It’s Mother’s Day this weekend and this day is a wonderful time to honor mothers. In fact, celebrating the women in our lives is so important that this whole newsletter is dedicated to them! For some, this day comes with different emotions. Whether you are a first time mom, full-time mom, adoptive mom, single mom, the “mom-friend” of your group or even if Mother’s Day is hard for you, this day gives us something to celebrate. You can celebrate your mother, your significant other’s mother, your friends who are mothers, and yourself as a mother.
Does it take Mother’s Day to join us together? No. But, it is a good reminder for all women to celebrate with each other, for each other, and maybe even comfort each other; because on this day, we realize that we are not alone.
I love the idea of making a home cooked meal to show my love and gratitude. It is hand-made, it nourishes and it comforts! Treat your mom to a healthy breakfast in bed with Low-Cal, Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins & Mini Frittatas for a Mother’s Day brunch that’s less than 400 calories!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup ZSweet natural zero calorie sweetener
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup light soymilk
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 Large egg
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- cooking spray
Makes 18 muffins; serving size 1 muffin
Nutrition Facts per serving: 100 Cals, 4g Protein, 19g Carbs, 1g Fat
Directions
Step 1 – Preheat oven to 400°.
Step 2 – Combine flour, ZSweet, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl.
Step 3 – Combine light soy milk, applesauce, egg and lemon zest mix well with a whisk.
Step 4 – Add flour mixture to liquid mixture; stir with a large spoon until moist (don’t over mix).
Step 5 – Gently fold in blueberries.
Step 6 – Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.
Step 7 – Bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until you can poke with a tooth pick and it comes out clean.
Step 8 – Place on a wire rack to cool.
Ingredients:
- 9 egg whites (Preferably from cage free eggs)
- 3 whole eggs (Preferably cage free)
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- 1/2lb asparagus
- 1 Small onion
- 1/2 red bell pepper, julienne
- 1/2 orange bell pepper, julienne
- 1/4 cup Romano cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- cooking spray
Nutrition Facts per serving: 171 calories, 16 g Protein, 7 g Carbs, 9 g fat
Serves 4. Serving size: 3 mini fritattas
Directions
Step 1 – Preheat oven to 375°. Coat a 12-cup muffin tins pan with cooking spray.
Step 2 – Wash and trim ends off asparagus. Boil asparagus until tender, approximately 6 minutes, blanch in ice water, pat dry, and cut in to 1 inch long pieces. Set aside.
Step 3 – Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and cool under cold running water. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
Step 4 – Beat together the egg whites, whole eggs, half-and-half, and cheese in a medium bowl.
Step 5 – Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the asparagus and cook to heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 6 – Divide the vegetables among the muffin cups; they should be about half full. Ladle the egg mixture over the vegetables; do not fill the cups more than three-fourths full, as the eggs will puff up as they cook
Step 7 – Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a frittata comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
Giving a gift of flowers, a spa day, a homemade coupon book, mug or even a photo are great ideas for gifts. If you are still looking for the perfect gift to give this weekend, you may want to consider giving something that also gives back to an organization or charity. I love gifts of this nature because they don’t just brighten the day of the recipient, but you are also donating to a cause at the same time.
Charity by Design empowers non-profit organizations to reach their goals by capturing the power of positive energy through innovative, creative designs. A portion of proceeds are donated directly to each organization, enabling them to contribute to the lives of others and make our world a better place. They have beautiful jewelry, and it shows the organization you are donating to in the description of the piece. You can find all these designs online from Alex and Ani here.
For the wine lover; half of the profits from this 2011 California Pinot Noir from One Hope goes to the ASPCA to help fund pet adoptions nationwide. Click here for more information.
With a minimum donation of $50, the Conservancy will plant your daffodils, tulips or mums in New York’s Central Park. For your donation, you or the person(s) you are honoring will receive an eCard online or physical certificate indicating the flowers planted and the date of the gift. Check out more information here.
If you want more options, here are 10 more Mother’s Day Gifts that show the moms in your life how loved and valued they are — while also providing hope and opportunities for mothers and children in poverty.
I would love to hear your stories of how you celebrated women in your life this Mother’s Day, or how others celebrated you! Let me know on Facebook or Twitter – I’d love to celebrate with you!
“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: Be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.” –Serena Williams
Happy Mother’s Day!
Christine