If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know I’ve been more than a little off my game this past week. Apparently my head is now the resting place for the migraine from you-know-where, and it does not feel like giving me a break any time soon. Because of said migraine, I am a total hermit living under my blankets (as best as one can with a very active toddler), and I have totally been slacking on my wifey duties. Do you have a certain comfort food that makes you feel better the minute you start eating it? Butternut squash soup is quickly becoming my go-to for sick days, and after watching my mom make it for me a million times, I finally came up with a way easier to make it. Plus, when making it in the crockpot instead of on the stove, you really give the butternut squash soup time to cook down and the flavors come out in full force. If you’ve never had butternut squash soup before, I strongly encourage you to try it out! It doesn’t taste like vegetables at all, and is almost slightly sweet, yet its chalk full of good for you vitamins from […]
A Toddler-Approved Breakfast Recipe Our mornings are always a little rough around here. Half the time I’m barely awake, wishing I was crawling back into bed to catch a few more Zzzs, and the other half I’m frantically trying to get our acts together to get out the door to run some of our million chores. If you have a toddler, you know the latter never works out the way you plan, and suddenly you’re sitting in the lobby of your local oil change shop and your almost two year old is lacking one sock, his cup of milk and his very favorite dump truck, and then you realize you have yet to feed him an actual breakfast. I mean, not that anything like that ever happens to us, or anything… but I’ve heard it can, because, you know, #Mombie. Most of the breakfasts I usually cook H either require an oven or a stove top, which just doesn’t work for us on those aforementioned crazy days. Admittedly, more times than not, I’ll just throw a few NutriGrain or granola bars into my bag for H to eat on the way. However, the Mom Guilt has started adding up, […]
5 Fall Flavored Green Smoothie Ideas Take advantage of Fall’s in-season fruit and veggie harvests to create deliciously healthy green smoothies that the whole family will enjoy!
I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been in a bit of a funk the last few months. Thankfully, I’ve been figuring out little ways to get myself out of the pits, and one of those ways has been to focus on self-improvement. I have always been a ‘wash and go’ kind of girl, and figured that it was ok to keep it to the basics, because washing your face, is washing your face – right? WRONG! You can put 100 people in a room and give them all the same face wash and it will work differently on each person, because we all have different skin types and skincare needs. Additionally, sometimes just washing your face isn’t enough, especially if you have concerns about skin tone, discoloration or unevenness, problems with acne or aging, etc. However, one google search for ‘personalized skincare’ will yield you approximately 1.4 million results – its all a bit overwhelming and I had no idea where to start. Then I discovered derma e®. Family owned and operated for over 30 years, derma e® has pioneered the development of vitamin-rich, high-performance antioxidant skincare solutions. The award-winning line features doctor-developed, consumer-tested and clinically-tested face care, body care and treatment […]
The Hubs and I love making this easy ‘one-pot wonder’, and have definitely been guilty of doubling the recipe so we have enough leftovers for the rest of the week. As an added bonus, this garlic ground turkey and veggie stir fry dish is one of the very very few that Hulk bebé will actually eat – yay! Ingredients: 1 lb ground turkey 2 tbs fresh garlic, peeled and minced 3 carrots, sliced 1 head of broccoli, chopped 6 celery sticks, sliced 1 pepper, sliced Fish Sauce, to taste Soy Sauce, to taste *optional* Brown Rice & Quinoa Directions: Brown 1 lb of turkey over medium heat and add garlic. While turkey is browning, clean and cut up vegetables. Once turkey is cooked, add in a few dashes of soy sauce and fish sauce. Fold in carrots and let simmer. Repeat for broccoli, then celery and green peppers. Turn heat down and cover. Let this simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until all your veggies start to get soft. Serve over brown rice and quinoa (or alone) and enjoy! Alpha Grillers recently sent me this awesomesauce Garlic Press And Peeler complimentary to test and review and it has totally changed this amateur cook’s […]
It’s no secret I love chia seeds for everything they do. Not only are they a versatile addition to almost any meal / snack / drink, but they are full of good-for-you vitamins and nutrients! Read on for a super easy recipe that is my go-to for a healthy meal during the week! The biggest question I get asked in regards to adding chia seeds to my food is about taste. What do chia seeds taste like? In my opinion, there’s no real discernible flavor at all. They do add a little crunch if used dry, which is great in salads and granola, or the chia seeds will thicken and can get somewhat gelatinous when used in a smoothie, pudding, or other liquid. This salad is one of my go-tos and is so easy to make on a weekend night to have for the rest of the week. It honestly takes less than 10 minutes from refrigerator to table, and is a huge step up from your basic (and super boring) iceberg lettuce based salad. If you’re going the pre-made route, I would omit the beets, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberry and chia seeds and only add right before being served. […]
Are you ready for one of the easiest weeknight dinners, ever? These burgers are delicious and the combination of black beans and ground beef provide filling fiber and protein, perfect for new little eaters and those of us a little more experienced at dining. They’re also great if you’re on a budget, as beans are really inexpensive (even more so if you buy them dry in the bulk section) and will help stretch the meat further! Ingredients: 1 can reduced sodium black beans 1 lb ground beef 1 tbs minced garlic 1 tbs rosemary Directions: 1. After draining and rinsing the black beans, pour them into a bowl and mash. 2. Add the ground beef, garlic and rosemary, and mix well. 3. Shape into patties, making sure to use your thumb to make an indent in the center to prevent the burger from puffing up while it cooks. 4. Place in a preheated stove-top skillet and flip after about 6 minutes. 5. Add the patty to a perfectly toasted bun, and top with desired accouterments! Just a little FYI: One of the best tips I ever received in regards to making and cooking burgers were to handle the meat as […]
You know those 2 ingredient banana pancakes that are okay, but still kind of boring? Yeah. These aren’t those. We’ve noticed H seems to react poorly when he eats gluten or cows milk products, so we’ve had to be extra careful with what we prepare for our family meals. As much as I would love to pretend that I’m SuperMom, sweating over a hot stove three times a day, preparing meals catered to each persons preferences, seven days a week is just not me. I need to be able to have easy recipes on hand, that not only take mere minutes to whip up, but also give the three of us the nutrition we need, and most importantly, it has to taste great – enter: flour-less pumpkin carrot pancakes. In addition to being deliciously healthy, they’re awesome for Baby Led Weaning, but I eat them too! I love making these for Harrison, because they’re soft enough that he can gum them without any teeth and its a nutrient-dense meal. These dairy free, gluten free, grain free pumpkin carrot pancakes are super easy to whip up in the mornings and are perfect for the fall season (or all the seasons if you’re a pumpkin addict […]