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Well, I’ve officially entered the part of summer where I don’t want to cook anymore. It’s so hot out and I’m kinda tired!

The last thing I want to do is spend time over a stove in the kitchen. I’ve declared somewhat of a kitchen strike this past weekend and I am trying my hardest to come up with a plan for this week to keep it as simple as possible as far as dinnertime goes. I’ve always said the slow cooker (this is the one I use) is my friend in the summer (side note: so is this panini press – paninis all summer long!) and I’m going to put it to good use this week, making this slow cooker shredded chicken for starters.

I try to cook extra chicken most weeks so that I can have it on hand to use in soup, salad, sandwiches or endless Mexican dishes. Sometimes I cook it in the slow cooker but if I’m in a pinch I’ll grab a rotisserie at the grocery store and use that instead.

Either way, having shredded chicken prepped is a lifesaver when you’re trying to eat well and feed a family (and not eat out every night). Here is a great post on how to cook shredded chicken that I think you will find helpful as well!

For a little inspiration, I’ve put together a great roundup of healthy recipes using shredded chicken…add to the list and let me know what you like to make with shredded chicken in the comment section. Have a great week!

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February Feels

If there is something that I’m learning about myself over time is that I am a creature of habit and routine. Routine brings me comfort and a sense of balance I guess you can say, as well as sanity. During seasons of transition, like a new school year or after a holiday, I don’t feel “right” until I’ve established some sort of schedule aka routine aka positive habits. (It is all relative in my book.)

January felt a bit like a season of change for me. Our holiday break lingered, we went through some family surgeries and recovery, and it was the start of new year in general. In all honestly, I was feeling a bit of a funk. My work at home schedule has been all over the place for a couple of months now, as well as my gym schedule. Let’s just say, I do not function well with “all over the place”. So here’s to February and reestablishing routines, ok?

How am I reestablishing routines?

Scheduled Time To Exercise

Well, to start, I’m getting myself back in the gym at 5am. I started early morning workouts 2 years ago and I have to say, they have been life changing for me. Over the last 6 months I’ve found myself waking up later and later and not getting myself to the gym in the mornings (telling myself I’ll work out later). As painful as it is to hear my alarm go off at 4:15am, the feeling of satisfaction and well being I have when I’m driving home before sunrise is like no other. I need that feeling bottled up as a reminder for those mornings when I just want to snooze.

Time Management

Other ways I’m working on my positive habits and routine is regularly writing and checking my calendar /planner, putting together loose meal plans, making sure I’m getting enough sleep (as well as self care in general), decluttering a few times a week and practicing yoga once a week. These are all actions that put me in a better place and help me become a better mom/wife/person in general.

Meal Planning

Meal planning has never been my strong suit, but I try to write out 3 or 4 healthy dinner ideas before I go grocery shopping after looking at what our schedule is for the week. What I’ve found that I do well with is having several go-to “recipes” that I know I can pull together without a ton of effort each week with our regular pantry, refrigerator and freezer items. These include a variety of healthy crockpot meals, sheet pan dinners and skillet meals.

For the most part most of these recipes can easily handle a seasonal produce swap so they are more like a formula to follow, and one that works because I already know (most) of my family will like what I’m making for dinner.

Here are 10 dinner recipes I make over and over for my family – these are healthy dinner recipes that taste good and are my “old reliables” I like to call them – I’d love to hear about yours!

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Click here to pin this Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili recipe.

My obsession with farro continues. I’ve been adding farro to salads for a while now, but the last couple of months I’ve been adding it to soup, and more recently this Slow Cooker Chicken and Farro Chili. Farro is an incredible addition to any soup or chili because of it’s hearty texture. This chili includes chicken but if you wanted to make it vegetarian it would be just as great with extra beans and vegetable broth.

If you are getting hit with the cold weather and snow that I’m seeing everywhere on the news and social media, then you more than likely have soup on the brain right now. There’s nothing better than pulling out your slow cooker to let it do the work all day especially with pantry staples like Bush’s Chili Beans. Our Florida weather isn’t what you would call soup weather right now, but I am a soup girl all year ’round!

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This recipe was created in partnership with Healthy Aperture Blogger Network for the #JuiceCentral campaign. I was compensated for my time.

Click here to pin this Cranberry Balsamic Chicken Skillet recipe!

I have to tell you, I’ve been seriously rocking the weeknight dinner game lately. That’s not something I can say too often so I am going to say it loud and proud today. It may be simple, quick dinners, but it’s dinner and it’s been happening. I do think my newfound love for skillet meals (like this Lemon Pepper Chicken) is part of the reason – you really can’t beat a good one-pan meal when you’re trying to get dinner on the table.

Today’s Cranberry Balsamic Chicken Skillet was inspired by a recipe I saw months ago in a cookbook for slow cooker cranberry chicken. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head and though this recipe is nothing like that one, I finally made it. My whole family loved this chicken dish!

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Skillet meals (also known as one-pan meals) are slowly but surely becoming my new BFF. What’s not to love about a good skillet meal, especially during the week when you getting home from work late and/or have kids to feed quickly before or after volleyball or basketball practice. I know I’m not the only one trying to figure out this dinner game during the week so I’m hoping this skillet meal gives you a no-brainer option to try out soon.

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Pin this Baked Bean, Sausage and Kale Skillet for later!

First things first, I miss being here on the blog! My last post was weeks ago and I can’t even believe how fast this month has gone. Life has been a little hectic since I started my classes last month – I have humbly admitted to those in my life that have had to witness my craziness lately (my poor husband and kids), taking two science classes with labs (Anatomy & Physiology 2 and Chemistry I) in one semester was not the best idea. (For anyone who doesn’t know, I went back to school earlier this year with the end goal of becoming a registered dietitian). I am drowning a bit and struggling to keep up with the school work, not to mention the learning curve (which I hugely underestimated) that comes with a class like chemistry – think scientific calculators, basic algebra and math equations and safely working in a lab with test tubes, beakers and “stuff” (aka chemicals). Oh my. The math by itself is rocking my world a bit, my brain is definitely rusty in that department!!

Deep breaths.

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No matter how hard I try, every summer I put on a few uncomfortable pounds. I tend to refer to them as the Summer 6. This year is no different than previous summers. The struggle is real people! I’m not really all too worried about it – I love ice cream and white wine in the hot summer months way too much and won’t give that up, however the excessive snacking on potato chips and other daily salty crunchies has got to go. Eating out more than a few nights a week has to stop too! The reality: summer break is over for us in just a couple of weeks (sad face) and a more structured routine is on the horizon. My discipline is much better with structure and routine so all will be well soon enough.

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I haven’t been great at meal planning and prepping last couple of weeks and boy do I feel it. On the weeks that I take the time to look at our schedule, plan a few meals and then shop for them…well it’s obvious those weeks run more smoothly. What I really find helpful is when I can make a few recipes ahead of time, like this All Purpose Barbecue Shredded Chicken and use it for 2 meals (or 1 meal and a lot of lunches!) during the week. I love having a batch of that chicken on hand for meals just like this last minute throw together BBQ Chicken, Kale and Quinoa Bowl recipe. It’s like stir fry meets BBQ meets health food. Good stuff.

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This post is sponsored by Sabra.

I don’t know about you, but I am always happy when I spot lighter fare at parties or get togethers. Especially in January. Or February. Or let’s just say all of the time. It’s hard to pass up pizza and cheesy dips, but if I could fill my plate up with as many veggies and bite sized sandwiches like these Buffalo Hummus Chicken Salad Roll Ups then I’m a happy girl.

I’ve always had a thing for roll ups, like the ones you find at Costco? They are so good! Not only are they fun to eat (substantial finger food), but they are so easy to make. You can fill them up with pretty much anything and add some fresh veggies and you are good to go. I filled these tasty little roll ups with some of my favorite flavors – buffalo sauce, hummus, and chicken salad. I love chicken salad and discovered the amazing hummus for mayo swap a few years ago, if you haven’t tried it you really must.

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