Coconut Milk Smoothies

Hey!  A friend recently asked for my coconut milk smoothie recipe, and it made me realize I've never shared it here!  Thanks for the idea, Mon!  Hope you don't mind if I let others in on the concoction as well ;)

This is totally not a precise method, but it is what I do... It fills a whole blender pitcher and is a good amount for our family.  The coconut milk makes it pretty filling, for a smoothie.

Dump in the blender: 
1 can of coconut milk (I use the full fat stuff you can buy with the Asian food at Supertarget for like $1.50)
About 1/4 a can of frozen orange juice concentrate (helps cover up some of the coconut flavor)
Blend.

Then add:
Frozen banana chunks and blend.

Then add frozen strawberries, blending a few at a time. I usually have to stop and stir things around because the pitcher is pretty full. Sometimes I add some water to thin it out a little bit.

(I usually use about equal amounts bananas and strawberries, but you could use whatever you wanted obviously.)

That's it. Enjoy!  I'm sure blueberries and other fruit would be good, too!

Menu Plan 12/27/10

I'm not making a structured plan this week, since it is my vacation week and we will spend some time with family.

I do plan to make this appetizer for the first time for our New Year's Eve party.  I like bruschetta, and I like feta cheese, and this looks like a comination of the two.  Of course, I have to mess with it: I want to use my own Greek seasoning mix since the one from the store contains MSG.  I just have to find a homemade Greek seasoning mix recipe that looks suitable...

My husband gave me some Larabars.  Why haven't I tried these before?  And why didn't I invent them?!  Seriously, the ONLY things in them are fruit and nuts.  Finally, a packaged snack I can feel good about.

I also want to try this pasta recipe.  I am almost certain someone made it for me after my little girl was born.  I've always wanted to duplicate it, but never knew how.

Ok, we'll be eating whatever we can find around here this week, which is lots of random leftovers...  Major grocery shopping planned for the end of the week.

Cranberry Recipes

If you remember, I bought 5 bags of cranberries for 10 cents apiece on clearance at Aldi after Thanksgiving.  I am loving cranberries right now.  Here is a recipe I have made twice now, adapted from this Rasberry or Blueberry Lemon Muffin Recipe.  It uses half of a bag of cranberries.  I have no pictures because we eat them so fast!

Cranberry Vanilla Muffins

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup half and half (I've used cream or whole milk just fine.)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen berries

Combine dry ingredients.
Combine eggs, cream, extract.
Melt coconut oil and add to we ingredients while stirring.
Stir wet mixture into dry mixture until just moistened.
Carefully fold in berries.
Spoon into muffin pan - I use silicone, but if you don't, you may need to use paper liners.
Bake @ 400 for 18-20 minutes.  (Less for silicone pan, more like 16.)
Makes 18 muffins.

Another recipe that I still hope to try is this Pumpkin Cranberry Bread.  Holy sugar!  Look at that flour to sugar ratio.  No wonder it gets rave reviews :)

By the way, the third and final Crafty Christmas Project is already wrapped, but you can find a photo of a smaller version of it here.  It is the pillowcase dress.  (Just google for directions.  There are lots out there.)

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good-night! :)  Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Healthy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

After we carve our jack-o-latern, I think I will try this recipe for crispy (soaked) pumpkin seeds, since we already know we like making roasted almonds this way!

Pumpkin Shmear

Mmm... Pumpkin-y...

Ok, it seems like everyone I know is ga-ga over pumpkin flavored foods right now.  I like pumpkin and all, but not all the time in everything.  However, here is another pumpkin recipe idea for you.

It all started this morning at work where there was a bagel spread.  At a coworker's recommendation, I tried the pumpkin (and cream cheese) shmear on my quarter of a cinnamon raisin bagel.  Deliciousness.  I immediately thought aloud, "I bet I can make this".  My coworker suggested mixing some cream cheese with some pumpkin pie filling.  That may work.  I have not attempted this myself yet.  I found some recipes online for similar deliciousness here and here.

Anyways, I just wanted to share the tasty idea with you.  Let me know if you come up with a good concoction, so we can all know the proper ratios and all.  Not that I promise to follow the ratios :)

PS - I highly recommend enjoying it on a cinnamon raisin bagel.

Menu Plan 10/11/10

Hello!  Better late than never with the menu plan...
We were gone for the weekend, so we are still enjoying a few things left from last week.
I went to Whole Foods today to get some apples.  I also thought I'd get some canned pumpkin to make these muffins.  They were out of the store brand, so I paid $1.69 for ONE can of Libby's pumpkin.  (More than twice what I would pay at Aldi.)  These mufins better be worth it.

Breakfasts:
Cereal or Granola with Milk
Easy Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Eggs and Toast
Bananas
Orange Juice

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
Carrots
Cheese
Apples

Dinners:

M - Chili and Cornbread

T - Soft Chili Tacos

W - Stuffed Shells, Salad

TH - Fried Rice

F - Vegetable-Beef Soup & Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwiches

S - Leftovers

SU - Chicken Pot Pie

Make to take elsewhere: Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Enjoy!

What I Did on My Day-Off...

Before:

In Progress:

After:

 Mmm. Crispy almonds.

I also gave the dog a bath outside with the hose, but didn't take any pictures of that :)

Healthy Snacks for Big Kids

By big kids, I mean adults...We're talking about for snacks for the parents here...

I need some ideas - since I am giving up dessert/sweet treats for the rest of the month... Only for 3 days?  Just kidding.  What I really mean is that I am not eating them for the month of October.  Gonna flex some self-control before the holidays.  The rule is I cannot have anything "sweet" that will increase cravings.

Last spring when a friend and I gave up sugar for Lent, I found that the hardest time of the day was when I needed something to dull the 3pm hunger until dinnertime.  So that's why I am making a go-to list of non-sweet snack ideas.  Late afternoon is when I tend to eat desserts that are sitting in the kitchen.  I have little self-control.  That's why I have to banish the desserts altogether and tell myself they are not even an option.  I am not doing it to lose weight.  I simply want to feel the empowering feeling again of not being captive to cravings.

The one exception is that for doing well, I will treat myself to a once-a-week treat at Starbucks.  I have a giftcard :)

Ok, as for the "big kid snacks", here's what I've come up with so far.  This is stuff that worked for me the last time I did this.

• the old stand-by of chips and salsa (I get the organic corn chips from Costco and the organic salsa.)
• a pb&j sandwich and milk
• almonds and raisins
• crackers and cheese
• banana or apple with peanut butter
• freshly popped stovetop popcorn in coconut oil sprinkled with salt and parmesan
• leftovers from the fridge (sometimes I just ate my dinner early if we were planning on having leftovers, and then had a piece of fruit or side salad when I sat down to eat with the family)

Help!

More suggestions??

Anyone want to join me?  C'mon!  What is there to lose?

PS - My husband was a little bummed when I told him I was going to do this.  So I agreed to still make all those yummy fall desserts as long as I don't eat any and he takes the entire thing/batch to work with him immediately!

Menu Plan 5/24/10

Breakfasts:
Granola with Milk
I think we are done with hot oatmeal for the summer :)
Waffles with Syrup
Bueberries, Strawberries

Lunches:
PB&J on Homemade Bread
Carrot Sticks, Salad, Fruit
Almonds
Dessert

Dinners:
Monday - BBQ Meatballs, Cornbread, Peas
Tuesday - Leftovers
Wednesday - Omelets, Fingerling Potatoes
Thursday - Costco Take and Bake Pizza, Salad with Aunt Trish's Salad Dressing
Friday - Leftovers
Saturday - Tuna Cheesies, Broccoli
Sunday - Egg Salad
Monday (Memorial Day) - Hot Dogs (nitrate free), Zucchini

Dessert:
Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache

Summer is almost here!

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday over at the Organizing Junkie.

Menu Plan 5/3/10

Breakfasts:
Soaked Oatmeal
Waffles (from a box?!)
Bananas/Oranges
Raw Milk (yes, yes, indeed... more on that to come)

Lunches:
PB&J Sandwiches
Veggie Straws
Crispy Cheese Crackers
Yogurt
Pears
Leftovers

Dinners:
Monday - Pasta and Meatballs with Tomato-Basil Cream Sauce, Peas
Tuesday - Black Bean/Pepper/Cheese Quesadillas, Organic Tortilla Chips and Guacamole
Wednesday - Leftovers
Thursday - Omelets, Homemade Bread
Friday - Beef/Bean/Rice/Cheese Burritos
Saturday - Nitrate-Free Hot Dogs on Buns, Peas
Sunday - Leftovers

Other:
Peanut Butter Cookies for a meeting (I am going to try my friend's gluten and dairy free recipe to be considerate of one of our attendees.)

Ok, now on to make some bread.  With photo documentation so I can share it this time.

Welcome May!

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday.

February Dinner Ideas

Main Dishes:
Baked Salmon Cakes
Homemade Pizza (x2*)
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Dish (x2)
BBQ Meatballs (x2)
Homemade Chicken Strips (x2)
Black Bean Quesadillas
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese (x2)
Fish Sticks (x2)
Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup (x2)
BBQ Beef on Buns (x2)
Nachos
Waffles with Homemade Syrup
Cinnamon Rolls and Scrambled Eggs
Mushroom-Pepperjack Chicken
Paninis
Soft Tacos (x2)
Cheesy Chicken & Rice
Spinach & Rice Bake
Vegetable Beef Soup

*The x2 doesn't mean I will make it twice. It just means that hopefully it is enough to last us for one night plus another night of leftovers.

Sides:
Fresh Organic Veggies
Organic Salad Greens
Frozen Organic Green Beans
Frozen Peas
Cornbread

Bowl Game Party:
Corn Dip with Chips (new to us)

Treats/Desserts:
Applesauce Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (with chocolate chips in them, too)
Zuchinni Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
Adaptable Granola Bars (new to us, thanks Hannah!)

Something with Rhubarb...

I've decided that at this stage in family life, I like to look over the entire month of meals ahead of time. So I made myself make this list a week ago. Then I made 3 trips to 5 stores this past week to get what was needed. I'd rather run around a lot for one week and be done with it than spread major shopping out over the whole month.

Tomorrow: the photos from my shopping trips and "deal" highlights.

Menu Plan 1/11/10

It will be a busy week! I am cooking dinner for my Bible study group on Wednesday, but I think I better make enough to leave some for the hubs at home. I tried to pick something to make that would be fun and tasty that could mostly be prepared ahead of time.

Breakfasts:

Organic Raisin Bran with Milk

Cranberry Orange Muffins (new)

Bananas

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Carrot Sticks

Clementines

Dessert

Dinners:

Monday - Egg & Cheese on English Muffins, Smoothies

Tuesday - Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup

Wednesday - Chicken Chimichangas*, Black Bean Salsa & Tortilla Chips, Toffee

Thursday - Baked Ziti, Green Beans, Bread

Friday - Leftovers

Saturday - Leftovers

Sunday - ??

Snacks:

Popcorn

Dessert:

Cupcakes

*When I make these chimichangas (which I've tried with beef, gound turkey, shredded turkey, and chopped chicken, each being good,) I use one cup of salsa in replacement of the 1/2 c. taco sauce + 1/2 c. green chilis. Simpler and less to buy at the store. Also, I use about 1/2 the amount of butter called for and I don't dip the tortillas. I put some melted butter in the bottom of the pan, place the rolled chimichangas in, and then bush butter generously on the tops of the tortillas. They still turn out plenty crunchy and yummy.

I am getting excited about cooking again. I've been thinking about the grocery budget and what my purchases may look like this spring/summer. We'll have another person eating solids, soon! Will the budget change? What do I want to buy organic? What baby food do I want to make and what baby food do I want to buy? How am I going to fit feeding another mouth in our already rushed morning routine? Fun stuff! Really, I mean it.

Have a good week!

P.S. Need some menu inspiration? Check this out. Holy cow! And I thought I was a planner.

Milton's Multi-Grain Crackers

Here they are.

I think they are like $7-$8 at Costco. There are 4 big trays inside.

Not too bad, in my opinion, as far as crackers go. Here's the company that bakes them.

They are substantial crackers.

We need snacks, and I'm just not making everything from scratch! :)

Menu Plan 11/23/09

Notes regarding last week's menu: We made some Apple Crisp and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies (LOVE these) instead of the Blackberry Cobbler. We also didn't get to the Shepherd's Pie; we had pizza instead. So you might see that menu again soon, too.

Breakfasts:

Granola or Cheerios with Milk

Blueberry Muffins

Clementines

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Yogurt

Apples

Dinners:

Monday - Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti (cream soup recipe found here), Salad Greens

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - PW's Cowboy Calzones (from the new cookbook), Green Beans

Thursday - Leftovers (We are having Thanksgiving dinner over the weekend.)

Friday - Dinner with family

Saturday - Dinner with family

Sunday - Leftovers

Dessert:

Blackberry Cobbler with Vanillla Ice Cream

P.S. Since cream cheese is sometimes on sale this time of year, you might want to consider making this Apple Dip; it is superb! If needed, you can keep it super simple and simply mix cream cheese and brown sugar by themselves and it is still good with a nice tart, green apple.

This post is part of Menu Plan Monday.

Menu Plan 7/20/09

For the blueberry muffins last week, I ended up trying the blueberry variation of this recipe, minus the topping. They were moist and not crumbly; we really liked them. Maybe it is the coconut oil?!

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal with Milk

Bananas

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Veggie Straws

Peaches

Dinners:

Monday - Sloppy Joes

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - BLT's

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Pineapple-Pepperjack Chicken ~ It's my birthday! :)

Saturday - Grilled Cheese

Sunday - Blueberry Pancakes

Sides:

Salad Greens

Sweet Corn

Watermelon

Baked Beans

Sounds like summer, right?

Dessert:

Individual Fruit Pizzas (sugar cookies topped with cream cheese and fresh fruit)

Other:

Make Fruit Leather for our healthy snack exchange

Find more menu plans here...

Baking Experiments

This morning, while my daughter and our babysitting charge were happily playing and reading together, I made homemade bagels!

I have been wanting to try this for quite some time, but thought it would be too time consuming. Everytime I've looked at bagels in the store, they contain high fructose corn syrup. Well, making these took me a couple hours plus with interuptions and all, but it was pretty easy! I let my mixer do the kneading and that worked just fine. If you want to try them, give this recipe a shot.

The only issue I had was my cookie sheets. I thought about using the baking stone, but wasn't sure, so I decided to follow directions since it was my first time. I used one regular cookie sheet greased with butter, and one non-stick cookie sheet also greased with butter. They didn't stick to the regular one, but they did turn pretty brown after only 17 minutes when I flipped them (as directed). And on the non-stick one, they totally stuck and so they don't look very pretty on the bottom side. Hmm, maybe I'll try the baking stone next time. Or perhaps I should use one of these baking mats.

Anyways, overall I like how these bagels turned out. I love how fresh and chewy they are. Not dry at all. We (I) will totally eat them all. And you can make them normal size if you want - not like the giant calorie laden ones from the shops. My sister would be proud of my work. (She has worked at an "authentic" bagel shop as a dough-maker where they still boil the bagels, as in this recipe.)

I also made some of this yummy cream cheese and chive spread. My daughter and I had it for lunch on the freshly baked bagels. Mmm.

Question: Does anyone know the difference between green onions and chives? I thought they were the same thing! I just used green onions (aka chives to me).

I also want to try slicing a tomato on top, as in this recipe!

On another note, last week I finally made the Lemon Cream Pie, omitting the whipped cream. I loved the flavor; it was very tart! My husband was not as much of a fan, and said he prefers this Key Lime Pie.

If I were to make the lemon pie again, however, I would definitely use a graham cracker crust instead. I had used this pie crust recipe, since it calls for all butter and no Crisco. I turned out pretty good, but in my opinion a graham cracker crust would compliment the lemon flavor better.

P.S. The picture is of my chives/green onions that came with our produce last week. I think I may plant them in a pot so I can just snip some off when I need them again... that is if I don't kill them first.

Banana Bread

This is the banana bread I made last week. I will be sticking with this recipe. I like that it has more bananas and less sugar than most other banana bread recipes. (I just need to remember it might need to bake a little longer in my oven.) Thanks, Katie!

Homemade Lemonade

Unless you are a) weird and/or b) pregnant like me, save this recipe for when it is above 30 degrees outside. I wanted it today for some reason. So I bought some organic lemon juice at Costco and some sugar (regular, unfortunately) and mixed some up this afternoon. Sour and good.

Homemade Lemonade from Michele @ Frugal Granola

1/2 cup Lemon Juice
3 cups Cold Water
1/4 cup Organic Sugar

Mix lemon juice and water into a pitcher. Pour in sugar, stirring briskly to dissolve.

For Strawberry Lemonade, puree 1/2 - 1 cup of strawberries, and stir into lemonade. Serve with ice, if desired.

Visit the Green Baby Guide for more Thrifty Green Thursday tips and ideas!

Fruit-Filled Oatmeal Bars

I tried a new recipe last week from my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. They looked easy and pretty low-sugar. The commentary called them "treasured lunch box treats." I am pleased with how they turned out!

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1 recipe filling (I chose the apple-cinnamon filling, see below.)

Directions:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives (I used my hands), cut in butter till the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture.

2. Press the remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9x9x2 inch baking pan. Spread with desired filling. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or till the top is golden. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes 25 bars.

Apple-Cinnamon Filling: Peel, core, and chop 2 medium apples (about 10 ounces). In a medium saucepan combine apples, 2 Tablespoons water, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and a dash of ground cloves. Bring apple mixture to a boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or till apples are tender. (I then pureed the mixture with my handblender.)

Visit Tammy's Recipes for more kitchen tips!

Menu Plan 9/29/08

Not a bunch of new recipes this week. It is supposed to turn cooler mid-week, so I am looking forward to making the first batch of chili this fall. Also, I also bought 15 lbs of apples yesterday. We love apples. They were 60 cents a pound and I don't know if we will see them less than that. I don't currently can, so I will be using my apple peeler/corer/slicer and freezing some for crisps and pies this winter, making some into applesauce to eat and freeze, and of course we will just eat a bunch fresh, too! Please share if you have any other great ideas for what to do with them!

Breakfasts:

Smoothies*

Frosted Mini-Wheats

Oatmeal

Homemade Applesauce

Lunches:

PB&J Sandwiches

Cottage Cheese

Carrots

Apples

Dinners:

Monday - Garlic Chicken and Noodles with Broccoli

Tuesday - Thin Crust Hamburger Pizza

Wednesday - Chili, Cornbread

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Beef & Bean Burritos, Salad

Saturday - Leftovers
Sunday - Church Dinner

Dessert: Apple Crisp (recipe to come)

*Smoothies

(My favorite easy way to make them.)

1 small container blueberry yogurt

1 handful frozen strawberries

1/2 -1 frozen banana

little bit of water or juice or ice cubes (until desired consistency)

Blend together in a blender.

Visit the Organizing Junkie for more menu plan ideas. Have a great week!