White Bean Chicken Soup

This dish is the definition of EASY!! Remember I'm a mom NOT a chef and 90% of my recipes are going to be super fast and easy... I could make my own Salsa Verde but lets face it, I don't have the TIME. And when I don't have the time to make something from scratch, I try to find the CLEANEST ORGANIC version. The things I look at the most are gluten, sugar, corn, and any unnecessary ingredients (Yucky/toxic/crap/make you feel terrible/can't pronounce/give you a hangover... Shall I go on?!). These are the big NO NO's in my book. Just because it say's organic doesn't always mean its great for you... you still have to check the ingredient list! Hope you enjoy this easy and delicious soup as much as we do!

Ingredients:
3 Chicken Breast (cooked and shredded)
2 (32oz) Chicken Stock
2 Cans white Beans (Great Northern Beans)
1-1/2  (12oz) Jars of Salsa Verde
1/2 onion (chopped)


Toppings:
Avocado
fresh lime
Cheese (optional)


Servings: 4 People
~ Cook and shred chicken (I boil until finished and then shred in a food processor... Easy!)
~ Place all ingredients in a pot and simmer for about 20-30 min for all flavors to marinate together
~ Serve and top with your choice toppings


Note: Sometimes I add chopped zucchini just to get some veggies in there!

Broccoli Salad

 This is a BBQ hit and kid approved! Great way to get kiddos to eat some GREENS! Just made this for a Park BBQ last week and everyone was asking me for the recipe... so, here it is! Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

2 Heads fresh Broccoli (Florets cut into bite size pieces)

3/4 cup large Raisins

3/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds (Roasted & Salted)

1lb Bacon

Dressing:

1 Cup Mayonnaise

1/2 cup Honey (or 1/4 for less sweetness)

2Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar

Directions:
Serving Size 4

~ Cook Bacon on skillet until brown and slightly crisp. Cool and crumble.

~ Combine all salad ingredients.

~ Mix dressing in separate bowl and then pour over salad and toss.

~ Let refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Enjoy!

Note: Feel free to add more Raisins or Pumpkin seeds to your liking... This is a super easy recipe to play around with add more of what you like!!

Healthy Double Chocolate Brownies

OK... OK... I know it's literally been FOREVER since I've posted ANYTHING!! This last year was C-R-A-Z-Y  to say the least... lots of traveling, having a baby, and moving across country!! I definitely put my blogging on hold... but I'm back!!! You could say these brownies inspired me to blog again... they're that good!!

I have been searching and searching to find, or create, a really great HEALTHY brownie recipe... FOUND IT!! My friend and practically 2nd mom, Tammy Windsor, introduced these bad boys to me but in the form of cookies.. they were delicious!! While going through the recipe it dawned on me... "This would make the perfect brownie!" So I just made a few changes and turned them into moist gooey brownies! My husbands exact words "WOW, these taste like real brownies!" Especially with hitting that New Years resolution of getting back on track to a healthy lifestyle, these have been making that possible! It feels like I'm cheating but I'm NOT... I love that feeling! Anyone with me?! It's that good!

Ingrediants:

1 (16oz) Jar Thick Almond Butter (creamy or with nuts)

3/4 Cup Honey 

2 Eggs, whisked

1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Baking Soda

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

Preheat Oven 350

~ In a large bowl, mix together almond butter, honey, and eggs.

~ Add cocoa powder 1/4 cup at a time, baking soda, vanilla, salt and mix until completely combined. It should be a very thick dough and may need to use your hands, worth it!

~ Spread dough out onto a greased 13x9 Baking pan

~ Bake 15-18min (honestly depends on how soft you like your brownies... I do 15min)

~ Let cool and set for about 20min before indulging.

NOTE: Brownies will rise high while baking and then sink a little while cooling, that's normal.