Matthew’s Birthday Party: Food Edition
Hello clean eaters! If you're new to MMM you may want to subscribe via RSS or email. All of my Clean Living Recipes will be sent straight to you free of charge. Thanks for visiting!As you know, Sunday was Matthew’s first birthday and we threw a small party for him. The following is the food that we served to our family that came from near and far to celebrate with us. Prepping the salad Organic english cucumber Removing the seeds Organic cucumber... Read More
Matthew’s Birth Story
In honor of Matthew’s first birthday, which was Sunday, I am reposting his birth story. I feel that when you are pregnant there is so much emphasis placed on the things that could go wrong rather than the joy and love of birth that I could do no harm by reposting the story of Matthew’ lovely birth, which went on without a hiccup. It was truly an amazing labor and birth that I hope will inspire any pregnant or soon-to-be pregnant mommas... Read More
For Matthew…
To my dearest Matthew for your first birthday. He (Jesus) called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2 Before you were born I thought that I understood what Jesus was was saying in this scripture; however, now I truly understand. Watching you day in and day out trusting, learning and... Read More
Mill City Farmer’s Market
Yesterday morning, we arose at the crack of dawn to make it to my favorite farmer’s market, the Mill City Farmer’s Market before Matthew’s morning nap. Enjoy these gorgeous photos courtesy of Mister Peters. The Guthrie Theatre Mill City Museum 7 grain bread Pea shoots Arugula + Mixed Greens Midmorning snack Where Allan and I plan to retire Stone Arch Bridge The milling industry is the reason... Read More
Happy Birthday, Matthew!
I just wanted to stop by and say hello. In exactly 26 minutes, Mister Matt will turn 1 year old… (actually he was born at 11:30 AM, so to be exact, in 11 hours and 56 minutes he will be 1 year old). Logistics aside, I am so excited to spend the day tomorrow with our family celebrating the little man’s birthday. I hope to check back in tomorrow night to share a little birthday post and possibly some photos from our trip to the Mill City... Read More
Pizza Night + Dough Ball Winner
Thanks again for all of your feedback! As you know, Friday night is pizza night around here and tonight was no exception. I usually use my KitchenAid Pro Mixer to make pizza dough, but since we are selling our house, my large mixer lost its spot on the counter and now resides in a closet in the upstairs bedroom. So, instead of hauling the mixer down to the kitchen, I pulled out my beloved food processor. I can’t believe that I have used the... Read More
Burger up!
Thank you so much for all of the wonderful comments that you left yesterday. I am so excited to take your feedback and use it to improve MMM. If you have not already, be sure to stop by yesterday’s post and enter to win a batch of my dough balls -trust me, they are amazing! Overall, it sounds like you are interested in hearing about what we eat, how we stay on budget every month and tips to staying organized. Yesterday, I gave you a peek into... Read More
Dough Balls for All!
One afternoon day per week Matthew and I spend quality time together in the kitchen prepping food for the week. I hate washing dished, but I love to cook and bake. So, to indulge my creative side and to minimize clean up I cook in large batches of similar items all in one afternoon. That way I can make all of the items one after another (or simultaneously) using similar ingredients and/or equipment. Saving me prep and clean-up time. Also, washing... Read More
I need YOU!
Maria Makes Muffins is almost a month old! Prior to starting MMM, I was casually blogging over at Simply Clean; however, after Allan’s injury, I lost my blogging mojo. Deep down I knew that I was happier when I was blogging, sharing my ideas and getting inspiration from others. So, I knew that when I began MMM I needed to make a commitment to myself and my readers to stick to it and post every day. When I first started I had so many ideas that... Read More
Congratulations, Melissa!
On Saturday, my younger sister, Melissa, graduated with honors from St. Thomas University. She was awarded a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. We are all very proud of her and wish her much luck in her future career with the IRS. Dad, Melissa, Me, Mom Following Melissa’s commencement, we met Allan and Matthew at Cossetta’s. Cossetta’s is a small, local italian eatery near Downtown St. Paul. They serve authentic... Read More
Food Journal: Monday, May 23
As promised in yesterday’s post, a couple days per week I would like to post everything that Matthew and I eat. Here is what we ate today: Breakfast Matthew ate rolled oats + ground flax + wheat germ + mango and breastmilk I had Water 2 Tb apple cider vinegar + water Rolled oats + ground flax + wheat germ + mango + strawberries + homemade coconut butter 3 egg whites + 1 egg scrambled Americano Second breakfast and lunch were eaten out... Read More
Dandelion Food Truck
Friday, on our anniversary, Allan invited Matthew and me on an impromptu lunch date to the Dandelion Kitchen food truck. So, Matthew and I took the light rail downtown. Matthew and I have heard a lot about the Dandelion Kitchen and were very excited to enjoy their lunch. From their website, Dandelion Kitchen is a Minneapolis-based gourmet food truck that focuses on bringing creative, hand-crafted dishes that highlight the bounty of the midwest.... Read More
Kingfield Farmer’s Market
This morning we awoke bright and early to the joyful sound of a hungry cat. We decided to get up, shower, eat breakfast and visit opening day at the Kingfield Farmer’s Market. The morning was clear, with a chance of rain. However, on our way to the garage it started to sprinkle. By the time that we arrived at the Farmer’s Market it was raining cats and dogs. But we were not going to let a little rain get in our way. First thing’s... Read More
What does it mean to eat clean?
Yesterday I posted about our reasons for living clean. Today I would like to explain what I mean when I say that we are clean eaters. Eating clean is a diet (definition: food and drink regularly provided or consumed, source) that focuses on eating as close to nature as possible. We strive to consume foods that are unspoiled, sustainably sourced and nutrient dense. The following is how we define clean eating: Eat 5-6 small meals per day, paying... Read More
Why Live Clean?
Matthew eating pesto As I was writing this post, sitting on the floor with Matthew. He stood up, using my shoulder and then he let go and stood up on his own for 10 seconds, then sat down. So exciting! Now he and Allan laughing and playing with blocks. The following is a post that I created for the mmm section of my blog, it can be found in the drop down and is titled Why Live Clean?. It is my reasoning for living clean. When I wrote this post, Allan... Read More
Happy Anniversary to the Love of my Life
Five years ago today I married the love of my life. Allan has loved me unconditionally through thick… and thin. We have been there for each other through the good and the bad. Every day that we are together is genuinely a gift from God. Having Allan in my life has brought me the most joy that I have ever experienced and the most pain that I have ever known. Two years ago when a terrible tragedy almost took Allan away from us, I vowed to... Read More
Rhubarb Breakfast Bake
Simply Rhubarb Our garden is overflowing with sweet and sour, ripe rhubarb. And from what I hear, that is the case across the Midwest. So, what should you do with your rhubarb bounty? Why make muffins, of course! My good friend, Laura, wrote to me asking for a rhubarb muffin recipe that was high in protein, but did not use protein powder. She wanted to be able to eat a muffin or two as a complete snack versus having to pair a high carb muffin with... Read More
BBQ Quesadillas
Yesterday was a crazy, hectic day! I hate running errands alone and feel like I spend so much of my time getting ready to get things done that I never get anything done! So, I am trying to pack all of my errands into one afternoon trip per week. That way I save time getting Matthew and I ready to leave and save money on gas, because I can align all of my stops so that they are near one another. So, yesterday we went to the bank to deposit my check... Read More
Asparagus Frittata
Lately we have been enjoying fresh, local asparagus by the bushel. Asparagus is hands down one of my favorite veggies and I look forward to its arrival each Spring. We picked up two pounds of asparagus at the Sunday Farmer’s Market and we spared no time to enjoy it. Matthew likes to nibble the small, tender stalks raw. Allan and I prefer ours lightly charred on the grill. A couple nights ago I made a version of my frittata with grilled... Read More
In Season
As you know, Allan and I visited the restaurant, In Season for the first time on Friday night. We had a wonderful time and would highly recommend this restaurant (reservations strongly recommended). I forgot the DSLR at home and contemplated not showing you these less than stellar iPhone photos; however, we had such an amazing experience and I really wanted to share it with you. It has been well over 18 months since we have ordered a bottle of wine... Read More
Mpls Farmer’s Market
This morning, Allan, Matthew and I went to the Minneapolis Farmer’s Market. This was our first trip to the Farmer’s Market this year. It was so much fun! Here a bunch of photos of our morning. First thing’s first. It was super windy, so I ordered an organic 2% cappuccino. Unfortunately, I burnt my tongue on the first sip and my taste buds have been haywire all day. Notice the performing artist behind me. He was super talented. We... Read More
Egg Salad
Hard boiled eggs are a staple in any clean eating kitchen. Eggs are an excellent source of easily digestible protein and essential fat (especially Omega 3 eggs). Some days I simply grab a couple eggs and am on my way out the door. Other days I crave creamy egg salad. Now, I am not talking about the overly mayonnaised, boring egg salad that you can pick up in the dairy case at the corner store. Quite the contrary, I crave a gourmet, flavorful egg... Read More
Feta Hummus
I love easy, nutritious and delicious recipes that my entire family will enjoy. Hummus is a food that has a fabulous, complex flavor for Allan and I along with a smear-able fun factor for Matthew. While I was shopping at the co-op, I sampled a chunky feta hummus and was instantly intrigued. However, I did not want to shell out the big bucks to purchase the small container of deli-made hummus. So, later that day I got to work on my own recipe. I served... Read More
Pizza Night
Today Matthew and I spent the afternoon cleaning for the two open houses and showing that are taking place this weekend. Since the weather warmed up, we have had a huge increase in showings and hope that coupled with this week’s price reduction will bring in the offers. Know anyone who is house shopping? Send them our way! It’s Friday, so you know what that means… pizza night! However, tonight we will not be dinning on pizza. My... Read More
Pumpkin Breakfast Bake
Hello there! It is another grey, rainy day here. However, it sounds like next week is going to be magnificent… sunny and mid-60s all week! Back to this week. After seeing Ashley’s Pumpkin Buckwheat Bake a couple weeks ago, I knew that I would have to try my hand at making one. So, on a gloomy, rainy night I set out to prep the ingredients for a Pumpkin Breakfast Bake of my own. The night before, I mixed together the dry ingredients... Read More
Microwave Protein Cake
I feel like I have been so busy that I can’t keep my head on straight. Sometimes I don’t know if I am coming or going. Juggling Matthew (naps, feeding, playtime), workouts (4-5 times per week), clean eating prep (quick start ingredient prep), selling the house (cleaning for showings), work (super busy!) and the blog (posting every day + theme/site tweaks) is really starting to take its toll on me. So, I have been trying to find ways that... Read More
Purple Pride Smoothie
Today was one of the first nice days that we have had yet this year. It is hot and steamy! This week I cut back to 20 hours and will stay there until Memorial Day, when I have my final cut back to 10 hours per week. I am so excited to spend more time with the little muffin! This morning Allan took Matthew to Grandma and Grandpa Peters’ house by bike (and Burley), while I went to work. During my lunch hour I had to swing by the house to stage... Read More
Blueberry Banana Tofu Muffins
I am excited to share my very first muffin recipe with you. This recipe for Banana Blueberry Tofu muffins was originally created for Matthew; they taste amazing, are nutrient dense, unsweetened, low in fat and are very moist. Matthew loves baked goods – muffins, bread, pancakes. He gobbles them up in a heart beat. Usually Matthew is an excellent eater. From the time that he began solids, he has always been extremely interested in food; however,... Read More
Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s day to all of the mothers, soon-to-be mothers, new mothers and grandmothers! I hope that you are enjoying your day. Matthew and I reading The Mommy Book Even though this is my first Mother’s Day with Matthew, I am finding it difficult to think of Mother’s Day as a special day for me. I would much rather focus on the other special women in our life… Grandmas. My mom, my sister, Matthew and I My mother-in-law,... Read More
Mother’s Day Frittata
If you haven’t picked up on it yet, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. I love waking up, showering and preparing breakfast for my family. Saturday mornings are always fair game… blueberry pancakes, sweet potato pancakes, baked oatmeal, french toast, waffles, eggs over easy, etc. However, for the last several years, our weekday breakfast has been reliable, bordering on boring: scrambled egg whites + 1 yolk a piece served with oatmeal... Read More
Pizza Night
Allan’s favorite food is pizza. If I agreed, we would eat pizza every day for every meal. To satisfy Allan’s cravings, Friday night is pizza night. Every couple months I make a big batch of whole wheat pizza crust and freeze it in single serving dough balls. Then on Friday mornings I simply pull a dough ball out of the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge. However, two weeks ago we ran out of pizza dough. I didn’t have time to make... Read More
Summer Sunshine
Yesterday I finished Stage 5 of New Rules of Lifting for Women. I cannot wait to start Stage 6, it is hands down my favorite stage of the series and I have been looking forward to it since I re-started NROL4W back in September. NROL4W recommends that for optimal muscle recovery, you take a week off from heavy lifting and organized exercise in between stages. However, I am way too excited to take an entire week off. So, on Monday I plan to start Stage... Read More
Skin a melon
Every Friday Matthew keeps me company while I grocery shop. In exchange for his witty banter, jokes and inquisitive glances he gets to pick out one fun item to bring home and enjoy. This item is usually a new-to-Matthew piece of produce that is visually appealing and baby-friendly. Matthew then gets to hold the item through the store, during which time he tries to eat it (one week he munched on a champagne mango, another week he bit a young thai... Read More
Bitten by the Baking Bug
This Sunday I was bitten by the baking bug. I must have dreamt about food, because I awoke with a gazzilion ideas for new recipes… blueberry zucchini tofu muffins, egg salad, chocolate strawberry breakfast bakes, blueberry buckwheat protein pancakes, the list goes on… Enter new recipe #1: Blueberry Buckwheat Protein Pancakes We were all pleasantly surprised that these pancakes were very light and fluffy, especially considering they... Read More
Hard Hat Required
Sorry for the downtime today. Mmm is now self-hosted. YAY! I am still working on my theme, so over the next few days you may notice several changes as I get everything situated and just right. I have more recipes and food photos than I have time to blog; however, that will all be changing very shortly… stop back tomorrow for a big announcement and more delicious food pics. Good night! Read More
Chili and Cornbread for a Crowd
Sunday is our family day. We wake up early and attend church as a family. Spending the morning worshiping God with Grandma and Grandpa Malcolm is always a lot of fun. Sunday is also the day that I make something fancy for dinner. Some weeks I make pork tenderloin with roasted veggies and apples, other weeks we enjoy grilled and glazed salmon with homemade pineapple chutney, then there are the days that I let a big ol’ pot of something delicious... Read More
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