Good grief it looks good, doesn’t it? It is! I originally featured this recipe four years ago, but it’s one that’s worth repeating. I use spinach pasta, artichokes, shrimp, garlic, red pepper, feta, olives, a splash of wine and olive oil. This will put a smile on your face!

I like this photo better, more light, so I am replacing the old photo… Hey! Did I mention that this recipe comes together quickly? I know, you just can’t beat it!

It’s wonderful served with Trader Joe’s Olive Baguette and olive oil for dipping!

Here’s a link to the original post: MED PASTA WITH SHRIMP AND FETA RECIPE 

Catch you back here tomorrow!

This is one of our staple recipes. The ingredients can vary due to preference and what you have on hand, also what is fresh! It can be made with or without meat (chicken, steak, shrimp or just black beans!) – we’ve made it both with chicken and without and it was equally delicious!

Click HERE to print the recipe minus all my words…

BROWN RICE BOWL – Serves 2

Ingredients

1 package Trader Joe’s Brown Rice (freezer), it’s just rice, but you microwave it so it cooks quickly, but you can always use cooked brown rice!

1 Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breast (we usually split one for this meal)

1 carton or can Black Beans (use however much you like), drained and rinsed

Avocado, diced (or you can use fresh guacamole)

Fresh Salsa (or you can cut up tomatoes, onion, a little garlic, lime juice)

Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

Blue Corn Chips (or any tortilla chips)

Lime wedges

Directions

Cook the protein (i.e. we grill the chicken with olive oil, or you could sauté shrimp, etc.)

Cook the brown rice according to package directions.

Put black beans in a small pan and heat on stove or in glass dish in microwave, just until hot.

Set up the diced avocado, shredded cheese, and salsa (we bought Heirloom Tomato Salsa from Whole Foods, it was out of this world!)…

DISH UP!

Spoon some rice into your bowl (it can look like not much and end up being a lot!)…

Add cheese, Black Beans, Avocado and Salsa. Squeeze lime over the top (owie, this is so good!)… top with a few tortilla chips.

Out. Of. This. World, right?

Catch you back here tomorrow!

 

This recipe is a treasure. Print it. Mark it so you don’t lose it. It’s a keeper forever and ever! Can you imagine a banana bread that is moist, sweet and decadent, all without the use of butter, oil or sugar?! I know, I was hesitant, but I thought… hmmm, give it a whirl, WHAT IF IT’S GOOD?

It. Is.

I made half with chocolate chips, because I wasn’t sure how chocolate chips would taste in banana bread… Well… DUH! FABULOUS!

I found this recipe on Pinterest (thank you Pinterest!) – it comes from a blog called RunningWithSpoons.com – that link will take you to the recipe, but check out the recipes on their blog… good stuff!

Instead of sugar, this recipe uses maple syrup, and not much, only 1/4 cup! I used White Wheat Flour and I couldn’t tell a difference. You can substitute white wheat flour 1:1 with all purpose flour (unlike regular whole wheat flour). I did not use the brown sugar mentioned in the regular recipe (and the original recipe mentions that you don’t have to use it). If your banana’s are sweet and freckled :) then you won’t need it!

Click HERE to print the recipe below… Images below…

Here is the chocolate chip side :) Ok… Confession: I added too many. I got crazy with the Whole Foods 365 Brand Chocolate Chunks. They are amazing! Next time I will add a handful for 1/2 loaf. Not that this is bad, hee hee… it’s amazing!

Here is Fred’s half… plain (well, I added walnuts). This has a wonderful taste and is perfect packed into a lunch. It helps hold you a while! It’s perfect alongside a green smoothie!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

We were trying to come up with something for dinner. Something different. We all get stuck in a rut of making the same thing. We wanted fresh, tasty, healthy, and fast!

I threw these together, put the pan under the broiler until the cheese melted and then added the tomato mixture and fresh avocado – This was a roll your eyes back in your head kind of dinner :)

Here’s what I did – Click HERE to print:

N A C H O   M A M A ‘ S  N A C H O S – Healthier version

i n g r e d i e n t s 

Whole Foods 365 Brand Organic Blue Corn Chips (or whatever brand you like)

Container of grape tomatoes, sliced thin

Onion, sliced thin (however much you like)

Lime, wedge, squeezed

1 Avocado, peeled, de-seeded and cut into small chunks – Wait to do this until you need it.

1 box of 365 (Whole Foods) brand Black Beans, rinsed, and lightly patted dry – use however much you like  I used 1/2 box.

365 (Whole Foods) brand Organic Pepper Jack Cheese, grated (however much you like). I could have used more but was trying to be “good”… and it was delicious!

Jalopeno’s, diced (or buy the diced ones in a jar near pickle section at grocery store)… I didn’t have these, but will use next time!

Cilantro, chopped (didn’t have it this time, but will next time)…

d i r e c t i o n s

Mix the chopped grape tomatoes and diced/minced onion. Then squeeze the wedge of lime over. Stir to mix the flavors. Can add cilantro and jalepenos if you like.

I used a rectangular metal roasting pan, but use whatever you’ve got. Spread the chips out evenly. Top with black beans and grated cheese. But under broiler until cheese melts (and if you use more cheese than I did, wait until it starts to get a bit bubbly) – be sure to WATCH IT! It never takes long under a broiler, sometimes just a minute or two…

When it comes out of the oven, top with the tomato salsa mixture, and the fresh avocado. You can also have a side of Greek yogurt, but I kept it simple.

This will make your tastebuds smile… seriously!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Smoothies are an amazing way to get blasts of nutrition with great taste, and in this heat, they really help you cool down! They’re so quick to throw together, and you really can’t go wrong!

For those of you who don’t like “green”… I read where if you keep the ratio at 60% fruit to 40% greens you cannot taste them. I can attest to that… my husband said he would make a smoothie… I was rushing around to get ready and I was thinking… ahhhh, he won’t add spinach! But I didn’t say anything… he handed it to me, and I guzzled it down without even really seeing it (we were in the midst of talking about something else), I was almost done when I noticed his glass was GREEN! What?! I swear I thought it was his regular banana smoothie (which is awesome  in itself)! No evidence of anything “green” as my sister would say :)

Here are a few to get you started:

Fred’s Spinach Banana Smoothie

2 BIG handfuls baby spinach

2 cups unsweetened vanilla flavored almond milk

2 frozen bananas

Ice to the consistency you like

Start out by blending the spinach and almond milk until the spinach is liquified. Then add the frozen bananas and a few ice cubes to get it to the consistency that you like.

Uh huh! I KNEW you would like it! You don’t even taste the spinach do you?? Amazing!

Another good recipe from Simple Green Smoothie’s, I bought the large container of organic baby spinach, and large bags of frozen fruit (make sure it’s unsweetened!) from Costco:

Simple Green Smoothie

2 cups spinach

2 cups water, coconut water (we use almond milk sometimes), etc.

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks (unsweet!)

1 cup mango chunks

Same process as above, first blend water/spinach until smooth, then add frozen fruit (or fresh + ice cubes).

Catch you back here tomorrow!