recipes Archives

100 Days of Meal Plans – Whole Foods Style (for FREE)

So, I have this thing I like do to do in my spare time…it’s called – planning meals. Yeah, okay. Stop your laughing. Some people knit. Some people sew. Some people play sports. I read cookbooks and dream up meal plans. I’m a wild and crazy girl.

You already know how much I love Plan to Eat. But what you don’t know is that planning meals is one of the highlights of my week. I also enjoy making beds, ironing clothes, and de-boogering my children. Gosh…I AM a weirdo.

But something I’ve learned is that not everyone enjoys de-boogering their children with a Nose Frida – and not everyone enjoys making their bed daily – and some people don’t even own an iron (THE HORROR!). And the most crazy thing of all is….some of you hate making meal plans! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Cue the freaky scary movie music! What is wrong with you people!? [Read more…]

Postpartum Freezer Meals List

My friend Erinn from Embracing Everything asked for a list of the freezer meals that I used after this pregnancy, so I thought it might be helpful to a few other people as well. Why kill two birds with one stone when there are eggs in your bush that you shouldn’t count?

I started too late preparing for Eli Benjamin. I felt like doo-doo for most of the pregnancy, so I blame it on that. In all honesty, you should start prepping freezer meals in the middle of your second trimester. Most meals and foods will be fine for 6 months in the freezer. Even starting late, I managed to get quite a bit put away. I used a lot of meal components this time so I would be able to throw a meal together quickly instead of making a vast amount of fully cooked meals.

Also, 4 weeks before my due date, I made a HUGE shopping trip and stocked up on everything I might need: snacks, condiments, nuts, butter, etc. After my babies are born, I don’t get out much…I usually take a 2 month hiatus from shopping and gallivanting around the countryside. My mom went with me on this trip and I literally filled the car up with supplies and groceries. [Read more…]

50 Healthy Smoothie Combos

I’ve been working on this post for a few months. I like variety, and I got it into my head that I could make up 50 smoothie combos that were fast and easy…because, ain’t nobody got time for smoothies that take a bunch of prep work – isn’t that the point of a smoothie? To blend and go? Preach it – that was spiritual.

So, here is my list of 50 smoothie combos that are actually good for you – I put it together with my own geniousness and the help of my sister and Barry. You’ll find that they don’t call for any hard-to-find ingredients or stuff you can’t pronounce. [Read more…]

Oatmeal Raisin Breakfast Cookies

These might be one of the best things that have come from my kitchen. I realize that the more I say that, the more I lose my credibility. Maybe it’s just because I love food so much – so everything is goooooooooooooooooooood to me. But, I’ve even tried this recipe on a few friends and it passes the test every time. One of my very good friends has to freeze half the batch so she doesn’t eat them all herself – I would have that same problem if I didn’t have two little ones with sticky fingers. 😉

These are full of great, nutritious foods that will start your day off right. And what’s better than saying “Come on kids! I made cookies for breakfast!” This batch makes four large cookies – which will feed me and my two youngsters. However, I do serve them with smoothies and fruit. If I didn’t, I know I WOULD eat all four. Feel free to make the cookies smaller – I just like big cookies. Go big or go home.

[Read more…]

Pick Pocket Tacos

So, let it be said that I totally get the fanny pack thing. I’m not going to wear one, but I get it. I don’t really want any excess stuff hanging around my middle – in fact, don’t most people spend time trying to get RID of excess baggage around the waist? But anyway, I get why you would want your money and personal belonging attached to your body in your front. Because really, no one is going to start messing with your front and YOU NOT NOTICE.

I always have this lingering fear in the back of my head when we go somewhere in a large crowd that I’m going to be pick-pocketed. I usually wear a back pack with all the kids’ stuff in it – and how easy would that be to open and take off with my baby butt wipes? Come back, diaper thief! So, anyway…fanny packs make sense to me, even if I don’t wear them…I’m having flashbacks to the 80s, y’all. [Read more…]

Crock Pot Teriyaki Boston Butt

I think I shall rename this post and call it: Don’t – stuff you shouldn’t do when trying to make a blog post.

1. Don’t make a blog post about butt.

Why? Because well, there are entirely too many jokes to be made about a big butt. Case in point: Fat on your butt. There’s a bone in your butt. Juicy butt. Rub your butt with honey. Make sure it’s big enough to fit your butt in. A little butt rub makes everything better. I’ll stop while I am ahead. [Read more…]

No Junk – No Peek Chicken

You know how you see those recipes all over Pinterest and the Internet and store magazines? The ones that have the easy chicken dish – the one with rice mixed with a bunch of cream-of-whoknowswhat soups and onion soup mix? Then you put the chicken on top and it’s all done in one hour? It’s like some kind of Amazing Super Duper Kitchen Meal!

Well, I won’t lie. I always skipped over those recipes in the magazines and church cookbooks. Because really, I don’t buy those things any more. I move right on to the recipes calling for bacon or chocolate…or bacon AND chocolate. But today, today my friends, we are going to CONQUER THE CHICKEN DISH!!!! Step aside cream-of-whoknowswhat. Stacy is in town. [Read more…]

Oatmeal – 50 Ways to Eat It

It should come as no surprise that I love oats. Hardly a day passes where I don’t have it in some shape or fashion, be it in traditional oatmeal, smoothies, or granola. Speaking of “passes,” ahem – you should be eating it more often if you’re having problems with “passes.” Hahahahahaha! Oatmeal recipes are everywhere, but not all of them are good…let’s just be honest.

Is there such a thing as too many oatmeal recipes? NO! I even have oatmeal as its own Pinterest board.

[Read more…]

100 Crock Pot Dessert Recipes: Whole-Foods Style

With the popularity of my 100 Days of No Processed Foods: Crock Pot Style post, I’ve realized there is a huge need and desire for crock pot recipes that don’t call for pre-packaged foods. When glancing through Pinterest, it’s evident that most crock pot recipes call for mixes, boxes, and cans of stuff from the grocery store. That’s why I so enjoy posting wholesome, whole-food crock pot recipes each Friday.

I got an idea in my head that wouldn’t go away. I have a dream – my dream is a huge list and resource of crock pot desserts that don’t call for cake mix, pudding, and canned pie mix. Did you know that before today, there isn’t such a list (at least not one that I can find). Well, BOOYA, BABY! I spent hours compiling this list for you. And it was a lot of fun hours, because as we all know, I love list making. [Read more…]

Doughnut Scones

I’m really enjoying cooking through my cookbook stash…and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight. Especially when you consider that I have eBook cookbooks as well. Is there such a thing as a cookbook hoarder? On the next TLC: Cookbook Hoarders – Try to pry those cookbooks from their cold, dead fingers.

First off, let’s get something out of the way. The correct way to spell it (according to me) is DOUGHNUT. Not DONUT. Using DONUT makes it sound too much like “Do Not.” Do not what? Eat this? I don’t think so, pal. You better believe I’m going to eat that DOUGH, NUT. Ha, ha! [Read more…]