I was inspired today by the question, what is one thing you have done in your life that you never thought you would do… It got me thinking and reflecting on who I am, the person I have become, and where I have been. As busy adults we don’t often take time to look back at the path we have been on that has brought us to where we are today. But if you think about it, you have overcome obstacles, pushed through setbacks, broken limitations, and conquered your fears. Not your path compared to the rest of the world. But your path for you. The person you are. The things you have pushed through, grown from, and moved into.

So what is it for you? What have you done in your life that you never thought you could do, or were scared to do? Run a marathon? Given a speech? Gone skydiving? Given birth?  And what have you still not done? We all have these limitations that we put on ourselves that we think we can’t do… but I think its time to push through that lens. Look at where you’ve come from, and think you can. Just like the little engine that could, “think you can”. We aren’t all created to be a CEO of a company or the best cook in town, but you were created to be you. Don’t compare yourself to what everyone else is doing, the success they are having, or their picture of “having it all together”  And don’t let that you be held back by your hardest critic, yourself.  Go Big. Think of something that you want to do. You were also created to be courageous, to dream big, and to live free. So be you, do something big (for you), and …

Sweet Potatoes are my FAVORITE!! They are one of the most nutritious vegetables AND are a great source of the antioxidants beta-carotine and vitamin C.

This recipe is so customizable, plus it is the perfect way to load up on vegetable goodness!!!

You simply replace chips with sweet potatoes, roast, then top with your favorite vegetables, meat, beans, and cheese. The sky is the limit!!

Ingredients:

Sweet Potatoes (seasoned and roasted)

Beans

Meat (cooked and seasoned)

Your choice of veggies (red onion, zucchini, broccoli, peppers, carrots, celery, spinach, etc)

Shredded Cheese

toppings for serving (salsa, guacamole, cilantro, etc)

avocado oil

seasonings

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel Sweet Potatoes. Cut into 1/4″ coins. Toss in a bowl with avocado oil, salt, garlic powder, and paprika. (I use 1/2 tsp of each). Lay the sweet potatoes on a baking pan with edges. (This will make it easier to keep all the toppings on the nachos). Try to space the sweet potato coins so that they don’t overlap. Roast at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes. Add more time if needed.

While the sweet potatoes are cooking, cook your meat, rinse beans, and chop all additional veggies. Once the sweet potatoes are nicely roasted and slightly browned, add the meat, beans and vegetables on top. Cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes place the shredded cheese on top and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve and enjoy with your favorite nacho toppings!

This is a new staple in our house and we hope you love it too.

Let us know on Facebook or Instagram @growingweisser if you try it!

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This is a great meal to make to have people over, take to parents of a new baby, and eat for yourself! And it is all in one dish! Can’t get much better than that! Make it for your family, grab some salad and bread and there you go!

Spinach and Sausage Spinach Bake

• 1 ¹⁄₂lbs chicken sausage
• olive oil (optional)
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large sweet red pepper, coarsely chopped
• 20-28 ounces meatless extra chunky pasta sauce
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 tbs dried basil
• 2 tbs oregano
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 6 cups penne pasta (1 box)
• 1 cup of yogurt
• 8 oz package fresh spinach (trimmed and coarsely chopped)
• 2 cups shredded provolone cheese or 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated asiago cheese or 1 cup parmesan cheese

1. Cut sausage into 1/2 inch chunks. I large skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat, in batches and adding oil if necessary. Transfer sausage to a bowl.
2.  Add to the oil mixture the onions, garlic and red pepper, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and fennel seeds; bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Return sausage and any accumulated juices to pan; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is firm throughout.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 6 minutes, add spinach;cook for 1 minute. Drain well and return to pot. Add one cup of yogurt Add sausage mixture and provolone/mozzarella cheese; stir to combine well.
4. Transfer to 2 greased 8-inch square baking dishes or 1 13×9-inch dish. Sprinkle with Asiago/parmesan cheese. Cover dish with greased foil, greased side down.