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Merry Christmas

-Kelly

Baby Update: 33.5 weeks

How far along?  33.5 weeks (6.5 left to go)

Baby's size:  We had a sonogram at the doctor's office yesterday and they said he is about 4 lbs 11 oz. The sonogram tech estimated that he will be around 7 lbs at birth if he keeps growing at the same rate.

Symptoms:  Restless legs, heartburn, shortness of breath, mild cramping, round ligament pain, some back pain, and thirsty.

Sleep:  Most of the time not so great but sometimes I sleep through the night. This is mainly due to having to go to the bathroom and restless legs.

Movement:  Since he's getting bigger his movements are much more intense. I can usually tell if it's his feet, bottom, or hands. He's usually really active every other day (I guess he needs to rest a day???).

Labor signs: Not yet, thank the Lord!

Anything make you nauseated?  Nope!

Food cravings: Nothing in particular. I really like bread...super healthy I know!

Best moment this week:  Getting to see our little guy yesterday, his cheeks have definitely gotten chubbier!

Looking forward to: Baby shower on Saturday....Can.Not.Wait!

Exercise: I work out about 5-6 times/week. This usually consists of walking/jogging (mostly walking), strength training classes (2x/week), cycle (1x/week), and the elliptical machine. It's definitely harder to work out now that I have an almost 5lb human inside of me but I feel much better afterwards and hopefully it will help with labor and delivery!

Things done this week to get ready for baby: Scheduled appointment with pediatrician, washed all the baby clothes we already have, and working on setting up newborn photo shoot.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon of canola oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 oz. can of green chilis
• 11 oz. can of corn, drained (I used Green Giant Chipotle White Corn)
• 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon of Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Blend
• Ground black pepper
• 1 rotisserie chicken, white meat only, skin removed
• 1 package of corn tortillas
• 24 oz. jar of mild salsa verde
• 1/4 cup of light sour cream
• 8 oz. of reduced-fat Mexican style shredded cheese
• Fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Place shredded chicken in a large bowl and set aside.

3. Heat canola oil over medium-high heat and add the diced onion. Cook the onion until lightly brown and soft. Next, add the green chilis, corn, and tomatoes and stir until well incorporated. Season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, Mrs. Dash, and ground black pepper. Let simmer for about 7-8 minutes.

4. Add the vegetable mixture to the large bowl of shredded rotisserie chicken and stir to combine all of the ingredients. Set aside.

5. In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and salsa verde. Set aside.

6. To assemble the casserole: Add about 1/2 cup of the salsa mixture to the bottom of a large glass casserole dish (spread so that it covers the entire dish). Next, spread about half of the chicken/veggie mixture on top of the salsa. Next, sprinkle about 1/3 cup of the shredded cheese on top. Lastly, layer the corn tortillas on top of the cheese (they should slightly be overlapping each other). Repeat in the same order except top the cassserole with the cheese insead of tortillas. (salsa, chicken/veggies/tortilla/cheese.)

7. Top with fresh cilantro. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!!

Light French Toast Casserole

 

This recipe is adapted from Paula Deen's baked french toast casserole. Her recipe of course had lots of rich ingredients so I lightened it up a bit to make it figure friendly!

 

Ingredients:

 

Casserole:

• 13 oz. of whole wheat french bread (about 3/4 of a loaf)
• 5 whole eggs
• 7 egg whites
• 1.5 cups of fat free half and half
• 1 cup of skim or 1% milk
• 1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of Splenda
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• Dash of salt

Topping:

• 1 stick of light butter
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
• Blueberries (optional for garnish)

Directions:

 

1. Grease a large baking dish with cooking spray. Cut the french bread into cubes and layer the cubes in the baking dish.

2. Next, in a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients for the casserole and whisk together until smooth. Pour this mixture over the top of the bread, making sure all the bread is covered (you can press the bread down with a spatula to get all the bread soaked in the mixture). Cover and place in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl add the butter (make sure this is softened, if not place in the microwave for about 30 seconds), brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix together with a spoon or with your hands (hands work best) until well incorporated. Sprinkle on top of casserole right before baking.

4. Bake the casserole for about 40 minutes. Garnish with fresh blueberries and light maple syrup. Enjoy!

 

 

Mushroom, Garlic, and Swiss Turkey Burgers

 

Ingredients:

Burgers:

• 1 lb of lean ground turkey meat
• 1 Tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• Ground black pepper
• Sprinkle of paprika

Mushroom, Garlic Topping:

• 8 oz. of white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon of minced garlic
• Ground black pepper

Condiments:

• Whole wheat hamburger buns
• Reduced-fat swiss cheese, slices
• Dijon mustard

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the ground turkey, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and parika. Mix ingredients together with your hands until well incorporated. Assemble into 6 burger patties (you can do 4 if you like your burger larger).

2. Spray a large grill pan with cooking spray so the burgers don't stick. Add the burger patties to the pan and cook on medium heat until completely cooked through (should no longer be pink in the middle-this can take up to 20 minutes).

3. While the burgers are cooking, add the olive oil and sliced mushrooms to a medium saute pan and saute on medium-high heat until the mushrooms start to sweat (about 5-8 minutes).

4. Next, turn the heat down to medium and add the minced garlic (stir continuely so the garlic does not burn) and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Season the mixture with black pepper. Turn the heat off and cover so it stays warm until your burgers are finished cooking.

5. Add a slice of swiss cheese to one side of each hamburger bun and toast until lightly brown and the cheese is melted.

6. To assemble, add dijon mustard to the side of the bun without the cheese and add a spoon full of the mushroom/garlic mixture on top of the melted cheese. Place a burger patty in the middle and smoosh together. Enjoy!!

* I served these with roasted red potatoes and a side salad*

Spinach, Mushroom, and Turkey Sausage Stuffed Shells

I found some recipes in the Food Network magazine this week for light stuffed shells and rich stuffed shells and I thought I would do something in between. The flavors in this recipe sort of remind me of lasagna and pizza (just what I like)! Hope you enjoy! :)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of lean turkey sausage (I used Jennio brand)
• 2 Tablespoons of light olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
• 10 oz. of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and liquid squeezed out
• 8 oz. of white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup of fat free cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup of part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup of reduced-fat grated parmesan
• 1.5 cups of reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese (divide in half)
• 1/4 teaspoon of dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper
• Black pepper
• Sprinkle of paprika
• 1 jar (24 oz) of vodka sauce (I used Preggo)
• Sprinkle of dried oregano
• 1 box of jumbo pasta shells

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet, brown turkey sausage over medium-high heat. Once it is finished cooking, drain any excess liquid and place in a small bowl and set aside.

2. In a large pot, boil water for pasta. Once the water is boiling, add the shells and cook for about 7 minutes. Drain and place the shells back into the pot. Add a little bit of olive oil to the pot so the shells don't stick together. Set the pot aside.

3. Gently wipe out the skillet that you cooked the sausage in with a dish towel or paper towels and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and diced onion. Cook over medium-high heat until onions are lightly browned (about 3-5 minutes). Next, turn the heat down to medium and add the minced garlic (stir consistently so the garlic doesn't burn) and cook for a couple of minutes.

4. Add the sliced mushrooms and chopped spinach (make sure you thawed and squeezed out all of the liquid) to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes until mushrooms are lightly browned.  Add the turkey sausage back into the pan and remove the skillet from the heat. Season with black pepper and paprika.

5. In a medium mixing bowl, add cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, grated parmesan, and 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese. Mix together until well incorporated. Next, stir in the sausage and veggie mixture to the cheese mixture. Season with dried basil and crushed red pepper.

6. Pour 1/2 of the vodka sauce into a large baking dish and spread evenly throughout the dish. Next, generously stuff each shell with a spoon full of the turkey/veggie/cheese mixture and place into the baking dish seam side down. Once you have stuffed all of your shells pour the remaining sauce over the top. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and dried oregano.

 

 

7. Bake for 20 minutes (covered with foil). Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes (cheese on top should be melted and dish should be bubbly). Enjoy!

Blog/Baby Update

So what have we been up to these past 7 months........

As many of you already know we are expecting a baby boy at the beginning of May! We are super excited and can't wait to be a family of 3. The first 17-18 weeks of pregnancy were pretty rough, lots of nausea, vomiting, fatigue, etc. and that is the main reason why I stopped blogging. Since our lives are a tad bit different now I will be posting pregnancy/baby updates along with recipes, nutrition information, and other tid bits. So here we go with the first pregnancy update:

How far along?  28 weeks 1 day

Baby's size:  14.8 inches; 2 and a quarter pounds (according to babycenter.com)

Symptoms:  Tired, heartburn, shortness of breath, restless legs (this is terrible at night), increased appetite some days, and frequent bathroom breaks.

Sleep:  Sleep is definitely hit or miss. Some nights I sleep pretty well and other nights I don't. I usually wake up 4-5 times a night to either go to the bathroom, drink water, or get a snack.

Movement:  Most days our little guy is quite the squirmy worm but there are some days where he sleeps more. I recently started to notice the difference between him kicking/punching and him totally switching positions (usually my stomach jumps). For those of you that are preggo right now...I started feeling him kick around 20-21 weeks!

Labor signs:  I think (from what the doc says) I have had a few braxton hicks contractions in the middle of the night and in the morning when I wake up which they think is mainly due to dehydration (when you are dehydrated your uterus contracts). Once I go the bathroom and drink some water these go away pretty quickly. It sorta just feels like your stomach is tightening up.

Anything make you nauseated?  When I overeat! Terrible feeling!

Food cravings:  Bread, pizza, pasta (carbs in general), really cold and juicy fruit, cheese, chewy candy (skittles, laffy taffy, starburst, etc.). I pretty much force myself to eat my veggies!

Best moment this week:  We have an ultrasound tonight to see our little guy!

Looking forward to:  Holding the baby, baby showers, being a Mom, and watching Kel be a Dad.


**Next up: Stuffed Shells with Spinach, Mushrooms, and Turkey Sausage**

Quinoa Burgers

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of quinoa, rinsed
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 zucchini, grated and drained (wrap in a paper towel and squeeze out the water)
• 2 tsp. of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup of reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. of paprika
• 1 tsp. of ground black pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Whole grain sandwhich thins
• Brown mustard

Directions:

1. In a small pot, bring 3/4 cup water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 12-15 minutes and set aside.

2. Add the black beans to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork (doesn't have to be pureed, just mashed up). Next add the grated carrots, zucchini, garlic, and bread crumbs and stir until all of the ingredients are combined.

3. Place the egg and egg white in a seperate small bowl and whisk together with a fork until smooth. Add the eggs to the large bowl of beans and vegetables and stir. Next add the cooked quinoa  and the shredded cheese to the mixture and stir until everything is well incorporated.

4. Next season the mixture with cumin, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and ground pepper. Form the mixture into patties (1/4-1/2 cup of mixture per patty depending on how big you want them). In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat and add patties. Cook for about 5-8 minutes per side (or until browned).

5. Toast sandwhich thins and add mustard to one half of the bun. Place patty on the bun and enjoy!!

*Recipe adapted from Whole Living*

Tomato Basil & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 large chicken breast cutlets (Sliced very thin or pounded out very thin)
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
• 2 oz. of fresh goat cheese
• 1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1 tsp. of olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper

Coating:

• 1/2 cup of plain bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. of dried oregano
• 1 tsp. of garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. of ground black pepper
• 1 large egg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the chopped basil leaves, sun dried tomatoes, goat cheese, garlic powder, olive oil, and pepper. Stir the ingredients together until they are well incorporated (it should look like a compound butter). 

2. Spread half of the cheese mixture in the center of each of the chicken cutlets leaving about half an inch of space from the border. Next roll the chicken to completely cover the cheese, using toothpicks to secure.

3. Stir the bread crumbs, oregano, garlic powder, and pepper together in a small bowl. In another small bowl, crack the egg and whisk until smooth. Dip each chicken breast into the egg and then into the bread crumb mixture.

4. Place chicken breasts onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees. Remove tooth picks from chicken. Enjoy!!

**Sides: roasted okra and whole wheat bread**

Baked Vegetarian Egg Rolls with Peanut Dipping Sauce

This recipe was made up last night by my sister, Kendall. These were absolutely delicious!! My husband and I had them leftover for lunch today and they were still just as yummy. We paired these egg rolls with a Thai marinated flank steak on top of a udon noodles and vegetables. Hope you enjoy!!

 

Ingredients: (makes 10 egg rolls)

Egg Rolls

• 1 package of all natural egg roll wraps
• 1 bundle of bean threads
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned (matchsticks)
• 2 cups of cole slaw mix
• 2 medium carrots, shredded
• 1 zucchini, julienned
• 2 green onions (scallions), diced
• 2 Tablespoons of light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons of light olive oil

Peanut Sauce

• 2 1/2 Tablespoons of natural crunchy peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons of honey
• 1 Tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon of minced garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Bring a small pot of water to boil and add 1 bundle of bean threads. Immediately after adding the bean threads, remove from heat and let sit for 20 minutes or until softened.

3. In the meantime, in a large saute pan (on medium heat), add 2 teaspoons of olive oil, julienned bell pepper, zucchini, cole slaw, and carrots and saute until soft and lightly browned. Next stir in the green onions and soy sauce and mix until combined. Reduce heat to low.

4. Drain the bean threads and give them a rough chop. Add the bean threads into the vegetable mixture and stir until ingredients are well incorporated. Let this mixture cool for about 15 minutes or it will break through the egg roll wrapper.

5. Once the mixture is cooled, add about 1/4 cup of mixture to the end of each wrapper. Fold in the sides and roll. Place the egg rolls seam side down onto the cookie sheet. Spray the top of egg rolls with cooking spray.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the tops are browned and crispy.

7. While the egg rolls are baking, prepare the peanut sauce by adding all of above ingredients into a bowl and whisk together until combined. ENJOY!!

Creamy Spinach Enchiladas

Ingredients:
(Makes about 7 enchiladas)

• 1 package of soft flour tortillas (if you use corn, use less filling)
• 2 packages of chopped frozen spinach
• 1 cup of corn (canned or frozen)
• 1/4 cup of low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup of fat free cream cheese
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 Tablespoon of garlic, minced
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 2 cups of salsa (any kind you would like)
• 1/2 cup of low-fat sour cream
• 3/4-1 cup of low-fat mexican shredded cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove frozen spinach from the package and place in a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for about 5 minutes or until the spinach is thawed (it does not need to be hot, just thawed). Squeeze as much water out of the spinach by placing the spinach in paper towels or a dish towel. Set the spinach aside until ready to use.

2. Make the sauce by adding 2 cups of salsa + 1/2 sour cream to a small bowl and stirring. Set aside.

3. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and chopped onion to a medium saute pan and cook on medium-high heat for about 5-8 minutes of until the onion is soft and slightly browned. Next, turn the heat down to medium and add the minced garlic and stir until the ingredients are well incorporated (be careful not to burn the garlic).

4. Add the spinach to the garlic and onion, breaking it apart while stirring (you don't want all of the spinach to be stuck together).

5. Next add the corn, ricotta, and cream cheese and stir into the spinach, garlic, and onion until the cheese is melted and all of the ingredients come together.

6. Assemble the enchiladas by first adding about 1/2-3/4 cup of the sauce to the bottom of the dish. Next, make each enchilada by stuffing the tortilla with a couple of spoon fulls of the spinach mixture, rolling the tortilla, and placing it seam side down into the bottom of the pan. Repeat this same step for the remainder of the tortillas.

7. Lastly, pour another 3/4 cup of sauce on top of the enchiladas and top the sauce with shredded cheese. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the top is melted and bubbling. Enjoy!!

Sweet Potato, Kale, & Black Bean Quesadillas

This recipe is from www.carrotsncake.com blog and its so yummy and easy to make. This recipe has a lot of good-for-you nutrients including: Vitamin A (sweet potato), Iron (black beans & kale), Calcium (cheese, black beans, and kale), and Fiber (whole-grain wrap, sweet potato, beans, and kale). Hope you enjoy! :)

Ingredients: (makes 2 wraps)

• 2 small sweet potatoes
• 1/2 can of low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup of fresh kale, chopped
• 2 Mini-Babybel Light cheese circles
• Whole-grain wraps (burrito size)
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Pinch of garlic powder

Directions:

1. Place washed and dried sweet potatoes on a microwave safe plate. Punture holes around the sweet potatoes with a fork. Microwave on high for 7-10 minutes or until the sweet potato is soft in the middle. Once the sweet potatoes are finished cooking, slice them open and spoon out the potato into a small bowl (you may need to mash them a little bit more with a fork or a masher to get a smooth consistency).

2. Place rinsed and drained beans into a small bowl next to your mashed sweet potaotes.

3. Place chopped fresh kale into a small bowl and add it your assembly line of ingredients.

4. Cut Mini-Babybel cheese circles into small pieces.

5. Assemble your wrap: place your wrap on a large plate and spread mashed sweet potato onto one half of the wrap. Top the mashed sweet potato with black beans, chopped kale (~2 Tbs), and cheese. Sprinkle the top with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Fold the other half over so it looks like a half-moon. Follow the same steps for the other wrap(s).

6. Place the quesadillas into a panini grill or a saute pan and cook until the cheese is melted and the contents inside are hot. Enjoy!! 

Healthy Shrimp Linguine

Ingredients

• 1/2 box of whole wheat linguine
• 30 small shrimps, peeled, deveined, tails removed
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of sherry cooking wine
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• Salt & pepper
• 1-2 pinches of red pepper flakes
• Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Put a large pot of water on stovetop to boil. Once water starts to boil, salt the water (about 1 pinch of salt), and then add the pasta. Turn heat down to medium-high. Cook for about 7-10 minutes.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet to medium heat and add butter. Once the butter is melted, add the olive oil and minced garlic and stir (make sure the garlic does not burn-if it starts browning, turn down the heat).

3. Next season the shrimp with salt and pepper and add the shrimp to the garlic and olive oil. Cook shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side. Once the shrimp is cooked (should turn pink), remove shrimp from olive oil and garlic and place in a small bowl to the side.

4. Add sherry cooking wine to garlic and olive oil and bring to a boil. Once it starts to bubble, turn the heat down to low (simmer). Add the juice of one lemon and the red pepper flakes and stir the sauce with a whisk.

5. Add the shrimp back into the sauce. Lastly, add the cooked linguine to the sauce and toss all of the ingredients together. Top with parmesan cheese! Enjoy!!

BBQ Chicken Pita Pizza

Ingredients

• Leftover BBQ chicken from previous recipe for crockpot BBQ chicken
• Whole wheat pita bread
• Low fat mozzarella cheese
• Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Spread 1/2-3/4 cup of BBQ chicken evenly over the top of the pita bread. Top the BBQ chicken with mozzarella cheese.

3. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. When it is finished baking, top each pita with 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro. Enjoy!!

Super Easy Barbeque Chicken Sandwiches

We're back! I know I have not blogged in a while and this is mainly due to the fact that we just bought and renovated a house and moved almost 2 weeks ago! Now that we are settled in, I have a little bit more time on my hands to blog. Our main renovation project was our kitchen and I have not had an oven or a stove top since we moved which means I have had to be very creative in the kitchen. Some of the cooking appliaces that I have utilyzed in the past 2 weeks are the toaster oven, crock pot, and waffle iron. I made these chicken sandwiches last night and they were so easy and super yummy! Hope you enjoy!! :)

Ingredients:

• 4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 18 oz. bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce
• Whole wheat hamburger buns
• Shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Place the 4 large chicken breasts on the bottom of the crock pot.

2. Sprinkle diced onions on top of chicken breasts.

3. Pour barbeque sauce over the top of the chicken and onions. Note: I used about 3/4 of the bottle of barbeque sauce; you can use the entire bottle if you like it extra saucy!

4. Slow cook barbeque chicken on high for 4-5 hours. Once chicken is finished cooking, take it out of the crock pot and shred it with a fork (it should be very moist). Transfer shredded chicken back into the crock pot with the sauce.

5. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on one side of the bun. Place the buns in the toaster oven for about 3 minutes or until they are toasted and cheese is melted.

6. Spoon chicken and sauce onto hamburger bun. Note: You may need a fork and a napkin :) Enjoy!!

**Recipe adapted from www.food.com**

 

The BEST Blueberry Muffins

Need a quick, healthy, and yummy breakfast/snack treat for the weekend?? These muffins will satisfy your craving for sure! This recipe took me a total of 15 minutes to make so you will not be in the kitchen all morning long. Tip: For breakfast you could pair this up with a hard boiled egg to add some protein for a well balanced breakfast. Hope you enjoy! :)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of skim milk
• 1/4 cup of almond milk
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 1/2 cup of applesauce
• 1/4 cup of honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup of all purpose white flour
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 cup of frozen blueberries

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place muffin liners in a 12 cup muffin tin. Lightly spray muffin liners with non-stick spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, oil, applesauce, honey, and egg until the ingredients are well incorporated.

3. Add flours, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla to your wet (milk and applesauce) mixture. Whisk the mixture well until there are no longer any clumps.

4. Fold in frozen blueberries. Scoop batter into miffin tins with an ice scream scoop; make sure you do not overfill them because they will rise (should be 3/4 full).

5. Stir together brown sugar and cinnamon for the topping and sprinkle over the muffins so that the top is covered. Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!!

Recipe adapted from: www.eatbetteramerica.com

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Looking for a recipe that is full of flavor but does not contain any meat? These enchiladas are a great source of protein and fiber, are easy to make, and are budget friendly! Sweet potatoes contain vitamin A, which is especially good for your vision. Sweet potaoes also contain fiber which mainly comes from the skin of the potato, so if you would like to leave the skin on in this recipe feel free to do so, it will still be delicious!

Ingredients:

• 10 corn or flour tortillas
• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
• 1 small can of green chilies
• 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 2 cups of salsa verde
• 1 cup of 2% (low fat) shredded mexican cheese
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil or canola oil (whatever cooking oil you like to use)
• 2 teaspoons of ground black pepper
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peeled and cubed sweet potatoes on a large non-stick cookie sheet and add 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and pinch of salt and toss together with your hands. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping in between.

2. While the sweet potatoes are roasting, add diced bell pepper and onion and 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and saute the vegetables for about 10-15 minutes on medium-high heat until the vegetables are soft and slightly browned. Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the minced garlic with the vegetables.

3. Turn the stove off and next, add the can of green chilies, black beans (rinsed and drained), and chopped cilantro and stir until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Season with 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper and 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.

4. Gently fold in the roasted sweet potatoes with the vegetable/bean mixture making sure the sweet potatoes do not get mashed up during the process.

5. Add 1 cup of the salsa verde to the bottom of the baking dish, spreading it out so that the entire bottom of the baking dish is covered with salsa. Fill each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the sweet potato/bean mixture, roll it up, and place in the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with each tortilla until the entire baking dish is filled. Add the remaining 1 cup of salsa verde on top of the tortillas and then top it off with shredded mexican cheese.

6. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. Once the enchiladas are finished baking, sprinkle any remaining cilantro you have on top for presentation.  Enjoy!!

Video - How much water do you need to drink in a day?

If you want to know more on hydration, Jenn and I did this video on hydration for school. It is important to know how much to drink throughout the day whether you are an athlete or not so that your body is getting all of the nutrients it needs to function! Hope you enjoy our short and informative video!! :)

Nutrition Myth Buster: Sugar

What Kind Of Sugar Do You Prefer Using?

o   White granulated sugar

o   Agave nectar

o   Honey

o   High fructose corn syrup

o   Maple syrup

o   Natural sugar from fruit and milk

White Granulated Sugar:

Primarily found in baked goods like cakes, cookies, pies, and bread. This type of sugar is the most commonly used sugar, and is most frequently called for in recipes.

Agave Nectar (Syrup):

Most often produced in Mexico. This type of sugar has a high carbohydrate content which results in a high percentage of fructose (approximately 75-90% fructose). Because of its high fructose content, Agave is a lot sweeter than most sugars and therefore you can use less of it. Agave is used by a lot of Vegans because it excludes all animal products.

Honey:

Produced by honey bees. Honey is used to sweeten all kinds of foods and beverages. Honey has approximately 47% fructose.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS):

Also known as “corn sugar.” This type of sugar is composed of the same simple sugars found in table sugar and honey. HFCS is mainly found in sodas and fruit flavored drinks. HFCS has anywhere from 45-55% fructose.

Maple Syrup:

Produced from the sap of maple trees. This type of sugar is most often used on pancakes and waffles.

Natural Sugar:

Fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) both contain natural sugar meaning no sugar is added to these foods, they are produced with sugar already in them.

So Which One Is Better?

The truth is....sugar is sugar!! Once it enters the body, the body cannot tell the difference. Regardless of what kind of sugar you choose to use, you should always use it in moderation because they all have calories and therefore can all contribute to weight gain.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!! J

Greek Yogurt Protein Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of fat-free Vanilla Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1 1/2 cups of whole-wheat flour
• 1/4 cup of vanilla protein powder (brand of your choice)
• 1 1/2 tsp. of baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. of salt
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of chopped almonds

Directions:

1. Combine all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk together until there are no longer any clumps.

2. Heat a large non-stick griddle pan or skillet to medium heat. Scoop out 1/4 cup of pancake mix onto the pre-heated griddle pan (you can cook 2-3 at a time depending on the size of your pan). Flip the pancake once the top starts to bubble and puff up (about 1 1/2 min-2 min per side).

3. Top your pancakes with your favorite toppings. My toppings included: sliced bananas, a drizzle of sugar free maple syrup, and a sprinkle of homemade granola! Enjoy!!

Note: This recipe was modified from Chobani's greek yogurt pancake recipe.