Month: May 2015

Cheers to the weekend

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It is Friday, which means the weekend is finally here! After a long work week, I am sure many of you are ready for a cocktail!  Since Tuesday was Cinco de Mayo and I had some time to spend in the kitchen, I was able to experiment with some tequila and other ingredients and came up with a tasty margarita!

With the warm weather, the taste of the squeezed oranges and limes was so refreshing and the added light agave added the perfect amount of sweetness to it, I may have to make this my new summer drink.

Not only is it tasty, it is all fresh ingredients with no added sugars, making it good for you too!  Try it tonight and let me know how it is!

Ingredients-

2 ounces good silver tequila (I used Esperanto)

1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice

1.5 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon light agave

Add ice and ingredients to shaker and shake. Pour over ice in rocks glass and enjoy!

Happy Friday!

Steak Fajitas any time of the week

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I love Mexican foods and drinks, and with Cinco de Mayo this past week, I could not have picked a better time to experiment in the kitchen to make something other than the taco seasoning I always seem to fall back to.

I was actually in the mood for fajitas the other night, steak fajitas, so that was what we had with a little help from google and my spice rack, the seasoning came out perfect and this will be another recipe taped to my spice cabinet!

It takes less than 5 minutes to mix together and you have enough for a steak, chicken, or whatever you choose to spice up for this time around and the next time!

Ingredients-

1/4 cup Chili Powder

2 Tablespoons Sea Salt

2 Tablespoons Paprika

1 Tablespoon Onion powder

1 Tablespoon Garlic powder

1 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper (I added a little more just because I like things spicy)

1 Tablespoon Cumin powder

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Mix altogether and store in an airtight container or jar

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Rub  the seasoning on the steak and cook the way you desire- we grilled ours for ten minutes.  While meat is cooking, sauté onions and peppers with a little EVOO until soft. Mix meat with veggies and scoop some onto a fajita wrap and enjoy.

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You can top with salsa, plain greek yogurt (alternative to sour cream), and/or  homemade guacamole.

Enjoy~

Making your own seasonings is beneficial to the body.  You are consuming no additives and less sodium and for that your body will thank you!

Holy Guacamole!

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With yesterday being Cinco de Mayo, I decided to make my go-to Guacamole recipe to include with our dinner and to snack on while dinner was cooking.  Guacamole is a favorite snack of mine, which could have to do with it being made out of avocados- MY FAVORITE!

It is so simple to make, and tastes great, and a perfect plus- it can be added to many different meals, or just be made to have as a snack, or a dip to bring to any summertime BBQ or picnic.

Ingredients-

2 Clove Garlic- minced

2 Avocados- scooped out, but save pits

Half onion- diced

1 Tomato- deseeded and diced

1 Jalapeño pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

*1 teaspoon cumin powder

*1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 lemon

* Optional- Personal preference for spicy foods

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Mash avocado and garlic in bowl.

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Add onion, tomato, and jalapeño pepper. Mix until all combined.

Add salt, pepper, cumin, and cayenne. Squeeze lemon juice on top and mix together.

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Add pits from avocados to help keep from guacamole from browning, and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve!  Enjoy~

When you make your own foods you will know exactly what you are putting in your body.  It is so easy and simple to make this that you will never need to buy the store bought, sodium filled, made with ingredients you can not pronounce ever again!

4 Simple Tasks Before Going Away

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We all love going away, whether it is a week long vacation or a long weekend get-away. It is an exciting time to get out of town and not deal with the every day stresses. It is a time to unwind and relax, either by yourself or with a loved one.

I love going away.  It is a chance for my husband and I, and now Wyatt, to be together without work and every day stressors, and just be us. However, if we leave and the house is a mess, not only am I thinking about it while away, I am stressed when we come home because now do I not only have laundry to do, but I have a home to clean!

Healthy living is not just about exercising and watching what you eat. It includes everything that is going on in your life. Healthy living is a lifestyle, and I include how you keep your house in that lifestyle.  I am all about living in a clean house. However, that can be hard with a newborn and a dog! When we go away, I need to make sure we leave with a clean house so when we get home there is nothing to do but unpack.

Here are the top 4 “chores” I do around the house before we go anywhere, so when we unlock the door, we are walking into a clean house.  A clean house leads to less stress and a more relaxed family coming home from a nice time away.

1. Change sheets on bed– When you go to bed the night you come home, you can slip into crisp, clean sheets on a bed that is nicely made.

2. Do all laundry– If that pile of laundry is tackled before going away, you do not have to rush doing laundry the week you get back.

3. Tidy rooms up/Clean dishes– Nothing is better than coming home to a clean kitchen and other rooms!  With everything clean and put away, you do not need to think about how you’re going to handle cleaning everything when you have to go back to the daily grind of reality.IMG_7126_2

Cleaned kitchen and dishes before recent trip

4. Sweep/Mop- Especially if you have a pet. Nothing is worse then coming home and seeing the dust and pet hair all over the floor.  IMG_7128_2

Made sure to straighten up living room and sweep before going away.

When you want to live a healthy life, think about everything in your life.  If coming home to a messy house, think about the stress you have when you arrive back.  If you can avoid that, take the extra time.  You may not want to clean the night before, but believe me, you will be happy when stepping into the door after being away for a few days or a few weeks!

Your body and mind will thank you and appreciate you doing things in advance!