Ultimate Granola

I am always on the hunt for new healthy options for meals and snacks for the fam.  I was excited to see this recipe with healthy oil and honey as a sweetener.  It is delicious on it's own, over yogurt, and I am excited to try it over ice cream when I'm feeling indulgent :) It's super yummy and you won't feel guilty eating it. Win-win!

Ultimate Granola

6 c. old fashioned oats
1 c. wheat germ
2 c. coconut 
1 c. peanuts or cashews (I use roasted peanuts)
1 c. slivered or sliced almonds
1 c. pecan pieces
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 c. coconut oil
1-1/2 c. honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl.  Heat coconut oil and honey in microwave safe bowl until melted.  Pour over oat mixture.  Stir well. Divide mixture onto 2 cookie sheets and spread out into an even layer.  Place on separate shelves in oven and cook 6 minutes.  Swap the two pans places and cook 6 more minutes.  Stir well.  Put back in oven for 6 minutes, swap and cook 6 more minutes.  Stir well.  Turn oven off and place pans back in oven and let cool.  This may take overnight.  Enjoy!

Recipe Source:  Leah Young's Instagram :)

Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats

I feel like I have been going through old-fashioned oats by the bucketful lately.  There are much worse things I could be consuming, I suppose ;)  Anyhow, this last weekend we headed out to our favorite berry patch to get our first dibs on this season's blueberries.  We also got 30 pounds of cherries, which we froze most of, and some dang delicious strawberries.  

I've had overnight oats pinned for years on my breakfast board and thought it was high time I tried them.  They fit in perfectly to my new ways of eating, are filling, and lets be honest-dang delicious.  My favorite is fresh fruit in these (enter my previously stated blueberries).  I am really excited to try the other 20 varieties I've had pinned!  The Mr. also gave this one 2 thumbs way up :)

Blueberry Muffin Overnight Oats

1/2 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice, or water)
1/2 of a medium-large banana, mashed
2-3 Tbsp. fresh blueberries
1/2 tsp. maple syrup
1/4 tsp. lemon zest

Mix all ingredients up and place in a 1/2 pint mason jar.  Cover and place in fridge overnight.  Top with extra blueberries in the morning, and breakfast is served!

Recipe Source:  Another Root

Monster Cookie Energy Balls

I have been so happy about my progress over the last 7ish weeks.  I followed the 21-Day Fix meal plan fairly closely for a few weeks, and since then I have just been doing my own thing.  If anything else, it gave me a better idea on what portions should be and how much of certain food groups I should be eating.  My weight loss has slowed, but I am still losing while not counting containers either.  I have still been eating many 21-Day fix meals, just not worrying about the container counts.  

So, during my whole pregnancy I am pretty sure the only thing I ate was sweets.  No joke.  Cookies for breakfast, pudding cups for snacks, and lets just say I stocked up on Halloween and Christmas candy (yikes).  Cutting back on sweets has been hard, so what I've tried to do is find healthy alternatives.  Frozen grapes work sometimes, and my Shakeology holds of my morning cravings, but in the afternoon or after dinner I need a little something.  Enter energy balls.  I have been so happy with these!  My kids have been requesting these over cookies, and since they are filled with things like flax, chia, what germ, and small amounts of sugar, I am glad to have these for them for after school snacks or an on-the-go breakfast. 

Try them.  You will like them, especially cold out of the refrigerator.  YUM!

Here's some benefits to some of the components of these balls:  

Peanut Butter- Full of protein, fiber and potassium. Gives you an energy boost.

Oats- Filling, whole-grain, full of fiber and so much more!

Honey- Natural sweetener and full of vitamins.

Flax Seed- High in Omega 3, full of antioxidants and vitamins.

Chia Seed- Full of Iron, Omega 3, and even more vitamins and minerals.

Wheat Germ- Boosts immune system, full of nutrients.

Monster Cookie Energy Balls

½ cup creamy Peanut Butter
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned oats
⅓ cup ground flaxseed
1 Tablespoon chia seeds
optional: 2 Tbsp. wheat germ
¼ cup mini chocolate chips
¼ cup mini M&M's

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes then roll into balls. Keep energy bites stored in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer.

This recipe can easily be adapted to your preference. M&M's can be omitted and substituted with your favorite nut or dried fruit etc. I usually add shredded coconut instead.

Recipe Source:  Love To Be In the Kitchen

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

I am not going to pretend I calculated the containers for this on the 21-Day Fix...I did not (although all the ingredients are approved, it just depends on how you top your bowls off).  I needed a "cheat" meal, but didn't want to fall off the wagon either.  I came across this recipe browsing Mediterranean recipes since that was what I've been craving lately and this immediately caught my eye.  It is good...like craveable good.  It is just fresh, healthy, satisfying, versatile, and easy to put together.   I see this in my future for lunches all week long :)  To make my husband happy, if I serve this to him, I will serve it alongside some Greek Chicken skewers or a simple grilled chicken breast.  

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1 16 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained (or roast your own red peppers )
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt (more to taste)
juice of one lemon
½ cup olive oil
½ cup almonds

For the Mediterranean Bowls (build your own bowls based on what you like)
cooked quinoa (I used the Seeds of Change quinoa/brown rice mix from Costco for an easy fix)
spinach, kale, or cucumber
feta cheese
kalamata olives
pepperoncini
thinly sliced red onion
hummus
fresh basil or parsley (it is definitely worth having your own plant in your yard for summer use!)
olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper

Pulse all the ingredients for the sauce in a food processor or blender until mostly smooth. The texture should be thick and textured.

Cook the quinoa according to package directions (I always do mine in a rice cooker while I get everything else ready). When the quinoa is done, build yourself a Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl!
Store leftovers in separate containers and assemble each bowl just before serving, especially the greens and the sauces, as those will get soggy when stored with all the other ingredients.

Recipe Source:  Pinch of Yum

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

After my indulgent weekend with Mother's Day and Cinco de Mayo celebrations, I am getting back on track.  I am SOOO close to my pre-baby weight, my goal is to at least hit that by this Friday if not more.  That means no more cheats until the weekend!  I found this recipe that totally gave me satisfaction for lunch today.  I LOVE those little boneless buffalo bites you can get from Buffalo Wild Wings, Chilis, Applebees, and probably a bunch of other places.  I was reading on Beachboy that each of those little things can be over 72 calories EACH.  When an order comes with about a dozen or so, that adds up super quick!  

These little cauliflower nuggets totally gave me the feeling of my favorite little boneless buffalo bites and instead of using the dressing suggested below, I just ate a red container of cottage cheese on the side in between the cauliflower to cool my mouth off.  It really was a tasty lunch!


Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

Yield: 6 servings, approximately ¾ cup Bites and 3 Tbsp. Sauce each

Container Count:  1 GREEN and 1 tsp. (per Beachboy)
½ cup low-fat (1%) plain yogurt
2 Tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
6 cups cauliflower florets
½ tsp. sea salt (or Himalayan salt), divided use
½ cup hot pepper sauce
⅓ cup rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch, gluten-free (preferably GMO free)
2 tsp. ground chili powder
¼ tsp. ground smoked paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine yogurt and cheese in a small bowl; mix well. Refrigerate until needed.
3. Lightly coat large baking sheet with spray.
4. Place cauliflower florets on baking sheet. Coat cauliflower lightly with spray. Season evenly with ¼ tsp. salt.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
6. While cauliflower is baking, combine hot sauce, rice vinegar, and cornstarch in medium saucepan; whisk until cornstarch is dissolved.
7. Add chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, maple syrup, oil, and remaining ¼ tsp. salt; whisk to blend.
8. Heat hot sauce mixture over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside.
9. Pour hot sauce mixture over baked cauliflower (on baking sheet); mix well.
10. Return cauliflower to oven. Bake for 5 minutes.

11. Serve hot with sauce.

*Note on equivalents: Per serving, the amount of yogurt and cheese found in this recipe is not enough to count toward a day’s Red or Blue allowance. As such, these ingredients (and calories) have been calculated into the tsp. equivalent.

Recipe Source:  Beachbody

Oriental Chicken Salad

I've mentioned it before, but I live in a small-town.  The small-town is predominately compromised of those from the Hispanic culture.  Therefore pretty much all of the restaurants around here are Hispanic restaurants.  There is one little gem among the tacos and burritos called Bon Vinos Bistro.  I have had phenomenal breakfast, sandwiches, desserts, and this salad (or at least my interpretation of it :)  I loved this salad when I first tasted it and knew I needed to recreate it.  

The description from their menu says..."Grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, coleslaw mix, toasted almonds, Linguini noodle, sweet & sour dressing, topped with green onions."  Simple enough, right?!  I found a ginger sesame dressing that was delicious on this salad.  I actually got it at Walmart in the produce section, it is the Marketside brand.  I had some yummy homemade fettucine noodles from my hubby's grandma, and they were perfect for this!

Oriental Chicken Salad

Coleslaw Mix
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Sliced almonds
Chicken Breasts
Fettucine or Linguine noodles, cooked al dente
Sliced green onions
Sesame Ginger Dressing

I marinated the chicken in some of the dressing for 3-4 hours then grilled it and sliced it.  Mix the coleslaw mix with the romaine lettuce and pile on each plate.  Mix the cooled noodles with more dressing and chill.  Pile noodles on lettuce, place chicken on top and sprinkle with almonds and green onions. Drizzle with more dressing if desired.

Recipe Source:  My Own Recreation

Sriracha Honey Chicken

I feel so out of it when it comes to my little food blog.  I started doing this about 6 years ago as a way to share our family's favorite recipes and turned into quite the hobby!  I want to keep it going, but lately with the whole home building process, 3 small children, and life in general it has taken a back-burner for now.  I do want to keep it going when I can!  Maybe when life slows down a bit I can make my posts a more regular thing :)  

Anyhow, we have been eating a lot healthier around here (for the most part).  We are trying to incorporate more veggies into all meals, and so far so good.  I follow a girl on Instagram and have loved seeing her ideas for eating whole.  This recipe for the chicken comes from her.  See the link below for her blog ;)

Sriracha Honey Chicken

3 chicken breasts, diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. Sriracha Sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook until almost cooked through.  Drain any juices from pan, add honey, sriracha, garlic, and salt and pepper and cook until the outside of the chicken gets a little caramelized.  

*I served this over rice and stir-fried veggies.  Fried rice would be great as well.

Recipe Source:  Eating Whole