Doin' Some Cookin'... Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Christmas and Easter are the only holidays I bake a ham and this Easter I finally found an easy recipe that yields a moist and juicy ham. All you need are a couple of ingredients and some patience while it bakes slowly in the oven making for the perfect combination of sweet and savory.

Being an adult who has no family in State means holidays are no longer the same. As the years have gone on and my siblings have all moved in different directions with grandparents passing away the big family get-togethers don't happen anymore... or maybe they do and I'm just not invited, ha!

With having a little one it's my job to make the holiday as memorable as possible. The Easter bunny dropped off the basket and hid eggs in the apartment since we don't have a yard and I made a big traditional Easter dinner for us.

Little Man requested ham, roasted asparagus, and macaroni and cheese. Not what I grew up with but this is what he deems to be his "traditional" Easter dinner and I'm happy to accommodate.

Sadly, this year he decided that he knows I'm the Easter bunny but he still wants to believe. Thankfully this did not bring up Santa or the Tooth Fairy... yet.

Back to the ham... this is a "cheater" recipe. A precooked smoked ham is topped with the brown sugar glaze it comes with that is enhanced with a couple additions. I'm shameless. It makes for better quality time with Little Man.

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Adapted From: Yummy Healthy Easy

Stars of the Show:

• 9 lb smoked precooked ham with brown sugar glaze packet
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves
• 3/4 tsp dried mustard powder
• 1 tsp water

And Action:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line pan with foil and place the ham on top in the middle.

In a small bowl, combine the glaze packet, preserves, mustard, and water mixing until incorporated.

Rub mixture all over the top of the ham and cover ham completely with foil. Place in oven for 1 1/2 hours. 

Pull foil off of ham and bake another half hour. 

Slice ham and serve. Enjoy!

Livin' It Up... Garner State Park

Garner State Park is about an hour and a half outside of San Antonio and was Little Man's pick for a last minute weekend camping trip.

We left Houston around 5pm on Friday night and decided to spend the night at the Holiday Inn Express in Uvalde. We made it into town around 11:30pm. That included a stop for gas and dinner.

Saturday morning after breakfast at the hotel and a quick trip to H-E-B to gather up food we made the hour drive from Uvalde to the park. When we arrived we were informed they had just sold out of sites. No lodging in the park available whatsoever. Next time we know that we need to reserve several months in advance.

We decide to make the most of the park and trekked off to explore the White Rock Cave and followed it up with the Old Baldy hike. The steep climb of Old Baldy had breathtaking views while White Rock Cave provided Little Man with about a half hour of fun and a good excuse to use his flashlight.

Getting to the top of Old Baldy was exhilarating as we made it to the highest point of our hiking outing. We stayed at the top of the mountain for about an hour and took in the sights. One thing we did note was how the campsites are on top of each other. I wish they had more space between them but being the most popular state park in Texas I understand why they cram in as many people as possible.

Hiking worked up quite an appetite and since we were not prepared forgetting camping utensils and not having an actual site we decide on giving the Garner Grill a try. The burgers were too fatty to enjoy and the sweet tea tasted awful. It was expensive so it was disappointing I didn't enjoy it as much.

After lunch we did the miniature golf course which is $2 per kid and $5 per adult. Each hole looked about the same with no real course change but we still had fun. Little Man even sunk his first hole-in-one. He also had an accident at hole 16 walking into the metal sign giving himself a bruise in the middle of his forehead.

It was not warm enough for a dip in the Frio River so we attempted to rent a paddle boat but arrived as they were closing. Little Man was bummed. We sat along the riverbed instead listening to the sounds of the river. I cannot believe how clear the water is. It's a really beautiful river.

It was about an hour til sunset so we decided to call it a day since we didn't have a campsite and no cancellations came available for us. We debated on spending the night in San Antonio and spending Sunday there but instead decided on making the drive all the way back home to Houston. We made it home a little after 2am, unloaded the car, and passed out.

I woke up this morning tired and sore. Muscles are sore that obviously never get used and I'm ready for a nap this afternoon. We thoroughly enjoyed our time outside and cannot wait to go back. Garner State Park is something everyone should experience from it's cold crystal waters to Old Baldy and the amazing Hill Country scenery. One day was not enough.

Doin' Some Cookin'... Raspberry Chia Cream Smoothie

Move over mango smoothies, this girl has a new fave... raspberry smoothies!! I cannot get enough raspberries lately. The flavor of this smoothie is bright and refreshing. 5 ingredients, 5 minutes and you're out the door which is perfect for busy mornings for sipping on the go.

Raspberry Chia Cream Smoothie

From: Spabettie

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 12 oz raw coconut water
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/3 cup raw cashews
• 1/2 pint raspberries
• 2 tbsp chia seeds

And Action:

Pulse all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Tropical Chia Smoothie

It's not summertime yet but the temps here in Texas have said otherwise. These hot days have me craving the beach and pina coladas.

The only problem is that alcohol and being beach body ready isn't in the cards. Not only is it the alcohol in a pina colada but all of the added sugar that cause belly fat. Um hello, fruit alone is sweet enough. So a healthier alternative is to make a smoothie instead with unsweetened coconut milk and chia seeds to help banish that belly fat.

This smoothie is thick, creamy and ice cold which is perfect for cooling down and keeping your beach body in mind. Just a heads up, chia seeds swell in liquid the longer they sit which will make this much thicker if it's not enjoyed right away.

Tropical Chia Smoothie

From: Yummy Mummy Kitchen

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 cup frozen mango chunks
• 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

And Action:

Pulse all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Lime and Coconut Green Smoothie

The weather here is Texas has done a 180. We went from Summer temps to a cold and windy day. The warmer temperature had me dreaming of a beach vacation laying out sipping mojitos in the sun and this dreary day was not going to stop my plans of making this Lime and Coconut Green Smoothie for breakfast to get a taste of the tropics.

A green smoothie is the perfect way to sneak veggies in your diet giving a boost of energy and nutritional goodness. The lime and banana are the perfect disguise for the spinach.

Lime and Coconut Green Smoothie

Adapted From: So... Let's Hang Out

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup coconut water
• 1 banana, fresh or frozen
• 2 cups spinach
• ice, to taste

And Action:

Pulse all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Livin' It Up... Nailed It! OPI "Samoan Sand"

Nothing is more frustrating for me than staying up at night to give myself a manicure thinking I gave it enough time to dry and jumping into bed and waking up in the morning to a smeared and linty manicure just to have my nails chip over the next couple of days. The struggle is real. 

It becomes discouraging and I will go long periods without fussing with my nails or even taking off the polish just cutting down my nails and the polish with it as they get too long or break off. Lazy!!

I did some research on how to nail, ha!, my next manicure.

1. Always use a base coat to prevent nails from staining from darker polishes and to give the polish something to adhere to which helps make the manicure last a couple days longer.
2. Three strokes is all you need. Dip the brush in the polish and get a decent sized bead of polish at the edge. Start at the base of your nail and stroke to the left, to the right, and then up the center. 
3. Always use a top coat and swipe to the tips to help prevent chipping when you are working hard at your 9-5 desk job pounding those keys on the keyboard. 
4. Once nails are dry avoid household chores and hire a maid. Joking! But really, doing the dishes or taking a hot shower causes the nail bed to expand which forces the polish to expand as well and can crack. Doing the dishes is my biggest culprit. 
5. Or, fake it 'til you make it and let the professionals do what they do best and get a manicure at a salon. 

I've also become a bit of a nail polish snob purchasing only the brand O.P.I. It not only is because of the formula but those cheeky names get me every single time. Right now I'm loving "Samoan Sand". I picked it up at Target after forgetting about early closing hours on Sundays at Ulta.

More ways to keep your nails healthy:

1. Take a biotin supplement to help strengthen and to keep nails from splitting. 
2. Clean your cuticles with cuticle oil or coconut oil.

Livin' It Up... Bed Bath & Beyond - Kitchen Cutlery & Knife Section

We've outgrown our two bedroom two bathroom apartment and I cannot add anything else to the kitchen or pantry. Seriously, I'm all out of storage space but there are so many other kitchen gadgets I want because I cook a lot.

(I really wanted this Salt Glass Cutting Board which was cheaper than the others and better quality but I talked myself out of it thinking about Little Man and because it doesn't have handles.)

While browsing Bed Bath & Beyond's Kitchen Cutlery & Knife section today I saw the selection of cutting boards.

(Buy yours here)

For some reason I never seem to have a clean cutting board and figured I could find room to slide another cutting board in.

It's really time to start looking for a home.

Doin' Some Cookin'... Breakfast "Sandwich" on a Sweet Potato Slider

I am so grateful for Lexi's Clean Kitchen on Instagram for the inspiration and a well stocked fridge. I jumped right up from the laptop and made this for breakfast.

This had me singing, "Happy Saturday to me!!" You can do the same too, make it immediately.

Breakfast "Sandwich" on a Sweet Potato Slider

Adapted From: Lexi's Clean Kitchen on Instagram

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 1 sweet potato, cut in 1/4" slices
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• seasoning of choice - I used onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper
• 1 slice black forest ham
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 egg

And Action:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Toss the sweet potatoes in olive oil with seasoning. Lay them on a single layer on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray. Roast for 10 minutes.

Heat the slice of ham until warmed (I prefer mine browned). Sauté the spinach.

Cook egg however you like (I prefer mine over medium).

Lay a sweet potato slice on a plate, layer with the spinach, ham, egg, and top with another sweet potato. Enjoy!  

Doin' Some Cookin'... Superfood Salmon Salad

While reading one of my favorite blogs last weekend, Camille Styles, a recipe for a salmon salad was posted and I knew I just had to make it so I added all of the necessary ingredients to my grocery list and picked everything up during my weekly Whole Foods trip.

This salad is packed full of superfoods: avocado, salmon, garlic, kale, lemon, olive oil, blueberries, sunflower sprouts, and walnuts.

These are ingredients I would have never thought to put together and there's something about it that just works. To me, it's like a basket from Chopped. I would have been dumbfounded. The real star of this dish is the vinaigrette, it's sweet, spicy and addictive. While slicing the avocado I would take a piece and dip it in the vinaigrette. So damn good.

Ultra-healthy, flavorful, and filling... make this now. 9 superfoods. 9 superfoods!!

Superfood Salmon Salad

Adapted From: Camille Styles

Makes 2 Servings

Stars of the Show for the Salad:

• 4 cups baby kale
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups sunflower sprouts
• 1/2 cup toasted walnut halves
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 anjou pear, cubed
• (2) 4 oz smoked salmon
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

Stars of the Show for the Vinaigrette:

• pinch of basil
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Sriracha
• ground ginger, to taste
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• sea salt and pepper, to taste

And Action:

Combine all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk together. 

Add kale to a bowl and drizzle half of the vinaigrette over the leaves. Massage the kale with your hands until the kale starts to soften.

Add the rest of the salad ingredients and toss to combine. Drizzle with the rest of the vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Cinnamon Coconut Roasted Cashews

At the end of my night nothing is more satisfying for quieting my stomach than a handful of nuts if I'm still hungry. So they are a staple in our house and the pantry is loaded with all kinds. I don't discriminate, except maybe brazil nuts, they are my least favorite.

I whipped up a batch of these Cinnamon Coconut Roasted Cashews to put into Little Man's backpack for his morning snack and of course I needed to pack some in my lunch too.

These are fantastic hot out of the oven but good cooled down as well.

What a great combo... cinnamon and coconut... I mean my go-to order from Starbucks during Whole30 is an unsweet iced coffee with coconut milk and cinnamon powder. Yum!!

Cinnamon Coconut Roasted Cashews

Adapted From: Peanut Butter Fingers

Makes 4 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup unsalted raw cashews
• 2 tsp coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut 

And Action:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

Toss cashews, oil, and cinnamon in a small bowl coating the nuts well. Spread out on a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Roast for 12 minutes tossing halfway through. 

Remove from the oven and toss with the coconut. Store in an airtight container for up to one week. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Strawberry Banana Spritzer

I made this Strawberry Banana Spritzer as a quick snack before heading out to have lunch with my best friend for her birthday. The weather has warmed up here in Texas during the days and this was so smooth and refreshing. I chose to use fresh fruit but you can use frozen if you want more of a slushy texture.

Strawberry Banana Spritzer

Adapted From: Juice It! Energizing Blends for Today's Juicer

Makes 1 Serving

Stars of the Show:

• 1 cup strawberries, quartered
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup tropical kombucha

And Action:

Pulse all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy!