FROZEN Yogurt Blueberries!

This is so not my idea but I tried it today and LOVED it! First off, if you know me or have read any of my earlier food posts, you know I love Greek yogurt. Actually I love frozen yogurt even better so when I saw this I was almost giddy to try it. Two of my favorite foods all wrapped into one.

Here it goes: First off, considering my busy week at work I really didn't have the time to roll each blueberry into the yogurt so I opted for the non-presentation look.

Take your frozen blueberries (Yep, I picked mine fresh.)

Add some Greek Yogurt.....

And stir.

Spread blueberries on a cookie sheet that has been lined with wax paper and place in the freezer to chill.

Serve and eat!

Who cares if they didn't look like the ones in the magazine. They were quick, easy, and OH SO gooooood!

Food Friday - Bananas My Way!

If you like bananas and love peanut butter, you'll love this tasty summer treat! Simply take a banana, slice it up, and put it in the freezer. (Frozen bananas are the best!) Once your banana is frozen, take it out and put it in a dish, and then drizzle it with warm peanut butter that you've put in the microwave for 10 seconds. (I use Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseed from Trader Joe's but any all natural peanut butter will do.)

It's that simple! And good for you no less!

Food Friday - Garlic Stuffed Peppers

I played around with a few things in the kitchen last night. Good thing I had my camera handy and decided to take a few pictures along the way.  It turned out to be a family favorite! This one is SUPER easy, takes little or no time to prepare, has great flavor, and is a definite people pleaser!

Paige's recipe for Garlic Stuffed Peppers:

What you will need:

1 lb Ground Turkey

3 large Green Peppers or 4 small ones

2 Egg Whites or 1/4 cup Reddi Eggs/Egg Beaters

1/2 cup Oats

1/3 cup Ketchup

2 cloves of Crushed Garlic

2 TBLS Soy Sauce

Cut the tops off of the green peppers, wash and set aside. Mix all other ingredients in bowl thoroughly. (I use my hands.) 

Fill each peeper evenly with mixture and either bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or cook on the grill on low for 25-30 minutes.

It's that simple! The best part about this meal is not only is it quick, easy, and healthy, but it's also a great way to use those peppers you might be growing in your garden this summer.

Food Friday - Tex- Mex Chili

We tried this last week when it was cold and rainy, and it was a hit!


Thick -Tex-Mex Chili

Thick Tex-Mex Chili

1 Onion, diced

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 T. Jalapeno, minced with seeds

3 c. Diced Tomatoes

1 ½ c. cooked Kidney Beans

1 ½ c. cooked Pinto Beans

1 ½ c. Frozen Corn

2 t. ground Cumin

1 t. Chili Powder

½-1 t. Salt

½ t. Black Pepper

½ t. Cinnamon

1 pkg Soy Crumbles (optional)

1 c. Water or Vegetable Broth

In a 5qt saucepan, sauté onions, garlic and jalapeno over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients, except soy crumbles, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 20 minutes. Add soy crumbles and cook for 5 minutes until warmed through. Serve plain or on top of brown rice or whole wheat pasta!

"Healthy" Cheese Sauce!

If you know me well enough, you'd know that two of my favorite things are cheese and dipping. I seem to like cheese in and on everything, and if I can dip something in a sauce or dressing, my day just got better! Problem is, cheese can be very fattening if you choose to eat too much, and we all know anything dipped in ranch and other high calorie condiments can be dangerous. So, here's a little secret for you today. You can have the best of both worlds with this yummy "healthy" cheese sauce I'm about to share with you. 

You will need the following:

1 small yukon gold or russet potato

1/2 c. carrots

1/2 yellow onion

Fill a pan with about 1/2 inch of water, bring to a boil, put veggies in water, cover, reduce heat to low and let simmer until veggies are soft. 15 minutes.

When veggies are soft, drain the water but reserve it, pour them into a blender and add:

3 Tb. water

1/4 c. nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/3 c. cashews

Blend until creamy.  You may need to use the reserved water to get the blender going, usually about 1/2 c. is enough.

That's it! Set it aside to use with whatever you like. Who knew cheese could be so healthy? And very tasty too. (Yes, even though there is no cheese in the recipe, it really does taste like cheese!)

I chose to serve mine over a baked sweet potato with steamed broccoli. Other options may include: Steamed carrots, grilled chicken, in an omelet, or whatever else sounds appealing. 

Note: For having a family that consists of "dippers" they all enjoyed it too. My son even got out the tortilla chips and had nachos!

School Lunch

 Today being the last day of school, I thought I'd share with you what my lunch has consisted of for quite some time. You see, I tend to go in phases and find it easy to eat the same thing at lunch for several weeks. In this case, I found this selection to be one of my favorites so I've eaten it for several months. So what is it that I've been hooked on? Here you have it: 


Whole Wheat sandwich thin (100 Calories)
1 Pink Lady red apple (72 Calories for medium apple)
1 cheese stick (80 Calories)
1 Tablespoon of peanut butter (100 Calories)


Total calories for lunch: 352 calories!

As crazy as it sounds, this has probably been my favorite meal of the day for a while. I look forward to it. It's a treat. Probably because I enjoy peanut butter, I love cheese, and the Pink Lady apple is SOOO tasty!


As far as my choice of peanut butter, I prefer the Valencia Peanut Butter with roasted flaxseed. The only down side is that the only place I've been able to find it is at Trader Joe's and we don't have a Trader Joe's anywhere near where we live. (I guess I'll be stocking up next time I'm near one.)

Now that school is out for the summer, who knows what my next phase will be and what I will get hooked on eating for lunch. The wheels are starting to spin but this one will not be far out of my reach. 

Kashi GO LEAN Crunch!

I had started to share a recipe with you that contains brown rice, tofu, and a ton of veggies and had been referring to it as fried rice. After the week I've had (if you've missed out, click here) I decided it wasn't the best timing under certain circumstances as I kept typing fried LICE! (Can you tell what consumes my mind these days?) Anyway, I decided to hold off on that one until next week. 

In the meantime, here is one of my favorites - Kashi GO LEAN Crunch! I was introduced to Kashi a couple years ago and we've been best friends ever since. I love the stuff. They have several flavors of cereal out there, but for me, I'm partial to the "Crunch."  I think I like it so much because it has almonds thrown into the mix.

Some things to know:

190 - 200 calories a serving

9 grams of protein (As much protein as one egg.)

8 grams of fiber (Twice as much fiber as a cup of blueberries.)

500 mg of your Omega-3

15g whole grains (1 out of the 3 servings recommended daily.)

I've never been a big cereal person. I think most of that stems from the fact that I don't like milk, but for some reason, if the milk is cold enough (yes, I add ice cubes to my cereal) I do fine. In fact, I really enjoy and look forward to the mornings I have my Kashi GO LEAN Crunch! Trust me, if you've never tried it, it's a must. It may just become a staple in your pantry like it has in mine.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake!

I've been perfecting this one for a while now and finally seem to have the right combination, and it's ohhhh SO good! (Like ordering a shake at a hamburger shop!)


What you will need:
1/2  banana (approximately 50 calories as a medium banana is around 100)
1 Cup Chocolate Soy Slender (70 calories)
1 Tablespoon all natural peanut butter (100 calories)
1/2 scoop either vanilla or chocolate protein powder (65 calories)
1-1/2 cups crushed ice (o calories!)
Total = 285 calories.

         Add everything to your blender and blend well.

 It's that simple! Not to mention a great after workout treat. So, if you're a peanut butter chocolate fan, I guarantee this will be a pallet pleaser. Enjoy!

New to Quinoa? Me too!

Seriously, until just a few weeks ago I had never heard of it before - Quinoa?! Pronounced "Keen-wah." Then I started doing a bunch of research and have found out according to Dr. Oz and several other health conscious gurus out there, I really should be eating this stuff. It's a bit hard to describe but it's almost a cross between a pasta and a rice. Why is Quinoa so good for you? In doing some research this is what I found:

 With all the buzz about quinoa these days, you may be asking, "why is quinoa good for you?" Quinoa is very high in protein and has every one of the nine essential amino acids. These nine essential amino acids are the ones that your body cannot synthesize in quantities sufficient to sustain good health, so they need to come from food sources. Qunioa is the only plant-based protien to contain all 9 essential amino acids. Many people think that quinoa is a type of grain, but it's not. Quinoa is actually the seed of a plant related to spinach. Quinoa is also very good in sustaining and supporting cardiovascular health.
Other things I've heard in talking to people about this latest "super food" and why it is a preferred choice with their family:

-Gluten free

- Great source of protein

 - Served hot or cold

- It's used in both breakfast type foods and lunch/dinner recipes

- Cheap

- Easy to make (Like cooking rice)

To cook Quinoa? SO easy. Rinse it well beforehand. Then it's two parts liquid to 1 part Quinoa. For my family of four I usually have made 4 cups liquid to 2 cups Quinoa and it comes out with a perfect amount. Bring to boil. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 15 minutes. Fluff with fork and serve.

 I've made a couple things with Quinoa now and for the most part, I'm fairly happy. First, I stir-fried a bunch of vegetables in garlic and olive oil and served it over the quinoa like a stir-fy. It was tasty and I had cooked the quinoa in beef broth to add a little flavor. The other thing I tried was using the Quinoa almost like a spaghetti noodle. My red sauce was thick and full of ground turkey, served over the quinoa. (Not bad.) People keep telling me, "You can't go wrong with Quinoa. You can serve it with just about everything." Hmmm, anyone have any good Quinoa recipes? 

One of My New Favorites!

One of my favorite treats is Greek yogurt with granola! In the past, I've resorted to buying a low-fat strawberry granola at my local grocery store. It seemed to have done the trick and added that little extra crunch I so love in my yogurt. Recently, some good friends of ours had us over for dinner and Wendy, my friend, is an AMAZING cook. (She makes croutons, goodies, and several other things I've stole recipes for over the years.) We happen to get on the subject of granola and low and behold, she makes that from scratch too! Not only is it so tasty but it's much healthier than the stuff you'll find in the stores, and it has way less sugar. (I like this!) So here it is:
Wendy's Amazing Granola:

1/3 cup olive oil  (630 calories)

5 cups of oats (1500 calories)

1/3 cup honey (320 calories)

3/4 cup of brown sugar (580 calories)

1 cup almonds (953 calories)

1 cup craisins (340 calories)

2-3 Tablespoons of flax seed (90 calories)

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

Total 4,413 calories total. (Don't panic yet!)

It makes 9 cups of granola at 490 calories in a cup.

122 calories in 1/4 cup of granola

163 calories in 1/3 cup of granola

245 calories in 1/2 cup of granola

Put the brown sugar, honey, and oil in the microwave and melt together.

Add in your oats, almonds, salt, cinnamon and flax seed. 

Mix well and then spread onto a slightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven and stir in craisins. Let cool. 

Thanks Wendy!

Honestly, this is SO easy and takes almost no time at all to make. I know you might think it has a lot of calories but no surprise, granola usually does. The benefit of this verses your store brand is that the calories are coming from a good source - nuts, oats, and grains. Not to mention, it has half the amount of sugar that most granola has. Also, you really don't need much to make a good filling snack or added crunch to your yogurt.

Not only has it become one of my favorites, but my family seems to like it too. My son likes to eat it by the handfuls!

FYI on my yogurt of choice. I'm pretty picky about my yogurt as I tend to like it thick and creamy. For the longest time I was hooked on Dannon's Greek yogurt. Now, it seems as though ZOI honey flavored Greek yogurt and I have become friends. (So good!) Oh, and shall I mention, I always try to eat my yogurt and granola with my U-Swirl (frozen yogurt shop) spoon. Not sure why, maybe because it's like having a treat!

Food Friday - Fish Tacos!

Most people are either really going to like this post or they won't. Fish is one of those black or white foods. You either like it or you don't. As I like to think when it comes to fish, there really is no gray area.

So, this is probably one of the easiest recipes for fish tacos you can find. Not to mention, they taste wonderful, are full of flavor, are fairly cheap, and are VERY healthy. Here's what you'll need:

- "Mission" carb balance wheat tortillas (These are good. Very moist and fresh.)

- Fresh or frozen tilapia

- Red onion

- Cilantro

- Lemon

- Lime

Bake tilapia for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. While it's baking, I cut my red onion, cilantro, lemon and lime wedges. Once the fish is done and removed from the oven, I like to cut one piece of fish down the middle leaving me two decent slices of fish to make into two separate tacos. Place cooked fish on tortilla, add your onion, cilantro, and a little bit of lemon and lime to taste. 

It really is that easy! I call it the no brainer, no planning needed, healthy filling meal. The best part about it is that you can have two, that's right, TWO fish tacos for only 290 calories! (The tortillas are 80 calories a each, and the fish is 100 calories a piece. Slice it in half and it's roughly 50 calories of fish per taco. Add your onion and cilantro and your up to only 290.)

This really is a good one to have on hand if you're a fish lover. It's quick, it's easy, and really does hit the spot!

Food Friday - The Clif Z Bar!

Okay, even though I have another "Food Friday" post ready to share that consists of feta, I decided to hold off and give you all a break from my feta fetish! (I realize not everybody enjoys feta.)

So.....onto something else this week.

Are you ever in a hurry or on the go and aren't home to eat one of your normal snacks? Even though I try to plan ahead and take snacks with me, (even it it requires me bringing a little lunch bag with an ice pack) there are inevitably those times when I'm not prepared. This is when I fall back on the Clif Z bar. Now, why this bar opposed to others?

Each bar is 95% organic, lower in sugar than your average health bar, and made with 11g of whole grains. What you won't find in these bars are all the "no no's."

- No high fructose corn syrup

- No hydranated oils

- No preservatives

- No Trans Fats

- No artificial flavors

- No artificial colors

They do make the regular version of the Clif Bar but in my honest opinion, as a snack we don't need that many calories. Therefore, sticking with the "kid" version is perfect. Each Z bar is only 140 calories which is a bonus, as most average bars are anywhere between 190-240 calories or more. 

These really are a perfect pre or post workout snack, afternoon snack, and good source of protein.  Just to have them around handy to fall back on is much better than buying that candy bar. Not to mention, they are very similar to eating a cookie! I like to keep a couple of them in the glove box of my car, so that if I'm ever in a bind, I've got something quick and easy.

My favorite Flavor: CHOCOLATE BROWNIE!

Where to buy them: Not all stores carry the Z bar. Most just carry the actual Clif bar so you may have to look around. They usually run about $1.00 a bar or you can go to Costco like I do and get a box. I find it much cheaper. You get a box of 24 bars for around $13.00 and it comes with three different flavors - honey graham, chocolate brownie, and chocolate chip. 

Again, I know everyone has a personal preference when it comes to these sorts of things, but for me, the Clif Z bar  has helped me on my journey and has provided me with not only the satisfaction I need when I'm on the go and in need something quick and healthy, but also the feeling of having that treat we all need with a lot less calories and sugar than maybe my old way of doing things.

What do you say?  Ready to try a Clif Z bar?

Food Friday - Pulled Pork Salad!

Food Friday - Pulled Pork Salad

So I really can’t take the credit for this one. One of the girls at work gave me the recipe and after feeding it to my family, I can tell it may just become a family favorite! (And not to mention, super easy.)

Put the following ingredients in your crock-pot before you 

head out the door in the morning.

           1 pork roast
      1/2 chopped onion
      1 cup orange juice (I used fresh squuezed.)
      1 teaspoon of apple cider vinager
      1 tablespoon of brown sugar
      1 cup water
      1 beef boulion cube
      1/4 bottle hickory smoke BBQ sauce

Simmer in your crock-pot all day. 

Remove roast from crock-pot and put on a plate. Drain juice from crock-pot.

Shred meat.

Put back into your crock-pot and add the rest of the bottle of BBQ sauce. Mix well and serve warm.

I chose to make a pulled- pork salad with fresh spinach, corn, avocado, and a little bit of cheese. The rest of the family enjoyed the pork on sandwiches. (I’m thinking they would have loved it on nachos too!)

That was one of the greatest things about this dish. It was easy and it can be used in so many ways. Enjoy!

Food Friday: Sometimes I Don't use a Recipe

No, I'm not a vegetarian, but I have experimented around with different ways to get my protein without having to consume meat. This is one of my favorites! I had it last night even. I wish I could tell you where I got the recipe, but I can't because I made it up myself. What I can tell you, is that it's super easy, fairly cheap, and very tasty. (My family even loves it!) All you need is the following:

Fresh Zucchini

Fresh garlic clove

1 sweet yellow onion

1 can black beans

Feta cheese

I like to saute my veggies in a cast iron pan. (I think they taste better.) Add a little olive oil to your pan and then add your zucchini, onion, and garlic. 

 Saute for about 7-10 minutes. (I like it to still be a bit firm.) Add in your black beans and heat until nice and warm.

  Sprinkle with feta cheese and serve. 

I choose to eat this as a main dish as it is very filling. Even if you're not a bean lover or may think feta is a bit strong, try this one out. I think you might be pleasantly surprised at how it tastes, not to mention it's quite filling, very good for you, and low in calories!