Breakfast Bowl

Breakfast Bowl

So I'm officially obsessed with breakfast foods and coming up with new combos to change up my morning egg routine. Lately the hubs has been making breakfast while I'm at the gym and it's ready when I get home. Two eggs, 1/2 turkey sausage and 1/2 baked sweet potato. It's simple, healthy and yummy. No complaints here except it doesn't give me the chance to experiment as much, or use up all the veggies in my fridge. One day last week he left early for work and I had to fend for myself. I almost whipped up a quick protein shake but after rummaging around in the fridge I decided to go with some kicked up eggs. It was the best breakfast bowl ever and I have made it for dinner twice since. It. is. so. good! My oldest step-son said the other day, "I will never get tired of eating this"! Winner, winner, breakfast bowls for dinner!

What I really want out of my breakfast is that it is real food, nutritious, flavorful and filling. This nailed all 4 of those things! There are so many healthy, tasty ingredients that work really well together so it's pretty much fail proof. Did you know that bell peppers have some of the highest amounts of vitamin C in food? Vitamin C helps with immune function, collagen production, cellular health, wound healing and helps us better absorb iron. Did you know that your body needs fat? It helps us absorb some vitamins and is needed for brain and organ health. Eat the avocado people...don't fear the fat! I tend to lean more toward Mexican flavors, and those are typically the things I have in my fridge, but you can always adjust to your tastes and preferences. Here is my breakfast bowl.

Healthy Travels

Healthy Travels

We have been little traveling peeps this year, at least more so than usual. My husband traveled a lot last year for his previous job and we were fortunate enough to earn a companion pass on Southwest with points. That means wherever he flies, I fly for free (same days and flights only). We are trying to take as much advantage as our bank account and calendar will allow.

We've done Mexico, New Orleans, Austin and Park City, UT. We have hopes for a few more trips before the end of the year, including somewhere fantastic for our 10th anniversary in November. Any recommendations? We are thinking Belize.

Kombucha, Yay or Nay?

Kombucha, Yay or Nay?

I jumped on the Kombucha bandwagon a while back and am still hanging on. I really like it because 1. it isn't very sweet 2. gives me a little pick me up in the afternoon and 3. it helps curb my sweets craving. It is a tea meets juice meets cider meets vinegar drink. Sounds weird and a little hippy, right? It is kind of weird and hippy since it starts from a mushroom kind of thingy and turns into fizzy yumminess with flavors galore. I drink a few ounces occasionally or use it to make cocktails that are really good and not too sweet. I will share a little more about kombucha and some of my favorites.

What is kombucha?

Kombucha, pronouned kom-BOO-cha, is a fermented drink made from tea, sugar, and a SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast). The SCOBY looks like a rubbery pancake. The mixture ferments to produce enzymes, acids, microflora, B vitamins and a tiny bit of alcohol. The fermentation process can sometimes cause a sour flavor as well as some carbonation. Most of them don't have sugar added after the fermentation process so are pretty low in sugar content.

A sweet potato a day...

A sweet potato a day...

Have I already mentioned that I love sweet potatoes? No? Well I freakin love me some sweet potatoes! I think my love of sweet potatoes happened accidentally and is a fairly new love for me. Of course it started with sweet potato fries, duh. Who doesn't love those crispy little fries from heaven? Then I started making them on my own, or at least trying. Then, I chopped some up one morning, sautéed them, added eggs on top with a little melted cheese and BAM, sweet potato heaven!

Seriously, though, I love how versatile sweet potatoes are and how much nutrition they pack in. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of Beta Carotene, vitamin C and potassium and they are high in antioxidants. They also contain vitamins B5, B6, and E as well as manganese and fiber. Yes they contain natural sugars but that's what makes them so yummy =) And, did I mention that they are pretty easy to prepare?

3 Easy and Healthy Side Dishes

3 Easy and Healthy Side Dishes

Happy 4th of July weekend everyone. Summer is such a time for BBQs, parties and if you are like us, lots of birthdays! Parties are made for eating, drinking and having a great time! I like to bring 1 or 2 healthy side dishes to the party because I love knowing there is a healthy option available. Today I'm sharing three of my favorite healthy side dishes that are sure to be crowd pleasers!

Chopped Caprese Salad

I just made this salad recently for a friend get-together and it was so, so good. It is light and flavorful with the fresh taste of basil. It would also be great on top of some grilled chicken.