Spicy Pretzels

We went to a surprise 50th birthday party the other day & one of the snacks served were these tasty spicy pretzels. I asked the hostess about them (because Trent couldn't quit eating them, so I knew I'd need the recipe)! She was sweet to send me the recipe and with holidays not far off, I think I'll be making these again...

Ingredients:
1 pkg ranch dressing mix
1 TBS lemon pepper
1 Tsp cayenne pepper or red pepper (adjust according to your heat preference)
1 TBS garlic pwd
3/4 C veg oil
1 15oz bag pretzels

Directions:
1. Mix first five ingredients in a bowl--mix well
2. Pour onto pretzels in a bag--shake a lot to soak pretzels.
3. Soak overnight & pour pretzels into a new bag before serving or storing.

Side note:  I have not attempted this recipe myself yet, but I know I will! If I change or tweak it at all once I do make it, I will come back & note it here.

Chicken Pot Pie - Easiest On The Planet

I got this recipe from the Ko Jo Kai cookbook that Kristen helped publish! :)
I thought I had already posted this one on here because I've had it a long time, but I was searching for it the other day & realized I'd never posted it on Menu Mamas. It's so easy, doesn't take much of a recipe to follow, but I'm the girl who looks to a recipe for boiling an egg, so I need this easily accessible! ;)

Ingredients:
1 pkg frozen pie crusts
2 cans white chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mixed veggies, drained
s&p
butter spray (optional)

Directions:
1. Get the pie crusts out of the freezer before you start working. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, mix chicken, soup & veggies. Season to your liking (I use s&p, garlic salt, etc.)
3. Put one of the pie crusts (aluminum and all) in an oven safe dish & heat for 8-10 minutes.
4. Pour the chicken mixture into the baked crust.
5. By this time, the "top" pie crust will just slide out of the aluminum pie pan. Place it on top of the mixture.
6. Spray the top of this pie crust with butter spray (or brush on an egg white if you prefer) to give it a nice color during cooking.
7. Bake for 30-40 minutes or so.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cake

My friend Amanda gave me this recipe, it truly is one of the easiest, best chocolate cakes I have ever tasted! Don't let the "cherry" part throw you, you can only subtly tell it's there--but something about the cherries make this cake super moist and give it a richer flavor.
It is amazing, hope you'll try it! Amanda, thank you for sharing this!!

Cake:
1 box devil food's cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
2 large eggs
1 tsp almond extract

Glaze:
1 C sugar
1/2 C butter
1/3 C whole milk
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. For cake:  preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13x9" pan with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine all cake ingredients. Mix on low with electric mixer for 1 minute, scrape sides of bowl & continue mixing on medium speed for another 2 minutes. Pour into prepared cake pan & bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake springs back.
2. For glaze:  combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to a boil. Remove from heat & stir in chocolate chips. Stir glaze until smooth & pour over warm cake.
Cool cake for 20 minutes before serving to allow the glaze to firm up.

New Layout!

Hey friends--I hope you don't mind, I changed the layout of the blog because I thought the sidebar would work better on the left with our recipes on the right! Every time I print off a recipe from Menu Mamas, I punch holes in it to place it in my recipe binder...inevitably the hole punch will fall right in the middle of the quantity needed for some cooking ingredient! So I thought recipes being on the right would alleviate this issue! :)
I hope you will all still be uploading your favorite tried & true recipes! I know we all use Pinterest these days, but I try and put all my keepers on here & love using Pinterest for things I want to try!
Hoping you will post your favorite soups & stews as we enter into the Fall weather!

Happy Cooking!
;) VBS

Creamy Spinach & Chicken Roll-Ups!

I was desperate for something quick & easy to make for dinner tonight! I just so happened to have these ingredients on hand & took a spin off an old recipe to recreate this. It was a hit, so I'm posting here--would definitely make it again! :)

Ingredients:
Fresh spinach (I happened to have a fresh spinach/kale blend on hand, could prob use frozen as well) I used about half a bag
4 oz cream cheese
2 TBS butter
1/2 C milk
1/2 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans Crescent rolls
2C cooked/shredded chicken
Italian seasoning
Garlic Salt,
S&P

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Boil a pot of water--blanch your spinach in the water, just enough to wilt it
3. Drain pot, use paper towels to "dry" spinach, then coarsely chop it & set aside
4. In same pot, add butter, onions & garlic to saute
5. Cut up cream cheese & add to butter mixture, add milk & stir together until creamy
6. Toss cooked/shredded chicken & spinach into creamy goodness
7. Unroll crescent dough into rectangles in a baking dish
8. Layer a little spinach/cheese/chicken mixture into each crescent roll
9. Roll the crescent rolls up & place side by side in pan filling it up.
10. Spray the tops of the crescent rolls with a butter spray, sprinkle the tops with a little italian seasoning & garlic salt
11. Bake 15 or so minutes until nicely browned!

Crunchy Black Bean Tacos

Got these off Pinterest. They have become a staple in our home! So easy, yummy, & healthyish!;)

Ingredients:
2 C black beans (I just use one can, drained. Would use 2 cans if wanting to make more...one can makes about a dozen)
1/2 C red onion, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp garlic powder
shredded cheese (Monterey jack or whatever you prefer)
chopped cilantro (eyeball it to your preference)
olive oil
corn tortillas
toppings (sour cream, salsa, avocado, etc.)

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, add beans along with red onion, cilantro & spices. Lightly mash all ingredients together (sometimes I forget to mash & it works fine anyway)
2. In a large non-stick skillet, add a few TBS of oil & heat on med-high heat.
3. Add one corn tortilla at a time & let it get hot in the oil (I flip tortilla over a couple of times to oil it up on both sides)
4. Spoon your bean mixture to one half of the tortilla & top with shredded cheese.
5. Using a spatula, carefully fold the tortilla over so it forms a shell. Press down lightly on the tortilla so it holds its shape.
6. As the first tortilla cooks, slide it to the side & do a second one (I can usually do about 3 at a time...if you had a griddle you could do even more at once).
7.  Cook each taco for several minutes on each side until they are nicely browned and crispy.
8. I place a paper towel over a plate & as I finish a batch, I set them on the paper towel to the side until all are cooked.

Serve with your favorite toppings & sides!
Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Tacos

Also from Pinterest, made these last night and
they are divine! Will have to make them again
because I am sure I will be craving them!



Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds beef (I used a boneless chuck roast)
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 cup beef stock
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced (one is all you need, avoid seeds to lessen heat, use this link for helpful chipotle pepper advice!)
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
Flour tortillas
Favorite taco toppings: avocado, cheese, cilantro, salsa, etc.

Directions:
1. Whisk together the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Rub the spice mix into the beef, covering each side evenly. (I cheated and used McCormicks Salt Free Sweet 'n Smoky spice rub instead) 

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the beef in the skillet and sear on each side until browned. Add the diced onion and minced garlic on top of the seared beef in the slow cooker.

3. Remove the beef from the skillet and place in the bottom of a slow cooker. Leave the pan on the heat, and add in the beef stock to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and minced chipotle and whisk into the pan sauce. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for a 3-5 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Pour the pan sauce down over the onions, garlic, and beef in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

4. Shred the beef and onions with two forks. Serve the beef in the flour tortillas, topped with your favorite taco toppings.

Spicy Fish Taco Bowls

Got this recipe off Pinterest, I tweaked it slightly. The original recipe called for the addition of chili powder & cayenne pepper (probably why it was titled "spicy" :} but I chose to leave those out so my kiddos could eat it) I have made it several times & everyone likes it--definitely a keeper! I also really recommend making this spanish rice to serve with this dish!


Ingredients:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic pwd
1 tsp salt
3-4 tilapia filets
1-2 minced garlic cloves
1 C corn kernels (fresh is probably best, but I only had frozen)
1 red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 can black beans (rinsed & drained)
cooked rice (use brown or spanish rice recipe link above)
cilantro, avocado, shredded cheese, etc. for topping

Directions:
1. Make your rice.
2. Mix the spices together in a bowl & sprinkle evenly over both sides of fish--I like to season my fish a lot, but just sprinkle on however much looks good to you--add s&p to taste.
3. In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, drizzle a little olive oil, add garlic & saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the fish to the pan, cook on each side for several minutes--checking the middle for doneness (fish should be completely white & flake apart easily). Remove fish & set aside.
4. Add corn, red peppers, & onion to the pan & heat on med/high heat for several minutes--stir and cook until peppers & onions are cooked to your liking. Add the black beans & heat through.
5. Layer the rice, corn/onion/pepper/bean mixture together with the fish in a bowl. Top with any of the toppings listed above, etc.!

Herb crusted pork chops

Made these tonight & they were great! Side dishes were creamed spinach(made with Laughing Cow cheese),  & potatoes.

Ingredients & Directions:

4 boneless pork chops, fat trimmed

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 cup whole wheat Panko breadcrumbs

1 Tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Rub mustard evenly over pork chops.  Combine panko, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper in a large bowl and dredge pork chops in panko mixture.

Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.  Add oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add pork chops, saute for 2 minutes or until golden brown.  Turn pork over and place skillet in oven for about 8 minutes or until pork reaches 145 degrees in the center.  Enjoy!

Green Smoothie

I'm back on the juicing/smoothie kick since Amber recommended the movie "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" (gotta watch that documentary if you haven't!!) Anyway, made this today & didn't want to forget the ingredients I used.  Very healthy & tasty!

Blend the following ingredients in juicer or mixer (I'm using a Vitamixer) 

1C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk

a small cup of ice cubes

1 peeled banana

1 apple cored (but with peel on)

large handful of fresh spinach leaves

a handful of fresh blueberries

Blend & serve! 

Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia w/Avocado Cream Dipping Sauce

Another great recipe from Clean and Delicious website! The avocado sauce was the key!! Soo yummy! Also the directions said to make avocado cream first so you're ready to eat when fish is done!



Ingredients:
1lb tilapia (4-6 filets)
2 eggwhites
1 C ground cornmeal
1 TBS paprika*
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper* (I used McCormick's Southwest Sweet n' Smoky spice instead of these 2)
S&P to taste

Avocado Cream:
2-3 small avocados
2 TBS plain Greek yogurt
juice from a lime (or lemon juice...I used a bit of both)
pinch of salt (I also added garlic salt)

Directions:
Avocado Cream:  Peel & pit avocados & cut into chunky pieces. Place in a mini food processor (I used a blender) along with all other ingredients. Blend everything together until you have a nice creamy sauce--play with texture by adding more or less yogurt and/or a bit of milk or water. Set aside until ready to serve.

Tilapia:
1. Combine cornmeal & spices in a wide dish--place egg white in another.
2. Season tilapia filets with s&p, dip them in the egg whites, then dredge in cornmeal mixture.
3. When fish is seasoned & coated, heat olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat.
4. Right before placing fish into hot pan, lightly mist each one with cooking spray (this will ensure even browning w/o having to add too much oil in the pan) place in pan "sprayed side" down.
5. Mist the opposite side of fillets while they're cooking--after a few minutes, flip the fish & cook for another few minutes or so. You're looking for the fish to cook through while having a nice crispy, browned exterior.

Serve with avocado cream! I also served with a yummy Sweet Kale salad I got at Costco.

Mini Meatloaves

 

Another paleo friendly one I tried tonight off of www.paleospirit.com.  We don't care for mushrooms so I omitted those & increased the carrots.  I also halved the recipe (plenty for us), and left out the thyme & nutmeg bc I was out - they were still yum.  I used fresh spinach that I just threw in with the onions & steamed for a couple minutes bc I had plenty of fresh on hand.  I served with ketchup bc I thought my kids would like that better, she suggests sugar free marinara.  Sides were the "best ever broccoli" posted earlier & a salad.

• 2 pounds ground meat – mixture of grass fed beef and/or pork and/or veal
• 10 ounces frozen, chopped spinach
• 1-2 teaspoons oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 6 ounces mushrooms, finely diced
• 2 carrots, grated or finely diced
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
2. Thaw the spinach, squeeze out the excess water and set aside.
3. Heat a pan on medium heat, add the oil and fry the onions and mushrooms until the onions are translucent and some of the liquid has cooked out of the mushrooms. Set aside to cool.
4. Place the ground meat in a large bowl, add the spinach, carrots, mushroom/onion mixture, beaten eggs, coconut flour and all the spices. Use your hands to combine it well but do not overmix.
5. Fill 18 regular size muffin tins to the top with the meatloaf mixture. (Greasing the tins may be a good idea if the meat you’re using is fairly lean)
6. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
7. Allow to cool and use a knife to loosen meatloaves from sides of the pan before removing.

Best Ever Broccoli

Bonki encouraged me to post any paleo friendly recipies that I came across so I am going to try to be better about doing that!  It does have a tiny bit of sugar but not enough to make it nonpaleo in my book.  I made this tonight as a side & it really is the best broccoli I've ever had.  I copied & pasted below from  www.benandbirdy.blogspot.com. 

 

1 large head broccoli

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Lemon wedges, for serving (I keep forgetting this, but I’m sure it would be good)

Peel the broccoli with a sharp paring knife as best as you’re able. The thick peel will keep the broccoli from going fully tender, so you really do want to remove it.

Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a large rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Cut the stem off of the broccoli, and cut it into long, ½-inch thick pieces. Cut the rest of the broccoli into long, fairly narrow florets, then put it in a bowl, drizzle it with the oil and toss well until evenly coated. Sprinkle with the salt and sugar, and toss to combine. (The sugar helps it brown, so please don’t omit it.)

Working quickly, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Carefully transfer the broccoli to the baking sheet and spread it in an even layer, placing it flat sides down wherever possible.

Return the baking sheet to the oven and roast until the stalks are well browned and tender and the florets are lightly browned, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately with lemon wedges (if you remember).

 

 

Baked Buffalo Wings

Got this off that same clean and delicious website. There is a video on that site that shows step by step instructions for most of her recipes; I watched her make these (her videos are also on you tube). The visual aid is helpful. Anyway, these were easy, yummy & paleo friendly! I served them with a salad & we had them for supper but they could also be an appetizer.

Ingredients:
3 lbs chicken wings split (about 16 wings)
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS paprika
1 TBS chili pwd
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 C wing sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Lined a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy clean up) and place a wire rack over the top.
3. Rings wings under cold water & pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to separate the wing from the drumette right at the joint.
4. Place wings in a large bowl & toss in seasonings (using only 1/2 the wing sauce) making sure all are evenly coated.
5. Place wings on top of wire racking & bake for 20min. Flip wings over & bake for another 15-20min until cooked through.
6. Toss wings in the other 1/2 of wing sauce & serve with carrots, celery & blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Clean Eating Tilapia Oreganata

I've been finding good recipes from this website.
This was an easy, yummy fish recipe. With the exception of the 2TBS of bread crumbs this is paleo friendly.  Will definitely make this again!

Ingredients:
1lb tilapia (or any white fish)
2 cloves crushed garlic
zest of one lemon
1 TBS chopped oregano
1 TBS olive oil
2 TBS bread crumbs
S&P to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Place tilapia on baking sheet & season with S&P (I also used garlic salt, etc)
3.In a small bowl combine garlic, lemon zest (not the juice), oregano, & olive oil. Using a pastry brush rub the herbed oil on top of each filet. Finish by sprinkling breadcrumbs evenly over top of fillets.
4. Pop in the oven and bake for 8-10minutes or until the fish is opaque and cooked through.
5. Serve with fresh lemon wedges & your favorite veggie. Enjoy!

Paleo Banana Bread

Sorry for all the "Paleo" posts, but I've been on a mission to find things that fit within this eating philosophy...Some friends and I are challenging one another to eat this way for the month of April (a birthday party & easter have already blown it for me, but I am still trying!! Hence, the Paleo posts :)).  This recipe calls for coconut flour which I did not have on hand. I substituted instead using my Pamela's Baking Mix which is a gluten free pre-made baking mix using a variety of wheat free flours (& fairly easy to find in a health food store). If you try this using Pamela's mix, you would omit the baking soda & powder b/c that's already in the pre-made mix, fyi.

Ingredients:
3-4 ripe bananas
4 eggs
1/2 C almond butter
4 TBS coconut oil
1/2 C coconut flour (here's where I used Pamela's Baking Mix)
1 TBS cinnamon (I thought that sounded like a lot, so I used a little less than a full TBS, but it didn't seem overpowering at all, so I might use the full TBS next time)
1 tsp baking soda (don't use if using Pamela's)
1 tsp baking powder (don't use if using Pamela's)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Combine bananas, eggs,  coconut oil, & almond butter in mixer & blend together
3. Add in dry ingredients and mix well
4. Grease a loaf pan (if you are using a metal pan it may bake in 35-40min so start cking at 35, to make sure middle stays moist)
5. Pour in batter & spread evenly throughout
6. Bake in oven for 55-60min or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean
7. Remove & cool. Slice and serve.

One other side note! This recipe contains no "sweeteners"...therefore you might want to drizzle a little honey or agave on the slice upon eating it...it is still a really good flavor bread & very moist, even without the added sugar. I will definitely make this again!!

P.S. This came from the Civilized Caveman's recipe site

Paleo Tacos

These are a no brainer, but I'm posting them so I won't forget this easy, Paleo friendly recipe! Plus the picture from "The Paleo Mom" website helps me remember all the ingredients I will need.
Note to self: Double the amount of taco meat you would normally make for traditional tacos! Using the lettuce leaves is not as filling as a corn shell and using this as your "meal" with no beans or rice on the side, will make you consume more of the taco meat! :)

Ingredients:

2lbs ground beef (or turkey if you prefer)
taco seasoning
romaine lettuce leaves
avocados for guacamole
black olives
chopped tomatoes
salsa

Directions:

1. Cook up your taco meat how you normally would--remembering to make a little extra!
2. Wash & tear up your lettuce leaves into "shells" (they're kind of like a boat for the fillings)
3. Make guacamole
4. Set out your toppings:  black olives, tomato, onion, salsa, etc.
5. Place all ingredients inside the lettuce wrap (aka, taco shell).

Very Paleo friendly, unless you sprinkle the tiniest bit of shredded cheese on top! But who would ever do that!?! :}

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

I made this tonight using spaghetti squash as the pasta (follow this link to see exactly how to make spaghetti squash). This recipe uses greek yogurt to make the creamy sauce. This is now on my make frequently list!!

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked (you can grill these or bake them in the oven, that's how I cooked mine-seasoning with sea salt, garlic & drizzled in a little olive oil)
2 C broccoli florets (you can roast these in advance, I chose to steam mine, then sautéed them in a little butter seasoning with s&p, garlic, etc)
Spaghetti Squash (or any pasta you prefer)
Olive oil
Minced garlic
2 TBS flour
1 C chicken broth
1/4 C milk
1/4 C plain Greek yogurt
3/4 C parmesan cheese
s&p

Directions:

1. Make sure that you've cooked your chicken & broccoli to your liking before tossing this all together
2. Cook up your pasta and set it aside (I highly recommend the spaghetti squash!! Tonight was the first time I've tried making it, and I will definitely be making it again, soo easy & super healthy)
3. In a skillet add a little olive oil & garlic sauteeing over medium heat--then whisk in the flour, and then gradually the chicken broth. Add in the greek yogurt, milk, a little s&p.
4. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer, stirring gently until the mixture thickens. Stir in the 3/4C parmesan cheese.
5. Toss your chicken & broccoli into the sauce mixture and serve it over your pasta. Top with more parmesan if desired.
Delish!!

P.S.  I am creating a Paleo label...I'm trying to find more recipes that fit this bill! I would classify this Paleo for sure if you make it with spaghetti squash...the only "cheat" would be the small amount of dairy product used! :}

Oven Baked Tacos

Found this recipe on pinterest and have made it several times--we really enjoy it, so thought I'd share it here!

Ingredients:
1lb ground Beef
1 can refried beans
8oz can tomato sauce
diced onion
diced green chiles
taco seasoning
shredded cheese
(sour cream, lettuce, tomato, etc. for optional toppings)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In large skillet brown ground beef and onion
3. Add refried beans, tomato sauce, taco seasoning, green chiles to the pan and mix together
4. Spoon taco meat mixture into taco shells and place in 9x13" baking dish standing up
5. Sprinkle cheese over top of taco meat in each shell and place in oven
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and tacos are heated through.

Savory Sandwich Ring

I had a pampered chef party the other night & this was one of the things we made--it was so great, I had to make it again for my family today. I think this is now an expired pampered chef recipe b/c you can't find it on their website.  So thought I'd share it here. We tweaked the recipe just slightly from the original one anyway; cook it on their round stone if you have one.

Ingredients:
2 pkgs of Pillsbury Crusty French Loaf (this is near the canned biscuits in a long skinny tube--you'll need two containers of it)
Any type of butter spray
Italian seasoning
Garlic salt
1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (I used purple onion)
1/2 sliced black olives
1/3 lb thin sliced turkey deli meat
1/3 lb thin sliced ham deli meat
8 thin slices of hard salami deli meat
thinly sliced cheese (American, provolone, colby jack, etc.)
Italian Salad dressing

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place dough, seam side down on large round stone. Join the ends of the dough together to form one large ring.
2. Spritz the top of the dough ring with butter spray--sprinkle italian seasoning all over top--sprinkle garlic salt over top. Bake bread in oven for 26-30 minutes until deep golden brown.
3. Remove bread to a cooling rack or plate--using a serrated knife slice horizontally around the bread, forming two halves. Remove the top half & set it aside.
4. Using a pastry brush, brush both halves of the bread with the italian dressing.
5. Working around the ring, layer it with the meats, cheeses & vegetables of your choice. Top with the other half of the ring & slice individual sandwiches servings when done.

(Side note:  you can use whatever meats, cheese, veggies you like. At the party we used tomato, bell pepper, romaine lettuce, etc. But this second time that I made it I omitted the tomatoes & used avocado, purple onion, spinach...the options are endless. It's the awesome bread that makes this sandwich so tasty & the fact that it's kind of a hot sandwich since the bread is still warm from the oven.)

No Bake Energy Bites

These are a tasty little healthy snack with no baking involved!

Ingredients:
1/2 C Peanut Butter
2/3 C shredded coconut
1/2C chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
1 C oatmeal
1/2C milled flaxseed
1/3C honey

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl--roll together into a small little ball. Roll in a little extra coconut to coat the outside.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours! Done!

Vegetarian Enchilada Bake

Found this recipe on Taste of Home website (via Pinterest :) I tweaked original recipe slightly). Made it tonight and wished I had doubled it! This was healthy, easy & we loved it--I will definitely make it again!

Ingredients:
1 C shredded zucchini
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp olive oil
minced garlic
3/4C frozen corn
3/4C black beans (rinsed & drained)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cumin
3/4C salsa
fresh chopped cilantro
corn tortillas
shredded cheddar
sour cream (optional)

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, saute zucchini, bell pepper, & onion until soft. Add garlic & seasonings (use more or less of those seasonings to your liking). Add corn, beans, salsa, cilantro & mix together.
2. Place corn tortillas on the bottom of your baking dish (coated with cooking spray). Spread 2/3C vegetable mixture; sprinkle with cheese, repeat layers twice.
3. Bake, uncovered @ 350degrees for 20-25minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Let stand for 10minutes before serving.

Chicken Noodle Soup

I made this while we have been stuck inside this week with the flu and broken arm!  It was yummy!  The frozen egg noodles were the secret ingredient for me.  I actually bought a rot chicken at costco and took the chicken off and just boiled the bone leftovers to make the broth instead of the way she did it.  A definite make again!

Recipe website

• 1 whole Cut Up Fryer Chicken
• 2 whole Carrots, Diced
• 2 stalks Celery, Diced
• 1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon White Pepper (more To Taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Thyme
• 2 teaspoons Parsley Flakes
• 16 ounces, weight Frozen "homemade" Egg Noodles
• 3 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

Preparation Instructions

Cover chicken in 4 quarts water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove chicken from pot with a slotted spoon. With two forks, remove as much meat from the bones as you can, slightly shredding meat in the process. Return bones to broth and simmer on low, covered, for 45 minutes.

Remove bones from broth with a slotted spoon, making sure to get any small bones that might have detached.

Add the carrots and celery (and onions, if using) to the pot, followed by the herbs and spices. Stir to combine and simmer for ten minutes to meld flavors.

Increase heat and add frozen egg noodles and chicken. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Mix flour and a little water. Stir until smooth. Pour into soup, stir to combine, and simmer for another 5 minutes, or until broth thickens a bit. Test and adjust seasonings as needed.

Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf (or muffins, etc.)

I made this tonight (via a pinterest recipe) and it was DELICIOUS and sooo pretty!

Thought you girls might like the recipe!

recipe website

Ingredients:

For the Loaf:
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed
For the Lemon Syrup:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup sugar
For the Lemon Glaze:
1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Recipe Notes:
This recipe will also yield about 12 standard muffins or 36 miniature muffins, baking time adjusted.
It could be doubled and baked in a well-greased and floured bundt pan, baking time adjusted.
This recipe could also be baked in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round, to create a thin cake (approx. 1 1/2 inches tall), baking time adjusted.

Broiled Salmon with Rosemary & Spinach/Garlic Couscous

Got this recipe off SkinnyTaste website, but I tweaked it some. It has now become one of my favorite salmon recipes. I like salmon, but I have a hard time preparing it that it doesn't always end up tasting the same! I thought the Rosemary in this added a great flavor & pairing it with the garlic couscous made it really great. Super healthy and easy meal--definitely a keeper!

Ingredients:
3-4 pieces of salmon
olive oil spray
2 TBS melted butter
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh, chopped rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced (I also added a little extra garlic powder to final mixture)
S&P to taste

Directions:
1.Combine melted butter with lemon juice, rosemary, s&p, garlic and/or a little extra garlic powder or garlic salt to taste.
2. Brush mixture onto fish
3. Broil for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork.
May test halfway through cooking & gently turn fish over. Continue cooking until no longer pink inside.

Side dish: I found Roasted Garlic&Olive Oil Couscous in a box (the 5 minute prep kind). I prepared that. I also sautéed some fresh spinach in a skillet in a little olive oil with some garlic & adding a little garlic salt on top. When the spinach was wilted down & the couscous was done, I tossed them together. My kids even loved it!

Oven fried Ritz/Yogurt Chicken

Got this out of my 4 Ingredients cookbook and have made several times. We're having it tonight for dinner in fact--decided I would share since it's so easy, yummy & relatively healthy! :)

Ingredients:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 box of Ritz crackers (I buy the Fresh Stacks Whole Wheat Ritz & only use 2 small sleeves)
1/2 C of yogurt (I use the 16oz container of organic greek yogurt, but always have a lot left over)
S&P, garlic salt, etc. season to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. S&P, garlic salt, etc. season your chicken to your liking
3. Dip in yogurt & roll in cracker crumbs
4. Place in casserole dish & bake for 30 min on each side