Cinco de Mayo Menu

It's Cinco de Mayo today and that means enjoying yummy Tex Mex food at our house!  Here are some of my favorites:

Appetizer:

Marinated Black Beans and Tortilla Chips

What you need:

2 cans 29 oz black beans, drained

1 c green onions sliced

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (leave in some seeds for heat)

1/4 c cilantro, roughly chopped

1 c lemon juice (6 lemons)

1 c olive oil

Avocado diced

What you do:

Mix all ingredients together except avocado.  Store in a shallow dish with a lid in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.  When you're ready to serve, add in the avocado and give a big stir.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Main:

Jessica Alba's Chicken Enchiladas...the secret's in the sauce!  This is easy to make gluten free if you read your labels!

Festive Drink:

Spicy Paloma

What you need:

8 oz Central Market's Italian Grapefruit Soda

2 oz Tequila

Tajin Chili Lime rim mix

Ice

Grapefruit slices and rosemary for garnish

What you do:

Wet the rim of your glass with a slice of grapefruit and dip into Tajin seasoning.  Add ice, the soda, and the tequila to the glass and garnish.

Dessert

Tres Leches Bundt Cake

What you need:

Cake:

1 box white cake mix

1 large (or 2 small )box instant coconut pudding

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 c water

1/4 c milk

4 eggs

Icing:

Sweetened Condensed milk (about 1/2 cup)

4 c powdered sugar

1/2 c butter, softened

French Vanilla coffee creamer (we us SO Delicious) to taste

Caramel topping

What you do:

Cake:

Preheat your oven to 350.  Combine all cake ingredients and pour into a prepared bundt pan (I use Baker's Joy). Bake for about 45 minutes of until knife inserted comes out clean. Let it sit until it's cool enough for you to turn it out on a plate and immediately poke all over with a fork and drizzle the sweetened condensed milk.

Icing:

Cream butter and sugar adding enough coffee creamer to make it the right consistency.  Smooth over cake and drizzle caramel. Enjoy!

What are some of your Cinco de Mayo traditions?

Turkey Chili

 

It's February so apparently winter has decided to arrive and stick around here in Houston.  After being out of town for my birthday trip, I've been out of the groove of meal planning and grocery shopping which made dinner this week look like:

Monday - pizza

Tuesday - rotisserie chicken, steam in the bag broccoli, and baked sweet potatoes

Wednesday - salmon, rice, and steam in the bag green beans

So Thursday I actually did a real grocery haul incase we got iced in and I made White Chicken Chili and bought ingredients for classic chili (recipes in my newest newsletter; subscribe here.)

So I thought I'd share our favorite turkey chili.  It's adapted from the Mom-a-licious cookbook and my kids prefer this to classic chili hands down; plus it's leaner.

What you need:

1 lb turkey

1/4 c onion, diced

2 T cumin

2 cloves garlic minced

1 T tamari

1 can fire roasted tomatoes

1 can black beans

1 can kidney beans

1 can chopped green chilis

chicken broth

2 t chili powder (or more or less to taste)

1 t onion powder (or more or less to taste)

garlic salt to taste

What you do:

1. In a saute pan, saute onion in olive oil until translucent ~4 minutes (add garlic for the last minute of cooking time so you don't burn it).

2. Add in cumin and combine.

3. In a big pot, brown turkey and tamari browning turkey until no pink remains. Drain fat and then add the onion mixture to it.

4. Add in beans, tomatoes, chiles and broth (eyeball this until desired consistency.

5. Add in the rest of your spices adjusting to taste.

We like ours over rice and served with fritos.

Company Green Beans

 Y'all.  I was missing a key ingredient for my green beans and improvised and came up with an even better version - I love happy accidents!  These are so good we're calling them Company green beans because they are easy to make and a crowd pleaser. Having company over for dinner can be daunting, so keep it simple and stress free!

What you need:

Steam in the bag green beans

2 T minced garlic

"Onion Salt" from Trader Joe's

Lemon

What you do:

1. Steam your green beans in the bag in the microwave for half the time (my HEB brand says 3-4 minutes but I think they're too mushy, so I do it for 2 minutes).  

2.  Meanwhile heat some olive oil in a skillet and then put the steamed green beans in and season with the onion salt to taste (I probably used 2 ish teaspoons).

3.  When the green beans are almost done cooking, add in the garlic and cook one more minute.  

4. Squeeze a lemon over it and serve immediately!

They went great with grilled New York Strip and a baked sweet potato.  Eating clean can be easy and delish!

Let me know if you try it!

Clean Spice Mixes

It's January so many of you are embarking on Whole 30 (bless your hearts), so it's time to read some labels or make your own spice mixes.  It's super easy to make your own and keep gross chemicals out of your family's dinner.

Here are three of my favorites:

Wicked Spatula's Clean Ranch 

I use this on Mississippi Pot Roast which we repurpose a second night for pulled beef tacos - yum!

Homemade Taco Seasoning:

2 T chili powder

1 T cumin

1 T sea salt

1/2 T black pepper

1/2 T paprika

2 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1 t dried oregano

1/8 t cayenne (optional)

Keep in an airtight container and use 2 T per pound of meat for recipes. We love this for ground turkey tacos, stuffed bell peppers, or slow cooker chicken tacos.

Clean Chili Seasoning:

12 T chili powder

3 T garlic powder

3 T cumin

2 T onion powder

1 ½  T sea salt

2 t paprika

2 t dried minced onion

1 t pepper

Pour into a Mason jar and shake til combined. Use 3-4 T per 2 lbs of ground beef for chili.

Now, reconsider Whole 30 and jump into my FASTer Way group starting TOMORROW.  We will eat rice and beans and peanuts (plus lots of other stuff) because I don't want to live in a world without any of that.  Check it out here:

 https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/#robinince

My email subscribers will be receiving my leftover guide in their inboxes today for easy, clean meal prep for the new year.  Subscribe here:

https://mailchi.mp/6fa9c696734d/fasterwaywithrobin

Happy 2022!

XO,

Robin

Cooking Seasonally: December

Lots of produce goodness in season this December and Brussels Sprouts are at the top of my list. They are my favorite vegetable hands down.

 Fun fact: Brussels sprouts are the only craving I had during any of my pregnancies.  

For the whole December guide join my email list: https://mailchi.mp/6fa9c696734d/fasterwaywithrobin 

Here are 3 of my favorite ways to serve them:

Easy: Carrabbas Style

What you need:

4 pieces of sugar free bacon

Brussels sprouts

Lemon

What you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

2. Cook your bacon in a dutch oven and reserve

3. Wash and halve your Brussels sprouts

4. Crank up the heat and stir fry your Brussels Sprouts in the bacon grease until they get a little char 

5. Put the lid on and pop in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until they are as soft as you prefer.

6. In a separate bowl, toss Brussels sprouts and crunched up the bacon; squeeze a lemon over them, stir and serve immediately.

Easier: Stir Fried

What you need:

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Brussels Sprouts

Minced garlic

Garlic salt

What you do:

1. Heat the pan on high heat, add the EVOO and let it get shimmery.

2. Wash and halve your Brussels sprouts

3. Add your Brussels sprouts being careful of splattering oil and sprinkle with garlic salt.  Adjust the temp as necessary to get a good char but not burn.  Cook until desired softness stirring constantly. Add in the garlic for the last minute being careful not to burn it.

Easiest: Roasted and tossed with balsamic reduction

What you need:

Brussels Sprouts

Balsamic Vinegar

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Wash and halve your Brussels sprouts

3. Roast until desired doneness and make reduction while roasting ( bring 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a gentle boil, reduce heat to simmer. Stir frequently - it's done when it's reduced and coats your spoon.)

4. Toss roasted Brussels sprouts in sauce and serve

What's your favorite Brussels sprouts recipe?  I'm looking for a good one with pomegranate seeds!

{Cooking Seasonally} Kale Edition

I'm starting a new series to post our favorite recipes by season called Cooking Seasonally!

We're fighting for our best health by being proactive about our diets.  Gut health is a huge way to boost immunity, and to make eating our fruit and veg more fun, we focus on eating seasonally.  This gives our kids a wide variety of produce to try and makes it special since we look forward to what's in season. I love sharing this tradition around the table as we learn to try a wider variety of fresh produce.

November has some of our favorites (apples, broccoli, pears, cabbage, and kale to name a few) - want the whole list?  Sign up for my Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/6fa9c696734d/fasterwaywithrobin

Here are two of our favorite kale recipes:

Kale Salad from Urban Organic Gardener - we also add in other seasonal veg (here we have shredded carrots and broccoli)

Tuscan Bean Soup:

What you need:

2 lbs lean turkey breakfast sausage (mild Jennie-O)

1 c shredded carrots

6 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 c onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans of cannellini beans with liquid 

6 c chicken broth

2 c kale

Brown Rice Pasta Spirals (Tinkyada)

What you do:

1. Simultaneously brown meat in large pot (reserve on a plate) and in a separate pot, cook pasta according to directions.

2. Add veg to meat pot at med-hi heat, stir to saute and then lower heat and cover with lid for ~5 minutes or until veg starts to soften. Add in garlic and cook 1 minute more.

3. Add in meat, beans, stock and bring to a boil then simmer.  Add in pasta and kale a few minutes before you are ready to serve.

This is such a clean and cozy crowd pleaser and tastes amazing as leftovers.  You could sub leftover turkey for the sausage after Thanksgiving!

Want my whole seasonal produce list with more recipes? Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter!

Savory Pumpkin Chili

I've been working on developing a yummy pumpkin chili, and this one is a winner!  I don't prefer sweet chili and this recipe, despite its sweet ingredients, comes out rich and savory.  It's got a little kick but can be easily adjusted by decreasing the cayenne so that it's not too hot for the kiddos.

What you need:

1 lb grass fed ground beef

1/2 c onion, diced

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 - 15 oz can pumpkin 

1 - 15 oz can red kidney beans

1 - 29 oz can petite diced tomatoes

1 c chicken broth (I use Central Market's brand because it's gluten free)

2 T chili powder

1 T Cocoa + Espresso powder (I used CocoaX brand)

1 1/2 t cinnamon

3 t ground cumin

2 t kosher salt

1/2 t black pepper

1/2 or 1/4 t cayenne depending on preference

Garnish: diced red onion, avocado and cilantro

What to do:

1. In a large pot, add 1-2 T olive oil and saute your onions for about 4 minutes and then add minced garlic for the last minute.  

2. Add beef to the pot and brown, breaking it up as you cook.  Drain the fat once no pink remains in the beef.

3. Add all other ingredients and stir until smooth.  Simmer for 30 minutes (stir occasionally).

4. Garnish and enjoy!

Building a Summer Buddha Bowl + Summer Dip Guide

 I don't know about y'all but I'm happiest in the summer, when I can pull ready made sides out of the refrigerator and leave Taylor to man the grill.  Check out our favorite dips that are perfect accompaniments for building a summer buddha bowl.  I make up some quinoa and our favorite dips ahead of time ahead of time and everyone can build their bowls how they like. 

Add protein, quinoa, massaged kale (Mix 1 cup of kale  with 1/4 T olive oil and a dash of sea salt and massage it down), and your favorite dip from my Summer Dip guide. Top with salsa.

Here is our favorite salsa recipe:

2 roma tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 of a small purple onion

1 jalapeno, seeded to desired hotness 

1/2 bunch of cilantro (pull off from the long stems but no need to pull off every leaf since it's going in the blender)

1 t cumin

1 t sea salt

1 dash garlic salt

1 or 2 shakes of Tabasco

Throw in the blender until combined but not soupy. Eat with good tortilla chips or top your taco salad or Mexican buddha bowl.

And click here to sign up for my FASTer Way Newsletter.  I'll be sending out My Summer Dip Guide later this week!

https://mailchi.mp/6fa9c696734d/fasterwaywithrobin

Monday Meal Planning : Mississippi Pot Roast 2 Ways

 Y'all know I am alllllll about making my leftovers work for me.  Here is a killer combination that will keep you out of the kitchen and in the pool!

Night #1:

Slow Cooker {Clean} Mississippi Pot Roast with Roasted Red Potatoes

Throw your chuck roast in your slow cooker, add 2 1/2 T of Wicked Spatula's Clean Ranch Packet to keep it dairy free, a jar of pepperoncinis, a cup or 2 of water so that the bottom is covered in liquid and there is enough moisture so that the meat doesn't burn.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours (until beef is cooked through and easy to shred with two forks.

While this is cooking, marinate your red onion for tomorrow's tacos by cutting up red onion, covering with red wine vinegar and a sprinkle of oregano.  Cover and store in fridge for tomorrow.

Serve pot roast with a side of red potatoes and a salad.

Baked red potatoes:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Prep rimmed cookie sheet by covering with foil.

In a large ziplock place quartered potatoes, a drizzle of olive oil, a T of the ranch seasoning, zip bag and mix ingredients together.

Pour bag contents in an even layer on the cookie sheet and bake for ~40 minutes or until fork tender.

Night #2:

Pulled Beef Tacos with Marinated Red Onion

Reheat leftover beef, top tortillas with beef, marinated red onions, and drizzle with sriracha aioli

Sriracha Aioli:

1/4 c clean mayo (we use Primal Kitchen)

1 T sriracha

Come Out of Hiding

Excuses.

I'm the queen of them. And I'm not the only one.  I come from a long line of excuse makers (and you do too). This is the pattern we were born into, but we have the power to break out of this because God is in the business of dealing with excuse makers.  He steps into our brokenness.  And when we hide and make leaf clothes, he draws us out, 

He says, "where are you?" 

Did you hear that?  

When we deliberately disobey him, he moves toward us NOT away from us.

God is NOT in the business of canceling. He is in the business of restoration.

Y'all.  He's omniscient.  

He knows where they are so why does He ask them that?  

Because in their broken mess, in their insufficient leaf clothes, He's extending an invitation to walk with Him.  

We don't clean ourselves up before we come to Him because we can't.  

He asks us to show up - insufficient leaf clothes and all - to receive the sufficient covering only He can provide.

The leaf clothes aren't going to cut it, the excuses are insufficient, the blame shifting doesn't work on Him.  HE is the only One who can provide acceptable covering, but first we have to own up to what's really going on.  

Where are you?

When you own up to falling short, you're accepting the invitation that calls you out of hiding and sufficiently clothes you.  Costly, expensive clothes paid for by Another.  

No more excuses. 

Come out of hiding, own up to where you are, and receive what was purchased on your behalf.

This is the way of repentance, marked out for us from the Beginning. Admit the lie {where are you?} and receive the covering purchased by Jesus.  Repentance isn't just, "I'm sorry for doing the thing.  Help me not to do the thing again."  It's uncovering the lie and replacing it with the Truth.

What excuses do you need to let go of and what truth do you need to admit?

Subscribe here to get my free Reflection Guide.

XO,

Robin

What's On My Table: Beef Bourguignon

One of my passions is to show that healthy, whole food eating doesn't mean boring and flavorless food! That's not a way to live.  You shouldn't have to choose between healthy and delicious! On Thursdays, I'm doing a series here called "What's On My Table" like I do on my IG account: @fasterwaywithrobin .  I will be using past recipes until my kitchen is back in order.  I hope you'll follow along!   Please give me recipes you would like to see cleaned up, and I'll add those to the rotation when I'm able.

Houston is about to have a huge cold snap, so if I had a working kitchen, Beef Bourguignon would be on my menu for Saturday.  It takes a little longer to make, so buy precut stew meat to cut down on prep time.  I love eating this for treat day on a thick slice of garlic rubbed toasted French bread, and then eating the leftovers (without the bread) on low carb day.  It's one of those recipes that makes your house smell incredible, and it tastes even better leftover.  I love making this for company or large gatherings.

Clean Beef Bourguignon

This base recipe comes from Ina Garten with tweaks I've made to keep it clean.

8 oz SUGAR FREE bacon (I use Pederson's)

2 1/2 lbs stew meat (1 inch cubes)

Kosher salt 

Pepper

1 pound petite baby carrots 

2 yellow onions, sliced

1 T garlic, minced

1 bottle dry red wine (I use 2 buck chuck Merlot from Trader Joe's)

2-4 c beef broth

1 T tomato paste

1/2 t dried thyme

4 T vegan butter

1 1/2 T arrow root starch

1 lb fresh mushrooms (I like baby bellas), washed, stems removed and sliced

Method:

*Preheat oven to 250 degreed F

1. Cook your bacon in a Dutch oven. Reserve on a paper towel lined plate.

2. Salt and pepper stew meat and then brown in bacon fat. Reserve with bacon.

3. Toss carrots and onions and 1 T salt into the Dutch oven and cook 10-15 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.

4. Add meat into pot and then crumble the bacon into the pot.

5. Add wine (yes, the ENTIRE bottle ;) ), and beef broth until meat is covered.  Then add thyme and tomato paste and bring to a simmer.

6. Place lid on Dutch oven and put stew in the oven for 1 1/4 hour.

7. Melt 2 T of vegan butter and combine with the arrowroot starch. Stir into Dutch oven. (You can skip this step but it won't be thick the first day).

8. Saute mushrooms in last 2 T of butter and add them to the pot. Stir to combine.

Serve over toasted French bread that has been rubbed with fresh garlic, with egg noodles, or by itself.  My kids prefer it over the noodles, and Taylor and I eat it with bread for treat day and as a stew on low carb days.

This is my longest recipe, but don't be intimidated by it's length.  Each step is super easy, and I promise it's worth it!

Mourning the Small Things

#tbt to the place I miss the most, to a time when I didn’t even consider the possibility of owning a mask or giving someone a wide berth when walking down Front Street. A time when you could smile at strangers and they could actually see your whole face and smile back.

Most days we wear our masks and get on with life as normal as best as we can, but yesterday, one of my kids broke down. He had had enough. He needed to mourn. Mourn the fact that Covid has changed our world and given us a new normal that means if someone has a sniffle, things are canceled. And he’s tired of things being canceled. We both are.

I told him I could relate. Yesterday I walked into a restaurant without a mask. This was completely unintentional. My scattered self has done this a couple times before (ALWAYS on accident), but this time was different.

I was confronted immediately by an employee demanding that I put on my mask. I was embarrassed and then I was angry. I wanted to shout at her, “this is NOT normal!”

Don’t worry, I didn’t. #enneagram9

I walked back out and got my mask and processed my reaction.  Usually I'm a happy little rule follower, but it hit me afresh that wearing a mask is NOT normal.   And while I understand why we wear them, I hadn’t really allowed myself to grieve the, yes small, but in many ways profound loss of freedom that cute fabric from Athleta represents. It is a daily, sometimes, hourly reminder every time we leave the house that something is not right in the world.  And when we don't take the time to mourn, to allow ourselves to feel sad, the grief turns into anger or bitterness and the bigger loss is that we miss out on the comfort of the Lord (Matthew 5:4).

 

I reminded my child (and myself), that we mourn but not without hope and not without comfort. And as believers we look at our suffering through a different lens than the world. Instead of asking, “God, why are you doing this to me?” We ask Him, “God, what are you doing?” Asking Him to open our eyes, hearts, and minds to the good we see Him bringing about in these bizarre times we are living in instead of just waiting for everything to go back to a normal that might not come.

God what are you doing? 

This question takes trusting Him that the path He has us on is right. He is not surprised that there is a worldwide pandemic.  He has not stopped being able to use what was meant for evil for good (Genesis 50:20). We trust Him with the big picture - that He has the end planned, and we can only see the piece of the path we need to see in this moment. And He is with us (Psalm 23:5).

We can trust Him because what looked like the biggest train wreck in the history of the world, the Cross, was the very thing He used to save us.

So we mourn our losses big and small. Process them through prayer and conversations with empathetic friends.  We have a God who leads us in paths of righteousness, comforts us through the valley of the shadow of death, and walks with us on every part of the journey.

If you’re struggling with this too, I highly recommend Psalm 23, Genesis 37-50, Romans 8 for meditation.

 

2020 Books!

I met my Good Reads 2020 goal with 6 to spare thanks to quarantine.  Check out my Instagram @fasterwaywithrobin to see all 46 of my 2020 reads! 

Women of the Word by Jen Wilkin was probably my most important read of 2020.  If you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it.

I had the HARDEST time narrowing down my top 3 fiction for 2020, but here they are along with some honorable mentions:

Honorable Mentions:

Summer of 69 - This was in my #1 spot for most of the year but my fall/winter reading edged it out.  If you like Elin Hilderbrand, add this to your list! The cultural references are super fun, and I enjoyed the characterization and story line.  I wish Summer of '79 was an entire novel!

The Hate U Give - Excellent read; the perspective was helpful and the main character, Starr, was so endearing.  Seeing the circumstances through her eyes was very eye opening.

A Woman is No Man - This was my first read of 2020 and it stayed with me all year.  

All Your Perfects - Her struggle in this story was similar to ours, and I thought Colleen Hoover handled it so well.  I loved the main characters and watching them navigate this particular hardship in their marriage.

Top 3 Fiction:

3. 

Winter in Paradise by ElinHilderbrand

I devoured all 3 books in this series in about a 3 week period between Thanksgiving and Christmas - it was perfection. As usual, Elin's characterization is just perfect, and I enjoyed the departure from Nantucket to St. John.  It starts out with the unraveling of a husband's secret and the novel unfolds as his wife begins to uncover the truth behind the facade of what she thought was a solid marriage.  Her sons are also primary characters giving the book depth and perspective. I loved each personality and the partial setting in Houston. The 3 books read in a row like one long novel. I wish there was a 4th!

2. 

Happiness For Beginners by Katherine Center

I thought for sure this would be in the #1 spot once it edged out Summer of '69; I even voted for it as my favorite before I finished my number one pick which was my last read of 2020. I love a couple other Katherine Center books but kept skipping over this one because of the premise, but I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed the psychology behind it, and the transformation of the main character.  Helen Carpenter is starting over.  She knows she needs to do something extreme to help get her life out of the rut it's in, so she goes on a specific journey with some unexpected and unwanted companions. 

1. 

The Simple Wild and Wild at Heart by K.A. Tucker

The first novel in this series, The Simple Wild, kept popping up everywhere, and I'm so glad I gave it a shot. I preferred the second book in the series, but you need the first for the second!  I'm currently reading the last one, but I'm reading it slowly because I don't want to say goodbye!  Calla Fletcher apprehensively visits her estranged father in Alaska after some things of importance come to light.  I was not a Calla fan at first, and was a little afraid it was going to be too predictable, but her transformation over the course of the novels is captivating, and I appreciated the twist the author throws in there.  These are probably technically romance which is not a genre I ever choose on purpose, and I definitely skipped over parts so be warned.

 

Year end book reviews are my favorites - give me ALL the recs for 2021!

Christmas Cookies: Thumbprints

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temp

1/3 c sugar

1 egg, separated

1/4 t vanilla

1/4 t almond

1 c sifted flour

1/2 t salt

4/4 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c apricot jam

Method:

1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

2. Cream butter

3. Beat in egg yolk and flavorings

4. Add in flour sifted with salt

5. Form into 36 small balls (I never can make it to 36...)

6. Dip in egg white and roll in walnuts

7. Place on parchment covered cookie sheet and press your thumb in the middle of each ball.

8.  Bake for 25 minutes

9.  Add a dollop of jam while cookies are still warm

Since I don't have the fancy "jump to recipe" button so I thought I'd put my description after in case you don't care - hah!

This is my maternal grandmother's recipe and it's just the BEST.  I don't have a sweet tooth, but these cookie are my weakness.  I'm thankful for the FASTer Way where I can plan to eat a bunch on treat day without guilt!

It's super easy to make them gluten free - just swap the regular flour with gluten free 1:1 flour.  They taste exactly the same!

Friday Favorites: Christmas Dinner Menu

 

One year when we lived in Edinburgh, I hosted Christmas at our flat, and it was EXHAUSTING.  So much respect for my mom and mother-in-law for hosting all these years with grace and cheer all the while making it look effortless! So if you're hosting, you want to make sure your Christmas Dinner Menu is delicious but LOW MAINTENANCE so you can enter into the festivities without being too preoccupied.

When I got married, I was shocked to find out that it was traditional to basically serve Thanksgiving for Christmas dinner.  Not to knock Thanksgiving because I do like it, but it's more special to have it once a year, and it's too much work to make this for Christmas in my opinion.  In case you fall in this camp, I'm giving you permission to adopt my family's Christmas menu this year.  My mom (actually her mom) is a genius for going against the grain on it because it is better than Thanksgiving! It's clean (if you skip the dessert and cocktail), and it's simple to throw together, but it looks fancy!  My goal on Christmas Day is to be present with my family NOT a slave to my kitchen.

Kellam Christmas  Dinner Menu:

1. Standing Rib Roast

Disclaimer: make sure the bottom of your oven is clean so you don't set your house on fire.  Preheat oven to 500 degrees (you read that right).  Rub roast with olive oil and salt and pepper or butter instead of olive oil if you're not dairy free.  Place roast in 500 degree oven for 5 minutes per pound (keep close watch and make sure you have a fire extinguisher handy...kidding, kind of), then turn the oven off and leave roast in there for 2 hours and DON'T OPEN THE DOOR for the entire time it's in the oven (this is a very important step because if you open it early, you could cause your entire apartment complex to have to evacuate on Christmas Day because you set off the smoke alarm...not that I know this from personal experience, ahem). In all seriousness, pay attention to it while the oven just in case ;) (we've never started a fire, but if the bottom of your oven is dirty, all bets are off at that temp).  The high heat for the first part will give you a delicious crust on the outside and then leaving it after you turn it off makes it perfect on the inside.

2. Rosemary Garlic Smashed Potatoes*

(photo from foodiecrush.com)

Click above link for recipe. *I sub olive oil to keep them dairy free!

3. The BEST Green Beans

Buy the prewashed, steam in the bag green beans (don't buy a huge bag if cooking for a crowd because cooking time can be tricky and they don't steam as well.  Buy multiple normal sized bags and steam in batches.  I under cook them a tad so they are al dente (~2 minutes) and throw in an ice bath to preserve their bright green color.  Then saute minced garlic in olive oil or butter for 30 seconds, drain green beans and add to pan sauteing on med high heat. Sprinkle with salt and stir often.  Add in a heavy pour of dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, turn up heat and reduce by half.  Squeeze a lemon over it and serve immediately.

4. Cherry Pie 

This is the easiest pie ever but for some reason is my kids' favorite.  We literally follow the cherry pie filling can directions and use a  frozen Pillsbury Pets Ritz Pie Crust and make a latticed top with Pillsbury rolled dough (refrigerated section by the biscuits). Pillsbury is the best so don't sub for a different store bought version! To make lattice, slice rolled dough into ~1 inch strips.  Line top quarter of your pie with strips pressed into the crust but folded outward on the counter.  Do this on left side quarter as well.  Weave strips together. Cover edges in foil for first part of baking time to keep it from burning and then uncover so it turns golden.

Bonus: Festive Cranberry Champagne Cocktail

Line rim with raw sugar, add 1/2 a shot of chilled rum to the glass and fill the rest with champagne and add a cranberry juice floater on top.  Add fresh cranberry and mint for garnish.

Tag me on instagram if you make any of this! @fasterwaywithrobin

Cozy Stovetop Beef Stew

What's On My Table:

Cozy Stovetop Beef Stew

 I adapted this recipe from Mix and Match Mama and swapped out some ingredients to make it cleaner.  I love this type of meal on a cold winter's night.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Olive oil for coating your pan (~ 2 T)

1 lb stew meat (should already be cut into cubes for you

1 qt beef broth

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 chopped onion, chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

2 bay leaves 

1 cup baby carrots (or 2 large carrots chopped)

2 Yukon gold potatoes (though any will work), cubed

1 1/2 tablespoon arrowroot starch

1 1/2 tablespoon water

Method:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat up oil and then brown meat (doesn't have to be cooked through just brown each side).  

3. Stir in the next 7 ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook covered for about 2 hours.  For the last 1/2 hour of cooking, add in your carrots and potatoes and cover.

4. 10 min before serving, combine your arrowroot starch with water and add to pot. Cook uncovered on the stovetop at medium high heat for about 10 minutes being sure to stir occasionally.

5. Serve in bowls with a side salad and dinner is done!

XO,

Robin

Clean Crispy Bacon

  We carb cycle in the FASTer Way to keep our body from adaptation.  We want our metabolism revved, and we want our bodies fueled properly for our workouts which paired with our food cycle promotes fat burning.  You don't have to cut carbs completely to get into fat burning mode - this isn't sustainable long term, doesn't support building lean calorie burning muscles, and means missing out on joining in around the table with loved ones.

So on low carbs days, I look forward to avocado, low carb fruit, and especially bacon because it is high in fat, but mostly because it's bacon and therefore delicious.  I detest the greasy mess and babysitting required for making it on the stove and haven't mastered the microwave, so I make it in the oven.  It's doesn't require much oversight and cleaning is a breeze.

The deets:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.  Lay bacon out on cookie sheet (make sure you get sugar free bacon - I like the Pederson's brand). Bake until it smells ready!  Check at 15 minutes, but will probably be ready closer to 20 depending on preferred crispiness.

Enjoy!