Pumpkin Meatballs with an Orange Pumpkin Sauce

Unbelievably Addictive!

I was craving something with pumpkin today.  I wanted to make something a little different with it, so I came up with this recipe.  I cannot tell you how amazing these pumpkin meatballs are!  I will be making them again very soon.  The left over pumpkin will be great for a really good cookie recipe, which I'll post when I make them.  I think pumpkin is a very underused item as far as I can see.  It gets used towards the end of the year but that's about it.  When you note the many uses and health benefits, pumpkin really is great to use all year long.  

It's pretty common knowledge that pumpkin is part of the squash family, so I just figured it was a vegetable.  Well guess what, pumpkin is actually classified as a fruit because it grows on a vine and contains seeds.  I knew a tomato is classified as a fruit, but didn't realize a pumpkin is too.  I find things like that fascinating.  Now you can go and ask your friends if they know whether a pumpkin is a vegetable or a fruit. 

Orange & BBQ Beef Stir Fry

 

I love stir fries.  They just seem so healthy with all the veggies.  This is a fairly quick and easy dinner for any night of the week.  It satisfies the meat eater and if you don't eat meat, just leave that off and you have a veggie stir fry.  Either way it is so divine.  The flavors dance around in your mouth.  I like my steak medium rare, so it just melted in my mouth.  Mmmm, I just can't get enough of this kind of good for you food.  I think it's better than any take out.  It's full of protein and fibre and just mouth watering.  I'm sure your family will love it, so give it a try and let me know how it turns out.

Relish Burger

I love burger night because there are endless ways of making them and they are so good!  This burger I made is so flavorful and again was devoured very quickly.  Burgers are the all time versatile food and easy to make.  I usually like herbs, hot sauce and the works on mine.  I always use lean ground beef so it contains less fat.  You won't find a burger like this at a fast food restaurant.  Give this one a try and let me know how you like it.   

Hearty Beef Stew

I thought I'd make my last pot of comforting beef stew until winter comes again.  If the mention of beef stew sends you in the other direction, because you feel it is too difficult or involved, let me set your mind at ease.  It is very easy, however, it does take a while to simmer.  Trust me, you don't want to miss this step, especially if you are using stewing beef.  This is what tenderizes the beef and makes it fall apart.  Simmering also blends all the flavors and it becomes a pot of nice thick, hearty, delicious, mouth watering stew.

What I do is chop all the vegetables at the beginning and put them on plates and cover loosely with plastic wrap.  It makes it so much easier because you can just toss them in when needed.  I would definitely recommend browning the beef as well.  This adds deep flavor that you don't want to miss out on. 

It's nice that it doesn't take very much active time, it just needs time to simmer.  I like the fact that you can just keep one eye on it and go about your day.  The aroma it produces in your house will make you count down until you get to savour every last bite in your bowl.  This is a great way to get kids to eat vegetables too.  It is so yummy that hopefully they'll be asking for seconds.

Simple Homemade Chicken Broth & Chicken Noodle Soup

There is nothing better than a big bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup especially if it's homemade.  When you are not feeling well with a cold there is nothing else quite like it.  It seems to soothe your whole body.  It's what has been passed down generation to generation in almost every family.  Of course, you just can't beat homemade.  If you've never made it, don't feel intimidated.  It is actually very easy.  It just takes a bit of time to simmer it.  It needs at least a couple of hours to meld all those delicious flavors together.  There aren't too many ingredients either.  You probably have them all in your fridge or pantry already.  

It's great on a cold winter day, especially if you are so fortunate to have a fire place to curl up next to while eating it.  Chicken Noodle Soup is very freezer friendly also.  If you make a large batch just pop it into the freezer in individual containers until you need it. 

Quick & Easy Weeknight Herb Salmon

Healthy & Delicious!

When it comes to salmon or seafood in general, there can be a lot of different reactions by people.  Some are very squeamish, some run in the other direction, some are phobic, while others love it and could eat it every day.  I understand if you've never had it and are leery to try it, or it's not your favorite so you don't cook it very often.  There are many foods that many of us haven't tried or aren't our favorite.  The only thing I ask is that you have an open mind to try it, either for the first time or try it again, maybe cooked a different way and see if you may like it now.  The health benefits are too outstanding to disregard it completely.


Salmon is one of the foods I personally consider a "superfood". It is an excellent source of healthy fats like Omega-3 fatty acids which can help improve our memory.  I know this to be true myself because I eat salmon a few times a week and take an Omega 3-6-9 supplement daily.  I have found it has increased my memory and has cleared that foggy feeling.  If I reduce or eliminate salmon or Omegas from my diet I can tell because I start getting more forgetful and the fog starts to creep back in. 


Salmon is a good source of lean protein which aids in weight loss and can be very helpful for some vegetarians to use in their diet to meet their protein needs.  It contains Vitamin A and D as well as Calcium which are good for the health of our eyes, teeth and bones respectively.

Tips to Help You be Healthier!

I'm all about the tips and tricks that help make life more easier and people more healthier.  Obviously, we know for the most part that losing weight and getting healthier is definitely a challenge.  There are those few people that can of course eat anything they want and not gain weight.  I know a few people like that (they know who they are).  I am not one of those people.

I feel it's all about a lifestyle change though.  I don't believe in diets because they don't work.  I'm sure you'll agree.  You just end up gaining the weight back plus some.  However, making a lifestyle change and eating healthier foods doesn't have to be a difficult feat.  It won't happen overnight so don't expect it to.  The idea is to make small changes and stick with them, slowly changing more as time goes by.  If you try to overhaul your life and eating habits all at once it will be too overwhelming and most likely you'll fall back into your regular habits.  This doesn't mean that healthy foods have to taste like cardboard.  I am all over flavor and you can have the best of both worlds.  Flavorful, delicious, nutritious meals!

Cheesy Potato, Sausage & Veggie Bake

So this is my first blog and my first recipe I'm submitting.  I am so excited to share healthy yet delicious meals with all of you.  My goal is to help people get back to making home cooked meals that are low in calories, fat and sodium and just plain yummy.  I go by the 80/20 rule.  I eat healthy 80% of the time and 20% I can be just a little sinful!  I'm a firm believer that everything should be in moderation.  Don't try to cut out the sweeter things all together.  It doesn't work.  Just cut back the portion size and how often you have them.  So along with my healthy meals I will also be posting some sinful desserts that I have made healthier by swapping out the bad foods for better choices.

For my first blog recipe I made a Cheesy Potato, Sausage & Veggie Bake.  The recipe may look long and complicated but it is totally not.  It is actually fairly easy.  There are just a few steps involved.