{CLEAN and DELICIOUS} Chicken Fajita Pasta

CLEAN and DELICIOUS Chicken Fajita Pasta!

I originally found this recipe on the internet... and it included ingredients like extra cheese and heavy cream.🙈

All things that I KNOW would make me feel gross after eating. 

But with just a few little swaps here and there, I made this a HEALTHY and CLEAN recipe! 

And I didn't even taste a difference! (Plus it was hubby approved... so for any of you who know my man... that should tell you that this is a winner ;) )

Enjoy, friends :)

The PERFECT Roasted Veggies

Sometimes, you need a side dish that's gonna cook itself. 

I mean, hello! 

Mama can't be everywhere at once! 

So throw this together on a cookie sheet and throw it in the oven while you're cooking dinner :)

The PERFECT Roasted Veggies

Shopping List

1. A big bag of mixed veggies {broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc.}

2. Olive oil

3. Garlic Salt

4. Pepper

Recipe

1. Make sure your veggies are washed and ready to go.

2. Set your oven to 450 degrees. 

3. Toss your veggies with olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper. Put the veggies on a cookie sheet.

4. Bake your veggies for about 8-10 minutes. Make sure you do not overcook them or they will be mushy! 

5. Enjoy!

Easiest. Side. Dish. Ever. 

See, I told y'all :)

Chorizo, Bacon, and Egg Casserole

Y'all. 

This. 

Was. 

So. 

Good.

{can you tell? we ate half of it before I could grab a good pic of it!}

Which is exactly why I'm handing over this recipe to you. 

Take care of it for me, will ya? 

Do it justice ;)

Chorizo, Bacon, and Egg Casserole

Shopping List

1. 8-12 eggs {we used 8, but for a thicker casserole, use 12}

2. Red bell pepper, chopped

3. 5 green onions, chopped thinly

4. 1/2 pound of Chorizo 

5. 1/2 pound of bacon

6. Cumin, Garlic Salt, Garlic Powder, Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, and Thyme

Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

2. Spray your 9x13 glass pan with Pam. 

3. Whisk your eggs until fluffy, and add a little milk. 

4. Brown your chorizo and drain it. 

5. Cook your bacon {my favorite way is in the oven}, until your desired crispness. Put it on a paper towel lined plate to drain off the grease. 

6. Place all of your meat at the bottom of the pan.

7. Stir in your red bell peppers and green onions to the eggs. 

8. Whisk in the spices {I just guestimated on all of the amounts so that's why there's no real measurements up there!} to the eggs. 

9. Pour the eggs evenly across the dish.

10. Bake at 375 for about 12-15 mins. Or until the top of your casserole is a bit brown or set to your liking. 

11. Enjoy!

This is seriously so easy. And such a fun way to spice up your regular 'ol eggs in the morning :)

The Whole 30: Week 2 Recipes and Review!

Well, I do have to say. 

This week was so much easier! 

I definitely did not think anything of the 10th or 11th day {which are rumored to be the worst days}.

It went by so much quicker, and I can actually see us making a lifestyle out of this eating!

Here's what I've found. 

1. I like almond milk more than reg. milk.

2. I think we'll be eating noodles and things of that nature sometimes, but I can really see how they're not so needed!

3. I do miss sweets. But only baking them and such. Not so much the candy. Which is awesome! 

So, let's get on with this!

The Whole 30

Week 2

Day 8

Feelin' pretty darn good! No cravings!

Breakfast:  Watermelon. I'm obsessed!

Lunch: A sweet potato. Sometimes, simple is best. 

Snack: An apple cut into slices.

Dinner: Pulled pork with an egg on top

Day 9

This is where I start feeling way less hungry. I find myself eating less, drinking more water, and getting fuller quicker throughout my meal.

Breakfast: Watermelon.

Lunch: Scrambled eggs with bacon and shredded chicken.

Snack: Fruit bowl.

Dinner: Banana. No dinner, oops! I wasn't quite hungry until around 10pm, and then I felt it was too late to eat anything big!

Day 10

Excited that I found one of our recipes that we have regularly that works with the Whole 30!

Breakfast: Watermelon!

Lunch: Chicken fajitas.

Snack: No snack.

Dinner: Chicken fajitas with scrambled eggs.

Day 11

I love having salads. They're so refreshing to me. The only thing I want back is crunchy things to put in my salad, and regular salad dressing!

Breakfast: No breakfast! We woke up late.

Lunch: A huge salad with veggies and clean dressing. 

Snack: Apple Pie Larabar. 

Dinner: Taco salad. A huge salad with turkey taco meat on top!

Day 12

The bison burgers were so dang good! I was craving pickles and tater tots. Not together. But this did the trick for the cravings!

Breakfast: Watermelon.

Lunch: Salad. 

Snack: No snack.

Dinner: Bison burgers with crunchy potatoes.

Day 13

The stir fry is from the Whole 30 recipe line. I'm sure you can look it up online. It was so dang good. And this was my first time making shrimp. Holla!

Breakfast: No breakfast. We woke up late!

Lunch: Shrimp and chicken stir fry.

Snack: No snack!

Dinner: A burger at red robin! {wrapped in lettuce, no cheese, no mayo}.

Day 14

I'm lovin' fruit these days! I'm finding that I'm craving watermelon more than anything. Hardly anymore candy cravings or anything of that nature. But the watermelons I've been picking out at the store have been hitting the spot!

Breakfast: Eggs with bacon!

Lunch: Fruit bowl. I just wasn't that hungry!

Snack: Blueberry Muffin Larabar.

Dinner: Hashbrown omelette {adapted from the Tasty page on Facebook. Just without cheese! We didn't miss it anyways}.

Just a couple notes from the week!

1. The smoked pulled pork that I bought for us was from Costco. And let me say, I've never tasted anything worse. {well I'm sure I have, but this was pretty bad}.

2. I think it's really important to allow yourself a snack! I know they say in the book to cut down on snacking, but that will happen naturally as the cravings go away and your body realizes that it's getting all the nutrients it needs. So for now, don't worry about it!

3. And speaking on that, I have been eating way less! And not even on purpose. I'm just not as hungry as I used to be. That's a plus in this mama's mind :)




Here's a sweet pic of our baby to get you through your next week! Good job ladies. Keep goin'!

Crunchy Wonton Tacos

Anyone else's family love tacos? #ThisIsWhereIRaiseMyHand

We have a weekly taco night and this has become a favorite, very quickly I might add!

Such a fun twist! Hope you enjoy :)

Crunchy Wonton Tacos
Shopping List
1. 1 package of wontons {I found mine in the refrigerated section by the veggies}
2. 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
3. 1/4 cup of green salsa
4. 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
6. 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
7. 1 tablespoon of sour cream
8. Sliced green onions
9. Shredded mexican cheese
10. 1 avocado, diced
11. Cilantro, chopped



Recipe

1. Take your chicken and mix it with your sour cream, green salsa, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin.
2. Once mixed together, take a heaping tablespoon of your mixture and place it on a wonton diagonally, so that it goes from corner to corner. Careful not to fill it too full, or you won't be able to close your wonton!
3. Add cheese on top of the mixture, along with some green onions.
4. Wet your fingers, take up both corners and stick them together.
5. Place all of your wontons on a baking sheet that's lined with parchment paper.
6. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and bake them for 4-5 minutes. Watch them closely, but wait until they get a little golden/crispy on top.
7. Take them out and plate them. Put some avocado and cilantro on top.
8. Enjoy!


Hope you enjoy this fun twist on dinner! Fun finger foods are always the best :)

Peas, Bacon, and Mint

You're probably sitting here looking at this title going, MINT?? That's odd. 

Yep. And that's exactly why it works! 

And it doesn't JUST work. It blends. It brings the whole dish together. 

All of the flavors are enhanced and flow so well... just like they were meant to be. 

Which may be a sign that you were meant to eat this? I think yes ;) 

{Plus, there's bacon. Which always makes veggies better}

Peas, Bacon, and Mint

Shopping List

1. 8 pieces of thick cut bacon, chopped {and crispy}

2. 1 bag of frozen peas

3. 2 Tbs. of fresh mint leaves, chopped

4. 1 shallot, chopped

5. Salt and pepper, to taste

Recipe

1. Crisp up your bacon in a pan. Once done, lay it on a plate lined with a paper towel to soak up all the grease. 

2. Empty the grease out of the pan, leaving just enough of it to cover the bottom of of the pan. 

3. Pour your shallots into the pan, and cook for about 2 minutes until they are soft. 

4. Add in your peas, and stir continuously until they are hot. 

5. Salt and pepper the peas, and stir well.

6. Add in the chopped bacon, and mint leaves. 

7. Serve and enjoy!

This is the perfect side to a meal, or it can be a lighter meal by itself with a piece of garlic bread on the side!

Y'all get creative with how you eat this. I'm just here to give you the recipe ;)

Berry Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This is about to be the easiest recipe you've ever seen...

It's 3 ingredients. That's IT!

Are you ready for this??

Berry Pineapple Angel Food Cake

Shopping List

1. Angel food cake mix

2. 1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, NOT drained

3. Berries of your choice {I love strawberries and blueberries with this one!}

Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the angel food cake mix and the pineapple until it is combined completely. 

3. Grease a 9x13 pan {or a bundt pan if you prefer} and pour your cake mix in. It will look like a lot of cake mix in there, but mine never overflowed.

4. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

5. Let it cool completely before cutting into it. 

6. Top with berries of your choice!

7. Enjoy!

Um, could it get any easier?? Also, one serving is only 150 calories. And it's SO GOOD. 

This is such a fun change for regular angel food cake {even though I still love that!}

Let me know what y'all think when you make this easy, crowd pleasing dessert!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Well, with as much spaghetti as we eat in this home (and as much as I've eaten in my entire lifetime...) I am so surprised that I've waited this long to make homemade sauce...

WHAT HAVE I BEEN WAITING FOR?!!!

You guys. Make this. Immediately. It is WORLDS better than jarred stuff from the store. And we made enough that it fed both of us for 3 days straight... but you can also freeze it. IF you don't become obsessed with it. Like we did ;) And then we ate it every single day.

So anyways. Let me just share this little guy with ya!

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Shopping List

1. 1 lb of ground turkey

2. 1 onion, chopped

3. 4 cloves of garlic, minced

4. 1 green bell pepper, chopped

5. 2 cans of diced tomatoes 

6. 1 can of tomato sauce

7. 6 oz. of tomato paste

8. 2 Tbs. of oregano

9. 2 Tbs. of basil

10. Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Brown your turkey meat, and drain off excess grease if needed. 

2. Add in your onion, garlic, and bell pepper to your meat and cook until they are softened. 

3. Salt and pepper your meat before adding it to the sauce.

4. In a large pot, combine all of the items and simmer it for 1 hour (at least!!).

5. Enjoy!

This. Stuff. Is. So. Good!

I can't wait to hear if you guys try this!

Show and Tell Tuesdays: Pinterest Pins!

Y'all, can I just say that I love Pinterest?!! 

I go to it for any ideas about anything. Why? Because it literally has EVERYTHING on there!

That being said... it can be a hit or miss with the way things turn out on there. 

I've had a couple recipes turn out like a skunk in a dumpster. 

But if you can weed through the bad ones, you can get some pretty successful 'Pinterest Wins!'

Pinterest Wins!

Decor

Ready to see my most recent Pinterest Win?

Look here to see my whole post on this, but I made our front door wreath based on a Pinterest pin.

Mine is on the left, and the Pinterest pin is on the right. 

I'd say that's a Pinterest Win!!

Hair

This next one is also a win! This is how I style my hair most days, and I learned it through a pin on Pinterest!

Take about 1 inch sections of hair and pull it through your straightener, while twisting the straightener. 

What's the result? Beautiful, loose curls that get all the heads turning!

Food

This used to be one of my mama's favorite things that I would make for her! {Sigh, how I wish she was here}

It's super duper easy to make, and it only takes one pot! SO YUMMY!!!

Martha Stewart's Original One Pot Pasta

Pinterest Fails...

Decor

Well, this one could be user error... but if you're a busy wife/mama like me, you may find that it does the same thing for you.

Personally, in my decor, I like for it to all be perfect and for it to all match. I don't like 'extra' things hanging around, if you will. 

I loved the idea of this, but I think I mainly saw the top of the picture, with how cute the picture frame and the arrow was. 

The issue with the arrow jewelry hanger is that it will not stay pretty. 

How many times do you take your jewelry off and it goes into your jewelry hanger as fast as you can put it there? 

So what happened with this one is that I had half of the jewelry hanging on there, and half of it not. And the jewelry did not go with the decor. 

SO, I'm calling this one a fail!

Hair

Yep... this one looks adorable! UNTIL IT FADES.

And let me tell you, my hair is a mess now because of these "beautiful" red lowlights I decided to put in. 

Don't get me wrong. They looked gorgeous for about 2 weeks. And then they faded. And turned my hair orange.

Beware!

Food

This one failed because it was SO DRY!!

I honestly loved the idea of these. Healthy ingredients and they have some great flavor. 

But mine {which were made to the exact recipe} lacked flavor, were dry, and way too dense. 

These are Greek Yogurt Lemon Blueberry Muffins.

This post was so fun! Maybe a series of Pinterest Wins! and Pinterest Fails... is in order. What do y'all think? Would you like to see more of this stuff?

Friday Favorites!

My goodness! This week has been something else! But in a good way :)

Thank you God for this amazing life you are gifting me with every single day!

Let's get this started, my dears!

Friday Favorites

ONE

Wait. Until. You. Try. This. 

Okay, so I went to my brother's this past weekend, and he has this totally sweet set up, right on Laguna Beach! {No joke!}

He's kinda got this bachelor vibe going on out there, so I just assume that he goes out to eat every night. And while that's not completely untrue... he apparently has a knack for cookin'! Because let me tell you, I ate like a queen! 

This is one of the best meals I have ever had. So much so, that I came home right away and made it for my man. And we had it for 3 days straight. And didn't ever get tired of it. Just PERFECT!

So here you go! Owen's Chicken Fajitas!

You can just thank me now! ;) 

TWO

So, I've totally been on a kick with painting my nails. {Can I even call it a 'kick' if it's been forever that I've been doing this??}

But any who... I just cannot get enough of new nail polishes, and coming up with cute combos. I just love looking down at my hands and seeing my nails done! Anyone else?!

That being said, I have some adorable nail color combos for y'all! And my secret weapon to doing my nails in no time! 

Interested? I show you it all in my Makeup Mondays: 7 Amazing Nail Color Combos!

Just a taste for ya! Head on over! I promise, you'll be running out to grab my staple colors pronto!

THREE

I was out on a Target shopping spree {oops} this past week and I found these little gems! 

I honestly love my Bath and Body Works Candles more because they fill up a room with their scent {possibly because it has 3 wicks?} But sometimes, it's so hard to justify their price tag. And I really haven't been won over by any of their scents lately. They're starting to all smell the same to me! 

So I came across these at Target, and they smell divine! I got Peach Prosecco and Sangria Sunset. These only have 2 wicks, so I really haven't been getting that whole room effect. BUT. These were only $8 a piece! And they're quite large! Just as big as the BBW ones, but taller instead of wider. 

Of course, when BBW has their sales, I'll try and stock up {especially on my Sunshine one, which is in the pic by the roses}. But it's hard to resist the price tag of the Target ones. 

Anyone have any suggestions on where to find cheap candles that smell amazing and can fill the room with the scent? :)

FOUR

We had SUCH a fun time this weekend running with NRC! 

For those of y'all who don't know, my man was a college runner, and a professional runner, and now is training for some big upcoming races! 

We were looking for some great running groups that would challenge us {mainly him, because I definitely cannot challenge him in the running world!} and help us get a great work out in!

So in our search, we found the Nike Running Club! And we love it! It was so fun! 

{Horrible pics because of the shadows and bright lighting in there. But Coley is never phased by that! And neither is my man, I must say ;) }

We brought Coley with us because NRC is pretty far from home, and we couldn't justify making him stay in his crate at home for 5 hours or more. So we brought him along, and he was totally in the spotlight. But who can blame him?? HE'S FREAKIN' ADORABLE! 

{He's shaking daddy's hand here}

So even though he wasn't allowed to run on the track with us, he still had the best time being the social bug that he is! 

Let me tell y'all... I'm definitely going to be getting my running legs back with this group!

FIVE

Some time with this booger will do anyone some good! Here's some things that Coley bear and I have been up to while daddy's at work...

{Cuddles and watching Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Don't be fooled. He doesn't stay this way for long!}

{Loving being petted. His ears always go back when he wants to be pet!}

{Looking adorable in his bow tie! He hates wearing it... But I mean.. COME ON #AllTheHeartEyes}

And did I tell y'all what his new fave toy is??

JINGLE BELLS. 

Yep, so let me just tell you this story. 

I had a bunch of jingle bells out for Christmas Decorations, and it came to our attention that Cole was extremely intimidated by them and would do anything to get away from them. 

So, like any good parents would do, we placed them where we didn't want him to go. 

If he was trying to get behind the couch, we lined them up so he couldn't get past them. And we did this all throughout the house!

Well, now Cole sees them as a game. He pushes them around, barks at them, chases after them {like in a game of fetch}, and they're the first toy he wants to play with in the morning, even though I totally need some kind of coffee before he starts jingling those things around the house. 

So, our plan backfired on us... just a little ;) 

And just a bonus for y'all... if you need a fun idea for your breakfast tomorrow, check over here for an easy and fast recipe that will blow your socks off! And I bet you have all the ingredients in the fridge!

I hope y'all have had a wonderful week! Be sure to check back or subscribe by email on the right hand side of your page. I have some EXCITING posts coming this week that you won't wanna miss :)

Chicken Fajitas

You guys... make a double batch of these. You'll thank me later when your neighbors, and friends, and coworkers come knocking on your door because they can smell the goodness from miles away!

We ate on these leftovers for 5 days. It was that good! I originally put them in tortillas and topped mine with sour cream (my man likes salsa instead). But then for leftovers, I made breakfast burritos out of them (warmed them in a skillet, poured in some scrambled eggs, topped with crunchy bacon in a hot tortilla with a little bit of sour cream and salsa), and I also made a yummy salad out of it (greens, heated chicken fajitas, southwest dressing, southwest tortilla strips, mexican cheese).

So, now that you got the low down, let's get onto this winning recipe :)

Chicken Fajitas

Shopping List

1. 1 lb. of chicken breasts (we do organic)

2. 1 onion, sliced

3. 1 green bell pepper, sliced

4. 1 red bell pepper, sliced

5. 1 can of rotel

6. 3 cloves of garlic, minced

7. 1 tbs. of chili powder

8. 1 tsp. of cumin

9. 1 tsp. of onion powder

10. 1 tsp. of garlic powder

11. 1/2 tsp. of cayenne pepper

12. Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Wash and pat dry your chicken breasts. Set them aside. 

2. Turn on your slow cooker to low and layer in half of your bell peppers, half of your onion slices, half of your garlic, and half of your rotel.

3. Mix together all your seasonings (7-12) and coat your chicken breasts on both sides generously with them. 

4. Layer in your chicken breasts in your slow cooker. Cover them with the rest of your bell peppers, onions, garlic, and rotel.

5. Cook on low for 4 hours, shred your chicken, and then cook it for another 30 minutes. 

6. Enjoy!

Seriously one of the best meals we've had to date :)