Easy Vegetarian Indian Meal

Bag trader joe's frozen edamame

3 cloves garlic chopped

Bag cooked lentils

Can diced tomatoes

1 tsp. cumin

2 shakes of each: 

cayenne powder, ground ginger, tumeric

1/2 can of condensed milk

Bag brown & wild rice trader joe's

Salt/pepper

Can chicken or vegetable broth

Boil bag of lentils to heat

In another pan cook 2/3 of chopped garlic on olive or coconut oil. After about a minute, add can of tomatoes & condensed milk. Add seasonings, drain lentils & add to tomato mixture. Simmer until thickened. Season with salt/pepper.

In small pan sauté rest of garlic in olive or coconut oil, then add edamame, salt & pepper. Cook until softened, adding broth to pan as cooking. 

Take naan out of bag (frozen trader joe's), bake 400 degrees about 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted. 

Serve with rice or stir rice into lentil stew. Serve with naan. Enjoy! Healthy vegetarian meal.

Note:  Tumeric, ginger & cayenne are known for cancer fighting properties. Benefit!!!!

Fruit & Nut Salad

A nice light summer breakfast or snack & my kiddo's loved it! Cut up strawbereries, peaches, granny smith apples, throw in a handful of blueberries & a handful of cashews, then top with shaved dark chocolate! Healthy, fresh & delish!

I made a different variation for my daughter with almonds instead of cashews & sprinkled with cinnamon. You could also add different fruits to your liking, mix with granola, pistachios, oatmeal, yogurt, coconut, whatever your hearts delight!

July Flowers

My hubby & I love planting flowers that come up every year! I especially can't wait to see the hydrangea grow larger & flower more. Hydrangea's make the most beautiful flowers to put in vases in the house or outside on a deck. Geraniums are great because they last all summer & into the fall if you pick off the dead flowers. I put different flowers in the flowerboxes near the front door every year. Ahhh....summer~!

 

Purple flowers Galore!

Roasted Garlic/Vegetable, Feta, Olive pasta

I cut the top off some garlic, cut up some eggplant & zucchini (sliced fairly thin), Tossed in different colored cherry tomatoes & coated with olive oil, seasoned with salt/pepper. Then roast 400 degrees for about 1/2 hour, or until veggies are cooked to your liking.

You can save some of the eggplant & zucchini to put on a baguette roll or crusty bread tomorrow with some goat cheese for a delicious gourmet roast veggie sandwich!

While veggies are roasting, cook some whole wheat fettucini, linguine, spagetti or angel hair. When done, drain the pasta, coat with flavored oil (I used truffle), season with salt & pepper & toss in the rest of the roast vegetables. I then toss in a jar of pitted kalamata olives & some feta cheese to taste.

My daughter said it was delicious!!! My whole family liked it. I served it with whole wheat crusty bread/butter & some chicken on the side. Enjoy this healthy, tasty meal and best part...you can use some of the roast veggies from the meal for a delicious sandwich the next day!

Birds in a Wreath

I made a wreath for my front porch last fall & my hubby noticed a few weeks ago a nest with newly hatched baby birds. Sharing some pics of them, aren't they sweet?

Growing up!

Healthy snack kids love

I cut up strawberries & put in bags in the fridge & made a dip which is pretty healthy/light & the kids love it! I put the dip in small containers so they can grab with the bags of strawberries for school or an after school snack.

Dip:

1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 cup truvia
1 block light cream cheese
1 cup+ Greek non-fat plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend with blender until fully mixed & enjoy with fruit!

Spanish Tortilla-scramble

My daughter traveled to Spain last summer. She loved it, but didn't exactly love the food. She's a vegetarian & said they ate mainly fish. She did; however, love the Spanish Tortilla that they served all over Spain. When she was home, we looked up the recipe & made it for the family one night. Everyone really likes this, even my hubby! It's super quick, healthy & delicious. Not sure if it's exactly how they do in Spain, but pretty close.

If you want a quick, yummy meal, here it is:

8 potatoes scrubbed & sliced
1 onion chopped
olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
6 eggs
Salt & pepper

Cook onion & potatoes in olive oil (generous) until tender. When tender, add eggs (scrambled in bowl) to pan & turn, cook until eggs are done. Serve with Salad (we love Kens Italian dressing as further seasoning). Enjoy ~

Save a dog

Healthy Breakfast smoothie

Found a great recipe for a filling & healthy breakfast smoothie & realized you could tweak it to your or your children's liking. My kids love this & how healthy, filled with vitamins & fiber?

I added:

1/4 cup quick cook oats
1 tbsp honey
a handful of chopped almonds
1tbsp wheatgerm
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 ripe banana
A few scoops of plain nonfat greek yogurt
8 frozen strawberries (instead of ice)

Blend in blender & serve!

You can also add/substitute other type of fruit: mango's, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, etc.

Use milk instead of coconut milk, or almond milk.

I sometimes add protein powder, chia seeds, flaxseeds, truvia (instead of honey),  

How quick & healthy for breakfast or a snack. Here's my son enjoying it for breakfast:

The BEST Stuffing recipe!

1 Loaf Challah Bread broken up & toasted
1/2 bag pepperidge farm seasoned stuffing (blue bag)
1 onion finely chopped
1 box chicken broth
2 celery stalks chopped
1 carrot peeled & chopped finely
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh herbs to taste such as: rosemary, thyme, sage (chopped)
salt/pepper
2 eggs scrambled
Butter - 1 stick

Break up & toast in the oven on a sheet pan the challah bread (only use a little of the crust)
Put the chopped carrots, onion & celery in a pan with 1/2 stick of butter & cook until tender. Season towards end with chopped herbs & salt/pepper.
Scramble up the eggs in a small bowl.
Put the toasted Challah bread, 1/2 bag of stuffing, cooked onion mixture, egg, shredded cheese in bowl. Toss with enough chicken broth to make the mixture slightly wet.
Put the mixture into a baking dish, bake at 350 degrees until toasted & crunchy on top!
Fragrant, easy & delicious!

You can add if you like: chopped roasted chestnuts, chopped cranberries, chopped & cooked pancetta, etc. ! ENJOY~

Great motivational video - don't give up!

Healthy Blueberry Coconut Macadamia Muffins

 

These Are so delicious & healthy to boot! I thought this would be a great idea for the kids for breakfast with fruit, to pop in their lunch boxes, or as an after school snack! Hope you enjoy!

*adapted from Eating Well

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

2 tbsp plus 3/4 cup all purpose flour, divided

2 tbsp plus 1/2 cup brown sugar, divided

5 tbsp. chopped macadamia nuts, divided

2 tbsp. canola oil, divided

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 large egg

1 egg white

1 cup nonfat buttermilk

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp vanilla or coconut milk

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Spray 12 cup mini muffin pan with baking spray.

Combine coconut, 2 tbsp all purpose flour, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp macadamia nuts in small bowl. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil, stir & set aside.

Whisk 3/4 cup all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, egg, egg white, buttermilk, butter & extract in large bowl until combined. Make a well in the center & pour ingredients from small bowl in. Mix until just mixed & ad blueberries. 

Bake until the muffins are golden brown & a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool 10 minutes & serve with some butter!

Quick & fresh dinner!

Angel hair with garlic, basil & tomatoes, croissants with ham & swiss & chickpea salad:

This dinner you can literally just throw together. These are ingredients you already have on hand.

Angel hair pasta
cherry tomatoes halved
2 garlic cloves chopped
salt/pepper to taste
olive oil
parmesan cheese
chopped fresh basil leaves

Cook angel hair according to directions & toss with desired amounts of above ingredients.
Serve with ham & cheese croissants. Simply cut pieces of ham & cheese & roll up in a refrigerated croissant. Cook on baking sheet at 350 degrees until browned on top. My family LOVED these & how quick & simple!!!

I served these with a chickpea salad. Easy using the same ingredients as in the pasta, just toss with some canned chickpea beans.

Chickpeas
Basil chopped
garlic clove chopped
cherry tomatoes halved
mini cucumbers cut into penny sizes
vinegar to taste
olive oil to taste
dash of honey
salt & pepper to taste

So quick to throw this all together!!! I didn't put measurements because you can just toss what you have together, wallah the quick & easy part. Just an idea for a fresh & quick dinner that everyone, including kids love! Enjoy~

Homemade Cranberry sauce

Cranberry sauce is so easy to make & SOOOOoooo much better homemade than store bought! You can add your own touches, apples, nectarine zest, orange zest, ginger, whatever flavor you think will go nicely with the meal you're preparing. Here's my favorite version of cranberry sauce, perfect for the holidays coming up! Hope you enjoy!

1 bag cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp brandy
1 cup cabernet or other red wine
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Allspice
a pinch of nectarine or orange zest

Put in sauce pan, bring to a boil & then simmer on low until berries pop & sauce mixes together. Put in refrigerator to chill, then serve when needed. Can double or triple the batch for a large gathering. Great to make ahead also.

Another version is instead of brandy & 1 cup of red wine, instead use 3/4 cup red wine & 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp. orange juice. Both versions are delicious & beat store brands any day! 

Please watch this, will be worth it, promise! Beautiful ~

The Best Pot Roast Recipe ever!

1 Beef such as Brisket, Rump Roast, etc.
2 large onions
6-8 carrots, peeled & cut
1-3 parsnips, peeled & cut
4 potatoes, peeled & cut
2 garlic cloves
1/2 bottle dark beer (optional)
1 can beef broth
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 packet lipton beef/onion seasoning (soup mix)
salt/pepper/olive oil

Add ins:
Turnips, package of mini onions with cream sauce (I had in fridge) I love adding mushrooms to this, but didn't have this time!

Brown roast on all sides in pan of olive oil, season with salt/pepper first. Keep in pan (roasting pan with lid). Add cut vegetables all around. Sprinkle with lipton soup, scoop cream of mushroom soup over & pour broth & beer (1/2 bottle) all over. Put in oven & cook at 350 degrees for about 3-4 hours, until tender! Simple as that & delicious! You can add to the gravy it makes on it's own by adding more broth, water, etc.

One of my favorite family Photo's

5 years ago, Wells Beach, Maine! My husband's family reunion, his sister comes up every 4-5 years or so, she lives across the Country in Washington State. His family takes a lot of pictures when they're together, so we got in on the action! LOL!

Cheap wall decor

I had a wall & it is pretty large. I didn't want to hang a little picture on it, or spend a fortune & get posters, paintings or frames. Decided, since the room is a bit country, I'd make my own design!

I had some twill that I hung across the wall. I bought at a craft store some cheap stars & spray painted them black. I then bought some tiny, cute birdhouses (which were on sale for like 20 cents!!!) & alternated them across the twill. I love the look! It may give you some ideas, it was so inexpensive, and used materials I can use for other projects, like spray paint & twill. It also covered the whole wall & is a little different than a poster, picture or painting. Ties the rest of the room in nicely. Sorry picture is blurry, but you get the idea:

Plant containers

Plant Container Re-Do! I had a table of plants, many from my Grandma who has since passed away. I didn't want to get rid of them, but the area was a bit of an eyesore. I had mis-matched pots & straggly plants. It came to me they would look better in uniform containers, in a design. I bought cheap clay pots, all the same size, except 1 slightly larger. A green paint that matches the decor in my room & black spray paint. I sprayed the pots, lightly (rustic look) & painted a green rim around the largest pot. Then I arranged the smaller pots all around the largest one, in a bit of a design. They looks so much better now! Sorry I don't have before picture, but this really makes the plant area, which is special to me, more uniform & streamline, not clutter, but adding to the design of the room.

Lunch Box Ideas

My daughter is a vegetarian, she HATES the school lunches because, well, for a vegetarian it's either pizza, pizza again, or, um....pizza! Not many choices & how quickly would one get sick of that? Also, not very healthy day after day. She was THRILLED with this lunch I made her & saves time in the morning. If your child is not a vegetarian you could add meat in the mix if you wish. I'm going to try & post more as I make them this year. Feel free to share your lunchbox ideas also!

Pictured above: Mini bagel/peanut butter, cut up peach, cheese & crackers.

Above: Almonds, mandarin oranges, orzo salad with mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, dressing & seasonings.

Above: PBJ sandwich, cukes & light ranch dip!

Above: Peanut butter crackers, chocolate almonds, light ranch dip with peapods, cheese stick cup up, carrots

Veggie Bean soup

This soup is so delicious, my daughter LOVED it & called it "gourmet" lol! It was very easy to make, and the BEST part is that it's healthy!!!!!

1 can beans like cannellini drained & rinsed
few handfuls of kale, rinsed
1 box of chicken broth & 1 can of broth
1 small onion diced
2 celery stalks diced
2 carrots diced
2 garlic cloves diced
1 can garlic & olive oil diced tomatoes
ditalini pasta 2-3 cups (or other pasta of choice)
1 potato peeled & chopped
1 loaf of rustic bread
thyme, rosemary seasoning, salt/pepper

Chop the veggies & saute in olive oil, season with salt/pepper, herbs. Add can of tomatoes, beans & chicken broth & cook until blended, warm & vegetables are cooked to liking. Add Kale & pasta & cook until pasta is done. Put in bowl, top with fresh shredded parmesan cheese, a sprinkling of cracked pepper & serve with slice of rustic bread.

Enjoy this hearty, healthy & delicious soup!

Quick Pasta dinner

Any type of pasta you prefer. I used fettucine.
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
shaved parmesan cheese
salt/pepper
Kale leaves

Boil pasta, when almost done, add kale to the boiling water. While that is cooking, chop 2 garlic cloves. When pasta/Kale is done, toss with olive oil, add chopped garlic, season with salt/pepper & top with shaved parmesan! This is SO quick & easy! My kids even ate the kale!!!! If you're looking for an extremely quick dinner, this is it! You could use spinach if you don't have kale, add sausages if you'd like some meat.

Goat cheese Tart

1 package goat cheese
Fresh Thyme
Salt/pepper
puff pastry dough
Cherry tomatoes
(could use orange AND red to make it fancy)
Pesto 1 tsp.
2 onions

Bring goat cheese to room temperature. In bowl mix goat cheese and pesto until soft & spreadable. Lay puff pastry dough out onto sheet pan. Cut onions and saute in olive oil until carmelized, about 20 minutes. Spread goat cheese mixture onto puff pastry, gently, leaving a small rim all around edges. Top with Carmelized onions. Cut cherry tomatoes in half & spread evenly over top. Season with salt/pepper and fresh thyme. Cook 350 degree oven until pastry is golden, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into serving size pieces & plate.

Lemon Rosemary chicken

For this meal I made Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Lemon pappardelle Pasta & side of roasted sweet potato & garlic. My family loved it, it was light, healthy & kind of fancy!

Trader Joe's Lemon Pepper Pappardelle Pasta - 1 bag
1/2 bag plain pappardelle pasta
1 Lemon
Balsamic vinegar
Wegman's Lemon Pepper chicken breasts
2 Sweet Potatoes
1 twig rosemary
salt/pepper
Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Fresh Chives

This recipe I took some shortcuts. I was pretty proud though, had very little time, was running to a baseball game, yet made an elegant, healthy meal in no time! Other parents were ordering pizza. Think ahead, have ingredients on hand & you can whip this up quickly!

Peel the Sweet potato & cut into cubes. Toss with 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper & some chopped rosemary & Roast in oven 400 degrees for about 1 hour (usually less), until golden brown.

Meanwhile, Cook Lemon chicken in grill pan. Put olive oil in pan to prevent sticking. Squeeze lemon juice over chicken as it's cooking & sprinkle rosemary sprigs, chopped over chicken also. I keep de-glazing the pan with white wine and chicken broth (I had a box in fridge). When chicken is done, browned on both sides, I cut chives over to garnish.

While the sweet potatoes/garlic & chicken are cooking, I boil the lemon pepper pappardelle with 1/2 bag of plain pappardelle. You could use all lemon pepper, but I thought that would be a little overpowering for the kids.

Plate the pasta, put chicken on top & some of the pan gravy (drippings/wine) & side of sweet potato with a clove of roasted garlic. Serve with a glass of the wine you used to deglaze the pan with. Delish! Enjoy! Easy, quick, healthy AND elegant.

Roasted Cauliflower

This is a delicious & healthy side dish. Even the kids loved it! Cut up 1 cauliflower, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary & maybe some thyme, you can also roast with cut onions and/or garlic. Roast in oven 400 degrees until lightly browned. When browned, remove from oven & toss with a little balsamic vinegar, Italian dressing & fresh shaved parmesan cheese, clip some fresh chives over as garnish & for additional flavor. Quick, healthy & YUM! Enjoy!

Eggplant, tomato & Feta

Cut an eggplant into round slices. Put on paper towel & salt. Let stand so some of the water comes out of the eggplant. Grill eggplant to brown on both sides in pan, season with salt/pepper. Spray baking dish with cooking spray & put grilled eggplant slices along the bottom of the pan.

In food processor, blend either basil or pesto with olive oil & a garlic clove. Spread this mixture onto eggplant. Top with sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle feta atop the eggplant/tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle with salt/pepper. Bake 350degrees until lightly browned. DELICIOUS on salad, as side dish, or on top of pasta. Refreshing, you could also garnish with basil strips.

I don't have the best camera to display how beautiful & delicious this was, but trust me, it was DELISH!!! Enjoy!

Cardboard Scenery

My sisters Recital scenery! Cardboard & duct tape!

Think about it:

Roast pork loin with delicious gravy

1 pork loin & season in fridge for a few hours with:

2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
Squeeze of honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Salt/pepper
Fresh chopped parsley

When ready to cook, Put olive oil in pan & brown on both sides. Reserve marinade on the side for later. Put in oven & roast 350 degree for 1 1/2 hours, or until cooked thoroughly. When done, remove from oven & let rest. In pan you browned meat, heat pan over med to medium high heat. Pour chicken broth in bottom to deglaze pan & pull up meat drippings. Add a few splashes of white wine. Season with salt & pepper & pour any additional pan drippings from oven roast into this mixture. Heat & wisk this mixture until blended. Add 2 tbsp. of butter & continue wisking. You can add a little cornstarch if you want a thicker gravy. I added 3 bacon strips crushes up to this. Pour this gravy mixture over the pork roast & serve!

Colorful Pasta

3 Cloves Garlic
1/4 cup almonds
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 roasted pepper
2 basil leaves
1/3 cup cream
10 cherry tomatoes (cup in half)
Handful of spinach
salt/pepper to taste

Boil pasta of your choice (penne) according to package instructions. In food processor grind together: garlic cloves, basil leaves, almonds (or pinenuts), roasted pepper. Cook vegetables in large pan with olive oil. When pasta is done, drain in colander & add to vegetable mixture, stir. Toss in spinach, add cream, stir. Toss in cherry tomatoes, spinach & season with salt & pepper, parmesan cheese. When serving, shred additional parmesan cheese over the top. You can serve with grilled chicken!