Hello, it’s me!

Hello, it’s me!

Whoaaaa I’ve got the itch. The itch to write a post on good ol’ Beautifully Nutty! It has been sooooo long! How have you all been? Great over here! We are starting to feel settled into our beautiful new home. Bode is now 16 months and is a little ham. He started swim lessons again and is doing pretty well with those! He is going through a bit of a picky eating phase but I know it’s just that, a phase. He loves eggs, hummus, fruit and veggie pouches, fruit, and bean and cheese quesadillas. He eats other foods too but these are ones he will rarely say no to. He isn’t speaking English per say except for a few words, but he sure is babbling a lot! He makes me laugh everyday. I love him to pieces.

Jazzy pup is doing well! We did decide to keep Jasmine’s name but we mostly like to call her Jazz or Jazzy. She is a good little girl but definitely can use a little training. She is timid in random situations and she likes to chase after cars. We will start training in May. Bode is obsessed with her and loves throwing balls for her, resting his head on her back, and pulling her tail. When she’s not around he looks all around the room and puts his hands up wondering where she is. It’s just adorable.

So since you all know I love food and talking about food, I actually thought it would be fun to post a “What I’ve Been Eating” post since I’ve been eating some DELICIOUS things and trying to remember to take pictures. You ready for some?  Unfortunately, I haven’t been writing down recipes, I definitely need to work on this again!

HERE.WE.GO.

Homemade pizza with quinoa crust. This was my first time making quinoa crust and I was totally a fan! It tasted like quinoa a little bit which I didn’t mind and the texture was great! I could even hold it in my hand without it collapsing! Win.

quinoa crust pizza

Quinoa sushi rolls on Valentine’s day!

sushi

Chickpea tacos smothered with guacamole! I just season the chickpeas like I season ground turkey, chicken, or ground beef and serve them up in hard taco shells. So so yum!

chickpea tacos

Boulder Organic Tomato Basil Soup. This soup is legit! Organic, gluten-free, non-GMO, no crazy ingredients and so delicious! Plus it’s based out of Boulder and LOVE Boulder. If I would have been more ambitious I would have made a grilled cheese or cheese quesadilla to dip in this soup but I had cheesy crackers and that was great too!

Boulder Organic Soup

Ants on a log. Celery, peanut butter, and raisins. Suddenly I am five years old again.

IMG_0168

Pork carnitas in the slow cooker. I’m having a heck of a time trying to rotate this picture for some reason so please do me a favor and cock your head to the left to see the beauty of this meal. I am really into pork carnitas. I topped them with lime juice, cilantro, avocado, tomato, and devoured.

IMG_0241

How’s that for a taste of what I’ve been up to and what I’ve been eating? Gosh I sure hope I start writing on here again more often. It feels good!

Happy day to you, to you! Muah!

Continue Reading Hello, it’s me!

Pinterest Wins

Oh, HEY! How is everyone doing?

So, since Bode was born, I haven’t been the most creative cook in the kitchen. The recipe creation has been close to zilch. HOWEVER, this doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking!

I have been letting Pinterest inspire me to try new recipes. Good ol’ Pinterest. My Pinterest page is stocked full of delicious looking food ideas. I have started to make my way through  some of the pinned recipes and I what I want to do today is share with you not Pinterest fails, but Pinterest wins! Here are some of my Pinterest finds that I have successfully made and really enjoyed (I said Pinterest 6 times in this paragraph in case you were wondering…7 including this sentence)!

  1. BLT Lettuce Wraps. I’m not against bread, but this was seriously so good without it! It was definitely messy, but so worth it.

Pin Win 1

2. Banana Chocolate Almond Squares. This is a clean dessert that seriously fulfills my sweet tooth. It’s been way too long since I’ve made these!

Pin Win 2

3. Chickpea tacos with guacamole! I used this picture as inspiration but didn’t follow their recipe at all. I made my own taco seasoning and cooked the chickpeas with the homemade seasoning. I LOVED these.

Pin WIn 4

4. Slow cooker Texas BBQ Pulled Pork. I. LOVE. THE. SLOW. COOKER. It is my best friend. I served this pulled pork with coleslaw and baked beans of course. Winner.

Pin Win 5

5. Broccoli and Cheese Soup. Yum.  I recall I went a little heavy on the spiciness when I made this, but it was still very delicious. This will be a must-make this winter.

Pin Win 6

6. Carmelitas. And now you are all officially drooling, right? You can’t go wrong with these. Bring them to your next get-together, I dare you.

Pin Win 7

7. Crock Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup. I just made this last weekend and OMG! I made a few of my own tweaks but it didn’t need much because it was SO good. I added some extra poultry seasoning , a little nutmeg and garlic powder. Salt and pepper to taste. Make this once the weather cools! This competes with Panera’s soup. That’s a bold statement and I said it.

Pin Win 8

8. Slow Cooker White Bean Chicken Chili. Weird, another slow cooker recipe! I made this for my family and they all loved it and asked for the recipe. This is a super simple to put together recipe. I served this chili with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and cilantro.

Pin Win 9

How about those for Pinterest wins?! I think I need to stop pinning more recipes though so I can make the ones I have already pinned! That won’t happen. I love Pinterest! BTW follow me if you don’t already: https://www.pinterest.com/NuttyMelanie/

What are some of your Pinterest wins or successes?

Continue Reading Pinterest Wins

Fall Recipe Roundup

Even though it’s balmy and tropical feeling around here these days, I am starting to get anxious to make some comforting fall recipes. Fall is one of my favorite seasons if not my all-time favorite, and it really is just around the corner!!!

The weather is supposed to cool down next week so guess what I’m doing today? I’m putting together a little fall recipe roundup! It’s time to gather some comfort food recipes so that I can get to work in the kitchen once the weather cools!

A couple of these recipe are my very own, and the rest were gathered thanks to Pinterest!

Heerrrrrrre we gooooooooo!

  1. Broccoli White Bean Soup

white bean broccoli soup

 

I haven’t made this soup in forever but absolutely need to. So good!

 

2. Brown Sugar Butter Syrup

brown butter syrup with waffle 2

This recipe reminds me of my favorite syrup from a local restaurant! The thought of making it in the comfort of my own home, in my sweatpants and a messy bun, sounds that much more enticing!

3. Poblano Peppers Stuffed with Chicken and Cheddar

poblanos

 

Say what?! That savory deliciousness looks beautiful.

4. Chicken Pot Pie Soup

chicken-pot-pie-pin-image

I need this in my belly.

5. Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast 

crock pot beef pot roast

Let the slow cooker do all of the work for you. Nothing says comfort like beef pot roast.

6. Creamy Four Cheese Garlic Spaghetti

creamy garlic

Decadent. Cheesy. Perfection. Hand me a fork.

7. Apple Crisp

apple crisp3

Apple crisp WITH oat topping. Because. Just because. Omm yum yum yum.

My mouth has been watering during this entire post! These aren’t all the most “figure-friendly” recipes, but you better believe I’m going to be hitting the streets running to balance out these goodies! 😉

I can’t wait to get COOKING!

What are some foods or recipes you are looking forward to making once cooler weather rolls around?

Continue Reading Fall Recipe Roundup

You Grill Girl {Giveaway–CLOSED}

I’ve never been much of a fan of hot dogs. I would eat them every so often wayyyy back in the day, but once I found out what they were made of, I had a hard time getting past that. I had heard of all beef hot dogs but didn’t really give them much thought. That is until Applegate reached out to me recently.

They wanted me to try their all natural hot dogs, along with Sir Kensington’s natural ketchup and mustard. They also sent me potato buns and a ton of other goodies!!

Check out the loot!

applegate

I agreed to try their hot dogs because Applegate’s natural hot dogs are made of only grass-fed beef, water, salt and spices. THAT IS IT!  No artificial ingredients, synthetic nitrates, or antibiotics in these hot dogs.

applegate and sir kensington

Naturally, I had to wear the apron they gave me while “womaning” the grill.

applegate edited

Side track, let’s talk about Sir Kensington’s for a sec. Why I do I love their products? Let’s start with the ketchup. It has less sugar, less salt and real recognizable ingredients: Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Organic Sugar, Onions, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Lime Juice Concentrate, Green Bell Peppers, Allspice, Citric Acid

Their yellow mustard is just as delicious and made up of: Mustard Paste (Water, Organic White Vinegar, Mustard Seed), Water, Mustard Seed, Organic White Vinegar, Salt, Organic Sugar, Chablis Wine

They also have mayo which I would love to try!

applegate and sir kensington    applegate and sir kensington

I promise there is a hot dog underneath those condiments! I LOVE ketchup. I love ketchup on my ketchup.

applegate edited 2 applegate edited 4

Because I’m a dietitian and love looking at the nutrition label, I thought I would share the hot dog stats with you guys. These were their natural uncured beef hot dogs.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving Size 1 hot dog

Amount Per Serving

Calories 70
Total fat 6 g
Sat fat 2 g
Sodium 330 mg
Sugars 0 g
Protein 6 g
So besides making me happy nutritionally, they also made my belly happy. These babes are tasty! I would love to cook these over a campfire! They have so many hot dogs to choose from like turkey hot dogs, chicken hot dogs, beef and pork hot dogs, and more. How could you get bored with all of these varieties available?
And guess what? Now is your chance to try them yourself! We will be giving away this pack of goodness to one lucky reader.
applegate
Enter to win (up to 2 entries):
1. Tweet: “I want to win @applegate and @sirkensingtons goodie box from @nuttymelanie http://www.beautifullynutty.com/you-grill-girl-giveaway/” and make sure to comment on this post telling me you tweeted!
2. Comment on this post telling me which Applegate or Sir Kensington product you definitely want to try this summer!
GUYS, you can enter too of course!

One winner will be chosen on Friday, July 3rd!

Continue Reading You Grill Girl {Giveaway–CLOSED}

My New Favorite BBQ Sauce {GIVEAWAY!}

Happy Memorial Day to you all! We remember all of the heroes who have served and who are actively serving for our country. They are the reason we are free. God bless each and every one of them and their loved ones. Their bravery should never go unnoticed.

************************

Switching gears….

Did you know that May is National Barbecue Month?! Austin, Texas-based Stubb’s Legendary Bar-B-Q reached out to me to see if I would like to help them celebrate the kickoff of BBQ season. Of course I would! We are all about BBQ’ing all year round over here.

Craft-made Stubb’s, the leader in authentic BBQ sauces, rubs and marinades, is the only nationally available BBQ sauce brand (available in 85% grocery stores) to carry the Gluten-Free Organization Certification seal and contain no high fructose corn syrup (the first ingredient in most national BBQ sauce brands.) The company is also working with the Non-GMO Project to verify its line!

I have seen Stubb’s sauce on the shelves but have always reached for the brands I recognize, not even minding the label very often which is something I normally read! After buying the Stubb’s sauce and comparing the labels between the two, my mind was blown. I am convinced I will never buy any other brand. Besides the above mentioned nutritional details, Stubb’s BBQ sauce also has HALF of the sugar grams in their sauce! I mean comparing 16 grams to 8 grams! That’s a lot!

Stubb’s offers a variety of bar-b-q sauces, marinades, liquid smokes, rubs, cooking sauces, anytime sauces, and more.

So far I’ve only tried three of their products, but I am THRILLED to have learned about this brand and can’t wait to try more!

STUBBS BBQ

Along with providing coupons for me to try out their products, Stubb’s also sent me a bunch of great recipes to try! I decided to try their Cowboy Burger recipe first which included Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite BBQ sauce, their Beef Marinated, Mesquite Liquid Smoke, and Beef Rub.

Here is the recipe!

Stubb’s Cowboy Burger

Ingredients

2.5 lbs ground beef
1/4 cup Stubb’s Smokey Mesquite Bar-B-Q Sauce
2 Tbsp. Stubb’s Beef Marinade
1/4 tsp. Stubb’s Mesquite Liquid Smoke (optional)
1 tsp Stubb’s Beef Rub
1 large yellow onion, cut into slices
Shredded cheddar cheese
Bacon slices, cooked crisp
Onion Rolls or Hamburger Buns
Toppings of your choice

Cooking Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, Bar-B-Q sauce, Stubb’s Beef Marinade, liquid smoke (optional) and Stubb’s Beef Spice Rub. Use your hands to mix well. Once combined, separate the mixture to make six patties. Make a slight indent with your thumb in middle of each patty to keep it from swelling while on the grill.

Prepare your grill for direct medium-heat cooking. Lightly oil the grates and place your burger on the grill, indent side up. Cook burgers for 12-14 minutes or until preferred doneness (160°F) turning once during cooking. While burgers are cooking, add the onion slices to the grill and cook until lightly charred and soft, turning once. Also toast the buns.

To serve, top burgers with Bar-B-Q sauce, bacon, grilled onion and shredded cheese. Add additional toppings to your liking.

TIP: To cook the bacon for this burger, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay bacon on top. Cook in a preheated oven at 375°F for 15-20 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate to cool.

STUBBS BBQ

K, so I forgot the bacon but would you believe that I hardly even missed it?! This burger packs SO much flavor! I was so excited about it I repeatedly said to Dana, “omg this is so good” and snuck in bites of extra burger once I was done with mine.

And another confession, when I thawed out the ground beef from the freezer, I accidentally grabbed one pack of ground chicken and one pack of ground beef. I realized it once I was pouring the sauces on the meat. I made sure to cook the burgers to well-done because of this.

It’s okay though because they turned out GREAT. The burgers just shrunk more than usual. They started off the size of this sandwich bun, and ended up like this…

STUBBS BBQ

 

STUBBS BBQ

STUBBS BBQ

I savored every bite of this baby.

STUBBS BBQ    STUBBS BBQ

 

YUM! I’m not kidding I am CRAZY about this flavor! No more boring burgers this summer!!!

Do you want to try Stubb’s sauce for your next BBQ?! Here’s your chance to win some coupons for free Stubb’s products!

To enter to win, write a comment on this post telling me your favorite summer BBQ foods. Bonus points if you share this post on Facebook or Twitter (make sure and comment on this post if you do so to get an extra entry!).

Giveaway will close Thursday, May 28th at 9 pm central time. I will choose one winner on Friday May 29th!

Let’s hear it!

Continue Reading My New Favorite BBQ Sauce {GIVEAWAY!}

Quick Black Bean Burgers

Happy Monday to you all! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine was great! We got a lot done around the house and finished up some last details in preparing for baby’s arrival.

We had our last prenatal meeting with our doula over the weekend which means the next time we see her I will be in labor. Yay! We are getting so close!

So this weekend I was a rollercoaster of energy; pretty typical at this phase in the game. I would go nuts in the kitchen, go through old bins I haven’t touched in literally 10 years, clean, organize, and then all of a sudden, whoa, I need to sit down and have a snack because I am wiped! By the time dinner time rolled around, I was hanging on to only a few last bits of energy, but I still wanted to make something healthy for dinner.

One of my kitchen tasks completed earlier was making black beans (from dried). They were still out and needing to be put into zip-loc baggies and then into the freezer, so I thought I would incorporate some of those into dinner somehow.

I decided on black bean burgers. Here is what I came up with! My apologies for the photos in advance, I was too hungry to really get any good ones.

black bean burgers black bean burgers black bean burgers black bean burgers black bean burgers

I literally whipped these up in a little over 15 minutes. This recipe is incredibly easy! (recipe inspiration from The Pioneer Woman).

Black Bean Burgers
Print
Serves: 4 patties
Ingredients
  • 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (I used fresh from dried and measured 1 and ⅞ cups to equal about 15 ounces---it's not exact, it's okay!)
  • ½ c. oats processed in food processor into smaller crumbs (bread crumbs would work great too)
  • a few sprinkles of garlic powder
  • a few sprinkles of onion powder
  • a sprinkle of chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp. salsa
  • 1 egg
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, smash beans using a fork. Some bigger pieces are ok. You don't want it to be a complete mush.
  2. Add remaining products to bowl. Mix well.
  3. Warm a skillet over low-medium, to medium heat. Spray heavily with olive oil. Let pan warm.
  4. Form four fairly flat patties with hands. Place onto skillet.
  5. Cook for 6-7 minutes on the first side, and 5 minutes on the second (or until both sides have darkened slightly).
  6. Serve warm on a bun or with a salad. Add cheese, onion, tomato, and whatever other toppings you would like!

**To make this dairy-free and gluten-free:

  • replace egg with 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed and 3 Tbsp. water
  • make sure to use gluten-free oats
  • serve on a salad with a side of quinoa and eliminate cheese

And then I crashed…:smile: It was a very nice productive weekend!

What is your favorite way to use black beans?

I love tossing them into salads, into soups, and into tacos or nachos! Num.

Continue Reading Quick Black Bean Burgers

Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

Following along with my beef cravings, I made one seriously delicious and SUPER easy meal last night.

I was inspired by this recipe for Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast!

crock pot beef pot roast

I let the crock pot do the majority of the work. All I had to do was brown each side of the beef roast, and cut up garlic, onions and potatoes. I used baby carrots so no need to chop there. To season I used worcestershire sauce, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper.

crock pot beef pot roast

Eight hours in the crock pot on low. crock pot beef pot roastcrock pot beef pot roast

Top with gravy if you so desire!

crock pot beef pot roast

Botta-bing, botta-boom. An insanely delicious, satisfying and comforting meal!

Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast
Print
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 2 potatoes, chopped in large pieces
  • 1-2 cups baby carrots
  • 2 small onions, chopped in large pieces
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp worcestershire
  • 2 lb chuck roast
  • 1 beef bouillon cube in one cup hot water
  • sprinkle of thyme
  • sprinkle of paprika
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. In a large crockpot, toss in potatoes, carrots, and onions. Set aside.
  2. In a medium pan, sauté garlic in olive oil for about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add worcestershire to pan. Turn up the heat to medium/medium high.
  4. Add roast to pan and brown each side of roast; about 1-2 minutes per side.
  5. Add beef and sauce from the pan to the slow cooker on top of the veggies.
  6. Add bouillon water, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper to the slow cooker.
  7. Set slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours.
  8. Serve hot with gravy if you wish!

ENJOY!

Continue Reading Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast

State Fair Food & Home-Cooked Meals

Well, hello! It’s time for a little what I ate link up with Jenn! As always, thanks for hosting!

Are you ready for these eats? Let’s start with some from the state fair.

We got to the fair early to get to LuLu’s for some gorilla bread (like monkey bread—gooey caramely pull apart bread). We got in line and as we were waiting the guy behind me said that they are out of gorilla bread. WHAT?! That is what I was most looking forward to eating at the fair! But life goes on….

Runner-up was mini doughnuts, which truly shouldn’t even be considered runner-up because they were so darn good. The little warm gems melted in my mouth and were thoroughly enjoyed.

mini doughnuts

Caramel apple ice cream. It was really good but not something I would probably get again.

caramel apple ice cream

Fried pickles and cream cheese, aka a pregnant girl’s dream food. These were my favorite thing I ate at the fair!

fried pickles state fair 2014

Not pictured: chocolate malt, pretzel cheese curds, and a salted nut rolls. EVERYTHING was shared and we walked 7 miles while we were there. Yes, I’m justifying my calorie and fat intake. #yolo

I can promise you these foods haven’t become part of my normal diet.

Now let’s talk about home-cooked meals.

I actually have been cooking a bit around here. I am really aching for fall weather and have been making comfort meals despite the warm weather.

Tacos. Tacos are seriously so quick and easy to put together and just so amazing.

tacos

Deconstructed burger made with beef, quinoa, black beans, onion powder, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper. They were supposed to be burgers but completely fell apart. I melted Muenster cheese on top. I realize it’s not a purdy picture, but it was super good!

deconstructed burger

Beef and veggie lasagna with spinach, onions, and mushrooms. Delish.

lasagna

And the grand finale….homemade turkey breast and homemade mashed potatoes and gravy! Oh yes I did. Thanksgiving meal is my FAVORITE meal. Who says you can only eat it one time a year?

turkey mashed potatoes

Although there hasn’t been a ton of recipe creation happening over here, I am at least managing to get myself back in the kitchen once again! Can I get a whoop whoop for that?!

What’s your favorite comfort meal?

Have you ever tried fried pickles?!

Continue Reading State Fair Food & Home-Cooked Meals

Carbolicious

Alright Becky, I’m linking up with you again today for Treat Yourself Tuesday!

This weekend I treated myself to LOTS of family time! I went dress shopping with my “second family,” had lunch with Dana’s parents on Saturday, and saw my parents and a bunch of family at my cousin’s wedding reception on Sunday! I loved every second of it. No wonder I was exhausted on Sunday night and yesterday! That, and it was 90 plus degrees and crazy humid.

I treated myself to a Shirley Temple (aka kiddie cocktail). I love that the bartender made it fancy for me and didn’t forget to put maraschino cherries in there. That is the best part!

shirley temple

We treated ourselves to some Indian food. We ordered chicken tikka masala and a cauliflower dish. It didn’t stand a chance to our Indian meal in London, but it was still good! Oh, and I love naan!

indinan food

 

We made a stop at Sebastian Joe’s for ice cream this weekend. The Nicollet pothole flavor is absolutely insane. I also got salted caramel which was really good. The last time I had Sebastian Joe’s was when I was meeting up with a bunch of bloggers in April 2013! That was the first time I met Katie and Becky!

sebastian joes

 

Yesterday I treated myself to all of the carbs. That is seriously all I wanted. I ate cereal, pb and j, a sandwich thin with laughing cow and cucumbers, watermelon, grapes….I couldn’t stop! I must have been tired if my body was craving such an abundance of carbs. Clearly I haven’t been following gluten-free too closely lately.

 

pb j

 

I treated myself to some couch time; some lazy time. I gotta soak up those moments while I have the chance right?!

I treat myself to (nearly) daily walks. Sometimes the walks are forced, but I am still doing it! I am finding it more comfortable to walk on my treadmill because I know I am closer to the bathroom (to be perfectly honest).

How did you treat yourself this week?

What does your body crave when it’s tired?

Continue Reading Carbolicious

Diet Changes During Pregnancy

My appetite currently in pregnancy is great! I’m nearly 28 weeks now. I wake up hungry or famished most mornings, eat breakfast, sometimes eat a snack mid-morning, always eat lunch, a snack in the afternoon usually, dinner, and a snack before bed.

Baby and I get pretty lethargic if we don’t get food when we are hungry, so I try and remember to always pack snacks when I am out and about.

I learned quickly that the snack before bed is a must otherwise I wake up insanely hungry in the middle of the night. My go-to bedtime snack is Greek yogurt with honey. Protein and carbs to tide me over for a while.

My diet has changed a few ways in pregnancy. I am eating more whole grains and not all of them are gluten-free. My body is tolerating the gluten and although I’m not going overboard with it, I am still eating regular bread, cereal, and snacks sometimes.

Also, I never know what I’m going to want to eat which makes planning meals ahead of time nearly a thing of the past. Dinners are usually pretty spontaneous these days. I’m still trying to clean out the freezer too! It’s going well!

Another thing I’m starting to notice, is that I feel much better when I eat smaller meals frequently opposed to large ones less often. This isn’t always completely doable with work, but I do my best.  My stomach is getting smooshed and appreciates smaller quantities at a time.

What I’ve Been Eating…

I think this baby gets some pretty tasty eats. Time to check out what I’ve been eating lately. I’m linking up with Jenn today!

One day I was suffering with terrible allergies and had no inclination to make food but I knew I needed food. I had pulled up pizza delivery on the computer and was all ready to order. Then the light bulb went off and I decided I would make my own mini healthier pizza instead, and that it wouldn’t be that much work either.

I topped a gluten-free brown rice tortilla with leftover meaty spaghetti sauce, mozzarella, onions, and green olives. I baked it for 5-10 minutes or so and then broiled it. As simple as it was, it tasted so good. Sometimes simple is best.

tortilla pizza

I’m STILL drinking this smoothie every.single.morning. Not sick of it yet! This is a record for sure.

 

chocolate peanut butter smoothie

We had a perfect green bell pepper from our garden waiting to be used so I bought some farmer’s market tomatoes (we didn’t have enough ripe tomatoes in our garden yet) so that I could make a batch of fresh salsa.

homemade salsa

And it was delicious.

I can’t get enough of the frozen spinach cooked to steaming hot with a little butter and salt. Popeye would be so proud.

salsa shrimp spinach

I’m really enjoying my egg sandwiches still slathered with yellow mustard some time type of cheese.

egg sandwich

The southwest salad made an appearance this week! It’s as good as I remembered.

southwest salad

Yesterday I made myself a heaping veggie wrap. I packed it with cucumbers, red onion, banana peppers, pickles, Muenster cheese, spinach and arugula, tomatoes, mustard and mayo. This thing was massive, messy, and SO good!

veggie cheese wrap

 

There’s been a fair share of sweets being consumed lately. My go-to has been ice cream and frozen yogurt. Summertime just screams, “eat ice cream!”

 

frozen yogurt

 

There’s been no lack of good food consumed over here per usual. I haven’t been super creative in the kitchen, but find ways to make do. We’ve been going out to eat more often than before pregnancy too. I’m okay with this though since it’s at most once a week.

What are some of your favorite quick summer meals?

Continue Reading Diet Changes During Pregnancy