carrot & oat muffins

My two biggest struggles when it comes to feeding my kids is breakfast & packing lunch.

Breakfast is always hit or miss, especially for my little one...and a filling breakfast makes a big difference on how our morning goes!

Lunch is a whole other struggle...luckily my older son is pretty easy-going, but that doesn’t mean I want to send him to school with the same pre-packaged food everyday, either.

That’s why I love these muffins so much.  They’re a (kid) crowd pleaser no matter the age or time of day.  The biggest bonus of these muffins? CARROTS.  A veggie I don’t have to force feed my children?!  SIGN ME UP.

• These are pretty easy to mix together, I use my silicone muffin molds & they pop out beautifully. (They’re amazing and I don’t know what took me so long to get them, so if you don’t have them you need to just pull the trigger and get some!  ...SERIOUSLY)
•  I usually make 12 regular size muffins & about 16 mini muffins.  I like getting both sizes out of one batch of this.
• Don’t over mix your batter once you add in your dry ingredients! Once they’re combined, stop and use a cookie scoop to fill your molds.

Adapted from Yellow Bliss Road

Snack Without Compromise

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions, thoughts and photos are mine alone.  #NourishWhatsNext # CollectiveBias

The end of summer this year, felt like I was suddenly playing Frogger...jumping from thing to thing without stopping.  We are suddenly busy, trying to find rhythm in a schedule and I find myself struggling to take care of myself.  As a mother I constantly find myself putting my family, work, and other duties before myself.  I realized I felt tired and less active amidst everything else, and I knew I had to change somethings.  I had to start scheduling in time to exercise, but most important, eat right.  If I'm not giving my body the right fuel, how can I expect it to keep moving?  So I made some easy swaps that still save time but still give me the energy I need.

 

After heading to Fry's Food Store,  I started stocking my fridge and pantry with Kellogg’s® Special K items I could grab and go, rather than skipping a meal or eating fast food. It also keeps from from getting grumpy when I get hungry...I can't be the only one this happens to, right?!

 I love throwing snacks in my bag to help tide me over until my next meal. Like Kellogg’s® Special K® Bars in any of their delicious flavors. There are even Kellogg’s® Special K® Protein Shake that you can grab and go in the morning to drink on the way to work while you're waiting in traffic or headed to school drop-off. 

I am always reaching for Kellogg’s® Special K® Chips.  I take them from my pantry when I'm home, or throw them in my purse when I know I have errands to run and that way I still stay on track.  I love the Sour Cream & Onion, and when I get the BBQ my son is always trying to steal some! Convenience does't mean compromising on my goal to maintain a healthy lifestyle & Kellog's understands that.  I can still feel full and keep my eyes on whatever my goal may be & fortify for what's next.

Be sure to stay sane and treat yourself to something sweet while finally relaxing in your pj's at the end of the day. There's so many options, that can take you throughout your day, from breakfast to lunch to dinner to dessert & every snack in between! So get back on track or stay on track, whatever your goal is, make your life easier and stock your kitchen up! 

Visit SpecialKFortify.com to find these items near you. Get more ideas & inspiration on how to fortify for what ahead HERE  

#NourishWhatsNext Special K at Kroger

Fresh Quinoa Summer Salad

I've adjusted and adapted this recipe from one that my sister-in-law made a few years ago at a family gathering & I still love making it to keep in my fridge and eat over a few days.

I basically just eyeball this whole thing and adjust to my tastes, which is one of my favorite things about this salad.  Cook between 1/2-1  cup of raw quinoa, depending on how many you're making it for. Then prep: 

red bell pepper

edamame

golden raisins

red onion

cilantro

sunflower seeds

Dressing: 1/2 Tblsp. balsamic vinegar & 2 Tblsp. lime juice

 Like I said, I really just adjust to taste. Just a little red onion, and cilantro, a lot of edamame, golden raisins and sunflower seeds and a handful of red pepper.  slowly add the dressing while you mix, a little goes a long way.

 Some people don't like coconut, but I think adding UNsweetened shredded coconut gives it a little something extra to this deliciousness.

Refrigerate until serving, or eat right away! Enjoy, friends!

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

Are you ready for an enchilada recipe that is going to blow your mind?!  Let me tell you why it's so mind-blowing...because it's so simple but SO delicious.  I get compliments on this every time I make it and sometimes I may or may not let people believe I slaved over them. This is the perfect thing to cook for your Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Make sure your chicken is nice and shredded, I like mine to still be slightly warm when I'm filling them.  My favorite enchilada sauce is the green sauce from Las Palmas, just choose the right spiciness temperature for your palette. 

For bonus points, serve with legit mexican rice and top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy your fiesta!

print recipe

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

by Katie Carranza April-27-2016

You won't be able to tell just how easy these enchiladas are because they are full of delicious cheesy goodness.

Ingredients

• 20 small (fajita) flour tortillas
• 3 breasts shredded chicken breast
• 2-2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 28 oz. can green enchilada sauce

Instructions

Mix shredded chicken, green chilies and 3/4 cup of cheese.Pour just enough enchilada sauce to cover the bottom of 9x13 pan. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip both sides of tortilla in the sauce, spread 1/4 cup of chicken on tortilla, then roll up. Continue until you've filled your tortillas, repelenishing your sauce to dip your tortillas in as necessary. Spread the rest of the sauce on top of enchiladas then top with as much cheese as desired. Cover pan with foil & cook at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, then uncovered until cheese begins to brown & bubble.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 25 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 20 enchiladas

Stacking Up a Snacking Win

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. 

#StackItUp #CollectiveBias

I am always on the look out for a fun, new snack idea that requires a little more than opening fruit snacks but a little less than turning on the oven.  I think I found the perfect medium that gives me an opportunity to sit and talk to my son after school while we make a yummy snack! 

 If you don't already have then on hand, stop by your local Walmart & grab RITZ Fresh Stacks & Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter.  I used the RITZ Original Fresh Stacks because it's the perfect size for each person, and now  RITZ Fresh Stacks Ultimate Butter are available for a limited time!

 RITZ Original Fresh Stacks combined with Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter are a perfect combination on their own, but grabbing a few items I always have on-hand definitely stepped this snack up.  I just put a few "add-ins" into a muffin tin for quick clean up and it was easy for us to create exactly what we wanted. 

  This time around I put out coconut, mini chocolate chips, mini candies, cut up candy bar (Easter leftovers!), granola, and sprinkles.  The beauty of this recipe is that you can have as many options as you have in your pantry.  It takes an already good snack and makes it even greater!

 Just take a cracker, spread that delicious peanut butter generously. Slightly squish another on top and roll the sides in an add-in...or two

!  I loved it and so did my 4 year old, I'd call that a stacking, I mean snacking, win!

Mud Puddle Cookies

These are one of my favorite recipes, often referred to as "no-bakes" I always grew up calling them Mud Puddles. So delicious, so easy and gone SO fast!

Mud Puddle Cookies

-1/2 cup butter

-4 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

-1 3/4 cups sugar

-1/2 cup milk

-1/2 cup peanut butter

-3 cups oats

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In saucepan combine butter, sugar, milk, & cocoa.  Bring to a boil and heat for 1 1/2-2 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and mix in peanut butter, oats & vanilla. Drop my tablespoonful onto wax paper and let cool until hard.

Peanut Butter Waffles with Chocolate Glaze

I mean....yum. They're super easy and kind of healthy? Not really, but let's just think they are, okay?  

Start with a basic waffle mix. I went REALLY easy and just used Kodiak Waffle mix (1 cup mix & 1 cup water) To your waffle mix add:

2 Tablespoons powder peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

and a tiny bit of stevia extract or sweetener if you so desire.

Make a basic chocolate glaze with powdered sugar, cocoa and heavy cream. 

Dip waffles in glaze while still slightly warm.  BOOM. What's better than peanut butter and chocolate? Peanut butter and chocolate for breakfast.

graze & my new favorite snacks

Hi. My name's Katie & I'm an obsessive snacker.  Phew...SO glad to get that off my chest! You guys- I snack like no body's business- I feel like 50% of my day is spent in my pantry.  I'm constantly buying them, trying them and hoarding them.  So when I heard about graze boxes I was on board.  They're boxes with snacks (you can rate their snacks so you always get something you like) & they're delivered to your door. Genius.  Their snacks are designed with health in mind while still being delicious and perfectly portioned (so you don't accidentally eat a whole bag of chex mix...). And I have a super awesome present for you....

If you go to graze.com & set up an order using code FHDNHD65P you'll get your FIRST & FIFTH box free! Don't like your first box? Going on vacation? Need another one for said vacation?  You can cancel anytime without charge, put your box on hold & even order an extra box for the road.  There's no monthly service charge or cancelation fee...you pay for each box. Seriously, go, sign up, rate their snacks, enter the code and get your box! That's it. Happy Snacking, friends!

I was not paid for this post (that's how much I love graze) & all opinions are 100% my own.

Cookin' in the Kitchen

Instead of a typical food round-up, I rounded up 5 of my recent favorited recipes that I've actually made!  I'm on the look-out for good soup recipes....I've jumped head first into fall & cooler weather! 

Corn Dog Pops via Tablespoon by the girl who ate everything

Bacon-Wrapped Chicken via Chef in Training

Cream Cheese Rangoons via Chef in Training

Broccoli & Cheese Soup via Taste and Tell

Summer Vegetables & Sausage via SkinnyTaste

Happy Cooking!