Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Pork Tenderloin

I didn't do much cooking last week, so I thought I owed it to my family to cook something good and filling. This pork tenderloin was just the right choice. I'm more of a saucy person so I was a bit concerned about this recipe since it didn't have a glaze or sauce for it. Overall, it was really juicy and flavorful. I paired it with some broccolini (which is becoming one of my favorite sides). The family was pleased.:)  Click on the link below for the recipe. Let me know what you think.
                                                                           Enjoy!

Click here for recipe

Lamb Tacos

 

After Super Bowl Sunday, I thought it would be appropriate to participate in a cleanse with my good friend. I love this cleanse because you actually eat food! Well, yesterday the cleanse had us eating these lamb tacos and they were delish! Try them for yourself. I think you will be pleased.:)

 

Ingredients
4 oz. ground lamb
2 tbsp. extra virgin coconut oil
1 medium summer squash or zucchini
1/4 cup minced onions
1 tbsp. taco/fajita seasoning
Sea salt
Romaine lettuce
1/4 cup minced red onion
Freshly chopped cilantro
Freshly made guacamole  ( I didn't do the guacamole)

Directions:

Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Melt the coconut oil and continue to heat until oil is lightly smoking.
Add the lamb and allow it to brown. Once the lamb has browned add the squash, onion, garlic, and taco seasoning. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients. Continue to cook through until all vegetables are soft. Taste, season with sea salt.

Serve on romaine lettuce.

Kid Friendly Menu

I always find myself searching endlessly for kid friendly recipes for the upcoming week. I figured if I was having this problem then I'm sure you other mommy jugglers are having the same issue. So as usual, I headed over to my favorite site (Pinterest) and put together a five day menu for my busy mommies out there.  I didn't include sides because I'm sure your little ones already have a list of vegetables that they have decided are on their "favorites list" and others they've put on their "I do not eat" list. I usually pair a side of broccoli florets or carrots w/ranch for my kiddos. Hope this helps!


Monday - Baked Spaghetti

Tuesday - Corn Dog Muffin Bites

Wednesday - Turkey Burgers

Thursday - Baked Chicken Legs

Friday - Quesadillas

(Click on the links below for recipes)

Baked Spaghetti




Corn Dog Muffin Bites

I don't usually follow this recipe. To make it easier, I use the Jiffy corn meal. Simply follow the directions on the box and cut hot dogs into the muffin pan. Please, please make sure to use the hot dogs with no nitrates. :)



Turkey Burgers



Chicken legs with Italian dressing




Chicken & Cheese quesadillas

6 Super Bowl Worthy Recipes

 It's about that time! Super Bowl XLVIII is a week away. Although I'm excited about the game, I'm more excited about the food! This is one of the few Sundays when appetizers are endless and you can eat a whole meal without a vegetable insight (minus the celery that accompanies the wing platter) and not feel bad about it. Naturally, I headed over to Pinterest and found my favorite recipes that are Super Bowl worthy. These are recipes that I've personally made or come highly recommended by a friend.


                                                              BLT Meatball Sliders

These sliders are so yummy! My husband and I love them. I made them at the start of football season. Simply delicious!

Five Bean Vegetarian Chili

For all you vegetarians, this chili is the bomb! I added some shredded cheese and a dollop of sour cream and was good to go. If you're looking for some comfort food next Sunday, you've found your dish.

Slow cooker Sticky Wings

My good friend recommended these wings. She made them for her family and said they are irresistibly delicious.The best part is you can use your slow cooker!




Chicken Wing Dip

What's the Super Bowl without a dip? I could literally eat the whole bowl of chicken wing dip by myself. It's just that good! I use tortilla chips with it (my go to dip chip). They just go with everything.



I added two dessert recipes, which I haven't tried yet BUT they look delish and easy for your family or guest to grab and enjoy.

Caramel Apple Bites



No-Bake Salty Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars




Happy Super Bowl. Let's Eat!!!

Veggie Lasagna [ great for kids]

All vegetables and seasoning




sauté vegetables and seasoning in olive oil

add tomato sauce and water

layered and ready for the oven

This lasagna is one of my favorite recipes out of the boy's school recipe book. It's such a hefty meal and enough for leftovers! I usually don't use oregano since my husband isn't a big fan of the herb. It tends to take over any dish you use it in. Also, if you prefer a more saucy lasagna, I suggest adding more tomato sauce. Definitely 9 ounces opposed to the 2 ounces. I used 15 ounces!  Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles                             3/4 cup water
10 oz. ricotta cheese                                                    1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese                               2-3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup of chopped spinach (frozen or fresh)                  3 tbsp. olive oil
1 medium zucchini, chopped                                       3 tbsp. oregano
1 small eggplant, chopped                                           2 tbsp. basil
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped                                      1 tsp. salt
1 medium onion, chopped                                           1 tsp. black pepper
2-9 oz. tomato sauce

Instructions:
1. Sauté all vegetables and seasoning in olive oil until tender (the smaller the vegetables are chopped the better the children eat them all).
Add tomato sauce and water to sautéed mixture. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
2.Preheat oven to 350
3. In a 13x9 pan add a thin layer of tomato sauce mixture to prevent sticking. Then cover the bottom with a layer of uncooked lasagna noodles. Spread thin layer of ricotta cheese onto the layers, and then completely cover with tomato mixture. Repeat the three layers (noodles, and then cheese, and tomato sauce) until the pan is full or you use all the ingredients. The last layer should be the tomato sauce and be sure to completely cover the noodles to prevent dry noodles.
4. Before baking cover with mozzarella cheese and aluminum foil.
5. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes, then remove the aluminum foil and bake for 10- 15 minutes or until the top layer has browned.
6. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Snacks, snacks, and more snacks!!! [Weekend Recap]

Weekend snacks are draining the life out of me. I know I'm being a bit extreme but how many snacks does a kid really need in a day? I mean seriously.

This is how the day seems to go:

Breakfast. Snack. Lunch. Snack. Snack. Snack. Dinner.

Enough already, geez! Maybe I should push dinner up earlier and breakfast a little later. Or maybe I should just toughen up and set some strict rules about snacks! Like one a day!! Anywho...

The pressure has been on for me to wean the boys off of processed snacks and so far so good but the go to snack has been fruit. They love strawberries and blueberries. Orlando likes to eat both but of course Ty (my picky eater) doesn't like blueberries at all. I love the fact that they love fruit but buying it can get expensive, especially if you are buying organic. I don't buy all organic food but fruit is definitely something I try to buy organic 99.9 percent of the time (those pesticides are something serious). My search for healthy affordable snacks has kicked into high gear and I can't wait to share my new snack recipe finds with you guys.

Oh, how could I forget, the AFC Championship game was on yesterday. My child has been bugging me about this game all week. He was front and center cheering on the Denver Broncos with his Falcon helmet in tow, and of course a bowl of blueberries! Ty was somewhere with his UGA helmet on calling plays waiting for his beloved Seahawks to play for the NFC Championship. Gotta love these kids!!!

The boys also had a basketball game on Saturday and #4 was back in action. He did great on defense and I have no injuries to report. I think it was the new basketball shoes!:)

Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup

With Thomas sniffling and the boys not wanting to eat their vegetables, I thought Chicken Noodle Soup would take care of both of those issues. We all know that vegetable or chicken broth can help clear congestion, so putting this on my menu was a no brainer. Although I cook vegetables daily and have been since the boys were tiny, I still have a difficult time getting them to eat their daily serving. I'm glad to report that not only did they eat the soup, Orlando asked for seconds!! Tyson was good with one bowl, which is a victory all in itself! To make it even better, this is a crockpot recipe so you get to throw all the ingredients in and let the crockpot work its magic! I love, love, love my crockpot!!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

Ingredients:

1/2 bag whole wheat egg noodles
1 medium onion diced
1 cup of carrots, diced
1 cup of peas
1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 13oz. can of 98% fat-free chicken breast
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp.oregano
1tbsp. olive oil

Instruction:

1.  Add all ingredients except the noodles to the  crockpots, cook medium for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

2. Add the noodles 30 minutes before serving. If you add the noodles too soon they will cook down to form a thicker sauce.

Spinach dip

Easy snack idea. I served mine warm and with Stacy's  Pita Chips. Everyone loved it except for Ty. He's still addicted to cheez its. Trying to break him off of processed snacks.Its harder than I thought!

Enjoy.

Ingredients
4 cups fresh spinach
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup finely shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp. garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
Wash and shred spinach, mix all ingredients together. Serve cold or warmed with fresh veggies, pretzels or crackers.

Stuffed Chicken Breast with Parmesan Broccolini

Ingredients:
5 boneless skinless chicken breast ( I use Simple Truth Natural chicken breast)
1/2 cup of chopped or diced tomatoes
2 cups of spinach ( I used kale this time/ Organic Girl brand)
2 tbsp of Olive oil
cooking spray
1 bundle of broccolini
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Seasonings of your choice for chicken ( I used ms.dash,sea salt, garlic powder, and turmeric)
1/2 a lemon

Instruction:
Preheat oven to 350.
Saute your spinach in a skillet with your olive oil. Squeeze the lemon over top and saute 2-3 minutes or until your spinach wither. Set aside.
Spray a 13 x 9 dish with cooking spray.
Place your chicken breast evenly into the baking dish.
Cut a pocket into each chicken breast.
Place the spinach mixture into the chicken breast pockets..(distribute among your chicken breast)
Spread your chopped tomatoes on top. If you have enough tomatoes stuff some inside the pockets
Bake for 45 min or until chicken is done.

Broccolini:
Cut off  the ends of the broccolini (about an inch)
Spray skillet with cooking spray
Drizzles 1 tbsp. of olive oil (more if needed) over the broccolini and cook over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. If you prefer your veggies on the softer side, remove from heat and add 1 tbsp of water and cover to allow it to stem.
When done, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Quick afternoon snack!

The boys love these for an after-school snack. English muffins drizzled with honey. What makes it even better is that we get fresh local honey delivered to us. So the honey is extra sweet. Don'f forget to warm them in the oven or toaster. Try it for yourself!

Baked Oatmeal with Blueberries and Bananas

This recipe is one of the many reasons I love the boy's school. The focus of the program that they attend is "making healthy choices". For the holiday season parents were given the opportunity to purchase a cookbook created by the program's nutritionist. These recipes are the ones that they've tried in the classroom; chosen by the teachers and kids themselves. I will be adding more of their recipes to the recipe section of my blog. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.:)

I didn't use the blueberries because Ty doesn't like them. You could add other berries if you'd like. I made it at night and warmed it in the oven in the morning.

Ingredients
2 medium ripe bananas ( the riper the better) sliced into 1/2 pieces
1 1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup honey (or agave)
1 cup uncooked quick oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup fat free milk ( I used almond milk)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 . Lightly spray 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray
2. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bananas, 1/4 tsp. of the cinnamon, 1 tbsp. of the honey and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes, until bananas are soft.
3.Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of nuts, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, and salt; stir together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining honey, milk, egg, and vanilla extract.
4. Remove the bananas from the oven, and then pour the oat mixture over the bananas and blueberries.
5. Pour milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the mixture as evenly as possible over the oats. Sprinkle remaining blueberries and walnuts over top.
6. Bake the oatmeal for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the oatmeal is set. Serve warm from the oven.

Black Bean Burgers

My little helper is so happy that we are making black bean burgers!

Ty wanted mustard, Orlando wanted Ketchup, and daddy ditched the bread and ate it plain

My boys have been begging for me to make them some black bean burgers. They tried them at school for lunch one day and are now hooked. I was actually excited to hear this because like most preschooler, Ty is such a picky eater. He actually doesn't eat meat ( on occasions he will take a bite). Not sure if this will be a long life choice but as of now he cant stand the smell of it. Anywho,  finally got around to making the burgers and they were a hit! The whole family loved them. Check the recipe below.

( I did not include measurements because I eye everything. I will do better with future recipes).

 Bon appetit!

Ingredients:

1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
onion (optional)
garlic (optional)
mushrooms (optional)
seasoning of choice ( I used sea salt, Ms. Dash, a hint of pepper, and garlic salt)
bread crumbs or oats ( use if the black beans are too sticky...use as much as needed to keep your patty to together)
olive oil

Instructions

Mash the black beans with a potato masher ( I used my food processor since I don't have a potato masher. If you decide to use a food processor be careful to not turn your black beans into mush)
Saute (in a skillet with olive oil) whatever veggies you plan to include inside your burger.
Add the veggies to your black bean mixture.
Cook in a pan with olive oil until crispy on both sides.