Category Archives: Recipes

What I’m Loving Lately #3

It’s time for another post where I round up what I’ve been into lately, be it recipes, TV shows, books, restaurants, etc. If you missed the last two editions, you can check them out here (12/5/16) and here (6/13/17…clearly I had a significant lapse in inspiration for a bit).

Caprese Pasta Bake: This was super easy to make and came out great. I combined cooked wheat penne, mozzarella balls, chopped chicken, a can of crushed tomatoes (drained), and a container of chopped grape tomatoes in a casserole dish. Then I sprinkled shredded Parmesan and Romano cheese on top and baked it at 350 degrees. The addition of fresh basil after it was done really made it.

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Dr. Praeger’s Veggie Burger Zucchini Boats (GIVEAWAY!)

 

Thank you all for your awesome feedback on yesterday’s post! The advice I received definitely helped remind me last night at an event to stick to a couple of glasses of wine and just Go. Home. once I was done. As a result the event did not exhaust me and I’m also happy about the fact that I have no plans the next three nights! Maybe something will come up, maybe it won’t, but I know that tonight I’m staying in and making meatloaf. Party! And now, on to today’s post, and a necessary disclaimer…

I received veggie burgers free of charge from Dr. Praeger’s. This is not a compensated post and all opinions are my own.

I’m no vegetarian, but I love plant-based products, including veggie burgers! Dr. Praeger’s recently reached out to me to see if I’d like to try out their new Super Greens burgers, made with teff, hemp, collard greens, kale, swiss chard, and quinoa. Yes please! I love having veggie burgers on hand in the freezer to either use in recipes or eat by themselves.

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Tuttorosso Tomatoes Giveaway & Stew Recipe!

I received complimentary Tuttorosso Tomatoes to use for this post. This is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own.

After doing my post for Redpack Tomatoes, I was approached by another brand from the Red Gold family – Tuttorosso Tomatoes, to do something similar. (That includes a GIVEAWAY at the end of this post by the way.)

Special delivery!

Special delivery!

That means I received another tomatoe-y gift pack – but this one with a nifty tote, which has since then obviously been used to tote around wine.

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Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole!

I received complimentary products from Pacific Foods. They did not ask me to write a post, nor is this post sponsored. My (positive) opinion is my own.

Every now and then Pacific Foods sends me a variety of products to sample, and I honestly have had the Organic Vegan Mushroom Gravy they sent me in my pantry for almost a year now! But what better occasion to use gravy than right after Thanksgiving, when leftovers are abound? My mom sent me home with plenty, plus a bag of fresh Brussels sprouts. When I got back to Boston on Sunday, I could hardly wait to get this casserole prepped!

Source

Once my casserole was in its pan I just put it in the fridge, and the next night I put it in the oven and I was ready to chow! Plus I ended up with leftovers…of these leftovers. Does that qualify as inception?

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Bacon, Egg, and Brussels Bowl!

First of all, I want to say thanks so much for the supportive comments and tweets I received in response to Monday’s post. It felt great to write and even greater to get that kind of positive response and reassurance. While I work on trusting myself, encouragement from others really helps me along the way, so I appreciate everyone who took the time to send me well wishes – or even anyone who read!

I’m still trying to keep up with choosing a couple of recipes from my Pinterest boards each week to make for the weeknights I stay in. I usually follow them pretty closely, but the only ingredients in this recipe that I stuck with when I made this dish (on Sunday) were Brussels sprouts (duh) and hard-boiled eggs. I figured eggs went well with (turkey) bacon…and then bacon reminded me of BLT’s so I decided to throw in tomatoes. Plus I had some kale on hand, and I figured throwing that in there wouldn’t hurt!

brussels-egg-bacon-kale-tomato

In the mixing bowl!

Don’t let the title of this easy recipe deceive you – there’s a few other ingredients in there! However the title ingredients were DEFINITELY the stars.

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Five Things Friday: Currently

I often see blog posts written in the “currently…” style as in, I am currently doing/feeling/loving/eating/insert-verb-ing-here this. I thought I’d mash that up with Clare‘s Five Things Friday and do five “currently…” updates. (And if you missed yesterday’s restaurant post, be sure to check it out – it’s been awhile since I wrote a good old restaurant visit recap!)

Link up with Clare if you are sharing five things on this Friday!

1. Currently snacking on…Sweet & Salty Chex Mix Popped. I was sent a couple of new Chex Mix products (and honestly can’t remember who did so…but thank you to the mystery network/PR company that did so) from the lower-fat Popped line. I opened the bag and thought I was being all smart portioning out a bit to mix into my chocolate pudding…until I instantly became addicted after bite #1. I even got out of bed to get more after I’d finished my first helping. Foiled by crack-like snack products! Screw portion control.

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MorningStar Farms Meatball Bake

MorningStar Farms products were a staple in my household back when I was still living at home with my parents. My mom often liked to “sneak” the Meal Starter “Crumbles” into family meals (I say sneak because my siblings and dad are not quite as open minded about plant-based protein as my mom and I are!), like her Mexi-Casserole. But I hadn’t tried any other products from this brand aside from the crumbles, so I was excited to have the chance to try some new stuff, thanks to this Clever Girls campaign.

I was also fortunate enough to receive this lovely glass/plate set with wooden utensils, napkin, and a placemat!

I was also fortunate enough to receive this lovely glass/plate set with wooden utensils, napkin, and a placemat!

I was challenged by MorningStar Farms to pick a theme and build a recipe around it, so I selected 15-minute meals. I am a very busy person and quick is certainly a component I look for in a recipe, as well as “Does it match what I have on hand?” and “Is it healthy?” Luckily I was given the ability to choose which MorningStar Farms goodies I wanted to try, and the decision was tough since the products are so varied and versatile. But I was inspired by this Lightened-Up Meatball Casserole by Julie of PB Fingers, so that made my decision to try the veggie meatballs an easy one. Almost as easy as my recipe 😉

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Five Things Friday: Marvelous!

My Taste of Nature bar giveaway ends tonight, and it has FIVE winners, so make sure you enter!

I missed the Marvelous In My Monday party this week but better late than never right? This week has been loads better than the last and I’m excited to link up with Clare today to share five marvelous things on Five Things Friday!

1. My workouts this week have been way better!

Thank goodness I was able to get back to my evening group fitness classes. Monday I took Danielle’s amazing spin class, and I took another pretty good spin class on Tuesday evening. Wednesday night I invited Jeannie to join me for Total Body Conditioning and I’m so glad I did because I may have copped out and done a not-as-tough StepMill workout instead if I hadn’t already committed to the class by inviting her! She was super curious since I am always talking about how tough the class is and yeah…it was tough. But we both felt great after and want to commit to going every week. I’m glad to have someone to motivate me to attend! Here’s one of the moves we did:

2. I’m proud of how well I handled Wednesday’s dinner out.

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Chicken Veggie Barley Bake

A few weeks ago, Brittany sent me this recipe from Layers of Happiness (she and I love sending each other recipes – especially those involving baby cabbages). I knew immediately I wanted to use some leftover uncooked barley I had to make my own version! So this past Sunday during my weekly meal prep, I did just that. Monday night dinner was the moment of truth. How would it turn out? The verdict was…GREAT! So I’m here to share my take…

Chicken Veggie Barley Bake

(Adapted from Layers of Happiness Pesto Chicken & Vegetable Quinoa Bake)

Makes 4 servings

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The Better Chip Crusted Chicken & Buffalo Brussels

The Better Chip provided me with product and/or compensation for this post, however the opinions I shared are my own.


I recently joined The Better Chip Blogger Program and received a kit with samples of many different chip flavors, plus some fun “accessories”.

How awesome is that headband? I already promised Becki the gluten-free button!

How awesome is that headband? I already promised Becki the gluten-free button!

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Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

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