Make: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

I wanted to try my hand at roasting pumpkin seeds, since we took the time to save them from the pumpkin Ellis carved.

I searched the Internet for recipes, but nothing really stood out to me, so I asked for recommended recipes on my insta-stories.  I love doing this because I know "real" people will give me "real" recipes, and it won't be a #PinterestFail.

I had a handful of people message me with some yummy sounding recipes -- all different from one another.   But of course, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand for any one of the recipes.

And to be honest, I was sick of the seeds sitting out on my counter, so I just made up my own recipe, using what I had on hand.

The result?  AMAZING.

I don't know why I've never done this before, but you can bet your bottom dollar I will be doing it every year from here on out.

Prior to roasting them, I washed them really well and laid them out to dry for a few days.

I ended up tossing the seeds with Avocado Oil, then sprinkled with Lawry's Seasoned Salt, Black Pepper, Garlic Powder, and a drizzle of Worcestershire Sauce.  After they were mixed well, I spread them out in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  I roasted at 300° for 30 minutes total, periodically flipping them so they roasted evenly on both sides.

They were savory, salty, and very addicting.  I bet they'd be good in a trail mix too.

Maybe next year I'll try a sweet version -- butter, sugar, cinnamon... I mean you can't go wrong with those three ingredients, right?

Do you have a tried & true pumpkin seeds recipe?  Share with us in the comments below!

Make: Creamy Broccoli Soup

I shared on my Instagram stories the other day about finally nailing down the perfect batch of creamy broccoli soup, and I had a few direct messages for the recipe so I thought I would share.

I loved that this came together in under an hour (it doesn't have to simmer forever), but it was even better the next day as leftovers (it thickened up to the perfect consistency overnight).  Both Zac & I liked how creamy it was without being too rich & heavy.  It makes a great meatless meal during Lent.  And bonus, Ellis loved it!

I based my soup on this recipe from Genius Kitchen, except I used a mixture of 1/2 whole wheat flour & 1/2 white flour, added about a teaspoon of 2 of minced garlic, used 1 c. of whole milk instead of 1/2 & 1/2, and I doubled the pepper (cuz we like pepper!)  I also used a mixture of fresh & frozen broccoli florets.

I'd love it if you shared with me some of your favorite meatless meals (besides fish... yuck)!  A few that we've been enjoying lately are:
- Spicy Garlic Pasta & Shrimp with Roasted Cauliflower
- Grilled cheese & roasted tomato soup
- Homemade mac n' cheese
- Pancakes
- Belgian waffles with strawberries and whip cream
- Peanut butter & homemade strawberry jam on toasted english muffins (my favorite easy breakfast right now!)


Happy Thursday & happy half way through this Lenten season!
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Make: Lactation Cookies {and other tips for boosting your supply}

I'm currently just shy of 9 months into my breastfeeding journey.  I've shared before about the not so glamorous truths of breastfeeding in this post, and since then some aspects have gotten easier, while others have not.

A recent issue I've been dealing with is low supply, which just floors me because I was such an over-producer for the first three months.  Maybe this is my body's way of telling me that it's time to hang it up, but I so desperately want Ellis to receive momma's milk for the first year of his life.

I've heard the following ways can help increase your milk supply:

Drink a beer every night.
Drink a blue Gatorade.
Drink mother's milk tea.
Eat oatmeal.
Use Fennel essential oil.
Take a Fenungrek supplement.
Drink 75 million gallons of water a day.
Eat healthy fats like nuts and butter and avocados.
Put flax seed on everything.
Power pump.
Reduce stress.

I've tried a few things on the above list, but in my efforts to research how to increase my supply, I found this recipe for lactation cookies.  Basically, I was hooked at the word 'cookie'.

Zac, being the wonderful husband that he is, has been making me batches of these cookies every couple weeks, and I honestly do notice a slight increase my in supply when I eat them.  Plus, they taste really good, so I am highly recommending them.

We freeze them, and I eat one or two a day.  I notice that I pump about two more ounces in the morning when I eat them consistently.  I know that doesn't sound like a lot, but every drop counts!  Whether it's a coincidence or not, I'm not sure, but I certainly don't mind "needing" to eat my cookies everyday!

If anyone has had any luck in successfully boosting their supply, please share your secrets in the comment section below!





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Make: Five minute breakfast bowl

My mom, sister, & I had brunch recently at The Creamery (OMG their stuffed french toast is BOMB), and Becky ordered the Buddda Bowl, which was basically a bunch of good stuff all just thrown together (think: fruit, almond milk, granola, shredded coconut, dates, etc).  It was delicious, and inspired me to sort of "recreate" my own version at home.

My first attempt at recreating the dish, and I quickly realized that I didn't have any granola, so I decided to use Honey Bunches of Oats cereal instead, and I love how it turned out!


Five-Minute Breakfast Bowl

1 c. Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, crushed
3/4 c. vanilla unsweetened almond milk (can be warmed or served cool)
Sliced banana
Sliced strawberries
Handful of blueberries
Handful of raspberries
Handful of slivered almonds
Garnish with cinnamon

If you make this at home, let me what you added to make this breakfast bowl your own.  The possibilities are endless!

Make: Triple Berry Baked Oatmeal

We were at Costco for the first time last weekend and got carried away in the produce section.  It all looked sooo good!  I've been majority craving fruit -- berries mostly -- so I stocked up.  Forgetting that Zac & I are currently the only two people in our household at the moment who eat fruit, I found that by the following Saturday morning, we still had lots of berries left that needed to be eaten...

I was just going to freeze them, but then I asked myself what I could make to use up all those berries. Naturally, the first thing that came to my mind was a dessert.  Perhaps, cheesecake?!  Yum...  But then I tried to think of something slightly more healthy, and I'm not sure how, but baked oatmeal came to my mind.  So, I did what any normal person does & turned to Pinterest.

I clicked on the first picture that caught my eye -- it was Christine Skari's recipe & I had everything on hand to make it.  Of course, I put my own spin on her recipe... mainly because I'm not good at following directions :)

Luckily, my version turned out amazing.  I mean... look at this goodness!

Below is my take on her baked oatmeal, and it's safe to say, I'll be making this again & again!

You'll need:
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 eggs
1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
3 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
3 cups of berries - I used strawberries, blueberries, & raspberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup diced pecans
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips -- because everything needs a hint of chocolate!
A splash of pure maple syrup

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt & brown sugar, then set it aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, honey, & butter.
4. In a 9"x13" baking pan, arrange 2 cups of the mixed berries. Then cover the berries with the dry bowl mixture in an even layer.  Next, pour the wet bowl mixture on top.  After that, add the rest of the berries on top.  Sprinkle on the almonds, pecans, and mini chocolate chips.  Lastly, drizzle with maple syrup.
5. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the oats have absorbed all the liquid.
6. Enjoy!

*Recipe adapted from Apple of my Eye

This can be served warm or cold -- or mixed into yogurt -- or mixed with more almond milk -- or with whipped cream on top.. really, the possibilities are endless!

Let me know if you make this & how you made it your own!

Sharing at: Buns in my Oven | Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms | The SITS Girls

Make: Homemade Banana-sicles

Happy Labor Day friends!

Is there any better feeling than waking up on a Monday morning and realizing that you don't have to work today?
Nope, I'm not sure there is.

I hope everyone was able to savor this "last" unofficial weekend of summer.  To keep the summer vibes going, we're enjoying homemade banana popsicles, a.k.a. Banana-sicles, because what screams summer louder than popsicles?

These are super easy to make (only 3 ingredients!), and they are a great way to use up overripe bananas.  I got the recipe idea when pursuing through the September 2016 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine.  Their version is called Banana Pudding Pops, but I wanted something a bit simpler & a touch healthier, so along came Banana-sicles.  Plus, I'm always looking for reasons to use my popsicle molds.


To make this recipe, you'll need the following:

- Blender (we have the Ninja & love it)

- Popsicle molds (this is the one we have)

- Two ripe bananas

- 3/4 c. of butter pecan ice cream (our favorite is Cedar Crest, yum!)

- Nilla wafers 

Blend together the bananas & ice cream until pureed.  Pour the mixture into 6 popsicle molds and freeze until solid.  Remove from freezer and sprinkle with crushed vanilla wafers.  Enjoy!

Make: Freezer Pasta Sauce

Our garden is in full harvest mode.  Our tomatoes, specifically, are all coming ripe at the same time, so we've been busy processing.  A large batch of them went to my mother-in-law, who makes & cans the BEST roasted tomato soup.  With our second batch this year, we made freezer pasta sauce.  We always use this recipe, from a Turtle's Life for Me, with a few variations that I will share below.

We've been making this recipe since 2011 & we will never go back to store bought sauce ever again... it's that good!  Making the sauce is a bit time consuming, but very easy... and so worth it.  The flavor of this sauce is hard to beat -- it's our favorite!

Recipe:

5 diced onions (this seems like a lot, but they cook down)

8 cloves of minced garlic

*4 tbsp. olive oil

*16 c. peeled & chopped tomatoes

30 oz. tomato paste

4 tbsp. dried oregano

2 tbsp. dried basil

3 tbsp. dried parsley

1/4 c. white sugar

2 tbsp. salt

*1 tbsp. black pepper 

*In a large stockpot, saute the onions & garlic in the oil until the onion is transparent.

Then, mix in the rest of the ingredients, stirring well after each item is added to make sure everything is incorporated nicely. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer on the stovetop for about 4 to 5 hours, stirring occasionally.

*Our variations:

*We use extra virgin olive oil in lieu of vegetable oil.
*For the peeled & chopped tomatoes, we actually use this Sauce Master that I got for Christmas last year. IT IS AMAZING.  The "good stuff" comes out more like soup than chopped tomatoes, but that's just fine to use in this sauce.

*We add more pepper, because we like pepper.

*Natalie uses a crockpot for her sauce, but we always make a double batch, so we use our big Paula Dean stockpot.

The Tupperware Quick Chef Pro System is a LIFESAVOR when dicing onions.

Minced garlic

This is what the consistency/texture looks like after the tomatoes were added, that we ran through the Sauce Master, instead of peeling & dicing them.  It looks very runny, but the sauce will thicken!

Tomate paste

Oregano

Basil

Parsley

Sugar

Salt

Pepper

^Look at how dangerously high the sauce got -- be careful when stirring!

Once the sauce is cooled, we store in freezer bags -- about 2 cups/bag.  This lasts us all year!

Let me know if you try this recipe & what you think!

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Make: The Best Damn Egg Bake

The other day, my manager brought in an egg bake for Treat Day. 

Ohh, you've never heard of Treat Day?  Well, sucks to be you then.

Treat Day happens every Wednesday on the cube farm where I work.  We make a rotating schedule at the start of every year with the people in our department who wish to participate.  It ends up that you have to bring a treat like 3 or 4 times a year, but get to enjoy a treat every Wednesday.

Needless to say, it's a nice little sumthin' sumthin' to look forward to on a Wednesday.

Back to the egg bake...

One bite into this deliciousness & I decided it was the best damn egg bake I ever did eat.

I promptly asked my manager for the recipe, and I'm sharing it below.  Because it's that good.

You'll need:

2 c. cheddar cheese

2 c. mozzarella cheese

½ c. diced green pepper 

1/3 c. diced green onion

2 tbsp butter

2 c. of diced ham

8 eggs

1 ¾ c. of milk

½ c. flour

½ tsp. basil

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cooking spray in 9x13 pan.  Mix the two cheeses together in a bowl & spread three cups of mixed cheese in the bottom of the pan.  Next sauté the pepper & onion in the 2 tbsp of butter.  Drain.

Put sauteed veggies over the cheese layer. Next layer the ham.  Then sprinkle the last cup of cheese over the ham & veggie mixture.

Mix together the eggs, milk, flour, basil, salt, pepper & parsley with a whisk and pour over the top.  Bake 30-40 minutes or until the middle is set.

Of course, you could add or omit all sorts of other stuff; bacon, sausage, mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.

I don't know where the original recipes generates from, but who cares?  Make this.  It is SO good.
Zac & I had it for supper last week.  And lunch the following day.  And for supper again the next day.

Because it's that good.  And, because leftovers are abundant when you cook for just two people.

Happy egg baking!

Linking up with:

Elizabeth & Co | The Melrose Family | I Heart Nap Time | Buns in my Oven | A Dish of Daily Life | The SITS girls | Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Make: Spicy Garlic Pasta & Shrimp with Roasted Cauliflower

With the arrival of lent (which is now almost over), I had been searching for some meatless meals to prepare for our Friday night dinners.  You know, aside from mac n' cheese, or grilled cheese & tomatoe soup (though there is nothing wrong with either of those, but a little variety never hurt anyone)!  Since I despise all forms of fish, lent can be a realllly long few weeks for me, in terms of Friday night eats.

I came upon this recipe & thought it sounded delicious.  I tweaked a few things... added shrimp & it was a total hit in our house.  Also, I am not good about eating vegetables; the roasted cauliflower totally gets lost in this dish & you can’t even taste it, so I consider that a win!  Basically, I’m like a child.  You have to hide vegetables in the meal & then I will eat them.  Unless they’re mushrooms.  I can spot even a finely diced mushroom even a mile way.

So I thought I’d share the goodness that is this pasta -- my recipe is slightly adapted from Minimalist Baker.  The original recipe can be found here.

For the roasted Cauliflower, I followed Minimalist Baker’s recipe pretty much to a T, but didn’t measure anything, I'm a fan of just eye balling things.  I bought a head of cauliflower, already cut into florets & drizzled it with olive oil, then just sprinkled minced garlic, red pepper flakes, & sea salt until I thought it looked good.  Pop that into a 450* preheated oven to roasted for about 20 minutes -- tossing after 10 minutes. Set that aside when done.

While that is roasting, boil 12 oz. of pasta – I used spaghetti – until al dente.   I threw in 2 chicken bouillon cubes to give the pasta a little added flavor.  Once done, drain the water & set that aside.

In a large frying pan, heat about 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add 2 tsp. minced garlic, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, & a dash of sea salt.  Add in 15-20 peeled & deveined shrimp.  Cooked until pink & set aside.

In that same frying pan heat about ¼ c. olive oil.  To that add 3 tsp. minced garlic & ½ tsp red pepper flakes (more if you like it spicier, less if you don’t), sautéing about 2 minutes.  Add in the cooked pasta, cooked shrimp, roasted cauliflower, 2 Tbsp. dried parsley, & ½ c. parmesan cheese.  Toss to coat.

Serve immediately, though the leftovers are good too!

Happy cooking, friends!

P.S. The Minimalist Baker has TONs of great recipes if you’re looking for some new dishes to add to your repertoire.


Sharing here:
The Melrose Family | Snap Creativity | A Dish of Daily Life | The SITS Girls | I Heart Nap Time

Make: Valentine’s Day Wine Spritzer

In preparation for Valentines' Day, which is just around the corner, I created this Valentine's Day inspired wine spritzer.

We don’t really celebrate Valentine’s Day, but the “Hallmark Holiday” is a nice reminder to give your significant other a little extra love & gratitude.

Our plans include staying in, making dinner together, & sipping this homemade wine spritzer.  We’ll probably end the evening with a movie or board game, and likely be in bed by 9.  We really know how to party these days...

To make this festive little beverage, you’ll need:

- 2 wine glasses

- 1 jar with lid

- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

- Red food coloring

- Wedge of lemon, line, or orange

- Your favorite wine

- Frozen berries (all I had on hand were strawberries)
- Spritz of club soda

Step 1: To make the colored sugar, add sugar to a jar.  Add a couple drops of food coloring, seal the lid, & shake well until the color is evenly dispersed.  The more food coloring you add, the darker the color, however be careful not to over add as it will make the sugar clump or become soggy.

Step 2: Use a wedge of lemon, lime, or an orange to rim your glass.  Then tip the glass over & twist the rim in the colored sugar.

Step 3: Add a few of the frozen berries to the glass.

Step 4: Fill the glass 3/4 full with wine & top with a spritz of club soda.

The colored sugar is festive, fun, & adds a nice little punch to an otherwise boring glass of wine.

It is Valentine’s Day, after all – add the extra touch!

What do your plans look like for Valentine's Day this year?

Sharing this week at:

Tauni Everett | Elizabeth & Co | Adventures of Mel | i heart nap time | The Sits Girls | Buns in my oven | Make ahead meals for busy moms

Favorite Tropical Green Smoothie

I drink a smoothie almost daily.  When it comes to breakfast on-the-go, or a post-workout snack, you can't really beat a refreshing smoothie.


































My version takes less than 5 minutes to make & is super simple -- it only requires 4 affordable ingredients (5 if you count the ice cubes, which are optional).

































I use (and am in love with) my Ninja blender.  I've used numerous blenders throughout the years, and this one takes the cake.  I received it as a Christmas gift 2 years ago, and I use it daily.  It works just as good today as it did the first day I used it. For my smoothies, I use the individual cup with Sip & Seal lid, making it perfect for on-the-go.

My Favorite Tropical Green Smoothie Recipe:
- 1 cup chopped frozen pineapple, strawberry, mango, & peach
- 1 cup baby spinach
- 3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup vanilla greek yogurt

*Target has great options for frozen mixed fruit bags, with pieces already chopped & no sugar added.  This is the blend I used in the recipe above, but this one is also my favorite.
































Place 3 ice cubes (optional), fruit, milk, spinach, & yogurt in a blender, and blend until creamy.  You can add almond milk or fruit to thicken/thin the mixture.  Serve immediately, or freeze to enjoy for later.

There are about a billion recipes for "green smoothie" online, but these core ingredients are my favorite.  Don't be afraid to play around & make this smoothie your own.  You could add flax seeds, chia seeds, or whatever else you wanted.  Try coconut milk instead of almond, or a different leafy green, such as kale, in place of spinach.
































I'd love to know, what's your favorite blend?


*For other great green smoothie recipes, click here!

Linking up here:
Elizabeth & Co | The Winthrop Chronicles | Live Laugh Rowe | Adventures of Mel | Tatertots & Jello