Healthy Broccoli Tots

As a mom I am always trying to find new ways for Charlotte to get her veggies. We are very lucky that she is an amazing eater and quite the little piggy! She loves her carbs (pasta, bread, crackers, etc), but when it comes to meats and veggies she can be a little picky because of texture. I actually saw this recipe on Pinterest for 21 day fix recipes and thought it would be perfect Charlotte and then Kyle and I could enjoy too! :)

I actually had some leftover broccoli florets in the fridge and figured I should probably use them before they went bad!

Healthy Broccoli Tots 

• 12 oz. broccoli florets 
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar or mozzarella (I used mozzarella)
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 
• salt and pepper 

-Steam your broccoli in pot and then drain and rinse. Pat dry with paper towel to remove excess water. 

-Add 2 cups of the broccoli to your food processor ( I used our Vitamix) 

- In a bowl, combine the egg whites, cheese, breadcrumbs and S&P. Once the broccoli is finely chopped, add the broccoli to the bowl. Mix well

- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper ( Very important! I doubled this recipe and ran out of parchment on the other baking sheet. Even with cooking spray, the result was not the same) 

- Roll into balls or use a mini ice cream scoop or melon baller and place on baking sheet. 

-Cook for 8-10 minutes, then flip and cook for another 8-10 minutes! 

They turned out great! Husband and toddler approved! Charlotte was already done with dinner but she saw me sampling and asked for a taste and asked for more! :) 

Steamed Broccoli

Egg Whites, Breadcrumbs, Cheese and S&P

Blend until finely chopped

Add broccoli to the bowl 

Drop onto parchment lined baking sheets

Turn after 8-10 minutes of baking! Nice and crispy!

The final product! Yummy! 

Mediterranean Egg Cups

I have been making "egg cups" or "egg muffins" for a while now! They simplify your morning, not only in cooking your breakfast, but also in clean up!

I think egg cups are best when you experiment with what you like. I've made very healthy egg cups with only red peppers and spinach and very yummy egg cups with croissants, sausage and cheese! Think about what flavors you like and just improvise! Here is a recipe that I came up with that we are really enjoying!

Mediterranean Egg Cups 

• 12 eggs (beaten in a large mixing bowl) 
• 1 red pepper (diced) 
• 1 lg. onion (diced) 
• 1 package sliced baby bella mushrooms 
• 1 package crumbled feta 
• Cooking Spray ( I prefer TJ's Coconut Oil Spray) 
• Salt & Pepper 

1. -Dice red pepper, onion and mushrooms. Spray non-stick frying pan and sauté veggies. I think this step is really important because it brings out the flavor. Once translucent and soft, set aside and let cool. 
2. -Whisk together 12 eggs and add salt and pepper. 
3. -Add cooled veggie mixture and feta cheese 
4. -Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and divide the egg mixture evenly. 
5. -Cook at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes! 

This recipe makes 12 egg cups. A serving is equivalent to 2 egg cups. So, this is a perfect recipe to make in the beginning of the week and then eat throughout the week. You can always double this recipe if you have a larger family! I usually microwave mine for 45-60 seconds before eating! These are toddler and husband approved! 

Yummy!

Enjoy! 

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

This past week, I began decorating the house for Christmas! I don't know how it is already December! It feels like we were just arriving back to the "mainland" a couple weeks ago. Time is flying and I just want it to slow down!

This year, we spent the Thanksgiving weekend in Sarasota with my family. Normally, I would be picking up my Christmas tree first thing Friday morning, along with some great Black Friday deals, but that didn't happen this year! So, we are playing catch up to get decorated for Christmas!

We got our tree on Monday after work. Sadly, we got it home and it did not fit in the house! The top of the tree grazed the ceiling... Oops! We thought it was an 8 ft. tree, but I think it was more like 9 ft! So, that project was on hold until we could saw off some of the base!

Picking out our tree!

I brought down all of our decor from the attic on Tuesday and I was just so happy. I hadn't seen some of my Christmas decor for 2 years! (1st year we were in Virginia Beach, 2nd year we were in Hawaii with limited decorations) I was even more elated that now I get to decorate Charlotte's room and playroom! In between a few work emails and calls, I listened to Christmas music and began to decorate! I even started to hang the lights on the exterior of the house against my husband's orders to not get on a ladder! I just wanted to help expedite the process, especially because there isn't much daylight left once Kyle gets home!

Outdoor Lights!

This year I added wreaths and candles to the windows!

All things gold- our tree this year! 

Love the simple, classic look of the tree this year! Normally I mix a dark red, but I like the simplicity of all gold.

I'm so excited about the holiday season and sharing all of our traditions with Charlotte. I think she is still a bit young for Elf on the Shelf, but I did bring it out anyway! I showed it to her and it "he/she" went straight in her mouth!

Charlotte's Christmas Tree

Even Macey Jane has a tree!

Charlotte's Christmas Corner in her playroom 

We plan to take Charlotte to see Santa Claus this weekend. I'm not sure if we can top last year's photos; they were pretty perfect! We have lots of holiday events this week and Kyle's Christmas Party on Thursday night! This is such a fun time of year!

Charlotte with Santa in 2015- 5 months old!