Yummy Archives – Jamieson Diaries

Dear Diary, Healthy, Meal Prep, Recipes, Side Dish

Honey Lemon Green Beans

March 2, 2018 Leave a Comment

Riley loves fruits and vegetables. If you’re wondering “who is Riley?” the answer to your question is, my unborn very picky child. I am currently eight months pregnant and have plenty of vegetable cravings. Especially this delicious honey lemon green beans recipe I created on Valentine’s Day. I made a surf n’ turf type Valentine’s Day meal that called for a vegetable side dish of some sort. I bought green beans at the store earlier that day so I decided to “wing it” and throw some flavors together that complimented the dish. It was delicious and I’ve made this recipe multiple times since then simply because of how much I loved it.Read More

All Posts, Dear Diary, Desserts, Healthy, Recipes

Halo Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake

June 21, 2017 Leave a Comment

Halo Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake

Today is officially the first day of Summer. For those of you looking for a delicious and non-guilty dessert to cool you off this summer, try out this easy and yummy Halo Top Chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake.

I've recently discovered how much I enjoy Halo Top ice cream. Not only is it delicious, but it's guilt free! Most pints are 300 calories or less. Yes, the entire pint is only 300 calories! It's like finding a small piece of heaven on earth. They have so many delicious flavors and my new life goal is to try them all. Ha! But in all seriousness, it's so nice to finally have an ice cream us clean eaters can enjoy, without the guilt that usually comes with it.

This recipe is perfect for a quick sweet tooth fix. You can even pour the milkshake into popsicle trays and make healthy popsicles for little ones. If you're wanting even more nutrients in this dessert, add a small banana to the ingredients list. I promise it's just as delicious!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 160 kcal

Author jamiesondiaries

Ingredients

1 pint Halo Top Chocolate Ice Cream
1 cup Almond Milk
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp PB2

Instructions

Pour your Halo Top ice cream, almond milk, honey, and PB2 into a blender.
Use the "milkshake" option and blend for 2-3 minutes.
Pour your milkshake into your glass and enjoy!
*If you want it with more ice, you can either add ice cubes to the blender, or place a freezer safe cup with your shake in the freezer for 10 minutes, or until ice chunks form.*

All Posts, Dear Diary, Dinner, Recipes

Surf N’ Turf Tacos

January 24, 2017 Leave a Comment

Last week, my husband and I, were having some serious delicious food flashbacks to our trip to the D.C. area, in October of last year. The reason for the flashback was us trying to decide what we wanted to eat/make for dinner, and wishing we could hop in the car, drive to Don Taco and eat delicious tacos. Specifically, their phenomenal “surf n’ turf” tacos.Read More

All Posts, Crock-Pot Recipes, Dinner, Recipes

5 Fall Recipes

October 11, 2016 Leave a Comment

Happy tasty Tuesday everybody! It’s that time of year when we get to eat tons of delicious comfort food without all of the guilt. Some of my favorite fall comfort foods are hot, yummy, soups. Everybody loves a good soup and I’ve posted quite a few soup recipes on here. The last few days have been cool and rainy here in Montana, which has had me daydreaming about delicious soups for dinner.Read More

All Posts, Dear Diary, Drinks, Recipes

Pear-Berry-Orange Spiked Lemonade

September 6, 2016 Leave a Comment

There may technically only be sixteen days left of summer, but sixteen days is still plenty of time to consume a delicious homemade, spiked pear-berry-orange lemonade. I had a half bottle of Moscato wineRead More

All Posts, Dear Diary, Health & Fitness, Healthy, Meal Prep, Recipes

Black Bean & Turkey Veggie Soup

February 18, 2016 Comment : 1

If you follow my Instagram account you probably know I have been into meal prepping and clean eating for a few months now. My go to meals have always been chicken thighs or salmon with veggies and quinoa. One day I was craving a black bean soup of some sort and decided to throw some ingredients together in a pot with black beans and see what happened. Well…it was amazing. I have since made the recipe a few more times and now that I have perfected it I want to share it with all of you. You can use whatever vegetables you like best because you really can’t go wrong with delicious veggies!

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Serves: 5-6

1 lbs. Ground Turkey

15 oz. can Whole Corn

(2) 15 oz. cans Reduced Sodium Black Beans

1/2 bunch of Kale

1 large Red Bell Pepper

2 Jalapeno Peppers

1 large Yellow Onion (diced)

1 cup Cilantro

1 Tbsp Garlic

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Smoked Paprika (regular paprika is OK too)

1 Tbsp Honey

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 cups Water

*corn tortillas*

Heat your olive oil over medium high heat for a minute or until really hot. Add your garlic, and diced up onions, red bell pepper, and jalapenos to the pot. Stir for 3 minutes or until soft and add your ground turkey to the pot. Break up and stir ground turkey until browned.
Once your turkey is browned add your can of corn (drained), cans of black beans (NOT drained), cilantro, and spices to the pot. Stir well to combine ingredients and spices.
Now add your water to the pot, stir to combine, then add your pieces of kale to the pot. Make sure the kale is mixed and covered with the soup liquid then cover pot and let simmer for 10 minutes.
Taste your soup and adjust the seasonings to your own taste buds. I tend to like spice and always add more cayenne and black pepper to my mix.
Brown 1-2 corn tortillas and dip in your soup for an even more delicious taste.

You can share this delicious recipe with others or meal prep for 5-6 meals. Remember you can switch and mix it up with your own spices and veggies in this soup. You can even branch out to different types of beans, however, I would research which beans are best for clean eating purposes.

Enjoying a delicious meal without guilt is one of my favorite feelings! 😉 Have a great evening and let me know how you like the recipe!

Brie <3

[02.17.16]

All Posts, Dear Diary

Super Bowl Sunday-Funday

February 7, 2016 Leave a Comment

The day is finally here ladies and gentlemen…Super Bowl Sunday! I don’t know about you guys but this is one of the first Super Bowl match ups I’m excited to watch because I love both of the quarterbacks. I can honestly say whether Superman Cam walks away with his first ring or Peyton walks away with possibly his last ring, I will be a happy lady! However, what is any super bowl without the delicious snacks?! My family and I have our usual favorite get together/party snacks, but some snacks are so super bowl worthy they have to be made for multiple occasions. Here are the snacks I have prepared for today’s festivities 🙂

Chips & Queso:

I found this recipe on Pinterest a few years back and it’s actually quite popular. Most grocery stores even have an entire display dedicated to the popular “chips and dip” during super bowl time. However, for my dip I use Velveeta’s Queso Blanco and add 1 lbs. of seasoned ground beef (or turkey). Guys…it’s SO good. The instructions are easy: brown 1 lbs. of ground beef/turkey in a medium sized pot. Add your block of cheese cut into three pieces to the cooked meat. Constantly stir to prevent the cheese from sticking and burning until it has all melted together. Take your can of Rotel and mix into the cheese and meat. Pour into a bowl and serve!

BBQ Root Beer Chicken Wings:

YES- these wings are as yummy and delicious as they look in the picture. My husband saw this recipe on Tasty’s Facebook page about two months ago and it’s one of our favorites. If you would like to give it a try, head on over to Tasty’s Facebook page, like them, and try out this recipe (along with many of their other delicious recipes)!

The wings were still in the crock pot so I couldn’t get a picture with the sign lol.

Root Beer Floats:

These are pretty self explanatory. When are root beer floats NOT a good idea? Exactly. They’re easy, fun and delicious which are all the right description words for a successful dessert following yummy snacking foods. I am a huge fan of the individual IBC root beer bottles so guests don’t have to share, and wait to use one 2 liter bottle of root beer.

Banana Bread:

This honestly has nothing to do with the Super Bowl. I had overly ripe bananas and didn’t want to throw them away/waste them. Why not make some delicious banana bread to send home with our guests to eat for breakfast throughout the week? We’re already having root beer floats for dessert so the banana bread would be overkill. If you would like to make this delicious banana bread click here for the yummy recipe.

In addition to these delicious snacks for our Super Bowl get together our friends are bringing homemade quesadillas and nachos. It’s going to be a great evening in the Jamieson household and an even better food “cheat day” for me! Haha. What are your go to snack foods for Super Bowl Sunday? Feel free to comment and share below.

Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday and I hope whoever you’re cheering for wins!

Brie <3

[02.07.16]

All Posts, Dear Diary, Dinner, Recipes

Chili Mac & Cheese

November 5, 2015 Comment : 1

I had every intention of making tacos for dinner one evening, not too long ago, and decided at last-minute it was too much work. To be fair, when we make tacos in the Jamieson household we go all out. Although it still would’ve been considered quick by timing standards, it would have been more effort than I cared to put in at the moment. It was then I decided to combine a bunch of ingredients in one pot which takes a lot less effort. Since I had already thawed out my ground turkey I decided whatever I was going to make was going to be along the lines of browned ground turkey and sautéed chopped onions. Once I was done combining the ingredients I found in my pantry and refrigerator I had a delicious chili mac and cheese dish right in front of me. This would be the second time I have whipped up a pretty impressive meal using the ingredients already in my house. Go me! 🙂 Now that I have made this recipe a second time, and according to my husband it was “just as amazing as the first time” it’s only right I share the deliciousness with all of you.

You will need:

1 lbs. Ground Turkey

4 cups Beef Broth

8 oz. bag Cheddar Cheese

1/2 large Yellow Onion (diced)

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1/2 lbs. dry Elbow Pasta

3 Tbsp. Taco Seasoning

1 tsp. Onion Powder

1 tsp. Black Pepper

Salt and Pepper to taste

*optional* 1 tsp. Adobo seasoning

On medium-high heat saute the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt to help soften the onions. Now add your ground turkey to the deep skillet and stir until golden brown.
Once your ground turkey has browned add your onion powder, black pepper (and adobo) seasoning to the ground turkey and onion combination. Mix the seasonings in and pour your beef broth into the skillet.
Bring the skillet to a boil, stir in your taco seasoning and pasta. Let it boil for 5 minutes, then cover and turn the heat down to a low simmer. Let it simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the noodles are soft. If you want more salt and/or pepper in the dish add it now.
Pour your cheddar cheese into the pot and mix it in until it has all melted and evenly distributed.

Not only is the recipe easy, it is just as quick to throw together. Enjoy your meal because dinner is served!

Happy Thursday!

Brie <3

[11.05.15]

All Posts, Crock-Pot Recipes, Dear Diary, Recipes

Crock-pot Beef Stew

October 21, 2015 Comment : 1

It is that time of year for deliciously warm comfort foods to stick to our bones and keep us warm. This is one of the many reasons why I love this season. Today I am sharing my own yummy crock pot beef stew recipe with all of you. It takes a little bit of preparation, but I promise it is worth it!

You will need:

2 lbs. beef stew meat

6-7 red potatoes

1 whole onion

1/2 lbs. baby carrots

2 packs beef stock flavor

2 beef bouillon cubes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4 Worcestershire sauce

6 cups water

2 bay leaves

Stew Beef Flour seasoning:

1 cup flour

2 Tbsp. seasoned salt

1 Tbsp. Adobo

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

1) Combine all of your stew beef flour seasoning in a large Ziploc bag and shake to mix together. Add your two pounds of stew beef to the bag and shake until the beef stew pieces are generously coated. Heat your first tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and wait for the oil to get hot. Add half of your beef stew meat to the pan (or however much will NOT overcrowd the pan) and brown on all sides. Repeat until all of the beef is browned and place your browned stew beef at the bottom of the crock pot.

2) In the same pot, saute your onions and place them on top of the browned beef stew meat.

3) Cut your potatoes into quarters and place them on top of the beef and onions in the crock pot. Layer your carrots on top of the potatoes

4) In the same pot you used to brown you meat and saute your onions; on medium high heat combine the: water, Worcestershire sauce, beef flavored packs, and beef bouillon cubes until it all melts together. Once it has all melted pour it over all of the ingredients in the crock pot.

5) Add your bay leaves to the top and set your crock pot on high. Let your stew cook for at least 8 hours.

Enjoy your meal! 🙂

Brie <3

[10.21.15]

All Posts, Dear Diary, Family Love

Chicago Trip – June 2015

July 19, 2015 Leave a Comment

As I’m sure most of you have noticed, I disappeared from the blogging world within the last month. No need to worry, I took a break to enjoy some much-needed vacation time back home in Illinois with my family and friends. I promise I will try not to take such a long break again, because I’m sure you all missed me as much as I missed you, right? Right!

We decided to take the train home because driving 20+ hours in a car with an almost one year old was asking for trouble, just as taking two, two-hour flights was out of the question. The train takes a LONG 27 hours to get from Montana to Chicago, but it was seriously PERFECT. Jordyn was able to walk around, make friends with the passengers and gaze out of the window in amazement of everything passing by us. As a new Mom of a newly walking/mobile baby, I highly recommend this way of travel if it’s an option for you. My husband and I are very happy we made this decision.

We mainly went back home to celebrate Miss Jordyn’s 1st birthday with family and friends. On her actual 1st birthday, June 18th, 2015, we took her first trip to Medieval Times with family and extended family. The show was great, (although our knight kept losing) the food was yummy, and our waiter was awesome. Jordyn even received a rose directly from our knight during the show. It was adorable, and he was such a gentleman for giving it to her considering all of the other people in there screaming for the rose themselves. We took this awesome picture before we were seated, and Jordyn’s Godfather, Jesiah, bought us the keep sake picture to bring home with us. I’m in the process of finding the perfect frame for it to hang it up in the house. It sums up our family perfectly! LOL.

We were also lucky enough to have been home when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup Championship game at the United Center, which means, we got to go to the Blackhawks parade! My husband, my sisters and I all went together and it was such a great time. There are few things more electrifying than getting to celebrate a huge win like theirs with your favorite city (the best city) in the entire world. When the buses finally got to our section, I’m sure we all went temporarily deaf from the intense level of screaming we were surrounded by and engaged in. Being downtown Chicago for the parade even brought on some college nostalgia for myself. I spent so much of my college career walking those same downtown city blocks and riding those CTA trains and buses with loved ones. It made me that much more proud to not have just graduated from a college in a city as amazing as Chicago, but more thankful for even the tiniest of memories such as those in this awesome life of mine.

Jordyn’s birthday party was a huge success. It’s always wonderful to see so many faces you usually only get to see once a year or less. She received more blessings, love, and presents we could have ever imagined. When I tell you this is one extremely LOVED little girl, I mean it. Her party took place in one of the popular forest preserves on the north-side, and the weather held up perfectly during the actual hours of the party. It wasn’t too hot, and it didn’t rain until an hour after the party was over. The food was great, the company was even better, and the love from everyone was the best. My Aunt Gloria (who makes the absolute best cakes in the world – just ask the birthday party guests) made Jordyn’s Sesame Street themed cake and it was beyond perfect.

The day after Jordyn’s birthday party was not only Father’s Day/My husband’s first Father’s Day, but the 14th annual Ricky Byrdsong Race in Evanston, IL. This was the first year since Kris and I have been together that he was in town and able to attend. It has been a tradition in my family since my best friend’s (Kelley) Dad was killed back in 1999 to participate, support, and volunteer at the race. It only gets better each year. The YWCA Evanston/North Shore does a fantastic job each year with everything from the great t-shirt designs to the perfect entertainment. The race starts at 7:30 a.m. on the dot. Considering we all had a late night hanging out downtown Chicago at Dave and Busters the night before, the initial 6 a.m. alarm was a little rough, but everyone had a great time as we always do. I told them they’d enjoy themselves once we made it out there and they did! Kris, Jesiah, Andye, Jordyn, and I even walked the 5K. A.K.A. we walked and Jordyn slept the entire stroller ride.

We decided to do a few new activities while we were home this time around as well. We went to Xtreme Trampoline with my sisters and cousin one evening. We paid for two hours of jumping time because it seemed to be a reasonable amount of time and the pricing wasn’t too bad. However, we jumped for 45 minutes before we were all laid out on the side of the trampolines trying to catch our breath and regain energy to jump again LOL. If you’re ever looking for a great leg and cardio workout, find your nearest indoor trampoline place and I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Kris and I even had a date night that was finally out of the box of dinner and/or a movie. Kris has wanted to do indoor skydiving for quite some time, and we so happened to pass the iFly Chicago – Rosemont complex on several occasions driving back and forth to/from my Mom’s house to/from Kris’ Mom’s house. A family friend also recommended it while we were home so we decided to try it out. Kris was surprised when I told him I wanted to do it as well, because when I say I am the least risk taking-est person you will ever meet…I’m NOT exaggerating. I don’t even ride roller-coasters because they scare the crap out of me to give a little perspective on how big of a chicken I am, or as I like to say, I just appreciate my feet touching the ground. Well, let me tell you, I had SO much fun and would recommend for everyone to give it a try at least once!

My second favorite part of going home is the endless options for unbelievably delicious FOOD! I miss having so many of these food places around me 24/7. I’m pretty sure I cried about it at least twice while I was pregnant last year and unable to eat the food I was craving. Whatever – don’t judge me. Anyway, I have way too many food places to name to even begin to give you a glimpse of how much I eat when I am home. However, I do have very specific places I absolutely MUST get while I am home: Giordanos, (it makes me sad how many people will never have great quality pizza in their lifetime) Claires Korner, (because Jamaican food – DUH) Buffalo Joes, (single order and cheddar chips are no where near as good anywhere else) Portillos (Italian beef dipped with hot and sweet peppers, a cheese fry, and strawberry shake – you’re welcome). The other chain food honorable mentions are: Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, and Potbelly. I was way too excited to devour my food when I received it from any of these locations, but here goes a glimpse for you.

In all the fun and amazing things we did while we were home, my favorite part of going home is always being able to see and spend time with my family. From BBQs at Uncle Tony’s house, playing UNO in my Mom’s dining room, to having brunch after church, these are the memories I will hold onto more than others. I want Jordyn and her future siblings to grow up knowing and loving our family and extended family as much as I do. As I’ve stated in previous blog posts, I come from a very large family. Not only are we large, but we’re a close family as well. Which makes it that much harder to live so far away from them. When I say family, I mean my closest friends as well. Most of my friends have become my family in the last few years and I couldn’t be more thankful to be surrounded by so many awesome people I’m related to by blood and by choice. Many people go through life without either of those options and here I am with more than I can keep up with. I often tell people, I know without a doubt there is a God, because it is not by chance I am living this life. It is not by chance my little family has so many people we can turn to and support us in our times of need. It is not by chance when a new milestone takes place in my life or theirs, we become that much closer to one another. And it wasn’t by chance I was born into the world’s most beautiful, greatest, loving, supportive, strong-willed, and FUN family!

As always you were good to us Illinois. We’ll be back for a brief round two in mid September. Have a happy and blessed Sunday lovely people!

Brie <3

[07.19.15]