Healthy Summer Salad

           I'm always thrilled when I can find a recipe that does not require actual cooking, especially in the Summer. It keeps the kitchen and the house from getting too hot. Trust me, there is nothing worse than a super hot house in the Summertime. I saw this idea on Pinterest, and as usual, I added my own spin to this recipe. I tried this recipe out on the family again, and everyone approved. With Independence Day (aka 4th of July) coming up, this is a great recipe for entertaining. Your family and guests with love it. It's so light and healthy, you can't feel guilty eating it.

Here's the recipe:

Healthy Avocado, Cucumber, and Tomato Salad
Serving Size: 6-8
Prep Time: 15 min  Suggested chill time: 15-20 min

Ingredients:
-1 ripe Avocado, diced and put in a separate container and toss in 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice to slow down browning.
-2 cucumbers, peeled and diced
-1/2 red onion, diced {if you set the diced red onion in a bowl of cold water, and let soak for 10-15 minutes prior to making dish, it will remove some of the strong raw onion flavor.}
-1 Pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered (depending on the size)
-Crumbled Feta or "Fresh" Mozzarella pearls (I prefer the mozzarella pearls.)
-1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon of parsley flakes (I prefer fresh parsley, but was out the day I made this. It is just as great with parsley flakes.)
-1 Tablespoon of Red Wine Vinegar
-2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
-1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper

Instructions: *First of all, if you are not serving this salad right away, do not dice the avocado. Wait until right before you serve this salad to dice it and add to the salad... because, even with tossing it into lemon juice, it will brown eventually.* Now, for the rest of the instructions... Take the cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, feta or mozzarella and place into a serving dish of your choice. My favorite kind of serving dishes are usually my white Corning Ware. {Quick note}... in the picture, you will see I used the mozzarella pearls instead of the feta crumbles. The original recipe on Pinterest calls for feta. I am not a huge fan of feta, so I substituted that with the mozzarella and it was still fabulous. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the vegetables. In a small separate bowl, I mixed the parsley, red wine vinegar, and olive oil together. Then, I poured it over the salad, and tossed it all together. I, personally, feel the salad should chill and "rest" in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This allows all the vegetables to marinade in the dressing and develop the flavor. When, you're ready to serve the salad, add the diced avocado and toss to combine with the vegetables and dressing. Serve and Enjoy!

Do you ever feel you need to take a break from technology?

       Reflecting back on our mini beach vacation, I remember making a big point to cut myself mostly off from technology-mainly social media. I didn't have too much of a problem with it. However, I did notice just how much I frequent various social media sites during my little "unplug." I did keep my phone on me most of the trip, but that was mainly because I used it for a camera.
       I feel that the best parts of our trip were the times we all just enjoyed each others company. My in-laws, husband, the children, and I all made it a point to stay off our phones as much as we could. Like I said, we definitely wanted to  document our trip and used our phones to do so {especially since all the grandparents couldn't be present on our trip}. I did notice that it took some serious strength to hold out on posting pictures until we returned home. There were even moments my husband or father-in-law would say, "make sure you post that to Facebook so 'so-and-so' can see it." I'd quickly respond by saying, "Yes, I will post it as soon as we return home." Everyone was understanding, but it's times like that it makes a person realize just how much of our lives are lived out on social media.
      I'm not saying I don't like social media... That's definitely not true since I use it every day of my life. I'm just noting that my fondest memories growing up were not necessarily the ones we have pictures of, but the moments we all shared and REMEMBER together. I want that to be a goal for me and my children. In this day and age that is not an easy task. I just want little moments, like the beach trip, for us to unplug a little and make memories together instead of worrying if we have it documented for everyone else to see. {Don't you fret.... I'll still take a ton of pictures!}

*Oh.. and trust me... I know the irony in me posting this to all my social media sites :)*

Best Darn {and HEALTHY} Avocado Egg Salad

        Yes, I may eventually get off this avocado kick that I've been on. I've been having such a blast experimenting with all these different recipes. I can totally do this "healthy eating" thing if I can keep finding  such wonderful recipes to make. Since I'm a mother of two kids (one a toddler and the other only 2 months old), I have to find recipes that are easy and quick to make. I don't have much free time these days. The other issue is finding recipes that the whole family will eat. I first saw the idea of an avocado egg salad on Pinterest. {I practically live on that website.} However, I came up with my own recipe, it's something I love to do. The best part of this recipe.... NO MAYO REQUIRED!!

Here's the recipe:

Avocado Egg Salad
Serving Size: 2-3 sandwiches

Prep time: 10 minutes Chill time: 30 minutes

1 ripe avocado
3 large eggs, hard boiled
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon of celery salt
Salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon of each)

While your eggs are in the process of boiling, mash your ripe avocado in a medium sized bowl. Add all your ingredients to the mashed avocado. Stir well, and set aside. Once eggs have boiled and cooled. Peel off the shell, rinse in water (just to make sure all the shell is off). Rough chop, and add to the avocado mixture. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes prior to serving. I can always find something to do for 30 minutes while it's chilling {I do have 2 children after all}. I prefer to eat my egg salad on lightly toasted bread. 

My health issues and goals

       Getting down to my healthiest version of me is going to be a challenge I'm looking forward to. If you've followed along with my pregnancy journey, you'll know that it was not easy or enjoyable like some pregnancies are. I'm super thankful for my healthy baby girl. However, I'm still dealing with several of the health issues I had during my pregnancy.
        I'm still suffering from migraines and daily headaches. I finally was able to see a neurologist, and we're trying a medicine safe for me to take while breastfeeding. I've finally been having a day here and there without a headache. My biggest issue during my pregnancy was my back, neck, and arm pain. I know everyone was hoping it was due to the pregnancy and would stop on its own post-partum. Unfortunately, it has only gotten worse. There are days I can barely roll out of bed. I'm currently in physical therapy to see if they can help the issue. I have even been going to a chiropractor, and it has definitely been helping. My neurologist did some extra testing to see if it could be some nerve issues. I won't find out those results (unless they are super serious) until mid to late July.
        All that being said, my health journey isn't going to be an easy task. I have to find ways to get healthy and fit that won't irritate my current issues. One easy fix is eating healthier. I'm already 10lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, and all I've really done is make a few better food choices. What I really want to do though, is get fit. For now, that has really taken a backseat. My goal lately is to work on getting my back, neck and arm issues resolved or under more control. The only fitness I have really been able to do is walking {and I don't do that enough}. My kids are my motivation, and I really do plan to work on this. No one said getting fit and staying fit are easy... and in my case, it's more of a challenge than I had expected.
        I look forward to the day I can look back at this post, and be proud of all that I did actually accomplish. I just keep reminding myself that I've been blessed beyond measure. #NoExcuses #OnlyResults

                                         #TBT Throw back to a few weeks ago at the beach

Healthy Dessert? Yes Please!!!! Wait unitl you hear the special ingredient in this Chocolate Pudding...

        So... this eating healthy thing is hard for some {aka: me}. I used to eating something sweet or a dessert after dinner. It's probably the worst habit I have. I'm not dieting, but I'm trying to eat healthier. Not just for me, but I'm breastfeeding my baby girl. I know if I'm eating healthy, it benefits her as well. All that being said, I needed to find a way to get my "sweet fix." I'm hoping to find more recipes for you all that are just a great as this one. Now, when I tell you what it is... have an open mind. It's super good!!! My mother, toddler, and husband all approved it. They said it was great. My husband ate it without even knowing what was in it {hehehe}. Ok, so it's Avocado Chocolate Pudding. Yes, I'm still on this Avocado kick... but this was surprisingly delicious. I plan to make more and more of it.

Here's the recipe:

Avocado Chocolate Pudding
Serving size: 4-6

2 ripe avocados
1 tablespoon of Chocolate Hazelnut spread (I used Nutella.)
1-2 tablespoon of honey (It depends on how sweet you prefer it. I always prefer using local honey.)
1/4 cup of cocoa powder (I used Hershey's. You can use the regular or the dark chocolate kind.)
1/4-1/2 cup of low fat milk, coconut milk, or almond milk (I used almond milk.)

The easiest way to prepare this pudding is by putting all the ingredients, except the milk, into a food processor. Blend them together, and slowly add the milk. I would only start with 1/4 cup of milk, and then add more until the texture is how you like it. I like mine to be a little bit thinner than mousse texture. You can serve right then, but I suggest letting it chill (covered if possible) for at least 30 minutes. I topped mine with chopped almonds.

Protein packed, Super Healthy and Easy Avocado Tuna Salad

Ok, so I've really been trying to eat healthier. It can be super hard to do, and I'm not going to lie... I slip up more than I'd like. I'm fairly new to the "Avocado scene." For the longest time, I couldn't find anything with Avocado in it that I liked.  There are a few things that I have found, and this is healthy, low fat, and protein packed. I'm a huge tuna salad fan anyways, but I'm sure it'd be just as great if you use chicken instead.

Here's the recipe:

-2 cans of tuna (I prefer it to be stored in water not oil)

-1 ripe Avocado, diced 

-1/2 cup of celery, finely diced

-2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice

-1 teaspoon of garlic powder (not garlic salt)

-salt and pepper to taste

~Stir all ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Serve with crackers, triscuits, or make a sandwich with it.

Is it possible that she's 2 months old?!?!

          It honestly only seems like yesterday that my sweet baby girl was born. It definitely does not seem like it's been 2 months!! It was rough the first month... but now, I'm getting into my groove again. Her Zantac has definitely helped with her acid reflux, colic, and she now sleeps better... Sometimes even though the night!!! At her last check up, she weighed 10lbs 13.6oz. Every time someone sees her, they always say she's so little... but she's actually bigger than Braeden was. She grew an entire 2 inches with in two weeks... She's currently 93rd percentile in height!! We'll see if that lasts... Future model maybe ;)
          Braeden seems to still be ultimately enamored with his "baby sista." He is constantly giving her kisses and telling her that he loves her. I remember being so worried about how he'd react to her once she arrived. God definitely answered my prayers. I'm so happy that he loves her so much. I'll be interested to see if that continues once she reaches the age and ability to get into his stuff.
          I know I blow up everyone's feed with pictures of my kids, but I am so in love with both of them. I remember telling Paul that I was so stressed and worried if I could honestly love another baby as much as I did Braeden. What I didn't know is that I'd be filled with DOUBLE the love. My heart is just overflowing with love for these two. I'm so thankful for that. In fact, if I'm having a bad day... a simple smile from my baby girl or my little man telling me he loves me, makes everything better.

Kathryn Elizabeth Campbell 

-I can hold my head up on my own

-I can smile

-I love to laugh now

-I {STILL} enjoy eating all the time

-I love being held, specifically on your shoulder

-I sleep though the night {most of the time now}