Vegetables. I’m trying to eat them. Trying hard. And, I’m going to take you on the journey with me.

I already knew that I could successfully cook a beet. I did it in my Instant Pot and actually enjoyed it. If you didn’t see that recipe, check it out here. My neighbor, Sharon, gave me a butternut squash that had been sitting in my window seal begging to be eaten. I had apples in the fridge. I also happened to have a fennel. Why? I don’t know. I just bought one without really knowing what I would do with it. I figured if I tossed all those things with maple syrup and a little oil, then I would have something pretty special. I was right!

My kids wouldn’t touch this dish with a ten foot pole (shocking), but my husband and I thoroughly enjoyed it with savory pork chops and a kale salad. The next day I had them for lunch over sautéed zucchini. They taste good hot or cold!

This dish tastes great, and it looks gorgeous on the table with the rich, beautiful holiday colors. If you are looking for a healthy dish to serve at your next dinner party, this would be a show-stopper. Enjoy!

My best friend, Chad, was dealt an unexpected blow this year. Out of the blue, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 Neuroendocrine Cancer and Type 2 Diabetes. To say we were shocked by this news is the understatement of the year! Chad and I have been singing partners for over 12 years, and he is like a brother to me.

Chad is handling this turn of events like a champion. It SUCKS, and there is no question about that. But, Chad has dedicated himself to trying to inspire others not to give up the fight. Touching others keeps his fight alive! As part of being a service to others, Chad asked if he could join me in some of my cooking videos to make some diabetic friendly recipes. He is hoping he can help inspire others to heal themselves with healthy eating as he does the same for himself.

Since he used to work on a Thai food truck, Chad and I decided to whip together an easy and flavorful Instant Pot Thai Soup! Check out our video here, and the recipe below!

By the way, if you are interested in helping Chad with his medical expenses, all of the proceeds of our band, The Desert Okies’ new CD go to support him. Check it out at www.desertokies.com!

This post may contain affiliate links for products I use and love. When you use these links to make purchases, you help keep Modern Day Fox alive! Thank you!

In my fitness groups, we have been talking about what a critical time of year this is to stay dedicated to our health and fitness goals. This is when most people throw in the towel and start talking about “Jan 1st” as the magical date to make big changes. I say, why not right now? Just because you make good decisions for your health during the holidays doesn’t mean that you can’t indulge a little too! How about making sure you get in that 30 minutes of exercise each day as a non-negotiable? How about making a plan of action for how you will approach holidays meal. Will you fill your dinner plate with meat and vegetables and skip the bread basket, but indulge on a piece of pecan pie? Or would you rather fill up on rich mashed potatoes and gravy and let the kids enjoy the chocolate brownies? Or, are you going to eat all the food, but make sure that you are back on track the very next day? Make a conscious decision about how you are going to approach these things, and you are bound to feel less guilt-ridden anxiety and make better decisions for yourself.

All that said, why not be the person who brings a dish to the holiday table that doesn’t use refined sugar and a 1/2 lb of butter? If you are looking for ideas, I have a great one for you! Try this super-simple Maple Spiced Sweet Potato dish that you can throw together in roughly 15 minutes in your Instant Pot! Not everything has to be baked with brown sugar and butter to taste amazing. You might be surprised to find that some real maple syrup and unrefined coconut oil adds flavor while also letting you actually taste the natural flavor of the sweet potato. Of course you can sugar up this recipe as much you would like, but this version skips the guilt while serving up all the goodness! Your body will thank you!

Here is a video showing how it’s done. Don’t forget to subscribe to my youtube channel! And, if you are interested in joining my fitness accountability group, send me an email to moderndayfox@gmail.com!

xo Jaime

I’m on a mission to use as my Instant Pot as much as possible in preparing for holiday meals. I have two, after all, and they are just plain fun. I’m also on a mission not to use ANY white sugar or grains in the dishes I prepare for the family. I don’t expect everyone to eat healthy, but I’m going to do my part to offer more nutritious options. And, before you say it, yes, I do know that honey and maple syrup still have a high natural sugar and carb content. This should be considered a Paleo treat. We gotta live a little, right?

Before you tackle making your own cranberry sauce, I need to remind you of something. Cranberries are tart. Like, really, really tart. When you open a can of cranberry sauce and throw it on your Thanksgiving table, it is going to be loaded with refined sugar and have a different flavor than a homemade version. A homemade version like mine uses natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey, and the natural flavor of the cranberry is a bit more prevalent. I want to remind you of that so you don’t taste it and then freak out on me. When you stop using white sugar in your cooking, it’s crazy how different food starts to taste. It seems like there is so much sugar in everything that it’s all we end up wanting to taste. After cutting it out for the last couple months, I’m finding my taste buds are changing and I’m enjoying the actual taste of the food I’m preparing.

If you do find the tartness to be too over-the-top, I included ways to tone it down. An additional tablespoon of honey or maple syrup, or some additional orange juice can really help. I will say that I made this for my son’s Thanksgiving program and I left with an empty bowl. So, that’s a good sign!

Here is a video to show you how I did it!

I’m a consumer. I love buying and trying new things. Because of this, I thought I would share some great gift ideas for the holidays that I have actually purchased and can recommend as “winners” for my kids! I know it’s hard coming up with new ideas. It’s even harder to buy children gifts when you don’t have any. Well, I do. I have two, in fact. They are both boys, and they play hard. They are also brutally honest. I know when they love something and when they don’t. I have put together ideas trying to include gender neutral options, but it will definitely be heavily accented with ideas that boys would probably like.

This post is full of affiliate links. If you use my links to make purchases, you help keep Modern Day Fox going! Also, because it is full of links, you may have to press refresh to get the page to fully load. If you see a bunch of blank spaces, refresh!

Now, let’s get shopping!

I just bought this and haven’t received it yet, but I thought these Advent Lego sets were such a neat Christmas gift that you can give to kids early to help celebrate the Christmas holiday. (Note: I looked for ones that represented other holidays such as Hanukkah, but didn’t see any. If you find one, let me know and I will add it!)

Or this one:

Or, for your Star Wars fans:

Melissa and Doug Toys
These toys are perfect for ages 2-4, but even the older kids still have fun with them. They are well made, educational, and it’s fun to play pretend using them. We have quite a few sets and they all get used regularly:

Pretend Food. What kid doesn’t love to play grocery store or house?

Cutting Set – This one gets used A LOT. My three year old loves to pretend he is cutting things.

Mmmmm. Pizza. Both my boys love pretending with this set!

This set is a big hit at my three year old’s school, but we just don’t have enough room for it at home!

This truck set was a gift to us and it gets used regularly by both boys.

This is the play dough tools set. I highly recommend it. The tools are far better than the cheaper plastic ones you can buy. We play with these often!

The Little People sets are always a hit!
Here is one of the ones we have:

I don’t have this one, but my “girl mom” friends highly recommend!

This is another I don’t have yet, but I love that it reminds the reason for the Christmas season!

Vehicles

3-in-1 Trike – This is the one of the best gifts we received when our first son was one year old. We still have it today! The sunshade is awesome so don’t get a cheaper version just because it doesn’t have a sunshade. It’s worth it! We took this thing to the zoo or anywhere we had to go and could potentially have to carry our son. As he grew, it turned in a tricycle. This is very close to the one we received as a gift:

Balance bikes are great gifts for 2 and 3 year olds who cannot yet balance on a regular bike. My son got this when he was 2, but didn’t really start becoming interested in it until after his 3rd birthday. He is a pro on it now and rides it all the time.

Razor Scooters – I don’t know a kid who has a scooter and doesn’t love it.

Even though my three year loves to try to ride the Razor, this one is more equipped for him at this point. He is actually graduating from this to the Razor this Christmas, but doesn’t know it yet!

A battery-operated car was their big present from a couple years ago. They play with this regularly. I recommend getting a two-seater if you have more than one kid, or they play with friends often. Otherwise, they will fight over who gets a turn. Well worth the cost and we have had no issues with it!

I haven’t purchased this one- but oh my goodness, does it look fun or what??

DRESS-UP ITEMS
My youngest son loves to get in a costume! Here are a few dress up costumes that could be fun gifts!

I was really surprised at the quality of this costume. Size-wise, this fits an averaged sized three year old. My son is weeks away from turning four, but he still wears it. It’s just a little short on the bottom!

I haven’t purchased this one, but I thought this princess costume was adorable!

BOARD GAMES

Pie Face was all the rage the last couple of years, but they stepped it up a notch. This one is on our Christmas list for this year, so I have no experience with it. I’m trusting that it is as fun as the original, or even better!

Our kids play with this classic game at a neighbor’s house. It is going to be under the tree this year:

UNIQUE GIFTS
This lounger is awesome. BUT, attention: This is just the COVER. Pillows are NOT included. We have a ton of pillows lying around so it was easy for us to fill it up. If you don’t, just buy 5 cheap pillows. The kids love laying on this thing and rolling it up and playing with it. I would definitely recommend putting the pillows in it before giving it as a gift. It’s not quite as exciting without the pillows.

You may have seen me do a Live video on Facebook showing off this purchase. It’s so much fun!! Even the adults would have fun with this. It has bluetooth so you can do karaoke videos from youtube. Your phone clips into the front of it so you can see the words and sing along with the music as it comes out the speaker on the microphone.

Ride-On Crane – This crane doesn’t have wheels, but it is so fun for the kids to sit on and dig in the sand, dirt or mulch. This is a very popular toy with the other neighborhood kids when they come over.

My kids absolutely adore this roller coaster given to them by their aunt and uncle. It is easy to set up and easy to stack and store. My husband and I are only sad that we are just a little bit too big for it.

Bounce House – Now this is a BIG gift both in price and in dimensions, but my kids have definitely gotten the value of it. This was a gift from their grandparents and it is a neighborhood hit! This size accomodates children 2-8. It blows up easily and deflates quickly. Folds into a bag for storage.

If you have smaller children, you can probably get by with a smaller bounce house like this one:

Jungle Jumparoo – Maybe you saw this on Shark Tank. My mom and I did, and we knew immediately it was the perfect Christmas present. Now, listen. GET THE COVER. I repeat, get the cover. And, get the warranty. And, also, if it is not going to be in use for long periods of time (like during the winter), then deflate and store it. The tire can dry rot if you don’t take proper care. I had to replace the tire already. Even still, I think this play equipment is worth it because of how much my kids play on it – which is all the time.

Jumbo Inflatable Ball – Full Disclosure – I paid considerably less for this ball as I found it at Aldi. It was the deal of a lifetime compared to what Amazon has them listed for. The kids had a blast with it until they tried to force it through the attic door and caught it on the door frame causing it to pop. If your kids are more careful than mine, I recommend this gift!

STEM Toys

This is one that I haven’t purchased, but I’ve been researching. STEM toys are great educational tools AND lots of fun for your little engineers!

Here is another one we are considering from Lego:

If those are too advanced, try one of these:

These are also highly recommended by friends who have both boy and girl children:

TABLETS FOR KIDS
I bought an Amazon Fire in July for a killer price. Keep your eye on the Fires as they will likely go on sale again before Christmas!

For your younger pups, try this one. (We have an older V Tech model):

BOOKS

Some book ideas for 2-5 year olds:

Both my kids really enjoy this story about mighty machines going to bed at night.

My three year old is wild over this book. He loves the fun photos of food.

Another one with rhymes that is fun to read aloud:

Here are some chapter books appropriate for 5-8 year olds:

Junie B – My son’s kindergartener teacher introduced us to these books. My six year old loved them so much at school that he begged us for this set. Julie B is a sparky little girl and lots of fun.

Toys Go Out is the first in a series of three. We enjoyed reading these books together and learning about the secret lives of toys.

The Chocolate Touch was a great story about a kid who learns his lesson the hard way about eating too much chocolate.

My Father’s Dragon takes you on a great adventure. My son really enjoyed these stories.

This is just a silly, fun book about classroom pets being terrorized by a squirrel that gets inside the school building. It’s a cute story!

And, last but not least, since you know health and fitness is the name of my game… why not get a Beachbody All-Access Challenge Pack and try out the new Beachbody Family workout called Double Time? This is a gift for your family AND for you! One year access to over 40 different programs including Double Time streamed on Beachbody on Demand, a month of shakes, a ball for the workout, and a shaker bottle! This is the gift that keeps on giving. I’ve done this program with my kids and it is FUN!! Click here to learn more!

I’m sure I’ll think of more items in the weeks to come and I will post a follow-up if I do! I hope this helps spark some ideas for your kid’s holiday gift list! Happy shopping!

xo Jaime

I stumbled across a really tasty looking recipes on the Wegman’s website for Roasted Butternut Squash with Baby Spinach and Cranberries. This looked like the perfect side dish for fall or for the Thanksgiving table, but I felt like it could also be turned into a delicious one pan dinner.

These day I’m loving nitrate-free Apple Chicken Sausage. It’s one of the meats that my husband (who has UC) can handle in small doses. I love slicing the sausage and throwing it on top of roasting vegetables. Food prep doesn’t get easier than that. When I saw the Wegman’s recipe, I knew the Apple Sausage would compliment this dish perfectly, and walnuts would take it over the top. I was right! We loved this fall-inspired dish!

Here’s a bonus tip – While you can certainly buy butternut squash that is peel and cubed already, it’s cheaper to buy a whole squash. Microwave your squash for three minutes and then it will be so much easier to cut and peel. I use a peeler and it was easy, peasy!

xo Jaime

We ate dinner tonight by candle light! Thankfully for me, I zipped through dinner prep in less than 15 minutes using my Power XL Air Fryer and had everything done just as the power went out for the next 30 minutes. My kids thought it was pretty cool to have dinner in the dark. I was just thankful that my meatballs were not interrupted halfway through cooking. It would have been a real shame if those bad boys would have been ruined.

Since my husband went grain-free, I have found making meatballs without a binding ingredient such as bread crumbs or oats is pretty tricky. Too many times my meatballs ended up dissolving into mush and it was very frustrating. While surfing the web, I stumbled upon an idea for an unusual grain-free ingredient in meatballs and knew I had to give a shot. The magic ingredient? Potato chips! That’s right. Finely crushed potato chips is the perfect substitute for bread crumbs. It created a perfect texture and held the meatballs together extremely well. Now, I admit, I used Lay’s Potato Chips. Maybe not the healthiest choice. You can get organic potato chips, and I’ve seen recipes that use Sweet Potato chips or even beet chips.

The other key to making perfect meatballs is using a “meatballer!” A what?? I know, I know. I’d never heard of such a thing either, but a friend told me about hers and I had to buy one. Take a look at the one I got here. I was able to portion out my meatballs evenly because of this neat little tool.

I can already think of three questions that are going to come up, so I’ll just address them now.

#1 I don’t have an air fryer. Can I bake these? Well, hello! Of course you can. I would try baking them at 375 degrees for 20-25 min until they reach 165 internal temperature.

#2 Can I leave out the parmesan cheese? Sure! It won’t be exactly the same texture and taste, but it will still work.

#3 Can I use flavored chips? I haven’t tried this yet, but I think it would totally work. I want to try using barbecue chips and simmering them in BBQ sauce. My only thought about using flavored chips is to make sure the other seasonings will work with the flavor of your chips. The Italian season, for example, might need to be swapped for a seasoning that compliments your chips.

#4 Can I freeze these meatballs? You sure can. I have not tried cooking them from frozen in the air fryer, but I saw in some other meatball recipes that you would keep the cooking time the same as if they were fresh. Again, I haven’t tried it yet.

Happy meat-ballin’!

xo Jaime

This post contains affiliate links which help support the life of this blog. All opinions are my own and these are products I’ve actually purchase and recommend. When you use my links to purchase, you directly support Modern Day Fox!

Print Recipe

Modern Day Fox Grain-Free Air Fryer Meatballs

A surprising ingredient helps bind these meatballs perfectly, and creates a great texture! You won't even miss the grains usually used in meatball recipes. Try them served over zoodles!

Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

5 min

Cook Time

12 min

Servings

meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground Turkey
• 1/2 cup finely crushed potato chips
• 1/2 cup Parmesan shredded
• 1 Egg
• 2 TBSP Parsley finely chopped
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Onion Powder
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Course Main Dish Prep Time 5 min Cook Time 12 min Servings meatballs Ingredients 1 lb Ground Turkey 1/2 cup finely crushed potato chips 1/2 cup Parmesan shredded 1 Egg 2 TBSP Parsley finely chopped 1 tsp Garlic Powder 1 tsp Onion Powder 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly combined.

   
2. Lightly grease air fryer basket with oil to help prevent sticking.
3. Use 1.25 inch meatballer or scoop to form 12 equally portioned meatballs.

   
4. Place meatballs into air fryer basket.

   
5. Push in basket and set fryer to 390 degrees for 12 min. Use spatula to gently lift and roll meatballs halfway through cooking. (Cooking times may vary depending on your air fryer. I’m using a Power XL Air Fryer and 12 minutes cooked my meatballs thoroughly.)

   
6. Remove from basket and serve!

   

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Meal prep can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be! Instant Pot to the rescue!

I’ve been experimenting with cooking spaghetti squash in the Instant Pot. It is admittedly a bit of a different texture than when baked in the oven as it is cooked with moisture in the Instant Pot rather than dry heat. But, it gets done SO much faster and I like that. I love how spaghetti squash is so porous and takes on flavors so easily. I recently had a meal from my favorite meal service, Paleo Works, that combined spaghetti squash, chicken and tomato bruschetta. I decided to try to do a quick copycat recipe using my Instant Pot. While mine is admittedly a hack in comparison to that chef’s creation, I think I threw together a tasty meal. You can certainly make your own homemade bruschetta, but I use a jarred grocery store kind in this recipe in order to save time.

I also have been exploring warm potato salads. Have you ever had a Hot German Potato Salad where the potatoes are slightly over cooked and starting to fall apart? The potatoes begin to fall apart as you stir in the dressing and it creates a thick sauce. It is so good! It occurred to me that I could create an Italian version of Hot Potato Salad using jarred basil pesto and red potatoes. I also threw in some green beans for a veggie kick, and chicken for added protein. Best of all, I could cook it all in the Instant Pot at once!

I made four of each of these meals for a total of EIGHT meals all at the same time in roughly 45 minutes. While the squash was cooking, I prepped the chicken, green beans, and potatoes. When the squash finished, I removed it and washed my pot. I then added the chicken, potatoes and green beans to the pot to cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. I scraped out the spaghetti squash and mixed in some tomato bruschetta. I portioned it out in four containers. When the pot timer went off, I released the steam and removed half of the chicken and evenly distributed over each of the servings of squash. I added a heaping spoonful of bruschetta on top of the chicken, and BAM! Four meals were done.  Next I scooped out the potato mixture and put it in a bowl. I thinned out some jarred basil pesto with olive oil and then gently tossed the potato mixture with the pesto until it was coated evenly. I divided it into four servings, and BAM! Four more meals done!

A couple notes: I tried the hot potato salad using frozen chicken. I cooked it for 13 minutes. It was good, but the potatoes were extremely soft. I think if you are using frozen chicken, then you should cook the potatoes and green beans separately for 8 minutes. Cook the frozen chicken for 13 minutes. Then, combine. Also, if you don’t like basil pesto, just use melted butter instead. I also made this with cilantro pesto and it was delicious!

This prep is easy, quick, AND healthy. Get yourself an Instant Pot and give it a try!

Interested in the mesh steamer basket shown in my instruction video! Grab it here! Or, try this one that was just released on Amazon!

xo Jaime

The links found in this post are affiliate links that help support the life of this blog. All opinions are my own, and I am not sponsored by any companies at this time. When you use my links to purchase, you help keep Modern Day Fox going!