Cassie DeNisco

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Easy Berry Smoothie Recipe

As the weather gets warmer, I love a smoothie in the morning! I’ve shared my go to tropical smoothie recipe on here before but this easy berry smoothie recipe takes you back to the basics. I love a quick morning smoothie to get in your fruit for the day on the go!

I will say, this recipe is so easy thanks to my Ninja Blender. You can seriously just throw everything in and set it & forget it. This is such a high powered blender that it truly is amazing in the morning when you need to get out the door quickly.

You can shop here for the Ninja Blender I have. This is an affiliate link so I make a small commission if you choose to shop from it!

Smoothie Recipe

1 cup frozen strawberries

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1 frozen banana

1/3 cup oats

1/2 cup walnuts

oatmilk (I start with about a 1/2 cup and continue to add as needed)

drizzle of honey

2 scoops Vital Proteins collagen (shop here)

Directions

  • Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Because of the oats and walnuts, this is a slightly chunkier smoothie so if you’d prefer it smooth, omit them!

What I love most about smoothies is how easy they make it to get your daily nutritional values in. I don’t always reach for a breakfast in the morning or even a fruit so by making this I truly get everything I need in for the day and it’s only like 10am by the time I’m done!

Feel free to add some protein to bulk up this easy berry smoothie recipe! I really just make this for the fruit aspect so I know I’m getting them in each day! If you make this smoothie, let me know in the comments below! You can check out other smoothie recipes here!

My Easy Chicken Cutlet Recipe!

One thing about me is I love an easy chicken cutlet recipe! I feel like I really have perfected mine and I’m so excite to share it with you! I feel like making cutlets can seems so daunting but once you get the hang of it, you really will never look back!

To make these cutlets, I like to use my electric fryer. I feel like it helps to make the process faster as you can fit more in it than just a pan on the stove. You can shop the exact electric fryer I have here! (this is an affiliate link so I make a small commission if you choose to purchase)

easy chicken cutlet recipe

Ingredients

  • 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast
  • at least 4 cups italian bread crumbs
  • 5 eggs cracked and scrambled
  • vegetable oil (enough to coat the bottom of you pan)

Directions

  1. Start by thinly slicing your chicken breast. I’ve found holding the chicken with one hand on top and using the knife sideways makes it easy and provides the thinest cutlets! Keep doing this until all your chicken breast are cut.
  2. Put your bread crumbs on either plate with sides or a low bowl then scramble the eggs and place them in another bowl with a little warm water.
  3. Warm you pan or electric fryer with enough oil to coat the bottom of it!
  4. Place your thinly sliced chicken in the egg and flip it over then place it in the bread crumbs and flip it over. Once that process is done you are ready to fry!
  5. Place breaded chicken in pan and let it sit until one side is golden brown then flip. Repeat the process until you have finished all the chicken!
  6. Let cooked cutlets sit on a paper towel lined plate to rest and enjoy!
easy chicken cutlet recipe

I hope you enjoyed this yummy chicken cutlet recipe! I love to pair mine with couscous and green beans for an easy week night meal or make them with mozzarella and tomato sauce for chicken parm! You can also make them and freeze them so you have them on hand at all times!

If you loved this recipe, you can read more on the blog here!

Easy Breakfast Muffin Recipe!

I love this recipe because it truly is so easy to make! This delicious breakfast muffin recipe as sausage, egg & cheese in it to make the perfect filling, on the go meal! These were a go to for me as a kid and now that I’ve rediscovered them, I am obsessed!

These muffins are only 5 ingredients and can be made in advanced and stored in the fridge or freezer! You only need a muffin pan and you are all set!

breakfast muffin recipe

Ingredients:

2 Cup Bisquick

1 cup vegan cheese

1 box Brown and serve sausage

2/3 cup vegan milk

2 eggs

Recipe:

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Add bisquick to a bowl then mix in your vegan milk, eggs, and cheese.
  3. Microwave brown and serve just enough so you can chop it into small pieces.
  4. Fold sausage into the bisquick mix.
  5. Grease a muffin pan and then fill each section with about 1/4 cup of the bisquick mix.
  6. Cook muffins for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

You can shop my favorite muffin tins here! (affiliate link, I make a small commission if you purchase)

I hope you enjoyed this easy breakfast muffin recipe! This was one of my favorites as a kid before school and it’s easily become a go to now for a snack or breakfast. You can really customize these to your flavor preferences too!

Be sure to check out more breakfast recipes like this one here!

Vegan Chickpea Orzo Soup

I have a delicious recipe for you today that I know you’re going to love! My vegan chickpea orzo soup is so easy to make and perfectly cozy for these colder winter months. I also love that this is a vegan recipe because I love incorporating meatless meals into my rotation! This is perfect for your new year resolution to be a little healthier!

This is definitely one of my easier recipes and really doesn’t need too much! I feel like many of us have these ingredients on hand already, so it might just be the orzo you have to actually get! I hope you love this as much as I do!!

vegan chickpea orzo soup

Ingredients:

8 cups veggie broth

1 bag orzo

can carrots

1 can chickpeas

1 tbsp flour

medium onion diced

2-3 celery stalks diced

1 tbsp garlic

italian seasoning

1-2 tbsp vegan heavy cream or milk

salt + pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. To a large pot, sauté diced celery and onions in buter, then add garlic and cook until fragrant.
  2. Add in 2 tbsp of flour and stir until thick.
  3. Add in veggie broth, orzo, chick peas, and carrots.
  4. Bring to a boil then cook until orzo is al dente. Make sure you stir often!
  5. Remove from heat and stir in seasonings and heavy cream.
  6. Serve with biscuits or bread and enjoy!!

As you can see this is literally the easiest soup recipe! I love this vegan chickpea orzo soup because it’s packed with veggies! If you loved this recipe, you can follow me on pinterest or click here for more recipes!

Cheesy Jalapeno Bread Recipe

I am sharing the perfect cheesy jalapeno bread recipe for your holiday parties!! This is like the easiest bread recipe but comes out tasting SO delicious. I even made mine with vegan cheese and it came out great!

The main star of this show is your Dutch Oven pot. I have a 7.5 quart and it seriously makes my life so easy! You can shop for a dutch oven here! (affiliate link)

Cheesy Jalapeno Bread Recipe

cheesy jalapeno bread recipe

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups bread flour

1 packet active yeast

2 cups warm water

1 tbsp salt

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 large jalapeños diced

1 large jalapeno sliced

Directions:

  1. Start by added your yeast to a bowl an pouring in 2 cups of warm water. Let sit for a few minutes until yeast starts to bubble.
  2. In another bowl, add flour and salt, mix then make a little well in the middle and pour in the yeast/water mixture, diced jalapeno and 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese.
  3. I always start by folding everything over with my spatula and then when it gets too tough I knead very gently with my hands!
  4. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit for at least 2 hours. I usually let it sit for most of the day.
  5. Take dough out and knead it a few more times then in a clean bowl add oil and a sprinkle of flour. Set the dough back in the bowl and let sit for 1 more hour.
  6. Once you’re ready to bake, put your dutch oven in oven and let it preheat at 450 for 30 minutes.
  7. Take your bread out of it’s bowl, lightly knead it, score it then add more shredded cheese and sliced jalepeno on top to decorate.
  8. Carefully put the bread in the very hot dutch oven and cook covered for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, cook for 15 more minutes. Sometimes I want the cheese crispier so you can leave it in for an extra 10 minutes if needed.
  9. Enjoy!

I hope you loved this easy bread recipe! It’s become a true hit with my family and I seriously love it! You can just make a regular loaf by omitting the jalpeno and cheese from it! If you liked this cheesy jalapeno bread recipe, check out more recipes here!

Summer Day in My Life!!

I am obsessed with reading and watching day in the life content so I decided that I would share my own! My day varies a little here and there but for the most part it’s the same routine!

summer day in my life

7:00am Wakeup & Walk

My favorite way to start my day is on a walk with Sky! Since she’s a Frenchie, she can’t really walk during the heat of the day so she and I get our steps in first thing. It’s also just a great way for us to start off the day with some movement!

7:30-8am Breakfast & Matcha

As soon as we’re back from our walk, I feed Sky because she’s always a hungry puppy! I make myself a matcha because I’ve found it makes me feel the best. The caffeine is there but it doesn’t leave me anxious and jittery like coffee or chai does!

8am-11:30am Work

This varies for me day to day depending on if I’m doing blog content like today or working for one of my Social media clients. This time blog is when I try to get a bunch of content created, uploaded and scheduled for whoever I’m working with!

11:30am-12pm Workout

I love me a good Melissa Wood Health pilates series and this is probably my favorite time of day! You can read more about the MWH method here! I like to try to do at least 15-20 minutes of movement everyday because some movement is better than none.

12pm Lunch

I am someone who always is starving by 12pm so I’ll make myself lunch asap! In the summer I love one of my toast recipes, like this pesto toast one! Something light and refreshing is always the best for me!

12:30-2:30pm Sun or Downtime

I leave this time up in the air in the summer. I love to lay out and read in the sun over the summer. It makes me feel so good so I love that I’m able to schedule time in. Sometimes I will just read inside or finish up work before I switch to studio mode!

2:30-7:00pm Dance Time!

I am in studio 3 days a week and Saturday Mornings even in the summer so I usually spend my late afternoons/evenings there!

7:00pm Dinner & wind Down

After I get home I’ll have dinner and probably watch an episode of Love Island! I’m obsessed with the show and it’s like a reward each night in the summer!!

I hope you liked this summer day in the life post! I love this kind of content so I hope you do too! You can follow me on pinterest to see what I’m up to in real time! And don’t forget I post new blog posts every Monday at 9:00am!!

My Zucchini Pasta Recipe!

I stumbled upon this recipe when I unused Zucchini in my fridge. I was craving pasta and ended up with this delicious summer zucchini pasta recipe.

This pasta is so light and tastes so fresh because you’re really using in season veggies. You can also swap out the protein to your liking but I found the sausage just really makes this great!

zucchini pasta recipe

Ingredients

1 pound rigatoni pasta

2-3 small zucchini diced

1 cup grape tomatoes diced

4 Italian sausages (I slice them open and discard the casing)

olive oil

1 tbsp garlic

red pepper flakes

salt/pepper

parmesan cheese (I used vegan)

Directions

  1. Fill a large pot of with water and boil it to cook your pasta. Follow the directions on the pasta box to cook.
  2. In a sauté pan, add a little olive oil then the ground sausage. Cook until lightly browned (no pink).
  3. Add in minced garlic, diced zucchini and diced tomatoes. Cook until zucchini is soft and tomatoes start to burst open. Sometimes I put the lid on my pan to help steam everything quicker.
  4. Once the veggies are soft, drain your pasta but save 1 cup of the water. Add pasta and pasta water to the veggie pot.
  5. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Plate pasta and top with cheese and red pepper flakes.

I hope you’ll give this zucchini pasta recipe a try! I absolutely love making this once a week with the in season veggies. It’s literally so delicious and has become a staple in my house. You can even make it without the sausage and it’ll be just as good!

Be sure to check out my other recipes here! And check out my pinterest here for more content!

My Go To WeekNight Dinner!

There’s nothing I love more than an easy dinner! This recipe is sure to become a staple in your house because of how easy it is! I love the flavor combo and honestly stumbled upon it after trying to just use what I had! This has seriously become my go to weeknight dinner

A major theme in my recipes these days is using what I have on hand. I’ve found that I really feel better when I eat at home so I’ve been raiding my fridge and pantry each week to make sure I’m using what I have!

go to weeknight dinner

Ingredients- feeds 4

16 oz package of Brussel Sprouts

16oz package of Ground Turkey

2 1/3 Cups cooked white rice (I use a rice cooker but make it however you like)

1 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp sriracha

garlic powder

onion powder

paprika

salt & pepper

olive oil

sesame seeds to garnish

Directions

  1. Start by preheating your oven to 425 for the brussel sprouts. Quarter then by slicing them down the middle and then down each middle again.
  2. Add them to a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil & salt/pepper to your liking. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until crisp and brown.
  3. Cook your ground turkey in a sauté pan over medium heat and add in soy sauce, sriracha, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Cook until browned!
  4. Once everything is finished cooking assemble your plate by putting the cooked white rice, ground turkey, and then Brussel sprouts. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!

My other recipe this month also had Brussel sprouts in it so as you can see that what I have as a leftover. It saves you money using what you have but it’s also much healthier than ordering out!

This recipe literally takes like 20 minutes tops and is a really good weeknight meal. You can make it even healthier by doing brown rice or a grain but I just prefer white rice! If you liked this go to weeknight dinner, you can read more here! You can also follow me on pinterest where I get all my recipe inspo!

Brussel Sprout Pasta Salad Recipe!

Summer for me is all about a good pasta salad. I live for it at BBQs and just weeknight dinners in general. Lately I’ve been trying to really use up all the produce in my fridge and I found myself making this Brussel Sprout Pasta Salad!

This combines some of my favorite summer flavors and does well on its own or as a side! You’ll be obsessed with the flavor combo once you give it a try!

brussel sprout pasta salad

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas rinsed and drained

7-8 Brussel sprouts thinly chopped

1 package cooked orzo

1 tsp oregano

diced walnuts

feta or parmesan cheese (I used vegan)

1 tsp parsley

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt & pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

  1. Sauté your Brussel sprouts in a pan with a drop of olive oil. You just want them to be soft and not too crispy!
  2. Assemble the dressing by combining olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, parsley, and salt & pepper. Mix well and set aside.
  3. Mix together the cooked orzo, Brussel sprouts, and chickpeas then add in the dressing and mix well.
  4. Garnish with diced walnuts and cheese!

This is the most delicious pasta salad. It gives you a little more than a normal one would with the protein from the chickpeas and nuts and then the greens from the Brussel sprouts.

I also love the light dressing. Sometimes people get a little too crazy with the flavors and I’ve found this really compliments these well! If you loved this recipe, you can check out my others here! You can also follow me on pinterest @cassiedenisco for more recipes!!

My Gardening Tips & Tricks!

After a little 2 week break, I’m back with more blog posts! The summer comes on fast and if you’re not ready for it, you often get swept away with it. One thing that has been consistent though is my gardening tips and tricks!

I started prepping it back in May and I’m starting to slowly see all of my plants come to life! Having a garden has been really therapeutic for me and given me the opportunity to get some sun every day! I thought I would walk through all of my adventures so far.

List of Plants

This was probably one of the hardest parts of gardening. When you get to the store, you just want to get everything but you have to go in with a plan and know what you can actually grow in your area. There’s lots of ways to figure it out but I just Googled “What Grows in Westchester NY” and I found a full list on a website.

It’s essential that you grow what you know will flourish so that it’s not a waste. What I did that I loved was once I made my list, I put it in a Google Doc that I not only shopped from but now I have it forever and can refer to it next season too!

Planters

After you decide what you’re growing, you have to decide what you’re putting it in! I went with these two versions of planters on Amazon. Both are great because so far my plants are really doing well in them and they’re holding up well.

I will say I feel like the metal ones are a little bit better price wise but the wood ones are great if you don’t want to be bending down to water the plants! These are affiliate links so I make a small commission if you choose to purchase from them!

Metal Planters: Shop Here

Wood Planters: Shop Here

gardening tips and tricks

Watering & Pruning

One part of the gardening process I really love is watering. It’s like a treat to be outside and getting to look at all of the garden progress each day. So far I’ve only been watering once a day, but now that it’s getting warmer, I’m going to increase to twice a day!

Pruning is also kind of fun because you get to get rid of all of the yucky leaves that aren’t helping your plants grow. I didn’t love this part but once I got a great pair of gloves, I’m able to really get in there and clean out the plants!

Gloves: Shop Here

gardening tips and tricks

I hope this post inspired you to at least get out there and give it a try. I know gardening seems so daunting but I’ve really grown to love it. If you liked this post of gardening tips and tricks, let me know! I’d love to continue sharing more!

Check out my latest blog post here!