Fall Break in Colorado

 

This was the first time any of the four of us ever visited the beautiful state of Colorado!  We flew Southwest direct from Nashville into Denver and rented a car from Enterprise and drove the hour and 20 min. into Frisco.  Once we headed out of Denver, we started seeing the beautiful mountains and enjoyed a scenic drive. We stayed in the Mountain Meadows condos and they have a beautiful view of the Dillon Lake Reserve.  It is also very centrally located to the cute downtown area as well as 3 grocery stores and much more!

Arrival Day:  We were all kind of tired from the day of travel and didn't really feel like getting "ready" to go out for dinner.  So we called in dinner to a local place on Main Street down town Frisco and just decided to veg out in the condo and rest!  Silverheels was the name of the place and I got the lemon pepper trout and asparagus and it was delicious!  We also had the chicken lettuce wraps as an appetizer and they were a hit as well.

DAY 2:  We headed out for breakfast at Butterhorn, and luckily beat the Sunday brunch crowd!  They had a gluten free menu and I had the breakfast taco bowl with poached eggs!  Everyone loved their food and it was so filling that we had leftovers!  After our belly's were nice and full we headed off to the Rainbow Lake trailhead.  

That afternoon we explored the downtown Frisco area and then walked around the Dillon Lake Resivor behind our condo!  The water was down this time of year so we were able to walk places that looked like it was typically under water.  Then for dinner that night just Lyrin and I decided to go out and bring dad and Landree their's back to the condo.  We found a place that had an amazing gluten free menu!  Pure Kitchen was so delicious we actually ate there twice!  We were so excited to have mozzarella cheese sticks that actually tasted good!  

DAY 3:  We did go to the local Walmart for some bottled water and hiking snacks, but for the most part we decided to eat out for breakfast and dinner everyday!  There was just too much good food here for us to not taste it all! Breakfast this particular day was at Bread + Salt in downtown Frisco.  They did not have a gluten free menu but we substituted some menu items and my poached egg were hands down the best I've ever had! This was Landree's favorite breakfast of the whole trip!

After that we drove to Dillon (Silverthorne) and hiked the Lily Pad Lake trail. This hike was a little bit harder and quite a bit longer than the first one.  The elevation made it harder to breath as our heart rtes got up, so we just took our time and rested as we needed to.  

After our hike we went back to rest and then Dad and Landree decided to go try out Pure Kitchen in person and bring Lyrin and I our dinner back.  Lyrin and I stayed in the condo and played scrabble.  

DAY 4:  This particular morning we decided to drive to Breckinridge and have breakfast there.  Cool River Coffee House was back off the Main Street and a little hard to find, not to mention very small inside, but it was delicious and again had a gluten free menu!  After we got our bellies full we took the scenic drive up the Boreas Pass all the way to the Continental Divide.  The yellow Aspens were so beautiful and the snow capped mountains too!  

Once we made it back to Frisco we went downtown for dinner on Main Street at Uptown on Main.  This was Forrest's favorite place and the drive in burger and chicken sandwich were top notch in his book!  

DAY 5:  Today we went back to breakfast at Butterhorn and then we rented e-bikes to ride the 18.4 miles around the Dillon Lake Resivor. What started out as a nice ride across the dam and into Dillon, enjoying the view of the lake the whole time, soon took a very different turn once we got to Keystone.  The bike trail was not marked very well and somehow we ended up climbing Swan Mountain and then once we stopped at the Summit overlook, the decent!  

We had NO clue that to get down the mountain we had to share a lane with cars.  It was a very nerve racking moment for me as a mom as I watched cars whip around my kids on their bikes.  I prayed the whole way down that we would make it safely!  So once we made it back to Frisco and the bike shop, our ride ended up totaling 26 miles. Can we say our sitts bones were a little sore!  After that the girls were exhausted and my nerves were shot!  We dropped them of at the condo to rest and Dad and I went to Silverthorne to local wine bar for flight of wine with a pairing of cheeses.  Saved By The Wine was such a cute place to sit back and relax.  It even started to sleet while we were there!  On our way back to the condo we stopped by the grocery and decide to cook dinner in.  We had steaks, sweet potatoes and green beans.  It was nice to just stay in and not have to get ready to go out to dinner!  

DAY 6: On this day we headed back to Breckinridge and ate breakfast at a local place called Breckfast!  Then we drove south to Blue Lake, parked at the lower lake and hiked to the water fall.  

This hike was pretty short but a beautiful view none the less. Afterwards we drove over swan mountain into Keystone going the opposite way we had ridden on bikes the day before.  That evening we had booked a reservation in Leadville to do a sunset ATV tour.  I was a little worried as we drove over that we wouldn't even get to see a sunset because it started to rain and was very cloudy.  Boy was I wrong!  That actually made for the best sunset!  And lucky for us, we were the only ones on the tour that night so the guide took us to a few other spots not normally included!  

                                                                             On the way home we called in pizza and salad to a local place in Frisco off Main St. Greco's had Cauliflower Crust and Gluten Free crust pizza and we were so hungry we all got our own individual pizzas!  

DAY 7: On this day we drove to Vail and found ourselves very out of place!  We had to park in a parking garage and then try and find our way around the little village to a place for breakfast.  By the time we did find Big Bear Bistro and order, it was pretty much lunch time. NO gluten free menu but there was something I could make work.  The little village was very upscale but we met some nice people from all over while walking around thanks to Harlynn (Lyrin's mini Aussie that we took on the trip with us).  She was the hit of the morning and lead to lots of conversations with many people!  It was fun!  Colorado is a very dog friendly state!  Lots of dogs everywhere we went!  On our drive back to the condo we stopped to do one more hike along the Gore Creek.  

                                                                                                       

I don't have the direct link for where we stayed but I can get the address and perhaps the link from the condo owners, they are personal friends of ours!  We loved the area we stayed as it was very centrally located to everything and the view out the back door was amazing!  

                                                                                                 

Here are a few links from items I ordered off Amazon specifically for our trip!  Hiking in Colorado this time of year means layers!  The mornings start off cold and as the day goes one it gets warm.  Then the evenings at its getting dark end up cold again!  

Small backpack with bladder bag to hold up to 3 bottles of water:

https://amzn.to/41xVjBq

My hiking shoes:

https://amzn.to/3EFPhoF

First Aid Kit:

https://amzn.to/41vJjQP

Harlynn's airplane pet carrier:

https://amzn.to/3KKVnrB

Harlynn's carrier for hiking:

https://amzn.to/3SwnvRh

To see more pictures from our trip, see my Colorado highlight bubble on my instagram account @alicia_trotter

 

DF, GF Potato Soup

Dairy Free/ Gluten Free Potato Soup

I created this soup yesterday on a whim when I needed to use some carrots before they went bad and my husband came home with a bag of white potatoes, (which we rarely eat).  So, I thought with it being the end of winter and soup season almost being over for us, that I would make one last "comfort" food for lunch.  The kids loved it too, they each had 2-3 bowls that day.  Let me add here that they are not 100% dairy free, so they did add some shredded cheddar to the top of their bowls! 

This cream cheese you could add if you are NOT dairy free or the light laughing cow cheese wedges.  I would use about 3 TBSP cream cheese or 3 laughing cow wedges.  The consistency is what thickens up the soup and gives it the creamy texture! I chose to suggest "light" versions of dairy because this soup is higher in carbs, so it should be lower in fat!  Reason being using one source of fuel (carbs) for energy.  

If going for Dairy free, what I did was open this can and scooped off the cream that is naturally on top.  There was about 1/4 cup of cream on the top and I used it all!  I didn't have a light version of this coconut milk, but usually the light versions do not have the cream on top!

I'm using my ninja foodie on the pressure cooker and saute function today to make this soup super quick and also to allow it to stay warm so the family can graze on the soup all day as they desire.  Once I had everything ready and the lid locked, I cooked everything on high for 10 min and let it naturally release.  Then I added the creamy coconut milk and stired to combine, adding about 2 tbsp nutritional yeast and salt to taste.

So for starters, I washed and diced about 6 medium sized white baking potatoes and about 1/2 a small bag of organic baby carrots.

Use 2 cubes of this garlic and saute in about 3 tsp olive oil on high till melted.

using the saute function on the ninja foodie

Next I added my diced carrots and sautéed them with the garlic for about 1 min.

This is a freezer MUST HAVE to keep on hand.  I start so many of my recipes off with this!  I buy mine at Walmart.  

I added this frozen mixture to the carrots and garlic and sautéed for about 2 min.

I used this bone broth from Walmart next and added the potatoes in, turning off the saute function.

Lastly, I added about 2 tsp salt and the sealed the lid shut, pressure cook function on high for 10 min!

After it is done cooking you could manually release the pressure, depending on how much time you have. I let mine naturally release on its own.  After removing the lid, add your cream (whatever you choose) and stir well.  You can add more salt and even pepper too if you desire. I added 2 TBSP nutritional yeast giving this soup more of a "cheese" flavor keeping it dairy free.    

Toppings that would be good include, bacon crumbles, green onions, chives, sour cream and cheddar cheese (use dairy free versions if you're dairy free)

ENJOY!

 

Momma's got a new Biz

Actually it's two businesses in one!  First of all I am happy to announce that the reason I have been MIA lately is because I have been studying, learning and getting certified in Health and Wellness coaching.  I got this certificate from Dr. Josh Axe, after taking his 8 week course, Institute for Nutritional Leadership.  Then I had to build a website and find a product that I would use for my clients.   So without further ado... I present to you my new businesses... (drum roll please)

Feel free to visit my website and check out the new business!  aliciatrottercoaching.my.canva.site

 Now on to the second business that is also part of the Health Coaching biz as well...(another drum roll please) the product I chose to use with my clients is Plexus Worldwide.  Why did I choose this company?  Well if you know me, then you will know that I do not do anything without researching and really looking into every possible aspect of it.  This company is top notch first off, and secondly they have a product that is all natural, non GMO and gluten free.  Their prices are reasonable and even cheaper than some brands that I have used in the past.  The thing that makes me the most happy is that the products combine several things I was already taking which made me really happy because I'm all about simple.  And since my business name includes the word "simple" in it, I needed a product that was simple as well. For example the probiotic they have also has digestive enzymes in there too!  A great product in one that supports digestive health!  Want to find out what other products they offer, visit my product website where you can shop and order today.  There are 3 ways to buy, retail, preferred and wholesale.  Retail is full price, preferred is like setting up your Amazon auto monthly ship where you get a bit of a discount for doing so, and wholesale is like being a member of Costco.  Pay a cheap yearly fee and buy products at wholesale.  So visit the website and cruise around to see what products you think might work for you!  I'll also be writing more articles on the products and what I have seen them do in my life and those family members and friends who also use the products!

aliciatrotter.myplexusproducts.com

I'd love your feed back too so let me know what you think! 

Build your own gourmet salad at home for much less

A greek gourmet salad at home

 

I know it sounds weird, but I hate to eat lunch!  Most people hate to eat breakfast, but I find that I struggle with lunch!  My kids are creatures of habit and tend to eat the same things day after day.  I do not like to eat the same thing 2 times in a row.  My husband jokes that in the 12 years we have been together I have never cooked the same thing twice.  This is not entirely true, but I probably only have 5-8 things I will cook more than once.  I love food and recipes and am always creating new ones to try and share.  I get bored easily so I like variety! 

I buy my veggies from a local farm at the farmers market once a week.  They are an organic and non-GMO farm and provide my family with more than enough veggies to feed us for a week!  Pictured is my salad that is my "go to" lunch when I need to pack something while I am on the go! 

 

Gourmet salad recipe:

Lettuce of your choice (preferably not iceberg because it does not have any nutritional value)

cucumber sliced

bell pepper diced

grilled chicken shredded

feta cheese crumbled

artichoke hearts chopped (I have a artichoke spread I buy at Trader Joes that I love and it's what's pictured here)

black olives

salt and pepper to taste

homemade dressing (optional)

 

*the dressing I like to make that's quick and easy is:

olive oil, Dijon mustard, dried parsley flakes, lemon juice

combine and shake well 

 

 

 

 

Eggplant Pizzas

We have been getting LOTS of eggplant from our CSA (community shared agriculture) and so I've been trying to find different things to make with it.  Especially things that the kids will eat too!  I am happy to say that I have successfully made little eggplant pizzas that I tested on 3 kids and they gobbled them down! 

Eggplant Pizza
1 med sized eggplant, sliced into 1/4-1/2" thick slices
organic baby spinach leaves
fresh mozzarella sliced
organic tomato diced or sliced
olive oil for drizzling
Italian spices for seasoning

place the sliced eggplant on a cookie sheet and generously drizzle with EVOO (olive oil), and sprinkle with salt.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 min. 
Top each with one spinach leaf, slice of mozzarella, tomato, and spices.  Put back in the oven until cheese melts!  Eat them up while warm! 

After school/Pre-workout Snack

If you follow this blog then you know that my kids are competitive gymnasts.  I am a RYT (Registered Yoga teacher) and we are pretty active!  So fueling our bodies is very important to me.  This is a quick and easy snack to fuel anyone before a workout.  I easily mix this up in  a disposable bowl and have it in the car, ready for my girls to eat on the way to gymnastics after school.  Our days are so jammed full that it is very easy to fall off the wagon and not have the right nutrients for proper fuel and nutrition.  This is why planning ahead and being very structured is key for me to be able to always be prepared.  (Well, most of the time! LOL)

This is so easy, even the kids can make this themselves!
1 ripe banana, mashed
2 Tbsp almond butter
1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder
Mix till well combined!
Eat with a spoon!

Breakfast Pizza

I use a medium small cast iron skillet for this recipe.  It makes the perfect personal size pizza for me, although with all the toppings I use, I can only eat half of one pizza in one sitting. 

Recipe:
Ghee or coconut oil (enough to grease the bottom of the skillet)
3 eggs, scrambled
cooked sausage
homemade marinara sauce
diced fresh tomatoes and bell peppers
diced onions (optional)

heat the oil on the stove top in the skillet
pour in the scrambled eggs and let set until the edges are set
gently loosen and flip the "crust"
top with toppings and place in 350 degree oven and bake for 12 min till all is heated through.

optional toppings: salsa, avocado slices, shredded cheese or goats or feta crumbles

Healthy School Lunches Part 2

 1. Applegate Farms Organic all Beef hotdog (chopped), stick of Sargento Colby jack cheese, banana chocolate chip oatmeal cookie, baby carrots with homemade hummus, and jello jigglers.

 2. Watermelon chunks, gluten free Rudi's wrap with Applegate farms Turkey Bologna and sliced Colby jack cheese (rolled up and halved), homemade hummus and carrot coins.

 3. Another wrap, except with Applegate farms ham this time.  Again with Colby jack cheese and I heated it to melt the cheese and then rolled and halved it.  Gluten Free pretzels (I found at Aldi) and fresh raspberries.  Celery from our organic and non-GMO farmer with homemade hummus.

4. Leftover dinner from the night before.  Spaghetti squash with meatballs baked into a nest from PaleOMG.   Sourdough rolls that I made, which are gluten free.  And organic strawberry Trader Joes' yogurt cup.

Again, keep in mind these are not just for the kids!  These lunches can also be used for the office too.  Incase you missed it... also read my previous post Healthy  Lunches for School (and the office too!)

Healthy FRIED veggies? And some game day food!

 Hand cut organic and non-GMO potatoes

Jalapeno peppers stuffed with herb infused goats cheese

 

 

I am lucky enough to have access to an organic, non-GMO farm that I am a CSA (community shared agriculture) member of in which I pick up a weekly share of 8-10lbs of fresh veggies at my local farmers market.  Since it is football season and we LOVE college football, we entertain quite often and host football parties on most Saturdays.  To keep the party foods to my standards and pleasing to our guests, I have come up with a delicious way to use our veggies and copy some of the traditional appetizers. 

 

At COSTCO, they sell a large container of coconut oil for $16.99.  I buy 2 of these and we fill our outdoor commercial grade deep fryer with this MCT oil which is actually good for you!  After heating the fryer to temperature, my husband does all the frying.  I am the one who cuts all the veggies and gets them ready to be cooked. 

Some things we fry:

okra, all I do is simply cut each piece into bite sizes and we fry them till crispy, that's without anything coating them!

Yellow squash, again, all I do is slice each one into rounds and fry them until crispy!  No breading!

White potatoes and sweet potatoes, I do not peel them, I simply slice them up into "Fries" and cook until desired doneness.

 

For the jalapeno poppers:

cut each pepper in half and remove seeds

using herb infused goats cheese and shredded grass fed cheddar (kerrygold, I shred myself) mixed

stuff into each pepper half and bake in a 375 degree oven until the pepper is soft and the cheese has begun to lightly brown.  (I cooked mine for 15 min)

ENJOY!!!



Jello Jigglers

 This is the brand of gelatin that I use.  I order it on Amazon.  This is the only brand that I am aware of that is from grass fed cows.  Gelatin has protein in it and also has many beneficial properties that we should be consuming daily!  www.hollywoodhomestead.com  has lots of interesting info on gelatin and the benefits for you.

 Using juice such as this, is low in sugar and tart cherry has beneficial properties as well for reducing inflammation.  Juice that is not from concentrate is the best choice. 

I heat 1 cup of water to boiling and then remove from heat.  I then add 5 TBSP of gelatin sprinkled over the top and let dissolve.  Once it is dissolved, I add 2 cups of the juice and 1/2 cup of raw honey and whisk until combined.  Then I pour into a glass 8X8 casserole dish and put in the fridge until it is set up.  Cut into squares and eat!  Store in a container in the fridge!

Hummus

 When I get my veggies from my CSA at the farmers market, I always wash them and chop them up for easy access to the kids for lunches and snacks!  They love to dip them in hummus!

 I use organic garbanzo beans and drain about 1/2 the can, 2 tbsp. olive oil, 1-2 garlic cloves, 1/8 cup raw sesame seeds, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 tsp cumin and salt to taste.  I put everything in my vitamix and blend until smooth.  You could use your blender or food processor also.

I portion out the hummus into individual serving size containers for lunches.  Also my kids double dip and this way they can double dip in their own container without contaminating anyone else's!

*adding a few roasted red peppers would also be a nice addition and a different flavor and color hummus!

Fueling the kids for performance

 Almond Butter packets to squeeze on apples, applesauce squeezers (strawberry and carrot flavored), nut and dried fruit individual pack, fruit leather.  Bananas, apples, and grapes.  Individual servings of Wholly Guacamole. (organic blue corn chips to dip in the guac- not pictured)

Perfect Food bar (carob chip flavor), has 16g of protein, GF cheese crackers in a small individual serving packet, GF pretzels for dipping in hummus.

 Watermelon chunks (I freeze these and they are a nice refreshing treat like a popsicle), tart cherry jello jigglers (made with all natural ingredients unlike the boxed kind), homemade hummus (which they also used to dip sliced up veggies- red pepper strips, cucumbers, and celery, not pictured).

Colby-jack cheese sticks with Applegate Farms deli meat wrapped around them (not pictured), magnesium chocolate drops (to replenish the lost electrolytes lost due to sweating), mini burgers on GF sourdough rolls.

Yesterday my girls had a gymnastics competition and since they are on different levels, that meant that we would be there all day from 9-5:30!  Since the concessions usually has nothing we can eat, I needed to make sure we were fully prepared and would not need a thing!  This meant me too since I am doing the gut healing cleanse currently and only eating protein and healthy fats!  Call me crazy, but this is what makes me happy!  Fueling my kids for their best performance!  I enjoy it, I take pride in it and I know I am doing the best I can for them! 

No one went hungry!  We had plenty of food and we shared with our team mates too!  Competition was fun, but LONG!  This momma was really tired by the time we made it home!

*I will post recipes to the jello jigglers and the hummus soon!
*And the girls also ate a fat bomb each about 30 min before they went on to compete!  I brought a thermos with a "bullet-proof" coffee in it for me, and lots of boiled eggs, mini burger patties and a steak!