Breakfast for Dinner!

Hello Gorgeous!

But first, for lunch I had some left over Lentil BBQ Wrap and Sliced Apples with Almond Butter Dip:

Frodo makes a Cameo!

The Wrap was an Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Tortilla.  These are SO yummy and they fold so nicely. :)  I topped that with the BBQ lentils, some spinach and a handful of Alphalfa, Broccoli & Radish sprouts.

For dinner we need to use the last of the bacon from the fridge.  The first plan was BLTs but without bread, tomatoes or lettuce it really wasn't going to happen (Yes, we need to get to the grocery ASAP).  So breakfast for dinner it was.  :D

My Breakfast/Dinner consisted of 1 scrambled egg with stir fried eggplant, spinach, chopped red bell pepper, some sliced cherry tomatoes and a sprinkling of Parm. Cheese.  +  Hash browns (shredded potatoes & green onion cooked up on the stove top)

Kai's Breakfast/Dinner consisted of some bacon, 1 scrambled egg with California Melody Vegetable mix & some Hash browns.

The Hubs had 2 fried eggs with a chopped hot pepper cooked into them, some hash browns and bacon.  


After the hub's eye recovered from a bit of hot pepper that he rubbed into it (aren't boys silly) we were off for the VERY best part...

FRO-YO!!

MMMM,  My cup was definitely heavier than the hubs.  I got strawberry, cheesecake and original topped with all the fruits they had, a bit of cookie dough and coconut.  The hubs topped his vanilla with a whole assortment of candies.  And Kai enjoyed quite a bit of both cups. 

In fact, towards the end, there may have been a small battle between the two of us over the last blueberry.  Fortunately mommies are bigger and faster...(and may have found a last strawberry to compromise).

BBQ Lentils & Pumpkin Ice Cream

Tonight I tried something new...I did not serve the Hubs meat!!

I did not surprise him with a meatless meal though.  That would NOT have gone over well.

And what I did serve was covered in a tasty BBQ Sauce.

The results?


Well he tried it (hesitantly).  He did not over react.  He did NOT like it.  


ehh, 2 out of 3 isn't bad. :)


Now if you're a bit more adventurous than him I bet you'd LOVE this...


I followed a recipe this time too!  ...well for the most part.  I'm never going to be the one to dig out all those tsp/Tbsp measuring devices.  It's just not going to happen.  But I did use all the same ingredients and approximate measurements.


Here's the link to the recipe:  Stampede Barbecue Lentil Sandwich

My BBQ Sauce is heating up.  Smelled So Good!

And as sides?  Some sweet corn and kale chips.

Have you had Kale chips yet?  If not you need to ASAP.  They're so quick & tasty.  Even the hubs likes them!!

Tear the leafy parts off the stems into bite size pieces then toss with EVOO & some salt. 

Spread out on a pan & roast around 400 degrees for about 10 minutes until they're crispy.

Watch carefully, they can turn black very quickly.

That's it!!

mmmmmm!

Then for dessert I made some Pumpkin Ice Cream.

For Christmas last year my mom got us an ice cream maker.  I was not an ice cream eater.  While I love the taste it often makes me sick and while I loved the gift I didn't think I'd use it much.  

I was wrong.

 Very wrong.

I use it all the time!!

By controlling my own ingredients I don't get sick.  Of course I have yet to make something the Hubs would consider to be ice cream but lets face it, he's too picky!  (Just shows how perfect I must be that he picked me)

My ingredients:

1 C Almond Milk

1 C pumpkin puree

drizzle of Molasses

drizzle of Maple Syrup (hubs thought it need to be sweeter so you may want to add more)

dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice (2 parts cinn., 1 part ginger, 1 part nutmeg)

1 T Chia Seeds

pinch of salt

Mix & let sit for a bit while you make dinner.

Pour into your ice cream maker.

Getting memorized by the swirling

Then just scoop & enjoy.

I had intended to sprinkle it with some gram cracker crumbs but forgot.  Oh well, it was enjoyed none the less. 

Okra. Yummy, Yummy Okra.

Born a Hoosier, Boilermaker by choice.  But if push came to shove, I think I was meant to be a southern gal.

source

Lets look at the facts:

Sweet Tea - my go to drink.

Cole Slaw  - Belongs ON a burger, not to the side of it.

Weather - Bring on those hot summer months!  (as long as I've got my Blackberry Lime-Ade)

Okra - Could be eaten by the bucket.

Now for the first time ever I'm growing my very own Okra plant. Tee-hee!

I really don't understand people who don't enjoy okra.  But I suppose that's ok, just means there's more for me.

Disclamer:  I waited WAY too long to pick this batch so some were too hard. :(
It's best to pick them when they're little and still soft.

First I cut up my okra into bite size pieces & throw the tops & ends into the compost bin.

Next (when I remember) I sprinkle them with my kosher salt & then put them into ice water for at least an hour.  I'm not sure why/if this is important but it's what I always do. 

into the fridge you go...

Then when I'm ready to eat I heat a spoonful of Coconut Oil (mmmm, love that smell) on med-hi in a skillet. and bread my okra with some corn meal....

gets a little messy

Then it's into the frying pan until cooked up.  A few minutes on each side until done.

And that's all there is to it!  I'm sure you can get fancier with your breading by adding spices and such but I'm so happy with this version I never have. :)

Our Final Lunch

Kai's Plate:  Yogurt with honey, fried okra, salad mis-match & humus

My Plate:  LOTS of fried okra & homemade yogurt with honey & chia seeds

My Bowl:  Spinach topped with green onion, cucumber, tomato, humus, black bean & corn salsa, tomato salsa and sunflower seeds.

So does anyone else feel they love okra as much as me or do you find them slimy?

Blackberry Lime-ade

It's around 1000 degrees outside and all Kai wants to do is run around out there.  Kids!! 

source

Give me a nice big cool pool and I'm ok with that, but all we have is a little kiddy pool and that water warms up super quick.  Plus there are hornets/wasps, aka "Scary Bugs", that also think the pool is the place to be.  AND we're really not supposed to be using the hose because there's been a water shortage so it puts stress on the system (or at least that's what I've been told).  So then I feel guilty for refilling the pool when the water gets too warm or has been splashed out.  Oh well, all that aside, it's better to be out playing with my daughter then sitting in front of the TV or computer. :)


So it's super hot in one corner and we need a super cool drink to combat it.  Entering the ring is our Blackberry Lime-Ade.  Better tasting than the powder mixes and better for you!!

Ingredients:
1 lime peel cut off
2 Handfuls of frozen blackberries (from my mom's blackberry plant - YUM!)
2 pkts of Truvia (or your sweetener of choice)
Ice & water to get your consistency.  I used more water this time because I was ready to down this drink.

Get ready to mix!

Then you just put it in your blender and puree until smooth.

Now that hits the spot!

Monster Cakes

Today's breakfast....

MONSTER CAKES!!!

That's right, Monster Cakes.  Eat them before they eat you...

Basic Pancake Ingredients:

1/3 C Rolled Oats (oatmeal)

1/3 C Cottage Cheese (not pictured)

1 egg

Almond milk to thin it out (about 1/6 C usually)

Boost Ingredients:

Handful of Spinach

About 1 T Ground Flax Seed

Puree your basic & boost ingredients until smooth.

Pour them onto your hot griddle (or how ever you normally cook pancakes).

Flip those bad boys!

Now the Really fun part.  Decorate!!


We sliced 4 strawberries (2 per plate)

Just place...

and slice!

My plate was a bit more traditional. :)

But this monster was the hit of the morning...

A few pumpkin seeds & some agava nectar finish him off.

And let me just say I needed a tasty treat.  I woke this morning to discover one of our fish had tried to walk on land (to no success) and that my very first red-ish tomato of the season had been stolen off the vine by, what I'm assuming to be, some sort of ninja squirrel living in our back yard.

Dinner with 1/2 the ingredients

Last night nothing sounded particularly good for dinner.  But the hubs had left over BBQ Pork from the weekend so we decided to Frankenstein dinner from what ever was around.  I decided to make broccoli & cous-cous for Kai and myself.  It's super quick & easy and Kai LOVES it - win, win, win. :)


I actually discovered this dish when visiting my sister.  She made it and Kai ate it all.  Seriously, she ate all of it off her plate (who is this kid?).  Then she asked for more!?! (ok, really, where's my daughter)  Then she ate all of that!!  This is behavior usually reserved for cake or cookies.  Not a nutritious meal.  Since then I've made it numerous times and always with success.  If only the hubs enjoyed it as much as we do... oh well, you can't please everyone.


So last night I got 1.5 cups of water on the stove, added a bunch of frozen broccoli and some torn up kale leaves (If I'm making it you know it's going to have Kale or Spinach in it) and got it to boiling.  Then I went to grab my cous-cous and discovered I had MAYBE 1/2  a cup...I needed a full cup.  Crap!!!  


Well, cous-cous and quinoa look kinda the same so I filled up the rest of the cup with Quinoa and held my breath that Kai wouldn't notice.  


The result...Success!!  She still loved it & it's a good thing because I have plenty left over for lunch. 


I'm a happy mom!!


Our Dinner:
Hubs - BBQ Pork Sandwich with pickled hot peppers (I did that!!) & hot sauce.
Me & Kai - Broccoli-Kale Quinoa-Cous-Cous Concoction


All of us - Asst'd raw veggies, Spinach Lime Humus (ok Hubs didn't have that - He's not a fan of humus without garlic) and some home-made Greek yogurt with Agava Nectar drizzle. 


Delicious!!

(NOTE: I do plan to start using my actual camera and not my phone, but the memory card is full.  Someday I'll get that taken care of. lol!)

Back to Oatmeal & a Yummy Salad

This morning it was breakfast as usual - oatmeal

I start out with my oatmeal base (1/4 C oats, 1/4 C almond milk, 1/4 C water) nuked for about a minute.

Then I added some chopped frozen peaches, cinn., chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and a drizzle of Agava Nector.

Delicious!!

But not as delicious as lunch...

And I got to use one of my FAVORITE kitten tools...

My veggie slicer!!  It's the best invention ever.  I can make spirals, chips, "noodles", practically anything.  And all while keeping my fingers fully intact. 


I used to use a mandolin slicer.  In fact I used it to slice off a rather large part of my finger.  Now it sits in the back of my big "stuff" cabinet.  You know, the cabinet where you house all those "As seen on TV", this product is going to make my dinner tasty, health & done in less than 10 seconds, amazing finds.  Yup, it's in the back of that cabinet where it will sit in shame for all of time.  Mean, nasty little tool. >:[


But back to my better slicer.  Isn't it pretty?  I usually use it to make chips out of sweet potatoes & beets but today I switched out the slicing option and made myself a cucumber noodle salad.

Into the bowl went: 

1 entire cucumber - fresh from my garden (jealous?).  

Some cherry tomatoes (not from my garden.  My tomatoes are refusing to turn red!). 

A couple spoonfuls of cooked Quinoa (left over from a batch I made the other day)

About 1/6 an avocado

Some raw sunflower seeds

And a BIG dollop of my Spinach Lime Hummas

Then for a dressing I drizzled a bit of Maple Syrup, 1/2 a fresh squeezed lime and a bit of EVOO.

It was AMAZING!!