Lost, But Holding Hands

Sometimes the side dish makes the meal.  That is definitely the case with these crispy, savory, summery green beans!  Not to mention that this recipe is SUPER easy.  I mean the most time consuming part is prepping the fresh green beans.  You could always do that ahead of time. Lemon Rosemary Roasted Green Beans Ingredients: Fresh green beans- 1 lb-ish (washed and snapped) 1 T melted coconut oil 1 t salt 2 t rosemary 1 thinly sliced lemon Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a cast iron skillet (or any baking dish), toss green beans, oil, and seasonings. Lay lemon slices on top. Roast for 25-30 minutes, stirring part way through.  So yummy.  Pair it with a simple grilled chicken or pork chop for an easy weeknight dinner!

Sunday Fun Day involves a LOT of food prep for the week.  What I prep changes weekly depending on our meal plan, but one thing is for sure- I'll be prepping this delicious, versatile breakfast casserole that, when paired with a side of fruit, will last all week for me and the hubs! Once you get the hang of the basics to this casserole- you will find yourself changing it up to your own preferences and what produce you have on hand.  The ingredients I am sharing today are my basic, go-to recipe.  But I will also share variations I have tried.  If you mix it up and add different veggies and meats- tag me in a post and let me know how it turned out! Savory Breakfast Bake This recipe has a few components that are cooked separately before it comes together in a casserole dish.  I am breaking up the ingredients and steps to make it easier to follow. Sweet Potatoes Ingredients: 2-3 sweet potatoes (depending on size) 2 T olive oil Salt Pepper ...

Don't you just love meals that come together in one pan?  I absolutely love my cast iron pan.  It makes dishes like this easy and aesthetically pleasing- nothing more homey than sitting down together at the table with a hot pan of goodness. If you don't have a cast iron pan- no worries.  Just use a skillet for the stove top portion and then transfer it to a baking dish to go into the oven. Seasoning and searing the chicken thighs in the pan first, helps get the skin nice and crispy and cuts down on the time this dish spends in the oven. The smell of cauliflower drives my husband CRAZY.  But once it's seasoned and cooked- he eats i happily.  So don't let the idea (or smell) of cauliflower stop you from trying this recipe!  You can also buy frozen riced cauliflower and skip the smell :) One Pan Spicy Chicken Thighs  &  Mexican Cauliflower Rice Ingredients: Spicy Chicken Thighs- 2 T avocado (or olive) oil 4 chicken thighs (b...

Update my on my #whole30 journey: Ahh!  These past few weeks have been CRAZY.  We have been camping a LOT.  Which is amazing and wonderful and so hard to do while on program.  It's not necessarily about having food that isn't compliant- but it's about the amount of food.  It is so easy to mindlessly snack and eat while hanging out at the campground, hiking, and relaxing.  So needless to say I am feeling kind of blah.  I gave myself a little too much food freedom last weekend, but I started a solid 30 day restart on Tuesday.  But I am going to be totally vulnerable right now and say that I for real ate Cinnamon Toast Crunch by the handful when I got home on Monday.  I guess I can consider that muscle confusion?!  Nevertheless- I am back at it. But really, I hope this serves as a reminder that this is not  easy.  Yes I post pictures of yummy food on Facebook and Instagram.  Yes I have had a lot of success since startin...

Sometimes it is so hot outside, that cooking a hot lunch seems absolutely dreadful.  Other times, I am still in pajamas at noon, have spent the morning cleaning and doing laundry and I just want to throw something together for lunch that is equal part delicious, healthy, and simple.  That is where the power bowl comes in handy.  It's like going to Chipotle or Subway- but way healthier and customization.  Imagine yourself moving down the ordering line, selecting what sounds delicious and building your dish to your exact specifications.  But all of this is happening in the comfort of your own home- while you are still in your pajamas, without makeup, and watching trashy movies on Lifetime (may or may not be a true story of my lunch time today). You can make a power bowl for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  If you simply stock up on a variety of veggies and have a stock of healthy proteins (we keep tuna, hard-boiled eggs, and crock-pot shredded chicken breas...

We camped over the Memorial Day weekend at Bennett Springs State Park. In true Britt fashion, it stormed hard  on Saturday.  We had literally just pulled in, hooked up, and began to settle in when a tornado warning sent us to the camp clubhouse.  Once the severe weather stopped, it continued to rain- so we headed to town and visited a couple stores- let Ryan pick a new movie and some movie snacks and then headed back to the camper for a family movie night. Family Movie Night! Sunday, on the other hand, was beautiful.  We hiked, we visited the fish hatchery, grilled, watched the fly fisherman, and played at the campsite. KOA is always a great option with kiddos- Bennett KOA had a pool, an awesome clubhouse, a jumping pad, and gem mining. A 3 mile hike through some rough terrain :) Playing in the clubhouse  Fortunately I was off work on Friday and spent the day shopping, meal prepping, and loading up the camper.  We decided to grill ...

Ya'll  Friday was my last day of school!  What?!?! I know.  I am so excited!  The peacefulness of summer is beginning to wash over me.  I love summer---even though it is a myth that teachers have summers off and I will be working on and off all summer.  But I've got that summer feeling- for sure. Last weekend we took the camper to Omaha for the weekend. It was the perfect distance from KC and we had an awesome time.  We stayed at the Omaha KOA .  It had super fun amenities that Ryan loved---a giant jumping pillow, a rope course, ladder ball, and a trampoline basketball game.  Not only that, but it was in a great location.  It was about 25 minutes from the Omaha Zoo- which we did on Saturday afternoon and only 10 minutes away from Schram Park and Eugene T Mahoney State Park.  We went to the both of these parks to explore and hike.  If you are thinking about exploring Omaha- I say go for it!   As far as staying on the wh...

Usually I spend a good portion of Sunday grocery shopping and food prepping.  Yesterday was a tad different because we didn't get home from our Omaha camping adventure until late afternoon.  I didn't go to the grocery until after 6 and didn't start meal prep until after I put Ryan in bed at 8:30.  I roasted sweet potatoes and veggies, grilled sausages, pan fried burgers, and cut fruit until just after 10:30.  But I collapsed into bed with 10 breakfast kits and 10 lunch kits ready for the week. -----> Breakfast: 1/2 sweet potato, grilled sausage (Aidells Chicken and Apple), and 2 scrambled eggs. Lunch:  Grilled Burger (grass fed beef, garlic, and primal palate meat/potato seasoning), carrot fries , and roasted broccoli/brussel sprouts.   Dinners: Monday- Crock Pot Fajitas Tuesday- Chicken with Potatoes and Sage Wednesday- Oven Baked Chicken Thighs with Lemon, Garlic, and Scallions Thursday- Greek Chicken Skillet Friday-  Green...

We went to the Garth Brooks' concert last night.  Wow, was it amazing.  But also it made me realize how I am too old to be out until midnight.  I am  dragging  today.   But nevertheless, it's Sunday and my list of to-dos isn't going away...no matter how many excuses I make. I've already checked breakfast (eggs, shredded potato hash, roasted cherry tomatoes, and an orange), Church, grocery shopping, and lunch (grilled steak salad) off my list.  Next up is meal prepping.  I've listed the things I plan to accomplish during food prep below---but check in on Instagram to see what I actually accomplish! This week's plan: Breakfast-  So I think I am going to combine our usual breakfast casserole with this new  recipe  that I came across.  I plan to do breakfast sausage, sweet potatoes and eggs, but mix in some compliant salsa before baking.  Sounds like a good Tex Mex breakfast.  I think I'll buy some extra avocado...

This week had me like... On top of my can't see the light at the end of the tunnel  attitude right now, it has been raining relentlessly here.  We couldn't go to the Farmer's Market this morning and our backyard is a mess .  I'm beginning to feel a little like my old friend George. And because of that, I struggled with putting together this meal plan.  I am going to reach day 70 this week, so instead of reinventing the meal- I am going back to some old favorites with just a few newbies mixed in.   Breakfast: Breakfast Casserole (of course...if you are looking for new breakfast ideas---you came to the wrong place.  It's just too easy to not do---especially these last few weeks of school) Lunch:   Sunday- Deconstructed Hamburger Salad- I've been dreaming and drooling about this salad for a few weeks, so when we found grass fed beef on sale at Sprouts today- I knew we could pair it with some leftover produce and pantry staples we had at hom...

Hi, ya'll.  I've tried to really pair down and prioritize over the course of my Whole30 journey.  What started as a body cleanse and food realignment really branched out into more.   Throughout this process, my focus has been: N utrition:  Obviously.  But more than just what I can eat and what I can't eat...I set aside time to both meal plan and cook nutritious and delicious dishes for my family. Honestly, meal planning has become a hobby of mine over the past 50+ days.  I used to loath creating a plan, making a list and grocery shopping.  Now digging for recipes, organizing my shopping list, and exploring different markets and groceries is actually enjoyable! M ovement:  I run and lift almost every day.  Luckily I also have a job that allows me to get my steps in even if I can't get a run in.   F ood Talk:  Talk as a family (and with anyone else who will listen) about healthy alternatives, locally produced items, and letting fo...

When I conquered day 30 I wasn't sure what my plan would be but I knew I wanted to keep going for as long as I could.  I felt great.  I liked the way I was beginning to look and the way my clothes were fitting.  I had energy and my workouts were feeling strong. Now guess what?!  Tomorrow is day 50 and I am still going! I survived our first camping weekend of the season without straying off program. I tried to keep things simple by making sure I had plenty of fruits and nuts for our time on the trails.  For breakfast I stuck with eggs, fruit, and compliant chicken/apple sausage.  I buy these at our neighborhood Walmart.  For dinner I made chicken kabobs with mushrooms, zucchini, squash, and onions.  They were yummy and super simple! Now looking ahead to this week's meal plan... Since we were camping we didn't make it to the Farmer's Market this weekend.  All of our shopping will be done at Sprouts. Breakfast:  Like I've said previo...

This week is going to be tad less crazy than last week, but I only mapped out meals Saturday through Thursday.  We are picking up the camper and taking it for a stay-cation over the long Easter weekend.  It will be its 2017 maiden voyage.  I'm hoping the sun will start showing its shining face again before then! We woke up this morning to BEAUTIFUL weather.  The sun was actually shining!  Ry spent the night with grandma and grandpa last night so Tyler and I had a chance to run to the LS Farmer's Market before picking him up.  After picking up a few things at the market and looking through what we already had stockpiled, I mapped out meals for the week: Breakfast- Ya'll I know this is the same recipe I have posted for the last 2 weeks, but it is so versatile!  Honestly, you could throw any veggies or meat you have in the fridge into this casserole!  This week I think I am going to try to throw in a few more veggies---maybe some kale and onion...

It was a big day for us.  First I waded through the craziness that is the AXS website to buy Garth Brooks tickets for his May concert.  Holy Moly...who knew waiting in a virtual waiting room could be so stressful.  But nevertheless we got tickets!  So excited!! I am hoping for a rendition of Shameless so Tyler can do an encore of his famous karaoke performance. Secondly, as I was leaving for the gym this afternoon I noticed a package on our front step.  Our first Tessemae's shipment arrived!  We have been craving some new sauces- especially BBQ- for a few weeks.  BBQ=sugar 99% of the time.  So we really struggled finding a brand in the stores we frequent.  Any suggestions?  We are happy to continue buying Tessemae's but it would be nice to not pay shipping every time! This week is going to be BANANAS.  For real.  Ryan has a Parents Night Out event at his karate studio on Saturday that we are totally taking advantage o...

I'm sitting down to meal plan for next week (yes it takes me several days to put together a menu- I'm still practicing).  I grabbed my handy-dandy notebook- tell me you didn't just start humming the Blue's Clues song...just me?? okay-  and spent a few moments flipping through the menus I created over the last few weeks and got to thinking it might be handy for those of you wanting/needing some new recipes to have our favorites all in one place!  Be aware- none of these recipes are our own creation.  When available, I linked you to the original posting. Garlic Bacon Avocado Burgers These are so delicious and SO easy.  I've also made these burgers with chopped jalapeno- equally delicious but I usually half the meat and do part with jalapeno and half without so my kiddo has one without the heat.  I recommend making the bacon ahead of time, using your food processor to chop it into bits and store it in an airtight container until you are ready to use. ...

[we had vegetarian quesadillas the other night and i wanted to make sure that it was all good for us. the only ingredient we planned to use that was not freshly prepared from our hands was refried beans. i hated them as a kid, and now i can't imagine a mexican dinner without them. i had a hunch it wouldn't be hard to make my own. turns out i was very correct. easiest thing ever. we will never buy canned refried beans again. i suggest you do the same. they freeze well so you can make a few batches at once if you like. here's how to make them: INGREDIENTS 1 yellow onion (cut into 1/2 or 1/4) 2 cups dry pinto beans, rinsed and drained ½ chopped fresh jalapeno (seeded unless you like it really hot) 2 cloves garlic, minced ¾ teaspoons salt ½ teaspoon black pepper pinch of cumin 6 cups water DIRECTIONS combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for about eight hours. remove bigger onion chunks and drain the excess liquid, but save liquid until the...