Archive for the ‘Food & Recipes’ Category

Baked Orange Chicken Meatballs

Monday, August 13th, 2018

Eating well throughout the week can be made a heck of a lot easier with smart meal prep ideas. Today I am sharing a fresh spin on a takeout classic with this recipe for Orange Chicken Meatballs that can easily be baked in the oven and prepared for a busy week. Add this easy gluten-free recipe to your weekly rotation and I guarantee it will be the perfect way to enjoy your favorite takeout dish without breaking the bank.

My preferred method of making meatballs is baking them. I usually spread them on cookie sheets, but today we will be saucing these meatballs in an orange chicken glaze so we will be preparing these in baking pans instead.

Haven’t made meatballs before? No problem! I have found that one of these is a great item to keep on hand in the kitchen for making quick work of shaping those meatballs into uniform sizes. Since these meatballs are more delicate, this also helps from having to handle them too much.

Once you get the hang of it, you will love this version and these are the perfect tailgate snack.

You can serve these as a standalone with your favorite steamed veggies or you can spoon them on top of rice or quinoa. If you haven’t purchased one of these, you are in for a real treat for your meal prep days. You can read my method for making the perfect brown rice or you can use my foolproof method for making quinoa in it too.

My Gluten-Free Orange Chicken was the inspiration for today’s dish because it has been such a popular one on the site. Although I had hoped to use the original sauce, I needed a thicker glaze that would hug the meatball a little better. Thanks to a little hoisin sauce (be sure to check your label if the product is gluten-free or you can easily purchase something like this online) and cornstarch, this sauce is perfectly huggable and delicious. It also gets its bright citrus flavor from orange juice and a little kick from fresh ginger.

Speaking of orange juice, be sure to swing by the blog tomorrow to get the scoop on more meal prep ideas with my back-to-school partner, Florida Orange Juice. I’ve got several smart lunch hacks that you won’t want to miss!

You can finish these beauties with a shake of sesame seeds and a few chopped scallions. Distribute these dishes in your favorite lunch containers (these are my absolute favorite and what our dish is pictured in today) and enjoy a week of stress-free eating.

Baked Orange Chicken Meatballs

Recipe Type: Main Dish

Author: [url href=”http://www.momadvice.com” target=”_blank”]MomAdvice[/url]

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 25 mins

Serves: approximately 40 meatballs

These gluten-free orange chicken meatballs take all the takeout classics flavors you love and cram them in an easy baked meatball. Meal prep these on the weekend for a week of lunches you will REALLY love.

Ingredients

3 pounds ground chicken
1/2 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (I love the refrigerated tubes for ease)
4 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons salt
Optional, but fun: scallions & sesame seeds for garnish
For Sauce: 3 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 cup gluten-free hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/4 cup orange juice
salt to taste
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease two baking pans for meatballs.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together your ground chicken, breadcrumbs, soy sauce, minced ginger, minced garlic, and salt.
In prepared pans, scoop or shape with hands your chicken meatballs. These are delicate and sticky, but will bake up light and lovely.
Once all your meatballs are shaped, slide these into the oven to bake for ten minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together your orange juice, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, minced garlic, minced ginger, and salt with a whisk.
In another separate small bowl, mix together two tablespoons cornstarch with two tablespoons water. Mix until there are no clumps and it is well mixed.
Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and whisk it all together.
Once the meatballs have baked for ten minutes, evenly pour your sauce over the meatballs. Slide these bake into the oven for another 5-7 minutes or until the sauce is thick and bubbly and the meatballs are cooked through.
Spoon these, with the sauce, on top of [url href=”http://https://www.momadvice.com/post/make-ahead-tutorial-how-to-make-perfect-brown-rice-in-your-rice-cooker” target=”_blank”]rice[/url] or [url href=”http://https://www.momadvice.com/post/how-to-make-quinoa-in-the-rice-cooker” target=”_blank”]quinoa[/url] or serve plain with your favorite veggies. Garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.

Looking for more great meal ideas?

Here are a few of my favorites for this time of year!

gluten-free orange chicken

3-ingredient instant pot ribs

5-ingredient caprese pork chops

mexican quinoa stuffed peppers

5-ingredient gluten-free pizza crust

slow cooker carnitas

gluten-free meatloaf recipe

Check out all our main dishes on the site for more dinner inspiration!

this post contains affiliate links

Tags: Gluten Free Orange Chicken Meatballs, Gluten-Free Orange Chicken Sauce, Make Ahead Lunch Ideas, Meal Prep Lunch Ideas, Orange Chicken Meatballs Recipe
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Baked Sweet Potato Fries With Lemon Meringue Dipping Sauce

Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018

This post is sponsored by Honeysuckle White. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

If you want to switch up your burger and fries game, today’s post is one you can’t miss, especially with a weekend of holiday grilling on the horizon. Today I’m partnering with Honeysuckle White to share their fun new burger combos AND I have a fun baked sweet potato fries recipe with a lemon-filled dipping sauce that I know you will flip for.

Honeysuckle White is now offering two fun and flavorful new turkey burger combos that are already prepared and ready to be thrown on your grill. Our family sampled them both and absolutely fell in love with them.

The first one is a Cranberry & Jalapeño that offers a fun combo of sweet and spicy that seem to really balance each other. They have kick to them, but a kick that was mild enough to be called a favorite by my daughter. The white cheddar cheese sprinkled throughout add a little bit of unexpected creaminess to the patty and helps cut down on the spicy factor.

Here is a close-up shot of all that cheese for you- YUM!

The other combo they offer are their Spinach & Kale turkey patties and these also pack another fun flavorful punch, with the greens folded right into the patty. If you struggle to get your kids to eat their veggies, this is the perfect patty for them. Pairing it with today’s sweet potato fries recipe (see below), you are sure to get a couple of servings in your child without them even noticing just how healthy they are eating.

Definitely, swing by your store and pick some of these delicious patties up for your next grilling weekend! I think they would be a fun surprise for your guests and Honeysuckle White has done all the work for you in the preparation of these delicious ingredient combos.

Sweet potato fries are my absolute favorite and one of our local burger joints inspired the dipping sauce to accompany them that I decided to recreate in my kitchen. This creamy lemon dipping sauce is tart and a fun match to the sweetness of the potatoes and is one of my favorite ways to indulge in a little fry dipping.

Not a big sweet potato fan?

I think this would be just as delicious with carrots as it is with the potatoes.

To make these fries ahead, before your guests arrive, peel and cut the potatoes into matchsticks and place in a bowl. Once you have cut all your potatoes, cover them with water and store in the fridge. Placed in a water bath, these cut potatoes can be stored up to twenty-four hours in the water.

This simple dipping sauce is made out of several pantry staples- mayo, garlic, salt, and the juice and zest from a lemon. I guarantee that this unexpected sauce will be a huge hit at your barbecue just because it is such an unexpected flavor pairing.

I can’t wait until our next cookout so we can share these delicious Cranberry & Jalapeño Turkey Burgers and Spinach & Kale Turkey Burgers with our guests. With all these new flavor combos, you are sure to wow your guests this year! Best of all? Although the flavor profile is elevated, the price is quite affordable to have a high-end burger night right in your own backyard.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries With Lemon Meringue Dipping Sauce

Recipe Type: Side

Cuisine: American

Author: MomAdvice.com

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 6

These baked sweet potato fries are served with a lemon dip that brings together the sweetness of the potato with the tartness of the lemon.

Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes cut into matchsticks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, finely minced
zest from one lemon
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Peel sweet potatoes and slice into matchsticks, roughly the same size. Place in a large bowl.
If storing for the next day, fill the bowl with water, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate (up to 24-hours).
If preparing immediately, toss with olive oil and salt.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, tossing once halfway through to crisp up both sides.
While they are baking, mix together the mayo, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
Once fries are done, garnish with parsley and serve with the lemon meringue dipping sauce.

Looking for more ways to enjoy turkey? Here are a few of my favorites!

Caprese Quinoa & Meatball Casserole

Asian Turkey & Green Bean Saute

Ground Turkey Gyro Burgers

Slow Cooker Thanksgiving Turkey

Instant Pot Indian Vegetable Rice (served with turkey meatloaf)

Spinach & Turkey Bacon Skillet Dish

This post is sponsored by Honeysuckle White. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Tags: Baked Sweet Potato Fries, Fry Sauce Combos, Honeysuckle White Turkey Burgers, Lemon Fries Sauce, Lemon Meringue Fry Sauce, Sweet Potato Recipes
Posted in Condiments, Kid Eats, Make Ahead Meals, My Work, Sides | No Comments »

5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe

Tuesday, March 6th, 2018

I have been gluten-free for years, but I have only really jumped into gluten-free baking this year. The one recipe that I just couldn’t seem to master was a delicious gluten-free pizza crust. This week I decided to try to crack the code on a simple, one-bowl dough that could be made from a gluten-free mix and that had simple ingredients that I always keep in my pantry. Does this seem like too steep of a request to make from myself? You bet!

You could say this no-spend month has been quite motivating!

I am SO excited to share with you a foolproof gluten-free pizza crust recipe that is as easy to put together as your standard crust. The thing that I need to stress though is that you MUST, MUST, MUST follow my advice on which flour to purchase and the steps that I have outlined to create it. If you use another flour mix I can’t guarantee these results for the perfect airy crust that will rival any pizzeria you have been to.

It’s worth it to take the time to buy the right product, amiright?

Are you ready for this EASY recipe?

Let’s get baking!

A Few Quick Suggestions for the Perfect Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

The Best Flour Blend for This Recipe

To nail this perfect crust, you MUST use this gluten-free flour mix.

Period.

I’m linking to the best price on this that I’ve found (at least in our area). The cost (currently) is $3.97 and this will yield two large pizza crusts for your family. It has to be the cup-for-cup so make sure that the label says that since other gluten-free blends exist. Although I am telling you it yields TWO crusts, this recipe below is for ONE crust. Double it if you are wanting to make two pizzas.

And you will want to make two pizzas. I just know it!

Anyone who eats gluten-free knows what a steal this on two large crusts. I can’t tell you how much money I have spent on tiny terrible pizzas that left me hungry.

A little over two bucks per large pizza crust is unreal awesome.

The Yeast Must Be Active

Do you know the best way to check if your yeast is active? Sprinkle your yeast and a pinch of sugar over the top, give it a stir, and let it stand for a few minutes. If the yeast is still active, it will dissolve completely into the water and the liquid will start bubbling. If your yeast isn’t active, it will yield a dense and heavy crust.

I buy a large jar of yeast because it is cheaper than buying the yeast packets. This is the jar that I purchase for our family.

You want to make sure you don’t grab the bread machine yeast, just the regular ol’ active yeast.

Parchment Paper Makes Everything Easier

This crust shouldn’t be too sticky (if it is, add a little additional flour until it comes together without the stickiness factor), but I prefer to press out my crust on a parchment paper lined pizza stone. I buy these squares (awesome stuff for easy clean-up on sheet pan meals) and place it on a diagonal across my stone.

Speaking of pizza stones, they are such a wonderful family investment. I bought mine about twelve years ago and it has paid for itself over and over and over again. This size stone is perfect for all your pizza needs.

I have a feeling you are going to love this recipe because of its ease. Mix it up, let it rise, and then pat it out on parchment paper.

Yup, that’s pretty much it.

I like to brush the crust edges with olive oil because it helps the edge to crisp up a bit more.

Once you press the crust out, bake it for a bit, add your toppings, and then finish your baking.

That’s it!

The best part is that you can make a few crusts at the same time and place them in the freezer for your future pizza nights. Simply allow the crust to rise and then place the dough ball in a freezer-safe plastic bag. Once you are ready to use it, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, and then prepare as usual. These crusts can be kept frozen for up to four weeks.

Another make-ahead option is to to mix all the dry ingredients and store them in a bag or jar to make preparation a little easier.

Or, heck, just wing it!

You got this!

5-Ingredient Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 1 large pizza

An easy 5-ingredient one-bowl gluten-free pizza crust recipe. I dare you to say that three times fast.

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups [url href=”https://rstyle.me/n/cy78eqwky6″ target=”_blank”]Bobs Mill Cup-For-Cup Baking Flour[/url] [u]NO SUBSTITUTIONS[/u]
2.25 teaspoons active yeast (if purchasing in packet form, it will be one packet)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup warm water

Instructions

Please Note- This yields enough for ONE crust for ONE large pizza.
In a large mixing bowl mix together flour, yeast, and salt.
Add honey, olive oil, and warm water (you want this warm, but not SO hot that it kills your yeast).
Mix well until the dough pulls away from the bowl. If your dough feels too sticky, you can add a little additional flour to it until it pulls into a ball.
Knead the ball of dough a few times and then cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
On a parchment paper lined pizza stone, turn out the dough and shape into a pizza.
Once it is patted out, brush with olive oil on the edge of the crust.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Remove and add sauce and toppings. Place back into the oven and finish baking (approximately 7-9 minutes). If you like your cheese bubbly on top, you can finish the process by broiling for a couple of minutes. Be sure to keep your eye on it so your crust doesn’t burn.
Slice and enjoy!

Not gluten-free? I’ve got you covered with this easy Bread Machine Pizza Dough! You can also use my pizza sauce recipe (all the way at the bottom of the post!) for both types of pizzas.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe and hope it is as big of a hit at your house as it has been at our home!

This post contains affiliate links.

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Tags: 5 Ingredient Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Recipe, Bobs Red Mill Baking Flour Pizza Crust, One Bowl Gluten Free Pizza Crust Recipe, One Bowl Gluten Free Pizza Dough Recipe
Posted in Frugal, Kid Eats, Main Dishes, Make Ahead Meals, Saving | No Comments »

The MomAdvice Make-Ahead 01.30.17

Tuesday, January 30th, 2018

My resolution to eat more at home had me prepping some dishes ahead this week. I shared a picture on my IG feed and got a lot of questions about this week’s prep so I thought I’d move that convo over to the blog.

Here were my plans for eating and prepping this week!

Menu Plan

Roast Chicken Wraps (flour or gluten-free tortillas, roast chicken, shredded cheese, spinach, & a drizzle of ranch) with carrot sticks & tortilla chips

Balsamic Pork Loin Sheet Pan Meal

Taco Bowls (Taco Meat Recipe & Make-Ahead Rice)

homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches

breakfast (or lunch!)- slow cooker creamy coconut steel cut oatmeal

snack- pumpkin bread (to make gluten-free, I sub with this cup-for-cup flour)

What To Prep Ahead

1. Prepare oatmeal the night before prep day and turn on low heat as directed. Try this water bath technique for best results. Extra prep credit if you put together baggies of your favorite dried fruits and nuts for topping.

2. Prepare and bake pumpkin bread loaves as directed. Wrap and freeze one loaf (for later) and slice the other loaf and store in an airtight container for the week.

3. Prepare your brown rice in your rice cooker while the loaves are baking. Once it beeps, store cooked rice in an airtight container.

4. Chop veggies for pork loin sheet meal. I did a combo of Brussels Sprouts & Sweet Potatoes this time. Store Brussels Sprouts separately in an airtight container. Store diced sweet potatoes covered in cold water for 24-48 hours.

5. Prepare the rosemary marinade and store in a separate container. I highly recommend this purchase for quick marinade preparation.

6. Prepare your tomato soup and store in an airtight container. I highly recommend one of these so you don’t have to dirty extra pots.

7. Prepare the taco meat as directed in the recipe. Store in an airtight container.

Once you are done, put those feet up for the rest of the dang week!

This post contains affiliate links!

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Instant Pot Indian Vegetable Rice

Thursday, January 4th, 2018

This post is sponsored by Honeysuckle White. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Happy New Year, everyone! I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to 2018 and getting a fresh page in our lives. Today I’m partnering with Honeysuckle White to talk about my New Year’s resolutions and share about their fun new line of ready-to-go products to help you with your dinner hour.

In 2018, my resolutions are:

– Read 100 books
– Set business hours so I have more time for my kids in the evenings.
– Be serious about strength training again at the gym
– Get a book proposal done and sold
– Get back to smart budgeting and tracking of our money to save more.
– Eat at home more and dine out less.
– Write & photograph an Instant Pot ebook
– Get back to crafting again (for the pleasure of it, not for work)

I like to think of myself as a bit of a go-getter (just in case that doesn’t always come through) and last year I had to sideline many of these goals to make a commitment to my physical health. Having an unproductive year definitely drives me a lot to do better this year and I’m hopeful that I can tackle everything on this list if I work on being more disciplined with my free time.

I’m giving you the side eye, Facebook & Instagram.

If you are looking for new ways to tackle resolutions too, I loved this piece that offered different strategies for starting the year well. It doesn’t always need to be a list of goals, it could be as simple as a word commitment or writing a, “Dear Future Me,” letter.

The thing about good intentions is that life gets in the way of all the good that we want to establish, doesn’t it? For example, I’m escaping for a girl’s trip for my big 4-0 and that means that I’m abandoning my kitchen duties and leaving them to my husband.

Which usually means a lot of eating out for the family and gets us ALL off track from saving and eating at home more.

Lucky for him, Honeysuckle White came out with this awesome line of products that make getting dinner on the table so much easier. This year they launched a new line of flavored meatballs, burger patties, and cutlets to help make the dinner hour easier and more affordable for busy families. Today I’m showing you how to dress up their DELICIOUS HomeStyle Turkey Meatloaf. YUM!

Since we eat gluten-free, I am LOVING that these are gluten-free and a much healthier alternative to ditching it all for a bowl of cereal for dinner. Just like the package states, there are no added hormones, steroids, or growth-promoting antibiotics.

Best of all, they support independent farmers and YOU support independent farmers when you make a purchase.

Top your meatloaf up anyway you like, but today I thought I’d show you the fun spin that we decided to do with this one. Since we love eating Indian food, I usually have some type of simmering sauce in our pantry to put to work for an easy weeknight meal. Save just a little of those jars in your fridge and use these fun simmering sauce (like Tikka Masala, Butter Masala, or Korma sauce) to dress your turkey meatloaf.

How easy is that?

I wanted to create a delicious side today that would complement these amazing flavors so I’m sharing this OH-SO-EASY Instant Pot Indian Vegetable Rice that I just can’t get enough of. This rice is FRUGAL (which fits right in line with my resolutions) and DELICIOUS. I guarantee that you won’t make this recipe just once!

If you got an Instant Pot for Christmas, this is a great beginner recipe to get you started.

Just as a reminder, when making rice, it is a good idea to give the rice a good rinse before placing it in your pressure cooker to get that beautiful fluffy consistency.

I hope you love this recipe as much as our family and can keep these Honeysuckle White products in mind when you are doing your grocery shopping!

Instant Pot Indian Vegetable Rice

Recipe Type: Side

Cuisine: Indian

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 22 mins

Total time: 32 mins

Serves: 6 servings

This gluten-free side is so easy to create and happens to be easy on the wallet too! If you prefer your dish spicier, add an additional teaspoon of curry to bring on the heat!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup frozen peas
salt to taste

Instructions

Turn your Instant Pot on the saute function.
Rinse your basmati rice well in a colander
Once your Instant Pot has warmed up, add the garlic and rice and saute for 30 seconds.
Add the carrots, curry powder, vegetable broth, and salt. Stir well.
Secure the lid to the top of your Instant Pot and cook on HIGH pressure for 22 minutes.
Once the rice is finished cooking, turn off your Instant Pot and wait ten minutes before releasing the pressure.
Release the pressure, open lid, add the frozen peas, and fluff your rice. Add additional salt to taste.

This post is sponsored by Honeysuckle White. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

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Tags: How to Make Rice in the Instant Pot, Instant Pot Indian Rice, Instant Pot Indian Vegetable Rice Recipe, Instant Pot Vegetarian Meals
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No-Bake Gluten-Free Granola Bars

Thursday, December 21st, 2017

This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own.

This gluten-free mama is excited to share with you a new tool for making sure that you have good meals that your WHOLE family can enjoy!

Not only that, I’m sharing an EASY no-bake granola bar recipe that is our new favorite after school treat!

Nestlé has launched a new tool, in partnership with Walmart called Good Choices Made Easy. This tool helps recommend different products for your family’s meals and helps you select these products based on your own dietary needs.

They recognize that every meal can’t be homemade (especially during this busy season), but they want you to know and trust that the products they are sharing are made with quality ingredients and save you time in the aisles reading all those labels.

How cool is that?

Combining this tool with the low prices at Walmart, you can feel confident about the ingredients you choose AND the pricing on these items!

To celebrate the launch of this new tool, I am sharing a recipe for No-Bake Granola Bars using the Nestlé® Toll House® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels.

I have incorporated oats, almonds, honey, and peanut butter in these delicious treats that are perfect for serving up as a snack after a long day of school.

You may recall that I had a baked granola bar on our site, from many years ago. My original recipe relied upon flour and baking so this is a spin on my No-Bake Energy Bites recipe, just in bar form. These days, I’m all about easy!

Mix these delicious ingredients up in a large bowl and line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper. Pat these down until you have an even surface across your pan. Place these in your refrigerator for about thirty minutes and then cut them into bars for your week.

As soon as these were sliced, they were devoured by my kids. I love that these are made from ingredients that we always have in our pantry! I bet if you make them, they will go fast in your house too!

No-Bake Gluten-Free Granola Bars

Recipe Type: Snack

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

An easy no-bake gluten-free treat that makes the perfect snack.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups quick-cooking oats
1 ⅓ cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped (if making nut-free, substitute with 1 ⅓ additional cups of quick-cooking oats)
1 cup Nestlé® Toll House® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup creamy peanut butter (or almond butter or sunbutter)
½ cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
Using a small handheld chopper (or your chef’s knife), give your almonds a coarse chop.
Add the peanut butter and honey to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.
In a large bowl, mix together your oatmeal, coarsely chopped almonds, chocolate morsels, ground, cinnamon and salt. Mix well.
Add the peanut butter & honey mixture (make sure it has cooled so you don’t melt your chocolate morsels) and your vanilla extract. Mix well.
Spoon the mixture into the pan and then press these in the pan, until they are pressed evenly throughout. I like to spray a little cooking spray on a little plastic wrap to assist with getting these even.
Place the pan in the refrigerator for a half hour.
Remove and slice into bars. Wrap bars individually in plastic wrap or in baggies for snacks and lunches.

Be sure to check out the Nestlé Good Choices Made Easy Tool at Walmart.com I think you will find it invaluable when doing your grocery shopping!

This post is sponsored by Mirum, but opinions expressed are my own.

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Tags: Gluten Free Granola Bar Recipe, No Bake Gluten Free Granola Bars, No Bake Granola Bars
Posted in Desserts, Kid Eats, Sides | No Comments »

Balsamic Pork Loin Sheet Pan Meal

Tuesday, December 12th, 2017

I’m all about sheet pan meals, especially in the winter months! Today’s recipe has been prepared about a dozen times, shared with good friends and great conversation. This Balsamic Pork Loin recipe is a knock-your-socks off dinner that would be perfect for any occasion.

In fact, it is such a cinch to prepare that I double it each time I make it for our family. No joke!

There are a few tricks I use to make preparation and clean-up a little easier. This little gadget (only $17) has made chopping garlic and herbs take seconds instead of minutes when preparing this, or any other dish with a marinade. I have such a small amount of storage in my kitchen that everything must be used and used often. I can tell you that this one is on my counter almost every day while I prepare our meal. It has saved me from A LOT of chopping this year.

The second, don’t be afraid to switch this one up and make it with your own with your own favorite vegetables. I have made this same dish with whatever produce we have on hand- baby potatoes, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, and carrots…just to name a few. If you have produce that needs to get to work in the kitchen, this is the recipe to do it with.

The third trick is lining your cookie sheets with parchment paper. I do the REALLY lazy way and buy these ready-to-go sheets for preparing our weeknight sheet pan meals. Anything that I can do to cut down my clean-up time is worth it, in my opinion.

The last trick, and probably the most important one, is to make sure that you use your meat thermometer to make sure the pork is cooked perfectly. The USDA recommends cooking pork to 160 degrees! I like to pull it out just a bit before that at 150 degrees because it will continue to cook while it is at rest!

Isn’t that a beauty? Since it is easy to double, it is SO EASY to share. This has been my new go-to for anyone who is need of a meal. Pair it with this brown bag idea for giving! Who wouldn’t feel touched by that?

Be sure to put the leftovers to work too! The meat with a little pesto on top makes a mean slider and I love to reheat the veggies as a morning side with my eggs.

Looking for more sheet pan meals? We have a few great ones on the site!

Sheet Pan Lemon Paprika Chicken & Veggies

Sheet Pan Ranch Chops & Veggies

Roasted Salmon & Asparagus with Pistachio Gremolata

10 minute Fish Tacos

Roast Chicken in Bulk

Balsamic Pork Loin Sheet Pan Meal:

Balsamic Pork Loin Sheet Pan Meal

Recipe Type: Main

Author: Adapted from [url href=”https://diethood.com/garlic-rosemary-balsamic-roasted-pork-loin/” target=”_blank”]Diethood[/url]

Prep time: 20 mins

Cook time: 65 mins

Total time: 1 hour 25 mins

Serves: 6-8 servings

An easy gluten-free sheet pan meal made with just a few simple pantry ingredients. This one can be doubled to feed a crowd!

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless pork tenderloin
1/4- cup olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 head of garlic
1/2- cup fresh rosemary leaves
salt & pepper
2 pounds of your favorite veggies (our favorite combo is sweet potatoes & brussels sprouts)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450F.
Line your sheet pan with parchment paper.
Prepare the garlic by removing the outer layer. Add these cloves to your food processor along with your rosemary, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend well.
Rub the pork loin on all sides with your prepared balsamic marinade (use about 3/4 of it). Place on the prepared cookie sheet.
Chop your vegetables and place them in a bowl. Add the last of the marinade to the bowl and toss them gently until they are all coated in the marinade. Be sure to add more salt and pepper for seasoning.
Spread the vegetables around the pork tenderloin, making sure that they are not overlapping and have space to cook.
Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes.
Now reduce oven to 350F.
Cook for another 50 minutes, or until done. Pork is done cooking when internal temperature 160 degrees.
Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes.
Transfer roast to a cutting board; slice and serve with veggies. Garnish with rosemary for a finishing touch.

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Tags: Balsamic Pork Loin, Balsamic Pork Tenderloin Recipe, Holiday Pork Recipe Ideas, Rosemary Pork Loin
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Caprese Quinoa and Meatball Casserole

Tuesday, November 28th, 2017

Caprese Quinoa and Meatball Casserole

This post is sponsored by Honeysuckle White. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving season with your families! I don’t know about you, but after hosting a Thanksgiving, I felt a bit uninspired trying to put together meals for these next busy upcoming weeks. There is nothing that makes me feel worse than dining out night after night so I tried to put together an easy dish that our whole family will love.

Did you think turkey season was behind us? The good news is that turkey season doesn’t need to wind down after the holidays thanks to a few new ready-to-go products that are on store shelves now.

The even better news? These items help to eliminate a little of the prep work for your meal so you can spend more time unwinding.

I have gotten the opportunity to partner with Honeysuckle White again this year as they launched a new line of flavored meatballs, burger patties, and cutlets to help make the dinner hour easier and more affordable for busy families.

Did someone say easier AND more affordable?

I’m in!

As a gluten-free girl, I’m thrilled that these meatballs are gluten-free and stuffed with one of my favorite foods…cheese! I wanted to create a dish that would really compliment these, while also continuing my gluten-free theme, so I made these into a Caprese Quinoa and Meatball Casserole that can be topped with additional fresh mozzarella cheese and a little fresh basil (and an optional balsamic drizzle), to finish.

If you haven’t tried quinoa, you are in for a treat! It was one of the first foods that I added to my diet, when making my own dietary switches, and it has become something I now eat almost weekly now. It is a fun switch from rice and stands up well to a reheat in the microwave. Be sure to read this article so you can learn more about this ingredient and how you can prepare quinoa in your rice cooker.

Everyone in our family REALLY enjoyed this casserole and I can see us adding this one into our weekly rotation. The meatballs were light and the topping of mozzarella added a little indulgence to this, otherwise, entirely healthy dish. The quinoa was delicious and cooked in spaghetti sauce and chicken broth, my favorite combo for cooking consistency for quinoa and pasta dishes.

Also, if you haven’t reduced a little balsamic for drizzling, I know you will find this extra step to be worth the flavor it brings to the completed dish. It is something that only takes a couple of minutes, but certainly brings the WOW factor!

The best part about this dish is that it is quick to prepare, will probably leave you some leftovers (if you are lucky), and feels like a rich comfort food dish to this gluten-free eater!

Be sure to give these new dinner options a spin in your house! I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!

Caprese Quinoa and Meatball Casserole

Recipe Type: Gluten-Free

Author: MomAdvice.com

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 40 mins

Total time: 50 mins

Serves: 8

Italian comfort food receives a healthy weeknight spin with prepared meatballs and quinoa for our base. Add a balsamic reduction drizzle and basil for an elegant touch.

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked quinoa (rinse this really well with water- [url href=”http://www.momadvice.com/post/how-to-make-quinoa-in-the-rice-cooker” target=”_blank”]read more here[/url])
1- 16 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
1 cup chicken broth
2 pounds Honeysuckle White Cheese Stuffed Italian Style Meatballs
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Handful of thinly sliced basil

Instructions

Preheat your oven for 375 degrees.
Begin by rinsing your quinoa thoroughly (read instructions in the ingredient list if you have not prepared quinoa before).
In a greased 9×13 pan, add the rinsed quinoa to the bottom of the pan.
In a sauce pan, heat the spaghetti sauce and chicken broth until hot. Remove from the stovetop and pour the liquid over the quinoa, until it is fully covered.
Sprinkle meatballs on top of the quinoa and finish with thin slices of mozzarella (you can put them over the meatball or just dabble on top of the dish). Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. During the last 5-10 minutes, remove the foil to melt the cheese fully.
While the dish is baking, our balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan. Turn heat to medium high and bring vinegar to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to simmer and let simmer for about 10 minutes until vinegar has reduced down. Stir occasionally. When it begins to coat the back of a spoon, you will know that it is fully reduced. Set aside to cool while the casserole bakes.
Once your dish is done, finish servings with thinly sliced basil and your balsamic reduction.

Caprese Quinoa and Meatball Casserole

Honeysuckle White turkey products are available in select states. For those on the East Coast (CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, NC, RI, SC, VT, VA, WV), look for Honeysuckle White’s sister brand, Shady Brook Farms!

This post is sponsored by Honeysuckle White. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

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Tags: Caprese Meatball Casserole, Caprese Quinoa Casserole, Gluten Free Casserole Ideas, Gluten Free Italian Main Dishes, How to Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker
Posted in Kid Eats, Main Dishes, My Work | No Comments »

Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea Mix in a Jar

Tuesday, August 22nd, 2017

DIY Vanilla Chai Tea Mix from MomAdvice.com

Are you as ready for fall as I am?

As soon as the weather starts turning, I start thinking of all the things that I love about autumn.

The crisp leaves, the cool air, my cozy slippers, flannel sheets, and warm drinks.

In fact, sipping warm drinks with a good book is one of my all-time favorite fall activities.

My favorite warm drink is chai and I look forward to making this each and every year for our family. Is it your favorite too? I love to have homemade chai tea mix in a jar on hand for sipping or for sharing with a good friend.

I am sure you have seen that the drink mixes can be quite expensive, but mixing up a batch of this DIY Vanilla Chai mix for yourself can help to keep your pockets nice and warm with a little extra money.

Most of the spices, dry creamer, and dry milk are already stocked in my pantry or can be found easily on the baking shelves at our local grocery store.

The only additions I usually have to run out and get is the instant tea and powdered vanilla creamer.

When I see a sale on these ingredients, I stock up so I don’t run out in the colder months.

We tend to go through this mix rather quickly because it is such a hit over here.

To make the batch more smooth, instead of gritty, I process everything through my blender.

I first mix all of the white ingredients in my blender (milk, sugar, creamer, vanilla creamer).

I dump those in a plastic container and then I mix up all the brown ingredients (tea and spices).

I pour this on top in the plastic container, seal the lid and give it a good shaking to incorporate or mix it up with a spoon.

If you have a large food processor, you may be able to process it all together, but if you have a blender it is best to do this in divided batches.

Not only is this drink mix wonderful for yourself, but mixing up a batch of this and tucking some of it in a mug would be a wonderful gift to give to someone special in your life.

I often rely on this easy mix in a jar for a teacher or bus driver gift because it is always a hit.

Who wouldn’t want a jar of that in their pantry?

If you are sharing this one with your kids, be sure to look for a mix like this.

You’ll have to trust me on that one since I have made that mistake a few times (*ahem*)

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do- please let me know what you think!

Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Mix up this easy recipe for Vanilla Chai to keep in your pantry to enjoy throughout the cooler months. This is also a great gift mix to share with family and friends.

Ingredients

Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea Mix
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup French vanilla powdered non-dairy creamer
2 ½ cups white sugar
1 ½ cups unsweetened instant tea
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
¼ tsp white pepper

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it is a fine powder. Add two-three tablespoons of mix to 8 ounces of hot water or milk.

Love this mix? Check out my hot cocoa mix with an ingredient that just might surprise you!

You might also love this link to some of my favorite copycat DIY Starbucks Drinks

or this great roundup of fall drinks– yum!

What is your favorite autumn/winter drink? Do you have any recipes to share for your favorite drink mixes?

Other great ideas for Autumn

Blanket Scarves for Fall

No Sew Hidden Pocket Scarf

DIY Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spice Candles

Homemade Gluten-free Pumpkin Bread

Tags: Chai Tea Mix In A Jar, Chai Tea Mix Without Spices, DIY Drink Mixes, DIY Vanilla Chai Tea Mix, Gifts, Recipes
Posted in Celebrations, DIY, Drinks, Gifts, Holidays, Kids Crafts | 57 Comments »

DIY Breakfast Caddy

Monday, June 19th, 2017

DIY Breakfast Caddy for Car from MomAdvice.com

This blog was sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus. Thank you for supporting the companies that support our site!

Well, hello there! I hope your summer is off to a lovely start! We are trying to soak in as many carefree and unscheduled days as we can, but it is funny how life gets in the way of this. This week we tackled doctor’s appointments, the dentist, running a kid back and forth to a sleepover, and we are signing up for a couple of fun summer programs and camps that are happening around town.

All of that leads to busy mornings so today I am partnering with Florida Department of Citrus to show you how to enjoy your breakfast on-the-go, complete with a glass of Florida Orange Juice! We are sharing a breakfast caddy idea that you can assemble on the weekends to get your kids off to a great start, no matter what is on the to-do list!

I will admit, I got the inspiration for this from Pinterest where there were numerous pins of fast food meals in totes to make it easier for kids to eat their meals. I wanted to translate that idea into a healthy one that is perfect for busy mornings.

Supplies Needed

Lightweight Plastic Shower Caddy (exact, similar, similar)

Small Plastic Containers or Jars for Food Assembly

Drink Holder

Water Bottle

Food Supplies (as listed below)

Directions for a DIY Breakfast Caddy

The beauty in this project is that you can fill your tote with whatever you think will help fuel your kids that day. I can’t stress enough how much I LOVE these make-ahead burritos because they save me on many busy mornings in our house. Once heated, they can be wrapped in tin foil to keep them warm. Of course, if burritos aren’t your thing, a breakfast sandwich made on an English Muffin, peanut butter on rice cakes (a favorite in our gluten-free home), or even a slice of frittata (try this one, or this one) can be other great options for the main course.

For fruit, I follow the rule that it must be in season and on sale that week to make it in our produce drawer. Today’s fruit selection are blueberries and strawberries in mason jars, but grapes, bananas, cantaloupe, or watermelon also make great options. You could also do a package of easy-to-eat veggies like baby carrots, celery sticks, or red & green peppers if you struggle to get your kiddos to eat fruit.

Of course, a surefire way to get your kiddo’s to consume fruit is a little juice, isn’t it? Did you know that an 8 oz. glass of 100% orange juice counts as one of your daily recommended servings of fruit? Pretty cool! Not only that, Florida Orange Juice provides 5 amazing nutrients in every glass: Taste, Vitamin C, Folate, Potassium and No Added Sugar.

Since mornings can be long in the car, I added toasted edamame in a small container for munching before or after our morning activities. You could also do nuts like almonds or cashews to add a healthy crunch to round out the meal or as a great in-between snack once hunger strikes again. You just know it will!

Oh, and don’t forget the water! It has been a scorcher out there so we are trying our best to stay hydrated. It’s also so nice to have a water bottle in case we forget it for the next thing on the agenda.

Wouldn’t this be so great for your next family trip too? I have a feeling that our mornings would start out a lot better on trip days if I had a few of these items prepped and ready to go in my fridge for our next adventure.

Well, we are all packed up and off to our next thing probably. I just want time to s-l-o-w down, but I blink and another summer is over. Do you feel that way too?

I hope this idea can be one you can use to fuel the family and maybe squeeze in a good chat with your kids while they are enjoying their breakfast on-the-go. I have, honestly, had some of my best talks with them in the rearview mirror. It is one of those ways that I have found it helps to keep an open dialogue between us as we navigate these new waters of being teens and tweens.

Thank you so much to Florida Department of Citrus for letting us share our fun little diy breakfast caddy with you. We hope you find this idea inspiring.

Cheers, mama, to surviving another summer!

PS- I hope that you made some room for some FLOJ in that mimosa over there!!

Love this idea? Be sure to visit these fun posts too!

Funny Faces Printables

Gluten-Free Orange Creamsicle Pancakes

Make-Ahead Sleepover Breakfast Buffet

Follow the rules below to enter to win a HUGE prize pack from Florida Department of Citrus today!! Follow the rules in the widget below- good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY Breakfast Caddy for Car from MomAdvice.com

This blog was sponsored by Florida Department of Citrus. Thank you for supporting the companies that support our site!

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Tags: DIY Breakfast Car Caddy, DIY Breakfast Tote, DIY Food Tote for Kids, DIY Meal Caddy for Car, Road Trip Snack Ideas
Posted in Breakfast, DIY, Early Childhood, Family, Family Travel, Frugal, Kid Eats, Kids Crafts, Main Dishes, My Work, Organizing, Teenagers, Travel | No Comments »