3 Days till Spring!

Happy St Patty's Day!

Here is a great way to get your greens in!  Maybe tomorrow after the corned beef is consumed ;) or you need to find something interesting to kick off Spring on Saturday.  I know kale has been overdone in the superfood cultures,  but this just tastes good.  I could eat the whole platter myself so here goes:

Lemon-Basil Kale
Serves 2-3 Enjoy!!!
3/4 pound of kale (about 6 cups chopped) 2 cups water
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons salt to taste
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
*Variety - Add 1 cup fresh or frozen corn with the kale in step 1. Cook along with the kale for 4 to 5 mins. Continue with recipe.

1.  Wash kale and strip leaves off the stalks. Discard the stalks. Chop the kale into bite- sized pieces. Bring the water to a boil in a 10 to 12 inch skillet with a tightly fitted top. Add the kale, cover, and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain, saving the cooking liquid to drink.

2. Rinse out and dry skillet, then use it to heat the olive oil over medium heat, lifting and tilting the pan to coat. Add garlic and sizzle for 15 to 30 seconds, stirring constantly to prevent browning or burning.
   
3. Add basil and saute for 15 seconds more. Add kale and stir until heated through. Season to taste with the salt. Stir in lemon juice and serve immediately.
   

***It is important to add the lemon juice after the the greens are cooked and just before serving. If you cook greens with an acid you turn bright green vegetables into a drab army green color. 

 Be Well,
Krista

The Sweet Spot

Yay!  Spring is almost here!   Anyone else sync with the seasons like myself?  I think we're all ready to come out of winter hibernation asap.  Makes Spring that much sweeter when the Winter has just kind of well ... put you over the edge just a bit? 

I apologize to those of you I haven't seen in awhile ... but I am a homebody come winter.  Period.  My vitamin D levels are great,  but I tend to be happy in my little warming hut we call home.

Ok, back to reality ... so psyched! Some energy and motivation coming back and honestly with no snow days or delayed openings this week,  I actually have time to write!  I just wanted to get back to sharing ideas and maybe some new recipes with all of you who have asked where I went!

I made this recipe last week because my family does enjoy their chocolate mousse.  I don't even know what possessed me to make a dessert, but how could I say no to dark chocolate, ricotta cheese, cinnamon and a little brown sugar? Everyone needs a little sweet treat now and then ...

Chocolate Mousse Cups

Ingredients:
4 oz dark chocolate  (I love dark but you can use milk)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups ricotta cheese

Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over boiling water.  Blend everything in a food processor (my VitAMix was great) until smooth.  Spoon into cups (I used 4 of my grandmother's old ice cream dishes) and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Serve topped with whipped cream and a dusting of grated chocolate ... if you haven't eaten all of it by now!

Recipe courtesy of The Forest Feast by erin gleeson

Here's to warmer weather, longer days, flowers waking up and good times over good food ... my sweet spot!

Krista

Somewhere in Jackson Square, New Orleans 2 weeks ago 

Veggie Slump?

Is the winter putting you into a rut in the kitchen?  The usual not so spectacular anymore?  I love simple meals but the usual green salad I make every night for the kids and my man, is getting boring.  I get my greens in every morning with my smoothie, but I know they definitely need some color on their dinner plates in the winter.

Easy peasy carrots that aren't the usual soft chopped strips?  Try these, I think you'll all like them!

Crispy Carrot Chips

Ingredients:
4 large carrots
3 T. olive oil
1/2 t. coarse salt
1/2 t. curry powder

1.  Use a peeler and make ribbons from 4 large carrots.  Trim the ends.
2.  Combine the olive oil, salt and curry. 
3.  Mix the carrot ribbons with the oil, salt and curry.
4.  Bake at 325 degrees until the edges are crispy.

Enjoy! 

Krista

Close up shot of raw carrot ribbon ... sorry french fries, we like your cousin better tonight!

Magical Turkey Orzo Soup

Happiness is when you walk in the door and it smells like what your grandmother's house smelled like ...

This morning I posted about last night's dinner ... sorry it was a late night!  I had a nice piece of leftover turkey breast that I knew was going into a soup.  Didn't know what else was going in, but it was the basic chicken noodle standard with some added new flavors.

I don't know if it's because we have actually been using the dining room (bc the kitchen is so full of stuff lateley), or the mood everyone was in, but I felt like my day synced up nicely over a simple bowl of soup and warm bread.

If you or anyone in your family has been fighting an illness (as there are many with flu-like symptoms and coughs going around), there's nothing like a good bowl of chicken soup.  It's a nutrient dense easy to digest food and liquid that can help your immune system.  Try to use the best ingredients like organic celery (as it's one of the worst offenders of pesticides), organic free-range chicken or turkey (most chickens from the grocery store are grown at lightning speed to fatten them up and fed corn and antibiotics which of course get into our systems that make it difficult to fight infection on our own).

Not too much work goes into making soup ... the waiting for all the flavors to come together isn't terribly long, but the longer it cooks, the better it tastes. 

Magical Turkey Orzo Soup

Ingredients:
2 (32 ounce) boxes of chicken stock
1 cup of chopped onion (or more to taste)
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of diced carrots
olive oil to coat pot
2 cups or so of cooked turkey (or chicken), chopped into bite sized pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
grated fresh ginger
juice from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
a pinch of Old Bay seasoning
1 cup frozen organic corn
1 tablespoon flavored vinegar (I used an orange champagne variety but red wine is good too)
cooked orzo (cook separately and add to pot when ready to eat)
fresh sprig of rosemary chopped
fresh sprigs of parsley torn up

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a soup pot.  Add onions, carrots, and celery.  Cook until tender.
2. Add chicken stock/broth.  Combine well and heat through.
3. Add turkey
4. Season with the following:  salt, pepper, ginger (I don't measure, I just use a grater and count till at least 20!), lemon juice, thyme, parsley, Old Bay.  Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
5. Add frozen corn.  Cook until tender.
6. Add vinegar along with orzo, fresh rosemary and parsely.  Heat thoroughly and let flavors blend.

That's it!  I generally don't measure so use your judgement in the seasonings.  You can always add spices, you cannot take away!  I absolutely love the vinegar at the end of cooking process.  It gives it a fantastic pop of flavor with less salt needed to finish.

Hope your next dinner is magical!
Enjoy,
Krista

Throwback Thursday with Santa from Pequannock Co 1 Firehouse

So miss these visits!!!

Roasted Lemon Broccoli

"More Broccoli Please!"

Have you ever heard that one?  Not too often here either!

I am not a huge lover of broccoli unless it's stir-fried but I needed to get some other veggie on the table the other night, so I threw some ingredients together, fired up the oven and threw them in.

I'm not kidding when I tell you I OFTEN burn meals.

I forget I have food in the oven because I forget to set a timer.  Distracted multi-tasker.  But this time it worked out.  Although the broccoli wasn't burnt, it was awesome as a crunchy roasted lemony side.

So set the oven to 425 degrees.  Get out a cookie sheet or roasting pan.

Roasted Lemon Broccoli

1 head of broccoli flowerets
1-2 lemons
olive oil
salt
pepper
dusting of Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Chop up the broccoli into bite sized pieces.
2. Juice the lemons into a small bowl.  Add enough olive oil to match the amount of lemon juice (or more olive oil depending on your tastes).   Add a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.
3. Place broccoli on roasting pan.  Pour mixture over it.  Mix well making sure broccoli is coated.
4. Place in oven.  Check at 10 minutes.  Turn.  Check again in 10 minutes.  Let it crisp up and take out.
5. Toss with Parmesan cheese (optional).

I actually served this the other night with the raspberry chicken.  I didn't post last night because I had no recipe to share! I had a turkey breast that I seasoned with salt and pepper, brushed olive oil over it, covered with foil and hoped for the best when I put it in the oven at 425 degrees.  The oven was that hot because I had to throw in a frozen pizza for an early pre-swim snack.  It's hard to have dinner ready at 4:00!  They get on the bus at 4:10 and don't get home till 8:30!  The turkey was great and now I have leftovers for soup today.  All is well!

My other green obsession!  

Enjoy!

Krista

Chicken Chili

Chasing the cold chill away with a hot bowl of chili works for me!

This is not my usual full of veggie style chili.  I just needed to get this done fast and I was curious to see if my kids ate more as I left out the peppers and beans.  All the rest of it stayed the same so I was surprised they didn't cheer when I told them no beans, no peppers.  Maybe they do like those!!

I used a ground chicken for this one ... have never used that before but when I find organic meat that is not the usual chicken breast, whole chicken, or beef, I grab it.  It worked out great, but of course, you can use beef or turkey to make this chili.

Chicken Chili

8 servings (1 1/3 cups each)

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 lb ground chicken
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon chili powder (or more to taste)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
3 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
1 1/4 cups of Merlot or other red wine
2 28 oz cans of whole tomatoes (I blended up one can to smooth it out)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

*Feel free to add more garlic, a jalapeno pepper, kidney beans and 1 cup of chopped green pepper.

Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat.  Add onions.  Cook until tender.  Add ground chicken and cook until browned, stirring to crumble.  
2. Add chili powder and the next 7 ingredients, and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.  Stir in wine, tomatoes, and kidney beans; bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Uncover and cook for 30 minutes or until desired consistency.  Discard the bay leaves.
3. Sprinkle with cheese and add a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Serve with a nice green salad!

If you're in the Northeast this week, you will get wet!  It's either raining or snowing and that can make some people cranky!  Lucky for me, my animals keep me laughing and busy as I'm often referee in the morning between the three of them ;)

Sleeping off his tough day 

Stay warm and happy!

Krista

Raspberry Chicken

Happy Monday night!

Made this last night as one of those repeat meals!  Because it's easy and I had the ingredients ... simple.  I've listed this before but it's worth another post.  The sauce is really nice and I think it would match up nicely with a white fish if you're able to swing that with your family!

Carmelized Onion Chicken

(serves 4)

1 lb of chicken tenders
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1 t. olive oil
1/2 cup sliced onion
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. low sodium soy sauce
1 t. minced ginger  (I use a micro-plane to grate it when frozen)
1/2 t. dried rosemary
fresh rosemary to garnish

Directions:
1.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add onion, and saute for 2 minutes.  Add chicken to the pan, saute 8 minutes or until chicken is done.  Remove onion and chicken from pan.
2.  Add jam and remaining ingredients to pan; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk.  Return chicken to pan; cook 4 minutes stirring occasionally.

Yield:  each serving size is 3 ounces of chicken and 1 T. sauce.  I usually double it and it all goes with just enough for my lunch the next day. Today I put the chicken in a wrap with scooped out sweet potato left over from dinner and topped it off with some cranberry sauce for lunch.  So good!

Have to mention the upcoming holiday frenzy ... I'm so far behind.

No tree, no presents, just started a list today.

Not the happiest feeling when you feel so slow compared to the friends who have already sent their cards, have their tree lit, house done, and even cookies baked!  But I have to say, this weekend I was in Virginia visiting my alma mater with Hannah for a soccer camp.  We somehow managed to time it so that we stumbled upon the town's Christmas parade.  It was exactly what we needed to feel the Christmas spirit.  To hear little voices sing out "Merry Christmas" as they went by on their floats was so sweet.  It was simple.  Happy.  Made my heart melt as I remembered when my kids were that little.  I wish we could turn back the hands of time, but it made me appreciate the holiday for what it is today.

Harrisonburg, Virginia

Stay sane everyone!  Don't let your list of to-do's make you forget about the simple joys!

Krista

Green Season

Easy Greens

People look at green drinks with bewilderment.  They just look strange if you're not used to them.  I love getting in 2 big handfuls of spinach in the morning! Keeps me on track for the rest of the day.  

My usual green drink is easy to make and doesn't taste as it looks.  However, yesterday morning I added two drops of an orange essential oil that made me really happy!  It was like a summer creamsicle in my blender! 

Here you go:

Green Creamsicle

1 cup coconut water
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 banana
5 icecubes
1-2 drops of orange essential oil

Put into blender.
Blend until smooth.
Enjoy!

If you need any vanilla or chocolate protein powder, I have some extra as I over-ordered!  Message me if you're interested.  Also, if you need some essential orange oil, let me know.  It is not an expensive investment to make this drink for yourself in this stressful month.  Keeps you running without caffeine!  Don't get me wrong, my coffee is part of my routine too!

 Protein packed Green Creamsicle

Enjoy,

Krista

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Pasta Night

I know a lot of you already have a recipe for this, so if you want to pass yours along to the rest of us, please do!  I never make this but thought we needed something quick and easy tonight as the Cowboys are playing at 8:25 pm.  That means my dear husband, who unfortunately is a Cowboys fan (lol!), will be bringing out his winter beers and setting up in the family room.  I'd like to be out of the kitchen/family room to escape his loud clapping!!! 

Ok, I digress but since starting this week's recipe blog, I have felt a bit more organized, but the December schedule is really busy on all fronts.  Everyone is being pulled in all directions so at least if we have a meal to eat together, it helps us connect.  Most of the time the humor is sarcastic from the kids, but we have a good laugh and all is well.

Penne with Vodka Sauce

16 ounces uncooked penne pasta
2 tablespoons of butter
1 1/3 cups finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
8 teaspoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 cup reduced fat milk
2/3 cup vodka
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons finely chopped basil

1. Cook pasta according to directions, omitting salt and butter.  Drain.
2. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, cover and cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add tomato sauce, simmer, partially covered, 8 minutes or until thick.  Combine flour and water, stirring with a whisk until smooth.  Add flour mixture to the pan, cook 1 minute.  Add half-and-half, milk, vodka, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil.  Stir in cheese.  Reduce heat to low, cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently.  Add pasta, toss to coat.  Sprinkle with basil.  

Makes 8 servings that are 1 1/3  cups each.

This was really good in my opinion ... not as much butter as some recipes I've seen.  Of course there's half and half, milk and parm cheese!  All I can say is eat a great salad with this to keep your belly happy.  Use the best quality products you can find.  And enjoy it.  Once in awhile you can have a nice vodka sauce!  Especially if you make it!  The best part of my dinner tonight was my daughter helped me.  She cranked her 1D music and we measured, stirred and tasted.  She handled the kitchen while I ran out to get my daughter from practice.  Yay!  Help!

Have a fantastic weekend everyone!
Krista

 Our Giants/Cowboys rivalry last year! 

Chicken and Apples in the Crock

'Tis the season for easy recipes!

Because I picked up a whole chicken yesterday and actually had apple cider in my fridge, this was a no-brainer.  Love my crock pot, especially right now.  The rainy day made it even better.

This recipe calls for 6 boneless chicken breasts so I wasn't sure if the whole chicken thing would work.  But I knew I had to use it otherwise I had to freeze it and it's no fun when you have to defrost.  So I gave it a go, adding some cinnamon and brown sugar to the original recipe.

Chicken and Apples in the Crock

Ingredients:
1 cup apple cider
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 whole chicken or 6 boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3 Granny Smith apples, cored and thickly sliced
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1. In a small bowl, combine apple cider, vinegar, nutmeg, cinnamon and curry powder.
2. In a small microwave safe bowl, combine butter, onions and garlic.  Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until onion is softened.  Place mixture in bottom of slow cooker.
3. Place chicken into slow cooker, basting with the juice to coat all sides of it.  Pour remaining mixture over the chicken and season with salt and pepper.
4. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours until chicken is tender.  
5. Remove about a cup of the liquid from the cooker to a small bowl.  Add the 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar and mix until dissolved.  
6. Add apples along with the brown sugar mixture and cook 40-50 minutes longer or until apples are tender.
7. Mix together 1/3 cup juices from the crock and 1 T cornstarch in a small bowl.  Stir back into the crockpot.  Cover and cook on high, until sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 10-15 minutes.  

**Note on the whole chicken:  if you want to save even more time, use the boneless chicken breasts.  Although the chicken was amazingly tender, you do have to deal with the bones and separating the meat.  I do love having leftovers from the whole chicken to make soup with the next day.

 Found brussel sprouts at the store that were already sliced and ready to throw in a pan with some olive oil, garlic and parmesan cheese.  Was so easy and really good. 

Sometimes just walking in your house and smelling this awesome meal makes everyone happy.  The investment in a few minutes of prep and planning is huge!!!  Not just for the fam ... but for you. Once it's started, it is off that nagging list in your head.

Done!

Back to Christmas shopping!

Happy Eating,
Krista

Taco Salad Tuesday!!!

I know it sounds like I'm way too excited for taco salad as I used three exclamation points in the title. 

If you didn't see my post from yesterday, I'll sum it up for you in a few words:  I don't like to cook. 

Some days I despise cooking, however when it's done and the family is pumped to hear "Raspberry Chicken" night, I cannot surrender to take out.  It makes it worth it!

The other reason I cook is of course because garbage in equals garbage out.  I haven't been making too many salads lately and my daughter came home from school and made her own salad ... that's huge for her!  So I realize they do crave some good stuff after all.

Ok, so I started last night with my famous raspberry chicken.  I will post that another night (although it is up a few times on the blog from other posts).  But tonight I took out an old Cooking Light cookbook and tweaked a recipe that was so easy and reminded me of a burrito bowl at Chipotle.  It's versatile enough for my picky family and can easily use leftover chicken instead of beef.

Taco Salad

Best to assemble ingredients ahead of time and then just throw all together.  Add or delete what ingredients your family might like.  I put some guacamole on the side, didn't have tomatoes, and put the beans in a separate bowl so my kids didn't complain.  Next time I think I'll add some shredded carrots just for some added color or add some sweet bell peppers to the mix.

1 pound of ground sirloin (grass fed if possible)
1 taco seasoning package
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup salsa
8 cups shredded lettuce (I chose organic prewashed romaine)
4 cups of broken tortilla chips
2 cups fresh tomatoes, drained
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
1 (15 oz) can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives

1. Cook beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble.  Stir in taco seasoning and water.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Combine sour cream and salsa in a small bowl.
3. Combine beef mixture, lettuce, tortilla chips, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, and beans in a large bowl.  Drizzle sour cream mixture over the salad and toss gently.  Sprinkle the rest of the cheese and top with olives.  Serve immediately.

Makes about 8 servings that are 2 cups each.

 Tossed Taco Salad ... minus beans and tomatoes!

Oh, and those 3 exclamation points up there in the title?  When I was in college, the dining hall at James Madison University had taco salad on Thursdays.  It was the best day of the week in our opinion!

Hope this inspires some of you to make dinner tomorrow night ... so easy and everyone was happy. Just make up your mind for dinner to be an investment in your family :)

Happy Eating,
Krista

Balsamic Watermelon Feta Salad

Balsamic Watermelon Feta Salad

Easiest salad on earth for a sweet boost of energy!

My family loves watermelon.  This simple summer fruit has so many benefits besides tasting good!

For the athletes in your house, the easy to digest watermelon is the greatest recovery snack after workouts.  Rich in amino acids these chunks of sweetness help with sore muscles and recovery time.  L-citruline is rich in nitric oxide oxide, a gas that widens blood vessels which help in removing lactic acid build up. 

Balsamic Watermelon Feta Salad                    

Ingredients:
fresh watermelon cut into chunks
balsamic glaze (or similar dressing) *
fresh mint finely chopped
crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Combine the watermelon, mint and feta cheese.
Sprinkle a few drops of the balsamic glaze over the top.
Toss gently.
Enjoy!


A huge thank you goes out to the CVS Physicians Assistant who told me about this salad!  We were exchanging foodie ideas and she brought this up.  I went home and threw it together.  Just a nice side to make when you have so much watermelon you don’t know what to do with it! 

*I use the balsamic glaze available at Trader Joe’s.  A few drops are full of flavor!

Enjoy!

Krista

Spinach Strawberry Salad!

Spinach Strawberry Salad

To make this salad in a jar,  put each ingredient into jar in this order:

Ingredients:

Strawberry-Lime Vinaigrette (see below)
Cooked Quinoa
Sliced Strawberries
Unsalted Sunflower Seeds
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Baby Spinach

Dressing:
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp strawberry preserves
1 T freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp mustard
1 T white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Layer the above ingredients into a mason jar using the amount that would fit your needs. 

• Keep chilled until ready to eat.

• Give the jar a shake before emptying onto a plate.

This salad is packed with fiber, protein, phytonutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and flavonoids which protect from free radicals.  These act as anti-oxidants which makes it heart healthy. 

Enjoy!

Krista

Steak with Raspberries, Dates and Blue Cheese

This was a big hit in our family!  An early Father's Day dinner gave me a good opportunity to test it out!  Give it a try this weekend and I'm sure you will be the rockstar of your family!

I suggest finding the best cuts of natural meat you can ... try to find as close to organic, grass-fed beef.  Besides being much healthier for you, the difference in taste is substantial.  Totally worth the money.

Enjoy!

Steak with Raspberries, Dates, and Blue Cheese

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 cup red raspberries
3 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
8 dried dates, chopped
2 ounces ham, chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
freshly ground black pepper
8 boneless beef tenderloin or rib-eye steaks (about 2 1/2 pounds total)
Salt
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Preheat your grill on high or preheat your broiler.  Lightly oil the rack or pan.
2. Combine raspberries, sugar, and vinegar in a small saucepan.  Simmer for 10 minutes or until reduced by half.  Set aside.
3. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until soft.  Add the dates, ham, rosemary, garam masala, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until the dates are very soft.  Set aside and keep warm.
4. Generously season the steaks with salt and pepper.
5. Grill or broil the steaks for about 12 minutes, turning once or until a thermometer reaches 145 degrees if you would like your steak medium rare.
6. Place each steak on a plate.  Top with equal amounts of cheese and cover with some of the date mixture.  Drizzle a few tablespoons of the raspberry sauce over everything.  Serve remaining fig mixture as a side.

Happy Father's Day to all of you amazing dads!  Have a fantastic day!

My Daddy and Me!

 

Cookie Dough Part II

So, this is what's trending in my house these days ... no bake cookie dough.

I know, not what you expect from a serious veggie fan but everyone needs their dose of the sweet stuff, especially good when you make it yourself and you know what's in it!  Even better when you feel like the sweet tooth is satisfied but you haven't over-indulged!

I have a rough time with those gourmet jelly beans this time of year!  It seriously brings me back to my days as a sugar junkie ... but this time I enjoyed just a few and put them away.  And I haven't gone back.  They're in my line of vision ... and I am ok with that :)  Bring on the Peeps!  I could care less about them but my family ... they would inhale them if I kept them around! 

Ok, so this recipe is super easy and will keep you happy without too much in the empty calorie department.  I swear no one in my house even thought there were garbanzo beans in these!

No-Bake Chickpea Cookie Dough

prep time:  10 mins
servings:  20

Ingredients:
 1 cup of canned garbanzo beans/chick peas
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
Blend chickpeas, peanut butter, agave nectar and vanilla in a blender.  Empty into a bowl and fold in chocolate chips.  Roll into desired size.  Keep covered in refrigerator or freezer to keep fresh.

note:  if you are using natural peanut butter ... you may want to thin the dough with about a tablespoon of warm water.  It will be much drier than if you use a conventional peanut butter with added oil.  If you use a peanut butter such as Skippy Natural it will be easier to combine.

*recipe from allrecipes.com


Enjoy!
Krista

Nutrition Facts
Servings 20.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 88
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 5 g	7 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	8 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 g	0 %
Sodium 29 mg	1 %
Potassium 24 mg	1 %
Total Carbohydrate 9 g	3 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	4 %
Sugars 6 g
Protein 3 g	5 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	0 %
Calcium	0 %
Iron	7 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Old Grain for the New Season

 Seasonal Salad 

This is a grain most people know nothing about ... farro!  I love it because of it's health benefits (see bottom*), but also because it holds flavor well and there are so many things you can do with it.  I happened to have broccoli and pineapple in the fridge and love that combo but needed to dress it up with some flavor so I added lots of ginger, soy and sesame oil - the crushed pepper is just enough to kick it up and throw in some beans or even some almonds, pumpkin seeds and you have a well balanced carb/protein salad.  Great for athletes and moms of athletes!!

Have fun!  Let me hear back if you make some different combinations that work for you!

 

Pineapple Broccoli Farro Salad

• 0.5 cup, uncooked farro
• 1.0 cup, Vegetable Broth
• 1.0 cup, Pineapple - Raw, all varieties
• 1.0 cup, Broccoli - Raw
• 0.5 cup, Garbanzo Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
• 1.0 tbsp, fresh grated ginger 
• 2.0 Tbsp, Tamari Premium Soy Sauce - Reduced Sodium
• 1.0 tbsp, Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1.0 tbsp, Organic Raw Blue Agave Sweetener
• 0.25 tsp, Crushed Red Peppers

Directions:

1. Combine 1/2 cup farro and 1 cup of vegetable broth in a sauce pan with a lid.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes.  Fluff with fork.
3. Combine ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, agave and crushed red pepper flakes in a small bowl.
4. Add broccoli, garbanzo beans and pineapple to cooked farro.
5. Mix dressing over the mixture.  Combine well.

 

*Health Notes on Farro:

Fiber Fix
A cup of faro has about 8 grams of cholesterol-lowering fiber. That's four times as much as white rice; brown rice weighs in at around 5 grams.
Chill Pill
Whole grains like farro are full of minerals, including magnesium, which may relieve tension and menstrual cramps.
Smart Carb
Farro's complex carbs break down slowly, keeping your energy level stable. The grain also has cyanogenic glucosides, a type of carb that may boost the immune system.


Have a fun filled, beautiful weekend!
Krista

 

Nutrition Facts
Servings 6.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 116
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 1 g	1 %
Saturated Fat 0 g	0 %
Monounsaturated Fat 0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 g	0 %
Sodium 418 mg	17 %
Potassium 118 mg	3 %
Total Carbohydrate 28 g	9 %
Dietary Fiber 4 g	16 %
Sugars 6 g
Protein 5 g	9 %
Vitamin A	0 %
Vitamin C	62 %
Calcium	0 %
Iron	20 %

* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

No Bake Cookie Dough Bites

Cookie Dough!!!

Oh yeah!  There is a guilty pleasure even writing the words ... it's hard to find anyone who doesn't know the joy of a spoon and a bowl.  Magical.

Of course if I did that now, my stomach would revolt and I'd pay for it later.  I love these easy recipes that give you a bit of the cookie dough treat along with some good ingredients (cashews and oats in this recipe)  to hold you steady instead of flying high on sugar and then crashing!  I get my fix and without the guilt and don't worry about the after thoughts of, "OMG that means I have to do a million miles on the treadmill!"

Yes, for the gluten free crowd, this is very doable!  Of course you can experiment with different grains, nut butters, fruit, chocolate bits ...

Wrap these up and put in your freezer for a quick fix or a pre-workout/post-workout snack for you or your young athletes!  Maybe even throw them in their lunches and they will become the rock stars of their lunch tables!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites

1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chocolate chips

• Combine cashews, oats, salt and cinnamon in a blender or food processor.  Pulse until a fine powder forms but be careful not to overprocess to cashew butter.
• Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract to the mixture.  Pulse again until it forms a ball of dough.
• Remove from blender/processor.  Use a butter knife to remove all of the dough.  Place into a small bowl and add the chocolate chips.  Mix chips gently to distribute.
• Use 2 spoons to portion into whatever size dough balls you would like.  Place into a container to store in the freezer or fridge or take with you on the go. 

Have fun with your own creations!  I'd love to hear your combinations!
Krista

Frozen Coffee Protein Shake

It's that time of the day when you are hoping for a nap or someone bringing you a cuppa joe.  I love my freshly ground coffee in the morning and if the sun isn't shining at about pick up time from school, I feel really sloth-like.  However, the coffee belly is not for me in the afternoon so I came up with this super quick smoothie/snack/booster.  I love it and don't get the upset stomach and of course just 4 ounces of coffee thrown in along with some raw cacao powder, raw hemp powder and a scoop of chocolate protein powder ... you are set and ready to get those kids to their practices!

FYI ... people always ask me where they can buy the raw cacao powder and raw hemp powder.  I bought mine at the local health food store, however I now see them at grocery stores and of course you can always find it online.

Frozen Coffee Protein Shake

8 oz. unsweetened almond milk
4 oz. brewed coffee
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder
1 teaspoon raw hemp powder
handful of ice cubes

Blend away!

note:  you can add peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, etc if you wish.  I try to keep it as simple as possible as I don't need any extra sugar at this time of the day!  Also, contact me if you're in need of a great protein powder.  I am a distributor of Juice Plus Complete.  It comes in both french vanilla and dutch chocolate.

Antigua ...

Got a great big dose of vitamin D and happiness last week!

Antigua flowers

 At breakfast one day last week, I found my way to the smoothie bar!  Just checking to see what they had ... melons of all kinds, bananas, coconut, raw oats, local honey, peanut butter, yogurt, milk, soy milk, skim milk.  I of course had to share my love of greens to them.  I thought they rolled their eyes when I left, but lo and behold, I went back the next day and they had it for me!  Granted it was frozen spinach as I didn't see a single fresh spinach leaf there all week, but they asked me how to make one.  So cool!  Hopefully they are spreading the green happiness to new guests this week!

ps ... I found another favorite green drink there ... frozen mojitos!  Serious mint muddling going on in these drinks!

Be Well!

Have Fun!
Krista

Pulled Chicken

For the busy mommaletes out there ... 

Here you go ... yes another slow cooker!  But it's still cold here and for some reason that makes me stay with the warm meals that cook themselves.  Sorry, that's how I roll these days.  Easy makes me happy!

Spent the weekend with my family in Virginia because that's where my daughter's tournament was ... the nicest kind of tournament is when you get to be in someone's home ... and thank you Ellen and Chris ... you are so destined to host us again next year!  So thankful!

For the picky eaters in your house ...

 

Shredded Chicken

2 pounds of chicken breasts
1/2 onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon
1 cup chicken broth

This pulled chicken can be made ahead for a few days of meals ... read through to the bottom of the page.  Use boneless breasts or on the bone.  Feel free to make more than 2 pounds!  You can start them from the freezer ... no defrosting necessary.  Yay!

Directions:

1. Slice 1/2 onion and put into microwave safe bowl with about 1/2 cup water.
2. Microwave for 30 seconds to release flavors.
3. Add onion to slow cooker along with the water.
4. Add 1 cup of chicken broth to onions and stir.
5. Lay the chicken breasts over the onion mixture.  
6. Salt and pepper to taste.  Turn over and season again.
7. Squeeze lemon juice over chicken.
8. Turn on low for 6-8 hours or high for the same time if you started with frozen chicken.
9. Remove lid and shred chicken using two forks.

Options:
You can use pulled chicken in many ways.  If you'd like to try bbq pulled sandwiches, here is a simple sauce you can combine and cook about 30 minutes before serving on the stove and add to the slow cooker.  Use the amount you feel is best.  I like to "under-do" rather than "over-do" as you can always add more sauce.

BBQ Sauce:
12 oz bbq sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup basalmic dressing
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Other Uses for Shredded Chicken:

There are so many uses but here is a quick go to list:

• quesadillas
• soups
• tacos
• pasta salads
• stir fry
• sandwiches
• paninis 

Are your athletes getting enough protein?  If they seem to be carb loaders and you'd like to add some protein, have a plate of chicken at the ready in your fridge ... you'll be surprised how it comes in handy.  

My favorite kind of planning is to make more than we need and just reinvent it the next night.  Got my extra chicken ready for tomorrow ... so easy!

Back to the field we go ...

 Enjoy your brighter days!  3 more days to Spring!

In Wellness,
Krista
 

Tenderloin in the Crock

This is so good.  So, so good, your family will be psyched the minute the smell the awesome aroma when they walk in the door.

I'm not a big meat and potatoes kind a girl, but my family is, and I have to say, I think it's one of those comfort foods we love on a Monday night.  So instead of meatless Monday, I do comfort food Monday and leave the meat out on at least 1 other day each week.

I'm also not a pork eating girl but my family loves pork chops (if I can find humanely raised organic pork), so when we were out at Fairway last week right after Hannah got her braces off,  I spotted an organic pork loin, and grabbed it as they do get tired of the same chicken and turkey and occasional beef every week.  So here is a recipe I found and you really have to try it.  You can use any kind of meat I believe, but here it is with pork.

Balsamic Pork Tenderloin 

Serves 6-8

total time:  4 hours 5 mins

• 1 2-3 pound boneless pork tenderloin
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup basalmic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
• 1  tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions:

1.  Place the pork tenderloin in the slow cooker.  Mix together all the remaining ingredients.  Pour over the pork and set the timer.  4 hours on high or 6-8 on low.
2.  After the pork has cooked, remove from slow cooker and pull apart.
3.  Serve sauce over each serving.

Done.  Sorry no pictures as we ate it up really fast as it was time to get to the next practice.  Suggestion:  serve over mashed potatoes (I actually got a "this is really good mom" comment from both kids and rave reviews from Bry).


Check out my new bracelets ...

Love this!  You can check out her shop:


https://www.etsy.com/shop/farmgirlpaints

You get to design your own creations with choices of straps, plates, and of course what words you'd like to look at on your wrist.  She's only open a few days at a time during certain months so check it out as she's open next week for four days!

Have fun!

Krista