Thursday, April 26, 2012

~cheesy egg muffin~




what you need: 
1 toasted whole grain English muffin
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 ripe avocado
1 slice tomato
1 egg, poached
1 slice Swiss cheese
Freshly ground pepper to taste

what to do" 
Drizzle the English muffin with a little olive oil, then spread 1/4 ripe avocado on it. Top it off with the slice of tomato, Swiss cheese, poached egg and the pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

~pan-roasted chicken w/lemon-garlic green beans~


what you need: 
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, 
1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced 
(hard roll lemons on counter to release the juices before cutting)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
8 small red potatoes, quartered
4 chicken breasts 
(bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds)

what to do:
Preheat oven to 450°F. 
Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. 
Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Add the green beans and toss to coat. 
Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. 
Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. 
Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. 
Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. 
Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. 
Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
Roast for 50 minutes. 
Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. 
Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. 
Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. 
Serve warm.

Monday, April 9, 2012

~chocolate eclair cake~



Made this yesterday for Easter dinner and my boyfriend wouldn't let me take it to the family dinner because he wanted to eat it all!!! 


what you need: 
1 (3.4oz) vanilla instant pudding
1 (3.4oz) chocolate instant pudding 
1 package graham crackers
3 cups milk (don't use skim)
16 oz whipped topping (don't use fat free)
1 (16oz) container chocolate frosting



what to do: 
mix vanilla pudding with 1.5 oz of milk for 2 minutes then fold 8 oz of whipped topping

in a separate bowl mix chocolate pudding with 1.5 oz of milk for 2 minutes then fold 8 oz of whipped topping

layer of graham crackers in a 9 x 13 pan 
cover with vanilla pudding mix
add another layer of graham crackers 
cover with chocolate pudding mix 
add another layer of graham crackers
cover with vanilla pudding mix
add another layer of graham crackers 
cover with chocolate pudding mix 
add another layer of graham crackers

cover with chocolate frosting 


chill in refrigerator at least 4 hours (overnight is best)

Thursday, March 22, 2012

~snacks under 100 calories~

Okay people.. I am trying to eat healthy but I LOVE TO SNACK!!! With this being said I have decided that I can have 3 snacks a day under 100 calories.. and here are some of my choices... please let me know some of your favorite snacks as well! 

1 cup of blueberries 

1 piece of raisin toast

1 cup of cheerios

 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1 cup of melon

20 pistachios 

2 cups of air popped popcorn

2 cups of FRESH veggies zucchini/carrots/broccoli etc... the key word here is FRESH 
(add 1/2 cup of light ranch)

Small Latte with SKIM milk

1 hard boiled egg


1 light yogurt 

1 small orange 

1 cup of strawberries 

1 string cheese



1 handful of almonds

1/4 cup of dried cranberries

Thursday, March 15, 2012

~shamrock shakes~ mint-chocolate chip

what you need:
1-2 frozen bananas (as ripe as possible)
chocolate chips
2 drops peppermint extract
2/3 cup of milk
1/4 cup frozen spinach
**or green food coloring**

what to do:
blend everything together in blender
pour and enjoy! 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

~apple and thyme pork chops~





time: 30 minutes / 4 servings

what you need:
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons canola oil
16 ounces boneless pork loin chops, (4 4-ounce chops), 1/2 inch thick, trimmed of fat
1 small onion, sliced
1 medium Granny Smith apple (or any tart apple), peeled and sliced
1/4 cup organic apple cider, or organic apple juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

what to do:

mix 2 tablespoons broth & cornstarch in a small bowl
heat oil in a large skillet over high heat
add chops and cook until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side
transfer to a plate
reduce heat to medium-high and add onion to the pan
cook, stirring often, until it starts to soften & brown, 2 - 3 min
add apples & cook - stirring often until tender, 3-5 min
stir in the remaining broth, cider (or juice), mustard, thyme and the cornstarch mixture 
bring to a boil, stirring, until thickened & glossy, about 1 min
return the chops to the pan and heat through
serve immediately and ENJOY!



Thursday, March 8, 2012

~strawberry coconut smoothie~




Serves 1¾ cup coconut milk
¼ cup water
2 tablespoonshempseeds 
½ cup frozen strawberries
1 raw egg yolk
1 tablespoons raw honey
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.