• Food

    Instapot Cheesy Sausage & Tot Casserole

    Sometimes I create my own recipes, and other times I steal someone else’s and tweak it. Why do the heavy lifting if someone has already perfected the heavy lifting for you? This recipe is one such case. One typical Saturday night, a Saturday night that wasn’t a date night, I was perusing Pinterest…or as Matthew so endearingly calls it, internet hoarding…when I came across this recipe. As I spent some of my formative years (high school) in potato country, any recipe that is full of cheese and potatoes instantly calls to me. I know, I know…I’m a nutritionist who is working toward her dietetic degree…but a heart wants what a…

  • Food

    Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup—aka: Homemade Spaghetti-os

    I have a tumultuous relationship with tomatoes…I want to love them, but in fact, I cannot stand them! I don’t know if it is texture, or it could be I have some PTSD from my childhood when my parents would can stewed tomatoes in the fall and it was one of the worst smells I’ve ever encountered. The smell was SO potent that my hair and clothes smelled like stewed tomatoes and inevitably some kid at school would comment on the smell. That being said, tomatoes are gorgeous! The vibrant color, the smooth texture of the skin. Heirloom tomatoes are my favorite, there is just something about their ugliness that…

  • Food

    Easy Chicken Enchiladas

    My family absolutely loves Mexican food. We have to have at least one dinner a week that is some sort of Hispanic recipe. I am also super blessed to have a couple of best friends who are Hispanic and amazing at cooking. So I have learned a thing or two from them. My enchilada recipe is easily in the top 5 favorites with my boys. This recipe also makes for a great freezer meal. Do you have any amazing enchilada recipes that you love? Hope y’all have an amazing week!

  • Food

    Philly Stuffed Peppers

    A couple of years ago when Matthew and I decided to go Paleo, I started converting my recipes to make them Paleo and even Whole 30 compliant. My Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches were one such recipe. These stuffed peppers are also Keto-Diet friendly as well. My kiddos are NOT fans of peppers, but they absolutely love these Philly Stuffed Peppers…it may or may not be due to the cheese topping-which is not Whole 30 compliant-but is sure tasty! Not only are these stuffed peppers delicious, but they are extremely easy…only 7 ingredients! These stuffed peppers are SO tasty you almost don’t miss the bread. They are also extremely filling. I can…

  • Food

    Cheesy Manicotti

    A few weeks ago I decided I would involve the amigos more in meal planning and cooking dinner. I told each of them to decide on a dinner they wanted to help me prepare. Bean chose the easy way and wanted to do precooked tortellini with marinara sauce. His reasoning was if he aimed low in the beginning his only option was to move up. Then Keegs decided he wanted his absolute favorite dinner, which I refuse to make most of the time, Hawaiian Haystacks…if you don’t know what these are, then you most likely aren’t Mormon. You see…Mormons have this urge to create some of the yummiest, yet most…

  • Food

    Chicken Fried Rice

    Chicken fried rice is possibly one of the easiest and quickest recipes I have in a monthly rotation. It is especially useful when you’ve prepared too much rice in another meal and are not sure what to do with the leftovers. Rice is a food that doesn’t keep too long as leftovers. While proper storage of cooked rice is important, the typical refrigerated shelf life of rice, any type of white rice, is only 3 to 4 days. After the 4th day, you run the risk of the rice already beginning to grow a specific bacterium called Bacillus cereus which produces a toxin that can cause a very serious food…

  • Food

    Hello Fresh: Is It Worth It?

    As a nutritionist I am constantly meal planning and trying new foods in an attempt to create meals full of flavor, but at the same time are as nutritious as the can be. Most often, I find myself meal planning for individuals who have had bypass surgery and now need to be on a low sodium, low cholesterol diet. Or someone who was recently diagnosed with diabetes and is feeling overwhelmed with being forced into a complete lifestyle change. It is definitely one thing to make a life style change when it is a choice; it is another thing entirely when an individual feels forced because of a medical condition.…

  • Food

    Quick Instapot Lasagna

    My family has absolutely no Italian heritage, but my boys could eat anything pasta and/or anything with cheeses and marinara til they die. When I cook a recipe and can make it super quick in my instapot, everyone is happy. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes start-to-finish and is a definite crowd pleaser. If you want the vegetarian/vegan version or the gluten-free tips then scroll to the bottom. Enjoy! To make this dish vegetarian, instead of pork sausage, diced eggplant and zucchini are super yummy. Once the olive oil has been drizzled, add in the diced eggplant and zucchini and just saute slightly with the dried onions and red…

  • Food

    Moroccan Chili and Couscous

    Back before Pinterest, I watched the Food Network channel religiously.  Rachel Ray, Giada, and Sunny Anderson were some of my favorites.  I especially loved Rachel’s 30 Minute Meals.  If I could make an amazing meal for my family in the time it would take my boys to watch 2 Curious Georges then it was a huge win for me.  I hoarded recipes like crazy.  It would drive Matthew nuts because our DVR would fill up with all of the food shows I recorded.  Now, I mostly create my own recipes and when that fails I search Pinterest.  BUT, I have my favorites from the good o’le days…and Moroccan Chili and…

  • Food

    Paleo Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops

    Growing up, pork chops and applesauce was a staple meal in my house.  It brings back a lot of memories, but it is also a very simple flavored meal.  When I saw some amazing cuts of pork chops at my local butcher I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them.  This recipe is a zhuzhed up version of my childhood applesauce and pork chops.  Not only are the ingredients in season, which makes me super happy, but this recipe is Whole 30, Paleo, and Keto all rolled into one.  It may look complicated, but it is ALMOST as easy as grilling pork chops and pouring applesauce on top.  Keep…