6 Energizing Hearty Breakfast Toast

We can all use a little jump start in the morning, but if you're anything like us mornings just aren't our thing. It's tough enough to leave time to get ourselves ready along with all the other things we need to remember for the day, so breakfast needs to be quick yet healthy. Yes, we grab the occasional cereal bar and eat a yogurt at our desk but for those days where we have a few extra minutes to chew our food, these are always a tasty choice.

The great thing about these energizing toasts are majority of them don't have ingredients that need a lot of prep or cooking time. Well, minus the hard boiled eggs (but you can still do that the night before) and the egg inside the pretty little red pepper cut out. 

The next time you are stumped with what to eat in the morning and want something that is going to add some extra umph to your toast aside from slapping on some jelly, check out these combos we enjoy.  

(first picture posted, starting from top left)

1. Cottage Cheese + Cantaloupe + Agave Nectar 

2. Spinach + Kale + Red Pepper + Egg

3. Cream Cheese + Almonds + Dried Cranberries
4. Peanut Butter + Apple Slices + Flax Seeds + Honey

5. Avocado + Tomato
6. Hummus + Red Peppers + Hard Boiled Egg

Fruit and Herb Infused Waters

Summer may be winding down but there's still time to add a little something extra to your water. If you've been reading along, and we thank you if you have, we previously did a post about Infused Waters. This time around we decided to incorporate herbs and some of them fresh from the garden. Not only does this add some great flavor to your water but infused waters have also been said to help increase energy and can act as natural detoxes for your body. We hope you find these combinations enjoyable and would love to hear some ways you have naturally flavored your water? 

Combinations

Watermelon + Basil

Cucumber + Lemon + Lavender

Blackberry + Sage

Thirsty Thursday-Fruit Infused Water

On a hot summer day when many fresh fruits are in full season, we thought it would be tasty to add some natural flavor to our water! We all know that water is essential and one of the best things for us. Here are a few combinations that we tried and would definitely do them again. All you need to do is slice your favorite fruits and add them to your water. You can start drinking them right away, but to achieve the best flavor it's better to let them chill in the fridge for 4 hours. Cheers! 

Pear + Blueberry Water

Strawberry Water

Raspberry + Orange Water

No Crust Mini Zucchini Quiches

Try these mini quiches for your next brunch, creative appetizer, or simply to just enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

4 eggs to make 6-8 mini quiches
1/3 cup provolone
3/4 cup chopped zucchini
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp black pepper
A splash of milk to make them fluffy (you can substitute with almond milk or low fat milk for a healthier option)

Directions:

Scramble eggs and milk. Then add remaining ingredients. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray and add egg mixture about 3/4 of the way full. Cook at 350 degrees for about 25min until golden on top.

Random Topic Tuesday-Organic or Not?

Your body, we only get one, it's our driving source, our identity, it's who we are. We both like to think of ourselves as being health conscious when it comes to the foods we put in our bodies. Since our little man is now exploring a whole new world when it comes to food, the choices we make as parents about what goes into his little body is important to us. We recently broke out the baby bullet and have been making all of his baby food. We understand this may not be an option for everyone, and that's perfectly fine. It's important to go with what works for you and what you decide is best as a parent. If you would like to hear more about our baby food experience please visit our Parenthood page. With more buzz about organic vs non-organic we wanted to explore this topic a little more and share some of our thoughts with you.

What is organic? In a nutshell, organic has to do with the way farmers grow and process their products. For instance, organic farming is designed to encourage soil and water conservation and reduce pollution. Farmers who grow organic produce and meat don't use conventional methods to fertilize, control weeds, or prevent livestock disease. These farmers use alternative methods rather than a quick fix of using chemicals or giving their livestock growth hormones. Organic farmers conduct more sophisticated crop rotations and use a natural weed killer for their crops, such as spreading mulch or manure.

How can you tell if something is organic? Don't be fooled by many labels or products that are advertising things like all natural or hormone free. While these are truthful, don't be confused by those terms translating into meaning organic. In order to be organic, only foods that are grown and processed according to USDA organic standards can be labeled organic.

Is there a downside to eating organic? Many people find the downside to going organic is the increase in price. We thought the same thing at first. How can something that is grown in it's natural form cost more. After doing some research we found that it mainly has to do with the more expensive farming practices that need to take place.

So what's the benefit? Many people decide to buy organic foods for different reasons. You may prefer the taste, be environmentally conscious, or concerned about the pesticides and additives you are putting into your body. Whatever the reason or decision you choose how to eat is, make sure it's the right one for you.