Super Stuffed Sweet Potatoes!



I am on a sweet potato roll, YOU GUYS!  I love the benefits of sweet potatoes, but have struggled eating them because I don't really like them, hahaha!  I have been on a MISSION to find recipes that I love and it's been pretty stinkin' awesome!  Turns out there is a lot of info out in the interwebs :P

 



 

Super Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

 

 

Ingredients:

3 Sweet Potatoes, cut in half

1 lb. Ground Turkey

2 c. Yellow & Orange Peppers, chopped finely

2 tbsp. Mrs. Dash Chipotle Seasoning

1 tbsp. Mrs. Dash Garlic Seasoning

1/3 c. Shredded Cheddar

1 tbsp. Coconut Oil

 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

 

Place Sweet Potatoes on baking sheet FACE DOWN and bake for 25 minutes.

 

While the Sweet Potatoes cook, heat a skillet with 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil on Medium Heat; cook Peppers with Garlic and Chipotle.  Add Ground Turkey and cook until no longer pink. (tip: if you have kids, just reserve some of this in a separate pan BEFORE you add the Chipotle.  Mine don't do spicy!)

 

When the Sweet Potatoes are done, pull them out and scoop the inside of each half with a spoon.  If it doesn't EASILY scoop out, put it back in the oven for a few minutes until it does.  Add the Sweet Potato 'insides' to your skillet with ALL the other stuff and mix it well.

 

Stuff those Sweet Potato skins with the filling, top with your Shredded Cheese and throw those bad boys in the oven on 'Broil' setting for 5 minutes.

 

ENJOY!

 

[ the verdict: Emmy tore it up, Ethan wouldn't touch it, and Stevie (after complaining) tried it and said "that's not bad, mom."  My husband LOVED them and I was totally impressed with myself :P]



 

 

 



Cauliflower Chowder.

You guys, please stop me if I'm over-cauliflowering. 

Actually, don't because I don't care.

I had a bunch of stuff in my refrigerator I was worried would go bad, so I kind of shoved it all in the pressure cooker and went on my way.

 

Cauliflower Chowder

1 head of Cauliflower, chopped in big pieces
8 slices of Turkey Bacon (confession, I used the real stuff this time)
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Milk
1/4 - 1/3 cup Flour (this depends on your preference of thickness)
2 tbsp. Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb seasoning
Garlic (your preference!  we <3 garlic around these parts)
Sprouts for garnish

I have a pressure cooker, which I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who is short on time; however, a slow cooker or stove top would work fine.  I made this in less than 20 minutes with the pressure cooker, so it's worth the investment for me.

Cook Bacon as your normally would and set aside on a paper towel.

Throw your Cauliflower, Chicken Broth, Milk, Garlic, and Onion Seasoning into your pot and bring to a boil.  Before adding the Flour, mix in a couple tbsps. of COLD water with the Flour so it doesn't get all clumpy when you add it to the hot pot.  Your sauce will thicken - this is where you can decide to add more Flour to make it even thicker or less Flour next time.

Cover your pot and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.  If you're using a crockpot, just throw all the ingredients in at once and be on your way :P

Get yourself a bowl, top with some crumbled Bacon and Sprouts and ENJOY!

The Easiest Sweet Potato Fries In All The Land.

So, you guys know my deal...I do NOT like sweet potatoes.  I just don't know why it's even called a potato and that really bothers me.

BUT, I also know that sweet potatoes are the BEST carb out there, so I on a mission to come up with ways I enjoy it while please at least 2 other people in my family (let's face it, pleasing them all is an impossible feat).

We can OFFICIALLY add Sweet Potato Fries to the list and they couldn't be easier to make.

 

 

The Easiest Sweet Potato Fries In All the Land

 

2 large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into strips

1 tbsp. Coconut Oil, melted

2 tbsps. Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning (or really any seasoning you like)

 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 

 

Mix Coconut Oil and Seasoning in a large bowl.  Add the Sweet Potatoes and mix with your hands coating each potato.

 

Lay out on a flat baking sheet in one layer and bake for 20-25 minutes.

 

Because I like mine a little charred/crisp, I then broiled my potatoes for 3 minutes to give them a little extra texture.

 

BONUS POINTS if you have 'Chups Fruit Ketchup.  My husband and I are OBSESSED with the Spicy Pineapple and could basically drink it if that was okay.  Plus, it's called 'fruit ketchup' which is pretty much my favorite part.

 

Still taking suggestions for Sweet Potato recipes, so if you have one, find me on Facebook and tell me about it!

 



Choosing Love.

Facts:  A marriage does not stand the test of time because two people are good looking.  It doesn't last because two people have a lot of money to do all the things they want to do.  A marriage doesn't thrive because two people have kids that are obedient and sleep through the night.  A relationship with your kids isn't 'good' because you buy them the latest stuff or sacrifice a job to be home with them.

A relationship will outlast all the rest when it is rooted in Christ.  I KNOW I got some eye rolls there because I used to be the biggest eye roller when it came to this; what does it even mean when a relationship is rooted in Christ? 

I used to think that if two people were believers, that was enough to sustain a marriage.  I found over time that it wasn't; my faith alone wasn't enough to stop me from saying the things that would hurt my husband the most, it wasn't enough to keep me from feeling unloved and unnoticed.  I used to think that being a 'good parent' meant taking my kids to church, staying home with my kids & providing their basic daily needs; I found that being a mom who talked about Jesus, but got annoyed or frustrated when my kids wanted to tell me a story or lost my temper when they weren't being 'good' showed them more about the conditions my love had than anything else.

Believing in Jesus is life altering and is the 'thing' that ignites my soul every day, but until our belief shapes the way we act, the way we think, and the way we treat other people, it's dead.  I'm not talking about loving your spouse because he got you flowers or washed the dishes or told you how beautiful you are; I'm talking about loving the spouse that didn't notice you did you hair and put on make up for him, forgets to say thank you when you work hard to make him breakfast, and leaves his dirty clothes in the corner of the bedroom.  I'm not talking about loving the child that cleans his room, does well in school, & is obedient; I'm talking about loving the child who has screamed all day, thrown food all over the floor, and had ANOTHER accident in his pants.

It's not hard to extend love to people who serve our desires or who give us the warm fuzzies and recognizing love as more than a feeling is a great place to start.  In John 3:16, we learn how MUCH God loves

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

in 1 John 3:16-18, we learn how God wants us to love.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.  If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?  Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

STOP talking about how much you love people and START showing it.  Love your kids?  Show them.  Sit with them, talk to them, be patient with them.  And when they drive you up a stinkin' wall, sit with them more, talk with them more, and be more patient.  Love your spouse?  Show him/her, too.  Sit next to him/her on the couch even when it's boring, ask him/her how the day was, buy him/her a cup of coffee (ALWAYS a safe bet).  And when he/she is being the absolute worst and is completely unlovable, lay it on harder.

Choose love.  Every day and even more on the hardest days.