^Yes, for recipes I like my bananas dark. haha.... They are sweeter :D

Meal preparation is everything for me! If I do not plan ahead of time I will not eat what I should. These overnight oat recipes are my absolute favorites. They make me want to get out of bed in the morning and are so easy to make. Just throw all the ingredients in a bowl or plastic container if you are 'on the go' and let it sit overnight. 

I like to add one scoop of quest vanilla protein powder to the apple and strawberry ones because they don't have much naturally. It is good to start out the day with a meal that has protein. I normally aim to have about 10-25g. With one scoop of protein powder, these have 32g. This is good for me because I normally have a salad for lunch and sometimes I don't get a lot of protein at lunch if I don't have chicken/black beans/fish or another protein source to add to my salad. BUT, you could always do half a scoop of protein powder. 

TIPS FOR OVERNIGHT OATS:

-Add a half a scoop or whole scoop of protein powder

-Use 1 tbsp real PB and 1 tbsp powdered PB to lower fat with same taste

-You might need to add a little water/milk in the morning (depends on type of oats sometimes)

-You can also use WATER instead of MILK if you like

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I normally only eat the Dark Chocolate PB Oats on Mondays or Fridays! WHY? because they get me out of bed on Mondays and make me happy at the start of my Friday :) Also because I consider this breakfast to be a treat. Heated up in the microwave, this is a perfect way to start the day!

On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, I normally have yogurt with fresh fruit, cereal, or boiled eggs and toast for breakfast. Find me on myfitnesspal if you are interested. Username: casadiacole

Have a great Monday everybody! :D

So here is my garden at a glance. :) This is the night I planted everything in the pouring rain! haha I work so well in the rain. It is weird! The pepper in this picture is 3 times this size now and all the plants are growing so tall! I will post an after picture soon. Vegetables aren't famous for being on everybody's top 10 favorite foods but I encourage you to make a point to eat at least 3 of these veggies before July ends! I will also :) See below for some tips on how to eat more veggies :)

My tomato plants are growing quickly and I love seeing them everyday get taller and taller. Is this what it is like to have kids? lololol jk......I actually used to hate tomatoes but now I like them somewhat. E eats them by the slice but I just can't do it. BUT I love them chopped up in salsa, on pizza, and my most favorite in BRUSCHETTA! This is the best recipe I have ever tasted :) Follow it to the T. 

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Summer squash is so good for a fresh and quick side dish. Slice it up and sauté it with onions, little soy sauce, garlic, and YUM. 

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I had cucumbers this evening fresh out of E's mom's garden! They went perfect with the jerk chicken she made to balance out the spice. I planted burpless cucumbers in my garden and they haven't started flourishing yet. We all have eaten cucumbers in our salads but this Cucumber, corn and parmesan salad looks great!

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If you haven't ever tried just eating corn plain with no salt, pepper, butter, or anything else you think of, TRY IT NOW! Nuff said about that ;).

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Green beans used to be the only vegetable I would eat as a child. I still love them just as much. Beans straight off the vine I like to chop in 1" pieces and sauté with olive oil and raviolis. I know that sounds odd but raviolis and green beans is one of my favorite combinations. :D As a child I ate french style green beans by the can! FANTASTIC! I'm actually craving them writing about it right now. 

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I love a good salad but there are others ways to enjoy lettuce! You can try lettuce wraps, grilling lettuce, and I am trying this BLT pasta salad recipe for sure!!! 

1) Plan some meals around a vegetable main dish, such as a vegetable stir-fry or soup. Then add other foods to complement it.

2) Try a main dish salad for lunch. Go light on the salad dressing.

3) Include a green salad with your dinner every night. 

4) Shred carrots or zucchini into meatloaf, casseroles, quick breads, and muffins. 

5) Include chopped vegetables in pasta sauce or lasagna. 

6) Order a veggie pizza with toppings like mushrooms, green peppers, and onions, and ask for extra veggies.

7) Use pureed, cooked vegetables such as potatoes to thicken stews, soups and gravies. These add flavor, nutrients, and texture.

8) Grill vegetable kabobs as part of a barbecue meal. Try tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, and onions.

9) Decorate plates or serving dishes with vegetable slices.

10) Buy canned vegetables labeled "reduced sodium," "low sodium," or "no salt added." If you want to add a little salt it will likely be less than the amount in the regular canned product.

I lied and told my friends and family that this was fried rice, and guess what?? They had NO IDEA that it was all cauliflower! ;) So much fun, and very easy to make!

I like to blend up my carrots before I do anything else because it is way faster than cutting them up by hand! haha And it tastes better because they are all throughout the rice instead of chunks.

Don't add too much cauliflower at once. About 1/2 to 3/4 of the way full!

Finished product should look like this :)

Fry the rice so it is crunchy and not too soft.

Add all other ingredients except the cauliflower.

After the mixture is sauteed and the flavors are in the air, add the cauliflower.

Add the soy sauce and enjoy! Seriously this is so good!!