In the Kitchen

Tips For Gut Health + a Bacon Brie and Sauerkraut Egg Cups Recipe

December 19, 2016 by Danielle 2 Comments

This past week I hosted an event at my house sponsored by Renew Life Probiotics. We enjoyed delicious food, tried new things (kombucha!), and had a frank discussion about gut health. Yup. We went there. But one thing I learned was that I’m not alone in my gut health issues. And there are a lot of things I could be doing differently to take better care of myself. So I’m sharing a few tips for gut health along with a recipe for delicious Bacon Brie and Sauerkraut egg cups. Yum!

All of my life I’ve had stomach issues. And I always assumed it was related to the ulcer that first developed when I was a pre-teen. Heartburn, tummy trouble, and digestive issues were always something I dealt with. And to be honest I just assumed it was normal. Didn’t really think anything more of it. Then I got older, I read more about our body and how everything is connected, and tried to see if there was something else going on.

Fast forward about a decade and I’ve finally figured out a solution to my issues. Probiotics.

No, seriously! While I only used them previously alongside antibiotics (for both myself and the kids), I’ve now started taking probiotics daily and boy have I noticed a difference. But that’s not the only change I’ve made. Probiotic rich foods, plenty of water, and healthy changes in diet can also play a huge role in gut health and one’s comfort. Opening the conversation with my guests allowed to me to learn more about how I can be proactive and focus on self care in the new year.

Tips For Gut Health

The “gut” is considered the core of your body’s overall health and well-being and can affect your entire body, including immunity, digestion and more. So that means paying attention to your gut health should be pretty high on your list of priorities.

Here are a few ways to do just that:

1. Start taking probiotics –

To help keep your complex digestive system thriving and restore good bacteria, Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotics deliver unique, potent formulas that contain tens of billions of cultures, and multiple probiotic strains to help achieve better digestive and immune health.*

2. Drink plenty of water –

Drinking enough water is so important for healthy digestion. Water helps break down the food you eat and allows waste to pass more easily through the intestines. It also helps boost nutrient absorption. Water also softens stool, which helps to prevent constipation. Yup… we’re getting real! If you aren’t a huge water drinker, you can infuse your water to make it taste delicious.

3. Talk about your gut health –

Whether it’s with friends, your doctor, or family, don’t be shy about speaking up about your gut health. If something doesn’t feel right, you more than likely need to change things up. Nearly two in three women (64 percent) aren’t willing to talk about gut issues with their friends. And with almost three quarters of women (72 percent) experiencing a digestive/gut issue in the past 12 months with gas/bloating (53 percent) being the most reported issue, you aren’t alone.

Nearly a quarter of women (22 percent) don’t consider the status of their digestive health when they think about their overall health and wellness, but it can affect your entire body, including mood, memory, immunity, digestion and more. By being proactive and talking about your issues, as well as taking probiotics regularly and getting enough water, you can help increase immunity, lessen the negative effects of gut issues, and find relief.

Gut-Friendly Probiotic Rich Foods

In addition to taking probiotics, you can also find them naturally in these probiotic-rich foods that are hosts to the good bacteria our guts need:

Yogurt
Kefir
Sauerkraut
Miso Soup
Kimchi
Tempeh
Kombucha
Pickles

While some of these are easy to enjoy in our diet, others need a little… sneaking in. You can only eat so many hot dogs with sauerkraut. So finding other dishes to make with probiotic rich foods can give you more variety in your diet.

The Renew Life blog also has some great recipes as well! We made the fresh carrot, cabbage, and apple medley juice and quick and easy whole wheat pumpkin muffin recipes for this event and they both tasted so good!

Probiotics 101

A proper functioning gut, containing a delicate balance of both good and bad bacteria, helps with digestive and immune health.
There are more than 100 trillion bacteria of many diverse strains inside your digestive tract which need to be balanced in order to keep your body healthy.
70% of the immune system is located in the intestinal tract, therefore, maintaining gut health is a key part of maintaining your overall health.
Signs that your gut is in need of replenishment and balance can include occasional bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, headaches, and weight gain among others.
Experts agree that taking a probiotic supplement like Renew Life Ultimate Flora Probiotic is a good way to help support balance in the digestive tract and replenish the good bacteria found in a naturally diverse and healthy gut. It is reported that a person typically feels a difference after taking a probiotic supplement for 7-14 days.

Bacon Brie and Sauerkraut Egg Cups

A variation of this recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cubes frozen sauteed glazed onions (or 1/2 an onion, diced)
2 cups fresh spinach
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
1/2 cup sauerkraut
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 container 16oz cottage cheese
1 8oz package of shredded cheddar
salt and pepper
2oz brie cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add oil to large skillet and heat on medium high on the stove. Once hot, add onions to pan and saute 2-3 minutes. Then add spinach and cook until slightly wilted. Toss in bacon and sauerkraut and set aside to cool.

While spinach/bacon/onion mixture is cooling down, add eggs, milk, cottage cheese, and shredded cheddar to a bowl and mix together. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Drop pieces of brie cheese into the mixture and fold in. Then add spinach/bacon/onion mixture to eggs and combine.

Line 2 muffin tins with baking cups or spray well with cooking spray if not using baking cups. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop mixture into the muffin tin wells filling about 2/3-3/4ths of the way up.

Baket at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until top is starting to turn golden brown. Let cool 2-5 minutes and serve.

Makes approximately 24 but could get more if you scoop less into each cup.

What are your favorite gut-friendly foods?

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

**This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Renew Life Probiotics from November 9-11, 2016 among 1,127 U.S. women ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Katie Young at Katie@pdcpr.net.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Renew Life Probiotics.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Health & Wellness, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Adult Health, digestive health, gut health, Health, probiotics

Homemade Turkey Instant Pot Tamales + How To Battle Heartburn

November 11, 2016 by Danielle 7 Comments

This shop featuring Homemade Turkey Instant Pot Tamales has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ad #MakeHeartburnHistory #CollectiveBias

With the holidays right around the corner, we’re already planning our Thanksgiving meal. Since my mother in law will be out of town, I’m trying to think outside the box and am considering a few alternate main courses for our Thanksgiving dinner table. And these homemade instant pot tamales totally fit that bill! Paired with some rice, beans, and some bunuelos for dessert, our whole meal could take less than an hour to prep with family and make instead of the full day of cooking it normally takes.

Every year my mom would make enchiladas for Christmas so why not tamales for Thanksgiving, right? Tamales are the perfect meal to get the whole family involved with. Everyone can help make tamales. Plus you can use a turkey filling for the traditional turkey meal! And when you can make them in the instant pot, it’s even better! Because they cook a lot faster than the stovetop steaming method. But for those who may suffer from frequent heartburn, this meal may not look so appetizing.

Heartburn sucks. As someone who’s suffered from heartburn since I was a young teen, I’m very familiar with the symptoms and issues that come with frequent heartburn. Not being able to enjoy my favorite foods because they trigger heartburn would take the joy out of family meals. And as someone who’s grown up eating Mexican food on a regular basis, not having my favorite spicy foods just isn’t going to work! Luckily I have Nexium® 24HR 42ct Tablets* in my medicine cabinet.

Homemade Turkey Instant Pot Tamales

36 corn husks
3 cups of masa harina
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
8 ounces lard (manteca)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 cups shredded cooked turkey

Soak corn husks for about 1-2 hours in water. Mix 3 cups of masa harina with 2 cups chicken stock and let rest, covered, for 15 minutes.

Combine lard, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed until well whipped, about 1 minute.

Add one-fourth of the masa at a time to the lard, beating between additions until thoroughly incorporated. Add chicken stock and continue beating until dough is light and has a soft and spreadable hummus-like texture. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove tamale dough mixture from the fridge.

Working one at a time, grab a corn husk and place 2-3 tablespoons of tamale dough on larger end of husk and spread into a rectangle approximately 1/4 inch thick, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of husk. Place a heaping tablespoon of turkey in a line down center of dough. Fold over sides of husk so dough surrounds filling, then fold bottom of husk up and secure closed by tying a thin strip of husk around tamale. Repeat with remaining husks, dough, and turkey.

Fill Instant Pot with 1 cup of water and add steam basket or rack. Rest tamales upright in Instant Pot above the water level. Cover and cook on manual for 20 minutes. Use the quick pressure release method to release pressure in the Instant Pot. Once the silver pin has dropped and it’s safe to open the lid, remove tamales from Instant Pot and let rest until dough firms up, about 15 minutes. Serve immediately with salsa verde or store in refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for up to four months. Defrost and reheat tamales in Instant Pot using the same timing.

Makes 3 dozen tamales.

Getting together for the holidays is about the experiences we create with our loved ones. Sharing a meal doesn’t have to mean we stick with our traditional ideas of Thanksgiving dinner. Consider stepping out of the box yourself and trying something new this holiday season! Instead of spending hours in the kitchen while the family is in the living room, cut it down to 30 minutes of cook time and spend that extra time with your friends and family making tamales.

Don’t want to skip the traditional bird for Thanksgiving? Enjoy these tamales the weekend after Thanksgiving and use up the leftovers! Perhaps host your own friendsgiving and have friends come over to help make them with you.

And if frequent heartburn hits, don’t let it ruin your holiday! Nexium® 24HR provides protection from frequent heartburn so everyone can enjoy the best flavors of the holidays. Did you know just one pill a day provides all-day, all-night protection from frequent heartburn – no matter what triggers it?* Pretty awesome!

You can save now on Nexium® 24HR at Walgreens! Just head over to the aisle with the acid reducers and check out these savings:

November 13, 2016 -National FSI – $5.00 coupon on Nexium 24HR (28 ct. and 42 ct.)
November 1 – 30, 2016 – In-Store Walgreens coupon – $2.00 off Nexium 24HR (48 ct.)
November 1 – 30, 2016 – Special price in-store – Two Nexium 24HR (28 ct.) for $40.00

*May take 1 to 4 days for full effect. Use as directed.

What’s your favorite holiday meal?

Filed Under: Dinner, In the Kitchen, Recipes Tagged With: Instant Pot, Instant Pot Recipes, tamales, Turkey

Leftover Halloween Candy Blondies

November 1, 2016 by Danielle 10 Comments

This post featuring Leftover Halloween Candy Blondies originally appeared on our site on November 6th, 2012

With Halloween past us, the one thing I needed to do was get rid of all of the leftover Halloween candy. Especially the ones I loved… anything containing chocolate. So we went with a simple plan. We were going to turn our chocolate treasure into new, yummy treats to share with our friends and family.

This year we had not one but two trick-or-treaters and let me tell you that two adorable children in costumes are magnets for the good stuff. Yes, look at our score of yummy chocolate candies!

So I had to act fast and turn the above into something I could giveaway as a homemade goodie bound to attract attention and hungry mouths no longer wanting holiday candy. Good thing our extended family loves sweets! It took less than 2 days for the whole batch of blondies to be completely demolished. A few crumbs left in their place. And oh were they worth it!

If you’ve never heard of or made blondies before, think of them as the brownies’ distant cousin. Still ooey gooey but without the cocoa. You can basically put just about anything into a blondie. They’re a great catch all for any ingredients you have on hand and want to combine. We stuck with the Snickers, Reeses peanut butter cups, and Baby Ruths for these blondies. The m & ms are earmarked for cookies and the rest will be taken to work by my husband.

If you have any leftover candy in your cupboards or on your countertop you should definitely try to make these delicious bars of gooey goodness.

Leftover Halloween Candy Blondies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, almost melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 cup flour
1 cup diced candy bars

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 baking pan. Cut up candy bars.

2. Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy

3. Add in the egg and beat until well combined.

4. Add vanilla and salt and mix again.

5. Take bowl off stand mixer. Fold in flour until just combined.

6. Fold in candy bar pieces until just combined.

7. Spread mixture into pan and cook for 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

8. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.

9. Turn onto a wire rack and let cool completely before digging in.

10. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 16 servings

If you’re like me and cant wait to dig in, grab a small piece from the edge and enjoy it’s yummy gooeyness while everything’s still warm and hasn’t set. You’ll be glad you did. Then enjoy the rest when it’s cooled completely to enjoy the full effect of the melded flavors and crisp edges.

Do you have a great recipe for leftover Halloween candy?

I’d love to hear it!

Filed Under: Baking, Desserts, Halloween, Holidays, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: baby ruth, Baking, Blondies, Dessert, Halloween candy, leftover candy, leftover halloween candy, reeses peanut butter cups, snickers

Simple Football Party Snack Ideas: Savory and Sweet Dips

October 5, 2016 by Danielle 2 Comments

This shop featuring simple football party snack ideas has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #GameDayGreats #CollectiveBias

Do you have that one family member who’s just crazy about football? Loves the game and everything it means? That person in our family was my Grammy. She would have us over for the big game every year and without fail she’d know all of the players, who to look for, and could always call the winner. It was like her talent. Sadly my grammy passed away this year and this is a hard season for us to get through.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t do the one thing she was always able to do every year: Bring our family together to watch the game.

So I put together a delicious spread of savory and sweet dips along with some Coca-Cola slushes to enjoy with my family this past Sunday. What’s great about the spread is it’s versatility. You can make so many different sweet and savory dips and the touchdown toppings make everything a bit more fun. And as we’ve mentioned before, we’re huge RITZ fans. This time instead of topping our RITZ, we’re dipping them!

Football Party Snack Ideas

One of my favorite things about game day at Grammy’s was the appetizers. She’d always have the best spreads including this amazing green chile topping she put on a sliced baguette and baked until bubbly. The taste was out of this world! But it took forever to keep making (because everyone wanted more) so I decided to take her toppings and turn them into a dip for easy eatability (is that a word?).

Dips are a great way to serve the masses as well as provide variety. I like to use small ramekins to serve multiple dips instead of one large dip in one dish. And with a good cracker selection like my favorite RITZ, Wheat Thins and TRISCUIT crackers we can mix up savory and sweet dips. Have you had a pie made with a RITZ based crust? So good!

And to wash down the dips, we’ve served up our favorite Coca-Cola slushes. These are so popular over here and versatile as well. We can switch up the flavors and even add a splash of cream to make the flavor similar to a float. I, of course, prefer my drink of choice, Coke Zero, when making my slush. But the husband? He’s a Coca-Cola fan through and through.

Savory Dips: Grammy’s Green Chile Dip with Jack Cheese

As I mentioned before, I took one of my favorite appetizers from my Grammy and turned it into a dip. This dip is absolutely delicious on it’s own but would also be great mixed with some chopped chicken for a heartier dip. And TRISCUIT crackers and Wheat Thins are the perfect thing to enjoy it with.

1 pack 8oz cream cheese
1 can diced green chiles
1/4-1/3 cup sour cream
1 package 16 ounce shredded jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Soften cream cheese. Grab a mixing bowl and mix softened cream cheese and diced green chiles together until combined. Add sour cream and fold in. Then fold in 3/4 of the bag of jack cheese.

Place dip in a few ramekins, top with remaining cheese. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cheese and dip are bubbling.

Sweet Dips with Touchdown Toppings

While I always have a savory dip at any party we host, I’m just starting to find a love for sweet dips as well. Instead of baking for hours, I can throw together some sweet ingredients and serve it with some RITZ crackers. Add some touchdown toppings like bananas, strawberries, mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, etc and you have yourself a great portable dessert!

The saltiness of the RITZ crackers pairs perfectly with this chocolate pudding dip. Yup… you read that right! And don’t knock it till you try it. You can use store bought or homemade chocolate pudding and fold in some fresh whipped cream. Then serve with a variety of toppings. This party we went with sliced strawberries and bananas.

Need more sweet dip ideas to pair with your RITZ crackers? Check these out:

To feature our game day greats snacks, I used our large chalkboard as the background. I love having this large chalkboard as it’s so versatile and can be decorated in many different ways. It lets the food take the front stage in this set up.

Along with the chalkboard, I put together a super easy football goal post made out of 2 paper straws. I simply took one straw and cut it into three pieces then super glued it together. I added the second straw to the goal post and the placed it into a holder.

Another easy way to great a great football spread even better are these football bottle covers. Simply print on sticker paper or cardstock and cut out to wrap around your cups or bottles.

Download a FREE Football Bottle Wrapper here

You can find all of the Coca-Cola and Mondelez products featured in this post at your local Ralph’s along with everything else you need for the perfect football party spread!

With great dips, delicious drinks, and a simple party set up, you can serve up some game day greats to your guests with these simple football party snack ideas during the next game.

What’s your favorite game day snack?

Filed Under: Appetizers & Sides, In the Kitchen, Party Ideas, Recipes, Uncategorized

5 Tips for Making Weeknight Dinners Easier + A Southwestern Steak + Sweet Potato Bowl Recipe

September 22, 2016 by Danielle

These 5 tips for making weeknight dinners easier were inspired by our sponsor, Terra’s Kitchen. Read ahead to find out how you can save time and money in the kitchen while still getting delicious dinners on the table during the week!

We are now in the throes of school life and as we near the busiest time of the year, I’ve really started planning ahead. That means keeping up with my calendar, staying on top of our budget, and making sure I have dinner on the table every night. Sometimes that last challenge is harder than you’d think!

In an effort to not only stay on top of our budget (eating out is expensive!) but also make sure I have dinner ready nightly, I’ve come up with a few ways that I can cut a few corners by planning in advance and using tools like Terra’s Kitchen to make my week a LOT easier.

5 Tips for Making Weeknight Dinners Easier

1. Meal Delivery

I’ve tried out a few frozen or prepared meals out in the past but I just can’t get over not being able to cook my own food. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love my microwave for things like popcorn and microwavable bacon (the kids can make their own and there’s no mess!). But cooking my meals in the microwave from the freezer just isn’t as tasty.

So when I heard about Terra’s Kitchen and looked at the weekly menu offerings they had, I was excited to try out a few of their meals through their meal delivery program. Not only is it not frozen, it comes in a climate-controlled vessel straight to your front door. When I unloaded the vessel, I simply removed the removable shipping label, placed it back outside, and it was picked up the next day and on it’s way to shipping more food to someone else. These vessels can be used up to 100 times! Waay better than the styrofoam packaging I was used to for previous services.

2. Meal Planning

With Terra’s Kitchen, I can input the meals I’ll be making from them into my weekly meal plan. That means I’m only shopping for breakfast and lunch (and a few items for snacks). I don’t have to worry about dinners because I’ll be making healthy meals in 30 minutes or less with my Terra’s Kitchen orders!

Meal planning really does help for more than just dinner. And it’s a great way to stay on track with our budget because we only buy what we’ve planned to eat. It also allows me to keep an eye out for weekly specials and coupons in the paper. It may sound daunting to take this time on the weekend but it does pay to plan ahead when there are PTG meetings, soccer practice, and homework looming over our heads during the week.

Terra’s Kitchen includes the ingredients list and recipes of each of their meal items and it’s conveniently printed on a 3 hole punched piece of card stock so you can easily add it to your meal planning binder. If you love a recipe, you’ll know exactly what to purchase to recreate the meal again and again in your home!

3. Prepping Ahead

When I meal plan for the week, I also try and get all of my prep work done in advance on Sundays. That way I don’t have to think about cutting and chopping during the week. I also pre-package the kids snacks for lunches as well so they’re easy to grab.

Well, Terra’s Kitchen does the same thing! All of the ingredients I received were pre-portioned and pre-chopped ready to go straight to the fridge. And the containers they were in fit perfectly on top of one another. It was kind of fun playing Tetris in my fridge to get everything to fit perfectly! Plus there was still room for the essentials we always keep in the fridge.

Tip: You can use the containers your food comes in as seed starters for your garden! We’ll be sharing our seed starting tips next week so stay tuned!

4. Freezer Meals

Now I know that things do come up and sometimes we don’t even have the mere 30 minutes to cook a meal. So I prep ahead and turn leftovers from one meal into freezer meals for a meal in the future. I turned the leftovers from this amazingly delicious Southwest Steak and Sweet Potato bowl into mini pot pies to gobble up in the near future when all I have time for is turning on an oven and sticking a freezer meal in to bake. By prepping freezer meals for the oven or the slow cooker, I can make sure the days we don’t have a Terra’s Kitchen meal are covered!

5. Time Management

My biggest enemy during the week is time. The time between picking the kids up from school and dinner is a big black vortex that seems to disappear before my eyes. No, seriously. I have NO idea how time goes so quickly between then.

So in an effort to be better with time management, in addition to meal planning, shopping, and prepping on the weekends, I also set a timer to go off 30 minutes before my husband normally comes home from work so I know when I have to start cooking dinner. It’s so easy to get sucked into working just a little longer when you work from home so setting limits and timers is important.

By setting aside this time and scheduling it for these tasks, I’m able to stay on top of feeding the family. And a fed family is a happy family!

Southwestern Steak and Sweet Potatoes Bowl

Recipe courtesy of Terra’s Kitchen

16 ounces sweet potato chunks
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon cumin
.7 ounces jalapeno slices
.3 ounces minced garlic
12 ounces skirt steak
2.25 ounces sliced scallions
1 avocado

1. Preheat the oven t o450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Cook the Potatoes: Pour sweet potatoes onto baking sheet. Pour 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of cumin (optional) over sweet potatoes and toss with your hands to coat. Place in the oven and roast until browned and tender (approximately 20 minutes). In the last 5 minutes of cook time, chop the remaining jalapeno and use a spatula to stir it into the potatoes along with the remaining garlic and all of the scallions.

3. Make the Steak Rub: Pour half of the jalapeno slices, half the garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper into a small pile on a cutting board and keep cutting through the mixture with your knife until the jalapeno releases juices and you have made a wet paste. Rub mixture over steaks.

4. Cook the Steaks: Rub a grill pan with 1 teaspoon of canola oil and place over high heat. Once grill starts to smoke, add steaks and cook to medium rare, turning once (approximately 3-4 minutes per side). Remove to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain and make sure to save the juices on your plate to use later.

5. Dice the avocado by cutting in half, removing the pit, using a pairing knife to cross hatch the flesh and scoop out flesh with a spoon.

To Serve: Divide sweet potatoes between two bowls and drizzle the steak pan juices over each. Fan sliced steak over potatoes and top with diced avocado.

Do you have any tips for easy weeknight dinners?

Want to try Terra’s Kitchen for yourself? Use code SIMM30 at check out and save $30 off your first order (no expiration). The only condition is a minimal order of $64.99 (which is always the minimum to ship). Enjoy!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Terra’s Kitchen. The opinions and text are all mine.

Filed Under: Dinner, In the Kitchen, Uncategorized Tagged With: 30 Minute Meals, budget friendly meals, Easy Meal Ideas, family meals, home delivery meals, meal, Terra's Kitchen

Grilled Steak Sandwich with Garlic Aioli Recipe

September 10, 2016 by Danielle 4 Comments

It still very much feel like summer here. And that means I do not feel like cooking. So this weekend as we watched a little football we grilled up some steak sandwiches to munch on. Since I didn’t want just a plain steak sandwich I decided to make a delicious roasted garlic aioli to give the sandwich more flavor.

While the barbecue was heating up to 400 degrees I put some garlic heads in some foil (bottom sliced off) with a good amount of olive oil. I sealed the foil and added it to the barbecue.

The garlic roasted while the steaks cooked and continued cooking while the steaks rested and took about 20 minutes to cook. Everything else went quickly after the garlic was ready. And everything was done on the grill! Well… except the salad. But you can always grill your salad next time.

Grilled Steak Sandwich with Garlic Aioli Recipe

Grilled Steak Sandwiches with Garlic Aioli

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

2 steaks
1 pack sliced provolone cheese
1 pack french rolls or hamburger buns
garlic aioli (see below for recipe)

Instructions

Preheat grill. Season steaks with salt and pepper. Cook steaks on grill until medium (slightly pink throughout inside).
Set steaks aside to rest. Add rolls to grill to toast up. Take off once they have grill marks.
Cut steak against the grain in thin strips. Slather each roll with a bit of aioli and add a good pile of steak on top. Top with provalone. Add to the top rack of the grill (or not directly over the coals if using a charcoal grill) and close the lid. Cook just long enough for cheese to melt.
Serve with a tasty salad and enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Aioli

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 whole head of garlic
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat grill to 400 degrees. Slice off bottom of garlic head and put on a square piece of foil. Add olive oil to foil and wrap closed. Put garlic on grill and let roast 20 minutes.
Let garlic cool. While garlic is cooling, mix all other ingredients together and set aside.
Once garlic has cooled, squeeze garlic from the skin and place in a small bowl. Using a fork, mash the garlic up into smaller pieces and add to the mayo mixture. Stir well.
Use to top the steak sandwiches (recipe above). Store in the refrigerator in an air tight container.

What’s your favorite tailgating meal?

Filed Under: In the Kitchen, Lunch, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: barbecue, bbq, grilling, grilling recipes, sandwiches, sauces, spreads, steak

Fall Is Almost Here: Apple Ginger Screwdriver Recipe

August 31, 2016 by Danielle 1 Comment

This refreshing apple ginger screwdriver is the perfect drink to cool down at the beginning of fall when the crisp hasn’t quite reached the air.

The kids are back in school, it’s almost the official start of fall, and mama’s happy for a few hours of peace during naptime to get back to what she loves doing… creating! So in celebration I thought I would start first with a delicious cocktail for all of the other mamas (and dads) who might need to take a moment to themselves before, dare I say it, the holidays get closer.

In this time between summer and the holidays, we love planning fun outings and get togethers and try and map out how the end of the year will be. And right now it’s almost time to start planning our annual apple picking trip! I cannot wait to make a list of all of the fun apple-filled recipes I want to try this year. I never know exactly what apples we’ll be picking so it’s fun to get some ideas for tart and sweet apple recipes. Many which would go great with this delicious cocktail!

Apple Ginger Screwdriver

1.5 ounces Tito’s Vodka
3 ounces Apple Ginger Juice
1 Ripe Red Apple
Crushed Ice

In a cocktail shaker, add Tito’s vodka or a vodka of your choice, R.W. Knudsen Apple Ginger Juice and top with crushed ice.

Shake it, but don’t break it for 30 seconds.

Strain into a standard whiskey glass.

Garnish with an apple slice.

Serve and enjoy with friends.

What are you most excited about for this time of year?

Looking for more great drink ideas as we head into the holidays? Check out a few of our favorites:

Spiked Apple Cider

Spiced Citrus Sangria

Grown Up Hot Chocolate

Filed Under: Drinks & Refreshments, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: alcoholic drinks, boozy drinks, drink recipe, Drinks, Fall, vodka

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Wine Pops

August 10, 2016 by Danielle 1 Comment

In need of girl time? Make these yummy chocolate dipped strawberry wine pops and invite a few friends over!

I’m sure I’ve said it before but girl time is pretty important to me. I used to host mom’s night ins here in my home with my playgroup and my friends, used to dedicate one Saturday a month to Bunco with the girls, and make various happy hour plans, etc. But lately I’ve let the girl time slack. However after a wonderful few days away – with girlfriends hosted by Kia – I am reminded of the importance of girl time.

Now I need to plan for a girls night for real. So I can make these again. Because they were amazing. Especially when paired when a glass of wine. And some chocolate covered strawberries. Hey! All of the ingredients were already there…

Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Wine Pops

1 1/2 cups strawberries
1/2 cup simple syrup, homemade or store bought
1 cup fruity red wine like Pinot Noir
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (optional)
8 oz. chocolate chips

Add the strawberries and simple syrup to a blender and purée until smooth.
Pour the strawberry purée into a pitcher. Add the wine, Pom juice, and balsamic vinegar (optional). Stir well.
Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight.

Once Popsicles are frozen, you can prepare the chocolate for coating:
Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper and set aside.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate over medium heat until smooth and shiny.
Dip each popsicle into the melted chocolate and lay on the cookie sheet to harden. (I found it easier to actually just spoon the chocolate over each pop).
Place back into the freezer for at least one hour before serving.

When’s the last time you enjoyed girl time?

Filed Under: Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: Dessert, desserts, mom, Mom's Night Out, popsicles, wine, wine dessert pairings

Instant Pot Recipes: Individual Crustless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake

July 30, 2016 by Danielle 4 Comments

Sometimes you just need a good dessert to fall back on. Even if you decided to go low carb and kick sugar. And especially if it can be made in the appliance you purchased on Prime Day on a whim because it has been in your cart for so long you forgot why you wanted it and it was finally on sale.

Yup, I was like the thousands of others who purchased an (get ready for an affiliate link…) Instant Pot on Prime Day. And I also made this recipe three times to perfect this crustless peanut butter chocolate cheesecake in an effort to have an awesome alternative for dessert when my family baked their Otis Spunkmeyer chocolate chip cookies they keep in the freezer for random “cravings” in the evenings.

Dude. This recipe? Is now my go-to whenever we’re heading to a birthday party, family get together, or on a Sunday night when I watch the kids and husband down cookies. Because while I’m not a huge cheesecake fan, it’s just enough peanut butter chocolatey goodness that I forget I’m watching my carbs and really feel like I’m indulging.

Now less talking and more sharing recipes…

I’m sharing this one on my dedicated low carb site. You can just click right here to grab it in it’s entirety! Including directions on how to cook it in the Instant Pot.

Crustless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

Filed Under: Desserts, In the Kitchen, LCHF, Recipes, Uncategorized, weight loss Tagged With: Instant Pot, Instant Pot Recipes, Low Carb, low carb high fat, Low Carb Recipes, Low Carb San DIego

Low Carb Fish Tacos + a Homemade Tartar Sauce Recipe

July 20, 2016 by Danielle 2 Comments

It is summer and I just do not feel like cooking big, heavy meals. So when I grabbed a box of salmon fillets from Costco a few weeks ago, I was dying to try them out. The fillets go in the oven (boo) but cook really quickly and what you can do with them afterwards is even better!

We had been just serving the fillets with some veggies or over a salad but I decided to get a little creative and create some mock fish tacos that fit my low carb lifestyle. I’ve been low carb since the beginning of June (actually started last year but that lost steam around the holidays). With my new lifestyle, I also started a blog because… why not? It’s a local blog that covers local restaurants and how to eat low carb around San Diego but it’s also going to be chocked full of the LCHF recipes I try out. Like this lettuce wrapped mahi mahi taco with low carb tartar sauce.

I’ll make sure to share a snippet and photos of my recipes here with a link over to the full recipe on each post so you can stay in the loop! And if you’re living a low carb lifestyle already, I’d love to hear your go-to food ideas!

Grab the full recipe here:

LETTUCE WRAPPED MAHI MAHI TACOS WITH LOW CARB TARTAR SAUCE

Filed Under: Dinner, Health & Wellness, In the Kitchen, LCHF, Recipes, Uncategorized, weight loss Tagged With: fish, Low Carb, low carb high fat, Low Carb Recipes, Low Carb San DIego, tacos

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Chocolate Dipped Strawberry Wine Pops

When’s the last time you enjoyed girl time?

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