~ The Crystal Dish ~

First for foremost, I wanted to apologize to all my viewers to not providing you with a new recipe in a while.... Lets just say, Life happened... times got super busy... Our third child was born in August... A beautiful baby boy. Now at 9 months old, I have made a commitment to myself to start blogging more often. I need to for me, I mean, why should I not blog.... I am doing what I love.... I love to cook, I want to share with all of you my passion for cooking, my newest recipes, the recipes of others that I have tried. I'm excited to move forward with my blog and with all of you... we're in this together. Here is one of my newest recipes I have tried. I found this recipe on Pinterest. Originally, the recipe called for Mangos, however the mangos were no good at the stores when I was shopping... I'm a little OCD when it comes to my produce. I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as we all did. Chipotle Cod Burrito Bowls with Coconut Cilantro Lime Rice and Spicy Straw...

Day 8 of 365: Today was the kids first day back to school from Winter Break.  I would be lying if I said getting out of bed was super easy this morning. Since we returned from Hawaii, the kids sleep schedule has been a bit off, so last night I wanted to make sire we were all up in time, so I got a little OCD and setup multiple alarms. 6am rolled around this am and it was the ole, "Why are we up this early mom????" for the first 30 minutes. I guess the kids really were enjoying that beauty sleep they had been getting the past 3 weeks. Well, that time is over now kiddos!!! LOL Thank goodness I had the kids get their clothes ready last night cause getting dressed this morning was super easy and I even had some extra time to do breakfast requests. Brooklyn wanted an over easy egg with a side of apples, Nicholas wanted the homemade granola I made the other day and Jonathan spent the night at my parents last night so he had no requests for me this am and when I swung b...

Day 7 of 365: I could not agree with this quote more and I just love Ina Garten. I love watching her on show and yes someday, I will be going to The Hamptons, but until that day, I will daydream a bit....  Cooking is definitely one of my greatest gifts. I love cooking and love serving my family. No matter how crazy our day may be, I always find myself at almost a place of meditation while I'm in the kitchen cooking. I'm in my own world, in my own thoughts and it just comes natural.... with every stir of a spoon, every chop of a vegetable.... as I bring the tasting spoon first to my nostril to smell the essence of what I'm cooking and then to my mouth to indulge.... and today the indulgence was worth it.... Jack was pleasantly surprised when he got home and I had this meal ready when he walked through the door. And for a man who's pretty picky about vegetables, he devoured his bowl!!!!  Tonight was a night of savory indulgences.... a night of yumminess, ...

Hallelujah!!!!!!! Day 2 and again my children are sleeping in passed 8 o'clock. Could this be the year they're turning a new leaf, or are they still on Hawaii time??? Either way, I'll take it! Gives this mama some reflection time... time to reflect... Reflection on some growth.... See this picture above. I hiked this two weeks ago. This was Koko Head Crater Trail in Hawaii. It was one of the most challenging, but yet rewarding hikes I have ever done. There were moments of weakness where I wanted to just give up, there were moments where I wanted to turn around and go back down, but guess what, I persevered. My word for 2019 is PERSEVERE!!!! It's my Motto of the Year, let nothing stand in my way and I will PERSEVERE through every obstacle, just as I did through this climb. Just know, that even the hardest climbs have an amazing view from the top. If I would've given up, I wouldn't have been able to enjoy this view from the very top.... I’m so blessed that my...

Happy New Year!!!!!! Out with the old and in with the new!!!! As I reflect on my 2018, there are experiences, losses, memories, and beginnings and endings of so many things. I began and ended my 2018 with my bestie which is absolutely a must and got to meet her precious new bundle of joy! I'm totally in love with him. He's just so stinking cute!!!! My family spent the last two weeks of 2018 in the beautiful sunny Hawaii soaking up the sun. It was a much needed getaway for all of us. A time for us to bond as a family. A trip filled with hikes, Diamond Head, Inside Jokes between family, a catamaran sunset ride, fresh coconuts from the side of the road, slipping in the mud, sandy beaches, some sketchy restaurants we found on the side of the road, Dole Whips, Family Christmas, and reminiscing on memories of Grandpa who never got to take his final trip to Hawaii. This trip was for him and even our last day we could feel him there with us as we picked a random place to eat an...

Jack and I just started another round of Arbonne's 30 days to Healthy Living, so for lunch today, I was in the mood for a little Greek, which for those of you who know me, know I love me some Greek food!!!!  Jack's lunch was slightly different than mine because he doesn't like all the veggies I included in mine, so he got a green apple, but I was pleased as always with this dish. This is actually one of my favorite go-to meals for meal prepping or for a quick lunch to throw together when I have some chicken. We actually would've started our 30 days last week, but I was away camping with the kiddos and my family, so I wanted to relax and enjoy time with family, rekindle those family bonds, and have fun like we all use to as kids. Last weeks festivities were amazing, but even though we had so much fun, my body definitely was feeling it this week and I needed a reset.... and what better way to reset then with our Healthy Living products, I mean hello!!! That's what t...

Tonight I had to throw dinner together fairly quickly. Our son had a baseball game so we didn’t get home until passed dinner time. While the kids took their nightly bath, I threw together this yummy perfection. It was amazing and hit the spot perfect. I could’ve gorged on some fast food, I wanted to make something for the fam that was still within our 30days to healthy living guidelines. I topped this casserole with my favorite cheese from Trader Joe’s, their Almond Mozzarella Cheese. It’s my absolute favorite vegan cheese and it melts just like dairy cheese! My kiddos can’t even tell the difference. Ingredients 3 medium sweet potatoes, spiralized 1 T extra virgin olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium carrot, chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 lb ground turkey 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon garlic powder   1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon chili powder 1 ½ cups chicken bone broth  1 cup crushed tomatoes Dairy free cheese and...