Featured

Protein Packed Mini Pancake Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup flour (I used organic AP, but you can definitely substitute whole wheat or another flour)
  • 2 TBS vanilla protein powder
  • 1 TBS baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 cup milk or milk alternative (I used oatmilk)
  • 1 large banana, diced or smashed
  • 2 TBS melted vegan butter

Directions:

  1. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl.
  2. Spray muffin tins. This is important so you can get them out with breaking them.
  3. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Check them by poking the center with a toothpick. Mine baked for 20 minutes total.
  4. Pop out and enjoy! I like to store them in plastic wrap for up to 5 days.

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Featured

Allergy-Friendly Toddler Trail Mix

Ingredients:

  • 8 cups Dry cereal, such as Cheerios (regular Cheerios are nut free), chex, etc.
  • 1 cup Rolled Oats
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 2 TBS Coconut Oil
  • 2 TBS Coconut Sugar
  • Other mix-in’s (add after baking) Feel free to add any of these or come up with your own ideas!
    • Dried cranberries, blueberries, raisins, other fruit
    • Sprinkles
    • Chocolate chips
    • Nuts (if your kiddo is okay with them, also big enough and able to eat them)
    • Pepitas, sunflower seeds, etc.
    • Yogurt or chocolate covered raisins

Directions:

  1. Mix together all ingredients, except the ones that might melt in the oven.
  2. Bake mixture in low-temp oven, such as 200 degrees F, for about 15 minutes. Check to ensure it’s drying out and not “baking,” stirring occasionally.
  3. Bake until it’s reached your desired “doneness” – mine baked for about 20 minutes total. Let cool totally and mix in other goodies!
  4. Enjoy!

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Clean Breakfast Quinoa Bowl

The ways you can make this recipe are absolutely never-ending! We love variety around here so it’s a keep of a dinner idea in our house. Bonus points because the kids will eat a lot of it!

Keep it classic with garlic and onion flavors or give it an asian spin by using Chinese Five Spice seasoning + sriracha. So many things you can do! I love to use a splash of balsamic glaze on lots of roasted veggies, it’s my fav! The cool thing about this is that you should use whatever things you love, and leave out what you don’t. It’ll turn out great!

Ingredients:

  • Quinoa or quinoa/brown rice mix (amount will vary depending on your preference, but we use one box of quinoa/brown rice mix for two adult portions)
  • Vegetables of choice to roast, we like:
    • sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
    • onion, sliced
    • carrots
    • brussels sprouts
    • mushrooms
  • Fresh Avocado
  • Chopped and cooked bacon, turkey bacon, or salami
  • Cilantro
  • Protein of choice, we have loved:
    • pulled chicken (like from a rotisserie chicken) pulled pork, steak, shrimp, fried tofu – Or skip the meat and load up on the veggies!
  • Our homemade dressing (We use this for everythinggg, mix in a jar and shake! So easy to make. Taste as you add ingredients to the jar… we never measure this)
    • Avocado oil or olive oil
    • Apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
    • Sugar or coconut sugar
    • Lemon juice
    • Garlic Powder (fresh garlic is even better)
    • Onion Powder
    • Salt + Pepper
  • Goat Cheese, feta, or other soft cheese
  • Extras: Artichoke Dip, Queso, Hummus, etc.

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat all vegetables in avocado or olive oil and seasonings of choice (sprinkle mine with salt+pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and balsamic glaze).
  2. Place all veggies in one layer on cookie sheet. Roast for 10 minutes. Stir veggies around and roast for another 10 minutes. Cook veggies until you reach desired doneness. I usually roast for around 40 minutes.
  3. Build your bowl. We use a shallow, but wide style bowl. Quinoa and/or rice goes in first and then put everything else on top.  Top with smaller things like cilantro. Mix together if you like.
  4. Enjoy!

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Coconut Oil Rice Krispie Treats

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Coconut oil

2 TBS plant butter (I like the Country Crock made with Avocado Oil)

8 cups Rice Krispie cereal

Large bag of Mini Marshmallows

1. In extra-large saucepan melt plant butter over low heat. Add coconut oil. Add marshmallows. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG’S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until totally coated.

3. Press mixture into a pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Cut into squares or bars. Enjoy!

Clean Protein Chocolate Chip Cookies

As close to the real thing as you can get! Much better for you and much “cleaner!”

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour (AP or whole wheat)

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

3 packets stevia

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together your coconut oil, butter, honey, stevia, and egg.

Add protein powder, flour, baking soda, salt, mixing until combined. Add chocolate chips. Don’t over mix!

Scoop onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I use a small dough scoop for the perfect size. These cookies probably won’t hold together if they’re too large.

Bake for 9-10 minutes.

Enjoy!

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Bomb Bean-less Chili

Beans are great. They’re high in protein and fiber, they take on pretty much any savory flavor, they offer lots of vitamins, and they taste pretty good by themselves. But please, don’t put beans in my chili.

Don’t get me wrong. There is a time and place for chili with beans. I wasn’t raised in a bean-less chili home. I sometimes just want a bowl of my mom’s chili and cornbread. It’s nothing personal, I’m just not always up for the extra gas, okay? So when this mama is cooking, you better not expect beans.

Okay, anyway, here’s my recipe for CHILI WITH NO BEANS. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. Make this recipe your own with toppings! Our favorites are shredded cheese, cilantro, lime, sour cream, and avocado. If you’re a major garlic fan, throw a teaspoon of chopped garlic on top.

Ingredients
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (I use 90/10)
  • 1 can stewed tomatoes, Italian style
  • 1 can petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 container beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, add both cans of tomatoes (not drained) and beef broth. Cook over low-med heat, stir occasionally for 10-20 minutes.
  2. Saute ground beef in a pan, just until it starts to brown. Add to tomato mixture.
  3. Add vinegar and brown sugar.
  4. Make a slurry with the cornstarch and a few tablespoons of the chili mixture. Add to pot of chili.
  5. Turn heat down to low and cook for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. Cook longer for even more flavor.
  6. Serve over/with cornbread or by itself. Don’t forget the toppings!

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Over Heavenly Mashed Potatoes

Hope y’all are ready for some filling, warm, and carb-loaded Fall recipes. I’ve got more to share and this is just the first of it! We’ve been making this about once a week throughout the summer (because who doesn’t love BBQ in the summer) and it’s easy for me to make since being pregnant and SO. DANG. TIRED.

You can totally do your own spin on this recipe by switching the barbecue sauces out for your personal fav, adding different flavorings to the mashed potatoes, etc. The thing I recommend you do, if anything, is serve the pulled pork (or chicken, or beef, whateva) with the mashed potatoes and let all the delicious, sweet sauce sink into your mashed potatoes. Add any other vegetable side or salad and you’ve got a really affordable dinner that feeds at least a family of 4 for under $10!

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs Marinated Pork Tenderloin (we prefer a peppercorn marinade)
  • Half a bottle (or around 10 oz.) Barbecue sauce
  • 2 TBS Olive Oil
  • 3 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 6 large Golden Potatoes
  • Half stick of Butter (or more for your personal taste)
  • 1/4 cup Cream Cheese
  • Salt + Pepper

Directions:

  • Set slow cooker to low for 6 hours.
  • Put olive oil in slow cooker and add pork tenderloin.
  • Add barbecue and let cook. Flip the meat a few times during the cook time if you are able to.
  • Boil large pot of salted water.
  • Peel potatoes and cut them into large cubes (about 2″x2″).
  • Cook potatoes in boiling water for about 12 minutes. Drain potatoes.
  • In a large bowl, mash potatoes with butter, cream cheese, salt and pepper. Add any other ingredients you may want to flavor the potatoes with (cheese, bacon bits, chives, sour cream, extra salt + pepper, etc.).
  • Shred meat with two forks, it should fall apart very easily.
  • Serve mashed potatoes under desired amount of meat and sauce.

Hope y’all enjoy! 🙂

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Caramelized Onion Meatloaf (Healthy and a New Spin on a Traditional Meatloaf!)

I roast carrots and cabbage “steaks,” but you could do anything you want, as all veggies pair well with this meatloaf. Another favorite is roasted brussels sprouts with walnuts!

I recommend allowing yourself about 2 hours before serving to get everything caramelized and roasted properly without rushing!

* Watch me (Youtube video) make this recipe HERE!

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs ground beef (if you like more “meaty” of a meatloaf, use 2 lbs)
  • 1 sweet onion, sliced as thinly as possible
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 TBS butter or olive oil
  • 1 TBS tomato paste
  • 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 2 tsps yellow mustard
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp all-spice seasoning or any blend of your favorites (I used Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute)
  • 1 TBS balsamic glaze
  • 1 egg (2 if you like your meatloaf to be more firm and held together)
  • 1/4 cup italian breadcrumbs

Directions:

  1. Start by caramelizing your onions. Add butter and/or oil to your pan, turn on medium-low. Add sliced onions. Add a pinch of salt, give a quick stir to coat the onions, and leave it alone for a bit. I usually take about 30-45 minutes to do this, stirring a few times to turn the onions over.
  2. Make sauce mix that will go on top of the meatloaf, as well as inside. In a bowl, mix tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, yellow mustard, pinch of salt, pinch of pepper, all-spice or seasoning blend, balsamic glaze. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, scramble your egg. Add breadcrumbs. Whisk together. Add ground beef and mix until combined by hand. Don’t overmix!
  4. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Ensure your meat is cooked in the center and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
  5. Roast whatever veggies you want on the side or serve with a salad.
  6. Enjoy!

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Easy Blueberry Scones That Won’t Disappoint

If you love scones that are on the sweet side, verging on muffin territory, you will love my new blueberry scone recipe. Easy easy easy to make and you probably have everything on hand!

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 stick (½ cup) cold butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
½ cup whole milk
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen, towel dried
A couple tablespoons Turbinado or raw sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a stand mixer (my preference) or a hand mixer, stir dry ingredients together slowly. Add butter cubes. Mixture should turn into a crumbly type of mix. Add the milk, then the egg. The batter will be thick. Add the blueberries and gently fold into batter.
Flour your work surface. I like to use a piece of parchment paper with light flour on top. Make sure you flour your hands! Put dough on the work surface and press dough down. You can make your scones as rustic/free form as you like, but I prefer to make a large rectangle, about 1.5 inches thick. I cut the rectangle into 4 quadrants and then into triangles from there.
Place on a cookie sheet, top with your desired amount of raw sugar, and bake for 20 minutes.

Hope you enjoy!

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Compound Butter 3 Ways

View my YouTube tutorial of these recipes here! 🙂

What you’ll need:

I used 5 sticks of butter and divided them into three to create 3 different kinds of compound butter for Thanksgiving. These make an amazing gift to bring along to the holidays. The sweet flavors can be used on rolls, biscuits, toast, cinnamon rolls, and so much more. Savory compound butter is amazing on a nice crusty bread, served as an appetizer with crackers, or used to flavor meat. Keep on Reading!