Sweet T and a Honey B
Food, Fitness, and the Adventures That Make Life Sweet

Vegetable Paninis with Pesto Mayo

It’s Fri-Yay! We are merely hours from signing off our work computers for the last time for a solid three days. This Memorial Day weekend involves picking up some flowers and iced coffee from the local farmer’s market, barbecuing with friends, and spending some much needed relaxing time with my husband. In true Memorial Day fashion, we have some rain in the forecast but I am hopeful the sun will decide to peek his head out-even if only long enough for Bryan to grill up those burgers. Before getting this weekend kicked off, I wanted to share a quick idea for a great weeknight meal to keep in mind when doing your grocery shopping this weekend. 

This past Monday I rushed home from work for a number of reasons. This was mainly because, let’s face it- we’re all glad when 5pm on a Monday rolls around. Though, there was a little extra anticipation this particular week because the new season of the Bachelorette was premiering. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was looking forward to meeting this season’s crazies all weekend long. 

I couldn’t throw my sweat pants on fast enough and wanted to make a quick dinner so as not to miss the first introduction (I’m already impressed with Kenny the pro-wrestler from Las Vegas). Using minimal fixings and my beloved panini maker, I made a vegetable panini so delicious that it deserves the final rose. 

Vegetable Paninis with Pesto Mayo – Makes 2 Paninis- 11 WW SPs each

Sandwich:

  • 4 slices of sourdough bread
  • 2 tsp  EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
  • 1/2 cup sliced zucchini
  • 1/2 cup sliced yellow squash
  • 1/2 cup sliced red pepper
  • 1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms
  • 2 slices (1 oz. each) Havarti cheese

Pesto Mayo:

  • 1 tbs basil pesto
  • 1 tbs mayonnaise (I use mayo made with avocado oil)
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • In a medium sized frying pan, heat EVOO over medium heat and add all veggies to the pan. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Vegetables are done when soft and begin to blacken.
  • Place 1/2 slice of Havarti cheese on your sourdough and add your cooked vegetables, then your other 1/2 slice. Close your sandwich and place sandwich gently on your panini press (you can easily make this right in the frying pan if you do not have a panini maker). 
  • Using a fork, whisk pesto, mayo, and lemon juice in a small bowl. 
  • Once your panini is done, add 1 tbs of the pesto mayo to each sandwich and enjoy! I like to serve with fresh fruit or tortilla chips. 

 

 

Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Happy Friday! This upcoming weekend is a very welcomed one. With two wedding showers, a baby shower, and a bachelorette party, these next couple days are going to be filled with lots of celebration for some very special people in my life. It will certainly be busy, but I am excited to spend some time with some great friends, enjoy the sunshine (it’s about time – is Chicago the new Seattle?), and eat some yummy treats. Whatever your plans are, I hope they are filled with your own special people this weekend!

Before my long weekend ahead, I wanted to share a delicious meal hubs and I made this week. Admittedly we were a little thrown off by the rain and chilly temperatures as we covered our grill back up again after the 70-degree weather a couple short weeks ago. I was looking for something warm to fill us up and nothing does that better than sweet potatoes. A few other blogs I’ve read recently combine sweet potatoes with other meals in such a creative way so I thought I could do the same. With some leftover shredded chicken and a never-ending supply of taco toppings in the house, it was super easy to whip up some taco stuffed sweet potatoes. 

Taco Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Makes 2 servings – 1 potato per serving. 9 WW Sps per serving

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium sized sweet potatoes
  • 6 oz. shredded chicken
    • I had a lot of shredded chicken leftover so that’s what I used. At the beginning of the week I threw 1 lb. of chicken in to the crockpot and cooked on high for four hours with a little olive oil, cumin, chipotle chili powder, and a pinch of garlic powder. It makes for your own taco seasoning 🙂
  • 4 tbs salsa
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 medium sized avocado – sliced
  • 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. After rinsing off potatoes, puncture holes all over each potato using a fork. Wrap lightly in tin foil and place in oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until potatoes are soft. 
  3. Slice an ‘X’ in the top of each potato and ‘smush’ (a technical term) each side to form a pocket perfect for toppings. 
  4. Top potato with chicken first, and then toppings. 
  5. Enjoy! 

 

Happy Weekend’ing!

Nutty Halo Top Milkshakes

I’m going to admit something that to most people would consider sacrilegious- I was never a huge fan of the chocolate peanut butter combination growing up. Reese’s Peanut Butter cups never excited me while every other kid was desperately searching for them in their trick-or-treat bags (I was always trading those for Jolly Ranchers or Skittles). They say your taste buds change as you get older and it has to be true because within the last few months I can’t get enough of the heavenly combination. For example, I’ve found myself requesting a scoop of peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream as opposed to my all time favorites like pistachio or birthday cake. Or, my most recent post-dinner treat is a graham cracker topped with a tablespoon of of Justin’s creamy peanut butter and a little melted dark chocolate. 

One night after a good workout, I found myself standing in the kitchen with the jar of Justin’s Vanilla Almond butter and a spoon (it happens on occasion..). Hubs and I had a sweet tooth and wanted something to cool us down, so along with my beloved jar of Justin’s, and some different flavors of Halo Top on hand, my Halo Top Milkshake concoction was born. 

I’d like to take a second to preface this recipe with a very important public service announcement. If you don’t have a pint of Halo Top in your freezer- you’re absolutely missing out. Packed with protein (you heard me, ice cream with protein), and ZERO artificial ingredients or softeners, one would think this ice cream tastes like many other ‘healthy ice creams’, AKA: not tasty. This could not be further from the truth. It tastes like real ice cream people. I look forward to treating myself to my scoop or two of Halo Top each night and there’s zero guilt associated with it. 

This milkshake was decadent and REALLY filling. I used two different Halo Top flavors based on me and hub’s personal favorites (Peanut Butter Cup for him and Chocolate Almond Crunch for me). You can easily use whatever flavors you like. Though we did not add it this time, you can easily bulk your shake up a bit by using a scoop of your favorite vanilla or chocolate protein powders, chia seeds, or flax. We made another Halo Top milkshake a while back but used some Vega One Chocolate Protein Powder and PB2. You can read about that one here. This one was strictly for sweet tooth purposes 🙂

Nutty Halo Top Milkshakes

  • 1 Cup of your favorite Halo Top Ice Cream (Peanut Butter Cup or Almond Crunch were delicious!)
  • 1/2 Cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 Tbs Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter or Creamy Peanut Butter
  • 2 tbs light whipped cream for topping
  • 1 tbs melted peanut or almond butter for topping
  • Additional add-ins: 1 tbs chia/flax blend, 1 scoop chocolate or vanilla protein powder, 1/2 frozen banana, or replace the 2 tbs of nut butter in the shake with  tbs PB2 or Chocolate PB2.

Combine Halo Top, Almond Milk, and 2 Tbs of Almond/Peanut Butter in a blender and blend for 12-15 seconds. Pour in to your favorite glass and top with whipped cream and melted nut butter. 

 

 

Sausage and Pepper Flatout Pizzadillas

Nothing is more real than the struggle to find a healthy alternative when all you want is pizza with a million toppings. I find myself struggling with this more times than I’d like to admit because there’s very few things I like more than a Friday night pizza. Don’t get me wrong, picking up a small Lou Malnatis for hubs and I after a long week of work will always be an occasional happening, but what happens when you have a taste for delivery pizza more times than not? How do you eliminate all the carbs and loads of extra cheese but still feel like you’re eating your favorite pie? These little Flatout Pizzadillas. 

This pseudo pizza/quesadilla recipe is so simple I hesitate to actually call it a recipe. Like most of the meals I have shared with you, you can whip these up in no time and it makes for good lunches the next day.  I often change up what ingredients/toppings I add each time depending on what we have a taste for that night. These little triangles are fun to eat and fun to make.  Serve with a side Caesar or garden salad and your meal is guaranteed to satisfy even the most intense pizza craving!

I really enjoy making flatbreads and wraps with the various flavors of Flatout Bread because they are low carb but so delicious. There are an abundant amount of recipes on their website.  They even have a section dedicated to other Weight Watcher friendly recipes!

                        

 

Makes 2 servings (2 triangles per serving) – 10 WW SPs per Serving

Ingredients:

  • 2 Light Original Flatouts
  • 4 tbs pizza sauce
  • 1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella
  • 1/2 pound ground Italian turkey sausage
  • 1/2 white onion, diced
  • 1/2 large green pepper, diced
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning

-Cook ground turkey over medium heat in a large skillet until it starts to brown. Spoon meat in a bowl and set aside.

-Reduce heat to low-medium and place one Flatout in the skillet

-Spread 2 tbs of the pizza sauce evenly on the Flatout. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese on one side of the Flatout. Add 1/2 of the ground turkey sausage, 1/2 of the diced onions, and 1/2 of the diced peppers on top of the first layer of cheese. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup of the cheese and 1 tsp of Italian seasoning on top.

-Fold one side of your Flatout over with a spatula to create a pocket or a ‘quesadilla’. Cook each side for 1 minute. Cut in half with a pizza cutter and serve!

 

What are your favorite pizza toppings? Do you have any healthier alternatives when it comes to that doughy/cheesy craving? 

Iced Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bread

The other day I read an article about the disadvantages of eating lunch at your office desk on a regular basis. Sure, many of them deal with the long term physical repercussions for those who do not try and get up to move every now and then (Even a periodic two minute break can minimize those disadvantages), but the article also addressed how easy it is to get bored with healthy lunches if you are eating the same mundane ‘#saddesksalad’ every day. I feel like that hashtag accurately describes how I feel sometimes when I am trying to shove my meal down so I can quickly get back to work – I am sure many of you can relate. While my job makes it nearly impossible to beat the constant sitting (I do take frequent water/stretch breaks and have an exercise ball chair – anything helps right?), it’s in my power to pack meals that force me to take the time to enjoy my food, leave me feeling energized, and are overall just good tasting. My ability to get creative with lunches amidst a busy schedule and workday is one of the reasons I started Sweet T and a Honey B. 

The reason I mention all of this is because my team at work recently moved to a different floor within our building and among quite a few things I love about our new space, at the top of my list is a weekly ‘Treat Day’. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a day filled with treats. You might be wondering why I am mentioning something like this when I have often referenced that practicing self control with office food is key to keeping yourself on track with eating. While I still believe this is true, Treat Day is something worth mentioning because it was developed as a surefire way to beat that #saddesksalad once a week. Every week, those who have chosen to participate take turns bringing in morning AND afternoon treats for the team to share. I can confidently say that everyone has done a good job of bringing in a mix of healthy and not-so healthy snacks for people to share. I obviously try and fill up on the things like hummus and veggies first, and then treat myself to a sweet snack or two in the afternoon. Colleagues of mine have brought in so many delicious items and my favorites have included a Crockpot Baked Oatmeal, yogurts with various toppings, a Trader Joe’s tomato basil hummus (life changing) with pita chips, and Irish Soda Bread with Vanilla Almond Butter!  Since there is a large group that takes part, your turn only comes up every three months or so. Yesterday was my first assignment and I was ready with my list of snacks. The morning menu consisted of a Biscuit Bar with various jellies, honey, Justin’s vanilla almond butter, and slices of ham and swiss for those who were feeling a savory sandwich (aka, me!), fruit, and my favorite-  an iced blueberry lemon yogurt bread. I definitely had springtime in mind when looking for some easy breakfast options and this recipe fit that requirement perfectly. This was the ideal combination of tart and sweet, and left you feeling full because of the greek yogurt base and fresh fruit used to make it. I found this recipe from Melanie at Gather for Bread and I am already planning on making this again this weekend. Except this time, I won’t have to share it with 12+ other people 😉 

Ingredients

  • 1¾ cup flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup melted (salted) butter
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 4 oz plain Greek yogurt (I use Siggis as I think it has best consistency)
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (I MAY have dumped in an extra 1/2 cup. What the heck, go wild.)
Lemon Glaze:
  • ½ cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
  2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Set aside
  3. Mix together egg, milk, melted butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Pour into well. Mix just until combined. Stir in yogurt. Gently fold in blueberries.
  4. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
For Lemon Glaze:
  1. Combine confectioners sugar with lemon juice, milk and lemon zest. Stir until smooth consistency (Note, I love lemon. So I added a 1/2 tsp extra lemon juice to the glaze) Drizzle over warm bread.
  2. Let cool before slicing.

Treat Day has become a pretty cool way to not only beat that #saddesksalad one day a week, but has motivated everyone to get creative when bringing something to share.  I find myself taking a couple of welcomed breaks to chat with colleagues and now have couple new ideas for appetizers and meals for entertaining (I had the BEST egg and pepper casserole a few weeks ago). I highly recommend gathering a group of foodies at your workplace and arranging something like this too!

I guarantee it is difficult to resist a second piece of this refreshing breakfast bread. Guessing by the amount that was left at the end of the morning, it was a huge hit. Hint-There was one slice and hubs cheerfully stuffed his face with it when I got home 😉

Happy Thursday!