This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Healthy4School #CollectiveBias
Happy Monday, guys!
We’re one week closer to school starting.
Will it ever get here?!
We’re officially all stocked up on notebook paper and pencils and approximately 250 glue sticks. Why so much glue? Why?!
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Avocado Brownies – no butter, no oil! These are so rich and delicious and no one will guess that the secret is avocado!
Good morning guys!
I feel we could all use some chocolate today.
Buuuuut, it’s chocolate you can feel good about! There’s no butter, no oil, none of that!
The secret ingredient is avocado!
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Paleo Fudge Pops – a healthy fudge pops recipe! You can’t taste the avocado but it makes them super creamy. Only 6 ingredients!
I’ve played around with paleo ice cream recipes many times and as delicious as they are, they just don’t cut it sometimes. If I’m having ice cream, I like a small ratio of ice cream to a huge ratio of mix ins. I want cookies, candy, potato chips, pretzels, caramel, sprinkles, all of it.
None of which is paleo.
At all.
Not even a little bit.
But I’ve found that with popsicles, I’m a little more forgiving. Especially if they are fudge pops. Because I love a fudge pop.
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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KingsfordFlavor #CollectiveBias
Blackened Chicken and Quinoa Salad – quinoa topped with blackened chicken, avocado, mango, bell peppers, corn, blueberries, feta, and a lime vinaigrette!
We are officially two days away from one of the biggest grilling holidays. How excited are you? Hopefully as excited as I am.
We’ve already talked about how much I love the 4th of July but what I haven’t told you is that I’m approaching the holiday with a game plan. Because I have s’mores on my brain and I cannot even wait to roast a million marshmallows over the grill and then smush them in between graham crackers with all sorts of chocolate.
The best.
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Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad – perfect for cookouts! Pasta salad with bacon, olives, tomatoes, avocado, and ranch dressing!
Things that I love, in no particular order:
Bacon.
Ranch.
Pasta.
If you haven’t noticed, I’m ALL ABOUT the pasta salads. It’s my go-to summer side dish.
Mostly because I always over cook potatoes for potato salad and who likes mushy potato salad?
Well, my 3 year old. But that’s beside the point.
Anyway, because I’m making pasta salad every weekend this time of year, I’m always trying to come up with a new version or new stuff to put in it. This one was a definite winner over this past weekend. It’s got bacon, cheddar cheese, avocado, and black olives. So all my faves! And then it’s tossed with my favorite ranch dressing by Newman’s Own.
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Happy Monday!
Monday feels a lot better when you don’t have to get up early, pack lunches, find shoes, etc, etc, etc.
I hope you had a fabulous weekend. We are all sunburned and exhausted and that is a sign of a good weekend in my book.
Yesterday I went on a crazy hunt for a beach chair. Like one of those that lays down flat – you know what I mean? I’ve been on the lookout for weeks and no one has them. I mean, I get that we aren’t near a beach but I can’t be the only one that likes to lay out in my backyard with a icy drink, right?
Anyway, I finally found one and spent the rest of the day outside, reading in the sun. It was amazing.
I took a break and made this Grilled Corn Guacamole and then ate all of it. The entire batch. No shame.
Y’all know I love guacamole anyway but it’s extra amazing with some grilled sweet summer corn mixed in.
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Avocado Feta Salsa – avocado, tomato, feta cheese, and red onion tossed in a garlic vinaigrette. Serve with pita chips for the perfect party snack!
This is an oldie that I’m pulling out of the archives today!
I’ve been making this Avocado Feta Salsa for years and years and years and I blogged about it shortly after I started the blog but the pictures were horrendous. Plus, this is one recipe that deserves to be shared again.
My mom used to make this recipe whenever we had parties and then I got addicted and started making it every time I had an excuse. And now whenever I make it, I always get at least one person addicted and they start making it for all their parties.
For awhile there, my sister-in-law would make it and post it on social media and then that would cause me to make it and as soon as I posted it, she would make it again. We were in that cycle for a long time.
I’m telling you, it’s one of the best things on earth.
I know it probably sounds weird. I mean, feta? In salsa?
But it is so good, I promise. You may even want to double it though. I made a batch on Sunday “to go with dinner” and it was gone before we even started cooking. And it was just me and the husband!
Yes! You need to make this at least 30 minutes before you serve it. And don’t taste it until it’s chilled for the 30 minutes! It’s so much better once all the flavors mix together.
It seems to get better the longer you refrigerate it. It’s even better day 2 but the avocado does tend to turn a little brown so don’t serve it to guests on day 2. But it’s still safe for you to eat it!
I always serve it with pita chips but my husband always asks for tortilla chips.
It’s also really, really good with grilled chicken in a wrap. You could put it on top of fish. You could add quinoa and grilled chicken and you have a delicious quinoa salad. There are so many ways you could enjoy this.
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Y’all. I think something’s wrong with my brain.
I’ve had this cold literally since the day after my kids went back to school. It’s one of those that gets better but not all the way better and then it gets worse, then better, then worse. So after 3 weeks of this, I think it’s really messing with my brain.
I cannot do anything.
Yesterday I went out to the car and found a grocery bag from Monday.
It had bacon in it. And avocados.
Yummy.
I showed up to the wrong field last night for the kid’s football game.
I couldn’t remember how to open the car’s hood when I got searched at the gate a few days ago.
I just feel like I am so out of it.
Just thought I better warn you guys in case I start posting strange recipes or something. Stranger than Totchos, of course.
So Totchos are tater tots dressed up like nachos. These have cheese and bacon and avocado and other fun things that I had to pick off for my kids. I’m obsessed. They’re like loaded fries but better because duh, tater tots are better than fries.
Definite football food! The best way to serve them is in a bowl with ranch dressing drizzled over everything. And then you use a fork to eat them so you can make sure you get a jalapeño in every bite. I mean a little of everything in every bite. #jalapeñoobsessed
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Happy almost Friday!
First up, I have to apologize for my blog being down most of yesterday and the day before. I have to tell you, a blog going down is one of the most annoying things that can happen to a blogger. You are completely at the mercy of your host. So if you went searching for a dinner recipe and couldn’t load the blog, I’m sorry.
Secondly, this smoothie!
My kids have been sick for the last week and a half or so. None of them have been eating much since their throats are bothering them so I started making smoothies for them. This Almond Avo-Nana Smoothie is one of my favorite smoothies and I know it sounds very strange but it is absolutely delicious. You can’t even taste the avocado! And instead of a nut butter, you add almond meal so you still get the good fats and protein but without added sugar that peanut butter or almond butter typically has.
My 4 year old is currently obsessed with the smoothie and asks for it at least once a day.
One year ago: Caramel Crown Coffeecake
Two years ago: Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Four years ago: Mango Avocado Salsa
Happy Monday! How was your weekend? Did your team(s) win?
Mine didn’t.
Wahhh. But how good was that game?! (LSU & Georgia)
I made this salsa to enjoy during the games on Saturday because what is better than chips and dip during a football game? I thought this seemed like a really fun and interesting recipe. Honestly, it’s pretty much a thinned out, pureed guacamole. And I looooove guacamole.
Funnily enough, my husband won’t touch guacamole but half of this salsa mysteriously disappeared when me and the boys left the house for awhile. I am typically not a fan of 100% pureed guac (like the packaged stuff – yuck!) but I dug this and I think it’s because it is more of a salsa consistency.
Like, I said, I dug it. I’m using it as a salad dressing this week and I’m looking forward to lunch today!
Two year ago: Candied Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies
Three years ago: Herbed Beer Bread
Four years ago: Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
As I told you last week, my husband is gone for awhile and as I’ve also told you guys, I’m not one of those wives who mind him being gone a couple weeks at a time. I’m okay being alone. There are, however, a few things that I do need him around for. Like, putting gas in my car. I’m 100% sure my gas light will be on until the day he comes back and then I will fill it up on the way to the airport. Until then I will put 3 dollars in every time I leave the house because omg, there’s nothing more boring than standing at a gas pump. I also now have to buy my own ice. Ugh, I hate buying ice. They keep the little ice freezers locked on post and it makes me feel so guilty to make soldiers wait while the poor cashier has to walk outside to get me ice. I mean, do people really steal ice? Is there a huge need to lock it? Normally I pretend I don’t notice we’re out (and we always are because I’m anemic and annoying and go through 10 pounds every 2 days) and then I’ll send him a text when he’s out and about asking him to stop. He also buys wine when he stops for ice – so duh, it’s just better if he’s in charge of ice. And finally, I miss not having to fill the Keurig every time I want coffee or tea. He gets up before me for PT and instead of analyzing how many thousandths of an inch the strawberries in the window grew overnight while the Keurig starts up, he actually fills it. All the way, not just enough for one cup.
But I don’t really miss having to cook. We’re been having lots of eggs, waffles, sandwiches, anything that doesn’t require a whole lot of cooking. Good thing I stocked up on some good recipes before he left, huh?
He’s never really been a big avocado fan (except for this avocado feta salsa that I make all the time) but a few months ago we went out for lunch and he ordered avocado on his burger. I took that to mean I could start making things that include avocados. He totally loved this salad! It’s so simple and so fresh – how could you not love it?
One year ago:Â Chocolate Cream-Filled Cake
Five years ago: Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins
Chicken Club Egg Rolls – the most delicious egg roll recipe! Filled with chicken, bacon, avocado, and cheddar cheese. Plus, an amazing avocado ranch dipping sauce!
It’s always exciting for me to receive a blog I already know for my Secret Recipe Club assignment.
This month I got Erin of Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts. Erin organized that Colorado Fires fundraiser that I participated in and I’m happy to call her a friend.
When I sat down to pick a recipe from Erin’s blog, I had brownies on the brain and knew Erin would have the perfect recipe for me.
Buuuut as soon as I opened her blog, my 2 year old spotted these and started shrieking “THAT ONE! THAT ONE! THAAAAAAAAAT ONE!”
So yeah, I made her Chicken Club Egg Rolls.
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If yesterdays post was last minute 4th of July ideas, here’s a last last minute idea.
My boys bought their daddy a grill for Father’s Day and he’ss been obsessed with it ever since. He’s so serious about it that he’s been going to the grocery store by himself to pick out what he wants to grill. It’s been the usual for the most part (burgers, sausage, chicken) but one day he shocked me with some corn. It was so delicious right off the grill and I knew immediately that I wanted to make this salad with it.
The sweet corn with the tart lime dressing is such a weird combination but so good! And anything with avocado is good in my book! Husband doesn’t like avocado or cilantro but even he liked this. I’m definitely making this again the next time we have some extra grilled corn.
I do recommend using cherry tomatoes. I used the larger grape tomatoes and I felt like they were too big compared to the rest of the ingredients. If you love tomatoes (I don’t) you might not have an issue with it though.
Sometimes I feel silly for posting simple things like guacamole because everyone seems to make their guac a little different. I know I like mine heavy on the avocado, light on everything else but my husband is the exact opposite. This is the recipe I use when I’m making it for people other than myself because it seems to be a good combination of everything. It’s delicious, quick, and it’s perfect on chips, tacos, salads, just about anything.
