something with noodles

each sunday, before we head to the grocery store, i ask bub-hub if he has any cravings for dinner that week.  each week, he says, "you know i'll eat anything, i'm not pickey! i'll just eat cheerios". but this week, i think he finally realized that i was looking for a real answer and so he asked for something with noodles.

#missionnoodleaccepted

 

veggie turkey lasagna

via mom.fashion.lifestyle

 

here's what you need:

1 lb of ground turkey

1 cup of onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 cup of fresh broccoli crowns

2 zucchini (one yellow and one green)

1 T. italian spice blend

1 pound of ground turkey

1 jar of pasta sauce, i used prego

1 pkg. no boil lasagna noodles

16 oz container of part skim ricotta cheese

1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

here's what you do:

-preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-brown the ground turkey with the garlic and onion.

-while that is cooking, chop up the zucchini and broccoli and set aside.

in a separate bowl mix the ricotta cheese and egg, and set aside.

-when the ground turkey is finished cooking, add the zucchini, broccoli, pasta sauce (reserve 1/2 cup of pasta sauce), and all seasonings to the ground turkey.

-pour 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom the pan, then add a layer of noodles, and then a layer of -the ricotta cheese mixture. top with a layer of the veggie and turkey mixture.

-repeat the layers and top with a layer of cheese!

-cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. remove the foil and bake for another 10, or until the cheese is bubbly!

 

this recipe was really easy to make and turned out fantastic! i made a half batch and we still had a lot left over, although it was really hard to resist going back for thirds!

 

 

turkey tacos for dummies

i love to cook and bake (especially bake...), but sometimes, after a long work day, it's hard to find enjoyment in spending two more hours cooking and cleaning in the kitchen.  i've been trying to find recipes that require minimal time in the kitchen while still making home-made and healthy meals.

 

today, i would like to share one of my favorite week day meals with you.

tadaaa!!!!!

 

black bean turkey tacos

one pound of ground turkey breast

olive oil

taco seasoning

one yellow onion

two bell peppers (i used red, but yellow or orange are yummy options as well!)

one can of black beans

[one] gather your ingredients

(always a bub-hub required first step)

[two] chop and dice your onion and peppers

[three] in a skillet, heat a small amount of olive oil in the pan, about a tablespoon or so.  when the oil is hot, add your onion and peppers, and cook for about 5 minutes.  next, add in the turkey meat and generously sprinkle with taco seasoning.  once the meat is cooked through, you can stir in the black beans.  keep stirring until everything is warmed through.

[four] get your toppings ready! i like to add guacamole and lots of salsa to mine.  right now, our favorite salsa is the central market "green chile salsa roja".

a.k.a. the bomb[dot]com.

[five] assemble your tacos! you can use tortillas, taco shells, or use lettuce to make taco salad.

[six] fill your tummy and clean your plate! :)

this is super easy to make and is one of our go-to meals. we probably have some variety of this once a week. it is full of lean protein and nutritious veggies and it's easy to change it up so there's no risk of burn out! it also freezes really well, so it's great to make a big batch, and split it up for a quick dinner during a busy work week.

 

enjoy! :)

 

 

24 day challenge: Cleanse Phase Snack and Meal Tips

it's ok to not be able to stop thinking about fro-yo and cheerios right??

ever since i started the advocare 24 day challenge, i have not been able to stop the cravings for fro-yo an cheerios...it's a problem people.
thank goodness it's only for 10 days.

the diet for the 24 day challenge is pretty straight forward,

but with all of the yummy pinterest recipes floating around out there, 

it's really easy to be bummed out and think you're going to be stuck eating celery and peanut butter for the 10 day cleanse phase of the challenge.

i would not survive.

but it's only 10 days, and after that, you're home free!

you can do it! :)

for the 10 day cleanse portion of the challenge, here were are few of my go-to's:

my go to snacks:

apple slices with peanut butter

rice cakes with peanut butter

as much fruit as i can fit in my grocery cart: grapes, nectarines and more nectarines, oranges (regular size and minis!), bananas

raw veggies and hummus

my go to at-home meals:

grilled chicken and broccoli

baked chicken and green beans (original right??)

taco salad (with ground turkey)

salad, but be careful with the choice dressing! avoid creamy or sugary dressings.

fajitas sans tortillas :(

omelets and scrambled eggs 

on-the-go meals:

chipotle - you can load up with chicken, veggies, brown rice, black beans, salsa and even guac! just no cheese or sour cream.

boston market - chicken and veggies to go! i order the half chicken meal and it's the perfect amount for bub-hub and i to split! just be sure you pull the skin off the chicken first, and try and avoid the dark meat, and good luck resisting the corn bread, which is basically impossible.

pappasitos (or your favorite mexican food haven) - fajitas are my go-to here.

it's so hard to say no to the chips and salsa and green sauce, but you can do it! you can also swap out your rice and beans for grilled veggies! avoiding temptation at every turn!

after you wrap up the cleanse, 

you can incorporate carbs, dairy and sugars back into your diet, but don't go crazy!

try to stick to complex carbs and whole wheat & high fiber breads. 

be smart with your sugars and avoid yogurts and dairy products that are high sugar and low protein. try greek yogurt, like chobani!, and load it up with extra fruit or honey for additional sweetness.

and of course, avoid fried foods.

want to learn what the 24 day challenge is all about?
[here you go!]
want to take the challenge with me?
you can purchase your 24 day challenge bundle here:
[https://www.advocare.com/12082838/]

come on guys...you know you want to! :)



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yummy roasted red potatoes

last week, a sweet lady at work brought in fresh rosemary she clipped from her garden, and i knew i had to use it! 

growing up, my mom had an herb garden in our backyard.

she had all sorts of fun plants and herbs growing, but one of my favorites was rosemary.

i think it was one of my favorites because she used it a lot in different recipes like focaccia bread or roasted potatoes. plus, being able to run out to the backyard and snip something from the garden makes it a little more special.

this recipe for roasted red potatoes is definitely a crowd pleaser. 

what you need:

2 small red potatoes per person

olive oil

fresh rosemary

salt and pepper

first, preheat the oven to 475degrees. (it drives the bub-hub nuts when i forget to preheat the oven...oops!)

second, wash and chop the potatoes.  

there's no need to peel the skins, just scrub the dirt off and cut out all of the bad sections. chop them pretty thin, and in small chunks. the thicker the chunks, the longer they will need to spend in the oven. once they are chopped, place in a baking dish or casserole pan.

third, drizzle a light layer of olive oil over the potatoes. it doesn't take much, there shouldn't been any puddles in the bottom of your pan. strip the rosemary from the stems and sprinkle on top.  add salt and pepper to taste.  toss everything together and spread the potatoes evenly in the pan.

fourth, stick them in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes. take them out every fifteen minutes or so and stir them around and scrape them off the bottom of the pan.  they should start to shrink up and turn brown around the edges. depending on how big your batch of potatoes is, the time may be shorter or longer. helpful right??

fifth, pull 'em out and eat 'em up!

enjoy! :)

we had these tonight along with some salad with balsamic vinaigrette and garlic & brown-sugar baked chicken.
perfect dinner for the bachelorette season finale! :)

p.s. i updated my blog header and finally have a blog button! :)

what do you think??