Finding balance with Garlic Parmesan Asparagus, Sweet Potatoes and Salmon

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Starting from the beginning of the year I really have been working hard to work out and pay more attention to what I eat. Finding balance in my life. One of my problem times is right in the middle of the day when my husband is at work and kids are at school/napping. I find myself checking out the fridge or pantry for something to snack on.And if you have been around my blog for any time, you know I am all about making things easier for myself and my family. Prepping meals ahead of time is definitely one way I have made things easier.

I headed to my local Fred Meyer (You can also get it from Kroger) to grab the Rubbermaid® Balance™ Meal Kit. Right now you can find it on sale for a limited time from $19.99 to $14.99.I love this kit for many reasons- like the recipe book that comes with it that contains 35 recipes. I have already made a couple of different recipes from it!The Rubbermaid® Balance™ Meal Kits are healthy well-balanced meals made easy. I love that it takes the guess work out for me. What is not to love with a quick and easy, all in one solution? No need to measure food, the containers are labeled and it is easy and convenient to transport.

Now it is time to make a delicious meal! I know that like so many of you it is hard to put yourself first and make sure you are eating the right food for your body. But I am working hard on that. Finding balance can be hard but something finally clicked in my head that if I am not healthy, how can I keep up with my energetic kids?



I started with salmon, asparagus and sweet potatoes. Lightly brushed with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper.



Added minced garlic



And sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.



Place in the oven for 20 minutes and when you take it out you have an amazing dinner. I made this for my husband and I and set the third serving aside for my lunch the next day.



I even made some couscous to go along with it. It was a perfectly balanced dinner that I felt great about eating.

• Salmon (3 fillets)


• asparagus (1 bunch)


• sweet potatoes (2)


• salt and pepper


• minced garlic (5 cloves)


• olive oil (1 tbsp)


• Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)Preheat oven to 400°Lay Salmon, asparagus and diced sweet potatoes out on a cookie sheet and mat. (pictured above is only about 1/2 of one sweet potato. I cooked the rest without cheese afterwards.)
  Lightly brush everything with olive oil
  Season with salt and pepper
  Add minced garlic
  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
  Bake for 20 minutes
  Serve immediately

I packed the rest away and it was perfect for the next day. Picking Summer up from preschool and just a short while later dropping Tyler off for kindergarten doesn't leave a lot of time for lunch so I'm glad I was able to get it ready ahead of time! Go grab your Rubbermaid® Balance™ Meal Kits from your local Kroger your Fred Meyer today!



And make sure to check out Rubbermaid on Facebook and on Instagram @Rubbermaid

Now you know how I am finding balance and my favorite thing about the Rubbermaid® Balance™ Meal Kits is that it makes it easy to pack a healthy, well-balanced meal, what is your favorite thing about it?

Zucchini Tots

When I first saw Zucchini Tots, I was totally intrigued. I love tater tots but obviously it is frowned upon to eat them all the time. So I wanted to make these ASAP and I did just that.

These are so easy to make and are done in just a short amount of time. Then you'll be enjoying these zucchini tots like I am!



After you shred your zucchini, it is important that you try and get out as much of the water that you can. They will hold together better if you do and you get a nice crispy outside if there is less water. I used a cheesecloth, however, you could use a clean towel. Really it'll do the trick! Place the zucchini on the middle of the cloth and squeeze into a ball and squeeze the water our over a bowl or the sink.



Then you are going to mix all of your ingredients together until well blended.



I sprayed my mini muffin tin with non stick cooking spray then filled up each of the little tins to the top.



Next, you'll pop these little babies right in the oven and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes. You want to get them nice and brown on the top!



Then pop them out of the tins and enjoy every delicious bite!

• 2 cups grated zucchini (about 1 large zucchini)


• onion, minced (1/2 small)


• shredded sharp cheddar (1/2 cup)


• grated Parmesan (1/2 cup)


• 2 eggs


• 1 tsp garlic powder


• salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°


2. Grate the zucchini and use a cloth to get out as much of the water as you can. (the more you can get out the better!)


3. Add all additional ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.


4. Spray a mini muffin pan with a non-stick spray.  You could alternatively shape these into tots and place on a baking sheet.


5. Fill the muffin tin with the mixture, and bake for 15-20 mins or until the tops have turned golden.

As a result, these are one of my favorite snacks because they are so delicious! Let me know if you give them a try!

Southwest Spaghetti Squash

I love finding new fun recipes that I don't feel bad about eating. And this Southwest Spaghetti Squash is right up my alley!

Last year I discovered my love for spaghetti squash and have made many recipes since, like Pesto chicken stuffed spaghetti squash, that was delicious! I have found that I love adding black beans to everything that I can and this is a favorite now for sure!



I used green chilies, corn, black beans.... Yum, I am getting hungry!



And I also added some salsa!



After baking my spaghetti squash I flipped them over and using a fork I loosened everything up a bit.



I took some of the squash out and mixed it in with my bowl, just to make sure it was all mixed together well and then add the filling all back into the squash bowl.

• 1 medium sized spaghetti squash


• olive oil


• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed


• Diced Green Chilies, 1 small can


• 1 C Salsa


• 1/4 C red onion, chopped


• 1 C frozen corn


• 1 teaspoon cumin


• salt & pepper


• 1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Start with cutting your squash in half and drizzle just a little olive oil on it. Place on a baking sheet cut side down. Bake on 375 for about 30 minutes, but depending on the size of your squash it might need to cook for an extra 10 or so minutes.

Remove from oven and shred the inside a bit- I do this so the squash can be mixed in with the other ingredients.

Put all other ingredients into the squash bowl and mix it up a bit. I put some half of the shredded cheese into the mixture and save half to put on the top.

Bake for additional 15 minutes to get the cheese nice and bubbly.



Topped with cheese and baked and you'll be in spaghetti squash heaven!

What is your favorite way to eat spaghetti squash?

American Girl Doll Closet

There was a time when my life only knew boys. I had two sons and we didn't find out what we were having with baby number 3. We were going to be done after 3 no matter if we had a girl or a boy and while I was secretly thinking I was having a girl I told everyone I thought I was having a boy. I think I was trying to convince myself I was having a boy so that when I had another boy, I was mentally prepared.

I wasn't sure if a girl was in my future. But luckily that day I had Summer my life changed for the good. There are so many fun things I get to do with Summer, like painting our nails, doing fun hair styles and playing with dolls.

For Christmas, Reese joined our family. Summer was so excited to get Reese and plays with her every single day. She has lots of clothes for her, but that hasn't stopped me from buying more fabric than I need to make matching outfits for Summer and Reese.



It has also opened up so many opportunities to make fun things like this doll closet.

It couldn't have been easier. I bought one of these crates for $10, a rod for .29 and the plank for $2. And I also just used some paint that I already had from DecoArt and some hot glue!

Because it was a little rough I did use a piece of sand paper to sand down my box a little, but it only took a few minutes.



These were Summer's paint choices! Bubblegum and Purple Cow!



She wanted the inside to be pink, so that is just what we did!



Then the outside was purple! And I used a glossy clear coat to give it a shine!



I cut a couple pieces of the peg off and painted them pink, and one longer piece purple. Then, using the hot glue I put the "rod" in to hang the hangers on, and the smaller pegs I used to prop up the board on the side for a shelf.



I'm thinking of grabbing another piece of wood to put up above the rod because that might be a better place for the shoes to go. What do you think?



Look how happy this girl is to have Reese's closet finished? She was so in love!





I also grabbed this mirror from the dollar store. It has the suction cups on the back, but I just filled them with hot glue and stuck it on!





I have so many more projects that I want to do for Reese and Summer. What would you like to see me make?

Make your own Gummy Worms

Last year for my birthday, my father in law bought me a gummy worm machine.

I don't actually eat gummy candy because it has always bothered my teeth, but my family, however, love gummy worms, bears and fish. Especially my husband. So as soon as I got the machine we made our own gummy worms.



It came with the trays for worms, bears and fish and one giant bear!



We didn't waste any time and got to making our gummy candy! The kids thought it was so fun and were excited to make their own candy.



You just use a box of jello and a box of Gelatine and pour into the little pot. Then occasionally give a stir until the mixture is nice and smooth.





One it is a liquid you can pour into each of the molds.







Then you let them sit so they can firm up. And you've just made your very own gummy worms, bears and fish.

Now if you don't have one of these handy little machines (you can get mine HERE) you can use a sauce pan to cook up your mixture and some fun little molds that you find on amazon, or in the Target dollar spot!



Have you ever made your own gummy worms? How did they turn out?