A Clean Attempt at WIAW

It’s Wednesday! We are halfway through the week my friends.

Let’s get right to it and talk about some of my amazing eats from this week.

A week ago, I decided to drop refined sugars for a while. I know how much inflammation refined sugar causes to my body, and I wanted to give my body a rest from that madness. Check out this post about how I kick the sugar addiction. I still enjoy sweets but in the form of fruit and natural sugars like organic honey.

Besides the sugar thing, I have really cleaned up my diet again. I’m limiting my processed food intake, going crazy on the fruits and veggies, becoming more aware of my protein intake, and overall just trying to keep my food intake very balanced. It’s amazing what even a week of good clean eating can do for a person! I am feeling great and less bloated.

My EATS:

Those banana almond bars that I made for Valentine’s day are already gone! They were definitely enjoyed if you cannot tell. This is why I can’t keep any type of sweet in the house! At least they were healthier than a pan of Special K bars (oh how I love Special K bars–-Katie).

banana almond bars

This random stir-fry I threw together last night turned out AMAZING! It was sautéed onions, red bell pepper, and mushrooms with a cooked veggie burger and quinoa thrown in the mix. I topped the dish with hummus and was one happy girl.

veggie burger stir fry

Greek yogurt bowl with honey, banana, almonds, cinnamon and raisins; photo taken after half demolished.

yogurt banana

This salad that looked a lot prettier than it tasted. You win some, you lose some. I couldn’t figure out why it didn’t taste good because I’ve made a nearly identical salad before and absolutely loved it. I guess I wasn’t in the right mood.

salad

Thai lettuce cups with peanut sauce and mom’s homemade chicken wings!

lettuce wraps and chicken wings

I went through three napkins and really did a number on this dinner. So good!

lettuce wraps and chicken wings

Homemade almond crackers. I made two different kinds: salt and pepper and rosemary and garlic. They both turned out great!

almond crackers

As always, smoothies are still my go-to breakfast choice. I’ve been going through quite a few brown rice tortilla and peanut (or almond) butter wraps. Organic raw carrots. Cashews. Raisins. Dates.

LOTSA good food!

What have YOU been eating my nutty friends?

Thanks again to Jenn for hosting WIAW!

Continue Reading A Clean Attempt at WIAW

Valentine’s Dinner Recap

Hello my friends and Happy Presidents day!

How was your weekend? Did you get your fill of Olympic viewing like we did? My hubs has a serious love for the Olympics and his enthusiasm is rubbing off on me. I am loving it!

So, the last time we touched base I was trying to decide on my Valentine’s Day menu. I had asked for your help in my decision-making process and after much consideration I decided on coconut shrimp, parmesan baked fries, artichokes, and banana almond chocolate squares!! The whole dinner prep process took us about an hour and a half, but it was so worth it!

Check it out…

Coconut shrimp with recipe inspiration from Skinny Taste.

My modifications to Coconut Shrimp

  • 3/4 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (weight after peeled)
  • 2 Tbsp coconut flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flake
  • pinch of salt
  • olive oil to coat pan

Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup apricot preserves
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • a dash of cayenne pepper

We followed Skinny Taste’s recipe instructions here: Coconut Shrimp Instructions although we had to broil ours for a while towards the end because they weren’t crisping up. coconut shrimp coconut shrimp End product… coconut shrimp parmesan fries Baked parmesan fries: recipe from 101cookingfortwo. We didn’t change a darn thing except instead of mixing the fries with the oil and cheese in the bowl, I just coated the pan with olive oil, coated the top of the fries with olive oil, and sprinkled the parmesan cheese over the tops, along with some salt. parmesan fries parmesan fries Steamed artichokes! artichokes   valentine's dinner   artichoke Banana Chocolate Almond Squares from PopSugar almond banana bars almond banana bars

I am obsessed with these babies! They are gooey and chocolatey, banana-y, perfectly sweet and just so darn delicious! I keep them in the freezer and cut off a square or two everyday. So there you have it. Valentine’s dinner was a success!

Did you have any special treats on Valentine’s Day? 

Continue Reading Valentine’s Dinner Recap

My Valentine’s Day Menu Inspiration

This year, Dana and I have decided to stay in for Valentine’s Day. Come to think of it, that is what we usually do. I prefer to make dinner especially when I know the restaurants will be swamped. I prefer the quiet comfort of home. Don’t get me wrong though because I enjoy going out to eat too!

Check out Valentine’s Day from last year: Valentine’s Day 2013. Last year we had grilled chicken with artichoke salsa and it was TASTY!

I have a tantalizing menu planned for tomorrow evening but I still have some final decisions to make. Maybe you all could help me decide?

Menu Inspiration

I know for sure that I am making some version of a gluten-free baked coconut shrimp. Skinny Taste’s photo is my inspiration! Num!!

coconut shrimp

source

I know for sure I will be making clean and simple steamed artichokes. We bought four at Costco and they look fab! I hope they taste as good as they look.

artichoke

source

I haven’t decided whether or not to make potatoes or cilantro lime brown rice. I realize the rice goes well with the shrimp, but I thought it might be fun to have the whole dinner be finger food friendly in which case I would go with the potatoes.

I could do baked potato wedges…

potato wedges

source

Or these oven-baked parmesan french fries (OMG!)!

potato fries

source

Or cilantro-lime brown rice which is always good.

cilantro lime rice

source

Dessert

Since I decided to steer clear of refined sugars for a little while, I searched for a couple of dessert recipes that would fit my needs.

The first one is a no-bake chocolate banana almond square that is sweetened using dates, bananas and honey.

valentine dessert

source

The second one is a clean eating brownie that is sweetened using maple syrup.

valentine dessert 2

source

I need your votes! 

Potatoes or rice?

Chocolate almond square or brownie?

Or maybe you have an even better recipe I should try? Let me know!

___________________

New Grocery Store Gift Card WINNER!

I only heard from one of my winners (Congrats, Laura!) from the grocery store gift card giveaway but never heard from winner #2, so I am selecting a new winner.

So…..Congrats to Laura and TANYA!! Please send me your addresses and I will get your $20 (originally I said $10 but it’s actually $20—whoop whoop!) in gift cards mailed to you asap!

Thanks!

Continue Reading My Valentine’s Day Menu Inspiration

Weekly Eats: Fruit and Veggie Love

Happy Hump Day!

I’m getting in on the WIAW action today and am linking up with Jenn! As always, I am recapping some of my eats from the whole week and looking back, I packed in lotsa fruits and veggies. Love it!

This colorful salad: mixed dark greens, broccoli, zucchini, pinto beans, shredded cheddar, red bell pepper, sliced almonds, and cottage cheese. SO GOOD! One of the best salads I’ve made in a while.

salad

Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers have been my go-to veggie this week. They are so crunchy and sweet and amazing.

Banana and peanut butter wrap in a brown rice tortilla with a sprinkle of cinnamon and drizzle of honey. Always a winner.

peanut butter banana wrap

Organic cottage cheese with blackberries and sliced almonds.  cottage cheese

Lots of smoothies as always.

smoothies

Gluten-free sweet potato pizza crust!

sweet potato pizza crust

Asian chicken slaw!

asian chicken slaw

My go-to fruit this week: Driscoll’s raspberries.

raspberries

My contribution to a work potluck: turkey bacon wrapped pineapple with a sprinkle of brown sugar on top!

bacon-wrapped pineapple

My potluck plate: roasted red pepper soup, pb and j, tuna noodle salad, red velvet cookie, and strawberries. We had a Valentine’s red and pink themed potluck! So many delicious treats. We don’t mess around with food at our work meetings.

work potluck

The sugar intake has gotten out of hand once again so I am planning to stay clear of refined sugar for two weeks starting now!

Have a happy day!

wiawloveyourveggiesmonthbutton2

Continue Reading Weekly Eats: Fruit and Veggie Love

Food Network’s Cupcake Wars & Asian Chicken Slaw

It’s time for Treat Yourself Tuesday hosted by the one and only Becky!

1. I’ve had one too many sweet treats this past week, and it all started last Thursday. I mentioned last Friday briefly that I went to a pastry shop called “Cupcake” to celebrate a co-worker’s retirement. The shop splits is split up into two areas: the Cupcake side and the restaurant side which is called “The Mason Jar.”

When we arrived to celebrate, my co-worker (and friend) Mary, had bought a bunch of cupcakes for each table to enjoy.  tyt cupcake

My table had the brilliant idea to split all of them into sevenths so that we could all get a taste of all of them!

tyt cupcake

There was lemon, raspberry, mocha, vanilla, peanut butter, german chocolate, red velvet, and some type of marshmallow one. After we tasted all of these, we actually got to try a few more still! Talk about sugar-load, but seriously how much fun to sit around eating cupcakes with your girlfriends?!

tyt cupcake

As we mowed chatted over our cupcakes, the owner and winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, Kevin VanDeraa came by our table and greeted us! He was incredibly humble and just wanted to see how we were enjoying our time at Cupcake. Very cool!

tyt cupcake Kevin VanDeraa

I didn’t love every single cupcake I tried but I did enjoy a lot of them! I especially liked the lemon-filled one which is definitely not like me. The peanut butter one was pretty awesome too (duh, right?)!

I think that Cupcake would be a perfect place to go for a date or to meet up with friends and I will more than likely be making my way back there at some point. The cupcakes range from about $2.75-$4.25 a piece (don’t quote me on that).

2. I’ve been treating myself to caramel coffee at home as well as lots of veggie and fruit loaded smoothies!

coffee and smoothie

3. On Sunday morning, I treated myself to a relaxing morning: reading the newspaper (and my new favorite section!), looking through weekly ads, watching Olympics and sipping on my café con crema!

newspaper relax

4. On Sunday I made an amazing dish I found on Pinterest for Asian Chicken Slaw. Link: Asian Chicken Slaw. I cut down on the peanut butter, omitted the basil, and only used 3/4 head of cabbage, but other than that I followed the recipe and holy cow…so good! Make this.

asian cabbage slaw asian cabbage slaw

5. The Valentine’s decor is finally up! I totally forgot about it until yesterday when I was organizing some crap gift bags in the basement and stumbled upon them! They make the house look so much more fun and festive! They may have to stay up past Valentine’s Day.
Side note: when you get married you get loads of gift bags. Keep all of them and you will never have to buy a gift bag again! Win!

valentine's day decor

 

I am really starting to feel the lovey in the air. How about you?

Questions of the day:

  • Any good Pinterest recipe finds lately that you’ve tried?
  • If you were to order any flavor of cupcake, what would you choose?

Treat-Yourself-Tuesday-Badge

Continue Reading Food Network’s Cupcake Wars & Asian Chicken Slaw

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

On Saturday night I had some serious motivation out of nowhere to make something creative. I perused through my fridge and kitchen, noticing that I had a sweet potato on its last leg as well as some frozen grated zucchini in the freezer. We had spaghetti sauce and cheese, plenty of veggies…

sweet potato + zucchini + cheese = pizza?!

In my world, YES!

gluten-free sweet potato pizza crust

In a large bowl I mixed together grated sweet potato, grated zucchini, almond flour, egg, parmesan cheese, ground flaxseed, water, a touch of olive oil, and spices. Then I smoothed the dough onto a well-greased baking pan and let it bake for 50 minutes.

gluten-free sweet potato pizza crust

Next, I removed the crust from the oven, added sauce, cheese and toppings and let it bake for another fifteen minutes.

For toppings I used: banana peppers, olives, tomatoes, and onion.
For cheese: I used monterey jack because that’s what I had on hand, but you could use mozzarella. I used cheddar cheese as well. I love cheese.

gluten-free sweet potato pizza crust

To finish it off, I turned the oven to broil and let the top crisp up to perfection.

gluten-free sweet potato pizza crust

Dana and I finished this pizza with no problem.

gluten-free sweet potato pizza crust

It was seriously delicious! I was wondering if the sweet potato would make for a sweet crust, but I think all of the cheese counteracted any possibility of that! I loved how it made the house smell too; like a quaint little pizza shop!

I will warn you though, I had to use a fork to eat it because it fell apart in my hands a bit.

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust
Print
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • basil
  • oregano
  • black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp flax seed
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp parmesan, grated
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • garlic powder
  • ¼ cup zucchini, shredded and squeezed to release water
  • 1 heaping cup sweet potato, shredded
  • favorite pizza toppings
  • no-sugar added spaghetti sauce
  • monterey jack cheese (or mozzarella)
  • cheddar cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare 9 x 13 cookie sheet with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
  3. Spread onto prepared pan until diameter is ¼-1/2 inch thick.
  4. Spray the top of the crust with olive oil.
  5. Bake for 50 minutes. Add as much sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you like and bake 15 more minutes. I finished it off under the broiler to crisp up the top too.

Happy Monday and happy eating!

Continue Reading Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake

Healthy comfort food. Does that sound like an oxymoron to you? Well it’s not, and I’m here to prove it to you.

Winter time screams warm and hearty casseroles and I’m not talking tater tot hotdish (although there’s nothing wrong with that every once in a while!). Instead of the cream soup casseroles, how about diving into something a little less processed. I’m talking about a cheesy, protein-rich gluten-free dish.

It doesn’t involve dirtying up ten pans. It’s easy. It’s belly-warming. It’s delightful.

It’s a Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake!

cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa bake

There were no cream of soup cans involved in this recipe, only good wholesome foods.

cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole

Chicken, broccoli, quinoa, natural cheddar cheese, fresh parmesan, chicken broth, almond milk, garlic, onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.

Umm…yea. Simple ingredients and an incredibly delicious end result.

cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole

cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole

cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole     cheesy chicken broccoli quinoa casserole

Bake this up for yourself tonight! You could substitute brown rice for quinoa, cow’s milk for almond milk, whatever hard cheese you have on hand, peas or cauliflower for broccoli. See, no excuse not to make it tonight!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake
Print
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • ½ cup quinoa
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ½ cup onion, finely diced
  • 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
  • ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 small chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons almond flour
  • 2 tablespoons shredded parmesan (grated would be fine too)
  • dash of poultry seasoning
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. In a 9 x 9 oven-safe baking dish, combine quinoa, broth, milk, onion, broccoli, and cheddar.
  3. Set chicken breasts in the middle of the pan, pressed down into the mixture.
  4. Season breasts with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.
  5. Top the whole dish with almond flour and parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
  6. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the center of chicken reads 165 degrees F. ***note baking times will vary!***
  7. Optional: finish under broiler to crisp up the top of the dish.
  8. Serve warm!

Enjoy the comfort foods without interrupting your waistline! Simply delicious.

Continue Reading Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Quinoa Bake

Superbowl Snack Recap, a GIVEAWAY, and Giveaway Winner!

Did you all survive the Superbowl (apparently Superbowl needs to be capitalized like it’s a holiday because spell-check keeps telling me superbowl is incorrect)?

Although the game was fairly boring, the team who I was cheering for actually won! I made sure to sport navy blue and lime green sweats for the game.

I was impressed by the half-time show and fell in love with Bruno Mars. The commercials were just so-so to me. My favorites were the Doritos ones, the Budweiser puppy and horse one, and the Full House one.

The highlight of the evening though was definitely the FOOD! Let’s be real.

A representative from Cub Foods and Essential Everyday reached out to me with some recipe inspiration for game day. I accepted his suggestions and was generously given some gift cards to spend at Cub Foods. Their store brand Essential Everyday is an affordable option and you still get the quality of name brand products.

essential everyday 

I made Cub Food’s guacamole, chipotle slider, and chili cheese nacho recipes, but I did make a few alterations to a couple of the recipes.They all turned out SO good!

Here are the recipes and my modifications:

Guacamole recipe courtesy of Cub Foods and Essential Everyday

Asparagus wraps (this recipe is mine) 🙂

superbowl 2014 guacamole ham asparagus wraps

superbowl 2014 guacamole

 

asparagus roll-up

Chipotle Sliders courtesy of Cub Foods and Essential Everyday; my substitutions/alterations to the recipe are listed in red

INGREDIENTS

  •   
  •   
  •  
  •   
  •   chopped 
  •   
  •  
  •   
  •  

chipotle sliders superbowl 2014 chipotle sliders superbowl 2014 chipotle sliders superbowl 2014

I ate mine bun-less. Delicious.

 Chili Cheese Fries original recipe in black and my changes in red

INGREDIENTS

  •    
  •   
  •    
  •    
  •   
  •  diced 
  • 1 cup pinto beans

chili cheese fries superbowl 2014 chili cheese fries superbowl 2014

Decadent and satisfying!

And of course, a little something sweet: peanut butter M & M’s. My fav!

superbowl 2014 m and m's

It was an absolutely delicious spread. Everything was a total hit! Thank you to Cub Foods and Essential Everyday for helping me host an excellent Superbowl party!

The good news for you guys….

(Correction) Cub Foods wants to give away $10 grocery gift cards to two lucky winners! The applicable stores are: Albertsons, Hornbacher’s, Jewel-Osco, Lucky (not the clothing store), Shoppers, Shop ‘n Save, Cub Foods, Shaws Star, Farm Fresh, and Acme.

To enter: comment on this post telling me your favorite game day or any day “treat”. Earn an extra entry by tweeting, “I entered to win a grocery gift card from @NuttyMelanie! http://wp.me/p2J5VV-2CO”.

Winners will be announced on Thursday, February 6th! Good luck!

_______________________

The winner of last week’s Smart Balance Peanut Butter Nugget giveaway is….

Congrats, Holly! Please email me at beautifullynutty@gmail.com with your shipping address so I can get those delicious bites off to you asap!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Disclaimer: Cub Foods and Essential Everyday have provided me with gift cards to spend on groceries for game day at Cub Foods. All opinions expressed on the store and products are solely my own.

Continue Reading Superbowl Snack Recap, a GIVEAWAY, and Giveaway Winner!

Friday Favs: Comforts and Pampering

Did everyone enjoy their tropical getaway yesterday? 😉 I have to admit that I forgot all about it, darnit! I’ll be sure to try to visit the sunshine again today.

How about a little Friday Favorites link up with Katie?!

Okay!!

1. This killer salad combo. As much as I haven’t been craving cold salads these days, I decided to throw together this beauty on a whim last night. It was spinach, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, olives, broccoli, sunflower seeds, hardboiled egg, and ranch dressing. It tasted like a salad from a fancy salad bar; I think the egg really made it.

salad

2. Appropriate warm winter gear especially my Sorel boots. I live in those things in the winter. They keep my feet so warm and dry, plus they are cute! I get compliments on them everywhere I go.

jump in winter gear

melanie at nelsons

3. A cup of coffee. I have been limiting my coffee and caffeine intake (again, just trying to give my digestive system a break from stimulants), but this past week I gave in and had some coffee. I am so grateful for a warm and creamy cup of jo. It is such a comfort to me in the mornings. As much as I have been trying to replace coffee with tea in the morning, and convince myself that it is just as good, I can’t. It just doesn’t compare and never will.

coffee

4. My manicured nails and pedicured toes. I only get a manicure and a pedicure done once a year but think I may have to make it more of a habit (especially the toes) because it feels so good to have my hands, feet and nails all cleaned up!

pedicure toes

5. My bed. We own a Tempur-Pedic and I can only begin to tell you how amazing it is. I look forward to crawling into bed at night. The bed hugs you softly yet is perfectly firm. My Tempur-Pedic pillow supports my neck and keeps my spine aligned. Awww, excuse me as I go crawl back in bed now. 😉

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Coffee or tea?

Cold salads in the winter?

Favorite winter gear?

Fun weekend plans?

Friday Favorites

Continue Reading Friday Favs: Comforts and Pampering

Warm Cauliflower, Quinoa & Feta Salad

The cold winter evenings call for warm healthy dinners. Last night was no exception.

I roasted one head of organic cauliflower in a bit of olive oil in the oven at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes, stirring it halfway. Once it was perfectly roasted, I set it aside as I whipped up the remainder of our meal.

My Sunday creation…

warm cauliflower, quinoa and feta salad

 

Next, I got the quinoa cooking. I mixed together one cup of quinoa with one cup of chicken stock and one cup of water. I brought the quinoa and liquids to a boil, then covered and let simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid was gone. Then, I added garlic powder, turmeric, salt and pepper. I let this sit as I finished the rest of the meal.

In a large saute pan, I sautéed onion, zucchini, and garlic in olive oil. I then added a handful of spinach, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), and the roasted cauliflower. I added in dried oregano, dried basil, salt and pepper to taste. I gave this all a stir until the spinach was wilted in the dish.

 

 

warm cauliflower, quinoa and feta salad

My original plan was to stir the quinoa into the veggies and then serve it, but I decided to keep them separate.

To plate: beautiful yellow quinoa, topped with veggies, then feta cheese crumbles (this adds so much great flavor so don’t forget!!), and chopped kalamata olives.    warm cauliflower, quinoa and feta salad warm cauliflower, quinoa and feta salad

IMG_0350

Dana and I both absolutely loved this dish. There were so many different textures and flavors and they all came together perfectly.

Whip it up for yourself! Try it for meat-free Monday!

Warm Cauliflower, Quinoa & Feta Salad
Print
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup dried quinoa
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup water
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • dash of garlic powder
  • salt and pepper
  • ¾ cup onion, diced
  • ½ cup zucchini, finely diced
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely minced
  • handful of spinach
  • ¾ cup garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
  • 2-3 cups roasted cauliflower, chopped into large chunks
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ⅓ cup kalamata olives, diced
  • feta cheese crumbles
Instructions
  1. Prepare quinoa per directions on package cooking with one part chicken stock and one part water.
  2. Once quinoa is fully cooked, stir in turmeric, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Set aside.
  3. In a large saute pan, saute onions, zucchini and garlic cloves in olive oil. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes.
  4. Next, add in a handful of spinach, beans, roasted cauliflower, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes.
  5. You can now mix the quinoa with the veggies or keep them separate. I kept them separate.
  6. To plate (if kept separate): quinoa as the base, next the sautéed veggies, then the kalamata olives and feta cheese. Serve warm.

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend.

Any delicious recipes from the weekend or planned for the week ahead?

xoxo

Continue Reading Warm Cauliflower, Quinoa & Feta Salad
Newer Posts
Older Posts