DISCLOSURE: I am a member of the Collective Bias®  Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser. This post is not a health care professional's opinion. All opinions are my own.

It's finally spring!  Yes, there's still snow on the ground here in Michigan, but everyone seems to have a little glimmer of hope that the cold weather is almost through.

Nicer weather is a perfect time to dust off your life and start with some fresh new habits.  I know I need to get back on track!  Here are some suggestions!

I always hear people staying they hate water.   Once you start drinking more, I think your body will start loving it...and the benefits are more than worth it!  Your skin will start glowing and your system with keep running...if you know what I mean!  One way to make water tastier is to make iced tea.  You can also add fruits, veggies or herbs to infuse your drinks...it adds so much flavor!  My favorite combo is strawberry, cucumber, mint and lemon.  I just throw it all in a pitcher and refill it as the day goes on, changing out the infusers daily.

Last summer I got this TakeYa pitcher at Costco and it's ah-mazing.  It's leak proof and you can make flash chilled tea.  If you happen to see one of these somewhere, grab it! Favorite purchase from last summer for sure!

Last week I headed to Costco to check out a new probiotic available by InSync (not to be confused with Nsync...although I do sing while taking my pill because I'm a nerd).  The price there was only $26.99 which is MUCH lower than I saw at Meijer, especially for a 3 month supply!  Yet another reason to love Costco: cheap health products! I also got some vitamins and ibuprofen with this month's coupon deal.

Taking a probiotic ensures that your body has enough beneficial bacteria for digestive system balance.  When everything is balanced, you will feel healthy on the outside!  Taking my Insync Probiotic has become a part of my morning routine.  I'm trying to take better care of myself!  Plus, with allergy season coming up (ugh!), I want my insides to be healthy.

Have you checked out the app/website MyFitnessPal yet? You can log your activity and meals to stay on track.  I really have found it helps hold me accountable.  Plus you see just how healthy (or unhealthy!) your meals are...its an eyeopener! I use my Fitbit to try to get 10K steps a day, which will be much easier when the weather warms up.  I would like to try to do one evening walk with the dog and girls.

I hate spring cleaning, but I love how everything is organized and sparkling after!  Spring is the perfect time to wash all of the curtains, dust off those high places and donate anything not being used.    If you have clothes, I highly recommend checking out Twice to sell back your clothes.  You can also list items on Freecycle or Craigslist.  I cannot wait to tackle the basement!  Anyone need a futon?

During the winter, it's easy to park in front of the TV at night and binge watch your Netflix queue (*cough* Scandal!).  Try shutting off all screens at 10 and picking up a book.  It really is a great way to unwind at night.  This one is the hardest for me!  I have been catching up with my news (okay, E News) online instead of sitting through an hour long show.  The girls have the timer set on the Kindle, so once they hit 15 minutes, it's time up!

What simple steps do you take for better health?

App Alert: Disney Movies Anywhere!

I love that the girls can watch movies on my iPad (I should say movie: Frozen. EVERYDAY), but I really didn't like all of the space they take up!  Little did I know there was an easy solution: Disney Movies Anywhere!

It's a free app that you can store all of your Disney digital movies on.  GENIUS! Another bonus for signing up: you can get 50 Swagbucks if you go through their link.


Also, when you sign up and link your Disney Rewards account, you get a free movie!  We picked The Incredibles because I love that movie.

If you haven't signed up for the Disney Rewards account, do so ASAP! For each movie you buy, you enter the code for points.  The points add up and you can spend them on new Disney movies or other gifts.  They also frequently send out bonus points in an email.  Gotta love freebies!

Right now under their "Zero Points" category there are tons of printables and activity sheets that my girls love.  During a movie night, we like to color.   To save on ink, I print them in grayscale and draft.

Speaking of Disney, what's your favorite movie?

Cook Once, Eat Twice: Lasagna Shells

Some weeks are busier than others.  I like having a stocked freezer to fall back on when there isn't much time to think about preparing dinner. 

This veggie filled, meat sauce is a perfect freezer food.  By adding the veggies, you can make a huge pot of sauce with only 1 pound of lean ground beef.  Money saver!  This sauce is also perfect with ground turkey.

You can make two large batches of these lasagna shells and freeze one, or just freeze the sauce alone.  We tend to eat pasta once a week, so I used the rest of our sauce the other day. 

Stuffed in these shells is a spinach-cheese sauce and it's topped with the meat sauce, just like a lasagna.  I only use 1 cup of shredded cheese on top to save some calories.  After this rough winter, I need to get back on track!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 box of large shells, cooked 4-5 minutes until very firm al dente (only cook half of the box if you plan to freeze the other half of the sauce)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  

For the sauce:

• 2 cups of chopped veggies. I used 1/2 cup each, chopped: carrots, green pepper, mushroom and zucchini.
• 1 pound lean ground beef (93/7)
• Optional: 2 Italian sausage links
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jar pasta sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the filling:

• 1 box frozen spinach, defrosted and drained well
• 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
• 1 tablespoon pesto
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons Parmesan cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg

1. In a large sauce pot, brown and drain meat over medium heat.  Set aside.
2. Circle the pan with olive oil (about 1 teaspoon) and add veggies, onion and garlic.  Cook 3-4 minutes at medium high.  Return meat to pan.
3. Add tomato paste and Italian Seasoning.  Heat for 1 minute.  Add jar of sauce, saving 1/4 cup for bottom of shells pan.   Allow to bubble on low heat while making shells.
4. Preheat oven at 375.
5. In a medium bowl, mix spinach filling ingredients.  Set aside.  
6. Pour reserved 1/4 cup pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Set up a shell filling station: shells, spinach bowl, sauce then pan.  Makes it easier!
7. Put 1 teaspoon spinach mixture in bottom of a shell, top with 1 teaspoon of meat sauce.  Place in pan.  Repeat until pan is full.  Top with more sauce and mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake covered for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes.

I like to serve this with a simple Italian salad and garlic bread for dipping.  For the salad, use your favorite greens with veggies, peperoni and Caesar croutons.  So simple, yet the flavors are bold!

My girls love any pasta dish, but this got a huge thumbs up with Gabby.  I don't make special salads for the kids, I just give them what we're having.  If they don't like the olives or something, I let them put them to the side once they've actually tried the food.

What's your favorite easy freezer meal?

Fiesta Time! Pantry Salsa + Baked Corn Tortilla Chips

Okay guys....we are going to make a deal.  I am going to share my super secret, SUPER easy pantry salsa recipe and we're going to keep pretending we've spent hours chopping and dicing to make this salsa.  Deal?

I like to bring it to BBQs and special occasions and I often get asked what my trick is.  I really wish it was something super cool...but it's not. I use canned tomatoes. 

I know, I know, I know.  You're thinking GROSS!  But it's crazy how fresh this salsa tastes after you add some cilantro and onion to it.  Here in Michigan, we barely have a tomato season so we've gotta take all of the help we can get.  

Fresh tomatoes get expensive when you're trying to make a large batch of salsa...plus you have to seed and dice them.   Tomatoes from a can are pretty fresh tasting.  Only tip: make sure you get an organic or low sodium style, if available.  I like Meijer naturals or the Costco diced varieties.

The baked chips are equally as easy.  I started making these when I was on Weight Watchers.  You can eat 24 chips for only 120 calories.  I'm a huge chips & dip fan, so I tend to go crazy.  With these chips, you won't feel bad.  Even if you eat 2 servings (which would be pretty hard!), you're only eating 240 calories and 3 grams of fat.   Now when we buy regular chips, they are SO salty to me.

Pantry Salsa

Here's what you need:

• 1 can of diced tomatoes, 15 oz
• 1 medium sized onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 jalapeno
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 handful of cilantro (or more if you are a fan)
• Juice from half of a lemon
• Salt to taste, dash of sugar, dash of cumin

1. In a food processor add onion, jalapeno, cilantro and garlic.  Open the can of tomatoes and drain the juice.  Pulse for about 15 seconds.  
2. Add tomatoes and pulse until everything is chopped.  Add salt, sugar, cumin and lemon juice.  Pulse for 5 seconds.
3. Chill in fridge.  

From this recipe, you can experiment and add whatever you want!  Think: mango, black beans, pineapple, serano chiles...so versatile!

Baked Tortilla Chips
Note: I highly recommend Mission Ultra Thin corn tortilla chips.  I have tried many brands and some separate while baking.  These stay crisp and toast very well.

Here's what you need:

• Corn tortillas, cut each into 8 pieces
• Cooking Spray
• Optional: fine salt

To bake evenly, place a cookie cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet.

Preheat the oven to 375.  Place triangles on cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray.  You can lightly salt, if desired.

Bake 5-7 minutes, until crisp watching VERY carefully.  They go from soft to burnt very fast!

Now it's time to get guilt-free snacking!  What show are you watching right now?

Loco for Coconut Oil {Cornbread and Muffin Recipe!}

Have you jumped on the coconut oil bandwagon yet?  I'm on my third big tub from Costco and obsessed with it!  I use it regularly as a healthier alternative to butter.

Does it smell like the beach? Yes.  Does everything taste like coconut? Sometimes.  At first I could really taste the difference, but now that I have been trying it with both savory and sweet dishes, I've found I can't taste it anymore.  It makes the BEST chocolate chip cookies!

It can be quite expensive, but I have found that it is equivalent to our butter costs when we buy it in bulk at Costco (usually around $15 for a large tub, which lasts 2-3 months).  I have also seen great prices at Trader Joe's and health food stores. 

Why use coconut oil?  It's MUCH healthier!  Yes, it is still considered a fat, but your body digests it differently than regular butter or even olive oil.  Aside from cooking with it, you can use it for your lips, hair and skin.  Obviously, you would want to keep the coconut oil you use for your body in a separate container than your cooking one!

I use it whenever I would have used oil or butter with a 1:1 ratio.  For sauteing, I have found that only a teaspoon at most is needed.  When baking breads, I like to combine canned pumpkin with the coconut oil as a healthy alternative to butter.


Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (with coconut oil!)

The first recipe is my classic banana bread with a twist.  I have healthified it even more and turned it into muffins! 

Here's what you need!

• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling, plain!)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup flax seed
• 1/4 cup oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 3 extra ripe bananas, mashed
• Optional: Wholesome Sweeteners Raw sugar on top for crunch!

1. In a mixer with whisk attachment, add sugar, pumpkin and coconut oil.  Blend until creamy.
2. Add eggs, one at a time.  Next vanilla. 
3. On the side, mix dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt, flax, cinnamon, oatmeal.  (I like to save an old 32 oz yogurt container for this!).  Slowly add to mixer.
4. Finally, add yogurt, bananas and chocolate chips.  Mix until just blended, no longer than 1 minute.
5. Add to a lined cupcake pan, or bread pan.
6. Optional: for a bakery style crunchy top, sprinkle with raw sugar.
7. Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.

Another recipe that we have been loving is a simple skillet cornbread recipe.  This is cornbread is slightly sweet with a bit of crunch from the cast iron skillet.  Top with some butter and this is a perfect side to any BBQ or Cajun dish!

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, softened
• 1.5 cups Flour
• 1.5 cups Sugar (or 3/4 cup Splenda) 
• 1/2 cup Egg Beaters (or 2 eggs)
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill cornmeal
• 1.5 cups Almond milk
• 2 teaspoons Baking powder
• Dash of salt

1.  Heat oven to 400.  Pour 1/4 cup of coconut oil in the bottom of a cast iron skillet to coat*.
2. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Add to skillet.  Cook 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

*If you don't have a cast iron skillet, just use a regular 9x9 pan.

Are you also loco for Coconut Oil?  What's your favorite way to use it?