Cheese omelet anyone?

Eggs are good...think about it.  Cheap, easy, and tasty!  This morning's breakfast included a 4-egg cheese omelet. Plenty of protein to start the day with.

Let's see, slice up some onions, grate the cheese, and get the onions sauteing.  Get the frying pan hot while you whisk up some eggs (add a splash of milk and pinch of sea salt).  Olive oil for both, and away you go! Add the cheese and cooked onions to half the cooking eggs, and fold in half when ready...voila!

Cut in half to share with your S.O., and breakfast is served.  I like hot sauce on mine.  Cup of coffee on the side, and you're off to the races.  Cheers!

Look what's for dinner in 15 minutes!

I like to remind people that dinner is easy - you just have to know what you want.  Maybe look in the fridge, freezer and pantry and get some ideas going. After that, it's prep and cook.  If you just do it, and don't let it overwhelm you - it's easy.  Most dinners can be made in under 30 minutes, and sometimes 20.  Also, quick and easy doesn't mean you forego the healthy aspects.  Look what we had tonight...

Years ago, I realized you should have 3 things each time: protein (meat?), starch, and veggies.  So, when you're getting your ideas together, check each one off.  Start with the easy stuff like starch (rice, pasta, or potatoes), and then the meat and veggies.  Caseroles are good because you can combine things.  Our meat choices exclude red meat because we don't buy it (that's a separate blog) - but doesn't mean we don't eat it.  We typically have fish, seafood (shrimp), or chicken.  Frozen - and want it tonight?  No problem.  A sink full of water and submerged frozen food will thaw in under 30 minutes.  Veggies?  What do ya got?  We have broccoli, zuchini, carrots, lettuce, cabbage, and frozen peas and corn always hanging around - run out, buy more. Pick something!  A tossed salad takes minutes.  We buy the organic romaine heads, 3 to a bag and eat one for the family's salad...shred a carrot and slice up some purple cabbage - done.

Here's what we had for dinner.  (A few days ago, ground turkey was on sale.  We use it for so many things I got 4 and froze some.)  We had Turkey burgers, steamed veggies, and French fries.  Talk about quick!  I mixed the ground turkey with seasoned bread crumbs (about a cup), and sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and soy sauce.  4 patties on a plate.  Spread frozen fries on a cookie sheet.  Slice up some zuchini and yellow squash, and carrots. That was about 10 minutes.

Timing dinner is rule number one - you want everything done at the same time so items don't finish ahead of each other and sit and get cold.  You want everything served at once - hot.  Oven on, fries in, start the grill, cook turkey burgers, and start the veggies.  I've got steamed veggies pegged at 8 minutes so they go last.  Tonight was good - everything done at once....all sat down to a hot dinner - nothing over cooked!

Barb and I like Dijon mustard on the burgers.  Ketsup with the fries, and beverages for all - bon appetit!

Fresh Smoothies Anyone?!

I'll just say it right now - we have a VitaMix 5200 machine that we got at Costco one weekend.  The guy was there from corporate, and demo'ing all kinds of healthy mixes: ice cream, soup, cole slaw.  After watching all the cool things you can make with this machine, he asked who wanted to take one home...I did!  What color.....um, white, no, black!

It's been about a year now, and we are always enjoying smoothies.  I will tell you - it's really easy, and the clean up is a breeze.

One recipe I've perfected is the yogurt and fresh fruit smoothie.  We put in a handful of ice cubes, two handfuls of frozen fruit (mixed, or berries), yogurt (1 cup), and water.  Options may include: wheat germ, flax seeds, or protein powder (soy?).

You whiz this up for a minute or so, and everyone gets a glass full.  Our little 2 year old, Aimee, says she needs a smoothie - every time - it's cute!

I haven't considered the calories, or nutritional content yet, but the frozen fruit, yogurt, and wheat germ are simple and good - try it!