So week seven of quarantine has officially started and some days I’m enjoying it and making the most of it. Other days, I’m sad and frustrated. I think that’s normal. It’s normal to have good days and bad days. But when I’m taking care of myself physically and mentally, I have more good days than bad ones. Besides taking care of myself, another way we have been beating the blues is by learning and experimenting with new recipes.
I'm not sure about you, but as a working mom and dad with a toddler that never stops moving, plus both of us being coaches, there is very little time for cooking in our house unless it is fast and easy. Now that we have more time at home, we are experimenting with easy and fast recipes. Some are new ones we have found and some are revamps of older recipes we have tried in the past. Anyway, I thought I would share a few here. Maybe it will inspire you to try something new; I must say I am enjoying cooking a lot more now, and these are easy, so I can incorporate them into our weekly dinners during the school year easily. It is getting us out of our dinner rut. I'll post more in another post later in May. Enjoy!
1. Recee Cup Protein Shake
If you are like me, I LOVE sweets. It is one thing I cannot give up completely, and that is one reason I feel crummier than I would if I could just gve up sugar. I found this recipe below to be a good mix of sugar and healthy vitamins and protein. It keeps me full for a few hours too, which is lovely.
3/4 to 1 cup of vanilla unsweetened Almond Milk
1/2 to 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (my FAVORITE by a landslide is LadyBoss Lean. You can get it online, but is pretty pricey, but totally worth it)
1 spoonful of peanut butter or almond butter if you prefer
1/3 scoop of cocoa mix (this is so not healthy, but just a little bit helps give it that sweet flavor)
1 handful or more of ice
Depending on how much you choose to put in above, it is only 200-250 calories. :)
(Oh, and don't mind my photos...my kitchen is dark and I am in no way a professional chef...)
2. Healthy-ish Mexican Dip
So a friend of mine at work (school) gave me this super easy and quick recipe for a delicious dip, that is in no way actually healthy, but is healthier than some dips, so here it is.
2 blocks of 1/3 less fat cream cheese (1/3 less fat holds up better in the dip and is healthier...slightly) :)
1 small jar of salsa (I use medium)
Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican or Fiesta blend (use as much as you like)
Fritos for dipping (in my opinion, they are better than tortilla chips)
Place softened blocks of cream cheese in a bowl with the salsa.
Stir it up, then blend it on low until it is completely mixed.
Put in a container and put cheese on top
Then put in the refrigerator for a couple hours to chill and set up
Then enjoy it! It is sooooo good!
3. Healthy Thin Crust Pizza
I have tried this in the past, but recently was reminded of it from Carrie Underwood's new book Stay the Path. It was actually delicious and only about 300 calories. This is perfect for lunch or dinner.
1 Whole wheat or whole grain tortilla shell
A light layer of pizza sauce
Cheese and veggies (or meat if you prefer, but that will add calories)
Bake on 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Keep checking it.
4. Chicken Yumminess (Okay...I have no idea what this is called. I was inspired by Rachel Hollis and put my own twist on it) :)
Chicken breasts
Diced tomatoes in a can
Green pepper
Onion
Italian Seasoning
Provolone cheese and/or Mozzarella cheese
Spinach
Mushrooms
Mix in tomatoes, onion, peppers, mushrooms, a handful of spinach, and Italian seasoning and heat together on the stove top for about 10 minutes. While that is cooking, put the chicken in a pan and put a piece of provolone on each chicken breast. Pour the mixture over the chicken and then if you want, toss on more cheese or not. It's your life, so enjoy it how you'd like. Now, Rachel Hollis says to cook it on 350 for 20-30 minutes. Our chicken breasts were really thick, so we had to leave it in for about 45 minutes. You can turn up the heat, or cook it longer, or get smaller chicken breasts. Just keep an eye on it. (Man, I am such a helpful chef...haha!)
5. Easy Bagel Pizzas
So I bought everything bagels for the extra seasoning and cut them in half, obviously. Then put a little pizza sauce on them, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, shredded cheese, and then you can add any toppings you want. Put them in the oven for 10-12 minutes on 350. Delicious! I know most of you probably do this, or have done it in the past. But here it is if you need a reminder of an easy and delicious recipe. :)
Well, there you go. Some recipes to experiment with in these days of quarantine. Leave a comment if you have any questions.