#1,383: Creamy Cranberry Salad

I wish I would have taken a much better photo of this, because this picture does not do it justice!!  This was not only a super easy "salad" to throw together, but it was SOOOOOO good.  I absolutely loved this and will be making it again for another family gathering.  My mother-in-law even said I can bring it any time.  I think I might make it again for Christmas!

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (thawed)
20 oz unsweetened crushed pineapple, drained
2 c mini marshmallows
1 medium apple, chopped
2/3 c sugar (I used ½ cup)
1/8 tsp salt
2 c heavy whipping cream
¼ c chopped walnuts (I used ½ cup)

**I could not find frozen cranberries so I used fresh cranberries.  I boiled a small pot of water and added about 1/2 c sugar to the mixture.  When it came to a boil, I added the cranberries and let them simmer for about 3 minutes, until they started to pop open.  Then I placed in cold water and then drained.  I then continued with the recipe below:

In a large bowl, mix the first six ingredients until blended. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.

In a large bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Just before serving (I actually did this about 2 1/2 hours before serving), fold cream and walnuts into cranberry mixture. Yield: 16 servings (1/2 cup each).

#1,382: Crockpot White Chicken Chili Soup

As you noticed in the title, I called this a chili AND a soup.  The original recipe calls this recipe chili, but there was so much liquid in it, I honestly think it was more of a soup.  I added a second can of white beans that I pureed to the mixture to try and thicken it up.  It helped a little, but not necessarily enough for my liking.  Although I enjoyed this (although I think it needs some cilantro added to it), I don't know if I would make this again for myself.  When I think of chili, I like the kind with tomatoes and ground beef or turkey instead.  It was a nice change of pace though for me...and would be really good with some crushed tortilla chips added on top!

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

4 cups chicken stock

1 clove garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, with liquids from beans
I added a second can of white beans that I pureed before adding

1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilis, with liquids from chilis

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

Add chicken to a 4-quart, heavy bottomed Dutch oven or stockpot. Add chicken stock and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Shred chicken with two forks and then add back to the liquid.

Add garlic and onion to stockpot, white beans, green chilis, dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh oregano. Stir until well-combined. Taste for flavor and adjust to your preference.

Simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

#1,381: Two-Minute Breakfast Pumpkin Pie

I was a little scared of this recipe because of the egg in it, but I actually really, really enjoyed this warmed pumpkin breakfast pie.  It was so super easy to make, and would be so easy to put together the night before and then just cook/heat up in the morning.  About half way through eating this, I had to put it back in the microwave for another minute or so to finish cooking because it was still pretty raw/soft in the middle/bottom of the cup.  Not a big deal to me though!  This is a great way to use up leftover canned pumpkin too!

3 tbs of almond meal

2 tbs of coconut oil

1 egg

1/2 cup of organic pumpkin puree

1 tsp of pumpkin spice

1 tbs of honey

1 tsp of vanilla extract

 a dash of salt

1/2 tsp of baking powder

Mix everything together really well.  Place in a mug or a small microwave safe dish and microwave for 2 minutes

#1,380: Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!  In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday and abundance of pumpkin, here is the first of several pumpkin themed recipes/posts.  :)  This was a very simple recipe to throw together in the crockpot before heading to bed.  However, after trying several times to enjoy oatmeal made overnight in the crockpot, I think I've decided it is not a recipe for me.  This was way too mushy for my liking.  I did however, enjoy the flavor/taste of it, so I think I might add some pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and walnuts to my oatmeal next time...just not make it in the crockpot!

2 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk (I used unsweetened chocolate almond milk)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 cup steel cut oats (I used 2 cups)
I also added about 1 tbsp organic maple syrup and 3 oz raisins

Place all the ingredients in the crock pot and stir to combine.  Cover and cook on low for 5-9 hours (I cooked mine for about 4 hours on high, then it switched to a warm setting for about 3 hours). 

#1,379: Green Fajita Chicken

I was SO scared to make this recipe for my family because they don't like anything green, let alone their chicken.  But I figured I'd give it a try and remove it off my Pinterest board regardless if they liked it or not.  Here's the shocking part though....my family LOVED this.  For the kids I had to serve it inside a tortilla (I made quesadillas) so they couldn't see the green chicken, but they still ate it all.  There was very little leftovers left for lunch the next day for Brian.  Add this one to my family favorite list!

2lbs chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 jalapenos, deseeded (I omitted for my family)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 tbl coconut aminos
6 cloves peeled garlic
1 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime
Fresh cilantro to taste (I used about ¼ c or so for my family)

Slice chicken breasts thinly, lengthwise.

Deseed the jalapenos and chop into thirds; peel the garlic. Add all ingredients aside from the chicken to a blender & liquefy. If the marinade is a little thick, thin it with a splash of water.

Put the chicken strips into a baggie and add the marinade; make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Once the chicken is marinated, heat up a large skillet with some extra coconut oil to medium-high heat.  Add the chicken to the pan and cook until browned and cooked all the way through.  

#1,378: Paleo Eggplant Meatballs

Let me just say that I do not think these taste anything like a meatball.  To me this is more like a veggie patty.  Have you ever eaten spinach patty?  No?  Is this just an Italian thing??  This is the texture it reminds me of though.  It's soft and a little eggy.  I added a lot more almond meal/flour to hold this together and it was still super moist/soft.  I couldn't roll these into balls at all. I just used a spoon and poured some of the mixture on a cookie sheet and baked it for about 30 minutes.

Now with all that said, I loved this!  I would definitely make these again and I thought they reheated well.  Delicious...but NOT a meatball!

1 medium size eggplant, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp almond meal, more as needed based on eggplant size (I used probably 1/3 cup!)
1 egg
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp Himalayan sea salt
Homemade or store-bought spaghetti sauce

Preheat oven to 350.  Peel eggplant and cut into cubes, place water in the bottom of pot and steam or boil eggplant until soft.  Remove eggplant and squeeze out excess water.  Place eggplant in a bowl and combine with ingredients.

(See my comments/notes above) Line a baking sheet with slipat or parchment paper.  Roll out balls.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until tender and formed.  Serve with spaghetti sauce if desired.  

#1,377: Baked Sweet Potato Pudding

It's not Thanksgiving or November if you don't start seeing some fall-ish, sweet potato recipes!  I've had this recipe pinned on my pinterest board for THREE years!  Lately I've been trying to make recipes that have been pinned the longest, so I was excited to get an excuse to make this one.  I LOVED this sweet potato pudding!  It's not really a pudding though, it was more like a casserole or mash to me.  LOVED it though!  I ate it for breakfast, with my lunch and for dessert.

4 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup flaked coconut, divided
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup slivered almonds

In a large bowl, beat the potatoes, cream, egg yolks, lemon juice, lemon peel and spices until smooth. Fold in 2/3 cup coconut.

In a large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in brown sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.

With a spatula, stir a fourth of the egg whites into sweet potato mixture until no white streaks remain. Fold in remaining egg whites until combined.

Transfer to a greased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with almonds and remaining coconut. Bake at 325° for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm (or eat cold or at room temp like I did!)

#1,376: Twice-Baked Cheeseburger Spaghetti Squash (Paleo)

Obviously from the photo above, I did not "twice" bake my spaghetti squash since the cheese is not melted.  Let's be honest, I was hungry and didn't want to wait for it to melt/twice bake.  :)  It was SO good even without going back in the oven!  Although I did feel like this recipe was a little wet and watery, so maybe a second round in the oven would have been good for it.  LOL

I loved this for lunch and dinner for a couple of days and will definitely be making this again.  The original recipe suggests adding diced tomatoes or shredded lettuce on top to make it more "cheeseburger" like, but the lettuce was not appealing to me.  I did add some diced tomatoes into my mixture though so they were sort of in there.  And since this is a "cheeseburger"-ish recipe, I added a little bit of pickle relish.  It gave it a sweeter taste but it was good!  Next time instead of adding the lettuce on top, I'll probably add some shredded kale right into the mixture as well.  Yum, yum, yum!

1 spaghetti squash
1 pound ground beef (I used ground turkey)
6-8 oz bacon, cooked and diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
I also added 1 tbsp or so of pickle relish and ½ can of diced tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Slice a 3-4 pound spaghetti squash lengthwise, remove the seeds and guts and lay cut-side down in a roasting pan with just shy of a quarter cup of water. Roast for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is tender and pulls away into strands easily but not so long that it gets mushy.

In a pan, cook the ground beef and onion over medium-high heat, breaking into small pieces as it cooks.  Add the bacon, salt, garlic powder, paprika, and black pepper.  I also added the pickle relish and diced tomatoes at this time.  Stir to combine and let simmer on low for about 5 minutes so the flavors start to blend. 

When you’re ready, harvest the squash strands and add to the ground beef mixture.  Gently but thoroughly toss the ground beef and squash strands together. Use a set of cooking tongs to heap the mixture back into the shells of the spaghetti squash.

If you are a dairy eater, add a little organic, grass-fed cheese at this step. If not, you can sprinkle on some nutritional yeast.  Return the squash boats back to the 375 degree oven, bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top with shredded iceberg lettuce and thick slices of fresh organic tomatoes!

#1,375: Chicken Souvlaki (Paleo)

This delicious looking chicken was supposed to be cut into strips and made into shish kabob skewers.  That's one step too many for my liking, so I just marinated it and grilled it (yes we grilled it in November...my husband was not happy since it was about 20 degrees that day).  It was such a moist, delicious chicken though and my family devoured it.  I will definitely be making this one again...soon!

1+ lb skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size chunks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Add olive oil, lemon juice, white wine vinegar, minced garlic, dried oregano, salt and pepper to a small mixing bowl or measuring cup; whisk until well incorporated.

Place chunks of chicken in a bowl and pour marinade over them. Mix to coat really well, cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a couple of hours, or better yet, overnight.

Place skewers to soak in cold water for about 30 minutes before you start building your kebabs. Preheat outdoor grill (or grill pan) to medium­-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade and skewer onto bamboo sticks. Discard unused marinade.

Grill the kebabs, turning them a few times, until chicken is cooked through, is nicely browned and has nice grill marks and is no longer pink in the center, about 10-­12 minutes total.

#1,374: Balsamic Grilled Eggplant

You will probably notice that this recipe does not look like the eggplant was grilled very well or for very long.  It's a very cold November here, and I really didn't feel like starting up the grill again (yes I grilled earlier in the week), so I used my George Foreman grill instead.  I think it pretty much steamed it that way, but that's ok.  It took a lot longer than if I would have thrown it on the grill, and I'm sure it would have been better, but it was still good.  I actually even enjoyed the leftovers the next day too.  

2 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin  
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (plus more for garnish)  
1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar  
1/2 tsp table salt, divided  
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes  
1/8 tsp garlic powder  
1 medium uncooked eggplant(s), about 1 lb, sliced into twelve 1/2-in rounds  
6 Tbsp crumbled feta cheese (I omitted)

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine oil, oregano, vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes and garlic powder; set aside.

Coat eggplant liberally with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Grill eggplant until lightly charred and tender, turning as needed, about 10 minutes.

Remove eggplant to a serving platter; evenly spoon and spread oil mixture over eggplant. Sprinkle with feta; garnish with oregano and red pepper flakes.

#1,373: Paleo Mini Mexi-Meatloaves

I hate when I take a picture of a recipe and then go back and realize it is the worst picture ever!  Sorry about this one!!

I was SO afraid to make this meatloaf recipe for my family because of the cilantro.  But, I figured it couldn't hurt to make them try it...so I did.  :)  Shockingly, they all really enjoyed this one.  It was pretty moist too considering I used ground turkey.  We were fans of this one and I would definitely make it again.

By the way, I was too lazy to make the tomato sauce recipe listed below so my version was un-paleo since I just squirted catsup on top.  :)

For the sauce topping:

4 oz tomato paste

4 oz water

2 Tbsp red bell pepper, finely diced (I omitted)

2 tsp cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp chili powder

2 pinches of sea salt

black pepper to taste

1 Tbsp coconut oil, duck fat, or bacon fat

1 small onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)

2 cloves of garlic, pressed or grated (1/2 Tbsp)

2 eggs, beaten

2 lbs ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp corriander

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper – or more to taste

2 carrots, grated (I used 1/2 carrot...that was pushing it for my family)

1 bell pepper, any color, grated (or very finely diced) (I omitted)

1/4 c cilantro, chopped

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, combine the tomato paste, water, bell pepper, cilantro, chili powder, sea salt, and black pepper and simmer for about 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients into the meatloaves – stirring occasionally to prevent burning. If your sauce reduces too far and looks like it may burn, add more water 2 tablespoons at a time and whisk to combine. The sauce should have a fairly thick consistency, almost like ketchup, not loose like a pasta sauce.

In a medium skillet, melt the oil and sautée the onions over medium low heat until they are translucent and the edges begin to brown. Add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute.

In a large-sized mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and then place the ground meat into the bowl with the beaten eggs. In a small mixing bowl, combine the spices, carrots, bell pepper, and cilantro. Then add the spice and vegetable mixture to the meat and egg until well combined.

Divide the meatloaf mixture into 2 parchment paper lined mini loaf pans (or use 1 large tin, baking time may vary), filling them up and slightly over the top as the mixture will shrink a bit in cooking.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sauce onto each loaf, spreading it into an even layer to coat the top and reserve the remaining amount for dipping after the loaves are baked.

Bake uncovered for 40-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the loaves reaches 160 degrees F.

#1,372: Paleo Pumpkin Poppers

After trying one of these poppers, I was sure (I would have put money on it) that my kids wouldn't try or like these.  I was only right with one of the kids.  The other two however, were surprisingly big fans of this.  Especially Matthew!  This is pretty much all he wanted to eat for lunch today.  I thought this was going to be dense like a doughnut type texture, but it is very spongy because of the eggs.  (At least I know this kid had protein after consuming so many!).  I personally probably won't make them again since not all of my kids were fans, but it was a good one time recipe for us (and would be a great way to use up leftover pumpkin puree!).

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 cup butter, melted

5 eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut flour (I used almond flour)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

coconut oil for greasing muffin tins

For coating:

1/2 cup grass-fed butter, melted (I omitted)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons organic maple sugar (I used organic maple syrup)

Preheat oven to 350 F and use coconut oil to coat muffin tin.

In a bowl, combine, butter, eggs, vanilla, pumpkin and honey. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.

Sift together coconut flour, salt and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk to combine.  Let sit for 5 minutes to allow the coconut flour to absorb the wet ingredients. Add baking soda, stir until baking soda is mixed through. Fill mini-muffin tins until almost full.

Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow muffins to cool for a few minutes by either removing them from the pan and setting them on a cooling rack or leaving them in the pan and tipping  them on their sides.

Melt the butter on the stove top on low heat, watching it carefully to make sure that it doesn’t burn. Place melted butter in a small bowl. Mix maple sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl. After poppers have cooled for a few minutes, dip them in the butter and roll them in the sugar mixture.  (I drizzled some maple syrup on the warm muffins, then sprinkled some organic sugar on it and tossed them around to combine).  

#1, 371: Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Brownies

This week I hit my second goal weight...the one that my coach set for me and I thought was completely unrealistic and unattainable.  Obviously it wasn't.  :)  One of my "rewards" for reaching my goal was to make these Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Brownies that have been torturing me on my Pinterest board.  I've been dying to make/eat them!!  So...I gave in and made them.  Now that I've got it out of my system of thinking about them non-stop, it's time to move on and get back on my FoodFuels plan and start eating healthy again and working towards my next goal weight (another -5 lbs + hoping some toning now!).

Although I really, really loved this recipe, it is so rich, so you can cut this into pretty small squares.  I also think it needs more peanut butter cups (I used the mini's) and there wasn't a peanut butter cup in every piece like I think there should be!  I also think I have this craving out of my system now!  And my book club friends and co-workers will be enjoying the leftovers!    

1 3/4 cup milk chocolate chips, divided

3/4 cup butter 

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 cups white sugar (I used 1 cup)

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

8 regular-sized Reese's peanut butter cups, chopped (Or 1 cup mini Reese's peanut butter cups)

Rice Krispie Topping:

1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter

1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

1 tbsp. butter 

1 1/2 cups rice krispie cereal (I used about 3 cups)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Combine 3/4 cup chocolate chips and butter in a large bowl. Microwave on high heat for 45 seconds. Stir and then microwave in 15 second increments and stir again until mixture is smooth.  Stir in sugars until well combined.

Add the vanilla extract and stir until smooth.  Whisk in eggs. Fold in the flour until just combined.  Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and then pour batter into pan.  Bake for 25 minutes or until center is set. 

Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped peanut butter cups and remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the brownies and continue baking for 3-4 more minutes.

Remove brownies and let cool.

Prepare topping by combining peanut butter, chocolate chips and butter in a medium bowl.

Microwave on high heat for 1 minute. Stir and then microwave in 15 second increments and stir until mixture is smooth.  Add rice cereal and mix until fully coated.

Spread cereal mixture in a smooth layer on top of brownies and then cover and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes or overnight.

#1,370: One Pan Spicy Taco Rice Skillet

When I found this recipe, I saw that the original poster said that this was best if it sat overnight.  That in itself got my attention because that meant I could make it on the weekend and then serve it during the week for a quick week-night dinner.  Yes please!  This really was a simple recipe to make, and it would be an easy one in itself to make during the week.  However, I loved that it was able to be made ahead of time.  This is my  kind of meal...I love rice and taco meat!  However, my family also likes this meat/filling inside a quesadilla or on top of some tortilla chips (like nachos).  It's a pretty versatile recipe!  Add veggies you like; traditional taco toppings like sour cream and olives; serve on top of tortilla chips, etc.  Make it your own and personalize it to your family preferences!

Personally, how I made this for my family, it was pretty bland and boring.  I would definitely add the can of tomatoes and peppers next time for my liking, as well as some olives, black beans and sour cream.  Mmmm...it sounds so much better already!  :)

1lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)

1 large onion, diced

2 bell peppers, diced (I omitted)

1 can diced tomatoes with green chilis (I added diced green chilies but not the tomatoes)

1 cup salsa (I pureed mine so my family would eat it!)

1 cup rice

1 cup water

1 cup beef stock

2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese

green onions, to garnish

In a large pan, brown beef and onions. When beef is lightly browned, add peppers.

Cook until beef is fully cooked, onions and peppers are soft.  Add can of tomatoes with green chili- no need to drain. Add salsa, rice, water and stock.

Stir well to combine. Add in spices and mix, cover.  Let simmer on low until rice is soft and liquid has cooked off.  Top with cheese, stir in until it melts.

#1,369: Vegetable Lentil Soup

Well this sure was a simple, "set and forget" type of meal!  I threw everything in the crockpot and let it cook most of the day.  It is a bit bland, so I needed to add a lot more seasoning to it, but other than that, it was quite easy (and good).  I also needed to add some water to mine because there is NO soup like texture/consistency to this at all.  This is a thick lentil....stew??  As you can see from my picture, even adding in extra water/liquid wasn't enough to make this a soup.  BUT, I love lentils, and don't care if it's a soup like texture or not.  :)

2 cups dried lentils, rinsed and picked over

1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes

3 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

3 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (mine was at least 1 - 1 1/2 tsp, if not more)

1 tsp garlic powder
crushed red pepper (to taste)

5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Grated Parmesan, optional

Stir together lentils, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, oregano, broth and 2 cups water in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 6 hours. Remove 2 cups; place in a blender. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Puree mixture; return to slow cooker.

Season soup with salt and pepper. Stir in red wine vinegar and serve, sprinkling each bowl with parsley and passing grated Parmesan at the table, if desired.

#1,368: Easy Chocolate Banana Oat Bars

There are 2 reasons I made this recipe: 1. I had bananas that were over-ripe.  2.  I had so many boxes of raisins that I wanted to use up!  So this was the perfect recipe to make to use those leftover ingredients.  I made one change to this recipe though, which was to add chocolate chips to it.  That was a GREAT idea.  I personally loved this recipe.  My kids however did not!  They wouldn't even barely try these bars.  These bars froze well and are an easy breakfast to pull out of the freezer and take to school or work!  I'm sad my kids weren't more impressed by these!

2 cups quick oats (not instant)

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (I omitted but next time I will definitely add this in)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 bananas, mashed

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Press dough in a 9"X 9" baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. When cool, slice into squares or bars and serve. 

#1,367: Lazy BBQ Chicken Packets

I found this recipe on Weelicious, which is actually a video blog post.  I love that this recipe requires 2 ingredients!  I suggest watching the video...it's too simple not to watch. I was at an appointment the night this was planned for dinner so Brian (hubby) had to make it instead of me.  His opinion was that it was easy, but unless you use tongs, it's messy and you have to keep washing your hands.  Personally, I would have thrown it all in a bowl or ziplock bag and mixed the BBQ sauce with the chicken, and then just used tongs to place it on the parchment paper...but to each his own!

Overall the chicken was super moist, but we are a grilled chicken kind of family so we weren't overly excited about this.  It was good, and I would make this again, but it's nothing special.  If you like baked chicken though, you just might totally love this recipe.  

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Favorite BBQ sauce
Parchment paper

(Here's the gist though): Place BBQ sauce on parchement paper.  Coat the chicken in BBQ sauce and wrap up in the parchment paper.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30 min at 350 degrees.  

#1,366: Muffin Tin Pizzas

I can safely say, my family loved this pizza recipe.  Although they love any pizza recipe, so this was no surprise!  I used a whole wheat crust to make this a little healthier, although the use of pork sausage probably negated any positive effect the whole wheat crust had.  LOL.  Although my family loved this, it got a little soggy on the bottom of the cooked muffins b/c of the grease of the pork sausage. No one really seemed to mind though.  The girls helped me make this and if/when I eat pizza again, I will be filling mine with a ton of veggies instead of the meat.  Great, easy, kid-friendly recipe though!

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1 tube (11 ounces) refrigerated thin pizza crust

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Any desired pizza toppings such as:
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh broccoli

16 slices pepperoni, halved
I used bulk pork sausage and pepperoni for my crew.

Preheat oven to 425°. In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients.

Unroll pizza crust; cut into 16 squares. Press squares onto bottom and up sides of 16 ungreased muffin cups, allowing corners to hang over edge. (Mine didn't hang over the edge, but they still came out ok).

Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce mixture into each cup. Top with cheese, mushrooms, broccoli and pepperoni. Bake 10-12 or until crust is golden brown. Serve remaining sauce mixture, warmed if desired, with pizzas. Yield: 8 servings.

#1,365: Roasted Carrots and Mushrooms with Rosemary (or Thyme)

Mushrooms were on sale at the grocery store this week so my husband picked me up a package (so sweet...love that he buys veggies for me!).  Anyhow, I decided to try this recipe with the mushrooms since I'm obsessed with roasted carrots right now!  I loved, loved, loved this recipe!  It was seriously SO good.  I will definitely be making this again.  

8-10 oz. carrots (about 4-5), peeled and cut into smaller pieces

8 oz sliced mushrooms 

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. dried thyme or 1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (I used rosemary garlic blend seasoning)

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F.

(I roasted everything together at one time and loved it.  If you like your mushrooms a little less done though, follow the recipe as directed). Toss carrots with 1 T olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread on large roasting pan (it should be big enough that the carrots are in a single layer). Roast carrots 15 minutes.

While carrots are roasting, wash mushrooms and spin dry or dry with paper towels. Slice mushrooms into even slices, slightly thicker than carrots. Using the same bowl as you tossed the carrots in, toss mushrooms with 1 T of olive oil.

Remove carrots from oven, stir, add mushrooms and roast 10-15 minutes more. Serve hot.

#1,364: Burrito Bake

I was a tiny bit nervous about making this for my family because of the refried beans in the Bisquick mix.  I thought I might be pushing my luck with that one with my crew.

Then I realized I never bought Bisquick!  So I had to Google a homemade recipe for it.  It was so simple to make!!

Overall my family thought this was just ok.  I did too.  Brian enjoyed it and even took the leftovers for lunch, but the girls weren't big fans.  I thought the crust was too soft with the addition of the beans.  If I make this again, I'll probably do a straight Bisquick crust, and then add the beans to the taco meat mixture.  If you don't add the beans to the Bisquick, you'll have to double the amount you need for a 9x13 pan...or make it in an 8x8 pan instead.  1 cup of Bisquick won't get you very far without the beans.     

1 lb Lean Ground Beef

1 package Taco Seasoning Mix

10 ounce can Fat Free Refried Beans

1 cup Reduced Fat Bisquick

1/4 cup Water

1 cup Shredded, 2% Mexican Cheese 

1 cup Shredded, Reduced Fat Mozzarella Cheese

Brown ground beef and drain, add taco seasoning and let simmer. Mix Bisquick, water and refried beans in a small bowl. Place been mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle taco meat on top, then add both cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

#1,363: Italian Turkey Burger Soup (paleo)

I am loving this soup recipe, but I am finding I'm loving it even more the longer it sits in the fridge.  I think the extra time is bringing out the flavor more, so this is definitely a great make-ahead recipe!  Two thumbs up for me on this one!!

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey breast

1 large onion chopped

3 cloves garlic finely minced

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 cups carrots sliced

11/2 cups celery sliced

1 can diced tomatoes (28 oz) not drained

3 cups beef broth

4 tbsp. tomato paste

1 tbsp. fresh basil  (or 1 tsp. dry)

1 tbsp. fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dry)

1 tbsp. fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dry)

1/2 tsp. chili pepper flakes

1/4 cup fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper, onion and garlic to skillet and sauté until turkey is browned. Transfer to Dutch oven or pot.

In same skillet add carrots and celery and sauté just until slightly tender (not too soft). Transfer to Dutch oven.

Add tomatoes to skillet to deglaze the pan, then add the beef broth, tomato paste and all the herbs (except parsley) to skillet and bring to a boil. Transfer to Dutch oven, stir to combine all ingredients. Simmer on low heat for 30- 40 minutes. Add parsley last 5-10 minutes of cooking.