Whole 30

June 4, 2015

Cauliflower Rice is very easy! You can pulse it yourself and make rice like I did above OR you can now buy cauliflower rice from Costco it's organic AND you get two bags for $3-4. It's amazing. Get some! Chop up and stir fry whatever veggies you like. I ususally do carrots, but I'll always throw whatever I have in there---bell peppers, frozen peas, broccoli, pineapple. Yum. I like a good chunk of chopped garlic and ginger with a dash or two or three of soy sauce (liquid aminos or tamari). Easy peasy!

SNACKS // healthiest, simplest, funnest snack around

July 31, 2014

For the 4th of July my mom made the cutest snacks--watermelon stars! So unexpected and fun! I've been meaning to post it and I figured even though I'm late, summer isn't over yet!!!! This cute idea would be perfect for any time of the year really: a fun breakfast addition or a kid's party or play date or just for FUN :) Good for adults too! :)

Directions: 1. // slice watermelon (or another kind of melon) into 1 in thick round slices 2. // press the cookie cutter into the round slice, carefully press out the shape 3. // discard the rind, eat the extra pieces! :)

You can find unique cookie cutters on etsy for cheap! Below are a few I thought were pretty cool. Also, I don't have kids, but I think any kid would love their name spelled out in watermelon letters, right?! Everyone loves seeing their own name :) :) Batman and lightning bolts are pretty sweet too!

cookie cutters via// cloud // batman // starfish // lightning bolt

Quick, Easy, & Perfectly Crispy Butternut Squash Fries

October 3, 2013

The Secret to Perfectly Crispy Butternut Squash Fries, 3 Easy Steps

There are a few easy steps to creating PERFECTLY crispy butternut squash fries! (You can also do these same steps for crispy sweet potatoe fries!) No one likes limp french fries. Here's the trick...

>>>> SLICE, BAKE then BROIL! <<<

I can't believe that last spring was my first time cooking butternut squash! It is so delicious and has become a staple in our diet. We love to cook it on the stove top with garlic, bake it in the oven then mash it up, make soup out of it, and slice it thin and make fries. Yum! This is our no fail recipe for perfect butternut squash fries, nice and crispy. I like to eat them with salsa, Grant likes to eat them with BBQ sauce and of course you can always use ketchup. Hope you get a chance to try it out this fall! They're delicious and squash is in season, so it's usually pretty cheap!

PREP TIME: 7minutes (slice, dice, toss!) COOK TIME: 25-30minutes BAKE + 5-7 min BROIL

INGREDIENTS 2 butternut squash 2 Tb. olive oil salt to garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, then put your squash in the microwave for 45sec--1min to soften the skin, making it easier to peel. Cut the ends off the squash and peel the skin off. I recommend this peeler. It has saved me so much time! Slice the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Then slice the rest up to resemble fries/wedges. For perfect technique check out this 48sec. Martha Stewart video on how to cut butternut squash.

2. Toss your fries with olive oil, add salt and lay out on a baking sheet.

3. Bake fries for 25-30minutes to cook the squash. Then turn your oven off and put the broiler on HIGH. Broil fries for 5-7minutes watching closely.This makes them nice and crispy! When they're as crispy as you like, pull them out. That's it, you're done! :) I don't bother flipping mine halfway through. Sometimes one side is more done than the other, but it doesn't make a difference at all. They are so good!!!

You can also sprinkle garlic salt on your fries or even cinnamon for a little sweetness.

P.S. A few more delicious fall recipes: pumpkin dough nuts & frittata pizza!

Superfood Frittata Pizza :: Kale, Onion, Sausage, Peppers and Broccoli ::

October 1, 2013

We planned to have this for Sunday brunch, but I didn't end up making it until the middle of the day, so it became dinner. Yum!! This was my first frittata and it was a hit! We both loved it. Last night I ate it with a little pesto on top and I also had it for breakfast this morning. :) Great protein punch and it's a perfect way to use up extra veggies that are close to going off. I always seem to have stray veggies that go bad. I'm trying to work on using them up, so they don't go to waste. Just chop what you have, add eggs, and bake! Here are the steps I followed:

PREHEAT OVEN: 350 degrees TOTAL COOK TIME: approx 40minutes (depends on how thick your frittata is) MY INGREDIENTS: >>> You can really use ANY veggies/protein that you want in your frittata. These are the ingredients that I used because I had them on hand. It was a good mix! 1 Turkey Kilbasa Sasuage (large link) 1 onion 1 green bell pepper 2 cups kale 1 1/2 c. broccoli florets 1 potato 15 eggs (my pan was huge!)

1 >> I sliced a potato that we had in our pantry using this mandolin and lined the bottom of the pan with the thin slices. *Optional, of course!

2>> I added a whole bunch of kale on top of the potatoes.

3>> After chopping up the sausage and veggies I added them on top of the kale + potatoes.

4>> Whisk the eggs and add in your spices. I initially only used 10 eggs and then had to continue to add more to cover all my veggies. The pan I used was huge, so I think I ended up using 15 eggs (11 eggs, 4 egg white). I also used the Williams Sonoma pizza spice mix (pictured below) to add some good flavor! The mix has the following ingredients: Garlic, sun-dried tomato, California chili, cayenne pepper flakes, onion, sea salt, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, black pepper.

5>> Pour eggs & spices over your veggies. Your eggs should cover all your veggies. Add more if you need to.

6>> Finally, bake your frittata for about 40minutes. Mine was really thick. I ended up broiling it for 7-8minutes at the end to finish cooking the center/top. You'll have to play around with the time depending on the size/thickness of your pan.

Like I said above, I ate my frittata slice with a bit of pesto on top! I was surprised how easy this meal came together. We'll probably have it for breakfast every day this week. That thing is a beast!! It's like 3 inches thick! haha. I'm sure you could make a frittata in a lasagna pan, too, or a ceramic baking dish. At some point I want to try it with butternut squash layered on the bottom, or sweet potatoes layered throughout and maybe add in a little cheese next time. Yes. Yum. Enjoy!!!