#freezerlovefriday reflections

When I started this blog 4 months ago, I knew very little about blogging. I was an avid blog reader, so I knew what I wanted to do and what I didn't want to do, but mainly I knew I just wanted an outlet to reach all of you! I am still so amazed with the response and the love I have been given throughout that time.

This past month has been challenging in many ways, and I feel like I have let my blog suffer slightly. I don't speak about it too often, mainly because of safety and partly because I do not want it to define me, but Ryan is currently deployed. Free time is very rare when he is gone, my day is filled with giving Luke the attention he needs when Daddy is gone and trying to maintain a house and maintain my sanity. There are good days and there are hard days, but there is never a day where I have loads of time to think of, write and develop a blogpost. Normalcy is so important to me when Ryan is gone, so I have to carve out time to do things for me, no matter how hard it is. 

I have some really helpful deployment posts coming up for all my readers living the military life, I am in no means an expert but having 3 deployments in 3 years makes me somewhat helpful. So, be on the lookout for those coming in the next few months. 

That being said I am so very excited with what I have in store for October (think Fall and pumpkin), and THANK YOU for being so patient with me this past month. I have really enjoyed bringing you some of my family's favorite breakfast #freezerlovefriday recipes and am excited to re-post one of the blog's most popular #freezerlovefriday, the breakfast burrito.

 Ryan is still my super hero, and while we miss him every day, we are SO proud of what he does for us and our country. We love you, Ryan and can't wait to have you home and cooking with us again! 

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breakfast burritos for all - original post date 07/10/2015

Today's #freezerlovefriday is dedicated to my husband! Ryan is my super hero. No, really! He is such a great father, husband and supporter. He has been so sweet and patient with me while I have launched this blog, I love his input and his willingness to help. The man is BUSY! He works full time, goes to school full time, and wakes up super early to workout. His day starts around 4:30AM and ends around 8:00PM when he puts Luke down for bed, long day! 

Now he may be extremely dedicated, but actually planning ahead and thinking about eating breakfast is way too much for him. I am just thankful he remembers to make the coffee in the morning! I try to help out as much as I can by making a few days of oatmeal and hard boiled eggs for him, but I can only imagine how boring that becomes. 

My family LOVES burritos, which inspired me to make them into a #freezerlovefriday recipe! Financially, it makes more sense for me to make our own burritos and freeze them, rather than buy the packaged ones or drive through one of the many burrito shops here in the southwest.  Not to mention I know what is going into the burrito and I have control of the ingredients. There are so many different options to add into your burrito. Ryan requested potatoes, breakfast sausage, eggs and cheese. 

Here is the financial breakdown for our burritos. 

Eggs - $2.50

Burritos - $2.99

Sausage - $1.50 ( on sale )

Cheese - roughly $1.25 since we did not use the full bag! 

Potatoes - $.97

= $9.21

Per Burrito (14 total) - $.66

Amazing, right? We had so much fun making these as a family.

Luke is ready to roll some burritos! 

Luke and Ryan cracking the eggs!

Breakfast Burrito Recipe

Ingredients:

3 potatoes - diced 

2 TB Cajun seasoning

12 eggs 

12 OZ breakfast sausage 

14 wheat tortillas 

Cheddar Cheese (however much you prefer) 

Salt and Pepper to taste 

Directions:

Dice potatoes into small pieces. Add to saucepan with EVOO, cajun seasoning and salt. Cook through.

Cook breakfast sausage, while that is cooking crack and mix eggs completely. Add in eggs, salt and pepper to taste. 

Create an assembly line and roll up your burritos. Roll into foil, put a few into large zip lock baggies, let cool completely and freeze. 

Here are our burritos, rolled and ready for the freezer. We did 4 a bag, so he could take a whole bag into work for the week.

These turned out easy and yummy! We ended up having burritos for dinner that night, and froze the remainder! Here is a picture of the boys enjoying their handy work. Toppings like, sour cream and hot sauce, Ryan can take with him to work the day of. 



It is the perfect grab and go breakfast for my busy man! 

I have a few more recipes ready to go for #freezerlovefriday but what else would y'all like to see? Crockpot freezer meals? More breakfast meals? Just let me know. I love to hear from you! 

Happy freezing, 
Meredith 

the 1st of the month brings a new goal..

It's September 1st! How is that even possible? Fall is my favorite time of year, by far. I grew up in Ohio so that means changing leaves, apple picking in jackets, comfortable outdoor running, lots and lots of pumpkin and of course FOOTBALL! 

I have A LOT going on this month, so I wanted to set myself a fitness goal that I feel is slightly unattainable. I know sounds funny, right? But, my whole fitness journey has been about me surpassing goals that I NEVER thought were possible. I push myself because I love proving myself wrong. 

I am currently signed up for two races this month. Pink Strides (5k trail race) and Dances with Dirt, the relay trail race that started it all for me. I am so excited for that weekend, it is an amazing time and a chance to be with family while running! 

Dances with Dirt - Hell (2014)

Dances with Dirt - Hell (2014)

 I thought I would do a monthly total mileage goal. I have never done one of these, but have seen many people conquer their personal goal and thought this was the perfect month. Finding time to run this month will be challenging for me, and 85% of my runs will be with Luke in the stroller, but those are the best! 

Personally, I think 50 miles would be safe. So, naturally I am going for 75 miles in the month of September. Now, last winter this would have been an easier goal for me, but I have really been focusing on sculpting, group classes and lifting this summer and not doing too much running (averaging 8 miles a week). I have a bit of a head start since I will be doing 12-14 miles the weekend of Dances with Dirt, but that is at the end of month. 

I started my month with a bang. I have wanted to try PortaPT running workouts for awhile now. I saw one of my running friends, Emily, post about purchasing one and knew that now was the time.  I opted for the Crazy Sprints workout, I have been wanting to improve my time, so I thought this was perfect. 

Whew, it was a doozie! I am proud that I made it through, and really only did about 3 minutes of walking recovery throughout, while maintaining my jogging recovery. I totaled 3.5 miles, not too shabby since I haven't ran since my Texas visit. 

Make sure to check out some of her treadmill workouts, use code  sbmrunchall for 25% off!! She coaches you and gives you some great motivational support throughout the entire run. I loved them and can't wait to purchase more!


I am amazed I was able to smile after that workout!

Who wants to join me? 
Do less miles than me, do more miles than me, try a walking goal, whatever you want let's just do it together! I am doing this to hold myself accountable, so will be happy to check in and do random posts to make sure we are all hitting our goals. 

If you are wanting to join, comment below and I will make sure to check in and include you on posts regarding the goal! Let's make it super easy to track and use hashtag #SBMrunchallenge! Or if you want a more personal approach, shoot me an email and we can hold you accountable that way!
Get moving!! 

Happy running, 

#freezerlovefriday easy lasagna

I am by no means an Italian, but I did grow up with a mother who can make an amazing lasagna! It is epic. We once missed our flight because we knew my mom had a lasagna cooking in the oven, OK there may be more to this story, but you get my point! It is good! 

When I started #freezerlovefriday I knew I would do a post with lasagna. It is the perfect meal to freeze and there is always a night where we are craving lasagna. When I made these, I was making a batch to take to our friends who had just welcomed a baby girl. I ended up having two to freeze, along with one for us to eat that night, it turned out perfectly. 

This lasagna is not the typical thick lasagna, it is perfect for 3 people, possibly 4, if you have two little ones. If you want bigger or thicker lasagna than only do two pans and double the layering. 

Don't mind the missing piece, my taste tester was EXTRA hungry this night!

Ingredients:

1 pound beef

1 pound turkey 

1 cup cut squash 

1/4 cup onion

2 jars of marinara 

2 8oz can of tomato sauce

1 t salt

1/4 t onion powder

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 TBL Italian seasoning 

2 boxes of no cook lasagna noodles 

15 oz ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1TB parsley flakes 

32 oz bag of mozzarella cheese

EVOO

Directions:

Brown meat in skillet

Cook vegetables in EVOO along with salt, onion/ garlic powder and Italian seasoning. 

Combine all together including marinara sauce and tomato sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes and let cool.

Combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and parsley flakes. 

 My noodles were not the right size do the 8in foil pan, so I ended up having to break some off. Make sure to measure and try yours before you start loading them up! 

Spray bottom of pan lightly with Pam. 

Order:
Light layer of sauce

Noddles

Sauce 

Ricotta mixture

Cover with mozzarella cheese

Noodles

Sauce 

Mozzarella cheese 

Spray a piece of foil with Pam (so cheese does not stick to foil) and cover dish.

Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes.

Uncover and cook for 15 minutes more.

Enjoy! 

Freezing directions:

Spray foil with Pam spray

Cover dish 

Cover with Saran Wrap completely

Place directions on top and place in large ziplock bag. 

Cool completely and freeze for up to 2 months. 

If cooking when lasagna is frozen, it will require up to 2 hours at 350 degrees. I typically will take mine out of the freezer 48 hours in advance and place in  refrigerator. It is not necessary to unfreeze, just easier on your oven! 

The bottom left was the freezer version and I was giving the other three away, so placed foil (ready to bake) with the plastic lid that pan comes with!

I could not even get him to look up! He was so hungry, and he always loves his peas! 

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did! 

Happy freezing,

Meredith 

wine tasting, donkeys and pulled pork.

There is this little gem about 1 hour from our house that we discovered about 2 years ago, AZ Hops and Vines. It is magical, not only do they have fabulous wine, but the atmosphere is one for the books. We are the family that thrives on doing fun and normal things with our 2 year old. We take him along almost anywhere we go, as long as its safe and semi kid friendly. I love having a toddler that can hang with the big kids and be comfortable riding his bike around a winery, it works for us!  

Sonoita, AZ has quite a few wineries and some may even say is the wine country of Arizona. In the summer Tucson typically reaches temperatures into the 100's daily, so anywhere that has slightly cooler temps and great views is a plus in our books. We had been to a few wineries up there, but once we discovered AZ Hops and Vines, we have never looked back. It is a relatively new winery (4 years) that was opened by two sisters with a dream and a love for wine. Their story is so interesting and inspiring, make sure to check it out here. Keep on dreaming ladies, because we love what you have come up with!

This visit we went with friends of ours, who had never been, and we were so excited to introduce them. They are a great couple with a daughter, whom Luke adores, so we knew it would be fun for everyone. Nick, Briana and Natalia have followed us on many random adventures, including driving into the middle of no where for a music festival that had zero attendees, and I am pleased to say that this adventure turned out exactly how we envisioned!

We typically bring our own lunch or dinner, or just snacks, buy a bottle and enjoy the scenery. This time around we brought pulled pork in a crock pot, and homemade mac n cheese. It worked perfectly, and the owner thought it was brilliant! They have a few animals, and yes the donkey does bite as Luke found out recently,  lots of area for the kids to run and play and the tractors are always a huge hit. We go for the experience, just as much as we go for the great wine. Luke calls it the farm! We love bringing out of town guests here to see that Arizona truly does have a little but of everything. 

My favorite wine this visit was the Verena, though I am always a fan of the Fluffer, the Verena was light and refreshing, and I ultimately bought a bottle. I think one of my favorite things about the wine is their labels. They are always so thoughtfully done, and usually done by a local artist.

Briana enjoyed the Cabernet Sauvignon, Amanda, and the special thing about this wine is that EVERYTHING was done at the winery. So, the grapes are straight from their land in Sonoita, planted in 2011 and then foot crushed and aged in the barrel. There is something so special drinking a wine that is so fresh and so local. All of the tastings are paired with a fun snack, which can be shared with the kiddos. My personal favorite were the cheetos (paired with the Imbibe.2), and who doesn't love a side of cheetos with a glass of wine, right? You can definitely tell the vibe of the place after reading this wine description;

"This red blend pairs well with a prime rib roast, smoked goose, old gouda or pecorino cheeses as well as Papa John’s. This wine is more Godfather and less Jersey Shore. Had a bad day? The Rational will make you fuhgeddaboudit."

If you are in Arizona, it is a must. Here is a list of their upcoming events, one of these days we will make it to a Bad Decisions Campout! 

 There are some weekends that you just pinch yourself to make sure you are still awake, because of the love and support that you find in them. This was absolutely one of those weekends! 

#freezerlovefriday pepper style

Stuffed peppers have become SO popular. I remember them being one of my four dinners that I used to cook as a newlywed, and I made it often! They are so easy and there are so many different ways to prepare them. We still do them occasionally (thankfully, I have learned to embrace new recipes), and consider them one of my easier #freezerlovefriday choices!! 

I use the crockpot for mine, because I love knowing that after a busy day, our dinner is done and waiting for us! Also, remember you are just freezing the filling, you would not want to freeze the whole pepper with the filling inside, fresh and crispy peppers are always the best! This recipe will make enough filling for your dinner the night of, as well as the dinner you will be freezing. There are so many different ways to make stuffed peppers, but this is one of our favorites.  

Ingredients:

5 bell peppers 

3 cups prepared rice or quinoa

2 pounds of ground turkey

2 can of stewed tomatoes 

1 cup peas

2 cup of cut yellow squash and zucchini

3 TB of cajun seasoning

EVOO

Directions:

Wash and prepare your peppers, by slicing off the top and clearing out the ribs and seeds. 

Cook rice or quinoa if needed, using directions listed on box. 

Add a dash of EVOO to a skillet and brown the turkey completely. 

Add in the tomatoes, veggies, rice (or quinoa) and seasoning into the skillet. 

Let that simmer for 5 minutes. 

Remove from heat. If freezing half the batch, place in a ziplock bag and let cool completely, than place in freezer. 

Add the mixture to the peppers and cook on low for 4 hours in the crockpot. 

We like to top ours with avocado and sour cream, or just eat plain! 

Enjoy!

                            

This is a recipe that you would want to let thaw completely before preparing it again. I would take the ziplock bag out of the freezer a day before and let thaw in the fridge, than prepare the peppers the next day. 

How do you stuff your peppers? 

Happy freezing, 

Meredith 

the beginning of #freezerlovefriday

I love freezer meals. They are such a staple in my house! They are perfect for nights where you don't have time to whip up a five course meal, or nights where you leave your significant other in charge of the household. I typically will double a recipe, eat half that night and freeze the second half. I have a few favorites, so I thought it would be fun to share them with you all, throughout a few different posts. Some of them are recipes that I have tweaked and made mine, while others are recipes that I have found on the amazing site, Pinterest. The recipes will be for one night, so if you want to freeze some make sure you double the recipe. If you are not into freezer meals and you feel like every night deserves it's own creation, then well just use the recipe as is!

Here is an example of how I label and pack my meal for the freezer. I really like the foil throw away casserole dishes, but I was out this night, so I just used a normal dish!

The first post for #freezerlovefriday is my Pantry Quinoa recipe, it is so easy and so yummy. It is hands down one of my top five favorite meals, and the bonus is that it is loaded with veggies! I call it the Pantry Quinoa, because I often use what I have available. I ALWAYS have cooked quinoa in my fridge, it is a staple in my lunch salad, and our family loves it. My veggie drawer always contains a yellow squash and a zucchini, mainly because I feel like you can add these two veggies into any recipe and they typically go unnoticed. I do not have picky eaters in my family, but I still get such a rush when I throw veggies into a meal and no one knows. It's the little things in life, I tell ya!

Our Pantry Quinoa typically has a southwestern flare, simply because we love taco seasoning and well we live in the southwest! But, the great thing about this recipe is that you can use what you prefer. If you don't love zucchini than throw in whatever veggie your family loves. This particular version we did not do any meat. This dish is so good with or without meat, but if you MUST have meat, I prefer to use shredded chicken or kielbasa. If you choose to add in chicken, make sure to check out my super easy chicken shredding post! 

Pantry Quinoa

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 can of black beans - drained and rinsed

1 can of chopped tomatoes - we really like the southwestern style, but use what you have!

1 yellow squash - chopped

1 zucchini - chopped

1 cup of corn - frozen or fresh 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

A few tablespoons of taco seasoning 

Toppings:

Avocado

Over easy egg

Mexican shredded cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°

 Cook your quinoa per package instructions. 

Use a large saucepan, add EVOO and chopped veggies, cook completely. Add in beans, tomatoes and taco seasoning. Let that sizzle for a few minutes. 

Add in the quinoa, mix well, and transfer to a baking dish.
Sprinkle a generous amount of cheese on top,pop in the preheated oven and and cook for about 5-10 minutes. 

Let cool and add whatever toppings you love! 

Freezing Directions:

Once added to the dish, let cool completely and cover with foil. 
Make sure to label the dish and add reheating instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Frozen  - 1.5 hour 
Thawed - 30 minutes or until heated through 

As promised here is a candid picture of Luke enjoying his portion! He has always liked things all mashed together, so this is a perfect meal for him. 

I hope your family loves Pantry Quinoa, as much as we do! Look for more #freezerlovefriday recipes in the future. I have some good stuff cooking!

Happy freezing,

what is semibalancedmama all about?

Welcome to semibalancedmama! I started this journey back in 2014 when I was a new"ish" mom to one sweet little boy, who made my job SO fun. But, I needed a hobby and since writing was something I loved to do, I thought blogging was the perfect thing. Little did I know, how much work actually goes into creating these little posts. A lot has changed since then. We have moved, welcomed another sweet little face to our crew and my personal website is not updated white as much as I would like. Each and every click means the world to me and whether you are here for my most pinned post, Mini Shephard's Pie or one of favorite running workouts, know that I SO appreciate you. 

I mentioned moving above, but I should mention that we moved internationally! We now live on a small island called Okinawa. It is an island south of Japan and we absolutely LOVE living here. We are traveling all around Asia and life is pretty grand. 

My mission with this blog is to uplift, motivate, inspire, put a smile on your face and most importantly let you know that we are all in this together. I'll do this by sharing my favorite workouts, delicious family recipes and tips that help me to be a semi balanced mama! Yes, a lot of the content will be about the joys and struggles of being a SAHM (if you are not sure what this stands for, ignore), but I am not just a mom. I am a wife, a friend, a partner and so much more. 

You can also find my most recent work on militarymomsblog.com as well as OkinawaHai.com. Two websites that I adore writing for and working with. 

Throughout these posts my biggest joy would be to know that someone found a workout plan they love, a recipe that their family devoured, or enjoyed a silly story that proves it really is 5:00 somewhere!

Catch all of our Okinawa adventures on my Instagram. 
Pin your favorite recipe here. 

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony." Thomas Merton

Kanpai,