Soooo...how was your Valentine's weekend?! I hope it was filled with lots of chocolate and things that aren't good for you! Ours was good, Saturday during the day we were both kind of busy, but we did manage to sneak in dinner together on Saturday night. And Sunday we ate waffles, took naps, and then filled our bellies with pasta before calling it a night. I know what you are thinking...we are pretty wild and crazy right? It was kind of my perfect weekend, I have to say. But now Monday is here and it's time to be healthy and productive and all that other grown up stuff. Luckily I have a big batch of my almond granola made up so my breakfasts will be a no brainer and that's just one less thing I have to worry about during the week!

I can't tell you how obsessed I am with this granola lately. First let me state that I am almond crazed. I love anything with almond flavoring in it.

PostedFebruary 16, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesBreakfast

Tagsgranola, almond granola, baking, breakfast, healthy breakfast recipe, healthy granola recipe, weekday meals, quick breakfast ideas, oatmeal, almond recipes

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Strawberry and Pomegranate Champagne: My Diary of Us

In case you have been living under a rock, Valentine's Day is Saturday. And whether you are going out with your girlfriends, or spending it with someone you love, one thing is for sure...you need a great cocktail! That is a non-negotiable for a day filled with all things lovey dovey and chocolate. In my opinion, nothing goes better with chocolate than champagne and strawberries! My strawberry and pomegranate champagne cocktail is the perfect addition to your Valentine's Day plans!

PostedFebruary 12, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesCocktails

Tagschampagne cocktails, valentine's day, valentine's day cocktails, strawberry cocktails, cheers, thirsty thursday, seasonal drinks

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Anytime Roasted Potatoes: My Diary of Us

Happy Hump Day! I kinda miss that camel commercial...I haven't seen it in a while. But it always made me laugh even though maybe it really wasn't that funny. There is just something about animals talking that always cracks me up. Maybe it's because I used to secretly wish my pets and my stuffed animals would talk back to me when I was little and used to tell them I would keep it a secret if they did??? Yeah, that's not weird at all. But anyway, the good news about hump day is that the weekend is in sight and maybe you have some big Valentine's Day plans...or maybe not and that's okay too because really the best part about Valentine's Day is having an excuse to eat as much chocolate as you want and no one can judge you! We will be staying in Saturday night to celebrate the big V-Day and will probably end up having my anytime roasted potatoes as part of our menu!

Poor potatoes. They get such a bad wrap. People are all like potatoes will make me fat. And yeah they will make you fat if you smother them with butter and sour cream and cheese or deep fry them in grease. But if you cook them right, they are quite healthy and have lots of nutritional value that your body needs like they can lower blood pressure, contain the vitamin B6 (which is good for all sorts of stuff), contain potassium, fiber...the list goes on. And I happen to be a potato fanatic.

PostedFebruary 11, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesSide Dishes

Tagspotatoes, side dishes, breakfast sides, roasted potatoes, dinner side dish ideas, gluten free, clean eating

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Whole Wheat Grapefruit and Olive Oil Cake: My Diary of Us

It's Monday...I think it's only fair that we get to eat cake today. The weekend flew by again and here we are back to reality with the dreaded sound of our alarm clocks. But if there's cake...that's reason enough to get out of bed don't you think? Don't worry if you don't have time in your Monday to whip up a cake because with Valentine's Day quickly approaching, my whole wheat grapefruit and olive oil cake would be the perfect addition to your breakfast in bed or Valentine's lunch.

I say breakfast or lunch because this cake is not overly sweet. I actually enjoy mine with a cup of coffee in the afternoon for a snack or sometimes for breakfast too.

PostedFebruary 9, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesDessert

TagsValentine's Day, Valentine's Day Dessert, Olive Oil Cake, Grapefruit, Cake, Baking, Whole Wheat Cake, Dessert

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Roasted Cauliflower and Whole Wheat Pasta with Pork Meatballs: My Diary of Us

TGIF guys! This week had been dragging for me, and I am super excited about the weekend finally arriving. Tomorrow night I get to dress up in a ball gown and Canean will be looking dashing in a tux because we are attending a Mardi Gras Ball! To be honest I'm really excited, we haven't gotten this dressed up since our wedding almost seven years ago! It's our last Mardi Gras here in Louisiana so it will be a great way to go out with a bang. As far as the rest of the weekend goes, I'm planning on doing a little blog planning, house de-cluttering, and eating comfort food like my Roasted Cauliflower and Whole Wheat Pasta with Pork Meatballs.

This recipe is one of my favorites. It's pretty healthy and the cauliflower adds extra volume to the dish and you end up eating less pasta.

PostedFebruary 6, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesDinner, Pasta

Tagspasta dishes, whole wheat pasta, cauliflower recipes, roasted cauliflower, healthy, dinner, weekend, comfort food recipes, homemade, pork meatballs, family style dining, pasta

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This week has been crazy guys. We are in the process of looking for a house in Houston and it's kind of exhausting especially when you don't live in the same town. I had to drive to Houston for the day to look at some neighborhoods in person because we all know that pictures can be deceiving, I picked out my favorites (without Canean because he had to work) and then drove back late Tuesday night. Yesterday I tried to catch up on my missed day of work and it was cold and rainy and all I wanted to do was take a nap. Today however, the sun came back to visit and you guessed it, I am still in my citrus obsession phase...so you are getting another citrus drink on this very Thirsty Thursday! My citrus thyme punch is actually non-alcoholic, but I like to recommend adding a little "suntin suntin" to the mix to make for a killer happy hour.

I know you ladies out there who are carrying a bun in your oven get really jealous (so you have told me) every Thursday when I post cocktails that you can't drink, and I promise I have not been meaning to drive you crazy...but I know it does! So this week it's all about a mocktail that you can enjoy until that little bundle of joy arrives. I got your back too mamas.

This is honestly such a delicious punch to mix up a big batch of and have in the fridge. It's a great pick me up, it's full of vitamins, and it is super refreshing. And I might have added vodka to mine, which made for a pretty fine cocktail. And there ain't nothin' wrong with that.

PostedFebruary 5, 2015

AuthorLeigh Ann Chatagnier

CategoriesCocktails

Tagscitrus season, mocktails, cocktails, seasonal cocktails, citrus cocktails, blood orange recipes, red navel oranges, grapefruits, gluten free, punch recipes, Thirsty Thursday, Cheers

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