Let’s get real here.  I am an eater.  Always have been, always will be.  Just these days, my eating tends to lean far on the healthier side than ever before.  We went through the drive thru the other night after going to the Lake Erie Monsters hockey game, and Dan asked if I wanted anything … to which he followed by saying that I haven’t eaten any meat from a fast food joint in years (minus Chick-fila nuggets, c’mon that doesn’t count!).  I giggled as my belly growled and I knew we had zip to eat back at home because I hadn’t been grocery shopping in a while.  So a chicken sandwich I went for.  At home, I ate half, and as thankful as I was to relieve that annoying growl, I was even more annoyed that I bothered eating it.  I could have made ten more things that tasted better than that sandwich.  Needless to say, that drive thru will not be visited again for 2014.  Chick-fila, I will see you soon enough 🙂

Let’s get even more real here.  Every family has their weaknesses.  To eat clean around the clock is nearly impossible.  Okay, Okay, some of you do it, high five to you.  But I have an all american 4 yr old that will try anything, then proceed to turn his nose up.  A two year old who spent the majority of his upbringing eating clean.  So balancing both, without making two separate meals all the time is a crazy goal.  I have “processed foods” in my cupboard (gasp!).  Some that are not purchased all the time, some that are staples.  We have some amazing pizza places around here that hit the spot each and every time we order, which is more than likely 2+ times a month.  For my family, we meet right in the middle between clean eating, and dipping into all the goodness less healthy foods have to offer.  More importantly, I want the kids to have a greater understanding of how important the ability to cook is.  The boys are constantly in the kitchen with me, and it will be a thing of ours for years to come.  Cooking from scratch is a skill that is extremely important for my boys to learn, to benefit themselves and their future lucky wives 🙂

One of my main goals for 2014 is to share with you our recipes for lunch/dinner ideas.  Now, please understand if I do, some of the recipes may have two parts, a more dairy free option (for Owen) at the end.  So for you mommy’s and daddy’s out there with kiddos that have dairy allergies, you’ll find this helpful.  Or for those who want to start limiting their dairy intake.  I hope my future recipes will inspire you to learn how to break down one meal, so everyone can enjoy!

Last but not least, let’s not be shy around here.  (Positivity first and foremost!) Email me, comment on our blog posts.  I love to hear from you guys, any questions/comments you may have we will be sure to respond!

Our email is listed on the side bar of our page! And commenting can be done at the top of each post.

Now our favorite EATS of 2013!

Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Our Take on Take-Out Part 1 : Baked Sweet Potato Egg Rolls …

Avocado Ranch Dressing

Sweet Potatoes: for dinner & breakfast

Bacon in the Oven

Cowboy Caviar

Jalapeño Popper Dip

Whole Wheat mini Pumpkin Pancakes

Pancake Sausage Bites 

Whole Wheat Roasted Strawberry Muffins

Chocolate Dipped Cheesecake Bites

 

Yesterday, I tossed these beauties together just minutes before family was arriving.  Squished for time, I pushed down the dough into a 9×13 baking dish and out came these cookie bars packed with yummy goodness.  Remember our loved recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies ? The base of this recipe is so flexible I am always changing the add in’s and consistently being blown away as to how versatile this recipe really is.

• Reese pieces + chocolate chips
• sliced almonds, cranberries + chocolate chips
• white chocolate chips, pistachios + dried cranberries
• chopped candy bars (yum!)

This time the winners were chocolate chips, oats and shredded coconut mixed within.  Made into cookie bars, the slices are thick, chewy and packed with flavor.  A cookie dough recipe that is a favorite in our home, and one that you should keep in your back pocket too!

ingredients:

• 2 sticks room temperature butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

directions:

Pre heat the oven to 350* line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper, enough to hang over the edge for easy removal of the cookie bars.

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add in one egg at a time, and stir until they are combined.  Add the vanilla, and stir.

Right into your wet bowl, pour in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Stir together until the flour is completely incorporated.  Add the oats, shredded coconut and chocolate chips and mix together until they are evenly dispersed.

Finally, pour the cookie dough into your prepared baking dish, pushing the dough down into one even layer.  Bake at 350* for 22-28 minutes, until the top is slightly golden and the bars are still soft to touch.

Let cool on a wire rack, in the dish until cooled and ready to be lifted out and sliced into your desired sized squares.  Enjoy! They will not last long!!

Our favorite time of year is here.  Our halls are decked, and our trees are up.  Who ever comes to look at our house (while for sale) better like Christmas, or else they may turn into the grinch and rip the decor off the table tops.  Christmas music plays at dinner time as we sit and eat (preferably Michael Buble).  The boys are in constant discussion over their lists, and the excitement is already topping the charts for Christmas morning.

We jumped on the band wagon of having an “elf on the shelf”.  Can’t say I love it, can’t say I hate it.  It is what it is.  A lot of our friends/family have one, so with all the chit-chat it nearly impossible to avoid not having one in our home too.  The boys officially understand that Buddy goes back to the North Pole each night to give his behavior report to Santa.  The boys even talk with him, apologizing when their behavior went sour.  It is the cutest.

We as parents though, are a pinterest fail in the “elf world”.  We do not do creative scenarios that the boys will wake up and find each morning.  They’re lucky if “Buddy” the elf has jumped from one stocking to another.  Normally we are messy-haired and running downstairs to move him before the kids notice.

They do, however, get über excited about spotting him as soon as they roll out of (our) bed.  I am always tempted to go the extra mile and make it a little more elaborate for them.  And then I just feel like a liar liar pants on fire.  Isn’t it bad enough that we tell them what we do?

So, for now the boys will enjoy Buddy the elf hopping around our house.  Stuck in the most basic of places.  That’s as far as we’ll go.

When it comes to baking however, I am more than willing to throw an extra punch.  These elf cookies are just darling, and the boys were excited to make them for their elf. Last night we forgot to move Buddy (gasp) – shocker.  So, these cookies were a fantastic excuse that buddy’s belly was too full to move this morning from his spot.

It doesn’t get much easier than these folks.  This is the first recipe I have ever posted that comes from a box …

ingredients:

1 box pilsbury funfetti cake mix

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

directions:

pre heat the oven to 350*

Mix ingredients together, and roll into 1 tsp size balls.  Place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spray the bottom of a drinking glass with nonstick spray, and flatten each ball.  Bake at 350* for 7-9 minutes, until the bottoms are slightly golden.  Remove from cookie sheet and let cool on a wire rack.

After cooling, if you’re feeling perky, pipe small circles of pilsbury vanilla frosting and place another cookie on top to make cute cookie sandwiches.

Recipe from:

Funfetti Cookies recipe from Pillsbury.com

After an entire weekend of getting together with family, stuffing our faces with not so figure friendly foods, it was nice to get back into the kitchen and do my part to get us back on track.  So, here is a delicious muffin to kick of your monday.  One that is just sweet enough to satisfy any holiday sweet tooth addiction you’ve started, omitting the guilt.  Roasting the strawberries intensifies the sweetness of the berry, resulting in super flavorful muffins.  Whole wheat flour helps make these muffins hearty, and lemon zest lightens them up just enough.  They were gobbled up by the kids after their naps yesterday, and I was one happy momma not to hear a peep of complaints.  It’s safe to say these will be coming around more often, next time I think tossing fresh blueberries to the batter as well.

ingredients:

• (for roasting)
• 1 pound strawberries, stems removed
• pinch of sugar
• (for muffin batter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup reserved strawberry juice, or 1/4 cup milk (we use soy)
• 1/2 cup vanilla coconut yogurt (or low fat greek yogurt)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 8 Tbsp melted butter (1/2 cup melted earth balance butter if you need non-dairy)

directions:

pre heat the oven to 400*

-Line a baking sheet with foil, and place the strawberries on.  Toss with a pinch of sugar, and let roast at 400* for a total of 15-20 minutes, tossing once.  Once roasted, take out, let cool and lower the oven temperature 350*.

In the meantime, in a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.

In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, eggs, vanilla and melted butter.

Once the strawberries have roasted, place the strawberries in a strainer and collect the juices that come out.  You’ll need 1/4 cup of the juice.  Do not worry if you do not get 1/4 cup, I had much less (about 2 tablespoons), so I used what I had, and still used an additional 1/4 cup milk.   If you have 1/4 cup of juice, just use that and omit the milk.  Add the milk, or strawberry juice to the wet bowl, stir to combine.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet.   When everything is fully combined, gently fold in your strawberries.  Line your muffin tin with liners, and fill each cup to the top.   Top with sugar sprinkles (optional).  Spray the top of the muffins/pan lightly with non stick spray and bake at 350* for 20-24 minutes.

recipe tweaked from:

Roasted Strawberry Muffins | Annie’s Eats