Soup For The Soul.......

Only 10 more days until Christmas....are you getting a little nervous or excited yet?  I can't believe that December is half way over ugh....time just seems to fly these days more and more.  I'm trying to slow it all down and enjoy everything as much as I can.

I will share some pics this week of holiday things, but wanted to pop in with one of my favorite cold-weather soups that is easy to make and good to put up in the freezer too.  So make a big batch to enjoy on those days you just don't have time to cook or want to be doing other things ;)

For a printable version of this recipe, click HERE!

Have a wonderful week everyone!!!

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Healthy Eats!

Well its Week 6 and I've got my Meal Plan below for you!  

You can find them all by clicking on the HEALTHY LIVING tab at top of blog or on my sidebar.  And most of the recipes are on my Pinterest board HERE too!

Shrimp Tostados by Skinny Taste

I've stumbled upon a blog that I've fallen in love with...I MEAN I LOVE IT! 

It's called "skinnytaste.com" and she has the best recipes for those looking for healthy alternatives to their meals.  I've used mostly her recipes for this week's Meal Plan as well....so many yuumy choices.  And the food photography is outta this world...I can only aspire to take some luscious photos of food!

So I'm looking forward to trying out some new recipes and flavors over the coming months.  There are so many filling and yummy recipes that are good for you if you look hard enough and are willing to try.  These Turkey Picadillo Stuffed Plantains above are on the plan for this week...they sound delicious and nothing I've ever made before but I'm sure willing to give it a go.

So anywho I hope you hop on over to that blog and have fun perusing all the fabulous recipes and pictures.

The Turtle Beats the Hare....

Slowly but surely I'm persisting....as of today I've lost 11 lbs and I'm pretty excited about it.  

I refuse to do anything drastic because it never works well in the long term. Slow & steady wins the race...and I'm focusing on calories, good workouts and feeling better and not feeling deprived or sad about anything. HUGE difference!  I feel stronger & hey I'm fitting in my pants again...that's a nice incentive for sure.  19 lbs to go but I'm motivated to make it happen by Christmas.

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Here are my meal plans for this week below (and last week's too, sorry I forgot to add it).  

If you are looking for healthy meal plans and new recipes you can find lots on my Pinterest Board HERE and all my meal plans are linked in my side bar or by clicking the HEALTHY LIVING tab at top of blog.  

FYI: Any meal that has (P) next to it has the recipe on my pinterest board.

I'm finally able to get through a 60 minute workout and I'm loving the Kettlebell and Jillian Michael Shred workouts...they work if you stay consistent and push it every workout.  I'm also enjoying yoga..I've been trying many different workouts via Amazon Prime Instant Video and like to mix it up each week.  I went from holding a plank for 5 secs to a minute-thirty...so every step up is encouraging.

And also the Lose It app on my phone has been great for tracking each & every calorie I put in my mouth...makes it easier to plan my meals and days out.

So if you are on this journey too....how are you doing??

SUMMER Food Porn Tuesday!

SUMMER RECIPES

I'm all for yummy, brightly colored foods using veggies and fruits in the summertime. Summer usually makes me want lighter foods that don't heat up my kitchen or take too long to make...gotta have some lounge-time built into the summer right?

And fresh fruit that is so sweet it dribbled down your chin...amen I say!!!

Thought I'd share a few recipes I've seen around that got my tastebuds going....will be making these the next 2 weeks before we head out on our 15 day vacation starting July 9th.

Chili Lime Sweet Corn Salsa

Our local farmers market is promising fresh corn by next week...so I'm thinking

this would be a yummy side with some fresh, grilled fish.  Mmmmmm!

Parmesan Crusted Zucchini Spears

I make a zucchini dish that I make a lot (diced zucchini & onions sauteed then add mozz cheese on top) so I'm looking to expand my zucchini repertoire because I have a LOT of zucchinis growing in the garden. These look easy & yummy!

Caramelized Onion Quiche

Onions + Cheese = say no more.....sounds like good stuff to me and easy to cook up!

Caprese Stuffed Tomatoes

I love me some stuffed tomatoes....that's just good eating to me...especially when they are fresh 'maters!

Here's a few for ya in case you need variety like me ;)

Spinach, Mushroom & Brie Stuffed Tomatoes

Avocado & Chicken Stuffed Tomatoes

Tomatoes Stuffed with Grilled Corn Salad

Yellow Bean & Mushroom Gratin

I am going to have a bumper crop of wax/yellow beans this summer and was looking for new recipes when I came across this.  Sounds sooooo good & easy to do!

Spaghetti with Basil Pesto

I'm growing a few herbs this summer as well and my basil has come in beautifully. I'm going to make this recipe and the one below with my fresh basil...should be yum yums!

Chicken with Basil Artichoke Sauce

Sounds yum right? I'll let you know.....

Creamy Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

I want to try this version on my spinach-strawberry salads this summer.

Looks good, sounds good!

Blackberry Cream Cupcake

And for a very sweet dessert, how about these?  I think I just drooled.....
I like little desserts...just enough to sweeten you up but not enough to stuff ya!

Are any of you growing some fresh veggies this summer?  What's your favorite veggie to eat and grow?

What's On The Side??

SERVED ON THE SIDE

I am ALWAYS looking for new, yummy side dishes all year long.  I have my tried & trues, the holiday sides, the summer sides, etc but I like to discover new ideas along the way too.  And if they are easy to assemble or can be prepared ahead...EVEN BETTER right?

Southern Living & Pinterest seem to be the two places I most often find yummy recipes that my family will love.  The past issue of Southern Living (1 of my fave magazines) had some very yummy looking side dishes that I wanted to try out.  So I did this past weekend & thought I'd share them with you too...in case you missed this last issue.  

HOWEVER I did add or change a few things to each to my liking...soooo if you want the original recipes you will have to buy the issue or look on their website. 

 I promise my versions were REALLY GOOD!!  

Both of them work perfectly during the summer months and with fresh produce!

 Zucchini-Potato Casserole

(yes I altered the recipe a bit, because that's just what I do)

4 TBS Butter

2 medium onions sliced

2 medium potatoes sliced THINLY

1 zucchini sliced THINLY

4 tomatoes sliced

kosher salt

black pepper

1 clove of crushed/diced garlic

1/2 cup shredded/fine Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup of shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Instructions:

**I used a mandolin to cut my potatoes & zucchini slices thinly & quickly

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cook onions with 2 TBS butter until tender & starting to caramelize.

Grease a round/oval dish and layer cooked onions on bottom.

Slice zucchini, potatoes & tomatoes thinly and start arranging them around your pan on top of the onions, alternating as you go.

Sprinkle everything with kosher salt & ground black pepper, then drizzle 2 TBS of melted butter on top. COVER WITH FOIL!

BAKE AT 375 degs for 35 mins

****

REMOVE FOIL and sprinkle with cheeses.

Bake again for 35 mins UNCOVERED this time at 375 degs.

Let stand for 5-10 mins before serving!

YUMMMMM!

Looks so yummy right? It was really good!

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Caprese Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing
(again I added/changed a few things to the original recipe)

2-3 large tomatoes 

(I used a yellow heirloom as well)

16 oz fresh mozzarella cut into 1/2 inch slices

fresh basil leaves

6 bacon slices, cooked & coarsely chopped

3 TBS balsamic vinegar

2 TBS rice vinegar

2 TBS Olive Oil

kosher salt

ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Slice tomatoes and cheese; then arrange in a circular pattern on your platter/dish.

Place basil leaves in and around as desired.

Sprinkle with salt & pepper to your liking.

Cook bacon until crispy, remove bacon from pan and let stand for a minute.

Reserve drippings in pan and add vinegars and oils, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan while mixing. Add in salt and pepper.

Drizzle warm bacon dressing over tomatoes and cheese.

Serve, Eat & Enjoy!

Aren't the colors just gorgeous?  I used some local fresh mozzarella and LORDY-BE was it good...so flavorful!!  Basil is from my herb garden so it was super fresh :)

Look at those yummy layers and bits of crispy bacon (I used thick sliced maple bacon for mine)!

Perfect side dish for summer I tell ya!

BON APPETIT!

A CHICKEN Thursday!

CHICKEN SHAKER-UPPERS!

How about some Chicken for you? bwack-bwack-bwack!

 I love to fix and eat chicken, but sometimes get bored with my usual recipes that I know by heart...they're good but I like to mix it up now and again.  Its easy to get in a rut when you're pressed for time so I like to add some new recipes to my repertoire to see what is easy, what my family likes and what I can add to make it my own.  So below are some new recipes I want to try out (minus the kabobs...which I make a lot and are always good).  Most of these recipes are awesome for warm weather temperatures when you don't want heavy meals...and most can be made ahead which is always helpful when you want to enjoy the summertime chilling and relaxing!  Grill the chicken the day before  outside and have that all done without heating up the kitchen so much too.

White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

(just say yummmmm)

Grilled Ginger-Sesame Chicken Chopped Salad

(light & perfect for warmer weather temps)

BLT Buffalo Chicken Wraps

(great to make ahead & serve for summer lunches)

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

(just say YES to extra servings)

Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs

(mmmm so yummy & easy to make)

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AND BECAUSE WE ALL NEED A SWEET TREAT.....

Cookie Dough Egg Rolls

(ohhhh my)

Bon Appetit!!

Italiano!

I love me some Italian food and I married an Italian guy because of it too!

WAIT!!!!  

WHAT??

No I'm just kidding...my hubby IS half Italian but I didn't marry him because he was.  

The man can barely cook, I mean c'mon LOL!

But we all enjoy some good Italian food in our house that's for sure.

And its always best when made from scratch!

I thought I'd share my simple & quick Chicken Parmesan with Roasted Tomato Sauce

with you all today!  And pretty healthy as well (well minus the cheese lol) but other than that its fairly Paleo friendly too!

One of my favorite ways to cook up a good hearty tomato sauce is by roasting some tomatoes (I like to use a mix of cherry and larger tomatoes) with some garlic, salt & pepper, olive oil, balsamic, brown sugar and a bit of hot red peppers to give it a good kick.  

After they've roasted up, put them in a blender and puree into your sauce.

{recipes are below}

I like to buy the thinner chicken breasts for my Chicken Parmesan.  They cook up faster and you don't have to waste time beating them down...course if you need to expel some bad juju then go right ahead and bang those chicken breasts into thinner pieces LOL!  I cook mine up in a skillet with olive oil and fresh herbs when I can to get a head start on the cooking. Then I layer everything into my baking pan, top with sauce & cheese and store it in the fridge until I'm ready to cook it up for dinner.  Easy to make ahead and tastes soooo good!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

1 - 1.5 lbs of tomatoes 

1/4 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

1 TBS brown sugar

1/2 cup of Olive Oil

3-4 cloves of Garlic Smashed

A few snips of fresh Thyme, Basil & Parsley

(use dried herbs if you have no fresh on hand)

Salt & Pepper

Red Pepper Flakes for kick

Mix up all the ingredients in a small bowl except for the tomatoes.  Place tomatoes in a glass or stone pan (not metal) and drizzle mixture on top. Roast at 350 degrees for about 1 hour.  Once roasted pour the tomatoes and sauce into your blender and puree.  Add salt/pepper to taste as needed.

Chicken Parmesan

4-8 Chicken Breasts (thin cuts)

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Salt/Pepper

Italian Seasoning

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Mix in a small bowl Olive Oil and seasonings and dip chicken breasts in mixture.

Heat skillet and brown each side of chicken quickly, no more than 1-2 mins on each side.

Then place chicken breasts in a greased baking dish, pour roasted tomato sauce on top, and cover with shredded cheeses.  Cover with foil and cook at 400 degs for 15 mins, then remove foil and cook last 5 mins to melt cheeses well.

Bon Appetit!

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*****

WINNER of the Parking Tix
(sorry I'm behind on this)

Kim of "My Pink Tiara" 
has won a pack of my parking tickets LOL!
Email me at sjdean@smartneighborhood.net with your mailing address so I
can ship them out ASAP to you!

And if you would like your very own parking tickets...Amazon has them right here below!
Citation those idiots away I say ;)

Chipping Away!

CHEAT SNACKS

One of the things I treat myself to once a week is a handful of chips.  I usually have a hankering for something salty and most days I will have a handful of nuts that are lightly salted because they are good for you (usually almonds, cashews or pistachios are what I have on hand). But I LOVE chips....so if I've been good with my eating plan I treat myself to a handful of yummy salted chips.  

My #1 fave are Kettle Chips with sea salt...mmmmmm YUM!

However I have 2 new favorites that I "try" to keep stocked...I mean try because my family usually eats them all up before I have my 2nd handful!

No none of them are Paleo approved...sorry...but I've gone into a more modified version of Paleo. I try to follow it 80% of the week and if I've been good I get a cheat meal and a cheat snack.  So far it has worked well and I've dropped 16 pounds since I started.  Next week I am starting low-impact exercise again now that the doctor says I can. So that means treadmill walks and light weights for a few weeks to get myself going again.  Then I hope to begin my Pilates and Kickboxing again.

OMGosh if you love Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant (like my boys) then you will love these.  They taste just like a hot wing and have just enough kick to keep you interested but not set your entire mouth aflame.  I've had 2 handfuls out of 2 bags because the two boys in my house gobble them up...I might have to hide a bag LOL!

And then there are these Lays Garlic Bread flavored chips.  And yes they are pretty reminiscent of real garlic bread without the warm butter dripping down your chin :)  We discovered these down in South Carolina over Spring Break and were happy to see our local stores now carry them too!  If you can't have the garlic bread this is a good treat to have to get the flavor.

No I don't know how much fat or calories are in 8-10 chips once a week...nor do I care to know LOL!

Everything in moderation.....

And when I have a sugar hankering I either eat a square of dark chocolate or have some

Gummi Bears.  The dark chocolate is GOOD for you & the Gummi Bears have few calories and no fat.  I love this brand of gummies the best...they are a bit more chewy than others so they keep your mouth busier longer.  That means you eat less of them....I think!

What is your favorite treat to eat?

Food Porn Thursday!

I saw David Gray as I mentioned in my last post, on Tuesday night with the hubs. It was an early birthday present and WOW what an evening.  Held in the historic Lincoln Theater (beautiful) in DC it was perfect...he is an amazing musician and I enjoyed every minute!

Yesterday I got my hair done and on the way in torrential rain I hit a GIGANTIC pothole that was disguised as a puddle and 30 secs later my tire was flat. I was just able to make it into the parking lot of my salon before it was a lost cause.  Thank goodness for AAA...they were quick and put a new tire on and I got my hair done. But my nerves were shot, and it was raining, and I was cold and someone almost rear ended me....yeah it was not the bestest of days!

However today I'm going to lunch with friends and I'm looking forward to that...good food, good convo with some of my favorite people...its a win/win!  Tomorrow I gotta go to the DMV to renew my license...not so much fun...ick!  But my hair will look good hahaha ;)

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So for now I will enjoy today and share some more food porn with you....some recipes I'm gonna fix for my CHEAT meals next week.

ummm yummmmmmm....recipe here!

Shrimp is like a free food..low in calories..but these look HIGH in flavor!

{recipe here}

Creamy Mushroom & Brie Soup...two main ingredients I love!

{recipe here}

Oreo Fluff...how can you say NO?  Dip in more oreos, graham crackers, fruit...mmmm!

{recipes}