Caramel Apple Sundae...YES please!

Was I good about being healthy the last few days with SO much candy around?

...That would be a no...

BUT! Here is a dessert that can help out your sweet tooth without all that refined flour and just a little sugar. My husband and I really enjoyed this one! So quick and simple and very tasty with our coffee! This would be great and super easy to serve for friends.

Caramel Apple Sundae:
Place diced apples in the bowl. Sprinkle over a tablespoon or so of the mini chips and 10-12 mini marshmallows. Warm the caramel sauce and pour a tablespoonful over your apples. Top with your desired amount of chopped nuts. And there you go...Caramel Apple Sundae!

Ingredients:
Diced Apples
Caramel Sauce
(There are several good healthy brands of Caramel Sauce out there, or you can be industrious and make your own...or you can default like I did this time to the cheap not-so-healthy stuff and just use a little bit!)
Chopped Nuts
Mini marshmallows
Mini chocolate chips--below is my favorite healthier brand!

This would be SO fun as a dessert bar for friends! I may try that one soon. :)

Our favorite Pumpkin Muffin recipe!

It's fall!! YAY! My absolute favorite time of year. Consequently, I love all things pumpkin this time of year--especially a good sweet pumpkin muffin that I can have with my hot cup of coffee. This recipe is healthy AND delicious, which should be a given in my book. Healthy does NOT have to equal tasteless and boring!!

Here is a link for the recipe I use.

Healthy AND Delicious Pumpkin Muffins

The above picture is of her muffins.  I forgot to take a photo of mine yesterday...since my family ate them up before I had the chance! Mine looked more bumpy and home-made, which I prefer as a look for muffins anyways. My husband and kids love these, and so do I!

I cook them just like her recipe the only tweak is--for sweetener, I use 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. maple syrup as I don't prefer the 'all honey' taste. I use melted unrefined coconut oil not olive oil, but I'm sure either would work fine. You do not taste a coconut flavor at all in the finished product, and they do not have a different taste. Almond milk or regular milk both work the same.

My 3 kids each had one of these with a banana for breakfast this morning, as well. They LOVE having something 'sweet' for breakfast and I LOVE not cooking breakfast on busy mornings. :) Win Win! Enjoy all the pumpkin you can this fall season! (Or anytime of the year!)

Busy days can still make a healthier cut!

I have had several really busy days lately, which always pose the most challenges for eating healthy, don't they? I am just like every mom and would MUCH rather default to driving through for French fries and burgers on many many days! :)

...And that is definitely OKAY on some days...can we say Five Guys?! YUM! I miss my California 'In n Out' Burger too, people!! If you live in California, eat some animal fries for me...moment of silence...

With this...I just make spaghetti with mostly French style green beans as our 'noodles,' mixed in with a little bit of pasta.

If I keep a few easy staples in my pantry for those busy days, I am much more likely to come home and make up a quick something if I know I have easy pantry items available. This pasta sauce is not the healthiest on the planet, I get that. But it is only $1 to $1.50 depending on where you shop and it is still better than stopping for fast food! Plus this one is relatively low in sugar and has a savory taste, not sweet--which we prefer. (I add little bits of it to soup I make as well, which add a zing of flavor easily.)

Of course crock pot meals are ideal for these days too! I'll post some of those soon. But on days you just didn't get it together in the morning with a crock pot meal, here is a quick 30 minute meal.

Instead of just sauce and pasta, I use some French style green beans--they cook in only a few minutes--and mix in with the pasta. Keep some whole grain or brown rice pasta on hand.

- Brown some ground meat of your choice
- Drain fat if needed
- Add the can of sauce to your meat (to pull up those yummy brown bits on the pan)
- Leave sauce on low to simmer
- In the meantime, turn on some water to boil for your pasta
- Cook the French style green beans till they are soft, but still have a bit of crunch and drain
   (literally just a couple minutes to cook)
- Season green beans with some salt, pepper, butter, onion powder and a touch of garlic powder
- When pasta finishes, drain and toss your green beans with your pasta
    (I usually have more of the green beans and a small amount of pasta.)
- Plate with noodle/green bean mix first
- Top with meat sauce and a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese.
- Toss the noodle mix first if you think your kids will freak out seeing the green beans.
   (Spaghetti Sauce covers up those veggies.) 😜

Quick and easy! And French style green beans make a quick and easy swap out for a giant pile of noodles.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter...Enough Said!

If it has chocolate and it has peanut butter...I'm in! One of my favorite combos. 

**Eating healthy does not have to mean you quit all desserts.

Here is a SUPER simple 4 ingredient dessert ready in minutes. And you don't have to feel bad about having one! Got this great idea from my mom. She calls them Chocolate Mounds! Yum!

- 1 cup of Ghirardelli Bittersweet Baking Chips 

***(Really you can use any dark chocolate chips you like, these just happen to be my personal favorite!! These baking chips are a little bigger than your average chocolate chip, so, I keep them on hand, grab 7 or 8, and eat them with a few pecans if I am craving something sweet. Another idea!)

- 1/4 cup of all natural peanut butter 

- 1 cup of Crisp Rice Cereal

- 1/4 cup of raisins

Pour your chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave at 30 second increments till your chocolate is soft and you can stir the chips to finish melting. Add peanut butter, Rice Cereal and raisins. Stir to combine. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie tray. Place in the refrigerator till they Harden.

That's it!!

*If you are using a chocolate more dark and bitter than this, you can add a little all-natural sweetener if you like or add more raisins. I have also added marshmallows, nuts, Cheerios, you could add coconut, literally anything you want to mix in! Just make sure there is more chocolate than mix-ins or the chocolate mounds will be slightly dry and a little harder to eat. :)

I keep these in my fridge--or in the pantry if it's not a hot season of the year--for munching in case of a sweet tooth emergency. :)

Enjoy! 

Healthy 'Egg Roll in a Bowl' Recipe!

DEFINITELY a family favorite all around in this house! I seriously LOVE this recipe. It is so super quick, cheap and easy--plus it's healthy and my husband and kids love it. Win Win!! This was our family meal this past Friday evening.

Here is a link to the recipe I used:

Healthy Egg Roll in a Bowl

I tweak it to make it my own--a little different every time depending on what I have on hand.

I usually shred my own organic cabbage with a knife and grate in a few organic carrots. But, in a hurry, I have used a bag of coleslaw mix as well. It's shredded really fine so it cooks quickly and makes this a super super fast recipe.

You can mix up the meat to be whatever you like. In the past, I have used the last 2 chicken thighs I had left along with some ground pork and turkey, or my last 2 pork chops diced and cooked in the pan after the ground meat.

I also LOVE to add some different veggies that cook quickly. If you don't have green onion on hand, sauce a little diced or sliced onion in the pan after the meat. Zucchini is one of my personal favorite add-ins.

If you want to serve this with a starch, some whole wheat fettuccine noodles cooked separately and tossed in right before serving taste delicious and help fill those tummies around the table with only a few added in.

Whatever you do...don't leave out the sesame oil! It makes this dish in my opinion! You will thank yourself if you go buy some and keep it in your pantry for any asian flavored dish. It pairs so well with soy sauce.

Hang some paper lanterns, sit on the floor around your coffee table, light a couple candles, play some Chinese music and have fun for Friday night family dinner! Happy cooking.

Raisin' the Roof...

Yes, that is literally the name of this bread, Raisin' the Roof!

When my oldest two are at school and my youngest is down for nap time, I usually sit down in a quiet house to do some afternoon computer work or reading. I always want a hot cup of something and a small snack to go with that quiet time. It's a mental relax thing, I guess.

I have had Dave's Killer Bread lots of times before, it's all good! Try it! But I just found this raisin kind recently. I have had the Ezekiel 4:9 raisin bread in the past. I used to always have that one. And, while the Ezekiel bread may be a touch healthier than this one, I wanted a softer, chewier raisin bread texture.

This bread is all organic and its ingredients and sweetener are less refined. Here is a link for the ingredients:
http://www.daveskillerbread.com/raisin-the-roof/
It has a load of whole grains and seeds, but has a delicious taste and texture. One slice (at 90 calories) is a satisfying snack for me.

**Toast one slice, spread with a little butter, because...butter! If it is toast without butter it does not deserve the name toast, people! And then a little all-fruit (no refined sugar) jelly of your liking. Or in the fall...no-sugar apple butter!! YUM!

Also, since I try to limit coffee intake to my cup and a half in the morning (and YES many days I have more than that), I pour my last 2-3 Tbsp of coffee from the pot into my mug, fill the rest with hot water and brew a chamomile tea bag in the liquid instead. A perfect coffee 'fake-out' for my taste buds. :)

(Maybe tomorrow I will share what I put in my coffee, since I like it a little sweet and creamy, but not too sweet.)

No one is paying me to advertise products, by the way! I just love it when others share their favorites with me, so I am sharing mine with you. Leave a comment here on my blog or on FB to share your favorites with all of us too!

Turkey Gets a Bad Wrap...

Ground Turkey gets a bad wrap! Probably because...if you cook it by itself and/or overcook it, it is a tasteless rubbery mess. Ever tried to eat it like that? I have! That's when you forget dinner and order pizza. :)

Ground Turkey is a blank slate that lends itself to any flavor, you just need to add lots of flavor! My 'go to' for ground turkey, and what I have shown in the photo above is asian flavors. **I forgot to show my fresh ginger and soy sauce in this photo at the top! Those are two of the key flavors in these burger patties.

I also put in a little bit of ground pork sausage for flavoring and juiciness (about 2 Tbsp size scoops of meat with this one pound of ground turkey breast, I guess). Fresh grated veggies in your meat also adds a moist delicious texture. Think fresh grated onion, zucchini, also...add fresh grated ginger, grated garlic, etc. etc.

(You decide how much of each you like and mix it up!)
- 1 lb. Ground Turkey (I used turkey breast this time)
- 2-3 Tbsp. of Ground Pork Sausage
- Fresh grated ginger
- Fresh grated zucchini
- Fresh spinach torn or sliced in smaller pieces
- Minced garlic (I always keep the jar of minced garlic in olive oil in my fridge. SO much quicker.)
- Fresh grated Onion
    **Onion powder and garlic powder work in a pinch. They just don't add the moisture.
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil,  few small dashes (strong flavor, so add according to your taste)
- Pepper and a little salt (since you are added soy sauce)

Grab your hand grater, dump all the ingredients in a bowl with the meat, smash it all together with your hands and form small thin patties. I cook them with a little olive oil and a few drops of sesame oil in my non-stick pan. If you make them thin, they cook in literally 3-5 minutes.

Make and cook these right after you go grocery shopping, pop them in a container in the fridge and you have your lunch burger patties for the week! Just mix up your sides. I eat mine with a side of dijon mustard and a dash of ketchup to dip my bites in.

My favorites for today...

YUM!!

I know, I know, the name of these chips makes you want to laugh and walk past the bag. But...don't knock it till you try it! These 'Beanitos' black bean chips are delicious!

**TIP: When I am trying to get back on track, I usually count out how many chips I am going to have and measure out the amount of guacamole (one serving is a very filling snack). I believe resetting our portion sizes visually is a big step in the right direction. Everything around is us offered in 'Super-Sized' when it comes to food servings!

I tasted guacamole years ago and just couldn't handle the texture of the big chunks of avocado. So, I never ate any again for a really long time.

Then I tried this Sabra brand, Classic, (with no added sugars by the way) and I love the creamy texture. It has a perfect balance in taste and goes great with these chips!

Add in a grilled turkey burger patty and you have a pretty tasty lunch. (I will share that recipe tomorrow.) Don't write off ground turkey either!! It's all about what you add to it. I will share what I have found to work for our family with ground turkey tomorrow.

A Clean 'Plate'

1 Corinthians 10:31

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

Yup! It's time for a 'Clean Plate!'

Have you ever been in a season of life where you as wife, mom--or whatever relationship title you hold--have to adopt a 'survival mode?'

In July of 2015, our third child, Trent Michael James, was born. What a gift from God; we love him so much!

I noticed after he was born, however, that for increasing minutes/hours of the day and night, he would just cry. There was no way to comfort him. After several doctor visits and a few tests, our doctor (who is a practicing pedatrician for over 20 years) told us he believed this to be one of the worst cases of colic he has ever worked with. Just what an exhausted mom with 2 other kids, a husband and a job, really wanted to hear! Mainly because...there is no fix, cure or built in ending for colic. Their body just has to right itself on its own time table.

It lasted for 5 months...(tap the microphone)...MONTHS, not weeks or days. He screamed pretty much non-stop for 5 months.

I have 2 other kids, a husband and job. Life simply had to keep going. So, I adopted survival mode. Making sure my kids and husband were fed and their clothes were clean for the next day. That's it. A monumental task, I might add, with a screaming child in my arms literally all day long. (You do NOT want to know what my house looked like during those months; and I am a HUGE house perfectionist!)

I have always been very healthy minded when it comes to food, thanks to the training of my awesome mom. My meals were not 'fatty' and 'junky.' I always cooked and prepared 3 healthy meals a day.

During those months, needless to say, I got away from healthy and drifted to quick and easy--whatever that was! My kids still got fruit and veggies, just randomly. (And don't beat yourself up if that's what season you are in right now!)

Yes, I got a little stuck in a rut. Oh, I got back to cooking healthy dinners for the most part, but our snacking and 'grab and go' habits are what really affected our food routines.

So...ALL that to say this. I am starting with a clean plate! And I am going to be accountable by blogging with my food tips, recipes, favorite healthy brands and pictures.

I know how to do it, and I know what I like! I just need to get back to it.

**And remember...if you are a mom in a crazy season of life--totally in survival mode--we all get that. It happens sometimes. Don't beat yourself up; do what you can do for right now. Prioritize! Your house should be secondary during these seasons to the people that live in them! (And it pains this perfectionist to even say that. :) But God taught me a LOT about priorities during that season of my life!)

So...if you want to share some of my favorite healthy brands, healthy lunch and dinner tips and recipes, follow along! My posts are usually very short and to the point. I know 'mom down time' is extremely valuable. :)

I will share a separate short post later with a lunch favorite I started with today! Leave your comment along the way and share some of your favorites too!