Easy Peasy Caprese Salad

Sunday Funday in the Herre house today, y'all!

As Adam and I relax after a fun filled week with my fam, soccer games, volleyball practice, job interviews and just normal chaos in your life, we sat down and watched one of our favorite Sunday shows - The Kitchen!

PS - If you guys were keeping up with Food Network Star, we voted for LENNY!! And we were so happy that he won!  We cannot wait for his show to come out guys, you will be getting A LOT of his food on this blog! :)

So, as I was saying we were watching The Kitchen, and the most darling, Geoffrey Zakarian had a recipe that I just wanted to make right then and there, so I did. You should just get up right now and go make it, too!

Cooking teaches love and patience.  So, get your mozzarella, because cheese is happiness, and lets get our cutting boards out y'all for this yummy "Easy Peasy Caprese Salad!"

Yields one serving.

Lipsticks and Squats,

Reesee's Protein Shake : Post Workout

Moving to Winston-Salem has provided me with the time and energy to better myself by eating healthier, working out more, and living a happy life.

Running (almost) everyday has been great.  But, just cardio isn't always going to help you slim down and tone up, so be sure to get your weight lifting in as well.  Even if you can't leave the house because you have stuff to do, or you don't like leaving, you can use a simple toning band, and go and get yourself 5-pound dumbbells.

If you need a little help along the way, inspiration, diet plan, workout plan, y'all should go visit my girl Rachel.  She is absolutely amazing, and has transformed peoples lives.  Check her out on her website, Rachel Nicole Fitness.

On with the shake!  I normally don't always have a protein shake, but whenever I don't have time for a meal, with my job, like if I have a morning workout, I'll make my shake in my Ninja, and get going.  Ninja provides a quick and easy transport of any shake, or smoothie.

Y'all this is super delicious and I know you will love it!  Let me know what y'all think!

Lipstick and Squats,

Baked Sweet Potato Quinoa "Anytime" Patties

Whenever we are preparing dinner, and we know that we really want sweet potatoes, but we're tired of having it the same way? 

{Baked, with maybe some brown sugar and butter?} 

Yeah I was tired of it too, y'all, so I went out there and found something COMPLETELY different, that I fell in love with and I know you will too!

Yep, there's sweet potatoes in this bad boy!

I found the recipe here, that I changed and added to in order to make it my own, and to create something a little different.

* Literally, eat these anytime, last night I had mine with chicken, but this morning I also had them with an egg on top!
* Makes about 14-16 patties (depending on your patties size, cause size matters. lol)

What You Need ::

- 2 medium to large sweet potatoes
- 1 cup quinoa (2 cups water) - we'll be cooking it
- 1/4 red onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbls. thyme (rub between your fingers when putting in the pan in order to release scent)
- Dash of cilantro
- About a Tablespoon olive oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Olive oil for the fryin' :)

Directions ::

1. First, make sure those potatoes are ready y'all, so get your oven to 400 degrees, and bake them for 45 minutes. At about half way through, I took mine out and cut them in 4th's so that they cooked through, and were softer.
2. Cook your quinoa.  1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, bring to a boil, once it has reach a vigorous boil, reduce heat to low (simmer) and keep on heat for 15 minutes.  Once cooked, take off heat and set aside.
3. In a pan, take your onions, the 1 Tbls of olive oil, and a hefty pinch of coarse sea salt, and sauté until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the garlic, and stir for 1 minute, add thyme and cook for about 30 seconds. Take off heat and add to a large bowl.  Add the {mostly} cooled quinoa to the same bowl and stir. Set aside.
5. Take potatoes out, peel them, then mush them up and add them to the quinoa mixture.  Add another 1/4 tsp of the sea salt and mix everything together.
6. Form a small golf ball size of the mixture in your hands, then squish together to form a patty.  Cook on medium heat, for about 2.5 minutes on each side, until crisp and browned.  Make as many as you want.   

* If not using all of the mixture, it will keep up in the fridge for about 2 days.  But they are so delicious I don't think that you would want to leave them that long!

Now, look at you making something delicious, healthy, and irresistible!

GO YOU!

Quick and Healthy Snack ATTACK!

Happy 'Skinny' Sunday!

So, you're looking for a snack, but you want something healthy?

You don't want to go to that snickers bar in your pantry, or those chips, or cookies.

I have the solution for you, a quick and easy, and HEALTHY alternative to a lovely sweet snack.

I don't know if there is a name for it, I don't believe there is.  Well, what about A(p)BC Healthy Snack?

It's as easy as ABC and only takes 1-2-3 INGREDIENTS! Did anyone else sing the Jackson 5 song?

What you need ::

a) Apples

b) Peanut Butter

c) Chocolate Chips

Directions ::

1. Take an apple of your choosing (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, or Gala), and cut into pieces.
   
   
   
2. Take as much peanut butter as you want, I did about 1 Tbls. put in the microwave for 15 seconds, take out, stir a little, if not fully melted put back in microwave for another 15 seconds.
   
   
   
3. Pour the melted PB over the apples.
4. Take your chocolate chips (I used mini) and sprinkle over the apples and PB.  I used about a 1/2 Tbls.

BAM! You're done! You just created a fantastic snack!  This could be a great pre or post workout meal or just a snack whenever you wanted.  Stay healthy my friends.

Lipstick & Squats,

Skinny Bitch :: Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Happy 'Skinny' Saturday, Y'all!

What you need ::

·      2 large bananas, mashed (no chunks)

·      ¼ C. honey

·      ¼ C. dark brown sugar

·      ½ C. vanilla Greek yogurt (Activia Greek)

·      1 egg

·      1/3 C. milk

·      ½ C. peanut butter (creamy)

·      2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

·      1 ¾ C. flour

·      1 tsp. cinnamon

·      1 tsp. baking soda

·      1 tsp. baking powder

·      ¼ tsp. salt

·      1/3 C. heaping of any chocolate chips

Directions ::

1)  Pre-heat oven to 425F degrees.  Grease your cupcake/muffin pan.

2)  In bowl, whisk together, bananas, honey, sugar, yogurt, egg and milk. Once pretty well combined, stir in the peanut butter and vanilla. (Make sure there are no clumps)

3)  In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, soda, powder, salt and chocolate chips.  Pour peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture, and whisk together until well incorporated.  Do NOT over stir; it will be a thick mixture (as seen in photo).

4)  Fill the muffin pan a little over ¾ of the way in each.  Bake for 5 minutes, at the 425F.  Keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce temperature to 350F degrees and bake for an additional 12 minutes.

* Drizzle with melted peanut butter (if desired)

* Muffins stay good for up to 3 days.

Lipstick & Squats,