High Five For Friday - Valentine's Edition

Happy day of love everyone!

{one}

I like Valentine's Day. I always have. I loved the cool little mailboxes you got to make in elementary school and taking hours to pick out which valentine to give who so that your crush wouldn't figure out you like him. My mom's birthday is on Valentine's Day, so she always loved the holiday as well. She would make sure that we had a little present and candy. And our house was always decorated with hearts and pinks and reds in February. 

It really bugs me that people bash it so much. And it's people who are single and in a relationship. Why so critical of love?? Yes, I know it is commercialized, but every major holiday is. I know that there shouldn't be just one day to tell someone you love them, but why not give a little extra love on a particular day. And I know that sometimes people who are single don't enjoy being around lovey dove couples, and that's understandable. But Valentine's Day is so much more than that. It is to celebrate love in the world, a day for people to celebrate all of their relationships; friends, family, etc. Or to even celebrate the love you have for yourself. Eat some chocolate, wear pink, take a bubble bath,  tell your family you love them, and enjoy a day that promotes giving and being kind. Not to mention all of the best movies come out on Valentine's Day.

Jake and I aren't huge celebrators of holidays in general. We don't buy big, expensive gifts or make huge gestures. In all the the Valentine's Days we have had, we haven't even been to a fancy restaurant. We take the time to write a heartfelt letter, cook a slightly fancier dinner, and always indulge in some chocolate. I wouldn't have it any other way. Happy Vday Dear. 

{two}

I was so excited for Valentine's Day at the school I work at today. I was excited to see the kids excited about giving to others and how happy it made them. Kids really can be sweet sometimes. They even thought of their sub, me, Mrs. Bell! I took advantage of the opportunity to make goodies and baked some red velvet cupcakes for Jake to take to work and made sugar cookies for my students. Sugar overload for sure. 

{three}

Bonnie and Taylor had a great linkup yesterday and I might be a little late but I didn't want to miss out. So why Jake and I work??

We work because I am outgoing and loud and don't get embarrassed easily while Jake is reserved.

We work because we both have goals and dreams and encourage each other. We celebrate each others' success and tell each other it is going to be ok during our failures. 

We work because we are both obsessed with a snuggly little mutt named Lexie.

We work because we make each other laugh and know how to cheer each other up.

We work because we can fight and get over it in .5 seconds.

We work because we do small, meaningful things just because.

We work because snuggling is both of our favorite things to do. 

We work because we make each other better and we are always trying to be the best spouse we can be.

We work because I worry a lot and can be super moody, while Jake is laid back and happy all of the time. We balance each other out and he always reminds me to be happy.

We work because we know the other one isn't perfect.

We work because we challenge each other and are feisty.

We work because we love each other more than anything in the world and both strive to make our marriage a beautiful one. 

{four}

Ok, corny moment over. Onto a serious note, I got an email from my secret admirer and it was pretty exciting. Sorry, Jcrew, it's no secret I am your admirer. This little sale came at just the right time and I was able to grab a few things hanging out in my shopping cart. Oh you don't go on your favorite website and put everything you want into the cart and just let it sit there?? You are missing out!

{five}

Speaking of reasons why Jake and I work, one reason is because I cook him wonderful dinners every night, and in return, he is always so appreciative. I have been making an effort to cook healthy meals at least 5 nights a week. It gets harder and harder to come up with healthy, yummy, and new meals. This weeks meals, though, were some of my favorite! Here is what we had:

Sunday: Pork chops, roasted veggies and potatoes on the grill

Monday: Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Salad

Tuesday: Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Wednesday: Quinoa Pasta Chicken Greek Yogurt Mac and Cheese

Thursday: Healthy Burrito Bowls (Chicken, corn, black beans, quinoa, avocado, 2% milk cheese)

I think these meals will be on repeat for awhile!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day. I hope you eat lots of candy, enjoy the company of others, or treat yourself to something nice. 

Linking up with Lauren, Darci, Rebecca, Casey, and Jennie

Quinoa Pasta Greek Yogurt Chicken Mac and Cheese

This is by far the best healthy meal I have ever made/created. Most of the time, my cooking goes something like this: see an inspiration, collect what ingredients I have, throw stuff in, hope it tastes good. I like to experiment and I don't follow recipes very often. When you know what kinds of things taste well together and what adds flavor, you can change recipes to fit your needs. A lot of times I don't have all of the ingredients and I want to make it healthier, so I improvise and experiment. Luckily, my food usually turns out pretty great.

This recipe is so great because it combines health with comfort food. I really love eating healthy, but sometimes we all need a bit of comfort food. With this recipe, you can feel the comfort without feeling guilty.


You can use regular pasta for this dish if quinoa pasta isn't your thing, but I think the quinoa pasta elbows are so good. I use the Ancient Harvest brand, which most grocery stores carry.

Quinoa Pasta Greek Yogurt Chicken Mac and Cheese

Tablespoon Olive Oil

2 cups chicken

1/2 onion

8 oz elbow quinoa pasta (1 box)

2 handfuls spinach

4 oz plain greek yogurt

8 oz 2% shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper

Lawrys garlic salt

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa pasta as directed and drain
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat

3. Place cubed chicken in skillet and season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt

4. After chicken is browned, add diced onion (you can add more olive oil if needed)

5. After chicken is cooked and onions are translucent (around 10 minutes), add two handful of washed spinach and cook until wilted
6. Add cooked pasta to the skillet

7.Add all of the cheese straight to the skillet and stir

8. Once the cheese is mostly melted, add the greek yogurt and stir

9. Add extra salt and pepper if needed

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!!

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup

This is one of my go-to soups. I love to make soups and stews because you can make large pots and freeze it for later. I had this soup at a cafe with my mom one time and decided to recreate it. I have been trying to perfect it ever since, and I think I've got it. 

Lemon Orzo Chicken Soup:

1 cup orzo

64 ounces chicken broth

2 large cooked chicken breasts (cubed or shredded)

1 bunch green onion

Zest and juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cups juice)

3/4 teaspoon garlic salt

salt and pepper to taste

feta cheese

1. Cook the orzo and drain

2. Fill a large pot (I use my dutch oven) with the chicken stock

3. Add cooked chicken (I cook mine in a crock pot on high for 4 hours in a bit of chicken stock and salt and peppered then shred it)

3. Add green onions, lemon, garlic salt, salt and pepper

4. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 30-40 minutes with the lid on

5. Serve with a sprinkle of feta cheese

Makes 6-8 servings

This is a soup that gets better as it sits, but over time the orzo will absorb the liquid 

Enjoy!

A Day in the Life of My Stomach

Recently I posted about my clean eating journey. I thought I would share what a typical day looks like when I am eating completely clean.

My day always starts off with a green smoothie and a big glass of water. Some days my smoothie is "greener" than others.

Mackenzie Green Smoothie:

-Vanilla Unsweetned Almond Milk

-Frozen Berries

-Kale

-Spinach

-Banana(frozen works best)

-Half scoop vanilla protein powder

-Splash of coconut water

Occasionally I add some of these: chia seeds, cucumber, carrots, apple, mango, pineapple, greek yogurt

(pineapple makes it taste great, but has tons of sugar)

I find that starting out my day with a green smoothie gives me energy and keeps me full for a long time.

Sometimes I need a snack by 10 or so. My favorite snacks:

juice, Lara Bar, carrots and hummus, cottage cheese and strawberries

Juice is my all time favorite snack. I would probably drink juice for every meal if I could

Lara Bars are tasty and so natural! The have a fairly high calorie content due to the nuts, but they are still great for you

Look at your labels! The food you eat should have very few ingredients and things you can pronounce

ingredients: dates, unsweetened coconut, almonds, cashews, extra virgin coconut oil

Such a tasty high protein snack

For lunch I usually rotate a few meals:

-Scrambled Eggs with Kale and Onion

-Avocado Egg Tuna Salad (1 hard-boiled egg, 1/2 avocado, 1 can light tuna)

-Salad with veggies and a protein (eggs or chicken)

-My version of caprese: tomato, avocado, egg, balsamic

I try to keep my meals as gluten-free as possible (at least the obvious: bread, pasta, etc). I always include veggies and a protein. These lunches are easy for me when I am home everyday, but when I have to pack a lunch, I usually make extra at dinner and pack left overs. 

Dinner varies A LOT, but I do have a few go to meals. Most of my "clean" dinners include quinoa or quinoa pasta. If I am not doing gluten-free I occasionally throw in a whole wheat pasta. 

Many grocery stores carry this quinoa pasta. It is pretty tasty, but can sometimes fall apart

another great product

My tips for cooking quinoa

Here are some of my favorite and go-to dinners:

Avocado Tomato Bowl. Recipe HERE

Roasted Veggies with a side of meat and quinoa

Portobello mushrooms stuffed with quinoa, tomato, and spinach

Cilantro Quinoa Soup. Recipe HERE

Turkey quinoa burgers with greek salad

Summer Salad. Recipe HERE

Grilled Zucchini Nachos. Recipe HERE

Other recent favorites: BBQ Califlower Salad, Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa, Turkey Thai Lettuce Wraps, and Quinoa Pasta with asparagus and artichokes

If I am eating at a restaurant, I try to stick to eating clean and have found some good options. Remember, veggies and protein!

The perfect Salmon salad with a lemon vinaigrette

I can't help but crave dessert after dinner. I try not hold off, but occasionally I have a treat. The best thing I have found: CHOBANI FLIPS. They come in 10 flavors, but my favorite is Key Lime Crumble. They aren't completely natural, but it is better than eating a real piece of Key Lime Pie. 

Frozen grapes and all-natural dark chocolate are good desserts too

A day eating like this makes my tummy very happy! The key is eating as close to nature as possible. I also make sure to include lots of veggies and protein to keep me full. Moderation and eating when you are ACTUALLY hungry, not just bored, is important.

Do you have any clean eating recipe suggestions? What makes your tummy happy? Have you found in good gluten-free or all natural products?

Linking up with Karly Kim For Totally Posted Tuesday