Homemade Fish Sticks

Hey, friends!

     It's been a minute since I have been able to find time to blog, but it's good to be back. :)

     My boys love fish sticks, but I do my best not to buy processed foods. The happy medium I came up with is this recipe for homemade fish sticks. I was happy to have good feedback from all the little dudes; it's "yummy for their tummies" all around.  I used tilapia for the fish, but you can use any kind of fish you like best.

FISH STICKS

serves 3 | dairy-free & gluten-free

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup almond flour (or wheat flour)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used gluten free)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 3 fish filets

Directions

1. Slice the fish into 1" strips.
2. Beat eggs and lemon juice together.
3. Place the flour in a separate bowl.
4. Put bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, salt, paprika and pepper in another bowl.
5. Dip the fish strip in the flour bowl, then the egg bowl, then the breadcrumb mixture.
6. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil.
7. Lay the strips on the baking sheet.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, flipping halfway through baking.

     I served the fish sticks with cauliflower, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and salad. It was oh-so-good! I hope you enjoy!

xoxo

Steph

Vegetarian Gumbo

Hey, friends!

     I love making dishes at the beginning of the week that you can eat on throughout the week. This vegetarian gumbo is exactly that. You can eat it with or without rice. It's packed with bold spices, but it's not too spicy for the little ones. You can always make it spicier if you want. I love spicy but have to keep it mild for my squad. :)

     This recipe may be a little bit more time-consuming compared to what I usually do, but like I said, it's a great dish to eat on all week. So here you go:

VEGETARIAN GUMBO

serves 8 | vegan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/3 cup whole wheat or gluten-free flour
• 1 small purple onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 3 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
• 3 chopped carrots
• 1 cup frozen sliced okra
• 1 Tbs. ground cumin
• 1 Tbs. paprika
• 1 Tbs. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper...or more to turn up the heat

Directions

1. In a pot, on high heat, stir oil and flour together until it turns dark in color.
2. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery.
3. Cook for 5 minutes. 
4. Stir in tomatoes, carrots, okra, 4 cups of water, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 35-40 minutes.
6. You can serve this over rice or eat it by itself.  I prefer using Lundberg Organic Short Grain Brown Rice.

     There you have it! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

xoxo
Steph

Oatmeal Pancakes

     Hey, friends! Happy Saturday!

     My boys are big fans of pancakes, so every Saturday is pancake day. I'm always trying different things to make them a little healthier. I've made an oatmeal pancake recipe before, but they turned out super thin and so many ingredients. I played around with ingredients and came up with these pancakes I'm sharing today.

     There are only five ingredients, which makes them all the better...and all you need is your blender and griddle!

     I like to top my pancakes with strawberries, bananas, and pure maple syrup. :)

     Here is the recipe. If you try them, let me know what you think in the comments below.

OATMEAL PANCAKES

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 banana
• A few dashes of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp honey

Directions

• Blend all ingredients in blender.
• Cook batter on griddle.
• Top with your fruit of choice.

BOOM! Enjoy!

xoxo
Steph

How to Get Kids to Eat Healthy Snacks

     Hi, friends!

     As a health coach and mom who loves her children a whole bunch, I strive to teach my boys healthy habits. When they get older, they will have the good habits that they need to take good care of their bodies. My boys are learning, and it brings me great joy when I see them chowing down on yummy, whole foods. They get even more excited when I present the snack in a fun way.

     Enter this cute little owl! All you need to make it is:

• kiwi
• strawberries
• blueberries
• raw almonds
• organic cheese
• raw cashews

     Needless to say, I scored lots of mommy points today. :) It was super easy, hardly taking any time at all, and it made me happy knowing they were having a healthy but yummy after-school snack.



     Here is a closer view. Unfortunately, little hands were already grabbing for the snack when I took this pic, so some of the sweet little owl had to be put back together.

     Let me know if you make this for your kids or even yourself. :)

Health and love,
xoxo
Steph

Avocado Egg Salad

Hi, friends!

     I think we all know how good boiled eggs are for us. I eat them several days a week. But what you might not know it that I am a huge avocado lover!

     Avocados not only taste amazing but also are full of good fats, so they are good for you (in moderation, of course). This week I was trying to decide what I wanted for lunch. Although I love egg salad, all the mayo and stuff that goes in it is not-so-good for you.

     I decided to put two of my favorite foods together. I was super pleased at how yummy this is; it will definitely now be one of my go-to lunches. I'll break it down for you below. :)

     The great thing is that there are only four ingredients!

AVACADO EGG SALAD

Ingredients

• 1 or 2 slices of Udi's Millet Chia Bread (this bread is so good, plus it's low glycemic and gluten-free)
• spinach
• 4 eggs 
• 1 avocado 
• 1 lemon
• smoked paprika

Directions

1. Boil the eggs for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Chop into pieces.
2. Smash the avocado, and add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Mix the eggs and avocado together.
4. Squeeze lemon to taste.
5. Plate the bread, and top with spinach, egg salad, a sprinkle of smoked paprika.

     I hope you enjoy this quick, easy, and healthy lunch!

xoxo

Steph