Cooking for Your Family

If you are like me, you have crazy family members (I'm looking at you mom and dad!) who let you experiment on them as you make new recipes and try out funky combinations. When most people cook for others, I'm pretty sure the normal smart thing to do is to make a dish that you know tastes good and that you have made before. Enter, your favorite pasta sauce and that awesome salad you've brought to potlucks numerous times. 

But if you are anything like me, (not sure if there are many of us out there ;) ) you make popped amaranth for a snack, make your own ketchup (be on the lookout for a recipe coming soon!) and you serve your parents a panini stuffed with tangerines and cheddar. 

Wait! Don't leave just yet; Check out the recipes and pictures that I took with my mom's DSLR (gasp! good quality photos on Carly Turns Cajun)

I made three types of paninis and some sweet potato fries. I'll post the panini recipes on this post and you can find the technique for making the fries here. (it's super easy if you have a spiralizer, they are kind of pricey, so if you don't you can always just make regular sweet potato fries. This is my favorite way to make regular ones.)<--click the link

Panini #1 Based off this Avo-Dilla Bagel

1 Everything Bagel Thin (any type of bagel really)
~1/2 Avocado, sliced into wedges
Sprinkle of Cheddar Daiya (you could use real cheese, this was just what I had on hand)
Mandarin Orange Segments, drained if using canned

Panini #2 Turkey and Goat Cheese Panini

2 slices of Ezekiel Sprouted Bread
Goat Cheese
Smoked Turkey Breast Deli Meat
Roasted Red Cabbage
Arugula

Panini #3 Apple and Pepper Jack Melt


2 pieces of Cinnamon Raisin Bread
~1/3 Apple, thinly sliced into "sheets"


1 slice of Pepperjack Yogurt Cheese (or any cheese, this is just what I had on hand)

Sautéed Mushrooms and Red Onion

METHOD
Carefully assemble the ingredients and stack them on the sliced bread/bagel. Using a Panini Press (or you could use a stovetop grill pan and flip the sandwiches; it just might get a little messy :P) that has been preheated on high and lightly greased (with cooking spray or oil), place the sandwiches and close the machine until the cheesy becomes melted and you can see grill marks on the sandwiches. 

You can customize these sandwiches by using whatever you have on hand or to your liking. Any of the cheese and bread can be swapped out and these recipes can be used simply for inspiration :) I do recommend that you make the sweet potato fries to accompany your sandwiches however, only because they are simply amazing. And while you are at it, serve those with homemade ketchup (guess you'll have to wait til I post that recipe eh?). I'm so mean ;)

If you made it this far thanks for reading! I hope to have a more detailed post on my triathlon up soon (before I forget the details haha) and I didn't forget about that frozen dessert mess tutorial I swear!!

Loves(:

P.S. I don't know how or why my font keeps changing fonts halfway through my posts (arghh). If you have any ideas PLEASE let me know.

June (Better Late Than Never Right!)

I'm sure you guys have all seen Kasey's June Powermeal a day, and if you follow me on Instagram (which you should(: at chocolatemilk; haha maybe I'll tell that story one day) you would have seen my colorful eats lately. Although I probably didn't even need this motivation to eat healthy (I'm pretty self motivated; and wow that sounded conceited! But you know what I mean, usually I eat plenty of fruits and veggies, I don't really worry about getting enough into my diet because that just happens to be the food I enjoy eating) I thought that it would be fun to do the challenge, plus I love to see other's meals to get inspiration for new flavors and combinations.  Here's the photo challenge in case you are curious, or are too lazy to click on the link and read up (;

Along with this june challenge and a long with all the other bloggers out there, I made some summer goals! And in taking a cue from Heather, I made an inspiration board


My top goals include:
1. Running/Biking/Swimming a triathlon
2. When I run longer runs (5-7 miles), to run about a 9 minute pace
3. Eat a balanced  diet; and I'm not talking just fruits and veggies. Sometimes I get so caught up in eating healthy and getting enough of the "right" food that I forget to indulge every once in a while and eat the things that I enjoy that aren't as healthy
4. UNPLUG! I need to get off the computer and iPhone, because although I could read blogs and post photos on instagram all day long, I need to use my free time this summer to have fun, get outside, read books (I used to read all the time, and honestly I love reading!) and hang out with my friends
5. Be on Time; hehe I'm really bad about this one, I'm always late :/
6. Go to a Yoga Class or do yoga at home at least once a week; I really want to be able to touch my toes! (and just be more flexible in general)


(so yeah when I looked for a photo of the board I realized I didn't take one, oops)


Other than creating this colorful inspiration board I've been up to some other fun stuff;

Going to the grove park inn with mi madre(:
we actually are going back soon because there wasn't any spaces in the spa! What do you know, another aspect of "being on time" I need to work on, planning ahead!


They had an amazing sports facility, their whole weight room was filled with pink chairs (possibly for breast cancer?)
And this awesome machine; it was called an Endurance 3 Elliptical Trainer and it was so cool! I chose a program with 30 second intervals of just using your arms to pedal, going backwards, lifting your heels and other exercises. It mad the time go by really quickly!

Then their brunch buffet! Mmmm sweet potato pancakes and an omelet bar(:

Making earrings from this bead shop in Asheville and some major shoe shopping(:

Babysitting; which may or may not entail lounging around, playing soccer and finding a worm (Eek!) on the steamed broccoli

We played soccer in the driveaway; I love the bottom left picture, her expression is like "Noooo!"

Taking pictures of their cute dog and lovely flowers

Making the kids healthy dinners while they chill out and watch some tv; and quite possibly look for a full length mirror in the house to take a picture of my cute outfit(:


What have you fun things have you been doing this summer? 
Did you make any unique summer goals? 
and I bet you've answered these before so feel free to just comment about whatever you like(: