Baked Cauliflower "Mac" and Cheese (Keto)

 

You won't miss the "mac" in this delicious cauliflower mac and cheese!  I love this version because of the Greek yogurt.  It gives this a wonderfully creamy texture, not to mention the health benefits.  Between the cauliflower and Greek yogurt, this is an excellent source of vitamins A and B12, calcium, potassium, iodine, protein, fiber, and probiotics.  

Easy Homemade Yogurt - Instant Pot (Cold Start)

I'm here to profess my undying love for my Instant Pot.  I've made so many wonderful things with it, and it's hard to choose what has been my favorite so far.  Chicken that literally falls off the bone, pot roast that melts in your mouth, healthy bone broth, hearty soups, amazingly creamy yogurt... the list goes on and on.

Who knew homemade yogurt could be so easy and tasty to make!?  With the Instant Pot, there's no need to go through the tedious steps of heating the yogurt to 180, cooling it to 115 degrees, etc.  This is a cold start recipe, meaning you simply dump the cold ingredients into the pot, cover it, use the yogurt setting, and then chill it in the refrigerator!  I won't be using store-bought yogurt anymore!  I love the fact that I can control exactly what I put into my yogurt!

Zuppa Toscana (Instant Pot Recipe)

On Friday, I'll be 30 weeks pregnant!  There is 14 years' difference between my little sous chef and our little... oh!  I just realized that I never announced the baby's gender!  We're having a...

Baked Cheesy Pesto Chicken

In a few days, I'm going to hit the halfway point of my pregnancy, and I have been having some serious cravings!  Mostly good things like apples and grapes... some not-so-good things like chocolate milkshakes and fries.  Another weakness of mine recently has been pesto.  I could seriously slather that stuff on anything!  I decided to make a baked pesto chicken for dinner tonight and add some cheese and tomato freshly picked from my garden.  Oh, my goodness, was this fantastic!  If you're a pesto lover, this is a must make!  

Easy Homemade Ramen

Well, it's official:  After a lot of prayer, we've decided to start homeschooling my little sous chef starting the next school year!  I'm both excited and nervous for this new adventure we're about to embark upon.  Seventh grade is no joke, and I've been spending countless hours researching curriculum, obsessing over state laws, etc.  One of my plans is to get her cooking more with me in the kitchen during the week, and hopefully I'll be able to incorporate more of her into my blog posts!  As anyone else, I know we'll have good days and bad days, and I am preparing myself for the laughter, tears, victory, and frustration.  Bring it!  

Now on to the recipe.  I had some leftover pulled pork that I had to use up for dinner this weekend, and I decided to use it in Ramen.  This homemade version is so easy and much healthier than the stuff we used to live off of in college!  The broth is so flavorful and delicious, and I know you'll  love the addition of the soft-boiled egg.  

Roasted Pork Tenderloin in Balsamic-Rosemary Marinade

It took me a while, but I finally figured it out.  I now have a specific spot in my house set up that is intended solely for food blogging!  Since we've moved, I've been taking photos in my bay window, which makes it extremely difficult to get a good picture when the sun goes down before dinner.  Now I have my lighting and everything set up to where I don't have to rely on the time/position of the sun!  Even though artificial lighting isn't as desirable as natural, I'll take whatever I can get during the months of winter!  Happy days!

One of my favorite meals to make is pork tenderloin.  It's easy enough to make for a weeknight meal but good enough to serve to company.  Searing the pork gives it a lovely crust that locks in flavor, and roasting it to an internal temperature of 140 degrees and then allowing it to rest will result in fork-tender deliciousness!  I served mine with a side of quinoa and peas.

Skinny Chicken & Shrimp with Quinoa and Vegetables

No interesting story behind this dish -- just another weeknight meal that I'd like to share.  It earned an "excellent" rating from my family.  It's healthy, delicious, and you'll find yourself coming back for more... and more!  

Spicy Honey-Glazed Salmon... and a New Member of the Family!

I'm a little late.  Tomorrow is March, and I'm just now sharing my first post of the New Year.  While 2015 was very eventful for us, 2016 seems to be giving it a run for its money.  I was laid off from my job of nearly ten years, which was sad in itself and wasn't the best timing in the world considering we had just bought our new house.  Thankfully, I was blessed to be able to quickly find a new job that I love, and I'm still able to work out of my home!  We also just recently decided to adopt a puppy.  "Duggy" is a Jack Chi (Jack Russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix).  He's happy, full of energy, and extremely smart.  We've had him for one month, and he can already sit, stay, fetch, bang-bang (play dead), and shake!  Potty training is another story, however.  Serves us right for getting a puppy in mid-winter!

Turkey and Pumpkin Chili

I've had my house decorated for Christmas since the first week in November.  If you think I'm crazy, that's okay - so do my friends and family.  I've just been so excited to spend our first Christmas in our new house!  I did exercise some restraint by not plugging in my outdoor lights until after Thanksgiving.  Now that Thanksgiving is over, I can finally let my inner Christmas freak out!  It's been amazing experiencing all of these "firsts" in our new home.  We have so much to be thankful for.  

After our Thanksgiving feast, we had a good amount of leftover turkey.  While I do enjoy a cold turkey sandwich, I'm always excited to come up with new ways to use it.  After cleaning out our gutters (one of the not-so-fun "firsts") yesterday in the cold, I found myself craving a hot bowl of chili.  I decided to use the turkey in the chili and add some pumpkin and sage.  It was so good!  The pumpkin and sage added a delicious depth of flavor.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars with Almonds

These granola bars are a much better alternative to the processed stuff in a box.  They're easy to make, delightfully chewy, and seriously delicious.  My daughter goes nuts over them, and I frequently catch her sneaking into the kitchen to get "just one more bite".   

Roasted Garden Vegetable & Sausage Ratatouille

When we bought our new house in the end of May, I knew that time was of the essence, so I hurriedly planted a vegetable garden.  I also started a compost pile, which is finally turning into beautiful, rich soil.  Other than dealing with Canada thistles (help!), we have naturally healthy, rock-free soil here.  I can't wait to see how well my garden does when I add compost to it!  If your garden is bursting at the seams like mine is, this is a delicious and healthy way to use up those summer veggies.  Sausage and a splash sherry add beautiful depth of flavor to this ratatouille.  Because I didn't have time to start bell pepper seeds indoors, I sadly went without them this year.  If you have them, thinly sliced bell pepper is a tasty addition to this dish.  

Hasselback Chicken Cordon Bleu

Since we're still in the process of getting established in our new home, I've been sticking to quick-and-easy meals for dinner.  Hasselback chicken is a concept that I came up with after getting very frustrated with all the butterflying, pounding, rolling, stuffing, and fastening of chicken breasts for stuffed chicken.  It's seriously easy to make.  My favorite thing about it is that you can easily control the chicken-to-other-ingredients ratio.  The first time I tried it, I made a Cajun chicken with pepper jack cheese and spinach, and it was amazing.  Check it out here.  This time, I had some leftover deli ham that I had to use up, so I decided to make a Cordon bleu.  The results?  My family raved over it. 

Speaking of our new home, we're making progress!  Unpacking has had its ups and downs, but we've been getting through it at a pretty steady pace.  Just 37 a few more boxes to go through in the basement, and we'll be all settled in!  Along with a new house comes the excitement of exploring new local destinations.  I have 4 grocery stores (that I'm aware of so far) within 1 mile of my house, which will make it much easier for me to shop sales.  I also still haven't had the time to set up a food blogging station, so, once again, these photos were taken at my bay window.

Quinoa & Chicken Fried "Rice" -- and the reason for my hiatus

What's with my two-and-a-half month hiatus from food blogging?  I've had a very good reason.  We just bought and moved into a new house!  I'm surprised at how quickly this place has felt like home to us.  It is taking me some time, however, to adjust to a new kitchen.  I still haven't had time to set up a food blogging station at my new house, so I ended up taking this photo on the windowsill of my bay window.  Not too bad!  I'm so happy that I can finally food blog again.  I've missed it! 

Even though we're settled in, there are still boxes that haven't been unpacked yet.  Last night, we were craving Chinese food for dinner, so I started gathering ingredients to make fried rice.  I couldn't find my rice anywhere, so I decided to use quinoa instead.  I love how quinoa takes on the flavor of whatever ingredients you cook with it.  Easy to make, delicious and healthy! 

Skinny Tuscan Chicken over Summer Squash "Noodles"

Unseasonably cold weather got you down?  This lightened-up Tuscan chicken is sure to incite thoughts of spring!  It's light, healthy, and full of flavor but without all the carbs.  Boiled summer squash is used in place of pasta and paired with a delicious, creamy, veggie-packed topping spooned over juicy, herbed chicken. 

Busy Weeknight Shrimp & Rice Noodle Stir Fry with Peas

Wednesdays have turned out to be quite the busy day for us this year.  Once school lets out for the day, it's Girls on the Run until 5:00 followed by a mad rush to finish homework.  We then prepare & eat dinner all before dance practice from 6:30 to 8:00.  This is one of my favorite meals for busy week nights.  While soaking the noodles in hot water, the rest of the ingredients are prepped and then sauteed in a skillet.  It's fast and easy, and it tastes delicious!

Note:  I always keep a 2 lb. bag of frozen raw easy peel shrimp in my freezer.  To quickly thaw the shrimp out, place however much shrimp your recipe calls for in a Ziplock bag.  Submerge the shrimp in a large pot of warm water for about 20 minutes, depending on the size of your shrimp.  

Pan-Fried Cod with Farro Salad in Champagne Vinaigrette

My husband and I celebrated 11 years of marriage this past Valentine's Day!  We look forward to a romantic getaway every year, but once the celebrating is over, we come to the grim realization that we have to endure the long, bitter winter that just seems to go on and on... and on and on... like a bad run-on sentence.  You know it's brutal out when the school districts are closed because of the low temperatures.  The frigid weather sends me into complete hibernation mode, and all I want to do is bundle up all day with a hot cup of tea.  I'm happy to report that I've already gained my usual 5-pound winter weight, and I justify it by telling myself that the only practical thing to do is embrace the extra layer of insulation.  It takes everything in me to muster up motivation for exercise this time of year.  My daydreams have ever increasingly consisted of playing tennis under the hot son, or running on the trail next to my little sous chef.  

Speaking of running, I enrolled my daughter in Girls on the Run!  It's a program that "inspires girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running."  Once it's completed, she and I will run our first 5K together!  More about that another time.

Because my exercise routine is rather unstable this time of year, eating healthy is a must.  Once a week, I incorporate fish into our meal rotation, and I'm always looking for different ways to present it to my family.  I've been experimenting with farro recently, and I decided to pair the two for dinner.  Farro is a wonderfully chewy and hearty grain that has a delicious nutty flavor.  It holds up well in soups and stews, and is a great substitute for pasta.  Farro is high in fiber, a rich source of vitamins B and E, and can stimulate your immune system and lower cholesterol.

This farro salad is dressed in a delicious champagne vinaigrette and seasoned with thyme, parsley, and rosemary.  A touch of freshly squeezed orange juice is added to brighten up the flavor.  Fresh tomato and artichoke are tossed in along with some minced onion for a little crunch factor.  This is a delicious salad that's hearty, healthy, and full of flavor.  It can can be enjoyed warm or cold.  I can't wait to use farro in my Tuscan Soup next time!    

Vegetarian Cauliflower Fried "Rice"

We're expected to get about a foot of snow between today and tomorrow!  Since my little sous chef and I were snowed in today and I was able to finish work early, I decided to venture into the kitchen and try something different.  I've been noticing cauliflower being used in place of rice in recipes, and I've wanted to try it for myself for quite some time now.  Today was the day.  I was definitely skeptical at first, but now that I've tried it, I'm a believer.  When seasoned properly, you really can't taste a difference between the two!  This is a delicious, healthy, and satisfying version of fried "rice" that's both low in calories and low in carbs.  It can also be made in under 30 minutes!  

Homemade Almond Milk (Step-By-Step Instructions)

Making your own almond milk is so easy!  You just need to plan ahead for it.  It's raw, lactose-free, unprocessed, and healthy.  It's also creamy and delicious!  Simply soak the almonds in water for 12 hours, drain them, and then process the almonds in the blender with fresh water.  You can also add other ingredients such as vanilla, cinnamon and honey.  It's so easy!  

Note:  Homemade almond milk lasts covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.  Use the best quality almonds that you can find for the best results.  Hot water makes the almond milk more creamy.  Also, the longer you soak the almonds, the more creamy your results will be.  

Skinny Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds, Blueberries & Bananas

My little sous chef was home sick yesterday with a yucky cold.  The only thing that she wanted to eat all day was oatmeal.  I get it.  It's comforting, it's tasty, and it warms the soul.  There are also so many wonderful health benefits to eating oats, and I have been trying to incorporate them more into my diet.  

Overnight oats have become one of my favorite things to look forward to in the morning.  When I stumbled across Skinny Taste's skinny version, I knew I had to try them immediately.  The oats are soaked in milk overnight in the fridge along with chia seeds and fruit.  When you wake up the next morning, you have a delicious, creamy, and healthy breakfast to enjoy before starting your day.  Give it a try!  If you decide you're not a fan of cold oatmeal, you could always just heat it up.  

Notes:  If you don't like chia seeds, you can leave them out and add an extra 1/4 cup of oats.  The general rule of thumb is equal parts liquid to oats.  Also, I don't typically add the honey called for in the ingredients because the blueberries and banana add just the right amount of sweetness for me, but you can certainly use any of your favorite sweeteners such as agave nectar, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc.  Enjoy!  

Superfood Quinoa & Three-Bean Chili (Vegetarian)

Oh, to be a kid again and wake up to find you have a two-hour delay from school!  When I was a kid, winter was my favorite time of year, and everything seemed to be magically followed by a hot cup of cocoa.  Now?  Not so much.  Right now, you could ice skate on my driveway, my car is covered in ice, the air hurts my face, and I really don't want to know what my electric heat is doing to my electric bill.  It's days like these that I am so thankful I work out of home.  After about the second week of January, I'm daydreaming about spring.  

Enough with the negative talk.  One of my favorite things about winter is all of the hearty soups and stews that we get to enjoy.  Now that it's the New Year, my husband and I have resolved to eat healthier than we did in 2014.  For dinner last night, I decided to make chili sans meat.  Instead of beef, I used quinoa and three different types of beans to make it healthy and hearty.  This chili is packed with flavor and rich in protein and fiber, so it will fill you up faster and keep you satisfied longer.  My non-vegetarian husband loved it and said he didn't miss the meat at all.  Score!