My Cali Style Burger

Light Cali Style Burger

So I love grilling outdoors but I don't always enjoy the heaviness of a burger and hot dogs just don't sit well for me anymore. Yet sometimes, I want the burger feel. You know what I mean? The wrapping your hands around freshly warmed buns and that first bite of what feels like summer. However, sometimes that delicious burger you just bit into leaves you feeling like you swallowed a brick and can't digest it without a gallon of seltzer.

My goal was to come up with something that could freeze as easy as a beef or turkey burger and grill as equally fast. My solution, a light Salmon burger garnished with Guacamole, tomato and Kale sprouts. It's oh so good tasting and oh so good for you.

Here's the thing you could bake some salmon and then make the burgers (more power to you) but I also wanted to save time in the process. So although I usually try to avoid most canned foods, this was a corner I was willing to cut to save time and money.

Recipe to my Cali Style Burger
Makes about 10 patties

2 Cans     Wild Alaskan Salmon (1lb Fresh Sockeye Salmon)
1/4 Cup   Italian Style Bread crumbs
1/4 Cup   Olive Oil Mayonnaise
1 tbsp      Minced Garlic
1 tbsp      Lemon Juice
1/4 tsp     Fresh Rosemary Chopped
1/4 tsp     Salt (optional)
1/4 tsp     Black pepper

Mix with hands and let rest in refrigerator for at least an hour before making into patties. Cook however you like. I usually precook them on stove to ensure they stay together and then freeze for another day. To warm up, I defrost night before and put on the grill or microwave.

To garnish, I like them best with Avocado, Kale Sprouts and Tomato for that extra kick of healthy. It's delicious! Trust me you will love them. Let me know if you have tried it would love to hear from you. And if you put your own twist on it. Always happy to hear new ways of making things.

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As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

My Healthy Orange Chicken

Healthy Orange Chicken my way.

When I was pregnant with the twins, I was craving all things citrus. My poor father went out one night searching for orange creams pops, came back with strawberry and I was so sad. Remember, pregnant = emotional. 

Anyways, my parents introduced me to Orange Chicken from the local Chinese place they order from. I knew of it but never ordered it because well I always thought it was gross. However, pregnant, willing to eat anything and craving citrus, I tried it. From then on, I have been hooked.

Now the thing about this yummy dish is that it's not a food I would feed my family. It's super fattening.  I try to avoid battered and fried when I can. I'm human, I like stuff that's bad for me but I pick my evils. So I looked to The Pioneer Woman, as I so often do for a "Reecipe" (did you catch that?)  and to my surprise she had one but it was breaded and fried. Bummer! So I was about to hit the breaks on that "Reecipe" when I said "What if I use her sauce and just stir fry the chicken and veggies?" 

I started by gathering all my ingredients and prepping them. I started with Ree's sauce recipe. (Yes, I am calling The Pioneer Woman by her first name now. I told you she is my pretend friend. We tight!) I let that simmer for 5 minutes then I turned heat off. I moved on to the chicken. 

This is where Ree and I split ways. (Only for a few minutes.) Dicing chicken into bit size pieces and using a tablespoon of sesame oil in a non stick enamel pan, pepper flakes to taste, tablespoon garlic in pan, I browned chicken. Once browned,  I added frozen edamame, peas and carrots. Covered to cook vegetables for a few minutes.  Lastly, I poor the chicken and veggies into Ree's sauce. (See, I told you we wouldn't be apart that long.) Three tosses in the pan and I am super happy with results. Tangy and sweet with just a little kick from pepper flakes.

Everything was super fast to make and just great tasting with very little food guilt. Not that I have this often but when I can find a healthier alternative I go with it.

Thanks to Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman for inspiring yet another meal in my home, even if it wasn't a complete "Reecipe" (I just love saying "Reecipe.") It was still yum.

F.Y.I. - Sauce freezes well so if you double up the recipe you only have to worry about chicken next time or freeze the chicken browned with sauce for easy microwave reheat meal. Great idea for lunch at work.


For Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman's recipe Click HERE Hope you enjoy either of the recipes but I do hope you will try both and see for yourself. Both are good.


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As always, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!

Prepping for holidays...Yippee!

You know this made you laugh.

Having mentioned that I would discuss things other than skin care from time to time her goes the latest.

We all remember the Thanksgiving episode  where on Friends, character Monica gets her head in a turkey. Then decides to make the best of a horrible situation to cheer up Chandler. 

I am currently avoiding the horrors of the holidays by going to someone else's house. Let them get their heads stuck in a turkey, metaphorically of course. However,  I can't show up empty handed. I wasn't raised that way. One positive in my up bringing. (Kudo's to you mom and dad.)

Since I haved started to cook things more from scratch for the family. I have been searching for authentic meals and desserts to feed them all. Some of the childhood memories I still have and my happiest, are around the kitchen watching my mother, grandmothers or who ever cooking. The smells, the sampling of food as it prepares and watching it cook in the oven. That little oven light was like turning on the television for me. In some ways, it still is today. 

Now sadly, I know that you should never relate joy to food because it puts you at risk to over eating. However, I feel like if you eat foods made with fresh ingredients and control the quantity, you should be all right. Plus some exercise wouldn't hurt either. (HAHA!) 

With the holidays fast approaching, I have begun the process to seek out yummy whole food meals that I can make for the family to enjoy through out the holidays. Since I am not hosting this year (Can I get an AMEN?),  I want to make sure I don't show up empty handed and that I have great meals at home prepped and ready. Incase no one eats enough at our hosts home. I always have hungry little monsters so I try to have meals prepped for them. 

The holidays are a confusing time for me. I have mixed feelings about them. They bring good memories to mind but also stress the heck out of me. Since I am not hosting this year, (notice how I keep saying that) I do have it easier then my hosts for sure. Since I am in charge of dessert as I am often during the holidays, I am posting one recipe that I will make for home and one that I will be taking to my hosts home. (Okay, it's my sister house. It's no secret we get along.) I'm still thinking I may host Christmas Eve, still thinking on how I can manage it. 

The great thing about cooking for me is that its where I let all me stress out. It's having people over that stresses me out. I never feel like the house is clean or organized enough. And now a days, I feel like that even more.  Every thing is way harder to do now with the three kids. So I have to plan ahead and often, cook enough to freeze or eat for two days. 

DIY: Rice Pudding, no jarred stuff here.

In any case, I have selected two desserts for this coming Thanksgiving. When I was a kid, my mom use to make Rice Pudding for the holidays for my brother. Back then, I wasn't a fan (cooked raisins, Yuck!) but I love the stuff now. Though I am still not a fan of cooked raisins, my husband and son love them. I think that this recipe for Rice Pudding by The Pioneer Woman would be a great one since it is so close to how my mom made it. Note: My son is only 3, so I think I will skip the Bourbon and use vanilla extract with warm water to plump up the raisins and add to their flavor.  I may just divide the batch and make a small batch without raisins for myself and introduce this treat to the twins. I'll let you know how my first sample batch comes out but looks simple enough.

The second, is an easy one that I have already made. I took a box of Hodgins Mills Gingerbread mix,  and a can of Trader Joe's All Natural Pumpkin Puree. Mixed it together. Added Chocolate chips. Poured it into a rectangle baking pan. Topped with some more chocolate chips. Placed in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Note: You want to coat your pan with butter and flour. You can top with ice cream, warm chocolate, whipped cream or all of the above if you aren't concerned about your waist line. My sister and son sampled it and they liked it so it's ago. You could also use a box of Duncan Hines Spice Cake and just add can of Pumpkin Puree. One less ingredient to add but probably would contain more preservatives from this type of Spice Cake mix. It's the holidays though, so enjoy it however you like.

My hope is that you all can get through the holidays as easy as I'm planning to. Best laid plans of course so we shall see how it goes. Now I just have to start jotting down all the many things I am thankful for. Happy planning.

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Until next time, Be Blessed, Be Healthy and Be Beautiful!