what we've been eating

this is the post where i dump a whole bunch of recipes on you.
there.
you've been warned.

i have had a lot of fun these past few months. settling into my new full time job as mama & homemaker has been interesting. i have learned a lot and i still have a ways to go, but it is lovely to be able to be in my home and strive to make it a wonderful place to be. if you know me, you know that i really like to cook & bake. i love to try new recipes, but when i was pregnant and working full time plus doing apartment managing stuff, i didn't feel like being too adventurous with my meals. now that i have a little more time on my hands i am loving perfecting some new recipes for my repertoire. here are a bunch that i think are worth sharing...

*note: most of the recipes are links, so just click on the coloured words to find them...

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let's start with breakfast, shall we?

we begin pretty much every day with a green smoothie. we don't have a set recipe for this, but it generally includes:
-about half a can of pineapple + juice
-one half to a full banana
-fresh canteloupe + the seeds
-handful or two of spinach
-some frozen fruit (strawberries, pineapple, nectarine, honeydew & grapes)
-a bit of kefir
blend it up, and enjoy!

i've also tried this banana oatmeal smoothie. brian didn't really like it but i thought it was quite good. quick & easy & super good for you!

and although baked oatmeal is an oldie, its a goodie! we love it. 


okay. lunch time! i usually just send leftovers from the previous nights dinner with brian for school, but sometimes on the weekend we like to have a yummy, fresh lunch. we tried these quinoa and black bean lettuce wraps a few weeks ago and quite liked them.


because i am nursing ollie, i often find that i eat smaller meals more often throughout the day. i usually have a craving for something sweet in the afternoon. i try to keep my snacks fairly healthy, even if they are sweet!

these almond coconut muffins are insanely delicious. they are moist, dense and have a wonderful nutty flavour. also! they are dairy-free AND vegan. so good!

now, for one of my favourite new recipes; quinoa granola bars. they are sweet & yummy & FULL of good stuff; quinoa, oats, flax meal, chia seeds, cinnamon...the list goes on. they are SO GOOD. now go bake them. like, right now. go! (you can come back and read the dinner part of this post later.)

alright, time for dinner!

pesto orecchiette with chicken sausage. only, we made it with cubed chicken breasts instead of sausage. also, next time i would add the green beans to the water a little earlier; they were still a little tough when the peas & pasta were done. this recipe was good.

here's a super easy crock pot recipe. i whipped up this teriyaki chicken one night when we had company and everyone really enjoyed it! it was sweet and totally tender. serve it with jasmine rice. delicious!

and while we're talking about teriyaki, these teriyaki meatballs are definitely one of my new favourites. i absolutely love fresh ginger. there is nothing better. these meatballs are so dang good. again, serve over rice and enjoy!

i went and visited my sister for a week, and while i was there we had these fresh shrimp tacos. they just...tasted like summer. i made them for brian for fathers day and he loved them. we served them up with some fruit salad (watermelon, canteloupe, strawberries, blueberries and mango) and it was a wonderful meal, one that i will definitely be repeating.

now for one last dinner recipe. i just made this last night and we really enjoyed it. it was really easy (a one pot meal) and the combination of ginger, lime & coconut flavours was so yummy.

coconut rice with sweet potato and edamame

ingredients:
10 oz shelled edamame
1 tsp canola oil
1 cup peeled and diced sweet potato
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 1/4 cup jasmine rice
15 oz coconut milk
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1 tsp grated lime zest
1/2 chopped peanuts (optional)

directions:
heat oil over medium low. add sweet potato, scallions and ginger and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
stir in the edamame, rice, coconut milk, lime juice, salt and water.
bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
use fork to fluff the rice, then stir in the lime zest. if desired (we did!) serve topped with peanuts.

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well, there you go! i hope that some of you enjoy these recipes, because i know we sure have!