Happy New Year

Happy New Year from me and my family!

I feel like we just celebrated Y2K, how is it 2014 already?  We had a low key holiday; I baked, but not on the large scale that I have done in the past.  I made some home made gifts like hot chocolate, homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, granola and a few candies. 

With the new year always comes the time to make changes.  Setting goals and resolutions is what we do at the start of a new year and so I thought I would write this quick post to not only say Happy New Year, but include a few things that you may find helpful.  Maybe you are going to eat healthier, or plan your meals and get more organized in the kitchen.  Maybe you just need to get some new recipes to start off the year.  I'm here for you!

I have my Healthy Meals List which has a lot of my favorites and go-to suggestions for people when they are looking for new recipes.  It links to my Healthy Eats Pinterest board, which has not only dinners, but recipes for smoothies, snacks and treats.  You may also want to get ahead of the game and do some cooking for future busy nights.  I have a great list of Freezer Friendly Meals.

As I mentioned in my last post, I intend to have a plan for changes to this blog, with regular posts.  I will also be blogging over at Mama Bootcamp where I help out with food coaching and cooking classes.  I'll have regular posts over there each week with a recipe or healthy cooking tip.

So here's to a fantastic 2014!

Winter Cooking

Butternut squash soup that I recently made for a client and for myself!

Well Hello.  I know, it's been ages.  Why do I always do this?  Always meaning to write, say that I'll write, but yet don't.  Here it is December and the last post I wrote was in May!  And then I think to myself, "why can't I get my blog more page views?"  Actually, I don't really think about that because I know that I don't put the effort in and so therefore this blog doesn't get seen.  So I'm going to try and set some realistic goals and plan out some topics so that come January, I will have A Plan.

But right now, let's talk about winter.  We are in the middle of a cold snap here; for this part of California that means it's under 40 degrees which feels freaking freezing to me and farther north it's below 20 degrees and there's snow.  I'm all about cooking foods that are appropriate for the weather.  I've made soup twice last week.  I also baked bread, which as you know if you read my recipe blog, I do regularly but I actually had not done as much lately because we had a rather warm fall, so I wasn't turning on the oven so much.

So I'm using this post to link up some previous posts that may be useful for you at this time of year and I've also got a short list of recipes that are easy, great for the cold weather and also budget friendly so you can spend less money on food and more on your holiday celebrations.

I created a December 9th Recipes Board on my Pinterest, so you can view that and pin to your hearts content.

Last year I posted some Holiday Food Gift Ideas.  It has a good variety of types of gifts; sweet, savory, healthy, and one body scrub not meant to be eaten.  Check that out if you need some ideas for inexpensive but thoughtful gifts.



Meals for December 9, 2013

Taco Cupcakes- Kids love these, they re-heat well and you can serve with a salad for a quick dinner. You can also easily make these with spaghetti sauce and cheese for mini lasagna cupcakes.

Crock Pot Chili- I love my friend Kate's recipe for chili in the crock pot, I have listed it here in my blog many times.

Spinach, Artichoke and Chicken Pasta- If you love spinach and artichoke dip, this pasta is similar, cheesy, but not overly cheesy, so it's healthy.

Thai Turkey Zucchini Meatballs- These are gluten free, Paleo friendly, easy to make ahead and re-heat and is a nice change from the usual marinara and meatballs.

Cheeseburger Macaroni-No processed box mix here! Simple, clean eating, easy to make and kid-friendly.

Quinoa Salad with Pears and Baby Greens- this can certainly be a side dish but it's protein packed with quinoa and since it also has veggies, it's an easy one-dish meal.

Budget Beef and Broccoli- This is my own recipe for an easy and cheap version of beef and broccoli using lean ground beef. I sometimes make this with the frozen French style green beans from Trader Joes that I also have in my freezer.

Cock Pot Thai Chicken Soup- Delicious coconut Thai curry soup made with little effort in the crock pot.

Get Grilling!

So it's Memorial Day weekend.  It's actually a time that we remember those who died serving our country.  It's a very important time to honor them.  It also seems to be a time that people get together and barbecue.

Here is a previous post I had just before July 4th, there's some great grilling recipes and side dishes listed there- June 25, 2012 Post

And you know that of course I have a Pinterest board with grilling recipes.  :)

In addition, here are a few other grilling recipes that I think are great.  They are healthy and a change from just burgers and hot dogs.

Chipotle’s Adobo Marinated Chicken- I just shared this recipe for Cinco de Mayo but I think it’s great for a party and I generally have a couple of extra marinating or already grilled in my freezer.  Perfect to pull out for a quick meal. 

Buttermilk and Herb Marinated Chicken- This is an outstanding way to grill chicken breasts.  Keeps them moist and flavorful.

Simple Grilled Tilapia- Very easy method for grilling fish, this is really healthy and so great with fresh veggies. 

Grilled Chicken with Balsamic Glaze- Instead of bbq sauce, try making this sweet and tangy glaze with balsamic vinegar and a touch of honey.

Grilled Cilantro Lime Sweet Potatoes- Sweet potatoes (yams) with cilantro and lime, a
fantastic flavor combination.