Recipe: Black Bean & Onion Quesadillas

You know what Monday means! We're going MEATLESS!

I've gotta say this whole Meatless Monday thing has been fun! It has forced me to look beyond my usual chicken recipes. And since I've been looking at recipes and pictures for inspiration, it has influenced me to make other meals meatless, not just on Mondays! :)

My husband is a quesadilla person. He orders them frequently when we're at restaurants that serve them. He said these might be the best ones I've ever made. And that beats out his usual favorite; the buffalo chicken quesadilla! :)

I've been using FlavorGod's seasonings alot and I know a lot of people don't have them, or don't even know what they are. FlavorGod offers 7 different types of seasoning. I HIGHLY recommend purchasing the combo pack for $27.99 on his site. CLICK HERE Once you taste the difference in these seasonings you will find yourself only using them. If you use these in your recipes, you will find that you ONLY need these, no other salts or seasonings. It makes cooking simple...and delicious!

If you don't have FlavorGod, I suggest mixing together some garlic powder, onion powder, and basil to create a similar taste. (Totally not the same though)

Also, for some quick guacamole, I mashed up 2 avocados, added a couple squirts of lime juice, and sprinkled in some FlavorGod Garlic Lover's seasoning. It's was really good & simple quac! 

Black Bean & Onion Quesadillas

What you’ll need:

1 tbsp EVOO
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ small onion, chopped
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp FlavorGod Garlic Lover’s Seasoning
½ lime, or 1 tbsp lime juice
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Colby jack and cheddar mix)
4 whole wheat tortillas

What you do:

In a medium sized skillet, heat EVOO and garlic until golden and fragrant.
Add chopped onion and sauté until soft.
Add black beans and garlic seasoning and stir to combine.
Squeeze the lime juice over the black bean filling.
Set aside in bowl.
In same skillet, spray with cooking spray and place 1 tortilla in skillet.
Place a couple spoonful’s of the filling on one side of the tortilla.
Sprinkle cheese on tortilla and fold over.
Cook in skillet on both sides until outside is crispy and cheese has melted.

Serve with guacamole and/or sour cream.

Enjoy

XOXO

Recipes: Dinner in 30 minutes

Hey y'all! 

Happy hump day! 
What's on today's agenda?

It's been so nice having the sun back here in Tampa! Especially since both girls are home with me this week. 

Could you imagine us being cooped up in the house all week? Where's the whiskey?! Totally just kidding... :)

Today we will be venturing out to the museum and probably Target to pick up things, like diapers...and whatever else falls in the cart. You know the Target drill.

With both girls home with me this week, I have been completely exhausted when dinner time comes around. So anything super easy and super fast, but also healthy, is what I'm looking for!

Last night I made a delicious kid-approved dinner and it only took me 30 minutes! Score!

I marinaded some chicken breasts in garlic cloves and Italian dressing and baked them for 20 minutes at 400°. Then I threw together some Avocado Salsa to top the chicken, and cilantro Zucchini Corn salad for a side. Easy peasy guys!

Avocado Salsa 
You can pair this with chips and use as an appetizer, but it's so good on top of your choice of meat! 

What you’ll need:

2 avocados, peeled, cored, sliced

¼ red onion, diced
1 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. chopped cilantro

What you do:

Combine all ingredients!

Serve a couple spoonfuls on top of chicken.

Cilantro Zucchini-Corn Salad

What you’ll need:

2 large zucchini, peeled and cut into quarters

2 cloves garlic, sliced2 tbsp EVOO
1 can corn, drained

1/4 tbsp basil
1/4 tbsp oregano
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

What you do:

In a large skillet, heat EVOO and garlic over medium high heat until golden.
Add zucchini, corn, basil, and oregano. and stir to combine.
Let cook for 5-6 minutes until zucchini is tender.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro.
Top with Parmesan cheese.

Serve hot & enjoy!

XOXO

Simple Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Hey!! It's almost Friday, which means it's almost time for Tampa RiverFest! 

All my giveaways for the 3 different events have ended and winners started being announced last night! 

I'm so excited that I can share the love and fun (Thanks to the Tampa Bay Bloggers) with you all! With so much going on and a way to spread the love even more, I FINALLY created a Facebook page this this little blog. That means go LIKE IT! :) 

Speaking of social media, if you follow me on Instagram, you know I have some wonderful plants growing in the backyard, and that I made this delicious eggplant last week using our very own eggplants! See how much you miss when you don't follow on Instagram?! :)

I have truly enjoyed growing all the vegetables and fruits that I want on my TowerGardens, and the best part is that my girls enjoy it just as much as me!

I honestly think they devoured this Eggplant Parmesan (2 servings!) due to them picking it themselves! Isn't that neat?!

This recipe received many compliments at the dinner table, and even though it takes awhile to make, it was worth every minute and every 5 second interruption. 

Eggplant Parmesan

What you’ll need:

5 small eggplants OR 2-3 large
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 eggs
⅔ cup almond milk
4 cups whole wheat seasoned breadcrumbs
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
28 oz of your favorite simple marinara sauce (In a hurry, I use La FamigliaDelGrosso brand)
8 oz. reduced fat sliced provolone
1½ cups shredded Italian cheese blend
Cooking Spray

What you do:

Preheat oven to 400.
Cut off top/stem of eggplant and slice lengthwise into ¼ in pieces.
Prepare 3 bowls for breading eggplant.
Place flour in 1st bowl, beat eggs and milk in 2nd bowl, and the crumbs in the 3rd bowl.
Dip each eggplant slice in flour, egg, and then crumbs. Make sure each piece of fully coated in each bowl.(This is a great step for kids to help!)
Place eggplant on greased baking sheets. (I used 3 baking sheets)
Lightly spray eggplant pieces with a coat of cooking oil spray.
Bake for 12 minutes, flip and bake another 8 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In a lasagna/cake pan, cover bottom with 1 cup sauce.
Place eggplant in a single layer, making sure there is little overlap.
Spoon more sauce on top and then layer with provolone slices.
Top with eggplant, then sauce, and provolone again.
Top with rest of the eggplant, sauce, and the shredded Italian cheese blend.
Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes.
Take out of oven and ENJOY after slightly cooled!

XOXO


**Giveaway winners**
Congrats to Jenny @ MetamorFIT on winning 2 FREE registrations to the Cigar City Fun Run!
Congrats to Chelsea Lund & Kristi Griffith on winning 2 FREE General Admission tickets to the Tampa Bay Bloody Mary Festival!
An email is headed your way!

Salad Toppings for the Not So Basic

Since the beginning of March, I think I've had salad almost every day. Between the parents and I, there are 5 tower gardens in the backyard. This means there is an abundance of lettuce and other vegetables growing faster than we can eat them right now. Good problems to have. 

Salad is like yogurt and oatmeal, in the sense that you can basically top it with anything you're feeling at the moment and not feel like you're eating the same thing day after day. 

What does an average salad consist of? I'm going to go with the three main ingredients of a salad. Lettuce. Tomato. Cucumber. With just those three vegetables, you have your basic salad. Real basic. So, let's not be so basic and... 

Add EXTRA to Your bowl of Basic

1. Nuts 
Perfect for an extra crunch! Almonds, walnuts, and pecans not only give your salad life but they are packed with heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids. To be extra fancy, you can roast the nuts before putting on your salad.

2. Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or sesame seeds add texture and protein!


3. Roasted Chickpeas
I call these veggie croutons. Drain, wash, and dry a can of chickpeas. Spread on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes at 400. Season with salt and whatever other season you'd like. 

4. Fruits. 
While you can add dried fruit or candied fruits, those are usually coated in a bunch of sugar. Fresh fruits work best and the options are limitless. Some of my favorites on salads are apples, pears, strawberries, mandarin oranges. 


5. Parmesan Crisps
Giada knows what she's talking about with this recipe. It takes 10 minutes!

6. Chips or Strips
While not the healthiest options, chips are a great way to make your salad different than yesterdays. Pita chips, tortilla strips, crushed up Doritos (did I just say that?) are great options!

7. Other Vegetables
Carrots, onions, broccoli, snap peas, asparagus, zucchini, radish, peppers. Need I go on?

8. Beans
Chickpeas are a bean, but don't stop there! Black beans, pinto beans, or kidney beans can also add protein & taste to your salad! By simply adding black beans and tortilla strips, you've got yourself a healthy taco salad!

9. Egg
Slice up some hard boiled eggs or more protein options for that bowl of lettuce!  

Last but CERTAINLY not least, and probably the best thing to ever happen to (some of) us...

10. Cheese.
For people who don't like salad, cheese is a good way to get them to eat it! Add some crumbled cheese on a salad and your meat eater men and picky kids may actually ask for salad with their dinners! Feta and cheddar are my favorites. 

While this list does not contain any meat, meat is also an obvious and delicious way to spruce up your bowl of basic. Bacon...no other words needed.

XOXO

RECIPE: Miso & Potsticker Soup

Two Recipe Tuesday! :)

This soup recipe was absolutely delicious and SIMPLE! I had never cooked my own miso soup before and never used miso (soybean paste) as an ingredient. I didn't even know it existed at the grocery store...but it does and it's in the refrigerated section! FYI!

This recipe could be even more simplified but buying an already made miso soup base (my friend Alisha says the Trader Joe's Ginger Miso Soup Broth is amazing). All you would need to do is brown the potstickers in some oil and add to the soup. I love simple recipes,and I love simple recipes that my kids love that aren't mac-n-cheese! Winner, winner, potsticker dinner!

Miso & Potsticker Soup

What you’ll need:

2 tbsp. EVOO
2 scallions, sliced thinly, green and white parts separated
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger

Salt and black pepper
½ cup miso (soybean paste)
7 cups chicken broth
1 pound potstickers, frozen (I used vegetable & chicken)
snap peas, thinly sliced
radishes, thinly sliced

What you do:

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.
Add the scallion whites, ginger, salt and pepper.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the miso and ½ cup water. Whisk until the miso is dissolved.
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
Cook potstickers until browned.
Stir into soup and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve the soup into bowls and top with the snap peas, radishes, and scallion greens.

**The snap peas give the soup a wonderful crunch!**

Enjoy!

XOXO

The Moscow Mule

Have you ever had a Moscow Mule? (It's a drink, btw...)
About a year ago my sister-in-law, Luisa, made them for us and it's been a hit every since! If you ever wondered how, what, when, why, or anything about the Moscow Mule..keep reading!

Not too long ago, there were very few bars keeping ginger beer in inventory. That’s ginger BEER, (not to be confused with ginger ale) one of the main ingredients in the comeback kid of cocktails. History is repeating itself. And this time, it’s coming back with gifts of alcohol in hand! History, you’re such a good gift-giver! So, what’s in the gift box? It’s the Moscow Mule and it’s quickly becoming the #1 answer to the bartender’s question, “What can I get you to drink?”

First a history Lesson:

The first known mention of the Moscow Mule is from the "Inside Hollywood" newspaper column, written by Eith Gwynn. It was the 27th of December in 1942, and Eith wrote^(1):

"There is a new drink that is a craze in the movie colony now. It is called "Moscow Mule." Recipe: equal parts Vodka, lime juice and ginger beer..."

The Moscow Mule was invented in 1941, by good drinking men. Way back when, John Martin, who had recently purchased the Smirnoff recipe from Russia, walked into Cock ‘n’ Bull restaurant on Sunset Strip where he was greeted by owner and ginger beer maker, Jack Morgan. Both were having trouble selling their products, vodka and ginger beer, (Oh how times have changed…) so decided to combine the two, add a touch of lime to be fancy, pour it in a shiny copper mug to be extra fancy, and the Moscow mule was officially born.

The drink popularity spread like drunken wild fire and became a poster child for Vodka in the 1950s and early 1960s (think Mad Men and vintage Playboy magazine ads). What comes up must come down, and just like anything else, the next best thing came around, pushing the Moscow Mule cocktail on to the endangered species list of cocktails.

Rewind to 2012 and the Moscow Mule was brought back to life by the Big O, Oprah Winfrey, when she included a Moscow Mule Kit in her Favorite Things List. Now, the refreshing and super simple Moscow Mule is a worldwide favorite.

There are four components to the Moscow Mule, one being the copper mug it’s served in. The others are vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice. With such a simple recipe, it’s hard to mess up a Moscow Mule, kind of like a gin and tonic, but bars all around are making this classic cocktail their own. Adding and substituting ingredients to make blueberry mules, cucumber mules, gin-gin mules, and a myriad of other variations.  

Now that I have you drooling for some Moscow mules, here are a couple recipes sure to quench that thirst, because it’s real!

The Official IBA recipe for a MoscowMule:

45 ml Vodka
120 ml Ginger beer
5 ml Lime juice, fresh
1 slice of lime to garnish

Combine vodka and ginger beer. Add lime juice, garnish with lime slice

Blueberry Moscow Mule recipe

1 cup ginger beer
1 shot ginger vodka
juice of one lime wedge
blueberry syrup (recipe below)

Directions

Pour the ginger beer, vodka and lime juice in a copper cup and stir. Add in the ice and then pour a little blueberry syrup on the top. Give it another stir and garnish with blueberries and a lime wedge.

Blueberry Syrup
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar

Directions

Bring the ingredients to a boil for 5 minutes, then let it simmer for another 10 minutes until it thickens. Strain over a glass bowl and let it cool.

XOXO

Refererence (1): https://web.archive.org/web/20070314000752/http://www.thinkingbartender.com/bartenderthinking/2007/01/moscow_mule.html

The Trendy Acai Bowl

Food trends are giving fashion trends a run for their money. I love that organic, locally sourced foods, vegetables, and all around healthier foods are "trending" right now, but my ultimate favorite food trends are the "mash ups" because they're fun and sometimes will make you say "umm what?!" Most famous of these mash ups are the cronut (crossiant-donut), the hamburger with a donut as the bun, and the hamburger served on a griddled ramen noodle bun. 

Also in the food trend group, is the Acai bowl. My sister-in-law introduced me to them a couple years ago at the Fit2Run Cafe in Tampa, and I've been hooked every since. I also used to get them at TheJuiceSpot in Miami, you know, the one Lebron's wife opened...the only reason my husband HAD to go there. 

So what is an Acai Bowl and what is acai? How do you even say acai? All questions I had at first.
Acai (pronounced ah-sign-ee) is considered a "superfood" from Brazil. It's a dark purple, berrylike fruit. 

An acai bowl is basically a really thick smoothie made from acai puree, topped with various toppings like granola, shredded coconut, and fruit. Very easy to make your own at home! :) 

This is the frozen puree I use. Look for it in your grocery store's frozen fruit aisle. 

Acai Bowl

What you’ll need:

1 package of frozen acai puree
1 frozen banana
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 cup almond milk (or coconut)
1 tbsp honey
½ cup frozen berries

What you do:

Place everything in blender and give it a whirl!
Top with whatever your heart desires!
I topped mine with BackToNature Almond Vanilla Granola, unsweetened shredded coconut, and chopped strawberries.

ENJOY!

XOXO

Balsamic Mushrooms (Steak's BFF)

Oh Happy Thursday! How is your week going so far? Can I get a "hip hip hooray" that it's almost the weekend?!

I've somehow managed to get myself so busy this week that I was up late, after I put the kids to sleep, working! WHAT?! I don't do that...often. I always tell myself and my husband that I'll be working late and then "accidentally" fall sleep. My priorities at 5 p.m. are totally different than my priorities at 9 p.m.

5:00 P.M. Priorities: Cook dinner, tell husband how exhausted I am but have so much to do that I'll stay up working to play catch up.

9:00 P.M. Priorities: Get kids bathed and in bed. Lay head on pillow and all that caring about work goes out the window. Sleep and catching up on Nashville & Scandal are now #1

Funny how that works.

Anyways, dinner last night was perfection! Angelo wanted steaks so I swung by the grocery store and got some good ones! I'm talking organic, grass-fed, big ol' Porterhouse steaks! 

If you're anything like me, mushrooms are a steak's best friend. If you're anything like my husband (and kids), mac-n-cheese is a steak's best friend. So I made both. The mushrooms totally kicked the mac-n-cheese's butt! (In a make believe fight between the two.)

Balsamic Mushrooms

What you’ll need:

2 (8 oz) cartons of baby bell mushrooms, cleaned & quartered
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp EVOO
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp water

What you do:

Clean & cut mushrooms into quarters. Set out to dry completely before going further with recipe.
In a small dish, stir together vinegar, water, and brown sugar until dissolved.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp EVOO over medium high heat.
When melted, add mushrooms & salt and stir until all mushrooms are completely coated.
Let the mushrooms cook, stirring infrequently, until mushrooms are shrunken and a deep brown color. (7-9 minutes)
Turn the heat to low and add garlic and remaining 1 tbsp of butter. Stir until butter is melted.
Add balsamic vinegar mixture to skillet and stir. Let sit for about 1 minute, then transferred mushrooms and sauce to plate or serving bowl.

ENJOY!

XOXO

Homemade Skinny Cesar Dressing

The other day I was scanning through some recipes and a Chicken Cesar wrap caught my eye. I thought, "I haven't had one of those in a long time and it looks really good!" So I set out to make my own Cesar dressing.

After looking at multiple recipes, I briefly came to the conclusion that I just couldn't do it. Blend up some anchovies? Um, no thanks...not in my kitchen! :)

But wait! I read in some comments that Worcestershire sauce would be a good alternative to anchovies. Perfect! So, I altered Skinny Taste's Cesar dressing recipe to exclude anchovies and it was delicious! I tossed it with a a big bowl of chopped romaine lettuce, added some baked garlic chicken, and rolled up in a wrap.

Homemade "skinny" Cesar Dressing

What you’ll need:

1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
¼ cup lemon juice
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp EVOO
5 tbsp 0% fat Greek Yogurt

What you do:

In a food processor or blender, add the cheese, the lemon juice, garlic, mustard and the Worcestershire sauce. Blend together for about 20 seconds.  Add the oil and yogurt and let the machine run for another 15 seconds.

ENJOY!

XOXO

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Last night we finally got some time to carve pumpkins. 

Is carving pumpkins supposed to be enjoyable?! I only say that because every year I get pumped, get all my tools together, and am so excited to carve a pumpkin. Every year I tell myself I'm going to carve something "COOL!" And every year it turns out to be something I wouldn't exactly call enjoyable. 

And why I don't remember that from a year ago, I don't know. I guess it's kind of like child birth...OK no relation but you get my point. 

So, this is how our carving went this year:

Husband came home with the biggest pumpkin he could find! It was quite large! Great start to the evening!

We laid out the newspaper, put the pumpkin in the middle, and gathered up all the carving tools that come in those packets with the carving outline pictures. Then we took a big knife (not the biggest one we had, but up there in ranks) and start to cut a big circle around the stem.

When the circle is almost complete, the big knife snaps in half. Yep, snaps...like it was made of plastic. Now you're probably thinking, "they have cheap knifes." But that's not the case. Although they may be like 6 years old, they are Calphalon brand. I was always under the impression that Calphalon is a good brand to buy. I think they're even Lifetime warranty...no idea. But whatever the case, they should not snap in half while carving a pumpkin.

Now, with the top almost completely cut out, Angelo takes his fist and just bashes the top IN the pumpkin. I explain to him that it's not supposed to be inside the pumpkin...so he takes a few minutes to wiggle it back out.

Yes! Time to get the hands dirty. I give Sophia the little shovel/scraper to gut the pumpkin. She doesn't want anything to do with it and refuses to put her hands inside. Nelpe just enjoyed looking into the big hole and banging on the outside of the pumpkin a couple times. They both run off to go play on the playground. 
I think the gutting is the most fun part of this whole thing, so I clean out the inside of the pumpkin, get my seeds all laid out on the newspaper, and at this time the girls want to go back inside, it's getting dark out, and we still have to eat dinner. So there the pumpkin stays, on the back porch, uncarved. Hopefully it will get carved by tomorrow!

Well, at least I got the seeds out! I love roasting the seeds! I roasted them this afternoon after letting the seeds dry out overnight on some paper towels. 

Honey Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

What you’ll need:
1-2 cups of pumpkin seeds
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
Salt

What you do:

Preheat oven to 325.
Make sure all your pumpkin seeds are washed and without any pumpkin residue.
Lay out pumpkin seeds on paper towel and blot to get all moisture off. (I left my laying out on paper towels over night to dry them out.)
In a skillet, heat up olive oil.
Pour in pumpkin seeds and sauté for about 3 minutes until lightly browned.
Drizzle honey over seeds in the skillet and stir, making sure all seeds are coated.
Transfer the seeds onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and roast for 20-30 minutes. With a spatula, move the seeds around at least once during the cooking time.
When fully cooked (you want them to be crispy), take out of oven, sprinkle with salt, and allow to cool.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Bean & Corn Chili

Last night was another chili for dinner. I'm testing out different chili recipes for the Chili Bar I'm putting together for Nelp's 1st birthday party. I think I've found the two I'll be making and this one is a winner!! I picked this one because it had all things that Nelpe and Sophia enjoy; beans, corn, ground turkey, and topped with avocado. They couldn't get enough! 

What you’ll need:
2 tbsp butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can of Fire Roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (15 oz) can of corn, undrained
1 (4 oz) can of diced green chiles, undrained
1  (16 oz) jar of Salsa Verde (green kind)
1 ½ tsp chili powder


What you do:

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.
Throw in chopped onions and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add ground turkey and cook fully until browned.
Add black beans, kidney beans, tomatoes, corn, green chilies, and salsa.
Add chili powder
Bring to boil, and then reduce heat to simmer for minimum 15 minutes. I let mine simmer for about an hour.
Serve into bowls and top with your favorite toppings.
ENJOY!

XOXO

Sweet Potato Kale Soup

Soup is a major part of Fall. Once that cooler weather comes rolling in, I get the itch to make soup. A couple weeks ago I posted a Sweet Potato chili (which is amazing and you must make it!!) and last week I made another soup with sweet potatoes. I don't know what it is about sweet potatoes, they're delicious and don't ever need to be left out of a soup! Let that be a tip to every cook in the world! :) 

This soup is one of my favorite and super easy to make! Sophia and Nelps even eat it! Score! Packed with kale and sweet potatoes, it should be renamed Super Food Soup!

Sweet Potato Kale Soup

What you’ll need:
EVOO
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 Chicken sausage links, sliced into ½ inch pieces
5 cups chopped Kale
4 cups chicken broth

What you do:

In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium high heat.
Add in chicken sausage and stir around a couple minutes until browned.
Add in sweet potato and onion. Sauté until onion softens (about 5 minutes)
Stir in garlic. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Add in chopped kale and chicken broth.
Bring to boil and then turn down heat to simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes  - 1 hour.
Season with salt & pepper as desired.
ENJOY!

XOXO

Crock Pot Garlic Tomato Chicken

Hey you guys!!! Raise your hand if you love the crock pot! {Raises hand}

The crock pot is one of my favorite inventions ever and makes life relatively easy when I use it. 

This crock pot chicken recipe was a new one for me. When I first started putting together the ingredients, I had a "garlic honey" chicken in mind. But when it was done cooking and we ate it, it tasted and looked more like a "garlic tomato" chicken to me. I think the ketchup over powered the honey, so the word honey got an elbow to the ribs and kicked out of the name. 

The hubs LOVED the sauce and basically drenched his entire plate with it. While this wasn't mind blowing good, it was good! And I'm always down to try new ways to cook chicken...right?!

Crock Pot Garlic Tomato Chicken

What you’ll need:
2 chicken breasts (cut length wise to make 4 chicken filets)
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)

What you do:

Wash and cut chicken breasts length wise to make 4 chicken filets.
Place chicken in crock pot
Mix together rest of ingredients in small bowl.
Pour over chicken and cover with lid.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours.
Serve over quinoa or rice.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Pumpkin French Toast

Good Mornin'! 

How's your Tuesday going so far? 

Feels a little like Monday over here because Sophia didn't have school yesterday. So I'm just getting into the routines of the work week.

Here are some Tuesday Thoughts for ya...

You know what I find a little odd? That "at home" peaceful feeling you get at random moments. It could be from a song, food, place, anything. 

This past Sunday we went to a fall festival at a church we used to call our “home church”. When I was walking through the festival, I thought about how much at home I felt. It’s where the hubs and I first started attending together about 10 years ago, it’s where my parents still attend,  it’s where we were baptized together, and it’s where we said our last goodbyes to my brother-in-law.

You see, ever since we moved further away we started attending different churches in search of “the one” to call home again. It’s been almost about 4 years and while we like other churches, the one we seemed to like the best is the furthest away. Go figure. So, I feel like we’re still in that “in-between” phase and just need to buckle down and make a decision. Sometimes its good to go back to the place you call home and sometimes its good to make change and form new relationships.

You know what else feels like home to me? French Toast ;) It’s just one of those good ol’ old fashion breakfast foods that makes me smile. Yes, food makes me smile.

I made this Pumpkin French Toast the other day and it was delicious. The hubs, an anti-pumpkin kind of guy, even enjoyed it!

Pumpkin French Toast 

What you’ll need:
6 pieces of whole wheat or any type of sandwich bread
3 eggs
½ cup almond milk
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
¾ cup pumpkin puree
(Butter, Powdered sugar, and maple syrup for serving)

What you do:
In a bowl,  whisk together eggs, milk, pumpkin spice, and pumpkin puree until smooth.
Dip each side of piece of bread and place on a hot, greased skillet.
Flip after 1 – 2 minutes.
Repeat with each piece of bread.
Serve with butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.

ENJOY!

XOXO

Sweet Potato Chili

The weather has finally cooled down a bit here on this side of Florida. It'll be in the low 70s in the morning, but then jump up to high 80s by afternoon. (Just because I wrote that, it will probably be back in the 90s tomorrow.)

It's not THAT much cooler, but that little tease of cool weather makes me want to make some good ol' soup, curl up next to a fire in a big sweatshirt. But since I don't see any bonfires in my future for another month or two, I'll settle with a big bowl of chili.

This chili was exactly what I was hungry for. Warm comfort food with a hint of sweetness from the potatoes. 

I don't really like to add much spicy seasonings to my cooking these days since I have little mouths to feed. If you wanted the chili more spicy, you could definitely add a little bit of cayenne pepper to it. 

Sweet Potato Chili

What you’ll need:
1 lb ground turkey
EVOO
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 can Rotel (Diced tomatoes with green chilies) Do not drain
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
3 cups chicken broth

What you do:
Cook ground turkey on skillet over medium high heat. Set aside.
In a large pot, heat EVOO over medium high heat. Add in sweet potato, onion, and green pepper.
Sauté until onion softens (about 7 minutes)
Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Sauté for another 1-2 minutes.
Add in rotel, black beans, ground turkey, and broth.
Bring to boil and then turn down heat to simmer. Let simmer for minimum 1 hour. (I let mine simmer for about 3 hours)
Top with choice of toppings.
ENJOY!

We topped ours with Greek yogurt and avocado.Other good toppings would be sour cream, cheese, green onions, and fritos!

XOXO

Fall Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins

Happy Friday!! 
How is your morning going? Mine has been full of heavenly Fall goodness since I baked some delicious muffins yesterday to eat with my coffee this morning. 

Seriously, these muffins are like a Fall explosion in every bite. Oatmeal, pumpkin, pecans, craisins, and chocolate...what else do you need?! Not much....

Fall Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins 

What you’ll need: (Makes 12 muffins)
1 ¾ cups old fashion oats
¼ cup oat flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup pecans
¼ cup chocolate chips
¼ cup craisins or raisins

1 can pumpkin puree
1/3 cup egg whites
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond milk


What you do:
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl mix together all dry ingredients. (Oats to craisins)
In a smaller bowl, mix together rest of ingredients.
Pour pumpkin mixture into oats mixture, and stir to combine.
Let batter sit and thicken for 5 minutes.
Grease up a your muffin pan with cooking spray or coconut oil.
Fill muffin pans almost completely full with batter. (The muffins will not rise much)
Bake for 30 -35 minutes or until tester knife comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 5-10 minutes.
Store in airtight container. 

ENJOY!

XOXO