No Guilt Fajita Recipe

Fajitas are simple, fast, and healthy meals.  We LOVE vegetable fajitas at our house.  This seasoning is extremely easy and cheaper than buying pre-mixed seasoning from the store.  What's better?  You can tailor it to your taste, and you probably have most if not all of the ingredients in your cupboard!

Warning:  I never measure ingredients unless I am baking.  This recipe will not include amounts.  You adjust seasoning amounts to fit your taste buds.

Fajita Guts:

We used about a pounds of sweet peppers, and 1 large yellow onion for this batch.  I also had some leftover salad (spinach ,green pepper, & radish) in the fridge, so I threw that in.  

Just enough oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan.  Whatever oil you prefer, go with it.  I use olive oil in my fajitas.

Fajita Seasoning:

Chili Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Cumin

Garlic

Salt

Chop desired vegetables.  (If using meat, cook meat thoroughly first).  Pour a small amount of oil over the vegetables.  Mix together seasoning and sprinkle it over veggies.  Cook on Medium-High heat until vegetables are softened to your desired texture.

Serve with tortillas or over rice.  

Great sides: Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans, Refried Beans, Lettuce

Quinoa Burgers

2 c uncooked quinoa

4 c water

2 celery stalks

2 medium sized yellow onions

2 carrots

1/2 can refried beans

cilantro

garlic

Additional seasoning to taste

preferred cooking oil (opt)

Quinoa burgers are some of our favorites.  They are moderately quick and easy to make.  I do not use exact measurements when I cook.  I have provided estimations.  As you try it out, adapt the recipe to your taste and texture preferences.

1.  Combine 2 c uncooked quinoa grains and 4 c water in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, then cover and turn to low heat until quinoa is a sticky, rice-like consistency.  Quinoa will appear to have rings around it, like a tiny planet.  Remove from heat.

2.  While your qunioa cooks, chop celery, onions, and carrots into a skillet.  Saute with oil or water until tender.

3.  Puree vegetable mix in a blender.  Add to quinoa.  Mix in refried beans, cilantro, garlic, and other desired seasonings.  I used cilantro, seasoning salt, and hot sauce to flavor my quinoa patties.

4.  Mix all ingredients until they become a "meat like" texture.  If your mix is too sticky, you may add flour to reduce stickiness.

5.  Once combined, make burger patties or "meat" balls.  Fry with oil in a skillet or bake on a cookie sheet in the oven.  I prefer frying on the skillet, as it gives the patties a meatier texture.

6.  Serve with or without a bun and your favorite toppings.  Eat like a hamburger.

7.  Leave a comment below telling me your tips, favorite toppings, or other thoughts.

Wholly Giveaway Time!

The Wholly Family

Remember Wholly Guacamole and Wholly Salsa?  I shared about them last week.  They are absolutely some of my favorite products to keep my family eating healthy together!  Wholly Guacamole is offering a prize pack of their products to the winner of my Get Moving giveaway package.

They have decided to offer prize packages to 2 more of my readers!  This giveaway will close on Tuesday February 5 at midnight EST.  Winners will be notified on Feburary 7 and have 24 hours to respond.

Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

***I have received a product or products in exchange for this giveaway.  All opinions are my own.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Mamavation, Sistahood, and Magic Dust

It's here!  December 31, 2012.  Tomorrow is the start of a new year.  We all know that this time of year we tend to get sentimental as we think over our past and hopeful as we look toward the future.  We like to make resolutions about what we plan to do to make our lives better in the coming year.  We start out great - and then... life happens.  Reality hits.  Change is not as easy as we were sure it would be this time. (again).

I sit in our newly rearranged "computer" room, looking at the mess on the floor, and thinking about the next year in my house.  There are a lot of things I want to happen, a lot of changes I want to make.  I know, however, that I don't have any magic fairy dust to instantly change my own behaviors.  I know it is a struggle to make real lasting changes in my own busy life.  I have 3 little boys, a full time job in the summer that I volunteer for the rest of the year - we are busy people.

For this reason I have decided that I want to join the "Sistahood" at Mamavation.  This is a group of bloggers that are ready to encourage and support each other as we reach toward the goals that we struggle for on our own.  I need help folks.  Change is hard.  The sistahood does not have magic fairy dust for me either - but they do offer regular help and encouragement.  I am looking forward to being part of this dynamic group in the near future!

Now: My resolutions for the year?
* Be more consistent in my daily schedule with the boys.  We have gotten our morning routine down pretty well, but there are a few things that we need to improve.
* Exercise at the gym at least 3 times a week.  We were doing very well until Thanksgiving - then after my miscarriage it was difficult to get back into the routine. 
* Organize, organize, organize.  I plan to share a bit about our steps toward organization in the home (and at work) in the coming months.
* Get back to good, healthy eating.  We have slipped and been eating some things that are not on our "good" list.  We will be returning to vegetarian - mostly vegan - eating on January 2.  Why the 2nd?  I have a family reunion tomorrow and want to be realistic.
* Enjoy some "me" time regularly, working on hobbies, getting in quiet time, refreshing myself so I can have better quality time with my family.

Do you have some goals in the new year?  I would love to hear about your goals and how you intend to reach them.  Please leave your comments in the space below!

One of my reasons for healthier living.

Spliting Up: No Cereal Breakfast

Oh yes, the breakfast BANANA SPLIT!

I could tell you how much my boys begged for more, but try it at your home and see how it works out for you.  I've actually served this one to them before, but they don't remember - and I'm glad.  The last version had chocolate drizzle on it - while that was certainly tasty - this was healthy and they loved it just the same.

My recipe for the day

1/2 banana, split down the middle

1/2 apple thinly sliced

1/2 prune plum thinly sliced

1 hand full of cranberry raisins

1 sprinkle of grape nut cereal

(okay, so it wasn't entirely cereal free)

makes 1 breakfast

This tasty breakfast varies with the seasons and sales.  We were out of oranges or they definitely would have had some.  Peanut butter would be a fantastic addition as well.

What are your favorite banana split toppings?

Up & At'em: No Cereal Breakfast

Baked Oatmeal Muffins

We are getting creative as a family as we look for solutions to meals on the go and no-cereal breakfasts!  Last weekend we experimented with baked oatmeal together.  As a family we worked together to create 4 varieties of baked oatmeal muffins.  Below are recipes for our baked oatmeal.  Please understand that if you are the type of person that needs specific measurements for cooking, this recipe will not appeal to you.  I do not bake with measuring cups, rather with what looks and tastes just right.

The boys loved helping to pour, mix, smell, taste, and sample our baked oatmeal muffins as we tested out a variety.  We made approximately 2.5 dozen muffins in a very short amount of time and with very little material.  Just start thinking about what you like in your oatmeal - mix and bake.  We baked at 380 for about 20 minutes - or until the muffins were dry and stuck together.  Recipes for our muffins are below Azariah.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pie

Oatmeal

Applesauce

Chocolate Chips

Canned Pumpkin

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Cinnamon

Nutmeg

Apple Pie

Oatmeal

Finely diced Apple

Applesauce

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Clove

Ground Flax Seed

Banana Dream

Oatmeal

Pureed Banana

Unsweetened Dried Coconut

Chocolate Chips

Walnut Chunks

Pumpkin Pie

Oatmeal

Pumpkin

Pureed Banana

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Get'em Moving: No Cereal Breakfast

By now you know I'm weird.  There's no doubt about that.  Among my weirdness is a desire to teach my children not rely on cereal for breakfast.  Quite honestly it has taken more training for me than for them.  Cereal is easy, and we received WIC for quite a while, which provided WAY too much cereal and made it very easy to slip into the unhealthy trap of serving it every morning.

We have been working on modifying diet at our house, and breakfast has been a big part of that.  In fact, I would say that breakfast tends to be the most tricky part for me.  Why?  I'm diabetic, so I prefer low-carb meals.  Cassius is allergic to eggs and peanut - that knocks out most granola bars, waffles, and pancakes.  So we look for other options.  I've decided to spend a few posts sharing some of our favorite non-cereal breakfasts with you.

Graham Cracker Sandwiches got my boys moving this morning.  Literally.  Manasseh was snuggled up in my lap, he did NOT want anything to do with waking up.  I told him what his brother had gotten for breakfast and he jumped up and began to follow instructions immediately.  So here they are:

Graham Cracker Sandwiches

1 Graham Cracker

Peanut Butter (or other nut butter)

Craisins (or raisins)

Banana slices

Seriously - it's that simple.  The boys at them quickly and felt satisfied when they were done.  They had fruit, protein, and a bread.  They ate them with a side of almond milk.  A complete breakfast!

Food on Friday: Vegan Black Bean Salad

My boys love salad.  They love it when I set out a variety of vegetables on the table and let them tell me what they want in their salad.  Unfortunately, that tends to take up a lot of table space.  

This week I've been working on putting together some pre-mixed salads.  Here is the one from last night.

1 can black beans

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 avacado, diced

1/8 cup cilantro, torn

2 handfulls turnip greens

1 cup salsa

I don't actually measure anything, just throw it into the bowl and mix. This salad was a big hit with Monkey (my pickiest eater).

Over the Roof Sweet Potato Lasagna from Forks Over Knives
Vegan Black Bean Salad from.. ME

Taco Bar: Vegan if you want (=

Taco Bar is not a new idea in our family.  It's also not Christmas tradition.  Last night we celebrated Christmas with the whole Billey family - Nana and Poppy, Mr. and Mrs. Knost with Little Lou, Bugsy, and Stinky, and our family - Mr. and Mrs. Crum with Monkey, Crackers, and Baby.  What a crew of craziness.  

The biggest problem with making a meal is figuring out something that will satisfy everyone's tastes and dietary needs.  Mrs. Knost thought a taco bar would be fantastic because everyone could make it however they wanted.  I thought for my "recipe" this week I would share as many things as I can recall from our tabletop taco bar.

Tortillas

Hard Shell

Sour Cream

Guacamole

Salsa

Refried Beans

Black Beans

Shredded Cheese

Shredded Chicken

Ground Beef

Onion

Banana Peppers

Lettuce

Spinach

Cilantro Lime Basmati Rice

Fajita Veggies

Tomatoes

Enchilada Soup

Tortilla Strips

Vegan Stir Fried Barley

Stir Fried Barley

Ingredients

Barley

Brussels Sprouts

Green Peppers

Carrots

Celery

Onion

Spinach

Broccoli

Other leftover vegetables as desired

Garlic

Ginger

Olive Oil

Soy Sauce

Instructions

Cook barley, in sauce pan, until soft.

Remove from burner and drain excess water.

While barley is cooking, chop vegetables into separate bowl.

When barley has been removed from the sauce pan, toss garlic, ginger, and olive oil into the bottom of the pan.  

Heat until starting to bubble.

Toss vegetables into the oil mixture on medium-high.

Stir about 5 minutes, until vegetables reach desired tenderness.

Add in barley.

Add soy sauce to desired taste.

Continue to stir until hot - 5-7 minutes.

Serve hot.

It starts today

A lot of reading, video viewing, lifestyle evaluation, and planning have gone into our decision to go a bit further with our (at home) vegetarian lifestyle.  Today we start a whole-food, plant-based diet.

What is that?

Whole foods are  unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible, before being consumed.  Plant-based means well, they come from plants (fruits, vegetables, nuts...)

It's that simple.  The big change for us is a reduction of milk products - we eat a lot of cheese and some yogurt, the boys like milk also.  We also will be giving up most breads and pastas.

Why would you do a crazy thing like that?

Here's the thing; I am diabetic, overweight, tired, anemic, cluttered, and I have digestive difficulties.  Mr. Crum, well, he's got a little bit of a belly again - but we can all stand to live healthier lives, right?  Crackers is a bit pudgy - I know, he's a toddler, they're made that way - but one of the offices we visit was concerned about his height/weight ratio.  He doesn't eat a lot of fatty foods, and we don't want him to face some of the same problems his mama has.  Monkey seems to have a bit of a gluten intolerance.  

We have been working on living a greener lifestyle and even do what we can to grow our own foods - we are not very good at that yet.     Learning to eat what we can grow, in season, and what we can get locally will help us lower our footprint.

We want our boys to grow up strong and healthy.  I recognize that the government has a suggested food pyramid that is supposed to help people do just that.  I also recognize that most Americans are sick - we do not eat foods that keep us healthy.  I want my boys to live a lifestyle that does not just help them heal more quickly when they are ill, but helps them avoid getting ill in the first place.  After a lot of reading and research, we have decided that we will give this diet a try for a month.  After a month, we will re-evaluate.  

Why in the world are you starting this during the holiday season?

That's the part where I think we're a little bit crazy.  It is so hard to make big food changes at this time of year!  But - I am sick now - riddled with blood sugar issues and other complications that come with it.  Every day that I hesitate is inviting more problems and more lasting effects.  I need to start this now for myself.  I need to be healthy for my family so that I can be fully available to them as they grow into men.

What are your thoughts on this type of lifestyle? 

What would you miss the most?

Do you have a great website for recipes?

Do you want some inspiration to change?  Here are a few websites we have found helpful.

UK Cancer research info

Forks Over Knives - this documentary is available on Netflix

Healthy. Happy. Life. - this blog has a lot of great looking recipes.