Make Ahead Breakfast: Spinach Quiche Cups

I have seen these many times on Pinterest, but they popped up in my feed the other day again at the perfect time. I had some eggs that had been sitting in my refrigerator for awhile it was time to use and a bag of spinach that needed to be eaten ASAP or it would go bad... And a very busy weekend and week ahead of me. Enter, the perfect make-ahead, quick, healthy & satisfying breakfast! 

Originally adapted from this recipe by Manila Spoon; here's my take:

Ingredients

Muffin tin

Package of baby spinach, mine had about 6 oz left in it, and that was plenty!

6-8oz package of mini-bella mushrooms

5 eggs (I actually only used four, and I should have done the full 5!)

1 cup shredded Italian mix cheese

Olive Oil to cook the mushrooms

Salt and pepper, if you desire

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the mushrooms until they are soft. (I actually chopped mine up just a tad, my package of mini-bella's weren't so mini!)

Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl. Once the mushrooms are done, move them into the mixing bowl.

Place the spinach in the skillet, adding a fresh dose of olive oil, and sauté the greens until they wilt. Add the spinach to the mixing bowl, along with the cheese and any seasonings you want. I totally forgot to add salt and pepper, and I cannot tell!

Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray) and divide the mixture among the muffin cups.  This was when I realized I should have used the 5th egg, because I had 2 empty cups and could have filled the others more. Bake for 20 minutes, or until it's set and a knife or toothpick tester comes out clean. Then, enjoy that day or save in the fridge for the week! 

I'm so glad I finally tried these, and I plan to make them more often. What's your favorite make-ahead breakfast?

--Caroline

Banana & Pineapple Green Smoothie

This semester, I've been on a smoothie kick. It's petered out a little as the semester progresses, but I've got one go-to smoothie recipe that I love for a quick breakfast on the go, a second breakfast to take with me to my long morning class, post-workout snack, or anytime snack! 

Ingredients (For One)

1 Banana (fresh, or if you have a problem with banana going bad before you can eat them, 

break it up and put it in a baggy to freeze it like I did here!)

A small handful of frozen pineapple chunks

A handful of spinach

Heaping Tablespoon of ground flax seed

Heaping Tablespoon of chia seeds

1/2 to 1 cup of Almond milk (or milk of your choosing)

Directions

This is so easy to make! I have a Bella blender (this one) so it comes with the cups to blend in. I just add everything in, usually spinach first, followed by the fruit, the flax & chia, and then top it off with the milk. Then blend away! Sometimes I have to add more milk, or I decide I want more pineapple or a second banana. The beauty of smoothies is that it's quite easy to customize and adjust what you are doing. 

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

--Caroline

Stuffed Peppers

 

I mentioned in my Five Friday Favorites last week that I just keep having all these recipe ideas, and this is one of them! I had something similar last year at the Alpha Phi house, but I just put together my own set of ingredients and made it my own. You could really do a lot with this recipe, altering the ingredients to what suits your taste & what you have in your pantry. This recipe is Low FODMAP if you take out the feta cheese or just substitute in another cheese. 

Ingredients (For One)

1 Large bell pepper

1 package ground beef

A small bunch of kale

1/4 cup quinoa (I used a tri-color mix)

Feta cheese

Chopped chives

Black pepper

Smoked paprika

Oregano

Olive oil

Directions

1) Warm up cut peppers on a pan in the oven (open-face up) while the oven is pre-heating. Alternatively, if your oven is already pre-heated, then just pop them in for about 10 minutes.

2) Cook quinoa according to package instructions. For just myself, I did about 1/4 cup of quinoa and 1/2- 2/3 cup of water in a pot, with a little olive oil for flavor.

3) Simultaneously cook beef in a sauté pan greased with olive oil until well done, seasoned with black pepper, smoked paprika, and oregano. I cooked the whole pack of meat I bought, with the intent to use some later in the week in other recipes.

4) If you have a small pan & the space, wilt the kale with olive oil on medium-low. I just temporarily relocated the quinoa after it was cooked and used the same pan, to avoid having to wash another pan!

5) After everything is cooked, mix it all together in preparation to stuff inside the peppers. Scoop the mixture into the pepper halves, filling them up to the brim. Top with crumbled feta cheese. I had some chives sitting in the fridge that needed to be used, so I added a few pieces on top.

6) Put the peppers back in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the cheese has melted some.

7) Then enjoy! I love the flavoring of these peppers... definitely going to be a repeat recipe for me! I actually only ended being hungry enough for one of the pepper halves, so I saved the other one and had it for lunch a day or two later.

If you try this recipe, let me know what you think!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites... Food Edition

So I know it's been awhile since I've done a Five Friday Favorites, but the reason for that is 1) normally we start our weekend trips Thursday night or Friday morning, so I don't have time to compose a post before we leave, and 2) there are waaayy more than 5 things each week that I'm in love with! Today, I've decided to share some of my favorite meals/snacks thus far, because of course the food over here is just so darn amazing!!! These favorites include pear-stuffed pasta from Natalianos, pumpkin ravioli from Tender in Moneglia, a crepe from La Milkeria, a yummy dessert from a boat restaurant we went to in Prague, and then traditional German fare at the English Garden in Munich.

Ciao for now, as I go continue to eat my way through Europe! Happy Weekend!

--Caroline

The Pancakes That Will Change Your Life

One of the things I struggle with when trying to avoid wheat, gluten, and rice, is how to have pancakes. Being in college, I don't exactly have the time (or desire to spend my time) experimenting with homemade dough for delicacies like pancakes, cupcakes, and cakes. After all, many of the pre-made gluten free mixes have rice in them. So what is a girl to do? I was quite lost, until I found this recipe via Pinterest. (Literally, what would we do without Pinterest?!) After a couple tries, I finally found what worked for me, and what tasted good. Without further ado, here is my recipe for The Pancakes That Will Change Your Life!

Ingredients

1 large banana

1 egg

approx. 1 tablespoon ground flax seed

approx. 1 tablespoon chia seeds

blueberries

agave syrup

How To

Crack the egg into a bowl. Peel the banana, and rip off banana chuncks into the bowl. (Honestly, I just used my fingers, because I found I was able to mush the banana as I went. Plus, I thought chopping them was kind of silly!) Add the flax & chia, and mix everything together. Don't worry too much about mushing the banana all the way--I found the pancakes were easier to flip when there were some small banana chunks. Now you're ready to make pancakes by pouring small amounts at a time into a greased pan over medium heat, adding several blueberries to each pancake in the pan. 

When done, serve with more blueberries and a drizzle of agave syrup.

The Result

Yummy pancakes that are free of flours & other allergens! Just 4 simple ingredients for a great pancake base, which you can add anything you'd normally put in pancakes to. I love these so much, I will certainly be making them again & again. 

Try them, and let me know what you think!

--Caroline

Summer Salad

After the cleanse my roommates and I did (more details in this post), I have been getting more creative with my salads. Quinoa, chickpeas, eggs... there are so many fun ways to add more flavor to your salad! Today, I'm sharing a fun summery salad creation, complete with eggs & berries! On a bed of arugula, I spread blue berries and sliced strawberries. I scrambled two eggs with a little parmesan cheese, and added that on top. To finish it off, I spread a little store-bought lemon vinaigrette on top. 

The result? A yummy, fresh, & summery salad!

How do you spruce up a basic salad?

--Caroline

Healthy Cookies

There is nothing like trying to be healthy and eat real, natural food but simultaneously fighting sweet cravings. 

Enter the healthy cookie, your new BFF. (I adapted the recipe from this blogger's version.)

Ingredients

1 apple (you could probably use a pear too!)

Almond Butter

Chocolate Chips (I used gluten free, semi-sweet chips)

Coconut Flakes

How To

Slice the apple (minus the part with the core) into round cookie-like slices. 

Spread almond butter, then top with chocolate chips and coconut flakes, to your liking. 

The Result

Easy. Quick. Gluten free. No measuring involved. 

These yummy cookies are the perfect solution to that sweets craving! They would also be great healthy appetizers, and are 

kid-friendly. (I'm assuming they are, since I don't actually have kids. If I was 6 I would love these!)

Enjoy!

--Caroline

Lately I'm Loving...

1. JOGGING. I've been trying to do a power walk/jog around my apartment complex and surrounding area either in the morning to make myself get going on days I don't have class, or at night before dinner to relax and sleep after having coffee. I'm loving it, and I want to keep this up! No schedule, just when I can. (photo credit). 2. THIS QUOTE. Just perfect. (photo credit). 3. BRALETTES. This is the perfect lounging/sleeping bra! The lace band underneath gives pretty decent support, and it's so soft... I already have two! 

4. LEOPARD DRESSES. So cute! Shop it here. 5. THIS WEDDING. I would love a picture like this, especially with Kyle being a firefighter! (And no, we aren't engaged, but I know he's the one :) ). 6. PREMIER DESIGNS JEWELRY. I am just loving my company right now! I had a wonderful talk recently with my Premier Mom, and I'm setting some awesome goals for myself... I just feel like the time is finally right for me to shine! (The picture is a throwback to meeting our founder Andy Horner at National Rally in 2012!) 

7. SQUAT LIKE... This tank makes me laugh, and it's so true! lol! Found on Etsy. 8. EATING RIGHT. Not that I was eating really bad before, but I'm trying to really keep up with my clean eating cleanse that I did with my roommates. I am feeling less bloated, more "fresh" (if that makes any sort of sense), and I have more energy. Eating more fresh foods has been the key, and more fruits that I was eating before. I've also been avoiding gluten better that I have in the past, as well as rice and wheat. (photo credit).

Happy Monday!

--Caroline

Five Friday Favorites

Today I'm headed to see Kyle for the weekend, but before I finish packing...

Here are my favorites things that have happened in my life recently:

1. My little brother graduated high school! I'm so proud of him!! He's off to do amazing things in college, and in fact he is following me to FSU. So excited to embarrass him by randomly showing up at his dorm with baby pics... jk... maybe :)

2. An update on the cleanse I'm doing: so far so good! A lot of the recipes are turning out really yummy, putting ingredients together that I wouldn't have thought to do. There is a lot more prep involved than I normally care to do, mainly because of the nature of the cleanse involving no processed foods--lot's of fresh vegetables that require chopping! However, I plan on repeating many of the recipes post-cleanse, with some adaptations here and there.

3. Now getting intimate: This week, after noticing for quite some time that my bras were fitting weird, (lots of extra space in the cup, my constantly adjusting them), I decided to do some research and re-measured myself at home, and found out I was not a 32B, but instead a 30D. How can this be?! I asked myself. So I went to Dillard's with the intent to try on some 30D's, and a very helpful clerk measured me as well and, sure enough, my girls are much happier in 30D's! My mind is blown, my girls are happier, and I'm swapping out old bras for new (can I get a cha-ching?! Why are bras so expensive?). If you're curious about your actual bra size, the articles I read can be found here, here, and here. My tip: make sure you measure yourself using the "modern" method, because that is what all the brands are using now, and that is how the very knowledgable lady at Dillard's measured mine. Also keep in mind that cup size is proportionate to band size (i.e. why my small boobies are actually D's).

4. I recently fell in love with this chambray romper from LOFT! (Shop it here). If you're thinking about ordering online, I recommend going a size down, as fit was generous. 

5. As many of you know, I sell Premier Designs Jewelry. My 3-year anniversary came along the other day, and I just got to thinking about how blessed I am to be able to have such a fun part-time job in college! Which brings me to something I've recently realized... I have been saying Premier is my part-time job, but I work it like it's a hobby. There is a disconnect there, which needs to change if I really want to be as successful as I know I can be. Cheers to change and a fresh mindset!

Happy Weekend!

--Caroline

Salmon Perfection & A Clean Eating Cleanse

I bought a giant bag of individually-wrapped salon filets at Whole Foods recently, determined to learn how to cook it and cook it well. Salmon is my favorite fish, and I want become a short of salmon expert! 

The other night, I tried a recipe I found via Pinterest (which you can find here, along with many other recipes), 

and decided to dive in. Pun 100% intended. 

My Adapted Recipe: 

-- Put the salmon on a foil-covered baking sheet.

-- Drizzle with olive oil (I used a knife to spread it around a little bit) and sprinkle freshly ground lemon pepper on the fillet. 

-- Place fish in a cold oven and turn on oven to 400 degrees. My fillet took about 20 minutes to cook, but the oven was also slightly warm from my roommate using it prior. Anywhere from 20-25 minutes should be a good amount of time.

-- Serve with sides of your choosing! I paired it with steamed asparagus. 

The end result was a delicious and flavorful salmon that melted in my mouth! 

It was literally some of the best salmon I've had, and I've been to Alaska... 

Keeping with the food note, my two roommates and I have decided to try this clean eating cleanse that we found on Buzzfeed, of all places! But it looks great, and as opposed to some of the juice cleanses you actually eat food. In fact, they given you full shopping lists and recipes for 2 full weeks, 3 meals & 2 snacks every day. Overall it's low carb, gluten free, and has you eliminating all processed foods. We started Sunday at breakfast, and as I right this we are about to make dinner. So far, we are happy with the recipes! Nothing too weird, and everything has been plenty filling. I will certainly keep you updated as it progresses!

--Caroline

Mahi Burger + Vegetable Quinoa

This fabulous wheat-free, gluten-feee, and rice-free meal is courtesy of Trader Joes! Since we got this grocer here in Tallahassee, I have quickly become a TJ's convert! They have amazing & healthy products, at great prices. 

To Start: Gather materials!

Then, I just followed the directions on the packages. I cooked the mahi in the oven, but there are a variety of options listed on the package. The whole process took under 20 minutes to cook. 

Taste verdict? Yummy! Way to go Trader Joes! I only used part of the quinoa mix bag, and one mahi patty, so I have enough for a couple more lunches or dinners. 

In fact, several days later I made the same thing for lunch, but this time I was really hungry and just cooked it all in the same fry pan on the stovetop. I actually liked the taste better this way, because the flavors mix together nicely when cooking.

So there you go; a quick, easy, and yummy meal for one (multiple times) or a small group! Yay for Trader Joes!

--Caroline