foodie moment: bacon, kale, & potato bake

September 4, 2015 Leave a Comment

We have made this for dinner a couple times and its pretty yummy!

I thought I would share…

I got the idea from something similar my sister and law in I made this summer up north. But, I couldn’t remember exactly what we did… and made a few additions. It was kind of one of those things that could have been hit or miss. Haha. But, Im glad I experimented.

What you will need:

bag of potatoes (I grabbed the one with different varieties)

6 cloves of garlic

a half of bag of kale

bacon (I used turkey bacon)

zucchini (I like the baby ones)

a half of a sweet onion

salt & pepper

olive oil

parmesan cheese

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Cut the potatoes in to bite size pieces, and bake them for 25-30 min until soft.

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While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon in a pan before hand and crumble it up.

Then, chop the kale, onion, zucchini, garlic and sauté in a pan with olive oil.

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Mix everything together on the cookie sheet, sprinkle with some salt and pepper & cheese.

Broil for just a couple minutes.

And Enjoy!

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Filed Under: Food Fridays

foodie moment: blackened tomato salsa

April 4, 2014 Leave a Comment

For today’s Food Friday… I am going to show yow how to make a delicious Blackened Tomato Salsa (or as we call it in our house… She She Salsa.. named after my best friend Shelly, because it’s her fave).

First up… your ingredients.

5-7 large tomatoes (chilled)

1 large or 2 smaller Jalepeno Peppers (you can do more if you like it really spicy)

1 can of chicken broth

1 lime

1 red onion

2-3 teaspoons of cilantro

Next Directions…

Put 5 tomatoes on the grill and close. Cook on Med/High until blackened on bottoms (probably at least 15 minutes).

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Then flip the tomatoes and add your peppers. Cut off the stem of the peppers before placing it on grill. (I forgot and it’s much easier before. Also, note to everyone… do not touch your face or eyes after touching the peppers. I learned that the hard way today. Oops). Come back after 5-7 minutes and rotate the peppers.

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While those are cooking… dice the red onion, cilantro, and 1-2 other tomatoes. Place those in a bowl to the side.

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Take off the tomatoes and peppers once blackened on both sides. Place them in a bowl and let them cool off. Squeeze the lime in.

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Then, place in the blender and add chicken broth. Puree until smooth (doesn’t take long at all). Add to the bowl of chopped onions, tomatoes, and cilantro. Stir and chill. Enjoy!

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foodie moment: chicken chili

March 28, 2014 Leave a Comment

Any moms out there looking for an EASY meal to make for dinner? (Let me hear ya holla).

Well, I thought I would share one my family’s favorites… Chicken Chili!

The first time I made it… well, it was actually a mistake. I didn’t have some of the right ingredients for another recipe I saw, so I just improvised. And my hubby loved it so much, I have had to figure out how I did it that first time.

I think I finally have it down now… so here it goes. And it’s super easy. You basically just throw all of the ingredients in a crock pot… and let it cook itself.

The chili is pretty mild.. and actually kind of sweet (which is great for my 2 little girls… because they eat it too). But you can always kick it up a notch by adding some chili pepper or getting the hotter version of the things below.

What you will need: (this will serve about 6 people)

A Crockpot

1 lb of Ground Chicken

16 oz can of Chili Beans in mild Chili sauce (I like the Bush brand)

1 Onion (chopped up)

1 Tomato (chopped up)

2-3 cloves of Garlic (minced)

2 cups of water

One package of mild Guacamole mix (I know, weird)

3/4 cup of Organic Ketchup

A bag of Cheddar or Mexican mix Shredded Cheese (for later)

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Step 1- Cook the Ground Chicken in a pan on the stove

Step 2- Add the chicken and everything else listed above (but the cheese) to the crockpot. Stir for about a minute.

Step 3- Let it cook on Low for 2-4 hours.

At the end, I add in about half of the bag of cheese and stir it in to the chili. Then I use the rest of the bag for topping.

These is also great to eat with Tortilla Chips or Cornbread. Yum!

Enjoy! Let me know if you make it and how it works out!

 

 

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places i love: costa rica

March 10, 2014 1 Comment

This truly is one of my favorite places to be on the planet. This was my 5th time to Costa Rica, and just like all of the times before I fell in love.

The food, the people, the beauty, and the experience… always life-changing.

My hubby Luke and I were able to help lead a group of high school seniors from Berean Christian School (which, let me stop and mention, how awesome is it that Berean offers these trips for students?).

I couldn’t have been more proud of this group of teenagers. They worked their tales off and built a house for a family in need in just three short days. Incredible! (We worked in partnership with Joshua Expeditions and YWAM’s Homes for Hope)

Not only that, we were able to put on a VBS for the children in that particular area we were doing ministry in.

I also had the privilege of making some new friends on this trip. Stay tuned to the blog in the coming weeks for a Q & A with Paola, a local missionary in Costa Rica who has an organization that works with girls and boys involved in sex trafficking and prostitution.

For now, here are some images from our trip!

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This is Guadeloupe with her son Symir. We built the home for her, her husband, and two sons.

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And in honor of yummy Costa Rican cuisine… a little “How To” for you as well!

Sweet Plantains 

What you will need:

2-4 Plantains (the darker in color the peel, the sweeter they will be)

Agave Nectar

Coconut Oil

Himalayan Sea Salt

Directions:

Peel and cut plantains like below…

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In frying pan heat 1 tablespoon of coconut per plantain (so I did two, so put in two). And 1 teaspoon of Agave.

Cook plantains to preference. I like them to be caramelized on the outside and soft in the middle.

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When done, put a tiny bit of salt on the top (gives it a yummy sweet and salty flavor).

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Serve as a side dish. I served them the other night with Egg Torillas and Guacamole.

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foodie moment: homemade granola bars

February 24, 2014 1 Comment

I took a stab at making some granola bars for Luke and the girls this past week. It was actually WAY easier than I thought. I thought I would share it with you guys as well!

What you will need:

2 cups of rolled oats (you can use Gluten Free ones to make these GF bars)

1 cup of dried Cranberries or Blueberries (I used a little of both)

1/2 cup of Honey

1/4 cup of Agave Nectar

1 cup of sliced almonds

1/2 cup of Almond Butter (you can use Peanut Butter if you prefer)

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Directions:

I toasted the oats and almonds on a cookie sheet first at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. While that is happening you can warm the almond butter, honey, and nectar in a small saucepan. Mix together until it has a smooth texture.

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Put the toasted oats and almonds with the dried fruit in a large bowl.

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Then, pour the almond butter/honey/nectar mixture over the other ingredients. Stir together until well mixed. Transfer to a dish or pan lined with parchment or wax paper (otherwise they will stick). Press down firmly until everything is flattened. Cover with more paper and place in fridge for 30 minutes.

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Once firm, you can slice bars out. And there you have it! Yum! I have been sending them in the girl’s lunches all week. Or they make a great afternoon snack. Enjoy!

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foodie moment: gluten- free, no sugar cookies

February 18, 2014 Leave a Comment

Ok, so disclaimer… These cookies do not taste like the sugar cookies you buy from Publix. Haha.

But, they are a healthy option for sweet treat or an option for those who have food restrictions.

This recipe is gluten free and also sugar free!

The girls and I had fun making them on Valentines Day.

No-Sugar Cut Out Cookies

What you will need:

2.5 Cups of Almond Flour

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan Pink Salt (or Celtic Sea Salt)

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Cup Coconut Oil (or you can use melted butter)

1 tablespoon Vanilla

1 cup of Xylitol

1 large egg

Beat together Oil, Vanilla, Egg, and Xylitol in separate bowl.

Then, mix almond flour, salt, baking soda together.

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Mix two bowls together. Then chill dough for a half hour.

Then, roll out dough and use cookie cutters to make shapes.

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Bake the cookies at 350 degrees until brown on the edges. Let them cool.

While they are cooling, you can make the frosting.

What you will need:

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened.

4 tablespoons of agave nectar

3 tablespoons of heaving whipping cream.

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Combine cream cheese and agave in medium bowl until well blended.

Then whip in heavy cream until frosting is thick and creamy.

As you can see here, Kira was even sampling it a bit (the evidence on her face).

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Then, frost cookies and decorate! Enjoy!

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foodie moment: no crust quiche

February 12, 2014 Leave a Comment

I have been trying to find more affordable, healthy, gluten free options for dinner.

Without getting in to detail, let’s just say I have tummy issues. So, we’ve really been trying to make an effort to eat right at home.

So.. yesterday I made this quiche. It’s a modified recipe from “Practical Paleo“… which is an awesome cookbook by the way.

I thought I would share it with you all…

What you need:

12 Eggs

1 Large Zucchini, shredded or grated. I also squeezed them to get some of the juices out.

2 large carrots, shredded

Butter/Coconut Oil

Garlic Salt

Rosemary

and Cheese (I used Raw Cheddar… but any kind of cheese would work).

(Optional)- Ham or Bacon. I didn’t use it on this quiche, although my husband wished I did.

Directions:

Ok, so grease pan with butter or coconut oil.

Beat eggs, then mix in zucchini, carrots, and some garlic salt and rosemary. I am horrible at measuring… but if I had to guess I would say a half teaspoon of each.

Add in 2/3 of a cup of cheese.

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Spoon in to pan. Then I like to swirl it around to make a pretty design.

Sprinkle another 1/2 cup of cheese on top.

Place in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 35 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.

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And there you have it, a pretty affordable, healthy meal for the family (Under $20). Super easy!

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