{Happy 4th of July!} Busy Girl’s Top 5 Tips for Staying on Track during the Holiday Weekend! 1. Don’t skip meals. As best as you can, stick to your normal daily routine. Skipping meals leads to overindulging. Start your day off with a good quality, well-balanced breakfast. 2. Keep active with your friends and family. Go for a walk, play outdoor games, or enter into a 4th of July 5K race or sand volleyball tournament. 3. During your meals, fill your plate with lots of veggies. Fill up on veggies instead of chips, processed foods and desserts. 4. Drink lots of water. Water not only keeps you hydrated, it also helps you feel fuller, making it easier to resist unhealthy goodies as well as sugary and alcoholic empty-calorie beverages. 5. Keep desserts and cocktails portion controlled. Remember, there are no restrictions. It’s OK to have a little bit of dessert or enjoy a cocktail, but remember PORTION CONTROL makes all of the difference. { Busy Girl 4th of July Sensible Grill-Out Menu and Recipes { Created by Busy Girl Dietitian, Stacie Hassing, RD Appetizers Stacie’s Loaded Guacamole Watermelon Mint Goat Cheese Skewers (click for video) Main Meal Mushroom Spinach Burger Foil Pack Grilled Vegetables Veggie Bacon Potato Salad Simple Tossed Salad of Your Choice Dessert Red, White & Blue Fruit Salad with Greek Yogurt Mocktail…or…Faux-Jito (click for video) Recipes on following pages... Stacie’s Loaded Guacamole Ingredients: •3 avocados, mashed •¼ c. red onion, finely chopped •2-3 garlic cloves, minced •2 Roma tomatoes, diced •1 tsp. cumin + more to taste •1 tsp. chili powder •¼ tsp. cayenne •2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped •salt and pepper to taste •juice of 1 lime Instructions: 1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth. 2. Serve with raw veggies, organic blue corn chips, in a wrap, or as a topping on a salad. Mushroom Spinach Burger Ingredients: •1 lb. grass-fed ground beef or bison •½ Tbsp. coconut oil •⅓ cup onions, finely chopped •1½ cups spinach, finely chopped •1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped •3 garlic cloves, minced •½ tsp. thyme, dried •½ tsp. rosemary, dried •½ tsp. basil, dried •1-2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar •salt and pepper Instructions: 1. In a sauté pan, heat coconut oil to medium heat. Add chopped vegetables, and sauté until onions are translucent and all vegetables are soft. 2. Add balsamic vinegar and turn up heat for about 30 seconds. 3. Take vegetables off heat and allow to cool slightly. Combine with seasonings and ground beef. 4. Form into 4-5 patties. 5. Grill or sauté burgers on medium heat until internal temperature reaches a minimum of 160 degrees. 6. Baking option: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes. Foil Pack Grilled Vegetables Ingredients: •1 large red onion, cut into thick slices •3 garlic cloves, minced •1 package whole mushrooms •1 lb. Brussels sprouts, cut in half •1 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped •1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried) •¼ c. walnut halves •2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil •¼ c. balsamic vinegar •salt and pepper to taste Instructions: 1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. 2. Combine all ingredients, EXCEPT walnuts, in a large bowl and toss so all veggies are coated with olive oil and vinegar. 3. Place veggies in a single layer on foil or a foil grill pan. Layer another foil layer on top of veggies folding over edges and pinching with bottom foil to seal. 4. Place foil pack on grill and grill for 20-25 minutes flipping half-way through. 5. When finished, toss the walnuts into the veggies mixture. 6. Serve warm! Veggie Bacon Potato Salad Ingredients: •1.5 lbs. new red potatoes •24 oz. frozen cauliflower •4 slices uncured bacon •¾-1 c. green onion, diced •6 radishes (cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin) •1 c. celery, diced •2 Tbsp. fresh chives, chopped •2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped •¼ c. olive oil •½ c. good white balsamic vinegar •1 tsp. garlic powder •1 tsp. dried dill weed •1-2 Tbsp. coconut sugar or honey (depending on desired sweetness and strength of vinegar, you may add a dash more) •salt and pepper to taste Instructions: 1. Boil potatoes (with skin on) until tender. Cook cauliflower in microwave until tender per directions on package. 2. Dice bacon and fry in non-stick pan. Remove bacon bits from pan and save the bacon grease. 3. Add radishes, celery and green onion to pan with bacon grease, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until they reach a tender crisp. 4. Chop cooked potatoes (with skin on) and cauliflower into bite-size pieces. 5. In a large mixing bowl, mix potatoes, cauliflower, veggies from bacon pan, chopped hard-boiled eggs, half of the chives and half of the bacon bits. Salt and pepper to taste. 6. In the bacon pan, add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, dill weed and sugar, and warm through; stir until sugar dissolves, and oil and vinegar is well blended. 7. Pour oil and vinegar mixture over the potato salad and mix well. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. 8. Transfer potato salad to a serving dish. Sprinkle top with remaining chives and bacon. 9. Serve at room temperature. Red, White & Blue Basil Berry Salad with Greek Yogurt Ingredients: •1 pint of strawberries, halved •1 c. of raspberries •1 c. of blueberries •1 c. of blackberries •1 c. plain Greek yogurt •2 fresh basil leaves, minced •1 tsp. pure vanilla extract •2 Tbsp. honey •½ c. mini dark chocolate chips Instructions: 1. Combine all ingredients and chill until ready to serve. 2. Serve in glass dish or cocktail glass, and garnish with a few fresh berries and basil leaf. { From the Busy Girl family to yours, we hope you have a happy, healthy and safe holiday! }