While doing my favorite evening activity (perusing Pinterest while drinking a glass of red wine), I stumbled upon a recipe that had me literally drooling in anticipation: a Vegetable Alfredo Lasagna. Unlike most recipes I "pin", I actually made this recipe just a few days after discovering it. I'm not going to lie: this recipe takes a long time to make (as most lasagnas do), but it's bursting with so much veggie goodness that you feel like Popeye after you eat a square. Even the "Alfredo" is packed with veggie nutrients--it's made with cauliflower! I changed some of the veggies called for in the recipe to suit my own tastes (and what was growing in our garden), and I lowered the amount of cheese and noodles to make it even healthier (I got it under 500 calories for a freaking HUGE serving!). Feel free to modify the lasagna for your own preferences.
Fish Tacos are my ultimate summer comfort food. Seriously, is there anything better after a day of playing in the water and baking in the sun? My fish tacos are made with tilapia (our region's standard white fish), but any white fish will work. I also like use a ton of avocado, and limit the corn tortillas, so I eat mine open faced with a knife and fork. However, the recipe is easily adaptable to your personal tastes, so increase or decrease the jalapenos if you need to, load up on corn tortillas if that's what you like, and use your favorite taco toppings. Definitely don't skip the jalapeno tartar sauce though--it's the best part!
There are very few things that my picky toddler will eat, and she seems to have a strong preference for processed foods. *Sigh* So I try my best to pick out the healthiest out of the processed foods, such as wheat bread for her "Cheesy Bread" lunch. I had assumed that if the bread's packaging had words like "natural" and "made with whole wheat" and such, it meant that it was you know, healthy. However, after a little research, I learned that most bread in the grocery store is pretty awful for you, even the ones that call themselves "healthy". This article from 100 Days of Real Food was one of the things I read that really opened up my eyes. Frustrated by the commercial trickery, I decided to buy a bread machine and make my own bread. It's been a great purchase: the bread is easy to make, tasty to eat, and healthy for our bodies. I've tried a few recipes, and played around with ingredients, and finally perfected a Honey Whole Wheat Bread recipe that our whole family loves. I hope yours does too.
Oh my goodness, you guys...these are so good! This recipe for Weight Watcher's Fudge popped up on my Pinterest newsfeed the other day, and when I looked at the recipe, I was shocked that I actually had all the ingredients on hand--including items that I usually never have in my kitchen (evaporated milk and marshmallows). I figured it was a sign from above telling me to make the fudge right that second. So of course I did, and then fell into a state of fudgy bliss. While these are little higher in sugar than my normal fare, this fudge is totally worth it! I did alter the original recipe a little (less sugar, added vanilla & salt), but it's all for the better, I like to think. Also, the original recipe called for cutting the fudge into 36 teeny tiny squares to make it lower calorie, but I prefer normal serving sizes, so I made my servings bigger by cutting it into only 25 squares. It's still only 137 decadent calories a piece.
My husband and I recently returned from a wonderful anniversary trip to Charleston, South Carolina. While the sights were beautiful, and the history charming, what really stood out for us was the food. Charleston is seriously a foodie mecca. The only other vacation where we ate so well was in Grand Cayman for our wedding and honeymoon.
But let's focus back on Charleston: we ate at so many great restaurants that I just don't have the time to do them all justice with a full review. Instead, I'm going to do a restaurant round-up, and hit the highlights.
I recently stumbled upon a recipe for All Natural Apple and Almond Butter Fudge on a blog called Inspired Edibles. I loved that the recipe was completely made up of healthy and unprocessed ingredients. It was a breeze to make, and every single person I've served it to has loved it: including my VERY picky toddler who pretty much hates everything. I had originally thought it would make a good dessert, but after trying it, I feel like it makes an even better snack. It's filled with protein and healthy fats, so it keeps you nice and full during those long stretches between meals.
