Coconut Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Coconut Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins 

Tis' the season for an abundance of zucchini! Summer means zucchini overload, which is fine by me! My grandma gave me some zucchini from her garden this past weekend. I just happened to have all the ingredients to whip up some zucchini bread, and decided to put a little twist on it. If you follow my blog you know about my coconut obsession, so I opted to go in a sweet direction, adding coconut oil, shredded coconut, and some chocolate chips! At about 250 calories per muffin, this recipe is perfect for breakfast or a low-guilt dessert! 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 medium zucchini, shredded squeezed and drained

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin pan and set aside. 

2. In large bowl whisk together both flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

3. In another bowl, mix together zucchini, sugars, oil, egg, and extracts. 

4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Finally, mix in shredded coconut and chocolate chips. 

5. Spoon mixture evenly in to muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from tin. Enjoy!

Sweet Summertime Tropical Punch

Sweet Summertime Tropical Punch

Ahh, sweet summertime! A time of picnics and pools with the people you love! This punch recipe is the perfect drink for sipping on a hot summer day. It is light, refreshing, and a fruity. Plus it makes about 4-6 glasses per pitcher, so it's perfect for sharing! Be careful though, this drink is super tasty, but packs a punch! Yum!

Ingredients:

12 pieces canned pineapple chunks

2 lemons, cut into eighths 

4 oz. Finest Call Mango Purée

4 oz. Pineapple juice 

12 oz. Bacardi Mango Fusion

24 oz. Lemonade

24 oz. Lemon-lime soda 

Directions:

1. In punch bowl or large pitcher, add pineapple and lemon. Crush fruit using bar muddler or the back of a spoon. 

2. Add mango purée, pineapple juice, rum, lemonade and lemon-lime. Stir until well combined. 

3. Fill cocktail glasses with ice and pour cocktail over ice to fill glass. Garnish with additional lemon slices. Enjoy!

Fresh Caprese Salad

Fresh Caprese Salad

Fresh tomatoes are one of the best things about summer! We are growing tomatoes in the garden and I can't wait for them to be ripe enough for some yummy caprese salad! This salad is super light, refreshing and perfect for those hot summer days! Yum!

Ingredients:

2 Roma tomatoes

1 log fresh mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Cut tomatoes into 1/2 inch thick slices. Discard stem and butt of tomatoes. Cut mozzarella into 1/2 inch thick slices. Slice basil into thin ribbons for garnish. 

2. Arrange tomatoes and mozzarella on plate, alternating between tomatoes and cheese. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic. Top with basil, salt, and pepper. 

3. Cover and chill in fridge for about 20-30 minutes to allow flavors to integrate! Enjoy! 

Easy Weeknight Chicken Teriyaki

Easy Weeknight Chicken Teriyaki

Cooking a healthy dinner every night might be difficult for those of us who are super busy. Don't resort to greasy, fatty, high-calorie and low nutrition options at fast food restaurants! This recipe is perfect for a quick and healthy week night meal. This recipe is also a great dish for meal prepping. Just cook up a big pan and portion out for the rest of the week! Yum!

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped in to bite-sized pieces

1 bag fresh or frozen stir-fry vegetable mix

1 small can water chestnuts

1 small can baby corn

1/2 bottle Teriyaki sauce

Sriracha chili sauce to taste

Directions:

1. In large fry pan, heat oil on medium heat. Add chicken breasts. Sautée until cook thoroughly, stirring every few minutes. 

2. Add vegetable mix, water chestnuts, and baby corn to pan. Drizzle with teriyaki sauce and mix well. Cover pan and let simmer about 7-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring every few minutes. 

3. Add sriracha sauce and additional teriyaki sauce if desired. Serve over rice or chow mein noodles.

4. If you're feeling fancy, garnish with sriracha drizzles and chopped green onion.

Crockpot Snack Mix

Summer time means party time! And party time means yummy snack foods. This recipe is the perfect snack to bring to all your summer events. It's super easy to make, and easy to customize to your liking! Yum!

Crockpot Snack Mix

Ingredients:

1 box Crispix Cereal

1/2 box Cheez-it's 

1/2 bag butter crisp pretzels

1/2 container party peanuts 

(Feel free to change up dry ingredients to your liking)

1/2 cup salted butter

4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

3 tsp seasoned salt

Directions:

1. Combine cereal, crackers, pretzels, and peanuts in large bowl. Toss until well combined. Set aside. 

2. In microwave safe container, microwave butter 1 minute. Stir until melted. Microwave in 15 second intervals if needed. Add Worcestershire sauce and stir unit well combined. Add spices and stir until smooth. 

3. Spoon seasoning mixture over cereal mixture slowly, mixing after every two spoonfuls. Mix until everything is fully coated. 

4. Transfer mixture in to crock pot and turn on low. Cook for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Remove lid and cook an additional 30 minutes. Allow to cool fully before serving. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week (if it lasts that long!)

Low-Cal Pizza Grilled Cheese

Low-Cal Pizza Grilled Cheese

I have a serious pizza addiction. I admit it. It is my one weakness and I find myself craving it at least once a week. Instead of completely splurging on pizza, I created this recipe. And it is so good! This sandwich completely satisfies my pizza cravings without all the greasy calories! 

Low-Cal Pizza Grilled Cheese

Ingredients:

2 slices Sara Lee 45 Calorie bread

Pizza sauce 

2 marinated mozzarella balls, quartered

Optional toppings: veggies, turkey pepperoni, etc.

Non-stick spray 

Directions:

1. Heat skillet on medium heat. While heating, coat one piece of bread in pizza sauce. Scatter cheese across sandwich, and place second piece of bread on top of cheese. 

2. Spray pan with non-stick spray. Place sandwich in pan. Allow to cook about 2-3 minutes or until brown. Flip and repeat. Keep flipping until both sides are brown and cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole

I've said it a million times, breakfast is by far my favorite meal of the day, hands down. However, finding the motivation to cook breakfast every day is hard. This recipe is great because you get all the delicious layers of breakfast-y goodness and you can prepare it the night before! My recipe makes enough for 2-4, but double it and make enough for company too! My recipe below gives low-cal substitutions for those of you watching your weight! Yum!

Ingredients:

4 uncooked Johnsonville original breakfast sausage patties (or 1/2 log Jennie-O turkey breakfast sausage or 1 cup Morning Star Farms breakfast sausage crumbles)

1 tsp oregano, divided 

4 large eggs (or 6 egg whites)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup Mexican Four Cheese Shredded Cheese (or light/reduced fat shredded cheese blend), divided

20 frozen Ore-Ida Crispy Crowns tater tots (or sweet potato tots)

1 tbsp chives, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. 

2. In fry pan, cook and crumble sausage until fully cooked, stirring frequently. Drain excess grease and add 1/2 tsp oregano. Spread evenly across bottom of small casserole dish. 

3. In cereal bowl, whip together eggs with fork. Season with salt, pepper and remaining oregano. Pour over sausage in casserole dish. 

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded cheese over egg mixture. Place tater tots evenly across top of egg mixture. 

5. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked. Sprinkle with remaining shredded cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes. 

6. Allow casserole to cool 5-10 minutes. Garnish with chives and enjoy!