The End of Summer is Closing In…

In the South, school starts much earlier then much of the country. It hit me this weekend that we have less than 2 weeks before my oldest goes back!

That realization sparked a couple of ideas in my mom brain.

First, we needed to clean some stuff out of this house, start the school year without all the clutter! Seriously, how did we amass all the stuff!?! I started with the kids closets, and mine. Then moved downstairs to the closet where we keep their school bags, and I even tackled my desk… which had become a graveyard for all the school work the two had brought home in the last couple of years! Definitely far from perfect, but we are set to donate 6 bags of cloths, toys and miscellaneous household items we don’t need to the Am. Vets Association.

Am Vets are going to have to bring another truck!

Second spark was that I need some new, go-to healthy and quick meals that I can put into rotation for those busy nights of practice and after school activities.

Last night we grilled some chicken breast and sliced it over fresh mozzarella and tomato salad, with roasted parmigiana zucchini and roasted sweet potatoes. Tonight, I made something even more simple as I tossed everything onto a cookie sheet and cooked it together!

Cookie Sheet Chicken Thighs and Roasted Veggies!

I don’t usually eat Paleo, but a friend posted an idea about roasting chicken thighs right with veggies and I ran with it! I made it super simple with pre-cut butternut squash, peppers and onions. More expensive then the whole stuff, but I needed it to be fast this week! I mixed together a quick glaze to go over the chicken, threw it all on a parchment lined cookie sheet, baked at 450 degrees for 25 minutes, mixing it up a couple of times. Then broiling it for 2-3 minutes for crunchiness.

You could do this in so many ways… potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower… skies the limit! The glaze is easy. I got the glaze idea from https://www.paleorunningmomma.com and tweaked it up just a tiny bit:

2 TBS Spicy Brown Mustard

1/3 Cup Soy Sauce (I used Coconut Aminos)

1/4 TSP Onion Powder

1/4 TSP Garlic Powder

1/4 TSP California Paprika

2 TBS Maple Syrup

My daughter and husband loved it! My son tolerated it to get to the Mac and Cheese. Who would’ve guessed I could love a meal with nothing but veggies and chicken?? Either way, it’s one that will be a part of the regular rotation for sure!

I would love to hear some of your easy, go-to healthy recipes for quick nightly dinners!

Happy Monday!!