Early bird gets the worm!

It seems the older I get (and the more pregnant I get) I rise even earlier each morning. And of course what good is a morning without a delicious breakfast? In this post I have compiled two of my favorite breakfast items.

On week day mornings I try to be as healthy as possible...smoothies are the way to go. And so easy! You can add just about anything you want or have on hand into your blender and puree up a scrumptious, healthy start to your work day.

Mean Green Smoothie
3/4 cup Greek plain full fat yogurt
1 banana
1 cup of juice/milk
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1 cup spinach/kale mix
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp chia seeds

Don't let the word "green" scare you. Trust me, you won't taste the green in this mean green smoothie. The reason I add spinach and kale into my smoothie is to give myself that extra serving of vegetables that are so good for you. You'll taste the fruit you add into the smoothie. You'll notice that I put different examples of a liquid...I usually use the juice we have on hand (orange or apple) but I've also used coconut water and that tasted great. I use full fat Greek yogurt because I want the healthy fats and love the creaminess it adds to my smoothie. Then I pulse this altogether, once it is pureed I slowly add in a few ice cubes until it reaches the consistency that I prefer. Then when I pour it into my cup, I add chia seeds on top and mix it around before I drink. This adds another punch to the super healthy smoothie. This breakfast will give you so much energy and just make you feel good. For you mamas-to-be this is an awesome pregnant breakfast, great for you and amazing for your growing baby.



Quinoa-Citrus-Currant Muffins
2 cups of cooked quinoa (follow instructions on bag)
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup safflower oil
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup dried currants
2 Tbsp orange zest
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice

Mix wet ingredients together in a standing mixer. Meanwhile, add dry ingredients together and mix with a fork until combined. Slowly add in dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Add in currants. Lastly add in juice and zest. Spoon into a greased and floured muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

The fluffy quinoa gives these healthy muffins a moist texture and the currants give you a pop of tartness. You can really add any dried fruit, fresh fruit or nuts that you have on hand as well. I took these to my best friend who had recently had her first baby, a great treat for a loved one.

Both of these breakfasts are winners and don't take long to make. I hope you enjoy! xo Lo

Good ole steak & potatoes

This year I decided to give something up every month...since food is one of the things I love the most, I chose certain food items. In January, I gave up carbs...bread, pasta, rice, etc... now that January is over I have to admit that I wasn't completely turning my head to those scrumptious, fluffy, hit-the-spot pieces of bread, but most of the time I stayed focused.

This month I am giving up meat...so I will only eat fish. Rightly so, in the last days of January I picked up some New York strip steaks to cook. Every now and then a homemade dish of classic steak and potataoes is all one needs to get through the day.

Smashed Fingerling Potatoes
1/2 package of fingerling potatoes
salt
pepper
3 green onions
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter

First you want to, dice up your potatoes then boil them until a fork can slide through them. Then you drain the water out, add in the butter, salt, pepper, milk and green onion...before you start to smash them let them sit for a few minutes. This gives the butter time to melt. Then smash away, your potatoes should be left between chunky and creamy. We love to keep the skins on our potatoes (they are packed with nutrients!) and we like some chunks. If you prefer smooth mashed potatoes use a hand mixer to blend them together. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve.

Sauteed Kale
1 bunch of fresh kale
salt
pepper
olive oil

You always need greens on your plate, right?! Kale is a great alternative to spinach or broccoli, they are super healthy and delicious. Wash your kale, cut off the stems and roughly chop them up. Heat up your skillet with olive oil, drop in the kale and cook for 10-15 minutes. Cover for the first five minutes to help circulate the heat and soften the kale. I don't want my kale to get mushy so I remove the cover to let them saute and get slightly crispy before serving. (You could always add mushrooms, onions, or other spices to jazz up this green!)

Classic New York Strip
2 steaks (or however many you need)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

This is the classic way of cooking up a steak. Steaks have a lot of flavor and you don't want to overcrowd that natural flavor with too many spices. I let my steaks rest in olive oil for about 10 minutes at room temperature, I get my pan nice and hot, sprinkle on the salt and pepper then place the steaks down on the grill pan.

My amazing, culinary friend, Amanda, taught me how to tell if your steak is done as you'd like. If you feel the palm of your hand regularly that is rare, if you move your thumb to your forefinger that is medium-rare, the middle finger is medium, ring finger that is medium-well and the pinky is well-done. So if you press on your steak as it cooks you should be able to gauge when it is done to your liking. We prefer our steaks to be medium to medium-rare which is about 4-5 minutes per side.

Once everything is done, plate up and eat up! Enjoy! xoxo Lo