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Once again, I find myself needing to explain the title of my blog. Evidently my brain works very differently from the majority of the world. 

Life of an Amateur Everything -

If this is confusing to you, just think of it this way: 

There are amateur cooks, amateur artists, etc. So I'm basically saying I am an amateur at everything. I am an amateur everything. Just remove the "at"... Does that make any sense? It did in my head... so just go with it. Thanks. 

For those of you who have suffered through reading that, here are a few of my favorite go-to recipes. 

* Just to note, just because these are made with whole, healthy ingredients, does not mean these are the healthiest things to eat, especially in large quantities. Portion control is key * 

For Breakfast - 

fill me up blueberry pancakes from Clean Eating Chelsey (Her photo)

Favorite. I 4x the recipe just so I can freeze some to toast for the next few days. *I am not worried about gluten, as of now, so I just use whole wheat flour. I also just use whatever milk I happen to have on hand - usually skim. Oh, and I use frozen organic blueberries.... I have found that it helps keep them from bursting, and they have more flavor somehow? Yeah, it confuses me too. I also like to add some unsweetened shredded coconut and use coconut oil to grease my pan/griddle. And lastly, once I did not have the applesauce on hand and used mashed banana instead... if you're desperate it works, but you can definitely tell a difference! 

For Bread -

Whole Wheat, Flax & Honey Bread Machine Bread From food.com (Their photo)
 
Best bread ever. I'm obsessed. We probably make at least 2 loaves a week. * I add the 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds every time. I have also made this in a mixer and doubled the recipe - for those that do not have a bread machine. I didn't change any of the amounts, just followed my KitchenAid's instructions on how to do bread in there... 


For Dinner -



Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken from Let's Dish (their photo as well)

This is a great recipe. The spice combination is perfect! So easy too. As you can tell, it's important to me that a meal is easy to prepare. :) *I use coconut oil instead of oils or butter in this recipe. Serve with some brown rice and fresh steamed green beans = complete meal. We eat this quite a bit. 

For Dessert - 

Okay, so I have a couple recipes for this section... 



Lime and Salt Popcorn from A Teaspoon and A Pinch (their photo)

Okay, this one isn't really too healthy either - a lot of coconut oil, but it too is a nice treat. Alternatively, I sometimes just stove-top pop 1/8 cup (2 TBS) of popcorn kernels in some coconut oil then add a little lemon pepper, or a drizzle of fresh lime juice. 


Clean Eating Coconut Lime Freezer Cookies (No Bake) from The Gracious Pantry (her photo)

This is one of those, healthy ingredients, eat in moderation recipes... BUT THEY'RE ADDICTING. That's all I have to say. 

Does it show that I'm kind of obsessed with lime and coconut? I might have a problem... 


Until next time.

I love Pinterest. I am one of those people who loves the idea of being the perfect housewife. I often vacation in my head, where I am super crafty, decorate my home to the envy of others, have dinner made and table set by the time husband gets home, plan the perfect parties, have the house be spotless and chores all done, and raise my child with no issues. Pinterest provides a way for me to feel like I am living this way whenever I pin something, without actually doing it. Unfortunately Bradley, does not get the same satisfaction. He prefers when I implement the ideas.
   
I have made many changes to my life in the past (almost) year, and I'm feeling great about them. The biggest things were sticking with exercising and eating clean. Two things I never believed that I would be able to do. Even so, as I was reflecting on it, I realized there is still not any one thing with which I consider myself to be an expert. I dabble in a lot of things, but really that just makes me an amateur at everything. At least it is a start. Then I remembered one thing I am incredibly good at, and can even be considered an expert of: BEGINNING.

I am so good at starting things. I have started a blog so many times, I have started exercising so many times, I have started crafty projects so many times, I have started scripture reading so many times. That's a lot of "started...so many times". But then I remind myself, at least I start things. I know most of this is not making any sense, so I'm going to just say what I have to say. I am an amateur at everything, and I want to share my journey of becoming a wishful expert at some things. I do not know what these may be, but I know they'll make me a better someone. To start, here are the meals I have made the past few days.

Ground Turkey Tacos with Skinny Taco Toppings From Oxygen Magazine.

This was delish. My one suggestion is to at least half the taco sauce unless you really love taco sauce. It makes a TON of sauce.

 Balsamic Chicken & Asparagus from Maggie's Bites.


FANTASTIC. I don't know if it was better tasting because of how starved I was, but it was a super amazing meal that was incredibly easy to prepare. WINNER.

Lastly, tonight's meal. I already posted it to FB right after I finished eating it, because it was that good. Everyone had to know about it. Which sadly means, not very many people. Because honestly, ever since I've been married and had a kid, there are not too many people who even notice I post anything anymore, but hey, it's their loss!

Mexican Haystacks From Whole & Free.



If you like food. GO CHECK THIS RECIPE OUT!