shortcuts, meal prep & hacks that make healthy eating a cinch!
The Cleanest Chocolate Cupcakes on the Planet made from fruits, nuts, and eggs. These Gluten Free & Sugar Free cupcakes make life even sweeter! One of my best friends was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease a few years back, so her diet is extremely restrictive! Her …
A Delicious Menu On The Lighter Side With Full Grocery List! Happy Saturday! Another week of quarantine and homeschool in the books. I’m so glad it’s the weekend. I need a little break from juggling all the balls of being mom, teacher, cleaner, wife, & …
I’m Ready For More Clean Eating In My Life, How About You? Are You Over Pantry Meals Yet?
It hit me like a ton of bricks the other day when my dad, who lives in New Jersey, showed me a video of all he ordered through a food delivery service. Canned chili, potato chips, Doritos, More canned chili. In that moment, I realized, just because we’re under a “stay home” order, doesn’t mean we need to eat like we just had a category five hurricane and there’s no food available!
So this week, as I feel heavy and lethargic from too many pantry meals, I’m doing a clean foods reset. Who’s with me? Are you over pantry meals yet?I plan to do a week of NO sugar, clean eats, and low carbs. I need a system reset! This is what my meals will look like:
I’m a firm believer in not depriving myself of things I love, but always being mindful of moderation! So, along those lines, I always have my coffee in the morning as soon as I wake up. It’s a routine I look forward to and I’m not willing to change while quarantined! So that’s exactly how I’ll continue to start my day, coffee with a bit of half and half.
First Thing (after coffee): I’m not a huge breakfast person, but I like a little bite before I work out. Nothing big and heavy! So I’ll have a hard boiled egg, or 1/2 an avocado with salt & pepper, or some plain Greek yogurt with cinnamon.
Post Workout: I always make my favorite protein shake! It’s delicious and satisfies me heart and soul!
Lunch: I am obsessed with, what I call, “sheetpan lunches”. Basically, I throw a bunch of yummy things on a plate or platter to make a fun variety of flavors and colors! This week I’ll load up on avocados, eggs, sweet potatoes, and fresh fruits & veggies! I also love an open faced PB&J! I always pick a jelly with no added sugar. OR I just do PB with a touch of honey. Just as tasty!
Afternoon Treat: I always have a healthy snack that I’ve made for the week on hand because, although I’m a very healthy eater, I love the afternoon coffee with a sweet treat. So this week I’ve made refined sugar and gluten free chocolate chip cookies. They are absolutely delicious! The trick here will be not eating 10 in one sitting :o)
Dinner: Last week I posted some of my grillin’ favorites! I love the grill, because there’s so much flavor, but it’s relatively healthy as long as you don’t drench it in fat. I actually plan to round up some fresh meals for next week that will fit right along with my health kick! So make sure to stay tuned for next week’s weekly meal planner!
Bottom line is, a plate full of bright colors, fruits & veggies, healthy fats, and good carbs is the way to go! They fuel the body and keep you energized! So here’s to a week of clean eating! Who is with me?!
Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies That Are Sure To Please! A friend of mine texted me the other day to see if I had a good gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipe. I DO have a breakfast cookie recipe that is AWESOME, but it’s not …
While the Grill Master is home, we take advantage! One good thing about being quarantined for weeks, is we get tons of quality time! That means my hubby, Stew, is home! He loves to grill, and so this busy momma takes advantage! One less thing …
Chocolate Peanut Butter Nicecream is an “ice cream” that’s nicer than the rest!
I’m sure you’ve heard of nicecream before. It’s a spin off icecream, and it’s made from frozen bananas! No dairy, no artificial sweeteners, and no ice cream maker (thank GOD). It’s a perfectly refreshing, and guilt-free, treat, and my kids literally have no clue they’re not eating ice cream! I’m all about a healthy, sugar-free version of my favorite foods! How about you?
I must say, we are absolutely nicecream addicts. We have it almost every day once the weather warms up. I make all different flavor combos (peach, strawberry, chocolate cherry) but this is, by far, our favorite! It’s chocolatey, creamy, and peanut buttery! How can you go wrong?
You will need a few tools. A vitamix with the tamper is key! If you don’t have that, a food processor is second best. But you just can’t make this with a regular blender! There’s not enough liquid to get the frozen fruit broken up. A trick for freezing bananas is to slice the bananas and lay them flat on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Then pop them in the freezer. I store mine in gallon sized ziplock bags, and I always have at least a bag full in the freezer!
Now that we’ve covered the basics, you’re ready to rock! I hope you love it! Be sure to follow me on Instagram for loads more yummy sugar-free dessert options! xoxo
A 7 day menu of Quick and Easy Suppers with a free shopping list. Hello my friends! I’ve created one grocery list for seven simple dinners! My focus this week is EASY meals! Strangely enough, our weeks have been so busy even though we haven’t …
Another Pantry Meal For The Books! I have been having the best time whipping up these pantry meals! The challenge of turning regular old ingredients into something delicious really gets me excited! I know, my friends think I’m a nerd too. But, trust me, you …
Spring Has Sprung! Enjoy 7 Spring inspired suppers with free shopping list.
Well hello friends! I hope you’re all staying inside and staying sane! So, we are coming up on Spring Break. And, to be honest, not having a schedule of our “homeschool” day for the coming week makes me nervous. Homeschool is a lot, but when there’s structure, our days seem to flow smoother. And, when the kids don’t have a schedule, well, they tend to go nutty and bicker with each other. And, for all of our sanity, I am trying to come up with some fun “spring break” activities that we can do while being quarantined at home. So, If you have any wisdom, feel free to share!
All that to say, what I DO have, is a menu of delicious and spring inspired meals for your coming week! So I hope you love them! And, don’t forget to download the grocery list HERE.
Monday: Taco Lasagna – I’m a huge fan of Mexican food. Combine that with a one pot meal, and you had me at Taco!
Tuesday: Spring Risotto – This is a favorite of ours! Stew and I have been making risotto for years. It’s such an expensive dish when you go out, but it could not be easier to make! However, it just takes a pinch of patience. But, go ahead and crack open a yummy bottle of wine, put on some good music, and you have yourself a fancy date-night in! **We omitted leaks, fennel, and mascarpone because we didn’t have them. We also used chicken broth instead of white wine because we didn’t have white on hand.
Wednesday: Tomato & Burrata Salad – OH EM GEE. We made this the other night and grilled up some juicy burgers to go with it. I don’t know about you, but nothing makes me feel better than big ol’ tomatoes and drippy burrata cheese topped with fresh basil! The recipe could stand alone as it is, but we paired it with a meat. **I actually left out the corn and only drizzled with EVOO, salt & pepper. It was fab! Goes great as a main or a side! It’s awesome with grilled chicken, burgers, or hot dogs.
Thursday: Shortcut Beef Ragu – This is a super easy dish I came up with! It has all the flavor of a traditional ragu without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. A perfect shortcut version for one of our favorite dishes.
Friday: Loaded Sweet Potatoes – So, I have a confession. I am in love with sweet potatoes! We did Whole 30 last year and pretty much had sweet potatoes with every meal. So these are a part of my love affair!
Saturday: Lemon Basil Orzo with Chicken – This is a bright and refreshing dinner. Lemon is one of my favorite flavorings. We used chicken broth instead of white wine because we had it already!
Sunday: Croque Madame – With Easter coming up, I thought this would be a fun spin on Easter Supper. Since we can’t celebrate with the whole family, and it’s just the four of us, we whipped these up with a fresh side salad. It was perfect for a family meal.
Spring Has Sprung my friends! I hope you enjoy these Spring inspired suppers. Now, be sure to download your grocery list HERE. And as always, be sure to tag me on Instagram if you make any of them. Happy Easter to all of you!
