If you're like me, you usually wake up on a weekday morning and wander around aimlessly until it hits you that you're got to be at work in about...10 minutes. AAAAND you still haven't eaten breakfast.
If you don't eat breakfast, please smack yourself in the head for me.
Don't make me have the "Breakfast is the MOST important meal of the day" speech with you. Because it is...the MOST important meal of the day.
It gets your metabolism going and gives you energy to get through the first part of your long and crazy day.
PLEASE eat.
I'm off of the soap box now ;)
These little nuggets are excellent for taking with you in the car, on the walk to work, sitting at your desk at work...wherever you choose to munch. They can be held in one hand!! How helpful is that?!
They can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer.
The Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 C applesauce
1 banana (smashed)
1/2-3/4 C honey (you can use sugar too...just double the amount)
5 C rolled oats
1/4 C flax seed (optional)
1 T cinnamon
3 T baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 3/4 C milk
How To:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Mix your wet ingredients together first (eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana, honey, milk).
Next, in a separate bowl, mix your dry ingredients (oats, flax seed, cinnamon, baking powder, salt).
Slowly add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients. Combine together. Batter will seem runny, but it's ok!!
I placed baking cups into the muffin tins for ease of removal. Pour batter into muffin tins up to the top. This is where you can add any of the following on the top: extra cinnamon, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, dark chocolate chips, etc.
Bake for about 30 minutes and let cool. Store in a zipper bag or reusable container in the fridge or freezer.
*These are NOT super sweet, so if you have a sweet tooth, you may want to add some brown sugar or more cinnamon to taste.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Stuffed Peppers in the Crock Pot
Here's another easy, peasy Crock Pot meal for your busy, hectic life!
The Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey, chicken, or beef
4 large peppers (Red or Green work just fine)
1 C onion (I prefer the sweet)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped and diced)
1 T cilantro
3-4 Jalapeno Peppers (diced)
2 T olive oil
add cheddar cheese to the filling if you want
How To:
Cut off the tops of the peppers. Clean out the insides.
Saute onions and garlic in a skillet. Once they are getting soft, add your ground meat. Cook fully.
Drain and set aside to let cool.
You can mix all of your ingredients in a zipper bag and store in the fridge or the freezer until ready to cook. DO NOT freeze your peppers. I cleaned mine out and placed them in a separate zipper bag in the fridge.
Stuff your peppers with the filling right before you're ready to cook them.
Place stuffed peppers into a crock pot. Pour 1/2 C water around the peppers.
Cook on low 4-6 hours.
The Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey, chicken, or beef
4 large peppers (Red or Green work just fine)
1 C onion (I prefer the sweet)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped and diced)
1 T cilantro
3-4 Jalapeno Peppers (diced)
2 T olive oil
add cheddar cheese to the filling if you want
How To:
Cut off the tops of the peppers. Clean out the insides.
Saute onions and garlic in a skillet. Once they are getting soft, add your ground meat. Cook fully.
Drain and set aside to let cool.
You can mix all of your ingredients in a zipper bag and store in the fridge or the freezer until ready to cook. DO NOT freeze your peppers. I cleaned mine out and placed them in a separate zipper bag in the fridge.
Stuff your peppers with the filling right before you're ready to cook them.
Place stuffed peppers into a crock pot. Pour 1/2 C water around the peppers.
Cook on low 4-6 hours.
Crock Pot Whole Roasted Greek Chicken
Ever feel like impressing your friends with a fabulous meal? If you're like me, you do...but just the thought of it exhausts you.
Am I close?
Here's a healthy, quick, and fantastic meal that will make your friends "oooh" and "ahhh" while you sit, perfectly relaxing, basking in the ambiance.
ALERT! This is another make-ahead, crock pot meal...it's gonna BLOW your mind.
Ingredients:
1 C Quinoa or Couscous (cook when ready to serve meal)
1 small whole chicken
1/2 C Greek Yogurt
1 T Oregano
1 red onion (chopped and diced)
2 C Vegetable broth (or less)
juice of 1 lemon
1 T Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
for serving: black olives, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, pita bread
How To:
Chop your veggies. Mix together the yogurt, vegetable broth, lemon and herbs. Place all ingredients (and chicken!) into a zipper bag. Store in fridge or freezer until ready to cook. If you do choose the freezer, make sure you take it out the day before so the chicken can completely thaw before cooking.
When ready to cook, turn on low 6-8 hours or high 5-7.
You can slice the chicken, eat it by itself, or pile it high on a pita with extra toppings. Serve with Quinoa or Couscous for a truly Mediterranean Meal.
Am I close?
Here's a healthy, quick, and fantastic meal that will make your friends "oooh" and "ahhh" while you sit, perfectly relaxing, basking in the ambiance.
ALERT! This is another make-ahead, crock pot meal...it's gonna BLOW your mind.
Ingredients:
1 C Quinoa or Couscous (cook when ready to serve meal)
1 small whole chicken
1/2 C Greek Yogurt
1 T Oregano
1 red onion (chopped and diced)
2 C Vegetable broth (or less)
juice of 1 lemon
1 T Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
for serving: black olives, feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, pita bread
How To:
Chop your veggies. Mix together the yogurt, vegetable broth, lemon and herbs. Place all ingredients (and chicken!) into a zipper bag. Store in fridge or freezer until ready to cook. If you do choose the freezer, make sure you take it out the day before so the chicken can completely thaw before cooking.
When ready to cook, turn on low 6-8 hours or high 5-7.
You can slice the chicken, eat it by itself, or pile it high on a pita with extra toppings. Serve with Quinoa or Couscous for a truly Mediterranean Meal.
Savory Fall Stew
This meal could have so many variations that it would make your head spin!! Never fear, anything you add to this will make it great! (Unless you're Rachel Green...then you need to know that green peas and pudding DO NOT go together with ground beef in a trifle.)
This is another Crock Pot Meal that can be prepared ahead of time to make your life easier.
Ingredients:
1 C lentils
1 C water
2 Q Vegetable broth
2 C mushrooms
2 T thyme
1 C carrots
1/2 C celery
1 sweet onion (chopped)
1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef (browned)
1 C tomatoes
1 T black pepper
1 T basil
2 garlic cloves
corn, green beans, cabbage, okra, etc. Any vegetable tastes great in this stew.
How To:
Brown meat. Let cool, then place in a zipper bag.
Add all other ingredients to the zipper bag.
Store in the fridge or freezer.
Pull out when ready to cook. Turn crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Serve with your favorite Grilled Cheese Sammich.
It's REALLY that easy.
This is another Crock Pot Meal that can be prepared ahead of time to make your life easier.
Ingredients:
1 C lentils
1 C water
2 Q Vegetable broth
2 C mushrooms
2 T thyme
1 C carrots
1/2 C celery
1 sweet onion (chopped)
1 lb. ground turkey or ground beef (browned)
1 C tomatoes
1 T black pepper
1 T basil
2 garlic cloves
corn, green beans, cabbage, okra, etc. Any vegetable tastes great in this stew.
How To:
Brown meat. Let cool, then place in a zipper bag.
Add all other ingredients to the zipper bag.
Store in the fridge or freezer.
Pull out when ready to cook. Turn crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours. Serve with your favorite Grilled Cheese Sammich.
It's REALLY that easy.
White Bean Turkey Chili
This White Bean Turkey Chili is part of my Crock Pot Meal Plan...It's so nice to have a warm, home cooked meal after a long day of work. You can dump the ingredients into the crock pot on the same day that you prepare it, or you can place it in a zipper bag and store in the fridge or freezer for later. (See Mother Load of all Meal Plans)
This meal was excellent on a cool night this week. I think that the next time I make it I will add another bean or veggie to give it more texture.
The Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey (again, you can use ground beef if you choose)
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic (chopped and diced)
1 onion (sliced and diced)
4 cans Navy Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 C Pinot Grigio
1/4 Jalapeno Peppers
1/4 C Corn
vegetable broth (add as much or as little as you'd like)
oregano (to taste)
1 T cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
How To:
Saute chopped garlic in a little olive oil. Once it becomes slightly browned, add ground turkey and cook fully.
Remove from skillet and let cool in a separate bowl.
Saute the chopped onion in a little olive oil until translucent. Let these cool.
Pour all ingredients into a large, gallon sized zipper bag and store in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to stick this in the crock pot.
To cook: Turn crock pot on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6.
This meal was excellent on a cool night this week. I think that the next time I make it I will add another bean or veggie to give it more texture.
The Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey (again, you can use ground beef if you choose)
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic (chopped and diced)
1 onion (sliced and diced)
4 cans Navy Beans (drained and rinsed)
1 C Pinot Grigio
1/4 Jalapeno Peppers
1/4 C Corn
vegetable broth (add as much or as little as you'd like)
oregano (to taste)
1 T cumin
1 tsp. cinnamon
How To:
Saute chopped garlic in a little olive oil. Once it becomes slightly browned, add ground turkey and cook fully.
Remove from skillet and let cool in a separate bowl.
Saute the chopped onion in a little olive oil until translucent. Let these cool.
Pour all ingredients into a large, gallon sized zipper bag and store in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to stick this in the crock pot.
To cook: Turn crock pot on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6.
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
These tasty little bites will warm up your insides and get you ready to face the day :)
I made them with turkey sausage instead of pork or beef sausage because I like the taste, but also because there is a lot less fat and calories~do what fits you!
Ingredients needed:
1 lb. turkey sausage
1 T onion powder
3 C all purpose baking mix (Bisquick, for example)
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 C buttermilk (I used 1% organic milk and added a little melted butter)
How to:
Brown sausage in a skillet until fully cooked.
Drain and cool. (A paper towel on a plate works just fine)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, cheese, and sausage in a medium sized bowl. Add a little salt and pepper if you like.
Make a "well" in the middle of your mixture and slowly add your milk. Fold flour mixture into the milk until well mixed. The batter will seem a little dry...that's ok!
Spoon into muffin tins, filling to the top.
Bake 15-18 minutes or until browned. I stopped at 12 minutes because we like our baked goods to be soft and fluffy.
The Results:
When I pulled them out of the oven, it took about 20 seconds for the smell to reach hubby's nose. He started with "just one"...and promptly ate another one.
Although I was afraid that the muffins were going to be dry, they really were not! You could smother these with butter if you want, but I liked them right out of the oven all by themselves.
Delicious.
I made them with turkey sausage instead of pork or beef sausage because I like the taste, but also because there is a lot less fat and calories~do what fits you!
Ingredients needed:
1 lb. turkey sausage
1 T onion powder
3 C all purpose baking mix (Bisquick, for example)
2 C shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 C buttermilk (I used 1% organic milk and added a little melted butter)
How to:
Brown sausage in a skillet until fully cooked.
Drain and cool. (A paper towel on a plate works just fine)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, cheese, and sausage in a medium sized bowl. Add a little salt and pepper if you like.
Make a "well" in the middle of your mixture and slowly add your milk. Fold flour mixture into the milk until well mixed. The batter will seem a little dry...that's ok!
Spoon into muffin tins, filling to the top.
Bake 15-18 minutes or until browned. I stopped at 12 minutes because we like our baked goods to be soft and fluffy.
The Results:
When I pulled them out of the oven, it took about 20 seconds for the smell to reach hubby's nose. He started with "just one"...and promptly ate another one.
Although I was afraid that the muffins were going to be dry, they really were not! You could smother these with butter if you want, but I liked them right out of the oven all by themselves.
Delicious.
The MOTHER LOAD of Meal Plans
It's been a while, so I thought I'd immerse you in a MEAL PLAN for the ENTIRE WEEK...including breakfast that you can eat ON THE GO!! WOOHOO!!!!
I apologize for the hiatus...school started and my brain fell out.
It's back in it's rightful home and I'm ready to start helping you plan meals for your busy week.
Here's a run down of the meals that will be highlighted in this post:
* Baked Oatmeal to go
* Sausage and Cheese Breakfast muffins
* White Bean Turkey Chili
* Savory Fall Stew
* Greek Chicken
* Stuffed Peppers
Want to know the best part about all of these meals?
You can make ALL OF THEM ahead of time (perhaps on a Sunday) and then stick ALL of the meals for dinner in a crock pot on the day you'll be eating them...
VOILA! Dinner. Done.
On Sunday of last week I went grocery shopping...PS go as early as possible. Luckily I get out of church fairly early and can beat most of the crowds...DO NOT go around 2 pm. You'll want to stab your eyeballs. There are zombies everywhere.
After grocery shopping, I went home to prepare my meals. Yes, it's a lot of work on Sunday-the day of rest. Yes, I'd rather be catching up on all of my Hulu shows. Yes, I want to go for a walk outside or read 18 chapters of Harry Potter.
But, guess what?? I'll get to do ALL of those things and MORE during the week because I won't have to COOK AT ALL Monday-Friday!! Cheers to that!
Wash and chop all of your fruits and veggies and stick them in reusable containers. Stack them nicely in the fridge so that they're easy to grab on the go.
I organize my meals on the counter top...this shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me.
Usually I start with the meal that is most complex and will take the most time.
Also, make sure that you have plenty of gallon sized heavy duty zipper bags...this is where your prepared meals will go when finished.
All of the dinner meals can be made on Sunday and either stored in the fridge or in the freezer for the week. (I promise you, it's awesome.)
My husband even commented on how "less stressed" I am since I started doing this. Yes, honey...it's because you can eat when you're ready and I still have time to run errands and go to the gym...after working 11 hours. I LOVE crock pot meals. If you do not own a crock pot...go buy one. NOW!!
The meals listed below are included in my blog. I didn't want to list them all here because it would make the blog incredibly long and possibly more difficult to find recipes later on. So scroll on over to the recipes bar on my home page and check out any of the following meals...the Meal plan and grocery list are, however, included below.
Happy EATING!
Dinner meals:
Monday night: White Bean Turkey Chili
Tuesday night: Savory Fall Stew
Wednesday night: Greek Chicken
Thursday night: leftovers...you should have plenty
Friday night: Stuffed Peppers
Breakfast options:
* Sausage and Cheese muffins
* Baked Oatmeal to go
Grocery List: You will need the following...the cost for us was between $80-100 for the week. It looks like a lot, but most of these supplies will last more than a week and you won't have to buy them the next week.
3 lbs. ground turkey (you can use ground beef if you want)
olive oil
cloves of garlic (I buy the already peeled...in a jar. Refrigerates well)
3 sweet onions
1 red onion
4 cans Navy Beans
1 Bottle of Pinot Grigio (I love BAREFOOT, but any kind will do)
2 Jalapeno Peppers
1 can of corn (or fresh corn)
Vegetable Broth
Button or Portabello Mushrooms (about 2 handfuls)
baby carrots (a large bag will work for the week)
Greek Yogurt (buy a med. sized tub...you can add it to protein shakes too!)
several lemons
1 small whole chicken
4 large peppers (bell or red work fine...whatever's cheapest)
eggs
vanilla extract
applesauce
bananas
rolled oats
baking powder
ground turkey sausage
Bisquick (or other all purpose baking mix)
shredded cheddar cheese
milk
cucumbers
feta cheese
tomatoes (small, baby, large, whatever works)
mixed veggies for the soup (green beans, corn, okra, celery, carrots, etc.)
You'll need these herbs and spices: These are pretty good ones to always have on hand. You'll use them a lot. Don't sweat if you don't have them...salt and pepper usually add good flavor by themselves.
* salt and pepper
* oregano
* cumin
* cinnamon
* thyme
* basil
* cilantro
I apologize for the hiatus...school started and my brain fell out.
It's back in it's rightful home and I'm ready to start helping you plan meals for your busy week.
Here's a run down of the meals that will be highlighted in this post:
* Baked Oatmeal to go
* Sausage and Cheese Breakfast muffins
* White Bean Turkey Chili
* Savory Fall Stew
* Greek Chicken
* Stuffed Peppers
Want to know the best part about all of these meals?
You can make ALL OF THEM ahead of time (perhaps on a Sunday) and then stick ALL of the meals for dinner in a crock pot on the day you'll be eating them...
VOILA! Dinner. Done.
On Sunday of last week I went grocery shopping...PS go as early as possible. Luckily I get out of church fairly early and can beat most of the crowds...DO NOT go around 2 pm. You'll want to stab your eyeballs. There are zombies everywhere.
After grocery shopping, I went home to prepare my meals. Yes, it's a lot of work on Sunday-the day of rest. Yes, I'd rather be catching up on all of my Hulu shows. Yes, I want to go for a walk outside or read 18 chapters of Harry Potter.
But, guess what?? I'll get to do ALL of those things and MORE during the week because I won't have to COOK AT ALL Monday-Friday!! Cheers to that!
Wash and chop all of your fruits and veggies and stick them in reusable containers. Stack them nicely in the fridge so that they're easy to grab on the go.
I organize my meals on the counter top...this shouldn't surprise anyone who knows me.
Usually I start with the meal that is most complex and will take the most time.
Also, make sure that you have plenty of gallon sized heavy duty zipper bags...this is where your prepared meals will go when finished.
All of the dinner meals can be made on Sunday and either stored in the fridge or in the freezer for the week. (I promise you, it's awesome.)
My husband even commented on how "less stressed" I am since I started doing this. Yes, honey...it's because you can eat when you're ready and I still have time to run errands and go to the gym...after working 11 hours. I LOVE crock pot meals. If you do not own a crock pot...go buy one. NOW!!
The meals listed below are included in my blog. I didn't want to list them all here because it would make the blog incredibly long and possibly more difficult to find recipes later on. So scroll on over to the recipes bar on my home page and check out any of the following meals...the Meal plan and grocery list are, however, included below.
Happy EATING!
Dinner meals:
Monday night: White Bean Turkey Chili
Tuesday night: Savory Fall Stew
Wednesday night: Greek Chicken
Thursday night: leftovers...you should have plenty
Friday night: Stuffed Peppers
Breakfast options:
* Sausage and Cheese muffins
* Baked Oatmeal to go
Grocery List: You will need the following...the cost for us was between $80-100 for the week. It looks like a lot, but most of these supplies will last more than a week and you won't have to buy them the next week.
3 lbs. ground turkey (you can use ground beef if you want)
olive oil
cloves of garlic (I buy the already peeled...in a jar. Refrigerates well)
3 sweet onions
1 red onion
4 cans Navy Beans
1 Bottle of Pinot Grigio (I love BAREFOOT, but any kind will do)
2 Jalapeno Peppers
1 can of corn (or fresh corn)
Vegetable Broth
Button or Portabello Mushrooms (about 2 handfuls)
baby carrots (a large bag will work for the week)
Greek Yogurt (buy a med. sized tub...you can add it to protein shakes too!)
several lemons
1 small whole chicken
4 large peppers (bell or red work fine...whatever's cheapest)
eggs
vanilla extract
applesauce
bananas
rolled oats
baking powder
ground turkey sausage
Bisquick (or other all purpose baking mix)
shredded cheddar cheese
milk
cucumbers
feta cheese
tomatoes (small, baby, large, whatever works)
mixed veggies for the soup (green beans, corn, okra, celery, carrots, etc.)
You'll need these herbs and spices: These are pretty good ones to always have on hand. You'll use them a lot. Don't sweat if you don't have them...salt and pepper usually add good flavor by themselves.
* salt and pepper
* oregano
* cumin
* cinnamon
* thyme
* basil
* cilantro
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