Since we last spoke…
1. We now have a decorated Christmas Tree in our living room. I love visiting our local Bachman’s to pick out a Christmas tree. Last year we bought an overpriced Fraser Fir at Whole Foods. It was a near fiasco where Allan had to secure the tree to our car on his won using budget twine. Allan drove 15 mph the whole way home. Never again.
On the other hand, Bachman’s has a heated greenhouse filled with beautiful trees, super helpful employees who not only bag your tree, they also secure it to your car and their trees are prettier while costing less.
2. Matthew and I are enjoying our Advent Calendar. We are doing a combination of winter themed activities (paper snowflakes, singing/dancing to Christmas Carols, helping a family in need), special Holiday treats (baking cookies, baking bread, caramel corn) and special presents (Disney Cars 2 matchbox cars
3. It is a winter wonderland outside! On Saturday it snowed about 3 inches at our house. This is not the first time that it has snowed here, but I think that this snowfall is going to last, while the others melted within a few days.
4. Being that we are in the midst of the Holiday season, I am diligently trying to keep my diet super clean so that I can (guiltlessly) enjoy treats on the weekend (see #2). During the week I am striving to workout 3-4 days, drink lots of water and tea, eat a lean protein and a veggie or fruit at every meal, limit starchy carbs to breakfast/lunch/supper and favor veggies over fruits at lunch, snacks and supper. I do not want to gain weight over the holidays!
5. I have been eating lots of these delicious egg white muffins (see #4). The idea for this recipe was originally conjured up in the kitchen of my dear friend, Melissa. I changed it up a bit, but the idea remains the same…
Egg white muffins are an egg bake made portable. Simply pop three or four of these babies into your purse for easy on-the-go munching. I especially like this recipe because it is an easy way to pair a super lean protein source (egg whites) with tons of veggies – something that can be difficult to find when it comes to portable snacks and meals.
This recipe is very forgiving, as you can use any veggies that you have on hand. I happened to have red pepper, yellow zucchini, green onions and frozen broccoli. Simply use a combination of your favorite veggies and spices!
Egg While Muffins
A portable snack that is healthy and delicious. Enjoy three or four muffins with your breakfast or lunch or grab a few as a quick on-the-go snack option. These pair well with salsa or hummus and taste great on a salad or sandwich.
Makes 24 muffins
1/4 lb lean ground turkey breast, ground chicken breast, tempeh, turkey bacon or chicken breakfast sausage
4-5 cups chopped veggies (pepper, onion, green onion, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, butternut squash, spinach, etc.)
2 cups egg whites
2 eggs (or sub 1/3 cup additional egg whites)1-2 tsp hot sauce, optional
1/4 cup organic or unsweetened, unflavored nondairy milk
1/4 tsp dry mustard, optional
1/2 tsp Herbamare or spike seasoning
sea salt and pepper, to taste
Possible flavor variations:
Stuffing: 1 tsp poultry seasoning
Italian: 1 tsp italian seasoning
Preheat oven to 350˚. Line 24 muffin tins with silicon muffin liners
Mist a large skillet with oil. Cook ground meat or chicken sausage over medium heat until cooked through and no pink remains. Evenly distribute cooked meat into the prepared silicone muffin tins.
Mist the same skillet with oil. Add veggies and cook until tender. 5-7 minutes. Evenly distribute cooked veggies into the prepared silicone muffin tins with meat.
In a blender combine egg whites, eggs, milk and seasonings. Process until frothy. Evenly distribute egg white mixture over veggies/meat in the prepared silicone muffin tins.
Bake in a 350˚ oven for 18-22 minutes, until set.
Serve warm or refrigerate up to 5 days. I enjoy mine cold, right out of the fridge topped with hummus or salsa.
I love your photos in this post!
Thanks, honey.
yaay Maria made muffins! LOL
Yes. Yes, I did! 😉
I could not believe my eyes when you said one of those loaves was gluten free!!!!!! I immediately clicked on the link you had at the end of the post and CANNOT wait to make it. I am so excited!!!! Also, your header is beyond fabulous. I LOVE it. 🙂
The gluten free bread is beyond delicious. I sub bob’s red mill all purpose flour for the sorghum flour because it is cheaper and easier to get my hands on. I keep a mixing bowl of the dough in my fridge at all times. It also makes amazing pizza crust. The recipe says that you need to use a french oven to bake the bread, but I have been having great results baking it on a stone with a broiler pan of water beneath it, per the video of the recipe that is also on the same blog.