This is How a Busy Mama Rolls....at Sam's

If you are a busy mama like me, then you understand how valuable a Sam's Club (or Costco) membership can be!  But, there's something about that store that sucks you in...you go there with a small list and BAM!  $300 later, you're walking out the door.  Everything is in bulk and yes, there is a savings, but that doesn't mean you have to buy everything you think you may need!  Well, I went there today to get some diapers, paper towels, spices I use every day, and some fruits and veggies.  Well I hit the jackpot!  Here is what I found....



Look at all those yummy fruits!  The strawberries were FABULOUS...it is almost February after all, beginning of strawberry season!   I saved 40 cents per pineapple buying at Sam's vs buying at Walmart. 

And don't forget the veggies!  I go through a lot of baby spinach for my veggie salad and I found the organic baby spinach in bulk!  Plus some avocados and green beans...

I go through a ton of sea salt and honey for my recipes so I bought the big boys there.  Plus, I found a huge thing of peeled garlic, all ready for my food processor to mince.  And you can't forget the laughing cow cheese and a big thing of green tea.

Just a couple household items I needed.  I usually buy diapers on amazon with the subscribe and save and it is actually quite a bit cheaper than even Sam's.  But, I was almost out of diapers and my next shipment isn't for another couple weeks.

So, I got some great stuff to supplement our healthy lifestyle...with that being said, it is very easy to go to Sam's and make some bad choices.  Case in point:

If you can buy "mashed potatoes" from a huge bag like this, then I highly doubt it's real food.  I try to stay away from all the sugary snacks and cereals and just stick to the household needs, baking goods, and produce. 

So, the big kids went to Grandma's today and when I got home from the store, it was nap time.....for baby Chris of course.  Then I went to work.

I wanted to have all the fruit washed and chopped so that it would be ready for a quick snack for the kiddos.

 So now I have no excuses to not have a healthy snack!  Then, I took a bunch of the peeled garlic cloves and threw them in my food processor (which, by the way, I could not live without)

 Then literally 5 seconds later...

 Since I had the garlic minced, I decided to make some hummus for dipping (my husband's favorite...and my 8 y.o. and 2 y.o. also love it

 Since I was on a roll and I made the hummus, I decided to go ahead and make some of my whole wheat flax seed crackers

I made 3 batches since we go through them so fast.  They're great for dipping or for soup.  I posted the recipes for the hummus and crackers on yesterday's blog post, you can find them here:  http://fitnbusymama.blogspot.com/2012/01/todays-shenanigans-and-healthy-snack.html

After all my prep, baby was awake and big kids were home.  I was so tired and decided to make it a leftover night.

Last night, I made Burgers served with zucchini "fries".  It was quite good

 Even Eli ate his dinner and he is by far my pickiest eater.. 

 Yay for burgers!!

The best part about the burgers was that I had 1/2 c carrot puree in there.  So the kids were getting their veggies without even knowing it!  It just made the burgers so much more juicy.

Here are my recipes:

Burgers (adapted from Deceptively Delicious)
Ingredients:
1 lb organic lean beef
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1/2 c carrot puree
1/4 organic light soymilk
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
1/8 tsp pepper
nonstick cooking spray
1 tbsp olive oil
8 small whole wheat hamburger buns


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl stir together the meat, breadcrumbs, puree, milk, soy sauce, garlic and pepper with a wooden spoon; the mixture will be moist. Form it into small patties & place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Coat a large nonstick ovenproof skillet with cooking spray and set it over med-high heat.  When the skillet is hot, add the oil.  Add the burgers and cook until nicely browned on one side, about 4-5 min.  Turn the burgers, then slide the skillet into the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes longer, until the burgers are no longer pink in the center.  Serve each burger on a bun and with condiments and veggies of choice.

Baked Zucchini Sticks (adapted from skinnytaste)
Ingredients:

• 3 medium zucchini sliced into 3" x 1/2" sticks
• 1 large egg white
• 1/3 cup my homemade breadcrumbs (toasted whole wheat bread, garlic powder, onion powder, and organic grated parmesan cheese)
• 2 tbsp grated organic Romano cheese
• cooking spray
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  
• salt
• fresh pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with 1/2 cup marinara sauce for dipping.

After cleaning up and bath time, this mama was exhausted, so I decided it was time for a little green tea

Well thanks for reading and I hope you have a relaxing evening!