Swim Meet Pasta Salad

You guys asked for the recipe of the pasta salad that I made for the swim meet on Wednesday, so here it is. I honestly just threw it together based on a list of ingredients that my friend Jen gave me when I inquired because Aria came home raving about her pasta salad.

Ingredients: 12oz Bowtie Pasta (aka Farfalle) Italian dressing grape tomatoes, halved or quartered cucumbers, diced Babybell Cheese (we used the red one), cut into 6ths Applegate Uncured Pepperoni, diced whole, pitted, black olives basil leaves, torn

Directions: Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain. Mix in Italian Dressing to taste. While it cools, wash and prep your other ingredients. Toss all other ingredients with the pasta and dressing. Add more dressing as desired.

Tips:

You may want to wait to mix in the cheese until the pasta has cooled so that it doesn't melt.

You can use any vegetables that you like. I used what I knew my kids would eat.

Feel free to use any kind of cheese you prefer also. Mozarella is a good, versatile one.

Don't want to use pepperoni? Salami, bacon, turkey, chicken, pretty much whatever protein you like and can/will eat cold, would work.

I used Wish Bone brand dressing because I needed a dairy free italian (Yes, I know that I put cheese in the salad, but that is easily picked out, dressing, not so much) and wanted one without seed oils and a bunch of junky ingredients. In the future, I will probably try to make my own dressing.

I hope you enjoy it as much as my family did! I will probably try a slightly different variation for our next swim meet. Gotta keep things fresh!

Vanilla Overnight Oats

I hope to be writing more about peptides and workouts soon, but in the meantime, I thought I would share another protein rich, make ahead breakfast recipe. This one is for Vanilla Overnight Oats. This recipe came from 24carrotlife.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rolled oats 1 tablespoon chia seeds 1/2 cup greek yogurt 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar. Close the jar and shake until well combined.
2. Place in the refrigerator ovvernight and add more milk in the morning if you would like a thinnger consistency.
3. Top with fruit and/or granola.

This quick breakfast is a bit tangy. If you don't like greek yogurt, you won't like these overnight oats! It packs 20grams of protein and almost 10 grams of fiber into one meal though, so worth a try if you are a yogurt fan! Top with some fresh berries and you increase the fiber content even more plus add in some antioxidants!

Omelet Muffins

Sharing another quick, protein packed breakfast recipe. I have been making this one for years. It is inspired by a recipe that I got from the Paleo Cookbook.

Today I used ham and bell pepper, but you can use any cooked meat and veggies that you like! You can also add shredded cheese if that suits you.

Take 6 eggs and whisk them together in a bowl with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.

Chop up some (about 1/3 cup) bell pepper or any other veggies that you have on hand and some (about 1/4 cup) bacon, ham, ground beef, sausage or whatever other cooked meat you would like. Distribute the veggies and meat between 8 muffin cups.

I go ahead and cut up the rest of the veggies and store them to add to lunches.

Pour the egg mixture over the meat and vegetables. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let cool, remove from muffin tins and enjoy immediately or refrigerate for later.

Chia Seed Energy Bites →

I am going to share a much requested snack recipe with you today.

Each time I have made these and shared them with someone, they have requested the recipe. So it must be a good one! I will share the recipe as I make it here, and link to the original recipe that I adapted (slightly) from. With my changes and without any add-ins, there is just one teaspoon of added sugar per serving. However, we like to add chocolate chips or dried cranberries to ours. Doing this, they become more of a treat than a healthy snack due to the added sugar content.

1 cup oats
3 Tbs. honey
5 Tbs. peanut butter (or other nut butter)
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/4 tsp vanilla
Additional add-ins, if you choose, such as nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.

In a bowl, combine ingredients together until well mixed.
Add any additional add-ins.
Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Shape into bites. Store in the refrigerator.

Makes 15 Bites

Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Quinoa →

I made this wonderful breakfast a couple of weeks ago. I loved it! My husband liked it. My girls wouldn't touch it.

I'm sharing it anyway, because I thought it was that good! I was seriously shocked that my littles didn't care for it. I will definitely attempt to feed it to them again soon. Remember, their tastebuds change and develop quickly at a young age, so never give up on a food after just one or two tries.

I did turn this into three servings (and then split one into two for the girls) as the calorie and sugar count per serving as written is a little high for our needs.

Black Bean and Chickpea Chili →

Now that we are firmly into winter, I will share a versatile and simple chili recipe with you. This can be made vegetarian if you use vegetable stock, or you can add ground turkey or beef and use chicken or beef stock. I have made it each of those ways and love it all ways! I have also used kidney beans in place of chickpeas with good results. I don't purée any of the mixture, but that is just a personal preference. I also use about 1/2 the spices called for before removing some for my kids and then I add in the other 1/2 of the spices at the end for the grown ups, otherwise my kids will say it's too spicy and won't eat it.

The other thing I love about this recipe is that it is easily adapted for the slow cooker. Just brown the meat (if you are using it), throw everything in the crock, set to low for 8 hours and dinner is ready when you get home from work!

I usually serve this with corn bread or corn chips. My kids like it sprinkled with cheese and topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

Pardon the not so great picture. I forgot to take one of the finished product until I had almost eaten all of the left-overs! 

Baked Zucchini Bites →

I am ALWAYS on the lookout for snack food recipes that contain veggies that I think my kids might eat. I found this one last week and added it to my meal planning menu for this week. I gave it a try yesterday and it was a huge success because it was a huge hit with both of my kids! These are so flavorful and are packed with good for you veggies such as zucchini, garlic and onion.

I did have to change it up a little bit. Since I can not eat gluten, I just used regular gluten-free bread crumbs. We didn't dip them in anything. They are good by themselves! I don't have a mini muffin tin, so I used a regular one and put about a tablespoon of "batter" into each one.

And even though I made these for the little ones, my husband and I both really like them too!

Slow-cooked Barbecue Chicken

Here is another super easy dinner idea for the crockpot.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

½ cup chicken broth (or just water)

1 small bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (mine is Stubb's Original)

Directions:

Place chicken in bottom of crockpot and pour liquid over top. Cook on high for three and a half hours. Drain liquid from crockpot and shred chicken. Return chicken to crockpot and stir in the BBQ sauce. Cook on low for 30 minutes. Serve however you desire.

I like mine on a bun with some Cole slaw, but it is also good by itself with a sweet potato and some greens on the side. It really doesn't get much more simple than this!

Yes, I know that Stubb's has a longer ingredient list than I recommend and it has a natural flavor added to it. I am a work in progress! I should make my own natural BBQ sauce, but I'm just not there yet. If any of you know of a better brand or a good recipe, let me know what it is! Maybe I will have to update this later next week after I do some research and present to you (and myself again) why we shouldn't be using natural favors.

Picadillo

I made this for dinner earlier in the week and promised to put the recipe up. So, here it is. Better late than never!

I love this recipe because it is a quick and easy weeknight meal that my whole family will eat. I usually serve it with a salad or steamed green vegetable on the side.

I got this recipe from a cookbook sold by my high school. It was submitted by a classmate's mom. Thanks Mrs. Jennings!

Picadillo

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 lg onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lg tomato, chopped

1 med Apple, chopped

⅓ cup raisins

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

6 servings hot, cooked rice

Directions:

Brown the ground meat in a skillet with chopped onion and minced garlic, stirring to crumble meat; drain well. Add chopped tomato, apple, raisins, salt, pepper, cinnamon and cloves; mix well. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Serve over hot rice.

Easy Red Beans and Rice →

My husband cooked dinner for me and my girls last night and this is what he made.

Easy Red Beans and Rice from allrecipes.com

It was so delicious! I have made this several times, but you know how it is, it always tastes better when someone else cooks it! He used andouille chicken sausage and a 28oz can of diced tomatoes (I think it would have been too dry without doubling the tomatoes). It ended up being a little too spicy for our girls, but we both loved it and had it again for lunch today. If you use a milder sausage, I think it could definitely be kid friendly. It's a great meal for a cold day!

Oatmeal Bake Squares

Here is another make ahead breakfast idea. Make those school day mornings run smoothly by having a heat-and-go breakfast that everyone will love. Give this baked oatmeal a try...and don't skip the cardamom, you will not regret it!

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 grannysmith apples, grated

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups milk of choice (I use almond)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Additions: craisins, dried apricots (diced), coconut flakes, chia seeds, flax seeds, sliced almonds, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder

Directions:

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease an 8x8 pan with coconut oil.
3. In a bowl, grate the two apples down to the core. Then in the same bowl add the oats, vanilla, spices, and all the additions you choose.
4. Mix together and pour into the 8x8 pan. Level out evenly.
5. Pour in the milk last, once it's ready in the pan. Watch the level of liquid, add more if needed to bring the liquid just even to the top of the oats mixture.
6. Pop it in the oven for 30 minutes.
7. Done is done! Enjoy hot and cold, day after day.

I orginally found this recipe on coconutsandcardamom.com, but that website no longer exists.

Tender Chicken Nuggets

Everybody loves chicken nuggets, right? Everyone in my family does! But trying to cut out processed foods and sugar definitely cuts out store-bought chicken nuggets. I found a home-made replacement that we love! I have made these many times for many people (including kids of all ages) and they have always been very well received. If you want to get your kids away from eating fast food chicken nuggets, try these! My incredibly picky five year old nephew said, “These are the best chicken nuggets I’ve ever had!” Now, isn’t that an amazing compliment coming from a five year old? These are a much healthier version of your fried nugget. Only 200 calories for a serving of 6 nuggets and only 3 grams of fat! The best part: they are super easy to make and are ready in only 25 minutes!

I am including the recipe below because I have been making these nuggets for so many years that they have, apparently, been removed from the allrecipes.com site. I couldn't find it to link to!

Tender Chicken Nuggets (allrecipes.com)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs

2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg White

1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into 1-inch Cubes

Directions: In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg white. Dip chicken pieces in egg white, then place in bag and shake to coat. Place in a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1 in. baking pan coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees F for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, turning once.

Oven Roasted Autumn Medley →

I come to you with another easy, satisfying dinner meal. Pair with a simple side salad or steamed vegetable for a complete meal. My husband and I prefer this made with spicy sausage, but my girls won't eat it that way, so I generally use a sweet Italian or apple sausage. If you have had trouble viewing these recipes, click on the post title (recipe name). It is a link to the recipe on another website.

Black Bean, Corn and Turkey Chili →

It's Autumn! Yay for cooler weather, crock pots, soups, stews and chili! These are some of my favorite foods because they are simple to make, rich in flavor and are easily made healthy! Today I bring you a turkey chilli recipe that I have been making for a few years now. It is a stove top recipe that is also easily made in the crockpot. This last time that I made it I used ground chicken instead of turkey and I doubled everything except the meat. I used one can of black beans and one of kidney beans and I omitted the sugar. I also made my own taco seasoning. It was my favorite version thus far. You won't be sorry if you give it a try!

Ground Beef Stir Fry →

Here is a quick and easy dinner recipe. I almost always have some ground beef in the freezer and don't always know what to do with it besides hamburgers or meatloaf. I found this recipe and fell in love with it the first time I made it. I make it at least once a month now. The changes I make are to omit the salt (there is enough salt from the soy sauce), use low sodium soy sauce, omit the crushed red pepper (so my kids will eat it, but I put it on the table for my husband and I to top it with) and I often have chicken broth rather than beef stock on hand, so I usually substitute that. I serve it over brown rice with a side of steamed broccoli or green beans. Gotta get those greens in!

Quick and Easy Mexican Chicken →

Here is another healthy, easy and kid-friendly dinner recipe for you. I just found this one last week and have made it twice. The first time I served it over rice with a side of steamed broccoli and the second time I served it as a filling for tortillas with avocado, Greek yogurt (to replace sour cream), diced tomatoes and lettuce leaves. It was well received by all of my family both times. The only change I made was to cut the chicken into strips and place it in a ziploc bag with the oil and seasonings and let it marinate for about 30 minutes before cooking. I hope you enjoy it!

Black Beans and Quinoa →

I am so excited to share this recipe because it is a meatless recipe that still has lots of protein and my kids loved it! I made it thinking that I would have to prepare something else for them, but they both devoured it. I have made this several times before, but until now had never served it to my children. My husband and I love the recipe as written, but this time I omitted the cayenne to make it more kid friendly. Give it a try for meatless Monday.

Piña "Greena" Colada Smoothie →

I love smoothies for getting in plenty of servings of fruits and vegetables. This one happens to be my favorite. I have been making this smoothie for a couple of years now. However, I had forgotten about it over the last several months until today when I tried it again and loved it again! The best part is: both of my girls also drank some, which is a huge win because it is the first smoothie that I have gotten my youngest to actually drink instead of just play with. So, both my girls got a serving of kale today (I used kale instead of spinach)! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Green Beans, Chicken Breasts and Red Skin Potatoes →

Most of you may have already heard of, seen and/or made this recipe by now. It's been going around Facebook for months if not years. If you haven't made it yet, you should! It took me a long time to try it out from the time I first heard about it. Now I make it on a weekly basis because it is perfect for me to pop in the oven on the evenings that hubby and I have to pass the baton right at dinner time. Does it taste like a gourmet meal? No, but it's good for something that takes less than ten minutes to throw together and only uses one dish! I make my own Italian dressing mix (omit the salt) and I usually use butter, but not nearly as much as this calls for! I probably only use about 2 or 3 tablespoons. I have also done half butter, half olive oil. I prefer fresh green beans to canned. They turn out crisp tender, which is perfect!

2-Ingredient Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken →

I'm always on the lookout for easy and yummy crockpot recipes. I love being able to throw something in the crockpot early in the day so that I don't have to worry about fixing dinner when I get home from work or before I have to go out to work in the evening or right after my girls wake up from their naps and are cranky! This one is a cinch and is delicious atop some tortilla chips and romaine lettuce and garnished with avocado and a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt. You can also skip the chips and just wrap it up inside a couple of big lettuce leaves or a tortilla. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!