Insta-Recipes 2.0

Here's another round of recipes I've posted to Instagram!

I have been loving some flavored tea!  My favorite combination for the last few months has been brewing two bags of black tea with two to four (yes, four!) bags of peach tea.  Leave the peach tea bags in, and the flavor will get stronger the longer it sits.

A Beautiful Mess did it again with a spring roll recipe and dipping sauce that is oh, so good!

Smoothie: banana, cashew milk, almond butter…mmm mmm

Roast some chickpeas and then toss in vanilla, cinnamon, and pinch of sugar

Cut a head of lettuce into quarters for each serving.  Add purple onion, tomatoes, strawberries, avocado, Mini Babybel cheese, vinegrette, and leftover brussells sprout salad if you have any ;)

Banana Berry Butter Smoothie: banana, strawberries, cashew milk, almond butter

Okay, okay….here's one more from A Beautiful Mess.  This spaghetti squash stir fry is soooo good!

I love a good veggie recipe if you have any to share!

*Insta-recipe posts are inspired by dishes I throw together and post on my personal Instagram account.

Insta-Recipes

I love to cook and have been trying lots of new recipes lately.  I post some of them on my Instagram account, recipes I come up with and some from other people.  My account is private to family and close friends.  With so much of my life out there for all to see (here, twitter, etc.), it's the one place I've decided to keep private right now.

Every once in awhile I'll share a few pics from my account.  Here are some now!

My take on Tropical Smoothie's veggie hummus wrap

• Sabra roasted red pepper hummus all over tortilla of choice
• Sliced purple/red onion
• Sliced tomato
• Sliced cucumber
• 1/4 avocado, sliced and drizzled with lemon and lime juice
• Shredded carrots
• Salsa (optional-- put it on my husband's but not on mine)
• Cilantro

Sweet & Tart Smoothie

• Frozen mango
• Frozen raspberries
• Unsweetened original cashew milk

Avocado Tuna

I never like tuna and couldn't make myself eat it no matter how hard I tried.  One day my sister-in-law told me to try it with avocado, and now I eat tuna all the time!

• 1 can of white albacore tuna
• 1/2 avocado
• salt, cajun seasoning (optional)
• Dash of lemon juice and lime juice

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Stuffed Strawberry Shake

• Chocolate almond milk
• Unsweetened original cashew milk
• Peanut butter
• Frozen strawberries

Warm Brussels Sprout Salad with Homemade Dressing

This recipe is from A Beautiful Mess.  Colin LOVED it!  We heard a report that you could lose a pound a week eating brussels sprouts-- bring on the sprouts!

I made two changes:

• Double the dressing recipe and cook 3 lbs. of sprouts (instead of 1 lb.)
• Stick the cooked sprouts/berries under broil for a few minutes in the oven, stir every minute or so

What recipes do you love?

Peaches & Cream // FroYo & Smoothie

It's getting warm outside, and a cold treat is the perfect way to cool off!  Why not make that treat at home?!   Make some frozen yogurt!

I keep fruit in the freezer.  You don't have to worry about the fruit going bad, and you can throw it in a smoothie, which keeps you from having to use ice (which waters down the flavor).  Win win!

Peach Frozen Yogurt

-2 1/2 cups of frozen peach slices

-1/3 cup of yogurt or Greek yogurt (I used non-fat, vanilla flavored)

-1/3 cup of milk (I used vanilla almond milk)

-Sweetener to taste

Throw it all in your blender (I have an awesome Ninja).

The entire batch is 240 calories, which is just 60 calories per serving if you share it with three other people.  The best part is that you know exactly what you're eating.  You're getting your fruit, dairy, and some protein and no hidden ingredients!

If you don't eat it all at once, store and freeze it for another time.

You could replace the peaches with other frozen fruits.  I'm going to try strawberries and grapes!  And pineapple!

To make a smoothie, just add a bit more Greek yogurt and milk until you get the desired consistency!

Don't forget to try out the other smoothie recipes!

Healthy, Yummy, Easy Shakes & Smoothies!

I have been on a shake kick lately.  I got a Ninja kit for Christmas, so that's partly why I'm so anxious to mix things up!

I've also wanted to get more fruits and veggies and good nutrients in my system.  I make veggies for dinner, so I wanted fruit for breakfast or lunch.  I don't always have time to prep fruit or keep it freshly stocked.  I also don't have much time for breakfast in the morning when rushing to work, so I needed to it be quick and easy all around.

Shakes are perfect, because you can use frozen fruit!  I buy frozen berries that are already bagged.  Then I buy bananas, peel them, and throw them in a freezer bag.  This also saves me from having to use ice in my shakes-- keeping the flavor at its best!

Here are just a few recipes I've been making over and over.  And over.

I think they're all yummy (because who wants to slurp an icky drink?)!

Drink these fresh!  Just like a banana isn't good after it sits out all day, these shakes are best when you drink them fresh.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Shake

-1/3 cup milk (I use almond or 2%)
-1/3 cup honey Greek yogurt
-2 tbsp peanut butter (I used extra crunchy)
-1 frozen banana
-2 squares of dark, dark chocolate (I use 85% cocoa---dark!  Even though it's too dark to really eat, it's perfect for mixing.)
-2 packets of no calorie sweetener

Throw it all in a blender and blend it up!  This makes one hefty serving or enough to share with someone else.

This shake is perfect for breakfast, because it keeps me full and not tempted to snack before lunch.

Green Monster

-1/2 cup milk

-1/2 cup Greek yogurt

-1 tbsp peanut butter

-1 frozen banana

-4 cups of fresh spinach

Yes, this has spinach in it.  Yes it turns out green.  But you won't care!  It's refreshing and filling.

Fruity Tooty

-Frozen banana
-Frozen fruit (I used mango, strawberries, grapes, pineapple.  The flavor will depend on the fruit you use)
-Splash of orange juice

This is refreshing and great for breakfast or mid-day snack!

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I am not a dietician or health expert, so please don't use this as a diet.  I'm just trying to stay healthy, and I hope these help you.

Here's some other people's input on some of the ingredients I use:

Benefits of Greek Yogurt:
WebMD
Livestrong

Benefits of Dark Chocolate:
WebMD

Benefits of Spinach:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/479103-is-eating-raw-spinach-good-for-you/

Benefits of Peanut Butter:
Prevention

Benefits of Milk:
Oprah

Benefits of Bananas:
Nutrition Uncovered

Why You Should Eat Fruit & Vegetables:
CDC- Calculate How Many Fruits & Vegetables You Need
Harvard