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!