Healthy Eats for a busy mom

One of the reasons I started this blog was because I am an extremely picky eater and my kids have some of my same issues (texture) and this was an easy format to share recipes with friends when they'd ask.  Now that life is almost settled with our newest addition (she's 12 weeks today, time FLIES!), I am focusing on making sure I'm getting what I need to keep myself going.  How many times does it get to be noon and I realize my breakfast was coffee and lunch isn't looking much better?  I'm staying home for the first time with this baby and it's such a blessing but I find myself SO busy!  When I was working, at least someone would pop by my cube and say "Hey, take a break, it's lunchtime."  My bosses now remind me that it's lunchtime but with a much different motivation.

Anyway...

I'm picky.  Like really picky.  Like the vegetables I eat when left to my own devices, I can count on 1 hand (peas, corn and potatoes).  And the fruits, well, I don't eat them unless they're on top of a coffee cake.

I saw my friend was posting Smoothie pictures on Facebook.  And, I was offered a green smoothie at my friend's Halloween party.  She made the mistake of telling me it was a spinach and blueberry smoothie which fit the Halloween theme in being a bright purple/green shade but made my nose immediately turn the other way (and to the dessert table more specifically).

I don't really know why I came around but I started to experiment with the "Green Monster" as it's called 2 weeks ago, almost.  I realized a few things.  Mostly that I liked it, it was extremely portable and I didn't have the texture issue when drinking them that is my main stumbling block in trying to improve my diet as a whole.

So, here's the link to my friend's blog.  She printed it out and brought it with her when she came over to help me try some things out and answer questions last Monday.  It was really helpful because since I have never, ever had these things (aka: things that grow from the ground) as a staple in my "diet", I have very little ability or desire to self navigate through trial and error.  I needed guidance in hearing what worked, what different, what flavors were too strong to cover in a smoothie, did it look the way it looked when someone else made it, etc. 

I'd love to get to the point where I can make ahead of time 7 ziploc bags of ingredients and have them in the freezer ready to go during my week.

This isn't starving myself.  I am making enough smoothie to fill about a 24 oz cup.  It takes a while to drink up!  And I'm adding in great snacks to round this out that are also easy to grab and go- pre-bagged servings of nuts, cheese stick, etc.  And I'm truly not feeling hungry.  I'm finding myself craving one of these a day.  Never, in my entire life, have I craved a fruit or vegetable.

So far, I am loving the way I feel and just feeling better about how I'm eating.  The kids haven't totally jumped on board with this.  I hear some kids do.  I'm debating putting theirs in colored cups to hide the bright colors.  I don't know.  I am also planning to buy some really pretty straws like these and some bigger mason jars to make drinking them at home more fun.  The to-go cup I have is great and fits in the cup holders in my van.  I've been using a Ninja but think I may change to a simple Hamilton Beach and have been reading reviews online of the Vitamix...

So, have you tried this Green Monster concept?  Thoughts?

Pizza Balls

Awesome recipe posted by a friend of mine that works well for packing in lunches and is a great "let the kids help" type of meal.  I used mini pepperoni on mine, but obviously you can use whatever you have/want.

Pizza Balls
Ingredients

Pizza Dough:
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105*-115*)
1 1/4 c unbleached all purpose flour
1 1/4 c whole wheat flour
2T olive oil
2T honey
1 tsp salt

Filling
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni and any other fillings you'd like
marinara or pizza sauce for dipping.  You can make your own using tomato sauce (the kind that already has basil, oregano and garlic in it is an easy start), pizza seasoning and maybe a pinch of sugar.
parmesan cheese
olive oil
pizza or italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 400*.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in medium bowl.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Beat vigourously 20 strokes.  Let rest at least five minutes.

Roll dough out into a rectangle on a lightly dusted surface.  Using your pizza cutter, cut the dough into squares (mine made about 15-16).  Place your fillings and cheese in the middle of each square then fold them in until a little pouch is formed.  Don't worry about putting sauce in the balls, you'll dip them in it instead.  Place the dough ball into a lightly greased pie pan seam side down leaving a little space between each ball (they will continue to rise a bit).

Once all of your dough balls are in the pie pan brush the top with olive oil and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese and pizza seasoning. 

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until tops are light golden brown.  Let cool a bit and then enjoy!

Cheeseburger Roll Up

Cheeseburger Roll Up
Servings: 6


1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
8 oz reduced-fat crescent roll dough
2 tsp Grill Mates Montreal steak seasoning
1 lb extra lean ground beef, raw
5 oz Kraft Velveeta Light Reduced-Fat Pasteurized Processed Cheese Product

1.  In a skillet,  brown the beef with the Worchestershire sauce and steak seasoning.
2.  When thoroughly cooked, add the cubed Velveeta.  Reduce heat & let the cheese melt, stirring often. 
3.  Meanwhile, spray a cooking sheet with cooking spray and unroll the crescent dough carefully.
4. Pour beef and cheese mixture on to dough.  Spead out evenly.
5. Roll carefully & recenter on baking sheet.
6. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes or until browned.
7. Slice & serve.

NI: 346 cals, 21 g fat, 60 mg chol, 942 mg sodium, 20 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 21 g protein