Greek Pasta Salad

Pasta salads are so easy and so delicious. My favorites are tuna pasta salad, tuscan pasta salad, and macaroni salad. Yum! If you love pasta salads, then you will definitely love this delicious and refreshing Greek Pasta Salad. It tastes amazing, and is perfect for a quick healthy lunch.

GREEK PASTA SALAD

• 12 oz. uncooked whole wheat pasta
• 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 cucumber
• 3 to 4 tomatoes
• 1/2 can olives (15 oz.)
• 2-3 oz. crumbled feta cheese
• 3 c. cooked chickpeas (drained)
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 4 tbsp. lemon juice
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. salt (or to taste)
• pepper (to taste)

First you will need to cook your pasta.  I recommend using bow-ties, rotini, or penne. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Rinse with cool water and drain well.

While your pasta is cooking, you can prepare the vegetables you will be using. Thinly slice your onion, but cut the cucumber and tomato into chunks. If you want to add more veggies into this salad, feel free to do so. You could add some bell pepper, parsley, and maybe even some spinach. Next you will need to toss together the pasta, vegetables, olives, feta, and chickpeas.

Now you will need to make the dressing. In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, mustard, and seasonings. Stir well and drizzle over the pasta salad. Toss the salad again until the dressing is evenly distributed throughout. Keep chilled until ready to serve. (It tastes best cold.)

When your pasta is nicely chilled, enjoy this delicious healthy meal!

This recipe is super simple, and takes less than 30 minutes to make. I hope you enjoy this Greek Pasta Salad. Please let me know if you try this. Did you add more veggies? What are your favorite pasta salads?

If you have any questions or suggestions, please comment below. Also, don't forget to subscribe to the Fit2Be Blog to stay updated on all the recipes, workouts, articles, and more.

Have an awesome day and may God bless you always!

Lots of Love,

Mariah

What I Ate Wednesday

As I was sipping on my green tea, I thought it would be the perfect time to share with you what I have eaten today. Over these next few days, I shall be focusing more on consuming fruits, veggies, and protein. Please don't misunderstand me, carbs are wonderful and important for a healthy body. However, I have discovered that my body responds better to a more veggie-full diet. It has been my observation, that by eating mostly fruits/veggies and protein, I feel lighter/leaner, more energized, and definitely healthier.

Eating wholesome carbs (brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread) in balance is absolutely wonderful, and I am not recommending omitting them from your diet. Honestly, I love carbs... and maybe a bit too much. It's not hard too consume to many, and even if you are eating healthy, wholesome carbs, in needs to be in moderation. 

Personally, if my typical day was like this, I know I wouldn't feel too great. 

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Snack: Banana, 7 almonds

Lunch: Peanut butter & jelly sandwich, salad

Snack: Green tea, granola bar

Dinner: Baked sweet potato, 1c. broccoli, grilled chicken

Dessert: 2 tbsp. chocolate chips w/ popcorn

Eat-clean/Be-lean Day

Breakfast: Chai tea, banana pancakes, 1 c. mixed berries

Snack: Green tea, 10 almonds, 1 tbsp. raisins

Lunch: 2 hard boiled eggs, large salad

Snack: 1/2 c. cottage cheese, 1/4 c. applesauce

Dinner: Grilled chicken, 1/2 c. brown rice, 1 c. broccoli

Dessert: Low-fat frozen yogurt w/ berries

Anyway, I figured that sharing each meal/snack with you, would keep me accountable. I'll just be posting some picture with a brief description. If you want the recipe for anything, let me know. Otherwise, I do not intend to post these recipes.

So, here's my breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, and treat!

8:30 A.M.

This morning I was rushing to get my breakfast. I had planned on having a veggie omelet, but with all the rushing I got confused and my omelet became a veggie scramble. First I sauteed my veggies. I had 1/2 onion, garlic, some corn, and mushrooms. Then in a sprayed pan I mixed 1 large egg with 1 tbsp. of salsa. I ate the eggs over the veggies, and then topped it off with another tablespoon of salsa, and a sprinkle of feta cheese as a garnish. :)

I forgot to snap a picture of the rest of my meal, but I had 12 almonds and 1 tbsp. of raisins. Then for lunch I had this fantastic salad. Oh my, beans are sooo good on salad.

They are a great source of protein for those times when you don't want eggs or meat.

12:00 P.M.

This salad was just so scrumptious! I put white beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans over my salad. I don't know how much salad I had, but I had about 1 cup of beans.

I ate this with my favorite balsamic dressing. Yum!

I started getting hungry at around 2:30, so I made myself some turkey tomato roll-ups, and a cup of green tea. It was a the perfect light snack to hold me over.

2:30 P.M.

I took four slices of turkey, and covered them with sliced tomato. Then I squirted some mustard over them and rolled them up. This snack was inspired by Cassey Ho at Blogilates.com.

Okay, here's the last one! For dinner I had another salad - no beans this time - and a little banana treat. Everyone was eating peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, and I wanted one so badly! I didn't give in to the craving though, I found a way to satisfy my desire without the bread!

These peanut butter banana bites hit the spot! My pb&j craving vanished. It' so rewarding to create healthy alternatives. :) I didn't know what to call these babies. They are mini pb&j sandwiches on banana, with a cottage cheese and cinnamon dip. Anyway, they're delicious, so next time you're craving a peanut butter & jelly sandwich, try this!

Now let's all just admire how cute these are and how wonderfully these pictures came out!

I sliced one banana, ate half before, and used the other half for these sandwiches.

I didn't measure anything this time. I'd guess I used about 1 tbsp. of peanut butter and 
1 tbsp. of strawberry jam. I used a heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese for the center dip, and sprinkled them with cinnamon.

I am so pleased with how these came out! They look so gourmet! Wow! Please try these and let me know how you like them. They are a perfect snack or a nice little treat for your sweet tooth. Of course you can make these even more like a desert by adding chocolate shavings, chocolate sauce, or maybe chocolate chips. If you have any other ideas on how to make these a healthy dessert, please comment below and share your thoughts.

Well, goodnight! I hope that your Wednesday was wonderful and filled with all the blessings of our Lord. :) Check back tomorrow for more healthy recipes! I will be sharing my Thursday meals with all of you. Also, I am going to my brother's soccer practice tomorrow, and will share with ya'll the exercises I'll be doing with my sis. :)

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Just Add Eggs

Okay, here's a quick post about transforming your salads.

Today I had a salad for lunch. Yesterday I had a salad for lunch and dinner. The day before that I had another salad for lunch. You would think that I might be getting tired of salad by now. 

Nope. 

I could go for another bowl of that goodness right now. :)

I love salads, and I never tire of eating them. However, if you are someone that finds salads a bit boring, or not too flavorful, then this simple trick is for you.

I have found the secret ingredient to a taste-sensation salad. And that is... hard boiled eggs. That's all it takes. Of course you want a good dressing, but I've already discussed that. I've even given you the recipe for the very best balsamic dressing known to man.

Anyway, if you add a hard boiled egg (or two) to your salad, it instantly becomes incredible. The other day I was eating a bowl of chopped lettuce with dressing. I added a hard boiled egg and it was a whole new experience. Hard boiled eggs provide a creamy goodness in every bite. I cannot adequately describe how delicious this is, so just trust me and go make yourself a salad with hard boiled eggs. If you top it off with my balsamic dressing, it's a guaranteed success.

Please let me know if you try this. Have you already tried salad with hard boiled eggs? Do you like it? Do you love it? Let me know in the comments below. I love hearing form you.

Also, if you want to see more tips on spicing up your salads, just let me know. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, so please don't hesitate to ask.

Have a lovely day and may God bless you! :)

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Balancing My Meals

Lately, I have been trying to eat balanced healthy meals. I am focusing on eating clean and controlling my portion sizes. Last night, I wanted a light dinner that I could put together quickly. We were really low on fruit and veggies, so I tried to get creative with what we had. The healthiest choices I saw were black beans, eggs, and the cucumber or carrots that were in the fridge. Carrots didn't sound too appealing, but that cucumber looked pretty good. I decided I would cook a couple hard boiled eggs, throw together some cucumber salad, and have some black beans. That way, I got my protein, carbs, and veggies.

It was such a perfect dinner, and I was really pleased with how simple it was. If you have hard boiled eggs already prepared, this dinner should take you maybe five minutes to put together. I didn't mind waiting the fifteen minutes for my eggs, but it would've been a lot faster if they had already been made.

I made myself two eggs, but I ended up eating only one and giving the other one two my sister. Just a little side note - this was inspired by Taralynn Mcnitt over at Undressed Skeleton. She is an awesome healthy living blogger, and is super motivational. Check her out! I love her laptop lunches, they are so cute! This was the closest I could get to a laptop lunch. Mine looks more like this one.

This meal is so simple you don't even need a recipe. However, if you've never heard of this salad, I just posted the cucumber salad recipe, so check that out! 

After dinner I was craving something sweet. Well, it's sweet-free September for me, so I some frozen walnuts and raisins instead. It was completely satisfying and a great way to end the night.

Well, I'm off to bed now! I hope you get to try the cucumber salad recipe soon. It is one of my very favorites! If you happen to try it, please let me know how you like it. Also, please comment below and share your thoughts about eating clean, balanced meals, this meal, or whatever you fancy. I love hearing from you guys! Thanks for reading and may God bless you exceedingly and abundantly!

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Cool Cucumber Salad

Are you ready to taste one of the most amazing salads on earth?

Prepare yourself, because this, my friends, is pure goodness. It is refreshing, crunchy, light, and oh - so - good. It's too good. It is practically unbelievable how scrumptious this salad is. Do you know what is one of the most unbelievable things about it? It's only two ingredients. Yup - two.

This simple combination should not be underestimated though. These two ingredients are  all you need for instant deliciousness. And they are (drumroll...) cucumbers and mayonnaise!

That is all! How simple is that? It couldn't get any easier! (Well, maybe you could just eat a cucumber...) But this is revolutionary! A simple salad of cucumbers and mayo.

My mom made this a few weeks ago and it was one of the best things I have ever tasted. Wow! I told my mom that I wanted cucumber salad for my birthday, and wedding. This would be a perfect dish to serve at a small backyard wedding, or a simple tea.

If you've ever had tomato & mayo, this is ten times better. Okay, now for the simple recipe. You can adjust it to your liking, but this is how I prefer mine.

Cucumber Salad

• 1 large cucumber
• 1 tbsp.  light mayonnaise

Isn't this complicated? ;)

Okay, this should take you about five minutes to throw together. First, peel your cucumber.

 Next, cut it in half and then slice and chop each of the halves.

 Pour your cucumber into a bowl and add a heaping scoop of mayonnaise. 

Now stir this up and devour!

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Please comment and let me know if you loved it! I really appreciate your feedback and love hearing from you guys. Thank you so much! I hope that your Wednesday is fabulous, and may God bless you in all that you do.

Lots of Love,

Mariah

Salads of Summer

It's September! Even though summer is over, you can still enjoy some salad. Here are some of my favorite salads from this summer. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

Get the recipes here:

Summer Garden Salad

Tuna Cabbage Salad

Carrot Cabbage Salad

Balsamic Black Bean Salad

Balsamic Black Bean Salad

I went on a picnic with my sister, and we had veggie meatloaf and salad. If you want me to post the recipe for the meatloaf, let me know. It's one of the best tasting dishes you will ever have. We make it about every other week, and it's usually gone in a day.

Okay- you don't have to ask, I'll post it. :)

Anyway, we are supposed to be focusing on this lovely salad. This salad is really very simple, it's the dressing that makes it a hit. Any mixed greens should be fine, just add some black beans and balsamic dressing, and you will have a masterpiece. For this salad, I threw together a mixture of romaine and iceberg lettuce. I topped it with onion, corn, peas, and black beans. I used about 1/2 cup of canned black beans, and maybe a tablespoon or two of our homemade balsamic dressing. This balsamic dressing is one my very favorites, and it makes any salad taste amazing. I hope you enjoy it!

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

• 1.5 cups olive oil
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 tbsp. fresh garlic (or 6 large cloves)

Mix all of these ingredients together in your blender until it reaches a smooth consistency. That's all! Now go try this dressing on your favorite salad!

Blessings,

Mariah

Coleslaw

I love coleslaw. It's delicious, crunchy, light and healthy! Besides tasting wonderful, it is also incredibly easy to throw together. This salad can be ready in minutes.

Another wonderful thing about this salad, is that it is low-calorie, so if you are trying to lose weight, or limit your calorie intake, this is perfect. You can eat it as a snack, or as a side dish, maybe even as your meal. :)

Adjust the dressing to lighten this up some more if you like. Cabbage, carrots, and raisins are so good on their own, that you don't have to eat them with anything!

However, I recommend using a dressing, that's really what makes this delicious, and just adds that touch of goodness. :)

• 1 head of cabbage
• 6 medium carrots
• 1/2 cup of raisins
• 2 tbsp. of apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise

We used a large head of cabbage, so we added more mayonnaise to ours. If you are using a regular or small amount of cabbage, 1/2 cup of mayonnaise should be enough. You might even be able to reduce it.

Get out a large bowl and add in your ingredients as they are ready. Shred six carrots, finely shred your cabbage, and add in the raisins. This is your salad. Now for the dressing!

 In a separate bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar. Pour this dressing over the salad and mix well. That's it - now go and enjoy this refreshing salad! 

I hope that you get to try this yummy carrot cabbage salad/coleslaw. Please comment below and let me know if you try it. Thanks so much! Have a fabulous day and may God bless you! :)

Lots of love,

Mariah

Cabbage Salad & Banana Cookies

The other day I was so hungry, and I wanted something cool, crisp, and healthy for lunch. I threw together this healthy cabbage salad, and cooked up some mixed veggies too.

This salad consists of about 1 cup of cabbage, 5 slices of tomato, onion slices, 6 cucumber slices, 1/4 cup of tuna, 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise, and a few peas as a garnish. Also, I added a dash of salt, pepper, and a squirt of a secret sauce my dad makes. It was really good! (I took this picture while my other veggies were cooking.)

 While I fixed myself a salad, I had some cinnamon banana cookies baking in the oven. I got this recipe from Taralynn McNitt at Undressed Skeleton. When I saw them I thought that they looked so good, and I had just had to try them.

(These are her cookies - they look big, beautiful, and delicious!)

I was getting ready to make the cookies, and went into the kitchen to see if we had any flax seeds. I glanced at the fruit basket to see how many bananas were left. My dad was standing in the kitchen eating the last one. He caught me looking for bananas, and asked if I  had planned on eating one. Long story short, when he saw I needed a banana, he offered me what was left of his. That was just so sweet... there was about half a banana left - exactly what I needed. He's the best. :)

So, I whipped together these cookies and popped them in the oven. They were so easy to make!

Cinnamon Banana Cookies

• 1/2 medium banana
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1 tbsp. oats
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda (recommend using less)

Mix these ingredients together in a bowl and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking sheet and drop three, tablespoon sized, cookies on there. I made four instead of three. When your oven is ready, bake these for about 10-12 minutes. Let them cool and then dig in and enjoy! These are a healthy treat that are guilt-free. They are also gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats. These only have 30 calories per cookie!

The first cookie I ate was delicious! I loved it and was so pleasantly surprised by the absolute goodness. However, the second and third cookie were a bit too salty. I would recommend reducing the baking soda to about 1/4 tsp., and I would use a bit more banana next time. I had roughly half a banana, but not quite. It might have helped if I had more banana and less baking soda. 

I enjoyed my cookies with a glass of skim milk. My salad was finished, but the veggies weren't done cooking, and I was making my brother a sandwich. So I snacked on these cookies while I made the veggies and sandwich, then I went and enjoyed my complete lunch.

These cooked veggies are my very favorite mix. They are so amazing. I cook them in less than a tablespoon of olive oil until they are soft and warm. They need no salt or pepper - or anything! If you prefer your veggies without the extra calories from oil, spread them out on a baking pan, and broil them until done. They are fantastic this way! This mix is a bag I get at my grocery store - Aldi. It's called California Medley. They are so delicious, so if you can get a bag - try them! ;)

In this picture you can see that my cookies are a bit smaller and darker than Taralynn's. As I said before, I will make these again with more banana, and less baking soda. You could add raisins, coconut, or nuts to this, just remember that by doing so you will be increasing the amount of calories.

Well, thanks for reading! I hope that this post was helpful and inspiring. Please let me know if you try these cookies. I would love to hear how they turn out for you. Taralynn said that they were phenomanal, so even though mine weren't fantastic, I'm not giving up. I want all of my cookies to taste amazing - not just one. :) If you take my advice and reduce the baking soda, they should be fantastic. Also, if you happen to try my tuna cabbage salad, please let me know how you liked it. Thanks! Have an awesome day and a blessed week! 

Love & Grace,

Mariah