tonight's supper: goat cheese and craisin salad

How do you make a salad taste special? Throw some craisins at it. And while you're throwing things, chuck some goat cheese that way. A drizzle of olive oil a pinch of basil and done.

I love salads. I crave salads. Weird, right? But D, well, not so much. Usually when I suggest salad as a side dish I get a blank stare in return. But when I suggest adding goat cheese I get a much more enthusiastic response. 

Half the fun is making a salad less "healthy", really. I love grabbing for some real bacon bits, creamy dressing and cheese... oh, the cheese. D even told me tonight that this tasted like a fancy restaurant salad! A restaurant salad. Swoooon. We paired our "fancy salad" with turkey bacon quiche with yellow pepper. I always use those ready-made frozen pie shells to save time. It only took about 35 minutes to cook in the oven at 425. Not a lot of prep/cook time for an easy, week-night dinner that's a little special. 

How do you dress up your salads? Feta? Nuts?

Sugar-free Challenge: Veggie & Ham Scramble with Pita

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope the sun is shining wherever you are; it sure is here.

One of the hardest parts about the sugar-free challenge for me so far has been breakfasts. Anyone who has spent a morning with me knows that I LOVE cereal. I love the ones with medium amount of sugar, like Honey Bunches of Oats (6g) or Cinnamon Toast Crunch (11g?). Not only do I love it for the taste but it's great for when I'm in a rush. Pour, add milk, eat. I like simple things...

Cereal has always been a breakfast staple in my house growing up. At any given time in our apartment now there are about 4 types of cereal, any less than that and we're "running out." So it was essential for me to find a substitute for cereal. Even though I loved puffed wheat and unsweetened almond milk, I needed another breakfast alternative. Enter, eggs!

My dad used to make us the 2nd best omelets (mine are still better!). But omelets can be a bit plain so I wanted to punch it up a bit with today's breakfast: Veggie & Ham Scramble with Pita.  

Here's how to make it happen...

Fry up some veggies in a pan. I like to start with a tsp of olive oil heated on medium, followed by some onion, peppers, tomatoes and spinach/greens. This morning I also threw in some chopped up deli ham for a protein kick. Fry the veggies until just soft.

Crack your eggs (I used 3) right into the pan. Be sure to keep scrambling with a spatula or flipper. Gradually reduce stirring and continue to cook until eggs are cooked well.

To crisp up some "pitas" to eat alongside the scramble cut a tortilla of your choice into 6 pieces. Lay the pieces on a baking sheet and broil them in the oven until brown. (This only takes a few minutes, be careful not to burn them!) You can also try adding a drizzle of olive oil and some spices, like chili powder or basil, to them before broiling. Serve with your choice of soft cheese (feta, goat etc.).

Here's what mine looked like:

With some leftover homemade hummus peeking out in the back.

What is your favorite breakfast food? What's your favorite cereal? Let me know!

xo Janelle