Peanut Butter and Jelly Smoothie, Anyone?

Posted on March 18, 2015 by mommaalwaysknows

Lucas is currently obsessed with smoothies. Every morning he gets up and ask to “push the button!” He says it over and over until I give in. I was doing a lot of fruit and veggie smoothies but wanted something with a bit more fat and protein (because my skinny mini needs it AND because it helps me stay full longer).

I got this idea from a smoothie on my BikiniBodyMommy Meal Plan subscription (and no, I don’t think I’m a bikini body mommy – it’s a mommy who creates 90 day workout challenges and meal plans and I love her!). I modified it to be more Lucas-friendly!

What you’ll need:

1 banana
5 or 6 large strawberries
1/3 cup peanut butter (I use an all-natural brand that really needs to be stirred so it’s less thick than Jif or or a similar brand)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 handfuls of ice

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and “push the button!”

Blend until smooth. Divide among two glasses (or if your kid is like mine – 3/4 for them and a sip or two for mommy!).

This really has a been a huge hit in our house. When he was teething and not really eating anything other than smoothies I even thought to put a scoop of coconut oil in it for extra fat and calories!

I hope you (and your little ones) enjoy this as much as we do!

Sausage and Brussel Sprout Pasta

Posted on January 28, 2015 by mommaalwaysknows

So I feel like I’m cheating posting this now since I’m knee deep in the Bikini Body Mommy 90 Day Challenge and not really eating pasta but it’s so yummy and perfect for the cold months that I decided to … Continue reading →

Spicy and Delicious Buffalo Chicken Casserole

Posted on October 4, 2014 by mommaalwaysknows

So first things first – I apparently decided to take the summer off. It wasn’t planned but a lot of great things started happening and that’s how it ended up.

And these great things? I opened up an Etsy shop specializing in customized digital chalkboards, I started writing for two other blogs (Adventures in Breastfeeding and Chip and Co – which is a Disney blog) and my child became a full blown toddler!

Could he be any cuter?

But I’m back and, hopefully, better than ever. I decided to kick off my comeback with a delicious dinner I’ve been making a lot since I came up with it. Now, I’m not a huge fan of using processed foods but sometimes a girl just needs some Ranch and Wing sauce in her life and as a busy mom I don’t always have time to make it from scratch. That said, this really is a delicious – and somewhat healthy – meal that even my toddler loves.

Ingredients:

2lbs of potatoes (I prefer Yucon Gold), diced into 1in pieces

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 packet of Ranch seasoning

1.5lbs of cooked, shredded chicken (I cook mine in the Crockpot with a little garlic powder, thyme and chicken stock)

3 carrots, diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

4oz of wing sauce (any flavor you want – adjust the heat to your preference)

1 cup of cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 400

Toss the potatoes with 2lbs of water, the olive oil and the ranch seasoning

Roast for 35-40 minutes (until potatoes are tender)

While the potatoes are cooking, soften the carrots and celery in a skillet over medium heat. As I was getting my ingredients ready I realized I didn’t have enough celery so I added a small diced onion to the mix. Feel free to add one as well.

Once the veggies are softened (about 8 minutes) combine with the shredded chicken and the wing sauce.

Place the cooked potatoes on the bottom of a greased 9×13 baking dish and top with the chicken and veggie mix. Sprinkle the cheese over the chicken mix.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Remove the foil and place under the broiler for a minute or two to brown up the cheese.

I served this with a side of Garlic and Parmesan Spaghetti Squash and the family loved it!

This meal is certainly a major player in our dinner rotation and hopefully it will be in yours too!

Mini Spinach Frittatas for My Mini-Me

Posted on April 28, 2014 by mommaalwaysknows

A few months ago I posted a mini meatball recipe that I make and freeze for Lucas. These meatballs are great for a quick lunch or dinner, plus they’re a great way to sneak in some veggies!

As I was making Lucas scrambled eggs a few mornings ago I was wishing there was a simpler way to get breakfast ready for him. One that resulted in less dishes to wash would be awesome too! Then I remembered a Rachael Ray episode I saw a while ago where she used a mini muffin tin to make a bunch of different things (none of which were muffins). I also remembered seeing a bunch of pins on Pinterest that had to do with making egg muffins and freezing them. Since D hates eggs I never gave them much thought but now it seems like such a brilliant idea.

And so my Mini Frittata recipe was created!

Ingredients:

6 large eggs

4 TBSP milk

Handful of spinach, shredded

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Spray your mini muffin tin with cooking spray or butter

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk

Add in the spinach, cheese, garlic powder and salt and stir to combine

Add 1 TBSP of the mixture to each of the muffin cups

Bake for 13 minutes and then remove the eggs from the pan immediately to cool. They will deflate as they cool.

Arrange on a baking sheet and freeze for about 2 hours and then transfer to a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

When it’s time to eat, just pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds and they’re ready to go.

Honestly, I was kicking myself for not thinking of this sooner. Lucas LOVES them and he’s getting a veggie in with breakfast. Plus, they make the mornings that much easier! I think I’m on a mission to come up with even more freezer meals for Lucas – anything that saves me a few minutes in the kitchen adds a few minutes to playtime with the little guy!

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Grilled Curry Mustard Pork Chops

Posted on March 25, 2014 by mommaalwaysknows

We are big, BIG fans of the grill in our house. I’m probably a bigger fan than Darrin because he’s in charge of the grill – which means I get a break from cooking dinner. I hate January and February because it’s often a little too cold to grill out. Now that we’re finally in spring our grill will be getting it’s fair share of use.

We eat a lot of chicken in our house, but every now and then I like to change it up with steak, pork or fish. I have a go to recipe that I love for pork. We tend to grill the meat but it’s just as good baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes (depending on the size and thickness of the chops!).

Don’t let the ingredients fool you, it’s really not a super spicy dish – I’d give it a 1.5 or 2 out of 10 and I’m a little wimpy when it comes to heat!

Grilled Curry Mustard Pork Chops

1lb of boneless pork chops

1/3 cup spicy mustard

3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 TBSP curry powder

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, vinegar, garlic powder and curry powder.

Stream in the olive oil, while continuing to whisk all of the ingredients together.

Transfer the marinade to a gallon sized freezer bag

Season your meat with a little salt and pepper and place in the freezer bag. Make sure you get all of the air out of the bag and seal it well.

Refrigerate for at least four hours but no longer than 8, since pork can break down if left in marinate for too long.

Take of of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before you’re ready to grill to take the chill off of the meat

Grill the pork chops over medium-high heat for about 12 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees.

My favorite Grill Master!

Allow to rest a minute or two before serving.

I tend to serve this with some sort of a potato and grilled brussel sprouts (we eat a LOT of grilled brussel sprouts!) but I also think it would be great with veggie fried rice!

What is your favorite things to grill? Any tips that I can pass along to the man behind the grill at my house?.

MommaAlwaysKnows

Mom knows best…because she said so!

Category Archives: Food