You guys are such good parents. The girls are so lucky to have responsible, hard working, loving and kind parents as the two of you. Such a beautiful family. I’m sure your parents are so proud of the people you have become. Happy holidays to you.
Thank you for all of your hard work putting together vlogmas. I found Jessica’s channel beginning of this year while in very early postpartum days with my son. Looking back I definitely had ppd and wasn’t myself. Had a difficult birth resulting in basically an emergency c section and it was hard. Her video randomly came up as a suggestion. I truly believe God put it there for me. Yall kept me company in some of the darkest, best, overwhelming, beautiful and exhausting days of my life. Don’t ever think for a single second that this doesn’t matter or it’s not a big deal because that’s a lie! I know it’s hard and costly to share your life on the internet and I am so incredibly thankful that you do!! May God bless you this year and thank you for making me laugh, tear up at times, and help me not feel alone during a huge transition. ❤
I had my first baby in Octoboer and am still dealing with ppa/ppd, and these vlogs are a very welcome comfort during a holiday season where I still don't feel like myself again. thank you so much for the joy you bring to our lives!
A lunch hack that keeps me on track. I make a protein that is good cold and I keep salad kits. My fave is shrimp caesar salad. I get a bag of frozen shrimp that's raw, peeled and deveined. Just thaw, rinse and pat dry. Put on a sheet tray, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees - perfect every time (thanks Ina). Great warm or cold. My tip for a top notch caesar salad is to add lemon and a little cayanne pepper.
I used to complain about the going, to my grandmother’s , to my mother in law’s, to my moms, never having time for our special time together. Now we have lost my Nanny, my mother in law and in September my mom. So I had the kids at my house the whole time, first time in 38 years. And I missed the running, I missed the people! I loved your VLOGMAS every year. Thank you for sharing with us.
Lunch: snack plate (hard boiled eggs, olives, fruit, raw carrots/cucumbers, hummus, cheese). You can prep these in containers at the beginning of the week Dinners: - Half baked harvest creamy lemon white bean pesto orzo soup (double the garlic, lemon, and northern beans) - Salmon with lemon pepper/blackened seasoning, frozen vegetable, rice - damn delicious red beans and rice (I use andouille chicken sausage from Target)
As a mom with Celiac, I appreciate when my children fix me gluten-free options so I can feel part of the celebration too! I know your mom appreciates it too. ♥
LUNCHES! This is where we use the help of the grocery store the most as I mostly do home cooked dinners. Idea 1: From Trader Joes we always have frozen falafel and frozen naan and throw those in the air fryer then add one of the hummus singles from Costco it makes a super quick delish lunch you can add other veggies to like tomatoes or cucumbers. Or use the falafel on salads! Idea 2: Frozen chicken taquitos from costco and we always have guac singles and salsa. Or just make a cheese quesadilla with the guac & salsa! Healthyish Quick Dinner: Egg & Potato & Onion Frittata (for the egg lover in all of us! 😊)
That choked me up, love to see families including their in laws like that so no one has to be alone during the holidays 🥹 you can tell both families are great people!
For lunches I'm all about the wraps. The possibilities are endless. I love a good Greek wrap with just lettuce, feta, chickpeas, olives, tomato, red onion. And of course there's always yummy soups😋 thank you for vlogmas this year, it was wonderful as always❤
I’m always sad when your Vlogmas ends. Happy to know that lots of videos are coming. I’ll watch ANYTHING you all film. Boring, exciting, doesn’t matter. 😂 Just like hanging out with you guys!!
When the two of you sit and chat to us at the end, that’s my favorite time! Feels like we’re sitting there with you at the end of a busy day. I always have a cup of coffee while we “visit”. Thanks Jess and Tyler for inviting us into your life. Love you Jess and you too Tyler!
33:27 I totally get what Jessica is saying. There's a book called " The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life" and I feel like that title captures why we like to watch vlogs
go to easy healthy lunch, throw anything on a pita with hummus. I usually do hummus, black beans, chickpeas, corn, and whatever leafy thing I have at the time LOL lettuce, spinach, spring mix, etc
Our back to basics meal “square” meal: frozen tilapia fillets covered in lemon pepper seasoning, then quinoa and avocado slices covered in lemon juice, add black beans for extra protein. 😋 yum.
I do this too! I usually pick 2 proteins (eggs, cheese, lunch meat, nuts, etc.) 2 veggies, one fruit, and one carb (crackers, pretzels, etc.). I prep and portion it ahead of time so I can grab and go.
And OMG! He finally said it! Tyler said love you bye.. snuck that in so fast! 😆 🤣 I have been following you guys 4 years now and this was the best year of Vlogmas to me. Loved it so much! And YESSSSD! We need more Tyler! I love the Town House Tales. It's because I love you both and love seeing so many different parts of you guys.. love when you are together.. you guys make things fun ..I think because you are so compatible, are fun and it comes out. Thank you guys for your time and helping make us smile. 😊
Tyler said he loved us, finally!! Lol And Jess's face was priceless. Like yay he finally said it. We love you guys!! Thanks for sharing bc I know it's a lot of work to do these videos everyday! ❤❤❤
Can we just take a moment and appreciate all the kids at Jessica's parents. I wish my kids and cousin to play with like this and grow up with. What a blessing. Happy holidays Braun family!
I feel your pain with weekly meal planning. Easy lunches that work for us are salads using a tub of spring mix, grilled chicken tenders, croutons, avocado, & avocado cilantro dressing from Trader Joe’s. We grill the chicken ahead of time and just assemble the salads quickly. Another one is turkey burgers with a side of veggies. But our go-to quick “healthy” dinner is stir fry. We choose a meat (either chicken thighs or thinly sliced beef) and throw that with a pre-arranged stir fry veggie mix and throw some stir fry sauce on it (also from Trader Joe’s). Its done in about 20 mins, tastes delicious and feels healthy because its a lot of veggies. Hope that helps!
Cobb salads. Buffalo chicken wraps. Sausage and veggie skillet. I like andouille sausage with sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and asparagus.
This might be weird but I’m emotional that this is over. I have had a hard holiday season and this has brought me so much joy. I’m genuinely grieving this being over….. 😞
I was missing you guys and watched an old vlogmas.. it was 8 yrs ago.. Pinoc was a baby.. it was his first snow fall.. omg you both were so young.. I sat there watching it and thinking.. you guys ... things are going to beautiful for you both.. and you can't even imagine how beautiful it will be.. I feel like I have watched you both grow up.. I have children you age.. So I just love it.. Today I went to see family that was 2 hours away. But.. I had all three of my kids in the car with me.. no phones.. just us all talking.. I just loved it... (Two of my children are disabled.. so its great having them together, and everyone talking.. the 2 hours flew by) Try a Moka pot.. makes the most amazing coffee.. (its an Italian Espresso pot) Happy New Year... and may you both just do amazing things... ❤❤
My go to lunch is leftovers from the night before. I always make 4 servings for supper, then plate two servings and put two servings in containers for lunches. (For my husband and I). It has made lunches so much less stressful now.
I knew it! He's loved us all along, he was trying to play it cool.😎 Thank you for another wonderful vlogmas! I know it's a lot of hard work & sacrifice at the busiest & most overwhelming time of year. I so appreciate it. Y'all have become a wonderful Christmas tradition & I look forward to it all year!❤
Lunch: spinach wrap, pepper jack cheese, sliced turkey, spring mix, and ranch dressing. So easy, fills me up, and is yummy! Dinner (Mediterranean bowl): couscous, chicken, hummus, cucumber, red bell pepper, chick peas, and feta. Enjoy your holiday season! :)
Yes to more random vlogs!! I enjoyed Vlogmas so much this year ❤️ Lunch ideas: find/modify an easy chicken salad recipe you like and eat it on crackers, wraps, bread. Egg salad and tuna too. I also sometimes use leftover baked chicken or air fry some frozen chicken to make a quesadilla, salad, or add on top of some microwaveable rice. My hyper-fixation lunch at the moment is cut up cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mozzarella balls, leftover baked chicken covered in Italian dressing (Olive Garden’s)
I love the Hungry Lady Salads by Kathleen Ashmore. Most of them last for days in the refrigerator and they are very delicious and filling. When I’m on my game, I will make one on Sunday afternoon to eat for most of the week’s lunches.
Lunch, croissants, turkey, cheese, cucumber, tomato, salt, pepper, favorite Herbs De Provence with a light spread of ranch on each side of the croissant. Good all year around but amazing with the veggies out of a garden. Note: just a small pinch of the Herbs De Province I get the smaller croissants to keep it calorie and carb conscious. Dinner: 4 pieces of cod, 10 oz bag of frozen baby lima beans or edamame beans, fresh parsley chopped, 4 Tablespoons of good olive oil, 4 pieces of foil and your favorite white wine. Put 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on each piece of foil, mix salt, pepper, beans, chopped parsley and a drizzle of enough olive oil to coat beans and split between foil lay 1 piece of cod on top of each pile of beans. Create sides for he foil and salt and pepper fish then pour a couple of tablespoons of wine on top. Seal off foil and bake in a 350 degree preheated over for 20 minutes. Enjoy! Great thing is this can be put together the night before and placed in the fridge. This is a great easy and very tasty meal. Hope you enjoy.
My go-to healthy lunch is Vietnamese spring rolls. Rice paper wrapped in lettuce, whatever crunchy veggie I have in the fridge (cucumber, carrots, bell peppers etc.), and any protein I have (shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, tofu) with a peanut sauce made with peanut butter, hoisin sauce (can sub with soy sauce and sugar), sesame oil, and siracha. Super yummy and I never get sick of it because I can swap out the filling with anything. The peanut sauce thinned out with a little water or lemon juice also makes a great salad dressing.
My favorite "reset/healthy" lunch/dinner is Salmon salad! Liner in air fryer, salmon in, oil then herb du provence seasoning (I prefer a generous amount for this recipe) cook for around 8 minutes for a medium size piece of salmon While salmon is cooking, take choice of salad mix and put in bowl Add canned mandarin orange slices, cut fresh strawberries, and fresh blueberries. (Or other fruit of you prefer) Candied or regular pecans Optional: Slivered red onion pieces Add a fruity vinegarette of choice, I prefer a cherry or raspberry Add cooked salmon on top of the bed of greens and fruit. This is SO refreshing. With fresh salmon, it's stunning. Easily can use what you have in your fridge, which is perfect for making a quick meal with what's available!
I completely agree with Jessica on the feeling like crud after a week of indulging and all of the yummy things! My go to "reset, healthy ish" dinner is tofu and veggie stir fry. I'm vegetation, but my SO isn't, and he still loves this dinner! It is so filling and refreshing and you just feel good after it. I make the sauce myself so I can control the sugar content, and I marinate the tofu for at least a few hours beforehand to give it good flavor. And, If I'm too busy and don't want to prep and cook all of the veggies,I just get a bag or two of broccoli slaw and lightly saute it in the pan until it's cooked, but still crisp. My sauce is a 1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce or tamari, a 1/4 cup of water, 1/8 cup brown sugar or honey, 1/2 tsp ginger(fresh grated or dried powder) 1/2 tsp red chili flakes or gochujang, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 tbsp fresh or jarred minced garlic, and 1tbsp cornstarch, all whiskers together. I often double the sauce recipe. The tofu gets pressed, then tossed in a bowl, lightly coated with avocado oil, and then coated with an even mixture of cornstarch and nutritional yeast, then put in the air fryer at 400 for 12 minutes-flipping halfway through. Add the sauce to the lightly sauteed veggies, cook until it thickens. then serve over Jasmine rice, ramen or buckwheat noodles As for lunches, I love to meal prep two veggies and a bean. I usually do great northern beans, with broccoli and yellow squash. If you're not into beans, you can do lean chicken etc. I also love a good hummus wrap, salad, or charcuterie for lunch. I often do charcuterie, which consists of hummus, a cracker or pretzel, a little bit of creamy cheese like Brie or laughing cow, then carrots, cucumbers, grapes, and apples, or watermelon/berries when their in season. Pinterest has some fantastic options for quick easy lunches and I often go there for inspiration.
Easiest Healthy Lunches for this busy Mom of 7- Factor Meals. I homeschool our seven kids and I don’t have time to think about what’s for lunch. I started ordering Factor meals for myself about a year ago and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
I meal prep my lunches every week. It has been the same thing for months and I don't get sick of it. It's a crockpot chili and it lasts the entire week. In it: ground turkey (cooked), cooked on stove until softened: onion, garlic, celery, butternut squash, carrots, and bell pepper. Add all of that to crockpot. Then add a can of diced tomatoes, a small can of tomato sauce, a can of chickpeas and a can of kidney beans (both drained and rinsed). Fill with chicken broth and season with s+p, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic and onion powder. I cook on low for 4 hours or so. When I have lunch I top it with a dash oof hot sauce, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, diced onion, fresh cilantro and crushed tortilla chips. It is hearty and healthy!
Easy lunches - leftover or 90 second grain, leftover cooked or raw veg, can of mackerel/tuna/etc. Plus sauce of choice (yogurt/mayo/garlic/pinch of sugar/herbs is my go to) - snack plate - crackers, cheese (cracker cut makes it easy) deli meat, raw bell peppers, crunchy chickpeas, fruit Healthy reset dinner - southwest salad. This varies with what we have, but always has taco seasoned roasted potatoes and/or sweet potatoes. Then some combination of canned beans, lettuces, small chopped raw broccoli, peas, corn, cheese, meats if you like, tortilla chips, etc., then ranch (yogurt or original) plus hot sauce or bbq sauce for spice babies (me).
My favorite quick yet healthy lunch is air fryer tofu with a steamed jasmine rice microwave bag. Sometimes I add a broccoli steamer bag and a bit or teriyaki.
Healthy easy lunch - Italian grinder salad! Chopped romaine, chopped deli meat or your choice, grape tomatoes, green olives, banana peppers, mixed up in a homemade dressing of mayo, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning! Add croutons and it’s so good. Healthy dinner: instant pot sushi rice (SO GOOD!), Taylor Wynn’s air fryer salmon (marinaded in soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and honey), with steamed broccoli! Even my kids love this meal!
I work hybrid, so 3 days in the office, and I meal prep those 3 meals each week. My favorite thing is to throw green beans and diced potatoes on a sheet pan, then I do either ground beef or ground Turkey - and I change the way I season the meat all the time! So sometimes it’s more Mexican style, sometimes I do “smash burger” style with onions and mustard, sometimes I do your sesame beef recipe! Sooo delish and I know you have to cook a little but it’s so quick and makes a large volume
Go to lunch/dinner (really good to meal prep too): Rice (can be quinoa, brown rice, white rice, etc.) Cottage cheese Peppers + onions Kelbasa sausage (I love the Johnsonville cheddar sausage) pepper + garlic powder I eye ball everything! Cook the sausage, add onions/peppers (season with pepper + garlic powder) and sauté. Meanwhile cook the rice. Final touch and it’s going to sound weird but just trust the process. Add a healthy scoop of cottage cheese to the pan and let it melt into the sausage/veggies. Pour it over a bed of rice/quinoa and enjoy. The cottage cheese provides extra protein but a ton of creaminess. It’s so easy, so fast, so good!
I have a couple options for go to healthy lunches. First is a quinoa salad. If I’m making grilled chicken, tofu or steak for dinner, I’ll make extra of the protein. Then I’ll cook up a cup of quinoa, add in some chopped veggies (carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion really anything). Then I’ll mix up an easy dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey, mix it all together and it’s ready for lunch the next day. It’s best if it sits overnight. My other option is to make a big pot of soup and eat for a few days. I love soup. If I’m adding a grain or starch (rice, noodles tortellini), I’ll separate them and add it while I’m heating it up otherwise it gets soggy. Thanks for the fun vlogmas!
Lunch is such a struggle if there aren’t leftovers! My go to dinner is either 1) sausage, diced sweet potatoes and broccoli - toss in olive oil and seasoning and bake then drizzle with a little honey 2) Diced sweet potatoes tossed in salt, pepper and olive oil. Once baked, combine with taco meat, pickled jalapeños and a light drizzle of ranch. OMG TO DIE FOR.
Would love "boring" videos! It's just really cute to see you guys wake up, talk about whatever's on your mind, make coffee, head into work, miscellaneous random updates throughout the day about what's going on, what you're making for dinner, how dinner was, etc. 😊
Thank you for vlogmas! It brightens the season for me ❤️ Health lunch prep: burrito bowls all prepped then add lettuce each day. Breakfast: egg and veggies bake on Sunday eat all week. Dinner: Chicken sausage(cut into pieces), kale, and sweet potatoes. Roast the potatoes, mix in chicken sausage and kale, cook until warm and kale is wilted. I buy the prepared bag of kale from Trader Joe's.
Tyler FINALLY said it!!! I gasped just like Jessica did 😂😂. I absolutely love you guys and your family. I missed vlogmss last year because my Nana had a stroke and then passed away on NYE after being on comfort hospice. So I went back and watched last years after watching this year's each day. You all bring me so much joy and are my Comfort vloggers. I'm going to miss see you guys every day! But, I'm so happy to have spent the time watching you all this year and I already can't wait for next vlogmas. Happy Holidays! ❤❤❤❤
Food: our go-to is making homemade bison meatballs. The protein content is higher than any other meat, it’s really flavorful and since the fat content is a little higher, it stays moist. Our typical “square meal” is bison meatballs, oven roasted cruciferous veggies and a rice/grain. We use them also in spaghetti, meatball sub, we’ll cut them up into coins and have it with crackers/cheese as a snack (tastes good cold!) Bison is generally a little more expensive per pound so it’s something we’ll make once or twice per month and we’ll double our recipe to make it worth our time for prepping. If you’ve ever made meatballs, it’s so easy to do and convert your favorite recipe with the bison. We like to bake them in the oven. Our second “square meal” we love is meatloaf with 1lb each: bison, turkey, meatloaf. We converted the 1770 house meatloaf recipe since we don’t eat calf meat. Sometimes we’ll also do 1 1/2lbs each turkey and ground beef to save on cost. I’ll still make roasted veggies and my own concoction of cheesy ranch mashed potatoes (Yukon gold potatoes, dry ranch mix, butter, mix of your preferred cheeses) This would be a weekend meal so that we have more time to prep but it makes a lot for leftovers. Our last “square meal” is homemade chicken noodle soup. I’ll buy a hot rotisserie chicken at Meijer or Giant Eagle, shred it as soon as I get home, add it to a stockpot with chicken bone broth, chopped carrots, celery and onion. Use your favorite chicken soup recipe but get the bone broth for extra protein and nutrients.
One of my favorite easy healthy staples is teriyaki chicken and basmati rice. Authentic imported basmati rice has been a game changer for me. It's so good and so filling. You can cook plain or in chicken, beef, or veggie broth, season however you like. For chicken I make bone-in and skin on chicken thighs in the oven. Season with salt/paprika/garlic/onion powder. When it's almost done I pour some bottled teriyaki sauce all over the chicken to finish cooking. The bone-in thighs are a bit more work, depending on how you prefer them, but they are so tasty and super economical. I also do well seasoned ground beef over basmati rice. You can add whatever toppings or veggies you prefer or make them like burrito bowls. Very easy, yummy and filling.
For the meals, for a quick and easy dinner I do a stir fry. It's so quick, I can throw in basically any Veggie and then a protein. I change up my dinners each night but for lunch I'll batch cook on Sunday just one meal ( 4 serves) normally a pasta, soup, stirfry ( onepot meal style) and that makes it easy as I work in an office each day. Dinner is more special to me as I often have a bit more time to cook!
Lunch: avocado toast with salami or whatever lunchmeat you like. Dinner: Get a big box of salad greens and a rotisserie chicken, and you'll have meals for a couple nights. So easy, the prep is all done for you.
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup from Peas and Crayons blog is an easy go to lunch or dinner. It takes 15 mins to throw everything in the Instant Pot. I make it at 10am and it’s waiting and ready by 11:30. Spinach salads is a go to for us- right now we are doing spinach, feta, apple, pecans, pomegranate, and homemade vinaigrette. I also love a microwaved chicken sausage (we get them from Costco) for a quick mini meal.
I love that recipe for tortilla soup! I always make it on the stove (don’t own an instant pot) and when I’m done simmering it, I throw in half a block of cream cheese! It tastes incredible
Best easy meal lunch or dinner is always a bowl. Change them up though. Use the grill and grill various meats or fish on a Sunday and chop up. Make beans, steak or chicken with brown rice or quinoa one day make the grilled chicken in a salad the next. The key is having the meat cooked already or even undercooking slightly so when it is reheated it comes out perfect. Meat, veg starch easy! Gigi can make her own bowl. Pre cut the veggies and let her make her own or build a taco.
For an easy lunch I get the Costco precooked chicken bites and make a quick stir fry with left over veggies For a healthy dinner our go to is steak bites (iron deficiency), roasted potatoes, and a veggie 21:05
Healthy(ish) lunch idea: tuscan pane bread (either from Aldi or Trader Joe’s - actually cheaper at Trader Joe’s!) make for next level sandwiches! I toast it a little, put a few slices of salami and then some type of greens, either spinach, arugula, mixed/power greens, or watercress on top. Sounds simple but I never get tired of it. My husband will do turkey with a Dijonaise type situation which is delicious. We actually use your chickpea skillet as our healthy weeknight/reset meal typically so thank you for sharing!
For lunches, I love a good Buffalo chicken wrap or I use the blackened tenders. For a healthy dinner I love making egg roll in a bowl or unstuffed cabbage rolls(skillet meal). You can use lean beef or even turkey and it’s still comforting but definitely lighter. Thanks for another amazing Vlogmas season 💜
Our reset meal is a steak(ribeye, strip of porterhouse) cooked in a cast-iron pan. Eaten with grass-fed butter on the side with a potato of some kind. it's plain and simple but satiating and an easy clean-up. Happy Holiday's Braun fam!
Merry Christmas! Lately for heathyish meals, we’ve been getting boneless- skinless chicken thighs (seriously tastier than chicken breasts) and some veggies. I HIGHLY recommend the Costco pack of Pura Vida Fire Roasted Primavera Mistura frozen veggie mix. They’re already seasoned and taste nice and smoky. We also have been doing the Kirkland brand chicken nuggets in the air fryer with one of their Caesar salads on the side. I highly recommend the Kinder’s bbq sauce from Costco as well for dipping.
I like to shred & season some chicken breast(in low sodium broth) and use that for tacos, but use 100 calorie corn tortillas and make sure to warm those on a flat top or in the microwave in between paper towels. I’ll use that for taco bowls, in a wrap. It helps me enjoy chicken breast a bit more. Then I enjoy just having a turkey burger patty, with some sweet potatoes and I’ll just dip them in a sauce of my choice. These have been my lunch options that I know are decently healthy and filling but allows me to go back to work a bit energized. Hope this helps!
We do “week of salads” after Christmas and after Disney trips. Taco salad, Greek salad, buffalo chicken salad, “big salad” lots of Stuff😂. BLT salad. Deconstructed for kids of course. Always a jump start for us for back to healthy eating and really yummy.
Another awesome Vlogmas, thank you both for all the work you put into it! And Tyler, listen to your wife! Laidback vlogs are awesome, you don't need to have some big event or project to talk about. I would love more random vlogs scattered throughout the year! Merry Christmas to you all, and a very Happy New Year!
Soup & Sandwiches!!! A hearty vegetable soup (Can make in big batches and freeze) with a healthy sandwich of yummy protein etc…and even better if you have homemade bread (Tyler! lol) If I don’t have homemade soup having some healthy store bought soups in the fridge always comes in handy. 👌🏽
Oh my goodness. Thank you for sharing your Christmas Day! The girls are so big. Felicity talking and dancing made my heart so happy. My boyscare long past that stage. Merry Christmas!
not really healthy but for lunch I usually do sandwiches for work so turkey or tuna. dinner I would say I usually do less healthy dinners but like you said chicken is always good maybe some mashed potatoes with it or tacos with the toppings you like
oh gosh I am going to miss this so much! and we got a "Love ya, Bye" from Tyler unplanned it seemed! Can't wait for the book video, the assorted travel vlogs...and Tyler we just want everyday hum drum from you all too! It doesn't have to be a planned big hullaballoo! Did I mention how much I am gonna miss these!? 🥰
Thanks so much for the hard work that goes into Vlogmas. You're making memories for us while you're making them with your family. It's so appreciated. 💖
Work lunches: • Yoghurt + homemade museli • Random fruit: berries, apple w/ peanut butter, grapes, plums, nectarines, cherries, whatever! • Pasta w/ roasted vegetable sauce • Dried fruit, + crackers w/ cheese • Mini capsicums with hommus • Salad w/ chicken Lunch doesn’t have to be a cooked meal, or something that takes a lot of assembly!
Thank you for Vlogmas! I had a great time watching while doing chores. For lunch: search for bowl recipies. You can easily prepare and there are a lot of variations you can do. Different veggies, dressings, meat and you can combine it with rice, noodles or other healthy options.
For lunch/dinner I often make pasta (wholegrain for super healthy meal), canned pasta sauce from shop (the kind where are mainly tomatoes and vegetable, drop of oil and thats all) and light mozzarella or pieces of chicken...you can also just mix it and let it bake a few minutes in oven until the mozzarella is nicely melted
Easy lunch ideas: I stock bagged salads and turkey deli meat. If we have veggies that need eating, toss em in the salad. Eggs going bad? Toss em in the salad. Jarred peppers need to be eaten? Salad they go. Cheese? Salad please. It’s the easiest base to eat out the fridge and it’s already so tasty as is of salad mix and turkey. Can’t go wrong! And dressings? Anything works! And if I have none? Olive oil and vinegar works beautifully
Go to easy lunch- I always buy the salad kit bags, and use whatever lunch meat I have(or leftover meat from dinner) and make a wrap. My easy go to dinner is always breakfast for dinner! Both of my kids love it and it’s so quick and easy.
I always keep cooked/cut up chicken in the fridge. I use it for lunch 2-3 xs per week. I make quesadillas or wraps w it & I also make salads a lot & add the chicken to those. Do you have a panini press ? There are tons of healthy options you can make w those. We use leftovers all the time & come up w different combos. We also make a big pot of soup & freeze individual portions. Then you can just pull 1 or 2 out the night before. Hope I gave you at least 1 idea for something new. Merry Christmas !!
My default healthyish lunch is a turkey and cheese sandwich on Oroweat Sandwich Thins. These are a little less carby than regular bread, which matters for me because I'm diabetic. I just do mayo, spicy mustard, and a little pepper and then throw on a slice of mozzarella (lower in saturated fat than most other cheeses) and sliced turkey breast from Costco. If I'm really getting fancy and I have some extra time, I'll add sliced tomato and avocado as well. My go-to simple dinner is salmon steaks, Seeds of Change brown rice/quinoa blend, and frozen veggies. I add a little avocado oil to the salmon and do very simple seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then pop them in the air fryer. The Seeds of Change takes a minute and a half in the microwave. We use a brussells sprouts frozen veggie blend from Costco. I don't usually do well with fresh vegetables. I don't have tons of time to prep, and they'll end up going bad, so frozen veggies work better for me. I just pour out the amount I want and pop them in the microwave. Could not be easier.
I think this is my 3rd or 4th year watching vlogmas. Love the both of you. I also need recipes for lunch and dinner. Cooking for yourself is so exhausting.
My favorite quick lunch is a Caprese sandwich with salad. Toasted ciabatta with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and pesto with a spinach/arugula salad with specifically the house dressing from Aldi. I easily eat it 4 days in a row twice a month at least. 😂
Oh my goodness, it was so lovely to see Lissy and Gigi in this vlog. I don’t have any social media so TH-cam is all I’ve got, and to see their happy little faces brought me so much joy! Also, Jess you are NOT alone in stressing out about lunch ideas! Breakfast is pretty easy and I do plan dinners too, but lunch is such an oddball. We also usually just have leftovers from dinner the night before, but when there’s no leftovers I’m like ummmmmmm I guess starve??? Lol
My husband and I make a big batch of veggie, sweet potato, and bean soup. It's full of fiber and protein. We eat it every day for the week, and we switch up the protein we have with it each day usually either chicken or fish.
Our reset dinner is salmon teriyaki bowls. I try to pack in as many veggies as possible. Weird ones that we don’t usually have: eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, cavalo Nero (a type of kale), etc… I cut the raw salmon into bite sized cubes, coat in teriyaki sauce + crushed garlic + crushed ginger + soy sauce (just a splash for color) and throw it into the air fryer for a 15 mins or until cooked. You have to shake it OFTEN so it gets crispy edges. In the meantime, I throw all the veggies together in a pan with some olive oil. Make another batch of the teriyaki mixture. Once the veggies are cooked, I add the teriyaki and a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Then I serve the veggies over microwave brown rice and top with the salmon bites. I love to drizzle a little sesame oil over the top of everything.The whole thing takes 20 mins to make and it’s healthy & nutritious!
Tyler: "Love you, bye!" Jess's gasp was hilarious. We love you back, Tyler!
He finally said it!!
It was so quick I even gasped as well! 😂
Best part of the vlog! 😆
I want to know what Jessica did after the camera went off lol
Her face was cute too!😂
Love that Blue Nana joined Murphy family Christmas. ❤️
I came to say this!
Absolutely yes to normal mundane vlogs!
You guys are such good parents. The girls are so lucky to have responsible, hard working, loving and kind parents as the two of you. Such a beautiful family. I’m sure your parents are so proud of the people you have become. Happy holidays to you.
This is such an elite compliment. I absolutely agree!
Agree❤❤❤
100% agree!
"I'm like -- 'bro, just park.'" Same, Jess, same. We love Tyler anyway but -- same. lol.
The book video won't be complete without Jess & Tyler laughing hysterically at some point. I look forward to it!!
Yess! I cant wait!
So sad for Vlogmas to end! Thank you for all of the work that goes into making it happen. ❤️🎄
Thank you for all of your hard work putting together vlogmas. I found Jessica’s channel beginning of this year while in very early postpartum days with my son. Looking back I definitely had ppd and wasn’t myself. Had a difficult birth resulting in basically an emergency c section and it was hard. Her video randomly came up as a suggestion. I truly believe God put it there for me. Yall kept me company in some of the darkest, best, overwhelming, beautiful and exhausting days of my life. Don’t ever think for a single second that this doesn’t matter or it’s not a big deal because that’s a lie! I know it’s hard and costly to share your life on the internet and I am so incredibly thankful that you do!! May God bless you this year and thank you for making me laugh, tear up at times, and help me not feel alone during a huge transition. ❤
I had my first baby in Octoboer and am still dealing with ppa/ppd, and these vlogs are a very welcome comfort during a holiday season where I still don't feel like myself again. thank you so much for the joy you bring to our lives!
A lunch hack that keeps me on track. I make a protein that is good cold and I keep salad kits. My fave is shrimp caesar salad. I get a bag of frozen shrimp that's raw, peeled and deveined. Just thaw, rinse and pat dry. Put on a sheet tray, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees - perfect every time (thanks Ina). Great warm or cold. My tip for a top notch caesar salad is to add lemon and a little cayanne pepper.
I’m on team GiGi for a new tradition to be named in her honor of cinnamon rolls on Christmas as a special breakfast!
For sure! Cinnamon rolls were usually part of my family's special Christmas breakfast growing up!
I totally agree.
At first I definitely thought she was talking about that breakfast casserole they've made previous years lol
Yes, we do cinnamon rolls and breakfast casserole, which I rename Christmas casserole lol
I used to complain about the going, to my grandmother’s , to my mother in law’s, to my moms, never having time for our special time together. Now we have lost my Nanny, my mother in law and in September my mom. So I had the kids at my house the whole time, first time in 38 years. And I missed the running, I missed the people! I loved your VLOGMAS every year. Thank you for sharing with us.
Lunch: snack plate (hard boiled eggs, olives, fruit, raw carrots/cucumbers, hummus, cheese). You can prep these in containers at the beginning of the week
Dinners:
- Half baked harvest creamy lemon white bean pesto orzo soup (double the garlic, lemon, and northern beans)
- Salmon with lemon pepper/blackened seasoning, frozen vegetable, rice
- damn delicious red beans and rice (I use andouille chicken sausage from Target)
Snack plate! I gave basically the same answer but I couldn't think what to call it.
As a mom with Celiac, I appreciate when my children fix me gluten-free options so I can feel part of the celebration too! I know your mom appreciates it too. ♥
Two "love you, bye's" from Tyler in one vlogmas!? It's a Muppet Christmas Carol miracle 😂🎉
LUNCHES! This is where we use the help of the grocery store the most as I mostly do home cooked dinners. Idea 1: From Trader Joes we always have frozen falafel and frozen naan and throw those in the air fryer then add one of the hummus singles from Costco it makes a super quick delish lunch you can add other veggies to like tomatoes or cucumbers. Or use the falafel on salads! Idea 2: Frozen chicken taquitos from costco and we always have guac singles and salsa. Or just make a cheese quesadilla with the guac & salsa! Healthyish Quick Dinner: Egg & Potato & Onion Frittata (for the egg lover in all of us! 😊)
I want to spend Christmas with blue nana!❤ love Benita’s energy 🎉
Me too. I love blue nana!
Aww look how nice, Blue Nana went to the Murphy family Christmas 🥰
Thanks for sharing another fun with us season! ☺️
That choked me up, love to see families including their in laws like that so no one has to be alone during the holidays 🥹 you can tell both families are great people!
For lunches I'm all about the wraps. The possibilities are endless. I love a good Greek wrap with just lettuce, feta, chickpeas, olives, tomato, red onion. And of course there's always yummy soups😋 thank you for vlogmas this year, it was wonderful as always❤
I’m always sad when your Vlogmas ends. Happy to know that lots of videos are coming. I’ll watch ANYTHING you all film. Boring, exciting, doesn’t matter. 😂
Just like hanging out with you guys!!
Same! I have watched them for several years...its like they are my best friends...they just don't know it. Haha😂
When the two of you sit and chat to us at the end, that’s my favorite time! Feels like we’re sitting there with you at the end of a busy day.
I always have a cup of coffee while we “visit”. Thanks Jess and Tyler for inviting us into your life. Love you Jess and you too Tyler!
33:27 I totally get what Jessica is saying. There's a book called " The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life" and I feel like that title captures why we like to watch vlogs
I swear looking at Felicity feels like looking at Gigi when she was a baby! They look so much alike 🥰🥰🥰
Yes I had to double check an old vlogmas wasn’t playing when it cut to felicity at Christmas 😂
go to easy healthy lunch, throw anything on a pita with hummus. I usually do hummus, black beans, chickpeas, corn, and whatever leafy thing I have at the time LOL lettuce, spinach, spring mix, etc
Our back to basics meal “square” meal: frozen tilapia fillets covered in lemon pepper seasoning, then quinoa and avocado slices covered in lemon juice, add black beans for extra protein. 😋 yum.
My favorite healthy lunch is a “Adult Lunchable”. A hard boiled egg, cut up apple, a few cheese cubes and crackers, carrot sticks and hummus.
Great idea!
Plus you can prep most of it ahead of time, and just grabs bits in the morning
I do this too! I usually pick 2 proteins (eggs, cheese, lunch meat, nuts, etc.) 2 veggies, one fruit, and one carb (crackers, pretzels, etc.). I prep and portion it ahead of time so I can grab and go.
And OMG! He finally said it! Tyler said love you bye.. snuck that in so fast! 😆 🤣 I have been following you guys 4 years now and this was the best year of Vlogmas to me. Loved it so much! And YESSSSD! We need more Tyler! I love the Town House Tales. It's because I love you both and love seeing so many different parts of you guys.. love when you are together.. you guys make things fun ..I think because you are so compatible, are fun and it comes out. Thank you guys for your time and helping make us smile. 😊
Same for us to reset for food. We will lean Mediterranean. Usually chix marinated, toasted veg, hummus and toasted naan 🫓.
Our reset dinner is chicken burrito bowls. Grilled chicken, brown rice, homemade guacamole, black beans, fresh chopped tomatoes, cilantro....yum!
Tyler said he loved us, finally!! Lol And Jess's face was priceless. Like yay he finally said it. We love you guys!! Thanks for sharing bc I know it's a lot of work to do these videos everyday! ❤❤❤
Can we just take a moment and appreciate all the kids at Jessica's parents. I wish my kids and cousin to play with like this and grow up with. What a blessing. Happy holidays Braun family!
I feel your pain with weekly meal planning. Easy lunches that work for us are salads using a tub of spring mix, grilled chicken tenders, croutons, avocado, & avocado cilantro dressing from Trader Joe’s. We grill the chicken ahead of time and just assemble the salads quickly.
Another one is turkey burgers with a side of veggies.
But our go-to quick “healthy” dinner is stir fry. We choose a meat (either chicken thighs or thinly sliced beef) and throw that with a pre-arranged stir fry veggie mix and throw some stir fry sauce on it (also from Trader Joe’s). Its done in about 20 mins, tastes delicious and feels healthy because its a lot of veggies. Hope that helps!
Ooh, love these ideas!
Jess: "What are some healthy recipes?"; Jess 5m later: "You're making me crêpes tomorrow, right?" 🤣🤣🤣Love you guys! Happy 2024! 🥰
Cobb salads. Buffalo chicken wraps.
Sausage and veggie skillet. I like andouille sausage with sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and asparagus.
This might be weird but I’m emotional that this is over. I have had a hard holiday season and this has brought me so much joy. I’m genuinely grieving this being over….. 😞
I was missing you guys and watched an old vlogmas.. it was 8 yrs ago.. Pinoc was a baby.. it was his first snow fall.. omg you both were so young.. I sat there watching it and thinking.. you guys ... things are going to beautiful for you both.. and you can't even imagine how beautiful it will be.. I feel like I have watched you both grow up.. I have children you age.. So I just love it.. Today I went to see family that was 2 hours away. But.. I had all three of my kids in the car with me.. no phones.. just us all talking.. I just loved it... (Two of my children are disabled.. so its great having them together, and everyone talking.. the 2 hours flew by)
Try a Moka pot.. makes the most amazing coffee.. (its an Italian Espresso pot)
Happy New Year... and may you both just do amazing things... ❤❤
My go to lunch is leftovers from the night before. I always make 4 servings for supper, then plate two servings and put two servings in containers for lunches. (For my husband and I). It has made lunches so much less stressful now.
I knew it! He's loved us all along, he was trying to play it cool.😎 Thank you for another wonderful vlogmas! I know it's a lot of hard work & sacrifice at the busiest & most overwhelming time of year. I so appreciate it. Y'all have become a wonderful Christmas tradition & I look forward to it all year!❤
Lunch: spinach wrap, pepper jack cheese, sliced turkey, spring mix, and ranch dressing. So easy, fills me up, and is yummy!
Dinner (Mediterranean bowl): couscous, chicken, hummus, cucumber, red bell pepper, chick peas, and feta.
Enjoy your holiday season! :)
OMG! Tyler sneaked a “Love you” in. We love you back Tyler. ❤️
Yes to more random vlogs!! I enjoyed Vlogmas so much this year ❤️
Lunch ideas: find/modify an easy chicken salad recipe you like and eat it on crackers, wraps, bread. Egg salad and tuna too. I also sometimes use leftover baked chicken or air fry some frozen chicken to make a quesadilla, salad, or add on top of some microwaveable rice.
My hyper-fixation lunch at the moment is cut up cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, mozzarella balls, leftover baked chicken covered in Italian dressing (Olive Garden’s)
I love the Hungry Lady Salads by Kathleen Ashmore. Most of them last for days in the refrigerator and they are very delicious and filling. When I’m on my game, I will make one on Sunday afternoon to eat for most of the week’s lunches.
Lunch, croissants, turkey, cheese, cucumber, tomato, salt, pepper, favorite Herbs De Provence with a light spread of ranch on each side of the croissant. Good all year around but amazing with the veggies out of a garden. Note: just a small pinch of the Herbs De Province I get the smaller croissants to keep it calorie and carb conscious. Dinner: 4 pieces of cod, 10 oz bag of frozen baby lima beans or edamame beans, fresh parsley chopped, 4 Tablespoons of good olive oil, 4 pieces of foil and your favorite white wine. Put 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on each piece of foil, mix salt, pepper, beans, chopped parsley and a drizzle of enough olive oil to coat beans and split between foil lay 1 piece of cod on top of each pile of beans. Create sides for he foil and salt and pepper fish then pour a couple of tablespoons of wine on top. Seal off foil and bake in a 350 degree preheated over for 20 minutes. Enjoy! Great thing is this can be put together the night before and placed in the fridge. This is a great easy and very tasty meal. Hope you enjoy.
My go-to healthy lunch is Vietnamese spring rolls. Rice paper wrapped in lettuce, whatever crunchy veggie I have in the fridge (cucumber, carrots, bell peppers etc.), and any protein I have (shrimp, chicken, pork, beef, tofu) with a peanut sauce made with peanut butter, hoisin sauce (can sub with soy sauce and sugar), sesame oil, and siracha. Super yummy and I never get sick of it because I can swap out the filling with anything. The peanut sauce thinned out with a little water or lemon juice also makes a great salad dressing.
My favorite "reset/healthy" lunch/dinner is Salmon salad!
Liner in air fryer, salmon in, oil then herb du provence seasoning (I prefer a generous amount for this recipe) cook for around 8 minutes for a medium size piece of salmon
While salmon is cooking, take choice of salad mix and put in bowl
Add canned mandarin orange slices, cut fresh strawberries, and fresh blueberries. (Or other fruit of you prefer)
Candied or regular pecans
Optional:
Slivered red onion pieces
Add a fruity vinegarette of choice, I prefer a cherry or raspberry
Add cooked salmon on top of the bed of greens and fruit.
This is SO refreshing. With fresh salmon, it's stunning.
Easily can use what you have in your fridge, which is perfect for making a quick meal with what's available!
I completely agree with Jessica on the feeling like crud after a week of indulging and all of the yummy things! My go to "reset, healthy ish" dinner is tofu and veggie stir fry. I'm vegetation, but my SO isn't, and he still loves this dinner! It is so filling and refreshing and you just feel good after it. I make the sauce myself so I can control the sugar content, and I marinate the tofu for at least a few hours beforehand to give it good flavor. And, If I'm too busy and don't want to prep and cook all of the veggies,I just get a bag or two of broccoli slaw and lightly saute it in the pan until it's cooked, but still crisp. My sauce is a 1/4 cup of low sodium soy sauce or tamari, a 1/4 cup of water, 1/8 cup brown sugar or honey, 1/2 tsp ginger(fresh grated or dried powder) 1/2 tsp red chili flakes or gochujang, 1 tsp onion powder, 2 tbsp fresh or jarred minced garlic, and 1tbsp cornstarch, all whiskers together. I often double the sauce recipe. The tofu gets pressed, then tossed in a bowl, lightly coated with avocado oil, and then coated with an even mixture of cornstarch and nutritional yeast, then put in the air fryer at 400 for 12 minutes-flipping halfway through. Add the sauce to the lightly sauteed veggies, cook until it thickens. then serve over Jasmine rice, ramen or buckwheat noodles
As for lunches, I love to meal prep two veggies and a bean. I usually do great northern beans, with broccoli and yellow squash. If you're not into beans, you can do lean chicken etc. I also love a good hummus wrap, salad, or charcuterie for lunch. I often do charcuterie, which consists of hummus, a cracker or pretzel, a little bit of creamy cheese like Brie or laughing cow, then carrots, cucumbers, grapes, and apples, or watermelon/berries when their in season. Pinterest has some fantastic options for quick easy lunches and I often go there for inspiration.
Easiest Healthy Lunches for this busy Mom of 7- Factor Meals. I homeschool our seven kids and I don’t have time to think about what’s for lunch. I started ordering Factor meals for myself about a year ago and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Daily mundane, project, any and EVERYTHING you want to share. I'm with Jessica!
I meal prep my lunches every week. It has been the same thing for months and I don't get sick of it. It's a crockpot chili and it lasts the entire week. In it: ground turkey (cooked), cooked on stove until softened: onion, garlic, celery, butternut squash, carrots, and bell pepper. Add all of that to crockpot. Then add a can of diced tomatoes, a small can of tomato sauce, a can of chickpeas and a can of kidney beans (both drained and rinsed). Fill with chicken broth and season with s+p, chili powder, paprika, cumin, cayenne, garlic and onion powder. I cook on low for 4 hours or so. When I have lunch I top it with a dash oof hot sauce, a sprinkle of shredded cheese, diced onion, fresh cilantro and crushed tortilla chips. It is hearty and healthy!
Easy lunches
- leftover or 90 second grain, leftover cooked or raw veg, can of mackerel/tuna/etc. Plus sauce of choice (yogurt/mayo/garlic/pinch of sugar/herbs is my go to)
- snack plate - crackers, cheese (cracker cut makes it easy) deli meat, raw bell peppers, crunchy chickpeas, fruit
Healthy reset dinner - southwest salad. This varies with what we have, but always has taco seasoned roasted potatoes and/or sweet potatoes. Then some combination of canned beans, lettuces, small chopped raw broccoli, peas, corn, cheese, meats if you like, tortilla chips, etc., then ranch (yogurt or original) plus hot sauce or bbq sauce for spice babies (me).
My favorite quick yet healthy lunch is air fryer tofu with a steamed jasmine rice microwave bag. Sometimes I add a broccoli steamer bag and a bit or teriyaki.
Healthy easy lunch - Italian grinder salad! Chopped romaine, chopped deli meat or your choice, grape tomatoes, green olives, banana peppers, mixed up in a homemade dressing of mayo, red wine vinegar, and Italian seasoning! Add croutons and it’s so good.
Healthy dinner: instant pot sushi rice (SO GOOD!), Taylor Wynn’s air fryer salmon (marinaded in soy sauce, sriracha, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and honey), with steamed broccoli! Even my kids love this meal!
I work hybrid, so 3 days in the office, and I meal prep those 3 meals each week. My favorite thing is to throw green beans and diced potatoes on a sheet pan, then I do either ground beef or ground Turkey - and I change the way I season the meat all the time! So sometimes it’s more Mexican style, sometimes I do “smash burger” style with onions and mustard, sometimes I do your sesame beef recipe! Sooo delish and I know you have to cook a little but it’s so quick and makes a large volume
Go to lunch/dinner (really good to meal prep too):
Rice (can be quinoa, brown rice, white rice, etc.)
Cottage cheese
Peppers + onions
Kelbasa sausage (I love the Johnsonville cheddar sausage)
pepper + garlic powder
I eye ball everything! Cook the sausage, add onions/peppers (season with pepper + garlic powder) and sauté. Meanwhile cook the rice. Final touch and it’s going to sound weird but just trust the process. Add a healthy scoop of cottage cheese to the pan and let it melt into the sausage/veggies. Pour it over a bed of rice/quinoa and enjoy. The cottage cheese provides extra protein but a ton of creaminess. It’s so easy, so fast, so good!
I have a couple options for go to healthy lunches. First is a quinoa salad. If I’m making grilled chicken, tofu or steak for dinner, I’ll make extra of the protein. Then I’ll cook up a cup of quinoa, add in some chopped veggies (carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers, red onion really anything). Then I’ll mix up an easy dressing of olive oil, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard and honey, mix it all together and it’s ready for lunch the next day. It’s best if it sits overnight.
My other option is to make a big pot of soup and eat for a few days. I love soup. If I’m adding a grain or starch (rice, noodles tortellini), I’ll separate them and add it while I’m heating it up otherwise it gets soggy. Thanks for the fun vlogmas!
Lunch is such a struggle if there aren’t leftovers!
My go to dinner is either 1) sausage, diced sweet potatoes and broccoli - toss in olive oil and seasoning and bake then drizzle with a little honey
2) Diced sweet potatoes tossed in salt, pepper and olive oil. Once baked, combine with taco meat, pickled jalapeños and a light drizzle of ranch. OMG TO DIE FOR.
Would love "boring" videos! It's just really cute to see you guys wake up, talk about whatever's on your mind, make coffee, head into work, miscellaneous random updates throughout the day about what's going on, what you're making for dinner, how dinner was, etc. 😊
Thank you for vlogmas! It brightens the season for me ❤️
Health lunch prep: burrito bowls all prepped then add lettuce each day.
Breakfast: egg and veggies bake on Sunday eat all week.
Dinner: Chicken sausage(cut into pieces), kale, and sweet potatoes. Roast the potatoes, mix in chicken sausage and kale, cook until warm and kale is wilted. I buy the prepared bag of kale from Trader Joe's.
Tyler FINALLY said it!!! I gasped just like Jessica did 😂😂. I absolutely love you guys and your family. I missed vlogmss last year because my Nana had a stroke and then passed away on NYE after being on comfort hospice. So I went back and watched last years after watching this year's each day. You all bring me so much joy and are my Comfort vloggers. I'm going to miss see you guys every day! But, I'm so happy to have spent the time watching you all this year and I already can't wait for next vlogmas. Happy Holidays! ❤❤❤❤
Yes! More vlogs from you Tyler. I love anything you do: food, travel, how to, diy, gardening, etc or just random talking about music, books, etc
I buy premixed salads and add chicken, or pre bake potatoes and heat one up
Food: our go-to is making homemade bison meatballs. The protein content is higher than any other meat, it’s really flavorful and since the fat content is a little higher, it stays moist. Our typical “square meal” is bison meatballs, oven roasted cruciferous veggies and a rice/grain. We use them also in spaghetti, meatball sub, we’ll cut them up into coins and have it with crackers/cheese as a snack (tastes good cold!) Bison is generally a little more expensive per pound so it’s something we’ll make once or twice per month and we’ll double our recipe to make it worth our time for prepping. If you’ve ever made meatballs, it’s so easy to do and convert your favorite recipe with the bison. We like to bake them in the oven. Our second “square meal” we love is meatloaf with 1lb each: bison, turkey, meatloaf. We converted the 1770 house meatloaf recipe since we don’t eat calf meat. Sometimes we’ll also do 1 1/2lbs each turkey and ground beef to save on cost. I’ll still make roasted veggies and my own concoction of cheesy ranch mashed potatoes (Yukon gold potatoes, dry ranch mix, butter, mix of your preferred cheeses) This would be a weekend meal so that we have more time to prep but it makes a lot for leftovers. Our last “square meal” is homemade chicken noodle soup. I’ll buy a hot rotisserie chicken at Meijer or Giant Eagle, shred it as soon as I get home, add it to a stockpot with chicken bone broth, chopped carrots, celery and onion. Use your favorite chicken soup recipe but get the bone broth for extra protein and nutrients.
Never clicked on a video so quick! I missed you guys❤
One of my favorite easy healthy staples is teriyaki chicken and basmati rice. Authentic imported basmati rice has been a game changer for me. It's so good and so filling. You can cook plain or in chicken, beef, or veggie broth, season however you like. For chicken I make bone-in and skin on chicken thighs in the oven. Season with salt/paprika/garlic/onion powder. When it's almost done I pour some bottled teriyaki sauce all over the chicken to finish cooking. The bone-in thighs are a bit more work, depending on how you prefer them, but they are so tasty and super economical. I also do well seasoned ground beef over basmati rice. You can add whatever toppings or veggies you prefer or make them like burrito bowls. Very easy, yummy and filling.
For the meals, for a quick and easy dinner I do a stir fry. It's so quick, I can throw in basically any Veggie and then a protein. I change up my dinners each night but for lunch I'll batch cook on Sunday just one meal ( 4 serves) normally a pasta, soup, stirfry ( onepot meal style) and that makes it easy as I work in an office each day. Dinner is more special to me as I often have a bit more time to cook!
Lunch: avocado toast with salami or whatever lunchmeat you like. Dinner: Get a big box of salad greens and a rotisserie chicken, and you'll have meals for a couple nights. So easy, the prep is all done for you.
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup from Peas and Crayons blog is an easy go to lunch or dinner. It takes 15 mins to throw everything in the Instant Pot. I make it at 10am and it’s waiting and ready by 11:30. Spinach salads is a go to for us- right now we are doing spinach, feta, apple, pecans, pomegranate, and homemade vinaigrette. I also love a microwaved chicken sausage (we get them from Costco) for a quick mini meal.
I love that recipe for tortilla soup! I always make it on the stove (don’t own an instant pot) and when I’m done simmering it, I throw in half a block of cream cheese! It tastes incredible
I also prefer random vlogs to ones based around events or “exciting” things! Something more relaxed, homey and relatable about the everyday stuff!
Best easy meal lunch or dinner is always a bowl. Change them up though. Use the grill and grill various meats or fish on a Sunday and chop up. Make beans, steak or chicken with brown rice or quinoa one day make the grilled chicken in a salad the next. The key is having the meat cooked already or even undercooking slightly so when it is reheated it comes out perfect. Meat, veg starch easy! Gigi can make her own bowl. Pre cut the veggies and let her make her own or build a taco.
For an easy lunch I get the Costco precooked chicken bites and make a quick stir fry with left over veggies
For a healthy dinner our go to is steak bites (iron deficiency), roasted potatoes, and a veggie
21:05
We also reuse gift bags and we started sticking the gift tag stickers on the tissue paper so it doesn’t ruin the bag 👍🏻
This is genius!!
Healthy(ish) lunch idea: tuscan pane bread (either from Aldi or Trader Joe’s - actually cheaper at Trader Joe’s!) make for next level sandwiches! I toast it a little, put a few slices of salami and then some type of greens, either spinach, arugula, mixed/power greens, or watercress on top. Sounds simple but I never get tired of it. My husband will do turkey with a Dijonaise type situation which is delicious.
We actually use your chickpea skillet as our healthy weeknight/reset meal typically so thank you for sharing!
For lunches, I love a good Buffalo chicken wrap or I use the blackened tenders. For a healthy dinner I love making egg roll in a bowl or unstuffed cabbage rolls(skillet meal). You can use lean beef or even turkey and it’s still comforting but definitely lighter. Thanks for another amazing Vlogmas season 💜
Our reset meal is a steak(ribeye, strip of porterhouse) cooked in a cast-iron pan. Eaten with grass-fed butter on the side with a potato of some kind. it's plain and simple but satiating and an easy clean-up. Happy Holiday's Braun fam!
Merry Christmas!
Lately for heathyish meals, we’ve been getting boneless- skinless chicken thighs (seriously tastier than chicken breasts) and some veggies. I HIGHLY recommend the Costco pack of Pura Vida Fire Roasted Primavera Mistura frozen veggie mix. They’re already seasoned and taste nice and smoky. We also have been doing the Kirkland brand chicken nuggets in the air fryer with one of their Caesar salads on the side. I highly recommend the Kinder’s bbq sauce from Costco as well for dipping.
I like to shred & season some chicken breast(in low sodium broth) and use that for tacos, but use 100 calorie corn tortillas and make sure to warm those on a flat top or in the microwave in between paper towels. I’ll use that for taco bowls, in a wrap. It helps me enjoy chicken breast a bit more. Then I enjoy just having a turkey burger patty, with some sweet potatoes and I’ll just dip them in a sauce of my choice. These have been my lunch options that I know are decently healthy and filling but allows me to go back to work a bit energized. Hope this helps!
We do “week of salads” after Christmas and after Disney trips. Taco salad, Greek salad, buffalo chicken salad, “big salad” lots of Stuff😂. BLT salad. Deconstructed for kids of course. Always a jump start for us for back to healthy eating and really yummy.
Tyler said love you, bye!!!
Another awesome Vlogmas, thank you both for all the work you put into it! And Tyler, listen to your wife! Laidback vlogs are awesome, you don't need to have some big event or project to talk about. I would love more random vlogs scattered throughout the year! Merry Christmas to you all, and a very Happy New Year!
I love Vlogmas I watch every year! You all are the ONLY ones I watch every video.
Soup & Sandwiches!!! A hearty vegetable soup (Can make in big batches and freeze) with a healthy sandwich of yummy protein etc…and even better if you have homemade bread (Tyler! lol) If I don’t have homemade soup having some healthy store bought soups in the fridge always comes in handy. 👌🏽
Thank you both for another wonderful year of Vlogmas! And Tyler, we all love you too. He said it! :-)
Oh my goodness. Thank you for sharing your Christmas Day! The girls are so big. Felicity talking and dancing made my heart so happy. My boyscare long past that stage. Merry Christmas!
not really healthy but for lunch I usually do sandwiches for work so turkey or tuna. dinner I would say I usually do less healthy dinners but like you said chicken is always good maybe some mashed potatoes with it or tacos with the toppings you like
One of my family's go-to meals is chicken fajitas. You can do it in lettuce wraps or tortillas and it is easy- you can make it all in one pan too!
oh gosh I am going to miss this so much! and we got a "Love ya, Bye" from Tyler unplanned it seemed! Can't wait for the book video, the assorted travel vlogs...and Tyler we just want everyday hum drum from you all too! It doesn't have to be a planned big hullaballoo!
Did I mention how much I am gonna miss these!? 🥰
Thanks so much for the hard work that goes into Vlogmas. You're making memories for us while you're making them with your family. It's so appreciated. 💖
This is my first year watching your Vlogmas, I came from Jessica's channel.
I love watching Vlogmas with the Brauns! Your family is so sweet! Prayers for an amazing 2024 for all of you!
Work lunches:
• Yoghurt + homemade museli
• Random fruit: berries, apple w/ peanut butter, grapes, plums, nectarines, cherries, whatever!
• Pasta w/ roasted vegetable sauce
• Dried fruit, + crackers w/ cheese
• Mini capsicums with hommus
• Salad w/ chicken
Lunch doesn’t have to be a cooked meal, or something that takes a lot of assembly!
Thank you for Vlogmas! I had a great time watching while doing chores.
For lunch: search for bowl recipies. You can easily prepare and there are a lot of variations you can do. Different veggies, dressings, meat and you can combine it with rice, noodles or other healthy options.
For lunch/dinner I often make pasta (wholegrain for super healthy meal), canned pasta sauce from shop (the kind where are mainly tomatoes and vegetable, drop of oil and thats all) and light mozzarella or pieces of chicken...you can also just mix it and let it bake a few minutes in oven until the mozzarella is nicely melted
Easy lunch ideas: I stock bagged salads and turkey deli meat. If we have veggies that need eating, toss em in the salad. Eggs going bad? Toss em in the salad. Jarred peppers need to be eaten? Salad they go. Cheese? Salad please. It’s the easiest base to eat out the fridge and it’s already so tasty as is of salad mix and turkey. Can’t go wrong! And dressings? Anything works! And if I have none? Olive oil and vinegar works beautifully
Go to easy lunch- I always buy the salad kit bags, and use whatever lunch meat I have(or leftover meat from dinner) and make a wrap. My easy go to dinner is always breakfast for dinner! Both of my kids love it and it’s so quick and easy.
I always keep cooked/cut up chicken in the fridge. I use it for lunch 2-3 xs per week. I make quesadillas or wraps w it & I also make salads a lot & add the chicken to those. Do you have a panini press ? There are tons of healthy options you can make w those. We use leftovers all the time & come up w different combos. We also make a big pot of soup & freeze individual portions. Then you can just pull 1 or 2 out the night before. Hope I gave you at least 1 idea for something new. Merry Christmas !!
My default healthyish lunch is a turkey and cheese sandwich on Oroweat Sandwich Thins. These are a little less carby than regular bread, which matters for me because I'm diabetic. I just do mayo, spicy mustard, and a little pepper and then throw on a slice of mozzarella (lower in saturated fat than most other cheeses) and sliced turkey breast from Costco. If I'm really getting fancy and I have some extra time, I'll add sliced tomato and avocado as well. My go-to simple dinner is salmon steaks, Seeds of Change brown rice/quinoa blend, and frozen veggies. I add a little avocado oil to the salmon and do very simple seasoning with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then pop them in the air fryer. The Seeds of Change takes a minute and a half in the microwave. We use a brussells sprouts frozen veggie blend from Costco. I don't usually do well with fresh vegetables. I don't have tons of time to prep, and they'll end up going bad, so frozen veggies work better for me. I just pour out the amount I want and pop them in the microwave. Could not be easier.
I think this is my 3rd or 4th year watching vlogmas. Love the both of you. I also need recipes for lunch and dinner. Cooking for yourself is so exhausting.
My favorite quick lunch is a Caprese sandwich with salad. Toasted ciabatta with fresh mozzarella, tomato, and pesto with a spinach/arugula salad with specifically the house dressing from Aldi. I easily eat it 4 days in a row twice a month at least. 😂
Oh my goodness, it was so lovely to see Lissy and Gigi in this vlog. I don’t have any social media so TH-cam is all I’ve got, and to see their happy little faces brought me so much joy!
Also, Jess you are NOT alone in stressing out about lunch ideas! Breakfast is pretty easy and I do plan dinners too, but lunch is such an oddball. We also usually just have leftovers from dinner the night before, but when there’s no leftovers I’m like ummmmmmm I guess starve??? Lol
My husband and I make a big batch of veggie, sweet potato, and bean soup. It's full of fiber and protein. We eat it every day for the week, and we switch up the protein we have with it each day usually either chicken or fish.
Our reset dinner is salmon teriyaki bowls. I try to pack in as many veggies as possible. Weird ones that we don’t usually have: eggplant, shiitake mushrooms, cavalo Nero (a type of kale), etc… I cut the raw salmon into bite sized cubes, coat in teriyaki sauce + crushed garlic + crushed ginger + soy sauce (just a splash for color) and throw it into the air fryer for a 15 mins or until cooked. You have to shake it OFTEN so it gets crispy edges. In the meantime, I throw all the veggies together in a pan with some olive oil. Make another batch of the teriyaki mixture. Once the veggies are cooked, I add the teriyaki and a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. Then I serve the veggies over microwave brown rice and top with the salmon bites. I love to drizzle a little sesame oil over the top of everything.The whole thing takes 20 mins to make and it’s healthy & nutritious!