Meals for the Week

Happy Friday! You will love these favorite FIVE meals. Happy weekending.

1. Starting off the week and a great frugal meal is Lemon Garlic Tuna Burgers by Can You Stay for Dinner. I love that these are baked instead of fried, easy to make and great on the budget. Instead of sour cream cream try Greek Yogurt and use whole wheat bread crumbs instead of the panko. 

2. Keeping with the chicken theme is my Grilled Chicken Sausage with Spinach & Lemon Linguine. This dish is pure bliss. Serve with garlic and olive oil grilled pita bread.

3. Another favorite dish is Chicken Piccata from the Food Network. The chicken is so tender and delicious with the tasty citrus sauce. Serve with whole wheat pasta and your favorite greens. 

4. Ready for some beef? These slow cooker Beef Gyros by Eat at Home Cooks will hit just the spot. Pack in the veggies by filling your gyros with fresh bell peppers and spinach. If vegetarian is more your style try subbing the beef for falafel patties. 

5. Finishing off this week are Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers by Kraft. The light coconut coating keeps the chicken super moist and adds a great crunch without having to pull out out the fryer. Use unsweetened coconut flakes and reduce the butter if desired. Serve with steamed carrots and a fresh salad.

Meals for the Week

Welcome to the weekend! I've got some easy grill and crock pot dinners for you this week. Perfect for effortless entertaining and laid back family dinners.

1. These Crock Pot Pork Carnitas have to be some of the most tender and juicy meat you will ever taste and bonus budget friendly. Serve with your favorite BBQ sauce and a garden salad to round out this easy dinner.

2. Chicken Florentine Pasta by Pioneer Woman is one of my favorite pasta dishes. Saute or grill the chicken and sub the white pasta for whole wheat. And with tomatoes going full power it's a great way to use them in a tasty meal.

3. This week's menu wouldn't be complete without a quinoa dish and this Grilled Shrimp Quinoa Salad is incredible. Leave out the shrimp for a meatless dinner or sub it for a different protein if desired.

4. Barbecue Chicken Dinner Packets are easy to prepare and cook fast on the grill. Personally, I'd skip the Hunt's BBQ sauce and go with some Stubbs Original. With ingredients you can actually pronounce and less sugar than most BBQ sauces on the market it's an easy switch. Serve with some fresh steamed broccoli on the side. 

5. And lastly Very Berry Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette from Tried and Tasty. This salad shouts summer, looks beautiful and tastes amazing. Use honey instead of sugar when glazing the almonds and serve with some grilled chicken. 

Enjoy!

Meals for the Week!

Happy Friday and welcome to the weekend! For once it is not 100 degrees outside and we're hoping to get outside and soak up some vitamin D. Call me crazy, but I think I'm getting the Fall itch! Anyone else?

If there is anything in particular you would like to see in this weekly post please comment below! I'd love to hear your favorites! In the meantime enjoy these top 5 meals!

1. One of our favorites this week was Rainbow Thai Chicken Salad by Gimme Some Oven. Not only does this salad look absolutely beautiful but the taste is marvelous! To avoid soggy leftovers the next day, serve the peanut dressing on the side.

2. Another great dish and one pot meal is Healthy Arroz Con Pollo from Women's Health Magazine. I prefer the texture of brown basmati rice over brown short grain and felt the basmati rice gave the dish a lighter texture. Use fresh rather than canned tomatoes if you have them on hand.

3. If you haven't tried my Turkey Panini with Almond Basil Pesto you are missing out my friend! This recipe could easily end up on a weekly rotation at my house. The easy homemade pesto is also a great way to use garden basil.

4. We all love fast and easy meals and Rachel Ray's Mexican Lasagna is just that. I've made this recipe with ground chicken, turkey, beef and even meatless and each time is still delicious! Use whole wheat tortillas instead of white for a healthy substitute. 

5. And lastly Falafel from Melissa d'Arabian. I serve these tasty patties with whole wheat pita pockets, fresh sliced tomatoes, spinach, red onions and my favorite Greek Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce. 

Enjoy!

Free 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge {Guest Post}

Have you ever wished that you had a personal coach who would help you eat healthy, exercise, provide nutrition tips and support you and your goals ? I know I have! I am thrilled today to have my friend Britney Ammen writing and sharing some EXCITING news with you!!! 

~Alyssa~

Hello! When Alyssa asked me to write a guest post for her blog, I was beyond excited. As a fellow clean-eater and mama to a sweet one year old, I have often found myself pouring over Alyssa’s blog for fun, healthy meal ideas. And let me tell you- we have not once been disappointed. (The Cinnamon Swirl Whole Wheat Bread and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad are currently on a weekly rotation at our house. As they should be in every household.)

I am also so excited to be able to offer my FREE 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge to anyone interested! After becoming a mom, I realized much more fully my need for simple, nutritious meal ideas that don’t consist of mac and cheese or pb and j (though don’t get me wrong- a good stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth pb and j will always have a spot in my heart). And so began my journey of clean eating.

As a Beachbody coach, I have the opportunity to help people define their health, fitness, dietary, and financial goals, and then provide them with the support, accountability, and resources they need to reach those goals through challenge groups and one-on-one coaching. It has been a fantastic way for me to share all that I have learned over the past several years and to inspire others to really look at their eating and lifestyle habits.

My clean eating challenge will begin on Monday, August 11 and will consist of meal plans, a grocery list, healthy snack ideas, nutrition tips, and support/accountability. The goal is to encourage your body to become less dependent on processed foods as well as to help you realize that not only is clean eating affordable and simple, but it is delicious as well! Hopefully by the end of the 5 days you will be able to tell a difference in your energy and want to continue choosing to eat less processed foods.

All you have to do to join is find me on facebook and from there I will add you to the challenge group page. This is where I will post the grocery list, daily recipes, tips, answers to questions, etc. Each day, you be able to check in, post any questions or insights, and get the meal plans for the day.

Each day also incorporates Shakeology into one the meals/snacks. Shakeology is a dense superfood protein shake filled with naturally derived vitamins and nutrients and is soy-free. I personally drink shakeology every day and have noticed a huge difference in my energy levels and reduced cravings, as well as my overall health. For more information, or if you are interested in adding Shakeology to your challenge, click here.

I hope you will join me in my challenge as I seek to transform the lives of those around me through clean eating. It will be delicious!

Meals for the Week

Can you believe it's August? I seriously think summer gets shorter each year! This morning I harvested onions and cut a bunch of fresh basil to dry and use over the fall and winter. My tomatoes will be ripe in the next week or so and I can't wait to try my hand at canning fresh pasta and pizza sauces.

Enjoy these favorite FIVE meals!

1. First up is my Roasted Honey Dijon Potatoes with Chicken Pepper and Onion. I just posted the recipe this week and thought it was too good not to include in this week's meals. Healthy, budget friendly and easy prep; your family will love this tasty dinner.

2.  Vegetarian and delicious Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins from Pinch of Yum. Serve with a  mixed green salad and you've got a complete meal.

3. We love this moist, flavorful and delicious Tomato Stuffed Chicken by One Sweet Appetite. Calling for six tomatoes this recipe is a fantastic way to incorporate your garden delights. Try serving this dish with my Roasted Asparagus with Lemon.

4. Dairy free Coconut Chicken Satay is divine and one of our favorite meals! Pair with a side of brown basmati rice and steamed broccoli.

5. And lastly, vegetarian Black Bean and Quinoa Enchilada Bake by Two Peas and Their Pod. Tons of fresh veggies and a little spicy kick easily make this meal a new family favorite.

BONUS!

Healthy Snack

These Key Lime Coconut Energy Bites by Spoonful of Flavor are simply incredible. Free from refined sugar, portion sized and super EASY. I added 1/2 cup quick oats and 1/2 cup rice crisp cereal for an extra crunch but either way they are delicious and the perfect grab and go snack.

Meals for the Week

Welcome to Friday! I don't know about you, but I'm ready for the weekend and some quality time with my family.  Enjoy these top FIVE meal ideas.

1. Easy Healthy Breakfast Crepes- These may say breakfast in the title, but make a delicious light summer dinner. One of the best parts of this recipe is how FAST and EASY these are to whip up.

2. Keeping in line with the breakfast theme are PW's Breakfast Burritos by Ree Drummond. If you're short on time, use frozen hash browns instead of russet potatoes. This recipe makes a bunch and the leftovers are an easy lunch for the next day.

3. For those who don't want to eat breakfast foods every night, this Kale Pasta Salad also by Ree Drummond is delicious and made for a yummy meat-free meal. We substituted the white pasta for whole grain wheat and found it tasty warm or cold.

4. These Spring Vegetable Potstickers by The Smitten Kitchen may be a little time consuming but well worth the effort. I couldn't believe how delicious the fresh asparagus was in the filling. My family isn't a huge fan of tofu so I used chicken instead. Fill these potstickers with your favorite veggies and serve with basmati rice.

5. And lastly, Zucchini Quinoa Fritters with Parmesan by The Scrumptious Pumpkin. We ate these with a fresh garden salad for a satisfying meal. Grilled chicken would also be a tasty accompaniment.

~Enjoy~

Meals for the Week

Meal planning done! We had fun trying some new recipes and throwing in our classic favorites.

~Enjoy~

1. One of my favorites this week was the Roasted Cauliflower and Chick Pea Tacos by Two Peas & Their Pod! Their incredible recipe takes healthy vegetarian eating to an entire new level. If you thought healthy eating had to be boring take another look with these top-notch and beautiful looking tacos. Their Lime Crema sauce is also an absolute must and only takes a couple of minutes to whip up. Top with chopped tomatoes, extra avocado, baby spinach and some red onions.

2. Next up Healthy Beef and Cashew Stir Fry from ifoodreal. Chicken was on sale last week so I used chicken instead of the beef. The flavors in the sauce meld beautifully and the cashews add the perfect nutty element. Word of advice, when roasting the cashews watch them VERY, VERY carefully. They can go from no color to burnt in a matter of a few seconds. So unless you want to be salvaging through the cashews looking for non-burnt non-carcinogen pieces, do your family a favor and don't walk away from the stove to take pictures of your super cute baby. Just trust me :)

3. My Chicken Basil Pesto Pasta has become of our favorite summer dinners. I love incorporating the garden produce into our meals and the basil and spinach pesto is the perfect place to do so. This also makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.

4. Salmon Baked in Cream with Sweet Bay, Thyme and Dill from The Nourished Kitchen is absolutely delightful! My local grocery store has had frozen salmon fillets right about $3.50 a lb. They may not be straight from the sea to your plate wild Alaskan salmon, but for living in a landlocked state and at that price, I'll take it. Serve with a fresh salad and some roasted potatoes.

5 Lastly, Apple Bacon Cheddar Mac n Cheese by Rachel Ray. When it comes down to a favorite mac n cheese recipe, this one is the best! Substitute the regular pasta for whole wheat and serve with a fresh spinach salad. For the dressing try my personal favorite Classic Vinaigrette Dressing.

Meals for the Week

Five delicious meals! Perfect for summer and three vegetarian options. Enjoy!

1. Crispy Quinoa Burgers

These burgers are super yummy! Use whatever beans you have on hand. Serve with your favorite green veggie. These will not disappoint!

2. Whole Wheat Veggie Pizza.

You can find one of my favorite crust recipes at Ambikas Kitchen . I like to substitute the white flour for whole wheat. Some of our favorite veggie toppings include: Fresh spinach, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, red and green peppers, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

3. Crock Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

Love, Love, Love this recipe from my friend Yvonne at Tried and Tasty Serve with basmati rice, a fresh garden salad and naan.

4. Lentil Salad with Moroccan Coconut Dressing

Super yummy, refreshing and vegetarian.

5. Summer Vegetable Soup with Kale

One of my favorite personal blog recipes, a little chicken sausage in the soup gives it a great flavor boost. Serve with fresh whole wheat bread!

Meal Planning and Saving $$$

If there's one thing that saves my family money on the grocery bill each week it would be meal planning. Not only does it prevent me from running to the store for that "one thing" that ends up being a whole basket full of food but we eat healthier when we stick to the original menu. Growing up, it wasn't uncommon for us kids to do the family grocery shopping for the week. Shopping on a budget and living about 20 minutes outside of town mean't you didn't run to the store or grab fast food for dinner, you ate what was planned for the week.

Because of MY love for meal planning and saving money, I'm super excited to begin posting a week of dinners for you each week. My intent is to post healthy and frugal meal ideas from a variety of different bloggers and websites.

A few tips that save us money include:

1. Pay no more than $3 a pound for protein. Chicken or pork I look for prices under $2 a pound. If a recipe calls for a protein that's pricey, I substitute it for a meat that I can find for a good deal.

2. Eat Vegetarian. My meat and potato military husband was at first a little skeptical on this one. On an average week we have 2 meals that don't include meat. These dinners are a great opportunity to try satisfying veggies and legumes and save money on the grocery bill. My husband now requests these meatless meals! 

3. Don't pay for convenience food. Frozen dinner's are EASY I get it! They're also often packed with tons of salt and preservatives, things I don't want my family consuming on a regular basis. And if your trying to save money, these tend to cost more than their homemade counterparts. 

4. Be careful with coupons. Coupons can be a great money saver, but only if that product is something you were already going to use. Stocking up on "pudding cups" or "chocolate cream cookies" no matter how good the deal is, won't save me money unless those items were already on my list. 

5. Stick to a budget. If you've budgeted say $100 to spend each week on food, than don't go over that amount. It may be helpful to carry that budgeted amount in cash to the store, that way you have a visual on how much you can spend shopping. 

6. Live a little. It's okay to splurge once in a while. I've had weeks when I really wanted shrimp and paid the $10 (ouch!) a pound for those succulent little sea creatures. 

I'd love to see your tips on saving money and eating healthy so please post your tips and advice!