I made these for my family while we were home over the 4th of July and they were a hit! I’ve already been requested to make them for our upcoming beach trip! Needless to say, they are worthy of repeat!

Nutritious and delicious pancakes- that’s right, you can eat pancakes and feel good about them!

 

Berry Chia Yogurt Pancakes

Makes about 15 pancakes

 

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or white whole wheat flour)

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of kosher salt

1 cup plain Greek yogurt (such as Fage 2%)

2  cups milk of choice (such as Fairlife or an unsweetened vanilla nut milk)

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce with cherries or mixed berries

2 lemons, zested & juiced

2 tablespoons Madhava Agave 5

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt). In a large mixing bowl, combine the wet ingredients (yogurt through vanilla). Combine the dry & wet ingredients and let sit for about 5-10 minutes.

Preheat a flat-iron skillet or non-stick pan to medium heat. Spray with non-stick spray or rub on some good ol’ butter (I’m diggin’ Land O’ Lakes Butter with olive oil and sea salt right now).

Using 1/4 cup measure, portion out some of the batter onto the warmed skillet. Flip over when the under side starts to brown (you’ll know as the edges start will to form and plump up and there will be bubbles popping up on the top side, indicating the bottom is toasted and the batter is becoming warmed through). Cook on the second side until it is browned as well, about 2 minutes.

Repeat the spraying/butter coating step as needed while continuing to cook each pancake until the batter is gone.

For a syrup, I combine a splash of water in a glass jar with a healthy dollop of an all fruit preserve or jam such as Polaner, Smucker’s Simply Fruit, or St. Dalfour. I splash in some Madhava Agave 5 – my liquid sweetener of choice that doubles as the syrup here. Warm it for about 30 seconds, stir, and drizzle over your cakes!

Enjoy!

xo,
Becca

 

Savannah’s teeth came through on the earlier end of the range expected for babies.

That left mama looking for some relief for her. It was also about the time she was first being introduced to any solid food which she didn’t seem to interested in at the time.

We had plenty of teethers and fortunately she didn’t mind that, but her discomfort got to a whole new level as well as her food disinterest.

that’s where these teething biscuits came in. They were a homemade way for me to solve two issues at once. I looked at store-brought brands but I wasn’t satisfied that they were nothing but white carbs and I knew I could make my own version with whole grains and utilize the iron-fortified cereal that I knew her pediatrician wanted her to have daily.

Whether your for baby-led weaning or feeding or spoon feeding- that’s a topic for another time. But these homemade teething biscuits are easy + wholesome. This recipe basically involves a grain of some sort, a pureed fruit, and a couple spoons of oil to bind it together. The younger the baby and the less amounts of foods they’ve been exposed to can simplify the ingredients. The older the baby, the more foods you can add and that’ll mean more flavor variety for your little one!

 

Oatmeal, Pumpkin + Apple Teething Biscuits

yield: 50 small cookies or teething biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups iron fortified whole grain oatmeal cereal

1 cup whole rolled oats

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 tablespoons avocado oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray two baking sheets with non-stick spray (otherwise the bottom will start burn if you skip this step thinking you already have non-stick pans- speaking from experience here.)

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix well until everything is well incorporated and the mixture begins to form a ball of “dough.”  If the mixture is too wet, you can add more oats or baby cereal.

On a baby cereal or oat flour-ed surface, dump out the dough ball. Gently press the mixture into a flat circle and continue to roll out with a rolling pin until about 1/4 to 1/2 in thick (thick about the width of the biscuit you are trying to accomplish).

With a small cookie cutter (being careful selecting one that one produce sharp edges that could cut baby’s gums), stamp out the dough. And place each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet.

Gather the remnants and form into another ball. Repeat the flattening, rolling, and stamping process until most all of the dough is utilized (another 3-4 times) adding more “flour” to the surface (and your hands) as needed.

Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Store in an airtight container.

If you have any questions how to adapt this recipe to fit your little one’s preferences, age, and abilities please feel free to send me a message or comment on this post! While this is my own recipe that I’m happy for you to use, you may need to twist it fit the needs of your baby + family!

These teething biscuits are semi-soft for young nibblers, but always supervise your child while eating to assist with prompting to chew, take small bites, and prevent choking.

xo,

Becca

 

 

These aren’t your local bakery cake pops.

But they are delicious in their own right. Made with fiber-rich oats and heart healthy fats from almond butter as the main ingredients, these little bites are so satisfying!

They’re also an easy way to involve your kids in making some snacks and even breakfast options for themselves with back to school right around the corner.

In a medium bowl you’ll simply combine old fashioned oats, chia + flax seeds, some protein powder (if you’d like), almond butter, a bit of liquid sweetener and some mini chocolate chips.  Toss well to combine and portion into golf-ball size bites. Dip ’em into or drizzle with some melted dark chocolate and you’ll have a tasty snack or even breakfast on the go that can be made ahead of time for a quick, family-friendly weekend activity.

 

Almond Butter + Oat Pops

Makes: 3 dozen (may make closer to 4 dozen depending on their size)

Ingredients:

2 cups old fashioned oats

1/4 cup flaxseeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

2 scoops vanilla low sugar protein powder (if desired)

pinch of kosher or sea salt

1 cup almond butter 

1/2 cup Madhava Agave Five 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

1 teaspoon avocado oil

rainbow sprinkles for garnish

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flax + chia seeds, protein powder, and salt.  Mix together with a fork. Add the almond butter, Agave 5 sweetener, and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine everything evenly together.

With wet hands, use a mini ice cream scoop to spoon the mixture into your hands. Form into small gold-ball sized bites and place on a large cookie sheet. {Note: you may need to add some water to the mixture depending on how well everything is coming together when forming the bites. If the mixture is crumbly and not staying together well, add 1/4 – 1/2 cup water.}

Place the entire cookie sheet in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a glass measuring bowl, melt the dark chocolate and avocado oil for 30 second increments, stirring in between each session until the chocolate is melted and smooth.

Remove the cookie sheet. Insert 1/2 of paper straw into the bottom of each pop. Lightly drizzle or spoon the melted chocolate onto the top of each almond butter oat ball. Sprinkle with sprinkles if desired.

Place the cake pops in a small mouth container (I found mason jars to work well, but use whatever you can at home) and place in the freezer again for another 10 minutes until the chocolate hardens.

Store in the fridge or freezer in a tightly sealed ziplock bag.

For other variations try these yogurt dipped ones instead of the chocolate. Simply combine plain greek yogurt with good quality vanilla extract and a bit more of that Madhava Agave 5 syrup and coat the oat + nut butter bites.

For those of us wanting to save a step or two, skip the “pop” and make them into bites.

Or better yet, bars!

And if you want to skip the coating (chocolate or yogurt) altogether, you can do that too!

Completely customizable based on your needs + preferences! Enjoy!

 

xo,

Becca

 

 

 

 

 

If you don’t like surprises, then don’t worry this is a good surprise!

These strawberry pops are a refreshing & nourishing summer treat that can double as part of a meal or snack because they are that good for you! Made with nothing but fruits and veggies and only sweetened with a plant-based sweetener if you desire! The recipe is super easy, all can be done in a blender and frozen for a few hours.

Strawberry Surprise Summer Pops

Ingredients: 

2 pints strawberries

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 beet (cooked+ peeled)

1/2 cup carrot juice

2 teaspoons balsalmic vinegar

1/2 cup Madhava Agave 5 (optional)

Directions:
Place all the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Strain before pouring into popsicle molds, ice cube trays, or silicone muffin cups. Freeze until solid (depending on size of molds, freezing time needed + recipe yield will vary).

Surprise! There’s a few secret ingredients! There’s an extra fruit in here (applesauce) as well as some veggies (beets + carrots) not to mention the key ingredient to make the veggies taste less pronounced (the balsamic vinegar). The vinegar with the strawberries will not be like eating a strawberry balsamic salad, I promise! It really helps to deepen and enrich the strawberry flavor without adding a vinegar flavor.

For babies + tots, I’d recommend keeping these unsweetened, but the adults (the hubster even likes these!) and older kids might like the added sweetness from the Agave 5.

Stay cool (as much as possible) this summer! =)

Becca

Before we met, my husband lived in Italy for almost 2 years while he was in the Navy. Needless to say he has high demands for an Italian dinner and almost refuses to go out to a restaurant.

I am by no means Italian, I’m from Northern Illinois for crying out loud. My version of Italian is the American version of meatballs and spaghetti or ordering pizza.

He’s hard enough to please when it comes to food anyways so when I prepare something he gobbles up even all the leftovers, I surely better share it with y’all!

Lighter Chicken Parmesan

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

 1 lb chicken breast

2 pinches kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cups or so marinara (homemade is best, but a store bought version makes an easy swap)

4 thin slices mozarella cheese or 1/2 cup part skim mozarella

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

zucchini, as needed

pasta, as needed

 

Directions:

Trim the chicken of any perimeter fat. Place between a top & bottom layer of plastic wrap and pound out (with a mallet) to an even thickness.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss and evenly coat in the egg wash.

Dip in the bread crumbs on each side. Can use whole wheat bread crumbs for more fiber and nutrient rather than panko.

Heat a large non-stick pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil.

Sear the chicken on one side for about 2-3 minutes. Flip when there is a golden brown color on the breading and cook on the second side for another few minutes.

Pour in the marinara and cover. Let simmer to heat through the sauce and finish cooking the chicken (about 20 minutes). Add the mozzarella cheese, cover again until melted.

Sprinkle with parmesan right before serving. Garnish with parsley if desired and serve with pasta (whole wheat, brown rice, or lentil pasta are nutrient-rich options), salad and/or zucchini noodles.

Note: if you don’t need or want any pasta with it, you can omit the carb. 100% whole wheat, brown rice, or lentil pastas provide more fiber and nutrients than regular enriched white flour pasta. I’ll be the first to tell you though I don’t deprive myself of regular pasta, especially for certain meals. Some nights when the family is eating pasta with the meal, I have a small portion of whatever they are eating. Other nights I omit it and completely swap in spiralized zucchini or spaghetti squash. I used a veggie peeler here for the zucchini just for a different shape. Other nights I combine the veggie ‘pasta’ with regular pasta just to help keep everything in balance (my goals, appetite, and cravings!).

-Becca

 

 

 

 

 

A simple dish that is a great accompaniment to many summer party line ups or a delicious topping to add to your tex mex night!

Black Bean Salsa

2 cans no salt added black beans, drained + rinsed

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 orange bell pepper, diced

1-2 fire roasted tomatoes, diced

1/4 red onion, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bunch of cilantro, diced

1-2 limes, juiced

pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Toss everything together. That’s it!

This can be made ahead of time for a party and it saves for a good 5 days in the fridge to be used throughout the week.

For a touch of fresh, summery-sweetness I’ll also add pineapple or mango chunks and you can really tailor this to fit your taste preferences. if you don’t like tomatoes, just skip them. If you like less bell peppers or only have 2 on hand (or the mini peppers like me that are a staple in my fridge), just use what you have.

I also often omit the olive oil and will use avocado for the creamy, fatty flavor desired and then it becomes more like a guaca-salsa as I called it in my recent instagram post.

Happy summer-ing!

-Becca

Make weekday breakfasts a cinch with classic oatmeal with the enhance flavor and nutrients.

Simply make a batch of oatmeal on Monday am (or even Sunday) and then portion into 5 jars.

Each morning take one container, microwave the oats with a splash of milk or cream for about a minute or two to warm through. Stir to combine the warmed oats with the liquid.

Top with berries and nuts for sweetness + crunch!

All you need is about 10 minutes and you’ll have breakfast ready for each day!

Berries & Cream Oatmeal 

Makes: 5-6 servings

 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

3 cups water

For the toppings, divided among the different containers:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

5-6 drops stevia extract, optional

1 1/2 cups Fairlife milk

1 1/2 cups berries

3/4 cup nuts, chopped

Directions:

In a saucepan, combine the oats + water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer until the oats are soft and have absorbed most of the water (about 5 minutes). Stir occasionally as needed.

Divide the oats into individual containers (about 1/2 cup cooked oats per portion).

In each container, sprinkle in about 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, a drop of stevia extract, 1/4 cup of Fairlife milk, 1/4 cup berries and two tablespoons nuts of choice.

Store in the fridge until breakfast each day. Reheat as needed or enjoy chilled on warm summer days!

This strawberry cashew cream is delish, but oranges + pistachios or blueberries + pecans are also great flavor + texture combos to try!

-Becca

Whenever you look at a recipe, the steps may seem long and cumbersome at first.

Read through them once to understand what you’ll be doing overall and then break it to in simpler steps:

1- cook the meat & veggies by sauting and adding flavor

2- prepare the cauliflower topping by roasting and then blending

3- combine it all and bake

Turkey Shepard’s Pie with Roasted Cauliflower 

~ 1 lb ground turkey breast

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

4 carrots, diced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 package mushrooms, diced

1/2 cup cooking Sherry, red wine, or stock

1 heaping tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Beef Seasoning

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 cup Fairlife skim milk

1 teaspoon butter

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425.

In a large non-stick skillet, brown the turkey meat until fully cooked {can add a touch of olive oil or stock to the pan if needed}. Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same skillet, add the veggies (garlic through mushrooms). Saute until the veggies become soft, stirring often to not burn the garlic. Splash in the liquid of choice {sherry, stock, or water}  and stir in the Better than Beef seasoning & Worcestershire sauce. Turn heat down to medium low and allow to simmer.  Sprinkle in the corn starch and stir everything together to thicken the liquid and create a slight sauce to the mixture.

Add the meat back into the veggie mixture, cover and let simmer on low while preparing the cauliflower {can turn off and leave covered on the stove until ready to pour into baking dish later}.

On a baking sheet, spread out the cauliflower florets. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss well to coat the cauliflower. Roast in the oven until the cauliflower is charred (about 30-45 minutes).

Turn the oven down to 350.

In a blender, combine the cauliflower in a blender with the milk, butter, and parmesan cheese. Puree until you reach your preferred consistency of “mashed potatoes”.

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour in the meat + veggie mixture. Top with the blended cauliflower mixture. Sprinkle on another spoon of Parmesan cheese.

Bake for approx. 30 minutes until the cheese is golden brown (may need to broil at the last couple minutes to make the top golden brown.

Variations:

Vegetarian: Replace the turkey with lentils and substitute with Better Than Bouillon Veggie seasoning.

Potato lovers: Use half potatoes, half cauliflower for the pureed topping.

Convenience praisers: Use a store-bought frozen cauliflower mash in place of roasting and pureeing your own cauliflower. Simply warm it in the microwave according to the package instructions before adding to the meat + veggies and roasting everything together.

 

~ Becca ~

 

First post in over 4 months.

It’s been a while, I know. But my hands (and heart) has been full! Finding the time to write just doesn’t come easily.

I’ve even thought about discontinuing my recipe sharing for a while. But then a reoccurring need pops up when I’m a work: recipes and ideas are the top requests for my clients! So here we are, I’m back and sharing recipes that are centered on easy, fast, and family friendly meals + snacks. This was always the goal, but it’s even more so now.

Today I’m sharing a recipe right out of my own kitchen and meal plan from this week. It was meant to be a quick one dish dinner either on a sheet tray or in a skillet. I had actually prepped it over the weekend and stored in a glass dish & planned to use for a dinner early in the week after a busy and tiring work night. Then we could eat off of it for a few lunches & dinners.

One night though we decided to eat leftovers//fend for ourselves with what’s in the fridge (happening more and more these days) and also discussed what we’d do the next night with the intended-fajita-dish.  “Why not use the slow cooker?” said the hubby who last time I did this he had some opinions about how the meat should be cooked differently next time…?? Works for me though! I could toss everything in the slow cooker dish, store in the fridge overnight and turn it on in the am. A great option for a night of leftovers before so you don’t feel like you’re cooking or prepping two meals at once.

Wouldn’t you know despite my planning I forgot to do all that til the next am! So I’m rushing to do so before leaving and fortunately it was easy peasy since I had it all prepped ahead of time! That’s one of the slight tricks of slow cooking, it can still be challenging if you’re working because you gotta throw it in and turn it on before you leave. Sounds easy enough, but it still takes some thought and planning ahead.

Ingredients:

1 flank steak (1-1.5 lbs or so)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 onion, sliced

1 bag mini peppers (or 2-3 large peppers sliced)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon paprika

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

Place the peppers and onions in the bottom of the slow cooker dish. Place the meat on top of the veggies. Sprinkle on the seasoning and spices (I literally sprinkled them the morning-of, you know me, I don’t measure much and as I shared I didn’t have much time that day!)

Turn on low for 8 hours and walk away!

Shred with two forks when you get home or just before dinner time. Serve with all your favorite fixins: cilantro, lime, & avocado or guacamole, etc. Wrap in lettuce wraps or whole grain tortillas (Hola Nola whole wheat or corn are my faves)! I had some extra cauliflower rice that I added to mine!

This is family friendly meal in the fact that it’s modifiable for each person pretty easily without cooking separate meals.

The hubby and I both eat the meat & veggies, our toppings & grains usually differ. He makes an extra pot of saffron rice for himself and uses a regular white flour tortilla. I’m not saying that’s what I recommend, but this is how we take one meal and fit two + people.

LEM (my 3 year old strong willed daughter) doesn’t really eat the meat- she’s practically a vegetarian, but we encourage the cauliflower rice (or blend it with saffron rice that she likes. I would do brown rice if I could but that’s too many additions and modifications to one dish for me to stay sane and likely for you too) and I’ll make her a whole grain (using 100% whole wheat tortilla) quesadilla using 2% cheddar + part skim mozzarella shredded cheese.

So all in all everyone eats roughly the same thing, but with a few accommodations for palates and preferences. It can be done my friends!

Pack it up to serve for lunch the next day! Got all the components: protein, veggies, plant-based fats, and whole grains. Check, check, check, and check! And something hydrating as well without cals + sugars but doesn’t have to be flavorless!

 

The next morning I decided at the last minute to skip the tortilla (just for time + logistics that day at work) and added a “dessert” for myself in the form of the Greek yogurt instead.

Instead of whole grains here, I’m still getting in good for you carbs, but adding in extra protein, probiotics and a dessert-like flavor with no added sugars! The Dannon Oikos triple zero has a similar texture to Yoplait, if you are used to loving that brand, but it’s made with stevia.

Hope you learned something here about how to plan, adjust, balance and satisfy your cravings all while eating foods you love. Of course, I hope you add this to your recipe box and try it soon! I’d love to hear your thoughts!

-Becca

Last week I shared some nutritious holiday gift ideas for various important people in your lives. Adding an extra special touch with a homemade edible treat is always a nice addition. I’m particular fond of some of my recipes that are easy, affordable and tasty to add that extra touch of gratitude and thoughtfulness to your gift sets.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Truffles 

 

Chocolate Bark

 

Whole Grain Apple Oat Cookies

 

And not everything has to be sweet, you can even make some homemade soups and package them up in mason jars tied with pretty ribbon.

Butternut Squash Soup

Well that’s a “wrap” for me for a while! I’m all set with Christmas gifts for everyone in our lives from teachers & caregivers to friends & family to colleagues & co-workers! Now it’s time to relax and not run around frantically checking off my to do list!

 

Time to just enjoy the last of my pregnancy, spend quality time as a family of 3 (plus 2 dogs) and wait for baby’s arrival!

Have a Merry Christmas everyone and don’t follow me on instagram for quick posts and updates- both nutritionally & personally!

xo,

Becca