Maple Glazed Almonds

Do you ever crave something?
I mean CRAVE something????

And then do you ever
panic when you go to make it
and you don't have what you need?

This happened to me today.
I wanted a salad with Glazed Cashews-
I toast them in a pan with a VERY small amount of butter,
when they are getting a pretty golden color,
I add in some agave nectar-
they get this yummy, crunchy, sweet flavor
and they taste AMAZING on any salad,

one of my favorites can be found here

I had no Agave,
and I only had salted cashews...

But I'd already made the salad
and I was hungry-

So I went made two substitutions
to a three ingredient recipe
(technically, is that even a recipe)
I used Slivered Almonds instead of Cashews
and Organic Pure Maple Syrup

I was NOT disappointed-
they were so Yummy!

I topped the salad with equal parts of
Grapeseed Oil and Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar

(I've mixed the Cranberry Balsamic with Black Currant
Balsamic and then used an equal portion of Olive Oil too)

Boosted Banana Muffins

 *** I've had a senior moment- I can't find my pics, so imagine yummy muffins,
I'll get back to you on the pictures.

My family used to look like this

Parents included...

and now it looks like this...

Granted there are no parents in this pic...

One kiddo is serving an 18 month church mission

The morning of departure

and two just left for school in Utah

Kiddo #1 and #3 off to USU

So needless to say,
my grocery shopping looks a little different lately-
and I have a lot of bananas that end up looking like this

rather than this :)

I've been making a lot of things out of BANANA,
bread, muffins, cake, smoothies...

You get the idea right??

I decided to go a little crazy one day when I saw this cereal-

Sorry for the fuzziness; it says Cinnamon Hazlenut

I have used it's sister cereal to make cranberry muffins
for like a ZILLION years!

Cranberry Almond Crunch

So I figured I could come up with a yummy recipe using
a cereal with a name like that!

To borrow a phrase from Mary Poppins-
these were Practically Perfect in Every Way...

The second time I made them,
I made them in Jumbo Muffin Tins and
topped them with a chunky cinnamon streusel.
We took them to a school breakfast-
EVERYONE who ate them wanted to know where
I had gotten them and they were the first muffins gone
(this up against the HUGE Costco/Sam's Club Muffins
that are more of a dessert than a breakfast food)

Try 'Em-
You won't be disappointed


Banana Muffins

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1 box of Post Cinnamon Hazelnut Cereal
     (Or Post Crunchy Pecans Cereal)
2 eggs
2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter
2 ripe bananas, mashed

2 TBSP. maple syrup
1/2 tsp each, cinnamon & nutmeg

Beat eggs and buttermilk together & syrup.
Stir in melted butter.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, soda, cereal and spices.
Add milk mixture and stir with as few strokes as possible.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, adjusting cook time to size of muffin.

*** My littles request these to be made with chocolate chips-
which just makes them YUMMY TOO!!

Sunday Sundae- Healthy Style

I'm going to tell you about it someday!

One day when I am sure that I can speak about it
with some level of confidence and humility-
right now it is still pretty personal,
But I joined An Addiction Recovery Program.

One reason I don't want to talk about it
YET...
Is that my Addiction is a widely debated topic
in the diet, nutrition and addiction fields

Some say "ABSOLUTELY" and others
laugh and scorn and say things like
"You don't know what you're talking about"

So I've kept it relatively to myself-
I've teased with my friends for a long time that
I was going to do it,
and Finally, I decided it wasn't a joke
(at least, it wasn't to me)
and I joined a program sponsored by my church-
You can learn more here if you are interested

My addiction is to Sugar-
To me it is a real, powerful and to easy to ignore problem-

But like I said,
more on that later!!

I have found that there are a few things I can
do to enjoy Dessert Time with my family on
Sunday evenings.
This is one of my Favorite-

The Waffle Bowls are Homemade

My Hubby is the Master at Waffle Bowl Making

and are made with alternative ingredients for me
but honestly, I don't often eat mine anyway
(I've just learned I'd rather not eat,
than deal with all the substitutions sometimes)

I add some delicious Fruit-
a hearty and healthy serving thank you very much!

I add lime juice and lemon & lime rind 20 minutes before I serve it

I top my "Sundae" with Plain Greek Yogurt
flavored with Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar
or Vanilla Bean Paste and Lemon Extract

What's Not Fabulous About This?

The last time we had ice cream Sundaes,
three of my five kids at home
opted for my version and said no
to the ice cream :)
Oh happy DAY

My Mom's Kitchen

I actually can't remember a whole lot of food from my moms kitchen. 

It's actually kind of sad because I know she was a good cook, 

but its been a really, REALLY long time since she passed away 

and I just can't remember. 

I do remember that her mom made 

Split Pea Soup with a Ham Bone- 

which looked really gross to me but was supposedly really yummy!

I also have memories of sitting on the rolls 

several Thanksgivings in a row :(

I do know that my mom made a really yummy punch 

which I LOVED

and she had a beautiful punch bowl that she used to serve it

When I was sick, 

she made me homemade Tapioca pudding. 

I haven't eaten that since she died- 

it was just never the same when you have to make it yourself :(

So why can't I remember what we ATE??????

Well, one day I had a memory of her BLT Sandwiches. 

She would toast the bread,

and layer the Bacon, Lettuce & Tomatoes on top!  

I probably have eaten one or two in the 31 years since she passed. 

Well I have been craving them something fierce- 

so I caved in and allowed myself some bread- 

WHITE CIABATTA BREAD!

Ciabatta, Bacon, Tomato, Lettuce & Avocado

I pause for the gasps and lectures to cease!! 

I added my own little modern day twist- 

and used Pesto instead of Mayonnaise...

Keep in mind my mom was gone long before 

gluten free, sugar free, and no preservative diets were the norm

I have to say, that for a guilty pleasure, it was WORTH IT! 

Holy Cow that's a case of a HUGE piece of Lettuce!

Like really worth it. 

Like so worth it, I had it a second day in a row 

AND I felt no regret. 

At least no regret until I woke up with swollen fingers-

Back to being Good-

Oh, but it was soooo YUMMY!

A Rare Splurge at Lunch. Aaaahhhh

Rainbow Israeli CousCous

We had the best dinner a few weeks ago,
I shared it with you here

and I said recipes would follow,
well, I am a little late with that!!

Well here is one of them,
it is for the Rainbow Israeli CousCous
this is so yummy and soooo easy!
But it makes for a fun side dish
and a sneaky way to get peppers
into my picky kids-

Rainbow Israeli CousCous

1 cup of Rainbow Israeli CousCous
(cook according to directions)
1 each red, yellow & orange bell pepper, diced
red pepper flakes (to taste)
scant squirt of fresh lime juice

Saute the diced pepper in olive oil,
squirt a small bit of lime juice and sprinkle
with red pepper flakes (we like things hot)
Add to the cous cous when it is done cooking
and voila-
YUMMY!!

Day 65- Mixed Grains Hot Cereal

I bought this amazing package of
mixed grains at a specialty grocer
here in town.

I absolutely LOVED the nuttiness,
the variety and the taste of this
hot breakfast!

But I absolutely HATED that
this one store is the ONLY store
I can find this little package of goodness-
and this ONE store happens to be completely
out of my way and at least 25 minutes from
my home- not somewhere I just "stop by".

I went to five other grocery stores,
Trader Joe's,
Whole Foods Market,
Sprouts,
Kroger and
Market Street...
in hopes of finding it-
but NO LUCK!!!

BUT, this story has a Happy Ending-
though I wasn't able to find the
packaged blend,
I was able to find all the grains.
So I went home and made my own mix!!

Yup, I did it and it was DELICIOUS!

I mixed four grains,
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1/2 cup farro
1/4 cup millet
1/4 cup pearled barley

I boiled it with 3 cups of water
until all the water had been absorbed.
I added a little bit of light agave
and some pecan pieces for a
perfectly healthy grain breakfast for me!

Day 72- Another Orange Recipe- Orange Skewered Steak

This is such a simple and light
option for a red meat.

I absolutely love how easy this recipe is
and how flavorful it is.
Plan on devouring this up,
I usually serve this with a light salad

Little Miss Sunshine Salad

and a fresh veggie- like these Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

Complete and beautiful Dinner in less than 30 minutes

That's the way I like it


Orange Scented Beef Skewers

1 orange (both zest and juice)
1/4 cup liquid aminos
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 TBSP. agave or honey
1 TBSP. sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp. Sambal chile paste
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Zest the orange into a bowl. Cut the orange
in 1/2 and juice into the bowl. Add the remaining
ingredients except the steak.
Cut the steak into strips. Let the steak
strips marinate for several hours.
Place the steak strips onto skewers
(I used metal ones, soak bamboo ones in
water first so they don't flame)
twisting while you skewer.
Preheat your grill to a medium-high
and grill the skewers about 4-6 minutes.
These cook fast, so watch them carefully,
and eat immediately.

B: Fage Greek Yogurt w/ raspberries
S: Cottage Cheese
L: Lettuce leaf wrap sandwich, apple
S: Multi-grain crackers, 1 oz. cheese
D: Fajita veggies, grilled chicken
Total Calories: 1202
No Exercise Today

Day 81- Quality Counts with Oils & Vinegars

My sixteen year old is our resident
salad dressing maker.
I am usually running around the kitchen
in the final minutes before dinner is served
and all of a sudden I realize I forgot to make
the dressing-
lucky for me, in walks Miss Kutie Pie
and she saves the day.

She makes some yummy ones,
and is a pro at deciding what flavors
will best compliment the fresh ingredients
we are using in the Salad de Jour!

With the exception of one dressing that
we use once in a rare while, we make
our own salad dressings- no matter what
type of salad we are eating. 
This is one of the things we did long ago
when I started eliminating processed foods
and I have loved it so much. No more drowning
our greens and toppings.

The secret to great tasting homemade dressings
is great tasting oils

Specialty and high quality oils are available at most fine grocery stores.

and vinegars.

There are specialty oil & vinegar shops in many areas or you can buy online

They may be a bit more pricey-
but ohhh, soooo worth it-

Miss Kutie just recently made us a dressing
that was out of this world,
It was made with
Grapeseed Oil
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Coconut Sugar
Lemon Extract

Nielsen-Massey has great ingredients and can be ordered online if you can't find them locally

We used small dashes on this Delicious Salad

It was truly a match made in Heaven!

Day 81 Stats & Facts
B: Greek yogurt with berries and granola
S: Whole Grain crackers with guacamole
L: Grilled Tuna Sandwich on Ezekial Bread, mango slices
S: 1/2 c. cottage cheese & grapes
D: Fruit salad & Luna protein bar
S: Whole Wheat Graham Crackers & Kettle Corn
Total Calories: 1214
No Exercise

Spicy Mango & Berry Salad

I told you about this Delicious Chicken

that has rocked our world since
I first discovered it earlier this summer!

All due Respect-
I do love the Chicken-
but I love this SALAD even more-

Use the leftover Chicken
from this RECIPE POST

Spicy Mango & Berry Salad

Mixed Greens
Raspberries & Blackberries
Mango
Red Onion slices
Spicy Chicken, cut into slices

We use all sorts of dressings with this combination
My daughter makes a delicious
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
and we love this

Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
1 shallot, finely minced
1/3 c. fresh orange juice
3 TBSP. lime juice
2 TBSP. honey or agave
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
* Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites Cookbook

Ahhhh, My New FavE

I am a MOM on a MISSION!

I am tired of Leftover Night-
BUT...
I hate to throw food out-

Also, contrary to popular belief,
I don't want to spend all day,
EVERY day in the kitchen!
NO! I would like to get out and take
a field trip once in a while-
nowhere fancy,
just maybe, the FAMILY ROOM-

My Mission-
which I have chosen to Accept
is to EAT all the food I prepare
and to minimize waste!

So there's my rant-
and here's my RAVE!!

This new Chicken Recipe-

it is so yummy Night One,
and even yummier Night Two
when made into the delicious salad

And if you are lucky enough to have
a Night Three out of it,
it makes a delicious wrap!!

One Recipe,
Three totally different Meals-
No one gets the
"Not Meatloaf AGAIN" glazed over look!!!

Oh yes, I like meals like that!!!

Sweet & Spicy Chicken
2 packages boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 tsp. Grapeseed oil

Glaze:
3/4 cup honey
1 1/2 TBSP. Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar
 less than 1/4 tsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos

Rub:
3 tsp. garlic powder
3 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. coriander
1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt Flakes
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chili powder
less than 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

*** These are best Grilled ***
1. Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Trim fat, rinse and allow to dry. Very lightly coat chicken with oil.
Rub the spices into the thighs.
3. Grill 3-5 minutes on each side.
4. While the chicken is cooking, warm the honey.
Whisk in vinegar. Reserve 2 TBSP. glaze and
brush the rest on the chicken in the last few minutes
 of cooking. Remove chicken and let it rest for 3-5 minutes.
Drizzle reserved glaze over finished chicken.

* Adapted from Spicy Honey Chicken from 
Our Best Bites Cookbook

MENU PLANNER-
Serve with Spicy Fried Rice &
Roasted Carrots with Gremalato

Tropical BBQ Burger

I really like a nice, fat,
JUICY
chicken burger-

It is the one thing that I like better
at restaurants than I do homemade...
That is until Now!!

This was such a simple little
creation-
I've said that before,
but really
SO SIMPLE,
but oh so juicy, tasty and delicious.

We had some really big chicken breasts,
and I cut them in half.
I lightly coated them with olive oil
and lime juice and a little salt and pepper.
We grilled them until they were almost
perfectly cooked and than we spread a
mixture of apricot preserves and lime juice
on each side, letting them cook just long
enough to glaze the chicken.

At the same time,
we put big slices of FRESH pineapple
on the grill.
OH, my mouth is watering as I type.

Top your bun with whatever condiments
you like-
I didn't use anything because I am not
a condiment lover at all!

Pile in your bun-
a deliciously glazed chicken breast,
provolone cheese,
a pineapple slice,
a few avocado slices and
a few basil leaves
(or lettuce if you'd rather)

And now you have put Red Robin
to shame...

We ate it with some roasted carrots
and asparagus,

& this delicious Arugula Salad
and I'd say it was a pretty delicious,
light summer dinner.

Enjoy!

Last summer, I had a strange
and frustrating weight gain
thing going on!!

I was so frustrated and finally
called a nutritionist friend of mine.
She analyzed my food and exercise
and determined that I was eating
TOO FEW calories and not enough Protein!

Well hold on there, little Missy,
the only way I know to add more
calories is to add more treats-
but I knew that wasn't what I was looking for.

So in a search for recipes that would
support post-cleanse life,
bring calories and would also
taste yummy for the kiddos,
I found this delicious Chicken Salad.

I am going to tell you,
right here and right now,
that this isn't fancy--
can I just make that my
overall disclaimer!!
THIS IS NOT FANCY!

But it is YUMMY,
oh so YUMMY!!
It is light enough for a summer
lunch or dinner.
Easy enough to pack on a picnic,
and tasty enough to eat often.
Plus ALL my kiddos liked it
even the pickiest of the picky's
will eat it.

Chicken Salad Wrap

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
green onions
freshly ground black pepper
fresh dill
diced celery
red pepper flakes

I didn't give you any measurements for a few
reasons. First of all, I don't care for mayonnaise,
so I use the smallest amount possible. And to be
honest, I think the entire recipe is subject to
your own preferences. I like that I can add
everything but the mayo and mustard and pack
in a picnic cooler. Than I just add the condiments
when we are ready.

I serve this in many ways, the pictures above
are on a wrap with cucumbers and red onions
and lettuce. Add red peppers, feta cheese
or spinach too.
Simple-
but easy and light!!

Steak Fajita Salad

I started off with some
deliciously seasoned flank steak
and peppers & yellow squash that
had been roasted barely to al dente,

I made a bed of spring greens & spinach

topped that bed with a delightful
spread of the peppers and steak,
along with some thin slices of red onion
and zucchini 

and topped that with some fresh
bleu cheese.

I combined some
olive oil and some specialty Balsamic Vinegar-

-I used a Current Balsamic,
but any deep flavored Balsamic would work-
and mixed them together with a little sea salt
and shallots to make a deep & rich
dressing-

Add a homemade
Whole Wheat Crescent Roll

And Voila-
my new favorite salad-
at least until tomorrow

Grilled Vegetables

Oh Garden Goodness!!
Remember I said I'd live on a farm
if I had my ruthers?

Well this is why,

Take a wide array of veggies- 

 

Mix together,
a little bit of Grapeseed oil
a little bit of Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar,
and definitely a little crushed red pepper
with a bit of sea salt and pepper

Apply generously over above mentioned veggies

add to the grill

cook for a few minutes,
and than flip,

and voila,
dinner instantly!!
So Yummy,
So Healthy,
and really, in my opinion,
So Beautiful.

I was in a bit of a bind for dinner
the other night.
I had veggies and
I had chicken thawed,
but honestly I was a little tired
of my old standby's!

 I felt like something hip and happening,
so I went with grilling the veggies nearly whole

and than topping greens

with the grilled chicken and veggies!

With a little fresh guac 

and homemade restaurant style salsa

Well, all I can say is that
My family LOVED it-

and I loved that it was so fast,
easy and presentable

That's a win-win-win in my book!