a baby and strawberry pancakes

So my blogging attempts have been derailed a little in light of some news.  We found out 2 weeks ago that we are pregnant with our third little miracle! Unfortunately, I realized I was pregnant because morning (haha, what a misnomer) sickness hit.  And has been hitting pretty hard ever since.  Baby number 3 came as quite a shock, but we are thrilled! 

Because my family has been so sweet and taken such good care of me, I wanted to make them a special breakfast Saturday.  So, I made Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes! They were delicious!

Most of you know, we eat a plant-based diet, so I was thrilled when the recipe fit our criteria and tasted great too. :) 

Here's the recipe from Chocolate Covered Katie, you should give it a try:

Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

(Serves 4)

• 2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1 1/3 cup flour (ww pastry, white, spelt, Bob’s gluten-free, etc.)
• 8 tbsp rolled oats
• 2 2/3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp unrefined sugar
• 1 1/3 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 tbsp unrefined coconut oil 

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl, then add wet. Mix, but don’t overmix. Cook on an oiled (or sprayed) pan, on low-medium, flipping each pancake once. You can boil some more strawberries (with a bit of sugar if you wish) and smash them to make a compote for a topping. Or you can top with powdered sugar or vanilla coconut icecream ;)

Enjoy!

They're yummy!

much love,

bc

Tasty Thursdays: Pizza Burgers!

This recipe is another favorite of mine from the Biggest Loser recipe collection. I love it so much. Its great when you really want a hamburger with all the fixings, but not the calories.

What you need:

1 lb 96% lean ground beef
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 to 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
3 ounces low-fat mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1/3 cup low-sugar or low-fat marinara sauce
4 whole grain/wheat hamburger buns

What to do:

Preheat a grill to high.
In a large bowl mix beef, spices, and salt until well-combined. Divide mix into four equal portions and shape into balls. Press each into a patty that is about 1/2" larger than the diameter of the buns.
Grill burgers for about 2 minutes per side for medium rare, or until desired doneness. Do not smash with a spatula. About 1 minute before they are done, place cheese on top and let it melt.
Meanwhile, put sauce into a microwave safe bowl and warm on low for about 30-60 seconds until hot. Place bun halves (cut side down), on an upper grill rack or away from direct flame until toasted, about 20 seconds.
Place each bun bottom on a serving plate, toasted side up. Place burgers on top of the bottom bun. Spread 2 tablespoons of marinara sauce on each bun top, flip onto the patties and serve.

Makes 4 servings.


I hope you and your family enjoy this twist on a traditional burger.
Bon appétit!

bc

Tasty Thursdays! Veggie Pizza

Now that I am eating for two, I am working extra hard to make sure what I eat is packed with nutrients. I saw this veggie pizza on Hungry Girl* and new it was just what I needed! And best of all, you can have a large serving for just 150 calories!



Here's what you need:

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust dough
3 oz. regular eggplant, thinly sliced and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced widthwise, ends removed
3/4 cup canned tomato sauce with Italian seasonings
3/4 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup chopped red bell peppers
Optional toppings: reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping, red pepper flakes

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Roll out pizza dough into a large rectangle about 12 inches by 16 inches. Transfer to a large baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray.

Spread tomato sauce over the dough, leaving about a half-inch border for the crust. Place the eggplant and zucchini slices evenly over the sauce, and then sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Evenly distribute the peppers over the pizza.

Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, until the crust is a nice shade of golden brown. Cut into 8 pieces. If you like, top your piece with some reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping and/or red pepper flakes. Now dig in!

(makes 8 servings)


Doesn't this sound divine!! Yum.
Enjoy this weeks recipe, I know I will.

bc


**Recipe credit and photo credit go to Hungrygirl.com

Tasty Thursdays! Chicken and Veggie Pasta

I love the Hungry Girl website! They give you healthy swaps for your favorite foods! Its awesome. One recipe I have found is for Chicken and Veggie Pasta. It replaces a dish from the Cheesecake Factory that packs almost 2000 calories. This version, however, only has around 274 calories for a serving.

So here's what you need:

1/2 box of healthy pasta (whole wheat or something like it)
2 boneless skinless lean chicken breasts
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt, divided, or more to taste
1/8 tsp. black pepper, or more to taste
20 asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and thinly sliced
1 tsp. chopped garlic
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread
1 tbsp. reduced-fat grated cheese topping


Cook pasta and set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add chicken and season with Italian seasoning, 1/8 tsp. salt, and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes per side, until fully cooked.

Remove chicken from the skillet. Once cool enough to handle, slice chicken and set aside.

Remove skillet from heat, re-spray, and return to medium-high heat. Add asparagus and 2 tbsp. water. Cover and cook for 4 minutes.

Remove cover and add tomatoes and garlic to the skillet. Stirring occasionally, cook until veggies are tender, about 4 minutes.

Add noodles to the skillet, stir, and cook just until any excess water has evaporated and noodles are hot, about 2 minutes.

Add butter, remaining 1/8 tsp. salt, and sliced chicken to the skillet. Cook and stir until ingredients are well mixed and butter has melted, about 1 minute.

Add grated cheese topping and mix well. If you like, season to taste with additional salt and pepper.

(makes 2 servings!)

I hope you enjoy!!!

Share your recipes...
Love,
bc

If you love to cook (or maybe do it begrudgingly)....

and want to stay healthy, help me out!!

I would like to start a recipe swap for busy families to find easy, healthy, and delicious recipes.

If you are interested I'd love your help. Every Thursday I will post a healthy recipe that my family eats and I would love for you to post a recipe from your home cook book. Now, you might ask, what do I mean by healthy? Recipes with under 500 calories that might include a reasonable portion of protein, some fruits or vegetables, and maybe some type of whole grain. The most important quality is that it be under 500 calories.

Then once you have posted your recipe in the "comments" section on Thursday, I will compile them and they will be a resource for you to find on my blog when you are in a pinch or just looking for a healthy treat.

I am really excited about this. I get tired of eating baked chicken and steamed vegetables every night. :)

Can't wait for your input! Let me know what you think,

-bc

Exercise - a little rant.

So, I just needed to have a moment to vent my frustration. Exercise. The very word makes me frown.

You have to do it to stay healthy, but the very thought of it makes me want to get in my jammies, flip on a movie, and be lazy. I just don't understand this lack of motivation. You'd think the fact that I have lost 30 pounds and feel great when I eat healthy would make me stay motivated, but it doesn't! In fact, its all I can do to make myself get through a workout. And sure, I feel proud of myself that I did it, but its not some joyous exultation of satisfaction and rampant happiness. Its more of a "thank goodness that is over" kind of happy. When I hear people talk about how much they love exercise and how it gives them such a rush and how its the best part of their day and how they can run miles and miles and it is just all rainbows and gumdrops... it just makes me kind of want to smack them. Ok, there. I said it. (If you are one of those people, I promise I won't smack you. My deep rooted resentment probably stems from a deep seated jealousy of your fitness. Yes, thats it.)

Besides, if you think about everything that encompasses a mom's day... there is a lot of exercise.

-you lift your children... for me, that is like 30 pounds... thats a pretty good weight lift. :)
-you wash dishes and put them away... thats walking and bending
-you vacuum... thats definitely a core workout
-you do laundry and put it away... thats like bicep curls, forearm work, and more walking
-you play endlessly in all positions... thats ab workouts, leg lifts, more arm workouts and LOTS of running
-you try tirelessly to get your children to nap... that is continuous up and down movement, work those glutes!

Whew... that is just the beginning and I'm tired just thinking about it. So anyway, its no wonder I hate additional, necessary exercise! My day is exhausting on its own!

So lets raise those water bottles... grab some carrots... and take a rest on the couch. We deserve it!



And, just to make this even better... I have a yummy recipe to post later! :) So, save up those calories you burned in your last workout, your gonna need 'em.