PEANUT BUTTER, STRAWBERRY & BANANA SMOOTHIE

YES! I am CRAZY for smoothies! They are such a healthy way to start your day. You get your fruits in and the protein from the peanut butter keeps you full. Here is another one of my favorites! It is a little more shake-like than the last one I posted.

PEANUT BUTTER, STRAWBERRY & BANANA SMOOTHIE

Two ripe bananas
Organic plain yogurt (about 1/2 cup)
Frozen strawberries (about 2 large handfulls)
Organic natural peanut butter (about 1 heaping table spoon)
Milk (normal, soy, almond....whatever works) (about about 1/4 cup)

Put it all in a blender, blend and enjoy!
Makes two 16oz smoothies.

Note: I never measure ingredients. The above measurements are guidelines. You may have to stir ingredients in the blender a few times between blends to get it to all blend together. If it is too think, just add a little more milk until it reaches the desired consistency.

LETTUCE WRAPS

As you can see from yesterday's post, we have buttercrisp lettuce coming out of our ears! We needed different ways to use it besides salads. A girl can only eat so many salads! This recipe is a staple in this house - #1 b/c it is fantastic and #2 b/c it is super easy and fast to make when I get home from work. We all know taco "anything" is fast and easy, but this recipe is much so better than throwing in the taco bell seasoning packet. Really, there is no comparison. More importantly, by making your own taco seasoning, you are skipping all of the weird and unnecessary ingredients that you can't pronounce. You can eat these as lettuce wraps or on top of tortilla chips, my favorite being Pasqual's - made right here in Mad Town! You can also make a double batch and freeze half of the meat for later.

Ingredients: 

1.3 lbs lean ground turkey
1/2 onion (chopped)

1 red bell pepper (chopped)

3/4 cup water

4 oz can tomato sauce

Large iceberg lettuce leaves (we used buttercrip b/c we had it)

spice mix:
1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp oregano

Directions:

Brown turkey in a large skillet. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well.

Add onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

If making lettuce wraps:

Wash and dry the lettuce. Place meat in the center of leaf and top with tomatoes, cheese and salsa or whatever you prefer.

PIN IT!

Here is my little sous chef. She likes to help me by pulling all of the kitchen towels down and scattering them around the kitchen floor. Such a little stinker! :)

Note: My pictures are from a double batch b/e this family runs on leftovers. :)

Recipe slightly adapted from Skinny Taste

HAPPY 4th OF JULY

In this family, the 4th means pink, ruffled swim suits, fresh fruit salads and sunny days at the lake.

That sounds really nice, doesn't it?  The 4th actually means, waking up at the crack of dawn to sweat our buns off at the a parade, monitoring Ellis at all times to make sure she isn't eating sand on the beach, and shoving 15 Buells in a three bedroom lake house.

Happy 4th y'all!

We had an impromptu dinner at Jodie and Luis' last Sunday after our flea market extravaganza and I whipped up this super yummy salad.  J and I were at Target the other day (I know...weird) and the peaches were perfectly ripe (yes, I am that person who touches all of the fruit before I buy it to make sure it is ripe). There was a sign next to the peaches that said "pair with feta," so I did. It was amazing AND so simple. I am making it again this 4th of July weekend!

  

PEANUT BUTTER & BERRY SMOOTHIE

I am obsessed with smoothies! Obsessed I tell you! Smoothies, muffins, and biggest loser pancakes are my breakfast staples.  This is one of my favorite smoothies that is packed with healthy ingredients!

Two ripe bananas
Organic PLAIN yogurt (about 1/2 cup)
Frozen strawberries (about 2 large handfulls)
Frozen Blueberries (about 2 large handfulls)
Organic NATURAL peanut butter (about 1 heaping table spoon)
Blueberry pomegranate juice - POM brand (about about 1/4 cup)

Put it all in a blender, blend and enjoy!
Makes two 16oz smoothies.

Note: I never measure ingredients. The above measurements are guidelines. You may have to stir ingredients in the blender a few times between blends to get it to all blend together. If it is too think, just add a little POM juice until it reaches the desired consistency.

I have many more smoothies coming up. This is just one of many!

HUMMUS, AVOCADO, & SPROUT SANDWICH

I am always looking for good, good for you and simple recipes. Here is one I made up for lunch this past weekend and it was a hit!

Whole wheat bread
Hummus (I make my own, but store bought is fine too)
Sprouts (such as alfalfa, radish, broccoli, or a combination)

Avocado (or cucumbers or both)

I served these as open top sandwiches.

- Toast the bread

- Spread on the the hummus

- Top with sprouts and Avocado (or cucumber or both)
ENJOY!

 

You can use any kind of sprout, but I used Broccoli sprouts grown right next door in Minnesota! 

I found these at woodman in the organic section on the produce section.

Ellis' lunch - I am not sure why it took me so long to realize that I can pretty much feed Ellis the same thing we are eating. When Ellis first started eating finger foods I thought I had to pre-make all kinds of "baby approved" foods for her, but then I realized she can eat pretty much exactly what we are eating, just cut up in small pieces. I know, I know... it isn't rocket science, but for some reason it took me a while to grasp this concept. :) 

HEALTHY HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Why make your own granola bars vs. buying them in the store? Because you can actually pronounce all of the ingredients in these and they are not full of preservatives. Better yet, these granola bars are, for the most part, healthy for you! They use whole grains and natural sweeteners. 

I have been trying for months to make the perfect homemade granola bar. I have tried different recipes, different ingredients, different combinations and amounts of ingredients and now, I think I have it... the perfect homemade chewy granola bar!  Enjoy! 

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup honey

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup canola oil

1/4 coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Add ins: ANYTHING you want - chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, nuts, etc. (I used dark chocolate morsels for these) 

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, brown sugar, wheat germ, cinnamon, flour, flaxseed and salt. 

- In a smaller bowl combine the honey, egg, canola oil, coconut oil and vanilla. 
- Mix wet and dry mixtures together well using your hands. 

- Pat the mixture evenly into a pan. I use the pampered chef stoneware medium bar pan.

- Bake for 20-25 minutes until the bars begin to turn golden at the edges. 

- Cool for 5 minutes, then cut into bars while still warm. Do not allow the bars to cool completely before cutting, or they will be too hard to cut.

Lay the cut bars (not touching) on a wax paper lined baking sheet in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. Once they are frozen, throw them together in a tupperware container or ziplock bag in the freezer. Let thaw before eating or throw them in the microwave for a few seconds.

THE WINNING CUPCAKE

The company I work for just celebrated its 50 year anniversary with an employee cupcake war. (I know! I know! We are just SO fun!!!) With nearly 30 entries and over 300 taste testers, the recipe below took the cake... literally! I about died when the girl told us it was from a box.  (shhhh... we aren't telling a lot of people that since I am pretty sure the rest of the contestants stayed up late the night before making them from scratch.)  Part of me was like "That is total crap!" but the more sensible part of me was like "Smart girl! Give me that recipe!"

WHITE CHOCOLATE LEMON CUPCAKES

(Photo credit: Gena Larson Photography)

Ingredients:

Betty Crocker Lemon Poppyseed Muffin Mix
Lemon Creme (I used Duncan Heins)
Whipped Cream (or cool whip)
White Chocolate (I buy the bars in the baking section)

Directions:
1. Bake muffins as directed.  Let cool.
2. Carve out a piece in the center.  (I used a potato peeler.)
3. Fill center with lemon creme.  (I filled a frosting bag and cut the tip off to fill them.)
4. Spread whipped cream on top.
5. Shave chocolate.  (I used a cheese grater.)
6. Dip and roll cupcake in the chocolate shavings.
7. Enjoy the cupcake and all its simplicity.

THINKING...

You can't be good at everything. The other day I was thinking about all of the the things I enjoy doing (you know, my interests) and it turns out I have A LOT of them. Then it started to give me a slight bit on anxiety b/c I know I will never (at least any time in the near future) have time for them all. The problem is (and always has been) I want to be good at everything and I mean EVERYTHING. And I don't just want to be good at everything, I want to be great at it. I want to be a great mother, a caring and supportive wife, a go-getter, a creative designer, a money maker, a furniture reupholsterer, a photographer, a gardener, a chef, a baker, a runner, a fitness freak, a blogger, a crafter, a seamstress, a buyer of all things organic and healthy and the list goes on and on. And yes, this does actually give me anxiety. That might be weird, but that is me. And Pinterest - you do not help my cause. After a nice long pinning session, my mind is even more jam packed with all the crafts I want to create and all the healthy meals I want to make. That is when I decided I just needed to pick the things I want to be good at at this moment in my life and just focus in on them. Right now I am going to be the best mother and wife I can be, focus on my design career, feeding my family good, healthy food and for the next four months or so, I will try and find the inner gardener in me. Oh, and I will always be a fitness freak and a go-getter. ;) My days of repurposing old furniture, being a seamstress and photographer are still to come, just not quite yet.

Now that feels a little better.  Sometimes I just need declutter my head.

On that note... here is an awesome new healthy recipe I tried yesterday. Onward with the eating healthy! ;)

Greek Yogurt and Honey Dijon Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast (cooked, cooled and cubed)
⅓ cup sliced almonds (or nut of your choice)
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 green onion, sliced
Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
⅓ cup Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon real mayo
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Salt
Black pepper
¼ cup dried cherries (raisins or cranberries work well, too)

Directions: 
Mix the greek yogurt, mayo and mustard together first, then mix in everything else.  
Eat in a sandwich or with crackers.

(Original recipe from The Best Recipes Online.)

POWER MUFFINS

Blueberries, greek yogurt and oatmeal Power Muffins!

I found these on pinterest and finally got around to making them today.  They are delish! Only thing I changed from the original recipe was the flour - switched the white flour to whole wheat of course! ;)

makes 21 regular muffins 

• no-stick cooking spray
• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1 cup oats–quick or regular oats, plain
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 12 ounces honey nonfat greek yogurt or 1 1/2 cups (Chobani)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh blueberries

1. Heat oven to 350°.
2. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray or liners.
3. Combine flour, sugar, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
4. Combine yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla in a second bowl.
5. Fold yogurt mixture into dry mixture; stir to combine completely.
6. Gently fold in blueberries.
7. Spoon into muffin tins.
8. Bake until top is golden and springs back when you gently touch it, 20-25 minutes.

ENERGY BITES

If you know me, you most likely know what enery bites are b/c...
• I talk about and eat them incessantly
• You dig through my freezer for them when you come over (Mom & Nora)
• I have brought you some after you had a baby. (too many names to list here - they are kind of my thing to give to new mommies, so if you have a baby, expect energy bites.)
• You have energy bite making parties b/c you love them as much as I do! (Kate and Jodie)

If for some crazy reason you do not know what what energy bites are, here you go:

ENERGY BITES

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup peanut butter (I use Smuckers organic w/o hydrogenated oils)

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp vanilla

(mini chocolate chips - optional - I only put these in once in a while)

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and make into balls.  Place the balls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and then place in the freezer.  Once the balls are frozen, throw them all in a gallon ziplock freezer bag (or tupperware) and keep in the freezer.  When you want one, take one out and zap it in the microwave for about 12-15 seconds.

EASY PEASY!!!!! :) 

Note: You will mostly likely have to take your rings off and really get in there with your hands to mix it well.  It can be a little hard to mix. I ALWAYS double this recipe.  We go through them pretty fast in this house.

They are PERFECT for new moms b/c they are full of protein and fast and easy to eat when you walk in the door with the baby and the baby it cranky and needs to eat, but YOU are starving as well b/c you are breastfeeding and need to eat something too! lol  I went through these like crazy while I was on maternity leave.

BIGGEST LOSER PANCAKES

I have been meaning to share this one for a while.  I make these almost every weekend and Logan and I both love them!  They are super healthy, and like it states above, they are ACTUALLY yummy too!  The best combo if you ask me!  They remind me of french toast b/c of the egg whites and the vanilla.  I usually scatter mini chocolate chips on top when I am making them, of course, you can use blueberries or really whatever you want.

BIGGEST LOSER PANCAKES

6 egg whites
1 cup rolled oats, dry
1 cup cottage cheese
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. For each pancake pour 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle. Flip when they start to bubble. Cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batches, spraying the griddle as needed. Makes about 10 pancakes.

Number of Servings: 3

Nutritional Info Per Serving:
181 Calories, 2.7g Fat, 10mg Cholesterol, 361mg Sodium, 20g Carbs, 2.8g Fiber

RED LENTIL COCONUT SOUP

I found this recipe on Pinterest and finally tried it this weekend. It was SUPER yummy - seriously one of the best soups i have ever made!!  I thought is was share worthy, so here it is! (Oh and it is gluten free!) 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups red split lentils
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1 fresh jalapeno or serrano chili, finely chopped, including seeds
• 1 tablespoon fresh peeled and minced ginger 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/3 cup tomato paste 
• 7 cups water
• 1 can unsweetened light coconut milk
• 1 15-ounce can of chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• fresh cilantro and lime wedges for serving (optional)

Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pan and add the onions, bell pepper and jalapeno and cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables have softened and start to take on some color.  Add the garlic, ginger, spices and tomato paste and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the mixture is toasty and fragrant.  Add the water, coconut milk, lentils and chickpeas and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes adding the lime juice at the end of cooking.  Taste and adjust with more salt or more lime juice if desired.  Serve the soup topped with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some extra limes on the side.

(recipe from scaling back blog)

SWEET POTATO & AVOCADO SALSA

Super yummy.  Super easy. Super healthy. :)

Sweet Potato & Avocado Salsa

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together 1 large sweet potato (1 pound), peeled and diced small, 1 red onion, diced small, and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Roast until sweet potato is tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool completely.

2. Add 1 medium tomato, diced small, 1 avocado, diced small, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, and 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 2 limes). Season with coarse salt and toss to combine.

Quick ways to enjoy:

- service with crackers or a toasted baguette for a snack

- scatter over chopped lettuce for a simple salad

- stir into couscous to create an easy side dish

- use as a topping for chicken tacos or nachos

- fold into scrambled eggs at breakfast

(original recipe - multiple delicious)

KEY LIME & BLACKBERRY CUPCAKES

We celebrated Baby Boy Buell today at Holly's baby shower.  It was so fun with lots of family and friends.  Holly looked beautiful and so happy!  We are so excited to meet Baby Buell next month.  I made cupcakes for the shower and I must say, they turned out pretty darn delicious!!!  A few people asked for the recipe, so here it is!  I changed it a bit from the original after reading all the comments.  I will for sure be making these again!

Key Lime Cupcakes with Blackberry Filling and Frosting

makes 30 cupcakes

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons key lime juice
zest of two limes
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or paper-line 30 baking cups.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, key lime juice and lime zest; mix well. Add the flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream (batter will be thick). Fill muffin cups with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

Blackberry Filling

Seedless blackberry Jam (I used Smuckers) 

Fill an icing bag with the jam, insert the tip into the cupcake about an inch and squirt a little jam inside each cupcake.  Do not squeeze too much into the cupcakes or they will kind of explode.  You do not need a lot.

Blackberry Buttercream

2 sticks butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup seedless blackberry Jam
pinch of salt
6 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons milk

Beat butter and vanilla until creamy. Mix in blackberry filling and salt. Add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, beating until combined. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.

Original Recipe from Baked Perfection.