Balsamic Honey Glazed Pasta Salad!

I have been on a recipe kick lately! (And trying to document them!) So when I find a good one I am trying to share!

This recipe I literally made in the middle of a storm when the power flickered, we lost two trees and the little people were dancing around in their princess costumes. So I am serious when I say its easy! You can also modify it 100 different ways based on what you have in your fridge.

Ingredients:
8 ounces rotini pasta (approximately 1/2 a box)
1 red pepper (chopped)
1 yellow pepper (chopped)
1/2 large white onion
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/2 cup cubed goat cheese
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 tablespoon of honey
salt/pepper to taste

Directions:
Boil pasta to desired taste.
Toss pasta in oil, vinegar and honey.
Add in veggies, basil and goat cheese.
Chill for 15-20 minutes. Serve.

I added grilled chicken to this the first night we ate it and salmon to it the second night. You could also add various veggies, cheeses and even shrimp. For me the basil and the goat cheese mixed with the honey was an awesome combination of flavors!

Enjoy!

Toddler Tested and Approved --> 3 Ingredient Breakfast Cookie!

In my quest to find new and easy recipes, this one has been a winner in the house lately!

It takes about 10 minutes to make (minus baking time) and is super easy to double the batch and freeze for later.

Ingredients
1) 2 Medium ripe bananas
2) 2 cups of dry oatmeal
3) 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chunks

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Mash the bananas into a large bowl.
- Add oats and stir thoroughly
- Add chocolate and stir throuroughly
- Using a tablespoon, mash mixture into small balls. Place on cookie sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes to desired crunchiness
- Serve or freeze

Makes 12-16 cookies. Serving size is 2. (For all you 21 Day Fixers I count this as a yellow snack/treat).

These are great for snacks (about 100 calories for two) or for breakfast. You can modify this recipe about 100 ways. Sometimes for extra protein I add peanut butter and when I am in the mood for some thing a little more sugary tasting I add cinnamon. (calorie free!). You can also add dried fruit, nuts etc.  Its a great way to use those old bananas and a healthy alternative to your average chocolate chip cookie.

When Opportunity Knocks! Join in!

I can't believe its July already! I know most of you read this blog for the pictures but I did recently give my fitness page a makeover and have started coaching motivational fitness groups. In my own journey I have lost 18lbs and am still going! These groups are what keep me going. At 5am when I don't want to get up, I know that I am responsible with an amazing group of women to keep on track!

So while most of my posts are not fitness related. This one is! :) (Fair warning!)

So here goes. Get excited! (You know because this blog is very exciting!). I am looking for 8 women to join my 21 Day Fix Challenge starting July 20th! This time its gotten a summer makeover. Its a small, completely private program that will get you looking awesome in just 3 short weeks. This program is limited in size and only open to NEW 21 Day Fixers. (Or those that have not been in a challenge group). Everyone loves a good sale and its on sale this week! Yah!

Going on vacation. Traveling. Lots of family events? As a mom of twins I get a busy schedule and will be sharing lots of time management tips. Trust me. You can do it!

Lets do this! Sign-up Here!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cfXZXSapo4SGS69A6F4djAiItatX3Za1eTA5283Fydg/viewform

Happy Independence Day!

I can't believe its already July, but since I can't really pass up the opportunity to decorate we embraced the holiday and had a fun celebration!

All of my ideas came from Pinterest, which I probably spend WAY too much time looking at!

https://www.pinterest.com/haynes06/4th-of-july/

The best discovery I had were these fun drinks!

Its the easiest thing to make! Start with a base of cranberry juice (I added a little bit of red food coloring to intensify the color). Then fill the glass with ice (all the way to the top). The middle layer is regular Ice Gatorade (not G2). The last layer is the blue Gatorade and is the G2 version. Poor each layer over the ice VERY slowly. Amazingly the liquid stays separated. The trick is the sugar levels in each of the juices. The heaviest is on the bottom. 

Every 4th has to have a flag themed tray. This is my healthy version! My grandma used to make one for us every year. 

I also added a few flags and banners for some festive flair around the house!  I like them so much I think they will be staying up for a few weeks.  

We also went to the parade and enjoyed the warm weather!

Its been raining for what feels like months so it truly felt like the kick-off to summer! :) These two never sit still but I think they had fun!

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Day in the Life - Beach Style!

We just got back from an awesome vacation at the beach and had an amazing time with some amazing weather! Its soooooo hard to come back!

This year we went to Siesta Key, Florida and it was perfect. The sand wasn't hot, the water was super calm and clear and everyone was able to relax a bit! I thought it would be fun to do a day in the life, beach style!

5:00 am - Up (at least most days) to fit in a workout and enjoy the sunrise on the patio!

6:45am - The girls, at least 2 out of the 3 of them had breakfast out on the patio while Dad read the paper.

8:00 am - Beach Time! We got out early and the girls actually had quite a following. We made some nice friends from Cincinnati and aside from them we pretty much had the beach to ourselves. 

10:30am - Time for Snack and a break from the sun! (...and yes they actually kept their hats on the entire time. The love to accessorize!)

10:30 - 11:30 - Playtime and lunchtime for the girls and beach time for Heather and either Scott or I. We would take turns going out in the a.m. with Heather which was really nice since the beach was so close!

12:30 - 3:00 Little people naptime! Which meant patio time for us and sometimes a trip back to the beach (and maybe some paddleboarding...which is one of the best things I have EVER tried!) The water was so clear we saw manatees, sting rays and lots of fish!

3:30 - Back out to the beach with the girls! They are like little fish. And have LOTs of new words including "Swim", "Shells" and "Sand". Savannah swims in the bathtub every night now. Belly flop, kicks and all.

4:30pm  - Time for a break!

5:30 pm - Dinner time! Most nights we cooked but two nights we ventured out to a local seafood restaurant called Captain Curts. The have the best clam chowder around and lots of fresh fish!

7:30 - Bedtime (for the little people) and relaxation time for the rest of us. We are working our way through Sons of Anarchy on Netflix and sat on the patio and watched the sunset. A few nights we took the girls out on the beach later. To say they liked it is a bit of an understatement :) 

To say we had a great time doesn't even do the trip justice. It was such a great experience for all of us...plane flight and all (although I was very happy when that part was over!) We also had a chance to see our Florida friends and family which made it extra special. 

Thank goodness for headphones and movies!! Until next time. Siesta Key will always hold a special place in our hearts after this trip!