Quick & Easy Bean Soup with Quinoa & Hummus

I have been making this bean soup again and again the past couple of weeks.  Every time I add different ingredients (all just depending on what I have on hand) but the main elements are store bought bean soup, quinoa, hummus and avocado. I have made this for a quick lunch and also an easy dinner. In the above picture I had some left over cilantro lime dressing from my Fajita Salad I made a few days before - it was a delicious addition!

This makes enough for two bowls of soup:

16 oz of your favorite bean soup
1 cup cooked quinoa
your favorite hummus
avocado, ripe and sliced

Extras (choose any or all of these to add flavor)
sour cream
shredded cheddar cheese
cilantro, chopped
cherry tomatoes, quartered
tortilla chips or corn chips
sliced jalepenos
chopped red onion
carmelized onions
anything else you think would taste yummy!

Heat the soup on the stove, ladle into bowls and add any of the toppings you wish, including the quinoa, hummus and sliced avocado. Eat immediately! Enjoy!

Pear & Strawberry Sandwich with Brie Cheese

As promised, here is the other delicious recipe that was inspired by a meal we had on our Shore vacation this summer.  This copycat recipe comes from one of our favorite restaurants, Yvette's. They serve the most beautiful artisan sandwiches - and so so so many of their offerings are vegetarian which makes me super happy. 

This sandwich is so pretty! The flavors are bright and sunny - it's especially good on a warm summer day. I served it with a side of kettle chips and a big fruit smoothie.

This makes two sandwiches:

2 soft individual-size baguettes, lightly toasted in the oven just before making
1 crunchy pear, sliced thin
2 - 3 ripe, but firm, strawberries, sliced thin
6 oz of soft brie cheese, rind removed and cubed
mixed salad greens
poppy seed dressing (I like Brianna's)

Slice the baguettes and lightly toast in the oven right before you are ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Divide the brie cheese evenly between the toasted two baguettes.  Add mixed salad greens. Now artfully (try! haha!) add the sliced pears and strawberries, alternating pear then strawberry. Finish the sandwich with a drizzle of the poppy seed dressing. Serve with a little side of dressing so you can dip as you eat (the dressing is really yummy!).  Eat immediately! Enjoy!

Sweet Green Juice

This juice is sweet, yummy, refreshing, a bit tangy (from the ginger) and definitely green!! Drink your greens! Enjoy!

This makes enough for one serving of fresh fruit and veggie juice:

2 kiwis
1 large pear
3 large kale leaves (juice the center stem too)
1 1" knob of ginger
6 mint leaves
A squeeze of lemon

Wash and slice all the fruit and kale (leave the skin on the pear). Put through a juicer. Discard the pulp and drink immediately! 

PB & Honey "Sushi" Rolls

These cute PB & Honey "Sushi" Rolls really made all three of my kids laugh (even my middle schoolers!).  They all wanted to help me roll out the bread with a rolling pin and then roll them up. My son started scrambling through our silverware drawer looking for chopsticks - which made them even more fun.  It took hardly any time at all to put them together!  I think these will really put a smile on the kids' faces when they open up their lunchboxes come fall! I had to share this simple snack idea with you all! Have fun!

What you need:

Cutting board
Rolling pin
Butter knife for spreading
Sharp knife for cutting

Ingredients:
Your favorite sandwich bread
Peanut butter, almond butter, sunbutter, etc
Honey or your favorite jam

Cut all the crust of the bread. Using a rolling pin, roll the bread until it is flat (this took about 8 seconds - don't go crazy).

Spread with nut butter and honey or jam.

Roll up from the bottom.

 
Slice into "sushi" pieces.

Arrange on a plate and drizzle with more honey, if you like. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Bars

My daughter and I felt like baking this afternoon and after a quick search on Pinterest, we found a recipe for these snickerdoodle bars. They came out quite good - soft and chewy, not too sweet....they really hit the spot!

This yummy, simple recipes comes from the blog Back for Seconds (isn't that the cutest name!?).

Here is her recipe word for word:

Cookie Bars:

• 1 cup unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 cups brown sugar (packed)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

Topping:

• 1/8 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt, and mix well. Add the baking powder and flour, a little at a time, and mix until incorporated. Spread into a greased 9x13" pan.
Step 2:
Mix together sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over cookie dough. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out with fudgy crumbs. Do not over bake. Let cool before cutting. Store tightly covered.

Avocado Toast - Jersey Shore Style

Every summer when we go to the shore, I discover a simple dish I feel like I must recreate at home - we always have good eats down the Shore! One year is was the Acai Bowls (I still make them weekly at home); another time it was the Chilled Oatmeal with Yogurt, Berries & Honecomb - yum! This summer I have two Jersey Shore inspired recipes. I'll blog the second later this week, but today I'm blogging the Avocado Toast we ate on repeat at the Surf Snack Shack. The recipe is so simple, but so extra good!

My family is avocado obsessed, I mean OBSESSED people! We must go through at least one a day and sometimes more. My kids tend to want avocado toast for a quick, healthy and satisfying breakfast or as an afternoon snack.  This toast is kicked up a notch by adding red pepper flakes, a little balsamic and capers. Please try it and let me know if you love it as much as we do! It's wonderful when something so simple tastes so delicious! Enjoy!

2 slices of your favorite bread (sourdough, wheat, rye, etc), toasted
1 perfectly ripe avocado, pitted, halved and smashed
1-2 tsp of capers
pinch of red pepper flakes, as little or as much as you like
light drizzle of balsamic vinegar
salt to taste

To assemble:
Drizzle a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar on the toasted bread (if I had to guess I would say 1/2 tsp). Add the smashed, ripe avocado evenly between the two slices of bread. Give each bread a pinch of red pepper flakes. Top each piece with some capers and a pinch of salt. Eat immediately. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

I was REALLY craving a chocolate milk shake this afternoon....but I put the ice cream away and came up with a chocolatey smoothie that incorporated all the fresh in-season cherries I have in my refrigerator right now! Who doesn't love the combo of cherries and chocolate!? This smoothie really hit the spot and satisfied my sweet tooth! Enjoy!

This smoothie makes enough for one large serving.

• 1 cup fresh (pitted) OR frozen cherries
• 1 or 2 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1 Tbsp hemp seeds (optional)
• 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup milk OR almond milk
• 1 small banana
• 2 Tbl plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 -2 handfuls of baby spinach
• 6 ice cubes
• miniature chocolate chips, for garnish (optional)

If you have the time, put the fruit in the freezer for at least an hour.

Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Drink immediately. Enjoy!