Showing posts with label #TuesTalk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #TuesTalk. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Lent Lately

Life lately has been wonderful and trying. We've had some personal things going on behind the scenes; stories that aren't mine to share, ones best kept close to the heart, and others that are not quite ready to be put to paper, but maybe soon. In the midst of all this, I am doing my best to put my faith and family first. This space has been seeing an increasing amount of dust and last night I came to terms with that. This blog has always been an outlet and when I stop treating it as such it becomes a to do rather than a treat and in some seasons it is gosh darn hard to even squeeze in a minute to take care of yourself.

So what am I saying? Am I turning this site off? No, not yet. I don't think I'm ready for that, but at least for this Lent I am taking the pressure off myself and if something flows and gets posted, great!, but if all I can do is share tiny updates and keep my link-ups afloat, great!

This season is about refocusing our lives on clinging to what really matters and in the grand scheme of things, HE is what matters. So this Lent I am feeling called to filter the distractions and do a little more with my faith. Each week I physically want to be at a church event other than Sunday. I know I can pray more at home, but my environment is very important to me and being in an actual church helps me focus. I also want to do some more faith filled reading, but I'll be honest, I'm still trying to figure out when that will actually happen. I have always been more of a night owl, in that I can stay up late without a struggle, but have always loved the quiet of the mornings, except that I have the hardest time getting out of bed even when I go to sleep early...so that permanently exhausted pigeon is definitely where I fit! When I look at my days it seems like the only way I can do some of my goals is if I wake up at 5 am (which feels like a sucker punch in my gut), so I'm going to pray about it and see what the Lord has to offer me: I need energy, Lord and to wake up feeling like I slept, please!

Sorry for the ramble today, but wasn't that what blogging was originally a big ramble of thoughts? Sometimes I miss those days and then I realize I am fully capable of making "those days" today. Thanks for sticking with me!


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Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Pear Turkey Burgers

Ground turkey not smothered in cheese or hidden in soup always left me with something to be desired. It just came out 'blah' to me, but I wanted to love it for its health value. When my hairdresser shared with me that she ate a turkey burger for lunch almost everyday, I was a little surprised how she didn't grow tired of such a bland diet. I made a point to ask her the recipe once we decided we were going to focus on eating healthier this year and I finally got around to making the recipe with a few adjustments, of course. They did not disappoint! In fact, my burger loving husband said he wouldn't mind them being added to our regular rotation! If you love turkey burgers or are sampling some healthier options for your family, try these out. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Pear Turkey Burgers

1 lb. Ground Lean Turkey
1 Pear chopped
1 Small onion chopped
1 Tbs. Ground Flaxseed
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together and make patties to desired size (I found the bigger patties held together better than the smaller ones, so go ahead and make quarter pounders).

Grill until cooked about 4 minutes per side. I used a grilling pan prepped with coconut oil.

Serve as traditional burgers or on a bed of rice and/or salad. 
They are also great with a bit of avocado. The warmth of the burger "melts" the avocado a bit so you have a nice creamy replacement for cheese.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

 We just cannot seem to kick the illness bugs going around. It's been a constant rotation between the hubby, baby, and I. That and with a few other things I had to take a step back from everything outside of the home.
Snuggle with your loved ones a little more today and everyday!

We have some new faces here on the link up and I didn't give them a proper welcome last week.
Make sure you stop over and say hello to Stefanie at Lexie Loo, Lily, Liam, & Dylan Too and Lindsay at Lindsay's Sweet World. We are ecstatic to have them join us. Welcome Ladies!


Beth at Our Pretty Little Girls | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram
Crystal at Hall Around Texas | Pinterest | Facebook | Instagram 

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Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Crockpot Pesto Chicken

Continuing with the recipe trend on my blog lately (more on the reason why tomorrow :) here is a nutritional dinner that is not only easy, but yummy!

 

Crockpot Pesto Chicken

1-2 lbs of Chicken breasts
1 cup of Pesto (I used Kirkland from Costco)
3-4 cups of veggies of choice (I used brussel sprouts and can't wait to try some others)
3 Tbs. Water
Olive Oil


In a crockpot layer chicken, pesto, and veggies. 

Drizzle with Olive Oil and water.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

Serve with multi-grain pasta or brown rice.

Ta da! That's it! So simple and yummy! This is going on my list of go to meals! 

Speaking of meals and planning...

1) you can still sign up to get Keri's Meal Plan Challenge! Check it out. It's really helped me in breaking down how to tackle my meal planning goals.
2) With Grit & Grace is back for 2017 and it starts tomorrow!


Waltzing In Beauty


  Please remember your lovely posts will be shared on our thirteen blogs and we would love it if you would return the favor and link back to us (you can grab the button above).  By linking back you'll have the opportunity to be featured in our feature posts and Pinterest board here! 












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Tuesday, January 17, 2017

The Perfect Breakfast Shake

One of our new year resolutions is to be more intentional with our health. Making smart food choices is integral for us. Starting the day off on the right foot is essential for me...otherwise I turn into a hangry (hungy and angry) bear or a puddle. That start for me is a protein filled breakfast of eggs, mock oatmeal, or a protein shake. I do like a little variety in my meals, so the versatility of a protein shake is perfect for my mornings. You can go simple or fill that baby up with fruits and veggies.

Right now my favorite blend is what I like to call, "Almond Coconut Joy," because it is joy in liquid form.



 Almond Coconut Joy Protein Shake

 2 Scoops Arbonne Essentials Chocolate Protein Shake Mix
8 oz. Almond or Coconut milk
1 Tbs. Almond Butter
3 Tbs. Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
3-4 Ice Cubes
1 Scoop Arbonne Essentials Daily Fiber Boost
1 Scoop Arbonne Essentials Greens Balance 

What's your perfect shake blend? Link them up below or share in the comments!



Waltzing In Beauty


  Please remember your lovely posts will be shared on our thirteen blogs and we would love it if you would return the favor and link back to us (you can grab the button above).  By linking back you'll have the opportunity to be featured in our feature posts and Pinterest board here! 















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Tuesday, January 10, 2017

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers - Mexican or Italian Style

Looking back it seems like a hazy dream.
I can picture the kitchen of our home that we lived in back then.
I can feel the fascination and anticipation for the moment.
I can sense the warmth spreading through my body until it envelopes me like a hug.The warmth of a lovingly made home cooked meal.

Maybe it is my Italian heritage coming through, but food has always been a language of love for me.

When my grandma served stuffed peppers for the first time, I was fascinated by them. I think the idea of eating food out of an edible bowl seemed undeniably fancy. And yet, the contents of that fancy meal were ordinary and called for all the goodness that makes up comfort food. Fancy comfort food - the paradox excited me and I held stuffed green peppers in the highest of esteem, reserving them in my mind for special occasions.

As with most recipes for special occasions, I automatically associated stuffed peppers with complicated recipes, long hours of toil in the kitchen, and mounds of clean up. This couldn't be much further from the truth. You can get by with the bare essentials of your kitchen and the recipe offers a variety of options with which it's hard to go wrong.

Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers - Mexican or Italian Style
Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of my grandma's recipe written down, so this is an adaptation of this recipe to recreate it, as well as offer some variety.

6 peppers (any color - I'm using green because that's what Grandma did)
1 lb ground beef, chicken, or turkey
1 can (14 ounce) black or white beans, drained (you could substitute any kind of bean you like or skip them all together for a more authentic Italian style)
1 can (14 ounce) diced tomatoes (you can use ones with seasoning already for variety)
1 cup uncooked quinoa or cooked rice (optional, but I think it helps balance the texture and lighten the meal from the heaviness of the ground meat, I didn't have either when I made this recipe last)
Mexican Style: 2 teaspoons chili powder and 1 teaspoon cumin
Italian Style: 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice

Serving:
 
Mexican Style: avocado, cilantro, salsa, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, and/or lime juice
Italian Style: Parmesan or Romano cheeses, marinara sauce, pasta (if you skipped the rice and quinoa), and/or your favorite bread to wipe your plate clean (as all good little Italians do)

Wash then slice the tops off the peppers as closely to the top as possible. Remove the seeds and set aside.

In a bowl combine the desired meat, beans, quinoa, spices and cheese of your choice.

Then scoop the filling into the peppers, placing the stuffed peppers into the crock pot. 
Note: Depending on the size of the peppers you may not be able to fit all 6. If you have extra stuffing you could cook in a saucepan until the meat is browned to be served on the side or eaten at another time.
Pour 1/2 cup of water into the base of the crock pot.

Cover and heat on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Towards the end, place some more shredded cheese on top of each pepper to melt it.
Serve with the desired toppings and sides and enjoy!

 And while we're speaking of meals...efficient meal planning is one of the areas I want to work on for 2017. It is perfect timing that my friend, Keri, is offering a 7 day challenge starting later this month; will you join me? Sign up below!

 Are you tired of trying to decide what is for dinner at 4pm? Do you find yourself running to the grocery store every other day? Have you tried meal planning before but it just didn't work? Well friends, I have a challenge for you! Join me for 7 days starting January 15th as I share a series via email for how you can start meal planning! http://eepurl.com/cwOjbr



Waltzing In Beauty

  Please remember your lovely posts will be shared on our thirteen blogs and we would love it if you would return the favor and link back to us (you can grab the button above).  By linking back you'll have the opportunity to be featured in our feature posts and Pinterest board here! 


























 

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