Tastes: Sweet, creamy, and not super healthy (but it is! it is!)
Why we love it: Spinach is a great source of iron, and this smoothie is so tasty, you hardly know it's there. Makes it a little easier to give picky eaters the veggies they need. Plus, prep and cleanup are super easy.
For each serving, you'll need:
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup diced peaches in water (or 1/4 of a fresh peach)
1 medium banana, in small chunks
splash of pineapple juice
Start by pulsing just the spinach and the pineapple juice in blender until well chopped. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
Variations: We wait till our bananas are brown, then peel them and freeze in a ziplock bag (break into chunks before freezing) This makes for a creamy, cold smoothie. If you don't have peaches, strawberries substitute very well. Sometimes I add a scoop of whey protein powder as well, as this makes a filling meal substitute.
19 September 2011
14 September 2011
Cheaters Spice Cookies
Tastes: Very much like a gingerbread cookie, super chewy
Jazz it up!: Like gingerbread cookies, this would go well with a lemony glaze, but cream cheese icing piped on top of each cookie is wonderful too
To market, to market:
1 box spice cake mix (we ALWAYS have good results with Duncan Hines)
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg whites (I use just whites in my cookies and they are perfect)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients very well using an electric mixer. Dough should be thick and very pliable but not sticky. I used a cookie press to achieve the cookies pictured above, but they turn out just as well rolled into small balls and slightly flattened onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 7 minutes, until edges are just beginning to brown. Cool completely, then store tightly covered for up to a week. Using a cookie press, this makes 60-70 cookies.
07 September 2011
Potato Soup
Alright people, this is my best kitchen creation, and I'm sharing it with you all, so pay attention. Make it, love it, share it.
Makes me remember: Wonderful winter evenings with those I love most!
Tastes: Good, just make it, then decide what it tastes like
Make it a meal: This is a true one-dish wonder, but if you like, add a salad to balance out all the carbs. This recipe makes enough for several meals.
To market, to market:
3 lb bag baby red potatoes
1 medium onion, diced (roughly 1 cup)
4 large carrots, diced (roughly 1 cups)
4 stalks celery, diced (roughly 2 cups)
3-4 slices uncooked bacon (or 2 Tbsp butter, if you prefer to do a meatless version)
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 32oz can chicken broth
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese (cheddar works fine too)
black pepper to taste
Wash and quarter the potatoes (you should have somewhat uniform 1" chunks), then set aside. Wash and dice the carrots, onion, and celery, then set aside. Cut or tear bacon into 1" pieces.
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, combine bacon and italian seasoning. (Or use butter and seasoning if you are making a vegetarian version. It tastes GREAT without any meat, by the way.) Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, until bacon starts to sizzle. Add celery, onion, and carrot, and continue to cook about 5 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Add potatoes, broth, and enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch.
Adjust heat as needed to maintain a steady boil and cook for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When the potatoes are very tender, remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. (Cooling slightly before adding dairy products will keep the soup from separating.) The soup should thicken as it cools. Stir in the sour cream and cheese, then salt and pepper as needed.
Makes me remember: Wonderful winter evenings with those I love most!
Tastes: Good, just make it, then decide what it tastes like
Make it a meal: This is a true one-dish wonder, but if you like, add a salad to balance out all the carbs. This recipe makes enough for several meals.
To market, to market:
3 lb bag baby red potatoes
1 medium onion, diced (roughly 1 cup)
4 large carrots, diced (roughly 1 cups)
4 stalks celery, diced (roughly 2 cups)
3-4 slices uncooked bacon (or 2 Tbsp butter, if you prefer to do a meatless version)
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1 32oz can chicken broth
8 oz sour cream
1 cup shredded colby-jack cheese (cheddar works fine too)
black pepper to taste
Wash and quarter the potatoes (you should have somewhat uniform 1" chunks), then set aside. Wash and dice the carrots, onion, and celery, then set aside. Cut or tear bacon into 1" pieces.
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, combine bacon and italian seasoning. (Or use butter and seasoning if you are making a vegetarian version. It tastes GREAT without any meat, by the way.) Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, until bacon starts to sizzle. Add celery, onion, and carrot, and continue to cook about 5 minutes longer, stirring frequently. Add potatoes, broth, and enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch.
Adjust heat as needed to maintain a steady boil and cook for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. When the potatoes are very tender, remove from heat and let sit for 10 minutes. (Cooling slightly before adding dairy products will keep the soup from separating.) The soup should thicken as it cools. Stir in the sour cream and cheese, then salt and pepper as needed.
Cheaters Chicken Pot Pie
This is another cheater recipe (one that uses all store-bought ingredients but tastes wonderfully homemade).
Makes me remember: A crowded little kitchen on Settlemyre Rd, and learning to cook for a "meat-eatin' man"
Tastes: Just like grandma makes
Make it a meal: Serve with crockpot green beans (recipe below) for an EASY home-cooked meal
To market, to market:
1 large can cooked chicken breast chunks, drained
1 can sliced carrots, drained and rinsed
1 can diced potatoes, drained and rinsed
1 can peas, drained and rinsed (can you tell I'm all about the draining and rinsing?)
1 jar alfredo sauce (we like the kind with mushrooms in it)
1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 roll-up crusts)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine the chicken, carrots, potatoes, peas and alfredo sauce. Microwave 3 minutes, then stir. Line a deep round casserole dish with one of the pie crusts. Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into the pie crust and top with the second pie crust. Crimp or roll the edges of the two crusts together to seal, and into the oven it goes! Bake for about an hour, till the crust is golden brown. For extra jazzy presentation, you can brush the crust with one beaten egg white 5 minutes before the end of baking. It makes the crust shiny and delicious, and people will never guess that it came from a box.
Crockpot Green Beans:
In a crockpot set to low, combine one can of chicken broth and a large can of green beans, or several small cans. Cook 6-8 hours. Yummy!
Makes me remember: A crowded little kitchen on Settlemyre Rd, and learning to cook for a "meat-eatin' man"
Tastes: Just like grandma makes
Make it a meal: Serve with crockpot green beans (recipe below) for an EASY home-cooked meal
To market, to market:
1 large can cooked chicken breast chunks, drained
1 can sliced carrots, drained and rinsed
1 can diced potatoes, drained and rinsed
1 can peas, drained and rinsed (can you tell I'm all about the draining and rinsing?)
1 jar alfredo sauce (we like the kind with mushrooms in it)
1 package refrigerated pie crust (2 roll-up crusts)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine the chicken, carrots, potatoes, peas and alfredo sauce. Microwave 3 minutes, then stir. Line a deep round casserole dish with one of the pie crusts. Pour the chicken and vegetable mixture into the pie crust and top with the second pie crust. Crimp or roll the edges of the two crusts together to seal, and into the oven it goes! Bake for about an hour, till the crust is golden brown. For extra jazzy presentation, you can brush the crust with one beaten egg white 5 minutes before the end of baking. It makes the crust shiny and delicious, and people will never guess that it came from a box.
Crockpot Green Beans:
In a crockpot set to low, combine one can of chicken broth and a large can of green beans, or several small cans. Cook 6-8 hours. Yummy!
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Tastes: Cheesy, spicy, heavenly on crackers or with a veggie tray
Serve it: This is a great dip for a manly shindig, like a Superbowl party, but is easy for anytime you need appetizers for a crowd
To market, to market:
1 large can cooked chicken breast chunks
3/4 (or more) cup Texas Pete hot sauce
2 8oz blocks cream cheese
1 cup ranch or bleu cheese dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine drained chicken breast and hot sauce in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stirring constantly, cook 5 minutes, until chicken begins to break apart and hot sauce boils. Remove from heat, add all other ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Transfer to a small crockpot and cook on low at least an hour prior to serving. Keeps well up to 4 hours in crockpot.
Serve it: This is a great dip for a manly shindig, like a Superbowl party, but is easy for anytime you need appetizers for a crowd
To market, to market:
1 large can cooked chicken breast chunks
3/4 (or more) cup Texas Pete hot sauce
2 8oz blocks cream cheese
1 cup ranch or bleu cheese dressing
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Combine drained chicken breast and hot sauce in a medium saucepan over high heat. Stirring constantly, cook 5 minutes, until chicken begins to break apart and hot sauce boils. Remove from heat, add all other ingredients and stir until thoroughly mixed. Transfer to a small crockpot and cook on low at least an hour prior to serving. Keeps well up to 4 hours in crockpot.
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