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Recipe: Chicken Fajita Veggie Skillet (GF)

Abby H.

Even though we are still without a kitchen, I recently made this yummy skillet.

I used a lot of pre-cut/precooked stuff, but if you have a kitchen, feel free to chop and cook yourself.

Chicken Fajita Veggie  Skillet 

  • 9 oz. Foster FarmsRefrigerated Grilled Chicken Breast Strips or 9 oz. Cooked, bite-sized chicken breast
  • 1 cup diced green bell peppers
  • 1 cup diced onions 
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1.5 cups cooked basmati rice
  • 1 packet of fajita seasoning
  • 1/2 cup water (or chicken broth)
  • 1 can Ro*tel Tomatoes
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Top with:

  • 2 tablespoons plain Greek Yogurt or light sour cream
  • Hot sauce

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and sauté chicken, onion, and peppers until onions are translucent.
  2. Add in rotel, canned tomatoes, water, and fajita seasoning. Cook over medium, stirring gently frequently until mixture is slightly thickened.
  3. Gently fold in cooked rice.
  4. Once combined, top with cheese. Remove from heat, cover skillet with lid, and allow the cheese to melt (about 5-10 minutes),
  5. Serve with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream and hot sauce. Freezes well, and is a great meal prep option. 

Serves 5

If you are looking to boost your protein intake, substitute basmati rice for cooked RightRice or quinoa.

Dream Dinners La Mesa: Heart Health Workshop & Dinner

Abby H.

Dream Dinners La Mesa has an awesome upcoming Heart Healthy Workshop! Presented in partnership with Wellness Workshop by Sonia’s Healthy Corner and featuring dinner provided by Dream Dinners.

February 27th, 6:00 pm
at La Mesa Dream Dinners

Led by expert nutritionist and Health Coach, Sonia Cervantes from Sonia’s Healthy Corner, this workshop will help you to foster a joyful relationship with food. Learn to love foods that love you back and make your culinary journey a source of pleasure and well-being.

Here’s what you can expect:

  • Practical advice on crafting a heart-healthy diet tailored to your lifestyle
  • Guidance on incorporating superfoods into your meals for maximum health benefits
  • Tips for managing portion sizes and making mindful food choices
  • Strategies for enhancing your overall well-being through nutrition

Enjoy a delectable dinner provided by Dream Dinners as you mingle with fellow attendees and soak in all the valuable information shared during the workshop.

Space is limited, so RSVP at your earliest convenience to secure your spot. We can’t wait to see you there and embark on this journey towards a healthier, happier you!

For more information call/text 619-460-6800 or email  lamesaca@dreamdinners.com

La Mesa Dream Dinners: Wellness Workshop!

Abby H.

Our friends at La Mesa Dream Dinners are helping us start 2024 off right! I am excited to share this with you. I love the community at Dream Dinners. Marsi and her team are innovating new ways to eat healthy and save you time!

La Mesa Dream Dinners has teamed up with local nutritionist and Health & Wellness Coach, Sonia Cervantes, CHC to bring you a new Health and Wellness series for 2024. Together, they have curated a series of courses designed to empower you with the knowledge and skills to enhance your well-being. This series encompasses cooking classes and easy meal prep sessions that you can easily replicate at home. Beyond the kitchen, they aim to provide lifelong lessons on positive thinking, intentional planning, and self-care, emphasizing that your family’s health begins with you.

What to Expect in Each Session:

  1. Healthy Tips: Receive valuable insights and tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
  2. Interactive Activities: Engage in activities that promote positive thinking and intentional planning.
  3. Cooking Activity: Enjoy a hands-on cooking experience featuring healthy meals. Learn, cook, and savor the delicious results during the class.

Join them on this journey to empower yourself through self-care, community, and nutritious food. They believe that by making small, positive changes in your lifestyle, you can pave the way for a healthier and happier life. Take charge of your well-being, and let’s embark on this transformative experience together!

Sign Up today!!

Your journey to a healthier and more fulfilling life starts here.

For more information, contact La Mesa Dream Dinners call/text 619-460-6800 or email lamessaca@dreamdinners.com

$1 Soup at Panera & 2 Months Unlimited Sip Club FREE!

Abby H.

It’s Soup Time! Panera is hooking you up with a little something extra to warm you up. Enjoy a cup of soup for just $1 with an entree. When you order on the Panera app, for a limited time only! Use Code: SOUP

And while you are at Panera, check out their Unlimited Sip Club. Club members can enjoy coffee, teas & more fountain drinks for free for 2 months!

After your trial, monthly & annual members score benefits like Sip Club Saturday deals, VIP challenges, and more.

Annual members save 17% versus a monthly plan. Plus you’ll receive $0 Delivery Fee all year, and a FREE custom calendar from Shutterfly.

This is a great deal if you live or work near Panera. I live near one, and I’ve been enjoying my beverages almost daily! I drive past it on my way to and from work, and it’s a quick stop to get a coffee in the AM and an iced tea in the afternoon. Definitely quicker and cheaper than stopping at the local coffee shop!

Today Is National Cake Day!

Abby H.

Yup, it’s International Cake Day. I’m celebrating with the kids by baking a cake later this afternoon.

If you are looking for a way to celebrate at home, here are my tips for making a cake mix taste more like a scratch-baked cake.

Here are a few of my favorite cake recipes:

Score a Free Dinner From Dream Dinners!

Abby H.

As you are all aware,  Dream Dinners is one of my favorite ways to save time and get tasty, healthy meals on the table in 45 minutes or less!

If you haven’t tried Dream Dinners yet, now is the perfect time! They have lowered their minimum orders to three meals, and new customers can score a free dinner. When you order 3 or more dinners, they get a free medium Cashew Chicken and Noodles with code SHARE at checkout.

There are over 70 Dream Dinners locations throughout the US, but if you don’t live close to one, fret not! There is a deal for you as well! New Guests can get free shipping on their first box of 4 medium dinners as a special offer just for you. Use this code at checkout: FREESHIP.

 

Italian Meatball Soup Recipe

Abby H.

I posted about this soup earlier in the week on Instagram. It’s easy to make and is super filling. The best part is that you can make it as simple or elevated as you want, and as your budget allows

If you like to make everything from scratch, make your own meatballs and tomato soup. On a financial or time budget- use premade. I double-checked and all ingredients are available at Dollar Tree, so even the tightest budget can try it!

Italian Meatball Soup

Ingredients:

  • 8-12 meatballs (I used these Smithfield Power Bites)
  • 1 can/jar Tomato Basil Soup (I used Rao)
  • 1 14.5oz can salt-free diced tomatoes
  • 6 Oz (half of a 12 oz. bag) frozen onion and pepper blend (I used my slap chopper to make the onions and peppers much smaller pieces)
  • 1T butter or oil
  • 1T minced garlic 
  • 2T chopped sun-dried tomatoes and 1T of the oil 
  • 1c. pasta shape of your choice (I used medium shells)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • parmesan cheese

Directions:

  1. In a deep pot, warm oil and saute the frozen onion and pepper until the onions are translucent and fragrant about 10-15 minutes.
  2. Add in garlic, and sundried tomatoes and it’s oil and stir frequently, until garlic is fragrant.
  3. Add in the soup, bay leaf, meatballs (mine were frozen), and canned tomatoes.
  4. Allow soup to cook covered on medium/low for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Pour uncooked pasta into soup, turn to low, and cover again. cook on low for about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.
  6. Top each serving with parmesan cheese as desired.

This recipe makes 4-6 servings. It can be easily doubled or tripled.

Tips:

  • It freezes well also.
  • It can be made vegan or vegetarian. Use vegan/vegetarian meatballs and soup.
  • GLUTEN FREE: Substitute GF Meatballs and Pasta

9/4/2023 Weekly Meal Plan

Abby H.

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis long holiday weekend has been chill. We swam, deep cleaned bedrooms, and did our weekly reset. We reset today, and the extra day off was really needed. Back to school hit us hard.

I made big batches of vegetarian chili and chicken noodle soup yesterday for this week and beyond. I put a quart of each in the freezer for later.

The freezer and fridge are organized and the meals are planned for the upcoming week and beyond.

Our Yasukochi Family Farms  CSA box is delivered on Mondays. It arrived about 2:30 today, and I was ready to dive in and get prepping!

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you who are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101-style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and a Cliff Bar, fruit, and bagels for the littlest kiddo. The big kid has protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch every day (The same thing every day), and the little one buys her lunch about half the time.

Dinner: I’m making sure to start our meals with lots of veggies. With the rising costs of meat, we get most of our protein from using meat as an addition to our meals, not the main component. I realize this may not work for all families, but it helps us immensely.

  • Sunday: Chicken noodle soup, green salad, cheese toast
  • Monday: Chef Salad or protein shakes (big kid isn’t a big salad fan), and fruit

  • Tuesday:  blistered tomatoes w/ pasta, garlic bread (recipe forthcoming)

  • Wednesday: Vegetarian Chili, cornbread, fruit salad

  • Thursday: Protein shakes and fruit trays

  • Friday: Takeout night
  • Saturday:  Leftover night

Fresh Baked Bread Any Time!

Abby H.

I love to cook and bake. I love freshly baked bread. I’m kinda over the poppin’ fresh dough boy’s crescent rolls and Italian loaves. I don’t have time to make bread from scratch on weekdays. I recently discovered Wildgrain. I ordered our first box last week and it will be arriving soon (I’m stoked).

Wildgrain offers a monthly subscription box that’s shipped to your door and contains bake from frozen breads, artisan pastries, and even fresh pasta! When you sign up here you can score free croissants for life. 

What is exciting for my family is the ability to customize- Wildgrain’s new customizable subscription box features NEW multiple box types including:

  • A mixed box where you can pick your own delicious loaves of Wildgrain bread, pasta, and pastries.
  • A pastry only box where you are able to grab choice Wildgrain pastry options.
  • A bread only box where you can snag all your fave Wildgrain bread loaves.
  • A new Vegan bread-only box!

Wildgrain will continue to offer the same favorite seasonal and rotating add-ons they have always had. Now you can just add more of your favorites into your own customizable box!

Free Shipping- That’s right… Wildgrain orders SHIP FOR FREE? No matter where you live in the U.S. or how many “extras” (like those yummy chocolate croissants) you add on, Wildgrain boxes always ship for free! Let your audience know today!

 

To learn more or order a box yourself, check out Wildgrain here. 

Tryazon: Sparkle your Drinks ANYWHERE with instaFizz!

Abby H.

We’ve been participating in Tryazon events for three+ years. We’ve gotten to try all sorts of fun toys, games, and food.  You can learn more about Tryazon here.

Add sparkle to your favorite drinks ANYWHERE with this Tryazon Featured Party opportunity from Drinkmate. The instaFizz Stainless Steel Water bottle is the perfect companion for the road, gym, hike, and office and lets you carbonate almost anything, anywhere! Weighs less than a pound and can hold up to 21 oz! Add delicious fizz to any cold beverage with one twist of the bottle. Wrap up summer with a SPARKLE!

Tryazon has 100 hosting spots open for this opportunity! Those selected receive a party pack with a Drinkmate bundle to share with friends and family! Learn more and apply here: https://www.tryazon.com/instafizz-anywhere-party/