Calhoun Boys

This Fall we did a photo shoot for the boys! I recently made them their own instagram account @threecalhounboys. We've been having fun building a brand reppin portfolio. If you're new to brand reppin you can check out my post on Fly Little Guy about it! And, last, but not least, here are a few of my favorites from the photo shoot!

Recipe: Black Beans & Roasted Corn Succotash

We kind of have this thing for trying out new cheese burger recipes. I know what you're thinking...different cheese burger recipes?! But, we've been doing the no bun (low carb) thing for a while and so we try to find new ways to dress it up and make it yummy. It started with grilling onions and bell peppers and then lead to green chilies with monetary jack cheese. Then that somehow morphed into this weekends variation with pepper jack cheese, and black bean succotash!

I'm not even exaggerating when I say it is one of the best things I ever ate. The flavor of the succotash was so tasty, and it made so much, that I declared I was going to have it on my salad with avocado and tomato with the next days lunch. And, I did! It was even better than I imagined. So good there's not even a need for dressing! Say what?!?!

So, after a few requests, and with hubby's permission (it is his creation after all) I thought I'd share it on the blog! 

Recipe:

2 corn on the cob roasted
1 red chile (piquillo or similar) roasted with skin removed
1/2 red onion diced
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
1 can seasoned black beans (drained)
1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil
salt to taste

Broil corn and chile top rack on a tin foil lined baking sheet (for easy clean up) aprox 15 minutes turning 2-3 times each until both are roasted and light-medium brown in color on all sides. While corn and chile roast dice red onion, cilantro, and drain beans. When corn and chile are done, and cool enough to handle, peel top layer of skin from chile (it's too tough to eat) and dice. Then cut corn from cob, add all ingredients to bowl and combine. Let chill 4-6 hours or even overnight. The longer the flavors marry together the better!

For Salad:

1 cup baby spring mix
1 avocado
1 vine ripe tomato
Succotash recipe above

Dice avocado and tomato into bite sized pieces lay over bed of baby spring mix, then cover with succotash  (recipe above).

The Calhoun Boys on Instagram

My favorite time of the year is here! SUMMER! One of the things I love most about Summer is dressing up in Red, White, & Blue! Especially the boys! We've done it for as long as I can remember. You can also follow these cute boys, and their fashion on Instagram @threecalhounboys. They're lucky enough to get to rep a few brands, and even have a few modeling gigs (outside of what they already do for their Mama on Fly Little Guy), check it out!

Making Your Own Desserts

My healthy living journey is always an ongoing process. I can always do a little better, and in more recent efforts I've started making my own desserts. The reasons being;

1. I can keep track of what's in them, including calories.
2. They're yummy and pretty.
3. It's fun, warms the house, and my heart!

I just thought I'd take a quick sec to share a few favorites!

Berries with whip cream (66 calories a serving)! This dessert is a family favorite! We've eaten a lot of it recently because Kroger has had berries insanely on sale!

1 pint of strawberries

1 pint of blueberries

2 tsp sugar

1/4 cup cool whip

 

Wash and de-steam berries



sprinkle with sugar

refrigerate 1 hour

dish berries and dollop with cool whip

 

Semi-homemade peach cobbler (200 calories a serving)!So, it's pretty much cheating if you use a store bought mix, but I promise you this is one cheat you won't regret! My family loves Calhoun Bend Mill mixes, for reasons other than the obvious (wink)! It. Is. SO. Good. We've tried a few different ones, and they were all divine. Can't wait to try them all!

Peach Cobbler mix

5 fresh peaches (pealed and cut into slices)

Cool whip for topping

 

Prepare according to package directions. The package did call for canned peaches, but we used fresh and it was divine! We served it warm and the cool whip melted just a little, mmmm, so good!

 

Last, but not least, home made cookies! I used to make cookies once a year, but now I make them about once a week. In the winter the oven warms the house, and, I like having them on hand for when the kids want a lil snack. I figure it's got to be better than the packaged processed stuff, no?

 

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies (130 calories each)! I found the original recipe on the back of a Coach's Oats package, but I use any oats I have on hand (you can't always find Coach's). I've also adjusted it a little to my liking (a bit more cinnamon and the craisins)!

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 butter

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 3/4 all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 cups oats

1 cup craisins

 

Preheat oven to 375* in a mixing bowl, cream together the sugars and butter. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla. Add combined baking powder, baking soda, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Mix well. Stir in oats and craisins. Drop by rounded teaspoons (I use a little ice cream scoop for uniformity) onto greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes, I pull them out just before done. Then place them to cool on a rack. They will continue to cook a bit as they cool.

 



Smoothie Recipes

We've been making lots, and lots, of juice, shakes, and smoothies around here, and I thought I'd share a few of my favorite recipes!

Tropical Smoothie
Serves 4 (115 calories each)

-1 banana (peeled and cut into 3-4 pieces)

-1 mango (peeled and diced)
-1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple
-1 cup vanilla soy milk
kiwi (for garnish) optional, obvs (wink)!
You could also add a scoop of your favorite vanilla nutrition powder (I use juice+ vanilla complete nutrition). You'd just want to add more liquid to smoothen it out. Mine calls for one cup.

Combined and mixed in a blender until it runs smooth!

Blueberry/Banana Smoothie
Serves 4 (150 calories each)

-1 cup frozen blueberries
-2 frozen small-med bananas*
-2 cups vanilla soy milk
-1 scoop juice+ vanilla complete nutrition. You can use any vanilla powder you like. Mine calls for one cup of juice/milk so you might need to adjust your slightly. Adding more or less depending what yours calls for.

Combine and mixed in a blender until it runs smooth! Yum!

*I just pop whole bananas in the fridge the morning I know I want to use them. When I'm ready to go I peel, and cut them into 3-4 pieces. You could always do that ahead of time, place them in a Ziploc bag, and they'll be all ready to go when you are!

Fourth of July!

This Fourth of July was the best in recent memory...maybe ever. After sleeping in for a spell, hubby and I went to the gym. What started as a sprinkle when we arrived, turned into a downpour with no signs of stopping by the time we left. Since clearly we weren't going to be able to go swimming as planned, we went ahead and made lemonade (hypothetically of course)! We played with the boys in the rain for quite some time. Well, hubby did. It was actually kind cold for me at a cool 73 degrees. Cut this Arizona girl some slack. Anything under 75 is cold. Truth. Here's my favorite instagram pic's!

This one was is my favorite from the day! The boys are playing football! Daddy & Tate Vs. Jaren & Jace. Daddy holds off big brothers while Tate scores! Just a moment in time savored.

This one was actually toward the end when the rain was really just a sprinkle.

Cracking up at hubby as he celebrates a goal!!!

Splashing around! Still pretty wet and dark at this point!

Cold, wet, and done!

After showering off and warming up we grilled, sparkled, and watched fireworks (thankfully the rain cleared up I was a bit nervous) with our good friends The Basultos! Here's just a few more!

We walked over to the greenbelt near our home to watch the fireworks show. It's one of the features we love most about our house! Here are two more fun, festive, yet quite random photos I captured that day! My Fourth of July jewelry!

And, the patriotic pudding!

Hope everyone had a happy and safe fourth!!!

Circus Theme Birthday Party

For Tate's third birthday we had a Circus themed birthday party! I whipped these invites up really quick in photoshop.

We had an awesome custom made cake! Cotton candy, pop corn, hot dogs,circus cookies & peanuts too! 

When the kids arrived they decorated their own clown hats!

There was even a special visitor! She showed us magic! 

And, made balloon animals, and face painted too!

I think it's safe to say Tate had a blast! Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with us!