Superfood Smoothie {Dairy Free}

For a good portion of my life I've had stomach issues. I've taken Prilosec, Zantac, Pepto Bismol, Tums, etc. You name it and I've probably tried it to help me with the pain I feel after and sometimes before eating. I've tried to really clean up my diet since having my son and struggling to loose the last 15 extra pounds I gained during my pregnancy. Recently, I have decided to go completely dairy free. At first it was hard because I am an avid fan of cheese on everything, but the longer I go without the easier it gets. An added bonus to keep me from ordering the cheese coated pasta is the fact that now my stomach is feeling much better. At first I was just switching out regular milk for coconut milk, almond milk, lactose free, and the soy varieties. However, as I'm getting more strict about it I'm noticing more and more that many packaged items I was using the ingredients say "Contains: MILK". My favorite protein powder even contains dairy! :( I was so sad about this because this seemed to be the only brand I could find where my smoothies didn't taste gritty. I have yet to be able to find a Dairy Free version of Optimum Nutrition protein powder, so now I am on the hunt for a Vegan protein powder. Currently I'm trying Vega Protein & Greens Vanilla. It's okay, but it's not my favorite. It has an odd aftertaste and makes the texture of my smoothie more gritty. I'm curious what other vegans like to use as protein powder.

No matter what protein powder I use I still have a favorite for my smoothie mix. Lately I'm obsessed with putting chia seeds in everything. I've even been looking up recipes to make chia seed pudding or chia seed gels to drink. I love Mama Chia drinks but the sugar content seems higher than I'd ideally like. To make the smoothie above in my Ninja blender I threw in frozen strawberries, spinach, 1/2 a banana, chia seeds, unsweetened So Delicious coconut milk, Vega protein powder, and a handful of ice. I can't seem to make green smoothies that look green, but my guess is that the ones you buy are full of green food coloring. I'll have to experiment more and see how green I can really make my smoothie. 

No Cheese Avocado Quesadilla

Are you looking for a healthier version of your favorite mexican dish of quesadillas? Or maybe you're lactose intolerant and can't eat the cheesy quesadillas that so many others love? Well, I have found the perfect solution. These No Cheese Avocado Quesadillas are my new favorite go to for lunch and dinner when I'm craving mexican. I like to pair it with some mexican yellow rice, cauliflower rice, or even a super tasty spinach salad. This recipe is Vegan and gluten-free (with gluten free tortillas). Plus you can add all kinds of different extras with the avocado to make it even tastier. 

No Cheese Avocado Quesadilla

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1/2 Avocado (more if you prefer)
• 1 large tortilla or 2 small tortillas
• 1 small roma tomato, diced
• Seasonings of choice: Paprika, Cumin, Garlic Powder, etc.
• Optional Toppings: Spinach, Black Beans, Chicken, Green Chiles, etc.

Instructions

1. Smash avocado and spread out on one half of the tortilla. Sprinkle with any seasonings. {I like a pinch of garlic powder and cumin in mine.} 
2. Add diced tomato and any other desired toppings.
3. Fold over the top half of the tortilla and place on a non-stick skillet over medium heat. 
4. Heat for 1-2 minutes per side until warmed through.
5. Enjoy! I like to dip mine in Salsa.

Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers

One of my favorite meals as a vegetarian are veggie burgers. I'm a huge fan of finding new recipes for them or finding them out at restaurants. One of my new favorite burgers is a Greek Spinach Veggie Burger. It's an amazing recipe because it has very few ingredients and it's pretty healthy. 

After gathering all my ingredients I measured out the necessary amounts of each. For the spinach I first opened the package and pressed it between paper towels. The last time I made this recipe I forgot that step and the burgers were really watery and didn't make easy patties. If you take the time to pat dry the thawed spinach it mixes much better. 

Start out by mixing together Olive Oil, Dillweed, Garlic, and Oregano in a medium bowl. 

Next stir in the stuffing mix to coat thoroughly. As I was stirring I also used my spoon to mash up the stuffing even more. This again is another step that helps to make it much easier to create patties. 

Now add 2 eggs and stir to combine. The eggs are an essential part because they help to make the recipe more sticky. In recipes like veggie burgers or desserts eggs are pretty essential. 

Now add in the thawed spinach and mix together. As you can see since I took the time to pat dry and drain the spinach of some of it's water this mixture doesn't look soaking wet. 

Finally, add in the crumbled Feta Cheese and combine everything together. I love the smell of Feta Cheese. I'm contemplating next time trying out Blue Cheese to see how those flavors meld rather than the Feta Cheese. 

Once everything was combined I molded them into round patties on a pan that had been sprayed with Pam. I cooked them at 375 degree for 10 minutes per side. This helped my patties to be nice and slightly crunchy to make the perfect veggie burger.

What's your favorite non-meat recipe? Do you have a creative veggie burger recipe that others always ask you to make?

Resolutions, Meal Planning, & Free Printables

This year I didn't exactly make a New Years Resolution since my Resolution started in October when I started P90X3 and a healthier lifestyle. One thing I am working to get better about this year compared to last year however is meal planning. I tend to be a little lazy about my meal planning, which leads to my husband and I going out for Subway or Chipotle runs for dinner. But one great way to keep me on track with my healthy choices is to meal plan for the week and get my groceries early. This week I'm ahead of schedule and have already started the process of meal planning for the upcoming week. As soon as I finished my meal planning I got all the groceries I needed as well. 

I like to use handy meal planning documents on my computer because they allow me to add links to the recipes I'm making along with the ingredients I'll input on the Shopping List side before I print it. This week I'll be making Chipotle Burrito Bowls (Vegetarian and Chicken versions), Balsamic Tofu & Avocado Tacos, Zucchini Pizzas, Sweet & Sour Spicy Tofu Stir Fry, Spinach Burgers, Avocado Quesadillas, and Crockpot Minestrone Soup. The great thing about the Soup I make on Sunday is that I'll have enough leftovers after that to last 1-2 extra days of the next week. As the week goes on I'll post my recipes for any I don't already have on the blog.

I'm pretty happy with the ingredients I bought. For the recipes I've picked I have the majority of the ingredients around my house normally. For the ingredients that I had to pick up it was mostly fresh ingredients or reduced sodium/organic ingredients. Plus for what I had to buy for recipes this week I spent less than $40 total. That makes my Shakeology breakfast shake I budget of $4.00 per day even more reasonable this week. 

Here's the free printable I've made to use. Feel free to download or print for your use as well. 

What are your favorite go to meals while meal planning? Do you use a printable document or an app on your phone to meal plan?

Italian Orzo Spinach Soup

Now that it's so cold out here in Georgia all I want to do is sit in front of the fireplace with my hubby and eat soup. I really think the only thing I like about cold weather is snuggling, hot cocoa, holidays, and soup. Other than that I truly dislike being in the cold. One of my favorite warm soups is Italian Orzo Spinach Soup. I found the recipe originally on Pinterest. It's a vegetarian soup, but obviously you can add chicken or sausage if you'd like. I especially like this soup because it's healthy with all the veggies and whole wheat pasta. It's delicious. The smell alone had my stomach growling as it was cooking. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and diced
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups (about 8 ounces) DeLallo whole wheat orzo pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 4 cups loosely-packed spinach (thawed)

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes, until soft. 
• Add carrots and garlic and saute for an additional 3 minutes. 
• Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, orzo, thyme, oregano, rosemary and stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente.
• Stir in the spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until it is bright green and wilted. Serve warm & ENJOY!

I think next time I make this soup I'll try adding other veggies like peas, corn, and broccoli. I'm a huge fan of my vegetables, so the more the better to me.

Healthy Spinach Salad

My husband and I recently went to Goldberg's with some friends for Dinner. We hadn't originally planned to go to Goldberg's, but with the holiday season all the other restaurants around were 1-2 hour waits. Who has the time to wait that long for the seats, let alone the extra 30 minutes to get your food? Therefore, after looking around we settled on Goldberg's for dinner. They have a pretty amazing Mexican Spiced Hot Chocolate as well as a delicious Spinach Salad. The hubby and I love Spinach Salads. We try one at every restaurant we go that offers it. After all these taste tests of Spinach Salads out at restaurants we finally decided to make our own. 

The ingredient list wasn't huge and I definitely liked that. I want to try out different ingredients on my salads to see what's my favorite. I added purple onions on this salad, but I may go without next time to minimize the acidity in this salad. If you're like me and have issues with heartburn then raw onions are not always your friend. After cutting everything up I also ended up adding in Strawberries. The sweetness of the Strawberries and the Dried Cranberries make the perfect combination with the crunch of walnuts and cucumbers. I think I'll also try out Blue Cheese vs. Feta Cheese to see how the flavors differ in this salad.

In each Salad I had Spinach, sliced Red Onions, halved Cherry Tomatoes, sliced Strawberries, crumbled Feta Cheese, Walnut Pieces, dried Cranberries, and sliced Cucumbers. I started out topping it with Kroger Lite Balsamic Dressing. I wasn't a huge fan of the flavor of it compared to dressings I've had at Restaurants. I wanted to make my own so I tested out some ingredients. I found a simple mixture that tasted amazing. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homemade Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Honey
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tsp of Balsamic Vinegar 
• 1 pinch Fresh Basil 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until combined. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's your favorite homemade dressing? I will definitely be making more homemade dressings since they taste so much better and can usually be made with ingredients I have around the house. 

Healthy Sunday

After a few days of splurging during the holidays I've decided to be extra healthy on Sunday. I started my morning with a jog through my neighborhood then did a Yoga video on Xbox Fitness. Getting outdoors and enjoying the weather is by far my favorite way to get in an exercise. If not that, then I have to say Yoga is my second favorite. I wish I had a nice Yoga studio near me that I could go to regularly, but thankfully I at least have Xbox fitness and assorted workout videos to get me by.

After my workout I went by Whole Foods to get my groceries for the week. I picked up a lot of fruit and veggies to use for my juices. I also picked up a few salads for my fiancé and I for lunch.

I went with the FILL IT UP salad bar. You can fill the bowl full with anything from their salad bar or hot bar for only $12. It was a huge salad. I threw in mixed greens, broccoli, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, tofu, hard boiled eggs, sunflower seeds, cranberries, with a vinigairette dressing. I picked out a Salmon Caesar Salad for my fiancé. He loves salmon and caesar salad so this was the perfect mix. 

After lunch we got to work cleaning our veggies and fruits and chopping them up to prep for juicing. I used my amazing Breville Juicer to get the job done. 

I used a mix of peaches, oranges, strawberries, cucumbers, ginger, carrots, and spinach power mix. It was a very colorful mix that smelled amazing, and it tasted even better. I feel like juicing is the best way for me to get all the vitamins and minerals I need without having to remember to take a billion vitamins.

Now I can use this boost of energy from my yummy juice to help me finish a few projects around the house.

<3 Kelly Jean

FIGO Restaurant Deserves Five Stars

Tonight for dinner my sister and I went to visit an amazing Italian Restaurant called FIGO at their Alpharetta location. At first when I walked in I was in shock! I had so much amazing food to choose from on their menu. My favorite part was that you can completely make your own pasta. Just pick a pasta and pick the sauce.

I went with the Spinach Penne with Primavera sauce that was garnished with just a dash of parmesan. It was a wonderful blend between the spinach penne, the fresh tomatoes, broccoli, green peas, fresh spinach and garlic with extra virgin olive oil, basil and white wine. It was (to point it out in one word) AMAZING! I was full already without having eaten half the plate of pasta. It probably didn't help that I indulged myself earlier in the meal with their delicious bread and olive oil. This was definitely the food for a carb fanatic vegetarian. (which I am)

For a lighter dinner I recommend the Insalata di Spinaci e Caprino. It's not only healthy for you, but it also works for anyone with a Gluten Free Allergy as well.

You should go check them out, FIGO.

<3 Kelly Jean