Yummy Holiday Breakfast

Our family does a big Christmas Eve and a laid back PJ's and presents Christmas day.  We go from Christmas morning jammies to afternoon nap jammies, it's kind of our thing not to get properly dressed on Christmas day. Anyway, since the day before we spend most of the day cooking and entertaining I try to do all meals as simple as possible on Christmas day, so we had Apple Pie Oats for breakfast and leftover paninis for linnerish. The Oats were super simple and super delicious and the leftover sandwiches were really yummy. The oats I did in the crockpot, it was 1 cup of steel cut oats (I used Bob's Red Mill brand), one can apple pie filling, 1 1/2 cup cherry cider (you could also use apple cider or just plain apple juice) and 2 cups water. Add all in a crockpot for 2 hours on high. I started it when we woke up at 6:30 and it was ready by the time the kids were coming down from their stocking candy sugar high. My guilty conscious got the better of me and I did serve it with turkey sausage to curb the sugar rush...just a bit. What can I say, it is Christmas after all. The oats tasted just like hot apple pie, desert for breakfast and I didn't even hate myself after eating it. Total calories for a cup of oats was 250, 2g of fat, 5g of protein and as a belated Christmas gift I am leaving out how many carbs...your welcome. This recipe would be great on New Years morning after staying up for the ball drop on New Years Eve. I wish all of you a very Happy New Year and as Oprah once said “Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.” 
Till 2014, 
Cheers,
T.Sadd

Here is a picture of our leftover sandwiches, just cause I mentioned them above=)

Super Simple Chili

I have been making this chili for years and it is so simple, healthy and made with whole food ingredients. I usually cut the tomatoes the night before and then in the morning brown the beef and onions then throw all the indigents in the crockpot and by 5pm I have a healthy yummy dinner ready to serve. This meal is great for soccer Saturdays, Sunday football, or crazy Mondays when you are rushing around and don't have time to whip up an Emeril style dinner;) I usually will make a double batch and freeze some for later when I really have no desire to cook but still want to serve a healthy meal. You only need 6 ingredients and about 20 minutes.

Ingredients:
1 1/2lbs Ground Beef or Turkey
1 1/2lbs Roma Tomatoes diced
1 medium Onion chopped
2 6oz cans Tomato paste
2 can Red Kidney Beans
4Tbs (or to taste) Chili seasoning

Brown beef in a skillet with onions, drain the juice from the kidney beans into the crockpot or pot you are going to cook the chili in,  rinse the kidney beans in a colander to wash any excess starches off. Add beef, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and beans; mixing them together, then finally adding the seasoning. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4. The leftovers are great for chili cheese fries, over a baked potato, or chili dogs. This is a great cold weather recipe that will have your family singing you praises and only you will know how simple it is to make.  For a heaping cup of chili it has only 200 calories, 5g of fat, 21g of carbs and 18g of protein. That leaves a whole lot of room for cheese and sour cream on top. When I make the chili cheese fries, baked potato, or chili dogs I will usually only use half a cup of chili.
Till Next Blog,
Stay Warm my Friends
T.Sadd

P.S. For an added kick of Vitamin C during cold and flu season add chopped bell peppers into the mix.

Fajitas!

Last Sunday funday, my husband and I decided to take a little break from cooking, it was

a great day to lay around; he watching football and I watching a 'Love it or List it' marathon. Our first meal shall remain nameless because it is, for sure, not on any recommended diet...ever. The second meal I thought better be more healthy, I mean after all our arteries could be on the line here.  We went to the Local El Chicken place and ordered their chicken bowls, super healthy right? Well after finishing up our dinner and patting ourselves on the back for such a diligent dinner decision,  I got to thinking well how many calories do these chicken bowls actually have? I mean it can't be much, after all it is just chicken, rice, beans, some veggies and sauce right? Wrong! One bowl came out to over 900 calories! No you read it correctly 900! Thank goodness I only ate a little over half of it but still, that is more calories than our burg... I mean lunch. It was then and there that I vowed that I was going to show those chicken bowls a thing or two, tonight I made us chicken fajita bowls with just as much flavor and with less than half the guilt. So here we go: 2 chicken breasts marinated in fajita seasoning, 2 bell peppers (one red and one green) cut into strips, 1/2 onion cut into strips, 2 cups jasmine rice cooked with lime juice and cilantro (remember all the health benefits of cilantro;), one can drained and rinsed black beans with a few sautéed  pepper and onion bits, homemade avocado salsa and sour cream. Dunda-dun for 1/4 of this recipe (a hefty bowlful) it is only 435 calories. Less than half of the calories than the other place, although I have to admit their portions are much larger. My kids LOVED it, even though they didn't eat as much of the bell peppers as a mother dreams of, they did eat all the other stuff and all the peppers in the, as I like to call it, confetti beans. Simple and delicious, who could ask for anything more;)

Till Next Blog,

T.Sadd

Nacho Average Casserole

Even though I live in Southern California, I don't think I can get enough Mexican food. Mexican food combines a ton of super healthy foods and makes them even more heathtastic; Beans and rice = complete protein, avocados and tomatoes = vitamin E+C and cilantro is a nutritional power house and is packed with antioxidants. This recipe is like having nachos without that awkward, if they are all stuck together it is one nachoness or guilt. This being said here is my super simple mexi-melt casserole. It has a quick prep time, especially if you opt for canned corn instead of fresh. I used the last of our tomatoes ripening on the vines and our peppers are turning a brilliant red in the warm October sun, absolutely perfect for this recipe! I used one ear of corn left over form Sunday's BBQ, 2 ripe tomatoes the size of tennis balls, 2 Ortega chilies from our garden, a can of drained and rinsed black beans, a pound and a half of lean ground beef, 1/4 yellow onion a tablespoon of taco seasoning, fresh cilantro and about 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese. Brown beef with seasoning and onion until the beef is cooked then add the corn, and peppers after cooking for a couple minutes add the black beans and tomatoes. If the skillet is not oven safe, add mix to a baking dish, cover with cheese and bake at 350 for 15 minutes! Serve with tortilla chips on the side. Dinner: done and done.  You don't even have to feel guilty you are serving nachos, this recipe is super healthy! One sixth of the recipe is only 315 calories!
Till Next Blog,
Olé
T.Sadd

To find out more healthy benefits of cilantro check out what Yahoo! has to say about it!

Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday

Growing up one of my favorite meals was tacos, I am pretty sure it is because I got to choose what went on top of my taco. Kinda like the Subway commercials where the boy chooses his own sandwich toppings. That, my friend, is why my kids love taco night as much as I did as a kid. When kids feel they have control over what they are eating they are more likely to eat it. I never hear 'I hate taco night' or 'this smells disgusting!' only "Mom this is Grant's it has sour cream!" This recipe is super easy and a real crowd-pleaser. I use the stand up taco shells since they are easier to bake and easier to stuff full of toppings. I use meatless taco filling, 1 can fat free refried beans, 3/4 cup marinara sauce and about a tablespoon and a half of shredded cheese. That is 183 calories, 12g protein, 8g of fat and 4g of fiber. Those totals however do not include the toppings. The toppings are just as important for making this a fam fav. On mine I put shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, chopped olives, sour cream and Ortega taco sauce. I think for all the toppings it is about 20 calories. If you like the tacos from Taco Bell or Jack in the Box, stand by because these are at least 100x tastier and approximately 100x better for you, they are not fried in high saturated fats but baked at 350 for 10-15 minutes or until the edges of the taco shells are golden brown. This is great for a Meatless Monday meal or for Taco Tuesday.
Till Next Blog!
T.Sadd

P.S. Click here for reasons why Meatless Mondays are great!

Walnut & Curry Tuna Melt

Tuna melts are by far my favorite greasy diner food, but alas as a person who is deeply vested in health and fitness I cannot indulge my love of this calorie rich food. Fear not health minded friends I have come up with a recipe that is probably 1 billionth of the fat and calories of this diner fabulous food. I use Greek yogurt instead of mayo and add walnuts to give it a nice crunch, this recipe is a good replacement for the not so heart friendly traditional melt. I use chunk light tuna in water (always dolphin friendly, don't want to hurt our cute little ocean buddies), about 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt like Chobani 0%, one stalk celery, green onion (also know as chive or scallion), 2-3Tbsp chopped walnuts and a sprinkling of curry powder (I usually sprinkle and test until I get to the right amount). I think serving a tuna melt on anything but sour dough is a crime against food, punishable by eating bland food forever. I also like thin sliced tomato on mine under 3/4oz melted Tillamook cheddar cheese. This recipe is 475 calories, 36g of protein, and 15g of fat compared to a traditional tuna melt from a well known diner chain of 810 calories, 52g of fat and 43g of protein. You only sacrifice 7g of protein but save yourself a whopping 37g of fat and 365 calories. Yes I know, your welcome!

Till Next Blog,

T.Sadd

Salad, It's What's For Dinner

Salads aren't just for dieters anymore, I personally love salads. When done right a salad can be  packed with nutrition, taste and texture. I was once asked by a co-worker if there was something I ate with every dinner, he was from a traditional Hispanic household and said at ever meal his wife served beans and rice. I thought for a couple minutes and said that at most meals we have a salad. Then I thought more and more and realized though it sounded healthy; iceberg, carrots and Ranch dressing, while delicious, probably isn't as healthy as it seems. Over the years I have experimented with many different salads and have a few favorites. When I found out iceberg has almost no nutritional value I decided to change it up, first I started using romaine (a little better) and now I use a baby kale/spinach mix or baby springs mix. First of my favorites is the Steak and Grape Salad; I use about 3oz of left over steak, red grapes, white cheddar or Havarti cheese and of course the usual salad fixings: cucumbers, chives and such. Second is the Creamy Cherry Walnut Salad; I use 3oz chicken breast, 1-2 laughing cow soft cheese triangles, dried cherries and 2Tbs chopped walnuts, on this salad I use Newman's Own Lite Raspberry & Walnut Vinaigrette. Next is the Mango & Avo salad; I use 1/3 of a mango, 1/3 of an avocado with cucumbers, chives and Newman's Own Lite Balsamic Vinaigrette. The Buffalo Chicken salad is definitely one of my favs;  I toss the cooked chicken breast in Frank's Red Hot Sauce,  half an ounce of Blue Cheese crumbles, celery and carrots and Bob's Big Boy Lite Blue Cheese dressing. Last of my favorites is what I call the Not So Basic Salad; chicken breast, hard boiled egg whites, avocado, tomato, carrots, cucumber, chives and my secret ingredient (found by accident when I was out of regular cheese) string cheese.  Salads are great in the summer; they are light and delicious and there is tons of fresh produce out there to experiment with during the summer months. There are so many combos to try, maybe beets with feta and arugula or tomato and mozzarella with basil vinaigrette the options are endless. So here is to summer and all her bounties!
Till Next Blog,
T.Sadd

P.S. Did you know dried cherries are an excellent source of Melatonin which is known to promote natural sleep patterns? Well now you do!

80/20 Chow Mein

I love stir fry and my kids love noodles, I have found a way of tricking them into eating tons of veggies while thinking they are eating chow mein (evil laugh muahahaha). When I was younger my Gramma made this chow mein that was not too bad from a little Bohemian woman. After my Gramma passed in 2010 I tried to find her recipe, no one seemed to have it, so I set out to recreate it. Three years late I think I finally have it and here it is: 2Tbs grape seed oil (or olive oil), 2 cloves garlic, 2/3 of a head of cabbage, 4 carrots peeled into long strips, 1/2 onion cut into strips, 5 stalks of celery, a cup of mushrooms, soy sauce and of course noodles. I use Maruchan's Fresh Yaki-Soba brand noodles, they come in 3 individual packages, I use just one package. First I saute the garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds, then add onion and celery saute for 30 seconds, then add the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots on medium for about 5 minutes until the veggies are soft but still a little crunchy, add about 3Tbs of soy sauce. Remove the veggies from the pan (I usually move them to the cutting board) add the noodles to the pan and heat on medium low for about 3 minutes adding hot water to break them apart. When the noodles are tender (3-5mins) I add the veggies back in, cook another minute or so and add a little more soy sauce (I don't have a specific amount, just to taste). This recipe is 80% veggies, 20% noodles and 100% awesome! The kids are also getting Vitamin D from the mushrooms, Vitamin K from the cabbage, Vitamin A from the carrots and all these veggies are low in calories! Super duper win win! Total calories for 1/5 of the recipe (a heaping cup) is only 150!!!! I repeat 150! That means you can treat yourself to a side of gyoza or an egg roll and not even feel guilty!
Till Next Blog!
T.Sadd
P.S. Add chicken or tofu for extra protein.

Vagabond Soul

I believe I was born with the soul of a vagabond, I love to travel whether it be to countries unknown or to local spots that have yet to be discovered. This past weekend we traveled to St Louis to visit my husbands Marine Corps brothers, we seriously had a blast. I almost wrote to my mom to pack the kids and send them to St Louis cause we were ready to stay. However with my husband having to be back at work and my 4 1/2 year old commencing from preschool, with sad hearts we headed back home. We had so many great experiences while in St Louis; playing washers, drinking Budweiser products, eating our weight in all sorts of BBQ food and of course spending time with people we love. These were my husband's buddies, who we really do love dearly and his buddy's family and friends welcomed us with open arms. I feel as close to some of them as I do with people it took years to build friendships with, with some people it just clicks. Anyway back on point, travel really opens your eyes to so much of what the world has to offer and what amazing things are waiting out there for you to discover. Travel doesn't have to cost a lot or be far from home, taking a trip to your local botanical gardens or any national monument that may be close to you, maybe a hiking trail you have yet to tackle. My advice is get out there and explore; for example, about 20 minutes from us is a nature center, it is riddled with hiking trails from the beginner trail to the mountain climber trail. Our trip to The Lou was definitely good for my soul for so many reasons. Get out there and experience life, I promise it will be good for your soul too.
Till Next Blog,
Explore!
T.Sadd

P.S.: For all my SF friends take a San Francisco Walking Tour, the docents love the city and know all sorts of great stuff about it. Take a tour I promise you won't be disappointed! Oh and by the way they are free, a small donation is suggested though.

Coo Coo For Coconuts

momsreview4you.com

Since tomorrow is Mother's Day I decided to Make A. Coconut Crusted French Toast from my Facebook post today since I will be heading to brunch with my four favorite guys tomorrow. I am going to a start off by saying for many many years I thought I had a food sensitivity to coconuts, it started about 10 years ago when my mom took me out for a mother/daughter dinner at a Thai restaurant, that night I developed a severe stomach ache. At the time I did not make the connection to the food. A couple years later we ate at a noodle place and I had the coconut curry bowl, while it was delicious (I ate every last drop) that night again I had a terrible stomach ache. Since then I completely cut out any type of coconut, but with the coconut craze sweeping the country something like this was bound to happen; my dad had no knowledge of my aversion to coconut, he handed me a piece of toast with a sweet white cream on it, I thought that maybe it was a custard. No it was coconut, I almost went into a ball right then and there expecting to have horrendous stomach cramping. Much to my surprise nothing, not even flatulence! I am still not sure why Thai food gives me a stomach ache but I am thanking Baby Jesus it is not coconut, for the past few years I have missed out on this creamy sweet fruit and let me tell you I am making up for lost time! My sister and her boyfriend who really should be world renowned chefs make a Caribbean jerk bean and rice dish that I really cannot wait to try! Anyway onto the recipe I used whole wheat bread, a cup of milk, 3 eggs, Cinnamon and vanilla. Mine did not look like the picture, I think for appearances the coconut in the picture was added after the bread had been cooked. The coconut was toasted and more of a golden brown, also they were a little soggy so I would recommend less milk and more egg. Total calories for one slice: 272. Cheers to coconut and all it's health benefits!
Till Next Blog,
T.Sadd

P.S. More and more studies are showing that coconut oil may actually raise your HDL (good) cholesterol.

Breakfast Grilled Cheese

FitFromConception

As promised I made B from my Facebook post, it was some serious yummy. I went to the store on Friday to get the ingredients because yesterday I had a training in San Diego to become a fitness instructor, the training was from 8-5 and is about a 90 minute drive from where I live, in other words I knew I wouldn't have time to go to the store yesterday. Any who, my kids found the blueberries in the fridge and while I was not here I am guessing they were completely gone in under a minute, not going to lie I am kinda proud these kids like fruits and veggies. I had also picked up a carton of organic strawberries too just in case the A option (coconut crusted french toast) made a last minute come back, so I used those instead. This is how I made the sandwiches; 1oz softened 1/3 less fat cream cheese mixed with a little stevia, 2 slices whole wheat bread and about 3 strawberries. First I spread the cream cheese mixture on then added the strawberries and placed them on the grilling pan for about a minute and a half on each side. The cream cheese and strawberries almost melted together in a symphony of flavor, so yum! Total calories: 200. I would recommend, and this is what I will do next time, is make it open faced and serve it as a side with maybe some scrambled eggs or a smoothie it was not terribly filling and you save 60 calories off the total. I am going to look into getting a grilled cheese maker cause you know how I love my grilled cheese!
As my four year old would say,
"Bon Appetit"
Till Next blog,
T.Sadd

Stay tuned next Sunday Funday I am going to make the coconut crusted french toast!

Go Bananas!

nomnomnomblog.com

I am pretty sure I have mentioned once or twice that I have a bit of a sweet tooth, well I am always looking for new ways to satisfy that tooth with out dissatisfying my waistband. I found this pin and thought I would give it a go,  PB ‘Nana Cream Bites. I really like white chocolate, that was the only change up I made. I used 2 bananas, 3-4Tbs of PB and about a cup of melted white chocolate, which in our house we call mocha choca latte, it just sounds funner and might even make it taste just a bit better. After I made them they looked so good I couldn't wait for them to freeze (or for the chocolate to harden for that matter), my husband and I had a couple each before I popped them in the freezer. When the boys got up from their nap a couple hours later we all dove in, they were delicious and did the trick in satisfying my sweet tooth. A sweet treat that has potassium plus manganese (helps in the creation of healthy red blood cells) plus protein equals awesome! Next time your sweet tooth and waist start arguing this is a great compromise. I would have to say I kinda like them just as well not frozen as I did when they were frozen. Total calories, 30 per banana bite.

Till Next Blog
T.Sadd

From the kiddo files: When I asked my kids what they wanted to name our next pooch they came up with Unicorn Snicker Doodle Saddler, kinda has a ring to it=) They originally wanted Unicorn Snicker Doodle Chow Mien Saddler (it must have been dinner time) but I told them that wouldn't fit on doggy forms.

Earth Day Tribute Blog

There are many ways for us to conserve our precious resources and help our Mother Earth. In this blog I will go over a couple and give some facts along the way.

Reusable Water Bottles:
This is probably the easiest way to start reducing our carbon footprint. You can find reusable bottles in almost any store from Starbucks to Target to your local grocery store. They now come in a plethora of colors, shapes and sizes; I literally bought one the other day that holds almost 40oz of water!!!! That is over half of the recommended daily water intake for the average American. I think the priciest one I have seen (I own this one too) is the one from Starbucks at about $11.95 and I can fill that bad boy up for pennies a day. Of course we all know that water bottles pile up in our landfills but that isn't even the worst part of why you should make the switch. Here are 3 facts about the production of water bottles:
1. 3 times the amount of water in the bottle is used to make just the bottle alone!
2. 17 million barrels of oil are used in one year to make bottles, that amount of oil could fuel one million cars for a year!
3. The waste and Carbon Dioxide emitted by the factories is far worse for the planet then the bottles in landfills themselves.
When Sheryl Crown was diagnosed with Breast Cancer she admitted that she drank a lot of bottled water that had been left in her car and the dioxins in those bottles contributed to her cancer. 95% of the reusable bottles I have seen are BPA free. Bottom line, go buy one of these reusable bottles and save the planet's green, a little green of your own and reap the health benefits of being BPA free.

Reusable bags:
I have to admit when I first bought my reusable bags I forgot them in the car 50% of the time, I used to think 'oh well next time.' Now I feel horrible if I forget my bags and will either carry my Target loot to the car or run back to the car to get the bags. For literally a dollar a bag I am not sure why some people leave the grocery store with 500 grocery bags or bag things like their bananas in the produce bags. I know sometimes, for example when you buy meat, it is a necessary evil but lets be real your bananas aren't going to leak on the other food in your cart. Everyday when I take my oldest to school I see tons of these bags strewn along the freeway and it breaks my heart.  The flowers have started to bloom in Southern California and what catches my eye the most are these bags drifting along or caught on a bush. I do sometimes get these bags at the grocery store and I use them for various things like garbage liners or to put dirty diapers in when we are out and about. In Canada where my mom lives they charge 5 cents a plastic bag, you better believe most people do not forget their reusable bags. Three facts about plastic bags:
1. 12 million barrels of oil are used in the production every year.
2. Only 1-2% of all plastic bags get recycled each year.
3. Thousands of marine animals and an estimated 1 million birds die each year as a result of plastic pollution, most confuse it with food and die from trying to consume it.

These are two simple things you can do to make a huge difference for our planet and for those we share it with.
Till Next Blog
Recycle, Reduce, Reuse
T.Sadd

P.S. One of my favorite quotes from Modern Family:
"I haven't been judged by this many people since I forgot my canvas bags at Whole Foods." ~Mitch

Cookie Dough Yogurt

Girl Gone Counrty

I usually like to come up with quirky titles for my blogs, usually I have the title before I even start writing and sometimes it comes to me right in the middle of a blog. Well this blog, I think will speak for itself, it is cookie dough yogurt!!! And it is AMAZING, in fact I am going to go on the blog right now to praise the author for her genius! Ok I am back, her blog is called Girl Gone Country you should go right this minute and check it out. Anyway I followed the recipe almost to a tee except since I don't have honey and I used the last of our agave for pancakes on Sunday I substituted the sweetener with Stevia, I used white chocolate chips and I also used a tablespoon and a half of chunky peanut butter. Calories: Greek yogurt: 100; peanut butter: 140; vanilla extract: 5; Stevia: 0; white chocolate baking chips: 35; for a total of 280 calories and 23g of protein!!! I have a horrible sweet tooth and I may have just found my answer to a sweet treat that is made with all natual ingredients (yes the white chocolate chips are all natual, they are the Ghiradelli brand) and is packed with protein! This recipe is sooooo good, why are you still sitting there go right now and make it, if you don't have the ingredients go to the store!
Till Next Blog,
T.Sadd

Quinwhat! Quinwhoa!

Yummly.com

The first time I had quinoa I made it for breakfast and of course I was impatient and I didn't let it set long enough and the recipe was so-so. I was ready to throw in the towel on this whole grain and go back to my jasmine rice as my go to side. Then I thought I just bought this bag of organic quinoa and it is going to sit in my pantry until it goes bad in  2052 (not really but for a long time). I thought lets give it another go and see what transpires. I pinned probably 5 recipes that included quinoa and a couple days ago I decided to try a couple and oh by George I actually like it! Here are the pins but as a disclaimer I, again in my usual form, did not follow all the directions; Avocado Quinoa Salad and
7 Salads to Shrink Your Waistline. I started the night before by making the quinoa, confusing my whole family making dinner after dinner, say what?! Well, in the first recipe it said that the quinoa had to be refrigerated for at least 2 hours before serving with the salad, well I was not going to take any chances so I wanted it to sit over night. I used organic vegetable broth instead of water and I also added about 2tbs of canned diced green chili. This is what I put in mine: 3/4C quinoa, 1/3 California avocado, 1/4 tomato, 3oz left over chicken and spicy Sriracha sauce. The past couple weeks I have been hearing all about Sriracha; Sriracha Lay's and in recipes all over the place, I was like 'Oh I need to try some of this Sriracha and see what the buzz is about!' I was under the impression that it was some new hot sauce, competing to replace my beloved TapaTio. Well I opened my fridge and one bottle caught my eye and low and behold it was a bottle of Sriracha, Uncle Chen's to be exact; apparently you have to be an uncle to have your own hot sauce. My dad has been buying this hot sauce from the same man in China Town in San Francisco for years and last visit my husband grabbed one of the three bottle's my dad was hoarding in the pantry. Anyway I digress, this recipe is really yummy and has restored my faith in quinoa. Total calories for that recipe is 340 and it has, 26g of high quality protein and quinoa is a whole grain. Win! Win! Win! The last recipe is a citrus quinoa salad, I used 3 cups of Organic Girl brand baby kale and spinach mix, 1/2 cup quinoa, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 tomato, 1/4 cucumber, and 1 small tangerine and 2tbs Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. Total calories 275. Bottom line quinoa is quinoawesome!
Till Next Blog
T.Sadd

Mostly Muesli

So about every three months or so I pack up the kids and sometimes the husband and make the 7-8 hour trek

to my Dad's home and vineyard in Northern California, it is nestled in the quaint appellation of Yountville in the Napa Valley. On my recent visit to the Vinatieri homestead I discovered something amazing and it goes by the name of muesli. Muesli is rolled oats, rye, wheat, triticale, barely, almonds, date crumbles, raisins, sunflower seeds, and walnuts. Apparently this stuff has been around since the early 1900's but has only been a part of my health regiment for the past couple of weeks. When it was first introduced in the early 1900's they mixed it with orange juice, not sure how that tastes, however I find mine to be super tasty with mango pineapple or berry Greek yogurt. I mix 1/4 cup muesli with 6oz of Greek yogurt and let it sit over night and it is delicious! While at my Dad's I noticed he had 3 Costco sized bags of this goodness so I asked if he wouldn't mind if I took a Ziploc to go. When I got home I transferred it to one of those snack containers with the pop up lids that I usually use to put the kids snacks, like Pirate Booty in. I had muesli every morning for like 4 days straight and on that last day I noticed something that felt like a hair, I thought it must be one of those stringy things off a piece of pineapple. That's when I looked down and noticed I was eating the berry flavor not the pineapple and low and behold I pulled out a long blond hair! Gross! Luckily I am the only one in the house that fits the description, if it had been another color I probably would have thrown up. Upon closer inspection I saw  what looked like dog hair, what!!! How did Cali (our black lab) hair get in my muesli?!?! As Desi would say; My 6 and 4 year old had some "splaining to do!" What happened was they thought it was their snack realizing the mistake my four year old made the run back to the pantry and on the run back he tripped and spilled most of it on the carpet. Being the smarties they are they scooped it back up and put it back in the pantry. Long story short I almost ate one of my hairs and who knows how many of the dog hairs. I recommend it with just muesli, sans hair. Needless to say I had to buy a new batch, I bought the Bob's Red Mill brand that I found at Ralph's but I am pretty sure that most stores do carry some form of muesli. Total calories with the Greek yogurt is 240, 20g protein, 4g fiber and a great source of calcium. You can make it with your favorite yogurt, I just happen to like Greek because it is a good source of protein. 

Till Next Blog,

T.Sadd

Chicken Parmigiana Fantastico!

The best chicken parmigiana I have ever had in my whole 31 years on the planet was when I was 18 years old at a little hole in the wall Italian joint in Pismo Beach. The chicken was fried to perfection; crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The marinara was obviously homemade and the mozzarella could have been made that very morning by a little nonna in the back. Ahhhh I can tell you my all time three favorite meals ever. The first; the shepherd's pie at the Angel Inn at Niagara on the Lake, Ontario, Canada. The salmon fettuccine at a hole in the wall in Venice, Italy (the owner, chef and buss boy were playing cards when we walked in to the restaurant; now tell me that's not Italian) and last but not least the chicken parmigiana in Pismo. Well I came across this pin for baked chicken parm. and thought I would give it a try and as always I did not follow all of the directions but it came out... well fantastico! I used 4 chicken breasts covered them with about 1 1/2 - 2 cups of marinara (I use Victoria White Linen Collection, it is all natural and don't tell my dad or my Gramma, God rest her soul, but the best I have ever had and surprise surprise it is sold at Costco), sprinkle with Parmesan and cover with mozzarella bake at 450 degrees until the internal temperature of the chicken is 180 degrees (about 35 minutes). The total calories for the chicken is about 300, I serve mine with a side of pasta or a side salad. This meal is healthy, delicious and one of my favorites.
Till Next Blog,
Manga!
T.Sadd

P.S. My fourth favorite meal would have to be my mom's beet rolls. Love you Mom!

Creamy Creamy Coconut

I love coffee in the morning, I saw an Ecard once that read 'I go to sleep happy knowing I get to have coffee in the morning', yep that pretty much sums it up. I also love creamer, I would rather skip coffee than have it without the flavored creamer. As I have stated before I am a smidge of a health enthusiast and I know that there is nothing healthy about creamer and there isn't even one single real ingredient in it. This is always in the back of my mind when I drink a cup, especially if I am a little heavy handed and put more creamer than usual and my cup of coffee is especially tasty. I have tried the natural creamers and it just wasn't tasty enough for me, I also tried light Vanilla coconut milk and same results, so I decided I was going to play scientist and make my own. I really like the Almond Joy creamer so I was like I can make that no prob! For the first batch I of course headed to Pinterest for some inspiration, I saw two recipes and pinned both. I really should have read them before pinning though, one called for two raw eggs. Really, is that even safe? Really? So I decided I was going to do half this recipe (minus raw eggs) and part of the other recipe, this is what I got: 1Tbsp coconut oil, 1 can coconut milk, 1 cup almond milk, 3 Tsp Truvia, and lastly 1Tsp pure vanilla extract. I combined all ingredients in a pot on the stove and mixed it up. The coconut oil never really combined with all the other ingredients (maybe I should have partially hydrogenated it or something, but remember I am not a real scientist). Anyway it smelled fabulous and I even stuck my pinkie in for a little taste, it tasted really yummy, I thought I did it on the fist try and commenced to pat myself on the back. I revved up the keurig and made a cup of coffee, much to my chagrin, Houston we have a problem. You know when you're a kid and you want apple juice but Mom wants you to have milk so you mix the two? Well that is exactly how my coffee looked, it had a strong resemblance to egg drop soup. Back to the old drawing board. I did almost everything the same but this time I left out the coconut oil and added about 2Tbsp of vanilla. It was pretty dang good! It isn't quite as flavorful as the fake stuff but I actually enjoyed it and it was made with 100% natural ingredients. It is approx. 20 calories per tablespoon. I really don't know how long it lasts but one of the pins recommended not keeping it for more than 2 weeks, I am storing mine in a glass jar in the fridge. For all the health benefits I will be making the switch to coconut creamer.
Till Next Blog,
T.Sadd

Simply Delicious

NeverHomeMaker

I actually pinned two variations of this combo and tried both. The first one is Avocado Egg Salad and the second is Paleo Snack: Egg, Avo and Tuna. Eggs and avocados are both nutrient rich and delicious. An egg is a nutritional power house; eggs have 13 essential vitamins and minerals, high-quality protein, antioxidants and not to mention they are only 70 calories! Avocados are considered a super food, they contain protein, fiber and the heart healthy fat (omega 3 and 6) that we all need in our diet. The first recipe calls for mayo but we are not huge mayo eaters in my house, so I substituted it with Skotidakis Jalapeno Greek yogurt that they sell at Costco, it is found in the dip aisle. I love this stuff! I literally use it for everything: in tuna salad, baked over chicken, as a dip with veggies or chips and as a salad dressing. We have a deep love for Costco, this love was instilled by my dad who has been a member since 1987. When we go on vacation we will more than likely visit the local Costco. We have visited Costco's from San Diego to Saskatoon from San Francisco to Dundas, Ontario. Since I found this Skotidakis Jalapeno Greek yogurt I have seen it in all the Costco's we have visited so chances are your local Costco will probably carry it. It only has 60 calories per serving (2 Tbsp). The egg salad I made on a whole wheat 100 calorie english muffin, one hard boiled egg, 1/4 avocado and 1 Tbs of the Greek yogurt for a total of 280 calories. The paleo snack I used a hard boiled egg, 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 can of tuna and 1Tbsp of Greek yogurt for a total of 305 calories. Healthy, simple, delicious; yes you can have it all!
Till Next Blog!
T.Sadd

P.S. Check out the neverhomemaker.com blog, she has tips on how to make perfect hard boiled eggs!

Breakfast A-Go-Go

thekitchn.com

A-go-go (adjective) 2. Being in a whirl of motion; as stated in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. That is typically how I would describe my mornings; getting three kids up, ready, fed and out the door with both shoes on, backpack and lunch box in hand. I timed us once and from the first 'get your shoes' to us rolling down the driveway was 7 minutes! I have since made it a little easier on myself and have started to put the backpack and lunch box in the car the night before and put the shoes next to the door. I am hoping these pins will also help me in the morning's mad dash: Freezer Breakfast Burritos and Yogurt in a Mason Jars. For the Breakfast Burritos I used the Romero's Casera Style tortillas, half a package of Trader Joe's Frozen Hash Browns, 10 cage free eggs, sauteed bell peppers and a sprinkle of  mexican blend shredded cheese. The total cost for one burrito is .65 cents and each one is about 225 calories. Just wrap it in a paper towel and heat, I flipped them at 30 second intervals and it took about 2 minutes. The yogurt jars I made yesterday but of course I had to try one even though it wasn't breakfast so these could also double as a mid afternoon snack. I made two variations one with honey flavored Greek yogurt and the other with vanilla Greek yogurt. I have to admit I am not a huge honey Greek yogurt fan but when I was at Trader Joe's the other day they were sampling it with their granola, it was amazing! I bought two of the 5.3oz container of the honey and the vanilla and couldn't wait to get home and mix these up in 4oz mason jars. I use apricot preserve with the honey and sprinkled a tablespoon of granola on top. For the vanilla I heated blueberries and a tablespoon of water and a teaspoon of Stevia (you can also use Splenda or even sugar, in sugars defense it does only have 17 calories per teaspoon) and let it cook for about 5 minutes on high till it made a nice chunky syrup. I poured that on the bottom of the 4oz mason jar and topped it with 3oz of yogurt and of course the granola. They are both approximately 120 calories but have 9g of protein and cost about .75 cents each to make.  I hope these help make your morning a-go-go's a little less hectic!
Till next blog,
T.Sadd

P.S. The granola was a little mushy the next morning but still really good, if you like yours with crunch add the granola right before serving.

Shock Me, Shock Me, Shock Me!

Do you ever wish your pancakes had more double P(protein & potassium)? Do you ever debate  "I really love pancakes but they just aren't very nutritious"? Well your prayers have been answered! I was extremely sceptical of this pin, Egg & Banana Pancakes. I mean really only two ingredients both super healthy and it tastes good, Mama always told me 'If it sounds too good to be true it probably is too good to be true.' This recipe is definitely the exception to that rule. I told the boys last night if they behaved and took a bath and got ready for bed without any fuss I would make pancakes in the morning. They were great; brushing their teeth with (almost) no fighting and got their PJs on with out running around like naked little hooligans, I must commend them on their good behavior. So this morning I got our skillet and thought of this pin, after the Greek FroYo I thought they might riot if I fool them again. Then I thought I'll make one batch and if it doesn't work out I'll make regular pancakes, no harm no foul, right. So I got the ingredient and made a batch which was about six, 3 inch pancakes. The boys ate them at lightning speed, I didn't even have a chance to sneak a bite off their plates or even add syrup to them! So I quickly whipped up a second batch and then a third batch. They were so delicious! They were like really moist sweet pancakes, the only difference is they weren't fluffy like regular pancakes. They are 44 calories per pancake or 264 for an entire batch and 14g of protein! I used one large banana and 2 cage free eggs, to me it is worth the extra money to get eggs from happy hens, I would love to have a coop in my backyard but I am pretty sure the HOA frowns on backyard barnyards.  The Winco's in our town has them for $1.89 only .20 cents more than the regular eggs. I highly recommend these, they are healthy and delicious; so are the pancakes;)
Till Next Blog,
T.Sadd

1 ripe banana+2 eggs= super yum healthy breakfast!

Bring Me to My Knees Grilled Cheese

Aturtleslifeforme.com

I have two recipes for grilled cheese on my "Don't mind if I do" board, yesterday I made one and today I made the other. The first is the Caprese Grilled Cheese. This grilled cheese is mouth watering, ring the dinner bell, smack your donkey good! I really love Caprese, the mix of tomato, basil and mozzarella is so perfect I thank my Italian ancestors every time I enjoy this trifecta of goodness. I have made Caprese appetizers by sticking all three on a tooth pick, I love Margherita pizza, in or as a salad and of course the old Italian way with just a drizzle of olive oil as an antipasto. I am kicking myself for not having tried this before! I used 2Tsp of pesto, spread on each slice of sourdough bread, then layered thick slices of tomato and one and a half ounces of mozzarella; grand total of 300 calories. I have a grilling pan but I don't have a panini press. I believe why buy when you can improvise, I just cover it with a plate to compress it, that really gives the nice grill marks on the bread.  Why buy... unless someone is looking for a gift idea for me and happens to see a nice panini maker on sale. The second is the "Grilled Cheese...Adult-Style." I often thank Baby Jesus for the small things in life, for example: nap time, the Walking Dead, kid free Target trips, pumpkin spiced lattes...etc. ( I save the big stuff like my husband, the health of my kids and a roof over my head for the Big Guy.) I definitely thanked Baby Jesus today for this recipe! My record for following directions is pretty bad, sometimes it serves me well and sometimes not. Well this time my gut told me to stick with the recipe and I listened and boy am I glad I did! One of the things I love about grilled cheese is the meatlessness, like an independent woman it doesn't need a piece of meat to complete it. However this recipe suggested using pepperoni and I just so happened to have a package of turkey pepperoni in the fridge so I threw a couple slices in between the mozzarella and the tomatoes, it was cross your eyes fantastic! This recipe calls for 1/4 of an avocado (I mash mine so it won't slide around), tomato, mozzarella, pepperoni and I added a tiny sprinkle of sea salt for a grand total of 366 calories. These are simple and delicious and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!
Till Next Blog!
T.Sadd

Fun Fact: In 1889, Raffaele Esposito, baked a pizza for the royal visit of King Umberto I and Queen Margherita of Savoy. The Queen's favorite pizza was the pizza evoking the colors of the Italian flag-green (basil), red (tomato) and white (mozzarella), this pizza was named in her honor!

Tomato Basil Bisque of Awesomeness

yourhomebasedmom.com

There is nothing more comforting on a rainy day than a hot bowl of tomato soup. Over the years I have become a tomato soup connoisseur, and one of my favorites is the Mimi's Cafe Tomato Basil Bisque, we rarely leave Mimi's without a pint or two. One day I stumbled across this pin for Tomato Basil Soup and couldn't wait for the next rainy day. A couple days after pinning I made this soup and it is amazing! I am not one for following direction (see my last blog about the Greek FroYo) and this recipe is no exception, this time it actually came out really well without following it word for word. The recipe calls for 3 cans of Italian diced tomatoes, I like my soup to be smooth with minimal chunks so I pureed two cans of the tomatoes and one cup of carrot juice instead of adding the diced carrots the recipe calls for. I did however finely dice the onions and celery and sauteed them in a small sauce pan before adding them to the crock pot. The last can of tomatoes I did not puree so the soup did have some chunks. I cooked all ingredients in the crock pot including the roux and the half and half (I used fat tree half and half.) Roux may sound intimidating but is actually pretty easy to make so don't let that discourage you from trying this recipe. I also omitted the parmesan cheese to save a few calories. The serving sizes were heaping cups (probably in between a cup and a cup and a half) and came out to 160 calories per serving and price wise about a $1 per serving for 12 serving (it makes a lot!). I served it with grilled cheese sandwiches made with sheepherder bread and cheddar cheese. This soup was a huge hit with the kids and was filling enough for the hubs. This recipe would be great for a meatless monday meal, a rainy day or just because!
Till next blog!
T.Sadd

P.S. You don't have to wait for a rainy day or even a cold day, in the summer serve it chilled, gazpacho style!

Dessert or Disaster?: The Greek FroYo Tribulation

Dreyer's 

Friday night we invited my oldest son's best friend for a sleepover. I LOVE sleepovers probably as much, if not more than, my kids (popcorn... gummy worms... and the latest Disney flick.) Actually, the boys make their pillow and blanket fortress upstairs and my husband and I get to enjoy some grown up TV down stairs well before the 8pm allotted time when the kids are in bed. This time I decided maybe Oreos would be a nice change up to gummy worms and when I found bags in the dollar section of Target, I was pretty excited.  I saw on the package it was only 130 calories for 9 of these little goodies. I used to avoid Oreos like John Mayer avoids commitment. I bet if I tried really hard I could take down an entire big package of Oreo's like Hulk Hogan taking down Randy Savage. In such a little package I could stop at 9 right?!?!? Then I had this brilliant idea I could make these cup pop things I found on Pinterest with them! The pin is called Ice Cream Layered Pops, I am a little bit (really just a hair) of a health enthusiast and in my infinite healthy knowledge I know ice cream is at the bad end of the food pyramid or 'pie chart' (whoever thought of calling it that was a real genius.) I decided Greek yogurt is much better, right and it probably tastes the same, right!?!? So I made about six of these little babies and threw in some of the Oreos. Wow was I wrong! The boys took one bite and knew instantly that they had been fooled. This was not ice cream but in fact as my oldest called it "Oreo sour cream." The jig was up! They still ate them by the way and my husband and I finished ours as well. I had to make things right so I went to the store the next day and bought a carton of Dreyer's Slow Turned Frozen Yogurt Blends. I made about 8 and there was still some frozen yogurt left in the carton, I mixed half with peanut butter and half with caramel sauce and all with peanuts. First, I put the nuts then a quarter of a cup of ice cream, half a Tbsp of peanut butter or caramel then quarter cup of ice cream, stick in a popsicle stick and viola! FroYo layered pops! The peanut butter varietal is 165 calories and the caramel is 155 calories. Sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don't, so if you don't then knock 25 calories off the total.
Till Next Blog,
T. Sadd

Quote of the Day- "You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him." Audrey Hepburn

Emergency! Emergency!

A few months ago I pinned this pin that showed me how to make a 72 hour emergency food kit. I thought, we have water stored in the garage, a first aid kit, a hand crank radio and flashlights. Then I thought we don't have food! Well we have food in our pantry but enough for all 5 of us for three days? So I did what came natural and went to Pinterest,  I came across this pin and added it to my Saddler Manor board. This particular pin lay dormant until the New Year when I had the epiphany to get organized, and I want to be as organized as possible when disaster strikes. I decided that this pin was a top priority. In the original pin it called for one gallon size container per person (like the ones that have crazy amounts of cheesey poofs in them).  At first I thought to myself where am I going to find five gallon size containers for all of us; panic set in and in my mind the Saddler's weren't going to make it threw the zombie apocalypse because each of us did not have our own container. As I was mourning our poor little family I thought at least we will be together, together!!!! That was the answer, I would put it in one big bin! We are not in the boy scouts and did not each need our own, and to be honest my one and half year old really doesn't need a whole can of soup to himself. So this is what I put in the bin:

Quaker

Day 1
Breakfast
-Quaker Perfect portion Oat Meal $1.67 (on sale at Ralph's)
Snack
-Half a cup of trail mix per person-$4.49
Lunch
-Lipton Noodle Soup packets- $2.58 (4 envelopes)
Snack
-Fruit snacks- $1.00 for 5 packets
Dinner
-Market Pantry Chicken Gumbo- $2.88 for 2 cans
$2.25 per person

Day 2
Breakfast
-Cereal Bars- $1.99 for 8
Snack
-Gogo Sqeez applesauce- $6.49 for 12
Lunch
- French onion soup mix- $2.58 (4 envelopes)
Snack
-Slim Jim beef sticks and V8 juice- $4.95 for beef sticks and $2.89 for V8
Dinner
-Velveeta mac and cheese $5.48 for two boxes
 $4.87 per person

Day 3
Breakfast
-Quaker perfect Portion Oat Meal (same package as above, and it will not kill you during the emergency to have oat meal twice!)
Snack
- Nature Valley Sweet and Salty Peanut bars $1.35 for five bars
Lunch
-Market Pantry Chicken Gumbo-$2.88 for 2 cans
Snack
-Trader Joe's fruit leathers $2.45 for 5
Dinner
-Box pasta and can of tomato sauce $1.99 and $.89
 $2.25 per person

I also added a box of Nescafe instant coffee (.99 for 7) and Splenda packets (free at your local Starbucks) because the you-know-what will really hit the proverbial fan if I don't have my morning cup of joe. Lastly, our 18 quart box was on sale at Target for $4.99. I suggest you make one of these, you can never be too prepared for a natural disaster or an alien invasion but this is a start. Good luck and Godspeed if there is ever a zombie apocalypse.

Till Next Blog
T.Sadd

Sweet Temptation

Last night my brother in law popped in for dinner. Well it wasn't really a pop in, he told my husband he was coming and my husband forgot to tell me. Luckily for us I was making my popular home made chili. I make 2 meals worth so that we can save some for a later date, we make chili cheese fries or chili dogs with the portion I freeze; so we definitely had enough for everyone. Anyway back on point, I wasn't planning on doing dessert but since we had company I thought I better do something. I remember a couple months before I had pinned a recipe for frosting or filling that looked really simple and I had all the ingredients. So I pulled out my iPad and searched threw my Delisioso board and found it, cream for all occasions. All you need is a box of cheese cake pudding, half the milk called for on the box and half a package of Cool Whip. I whipped this right up and mixed in 2 apples and a banana and sprinkled some cinnamon in (it is the winter after all I had to add some kind of winter flare). My two older boys liked it so much they fought over the last spoonful which we had to divvy up between the two of them. The total cost was $4.15 or .69 cents per serving and it is 130 calories for a sixths of the total recipe. This would also be great as a fruit dip or with strawberries in the summer months.
Till next Pin!
T.Sadd

Quote of the day:
"In love, one must show affection often, appreciation always."
~Holly Bennington

Cream For All Occasions

If you would like to follow me on pinterest.com just click the link below:

http://pinterest.com/tiffsaddler/

Scunchies!

Easy Hair Ties

Yes I am talking about those cute little hair ties that rocked the scene in the early to mid 90's. I have a sister who is very much into fashion, she is always the first to wear what ever Jennifer Aniston is wearing weeks before the paparazzi snap a picture of it. My beautiful sister who shall remain nameless, let just call her "R" was donning one of these magnificent hair pieces when I asked her, politely as I could without laughing, if 1994 had called asking for it's scunchy back. She replied that they are super comfy and didn't break or dent her hair like the other hair ties did. I then told her that I felt the same way about my palazzo (or gaucho) pants but you didn't see me roaming the town in my highly under rated last year pants. I decided then and there I was going to find her a more acceptable way to wear her hair. Of course where did I turn but my trusty side kick and endless pool of creative knowledge, Pinterest. That is when I found this pin easy hair ties. So simple, cheap and so not 1992! You can find this in in my Doin' it Myself board. You only need about 7 minutes, $4, scissors and a lighter. I used the Fashion A La Carte Elastic bands that you can find in an assortment of colors at Michael's and it just so happens they had my favorite color, lavender, in stock. I used one package and it made 8 hair ties. I did this project a months ago and can't remember exactly how much I paid but I don't believe it was more than $4. That is about .50 cents per hair tie, a little more than what you would pay say at Target for a package of hair ties, however I am still wearing the first one I made! It has far outlasted any of the store bought hair ties by far. I would go threw about a hair tie a week before it broke or stretched out to a point that just didn't feel right. The only draw back I have found is when I run my hair tends to slip threw it, so I still use my old hair ties to hold my ponytail when I run.  Other than that these are a 10, I think my hair is even a little healthier since it doesn't break my hair when I pull it out at the end of the day.
Till next Pin!
T.Sadd

Hooters On a Bun

Last night I made the "slow cooker buffalo chicken" from my Delicioso board. I pinned this from Emilybites.com. If you don't follow her on pinterest I highly recommend that you do, her recipes are amazing! I have tried 3 or 4 and my family and I have loved them all. This recipe is super simple and delicious but not for the faint of heart or for pregnant women unless you are 9 month along and ready to meet your Mini Me. It is spicy! My husband and I love spicy, we love to cover everything from mac and cheese to scrambled eggs in Tapatio or Frank's Red Hot Sauce and this recipe left us both reaching for a tall glass of milk and tissue for our eyes. I am not sure if cooking the sauce slowly in the Crock pot all day brings out the full boldness of flavor but it was spicy even for us. In my recipe I omitted the ranch dressing (not huge ranch eaters in my house) and instead used 4oz of light cream cheese. I used 2 frozen chicken breasts and half a bottle of Frank's Buffalo Wing Sauce along with the cream cheese and served it on mini french rolls. It made 6 small slider style sandwiches. It was so good my husband and I were eating threw our tears. Each slider has a little over 200 calories, 14.2 grams of protein, 21 grams of carbs and 6.5 grams of fat. Total cost $1.65 per slider, not too shabby if you compare it to what the other place in town charges, but then again you do get a view at the other place. I live with 4 boys so they might find it worth the extra money to head there for some buffalo chicken!

Till next pin!

T.Sadd

Emilybites.com

Fun Fact- Frank's Red Hot Sauce was used in the original recipe for the buffalo sauce used to make the first buffalo wings at the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York almost 50 years ago! The other ingredients are a guarded family secret!

Strawberry n Cream Crescents

Strawberries cream cheese crescents 

I made these delectable little goodies yesterday for New Years breakfast and they were a huge hit with my 3 boys (and myself of course).  The recipe is super simple, it was really cheap and delicious! With only 7 ingredients and less than 5 minutes to make and 8-10 to bake this is definitely a 10! I used light cream cheese (Neufchatel) and Splenda (you could also use Stevia) and mine came out to be just under 150 calories, much less than what you would get from a store bought pastry. It was about $3.00 for all ingredients which is about .38 cents per serving. I really enjoyed these and I think you will too! Here is the pin from my Delicioso board Strawberries n Cream.

Fun Fact- Cream cheese was first referenced in England in the late 1500's, talk about the Age of Discovery! Bagel lovers will forever be grateful!

First and Foremost

I would like to start off by saying Happy New Year! The reason I started this blog was because I decided in 2013 I would get organized. So like any smart person I decided to start with my pinterest. As I was going threw trying to find all my organization pins, I realized I was deleting a whole bunch of pins that I tried and were either epic fails or too complicated for someone who is not on the Martha Stewart level (yet). Then I found myself clicking on pins that were awesome, I am one of those annoying people that wants to share everything I have learned whether you want to hear it or not. I must drive my family crazy! I have tried so many recipes that my family has had to endure and God bless my husband's poor stomach and heart for bearing with me threw it all! I am going to take this blog and tell you about all the pins I have tried and LOVE. I won't be sharing my fails(although that probably would be pretty funny). I am not here to hurt any one's feelings or put any one's ideas down since I may not have the same taste or skill level for some of the projects on pinerest. To each his own, who am I to say that backed kale cauliflower pizza with soy cheese isn't delicious to someone, right! I have already begun so look for my next blog! As they say on Pinterest:
Happy Pinning!
T.Sadd