#2,800: Nectarine - Blueberry Almond Muffins

Recipe #2,800!  I'm pretty sure I've accidentally numbered things wrong a couple of times too so it might actually be higher than that!  This is a great milestone recipe because it is delicious!  HA  These muffins are super easy to make and Chloe keeps asking me if we have nectarines in the house...I think she keeps hinting that I make these again!  These may not be the world's healthiest thing I've ever made, but it is hard to resist that batter.  The kids and I fight to lick the spoon at the end.  So good.  I use frozen blueberries to help the batter from turning purple and it makes the batter very thick (and a bit sticky), so it's easiest to portion this into the muffin cups using one spoon to scoop and another spoon to push it into the muffin cup.

This recipe was from the August muffin of the month with Food Network Magazine (I'm only a few months behind...don't worry, the August muffin recipe/review is coming next!), and this was definitely a winner in our book!  This was probably my favorite one yet.  

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 small nectarines, pitted and chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Coarse sugar, for topping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk the granulated sugar, vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs and almond extract in a medium bowl; stir into the flour mixture until just combined with small bits of flour remaining. Stir in the nectarines and blueberries.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them three-quarters of the way. Sprinkle the almonds on top, then sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until the muffins are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed, about 20 minutes. Let the muffins cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

#2,661: Berry-Granola Smoothie

Man the blue background is really giving off a weird color for this picture!  Oops.  I probably should have noticed that sooner!  If you read my previous post, you'll know we have a whole lot of homemade yogurt in our fridge that we now need to use up.  Since the consistency is a little bit thin, I figured it would be a great addition to smoothies...which it is!  My oldest has made a lot of smoothies lately!

I had also bought some granola because the kids like to put it in their yogurt, and this recipe called for granola in it too.  That scared me a little.  But my kids loved this smoothie recipe and even my non-smoothie loving middle child has asked me to make this again!  

I found this recipe in a little pull-out book in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine "50 Berry Treats."

1 c frozen mixed berries
1/2 c vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 c granola
1/2 c almond milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp honey

In a blender combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  

#2,733: Watermelon Lime Slushie

I came across this recipe on a facebook post from Young Living and since we were having watermelon for dinner, I figured I'd save some and try this slushie with it.  The kids were split (half loved it, half did not).  My sister-in-law said it tastes like watermelon juice (it totally does), so personally, the more crushed ice you add to this the better it is.  We (adults!) also added some vodka to this....wink wink.

In a blender combine:
3 cups chilled watermelon
1 cup coconut water
1 drop Lime Vitality Essential Oil (I used about 5 drops!)
Crushed ice

#2,730: Grilled Watermelon with Cilantro and Lime

We love cold, juicy, fresh watermelon this time of year, so when I found this recipe that made it on the grill I was excited to try it.  Although it was good, it was weird to eat warm watermelon.  So we decided to put the leftover pieces in the fridge and try it again the next day. (update on cold grilled watermelon coming soon...)

8 Pieces of Watermelon

2 Limes

Cilantro

Olive Oil

Salt To Taste

To make this treat just brush each piece of watermelon with olive oil and lime juice. Season with salt and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Take off the grill and add more lime juice. Sprinkle with cilantro and a little bit more salt (if desired). 

#2,728: Cinnamon Sugar Apples

I was looking for an easy side dish to serve the many kiddos during our 4th of July family weekend and came across this recipe.  It was a huge hit with our crew (who doesn't love sugar on their fruit though?!) and we ended up making it twice.  I cut back on the cinnamon-sugar mixture to give it flavor but not be ridiculously unhealthy.  We will definitely be making this again with our crew. 

4 apples, sliced and cut into one inch pieces

2 tsp lemon juices

3-4 tsp cinnamon sugar. (I mix 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp sugar) just sprinkle it on a little at a time and toss until all the apples have a light coating. 

NOTE: Do not make this ahead of time. It should be made right before serving.

Place sliced apples in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar one tsp at a time and toss until apples are all lightly coated.

#2,707: Blueberry, Corn, and Feta Salad

I was a little scared to try this recipe because I am not a fan of fruit mixed with my veggies.  My mom "apparently" makes a great strawberry kiwi spinach salad, but I hate having those fruits in with my spinach.  I end up picking out all of the fruit and eating around it.  So when this recipe called for blueberries I figured I'd probably pick them out too.  But in order to really get a good feel for this recipe I decided to push past my initial reaction of avoiding them and gave it a real effort.  I'll admit, although I still prefer no fruit in my salad, this was really good.  The berries aren't overpowering and give this corn salad a tiny bit of sweetness.  The berries soften up a little bit too from the heat of the corn so you don't notice them as much as you'd think.  I would definitely eat (and make) this recipe again.  Oh, and although I like chives, I didn't have any on hand, so I just substituted green onion instead.  Still good!  

8 medium ears sweet corn

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, plus more for garnish (I used green onion)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Carefully peel back corn husks to within 1 in. of bottoms; remove silk. Rewrap corn in husks; secure with kitchen string. Place in a stockpot; cover with cold water. Soak 20 minutes; drain.

Grill corn, covered, over medium heat about 20 minutes or until tender, turning often. Cut string and peel back husks. Cool slightly. Cut corn from cobs; transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, chives, salt and pepper. Pour over corn; toss to coat. Gently fold in blueberries and feta. Garnish with additional chives if desired. Yield: 10 servings

#2, 706: Raspberry Lemon Muffins

On this rainy Sunday, Chloe (age 9) was looking to do something and I figured I'd let her use up some frozen raspberries to make these easy muffins for breakfast for everyone tomorrow.  I didn't have any lemons on hand, but I did have my Young Living Lemon Vitality Essential oil, so I used about 10 drops of that instead.  Although you can taste the lemon (just barely), I'll probably add another 5 drops next time to make it a little more pronounced.  My kids loved these muffins and I had to stop them at 2 (mini ones!) and told them they had to eat the rest (regular size ones) for breakfast tomorrow!  This recipe got 12 large muffins, and 8 mini muffins.  

1 3/4 cups gluten free flour (I used all purpose)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup melted coconut oil cooled a bit

1/2 cup maple syrup (I used honey)

1/4 cup coconut milk or other milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Zest of one lemon (I omitted)

Juice of one lemon (I used 10 drops of lemon essential oil)

1 1/2 cups raspberries fresh or frozen (ours were frozen)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a muffin pan.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Fold in the raspberries.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

#2,023: Crockpot Cranberry Sauce infused with Essential Oils

I tried so hard to use very little sugar with this recipe and started out just using some agave in it.  But it was so tart, I just couldn't eat it.  So I had to keep adding a little more sugar until it was sweet enough to eat, but no so sweet that it the recipe became unhealthy.  I'm not a huge cranberry fan, but I did enjoy this.  I don't know if I will just make this again for fun, but I had some extra cranberries I need to use up.  If you are a huge fresh cranberry fan, let me know what you think!  PS....you definitely may need to add more sugar so it is to your liking! 

16 oz bag of cranberries
1/8 c agave
1/3 c sugar
3 drops orange Vitality
2 drops clove Vitality
2 drops cinnamon Vitality
1 c water

Add all ingredients to the bowl of a slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 7-8 hours, or until the cranberries have popped open and the sauce is bubbly.  Taste and stir in any extra sweetener if desired.  Serve warm. 

#1,991: Strawberry Pecan Pretzel Salad

This picture does not do this recipe justice and I will be making it again just to be able to take a picture!  This is SO good.  This is the type of picture you get when you're like "hurry and take a picture before everyone eats it and it's gone."  I mean this is SOOOOOO good.  If you have ever eaten strawberry pretzel jello, it's a lot like it, except that it doesn't have the jello in it.  Personally, the jello part is my least favorite part of the recipe, so this recipe is perfect (no jello at all!).

1 cup crushed pretzels

½ cup chopped pecans

¾ cup brown sugar

¾ cup butter, melted

2 cups diced strawberries

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

8 oz whipped topping

Mix together crushed pretzels, chopped pecans, brown sugar and melted butter.

Spread on a large baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool and then break it into small pieces.  (Then resist the temptation to eat this pretzel mixture on its own.  It's delicious!) 

Beat together softened cream cheese, granulated sugar and vanilla.  Fold in whipped topping.

Before serving, stir the diced strawberries and sugared pretzels and pecans into the cream cheese mixture.  

#1,818: Strawberry Yogurt Fluff

This fluff/salad is so simple to make, the kids have been in charge of making it and are loving it!  I think we've made it 3 times already now.  Once, I was out of strawberries so I added blueberries to it.  Both ways were just as good.  This one is so simple.  You can mix up your fruit and yogurt combinations too! 

1 8oz Container of Cool Whip

1/2 Bag of Mini-Marshmallows

2 containers of Strawberry flavored Yogurt

Fresh Strawberries 

Wash and chop strawberries into bite sized pieces. Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to use.  This can be made ahead of time.  (We find this is good for 2 days in the fridge).  

#1,815: Blueberry-Lemon Pound Cake

So I decided to make this one night so we could have it for breakfast the next day and realized it needed an hour to cook.  I was tired and didn't want to wait that long, so I put it in a larger size pan and cut the bake time down a little bit.  This got very mixed reviews.  Some of us loved it and others thought it had way too many blueberries.  (I was one that liked it a lot!).  Personally it would have been better with the glaze, but it was so moist, it really didn't need it.  Also, I intended to use ricotta cheese with this, but it went bad when I went to go use it and I really didn't want to run to the store at 10 pm...so I just subbed sour cream instead.  Still good, but I would try the ricotta next time. 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (I used sour cream)

2 tablespoons lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice plus 1 teaspoon, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups white whole-wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and beat in ricotta, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and vanilla until just combined. Sprinkle flour on top, then evenly sprinkle baking powder and salt over the flour. With the mixer on low speed, beat until almost combined. Add blueberries and gently fold into the batter. Transfer to the prepared pan.

Bake the cake until starting to brown around the edges and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the cake, then invert it onto the rack. Carefully turn it right-side up. Let cool completely.

I skipped this step.  We didn't need any more sugar.  :) Clean the bowl, add confectioners’ sugar and whisk in the remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. Brush the glaze on the cake.

#1,783: Glazed Strawberry Squares

If you've ever made a form of strawberry pretzel jello, this recipe is really closely to it except you don't have to cook the bottom layer first.  This recipe was also supposed to have blueberries in it, but I forgot to buy them. That's ok, because for someone who doesn't like the fruit in her jello very much, it was less fruity for me.  :)  Personally, I think this would have been better if the bottom layer was baked so that it stayed together better, but I also liked that it was quicker to make because I didn't have to cook and cool that bottom layer.  Regardless, this was good, and I made this for a family gathering and it was almost completely gone at the end of the night.  I would definitely make this again. 

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup sugar, divided

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened

8 oz thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries (I omitted)

1-1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1-1/2 cups boiling water

1 pkg. (6 oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin (I used cherry because I had some on hand)

1-1/2 cups ice cubes

Mix graham crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch dish.

Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in medium bowl with mixer until blended. Whisk in cool whip; spread over crust. Top with berries.

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in large bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until melted. Pour over berries. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.

#1,776: Grain-Free Paleo Crockpot Peach Crisp

Each summer I add endless activities to our summer bucket list, and try to find different activities to do with my kids and family.  Last summer I added "peach picking" to our list and we went on a hot summer day.  But apparently I don't know how to pick the best peaches because mine were either under-ripe or kept molding before they got to that perfect, juicy and sweet texture. So I chopped them up and threw them in the freezer. 

Of course I'm not going to waste half of my freshly picked peach stash go straight to the freezer or trash as they kept molding, so I did some research on the best ways to keep peaches from molding.  Did you know that you are NEVER supposed to squeeze a peach?!  Well that's certainly one of my problems.  Every time you squeeze a peach it starts to rot in that spot within hours.  I know we squeezed them multiples times from the time we picked them on the trees to the countless times I was checking on them at home to see if they were ripe yet. And you have to store them stem side down on either a linen napkin or paper bag, but never terry cloth fabric as it holds onto the moisture and encourages mold.  (Problem number 2 for me!).  I was ready to give up on peach picking ever again, but I think we might just try it again this summer.  I'm ready for my peaches now!

Back to my under ripe frozen peaches.... Every time I go in my deep freezer these little babies are staring at me, so I figured it was long over due to find a recipe to use them up.  I decided to make this peach crisp in my crockpot to make it simpler and faster.  My house smelled wonderful this morning as it cooked.  My kids weren't big fans of the cobbler part, but the girls both liked the actual peaches.  This recipe calls for coconut and walnuts (although I used almonds) and my kids didn't like the texture.  I think they would have enjoyed it more if it had oatmeal in it.  I enjoyed this recipe though, and am OK with not sharing.

2 lbs fresh (or thawed from frozen) peaches, roughly chopped

¼ cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Crumb topping:

1½ cups walnut halves (I used slivered almonds)

½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon melted coconut oil

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon almond extract

If you want to see the original instructions on making this in the oven, click here.  Below is my version which went straight into the crockpot.

Place the frozen peaches in a crockpot (I lined mine with a liner to make clean-up easier), and mix with the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.  Cover and turn on high for about an hour.

Mix all of the ingredients for the crumb topping in a food processor.  Pour over the peaches, cover, and continue cooking for about 3 more hours or until the peaches are softened.  This was good as is, but would have been even better topped with some vanilla bean ice cream.  :) 

#1,757: Fresh Peach Sorbet

Over the summer we went peach picking and those peaches went straight into the freezer.  I kind of forgot they were there until a few weeks ago, so I decided to use them up to make some healthy sorbet/ice cream for my kids.  Although this recipe was easy, my kids weren't super excited about this one...but I think part of that may have been my peaches.  Apparently I don't know how to pick peaches because they were all under ripe and started molding before they ripened...hence why I stuck them in the freezer.  Would I make this again?  No.  Would I try it again with over-ripe peaches?  Yes. 

5 medium-size ripe peaches (approx. 4 cups)

2 tablespoons raw honey

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Remove the pits from the peaches and then roughly dice into 1” cubes. Transfer them to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container then place them in the freezer and allow them to freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Once they are frozen, remove them from the freezer and transfer to a food processor. You might have to let them defrost for 10 minutes or so so they are able to break loose. Add the honey, almond milk and lemon zest to the processor as well then blend until smooth.

Next transfer the mixture to a freezer safe container and then smooth it down with a spoon or spatula. Seal the container and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours then serve cold and enjoy!

#1,722: Strawberry Dreamsicle Salad

The original recipe for this was to make with orange jello and mandarin oranges, but I am NOT a fan of mandarin oranges.  So I substituted strawberry jello and fruit instead.  I originally planned on using fresh strawberries but they are obviously not in season, expensive and don't look great this time of year.  So I just used frozen strawberries and sliced them while still frozen so they would hold their shape better.  This was actually really good.  My kids loved this, and I thought it was pretty good as well!  I made it for Christmas Eve dinner...hopefully my family enjoys it as much as we do so far. 

1 sm. box (4 serv. size/.3 oz pkg) sugar-free strawberry jello

1 sm. box (4 serv. size/1 oz pkg) sugar free instant vanilla pudding

1 ½ cups fresh or frozen strawberries, sliced (I used frozen strawberries and put them in my food processor with the thickest disk to slice them) 

1 - 8 oz tub fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

Dissolve jello in 1 c. boiling water. Add 1/2 c. cold water; let set in fridge for 20 minutes.  With mixer or whisk, add dry vanilla pudding mix to jello and beat until smooth. Fold in strawberries and whipped topping (by hand). Refrigerate.

#1,719: Cinnamon Walnut Apple Salad

I really thought my kids were going to like this recipe, but none of them were big fans. I have to admit, I didn't go crazy for it either.  They kind of ate it when I didn't have any walnuts in it (as pictured above) but as soon as the nuts went in, they liked it even less.  I added some pomegranate arils to give it more crunch similar to the walnuts, but it didn't make it any more appealing to them.  Bummer...but we won't be making this one again. 

3-4 large apples

2 bananas (I omitted and added some pomegranate arils)

Red or green grapes, halved 

½ cup plain yogurt

1 tsp. maple syrup (I used honey)

¼ tsp. vanilla

½ cup chopped walnuts

Cinnamon to taste

Mix yogurt with maple syrup and vanilla in small bowl. Chop walnuts. Set aside.

Chop apples and place into a large serving bowl.  Sprinkle apples with a few shakes of cinnamon, to taste.  Pour yogurt mixture onto apples and stir to combine.

Cut up bananas into pieces on top of apples. Add chopped walnuts and grapes, if using, to bowl and stir gently to combine. Serve immediately.

#1,717: Hawaiian Snowball Salad

When we went to the library a little while ago, Allison picked out a Christmas themed cookbook and asked to make a recipe from it.  This is the recipe that she picked out and made on her own (with a little help from mom with cutting the apples to try and make the cuts a little more even).  

So since Allison made this one, I'm going to let her review it: "It was good and it simple to make and we had all of the ingredients to make it.  It had a nice flavor even though I don't like coconut, I still liked it.  My brother and sister didn't like it, but I did.  I'd make it again.  Next time I'd add more apples and less coconut."

2 apples, diced
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 c mini marshmallows
1/2 c shredded coconut
8 oz vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/4 c low-fat mayo
1/4 tsp sugar

Place the apples in a bowl and pour lemon juice over it.  Mix gently and set aside.

In a small bowl combine yogurt, mayo and sugar.  Pour over the apples.  Add the marshmallows and coconut to the apple/mayo mixture and gently stir to combine.  

#1,684: Fresh Cranberry Salad

I honestly wasn't sure I was going to like this recipe, but I actually loved it!  It is so fresh and light, but the pecans give it a nice crunch.  I would definitely make this again, and although this isn't the prettiest thing I've ever eaten, it was so simple to throw together in the food processor.  

2 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup fresh pineapple

1 apple

½ cup canned mandarin oranges or 1 orange (I omitted)

⅓ cup honey, warmed to make pourable (I didn't warm mine and added it to the food processor)

1 cup pecans

Cut up pineapple and apple in large chunks and place in food processor.  Add cranberries and pulse several times until evenly chopped.

Add mandarin oranges and pulse a couple more times. Add pecans and pulse.  Transfer to a bowl.

Pour honey over salad and stir together.

#1,641: Strawberry Banana Bites

Two of my three kids loved these healthy strawberry banana "cookies."  They are supposed to be bite size, but I was lazy and made them much bigger (I only could get about 9 on a small cookie sheet).  Matthew ate 3 of these when they came out of the oven (but he also turned his nose up to my dinner so he probably was legitimately hungry).  Allison requested them for breakfast tomorrow.  I'd say that was a popular recipe.  These are sweet, a little tangy and nice and chewy.  Personally the strawberries aren't my favorite part of these cookies because they are tart and mushy, but they were still good.  I added a little bit of honey to give it some added sweetness.  I would definitely make these again. 

3 ripe bananas

2 cup gluten-free oats

1/2 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

A generous pinch of nutmeg

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup slivered almonds

6 fresh strawberries

I also added about 2 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350°.In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork.  Add oats, applesauce, vanilla, spices, and almonds. Stir thoroughly.

Cut the tops off strawberries and chop fruit into tiny pieces.  Add to batter. Mix until well blended.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto a lined baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack. Enjoy with a cup of coffee.

#1,598: Grapefruit smoothie

Let me state, I am not a grapefruit fan.  It is one fruit that I really, really find the taste of too strong and bitter.  Recently though I got one from my order via Home Chef (love that company by the way!) and I seriously debated just throwing it out.  Knowing that there had to be an easy, healthy recipe to use it in, I decided to give it a try by using it in this recipe.  Isn't it pretty?!!?  This is a super healthy fruit smoothie, and if you like grapefruits, you will probably like this recipe as well.  I however, was only able to drink half of it before the grapefruit flavor became too much for me.  Hey, half is better than nothing!  

I used frozen organic strawberries which made this smoothie a little thicker ...which I liked!  I loved the texture of this drink, just not the aftertaste.  I tried adding a packet of stevia to my drink and it helped a little to sweeten it up, but not enough for me to want to make this again.  Overall not bad, just not my thing. 

2 cups hulled strawberries
1 peeled, seeded and chopped grapefruit
1 cored and chopped sweet apple
1 cup water
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Place all of your ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately.