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Melinda Strauss

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You do not have to post just because others want y

You do not have to post just because others want you to!
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You do not have to post about something you don’t know enough about!
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Just because you have followers doesn’t mean you are obligated to use your voice!
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If you choose to stay silent, that does not make you complicit! Silence is not always compliance.
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I know many of you feel frustrated when you see your favorite influencer staying quiet on an important topic but please understand that there are so many reasons why someone chooses to stay silent. We don’t always know everything happening in someone’s life. When you feel passionate about a topic, I understand that it’s hard to see others stay quiet on the subject but it is not their obligation to speak out and we need to learn to respect other people’s boundaries and choices. We don’t know everything about a person just because we know what they share on social media. If you feel that something needs to be discussed, I say go for it! Use your voice, no matter how big or small. And give grace to those who chose not to speak out because they have their reasons. And no, they don’t owe anyone an explanation.
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#yourvoicematters #influencerlife #boundaries #respecteachother #setboundaries #knowledgeispower #bloggersofinstagram

Today is Zach's Hebrew birthday!!! We call this hi

Today is Zach's Hebrew birthday!!! We call this his Bo Bayom, the day he becomes a Bar Mitzvah! Justin and I watched Zach on zoom as he got his first aliyah to the Torah in school and we are so proud of him!!!
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#happybirthday #barmitzvah #jewishlife #proudjew #proudmom #birthdayboy #celebratelife #torahstudy

Finally started planning my Shavuot menu! I’ve b

Finally started planning my Shavuot menu! I’ve been distracted by what’s happening in Israel, as so many are, but we will be celebrating the receiving of the Torah from God on Sunday night and I am sooo looking forward to it!
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This recipe was inspired by my grain free cinnamon buns and you are going to love them!! And yes, you can use the original recipe as well, just add the cheesecake filling!
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GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE BUNS
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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2 3/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey
Filling:
7.5 ounce farmers cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 egg white
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4-1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Ganache:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbsp light sour cream
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.
Whisk the almond flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Add the eggs, oil, and maple syrup/honey. Stir together until a smooth sticky dough forms. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Separately, blend the farmers cheese, sour cream, egg white, maple syrup/honey, vanilla, and kosher salt.
Place the dough on a large piece of parchment paper then place another piece on top. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle around 1/4 inch thick then remove the top layer of parchment.
Spread on filling and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.
Roll up the dough from the wider side using the parchment paper, keeping it tight as you roll. Keep the dough wrapped in the parchment and freeze 30 minutes to set up.
Slice the buns and place in the muffin tin. You should get 8-10 buns, or more if you make them tiny.
Bake the buns for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are set.
While the buns cool, warm the chocolate chips for 1 minute in the microwave then whisk in the sour cream. Place in a piping or ziploc bag, cut off the tip, and drizzle over the cooled buns. Sprinkle with more chocolate chips!
Storage: I like to store these buns in the fridge in an airtight container so they stay fresh longer.
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#cheesecake #thebakefeed #bakersofinstagram #jewishholidays #grainfree

Happy Mother’s Day to my Grandma Dorothy, my mom

Happy Mother’s Day to my Grandma Dorothy, my mommy, my mother-in-law, my sisters
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To all the moms and grandmas out there! And to the dog moms too 🐶 Today is a special day to celebrate moms of all kinds!
❤️
#happymothersday #mothersday #feelingspecial #familyislove #mommalove

You can call them zucchini ravioli or go crazy and

You can call them zucchini ravioli or go crazy and call them Zucchinioli, but trust me and make them!
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A few frequently asked questions I can answer:
1. Yes, these freeze well but don’t freeze them raw. Freeze them baked, defrost completely, and reheat uncovered.
2. You can make this as a lasagna instead of ravioli. Bake for 45 minutes uncovered.
3. If you don’t eat dairy, you can follow this ravioli method with leftover shredded meat or cooked ground beef. Top with BBQ sauce.
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ZUCCHINI RAVIOLI
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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4 medium zucchini
1 cup part-skim ricotta
1/4 cup parmesan
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
Toppings:
1/2 cup mozzarella
2 Tbsp parmesan
2 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
fresh basil
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Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Using a potato peeler, slice the two sides of each zucchini into thin flat strips, peeling until you reach the center. You will end up with 50-60 slices.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, egg, spinach, basil, salt and pepper. Separately, fill the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with the marinara sauce. You can also portion control the ravioli by splitting them up between smaller baking dishes.
To assemble the zucchini ravioli: overlap two strips of squash then overlap two more strips perpendicular on top of the first strips, creating a T shape. Spoon 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the squash then bring the ends of the strips together, overlapping each other. Turn the ravioli over and place in the baking dish to seal the bottom. Top with olive oil, mozzarella, more parmesan, salt and pepper.
Bake the zucchini ravioli for 30 minutes, until the zucchini is al dente and the cheese on top is turning golden brown. Serve with more marinara sauce, parmesan and fresh basil.
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#ravioli #zucchinirecipes #leanandgreen #healthyrecipes #glutenfreerecipes #healthyfood #healthcoach #shavuot #thefeedfeedglutenfree #thefeedfeed

So excited to share my results so far from my team

So excited to share my results so far from my teams weight loss challenge!!! And no, this picture is not me from 3 weeks ago but there's more to this story. First celebration: in 3 weeks on this challenge, I am down 7 pounds!!! It's always such a good feeling to set my mind to something and see it through. And with my sons Bar Mitzvah in just a few weeks away, this challenge came at the perfect time!
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The second part to this is the long term goal I want to celebrate and that's what this picture reminds me about. Sometimes my weight goes up, sometimes it goes down, but I am never back at Day 1. I am so far from the girl I was on the left, back in 2013, and not just because I no longer have a center part, the huge cheeks, and thin brows 😂 I am now someone who drinks 8-10 cups of water a day, reads every morning for personal growth, finds things to be grateful for everywhere, speaks MUCH less gossip, and has learned soooo much about how to eat right for my body.
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Once you've started your journey, it will never be Day 1 again because you've changed. When is it time for your Day 1???
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#myweightlossjourney #healthcoach #personalgrowth #personalgrowthjourney #dayoneoroneday #feelingproud #beforeandafter #drinkyourwater #morethanweightloss

Here are a few things you need to know about this

Here are a few things you need to know about this cheesecake:
1. It’s REALLY good and you must make it! Of course 😂
2. Be patient! That rule goes for any cheesecake, but especially a no-bake cheesecake. Leaving it overnight is best.
3. If you like a dense cheesecake, this is NOT for you! This cheesecake is light and fluffy.
4. You can make individual cheesecakes in a jar instead of one big cheesecake and it will take less time to set up in the fridge. Alternate layers of cookie crust and honey cheesecake.
5. You can make this recipe without “burning” the honey but I can tell you one thing…the burnt honey adds a very distinct and special flavor. It reminds me of eating honeycomb candy.
6. If you’re adding the fun honeycomb look using bubble wrap, PLEASE make sure the bubble wrap is new and clean. That seems pretty self-explanatory.
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NO-BAKE BURNT HONEY CHEESECAKE
original recipe on melindastrauss.com
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1 1/2 cups honey cookies or graham crackers
5 Tbsp butter, melted
2 8-oz blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cups heavy cream
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Crush the cookies in a ziploc bag or pulse in a food processor into crumbs. Mix with the melted butter. The texture should be like sand. Press tightly into a 9-inch springform pan (or glass pyrex) using the back of a measuring cup. Refrigerate until ready to fill.
In a small saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat. Once the honey starts to foam, reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the honey is golden brown. Remove from the heat and cool.
Using a handheld or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, cooled honey, and lemon juice. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream until smooth.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Smooth the top and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, 12 hours. You can also top the cheesecake with a piece of clean bubble wrap, which will give it a fun texture that looks like honeycomb. Leave the bubble wrap on until ready to serve.
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#cheesecake #shavuot #jewishfood #burnthoney #honeycomb #nobakecheesecake #bakersofinstagram

The best of all the birthday dinner pics 😂 Clea

The best of all the birthday dinner pics 😂 Clearly I like sparkly things!
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My wish for you on my birthday is that you never apologize for wanting more. That you never feel the need to live up to someone’s else’s expectations. That you don’t let others people’s opinions hold you back. That is my hope and dream for you ❤️
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#birthdaywishes #happybirthdaytome #38yearsold #dreambig #birthdaycandles #girlstopapologizing #liveforyourself

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