Freeze Your Way Fit

Clean Eating Chicken Tortilla Soup (OAMC)

2012-01-17T14:56:00.000-08:00

Makes about 10 servings, 1 cup each
As I've said time and time again, we eat a lot of soups in our house. It's a perfect medium to throw all kinds of veggies into which get happily eaten unnoticed. And all of my boys (even the biggest one) love anything they can dip tortilla chips into. I'm pretty sure Matt would eat this or Black Bean Salsa Soup every single night if I let him.

There are a TON of different ways you can make tortilla soup but two interesting things about this recipe are the addition of cornmeal and okra. The cornmeal gives the soup a nice texture and rounds out the flavors. Also combining a bean with a whole grain makes a complete protein. Okra is a vegetable that people don't often think about unless they're frying it. I'll admit that until we moved down south I had never heard of it. Back when I was first making baby food for Colwynn I learned that Okra is actually a power packed green vegetable and it also thickens the soup nicely. No one in my house is very fond of slices of okra in soup, though, so I cook it and puree it before stirring it in.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion (any kind will do)
½ cup diced bell pepper (any color)
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
15 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp tomato paste
4 cups water
2 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed well
¼ cup whole grain cornmeal
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ cups sliced okra, cooked and pureed (optional)
5 wholegrain corn tortillas, cut into strips (optional)

ONE: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onions, pepper, garlic, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and salt. Cook 5 minutes or until veggies begin to soften.

TWO: Add in diced tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add in chicken breasts and cornmeal and cook, uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

THREE: Remove chicken from pot and stir in pureed okra (if using). Allow soup to continue simmering while you shred the chicken using two forks. Return shredded chicken to pot, remove from heat, and let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. If using tortilla strips, stir them in 5 minutes before serving.

Serve garnished with sliced avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, fresh cilantro, a drizzle of lime juice, or even a spoonful of plain yogurt. My boys like to dip tortilla chips into it instead of having the corn tortillas stirred in. Freeze leftovers in 1 cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per 1-cup serving without tortilla strips or garnishes - 190 Calories (35 Calories from Fat), 4g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 27mg Cholesterol, 397mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 15g Protein, 11% DV Vitamin A, 27% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 39% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Cherry Almond Dutch Baby Pancakes (and how to pit fresh cherries without a cherry pitter)

2012-01-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

Makes 6 servings, 1 slice each
This is another variation of the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. It was delicious with peaches, we loved it with pineapple and coconut, and this morning we had cherries so I thought I'd give it a try.

A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. The boys voted this one as their favorite version and I have to agree :) But I REALLY love fresh cherries so I might be a little biased.

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
¾ cup low-fat milk
2 tbsp pure Maple syrup
½ tsp almond extract
¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
Large pinch nutmeg
½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup sliced cherries
2 Tbsp slivered almonds (although the boys and I had it with pecans because we didn't have any slivered almonds LOL)

FIVE: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the almonds. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes.

Not only do I get to eat a delicious pancake... staring at it through the oven door
keeps Theron entertained for 20 minutes and I get to see this excited little face :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

QUICK TIP: I don't have a cherry pitter. We all love cherries and I am eagerly looking forward to the day that I can just hand my kids a bowl of cherries and send them outside to happily eat them and spit out the pits. Until that day comes, this is how I get around the pits:

Wash the cherry, pull off the stem, and stand it up on the cutting board.

Slice of the fruit on either side of the pit

Finally cut off the little bits of fruit left around the pit.
Discard the pit and enjoy!

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 162 Calories (71 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 94mg Cholesterol, 141mg Sodium, 18g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 9g Sugars, 6g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 2% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Whole Wheat Taco Bowls

2012-01-04T21:24:00.000-08:00

These are so quick and easy to make but they are a fun twist on a regular old taco. Plus I find it next to impossible to find healthy, whole grain taco shells. My kids think these are fun because they can break apart their bowl and eat it as they go. Actually, Matt likes them for that same reason :) We use them to make taco salads using Salsa Barbeque Chicken.

Ingredients:

One tortilla per person
Olive oil cooking spray

ONE: Preheat the oven to 350. Place small, oven safe bowls or balls of tin foil on a cookie sheet.

TWO: Mist both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray and drape them over the bowls/foil balls.

THREE: Bake for 17-20 minutes or until light brown and crispy.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Taco Bowl- 130 Calories (25 Calories from fat), 3g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 280mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 4g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 8% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

Clean Eating Salsa Barbeque Chicken Tacos (Crockpot)

2012-01-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

Makes 8 servings, about 2/3 cup each
My husband loves anything involving salsa and tortillas and I love anything involving minimal effort and not having to remember to defrost the chicken. That means this recipe is a win-win for our family :) This is a great dump-and-go recipe that makes a whole bunch of really tender, juicy shredded chicken with a very interesting barbeque-y flavor. We serve it as taco meat but you could use it as a sandwich topper, in a salad, on rice, whatever. Go crazy!

We eat ours as a taco salad in homemade tortilla bowls

Ingredients:

6 chicken breast halves (about 1.5 lbs, frozen solid is just fine!)
16 oz jar salsa
6 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp ground (dry) mustard
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp honey

ONE: Dump everything into the crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

TWO: Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred it using two forks. Stir the shredded chicken back into the sauce and let it cook 30 minutes more with the lid off to thicken the sauce.

Scoop servings out with a fork to let the extra liquid drip out. Freeze leftovers in 2/3 cup servings using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 2/3 cup serving- 244 Calories (28 Calories from Fat), 3g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 72mg Cholesterol, 584mg Sodium, 24g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 18g Sugars, 28g Protein, 10% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron

Clean Eating Pumpkin Coconut Bars

2012-01-02T21:13:00.000-08:00

Makes 16 servings, 1 bar each
I first got the idea for this recipe from my friend, Julie. (Hi, Julie!) Julie's 2-year-old daughter was one of my Survival Swim students this past summer and, as soon as I heard about some of the interesting and delicious things she was eating for dinner, I knew Julie and I would be good friends :) They came over a few weeks ago for a marathon healthy-cooking-and-freezing session and Julie brought one of these along for her daughter. She got the recipe HERE and I was immediately intrigued. With a few minor changes it was easy to make it into a Clean recipe. The main thing I did was significantly reduce the amount of sweetener used and substitute honey for the white and brown sugar. As the author of the original recipe says, they were quick and easy to make with minimal clean up. Always a plus in my book!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 Tbsp coconut extract
1/3 cup chocolate chips

ONE: Dump everything into a bowl and mix well. Line an 8x8 or 9x9 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

TWO: Spread batter (it will be pretty moist) into a foil-lined and spayed 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 pan. Bake at 350F for 25-28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

THREE: Let the bars cool for a few minutes in the pan and then transfer them to a cooling rack. The bars may still look underdone, but that’s ok because they will continue to set up as they cool. Allow to cool very well before slicing.

Individually wrap bars and keep them in the fridge for a week or throw wrapped bars into a freezer bag and freeze for longterm storage.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 1 bar serving- 169 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 6mg Sodium, 23g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 12g Sugars, 5g Protein, 48% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Magazine on Sale for $4.99/year! Valid through January 2nd ONLY!!

2012-01-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

Discount Mags has a great New Year's Magazine Sale right now! My favorite of course was a 1-year subscription to Clean Eating Magazine for only $4.99. But hurry because the sale ends tomorrow, 1/2/12!! For the full details of the sale check out the post on I Heart Publix.

Clean Eating Italian Wedding Soup

2011-12-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

Makes 14 servings, 1 cup each (I think…)
I first made this soup when my superbly awesome and wonderful sister, Anthea, was visiting me over the summer. (Hi, Anthea!) We eat a LOT of soups in our house because it’s such a great vessel for throwing a ton of veggies into which my kids will happily eat because they are soft and too hard to pick out. Also, soups freeze exceptionally well which is always a plus in my book. If you search for Italian Wedding Soup you will find literally thousands of different recipes… so naturally I couldn’t follow any of them and had to make my own :)

I poured over the bazillion variations to get a general idea of what the main idea of the soup should be and then made some substitutions and adjustments. It made a HUGE pot… and I'm not totally sure how many servings it was because we ate it so fast I didn’t get a chance to count. All of the kids scarfed it down with little to no coercion, even my super picky nephew. And then we made it again and again and again.

How I “healthified” it:
Many of the recipes used ground beef or fattier types of ground pork for the meatballs. I stuck to ground turkey and added some chopped sundried tomatoes and some other seasonings to tasty them up.

Many of the recipe were basically just broth, eggs, and cheese with little to no veggies. I added carrots and celery to my broth because these tend to do really well in soups and lend a nice texture. Plus I bumped up the greens from a measly ½ or 1 cup to 5 cups and used kale for it’s power packed nutrition profile. It shrivels and gets all soft in the soup anyway so you don’t even really notice it’s in there. I like to get as much greens into my family as possible :)

Many of the recipes used orzo or some other type of pasta. None of my stores carry whole grain orzo and Anthea insisted that big pasta was just not right so we used quinoa instead. Quinoa is great in soups because it softens but doesn’t lose it’s texture and it’s a complete protein all in itself. Plus it gets those curly ribbons when it’s cooked so it’s just fun.

I substituted some of the broth for water because, when we made it with all broth, it was too salty. Plus, I knew for a fact that we were going to sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese on top before serving which would make it even more salty.

Finally, a LOT of the recipes had an egg or two and a bunch of parmesan cheese stirred into the soup. I felt like the soup was tasty enough and a nice texture without this addition and I like to sprinkle my little bit of parmesan on top at serving so I skipped it. I’m sure this means that this is not an “official” Italian Wedding Soup but I’m cool with that.

The results: Only 143 Calories but it packs a whopping 12g of protein, 2g of dietary fiber, 118% of your daily value of Vitamin A and 51% of your daily value of Vitamin C. In one little bowl of soup… that my kids will happily eat… and tastes delicious while being filling. Yay :)

Ingredients:
Soup –

7 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
4 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 cup uncooked quinoa
5 cups of kale (or other greens)
1 Tbsp dried fennel (Anthea did NOT like this addition and she felt it was a weird taste [not that it stopped her from inhaling two full bowls mind you] so the next time we made it we didn’t put it in. I thought the second batch was missing something and that the fennel really added a nice flavor so, when she’s not here, I always add it. I say, if you have fennel on hand, sniff it and if you think it would be a taste that you’d like, throw it in there. It kind of has a licorice flavor but it worked for me.)

Meatballs-

1 lb ground turkey
1/3 cup finely diced onion
3 big sundried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I use unfrosted miniwheats ground in the blender)
½ cup parmesan cheese

ONE: Add a little drizzle of olive oil to a big pot and toss in the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, fennel (if you’re using it) and quinoa. Cook over medium high for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions just start to soften and the quinoa is slightly toasted.

TWO: Add the broth, water, and pepper and bring to a gentle boil. While the soup mixture is heating up, begin cutting the kale into small pieces and adding it into the liquid. I hold a bunch of kale in one hand and use my kitchen scissors to snip the leaves into the pot. Discard any stems or tough pieces.

THREE: Once the soup is boiling, reduce to a simmer. In a medium bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients and mix well. (I use my hands which is totally gross-feeling but does the best mixing job)

FOUR: Using your hands, roll the meatball mixture into mini meatballs and drop them into the pot. (If the mixture seems too dry and the meatballs won’t stick together, add a splash of egg whites.) After about every 10 or so meatballs, use a spoon to push them down into the soup. You might need to add a little extra water or broth if there’s not enough liquid to submerge them all.

FIVE: Once the last meatball is in the pot, increase the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes or until the meatballs are cooked through, the veggies are tender, and the quinoa has little curls. Serve garnished with a bit of extra parmesan cheese if desired.

Freeze leftovers using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash. Defrost in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Nutrition info:
Per 1-cup serving – 143 Calories (40 Calories from Fat), 4g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 26mg Cholesterol, 160mg Sodium, 14g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 1.5g Sugar, 12g Protein, 118% DV Vitamin A, 51% DV Vitamin C, 10% DV Calcium, 10% DV Iron.
:)

Clean Eating Unstuffed Peppers Casserole

2011-09-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

Do you want to eat something AMAZINGLY delicious for dinner tonight? Look no further!

Those of you who know me know that I almost never follow a recipe exactly. I can't help but tweak or modify as I go. But my very good friend, Mandy, has made this casserole for me a few times and when I make it for myself, I follow the recipe word for word :) It seems so simple but it is to die for.

The thing I like best is that I can throw it together so quickly using my freezer stash. Two of the main ingredients are cooked brown rice and chopped bell peppers. I always have cooked brown rice at the ready in my freezer and when bell peppers are on sale I buy a bunch, chop them all up, and throw them in a freezer bag to use in recipes just like this one.

This recipe is Clean as long as you read the label really carefully on the pasta sauce and choose one without anything undesirable added. The only modification I might make would be to decrease the amount of cheese from 2 cups to one. My family loves cheese and we aren't trying to eat a reduced fat or calorie diet so I use the full amount. However, if you are trying to lose weight or lower your cholesterol or something, there will still be plenty of flavor with less cheese.

For the full recipe, check out the post on my friend, Mandy's, blog HERE! Thanks, Mandy!!!!!!!:)

Clean Eating Whole Wheat Banana Pecan Waffles

2011-09-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

Makes 12-15 waffles
We LOVE waffles in our house. And I especially love them when all I need to do is pull them out of the freezer and pop them into the toaster. I'll make a big batch every few weeks and we'll eat them fresh for breakfast and then freeze the leftovers. Then every couple of days I can give my boys a nice hot breakfast without actually having to cook :) These are especially great for when we are rushing to get somewhere in the morning because they can be eaten mess-free in the car. Always a plus in my book!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp wheat germ/ground flax seeds
1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 egg whites
1 1/4 cups skim milk
3/4 tsp almond extract
2 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 very ripe bananas, mashed

ONE: Preheat the waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, wheat germ/ground flax seeds, and pecans.

TWO: In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, almond extract, oil, and mashed bananas until well blended.

THREE: Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just blended.

FOUR: For each waffle, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto each grid of the waffle iron and spread out to mostly cover the grids. Close the iron and cook about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. (You may need to do more or less batter depending on your brand of waffle iron. You want to use just enough that the grids are covered with a thin layer. If you do too much, it will spill over and stick to the sides and pull the waffle apart into a big mess when you open it. Not that I speak from experience or anything....)

Freeze leftovers using the tray freeze method to feed your freezer stash. We reheat ours in the toaster oven but you could also use a toaster, microwave, or regular oven.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per waffle - 120 Calories (45 Calories from Fat), 5g Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 99mg Sodium, 16g Total Carbohydrates, 1.5g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 3.4g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 8% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron
:)

Clean Eating Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Flourless Cookies)

2011-07-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Makes 48 small cookies or 36 mid-sized ones
I have no idea why I haven't posted this sooner because we literally make a batch every week (actually right now Danielle makes us a batch every week, but you know what I mean). This is a Clean Eating recipe all the way back from the March/April 2010 issue. I saw it when it was first published and was hesitant to make them because it used a whole cup of Almond Butter. Let's be honest, that stuff is expensive! I basically ration it out in our house.

My very good friend, Martha (Hi Martha!) thought the same thing until her mom, Danette (Hi Danette!!) made them. Apparently after trying them, Martha's dad said that there would never be a need to make any other cookie they were that good. Since we started making them I literally have not made any other kind of cookie unless I was making it for a specific reason (like using up leftover veggies). We've made them using just almond butter and using half almond butter and half peanut butter and they are scrumptious both ways. We ALWAYS make a double batch so I'm not even going to bother posting the single recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted almond butter, stirred well (or any other combination of nut butters equalling 2 cups)
1 1/4 cups Sucanat
2 large eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips

ONE: Preheat oven to 350. Stir everything together adding the chocolate chips in last.

TWO: Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack.

Once they're completely cool, we store ours in a cookie tin. You could definitely freeze them using the tray freeze method... it might help you eat them a little slower, lol!

NUTRITION INFO:

Per small cookie made with only Almond Butter - 110 Calories, 8g Fat, 1.5g Saturated Fat, 10g Carbs, 1g Fiber, 3g Sugars, 2g Protein, 55mg Sodium, 10mg Cholesterol

Clean Eating Black Bean Burgers

2011-07-18T18:48:00.000-07:00

Makes 10 Burgers
This recipe came about because we had "nothing" in the house and a pack of hungry kids. By nothing I mean I didn't have my standard go-to protein sources of chicken breast and ground turkey. Since we're not vegetarian, we generally have some type of meat with dinner. But when I don't have any in the house it makes me realize how single-minded my cooking is in some ways. Combining whole grains and beans creates a complete protein and we have about a million cans of black beans in our house from a totally awesome sale a few months back so we decided to give black bean burgers a try. They were a HUGE success. The toddlers devoured them including my super picky nephew and Matt, Anthea, and I all got to eat ours with two hands without having to force feed anybody. That's a big success in my book :)

Ingredients:

3 medium carrots, grated
Half a medium onion, finely chopped (I grated mine since I was already grating the carrots)
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup kale
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (I used ground unfrosted mini wheats)
1 tsp salt

ONE: Spray a skillet with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, chili, garlic, and onion powder and continue to cook until the veggies are soft. Remove from heat and set aside in a large bowl.

TWO: Place drained beans, kale, and cilantro in a food processor and pulse several times until beans are mostly mashed but a few chunks still remain.

THREE: Add the beans, mustard, bread crumbs, and salt to the bowl of veggies and stir to combine. Scoop out scant 1/3 cup portions and form into patties.

FOUR: Heat the skillet you cooked the veggies in over medium heat and spray generously with cooking spray. Place the patties in the skillet a few at a time and cook 4 minutes a side until lightly browned and heated through.

TO FREEZE: Before cooking, form the patties and place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes to flash freeze the outsides and then place them all together in a freezer bag. Defrost overnight and cook according to the directions above.

After cooking, follow the same directions as above and reheat in the microwave.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving (1 burger) - 124 Calories (7 Calories from Fat), 1g Total Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 463mg Sodium, 22g Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugar, 6g Protein, 75% DV Vitamin A, 13% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 36% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Sale... Act Now!!!!!!

2011-06-26T13:51:00.000-07:00

Hurry!!! This offer ends at 10 EST tonight (6/26/11)!! Go HERE and order a year's subscription to Clean Eating Magazine for only $5.99 (Regularly $35+).

Click Buy, change the quantity to 2 if you want 2 years instead of one, and then click Proceed to Checkout. Enter in your mailing info and click Continue. The total will say $24.99. In the second box down where it says Discount Code type in EATING and it will reduce the total to $5.99 for one year or $11.98 for 2 :)

Hurry!!!!!!!

Clean Eating Red Beans and Rice with Sausage (Crockpot)

2011-06-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Makes about 8 servings, 1 cup each
This smells like a little bit of heaven while it’s cooking :) I’m a real wimp when it comes to spicy food but this has just enough kick that the kids and I can eat it without complaint while having that slightly spicy New Orleans feel. My nephew, Chase, can sometimes be a picky eater and is VERY resistant to trying new foods, but even he ate this. In fact he fed it to himself without any coercion and said, “I never tried this and I like it.” A very big compliment coming from him.

You may have been shocked to see that there are no veggies in this dish. A rarity coming from me because you know I'm all about the one dish meals that include veggies so I don't have to cook any sides :) I almost always stir in some finely chopped cooked broccoli or brussel sprouts before serving. You could also add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of finely chopped raw sweet potato or carrots in at the beginning of cooking or stir cooked pieces in before serving like with the broccoli. Or I've sometimes thrown 2 cups of very finely chopped raw kale in during the last 1/2 hour of cooking but DON'T STIR it in until you're ready to serve (see Tip below).

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
3 cups chicken broth
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 lb lean turkey or chicken sausage, sliced into medallions
Small yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped (I've made it without this in a pinch but I think it adds a little something in the moisture and texture department)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
Optional: ½ tsp Tabasco (I didn’t add this but if you like spicy things have at it!)

ONE: Toss everything into the crockpot and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-8 hours.

TIP: Stir it all together when you first put it in but DON’T stir again until you’re serving. The rice in this dish is meant to be a little more mushy and sticky than plain brown rice but stirring while it’s cooking will make the outside layer break down and let the gummy part out. Picture Cajun rice pudding.

OR:
Dump everything into a gallon-sized freezer bag and freeze. Toss the whole frozen chunk into a crockpot/slowcooker and cook on high 5-6 hours or low 7-8 hours. Make sure you freeze it in such a way that the frozen lump will fit in your crockpot. I set my bag inside a big circular tupper so that it freezes into a narrower cylinder.

Freeze leftovers in 1-cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 1-cup Serving - 354 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Total Fat, 1.5g Saturated Fat, 35mg Cholesterol, 943mg Sodium, 51g Total Carbohydrates, 7g Fiber, 1.5g Sugar, 22g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 6% DV Vitamin C, 7% DV Calcium, 20% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Saucy Chicken

2011-05-30T21:02:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 servings, 3/4 cup each
This is a warm, creamy bit of deliciousness that absolutely screams comfort food... but won't send you screaming from the bathroom scale :) I got the original idea for this recipe from a Publix Family Style Magazine article. It's simple and satisfying and we love it served over Cornbread Waffles with Grilled Asparagus.

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2/3 cup skim milk
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp pepper

ONE: Poach chicken breasts by placing them in a small, heavy-bottomed pot that is just large enough so that they fit snugly together in a single layer. Cover with water (or chicken broth). Heat on high until it's just started boiling and then reduce heat to low. Partly cover the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover completely, and let the chicken sit in the hot water for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Shred and set aside.

TWO: In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and then add broth and milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.

THREE: Stir in Parmesan and spices; cook another minute. Add shredded chicken and heat through.

Freeze leftovers in 3/4 cup portions using the medium/large portion method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per 3/4 cup serving - 299 Calories (119 Calories from Fat), 13g Fat, 3.5g Saturated Fat, 105mg Cholesterol, 315mg Sodium, 6g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Sugar, 37g Protein, 3% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 12% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron

Clean Eating Whole Grain Cornbread Waffles

2011-05-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

Makes 8 servings, 1 waffle each
Cornbread is one of my absolute favorite foods so I love, love, LOVE these waffles. This recipe is actually adapted from a recipe from the Publix Family Style Magazine. I have actually never made these for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, we all happily eat the leftovers for breakfast, but I always cook them with the intention of eating them for dinner. I had never thought of a "dinner waffle" until the Family Style article but it is an awesome idea, especially if you're feeding toddlers. My boys are so excited to be eating waffles for dinner that they would eat almost anything on top of them. Tonight I topped them with the taco filling from the Best Ever Veggie Tacos but usually I top them with Saucy Chicken. Or you could just be normal and make them for breakfast :)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur White Whole Wheat)
1/2 cup whole grain cornmeal
2 Tbsp honey/sucanat
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup olive oil
2 egg whites

ONE: In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, honey/sucanat, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a separate bowl combine the milk, olive oil, and egg. Whisk the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.

TWO: Preheat a waffle iron and spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour a generous 1/4 cup of batter onto each waffle grid and cook 3-4 minutes until lightly browned (or according to your waffle makers instructions).

Freeze leftover waffles using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per waffle - 175 Calories (65 Calories from Fat), 7g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 216mg Sodium, 24g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 6g Sugar, 4g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Blog Update

2011-05-18T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hi, remember me. I'm Briony. I used to post great things all the time like a weekly menu and couponing tips. So what happened? Have I forgotten all of you and moved on to other pursuits? NEVER!! We've just had a VERY busy time in our house the past few weeks. I started my swim season teaching Survival Swim Lessons to children and I have been totally flooded with students. Then we had family from England visit plus some very special friends from Jacksonville (Hi Martha!!). From the very beginning, I promised Matt that I would only do this blog in my spare time (HAH!!! Well what counts for spare time for a mom of 2 toddlers) and that I wouldn't let it stress me out or take me away from the family.

Just to prove I haven't been totally slacking off, here's a video of Theron at 23 months

Plus, I'll let you in on a little secret.... I haven't cooked a regular meal in over three weeks. Our freezers were so packed and we had so many other things going on that we decided to have a freezer month. Meaning we ate dinner out of the freezer for an entire month with the exception of one week when we had visitors... but I even fed them some meals out of the freezer :) Can you imagine being able to just decide not to cook for a month and still be able to eat a healthy, home-cooked meal every night? It's pretty awesome. So awesome that we're doing it next month too because the freezers are STILL packed.

Thankfully, the lovely and talented Barb has stepped up with some wonderful guest posts (stay tuned for Barb's story coming soon!) and there are more to come. But it got to the point where even my own sister (Hi Anthea!!) was messaging me on Facebook asking why I wasn't updating the blog. So I thought maybe the rest of you were thinking the same thing.

Here's my plan for the rest of the summer. I'm not foreseeing my swim schedule lightening up at all (Yay for babies learning how to not drown!) so I will be taking a break from the weekly menu. However, I am going to aim to post at least 2 (but hopefully 3) new recipes a week (likely with help from Barb and some of my other wonderful gal pals) plus a workout each Friday (likely with help from the fabulous Joan) and the occasional super great deal or tip. When I do start cooking again, I will post my meal plan based on the sales but it will probably not include the grocery list with coupon match-ups until my swim season is over because you would be AMAZED at how long it takes to do that part.

Not quite the level of service that I was offering previously but hopefully this blog can still be a resource to you for healthy, delicious meals. Also, maybe the thought of 2 months without cooking will help you jump start your freezer stocking efforts :) As always, if you have a great recipe that you'd like to share, please e-mail it to me (with a pic if possible!) at FreezeYourWayFit@gmail.com. Thanks for sticking with my blog even though I've had a bit of a hiatus. Happy Cooking!

~Briony

:)

Asian Style Rice Wraps

2011-05-16T23:09:00.000-07:00

These wraps are so fun to make and so versatile. There are probably a thousand combinations of different flavors you can include! I bought my rice paper at my local international market, but if you can't find it or you don't want to bother with such an interesting ingredient, you could use traditional flour wraps for the same type of effect. I like these wraps for their simple, fresh flavor. Included with a dipping sauce, they are like summertime comfort food. In the example below I used salmon and veggies with a doctored up sweet chili sauce, but you could easily add in left-over rice, or baby shrimp, or left-over chicken, or radishes, or spinach or make a peanut sauce or a hoisin sauce. Uhhh, you get the idea!

Oh, I wish I would have checked to see how blurry this picture was before I started chowing down!

Ingredients:

Wraps -

5 to 6 rice wrappers
2 small carrots, cut into small sticks
1/2 small cucumber, cut into small sticks
a few slices of white onion
handful of lettuce greens
1 large piece of broiled salmon (I cooked mine in the oven specifically for this meal, but you could use a left-over fillet or even a canned fillet!)

Sauce -

2 Tbsp sweet red chili sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp water

ONE: Organize your ingredients onto your work space so it will be easier to grab them when you're ready to start rolling the wraps. Pour a bit of warm water onto a dinner plate to use for softening the rice paper.

TWO: When the wrap is soft (it should feel like a wet noodle!) take it out of the water and place on a dry plate or cutting board. Immediately put another dry wrap into the water so it can soften while you work on the assembly. Layer the softened wrap with a little of each of your prepared ingredients. Drizzle with a little of the sauce.

THREE: Wrap the rice paper over the meat and veggies by first folding in the sides (perpendicular to your filling) and then fold the top down. Make sure you're wrapping tightly as you go, and keep in mind the rice paper is super sticky, so you can't really unfold. Finish rolling the wrap by bringing the partially covered filling down onto the bottom portion of the paper.

FOUR: Serve whole wraps (I don't recommend cutting them because they fall apart!) with any remaining sauce. If you don't want to bother making the wraps yourself, let your family make their own. It's fun!

Posted by Barb! :)

:)

Fitness Friday: Workout 1

2011-05-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned the fabulous Joan Dandeneau several times before (like when I posted this totally delicious Hummus recipe). She is a crazy busy mom of three who teaches the most amazing workout class ever, Stroller Strength. If you live anywhere near Jacksonville, FL or Winston-Salem, NC you should totally check the class out. She looks great, feels great, and has tons of energy because of eating clean and working out. Plus she's setting an excellent example for her 3 little girls and motivating countless women to make healthy changes in their lives too.

Here is a great little workout she wrote for me that you can do right in your own home. The only equipment you'll need are some dumbbells (I used big cans of crushed tomatoes in bags at my Mom's b/c I didn't have dumbbells!) or resistance tubing

Workout 1

2 x 15 step ups each leg (use a stable chair or bench)
2 x 20 full range sit ups with a jab cross to either side
2 x 15 push-ups (try to perform these on your toes and palms, but if you have to, drop to your knees)
2 x 20 pop squats (start with feet together, jump out and squat down, jump together and repeat)
2 x 10 each leg mountain climbers (in plank position, alternate pulling knees into chest, as you progress, speed up the legs)
2 x 15 bicep curl overhead shoulder press (standing, hold tubing, do a bicep curl, rotate palms and press overhead, repeat) This may be too tight, if so, stand on tubing with only one leg and alternate arms if needed (if you don't have tubing, use dumbbells)
2 x 25 body weight squats fast, stand on tubing and separate feet to create some resistance, hold handles at shoulders and squat (or hold dumbbells on your shoulders)
2 x 20 each side seated oblique twists holding something heavy like a medicine ball, dumbbell, bag of flour, (or baby!)
2 x 15 dips off chair or bench

Optional: Sprint in place for 1 minute in between sets for a little extra cardio

Basic hand-kneaded Whole Wheat Bread

2011-05-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

Makes 2 loaves, 16 slices each
Briony has been trying to get me to buy a second-hand bread maker for years, and I just haven't. Seriously, I like making bread by hand! I like feeling the dough and kneading it to perfection, and I guess it makes me feel connected with my grandmothers to do something I know they also did for their families. My favorite basic recipe is derived from the book that my Kitchen Aid Mixer came with. I altered the method a little (since I like to proof my dough) and add in a little Vital Wheat Gluten, which helps whole wheat loaves be more light and airy.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp sugar, divided (with sugar it is not "clean", you can use honey or sucanat instead)
2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
4 1/2 tsp (or 2 packages) active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup dry milk powder
2 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil

ONE: "Proofing" yeast means to activate before adding it to the flour. So, add the 1 Tbsp of sugar to hot water and stir to dissolve. Whisk in the yeast and let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes.

The yeast mixture before and after. Note how much it has puffed up.

TWO: Measure 4 cups of flour into the bowl of your stand mixer (such as a Kitchen Aid). Add the powdered milk and salt. Use the dough hook and turn your machine on to mix the dry ingredients together. Slowly add the yeast mixture while the dough hook is spinning and make certain you get all the bubbles that cling to the side. Add the oil.

THREE: Allow the mixer to bring the dough together until all the flour has been incorporated. You may have to scrape the bowl a time or two and you may have to increase the speed a bit if the motor sounds like it's struggling. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour half a cup at a time. The dough should start to form a ball and the sides of the bowl should be relatively clean.

FOUR: Finish the kneading by hand. Turn the dough out on to a lightly floured surface and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes. If the dough is sticking to your work surface, add another tablespoon or so of flour. Be careful to not add too much flour as this can dry out your dough. Remember that it is okay if the dough is sticky, you just don't want it to stick!

On the left is the dough just as I tipped it out of the bowl, and the right is
after I kneaded it for 8 minutes. Note how there isn't any flour
on my work surface after I kneaded.

FIVE: Let the dough rest while you wash your bowl, dry it well and grease it. Place the dough in the prepared bowl and cover it with a clean towel. Let it rise in a warm spot (the top of your running clothes dryer is a great location!). Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

The dough before and after the 60 minute rise.

SIX: During the last few minutes that the dough is rising and prepare your loaf pans by greasing them well. (Don't tell Briony but I started using shortening a while ago and I haven't had a loaf stick since. For me, it works better than olive oil spray, butter, parchment paper or any other thing I've tried. Briony would use coconut oil.)

SEVEN: Turn the dough out of the bowl and flatten it a bit to push out some of the air bubbles. Knead it for about 30 seconds and then shape it into a loaf. Drop the dough into your prepared loaf pan and let it sit for a few minutes. This short rest will allow the dough to relax so you can manipulate better. Push the dough down so it is flat and the edges touch the edges of the pan. Let the dough rise again for 45 minutes (or up to an hour if you need). During the last few minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

On the left is the shaped dough, and on the right you can see

I flattened it and pushed it towards the edges of the pan.

After the second rise

EIGHT: Bake the loaves for 30 minutes or until you can insert a toothpick and have it come out without any dough bits on it. Let the loaves rest in the pan for a few minutes and then remove them from the pans and let them finish cooling on a wire rack.

Posted by Barb! :)

NUTRITION INFO:

Per slice - 126 Calories (23 Calories from Fat), 2.5g Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 172 mg Sodium, 21.5g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 5g Sugars, 4g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Asian Style Peanut Butter Slaw

2011-05-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Makes 8 Servings
When I was living by myself I used to live on this slaw. I think I must have made it a dozen times over a six month period; so often I memorized the ingredient list! The dressing keeps well in the fridge for a few days and you can simply pour it over the cabbage as you wish (Storing the slaw "dressed" is not recommended. The cabbage loses its wonderful crunch.) When I took these pictures I was out of green onions and cilantro, so they couldn't be included. And, I promise you, it tastes better than it looks. :-)

Ingredients:

1 small head Napa cabbage (the crinkly green kind)
1/3 cup green onions, sliced

Dressing-

6 Tbsp rice vinegar
5 Tbsp natural peanut butter
4 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp water
6 Tbsp evaporated cane juice with 1/8 tsp molasses OR 6 Tbsp sucanat
4 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
fresh cilantro for garnish

ONE: Slice the head of cabbage in half and carefully cut out the core. Thinly slice the cabbage into strips.

TWO: Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small mixing bowl. Whisk (slowly at first) until combined and creamy.

THREE: Divide out the portion of cabbage you want to eat with today's meal and add some of the green onions. Pour on a bit of the dressing and toss to combine. Garnish with the cilantro.

Posted by Barb! :)

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving with about 2 1/2 Tbsp dressing - 119 Calories (68 Calories from Fat), 7.5g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 306mg Sodium, 8g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 5g Sugars, 5g Protein, 95% DV Vitamin A, 80% DV Vitamin C, 11% DV Calcium, 7% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Breakfast Cookies

2011-05-04T17:39:00.000-07:00

Makes 12 cookies
Yes! You can have a cookie (maybe even two) for breakfast! This recipe is amazing. The cookies bake up so light and chewy and are surprisingly sweet considering there only made with a little honey. Next time I bake them, I want to try replacing the banana with pumpkin or using dates in place of the raisins.

Ingredients:

1 large banana, mashed
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup dry milk powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup dried cranberries or raisins

ONE: Preheat oven to 350. Lightly coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, stir the mashed banana together with the peanut butter, honey and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, milk powder, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in dried cranberries or raisins.

TWO: Using a scant 1/4 cup measure (an ice-cream scoop works well for this!), drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. With a thin metal or small plastic spatula (or just use the back of the ice cream scooper) dipped in water, flatten and spread each mound of dough into a 2 3/4 round, about 1/2 an inch thick.

THREE: Bake, one sheet at a time, for 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight bag for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Posted by Barb!! :)

NUTRITION INFO:

Per cookie - 184 Calories (53 Calories from Fat), 6g Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 52 mg Sodium, 28g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 16g Sugars, 6g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 4% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron
:)

Natural Sweeteners Explained (and How to Substitute for Sugar with Them)

2011-04-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

The term “Natural Sweetener” gets thrown around a lot, but there’s no clear cut definition of what this really means. When I first started to eat healthier, I thought that as long as I wasn’t using white sugar, I was okay. So I started substituting brown sugar for everything. Somehow I got the idea that because it was brown it was less processed and therefore natural. But as I got more into healthy eating, and specifically Clean Eating, I found out this wasn’t the case. So I asked my wonderful and brilliant friend, Barb, (who is almost singlehandedly responsible for the way I eat now) to do a little research into the whole Natural Sweetener debate and give us a little clarity

Here's a list of sweeteners that are generally considered natural and are Clean Eating approved:

Sweetener	To Substitute for Sugar
Honey: A sweet, sticky, yellowish-brown fluid made by bees from nectar collected from flowers; minimally processed, especially if you get raw honey.	Honey has a stronger and slightly sweeter flavor than sugar so use ¾ cup honey for each 1 cup sugar. Reduce the rest of the liquid by 2 Tbsp per cup of honey used and reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Agave nectar: Sap extracted form the core of the agave plant; minimally processed.	It’s mild flavor and thin consistency make it a great choice for cold liquids, like iced tea. In baking and recipes, use 2/3 cup agave nectar for each 1 cup of sugar, reduce the other liquids in the recipe slightly, and reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Pure Maple Syrup: Concentrated sap from maple trees; minimally processed.	Maple syrup has a stronger and slightly sweeter flavor than sugar so use ¾ cup maple syrup for each 1 cup sugar. Reduce the rest of the liquid by 2 Tbsp per cup of maple syrup used and reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Rapadura/Sucanat (Sugar Cane Natural): Unrefined dried sugar cane juice. Cane sugar that retains its molasses content.	Has a slight molasses flavor and a dark color. Works very well in baked goods and hot drinks, like coffee, but not in cold drinks, like lemonade. Replaces sugar and brown sugar 1:1.
Brown Rice Syrup: A sweetener derived by culturing cooked rice with enzymes (usually from dried barley sprouts) to break down the starches, then straining off the liquid and reducing it through heating.	Not as sweet as sugar so use 1 1/3 cups brown rice syrup for each 1 cup of sugar. In baking, for each cup used, reduce the other liquids in the recipe by ¼ cup and add ¼ tsp baking soda. For soft baked goods, do not use all brown rice syrup as it tends to make the finished product harder and crispier. On the other hand, it’s a great option in things like crispy cookies and granola.
Molasses: Thick, dark brown, uncrystallized juice obtained from raw sugar during the refining process. Basically what is removed from the sugar cane juice when white sugar is made	Molasses has a strong, distinctive flavor so only replace a small amount of the sugar in a recipe with it
Blackstrap Molasses: Same as molasses except it is more concentrated and therefore contains trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of minerals per serving.	Blackstrap molasses has a VERY strong flavor so only replace a small amount of the sugar in a recipe with it
Stevia: A sweet compound obtained from the leaves of a South American shrub (Stevia rebaudiana) of the daisy family. Stevia comes in several forms from powder to liquid.	Use this chart

Not Clean Eating Approved But Less Refined than White Sugar:
Turbinado Sugar: The most popular brand is Sugar in the Raw. Basically rapadura/sucanat granules that are washed in a centrifuge to remove impurities and surface molasses. The result is lighter in color and contains less molasses.	Replaces sugar 1:1.
Evaporated Cane Juice: More refined version of turbinado sugar.	Replaces sugar 1:1.

Here’s what Barb's research uncovered:

When I first set out to do research for this article, I was hoping to provide complete facts about how sweeteners are produced, how they benefit us nutritionally, and when they are most commonly used. However, I found the deeper I dug to discover answers, the more questions arose about the processing of the sweeteners.

I researched independent sources like Wikipedia, company websites like the one for Sugar in the Raw, and even read information on the Corn Refiner’s website (who are pro High Fructose Corn syrup). Many of the personal sites I read hosted a variety of opinions and shocking realizations about how our food is treated, but some of these sites do not list references, and it is hard to know if there is any truth behind their passionate claims. In the paragraphs to follow, I will attempt to help you understand more about the plethora of products on the store shelves and to provide unbiased information about the way the raw ingredients are grown and processed. Originally, I did not want to include information about Organic and non-Organic differences, but after doing the research, I felt this was an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how crops are treated and processed.

The word “natural” to describe sugars could be argued several different ways. Some might say that a particular sweetener is made from corn, and corn grows in nature, so therefore it’s natural. Likewise, one might argue that since sugar cane grows in the ground, its derivatives are also natural ways to sweeten foods. However, the worlds of health enthusiasts and Clean Eaters have different opinions on what is considered “natural”.

Types of Sugars and Glycemic Index

Before we discuss the sweeteners themselves, let’s do a brief biology review of the classification of sugars. There are two types of sugar: monosaccharides and disaccharides. The most abundant monos are Glucose and Fructose. Glucose is the building block of carbohydrates and is made by the photosynthesis process in plants. All forms of sugar are converted to glucose in our bodies. Fructose is naturally found in fruits and in honey. Many fructose based sweeteners undergo minimal processing and are therefore prized by health food enthusiasts. The most common disaccharide is Sucrose, which is comprised of Fructose and Glucose molecules linked together.

For added interest and a deeper understanding of the dietary implication of the sweeteners in this article, I am providing the glycemic index number in parenthesis following the first mention of the sweetener’s name, followed by the calorie content of one tablespoon.* The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of how quickly a food is converted into glucose in your body’s bloodstream. The higher the GI, the faster the food is converted to energy, and the quicker your blood glucose levels rise. A rapid increase of glucose levels will, in time, present a rapid drop of “sugar” levels and can cause fatigue, lethargy and the desire to eat more.

Typically, the more refined the food, the higher the glycemic level. Have you ever eaten a meal consisting of white pasta, white bread topped off with a super sweet dessert, only to feel exhausted and hungry later? Such a super-refined meal would cause your glucose levels to spike and then crash. Had you consumed a different meal of low glycemic index foods, but with the same caloric intake, you would have felt full, satisfied and energized.

Glucose (Corn) Based Sweeteners

Corn syrup (100 60) has been around since the early 1900s. It is made when the starch from corn kernels is mixed with water and combined with an enzyme which converts the starch into glucose, leaving a syrupy substance behind. Corn syrup retains its moisture after heating, which makes for moist, commercially-produced baked goods. In household uses, it is most commonly found in pecan pies, candied apples, and pancake toppings. It may be important to note that the United States is the number one producer of corn in the world, and most of the non-organic crops are grown from genetically modified seeds. If organic foods are important to you, organic (non-GMO) forms of corn syrup are available on the market today.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the name for the most widely used sugar substitute: high fructose corn syrup or HFCS (65-80). For decades, this product has been added to many pre-packaged foods and drinks and it is recently receiving a lot of attention. Without going into gross detail, HFCS is made from corn syrup, which is mostly comprised of glucose. When the glucose is combined with enzymes (more than one), it converts into fructose. The ratio of the simple sugars dramatically shifts, altering the corn syrup into a “high fructose” version. HFCS is cheap, has a long shelf life, and is sweeter than other types of sugar (so companies can use less). As the commercials on television imply, the basic structure of HFCS is similar to that of table sugar, but there are still controversies about how our body reacts to this man made sweetener. While you can buy hundreds of products containing HFCS (from ketchup to soda to yogurt), you can not purchase bottles of it at your grocery store.

Fructose (Plant) Based Sweeteners

Sugar cane, which is considered to be a grass, has been cultivated by man for thousands of years. Through the processing of extracting the sugar for consumption, consumers are provided with a variety of products. Sucanat (65 60) is a contraction for the phrase "sugar cane natural". It is produced when the cane stalks are heated and filtered, and the resulting sugar crystals are hand collected so that they retain their naturally high content of molasses.

Raw sugar and Turbinado sugar (65 60) are made similarly to Sucanat, but they are not treated with the same gentleness. The cane is spun at a very high speed, causing part of the molasses content to be lost. The resulting crystals are dried into the form you see it in when you purchase it at the store. If the processing of sugar continues past the raw sugar stage, common table sugar (65 60) is produced. The raw sugar is washed of all the molasses, heated, and in most instances bleached to produce the pearly white crystals we are familiar with as white sugar.

Brown sugar (65 60) is, in most cases, table sugar with molasses added back to the crystals. In some instance, brown sugar can be made by washing less of the molasses from the raw sugar. In common grocery store boxes of brown sugar, this is not the case. Often the white sugar is also colored with an artificial caramel coloring, so the product has a better appearance. So, not only is the sugar bleached, but then color is added back in.

Molasses (65 58) processed for sale is “leftover” from when the sugar cane is spun to make white sugar. Most of these types of molasses have a higher sugar content than Blackstrap molasses (55 47) which is made when the cane has been spun a third time. Due to the deeper concentration, blackstrap contains trace amounts of vitamins and significant amounts of minerals per serving and is therefore considered to be preferable among health food enthusiasts.

Organic varieties of sugar cane products can be purchased and are held to a zero chemical standard. This means that not only are the sugar cane plants not treated with pesticides, but the sugar crystals are also not subjected to harsh chemicals during the refining process.

Agave nectar (30 60) comes from the core of a succulent plant with the same name. Most premium types of Agave come from Blue Agave plants. The sap is extracted and filtered, then heated at a very low temperature (less than 120 degrees). Because Agave nectar is processed minimally and with such low heat, it is considered a “pure sweetener”. It has a subtle, sweet flavor that is very mild and is often used as an alternative to honey. However, it does have a relatively high fructose content, depending on the particular batch of agave plant used. I have noticed that most Agave nectars available on the market are Organic.

Unless you’ve lived under a bee hive for your entire life :-), you know what honey is and where it comes from. However, you may not be familiar with the different ways it is processed. Raw honey (30 64) is the most pure form of honey, as it is unheated (therefore unpasteurized) and is high in antioxidants. Purchasing local raw honey has been praised as a remedy for seasonal allergies, a benefit that is lost once the nectar is heated and packaged for commercial grocery stores. Pasteurized honey is a great option for baking or for other recipes where the nectar will be heated during the cooking process. Producers of organic honey do what they can to insure that their bees do not transport pesticides back to the hives, and they are prohibited from giving their bees antibiotics.

Maple syrup (54 52) is the sap of maple trees, which is collected and boiled down to produce pure syrup. It contains trace amounts of minerals and amino acids (proteins). When you purchase maple syrup at the grocery store, be certain the label says “100% pure” as there are many imitation products out there. For a syrup farm to be considered "Organic", it must refrain from using chemicals on the trees themselves and during the tapping process (formaldehyde, although illegal, is sometimes used on non Organic farms).

Other Types of Sweeteners

Brown rice syrup (25 75) is made much in the same way that corn syrup is manufactured. An enzyme is added to the brown rice and left to change the starch in the rice grains into sugar. However, the resulting syrup has a different make-up from corn syrup in that the sugar is mostly a polysaccharide (a combination of mono and disaccharides), which make for a slower absorption into the bloodstream. The syrup is known for its buttery flavor and is less sweet than corn syrup. Because most brown rice syrups are consumed by health food enthusiasts, most brands available for purchase are Organic.

Stevia (less than 1) can be purchased in two ways; either in powder form or as a liquid extract. It is made from the leaf of a plant, and because it is considered to be more like a herb, Stevia is touted as zero-calorie sweetener (although some trace calories will exist if you eat it in excess!). Its popularity is growing, and it may be pertinent to note that some brands found in grocery stores may have additives in them which act as fillers and may be highly processed. Some people state that inexpensive brands of Stevia have a funny aftertaste, while higher-quality versions do not.

Whatever your choice of sweetener, please keep in mind that all sugars should be enjoyed in moderation; some possibly in less moderation than others. All of the above sweeteners have pros and cons, and it is important to weigh them out when making your decision on which one to use. Take into account how often you consume the food you sweeten. Consuming too much sugar of any kind has known side effects. Table sugar can cause peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels, which in excess can lead to weight gain. Fructose sweeteners are processed in the liver, which can cause a rise in triglyceride levels. Stevia is under review for a possible link to cancer when consumed in excess.

** In order from highest to lowest

Glycemic Index	Calories	Processing (hard to estimate)
Corn Syrup	HFCS	HFCS
HFCS, Cane Sugar, Molasses	Brown Rice Syrup	Table Sugar, Brown Sugar
Agave Nectar, Honey	Honey	Molasses, Black Strap Molasses
Blackstrap Molasses	Corn Syrup, Cane Sugar, Agave Nectar	Corn Syrup, Brown Rice Syrup
Maple Syrup	Molasses	Stevia
Brown Rice Syrup	Maple Syrup	Sucanat
Stevia	Blackstrap Molasses	Maple Syrup, Honey
	Stevia	Agave Nectar, Raw Honey

*The Glycemic Index and calorie measurements may vary depending on the type of crop and the way a particular manufacture processes the resulting product. In some instances, I have taken multiple numbers for the same sweetener and used an average.

Please note: there are some sweeteners on the market that are not listed in this article. Namely: Equal, Splenda and Sweet n’Low. These are artificial sweeteners and should not be confused with natural sweeteners.

Great Deal on Farm Fresh Organic Produce

2011-04-26T00:53:00.000-07:00

Check out THIS great deal on farm fresh organic produce shipped right to your door!! $19 for a Taste of the Farm Sampler Box, Plus Shipping, from MyOrganicAcres.com ($70 Value). See Kim's post for more details.

Thanks, Mommy Likes to Save!!

Clean Eating Sausage Egg Casserole (OAMC)

2011-04-24T22:58:00.000-07:00

Makes 12 servings
Wouldn't you love to wake up and find that someone else has cooked you a delicious and healthy breakfast? That's how I feel when I pull this egg casserole out of the freezer. It's the perfect blend of savory sausage, eggs, and cheesy goodness. Plus it has some kale snuck in so you can start your day right with a power packed veggie :) I make this using homemade breakfast sausage based on THIS recipe from one of my favorite sites but you can use 3/4 lbs of whatever breakfast sausage you prefer.

How I "healthified" it:

The original recipe called for 10 whole eggs. I used 2 whole eggs and 10 egg whites.
The original recipe used 16 oz of cottage cheese and whole pound of shredded cheddar. I reduced both of them by half and added a little bit of Parmesan for some extra cheese flavor.
The original recipe used butter and white flour. I substituted olive oil and whole wheat flour and added and extra 1/4 tsp of sea salt.
The original recipe used regular breakfast sausage. I made a homemade version of breakfast sausage using lean ground turkey.
Finally I added some finely diced kale to boost the nutritional profile. Plus, I like it when my kids eat a green vegetable in the morning because then I don't have to think about it at dinner LOL.
The results - A decrease in calories, fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and an increase in Vitamin A and Vitamin C.

Ingredients:
Breakfast Sausage-

3/4 lb ground turkey or chicken
1/2 C diced organic dried apples (or 3/4 cup shredded fresh apples)
2 Tbsp pure maple syrup or honey
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp Allspice
2 Tbsp dried Sage (1 Tbsp if ground)

Casserole-

1 Tbsp olive oil
4 green onions, chopped
½ lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs, beaten
16 oz carton of egg whites (or 10 egg whites)
8 oz low-fat cottage cheese
2 cups (½ lb) shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan
4oz can diced green chile peppers, drained
1 1/2 cups very finely chopped kale/spinach
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp sea salt
1/3 cup olive oil

ONE: In a large bowl, using your hands, mix sausage ingredients well. Place into a large, deep skillet and cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, and set aside. Add olive oil to skillet; cook and stir the green onions and mushrooms until tender.

Browning the homemade sausage

TWO: In a large bowl, mix eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, Parmesan, kale, and chiles. Stir in sausage, green onions, and mushrooms. Cover, and refrigerate overnight (you can cook it right away but refrigerating it overnight lets the flavors blend a bit more).

THREE: Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish. In a bowl sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Blend in the olive oil. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake 40 to 50 minutes in preheated oven, or until lightly brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Flour mixture before it was blended

Cut into individual servings and freeze using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash. To reheat, microwave loosely covered for 2 minutes at 50% power. Cut into pieces and microwave an additional minute at full power.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving "healthified" recipe – 301 Calories (152 Calories from Fat), 17g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 77mg Cholesterol, 615mg Sodium, 16.5g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugars, 22g Protein, 32% DV Vitamin A, 27% DV Vitamin C, 36% DV Calcium, 10% DV Iron

Per serving original recipe – 393 Calories (252 Calories from Fat), 27g Fat, 12g Saturated Fat, 223mg Cholesterol, 791mg Sodium, 13g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 27g Protein, 17% DV Vitamin A, 9% DV Vitamin C, 61% DV Calcium, 10% DV Iron

:)

Why You Should Eat Breakfast and Healthy Breakfast Ideas

2011-04-20T21:15:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve heard before that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But why? And what constitutes a good breakfast? Keep reading to find out :)

Eating a healthy breakfast:

Jump Starts Your Metabolism. Breakfast is just what it sounds like - breaking the fast of not eating during the night. Your body responds to this fast by slowing down. Your metabolic rate decreases so that you burn fewer calories and conserve energy. By eating breakfast, you get your metabolism going and start burning calories again. The earlier you start burning calories, the more you’ll burn in a day, helping you to maintain a healthy weight.
Leads to Better Performance Throughout the Day. Several studies have shown that children who eat breakfast perform better on standardized achievement tests and have fewer behavior problems in school. On the other hand, children who don’t eat breakfast can be cranky, disinterested, and unmotivated. The same goes for adults.
Helps Prevent the Mid-Morning Slump. If you skip breakfast, by mid-morning you are likely to feel tired and run-down. This is where some people will reach for a cup of coffee and a candy bar. This might give you a temporary boost but will lead to a crash shortly afterwards, leaving you tired and cranky at lunch time. On the other hand, a healthy breakfast fuels your body to last through to lunch time while staying alert and focused.
Helps You Make Better Food Choices Throughout the Day and Ultimately Lose Weight. People sometimes skip breakfast to cut calories but, as mentioned above, this leaves you starving by mid-morning. Oftentimes this will lead to snacking throughout the day and bingeing at lunch and dinner. This will likely lead to a higher caloric intake than a healthy breakfast and sensible eating throughout the day would have yielded. According to the National Weight Control Registry, eating breakfast is a daily habit for “successful losers” (individuals who have maintained a 30-pound or more weight loss for at least a year).

Healthy Breakfast Choices:

You don’t necessarily need a lot of time in the morning to create a healthy start to your day. Focus on meals that combine complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. You want to aim for foods that will fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied longer. High fiber foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains can accomplish this without adding a lot of extra fat.

5 Super Fast Breakfasts:

1 cup whole grain low sugar cereal (kashi, multigrain cheerios), 1 cup skim milk, piece of fruit
1 cup oatmeal with 2 Tbsp honey and sliced banana, 1 cup of milk
2 slices whole wheat toast with 2 Tbsp peanut butter, piece of fruit
1 whole grain muffin with 1 cup low fat milk and ½ cup berries
1 cup low fat plain yogurt with ½ cup all natural granola and 2 cups strawberries

Some other ideas -

1 Slice whole wheat toast with 2 Tbsp peanut butter; serve with a protein shake [1c milk, ½ c berries, 1 Tbsp protein powder, 2 Tbsp ground flax seeds]
3 egg whites scrambled with

1 oz shredded cheese & ½ cup broccoli, 2 slices whole wheat toast, ½ cup OJ
Diced turkey, ¼ cup onions, 1 oz shredded cheese, whole wheat toast, piece of fruit
1 whole egg, ½ cup chopped mushrooms, 5 snow peas quartered, ¼ chopped red bell pepper, and 1 ½ tsp soy sauce; serve with ½ cup berries and 2 Tbsp ground flax seed

3 egg white omelet with 1 slice whole wheat toast & ½ cup OJ

1 oz ricotta, ¼ cup tomatoes, ¼ cup onions
Onions, mushrooms, and peppers

¾ cup oatmeal with 1 cup milk &

1 tsp brown sugar & banana
1 small chopped mango
1 cup applesauce, 1 tsp brown sugar and cinnamon

1 Tbsp peanut butter on whole wheat English muffin, 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup chopped pineapple
½ whole wheat bagel with

1 Tbsp peanut butter, 1 cup milk, 1 cup fresh fruit
2 Tbsp cream cheese, 2 slices tomato, ¼ cup yogurt
2 oz cheese, 4 slices tomato, ½ cup OJ

Whole grain muffin with

1 cup strawberries & ¼ cup yogurt
1 Tbsp peanut butter & small apple

3 egg whites over hard on whole wheat English muffin with

1 slice ham & 2 slices cheese
2 meatless breakfast patties & slice cheese

1 cup cottage cheese & 1 slice whole wheat toast with ½ cup blueberries
2 whole wheat waffles with 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup & 2 cup strawberries
2 egg whites scrambled with 1 slice whole wheat toast, ½ cup OJ with

2 meatless breakfast patties
2 slices turkey bacon

4 egg whites scrambled with

½ cup new potatoes, ½ cup salsa, & 1 ½ oz shredded cheese; piece of fruit
¼ cup salsa, ¼ cup guacamole, ¼ cup corn in whole wheat tortilla

2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 cup cereal, 1 cup berries, 1 cup milk
2 whole grain pancakes with 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup and 1 cup raspberries
¾ cup yogurt with ½ cup raspberries & 1/3 cup cereal
2 pieces whole wheat French toast [made with 1 Tbsp milk & egg white], 1 c blueberries, 1 c milk

Clean Eating Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas

2011-04-14T00:30:00.000-07:00

Makes 8 servings, 1 quesadilla each
When I lived in Jacksonville, my great friend, Ariana, and I used to take the kids on lunch dates to Native Sun Natural Foods Market. They had an awesome selection of the more unusual things I use in my cooking, like bulk quinoa. They also made delicious food so we could do a bit of shopping and then sit and have a light meal that the kids could eat too. You know there aren’t a lot of places where I actually let me kids eat the food, LOL. One of our favorites was their sweet potato quesadillas. This is Ariana’s version which I have to say I actually like better than the original :)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups peeled sweet potatoes, grated
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1-2 pinches cayenne (I leave this out because I’m wimpy)
salt and pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can of black beans, drained
8 8-inch whole wheat tortillas

ONE: In large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté onions and garlic until the onions are transparent. 

TWO: Add the sweet potatoes, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the black beans, recover, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.

THREE: When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the filling from the heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.

FOUR: Spread the sweet potato mixture evenly onto the tortillas; sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cheese onto each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half over filling.

FIVE: Either clean out the skillet you just used or get another large non-stick skillet and add a little oil; heat on medium high heat. Place the quesadillas in the heated nonstick skillet and cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and the filling is hot. Add more oil to skillet as needed and cook in batches. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 355 Calories (97 Calories from Fat), 11g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 8mg Cholesterol, 468mg Sodium, 50g Total Carbohydrates, 10g Dietary Fiber, 9g Sugars, 13g Protein, 285% DV Vitamin A, 8% DV Vitamin C, 17% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron

:)

TLC's Extreme Couponing

2011-04-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

If you have ever evenly remotely thought about couponing it's likely you may have heard about the new show on TLC called Extreme Couponing. There's been a lot of discussion about the show in the couponing blogosphere but I personally haven't seen it yet so I can't really have an opinion either way. One thing I do know, though, is that it's a reality TV show so it's designed to be entertaining and sensational. My guess is that it would be interesting and entertaining to watch but it won't necessarily teach you the ins and outs of couponing.

HERE is a great article that brings a bit of reality back to Extreme Couponing. It was written by Rasha from A Full Cup which is an awesome resource for all things coupon related.

For some info about how to get started with some good old everyday couponing that the average family can use to save themselves on their weekly groceries, go HERE.

:)

Last Night's Veggies Cookies

2011-04-13T01:24:00.000-07:00

Makes 20-24 cookies
Weird name for a cookie right? But that’s literally what these were. The first time I made Pineapple Pork Tenderloin I didn’t have peppers. Actually to be honest, I seriously needed to go grocery shopping and the only thing I did have was a big buttercup squash. So I made roasted squash with pineapple instead. We all ate it happily enough that night but none of us really felt like eating the leftovers. The frugal side of me couldn’t bear to throw them away so I made them into cookies. Normal people use their leftover dinner veggies to make cookies too, right? Regardless, we all loved them and these have since become a favorite cookie in our household. They are sort of like a pumpkin gingersnap but they're more cakey than crispy.

NOTE: If you are making something in your crockpot, you can chop up about a cup of winter squash/sweet potato and put it on a piece of tinfoil with about a cup of pineapple. Fold the foil into a pouch and stick it on top of whatever you're cooking. Obviously this wouldn't work if you were cooking a soup since the packet would sink. It only takes about 3 hours on low for the veggies to soften but you can leave it in there as long as your dish is cooking and just take it out at the end.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I use King Arthur's White Whole Wheat flour)
1 Tbsp ginger
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup Earth Balance buttery spread or coconut oil
¾ cup canned pineapple, drained
¾ cup cooked winter squash/sweet potato
1 cup sucanat, divided
¼ cup molasses

ONE: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Set aside.

TWO: Puree the pineapple and winter squash/sweet potato together adding a small amount of pineapple juice if needed to create a puree the same consistency as canned pumpkin.

THREE: In a large bowl, cream together the buttery spread/coconut oil, pineapple-veggie puree, ½ cup of sucanat, and molasses using an electric or stand mixer. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until dough comes together. Chill dough for at least an hour.

FOUR: Preheat oven to 350 and pour remaining ½ cup of sucanat into a shallow bowl. Scoop out a generous tablespoonful of dough and roll it between your palms into a small ball, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll the ball in the sucanat until completely covered and then place on a cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a glass, lightly press the doughball to flatten. Repeat until all the dough is gone. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are set. Cool about 2 minutes on the cookie tray before transferring them to a cooling rack. Don’t leave them on the tray for too long if you want them crispy.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1 cookie) - 89 Calories (16 Calories from Fat), 2g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 130mg Sodium, 17g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 3g Sugars, 1g Protein, 17% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Pina Colada Dutch Baby Pancakes

2011-04-13T01:02:00.000-07:00

Makes 6 servings
This recipe is modified from the Peach Dutch Babies that I recipe tested for the April/May 2011 issue of Clean Eating Magazine. The original recipe was so good I wanted to make it again the next day but was out of peaches. We love pineapple and coconut in our house and that was how this version was born.

A Dutch Baby is an oven baked pancake which is kind of a blend between a popover and a crepe. They are traditionally made with white flour and a TON of butter but Clean Eating Magazine of course found a way to make it JUST as delectable while still being good for you :) My very good friend, Martha, was the one who first introduced me to Dutch Babies (made the ton of butter way!) and she’s a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to this dish. As soon as I tried the Clean Eating version, I immediately sent it to her and she was blown away as well. She gives them her seal of approval :)

Ingredients:

3 large eggs
¾ cup low-fat milk
2 tbsp Agave nectar or honey
½ tsp coconut extract
¼ tsp plus a pinch sea salt
Large pinch nutmeg
½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour (I just use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat flour)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 cup crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained and 2 Tbsp juice reserved
2 Tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut

ONE: Place a heavy, 12-inch oven-proof or cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat to 425°F. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet, you can use a baking dish. You'll need something a bit bigger than an 8x8 square pan but a 9x13 is about as big as you could go.)

TWO: In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs. Add milk, Agave, coconut extract, salt and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add flour and whisk just until blended (a few lumps are fine).

THREE: Carefully add coconut oil to the skillet in the oven. Close the door, and allow it to melt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Wearing a heat-proof glove or oven mitt (I wear my Ove Glove), remove the skillet from the oven and pour the melted oil into the batter; whisk just until blended (do not over mix).

FOUR: Pour the batter back into the hot skillet and sprinkle evenly with the crushed pineapple. Carefully return skillet to oven and bake until edges are puffed and golden brown, 17 to 19 minutes.

FIVE: Meanwhile, toast the shredded coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat (the first time I made these I tried toasting the coconut in my toaster oven, forgot about it, and it caught fire… like billowing smoke fire. Oops.)

SIX: When the pancake is done, sprinkle it with the toasted coconut and drizzle with the reserved 2 Tbsp pineapple juice. It’s pretty impressive when it’s all puffed up fresh out of the oven. Call everyone to the table right away because it deflates pretty quickly. My boys like to peak through the window on the oven door to watch it puff up. They call this Magic Eggy Pancakes. I call it scrumptious :)

You won’t have leftovers but, if you did, you could freeze individual servings using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:
Per serving - 179 Calories (72 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 5g Saturated Fat, 107mg Cholesterol, 130mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 5g Protein, 4% DV Vitamin A, 8% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 6% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Sneaky Lasagna (with Spinach!) OAMC

2011-04-13T00:28:00.000-07:00

Makes 10 servings
This is hands down one of our family favorites and we ALWAYS have some in the freezer. This recipe makes one pan but I always double it and make 2 at once because I figure I’m already making the pans dirty and heating up the oven, I might as well make it worthwhile :) I assemble the first one and pop it into the oven and I can usually have the second one assembled (and sometimes even get the dishes done!) so that when the first one is ready I can put the second one in and sit down to have the first for dinner.

You will see that this recipe has you making homemade spaghetti sauce which I really like to do when I have the time because then I know exactly what we are eating and can be sure that there are no random added ingredients. However, if I am crunched for time, I have used jars of premade sauce and then just browned the ground turkey and added it in. You will need about 4 1/2 cups of sauce to equal 6 cups total after adding in the meat. Just make sure you read the ingredients list really well when you pick a sauce. You would be amazed at the things that get added in to some.

Ingredients:
Sauce -

1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, diced (2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
28oz can crushed tomatoes
28oz can diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 Tbsp dried basil
1 cup pureed cooked sweet potato (optional, but I always add it in because it gives the sauce a slight sweetness, which most commercial sauces achieve by adding sugar. When I first started adding it Matt said, “Wow. This is awesome! It tastes just like Chef Boyardee!” Thanks hunny, that’s totally what I’m aiming for. Homemade sauce that tastes like processed crap in a can, LOL. What he meant in his own goofy way was that the sauce was so good it tasted like it was professionally made… which he apparently thinks Chef Boyardee is…)

Filling and Pasta Layers -

1 lb fat-free ricotta cheese
3 cups reduced-fat shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (This is bolded because I ALWAYS forget to divide it!)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp dried basil (or ½ cup minced fresh basil)
1 large egg lightly beaten or equivalent of egg substitute
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 12oz bag fresh spinach, roughly chopped or torn
12 whole grain lasagna noodles uncooked (not no boil noodles, just regular whole wheat noodles. The whole no boil thing is a scam, you don’t need to boil any noodles. My friend, Ariana, taught me that :) Before that I was preboiling all my lasagna, grrrr)

ONE: Combine the onion, oil, and ½ tsp salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the ground turkey and cook until it’s JUST starting to brown, about 4 minutes.

TWO: Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened and measures about 6 cups, about an hour (the sauce might spit while it’s cooking so I always cover the pot with one of those mesh screen things that prevent splattering). Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

THREE: Dump the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, Parmesan, basil, egg, salt, and pepper into a large bowl and stir well.

FOUR: Preheat the oven to 375 and spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 ½ cups of the sauce evenly over the bottom.

FIVE: Rinse 3 uncooked lasagna noodles under cold running water and lay them on top of the sauce spaced evenly apart. Place 1/3 cup of filling on each one and spread it out evenly over the entire noodle. Lay 1/3 of the bag of spinach over the top of the filling (this will seem like a big pile of spinach and will make the layers really tall but it will wilt during cooking and you won’t even notice it’s there).Spread 1 cup of sauce evenly over the spinach. Repeat this layering two more times, rinsing each lasagna noodle before placing it in the pan.

SIX: Lay the remaining 3 noodles over the top and cover with the remaining 1 ½ cups of sauce, making sure to cover the edges. Spray a large piece of foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna tightly. Place the lasagna pan on a cookie tray (to catch any bubbling over sauce) and bake for 45 minutes.

SEVEN: Remove the foil and sprinkle the lasagna evenly with the remaining 1 cup of mozzarella. Continue to bake, uncovered, until the cheese is bubbling and slightly brown, 10-15 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Let the leftovers cool completely in the fridge overnight. Slice into individual servings (one pan should yield 10 servings) and freeze using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash. Reheat in the microwave or thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven @ 350 for about 30 minutes.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 424 Calories (136 Calories from Fat), 15g Fat, 7g Saturated Fat, 90mg Cholesterol, 590mg Sodium, 38g Total Carbohydrates, 7g Dietary Fiber, 7g Sugars, 35g Protein, 181% DV Vitamin A, 60% DV Vitamin C, 50% DV Calcium, 21% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Crockpot Salmon with Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Salsa and Orange Lentils

2011-04-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

Makes 6 servings
This recipe was modified from a recipe that I tested for Clean Eating Magazine. I’m not a huge fan of fish that tastes like fish but I really love salmon. Go figure! And I love it even more when my crockpot cooks it for me :) This method yields delicious, moist salmon every time. The slightly sweet, citrus flavor of the lentils goes particularly well with the fruit salsa and gives the whole dish an island vacation feel. Plus any time dinner involves fruit my boys are very happy. I recommend using a larger crockpot (like 5 to 7 quarts) for this meal and purchasing salmon fillets that are about the same thickness to ensure even cooking. If you only have a smaller crockpot, you can either do fewer salmon fillets or layer them on top of each other using additional pieces of parchment. If you layer, you will need to extend the cooking time of the fish a bit.

Ingredients:

1¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup orange juice
¾ cup lentils (I use green)
½ cup carrot, finely diced
¼ cup red onion, finely diced
¼ cup celery, finely diced
1 tbsp honey
6 4- to 5-oz salmon fillets, scaled and pin bones removed
1 tsp lemon juice

Salsa:

3/4 cup finely diced pineapple
3/4 cup finely diced mango
1/2 cup finely diced strawberries
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
2 Tbsp chopped fresh mint (2 tsp dried)
2 Tbsp orange juice
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

ONE: Combine everything except the salmon and lemon juice together in the crockpot and stir. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 to 5½ hours or until lentils are tender.

TWO: Place 1 sheet of parchment paper over the lentils in the crockpot. Season salmon lightly with salt and pepper and place it on the parchment (skin-side down if you have not removed the skin). Replace the lid and continue to cook on low for 25 minutes or until salmon is opaque in centre.

THREE: While the salmon is cooking, combine all of the salsa ingredients and set aside to give the flavors a chance to combine.

FOUR: Once the salmon is done, remove it by lifting out parchment. Stir the lemon juice into the lentils and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, place about ½ a cup of lentils on a plate and top with a salmon fillet and 1/3 cup of salsa.

Freeze leftover lentils and salsa using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1/2 cup lentils, 1/3 cup salsa, 1 salmon fillet) - 419 Calories (146 Calories from Fat),16g Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 80mg Cholesterol, 203mg Sodium, 32g Total Carbohydrates, 9g Dietary Fiber, 14g Sugars, 36g Protein, 39% DV Vitamin A, 90% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 16% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Low Cost Weekly Meal Plan 4/11

2011-04-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

I am SERIOUSLY psyched for this week's meal plan!! My kids LOVE mangoes and sweet potatoes and they are both on sale this week. Plus there's a sale on honey which always makes me do the happy dance. My great friend, Barb, and I are working on a very detailed report on natural sweeteners and honey is one of the best. Stay tuned for that article.

This week I'm particularly excited about the Salmon with Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Salsa over Orange Lentils. I'll serve this with Kale Chips which are just too cool for words. The fact that you can make chips out of kale is up there with cauliflower becoming bread sticks. As far as the salmon goes, if you're not regularly cooking your fish in the crockpot, you are seriously missing out. You know I love my crockpot because it saves me hands-on time during the pre-dinner hour and doesn't heat up my kitchen. But in this recipe I love it even more because it makes perfectly cooked fish with lentils that my kids will happily eat. What could be better?! Plus, you can make the key ingredient for Last Night's Veggies Cookies while you're cooking the lentils. I know that sounds crazy but, once you see the recipe, you'll understand :)

Next up is seriously the most delicious Dutch Baby Pancake you've ever had in your life. My boys literally dance with joy when I make these. Then we're trying something new with the Moroccan Lamb Stir-Fry. As you may have noticed, I'm not all that creative when it comes to my protein sources. I rely pretty heavily on ground turkey and chicken breasts. This is something I've been working on and this week lamb is on sale so I thought I'd be a little adventurous and move out of my comfort zone. I think you'll like it. Finally, two of our family's tried and true (and willingly eaten by the toddlers) recipes: Lasagna and Sweet Potato Quesadillas.

As I mentioned last week, during the Summer I teach Survival Swim Lessons so I spend a lot of my day in the pool. I have an absolutely WONDERFUL helper, Danielle, who mommies my boys and helps me with the million and one other things that us moms do all day. She is one of the hardest workers I have ever met and I am eternally grateful for her help. Danielle is the ONLY reason I'll still be able to continue this blog during the summer so I would like to publicly shout, "Thank you, Danielle!!!! You are the BEST!!!"

Step 1: Find out what meat and produce is on sale for the week
This week at Publix Lamb and Salmon are on sale. In the produce section kale, sweet potatoes, celery, orange juice, strawberries, and mangoes are also on sale.

Step 2: Take an inventory of your pantry and freezer, check out what other items are on sale, and pick several recipes that use those ingredients.
There are good prices for canned tomatoes, ricotta cheese, shredded mozzarella, honey, raisins, canned pineapple, and chicken broth.

Step 3: Take a look at your calendar for the week and see which nights you’ll have more time to cook and which nights you won't and plan your menu accordingly.
This will be different for every family but, in general, I cook 3 or 4 nights a week and we eat something from our freezer stash the other nights. To learn how to build your own freezer stash go HERE.

Step 4: Get all of the recipes together and make a shopping list of what you’ll need.
Meals-
Sneaky Lasagna (with Spinach!)
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Quesadillas
Salmon with Pineapple-Mango-Strawberry Salsa over Orange Lentils and Kale Chips - Coming Soon
Moroccan Lamb Stir-Fry - Coming Soon

Healthy Breakfasts/Snacks/Desserts-
Pina Colada Dutch Baby Pancakes
Last Night's Veggies Cookies

Here is a shopping list for the complete list of meals (not including snacks and desserts) based on you having nothing in your pantry or freezer. You will obviously omit the items that you already have. Go HERE for an explanation of the couponing abbreviations. The top list has all of the coupon matchups. There is a second list at the bottom that just lists the items with no match-ups and is a little easier to read.

Coupon Matchup List - Coming Soon
Non-Coupon Matchup List - Coming Soon

And the winner is.....

2011-04-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago I posted THIS giveaway for a coupon booklet containing over $58 worth of SC Johnson coupons. There were a LOT of great responses with tips on how to keep the house clean and I will be posting some of the most popular responses shortly. The winner of the giveaway was comment #25 from The Laverty's!!!! Congratulations Christy!! Here is Christy's tip:

"I have a laundry routine for during the week and vacuum every Friday. The other tip I have is: when we go on vacation or out of town for the weekend, I put a capful of pinesol in my toilets. When we get home, the house smells clean after being closed up."

Thanks to everyone who entered. Stay tuned for more giveaways!!!

:)

New Coupons on Coupons.com

2011-04-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

Coupons.com has released a TON of new coupons including some for Easter Candy. As you know, we follow a very healthy diet but, if I am going to give my kids the occasional treat, like on Easter morning for example, you better believe I want it to be free or almost free :) Here are the new coupons:

Food & Beverage:

Buy 1 Get 1 Free Power Bar Harvest Bar, any variety
$2.00 OFF 1 Kentucky Legend Ham or Turkey Breast, or our NEW Premium Bacon
$1.50 OFF 1 Nestle Butterfinger 9.2oz Fun Size Bag
$1.50 OFF 1 Kahiki product 24 oz. or larger
$1.00 OFF 2 Mars Easter Products
$1.00 OFF 2 Land O Lakes Margarine
$1.00 OFF 2 Hanover Gold and Silver Line Frozen Vegetables
$1.00 OFF 1 Newman's Own Thin & Crispy Pizza
$1.00 OFF any 1 lb. of Land O Lakes Deli Cheese
$1.00 OFF 1 Kahiki product 13 oz. or smaller
$1.00 OFF 1 McCann's Irish Oatmeal product
$1.00 OFF 1 Hidden Valley Salad Kit
$1.00 OFF Power of Fruit Frozen All-Fruit Bars
$1.00 OFF 1 Truvia Sweetener
$1.00 OFF 1 Weight Watchers Frozen Novelty Carton
$1.00 OFF 5 Totino's Crisp Crust Party Pizza Products
$0.75 OFF 2 any flavor Yoplait Kids Yogurt
$0.75 OFF 1 Kix, Berry Berry Kix, or Honey Kix
$0.75 OFF 1 Chex Cereal
$0.75 OFF 1 Cinnamon Burst Cheerios cereal
$0.75 OFF 1 Kraft 2% Milk Singles Cheese product
$0.75 OFF 1 Roman Meal Bread
$0.75 OFF 2 Frozen Pillsbury Grands! Biscuits
$0.60 OFF 2 Pillsbury Toaster Strudel Pastries
$0.55 OFF 1 Nestle NestEggs (8oz or 10oz Varieties)
$0.55 OFF 1 Wonka Jelly Beans
$0.55 OFF 1 loaf of Wonder Smartwheat
$0.55 OFF 1 Original Cheerios cereal
$0.50 OFF 1 Hanover Frozen Soft Pretzels
$0.50 OFF 1 Newman's Own Product
$0.50 OFF 2 Pillsbury Rolled Refrigerated Pie Crusts
$0.50 OFF 1 any flavor 8 OZ. or larger Gardetto's Snack Mix
$0.50 OFF 1 package of Kraft Homestyle Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
$0.50 OFF 1 can of Diamond Crystal Sea Salt
$0.40 OFF Totinos Rolls Snacks
$0.30 OFF 1 can of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
$0.30 OFF 1 French's Classic Yellow Mustard
1 Free bottle of Ujuice when you buy Two (2) Bottles of Ujuice
$1.00 OFF 1 So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (64oz. or 32oz. )

Personal Care:

$3.00 OFF 1 HerbaShine Color Creme with Bamboo Extract Haircolor
$3.00 OFF 1 L'Oreal Paris Sublime Mousse by Healthy Look
$2.00 OFF 1 Rimmel Product
$2.00 OFF 1 Visine Product
$2.00 OFF 1 AmLactin Moisturizing Body Lotion (7.9 oz/225 g bottle)
$2.00 OFF 1 Purpose Skin Care Product (excluding trial sizes)
$2.00 OFF any 1 Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Blow Dry Perfector Kit
$2.00 OFF 1 Renu fresh or Renu sensitive multi-purpose solution (8 oz or larger)
$1.25 OFF 2 Degree Men or Degree Women Deodorant/Anti-Perspirants
$1.00 OFF 2 Suave Body Wash Products
$1.00 OFF 1 Kiss Artificial Nail Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Broadway Artificial Nail Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Kiss Premium Eyelash Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Triple Paste
$1.00 OFF 1 Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner
$1.00 OFF 1 Garnier The Brusher Clenser
$1.00 OFF 1 Garnier Fructis Style Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Sally Hansen Beauty Tool $2 or more

Pet Care:

$3.00 OFF 1 bag ProPlan Select Dog Food
$3.00 OFF 1 bag Hill's Science Diet Light (dog or cat)
$2.00 OFF 1 Wardley Advanced Nutrition Product
$1.50 OFF 1 Nutramax Pet Cosequin Product for Your Pet's Joints
$1.50 OFF 1 Nutramax Pet Dermaquin Product for Your Pet's Skin and Coat

Health Care:

$5.00 OFF 1 Non-Drowsy Claritin Allergy Product
$4.00 OFF 1 Cosamin ASU Joint Health Supplement
$3.00 OFF 1 Cosamin DS Joint Health Supplement
$3.00 OFF 1 Senokot Tablets or Senokot-S Tablets
$3.00 OFF 1 Colace Capsules or Peri-Colace Tablets
$3.00 OFF 1 Flex-a-min Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Non-Drowsy Claritin-D Allergy Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Children's Claritin
$3.00 OFF 1 Monistat Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Prevacid 24hr Product
$3.00 OFF 1 Miralax Product
$2.00 OFF any 1 Nasalcrom allergy product
$2.00 OFF 1 Aleve 40ct or larger
$2.00 OFF 1 Nature's Bounty Your Life Multi's Vitamin
$1.50 OFF 1 Bottle of Emetrol for Nausea
$1.00 OFF 1 tube of StaphAseptic, 1 oz. or 2 oz. size
$1.00 OFF 1 OmegaMint Heart Health Supplement
$1.00 OFF any 1 Citracal
$1.00 OFF 1 Phillips' Laxative Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Alka Seltzer Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Cortaid Product

Household:

$10.00 Off Bissell Big Green Deep Cleaner Rental at Lowe's
$4.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Starter Kit
$3.00 OFF 1 package of Huggies Diapers (60 ct. or higher)
$2.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Freshmatic Compact Starter Kit
$2.00 OFF 1 Depend Absorbent Product
$2.00 OFF 1 Depend Underwear in Prints & Colors
$2.00 OFF 1 Depend Guards for Men
$3.00 OFF 1 Scrubbing Bubbles Automatic Shower Cleaner Starter Kit
$2.00 OFF 1 Woolite Rug Stick
$2.00 OFF 1 Combat product
$2.00 OFF 1 any package of Huggies Diapers
$1.50 OFF 1 Seventh Generation Natural Liquid Laundry Detergent
$1.50 OFF Three Glade PlugInsÂ® Scented Gel products
$1.00 OFF 2 Comet Mold & Mildew Stain Removers
$1.00 OFF 2 Comet Bathroom Spray or Comet Cream products
$1.00 OFF 2 Joe Boxer 3-pack socks
$1.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Double Fresh Warmer Unit
$1.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Scented Oil Twin Refill or 2 (two) Single Refills
$1.00 OFF 1 Air Wick Candle
$1.00 OFF 1 bottle of Woolite Heavy Traffic Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Seventh Generation Product
$1.00 OFF 1 Tilex Grout Pen or Tilex Mold & Mildew Remover or Tilex Mildew Root Penetrator and Remover
$0.75 OFF 1 Glade Fabric & Air Odor Eliminator
$0.50 OFF 1 Glade Carpet & Room Odor Eliminator
$0.25 OFF 1 Comet Powder product

Home Entertainment:

$3.00 OFF 1 Because of Winn-Dixie on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Anastasia on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Dr. Dolittle on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Flicka on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Marley & Me on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 Robots on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Sandlot on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Sound of Music on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Bible on Blu-ray
$3.00 OFF 1 The Robe on Blu-ray

Toys and Games:

$5.00 OFF any Vtech Toy ($19.99 or higher)

:)

Clean Eating Cucumber Tomato Bruschetta

2011-04-07T23:19:00.000-07:00

Makes 8 servings
According to Wikipedi, "Bruschetta is an appetizer from central Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Variations may include toppings of spicy red pepper, tomato, vegetables, beans, cured meat, and/or cheese; the most popular recipe outside of Italy involves basil, fresh tomato, garlic and onion or mozzarella. Bruschetta is usually served as a snack or appetizer.” In our house, Bruschetta means my kids will eat raw veggies because they have a vinegary sauce on them and they’re served on little pieces of bread :) Whatever it means to you, this version is delicious and you should try it.

Did you notice I snuck a little chopped kale in there? It blends right in with the basil and oregano and you can't taste it because the other flavors are so strong. But it helps this "snack" pack a whopping 20% of your daily recommended intake of Vitamin A and 15% of Vitamin C.

Ingredients:

1 cup grape tomatoes cut into quarters (or other chopped tomatoes)
1 cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped kale
1 cup fresh basil leaves, sliced into shreds
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
Whole grain baguette, crackers, or pita bread

ONE: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the bread/crackers. Toss well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste.

TWO: Let stand at room temperature for at least 1 hour but no longer than 3 hours. Serve over slices of toasted baguette, crackers, or pita bread triangles.

Raw tomatoes become mushy once frozen but you can still freeze the leftovers in half cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash. Use the thawed tomato mixture in a dish where the mushier texture won't matter. I serve it as a salsa-type topping for chicken, mixed into some brown rice for a little kick, or inside an omelet.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (not including bread) - 44 Calories (31 Calories from Fat), 3.5g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 4mg Sodium, 3g Total Carbohydrates, 0.6g Dietary Fiber, 1.6g Sugars, 0.6g Protein, 20% DV Vitamin A, 15% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 2% DV Iron

:)

Great Deal on Silicone Bakeware!! Act Fast!!

2011-04-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

You all know I love baking and I generally make some type of healthy baked treat every week. I've heard a lot of great things about silicone bakeware so I thought I'd share this awesome deal with you.

This is the 5-Piece Smartware Basic Silicone Bakeware Set. This set usually retails for $29.99 but is on sale on Tanga for $9.99 plus $4.99 shipping. That's a savings of $20 or 66%!! The set includes a 9 inch Bundt Pan, a 9 inch Loaf Pan, 2 9 inch Round Pans, and a Recipe Book. They are designed to withstand temperatures from 58°F below to 428° Fahrenheit—without warping, melting or flaking. The high gloss, non-stick finish will not retain odors or flavors. Silicone is also great for even heat distribution and quick and even cooling. Plus they are flexible so it's easier to get the baked goods out. Finally, they're oven, freezer, microwave, and dishwasher safe.

Act fast because this sale ends on 4/8 at 9:00 PM Central Time!!

Clean Eating Grape Zucchini Bread

2011-04-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

Makes 16 servings
I know what you’re thinking… do grapes and zucchinis really go together? I’m here to tell you they do and the result is lovely. If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time you know I have a big crush on quick breads. Part of the reason is that my breadmaker has a quick bread setting so I just dump everything into the pan, push a button, and an hour and a half later it magically becomes bread. But even if you don’t have a bread maker, quick breads are easy to throw together. I also like them because you can put all kinds of different things in them but they’re usually slightly sweet which makes my boys think they’re getting a special treat when really they’re getting a good dose of whole grains. Plus they freeze really well. What more could you ask for?!

Ingredients:

1 cup green seedless grapes, halved
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1 egg
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup honey
¼ cup sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won’t be “clean”)
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup shredded zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)

BREADMAKER: Dump everything into the breadmaker, adding the flour last. Run the breadmaker on the quick bread setting (I take a rubber spatula and run it around the edges after it's been mixing for a little while to make sure there's no pockets of unmixed flour). Remove from the bread pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

OVEN:
ONE: In a bowl, blend flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sunflower seeds.Beat together egg, oil, honey, sucanat, and almond extract.

TWO: Add zucchini and grapes to egg mixture; gently stir in flour mixture. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x5 inch loaf pan.

THREE: Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan to a wire rack. Slice and serve.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 147 Calories (51 Calories from Fat), 5.7g Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 12mg Cholesterol, 400mg Sodium, 22.7g Total Carbohydrates, 0.6g Dietary Fiber, 13g Sugars, 2g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Coconut Brown Rice (OAMC)

2011-04-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

Makes 8 servings, ¾ cups each
I love coconut and I love brown rice so you know Coconut Brown Rice is right up my alley :) This a a supremely delectable side dish that is not overpoweringly coconut. It makes for a nice change from regular brown rice (although if you make your brown rice like THIS it’s certainly not just regular!) but is just as easy to cook.

The idea for this recipe came from THIS post from the fabulous Gluten Free Girl but she made hers in a rice maker and I don’t have one of those. I know, you can’t believe there’s a kitchen appliance I don’t own since I’m ALL ABOUT my kitchen appliances doing the work for me. If you are lucky enough to have a rice maker, follow her instructions. If not, here’s how you can rock some pretty tasty whole grains using the oven method :)

Ingredients:

2 cups brown rice (Gluten Free Girl uses basmati)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt (1/4 tsp regular salt)
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper (I use 1/2 tsp because I’m wimpy and I think pepper is spicy)
1 cup light coconut milk
Juice of 1 medium-sized lime (about 2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 cups water

ONE: Preheat oven to 375. Combine rice with curry powder, ginger, salt and pepper; spread in a medium sized baking dish (I use my big oval Corningware). Stir in lime juice.

TWO: In a small saucepan, combine water, coconut milk, and coconut oil and bring to a boil.

THREE: Pour water mixture over rice (don’t stir!) and cover baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil (I use the glass lid that came with my Corningware so I can skip the foil). Bake 1 hour or until rice is tender.

FOUR: Remove dish from oven and fluff rice with a fork. Cover with a dish towel and let stand 5 minutes. Uncover and let stand another 5 minutes before serving

Freeze leftovers in ¾ cup portions using the medium/large portions method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per ¾ cup serving - 273 Calories (107 Calories from Fat), 11.9g Fat, 9.5g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 154mg Sodium, 38.5g Total Carbohydrates, 2.4g Dietary Fiber, 1.1g Sugars, 4.3g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 3% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 8% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Almond Crusted Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Salsa

2011-04-06T22:34:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 servings, 1 fillet each
This recipe is modified from one that my super great friend, Martha, sent me forever ago. I’ve made it using pecans and almonds and it’s totally divine. My boys really love almonds so they prefer this version. Any recipe that leads to my husband and toddlers willingly eating fish is a winner in my book but this is so easy it’s like a double winner :) It’s really simple but fancy enough to serve to company. We like it over a spinach salad or with Coconut Brown Rice. Martha likes hers with Pineapple Salsa (see below).

Ingredients:

4 4oz Mahi Mahi fillets (or another white fish like Tilapia or Cod)
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup of oats
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed (can use an extra 2 Tbsp oats if you don’t have flaxseed)
1 egg white mixed with 2 Tbsp lite coconut milk (or water)
Dash of salt and pepper

ONE: In a food processor or blender, combine the almonds, oats, coconut, flaxseed, and salt and pepper. Process until well combined and in small pieces

TWO: Rinse the Mahi Mahi fillets in running water and dry them off with a paper towel. Spread the almond mixture on a plate. Dip the fillets into the egg white mixture and then coat well with almond mixture.

STOVETOP: Heat 2 tsp olive oil to medium-high heat in a non-stick skillet. Add fish and cook 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip and cook another 3-5 minutes until fish is white throughout and flakes easily.
-OR-
OVEN: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place fish in a baking dish and cook for about 10-13 minutes or until it is white all the way through and lightly toasted on the top.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

Pineapple Salsa

1 cup of finely chopped pineapple (small cubes)
½ cup of finely chopped red onion
½ cup of minced cilantro
1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
Juice and zest of one lime
Salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors mix well.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (just fish) - 246 Calories (110 Calories from Fat), 12.2g Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 98mg Cholesterol, 201mg Sodium, 8.3g Total Carbohydrates, 3.5g Dietary Fiber, 1.2g Sugars, 26.5g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 5% DV Calcium, 17% DV Iron

:)

Great Printable Coupons for Organic and Natural Products!!

2011-04-06T20:39:00.000-07:00

Make sure to go HERE to check out the Mambo Sprouts Spring Messenger for some awesome information on organic and natural products. On the last page there are links to printable coupons for over $35 in savings!!

Coupons include:
- $1.25/2 Equal Exchange Fairly Traded Coffee
- $1.00/2 32 oz. or larger Blue Diamond Shelf-stable Almond Breeze Almondmilk
- $5.00/1 Garden of Life Raw Probiotics Product
- $1.00/1 Kashi Cereal
- $0.75/1 bag of Lundberg Family Farms Rice Chips
- $1.00/1 Country Choice Organic Product
- $3.00/1 Country Life Omega Surge
- $1.00/1 32 oz. or 64 oz. Naked Juice Smoothie
- $0.75/1 box of Stash Tea
- BOGO American Flatbread
- $0.50/1 Luna Protein Bar
- $1.00/2 32 oz. Lifeway Lowfat Kefirs
- $1.00/1 Organic Valley Omega-3 1/2 Gallon Milk

:)

Clean Eating Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Pancakes (OAMC)

2011-04-06T01:56:00.000-07:00

Makes 10 servings, 2 pancakes each
I based this recipe on my friend Martha’s mom, Danette’s, Honey Oatmeal Pancakes. Pretty much everything Danette makes ends up delicious but these are seriously awesome. The only thing that could make them better would be if Danette came to my house and cooked them for me. But no, she wants to spend all of her free time seeing her own daughter and grandkids. The nerve ;-) Thankfully, these freeze ridiculously well so I can pull them out any old time and have delicious homemade pancakes without having to even look at the griddle. (But Danette, if you decided to come visit and wanted to make me some pancakes I certainly wouldn't stop you!)

My boys chow them down without syrup or anything. I quadruple the recipe and make 4 batches at once. I’m not going to lie, it takes a while. But most of the time is just waiting around for them to cook instead of doing anything hands on. I’ll make the first batch and we’ll eat them as we go and then, for the rest of them, I’ll set a timer and do other stuff while they’re cooking.

In the end we have 80-90 totally awesome pancakes which means lots of super fast, easy, and healthy breakfasts that the boys will feed themselves relatively quickly (why do toddlers eat so slowly?!?!?!). This is my go-to breakfast to give them when we need to get out of the house quickly in the morning and I’m rushing around getting all of our stuff ready. For the boys I pop them into the microwave or toaster oven quickly but Matt literally eats them frozen in the car on the way to work. He says it’s like a big, cold cookie. Better than stopping for donuts, right?

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey/sucanat/agave
1 1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Coconut Oil)
1 egg (could do 2 egg whites)
Chocolate Chips (I guess technically chocolate chips aren't Clean since they tend to have white sugar in them. You could use carob chips or blueberries or bananas or something instead. I'm okay with the little bit of sugar from the chocolate since the rest of the pancake is so healthy and my boys think it's a really special treat. But I'm kind of obsessed with chocolate so I'm a little biased)

ONE: Combine all ingredients except for chocolate chips in large bowl. Mix well.

TWO: Pour batter by the 1/4 cupful onto hot griddle (I have an electric griddle and I set it to 350. Regardless of what type of griddle/pan you use, a good rule of thumb is that it's preheated when you flick a drop of water onto the surface and it imediately sizzles and dances around).

THREE: Drop 6 or 8 chocolate chips on each pancake in a circle with one in the middle. (I do it this way instead of mixing them into the batter because then I can space them out so each bite has just enough chocolate to seem indulgent. Plus everyone’s pancake has the same number of chocolate chips and no one fights for a particularly chocolatey one… Matt.)

FOUR: When the top is bubbly and almost set, flip and cook another minute or so until both sides are golden brown. (I could NOT make pancakes until after I had kids because I was never patient enough to wait for the bottom to be set before trying to flip them. Same thing with omelets. Apparently having two kids has made me more patient. Go figure.)

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving (2 pancakes) - 267 Calories (109 Calories from Fat) 12g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 23mg Cholesterol, 210mg Sodium, 34g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 16g Sugar, 6g Protein, 2% DV Vitamin A, 1% DV Vitamin C, 14% DV Calcium, 11% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Classic Vegetarian Tacos (OAMC)

2011-04-06T01:20:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 Servings, 3 Tacos Each
I'm not kidding when I say this is one of the top 5 things I have EVER eaten. I first tried this recipe when I was recipe testing it for Clean Eating Magazine. You can find it in the April/May 2011 edition with a quote from yours truly on page 58 :) I made it again a few months ago for some other moms at my MOMS Club's Fit and Frugal Meeting. All the moms loved it but the best part was that literally every child there ate it happily and asked for more. It's almost completely vegetables and they all scarfed it down!

The first time I made it for Matt and the boys, Matt had already finished his second one when he asked me what type of meat I used since it was so moist and tender. I wish I could have taken a picture of his face when he found out it was mushrooms and cauliflower, two of his least favorite foods. Priceless.

The other absolutely phenomenal thing about this recipe is how well it freezes. I triple or quadruple the recipe and freeze it in individual portions (3 tacos worth). It is so quick to heat some corn tortillas in a dry skillet for a few seconds while microwaving the filling. SOOOO GOOOOD!!

INGREDIENTS:

2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced small (1½ cups)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, stems trimmed, roughly chopped into small pieces (I use Portabella)
1 cup cauliflower florets, roughly chopped into small pieces
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup frozen corn kernels
12 small corn tortillas
5 large Romaine lettuce leaves, sliced into ¼-inch strips
½ avocado, pitted, peeled and cubed
½ cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese
¼ cup low-fat sour cream

ONE: In a large, high-sided skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until it begins to soften. Stir in garlic and sauté for 30 more seconds.

TWO: Add mushrooms and cauliflower and stir constantly for 2 minutes, until vegetables start to release water and shrink. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms are about half their original size and cauliflower is fork tender, about 15 minutes.

THREE: In a small mixing bowl, whisk together tomato paste, ¼ cup water, chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Add to mushroom mixture along with corn. Stir to combine, then cover. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.

FOUR: Warm tortillas over the flame of a gas stove or in a warm oven (I plop them in a dry skillet over medium high heat and warm them for about 20 seconds a side one by one). To assemble tacos, fill each tortilla with ¼ cup mushroom filling. Top with lettuce, avocado, cheese and sour cream, dividing evenly.

Freeze leftover filling in 3/4 cup portions using the medium/large portion method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving, 3 tacos each including garnishes - 379 Calories, 12g Total Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 58g Total Carbohydrates, 10g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 15g Protein, 394mg Sodium, 11mg Cholesterol, 37% Vitamin C, 45% Riboflavin

:)

Clean Eating Sweet and Savory Turkey Cheddar Meatballs in the Crockpot (OAMC)

2011-04-06T00:33:00.000-07:00

Makes approx 35 meatballs
My mouth is watering right now just thinking about these. They are my personal favorite. They are so good that I want to make them and go door to door to share them with everyone in a ten mile radius, LOL :) Not only are they delicious but they combine a lean protein with a green veggie AND an orange veggie. What more could a mother want?! Plus my kids get really excited because they have raisins in them and they feel like dinner involving raisins is just the coolest thing ever. I got the idea for these meatballs from THIS totally awesome crockpot blog.

These are one of my top go-to items for a quick and easy dinner. I serve them crumbled into a bowl of brown rice and they are so moist and tender that you don’t need any type of sauce. I scoop a cup of rice from my freezer stash, plop 3 or 4 meatballs on top, microwave for a minute and a half and presto, a complete meal :)

Ingredients: (Can be doubled... which I do every time because otherwise I am immediately bummed that we've eaten half of them. I like seeing a big bag of meatballs in the freezer.)

1 ½ pounds 93% lean ground turkey
1 tsp kosher salt OR ½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 cup diced onion
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato
1 ½ cups pureed broccoli *
½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup raisins

*If you are making a small batch of pureed broccoli for this recipe and you are using a blender instead of a food processor (especially if your blender isn’t very good…Mom), you can add one or two egg whites to the broccoli for easier pureeing. Broccoli is sometimes hard to puree without adding liquid but adding water will make the meatball mixture very sloppy. The egg whites will make for a slightly wetter and stickier “batter” but will not negatively affect the firmness and cohesiveness of the finished meatballs. It will work best if you put the egg whites into the blender first and then add the broccoli in a little at a time, pureeing as you go.

ONE: In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Mix VERY well (I use my hands… which I HATE doing but it really does do the best job).

TWO: Scoop out a level 1/8 cup and use your hands to roll it into a ball.

CROCKPOT: Place formed meatballs into your crockpot, stacking them gently on top of each other once the bottom is covered (like a bucket of golf balls). Cook on high 4-5 hours or on low 6-7 hours.

OVEN: Place formed meatballs in rows on a cooking sheet. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through. (I’ve cooked a batch in the crockpot but kept just enough out for dinner and baked them in the toaster oven before. They came out great!)

Remove from the crockpot or baking tray and cool on a wire rack over a double layer of paper towels (to catch the drips). Freeze using the flash freeze method.

TIP: When cooking them in the crockpot, don’t worry that they don’t look brown at first. I promise you that they will eventually brown and you will be able to gently separate them when they’re cooked. The bottom ones will be slightly moister and mushier than the top ones but we mash them into brown rice anyway so that doesn’t bother us. If you want them firmer you can use a turkey baster to remove the juices from the bottom of the crock halfway through cooking. You may need to increase the cooking time if you do this due to heat loss from uncovering the crock.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (4 meatballs) - 236 Calories (88 Calories from Fat), 10g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 75mg Cholesterol, 348mg Sodium, 17g Total Carbohydrates, 3g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 21g Protein, 107% Vitamin A, 51% Vitamin C, 18% Calcium, 10% Iron.

:)

Clean Eating Low Cost Weekly Meal Plan 4/4

2011-04-06T00:07:00.000-07:00

Summer has officially started at our house. Not according to the weather (it was only 69 degrees today which is really cold for us in Florida, LOL) but Monday was the start of my season for teaching Survival Swim Lessons. You would think I’d be used to it by now but each year I just get so choked up during the first week of lessons watching what these kids can do in the water :) Theron was barely a year old at the start of my season last year and before he could walk he could swim the entire width of our pool. Plus he had the survival skills necessary to save himself if, God forbid, all of our layers of protection between him and our pool failed and he somehow reached the water on his own. So what does this have to do with meal planning? I’m going to be an EVEN busier lady from now until October so you will be seeing my best fast-and-easy-to-throw-together-and-my-kids-will-eat-it-without-coercion recipes.

I literally jumped for joy when I saw that Portabella mushrooms, raisins, frozen broccoli, shredded cheese, honey, and chocolate chips were on sale. Sound weird? Don’t worry, they’re not all in the same recipe. But trust me, once you try the Vegetarian Tacos this week, you will do the happy dance when mushrooms go on sale too. Definitely one of the 5 best things I’ve EVER cooked. Plus, they are made with mushrooms and cauliflower, two things that Matt detests (like I mentioned in THIS post) but he INHALED these and regularly asks for them.

The raisins, broccoli, and shredded cheese go together to make the most amazing meatballs you will ever eat in your life. Ever. EVER EVER EVER! These are hands down my boys’ favorite dinner. I would say they might actually have to think about it if I gave them a choice between my famous homemade granola bars and these meatballs. And if you’ve ever tried the granola bars, you know that’s saying something :)

Finally the honey and chocolate chips make absolutely scrumptious Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Pancakes. We actually ran out this past week (horror of horrors in our house) so this is great timing for me to replenish my stash.

Oh my goodness gracious!!! There are going to be some very happy boys (all three of them) in my house this week. EEEEeeee!! (Is it weird that I get this excited over healthy food?)

Make sure you also check out the Giveaway HERE this week too because it ends on 4/9!!

Step 1: Find out what meat and produce is on sale for the week
This week at Publix Pork Ribs, Italian Sausage, and Mahi Mahi are on sale. In the produce section asparagus, grape tomatoes, Portabella mushrooms, zucchini, grapes, cucumbers, pears, and cantaloupe are also on sale.

Step 2: Take an inventory of your pantry and freezer, check out what other items are on sale, and pick several recipes that use those ingredients.
There are good prices for pasta, diced tomatoes, frozen broccoli, pita bread, almonds, cheese, Greek yogurt, chocolate chips, brown rice, honey, and raisins.

Step 3: Take a look at your calendar for the week and see which nights you’ll have more time to cook and which nights you won't and plan your menu accordingly.
This will be different for every family but, in general, I cook 3 or 4 nights a week and we eat something from our freezer stash the other nights. To learn how to build your own freezer stash go HERE.

Step 4: Get all of the recipes together and make a shopping list of what you’ll need.
Meals-
Sweet and Savory Turkey Cheddar Meatballs over Perfect Brown Rice
Pork Ragout over Whole Wheat Pasta
BEST EVER Vegetarian Tacos
Almond Crusted Mahi Mahi with Grilled Asparagus and Coconut Brown Rice

Healthy Breakfasts/Snacks/Desserts-
Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Pancakes
Cucumber Tomato Bruschetta on pita bread
Grape Zucchini Bread
Hot Artichoke Dip with Sun Chips

If you haven't already, make sure to try the Pear Oatmeal Cookies, Cantaloupe Bread, and Cantaloupe Crunch Bars.

Here is a shopping list for the complete list of meals (not including snacks and desserts) based on you having nothing in your pantry or freezer. You will obviously omit the items that you already have. Go HERE for an explanation of the couponing abbreviations. The top list has all of the coupon matchups. There is a second list at the bottom that just lists the items with no match-ups and is a little easier to read.

Coupon Matchup List

Produce
- 3 Onions
- Sweet potato
- Spinach
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lb Portabella mushrooms (or cremini) ( Baby Portabella Mushrooms, $1.69)
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 5 large Romaine lettuce leaves (Publix Romaine Hearts, 2/$5)
- Avocado
- 1 bunch asparagus ($2.99/lb)
- 1 medium-sized lime (or 2 Tbsp lime juice)

Grocery
- ½ cup raisins (Sun-Maid Raisins 24 oz, 2/$5)
- Olive oil
     Pompeian Olive Oil 32 oz, BOGO $12.09
     $1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil, Any
- Whole wheat flour
- 1 ¼ cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
     $1/1 Wolfgang Puck Soup or Broth Kroger eCoupon (exp 5/4/2011)
     $1/2 Swanson Broth Rolling
     $1/1 Imagine Broth, Stock, Soup or Gravy 1/30/2011 SS Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
- 1 ¼ cups Zinfandel or other dry red wine (Sutter Home Wine 750 ml, $5.29)
- 3 15oz cans no salt added diced tomatoes (Del Monte Tomatoes 14.5 oz, BOGO $1.39)
- Tomato paste
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
     Sunkist Almond Accents, 3.5 or 3.75 oz, BOGO $2.99
     $1/1 Almond Accents Rolling
     $0.75/2 All Natural Almond Accents 1/9/2011 SS Insert (exp 5/31/2011)
     $0.50/1 All Natural Almond Accents 1/9/2011 SS Insert (exp 5/31/2011)
- Oats
     $1/1 Quaker Instant Oatmeal or Oats 1/2/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Ground flax seed
- Brown rice
     Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice 8.5 to 8.8 oz pouch, 3/$4
     $0.30/1 Uncle Ben’s Rice Rite Aid Video Values (exp 5/28/2011)
     $0.75/1 Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Product 2/20/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/17/2011)
     $1/1 Fresh Beef WYB Uncle Ben’s Product 2/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/10/2011)
     OR
     $0.50/1 Mahatma or Water Maid Rice 1/23/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
- 1 can light coconut milk
- Coconut oil
- Whole wheat pasta
     Mueller’s Pasta 12 to 16 oz, BOGO $1.39
     $1/2 Mueller’s Products, any – 3/272011 SS Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
     $0.55/1 Mueller’s Pasta, Any – Sign Up Required

Spices
     $1/1 McCormick Product 3/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/24/2011)
     $1/1 Frontier Bottled Spice or Baking Extract (exp 8/30/2011)
     $0.50/1 Simply Organic Mini Spice (exp 6/30/2011)
     $1/2 Simply Organic Glass Bottle Spices (exp 6/30/2011)
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary
- Chile powder
- Cumin
- Curry powder
- Ginger
- Kosher salt

Meat/Fish
- 1 ½ pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 ½ pounds boned pork loin (I use pork loin country style ribs) (Boneless Pork Loin Country Ribs, $3.49/lb)
- 2 - 4oz links mild Italian sausage
     Johnsonville Italian Sausage, 19.76 oz pkg, 2/$7
     $1/1 Johnsonville Italian Sausage Rolling
- 4 4oz Mahi Mahi fillets (or another white fish like Tilapia or Cod) (Publix Mahi Fillets, 12 oz, $6.99)

Dairy
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
     Sargento Shredded Cheese, 5 to 8 oz, 2/$4 OR
     Kraft Cracker Barrel Cheese 7 to 10 oz pkg, 2/$6
- Low-fat sour cream
     Friendship Sour Cream, 16 oz, 4/$5
     $0.55/1 Friendship Sour Cream Or Cottage Cheese
- 1 egg white
     Egg Beaters 15 to 16 oz carton, 3/$5
     $1/1 Egg Beaters (15 or or larger) – All You, April 2011

Frozen
- 2 12oz packages frozen broccoli
     Green Giant Valley Fresh Steamers 11 to 12 oz, BOGO $2.39
     $0.50/1 Green Giant Vegetables Rolling
     $0.50/2 Green Giant Veggies
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
Cascadian Farm Organic Potatoes or Vegetables 7.4 to 16 oz, 2/$4
     $1/1 Cascadian Farm Organic Frozen Fruits or Veggies 7.4 to 16oz packages Publix Coupon Gentle on the Earth booklet
     $0.75/1 Cascadian Farm Product Coupons.com 4/1/2011 (exp 5/2/2011)

*SNACKS*
If you are making the breakfast/snacks/desserts, here are the sale items:
Pancakes-
- Honey
     Sue Bee Honey 12 oz, 2/$5
     $0.55/1 Sue Bee Honey Rolling
     $.50/1 Sue Bee peelie (no exp)
- Chocolate Chips
     Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips 11 to 12 oz, 2/$4
     $1/2 Ghirardelli Baking Products (IE) Rolling Printable (FF) (no prints left, check your coupon stash)

Cucumber Tomato Bruschetta
- Grape tomatoes (Florida Grape Tomatoes, 1 pk, $1.99/lb)
- Cucumber (Florida Cucumbers, 2/$1.29
- Pita Bread (Toufayan Pita Bread 12 oz, BOGO Surprising Low Price)

Grape Zucchini Bread
- Grapes (Red or White Seedless Grapes, $1.69/lb)
- Zucchini ($1.29/lb)
- Honey
     Sue Bee Honey 12 oz, 2/$5
     $0.55/1 Sue Bee Honey Rolling
     $.50/1 Sue Bee peelie (no exp)

Hot Artichoke Dip
- Greek yogurt
     Stonyfield Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt 4 pk 4 oz, 2/$7
     $0.50/1 Stonyfield Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt Rolling
- Sun Chips
     Frito Lay Baked! Snacks or Sunchips 8.75 to 11.5 oz, 2/$6
     $1/1 Sun Chips, Lay’s Kettle Cooked Chips, or Rold Gold Pretzels Rite Aid Video Values (exp 5/2/2011)
     $1/1 SunChips Publix Yellow Flyer, Spring Into Savings 3/26/2011 (exp 4/15/2011)
     $1/1 Sunchips Publix Coupon Spring 2011 GreenWise Flyer
     $1/1 Sunchips Multigrain Snacks assorted var 10.5 oz bag Publix Coupon Gentle on the Earth booklet

Non Coupon Matchup List

Produce
- 3 Onions
- Sweet potato
- Spinach
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 lb Portabella mushrooms (or cremini)
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 5 large Romaine lettuce leaves
- Avocado
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 1 medium-sized lime (or 2 Tbsp lime juice)

Grocery
- ½ cup raisins
- Olive oil
- Whole wheat flour
- 1 ¼ cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 ¼ cups Zinfandel or other dry red wine
- 3 15oz cans no salt added diced tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- 12 small corn tortillas
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- Oats
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Ground flax seed
- Brown rice
- 1 can light coconut milk
- Coconut oil
- Whole wheat pasta

Spices
- Cinnamon
- Rosemary
- Chile powder
- Cumin
- Curry powder
- Ginger
- Kosher salt

Meat/Fish
- 1 ½ pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 ½ pounds boned pork loin (I use pork loin country style ribs)
- 2 - 4oz links mild Italian sausage
- 4 4oz Mahi Mahi fillets (or another white fish like Tilapia or Cod)

Dairy
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Low-fat sour cream
- 1 egg white

Frozen
- 2 12oz packages frozen broccoli
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels

:)

Great Deal on Mixing and Prep Bowls!! Act Fast!!

2011-04-05T21:43:00.000-07:00

If you're going to change your eating habits, it's pretty much guaranteed that you're going to need to do a bit of cooking. And if you're going to be doing some cooking, you're going to need some tools to help you out. Tools that I use often are my mixing and prep bowls. Check out these ones that are on sale on Tanga.

This is the Grand Chef 10-Piece Mixing/Prep Bowl & Storage Set w/Lids. The bowls are stainless steel with airtight lids. The set includes a 3.9", 4.7", 5.5", 6.3" and 7.1" bowl. They are also refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher safe!

This set usually retails for $19.95 but they are on sale for $5.99 plus $4.99 shipping. (Note: In the description on Tanga it says $3.99 shipping) This is a savings of $13.96 or 69% Off! Not too shabby for some pretty great prep/storage bowls. My prep bowls have lids and I can't tell you how useful it is. It really helps when I'm mixing something up and want to save it for the next day... like a quadruple batch of chocolate chip oatmeal pancakes that I mix on Saturday night to cook for the boys on Sunday :)

Act fast, though, because this sale ends at 9:00 Central Time on Wednesday, 4/6. For more great savings, check out this month's giveaway HERE!

Kids Eat Free at Chili's Tonight!!

2011-04-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's back!! Another coupon for a free Kid's Meal at Chili's! If you missed this last time, here's your chance to cash in. This is only good for April 5th and you can get up to two free kid's meals for each adult entree purchased. This is the fourth Tuesday in a row for this promotion so I'm thinking Tuesdays are Kids Eat Free night at chili's from now on. But they're pretty smart for making it a coupon thing :) There's just something so great about printing off a little piece of paper at home and turning it into 2 free meals. Here are my thoughts on Chili's:

Over the past few years, Chili's has made some changes to their menu, mainly with the addition of the Guiltless Grill items. It's now one of the few places that we can go for dinner and I actually feel good about what we ate and don't have to bring a meal for my kids. As long as you order something sensible, you could easily have a dinner out here that doesn't blow your Clean Eating lifestyle.

I always order my kids the grilled chicken sandwich from the kid's menu with a side of steamed broccoli or fresh pineapple. I have them put it on a whole grain bun and make the broccoli without any seasoning. I usually get one with broccoli and one with pineapple and chop them both up together so each boy gets a pineapple broccoli mixture. I love the Grilled Salmon with Garlic and Herbs. They even have a vegetarian menu, you just have to ask.

If tonight was one of your night's off in your weekly meal plan you should definitely give Chili's a try. Make sure you bring THIS coupon with you so your kid's eat free. Enjoy!!

P.S. For some more great coupons make sure you check out the current Giveaway HERE!

:)

Clean Eating Magazine on sale for ONLY $5.99!!

2011-04-04T00:53:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: This deal is gone :( ... But I still recommend the magazine and it's totally worth paying full price for, which you know I never say about ANYTHING.

I almost died of excitement when I saw this!!! Tanga has a one-year subscription to Clean Eating for only $5.99 when you use the coupon code EATING. You can buy up to two years at this price.

$5.99 is a great price for this magazine, which is currently $24.97 over on Amazon. Clean Eating combined with Couponing, EEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!!!! Kind of like this blog, LOL.

I've personally never seen a big discount on this magazine so this is very exciting for me. If you get a 2 year subscription (which you totally should because it's the best magazine EVER) you save almost $38!!! Plus, if you go through UPromise you earn 2% of your purchase. That's like a coupon on top of a coupon!! I might pass out from excitement :)

P.S. If you have the most recent issue (April/May 2011) check out pg. 58 where yours truly is quoted :)

:)

Printable $5/30 Winn Dixie Coupon!! (Good 3/30 - 4/5)

2011-03-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

Go HERE to print a coupon for $5 off a purchase of $30 or more at Winn Dixie. (Great to use at Publix if your store considers Winn Dixie a competitor!!)

Thanks Who Said Nothing in Life is Free!!

:)

Clean Eating Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts (OAMC)

2011-03-30T23:57:00.000-07:00

Makes 6 Servings
These are super easy but they look gourmet when they are done. I love, love, LOVE that you cook them from frozen becaues you know I'm incapable of remembering to thaw things the night before. When there is a really good sale on chicken, I've been known to make 30 stuffed chicken breasts at once. It takes next to no time to assemble them and they've really become one of my go-to throw together meals. I usually have them with some Perfect Brown Rice and steamed veggies and I drizzle the rice with the juices from the baking dish. Yum!!

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
½ cup feta cheese
2 cups baby spinach leaves

ONE: Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese and feta with a fork.

TWO: Make a slit in the side of the chicken breast to create a pocket. Fill the chicken breast with the cheese mixture and spinach. (My sister, Anthea, uses scissors to snip the spinach into tiny pieces and then mixes it in with the cheese before stuffing.)

THREE: Wrap individually in tin foil and freeze. Store frozen breasts in a freezer bag.

TO COOK: Preheat oven to 350. Unwrap frozen chicken breasts and place them in a baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Bake, covered with foil, for one hour or until tender and no longer pink in the center (45-50 minutes if defrosted).

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 89 Calories (46 Calories from Fat), 5g Total Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 32mg Cholesterol, 229 mg Sodium, 2g Total Carbohydrates, 0g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugars, 9g Protein, 21% Vitamin A, 5% Vitamin C, 9% Calcium, 3% Iron

:)

Clean Eating Low Cost Weekly Meal Plan 3/28

2011-03-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

I’m really excited for this week’s meal plan. As I said in my 10,000 pageviews post I am sharing the link-up love by making my meal plan using recipes from some of my favorite blogs. I’m also excited about trying out Stevia this week. I tried it once before in my tea and really wasn’t a fan but my friend, Mandy (who is HYSTERICAL and totally awesome and writes the funniest commentary ever on her recipes so you should check out her blog), uses it in a lot of her baked goods. I’ve enjoyed each and every one of them and there’s a great sale on it this week so I’m going for it!

Make sure you check out the Giveaway HERE this week, too!!

Step 1: Find out what meat and produce is on sale for the week
This week at Publix Pork Chops and Trout are on sale. In the produce section salad, grape tomatoes, broccoli, pears, onions, and potatoes are also on sale.

Step 2: Take an inventory of your pantry and freezer, check out what other items are on sale, and pick several recipes that use those ingredients.
There are good prices for stevia, applesauce, feta cheese, and shredded cheese. I have whole wheat pasta in my pantry.

Step 3: Take a look at your calendar for the week and see which nights you’ll have more time to cook and which nights you won't and plan your menu accordingly.
This will be different for every family but, in general, I cook 3 or 4 nights a week and we eat something from our freezer stash the other nights. To learn how to build your own freezer stash go HERE.

Step 4: Get all of the recipes together and make a shopping list of what you’ll need.
Meals-
Pork Chop and Feta Skillet over Salad with Cauliflower Bread Sticks (they were so good Matt and the boys insisted we have them again this week) – Passionate Penny Pincher
Hashbrown Crusted Frittata – Finding Joy in my Kitchen (maybe made with Homemade Turkey Apple Sausage - The Nourishing Gourmet)
Trout Almondine over Perfect Brown Rice with Honey Glazed Carrots - Coping With Frugality
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken and Broccoli Pesto and Fusilli Pasta - 101 Cookbooks

Healthy Snacks/Desserts-
Whole Wheat Pear Poppy Loaf - In Praise of Leftovers
Carrot Cake Muffins - Chocolate Covered Katie
Orange-Vanilla "Half Pound" Cake - Learn, Laugh, Cook (Mandy brought me some of this today [don't you wish you had a Mandy!!] and it is GOOD! I'm not gonna lie, though, it does use a whole stick of butter. This would be an indulgence treat, not an everyday treat. Mandy uses Smart Balance instead of butter or you could use Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread which is approved by Clean Eating magazine.)

Here is a shopping list for the complete list of meals (not including snacks and desserts) based on you having nothing in your pantry or freezer. You will obviously omit the items that you already have. Go HERE for an explanation of the couponing abbreviations. The top list has all of the coupon matchups. There is a second list at the bottom that just lists the items with no match-ups and is a little easier to read.

Coupon Matchup List -
Produce
- Minced Garlic
- Lemon juice
     $1/1 True Lemon Product 6/5/2010 True Lemon Rolling
- Head of cauliflower
- Salad (Fresh Express Salad blends, 5 to 12 oz pkg, 2/$5)
- 3 medium potatoes (Idaho Potatoes, 5 lb bag, $2.99)
- Bell pepper
- Broccoli (3 1/2 cups) ( $1.69)
- Onion (Sweet Onions, $0.99/lb)
- 1 lemon (or more if doubling trout recipe)
- Parsley
- 16 oz bag baby carrots (or 4 big carrots)
- Baby spinach (2 cups)
- Spinach/chard (3 handfuls)

Grocery
- Olive oil ( Publix Olive Oil 17 oz, $3.99)
     $1/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011) (printable)
     $1/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil Rolling (printable)
     $1/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil (IE) Rolling Printable (FF) (printable)
     $1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011) (printable)
     $0.75/1 Crisco Olive Oil 2/6/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
     $1/1 Goya Olive Oil Rolling (printable)
- Dried apples (if making apple sausage)
     $0.75/1 Sunsweet Dried Fruit Rolling
- Honey or Pure Maple Syrup (if making apple sausage)
     $0.75/1 Golden Blossom Honey Rolling (printable)
- Whole wheat flour
- Sliced almonds (1/3 cup or more if doubling trout recipe)
     $1.50/2 Archer Farms Nuts TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 4/23/2011)
     (can use on Publix brand nuts)
- White wine (1/4 cup or more if doubling trout recipe) ( Foxhorn Vineyards Wine, 1.5L, $6.49)
- Chopped walnuts (1/2 cup)
     $1.50/2 Archer Farms Nuts TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 4/23/2011)
     (can use on Publix brand nuts)
- Parmesan
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) dried whole wheat pasta (bite-sized - fusilli, penne, etc)
     $1/1 Dreamfields Pasta Product Rolling
     $1/1 Dreamfields Pasta Product Rolling
     $1/1 Dreamfields Pasta Product Rolling
     $1/1 Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Products, Varieties (IE) Rolling Printable (FF)
     $1/2 Ronzoni Smart Taste Pasta Rolling
- Black olives

Spices
     $1/2 Simply Organic Glass Bottle Spices (exp 6/30/2011)
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fennel
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Allspice (if making apple sausage)
- Sage (if making apple sausage)
- Ginger

Meat/Seafood
- 4 pork chops ( Center Cut Pork Rib Chops, $3.49/lb)
- 1 chicken sausage (or make your own) (OR use Italian, Publix Mild or Hot Italian Sausage, $3.69/lb)
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken (if making apple sausage)
- 2 6 oz trout fillets (or one per person you are feeding) ( Fresh Rainbow Trout Fillets, $7.99/lb)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Dairy
- 3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
     $1/1 Organic Valley Cream Cheese or Neufchatel Rolling
- 1 cup crumbled feta ( Publix Crumbled Cheese, Feta, 4 oz, 2/$4)
- 4 Eggs
     Eggland’s Best Eggs, 2/$4
     -$0.50/1 Eggland’s Best Eggs March 2011 Woman’s Day, Weight Watchers, Everyday Food, Country Living Magazine (exp 6/30/2011)
     -$0.50/1 Eggland’s Best Cage Free Dozen or Organic Dozen Eggs 1/30/2011 SS Insert (exp 6/30/2011)
     -$0.50/1 Eggland’s Best Cage Free or Organic Eggs 12/12/2010 SS Insert (exp 3/31/2011)
     -$0.50/1 Eggland’s Best Cage Free or Organic Eggs 10/31/2010 SS Insert (exp 3/31/2011)
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella ( Publix Shredded Cheese, 8 ox pkg, 2/$4)
- Milk
     Smart Balance Half Gallon, 2/$5
     -$1/1 Smart Balance Milk Product (exp 4/2/2011)
     -$1.50/1 Smart Balance Milk 3/6/2011 SS Insert (exp 4/20/2011)
     -$2/1 Smart Balance Milks 3/27/2011 SS Insert (exp 5/1/2011)
     -$1/1 Smart Balance Milk Product Rolling
- ½ cup shredded cheddar or other cheese ( Publix Shredded Cheese, 8 ox pkg, 2/$4)
- Butter (or buttery spread) (Land O Lakes Sweet Cream Butter 16 oz, 2/$6)

Non-Coupon Matchup List
Produce
- Minced Garlic
- Lemon juice
- Head of cauliflower
- Salad
- 3 medium potatoes
- Bell pepper
- Broccoli (3 1/2 cups)
- Onion
- 1 lemon (or more if doubling trout recipe)
- Parsley
- 16 oz bag baby carrots (or 4 big carrots)
- Baby spinach (2 cups)
- Spinach/chard (3 handfuls)

Grocery
- Olive oil
- Dried apples (if making apple sausage)
- Honey or Pure Maple Syrup (if making apple sausage)
- Whole wheat flour
- Sliced almonds (1/3 cup or more if doubling trout recipe)
- White wine (1/4 cup or more if doubling trout recipe)
- Chopped walnuts (1/2 cup)
- Parmesan
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) dried whole wheat pasta (bite-sized - fusilli, penne, etc)
- Black olives

Spices
- Rosemary
- Basil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Fennel
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Allspice (if making apple sausage)
- Sage (if making apple sausage)
- Ginger

Meat/Seafood
- 4 pork chops
- 1 chicken sausage (or make your own)
- 1 lb ground turkey or chicken (if making apple sausage)
- 2 6 oz trout fillets (or one per person you are feeding)
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Dairy
- 3 oz reduced-fat cream cheese
- 1 cup crumbled feta
- 4 Eggs
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- Milk
- ½ cup shredded cheddar or other cheese
- Butter (or buttery spread)

:)

Freeze Your Way Fit Just Passed 10,000 Pageviews!!!... and What Do You Want To Know?

2011-03-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

I can NOT BELIEVE I'm writing this right now! Especially since less than 2 weeks ago I was posting THIS post about passing 5,000 pageviews! All I can say is, "You like me, you really like me!" LOL :) In all seriousness, it makes me positively giddy to think that so many people are taking an interest in preparing healthy meals and saving money on nutritious foods while spending less time in the kitchen.

I designed this logo myself. Are you impressed?
(Don't be... it took me about 16 hours, LOL!)

Many thanks to anyone who shared this site with a friend and to all of you other bloggers out there who posted a link. However you found this blog, just know that I'm glad you came and I hope you got some good ideas out of it. I've decided to share the link-up love this week by using recipes from some of my favorite blogs to make up my Clean Eating Meal Plan.

Since I won't be spending time posting my own recipes, I'm going to make an effort to post some more general info stuff in response to some of the questions I've received. Make sure to come back and check out the Getting Started page to see the updated info. Some of the topics I'm going to address:

Natural Sweeteners Explained
Whole Grains 101
More info on Getting Started with Clean Eating
How to Build a Natural Food Pantry

If you have a specific question or an area where you'd like more info, leave a comment and I'll add it to the list. Let me know what you want to know :) And, as always, if you have a great recipe or tip and would like to submit a guest post, send me an e-mail HERE.

Thank you again for checking out my blog!

:)

Kids Eat Free at Chili's Again March 29th!!

2011-03-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

It's back!! Another coupon for a free Kid's Meal at Chili's! If you missed this last time, here's your chance to cash in. This is only good for March 29th. Here are my thoughts on Chili's:

Over the past few years, Chili's has made some changes to their menu, mainly with the addition of the Guiltless Grill items. It's now one of the few places that we can go for dinner and I actually feel good about what we ate and don't have to bring a meal for my kids. As long as you order something sensible, you could easily have a dinner out here that doesn't blow your Clean Eating lifestyle.

I always order my kids the grilled chicken sandwich from the kid's menu with a side of steamed broccoli or fresh pineapple. I have them put it on a whole grain bun and make the broccoli without any seasoning. I usually get one with broccoli and one with pineapple and chop them both up together so each boy gets a pineapple broccoli mixture. I love the Grilled Salmon with Garlic and Herbs. They even have a vegetarian menu, you just have to ask.

If the 29th was one of your night's off in your weekly meal plan you should definitely give Chili's a try. Make sure you bring THIS coupon with you so your kid's eat free. Enjoy!!

P.S. For some more great coupons make sure you check out the current Giveaway HERE!

:)

Cantaloupe Cake Bars

2011-03-27T22:35:00.000-07:00

Makes 12 Servings
My boys love, love, LOVE cantaloupe so they get VERY excited when I make this great little dessert. The original recipe used a box of cake mix and a lot of butter. I made my own cake mix based on how my great friend, Mandy, did in THIS recipe. Then I substituted some of the butter with olive oil, replaced the white sugar with sucanat and Agave nectar, and used whole wheat flour instead of white flour. The results were a delicious dessert that is still a bit indulgent but packs 4g of Fiber, 4g of Protein, 33% DV of Vitamin A, and 27% DV of Vitamin C.

Ingredients:
Homemade Cake mix –

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used King Arthur’s White Whole Wheat)
1 1/2 cups of sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won’t be “clean”)
1 tbsp + 1 tsp of baking powder
1/4 cup of light butter, cut into small pieces

Crunch Bars -

3 cups cubed cantaloupe
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Agave nectar (can use honey)
1 Tbsp whole wheat flour (I used King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup olive oil

ONE: Preheat the oven to 350. Using a food processor or your hands, blend together the homemade cake mix ingredients until well mixed and the same consistency as packaged cake mix.

TWO: In a 9-inch square baking dish, mix together the cantaloupe, lemon juice, Agave, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Spread the dry cake mix evenly over the top.

THREE: Drizzle the olive oil over the cake mix. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 308 Calories (118 from Fat), 13g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 10mg Cholesterol, 196mg Sodium, 45g Total Carbohydrates, 4g Dietary Fiber, 8g Sugars, 4g Protein, 33% Vitamin A, 27% Vitamin C, 12% Calcium, 12% Iron

:)

Clean Eating Cantaloupe Bread

2011-03-27T21:25:00.000-07:00

Makes 16 servings
OOOOOooooohhhhhh Buddy!! This is good. Like REALLY good... as in we ate the entire loaf in one day, LOL. It's an interesting flavor. It's not overwhelmingly cantaloupe-y (that's a word, right?) and it almost tastes like pumpkin bread but with a lighter type of sweetness. Does that make sense? If not, go back to we ate the entire loaf in one day. I'm making another one tomorrow :)

This is all that was left 15 minutes after it came out of the Breadmaker hehehe

Ingredients:

2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won't be "clean")
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups pureed cantaloupe
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (I used King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)

ONE: Dump everything into the breadmaker, adding the flour last. Run the breadmaker on the quick bread setting (I take a rubber spatula and run it around the edges after it's been mixing for a little while to make sure there's no pockets of unmixed flour). Remove from the bread pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Isn't it amazing that you push a button and this becomes perfect bread?!

NON-BREADMAKER INSTRUCTIONS:
ONE: Buy a cheap breadmaker on Craigslist, LOL. Just kidding. Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

TWO: In a large bowl combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, and pureed cantaloupe. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into prepared pan.

THREE: Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 146 Calories (48 from Fat), 5g Total Fat, 1g Saturated Fat, 26mg Cholesterol, 203mg Sodium, 22g Total Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugars, 3g Protein, 20% Vitamin A, 16% Vitamin C, 4% Calcium, 7% Iron

Couponing Scenario Using Coupons from Many Sources - 2

2011-03-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

A little while back, I posted THIS couponing scenario courtesy of the AMAZING Casey and the response was huge. I found when I first started couponing that it really helped me to see exactly what other people were buying and what coupons they used to get great deals and apparently you all agree :) Coupon Queen Casey had another awesome shop this week and was nice enough to write it all up and share the details with us.

This gives you an idea of all the different coupon sources there are and how the really savvy couponer can pull things from a bunch of different places all into one shop. Thanks, Casey!!!!

Bought	Used
4 Kraft Shredded Cheese (2/$4)	2 $1.50/2 Target Qs and 2 $1/2 MQs 3/13/2011 SS
2 Kraft Cheese Blocks (2/$4)	2 peelies found on bag for $1 off when you buy both a bag of Kraft shredded cheese and a Kraft block of cheese
2 Ritz Munchable Pretzels BOGO $3.69	2 $1 MQs
4 Kraft Salad Dressings BOGO $3.19	1 B2G1 Free Target Q and 1 $1/2 Kraft condiment Target Q
Lindsay Reclosable Olives $2	$1 off printable from a while back that I had in my coupon file
2 Pure Protein Bars $1.25	1 B1G1 MQ 3/6/2011 RP (or $1/1 HERE)
2 Zone Meal Bars $1	2 $0.55 MQs 1/16/2011 or 2/27/2011 SS
Myoplex Meal Bar $1.50	$1/1 MQ 2/27/2011 SS
4 Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks BOGO $2.93 (I know, I know. Don't hate me, I donate them to the food bank!)	2 BOGO coupons that were on boxes months ago and I've been waiting until I could get them for free. Great food pantry donation item!
TGIF Skillet Meal 50% off (Sale price $2.99)	$2 peelie from a long time ago that I had in my coupon file
2 TGIF Appetizers 50% off (Sale price $4.49) (I'd just like to say that the TGIF stuff is for my hubby when I'm out of town next week. Plus I'm buying him some bagged salads, LOL)	$4/2 Target Q
1 Friendship Sour Cream $1.99	$1 PQ from the Yellow Advantage Buy Flier
2 Organic Valley Milk 2/$7	2 $1 MQs
	I used a $5/55 Winn Dixie Q that I had but here's a $5/30 from Winn Dixie that you can print

I may be forgetting some stuff I bought (I know I did last time) but I spent $19 oop and saved $78. Considering the cheese alone would have cost that much had I not shopped sales I think it was a pretty good week. For those of you who don't know you can freeze cheese!

Woo hoo, Casey!! Great shop! And thanks for writing it all up for us. You're the best :)

NEX coupons to use at Publix!

2011-03-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

Recently my Publix posted a sign advertising that they now accept military coupons. Lo and behold, there was a coupon booklet with over $100 in coupons in the most recent NEX flier that I received in the mail. For all you military families out there, check your NEX fliers and see if you got one too! Here are the coupons (match-ups coming soon):

Coupon Booklet found in the NEX home mailed sales flier for March 30th – April 3rd
All coupons are valid March 30th through April 30th

Save $1 when you purchase one Ponds towelette 30 ct. or Pnds cream 3.9 oz. or 6.1 oz.
Save $10 when you purchase one Olay Pro-X skincare product
Save $5 when you purchase one Olay Total Effects skin care
Save $5 when you purchase one Olay Regenerist skin care
Save $1 when you purchase one Olay body wash 8.4 – 23.6 oz.
Save $1 when you purchase one Old Spice or Gilette body wash
Save $1 when you purchase any one Nair product
Save $1 when you purchase one Lever 2000 bodywash 18 oz.
Save $10 when you purchase one Crest 3D white 2 hour Express White Strips 4ct.
Save $2 when you purchase one Oral B Pulsar 3D White Advanced Vivid toothbrush (soft)
Save $1.50 when you purchase any one Crest 3D Vivid Toothpaste
Save $2 when you purchase one Crest 3D Whitening Rinse 946 ml
Save $1 when you purchase any one Axe deodorant, body spray, hair care or styling aid
Save $1 when you purchase any one Old Spice Fresh Collection or Secret Sheer Mineral deodorant
Save $5 when you purchase one Aquafresh White Trays 14 ct.
Save $0.75 when you purchase any one Colgate Max Fresh toothpaste 4.6 oz. or Colgate Max Fresh toothbrush
Save $1 when you purchase any one Head & Shoulders 13.5 – 14.2 oz.
Save $1 when you purchase any one Frizz Ease shampoo, conditioner or styler
Save $2 when you purchase any one Organix hair care product
Save $1 when you purchase one Playtex 36 ct. tampon
Save $2 when you purchase any one Flinstones vitamins 150 ct.
Save $2 when you purchase any one One-A-Day vitamins 50 ct. or 100 ct.
Save $1 when you purchase one Excedrin 20ct., 24 ct., 50 ct., 100 ct. or 250 ct.
Save $2 when you purchase any one Claritin 10 ct., or larger
Save $1 when you purchase any one Headblade item
FREE 7 oz. Skintimate or Edge Shave Gel when you purchase one Schick Quattro or Schick Hydro razor
Save $3 when you purchase any one Gilette Fusion Pro-Glide manual or Power cartridges 4 ct.
Save $1 when you purchase any one Bic men’s Comfort 3 Advance, Bic 3 8 pack, Flex 4 or women’s Silky Touch
Save $1 when you purchase any one Slimfast item
Save $1 when you purchase any one Nature Made fish oil
Save $3 when you purchase any one Green Tea Fat Burner 30 ct. or Natural Fat Burner
Save $1 when you purchase any one 6 ct. Balance Bar
Save $1.50 when you purchase any one Breathe Right 30 ct. nasal strips
Save $0.50 when you purchase any one Glade 4 oz. candle
Save $5 when you purchase one Omron blood pressure monitor
Save $0.50 when you purchase any one Ziploc storage bags, Ziploc storage containers or Saran Wrap
Save $0.75 when you purchase any one Glad tall kitchen, Glad outdoor trash, or Forceflex trash bags
Save $0.50 when you purchase any one Clorox disinfecting wipes 35 ct.
Save $0.75 when you purchase any one Scotch Brite heavy duty or multi-purpose 3 pack sponge
Save $0.75 when you purchase any one Scotch Brite 56 sheet lint roller
Save $1.50 when you purchase any one Wisk laundry detergent 100 oz.
Save $1 when you purchase any one Woolite laundry detergent 50 oz.
Save $1 when you purchase any one Tide laundry detergent 100 oz. or larger
Save $1 when you purchase any one Bounty paper towels 6 rolls or larger
Save $1 when you purchase any one Kleenex facial tissue 3 pk. 100 ct.-260 ct.
Save $0.75 when you purchase any one Palmolive 20 oz. Aroma Sensations or Pure & Caring dish detergent
Save $1 when you purchase one Charmin bath tissue 12 roll or larger
Save $0.75 when you purchase any one Palmolive auto dish detergent 45 oz.
Save $0.50 when you purchase any one 3M Command item
Save $2 when you purchase any one GE halogen light bulb
Save $0.50 when you purchase any one 8 oz. WD40
Save $2 when you purchase any one pack of Energizer E2 Lithium AA & AAA 4 pack batteries

Grocery Game at Walgreens and CVS 3/20 - 3/26

2011-03-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

Back by popular demand, Casey, who saves a TON of money each week at Walgreens and CVS, has her top picks of the week for us. She always laughs about how they pay her to take stuff out of the store. Now you can follow in her footsteps and laugh right along with her :) There are a ton of deals at both stores each week but the deals listed below are exclusively what Casey, the coupon queen, feels are at a worthy stock-up price.

Sorry this is SOOOO ridiculously late this week!! I've been slammed with work because my swim season is about to start. I'll do better next week ;) If you want some really awesome coupons for cleaning products, make sure you enter the Giveaway HERE.

Walgreen Deals
How to Shop Walgreens 101
Full Ad with Match-Ups
Register Reward Rolling Scenario

Casey's Picks for the Week -

Plak Flossers $2 Receive $2 in Register rewards
Free after Register Rewards :)

Reach Toothbrushes $.99 with in ad coupons Buy 4 and receive $4 in Register Rewards
Use the in Ad coupon first which makes it $0.99.
Use $1 off 1 coupon HERE
Makes it FREE!

Theraflu $4.99 Receive $1 Register Rewards
Use $2 off 1 coupon HERE
Or this $2 off 1 coupon HERE

CVS Deals
How to Shop CVS
Full Ad with Match-Ups
ECBs Rolling Scenario

Casey's Picks for the Week -

Allegra Allergy (5 Count Box) $6.99 Receive $6.99 ECBs
$2 off Coupon HERE
$2/1 Allegra Products 3/6/2011 SS
Makes it free plus a $2 MONEYMAKER!

Crest or Oral B Toothpaste $3.49 Receive $2.50 in ECB’s
Use the $1 off from the 2/27 P and G insert
Makes it free after ECBs

Zantac (Look at ad several different ones shown) $8.99 Receive $3 ECBs
Use $5 off 1 coupon HERE
Makes it $0.99

Reach Floss and Toothbrushes $1
Use $1 off coupon HERE
Makes it FREE!!

Thanks again, Casey! You Rock!!
:)

Clean Eating Oatmeal Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

2011-03-25T00:40:00.000-07:00

Makes 12 servings, 1 muffin each
I love, love, LOVE peanut butter and jelly. This is one thing about me that’s very American. We don’t really do peanut butter in England and my British family members think we’re weird that we like it so much. I never really thought about how central to my life peanut butter was until we took the boys over to visit our family in England. We literally flew over there in the cargo hold of a military plane and it took us DAYS to actually get to my family’s house. It sounds awful but it was free and most of the time it was actually pretty fun. However, when we finally got there, the boys had been on a crazy schedule for three days and had switched several time zones.

When we finally made it to the base in England, the first thing we did was run to the convenience store for a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter. We made a whole pile of sandwiches to take with us for the last leg of our trip the following day. We thoroughly enjoyed them on the numerous bus rides and still had a few left when we finally arrived at my family’s home.

At dinner that first night, Colwynn fell asleep in his plate. They always joke about people doing that on TV and stuff and I never thought it could really happen. Well it can… and it’s hysterical. Theron stayed awake but refused to eat anything but peanut butter sandwiches… for 2 days. The first night I was like, “Whatever, I don’t care as long as you’re eating something so I can put you to bed.” But by the end of the second day it was a bit ridiculous. Meanwhile, my family is thinking, “Wow. Americans really do live on peanut butter.” LOL!! Throughout the rest of our visit we had peanut butter other times as well. Not an abnormal amount or anything, just the odd piece of toast or sandwich here and there, but because it was an alien food to my family, it really made me notice how often we eat it.

This doesn’t really have anything to do with muffins except that it’s one more wonderfully delicious way you can enjoy your peanut butter :)

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or King Arthur's White Whole Wheat)
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sucanat (can use brown/turbinado sugar but they won’t be “clean”)
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 1/4 cups skim milk
1 1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
12 tsp all natural, no sugar added fruit jam (I used homemade peach jam… that I made in my breadmaker… from peaches that I got at the Farmer’s market last summer for almost free… and then I canned the jam myself… woohoo)

ONE: Pour the lemon juice into the milk and set aside; don’t stir. Let stand 5 minutes.

TWO: In a large bowl, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sucanat.

THREE: In a small bowl, beat the egg and add the oil, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla.

FOUR: Stir the lemon-milk mixture and add to the flour mixture along with the other liquid ingredients; stir until just combined.

FIVE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups. Fill each one half full and plop a teaspoon of jam on top of the batter. Cover jam with another scoop of batter so that muffin cup is 3/4 of the way full.

SIX: Bake 18-20 minutes until tops are lightly browned and spring back when touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Freeze leftovers using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 251 Calories (86 from Fat), 10g Total Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 18mg Cholesterol, 119mg Sodium, 35g Total Carbohydrates, 4g Dietary Fiber, 10g Sugars, 8g Protein, 4% Vitamin A, 1% Vitamin C, 7% Calcium, 10% Iron

Clean Eating Cauliflower Pizza Crust (and Cauliflower Bread Sticks!)

2011-03-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 servings, 1 slice each
When I first saw this recipe HERE I thought, “No way! How could that possibly work?” But it totally did and let me just tell you it is AWESOME. I think this might be the ultimate veggie sneak :) Matt hates cauliflower. He calls it albino broccoli. But he loves pizza so he now loves something primarily involving cauliflower (insert evil cackle… and then remember that Matt reads this blog every day to find out what we’re having for dinner so he now knows that his pizza crust is made of albino broccoli… oops). Whatever, Matt, you know you’ll still eat it anyway.

This is seriously a bread stick made out of cauliflower!!! How cool is that?!

Ingredients:

½ a head of cauliflower
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp parsley (you can use Italian seasoning or garlic or any spice combination you like instead of these three)

ONE: Wash cauliflower and remove leaves. Grate it until it is the size of rice. I use the shredder blade on my food processor but you could use a hand grater or a chef knife as long as you chop it VERY finely.

I literally took a bag of frozen cauliflower, shoved it into the top of my food
processor fitted with the shredding/grating blade, and turned it on.

TWO: Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe dish and cover. DO NOT ADD WATER because the cauliflower will absorb it all and turn to mush. Microwave on high 4-5 minutes until tender but not mushy.

THREE: Preheat oven to 450. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Scoop out one cup of the cooked cauliflower rice and mix with the egg and mozzarella.

FOUR: Press evenly onto the pan in a pizza dough shape and sprinkle with spices. Bake at 450 degrees for 12-15 minutes (15-20 minutes if you double the recipe).

TO USE IMMEDIATELY: Spread pizza dough with a little bit of sauce and sprinkle with toppings and some mozzarella cheese. Place under the broiler on high heat and grill just until the cheese is melted.

TO FREEZE: Freeze leftovers or whole plain pizza crusts using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash.

TO MAKE BREAD STICKS:
ONE: Double the recipe. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a cookie tray. Take that same piece of parchment paper and line an 8x8 baking dish with it. Don’t cut it. (Or use a single batch and put it in a loaf pan... but it doesn't make as many breadsticks and I PROMISE you you'll want more... immediately)

Single batch in a loaf pan

TWO: Spread the unbaked “dough” into the baking dish, pressing down with a spatula to cover the bottom evenly. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 20-25 minutes until dough is set, just starting to brown around the edges and not wet on top.

THREE: Remove pan from oven and increase temp to 450. Transfer the parchment and set dough to the baking sheet. Cut the dough into strips and separate carefully. Sprinkle with garlic powder and a little parmesan or shredded cheese if desired (I did).

FOUR: Bake another 15 minutes in 450 degree oven until top is slightly browned and bottoms are crispy. Cool on a wire rack.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1/4 of the recipe) - 121 Calories (62 Calories from Fat), 7g Total Fat, 4g Saturated Fat, 62mg Cholesterol, 188mg Sodium, 5g Carbohydrates, 2g Dietary Fiber, 2g Sugar, 10g Protein, 6% DV Vitamin A, 60% DV Vitamin C, 24% DV Calcium, 5% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating OAMC Honey Lime Dump Chicken (and Honey Lime Chicken Pizza!)

2011-03-24T22:38:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 – 6 servings
This comes from my friend, Ashley, who originally got it from one of her favorite cookbooks, Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer, Vol. 2. Ashley is a definite Once a Month Cooking pro. She’s a home schooling mother of three so she doesn’t have a whole lot of free time to mess around in the kitchen. I first tried this recipe at my other very good friend, Ariana’s, house. It’s called a dump chicken recipe because you just dump a bunch of ingredients into a bag with the chicken and freeze. Then Ariana literally pulled it out of the fridge and dumped it all in a baking dish.

Ariana, Ashley, and my other friend, Crystal (I guess I have a lot of friends, lol) get together regularly and do a marathon cooking day. They always include a recipe like this one because it’s so fast to throw together and you can do it while something else is cooking. Ashley suggests serving this over a salad (like this Strawberry Salad) or in a wrap. I serve it over brown rice and we’ve even made it into a pizza.

If there's a good sale on chicken, you could definitely tripl or quadruple this recipe and make a whole bunch all at once. I recommend freezing them in individual batches in their own freezer bags, though.

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp jalapeno pepper (optional, I don't use this because I'm wimpy)

ONE: Mix together lime juice, olive oil, honey, cilantro, garlic and jalapeno pepper. Place chicken breasts in a gallon sized freezer bag. Pour marinade over chicken breasts. Label and freeze. (I dump all of the marinade ingredients into the bag, seal it, and shake it really well to combine. Then I throw the chicken breasts in. Saves me having to wash a bowl)

TWO: On serving day, thaw completely. Grill over medium heat until chicken is tender and juices run clear. (I bake it covered at 350 for 30 minutes [60 minutes if frozen] or throw it into the crockpot [usually frozen solid because you know I never thaw anything] and cook on low for 5-7 hours, or on high for 3-4)

TO MAKE A PIZZA:
Ingredients:

1 prepared pizza dough (like this whole wheat one or this cauliflower one)
1 cooked batch of Honey Lime Chicken
1 Roma tomato, sliced
1/2 cup kale, finely chopped
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella

ONE: Preheat the oven to 450. Spread 1/4 cup of the cooked Honey Lime glaze from the chicken evenly over the pizza crust.

TWO: Sprinkle the kale over the sauce and top with the cheese, sliced tomatoes, and cooked chicken.

THREE: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown on the edges. Slice and serve.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving (1/6 of recipe) - 304 Calories (179 Calories from Fat), 20g Total Fat, 3g Saturated Fat, 49mg Cholesterol, 42mg Sodium, 14g Carbohydrates, 12g Sugar, 19g Protein, 1% DV Vitamin A, 11% DV Vitamin C, 1% DV Calcium, 4% DV Iron

:)

Free Cleaning Products & a Giveaway!

2011-03-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

You want to know the hardest thing about writing this blog? Finding a clean enough space on my kitchen counter to take a picture of the finished products after I’ve cooked them, LOL. I don’t know about you but I am a super messy cook. And I feel like EVERY day I’m fighting a constant battle against my kitchen. Part of the problem is that I do a lot of cooking so I’m always in the kitchen. Also, with two little ones I don’t always get to clean up the mess right away and it multiplies.

What my kitchen looked like after making Strawberry Bread this morning

I would love to say it’s just my kitchen that gets messy but that wouldn’t be completely true :) I have to admit, if it’s a choice between reading my boys a book when they ask or picking up the living room, I’m going to choose the boys every time. One thing I’ve found that has actually helped me clean less and play more is Stephanie O’Dea’s Daily Seven on her site Totally Together Journal (her other site is the crockpot blog that I LOVE) Whew… that was a lot of links all in one go.

Once you get your cleaning routine down, you’re going to need some cleaning products to help you along the way. There are usually sales and coupons for different cleaning products each week but you want to know what’s even better than a great sale? Getting a bunch of free full sized cleaning products shipped to you!! I’m a member of a word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing network called BzzAgent where I get to try new products and spread word of mouth. As a BzzAgent, I join a BzzCampaign to try new products and services from some of the biggest companies around. Then I share my honest opinions through reviews, Facebook posts, video testimonials, blog posts…however I want.

The contents of my goody box from SC Johnson...
did I mention this was all free and was delivered to my house?!?!

If I find something I really like (like these Granola Bars, LOL), I always share it with my friends anyway. Now I get to enjoy free products while doing it :) If you would like to be a BzzAgent too, click HERE. I love, love, LOVE SC Johnson products and I'm an especially big fan of scrubbing bubbles so you know I was doing my happy dance when this box showed up.

Since I got a whole stash of free products, I thought I’d share some of the savings with one of you. Also included in my box of goodies was a booklet with over $58 in savings on SC Johnson products. These are high value coupons on things like Pledge, Glade, and Scrubbing Bubbles.

One lucky Freeze Your Way Fit reader will win the whole booklet. Entry is simple! You just need to answer the question below by leaving a comment on this site! You can gain up to 3 bonus entries for doing each additional item listed (just make sure that you leave one entry for each one — up to a total of 4 comments.) As a reminder, comments left on Facebook, Twitter or other posts will not be included. I will choose a winner on Sunday 4/9 around 11pm.

REQUIRED ENTRY:

1. What is your #1 tip for keeping your house or kitchen clean? - 1 entry

BONUS ENTRIES:

2. Follow Freeze Your Way Fit on Facebook or Twitter and comment on this post that you did (or already do) - 1 entry

3. Subscribe to Freeze Your Way Fit HERE or follow by e-mail HERE and comment on this post that you did (or already do) - 1 entry

4. Leave a comment on any other post and mention it here - 1 entry

:)

Clean Eating Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce

2011-03-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 Servings
This is adapted from a recipe I found in Eating Well magazine. I love pork tenderloin and my boys love grapes so everyone is happy. And I've always thought that pork and fruit went really well together. I've always cooked this in the oven but I'm going to try throwing it all into the crockpot to see how it comes out. I'll let you know if it's successful :)

Ingredients

4 cups red and/or green grapes
1-1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1/2 cup Madeira (a fortified sweet wine similar to Sherry, can use grape juice) or white wine
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons water

ONE: Preheat oven to 425 and place racks in the middle and lower third. Place grapes on a baking sheet and roast on the lower rack, stirring occasionally, until they are shriveled, 25 to 30 minutes.

TWO: Rub pork with salt and pepper. Add the oil to a large oven safe skillet and heat over medium-high. Add the pork and brown it on one side. Then turn it over and place the skillet into the oven on the middle rack (you can do this while the grapes are roasting).

THREE: Roast the pork until just barely pink in the center, about 12 to 14 minutes or until internal temp reaches 145. Remove it from the oven and let it sit a few minutes before slicing.

FOUR: Very carefully (because the handle will be hot) place the skillet back on the stove top over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add Madeira (or juice) and cook until reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the broth, thyme and mustard and bring to a simmer.

FIVE: Scoop out 1/2 a cup of the liquid mixture and puree half of the grapes into it (be careful because the liquid will be hot!). Stir it back into the pan sauce and simmer, uncovered, until slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining grapes. Serve the sliced pork with the grape sauce over cooked whole grains or mashed potatoes.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 286 Calories (69 Calories from Fat), 8g Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 83mg Cholesterol, 482mg Sodium, 16g Carbohydrates, 31g Protein, 3% DV Vitamin A, 2% DV Vitamin C, 3% DV Calcium, 14% DV Iron

:)

Perfect Barley (OAMC)

2011-03-23T15:04:00.000-07:00

Makes 12 servings, about 1/2 cup each
This recipe is very similar to the Perfect Brown Rice. I LOVE brown rice but every now and again I want something different. Barley has a nice texture and a slightly nutty flavor. It's really great in salads too because it soaks up all of the dressing but is big enough to not get mushy or lost in the rest of the dish.

To really save yourself some time, make a batch and freeze it in 1 cup portions. Once they’re frozen, put them all together in a big gallon-size freezer bag, break the chunks up (sometimes it helps to let them defrost a little bit first), and throw the bag back into the freezer. This will leave you with a big bag of individual cooked barley grains. That way, if you need a cup as a side dish or to throw into a soup or something, you can just scoop it right out of the bag with a measuring cup. Throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds or a minute and it's ready to eat.

Ingredients:

2 cups hulled barley (can use pearled but it is not whole grain, the bran has been removed)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
4 cups boiling water

ONE: Preheat oven to 375. Spread barley in a 9x13 baking dish or large ceramic baking dish with lid. Boil water and, once boiling, stir in oil and salt. Pour over barley and cover baking dish tightly with a double layer of foil (or skip the foil and use the lid of the dish if it has one). Bake 1 hour or until barley is tender.

TWO: Remove dish from oven and fluff with a fork. Serve immediately.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving: 128 Calories, 3g Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, 0mg Cholesterol, 23g Total Carbohydrates, 198mg Sodium, 5g Dietary Fiber, 4g Protein, 0% Vitamin A, 0% Vitamin C, 1% Calcium, 6% Iron

Clean Eating Shrimp Jambalaya

2011-03-22T23:45:00.000-07:00

Makes 4 servings of soup, 1 cup each
This recipe was one of the very first recipes I made from Clean Eating Magazine. It's so fast and easy to throw together and is totally delicious. In fact, the first time I made it, I was babysitting my friend Nicole's little boy. He was really into "cooking" at the time and we all know how slow going it can be when a toddler helps you cook. But this recipe was so easy that he actually could help and it was still done quickly.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp red pepper
dash pepper
1 lb deshelled shrimp
2 cups cooked brown rice
Olive oil cooking spray

ONE: Spray a saucepan with cooking spray and cook onion, pepper and garlic until tender.

TWO: Stir in stewed tomatoes, water, bay leaves, thyme, basil, red pepper, shrimp, and cooked rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir frequently.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 310 Calories (26 Calories from Fat), 3g Total Fat, 223mg Cholesterol, 266mg Sodium, 43g Carbohydrates, 4g Dietary Fiber, 4g Sugar, 29g Protein, 20% DV Vitamin A, 42% DV Vitamin C, 6% DV Calcium, 28% DV Iron

:)

Flatout Parmesan Bread Sticks

2011-03-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Makes 10 servings of Bread Sticks, 2 each
These are quick and easy to make and go great with a hearty soup as a fast and satisfying lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

2 100% Whole Wheat Flatout Wraps
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Shredded Parmesan Cheese

ONE: Preheat oven to 375F. Brush olive oil onto flat bread and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

TWO: Cut length-wise into 5 pieces and bake until crisp, about 8 minutes

NUTRITION INFO:

Per Serving - 50 Calories (31 Calories from Fat), 3g Total Fat, 0.5g Saturated Fat, 1mg Cholesterol, 85mg Sodium, 4g Carbohydrates, 1g Dietary Fiber, 1g Sugar, 2g Protein, 0% DV Vitamin A, 0% DV Vitamin C, 2% DV Calcium, 2% DV Iron

:)

Clean Eating Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

2011-03-22T22:51:00.000-07:00

Makes 18 servings (3 pies with 6 slices each)

This is definitely one of my signature dishes. I usually have one or two slices stashed away in the freezer to pull out if a friend comes over and is having a rough day :) I'm not going to lie, this dish is a labor of love. I promise you it's COMPLETELY worth it, though. My sister, Anthea, is probably the pickiest eater on the planet and doesn't really like any vegetables. But for her birthday this year, she asked me to make her these chicken pot pies for her freezer instead of getting her a present, LOL. Plus this yields 3 pies so, even though it takes a little extra time and effort on the front end, you'll be able to enjoy the results for weeks to come. I usually omit the wine when I’m cooking but it really adds something special to this dish. UPDATE: Check out the new instructions on how to make the filling in the slowcooker to speed up the overall cooking time!!

If it looks this good, imagine how great it tastes and smells :)

Ingredients:

Pie Crust (for each pie plate) -

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (total of 3 cups)
1 tsp sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won't be "clean") (total of 3 tsp)
¾ tsp salt (total of 2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 cup olive oil (total of 3/4 cups)
2 Tbsp milk (total of 6 Tbsp)

Pie Filling -

6 medium carrots, peeled and sliced ¼-inch thick
2 small celery ribs, sliced ¼-inch thick
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 bunch asparagus, sliced ¼-inch thick
2 medium garlic cloves, minced (2 tsp)
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp olive oil
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup red wine
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 5 medium)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup frozen beans (butter beans work well)

Biscuits -

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup milk

Prepare 3 9-inch pie plates with crust:
ONE: Into the pie plate stir together flour, sucanat, and salt.

TWO: With a fork, whip together oil and milk; pour over flour mixture. Mix with fork until all flour is dampened.

THREE: Press dough evenly against bottom and sides of plate.

FOUR: Preheat oven to 400. Line the unpricked pastry shell with a double thickness of foil. Bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove foil, bake for 4-5 minutes more until pastry is set and dry.

I only had two pie plates so I used a cake pan. It worked :)

Pie Filling and Biscuit Topping:
ONE: Combine carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, asparagus, oil, and ½ tsp salt in a large pot. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until veggies have softened, about 8-10 minutes.

TWO: Sprinkle flour over the veggies, stir well, and let cook 3 minutes. Stir in broth and wine and bring to a simmer.

THREE: Nestle chicken breasts into sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10-12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

FOUR: Return sauce to simmer. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes. Off the heat stir in beans and season with salt and pepper.

FIVE: Shred chicken or cut into bite-sized pieces, stir into sauce. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into each pie plate.

CROCKPOT INSTRUCTIONS: Throw all of the filling ingredients except for the beans into the crockpot and cook on high 4 hours or low for 6 hours. Remove the lid and continue cooking while you assemble the pie crusts (this gives the filling a chance to thicken). While the pie crusts are baking, use a slotted spoon to scoop the chicken out of the sauce into a bowl. Using two forks, shred the chicken and then add it back to the pot. Finally add the frozen beans and season with salt and pepper. Pour 1/3 of the mixture into each pie plate. Do a little happy dance because you saved so much time assembling this dish and the chicken was so tender and easy to shred. Kiss your crockpot.

SIX: Whisk together dry biscuit ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a large bowl. Whisk the oil and milk together and stir into flour mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no pockets of flour remain.

SEVEN: Pinch off small pieces of biscuit dough and sprinkle over pies.

EIGHT: Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until biscuits are golden and the filling is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Let cool completely in the fridge over night. Cut into slices and freeze using the flash freeze method to feed your freezer stash. Reheat in the microwave or thaw and reheat in the oven.

NUTRITION INFO:

Per serving - 290 Calories (119 Calories from Fat), 13g Total Fat, 2g Saturated Fat, 5mg Cholesterol, 544mg Sodium, 35g Total Carbohydrates, 6g Dietary Fiber, 3g Sugar, 10g Protein, 75% Vitamin A, 8% Vitamin C, 10% Calcium, 15% Iron

Clean Eating Low Cost Weekly Meal Plan 3/21

2011-03-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Can a girl get a ground turkey sale?!?! Come on! No ground turkey sale again this week but that’s okay. I’ve had a real craving for chicken pot pie anyway :) Plus there’s a great sale on cantaloupe which will make my boys very happy. This week I will literally buy 4 cantaloupes and the boys will eat one all in one go while I’m cutting the others up. I’m okay with that because cantaloupe is a great source of Vitamins A and C.

Make sure you check out the Giveaway HERE this week, too!!

Step 1: Find out what meat and produce is on sale for the week
This week at Publix Pork Tenderloin, Chicken Breast, and Shrimp are on sale. In the produce section cantaloupe, asparagus, white seedless grapes, salad, and pears are also on sale.

Step 2: Take an inventory of your pantry and freezer, check out what other items are on sale, and pick several recipes that use those ingredients.
There are good prices for peanut butter, canned tomatoes, flatout bread, and jam. I have oatmeal, honey, and chicken broth in my pantry.

Step 3: Take a look at your calendar for the week and see which nights you’ll have more time to cook and which nights you won't and plan your menu accordingly.
This will be different for every family but, in general, I cook 3 or 4 nights a week and we eat something from our freezer stash the other nights. To learn how to build your own freezer stash go HERE.

Step 4: Get all of the recipes together and make a shopping list of what you’ll need.
Meals-
Chicken Pot Pie
Honey Lime Chicken Pizza on Cauliflower Pizza Crust
Shrimp Jambalaya with Parmesan Bread Sticks
Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Grape Sauce over Perfect Oven Barley with Grilled Asparagus

Healthy Snacks/Desserts-
Peanut Butter and Jelly Oatmeal Muffins
Cantaloupe Bread
Cantaloupe Crunch Bars

Here is a shopping list for the complete list of meals (not including snacks and desserts) based on you having nothing in your pantry or freezer. You will obviously omit the items that you already have. Go HERE for an explanation of the couponing abbreviations. The top list has all of the coupon matchups. There is a second list at the bottom that just lists the items with no match-ups and is a little easier to read.

Coupon Match-Up List
Produce
- 6 medium carrots
- 2 small celery ribs
- 2 medium onions
- 2 bunches of asparagus ($2.99/lb)
- 5 medium garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp jalapeno pepper (optional)
- ½ a head of cauliflower (Apio Eat Smart Vegetables, 10 to 12 oz pkg, 3/$5)
- 1 green pepper
- 4 cups red and/or green grapes (White Seedless Grapes, $1.69/lb)
- shallots

Grocery
- whole wheat pastry flour (4 cups)
- whole wheat flour (1/2 cup)
- sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won't be "clean")
- olive oil
     $1/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011) (printable)
     $1/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil Rolling (printable)
     $1/1 Filippo Berio Olive Oil (IE) Rolling Printable (FF) (printable)
     $1/1 Pompeian Olive Oil (exp 4/2/2011) (printable)
     $0.75/1 Crisco Olive Oil 2/6/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/30/2011)
     $1/1 Goya Olive Oil Rolling (printable)
- 32 oz carton low sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup red wine
- baking powder
     $0.30/1 Argo Corn Starch or Baking Powder 11/7/2010 or 12/5/2010 SS Insert
- baking soda
     $0.50/2 Arm & Hammer Baking Soda Product Rolling (Printable)
- lime juice (or limes to make 1/2 cup fresh juice)
- honey
     $0.75/1 Golden Blossom Honey Rolling (printable)
- 1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes
     Hunt’s 100% Natural Tomatoes, 14.5 oz can, BOGO $1.27
     $1/3 Hunt’s Diced Tomatoes All You Jan 2011 (exp 3/27/2011)
     Slam Dunk Savings MIR Eligible
- brown rice
     $1/2 Success Rice Product 3/27/2011 RP Insert (exp 5/31/2011)
     $1/2 Minute Ready to Serve Rice Products (exp 4/2/2011) (printable)
     $1/2 Minute Ready to Serve Rice Products 3/20/2011 RP Insert (exp 6/11/2011)
     $0.75/1 Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice Product 3/20/2011 RP Insert (exp 5/15/2011)
     $0.75/1 Uncle Ben's Ready Rice Product 2/20/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/17/2011)
- olive oil cooking spray
     Smart Balance Spray 8 oz bot (Excluding Organic), BOGO $3.59
     $0.75/1 Smart Balance Cooking Oil or Spray 3/6/2011 SS Insert (exp 4/20/2011)
     OR
     Pam Cooking Spray eligible for $10/$30 Conagra Products Rebate Publix Booklet, Slam Dunk Savings 3/23/2011 (exp 4/16/2011)
     $1/1 Bestlife Buttery Spread, Spray or Sticks 1/30/2011 SS Insert (exp 3/31/2011)
- 2 100% Whole Wheat Flatout Wraps (Flatout Bread, 11.2 oz bag, BOGO $2.89)
- parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 cup Madeira (a fortified sweet wine similar to Sherry, can use grape juice or white wine)
- Dijon mustard
     $0.50/1 French’s HERE or 1/23 SS
     $0.55/1 Gulden's Mustard Publix Booklet, Slam Dunk Savings 3/23/2011 (exp 4/16/2011)
     $10/$30 Conagra Products Rebate Publix Booklet, Slam Dunk Savings 3/23/2011 (exp 4/16/2011)
- 2 cups hulled barley (can use pearled but it is not whole grain)

Spices
     $1/1 McCormick Product 3/13/2011 RP Insert (exp 4/24/2011)
     $1.50/2 Gourmet Garden Herb and Spice Tubes 1/1/2011
     $1/1 Frontier Bottled Spice or Baking Extract (exp 8/30/2011) (printable)
     $0.50/1 Simply Organic Mini Spice (exp 6/30/2011) (printable)
     $1/2 Simply Organic Glass Bottle Spices (exp 6/30/2011) - thyme
- fennel (optional)
- oregano (optional)
- parsley (optional)
- 2 bay leaves
- basil
- red pepper

Meat
- 9 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 lbs) (Perdue Fit & Easy Chicken Breast, $2.99/lb)
- 1 lb deshelled shrimp (Large White Shrimp, 26 to 30 ct, $8.99/lb)
- 1-1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin (Whole or Half Boneless Pork Loin, $1.99/lb)

Dairy
- skim milk
Organic Valley Organic Milk, half gallon carton, 2/$7
     $1/1 Organic Valley Soy Milk (exp 4/30/2011) (printable)
     $1/2 Organic Valley Milk Rolling (printable)
     $1/1 Organic Valley Milk Gallon or Half Gallon Rolling (printable)
- 1 egg
     $1/1 Great Day All Natural or Omega-3 Eggs Rolling (printable)
     $0.35/1 4 Grain Eggs 2/13/2011 SS Insert (exp 6/30/2011)
     $0.55/1 Land O Lakes Eggs 2/6/2011 SS Insert (exp 4/2/2011)
     $0.50/1 Eggland's Best Cage Free Dozen or Organic Dozen Eggs 1/30/2011 SS Insert (exp 6/30/2011)
     $1/1 Eggs WYB Kikkoman Product 1/23/2011 RP Insert (exp 7/31/2011)
     $1/1 Organic Valley Eggs Rolling (printable)
- 1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
     $1.50/2 Kraft Block or Shredded Cheese TARGET coupon Target.com (exp 4/9/2011) (printable)
     $1/2 Kraft Natural Shredded Cheese 3/13/2011 SS Insert (exp 4/24/2011)
     $1/2 Market Pantry Block or Shredded Cheese TARGET Target.com (exp 3/26/2011) (printable)
     (can use on Publix Brand Cheese)
     $1/1 Sorrento Mozzarella Cheese 2/6/2011 SS Insert (exp 5/6/2011)
     $1/1 Organic Valley Cheese Rolling (printable)

Frozen
- 1 cup frozen beans (butter beans work well)
     $1/2 Birds Eye Products Publix Yellow Flyer, Savings for the Lucky 3/5/2011 (exp 3/25/2011)
     $1/3 Birds Eye Steamfresh 1/23/2011 SS Insert (exp 3/31/2011)
     $1/3 Birds-Eye or Steamfresh Varieties (IE) (exp 3/31/2011) Printable (FF)
     $0.50/1 Green Giant Frozen Vegetables Rolling (printable)
     $0.60/3 Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables (exp 4/2/2011) (printable)
     $0.60/3 Green Giant Frozen Boxed Vegetables 2/13/2011 GM Insert (exp 4/9/2011)
     $1/4 Market Pantry or Arch Farms Frozen Vegetables Target.com (exp 3/26/2011)
     (Can use on Publix Brand frozen veggies)

Non Coupon Match-Up List
Produce

6 medium carrots
2 small celery ribs
2 medium onions
2 bunches of asparagus
5 medium garlic cloves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
2 tsp jalapeno pepper (optional)
½ a head of cauliflower
1 green pepper
4 cups red and/or green grapes
shallots

Grocery

whole wheat pastry flour (4 cups)
whole wheat flour (1/2 cup)
sucanat (can use turbinado/brown sugar but it won't be "clean")
olive oil
32 oz carton low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup red wine
baking powder
baking soda
lime juice (or limes to make 1/2 cup fresh)
honey
1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes
brown rice
olive oil cooking spray
2 100% Whole Wheat Flatout Wraps
parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Madeira (a fortified sweet wine similar to Sherry, can use grape juice) or white wine
Dijon mustard
2 cups hulled barley (can use pearled but it is not whole grain)

Spices

thyme
fennel (optional)
oregano (optional)
parsley (optional)
2 bay leaves
basil
red pepper

Meat

9 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 4 lbs)
1 lb deshelled shrimp
1-1 1/4 pounds pork tenderloin

Dairy

skim milk
1 egg
1 cup shredded part skim mozzarella cheese

Frozen

1 cup frozen beans (butter beans work well)

Kids Eat Free at Chili's again March 22nd!!

2011-03-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

It's back!! Another coupon for a free Kid's Meal at Chili's! If you missed this last time, here's your chance to cash in. This is only good for March 22nd. Here are my thoughts on Chili's:

Over the past few years, Chili's has made some changes to their menu, mainly with the addition of the Guiltless Grill items. It's now one of the few places that we can go for dinner and I actually feel good about what we ate and don't have to bring a meal for my kids. As long as you order something sensible, you could easily have a dinner out here that doesn't blow your Clean Eating lifestyle.

I always order my kids the grilled chicken sandwich from the kid's menu with a side of steamed broccoli or fresh pineapple. I have them put it on a whole grain bun and make the broccoli without any seasoning. I usually get one with broccoli and one with pineapple and chop them both up together so each boy gets a pineapple broccoli mixture. I love the Grilled Salmon with Garlic and Herbs. They even have a vegetarian menu, you just have to ask.

If tonight was one of your night's off in your weekly meal plan you should definitely give Chili's a try. Make sure you bring THIS coupon with you so your kid's eat free. Enjoy!!