BIRD copycat recipe from Silly Goose

When I get cravings.. I get creative... Or at least try. 

So, I have been craving Silly Goose, in East Nashville, for the past three weeks. Specifically I have been craving their BIRD sandwich . Now I should just drive there and get my sandwich, but the thought of driving all the way to East Nashville makes me settle on something else to eat and continue craving the sandwich for another week. Once I could no longer fight the craving, I decided to recreate it with stuff I had in my kitchen. I added my own little twist and added a pesto Greek yogurt spread  to mine... and it took it over the top. I think mine actually turned out better  with the basil twist!

BIRD 

How to make the BIRD: 

What you will need: 

- 2 pieces bread (toasted), I used Trader Joe's sprouted 7 grain 

- 1 piece of bacon or turkey bacon- I used turkey bacon and added pepper to it

- 6 oz chicken breast grilled- seasoned mine with salt and pepper

- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes- Trader Joe's is where mine were from

- 1/4 cup goat cheese 

- 1/4 avocado

(Optional items below for pesto Greek yogurt spread)

- 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt 

- 1/2 cup fresh basil 

- pinch of pine nuts 

- splash of olive oil 

If you are making the Greek yogurt spread- add all the ingredients listed for that to a food processor or blender until combined and it is a spread consistency. 

Take the bread and toast it! Spread the avocado on one piece of bread, if you chose to make the basil spread add a generous amount to the other piece of bread. Put the chicken and remaining ingredients on the bread, top with other half of bread to complete the sandwich. 

Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or balsamic drizzle from surprise, Trader Joe's! ... If you happen to have it. 

Take a picture (Instagram it) and then enjoy! I added a small salad to compliment mine, but I will leave that decision up to you! 

❤️K 

DIY Deer on Reclaimed Wood

I know I usually post about food, but I couldn't help but share this super easy DIY project I did. I made this one shown here for my Dad for Christmas, it was perfect since he had recently bought a farm. However this could easily be done for a very inexpensive way to add some wall decor to a room. 

What you need:

• Reclaimed wood sign- you could make this yourself or order one online, I purchased mine here on one of my favorite sites, Etsy. 

• Large Deer silhouette- be sure to print this on a thick paper like card stock so it is durable when you cut it out.. I used the best Printer in Nashville, Printers Press! A special thank you to Ali, for making the print perfect! 

• X acto knife/ utility blade- to cut out the deer 

• Spray Paint- I used black, but you can use any color you want (an acrylic paint is also an option you can use, you will just need a paint brush too)

• Sharpie paint marker (if you want to write something on it) 

• Tarp or plastic to lay the wood on and spray paint so you do not ruin anything

This is seriously so easy! .. I also tried this on a printed paper and put a fun colored teal deer on it to try something different. It took less then 5 minutes to do once I had the deer cut out. If you want one of these and don't want to make it yourself let me know! The possibilities are endless with this! 

Deer Print

Cut out with knife

You could use both of these if you wanted
on two different pieces. 

Blank Sign- From Etsy link above

Place where you want it!

Spray paint with your desired color-let dry

Write on it if you choose!

Sample of different way to do it, I used
acrylic paint on this one and a
printed paper from Paper Source

Egg Breakfast Muffins

People always say, “breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” whether or not you agree with that statement is not important here.. what is important is this is about one of the easiest breakfast recipes ideas ever!

Breakfast Egg Muffins

This is one of those morning meals that’s high in protein and low in sugar & carbs. An added bonus?!?! They taste AMAZING!!!!! If you’re looking for something healthy, hearty, and quick, this recipe will definitely be right up your alley!! Literally all you have to do after you prep them is reheat and EAT!!!!

I usually make these on a Sunday night and eat them off and on throughout the week {they will last about a week in the fridge}. It is basically fool proof and the mix-ins are endless. It is also a great way to use up any left overs from the week (any veggies or meats sitting in your fridge are perfect for these muffins). So get creative and try these out :)

I recommend getting creative and topping yours with Sriracha, salsa, or avocado for an extra kick!

-Enjoy,

K

P.S. These can be Paleo and are gluten free!

The ingredients I used for these ones pictured here:

***this made 18 muffins***

-(1) package turkey bacon (cut into tiny pieces and sauteed)

2 cups of steamed broccoli

¼ cup goat cheese crumbles

12 eggs

¼ cup milk (optional for a more fluffy texture)

¼ cup greek yogurt cream cheese (this is optional for a more fluffy texture as well)

½ cup chopped yellow onion

Pepper to taste

'Salt free' Arizona Dreaming Seasoning  (http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysarizonadreaming.html)

Directions:
 (once you have your desired ingredients)


1. Pre-heat oven to 350*.
2. Mix eggs and then add all your mix-ins.
3. Spray muffin tin with coconut oil or desired oil.
4. Fill muffin tins ¾ full of egg mix.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes, should be able to insert a tooth pick into it and pull it out clean.
6. Remove from muffin tin and let cool, place in tupperware and refrigerate.

Just heat them up in microwave 30 seconds per muffin when ready to eat!

Summer Sizzle Kick Off

So, for those of you who don't know, my most favorite gym is Barry's Bootcamp Nashville. They opened their doors in June 2012 and truly have the BEST workout in the world. They are transforming people's bodies and lives daily! Check them out here for more information: http://www.barrysbootcamp.com/nashville-tn.html . 

The reason I bring them up is because on April 1st they started a "Summer Sizzle" program. It is 60 days of transformation with the support of a team and two trainers to motivate and push you along the way. Since so many of my friends are participating in it, I decided to make some "Summer Sizzle" friendly recipes and meal ideas. 

Meal #1: Basil Feta Turkey Burgers 

(I apologize for not having photos of this meal but it was so good before I remembered to take some it was gone!)

What you need to make them:

1 lb ground white turkey 

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 fresh basil leaves (chopped up)

1 egg

1 tsp fresh garlic or minced garlic

Pepper to taste

Combine and mix all ingredients in a bowl. Once mixed together form burger patties. You should be able to get about 4-6 patties. Throw them on the grill and cook! 

*I served this with a baked sweet potato and "Tavern" kale salad.  A Tasty Tip: try adding 1 tbs of almond butter to your sweet potato as your topping! YUM :) 

Meal #2: Greek Inspired Chicken Kebabs 

What you need: (Makes 10-14 Kebabs)

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 

3 lemons

1 tbsp minced garlic

3 tbsp oregano

1 1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 yellow or orange pepper

1/2 red onion

1 zucchini

10-15 skewers

Chop chicken into 1-1.5" pieces and put in a bowl to marinate. Juice the lemons and add the juice to the chicken. Add garlic, oregano, and ground cumin to chicken. Mix and let marinate at least 2 hours. 

Chop the peppers, zucchini, and onion into pieces to fit onto the skewers. 

Assemble the skewers to your preference and then grill! 

*I served this with a cold greek yogurt cucumber dill salad. It is super easy to make! Chop up a cucumber add 2 cups plain non fat greek yogurt, some some minced garlic, and dill to taste! Mix and serve :) 

Meal #3: "Marilyn Monroe" Smoothie from Turnip Truck

I recently tried the Marilyn Monroe smoothie from the Turnip Truck in the Gulch. I fell in love with it! It immediately made me feel like I was sitting on the beach in the Caribbean sipping on a delicious cocktail. Only I was in Nashville having a smoothie. I decided I had to figure out how to make my own version at home- so here it is!

What you need:

1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt

8 oz unsweetened coconut milk

1/3 cup frozen strawberries

1/3 cup frozen pineapple

*I added 1/2 scoop of Nectar Sweet Caribbean protein powder to get some more protein into the smoothie! Its a great addition to the flavors in the smoothie, but if you don't have this flavor a vanilla protein powder would be just fine! 

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend! 

Hope you enjoy all of these! 

If you have any questions or want a recipe for anything you can't find on here please feel free to email me at: freshfoodienash@gmail.com

Strawberry SkinnyRita

Complete with a sugar rim ;)

It's not a secret to my friends how much I love a Strawberry margarita from Ted's Montana Grill. I decided I would try to make my own at home as well as make it a little healthier... Here is it!

To make the Skinny Strawberry Margarita:

4 oranges
3 lemons
6 limes

Juice all of them :)

Then take 8 oz of H20 and add 1/2 cup truvia or any type of zero calorie sweetener. Mix well until dissolved.

Combine the sugar water mix to the juiced mix. Stir

Add 10 oz of club soda to the mix.

Add 4-5 oz Jose Cuervo Gold (it isn't the best tequila, but it really mixes the best for this!!!).

Add 3 oz cointreau liquor.

Mix all together well.

Cut up some strawberries and puree them or mash them up in a separate bowl. Then add 1/4 cup 0 calorie sweetener.

I buy a 10 lb bag of crushed ice from Sonic for my margaritas because I seriously think it makes the biggest difference! Yumm!!!

Add desired amount to a shake with ice and shake. Pour into glass and add a scoop of strawberries.

Garnish with a lime wedge and a sugar rim.. Cheers!

Enjoy :)

Cinnamon Pecan Protein Pancakes w/ Maple PB Syrup

This is such a filling and delicious breakfast, I make protein pancakes of different flavors for my breakfast at least 3 times a week. They are packed with protein, low in carbs, and full of fiber! 

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do :) 

PB2 is an amazing product, you can do so
much with it & its low in calories! Chia
seeds are a great way to get added fiber
and are an excellent source of omega fatty
acids! 

This is by far the best tasting protein I have ever tried!
Delicious. It also mixes extremely well :) You can use
any type of whey protein I just like this one!
**If you use a vanilla instead just add some cinnamon
to keep the flavor the same.  **

                             You can purchase this protein online at http://www.cellucor.com/

Batter all ready to cook.. 

Cooking.. wish this pic was scratch and sniff! 

I decided to add bananas to top mine off!
Yumm!!!

http://www.cellucor.com/

So good.. 

Snack Attack Craving: Almond Joy Candy Bar; Solution: Almond Joy Smoothie

It's Friday afternoon and I'm sitting at my computer working when I get a craving for an Almond Joy candy bar. I have my beautiful mom to thank for introducing me to this delicious blend of coconut, almonds, and chocolate. Since I am trying to eat less processed foods I decided to see if I could kill this craving with another alternative, I turned to my Vitamix (https://secure.vitamix.com/default.aspx) for a smoothie and it turned out awesome! I was able to satisfy my sweets craving without killing the waist line. Success in my book :) Hope you enjoy it as much as I decide to try it!


Ingredients:

6 oz Almond Breeze Almond Milk, Unsweetened Vanilla
1 tbs. shredded coconut, Unsweetened
1 scoop Isopure Dutch Chocolate (low carb) protein powder
1 tbs slivered almonds
1 packet of Truvia
1 cup ice cubes

Add all ingredients to the blender and mix!

{Tip: I blend the almond milk and ice together first and then add the rest of the items and blend again for a better consistency}

Nutrition facts I got from Livestrong.com
by adding in all the ingredients,
this is for 2 servings
(1 serving is approx. 150 calories)