Around here we call quiche "breakfast pie" because it is just a kid-friendly word. I make this quiche at least one a month because the boys will gobble this up and it is so easy to make. I serve this easy meal with whole wheat blueberry muffins and fresh fruit.
Ingredients
Deep dish pie shell
5 eggs
1 cup half & half OR skim milk
3 sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped spinach
Bacon, cooked and crumbled (you can use any breakfast meat, but the kids like bacon)
1 cup shredded cheese (we like cheddar, but you can use your favorite)
Salt, pepper, garlic, dry mustard (to your liking)
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs well. Add in half & half (or milk), salt, pepper, garlic and dry mustard. Sometimes I even add in a few dashes of hot sauce (shhhh!).
3. Pour the egg mixture into the pie shell.
4. Add in bacon, onion and cheese.
5. Bake in the oven for about 30 minutes or until set.
When I make this I keep the green onion and the spinach on one side of the quiche and place all of the bacon on the opposite side, this pleases the vegetarian and the meat eaters alike! We never have any leftovers. You could add in any ingredients of your liking such as sliced tomatoes, diced ham, Swiss cheese, etc. I've served this for both breakfast and an easy weeknight dinner.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Recipe: Pot Pie
Our dear friends had their first baby a few weeks ago so I decided to make up some easy to freeze meals for them. When I had the boys the absolute best gifts were prepared dinners. I didn't have to worry about going to the store, cooking or cleaning up a big mess. It was so nice to just sit down and eat, especially when I was trying to juggle a newborn and a toddler. I decided to make double batches of the meals so we could have quick homemade dinners this week. Today I made stuff shell pasta, pot roast with carrots and potatoes and pot pie. I have to share this pot pie as it was so darn easy and it tastes pretty darn good! I didn't bake this pot pie, I just popped it straight into the freezer. Tomorrow night I will throw it in the oven and let it bake while I enjoy a clean kitchen! Note: I didn't measure much of anything, I just kinda threw a bunch of ingredients together based on what I thought sounded and looked good. Adjust as needed to fit your dietary needs.
Ingredients
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
Diced onion (I used about half of a small yellow onion)
Diced potato (I used four medium sized potatoes)
3.5 cups frozen veggie mix (I used green beans, sweet peas, carrots and corn medley, you can always use fresh veggies, but I was strapped for time)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup low fat half and half
Chicken breast, cooked and diced (I boiled 3 large boneless skinless breasts & cubed them)
Pie crust (I used a Pillsbury pie crust because I was too darn busy to make one!)
Salt, pepper, minced garlic to your liking
Directions
1. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet or pan. Toss in onion, potato and veggies. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Stir often so they do not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. You'll want to cook this a good 15-20 minutes or until tender.
2. Sprinkle flour into veggies and mix well.
3. Slowly pour broth into the veggie mix. Slowly add in half & half. Mix often until mixture is thick and bubbly and heated all the way through. Then add in the chicken and heat all the way through.
4. Pour mixture in a large round casserole dish OR pour into two smaller dishes (I used two 8x8 pans).
5. Unroll pie crust and place on top of mixture. I used two 8x8 dishes and one crust fit perfectly on top (I fluted the edges). Cut a few slits on top so the steam can escape while baking.
6. This is where I just placed my dishes into the freezer to eat one night this week. You can pop this right into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes. If you notice the edges of the crust getting too dark, you can wrap it in foil.
Serve this with a salad for a super tasty, easy dinner!
Ingredients
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
Diced onion (I used about half of a small yellow onion)
Diced potato (I used four medium sized potatoes)
3.5 cups frozen veggie mix (I used green beans, sweet peas, carrots and corn medley, you can always use fresh veggies, but I was strapped for time)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup low fat half and half
Chicken breast, cooked and diced (I boiled 3 large boneless skinless breasts & cubed them)
Pie crust (I used a Pillsbury pie crust because I was too darn busy to make one!)
Salt, pepper, minced garlic to your liking
Directions
1. Melt butter in a large, deep skillet or pan. Toss in onion, potato and veggies. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Stir often so they do not burn or stick to the bottom of the pan. You'll want to cook this a good 15-20 minutes or until tender.
2. Sprinkle flour into veggies and mix well.
3. Slowly pour broth into the veggie mix. Slowly add in half & half. Mix often until mixture is thick and bubbly and heated all the way through. Then add in the chicken and heat all the way through.
4. Pour mixture in a large round casserole dish OR pour into two smaller dishes (I used two 8x8 pans).
5. Unroll pie crust and place on top of mixture. I used two 8x8 dishes and one crust fit perfectly on top (I fluted the edges). Cut a few slits on top so the steam can escape while baking.
6. This is where I just placed my dishes into the freezer to eat one night this week. You can pop this right into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 30-45 minutes. If you notice the edges of the crust getting too dark, you can wrap it in foil.
Serve this with a salad for a super tasty, easy dinner!
What?!
Last night I happily crawled into bed with a stack of magazines I had accumulated over the past two months (did I ever tell you that being a director AND teacher is time consuming?!) and started to read my way through them. My eyes fell on an article about losing two dress sizes so I instantly flipped right to that page in hopes of finding some profound weight loss/maintenance program. Instead I found a list of alternatives such as visit a dietitian, seek out help from a cognitive behavior therapist and consider weight loss surgery. What?! OK, I do agree seeking the help of a dietitian can be beneficial to everyone. And I also agree that enlisting the help of a therapist can be very helpful especially if there is a reason behind your situation (example: you are an emotional eater), but let's be really honest: most people do not have the time, money or resources to seek out this level of help. I was so disappointed in this article!
This past year I lost what I feel is a significant amount of weight. I'll be honest, I cannot say what the exact amount is as I really fluctuated on the scale. I do know that at my absolute heaviest (I want to say that was around March 2009) I was right at 160lbs. I am only 5'2 so that is truly overweight. Granted I had two babies within 2.5 years so I had pregnancy weight after pregnancy weight slapped together. But let's also say I didn't have a food enemy. I loved and welcomed every piece of cake, cookie, chip, cheeseburger, fry, soda and beer that crossed my path. I didn't watch my portions. I ate when I was pissed, happy or just because. I didn't like to sweat so I didn't exercise. But I also hated how I looked. In 2010 I had the worst teaching year on record. Some days I felt like giving up before even getting out of bed. I turned to alcohol and drank A LOT of it to get me through that hellish year. That was the summer I lost a little weight, but it was also the year that my IBS went through the roof. I'll never forget laying on the floor in pain, gasping for breath, as an IBS flair up rocked my body. I couldn't eat most days so that was my "thinnest" at 150lb, still overweight. The summer of 2012 I started walking with a co-worker and finally "dropped" to 147lbs. Then I fell and broke my foot and ripped the ligaments. I ballooned back up to about 154lbs. At Christmas 2012 I was in a size 14 pants and my shirts were large to extra-large. In 2013 my boot came off and I was officially signed off from physical therapy and that is when I said "NO MORE".
I started off slow because I knew myself all too well; if I went into this 110% I would fail. I started by watching portions. When I ate a salad I actually measured out a true serving of dressing and cheese, I just didn't blindly toss things into a bowl. I ate one scoop of potatoes instead of loading up. I waited a few minutes before going back for seconds, many times I found myself to be full. Next I cut out soda. That was hard! I subbed carbonated flavored water for the soda, same fizzy feel, but no calories and no artificial crap pulsing through my veins. I started drinking unsweet green tea. Then I cut out as much processed stuff as possible. We always plant a garden so soon I was able to eat tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and cucumbers from my backyard. I could see results! Last, I added in some mild exercise. I enjoy walking around my neighborhood so I started walking here and there. When the tornado hit in June many of our roads were blocked with trees, downed lines and debris so I stepped away from outdoor walking. I am still very cautious of my foot, even a year later, so walking on and around that scared me. I have not held exercise as a priority as I should and that is my 2014 lifestyle goal. I also made it a point to not snack unless I was truly hungry and to not eat after 8pm.
For breakfast I would have a cup of coffee and a protein drink with skim milk. Lunch was usually a big green salad with tea or I would make "fun" lunches like sliced tomatoes & basil from my garden with fresh mozzarella cheese. Dinner was usually grilled veggies, baked potato and fruit. We grill a lot in the summer so it wasn't uncommon to have grilled veggie kabobs, salad, grilled corn and watermelon. Snacks were foods like Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, cheese, etc. I am a vegetarian so obviously meat is absent from my meals, but I ate beans, eggs, veggie burgers, etc. to make sure I had protein. I can honestly say that this is the best I've felt in a very long time. By September I was down to 137lbs (still technically overweight) and I was in a size 8 pant and my tops are small to medium.
This holiday season I have been lax in my eating habits, but I have been pretty good. My size 8 pants still fit! I haven't weighed myself in literally weeks, I've discovered I do not need that scale. I know I am healthy because I look good and best of all, I feel good. If I can do this, so can you. I was the poster girl for every failed diet I could get my hands on. I tried starving myself (not smart!), Weight Watchers (I gained weight?!) and even OTC pills (stupid!), but it was finally a talk with a friend and a drive from within that got me going. My lifestyle goal (I refuse to say resolution) is to find a simple exercise routine and stick with it. I am happy with my weight, if I lose more that would be great, but if I don't, that is good too. I want to exercise for the health benefits. Here is to a healthy, happy 2014!
This past year I lost what I feel is a significant amount of weight. I'll be honest, I cannot say what the exact amount is as I really fluctuated on the scale. I do know that at my absolute heaviest (I want to say that was around March 2009) I was right at 160lbs. I am only 5'2 so that is truly overweight. Granted I had two babies within 2.5 years so I had pregnancy weight after pregnancy weight slapped together. But let's also say I didn't have a food enemy. I loved and welcomed every piece of cake, cookie, chip, cheeseburger, fry, soda and beer that crossed my path. I didn't watch my portions. I ate when I was pissed, happy or just because. I didn't like to sweat so I didn't exercise. But I also hated how I looked. In 2010 I had the worst teaching year on record. Some days I felt like giving up before even getting out of bed. I turned to alcohol and drank A LOT of it to get me through that hellish year. That was the summer I lost a little weight, but it was also the year that my IBS went through the roof. I'll never forget laying on the floor in pain, gasping for breath, as an IBS flair up rocked my body. I couldn't eat most days so that was my "thinnest" at 150lb, still overweight. The summer of 2012 I started walking with a co-worker and finally "dropped" to 147lbs. Then I fell and broke my foot and ripped the ligaments. I ballooned back up to about 154lbs. At Christmas 2012 I was in a size 14 pants and my shirts were large to extra-large. In 2013 my boot came off and I was officially signed off from physical therapy and that is when I said "NO MORE".
I started off slow because I knew myself all too well; if I went into this 110% I would fail. I started by watching portions. When I ate a salad I actually measured out a true serving of dressing and cheese, I just didn't blindly toss things into a bowl. I ate one scoop of potatoes instead of loading up. I waited a few minutes before going back for seconds, many times I found myself to be full. Next I cut out soda. That was hard! I subbed carbonated flavored water for the soda, same fizzy feel, but no calories and no artificial crap pulsing through my veins. I started drinking unsweet green tea. Then I cut out as much processed stuff as possible. We always plant a garden so soon I was able to eat tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and cucumbers from my backyard. I could see results! Last, I added in some mild exercise. I enjoy walking around my neighborhood so I started walking here and there. When the tornado hit in June many of our roads were blocked with trees, downed lines and debris so I stepped away from outdoor walking. I am still very cautious of my foot, even a year later, so walking on and around that scared me. I have not held exercise as a priority as I should and that is my 2014 lifestyle goal. I also made it a point to not snack unless I was truly hungry and to not eat after 8pm.
For breakfast I would have a cup of coffee and a protein drink with skim milk. Lunch was usually a big green salad with tea or I would make "fun" lunches like sliced tomatoes & basil from my garden with fresh mozzarella cheese. Dinner was usually grilled veggies, baked potato and fruit. We grill a lot in the summer so it wasn't uncommon to have grilled veggie kabobs, salad, grilled corn and watermelon. Snacks were foods like Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, whole wheat crackers, cheese, etc. I am a vegetarian so obviously meat is absent from my meals, but I ate beans, eggs, veggie burgers, etc. to make sure I had protein. I can honestly say that this is the best I've felt in a very long time. By September I was down to 137lbs (still technically overweight) and I was in a size 8 pant and my tops are small to medium.
This holiday season I have been lax in my eating habits, but I have been pretty good. My size 8 pants still fit! I haven't weighed myself in literally weeks, I've discovered I do not need that scale. I know I am healthy because I look good and best of all, I feel good. If I can do this, so can you. I was the poster girl for every failed diet I could get my hands on. I tried starving myself (not smart!), Weight Watchers (I gained weight?!) and even OTC pills (stupid!), but it was finally a talk with a friend and a drive from within that got me going. My lifestyle goal (I refuse to say resolution) is to find a simple exercise routine and stick with it. I am happy with my weight, if I lose more that would be great, but if I don't, that is good too. I want to exercise for the health benefits. Here is to a healthy, happy 2014!
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Don't Eat That!
Happy Holidays! I've been in full vacation mode this week which means I have hardly left my house opting to stay indoors watching reruns of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix, spending some much desired and needed time with my boys and inhaling copious amounts of my new Keurig coffee! I want to tear up at the thought of going back to work, I just enjoy my time with my kids way too much. As I type it is late Saturday night. Alex is curled up next to me on the couch drifting off to sleep on his beloved Pillow Pet. Brennan is in bed reading one of his many new chapter books. Miles is snug in my bed and little Louie is happily munching away at his bone. I figured it was the perfect time to pop on the computer and play around. I had planned on checking email when I ended up clicking on a Yahoo story about food (what a surprise, right?). The article lists several popular foods, all processed foods, that deceive customers by insinuating it contains a particular food/ingredient when in reality the food item is totally void of the ingredient. You'll see a lot of hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup and dyes listed in these foods. I think the most surprising to me is the lack of blueberries in the blueberry cereal; I had expected dehydrated berries or freeze dried berries or even a sugary juice to be listed! Read the article for yourself at this link: http://shopping.yahoo.com/news/food-fake-out--products-with-misleading-names-and-images-214400945.html
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Safe Trick or Treating
Tomorrow night is Halloween! Children of all ages will rush home to gobble up their dinner and then don their costumes. Soon the streets will be filled with children scuffling door to door in hopes of filling their bags with treats. Please consider getting some "safe" treats for kids with food allergies. Most chocolates like Kit-Kat bars, Snickers, Milky Way bars and even some non-chocolates like candy corn can either be made with nuts or in a facility with nuts deeming them unsafe for many children. Consider something like fruit snacks, Skittles, Smarties, pencils and tiny containers of Play-Doh to pass out.
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Recipe: Overnight Blueberry French Toast
I am usually all about eating healthy, but sometimes you just need to indulge!! This recipe is almost like a dessert instead of a breakfast dish and it is worth every single calorie swallowed. My dear friend, Kathy, published a cookbook a few years ago with all of the proceeds going to a scholarship that is very near and dear to my heart. I happily purchased a cookbook and began searching for yummy recipes to make. Overnight blueberry french toast has become one of my absolute favorite recipes from this cookbook! I have made it many times for holidays, brunches and even a Sunday night breakfast dinner. We're actually having this evening along with bacon and scrambled eggs. I don't make this often as it is quite an indulgence, I don't even know how many calories is in one serving (not sure I want to know!).
The recipe calls for sliced french bread. Due to food allergies I cannot use just any french bread. Most bakery breads are made in the same facility as peanuts or tree nuts so I usually have to make my own which adds on prep and bake time. I recently discovered that the Jimmy John's in my area sells its day old loafs of bread for $.50 a piece. Two loaves of Jimmy John's bread is perfect for this recipe! Best of all, it is allergen safe for Brennan.
Ingredients
French baguette cut into one inch slices
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I like more)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
Directions
Lightly grease a casserole dish. Arrange bread slices in the dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour evenly over the bread. Turn the bread slices to coat evenly. Cover the bread and refrigerate overnight. Just before baking sprinkle the berries over the bread. Heat butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan until bubbly. Drizzle over the berries. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until set. Enjoy!!
The recipe calls for sliced french bread. Due to food allergies I cannot use just any french bread. Most bakery breads are made in the same facility as peanuts or tree nuts so I usually have to make my own which adds on prep and bake time. I recently discovered that the Jimmy John's in my area sells its day old loafs of bread for $.50 a piece. Two loaves of Jimmy John's bread is perfect for this recipe! Best of all, it is allergen safe for Brennan.
Ingredients
French baguette cut into one inch slices
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (I like more)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
Directions
Lightly grease a casserole dish. Arrange bread slices in the dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour evenly over the bread. Turn the bread slices to coat evenly. Cover the bread and refrigerate overnight. Just before baking sprinkle the berries over the bread. Heat butter and 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a saucepan until bubbly. Drizzle over the berries. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until set. Enjoy!!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Recipe: Pumpkin Bread
It is mid-October and pumpkin food is everywhere you
turn. A friend made the comment that she was making pumpkin bread and from the
moment I heard her say that I have been craving pumpkin bread. I've never made
it so I searched around on my cell one day on my lunch break (well I don't get
breaks so I searched while eating and teaching, bad confession!) and decided
I'd make time to bake today. I am a busy lady, so busy that I felt the need to
multi-task while attempting to bake and totally screwed up the recipe. It is
baking now, smells so amazingly yummy, but it certainly is not what I set off
making. I hope it tastes good otherwise I wasted all the ingredients and time
on nothing! Lesson learned: take time to relax! If you can't even follow a
recipe for bread you are doing too much and need to carve time for the simple
things in life!
*Update: Dear Lord that bread was simply amazing!! I
will make it the wrong way every single time I bake it! It is so moist and has
a very subtle pumpkin flavor. Alex begged for pumpkin bread each morning for
breakfast. A slice of this tasty bread with a cup of greek yogurt and a banana
has been his breakfast of choice all week! We cleared the entire loaf and I
need to make more tonight if I can muster up the energy!
Ingredients
1 package (8 ounce) cream cheese, at room
temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel (I omitted
this)
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Since you are making this my "messed up
way" just mix it all together!! Seriously, I mixed the cream cheese, one
egg, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of flour together until it was really
creamy and set it aside. Then I sifted together the rest of the ingredients
into a bowl. If you want to follow the “Melissa Way” just dump the pumpkin
mixture into the cream cheese mixture and make sure you blend it together well.
Then place it all inside a lightly greased loaf pan and bake on 350 degree for
a very long time...this is where I wondered what the hell I did as the bread
wasn't baked in the 45 minutes I had written down. I bet this bread cooked for
a good 90 minutes! Keep checking on it to make sure it isn’t burning. This
pumpkin bread is seriously addicting! Enjoy!
I'm always looking to make recipes healthier. I plan on making this bread this week, but I will sub local honey for the sugar, all natural applesauce for the vegetable oil and I'll do a "half and half" mixture of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. If I make the bread I'll update with results.
I'm always looking to make recipes healthier. I plan on making this bread this week, but I will sub local honey for the sugar, all natural applesauce for the vegetable oil and I'll do a "half and half" mixture of whole wheat flour and all-purpose flour. If I make the bread I'll update with results.
Eight Funky Foods
Today as I was playing round on Facebook I came across an article on a friend's page. The article lists eight foods that experts refuse to consume and why. I was pretty sure I'd find dairy laced with hormones on the list and I was right, it is number six on the list. If you know me at all, you know my love for cows and my quest to stay away from rBGH tainted dairy. I found this to be an interesting read and wanted to share:
http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/12214-8-foods-even-the-experts-won-t-eat.html
http://eatlocalgrown.com/article/12214-8-foods-even-the-experts-won-t-eat.html
Monday, October 7, 2013
Recipe: Healthy "Cookies"
I don't know about you, but I love to indulge in cookies. My favorite is a good old fashioned chocolate chip cookie, however I am pretty open to eating any cookie you pass my way. A few weeks ago I was obsessed with Ginger Snap cookies. That love affair has come and gone and now I am back to my beloved chocolate chip cookie. Over the past several months I have lost some weight. It took me awhile to drop three sizes and I am damn proud of my accomplishments! I do not want to sabotage my efforts, but I cannot live without my sweets! Then my friend Abby shared this amazing cookie recipe with me and I am in love!
Now, you cannot make this recipe and except it to be a traditional cookie. It is actually far from anything you'd bake, but it satisfies my sweet tooth, is fairly healthy in my opinion and best of all it is so easy to make!! I'll have to see where she found this recipe so I can give credit where it is due, but for now I shall just share this little gem with you!
Ingredients
2 very ripe bananas (think brown to black colored peel)
1 cup of quick oats
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Directions
In a bowl, mash bananas well.
Mix in the oats.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon tablespoons of batter onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
These are awesome straight from the oven! I save the leftovers and just popped them in the microwave when I was ready to indulge. I've certainly eaten my fair share today!
Thank you Abs for sharing this with me!! xoxoxo
Now, you cannot make this recipe and except it to be a traditional cookie. It is actually far from anything you'd bake, but it satisfies my sweet tooth, is fairly healthy in my opinion and best of all it is so easy to make!! I'll have to see where she found this recipe so I can give credit where it is due, but for now I shall just share this little gem with you!
Ingredients
2 very ripe bananas (think brown to black colored peel)
1 cup of quick oats
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Directions
In a bowl, mash bananas well.
Mix in the oats.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon tablespoons of batter onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake on 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
These are awesome straight from the oven! I save the leftovers and just popped them in the microwave when I was ready to indulge. I've certainly eaten my fair share today!
Thank you Abs for sharing this with me!! xoxoxo
I'm Back!!!
It has been 10 months since I last blogged! I have been so very busy and sadly blogging was just not high on list of things to accomplished. Both boys are in elementary school now and I have had a major career change that has effected our family in many ways. When I cook or visit somewhere fun I always think, "I should blog about this...", but then life gets busy and once again this site is pushed away. I miss blogging though so I am going to make it a point to get on here at least twice a month to post. Writing is fun, almost therapeutic to me, so I need to bump it up on my list of priorities and make time for it. With that said, I am off to create my newest recipe post!
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