Tuesday, March 31, 2015

simple clean eating smoothie: blueberry-almond with ALOHA daily good greens


Please note that this post contains affiliate links. Same price of goods to you, but I am compensated for recommended products that my family and I genuinely enjoy. Thank you, in advance, for considering purchasing through these links and keeping The Full Plate Blog out of hobby status!


I know, from working with Dr. Hyman on the launch of his 10 Day Detox, that a well-made smoothie sustains me until lunchtime, leads to glowing skin, and gets my day off on a good note-- setting a pattern for healthy eating the rest of the day. This week, I am sharing a favorite of mine. If you have some ALOHA Daily Good Greens on hand, this is a perfect way of "sneaking" them in. 



Blueberry-Almond Smoothie with ALOHA Daily Good Greens
(makes about 4 cups)

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup water (or more to reach desired consistency)
1 cup frozen or fresh organic blueberries
1 or 2 packet(s) ALOHA Daily Good Greens 
1/4 cup raw almonds
hearty handful organic spinach (about 2 cups)
optional - 1 banana (if you like your smoothies sweeter)
optional - 1/4 avocado (if you like your smoothies creamier)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency. 


Looking for other smoothie ideas? Here are a few more favorites:


Monday, March 30, 2015

simple clean eating soup: bone broth + trader joe's healthy 8 chopped veggie mix


Wow, after a whirlwind two-week school break, and a lot of restaurant meals {achem… and fruity, frozen drinks}, I am ready to dial things back a bit. Don't get me wrong, I love it when someone else cooks for me. But, about this time each year I start to crave simpler meals. Recipes that take just a few minutes to make. Ones where veggies or some lean protein are the highlight.


Easy is key. And not just because today I don't have time to cook because I am picking one of my children's "airport treat" pack of Trident bubblegum off of an entire load of vacation laundry… don't get me started. Anyway, today I wanted-- and needed-- a quick quick quick and easy lunch. It's still pretty chilly here in CT, so soup sounded good. And in that department, I have a two-ingredient fav...


If you've been following me for a while, you know I am a big fan of bone broth. And, hopefully, you have some of your own kicking around your freezer. You do? Good. Recipe here, if you don't already have it.


Simple Clean Eating Veggie Soup
(makes about 8 cups)

1 quart (or two pints) homemade bone broth  
one 16 oz tub Trader Joe's Healthy 8 Chopped Veggie Mix*

In a soup pot, warm the bone broth and veggies until veggies are desired doneness. I take my broth straight out of the freezer, and it thaws while my veggies are cooking, so the whole process takes about 10-15 minutes. Enjoy warm with some good fat, like a little handful of nuts, for a complete "clean" meal. 

* If you're not near a Trader Joe's you can, of course, make your own 1 lb batch of chopped mixed veggies… but I'm a big fan of having someone else do the chopping for me, in this case. If you want to mimic the above mix, it's a combination of broccoli, carrots, green cabbage, red cabbage, jicama, green bell pepper, celery and radishes.


The red cabbage in that TJ's chopped veggie mix turns your broth a brilliant fushia… be sure to get all that bone broth goodness down the hatch. If no one is looking, it's perfectly appropriate to use a straw….


Saturday, March 14, 2015

{almost Spring} break + link to GREEN foods


Spring is coming to the East Coast… gone are my YakTrax, big boots, and mittens,


but it's still very much winter when you look around. We'll give it a few more weeks!


So, we're still embracing the snow. A last hurrah, after what seemed like a very long winter.


My stash of homemade freezer meals is still very much appreciated-- especially recipes like Red Coconut Curry {pictured here after a full day of skiing}, Roasted Carrot-Cashew Pesto, Loaded Veggie Calzones, Enchiladas and Greek Stuffed Peppers.


Nothing beats being able to put a homemade dinner on the table in mere minutes, with minimal effort. I've got dinner 100% under control.


But, as the seasons change, I'm starting to peel off the layers and starting to think about how I can clean up my care routine a bit. The first thing I've done is get back on a regular vitamin routine. While I eat healthfully, it's still hard to get enough of important vitamins. But, honestly, I wasn't sure what to take on a regular basis. I've found a company-- ALOHA-- that makes it easy for me with their "Daily Foundation" packets.



And while you're checking out their products-- if you feel like you also want a treat-- I recommend their "Superfood Chocolate" too. Yum. Big fans of it over at our house. 

As an affiliate for Aloha, I have a 15% off link off of purchases over $50. Just click here and use code  15ALOHA50. Perfect for busy moms, like me, who want to perk up, but need someone to tell them what to take!


We're on school break for the next two weeks, so it's going to be quiet here on the blog but by the time I'm back, hopefully the snow will have melted, and we can celebrate Spring with some new, quick and easy recipes. In the meantime, a few of you have asked me for some good "green" ideas for St. Patrick's Day, and I've got you covered. Here's a Pinterest Board full of ideas! And here's a round-up  of green food ideas I assembled a while back, plus if you're looking for a clean idea, this is a fav. 

Please note, this post contains affiliate links. Same price of goods to you, but I earn a small commission for recommending products I use and honestly recommend to my friends. The small earnings keep the blog from hobby status… win-win for both of us. 

Friday, March 6, 2015

what a week!

Oh my gosh, what a week!
THREE snow days or snow delays….





A successful launch of "Stock Your Freezer in a Snap - The Second Batch" {my second instantly downloadable ebook that guides parents, step-by-step, through creating a freezer stash of healthful, delicious family meals}. If you're a plan-ahead kind of parent, download it now and tuck it away for back-to-school because I am running a launch discount now!


And, as one last winter hurrah {please say this is the last snow day baking we'll be doing…}, we baked up a giant batch of our favorite Cinnamon-Chocolate Brownies with Chocolate Ganache for Vermont Alpine Racing's coach appreciation weekend...



I don't know about you, but I'm starting to think spring…. tidying the house up, de-cluttering, and shifting from comfort foods to lighter, fresher fare. With that in mind, I look forward to being in touch soon with my review of Mark Hyman MD's soon-to-be-released 10 Day Detox Cookbook which you can pre-order here.*


Here's to a fabulous weekend ahead, full of good food, family and friends!  And hopefully something delicious you can just pull from the freezer, during these last few weeks of winter, when we crave cozy, comforting fare. {That's a simple gluten-free lasagna pictured below, made with Stock Your Freezer in a Snap - The Second Batch's Broccoli-Arugula-Parmesan Pesto. Delish.}


*This post contains amazon affiliate links. You know the gig-- same price to you, small commission to me, which keeps The Full Plate Blog out of hobby status. :) 

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

Stock Your Freezer in a Snap: the "Second Batch" of freezer meals is here! Now with vegetarian and gluten-free options too!!


I cannot tell you how excited I am to publish my second Stock Your Freezer in a Snap instantly downloadable ebook! The "Second Batch" contains a dozen healthful family recipes-- 10 of which are gluten-free. And all are-- of course-- freezer-friendly, so you can feed your family well, even on the busiest of days. You may click below to instantly download the ebook, or read on for more details.



Included in this ebook:
  • A dozen new family-friendly recipes that freeze beautifully (enough to inspire, not overwhelm!)
  • Done-for-you shopping lists
  • Simple, easy-to-follow recipes for any level home cook
  • Step-by-step photos to successfully guide you through each recipe
  • Packing, freezing and reheating instructions for each recipe (so they are as delicious as the day you made them)
  • Reviews and cooking tips from 25 busy moms who served as recipe testers


“You have 4 yes votes in this house on this one. You have a knack for family friendly meals.”Kathleen K., recipe tester from New Hampshire and mom of two, including, “a 10 yr old boy who loves to eat and try new things and an 8 year old girl who likes to hate it before she tries it and finds anything spicy burns her mouth


All of the Second Batch recipes are plant-based (perfect for those trying to feed their family more veggies!), and I also share tips on how to add meat to each recipe, if you'd like.

And, by popular demand, 10 of the new recipes are gluten-free! 

Second Batch Recipes
"Bombshells" {Mediterranean Stuffed Shells}
Lentil-Sweet Potato Stew - GF
Spinach and Cheese Strata - GF
Roasted-Carrot Cashew Pesto - GF
Rustic Polenta-"Sausage" Casserole - GF
Loaded Veggie Enchiladas - GF
{Customizable} Calzones
Broccoli-Arugula-Parmesan Pesto - GF
Cheese and Chard Twice-Baked Potatoes - GF
Greek Stuffed Peppers - GF
Black Bean Fiesta Soup - GF
Red Coconut Curry - GF




“I previously had not cooked ahead or frozen many meals. All of the recipes were very easy to make with simple straightforward directions and the photos that accompany are useful. I love how all the recipes can be modified to suit each family’s taste… I am happy to admit that I am no longer afraid of dinner! With the baby and little ones keeping me busy, dinnertime seemed to sneak up on me each day and now I feel a little bit more in control.” – Meghan M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT and mom of four



The ebook is instantly downloadable… in case you are like me, and patience isn't one of your virtues!



“Thank you so much for solving my evening's dinner dilemma! We served the Roasted Carrot-Cashew Pesto over rigatoni. Outrageously delicious. We each had two helpings…seriously, really good stuff." – Maureen M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT and foodie mom of a tween daughter



“So easy to follow—even when I am ‘mommy multi-tasking’…I felt like a pro—or like I must be doing something wrong because they were so easy!!... Favorite part was the done-for-me-shopping lists that I could just take with me to the market… Our family favorites were the Lentil Stew, the Cheesy Chard Twice Baked Potatoes and the Curry. I would definitely recommend this to my friends—it’s too easy not to use!!” - Heidi M., recipe tester from Darien, CT and mom of two tween girls




“I'm pretty much obsessed with these {Cheese and Chard Twice Baked Potatoes}. Brilliant, Eila. So excited for those freezer meals!” – Shanae B., recipe tester from Stamford, CT, Fairfield County “Fit4Mom” Instructor, and mom of three young children… with a fourth on the way!



“'Bonus hours!' I will be putting my feet up for a month with all this food ready to go-- it is time to reap the rewards. The kids enjoyed making comments, but we know the biggest comment/compliment is a clean plate. They tried a lot of new food combinations and loved many of them. They helped me cook, too! Your recipes are super easy for the entire family to participate in the cooking.” – Kathleen K., recipe tester from New Hampshire and mom of two



Upon purchase, you will receive a link to instantly download and save the ebook on your computer, tablet… or you can go old-school, like me, and print out a hard copy.



Step-by-step photos make even the newest cook feel comfortable in the kitchen.



“So I loved this. I will say I don't usually eat curry. And it's something I always want to eat but never really feel gutsy enough to try. My 18-month-old devoured 2 helpings, my 5 year old said ‘this chicken is SUPER tasty, and the green stuff is good too’, and my 3 year old didn't gag when I bribed him to finish his rice (that had sauce on top). Success! This is definitely a winner over here. And I love that it's also a gluten-free/dairy-free/vegan option…” – Shanae B., recipe tester from Stamford, CT, Fairfield County “Fit4Mom” Instructor, and mom of three young children… with a fourth on the way!



“{The Calzones} were easy to make and customize. Everyone really liked them. Will definitely make again. I loved the idea of pulsing the veggies in the filling!” – Allyson M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT, mom of two young children who works full-time outside of the home



“This was a huge hit in our house! So great to come home to a full freezer... Super easy to make and right from the freezer to the table on our busiest night!” Leslie K., recipe tester from Easton, CT and mom of four




“{The enchiladas} are amazing!!!! Everyone loved them…I used spinach, kale, butternut squash purée, orange and yellow peppers, zucchini and swapped the mushrooms for summer squash. Also used the pinto beans in lieu of meat since I'm vegetarian, but sure the family would love with the chicken - may indulge them with a batch of chicken next time . So delicious and love that so many veggies are packed in there at once!” - Patricia M., recipe tester from New Canaan, CT and mom of three



Delicious! 5 thumbs up (would be 6 but the husband is traveling).”Patti D., gluten-free recipe tester from Milton, MA, mom of four active children, including one child with celiac disease




This was SOOOO good. {My oldest daughter}is not home yet, but we are at 4/5 thumbs up, which in my house for something new and bit different is HUGE… this recipe is SO easy and so good. Will definitely be a keeper.” – Rachel S., recipe tester from Milton, MA, part-time physical therapist and mom of three athletic girls




And for more info on the First Batch of family-friendly make-ahead recipes, click here. 

Cheers to nourishing, delicious family meals, even on the busiest of days. And bonus hours all around!!