Four Quick & Easy 30-Minute Meals

It's that time of the year where the days feel so long and so short at the same time. After working long days in the office, the last thing I want to do is go home and spend more than 30-minutes on dinner. Here are four go-to meals that I use during busy workweeks: 

Zucchini Taco Boats

If you're looking for something filling with a little spice, check out these Zucchini Taco Boats!

Foil Pack Fiesta Chicken Dinner

I'm a big fan of these Foil Pack Fiesta Chicken Dinners because they are great to make ahead of time and toss in the oven when you get home from work! 

Cauliflower Rice Taco Bowl

That's not regular rice, it's riced cauliflower on the bottom of a taco bowl! This meal takes little to no time to make and it's SO worth it. Low calorie, quick and delicious! 

Spicy Chicken Chili 

There's nothing better than it being cold outside, and warm chili cooing on the stovetop! This Spicy Chicken Chili is perfect for any day that you want a healthy dinner but also feels like comfort food. 

What are your go-to recipes?? 

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Cali'flour Foods Cauliflower Pizza Crust

When you love something, you have to share it with the world for everyone to know. This is absolutely not a sponsored post, this is just my love for something that's easy and delicious. During the day I work as a social media manager for a nonprofit. Nonprofit work is rewarding, and REALLY busy during the holiday season... especially for social media. 

After a long day at work, and usually going to the gym after, the last thing I really want to do is cook dinner. Then again, when I am so busy and stressed at work, I know that it's the MOST important time that I take care of myself with good, nutritious food. But don't get me twisted, I can't quit my favorite foods, I just like to make the 'skinny' version of them.

Insert cauliflower pizza crusts. If you have ever tried to make these then you know how LABOR intensive they can be. If you haven't made them yourselves, there's absolutely no point because it's so much easier to buy them frozen and have them SHIPPED TO YOUR door. This is really the holy grail of "cheat" meals. 

Thanks to some targeted Facebook ads and my friend Jill, we found these Cali'flour Foods Pizza Crusts to try out. For each package you receive two froze cauliflower crusts. 

The two crusts are separated by plastic, and it's best to let them thaw for a bit before trying to spread them apart. 

Now, what you will need to do is pre-cook the crusts. *Pro Tip* When you're baking them on parchment paper, flip them halfway through while they are pre-baking. This way both sides are even and toasted when you decide what toppings you want to use.  

I am a traditional pizza girl, where I liked a marinara sauce. 

Also added some turkey pepperoni with a few jalapeño slices. 

Of course, some low-calorie cheese. 

Because low-carb works best for my life, I don't mind to add cheese. 

You can see how thin the crust is, so you don't want to overload it down TOO much. This is why toasting both sides during the pre-bake is so important. 

It only takes about 10 minutes to bake until it's done. All in all, this pizza takes about 25 minutes to make, and most of that is pre-baking the crust and baking the pizza. Because there are two crust in each package, I like to pre-bake both crusts at once, then make a pizza and save the other crust for another meal. This makes it even quicker for the second pizza in the week! 

The crust is pretty filling, especially when you pair it with a salad. Or, if you're like me, you'll keep going back for 'just one more bite!' 

The crusts can seem pretty pricey, but Cali'flour Foods has a lot of good deals. I bought 5 boxes (two crusts per box) for $50 with free shipping. So, each crust ends up being around $5, which is WAY easier than making it yourself or having to buy a bunch of cauliflower. 

What healthy trick do you have to have skinny, cheat meals?

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National Apple Month Recipes

Did you know that October is National Apple Month? Apple picking is a fall favorite activity here in Arkansas, but then what do you do with all of the apples spilling out of your kitchen?! We all have a recipe for the traditional apple pie, but let's go beyond that!

First, let's discuss the essential tools you'll need for your apples

To make slicing apples easier than ever, check out the T-fal Ingenio Apple Slice Wedger with Corer on Amazon. It cuts cleanly, straight through the apple to create the perfect wedges. It also has elevated handles to keep your knuckles and fingers safe when cutting.

Secondly, check out the T-fal Electric Pressure Cooker! This will be perfect for the Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal recipe below! The great thing about this product is that it has 12-automatic settings including Slow Cook. So you can even make this recipe as overnight oats using the Slow Cook setting if you want to.

Now, using your apple slicer and pressure cooker, you can make Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal!

Homemade Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

INGREDIENTS:
· 1 tablespoon butter
· 1 cup steel cut oats
· 3 1/2 cups water
· 1-2 large apples, peeled, cored and diced
· 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
· 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:
· Add butter to pressure cooking pot, select Pressure Cook. When butter is melted add the oats and toast, stirring constantly, until they start to darken and smell nutty, about 3 minutes.
· Add water, apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
· Cook for 10 minutes
· Top with milk, nuts, more apple slices and additional brown sugar, if desired

Next, for another fun recipe, try Apple Cinnamon Waffles with the KRUPS 4-slice Waffle Maker. The waffle maker is SUPER non-stick – the waffles pop right off making clean-up a breeze. Not to mention, the plates are removable and dishwasher safe!

Apple Cinnamon Waffles

INGREDIENTS: **substitute Carrington ghee for butter 

Waffles
· 2 eggs
· 2 cups flour
· 1 ¾ cups milk
· ½ cup vegetable oil
· 1 tablespoon sugar
· 4 teaspoons baking powder
· ¼ teaspoon salt
· 2 teaspoon cinnamon
· ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Apples
· Brown sugar & cinnamon for sautéing apples
· 4 tablespoons butter, melted
· 1-2 cups of apples, peeled, grated

Start by sautéing your apples. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add butter, then apples and stir. After a few minutes add in brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover to let steam and soften, stirring frequently. Once softened (about 4-5 minutes) remove lid to let caramelize a bit more. Remove from heat.

1. Preheat waffle iron.
2. Beat eggs in large bowl with hand beater until fluffy.
3. Beat in flour, milk, vegetable oil, sugar, baking powder, salt and vanilla, just until smooth.
4. Add apples.
5. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Looking for a warm drink during this chillier weather? Try the Sparkling Apple Hot Toddy!

Sparkling Apple Hot Toddy

Ingredients
· 6 oz. Crisp Apple Sparkling Ice
· 1 ½ oz. whisky or apple brandy
· 1 teaspoon honey
· Cinnamon stick, allspice cloves, and apple slices for garnish

Directions
1. Coat the bottom of a glass coffee cup with honey. Add whisky or brandy
2. Heat Crisp Apple Sparkling Ice in a small sauce pot
3. Pour hot Sparkling Ice into glass. Stir to combine ingredients
4. Garnish with cinnamon stick, allspice cloves, and apple slices

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Easy Zucchini Taco Boats

There is something that happens in your thirties that I was told so many times about but never really believed to be true... it really does matter what you eat! To keep my meals filling but light, I have been really enjoying zucchini taco boats. Who knew that tacos would actually be delicious in a vegetable boat made of zucchini. 

Here are a few of the main ingredients. These boats are perfect for summer because zucchini is always affordable either at a grocery store or farmers market. 

First thing is first ... halve the zucchini. 

Next, I take a spoon and scoop out the innards and toss them. 

Once the zucchinis are halved and scooped, lay them on a sprayed oiled baking sheet lined with foil. I like to pre-bake the zucchini for about 15-20 minutes on 350 degrees F. 

While the zucchini is pre-baking, now is the time to cook the ground beef. I'm sure it's much better to make your own taco seasoning, but for the sake of time after a long day of work, I don't mind using a pre-made seasoning. 

Once the ground beef has been cooked and seasoned, I like to let it cool a bit and add it to the pre-baked zucchini boats. 

Next, add some cheese to the top of the taco ground beef and let it bake again for about 10-15 min at 350 degrees F. 

Once everything is cooked together, I like to top the taco zucchini boats with a reduced-fat sour cream, salsa, more cheese, sliced avocado, jalapenos ... whatever you like on a taco!   

Enjoy!

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The BEST Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie

There's no better way to start a Monday morning than with the best strawberry banana protein smoothie there ever has been created! This non-dairy smoothie is so quick fresh, and delicious that you won't have to have it just for breakfast, it would also be a great afternoon snack. 

Here are all of the ingredients that I use for this smoothie: 

 - 5-6 strawberries 

- a banana 

- a 1/2 cup to 1 cup of coconut water 

- a cup full of ice 

- one scoop of a vanilla protein powder (I use EAS Lean 15, but I have used others and it's been just as good!) 

To make the smoothie I use a Ninja blender, but I've used a regular blender and it works just as good as well! 

I like to add the strawberry and bananas to the bottom of the blender so that it makes the fruit really smooth. 

Next, I add the ice and the protein powder. I just do one scoop, but if you need more protein then you could add one to two. 

Because I am dairy-free (because my body makes me, not because I want to be) I like to add the coconut water to add a bit of hydration. I never really *taste* it, but it helps liquefy the smoothie so it doesn't become an ICE-cream type of smoothie. 

Action shot! Go smoothie, go! 

To make it feel fancy, add a slide strawberry to the top of your glass! 

The BEST Strawberry Banana Protein Smoothie 

Ingredients: 

- 5-6 strawberries 
- a banana 
- a 1/2 cup to a cup of coconut water 
- a cup full of ice 
- one scoop of a vanilla protein powder (I use EAS Lean 15, but I have used others and it's been just as good!) 

Directions: 

- Add sliced strawberries and a sliced banana into a blender 

- Add ice, protein powder and 1/2 cup to a cup of coconut water 

- Blend. 

- Serve into a glass! 

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