October 11th

When Your Childhood Isn't As Good As You Remember

Do you have really fond memories of certain foods from your childhood that really are not good foods, but you just remember them being so good?  I do.  For example, I remember cans of Chef Boyardee lasagna being sooooo good, but I'm pretty sure it's probably not.  Well, I also remembered these steaks being really good.  Well, let's just say they weren't what I remember.

Minute Steaks

I don't know what kind of beef these steaks are made of, but I know it's low quality.  They are sometimes called minute steaks, sometimes cube steaks, but they're always cheap.  I remember my mom making these for us and thinking that they were so delicious.  I remembered them being really salty, so I salted these babies up before cooking.  I added a lot of salt, but I still don't think it was enough because they didn't taste as salty as I remembered and they were a little tough. 
The best part though is that they are so thin, so they literally take about a minute to cook (hence the name).  Definitely don't over cook them or you'll have hockey pucks.  I ate mine with some A1, which helped a bit.

Grades:

Megan - C- (These were tough and not salty enough.  I guess you get what you pay for and you don't always like the same things as when you were a kid.)

Noelle - A (I thought Noelle would complain about these being chewy because she's said that before about better cuts of steak I've given her.  But, to my surprise she LOVED these steaks!  She ate all of hers and asked for more.  Hmmm...I liked them as a kid, she likes them as a kid.  Maybe instead of minute steaks they should be called childhood steaks.)

October 10th

The Zoodle Obsession Continues

I just can't get enough of these zoodle recipes.  It's such a great way to trick my mind into thinking I'm eating something less healthy.  Whenever we eat regular pasta again, it's going to taste sooo good!

Zucchini Pasta with Chicken and Pistachios
recipe from: https://happybodyformula.com/zucchini-pasta-with-chicken-pistachios/

Mine looks nothing like the beautiful picture in the original blog, but it tasted pretty good!  The only thing I would change is to season the chicken more before adding it to the zoodles and to really make sure all the water is out of the zucchini because my sauce got a little watery. 

Grades:

Megan - A- (I need to do a better job getting the water out of the zucchini so the sauce doesn't get watered down.  I loved the little pops of mint flavor in this though and the pistachios were like little hidden crunchy treats throughout the zucchini.)

Noelle - Noelle hasn't been a fan of my zoodle recipes thus far and there wasn't really any leftovers, so Noelle didn't try it.

October 9th

Gettin' Sloppy

When I think of sloppy joes, I think of a delicious elementary school cafeteria lunch.  I still love sloppy joe's today as an adult, but this time I tried to make it a little healthier.

Turkey Sloppy Joes
recipe from: http://cathylwoods.com/sloppy-joes-21-day-fix-approved/

I not only made the healthy sloppy joes recipe, but I also only had a half a bun, because of my diet.  I have to admit, these did not really taste like sloppy joes.  They were good, but not sloppy joes.  There was a little hint of the taste we all know and love, but it just wasn't really a substitute.

Grades:

Megan - C (I thought the taste of these was pretty good, but they didn't really taste like sloppy joes to me, which was disappointing.)

Noelle - C (I didn't tell Noelle these were supposed to be sloppy joes because she loves sloppy joes and would have been disappointed.  I just told her it was turkey and she ate a bit of it, but wasn't thrilled.)

October 8th

Almost a Cheat

So tonight's dinner is a stretch.  It's almost eating the same thing as last night.  Except tonight I ate only the filling from the stuffed peppers we had last night (no peppers), and I had the quinoa with it tonight, which I didn't have last night.  So I'm going to say that's different enough.

Southwest Beef and Quinoa
See recipe from last night

Like I said yesterday,  this dinner was better with the quinoa that without it.  However, I also missed the bell pepper and the cheese while I was just eating the filling. 

Grades:

Megan - A- (Next time I'll try all the ingredients together and I'll have a really good dinner.)

Noelle - Noelle didn't have leftovers tonight.  She had something else instead.

October 7th

Quinoa

I never had quinoa until I was out of college.  It really is a great substitute for rice though, and it has a little more nutritional value than rice.  The thing I hate most about quinoa is that you're supposed to rinse it before you use it.  I have never found an easy way to do that, and every time I try rinsing it, I end up making a big annoying mess. However...I recently found pre-rinsed quinoa in my grocery store!  Game changer. 

Southwest Beef and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
recipe from: http://www.platingsandpairings.com/southwest-beef-quinoa-stuffed-peppers/

These were so easy and so full of flavor.  Don't leave out the lime to squeeze over them, because that fresh lime juice is so yummy on them.

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved that these were healthy and filling.  I didn't have quinoa in mine because I'm trying to be low-carb.  They definitely were better with the quinoa, but even without it I liked it and was full.  There's nothing better than feeling full after a healthy dinner.)
 
Noelle - C+ (Noelle has it in her head that she doesn't like quinoa, so when she saw these she immediately said, "I don't want quinoa.  I only want rice."  Well, there was no rice in these and I told her it was just quinoa but she couldn't be convinced.  So, I thought, if you want to think you're eating rice, go ahead and think you're eating rice.  After I told her it was just rice then she ate it much better.  She did make sure I knew she didn't want any piece of the pepper though.  I wasn't surprised because I know she doesn't like bell peppers.)

October 6th

So Squashy

I'm not the biggest fan of squash.  However usually when I roast it and add some extra ingredients to it, I really end up liking it.  This salad was good and the squash was fantastic.  There was just a little too much of it in there.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
recipe from: https://www.lemontreedwelling.com/2014/11/roasted-butternut-squash-salad.html

The combination of the roasted, caramelized squash, the sweet cranberries, and the tart goat cheese is perfect together.  This is really the ultimate fall salad.  I will be making it again for sure. 

Grades:

Megan - A- (This would be great as a fall side dish or even a Thanksgiving side.  We had it as a main dish and it was great for that too.  Very filling and fallish.  The only change I would make is maybe add a little less squash because the squash to lettuce ratio was a little off.)

Noelle - F (I didn't try to give Noelle the salad, but I did have some of the roasted squash left over, so I gave her that with her dinner.  She has started a new thing lately of when she doesn't like something she says really fakely, "mmm...I like it." Well, she tried the squash and said she liked it, but then she didn't eat any more of it, so I guess she didn't really like it.  She is the strangest kid though and loves nuts [I thought all kids hated nuts], so she did pick all the nuts out of the squash and eat those.)

October 5th

Galettes Galore

You might be asking what is a galette?  Well, It's in this case it's almost like a savory pie.  It's filled with meat, vegetables, and sauce, and its all wrapped up in a rustic crust.  Trust me, it's delicious!

Cider Braised Pork, Parsnip, and Shiitake Galettes
recipe from: http://chocolateandmarrow.com/2014/10/30/cider-braised-pork-parsnip-and-shitake-galettes/

You guys...you should try this.  The pork is tender and flavorful from the cider.  The parsnips add a little bit of sweetness.  And the crust....mmmm. 
This recipe is a little more involved than most I make.  It takes a bit of time because you have to braise the meat.  And making the dough to actually form the galette can seem intimidating.  But, don't let any of that scare you away, because it's all so worth it!

Grades:

Megan - A (This is a perfect fall/winter dinner.  The flavors are all perfect and there's nothing better than a crisp, flaky, buttery crust.)

Noelle - A (I wasn't quite sure how Noelle would react to this one.  On one hand, she loves parsnips.  On the other hand, she usually hates when things are all mixed together like they are in this tart. She loved it though!  She was really excited that there were parsnips in it and she loved the "bread.")

October 4th

Zoogehetti with Meat Sauce

Lately I have been craving a good, old fashioned spaghetti and meat sauce.  But, my diet doesn't really allow for pasta, so I thought why not give it a try with zoodles instead?

Zoodles with Meat Sauce 

This was another crazy easy dinner.  I spiralized some zucchini, cooked some ground beef, and added a jar of marinara sauce.  Poured it over the zoodles and voila, dinner is served. 

As you can see from my photo, the zoodles let out a little too much water and made my sauce a bit runny.  Next time I'll cook the zoodles in a separate pan from the sauce in order to get all the water out.  Then I'll just pour the sauce over them.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (If the sauce wasn't runny, this would have been much better.  I liked the texture of the meat with the zoodles and the sauce hid the flavor of the zucchini well so it felt a bit like you were eating pasta.)

Noelle - B- (I told Noelle she was having spaghetti and said nothing about the zoodles.  When I showed her the dinner she immediately said, "This isn't the kind [of spaghetti] I like." I told her it was zoodles and asked her to try it.  Once she tried it I could tell she was still a  little suspicious, but she ate almost all of it. Yay- my first successful zoodle recipe with Noelle!)

October 3rd

One Pan Wonders

There's nothing better than cooking and only having one dish to wash at then end.  That's one of the best things about skillet recipes.  All you need is one skillet.  Cooking and cleaning are a breeze.

Asparagus Sweet Potato Chicken Skillet
recipe from: http://www.primaverakitchen.com/asparagus-sweet-potato-chicken-skillet/?utm_content=buffer016d6&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Just look at that; healthy, easy, and beautiful.  This recipe was packed full of flavor and took less than 30 minutes to cook.  Plus all the colors make it look perfect for fall.  I will be using this recipe as a go-to dinner for sure!

Grades:

Megan - A (I love when I find a good, healthy recipe that doesn't taste bland.)

Noelle - B- (Sweet potatoes used to be one of Noelle's favorite foods, but lately she hasn't been into them.  She really liked the chicken in this.  She forced herself to eat some sweet potatoes.  And she gave a quick "no thank you" to the asparagus.)

October 2nd

Counting Pistachios

A few weeks ago I wrote about how I had to count my cashews for my salad in order for them to fit into my diet.  This time I was counting again, but it was pistachios.  Luckily I got a few more of these than the cashews.

Pear, Raspberry, and Pistachio Salad
recipe from: https://therecipecritic.com/2015/01/pear-raspberry-pistachio-salad-creamy-poppyseed-dressing/

With the salty pistachios, the sweet raspberries, and the juicy pears, this salad was full of flavor.  The poppyseed dressing on top tied everything together and the feta was cheese, so...delicious!

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved the flavors of this salad and I loved that I got to have a decent number of pistachios and still have it fit into my diet.)

Noelle - Noelle would have loved everything about this salad except for the lettuce. 

October 1st

A Little Italian, A Little Polish

Today we went to see PJ Masks live downtown with my sister-in-law and nephew.  After the show we decided to get lunch somewhere and my sister-in-law had the amazing idea of going to Flo and Santos.  It's a pizza and pierogi place...a little Italian, a little Polish. 

Buffalo Chicken Pizza
Flo and Santos
Chicago, IL

Ive been to this place before and love it!  They have delicious pierogis and amazing pizza.  Who knew that such an odd combination would go so well together?  We tried a pierogi sampler, which had meat, saurkraut, and potato pierogis.  Then we each ordered our own pizzas.  Luckily the pizza was huge and I had enough left over for dinner tonight!

Grades:

Megan - A (The pierogis were great and the pizza was amazing!  I seriously enjoyed every single bit of this pizza.  There goes the diet for today.  Oh well, we all need a break sometimes!)

Noelle - A (Noelle had a cheese pizza and also loved it.)

September 30th

A Retirement Celebration

My dad retired - hooray!!  Tonight we took him out to dinner to celebrate his retirement.  We decided on Pappadeux Seafood because it looked like a lively fun place to celebrate and the menu looked delicious.  What we didn't consider was that they didn't take reservations and when we got there the wait was about 2.5 hours.  We called around to some other restaurants and found that pretty much everywhere had that long of a wait, so we waited!

Tilapia Piccata
Pappadeux Seafood Kitchen
Westmont, IL

Ok, so waiting 2.5 hours with a 2 year old and a one year old and then an hour plus long dinner....start thinking of entertainment options!
Luckily there were some tables outside and we were able to grab one.  We ordered some appetizers and drinks at the bar and brought them outside to our table.  That worked wonderfully and took up a lot of the wait time.  Actually I ended up not minding the wait so much because it was nice to visit with family.  The only downside was that it was a little chilly out.  But, nothing a couple of cocktails couldn't warm up!
They also had a really nice outdoor area with a fountain and beautiful flowers/plants so the girls got to run around there and throw a lot of pennies into the fountain.  When we finally got our table we got a really nice quiet corner.
I was worried the food would never live up to the hunger we were all feeling after that long wait, but boy was I wrong.  The food was AMAZING.  I am not a seafood lover as you know if you read this blog, but I would eat any seafood from there!
I had a tilapia picatta.  It had a lemon caper sauce and little crab claws in it too.  I can't wait to go back and try something new (or maybe try the same thing again!)

Grades:

Megan - A (I would've biven this an A+, except for the wait.  But my food was so, so good.  I want to go back on a weeknight when the wait isn't so long.)

Noelle - A (I honestly can't really remember what Noelle had because I was too busy enjoying every little morsel of my own food.  I think she had macaroni and cheese.  Whatever it was, I know she loved it and ate it all.  She also really loved the crackers on the table and the bread basket they brought out.)

September 29th

Taco Twist

Tacos have always been one of my go-to meals because they are so easy and so delicious.  These are tacos with a twist.  Instead of the traditional Mexican flavors, they have Korean BBQ inspired flavors.  And let me tell you, the twist is good.

Korean Pulled Pork Tacos
recipe from: https://www.recipost.com/products/korean-pulled-pork-tacos

Ignore how strange my picture looks.  I only had giant burrito tortillas, so I cut them in half to make taco tortillas.  Just don't look at that and instead notice how colorful and beautiful looking these are.  I didn't use Kimchi because Doug despises cabbage (especially fermented cabbage), but if you use that they would be even more colorful and flavorful!
These seem a little intimidating because of the time they take, but most of that time is spent with the meat just cooking in the oven and you aren't really doing anything but waiting.  I think this recipe would also work great in a slow cooker so you could set it in the morning and it will be ready when you get home.

Grades:

Megan - A (I was nervous about these but the flavor was spectacular.  Next time I'll try mine with a little kimchi on top too!)

Noelle -  A (Noelle had her taco with just pork because she doesn't really like onions or cilantro.  She loved it!  I was worried she would be shocked by the flavor of the beef, but nope.  She ate it all up!)

September 28th

Meatball Madness

I said in another post that it's just crazy the number of meatballs I've been making.  I honestly never used to make meatballs, but there are so many healthy recipes that for some reason love making things into meatballs.

Curry Chicken Meatballs
recipe from: https://www.thebewitchinkitchen.com/coconut-curry-chicken-meatballs/

These were delicious and super easy!  I changed up the original recipe a bit to make it easier and to reduce the number of ingredients needed.  I made the meatballs as directed, but instead of making the sauce I just used Trader Joe's pre-made red curry sauce. 

Grades:

Megan - A (I loved the flavor of these and the sauce made it feel rich and decadent.  It was nice that he rice was able to soak up the sauce and even nicer that they are healthy!)

Noelle - D (Noelle was a little weirded out by the flavor of these since she has never had curry flavor before.  I also think they might have been a little spicy for her.  She'll have to try curry a few more times before she starts loving it like me!)

September 27th

Can Queso Be Healthy?

I love when you go to a mexican restaurant and your food is served to you soaked in a delicious queso sauce.  Mmmm.  Well, when I saw this recipe I just had to try it because hey, healthy queso?  That would be amazing!  Well...It wasn't quite the same.

Queso Chicken
recipe from: http://www.fittosavor.com/2017/01/queso-chicken/

This chicken and sauce had a good flavor, but it just wasn't the taste I was expecting.  It had more of a garlicy taste than a cheesy one.  I guess you can't expect too much when your trying to make healthy queso sauce.

Grades:

Megan - B (I thought the flavor was good and I liked the chiles in it.  I wish it was a little spicier and a little less garlicy.)

Noelle - C (Noelle wasn't too into the sauce but liked the chicken.  So I guess I should say she didn't really like the recipe since basically she just wanted plain chicken.  She didn't seem to hate the sauce though. She just preferred to not be eating it.)

September 26th

Unexpected Nights Out Are the Best

Noelle and I were "babysitting" my aunt's dog this afternoon and when she got home she suggested going out for dinner.  I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while and who can resist an invitation to go out to dinner.  So out we went!

Pork Emanadas
Two Brothers Social Tap
Oak Park, IL

This restaurant opened a while ago and I've been wanting to try it.  They have a great outdoor seating area and since it was a beautiful day, we enjoyed the weather and sat outside.  The dog got to come with us too!

I wasn't super hungry so I ordered the appetizer of pork empanadas and a beer of course.  The empanadas were a large portion and were delicious! 

Grades:

Megan - A (These were crisp on the outside and packed with flavor inside.  I would order them again.  Even though they are an appetizer, they filled me up for dinner.)

Noelle - A (Noelle had quesadillas and since those are one of her favorite foods, she was really happy and ate them all up.)

September 25th

Get Figgy With It

I love dried figs.  Fresh figs are good too, but I don't think I've ever had a great fresh fig.  It seems really hard to get them at just the right ripeness.  I bought fresh figs for this salad but by the time I got around to making the recipe, my figs were not fresh.  So, into the garbage they went and I used dried figs instead.  It worked well and was delicious.

Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and Fig Salad
recipe from: https://www.skinnytaste.com/prosciutto-mozzarella-and-fig-salad-with-arugula/

As I said above, I used dried figs which I thought worked great and added a sweetness to the salad.  The mozzarella was tasty and prosciutto is always wonderful.  I used a mixed greens salad rather than just arugula because I find it to be to spicy/peppery with only arugula.

Grades:

Megan - A (This salad was really tasty, filling, and felt like a special treat even though it was pretty healthy overall.)

Noelle - Noelle doesn't eat salad.  She did have some dried figs though and enjoyed those.

September 24th

Sometimes It Just Doesn't Work Out

Not all meals can be superstars.  This one sounded promising because, yum, Buffalo chicken.  But the actual final product didn't turn out quite as well as I had pictured.

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps
recipe inspired from: https://www.skinnytaste.com/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken-lettuce-wraps/

I changed these up a bit from the recipe on the original blog.  I made my own buffalo sauce with Franks Red Hot and butter.  Then I just poured it over the chicken.  I used shredded cheddar because I didn't have blue cheese, but blue cheese would have been way better. 

I think the main problem with these was that I put too much sauce.  Since there was no bun to sop up the sauce, it was just a drippy mess.  I probably wouldn't make this again because you just need the bun, but if I did make it again, I would add less sauce and use blue cheese.

I made parsnip chips with them though that were amazing!

Grades:

Megan - D (These had all the flavor but they were just too runny and messy.  You really need a bun with the buffalo chicken to sop up all that amazing buffalo sauce.  You also must have blue cheese.)

Noelle - This was too spicy for Noelle and involved lettuce so I knew she would hate it.  She didn't try it.

September 23rd

Hail Caesar!

Another night out to dinner and another night of trying to be a healthy at a restaurant.  It's exhausting resisting all these temptations.  I just have to keep reminding myself..."think of the results, think of the results."

Caesar Salad with Shrimp
Tribes Ale House
Tinley Park, IL

This restaurant has my favorite lobster roll.  They give you a nice, soft bun piled with lobster and then get this...they give you a little cup of melted butter to drizzle over it.  OMG...I'm drooling writing this.  They also have an amazing beer list.
So, now that I've talked about the things I didn't order....what I did have was a Caesar Salad with shrimp (with the dressing on the side and no croutons).  I've had many Caesar Salads in my day, and I have to admit, this was not the best of them.  Next time hopefully I won't be on a diet and I can splurge on that lobster roll I was telling you about.

Grades:

Megan - C (Not the greatest Caesar Salad.  The dressing wasn't the best and there really wasn't much else to the salad.  The shrimp were pretty good.  I wished there were more though.)

Noelle - D (Of course, Noelle didn't have the salad.  Instead she had Mac and Cheese.  I think this is one of the first times, she did not like her macaroni and cheese.  She's had it lots of places and usually is a big fan.  She doesn't really care if it's "kid" mac and cheese [like Kraft] or more of a homemade style.  This one though, she just wasn't into.  I tried some of hers and I have to agree with her.  It was weird, it pretty much tasted like nothing.  Flavorless.  I don't know how you make mac and cheese flavorless, but they did it.  Maybe she should try the lobster roll too.)

September 22nd

Images in Blog Might Look Easier than They Appear

When I saw this recipe on pinterest I thought, "That looks simple and delicious!"  It was simple.  It was delicious.  All the components and flavors were there.  Mine just turned out looking nothing like the pictures on the blog.

Balsamic Glazed Steak Rolls
recipe from: https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/balsamic-glazed-steak-rolls/c723300c-8122-462d-b8ff-2c85ecd7325d?nicam4=socialmedia&nichn4=pinterest&niseg4=tablespoon&nicreatid4=post&crlt.pid=camp.axuc7qiddalm

So, as you can see mine was more of a balsamic steak pile rather than a roll.  All my rolls looked pretty good going into the pan, but then they all fell apart while cooking.  It still tasted great, just not the most appetizing to look at.

Grades:

Megan - B (I thought the flavor of these with the balsamic sauce was quite good.  I also liked the vegetables in, liked that it was easy to make, and liked that it was healthy.  I deducted some points for the way it looked after cooked.  I'm not quite sure how to solve that problem...maybe hold the meat together with string or toothpics?  I'd just as quickly let it fall apart because even though it doesn't look as nice, it still tastes the same.)

Noelle - A (Let me start off with a little disclaimer...Noelle had only the steak part of this dinner.  I didn't give her any of the veggies because they all were pretty much her most-hated vegetables and I knew if they were there she wouldn't want to eat anything.  BUT...She loved the steak!  I wasn't sure if she'd be turned off by the balsamic flavor, but nope, she was in love with it.  While eating it she actually said throughout dinner, "I want more steak.", "Can I have more steak?", and "You're hiding the steak!"  I wasn't hiding any steak from her...she just couldn't get enough and couldn'e believe it when it was gone.  I guess I should have saved her a bigger piece!)

September 21st

Being Healthy is Hard

Tonight we ate dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in town and I was so proud of myself.  Instead of getting a big juicy cheeseburger, or a giant skillet of macaroni and cheese, I got a turkey burger with no bun and fruit instead of fries.  It was so hard to order this.  I wanted almost everything else on the menu.  And no fries!?  That's just crazy.  But you guys, I did it.  And I have to say, it was delicious.

Turkey Burger
Scratch on Lake
Oak Park, IL

I was not looking forward to this.  First of all, I felt like a crazy person ordering my burger with no bun.  I've become one of those annoying people at restaurants who has a million special requests. 

But....my burger came and it was delicious!  They must do something to this turkey burger like soak it in butter or something, because it was one of the best turkey burgers I've ever had.  I almost didn't miss the bun and the beef!  I will admit though, I did miss the fries.

Grades: 

Megan - A (This was surprisingly good!  I think the cheese on top helped make it delicious, but the turkey was juicy and it was packed full of flavor.  Imagine how good it would be with a bun!)

September 20th

I'm Lovin' It

Remember the 80's commercial for the Big Mac? "Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun."  Yes, we all know the 80's were awesome and so were the commercials.
I have to admit, I don't think I've ever had a Big Mac in my life.  I know...that somehow seems un-American.  Don't get me wrong, I love McDonalds, but I've always been more of a #2 combo meal (2 cheeseburgers, fries, and a drink) person.  Maybe I'll have to get crazy and try a Big Mac soon.

Healthy Big Mac In A Bowl
recipe from: http://www.adventuresofashrinkingprincess.com/recipes/healthy-big-mac-in-a-bowl-21-day-fix-approved/

Even though I've never had a Big Mac, I think this tasted just like one.  It had all the components except the bun and I thought it was delicious!  Doug however, was not a fan.  He doesn't like pickles, so I didn't even put any on his (which I thought was one of the best parts of the salad).  He also doesn't really like thousand island dressing, so that's a pretty big reason why he didn't like it.  I guess I'll just need to make this again for lunch so he doesn't have to suffer through it again.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I would definitely eat this again.  It satisfied my craving for a cheeseburger, but was way healthier!)

Noelle - Noelle would've hated this.  I didn't even attempt to give it to her.

September 19th

I Probably Should Grill Sometime

A Lot of recipes call for grilling meats.  However, I live on the third floor of a condo building and our grill is outside (of course), so most times I don't feel like making the long trek down to the grill while hauling all the ingredients and supplies.  Usually cooking the meat indoors is surprisingly successful, you just don't get that awesome grill taste.  So, If you have a grill easily accessible for this one, I'd say go for it.  If not, you can do it in the oven like me!

Grilled Lemon Garlic Chicken Skewers
recipe from: http://21dayfixfood.blogspot.ca/2014/04/grilled-lemon-garlic-chicken-skewers.html?m=1

Recipes don't get much more basic than this.  Honestly, it was a little too basic for me.  The flavor was good and cooking the chicken in the oven was a success, but I like my chicken to have a little more to it.  The best thing going for this dinner was that it was super healthy!

Grades:

Megan - C (This wasn't bad.  It just didn't blow me away either.)

Noelle - B (Noelle didn't seem to be in love with this, but she seemed to like it.  She spent a lot of the dinner pretending the chicken was a helicopter, but it all ended up getting eaten in the end and I call that a success!)

September 18th

A Different Fake Noodle

If you read this blog, you know I have been experimenting with Zoodles (zucchini noodles) lately.  Tonight I decided to broaden my fake noodle horizons and try a butternut squash noodle.  Wow, do I have a lot to say about this. 

I'll start by saying that I think butternut squash makes an even better noodle-impersonator than zucchini.  The texture gets a little more noodle-like and it has kind of a nutty flavor that lends itself nicely to most pasta sauces, especially this mushroom sauce.  I definitely want to try making more butternut squash noodles.

That being said, let me tell you...making these noodles (boodles??) was really difficult!  I do not have a quality spiralizer and would not recommend making them unless you do.  I have a handheld veggetti, which is NOT the right tool for spiralizing butternut squash (I am looking to invest in a better spiralizer).  I had a hard time getting it to turn into noodles at all because the shape of the squash doesn't lend itself to the Veggetti.  Even when I cut the squash it really wasn't fitting well. 

Also, the squash is such a hard vegetable, that it really was SUPER hard to get it through the spiralizer.  Maybe cooking the squash slightly before spiralizing would help?  I seriously got a workout from spiralizing this.  I'm not joking.  There was sweat.  And my arms were sore.

Finally, something weird happened to my hands after making this and after a little googling, I found that it's a common problem with squash.  After making this dinner the skin on my hands felt tight.  Like uncomfortably tight.  Almost as if I had put a facial peel on my hands, but couldn't peel it off.  I tried washing my hands several times, scrubbed them with a sponge, and even soaked them in sudsy water for 5 minutes and I could not get this uncomfortable tight film off.  It sounds silly, but it was so uncomfortable.  So I googled it and learned that squash emits something almost like a sap when you cut it and it leaves a film on whatever it touches including your hands.  Apparently there's no good way to get it off except to wait.  So, I'd suggest wearing gloves if you are handling a lot of squash.

Butternut Squash Noodles with Creamy Garlic Mushrooms and Lentils
recipe from: http://wallflowerkitchen.com/spiralized-butternut-noodles-creamy-garlic-mushrooms-lentils-vegan-gf/

So I changed up this recipe quite a bit because I didn't care for it to be vegan and was still trying to keep it healthy.

The first simple thing I changed was that I didn't add any lentils.  Mostly because I didn't have them, but also because I thought they would be weird in it.

The other things I changed were in the sauce.  I didn't use almond milk, tapioca flour, or nutritional yeast.  Instead I used milk and regular flour.  If you want to make this really good, I would add some butter and maybe use heavy cream in the sauce instead of milk. 

Grades:

Megan - A- (I really liked the butternut squash as a noodle and I really liked the flavor of the sauce.  I wished that my sauce was coating the noodles a little more than it was.  The heavy cream and flour would help with that, but I was trying to keep mine healthier.)

Noelle - F (Noelle literally gagged when she ate this.  Enough said.)

September 17th

Make it Fancy

Sometimes you can take a plain, classic meal and change a few things to "fancify" it.  Sometimes fancier doesn't mean better and sometimes it does.  With this recipe I don't know if I'd say it's better because the original is pretty tough to beat.  I would say that it's different...in a good way.

Oven Roasted BLT with Tangy Mayo
recipe from: http://abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/oven-roasted-blt-with-tangy-mayo-michael-symon

I'm not going to lie - for this recipe I was feeling slightly lazy, so I didn't make the may from scratch.  I think if I would've had Miracle Whip it would've been perfect.  But, I didn't have any so I used regular mayo and added vinegar to give it a tang.  However, I have made this mayo from scratch before and it is worth the extra time.  It makes a difference and tastes better.  Plus, I feel like it's healthier because you know what's going into it.

Roasting the tomatoes also adds an additional layer of flavor to the sandwich that you don't usually get with a regular BLT. 

I also used turkey bacon instead of regular because, diet.  The turkey bacon was good, but regular bacon is far superior.  If you aren't watching you diet or are up for a splurge, I'd go with the regular bacon for sure.

Grades:

Megan - A (I've made this before tonight and I'll make it again.  It's a great summer meal when you have those fresh tomatoes.  It also is a nice change-up from a traditional BLT)

Noelle - A (I didn't think Noelle really liked bacon, but she loved this sandwich and the bacon in it.  I didn't give her lettuce or onions on hers, but she had everything else.  When she was eating it she got so excited about the bacon that she literally said, "Yay, a bacon bite.  Hip, Hip, Hooray!!")

September 16th

Ein Prosit

Today was my parent's annual Oktoberfest party.  It was full of trivia, beer, crossbow shooting, music, and delicious food!  They sure do know how to throw a good party!

Sauerbraten  
made by: Maureen and Tom Konieczny

I don't have a picture of this or a recipe, but just believe me when I say it was delicious!  Saurbraten doesn't sound that appetizing (because who wants sour beef?), but it really is great.  It has a tangy taste and since it marinates for a long time not only is it full of flavor, but it also really tender and moist.

Grades:

Megan - A (Delicious.  If you ever have a chance to try or make sauerbraten give it a try!)

Noelle - A (Noelle tried a bite of sauerbraten I think and seemed to like it, but she knew there were bratwurst available, so I really couldn't get her to eat much of the beef.  As usual, she devoured her brat though!)

September 15th

No Beef for Me

We ordered dinner tonight from Buona Beef (famous for beef sandwiches).  I am still on my diet and was nervous about ordering from them because I didn't know if there was anything I would be able to eat from there.  However, I was surprised by their salad list and how easy and customizable the ordering was.  If you ever get food from here, order online before you go!  Then all you have to do is go and pick it up.  Plus, the online ordering is amazing because there's so many options you have to make the food the way you want it!

Buffalo Chicken Salad
Buona Beef
Berwyn, IL

I LOVED their online ordering!  I was able to change the chicken in my salad from fried chicken to grilled, I could choose the amount of cheese I wanted on the salad, and the amount of dressing.  I also was able to have them make it without the tortilla chips in it.  And even with all my healthy swaps, it still tasted delicious!

Grades:

Megan - A (The salad was super good and I loved that I could make it healthy to meet my nutrition needs!)

Noelle - Noelle was already asleep when we ordered this.  She had something else, but never would have wanted my salad anyway.

September 14th

More Pineapple

I feel like I've been making a lot of dishes with pineapple lately.  Good thing it's such a delicious ingredient!

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Salad
recipe from: https://www.lecremedelacrumb.com/grilled-teriyaki-chicken-salad/

This is another one of those salads where they chicken had so much flavor that you hardly even need any salad dressing.  The teriyaki flavor goes great with the pineapple and the avocado and tomatoes add nice little pops of flavor.

Grades:

Megan - A- (This salad was really tasty - you almost forget you're eating something healthy.  Also very satisfying and filling!)

Noelle - You all know Noelle doesn't eat salads.  I did save her some of the chicken from the salad though and she enjoyed that.

September 13th

The Easiest Dinner in the World

I am always on the hunt for easy, quick dinners.  Most of meals take only half an hour or less to make.  This one though wins the prize for easiness.  How have I never heard about cooking this way before???  I am going to cook everything in salsa from now on!

Salsa Verde Pork
recipe from: https://confessionsofafitfoodie.com/2016/09/21-day-fix-salsa-verde-pork-slow-cooker/

Am I the only one that didn't know that you could cook meat in just salsa and have it turn out tender, flavorful, and amazing?  Literally all you have to do is open a jar of salsa and pour it in a pot.  There is nothing easier than that!

This recipe says to cook it in a crock pot, but I don't have one so I just cooked in in the oven on about 250 or 300 for a while to get the same effect. 

I served mine with cauliflower rice (which I just buy frozen from Trader Joes) seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper and it was the fastest healthy meal I've ever made.

Grades:

Megan - A (This was so full of flavor.  When I told Doug it was just salsa and pork he couldn't believe it.  I will definitely be using this as a quick weeknight meal.)

Noelle - B (Noelle was neither taken away with this or disgusted by it.  She pretty much ate it without comment.  She doesn't understand how easy it was and just can't appreciate.)

September 12th

It's All Greek to Me

I love going to Greek restaurants...and not just for the flaming cheese and the Opa!  I really like a lot of Greek dishes and Greek flavors.  This is not a very authentic Greek dish, but it's got some of the flavors in there and even though it's not authentic, it's delicious and that's enough for me!

Greek Burgers with Spinach, Feta, and Sundried Tomatoes
recipe from: https://www.savorytooth.com/greek-burgers/

The only real change I made to this recipe was that I used whole wheat pita bread instead of a bun and I "healthified it" by not adding the tzatziki sauce (although I think you could make the sauce with greek yogurt and it wouldn't be very unhealthy).  I feel like my reviews may be getting less and less trustworthy because I have been eating so healthy that I haven't had any really "good" foods in so long, everything tastes great to me.  Either way, I thought these burgers were amazing and so flavorful.  I will say that Doug liked them too, so I think this review can be trusted!

Grades:

Megan - A (So full of flavor, so juicy, and so delicious.  I was in heaven eating these and savored every single bite.  They will be showing up for dinner again soon!)

Noelle - B (When Noelle heard she was having a cheeseburger for dinner she was pretty excited.  Then I showed it to her and she immediately got suspicious and asked, "What are these green things in my burger Mommy?"  I didn't want to lie, so I told her they were spinach.  She wanted me take the spinach out but I explained to her that I couldn't take it out and convinced her to try a bite.  After she tried a bite she got over the "green things" and enjoyed the burger.  Maybe not as much as she would enjoy a regular cheeseburger, but she still enjoyed it.)

September 11th

So Much Green

This dinner is packed full of green.  Between the zucchini and the pesto, it's a great green dinner.  Maybe add some red pomegranate seeds and there's a perfect red and green Christmas dinner :)

Zoodles with Chicken and Pesto
recipe adapted from: Dana Kiefer

When I posted about my first Zoodle experience I got a few ideas and tips from other people's zoodles recipes.  This one was from a college friend Dana.
 I made a few changes to make it easier for me and use ingredients I had on hand.   Dana said she puts chicken meatballs in it which would be amazing!  I was feeling lazy and didn't want to make meatballs, so I just used ground chicken.  She also adds spiralized carrots which I didn't do because I didn't have any.  Finally, she said she uses cherry tomatoes, but I just used a cut up tomato because that's what I had from our garden.

Ingredients:
- spiralized zucchini (I used 5-6)
- 1 lb. cooked/seasoned ground chicken (Dana's original recipe calls for chicken meatballs, which would be way better than just using ground chicken like I did)
- diced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- Garlic (1-2 cloves)
- Pesto

Directions:
1.  Heavily salt the zucchini after zoodling.  Let it rest for a few minutes and then spin in a salad spinner.
2.  Toss in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.
3.  Move to a skillet of simmering cherry tomatoes, spiralized carrots, pesto, garlic, and meatballs.  Toss and serve.

Grades:

Megan - A (I liked this and thought the preparation of salting/spinning the zucchini helped make it a little more pasta like.  Next time I'm not going to be lazy and I'm going to make those chicken meatballs because I think having meatballs in it rather than just ground chicken would really bump the flavor up a lot!)

Noelle - D- (This was way too much green for Noelle to handle.  She immediately informed me that she did not want to eat the zoodles and only wanted the chicken.  I of course made her try the zucchini, but then for the rest of the meal she only ate the chicken out of it.)

September 10th

Aloha

I doubt anything about these sandwiches is Hawaiian except that there is pineapple in them.  However, whether they are Hawaiian or not, they are delicious and easy.

Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Wrap
recipe from: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/hawaiian-bbq-chicken-wraps/

These were crazy easy, healthy, and full of flavor.  The barbecue sauce added a nice taste that was complimented by the sweetness of the pineapple and the bite of the red onion.  They are so simple, but really tasted like there were more ingredients in them than there actually were.  The only thing I changed was that I used whole wheat tortillas.

Grades:

Megan - A (Super simple sandwiches!)

Noelle - A- (Noelle had hers with just chicken in the tortilla and then I put the pineapple on the side and left out the onion.  I thought the pineapple in the sandwich would weird her out.  She liked it the way I served it.  Maybe next time we'll try the pineapple in the sandwich.)

September 9th

Ribfest!!

I had never been to Forest Park's Ribfest before, but apparently it's a pretty big deal.  We decided to take my dad there for his birthday because what says happy birthday more than gnawing on some ribs, drinking some beer, and listening to live music?
The ribs were good, the beer was good, and the music was surprisingly great.  My dad had a good time and said that it was one of his best birthdays ever.  Win!

Lots of Ribs
Ribfest
Forest Park, IL

I sampled quite a few different ribs from different places, but honestly I can't remember where they were from.  I do remember they were all very tasty.  I also had some amazing roasted corn on the cob (one of my favorite things) and a fried oreo.  Oh, and a few beers.  It was a successful night!

Grades:

Megan - A (I had so much fun, loved the food and drinks, and even danced.  I will definitely be going back to Ribfest in the future.)

Noelle - A+  (Noelle had the time of her life here.  She didn't eat ribs [she tried a bite of one and didn't really like it], but she had a hot dog and a chocolate dipped frozen banana.  The highlight of the fest for her was the music.  She was having so much fun dancing and just running back and forth in front of the stage with her cousin.  She may have some permanent hearing loss due to the really loud music, but I think it was worth it for the amount of fun she was having :)

September 8th

A Carrot Surprise

I have been wanting to try this recipe for a long time.  It is tacos, but the shell is made out of carrots and cheese.  I have to say, it was a lot easier to make and turned out way better than I expected.  Honestly, I could hardly even tell that they weren't regular soft taco shells.

Healthy Carrot Taco Shells
recipe from: https://www.sweetashoney.co/healthy-taco-shells-recipe-baked/

Pictured is Doug's luxurious plate.  Unfortunately, my plate had no guacamole, chips, or beans...just tacos. 
Look at those shells though!  They are carb-free, made out of carrots, and they don't really even look weird!  I would make these again in a heart-beat.  Just a few things to keep in mind though...grating the carrots is hard work.  Next time I think I will try buying pre-shredded carrots and wither just use those as they are, or chop them up in the food processor a bit.  Also, I can't lie to you.  These are obviously more time consuming than just opening up a package of pre-made tortillas.  But, they are healthier because they are low-carb, they have veggies in them, and you know all the ingredients you are putting in...no hidden chemicals or preservatives here! 
Tacos are such a quick meal, you could spend a little extra time making the shells and see for yourself how well they hold up!

Grades : 

Megan - A (I really thought these would turn out strange and taste even weirder.  But I was wrong!  They were delicious, the texture was fine, and they didn't fall apart! Perfect for when you want tacos, but you don't want the carbs, and you don't want a taco salad.)

Noelle - A (I thought Noelle would realize right away that something was fishy [or carroty] about these shells.  But she didn't even seem to notice and happily chomped away on her taco.)

September 7th

Salads are For Fall Too

Our weekly salads are still going strong, but as the weather is getting cooler, I am trying to make them more Fallish.  This one has all the fall feels in it.  Cranberries, squash, and pumpkin seeds.  How much more fall can you fit into one bowl?

Butternut Squash and Cranberry Quinoa Salad
recipe from: http://www.littlebroken.com/2014/10/19/butternut-squash-and-cranberry-quinoa-salad/

My salad wasn't quite as full of fall flavors as it should have been because I omitted the pumpkin seeds.  It still was delicious though!  The squash was good with the dressing and the cranberries gave nice bites of sweetness.  The red onion pulled it all together into one flavor packed salad. 

Grades:

Megan - A (The dressing really pulls all the flavors together in this dish and the cranberries are delicious.  Next time I'll have to try it with the pumpkin seeds.  We ate it as a main dish, but like most salads, it would also be good as a side dish.)

Noelle - I didn't try to get Noelle to eat this salad, but I did give her some of the squash and she wasn't really into it.  I told her that when she was a baby she loved squash (because she did), but that didn't convince her either.  Oh well, we'll try again next time.

September 6th

Sometimes You Need A Little Gravy

I've been doing really well with my healthy eating, but sometimes you need a little gravy in your life. Honestly, as far as gravies go, this gravy is really not too bad for you.  I lightened it up by using milk instead of heavy cream.  I didn't have corn starch to thicken it so it was a little runny, but you could use a tiny bit of flour too.

Pork Loin with Wine and Herb Gravy
recipe from: https://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/pork-loin-wine-herbs/

This was so easy to make and tasted really decadent even though it wasn't really.  The pork is lean and the sauce is mostly chicken broth and wine.  I'm sure if you use the heavy cream this gravy will be dreamy.  I still really liked it with just milk.  Like I said, you might just need to thicken it up a bit.

Grades:

Megan - A- (Tender, lean pork and a flavorful, rich gravy that still doesn't break the diet bank...yes, please!

Noelle - B+ (Noelle usually likes pork and this was no exception.  She didn't seem to think it was a new favorite food, but she ate it pretty happily without much to say.)

September 5th

This is Not a Chimichanga

This recipe advertised itself as baled chimichangas.  When I made these, they did not really taste like chimichangas - those need to be fried.  But, they did taste delicious and were more like a burrito.

Baked Chicken Chimichanga
recipe from: https://lilluna.com/baked-chicken-chimichangas/

I made a few changes to this recipe to make it even healthier.  For my burrito, I had no carbs.  So no rice...nothing.  For Doug's I had some quinoa that was already cooked, so instead of using the Spanish rice that the recipe calls for, I used quinoa and seasoned it with cumin, chili powder, and cayenne powder.  I have to say, the ones with the quinoa were much better than those without any carbs (duh!).  I also used whole wheat tortillas rather than white flour tortillas. 
Like I said above, these were not really chimichangas (maybe if I would've baked them longer they would have gotten crispier), but they still were quite tasty and quite healthy.

Grades:

Megan - A- (I thought these were tasty and they were even better with the quinoa.  I'm sure if they had rice and white tortillas, they'd probably be even more delicious.

Noelle - C+ (Noelle has not been into my healthy recipes.  I knew this one was risky because she is not a quinoa fan.  I tried just not telling her it was in there, but she spotted right away after she took a bite.  Then, I tried telling her it was rice, but she knew it wasn't and asked what else it was.  So, I told her it was quinoa and she made sure I knew she doesn't like quinoa.  I still managed to get her to eat quite a bit of it and I think she kind of liked it.  She just didn't want to admit to herself that she might actually like something with quinoa in it.)

September 4th

More Meatballs

I don't know why so many of my healthier recipes involve meatballs.  There must be something about meatballs that lend themselves to being "healthified."

Turkey Spinach Meatballs with Garlic and Herbs Feta Cheese Sauce
recipe from: https://www.sweetashoney.co/turkey-spinach-meatballs-garlic-herbs-feta-cheese-sauce/

I really enjoyed these meatballs.  The spinach, onions, and herbs in the meatballs kept them moist and flavorful.  But the real star was the sauce!  I didn't have feta cheese, so I made mine with goat cheese.  It was totally different than the feta, but still good.  The only thing was that I thought the lime juice in the sauce was a little overpowering/weird tasting.  I don't know if it would be better with feta, but I would reduce the amount of lime juice or maybe not use lime juice at all.  If the sauce is too dry, lemon juice might be better.

Grades:

Megan - A (There's nothing I love more than a healthy dinner that tastes good too.  Without the sauce these were nothing special, but that sauce sent them on the path to deliciousness!)

Noelle - D (Noelle has become very suspicious of green things in her food and since these were full of spinach, she was not too excited.  She ate a little, but couldn't get over those green bits in there.  I guess this is an "adult" dinner.)

September 3rd

Tomatoes Aplenty

Our tomatoes have been going crazy lately and we've had so many that I just don't know what to do with them.  I gave some away and still had a ton leftover, so I searched for recipes and found this amazing tomato galette. 

Tomato Galette with Honeyed Goat Cheese, Caramelized Shallots, and Fresh Thyme
recipe from: http://www.wrytoasteats.com/heirloom-tomato-galette-w-honeyed-goat-cheese-caramelized-shallots-fresh-thyme/

Ok you guys...you must make this.  It's easy and it looks (and sounds) so impressive!  I would make this for guests at a summer party.  If not for a main dish, at least for a side dish.  We had it for a main dish though and it was incredible.

I have a minor obsession with goat cheese and the addition of the honey and the caramelized shallots just make everything perfect.  Oh, and not to mention those fresh garden tomatoes (although I'm sure store-bought tomatoes would be great too.)

I can't wait till next year so I can make this one again!

Grades:

Megan - A+ (I don't know how many time I can say it, but I loved this one.  Plus, check out the blog with the recipe because she has absolutely beautiful pictures of this galette that put mine to shame.)

Noelle - C+ (Oh Noelle, sometimes I just don't know what's wrong with you.  How could she have not loved this dish???  I guess for a kid maybe the flavors are weird, but to me they're magical.  If you read this blog, you know that Noelle is addicted to tomatoes.  But, she only really likes raw tomatoes [especially if they are popped into her mouth fresh from our garden].  For some reason the cooked ones don't really do anything for her.  She also disgusts me with her dislike of goat cheese.  With this she loved the crust and wanted to just eat that.  I got her to eat a bit of the rest, but I just couldn't waste it on someone who didn't love it, so I ended up finishing her piece.)

September 2nd

Date Night Italian Style

We got gift cards to a movie theater and restaurant for Christmas and we FINALLY used them tonight.  We enjoyed our night out without Noelle and the food was delicious!

Margherita Pizza and Veal Medallions
Francesca's Fortunato
Frankfort, IL

This was our first time eating here and in all honesty, it probably was one of the worst times to go.  Frankfort Fest was going on and I guess that's a big deal.  This restaurant was right in the center of the festival, so like all the restaurants around there, it was really busy.  Therefore, I don't think the service or even the food quality was what we would've gotten if it was a regular night. 

That being said, the service was fine and the food was still really good.  Plus, who cares if it's crowded?  We get out so little, that we certainly didn't mind.

Doug and I couldn't decide what to get, so we ordered two dishes and shared them.  We got a margherita pizza and veal medallions.  The pizza was good.  Pretty much just a typical pizza.  But those veal medallions tho...they were amazing.

Grades:

Megan - A (The pizza was good, I'd get it again.  But, definitely try the veal.  It was so tender and came with a delicious mushroomy sauce poured all over it.  Yum!)

Noelle - Noelle was with her grandparents having fun while we were on our date night.

September 1st

Counting Cashews

So for my diet there are a limited number of nuts I can eat.  I was pretty excited to eat some cashews tonight until I realized that with the nutrition plan, I could only have 8 cashews.  That's right, only 8.  In the past, 8 Cashews would've been one bite for me.  But, I'm trying to stick to the plan, so tonight I counted my cashews.  There were only 8, but let me tell you, those 8 cashews were delicious!

Strawberry, Spinach, Quinoa, Cashew Salad
recipe from: http://juliasalbum.com/2014/07/strawberry-quinoa-spinach-cashew-salad/

I modified this recipe, kind of a lot.  My strawberries were rotten, so I used blackberries intstead.  I also had no red pepper and I used romaine instead of spinach.  It was still delicious though...especially those cashews (the picture is obviously Doug's salad because it has way more than 8 cashews).

Grades:

Megan - B+ (I liked the salad and thought the dressing was especially tasty.  Next time I'll have to try it with the strawberries.)

Noelle - Noelle wouldn't have toughed this so I didn't even try.

August 31st

Something Healthy is Hiding in My Meatloaf

One of the hardest parts I've found about the diet I've been on is getting my veggies in.  I like most people, am not the hugest fan of vegetables, so I'm constantly trying to sneak them into things disguised as other things.  So far I've been pretty successful with this, and this recipe is one of thsoe success.

Amazing Zucchini Meatloaf
recipe from: http://www.todaystaste.com/2014/07/amazing-zucchini-meatloaf.html

Ok, I'll admit, this isn't much to look at.  But, it tasted really good and it snuck some veggies in too!
Not only does this have the veggies, but it also uses turkey, which is much leaner that ground beef.

My favorite part about this was the sauce on top.  It had a great flavor that made the meatloaf taste delicious.  I'll definitely be using this recipe again!

Grades:

Megan - A (Yummy and healthy equals a win in my book!)

Noelle - D+ (I thought Noelle would like this one because she LOVES ketchup and I told her the sauce on top was ketchup.  I guess I can't fool her because she was not into it.  She hasn't really been into ground turkey recipes lately and this was no exception.)

August 30th

A Couple Switches to Lighten it Up

If you've been reading, you know by now that I'm on a diet.  I'm still trying to eat delicious things, but making little switches to lighten recipes up and be healthier.  This is a perfect example or a recipe that was good, but would be better if it wasn't "lightened up."

Skillet Chicken with Bacon and White Wine Sauce
recipe from: https://pinchofyum.com/skillet-chicken-bacon-white-wine-sauce

Changes I made to this recipe:
- I used boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of skin-on chicken thighs
- I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon
- I used less flour and just browned the chicken in the skillet with a sprinkle of flour

Would it be better with regular bacon? yes. 
Would it be better with crispy chicken skin? yes.
Would it fit into my diet with those things? No.

For a "diet food" was was packed full of flavor.  It was just missing that crispiness that you would've gotten from the skin and more flour.  Oh well.

Grades:

Megan - B+ (Pretty good...I'm just not the biggest fan of eating big pieces of chicken breast.  I don't know why, I prefer it shredded, or cut up and mixed into something.)

Noelle - A- (After I scraped off all the onions, Noelle was happy to eat this.  Don't let her see even the tiniest piece of onion though, or it will be ruined.)

August 29th

Z is For Zoodle

I'm trying zoodles again.  The first time making them was a success and they are so healthy, I just can't resist.

Avocado Pesto Zoodles
recipe from: http://www.eatyourselfskinny.com/zucchini-noodles-with-creamy-avocado-pesto/

These were easy, but I felt like they needed more.  In my opinion, you need lots of textures in your zoodle dishes to hide the texture of the zucchini.  This didn't have enough texture so the zoodles really stood out, which makes it harder for them to pass as pasta.  Doing something as simple as adding a few toasted pine nuts on top at the end might help it enough to make it delicious.

Grades:

Megan - B- (I thought these were ok, but I love pasta with avocado sauce and these just couldn't live up to that standard.  Try it with the pine nuts like I suggested above - I think it would make a big difference.)

Noelle - D (I told Noelle these were Zoodles and zucchini pasta and she said she just likes regular pasta.  I don't think she's a big zoodle fan to start with and then the green color, and the pesto was just weirding her out.)