Over the weekend we needed a good detox from a week of takeout and sweets, so we press reset and went back to our healthy breakfast goals. The way I have found that gets everyone to eat a good bowl of oats? Lay out the toppings before them to build your own bowl! Every one of my children were licking the bottoms of the bowls which had me shocked to be honest and resolving to do this more often. VIEW FULL POST

Fourth of July Iced Tea Floats….Exclamation point, exclamation point. 
I use this punctuation sparingly, but almost always when involving really good food. 😉

These were accidentally discovered this week when Gabe and I were discussing good 4th of July drink/dessert options. He had just made a batch of his hibiscus iced tea that I demanded he make for his pregnant wife 😉 and I was about to dive into my 5th popsicle of the day. It just made sense to make it the ice cube and sweeten it with a good dollop of ice cream. Below is the full recipe.

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National Coffee Day is on the 29th, and since coffee is a love language of mine, I invited Lauren of Love Lola to share today’s Mocha Smoothie Recipe. I made two batches of this already. One for Gabe and I (throw in some chia seeds!), and substituted milk for coffee for a kids version. It is actually completely sugar free! Bravo Lauren!

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Gabe and I are by no means vegetarians, but with the rise in meat prices, we are looking for ways to cut back on dinners with meat. I brought in the help of my talented friend Lauren of Love Lola to share one of her recipes!

This recipe for vegetarian chili is my absolute favorite meal to make as the air outside begins to cool. Because it uses a lot of canned beans, it’s super easy and quick to prepare. Not to mention it could feed an army! Since there are only two of us in my house at the moment, I love to make this dish for dinner parties, or freeze the leftovers and heat them up when we need a quick weeknight dinner.

I love how this recipe proves that a plant-based diet can be full of the nutrients you need, while also leaving you full and satisfied. Between the protein and the fiber found in the beans and quinoa, there’s no chance you’ll leave the dinner table still hungry. Who knew a meal without meat could accomplish that!? 😉

Vegetarian Chili Recipe
Serves 8-10

4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, diced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen
1/2 cup quinoa (dried)
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes and green chiles
4 oz. tomato paste
3 cups low sodium vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 tbsp. cumin
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cayenne
sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded, to garnish
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream

To start, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a dutch oven on medium low heat. Add the garlic and cook until browned. Add in the onions and continue to cook for about ten minutes, until onions are soft and translucent.

Next, add the bell pepper, sweet potato, and the rest of the olive oil and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly so as not to burn. Once the sweet potatoes begin to soften, add in the beans, corn, diced tomatoes, tomatoes and green chiles, tomato paste, and spices. Stir everything together and immediately add the vegetable stock and water.

Bring the soup to a boil and add the dried quinoa. Let the liquid return to a boil before reducing to a simmer and cooking, covered, for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally as the soup cooks.

To serve, top with shredded cheese, sour cream, and diced avocado. And of course, don’t forget the cornbread! Enjoy!

Lauren Foster is a registered dietitian, blogger, and soon-to-be mama living in Greenville, SC. She is the voice behind the food and lifestyle blog, Love Lola, where she shares how healthy food doesn’t have to sacrifice flavor, and health is more that what we eat, but is a state of mind.

Find more of Lauren here: Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook

We just got back from a jam packed travel weekend, and everyone is currently passed out in their beds, and I am nodding my head at the computer. I could wait to share this later this week, but I was just to jazzed about this incredible SUGAR FREE, CLEAN EATING, WHOLE 30, whatever-you-want-to-call-it Mango Berry Cherry Energizing Sorbet to wait to tell you!

If you have a ninja blender, food processor, yonana machine, or vitamix you should be able to make this with ease and agility my friends.

Ingredients:
2 c. Frozen Mango Berry Medley (Strawberries, Mangos, and blueberries are a great combo!)
1 c. Frozen Cherries
2 Tbls. Chia Seeds
1 c. Fresh Cherries
Optional: Greek yogurt & honey (if you want a creamier breakfast sorbet)

Directions: 
Blend your frozen fruits and chia seeds until a sorbet consistency starts to form (there can be small chunks depending on your blender or processer).
Slice your cherries in fourths and hand stir in with a spatula.
*Pre soak your chia seeds in water for 10 minutes for best energizing effectiveness.

This is helping me curb my addiction to ice cream AND coffee believe it or not. It’s a good sugar free kick start to the morning, with the equivilant amount of energy boost a cup of coffee gives me (without the crash afterwards!). My little ones request it frequently and since it pairs well with almonds or granola.

Have any must make frozen breakfast smoothie recipes to share? I am always up for a new one!
TTFN. (Only the cool people know what that stands for;))