Tag: meal ideas

by Libby

Spring Garden Salad

This easily customizable spring garden salad is packed with any and all fresh veggies of your choosing, and is topped with salty + flavorful pistachios plus a protein of your choice. Top with my go-to dark balsamic vinaigrette, and enjoy throughout the spring as an easy lunch option! 

Happy Spring!

Although, if you live in SE Michigan like me, winter seemed to take a pass on this year. No tears of sorrow coming from this household!

The sun is shining (slightly) more often, the birds are chirping, Easter is coming… and, of course, spring salads are abounding!

While today’s blog post features a loose “recipe” for my spring garden salad, this salad can be easily adjusted to whatever your specific taste preferences may be, and/or whatever you have in your fridge right now!

Reading on, we will also chat about tempeh (what even is that??), the health benefits of beets and pistachios, AND my pro salad-making tips. 

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {February 2024}

Hello, everyone! How is your week going so far?

I have been loving the sunnier days lately and am looking forward to a couple of days in the 50s and 60s coming up!

We went to my grandparents’ house for a quick overnight weekend trip which was nice. A change of scenery can be so refreshing!

During our stay we went on the toboggan run at Pokagon State Park in Indiana. It was quite the thrill ride with the weight of me, Alec, and my parents all on one sled! I was somewhat paranoid we were going to go flying off the edge.

I feel like the winter is flying by and soon we will already be into spring!

What have you been up to lately for fun on the weekends (or whenever your time off is)??

Recent February meals & snacks for your own eating inspiration! 
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by Libby

Berry Cacao Smoothie

This antioxidant-rich berry cacao smoothie is a delicious and nourishing treat for any time of day! Featuring cacao powder, chia seeds, avocado, and organic frozen berries, this creamy and delectable smoothie is full of nutrients to keep both your immune system and tastebuds happy. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On today’s chocolate-loving holiday, we are starting things off with my favorite berry cacao smoothie!

We have already covered some of my other favorite “chocolate-centric” recipes including my mocha almond joy smoothie, chocolate raspberry avocado pudding (the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert!), and – today’s recipe’s cousin – the best chocolate strawberry smoothie. You are on the Everyday Chocolate blog after all!

I don’t praise the cocoa bean just for its amazing taste potential… although that alone is reason to rejoice. Cocoa bean “products” in their purer forms, such as organic cacao powder (featured in today’s smoothie) and high-quality dark chocolate have the potential to ALSO add a hefty nutrition punch to your daily diet. Depending on the specific brand, we are talking quite possibly an excellent source of magnesium, iron, and antioxidants.

Winning on multiple fronts!

As your trusted nutrition AND flavor connoisseur, I would not lead you astray, especially on a holiday of all days. Let’s read on for the details!

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {December 2023}

Happy Wednesday!

I’m feeling epically ready to rest and recharge as we head into Christmas and New Years’. Anyone else?? I know the holidays can bring up a mix of emotions, and some years may be more joyful or difficult than others. I hope that with whatever you have going on in your life right now, you are able to take some time to rest and recenter a bit.

Backing up to the previous weekend, we had dinners scheduled Saturday & Sunday with friends we are connected to from college. It was so great to catch up — it had been much too long since seeing both couples/friends! Prior to that we were sick/recovering from colds… it seems everyone has been getting sick lately! Hoping we have gotten all our sickness out of the way before the holidays…

Before we get to some December eats, I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas! However you have found your way to the blog, I am grateful that you are here.

Closing out the year with some pre-Christmas December eats!

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by Libby

My Favorite (Go-To) Simple Meal & Snack Ideas

Hi everyone!

Today I wanted to share a round-up of my favorite/go-to simple meal and snack ideas. While cooking more involved dishes is something I do enjoy when I have time, most of the time I am thinking creatively about quick and easy ways to get nourishing, satisfying breakfasts/lunches/dinners together throughout our busy weeks. Anyone else with me???

I’m looking forward to a bit more time to make some of my favorite recipes over the Christmas season. At the same time, what I most want over my holiday time-off is downtime for reading, resting, and relaxing. That likely means a continued focus on simple, yet delicious meals and snacks.

I always find it helpful to see what other people are making throughout their weeks, and how they tend to go about getting dinner on the table on top of the busyness of regular life. Everyone’s life is unique, and thus we all may have such different preferences for going about prepping or acquiring meals and snacks, which I find fascinating!

I hope my go-to ideas inspire you as you consider ways to “navigate food less stressfully” in your life this holiday season and in the new year to come!

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {October 2023}

Hello everyone! I hope your week is going well so far.

Two weekends ago we were able to make it up to Tahquamenon Falls to enjoy some fall colors and time outside. I was feeling a little unsure about the trip with the colder weather and rain that was forecasted all weekend (of course just a few days prior to our trip it was 70s and sunny there!). However, I’m really glad we ended up going!

The bulk of the rain was overnight, so wasn’t too bad. As my dad likes to say, “There is no such thing as bad weather… only bad clothing decisions!!” So I was sure to pack ALL the cold weather gear, perfect for staying warm while camping outside in the 40-degree rainy/drizzly weather.

It was a quick trip! Saturday we went on a long hike (between the upper and lower falls). We also went up to Whitefish Point, went to an absolutely delicious restaurant for dinner (more details later in post), and watched the Michigan game from our car/tent.

Time continues to fly by (at least from my perspective!)… we are already over halfway into October and it feels like the holidays are fast approaching! I am trying to slow down and focus on each day/week at a time… enjoying the things to be grateful for each day instead of constantly looking ahead OR overly looking at the negatives!

Delicious eats from the past few weeks… October edition!

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by Libby

Quinoa & Veggie Bowl with Pumpkin Sage Hummus

This hearty quinoa & veggie bowl with pumpkin sage hummus features everything you love about fall! Warm spices, fresh sage, and plenty of in-season veggies come together for a nourishing, easily customizable dinner or lunch. Top with freshly grated parmesan for the finishing touch!

Today I have the best fall dinner recipe for you!

This creation was dreamed up out of a desire to have a fall/winter version of the summer quinoa/veggie bowl with sun-dried tomato hummus that I love so much. Thankfully what I have come up with has met my high expectations!

One of the best parts about this recipe is that everything can be made in advance, making it perfect for meal prep or for busy evenings when you may have more time to cook earlier in the day. It also makes plenty of leftovers to enjoy all week long.

Read on for full recipe details!

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by Libby

Intuitive Eating Day in the Life {Saturday in September}

Happy Wednesday! How is your week going so far?

I have been loving the sunny days lately, fall cooking/baking, and crisper (but not too cold) temps.

Today I’m posting a day-in-the-life recap post full of delicious eats from an intuitive eating perspective!

To review, intuitive eating is a framework of eating designed to guide you in re-learning how to tune into your natural intuition when it comes to nourishing yourself. It is a combination of head knowledge (nutrition wisdom), listening to one’s body, tuning into what simply sounds good, and trusting one’s overall intuition when it comes to eating decisions.

The 10 principles are:

  1. Reject the diet mentality
  2. Honor your hunger
  3. Make peace w/ food
  4. Challenge the food police
  5. Discover the satisfaction factor
  6. Respect your fullness
  7. Cope with your emotions w/ kindness
  8. Movement – feel the difference
  9. Respect your body
  10. Honor your health w/ gentle nutrition

I don’t necessarily think about these principles formally in my head when I go about the day eating, but they do represent a lot of my natural/intuitive ways for navigating my own food decisions. I find the principles to be help to introduce to clients who are working through a disordered relationship with food and all the conflicting messages society tells us about what/when/how to eat.

On to an eats-focused day in the life post! As always, the heart behind these posts is to show an example of what it might look like to navigate food throughout the day from a more natural, intuitive, non-disordered perspective. What/when/how much to eat is always individualized and your eating choices and patterns probably look a lot different from mine!

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by Libby

Everyday Eats {September 2023}

Hello everyone!

Welcome to September! I am somewhat relieved to be in the almost-fall season, with the slightly cooler temps and the more energizing-to-me activities this time of year (more opportunities for hiking in better weather/without bugs, college football, various fall plans, etc.). We also just got back from our yearly end-of-summer trip, this time heading to Holland for a night and then three nights of backcountry camping in the Nordhouse Dunes on Lake Michigan.

The weather, for the most part, could not have been better! Highlights of the trip included extended time outside, three beautiful sunsets, stunning beach views throughout the day, extended time without technology, and a wonderful stay at a bed and breakfast that we would definitely go back to in the future!

How was your Labor Day weekend? Thankfully Michigan football is also off to a good start!

As we round out summer and head into fall, I have a wide variety of delicious eats to share today. Hopefully you feel inspired to try some new and/or return to some favorite flavor & food combinations in the week or two ahead!

Some favorite eats from the past few weeks!

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by Libby

Roasted Butternut + Brussels Frittata

Bursting with fall + winter’s best flavors, this tasty frittata makes for an excellent meal any time of day. Roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts combine with fresh rosemary, all underneath a hearty egg bake. Feel free to customize this frittata as you see fit! (Ideas to follow!) 

Today I have a fabulous recipe for you all… one that you can make as suggested in this post, or customize in any number of ways. Let your imagine run wild!

I absolutely love frittatas and make them regularly because they (1) are relatively easy to whip up, (2) require minimal clean-up, (3) make great leftovers, and (4) can be adapted for any time of year with whatever veggies are in season/I have on hand/I think up as a flavor combination.

Do you need any more convincing to run to your local farmer’s market or nearest grocery store to grab the ingredients for tonight’s dinner? Better yet, head to your fridge and check out whatever veggies, cheeses, or meats you already have on hand! I’m sure pretty much anything can be thrown into a frittata with at least reasonable success…

In today’s frittata example we are giving attention to two key ingredients: butternut squash and brussels sprouts. If you have never prepped and chopped a butternut squash, you need not fear! Instructions up next.

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