4th of July Healthy Salad

2 large bags of baby spinach

1 pint of blueberries

1/2 pint of strawberries - sliced thinly

crumbled up Feta cheese

Dressing 

Mix together some dijon honey mustard, some soy sauce, a little onion salt and brown sugar and dab of olive oil. 

4th of July Healthy Salad

slice the strawberries

wash the blueberries

throw everything into a bowl and mix in dressing, toss and serve! That's it!

The "Healthy" and "Unhealthy" Watermelon Popsicle

So I saw these on pinterest and I just had to make them! They look like so much fun. There are two ways to have watermelon popsicles at your next summer BBQ. Here are both recipes. One is SUPER easy and one is pretty complicated but totally well worth it!

Easy and Healthy Watermelon Popsicles

Cut watermelon into triangles aka pizza slice looking pieces. Stick a Popsicle stick into the bottom. All done!

Hard and Unhealthy Watermelon Popsicles

1 small watermelon cubed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
handful of crushed ice
1 tsp. white sugar

12 kiwis - peeled and cubed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
handful of crushed ice
1 tsp. white sugar

coconut milk

12 popsicle sticks

1. in a blender blend the watermelon, lemon, ice and sugar together then pour into a popsicles dish and stick popsicle stick inside.throw some raisins inside. put in in the freezer for 4-8 hours
2. then pour a little coconut milk on top of watermelon and place back in freezer for 1-2 hours
3. in a blender blend kiwis, lemon, ice and sugar and then pour in top of the coconut milk. place back in freezer for 1 hour.

Remove and Serve!

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs

Eating outside is fun and this a fun dish you can easily make outside as well as eat outside with your family. It is super healthy and super tasty. I promise you that everyone in the family will devour it!

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
2 - 4 large boneless chicken breast
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove of crushed garlic
1/4 tsp. dried ginger

1 pineapple cut up
2 green peppers
1 large red onion

1. In a bowl marinate the chicken in soy sauce, oil, ginger and garlic for 2 hours or overnight. The longer the better
2. preheat the grill and then put the chicken on the grill - for about 7 or 8 minutes on each side
3. the cut the pepper, pineapple and onions and throw in on the grill for about 5 minutes - or until lightly browned.
4. allow all food to cool long enough for you to be able to touch it.
5. then place then on the skewers alternating between each food.


Preheat oven to 350

place skewers in oven for 5 minutes to reheat. The serve! Delicious! 

Las Vegas Spinach Salad

In 2004, my family went to Las Vegas for my 16th birthday. With the way the calendar fell out that year I had a week off from school so it worked out really well. One night we were invited to a family from Vegas for a meal and the woman made this salad. So we, my family call it the Las Vegas Salad because we LOVED it so much and it was introduced to us in Las Vegas. It is super simple and healthy too! Enjoy!!


Las Vegas Spinach Salad
1 bag of baby spinach (stems removed)
1 can of black olives - sliced thinly
2 handfuls of blue chips crushed into small pieces (not too small though - be careful)
3 heaping tbsp. of low fat mayo
3 tbsp. of chili sauce

Mix the spinach, blue chips and olives in a bowl

Mix the mayo and chili sauce together.

Add the dressing to the salad and stir well - serve immediately.  If you want to make it ahead of time that is fine - but don't add the dressing until you're ready to serve or the chips will get mushy.


I forgot to take a picture - as soon as I do (next time I make it) I will post a picture, until then you will just have to trust me! :)

Frozen Fruit Pops

Frozen Fruit Pops

Ingredients/Directions:

Sliced mangoes, sliced strawberries, sliced kiwis, sliced pineapple.
Mixed water and 100% apple juice (half/half)

Pour into 8 oz. plastic cups. Stick a pop sickle stick in it. Then place it in the freezer overnight. The next next day you'll have a yummy and light frozen fruit pop!! 

Mexican Stuffed Pasta Shells

This recipe I made a while ago. The first I made this it was after a long hot day. We had been at work all day and working with kids in the hot sun. I work at a soccer camp where I coach little kiddos all day. It's fun but very tiring. After a long day this meal hits the spot. It isn't super healthy but it's just mediocre. Each serving is about 300 calories. Enjoy!

Mexican Stuffed Pasta Shells
1 pound of whole wheat pasta shells
1 cup of organic marinara tomato sauce
1 package of Morning Star crumbles
1/2 tsp. of garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
15 oz. can of black beans
15 oz. can corn
8 oz can of black olives
2 tbsp. fresh parsley
A couple of dollops of sour cream
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
1 tomato (seeded and chopped)

1. Cook the whole shells until Al Dente (6 minutes)
2. Set aside and let cool - while it is cooling:(Preheat oven 350)
- heat the Morning Star with the tomato sauce and once the sauce is room temp. add the garlic powder and onion powder and then add in the black beans, chopped tomato and corn.
- place the shells in pan and put 2 tbsp. of the bean mixture in each shell. Then add olives to each shell. Cover the shells with cheese.
3. Put in oven for 40 minutes. Garnish with parsley and sour cream

Serve and Enjoy! (Serves 6)

Salmon Kabobs (4th of July Post 4)

Okay so on the 4th of July, you will have people that chose not to eat meat so you need to have an alternate options- these grilled salmon kabobs are sure to please them (and everyone else at the party!) They're healthy, low calories, low in fat and absolutely guilt free!!

Salmon Kabobs
16 oz. (1 lb) of salmon fillet
2 cups of pineapple cut into cubes
2 cups of any getable

Salmon Marinate 
2 tbsp. of fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 tbsp. Heinz no high fructose corn syrup ketchup
2 tbsp. of brown sugar
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper

Pineapple Marinate
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup of soy sauce

1. combine all all ingredients together (not the vegetable of your choice, pineapple and salmon)
2. clean the salmon and then add in to the marinate and make sure the marinate covers all the salmon fillets - then place in resealable freezer bag and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes (preferably an hour or two)
3. preheat the oven to 450* and cook salmon for 5 minutes- then take out and allow it to cool
4. while the salmon is cooking, boil some water and steam the vegetable until firm but tender (about 5 minutes)
5.enough to touch (15 minutes) cut the salmon into cubes and
6. while the salmon is cooling - cut the pineapple into chunks and coat them in the pineapple marinate
then carefully place them on the skewers alternating it with the pineapple chunks and the vegetable chunks
6. return to oven (bring the oven temperate down to 325* and cook for 15 additional minutes
7. take out and allow it cool for 5 minutes or 45 minutes- it can be made that much before but it taste best if served sooner.

Place them on a plate and serve up!

Yummy!

All American Turkey Veggie Burgers (4th of July Post 3)

So most people like to eat burgers on the 4th of July and if you don't like to eat burgers well...don't take this the wrong way but you're weird. (Just kidding!) Burgers are a staple and with all the other food you're eating that day you need to try to cut calories where it can be done and what can be made healthy needs to be. So instead of reaching for the ground beef burger that is loaded with fat (not the good kind!) reach for a turkey veggie burger. Yes I know what you're thinking, "that sounds too healthy" well it is healthy but it is also so yummy, you'll never want a regular burger again! I promise!!!

Turkey Veggie Burgers (makes 6)

1 1 /2 pounds of 100% lean white ground turkey

1/2 onion chopped
2 large eggs
1 cup of quick oats
1 1/2 cup of canned mushrooms chopped
handful of fresh chopped spinach
1/2 cup of red pepper chopped 
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1. chop the onions, mushrooms, spinach and red pepper
2. mash the ground turkey meat
3. then mix the vegetables and turkey together
4. add in the garlic salt, eggs and oats
5. mix well and then form them into round 1 1/4 inch thick burgers
6. place on the grill and grill one each side for 5-6 minutes or until done.
7. serve on whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion and condiments of your choice!!

Calories: (with the bun, let, tomato and onion) 350 calories! verses 550 calories- that's a 200 calorie saving and a whole lot of nutrition added!!

Healthy Chicken Fingers (4th of July Post 2)

Normally when you think chicken fingers you think calories, fat, unhealthy, heart disease and "I really shouldn't be having this" and well you know what - you're right. Traditional chicken fingers are the devil and so bad for you- why you ask? Well because they drench it in bread crumbs that normally are not whole grain, white flour and lots of oil and served with some high fattening zero nutritional value dip (ranch, BBQ sauce)...However I believe that chicken fingers can be made healthy and enjoyed without any guilt and still keeping the taste. I mean seriously who wants to feel like they're eating diet food ever, especially on the 4th of July? These chicken fingers is a recipe I developed when trying to come up with a healthy alternative. As always it has been tried and tested and was received well...well it was received with an "Amazing, I love this!!"

Healthy Chicken Fingers
1 pound of boneless white chicken breast (cleaned and cut into slices)
1/2 cup of 100% whole wheat flour
1 extra large egg
2 cups of crushed Terra chip veggie chips
oregnao
Sabra's Hummus/Tahini
olive oil for frying













Heat the oil on a large skillet - takes about 2 minutes

1. coat the chicken in the flour
2. then dip it in the egg
3. coat the chicken strips in the crushed veggie chips
4. place the chicken on the large skillet (that was preheated with oil) 
5. cook on each side of about 6 minutes on low-medium frame, turning over 1-2 times
 6. serve with Sabra's Hummus/Tahini - garnish with oregano (I placed on a plate with spinach to make it look even healthier, but there is no need to do that)

Happy 4th!

Patriotic Fruit Sticks (4th of July Post 1)

I will be posting numerous recipes for the 4th of July, but my first one is dedicated to the flag. On the 4th of July we tend to eat a lot, which is fine after all it is a holiday but knowing that bathing suit season is in full swing we need to watch what we eat and pace ourselves. If you're having a party or just a snack these are perfect. Serve them as your guests arrive- I promise you that they will love (love, love) them!


Patriotic Fruit Sticks
Sticks (the kind you use for kabobs)
4 bananas
1 pints of strawberries
2 pints of blueberries 

1. cut the strawberries in half
2. cut the bananas into 1 1/2 inch thick slices
3. stick 5 sticks with strawberries, 5 sticks with bananas
4. cut 5 sticks a little smaller and stick them with blueberries
5. lay out the stiks with bananas and strawberries- rotating everyother creating a the strips of the flags
6. then put the sticks with the blueberries in the corner - you can create multiple fruit flags depending on how many people you are serving.

Yum!!