Breakfast Repurposed

I always feel so proud of myself when I come up with a way to use left overs.  Especially if the new product is  unrecognizable from the original.  For some reason, my family seems to understand what an accomplishment this is because they praise me up and down when it happens.  Maybe they are just relieved they don't have to eat the same meal over and over again in an effort to avoid waste.

This morning I made a hearty oatmeal for the husband and youngest.  They wake up the earliest and Kid 5 needs to filling breakfast before he heads to school.   I used Old Fashioned oatmeal.  I cut up an apple and added it to the water and salt.  When that was boiling I added the oatmeal.  When almost done I added ground flax seed, ground chia seed (for some added protein), cinnamon  and frozen blueberries.  I drizzled it with our treasured local honey and yum!

As I was tidying up the kitchen for the next shift I realized the oatmeal I turned into a sticky mess.  I thought about how some of the Kids 1-4 are not huge fans of oatmeal anyway.  A wave of compassion washed over me and my creative side took over.  With the simple addition of milk (I used almond milk because I had it on hand), a few eggs and a oven heated to 350 and  Voila!  Baked Blueberry Apple Oatmeal

This is also a great solution as you are planning your weekly menu plan.  You can make a big batch of Oatmeal on Monday and repurpose it for a day later in the week.  Have fun and experiment with what you add and what you top it with.  Next time, I'm trying peaches and pecans in the oatmeal and topping it with Vanilla Greek Yogurt.  I'm hoping it will taste like Peach Crumble Pie...maybe I won't wait that long to try this one!

Yes, There is An App For That!

When my husband surprised me with an iPad several years ago I can honestly say it was life changing.  I love the portability and functionality of the device.  Maybe you are like me and see enticing recipes in magazines or online, you print them,  stuff them in a folder and promise yourself to get organized... someday.  Well that day is long gone for me!  When the hubby got the iPad one of the first apps I searched for was a recipe app.  I loved the idea of having all of my recipes on a portable device and having the ability to prop it on an easel while I prepared the meal.   I was determined to find an app that offered a recipe file system, a weekly meal planner AND would generate a grocery list.  I paid for a couple of misses and then my diligence paid off and I discovered Menu Planner.  After a little bit of set up Menu Planner does all of my work for me.   Here are a couple of screen shots of my cooking assistant in action.  

A favorite feature is the auto import which makes building my recipe library super easy.  
There is a list of preset sites that import with one touch.  
The app also allows me to import from any other website with a highlight/tag feature.

Once the recipes are  imported all I have to do is prop up the iPad and start cooking!

I love how I can add groups or categories so my "cookbook" is customized to my needs.
 I added a category so that I can search my recipes for "clean eating".  

Love, love, love this feature!  I can plan an event, a week or the entire month.

And then...as if my assistant had not already done enough...a couple touches of the screen 

(can't say clicks of the mouse with an iPad!) a grocery list is produced!

 I then sync with my iPhone and off to the store I go!

This app meets all my recipe organizing and planning needs.  There are also features I haven't even worked with yet like pantry management.  One thing that is an absolute must and will earn my unwavering devotion is customer service.  Menu Planner offers that as well via a user forum and attentive programmer.  In fact, Alan the creator of Menu Planner responded to my request for the app icon and threw in a HUGE BONUS!  I can get FIVE of you plugged in and organized for free!  Be one of the first five people to leave a comment on the blog and the app is yours!  Be careful though. Once you have it you will have no excuses to not be organized...at least with your recipes!

Brrrrr....Good thing the soups on!

I'm proud of this one!  In an effort to clean out the freezer, eat clean and avoid a grocery store trip pre paycheck I created this last night.  This is a "redo" of some smoked pork loin I had in the freezer.  The smoke adds a wonderful flavor but if you don't have a smoker just add a drop or two of Liquid Smoke.  Also, I think this hearty soup would be wonderful with any meat source.  My hubby likes broth soup but you could thicken it up if your family prefers stew.

Pork and Bean Soup

approx. 5 cups roasted pork

1 can fat free refined beans

1 can garbanzo beans

1 can butter beans

1 can kidney beans

2 48oz low sodium fat free chicken broth

Bay leaves

Seasoning of your choice: I used WildTree's Rockin'Moroccan Rub. Just dumped a couple of tablespoons in the mix.  I placed the ingredients in the crockpot and let cook all afternoon.  Perfect for such a cold evening!

This is really just an example of how with a little bit of an adventurous spirit you can throw pantry and freezer items together.  We served this with a wonderful Whole Wheat Bread Machine loaf.  

One of my goals with our clean eating lifestyle is to reduce waste and tighten our grocery budget.  I'm amazed at what happens if I cut veggies and place them in clear containers in the fridge.  They get eaten!  I'm also trying to be more efficient with our leftovers.  To me this means having a plan for anything we don't eat within 24 hours of originally serving it.  Last week my daughter had her wisdom teeth pulled.  This was a perfect opportunity to make my from scratch chicken soup.  Maybe I'll post that on another date but it would be difficult because I don't measure anything!  I use a pressure cooker to make my concentrated chicken broth.  It takes two whole chickens however the soup only uses the meat of one.  This was my solution for the remaining chicken.  Yum. Yum. Yum. 

BBQ Chicken on a whole wheat crust.    

The pizza consisted of the following:

crust via bread machine (John is still working on perfecting the recipe.  When he has it, I'll post it).  thinly sliced red onion

chopped cilantro

cooked chicken and tossed with a bit of BBQ sauce

bit of olive oil/garlic brushed on crust

mixture (to taste) of goat cheese, feta and skim mozzarella (We have found that using cheese with a strong flavor allowed us to decrease the overall amount of cheese needed for the pie)

We enjoyed this one so much we made it again the next night. Served with a big salad, of course!  This weekend we are going to create a Portobello, blue cheese and walnut pizza creation for the adults and a chicken sausage pie for the kids!  Can't wait for Friday!

Attack the Snack

We have one month of clean eating under our belts...which I'm happy to say have been tightened a notch! Before we began I did a ton of online research and downloaded several Kindle books to educate myself. The majority of the framework for our clean eating lifestyle came from Tosca Reno's book The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged.  She recommends eating 6 portion controlled meals/snacks each day.  The diet includes healthy fats and drinking lots of water.  She recommends the meals/snacks be a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates.  You can find more detailed information HERE.   Planning is key to success and to avoid "falling of the wagon" due to hunger.  I have found that the only time I'm tempted to eat something unclean is if I'm out and about with no plan for a snack. The hunger pains make my brain shut down and I forget my goals.  Here is a list of mid morning/afternoon snacks that we have enjoyed:

hummus and any cut veggies

apple and almond butter

tuna/sardine and ry-krisp or whole wheat cracker

Ezekiel Bread and low-fat cream cheese or almond butter

small handful of almonds and sliced apple

cottage cheese and fresh fruit

mason jar salad HERE is just one of many online resources

Greek yogurt smoothie

Greek yogurt dip with cut veggies

I'm sure I'll keep adding to this list as we discover new treats. Once you have a craving for clean it is fun to see how creative you can get and stay within the clean boundaries.  One challenge that I have found is that it is very easy to find snacks which include complex starchy carbs but veggie/protein combos can be a bit trickier on the run.  Let me know if you have some tried and true go to snacks!

Clean Eggs Florentine Here is another easy breakfast that is very satisfying. Sorry no measurements but you get the idea:)

Ingredients:

eggs

large egg whites

100% whole wheat English muffin

mustard

salt and pepper

box frozen spinach

1-2 T Romano or Parmesan cheese (natural, shredded)

 Directions: Steam and drain spinach. Poach eggs and egg whites. Toast English muffins. Spread mustard on muffin. Top with spinach and eggs. Sprinkle with natural cheese.

Eggs Swimming in Yumminess!

This ONE comes from Jaclyn. We have made this almost once a week and have not grown tired of it. When I make it I use a "clean" marinara sauce. I add extra veggies like chopped red pepper, mushrooms and zucchini. When the eggs are cooking I also add a few slices of fresh mozzarella which only gets yummier when warm and gooey! I serve it by spooning the sauce over a toasted whole wheat English muffin, top with one/two eggs and a slice of the mozzarella...which wins the kids over every time!