8 Things I thought I'd Never do.....then I became a Mom.

So, I decided to ditch the Lusts & Loves post for the week. I spent the last two days thinking about what I was going to write about. Went back and forth about a lot of different things. I settled on keeping it real and fun today.

I've been a mom now for almost 6 years. I have lots of friends who have been moms longer, I have friends who are new moms and I have friends who aren't moms at all (yet). As moms, we do things differently. Our kids are different, so it only makes sense. One thing, I bet, all women, who have ever even considered having children, have done is used the phrase "when I have kids...." and finished it with whatever misconception they may have about being a mom. If you never did this, please tell me! Be honest! You did it too!

1. Have kids.                                                                                                                                                 First thing is first. There was a time in my life I actually was not interested in the least bit in becoming a Mommy. Damien actually talked about how "we'd be fine" if we never had kids. And then, after He laughed at MY plans, God blessed us with Payton. After having Payton, I said I was DONE. I did have a rough pregnancy and an even more traumatizing delivery with that one. So, I was terrified to go through it again. Enter Mallori 3 and a half years later. Well, Mali was planned, by us too, as we decided Payton needed a partner in crime. But then, seriously, I was DONE. DONE! And you all know Brooklyn's story <if not, go back and read my blog A Slap in the Face>. Here I am, never thought I'd have kids, with 3 girls...
2. Have a toy store in my living room.                                                                                                 Even after Payton was born, I knew that I was not going to be one of those moms who let their kid's stuff takeover the house. Kid stuff stays in the kid room. But I didn't want to hang out in the kid room all day. So, natuarally, my  living room began to look like Toys R Us threw up in it. And, it's not just there. Kids put toys everywhere. Kitchen cabinets, the toilet. If it opens, it probably has toys in it.
3. Figure out if it's chocolate or poop.                                                                                                 You know the Tina Fey, Amy Poehler movie? Well, I have NEVER done the taste test, but I sure have sniffed questionable brown things.
4. Leave my house sans makeup.                                                                                                         After I had Payton, this happened never. After Mal, occasionally. After Brooklyn, almost daily. I have worked in the cosmetic industry for over 10 years. You'd think I'd know better, but sometimes, I just don't have time  to worry about my makeup in the mornings. Know this, my kids, they always look cute!
5. Have the public meltdown kid.                                                                                                         You know when you are out shopping or running errands (I think it is actually mostly while shopping), and there is a mom with a kid who is having a complete meltdown? It can be just crying, screaming, arguing, whatever kind of meltdown you can think of. Thought: My kids will never lose it publicly over anything. WRONG!!!! They have and they will. In defense of kids in general, this mostly happends when they are over exerted. This is typically the reason that my kids lose it (in public or at home).
6. Drive a minivan.                                                                                                                                     Okay ladies, I know that I'm not alone on this one! Minivans are not what young, cool moms drive. And I'm a young, cool mom. Well, then you have three kids age 5 and under and no other type of vehicle can even begin to make sense. So, cheers to all you young, cool moms hauling tots around in your minivan. I think you are awesome. And, I have a secret, I kinda love mine.
7. Go a day without shaving my legs.                                                                                                                 Oh, who am I kidding?! Forget about shaving my legs! There are days I don't see the inside of my shower, much less create silky smooth legs. Showers are a luxury for moms. And a bath, those are like going to a freaking spa. Go ahead, act like you don't know.
8. Pee with one or more persons watching me.                                                                                   If I get up to leave the room, I swear, it's like I have an alarm that goes off to alert the children. "Hey everyone! Mom needs a minute to relieve herself. Party in the bathroom!" It's like you have to activate super-mommy stealth mode to get 2 minutes of alone bathrrom time. Sheesh! 

Now, time to get your laugh on, e-card style. Because what mommy doesn't love e-cards?

Meal Plan Monday

I totally cooked all seven nights last week! We did eat some leftovers for dinner last night though. I had to make a fresh veggie to go with, but at least the entree was a total reheat.

I'm not going to waste any time today. Here's your meal plan for the week. 

Monday: Lasagna with Side Salad

I think I love pasta more than dessert. Lasagna is one of the things I make that Payton requests on the regular. Thanks to my wonderful mother for teaching me how to make it!! I made a smaller one than normal. When I use a 9x13 inch pan, we have leftovers for days (which you may want), but we are watching out weights, so although I could eat it every night of the week, I should pass. We has a simple side salad with this. Greens, tomato, red onion, carrot and Italian dressing.

For the sauce:

Ingredients:

1 pound lean sausage 

1 pound ground turkey

2 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

1/2 cup white or yellow onion, chopped

2 cans petit diced tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste

2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚Brown meats in skillet over medium-high heat with onions and garlic.
2. Brown meats in skillet over medium-high heat with onions and garlic
3. Drain meat and wipe out pan. Return pan to heat.
4. Add tomatoes, paste and spices and put the meat back into the pan.
5. Let simmer on low heat an hour (or more if you 'd like). This allows all the ingradients to blend well.

Ingredients:

Package of lasagna noodles (I use the kind you don't have to precook)

1 16 oz container ricotta cheese (I use part skim)

1 egg

1 tsp parsley

3 cups part-skim mozarella cheese, shredded

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

1. While your sauce is cooking, prepare your ricotta by mixing it with the egg and parsley. Also use this time to grate cheese.
2. In an 8x8 dish, add a thin layer of sauce.
3. Place 2 noodles on top.
4. Smooth out a layer of the ricotta mixture on top the the noodles (just enough to cover noodles with a thin layer)
5. Spinkle mozarella over ricotta.
6. Cover cheeses with another layer of sauce.
7. Repeat until dish is full. (I typically get 3 noodle layers)
8. Top with fresh parmesan.
9. Cover with tinfoil (I place my dish on a baking sheet in case it bubbles over) and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove tinfoil and bake until top layer appears melted and golden (approx. 12 minutes)

Tuesday: Jalepeno Turkey Burgers with Spicy Avocado Spread

In case you don't know this yet, I love a good burger. We also love spicy food! And these bad boys have the perfect amount of kick!

Burger Ingredients:

1 pound ground turkey

1 jalepeno pepper, diced

1 egg

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 tbsp olive oil, for cooking

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) in a large bowl.
2. Form into patties. (I made 4 and they were a bit thick, next time I will make 5)
3. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. 
4. Once oil is hot, add burgers, making sure they do not stick to pan.
5. Cook 10 minutes on both sides, or until meat is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.

Spicy Avocado Spread:

1 avocado

1 jalepeno, diced

1 clove garlic, pressed

salt and pepper to taste

1. Mash all ingredients together in a bowl until completely blended.

For the build:

Buns (we like Kaiser rolls)

Sliced tomoato

Sliced Pepper Jack cheese

Sliced red oinion

Spinach

Or anything else you'd like to top your turkey burger with!!

Wednesday: Pesto Quinoa with Roasted Asparagus and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I found a recipe for pesto that is both easy and delicious from Damn Delicious. Instead of using it in a pasta dish (because we already had lasagna this week), I decided to use the pesto to create a quinoa salad. I must say, it was pretty amazing!

Pesto Recipe from Damn Delicious

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

2 cups water

1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained

pesto (you can use store bought if you prefer)

Directions:

1. Rinse qiunoa in cold running water.
2. Bring water and quinoa to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and cover. Continue cooking for 14 minutes.
4. In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium.
5. Add aspargus and sautee for 10 minutes or until tender-crisp (if you like it softer, cook longer)
6. In a medium bowl, combine cooked quinoa and asparagus, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Serve warm.

*If you want to use pasta with this recipe, instead of the quinoa, go for it!!

Thursday: Bruschetta Chicken with Side Salad

This is the first recipe I have tried from Blog Chef. After eating this, it will not be the last! We eat salads as our side for many meals these days. Such a lighter, more healthy option. I promise we like them, it's not just an easy out on a side. This would also be great with a pasta side or served over pasta. 

Bruschetta Chicken Recipe

We had some of this chicken left over and chopped it up and put it on a Capri inspired salad and it was delicious! Greens, red onion, roma tomatoes, shredded mozarella and a balsamic glaze. You could make a balsamic glaze, but I keep this in my fridge and it's yummy!

Friday: Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Another favorite in our house: the black bean. We use them a lot on our meatless meal nights. Payton has loved them ever since she was a tiny tot. It seriously used to be the only protein we could get the girl to eat. These tacos though, are packed to the brim with flavor and all out goodness. We cheated a bit this night and had some chips and salsa from a Mexican restaurant as our side...

Crunchy Black Bean Taco Recipe


Saturday: Garlic Balsamic Pork Tenderloin with Asparagus
We buy asparagus in bulk because it is probably our favorite vegetable. It's a good source of bothe Vitamins A and C too. So, when we have it in the house, we will eat it more than once in a week. So, hopefully you like asparagus too! If not, this one is a side, so you can replace it with a different veggie.

We enjoy Pork Tenderloin, as it is a leaner meat. Typically, we prefer it grilled and not roasted in the oven. (we'd opt to eat everything grilled though if we could...we have a charcoal grill and there is just something about it that takes us to a happy place!). That being said, my husband said this recipe is by far the best non-grilled pork tenderloin we've ever had!

Garlic Balsamic Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

1 pound of asparagus, trimmed

1 cup water

olive oil spray

1 tsp black sesame seeds

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a saute pan, bring water to a boil.
2. Add asparagus and blanch for 3 minutes.
3. Drain and place asparagus aside on a paper towel.
4. Dry pan and spray with olive oil, then put back on medium heat.
5. Put asaragus back into pan, add salt, pepper and sesame seeds. 
6. Saute for 8-10 minutes, flipping several times.

Saturday: Cilantro Lime Shrimp with Black Bean Salad

I think shrimp is making its way into our hearts via our mouths very quickly. I seriously couldn't get enough of this shrimp and the black bean salad was a perfect pairing!

Ingredients:
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
30 jumbo shrimp (I used precooked with tail on)
4-5 limes, sliced (optional)

Directions:

1. Mix cilantro, limes juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
2. Place shrimp on skewers (if using bamboo skewers make sure you soak them in water for about an hour before starting), alternating with a lime slice if you choose.
3. Place skewers in a shallow dish or rimmed cookie sheet and pour marinade over. Place in refrigerator for at least one hour before grilling.
4. Cook shrimp for 4-5 minutes on each side over medium heat. (shrimp is already cooked, you are just heating and giving it a slight char)

So, silly me didn't take a picture of the black bean salad, but it is a Pampered Chef recipe and oh, so scrumptious! Here is it:

Hope you and your family enjoy one or more of the meals as much as we did!!! As always, I wanna read your comments, especially if you make these at your house!

Lusts & Loves {Kitchen Edition}

If you have read my blog, even once, it should no surprise to you that spending time in the kitchen is one of my most favorite things to do. I love preparing healthy meals for my family, baking (not so healthy treats) and of course eating the fruits of my labor! 

If you ask my husband, he'd tell you that when we first go married, he was unsure if he'd ever have a home-cooked meal again! I was not the best chef by any means and I really didn't have a desire to cook for my family. After we moved to Montana a few years ago and I started working only part-time, I started being more adventurous in the kitchen. Then we moved to Missouri a little over a year ago and it's a whole new me. I think Damien actually gets excited about our meals.

So, I thought it was only fitting to share some of the things I want in my kitchen and of course, some things my kitchen is currently stocked with that I'm not sure how I'd live without!

Lusts:

Damien bought me some new knives a few years ago for Valentine's Day (that same year he bought me a food processor and a blender as well. Don't think he's lame. I asked for them). The knives have been great, but are getting worn and 2 of them have small cracks in the blade (the 2 I use the most), so I'm thinking it's about time for some new ones. I'd love this Pampered Chef set.

Pampered Chef Small Bamboo Knife Set

They have a larger set as well, but I mostly use my santoku and pearing knives, so this set would be fine for me. If someone would like to buy me this, I wouldn't turn it down.

A good friend in Montana introduced me to Moscow Mules when I lived there and I have been obsessed ever since. Part of the greatness of this cocktail is that it is typically served in a copper mug. Essentially, you must have copper mugs to truly enjoy a Moscow Mule. So, naturally, I want some copper mugs and I love these...

Sur La Table Moscow Mule Copper Mug

Sticking with the beverage theme, I've recently decided that stemless wine glasses should be a must-have item for wine drinkers with children. I have other glasses from this collection, so I'd really love to add these to it! And, they are on SALE right now! Get 8 glasses for the price of 6.

Mikasa Cheers Stemless Wine Glasses

I could continue this lust list for days on end, but I'll stop there for today

Loves:

I love many of the tools in my kitchen, but I'll keep this list short also.

This little beauty made it into my kitchen <permanently> about a year and a half ago. It came home with me awhile before, but Damien had buyer's remorse and took it back the next day. About 8 months later, it was mine again. We have been drinking smoothies and creating soups and sauces ever since. We've even made some deserts. I can't tell you how much more smoothly it blends whole fruits and veggies than my previous blender (the one he got me for Valentine's Day).

Vitamix 6300

I use garlic a lot when I cook. For a long time I was mincing garlic by hand or tossing it in the food processor whole when I could. Them my wonderful mother bought me this bad boy and my fingers no longer smell like garlic for 3 days after adding it to a recipe! You put the entire clove in the press and the skin stays in the press while all the garlicky goodness comes out. Amazing!

Pampered Chef Garlic Press

Okay, this next item is one of the most simple tools in my kitchen, but it amazes me. Along with garlic, we eat a lot of tomatoes. So, I got this knife from Pampered Chef that is specifically for tomatoes and it works like a charm! Plus, it's green and I love green!

Pampered Chef Color Coated Tomato Knife

See, I told you short and sweet!

My first YouTube video {I promise I'm not singing!}

First of all, thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the kinds words I received after yesterday's blog post!!! It's so nice to get positive feedback when working so hard to achieve goals and I am beyond thrilled that I have motivated so many! It's a huge factor in why I chose to blog. I look forward to hearing some results in the near future! 

If you are like me, your husband always complains that it take you too long to get ready. Y'all know I love makeup and sometimes, just choosing which eyeshadows I'm going to use can take up more time than actually doing my makeup!

I'm always rushing to get everything that the kids need before leaving the house to do anything, but I despise leaving my house with, what I  like to call, a naked face. It's scary. And I'm not fond of scaring people. 

First thing is first, the products. I'm sharing the brands I personally use, but if you have others that you love, you can of course use them the same way. This is also a great make up look for those who either don't want to use a lot of makeup or who are younger and just beginning to wear makeup.

These products are what I like to call "essentials".

1. Concealer 

2. Powder foundation

3. Bronzer

4. Blush

5. Brow powder

6. Mascara

7. Lip balm or gloss

8. Powder brush

9. Bronzer brush

10. Blush brush

11. Angled brush 

Please don't judge me too harshly on this video. It's my first one!!

See that pre-makeup face? I told you it's scary!

Products seen in video:

Benefit Erase Paste

Comes in 3 shades. I use No. 2 medium

Clinique Almost Powder Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15

Comes in 6 shades, I use Fair (Light when I'm "tan"). Sunscreen is in the powder! Hello cutting out an additional step! You should know by now I don't go without sunscreen.

Lancome Star Bronzer

Comes in 7 shades, I use Sunkiss (Sunkiss is matte, so if you prefer shimmer, don't get this one)

MAC Mineralize Blush

Comes in 9 shades, I used Gentle in video. I also have Warm Soul (more of a neutral tone) and Dainty (more pink)

smashbox Brow Tech

Comes in 5 shade duos, I use Taupe/Soft Brown.

Urban Decay Lush Lash Mascara

Available in Black.

Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm

Comes in 16 shades, I used Woppin' Watermelon. Also comes in an intense formula for more color and a baby tint formula for less color. (I have multiple shades, all formulas and love each one. I'll be more than happy to help you choose a shade based on what you are looking for! Just leave a comment.)

Brushes

Good makeup brushes make all the difference in the world when it comes to applying makeup. And trust me when I say, if you invest in good brushes and take care of them, they will last you 15+ years. Promise. 

Powder, Bronzer and Blush brushes, all Clinique

Shop Clinique's Brush Collection

SEPHORA COLLECTION Classic Brow Filler Brush #100

*In the photo I took of all the products I used, I have a MAC brush pictured. I sometimes use this for bronzer/highlighter, but it can also be used for liquid foundation. You can find it here. It is 187SH Duo Fibre Face Brush.

Hope you got some helpful tips! I hope to make more videos in the future, so if you liked this one, make sure you are following the blog!

Transformation Tuesday

So, last Friday I finished the entire Focus T25 workout and I feel better and more fit than I have since high school. I'm not sure why it's taken me until hitting 30 to realize the importance of being healthy, meaning controlled diet and exercise. I don't "diet" per se, but I try to make healthy meals for my family and only splurge occasionally on fast food and desserts. Not splurging on dessert <daily> is a much more recent development. 

When I was pregnant with Brooklyn, I had gestational diabetes and it sucked, however, it did keep my weight gain to a minimum. After she arrived and my glucose levels went back to normal, I went on a serious sugar binge. Not kidding. Ask my mom, sisters and husband, because they watched it happen. This was totally unhealthy and not at all god for losing baby weight. In fact, I actually gained weight after she was born, to the tune of close to 10 pounds. I was dumb. 

A couple days after she was born, I was fitting into my normal jeans. A couple weeks after she was born, I couldn't anymore. When she was about 3 months old, I started T25 and started to see my body transform. I didn't change my diet, however. I was dumb.

After completing all 3 parts of the program (Alpha, Beta and Gamma), Damien and I decided to finish off the series with a hybrid month, consisting of mostly of Gamma with bit of Beta and Alpha tossed in.  This is when I got smart and also decided to watch the sweets intake and control my snacking. I saw a huge transformation in the last month!

I used to be able to eat whatever I wanted and still be a size 2, but as I'm getting older, I'm realizing more and more the importance of healthy and controlled eating.

Here are some things that I have done to help with this.

• Get a buddy. Mine is my husband, but it doesn't have to be a spouse. It can be anyone who has similar fitness and health goals as you and that will hold you accountable. He keeps me motivated to work out and eats healthy right along with me (he has much better will-power than I do when it comes to sweets too!)
• Keep junk out of the house. If it's not there, you won't eat it!
• Drink water! You'll be amazed at how much cutting out soda (even diet!), juices and tea will do for your health.
• Keep track of calories and portion sizes.

That last one has been great for Damien and I. Even when splurging on a not-so-healthy snack, if you control your portion size, based on the package serving size, you will not over-eat. I mentioned this last week and because I love it so much, I'm going to mention it again. Damien and I both have the My Fitness Pal app on our phones. We scan ingredients used in meals, snacks, drinks, etc. and track our caloric intake. It has shown us multiple times how much we used to consume.

I'm in the process of trying to figure out what device I'd like to purchase to count my calories burned and track my heart rate. When I workout and run, I base it on an average for the particular workout or distance ran. Although I get that those devices are also an estimated calories burned, I'm sure it'll be more accurate than bllindly guessing. My Fitness Pal takes your daily calorie goal, subtracts the food you consume (don't forget to enter it!) and adds back in the calories from your workout. Anyway, I think I want this one...

Finally, I am going to share my before and after pictures from Focus T25. I cannot believe I'm actually outting these out into the universe, but I am truly proud of finishing that workout and I'm very excited about my results. If you are starting a workout routine, definitely take before and after shots to track your progress. You'll be glad you did.

Down 7 pounds and 12 total inches!!

*I'd recommend taking the photos in the same spot or at least against a bare wall both times, so you have a better visual of your results. And get someone else to take the photos for you. Despite the fact you can't see my entire body in the before, you can still see a huge difference in my belly! Post-P90X3 will be an even bigger difference! (started that yesterday, by the way, and it's a great workout!)

As always, comments (especially if you own a calorie tracker/heart rate monitor that you love) are appreciated! And make sure you are following my blog! And on Instagram too!

Meal Plan Monday

Y'all, we ate well last week. Healthy, but well. I definitely have my favorites, but I'll share all the recipes with you so you can try them. I promise, you'll want to.

Monday: Greek Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Ok, so pizza is one of my favorite foods. I'm pretty sure it's because I love cheese and bread, so it's an obvious choice. While counting calories, I didn't think pizza for dinner would be an option, but thanks to the delish cauliflower crust, it's back on the menu at the Craft house.

 Mouth watering? Mine is.

For the crust:

1 head of cauliflower

1 egg

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 tsp crushed basil

1 tsp dried oregano 

1 tsp fresh chopped parsley

1/2 tsp salt

cheese cloth or metal mesh strainer

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ and spray glass baking dish with olive oil 

2. Wash and cut cauliflower into florets.

3. Put into food processor and process until it looks almost like rice.

4. Place cauliflower in dish and cook for 15 minutes

5. Line a large bowl with cheese cloth (I use 2 square pieces and layer) or place mesh str;ainer over bowl. Let cauliflower cool for roughly 10 minutes before next step (use time to prepare toppings)

6. Squeese cauliflower until there is almost no water coming out (if using mesh, push cauliflower until very little water comes out).

7. Add other ingredients and and mix well.

8. Press dough into pizza pan and bake for 15-20 minutes

9. Add sauce, cheese and toppings and bake until cheese is melted.

You can top this any way you'd like, with regular pizza sauce and toppings. This is what I did.

pizza sauce (I used Di Napoli Classico)

Part-skim mozarella cheese

banana pepper rings

sliced roma tomatoes

red onion

feta cheese

Tuesday: Loaded Baked Potato Casserole

This dish is a bit higher in calories, but I used new potatoes instead of russet. They are really only slightly fewer calories and actually provide less fiber, but more vitamin C. So, which potato you use is totally your preference! I cut down on the bacon to save some calories and I also opted for more of a fiesta blend cheese instead of just plain cheddar, because it's what I had on hand. This is a great, single dish recipe that the entire family will enjoy. I served with a dollop of sour cream (because a baked potato isn't truly "loaded" without it!) and some buffalo sauce. Kudos to Rachel Schultz!

Recipe

Wednesday: Skinny Bang-Bang Shrimp and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

So, this was a first for me, but trying to eat lean and not get bored can be trying, so I opted for shrimp. It's low cal, packed with protein, so you can eat a lot of it and it'll be ok. If you've had the Bang-Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill, you know how delicious it is. Well, the Cookie Rookie developed this recipe and I promise you, after we finished eating my husband said "are you sure that was low calorie? Because it seemed real fattening." You waist-line misses out, but your taste buds will not. I used Fage Greek yogurt and Heinz Chili Sauce (not sweet, just plain chili sauce). I also opted for precooked, ready to eat shrimp to make it easy.

Recipe

You can totally do any veggie side you like with this, I roasted brussles sprouts. I cut them in half, tossed in about a tablespoon of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and roasted at 350˚ for 30 minutes. YUM!

Thursday: One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

So, to let you in on a little secret, I don't like mushrooms. I think they taste like dirt. If you don't like mushrooms, I'd skip this recipe and find something else. I love pasta, especially one pot pasta recipes, and my husband likes mushrooms, so I thought I'd take one for the team with this meal. He loved it! Unless he asks for it, I won't make it again because, well, I felt like I was eating dirt flavored noodles. If you like mushrooms though, it's a go! (I've made other things from this gal's blog and it's always great!)

Recipe

Friday: Buffalo Chicken Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips

This was definitely my favorite meal of the week! The pizza was a close second, but this I could eat 5 days a week! I love a good burger, made with any type of meat, as long as it is packed full of flavor. Will Cook for Smiles rocked it with this recipe!! The only thing I changed about this recipe was I omitted the blue cheese because Damien nor I like blue cheese. I also opted for a fat-free ranch dressing. 

Recipe

Saturday: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

So, This is another meal from Damn Delicious, and it most definitely is. I love stuffed peppers and this brought a bit of a hispanic flare to them, plus they are meatless. <We had 3 meatless meals last week!> I used Alter Eco Rainbow quinoa and left out the feta. We like feta, but just didn't feel this particular recipe needed it, so I left it out. Throw it in if you like!

 Recipe

Well, that's your meal plan for the week. We had leftovers one night, so again, it's only 6 nights worth of meals. The pasta and pepper meals yielded leftovers (I made cheese quesadillas for the kids on the pepper night because they won't eat them). 

 If you try any or all the recipes, I'd love to hear your comments here on the blog!!! Should I start posting a shopping list for these recipes? If I get feedback that people would like that, I most definitely will! If you have a friend who'd love any of these meals, please share. Make sure you are following my blog so you never miss a Meal Plan Monday. Follow me on Pinterest for many, many more recipes. Also, don't forget to leave some love on the blog where to recipes are located! Bloggers love words of affirmation!

***Watch out for the Lusts and Loves: Kitchen Edition coming later this week!***

Here's to a happy and healthy week!