #GoVoxBox items with me, including +Aqua Spa Bath Salts to help me relax after traveling over 400miles to work then busy days in a strange office processing 360 charts.  Whew!  

I am usually a shower person and not very big on Lavender. HOWEVER, I have to say the #Lavender  + #Chamomile  Bath Salts

I have been a member of Influenster for some time now, thanks to my friend both in and out of Second Life, Ashley Dickerson for introducing me. This latest VoxBox makes it four times now in the past year that I have had the pleasure of testing several items sent to me from Influenster. This latest being Colgate® Optic White™ Toothbrush + Built-In Whitening Pen. I know from past testing that the Optic White toothpaste works great. I actually like the new built in whitening pen. Colgate uses a gel inside of a pen. Turn the base of the pen two clicks to push a bit of the gel up into the built-in soft plastic brush of the pen the smooth across your teeth. The gel takes a little getting used to, but once you do it's not bad. The gel, while it doesn't stay on as long as the strips for obvious reasons, doesn't have a bad taste and still gets the job done. Other whitening brands use whitening strips. To me those feel funny and after a couple uses the concentration of the chemicals actually makes my teeth hurt. While I brush my teeth twice a day and try to have good oral hygiene, I also tend to drink a fair amount of tea, coffee, and Dr. Pepper. A little extra whitening power never hurts. ‪So many thanks to Influenster and Colgate for introducing me to another wonderful product. Give it a try and see for yourself. Before Day 4 #‎Influenster‬ ‪#‎BrushWhitenGO‬ ‪#‎Colgate‬ ‪#‎Voxbox‬

                                with Nectresse from @influenster Sugar and Spice Voxbox:

For the batter:
6 Tbsp Salted butter
4 Large Eggs
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Lowfat Milk
1 packet NECTRESSE

For the Compote:
3 Large Peaches, peeled and diced (or substitute 1 can of sliced peaches)
3 Packets NECTRESSE (or substitute 1/2 cup sugar)
2 Bananas sliced
1/4 cup Water
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1 Tbsp salted butter
1 tsp Lemon Juice
Pinch of Cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425

Step 1: Cut butter into 12 even pieces.  Put one piece in the bottom of each section of a non-stick muffin pan.  Put pan on the middle rack of the oven.  While butter is melting prepare the batter.

Step 2: In a blender, add eggs, flour, milk, and sweetener.  Blend on high until smooth, about 20-30 seconds.

Step 3: When butter is bubbling in the muffin tins, pour batter from the blender into each cavity of the pan (1/2 - 2/3 way full).

Step 4: Bake for 22-25 minutes, until pancakes have puffed and are golden brown (You may still notice a slight depression in the puffs with a bit of melted butter, this is ok).

Step 5: While pancakes are baking,prepare the compote by placing all the ingredients (except the sliced bananas) into a saucepan and cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly, for at least 5 minutes, until the peaches are soft and most of the water has cooked off.  Turn heat to low and fold in bananas.

Step 6: Remove pancakes from oven and place pan on cooling rack.  Using a spoon or small offset spatula, pop the pancake puffs out of the pan and place onto a serving plate.  Serve immediately and spoon the warm compote over the top of each puff.

(a little deviation from what i normally blog about.  But i love to cook and bake, and these were a definite hit here in the house.)

"I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."   (Nectresse)