Stuffed Portobellos

Anything with goat cheese catches my eye, so when I stumbled upon this recipe of stuffed portobellos I knew that I had to try it. Yummmm is all I can say. It was super easy, tasty and delicious. Bryan and I enjoy eating a good vegetarian meal at least one night a week at our house. This one filled us up and left us very satisfied.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Roasted Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

4 Portobello mushrooms, about 4" across

3 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. finely chopped shallot (optional)

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

 4 ounces of plain goat cheese

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoons fresh chopped chives

1 recipe of oven roasted tomatoes 

(I use the roasted tomatoes from the fresh pizza section at Whole Foods.)

Directions:

If you have not made the oven roasted tomatoes go ahead and make them first. They take just a few minutes of prep time and 20-25 minutes in the oven. I frequently cook with the roasted tomatoes at Whole Foods. They came in quite handy for this dish. All you have to do is chop them and they are ready to go.

While the tomatoes are roasting, clean the mushrooms by gently wiping the outside of the caps with a damp paper towel or brushing any dirt off with a soft brush. Next, pop out the stems by pushing them from side to side until the snap out. Scrape the gills out with a spoon until the underside is mostly clean. Place them on a baking sheet lined with foil.

Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, shallot and garlic. Brush mushroom caps inside and out with the olive oil mixture (or plain olive oil). Broil the mushrooms 3-5 minutes until they are hot and the edges are starting to brown. They will start to release moisture and get juicy.

 Mix together the goat cheese, tomatoes and herbs. If your mushrooms are as large as mine were, you might want to consider making more of the stuffing. I like mine overflowing with deliciousness.

 Stuff the mushrooms and bake at 375 degrees for about 12 minutes.

Serve them with a side salad for a healthy meal. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be. These babies are so delish, I guarantee you are going to want to run to the store, pick up all of the ingredients and make them for dinner tonight. 

{Healthy} Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Back a few weeks ago when all of you normal people were baking red velvet cupcakes and heart shaped cookies, I was being strange and baking pumpkin chocolate chip bread. You all know how I go nuts over pumpkins in the fall, and I couldn't satisfy my craving for something chocolatey and pumpkin. I could have gotten in my car and driven about two miles to a local bread company, but I had the morning off work and decided to try and come up with a healthy version myself. Not until I had devoured a muffin that I had posted on Instagram, did I realize that others might want the recipe. Click went the camera for this one picture.

Is this truly healthy? I don't know, especially when you stuff your face since it is so delish. I substituted the oil with unsweetened applesauce and the pudding with Greek yogurt. That makes it much more healthy in my mind.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread / Muffins

Ingredients: 
2 cups sugar (next time I'm going to try honey or agave)
2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
4 large egg whites
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (I guessed with both of these spices and adjusted)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Directions: 
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture, stirring just until moist. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans on a wire rack, and remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

*I halved this recipe and it made 6 muffins and one loaf. The muffins didn't take as long to cook--I started checking after 30 min.

Spinach + Orzo Soup

There is something about the cooler fall weather that makes me want to make soup after soup after soup. I have cooked more soup in the last month than I have in the past six months. This spinach and orzo soup has been one of my favorites. It is healthy, filling, and this recipe makes a ton. I ended up freezing two quart-size bags for later.

 

 

Spinach + Orzo Soup

 

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen, defrosted
1 – 15 oz can diced Italian tomatoes (with oregano and basil)
1 lb package orzo pasta
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
2 quarts water
olive oil

 

Directions:

Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of a stock pot. Add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add canned tomatoes, spinach, chicken or vegetable stock and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium.

Add orzo cook and cook for 12-15 minutes, or until orzo is tender.

 

I topped it with cheese and served it with garlic bread. Enjoy!



Baked Pumpkin French Toast

 

Lately I've been pinning and making tons of pumpkin recipes--everything from pumpkin lattes to baked pumpkin oatmeal for breakfast. This recipe for pumpkin french toast is by far the best that I have cooked. I'm still trying to get my pantry in order and one of the things that I haven't purchased is syrup. How can you eat french toast without syrup? Well...I drizzled a little extra butter and sprinkled a little extra brown sugar on top right before serving and it was pure perfection!

 

 

Baked Pumpkin French Toast

 

Ingredients:

3 1/2 – 4 1/2 cups 1-inch bread cubes

7 eggs

2 cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

3-4 Tbsp. brown sugar for topping

walnuts for topping

 

Directions:

1. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Place in a 9×13 lightly greased baking dish.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and pumpkin butter until well combined. Pour over bread and push down with a spoon or your hands until it’s all soaked and mostly covered. Let it sit until the bread absorbs all of the egg mixture. Optional: It works well if you let it refrigerate overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, uncover and top with brown sugar and nuts. Bake for 35-45 minutes or golden brown and no longer wet.

4. Serve immediately with maple syrup, honey or agave nectar.

 

 

Gnocchi With Squash and Kale

This recipe is one of my recent pins on Pinterest. I have to say, I am rarely disappointed in what I cook from the recipes I find on there. This was the first time I cooked kale and gnocchi and I was pleasantly pleased with the outcome. The original recipe comes from here, but I made a few changes.

 

 

Gnocchi With Squash and Kale

 

Ingredients:

extra virgin olive oil

1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh sage

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

1 bunch kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)

1 17.5-ounce package potato gnocchi

3/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese (I used swiss)

 

Directions:

In a large, ovenproof skillet heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add the squash and cook, stirring, until slightly soft and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt; cook until the garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Add the chicken broth to the skillet. When it starts to simmer, stir in the kale and cook until it wilts slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the gnocchi, stirring to coat. Cover and cook until the gnocchi are just tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in 1/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese; transfer to the broiler and cook until golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

 



Fall Snack

I often find myself needing a little bite of something to eat, but not wanting to take the time to make something. This pumpkin seed snack is the perfect combination of salty and sweet, healthy and satisfying. It is beyond easy to whip up. Store it in an air-tight container on your counter for easy access for a handful or two.

 

Pumpkin Seed Snack Mix

 

1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds, roasted

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/2 cup dried dates, chopped

1/2 cup unsalted almonds

1/2 cup chocolate morsels

 

 

This is how easy it is, folks. You take 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin seeds and 1/2 cup measurements of everything else.

 

 

And then mix them together.

 

 

Dirty dishes? Hardly. A good snack? Of course!

 

 

Easy Breakfast

This is seriously one of the easiest, healthiest breakfasts that can be thrown together. Why is it so easy? Make it the night before and forget about it. Eat it or grab it on the way out of the house the next morning. Why is it healthy? Well, it just is.

{Overnight} Oatmeal in a Jar

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

1 Tbsp. chia seeds

agave syrup

fresh fruit

milk

{a mason jar}

Directions:

1. Add the oats and chia seeds to the mason jar.

2. Add any type of fresh fruit your heart desires. {peaches, strawberries, bananas}

3. Drizzle on a little agave syrup.

4. Top it off with fresh milk and then shake.

5. Let it sit overnight in the fridge and enjoy it the next morning. Voila! No reason you can't have a healthy easy breakfast!



Asparagus + Corn Salad

Nothing is better in the summer than a chilled salad or vegetable toss. Green bean salad is one of my favorites, but using asparagus in this dish adds a little variety to your typical salads. It is a wonderful summer side dish.

Ingredients:

3 ears corn, shucked

2 bunches asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs {cilantro, basil, parsley}

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. agave nectar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil. Shuck the corn and trim the asparagus.

2. Add the shucked corn to the boiling water and boil for about 5 minutes, until it starts to turn bright yellow. Remove the corn and set aside to cool. In the same water, add the cut asparagus and boil for about 2 minutes. Remove the asparagus and set aside to cool. {Place both in a colander and run with cold water to stop the cooking process.}

3. While the veggies are cooling, whisk together in a small bowl the herbs, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, agave, salt and pepper.

4. Once the corn is cooled, cut the kernels with a sharp knife.

5. Add the asparagus and dressing, then toss to thoroughly coat the veggies. Chill until ready to serve. This can be made up to two days ahead of time.

*When the pictures were taken I only make half of the normal recipe.



Blackberry Sweet Tea

It came to my attention recently that I have not posted how to make the perfect Southern Sweet Tea, which seems to be quite terrible considering "Sweet Tea" is part of my blog title. In my opinion, there is no such thing at too much sugar in my tea. I like it nice and sweet {which is the only way to drink it}. It is key not to let your tea bags steep too long or it will leave your tea bitter. Lipton is my brand of choice, but everyone has their own personal preference.

Southern Sweet Tea

3 cups water

2 family-size tea bags

3/4 cup sugar

7 cups cold water

1. Bring 3 cups cold water to a boil in a saucepan; add tea bags. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Cover and steep 10 minutes.

2. Discard tea bags. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Pour into a 1 gallon container and add 7 cups of cold water. Serve over ice.

............................

There are many different variations of tea, blackberry being on of my favorites. This recipe is absolute perfection!

Blackberry Sweet Tea

3 cups fresh blackberries

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint

pinch of baking soda

4 cups boiling water

2 family-size tea bags

2 1/2 cups cold water

1. Combine blackberries and sugar in a large container; crush with a wooden spoon; stir in mint and baking soda.

2. Pour 4 cups boiling water over tea bags; cover and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags.

3. Pour tea over blackberry mixture; let stand at room temperature 1 hour. Pour tea through a wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, discarding solids. Add 2 1/2 cups cold water, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and chill 1 hour. Garnish, if desired, with blackberries or mint.

A Good Night

Last night dinner with our friends, Brittany and Tyler, was wonderful. They will have been married two weeks this coming Sunday and it was our first time to get to hang out together, apart from our small group on Wednesday night. Brittany made the perfect concoction of sangria in her pretty new "M" drink dispenser.

One of the best things about getting married is all the gifts that are bestowed upon you. Bryan and Tyler tried out all of the new grill tools and toys. If you don't have a grill pan, you should really look into purchasing one.

Bryan was the sucker who got caught by a liquor store taste-testing the other day and purchased this wine. It went nicely with the steaks and we will be getting it again.

This was by far the best meal I have eaten in a while--steak, grilled veggies and tomato, peach and goat cheese salad. The weather was perfect for an outside dinner on the back patio.

Brittany and I have so many things in common and always have a wonderful time together. I am very thankful to call her my friend!

After purchasing fresh, homegrown produce yesterday I immediately wanted to make something with peaches. This salad is the perfect addition to any summer meal.

Tomato, Peach and Goat Cheese Salad

2 ripe peaches, sliced

4 heirloom tomatoes, sliced

1-2 raw corn on the cob, kernels removed

4 ounces goat cheese

10 basil leaves, chiffonade

1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

salt

pepper

1. Arrange peaches, tomatoes and corn on a platter.

2. Distribute the cheese even across the top.

3. Sprinkle basil over the salad.

4. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar across the top.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*Due to the very ripe peaches I purchased, it was much easier for me to chop the fruit and veggies and toss in the vinegar.

Healthy Snacks

Let's be honest, we all get hungry between meals. It does absolutely no good to sit and listen to your tummy growl just because you don't want to eat anything until your next planned meal. If you are trying to be healthy, there are tons of options of things you can eat without having to eat something with lots of salt, sugar or fat.

Get the smallest size of plastic baggies and split up fruit, veggies, nuts, raisins and other nutritious things you might like to enjoy for a snack. Take these with you to work, keep them in your purse or even your child's diaper bag. {Obviously I wouldn't leave fruit or veggies in a bag unless they are going to be eaten soon.}

via

Steer clear of foods with lots of simple carbohydrates (sugars) like candy bars or soda. Look for foods that contain complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and cereals and combine them with protein-rich snacks such as peanut butter or low-fat yogurt or cheese.

via

Make your own healthy trail mix. This is easy to keep in a sealed container on your counter or in your pantry. Grab a handful and drink a glass of water. Just don't have too many handfuls.

via

This cashew-strawberry crunch is a gourmet version of an adult peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

A perfect snack for summer is fruit dipped in Greek yogurt and then frozen. After it hardens, put them all together in a plastic bag so you can take them out a few at a time.

via

Have you tried kale chips? Of course they aren't like normal chips, but they are very healthy and have a little crunch to them. Daph posted a recipe a few weeks ago, too.

Check out these other links for other ideas for healthy snacking.

30 Healthy Picks
Healthy Kid Snacks
Healthy Toddler Snacks
88 Snacks Under 100 Calories
77 Healthy Snacks

Weekend Part 2 + Margaritas

The second half of the weekend was spent with our adopted family at the lake. RL {the dad} has recently decided to make it a running joke to deem what transpires as "blog worthy" or not. Something funny would happen and he would say, "Oh that's certainly blog worthy." My lovely Maui Jim t-shirt Hawaiian print koozie was proclaimed "blog worthy." The list could go on and on.

This is one of my favorite pics of the weekend. All except for the part where Bryan decided to put a hand on my head!! Why he did that, I do not know.

{Adam, Laura, me, Bryan}

My two favorite bikers-hippies-pirates.

My poor hubby was recovering from a sunburn last weekend and a slight one from working outside on Saturday morning/afternoon before the wedding. 

The kid is good at whatever she does. Here she is at the beginning of a jump.

Cathy {the mom} has a friend who makes the best margaritas that originally come from a restaurant in Dallas. She got the recipe and let me tell you, they are delish. Bryan decided to take over the making of them and he did a fine job. {Most certainly "blog worthy".}

I didn't get a good shot of the margaritas, but you get the idea. You can make them frozen or on the rocks.

Damn Good Margaritas

{I kid you not, this is the name.}

1 can frozen limeade (use empty can to measure)

1/2-3/4 can Herradura Tequila

1/4 can Cointreau

1/4 can Grand Marnier

Blend and add ice as needed or serve the frozen mixture over ice to enjoy on the rocks. 

Make sure to salt the rim and use fresh limes. Squeeze extra juice over the top of each margarita.

Banana-Chocolate French Toast

This weekend I drove from one end of the state to the other and then back home. Laura aka "the kid" played in the state soccer finals in Fayetteville on the University of Arkansas campus on Friday night. Having never played soccer before this season, Laura was recruited to be the goalie by the coach at the beginning of the year. As I've said before, Laura doesn't do anything without excelling at it, and this position is no different--she is an awesome goalie. Her team lost the game, but they played their hearts out and I could not have been more proud of them.

..........

I recently made some banana-chocolate french toast for breakfast because I had seen the recipe in Cooking Light. I know you're thinking that chocolate for breakfast cannot be healthy, but if used in the right way it actually is great. Y'all, this was an absolutely delish breakfast that is going to become a regular at our house.

Banana-Chocolate French Toast

1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 (1 1/2-ounce) slices whole-grain bread

4 1/2 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)

1 cup thinly sliced banana (about 8 ounces)

2 teaspoons canola oil

1/2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a shallow dish.

2. Spread each of 3 bread slices with 1 1/2 tablespoons hazelnut-chocolate spread; arrange 1/3 cup banana slices over each bread slice. Top sandwiches with remaining 3 bread slices.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Working with 1 sandwich at a time, place into milk mixture, turning gently to coat both sides. Carefully place coated sandwiches into pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Cut each sandwich into 4 triangles. Sprinkle evenly with powdered sugar.

Healthy Eating

Eating healthy does not mean that you have to survive on bland, boring foods for your meals. There are so many wonderful cookbooks, websites and blogs that promote healthy eating. For those of you who are stuck in a rut and feel like you are out of options for knowing where to turn to for healthy and delicious meals, have no fear because I have compiled a list of my favorite resources to share.

Cooking Light is like my healthy cooking Bible. I have a monthly magazine subscription and pour through it immediately, turning pages and making lists of new things to try. If you have never cooked out of this magazine before I urge you to pick one up next time you visit the grocery store. There are lots of magazine sites where you can get a really good deal for a year's subscription. Another alternative is to buy the a Cooking Light cookbook. My Cooking Light Five Star Recipes is fantastic. If you don't want to make the commitment to either, at least visit their website. I guarantee you will find lots of things that are very tempting and delicious.  

 Gina's Skinny Recipes over at skinnytaste.com has an incredible amount of wonderful recipes. Each one has the health facts {calories, fat, etc.} and tells its Weight Watcher points. There has not been one recipe from Gina's site that has not been a hit in my home. Some of my all-time favorites come from here!

{Arugula Salmon Salad with Capers and Shaved Parmesan}

Another site that lists health information and counts Weight Watcher points is Eat Yourself Skinny. Kelly has gobs of fantastic healthy recipes, plus you get a little mixture of her life thrown in there, too--she is such a cutie!

{Asian Lettuce Wraps}

I first came across Family Fresh Cooking when I was in a slump about putting together healthy lunches for Bryan to take to work. Enter the Lunch Box Survival Kit. Moms, you are going to love this; Marla is going to become one of your favorite people. I have gotten lots of wonderful lunch ideas from her site.

{Survival Tips}

Marina may not give you a list of calories with each recipe she post, but what I love about this lady is her constant effort to cook fresh food not just for her family, but with her family on Yummy Mummy. Her two darling girls are shown helping her cook tasty meals throughout her blog. {In all seriousness, I want to be this incredible woman when I grow up--she is that amazing!}

 {Balsamic Strawberry Crostata}

These are just a few of the resources that I use on a frequent basis. Of course, Southern Living is my all-time tippy-top favorite and has healthy recipe sections. And I look forward to my Real Simple each month in the mail. It has lots of healthy recipes, as well as meals that are budget-friendly. What are some of your sources for healthy eating? I am always looking for new meals to cook and share!