On Friday mornings Allan leaves at 5 AM to participate in a men’s group at our church. This last Friday was the first time that he has gone since Joshua was born, therefore it was my first time having to be up early to feed the hungry boys on my own. To make things even…
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…
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…
Homemade Baby Food
When L began eating solids back in March we loosely followed the Baby-Led Weaning approach. I was surprised at how well he did feeding himself cute pieces of super soft foods. So, honestly we haven’t had a huge need for homemade baby food purees, like we did when M was a baby. I am really loving…
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…
Slow Cooker Mahi Mahi Tacos
Two weeks ago when I posted a photo on Instagram of my Mahi Mahi taco crockpot experiment I had several requests for the recipe. I hesitate to share new recipes with you guys until I have actually tried the dish myself. I would hate to post a recipe and have it turn out to be…
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…
Grain Free Banana Muffins
Yikes! It is hot and humid. Seriously, last week it was rainy and the mercury barely rose above 60˚. Gotta love MN weather! I wasn’t quite sure how my pregnant body would tolerate the heat and humidity of Minnesota summers, but so far, so good. Matthew and I are both warm blooded and like to…
Mango Breakfast Bake
My love for baking was rekindled during my 14th week of pregnancy . I can’t believe that I went over 2 months without baking anything in our kitchen… it so isn’t like me. Fortunately for Allan and Matthew, I have been making up for lost time. One of the things that I whipped up was this…
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…
Banana Split
A couple months ago Kath made split pea soup in a crock pot using a ham shank. It got me thinking… I had a ham bone and leftover diced ham vacuum sealed and frozen in our deep freeze for FAR too long. I had the intention of either using it in a smoky lentil soup…
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…
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…
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…
Thanksgiving: Souffléd Sweet Potato Bake
These sweet potatoes were wonderful! They can be enjoyed sweet, as shown above, or savory, as shown below. To make the sweet version omit the roasted garlic and rosemary from the recipe below and add 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice. During the last few minutes of cooking top with marshmallows…
Thanksgiving: Rosted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pecans Inspired by Clean Eating Magazine and Ina Garten These are to your grandmother’s brussels sprouts! Even the pickiest of eaters will gobble these up. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan. Print this recipe. Serves 12 2 lbs Brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and loose leaves removed 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 2 tbsp apple…
Thanksgiving: Cherry, Apple and Mushroom Stuffing
Cherry, Apple and Mushroom Stuffing Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine A savory experience for your mouth. I amped up my traditional stuffing recipe by adding dried fruit and apples and the result is delightful! Can be gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan dependent upon your bread selection. Print this recipe. Serves 12 1 (24 oz or 680g)…
Thanksgiving: Roast Turkey with Herby Gravy
Roast Turkey with Herby Gravy Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine and Alton Brown Over the years I have perfected the roasted turkey. Below I share with you my secrets to the timeless Thanksgiving favorite. Gluten-free and dairy-free. Print this recipe. Serves 12 4 organic carrots, scrubbed, cut crosswise and then into thirds 4 ribs celery…
Thanksgiving: Spicy and Smoky Turkey Spice Rub
Spicy and Smoky Turkey Spice Rub Adapted from Clean Eating Magazine A nontraditional approach to a turkey spice rub that is mildly smoky and lightly spicy. Print this recipe. Serves 12 2 tbsp chile powder 2 tbsp ground cumin 1 ½ tbsp paprika 2 tsp dried minced garlic 2 tsp dried thyme 2 tsp sea…
Slow Roasted
A couple days ago my mother-in-law made a big batch of spaghetti sauce with her remaining garden tomatoes. I had several pounds of ripe big beef, cherry and roma tomatoes in my basement waiting to be used. This afternoon I decided to roast all of my ripe tomatoes along with minced garlic, quartered onions, baby…
Uh-Oh
Yep. I messed up. I accidentally fed my family gluten this week. We were only supposed to add soy back in this week, not gluten. Here’s what happened… I usually buy the Trader Joe’s tempeh and completely forgot that it contains barley, which has gluten. Guess what we had on Monday night – tempeh spaghetti….
Gluten-Free Teff Porridge
After having such great success making steel cut oats in my slow cooker, I wondered if the same things could be done with teff, which is our second favorite breakfast grain. Guess what? It worked! Since I suspect that Allan’s digestive issues are caused by gluten, teff has become our go-to breakfast porridge. We usually…
crock pot <3
A couple weeks ago I bought a new programmable crock pot to replace our old crockpot that was routinely burning foods. I am in love! I use the crock pot at least three times per week to prepare breakfast, supper and side dishes. One of my favorite ways to use my slow cooker is to…
Apple Cider Donuts
Hello my friends! Things are starting to settle down around here. I am loving not having the urge to check email every five seconds to ensure that everything at work is ok. Rachel Cosgrove (via The Female Body Breakthrough) is still kicking my butt at 5:30 AM. I added in a little Yoga is Yummy…
Apple Cider Breakfast Bake
A couple weeks ago while at the Mill City Farmer’s Market, I picked up a half-gallon of freshly pressed, unpasturized apple cider from Sweetland Orchard. I knew right away that I wanted to use it in my baking. The next day I made a pot of crock pot steel cut oats and subbed in 1…
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: Oatalicious
Detox Day 1 went really well. Allan and I both felt significantly more energized yesterday afternoon after dragging a bit in the morning. I even had enough energy to wake up early this morning (5:30 AM!!!) and workout. It is so nice to have that taken care of already and be able to spend my…
Family Favorites: Soaked Sweet Potato Waffles
I know that it’s still September, but the Holidays are fast approaching. Before we know it there will be snow on the ground, chestnuts roasting on an open fire and jingle bells playing on your iPhone. If you are like me and host your family’s Holiday get-togethers there is always the age old question proceeding…
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…
Family Favorites: Snack Muffins
A dear friend of mine, Natalie, has a son who is three weeks younger than Matthew. Prior to becoming a mom, she relied on simple meals to feed herself and her husband; however now that she is feeding a youngling, she has been revamping their diets to focus more on sustainable, organic fare that is…
Autumn in a Bowl
The air is crisp. The sun is lower. The sumac is red. Autumn is approaching. There is a grin on my face. Last week’s lows in the 50’s (!) had me craving pumpkin. I will confess that early last week I used our last can of reserved pumpkin; horrified, I immediately went to Target and…
Gardens of Eagan Open House
On Saturday afternoon we visited the Gardens of Eagan open house. Garden’s of Eagan is a 100 acre, urban-edge, organic vegetable farm that provides produce to several area co-ops and businesses. They also frequent a few farmer’s markets, including the Fulton Farmer’s Market. Sunday afternoon was spent dicing and freezing lots of peppers,…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
Oatty Friday
As you know, Friday is breakfast bake day around here. Originally I had planned to make this Blueberry Stuffed Breakfast Bake. However, after scouring the cupboards I found week and a half old strawberries that needed to be eaten, no buckwheat flour to be found and very little milk. So the following is a breakfast…
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…
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…
Worth The Wait
I have always wanted to try my hand at making homemade yogurt, but after reading and hearing about other people’s sour results I was apprehensive… until I read this post on Passionate Homemaking. I consider myself to be a bit of a yogurt snob. I love plain, creamy strained low-fat yogurt that is not sour…
Cooler 1: Day 5… Last day
Good evening. Happy Friday! I just love Fridays. All day Matthew and I look forward to Allan’s arrival and (usually) pizza night follows. Tonight we did not enjoy Friday Night Pizza night; however, we did have something that was completely amazing! Remember the spaghetti that I blogged about yesterday? It was amazing!!! Both Matthew and…
Cooler 1: Day 4
How many of you are hanging in there on Cooler 1? Does anyone plan to join me when I start Tosca Reno’s Eat-Clean Diet Stripped plan next week? I promise it’s much more lenient that Cooler 1. 😉 The following is my food journal so far today along with my planned eats for the rest…
Cooler 1: Day 2
I am still rockin’ and rollin’ on Cooler 1 today. I plan to keep strong until Friday. Then I may have a small cheat meal on Saturday afternoon, as we will be attending my sister’s graduation party. My cheat meal will be clean, just not in accordance with Cooler 1 guidelines. Then I will be…
Cooler 1: Day 1
How was your weekend? We had an amazing time in Sioux Falls, SD celebrating the 3rd birthday of our niece, Mollie. However, today it’s back to the grind. It is HOT here in MN, 90°+ today and tomorrow, so Matthew and I are going to make a Target run this afternoon to stock back up…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…