Eating Lately: News from Lena’s Kitchen

Hello there my fit friends! How was your Father’s Day weekend?

We had a great time celebrating our wonderful Daddy of the Family.

I personally think a step mother’s day is in order ๐Ÿ™‚ I mean, really – we’re under-celebrated… But I will probably get into that subject some other time – it is too serious and complicated.

Let’s keep it light and tasty here today, shall we?

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Meranda and I are hosting our regular Link Up Party again. Link up your tasty posts below, check out other partiers, and have fun!

I am talking about my latest eats here today – things I ate and liked the most in the past week or so. If you’re interested in recipes for anything you see in this post – let me know in comments and I’ll get it to you!

{BREAKFAST}

I’ve been trying to lighten up my breakfasts and eat more fruit since it is summer.

breakfast

Cottage cheese, strawberries and blueberries

Local strawberries are not very pretty, but they are so flavorful and delicious!

strawberries

Local Strawberries

{LUNCH}

I usually pack lunch:

salad

Lunch salad: spinach, avocado, almonds, blueberries, leeks, feta

Or hubby packs me lunch:

sandwich

Delicious salmon sandwich on a bagel

Or he takes me out for lunch:

lunch

Lunch at Hoss’s

{DINNER}

So one night, when we were out of pretty much everything, I put together this dinner salad from basically an empty fridge ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s a talent only women have ๐Ÿ™‚

dinner salad

Another night I made all this in my oven (no frying, all baking – healthy home fries bakes)

chicken and home fries

Honey mustard drumsticks and healthy home fries

Another highlight of our dinner table last week was the crock pot turkey with grapefruit. I used the recipe for Orange and Lemon Slow Cooker Turkey ย that Jade posted in the last week’s Tasty Tuesday link up, and since I didn’t have oranges, but did have grapefruit, I thought I’d swap this for that (baaaaaad idea). It was a little bitter (grapefruit), but still pretty good.

crockpot turkey

{DRINKS}

So after I told you guys that out favorite Asian restaurant in town started serving bubble Thai tea, I decided to do some research and see if I can make my own Thai tea.

Well, I got another confirmation that you can get just about anything on Amazon.

I got this awesome Thai tea mix from Amazon and made my own Thai tea!

Thai tea

And that’s what I ate lately, guys!

Do share: what was the tastiest thing you ate last week? Have a recipe orย a tasty review on your blog? Link it up!

Lean Lena

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S’more S’mores: 5 Recipes You Will Want to Make

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday! I hope you had a nice weekend.

As usual – we’re partying today and celebrating all the tasty stuff in our lives ๐Ÿ™‚ Be sure to hop over to Meranda’s blogย to check out what’s cooking over in her part of the cyber space, and check out the party participants in the linkup below. Hey, got something to add to the party? Link it up!

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We went camping on Saturday. I. Love. Camping.

When I was a kid we’d go camping every summer for a week. We’d tent by the lake, swim, cook food over the camp fire and go fishing. I looked forward to it so much every summer! And that’s where my ability to start a camp fire came from, as well as my addiction to poking it with a stick all the time ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

camping

Thankfully, my husband loves camping, too – so we try to make time and go camping every spring/early summer as a family.

One thing I discovered about camping when I moved to the US was S’mores (I know, right?). Oh. My. God. How come I didn’t know this goodness existed for the first 30 years of my life???

camping

Anyway, no one can take that from me now – I love me some s’mores! ๐Ÿ™‚ And because I love them so much – that got me thinking about ways to bring s’mores into my life any day I want – not just when we go camping. Check out what I found!

s'mores

Yeah, that’s my hand holding on to that S’more for dear life ๐Ÿ™‚ Anyway, back to the recipes! Click on the recipe name below to view the original recipe on it’s creator’s blog. Some of the recipes are quick and easy to make, others – more complicated and sophisticated. But one thing I can tell you for sure – those 5 will bring the camp fire favorite to your table any time you want it!

{ONE} No Bake S’mores Pie by Brown Eyed Baker

This pie looks mouth watering good, and according to the Brown Eyed Baker you only need 20 minutes to put it together! It doesn’t get any better, does it? ๐Ÿ™‚

{TWO} 5 Minute Chocolate Fudge S’mores Mug Cake by How Sweet It Isย 

For all of you mug cake AND s’mores lovers out there. You’re welcome ๐Ÿ™‚

{THREE} S’mores Stuffed French Toast by BS’ in the Kitchen

For this one, Bob over at BS’ in the Kitchen even has a video showing you how to make them!

{FOUR} S’mores Whoopie Pies by My Baking Addiction

Mmm….mmm…mmm… Right after I’m done with this post, I am going to look for a whoopee pie pan online so I can make these!

ย {FIVE}ย  S’mores Fudge by the Novice Chef

Fudge AND s’mores? Yes, please!

And that’s how your get s’more s’mores, guysย ๐Ÿ™‚

Do share: Camping – yey or ney? Tent or cabin? Can you start a camp fire?

Take care, friends! And don’t forget to link up your tasty posts below.

Lean Lena

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Sweet Potato Wedges – Tasty Tuesday Linkup Party

Hey-hey guys! The Tasty Tuesday party is back!

I am so glad to be back to normal with my life and blogging after 3 weeks of just work and no play!

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Bringing the party back to you today with my sweet potato wedges recipe! As always, this recipe was inspired by what was leftover in my pantry. This time it was sweet potatoes and I felt like just baking them was way to boring so I made the sweet potato wedges – super easy, quick and my kids just LOVED them! So, here we go.

SWEET POTATO WEDGES

sweet potato wedges

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp dill
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Scrub the potatoes (I didn’t peel mine) and cut them into wedges, put in a large bowl.

Add oil and spices, mix until well coated.

Bake for 20 minutes, turn the wedges over and bake for another 20 minutes.

About 5 minutes before they are ready, turn on the broiler to make them nice and crispy.

Enjoy!

sweet potato wedges

Now your turn – link up below and remember to visit the blog of my co-host Meranda to see what she’s cooking, as well as other party participants!

Have a wonderful week, friends.

Lean Lena

This post was shared on Urban Naturale

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POPSUGAR Must Have Snacks from Nature Box – Review

Hey-hey, my friends! Happy Tasty Tuesday to you!

I am totally crazed with work these days – I had to get up at 4:30 am and commute 2 hours (vs. my usual 10 minutes), so it’s been a few 12-14 hour days at work. On the plus side – it’s all outside ๐Ÿ™‚ FUN!

outside office

I will try and pop in every now and then in the next couple of weeks but will be extremely busy, so hang in there ๐Ÿ™‚ For now – it is time to PARTY!

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I am talking about snacking here today. Again ๐Ÿ™‚ Well, whatcha gonna do – I’m a snacking queen ๐Ÿ™‚

Anyway, a while ago I received an e-mail from Popsugar Select with an invitation to take part in their #MushHaveSnacks campaign with Nature Box.

nature box

Nature Box snacks? Count me in! So I signedย up and Popsugar and Nature Box kindly selected me to be part of this awesome campaign. I have received a box of goodies from them free of charge to try and review:

nature box

Want to tell you up front – I absolutely LOVED every single snack in my box. No exceptions at all. So let’s take a closer look at what I got:

Dried California Peaches

dried california peaches

You know it is good stuff when there is only one ingredient on the list and that’s peaches.

dried peaches

Blueberry Almond Bites

nature box

These are moderately sweet and oh so good as a healthy treat!

Next up was the Popsugar Must Have Mix – that one was my most favorite! Savory, delicious, healthy and beautiful! What more would I want of a snack? ๐Ÿ™‚

nature box

Seaweed Rice Pops

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These babies disappeared from my snack drawer before I could say “rice pops” ๐Ÿ™‚

Lemon Pucker Pistachios

nature box

These were the favorite of the men in my family. I left them on the dining room table in the morning and they were gone by the time I got home from work. I have no idea how that happened because I am the last to leave the house and often the first to come back ๐Ÿ™‚ Somebody must have snuck into the house and ate them ๐Ÿ™‚

Anyway, guys! I enjoyed the snacks from Popsugar and Nature Box very much! And I am very excited to tell you that for a very limited time POPSUGAR Must Have Snacks byย NatureBoxย will be 50% off!!! Follow this link to sign up and get you first box in the mail!

And that’s it for today, guys! Don’t forget to link up your tasty posts below and check out other partiers!

Have a great week!

Lean Lena

Disclosure: POPSUGAR andย NatureBox provided me with a complimentary POPSUGAR Must Have Snacks byย NatureBoxย box. The opinions I have shared about the box are my own, and POPSUGAR andย NatureBoxย did not tell me what to say or how to say it.

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Roasted Carrots with Tahini Drizzle – Recipe

Hey-hey, my friends! Happy Tasty Tuesday!

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It is that time of week when we celebrate great food with a linkup party. I hope you join us today for the linkup below or just share your recent tasty finds with me in comments.

In light of recent Easter holiday, I wanted to share my tasty discovery with you today – roasted carrots. I generally LOVE roasted vegetables. I could eat any roasted vegetable every single day and twice on Sunday. ๐Ÿ™‚

So, it wasn’t actually Easter that prompted my search for a recipe for roasted carrots, but rather a poor bag of whole carrots sitting in my fridge for a while. I felt bad for them so I needed to cook and eat them. ๐Ÿ™‚

After searching the internet for a good recipe, I found one over at High Gate Hill Kitchen. I have modified the original recipe just a tiny bit, but otherwise, it is a great find and definitely goes into my recipe box.

ROASTED CARROTS WITH TAHINI DRIZZLE

roasted carrots

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch (basicallyย as much as you have/want to make) of whole carrots
2 tbsp. tahini
Juice of one lemon
10-20ml ice water (I added 10 to make the drizzle not as runny)
2 tbsps sesame seeds
Olive oil
Saltย andย pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 400ยฐF.

Wash the carrots, half if neededย and place in a single layer on your baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and toss until coated.

Sprinkle with salt and bake for 40 minutes, turning them after 20 minutes.

While the carrots are in the oven, prepare your tahini drizzle: combine the tahini, lemon juice, pepper and water in a bowl.

Whisk until there are no lumps left and the drizzle is smooth. It should be thin enough to drip off your spoon.

Toast the sesame seeds in a pan over high heatย until they start to brown, 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To assemble: lay your roasted carrots on a plate and use a spoon to drizzle the tahini mixture over the top.

Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top and serve immediately.

roasted carrots

I made these carrots for the Easter dinner and they were a HUGE hit with my family (and I am talking 2 kids who are not big fans of vegetables, especiallyย if they’re cooked).

Give this recipe a try, guys! And don’t forget to visit the recipe author’s blog and thank them!

Have a great week, friends!

Lena

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This post was shared on: Fairytales and Fitness, A Humble Bumble

 

Tasty Tuesday: 10-minute Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday to you!

It’s time to party and share your tasty finds, tasty posts and recipes. Join the link up party below, which will also appear on my co-host’s blog – Fairytales and Fitness.

I am super-excited because last Tuesday we had the record number of 25 partiers! Thank you so much, guys! I love each and every one of your recipes and blogs!

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Today I am sharing with you one of my go-to sides/lunch salad recipes – Chicken Pasta Salad.

Well, first of all, you can throw pretty much anything into a pasta salad as long as you don’t forget to throw in the pasta ๐Ÿ™‚

I love making pasta salads because they take care of any leftovers I have in the fridge! Pasta salads are also super delicious. Win-win!

Once again, this is a recipe that doesn’t really call for any quantities – just throw in as much as you have of whatever you have, and don’t forget pastaย ๐Ÿ™‚

chicken pasta salad

SUGGESTED INGREDIENTS:

  • Pasta (I used Barilla Whole Grain Rotini Pasta, about half a pack)
  • Chicken breast (you can use grilled chicken, pan fried, baked or whatever you have and feel like. I used the leftover crockpot chicken).
  • Bell peppers (use different colors to make your salad bright!)
  • Red onions
  • Fresh parsley
  • Capers
  • Any other veggies you have/like

For the dressing:

  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Either fresh or dry basil leaves

pasta salad with chicken

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Cook pasta according to the package instructions, set aside to cool
  • While pasta is cooking, combine lemon juice, olive oil and spices in a bowl and whisk well until combined, set aside
  • Dice the vegetables and chicken
  • Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl, pour the dressing over and mix until coated.
  • Serve cold or warm.
  • Add salami or any meat instead of chicken. Experiment!
  • Enjoy your pasta salad for lunch or as a side for dinner ๐Ÿ™‚

pasta salad with chicken

See? Told you it was a 10 minute deal ๐Ÿ™‚

Now do share with me: what tasty things have you discovered/tried lately? Link up below or share in comments, and don’t forget to check out other links in the party and spread the word by sharing this post! Let more people know and come to the party!

Have a great week, guys!

Lena


Tasty Tuesday – Let’s Talk Guilt Free Desserts

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday! How is your week going?

I’m back with the traditional Tasty Tuesday post today. Don’t forget it is a link up party, too! Link up your tasty finds (or your own posts) below and remember to check out other links, too!

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What I have for you today is a selection of 5 guilt free desserts!

As you probably know, I am not supporting the fat free diet. I am a strong believer that our body needs all food groups and elements (including sugar and fat) – but I also believe those have to come in the right amounts and from the right sources.

Today I wanted to share with you 5 recipes I have recently discovered that use clean ingredients (entirely or mostly) andย will leave you happy andย guilt free.

Just to be clear – when I say “guilt free”, I don’t really mean the calories. I mean the ingredients (even though those two seem to come hand in hand in dessert recipes below). You will not feel guilty about eating these desserts, because they are better for you! Of course they won’t be guilt free if you overload on them ๐Ÿ™‚ But if you apply the “everything in moderation” principle while eating these, you will be much better off than hitting your favorite ice cream place or grocery store for dessert.

You can click on the recipe title to get to the recipe on the author’s blog/website.

Here we go, let’s have some dessert!

{ONE} Frozen Yogurt Trail Mix Bars by the Lean Green Bean

Photo credit: the Lean Green Bean

Photo credit: the Lean Green Bean

I love this recipe for several reasons: it has simple ingredients, is very easy to make and makes a great meal prep item! You can make a batch that will last you a whole week and keep it in the fridge/freezer.

That is something I always admire about Lindsay’s recipes – simple ingredients and simple instructions.

Check out her blog for more recipes!

{TWO} 100 Calorie 2 Minute Chocolate Mug Cakeย by Eclectic Recipes

I love mug cakes – they make a great quick and satisfying dessert. You got 5 minutes – you got a great dessert! However, these babies are usually packed with empty calories ranging at 300-700 each and sometimes even more!

A healthy reasonably caloric mug cakeย is a rare find! and I just found one for you!

Photo credit: www.eclecticrecipes.com

Photo credit: www.eclecticrecipes.com

I found this recipe over at Angie’s blog – Eclectic Recipes.

I loved it because once again – the ingredient list is simple and contains no funky stuff.

Make sure to stop by and check out Angie’s fabulous recipe collection!

{THREE} Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Quinoa Snack Cakeย by Peanut Butter and Peppers

Peanut butter? Quinoa? Snack CAKE??? Count me in!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

Photo credit: www.peanutbutterandpeppers.com

Photo credit: www.peanutbutterandpeppers.com

This one comes together in 30 minutes according tot he recipe and makes a great meal prep item as well (I am all about efficiency and productivity today ๐Ÿ™‚ )

Now I don’t know about Truvia Baking Blend the recipe is calling for, I would probably just pass on that one – pretty sure the chocolate chips will do the job of making it sweet enough for me. I would probably also use avocado in place of all/half the butter the recipe is calling for. But other than that I just love this recipe! It is also simple and quick to make.

You have to check out the Peanut Butter and Peppers blog where Jennifer is sharing healthy living tips and recipes!

{FOUR} 100-Calorie Pumpkin Pie Tartlets

Photo credit: www.verybestbaking.com

Photo credit: www.verybestbaking.com

I love pumpkin. Even though this recipe is listed on the Very Best Baking under winter recipes, I could eat pumpkin every day all year round.

{FIVE} Greek Yogurt Peanut Butter Cupsย by The Falafelser

Can you believe these guys are 14 calories each? ๐Ÿ™‚

Photo credit: http://thefalafelser.wordpress.com

Photo credit: http://thefalafelser.wordpress.com

No? Than you better head over here and grab the recipe!

Definitely check out The Falafelser for more recipes while you’re there. ๐Ÿ˜‰

Now your turn! Tell me what delicious recipes/eats you have discovered lately! Link up below or just share in comments!

Have a tasty week, friends!

Lena


Tasty Tuesday – Five Dinner Ideas for Five Weeknights

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday!

Every Tuesday Meranda and I host a link up party for you where you can add your links to tasty posts at the end of my post! How fun is that? Don’t forget to check out other links in the party.

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Let’s party!!!

Today I have my favorite weeknight dinner ideas for you. Weeknights are my weak spot – just like every busy mom’s/wife’s in the world, I guess. Throw in the workout schedule (I am not a morning workout person) and you got no time left for cooking. Not cooking is not an option – we cook meals every night in my family and rarely go out – for no reason other than liking homemade food.

That’s where the meal prep and the easy quick healthy recipes come in! Below are the most frequently cooked type of meals in my family. That’s just in terms of the type of food we like – not all of the recipes below have been tried yet. ๐Ÿ™‚

{ONE}ย Pork Chops Stuffed with Spinach and Feta

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I found this recipe in Cooking Light. I am subscribed to the paper magazine, but I found this one online as I was looking for a new way to cook pork chops, which we likeย and make a lot!

I haven’t tried it yet, but according to the recipe they come together pretty quickly. You can also stuff them when you have time and freeze/refrigerate for later.

{TWO} Fried Rice

We eat a lot of rice. I usually buy jasmine rice and we go through a whole pack in a few weeks. The beauty of this recipe is that you can add pretty much anything to it = utilizing those leftovers ๐Ÿ™‚ Got chicken, shrimp, fish, or pork leftover? Got veggies? There – you got yourself an easy and delicious dinner.

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This recipe post also has some tips on how to make perfect rice if you’re just cooking it as a side dish.

{THREE} Beef Enchiladas

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Super easy to make and you can prep the filling in advance, too and even freeze it.

Here is a great recipe from McCormickย for beef enchiladas, which is pretty close to what we usually do. Not the healthiest option, by they come together quickly and my husband makes them – that’s a good enough reason for me to eat them ๐Ÿ™‚

{FOUR} Pasta

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This is my all time favorite. I am a huge fan of pasta and I would eat it every day if I could ๐Ÿ™‚ It is one of many reasons I go to the gym so much ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚ ๐Ÿ™‚

Check out some of my pasta recipes!

{FIVE} Scallops

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We usually have scallops when kids are gone ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s kind of our secret food between me and my husband. I have no idea why and when it started, but every time we plan meals for the week we plan on having scallops when the kids are not around for dinner ๐Ÿ™‚ I know. We’re horrible people ๐Ÿ™‚

If you’re intimidated by cooking scallops – don’t be. They are extremely easy to cook and will only take minutes!

Check out this great article with tips on how to cook scallops perfectly and give them a try! They won’t disappoint you.

And there you have it, my friends – five ideas – one for each weeknight dinner ๐Ÿ™‚

Enjoy it and don’t forget to link up below to tell us what delicious meals you’ve had lately.

Take care and eat well.

Lena


Five on Friday: Reads and Random Likes

Hey guys! Good Friday morning to you!

Traditionally, this Friday post is about things I am loving lately, admiring, obsessing about etc. Please, feel free to share yours in the link up below or just in comments!

Meanwhile, my Five on Friday:

{ONE} Born to Run by Christopher McDougal

I’ve heard a lot of people raving about this book, and saying things like “it changed my life”, “it changed my running”, “it changed me”. Well, I decided to give it a try and see if it changes anything for me. I first got it from our local library and started reading it a couple weeks ago.

Born to Run

Well, I don’t know if it changes anything, but it was one great book that definitely goes on to the shelf with my most favorite books. Even if you are not a runner and not planning to become one, this book will “hold you hostage” until you finish it, I can promise you that. Christopher McDougal is a great writer capable of keeping you interested and excited throughout the story.

I ended up purchasing a book of my own on Amazon just so I can go back and re-read it again.

{TWO} Tasty Tuesday Link Up Party

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As you probably noticed, I have been hosting the Tasty Tuesday link up party for the past few weeks. I am loving this project so much! I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for coming to check it out, participate and connect with the great bloggers who link up to their favorite tasty posts.

Special thanks to my co-host of the link up party – Meranda at Fairytales and Fitness for going for this adventure with me!

I hope this project grows and attracts more bloggers creating the community of people who love good food ๐Ÿ™‚

If you are a food blogger and thinking “Dang! I wish I could host something like that!” – let me know. We would love to have more people hosting this weekly link up!

Here are our link up parties we’ve had so far:

If you are not blogging regularly about food but have a great recipe to share, you can also contact me and I will try it out and share your recipe on my Tasty Tuesday post ๐Ÿ™‚

{THREE} Popsugar Selectย – Fitness

They contacted me a while ago offering to be featured on their website as a fitness blogger, which I gladly agreed to as you can see from their badge in my sidebar.

Well, yesterday I received a very nice surprise from them in the mail.

a sweat hoodie with Popsugar logo!

a sweat hoodie with Popsugar logo!

and a very nice card, too:

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Here is where you can findย my profile on Popsugar Select Fitness.

I love being part of this community! Thank you, Popsugar Select!

{FOUR} Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills by Ed Pavelka

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That’s an oldie but goodie. Published in 1998 and I am still enjoying every page. With outdoor cycling season coming into full swing here soon – I needed and inspiration ๐Ÿ™‚ And that book is where I found it. Can’t wait to ride outside!
Buy on Amazon

{FIVE} Spinningยฎ Program Home Study

So. For my CEC as a Spinningยฎ instructor, I am doing this home study on principals of effective weight loss. Fascinating reading! Makes me wonder how many people out there have no idea what they are doing and why it is not working when it comes to weight loss (that includes me, too!). I am looking forward to completing this study and getting the knowledge and experience it has to offer through these great courses the program offers.

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I have achieved my comfortable weight. I guess I could lose about 5 more pounds to qualify for the super right weight for my body type, but I don’t really care. I am comfortable, I love my body the way it is now and if those 5 come off – great. If not – whatever.

But I guess after struggling with my weight for so long I will never lose interest in the subject. That’s why I am working on my education here ๐Ÿ™‚

Do share: what are your latest likes?

Link up below or just share in comments – I would love to hear from you!

Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

Lena

Tasty Tuesday: Quinoa Power Salad

Hey guys! It’s Tasty Tuesday! And on Tasty Tuesdays we party!!!

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Yeah! Don’t forget to link up below and check out other links of the party guests. If you link up, your link will also appear on the blog of my co-host – Meranda.

So. Today I wanted to share a recipe for one of my most favorite salads.

Guess what? There is no traditional recipe for it ๐Ÿ™‚ Just guidelines and suggested ingredient list – no quantities. Just use how ever much of whatever you have basically!

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INGREDIENTS:

Have to use to get a great salad:

  • Quinoa, cooked according to package instructions, and cooled
  • Canned black beans, rinsed and drained well
  • Purple onion, finely chopped
  • Sweet potato, microwaved, chilled, cubed
  • Fresh cilantro or parsley (depends on what you like more – I like both so I throw in whichever I have handy)
  • Lemon juice
  • Olive oil
  • Cumin, salt and pepper

Optional ingredients:

  • Fresh cucumber, cubed
  • Fresh tomato (I am not a big fan of adding it – gives a great taste to the salad, but I personally don’t like the texture)
  • ย Acorn/Butternut squash (cooked and diced – hey, good way to use those leftovers)
  • Bell peppers
  • Avocado (I only put it in if I am making just enough for us to eat in one meal, otherwise avocado gets dark and mushy the day after)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Start with cooking your quinoa according to package instructions – it takes a while to cool, and you will need to use it chilled. Can always put it in the fridge, but I try not to, just let it cool at the room temperature. I usually use 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa and 1 cup water. With everything else thrown into the salad it usually makes 4-6 servings.
  • Microwave the sweet potato, quarter and let cool (quartering will help it cool faster, too). I usually take a medium size potato and microwave it for 2-3 minutes.
  • Next – make the dressing. This is one of those salads where adding the dressing in advance makes the salad better and more flavorful. Combine lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin in a bowl. Wisk it and let sit for a little bit for the flavors to combine.
  • Dice, chop and prep the vegetables you decided to add to your salad.
  • Add all the ingredients together in a salad bowl, pour the dressing over, mix until combined, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  • Enjoy!

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Here are some serving suggestions, too:

As a side for your steak

As a side for your steak

On a bed of fresh baby spinach

On a bed of fresh baby spinach

Do share: have you tried any yummy recipes lately? Link up below to share with us or comment!

Stay fit, friends, and have a wonderful week!

Lena


Tasty Tuesday: Ham and Cheese Baked Egg Cups

Hey, guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday! How is your week going so far? Are you ready to see some tasty stuff? ๐Ÿ™‚

Don’t forget this post is a link up party! Link your favorite tasty posts below so everyone can see what tasty foods you’re eating ๐Ÿ™‚

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Are you a food blogger who wants to co-host this link up party with us every Tuesday? Contact me for details or leave a comment below!

Now down to business already ๐Ÿ™‚

My post today is about a wonderful page – The Lemon Bowl. Liz is my go to resource for simple, healthy and delicious recipes!

Last week I stumbled upon her Ham and Cheese Baked Egg Cups and I knew I had to make those as part of my Sunday meal prep.

They come together in less than 10 minutes, bake for 25 and make a super delicious and nutritious breakfast. My husband called them “breakfast bombs” ๐Ÿ™‚

Because I, believe it or not, couldn’t find Canadian bacon the recipe was calling for at our grocery store, I had to improvise with Liz’s recipe.

I also didn’t have enough eggs, so I used half the amounts on the recipe and also used mini muffins pan, so I still got 12 muffins with the ingredients below.

Before we get to the recipe, make sure you give Liz some love:

Ham and Cheese Baked Egg Cups

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INGREDIENTS:

  • 7 eggs
  • 1/3 cup 2% milk
  • 2 oz of Extra sharp cheddar (shredded)
  • 3-4 oz leftover lunch meat (I used chicken breast and ham)
  • 1/4 cup minced scallions
  • Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until light and fluffy. Stir in the meat, scallions and salt/pepper to taste.

3. Divide egg mixture evenly between 12 muffin tins then sprinkle evenly with sharp cheddar.

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4. Bake until eggs are set, 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly to ensure eggs are set before removing from pan to serve.

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Enjoy as a healthy breakfast, snack or even lunch!

Have a wonderful week, guys, and don’t forget to link up below ๐Ÿ™‚


Tasty Tuesday – Latest Tasty Finds and a Linkup Party!

Hey guys! Happy Tasty Tuesday to you!

Before I start talking about all the tasty stuff, I wanted to bring your attention to the fact that starting from today, the Tasty Tuesday blog post is officially announced to be a Linkup Party!

Come here every Tuesday to add links to your favorite tasty recipes, restaurant reviews, meal prep tips, etc. etc.. – we are talking anything tasty!

And…since it is a party – once you add a link here, your links will also appear on the Tasty Tuesday blog post of the linkup co-hosts.

This week it is just me and Meranda over at Fairytales and Fitness. Be sure to check outย her blog!

So. Down to business now – this Tasty Tuesday I am sharing recent Tasty Finds!

{ONE} Peanut Butter Pie Ball by Wishes and Dishes.

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To all of you, peanut butter lovers – you are welcome! ๐Ÿ™‚

{TWO} Red Velvet Mug Cake by Kiss My Broccoli

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Heather, I just want to give you a hug for this one! I love red velvet anything ๐Ÿ™‚

{THREE} Ham and Cheese Baked Egg Cups by the Lemon Bowl

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{FOUR} Banana Blueberry Cinnamon Bread by A Hungry Runner

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I have recently received a private message on Instagram with a video statement from my 11 year old daughter’s friends at school that this bread is super delicious. You gotta trust those girls! This bread is super awesome!

{FIVE} Lemony Cookie Bars by Lauren Kelly

Aren't the gorgeous?

Aren’t the gorgeous?

Stay fit, friends, and keep it tasty!

Don’t forget to link up your favorite tasty stuff below!

Lena