Southwest Pasta Salad

We had a nice little get away a few weeks ago and headed down to Lake Mead with a group of friends. It was a much needed get away. But when stuck on a beach for hours on end (I'm not complaining) you better go prepared with coolers of food. I started looking for foods that would be filling and easily stored and came across this beautiful salad. It's fresh, filling and is perfect for picnic or beach settings. So to sum it up...its perfect for SUMMER!

Southwest Pasta Salad
6-8 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 4 cups package bow tie pasta
• 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 1/2 cup chopped peppers
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup cilantro

Dressing Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• juice from 4 limes
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a large pot, cook pasta according to package. When pasta has 1-2 minutes left, add in frozen corn. 
2. Drain pasta and corn and rinse with cold water.
3. While pasta is cooking, drain and rinse black beans. Chop peppers, onion and cilantro. 
4. Combine beans, peppers, onion and cilantro with pasta in a large bowl. 
5. In a blender or resealable jar, combine all ingredients for the dressings and mix until combined. Pour over pasta and mix well. 
6. Best served when chilled for a few hours. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

Without Dressing

   1 cup serving    217 calories  1g fat  44g carbs   9g protein    7g sugar   

With Dressing

   1 cup serving    300 calories  9g fat  49g carbs   9g protein    10g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Chelsea's Messy Apron 

Avocado Chicken Melt

My husband decided to invite some family over for dinner last minute so I quickly changed what was for dinner. With little time to prepare this was my solution and it was a hit! With just a few ingredients it makes for a great quick meal! Win in my book!

Avocado Chicken Melt
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 40 minutes            READY IN: 55 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast thawed
• 1 egg white
• 1 cup breadcrumbs 
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) 
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 4 pieces provolone cheese

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Salt and pepper your chicken. 
2. Place egg in separate bowl and breadcrumbs in another. 
3. Dip chicken in egg and then cover with breadcrumbs and place in a 9x13 pan. Repeat with remaining chicken. 
4. Sprinkle Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes over tops of chicken breast. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. 
5. Once chicken is done, place a few slices of avocado over each chicken breast and then top with cheese. 
6. Place back in oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

  1 chicken breast serving   370 calories  16g fat  16g carbs   43g protein   1g sugar   

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Apple Bites

Swimsuit season is right around the corner people! I've definitely procrastinated so its time to hit the gym hard (like the PTFTriathalon) and eat extra healthy. But is it just me or does everything I look at turn into one giant chocolate fountain or candy bar? It's a problem I'm working on.  So to fix that I try to incorporate a little sweets into my diet even when I'm trying to eat healthy so that I don't binge eat later...learned that the hard way :)

In browsing for some sweet treats to make I came across these peanut butter chocolate apple bites. They had me at peanut, so I just had to make them. They are so delicious and hit the spot. Take my advice and make sure you have all these ingredients in your pantry at all times so you will always have a healthy alternative for your sugar cravings.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Apple Bites
makes 16 wedges 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 30 seconds            READY IN: 6 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 apples, cored and cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup low fat peanut butter
• 1/8 cup rolled oats or granola of your choice
• 2 tablespoons semi sweet or dark chocolate, melted (optional)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Core and cut apples in to 8 wedges each. 
2. Cover each apple with a small amount of peanut butter.
3. Top with oats or granola then drizzle with small amount of chocolate. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 wedge  43 calories  3g fat   5g carbs    1g protein    2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from www.thecomfortofcooking.com

Chicken & Spinach Quesadilla

Everyone knows the basic quesadilla recipe - a tortilla and some cheese. Pretty basic, but always seems to satisfy the little ones. Well, the following recipe is a simple way to "spice" things up a bit. Throw some chicken and spinach in with your cheese and you have this gourmet chicken and spinach quesadilla.

One thing we discovered is if you can "crease" the edges of the tortilla, the chicken stays in a lot better - making it easier to dip and easier to eat... perfect for those little hands!

*** One simple way to mix the recipe up even more is to dip the quesadilla in our Family Favorite Guacamole recipe.

Chicken & Spinach Quesadilla
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 10 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded
• 1 cup spinach, broken up into pieces
• 1 1/2 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 4 large flour tortillas
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup salsa, homemade or store-bought
• 1/4 cup low fat sour cream

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In medium bowl, mix shredded chicken, spinach, and cheese.
2. On griddle (or large skillet), place tortilla with chicken mixture spread over half of the tortilla. Fold over the tortilla and "crease" the edges by pressing a spatula into them. 
3. Cook each side of tortilla for 3 - 4 minutes, or until cheese has melted and tortilla is crispy.
4. Serve with avocado, salsa, and sour cream - as desired.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    581 calories   33.2 g fat   33.5 g carbs    36.2 g protein    3.5 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Real Simple

Fresh Banana Ice Cream

My kids and I have a new favorite afternoon treat! It's a great way to use those brown bananas and with Spring right around the corner, this will be nice on those warmer days. It's super easy and only takes about 2 minutes to make if you already have frozen bananas. You can be creative with the toppings you pair with the bananas too. Just about anything works.

Fresh Banana Ice Cream
2 SERVINGS 
PREP: 60 minutes           BLEND: 1 minutes            READY IN: 61 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 very ripe banana
• Mix-in(s): We used 2 tablespoons of 60% cacao chips. Other ideas would be peanut butter, strawberries, honey, raspberries, blueberries, coconut. Really just about anything you would like.

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Cut the banana into 1/2 inch pieces. Separate and put on a plate. Cover with foil and put it in the freezer. I usually do this the night before so we don't have to wait for them to freeze. If you haven't done that, let them freeze for about an hour.
2. In a food processor or heavy-duty blender, pulse the bananas with the topping(s) for about a minute, or until the bananas start to come together. 
3. Enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1/2 cup serving    93 calories   3.2g fat   17.5g carbs    1.1g protein    10.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Lemon-Raspberry Ricotta Parfait

In a need for a sweet snack that still allows those inches to fall off your waist line? This is it! Now, by the looks of the nutrition facts, it doesn't look all that good for you. But keep in mind that the sugar is coming from the honey, which is a natural sweetener, and also the fruit, so it's a lot better than granulated sugar.

I love the freshness of the raspberries, the sweetness of the honey and the tang of the lemon juice. I just cant say enough good things about this. Try it out in your next meal planning!

Lemon-Raspberry Ricotta Parfait

1 SERVING 

PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 5 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1/4 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon reduced sugar red raspberry preserves
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• zest from half lemon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• sliced almonds for topping

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a small bowl mix together your ricotta and raspberry jam. 
2. In a separate bowl mix your fresh (or thawed) raspberries with lemon juice, zest, and honey. 
3. Top ricotta mixture with your raspberries. Top with sliced almonds for a little crunch. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

   1 serving   323 calories  8.8g fat  56.1g carbs   10g protein   42.3g sugar   

Enjoy!

Strawberry and Brie Crostini

Thanks to Costco samples my husband has been on a brie kick. It's been his go-to snack for the last 2 weeks. Now don't get me wrong, it's delicious - but crackers and brie every time can get kinda of boring. I decided to mix it up a little and make a fancy appetizer dish. You can pair brie with just about any fruit, but I loved this strawberry and basil combo. SOO good!

Strawberry and Brie Crostini
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 5 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 loaf French baguette or other french bread, cut 1/2 inch thick (mine only made 12 slices)
• 4 strawberries
• Brie slices-2 per piece of bread
• basil for garnish

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Turn oven on broil. 
2. Cut loaf of bread into 12 diagonal pieces.  Brush with oil or butter. Place on a cooling rack, on top of cookie sheet and place in oven. Let bake for a few minutes until bread is browning. 
3. While bread is still warm layer 2 slices of Brie on the bread, topped with strawberries. 
4. Garnish with a dash of basil and enjoy! 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

  1 slice   94  calories  0.6g fat  18.4g carbs   3.8g protein   1g sugar   

Enjoy!

Twice Cooked Pork

I'm here today sharing one of our favorite go-to dinners. It's delicious, and I must say it, nutritious. It's packed with protein, and the leeks in it add a great crunchy texture that leaves the dish fully satisfying. I must say that I have a great friend, Kuei, who taught me how to make this dish years ago, and it will always be a family favorite.

Twice Cooked Pork
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 pound pork (I use the filets, but leftover pork roast might work too)
• 2 Leek stalks
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce
• 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (optional, we serve ours on the side so people can add as much spice as they wish to the dish)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a medium pot, bring water to boil, and cook the pork for 8-10 minutes, or until done.
2. While the pork is cooking, cut the leeks into 3/4" pieces and soak in water. After they have soaked for a few minutes, rinse thoroughly and set on a towel to dry.
3. Once the pork is cooked, slice into bit sized pieces.
4. Place a wok on medium heat. Once it's warmed up, add the oil. Add the pork and stir it for a minute.
5. Put the leeks into the skillet and give it a good stirring.
6. Add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to the wok. Stir.
7. In a small dish, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, garlic powder, white pepper, sweet bean sauce and chili garlic sauce (optional). Mix it together with a fork.
8. Add the soy sauce mixture to the wok and stir. 
9. Cook for another minute or two, or until the leeks are starting to look like they are ready. You don't want to overcook them as they will be soggy.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    161 calories   5.3g fat   6.3g carbs    21.2g protein    1.9g sugar   

Enjoy!

Walnut Name Tag Holders for Your Holiday Place Settings

It's that time again where you may be preparing for yet another holiday feast. And if you're anything like me, I love a good excuse to fancy up the place settings. When I was younger, my sisters and I would always looks forward to making name tags for all the big holiday dinners. We had a walnut tree in the backyard, so it was fun to pick the walnuts and get a little crafty for our place settings. I've been using them ever since and I adore the finished look. This is so easy and almost effortless to make, I finished it in one nap time--which with my baby isn't long at all. Here's a peak of what they look like- perfect for Christmas, Hanukkah, or New Year's!

Here's the step-by-step on how to make Walnut Name Tag Holders for your holiday place settings:

1. Get a bag of walnuts from your local grocery store
2. Find a side where the walnut sits nicely. GENTLY hammer along the seam to where there's a little crack, it only needs to be large enough to slip your name tag in. 
3. Spray paint your walnut any color your heart desires.
4. Cut your tags to desired size. Mine are about 3"x4".
5. If you like the spray paint and glitter look I took a small paper plate and turned it upside down so the part I wanted to be sprayed was showing on my tag. 
6. Pressing the plate down I sprayed the top of my tag. 
7. While the spray is still wet, sprinkle your glitter on it. Some of my glitter wasn't sticking too good so I also sprayed some spray adhesive on it and that worked great. Glue sticks will also work, I just didn't have that on hand. 

Try them out at your next party. Feel free to send us your photos as well, we'd love to see what you've come up with! You can see how versatile walnuts can be... below is a look at how we took the "natural" look of the walnut paired with this cute printable from make it create for Thanksgiving.

(Recognize Kaitlyn's awesome Magleby's copycat rolls from this morning's post? They're a family favorite! :)

**** Don't forget about our giveaway!! Ends today at midnight EST. ****

Chocolate Strawberry Protein Smoothie

I love playing around with different protein drink combinations. I'm a chocolate lover, but having the same chocolate smoothie gets old fast. Real fast. I thought to myself, "what goes well with chocolate?" Then it came to me. Chocolate covered strawberries. Delish! So I decided to throw some in my drink and see what happened. The result was yummy. My husband was my taste tester and his answer was "it tastes healthy". Not sure that's a good thing. But then I caught him finishing off the extras, so it can't taste too healthy. :)

Chocolate Strawberry Protein Smoothie

1 SERVINGS 

PREP:5 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 5 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
• 1 cup frozen strawberries (frozen is best so the smoothie is cold)
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (optional, I like the texture it adds)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving   377 calories  10g fat  47g carbs   34g protein   11g sugar   

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers

My number one priority for fixing dinners, besides having a well rounded meal, is time. Sure, there are occasions that I bake and cook for fun, but really, with 3 kids ages 5 and under, let's be honest, time isn't plentiful. Not that I'm complaining - my house is always a party - but a party that must be monitored, otherwise I'd have naked kids running around smearing who knows what on the walls. And that's really not the type of party I want to welcome in my home, if you catch my drift.

You will notice most of my dinner recipes posted on this site are easy, or can be prepped throughout the day. Otherwise, we'd be eating take out every night, or I'd be fixing dinner with 3 kids hanging off me. And if I felt up for the extra exercise, I might consider it. But really, by dinner time, I'm usually ready for bed.

This recipe has been a favorite the past few weeks. It's packed with protein, and super simple to prepare. I've even prepped them the day before and left them as patties in the fridge until we were ready to throw on the grill or George Foreman.

Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 10 minutes            READY IN: 20 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1/4 large red onion (or 1/2 of a medium one)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• juice from 1 lime
• cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a food processor, pulse the red onion and cilantro until it's just past diced.  (You could dice them by hand as well, I just don't like big bits of onion in my burger. I like the taste to be more subtle).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the red onion, cilantro and turkey.
3. Add in the garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Mix together until blended.
4. Divide into 4 equal patties and throw on the grill. Grill for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

*These nutritional facts are for the turkey patty only. They do not include toppings or bun.

    1 turkey patty    197 calories   10g fat   2.3g carbs    21.6g protein    .7g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Subee's Kitchen.

Garlic Chicken Orzo

I have a new favorite ingredient for my recipes: orzo! Don't know what it is? It's like pasta and rice, mixed into one little grain of happiness. Okay, that's a little dramatic. But seriously, orzo is so easy to cook with, and it gives such a good texture and flavor to our dinner. So naturally when we found this garlic chicken orzo we had to try it, and I'm telling you now - it was delicious! I'm not even ashamed to admit that we polished off the entire pan... just the two of us.

Garlic Chicken Orzo
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• Grated parmesan (for topping)
• Salt and pepper (for topping)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Cook orzo in large pot for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain.
2. Pour olive oil in medium-high heat skillet. Add garlic and red pepper and cook for 1 minute, or until garlic is golden brown.
3. Add chicken to skillet. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
4. Reduce heat to medium, and add parsley and cooked orzo to chicken mixture. Then add spinach. 
5. Cook for 5 additional minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve with parmesan cheese.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 cup serving    462 calories   17.5 g fat   33.2 g carbs    43.7 g protein   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.

Lightened-Up Zupas Garden Chowder Soup

Do you have loads and loads of zucchini left over from your summer gardens? I don't, but I wish I did. It's my favorite vegetable to cook with. You can make zucchini bread, muffins, brownies....the list goes on. Out of all of those delicious treats, this soup is my favorite way to incorporate zucchini into my meals. Yup, I said it...soup over treats!

Zupas has a specially place in my heart, but sadly this soup only comes out during the summer so I have to get my fix in while I can. The first week I tasted this I think I had it almost every day for the next 2 weeks. I just couldn't get enough. Summer is clearly over (insert crying), but my love affair with this dish is not, so... I brought it to my kitchen. My husband loves that it's easier on the wallet, and we get it all year round!! I've tried multiple recipes and this one is our favorite!

Zupas Garden Chowder
8 SERVINGS 

PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 30 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 tablespoon butter (I use Brummel & Brown yogurt spread)
• 2 medium zucchini, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1 teaspoon basil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 cup water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 can Rotel diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can low fat evaporated milk
• 1 can corn
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, plus extra for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a 5 Qt pan (or larger) sauté zucchini, onion, parsley and basil in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender. 
2. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Gradually add in water. 
3. Add the bouillon cubes and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for roughly 2 minutes until it starts to thicken. 
4. Add tomatoes, corn, and milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes, or until corn is tender. 
5. Before serving, add in Parmesan and cheddar cheese. 
6. Garnish with a little extra cheddar cheese and eat up! 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 cup serving   171 calories   10g fat   15g carbs    14g protein    10g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from tasteofhome.com