Breakfast for Dinner! | Paleo Mexican Breakfast Hash

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals. So, when I can come up with new ways to make it dinner, I'm a happy camper. We had a cookout over the weekend, and there were so many leftovers. I mean so much food. It's crazy the amount of food we still have left. Anyway we ate on that food for a few days, and I was ready for a change.  This is a recipe that I made up with ingredients I mostly already had on hand. There are always eggs in my fridge, so breakfast is constantly an option. I had some chorizo from a while back, that I just hadn't cooked, and some leftover burger toppings (tomatoes & onions). I also got some potatoes from the farmers market this last weekend, and needed a way to use them.

Hence, the Paleo Mexican Breakfast Hash was born. It's a quick dinner that will satisfy those taste buds. You can make it as spicy as you want. You could also make this into an omelet, burrito, quesadilla...really anything. It's very versatile. And if there are any leftovers, you can use them for a fast breakfast the next morning. Win/win! These pictures may not do the meal justice. It was really delicious!

Paleo Chicken Parmesan

Hello friends! I'm back with another healthy recipe to add to your arsenal.

Pasta has always been one of my favorite foods. It's satisfying, comforting....And Italian food in general is just good. Well last week, I made this Paleo Chicken Parmesan from Fed & Fit. The first time I made the recipe, I make the sauce as well. Oh man it was so good. However, this go-around, I didn't have as much time to make everything from scratch. Which is okay. I know, I like to be that wiz in the kitchen too, but sometimes, we just have to take the easy road to keep sane. Trust me.

One thing I was hesitant about was the absence of cheese in this dish. Obviously there is no cheese in the paleo diet. But, I was still a little shocked when it wasn't in the ingredients list. I am happy to report, though, that I didn't particularly miss the cheese. Really! The nuttiness of the almond meal gives this dish plenty of flavor. Oh, and if you've never had the pleasure of making zoodles before, you're in for another carb-saving treat :)

Grilled Tilapia with Avocado Salsa

This particular recipe turned out WAY way better than I ever imagined. The original recipe from The Cookie Rookie had salmon. However, I try to work with ingredients that I already have, so I decided to use tilapia on this one. I love tilapia, but I was afraid this recipe would be a bit bland without the salmon. WRONG! It was delicious! And it was surprisingly filling. I made extra, because I wasn't sure. Plus, it's Whole 30 approved. If you want to know more about Whole 30, check out my last post here.

This recipe is super flavorful. It's fast, easy and really yummy. Plus, it's got the avocado salsa topping. (aka a more limey guac without the tomatoes) Avocados are so good for you. They are full of the really good fats, and probably why this dish was so filling. I love an excuse to use avocado in any dish. Let's be honest... I really don't need an excuse. I eat them like apples sometimes. Alright, enough confessions! On to the recipe! I paired this with some leftover corn on the cob I had in the fridge. MMM!

My FAVORITE Pork Chop Recipe

About a year ago I read a book called "It Starts with Food," and did a month-long Whole 30 diet. If you've never heard of this book, its all about what the food we eat does to our bodies. The book describes what foods we should be focusing on, and what foods we should eliminate. It's a really great read. Very informative and inspirational. It will make you want to start eating less processed foods today. The Whole 30 diet has you focus on those real food groups; meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, some fruit, and good fat from nuts, oils and seeds. I highly recommend doing this at some point. It's a great reset for your body, and has helped so many people. Look it up!

Anyway, I discovered my absolute favorite pork chop recipe while doing the Whole 30. It's from the blog Life, Love, and Pursuits of Katie. This recipe is so quick, and there's not many ingredients. I usually pair it with a roasted veggie. Last night, it was brussels sprouts! For this, I usually get the bone-in pork chops from Whole Foods. This time, I used some from Fresh Thyme. They are always so delicious. The bone really gives it some extra flavor. Plus, you can save them for a bone broth! I have a ziplock in the freezer that I keep bones in for later.

NEW RECIPE!! / Banana Chocolate & Almond Butter Muffins

One of my biggest issues has been my sweet tooth. After lunch and dinner, I have a real problem with craving something sweet. It's BAD. I have a candy bowl at my desk at work, and I do a pretty good job of staying out of it most of the time. However, sometimes those cravings take over. It's so weird...I only got a really strong craving for chocolate after I started loosing weight. I don't know what it was, but I HAVE to have it now.

That being said, I'm always looking for healthy dessert recipes and recipes to tame that beast. Last week, I made these Banana Chocolate & Almond Butter Muffins adapted from Colorful Foodie. Man oh man. These things are dangerous... only they're not! I tweaked this already guilt-free recipe a bit to make them completely paleo. Eat one for breakfast, post workout snack, dessert, or just because you've got that sweet tooth that won't leave you alone. Whatever the reason, you'll be able to fully enjoy :)

 PS I took the ingredients photo the night before I made the muffins. I decided the day that I cooked them, that I would use the coconut cream instead of the greek yogurt.

My First Thrive Market Haul

So if you follow me on Facebook, you have probably noticed that I have been obsessed with a few different sites lately. Ipsy, Stella & Dot (don't get me started), FitFoodFoodie ;) (See what I did there?) and Thrive Market. You've probably heard of Thrive. Maybe one of your favorite food blogs has mentioned the site, or you've come across it, scrolling through Facebook. If you haven't checked it out, you definitely should! Read on to see what all I got in my first order!

New Recipe! / Paleo Chicken Chow Mein

It has been a very busy summer. I mean busy. Just about every weekend, we have something planned. Whether it's in Cincinnati (our current location) or in Indiana (Muncie is home, Indy is where my very best friends live) we have been pretty much booked solid through August, and even some into October. Needless to say grocery shopping has been difficult. I like to go to the farmers market, but when my favorite one is on Sundays from 9:30-1:30p, it's hard to get there. I've been trying to come up with low-key meals that don't take many ingredients and do not take a lot of time. If you'll remember from a previous post... I'm lazy ;)

Anyway, last week, I made Chicken Chow Mein adapted from Little Bits Of. It made plenty of food. I heart leftovers. I mean most of the time, it's just Jeremy and I eating the food that I make. But, I'll make tons of leftovers, so that we can grab some for lunches later on. They are WONDERFUL for lunches during the week. And a welcome break between salads. It keeps me on track health-wise, and it keeps me from buying something at work. Win win!

Holiday in Funcie

Well the holiday weekend is over...and it's Monday again... the weekend is never long enough. However, I can't complain, because we did have a wonderful weekend. Jeremy, Dizzy and I traveled back home (Muncie, IN) this past weekend, to celebrate the 4th with family. We had a really wonderful time, and ate some delicious food.

For Independence Day, we went to Minnetrista. My mom and I put together some delicious paleo salads, and we had a picnic with the family. My mom plays clarinet for America's Hometown Band, (she was a band director for many years) and they played a lovely concert on the green. After the concert, there was a fireworks show! I was very impressed. The show was done to music, and very well done at that.

There are now cows behind my parents house. Dizzy enjoyed greeting them every day.

Have a Healthy July 4th!

HAPPY FRIDAY! :)

It's that time of year again...SUMMER! I'm honestly not the biggest fan of summer. I'm that person complaining about the heat and humidity...then turing around and complaining about the cold and snow. I'm an autumn kinda gal. Spring is great too, but it's still rainy. Fall is the PERFECT weather. Okay so I'm a complainer lol.

However I do enjoy July 4th. Everyone's always in a great mood. The weather is generally nice, there are parades, fireworks, and all sorts of delicious food. Whether you're grilling out, having a picnic, or having a regular meal in the kitchen, you are bound to have a delicious meal or two on Saturday. This year, we are traveling back to good ole Muncie to celebrate the holiday with my family! My mom is playing in America's Hometown Band, and we are planning on a picnic before the fireworks. I'm on the hunt for great ideas!

So here's my 4th of July roundup of some of my favorite go-to Paleo recipes to keep your holiday healthy and on track!

SUPER Easy Side Dishes

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love to cook. I love finding new and exciting recipes that will challenge my skills and my taste buds. However... sometimes, especially during the week, I am tired and lazy. Shocking right!? My go-to side for those lazy nights (and sometimes regular nights, because of their yumminess) is roasted vegetables!

You can use any vegetables for this side. My absolute favorite is oven-roasted green beans, but you could literally use just about any vegetable. It's always great to check out your local farmers market for the freshest and tastiest items. Here's how I typically roast veggies:

1.  Set your oven to 400 degrees F.