Brussel Sprout and Sausage Breakfast Hash

The name of this is a little deceiving. I have actually eaten it for breakfast and for dinner. I need to eat more vegetable and brussel sprouts are coming in season, so I decided to re-make a brussel sprout dish my mom used to make into more than just vegetables. If you don't eat meat, the brussel sprouts cooked this way with just the onion and garlic are awesome! 

Brussel sprouts are a winter vegetable and are in the same family as broccoli, collard greens and kale which means they contain isothiocyanates which may help prevent cancer by promoting the elimination of carcinogens. They also have 2g of protein per 1/2 cup serving- albeit not a complete protein- but having protein combined with their small amount of calories make them good for weight management. They are also a good vegetable for getting vitamins A, K, and C. 

If you don't like brussel sprouts I honestly suggested cutting them this way- in half and then thin slices- something about cutting them smaller makes them more palatable for some people.

Brussel Sprout and Sausage Breakfast Hash

-          1 lb Brussel Sprouts

-          4 pieces of Bacon, cut in thin strips

-          4 Chicken Sausages or 8 Breakfast links, cut into bite-sized pieces

-          1 Sweet Potato

-          ½ Sweet Onion

-          1 Garlic Clove

-          2 Tbsp Cider Vinegar

-          ½ tsp Salt

-          ¼ tsp Black Pepper

-          3 Tbsp Coconut Oil

-          ¾ Cup Water

1. Half the sprouts lengthwise then cut into thin slices. Heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat; add the onion, garlic, bacon and potatoes, sauté 5min.

2. Add the sprouts, salt & pepper- Sauté another 5 min.

3. Add 3/4 c water, Sauté until water evaporates ant sprouts are tender & bright green- about 3 min.

4. Top with an egg and enjoy!

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

I just had my first major accident with Charlie where we had to rush to the ER and stitches were needed. I don't know if I can explain the sheer panic you feel seeing your child in pain and bleeding more than just a scrape. We had a great day celebrating Homecoming at MSU with family and friends and I was just getting her dinner ready. Literally putting her plate on her high chair tray and I heard a thud followed immediately by screaming, choking and vomit. Charlie had been sitting in her high chair waiting for dinner like she has done over a hundred times and my only guess is she leaned forward too far because the high chair literally flipped over (forward) and she hit her head on the table causing a cut right next to her eye and a bruised nose. I grabbed her and a wash cloth and carried her to the sink so she wouldn't keep throwing up all over herself. Blood was trickling down her face and she was dry heaving... one of the most horrible moments of my life to see my child like that. I called my mom as I was trying to change my puke-covered pants, freaking out, telling her to meet me at the hospital. I live only a few minutes away, but they are about a half hour. I sped the whole way, ran through a couple "yellow" lights (yes, I was panicking and she was crying and I can't handle that)...we valeted the car and were whisked to the pediatric ER because she could have hurt her head, back or neck in the fall. After the Dr. ruled out more serious damage they cleaned up her cut, again horrible, because she was just crying and saying, "momma" over and over. She needed stitches and I decided it was ok to give her a nasal sedative to make her relax and not remember the process because it was so close to her eye I didn't want her to move or it to not be done perfectly. After the numbing gel and that she was the funniest thing I had ever seen. She was showing the Dr.'s and nurses her muscles and giggling to herself.

My dad held her hands while they did the stitches because I couldn't watch and she was hiccuping and laughing the whole time. When we got home she was just out of sorts, still loopy, tired, hungry... what an ordeal. I laid on her floor until she fell asleep. I know far worse things have happened, but it doesn't make it any easier when it is the first thing like this that happens to your own child.

This was another favorite with Charlie girl. The slow cooked is seriously my go-to right now. It is making my life so much easier. For this dish, I added some fresh pineapple at the end because cooked and fresh have a different texture and flavor and I really think it make the dish that much better. We ate our with rice because she eats anything with rice.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

- 2-3 Chicken Breasts, 1-1.5 in cubes (about 4 breasts)
- 3/4 Cup Pineapple Juice (no sugar added or fresh)
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Coconut Aminos (or gluten free Soy Sauce)
- 1 Pineapple, cored and cut into 1 inch cubes (divided)
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, chopped
- 1 Bell Pepper (any color)
- 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice, about 1/2 a lemon

1. Add half the pineapple and everything else except the arrowroot powder and water to the crockpot and mix well. Cook on low 2-3 hours.
2. When it is done, remove the chicken and pour the sauce into a sauce pan over high heat. Whisk the arrowroot and water together and stir into the sauce. Whisk while bring the sauce to a boil. It should thicken in minutes. Add the chicken back, the rest of the pineapple and stir.

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

The past two weeks I have run out of my prepped food by Thursday, leaving me hunting around the house and possibly making bad decisions by Friday. That combined with being ultra-tired last week made me extremely emotional and just not myself. After being on top of my game at work all day, trying to push it at the gym, I was spent when I got home to do my most important job of all... being a mommy. This week I am trying to make sure evenings go smoother and spent more time prepping food. This is what my table looked like when I was about half way done:

And this is what the dishes looked like in my kitchen at that point. I don't have a dishwasher and was cleaning mid-prep because I had run out of pans/bowls.

Last night it paid off and I had one of my twice-baked sweet potatoes with some grilled chicken I had also made. The chicken was basted in my homemade "bbq" sauce: equal amounts of tomato paste (no sugar added) and balsamic vinegar with a splash of fish sauce. Although these are more work than the average baked potato they add variety to my side dishes. 

Twice- Baked Sweet Potatoes

(makes 6 Halves)

- 4 Sweet Potatoes

- 6 Pieces of Bacon

- 2 Green onions, chopped

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

- Coconut Milk (optional)

1. Prick the potatoes with a knife and bake them 50 min- 1 hr at 400 degrees. 

2. While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon in a skillet until very crispy. Reserve the grease.

3. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the insides leaving about a 1/2 inch boarder in the potato. 

4. Add the bacon grease (and milk) and pepper. With a potato masher, or hand-blender for more fluffy potatoes, mash (blend) the potatoes until the consistency is what you like. Stir in the bacon and onion reserving a few tablespoons.

5. Stuff the potatoes with the filling, sprinkle with leftover bacon and bake an addition 10-15 minutes until they are crispy on top. When filling the potatoes you will only use 3 of the 4. 

Crockpot Sticky Chicken

I saw a post on my friend's facebook that I found interesting. It was a quote from author Laura Vanderkam, "Instead of saying, “I don’t have time,” try saying, “It’s not a priority,” and see how that feels. Often, that’s a perfectly adequate explanation. I have time to iron my sheets, I just don’t want to. But other things are harder. Try it: “I’m not going to edit your résumé, sweetie, because it’s not a priority.” “I don’t go to the doctor because my health is not a priority.” If these phrases don’t sit well, that’s the point. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don’t like how we’re spending an hour, we can choose differently." 

I have chosen to make my family, fitness, and eating healthy my priorities. When I feel like one of them is not going well, I feel guilty. This week I made the effort to get out of my house and walk the 30 feet to my garage to lift, even on days I had already been to the box. Squatting (well strength in general), is a big weakness of mine and instead of avoiding it, I am choosing to work on it. The hardest steps are often the ones out the door... once you're out there just focus and get to it. It took me 30 min to warm-up, squat, strict press and do pull-ups. That's it: 30 minutes. You might be thinking, "there are a lot of other things I could do in 30 minutues" because that's not you're thing, and that's my point: if it were a priority you would do it, if it's not that's fine, but just say it, anything else is just an excuse that's disguised to make you feel better. We all have different commitments, obligations, etc. just make sure your priorities are what you want them to be.

I am still on the crockpot trend this week. It's just too darn easy and Charlie can help me throw stuff in it and push the button to turn it on. I know that chicken breasts are usually way too dry in the crockpot but these are not cooked for very long so I haven't found that to be an issue with this particular recipe. It also means you can make it after work if you get home as early as I do some days. I added a lot more pepper flakes when it was in my bowl, but the recipe, as is, was a good heat level for my peanut. She loves anything with rice right now so this was totally her thing. I know there is a lot of honey in it, but it's also a lot of chicken. Steamed broccoli and brown rice on the side made this a perfect meal for us. 

Crockpot Sticky Chicken

- 2-3 lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 4), cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3/4 Cup Raw Honey
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Aminos (or gluten free soy sauce)
- 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 Sweet Onion, finely chopped
- 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 3 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce
- 1/4-1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/4 Cup Water
- 3 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder
- 2 Green Onions, white and green parts, chopped

1. Place the chicken in a slow cooker. Pour the ingredients through the red pepper flakes on top and toss to coat. Cook on low 2.5-3 hours... I haven't tested it on high but I assume 1-1.5 hours.

2. Remove the chicken from the slow cooker and pour the sauce into a medium sauce pan over high heat. Whisk the arrow root and water together and stir in while whisking. The sauce should thicken within minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and add the chicken back in. Sprinkle with green onions and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Servings 4.0
Amount Per Serving
calories 581
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10 g	15 %
Saturated Fat 2 g	9 %
Monounsaturated Fat 4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g
Trans Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 150 mg	50 %
Sodium 1525 mg	64 %
Potassium 230 mg	7 %
Total Carbohydrate 71 g	24 %
Dietary Fiber 1 g	3 %
Sugars 64 g
Protein 53 g	107 %
Vitamin A	7 %
Vitamin C	8 %
Calcium	2 %
Iron	16 %
* The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.

Crockpot Butternut Squash and Beef Stew with Cauliflower Mash

Some of the leaves are already changing around my house and the weather has taken a turn from 90 degrees last week to 60s this week. Although I am sad to see summer go I really do love the changing of the seasons. It is even starting to smell like Fall. Those who have not lived in a climate with seasonal changes like Michigan might think I'm weird, but honestly there's a smell.

Work is starting to take its toll on me, on top of being sick, so I am putting my crock pot to good use this week. Butternut squash is a fall/winter vegetable here (actually it's technically a fruit)- sometimes it is called a butternut pumpkin. They can be really hard to cut so my mom suggested using a pumpkin carving knife... what do you know?! It works! I used a serrated knife that also worked on getting through that hard-to-cut flesh and that also worked better than a chef's knife. I choose butternut squash over sweet potatoes in this recipe because they hold up better in the cooking process without turning to mush and they remind me of pumpkins and the season.

The mash is something my sister introduced me too. It literally tastes like mashed potatoes. So good that I suggest doubling the recipe because the stew makes a lot. I would have doubled it but my food processor is crap and I was sick of dealing with it. But I packed it and my stew for lunch all week and it was better the next day.

Crockpot Butternut Squash and Beef Stew with Cauliflower Mash

Stew

- 1.5-2 lbs Stew Beef, 1 inch cubes
- 1/3 Cup Arrowroot Powder
- 1/2 Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 2 Carrots, peeled, diced
- 1/2 Sweet Onion
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 3/4 Cup Beef Broth
- 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1. Place the beef in a crock pot and toss to coat with the arrowroot powder.
2. Chop and drop all the vegetables and the rest of the ingredients on top. No need to stir.

3. Cook and cover on high 4-6 hours or on low 10-12 hours.

Cauliflower Mash

- 1 head of Cauliflower, cut into florets

- 1 Cup Chicken Stock 

- 2 Garlic Cloves, mashed 

- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1. Place all of the ingredients in a sauce pan, bring to a boil and cover 15-20 minutes until cauliflower is tender.

2. Pour everything into a food processor and blend into the mixture is as smooth as you want it, scraping down the sides occasionally. If you want it thicker, reserve some of the broth from the pot and add more as needed. 

Brussel Sprouts and Chicken Sausage

On Friday, Charlie and I stopped at the grocery store on our way home from work/daycare. It had been a long week with curriculum night, staff meeting, and a protest outside the school. Charlie was tired, I was sick and tired, and she decided to act her age- didn't want to sit in the cart, pulling things off shelves, yelling, etc. Anyone who has kids has been there. I was walking down the aisle and a lady about 55ish made eye contact with me- I honestly thought she was going to say something like, "we've all been there." But no. She looked right at me and said, "You shouldn't take your kid shopping alone if you can't handle it." I literally lost it- voice raised, curse words flying, I told her what I thought about that comment and then some. When I got to my car I cried and called my mom, feelings honestly hurt. I try really hard to be a good mom, work really hard and some days exhaustion gets the best of you and a stranger can get to you more than they should. I posted something online about it just to vent and I was overwhelmed with the nice, angry, supportive, and reassuring comments I got. I am so grateful to have such great people in my life that bring me back up when I am feeling down. That lady is also lucky she didn't say that to one of my friends, because apparently their reaction would have been worse than mine. :)







Could someone also please tell my little girl to stop growing? Thanks.









This is a quick and easy dinner, although not the prettiest dish. Protein and a vegetable with few ingredients. One night I added baby spinach to the pan at the end. It's simple but sometimes simple is best.

Brussel Sprouts and Chicken Sausage

- 1 lb Brussel Sprouts, halved, stem part removed
- 1/4 cup Water
- 4 Chicken Sausage Links, halved and sliced (any flavor)
- 1/2 Onion, finely chopped
- 1 Garlic Clove, minced
- 3 Tbsp Coconut Aminos (or gluten free soy sauce)
- 3 Tbsp Lemon Juice (about 1/2 lemon)
- 1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

1. Over medium-high heat, add the water, onion, garlic and brussel sprouts to a skillet. Cover and steam for about 5 minutes--- the time it takes to cut sausage and get out the other ingredients, maybe clean up a little.
2. Remove the lid and add the sausage, red pepper flakes, coconut aminos, and lemon juice. Saute until the brussel sprouts are bright green and fork tender and the sauce has reduced to almost nothing. Taste for seasoning- enjoy!

Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad

You know what makes your week more interesting? Your place of work making national news. (Sigh) It's not easy to teach with that going on!

Workout wise, every time I am outside or go into my garage I want to squat or dip or press or something... it seems a shame to pass by weights and not pick them up. Ahhhh this will be a problem. Rudy was over the other day to do a workout at the now named, "CrossFit Clawson" and Charlie made sure he was hydrated- she is really supportive to everyone who comes over to workout and demands they go faster- it's too cute and how do you not when she is cheering for you?!

Anyway! I made this a few weeks ago and made it again this week because the chicken is fantastic on it's own.

Thai-Inspired Grilled Chicken Salad

Marinade:
- 2-3lbs  Chicken (3-4 breasts)
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 3 Tbsp Honey (optional)
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Lime, zested, juiced
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper


Salad- I am not doing serving sized because it seems personal how much salad you want on what day... maybe you just want chicken and one leaf and call it a salad and that's ok.
- Red Peppers, in thin strips
- Cabbage (I used Savoy)
- Cucumber, chopped
 - Carrots, chopped
- Green Onion, 2-3 stems, finely chopped
- Avocado, eat it all


Dressing- test for seasoning at the end. I sometimes add a touch of water or vinegar depending on how juicy the lime is.
- 1 Lime Juiced
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1/4 Red Pepper Flakes
-  1/4 Seed/Nut Butter
- 2-3 Tbsp Water

1. Whisk the marinade and refridigeate with the chicken at least 5 hours or overnight. Grill or bake in a 400 degree oven 30-35 minutes.
2. Combine the salad ingredients and whisk the dressing (I shake it in a jelly jar so it can be stored if you aren't eating at once)
Pour over top immediately then consume.




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