recipes : lunch & dinner

I'm back with a few more recipes from www.skinnytaste.com.  Seriously, check out the site if you haven't yet.  Oodles of yummy recipes.  I haven't tried anything yet that I don't like! { Given I've only tried four of them... }

Yesterday, I made the Skinny Chicken Waldorf Salad for lunch, and then we had the Spinach Lasagna Rolls for dinner.  I made the Lasagna Rolls the day before - I put a few in the fridge and a few in the freezer.  Both recipes were delicious; both will be made again.

Skinny Chicken Waldorf Salad

Ingredients (makes 3 servings)

7 oz (1 breast) boiled chicken breast

1 medium apple, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 cup seedless grapes, cut in half

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup mayo

2 Tbsp fat free Greek yogurt

s&p

2 Tbsp pecans or walnuts

mixed baby greens, like spinach or arugula

Directions

Combine mayo, yogurt, s&p.  Mix well.  Add chicken, grapes, apples, celery, and let chill in fridge until ready to eat.  Mix in pecans just before serving.  Serve over baby greens.  Enjoy!

I made a side of roasted broccoli to go along with the salad.  My all-time favorite way to eat broccoli.
Thank you, Tiffany!  ;)

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients (makes 9 servings)

9 lasagna noodles, cooked

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained

15 oz fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

s&p

32 oz tomato sauce

9 Tbsp part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, s&p in a medium bowl.  Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish.  Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles.  Make sure noodles are dry.  Spread about 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture even over each noodle.  Roll carefully and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining noodles.  Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 Tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts.  Enjoy!

And just so I'm not all about food, two days in a row, here's a look at the curtains I sewed last week for my kitchen window.  They're cute, but will look way cuter once the kitchen cabinets are painted { a project lined up for sometime this fall }.

{ pretend like the dishes in the sink aren't there, k? }

ps - have you seen this?  It totally works!

recipe : cheesey zucchini enchiladas & fiesta lime rice

I haven't been in the mood to cook much lately.  Eggs, PB&J sandwiches, and steak quesadillas kinda took over our menu.  The easier the better.  Over the weekend, however, I got re-inspired.  I hopped back onto the healthy cooking/eating train.  My bags are packed.  I'm on board.  My fridge and pantry are stocked.

Have you ever checked out www.skinnytaste.com?  I learned of this site through a friend on Facebook.  I have been "following" Skinny Taste for a while, but never took the time out to browse through the recipes on the website.  I finally took some time to click around over the weekend.  Lots of healthy meal options, inspiration, and pictures.  Pictures really are worth a thousand words when it comes to recipes.  Am I right?!

On Sunday night, I whipped up Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas and Fiesta Lime Rice.  

Super tasty.

 Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium scallions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

{ cilantro really makes a Mexican dish taste fresh - I just love it! }

2 medium zucchinis, grated

salt and fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 cups grated reduced fat Mexican blend cheese

tortillas (low carb ones are suggested)

small can of enchilada sauce (I like the green sauce)

chopped scallions

chopped cilantro

Directions

In a medium nonstick skillet, saute garlic and scallions in olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes; add zucchini, salt, and pepper to taste and cook about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from eat and add 1/2 cup cheese; mix well.  Divide zucchini between each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in baking dish.  Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese and bake until hot and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.  Serve with chopped cilantro, scallions, and reduced fat sour cream, if you wish.  Enjoy!

Fiesta Lime Rice

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice

3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and heated

3/4 cup cooked corn, heated

1 large tomato, diced

1 large scallion, finely diced

2-4 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

salt to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine hot rice, heated corn and beans, tomato, scallion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.  Toss and serve.  Enjoy!

We really enjoyed both of these recipes.  I will be making a lot more of Gina's recipes in the future.  In fact, we're having Spinach Lasagna Rolls tomorrow night for dinner.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

Do you have a favorite healthy recipe website?  Or maybe a healthy recipe you're willing to share?

BTW - I finished painting our fireplace during naptime yesterday!  Hooray!  Pics to come soon.

I love a productive weekend

The fence is finished, the fireplace is just about finished, we spent some quality time with friends, checked out a new yogurt shop, went grocery shopping, and even found some time to relax.

You'll see more on the fence and fireplace later this week.

But for now, this is a quickie { no, not that kind }.  I have a lot to cram into this nap time.  Just thought I'd share some happiness from my weekend with you!

{ cherry berry, yum! }

It was a good one.  I'd put it on repeat, if I could.

8 months

{ first two teeth! }

making me happy

On Tuesday morning, we decided to head over to a rather new barber shop here in town for Travis to get his mop hair cut.  We walked in and I whipped out my phone, like, so fast, and started snapping pictures.  Isn't it too cute?!  I love that striped wall with the grellow sofa in front of it.  From the tool boxes, to the retro barber chairs, to the checkered floors...  Just a fun place.  Great vibe.  And the owner was as cool as could be.  If you ever find yourself in Enid, needing a haircut, definitely check out BlueJay's Barber Shop & Beauty Bar.

{ source }

After the haircut, we crossed the street to check out a little antique mall.  I picked up this little guy { I love him, btw } for $10.50.  Not the cheapest little creature, but I knew I'd kick myself when I got home if I left him at the store.  He has made his nest up on the bookshelf in the living room (for now). 

{ perched between vintage cameras }

Last week, I received an e-mail from my hoop swap buddy giving me a heads up about a free filler print on eighteen 25's page.  I was all over it.  I saved the file, uploaded it to Costco's photo website, ordered a 12x18 print, and found it in my mailbox on Tuesday.  I'm in love with it.  Get your own here.

{ Thanks, L, for the heads up! }

On the same day that I got my filler print in the mail { Tuesday was pretty eventful, huh! }, I got the fabric that I had ordered from Hawthorne Threads.  My husband wasn't overly entertained by my happy song & dance.  Like I cared.  HAPPY MAIL, HELLO?!

 I have pillow and kitchen curtain making in my future.

Our new fence is slowly making its way from one end of the yard to the other (96 feet).  We have about 3 more posts to install, and 3.5 panels.  { So close!! }  100+ degree temperatures plus an (almost) 8 month old make for slow progress.  But we're getting there, and it's a HUGE improvement!

 

Oh, and I'm sure you saw the new look that our fireplace is rocking in this post.   With just two coats of primer, the fireplace is already looking so much better.  I'm hoping to get two coats of paint on that baby by the weekend.

Grilled PB&J sandwiches.  Need I say more?

So that's what's making me happy this week.  What's putting a smile on your face these days?

recipe : fresh vegetable salad

On the 4th of July, I was responsible for sides and dessert.  The sides I chose to make were this salad and Parmesan potatoes.  Both were first time recipes for me, both turned out really well.  

The veggie salad was my favorite, though.  I reminded me of my favorite broccoli salad from Sweet Tomatoes.

I can't get enough. 

This photo doesn't do the salad justice.  iPhone pictures rarely do anything justice.  But you get the idea. 

This, very well, might turn into my new "go-to" BBQ side.  

Here's the recipe (from Taste of Home):

Ingredients

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups cauliflowerets

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

(I forgot to include this, but I'm not a fan of green pepper, so that worked out just fine)

1/2 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion)

1/4 cup grated carrot

1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (I used Kraft's mayo made with olive oil)

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

(I also added about 1/4 cup raisins) 

Directions

Toss vegetables in a large salad bowl.  In a small bowl, combine mayo, sugar, and Parmesan; pour over veggies and toss to coat.  Cover and chill.  Sprinkle with bacon just before serving. 

Every time I try a new recipe, I think about what could be added or changed, if anything.  This salad is delicious as it is, but I think the next time I'll add chopped walnuts, diced green apple, and sunflower seeds.

YUM.

Do you have any "go-to" summer time recipes?

Hope you're staying cool!  Temperatures are consistently 100+ degrees in our neck of the woods.

Is it too early to say that I'm ready for Fall?

our 4th in photos

{ Callan's first 4th of July }

{ family photo }

{ can't forget Ellie }

{ goofy family photo }

{ lemon squares, poke cake, burger and sides, drink in a mason jar }

{ watching fireworks from the end of our driveway }