Lite Ham and Cheese Skillet

Oh my today was comfort food day!!! I have a weakness and it's pasta! I try to avoid pasta as much as I can although it is my achilles heel, I have a difficult time losing weight when I eat too many breads and pastas...like a lot of people. But tonight screamed comfort food! It's cold and wet and winter is creeping it's frosty head around the corner. 

I wanted to take an old recipe that I had that definetly added to the waist line and simply Lighten it up! Well I can honestly say I like...rephrase...LOVE the new version better than my heavy, fattening first version. 

I used almond milk with a can of evaporated milk in place of half a stick of butter and cow's milk. I have to say the almond milk gave it such a pleasent nutty flavor that even my picky husband was raving about it. He asked me three times tonight if he had thanked me for dinner...either he is losing his memory and I should worry....or he really liked it. 

You can make this vegetarian by leaving the ham cubes out, which also would lighten it up even more...I added them...and I liked it! The next best thing is this is soooo easy to make! It took me 25 minutes start to finish. And it can be a one dish dinner!

One of my littles has reversed her taste for broccoli...once she loved the stuff...now she turns up her nose when she smells it steaming. So what have I been serving lately...broccoli. If you have bought and read my ebook you know that I mention that kids sometimes take 20+ times to realize they like a healthy food- and even sometimes they may change their mind. The important thing is is that you keep trying, keep serving it and don't give up, so this is the reason I added broccoli, you could add any veggie you would like and I'm sure it would be delightful. I used 100% whole grain rotini. This is something you need to watch out for- make sure your pasta boxes say 100% whole grain...even though it says wheat pasta the majority of the time it will say 51% whole wheat or whole grain...tricky. 

If you are ready for comfort food, that I would consider not completely 100% healthy, but still a much lighter healthier version...then you are in for a treat with this recipe~

Lite Ham and Cheese Skillet

1 Box Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Rotini

1 c cubed ham

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1 cup Almond milk

1 can evaporated milk

2 cups of chopped broccoli crowns

In large pot cook pasta to al dente. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pot heat almond milk, evaporated milk, ham, and broccoli over med heat. Stir often to avoid burning the milk. When pasta is al dente drain and place into a skillet. Pour milk mixture over the pasta and continue to heat over med-low until sauce begins to thicken, add cheese and stir into pasta. Cook for another five minutes or until the sauce is very thick and creamy! Serve with a nice salad! Enjoy!

Summer Vegetable Quinoa Salad

I am so addicted to Quinoa lately, it is so easy and so nutritious. I have gotten serious lately about my baby pounds shedding...my progress was a little slower than I had wanted, I probably wasn't eating as well as I should though. So this week I have really gotten it in gear and have really been feeling wonderful. It's amazing how much revolves around what we put into our bodies. I was having intense tension headaches, they have left already and it's only been two days. I feel that my mood is better, which my little people enjoy, bear mom is not appealing. I also feel I have more energy which is priceless for me right now with my sweet little guy graciously waking me up in the middle of the night...and trust me this kid likes to play at night...it takes a good hour to an hour and a half to get that pumpkin snoozing again. 

Anyways on to the food. I saw this recipe here and it sounded delightful to me. Well the finished product did not disappoint and do you know the coolest thing ever...my kids devoured it! Seriously I watched my two year old son for the first time ever just stuff a piece of zucchini in his mouth without even blinking...and it stayed in his mouth! No spitting it back out...the only problem with this is I didn't make enough! Seriously even my husband said "Go ahead and make this again it's really good"

I hate the texture of peppers but even I ate every bite including the peppers. This is full of delicious bright vegetables and full of flavor. I hope you whip this up as the meal or as the side. your family will love it!

Summer Vegetable Quinoa Salad

1 cup Quinoa

1 zucchini

1/2 c shredded carrot (I used a full size carrot and grated it myself so it was very fine)

1 yellow pepper

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T olive oil

dash of red pepper flakes

half a lime

Cook quinoa in 2 cups of water. Meanwhile heat oil in skillet, add peppers, onions, carrot, and garlic. Cook over med-low heat until tender, add zucchini, almonds and red pepper flakes. Continue to cook until zucchini is tender. When Quinoa is cooked add quinoa to skillet to combine flavors. Right before you serve it squeeze lime juice over the top to give the flavors some kick! Enjoy!

Ham Fried Quinoa

I don't know about all of you, but I am all about fast meals that area good for you. Since our little babe joined our family I'm finding less and less free time to really sit and prepare this wonderful masterpiece that includes all the food groups in perfect quantities and delicious flavors...that is not reality.

So quick weeknight meals that have a lot of nutrition are what I'm about at this point in my life. Maybe I'll be able to do that well thought out process again in a few years, but as of right now a full of energy four year old, a mischevious two year old, and a needy newborn claim my time and hands.

I saw a recipe for chicken fried quinoa here and I decided to make my own spin on things to fit my tastes and what my family likes.

I love broccoli. I usually like to use the peas also in asian style meals, however I made this for my mom also who is deathly allergic to peas... random I know...anyways I loved how the use of broccoli as the main veggie turned out. I also used the cubed ham for speed and ease at this point, you can use any meat really or go totally meatless it's really what you like. I am obsessed with quinoa and it's many uses and nutrition that it brings. I'd take this ham fried quinoa over ham fried rice any day!!! Enjoy

P.S. I fed the baby while the rest of the family ate this, it was totally gone before I could get a picture of the final result....what does that tell you :)

Ham Fried Quinoa

1 cup uncooked Quinoa

1 cup broccoli slaw

1 bunch chopped broccoli

1/2 bag cubed ham

3 T low sodium soy sauce- divided

1 cup water

Add quinoa to pot with two cups of water. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes until most liquid is gone and quinoa is tender. Meanwhile, add water, broccoli and broccoli slaw to large skillet. Cover and let simmer and steam over med-low heat for 5-7 minutes. Add cubed ham and 1 1/2 T soy sauce. Cover and continue to simmer and steam. When quinoa is done add quinoa to the skillet with remaining soy sauce. Uncover and heat together in the skillet for another 5 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed and vegetables are tender. Serve hot! Enjoy

Other add ins

an egg scrambled

chicken

peas

carrots

onion

green onion

peppers

Welcome Back Green Smoothie

Hello All

I hope you forgive me for my looooong absence. We welcomed our third baby just a few weeks ago. I had a tough pregnancy so I decided I needed to cut something back so I could function and take care of my other two little people so I took a break from the blog!

But- our third little is here! He is an angel and I am excited to be back to inventing some fun healthy food. 

I have had some thoughts as I've been continuing to do research on what I believe is the healthiest way to eat. I have thought about this a lot in these last few weeks especially as I've been concocting my plan of attack on how to drop the baby poundage. 

I continue to believe that an 80%-90% plant based diet is the healthiest. These are nature's foods for our bodies. They are chuck full of so many nutrients and low calories so we can eat our fill without counting calories (which is totally exhausting in my opinion!) I, however, believe that having small amounts of animal products is not going to kill us. I feel fine giving my little people eggs, yogurt, and lean meats. We continue to cut out red meat it tastes disgusting to me at this point unless it's a good old home cooked hamburger at a fourth of July barbecue...am I right people, there isn't much better :). 

We don't eat a lot of pork either. We stick to lean poultry. 

However I feel most protein should come from plant products and grains for example:

Black Beans

Quinoa

Broccoli

Nuts and Legumes

So many people worry about the fat content in nuts, just remember that you are putting healthy fats into your body. Instead of worrying about fat count...worry about types of fat! Now do I suggest grabbing a spoon and eating half a jar of peanut butter, no. However a handful of almonds or a spoon of peanut butter is a great way to get some protein and healthy fats into your system. 

So my plan of attack for weight loss (I invite anyone to join in this plan with me and we can all give each other suggestions and help each other...support is key)

I begin my day with a huge Green Smoothie! (I am nursing so I do need more calories so I also might add some peanut butter or oatmeal with my smoothie)

For lunch I stick to plants, a large salad with beans and nuts on top and low fat/low cal dressing

Then for dinner I have been preparing the lean meats with fruits and veggies for the whole family to eat. 

So far I've been losing healthy weight loss and I'm on my third week post baby, I've been dropping about 2-2.5 pounds a week (well not counting the huge amount of water weight) and I have to report I truly feel that this style of eating is helping me function when I am seriously sleep deprived and have two wild munchkins to entertain all day on top of baby! 

So anyways I wanted to post a yummy green smoothie recipe that is chuck full of goodness, but low fat! This green smoothie by the way is not green...it doesn't have to be green to be considered a green smoothie, most of mine turn a disgusting brown color!

Energy Lovin' Green Smoothie

3 HUGE handfuls of spinach, kale or collard greens (or all of them)

1 cup frozen berries

1 1/2 Banana

1/2 apple, chopped

Water 

Add spinach to blender. Add water to help blend spinach. Blend until pureed, about 90 seconds. Add banana, then berries, then chopped apple. Blend until completely incorporated and smooth. About another 90 seconds. Serve chilled! This has incredible amounts of fiber and nutrients to help you get through your morning! I pour mine in a bottle and carry it with  me, for my nearly hands off breakfast! Good with kids!

Enjoy

What are your favorite healthy breakfast recipes? What is your plan of attack for getting your ideal body weight?

Hearty Fall Crock Pot Vegetable Soup

Crisp fall air just screams for soup that warms your whole body. It is beautiful during this season, the leaves all up and down my street are so colorful...the only problem is...the bugs are trying to come inside for the winter! Seriously they are everywhere!

 

But one thing I look forward to is soup, soup and more soup...maybe a few bread bowls thrown in there. In the past most of my soups contained a lot of cream and cheese. If I'm going for creamy soup I try to stick to a cashew cream sauce base instead of cream cheese!

Soup is so diverse also since you can use almost anything you have on hand and usually turn up with a great tasting creation! That's what happened with this hearty vegetable soup. It was delicious and I used vegetables I just had in my fridge. It was so simple and may entire family devoured it. I made some homemade garlic biscuits to go with it and it was a very filling meal. I made this soup in the crock pot but you could easily do this on the stove top if you wanted to! Enjoy--this is sure to warm you up and make your stomach's very happy!

 

Fall Vegetable Soup

 

3 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 onion chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 large carrots chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 head cauliflower

1 c fresh or frozen peas

1 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

2 c vegetable or chicken broth (low sodium)

2 c water

1 T Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

 

Heat small amount of olive oil  to a skillet add chopped onion. Saute for about 7 minutes over med-high heat, add garlic. Saute together another 2 min. Reduce heat to medium and add all remaining vegetables. Cook for about 5-10 minutes until the potatoes begin to get somewhat soft and onions are translucent (this sauteing is what really pops the flavor). Meanwhile add tomatoes, broth and water to a crock pot. Add seasonings to skillet over the vegetables. Add vegetables to the crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4 hours! You can mash the potatoes against the side of the crock pot once cooked to thicken it up! Enjoy

 

 

 

 

Remember our Ebook has recently been put out, don't miss out on your chance to win a Professional Grade Ninja Blender, all you need to do is buy our Ebook for $3.99 and you're in the running! Here is the link to the prizes

 

Spaghetti Squash Vegan Alfredo

I've been thinking lately about how many people I've come in contact with that are choosing gluten free for health or because they have an allergy. My mom has Celiac disease so I'm very familiar with gluten free living, and now my sister has put my nephew on a gluten free diet. My cute little nephew is lactose intolerant as well and still having some tummy issues so the doctor suggested gluten free. 

Tonight's dinner was made with my cute nephew in mind. Dairy free and gluten free! I wasn't sure how my kids would like tonight's dinner...I kept waiting to see if they could tell that these noodles weren't quite the same. Well the end result....I think they could tell but that didn't stop them. To my surprise my son ate better than my daughter and the last few weeks it's been like pulling teeth to get him to actually eat what I put in front of him and not play with it!

This is a thick alfredo sauce...it isn't conventional alfredo sauce, but it still tasted rich and creamy even though it was vegan. I typically try and stick with a very natural whole food diet, but every once in awhile I'll add some of these mixes. We used Tofutti products, they are dairy free, but still processed so not so whole foods I'd say. But they have much less fat than regular cream cheese...pick your battles!

I want to include a step by step guide for preparing the "spaghetti" of the squash if you're unfamiliar with it...it is so simple!

1. Poke holes in the squash with large fork or knife

2. Bake in the oven for 1 hour at 375 degrees

3. Cut the squash in half lengthwise

4. take out seeds with a fork

5. With the fork shred the sides of the squash until all the noodley squash is out! 

And your done!

It is one of the easiest squash to cut and prepare in my opinion, it just takes some time to bake!

Well how about that sauce recipe then huh?

3-4 T vegan cream cheese

1-2 T vegan sour cream

1/2 c soy milk or dairy free milk

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

dash of red pepper flakes

pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan. Heat over medium until everything has melted down. Stir over med-low for 5 minutes! Enjoy

Pretty easy right? Talk about a great way to get some veggies into your family all the while having an allergen free meal! It's a great day!

One Dish Bulgar Skillet

I love one dish meals! They are simple and call for an easy clean up! I also adore skillets...the way that they mesh all the delicious flavors together...it makes me sneak leftover bites for days to come! 

I decided to try something new. Bulgar. Has anyone tried it before? It is a whole grain--a groat really from wheat specimens (I sound scientific huh) Anyways it's delicious. I had planned to make hot cereal with it, but our weekends have been crazy and I leave for work before anyone else is awake during the week. So I decided to make a skillet full of veggies and boca crumbles! Bulgar has a nice nutty flavor and it was a great addition to our pilaf skillet.

This really is up to you what veggies you want to add. I used:

1 onion

1 bunch of broccoli

1 garlic clove

1/2 yellow pepper

1 grated carrot

a large handful of chopped kale

I thought my choices of veggies really meshed nice together...

some other suggestions I thought of

broccoli slaw

olives

mushrooms

sun dried tomatoes

After you have all the veggies chopped add the onions with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to a large skillet. Heat them until tender then add the garlic. When it is fragrant add remaining vegetables and heat for about 5 minutes. The amount of Bulgar I used was plenty... 1 1/2 cups. After the veggies are heated add Bulgar. Add 2 1/4 cups of vegetable stock and 1 tablespoon cumin and half a bag of Boca crumbles. Now you simply cover and simmer over med-low until all the liquid is absorbed. 

When it was all said and done I added 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of parsley and some low sodium soy sauce. Serve hot and it is yummy!

Honestly I was hoping for more of a reaction from my kids. I loved every bite, they liked it but you could tell it wasn't their favorite! It is a delicious meal. If you aren't looking for vegetarian/vegan I bet chicken, turkey or shrimp would be great to add into it!

Ingredients written out a little easier for you :)

1 onion chopped

1 clove garlic minced

1 grated carrot

1/2 yellow onion

1 c chopped kale leaves

1 head of broccoli chopped

1 1/2 c Bulgar

2 1/4 c vegetable stock

1 T cumin

1 T parsley

2 T lemon juice

1 T coconut oil

1/2 T low sodium soy sauce

1/2 bag Boca Meatless crumbles

Deep Dish Vegetarian Pizza

My goodness today has been great! Unfortunately sometimes our Sundays are on the go and busy busy, whatever happened to the day of rest in this house I'll never know. Due to Derek's school schedule he often has to work Sunday nights so rarely gets to eat Sunday dinner with us, but today was a different schedule and we finally sat down to a delicious family dinner!

I had been wanting to make some homemade pizza for awhile now. I originally was intending to make this pizza vegan, but I caved guys, I did. I used a little bit of fresh mozzarella cheese...and it was tasty!

We added the Boca crumbles and it turned into almost a hamburger type pizza without the ground beef! If you don't believe me that this tasted like ground beef, I don't know what else I can say...I am amazed at how much the Boca crumbles resemble ground beef, in texture and taste...I don't know it's been a long time since I've had it, but these are great!

I wanted to add some greens to the pizza so I added a good helping of spinach and it was perfect! This pizza is now gone, yes my kids ate about three pieces and maybe Derek and I had a few more...don't judge!

My little boy is still being funny when he eats, the fork has become the greatest toy he has. He just sits there and stabs food and scoots it all over his plate...it's cute but getting really old. Sometimes I really start to worry about his calorie, fat and protein intake...but he still is my chunk so each day I'm going to just keep trying!

You will love this pizza, it doesn't have to be deep dish- I just felt like making it that way! Adding  a delicious green salad turns this into a rockin' Sunday dinner!

Deep Dish Vegetarian Pizza

Crust

1 3/4 c whole wheat flour

1/4 c wheat germ

1 packet instant yeast

1 tsp salt

1/2 T raw sugar

1 T honey

1 c warm water

Combine water, yeast and sugar to a small bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. Combine salt, wheat germ and flour to a large bowl and mix in yeast mixture. When it is wet add honey and mix it in well. Mold to form a sort of ball in the bowl. Cover and set it in a warm place for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Flatten dough into a greased deep baking dish and poke holes with a fork all over it. Pre bake for 10 minutes remove from oven. 

Toppings

1/2 bag Boca crumbles

5 chopped mushrooms

1 minced onion

1 T Italian seasoning

1/2 can tomato sauce

1 large handful of spinach

Mozzarella cheese as desired

 In a skilled add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add onion, mushrooms, and boca crumbles. Heat until crumbles are browned and onions are somewhat translucent.Pour tomato sauce over the pre-baked crust and add Italian seasonings, spread evenly over crust. Add mozzarella cheese, then Boca and vegetables. Bake in the oven for 18-20 minutes until cheese has melted and crust is baked through. 

I forgot to grease my pan so ours turned into more of a pizza casserole since it kind of stuck, but it still tasted delicious.

Again this doesn't need to be a deep dish pizza, it's just what we were craving! 

Trying New Things, And Delicious Collard Greens

Do you know about the kid face? The face that is a mix between fear and disgust? When your child looks up at you and is mentally saying 

 "You can't be serious! You really want me to eat that?"

That is the face my daughter gave me last night when I placed a side of collard greens on her plate!

We have never had collard greens before! Last night we hadn't had basically anything that I served before. 

Last night was a night of trying new things. I decided I wanted to try collard greens. If I'm going to eat plant based I better branch out and eat more than spinach and romaine lettuce or my meals may get a little bit boring. I tried the greens raw in a salad before, and well they were very bitter. So I decided to saute them with some flavor.

We also tried Quinoa pasta for the first time! I loved it, it didn't taste any different to me, but it is a little bit lower in carbohydrates so that was a fantastic find it is also gluten free! The box also gave some awesome sounding recipes that I can't wait to try out!

We also tried Boca ground crumbles in our sauce in place of ground beef. Boca is soy based, but didn't taste like soy. Really I find it is a great ground beef replacement. I think the lentil meatballs are healthier since I'm sure the Boca crumbles have sodium in them, but if the lentils don't do it for you, this is another alternative!

Back to my daughter story about the greens. Well she kept saying her lettuce was wet, that was funny. My son didn't even give them a chance unfortunately, and try reasoning with and 18 month old. It's not the easiest thing. But, my daughter was required to try at least one bite. It was an enjoyable moment. 

I watched the face. It was a face for about 5 minutes trying to figure out if she liked it or not. Then she distracted herself as most 3 year old's do, and she swallowed it.  I asked her if she liked it and she said she did, so success in my mind!

I think these make a beautiful side dish. It is a nice way to add some extra greens into your diet. It uses some oil, maybe you like them raw which is probably better, but I used very little oil and liked the end result.  It is bright and colorful and for the holidays I keep thinking Thanksgiving! Awesome!

Collard Greens

1 Bunch of collard greens

2 tsp coconut oil

1/2 c sun dried tomatoes

1/2 onion

1 garlic clove shredded

1/4 c sunflower nuts

Heat oil in large skillet. Add collard greens with onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Heat for 15 minutes, mixing occasionally to make sure the greens are wilting and coated. Add sunflower nuts. Mix and heat another 5 minutes until the greens are very wilted and onions are cooked and browned. Enjoy! You can top these with your favorite dressing if you'd like or vinegar. I thought they were great without it. 

Add any nut in place of sunflower nuts. I think pine nuts, or almond slivers would be great.

Skinny Enchiladas- trial 2

These magnificent enchiladas were initially intended to be part of the crock pot challenge. Well it ended up very mushy and a weird texture....so I ended up just baking them.

These are full of nutrients...seriously guys so good! I loved every bite and even told my husband "These are perfect for neighbor food! You know after a baby comes or something I'm taking these!" Everyone loved them...well my son is still being funny with food...he threw a lot of it, but my three year old gobbled them up like she had never eaten before!

Derek suggested that I call them What?! No Meat Enchiladas...catchy but I don't know I just didn't. These are ideal for the fall season that will be here in no time, they were colorful and delicious and I will be making these again shortly I'm sure! You can have a gluten free option by just using corn tortillas.

I added maybe a half a tablespoon of shredded cheese, I don't know why- I just did. It added nothing to this dish I couldn't even taste it, so next time I'll leave the unnecessary saturated fat out! I also found this adorable little bag of butternut squash pre-cut into perfect little squares so I didn't have to cut and peel a squash. If you guys want a delicious healthy, fall  meal to impress your family's without adding to the hips...ladies am I right? Then these are for you!

Skinny Enchiladas

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans or chili beans

1 c cubed butternut squash

1 handful of spinach finely chopped

1 can green chili enchilada sauce

1 T nutritional yeast

1 c cooked brown rice

10 whole wheat tortillas (or corn)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and rinse beans. In a small bowl combine beans, squash, spinach, rice and a tablespoon of enchilada sauce. Coat well. In a baking dish fill tortillas with bean mixture and roll the tortillas over the mixture. 

top with remaining enchilada sauce, nutritional yeast and a small amount of cheese if you'd like. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Serve with salad and corn!!! You can thank me later!!!!

This is all that was left after we devoured them!

Failure and Winner!!!!

Let's get honest shall we? I don't always have delicious dinners to serve my family. There are times when I have to bust out the old PB&J. When I started this crock pot challenge I had envisioned lovely dinners and desserts every day. Well sometimes life happens so I don't get to make dinner that night or we have a lot of left overs to eat or maybe I just have a disaster of a meal that I am so sad I can't eat. Last night was no exception

I attempted to make the Honey, Orange Broccoli and Tofu. I thought it would be great since I have been loving using silken tofu in my desserts, so I thought I 'd have no problem with firm tofu. Remember how I always talk about we need to allow our kids time to adjust their tastes...well apparently eating tofu like chicken is a taste I need to adjust. I just didn't like how everything turned out....the broccoli was too cooked, the tofu was bland and tasted like just a piece of soy (which I guess it is) and the sauce was not sauce it looked like water. So, not a good dinner and yes I pulled out the peanut butter!

On a brighter note, today for lunch we had a great creation, tasty hummus!. It wasn't from the crock pot, but it was so tasty and really good for you. It comes straight from my Eat to Live book. I was laughing the other day about how after my daughter was born and I first did the Eat to Live Challenge to lose weight I looked at the recipes and thought they sounded gross, and I didn't know what half the ingredients were....I didn't know ANYTHING ABOUT FOOD! Now I read it again and everything sounds so delicious to me...funny how things change. 

Dr. Fuhrman's Tasty Hummus Spread

1 1/4 C chick peas (garbanzo beans)

1 heaping T sunflower seed butter (tahini)

2 garlic cloves

2 T lemon juice

1/3 c bean liquid or water

cumin to taste

Add all ingredients to blender and blend until completely smooth. If you want it thick add more beans or sunflower seed butter. Use on sandwiches or wraps!

I made myself I salad wrap on corn tortillas filled with tons of lettuce, it was so awesome! What an easy lunch!

I sandwiched them together and made it like a tostada!

Crock Pot Light Alfredo Sauce

Why do you suppose that creamy, thick sauce smothering pasta is so comforting? If you are like me I adore pasta sauces - the creamier the better. Cream does not sit well with healthy diet. Dairy can be harmful to our bodies and cream is full of fat!

My previously favorite dish was Olive Garden's Chicken Alfredo- a classic. My brother-in-law works at Olive Garden while he is going to school and he spilled the beans on how many calories this dish held! 1700 calories!!!!!! I always ate it all!!! I never ate it again even before I began eating better...that number was constantly flashing into my mind!

I really wanted to try and lighten up an Alfredo dish so we could eat it a little more carefree! Now there are a lot of ways to make cream sauces, most of the ways I've found still have a high fat content. If you use nuts obviously it will be better fats for you. This sauce is not made from nuts, I used Vegan Cream Cheese Alternative. It was lower in fats, about 9 grams a serving, than regular cream cheese, but still no where near fat free. So I only tried this dinner tonight since I'm trying to stick to my challenge this week! It was hard not to keep eating it. I used vegetables instead of pasta to give the kids a healthy helping of their greens.

To be honest this meal took some persuading to get them to try it. After the first bite though, there was no more persuading it sold itself! I loved the flavor, it will still be eaten sparingly in this house, but a much better option than traditional Alfredo Sauce.

Light Alfredo Sauce (vegan)

1 container of vegan cream cheese alternative, like tofutti

1 C soy milk

2 cloves garlic minced

1  T nutmeg

1 T paprika

1 1/2 T Italian Seasoning

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Pepper to taste

Add ingredients to the crock pot cook on low for 3 hours. Stirring occasionally to make sure flavors are blending! Serve over cooked zucchini noodles and mixed vegetables or  your favorite pasta!

* this tasted so great with the veggies I think this would make an excellent veggie dip or bread stick dip, what do you think?

Crock Pot Italian Potatoes

MMMMM...delicious vegetable eating at it's finest. I used to make a dinner that was Italian chicken and potatoes that was a family favorite. It had tons of italian dressing drizzled over it, cheddar cheese, chicken and potatoes. It was so tasty, but I can't even imagine the fat content from the oil and cheese.

I really had been wanting to recreate that dish since we loved it so much, but I wanted to find a way to bring our healthy eating lifestyle into play.

I am happy to say that now I have created a crook pot dish full of vegetables that is vegetarian and so much healthier.

I was so excited when Derek told me last night that he liked these potatoes better than the old dish! I was very excited. We didn't eat these as a side, they were the main dish! We had salads for a side, it was a veggie night and our kids loved every bit of it! I thought they tasted almost like delicious Dutch oven potatoes!

Meals like this stand for one of my points I try to make... there are no rules that you need a piece of meat for your meal. There is no rule that you need cheese to make things taste better! There is no rule that says your kids won't eat kid-friendly healthy meals! Did I also say budget friendly! This whole meal cost approximately $5.00 for a family of four and that includes leftovers- we're able to compete with Little Ceasar's! Which one would make you feel better inside though? Ask yourself that question!

Enjoy this yummy dinner, have it ready and cooking in a matter of minutes! That calls for one happy Momma!

Crock Pot Italian Potatoes

6 Yellow potatoes (or any potato would work)

1 bunch of broccoli, chopped

1 T coconut oil

1/2 onion

2 T Italian seasoning (or a mixture of basil and oregano)

1/2 T cumin

3 T water

1 T paprika

1 T Mrs. Dash seasoning (optional, but recommended)

Chop vegetables and add to the crock pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir to coat well. Cook on high for 3-4 hours!

Crock Pot Vegetarian Chili

Fall is in the air! I love chili during the cooler months- we especially love chili on Halloween with some cornbread to dip into it! There always seem to be parties and get together and chili is the eatable guest of honor! I love the spicy flavors all meshed into one awesome bite! That is why I love the crock pot for soups...it just seems to blend it so well together.

This vegetarian chili cannot be beat with how easy it is. Seriously this is a "drop" soup....all you do is drop everything into the crock pot and walk away! Easy Peasy!

My kids always devour this bad boy! It is filling and if your looking for a meat chili you can easily add ground turkey to this, but it is so satisfying even without meat! We love it! Chili and cornbread here we come! Welcome the Fall season and make this easy dinner tonight!

Vegetarian Chili

1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

2 c vegetable stock

1 packet low sodium taco seasoning

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

1/2 green bell pepper, minced

1/2 onion, minced

1 T cumin

1/4 c nutritional yeast (optional)

Rinse all the beans together and drain liquid. Take 1/3 of the beans and mash them in a separate bowl. Add mashed beans and remaining ingredients to the crock pot. Do a quick stir to mix in the seasonings. Cook on high for 3-4 hours! Delicious, and easy! Enjoy 

Crock-Pot Vegetarian Lasagna

 Happy weekend to everyone! I've started adding a few new recipes to my crock-pot list like this fun little creation tonight! I know I called it lasagna, well that is because I had originally planned on using lasagna noodles. Unfortunately I was unable to find a whole grain or wheat lasagna noodle. It was all the enriched white pasta, so I opted for some whole grain penne.

Once again this is a very simple prep and comes out tasting great. I wanted to find a way to get the creamy cheesy feel back into a lasagna dish and I think this end result was really nice! There is plenty of wiggle room for this baby, add any vegetables you want and you will love it~

Vegetarian Lasagna

1 lb whole wheat pasta

1 can tomato sauce

1 can tomato paste

2 T basil

1 T Italian seasoning

1 T parsley

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 c nutritional yeast

2 BIG handfuls of spinach

12 oz silken tofu

1/4 c almond milk

Combine tofu, milk, garlic, lemon juice yeast and 1 T of basil to a blender. Blend until well mixed, then add spinach. Pulse until there are only a few larger pieces of spinach left. Mix together tomato sauce and paste with bell pepper, onion, parsley, Italian seasoning and remaining basil in a medium bowl. Stir until pretty well combined, it's mostly just to blend the paste. Layer 1/3 of sauce on the bottom of crock pot add 1/3 of the uncooked pasta and 1/3 of blender mixture. Repeat layers until it is all used up. Cook on low for about 5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. You may need to stir it up sometimes to make sure the noodles are cooking evenly! Serve with salad! Yum!

* This is vegan, but if you'd like just vegetarian, add some Mozzarella  cheese on top and cook for 20-30 minutes!

Quinoa Corn Chowder!

Well so far so good in the crock-pot challenge...okay so it's only day two. I have a feeling by the end of this I'm going to be reeeeeaaaalllly sick of cleaning my crock-pot out! Already though I am just loving the ease of dinner, I forget how nice it is when dinner time rolls around and I realize I'm sitting down waiting just like everyone else instead of being all over the place in the kitchen!

I love soup, stew, even stewp! They are flavorful and so easy to prepare and with the crock pot it's even better! You just throw it all in and let it cook! When I was searching around trying to find new recipes for the crock pot I stumbled upon an idea for corn chowder with quiona. here and decided it had to be on the list! I made it my own and I loved it and my kids did too. Derek liked it but he enjoys anything with jalapenos in it~  this is one of those that would be great to freeze the leftovers since it makes a ton of chowder! Awesome- two meals in one whack!

The best things I'm noticing about using the crock-pot

~ creativity in the kitchen

~ Easy clean up and easy prep

~ more time to spend with my sweet kids!

That last one is by far the best! Sometimes around dinner time my kids get a little whiny! Does anyone else know the feeling? By the time I've gotten them in their chairs with their plates in front of them I'm feeling a little stressed out! These last two nights, however, have been great. We've gone on extra walks, I've sat down and played barbies and Legos! It's been great. 

Well onto this delicious heartwarming soup!

 

Quinoa Corn Chowder

1 1/2 C uncooked quinoa

4 C water

1 can low sodium vegetable broth

4-5 potatoes chopped

1 red bell pepper

1 C frozen corn

3-4 canned jalapenos with 3-4 T of juice

1/2 onion, minced

1 T cumin

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Soak Quinoa in water for about 5 minutes, while you chop the vegetables. Add remaining ingredients to crock-pot and let it cook on high for 3-4 hours. Enjoy

Alphabet Day's End, Zucchini Boats

Well our beloved Alphabet days has come to an end, just in time for school to start. I don't have school aged children, but my hubs is getting ready to start another fun filled semester....hahaha....not so fun actually! I guess we could look at it as one step closer to graduation! Someday it will come!

A few weeks ago my good friend described a dinner she had made out of zucchini! It sounded delightful, she put meat in hers so I wanted to find a way to make ours meatless, but have great flavor! These zucchini boats were so easy and so delicious! I was so happy with the end result. I've felt we haven't been watching as closely what we've been giving our kids the last few days since we've had some busy family get togethers or we've been on the go! So I needed, yes needed for my own guilt to pack them with something nutritious tonight! They loved these little babies, which makes mom all the more happy! These ended up reminding me of a tasty Italian meal, without all the creamy pasta sauces or carbs! So yay for us! Enjoy these easy weekend or weeknight zucchini boats! They are great!

Zucchini Boats

3-4 zucchini squash, cut lengthwise in half

1 C of canned or frozen corn

1-2 C cooked quinoa or brown rice

1 C chopped carrots

1 C peas

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

1/2 C green beans

1 T Italian Seasoning 

2 T nutritional Yeast (optional)

1 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning, (optional)
1/4 C sunflower nuts, for some extra crunch

1 jar of spaghetti sauce (or 1 recipe of easy marinara sauce)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spoon out the inside of the zucchini squash so just the rind is left. Place the spooned squash in a large bowl. Add onion to skillet with a tsp of olive oil and saute, add garlic and finish cooking until garlic is fragrant. Add vegetables, nuts, rice or quinoa, sauce, and seasonings to bowl and stir well. Try and have the zucchini mashed up a bit so you don't have enormous chunks of it. Spoon mixture into the rind of the zucchini. Place on a large cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Serve with salad and garlic bread, yum!!!!