Homemade Almond Milk

This is nothing new. I'm sure you've seen other recipes floating around the internet for Almond Milk, but this is my go-to & I'm sharing it.

4 years ago, when my middle son was a baby, he had a dairy intolerance. I learned a lot about food during that year of breastfeeding him. The biggest thing I learned was how to avoid dairy, specifically the protein casein, & how much better I felt without it.

When I was little I had a problem digesting dairy as well. If I ate pizza with cheese, or had ice cream too close to bed time, I would wake up in the middle of the night sick. No bueno.

I outgrew it as I got older, but I still don't feel great if I go on a dairy bender! 😂

Insert: Almond Milk!

At the beginning of the year, we were going through way too many cartons of store bought almond milk, so I thought I'd try to make my own. This way I know exactly what's in it. Although I must say I'm happy the big brands have eliminated carrageenan.

The key is to use a nut bag. I'll refrain from the jokes... I attempted to make it with a fine mesh strainer, & I wound up with very thick mealy milk... eeh.

Get the nut bag.

And a couple glass liter carafes that are about $5 each at our grocery store. Everything's better in glass.

With that being said, here's the recipe I come back to a couple times a week! I always have a mason jar of almonds soaking in the fridge. When I make 2 liters, I fill the jar back up with almonds & water so that it's ready to go when I need to make more in a few days. We love this almond milk mixed in with our Shakeology.

Recipe

Makes 2 Liters

2 cups Blanched Almonds
8 cups Filtered Water + more for soaking
1 pinch sea salt
2 tsp vanilla (or better yet, scrape fresh vanilla beans!)
12 Medjool Dates, pitted (optional, if you want it sweetened)

Directions

• Place the almonds in a quart mason jar & fill with water. Let soak in fridge for at LEAST 4 hours, but I prefer overnight, if not longer.
• Strain & rinse almonds.
• In a high-powered blender (I love our VitaMix!) add 1 cup almonds, 4 cups water, a pinch of sea salt, 1 tsp vanilla & 6 pitted dates.
• Blend on high for 4 minutes.
• Pour contents into nut bag fitted over a bowl. Squeeze every last drop of milk out! Now you can keep your almond meal & scour for recipes, including drying it to make almond flour if you wish. I tried making almond meal cookies once, but they were very dense. If you know if any good recipes, please share!
• Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients. 
• Try a small glass while it's still hot from the blender, it's delicious!
• Store in your refrigerator for 3 days... if it lasts that long.
• Enjoy!

21DF: 1/2 cup (unsweetened) = 1 Yellow

Honey Garlic Salmon with Roasted Broccoli & Naan Bread

I love when I find a recipe for fish that we all enjoy, because honestly, we don't eat enough fish & it's SO good for us! This was especially easy, too. The only thing was I had to wait for my husband to get home from work so that he could filet the skin off. He's just better at it than I am.

This dish isn't fishy, so even the non-fish lover just might love this! It's a great way to get your Omega 3's, Vitamins D, E, B3 & B6, and multiple essential minerals.

Recipe

Serves 4

• 1 lb. Sockeye Salmon, cut into 4 strips
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• 2 Tbsp Local Honey
• 1 Tbsp Warm Water
• 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 cloves Garlic, minced

Directions

• To roast the broccoli: Preheat the oven to 425*. Place broccoli florets on a roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil & season with salt & pepper. While preparing salmon, roast for 20 minutes until slightly charred. 
• Season both sides of the salmon with salt & pepper.
• Whisk honey, water, vinegar & a pinch of salt until well combined. Set aside.
• Add oil to pan over medium heat. Fry one side of the salmon, then add garlic & cook until browned. 
• Carefully flip the salmon & add the honey mixture to the pan. If you wish, you may broil the salmon for a minute or two. I did this because I can just set my stainless steel pan in the oven.
• Warm the Naan bread in the oven for a minute or two.
• After you've plated your dinner, drizzle some of the honey sauce on your salmon.
• Enjoy!

21DF: 1 Green, 1 Red, 1 Yellow, 1 tsp oil

Menu Monday - 7.11.16

After a fun weekend of going to the fair Friday night & a baseball game Saturday night, we're ready to get back to eating better. I only get to eat an elephant ear once maybe twice a year, so it's worth the splurge. And we all split it, so... yes, I'm justifying an elephant ear.

Anyway, I'm excited to get back to sharing our meals for the week! As always, I try to have a variety of meats & themes. This summer it's been a goal of mine to have my two older boys (4 & 6) cook with me more in the kitchen. They are masters at cookie baking, but they can't survive on cookies... although I'm sure they'd like to try! So they'll be choosing some meals & helping cook dinner some nights.

Once a month, my girlfriends have a standing date to ensure we get some much needed time together! This week I get to go out on Wednesday night without the baby for the first time! I hope my husband can handle bedtime with all three...

I'm also looking to add one or two healthy treats for the week, such as these Blueberry Quinoa Breakfast Bars I made this weekend. 👌 Feel free to leave some suggestions on my Facebook page!

Our Menu for the Week of 7.11.16

Monday (Matt's Choice) - Honey Garlic Salmon with Roasted Broccoli & Naan Bread

Tuesday - Crock Pot BBQ Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches & Asian Salad

Wednesday - Mom's Night Out... Tacos anyone?

Thursday (Ty's Choice) - One Pot Garlic Butter Chicken with Green Beans & Potatoes with Tomato + Cucumber Quinoa Salad

Friday - Pizza Night! I'm personally going for a Buffalo Chicken Pizza, but the kids prefer Ham & Green Peppers + Side Salad or Leftover Quinoa

Saturday - Chicken and/or Shrimp Quinoa Bowls with Grilled Veggies 

Sunday - Mini Venison Meatloaf Pepper Rings with a Side Salad

Look for my go-to Almond Milk recipe soon. We love it in smoothies!

Where I've Been

Lately I've been missing this little corner of the web that I call my own, so I figured it was time to get back into the swing of blogging... hopefully.

I haven't posted in nearly a year.

A YEAR!

My, how time flies.

The reason I took a hiatus was because we welcomed our third baby boy this February. Sweet Liam is the perfect babe to round out our family of five. He came almost a month early, and after a brief stay in the NICU, we brought him home to meet his big brothers & the rest of our family.

I found out I was pregnant about a year ago, & almost immediately I was sick. I really didn't feel much better until I had him, so the early delivery was a blessing in that sense.

Food was not appealing, except strawberries. So how was I supposed to post meal plans & recipes when nothing sounded good? Somehow we all managed to get by, & we're back to eating healthy.

I found that when I posted my weekly meal plans, it helped to hold me accountable. It's also a creative outlet that I enjoy & need more than ever. Leaving the house with three boys is no easy task, & when we leave it's to entertain the boys, so we don't all go crazy! Trips out for my enjoyment are few and far between, as with most moms. No complaints here, just reiterating the fact that this is my outlet.

Also, it's high time I get back in shape. I have weight to lose, as most women do after having a baby, and since we're not having anymore children, I have no more excuses.

I've signed up for a fun 5k in August, so I should probably start running.

Please be patient with me as I ease my way back into blogging. My hope is for Monday Meal Plan posts & a  recipe or two throughout the week. As always the 21 Day Fix container portions will be given at the bottom of the recipes, in case you're following that amazing meal plan.

Thank you for your continued support!

Chicken & Veggie Marinara Casserole with Whole Wheat Orzo

So, it's Friday & I haven't posted a single recipe from this week's menu. Monday we ended up spending the day at my in-laws cottage on what was supposed to be the hottest day yet this summer. It only ended up being in the high 70's, but the pool still felt great & of course the boys had fun. We stayed there through dinner & I noshed on grilled chicken, peas & carrots & grilled peaches with blueberries. Not exactly what I had planned to cook at home, but the time spent with grandparents was worth it!

My husband was out of town from Monday until midnight Tuesday & frankly I didn't have the energy left in me to make dinner after a long weekend, a long Monday & swim lessons after dinner Tuesday. We ended up picking up a yummy salad for me & a chicken quesadilla for the boys from a local restaurant. You do watchya gotta do sometimes!

I did actually make the turkey burgers last night, but they weren't as good as I hoped & I don't believe I should share a so-so recipe here. I'll keep searching for a tastier recipe.

Now last night's dinner was delicious! I can't wait until we have an over-abundance of zucchini & yellow squash in our garden, because I'll definitely make this again. It's super simple, full of vegetables & I bet it could be prepped in the morning, other than pour on the the sauce & sprinkling on the cheese.

Recipe

Serves 6

• 2 1/2 cups Chicken, cooked & diced
• 1 Zucchini, diced
• 1 Yellow Squash, diced
• 1 - 12 oz. can Tomato Sauce
• 1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Dried Basil

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• Layer the chicken in the bottom of a casserole dish. Next, pour in zucchini & yellow squash.
• Pour the tomato sauce & top with cheese.
• Sprinkle on the oregano & basil.
• Bake 25-30 minutes until the cheese is golden.
• Meanwhile, cook orzo according to package.
• Serve casserole on top of orzo & enjoy!

21DF: 1 Red, 1-1/2 Green, 1/2 Blue, 1 Yellow

Menu Monday - 7.6.15

Another week after another long weekend. How was your Independence Day celebration? We spent the weekend on the beach, grilling out each night & watching fireworks over the water. It was quite relaxing, really.

It's week #3 of my 21 Day Fix round, but I plan to continue on with the meals & workouts. I'm thinking to step up my workouts to the extreme. I had placed an order a few weeks ago for a 3 Day Refresh & I swear I ordered PiYo, but it didn't come & I didn't get charge for it. Maybe I was dreaming... Either way I'm feeling the need to step up & change up my workouts. We shall see!

This week we have swim, camp & a birthday party over the weekend. I'll be preparing accordingly, as we will be at the pool for 2 hours & I might need a little snack. I usually down 24 ounces of water in 45 minutes there because it's so humid inside. On to our dinners!

Our Menu for the Week of 7.6.15

Monday - Broccoli & Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Whole Wheat Pasta

Tuesday - Venison & Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Wednesday - Clean & Lean Turkey Burgers with Sautéed Sugar Snap Peas 

Thursday - Chicken & Veggie Marinara Casserole with Grilled Garlic Bread

Friday - Grilled Buffalo Chicken Pizza with Steamed Broccoli

Saturday - I'll be bringing a Shrimp Jambalaya Grill Packet to the party

Sunday - Roasted Chicken Sausage, Peppers & Sweet Potatoes

I'll try my hardest to post a few more of the recipes that we're eating this week. Here's to a great week ahead with higher temps! :)

Charred Romaine & Grilled Flank Steak Salad with Orange Shallot Vinaigrette

Every now & then (more often than not) we like to really freak my Father-in-law out with some of the food we decide to make for birthdays, holidays & at the cottage. Take for instance, this past weekend when I made Cauliflower "Breadsticks". Other than the fact that I burned them, they really weren't that bad. He would have to disagree & made sure I knew it! ;)

For last fall's birthdays, my sister-in-law made a grilled caesar salad that was so delicious I went back for seconds. However, I had completely forgotten about it until I was reading through this summer's Clean Eating special issue "Cook in Season." They feature this recipe & while it's not the quickest, it totally fits in with the fix, so here we go!

Recipe

Serves 4

Potatoes & Tomatoes

• 8 Fingerling Potatoes, scrubbed & halved lengthwise
• Olive Oil Spray
• 1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
• Salt & Pepper, to taste
• 2 cups Grape Tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Dressing

• 1 large Orange, zest & juice
• 1 Shallot, minced
• 2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 tsp Raw Honey
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, chopped

Steak & Romaine

• 1 lb Flank Steak, trimmed of fat
• 2 Hearts of Romaine
• 1/4 cup Walnut Pieces
• 1/2 cup Crumbled Goat Cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 425*. Mist potatoes with cooking spray & season with oregano, salt & pepper. Arrange potatoes cut-side down on 1 side of a large baking sheet & roast for 10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes to second side of sheet, mist with cooking spray& season with salt & pepper. Return sheet to oven & roast 25 minutes more, until potatoes are fork-tender & golden & tomatoes are lightly charred & shriveled. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, prepare vinaigrette: Whisk together orange zest & juice, shallot, vinegar, oil, honey, mustard & basil. Season with salt & pepper.
• Heat grill to medium-high  lightly oil grate. Mist steak with cooking spray & season with salt & pepper. Grill steak to desired doneness; 4-6 minutes per side for medium-rare or 6-8 minutes per side for medium. Transfer to a cutting board or plate & cover loosely with foil to rest. Keep grill on medium-high.
• Trim a small piece from root end of romaine, keeping leaves attached to root, then cut romaine in half lengthwise. Brush or toss romaine with about half of vinaigrette. Add romaine grill, cut-sides down, turning occasionally, until charred on all sides; about 4 minutes.
• Thinly slice steak across the grain. Arrange 1 romaine heart half on each serving plate, cut-sides up & top with steak, potatoes & tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining dressing & garnish with walnuts & goat cheese.
• Enjoy!

21DF: 1 Red, 1.5 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Orange, 1 Blue