Meal & Workout Planning {May}

I've gotten badly out of the habit of working out every day.  It seems like the longer I go, the easier it is to make excuses as to why I shouldn't or why I can't or why I don't have time.  This is probably true about nearly every aspect of life, but I've come up with a new plan.  I'm going to plan out all of our meals for the month of May.  After I've chosen meals for each day, I'll go in and "assign" exercises to myself based on how much time I have to work out either before or after dinner.  We'll see how it works.  =)  I've come up with 7 different exercises that I enjoy doings, but I easily get bored.  I can do 6 each week, a different one every day, and still have one day off a week.  (1) Walking(2) Yoga(3) Jogging(4) Swimming(5) Outdoor Biking(6) Stationary Biking(7) Dance Workout
Yeah...I'm a mega-genius.  ;)  Maybe.  We'll see how this plan works.  I've never in my life had so much "structure" but maybe it will help me.  I'm pinning a lot of these recipes & exercise variations, so follow me on Pinterest if you're interested!  :)   

Monday, April 30

Spicy Chicken Nuggets with Green Beans & Potatoes

Yoga

Tuesday, May 1

Pork Chops {slow cooked in cream of chicken soup} with Baked Beans

Walk

Wednesday, May 2 

"Special Chicken" with Edamame

Stationary Bike while it cooks

Thursday, May 3

Healthy Chicken & Dumplin's

Swimming

Friday, May 4

**I'll be out of town with my mom and grandma, so I probably won't work out.

Saturday, May 5

**I'll be out of town with my mom and grandma, so I probably won't work out.  However, we will do a bit of walking on Saturday.  While it's not a work-out, it's better than sitting still. 

Sunday, May 6 

**I'll get home sometime this afternoon, so we'll probably eat light but not have much time to work out.  I'll start back on Monday.  

So, maybe people will think I'm lazy or finding excuses as to why I "can't" work out.  Whatever.  LIVING is more important to me.  Spending time with people I love is more important to me.  I choose life.  I'd like to choose health and life simultaneously...but it's not in my genes.  I can kill myself to be skinny & healthy OR I can spend time with people I love when I have the chance.  Or...I can do a little of both.  I pick both.  =)

When I get home from being away, haha, I'll be in desparate need of a trip to the grocery store!  Using my handy dandy shopping list printable, I'll make a huge trip!  I went ahead and did a menu-plan for the month of May so that I'd know what ingredients to stock up on.  :)  If I don't stick to it exactly, it's okay to rearrange things, you know.

Monday, May 7
I'll have to make a special effort to do Yoga on Monday Morning, because I'll go grocery shopping Monday after work..
Spicy Chicken Nuggets, Baked Zucchini Tots

 

Tuesday, May 8
Homemade Pizza
(Day Off)

Wednesday, May 9
Town House Cracker Pork Chops, with Green Beans
Stationary Bike while it cooks 

Thursday, May 10

Tacos with Ground Turkey Meat
Dancing Workout

Friday, May 11
PB&J Sandwiches (white bread for him, wheat for me), with chips & salsa (for him) and guacamole (for me)
Swimming! 

Saturday, May 12

Hot Dogs & Salad
Bike Outside

Sunday, May 13
Crockpot Beer & Ketchup Chicken on homemade buns for him & for her
    my hubby doesn't like bbq sauce, so I'm using this recipe but subbing ketchup for bbq sauce
Walk

Since my plans are for the entire month, I'm prepared to be flexible.  I know that things will come up - events at church, dinner with friends or family.  BUT, my point is to have the majority of the ingredients on hand and exercises to do along with those meals.  This will (hopefully) help me make time for healthy activities.

Monday, May 14

Spicy Chicken Nuggets
Yoga

Tuesday, May 15

Pizza Casserole
Stationary Bike

Wednesday, May 16
Crockpot Honey Seseme Chicken
Walk

Thursday, May 17

Pizza Crescent Roll
Bike Ride

Friday, May 18

Hamburgers on homemade buns for him & for her with Grilled Zucchini
Dance Workout

Saturday, May 19

Corn Dogs
Bike Ride

Sunday, May 20

Italian Pork Strips adapted from this recipe

Day Off

Hooray!  It's my hubby's birthday week!  I'm going to make his favorite foods all week long!  This won't be the healthiest week, but I love my hubby and he deserves a week-long feast for his birthday!  

Monday, May 21

Pizza

Yoga

Tuesday, May 22

Hot Dogs & Tater Tots

Swimming

Wednesday, May 23

**Happy Birthday, Mr. Robinson!**
Breakfast:  Funfetti Pancakes

Spicy Chicken Nuggets with french fries
Birthday Cake = Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Icing is what he asked for...this is what he'll get.

Excercise:  Other ;)

Thursday, May 24

Hamburgers on homemade buns for him & for her with French Fries

Bike Ride

Friday, May 25

Chicken Parmigean with Texas Toast 

Jogging/Walking

Saturday, May 26

Spicy Beef Mexican Tortillas with rice and cheese sauce

Stationary Bike Ride

Sunday, May 27
Chicken Tikka with Carrots, Sweet Rice, & Naan
(off)

Coo Coo Kachoo, 

Mrs. Robinson

Free Printable: [Spice] Cheat Sheet

rec·i·pe/ˈresəˌpē/

Noun:

A set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required. Something which is likely to lead to a particular outcome: "sky-high interest rates are a recipe for disaster".

   
It sounds exciting to me!  The truth is, I rarely follow recipes.  I guess I've always been a "rule breaker," but with age comes maturity and responsibility.  The only rules I have the balls to break anymore are recipe rules.  Don't judge - I still have my fun.  :)  I am not an expert on cooking, at all, but through many trial and error experiences I've learned a thing or two.  I know some of my readers tend to struggle if they're cooking without a recipe, so I wanted to share what I've learned!  I've also included a free printable [Spice] Cheat sheet, so keep reading!  =)

Two Things I've Learned About Cooking That Define My Cooking Style

(1)  Restaurant food typically tastes really amazing because when compared to any started recipe, restaurants over-season everything on the menu.  

(2)  They cook with lots of butter, lard, and oil.

When I learned those two things, I started cooking with a ton of spices and butters!  Everything I made tasted heavenly.  And then, I gained 20 pounds.  While cooking with butter does make everything taste better, it's not for me.  I've experimented with spices and found that most basic meals start out with meat and rice (or noodles).  Use my [Spice] Cheat Sheet as a guide for creating ethnic meals simply by getting creative with your spice rack!

(1) Save the image to your computer. (2) Open the photo in Microsoft Word. (3) Enlarge so that the picture takes up the entire page.  (4) Print.  (5)  Tack the Cheat Sheet up in your kitchen, add it to your recipe book, or keep it with your spices!  
You'll notice that I didn't include any measurements or ratios to use along with the Cheat Sheet.  I'm trying to break you of using a recipe, remember, haha!  Trust me when I tell you that it will be fine.  I never measure and I cook these meals all the time.  Start with a meat (any meat) and marinate.  Season.  Add rice or noodles.  Season.  Smell the spices that you are using & ask questions.  (I'm on Twitter!)  Adjust the spice-ratios to suit your taste buds.  If you don't have a particular spice, investigate alternatives or substitutes.  If you don't like spicy foods, leave out the Cayenne Pepper.  If you like EXTRA spicy foods, throw in some Crushed Red Pepper!  Have an open mind and have fun.

Don't forget to bring wild experiments into the kitchen, passion onto the counter-tops, and madness onto the tables.  Cooking doesn't have to be boring, and it certainly doesn't have to be tame.  =)  This is the first time I've ever created a "printable" or anything, so if you guys like it, grab it, or use it please let me know!  Also, while I'm not an expert, I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have!  Comment or e-mail me at MyNewWifeLife(at)AOL(dot)COM.  Have a great day!  

Tropical Smoothie {Healthy}

 I love fruit smoothies for breakfast in the mornings!  One of my favorite things about them is that I can sip on my smoothie while I'm getting ready...so it saves time because I'm not sitting down & eating.  They are perfect for Sunday mornings because...let's face it...I'm always running late and testing my husband's patience.  He threatens to leave for church without me all the time.  ;)  So eating a smoothie on the go is great for my life & for my marriage (haha)!  =) 

Smoothies can be ANYTHING.  You don't have to wait for a recipe.  Just go with what you HAVE.  For this smoothie, I used:

--- shredded pineapple (from a can.  I drained the sugary syrup, though.)

---two mini bananas

---one mango, cut up

---two BIG spoons of Vanilla Greek Yogrut

---coconut Silk

I blended it with my NuWave Twister!  If you don't have one of these, you can use a blender, a food processor, etc.    

And enjoyed through a straw! 

Annnnnnnnd...our most recipe glamour shots of the pup!  :)   He seriously steals my heart every day.  :)  

Have you been making any fabulous smoothies lately?! 

Don't forget to come back Wednesday for ...... something!  It's a link-up party.  One time only.  And it may or may not involve meeting some fabulous bloggers in real life.  Be there or be square! ;)  Wednesday! 

5 Exciting Salads

I've been on a weight-loss trip since January, and I'm doing pretty well.  Even when I'm not losing weight every day, simply eating healthier makes me feel better.  I strongly encourage all of you ladies to start taking better care of your bodies.  Try not to fill your tummies with too much trash.  I've been eating tons of salads lately, and I keep hearing people tell me that they'd get sick of salads if they ate them every day.  Not true. 

I recently challenged myself to come up with 5 different salads from the ingredients I had on hand.  They've all been amazing, and I wanted to share!  If you go grocery shopping this weekend, I encourage you ALL to search for some versatile vegetables like kale, tomatoes, carrots, etc.  Look for vegetables that you are likely to eat raw and cook with.  I hope that even if you wouldn't enjoy a salad made exactly like these, you can at least use some of my little ideas for some inspiration to get you eating healthier!  =) 

Robust Italian Salad

Iceberg Lettuce (with Shredded Carrots and Purple Cabbage)

Diced Yellow Onion

Diced Carrot

Diced Grape Tomatoes
Parmesan Cheese Crumbles

Oregano

Basil

Garlic & Wine Seasoning {from The Melting Pot}

Robusto Italian Salad Dressing by Wishbone Lite

Tangy Citrus Kale Salad
Kale
Diced  1/2 of a Orange Bell Pepper
Broccoli
Diced Celery
Homemade Salad Dressing 
{1 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1/2 cup Trop 50 Orange Juice,  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 Cutie, Basil}

Turkey Tikka Indian Salad
Spinach
Fresh Mango, cubed
Leftover Turkey Tikka {Chicken Tikka recipes used on Turkey Breasts}
Crumbled Naan
Grape Tomatoes
Baby Carrots
Yellow Onion
Almonds
Paprika
Crushed Red Pepper
Cinnamon


Fruit & Nut Salad
Kale
Pink Lady Apple, Diced
Gedesa (Yellow Plum), Diced
Cutie
Peach, Diced
Blackberries
Almonds
Dried Mixed Berries
Tomato Basil Feta Cheese Crumbles

Sauteed Salad
Kale
Diced Onion
Grape Tomatoes
lightly sauteed in Lite Cooking Creme
Topped With:  Tomato Basil Feta Cheese Crumbles

Things I Learned:

--- Use different types of lettuce to avoid getting tired of eating  "the same ol' thing"

--- Don't be afraid to SEASON your salads to get the flavors you desire!  It's crazy that this is just now occurring to me.  I season everything...but I've never thought to season my salads.  Don't be afraid to add oregano to your Italian salad or sesame seeds to your oriental salad.  :)  Salads do not have to be tame.   

--- It's so easy to make your own salad dressings!  And if you let it all soak for a few days, it'll taste even better!  I would never eat oranges soaked in balsamic vinegar by themselves, but in salad they were delicious!

--- Incorporate leftovers into your salads.  You don't have to sacrifice flavor when you're eating a salad.  Mix it up by mimicking different spices, flavors, textures, and ingredients.  You should never have to choose between last night's healthy entree and today's crispy, fiber-full salad.  Two birds.  One stone.  You are welcome.   =)

I won't be listing this on my [Create] tab..so if you want to be able to find this later...Pin it!  =)


Have a GREAT weekend!

“Live a great life—not big—and be inspired to share it with others.”

Hey!  I already published a Pinterest post earlier today, so make sure you check it out.  =)  BUT this is super important!  I came across this quote this morning:  “Live a great life—not big—and be inspired to share it with others.”

I instantly fell in in love.  I think that quote sums up why I blog.  I like to think I live a great life...full of love, lessons, and lingering kisses.  However, my life is not, by any means, what I would call "big."  I have struggles that I don't always write about.  Like right now, for instance.  I'm struggling with balance.  You know, being able to find time to do everything I want to do.  I'm slowly learning that my dad's definition of a good wife isn't necessarily my husband's definition of a good wife - and that maybe striving to be the kind of wife that my mom is isn't good enough for my husband.  Sigh.  We won't go there.  I have two small-life tips that I want to share with y'all.  And mostly, have a wonderful day.  Thank you - all of you - for the comments, e-mails, and kind words that we exchange.  Sometimes they're what gets me through the day.

Anyway, I have found TWO new ways to save money and I just had to share it with y'all!

(1)  A while back, I wrote about some  mini frittatas I made with my muffin pan.  They were yummy, healthy, and made for a wholesome breakfast.  BUT, what if there was a cheaper and healthier way (not to mention, faster) to make these minis?  You'd want to know about it, right?!  Well...buy a large carton of liquid egg whites.  [If you buy the store brand, it'll save you some moolah.]  Spray your muffin pan with cooking spray, fill each muffin cup up with egg whites so that the cups are 2/3 full, and drop some toppings in.  (Onions, lowfat cheese, peppers, turkey sausage, ANYTHING!)  Salt & Pepper, bake for 30 minutes @ 350 degrees.  After they cool, put the minis in a ziplock bag and freeze them.  For breakfast, you can pull the minis out one at a time.  Microwave alone for 1 minute.  Cut an english muffin in half, top with cheese and one mini, microwave for 30 seconds and enjoy!  =) 

For this particular batch of minis, I used egg whites, diced onions, diced low fat cheddar cheese, salt & pepper.  Simple and delicious! 

(2)  You know how your mascara goes all crusty after you've had it for a while?  And it stops working like it should, so you throw it away and buy another mascara.  Well.  Cease and desist!  Instead of throwing out your mascara and buying new mascara all theee time, you can add a few drops of saline solution (aka contact solution) to the mascara tube.  Shake, shake, shake.  Let it sit over night, and the next time you go to use your mascara it will be like new again!  The reason is because mascara dries up BEFORE it runs out, and the saline solution brings it back to life.  I tried it.  It works like a charm.  And saved me from buying another bottle of my favorite $20 mascara.  Yeesh.

So, there ya are!  Get out there and save some money.  Don't forget to check out my Pinterest post.  And most importantly...

“Live a great life—not big—and be inspired to share it with others.” 

Fresh Guacamole Dip {Healthy}

I am an adventurous eater.  Behind my adventurous mouth is an adventurous spirit, and I'm always the first person in any room to try a new food.  Whole baby octopus?  Yes, please!  Fish eggs?  Bring it.  Sushi?  Shut the front door.  Fresh guacamole?  Forget about it.  I was convinced, for whatever reason, that I hated guacamole and avocados.  Oh, what a silly girl I was!  Luckily my parents took me to Mexico several years ago, and made me try the fresh guacamole our waiter made at the table in front of us.  I was in heaven.  Or as close to heaven as I've been.  I'm fairly certain that heaven will have fresh guacamole dip and macaroni & cheese.  (I did, after all, ask my childhood pastor before I got baptized, if he was certain mac & cheese would be in heaven. ;))  Oops.  I'm getting side-tracked!  Back to the guacamole...my parents made me try some, FRESH, and it was amazing.  So....if you think you don't like guacamole, let me assure you, that you could be wrong.  You WANT to be wrong, trust me!  Look at how many vitamins and minerals and nutrients you can get from an avocado! 

via

Based on my brief time spent vacationing in Mexico several summers ago, here is how I make homemade, delicious, tangy guacamole!

{First..you need a ripe avocado!}  It is difficult to tell if you've picked a good avocado just by looking at the coloring.  A perfectly ripe avocado is not squishy or soft.  It's not super-firm, either.  There is a right way and a wrong way to check for a ripe avocado..and you need to do this before purchasing to avoid bringing home a bruised avocado.  

When you squeeze it in the palm of your hand, it should feel firm but not tough.  DO NOT squeeze it with your finger tips....that bruises the avocado and makes it mushy and gross.  Moving on...   

Three Grape Tomatoes, One Lime, One Avocado, One Yellow Onion)

Dice up some of the onion.  (NOT the whole onion.)  You can totally leave out the onion if you don't like onions.  I love onions, but I only use a little.  

Dice up the tomatoes.  

Cut the avocado in half.  Avocados do have a rather large pit, so you'll want to cut around it.  It's very important that you use a super-fancy Styrofoam plate.  It enhances the flavor and experience.  Fact.    

Using a spoon, scoop the avocado halves out of the skin.  

Remove the pit, mash up the avocado in a bowl, and mix in the diced tomatoes and onion.  Cut the lime into fourths, and squeeze all of the juice out of the lime.  I like to pull some of lime pulp out and mix it into my guacamole.  It makes it tangy and tart and...well...I love limes!    

Mix it all up!  Salt to taste.  Serve with tortilla chips!  {If you are trying to be healthy...I recommend Baked! Scoops.}

 

Have you ever tried guacamole before?  Ever made it?  

Fresh Fruit & Mrs. Robinson's {Healthy} Fruit Dip

I can't take any credit for the Fresh Fruit...that's all in God's hands (& might I say, HE is a genius!)...but I can take credit for this little fruit dip recipe I came up with not too long ago.  I was craving something sweet, but didn't want to mess up my diet...and some magic happened when I just threw together whatever I had!  Now, I make this all the time.  It's fine in moderation, but I will tell you to be careful not to overdo it on the dip.  The calorie-count can easily get away from you.   

Last night, our church showed the movie Courageous, and afterwards served cookies and brownies and cake. A few of the ladies from our church are also healthy eaters, so we decided to bring some healthy snacks to church so that we'd have something to eat after the movie.  I put together a fabulous fruit tray, featuring all kinds of different fruit, but the fruit dip was an absolute hit!  I had tons of people come up to me and ask for the recipe.  I was so excited - not only because I made this little recipe up, but also because my FRUIT TRAY made a bigger impression on some people than all of the sweets.  Anyway, enough talking...onto the good stuff! 

---

Regardless of what you are eating, it's good to know the nutritional facts.  Even if you aren't counting calories, where is the harm in being informed?  Regardless of calories, carbs, sugars, or whatever...what good is a particular food giving your body?  Is it high in protein or a particular vitamin?    In my fridge, I had cuties, mini bananas, and kiwis.  I cut up one of each for my fruit tray, and here are the nutritional facts for those three fruits:

The fruit dip is made from:

 Greek Yogurt

A good source of Calcium, Protein, & Vitamin D

Philadelphia Fat Free Strawberry Cream Cheese

A good source of Protein

Step 1:  Chop up all of the fruit into bite-size pieces!  :)  

Step 2:  Put some of the Strawberry Fat Free Cream Cheese into a small bowl...I never measure, which is why it's difficult for me to figure out the nutritional facts.  I just eyeball it to make enough for the amount of fruit I'm eating.  

Step 3:  Add an equal amount of Vanilla Greek Yogurt.  (Don't be afraid, all you STRICT recipe-followers! If you mess up, it'll still taste good  It's yogurt and flavored cream cheese!  There is no wrong way!)  

Step Four:  Stuff your face.  :) 

How do you cure your sweet tooth?  

Japanese Style Shrimp Stir-Fry

Yesterday, I shared a recipe with y'all for a Creamy Shrimp Stir-Fry and I promised to follow-up today with the recipe for the other stir-fry I made with shrimp.  I had some people mention that they aren't big seafood eaters or that they don't like shrimp in particular, so I encourage you crazy land-lubbers to try out these recipes with pork chops, ground beef, chicken, turkey, tofu, or whatever tickles your fancy!  :)  Cooking should be fun and where is the fun in following someone else's rules?  I view recipes as suggestions.  I love to read over a recipe to see what flavor combinations someone else uses.  I love to take a recipe and tweak it so that it suits mine & Mr. Robinson's taste buds.  Anyway...
Japanese Style Shrimp Stir-Fry  

This was my lunch today and it was so yummu!  I've not had shrimp for two days in a row and I'm totally fine with that, really.  The only thing that would have made this meal better was if I could have eaten it over rice & topped it off with some of that yummy Japanese White Sauce.  Which I have a homemade recipe for...which makes the most amazing white sauce you've ever eaten....which is extremely unhealthy so I did not make any.
...the ingredients....shrimp.whole baby carrots.one small can of corn, drained.onion.diced squashed.diced zucchini.broccoli.a tiny bit of celery.low sodium soy sauce.ginger.garlic.salt.pepper. sesame seeds
I cooked it in a skillet/frying-pan.  Let the veggies saute and cook down for a while before you add the shrimp.  Ta-Da!  A healthy, filling meal that has all of the flavors of Japanese food without the expensive prices and naughty calories or fat.  I have had the best time using different seasonings to create flavors I crave and STILL eating healthy meals!    
Hope you enjoyed!  :)  What's on your plate?

Creamy Shrimp Stir-fry

Y'all know that I've been trying to eat healthier right?
Did you know that I'm about SICK TO FREAKING DEATH of chicken?  So, the other day at Wally~World, I bought some shrimp.  Last night before church, I made my lunches for the week out of a bag of shrimp.  I took two frying pans (but didn't fry anything, heavens, no!), added lots of veggies to each one, half a bag of shrimp, and different seasonings.  I divided them the cooked meals up into 4 lunch-sized Tupperware containers.  My lunch today was SO good and I just had to share! 

Ingredientsshrimpdiced carrotsdiced celerydiced squashdiced grape tomatoesdiced onionsdiced bell peppers, red & yellowbroccolipaprikazesty-lemon seasoninga dash of cayenne peppergarlicbasiloreganoPhiladelphia Cream Cheese 1/3 Fat Savory Garlic Cooking Cream

I cooked all of the above mentioned ingredients in a skillet over medium heat.  You can use whatever measurements you think look good...haha...sorry.  I'm not much for recipes.  I just threw together the veggies I had and the seasonings that sounded good.  The Philly Cooking Creme is SO good!  There are two flavors that are offered with 1/3 the fat as the regular cremes they offer.  It's easy to overboard with this, so be careful.  I just used two spoonfulls of the creme, rather than the whole tub (as recommended for skillet-sized meals) and it tasted amazing.  

I'm still full, 4 hours later!  For me, that's amazing!  Anyway, it's totally healthy & yummy & filling!  What's not to love?!  I'll share the other "recipe" I used for the other half of the shrimp tomorrow....  

Mrs. Robinson's Cooked Carrots

As you may know, I've been trying to eat healthier lately!  I'm motivated by my need to lose weight, but I am trying to lose weight as a result of making healthy choices.  I am in no way starving myself.  In fact, I feel like I eat all the time.  It's what you eat that counts, ladies!  One challenge I've met recently is cooking vegetables that my husband will eat.  You see, Mr. Robinson is quite the picky eater.  He eats two vegetables:  canned cut green beans and canned sliced carrots.  I had perfected the art of buttering those veggies up, and they were delicious.  Well, I'm trying to cut out as much butter as possible.  Here is the recipe I made up for very flavorful and healthy carrots.
Ingredients1 Can of Sliced Carrots1 Package of Ham Bouillon SeasoningSalt and Pepper2 Whole Cloves
Step One  Place a small pot on top of a small stove eye set on HIGH.  Empty your can of carrots + juice into the pot.

Step Two  Tear open the Ham Bouillon package and pour the seasoning on top of the carrots.  It's a powder, so it will dissolve.  
This little packet will give you the same amount of "ham" flavoring as cooking with a ham bone & butter.  It can be purchased in the Latin section of Walmart and Food Lion.    
Nutritional Facts:10 Calories0 Fat0 Saturated Fat0 Cholesterol240 mg Sodium1 g Carbohydrate0 Dietary Fiber0 Sugar0 Protein

Step Three  Add two Whole Cloves to the broth.  Top with a little salt and pepper, and stir.  

Step Four  Cook on high until it reaches a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for as long as possible to get the full flavor you want!  :)  I usually start cooking my carrots first, and then work on the meat and other side.  But, I have learned if you cook the carrots for too long, they'll mush.  Gross.  
But these carrots will be yummy and flavorful and healthy!  Enjoy!
Just to update you's guys...I'm losing weight!  Even better, I'm losing inches!  I worse this outfit to church on Sunday Morning.  The white dress?  Oh, it stopped fitting shortly after the honeymoon.

What healthy recipes are you using to shed inches?  

Mini Frittatas Baked in a Muffin Pan

I found this recipe on Pinterest and have been wanting to try it myself ever since.

Source: familyfun.go.com via Kristina on Pinterest

  So...I did!  AND it's healthy, and I can eat these with an English Muffin on the go.  Needless to say, I'm pretty excited.  :)  Familyfun.go.com calls these little guys "Mini Frittatas."    Well, I've never had that word before.  Frittatas?  Sounds fancy.    

Ingredients:

Pam7 Large EggsDiced HamTurkey Sausage1 Onion1 Orange Pepper1 Red Pepper1 Yellow PepperLow-Fat Mild Cheddar CheeseSea SaltPepperGarlic PowderPaprikaCrushed Red PepperOreganoGarlic & Wine Seasoning from The Melting Pot
I like spices, apparently.  :)
I bought my meats in baggies from Wal-Mart, so they were cooked ahead of time.  So if you don't buy your meat pre-cooked, make sure you cook it BEFORE adding it to the eggs.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
I chopped up all of the veggies I was going to use - the peppers and onions.  I stored the extras in food storage containers so that I can use them for snacks or for cooking this coming week.  

Coat your muffin pan with Pam.
Whisk together 7 eggs, salt, and pepper. 

 Pour the egg-mixture into the muffin pan so that each cup is equally full.  I was adding a lot of mix-ins to my Mini-Frittatas, so I wanted my muffin cups empty enough to allow room for the good stuff.  If you are going to use less mix-ins that I did, consider using 8 or 9 eggs.
Add the other optional ingredients according to your preference.  I mixed it up a little, so that I won't be eating the same thing every day.  :) 
Top with cheese and spices.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are starting to turn a golden-brown color and the cheese starts to bubble. 
Remove the muffin pan from the oven.  Using a butter knife to carefully pull the Mini-Frittatas out of the muffin cups, and allow them to cool completely before freezing.

Here are some of the different combinations I used:
OnionPeppersGarlicOreganoMozzarella Cheese
OnionTurkey SausageGarlic & Wine SeasoningMozzarella Cheese
OnionPaprikaCrushed Red Pepper (spice)Cheddar Cheese
HamCheddar Cheese
PeppersTurkey SausageMozzarella Cheese
HamPeppersWine and Garlic SeasoningMozzarella Cheese
HamTurkey SausageMozzarella CheeseCheddar Cheese
Turkey SausageOnionPeppersCrushed Red Pepper (spice)
PeppersGarlicOreganoOnion
After they cooled, I put them in a Freezer-bag and popped them into the freezer.  That's 12 days worth of healthy breakfasts and I am super excited.  It was also great because I've been trying to make healthier choices and the left-over veggies will make great snacks.  
I can just drool lust imagine eating a warm English Muffin filled with a healthy, nutritious, homemade Mini Frittata topped with a slice of fresh avocado.  Is it morning yet?
Does anyone have any more healthy recipes to share?  I'm all ears (or eyes, rather).  Have a great week!