May 2015
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Contents Broiled Grapefruit
Half grapefruit 1 Tbs Honey 1/2 Tbs Brown Sugar
Kimberly Suits
1. Pour honey and brown sugar on top of grapefruit half 2. Broil on high for 5-10 minutes, or until juice boils.
a.m. boost 4 Morning Oats
almost mom’s 9 B-nana Bread
22 Hidden Proteins
life’s menu 6 Healthy for Life
craving fix 10 Sweet Tooth
socialize 8 Spring Shares
lets cook 13 Salad or
season by season 26 Mixed Berry
that Bloom
Substitutes
Sandwich
18 Like a Classic
tools to talk 28 Quick & [not
so] Dirty
need a treat 29 DIY Gift in Jar 30 Ice Box Cookies
grocery list 31 Let’s Shop
contents
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Morning Oats
[a.m.] Oats: three morning boost you’ve been missing
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Brown Sugar Craisin Oatmeal
1/3 cup raw oats 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup milk 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar 1 tablespoon Honey 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon Âź cup Craisins 1/8 cup of chopped walnuts
1. Mix raw oats, water, and milk in microwave safe bowl. Cover and cook in microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir and cook an additional 30 seconds. 2. Add Brown sugar, honey, and cinnamon, mix well. Top with Craisins and chopped walnuts.
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a.m. boost
Kimberly Suits
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Mashed Blackberry Overnight Oats
1 Tbs Chia Seeds 1/3 cup Raw Oats 3/4 Cup Milk (We used organic skim) A drop of Vanilla Extract 5 Blackberries mashed A Dash of Cinnamon/ Sugar Handful of fresh fruit
Kimberly Suits
1. Mix together chia seeds, oats, milk and vanilla and let sit over night. 2. Mash the berries, mix with cinnamon/ sugar and also let sit over night. 3. In the morning add mashed berries mix to oats and top with fresh fruit. Stir it all together and enjoy!
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Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
1. Blend ingredients together in blender. Serve immediately!
Kimberly Suits
½ cup raw oats 1 ½ cup milk ½ cup fresh or frozen strawberries 1 banana sliced 1-2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon chia seeds 2-3 ice cubes
a.m. boost
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Kimberly Suits
Healthy for tips to stay healthy Life for life!
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life’s menu
See more from Kimberly by following her blog! itsimplysuitsme.wordpress.com
For most of my life I have struggled with weight. As a freshman in High School I relized I wasn’t comfortable with my weight and wanted to make a change. With inspiration from ‘Seventeen’ magazine I made an effort to watch what I ate and found a workout routine that worked for me. Since then, I have lost and kept off 30 pounds by continuing to explore healthy eating habits and using, but constantly altering, my workout routine! Here are 10 lessons I’ve learned along the way!
Kimberly Suits
By: Kimberly Suits
1. Eat fresh: Grab fresh fruits, veggies, and breads instead of the over processed products. Make your own baked goods, its way more fun and you’ll know what is in them! 2. Make it balanced: It’s so true that you need a balanced diet! Get enough protein to keep your energy up, and make the right decisions to protect yourself in the future. 3. Drink water: Personally, I struggle with this one but it’s so important. Drinking plenty of water will help brighten your complexion, flush out the toxins and keep your metabolism active. 4. Multiple small portions: Eat small portions more frequently throughout the day. This in addition to the water will help keep your metabolism on task. More frequent snacks will reduce the chance of your body storing extra fats. That is because your body will trust that you’ll give it more nutritious food very soon! 5. Eat food to make you feel good: That greasy burger may soothing a craving but will it make your body feel good after? For me, this means in the morning I have fresh fruit and a dairy because grains and starches make me feel heavy. But for people
who are lactose intolerant dairy wont make them feel good. Listen to your body and I promise it’ll tell you what you need to know! 6. Spice it up: Use natural herbs and spices to add flavor to your dishes instead of salts. 7. Add color: The easiest way for me to tell if a meal is good for me is if I look at my plate and find it to be colorful. Make sure you see the variety and vibrancy of fresh choices. 8. ‘Treat yo self’: Life isn’t black and white, sometimes you’re going to splurge on a not so healthy meal and it’s totally okay! You can’t block out those tasty treats for the rest of your life. The test is not your splurge but your reaction to the splurge. Are you going to make it an excuse to keep eating poorly? Or will you make sure to be careful the rest of the day? 9. Love your body: Don’t dream of having someone else’s body, dream of having a healthier and toned version of your own body. 10. Find your workout routine: [With #9 in mind] it’s not enough to just dream of that body; you have to do something about it. Figure out if you feel more comfortable in a gym, at the park or in your home and keep moving!
life’s menu
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Spring Shares that Bloom Stay Social with A la Mode between issues!
@_AlaMode_
@_AlaModemag_
facebook.com/AlaMode
pinterest.com/AlaMode
These are four of our favorite instagram posts of delightful spring blooms! Top right:@kellyinthecity Top Left: @beginningboutique Bottom Right: @carly Bottom Left: @inslee
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socialize
tumblr.com/AlaMode
B-nana Bread
Kimberly Suits
Mom’s Banana Bread
1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 2 eggs, beaten 3 ripe bananas 1 tsp baking soda dash of salt 2 cups flour 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 2. Mix to soften the shortening, and gradually add the sugar. 2. Add eggs, and bananas to mixture 3. Add soda, salt, and flour to mxture, mix well 4. Pour mixture into greased metal pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean in middle. If pan is glass change oven to 350.
Quick Tip: Add a cup of fresh blueberries to the batter before baking!
When homesickness strikes and all you want to do is pack up and leave, the best cure is to whip up a favorite recipe from home. This Banana Bread recipe is sweet, dense and perfect for tucking away those ‘I need my mom’ tears!
almost mom’s
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Sweet Tooth Substitutes
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The peanutbuter, oats, and chia seeds fill the hollow spot. The honey, vanilla, dates, coconut, and chocolate boost you into a positive place. Combined it’ll give you an energy bite that will help you accomplish anything!
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craving fix
Do Anything Bites
½ cup Peanut butter 1/3 cup Honey 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 cup Raw Oats 1 tablespoon Chia Seeds 5 chopped Dates 2/3 cup chopped Coconut ½ cup Mini Chocolate Chips
1. Chop Dates into pieces smaller than mini chocolate chips. 2. Combine all ingredients in a medium-mixing bowl. 3, Roll mixture into 1-inch rounds and place on paper lined flat dish. 4. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or until firm, and transfer to an airtight container. Enjoy for up to a week.
Kimberly Suits
Finding sweet snacks to quiet the cravings between meals can be a struggle. Here are three healthy and sweet bites to try!
Kimberly Suits
Granola Sorbet
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1 cup Raspberry Sorbet ½ cup Granola ½ tablespoon Honey
1. Soften frozen Sorbet to room temperature, or until you can stir in granola. 2. Freeze just until firm, about 30 min’s. Serve with honey drizzled over top.
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Grapefruit & Ginger Juice
1. In a small saucepan combine honey, ginger, and water. Simmer for 5 minutes, then let sit to allow the ginger to steep for another 10 minutes. 2. Combine the grapefruit and lemon juice in a small pitcher. Add honey, ginger and water mixture to the juice by pouring through a strainer. Discard ginger. Chill and enjoy!
Kimberly Suits
2 Tablespoons honey 2 Tablespoons ginger, peeled and thinly sliced 1 cup water 1 juicy ruby grapefruit, juiced ½ lemon, juiced
craving fix
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AD
salad ? sandwich or Ca-Ca-Caprese!
Kimberly Suits
salad or sandwich?
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Pesto Chick!
Kimberly Suits
salad or sandwich?
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When cooking for one food will stretch longer than you think. The more days the recipe lasts the more you’ll want to try something new. These three recipes are handy for doing just that! Put the pesto chicken salad on a plate of mixed greens for a lighter take. Layer the fresh tomato slices and cheese for a traditional caprese salad. Have the avocado egg salad as a lettuce wrap by trading in the bagel thin. Pesto Chicken Salad 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast ¼ cup Pesto ¼ cup lo-fat mayonnaise 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion ¼ teaspoon pepper Hand full of fresh greens Croissant 1. Place chicken in a medium saucepan and add water to cover by 1-inch. Bring to a boil, Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 15 minute. Transfer to clean cutting board; shread into bite sized pieces when cool enough to handle. OR buy a roasted chicken from grocery store. Eat some for easy dinner and use the rest for chicken salad!
Grilled Caprese Salad Sandwich
Homemade Pesto
2 slices sourdough bread
I cup fresh basil leave
1-2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic bulb roasted
1-2 tablespoons pesto
¼ cup toasted pine nut
1 tomato, sliced
Juice of one lemon
2 slices mozzarella cheese, about ¼ inch thick
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1. Warm frying pan over medium heat. 2. Butter both sides of your bred and then grill one side. Once it has browned, flip bread over to brown other side.
¼ teaspoon salt Pepper to taste 1. Mix well together in food processor.
3. Turn heat to low. Then place pesto on grilled side and the cheese on top.
4. Allow cheese to melt a little, then place tomatoes on top of 2. Combine pesto, mayonnaise, the cheese followed by the top piece of bread. onion, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. 3. Add the chicken and toss to coat. 4. Place greens and salad on croissant.
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Avocado Egg!
salad or sandwich?
Avocado Egg Salad 2 hard boiled, eggs chopped 2 hard-boiled egg whites, chopped 2 small avocados, pitted and peeled 1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice ½ tablespoon lemon zest Ÿ teaspoon paprika Salt and pepper, to taste 2 slices of whole wheat bread 1. To cook egg, place in large saucepan. Cover with water 1-2 inches above eggs. Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat and allow it to cool to room temperature. 2. In a medium bowl, combine the hard boiled eggs and egg whites, avocado, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, lemon zest, and paprika. 3. Mash with a fork. 4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Kimberly Suits
5. Spread between two slices of whole wheat bread.
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lets cook
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classic 18
lets cook
Kimberly Suits
like a
“that classic thing that y
ou li ke�
lets cook
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Sometimes, when you’ve been dating for a while, going out just gets old. Or if you’re just getting to know them, going out will put on way too much pressure… If these are your situation, cooking as a team at home would be so much more fun! Lettuce wrapped Cheeseburger 1 pound lean ground beef ¼ teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon all purpose seasoning
4. Once you flip the burgers, and the other side has about 2 minutes left to cook, put 1 slice of cheese on each burger.
1 head of iceberg lettuce, leaves removed
5. When all the burgers are cooked, they should be removed them from the pan and assemble them by placing 1 cheeseburger on the lettuce leaf. Top with 2 slices of tomato, and a spoonful of spread.
6 slices American cheese
Zucchini Chips
Spread:
1 large zucchini
¼ cup mayo
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons ketchup
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sweet relish
1. Preheat oven 225 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
1-2 tablespoons butter 2 tomatoes, sliced thin
Dash of salt and pepper 1. In a small bowl mix together the spread ingredients and refrigerate 2. In large bowl, mix together the beef, salt, pepper and seasoning. Divide the mixture into 6 sections, and roll each piece into a ball then press down flat.
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3. Heat pan on medium heat and melt butter, place burger patty in pan. Cook each burger for about 5 minutes on each side. Do not press down on the burgers, unless you want dry burgers, which you don’t!!
lets cook
2. Slice your zucchini in thin circles 3. Place slices on a paper towel and top with another paper towel. Press down on the paper towel to draw out the liquid, so they will cook a little faster. 4. Line up the zucchini slices on the
parchment paper. Place them close together but not over lapping. 5. Pour olive oil in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to brush the olive oil on each slice. 6. Sprinkle with salt very lightly! Caution: Too much salt will shrink the slices!! If you find you want more seasoning after they are finished you can always add more! 7. Bake for 2 hours or until they start to brown and crisp, but aren’t soggy. Let cool and enjoy!
Steamed Corn 3 ears of corn Butter to roll Dash of salt 1. If the corn isnt already cleaned take the leaves and strings off. 2. Break ears in half by holding each end and bending in the middle with force. 3. Place is steam pan over a pan of boiling water for about 15 minutes or until kernal pops with pressure of fork. 4. Cool to a managabale temperature. Lightly cover corn with butter and a dash of salt.
Coca-Cola Float 2 big scoops of vanilla ice cream 1 Coca-Cola 1. Put two scoops of ice cream into a glass 2. Fill the rest of the glass up with Coca-Cola. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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On Budget! 22
lets cook
Kimberly Suits
Hidden Protiens
Let’s be honest... Our budgets revolve around clothes, friends, and booze. This doesn’t leave much for grocery store runs. But a balanced diet is key to having the energy needed for the best and the worst all-nighters! Cheap proteins will do the trick. Greek Yogurt Mac-n-cheese 8 oz (about 2 cups) elbow pasta
Burrito Bowl
8 oz (about 2 cups) shredded 1 cup uncooked brown rice cheese a Sharp cheddar is great 1 cup salsa ½ cup plain Greek yogurt 1 can whole kernel corn, drained 2 cups fresh spinach 1 can black beans, drained Salt & pepper, to taste and rinsed 1. Cook the macaroni according to 1 tomatoes, diced the package’s instructions (about 8-10 minutes), until al dente or soft! 1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced 2. Place the spinach leaves in the bottom of a strainer, and pour the 2 tablespoons chopped fresh pasta over top to drain and wilt the cilantro leaves spinach. Save about ½ cup of the pasta water. Return the cooked macaroni and wilted spinach to the pot. 1. In a large saucepan of 1 ½ cups water cook rice according to Add about ¼ cup of the reserved instructions no packaging. pasta water to the pot, and stir in the cheese until melted. 2. Assemble the bowls, divide rice mixture into serving bowls. Top 3. Stir in the Greek yogurt, salt, with black beans, corn, tomatoes, pepper until smooth and creamy. avocado, salsa and cilantro. Stir in the remaining pasta water to thin, if necessary. Serve immediately. 3. Serve immediately, drizzle with chili cream sauce.
Chili cream sauce ½ cup plain greek yogurt 1 tablespoons chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin 1 clove garlic, pressed Juice of 1/2 lime 1. Make sauce by whisking all ingredients together
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On Budget!
Kimberly Suits
skip Chipotle and make it at home!
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Splurge!
Cilantro Lime Baked Shrimp 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 lb broccoli 3 cloves garlic, pressed Zest and juice of 1 lime ½ tsp cumin or cajun blend salt and pepper 2 Tablespoons melted butter ¼ cup Panko Bread crumbs ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the melted butter, Panko, and fresh cilantro until combined. Sprinkle the Panko mixture evenly on top of the shrimp. 4. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and no longer opaque. Remove and enjoy!
Kimberly Suits
2. In medium bowl, add shrimp, broccoli, garlic, lime zest and juice, cumin, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and toss to combine. Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish. (around 11x7-inch)
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Mixed Berry
Kimberly Suits
spring has sprung, lets get baking
Editors Pick!
If I had to pick my absolute favorite kind of cooking I would say baking a pie. And if I had to pick my favorite pie to make I’d say Mixed Berry
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season by season
Pie. There are tons of recipes out there that are a variation of this pie but this recipe is mine. Out of trial and error this is the one that turns out the best. I hope you enjoy making it as much as I do!
Pie Crust... thats easy as pie! Mixed Berry Pie Filling
1. Place half of pastry on wax paper
5. Transfer pastry to empty dish
2. Press down to start flattening pastry
6. Roll out top pastry and using a pizza cuter cut pastry into strips
2 cup quartered strawberries 1 cup raspberries 1 cup blue berries Âź cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch Dash of cinnamon Dash of nutmeg 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1. Mix all together in a medium bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes.
3. Roll out pastry to about a 12 inch circle
Mixed Berry Pie Pastry
7. Fill lines dish with fruit filling and weave top pastry
2/3 cup pluse 2 tablespoons shortening 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 4 to 5 tablespoons cold water 1. Mix together all ingredients with your hands. Start with 4 tablespoons of cold water and if pastry is too dry add 5th tablespoon. But be carful because it can get sticky ealily. Split pastry dough in half. To avoid the messy flour situation roll crust in between two pieces of wax paper to a 12-inch circle. If paper slides wet the counter top just slightly.
4. Pull off top layer of wax paper 8. Seal top and bottom pastry by pressing down edges with thumb
2. Transfer pastry to pie pan and pour the filling into the pan. 3. Roll out the second half of the pastry. If you dont want to weave the top pastry th easier way is to place the whole top pastry right on top and seal pastries together by pressind down with thumbs. Cut 4-8 vents in the top pastry.
4. Cover top of pie with tin foil, and place in hot oven. Bake 30 min or until filling is boiling. Remove tin foil and bake an additional 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown!
season by season
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Check out AlaMode.com for more recipes! Some kitchen tools you have because they are useful for one specific job, but the stick blender has turned out to be much more than that. The stick blender comes in handy in the morning for smoothies, at lunch for guacamole, and during dinner prep for mashed potatoes. Scrambled eggs, so fluffy!
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tools to talk
Lemon Whipped Cream
2 cups heavy cream 6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar Juice and zest from half a lemon
1. Whip heavy cream, sugar, lemon juice, and zest with stick blender about 3-5 minutes. 2. Mix until fluffy and settles at peaks!
Kimberly Suits
Quick & [not so] stick blender: the tool you’ll use Dirty for everything
DIY
Kimberly Suits
Share your #GiantJarGifts with us!
Gift in a Jar
When finding the right gift isn’t happening... put together a giant jar of treats! This is an ice cream cone themed jar but there are so many more options! If your friend likes girly nights in, put together a new nail polish, a girly movie and some pink treats. If your
guy friend likes sports make a collection of game watching snacks with Beef Jerky, unique sodas, and spicy chips. Mom’s always say it doesn’t matter what you put in the present, what matters is that you thought of them.. But really we all want to give the cutest gift!
need a treat
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life calls for cookies fresh and hot in 10 min
Ice Box Cookies
Ice Box Cookies
Ice Box Cookies
“Today I will live in the moment, unless it’s unpleasant in which case me will eat a cookie,” said the Cookie Monster and we all listened. So when you have an unpleasant day, don’t feel bad about eating a cookie because the Cookie Monster taught you that!
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need a treat
1. Sift flour once, before measuring. Add baking powder, salt, and sift again. 2. In a separate bowl, mix softened butter and sugar thoroughly, until fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla extract. Fold in mini chocolate chips. 3. Add flour mixture gradually, mix well. 4. Shape into three rolls and wrap in wax paper. Protect rolls by placing them in a freezer safe gallon ziplock. Chill overnight in freezer. 5. Slice 1/8 inch thick circles. Arrange on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 10 minutes. (Makes about 3 dozen) Dough can last in the freezer about 4 weeks.
Kimberly Suits
2 cups sifted flour 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt ½ cut butter 1 ¼ cup brown sugar 1 egg, well beaten ½ cup mini chocolate chips 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
make a list before you Kimberly Suits
forget
Let’s Shop B-nana Bread
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Shortening Sugar Eggs Bananas Baking soda Salt Flour
Sweet Tooth Substitutes □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□
Peanut butter Honey Vanilla Extract Raw Oats Chia Seeds Dates Chopped Coconut Chocolate Chips
grocery list
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Lemon juice Lemon zest Paprika Salt and pepper
Morning Oats □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□
Oatmeal Milk Brown Sugar Honey Cinnamon Craisins Walnuts Chia Seeds Vanilla Extract Fresh berries Banana
Like a Classic
□□ Salt and pepper □□ All purpose seasoning □□ Butter □□ Tomatoes □□ Iceberg lettuce □□ American cheese □□ Mayonnaise □□ Ketchup □□ Sweet relish □□ Zucchini □□ Olive oil □□ Corn □□ Vanilla Ice Cream □□ Coca-Cola
Salad or Sandwich □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□
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Bread Butter Pesto with basil Tomato Mozzarella cheese Chicken Pesto Mayonnaise Red onion Fresh greens Croissant Eggs Avocados Plain Greek yogurt
grocery list
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Plain Greek yogurt Spinach Salt & pepper Brown rice Salsa Can whole kernel corn Can black beans Tomatoes Avocado Cilantro Plain greek yogurt Chili powder Cumin Garlic Lime juice Lime Zest Shrimp Broccoli Cajun blend Salt and pepper Butter Panko Bread crumbs
Ice Box Cookies
Hidden Proteins
□□ Elbow pasta □□ Shredded cheddar
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Flour Baking powder Salt Butter Brown sugar Vanilla extract Egg Chocolate chips
Mixed Berry Pie □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□
Strawberries Raspberries Blue berries Sugar Cornstarch Cinnamon Nutmeg Lemon zest Shortening Flour Salt
Lemon Whipped Cream
□□ Heavy cream □□ Confectioners sugar □□ Lemon juice □□ Lemon zest