#686: Squash and Lentil Stew

I love squash and I love lentils, so when I found this recipe in a recent Family Circe Magazine, I was more than eager to try it.  Since no one in my family will eat this with me, I figured it would be the perfect meal to try out on my co-workers for my weekly lunch day. 

This is a very easy recipe.  The hardest part is peeling the squash (but I just put it in the microwave for 2 minutes first and then it was easier to peel). 

I am really enjoying eating this, but I love lentils.  Personally, I think this would be even better on top of some small noodles, but that's probably mainly because that's how MY family eats lentils normally.  I hope my co-workers enjoy it as much as I do/did!

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and diced (I used about 7)

2 ribs celery, trimmed and diced (I omitted)

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 3/4 lbs), peeled, seeded and diced (5 1/2 cups)

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 14 1/2 ounce can light and fat-free chicken broth or low-sodium vegetable broth

1 14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice

1 1/2 cups small brown or French green lentils, picked through

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook 5 minutes. Add squash and season with chili powder and ground cumin. Cook 1 minute.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, 1/2 cup water and lentils. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and stir in salt. Simmer, uncovered, an additional 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and serve.

#685: Crockpot Chicken and Stuffing

If you are going to be gone ALL day I would not recommend this recipe because it will be very over done.  This recipe needs to cook for about 4 hours, so it's a perfect recipe to put on around noon and it will be ready for you at dinner time. 

This certainly isn't a pretty meal and I wouldn't serve it to company, but for our family, we enjoyed it.  It was simple, healthy and all ready to eat when we were.

4 thawed chicken breasts (I used tenders and threw them in frozen)
6oz. package of Stove Top stuffing mix
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can of cream of chicken soup (I used cream of celery)
1/4 c water

Put the chicken in the crockpot, then pour the dry stuffing mix on top. 

In a small bowl combine the sour cream, cream of chicken soup and water.  Pour on top of the stuffing, place the lid on the crockpot and cook on low for 4 hours.  (Mine cooked for about 5 hours)

#684: Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes

It is fall, so that means one thing....PUMPKIN recipes!  Yeah!!  We were talking at work one day about healthy cupcake/muffins that use canned pumpkin instead of eggs and oil.  So when I came across this one I decide to make it right away.

Oh my goodness, are these good.  GOOD.  And since there isn't any egg in the batter, it was very hard not to eat the raw batter/dough before it actually cooked.  Yes, it is that good.  Or at least I think so!

1 boxed chocolate cake mix (I used spiced cake mix)

15 oz can of pumpkin puree

6 ounces of chocolate chips (I was looking for cinnamon chips but couldn't find them...chocolate is the next best thing)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together cake mix and canned pumpkin. Use a mixer and beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add in chocolate chips.

Put in a muffin tin with liners. Batter is dense and does not rise much so these can be filled to the top. Bake for 22-25 min until a toothpick inserted comes out clean!

#683: Crockpot Bacon Cheese Potatoes

So my mom was coming to visit and I wanted to make lunch for us all but wanted it to be crockpot ready meals.  So when Chloe woke me up at 4 am (to climb into bed with us) I got up and finished these potatoes and turned them on so they would be ready for us at lunch. 

This recipe says that it should cook for 10-12 hours, but these would be mush if you left it cook that long.  Mine cooked for about 8 1/2 hours and they were perfectly cooked. I also cut my potatoes into fairly large chunks, so if you cut these into thin slices it would cook even faster.

1/4 pound bacon, diced (I put it in uncooked but if you cook it first if might be a bit crispier)

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced

1/2 pound cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

salt and pepper

butter

Green Onions (I forgot to add these!)
 

Line the crockpot with a crockpot liner (it will save you so much time cleaning up when done!)  Layer half each of the bacon, onions, potatoes and cheese in crockpot. Season to taste and dot with butter.  Repeat layers of bacon, onions, potatoes and cheese. Dot with butter.  Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

#682: Green Pumpkin Smoothie

I saw this as a link on a fan page I follow on Facebook.  I don't know where the original recipe comes from.  This was very good, except it wasn't sweet.  The girls were not big fans so I added some sugar and then it literally got 2 thumbs up (from Allison) and Chloe said it was "so good."  I have to agree.  I didn't love it like other pumpkin smoothies, but for having some spinach in it, I did like it a lot (also preferred w/the extra sugar to sweeten it up though).

2 c canned pumpkin
2 frozen bananas
2 c spinach
2 c almond milk (I used skim)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar (or sugar substitute)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. 

#681:Pizza in a Crescent

Okay, let me start by saying this is NOT a very healthy meal.  It's also not fancy or gourmet by any means.  And it would probably be better as an appetizer or snack than it is a dinner.  Regardless, this non-gourmet family enjoyed this dinner.  It didn't reheat super well (it was a little wet, but might have been okay if I would have let it cool completely before putting it in the fridge) but we popped it into the toaster oven and it reheated alright. 

Also, I have no idea how Pillsbury got this to look so nice...mine were all popping open!  (Click here to see the original recipe/photo).

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
1 package pepperoni slices (3 1/2 oz)
4 tablespoons spaghetti or pizza sauce
1 package (6 oz) mozzarella cheese slices

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unroll dough; cut into 4 rectangles. Press or roll into four 7x5-inch rectangles.  Arrange 9 pepperoni slices in center third of each rectangle. Spread 1 tablespoon spaghetti sauce over pepperoni.  Fold each slice of cheese in half; place over pepperoni. Fold short sides of dough to almost meet in center; securely pinch edges together, leaving middle open. Tuck 4 or 5 pepperoni slices into middle opening. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 13 to 16 minutes or until golden brown.

#680: Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

I'm not a super huge banana smoothie fan, but I AM a big peanut butter fan.  So when this recipe was pinned by my friend Kim on Pinterest, I couldn't help but give it a try.  The recipe below serves 2 so I made it for Allison and I to take to school with us for breakfast.  She liked taking the smoothie with us this morning!

We both loved this smoothie.  Allison told everyone who came into our room that morning that she was drinking it!  I'd say it's a keeper in our house!

2 whole Chiquita Bananas, frozen*, peeled and sliced
1 (6-oz.) carton non-fat Vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup creamy Peanut butter
1/2 cup non-fat Milk

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve immediately.

#679: Chocolate-Fudge Cookie Bites

I actually got this website from Weight Watchers.com.  It says that each cookie (marble sized cookie) is 1 ww+ pt.  I didn't make these marble sized...I made them bigger than that!  Who wants to eat a marble sized cookie?!  Regardless, I thought these were super yummy. Little chocolate ball bites are a perfect way to end your meal! The only thing I did not like about these cookies were the powdered sugar that is supposed to be dusted on top...so after the first batch, I stopped using it.  :)

I would absolutely make these again!!  Definitely!

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c margarine, softened
3/4 c sugar
4 oz unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat two nonstick cookie sheets with cooking spray.
Place cocoa, margarine and sugar in a medium bowl; beat with an electric mixer. Add applesauce and vanilla; beat to blend. In another small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into cocoa batter with a wooden spoon.

Shape batter into 48 marble-sized balls. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cookies to stand for 1 minute. Remove to wire rack and cool; sprinkle with powdered sugar. (Note: Store extra cookies in freezer-safe containers or plastic bags to maintain their freshness.) Yields 1 cookie per serving.

#678: Spring Orzo Pasta Salad with Asparagus and Artichokes

I don't know if my co-workers enjoyed this as much as I did, but I LOVED this orzo salad.  The only thing that would have made it better, would have been if it has crumbled feta cheese in it too. (Next time!)  The combo of the lemon, with the asparagus and artichokes were fabulous!  Love, love, loved it!

1 bunch asparagus, about 3 cups diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces orzo pasta, cooked to al dente and cooled
15-ounce can artichoke hearts
1-1/2 cups sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, julienned
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil

Bring a medium saucepan full of water to a boil. Turn off the burner, add in asparagus pieces and blanch for 2-3 minutes. While the asparagus is in the water, heat one tablespoon olive oil in a small sauté pan. Add in shallots and garlic and sauté for 1-2 minutes, just until tender. Drain the asparagus and rinse with cool water.

In a large bowl add cooked orzo pasta, asparagus pieces and sautéed shallots and garlic. Drain artichoke hearts and quarter them, adding them to the bowl. Add in sun-dried tomatoes with oil and lemon zest. Stir to combine.

In a small bowl or container, whisk together lemon juice, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper. While continuously whisking, slowly pour olive oil into the vinegar. Once emulsified, stir the dressing into the salad. Move to the refrigerator for at least 5 hours for flavors to combine. Serve cold.

#677: Vietnamese Pickled Vegetables

I KNOW I took a picture of these...but cannot find it on my camera.  Guess that means I have to make it again.  In the meantime, check out the original website to see a photo of it!
 

Let me just say, I LOVED these pickled veggies.  My husband however thinks it is the most foul smelling stuff and is refusing to let me make it again...ever.  :(  He didn't notice the "smell" until I brought the jars of pickling juice home and put them in the sink.  He was practically gagging while doing the dishes.  Several hours later I called him at a volleyball game and told him our house smelled and I was concerned (I thought it was a gas leak)...turned out to still be remnants of the pickling juice.  :)  I think it was the daikon!  That sure is an acquired taste and scent. 

The hardest part of this recipe is julienning the veggies.  A mandolin slicer would probably help but I hate using one after my mandolin mishap!

1/4 lb. cucumber, julienned
1 lb. daikon, peeled and julienned
1 lb. carrots, peeled and julienned
2 tbps kosher or sea salt
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Make sure the vegetables are fairly dry (pat them dry) so they don’t dilute the pickling liquid with excess water. Combine the vinegar, salt, sugar, and water together until the sugar dissolves. Place the vegetables in a jar large enough to fit them all and pour the pickling liquid into the jar so that all of the vegetables are submerged. Store them sealed in the jar in the refrigerator for 5 days for best flavor.

#676: Three Envelope Pot Roast Sliders

We enjoyed this too much and I forgot to take a picture.  Photo courtesy of Six Sisters' Stuff

What an easy recipe and we all loved this.  Even the girls enjoyed this and they don't normally eat/like pot roast.  This is a great recipe to make when company is coming over because it's easy but looks like you've put quite a bit of effort into it!  :)
 

For the roast:

1 3-4 lb beef roast
1 cup water
1 cup salsa

1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
1 envelope Au Jus mix

Whisk together water, salsa and seasoning packets. Place roast in slow cooker. Pour seasoning mixture over roast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

To make into sliders:

Three Envelope Pot Roast recipe (above), shredded

1 pkg. King's Hawaiian Rolls

Sliced Swiss cheese (1 slice per slider)

 

Cut each roll in half and place on a baking sheet. Place a slice of Swiss cheese on the bottom half of each roll. Place baking sheet in oven with broiler on low. Broil for 1-2 minutes or until edges of the rolls are golden and cheese has melted (be sure to watch them closely so they don't burn!). Remove baking sheet from oven.  Place a spoonful of shredded beef on top of each roll with Swiss cheese on it.

#675: Glitter Grapes

 

This is a recipe to serve your kids when you are tired of eating "just grapes."  So super easy and you could easily mix and match different colors/kinds of grapes and jello mix.  We love it.  I used red grapes and black cherry jello powder.  So sweet, so yummy! 

1 pound of green seedless grapes, pulled from the stems and rinsed (I used red grapes)
1 3-oz. package of Melon Fusion Jell-O (I used black cherry)
Water

Rinse the grapes under water until all are clean and wet. Spread the gelatin mix on a plate, about 1/3 at a time. Place a handful of grapes on the plate and gently roll each grape in the gelatin powder until it is covered. Place the coated grapes into a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining ingredients until all of the grapes are covered.  (Or make it easier by placing it all in a Ziploc bag and shaking until all are lightly coated).

Place the bowl and let set in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, until the gelatin is set. The colder these are, the better they taste!

#674: Sausage Rolls

Oh my, did I love these little sausage bites!  They were so, so easy to make and I could not stop eating them.  I will definitely make these again!  Not only are they easy, but they only require 3 ingredients, can be eaten hot, cold or at room temperature and you can make quite a few puffs at a time!!

The recipe says to cut each crescent roll triangle in half, but I started cutting each of mine in thirds and it hardly made a difference at all.  Once these puff up, even the smaller ones were still a perfect bite size portion!

Unfortunately I can't fine the link to the original recipe...sorry!

1 lb bulk pork sausage
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 packages of crescent rolls

Brown the sausage, drain and mix it into softened cream cheese. Next, fill up the crescent rolls with the mixture and roll them up, bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.  (Keep an eye on these, mine only needed 10 minutes).

#673: Triple Chocolate Muffins

I don't know if my weekly teacher lunch girls like that I'm adding a dessert into our menu when I cook, but obviously this mama loves her chocolate, so I'm using this as a way to try healthy, chocolate (or just sweet) desserts and new recipes.  I absolutely loved these muffins.  I made some of the muffins in silicone muffin tins and some were in paper liners.  Personally, for whatever reason, the silicone liner ones came out a little more moist.  Something to keep in mind maybe?! 
1 3/4 c oats
3 egg whites
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water
1 cup sugar substitute (like Splenda granular) 
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with foil cupcake liners, or spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a blender, (or food processor), mix all of the ingredients together, except for the chocolate chips. Blend until oats are ground and mixture is smooth.
Place mixture in a bowl and gently stir in 1/2 of the chocolate chips (set the rest aside). Scoop mixture into prepared muffin pans.
Place muffins tins in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove muffins from the oven (but don’t shut oven off), and distribute the other half of the chocolate chips on top of each muffin.
Place the muffins back into the oven and bake for an additional 2-5 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. *Note, you could skip this step by putting all of the chips in the batter, and baking the muffins for 12-15 min straight, but this method gives the muffins the traditional ‘VitaTop Muffin’ look with the chocolate chips on top!Cool muffins before removing from pan.
Servings: 12 Big Muffins or 24 Smaller Muffins

#672: Sopapilla Cheesecake

I was looking for something to make for breakfast for a "camp out" with the in laws.  I wanted something that I could make ahead of time and not worry about reheating.  I decided to make this super easy Sopapilla Cheesecake.  Let me say it again...THIS.IS.SO.EASY. 

This would be a great breakfast OR dessert.  Definitely going to make this again.  Definitely!

2 cans pillsbury butter crescent rolls (use the crescent sheets!)
2 (8oz) packages cream cheese (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter (melted)
Cinnamon and sugar

Instructions:
Unroll and spread 1 can crescent rolls on bottom of un-greased pan. Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Spread mixture over crescent rolls. Unroll and spread remaining crescent rolls over mixture. Spread melted butter over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

#671: Homemade Thin Mints

Calling all Girl Scout Cookie Lovers: Do you hate that you can only get Thin Mints once a year?  Here is the solution to your Thin Mint cravings!  These are so easy and so good!  I think I'm going to make these for Christmas cookies this year. 

1 bag of Andes Mint pieces coated about 1 1/2 sleeves of crackers for me. 

Ritz Crackers
Andes Mint pieces (found with the chocolate chips)

Place 1/4 of the mint pieces in a microwave safe bowl, and microwave on high for 1 minute.  Stir to combine and continue stirring until all of the chocolate is melted.  Dip one cracker at a time into the chocolate mixture and completely cover each cracker.  Place on a piece of wax paper to harden. 

Continue melting chocolate and dipping crackers. 

#670: Cold Quinoa Breakfast Cereal

In an attempt to use up my leftover quinoa, I decided to make some breakfast meals for me this week.  I found this recipe online and decided to give it a try.  I thought this was fantastic!  I wish I would have made more of it.  Definitely going into my breakfast rotation when I have leftover quinoa.

4 cups cooked and chilled plain quinoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
smidge stevia powder (I used sugar)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup chopped nuts, such as walnuts

Put the cold quinoa in a mixing bowl. Break it up with a wooden spoon so the grains are separated. Add the cinnamon, stevia, raisins, coconut and walnuts.

#669: Southwestern Black Bean Salad

I originally planned on making another black bean-mango salad to serve to the teachers at lunch but my mangoes were really under-ripe and super light yellow.  So I had to scrap that idea and improvise.  I decided to make this black bean salad instead and added a little quinoa to bulk it up and make it more of a lunch instead of a side dish.  (PS...I love quinoa now and looking for lot of different ways to eat it).  Sorry teachers, you might be getting quinoa weekly for a little while. 

Personally I really loved this.  I thought it was good as a lunch/salad type meal, would be good as a snack, or as an appetizer with tortilla chips.  I loved the addition of the quinoa.

1 15.5 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained (I used 2 cans)
9 oz frozen corn, thawed
1 tomato, chopped (I used a pint of cherry tomatoes quartered)
1 small Haas avocado, diced (I omitted)
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 scallion, chopped (I omitted)
1 lime, juice of
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cilantro (I used about 1 bunch of cilantro!)
salt and fresh pepper
1 yellow pepper diced
1/2 small can of mild diced green chile's
3/4 c cooked quinoa

Directions:
Combine beans, corn, tomato, onion, scallion, cilantro, pepper, green chile's, quinoa, salt and pepper.  Mix with lime juice and olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator 30 minutes.  Add avocado before serving.

#668: Bacon Cheeseburger Puffs

I made this recipe for my monthly book club group and this was a last minute, I-need-something-quick, kind of recipe.  Personally I really, really enjoyed these, however they were a tad dry so I think they would have been better with some sort of sauce to dip in or something drizzled right on top of each one. Pizza sauce maybe??  I don't know....Regardless, yes I would make these again. They surely aren't my favorite thing, but they were good (not great, but good).

1/2 pound ground beef
1 1/2 cups biscuit/baking mix
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
3 oz bacon pieces
6-7 Tbsp buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a skillet, cook and crumble ground beef until no longer pink; drain. In a bowl, combine biscuit mix, bacon and cheese; stir in cooked beef. Add buttermilk and toss with a fork until just moistened. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. (I used a medium cookie scoop) Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Baked puffs may be frozen; reheat at 400 degrees F for 7-9 minutes or until heated through (they do not need to thawed first).

#667: Yellow Fruit Salad

This would be the perfect recipe to make during winter when you just can't wait any longer for spring to come, or in the dead of summer when all of these fruits are super ripe!

I made this recipe for my weekly lunch date with some of my co-workers.  I made a slight change as it called for lemon pieces in this salad and I just don't love lemons that much enough to eat them in wedges.  So I substituted starfruit instead.  Next time I might omit the star fruit and try another yellow fruit or just something different altogether (peaches?).

I loved this.  I ate it for three days and it was just as good each time.  Definitely a keeper!!

1 pineapple, skin removed, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces1 Meyer lemon, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced, seeds removed, plus 1 tablespoon fresh juice (I used a starfruit instead, but I did still put a little lemon juice on top of the fruit)
1/2 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes

Combine fruit and lemon juice in a bowl. Top with coconut flakes and enjoy!

#666: Veggie Quinoa Salad

I made this recipe to take to the teachers for lunches this week.  I hope they enjoy this as much as I am/do.  I LOVED this.  The reviews of this recipe said it tastes better as it sits so I made it a night ago and then just started throwing in the last few ingredients today. In my opinion, this is fantastic.  I wish there would have been leftovers so I could even eat them for breakfast tomorrow.  Definitely, definitely, definitely making this again!

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
1 can (15.25 oz) whole kernel sweet corn, drained (I used frozen corn) 
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained (I used quartered cherry tomatoes)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup quartered pitted kalamata olives (I omitted) 
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
I also used 1/3 cucumber chopped (with seeds removed)
Rinse quinoa under cold water 1 minute; drain. Cook quinoa as directed on package; drain. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, in small nonmetal bowl, place lemon juice, oil and basil; mix well. Set aside for dressing.

In large bowl, gently toss cooked quinoa, beans, corn, tomatoes, bell pepper and olives. Pour dressing over quinoa mixture; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate 1 to 2 hours before serving.  Just before serving, sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with basil leaves if desired.

#665: Cantaloupe Banana Smoothie

I randomly stumbled across this recipe one day and since I have some left over yogurt and cantaloupe in the fridge, I figured we'd give it a try!  Allison tells me all the time how much she does not like cantaloupe, so when I made this I didn't tell her what was in it.  Not only did she like this smoothie, she finished hers, mine AND what was left of Chloe's!!  This was really good and refreshing.  I would consider this a filling smoothie, but a great way to get in your fruits for the day!

1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt

4-1/2 teaspoons orange juice concentrate (I used Sunny-D)

2 cups cubed cantaloupe

1 large firm banana, cut into 1-inch pieces and frozen (mine was not frozen)

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder (I used skim)

2 teaspoons honey

In a blender, combine all the ingredients. Cover and process until blended. Pour into chilled glasses; serve immediately. Yield: 3 servings.

Product Review: Unreal Candy

Thanks to a recent Bzzagent Kit, I had the opportunity to try out some of the new Unreal Candy and candy bars. 

I bought and tried 3 of the Unreal Candies including: Unreal 8 (Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Bar), Unreal 77 (peanut butter cups) and Unreal 41 (candy coated chocolates).

I have no idea why these are named with Unreal numbers. Personally, that's kind of weird.  I don't see myself telling Brian to "run to the store and get me an Unreal 77."  With that said, that's not going to stop me from buying these again.  These are really, really good.

Here's what I love about these candies: I can read AND PRONOUNCE every item on the ingredients list!  The Unreal Candy line are "unjunked" and have no artificals, no hydrogenated oils, no corn syrup, no preservatives and no GMOs.  In fact, the most complicated ingredient (at least in terms of trying to pronounce it) is soy lecithin. 

As I eat (and enjoy) these, they definitely don't taste as sweet as their other candy counterparts.  I don't mind that though.  I feel like I'm indulging in a sweet treat, but it's not a sugar overload.  I'm actually able to slowly enjoy this instead of inhaling the candy like I normally do. 

My favorite was by far the Chocolate Caramel Peanut Nougat Bar.  It had just the right mix of caramel and peanuts.  I also loved the candy coated chocolates but the colors are so different and unexpected.  You expect them to be the basic candy colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, brown), but these are funky shades and even purple.  I loved it.  Mr. Picky wouldn't even try them because of the color differences.  I wasn't going to argue with him though, as that left more for me! 

I can't wait to try the other 2 flavors!  If you are searching for these, I was able to find mine at Kroger but be on the look out for them, as mine were on an end cap and not with the other candy. 

If you've tried it, let me know which ones you tried and what you think of it! 

#664: Low fat Zucchini Brownies

I made these and just asked the girls if they wanted to try a brownie.  Of course they were more than willing participants and the only thing Allison asked about them was, "Do these have bananas in it?"  I told her it did, but refrained from letting her know what the other fruits/veggies were.  If she would have heard the word zucchini, she would have immediately changed her mind about liking these.  So I'll let her think it just has banana in it.  That's fine with me!

These are definitely more cake like rather than typical fudgey brownies, but they are oh-so good!  I will be making these again and again and again!

1/2 cup applesauce
2 small or medium bananas mashed
1 1/2 cup sugar (I used 1 c)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups finely shredded zucchini
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup walnut pieces (I used just a handful)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce, mashed bananas and sugar. Add vanilla and cocoa and mix together. Then add baking soda, salt, and zucchini and mix together. Add flour and walnuts and mix together. Spread evenly into a prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes until brownies spring back when gently touched.

#663: Hamburger Rice Skillet

This recipe was a last minute, I've-got-to-get-dinner-on-the-table-fast meal.  I had already ground the beef and was hoping to use it to make goulash but realized I didn't have any tomato soup, the noodles still weren't cooked and my family was looking at me hungrily!  So I pulled out my Taste of Home Ultimate Ground Beef Cookbook and started scanning recipes for ideas. 

I decided to make this recipe since it was so fast to make and needed minimal ingredients.  Overall we liked this dinner, however it was absolutely nothing special.  Would I make it again, yes.  Would I be excited to be making this again, no.   

1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)

3 cups water

2 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices (I used 1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables instead)

1 celery rib, chopped (I omitted)

1 envelope onion soup mix

2 cups uncooked instant rice

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, (in my case mixed vegetables) carrots, celery and soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Return to a boil. Add rice; cover. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes or until rice is tender.

#662: Cheery Cherry Detox Smoothie

The first picture is a shot of the original recipe.  The second green smoothie is mine.  What's wrong with this?!  How can I follow a recipe and they turn out SO differently?  Personally I'd rather drink the first one.  It looks so much prettier. 
I was dying to try this recipe since I had some frozen cherries in my freezer.  AND it uses kale...always trying to sneak kale into the girls meals!  If only I could con Brian into drinking this.  NEVER going to happen.

Regardless, we did enjoy this smoothie.  It was healthy and got some fruits and veggies into our meal.  I'd make this again...but I want it to look like the first photo!  :(
Apparently this smoothie helps eliminate toxins from your body.  That's not confirmed...so no promises here! 

This recipe makes 4 cups.
1 cup frozen cherries
handful of fresh kale
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used skim)
2 cups water
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
Liquid vanilla stevia to taste
Add all ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend on high until super smooth.

If you like your smoothies cold and frosty throw in a few ice cubes at the end and blend until smooth.

#661: Crockpot BBQ Chicken

This recipe could not be any easier.  Okay if you literally just poured the BBQ sauce on the chicken I suppose it could, but a few extra ingredients makes no difference in ease.  This recipe is a great last minute meal to make!

We decided to shred the meat and eat it on toasted rolls.  But you could also serve this over rice, noodles...whatever!

We loved this.  Chloe wasn't a super huge fan but Brian, Allison and I all enjoyed this.  I will definitely make this again!

4-6 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts (i threw them in frozen… even easier!)
1 full bottle of BBQ sauce (I used sweet baby ray’s)
1/4 c vinegar
1/2 to 1 tsp. red pepper flakes (I omitted)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 – 1 tsp. garlic powder

Mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients listed under it. place chicken in Crockpot. Pour sauce over it and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

#660: Kale, Strawberry and Banana Smoothie

I am trying to get my girls to get in more fruits and veggies...aren't we always trying to do that?!  So I had some kale in the fridge and decided to make them this smoothie to go with their dinner.  They both loved it!  As long as I call anything green a super hero (smoothie, treat, snack, meal, etc.) they'll usually at least try it!

I'm definitely going to continue making this one!  See the little specks though, that's the kale.  If you have a really good blender it'll probably be much more smooth.  My blender though is just a cheap one so it doesn't do a good job.  I just give the girls a straw to drink it with and it doesn't bother them!

2 leaves kale

1 banana

1/2 cup strawberries

1/4 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup coconut milk (I used skim)

water (as much as you may need to thin this out)

Toss all ingredients (except water) into your blender and let it go until your desired consistency. If it is too thick, add some water. 

#659: Oatmeal Smoothie

I can't find my photo anywhere!  I know I took one!  This photo is courtesy of http://www.marthastewart.com/851771/oatmeal-smoothies

On pinterest, this was labeled as "Lauren Conrad's "7 Days to skinny Jeans," but looking at the website it came from (Martha Stewart) I don't know where it got that name!?

 

I thought this was pretty good.  I would definitely make this again, as it was a very filling smoothie. I almost always have all of these ingredients on hand too.  Two thumbs up from me!

1 cup ice (I omitted)
1/2 cup frozen raspberries
1/2 cup plain low fat yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup coconut water or other liquid, such as juice (I used water)

Place ice and raspberries in the bottom of blender, and all other ingredients on top. Whir until completely smooth. Serve.