At Home Workouts: No Equipment, No Worries!

One of the coolest ways I’ve seen the community adapt to this COVID-19 quarantine is the amount of ideas being shared for at home workouts. Kevin and I have been doing at home workouts with very limited equipment. It has been great to get our bodies moving, but sometimes workouts just don’t feel as challenging when done with body weight. I wanted to share some extremely practical ways of making movements more challenging.

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Add weight: get creative!! You have heavy things around your house, I know you do! Find ways to make them carry-able… grab a backpack and get creative with what you can throw in it.

I found a Costco bag of rice and textbooks. You can also fill water bottles with water. Bags of dog food are heavy. Cans are heavy. Just find some heavy stuff and throw it in a backpack!

How to utilize for a workout:

• Place either on your back or your front to vary the load. You can do squats, lunges, deadlifts, 1 leg deadlifts, push ups, planks, jumping jacks, sprints, step ups, dips and many other movements with this.

• Carry it: you can do squat presses, strict presses, farmers carry.

• Move it: you can do wallballs, sit ups, kettlebell swings, cleans, toss it back and forth. Whatever you do, make sure the straps are tied in so they don’t whack you in the face.

At home workout:

4 rounds

• 30 lunges

• 20 squat press

• 10 push ups

• 400 m run (weight on your back)

Jump: jumping adds an element of power and speed, both of which will challenge more than a non jumping movement. Jumping will also get your heart rate up.

How to utilize in a workout: mix in jumping and non-jumping movements into your workout. Movements that can include jumping are: squats, lunges, push ups (for some), jumping jacks, tuck jumps, high jump, broad (frog) jump, speed skaters, and box jump.

Before you add jumping, make sure you feel strong enough in the non-jumping variation (aka a normal squat). Jumping will add more force to your joints and bones, so keep that in mind if you are nursing an injury.

At home workout:

5 rounds: 40 sec work/20 sec rest:

• Squat jumps

• Plank

• Speed skaters

• Dips

• Jumping jacks

Slow Down: slowing a movement down requires control. Because your muscle is working for longer, it is required to fire more often. This is a great way to make a movement harder with just a little bit of weight!

How to utilize in a workout: You can either move slowly through the whole movement, or pick a part of the movement to move slowly through and use power and speed in the other portion (like the deadlift video). This can be done with squats, lunges, deadlifts, push ups, presses, 1 leg squats and deadlifts, and sit ups.

At home workout:

3 rounds of 12 of each movement:

• Squat (lower for 5 seconds, pause at the bottom for 3 seconds, raise up for 1 second)

• Deadlift (lower for 5 seconds, pause at the bottom for 3 seconds, raise up for 1 second)

• Push up (lower for 5 seconds, pause at the bottom for 3 seconds, raise up for 1 second)

• Sit up (lower for 5 seconds, pause at the bottom for 3 seconds, raise up for 1 second)

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I was just thinking this morning that the idea of the quarantine has seemed like a fun idea… there has been a sort of novelty around it. If this continues on, I know at home workouts are going to become more and more challenging to stay motivated for. I strongly encourage you to KEEP MOVING! Exercise helps with:

• Immunity

• Triathlon and running performance

• Weight loss and weight maintenance

• Mental health

• Mood

So yes, your equipment may be limited. But push to find ways to make it more challenging and fun. You post-quarantine self with thank you for it.

If you have questions or need more ideas, please reach out!

Mediterranean Eggplant and Chickpea Ragout

This is one of those recipes that we used to eat a lot and then somewhere along the way we kind of forgot about it. Then, the other day I was with one of my friends at My Fresh Basket and she got a dish that looked just like this. Then I HAD TO MAKE IT! It has such great flavor!!

I got all the ingredients before the chaos of COVID-19, but the good news is, all of these ingredients should still be available!!

One more thing, if you think the idea of eggplant sounds gross, it isn’t. You actually don’t even taste it much in this recipe!!

Here is a healthy dinner recipe to try tonight!

Mediterranean Eggplant Ragout

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey

• 1 large eggplant, chopped into cubes

• 1 tbsp avocado oil

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 cups canned unsalted diced tomatoes

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1 15oz can low sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 2 TBSP capers

• 3 oz goat cheese

How to:

1. Heat 1/2 TBSP avocado oil in a saute pan. Add onion and eggplant and saute for 5-7 minutes, or until eggplant softens.

2. Add raisins, salt, pepper flakes and cinnamon. Mix to combine. Then add canned tomatoes, 1/2 cup water, chickpeas and capers. Increase heat to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.

3. Meanwhile, using the other 1/2 TBSP avocado oil, cook the ground turkey. As it is cooking, add salt and pepper and break up into bite sized pieces. Cook until no pink remains.

4. Once ragout is cooked, add the ground turkey!

5. Serve with goat cheese and a starch and vegetable! We served with polenta and green beans, but you can serve with any starch and vegetable!!!

Miso Lime Shrimp Bowl

We have started taking meal prepping more seriously and are loving it!!! I know I will always go in seasons with this, but we have started a meal each week for our lunches, we prep our breakfasts and then make 2-3 dinners each week that we eat fresh one night and have the leftovers the other nights. It has like changed our world!!! We have so much more time in our evenings and so much less stress around making dinner. This recipe was so easy and quick to make that I had to share!!!

You may notice that I have a lot of shrimp recipes posted. This is because we often use shrimp as a quick protein. We buy the already cooked (but frozen) shrimp, and then literally just heat it up and throw it in whatever sauce we have made. SO SIMPLE!

If you have never tried soba noodles, don’t be afraid of them! They are buckwheat noodles (meaning they are a good source of whole grains!). You can often find them in the Asain Food Aisle of the store. My one tip is to make sure it is made out of buckwheat… I bought some one time that had yams added, which made them kinda sweet and not as good.

Check this healthy, easy weeknight meal out!!

Miso Lime Shrimp Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 lb already cooked frozen shrimp

• 10 oz green beans

• 10 oz mushroms

• soba noodles

• 3 TBSP white miso paste

• 3 TBSP lime juice

• 3 cloves garlic

• 1 TBSP fresh grated ginger

How to:

1. Chop vegetables and saute in a little bit of avocado oil.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook soba noodles for 8-10 minutes, or until they are the texture you desire.

3. Meanwhile, make the sauce by combining the miso, lime juice, garlic and ginger in a bowl.

4. When vegetables are done, add shrimp and sauce and mix together. Cook until shrimp are heated through.

5. Serve with soba noodles!!

Turmeric Sweet Potatoes

This is one of our favorite ways to make sweet potatoes!!! They not only taste great with all different proteins, they also taste really great leftover. We often serve them with lentils and eggs or with chicken and they taste GREAT with arugula and pistachios on top!! Check ‘em out!!

Turmeric Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 large sweet potatoes, cubed

• 1 TBSP turmeric

• 1 tsp avocado oil

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1.5 cup low sodium chicken broth

How to:

1. Saute sweet potatoes in a large pan with avocado oil. Let them cook until they brown and get soft.

2. Add turmeric, garlic and chicken broth.

3. Let mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are really soft!

4. Then, using a potato masher or fork, mash until desired consistency is reached.

5. Serve with a protein, vegetable, arugula and pistachios!!

Quick Mediterranean Quinoa Turkey Bowl

Kevin was out of town last week for 8 DAYS!!! That is a long time in my world. Anyway, because he usually eats more than me and is willing to eat leftovers for days, I knew I had to be strategic about my meals. I didn’t want to be eating one meal all week AND I wanted my meals to be easy to make and easy to clean up. This turned out to be a great option and will continue to be a quick weeknight meal!

Quick Mediterranean Quinoa Turkey Bowl

Ingredients:

• 16 oz lean ground turkey

• 2 tsp avocado oil

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa

• 3 medium zucchinis, chopped

• 1 (15oz) canned diced tomatoes (look for low sodium)

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 5 cups spinach

• 10 oz mushrooms, diced

• 1 TBSP oregano

• 1 tsp dried basil

• 1 tsp rosemary

• 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar

• 1/3 cup water

• Shredded parmesan cheese

How to:

1. Place quinoa in a pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and cook until water is absorbed.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tsp avocado oil in a skillet. Add ground turkey. Season with salt and pepper and allow to brown. As it cooks, break it up into bite sized pieces. Once cooked through (no pink left), set aside in a bowl.

3. Add another 1 tsp avocado oil to the saute pan. Add mushrooms, onion and zucchini. Cook until they begin to soften. Add spinach and canned tomatoes.

4. As spinach is wilting, add seasonings to vegetables.

5. Mix vinegar with water.

6. Mix quinoa with ground turkey and vegetables. Add vinegar mixture. (add more vinegar if necessary)

7. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Traveling Nutrition: airplane and hotel meal and snack ideas

The other day we were looking at flights to New Zealand for the 2020 IM 70.3 World Championships and all of a sudden I started freaking out about what we were going to eat on the plane… haha! We won’t even be getting on that plane for more than 11 months and thats where my head goes (#thelifeofadieitian). I know it is all because the last time we traveled across the world I remember getting off the plane feeling like JUNK!! Like I remember my ankles were non-existent and I just felt swollen! Sitting for that many hours, not sleeping well and eating airplane meals is not a recipe for success for me and I am determined to find ways to prevent this feeling as much as possible so I don’t have to race feeling like a balloon!

A few days after I had my freak out moment, I was asked by two completely separate individuals if they had tips for traveling nutrition. And it got me thinking that I should share some information about this because I am sure it is a question that a lot of people face!

And yes, I will figure out how to eat on the plane before our race and yes I will share what I learn with all of you. For now, here are some good tips and ideas for plane/airport nutrition and hotel meals.

Airplane/Airport Nutrition

Things to be aware of:

• Gels and liquids: gels and liquids have to be less than 3.4 oz. That means not only all fluids, but also yogurt, nut butters, hummus, guacamole, applesauce pouches and anything else that could even remotely be close to a “gel” like consistency. We had to throw away an entire jar of that delicious freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter once… consider this my warning to you!

• Security: I almost always travel with food and get my bag pulled at security probably 25% of the time. It is a possibility, so expect that it might happen. They usually just open my bag, pull out the food, look at it to make sure it is food (they are very respectful about not touching it) and let me go. Literally, I got pulled for having a large carrot in my bag once (I guess it looked dangerous!!)

• Smells: For the respect of those around you on the plane, don’t bring something super smelly. Some people are even cautious about nuts and nut butters because of allergies.

• Packaging: I will only bring things on the plane that don’t require a container from home. I am not going to carry around a container for my whole trip. Choose packages that you can throw away or bring a container that you don’t mind parting with, just to make your life easier!

• Water bottles: make sure you empty your water bottles before security and then just fill them up on the other side! Most coffee shops will do it for you if you are looking for fresh water!

Food During Layovers:

I found an awesome salad bar in the Minneapolis Airport. If you’re at that airport, FIND IT!!!

• Look for fresh: Look for proteins and fresh fruits and vegetables. I usually have the best luck at coffee shops. Don’t just settle for the packaged sandwiches and yogurt parfaits. If you have the time, do some searching and try to get creative.

• Timing: Know when you are going to get hungry and be prepared. If you aren’t hungry during your layover, but know you will be on your next flight, grab something that you can bring on the plane. If you will be flying over a meal time, make sure that something is a meal and not just snacks.

Meal and Snack Ideas

• Oatmeal: you can now find oatmeal packaged in cups Quaker, Picky, and Kodiak Cake are just a few brands that do this. Bring a banana and a pack of nut butter (less than 3.4oz). Get some hot water (for free) on the plane or at a coffee shop in the airport. Mix all together and let it absorb. Then enjoy!

• Sandwich: For early morning flights, we usually bring PB + Banana sandwiches. We have also brought turkey sandwiches and PB&Js. (be cautious of bringing tuna because of the smell).

• Fruits and vegetables: we always bring all the fruits and vegetables in our fridge that we didn’t get a chance to eat before we left. This way you can have them on the plane and at your destination (if customs is not an issue!)

• Bento Box: bring any mix of cheese, crackers, deli meat, vegetables, hard boiled eggs, nuts, fruit for a meal or snack!

• Bars: My favorite bars to recommend (and eat) are RX Bars. They also have nut butters with added protein which are under 3.4oz and delicious with fruit or on their own.

• Jerky: jerky can be an easy and fun way to get protein. Chomp Sticks and Epic Bars are a couple brands that I suggest!

• Kodiak cakes: bring these with fruit and nut butter to make a meal!

• Trail mix/nuts: just make sure they are portioned out so you don’t eat the whole thing!!

• Tuna packs: This is for layovers (so you don’t stink up the whole plane!) Bring some vegetables and crackers and you have a nicely balanced meal!

Nutrition for your stay:

Tips for eating while at your destination:

• Protein and vegetables: My #1 tip!! Look for vegetables and protein, the carbs will be there too! They are the hardest to find, but well worth the search. You can always ask what vegetable side options area available!

• Go off of hunger: With time changes and different than normal foods, listen to your body and how hungry it is. Meals out are often naturally bigger and more dense than foods you would have at home. Don’t just eat to eat, but also make sure you have enough to make it to the next meal.

• Have snacks available: because meal times and hunger can be off, bring snacks with you just in case you get hungry when a meal isn’t around!

• Don’t splurge on every meal: It is tempting to splurge just because you are eating out. Choose a couple of meals that are worth the splurge and then try and choose healthy options for the other meals. You’ll feel better, I promise!

• Stop by a store to grab some healthy options: most hotels have a refrigerator. Grab some fruits and vegetables and other fresh snacks and utilize the refrigerator.

• Save leftovers: if you are out to eat and don’t finish your meal, stick the rest in the refrigerator in the hotel room. You can eat it for another meal!

• Utilize the complementary breakfast: I am the queen at grabbing things at the complimentary breakfast to snack on later!!! There are often options that you can throw in your room refrigerator or even just take to go.

Meal Ideas:

Remember, when you build a meal, look for a protein, starch and vegetable or fruit. This will help keep it balanced. Here are some ideas:

• Vegetables

  • carrots, peppers, celery, cucumber and snap peas all do well with the stresses of traveling

  • Salad mixes

  • Salad from salad bars

  • Frozen vegetables

• Starches

  • whole wheat bread/tortillas

  • Whole wheat or rice crackers

  • Rice cakes

  • Microwaveable brown rice or quinoa

  • Oatmeal cups

• Proteins

  • Tuna or chicken packets

  • Hard boiled Eggs

  • Deli meat

  • Smoked Salmon

  • Greek yogurt

  • Peanut butter

• Others

  • Guacamole packs

  • String cheese/cheese wheels

  • Fruit

Meal ideas:

• Salad mix + microwaveable brown rice + tuna or eggs

• Whole wheat tortillas + turkey and cheese + carrots

• Greek yogurt + oatmeal + fruit

• Peanut butter and banana sandwiches

• Guacamole and hard boiled egg sandwich

• Rice cakes + smoked salmon + bell peppers

I hope these ideas can help on your next travel adventure!

Everyday French Toast

French toast is one of those foods that I LOVE but rarely eat. The reason being, when I know if I have a sweet treat for breakfast, I will likely need a nap and be pretty much useless for the day. When I do have it, I make sure I balance it with some eggs, so the sugar doesn’t hit my system so drastically! There is so much to say about a balanced plate!!

So, Kevin came up with this lovely idea for french toast that doesn’t leave me down and out for the rest of day. He was like, what if we use the ingredients we usually use for breakfast and make it into french toast…? Brilliant!!

This french toast is made of our normal whole wheat bread, sweetened with yogurt, berries, banana and peanut butter AND has no added sugars!! If you are looking for a fun a different breakfast to have that keeps you on track with your goals, try this recipe out!!

Everyday French Toast

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat bread (5 pieces)

• 4 eggs, whisked

• 1/4 cup milk

• a splash of vanilla

• 1/2-1 tsp cinnamon

• Dash of cloves and allspice

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/4 cup peanut butter

• 1 cup frozen berries

• 1 banana

How to:

1. Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice and cloves in a flat dish.

2. Heat a skillet. Soak 1-2 pieces of bread in the egg mixture. Flip so that the full toast is soggy.

3. Place in the skillet and cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until toasted and egg is cooked.

4. Continue steps 2 and 3 until all the pieces are cooked.

5. Meanwhile, stick the frozen berries in the microwave to 20-30 seconds. Mash with banana. Then mix in yogurt and peanut butter. Mix in more cinnamon if desired!

6. Top french toast with berry mixture and ENJOY!!!

Loaded Veggie Hummus Dip

This season is filled with parties and potlucks!! This is an awesome appetizer to bring to a party to ensure you are getting vegetables and protein!! You could also make this and keep it around to snack on throughout the week.

One note to make about this recipe is to drain the yogurt slightly before adding it in. After this has sat for a bit, it can get a little watery, but draining the yogurt should help this problem!

Loaded Veggie Hummus Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz container of favorite hummus

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt, slightly drained

• 1/4 cup diced chives, divided

• 1/2 cup sliced scallions

• 1/2 cup sliced Kalamata olives

• 1+ cup diced radishes

• 1 orange bell pepper, diced

• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• 1 cucumber, diced

• 1+ cup tomatoes, diced

• salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Combine Greek yogurts with 2 TBSP diced chives and refrigerate

2. Chop all vegetables and olives, and place in a large bowl. Mix and season with salt and pepper.

3. Layer hummus around the bottom of a pie dish or 9x9 square dish. Place Greek yogurt and chive mixture on top of the hummus and spread into an even layer.

4. Place vegetables on top of the yogurt layer. Top with the remaining chives.

5. Serve with whole wheat or rice crackers.

Butternut Squash Risotto

As a dietitian, I get several cool perks, like being an ambassador for companies like Siggis. This recipe popped up on one of their feeds and I couldn’t pass it up!! We adjusted the recipe slightly but are seriously IN LOVE! We made it for the first time last week, but made enough butternut squash that we made it again this week. I am not joking, this is one of those dishes that can be eaten for any meal!!

Here is the recipe:

Butternut Squash Risotto

Ingredients:

• 1 small butternut squash

• 1/2 TBSP olive oil

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp cloves

• salt and pepper to taste

• 10 oz mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2 TBSP avocado oil/Ghee

• 1 small white onion, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 cups brown rice

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 2 TBSP Siggis Coconut Yogurt (plus some for topping)

• Green onion, sliced for topping

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Peel and cube butternut squash. Mix with olive oil, cinnamon, cloves, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until tender when poked with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, heat a Dutch Oven or pot with avocado oil. Add mushrooms and onion and cook until softened and browned. Add garlic. Cook 1 minute. Then add rice and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat and cook until broth is absorbed (can add water if more liquid is necessary).

3. Once squash is cooked, allow to cool. Then puree using a blender, food processor or emersion blender.

4. Once pureed, add to the cooked rice and stir well. Add yogurt and thyme. (You may have too much butternut squash depending on the size you bought, in that case set aside and use later).

5. Serve topped with sliced green onion and a dollop of Siggis Coconut Yogurt.

We served ours with pork chops and broccoli the first time and chicken and salad the next :-)

Hope you love this as much as we did!!

Chili and Cornbread

Halloween always means it is time to make chili and cornbread! Here is the recipe I’ve been diggin this year!

Three Been Crockpot Chili

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground turkey or ground beef

• 1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

• 1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 (15oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (15oz) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 red onion, chopped

• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar

• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 TBSP chili powder

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 TBSP oregano

• 1 tsp basil

• 2 tsp parsley

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp chili flakes

• 1/2 cup shredded cheese

• 1 tsp ghee/avocado oil

• 1 1/2 -2 cups water

How to:

1. Cook ground turkey in a saucepan in 1 tsp ghee/avocado oil on the stove until slightly browned.

2. Place all ingredients up to cheese in the crockpot. If you need additional liquid, add 1 1/2- 2 cups water. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

3. Top chili with shredded cheese and serve cornbread and a vegetable on the side

Cornbread Muffins

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole wheat flour

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 TBSP baking powder

• 1 cup cornmeal

• 1 egg

• 1 cup milk

• 1/4 cup butter

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder into a bowl of mixer.

2. Add cornmeal and mix.

3. Add egg, milk, butter and mix until combined (no more that 1 minutes)

4. Grease 9 muffin tin slots and fill each evenly with batter.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until browned and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

6. Can also make cornbread squares by using a 8x8 pan and baking for 20-25 minutes.

7. Serve with honey butter

*Cornbread recipe from Bob's Red Mill cornmeal package. 

Banana Coffee Oatmeal Bake

I have been trying to expand my breakfast recipe book to provide more options to my clients and this one is a perfect fit!! We had friends visiting and I made this to have available for an easy breakfast. I also hard boiled some eggs for the side. It was so easy and was a hit!!

With anything oatmeal based, I try to add protein where I can to make it a more balanced meal. You’ll see Greek yogurt in this recipe for that reason. Also, like I said, having eggs on the side is a great addition too!

Here is the recipe:

Banana Coffee Oatmeal Bake

Ingredients:

• 3 cups dry oats

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 TBSP cinnamon

• 1/2 cup almond butter

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 3/8 cup applesauce

• 1/8 cup maple syrup

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

• 1/2 cup Greek yogurt

• 1/2 cup coffee

• 4 ripe bananas, mashed

How to:

1.   Preheat oven to 350F

2. Mix oats, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl

3. In a large bowl, mash bananas and stir in almond butter. Add vanilla, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, yogurt, and coffee. Add oat mixture and mix well.

4. Spread in a 9x13 pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

5. I separated into 9 servings. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container!

Pumpkin Cookies

It is not often that I find a dessert recipe that I like so much that I will make it again and again. I am usually always on the hunt for “the best ____” and let me tell you, these ARE the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies!

Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

• 1/2 tsp ginger

• 1/4 tsp cloves

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg, at room temperature

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

• 2 cups chocolate chips

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices.

3. Using a mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar. You want to beat it until it turns light in color and a little fluffy, usually 4+ minutes.

4. Then add vanilla, pumpkin puree, and egg. Mix to combine.

5. Add the flour mixture in 2-3 batches. Mix after each.

6. Add chocolate chips and stir until combined.

7. Using a large spoon, scoop a heaping spoonful and place it on the baking sheet. They won’t spread much when you bake them, so you can fit them fairly close (I was able to do 12 per pan).

8. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until outsides slightly brown. You want to pull them early-ish so they keep their softness!

9. Repeat until all cookies are cooked. Cool on rack and store in an airtight container.

10. Enjoy :-)

Expect to make 32-36 cookies.

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

Tomato season is upon us!! I am always so amazed at the taste difference between a fresh in season tomato versus one I buy at the store in February! It all of a sudden makes sense to me why they are technically fruits, because I can actually taste their sweetness!!

We received heirloom tomatoes in our LINC Box a couple weeks in a row. Heirlooms are so beautiful and I knew I had to do something fun and special with them. I stumbled across a recipe for panzanella. Now, to be honest, I don’t think I knew what panzanella salad was until this experience. Now I am hooked!! We bought some bread from our local bread shop, The Grain Shed, to use in this salad too! Here is the recipe:

Heirloom Tomato Panzanella

Ingredients:

Here is the bread we used. I had to include a picture because it was SO delicious!!

• 1 1/2 lbs heirloom tomatoes, chopped in large pieces

• 10 oz cherry tomatoes, halved

• 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered

• 1/2+ red onion, sliced

• 4 cups crusty bread, chopped in large pieces

• 1 head basil, chopped

• olive oil

• 2-3 TBSP red wine vinegar

• salt and pepper

How to:

1. Preheat the oven to 300F. Chop the bread into pieces and toss with a little bit of olive oil and salt. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 25+ minutes, or until bread is crusty.

2. Meanwhile, mix together the heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and onion.

3. Add the basil, olive oil and red wine vinegar and carefully mix.

4. Traditionally, you would mix in the bread pieces, however I didn’t want ours to lose their texture and get moist, so I mixed them in with the servings we were having and kept them separate in storage.

We served ours with Greek flavored chicken!! I also served my leftovers with cottage cheese, and trust me when I say it was AMAZING!

Roasted Anaheim Pepper Salsa

We have subscribed to the LINC Box this summer, which is a box that combines local fresh produce weekly! This box has allowed us to experiment with a lot of produce that is out of our ordinary choices! A recent box included Anaheim peppers. I love peppers because of their various taste and heat profiles. Anaheim peppers are not high in heat. They fall between a bell pepper and a poblano pepper. Here is a good chart with common peppers and their heatness ratings:

Because Anaheim peppers are not spicy, I knew they had to be roasted to give the salsa a smokey flavor. Here is the recipe I chose:

Roasted Anaheim Pepper Salsa

Ingredients

• 6 Anaheim peppers, largely chopped

• 12 oz cherry tomatoes

• 3/4 onion, largely chopped

• 3 cloves garlic

• olive oil

• 2-3 TBSP lime juice

• 1/2 bunch cilantro

• salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. Mix peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic with 1 TBSP olive oil. Place on a baking sheet.

3. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast vegetables for 30 minutes, or until slightly browned.

4. Place vegetables in a food process or blender with lime juice and cilantro. Pulse until it reaches desired consistency.

   *When placing hot items in a food processor/blender, make sure you have a place for the heat to escape. I generally hold the lid open using and oven mitt and make sure that the opening is pointed away from my face.

5. Store in refrigerator and enjoy on anything that salsa tastes good on!

We served ours on taco bowls, quesadillas, eggs and even turkey sandwiches!

Pineapple Post: How to pick and cut PLUS a great recipe

For as long as I can remember, pineapple has been one of my favorite fruits… probably because it feels tropical and I am all about that!! I remember being intimidated by the idea of cutting a pineapple. I mean, come on- they are big and pokey and have pointy death leaves. In case you are like I was, I wanted to create a little guide to help you feel safer around pineapples!!

First, let’s talk about how to pick a pineapple…

My best advice is to pick the innermost leaf and if it comes out easily, it is ready to eat. Yes, I do test about 8 different pineapples at the store to get the perfect leaf pull and I advise you to do the same.

Here is a guide to help you cut your pineapple:

Beside eating it as is, I think it is really fun to add pineapple to a savory meal. Here is a great one to try:

Blackened Chicken Bowl with Pineapple Blackbean Salsa

Ingredients:

For the rice:

• 1 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice

• 1 can lite coconut milk

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup green onions, sliced

• 1/4 cup cilantro, sliced

• 1/4 tsp salt

For the Chicken

• 1 1/2 lb uncooked chicken breast

• 2 tsp thyme

• 1 tsp allspice

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp cayenne

• salt and pepper to taste

For the Salsa

• 2 cups chopped pineapple

• 1 can low sodium black beans, rinsed

• 1/4 cup green onions, chopped

• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

• 2 TBSP lime juice

• salt and pepper to taste

How to:

1. Place rice in a saucepan with coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and cook until liquid is absorbed. Once cooked, add green onion, cilantro and salt.

2. Mix spices for chicken together and cover the surface of the chicken with the spices. Cook on the grill, on a low enough heat that the spices don’t burn.

3. In a bowl, combine salsa ingredients.

4. Serve rice with chicken and salsa. Enjoy with fresh vegetables on the side!

Peach Season Favorites

It is peach season again!! I always forget how much I love peaches until I bite into a freshly picked ripe peach and juices fly everywhere and I feel like I am eating a Peach-O… then I am quickly reminded about how lovely a ripe peach is.

I shared another great peach recipes last year in the Seasonal Eating: July Edition post. The recipe is for a peach salsa that we have used on all kinds of meat, white fish and even in cottage cheese! I highly recommend checking the recipe out.

This year, I wanted to share a couple more of our favorites… Five Spice Pork Chops with Peaches and Peachy Tacos. Both are fun ways to add peaches to a meal! Here are the recipes:

Five Spice Pork Chops with Peaches

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pork chops or pork cutlets

• 1 TBSP five spice powder (buy this if you don’t have it cause it is SO good)

• salt and pepper

• 4 peaches, chopped

• 3 cloves of garlic minced

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

• 2 tsp olive oil

How to:

1. Preheat grill

2. Cover the pork chops in a little bit of olive oil. Then salt, pepper and rub the Five Spice all over the surface.

3. Grill until cooked through

4. Meanwhile, place peaches, garlic, cayenne and salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine.

5. Heat a saute pan and add peach mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the peaches soften and the mixture thickens.

6. Serve peaches on top of the pork.

Peachy Tacos

Ingredients:

• 2 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil

• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped

• 1 glove garlic, minced

• 1/4 cup chipotle chili in adobo

• 2 ripe peaches, chopped

• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

• 1 lb chicken breast

• 3 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

• 2+ TBSP lime juice

• Corn tortillas

• 2+ peaches, thinly sliced

• 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

• 1 avocado, thinly sliced

How to:

1. In a large pot, add 1 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until slightly softened.

2. Add chipotle chili, tomato sauce, and peaches and cook on low for 20 minutes.

3. Transfer the sauce to a blender and carefully blend, until a sauce has formed. Set aside.

4. Meanwhile, heat the same pot with 1 TBSP Ghee/avocado oil. Add chickens and cook for about 5 minutes. Flip the chickens and add 1/4-1/2 of the sauce back to the chickens. Cook on low covered with a lid for 20 minutes. (Ours ended up being saucy enough that we saved the other half of the sauce to make the meal again!)

5. Once cooked through, remove from pan and shred, using to forks.

6. Place chicken back in the sauce.

7. Meanwhile, combine cabbage, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl.

8. Serve tortillas with chicken and sauce, cabbage slaw, peach slices, avocado slices and jalapeno. Enjoy!!