Lunch

I normally don't share my lunches on here but I have found a new way to use leftover spaghetti sauce that I am in love with!

You start with a baked sweet potato and cut it into chunks and place it in your lunch container. Mine was a glass bowl.

 Next take the left over spaghetti sauce and cover the potatoes. And there you have it the best lunch  you will ever eat

I could eat this everyday!!

Best Spaghetti Sauce Ever

Now that fall is approaching and the mornings and evenings are cooler it's time for hearty home cooked meals. One that I made over the weekend was a huge batch of spaghetti sauce that I can freeze and heat up for quick dinners later. I have tried many different recipes but this one is so far my favorite! It combines different meats, veggies and best of all wine!

Meat Sauce (adapted eat.live.run) 

1.5 lbs ground grass fed beef 

.5 lbs Italian chicken sausage

.5lbs of pork sausage

20 oz sliced mushrooms

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1.5 tbsp olive oil

1 28-oz can tomato puree

1 12-oz can tomato paste

24 oz tomato sauce

BIG splash red wine (anywhere from 1/2 cup to 2 cups)

6 oz freshly grated Romano cheese

1 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp dried basil

1 bay leaf

1-2 tbsp sugar

garlic salt + pepper as needed

spaghetti noodles + additional grated cheese for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion, bell peppers and sliced mushrooms. Saute for about six – eight minutes, until mushrooms are soft. Add ground beef and sausage meat. Cook until meat browns, stirring frequently with a large rubber spatula.

Add tomato puree, tomato sauce and tomato paste to the pot. Stir well. Then, add the bay leaf, wine, spices, sugar and cheese. Stir well and bring sauce to a simmer.

Simmer sauce for an hour and a half over low heat, stirring occasionally. Taste it as you cook, adding more wine, spices or garlic salt to suite your taste buds. The longer the sauce cooks, the better it will taste!

Football is back

Football season has started again which means football food. I usually try and healthify the dishes but this time I did not. (shame on me I know) Nothing says football like wings, so that's what I made!

I usually bake them in the oven but this time I tried the frying route. Started with heating the oil to 350 using my dutch oven.

Rinsed and dried the wings.

Then dropped them in batches into the hot oil.

Waited for them to rise to the top and then out they came back on the cookie sheet to cool.

We went with 2 flavors regular buffalo and Parmesan garlic. I poured the wing sauce into containers and then added the wings and shook. = best method ever!

As you can see most of them were buffalo flavor.
The complete spread:

We also had corn on the cob and of course you can't have wings without celery and carrots.

John cooks dinner

Thursday night I went to a crossfit class and John was home before me so he offered to make dinner. I was not going to turn down this opportunity so I let him have at it!

On them menu: hamburgers from Whole Foods and Ann's organic mac&cheese.

I had mine topped with cheese, ketchup and pickles, no bun. The hamburgers were pretty good they were crusted with this spice rub on the outside which you can see in the picture above.

Mexican chicken stuffed peppers

It has been a crazy week both John and I have been really busy and not getting home until late. I didn't have time to go grocery shopping this week so I was trying to make the best of the leftovers. I think I mentioned this on here before but John hates leftovers. He says he doesn't like eating the same thing twice (he's weird, but he'll eat sandwiches multiple days for dinner?!).
He also hates sloppy joes which I really enjoy (they were a staple growing up). This I don't really understand because its ground beef with ketchup, peppers and onions all of which he likes. We have had multiple conversations about this until yesterday afternoon he realized he was mixing up shepherd's pie with sloppy joes. (it's ok, I still love him) I told him he doesn't have to worry because shepherds pie involved mash potatoes so I'll never make that.

Anyways, back to dinner since he prefers not to eat leftovers I have been getting better these last few weeks at repurposing leftovers. aka - shredded Mexican stuffed peppers.

I used the shredded chicken I made the other day, here.

And stuffed them into the green peppers my family brought me from their garden.

After they were done cooking I sprinkled a little cheese on top and baked a few minutes longer.

Blueberry Smoothie

I know it's the weather is starting to change and the mornings are becoming cooler. I should have came out with this post a while ago when it was a sorcher outside, but I just now have perfected my recipe.

source

I am not a big smoothie person I've tried many different kinds with different ingredients but nothing stuck. They either had to much ice, to watery, not enough fruit, not creamy enough, you get the picture. Well I think I finally found one that makes me a happy girl. And here it is:

• 1/2 c oats
• 1 c coconut water or any fruit juice you want
• 1/2 c plain greek yogurt
• 1/2 c frozen fruit of your liking 
• 1 banana
• 1 c ice
• 1T honey
• small scoop of chia seeds

Mix it all together in a blender and enjoy! This morning I made myself one with blueberries.

Lettuce Taco wraps- Take 2

The 2nd variety comes everyones favorite white meat chicken!  I borrowed this recipe from Eat.Live Run.
It was super easy and minimum clean up involved.

Start with a slower cooker and add the following:

• 1.5 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast coated in taco seasoning

• Next cut up a yellow onion and jalapeno and add them on top (I would de-seed the jalapeno if you don't want it to spicy)

• Next add a jar of your favorite salsa, any heat you like but remember it will get hotter as it cooks. I learned this lesson the hard way. 

• Then cook on high for 4 hours, when done pull the chicken out and shred it. 

• The shredded chicken goes back in the slower cooker and get mixed in with the salsa mixture.

Once heated and mixed together, enjoy with tortillas or for a healthier version butter lettuce leaves.