Hi friends! So, my kitchen is a mess, things are broken, Tank has gained a few pounds from eating scraps off of the floor, but I am LEARNING TO COOK! I have always known how to cook, but I have just stopped really trying in recent years.  Lots of complaints (from picky children!!!) and a fun auto-immune disease, have led to me to stick with my staples and kept me away from trying new things.  But, I do try.  And, like I have said before, the kitchen may be messy, but music is always playing, kids are dancing around, so I will keep trying.  In preparation for this post, Reid told me that I should create a new page called “When Amazing Recipes Go Wrong”.  I would have told him that was rude, but it is so true and highly amusing.  And, speaking of sweet Reid.  He sends me no less than ten new recipes a week from Delish.  I am not kidding.  Do you think he is trying to give me a hint? I think at this point he is literally screaming at me through email to get it together! Ha!

SO . . . in the past few weeks, I have been digging through your suggestions (THANK YOU!) and have actually read those food blogger posts that I follow on Instagram!  And, I found this quote last week! I mean, I am basically Julia Child, right?

So, super quick, let me tell you about an amazing juice cleanse I did a couple of weeks ago.  I had heard about Squeezed Online on the radio, and one just opened not too far away from me.  After indulging entirely too much the first half of April (Easter candy and wine go well together, by the way!), I decided to make the jump and do a four day cleanse with Squeezed Online.  You can choose anywhere from a one day cleanse to a seven day cleanse.  And, they deliver it to your front porch! There are so many options of juices, and you can work with them to design a cleanse that is perfect for you.  After four days of drinking A TON of juice and water, a few things happened.

1. I lost four pounds. YEAH! Now, we can all say this was water weight, BUT I have kept 2.5 pounds off.
2. I no longer craved processed foods or sugary treats. I went to a girls dinner the day after I stopped the cleanse, and had a hard time trying to figure out what even sounded good.
3. I craved water!!! Being a Plexus Slim girl, I have gotten used to drinking half my weight of water in ounces each day. Sometimes that can be a challenge depending on my day.  But this cleanse really helped me get that craving going even stronger.

As you read this, I am actually doing a one day cleanse to just get back on track after a weekend of fun.

The cashew milk is sinful, and I think I would do a one day cleanse every week just to have that! And, since I am such a fan, I wanted to let you guys in on an awesome deal that the great people over at Squeezed Online are offering my blog readers! Through May 31^st, if you order from Squeezed Online, use the code LUNCHBOXBABIES and get 15% off of your order! Such a great way to get on track, get ready for the summer, or just kick your sugar craving! Check them out!

ONTO THE YUMMY FOOD . . .

I was under the impression that unless I just threw something on the grill (I am still learning the art of grilling!), the terms “easy”, “quick”, and “gluten free” didn’t really go together in the recipe department. BUT . . . I have found some amazing women that are helping me discover I was wrong! And, that cooking doesn’t have to be a disaster each time.  My food may not look like the fabulous pictures on food blogs, but I am trying, and the food is actually edible.  A step up for me!  Here are a few recipes to add to your weekly round up!

WHOLE SISTERS: I have perfected the Taco Tuesday dinner over here at the Beucler House. But, I never been a fan of the store bought taco seasonings.  You can now get gluten free versions, but I have always been on the search for something healthier.  Enter Whole Sisters! Click here for the recipe!

MY WELL BALANCED LIFE: A mutual friend connected Amanda and I earlier this year. Amanda, of My Well Balanced Life, is amazing.  I am still exploring all of her great recipes, but I have found two new favorites that we will be treating ourselves to on a regular basis.

1. Paleo Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins.  People.  AMAZING.  I told my boys that they were chocolate coffee cake muffins out of a box to get them to try them, and they LOVED THEM! On a side note, I have had to regularly trick my children into eating new and different foods.  Jackson thought the rock shrimp at Shinsei was chicken for about two years until we told him it was actually shrimp.  He loved it too much at that point to care.  I don’t feel badly about this at all.  Just doing the best I can over here with picky children.  Anyway, the boys loved these muffins, and I ate more than I care to admit on this blog post.  Gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.  Make some ASAP.  You will thank me.  Click here for the recipe!

Gluten Free Mini Corndog Muffins.  I haven’t had a corn dog in years.  The gluten free versions that I have found at the store are not the best, so I never looked back.  Jackson loves a good corndog, and Trader Joe’s has a great turkey corndog in their freezer section.  When I saw Amanda’s Instagram post of this recipe, I basically stalked her until she put it up on her blog! The boys and I made this dish together, and not only was it easy, these little muffins are wonderful. Click here for the recipe!

THE DEFINED DISH: I stumbled upon The Defined Dish on Instagram one day. She is a Dallas girl that strives to eat healthy, and cook great meals for her family.  I have really enjoyed getting to know her through her blog!  I have a secret dream that she will come to my house and teach me her ways! Click here for the recipe!

PINTEREST FIND: A friend sent me a Shrimp Fajitas recipe from Pinterest.  It is important for me to tell you that I prepped this in 10 minutes one day over lunch, threw it in the fridge for the afternoon, and then baked it for 10 minutes for dinner.  So quick and easy.  Reid actually said it was the best thing that I have made in awhile.  Easy, and the husband likes it? Score one for me!

Keep your recipes and ideas coming please! I love hearing about them.  Tonight, I think we are going to do a simple grilled chicken.  Wish me luck on not catching anything on fire! Y’all have a great week! XO