Peanut Butter Avocado Smoothie for Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week

It's Smoothie Week!  I don't know about yours, but my kids love smoothies!  I grew up on them! This was before you could find a smoothie shop in every food court. Our typical smoothies are a base of juice or milk and then filled with as many fruits that we have on hand.

When Williams-Sonoma contacted me to be part of their Not Your Typical Smoothie Challenge, I started thinking about what fruit I hadn't used before.  The avocado has a high nutrient content, making it quite healthy.  They are loaded with nutrients, healthy fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants. They may also lower cholesterol, prevent cancer, relieve symptoms of arthritis, and even help you lose weight.  This makes it the perfect fruit to add to our smoothie, not to mention the added creaminess it adds to the texture.  My other favorite ingredient?  Frozen bananas.  Whenever I see our bananas getting just a tad bit too ripe, I peel them, wrap them in plastic wrap and pop them in the freezer.  When you are ready to make your smoothie, just break off what you need and add them to the blender.  They make your smoothie thicker and cold, without having to add ice.

A smoothie is best when you can add a bit of protein to keep your energy up.  I love drinking smoothies for breakfast or an afternoon pick me up snack.  Peanut butter is a great way to add protein and keep you fuller longer.  If you have a personal blender, it is the perfect snack to make to bring on the go!  Looking for a new blender?  Williams-Sonoma has a great selection.

Peanut Butter Avocado Smoothie

by Love Bug Living

Serves 1

1 c. milk  (or milk substitute)

1/2 small avocado

1/2 frozen banana

2 T peanut butter (or 1 heaping scoop!)

Handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Add your milk, avocado, banana, and peanut butter to your blender and mix until smooth.  Toss your chocolate chips and pulse until blended.  Pour into a glass and serve.  Enjoy!

Disclosure:  This is not a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

Santa Fe Chicken - Feingold Friendly

On my never ending search for new and easy recipes to make for dinner, chicken seems to be an easy staple that can be made so many ways.  I also love that The Fresh Market will quite often have it on sale for $2.99/lb. for their Tuesday specials.  This Santa Fe Chicken is a yummy way to change it up every once in a while.  The chicken is crusted with tortilla chips to give it a nice crunch.  We had some Food Should Taste Good sweet potato tortilla chips on hand.  This gave our chicken a unique sweet flavor.  They have a lime flavor tortilla chip that I bet would be awesome as well. 

Santa Fe Chicken
by Love Bug Living

1 lb chicken
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour
2 cups crushed tortilla chips (your favorite flavor)
Avocado diced
1 cup Monterey jack or sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Pound out chicken until it is about 1/4 inch thick, or you could cut thick breasts in half.  Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper.  Whisk egg in a shallow bowl.  Place flour and any other desired seasonings in another shallow bowl.  The crushed tortilla chips should be in a third bowl.  Dip your chicken in the flour mixture.  Dip in the egg mixture and then coat with the crushed tortilla chips.  Place on a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the center reaches 165 degrees.  Remove from oven and top chicken with diced avocado and cheese.  Return to oven until cheese is melted, about five minutes. 

You could also add rinsed and drained canned black beans along with the avocado.  I served this Santa Fe Chicken with a side of black beans and rice, so I skipped topping it with the beans this time.  Serve with your favorite side tonight. 

Hashbrown Breakfast Bake Quiche

I don't know where the time has gone this summer!  I swear we just started and school is almost here again.  It all just flew by.  I'm not looking forward to the busy school year schedule.  We have had such a laid back routine, that it will be tough to jump back in to early mornings, homework, dance classes, volleyball, and soccer practices.  With three girls in activities, we have more than one thing to do after school each day.  Hopefully it doesn't become too much and we are able to handle it all.  My other worry is trying to figure out easy meal solutions.  We've been trying new ideas and hope I can keep up with the meals amidst all the craziness.  Occasionally, we like to have breakfast for dinner.  This Hashbrown Breakfast Bake Quiche is the perfect dinner that includes protein and veggies.  Leftovers are perfect to warm up for breakfast the next morning as well.

Hashbrown Breakfast Bake Quiche
by Love Bug Living

Shredded hashbrowns (I used a pkg of Simply Potatoes hashbrowns or about 2 cups)
1 T. vegetable oil
8-10 Eggs
1 cup cheese
1/2 - 1 cup Broccoli (add in your favorite)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup diced ham or crumbled bacon

Mix together hashbrowns, oil, and 1/4 cup of the cheese.  Press hashbrown mixture into the bottom of a 7 x 11 inch casserole dish.  Bake at 450 until crisp and browned, about 15-20 minutes.  Beat eggs.  Stir in rest of cheese, veggies, milk, and meat.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Pour over your hasbrowns.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.  Inserted knife should come out clean.

Printable Recipe

Whether you are looking for a great dinner or a great breakfast quiche, this Hashbrown Breakfast Bake Quiche will hit the spot.  Hope you enjoyed your summer.  Now time to start planning for the craziness!

Quick and healthy Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)

Looking for another quick and easy dinner idea to throw in the mix?  This Shepherd's Pie is just that, and healthy too.  All the convenience without the all the processed junk you don't want your family to eat. 

This is one of those recipes that you can just throw together and heat up.  Perfect for those busy weeknights.  You can even prepare it ahead of time, putting it all together in the baking dish.  Once you get home from work, just throw it in the oven to heat through.  You may need to bake it a bit longer since it will be cold rather than coming from the cook top. 

Shepherd's Pie (Cottage Pie)
by Love Bug Living

1T Olive oil
1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion (diced)
Frozen bag mixed vegetables
Simply Potatoes - mashed potatoes
1/2 - 1 c. Shredded cheese
Salt, Pepper and other seasonings to taste

Add oil to large skillet over medium heat.  Sauté onion until translucent.  Add ground beef and brown.  Season meat with salt, pepper, and any of your favorite seasonings.  Add frozen vegetables and stir until they are warmed through.
Preheat oven to 375.  Spread meat mixture in a baking dish.  Spoon and spread your mashed potatoes over the top of the mixture.  Top with cheese.  Place in oven for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is bubbly.

Your whole meal is ready to go in this one dish.  My girls loved it and wanted seconds.  It's great for leftovers too, if you have any that is!  Enjoy!

Natural Baked Potato Salad

The 4th of July is almost here!  This weekend we will be celebrating America's Independence Day with fireworks, friends, and BBQ's!  What are your favorite picnic foods?  An All-American favorite side seems to be potato salad.  So many different variations and flavors to choose from.  I've previously posted my favorite Lower Fat Baked Potato Salad. 

While I've always tried to watch my calorie and fat intake, my priorities have changed a bit.  Instead I'm more worried about what chemicals and preservatives are in my family's food.  That means that I'm cooking a lot more of our food at home and from scratch.  The pre-made food I am buying has all natural ingredients, without the preservatives.  Research has shown that the chemicals from artificial colors and flavors in our food can affect behavior, learning and our health.  I've recently started my family on the Feingold diet.  While it is geared for those that have ADHD and similar issues, I have found that this diet can benefit anyone.  What's tough is that it's not enough to just read labels.  There are many loopholes that companies use to get around labeling some of the unwanted ingredients and preservatives that they use.  What's worse is that many labels claim to be All Natural, when really they aren't.  Quite frustrating!  Lucky for me, Feingold has done all the research to track all of these unlabeled ingredients.  I feel much more confident in the food choices I am making for my family.  It is a bit more work sometimes, but I have been able to create all of my family's favorite foods, so we don't feel like we are missing out on anything. 

This weekend will be no different!  We will be celebrating with burgers, watermelon, corn on the cob, and potato salad!  All of our favorites!

Natural Baked Potato Salad

3 lbs potatoes (if using red, make sure no dye has been added)
1 cup Hellman's Real mayo
1 cup Friendship sour cream
1 cup Cabot Extra sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 lb Hormel Natural Choice turkey bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 - 1/2 cup chives (optional)

Preheat oven to 425.  Bake your potatoes for an hour or until cooked.  Allow to cool until able to handle.  Chop your potatoes into about 1 inch chunks, leaving skin on.   Place in fridge to cool.

Combine your remaining ingredients and mix well.  Stir in cooled potatoes until fully coated.  Sprinkle with chives if desired.  Serve cold.

Enjoy your 4th of July knowing that your family is eating real food, without all the chemicals.