Category: Recipes

Tried and tested recipes deserving a thumbs up!

Hummus Veggie Wraps

kimbrown1615Leave a comment

I have found a new go-to lunch that is super quick, easy to prep, and tastes delish. My husband even likes them (using the word “likes” very loosely here when there is no meat added) The first time I made them, he unrolled them and stared blankly asking “where’s the meat?” If you are in love with a meat eater like I am, then add some chicken breast and then all is right in the world.

Make brown rice and black beans ahead of time and chop a variety of veggies and mix together. Spread hummus on a whole wheat or tortilla shell and add a few spoonfuls of rice/bean/veggies. I make a batch big enough for 5-6 wraps so it’s on hand and ready to go when the craving for a hummus veggie wrap hits. You know how those veggie cravings hit you. They can be wicked! 😀

If I’m eating them fresh, I saute the veggies for a few minutes and add them to the warm rice and beans. I have also eaten them cold with raw veggies which is very refreshing in the summer. I think they are good either way.
You can change it up by using different types of veggies and hummus. I have been on a roasted red pepper hummus kick lately and so far I am not tired of it.
One thing I’ve learned on my holistic journey is that I will NOT be a food photographer anytime soon. But here is a pic of the unwrapped wrap so you can see the deliciousness inside.

Ingredients:
1 can black beans
1-2 cups cooked brown rice
1-2 cups chopped veggies of your choice (my favs are carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, avocado, red and green peppers)
2 tbs hummus
1 whole wheat or whole grain tortilla
Cook rice and mix with black beans, and veggies. Spread hummus on wrap and top with rice/black beans/veggie mix. Enjoy!

Food Prep-xpert

kimbrown1615Leave a comment


Life goal…To stock my fridge like this every week and be a food prep expert! Right now it takes divine intervention to find time to prep food for the week. It’s softball season which means I spend very little time at home. Thanks to a rainy evening, games were cancelled so I had a few minutes in the kitchen this week. If I don’t make time, healthy eating becomes an extreme challenge.
Two words. Concessions stand.
Sunday my kid ate Skittles for breakfast and washed those down with a Gatorade and a salted pretzel with cheese. Sigh.
Let’s talk about food prep…

Thank you for the video Emily – my lovely assistant/daughter!  

Planning healthy snacks ahead=less trips to the concession stand. Since time is of the essence, I have learned a few tricks to make my food prep attempts a little more successful.
Step 1- Plan ahead. I used to aimlessly wander the grocery store and buy whatever. Now I plan meals for the week (Thanks Pinterest!) This way I can take inventory of what I need and make a list for everything else. Sometimes this is hard because on sports nights (aka every night) we either eat super early or super late. I usually make ahead or plan crock pot meals during this time of year.
Step 2- Prep my food as soon as I get home. If I don’t do this, I end up wasting food. If fruits and vegetables aren’t cut up and ready to go, they are less likely to get eaten. The fridge is a death trap for uncut veggies! I try to brown meat or cut up chicken ahead of time whenever possible as well.
Step 3: Multi-task. On grocery days, I usually cook dinner while I’m food prepping, helping with homework, and playing catch with my son. Yes. I have done all 4 of those things at once, but I wouldn’t recommend it. (I rarely do one thing at a time) As I am typing this, I am making lasagna for dinner tomorrow since I won’t have time to cook it before we have to eat and run! Even though my crock pot has a timer and will switch to a “warm” setting, the late night dinners end up mushy. So instead I put dinner in the crock pot before bed the night before. (Do NOT tell my mom. She thinks this is a fire hazard. Seriously.) When my husband wakes up at 4:00 am, he turns it off. By the time I leave at 7:00 am, it’s cooled down so I can put it in the fridge. Now it’s ready to eat later or the next day. We reheat a lot. While it’s not always ideal, I figure a decent meal reheated the next day will still taste better than fast food!

If you don’t do any food prep right now, it’s pretty easy to get started. A couple of my must have items:

-Ziploc divided rectangle food containers and a variety of smaller food containers
-Jello shot cups (I’m sure there is a more legit name for these)
-Food: nuts, fruit, cheese, boiled eggs, salad, hummus, veggies, and more

Some of my favorite combos:
– Aussie Bites, fresh fruit, celery and peanut butter
– Organics Superfood Power Snacks, Nuts, fresh fruit, salad with dressing and egg
-Hard boiled egg, veggies, hummus
-Cheese, crackers, fresh fruit
-Apples, peanut butter, nuts

The jello shot containers come in really handy for dressing, hummus, peanut butter, and nuts. I use the smaller containers for fruit and veggies. My kids like to grab those for a quick snack and then leave the containers wherever they are at that moment in time. Soooooo I end up buying these way too often. I just ordered reusable/washable snack bags from my daughter’s school fundraiser, so I am excited to try those out and maybe save a few bucks.

There are so many options! These are just a few I have tried. What are some of your food prep tips or favorites combinations?

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Muffins

kimbrown1615Leave a comment

20180503_204215_0001I have tried some recipes that were healthy but NOT delicious and some that were delicious but NOT healthy. These muffins are actually healthy and delicious! My super picky daughter liked them so that says a lot!
My 2 worst enemies = white flour and white sugar. Which, by the way, totally sucks because they are in just about everything I crave. Then my brother brought me a muffin to try & I couldn’t believe they had no added sugar or flour. They are simple to make (easy enough for my 10-year-old to make a batch with very little help) My 12-year-old made 2 dozen for a school project & they were a big hit! I have made these with & without the vanilla extract and they were good either way. This is a great recipe to use brown bananas that are a little too mushy to eat. It’s also a great way to sneak some extra protein into my kids’ diet without them even noticing. I like Vega One or Orgain Organic Protein powder, but I’m sure any vanilla flavored powder would work just fine.
These muffins are much better alternative to your sweet tooth craving than, oh I don’t know, say a bag of Oreo cookies or a package of Hershey Kisses! We are slightly obsessed with Costco muffins. Last I checked the Costco Apple Crumb Muffins are almost 700 calories, 38 grams of fat, and 48 grams of sugar. You could eat a whole batch of these muffins and still consume less sugar!
Healthy & Delicious PB Banana Muffins

  • 2 bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 3-4 tablespoons of honey
  • 2 scoops of vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • dash of salt
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Blend all ingredients together except the chocolate chips until smooth. I prefer my bullet but you can use a blender. Once smooth, stir in chocolate chips. Spoon the batter into muffin tins and bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Enjoy!