Protein Packed Lunch!

I struggle with lunches everyday. I kind of just eat whatever I come across in the fridge from leftovers to lunch meat and string cheese. It is by far my least favorite meal of the day. However, I have a new favorite that is something that most of us have in our cupboard somewhere. TUNA! However, I went a little more extravagant and bought Italian tuna packed in Olive Oil. Oh my! It is a bit more expensive but definitely worth every penny. I made this the other day and was in Heaven by how satisfying and delicious it was! Not to mention, good for you!!

Just a brief outline of how I made mine... (make yours to your liking but pack in those veggies! Not only is it great for you but it bulks up the amount of tuna you have!)

Drain the tuna, I do not like any liquid in mine. I added just a tiny bit of mayo to help bind everything together, a tiny dollop of Dijon, yellow bell pepper, celery, onion, salt and pepper. I ate mine in lettuce cups. Enjoy!

Bacon Quiche and White Bean & Tomato Salad

The weather here in New York has been amazingly warm and that means lighter dinners to accompany the sunshine! Yesterday (and today) seemed to be one of those days where there just wasn't enough hours in the day to get everything done. I did not have that much time to prep dinner and as of 2:00pm I did not even have anything planned. It was one of those nights I had to grab things from around the kitchen and make something on a whim. I decided to make a delicious quiche and wanted a nice light and healthy side to go with it....so white bean and tomato salad it was. It was perfect and could not believe how quickly it was devoured...only one small piece left last night which happily I ate for lunch today :)

Bacon Quiche

Frozen Pie Crust, thawed
1/4 large onion, diced
1/2 green bell pepper
frozen spinach (if frozen thaw and squeeze out any water), I used about 3/ 4 of frozen box
5 slices of low-sodium bacon, sliced the short way and cooked (drain fat)
5 eggs
1 cup skim milk
about 1/3 (maybe a tad more) of shredded cheese of your choice
salt and pepper to taste
couple of dashes of hot sauce (Chalulah)

Lay pie crust into a pie plate. Saute onion and green pepper until tender. In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper, and hot sauce.
Layer onions and peppers in the pie crust, add spinach, cheese, bacon, and top with egg mixture.
Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes

White Bean & Tomato Salad

1 14oz can of white beans
2 tomatoes, chopped in large pieces
2 Tbl of Olive Oil
1 medium lemon, juiced
1/2 Tbl of oregano
salt and pepper

Mix together. I let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cold.

Back and Not Counting Calories for this Recipe :)

So it was a long three plus weeks of no oven and finally we got a new one put in. I could hardly contain my excitement that I just had to make a full-fat, no reservations meal. However, only the stove-top and broiler were used and I still have not had a fully-oven-cooked meal yet. I have had the itch though and I am just waiting for the right meal to share with you...besides this one :)
I decided to make croque-madames and spinach salad with warm bacon dressing! Yum yum! I do not think I can ever think of a ham and cheese the same way again. This is one of the most delicious sandwiches I have ever had and I do not regret the amount of calories that were consumed. Luckily I have a treadmill, two children, and a large house to keep me busy. Anyway, I do not deprive myself of certain meals and treats. ALL THINGS IN MODERATION!

Croque Madame (3 sandwiches)

6 slices of sourdough bread
Thin sliced ham
3 large slices of Munster Cheese (or Gruyere) and 1/4 cup shredded for sauce
Dijon Mustard
2 cups Skim Milk
3 Tbl of butter
3 Tbl of flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
grated nutmeg
3 eggs

(PREHEAT BROILER TO LOW)

Bechamel Sauce

Melt 3 tbl of butter in a small sauce pan on low heat. Whisk in flour and cook until it becomes a roux (light brown). Whisk in the milk until it comes to a boil, whisk constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisk occasionally. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/4 cup of cheese. Remove from heat.

To Make Sandwiches

• Spread bechamel sauce over three slices of bread, just enough to coat. Top with one slice of cheese and then ham. On the remaining slices of bread, spread a thin layer of dijon mustard. Put together to form sandwiches.
• In a hot skillet, spray a coating of PAM (or you can use butter). Grill sandwiches like a grilled cheese so that they are light brown on both sides.
• Top each sandwich with a thick layer of the bechamel sauce and stick under the broiler for  a few minutes or until they are bubbly and starting to brown.
• While the sandwiches are under the broiler, fry up your three eggs.

Top each sandwich with an egg and eat immediately! Trust me, you won't be able to wait!!

Improvise!

I am currently going on 3+ weeks of no oven. You do not realize how fortunate you are to have certain things until they are gone. It has been three weeks of improvising meals. However, I am lucky to have a gas stove so I can still use the cook top and the handy-dandy crock-pot. Regardless, it is still time consuming to use the cook top over the oven and I am slowly getting tired of it. Not too mention, the two kids that are continuously distracting me and needing my endless love and attention :) Luckily the weather has been beautiful and we have been spending everyday outside, at the park, and having lunch picnics. One of these days I will find the time to shower my blog with recipes. Until then, I would love to share with you the two things that make my world go round. Hope that everyone is enjoying life and not taking things for granted <3

Breakfast Quinua with Bananas and Pecans

Sometimes it is just easier to make breakfast for dinner. We usually do this once a week on days that I am not feeling like cooking a lot. Tonight is one of those nights. I wanted to do something different from an omelet or pancakes so I decided to make something with Quinoa. This is also a healthy and satisfying dinner!! I have never made Quinoa sweet so I grabbed things that I found around the kitchen that I thought would be delicious together. I must say, this concoction turned out AMAZING! This is definitely something that I will be making again!

1/2 cup Quinoa, Rinsed under cold water and drained
1 and 1/2 cups Silk Vanilla Almond Milk
1 Ripe Banana, mashed to desired consistency (I like mine with a few chunks)
Splash of Almond Extract
Touch of Cinnamon
Tiny pinch of salt
A handful of toasted pecans, roughly chopped

In a sauce pan, add the Silk, almond extract, salt, and cinnamon. Once the Quinoa is rinsed and completely drained, add it to the Silk. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the Quinoa is tender. Remove from the heat and add the mashed bananas and toasted pecans.

Making Life A Little Easier

I fill my days of being a stay-at-home mom with taking caring and playing with the kids, homework, getting a workout in, cleaning, and cooking. At times, I have found myself wondering where the day went and realizing I have yet to sit down and relax. I have come to terms that not everything on my "to do list" is all that important so I have managed my time so that I do have that extra time in the day to myself. (Well maybe not myself but to relax....with a baby on my lap and a 4 year old asking for  a snack.) Either way, knowing that managing my time has really become a blessing.

One trick that I have discovered is making to do lists for each day. This way I am not redoing or overdoing something. I make my list from Monday through Friday. **The weekends should be time to enjoy relaxing and going on adventures with the family.** For each day, I list what room in the house to clean. This way, during the week, I am cleaning a room or area of the house and it is done for the week! Usually I won't have to deal with it until the next week. This method also goes hand-in-hand with my list for weekly dinners. Already today, I have cleaned all three bathrooms, I know what I am making for dinner, have made my weekly baby food, and I am about to get my workout in.

To do lists may seem cheesy to some people but I have found them to be a great tool to regulate my time in the day. It feels good to check things off of my list and know that things are getting done.

Oscar Night!

So, I am making an Oscar night menu for the family tonight but only myself is aware of the occasion. If I told my husband he would only laugh and think it was silly but in the end...he cannot resist my food! I am not a "huge" Oscar fan but I am a fan of watching the pre-show Red Carpet segments. I like to be my own judge of who is "best dressed" and "worst dressed." In the end, there is nothing that goes better with skinny, gorgeous, perfect actors and actresses than a plate full of delicious food! So here is my Oscar night menu lineup!

Feta and Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Sliders with a Sun-dried Tomato Mayo

Marbled Baked Potatoes

Kale Chips with Parmesan

And finally to top the night off... my Golden Popcorn! A sweet and salty treat to enjoy with the show.

These recipes are healthy alternatives and beyond delicious! Try them, you will not be disappointed! Happy Oscar Night!

Turkey Sliders

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped spinach leaves
Salt & pepper to taste

Sun-dried tomato Mayo

3/4 cup mayo (Hellman's Reduced Fat Mayo with Olive Oil)
About 3 medium sized sun-dried tomatoes chopped
1 tsp lemon zest

Blend in a magic bullet (or blender)
Mix all ingredients in a bowl  and shape into slider-sized patties. We grilled ours on the grill but you can also cook them on the stove.
*Top with mayo and spinach leaves on a whole wheat slider roll.

Marbled Potatoes

2 Russet Potatoes
1 Sweet Potato
Light Sour cream
Margarine
Salt & pepper to taste

Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour or until tender. Cut potatoes (the long way) in half. First scoop out and smash the sweet potato and do the same to the russets. Add the rest  potatoes together and lightly blend together. Add sour cream, butter, and salt & pepper to taste. Place back into the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Kale Chips

1 head of kale, washed, dried, & with ribs cut out
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper
Grated Parmesan

Lay bite sized pieces of kale on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper and toss together. Bake at 275 degrees for about 10 minutes. Turn the leaves and sprinkle with Parmesan. Cook another 10-15 minutes.

Golden Popcorn

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn

2 Tbl Canola Oil

1 Tbl butter

1/4 cup Agave Nectar

1 Tbl of Brown Sugar

Salt to taste

Put the unpopped popcorn into a large pot with the canola oil. Cover tightly and cook over a medium-high heat. Give the pot a good shake about every 30 seconds once popcorn has started popping. Remove from the heat once the popping has started to subside.

Mix and melt together the butter, nectar, and brown sugar. Drizzle over popcorn and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy!!

Breakfast Burritos.... To Freeze!

I used to get up every morning at 6 am and make my husband breakfast. However, having an infant that does not sleep through the night, it is just not practical to do anymore. I pre-make these burritos for my husband to reheat in the mornings because he is always on the go. These are great for anyone who does not have time in the morning to make a nice breakfast but still wants all the goodies to get you going. Kids will love these too!

3-4 medium sized red potatoes, small dice
8 slices of bacon, cut into small pieces
6 turkey sausage links, cut into small pieces
6 eggs whisked with milk and a touch of pepper, scrambled
Cheese of your choice
12 whole wheat flour tortillas
(I do not add any salt to this recipe because it already contains cheese, bacon, and sausage)


Dice potatoes and sprinkle with Cajun seasoning. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until brown and tender.

Meanwhile, cook turkey sausage until cooked through.

Cook bacon until cooked through and set aside to drain fat.

Scramble the eggs.

Microwave your tortillas with a damp paper towel for about 30 seconds.

After all the ingredients are finished cooking, it is time to build! Start with the tortilla laid flat, add cheese, eggs, potatoes, sausage, and finally bacon. Wrap like a burrito and set on a non-stick sheet pan.

Flash freeze these guys, unwrapped, for an hour. Remove and wrap individually in press n'seal or plastic wrap. Put into a freezer bag and store until you are ready to eat!

**To reheat, unwrap and microwave for 3 minutes. I like to add a little dollop of sour cream and Cholula!!

XO VALENTINE'S DINNER XO

We prefer on holidays like this to stay in and make a nice, romantic, yet family friendly dinner. Last year we were living in a hotel waiting to move into our housing unit and living off of take-out and boxed dinners. However, my husband tried to make it special by making a lovely dinner of Hamburger Helper and surprising me with votive candles to light our small "dinner table". It was such a nice and romantic gesture and actually completely caught me off guard. It is definitely the small things in life that we appreciate.
Unlike last year, this year I am going to be making a day out of it. For breakfast I will be making delicious red velvet pancakes for my daughter. I am using a pre-made mix from World Market (thanks to my wonderful mom for sending it). And because my husband is not a fan of pancakes, I will be making him a nice veggie omelet and bacon...one of his favorite breakfasts. I am really excited about dinner though. I will be making a surf and turf themed dinner for our family. Bacon wrapped filets, spicey (and healthier) crab stuffed mushrooms, and roasted asparagus. For dessert my husband had asked for a chocolate cake so I thought a chocolate zucchini cake with a dark chocolate fudge frosting would be perfect! MMMMM!! Do you wish you were having dinner at our house? I wouldn't blame you :) Lucky for you, I will be including my recipe for these DELICIOUS mushrooms and this healthier chocolate cake so that you too can make them and enjoy them too! Hope you all have had a wonderful day, whether you are with your loved ones, thinking of loved ones, or enjoying the single life! Happy Valentine's Day!

Lighter Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
(This recipe makes only about 8-, maybe even more, mushrooms because my daughter would not try these)

The stems of the mushrooms, finely chopped
1/4 green bell pepper, finely chopped
about 2 Tbl finely chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
olive oil
1/4 cup or so of crab, lump or claw, chopped
1/2 tsp creole seasoning
pepper to taste
2 Tbl of pepper jack cheese
1-2 Tbl mayo, depending on the consistency you want
Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the stems from your mushrooms. In a saute pan, cook the bell pepper, onion, garlic, and stems until tender. In a bowl, mix together the crab, creole seasoning, pepper jack cheese, and mayo. When the other ingredients are tender, add them to the bowl and mix all ingredients together. (At this point I would try the mixture to see if it needs anything.) Place a heaping spoonful of the mixture into the mushroom caps. Top with a little sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Cook for about 15-20 minutes until the mushrooms are hot and tender.

*After I made this recipe I thought a little lemon zest might be great in this for next time too!



Chocolate Zucchini Cake

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup natural and no sugar added apple sauce
about 3 cups grated zucchini (i used 2 medium sized ones)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl mix all dry ingredients together until combined and smooth. Add the eggs and apple sauce and mix thoroughly. Fold in the zucchini. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


*For a topping add powdered sugar or your favorite chocolate frosting!

Valentine's Day Projects

This year I wanted to make a memorable Valentine's gift for family members using the kid's hand prints. This was a fun project that I did with the kids to capture these sacred little hands because they just seem to growing up too fast. This was definitely an interesting experience with my son Hudson who is just 6 months old. He has never been a crier however he shed some major alligator tears with this project. I could not help but laugh because out of all things in his precious little life, painting his hands was the most dreadful experience. Ava on the other hand loved this project. I am beginning to see that I have passed on my artistic qualities to her because she has become an amazing little artist at just 4 years old.

The other project that I did with Ava was her school Valentine's cards. My mom had sent plain white hearts with foam stickers for Ava to decorate. I had her color and write her name on the hearts and decorate with the stickers. I did not expect this to be such a time-consuming project but it took a couple of hours for her to do about 24....little perfectionist :) I had her include little Valentine fruit snacks for each kid too since we all love yummy treats!


Happy Valentine's to all!

White Bean Chicken Chili

Yesterday was one of those days where it was cold and cloudy. There is nothing better than filling yourself up with something hearty and warm. One of my favorite foods to eat on days like this is chili. However, I did not feel like making my usual ground turkey and tomato chili so instead I opted for the opposite. This white bean chicken chili is amazing and healthy! Chili is also something that gets better over time so I always make a bigger batch to last for  a couple of days. My plans for tonight? Curling up on the couch tonight eating a nice big bowl of chili and watching the Grammys!

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 of a box of organic low-sodium chicken broth, or as much liquid as you like
1 can of chopped green chilies
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp chili powder
3 cans of great northern beans, drained (reserve 1 can for mashing)
3/4 cup of frozen corn
3 chicken breasts, diced into bite size pieces

In a large pot, cook onion in the olive oil until translucent and tender. Add the garlic and cook until you can smell the garlic, about one minute. Add the chicken, broth, green chilies, spices, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low. Mash one can of beans so it is like mashed potato consistency. Add to the pot. Add the remaining 2 cans of beans and simmer for about a half an hour. (I like to turn off the heat and let sit for at least an hour and then reheat before serving).

Top with cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, or whatever chili toppings you like!

The Most Delicious Protein Shake!!

I have found protein shakes to be such a healthy and refreshing meal replacement or after-workout snack. This recipe that I am going to share with you is my absolute favorite way to drink them. Sometimes I use them as a meal replacement if I know we are having take-out for dinner or if I am on-the-go. However, they are a great snack after a hard workout. It is important to drink them after a workout because it feeds your muscles and is easily digestible.

Protein Shakes
I like to use my Magic Bullet to blend but a regular blender will work great!

Gold Standard 100% Whey (Extreme Milk Chocolate) -24 grams of protein in 1 scoop
Silk Pure Almond Vanilla
Natural JIF Creamy Peanut Butter
Ice

I fill my glass with Silk and add 1 scoop of protein mix. Add a small scoop of peanut butter and 4 ice cubes. (I like 4 ice cubes because it gives the perfect consistency in the Magic Bullet.) Blend, drink, and enjoy!

Super Bowl Sandwiches!

I am a little late posting some of our finger foods that I had made for the Super Bowl. It turned out to be a very busy weekend! Living in New York, we were glad to see the Giants win and be part of the excitement around here. However, we are college football fans at heart so we enjoyed snacking, watching football, and enjoying some of the cute and funny commercials.
Here is a little peek at a couple of the sandwiches we snacked on through the evening. They both turned out to be big hits with both my husband, my daughter, and myself. Please be advised that neither one of these was health conscious by any means. This is where some self control kicks in... I feel that you can enjoy anything in life in moderation! I hope that everyone had a fun and safe weekend!

French Dip Croissants with Au Jus

French Dip Croissants Sandwiches

(One package of crescent rolls makes 8 of these croissant sandwiches. I like to use the reduced fat crescent rolls.)

For each croissant, add a slice of roast beef and provolone cheese so that it fits the dough as closely as possible. Roll each up starting with the larger end up to the tip. After you finish rolling them up, bake at 350 degrees for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with a side of au jus.
**Au Jus**
One can of reduced sodium and/or fat free beef broth. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and one beef bullion (yes, salty I know). This is a good substitute if you do not have real beef drippings to make homemade au jus.

Mini Cuban Sandwiches

Mini Cuban Sandwiches

1 Package of Potato Rolls (or slider rolls of your choice)
Sliced Ham
Pulled Pork (great if you have leftovers that you do not know what to do with)
Swiss Cheese
Pickles
Yellow Mustard

Put a small dab of mustard on each end of the sandwiches. Layer (in this order) ham, pork, cheese, and pickles inside the bread.

Take a flat grill pan (or panini maker) and grill both sides of the bread. I just sprayed a small coating of PAM Olive Oil on the surface to lightly brown both sides of the sandwiches.

SATURDAY BBQ!!

Today is the day before the big game but we are using this day to do what my husband does best being the true southerner that he is that means BBQing! These days our sacred to our family. A lot of time and love goes into the main course along with the yummy side dishes. This may all sound cheesy to you but if you were here you would understand what I was talking about.

On tonight's menu we are having smoked pork shoulder, homemade coleslaw, and corn pudding.

My husband starts preparations the night before by carving some of the fat away from the pork shoulder, building his dry rub, and making the injection. After carefully injecting the meat and giving the shoulder a nice pat down of rub, it is refrigerated overnight.

As for today, my husband has been up since 5:00am with his pride and joy (the pork shoulder). He watches it like his little baby all day long as it slowly cooks away. Around 4:30pm he finally pulls the meat and lets it rest for an hour to let the juices reabsorb. This makes any meat much tastier and juicier!

He is currently a member of the Kansas City BBQ Sanction. My husband and his friend entered into the New York State BBQ competition (Hudson Valley Rib Fest) last year and did very well for their first competition. They will continue competing again starting in the spring. You can follow their adventures on YouTube (gotporkgotbeer).

Even though I cannot not share my husband's bbq'ing secrets at this time, I can offer you some ideas on side dishes that go great with bbq's. I have taken the usually high caloric sides and added my little touch to make them even more enjoyable to eat. I hope you try them and enjoy!

COLESLAW

Today I grabbed a bad of shredded cabbage but usually I shred my own head of cabbage. However, today it was cheaper to go the easy route (works for me!)

For the dressing:
1/2 cup of mayonnaise (I use Hellmann's Reduced Fat Mayo with Olive Oil)
2 Tbl apple cidar vinegar
1/2 tsp Splenda
2 Tbl milk (Skim)
1 Tbl celery seed
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients together (separately from the cabbage) and then dress the slaw with as much dressing as you like. I then stick it in the fridge for at least an hour because the cabbage wilts down a bit and softens. This recipe is always a great hit!

CORN PUDDING (This one is hard to escape the richness of some of the ingredients but I did my best to help by using low sodium or reduced fat ingredients. However, this is an original Paula Deen recipe so I know that I have been able to healthify it in some way! -I love P.D. by the way!)

1 15 oz can of whole kernel sweet corn (50% less sodium), drained
1 14.75 oz can of cream style sweet corn
1 (8oz) package of Jiffy corn muffin mix
3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I prefer Chobani)
3/4 stick of light butter, melted
3/4 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients together except the cheese. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake for 45 minutes. Remove and top with the cheddar cheese and stick back into the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 or so minutes and serve while it's warm.

*To even make this a little bit more healthy, you can always make your own creamed corn. There are plenty of recipes online that I have found.

*Side Note: It is proper BBQ etiquette to use paper plates and plastic utensils for plating and eating :)

Stay tuned in for tomorrow to see how I incorporate leftover pulled pork for an easy and delicious Super Bowl dish!

Plan Your Dinners Ahead of Time and Save Money!

Do you go to the grocery store and spend more money than you had originally intended to spend? Do you give yourself a grocery budget and by the time you walk out of the store you have exceded it? Do you make a list of what you need but then buy ten other items that looks appealing?

This is a great trick that I picked up from my mom. I am sure that many others use this method but I have to share it with you because I find it extremely useful. I used to go to the grocery store every week and walk out of the store feeling ashamed of all the useless items that I really did not need. I would, even at times, avoid telling my husband how much I spent because it was rediculous. Finally, I decided that I needed to take my mother's advice and create a menu for the week. This has really helped keep my grocery budget in check and I am even in and out of the store a lot quicker.

Here is what you should do...
Make a list of the days of the week. I start on Sunday and end on Saturday. (This is because I usually go to the store on Saturday mornings). On each day I write down the main course and whatever sides we will be having. This way, I know exactly what ingredients I will need for each meal. I then write down on my grocery list all of the items that I do not already have in the house. I even go into further detail by grouping items in my list as to where I will find them in the store. This may sound silly but I really do not like being at the grocery store for very long and this saves me A LOT of time. When I am done, I stick mine right on the fridge so that I can see what to plan for the next day.

Try this trick and let me know what you think!

• Sunday             Braised Pot Roast & Salt Potatoes
• Monday            Portabella Mushroom Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries
• Tuesday           Breakfast Night
• Wednesday      Salmon Cakes (Yogurt Dipping Sauce) & Soy Green Beans      
• Thursday         Lasagna & Salad
• Friday              Take-out Night
• Saturday          Smoked Pork Shoulder, Cole Slaw, Corn Casserole

No Meat Night! PORTABELLA MUSHROOM SAMMIES WITH SWEET POTATO FRIES

Ok, so it seems my blog has become mostly about food....that is not my intention. However, I just could not pass up sharing this recipe. It is easy. It is healthy. It is yummy....and it is for any veggie lovers out there. We are definitely a meat and potatoes family but portabella mushrooms are so meaty that they really fill you up like any other protein. Try this one! It will not disappoint!

Marinate the mushroom caps in Balsamic Vinaigrette for 15 minutes. (I use Newman's Own Organic Light Balsamic)

During this time I roast a red pepper over an open flame on the stove (medium high) until charred on all sides. Immediately place into a glass bowl and seal tightly with press and seal or whatever you may have, about 10 minutes. (You can also place in a brown paper bag and tightly roll up the top). Remove the red pepper and peel away the skin. **For those of you who prefer a simpler method, you can buy roasted red peppers in the grocery store.

Remove the mushrooms from the marinade (keep marinade to baste while cooking) and put onto a preheated grill pan with a spray of PAM so the mushrooms do not stick. Grill for 5-8 minutes on each side. Top with cheese of your choice (mozzerella or provolone for me).

Top with avacado and roasted red peppers on a warm toasted bun!!




*Sweet Potato Fries*

Preheat oven to 375.

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into thin strips, about the size of a thick french fry. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Place in oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes (until they start to brown on one side). At this time I like to take them out and turn them over to carmalize the other side. Cook another 10-15 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberries with Cinnamon

Because dinner tonight was a bit on the heavier side, I like to even it out with a simple and lighter dessert. Because for me, dessert is a must...every night. Here is a little twist on a classic recipe that I find delightful!

Ingredients

Strawberries
Nestle Toll House Natural Dark Chocolate
Cinnamon

Take a double broiler and melt 1 4 oz bar of the dark chocolate. When melted, add 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and stir. Take off of heat and dip strawberries. Refridgerate and enjoy :)

It's Comfort Food Night! BRAISED POT ROAST WITH SALTED POTATOES

It is always nice to have those yummy comfort food dinners. Tonight I am making my own recipe of braised pot roast with salted potatoes on the side. This is a more time consuming meal (and no, this is not a crock pot dinner). But it is so good, rich, and filling. Perfect for a cold night!




Ingredients

3 slices of thick bacon, large dice
1 1/2 medium to large onions, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and large chop
12 ounces of a dark beer (I am using Guinness)
large Tbl of whole wheat flour
salt and pepper
1 Tbl of dried thyme
1 tsp of dried oregano
1 tsp of dried rosemary
beef stock
1 Tbl of vegetable oil
2 lbs of Chuck Pot Roast (Boneless), cut into large cubes,
(I also like to trim some of the fat if there is a lot)

Grab your dutch oven and preheat that oven to 325 degrees!

Cook the bacon until almost fully cooked. Once they are done, remove and drop onto a plate with a paper towel to remove some of the fat. Add the onions to the pot with salt and pepper. Cook the onions over a low heat to caramelize them. This is going to take awhile (about 30 minutes).

When the onions are done (finally), remove them and add the vegetable oil to the dutch oven. Season the meat with salt and pepper and sear in batches. Place each batch to the side.

When all of the meat is seared, add them back to the pot and top them with the onions and the carrots. Add the flour, stir, and cook for about 1 minute. Finally, add in the remaining ingredients (the beer, dried seasonings, and stock. (Use as much stock as it takes to just about cover the ingredients in the pot.)

Cover the dutch oven and stick in the oven for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Plate and enjoy!


*Salted Potatoes*

Boil red potatoes (whole) until fork tender. Drain the water. Add about 1 Tbl (or as much as you like) to gently coat the potatoes and top with salt.

Coming to Terms...

I have recently come to terms with the fact that my four year old has started to become an actual young lady. I know, this seems weird because she is four years old but if you knew my daughter you would think the same thing. I am currently transitioning her "little girl room" into a "big girl room." All of a sudden she is more interested in dress up, makeup, baking with her mommy, and talking about boys. Yes, boys! She has already had her first boyfriend. I wish you could have seen the reaction on Chris's face (and mine) when she said this. BOYS WATCH OUT! Chris is not a force to be reckoned with. LOL. Is this what I have to look forward to in the future? Because if this is starting this early than I am going to be in trouble!



Even though it is so exciting to watch my daughter evolve into this little person, it is so very scarey to see that my little girl is not so little anymore. It is even more frightening to me to see how quickly my almost six month old son is growing. It is so hard to enjoy this time when it flies by and you can't remember yesterday. I think that this is all bothering me as much as it is because we are done with having children. (Our next venture in life will be dogs.) I know that a lot of other moms know exactly what I am talking about and understand the feelings. And for those who have yet to have children, enjoy every minute because it truly does go by fast.

Fish Piccata

On tonight's menu I am making fish piccata with tilapia. I use chicken a lot when I cook so it is nice to change it up a bit. Tilapia is such a nice light fish to use for this recipe and absorbs all of the flavors perfectly.

Ingredients

1 lb fish fillets (I use tilapia as I mentioned)
salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
whole wheat, unbleached flour -to dredge
     (I add about 1/2 Tbl of dried thyme because it is a lemony herb and about a 1/4 garlic powder to the flour to give it extra flavor for the fish)
1 1/2-2 lemons juiced (depending on the size)
1/4 cup dry white wine (Chardonnay)
2 Tbl capers
2 Tbl butter
Parsley for garnish

Serve with angel hair pasta (I use Barilla Plus multigrain pasta).

Because the fish does not take long to cook, start boiling a large pot of salted water for the pasta.

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan. Lighty dredge the fish in the flour mixture and shake off any extra flour. Saute the fish until brown on both sides or until cooked through. When the fish is done, remove the fish and place on a seperate plate. Deglaze the pan with the wine and then add the lemon juice and capers. Finally, add the butter and stir the sauce together.

*If the sauce seems too lemony, add 1 more Tbl of butter or olive oil to mellow it out of a bit.

To plate, pour sauce over the fish (and pasta if you want) and top with parsely. YUMMO!

TURKEY LETTUCE WRAPS

Tonight for dinner I am making my own recipe of turkey lettuce wraps. My family loves these, even my four year old, and I hope that you try them and enjoy them too! This is a great way to eat lettuce wraps without all of the extra calories, fat, and sodium!

Sauce

3 1/2 Tbl of Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
2 1/2 Tbl of Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbl Organic Blue Agave Nectar
3/4 Tbl Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil

Filling

1 lb Extra Lean Ground White Turkey Meat
about 6-8 oz of white button mushrooms, diced
2 lrg scallions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
about 3/4 of an 8oz can of water chestnuts, chopped

1/4 cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbl brown sugar
1 Tbl Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbl Natural JIF Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Tbl ginger, microplaned

Brown the meat with a little bit of extra virgin olive oil until no longer pink. Add the mushrooms, scallions, garlic, and water chestnuts and cook until the mushrooms soften and start to release their juices. Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter, and ginger in a seperate bowl and pour over filling. Cook for about a minute and turn off the heat.

Serve the turkey mixture with your choice of lettuce (Bib or Iceberg) and top with shredded carrots and sauce.

What to do on those snowy days....

I am definitely a spring/summer kind of person. I love being outside in the fresh warm air and watching the kids play with infinite numbers of activities. However, having grown up in Wisconsin and now currently living in New York, those days are usually numbered when the end of fall settles in and winter brings that bitter cold and snow. And no, I am not a snow person. So my question is, what do I do with my 4 year old daughter during those snowy days when I do not enjoy being outside? Well first of all, I send my daughter out to play in the front yard in her full winter gear. However, this does not last very long because she enjoys eating the snow more than she enjoys playing in it. Then there comes the inevitable "I'm bored." And being her mother, it is my duty to entertain her as much as I can. This can be difficult when a baby is also involved so I try to do something that involves all of us. One of my favorite activities is to sit and make a big bowl of popcorn and watch a good ol' classic Disney movie. This works out because my daughter is a Disney Princess fanatic. We also like to color together. Unfortunately I have had to throw away all of her markers because she does not believe in recapping them :/ Thank God for crayons! However, for Christmas my daughter got some Wii games that are great for kids. We play Disney Sing It:Family Hits, Just Dance Kids 2, and Nickelodeon Fit for Kids. These are all great interactive games that are fun for all of us. My daughter and I really enjoy doing things like this together. I am on the lookout for new and fun activities so if anyone has any ideas please send them my way!

Welcome!

       Welcome to my blog! My name is Briana and I am 29 years old. I have decided to start a blog to share my days of being a stay-at-home mom of two (a four year old daughter and an almost six month old son). Our family currently resides in West Point, New York where my loving husband spends his days working for the Warrior Transition Unit. I must say that I enjoy the life of an Army wife. I get to travel to new places and meet so many wonderful new friends. However, it is hard to be away from friends and family back home. During my days I do the usual stay-at-home mom things: clean, chase the kids around, clean some more...and one of my passions...cooking. This blog will be a lot about cooking. I love to take recipes and healthify them. However, I also love to indulge in those not-so-good for you meals too. Besides my job as a full-time mom and wife (insert cheesy smile) I am also a student. I go to school through University of Phoenix and I am about to graduate (in 17 weeks and counting) with my Bachelors in Human Services Management. This is a long time coming and I am excited to get another degree under my belt for when I decide to make that big leap into the big corporate...or non-corporate world.
       Anyway, welcome again, if there are any of you out there. I hope that you enjoy reading my posts and that I have something to offer to each and every one of you.