Small Backyard Makeover + Veggie Fare

August 11, 2014 By Jenna 101 Comments

When we bought our house, one minor drawback was the size of the backyard. It’s, well, tiny. I happen to love that aspect of it because I do not have to leave my perch to know where Thing 1 and Thing 2 are at any given moment. Mike, however, wanted a place where he could entertain people and grill out like a man. Understandable. So, he got this patio idea into his head. And, I’ll be honest, I didn’t think it would happen. I thought it would be one of those things that we talked about forever, but never really sunk our teeth into. But, Mike dove in after weeks of making me look at bricks until my eyes bled, and he and my dad did the darn thing. Me being in my pregnant state and all, I was left to cater lemonade and other refreshments to the menfolk. No complaints on that front. Want a little drab before and fab after?

everything behind the metal fence is not ours. small.

pictures in the winter and at dusk? jenna, you shouldn’t have.

So, naturally, we have been using the thing and being very Bear Grylls and outdoorsy by sitting on patio furniture and grilling various store bought noms. And, when I suggested to Mike that we give Morningstar Farms a go, he looked at me like,

mike, how skeptical are you?

But, he was able to forge on and grill us up some fine Spicy Black Bean Burgers (loaded with protein!) to which he responded, “Hmm. Actually not so bad.” He even asked to finish mine… Perhaps next on the menu I can tempt the fam with Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers, Roasted Garlic & Quinoa Burgers , Buffalo Chik Patties, or Original Veggie Sausages. And with 30+ products and 600+ recipes, MorningStar Farms has more ways to eat smart. Check out their website for frequently added new flavors and products.

hanging with the big boys

summer on a plate

sam was all…

Other ways we use Morningstar Farms in our house:

Seriously the best mom lunch: nuke a Mushroom Lover’s Burger with a little mustard (and a slice of tomato if you’re feeling fancy) and you have something yummy, filling and healthy.
My kids still haven’t figured out that the Chik’n Nuggets are soy and not chicken. Dunk them in ketchup and steal them from your kids’ plates when they aren’t looking.
Original Sausage Patties broken up and scrambled with eggs makes an excellent hash. We may eat this for dinner on nights when mother forgets to plan.
While we are not a 100% meatless family, we do try to go meatless a couple of times a week for health, savings and Friday fasting. MorningStar Farms makes it easy to eat smart, whether you go meatless every day, or every now and then.
When it comes to recipes, feel free to create your own, or head to http://www.morningstarfarms.com/recipes to search their recipes by product or category.

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