The Best Avocado Salsa

6/28/2021

This avocado salsa pairs perfectly with fresh grilled salmon and rice, or can be used as a dip for chips.

It is also great for tacos, burritos, or as a topping for a number of other dishes.

Grilled salmon with avocado salsa and cilantro rice

Season salmon with your favorite seasonings (for this dish, I recommend salt, pepper, and lemon juice), then grill salmon to temperature of your choice. Serve with cilantro rice (recipe coming soon, but you can also just cook rice, add a little bit of butter, salt, and pepper, then mix in fresh chopped cilantro once the rice is almost finished cooking). Top with the avocado salsa recipe below.

This delicious and simple summer staple is sure to find multiple uses on your table!

The Best Avocado Salsa

Print Recipe

Ingredients

3 Avocados
3 Plum Tomatoes
1 Red Pepper
Juice of 1/2 to 1 lemon (depending on how much citrus you like; I prefer juice of 3/4 lemon)
1 Small Red Onion
1/4 cup Cilantro
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Chilli Powder (you can use a bit more if you really like heat)
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/4 tsp Honey
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions

Cut avocado into approximately 3/4 inch cubes or chunks. Place in a large mixing bowl.
Dice tomatoes, red pepper, and red onion, and add to the mixing bowl.
Finely chop cilantro, and add to the mixing bowl. Then add the chili powder, cumin, lemon, and honey.
Lightly stir the ingredients to mix. Add salt and pepper to taste, and stir again.
If you plan to store the salsa, drizzle oil on top, but do not stir. Place plastic wrap on top of the salsa, and up the sides of the bowl, to form a seal. Allowing the salsa to sit for a few hours improves flavors, but is not essential. If you plan to use the salsa immediately, stir the oil into the mixture, and serve.

What have you paired this recipe with? Please tag me on Instagram in your food pictures, and let me know!

Check out even more great recipes!!!

Be sure to pin this recipe to find it later. Or, share with someone you know would love it!

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Amazon Prime Day Deals 2021

6/18/2021

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Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. Commissions earned help support my small business, and my participation in this program comes at no added cost to you. You can learn more about this program here.

Amazon Prime Day is almost here, and this year it is running for two days! Be sure to check out all the great sales on June 21st and June 22nd!

Don't forget... to take advantage these deals you need to be a prime member, so be sure to sign up now! Amazon offers a free trial, but if you are anything like me, you'll get more than your money's worth out of Prime.

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Summer Food Allergy Tips

6/9/2021

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Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. Commissions help support my small business, and my participation in this program comes at no added cost to you. You can learn more about my participation in this program here. This article does not offer (and should not be interpreted as) medical advice, and is for informational purposes only. Always speak to your doctor regarding specifics related to your medical care.

Summer can be tons of fun, but it comes with some unique challenges for food allergy families. Here are a few basic tips for staying safe with food allergies this summer!

1. Keep your epinepherine temperature controlled.

You may find yourself asking: What temperature should I keep my epi pen at?

Your epi pen should ideally be kept at room temperature, but that can be challenging during the hot summer months. So, how can you keep your epi pens temperature controlled*? Here are a few tips!

Never leave your epi pen in the car!
Keep your epi pen out of direct sunlight
Use a light colored and/or insulated bag/carrying case . Darker colors retain more heat. Can't find a light colored medication case? That is okay! Many are insulated, despite being designed to be eye catching (i.e. red colored) for safety. Not insulated? Store it in a regular light colored bag, or just keep the medication case out of direct sunlight (see the final bullet point for why this is okay).
NEVER PUT YOUR EPI PEN ON ICE! While it may seem like a good way to keep the medication cool, epi should be stored at room temperature. Ice may damage the medication.
Your epinepherine/epi pen CAN ENDURE ESCURSIONS ABOVE AND BELOW ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME. That means you should ALWAYS BRING YOUR EPI PEN WITH YOU, regardless of temperature, the kind of carrying case you have, etc. Epi pens are only helpful if you have them in the middle of an emergency, and will be fine in the heat if you bring them with you on a hot summer day*.

*Always refers to the medication guide for specifics about how to care for your epipen. If you have questions, speak to your doctor or pharmacist.

2. Prioritize skin care during the summer months, but always read labels on skincare products

Skincare is vital all year round, especially for those with sensitive skin and/or food allergies. Broken skin allows allergens an access point to cause contact reactions, or can result in rashes that could be confused for allergies. Summer sun, water play, heat, and sunscreen are all harsh on skin, making prioritizing skincare particularly critical during the warm months.

Be sure to check out my top summer skin care tips for kids with sensitive skin here.

However, skincare and cosmetic products are often the source of nut and seed oils, as well as other top allergens. That means you should always read the labels of your sunscreen and other skincare products in order to ensure they do not contain your allergens.

Sesame oil is one common ingredient in a variety of skincare products that may be hard to identify, because it is not always labeled clearly; sesame is commonly referred to as sesamum indicum on cosmetic labels. Be sure you know any and all names for your allergens, so you know specifically what to look for.

3. As always read every label, even if it is a product you have consumed before, and bring safe foods with you.

When traveling or going to a social gathering (such as a BBQ), make sure you will have access to safe food. Bringing your own food to parties helps avoid cross contact at high risk areas (such as a grill). If you are traveling, stay in a hotel with a mini fridge, or better yet, rent a cottage or apartment with a kitchenette/kitchen. This will help ensure you have safe food in the event that local restaurants (or family/friends) are unable to accommodate your allergy needs.

Going for a day trip to the beach, lake, or other outdoor destination? Bring a picnic lunch, and plenty of safe snacks. This is not only a great way to accommodate food allergies, but also cost effective, and fun! Going to a theme park, or similar attraction? Speak with your doctor to obtain an accommodation letter in advance, as many destinations do not allow outside food or water. Some parks even have disability accommodation teams (Disney parks are famous for theirs); if the one you are planning to attend does, be sure to contact them in advance.

How can you find an allergy friendly restaurant while on vacation?
Check out Allergy Eats and the Dining Out With Food Allergies Facebook Group; my family has used both resources, and found them super helpful.

YETI Cooler

4. Always communicate about your allergy needs and comfort levels with others around you.

If you have a child with a food allergy, be sure to communicate with any caregivers about allergy action plans. If you will be the caregiver, or if you have food allergies, it is still important to communicate about your comfort level if you will be in close proximity to others. Why? Many skincare and cosmetic products contain common allergens. If there will be food present, there is also a concern of cross contact or accidental exposure. It is always a good idea to communicate about food allergies with those you spend time with, because it allows others to take precautions with where they put their plates down, where they eat (and how they clean up their space), and what products they wear.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BRING TWO EPI PENS WITH YOU!!!

You should always have at least two epi pens on you at all times. This ensures you will have a second dose should the first not be effective. That is particularly relevant during summer months, when many travel to destinations that are far from emergency services and/or hospitals. And don't worry; epinephrine is a safe medication! Never be afraid to follow your allergy action plan, even if it includes the administration of epinephrine.

Be sure to share this post to help keep other food allergy patients safe and healthy this summer!

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Preschool Reading Nook

6/6/2021

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Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases. Commissions earned help support my small business, and my participation in this program comes at no added cost to you. Click here to learn more.

As my litrle guy gets older, he has taken more and more interest in having his bedroom be more than just a place where he sleeps. So, we figured it was time to make his room more of a big kid room, and opted to start with a reading nook (since he loves his cozy tent corner in his playroom so much). Putting this together was super easy.

The finished look!

Cozy Corner Essentials

KidKraft Reading Nook
Poof
Favorite Stuffed Animals
Good Books
Cozy Pillow
Fun Rug
Artwook
Toys
Light (we opted for a nightlight, because our little guy isn't ready for a lightbulb being within reach)

You can create your own with this adorable Kidkraft reading nook.

Add some favorite stuffed animals, a comfy pillow and poof, a rug, some toys and books, artwork to spruce things up, and you are good to go! We also added a Hatch Baby Rest Sound Machine, Nightlight and Time-to-Rise and a CloudB nightlight (which projects stars and the moon in several colors of light, and is easy for a toddler to operate).

This reading nook was the perfect way to make my preschooler's room a little more cozy!!!

Some of the other room essentials my little one loves are his hooded dinosaur blanket, his large giraffe, his weighted dinosaur plush (our OT prescribed weighted items, and we ensured the weighting was appropriate for his size), and his road rug.

The room is still a work in progress. We'll be upgrading to a big kid bed soon, and have been changing his decor from safari to dinosaur (since he is totally at that age!!). Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to make progress on his big kid room!

Be sure to pin this so you can easily reference it later!!

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