I’m not typically a historical fiction girly, but I’m so glad I picked up this clean Regency romance novel. Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham had me tearing up, smiling, and even laughing. Like a warm cup of tea, it was my cozy go-to novel. I was originally attracted to it because of the cute cover (shallow, I know) and the fact that I’ve enjoyed a few other Pepper Basham books (you can read my Some Like it Scot review here). It inspired me to watch Sense and Sensibility again (it’d been 10+ years) so I could get all the references.
Audience
Teen Girls and Women
Genre
Clean Regency Romance, Christian Historical Fiction
Two years ago Emme Lockhart’s heart was broken by the Simon Reeves. She knew his status was way above hers, but he had given her reason to believe they had a future together. And then he called the whole thing off, with no explanation. Now Emme’s aunt is forcing her back into the social scene, determined to have Emme married well. And by well she means with good social standing and plenty of money, love plays no part in her matchmaking. Things become complicated for Emme when Simon returns to the area. Just being near him is still difficult. Yet when she finds out his family’s estate is in trouble, she wants to help him. Even if that means helping him find a bride who is not her.
A few of my favorite things…
The fact that Emme is an author, even though that was scandalous for women back then
The Jane Austen references and overall Austen feel to the story
Sweet, caring and mischievous little kid characters, they always brighten a story!
Aunt Bean. Even though her matchmaking skills were terrible she made me laugh!
Emme and Simon’s caring and playful friendship
Emme’s sweet relationship with her dad
Simon’s care for his younger siblings
Ballroom social scenes
Know that…
There’s a little bit of kissing, but nothing over the top
The book ends with a newly married couple kissing and stepping into their bedroom. Nothing else is described.
Perfect for…
Any woman looking for a cozy Jane Austen-like read!
If you enjoy reading clean fiction, sign up for my email list and I’ll keep you up-to-date with my latest reviews! You can sign up here.
Notes: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I’m also an Amazon Affiliate, so I receive a commission on anything purchased through links I share.
My THM-Friendly recipe for Protein Pumpkin Pancakes is an Energizing (carb) meal that’s high protein, low fat, and sugar free. I love figuring out and sharing cheap and easy Trim Healthy Mama friendly recipes. My goal is to make it easy to eat healthy for an affordable price and in a delicious way. This Protein Pumpkin Pancake Recipe is a perfect way to have an Autumn-y meal while crushing your protein goals! It has about 30g of protein in it.
Health Benefits of the Protein Pumpkin Pancake
It meets an ideal protein goal of 25g+. Protein is essential because it’s what helps your body keep and build muscle. Without muscle, your body can’t burn fat, and overall health quickly goes downhill. The fact that it contains this much protein makes it a Trim Healthy Mama Friendly Recipe that’s up-to-date with the plan’s new Wisdom ways.
It’s a carb meal, yay! Good, healthy carbs are so important. Especially for us women. Ideally, half or more of our meals should contain good carbs (so not white bread or sugar, no, no, no).
Energy boost for breakfast. Good carbs are especially a good way to start your day! They give you that nice little burst of energy.
THM-Friendly E Recipe for a Protein Pumpkin Pancake
I love learning more about health! The plan I follow (Trim Healthy Mama) balances food groups beautifully, cuts out sugar, and emphasizes the need for high protein. It’s super personalizable for budget, preferences, allergies, phase of life, and goals (weight loss, gaining muscle, healthy weight gain, working through health issues, getting more energy, etc.).
Are you interested in learning more about healthy living?
As a certified Trim Healthy Lifestyle Coach my goal is to show ladies how healthy living can be affordable, simple and delicious. If you interested in learning more schedule a free 15 discovery call!
Note: I’m an Amazon Affiliate so I receive a commission off anything purchased through links I share.
Riley + Sam by Ashley Schaller is a sweet innocent Christian YA romance book. Riley Anderson thinks her summer is gonna be pretty chill. She’ll work on some digital art commissions and just relax. Two things shake those plans up. 1) her little cousin Lou-lou is spending the summer with them (not terrible, Lou-lou’s great, but now Riley has some babysitting responsibility on her plate). 2) Sam Hong is back. Sam was Riley’s childhood best friend and neighbor. Once he got famous and he went on tour he left and never looked back. Until now. Now Riley’s got a challenging summer ahead of her because she promised herself she would be one girl who would not fall for Sammy Hong.
Riley’s little cousin Lou-lou starts out hating Sam because she remembers how sad Riley was when he left. But Sam quickly wins her over with his sweet charm. Soon the three of them have made a Summer bucket list. Sam’s sick of the spotlight and he wants to experience normal things (like going through the drive-thru), like a normal person. Riley and Lou-lou decide they’ll make that happen for him with some clever (or maybe not so clever) disguises.
A few of my favorite things…
The friends-to-more story
Sam helping Riley process grief (her mom died while he was gone)
Lou-lou. She’s so sassy, funny, and adorable. I love when stories have little kids as some of their main characters!
Sarge, the lovable golden retriever.
Riley’s faith. She models “pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) well. She also encourages Sam to turn back to the Lord, and use spotlight to bring glory to Him. There’s a part where she describes grace well.
“Celebrity sick of the spotlight” is one of my favorite storylines.
The humor. I was laughing out loud a lot! Whether it was at a situation, Lou-lou’s attitude or Riley’s inner thoughts.
Sweet family relationships. Riley is really close to her dad. They often drink tea together in the evenings. She’s also good friends with her older sister. You don’t often see good family relationships like that in stories!
Coffee. Here are some golden quotes: “I swear you barely qualify as a person in the morning [before coffee.” “Am I a mess? Yes. But a happy, coffee-loving one.”
Riley’s dream of being a mom. So often girls don’t feel the freedom to say that. They think instead that they have to have a big career plan.
A really horrible date that Riley goes on. It’s humorously described, but poor Riley learns her lesson. She doesn’t need to go on a date with just any guy who asks.
Know that…
Sam sleeps in the same tent as Riley and Lou-lou. Nothing happens. Nothing’s romantic or sexual about it. But in real life, that wouldn’t be a good idea.
There’s lots of times that Riley thinks about kissing. But it doesn’t actually happen except maybe once at the very end.
My book friend, Lindsey, has a more thorough content review over on her blog. You can read it here.
Perfect for…
Any teen girl looking for a sweet, innocent summer romance!
If you’re looking for other clean Christian contemporary books, check out mine. You can find more information about my Dawn Chandler series here.
Notes: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I’m also an Amazon Affiliate, so I receive a commission on anything purchased through links I share.
Picture yourself sitting down with me and sipping your favorite healthy latte. I want to have a friendly little chat about healthy eating on a budget. My goal is to give you 5 easy steps that will help you create THM-friendly meal plans. You should walk away from our coffee time together understanding that eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. As you implement these principles, meal-planning will become a joyful process that simplifies the rest of your week. The meals you thoughtfully choose will also leave you feeling energized and satisfied.
Note: This post includes Amazon Affiliate links. I make a small commission off any purchases made through the links at no extra cost to you.
What is Trim Healthy Mama?
If you’re new to this, let’s take a moment to talk about what Trim Healthy Mama is. Trim Healthy Mama isn’t some fad diet, it’s a lifestyle. It’s often accurately referred to as the “Food Freedom Movement”. The Trim Healthy Mama way of eating includes all the macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates and protein). It focuses on clean and nourishing sources of each of those nutrients. The plan can be personalized for different seasons of life and health goals. Wherever you’re at in life, you will be focusing on protecting your muscles and supporting your hormones.
How to Create a THM-Friendly Meal Plan
1. Check What’s in Your Fridge and Pantry
Before meal-planning, you’ll want to make sure you know what ingredients you have. I like to make a list of several key ingredients I have, especially protein sources since that’s what my meals are centered around. In order to do healthy eating on a budget, you’ll want to come up with as many meals as you can using ingredients you already have.
2. Consult your Cookbooks and Pinterest
The next step is to flip through your cookbooks (or scroll Pinterest) to find recipe ideas. It’s a good idea to already have a list (written down or in your head) of your favorite go-to recipes. The more you repeat recipes you’re already familiar with, the easier meal planning and prep will become. I have Trim Healthy Mama cookbooks I use and I like to save THM-friendly recipes on Pinterest. You can find links to recipes I created on this Pinterest board. Another way to simplify is by not always using recipes. You can do something simple like salmon, seasoned brown rice, and a side of broccoli.
3. Count Your Protein Grams (eating high-protein can save your life!)
Protein does so many incredible things for you! It helps you build and keep muscle, nourishes your hair and skin, causes your metabolism to burn fat… the list goes on and on! Because of this, I would argue that meeting your protein goal should be your biggest concern when meal planning. Protein might seem expensive, but so are doctor bills. And, I’m not saying you have to eat steak for every meal. You can focus on more affordable protein sources like cottage cheese, protein powder bought in bulk, nonfat plain greek yogurt, eggs, meat that’s on sale… If you do decide to purchase protein powder in bulk, here’s one I recommend. What should your protein goal be? According to Trim Healthy Mama you should have at least four meals and snacks that have 25 g of protein in them per day. I give my husband even more than that. Counting protein grams can be a pain at first, but once you get the hang of it and have your go-to meals it’s not so hard. If whatever protein you’re using doesn’t come with nutrition facts, you can figure out how much protein it has with a quick google search. For example, I often search things like “how much protein is there in a pound of ground turkey”. Once you’ve got your protein nailed down, make sure you’re also getting plenty of fruits, vegetables, healthy carbs, and healthy fats. Keep your meal plan well-balanced!
4. Write Down Your Plan
Grab a blank piece of paper and write down your THM-friendly meal plan. My plan usually includes two kinds of breakfasts I batch make ahead (usually one carb breakfast and one fat breakfast) and 5 or 6 dinners. I only plan for 5 or 6 dinners because we usually often up having leftovers or eating somewhere else at least once or twice. Lunches aren’t usually on my meal plan. I usually just have leftovers, sandwiches or scramble random ingredients together. Your plan doesn’t have to say exactly which day you’re having which dinners, just make sure you have your list of ideas for the week somewhere you can easily find.
5. Make a Grocery List and a Meal-Prep List
Now that you have your meals chosen, you’re going to make a list of the ingredients you need to buy. If my list starts looking expensive, I’ll often revise my plan. That may mean swapping recipes for cheaper recipes or omitting ingredients. The second list you’re making is a meal-prep list. If you can set aside an hour or two for meal prep, it could make the rest of your week a lot easier. Often if I get meal prep time in, it feels like the rest of the week my meals just make themselves. Things you can prep ahead are breakfasts, easy grab snacks, beans, meat or rice can be cooked ahead of time…all of this will save you time later on.
Are you interested in learning more about healthy living?
As a certified Trim Healthy Lifestyle Coach my goal is to show ladies how healthy living can be affordable, simple and delicious. If you interested in learning more schedule a free 15 minute discovery call!
My THM-friendly peach cobbler hack isn’t so much a new recipe as it is a combination of two recipes in a new way. I recently made a big batch of these so I’d have enough breakfasts for a whole week.I love finding cheap and easy Trim Healthy Mama friendly recipes for my husband and I. My goal is for it to be easy to eat healthy for an affordable price and in a delicious way. This is the third recipe in my Summer Peach series. You can find my peach sauce recipe here, and my peaches and cream popsicle recipe here.
Health Benefits of the Easy Peach Cobbler Hack
It meets an ideal protein goal of 25-30g. Protein is essential because it’s what helps your body keep and build muscle. Without muscle, your body can’t burn fat, and overall health quickly goes downhill. The fact that it contains this much protein makes it a Trim Healthy Mama Friendly Recipe that’s up-to-date with the plan’s new Wisdom ways. It also has enough leucine (a specific kind of protein) to be considered a protein nerd level 3 meal in the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
Peaches have benefits. According to healthline.com, peaches are full of antioxidants. They can help improve heart health, prevent cancer, and improve your skin.
It’s a carb meal, yay! Good, healthy carbs are so important. Especially for us women. Ideally, half or more of our meals should contain good carbs (so not white bread or sugar, no, no, no).
Energy boost for breakfast. Good carbs are especially a good way to start your day! They give you that nice little burst of energy.
It’s easy to make. Set aside maybe 45 minutes in the kitchen one morning to make this, and then you’ll have 6 breakfasts made for the rest of the week! All you’ll need to do is pull a cobbler square out of the fridge, top it with peach sauce and throw it in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Put all of the ingredients for the Summer Peach Sauce in a pot on the stove then let it simmer while you put together the pancake batter to make your cobbler base. Make sure you keep an eye on the sauce and turn it off once it’s the right consistency and before it burns.
Put double the amount of ingredients under “Triple Serve” in the Protein Strong Trim Healthy Pancakes recipe in a blender. Blend it all together until smooth.
Pour batter into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a knife stuck in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cobbler base to cool before dividing into six even-sized portions and refrigerating.
When you’re ready to eat a piece of peach cobbler, put one portion of the cobbler base on a plate, top with as much summer peach sauce as you desire, and microwave it for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Enjoy with a cup of coffee!
I love learning more about health! The plan I follow (Trim Healthy Mama) balances food groups beautifully, cuts out sugar, and emphasizes the need for high protein. It’s easy to personalize for budget, preferences, allergies, phase of life, and goals (weight loss, gaining muscle, healthy weight gain, working through health issues, getting more energy, etc.).
Are you interested in learning more about healthy living?
As a certified Trim Healthy Lifestyle Coach my goal is to show ladies how healthy living can be affordable, simple and delicious. If you interested in learning more schedule a free 15 minute discovery call!
Pure Healthy Living & Literature 