Sour Cream Banana Bars

We had some overripe bananas the other day. Like most people I use my overripe bananas for banana bread or muffins. However, a few years ago my life was changed forever when I tried to make banana bars. Guys! These bad boys are so yummy! I combined a few recipes and tweaked things where I thought needed and I'll tell you what, these things are soo good! The sour cream makes the bar soo moist and the brown sugar glaze just ties it all in perfectly. The glaze was a concoction I made while pregnant with with Oaks because I was craving something with the salted caramel flavor. I'm telling you, my best recipes come when I'm pregnant and craving things haha. Anyways, these bars are soo yummy and I hope you love them as much as we do! Let me know if you make them!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

Sour cream banana bars 

-3/4 c white sugar 

-3/4 c brown sugar

-1 c sour cream

-1/2 c softened butter

-2 eggs 

-2-3 overripe bananas (mashed) 

-2 tsp vanilla 

-2 c flour

-1 tsp salt 

-1 tsp baking soda 

Brown sugar glaze 

-1 c butter 

-1 c brown sugar 

-1 c powdered sugar

-1 tsp vanilla

-dash of Salt (Just like a shake or two from your salt shaker. If you're using salted butter just do one shake but if you're doing unsalted you might want more. Just taste test it!)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line jelly roll pan with parchment paper (or grease and flour a jelly roll pan) Mix sugars, sour cream, butter, and eggs in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) until well combined. Beat in mashed bananas and vanilla. Mix until combined. Slowly add in flour, baking soda, and salt until combined. Pour into the pan and bake until golden. (20-25 minutes) Let bars sit for about 10 minutes and then poke several times with a fork and pour glaze over the top. 

To make glaze:

Melt butter in saucepan. Add in brown sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt. Continually whisk until smooth. Let boil for 5 minutes whisking occasionally. Slowly add in sifted powdered sugar in 3 increments whisking each time. Pour glaze over banana bars and use a rubber spatula to spread evenly. Let cool for 10 minutes. Cut, and enjoy!

4

Tasty Tuesday: Roasted Butternut Squash and Pepita Salad

I actually crave this salad daily.

Like woah, the flavor combination is the best.

It's probably tied with the strawberry beet salad (I'll post that one soon!) but even Oaklyn likes this one!

Butternut squash has such a yummy flavor. It's kind of sweet unlike zucchini squash or yellow squash. 

When it's roasted it has a little bit of a crisp outside and a bit of salt just makes it so flavorful.

We eat butternut squash as is, in soup, as a side, but it's my favorite in a salad. 

I love adding a bit of warmth to a salad, and a different texture. 

Paired with feta, pepitas, and apples... you guys it is SO good!

Ingredients:

- 1 butternut squash (or cheat and get the already cut up butternut squash at costco! It's the best!)

-1/4 cup roasted pepitas

-1 package crumbled feta

-1 apple of your choice (I loveee pink lady)

-Favorite Balsamic vinaigrette

-1 Roma Tomato

- Washed and dried arugula (or another leafy green you like but I love the flavor of arugula)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you bought an entire butternut squash you'll want to cut and peel. If you bought precut, you're saving yourself some time! Make sure your squash is in bite sized cubes. Toss it with 1 tbs olive oil or other oil you have on hand. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and add cubed squash. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top to your liking. Bake for 30-40 min or until squash is fork tender and golden on the outside. 

2) While your squash is baking you can start to prepare the rest of your salad. You'll need to dice your apple into smaller than bite sized cubes. I use about 1/2 of the apple. Dice your tomato. wash and dry your arugula. 

3) Once your squash is ready and cooled down to a warm temperature, assemble your salad. I like to add the arugula first, then the squash, then tomato, then apples, next pepitas, and finally feta. I let each person add dressing to their liking. 

I love pairing this salad with some grilled chicken and Hunter loves it with some warm crusty bread. It would also be really good with some yummy tomato soup! No matter what you pair it with, this salad is sure to please!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy 

11

Tasty Tuesday: My Favorite Energy Bites

Literally every single night right after the girls go to bed, all I want to do is treat myself to something sweet. It's like giving myself a reward for getting through another day, ha! If I was still 16, it would be totally fine to have a little treat every night! Buttttt... I'm not haha. So, I've been trying to find an alternatives to cookies, ice cream, and all the other deliciousness I crave. There are a million and a half protein and energy bite recipes out there. Each of them contain mainly the same ingredients, just different ratios and different extras. After putting these ones together, I became obsessed! They are plenty sweet without all that extra guilt and are filling enough that you really only need one. I hope you love them as much as we do!

Ingredients:

-2 cups natural peanut butter or almond butter

-2 cups quick oats

-1/4 cup honey or agave (if you choose agave, you'll need about 1/4 cup extra quick oats to hold them together better)

-1/3 cup chopped almonds

-1/3 cup dark chocolate chips

-1/3 cup shredded coconut 

Directions:

1) Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine. You can do this with a spatula, your hands, or my favorite way... in a kitchenaid with the bread hook. 

2) Line tupperware with parchment paper. Spray your hand lightly with cooking spray. Grab a small handful of the mixture and roll it into a ball. You can also use a cookie scoop to make it easier. If you run out of room, you can add another layer of parchment paper so they don't all stick together. 

3) Keep in the fridge until set! You can also freeze them. Whatever you fancy!

Anddd that's it! So simple and so yummy!

I hope you love them!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

2

Crockpot Shredded Barbacoa Beef

Every year in Hunter's family, we do a big Christmas Eve party. It's filled with laughter, cousins running around, a gift exchange, sweets, activities, and really good food! We've done several different things over the years, but this year's menu was definitely a crowd favorite! We had a taco bar and every couple brought a different meat. Carne Asada and Pollo Asada got taken pretty quick so I decided to get creative. I loooveee Chipotle. I don't care what you have to say about how it really isn't good for me and what not... I would eat at Chipotle every week if I could! I love their barbacoa and always have. I always say I'm going to try something new, but literally always go back to the barbacoa. Sooo I thought, why not try to make it?? Barbacoa is a really tender shredded beef with a smoky, spicy, chipotle sauce on it. I did some research and decided to experiment. The experiment definitely worked because this stuff was soo yummy! Anddd... so easy! Gotta love crockpot dump and go meals! I'm sure it could be made in the instant pot too, but I loved that I could just dump it all in when I wasn't busy in the morning and let it cook all day so I used the crockpot.

Ingredients:

-Chuck Roast. I don't have a specific pound requirement. I just buy a 2 pack at Costco and use one of them!

-1 small can of chilis in adobo sauce. 

-1 cup beef broth

-4 tsp minced garlic

-1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin

-1 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-1/4 tsp ground cloves

-juice of one lime

-4 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions:

1) Thaw your meat. I usually buy the 2 pack of chuck roast from Costco, separate them in different bags, then freeze them. I'll usually take one bag out and put it in the sink to thaw it overnight. 

2) Heat oil in a non stick skillet. To test if it's hot enough, flick a little water on the oil. If it starts to crackle and pop like crazy, it's ready!

3) Coat both sides of your roast in salt and pepper then sear in oil. Searing usually takes 3-4 minutes per side. You'll want a golden crust on both sides. Use tongs to make your life easier!

4) Stick your roast in the bottom of the crockpot and make your sauce. I use a Vitamix to make it, but I'm sure any blender on high speed will work. Add allll of your ingredients other than oil and roast obviously... If you can't handle spice very well... only do 1/4 to 1/2 the can of chilis. I do the whole can and it definitely is spicy but can be mellowed out with sour cream. Soo add all remaining ingredients to blender and blend on high speed. Once all ingredients are combined to make a thick sauce, you'll know it's ready!

5) Pour sauce over roast and cook on high for a minimum of 6 hours. After 6 hours shred your meat. It should literally fall apart. If it doesn't, cook it longer! Once it's shredded, you can stick on low or keep warm setting until ready to serve.

6) You can serve it two ways. You can either keep it in the crockpot with all the spicy juices or mellow it out by scooping out the meat and leaving the juices behind. So far we've eaten it in tacos and burritos and loved both!

Let me know what you guys think!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

0

How To Be A Game Winning Hostess

I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, game day just isn't the same without a scrumptious spread.

I love throwing a party for any occasion and game day parties are some of the most fun!

"Football Finger Foods" as we like to call them around here are equally as delicious as they are fun to eat.

I know throwing get togethers may seem intimidating to some at first, but I'm here to offer a few tips and recipes to ensure no hand is left empty when yelling, "touchdown!!!"

When is comes to planning a party, and especially a game day party, good food is an absolute must. 

And when it comes to good food, shopping the best brands is also a must!

I was able to find all of my favorite brands at my local Walmart where they even have the option of grocery pickup to buy you some time!

First Down! (Tyson Sticky Chicken Fingers)

This recipe is sure to win the MVP of the party. Every person who has tried this chicken agrees it is finger-licking good! Not only is it delicious, but it is also so easy to make and will definitely feed a crowd!

Ingredients:

-1 bag of Tyson® Crispy Chicken Strips

-1/3 of a cup hot sauce

-1 cup of brown sugar

-1/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Bake Chicken fingers according to directions on package.
2. While chicken is cooking, prepare your sauce! In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, combine the hot sauce, brown sugar and water. Stir and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and let stand a couple minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.
3. Place the cooked chicken fingers in a large bowl or pan. Pour the warm sauce over all of the chicken fingers. Use tongs to turn chicken fingers so they get coated entirely with sauce.
4. Serve the sticky fingers with your favorite dressing! We love them with ranch!

Second Down! (Ham and Cheese Sliders)

These delicious little finger sandwiches are sure to slide right into the end zone and score a touchdown! Seriously, I could eat like 5 of these things! The tangy sauce plus the melty cheese, combined with the warm meat is almost too much! These are a must make!

Ingredients:

-1 package of Hillshire Farm® Lunchmeat Ham

-1 package of sweet rolls

-1 package of swiss cheese

-1/3 cup mayo

-2 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 cup butter

-1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Cut all rolls in half and spread a little mayo onto 1 side of the roll. Place a slice or two of ham and slice of swiss cheese in roll. Replace the top of the rolls and bunch them closely together into a baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, dijon mustard, melted butter, and Worcestershire sauce.
3. Pour all that sauce goodness over the rolls. Cover them with foil and let it all soak in for about 10 minutes.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for an additional 5ish minutes until tops are slightly browned. Serve once cooled slightly but still warm. 

Third Down! (Loaded Potato Nachos)

These nachos are just like a quarterbacks perfect spiral, the look good and feel good! I love potato anything, I also love any kind of nachos, put 'em together and you get a game winning combo! These mouth watering potato nachos are loaded with crispy bacon and all the best toppings. For some happy fans, these have to be on your list of plays!

Ingredients:

-1 Package Wright Brand® Bacon cooked and crumbled

-4 or 5 medium russet potatoes sliced

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

-1 tbsp seasoning salt

-1/4 cup chopped green onions

-1/4 cup sour cream

-Jalepenos (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. While the oven is preheating, wash your potatoes, thinly slice them, and let sit in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes.
2. While potatoes are soaking, chop your cooked bacon and green onions and set aside
3. Once potatoes are done soaking place a piece of foil on a baking sheet. Spray it with cooking spray and put your potatoes on the sheet. Sprinkle with seasoned salt.
4. Cook your potatoes for 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. Not fall apart mushy but just tender. Top with your shredded cheese and bacon and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is fully melted. 
5. Take nachos out of the oven and add your green onions and a swirl of sour cream. (I like to place mine in a ziploc and snip the corner to swirl it onto the nachos)
6. Serve as soon as they are warm enough to not burn your tongue, ha!

Andddd... Touchdown! (Being the Hostess)

Okay so you have your food all prepped and ready... now what? I'll tell you what... decorate! It doesn't have to be anything fancy but do your best to be festive and get those fans excited! Lay a plastic tablecloth over your table and place some footballs on it. Take your favorite cake stands with varying heights and place your food on them for a pretty and easy way to display all the snacks you made. You could even dust off the foam finger to add to your display and wrap some festive garland on the wall behind the food. Pull out that letterboard and use that too! Decorating doesn't have to expensive or a hassle, just use what you have already and have fun with it! You're sure to be crowned the hostess with the mostess and who knows... you may even get the game ball ;)

So, what are you planning on making for the big game??

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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Tasty Tuesday: Fajita Turkey Burgers

Okay, so this recipe doesn't have to be made with turkey... but I've had a recent fascination with ground turkey since it's a little better for you than ground beef and I can buy it in bulk at Costco!

I pretty much replace ground beef with ground turkey in most of my recipes now and hardly even taste a difference!

Fajitas are one of our favorite meals and we LOVED having that same taste on a burger!

Hunter made himself sick he ate so many of these, ha!

It was super easy and super yummy, I call that a win, win!

Ingredients:

-A pound or more of ground turkey (or ground beef... whatever floats your boat)

-1 foil packet of fajita seasoning

-1 tbsp + a few dashes of garlic salt 

-1 tsp + 1/2 tsp chili powder 

-a few dashes salt and pepper 

-cooking spray

-3 tbsp oil of choice 

-2 bell peppers (I chose one red and one orange)

-1/3 of a yellow onion 

-2 tbsp soy sauce 

-a slice of pepper jack or Monterey jack for each burger 

-Hamburger buns

-2 avocados

-1/4 cup sour cream

-a few spoonfuls or your fav salsa

Directions:

-Place uncooked ground turkey or ground beef in a mixing bowl. Add half a packet of fajita seasoning, 1 tbsp garlic salt, 1 tsp chili powder, and a few dashes salt and pepper. Once mixed completely, form meat into burgers and cook in a pan with some cooking spray or on the grill!

-While burgers are cooking, start cutting your bell pepper and onion into strips. Add that to a frying pan with oil and let cook until veggies become soft but not soggy.

-Turn heat to low and add in the remainder of fajita seasoning, 1/2 tsp chili powder, soy sauce, and a few dashes salt & pepper. Let that cook for a couple more minutes.

-When burgers are almost done add slices of pepper jack or Monterey jack cheese and let it melt down.

-Make your guacamole by adding the meat of two avocados to a mixing bowl with sour cream and a few dashes garlic salt. If you wanna get fancy, skip the sour cream and use fresh pico and lime juice. 

-Toast your bun. The add a spoonful of your fav salsa to the bottom bun. Place burger on to of that. Add peppers and onion on top of the burger. On the top bun add a heaping spoonful of guac.

And there ya have it, the fjaita burger!

Now I'm craving one...

I hope you all liked this recipe!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

7

Tasty Tuesday: Turkey Burgers with Balsamic & Tomato Reduction

I have not been feeling my usual self lately due to the summer heat and the last little bit of pregnancy.

The combination of the two has made it particularly hard for me to want to eat well... anything other than cold fresh fruit and snow cones.

I wish I could eat those two things all day, but I have this husband that gets really grumpy if he doesn't eat three solid meals a day haha.

Yesterday was particularly hard because I was trying to meal plan and nothing sounded good.

The more I got to the thinking, the more I had fun with coming up with some fun meals that aren't super heavy.

I love a good burger and fries, but it can feel way too heavy after.

So, this week I opted for turkey burgers and added a fun little twist!

Hunter and I both loved these and I hope you do too!

Ingredients:

-1 lb fresh ground turkey

-1/8 cup Italian bread crumbs or panko

-Salt and Pepper

-Fresh Spinach

-Sliced Onion

-Whole Wheat Buns

Sauce:

-1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

-1/2 tbsp white sugar

-1 drizzle of honey

-1/8 tsp Garlic Salt

-Pepper

- A handful cherry tomatoes cut in half

Directions:

1) Combine your turkey, bread crumbs, and salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Mix together until fully combined. Next shape into patties and add to a hot skillet with cooking spray.

2) As your burgers are cooking make your sauce. In a small skillet, add balsamic vinegar and heat until bubbling. Whisk in your sugar and drizzle of honey. Add your garlic salt and pepper and continue to let simmer until thickened. (about 2 minutes)

3) Flip your burgers and make sure they are cooked through. Turn off the burner and let them rest.

4) Add your cherry tomatoes to the sauce and turn to low heat. Stir until tomatoes are softened.

5) Toast your buns or put them in the oven on broil for a few minutes. (I added a little butter and garlic salt)

6) Spread mayo on bottom bun, then place turkey patty on top. Add your sliced onion, a few spinach leaves, and a drizzle of the balsamic reduction with tomatoes. 

That's it!

I think all together this took about 15-20 minutes and felt good after eating it.

Also, it works perfectly paired with fresh, cold fruit! ;)

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

0

Tasty Tuesday: Avocado Corn Salsa and Grilled Chicken

I made up this little recipe two summers ago and loved it so much we had it more often than not.

However, I tend to forget about recipes all too often and haven't made it in way too long!

I'll also blame the fact that it's totally a summer recipe and we had the worst winter like ever this year!

All I want is comfort food when it's cold outside, and all I want is fresh food when it's hot.

Anyways, I remembered this recipe as I was meal planning last week and was so excited to eat it all week!

I posted about it on insta stories and got tons of questions about it so I decided it needed to be added here.

This picture is from the first time I made it so I'll need to update that at some point, but for now you can enjoy this recipe as much as I do!

Ingredients: 

-Chicken. However much or little.

-Marinade for the chicken. Any one you please. We used Lawry's herb and garlic marinade. (I've also since done this chicken by just adding some season salt, or garlic salt, or whatever we have on hand and baking it. Marinating is still my fav but takes a lot more prep.)

Salsa:

-1 can of corn 

-1 firm tomato 

-1/4 ish cup onion

-Handful cilantro

-1 ripe (but not super mushy) avocado

-1 tbsp. lemon juice

-2 tbsp. olive oil 

-Garlic salt 

-Paprika

-Pepper 

Directions:

1) Marinate your chicken for 5-6 hours. Or longer if you have the time and patience. Have your husband (or do it yourself) grill the chicken to your liking. Or as stated above, baking it is totally great too!

2) Meanwhile make the salsa! Chop up tomato and onion into cubes and put in a mixing bowl. Add in your can of corn drained. Add in olive oil and lemon juice and coat. Next chop your cilantro and cube the avocado. Add this to the mixture. Now sprinkle your seasonings to your liking being careful not to mush the avocado while mixing. 

3) Once the chicken is done top it with the salsa and there ya have it! A few variations we've liked are to put the chicken and salsa atop a bed of rice or quinoa. Hunter also said it would be really good wrapped in a tortilla! I agree! Have fun with it, because it is such a fun and colorful meal. 

Happy summer everyone! 

I hope you're having pool days galore!

All my love, 

Aleigh Joy

0

Tasty Tuesday: Baked Pesto Pasta

Happy Tuesday!

Today we got to see baby C at my 24 week appointment.

I cannot believe how fas this pregnancy is going!

She looked great and her little profile kills me.

She's starting to kick quite a bit more now too, and that's always fun ;)

Anyways, I'm posting an old recipe of mine that Hunter absolutely loves.

So, please excuse the old pictures!

I'll be updating those later on!

Basically, one Saturday before Oaks was born and around 8 pm... I decided I should figure out what I was going to make for dinner Sunday night haha!

We had two pieces of chicken left, 2 biscuits, and well other things that just weren't going to cut it for a Sunday dinner. 

So, I hopped in the car and went to the grocery store.

I went having no idea what I was going to make.

I remembered I had some leftover carrots from the previous weeks roast, leftover bow tie pasta from another pasta dish, and pesto just sounded good.

And that, is how this recipe came to be. 

Sometimes the random ones are the best ones ;)

Ingredients:

• 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
• 6 oz. package provolone cheese
• Foil packet of pesto (and ingredients to make it, oil and water) [Since creating this recipe some time ago, I have discovered I really like it with jarred pesto too.. so do whatever you choose!]
• About 1/2 a pound bow tie pasta
• Cooked and chopped chicken (about 2-3 breasts)
• Steamed carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower (About 3 cups)
• Uncooked cherry tomatoes (i grabbed a big handful and cut them in half)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375

2) Steam veggies, boil pasta, and cook chicken. 

(Remember that you will be baking all the ingredients so keep the veggies on the firm side, and the pasta a little less done)

3) Make Pesto as directed on package. Once it's brought to a boil, stir, then turn to medium low heat and add the cream of chicken soup, milk, and garlic salt. Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Let simmer a few minutes. 

4) Grease 9x13 baking dish. Layer 1/2 pasta, 1/2 chicken, 1/2 veggies, 1/2 tomatoes, 1/2 sauce, then 1/2 cheese in that order. Then use the remaining ingredients to make another layer. I added some shredded cheese in the cracks and saved a little extra sauce for the top. 

5) Bake for 30 minutes with foil on top.

 Remove the foil and broil a few minutes until the top begins to brown. 

Let sit for a few minutes so it can set.

6) Dish up, serve, and enjoy!

Like I said earlier, this is Hunter's favorite pasta! Every time I make it, he eats like half the pan alone haha.

I hope you all love it too!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

0

Tasty Tuesday: Coconut Lime Skillet Chicken and Rice

Ahh Tuesday, I like you so much better than Monday.

Our Monday was actually pretty good this week, but Tuesday just feels like we're getting somewhere in the week. 

It also means... Tasty Tuesday!

I love posting recipes because I just love cooking.

I always have and always will.

Dishes on the other hand... I hate those things.

Especially because we're living without a dishwasher right now.

It's kind of the worst.

That's why meals with less dishes, is much better.

This one is all made in one skillet with the exception of a pot for some rice.

You can also decide how spicy you want it based off how much chili flakes you put in.

It kind of reminded Hunter and I of a curry style dish which we absolutely LOVE!

This was another one that was just kind of made up as I went and I ended up loving it!

I sure hope you do too :)

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 cup onion (always use yellow or white)

1 tsp dried red chili flakes (more or less depending on spice preference. I would start with less if you don't love spice and start with 1 tsp if you do like spice)

1 cup chicken broth

The Juice of 1 large lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro 

1 can coconut milk 
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon corn starch mixed into 1 tablespoon water to thicken 

 2-4 serving rice (we went with white but brown or quinoa would be great!)

Directions:

1. Melt your coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat on the stove. Add the cubed chicken breasts and cook until slightly browned. Remove the chicken from your skillet and set aside. 
2. Add the chopped onion to the same skillet and sauté for a few minutes to soften. Do not brown, just cook until translucent. 
3. Add in your chicken broth and lime juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce down to a simmer. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. 
4. Add in your coconut milk and bring back to a simmer again for another 5 minutes. Now add the starch and water mixture and whisk all together. You may need to raise the heat slightly higher to bring this to a boil to activate the starch so it'll thicken. Once the sauce thickens reduce it back down to a simmer.
5. Add the chicken back to the skillet with heavy cream, cilantro, and red chili flakes. Cover and let cook for another 10 minutes or until everything is heated through.
6. Serve over your rice and enjoy!

See, hardly any dishes in there!

It's so nice to just have to wash a couple dishes at the end of the night.

I made this on a cloudy, windy day and it perfectly did the job to warm us right up!

I hope you all love it too!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy 

0

Tasty Tuesday: Balsamic Steak Salad

I never say "can't even" but... if there was the perfect time to say it, it would be right now haha.

In a matter of 48 hours we've dealt with replacing 3 tires, a cranky toddler, a flood in our home (and on the carpet, ugh), a plumber that came like 4 hours late, a lost debit card, an even crankier toddler,  a found debit card because the Sonic lady forgot to give it back to me, and a sassy Sonic employee that thought it was my fault... HA!

Guys, I'm so ready for this week to be over already!

And, it just started.

My saint of a husband however, knew I was a little more than frustrated over the whole ordeal, and brought home pizza and I thought I was gonna cry it made me so happy haha!

#pregnancyhormones

Alright, I feel a little better now that I ranted about my life ha...

On to the real reason why you came to this post!

I don't really like my bread dipped in balsamic... but when it comes to asparagus and salads, I want all the balsamic!

So, I made this little Balsamic steak salad based off cravings and Hunter literally had 5 bowls of it!

He's not exactly a "salad for dinner" kind of guy, but this one has steak so he was okay with it ;)

Ingredients:

-Steak of any variety. (I used whatever was on sale but you can either go for the good stuff or stick with the cheap stuff. Whatever floats your boat. I also made a ton because I knew Hunter would want lots of meat, so make however much fits your family's needs/wants!)

-Bell peppers. (I got the mini ones and cut up about 5)

-1 package of sliced mushrooms

-1/2 cup sliced yellow onion

-1 package 50/50 salad mix (spring mix and spinach)

-Cherry or roma tomatoes (if you use cherry just cut them in half. If using roma dice them)

-1 avocado

-Parmesan Cheese

-Balsamic Vinegar

-Olive Oil

-Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1) Grill your steak with some garlic salt and pepper until cooked to your liking.

2) In the meantime, sauté your bell pepper, mushrooms, and onion with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cook until al dente. No soggy veggies here!

3) Wash your salad mix and pat dry. Stick in a large bowl. Add in your cut up tomatoes and avocado.

4) Once everything is done cooking and slightly cooled add it to the salad mix and lightly toss with Balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. I don't have exact measurements here because it's totally up to you how strong you want the balsamic taste to be. I would say I did 5-6 tbsp of balsamic to 3 tbsp olive oil give or take. Remember that you can always add more but you can't take it away!

5) I added a little parmesan on top and served with roasted sweet potato! 

Every now and then, a good salad for dinner is just needed!

I can't wait to make this all the time this summer!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

0