Ingredients:

- 2 slices of whole grain bread
- 1 whole avocado
- 1 tomato
- 2 eggs
- Cracked red pepper
- Juice from 1/4 lemon

Fruit platter:

- Mangoes
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Kiwis

Directions:

Begin by toasting two slices of whole wheat, multi-grain bread. Cut one avocado in half and spread it evenly on each slice of toast (1/2 avocado per slice). Add a small handful of spinach, along with two tomato slices, on top of the avocado. 

Fry two eggs in a large skillet, making sure to keep the surface area large enough to cut out four hearts once they are cooked. Use cookie cutters to cut out the 'egg hearts' and add them on top of the tomato. Finish it off by adding some cracked red pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and WALAH - your sandwich is complete!

For the fruit platter, simply cut, peel, and wash the fruit and add it to a pretty plate! The heart-shaped plate is from Hobby Lobby and the 'XOXO' plate is from Michael's.

Enjoy! :)

So if you couldn't already tell, I'm a huge avocado fan and have a slight obsession with avo-toast. It's just so tasty, filling, and extremely quick/easy to make!

This was the first breakfast that I made when I moved into my new home, so I had to big or go home (no pun intended). 

Avocado toast:

- 1 slice of whole wheat or multi-grain bread
- 1/2 of a whole avocado

Smoothie bowl:

- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 cup of frozen mangoes
- 1 cup of fresh pineapple
- 1/2 cup of frozen peaches
- 1/2 a whole orange (medium size)
- A little bit of water (to blend)

Directions:

For your avo-toast, simply cut an avocado in half, remove the pit, and cut one half into slices. You can eat them whole on your toast as I did here, or mash them for a more "saucy" texture. You can click here to see what my mashed avo-toast looks like!

Mix all of your ingredients together in a food processor for a thicker smoothie, or in a blender for a more liquified smoothie. Next, simply pour your smoothie into a bowl and add any toppings of your choice! For my toppings, I just used the same ingredients that I used for the smoothie. I also added some chia seeds right before I ate it to get that extra boost of protein and omega!

This is a hearty, delicious breakfast that will be the perfect start to any day! All of the tropical flavors in your smoothie bowl will have you feeling like you're on an island in the sun. 

Enjoy!

Orange-patterned knife: Target. Click here to find one of your own!

Ingredients (yields 2 servings):

- 4 slices of oat nut bread
- 4 tablespoons of cream cheese
- 1 small tomato medley package
- 2 cups of spinach
- 6 slices of bacon
- 4 eggs
- 2 avocados
- Pepper (to taste)
- Basil (to taste)
- Trader Joe's 'Everything but the Bagel' seasoning (to taste)

Directions:

Begin by placing your bacon strips flat in a large pan or skillet, making sure they do not overlap. Then, turn your stovetop on low-medium heat. The bacon strips will soon begin to start cooking and browning. Using tongs, continue to flip over each slice and cook them evenly until you have reached your desired crispiness. Bacon will continue to cook even after you've removed it from the pan, so don't wait too long and end up with bricks!

When the bacon is ready, remove it from the pan with your tongs and place it on a paper towel that is draping a plate to soak up any grease. In a different pan on medium heat, fry each egg separately until cooked to desired doneness. I like to keep the middle of mine slightly over medium, but of course you can cook yours however you'd like! Once all eggs are cooked, set them aside with the bacon.

Toast your four slices of bread and lay them out to begin preparing the open-face sandwiches. Start by spreading one tablespoon of cream cheese evenly on each slice, followed by 1/4 mashed avocado and pepper. Next, add about 1/2 cup of spinach (or ~12 leaves) to each slice, followed by three half slices of bacon. Then, place one fried egg on top, followed by three more avocado slices and a handful of tomato slices. Last but not least, top it off with a dash of the everything bagel seasoning and basil and walah - you're ready to dig in!

Enjoy! :)

Pancake batter:

- 2 eggs
- 1 banana
- 2 cups of muesli
- 1/2 cup of almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 small pinch of salt

Berry sauce:

- 1 cup of blueberries
- 1/2 cup of strawberries
- 2 tablespoons of organic vanilla powder
- 1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

First things first, mix all of your ingredients together in a food processor (or blender). I turn my stove right between medium and high heat. Next, I place a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan, making sure that I tilt the pan in a circular motion to cover the surface area equal to the size of the pancakes I plan to make.

I use a spoon for precision to dollop my batter on the pan, and normally use anywhere from 2-4 tablespoons, depending on how big I want my pancakes. If you're cooking on low heat, you're going to want to leave your pancake on for at least a minute or two so the first side can fully cook. Cooking on medium-high heat will take less than half of the time for your first side to turn golden. All stoves cook at different rates, so I would suggest using your spatula to peek underneath so you can check and see once it is ready.

Once you've got a crisp, golden color on your first side, flip it over and cook the second and final side for the same amount of time. Cooking time will also vary depending on how thick and how big you make your pancakes. I added a sweet berry sauce on top. 

For your sauce, simply blend all of your ingredients together until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. I used a food processor to mix my pancake batter (which I like to be a little more thick) and a blender for the sauce (which I like a little more... well... saucy). Pimp out your pancakes with the sauce, any extra toppings (I used blackberries), and a side of fruit.

Bon apetite!

Pancake Ingredients:

- 1 cup of My Favorite Pancake and Waffle Mix: Peppermint White Chocolate
- 2/3 cup of milk
- 1 tablespoon of melted butter
- 1 egg

Pancake Extras:

- Bacon strips
- Blueberries
- Sliced strawberry tips

Directions:

Begin by whisking all of your pancake ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Then, turn one oven burner on to medium-high heat and give it a few minutes to heat up. Next, place a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick pan, making sure to tilt the pan in a circular motion to cover the surface area equal to the size of the pancake(s) you plan to make.

Next, use a spoon for precision to dollop roughly 4 hefty tablespoons of batter on to the pan to make the larger pancake, or "head" of the reindeer. Use the back of the spoon to smooth out the top of the batter and spread it evenly so you have a pretty, round shape. Once you've got a crisp, golden color on the bottom side, flip it over and cook the second and final side for the same amount of time. Typically, you can flip it once you start to see a few bubbles popping up in the batter. If the pancake is too wet when you try to slip your spatula underneath it to flip it, just leave it on the first side for a few seconds longer.

For the snout of the reindeer, complete these exact steps with 2 tablespoons of batter instead of 4. Continue to cook the pancakes in this order (larger head, smaller snout, larger head, smaller snout, etc.) until you have used up all of the batter.

Wipe down your pan if needed and use the same one to cook the bacon. I used two pieces of bacon per reindeer for the antlers. Once the bacon is cooked and has cooled down (don't burn yourself with this step!!!!), break the bacon pieces in half, but make one side a little longer than the other. The longer piece of bacon will be the part of the antler coming out of the head, and the smaller piece of bacon will be the part coming out of the other antler. Next, add two blueberries for the eyes and slice off the tip of a strawberry (about 1/4 of the strawberry) for the nose.

Enjoy! :)

I hope you all had a very, merry Christmas! My favorite gift this year was being able to come home from school and spend the holidays with my amazing family and friends. My second favorite gift was the totally awesome heart-shaped waffle maker I received (thanks to my rad boyfriend). Most of my gifts this year consisted of kitchen and baking accessories, cookbooks, and home decor so I can't WAIT to get started working on some fun new things to share!

Waffle batter (yields 2-4 waffles):

- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons of melted butter (I use Smart Choice, non-dairy olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 2/3 cup of water
- 1 egg

Toppings:

- Strawberries
- Kiwis
- Shredded coconut
- Organic chocolate syrup (Santa Cruz)

Directions:

Turn on your waffler maker and allow it to heat up fully. For this particular waffle maker, there are six different heat settings. I place it on the highest setting once I first turn it on (6) then turn it down to a medium setting (3) once I'm ready to start cooking. Next, spray both the top and bottom of the half with cooking spray, making sure to cover the entire surfaces. Dollop a few tablespoons on to the bottom surface (I use about 3-4 per waffle). Make sure you leave a little bit of extra room around the edges for the batter to spread out once you close the top. If you use too much, it will ooze out of the sides and make a not-so-fun mess. If you're not sure how much to use, I recommend starting with less and seeing how the first waffle turns out. From there, you can always add more if you need to and avoid the crazy mess! 

Each waffle takes about 2-3 minutes to cook but depending on how crispy you like your own waffles, you can always add or subtract some time. Once you think it is ready (nice and golden - no gooey spots left), use a spatula to remove it from the waffle maker.

I topped mine with fresh strawberries and kiwis, along with some shredded coconut and my favorite, organic chocolate sauce from Santa Cruz + a toasty cup of coffee. This super cute coffee mug was a Christmas gift - I'm so in love with it... ugh - and it's from Michael's!

Enjoy! :)

Heart-shaped protein pancakes topped with blueberries, kiwis, oats, pecans, almonds, and rolled oats!

Pancake batter:

- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon of raw honey
- 1 teaspoon of rolled oats
- 1 small handful of almonds
- 1 pinch of salt
- A heart-shaped stamp/cookie cutter
- Coconut oil

Toppings:

- Blueberries
- Kiwis
- Almonds
- Oats

Directions:

Whisk your ingredients together in a bowl. I turn on my stove right in the middle between medium and high heat. Next, I place a small amount of coconut oil in a pan, making sure that I tilt the pan in a circular motion to cover the surface area equal to the size of the pancakes I plan to make.

Place your heart-shaped stamp/cookie cutter in the middle of the pan. I coat the inside very lightly with some cooking spray so my batter does not stick to the stencil. Add three or so tablespoons of the batter inside of the stencil, making sure you do not fill it all the way to the top. Leave a little bit of space because your batter will rise once it starts to cook. If you fill it too much, it will overflow and create a rather deformed-lookin' pancake. 

Give it a minute to cook and once the first side is fully done, remove the stencil and flip the pancake. Cook this side until it is fully cooked, as well. Complete these steps to finish the rest of your pancakes.

Next, add your fruit, almonds, and oats and you have yourself a delicious stack of pancakes - made with love of course!

You can't ever go wrong with pancakes, and I could seriously eat them any time of the day! I love making them because they're pretty easy to make, super tasty, and VERY filling - of course if you have a tall stack like this ;)

I've been experimenting to come up with different healthy pancake recipes. The main ingredient in these pancakes is muesli and it ending up tasting phenomenal! For those of you who don't know what muesli is, it's a combination of dry, rolled oats, seeds and nuts, and evaporated soy milk.

Pancake batter:

- 2 eggs
- 1 banana
- 2 cups of muesli
- 1/2 cup of almond milk
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 small pinch of salt
- Coconut oil

Strawberry sauce:

- 1 cup of fresh strawberries
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Directions:

First things first, mix all of your ingredients together in a food processor (or blender). I used to cook my pancakes on low heat and flip them a gazillion times to get them perfectly crisp - but now that I'm a pancake veteran, I've moved on to bigger and better things (cooking on medium-high heat hahaha). Anyways, you can choose whichever method you like! So I turn on my stove right in the middle between medium and high heat. Next, I place a small amount of coconut oil in a pan, making sure that I tilt the pan in a circular motion to cover the surface area equal to the size of the pancakes I plan to make.

I use a spoon for precision to dollop my batter on the pan, and normally use anywhere from 2-4 tablespoons, depending on how big I want my pancakes. If you're cooking on low heat, you're going to want to leave your pancake on for at least a minute or two so the first side can fully cook. Cooking on medium-high heat will take less than half of the time for your first side to turn golden. All stoves cook at different rates, so I would suggest using your spatula to peek underneath so you can check and see once it is ready.

Once you've got a crisp, golden color on your first side, flip it over and cook the second and final side for the same amount of time. Cooking time will also vary depending on how thick and how big you make your pancakes. I added a rich and creamy "strawberry creamsicle" sauce on top. 

For your sauce, simply blend all of your ingredients together until you have a smooth, creamy mixture. I used a food processor to mix my pancake batter (which I like to be a little more thick) and a blender for the sauce (which I like a little more... well... saucy).

Last but certainly not least, it's time to pimp out your pancakes! I topped them with chia seeds and blueberries and had a side of strawberries and goji berries with them as well! This meal is bursting with flavor and will definitely leave your tummy satisfied.

Bon apetite!

What's my favorite meal of the day? Breakfast of course! There's nothing more satisfying then waking up in the morning and starting off the day with a delicious, fully-filling meal. I know that having a hearty breakfast every day can be difficult to keep up with - taking into consideration not having enough time, rushing to get out the door, or simply just being too sleepy! BUT, this sandwich just might be your new fix!

This sandwich is easy to make, outrageously nutritious, and will have your tastebuds doing cartwheels after just one bite.

What you'll need (yields one VERY FILLING serving):

- 3-5 asparagus spears
- 2 eggs
- 2 slices of whole grain bread
- 1 avocado
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 lemon
- Salt (to taste)
- Pepper (to taste)
- Basil (to taste)

Directions:

Steaming your asparagus - bring a few cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Cut the dry ends off of your asparagus, add a dash of salt to the water, and steam them on medium heat for about 5-10 minutes until they are tender and a rich, green color.

Poaching your eggs - crack 2 eggs in a bowl, making sure both of the yolks do not separate. Heat a few cups of water on medium heat in a wide, non-stick skillet. Once your water has began to simmer (be careful and make sure your water is not too hot and definitely NOT boiling - this will overcook your egg), add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the water. Next, slowly pour in your eggs. They will instantly begin to cook and the poaching process should take no more than 5 minutes - make sure you don't overcook them, or else they will come out like hard boiled eggs (out of the shell of course).

Avocado spread - You will only need 1 avocado per sandwich (half on each slice). Cut and peel your avocado and heat it up in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until it is warm and soft. Then, in a bowl, mash your avocado, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little bit of fresh lemon juice on top, and stir your mixture.

Preparing the sandwich - Toast each slice of bread, add your avocado spread, asparagus, sliced tomatoes, poached egg, and whatever other seasonings you may like on top (I used salt, pepper, and basil) and WALAH, your tasty sandwich is complete!

Wet Ingredients:

- 1 cup of pumpkin puree
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Dry Ingredients:

- 2 cups of whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of allspice
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Toppings:

- Figs
- Pomegranate
- Butternut Farms Maple Syrup

Directions:

Begin by whisking the dry ingredients together (except for the vegetable oil) in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients and continue mixing until all ingredients are uniform. Add the wet mixture into the whisked, dry ingredients and stir until the batter has become consistent.

Add the two tablespoons of vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, making sure that you tilt the pan in a circular motion to cover the entire surface area. On medium-high heat, begin to cook the pancakes. Add three tablespoons of batter into the center of the pan. Use the back of your spoon to smooth out the top of the batter, spread it evenly, and circularize it (I think I made that word up) so you have a pretty, round shape (ain't nobody got time for deformed pancakes). Once you've got a crisp, golden color on the bottom side, flip it over and cook the second and final side for the same amount of time. Typically, you can flip it once you start to see a few bubbles popping up in the batter. I make pancakes all the time so I just kinda "know" when they're ready, but if you go to flip it and it's still too wet, just leave it on for a few seconds longer. Complete these steps for rest of the batter and re-oil the pan if needed.

Now for the fun part - TOPPPINGSSSS! Transfer the pancakes to a plate and last but certainly not least, add your bling bling to the stack! I topped these babies with figs, pomegranates, and a maple syrup drizzle. The 'Butternut Farms' brand from William Sonomais my absolute favorite! The cute leaf-shaped syrup bottle is from William Sonoma as well from their 'Maple Leaf Syrup' brand, but I haven't been able to find it in stores or online for a while so I just keep reusing the bottle haha.

Enjoy! :)

So I'm a HUGE pancake fanatic and love any excuse to have a huge stack for breakfast - or any time of the day to be honest! With Christmas being right around the corner, I of course had to incorporate some festiveness in them.

These pancakes are relatively healthy - I say relatively healthy only because I added a very sweet, dairy-rich vanilla sauce on top. However, you can always leave out the sauce! To achieve the bright, red velvet color, I used a beet root and the end result was just fabulous!

Pancake batter:

- 2 eggs
- 1 large beet root
- 1 cup of raw cacao powder
- 1/2 cup of coconut flour
- 3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 small pinch of salt

Vanilla sauce:

- 1/4 cup of coconut milk
- 1/2 cup of organic vanilla powder
- 2 tablespoons of cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon of plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon of Stevia
- 1/2 teaspoon of powdered sugar

Garnishments:

- Raspberries
- Mint leaves

Directions:

First, you will need to cook your beet root (which I do so by roasting it). To roast your beet, first cut off the leaves and long, pink stems. Next, wash your beet thouroughly - make sure you do so, otherwise your pancakes will end up tasting like straight up dirt (not even kidding). Wrap the root in aluminum foil and bake it for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Your beet will be ready once it's soft and a little "runny." You can check if it's ready by taking it out of the aluminum foil - BE CAREFUL and please please please open it away from you so the steam doesn't rush in your face - and softly poke a knife into the skin. If it's too firm (seeing as not all ovens cook at the same rate), let it roast for a few minutes longer. Once it's ready, remove the skin and cut the flesh into small slices.

Next whisk all of your wet ingredients together in a bowl. Once you've done so, add your beet slices, your mixture of wet ingredients, and the rest of the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth.

Now your batter is ready!

The next step is cooking your pancakes. I use a spoon for precision to dollop my batter on the pan, and normally use anywhere from 2-4 tablespoons, depending on how big I want my pancakes. If you're cooking on low heat, you're going to want to leave your pancake on for at least a minute or two so the first side can fully cook. Cooking on medium-high heat will take less than half of the time for your first side to be done. All stoves cook at different rates, so I would suggest using your spatula to peek underneath so you can check and see once it is ready.

Once your first side is fully cooked, flip it over with a spatula and cook the second side for the same amount of time. Cooking time will also vary depending on how thick and how big you make your pancakes. 

I added a creamy vanilla sauce on top to top off this creation! I had a mega sweet tooth this day, which led to me wanting to add a very sweet, sugary sauce on top. You can always opt this part out or simply use a different alternative.

Add all of your ingredients together in a bowl and whisk them together. Once you have a nice, uniform mixture, heat it up in the microwave for roughly 10-15 seconds.

Now for the fun part! Add your pancake stack to a plate, pour your creamy vanilla sauce over top of the stack, and garnish with any fruit/additional toppings of your choice - here I used raspberries and mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Pancake ingredients:

- 1 egg
- 1 cup of almond milk
-1 cup of whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup of ground oats
- 1 tablespoon of flax seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Side:

- Oranges
- Kiwis
- Pomegranate

Directions:

Mix all of the pancake ingredients together in a food processor until you have a smooth, uniform mixture. Then, I filled a squirt bottle with the pancake batter and and drew the spiderweb by hand. Start by making an 8-point star/asterisk. Next, just connect each point with two rows of "webs."

Enjoy!

* WARNING: NO REAL SPIDERS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THESE PANCAKES (THEY'RE PLASTIC) *

A hearty breakfast packed with nutrients!

What you'll need:

- 2 large egg whites
- 3 cups of spinach
- 1 whole avocado
- 1/2 cup of diced bell peppers
- 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of diced onions
- Seasonings (salt, pepper, chili powder)

Directions:

First for your omelette. Make sure you wash your spinach thoroughly. Turn your stovetop on medium heat and use a small pan (about the same width of the omelette) to cook your spinach. I add a teeny tiny bit of olive oil to my pan, add in my spinach, then sauté it for about 5 minutes until it is fully done. To cook evenly, make sure you flip the spinach and cook both sides. Spinach gets tiny when it's cooked, so don't be alarmed when your two cups of spinach look like they've vanished into thin air.

Next, add in your egg whites. I prepare them in a separate bowl first and add in a dash of salt and pepper. Pour the bowl over your cooked spinach that is still in your pan, making sure you cover the entire surface of the pan. Your egg whites will start cooking right away, seeing as your stove is already completely heated up and ready to go. After a couple of minutes, using a spatula, lift up the edges of the your partially cooked omelette all the way around and tilt the pan in a circular motion - this is so the extra un-cooked egg whites on top can make their way to the hot surface to cook more evenly. I do this a couple more times until I have very little to no liquid left on top. Then, I flip it over and cook the other side for about a minute. Once it's ready, add an extra cup of washed, uncooked spinach on top, fold it in half (using your spatula), and it's ready to go!

Cut your avocado in half and remove the pit. Then, using one half, cut quarter inch thick slices. I like to add chili powder and a little bit of fresh lemon juice to my avocado. It's the yummiest combination ever!

To cook your diced veggies, add them in a pan with a small amount of olive oil and sauté them on medium-high heat for roughly five minutes.

Enjoy!

Pancake batter:

- 1 egg
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 cup of vanilla almond milk
- 2 tablespoons of fat-free cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 small pinch of salt

Vanilla sauce:

- 1/2 cup of vanilla almond milk
- 2 tablespoons of organic vanilla powder
- 1 teaspoon of stevia

Toppings:

- 4 whole, leafless strawberries
- 1/2 cup of graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips

Directions:

Mix all of your ingredients together in a small bowl to form your batter. Turn your stovetop on medium heat and add a small circle of olive oil to a medium-sized pan. Once it is heated, add three tablespoons of batter to the pan. Leave this side face-down until it is fully cooked (this should only take a couple of minutes). Once it is finished, flip your pancake over. Allow this side to cook fully and repeat these two steps for the rest of your pancakes.

For the sauce, first miix all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Heat up your mixture for fifteen seconds, and pour the sauce over your pancakes.

Last but not least, add your graham cracker crumbs, strawberries, and white chocolate chips (whip cream is optional).

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- 2 slices of whole wheat bread
- 2 eggs
- Grape jelly

Fruit platter:

- Watermelon
- Mixed berries
- Tangerines
- Bananas

Ingredients:

- Ground turkey sausage
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 avocado
- 1/2 sweet potato
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 small handful of cherry tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon of Smart Balance non-dairy olive oil butter
- Trader Joe's 'Everything but the Bagel' seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- Basil

Directions:

Preheat your oven 425 degrees. Peel and chop a sweet potato into bite-sized pieces and toss them in a medium-sized bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake them for 30 minutes on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Around the 15-minute mark, toss them on the pan to achieve the perfect, evenly-cooked finish.

Using a small heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out three small hearts of ground turkey sausage. Cook them in a small pan (evenly on each side) with a covered lid until they have browned and cooked entirely through. Drain any excess oil and set the pan aside to use to scramble the eggs.

In a small bowl, whisk together two eggs and add a dash of salt and pepper. Then, in the small pan, melt one teaspoon of Smart Balance non-dairy olive oil butter and scramble the eggs on low-medium heat until desired consistency is achieved.

Next, cut 1/2 of an avocado into equally-sized slices. After that, cut a handful of tomatoes in half.

Begin to prepare the breakfast plate by adding a large handful of spinach to a plate (of course I used a heart-shaped one). Add the turkey sausage hearts, scrambled eggs (with an extra little bit of pepper), avocado (with a dash of 'Everything but the Bagel' seasoning) sweet potatoes, and tomatoes (with a pinch of basil).

Enjoy! :)

I try to incorporate nutritious foods into all of my meals. What's more nutritious than a salad? Not many things. I love salads, but your typical 'ole salad with a big pile of greens really bores the heck out of me. So I like to try new ways to spice them up and make them a bit more tasty.

I love bacon.... a lot. I've recently started eating turkey bacon because I know it's much healthier than "regular" bacon, but honestly either of them will do the trick me. Anyways, you seriously can't go wrong adding ANY kind of bacon to ANY kind of meal. 

I also love eggs - hard boiled, scrambled, poached, fried - I love it all. And if you don't like avocado, well then something is seriously wrong with you. I know the texture is a bit weird to some people and that kinda throws them off a bit, but they are just so, so delectable! 

SO BING, BANG, BOOM, ABRACADABRA! Add them all together to make a baked egg-in-an-avoacdo salad and well, you seriously have yourself one hell of a salad. Say goodbye to your boring, nothing-but-greens salads because you'll never want to go back once you try this wickedly awesome creation.

What you'll need:

- 1/2 ripe avocado
- 1 egg
- 2 large handfuls of spinach
- 1/2 of a whole cucumber
- 1 slice of turkey bacon

Directions:

First things first, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Slice your avocado in half and remove the pit. Next, carve some of the inside out so you have a hole large enough for 1 egg to fit inside of (don’t waste the scraps - you can add them on top of your finished product)!

Crack 1 egg inside of the avocado half. The avocado I used was a bit small, so I cracked the eggs inside of a bowl first. This way I could first place the yolk inside of the avocado, then add the egg whites on top to avoid messiness.

Line a small pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Once finished baking, sprinkle with chives, turkey bacon bits, and pepper - or any toppings of your choice!

Add your baked egg avocado creation on top of fresh spinach, add cucumbers and whatever other salad ingredients you may like (cherry tomatoes, etc.), and enjoy!

I made this tasty meal in honor of Earth Day, full of lots of blues and greens - a hearty salad paired with tasty infused water!

Salad ingredients:

- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Cucumbers
- Edamame
- Blueberries
- Fresh lime juice

Infused water:

- Blueberries
- Cucumbers
- Lime
- Mint leaves

There's not much explanation needed for preparation of the salad. Simply toss all of your ingredients together in a large bowl and squeeze about one tablespoon of fresh lime juice on top.

For the infused water, I first add in my fruit to a jar. I started with my blueberries, then my mint leaves, and last but not least some cucumber slices. Next I added about 16-20 oz. of water and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

I thought this was the perfect meal for Earth Day because of 1.) It only consisted of blues and greens and 2.) All of the ingredients were natural and organic!

Bon apetite!

I honestly could probably never get tired of Mexican food. I love everything about it! First off, I loveee cheese and could seriously eat it with anything. ALL leftovers taste better with cheese. So yeah, you can already guess that I love quesadillas, tacos, burritos, fajitas, and all'a that jazz!

My favorite Mexican restaurant hands down is Plaza Azteca. God certainly took his time making that place and I thank my lucky stars that he did. If you've never been or never tried any of their food, like, I don't even know what you're doing with your life. Certainly not living, that's for sure. They have the best homemade guacamole around and their queso dip... wooooweee baby! 

I like to try new things at restaurants, but I also have a habit of just getting "the usual" and the usual for me at Plaza is "Burritos Fajitas." Seriosuly. So. Bomb. They're steak fajitas (but in burrito form - hint hint from the name) topped with lotssss of melted cheese (told ya I love cheese), sour cream, and grilled onions. 

I have a habit of rambling and getting way off topic - sorry guys ;) So now for MY Mexican dish that's not only super duper yummy, but HEALTHY too! Score!

What you'll need:

- 1 whole wheat tortilla
- 5 large pieces of shrimp (cooked, peeled, and deveined)
- 1 whole avocado
- Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Cilantro
- Juice from 1/2 lime

Directions:

So they only real cooking required for this meal is cooking the shrimp. Grill your little shrimpies on a stovetop and add your favorite seasonings (I use salt, pepper, chili powder, and a teeny tiny bit of onion powder). Next is the easy part - preparing your fruits/veggies. Don't forget to wash your produce!! I always triple wash mine jusssst to be safe. Chop up your cabbage, tomato, cucumber, avocado, and cilantro.

I like mine a little crispy, so I'll turn my oven burner on medium heat and place the tortilla in a pan to toast for a second, then flip it and do the same to the other side. Now for the fun part, which of course is getting to pile up everythingggg on your tortilla. Once you've done so (refer to the photos for how I do mine), squeeze a little bit of fresh lime juice on top and get ready for your life to change. 

I love you Plaza, but you can't beat my loaded shrimp tacos. Sorry ;)

What you'll need:

- 1 mango salmon fillet
- 4 pieces of shrimp
- 8 asparagus spears
- 1/2 of a whole avocado
- 1/2 of a whole bell pepper
- 1/4 cup of broccoli
- 1/4 cup of carrots
- 1/4 cup of cauliflower
- 1 cup of spinach
- 1 lemon wedge

Directions:

The mango salmon fillet is pre-marinated and pre-seasoned from Whole Foods. Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and bake the salmon at 400 degrees for roughly 12-15 minutes (cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish). Toss your shrimp in a pan with 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil until fully cooked and add any preferred seasonings (I use salt, chili powder, and basil). 

To steam your asparagus, bring one cup of water to a boil in a deep pan. Cut off the dry ends, add a dash of salt to the water, and steam them on medium heat for no more than 10 minutes, or until they turn a rich, green color.

Next, just add all of the rest of your ingredients to the salad and enjoy!

So I think it's safe to say it looks like a "momma rainbow" gave birth to this salad. Haha no but seriously, I call this my rainbow salmon salad because it's bursting with all of the beautiful colors of the rainbow. And it tastes amazing, so yeah this salad just rocks. 

What you'll need:

- 1 salmon fillet
- 3 bell peppers
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 whole beet
- Juice of 1 whole lemon
- 3 small lemon wedges
- 1 handful of broccoli heads
- 1/2 of a whole cucumber
- 1/2 of a whole avocado
- 1/2 cup of chopped cabbage
- 3 tbsp. of tahini
- Olive oil (for baking + for the hummus)

Directions:

Baked salmon: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Coat your salmon fillet in a very thin layer of olive oil. Next, season your salmon with your favorite spices (I use salt, pepper, and basil) and add three lemon wedges on top. Lastly, bake for 20 minutes!

Roasted beet hummus: To roast your beet, first cut off the leaves and long, pink stems. Next, wash your beet thouroughly - make sure you do so, otherwise your hummus will end up tasting like straight up dirt (not even kidding). Wrap the root in aluminum foil and bake it for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Your beet will be ready once its soft and a little "runny." You can check if it's ready by taking it out of the aluminum foil - BE CAREFUL and please please please open it away from you so the steam doesn't rush in your face - and softly poke a knife into the skin. If it's too firm let it roast for a few minutes longer. Once it's ready, remove the skin and cut the flesh into small slices. Place your beet slices, along with your garlic, lemon juice, tahini, two tablespoons of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper in a food processor and mix until smooth. This was my first time ever trying to make homemade hummus - the mixture came out a bit more runny than I had hoped, so the recipe is still a work in progress - next time I'll try adding chickpeas.

Now, assemble your salad! You can always add more/less of any of the ingredients depending on your personal preferences. Of course add any additional seasonings and/or your favorite dressing and your creation is complete!

Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite sandwich combinations ever. It's tasty and light, but will leave you feeling full and happy afterwards! I love adding avocado to any meal, and you simply cannot go wrong with some hearty avo-toast.

What you'll need:

- 1 slice of whole grain or multi-grain bread
- 1 avocado
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 or 2 slices of smoked salmon
- A (pretty big) pinch of lemongrass
- Salt and cracked pepper (to taste)
- Juice from 1/4 of a lemon

Directions:

First scramble your egg whites, seeing as this will be the longest step and the only one that requires "real" cooking.

Take one slice of bread and add 1/2 of a whole avocado on the slice. I like mine extra ripe, but you can heat it up in the microwave for a few seconds if it's not quite soft yet. Use a fork to mash down your avocado, making sure you cover the entire slice. First I mash it down using the backside of the fork, then I make it a little prettier by using the tips of the prongs to create a lattice-like pattern - first running the fork all the way across vertically, then horizontally.

Next, add your egg whites, smoked salmon, lemongrass, salt and pepper, and fresh lemon juice!

Dig in!

This is one of my favorite sandwich combinations ever. It's tasty and light, but will leave you feeling full and happy afterwards! I love adding avocado to any meal, and you simply cannot go wrong with some hearty avo-toast.

What you'll need (for two slices):

- 2 slices of whole grain or multi-grain bread
- 1 avocado
- 4 egg whites
- 2 slices of smoked salmon
- 1 pinch of lemongrass
- Salt and cracked pepper (to taste)
- Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

First scramble your egg whites, seeing as this will be the longest step and the only one that requires "real" cooking.

Next, cut your avocado in half, remove the pit, and slice each half into quarter-inch thick pieces. You will use half of the avocado for one slice of bread, and half for the other. 

Next, add your egg white, smoked salmon, lemongrass, salt and pepper, and fresh lemon juice!

Are you an avocado lover? If you eat a lot of avocado, I'm sure you've noticed how quickly they "brown." Here's a fun tip: you can preserve your avocados a little bit longer by coating them in a light layer of lemon juice!

If you have excess and wish to store it in the refrigerator to eat a later time, you'll sadly find that you're avocado might be covered with brown patches. This is natural, and quite unavoidable. Avocados, like bananas, brown quickly when exposed to oxygen because of the enzymes contained in them. Although it's impossible to completely avoid this, the citric acid in the lemon juice will help add a little bit of extra time to its lifespan.

Enjoy!

If you're looking for some ideas for a easy, tasty lunch to make, then this teddy bear peanut butter toast might be a BEARY good solution for you ;) 

You'll only need four ingredients:

- 1 slice of bread (or 2 if you're extra hungry)
- About 1-2 tbsp. of peanut butter
- 3 blueberries
- 3 banana slices

Directions:

Simply design your teddy bear on your toast using a spoon. Start with making two small circles in each corner for the ears. Next, make a larger circle directly in the middle of the two ears that reaches the bottom of the toast, making sure that you connect both ears. Use your banana slices for the ears + the base of the nose and your blueberries for the eyes + button nose. 

It's almost too cute to eat! 

This meal is easy to make and full of nutrition! As a side, I had mangoes, fresh berries, and pecans. I also had organic iced coffee as a midday pick-me-up.

I make this all the time for my nieces and they think that it is just an absolute hit! 

Enjoy :)

What you'll need:

- 1 baguette slice
- 1 cup of arugula
- 1/2 of a whole avocado
- 1/2 of a whole tomato
- 2 tbsp. of mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Toast one slice of a baguette. I added a light honey dijon mustard. Make sure you wash your leafy greens thoroughly then add them to the sandwich. Then, top it with your tomatoes, mozzarella, avocado, and a dash of salt pepper!

I had this sandwich with a Naked Juice. They are fruit smoothie drinks but have a relatively high sugar content, so I make sure I drink them in moderation. It's okay to treat yourself every now and then, just make sure you're being reasonable!

What you'll need:

- 1/2 cup of blueberries
- 1 whole kiwi
- 10-15 mint leaves
- 24-32 oz. of water
- 1 small splash of coconut water

Directions:

So here's how I make my infused water. First, I add in my fruit. I started with my blueberries, then added kiwis, then my mint leaves, and finally a layer of ice cubes (about 1/2 a cup worth). 

Next I added in my water to my current "jar of fruit." This is a 32 oz. jar. However, the fruit takes up a bit of the volume, so the amount of water I actually added was probably around 24 oz. or so. Then I added a splash of coconut water and stirred the drink with a small spoon.

Lastly, I garnished each drink with an additional slice of kiwi and of course a paper straw - which I use for ALL of my drinks and smoothies :)

Because I wanted to drink my water right away, I mashed my blueberries a little bit with a wooden spoon so the antioxidants and rich flavor could infuse into the water more quickly. Another option is always to just leave your drink(s) in the refrigerator for a few hours or even overnight to get that sweet, flavorful taste.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

- Fresh, cold water
- Strawberries
- Limes

Directions:

Place the strawberries and limes in a mason jar and proceed to fill the jar with fresh, cold water until it is full. Allow the water to sit for a few hours/overnight for the infusion to take place. If you desire a stronger taste, you can mash the fruit a little bit.

Enjoy!

There's so much to love about summer - the lazy days filled with nothing but relaxation, spending countless hours at the beach, soaking up the sun, indulging in colorful, seasonal fruits - and so much more!

My ideal summer day would be 75 degrees, sunny, and a light breeze. However, sometimes it can get scorching hot during this season. It's so, so important that you remember to stay hydrated and keep your body nourished with plenty of water.

The perfect way to stay hydrated while adding an extra bit of taste to your water is infusing it with fruit! Not only does it taste delicious, but infused water has so many nutritional benefits to offer. Adding fruit to your water will give it an extra boost of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are all essential to your health and provide you with a natural source of energy throughout the day.

I get questions all of the time about how to "make" infused water but it's actually really as simple as it looks.  Simply add whatever fruit you like to fresh, purified water. A few of my favorites to use are:

- Mint leaves
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Lemons
- Oranges
- Cucumbers

Once you've added your fruit to the water, give it some to infuse and to allow those awesome antioxidants to release themselves into your drink. You can put your water in the fridge for a few hours or even overnight to infuse and cool. However, if you wish to drink it right away you can mash your fruit a little bit to get a stronger taste, add some ice cubes, and you're ready to go!

I found this awesome giant mason jar dispenser at AC Moore on sale for 10 bucks - seriously you CANNOT beat that! I was sooo excited when I got it and have been using it just about every day since then! You can find them just about anywhere now and I've seen them at a ton of different stores - Michael's, Home Goods, Hobby Lobby, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Target, Walmart, etc. Go get'cho self one!

In case you didn't notice, I clearly have an obsession with paper straws and have a nice little collection goin' here ;) I just love them and always get so excited when I find new colors/designs! You can find these at all of the stores I previously mentioned. Michael's, Hobby Lobby, and Target are my top faves and they always have some of the cutest ones. I have just about every color of the rainbow, as well as ones for every holiday - stars, stripes, polka dots, hearts, snowmen, snowflakes, etc. - yeah I have a problem.

So, for this particular infused water combination I used strawberries, mangoes, lemons, and mint leaves. This is one of my favorite go-to combos and tastes phenomenal. It's the perfect mix of sweetness, tanginess, and minty fricky-fricky-freshness.

A sunshiny morning with this acai berry smoothie parfait will be the perfect start to any day!

Smoothie ingredients:

- 2 bananas
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 1 tablespoon of Acai powder

Toppings:

- Banana slices
- Frozen blueberries
- Chia seeds

Directions:

Blend all of your ingredients together until smooth. Add your first layer, which is your smoothie, to your jar or cup. Next, add a layer of vanilla Greek yogurt - I use Chobani brand and used a few tablespoons here. Next, add your toppings in whatever way you wish to arrange them. Here, I arranged my banana slices around the outside and my blueberries + chia seeds in the inside. Next step is to DIG IN!

Enjoy!

What you'll need

- 2 bananas
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- 1 tbsp. of Acai powder
- 1 tsp. of chia seeds
- 3/4 cup of ice
- A little bit of water (to blend)

Directions:

Simply blend all of your ingredients together (except the chia seeds) and pulse until smooth. I added kiwi slices to the bottom of my jar, arranging them around the perimeter. Next, I poured in my smoothie and topped it with strawberries, blueberries, and chia seeds! 

When I first posted this smoothie on Instagram I got multiple questions asking, "Do you eat the kiwis?!" YES, OF COURSE I DO! Haha what else would I do with them!? ;) I added them for two reasons: the first of which was of course to make it look pretty and the second was to have a yummy little snack to enjoy at the end once I've finished the smoothie! Just think of it kinda like those amazing tasting screwballs that you get from the ice cream man in the summertime - the kiwis are the gum ball at the bottom of the popsicle ;)

Enjoy!

The perfect fall treat - all hail the APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE! Apple pie? Smoothie? Together in one? Yes, you heard that correctly. Too good to be true? Not quite, this is real life...

What you'll need:

- 2 whole apples (sliced)
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs
- A pinch of ginger and nutmeg
- 3/4 cup of ice cubes

Directions:

Blend all of your ingredients together, except the graham cracker crumbs. I like to add mine in afterwards to get that extra little bit of texture and flavor - like a pie crust!

This smoothie is delectable and just SCREAMS the word autumn! If you want to drink it the right way, sit in a giant pile of crunchy, colorful leaves. It will make it tastes 50x better ;)

Chia pudding:

- 2 cups of almond milk
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup of chia seeds
- 2 tbsp. of pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
- Stevia (to taste)

Pink layer:

- Pineapple
- Strawberry
- Banana

Orange layer:

- Peach
- Orange
- Mango
- Banana

Directions:

Your first step should be making your chia pudding because the absorption of the liquid into the seeds is an overnight process. Combine and mix all of your ingredients together and leave your mixture in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you'll be ready to make your smoothies!

Blend all of your ingredients together (separately for the two different colors/flavors) and pulse until smooth. Layer them one by one in a cup or jar, starting with a layer of chia pudding, then a layer of smoothie, then another layer of chia pudding, and lastly your second layer of smoothie (about 6 oz. of each per layer).

Garnish with some fruits for a yummy side - I had mangoes, strawberries, and oranges - and you're ready to dig in!

I'm a holiday fanatic and love any excuse to get festive.

I made these yummy smoothies for the family, my boyfriend, and I on Easter!

What you'll need:

- 2 bananas
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1 cup of raspberries
- 1 cup of blackberries
- 2 whole kiwis (sliced)
- 1 whole chopped mango
- 1 1/2 cups of orange juice
- 1/2 cup of ice

Directions:

Simply mix all of your ingredients together in a blender until smooth. This smoothie is bursting with flavor and is the perfect treat to make for your loved ones! Also, maybe next year you can leave one out the night before Easter - so the Easter Bunny can have a nice refreshment before he decorates your house with eggs ;)

Ribbon and egg decor: AC Moore

What you'll need:

- 2 bananas
- 5 large handfuls of spinach
- 2 cups of pineapple
- 1 whole pear
- 1 cup of cucumber
- 2 kiwis

Directions:

Add all of your ingredients together in a blender and blend on high until smooth. I call this my "green power smoothie" because a huge heaping of spinach is the main ingredient, which gives me a huge boost of energy!

Spinach is loaded with health benefits that stretch far beyond just nutrition. It is rich with the phytochemical beta-carotene that helps boost your vision, skin, and bone health. Additionally, it is home to the phytochemical lutein that strengthens heart health and helps prevent cancer. Five large handfuls of spinch a day keeps the doctor away! ;)

Don't worry though - the spinach flavor is not overwhelming and is balanced out by the tangy, tropical addition of the pineapple and kiwis.

Cucumber-patterned knife: Target. Click here to see more details!

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 1 frozen banana
- 1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
- 1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
- 1/4 cup of mango
- 2 cups of unsweetened almond milk

Toppings:

- Banana slices
- Quartered strawberries
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Hemp seed hearts
- Muesli

Directions:

To prepare the smoothie, simply add all of the ingredients together in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pour the smoothie in a jar, filling it up just a little over half way. Then, add a layer of muesli, followed by hemp seed hearts, toasted coconut flakes, strawberries, then finish it off with the bananas!

Enjoy! :)

Autumn is without a doubt my favorite season. I love how beautiful the trees look as their leaves are changing colors. I love the crisp, clean air. I love the warm hugs, the festive activities, the pumpkin picking adventures, and the snuggly cuddles. Everything bursts with beauty and every moment feels as if it should last forever.

A few of my favorites:

- Oversized sweaters
- Picking pumpkins 
- Carving pumpkins (and failing miserably... seriously I suck at carving pumpkins, but I still have fun!)
- Costumes/dressing up
- Candy corn
- Apple cider
- Scary movies
- Busch Gardens' "Howl-o-scream"

My birthday is also during this season and I'm a Halloween baby, so I may or may not be biased ;) But seriously people, how could you NOT love this perfect season?!

I love, love, love pumpkin everything. Pumpkin pies, pumpkin spice lattes, and PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE SMOOTHIES!

Pumpkin? Cheesecake? Together? In a smoothie? Hellz yeah, you heard that right. This smoothie is to die for and tastes like autumn inside of a jar (you know, if autumn had a taste of course).

What you'll need:

- 2 bananas
- 1 cup of almond milk
- 2 tbsp. of fat free cream cheese
- 2 tbsp. of crushed graham crackers
- 1 cup of pureed pumpkin 
- 1/2 cup of oats
- 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon
- 1 pinch of ginger and nutmeg (to taste)

Directions:

Mix all of your ingredients together in a blender. I blend my smoothie on low to try to maintain the relatively thick consistency of the pureed pumpkin. Once you've mixed all of your ingredients together, top your smoothie with crushed graham cracker crumbs. I added about one quarter of a cup more than what you see in these pictures because I loveeee me some graham cracker crumbs and like it extra crunchy ;) But anywho, add some baby figs on top and you have yourself a fabulous tasting slice of heaven.

Bon apetite my loves!

Orange juice:

- 1/2 of a whole pineapple (peeled and chopped)
- 8 oranges (peeled and rined)
- 7 medium-sized carrots (no leaves or stems)

Freshly squeezed tangy juice! One by one add each of your ingredients to a juicer. 1/2 of a whole medium-sized pineapple will yield roughly 12 oz. of juice, 8 oranges will yield about 16 oz. of juice, and 7 medium-sized carrots will yield 6 oz. for a total of 32 oz. of juice. Once you're finished, mix up your juice well and refrigerate it until it is fully chilled.

Purple juice:

- 1 1/4 cup of purple grapes
- 1 cup of blueberries
- 1/2 cup of blackberries
- 1 1/4 cup of cabbage

One by one, add each ingredient to a juicer. 1 1/4 cups of grapes and cabbage collectively will yield roughly 20 oz. of juice. One cup of blueberries will yield about 8 oz. of juice. One half cup of blackberries will yield 4 oz. of juice for a total of 32 oz. of juice. Once you're finished, mix up your juice well and refrigerate it until it is fully chilled.

Green smoothie:

- 2 cups of spinach
- 1/2 cup of celery
- 1/2 cup of cucumber
- 1/2 cup of kiwis
- 1/2 cup of green apples
- 1/4 cup of lime juice

Blend all of your ingredients together until smooth.

Pink smoothie:

- 2 cups of strawberries
- 1 3/4 cup of raspberries
- 1 1/4 cup of pomegranate

Blend all of your ingredients together until smooth.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day loves! This "Shamrock Swirl" smoothie is the perfect green treat to celebrate the luck of the Irish!

What you'll need:

- 1 1/2 cup of spinach
- 1/2 cup of cucumber
- 4 bananas
- 3/4 cup of pineapple
- 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut
- 1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt (plus an additional few dollops for the clouds)
- 1 Air Heads Extreme strip
- 2 tablespoons of bee pollen

Directions:

Green smoothie - blend together your spinach, cucumbers, and two whole bananas until smooth. 

White smoothie - blend together two whole bananas, your shredded coconut, and one cup of vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani brand) until smooth.

This will yield a little less than four cups worth of smoothie. I added a little bit of each smoothie to my jar and alternated starting with white, then green, then white, and so on until I had three layers of each. Then I swirled them together using a small spoon.

Next, I added a few large dollops of Greek yogurt "fluffy clouds" on top of the smoothie. For the rainbow, I used an air heads extreme strip and added a tablespoon of bee pollen at the end of each side to serve as large "pots of gold."

I hope you were as festive as I am and wore green today so you didn't get pinched! ;)

Enjoy!

I call this creation the 'tropical fiesta smoothie bowl' because for some reason, the shape and appearance of shredded coconut always reminds me of confetti and pinatas hahaha. And then of course this wouldn't be just a regular fiesta - but a tropical one instead - because of allll of the bright, tropical fruits! I got this awesome pineapple-shaped cutting board as a Christmas gift last year. I had my eye on it at Steinmart forever and lucky me - it ended up under the Christmas tree!

Ingredients:

- 2 bananas
- 2 cups of frozen blueberries
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 2 tablespoons of vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger

Toppings:

- Blueberries
- Kiwis
- Blood oranges
- Mangoes
- Pineapples
- Almonds
- Shredded coconut
- Hemp seed hearts

Directions:

Begin by blending your smoothie ingredients in a blender until smooth. Once done, pour the smoothie into a bowl and add the toppings! I used blueberries, kiwis, blood oranges, pineapples, mangoes, almonds, shredded coconut, and hemp seed hearts.

Enjoy! :)

What you'll need:

- 2 bananas
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- 2 whole kiwis (sliced)
- 1/2 cup of coconut water

Directions:

For your smoothie, blend all of these ingredients together until smooth. Carving the pineapple is pretty simple - don't be intimated! Simply cut off the top about a half inch or so under the palm. Then carefully use a medium-sized knife to carve out the actual fruit on the inside. Start from the top and work your down, cutting in a circular motion around the perimeter and working your way towards the center. 

Once you're finished, pour in your smoothie and add any extra toppings that you may like! This smoothie is seriously paradise inside of a pineapple - mmm, mmm, mmm.

Hope you enjoy, loves!

These slushies are the perfect summer treat. They're almost too sweet and refreshing for their own good!

What you'll need:

- Watermelon
- Lime
- Kiwis

Directions:

So, this is one of those creations where I just "winged it" and didn't really have a set recipe. However, I used about three cups of chopped, chilled watermelon and the juice from one whole lime for one serving. Next, all you have to do is mix them together in a food processor! 

The kiwis were just an extra treat on the side ;)

I always get questions about how to cut the perfect watermelon. But lemme tell ya, it's definitely really hard to cut one "perfectly." I plan on doing a video on how to cut all of the tricky fruits like watermelon, pineapple, mango, etc. so stay tuned! I'll make sure to post it on the blog and have a direct link on the "VIDEOS" page.

Watermelon knife: Kroger Marketplace. Click here to find one similar!

Watermelon napkins: Hobby Lobby. Click here to find something similar!

Smoothie bowls are definitely one of my number-one obsessions. They're just so easy to make, fun to decorate, and even more FUN TO EAT! Except of course the part where you have to tear apart your beautiful creation - that part's always a bit tragic.

This is a frozen acai blueberry smoothie bowl topped with mango, goji berries, muesli, and chia seeds. So what's the deal with all of these things - Acai? Chia seeds? Do I need to add these to my smoothie bowl, too?

The best part about smoothie bowls is that there's really no guidelines. You can make it however you want it, with whatever you want! I add toppings like these because they all provide health benefits that stretch far beyond what you'll receive from just having a plain fruit smoothie.

Acai comes in a few different forms, but I prefer to use powder. I buy "Navitas Naturals Organic Acai Powder," which can be found at most supermarkets. If you don't prefer powder, you can use a juice form or they even make capsules! Acai is what you would call a "superfood" which basically means it's stock full of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals essential to excellent health. For starters, the acai berry has a very distinct, sweet taste that I just can't get enough of! This antioxidant-abundant superfood strengthens the immune system, improves heart health, aids in digestion and detoxifying the "yuckies" inside of us, and is a natural source of energy! Try adding a scoop or two to your smoothies or protein shakes - I promise you'll love it!

Ahh chia seeds, chia seeds. Can't get enough of those chia seeds! I seriously can't imagine my life before chia seeds - I add them to EVERYTHING! Smoothies, yogurt, fruit platters, salads, water. I like to make things chia-licious babyyyy. So what's the scoop about chia seeds, you might ask? Well, chia seeds are an excellent source of protein and omega-3. You can find chia seeds just about anywhere - at your local grocery store, supermarket, or vitamin shop. I keep a 32 oz. mason jar filled with them on my counter so they're always handy. I'm kinda obsessed with mason jars and use them for just about everything (off topic but I'm going to finish this speal quick)... okay, so mason jars are just amazing. My boyfriend says I have a problem and calls me a "jar hoarder" but I just can't help it. I use them to organize all of my smoothie toppings like this, such as chia seeds, hemp seeds, goji berries, coconut, raw cacao, oats, and more! You can find a detailed post about this in the "BLOG" section! Anywho, time to get back on track. So yeah WOO CHIA SEEDS! THEY ROCK!

So I guess after all of that you're wondering where the recipe is, right? Sorry, it's coming right up.

What you'll need:

- 2 frozen bananas
- 3 cups of frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons of acai powder
- Mangoes
- Goji berries
- Chia seeds
- Muesli
- Any other toppings of your choice

Directions:

First, blend together your ingredients to make your smoothie which are the frozen bananas and blueberries + acai powder. Since you're using frozen fruit, you're going to end up with a thick, ice cream-like mixture. I use a food processor (Ninja), but a blender will work just fine! Pour your smoothie into a bowl - you can always freeze it for a little while if it didn't come out as thick/frozen as you had wished. From there, the rest is up to you! Add whatever kinds of toppings your heart desires! I added chopped mangoes, goji berries (a dried fruit), chia seeds, rolled oats, and also ate some freshly picked blackberries and raspberries with it.

Hope you enjoy!

Out of all the smoothie bowls I've ever made/had, this baby just stole first place for my new favorite. I named this "acai smoothie bowl topped with lots of goodies" because it's literally topped with sooo much goodness!

Smoothie ingredients:

- 3 frozen bananas
- 2 cups of frozen blueberries
- 1 cup of fresh strawberries
- 1 tbsp. of Acai powder

Toppings:

- Strawberries
- Frozen blueberries
- Heart-shaped bananas
- Kiwis
- Shredded coconut
- Bee pollen
- Chia seeds
- Dark chocolate hemp seeds

Directions:

For the smoothie, simply blend all of your ingredients together in either a blender or food processor, pour it inside of a bowl, and add your toppings.

This smoothie bowl is pretty close to perfection. It's delicious and PACKED with nutrients. Bee pollen is excellent for you and contains proteins, amino acids, and vitamins that are all essential to your health. Fun fact: bee pollen is richer in protein than almost any animal source out there!

I always have fun "decorating" my smoothie bowls and trying something a little different every time. For this one, I thought it would be a cute idea to cut out my banana slices in the shape of a heart. I failed miserably with the first few slices and completely butchered them, but got the hang of it after a little bit of trial and error!

Enjoy!

I'm dreaminggg of a whiteee Christmas!' But not with snow - with COCONUT! So as you can tell, I'm clearly a smoothie bowl fanatic and what better way to celebrate Christmas Eve than with a festive bowl of happiness.

Smoothie ingredients:

- 2 cups of spinach
- 1 frozen banana
- 2 whole kiwis (skinless)
- 1 whole pear
- Juice from 1/2 of a large lemon

Directions:

Add all of your ingredients in a blender, pulse until smooth, and pour in a bowl. For my toppings, I added strawberries, kiwis, goji berries, and a heaping of chia seeds.

In the second picture, there's coconut flakes on top. Considering the fact that it was 70 degrees and raining on Christmas Eve, this was about as close to a 'white' Christmas as I was gonna get. 

Happy holidays, loves! XOXO

This is one of my favorite summer treats! It's simple, delicious, and SUPER convenient! You can enjoy one at home or while you're soaking up some sun by the pool - or even have it to-go and enjoy it at the beach!

What you'll need:

- 1 large coconut
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Mangoes
- Kiwis

Directions:

I have received a lot of questions about how to properly crack a coconut. I'll tell ya right now - cracking coconuts is on my list of least favorite things. It's much easier to physically show, as opposed to trying to teach through a written explanation, so I will soon post a video showing how my goofy self does it!

I know many people use knives, tools, machetes - ain't nobody got time for all'a that! I've always had trouble with cracking coconuts with knives and tools (I don't trust myself with a machete), so one day I decided to use a brick and it worked like magic.

Yes, I said a brick. I have brick exterior on my home and I just go outside, hit it hard on the edge of the brick on the spot where I want to make the first initial "crack" (which will be a pretty big one), then hit it lightly with baby taps the rest of the way around. After your large initial crack, the coconut separates itself very easily. 

That probably sounded really crazy and complicated - I promise I'm not insane. Maybe it will make more sense once I make a video showing the process. Important note: make sure you drain the water before you crack it open. If not, it'll splash everywhere and you'll waste all of that yummy goodness! To drain the water, simply carve out one of the eyes, or holes, until you've cut all the way through the flesh. Then, I just turn it upside down and let it sit in a cup while the water drains.

So once you're done with all that crazy mess, simply add your fruit inside! Enjoy!

Water bottle: Fiji Artesian Water

Happy Easter loves! I hope you all had wonderful days filled with nothing but good times and happiness, while of course not failing to keep in mind that today is celebrated for our savior. My day was spent with the people that mean the most to me. I'm so thankful for them and the amount of blessings that I have to thank God for are just endless. Anddd of course it was also filled with LOTS of festive fun, colorful eggs, and fabulous food.

I'm a little kid at heart and will never turn down an offer to go on an Easter egg hunt - because let's just face it, who would really say no to eggs filled with candy?! Not me, that's for sure. Finding my basket on Easter morning was always the best part. A few of other favorite holiday traditions are dying Easter eggs, having a huge Easter dinner, and of course church services to celebrate the Lord.

Brunch this morning consisted of a strawberry smoothie bowl topped with banana slices and honey toasted granola + lemon infused water!

Smoothie ingredients: 

- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 cups of strawberries
- 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt

Toppings:

- 1/2 frozen banana (sliced)
- A few tablespoons of honey toasted granola

Infused water:

- 1 whole, small lemon (sliced)
- 16 oz. of fresh, cold water

Directions:

For your smoothie, simply blend all of your ingredients together until smooth. I have a Ninja blender and it is absolutely amazing! However, today I got to use my boyfriend's parents' blender, which is a Vitamix. That is literally my DREAMMM blender and hope to one day own one!

Once your smoothie is ready, pour it inside of a bowl. Add on your toppings and your Easter smoothie bowl is complete! This granola is Bear Naked Brand and it tastes fabulous! It's made with whole grain oats, almonds, is free from any artificial preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and any of those other monkey business additives, and contains about 10g of protein!

To make your infused water, simply add in your lemon slices to a cup or jar. Next, pour in your water. Additional optional steps you may take are to add ice cubes or to squeeze your lemon sliced a little bit for faster infusion (I might have just made that word up, I don't know). However, unlike berries which take a lot longer to infuse, you shouldn't have to mash or squeeze your fruit for the taste to arrive faster. You will taste the citric juice from the lemons right away!

Once again, I hope you all had an AMAZING Easter and got to spend it with those that truly hold a special place in your heart. 

Enjoy!

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 3 cups of spinach
- 2 cups of frozen pineapple
- 2 bananas
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lime juice

Toppings:

- Frozen pineapple
- Bananas
- Kiwis
- Shredded coconut
- Bee pollen

Directions:

Begin by preparing your smoothie. Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. It always takes greens such as spinach or kale a longer amount of time to become finely blended due to their "pulpy" consistency. So, add the spinach, coconut milk, and lime juice and blend them together first. Then, proceed to add the frozen pineapple and bananas afterwards. This strategy allows me to not have to blend the frozen items for a long time to compensate for the amount of time it takes to finely blend the spinach and I was able to keep the smoothie thicker and more ice cream-like.

To assemble the smoothie bowl, begin by pouring the smoothie into a bowl. I added a layer of pineapples followed by a layer of bananas, kiwis, shredded coconut, and bee pollen.

Enjoy! :)

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 3 cups of fresh spinach
- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 cup of fresh mango
- 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 cup of almond milk

Smoothie Toppings:

- Strawberries
- Kiwis
- Raspberries
- Pears

Directions:

Begin by blending the spinach and almond milk in a blender and pulse until smooth. Next, add the rest of the fruit followed by the ground ginger, and again pulse until smooth. Once the smoothie is ready, pour it into a bowl and add the toppings! I used fresh strawberries, kiwis, raspberries, and pears.

Enjoy! :)

Hooray, it's the 4th of July! Today is one my favorite days of the entire year. It's a day to be surrounded by the great company of family and friends. It's a day to be festive and wear a cute outfit equipped with the perfect touches of red, white, and blue. It's a day to spend the morning splashing around by the pool, the afternoon grilling yummy food, and the evening doing tricks with sparklers and watching fireworks light up the sky. But most importantly, it's a day to celebrate the independence of the beautiful country I live in.

Freedom isn't free and although many people may view the 4th of July as a day off from work and a time to spend eating hamburgers and hotdogs, there's much more to it than just that. Never forget to be thankful for your blessings and celebrate the gift of freedom that lies in the hearts, spirits, and actions of our extraordinary fellow Americans. America is free because of the brave.

For breakfast today, I whipped up a super festive/patriotic smoothie bowl!

Smoothie ingredients:

- 4 cups of frozen strawberries
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup of water

Toppings:

- Blueberries
- Coconut chips
- Star-shaped strawberries

Directions:

For your smoothie, simply blend all of the ingredients together and pulse until smooth. Next, pour your tasty smoothie into a bowl and garnish it with any toppings of your choice! For mine, I used blueberries, coconut chips, and star-shaped strawberries. I used a small, star-shaped cookie cutter that came in a 3-piece set from Hobby Lobby, which you can find here!

Enjoy!

Eat the rainbow, folks!

This lovely smoothie bowl is light and simple, but BURSTING with flavor. I'm completely obsessed with smoothie bowls and they're always my #1 go-to meal for breakfast or just for a quick snack.

Smoothie ingredients:

- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 1 cup of fresh raspberries

Toppings:

- Raspberries
- Pineapple
- Kiwis
- Blueberries
- Blackberries

Directions:

Blend your ingredients together until smooth and fill a bowl with your smoothie. I use a food processor for most of my smoothie bowls (as opposed to a blender) to achieve a thicker, more "ice cream-like" mixture.

Add your fruit on top - of course I had to arrange mine in ROYGBIV order - cause that just makes it taste 10x better ;) Boom... you're done. Now you can dig in!

Shoes: Nike Air Max Thea (hot pink ombre). Click here for more details!

It's the best time of the year - summertime! Summer signifies the end of cold weather and a long year of school work and the start of relaxation and countless days of soaking up the sun. Seriously, what better way to celebrate than with a refreshing, coconut smoothie bowl?! Strawberries are finally in season and made the perfect addition to this sweet treat!

What you'll need:

- 1 large coconut
- 1 banana
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup of coconut water

Directions:

I have included in a few of my recipes how I open my coconuts, which you can find here. However, today I tried something a little different. There are many different tools out there that are made specifically for opening coconuts and some people even use machetes. Today, I used a small knife and a hammer, which resulted in a perfect, even crack all the way around.

First, make sure you drain the water out of the coconut. I do so by piercing one of the "eyes" (holes) all the way through the flesh. Then, I turn the coconut upside down and place it on top of a cup so the water can drain out.

Next, place the tip of the knife on any spot in the middle of the coconut and begin to tap it with the hammer. Once the knife pierces through the shell, it will immediately begin to separate and crack along the line of the knife. Pull the knife out very carefully, making sure that the sharp blade is pointing away from you. Repeat this step until you have a full crack along the entire circumference of the coconut. Now, the two halves will separate easy as pie!

Last but not least, blend all of your smoothie ingredients together and pulse until smooth. Pour your smoothie inside of the coconut half - make sure you use the one without the hole so you don't make a huge mess - and now you can dig in. Enjoy!

This smoothie bowl is the perfect solution for a yummy breakfast to brighten up your morning.

Smoothie ingredients:

- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup of pineapple
- 1/2 cup of mangoes
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 3 tablespoons of Vanilla greek yogurt

Toppings:

- Strawberries
- Kiwis
- Chia seeds
- Shredded coconut
- Bee pollen

Directions:

Blend all of your ingredients together and pulse until smooth. Next, pour your smoothie into a bowl.

Next, add your toppings. First I first started with the strawberries. I arranged them around the perimeter of the bowl, added my kiwis to the center and added a teaspoon of chia seeds on top of them, then sprinkled some shredded coconut and bee pollen on top of the remaining exposed smoothie.

Enjoy!

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 cup of fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple
- 1/2 cup of fresh mango
- 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lime juice

Toppings (in order from left to right):

- Raspberries
- Mangoes
- Pineapples
- Kiwis
- Blueberries
- Dragonfruit
- Cherries

Directions:

To prepare the smoothie, simply mix all of the ingredients together in a high-speed blender or food processor. Next, pour the smoothie into a bowl and add the toppings to the smoothie. I arranged my fruit toppings in rainbow order, starting with raspberries and proceeded to add mango, pineapple, kiwi, blueberries, dragonfruit, and cherries.

Enjoy! :)

Smoothie bowls are my absolute FAVE thing to eat! They're easy to make, so delicious, and you can have all kinds of fun decorating them/making them pretty!

So what is a smoothie bowl? Well, it's exactly what it sounds like! A smoothie - inside of a bowl. The whole secret advantage behind having it in a bowl is being able to enjoy it with a wide variety of different toppings - ranging from fruit, to granola, to seeds, to anything your heart desires!

Smoothie ingredients:

- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 cups of strawberries
- 1 cup of blueberries
- A little bit of water (to blend)

Toppings:

- 4 large strawberries (sliced)
- 2 large kiwis (sliced)
- 1/3 cup of blueberries
- 1/2 whole mango (sliced)
- 1/2 whole dragonfruit (sliced)

Directions:

First, begin by thoroughly washing the fruit and cutting it, where necessary.

To prepare the smoothie, simply blend the frozen bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and a splash of water together and pulse until smooth (blending on a lower setting helps keep the smoothie thicker and easier to scoop). You're almost done - all you have to do now is add your toppings!

Starting from the strawberries and going to the right in ROYGBIV order, I topped this creation with bright red strawberries, delicious mango chunks, perfectly ripened kiwis, sweet blueberries, and dragonfruit (one of my absolute fave summer fruits). This rainbow smoothie bowl is not only appealing to the eye, but tastes out-of-this-world. 

Enjoy!

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 1 frozen pack of Sambazon Acai Berry
- 2 frozen bananas
- 2 cups of fresh strawberries
- 1/2 cup of fresh pineapple
- 1/2 cup of fresh mango
- 1 cup of almond milk

Toppings:

- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Kiwis
- Bee pollen
- Chia seeds

Directions:

Begin by preparing your smoothie. Add all of the ingredients to a high-speed food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. To assemble the smoothie bowl, begin by pouring the smoothie into a bowl. I added strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, kiwis, bee pollen, and chia seeds on top.

I got this super cute pineapple serving tray from Home Goods for frickin' $4.99!!!!! Holy bargain! I'm totally obsessed with that store and I think I got such a good deal on this tray because it's out of season now with it being fall and winter just right around the corner. So that's your place to go find adorable but cheap summery stuff people!! Of course, I had to pair the pineapple tray with my nifty pineapple mug (not sure where that's from... it was a gift from momma dukes).

Enjoy!

What you'll need:

- 2 cups of frozen mango chunks
- 1 cup of chopped pineapple
- 1 banana
- 1 big splash of coconut water (1/3 cup-ish)
- A little bit of water (to blend)

Directions:

Blend all of your ingredients together and pulse until smooth! Plus if you add the palm from your pineapple on top then it looks pretty darn cool (but don't eat it), so yeah - enjoy!

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 1 frozen banana
- 2 cups of frozen strawberries
- 2/3 cup of Chobani raspberry Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup of coconut water
- 1 teaspoon of organic vanilla powder

Toppings:

- Strawberries
- Pomegranate
- Coconut chips

Directions:

For the smoothie, simply mix all of the ingredient together in a high-speed food processor (or blender if preferred). Scoop out the smoothie into a bowl and top it with your strawberries, pomegranate, and coconut chips.

These cute napkins are from the Dollar Tree (one of my favorite places to go to search for bargain holiday items). The candy heart stickers are from AC Moore and the festive gift tag is from Michael's, which came with three other adorable styles!

Enjoy! XOXO

I'm super duper festive and absolutely loveee any reason to get fancy and get my celebration on! Valentine's Day is a somewhat seemingly silly (wow, that was a mouthful) holiday to me - but at the same time, I think it's great to have a day dedicated to celebrating love and reminding our significant others how much they truly mean to us. 

Allllll my single ladies, all my single ladies - put'cho hands up! Y'all are fabulous too! It's this very reason that I'm iffy about this holiday. I think that it singles out the people who aren't in a relationship, but you all shouldn't feel any less loved or wanted than those who are wrapped up in the mushy gushiness of flowers and chocolates and giant over-sized teddy bears. Love yourself and embrace your independence!

Smoothie ingredients:

- 2 frozen bananas
- 1 cup of frozen raspberries
- 1 cup of frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon of acai powder

Toppings:

- Raspberries
- Raw cacao bits
- Pomegranate
- Chia seeds

Directions:

Blend all of your ingredients together. I got this amazingly cute heart-shaped bowl from Home Goods (best store EVER!) and it fit the occasion perfectly.

Pour your smoothie into a bowl, add all of your toppings to your smoothie bowl and your creation is complete! 

Now, this creation is so so tasty and although I'd like to say that you should devour it all by yourself, I'll refrain and instead say that you should share it with your special boo thang (if you have one) but ONLY because it's Valentine's Day. If not, well then shoooot all the more for you! ;)

Sending you all lots of love! XOXO

Fall is here and it's the bessssst time of the year! Fall is without a doubt my favorite season for many, many reasons - but I think the most notable one is because I get to create/indulge in tasty, festive treats!

Today I made something I like to call 'baked cinnamon-apple poppers' - even though they're a little too large to physically 'pop' into your mouth, they're ohhhh so tasty and you'll surely wish you could devour them in just one bite!

Ingredients:

- 6 large, red apples (fully ripened)
- 3 individual packs of Quaker instant oats
- Marzetti Old Fashioned Caramel Dip (drizzle)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- Cinnamon (to taste)
- Nutmeg (to taste)

Directions:

First things first, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, begin preparing the filling. Chop and peel two apples, then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Add them into a small pan, along with the olive oil, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sauté the mixture on medium heat for about five minutes (or until the apples have became soft). 

Next, cut off the head of the apple, about 1 cm. from the top. After this step is complete, begin to carve out the 'guts' of the apple - I first used a small knife to carve out a shallow chunk of the flesh around the circumference of the apple, then spooned out the rest.

Next, add a few spoonfuls of the filling to each apple and place them on a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Bake for 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you prefer them to be (I believe I took mine out right around 7 minutes).

Now for the best part - THE CARAMELLLLL! Take a plastic baggie and cut a small hole in one of the corners. Place a couple spoonfuls of caramel dip inside of the bag and shape/squeeze it down to the bottom until all of it has reached the corner where the hole is. Next, drizzle caramel on top of each apple and your creation is complete. Time to DIG IN!

Enjoy! :)

What you'll need:

- Vanilla Greek yogurt
- Bananas
- Granola
- Chia seeds
- Dark chocolate covered almonds
- Cinnamon

Directions:

Simply add vanilla Greek yogurt to a bowl, followed by all of your toppings! You can modify the ingredient choices, but I definitely recommend trying out this combination! It tastes fabulous!

What you'll need:

- Strawberries
- Mangoes
- Tangerines
- Grapes
- Blueberries

Directions:

Cut, peel, and wash your fruit - then put it on a pretty plate and enjoy! :)

Tasty (and healthy - score!) gingerbread cookies that are sure to spice up any special event. The best part is that gingerbread cookies taste GREAT all year 'round... well, all cookies do... BUT, the decorations can easily be tweaked to suit any holiday or fun-filled occasion that calls for some yummy treats!

Cookie dough:

- 3 cups of whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
- 1/2 cup of light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup of butter (I use smart choice, non-dairy olive oil)
-1/2 cup of blackstrap molasses
- 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening
- 1 large egg

Toppings:

- Wilton, gel-writing frosting (red, white, and green)

Directions:

Begin by mixing together the wet ingredients (butter and vegetable shortening) in a high-speed mixer - I use a Kitchen Aid. Beat in the egg and molasses. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, allspice, and light brown sugar). Once all of the dry ingredients are mixed well, add them to the mixer, a few tablespoons at a time, with the wet ingredients. Knead until the dough becomes thick and uniform. Separate the dough into four flat circles and cover them with plastic wrap. I made the dough at night and decorated the next morning - this allowed it to have enough time to set overnight in the refrigerator. If you are making the dough the same day you plan on decorating, allow it 2-3 hours to set beforehand.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place two long sheets of parchment paper on a hard surface and lightly cover them with more whole wheat flour. Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and roll it out flat, using a wooden rolling pin.

Using any cookie cutters of your choice, begin to cut out shapes with the rolled dough. I used gingerbread man, snowflakes, candy canes, Christmas trees, and stars.

Remove the cookies from the parchment paper and transfer both sheets to two separate long baking sheets. Lightly coat them them with cooking spray and arrange the cookies on top, about 1/2" - 1" apart.

Allow the first batch to bake for about 10 minutes on the middle rack of the oven. Check on them after a few minutes to make sure they are not cooking too quickly. Remove the first batch and cook the second batch for the same amount of time.

Place the baked cookies on a cooling rack and allow them up to one hour to fully cool down before you begin to decorate.

I used Wilton, gel-writing frosting for the decorations, along with mini M&Ms and Sour Punch candies for the buttons. This is where you can get creative and really have fun with the cookies! You can try any design or pattern - there's really no right or wrong way to do this part. 

Enjoy! :)

This is a light, tasty meal that's perfect for breakfast or lunch!

Avo-toast:

- 1 slice of whole wheat or multi-grain bread
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 of a whole avocado

Coconut bowls:

- 1 large coconut
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Kiwis

Directions:

Scramble two egg whites in a pan with a very small amount of olive oil. Cut your avocado in half and remove the pit. Then, cut the half into quarter-inch thick slices. Toast your slice of bread then add your egg whites and avocado slices on top.

I know many people use knives, tools, or even machetes to open coconuts. I've always had trouble with cracking them open with knives and tools (I don't trust myself with a machete), so one day I decided to use a brick and it worked like magic.

Yes, I said a brick. I have brick exterior on my home and I just go outside, hit it hard on the edge of the brick on the spot where I want to make the first initial "crack" (which will be a pretty big one), then hit it lightly with baby taps the rest of the way around. After your large initial crack, the coconut separates itself very easily. 

Important note: make sure you drain the water before you crack it open. If not, it'll splash everywhere and you'll waste all of that yummy goodness! To drain the water, simply carve out one of the eyes, or holes, until you've cut all the way through the flesh. Then, I just turn it upside down and let it sit in a cup while the water drains.

So once you're done with all that crazy mess, simply add your fruit inside! I had a cup of hot green tea with lemon, as well.

Enjoy!

Dragonfruit is one of my favorite summer fruits. It's flavorful, goes great with anything, and is just such a gorgeous fruit!

Dragonfruit boats:

- 1 whole dragonfruit
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Kiwis

Infused water:

- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Lemons
- Cold, fresh water

Directions:

Although it may look complicated to cut dragonfruit, it's actually really, really simple! Just cut it right down the middle! It's not like a pineapple or mango with a tough core. Dragonfruit is rather soft, and I would consider the inner texture to be pretty close to that of a kiwi.

Once you have your two halves, use a mini ice cream scooper to carve out the actual fruit itself. This is how I get them to look like little balls! Then just add in your favorite fruits and you have yourself some cute, tasty little dragonfruit boats!

This was the perfect summer treat to have while lounging by the pool! I had myself a little picnic - just whipped out a towel, my handy dandy fruit tray (details below), and I was set for an afternoon with a tasty meal, sunshine, and lotssss of relaxation!

Fruit tray: Target

Crust:

- 2 packs of Pillsbury pie dough sheets (comes with 2 each)

Filling:

- 1, 3-pound bag of Red Delicious apples (chopped and peeled)
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of grated lemon peels
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1 pinch of nutmeg (to taste)
- 1 pinch of cinnamon (to taste)

Directions:

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next begin to prepare your apples for the filling. I have one of those handy dandy thingamabobs that cut out the core of the apple and divides it into 8 separate wedges. From there, all I have to do is cut the peel off of each wedge and thinly slice them (about 4 slices per wedge). Add each of the other ingredients into a bowl and toss them together until you have a uniform mixture (I just use a cheese grater to zest the lemon peels).

Lightly coat a pie pan with nonstick spray. Lay out some flour on a hard surface, pat some on your hands, and roll out one sheet of dough. Shape it into the bottom of the pie pan, kneading the edges to mold to the top of the pan. Next, add in the filling. Use another sheet of dough to form the lattice on top of the filling. Cut each slice about 1" thick and place them diagonally on top of the filling. Place the remaining pieces diagonally in the opposite direction and weave them in an over-and-under motion to achieve the lattice pattern.

This part can be optional, but I think it adds the cutest final touch and is the perfect way to achieve a festive fall/Thanksgiving theme! Use one final sheet of dough to cut out leaves for the crust. My mom got me this set of leaf-shaped cookie cutters so I'm not sure where these particular ones are from, but I've seen similar ones at multiple home good stores. I just used 2 out of the 4 leaf designs - one around the outside of the crust and another in the middle of the pie.

Mix a little bit of olive oil and milk together and brush it along the top of the pie once it is complete. Wrap aluminum foil around the outside edge of the crust before placing the pie in the middle rack of the oven - it's a lot thinner than the middle of the pie and will begin to brown at a much faster rate. This prevents it from getting all bizzurnt and what not... ain't nobody got time for that. Lastly, pop that sucker in the oven! Cooking time will be roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Allow it to cool down before serving - it tastes greaaaatttt with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top!

Enjoy! :)

Crust:

- 2 packs of Pillsbury pie dough sheets (comes with 2 each)

*I seriously suck at making homemade pie crust, so I prefer store-bought... makes my life a whole lot easier*

Filling:

- 4 Red Delicious apples and 4 Gala apples (chopped and peeled)
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of grated lemon peels
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt
- 1 pinch of nutmeg (to taste)
- 1 pinch of cinnamon (to taste)

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next begin to prepare your apples for the filling. I have one of those handy dandy thingamabobs (pictures above) that cut out the core of the apple and divides it into 8 separate wedges. From there, all I have to do is cut the peel off of each wedge and thinly slice them (about 4 slices per wedge). Add each of the other ingredients into a bowl and toss them together until you have a uniform mixture (I just use a cheese grater to zest the lemon peels).

Lightly coat a pie pan with nonstick spray. Lay out some flour on a hard surface, pat some on your hands, and roll out one sheet of dough. Shape it into the bottom of the pie pan, kneading the edges to mold to the top of the pan. Next, add in the filling. Use another sheet of dough to form the lattice on top of the filling. Cut each slice about 1/2" thick and place them diagonally on top of the filling. Place the remaining pieces diagonally in the opposite direction and weave them in an over-and-under motion to achieve the lattice pattern.

This part can be optional, but I think it adds the cutest final touch and is the perfect way to achieve a festive fall/Thanksgiving theme! Use one final sheet of dough to cut out leaves for the crust, as well as the braided edge. To achieve the braided pattern, simply cut two thin strands of dough and twist them around each other.

Mix a little bit of olive oil and milk together and brush it along the top of the pie once it is complete. Wrap aluminum foil around the outside edge of the crust before placing the pie in the middle rack of the oven - it's a lot thinner than the middle of the pie and will begin to brown at a much faster rate. This prevents it from getting all bizzurnt and what not... ain't nobody got time for that. Lastly, pop that sucker in the oven! Cooking time will be roughly 1 hour, but I always check it on it at the 45-minute mark to make sure it's not cooking too quickly.

Allow it to cool down before serving - it tastes greaaaatttt with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top! (P.S. I forgot to take a picture of it cooked... oops; you get the point though)

Enjoy! :)

Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of whole grain, creamy buckwheat
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Muesli
- Cookie butter
- Spirulina carob energy squares

Directions:

Cook 1/2 cup of whole grain, creamy buckwheat and adorn it with all of your tasty, energizing toppings!

Enjoy! :)

So normally when I make desserts, I try to make them as healthified (word check?) as possible, but I'm guilty for eating wayyyy too many sugary, sinful treats this month. My roommates and I have baked a ton of yummy goodies - pumpkin cheesecake, peach fritters, cupcakes, cookies - UGH, I'm definitely going to need to hit the gym ASAP. But hey, you gotta live a little sometimes! Plus it's my favorite month, so I'll just pretend all of these calories never happened...

Cookie batter ingredients:

- 1 box of vanilla sugar cookie mix
- 1/2 cup of butter (I use Smart Balance non-dairy, olive oil butter)
- 1 tablespoon of vanilla soy milk (optional)
- 1 egg

Toppings:

- Pillsbury Funfetti frosting
- Wilton halloween sprinkles

Directions:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Soften the butter in the microwave for roughly 10 seconds. Add the cookie mix, softened butter, milk (optional), and egg into a bowl and knead it together until you have a uniform mixture.

Once you have a doughy mixture, knead the cookie dough into small, individual balls. I put a little bit of flour on my counter and re-coat my hands with a few pats before rolling together each ball (this helps prevent sticking). Place the cookie dough balls onto a lightly sprayed, non-stick pan and bake them for about 10 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the size you made the cookie dough balls.

Last but not least, the best part - FROSTING AND SPRINKLES! I used Pillsbury Funfetti frosting and Wilton halloween sprinkles. Use a small spatula to spread about 1-2 tablespoons of frosting on each cookie. Finally, add the sprinkles on top and your ready to dig in!

Enjoy! :)

Crust:

- 1 pack of Pillsbury pie dough (comes with 2 separate sheets)

Filling:

- 2 cups of blueberries
- 5 cups of strawberries
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of grated lemon peels
- 1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions:

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next, begin to prepare the fruit for your filling. Begin by cutting the strawberries into halves or quarters, depending on personal size preference. Thoroughly wash the chopped strawberries and blueberries and set them aside in separate bowls. Add half of the ingredient portion of the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, and salt to each of the bowls and toss them together until you have a uniform mixture.

Lightly coat a pie pan with nonstick spray. Lay out some flour on a hard surface, pat some on your hands, and roll out one sheet of dough. Shape it into the bottom of the pie pan, kneading the edges to mold to the top of the pan. Next, add in the blueberries to the top left corner of the pan (about 1/4 of the area) and add the strawberries to the remaining area. Use the other sheet of dough to cut out the stars and stripes for the crust. I used a small, metal cookie cutter for the stars and cut each stripe about 1" thick.

Mix a little bit of olive oil and milk together and brush it along the top of the pie once it is complete. Wrap aluminum foil around the outside edge of the crust before placing the pie in the middle rack of the oven - this prevents it from getting all bizzurnt and what not... ain't nobody got time for that. Lastly, pop that sucker in the oven! Cooking time will be roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Enjoy! :)

A quick, tasty snack packed with lots of nutrients!

What you'll need:

- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Nuts
- Peanut butter

Directions:

Simply cut your bananas into slices and add it on top of your peanut butter, along with some blueberries and nuts.

A lot of people think that peanut butter is "bad" for you because it's an additive to many sugary treats like candies, cakes, milkshakes, etc. Of course eating anything in excessive, unreasonable portions will have a negative impact on your health, but peanut butter is a great food to eat in moderation.

The fats inside of peanut butter are non-saturated, essentially meaning that they're the "good fats" and pose great nutritional benefits. Peanut butter is full of protein, improves heart health, and is rich in both fiber and essential anti-oxidants. 

My personal favorite is Earth Balance All-Natural Peanut Butter. It has very little unhealthy additives and has both a low sugar and sodium content. They have tons of different healthful spreads and tasty flavors!

Here's a few suggestions:

Earth Balance Creamy Peanut Butter and Flaxseed
Earth Balance Creamy Coconut and Peanut Spread
Earth Balance Organic Sweet Cinnamon Spread
Earth Balance Organic Roasted Garlic & Herbs Spread

The perfect snack for any season or time of the day. Seriously, you just can't go wrong with this tasty treat!

I love using fruit as "bowls" to snack on other fruits, smoothies, yogurt, or oatmeal! Some of my favorites to use are pineapples, papaya, watermelon, and coconuts. For this yummy snack I used a large pineapple as my fruit bowl and added strawberries, blueberries, purple grapes, kiwis, and pomegranate.

What could possibly make this treat even better? INFUSED WATER!

I've talked about infused water in many of my posts and can't stress enough how good it is for you! Just to reiterate:

Not only does infused water taste delicious, but it has so many nutritional benefits to offer. Adding fruit to your water will give it an extra boost of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are all essential to your health and provide you with a natural source of energy throughout the day.

For this infused water, I just used blueberries since I already had a fruit party goin' on with my pineapple bowl ;) It's easy and simple, but also tastes amazing!

For this delectable treat, simply cut a pineapple in half (longways) right down the center. Carve out the "meat" of your pineapple, leaving about a 1/2 thick border around the entire perimeter (so you're bowl doesn't collapse). Next, simply add in some fresh fruit. I used strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and kiwis.

Enjoy!

Mug: "Do More of What Makes You Happy" - TJ Maxx

This chia pudding combined with pomegranate, mango, kiwi, and blueberries will seriously rock your socks!

What you'll need:

- 2 cups of almond milk
- 1 cup of Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup of chia seeds
- 2 tbsp. of pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
- Stevia (to taste)

Directions:

Combine and mix all of your ingredients together and allow your mixture to sit in the refrigerator overnight. There's two reasons that you need to do this. The first is to allow your chia seeds to absorb your liquid mixture, which will result in a pudding-like consistency. The second is simply because it tastes amazing when it's nice and chilled!

For my toppings, I used pomegranate, mango, kiwi, and blueberries. You can add whatever kind of toppings you'd like to your chia pudding - fruits, nuts, seeds, and it even tastes great layered with oatmeal or a smoothie.

Enjoy!

What you'll need:

- Vanilla Greek Yogurt
- Raspberries
- Cantaloupe
- Pineapple
- Kiwis
- Blueberries

Directions:

Add your yogurt to the bowl. Then, wash and chop your fruit (if necessary). Add them on top and if your fruits are the same color as mine here, it only makes sense to arrange them in ROYGBIV (rainbow) order - yay for prettiness!

Yogurt/fruit bowls are one of my favorite snacks. They're quick and easy to make, require no cooking or skill (you really can't "mess" them up), and they're sooo yummy/nutritious!

It's an easy breakfast to take on-the-go with you. If I have a busy day ahead of me during the week and have to bring my breakfast with me to class or work, I transform my "yogurt bowl" into a "yogurt tupperware." Instead of using a bowl, just add your yogurt to a tupperware container, top it with your fruits, then seal it with a lid and you're ready to go!

Try it for yourself! :)

I love, love, LOVE chia pudding because it's super tasty and easy to make! It's a frequent go-to breakfast choice of mine and I like trying it with something a little bit different each time. Y'all have probably realized by now that I'm completely obsessed with smoothies, so that's something that I like to pair with chia pudding to have myself a delicious little treat!

Smoothie ingredients:

- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Chia pudding ingredients:

- 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup of chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Toppings:

- Muesli
- Strawberries
- Bananas
- Mint leaves

Directions:

The first step is to prepare the chia pudding because this part takes the most time. Combine and mix all of your ingredients together and allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator overnight. Once the next morning has arrived, you've allowed the chia pudding to sit overnight, and the seeds have soaked up the liquid to form a 'puddingy' texture, you can assemble the treat - if you prefer to make/eat it the on the same day, allow it to set for at least 5 hours.

For the smoothie, simply add all of the ingredients to a high-speed food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. To put it all together, start off by adding a layer of smoothie to a jar, followed by a layer of chia pudding and muesli and garnish it with strawberries, bananas, and mint leaves.

Enjoy! XOXO

Base:

- 1 cup of pitted dates
- 1 1/2 cup of almonds
- 1 small pinch of salt

Mango filling:

- 6 tablespoons of coconut oil
- 2/3 cup of coconut milk
- 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons of Agave nectar
- 2 cups of cashews (soaked in boiling water for 1 hour)
- 3 cups of mangoes

Strawberry filling:

- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of dates
- 2 cups of strawberries
- 1 banana

Toppings:

- Fresh strawberries
- Edible flowers

(Actual size: 8 inches // serving size: 10-12)

Directions:

First, prepare your base. Soak the dates in a bowl of warm water for 20 minutes. Dates will sweeten the crust and soaking them in water will make the texture more pasty. Once they've soaked, drain the water and pat them dry. Add the almonds into a food processor and turn it on medium-high until they are all finely chopped. Once they are finished, add in the dates and pulse until you have a dough-like mixture. I have a Ninja food processor that I'm completelyyy in LOVE with! I use the "dough" setting and it makes my mixture the perfect texture.

I used a springform pan but if you don't have one, I'm sure a regular cake or pie pan would work just fine. I do believe it will be harder to remove the cake from a regular pan once it is frozen, though (due to the almost gooey-like texture of the crust before it's frozen), so I recommend lining the pan with parchment paper! Add the base to the bottom of the pan and spread it evenly around the circumference, kneading it flat. 

For both of your different filling flavors, simply add all of the ingredients together in a blender and pulse until smooth. I used frozen fruit for each filling, but next time I am going to use thawed or fresh fruit to achieve a more desirable final texture. Pour each filling into the pan, starting first with the mango filing on top of the base and following it with the strawberry filling. Cover your cake with plastic wrap and place the pan in a freezer, letting it freeze until it is solid all the way through (I just left mine in there until I woke up in the morning... ya know, since I made this at 12 AM).

Last but not least, it's time to make your cake pretty! I added fresh strawberries on top, paired with edible flowers that I tried for the first time. I was honestly a little skeptical about them and thought to myself, "What am I? A rabbit?" Butttt, I think they were the perfect touch and they were pretty tasty too! Once you're ready to dig in, make sure you've allowed roughly 20 minutes for the cake to thaw so that cutting it won't give you a wrist fracture. If it's still a little tough to break in to, run your knife under hot water for a few seconds before cutting your slices.

Enjoy! :)

A super tasty, colorful summer treat!

Ingredients:

- Watermelon
- Pineapple
- Dragonfruit
- Peaches
- Blueberries
- Kiwis

Directions:

Cut, peel, and wash the fruit as needed - then enjoy! :)

"Don't play with your food" they said.

"You'll get in trouble" they said.

Remember when we were little and our parents/grandparents always told us not to play with our food? Yeah, I never listened and I still do it to this day ;)

No but seriously, so many of my friends say that I play with my food! And I'm just like wellllll ya gotta make it fun! I love creating fruit platters, they're definitely one of my favorite things to make! There's not much work required - no blending, baking, freezing, toasting - none of that! Ain't nobody got time for that! Really, the only thing ya gotta do is chop fruit (maybe) but for some things like berries you don't even need to do that. 

So yeah, as you can tell I like to "play" with my food as so many people would like to say. But more so, I enjoy getting to be creative and turn a regular old meal into artwork! 

I love summer fruits and everything that comes along with them - the bold colors and flavors, the juiciness, getting to pick them myself from local farmer's markets - GAH, just everything!

What you'll need:

- Pineapple
- Mangoes
- Strawberries
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Passionfruit

I made this platter using all of the beautiful fruits listed above. I always get asked "whats that?" when I eat passionfruit around my friends. Or when I post a picture on Instagram people will comment and ask, "Whats the round thing with the yellow stuff in the middle?!" That my friends, is passionfruit. I love, love, LOVE passionfruit with a passion (pun intended). It's full of flavor and just SCREAMS the word SUMMER! One of my favorite combinations is eating passionfruit with watermelon. Just cut a watermelon in half, scoop out some passionfruit from it's pit and add it on top of the watermelon, and bam - you're done. Get yourself a spoon and just scoop your concoction right outta'that watermelon and eat it like it's cereal. Seriously, I promise you'll fall in love.

Ingredients:

- 1 small-sized watermelon
- Vanilla Greek yogurt
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Pomegranate
- Kiwis

Directions:

Begin by scooping out some of the watermelon with a small spoon. Add a few dollops of Greek yogurt to the small 'crater' you made inside of the watermelon and add the fruit on top.

Enjoy!

What you'll need:

- 2 whole avocados
- 8 pieces of shrimp (2 per avocado)
- 2 small chicken breasts (1/2 per avocado)
- 1 large lemon
- 1 cup of Goya rice
- 4 quarters of cilantro
- 1/4 cup of diced onions
- 1/4 cup of diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup of diced bell peppers
- Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Next, line a small pan with aluminum foil and bake them for 20 minutes, or until they are fully done. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the breasts.

Add a small amount of olive oil to a small pan and sauté your shrimp on medium-high heat until they turn a rich, pink color. For this dish, I like to season my shrimp with garlic and chili powder.

Next, bring two cups of water to a boil in a pot and add a pinch of salt to the water. Once the water is boiling, add in your rice and turn the stove to low heat, allowing it to simmer for about 20 minutes.

Once you're rice is ready, add it to your plate forming a "bed" of rice. Cut your avocados in half and remove the pits. Now it's time to add in all of your stuffers! Add your chicken, shrimp, tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers to each avocado half. Squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on top of each and your creation is complete!

Enjoy!

Greek Mediterranean chicken cutlets topped with grilled shrimp, tomatoes, onions, chopped cilantro, with a side of steamed broccoli and green beans!

What you'll need:

- 3 small Greek Mediterranean chicken cutlets (I used Whole Foods brand)
- 6 small pieces of shrimp
- 6 large green beans
- 4 cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup of broccoli
- 1/2 teaspoon of chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup diced tomatoes and onions
- Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Whole Foods' Greek Mediterranean chicken cutlets are already marinated and seasoned, but you can add any additional spices that you may wish (salt, pepper, etc.) Next, line a small pan with aluminum foil and bake your chicken for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the cutlets. 

Add one dime-sized amount of olive oil to a small pan and cook your shrimp on medium heat until they turn a rich, pink color. For this dish, I like to season my shrimp with salt, pepper, and sauté them with some minced garlic.

Steam your green beans in an enclosed pot of about 1/4 cup of water until the water comes to a boil. Then, simmer them on low heat for an additional five minutes. Repeat this step to steam your broccoli.

Last but not least, top your creation with diced tomatoes, onions, and make your dish look extra prettyyyy!

Bon apetite!

What you'll need:

- 1 chicken breast
- 6 small pieces of shrimp
- 1 teaspoon of diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon of diced onions
- Juice from 1/2 of a whole lime
- Olive oil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Season your chicken breast with chili powder, basil, roasted garlic, and salt (to taste). Next, line a small pan with aluminum foil and bake your chicken for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of the breast. Once there's about fiveish minutes left and the chicken is still cooking, squeeze the juice from one half of a lime on top, distributing it evenly.

Add about 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil to a small pan and cook your shrimp on medium heat until they turn a rich, pink color. For this dish, I like to season my shrimp with Goya adobo.

Steam your green beans in an enclosed pot of about of two cups of water until the water comes to a boil. Then, simmer them on medium-low heat for an additional five minutes. Once they are ready, remove them from the heat and drain any excess water.

Last but not least, top your creation with diced tomatoes, onions, and any other veggies/toppings you may like!

Enjoy!

Shrimp, steamed asparagus, Spanish rice with black beans and spinach, and lemon wedges.

What you'll need:

- 5 oz. of shrimp
- 6 asparagus spears
- 1/2 cup of Goya rice and black beans
- 1 tablespoon of diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon of minced spinach
- 2 lemon wedges
- Olive oil

Directions:

Add 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil to a small pan and cook your shrimp on medium heat until they are fully cooked. For this dish, I like to to season them with salt, cajun seasoning, and a dash of onion powder.

Next, bring one cup of water to a boil in a pot and add a pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling, add in your rice and turn the stove down to low heat, allowing it to simmer for about 15 minutes. Add your diced tomatoes and minced spinach to the rice once it is ready.

To steam your asparagus, simply add your spears to a deep pan with one cup of water that has been brought to a boil. Once the water is boiling, allow them to simmer on low-medium heat for 10 minutes.

Squeeze a little bit of fresh lemon juice over your shrimp and asparagus and bon apetite!

Ingredients (makes 6 mini pizzas):

- 1 4" heart-shaped cookie cutter
- 2 rolls of Pillsbury dough sheets
- 8 ounces of turkey sausage
- 1 pack of mini pepperoni
- 1 pack of shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 1/2 cup of spinach
- 1/4 red onion
- 6 tablespoons of pizza sauce
- 6 teaspoons of pesto
- Salt (to taste, to sauté the spinach)
- Pepper (to taste, to sauté the spinach)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil (to sauté the spinach)
- A light dusting of all-purpose flour (for your work surface)

Directions:

Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Next, prepare the dough. I have my own dough recipe, but decided to use Pillsbury Dough Sheets for this one because I wanted the crust to be extra light and flaky! On a lightly floured surface, remove one sheet from its container, lay it out flat, and use a rolling pin to smooth out the edges. Starting in one corner, begin cutting out hearts with the cookie cutter. Make sure to place the cookie cutter close to the previous heart skeleton you cut out in order to utilize the most amount of dough possible. Complete these steps for the second dough sheet. I was able to get three hearts worth of dough from each sheet with a few extra scraps left over that I used for breakfast the next day.

Next, transfer the dough hearts onto another lightly floured surface (I used a large cutting board). In a small pan on medium-high heat, cook the turkey sausage until no rawness remains and it is evenly dark brown throughout. Then, again in a small pan, add the olive oil and sauté the spinach on medium-high heat for just 2-3 minutes, making sure not to overcook it. Next, on a cutting board, peel and chop about 1/4 of a red onion into small pieces.

In a small bowl, mix the pizza sauce with pesto. Add 1 1/3 tablespoon of the mixture to each pizza and smooth it out evenly across the entire surface of the dough. Next, add a hefty pinch of shredded mozzarella cheese to each pizza, making sure to cover the entire surface equally. Then add an equal portion of the sautéed spinach, cooked turkey sausage, 8-10 mini pepperonis, red onions, and an extra sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese to each pizza. 

Last but not least, transfer the pizzas to a baking stone and allow them to bake for about 8 minutes, making sure to check on them at the 5-minute mark to assure you achieve your desired level of crispiness (less or more). Once they are ready, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute or two - then get ready to dig in!

Enjoy! :)

Roasted peppers stuffed with rice, chicken, and shredded cheese!

What you'll need:

- 4 bell peppers
- 1 1/2 cups of rice
- 2 chicken breasts
- Shredded cheese
- Olive oil

Directions:

First things first, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a thin baking pan with aluminum oil and lightly coat each bell pepper with olive oil. Roast them for about 10 minutes-ish, depending on how "done" you do or don't like them. 

Chop your chicken breasts into small, bite sized pieces. Season them with basil, chili powder, lemon pepper, and garlic salt (to taste) and grill on medium heat with a small amount of olive oil until they are fully cooked. Cooking time should take roughly around five minutes.

Next, bring two cups of water to a boil in a pot and a pinch of salt. Add in your rice, turn the stove to low heat, and allow it to simmer for about 15 minutes or until all of the water has fully evaporated.

Now for the fun part! Once your peppers are roasted and all of your “stuffers” are ready, cut off the tops and add in your rice, chicken, cheese, and whatever else you may like! (tomatoes, onions, etc.) 

Enjoy!

What you'll need:

- 1 box of fettuccine pasta
- 1 cup of shrimp (peeled & cooked)
- 1 1/2 jars of Bertolli Alfredo sauce 
- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup of half and half
- 1/2 teaspoon of butter 
- Preferred seasonings (salt, pepper, basil)

Directions:

First, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add your fettuccine pasta noodles (lightly salt the pot for taste and to prevent sticking). Once the water is boiling, turn your stove to medium-low heat and allow the pasta to simmer for 10 minutes. Once they are soft, remove them from the heat and drain any excess water.

Cook your shrimp, along with minced garlic (2 cloves worth) and 1/2 teaspoon of butter in a separate pan until the shrimp becomes a rich pink color. I season my shrimp with a dash of salt, chili powder, and basil. Cooking your shrimp should only take a few minutes.

After you’ve drained the excess water from your pot, add in 1/2 cup of half and half, 1 1/2 jars of Alfredo sauce (I use Bertolli - you may need to use 2 or more jars depending on how much you’re making), and your shrimp. Stir thoroughly, making sure your sauce covers and coats all of your noodles. Add some cracked pepper on top, and parmesan cheese (if desired). 

This also tastes great with freshly chopped parsley on top, or you can pair it with a side of toasted garlic bread or breadsticks.

Enjoy!

Smoothie Ingredients:

- 1 frozen Sambazon acai pack
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries
- 1/4 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk

Smoothie Toppings:

- Dragonfruit
- Strawberries
- Raw cacao nibs
- Shredded coconut
- Chia seeds

Extras:

- 'X' and 'O' cookie cutter letters

Directions:

To prepare the smoothie, simply add of the ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Next, pour the smoothie into a bowl and for this recipe, I used one of my favorite heart-shaped bowls! Using an 'X' and 'O' cookie cutter letter, I cut out 'XOXO' from dragonfruit and added them to the smoothie. I also added fresh strawberries, raw cacao nibs, shredded coconut, and chia seeds.

Enjoy! :)