Simple Summer Smoothie


Living in Miami, summers can be brutal! Luckily, our ninja blender has made my late afternoon smoothies a breeze! This recipe is very simple, low calorie and healthy!

This week (we are taking it easy in the Bahamas) and I will probably be indulging in way too many smoothies with double the sugar & calories of course!

Summer Berry Smoothie:
1.5 c frozen strawberries
1 c. water
1/2 c. frozen blueberries (optional)
1/4 c. raw oats (optional)

1. Add all ingredients & blend together!

You can add sugar or honey if you would like - I find it to be sweet without any, but it is up to you!

Have a great week!

the new & improved brussels sprout

When I was a kid, I don't remember ever craving a brussels sprout. To be honest, I don't remember ever craving any vegtable... my have the times changed.

Enter in my adult life.

I crave veggies. Broccoli, kale, corn, asparagus.... and now even brussels sprouts.


Still not convinced you will like them? Give them shot- it's all in the way you cook them. They almost taste as delicious as a piece of steak. Ok, did I go over board? Maybe, maybe not. That is for you to find out!

The 38 calorie meal
1. Cut brussels in half omitting the end.
2. Place in pan that is lightly oiled.
3. Add salt & pepper.
4. Saute on each side for about 5 minutes. 

When you see that each side has charred a bit, they are done! Try not to over cook them so they do not become soggy.

Enjoy!


Lemon Rosemary Salmon

As I've mentioned before, my husband and I enjoy eating healthy meals throughout the week. While meal planning one day, I came across this delicious salmon recipe that I am sure you will love too!

Salmon is my absolute favorite fish. Even if you are not a regular salmon eater, give this recipe a try. The mixture of lemon and rosemary really are an excellent pairing for this type of fish.  Not to mention the many health benefits caused by eating fish on a regular basis.


Lemon Rosemary Salmon:
-1lb salmon
-sea salt
-pepper
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-2 lemons, sliced
-1 lemon, juiced
-tbs rosemary
-tsp olive oil

1. Place salmon on broiler pan. Sprinkle salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic cloves all over.
2. Drizzle olive oil. Squeeze lemon juice.
3. Place lemon slices on top.
4. Broil in oven for 25-30 minutes - depending on how you like your fish.
 Enjoy.

This recipe is very simple to make and tastes great! I usually pair it with brocolli or a light Caesar salad.


Easy Weeknight Fajita Tostada

Since we've gotten married, we have really been trying to eat healthy while at home. Vacation eating is a whole other story ;) One of my favorite weeknight recipes would definitely have to be these chicken fajitas. Not only are they easy to make, they get us eating veggies that we normally wouldn't.


Easy Weeknight Fajita Tostada: 
1 lb chicken breast (cut into strips)
1 red pepper (cut into thin strips)
1 green pepper (cut into thin strips)
1/2 yellow onion (chopped)
juice of 1 lime
juice of 1 lemon 
salt/pepper
1/4 c water
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chipotle powder
corn tortillas

1. Place season chicken, onions and red/green pepper in large bowl with salt/pepper, cumin, chipotle powder, chili powder, garlic powder.

2. Add lemon and lime juice. Cover and chill for 15-30 minutes (if you are in a hurry you can just cook it right away).

3. Place the chicken and vegetables on a skillet with under medium heat. Add water.

4. Let simmer until cooked all the way through.  Stir around occasionally.

This next step is if you want to make your corn tortillas crispy the healthy way: 

5. While chicken is cooking, heat over to 425. Thinly spread vegetable oil and salt around both sides of tortilla. Place on baking sheet for about 15 minutes until crisp.

Once the chicken and tortillas are done, you may enjoy! We like to add chopped lettuce, cheese, salsa, more lime, and sometimes even guacamole. We do not eat them like traditional fajitas, we eat them on top of the crispy tortillas, similar to mini pizzas.

Enjoy! Next week I'll be introducing a new healthy system we found and are dying to try out! Have a blessed weekend.


Crispy Kale Chips

For a few months now, I've been loving the leafy green veggie of {kale}. Although it just looks like romaine lettuce, you can do so much more with it - like for example make chips that are a whooping 30 calories! Double win!


How do I know how many calories they are, you ask? Well, I have been imputing my daily intake on the My Fitness Pal app for the last six days and am really loving it! It's so simple-enter your weight + the weight you want to be and taaadaaa it will give you the exact amount of calories you are allotted each day! Then you can begin: enter everything you eat so that you can either see how far off you are, or you can try to stay within your new calorie count!

For now mine is 1200 a day and to be honest, I have gone over each day- but no worries, every day is a little closer!

Kale Chips
2 to 3 cups of kale (it will shrink down drastically)
pinch of salt/ pepper
2 tsp olive oil
pinch of garlic powder (optional)

1. rinse and chop the kale
2. pat dry
3. place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
4. sprinkle spices over kale (you can add any that you like)
5. drizzle olive oil all over & stir around
6. place in a 425 degree oven
7. bake until crispy - make sure to move around on pan to cook both sides

And that's it! Eat it, pack it - whatever you want! They are amazing! Whenever Gabriel travels for work, you can bet I'm eating this for dinner - I still haven't converted him ;)

Sweet Day! Make sure to come back tomorrow for Wedding Wednesday- Bridal Suite edition!