Pan-Seared Tilapia with Tomatoes and Black Olives

We are all always looking for healthy and easy weeknight meals, right? 

This is one of my families favorites. Dinner in 15 minutes...cant beat that! And even Carson was asking for more. If you know Carson, he is my picky eater; chicken nuggets, hot dogs, turkey sandwiches and mac and cheese. So the fact that he was asking for 3rd's last night says a lot!!

Pan-Seared Tilapia with Tomatoes and Black Olives

Let me say there is no science to this recipe. No measurements. I just use however much I need to feed the amount of people in my family eating dinner that night. 

Ingredients:

• Tilapia Fillets
• Cherry Tomatoes (cut in halves or quarters, depending on the size)
• Black Olives, sliced
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Red Pepper Flakes, Parsley
• Parmesan Cheese

1. Mix Tomatoes, Olives, Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Parsley & Red Pepper and cook in a non-stick pan or about 2 minutes until warm. Remove from pan and put aside.
2. Salt and Pepper Tilapia Fillets and add to non-stick pan. Cook about 4-5 min and then flip. Do not flip to soon; tilapia is delicate and will fall apart if not handled with care. 
3. Add tomato mixture to top and cook about 4 minutes. Until fish is 135 degrees and flakes easily.
4. Top with a small sprinkle of Parmesan Cheese

ENJOY!

I served it with grilled corn, eggplant and asparagus. To make all 3 I sprayed them with non-stick cooking oil and salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add corn to medium high heat on grill before veggies, as it takes a little longer to cook. Flip corn and veggies as needed.

My New Venture!

As most of you know, all my kids went to school this year, all day, every day, for the first time. We are in a new town, a new state, where I don't know many people yet. As so many moms do, I have been debating what to do with my life now that the kids are all in school. I have been mostly a stay at home mom for 11 years. Do I get a job? Volunteer all day? What do I do for me? How do I find the balance?

A lot of my friends chimed in with FANTASTIC ideas and I have been mulling them all over for the past couple of weeks. And then it hit me....

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a blog post about My Fitness Journey. I received a lot of GREAT feedback, BUT best of all, I had a number of people tell me that I inspired them. I was beyond humbled by that and have been following up with those friends. They mean the world to me, and if this is their time, I want them to succeed! That made my blood pump!! I was excited by the fact that I could help someone. So after much thought, I decided that is where I am being called. I am going to use that excitement for helping other moms and make that into my "career". 

I 100% believe that every mom can, and should, find a little time for themselves each day. Looking and feeling good about yourself makes you a better mom, wife, businesswoman, volunteer, whatever it is that you do. I try to make that time every day. I workout for at least 30 minutes, try to eat healthy, get showered and dressed and put on some make-up (even if it is just mascara and lip gloss). 


I have the SAME struggles as every mom; my kids fight, we are busy to the max, the laundry is overflowing, the house always needs cleaned....it never ends!! So I KNOW what you all are going through. I am in the trenches with you! 


There are some FANTASTIC things that I use everyday; that I TRULY believe in, which is why I want to share them with you.

1. Beachbody Workouts- I have done P90x, Insanity, P90x3, T25 and tried a couple others too, through online streaming. I have a good knowledge of the programs, what they offer, and what works for what you need in your life! The best part, most programs are only 25-30 minutes a day!! You CAN do that!!! I am going to be setting up challenge groups on Facebook to motivate you, keep you accountable and HELP you reach your fitness goals!! 

2. Shakeology - I use this EVERY day, as a meal replacement, usually the meal right after my workout. I am NOT a big supplement girl. I don't like putting a bunch of stuff in my body or taking pills. This shake has so many vitamin and nutrients in it, tastes DELICIOUS! It also keeps me feeling full and full of energy. It's amazing! 

Photo collage credit goes out to my pal Carrie!!

3. Younique 3D+ Mascara - Like I mentioned earlier, many of days, I only wear mascara and lipstick. This mascara looks STUNNING! It is easy to apply, not tested on animals, and all natural. It will make you look and feel SEXY! I promise! Doesn't matter how much baby spit-up is on your shirt, you will feel like you are ROCKING it! 

Check out the differnce in this picture! Younique also offers a full line of make-up and skincare. The company is growing by leaps and bounds too. I promise you won't be disappointed!

I have created a Facebook Page  (click to see it, like it, and share it!) called, "Your Body, Your Look, YOUR WAY." I want to share with you my tips, tricks, motivation, triumphs and fails! I encourage you to share with others too! I am SOOOO EXCITED to start this new venture in my life and can't wait to share it with all of YOU; MY FRIENDS! 

Contact me directly if you would like more information on any of the things I have shared with you. I am happy to share with you my knowledge and experience. I use these things EVERY DAY! 

I LOVE to INSPIRE those that I love and care about! I want you all to believe that you can reach your goals, and live a HEALTHY AND BEAUTIFUL LIFE!!!

Corn, Tomato & Bacon Salad

When late Summer comes around tomatoes and corn are at their peak and so fresh and delicious!! This stunning salad is fresh, crisp and full of flavor! Plus its super easy to make, do you can't go wrong. Make it up ahead of time or take to a BBQ and it will sure to be the talk of the party!

Corn, Tomato & Bacon Salad

2 large fresh heirloom tomatoes
1 ear of corn
4 slices of bacon
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
2 T red wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
several torn basil leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Take the corn off the ear of corn and pan fry for about 3 minutes, or until it starts to brown just a smidge.

Slice tomatoes and arrange on a platter. Top with corn, bacon, onion and blue cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix vinegar and oil and sprinkle on top. Top with torn fresh basil leaves.

ENJOY!!!

Salmon and Spinach Pasta with Lemon Sauce

I had some leftover pasta from Sunday, so I searched through my fridge and pantry and came up with this dish. It turned out light and full of flavor. The problem is I don't have exact measurements for things; I just threw them in until it looked good; but i'll try to give you a general idea. I made this just for two since I didn't have enough noodles for everyone.

Ingredients:

Serves 2:

Salmon (2 4oz fillets)
Pasta
Spinach
roasted or fresh tomatoes
pine nuts
garlic
basil
olive oil
fresh lemons. lemon juice

• Season salmon with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil and bake at 425 for about 10 min; until flakey and temp is 135. 
• If your pasta is not cooked, cook according to directions
• juice 2 lemons (for a dish that serves 2)
• Saute garlic in large sauté pan in about 1 T olive oil for 2 minutes.
• Add spinach, tomatoes, pine nuts, Chopped fresh basil or dried basil, pasta, juice of lemons and about 2T more olive oil and toss until spinach is slightly wilted.
• Remove from heat and top serve into dishes.
• Top with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and then place your salmon on top.

ENJOY!

Organizing A Small Pantry

Warehouse Clubs are my friend; it takes a lot of food to keep 6 people happy and fed! But when you don't have a big pantry (or much extra storage space in general) it takes some organization to make it work. To make the most of my space, I used stackable baskets from Target (which I had made in Birmingham), as well as  an over the door pantry organizer from Amazon. 

I recommend as much as you can take out of boxes and bags, do it! Pour your flour, oats, sugar, etc. into containers. Take those little instant oatmeal packets from the box and put them in a bin. Open granola bar boxes and snacks and dump them into a "Snack Bin" for easy access for the kids (see the bottom bin).

To make the labels I bought the cardboard cutouts fromHobby Lobby and laminated them with individual sheets that I got from there too. I hole punched them and used some ribbon to

tie them onto the baskets. Simple and easy.

To label the flour and sugar containers I used rub on letters that I found at Hobby Lobby too.

This over the door pantry works really well BUT, I recommend using two to four
medium size rectangle command hooks placed UPSIDE DOWN to hold it in place
and keep it from swaying any when the door is opened and closed.