The Healthy Triple Decker With Oscar Meyer Selects!

Hi everybody! It's been a while since I have shared one of my favorite healthy recipes, so I am happy to be teaming up with Oscar Meyer Selects Natural to bring you a recipe that puts a spin on the classic turkey club triple decker sandwich.

The triple decker is always my go-to when we go to any diners in the area, so being able to make it in my own home- is extremely important to me. It's also important that I use healthy food options that fit into my balanced diet. Oscar Mayer Selects Natural is made with no artificial ingredients, and is minimally processed. Selects Natural has no artificial preservatives (the back side of each package lists the ingredients used to preserve quality), no artificial flavors, no artificial colors, no gluten and no by-products.

Choosing quality ingredients is important for me because I like to keep everything in my diet, healthy and nutritious. Since we are making a healthier version of this sandwich, I have subbed out some ingredients that will make this sandwich not only tasty, but also good for you. 

Turkey is one of my favorite lean protein options, and it's extremely low in fat, which I love.I think people assume that cold cuts are all bad, and that's not the case. Oscar Mayer Selects Natural is the perfect choice for anyone looking for quality cold cuts that have no artificial ingredients and delicious taste. I sometimes eat turkey as a snack with a little bit of hummus, it's perfect and filling for any time of the day. 

For this particular recipe,

What you'll need:

-3 Slices of Pumpernickel Bread

-Oscar Mayer Selects Natural Slow Roasted Turkey Breast 

(about 2 slices per slice of bread)

-3 Slices of Turkey Bacon

-2 Tablespoons Light Mayo

-Kale Leaves 

-Salt & Pepper to taste 

First you'll want to toast your bread slices. While the bread is toasting you'll want to cook up your turkey bacon, to your desired crispiness. I like mine extra crispy, so I over cooked it for this recipe. The crunchier- the better!

Next add mayo to your bread, and layer your bottom slice with turkey, kale, and turkey bacon. You will do the same for all three layers, and when you're ready, slice them into perfect triangles, and you are ready to go. It's a very simple recipe- with a very sophisticated flavor.

You can learn more about Selects Natural and all the Oscar Mayer products on OscarMayer.com, Facebook at Facebook.com/OscarMayer, Twitter at @OscarMayer and on Tumblr at OscarMayer.Tumblr.com.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Starbucks And My Love For Coffee : Part V

The holidays came and went and I can't even believe it's February 1st! One of my favorite things about the winter months is switching to hot coffee and drinking more tea and hot chocolate. Starbucks has so many options of beverages that you'll never go thirsty again. These are all available where you buy groceries, so it's very convenient, and easy to find them, even if you're not near a Starbucks. I am in love with their Via Instant coffees and lattes- especially the white chocolate mocha and peppermint mocha flavors. These are so easy to make- all you do is put hot water in with your packet- and voila- you have your drink!


Whether it's holiday entertaining, or just having a morning cup- Starbucks makes it easier to get through the long, wintery days ahead. All you need is a nice warm cup of your favorite drink, and you can snuggle up and stay warm. 

 

Details: Starbucks Travel Cup / Starbucks via Instant Peppermint Mocha / Coffee stamped spoon / Starbucks Hot Cocoa / Holiday Blend Coffee / Hot Chocolate Salted Marshmallow / Holiday Mug

Asparagus and Lemon Refreshing Gluten Free Pasta Salad

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Barilla®, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #GlutenFreeBarilla http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV 

I am so excited to be teaming up with Gluten Free Barilla Pasta today to bring you a healthy and refreshing pasta salad that is perfect for lunch or dinner. As you all know I am the queen of pasta salads, and this recipe is a little different, but still delicious! If you haven't checked out my other recipes with Barilla, you can see my strawberry basil pasta salad here, and my meditteranean pasta salad, here. This recipe is a little different for a few reasons. The main reason is because I am using Barilla's new Gluten Free pasta for this recipe. It's also a dish that you want to serve warm due to the ingredients, and olive oil drizzle. 

I really love preparing different dishes around the holidays. My family always chooses me to make any of the pasta dishes, and I try to focus on staying healthy, and preparing a delicious meal that everyone will love. Gluten free pasta is great because it has non GMO ingredients, it's healthier and tastes just like regular pasta!

For my Gluten Free pasta I shopped at BJ's wholesale club and got a 4 pack of pasta for a very reasonable price. Since I come from a big family, this is perfect for the parties to come in the next few weeks. You can also visit BJ’s Wholesale Clubs on December 22nd and 23rd to see an in-store Barilla Gluten Free pasta demo at select clubs. You can also visit Pinterest to see other delicious Barilla  Gluten Free pasta recipes!

Making this pasta is very easy! Here is how to make your own at home.

First, start by bringing a pot of water to a boil.  

Once the water is boiling , salt the water and add your Gluten Free pasta. 

While your pasta is cooking, you'll want to sautee your asparagus and brussels sprouts. 

Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a pan, cut up your asparagus, and sprouts and then squeeze a full lemon on top, and season with salt and pepper.

You'll want to cook your asparagus for about 10 minutes on the skillet. When that's finished, add the cooked asparagus and sprouts, and squeeze half a lemon into the pasta. You'll also want to drizze olive oil on top to avoid a dry pasta.

Enjoy!

Starbucks and My Love For Coffee : Part IV

Thanks to Starbucks, I got to enjoy a nice little picnic this fall. Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good pumpkin spiced latte just like every other girl out there. These little instant packs have been pretty much a lifesaver for me this season. I never thought instant coffee could taste so delicious, and honestly, it's just like going in the store and having one there! What I love about their instant coffees is how easy they are to carry around, and all you need is some hot water, and boom-you're ready!

For me, the Fall stands for a lot of things. It means the leaves changing, it means the temperatures are starting to change, it also means that it's getting closer to my birthday- and that gets me really excited! Coffee is such a huge part of my day to day life, and I honestly don't know where I would be without it. 

When the Fall comes around I switch from iced coffee to hot on some days, and this Fall blend is just delicious. It's the perfect amount of hearty, with some fresh spice notes to really leave a nice flavor on your palate. 

What are you drinking this Fall?

Strawberry Basil Pasta Salad

If you guys have been following along for a while, you'll know that I love Barilla Pronto! A while back I made a Mediterranean pasta salad , and fell in love with Barilla Pronto pasta. This time around I wanted something a little different, but still delicious. My schedule has been very intense lately, so making meals in advance is extremely crucial. This pasta is so easy to make, and requires only about ten minutes of your time. It never needs to be drained, and uses minimal water- which is awesome because by the time you put it in a pot, it's time to take it off! 

I shopped for my groceries and pasta at Stop & Shop. Here's what you'll need for this delicious strawberry salad. 

In the salad you'll need:
Yellow Grape Tomatoes
1 box of Barilla Pronto (your choice of what kind!)
Basil Leaves
Peppers (tri color)

Cook the pasta following the directions on the box, and then allow it to cool off for approximately 20 minutes. Once it's cool add your peppers, tomatoes, and basil.

For the strawberry vinaigrette:
Strawberries (frozen or fresh)
2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 of A Lemon's Juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients and blend in a food processor. It is extremely easy and simple!

See how easy it is? I love that it tastes better and better as I eat it throughout the week. Sometimes the simplest recipes are best!

 

Make sure you grab some New Barilla Pronto Pasta next time you shop at Stop & Shop, Giant Food Stores, or Martin’s Food Markets.  Barilla Pronto Pasta is also available through Peapod!

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, Barilla®, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #AnytimePasta http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Healthy Living Recipes: Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Barilla®, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #OnePotPasta http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Spring and summer are the perfect seasons for pasta salad! I love pairing a good pasta salad with some chicken or steak at a BBQ. I also love having it in the fridge as a little snack during the day. Since my family is Greek I try to add a mediterranean twist to everything! I basically picked my top favorite things and added them to this salad. 

Today I teamed up with Barilla Pronto pasta to bring you a quick and easy mediterranean pasta salad.  This is my first experience using their Pronto line, and I picked my box up at Shoprite. They also have spaghetti, penne, elbows and linguini. (Right now you can buy any FOUR (4) Barilla® Pronto™ pasta products for $5.00 or $1.25 each available until 5/16/15 while supplies last.) I picked the rotini for this specific recipe because I love the spirals for a pasta salad. Since I love meal prepping, this is perfect for those of you who are on the go, or like to plan their meals for the week. This pasta tastes the best, the longer it sits! The flavors really soak up in the pasta once its made, and the italian flavors really come out! 

What you'll need:

• Barilla Pronto - Rotini
• Olive Oil
• Italian Salami
• Feta Cheese 
• Cucumber
• Tomatoes
• Diced Olives 
• Pepper & Salt

This pasta is amazing! Not only do you not have to wait for it to boil, but you also don't have to drain the water. It's awesome, and saves so much time. Here's how I made my pasta salad, and I hope you enjoy it!

Instructions:

1. Cook the barilla pronto pasta according to the box, and once it's finished put into a bowl and pour over your olive oil. Use as much or as little as you'd like, it's all about personal preference.

2. Chop your ingredients on the side and add your feta crumbles and then place in the refrigerator for approximately 4-6 hours. (The longer the better)

3. Serve cold. 

Asian Cashew Chicken Salad

Usually the words fast food and healthy don't go together. What if I told you that there was a way you could get both? I've always been a huge fan of Wendy's and when they introduced their core salads I knew I had to try them. What is important to me is feeling good about what I am eating and making sure that I give myself time to work out every week. Constantly being on the go makes it very difficult sometimes to find healthy menu items if you decide to eat out.        

This is the Asian Cashew Chicken Salad from Wendy's.  It's a twist on your typical Asian salad with yummy edamame, red peppers, roasted cashews and grilled chicken breast with a light spicy vinaigrette. The chicken was so tender and flavorful, I couldn't believe it was a simple to-go salad. It really tasted like I was eating out somewhere fancy. The cool thing about Wendy's is that they have fresh salads, not "premade" sit in the freezer salads. The lettuce isn't frozen and chopped up, it's cut daily with fresh vegetables in that restaurant. If you want to see the full process watch their "Romaine Lettuce Journey" video here.

I know how important good food is when you're trying to maintain a healthy diet, and I always make sure I have a list of a few places in my mind to go when I want something healthy after my workout. I am so excited to be able to add Wendy's to this list and try a few of their other salads next. My diet is high in protein and fats, but also low in carbs and this salad is perfect for that. The chicken and cashews provide the perfect amount of protein and healthy fat while the rest of the salad is low in carbohydrates.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Thank you for supporting companies that support Little Tree!

               

Little Tree's Favorite Healthy Snacks

I usually get a lot of questions on what my favorite snacks are, so I figured I would do a little round up on the blog to share with you guys. I kinda fell off the wagon with posting healthy recipes (been so busy!) but I plan on starting to share more recipes starting next week, so stay tuned for that! When sticking to a healthy snack I try to choose something that is healthy, but also satisfies a craving. Before starting my working regiment I used to be crazy about carbs. I still do love carbs, but now I moderate carbs into my diet as opposed to overloading on them. Hope this gives you guys a little more info on my daily eating habits, what are some healthy things you guys like to snack on?

Quest Protein Chips & Quest Bars- As you guys know I have always loved Quest bars, and just recently tried their protein chips. Being an avid chip lover I am excited to have a healthier chip option, and happy that they have so many flavors to choose from. The chips have 21g of protein in each bag with only 5g of carbs which is awesome. My favorite bags are sea salt, sour cream and onion and of course salt and vinegar. The only downside to these chips is that they leave your mouth a little dry- but just make sure you keep water on hand and you'll be good to go. As far as the quest bars go, you guys can read my previous post about my favorites. I've tried almost every flavor they have and I love them for an on-the-go snack or quick meal.

Bare Chips- {Apple & Coconut}- These yummy chips are a new find for me and I am hooked! They come in all different flavors but my favorites are their apple and coconut chips. They're baked, gluten free and 100% natural. They're a really good source of fiber too, which makes them even better for a healthier diet. These come in handy for me when I am having a specific chocolate craving. I love the chocolate bliss chips and even tried adding some of the chips to my yogurt and fruit parfaits. I really love anything that promotes a healthy lifestyle while still maintaining flavor, and these chips do just that. They're good for you, and taste delicious too!

Cucumber & Goat Cheese Crumbles- This combo is perfect for those days when all I want to do is snack! My mom started cutting up whole cucumbers for Ryan and I to snack on and we just got hooked. We drizzle a little bit of olive oil on top and crumble feta and it's the perfect healthy combo that keeps our hungry tummies at bay while we wait to eat our main meal. We also use this as our version of a salad since we're both not crazy about tomatoes. Two of a kind, right? ;)

Pasta Chips- I've talked about pasta chips in the past, and they are still one of my favorite go-to snacks. I made a spinach and cilantro dip that paired perfectly with them last year. (read that here) These are delicious chips that are made with italian herbs and are inspired by italian dishes. They have everything from alfredo to garlic olive oil, and my personal favorite sea salt. It really tastes like you're eating a delicious plate of pasta with homemade sauce! They have 60% less fat than regular chips and are really good to add to a cheese platter or to any homemade dip.

Yogurt & Granola- I used to hate yogurt and now it's one of my daily snacks. Although I can't really eat it plain, I love finding good granola to mix in with it. I found my favorite granola and I have been finding it in select grocery stores in my area and literally buying about 7 bags at a time!My favorite yogurt is Chobani (obviously it's greek haha) and my favorite granola is . It has dark chocolate chunks in it and cinammon with oats.

Starbucks & My Love For Coffee: Part I

I have always been an on and off caffeine drinker since college, but for the past year coffee has been one of the most important parts of my morning. I love the boost it gives me- and even more-so the flavor and options there are to choose from. I am teaming up with Starbucks today (and a few more times throughout the year!) to talk about some of their coffees, products and up and coming things to look for in their stores. 

I truly couldn't be happier to have this collaboration because it's something I am passionate about and I know that coffee is also very important to so many of you as well. I want to start off by saying that this Christmas I invested in a Jura Impressa F50 (this thing is the bees knees) and I haven't looked back ever since. I have saved money on running to the store every day to buy coffee and honestly, if you get good beans, it can be just as good at home.

My rules to the perfect cup? Get yourself a good coffee machine, use Starbucks coffee beans & grounds, and of course start the coolest mug collection (below are some of my favorites). I really love the Veranda Blonde blend because it's on the lighter side, and very mellow. The medium blend is very balanced and smooth. The Cafe Verona dark roast features a fuller body and a more robust flavor. This is the roast I didn't use in our machine because the bean itself is a little bit oilier. Oilier beans tend to clog the Jura so I opted out of doing that and used the pour over brewer for that cup of coffee.

To use a pour over brewer you need to make sure you have the proper materials, and cone filters. You also have to make sure you use coffee grounds (not the full bean) for this. It's pretty cool, and I had never heard of this technique before but it's definitely a different-fun way to brew. There's a tiny hole in the white mug that filters the coffee right into the mug you put it over.

In my package from Starbucks I also received this awesome little coffee passport book. This book explains everything a coffee lover needs to know. It describes the four steps of tasting coffee, the fundamentals of brewing and more information about the coffee and how it is produced.

Work It Out

If any of you follow me on instagram, you know that I am taking part in a workout challenge for the next two months. I worked really hard on building a healthy lifestyle, and at this point, I don't think it would ever change. This challenge is a two month workout routine that changes weekly and utilizes different exercises daily. 

So far I have seen a significant difference in my waistline, as well as my energy levels and overall mood. I have been waking up with a different attitude, and my healthy eating has been on point. What motivates me daily is the changes I am seeing, as well as the strength I am gaining. 

Nothing is better than feeling good in your own skin, and every person (male or female) deserves to feel good about themselves. The first few weeks were tough, and now as I near week 3 it's becoming more of a daily routine. I feel healthier than I have in over a year, and I am starting to see changes in my body.

I love to spice up my workout outfits, and again if you follow me on instagram, you'll see a glimpse of that here and there. My pants are usually all kinds of crazy patterns, paired with my Nike Air Max 90's (working on getting my third pair!). I have built my collection of workout clothes because I spend almost every day at the gym, so my attire is important. I want to feel motivated & confident in what I wear, and gym wear is no different.

People usually ask me where I get most of my gym clothes from, so I decided to pick some of my favorite items at the moment. My go-to brands are Lululemon & Nike, but sometimes I will find a random shirt that is low cut on the sides to fit comfortably with a sports bra. This shirt is from Buy Me Brunch, and it is one of my favorites. I love the material, and it's perfect for leg day! :)

Here are some of my favorite picks from Nike & Lululemon below!

What are your favorite brands?