Fried Rice and Egg Rolls- BUT HEALHTY

I have found what works for my family to focus on health but I want to help others do the same around their schedules and for their children.  I have two young children, I do not work full time, I have a very helpful husband with a fairly flexible work schedule and I have messed up a ton of meals along the way:)  I ran into a friend today who I think is an incredible mom in every way.  She is a single mom and runs her own business.   She made me realize that I need to mix it up a bit with my weekly routine and help busy, working, single mamas or stressed out stay at home mamas with not much help, or first time mamas trying to figure it all out....... it's all about how to make simple changes to to add more nutrients to our children's' diets.  I will start incorporating 5 min meals and options for grab and go.  


Menu for the week this week that we have enjoyed:

Spinach Apple muffins
Baked egg avocados
Almond butter energy bites
Chicken and veggie cauliflower fried rice
Crock pot chicken tacos
Healthy egg roll in a bowl 

These are all quick and easy. I spent $160 at the grocery and fed my family of 4 for 5 days/nights

Chicken and Veggies Cauliflower Fried Rice 

Ingredients

• 1 medium head of cauliflower, (use Pulse setting on food processor to make into rice)
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced (or buy shredded carrots)
• 1 cup broccoli florets, finely diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups cooked diced chicken
• 1/2 cup toasted cashews
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon Fresh ginger, grated 1

Instructions

1. Place cauliflower florets in a food processor and pulse several times until cauliflower is ground up and the consistency of rice. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once pan is hot, pour beaten egg mixture into pan. As egg begins to set, use a spatula to push edges towards center. Continue doing so until egg is completely cooked. Remove egg from pan, cool, and finely dice. Set aside.
3. Heat remaining oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until pan is hot. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and broccoli and saute several minutes until veggies are caramelized and tender. Reduce heat to medium and add cauliflower rice, peas, chicken, and diced egg and saute 8-10 minutes until rice is heated through. At this point, rice may be refrigerated up to 4 days.
4. To finish the rice, return skillet to medium heat, and stir over heat 8-10 minutes until rice is heated through. Remove from heat and stir in toasted cashews, soy sauce, parsley, grated ginger and salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Healthy egg roll in a bowl

• 1 bag of shredded broccoli, cabbage and carrots
• 1 pound ground turkey 
• 2 green onions chopped
• 5 garlic cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup braggs aminos or low sodium soy sauce  
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbs fresh ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped

 

1. Season the ground turkey with salt and pepper
2. Brown the turkey and drain
3. In a separate pan, heat the sesame oil and saute the veggies, garlic, and onions
4. Mix the soy sauce, fresh ginger and cashews then pour over veggies
5. Add ground turkey to veggies and mix well

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

2 chicken breasts
1 can of black beans  
1 can Diced tomatoes
4 oz can of diced green chilies
1 avocado, smashed
2 Tbs sour cream
Cheddar cheese, shredded
paprika
cumin
chili powder
salt
pepper



Put chicken, beans, tomatoes, and chili in crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours.  
Shred chicken with fork and uncover for 10-20 min if needed to soak up liquid
In a bowl, mix avocado,  cheese and sour cream
Add chicken mixture to taco shell or shredded lettuce and top with avocado mixture 

Avocado Egg Bake

1 avocado
1 egg
1 Tbs Parmesan cheese 
salt and pepper to taste

1.  De-seed avocado and scoop out extra if needed to create a bowl in the avocado for the egg
2.  Pour the egg into the avocado and top with salt and pepper and parm cheese
3.  Bake on 350 for 15 min or until baked through 

Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter or almond butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

Mix it up:  instead of chocolate chips do raisins, dried cranberries, coconut flakes

(Next week I will make them using dates and bananas and no peanut butter or oats.. stay tuned)

Instructions

1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.*
2. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

What Routine Works for Your Family

Does meal prep seem overwhelming to you?  It doesn't have to be.  Find what works for your family... this works for us weekly:

 1.  On Saturday evening or Sunday morning I look through my cookbooks, Pinterest and favorite cooking websites to select 2 meals, 1 breakfast  for the kids for the week, snacks and/or treats.
2.  I create a detailed grocery list and send my sweet husband on Sundays so I do not have to go with both kids.  This is such a huge help. While he is at the store I can play with the kids so that they'll be worn out when I am ready to cook.. and because I love them of course:)
3.  Sunday afternoon, I cook one meal that we will eat Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night.  I also cook the breakfast muffins or pancakes for the week
4.  On Tuesday or Wednesday I cook another meal that we will eat Wednesday, Thursday and Friday night. I will also bake a treat for the week or snacks.  We typically eat our on Saturday night or I will grab something quick to cook or pick up a prepared meal at Whole Foods.

This process works really well with our schedule and we don't mind left overs.  I even give Lola leftover dinner for lunch a few days.  We eat a lot of left overs, therefore I try to make each week pretty different to keep interest.

Lola and Hayes playing dress up while I cook. 

Teriyaki Chicken Bowls with Cauliflower Rice

 Ingredients

• 2 heads of cauliflower
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 Tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1.5 Tbs honey
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 tsp sesame seeds

 Directions: 

1. Cut out and discard the core of the cauliflower, then break the cauliflower into florets.  Pulse the florets in the food processor (1/4 of the florets at a time in the processor and PULSE, dont puree or it will turn into Cauliflower mash potatoes).  Pulse until you have rice-sized pieces
2.  Heat the oil, add the cauliflower rice, cook, stirring until the rice is crisp-tender.  8-10 minutes.
3.  IN a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, mirnin, honey and ginger.
4.  Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked through.  Reduce the heat to low and pour the sauce over the chicken and cook until the sauce lightly thickens.   Remove from pan and place in a bowl to prevent the sauce from dying out.
5.  Serve chicken and sauce over rice and top with scallions and sesame seeds.
(I didn't use the scallions and sesame seeds for the kids)

What the cauliflower rice should look like: 

What the cauliflower looks like if you puree too long .. because cauliflower mash, which is awesome, but not for this recipe:

My Bowl:

 The Kids' Dinner- they thought it was all chicken

 Zucchini lasagna

Ingredients

• 4 large zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 pound extra lean ground turkey
• 1 - 14 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 - 14 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano
• handful of basil, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• handful of parsley, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• red pepper flakes, if desired
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 15 oz cottage cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 12 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place sliced zucchini on large baking sheet coated with non stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes to help dry out the zucchini a bit. This is a critical step.
3. While the zucchini noodles are roasting, you can make the turkey meat sauce. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic, onions, and peppers and cook a few minutes until onions become translucent and garlic is fragrant; stir occasionally so that you don't burn it. Add in ground turkey and cook until no longer pink. Add in tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, parsley, and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until sauce really thickens up! Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat to cool.
4. In a medium bowl, combine egg white, cottage cheese, and Parmesan. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Add in 1/2 cup of the slightly cooled meat sauce and stir to combine.
5. To assemble lasagna, spread 1/2 of the turkey meat sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Place zucchini slices evenly over meat sauce, spread on 1/2 of the cottage mixture, then sprinkle 1/2 of the mozzarella on. Repeat layers again starting with the meat sauce, zucchini slices and ricotta mixture and finishing with mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake for 15 minute longer uncovered.

Healthy Cookies (version 1: -no butter, no sugar, no grains)

• 10 dried dates
• 2 cups almond butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 TB water
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3-4 tbs of local honey

1. Start by boiling the dates for a couple minutes, just to soften them.
2. Once soft, remove from heat, drain, and add to food processor. Add 1/4 tsp sea salt and 2 TB water.  Chop until coarsely ground.
3.  Add 2 cups almond butter, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 2 eggs, and 1/2 TB baking powder and 3-4 tbs of honey.  Blend.
4. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips using a spoon (not food processor)
5. Form batter into balls less than 1/4 cup each in size.  Place on greased baking sheet or on parchment paper. 
6. Bake for 9 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Healthy Cookies (version 2: No butter, no sugar)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup almond butter, peanut butter, or sunflower seed butter
• 1/4 cup apple butter (or you can do 1 and 1/4 cups almond butter and use apples in the mix)
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
• 1 large banana, mashed 
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raisins
• ! apple chopped
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed 
• chocolate chip (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line large cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
2. Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer or use food processor. Mix until all of the ingredients are combined. The dough will be quite stiff... can add water if needed for easier mixing.
3. Take 1/4 cup of dough and drop onto prepared cookie sheet. Slightly flatten the tops into desired thickness. top with chocolate chips, if using. The cookies will not spread in the oven.
4. Bake for 15-16 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Allow to cool on the cookie sheets completely.

I used the food processor so it makes a cookie batter consistency, if you use a mixer you will see whole raisins and cranberries.. which I love but think the kids like it more mixed like a cookie:

Coconut Flour Carrot Zucchini Muffins 

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup coconut flour
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup raw honey or maple syrup 
• 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cups shredded zucchini
• 3/4 cups shredded carrots

Directions:  

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Set up a muffin tin–I like using silicone, but you can also use a metal muffin tin with liners
3. In a large bowl, mix everything except the zucchini and carrots until smooth.
4. Stir in the zucchini and carrots, then divide the batter into the muffin cups.
5. For muffins: bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
6. They will be golden brown on top.
7. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Enjoy! (I recommend storing it in the fridge)

Portion Control for Me in 2017

Hello 2017!  I am excited to be back to our normal routine and meal planning each week.  Luckily we ate pretty clean over the holidays but I know I ate too many calories so my goal is to cut back on calories...starting tomorrow:)  I mostly eat very healthy with disease prevention in mind, but you can still gain weight eating healthy if you aren't cautious of calories and/or portion control.  I, personally, do not look at fat, carbs, protein, etc. because  I make sure we are eating as close to nature as possible with a variety of nutrient dense foods.  Our bodies know how to break down food of nature and know how to absorb the proper nutrients, therefore I mainly just look at portion control to maintain/lose weight.  That works for me, but I love helping people create a specific plan that works for their mindset, lifestyle, goals and schedule.  If you need a plan in the new year let me know and I am happy to help. 

Meals the First Week of January .... more veggies next week! But all about portion control starting NOW

Blackeye Pea Casserole

Ingredients

• 1½ cups dried black eyed peas
• 1½ cups brown or wild rice
• 10 cups water
• 5 slices center cut bacon
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp ground black or white pepper
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper {optional}
• 5 cups fresh spinach, chopped
• 6 oz. (1½ cups shredded) reduced-fat cheese

Instructions

1. Rinse the black eyed peas and rice really really well {for about 5 minutes}. Add black eyed peas, rice, and water to a large pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet. Transfer bacon to paper towels, and set aside. Discard all but one teaspoon of bacon grease.
3. Heat the bacon grease over medium heat in the skillet and add onion and bell peppers. Sauté for 10 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes & green chilies, salt, paprika, and peppers. Stir well and remove from heat. Stir in spinach and stir well.
4. Combine the black eyed peas, rice, and veggie mixture. Stir well. Add in half of the bacon and half of the cheese.
5. Transfer to a casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bacon. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes until cheese has melted and heated through. Enjoy!

Recipe from Meme at Living Well Kitchen: http://memeinge.com/blog/black-eyed-pea-casserole/  

 Before Oven and below is the finished casserole

Tuna Salad

Ingredients

• 2 Large cans of Tuna in water
• 2 medium apples, diced (I leave the skin on)
• 3-4 pickles, diced
• 1/2 cups diced purple onion
• 3 hard boiled eggs, diced
• 1/4 cup full fat greek yogurt

Instructions

Drain tuna, mix well with all ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste.  Great to serve on bell peppers, cucumbers, on a green salad or on apple slices.  

Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 1/4 cup water, or more if needed
• optional topping ideas: extra drizzle of olive oil, chopped fresh parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, toasted pine nuts, chopped roasted red peppers, basil pesto

Directions:

Add first seven ingredients (chickpeas thru salt/pepper) to a food processor, and blend until smooth. Add in the water and continue blending until the hummus reaches your desired consistency, adding additional water if needed.
Garnish with optional toppings and serve immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

Grain Free Lemon Chia seed protein muffins

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• juice, 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
• zest, 1 lemon
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup full fate greek yogurt (optional for added protein)
• 1/4 cup raw honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 T chia seeds 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl combine almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder and sea salt.
3. In a separate bowl combine applesauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, honey and vanilla extract.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.
5. Stir in poppy seeds.
6. Line a muffin tray with paper liners or silicon liners
7. Bake for 23-25 minutes, watching carefully to not burn
8. Remove from oven and let cool in tray for 10 minutes.
9. Remove from tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.
10. Will keep for several days in an airtight container on the counter.

Healthy French Toast 

Ingredients

1. 2 slices Ezekiel bread or Killer Dave's Organic Bread
2. 2 eggs
3. 2 tablespoons milk of choice – almond or coconut are great
4. 1 tablespoon cinnamon
5. 1 teaspoon raw honey
6. 1 teaspoon coconut oil
7. toppings of choice – I used pure maple syrup and sliced strawberries

Instructions

1. Heat a non-stick pan over a low to medium. Grease pan with the coconut oil.
2. Scramble the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and honey in a medium bowl. Transfer the egg mixture in a pie dish, or low-set bowl.
3. Soak the bread in the egg mixture for 15 second on each side.
4. Cook the bread for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
5. Serve warm with toppings of choice. 

Turkey meatballs over Spaghetti Squash 

Ingredients

• 2 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp basil
• ½ tsp oregano
• ½ tsp rosemary
• ½ tsp thyme
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ cup almond meal
• 1 egg, beaten
• 24 oz crushed tomatoes
• ½ large onion, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

 Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mix together basil, oregano, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and almond meal.
2. With your hands, mix together the spices and meat until well incorporated. Add in beaten egg and continue to mix well.
3. Form meat mixture into large meatballs (about 1.5-2 inches in diameter).
4. Grease your skillet, and add meatballs. Cook each meatball about 1 minute per side until the meat is browned (but not cooked through). Add meatballs to slow cooker.
5. Top meatballs with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and vinegar.
6. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
7. Serve with fresh basil and spaghetti squash.

Diving into the New Year

The holidays are ending and it is time to get back to our routine, eating clean with lots of veggies.  On a weekly basis, I make 1-2 meals on Sundays that may be a little more time consuming than the meals I prepare the rest of the week.  I prepare breakfast and snacks for the week on Sundays as well.  Midweek, I will make a crock pot or quick meal.  This routine works well for us.  I realize that many people have more children, work longer hours, or just have a more hectic schedules, so I will try to incorporate a quicker version of my meal so that busy mamas can still focus on good nutrition too. 

This past week, we enjoyed butternut squash chicken enchiladas with a side of steamed broccoli and Brussel sprouts, white bean chicken chili with a kale salad, beet and blueberry pancakes, and kale and cauliflower smoothies. The chicken chili was very quick and easy and absolutely delicious.   The smoothie may not be the best tasting smoothie but it was very refreshing and ghe most filling 150 calories you will put in your body.  One day I drank it in the afternoon and could not eat much dinner and yesterday it was a great start to my day.

Please keep in mind that we are totally normal and treated the kids to TCBY tonight after they ate all of their dinner.  I don't follow any specific nutrition regimen.. I just wholeheartedly believe that nutrition is fuel, disease prevention, and can cure disease.  We try to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and make that the focus.  We eat lean meat and seafood and limit grains, processed food and dairy.  We eat it all.. just fill up on the nutrient dense food first so that there isn't much room for the rest:) 

 

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs chicken
• 3 cans Great Northern Beans
• Two 8 oz cans Diced Green Chilies
• 1  large yellow Onion, diced
• 1 Tbs Garlic, minced
• 2 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp White Pepper
• 1 Tbs Salt
• 2 Cups Chicken Broth
• 1 Cup Coconut Milk or regular milk
• 1/2 Cup Water
• 1/3 Cup Cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Place the raw chicken, beans, chilies, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper, salt, chicken broth, and coconut milk in a crock pot. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, or until chicken is very tender.
2. Remove the chicken and place in a bowl. Lightly shred with a fork.
3. Add the chicken back into the chili and stir to distribute. Let cook for another 30 minutes. Soup should thicken up.
4. Add the cilantro to the soup just before serving and check the seasonings, adding more salt or pepper if desired. If you want the soup to be a little thinner, add more chicken broth or coconut milk until desired consistency is achieved.
5. Top with a squeeze of lime juice and shredded cheese.

 

Butternut Squash Chicken Enchiladas 

Ingredients

• 2 cups diced butternut squash
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups homemade enchilada sauce or 1 30-ounce can organic store bought
• 1 package of 10 8-inch flour tortillas
• 3 cups shredded chicken
• ½ yellow or white onion, diced
• 4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Chopped green onion and shredded lettuce for garnish and serving

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the diced butternut squash on the foil and drizzle with olive oil then season salt and pepper. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender and beginning to brown. Set aside to cool.
2. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F.
3. In a 9 X 13 inch baking dish, spread ½ cup enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.
4. Mix ⅓ cup of the enchilada sauce with the shredded chicken. Spread a little more than ¼ cup of the chicken mixture in a line in the lower third of the tortilla. Top with ¼ cup of the butternut squash,  ¼ cup of diced onion and ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Roll the tortilla and place seam down in the baking dish. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and ingredients, fitting the enchiladas snugly together. Pour the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortillas.
5. Bake for 30 minutes covered, then top the enchiladas with the remaining cheese. Bake for another 10 minutes uncovered or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and cover with the foil to rest for a few minutes. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve with shredded lettuce on the side.

Detox Green Smoothie

2 cups Kale
2 cups Spinach
1/2 cup sliced Cucumber
1/2 cup sliced Cauliflower
1 small Apple
1/2 cup Blueberries
1/2 Lemon juice
Ice
Water
Greek yogurt, Cottage Cheese or protein powder to add protein as a meal replacement 

 Beet Pancakes

Prepare the beets: I use whole fresh beets.  I cut off the stems and leaves of the beets and wrap each beet in foil and bake for 50 min on 400. After the beets cool, I remove the peel and cut into small pieces, then purée in a  food processor. For a quicker option, a friend of mine (a full time working attorney with three children one of which is a few weeks old:) uses prepared beets that are ready to puree.  Here is the picture: 

Pancake or muffin mix:

2 cups of the beet purée
2 bananas
2 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese (optional)
1 cup rolled oats 
milk or water if needed to thin

Can make into muffins or pancakes. If pancakes, make sure the griddle is pretty hot so they'll stick.

If you refrigerate and eat the next day they are a perfect consistency. They freeze well too

 

Staying Healthy During the Holidays

http://yourmilkshoppe.com/staying-sane-and-healthy-during-the-holidays/ 

Enjoyed being a guest blogger at yourmilkshoppe.com 

Staying Sane and Healthy During the Holidays

Is anybody else on overdrive this week?! We are, which is why we’re so excited to bring you this week’s guest blog & recipe guide- just for mamas trying to keep it healthy through the holidays. Meet Molly Koenig! Molly is a passionate mother of two who enjoys preparing fun, healthy meals and snacks for her kids. She loves to exercise daily and include her children as well so that they can understand what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. Molly is a corporate wellness consultant and health educator. She markets and educates for an online wellness company to help consumers shop for wellness on a budget, create a healthy environment in their home and make daily changes to prevent disease. In Molly’s experience as a wellness consultant, she created wellness, prevention, and disease management strategies for large employers across the country. 

As mothers, we are created to multitask and get more accomplished in a single day than anyone on this planet.  We wear so many hats, have multiple people (little and big) depending on us, and our jobs are so important and even more rewarding.  Many of us have careers alongside of our careers as a mother and we have learned to manage our time wisely.  On a daily basis, we manage it all, but why is it that over the holidays we get overwhelmed and lose focus on the important aspects of our daily lives, like nutrition? We can take professional family pictures, create beautiful Christmas cards and mail them by November 30th.  We can take the kids to see Santa multiple times, shop for every person in our family, wrap each gift, attend every holiday and gift exchange party, volunteer for our children’s school programs and class parties, and work all day, but we just cannot find the time to cook healthy, nutritious meals for ourselves and our kiddos over the holidays?  We decide to give ourselves a break in this regard and chalk it up to the holiday parties and the fact that everyone does this, right?  We decide that nutrition will be our focus in January.  
What if we decided to prepare our week of nutritious meals just like we prepare for everything else in our lives.  What if we included the kids and their holiday activities consisted of making healthy holiday snacks for themselves?  What if I told you that you and your family could enjoy the week of Christmas indulge, and relax, but still eat nutritious foods and not gain one ounce?  How great would it feel to start the new year now and not 5 pounds from now.
Here is a great guide for the week that is easy, fun, healthy and keeps the kids occupied:
Breakfast

• Ready Made Muffins or Pancakes- Have a go to, easy and healthy muffin or pancake mix that can be thrown together within minutes and last you for the week.  They are great to freeze and use daily for the month. The same base can be used to make snowman shaped pancaked on Christmas morning.  
  • Options:  1 cup fresh spinach, .5 cup canned pumpkin and .5 cup cooked sweet potato or 1 cup cooked zuchinni or 1 cup cooked and pureed beets or 1 cup cooked and pureed carrots (if you have picky eaters cauliflower does not have much taste and you cant see it)
  • 1 cup cottage cheese
  • 1 cup cooked veggie puree  
  •  2 mashed banana
  • 1.5 cups dry oats
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 TBL melted coconut oil
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2-3 Tbs honey or pure maple syrup (taste batter to see if more is needed.  We do not add much because my kids add it on top of the pancakes or muffins to eat)

Blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until well mixed.  If batter is not thin enough, add a touch of water or milk to get it the consistency of pancake batter.  Use silicon muffin liners (this is a must.. will never stick).  Bake in liners on 350 until baked all the way through (use tooth pick to test).  About 15-25 min. or use as pancake batter.

• Oatmeal Bar- Another option is an oatmeal Bar.  Small mason jars or bowls with measuring spoons or small scoops for your kids to enjoy “making” their own breakfast. Have the bowl of oatmeal cooked and ready to go.  You can use organic instant oatmeal or make rolled oats or muesli whole grain cereal on the stove.   Set out 2-3 choices from each section below for them to make their own oatmeal parfait.

• Sliced nuts- walnuts, almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds
• Fruit- fresh fruit cut into bite size pieces (apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries), smashed frozen fruit, or dried fruit l(cranberries, raisins, peaches).  
• Fairy or pirate dust: Brown sugar, honey, cinnamon, palm sugar

Snack time is activity time
My daughter attend a culinary camp for kids of Thanksgiving and had an absolute blast!  She got to make her own breakfast, snack and lunch while singing and making crafts between meals.  This really made me realize that I don’t have to feel guilty being in the kitchen instead of playing with my kiddos.  I can make the kitchen a fun place and still accomplish my healthy meals for the week. With the three options below I am using almost the same ingredients, therefore it is easy to keep on hand and it is three days’ worth of snacks and activities.  

• Owl Rice Cakes- rice cakes, nut butter, apple slices, banana slices, blueberries, cheese and raisins or yogurt covered raisins.
• Caterpillar snack- nut butter, celery stick, apple slice, raisins, pretzel sticks
• Banana Snowmen- sliced bananas, raisins, pretzel sticks, apple slices, sliced baby carrots, grapes and sucker sticks

Dinner
I love using a crock pot because I can throw it together on a Sunday or in the morning, it is ready for the week and makes a ton of food.  I usually make 1 crockpot meal a week and freeze what we don’t eat to use later in the month or if we ever need of something quick.  Making one crock pot meal, one casserole and having a couple of options for quick meals keeps us eating healthy over the holidays or a normal busy week.
Crock pot options:
Butternut Squash Turkey Chili
Ingredients

• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 7 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 TB chili powder
• 1 TB ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3 TB tomato paste
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted tomatoes, with juices
• 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 2 (14 oz each) cans black beans, rinsed well and drained
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled/seeded, and cubed into ½ inch pieces
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese for topping, optional

Instructions

1. In a large heavy pot heat olive oil until hot. Add onion and garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, and coriander. Stir to combine, 10 seconds.
2. Add ground turkey to pot and sprinkle 1 tsp salt over it; cook/stir to break up into small pieces. When turkey is cooked through, add tomato paste and stir 30 seconds.
3. Add bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes with juices, and broth. Scrape bottom of pan while stirring. Bring chili to a simmer; simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add beans and squash. Bring chili back to a simmer and simmer covered another 20 minutes or just until squash is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat. Add additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm, with shredded cheddar if desired. 

Ground Turkey Veggie Soup
Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef or turkey, optional
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 2 cups fresh or frozen mixed vegetables
• 2 cups fresh or frozen Lima beans
• 2 cups carrots, sliced
• 4 pounds of peeled and diced whole tomatoes or 4 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cups fresh or frozen okra
• 1 cup chopped kale
• 2 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook ground meat if using, and onions until browned. Add to slow cooker along with all other ingredients.Cook in slow cooker for 4 hours on low.
   

Noddle Free Butternut Squash Lasagna

• ½ pound chicken sausage (remove from casing) and ½ pound ground turkey or beef
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (28 oz can) crushed tomatoes
  • 2-3 cups fresh Spinach (optional) – I didn’t use but will next time
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 1 large butternut, peeled
  • 1 cup part-skim ricotta
  • 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
  • 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
  • 1 large egg
  • 3-4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  1. Brown the meat then Add onions and garlic and cook until soft. Then Add tomatoes, basil, and black pepper. (add spinach is using) Simmer on low, covered 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 375°F and Slice butternut squash into thin slices
  3. In a medium bowl combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley and egg, mix.
  4. In a deep 9×12 casserole dish spread 1/4 of sauce on the bottom and layer butternut slices to cover. Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, then top with 1 cup of the mozzarella chees. Second Layer: 1/3 sauce , lay more butternut, ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella and 1 cup sauce. Third Layer: remaining sauce (save about 1 cup) , butternut squash, ricotta mixture, 1 cup mozzarella then remaining sauce. .
  5. Bake covered 35 min
  6. Remove foil, cook uncovered 30 minutes- (until squash are completely soft)

Need quick – Spaghetti squash taco boats
Ingredients

• 3 small spaghetti squash (24 oz each)
• olive oil spray
• 1 lb 93% ground turkey
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 tbs bell pepper, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 oz can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup part-skim shredded Mexican cheese blend (omit for W30)
• 1 cup Pico de gallo 
• 2 tbs Cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or two if they don’t fit). Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and soft yellow strands. Spray the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the squash facedown on the baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes or until the flesh easily pierces with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well. Add the onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
3. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the inside so the strands appear. Spoon scant 1/2 cup meat inside each squash bowl. Top each with 2 tbsp cheese and transfer them to the oven and bake another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, top with pico de gallo and cilantro.

Mini Pizzas-

• Wheat tortillas
• Bite sized pieces of cooked chicken
• Organic pizza sauce or tomato sauce
• Cheese for topping
• And veggies (diced bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, spinach, artichokes, cauliflower pieces)

Spread sauce over tortilla, add chicken and veggies.. do not overload. Add cheese and cook on the stove until heated through and cheese melted.

Tukey Day Fun and Christmas Planning

The last couple of weeks have been busy with the holidays but we still try to put forth effort to eat tons of veggies.  We indulge in yummy, not so healthy food as well, but try to eat healthy and make it fun.  Lola has started to show an interest in cooking and she loves to eat what she helps prepare and Hayes likes anything that looks fun.  We made the butternut squash turkey chili the week of thanksgiving ... I accidentally confused the chili powder and cinnamon so ours was a bit sweet!  Oh well the kids liked it.  We are looking forward to Christmas and all of the fun activities.  If my kids aren't busy they start to fight, complain and drive me crazy! So, in order to keep my sanity over the holidays I am starting to plan fun crafts, meals we can cook together and Christmas activities. Stay tuned.

 

Butternut Squash Turkey Chili

Ingredients

• 2 TB olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 7 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 TB chili powder
• 1 TB ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 3 TB tomato paste
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped
• 2 cans (14.5 oz each) fire-roasted tomatoes, with juices
• 2 cups chicken or turkey broth
• 2 (14 oz each) cans black beans, rinsed well and drained
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled/seeded, and cubed into ½ inch pieces
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• shredded cheddar cheese for topping, optional

Instructions

1. In a large heavy pot heat olive oil until hot. Add onion and garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sugar, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, and coriander. Stir to combine, 10 seconds.
2. Add ground turkey to pot and sprinkle 1 tsp salt over it; cook/stir to break up into small pieces. When turkey is cooked through, add tomato paste and stir 30 seconds.
3. Add bell peppers, fire-roasted tomatoes with juices, and broth. Scrape bottom of pan while stirring. Bring chili to a simmer; simmer covered for 20 minutes. Add beans and squash. Bring chili back to a simmer and simmer covered another 20 minutes or just until squash is tender but not mushy. Remove from heat. Add additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve warm, with shredded cheddar if desired.

Happy Thanksgiving Turkey Pancakes

makes 4 turkeys

Ingredients: 
4 small apples, sliced
2 Strawberries cut into small pieces for the nose
8 raisins for the eyes
Turkey Sausage or carrot slices for the legs
Pancake Mix
Syrup or honey to top
Cinnamon to top

Instructions:

Make 4 small round pancakes and 4 medium round pancakes
arrange the small onto of the medium, add the strawberry nose, raisin eyes, turkey sausage legs, apple slice wings and sprinkle with cinnamon.

So blessed to have a happy, healthy, loving family.  Turkey pancakes and turkey hats on turkey day.

Apple Cranberry Pumpkin Flax Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup of 100% pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup of organic palm sugar or honey
• 1/2 cup of organic unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup of flour 
• 2 tbs ground flax
• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 an organic apple, cored and diced
• 1/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-count muffin tin with butter or coconut oil. If using muffin liners, insert into tin and grease those instead. 
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients (sugar, flour, oats, baking powder, spices, & salt) and stir. Then add the wet ingredients (pumpkin, applesauce, eggs) and mix everything only until the dry ingredients are incorporated.
3. Gently stir the diced apples and dried cranberries into batter. Fill each muffin tin equally until all the batter is used up. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick or fork stuck into the middle of a muffin comes out clean (with no wet batter).

Turkey Taco Spaghetti Squash Boats

Ingredients

• 3 small spaghetti squash (24 oz each)
• olive oil spray
• 1 lb 93% ground turkey
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 2 tbs bell pepper, minced
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 oz can tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup part-skim shredded Mexican cheese blend (omit for W30)
• 1 cup Pico de gallo 
• 2 tbs Cilantro

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or two if they don’t fit). Cut the squash in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds and soft yellow strands. Spray the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the squash facedown on the baking sheet and bake for 50 minutes or until the flesh easily pierces with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, brown turkey in a large skillet breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. When no longer pink add dry seasoning and mix well. Add the onion, pepper, water and tomato sauce and cover. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
3. Once the squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape the inside so the strands appear. Spoon scant 1/2 cup meat inside each squash bowl. Top each with 2 tbsp cheese and transfer them to the oven and bake another 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, top with pico de gallo and cilantro.

Thai Basil Chicken over Jasmine Rice with Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 2 tbs light soy sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 2 teaspoons vegetable
• 3 cups fresh Basil leaves
• cooked jasmine rice
• 3-4 Cups fresh snap peas 
• 2 tbs sesame seeds

Directions:

In a bowl marinate the chicken with oyster sauce and soy sauce 10 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat, when hot add the oil, garlic and chili and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sever over rice.

While rice is cooking, heat 1-2 Tbs of olive oil in a wok and saute the snap peas.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add light soy sauce and sesame seeds as it cooks.  Cook until soft, about 8-10 minutes.