Oh boy! Oh boy! Do I have a foodie goodie for you today! (Oh yeah! Foodie goodie! Love it. LOL!). I actually whipped up this dish without any reference to a menu plan or a recipe from a fabulous chef.

I was originally going to make my weekly chicken dish, but I remembered I had some shrimp in the freezer.

At first, I thought, "I'll just make the standard shrimp dish I usually make. Noodles, shrimp, garlic, onion, butter and olive oil".

But then, out of the blue, I thought, "Well, I have broccoli and red pepper that needs to be used. I'll add that! I have some lemons. Yeah, freshly squeezed lemon juice will be good in this. So, yeah, I'll add that, too"!

Well, once I started cooking, more foodie juices started flowing.

I remembered I had a zucchini in the fridge, some leftover steamed kale and some fresh parsley. Totally added it!

And, then, another outta-the-blue moment, I thought, "Paprika! Yeah! Paprika"! And threw some in.

Next thing I know, I had my eyes on the most fabulous, looking dish.

I mean, WOW, it looks like pure foodie heaven.

But the real question is, how does it taste????

Well, by the looks of it below, deeeeeeeelicious!!!

The perfect creaminess from the butterand olive oil.

The sweetness of the red pepper and the touch of jazziness from the paprika.

The lightness of the noodles and the melt-in-your-mouth shrimpies (yes, I just made up shrimpies!).

The crispness of the broccoli, the refreshingzest from the lemon and the oh, so summery zucchini goodness.

OH YEAH!

Foodie fireworks, for sure!

And with that, I knew I had to share it with you here.

It literally took less than 30 minutes to make.

So easy and so scrumptious.

The perfect summertime meal.

So if you're looking to add a little bit of pizzaz to your summertime dining, this could definitely be it.

Don't like seafood, replace it with some chicken, pork, tofu or just have it vegetarian style.
Want to kick it up a notch, add some hot sauce like my husband did.
Not in the mood for a hot meal, cool it in the fridge and have it cold.

Either way, I think you'll dig it.

But the one thing that I wanted to share that's REALLY cool about it all, is that, before I became a Creatively Fit Coach, my mind was so stuck on what to create in the kitchen for family meals.

I HAD to write up a menu plan. If not, I'd be SO lost and wouldn't have a clue as to what to make (and really the motivation to think about it).

Because I was able to calm down the funk in my mind (the left brain, multi-tasking, to-do list thoughts) with mindless, creative activity, like doodling, I've opened up a whole new world.

One where now, I can just think of some creative dishes without any help or reminders.

The more I doodle (and give my right brain a workout) the less I need to rely on cookbooks and menu plans.

Amazing, right! I sure do think so. :) (But, of course, I still have those days where I'm very unmotivated to cook. Don't we all?)

It's SO refreshing because it doesn't feel so much like a chore anymore (menu planning and cooking was SO much fun before I became a Mommy, but now with all the added duties that come with motherhood, I found myself dragging in the kitchen department. The more I doodle, the less I drag).

So if you find yourself REALLY wanting to cook more in the kitchen, but lack the motivation, check out my doodling posts and see if it's something you'd like to try.

I guarantee, once you give your left brain the much needed nap it deserves, your right brain will open up and you'll feel more balanced and soon you'll be in the kitchen creating meals way more than you ever have before.

So, until next time...

{life IS delicious}

Simply Shrimpy Noodle Bowl

Ingredients
1 bag of frozen shrimp (thawed)
1/2 box of pasta of choice (I used quinoa pasta)
2 heads of fresh broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 red pepper, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 to 2 bunches of steamed kale (but you can use raw instead)
1/2 onion, chopped
3 to 5 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup of lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3/4 cup of olive oil
1/2 handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 stick of pasture butter
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon sea salt
dash of pepper

Directions
1. Cook pasta.
2. Heat pan to medium heat. Add in olive oil and a touch of salt.
2. Saute onion and red pepper for 3 to 5 minutes. While waiting, juice lemon and then set aside.
3. Add in shrimp. Let cook for a few minutes. They don't take long. If over cook, they can become tough and chewy.
4. After shrimp have been in for 3 to 4 minutes, add in zucchini, lemon juice and butter. Let cook for another 3 minutes.
5. Add in broccoli, kale, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook now until shrimp is done.
6. Once shrimp is done, add in cooked pasta and then mix. If you need a little more olive oil and butter, go ahead and add.
7. Place in your favorite serving bowl.
8. Turn off all distractions, sit down by yourself or with your family and/or friends, take a few deep breaths, say how much gratitude you have for your food, your family, your life and dig in, slowly and savor the deliciousness!

Variations: Replace shrimp with chicken, pork, beef, tofu or just have it vegetarian style. Add some freshly grated parmesean on top. Add your favorite hot sauce to give it a little punch. Mix up the veggies to your liking.