How are you today? I’m a bit tired from a busy weekend. On Friday night and Saturday morning I attended the MN Catholic Home Educators Conference at the University of St. Thomas. It was such a nice event and I’m so happy that I decided to go, even though we aren’t Catholic. Sarah Mackenzie was…
Applesauce
I am writing one handed while holding Joshua and rocking him to sleep, so this will not be a very wordy post. One of the things that we loved about our house when we first looked at it were the abundance of trees. Two of which are apple trees – one red and another green….
Plan To Eat
One of the ways that I save our family money and keep myself sane is by planning our meals. I usually make a list of what we have to use up in the fridge and use that along with our anticipated CSA share to plan for quick trips to the grocery store. Last year I…
Baked Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Casserole
Yesterday we talked about this pie. Unfortunately, I can’t share the recipe with you, because it is from The Balanced Plate cookbook. Although, I did alter the recipe quite a bit (to use gelatin and coconut flour), however, it needs additional testing before sharing with anyone beyond my family. For some reason the other night when…
Pumpkin Pie Porridge
Happy Veteran’s Day! Thank you to all of the men and women who have diligently served our country and risked their lives for us. We are all so very grateful for your service. God bless you! ——— It snowed yesterday! http://instagram.com/p/vOzowso-mR/?modal=true The boys enjoyed playing in the snow while I attempted to shovel the snow…
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Since the air grew colder and fresh produce has become more expensive in our neck of the woods, most mornings the boys and I enjoy a smoothie for our mid-morning snack. This time of the year I find that frozen fruit from Target and Costco is less expensive than fresh produce, and just as (or more)…
Pumpkin French Toast
A few weeks ago while Allan was traveling, Matthew asked if we could have something other than eggs for breakfast. See Matthew is a very smart boy. On the week days Allan makes breakfast for the family while I workout and get dressed for the day. Matthew knows that when daddy is making breakfast it…
Pumpkin Spice Latte
A friend of mine posted the following quote on Facebook today and I felt it was appropriate given the theme of this post: pumpkin. “No matter how urban our life, our bodies live by farming; we come from the earth and return to it, and so we live in agriculture as we live in flesh.”…
Toasted Coconut Chips
Back in March when we began our grain-free journey with a Whole30, I found myself doing a ton of research on paleo eating, specifically related to paleo snacks that my children and husband would enjoy. I knew that their normal snacks of granola bars and muffins were easily paleo-itized. But those snacks used pound after pound…
Snacktime
Good afternoon! I wanted to stop by and let you know that I have been busy over on Instagram sharing the snacks that my kids have been enjoying this week. Check out all of the posts by searching the hashtag #cleaneatingsnacks and #cleaneatinglunch. If you’d like more ideas for fabulous clean eating and whole foods…
Quinoa Protein Cereal
I posted this picture last week and got lots of requests for the recipe, so I thought I would pop in while the kids finish up their naps to share this very simple recipe that has become one of my go-to snacks. I love to top my Quinoa Protein Cereal with either fresh berries, banana…
Carob Raspberry Amazeballs
I was first introduced to amazeballs when I participated in the Fitnessista’s Winter Shape Up. I immediately fell in love with the ease of preparation, portability and fun flavor combinations. We are hooked! Every other week I make a batch (or two) as snacks for the whole family – with protein powder for Allan and…
Green Apple Pie Smoothies
Between our regular grocery trips, my in-laws trees and our CSA fruit share, we have an overabundance of apples. Of course I have been busy making crockpot applesauce any chance that I can get; however, our new favorite way to enjoy the fall harvest has been Green Apple Pie Smoothies. Matthew has been teething since…
Maple Strawberry Summer Salad
This was honestly one of the BEST sumer salads we have enjoyed in quite a while! Honestly, it was a completely impromptu, clean out the fridge kind of meal that took all of us by surprise. I love how unplanned meals can sometimes be the most delicious and rewarding. When planning dinner, I knew that…
Whole Wheat Maple Donuts
I had to stop in briefly this afternoon to tell you about the most amazing treat that I whipped up for bible study tomorrow morning. When I signed up for fellowship at bible study I immediately knew that I wanted to bring a healthy baked good. There were a few reasons for my decision: 1….
What’s for Dinner?
I was honored to find out that my recipe for BBQ Quesadillas was featured on Yummly yesterday in a line up of Cheesy Quesadillas. There are several deliciously tempting quesadilla recipes highlighted that you should definitely try! What on the menu tonight? We are having a quick veggie-filled frittata with freshly baked bread. Pregnancy cravings…
A Pancake A Day…
… may not keep the doctor away, but will definitely put a smile on your face. A few weeks ago while pinning, I saw a gorgeous photo of a german (aka puff) pancake. I immediately wanted one. However, I knew that if I was going to indulge in such a decadent breakfast everyone in our…
Easy Weeknight Meal: BBQ Shrimp Wraps
I know that life can get crazy. But I know that you still want to eat healthy even though you may only have 15 minutes to get dinner on the table. This is an easy weeknight meal that can double as a simple weekday lunch that your whole family is sure to love. This simple…
Four Things Friday + Giveaway
1. A couple weeks ago, I was sent a sample of Morrocco Method Styling Dragon Pomade. As you know, I tried the complete line of Morrocco Method shampoos and conditioners this summer, as I tried to go ‘poo-free. I was very saddened when their products didn’t work out for me at that time; however, I…
Weeknight Supper Tips
Good afternoon, Pinners! I would like to offer a warm welcome to all of the new readers that have found my blog via Pinterest. Over the last couple days that my recipe for Overnight Oats has gone viral on Pinterest. To all of the new readers, feel free pull up a chair, sip on some…
Banana Chai Muffins
I am still in love with Ashley’s chai spice blend. Yum! Every week I make a batch of clean and healthy snack muffins or cookies for Matthew to enjoy throughout the week. It’s an easy way for me to ensure that he is getting enough healthy fat, whole grains and fruits/veggies. Plus, I can pop…
Chai Spiced
Last week Ashley from the edible perspective posted a recipe for chai spice mix. I love chai spices and immediately ran to my spice rack and mixed up the spice blend. Upon first sniff, I immediately knew that it was a winning combination. I then got to work using it. We were running low on…
I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas…
“…yet not my will, but yours be done.” Luke 22:42 As Christmas nears I find myself getting more and more strapped for personal time. There are so many things that I would like to do, people I would like to visit and experiences I would like to enjoy with Matthew. However, it seems that there…
Five Things Monday + Recipe
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…
Sun Drenched
We are in the middle of full fledged Indian Summer and I am loving it. To think I turned on the heat a couple weeks ago and now they are forecasting highs near 90 tomorrow. Bring on the sunshine! Maybe the dozens of tomatoes that I still have on the vine will magically ripen overnight….
Family Favorites: Fruit + Nut Snack Bars
Today has been a crazy day that included trips to both Target and Whole Foods. I think I need a nap. It’s days like today that I need a healthy portable snack for both Matthew and I that does not require refrigeration and can be enjoyed while strolling the grocery store aisles. In the past…
Pumpkin Time
It has been quite the eventful week around here and it’s only Tuesday! Matthew and I have been checking things off our list left and right… including cleaning the house {finally!}, laundry {very exciting}, food prep {coconut butter, sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, larabars, pumpkin oatmeal protein bars, zucchini breakfast bakes, pumpkin pudding} and finally…
Kefir French Toast
According to our monthly meal plan for August, on Saturday morning we were supposed to have cinnamon rolls from Mama Pea’s new book. However, for the last week I had been craving french toast. So, our plans changed. Instead I thawed the last loaf of homemade cinnamon swirl bread overnight and we had french toast….
Make it Last
Lately I have been on a preservation kick. This week I picked up 3 lbs of organic cherries at Target for a little over $3 per pound! On Tuesday night, I hand pitted and froze all 7+ cups of them! I am so excited to have organic frozen cherries in the house, because I love…
Vegan Mocha Ice Cream
It feels like fall outside. The air is crisp and the sun is warm. I LOVE the fall! When the Godiva Coffee that I was sent as a part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program arrived, I knew exactly what I wanted to make with it – ice cream. My favorite hot weather, summertime treat is…
Fugget About It
Our breakfasts this week have been a collection of simple favorites that can be preprepped the night before and quickly assembled and/or cooked in the morning. eggs over easy rolled oats topped with bananas apple cider vinegar + water to detoxify and help to cure the small head cold that matthew shared with allan and…
Chocolate Cherry Truffle + Giveaway
Today is supposed to be the last day of the oppressive heat and humidity that we have been experiencing here in the upper midwest (and across the rest of the country!). I cannot wait for the storms to roll in and for the cooler, fall-like low-humidity seventies to arrive tomorrow. Matthew and I plan to…
Simple Supper
It’s late and Allan and I would like to rent a movie from iTunes before bed. So I am going to make this short and sweet. 🙂 We have been enjoying our time as a family this week and are sad to see the week nearing its end. It will be very weird to be back…
It’s Greek to Me
One of my very favorite summer recipes is this simple, yet elegant greek salad. I usually make a big batch of this salad on Monday morning and enjoy it for lunch all week long. I actually think that the salad gets better the longer it sits in the fridge – the mint flavor is more…
Facon Takedown
I first saw facon (aka tempeh bacon) on Peas and Thank You a couple months ago. At the time I didn’t think much of it; however, as I was making our meal plan for the month of July I decided to make baked eggs that usually include turkey bacon. However, I’m not a big fan…
Soak It Up
Over the weekend I finished Rachel Cosgrove’s The Female Body Breakthrough and was so excited to pick back up the heavy weights yesterday! I felt super energized after my workout and as the day grew to night I began to feel DOMS set in. I still don’t have a foam roller, but ordered this one this morning….
Dolce Vita
We had another glorious weekend filled with sunshine, family and amazing food! On Friday night Allan and I went on a date to Doolittle’s Woodfire Grill where we dined alfresco on amazing food including a cosmo for her and a mojito for him (my first vodka since having Matthew). We shared the mediterranean flatbread, mediterranean…
Cap’n Crunch Berry Oats
Last night Allan grilled up the most delicious supper that we have enjoyed in quite some time. Pork chops marinated in balsamic vinaigrette, grilled potatoes, grilled zucchini and grilled peaches all drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette. The star of the show was the grilled peach. They were so sweet and juicy! My in-laws have a ton…
Scrumdiddlyumptious
It’s not a secret that I love a good farmer’s market. Sometimes the highlight of my week is enjoying a cup of coffee while perusing the market with my boys. Can’t get much better than that! It probably doesn’t need to be mentioned (but I will anyways) that I love to cook with fresh, local,…
Oldie But Goodie: Little Darlin’ Stir It Up
I had this post ready to publish last night and we lost power. Darn heat wave. Sorry for the delay. — The other day while I was perusing the new Clean Eats and Exercise forum, I got to thinking about my Simply Clean blog. It’s such a shame that I left so much relevant and…
Hotter than the Dickens!
We arrived home late from Albert Lea and I knew that Matthew would be up early, so I prepped overnight oats. Allan’s has whole milk yogurt and 2% milk. Mine had homemade low-fat kefir and 2% milk. Served with a side of fresh farmer’s market musk melon. So refreshing on a HOT day! Starting Saturday,…
Peanut Perfection
For a the last couple months, I have been making the most creamy, dreamy, decadent peanut butter for Allan’s lunches. You would not believe how unbelievably delicious and sweet this fresh peanut butter is compared to the pre-packaged varieties. And even better yet – it’s cheaper than Skippy! So, here’s how it goes down in…
Beer, Tofu and Guacamole… Need I say more?
Today was a beautiful, mellow day. Perfect for a long walk to, around and back from Lake Nokomis, which, according to Google Maps, is 4.0 miles on the dot. It took us about an hour to complete our walk, as we made an extended pit stop at the swings along the water. Matthew and I…
Road Rash and Breakfast Bakes
For those of you who follow me on Twitter or are friends with me on Facebook, you most likely saw me live tweeting Allan’s 7 hour long visit to the HCMC ER last night. Allan was on his way home from work on a road that was repaved and graveled earlier that day. He took…
Boys in Blue
Since I began clean eating, I searched high and low for a scone recipe that was whole grain, low sugar and low fat while still keeping the thick, crunchy, cakey texture of my beloved coffee house baked goods. About year ago, Dani Spies posted a recipe for blueberry scones and I immediately made the recipe….
Two Spoons Are Better Than One
Lately Mister Matthew has been on a utensil kick. If he sees a fork or a spoon he must have it and use it to consume whatever masterpiece that I make for him. The other day he insisted upon feeding himself leek soup with a spork and a spoon. This was the resulting mess. Not…
Glazed Over
Doesn’t that look amazing?!? Definitely worth a double take! Usually we top our breakfast bakes with plain yogurt, peanut butter, coconut butter or fresh organic berries and bananas. A couple months ago when I made a pumpkin breakfast bake I started to think about other creative toppings. So, I whipped up the following super simple, clean…
Between the Sheets
Hello Pinners! I am so happy that you clicked through and found MMM. The following recipe for Overnight Oats is one of my favorite Spring and Summer breakfasts. Don’t want to add protein powder to your overnight oats or want to make a batch for your kids? I have an updated recipe here that is…
Chocolate Heaven
We have been on the run lately, so it was essential that I take half an hour and whip up a couple batches of various protein bars and snacks for grab-and-go snacks while in the car, running errands, or going to play dates. During the week , Matthew and I have been enjoying quality time…
Somebody Call 911!
Listen up! Put down your remote and head to the kitchen immediately (after reading this post) to prep this breakfast for tomorrow morning. You’re welcome ahead of time. Trust me, you will love me in the morning. We had a handful of extra organic cherries that needed to be used up and after seeing the…
Rhubarb Strawberry Sauce
Today was an amazing day filled with laughter, sunshine and family. I love afternoons spent talking, munching and playing in the sunshine with those that mean the most to me. It was glorious! Last night I was so excited to enjoy a Cooler 2 breakfast that I threw together this simple Rhubarb Strawberry sauce that…
Don’t Sneeze!
Did you know that if you say “watermelon” before you sneeze that it will most likely prevent you from sneezing? I don’t know if I believe this wives tale, but it’s worth a shot! Allan took the following pictures while I was cutting up the watermelon for Matthew’s birthday and they were so beautiful that…
Coconut Cornbread Bake
This is my first week working 10 hours from home and I am loving it. Matthew and I have been able to spend quite a bit of quality time together between meals and naps. 😉 The weather has been beautiful, so we are taking at least one walk per day. Matthew loves going to the…
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!…
Rhubarb Breakfast Bake
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…