Frozen Yogurt covered blueberries

Snacks are one of those things that can be really hard when you are trying to eat healthy and take care of yourself. It is so easy to grab unhealthy choices, like chips, crackers, etc because they are right there in front of you. But what if you make some snacks ahead of time so that you can't fail? What if you have them prepped and in separate bags so that you can grab a bag as you head out the door so you are tempted to stop through a drive-thru? These frozen yogurt covered blueberries will be perfect for just that!

Today I wanted to share a super quick and delicious snack that I have been loving quite a while. Really since I had started with weight watchers back in March of 2018 I started making these frozen yogurt covered blueberries and I have just made them ever since!

There isn't really that much with these blueberries. I used Light and Fit strawberry cheesecake flavored greek yogurt and dipped each blueberry into the yogurt. Then I placed them onto a lined cookie sheet and then into the freezer just until they are frozen.

Once frozen I put them into a sealable baggy and I keep them in the freezer. If you don't the yogurt melts pretty quick!

Two Ingredients:
blueberries
Light and fit Strawberry Cheesecake Greek yogurt

1. Dip blueberries in yogurt
2. Line dipped blueberries onto a covered cookie sheet
3. Place in freezer until frozen
4. Keep in the freezer when not eating as they will melt

So simple and delicious and ready in a short amount of time! What are you waiting for, make these now!

Now I have shared with you one of my favorite snacks, I'd love for you to take a moment and leave me a comment below about some of your favorite go-to snacks to keep you on track when you are trying to make a better you!

And don't forget to check out my Pinterest for other ideas!

Two Ingredient Dough

By now you already know that in March I joined Weight Watchers. And I didn't want to mess around this time. #BecauseGoals. I have seen this two ingredient dough shared on Pinterest and on Instagram tons of times and it seems like people love it so I wanted to give it a try.



Not all nonfat Greek yogurt is equal, so make sure to scan yours to make sure your points are accurate for your two ingredient dough! But the Fage nonfat Greek Yogurt that I used was zero points. And this is SO simple. Add 1 cup of NFGY and 1 cup of self-rising flour and mix until a dough forms. If it is still a little sticky, add a tiny bit more flour.

NOTE: (If you don't have self-rising flour, use 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and a 1/2 tsp of salt and mix together before adding your greek yogurt.)

Put some flour down on the counter and knead your dough for 2 minutes or so. Then section into 4 equal pieces.
The full amount of dough is 11 #freestyle points and each section equals out to be 3 pts.

I rolled three of my sections out and formed them into bagels. For my 4th piece, I rolled it then cut it into bits because I was wanting to dip them in queso.



After you have your bagels on a tray, paint a little of an egg wash onto the tops.



Then I sprinkled them with Everything but the Bagel seasoning from Trader Joes. I didn't use much because I wasn't sure how I was going to like the seasoning. But of course, it is delicious!



Then bake this two ingredient dough for 18-22 minutes at 350°. My bits were perfect after 18 minutes but the bagels needed to stay for longer. I took them out after 20 minutes but they probably could have stayed for the full time with no issue.

I am a total "chips and dip" person and I have missed queso. Just for fun I checked the points while I was at the grocery store the other day and it was 1 point for 2 Tbsp and that is totally worth it to me. In case you are interested, I used Tostitos salsa con queso.



Don't think you are limited to only making bagels with this amazing two ingredient dough! Because I have seen so many recipes made with this! Take a piece and flatten out and cook for a breakfast sandwich or pizza dough! The possibilities are endless!



Have you tried this two ingredient dough? What did you think of it?

Why I joined Weight Watchers

On March 1st I decided to join Weight Watchers.

As someone who has struggled with weight for most of their adult life, it was time. I've never shied away from sharing my weight gain and loss journey with you guys. And this time is no different. I have tried different things in the past that have worked and some that didn't, but ultimately I guess my head just wasn't in it to win it!



Last Fall I purchased a size 18 pair of jeans and went home and cried. I felt like crap. And I kept asking myself how I got here. After wearing them for a day and kept having to pull them up I felt a little better that I had to go grab a size down but still wearing a 16 was nothing to be excited about. However, not more than a month later those 16s were so tight that I was solely wearing the 18s, and over the winter I wore them every single time I left the house.  I would come home and put on sweatpants, that were also tight if I'm being honest!

This year I turned 35 and as my birthday came and went I was reflecting on a lot of different things. One of which was my weight. Here I was 35 years old and at my heaviest weight. These are supposed to be the best times of my life and the only thing I was enjoying was my food! I was only a few pounds away from my highest ever weight, even while pregnant.

So on March 1st my friend text me and told me that the day before she joined Weight Watchers. I thought, "that is awesome, I'm glad she is doing that for herself!" But within minutes I was thinking, "Why aren't I joining as well?" I looked at the website for a few minutes and decided to go for it and I signed up too.

I love that we joined at the same time. It has been great for accountability, motivation and talking about meal planning. With the weather getting nicer I have been able to get out and walk to take and pick up kids from school, plus we are already spending lots of time at the park. I have been exercising a moderate amount, mainly doing pilates or HIIT workouts. These are examples of the workouts I've been doing. I found these on Pinterest and I'll keep it real- this gal doesn't do burpees!





As far as the food part goes I have already made so many changes. I'm not eating anything I don't like. I'm not over here eating weird foods that I wouldn't typically eat. I'm not starving myself or living off of dressing-less salads.  The first is how much less I eat. I haven't had a single day go by where I felt like I wasn't getting enough to eat. I also haven't had any days where I felt sick to my stomach because I overate so much. I am just learning to make better food choices.  Also, I track every bite I take. Even if that means I go over my daily points. The blue dots below indicate the days I stayed within my points.



I never thought that counting points would be for me, but I guess the proof in is the amount of weight that I lost this last month and I am excited to see how I do in April!



I know those results aren't typical, but I made it happen. Weight Watchers really does make it easy for you and if you are on the fence about trying it, I say do it! Whether you have a little or a lot to lose, this program is working for me. (And I have about 75 pounds that I'd ultimately like to lose!) If you are looking for some motivation, I will be sharing this journey in my facebook group as well. ---> The Road to a Healthy You

This post is NOT sponsored. I am sharing my Weight Watchers journey with you because I love that in one month my size 18 jeans are so big I am constantly pulling them up. And those size 16s? I am having to pull those up as well. I even busted out a size 14 out of my closet yesterday. They were darn snug but they buttoned, which they didn't just over a month ago. You can imagine what that does for a girls self-esteem. ♥

If you are interested in posts like these, check out 10 Ways to Stay Motivated, and Healthy Eats.

Overnight Blueberry Oats

Breakfast for myself is one of the most difficult meals of the day. I have never been much of a breakfast eater but when I do it is usually a bowl of cold cereal, or a cup of coffee.  And I like oatmeal, but typically covered in butter and brown sugar. So these overnight blueberry oats is something I can get on board with.

I was raised in a house of breakfast eaters. My dad would make big elaborate breakfasts on the weekends full of pancakes or waffles, french toast, hash browns, eggs and bacon.  The rest of the week my breakfast might consist of a nutrigrain bar.  It is just one of those things that I never made time for.

While I feel like I go in spurts of wanting breakfast I have done a lot better than in the past mainly because I have chosen to be better about meal planning and making it happen. And making breakfasts like these Overnight Blueberry Oats is definitely a way to keep me on track!



It really is as simple as it sounds.

1/4 cup dry steel cut oats
1/4 cup almond milk
3/4 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup blueberries

1. Mix everything together and cover


2. Cover and refrigerate overnight


3. stir and eat (heat for 1 minute if you'd rather eat them warm- I think they are delicious either way!)

One thing I love about these overnight blueberry oats is that you can replace those blueberries with one cup of strawberries, or peaches or many other fruits to change it up for everyday of the week!

21 Day Fix: 1 red,  1 purple,  1 yellow for these delicious overnight blueberry oats.



 

I don't know about others, but I have a hard time eating greek yogurt because of the texture. I don't like the thickness of it and I never eat it unless it is in a recipe.  Check out a few more recipes that include Greek Yogurt like this Buffalo Chicken Bowl, Berry Parfait, Ranch Dressing, Slow Cooked Creamy Mexican Chicken, Chicken and Spinach Bake.

What is your favorite way to eat your oatmeal?

Finding balance with Garlic Parmesan Asparagus, Sweet Potatoes and Salmon

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CollectiveBias #BalancedMealsMadeEasy 

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?

Kale Chips

Here we are, wrapping up January and I had made a goal of blogging 10 times each month and while that didn't quite pan out I have hopes for the coming months!

I have so many recipe posts to share that sometimes I feel like I know know where to start. But I guess I need to just start getting them out there! Right now I think I have about 50 or more recipes to share! My husband will come home and say, "Are we trying something new again tonight?"



I am always up for trying something new.  I like new foods and when I spot something on Pinterest or another site that looks fun I will most always book mark it to go back to later. So last Summer I kept seeing kale chips everywhere and wanted to give them a try. I had gotten a bag of kale chips as a freebie and I wasn't that impressed. Maybe some would have stopped there but I figured they would taste better if I made them at home.



I found a recipe that I thought would be good and the only thing I needed was the kale. I grabbed some from the store and whipped up these Kale Chips in just a few minutes!









As they were cooking they smelled amazing. My house was full of flavor and I was looking forward to them finishing so we could give these Kale Chips a try!

• Olive Oil (I used about a tsp)


• Juice of 1 lime


• 1 tsp lime zest


• 1 tsp chili powder

1. Wash and pat dry the kale


2. Remove larger stems


3. Coat with olive oil


4. Pour in lime juice, zest mix


5. Sprinkle on chili powder and mix


6. Lay out onto a cookie sheet


7. Bake on 300° for 20 minutes, flipping after 10 minutes

So the result? They were okay. I only say that because I felt like the taste was okay, but the smell was better.  You know how some foods have a weird after taste? I felt like these had a good after taste, but as I was eating them I wasn't impressed. I know it is sort of weird, I don't really know how else to describe them!

Chicken Salad Wrap

How many nights per week do you sit down as a family and have a meal together?

Family dinners are important to me. Maybe more so because when I was a kid my dad worked out of town a lot and so dinner as a whole family didn't happen all the time. So for us, we typically eat as a family 7 nights a week. Occasionally one of us might be out, or Zach at a friends or something like that. But we eat together almost every single night.

That is part of the reason that I am always on the look out for a new recipe to try. With 3 kids there is always something that they don't like, right? I am sure more than a few people can relate.  However, I do try to expose my kids to all kinds of foods. Believe me, my husband will tell me if he doesn't want me to make something again!

And who doesn't love finding a New Comfort Food?



 

THE NEW COMFORT FOOD IS:
1. Using mostly local, seasonal ingredients
2. Minimal ingredients in the recipe
3. Quick, easy steps and fast prep time

So today I thought it would be fun to do a Chicken Salad Wrap. I knew the tortilla being a spinach wrap might push the limits of the kids because they haven't liked them in the past. But otherwise I was pretty sure that this would be a hit!

I ran to the store and grabbed some Foster Farms Simply Raised Fresh Chicken. I love it because it is locally grown (Pacific Northwest Grown), antibiotic-free chicken. I only needed a few other things, so I got everything I needed and headed home to make a delicious Chicken Salad Wrap.



I got so excited to get home and get started that I ripped my chicken open without a picture first! So here is one of the package partially ripped off!



Next, I seasoned it with my favorite 21 Day Fix seasoning and added a cup of water and poached it.



While I was poaching the chicken I cut up lettuce, avocado, tomato, mango and I put the juice from half of a lime into the chicken. I also added just a bit of mayo and mustard into my chicken and gave it a good stir.

Last, I just layered it all onto the tortilla shell and wrapped it all together. It was a hit and the kids even liked it! So I guess we have a #newcomfortfood to add to our list!



Ingredients:

• Foster Farms Simply Raised fresh Chicken


• Spinach tortillas


• 2 Tbsp. each mayo/mustard


• sliced tomato


• sliced avocado


• chopped mango

1. Cook your chicken via your favorite method.


2. Chop anything you want for your wrap (lettuce, tomato, avocado, mango, etc.)


3. Mix chicken with mayo if you want it


4. Lay all ingredients out onto your tortilla and wrap it up

Check out more from Foster Farms here ---> https://www.fosterfarms.com/the-new-comfort-food/

What are some of your favorite comfort foods?