Light and Healthy Summer Lunch!

Very quick, easy, and healthy :) (even my husband and son loved it)

Thinly sliced sourdough bread

Fresh Spinach

Fresh Arugula

Fresh Mozzarella

Tomatoes

Basil

Balsamic Glaze (I just lightly poured it on top)

I grilled them, but they taste awesome without grilling as well

What do you mean they're all done?!

Cucumber Salad! Perfect for hot days

It's been just about 4 months since my last blog post! I used to say that obstacles aren't excuses.... but if you've ever experienced Hyperemesis, you'd know that I needed to "eat" my words. Horrible pun intended... I actually couldn't eat at all. BUT the good news is that the cause is a cute little boy due around Thanksgiving :). Health chick will have an egg hatching soon!

On to the cucumber salad!

It's going to be in 100's all week in NC with a heat index around 115. It's so incredibly miserable outside, and heavy meals just don't mesh very well with the humidity. This cucumber salad is perfect the hot Summer days, and it only takes about 10 minutes to make. 

You will need: 

1.5-2 large cucumbers

1 package of grape tomatoes, sliced in half

1/4 cup of onions sliced thinly

1/2 of feta cheese (pasteurized if you're pregnant, of course)

1/2 can of garbanzo beans

1/2 cup (or more. I love them) of kalamata olives

1/2 lemon

Olive oil, white vinegar, ground pepper, dill weed.

1. Put the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, olives, cheese, and garbanzo beans in a bowl. Set aside

2. In a large bowl, (and I admittedly didn't measure much) put a small amount of white vinegar, 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil, and squeeze in the lemon juice

3. Mix in some ground pepper and dill weed (I think I used about a tablespoon)

4. Dump the bowl of vegetables & feta into the large bowl

5. Mix well and serve! You can add more vinegar if you'd like it. Adjust ground pepper and dill at this time if needed.

DELICIOUS! Stuffed Chicken w/ Strawberry Avocado Salad

This was such a great dinner and it's easier than it looks to make (ahem, I was able to make it). It also leaves plenty for lunch tomorrow!

Ingredients: 

2-3 chicken breasts

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 cup of broccoli

1/3 cup of feta

8 strawberries

1 small avocado

Mixed lettuce/salad

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/4 cup of bread crumbs

Clean the chicken and then slice it in half, but not all the way. Open it up and lay flat (like a butterfly). Tenderize it. Put the garlic, broccoli, and feta in the middle (I also added ground pepper and basil). Tightly wrap the chicken and place on a baking sheet. Rub a TINY amount of olive oil over the chicken and sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. 

Bake it for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. 

OMG! The BEST sandwich I've EVER tasted!

I take back anything I ever said about making "the best thing I've ever made." This trumps everything. It is 10 times better that anything I've ever tasted. 

I don't care if you don't like eggplant, you HAVE to try this one. My husband protested like a child that I was making eggplant, saying that he hated it. How many sandwiches did he end up eating? 4. FOUR (kind of defeats the purpose of healthy eating, but it was THAT good!). 

The issue with eggplant is most people don't know how to make it correctly. It's not a normal vegetable that can be cut up, sauteed, and served. It won't taste very good that way. Eggplant needs a little more attention than all the rest. 

This is a weekend dinner because it requires more time. 

The key to making it taste good is drawing out the bitterness with salt. So, slice the eggplant into 1/3-1/2 inch slices. Arrange on a baking sheet and cover with salt (be very liberal). Let it sit for an hour, and you'll notice there's a ton of yellow tinged liquid sitting on top. Wash this and all the salt off each piece and blot dry. 

Brush with a tiny bit of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and ground pepper. Eggplant really soaks up and retains liquid, so a little bit goes a long way. Grill it or bake it (350 for 20 min). Grilling will be a lot quicker. You're then ready to create your sandwich!

You can use Ciabatta bread or Rustic Italian Bread. I baked the bread in the oven, sliced in half, and then added the eggplant. I topped the eggplant with chopped spinach, fresh basil, grape tomatoes, roasted red peppers, Parmesan cheese, and Mozzarella (I wanted to use fresh Mozzarella, but for some reason it didn't taste quite right to me, so I discarded and used shredded Mozzarella). I put a little more Parmesan on top. 

I then put it back in the over (tops included) at 350 degrees for 6 minutes. You can brush the tops with a tiny bit more olive oil if you'd like. It had the perfect crunch! Like I said, this is absolutely incredible. I can almost guarantee you'll fall in love with eggplant if you're currently not a fan!

4-6 mini loafs of Rustic Italian Bread

1 Large Eggplant

Olive oil

1/.2 Fresh Lemon

Ground Pepper

Grape Tomatoes

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh Basil

Chopped Spinach

Roasted Red Peppers

This sandwich is only about 300 calories (if you use small pieces of bread), and it's packed full of nutrients. It's definitely a winner!

I'M BACK!! Sweet & Sour Chicken!

So it's been a heck of a week! It was my son's first birthday, including a large party, and our families were in town. Needless to say I didn't go grocery shopping this week and we've been living off of left-overs. 

Now, if you know me, you know I don't believe in diets without medical necessity. Instead I believe in a permanent lifestyle change. This past week I haven't been eating the healthiest and I've already gained 2-3 pounds. So whatever I was doing before was working! Back to lifestyle we go :)  

Sweet and Sour Chicken!

So I cheated, I bought sweet and sour sauce at Whole Foods instead of making my own. But what mom doesn't love to save time? 

Super easy!

2-3 chicken breasts

Sweet and sour sauce

1 clove of garlic

1/2 cup of sweet and sour sauce

Ground pepper

Marinate the chicken in sweet and sour sauce over night (poke holes in the chicken). Grill or bake. Top with some additional sweet and sour sauce. It's usually served with broccoli over rice, but since I'm not a rice fan, we had (a small amount of) potatoes.

Latest Grocery List!!

The receipt is in my car, so I'll update with a picture of that later. Total this week was (purposely) $84. I had a little pork in the freezer I wanted to use and I needed to restock on some chicken, so I accounted for that and lowered the budget.

English Muffins

Fresh Peanut Butter

Basil Pesto

Bananas

BBQ Sauce

Lemonade

Canola Oil

Pasta Sauce

Tomatoes

Grape Tomatoes

Ranch mix

Roasted Red Peppers

1 Sweet Onion

1 Red Onion

Pork*

Chicken*

Fresh Parsley

Lettuce

Spinach

Eggs

Garlic

Mozzarella

Milk

1 Lemon

Avocado

Ground Turkey

Deli Turkey

Pepper Jack Cheese
Tortillas

Tortilla Chips

Hummus 

Feta

Kidney Beans
Pinto Beans

Pesto Ranch Chicken SO GOOD

This was last night's dinner. It was SO good. A nice, light meal that leaves you comfortably satisfied. It's extremely easy and requires little preparation. 

2-3 chicken breasts

3 tablespoons of pesto (I used basil pesto)

3 tablespoons of ranch dressing or ranch packet mix

1 lemon

1 cup of spinach

Fresh mozzarella

Cherry or grape tomatoes

Basil

1 tsp olive oil

Simmer the chicken in a crock pot or on the stove with the ranch dressing. Top with pesto, and a little bit of lemon. Place on top of spinach.

WHAT!? The Egg was Cooked HOW? Breakfast for Dinner!

I love breakfast for dinner! It's definitely not very low in carbs (ahem, the pancakes), but believe it or not, we would die without the glucose from carbohydrates. (Ok, so technically your body can use your fat and muscle reserves for energy, but if you don't have a medical condition, this is generally bad idea. Doing this for too long can lead to ketoacidosis which can be deadly). Even though there are healthier carb options, this is my weekly binge! You can make pancakes healthier by not using syrup. I topped with some berries instead :) 

A hard boiled egg is a great source of protein to top off a dinner like this!

AND THE EGG WAS COOKED IN A PRESSURE COOKER! You can also use a crock pot :)

Using a pressure cooker with eggs doesn't save too much time, but it makes farm fresh eggs so much easier to peel. The shell slides right off :)

If using a crock pot, put the eggs in 2 cups of water for 2 hours. (This clearly takes longer, but you don't need to supervise and can go on with your day). 

If using a pressure cooker, keep it on low pressure for 5 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes. 

Pancakes:

WF's organic mix

2 cups of skim milk

2 tablespoons of canola oil

Strawberries and blackberries

Eggs:

Egg

Paprika

SUPER SIMPLE!!! This is another great kid's meal as well. Like this? Make sure to share and "like" on Health Chick's Facebook page!

My OMG! Pasta! (Seriously, the BEST pasta... ever)

Pasta in a pressure cooker! It CAN be done :). I was going to use Saturday as my leftover day, but I decided I wanted to get creative today. 

And thus this amazing pasta was born. 

1lb of pasta (I used whatever we had left over)

15 Kalamta olives, sliced

2 large tomatoes, diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

Fresh basil (I also used dried basil)

1/2 small jar of artichokes

1/3 sweet onion, diced

3/4 can of garbanzo beans (my son ate the rest)

3/4 cups of spinach

ground pepper

2 cups of water

^ Mix that all in a crock pot or pressure cooker.

In separate bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette, 1 tablespoon olive oil, powdered garlic, ground pepper, and a spritz of lemon juice. 

When pasta is finished cooking, add the dressing. 

Top with feta and some more spinach. 

I am not a pasta eater, but this was absolutely incredible. 

Everything is bite size and great if sharing for a little one as well. I just had to break the pasta pieces in half for him. 

Homemade Guacamole and Turkey Wraps

Contrary to belief, you CAN freeze deli meat. You just have to store it correctly, which is exactly what I did. I'm so thankful I did this because I have so much to do tonight, and completely forgot to get the crock pot going this morning. It saved us!

Turkey Wraps: 

2-3 Wheat Wraps

Deli Turkey (ours was uncurred)

Pepper Jack Cheese

Tomatoes

Lettuce

Annie's Horseradish Mustard (this is AMAZING)

Homemade Guacamole:

2 Large Avocados

1 Squeezed Lime

1 Tomato, Diced

1-2 Cloves of Minced Garlic

1/4 Cup of Fresh Cilantro

1/4 Chopped Onion

1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin

Greek Chicken Caesar Pita... from a Crock Pot!

Disclaimer: My husband deleted all of my pictures of last night's dinner. Every. Last. One. So I found a very similar picture (although it looks prettier) and gave that person credit!

This is an interesting one! And it was very, very good :)

2 chicken breasts

1/2 cup of Caesar dressing

1/2 cucumber

1/4 cup of feta

A handful or two of lettuce

Cherry tomatoes

2 small cloves of minced garlic

1/4 red onion

1/2 cup of croutons

Greek dressing (1-2 tablespoons)

Pinch of dill

2-3 pitas

Optional: Kalamata Olives

Put the chicken in the crock pot with the Caesar dressing for 7 hours. Chop up, and mix in with all of the other ingredients. Warm the pitas in the over for 5 minutes. Stuff with the salad. 

SO GOOD! My son was literally yelling for more with this one. 

Photo Credit: Google: Tina Rupp

Super Spinach & Strawberry Smoothie

What an awesome breakfast this was!! My son LOVED it! I loved it, too. It is SO SO simple. 

7-8 large strawberries

.5-.75 cup of spinach

1 cup of plain yogurt

Freshly squeezed lemon and lime

It's a great way to get some veggies in as well (and spinach is a super food :)

Crock Pot!! Spicy Italian Sausage SUPER soup!

This is a perfect balance between sweet, spicy, hearty, and light. There are so many different flavors and it leaves you wanting more when you're finished. I just wished I  used more fresh basil. 

1 lb of spicy Italian sausage (turkey or regular)

1 cup of spinach

28oz of beef broth

1/3 of a sweet onion

1 can of Italian tomatoes

1 can of Great Northern Beans

1 cup of chopped carrot

1/2-1 cup of chopped celery

2 garlic gloves, minced

Fresh basil leaves

Ground pepper

Add potatoes for more heartiness. I didn't this time. 

Cook for 7 hours in a crock pot. I used the pressure cooker again ;)

CROCK POT! The best chicken tacos you'll EVER have

That's right - chicken tacos made with a crock pot (or pressure cooker).

Amazing in an understatement when referring to how good these taste. My husband couldn't stop eating them, and these are now on the top of his "list" of "best things I've ever made."

So, TRY IT!

2-3 chicken breasts, eventually shredded

1/4 cup of water

1.5 cups of frozen corn

1 can of black beans

1-2 tablespoons of Adobo Sauce (depending on how hot you want them)

1 lime, squeezed (I also threw an additional sliced lime in the pressure cooker. Worked well)

3/4 cup fresh cilantro 

1 cup of salsa

1 crushed garlic clove

Red pepper flakes, cumin, chili powder, ground pepper

If using a pressure cooker, put everything in the pressure cooker, cook and shred the chicken, and put it on top. 

If using a slow cooker, put the raw chicken in first and put everything else on top. When it's finished, shred the chicken. (cook for 6-8 hours)

I used a pressure cooker tonight. 

Top with (if you wish): Additional salsa, avocado, sour cream, or cheese.

Grocery Shopping List!! (and a recipe surprise)

Milk

2 packages of English muffins

Pitas

Wheat wraps

Chopped Spinach

Lentils

Italian marinade mix

Avocados

1 Lemon

Garlic Dressing

Pancake Mix

Black Beans

Strawberries

Orange Juice

Monterey Jack Cheese

Beef Broth

Chicken Broth

Tortilla Chips

Salsa

Celery

Chicken Bouillon

Great Northern Beans

Carrots

Tomatoes

Green Pepper

Yellow Pepper

Red Pepper

White Onion

Yellow Onion

Limes

Romaine Lettuce

Chipotle Peppers

Spicy Italian Sausage

Diced Tomatoes (Reg)

Diced Tomatoes (Fire roasted)

Garlic

We still have chicken in the freezer from HT

......and get READY! It's going to be a week of all slow cooker and pressure cooker recipes, since that's the most requested :)

Kitchen Hacks You HAVE to read!

Ever wonder if there are kitchen tricks that would make your life a little easier? Well behold!

1. Want to speed up the ripening of avocados? Put them in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana. They all give off ethylene gas, which causes ripening to happen. The brown paper back traps the gas from escaping. 

2. Garbage disposal "gunked" up? Pour a 1/3 cup of baking soda down the disposal and follow with some vinegar. Wait about 10 minutes, and run the water with the disposal on. A lot of the particles will have broken free and are able to be flushed away.

3. Run out of stainless steel cleaner for your appliances? Use oil and vinegar! Liberally spray some vinegar on your appliances and wipe off. Then, put a small amount of oil on a rag and rub in a circular motion. Voila!

4. Burn marks on your pan that won't come off? No problem! Put a small amount water in the pan and add 1 cup of vinegar. Boil. Turn off the heat and add baking soda. Once it fizzes, scrub away! If it's still stubborn, add more baking soda and rub it into the pan really well. Let it sit for an hour and then scrub off.

5. Bread getting moldy quickly? Don't put in the fridge! It actually dries it out this way. Take half, or whatever you won't in the next few days, and put in the freezer. Freezing it preserves the freshness.

6. Need to separate eggs? Reuse a plastic bottle! (if you use plastic, otherwise, snag a friend's before they throw it out and give it another purpose). Crack the egg open, squeeze an empty plastic bottle, place over the yolk, and slowly unsqueeze. It will suck the egg right up! Thank the Chinese for that great tip! Make sure to thoroughly was before using again. 

7. Eggs expired or missing the date? Don't throw out yet! You can tell if they're fresh by placing in a pot of water. If they sink, they're still fresh. If the tip sticks out of the water, it needs to be used that day. If it fully floats, toss it. 

8. Are two glasses stuck together? Stop! Don't break them! Fill the inner glass with ice cubes. Places the glass in a pot of hot water. Heat expands, the cold will shrink. You should be able to get the glasses unstuck. 

9. Brown sugar becoming hard? Put some marshmallows in the bag. The moisture from the marshmallows keeps the sugar soft. 

10. Tired of bugs ruining your drinks in the summertime? Take an extra large cupcake wrapper or coffee filter, turn upside down, and place a straw through the middle. It will perfectly cover the top of your drink.


More of Health Chick's favorite hacks to come! 

Boring Eggs!? Not Here!

Add a little spice to those boring eggs! (literally, there's hot sauce :) 

The scrambled eggs that weren't supposed to be...

I desperately wanted a pizza today. But I didn't give in. Don't worry (Although it's coming. We all need pizza nights)

Then when I was making an omelette, it decided to stick to the pan, even though I prepped it really well (time for new pans). 

Alas, you have colorful scrambled eggs :)

2 Eggs

2 tablespoons of Milk

Chopped Veggies:

*Assorted Peppers

*1/8 onion

*1/2 celery stalk

1/4 cup of feta

sprinkle of garlic powder

ground black pepper

top with hot sauce

A Heavy Heart: Getting through the tough days

This is a little change of pace, but we'll put this under the "wellness" part of this blog. 

I'm sitting watching my son sleep. It's been a weird day. I found out a friend from high school passed away yesterday. He was such a sweet, caring person. He would have literally given you the shirt off his back, and I'm sure if you spoke with his really close friends, he probably did just that. 

I thought yesterday was hard. I couldn't wait for 5:30 for my husband to get home and take my son so I could have a break. He sounded like a broken record, stuck on "mamama" all day long. He wouldn't play with his toys, he wouldn't play with his friends, he wouldn't even eat all his food. He just wanted to sit on my lap and lay his head on my shoulder, which was sweet, but I had other things to do at times. He cried most of the day, even though he wasn't hungry, he wasn't wet, and he took a decent nap. I couldn't figure out why he needed me so badly yesterday. 

I brushed it off. We read some stories with his friends, went for a walk, and came back to what I thought was him being "reset". Nope. As soon as I put him down, he cried, again. Luckily my husband was almost home and I could escape. 

I told me husband I didn't know what was wrong him. He wasn't my usually cheery baby and I couldn't stand this "phase" he had hit. My husband put him to bed for me so I could relax, and to be honest, the snuggles I was missing didn't even cross my mind. I just prayed he didn't "need" me as much tomorrow. 

And he didn't. He didn't cry every time I put him down. He contently played with his toys. He went right down for his nap, not needing to snuggle in my arms and lay his head on my shoulder. He didn't yell,"Mama" when I went to the bathroom, and he didn't climb in my lap every time I was paying attention to someone else. 

Babies can't communicate effectively. For this reason, they're really good at picking up what emotions and vibes you're giving off. I'm sure my vibe was "frazzled" yesterday. I try so hard to create a peaceful environment for him, and yesterday probably didn't seem quite right to him.

I woke up tired yesterday. It was also the anniversary of my grandfather's death. I was trying to move past both, sure to move on with my day. But my son knew better. He didn't need me. He knew I needed him. His cries for mama were to let me know he was there, his calmness when we sat down and snuggled were to get me to slow down and appreciate the moment. He was letting me know he was there for me. 

I became really upset this morning at myself for not realizing this yesterday. For not slowing down and appreciating the day, and my son. It hit even harder when I got the call about my friend. His mother will never have those moments where she's able to sit down and appreciate the love between her and her son. What she'll never have again, I neglected to acknowledge was right in front of me.

So whether he truly just needs me, or somehow knows that I need him, I'll make sure to listen next time. I'll slow down, and be thankful in that moment, understanding that one day he probably won't need me anymore, but that I'll always need him... 

Today really put that in perspective for me. 

Rest in Peace, Tom. Go comfort your mom, and your whole family. They need you now more than ever.