My Minis + ME

The perfect alternative to a traditional taco Tuesday meal.                     Cook chicken and set aside.                     Cook onion and red pepper.                            Add garlic and corn.          Add chicken broth, tomatoes, spices and                                             chicken.               Cover and simmer about and hour.                             Serve immediately. INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta* 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 onion, dic...

INGREDIENTS 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons rosemary 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons coconut aminos* 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon pink salt** 2 lbs tri-tip sliced thinly INSTRUCTIONS Place first 7 ingredients in a bowl or in a resealable gallon sized freezer bag. Mix to combine.  Add tri-tip and marinate for at least 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. Heat grill on high heat. Thread meat onto soaked wooden skewers and grill 2-3 minutes per side. Serve immediately. *Soy sauce can be substituted **Do not use pink salt if using soy sauce We served these along side alfredo noodles and broccoli. If you decide to try this recipe let me know! It was a perfect Sunday fall meal! Enjoy!

Mom's Meatloaf. A classic dinner recipe I feel everyone has had and added their own twist too. This recipe though is a simple recipe my grandma and mom made. Being on my elimination diet had made me look at food very differently. I am now constantly checking ingredients and making most everything from scratch.  This meatloaf is super simple and classic made with things you probably already have in your pantry! Something my mom always did was add a couple slices of old bread to the bottom of the pan to soak up the extra grease. This is a optional step if you are using a lean meat. Our family likes to add the ketchup topping, however that is a completely optional step if you'd like to skip! We usually serve this meatloaf with a side of mashers and green beans or corn. It's usually whatever canned or fresh veggies we have on hand! My husband is also a fan of this because we usually have plenty of leftovers for a meatloaf sandwich for lunch the next day!...

Happy Sunday friends! Here in the PNW we ended up with a foot of snow over a two day period! That's unheard of for our area! Needless to say we've all been out enjoying it while it lasts! When we get snow it usually doesn't stick around for too long! Today I wanted to share this simple stew recipe that you can put together quickly, and let simmer while you are out playing! It's an old recipe that my mom would make that I've added to and tweaked a little bit. Still simple, still a delicious hearty meal after a day of snow!            First I brown the cubed chuck steak.       Then I add in the sliced onion, spices and broth.     I mix well, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.                Peeled, sliced and quartered potatoes.   I then add all my veggies and simmer until tender.   ...

What could be better than chocolate and peanut butter in the morning?!? This is usually my go to shake! It's ones of my favorites! It uses pantry staples that you most certainly have in your pantry already. I've been using Orgain protein powders for years now and they are my favorite. I don't think they have a funny aftertaste and they blend well! Plus they are free from alot of common allergens!  Normally I would use ice in place of the frozen banana, however I happen to have some leftover frozen bananas. Using frozen bananas with give it a much creamier texture than using just ice. of course if you don't have frozen banan just use ice and an unfrozen banana! It's just as good! I like to use bananas that have a good speckle of to them! The bananas are much sweeter when they get to this point. I would t use black bananas though (I save those for banana bread). Lets get started on this simple shake! Ingredients : 1 scoop creamy cho...

     Sorry about the photo, my husband could not                                      help himself. Another favorite dip of my husband's. There are so many recipes of this dip floating around. Ours is pretty much the same, however we use a different hot sauce in our recipe!  Most recipes call for Frank's red hot. We didn't have any and subbed in Red Rooster Louisiana hot sauce. We've used that ever since!  I feel this is a very forgiving recipe in the ingredients department. Try using different cheeses or hot sauces you have on hand to give it your own flavor! Ingredients : 12.5oz cans chunk chicken drained 1 8oz packages cream cheese softened 1/2 cup ranch dressing 1/3 cup Red Rooster Louisiana Hot Sauce 2/3 cups shredded colby jack cheese, divided Optional: celery, carrots and crackers for serving. Directions : Preheat oven to 450°. Mix chi...

Homemade cornbread. Perfect as a side for my BBQ pork chili ! I actually used the recipe right off the back of the Albers corn meal box! It's a tried and true recipe that our family loves!  Ingredients : 1 cup white cornmeal  1 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar  1 tablespoon baking powder  1 teaspoon salt  1 cup milk  1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 large egg Directions: Preheat oven to 400°. Grease 8 inch square baking pan.  Combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and a medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg and small bowl; mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

This chili is not your traditional kind. It has a sweetness from a quick homemade sauce. It comes together quickly and can simmer most of the day. Perfect for the crockpot on gameday! BBQ pork chili Ingredients for the chili sauce: 15 ounce can tomato sauce 2/3 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons dijon mustard 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder Ingredients for the chili: 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided (you can use vegetable oil or cooking oil of choice, I use EVOO because it is soy free) 1 medium onion, chopped 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes 2 cups pork carnitas, 1.5 inch cubes 1 14.5 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 14.5 ounce can small red beans, drained and rinsed 1 14.5 ounce can chili beans Chili sauce - recipe above Instructions 1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the chili sauce ingredients. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 ...