The Musings of a Working Mom

Black Bean-Quinoa Burgers Note: not my photo (I wish) - stock photo from Vegetarian Times Serves 8 I am always on the look out for yummy veggie burger recipes, especially now that grilling season is upon us!  Here's a delicious veggie burger you can whip up from scratch.  I did find  that the mixture was a tad "wet" so I added Panko bread crumbs until the moisture was absorbed.  Also, to make the patties, I wet my hands with water prior to forming each patty to prevent the mixture from sticking to my hands.  This recipe is perfect to make a double batch ahead of time and store in  the freezer for busy weeknight meals. For super-easy cookouts, bake the patties ahead, then reheat them on the grill. Serve with your favorite burger fixings.  Enjoy... Ingredients: ½ cup quinoa 1 small onion, finely chopped (1 cup) 6 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped (¼ cup) 1½ cups cooked black beans, or 1 15-oz. can black beans, ...

While perusing the produce section at my local apple orchard, I saw some really good looking poblano peppers and although I had no idea what to make with it, I knew I had to take them home with me.  I did a recipe search on Poblano peppers and found a recipe that looked good enough to try.  Not to mention that the ingredients are all healthy with minimal added fat.  Try this one out during the holidays and let me know it turns out.  Enjoy... Here's the finished product: Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers Ingredients: 1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes in puree 1 jalapeño chile (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat), minced 2 small onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic (2 whole, 1 minced) coarse salt and ground pepper 1 can (19 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese 1 tsp ground cumin 4 large poblano chiles, halved lengthwise (stems left intact), ribs and seeds removed Directions: Preheat oven...

One of the most important things to have while working out to lose weight (or be healthy) is to have a workout buddy, someone who motivates you and pushes you when you feel like giving up.  For me, it's my husband.  A couple of years ago he committed himself to the P90X routines.  He did his workouts religiously (even while I was in the hospital after I had my 3rd child, he asked if he could leave my bedside to go to the gym and do his workout for the day - now thats commitment!).   So one day, my husband showed me a workout that his friend had sent him.  It was from the Jan/Feb 2012 Mens Health magazine called the 2012 Spartacus Workout (there is also a 2013 version which is different but not bad).  This workout is a HIIT type of workout - high intensity interval training.  Each exercise is performed for 40 seconds with 20 seconds rest.  You continue on to the next exercise until all 10 exercises are completed and then you rest for 2 minutes. ...

Tis the season for apple picking!  My family and I recently went apple picking and note to self: pay attention to how many apples the kids are putting into your basket!  Yikes - now what can I do with 25 pounds of apples?   The first recipe that came to my mind...Apple Crostata.  I have been making this extremely easy and delicious recipe for years.  It's a very rustic looking pie but what it lacks in aesthetics in delivers in flavor!   I found this recipe on the Pillsbury site about 8 years ago...and it doesn't require any speciality ingredients.  I always have boxed pie crust in my fridge for those random recipes like hand pies, quiches, desserts or pie!  And the rest of the ingredients are staples in my kitchen.  Top this will vanilla ice cream or whipped cream...MMMMMM.  Try this one out at your next dinner party...Enjoy! Cinnamon Apple Crostata Ingredients Crust 1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, sof...

My family and I have been on a quinoa kick lately.  We've been trying quite a few variations on healthy quinoa salads.  Today's variation is Greek themed.  Note that I don't have exact measurements as I just "chop and drop" as I go...that's the kind of cook that I am - Sorry!   In any case, I added about 3 cups of cooked quinoa (1 cup quinoa cooked in 2 cups low sodium veg stock) to chopped red onion, chopped cucumber, chopped artichoke hearts, chopped baby spinach, rough chopped olives, marinated feta (from the Whole Foods olive bar), and chopped fresh mint.  I combined all of this (along with some salt and pepper to taste) and added a homemade Greek vinaigrette (from the Food Network, Ina Garten recipe: 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 cup good red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup good olive oil Directions For the vinaigrette, whisk together th...

I love the fall - wearing scarves, boots, sweaters and the sweet smell of pumpkin anything.  I love all things pumpkin!!  I really had a hankering for something pumpkin but I wanted to make "it" quick and easy...that's where Pinterest comes in!  I found an easy "2 ingredient recipe" for Pumpkin Muffins.   What are the 2 ingredients you ask?  Well I'm sure you can guess that one of the ingredients is canned pumpkin and the second is plain old Yellow Cake Mix (any brand will do).  And that's it...mix the two ingredients and place in muffin tin (spray the muffin tin with cooking spray to help with easy removal).  Place the muffins in a preheated oven at 350 F and bake for 20-25 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).  I also added a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg (to add some pumpkin pie flavor) while mixing and sprinkled a bit of organic turbinado sugar on the top to give it that lovely crunch that I love on my muffin tops.  These...

OK, now I know that it's been a very, very long time since I've posted anything beauty related but quite honestly, I haven't really purchased anything new and I've just been using up what I have.  Actually, that was one of my 2013 New Years resolution - 1) to not buy anymore makeup and 2) to use up the products that I already have.  After taking inventory of my makeup collection, I noticed that I purchased a lot, and I mean A LOT of makeup products in 2012.  And I came to the realization that I really need to use up what I have before I buy any more.  Ok I did buy a couple of new things;)  So anyway, sorry for the lack of beauty related articles. "Simple and Easy" has been my make-up motto for the past couple of months!  I haven't been in the mood for complicated and fussy make-up so I have resorted to finding products that are multi-purpose and pack a big punch.   I have really liked the effect of using a concealer (specifically the Tarte Maracuja...

My kids love Sloppy Joes and what's not to love?  They have an excuse to eat messily and get food all over themselves!  But I really don't like canned sloppy joe sauces - they are too sweet and loaded with nasty, unhealthy ingredients, so I decided to make my own homemade sauce.  And thanks to the internet...more specifically Food Network (one of my favorites), one of the first recipes that popped up was a Rachel Ray recipe.  I looked it over and saw that I had almost all of the ingredients and I read most of the ratings and reviews and made some adjustments to the recipe to suit my kids' taste.   Cooks notes: I used 80/20 beef and drained the excess oil/water out before proceeding with the recipe below.   Two of my kids are not big fans of bell peppers so I substituted grated carrots instead (and they had no idea that it was in the recipe).   I also reduced the Montreal Steak seasoning to 1 1/2 teaspoons so it wouldn't be too spicy for my kids. ...

I love when I'm able to make an awesome meal out of whatever is in my pantry and fridge...this dinner from Sunday night did not disappoint!  Grilled veggies with a healthy quinoa pilaf.  I was able to use up most of the veggies and haloumi cheese in my fridge that was nearing their expiration date.  I already had sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts in my fridge (staples that I always have on hand).  With the ingredients that I had on hand, I was able to make a very delicious and healthy meal in very little time.  There are so many variations to the pilaf and grilled veggies/protein that you can do.  I can't wait to make this again and again!  Enjoy... Mediterranean Quinoa Pilaf  Makes about 3 1/2 cups (recipe courtesy of Nature's Earthly Choice Quinoa) Ingredients: 2 cups low sodium Veg stock/broth 1 cup quinoa 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil 1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 large onion, chopped 1/2 cup mushrooms, rough chopped 2 cups baby sp...

Here is yet another awesome, delicious and crowd pleasing meatless recipe that is not only good enough to serve at a party or even at the holidays but great to serve for a weeknight dinner as well. Poblano Lasagna (recipe courtesy of Food Network Magazine) Ingredients: 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears), or frozen and thawed 2 cups heavy cream 1 teaspoon fresh thyme Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup thinly sliced white onion 1 large zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise 4 poblano chilies, charred, peeled, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch strips 12 (7 by 3-inch) no-boil lasagna sheets 2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese, or mozzarella Directions 1.  Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over med heat. Add 2/3 of the garlic and  sauté for 1 minute.  Mix in the corn and saute for 5 min.  Stir in the cream and thyme. Cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes for the f...

Photo credit: someone posted on IG 'Nuff said.  We are half way through 2013 but for the remainder of this year, try to make a concerted effort to eliminate the "CRAP" in your diet.  You only have one body and trust me, your body will thank you after you stop eating CRAP.  Aim to eat wholesome and healthy foods.  If you can't read or understand the ingredients in the foods you eat - Don't Eat It!!  Stick with your fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats.  Good Luck and as always, Be Happy and Healthy!!!

With 3 kids to feed each night, I have to find easy, creative and delicious meals to serve them to avoid the late evening meltdowns.  Well one afternoon, with the kids finishing their homework, I looked up to realize that dinner time was way too close with nothing on the stove or even in the works!! YIKES!!  What to do??   Now I could just resort to making pasta, but they eat pasta like every other day! So I wanted to feed them something different.  I opened the fridge to scan my shelves and see what I could make....and then a Pinterest picture came to mind:  pizzas made in a muffin tin.  I don't recall ever seeing the recipe but I figured that I could come up with it on my own.  So I fished out the canned biscuits, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese.  Yep, that's it!    Preheat the oven to 350F (or whatever temp is listed on the biscuit package).  I sprayed the muffin tin with some Pam.  Placed and spread each biscu...

Tacos and tostadas are one of my family's favorite dishes. We create a "bar" and let the kids top their shells any way they wish.  Since my hubby is vegetarian, I like to use the Morning Star Crumbles in the place of ground beef for our filling.  I make the filling by heating a large skillet with some olive oil, adding some garlic and onion and sauté for a couple of minutes.  I then add the bag of crumbles and heat until fully cooked (until there are no more frozen chunks visible).  I also add some black beans, salsa, and taco seasoning to add flavor.  Then set up your stations as you wish - shredded lettuce, shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocados or guacamole.  Try out this vegetarian variation for your next meatless meal.  ENJOY....

As you know, my husband is a vegetarian so meal planning for guests can be tricky.  But luckily there are so many delicious meatless recipes out there to choose from.  Since we were having some neighbors over for dinner, and I really wanted to showcase wild mushrooms in our meal, but I couldn't find the perfect recipe for what I wanted to do so I decided to combine a couple of recipes to create and tasty yet easy lasagna recipe.  Here is what I came up with (PS - sorry I don't have any pictures but when the lasagna came out of the oven, I was busy talking with my guests and well....we ate it and I missed my photo opp - sorry! But trust me, this is d elish!! ) - Wild Mushroom Lasagna For the mushroom mixture: .    2 tablespoons unsalted butter .    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil .    3 medium shallots, minced (I used 1/2 large sweet white onion, finely chopped) .     4 pounds wild...