Healthy Banana Bread

Yummy!! As many of you know I have transitioned to mostly clean eating with that I have reduced how much sugar I eat!! It has really been easy since we were for the most part clean eaters as it was!! I just have learned more portions and I am slowly ditching processed food, and certainly reducing how often we eat fast-food (which is great for our wallet too).

Basically everything on the outside of your store is free game. Produce, Meats, Dairy. There is a lot inside the aisles that work great too!! Favorites of ours are whole wheat flours, quinoa, beans, frozen fruit and veggies (no sugar or sauces added). Etc...If you want help making the transition feel free to comment your questions and I will write another article on it! I have also started doing a little meal planning and prepping to help me keep to my portions and be less likely to want to go out and get junk food.

So back to the point of this blog. The kids and I were wanting something sort of sweet, but super tasty!! So we found this recipe for Healthy Banana Bread and its AMAZING!! So I thought I would share!!! No white sugar added, honey instead. And Greek yogurt replaces milk!! As well as we used whole wheat flour!! Looks and tastes just as amazing!!

Photo and recipe from: http://gimmedelicious.com/2017/01/11/healthy-moist-banana-bread/ 

Healthy Banana Bread

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 55 mins Total time: 1 hour 5 mins

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup melted coconut oil (or olive oil)
• ⅓ cup honey or maple syrup
• ¼ cup milk or Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2-3 medium bananas)
• 1¾ cups white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
 • 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (or chopped walnuts, raisins), optional

 Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil, honey, milk and vanilla for 2 minutes. Stir in the bananas, flour mixture and chocolate chips (or any other add ins of choice.
4. Pour batter into greased pan, sprinkle with some more cinnamon, raw sugar, or banana slices (optional) Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes, slice and enjoy!

I only share with you awesome new recipes that make it into my personal recipe book!! Something I will keep with me until I am old, and pass on to Kyra!!

Turkey Meatloaf

This one is always a favorite in our house, both kids eat it because it's like a cheeseburger. And it's healthy because hello ground turkey!!

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 lb of ground turkey (that is plenty for us)

1 egg

1/8 cup bread crumbs

Garlic Salt, Onion Powder, Pepper, paprika. 

Ketchup

Shredded cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Place ground turkey in a bowl, create a bowl in the middle and crack an egg in. Mix egg and meat together.

Add crumbs and seasoning again mixing it up.

Spray a meatloaf pan and press meatloaf into pan.

Add a thin layer of ketchup then bake for 20 mins.

Add a layer of a cheese of your choice and continue to bake for 10 more mins.

Serve with a vegetable of your choice, we love steamed green beans.

I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

In true fall fashion I bring you a new recipe that Kyra and I tried. These turned out delicious, I made a huge batch and they were devoured in a matter of days!!

Not my own recipe,but I only share recipes with you that are worth trying!!! Also on a side note....I don't have it planned yet, but would you all be interested in 25 days of Christmas again this year like I did two years ago? Lots of crafts, recipes, trips, etc? I only wanna do this if it would be interesting to everyone and would get views!

These were delicious, give them a try maybe as a dessert for Thanksgiving!! 

Recipe: Tortellini Soup!

This recipe was something that was just being spread around Facebook, but looked so delicious. After I looked into it and saw that the recipe was SUPER simple I grabbed the ingredients and got it a cooking. And let me tell you, one of the best soups I have EVER had!!

Ingredients:

1 bag of frozen tortellini

 1 small bag of fresh spinach 

1 can of Italian style diced tomatoes 

1 box or 4 cups or chicken broth 

1 block of cream cheese 

1 lb. of roll sausage

 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Brown the sausage and put all ingredients in crock-pot, chunking up the cream cheese. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs.

 

Schupfnudlen mit kraut und speck

Okay okay maybe you saw that title and thought h no she has gone full German in us. Okay I haven't gone that far, but I have been working on my German, and Dustin and I have tossed around the idea of getting a work visa and staying here forever!! We just love the culture, the food, and the beauty of Germany!!

This fantastic little recipe came to us by trying something new at a festival, and now we have had it a few times so it is an obvious go to for us now.

Schupfnudlen roughly translates to potato noodles. Here in Germany we can buy these noodles, in massive packages mind you, in the refrigerated section. I am not sure that they are available in American stores however, I will look into it when I am in Colorado in May. But if you can't find them, the recipe to make them your self seems fairly easy. 

http://germanfood.about.com/od/potatoesandnoodles/r/badischeschupfn.htm

Than all else you need is bacon, a little bit of chicken broth, and a jar of sauerkraut 

Directions:

In one pan heat the sauerkraut with 2 tbs of broth. 

In another pan cube the bacon, ( we buy it cubed already here again not sure if this is possible in states) and begin to cook it. 

Once the bacon has started to cook add the noodles, just cook them long enough to add a bit of a crisp brown coloring to them. Than mix the two pans together and devour!! Even Kyra eats this meal, she loves the kraut and noodles!!

Turkey Sweet Potatoe Shepards pie

This recipe is originally a Rachel Ray recipe. But since I am too lazy to write it word for word it is kinda dumbed down by me. Her version served 4-6 people mine serves about 3.

Need:

1 lb or ground turkey
1-2 sweet potatoes
1/2 onion diced
1 bell pepper (red)
1-2 sweet peppers diced
2 pieces of garlic
1 small can of tomato paste
Shredded chedder
small sour cream
little milk
salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, nutmeg and chili powder to taste

Instructions:

1. Start out by peeling and cubing the sweet potatoes, and put them in a pot cover them with water and boil 10-15 mins until soft.

2. While potatoes boil brown turkey, about half way through add the onions. Season with salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Once turkey is cooked add the peppers, garlic and tomato paste and let good for another 5-10 mins taste and season as needed. I needed more salt.

3. Once Potatoes are soft drain and mash with a small container of sour cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and as much milk as needed to make a creamy texture.

4. Pour the meat into a small baking dish, and cover with the mashed potatoes, add a layer of cheddar cheese and put in the oven at 450* and bake until golden!

5. Serve with a veggie and Devour!!!

Apple butter and pumpkin pancakes

So neither of these were huge undertakings so one shared blog of fall food goodness should subsisse!! The pumpkin pancakes were so easy probably cuz I did them lazy style by just adding pumpkin to the pancake batter only took a couple seconds!!! I was impressed I don't make pancakes after a few morning meltdowns I had given up. But these sounded so good i has to give it a go and they turned out THICK but not burnt so I'm making progress.

And Kyra loved them!

The apple butter,  just grabbed a simple recipe off of Pinterest and dove in. I have never made anything of this sort and although the pictures look like other apple butter pictures it seems odd to me. I guess cuz butter is like thick creamy and this isn't it really should just be simply called what it is, apple jam! Lol either way it tastes good! I refrigerated one and froze two, one I am gonna save for the holidays for Dustin to try!!

Apple butter however is a process to make.

Step 1: peel the apples. Why are peelers made so crappy? They are metal are hard to grip and don't do a good job has to be a simpler idea!! Maybe I just got a cheap one,  but it was all I could find at the px.

Step 2: Slice into quarters. This was like the easiest step for me!

Step 3: Cut out the core. Obviously if you have an apple slicer/ corer you are way ahead of the game and very smart my friend!

Step 4: Cube the rest of the apples, helps it cook faster. Than add 1/4 cup brown sugar, some cinnamon, some all-spice, and about 1/2 cup of water with the apples into the crock pot and let cook on low over night approximately 10 hours.

Step 5: Take a potato masher, and smash it down to mush land!!! Haha I guess you should proceed to cook it for a couple hours longer but I didn't....so mine is a bit more chunky than would be normal so mine is a mix between apple sauce and apple butter!  Also at this step you can stick it in the blender if you would like no chunks at all!!

Step 6: Can it, or in my case Tupperware it!! And store accordingly!! Or just eat it yummy!!

So my verdict on attempting them both for the first time???


AMAZING, MUST HAVE FALL TREATS, they will be made again next year!!

Apple Pumpkin Crisp!!

I was out walking my dog this evening and boy oh boy has it gotten chilly out there already. Granted I was only wearing jeans, flip flops, and a hoodie, so that could have calculated for some of it. When I packed away my summer clothes my flip flops probably should have went with them and probably will join them sometime tonight before bed.

With all that being said the heaters are turned on low, and the best way to warm a house is to bake!! And well we have tons of apples and I prepared for the season sell out of pumpkin pie filling weeks ago. So when I came across a recipe that used both I was SOLD!! Plus it kinda crosses two things on my list off at once pumpkin pie and apple crisp. But since it is more of a crisp I am going to just cross of apple crisp for this one!

Here is a quick List of what you need:

Ingredients

• 2 cups APPLES, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 cup FLOUR
• 3/4 cup BROWN SUGAR
• 1/4 cup BUTTER, softened
• 3/4 teaspoon PUMPKIN PIE SPICE, divided
• 1 cup PUMPKIN PUREE
• 1/3 cup WHITE SUGAR
• 1/4 cup MILK
• 2 Tablespoons FLOUR
• 1 EGG

And the Directions are so easy you could do it in your sleep!! Okay maybe not!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place apples in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Microwave 2 1/2 – 4 minutes, until apples are crisp tender.

In a small bowl, mix together 3/4 cup flour, brown sugar, butter and 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. Stir together until crumbly, set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, milk, 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice and egg. Pour over apples in pie plate. Sprinkle crisp topping mixture over pumpkin layer.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and set. Let cool 30 minutes, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

As I write this blog I am in the 30 mins cool stage which is TORTURE because it smells so amazing! The cooking 30 mins was nothing because I was working out so I could consume the calories this thing probably has in it!

Would look prettier in a pie pan as it was supposed to but I don't own one!

Wouldn't this be super yummy with ice cream on it?

Here are the yummy results...As I eat it I am wishing I had some Vanilla Ice Cream or Frozen Whipped Cream!!  Can't wait to feed Kyra some tomorrow I can bet she is gonna love it! I even resisted eating more than one even tho my taste buds were screaming at me!

Fall Fun Series!!!

 Hey everyone just swinging by to say: IT'S FALL!! Yup tomorrow it's September and although the first official day of fall isn't until the 21st, I always count the whole month of September in the Fall months!!

And although Christmas is my favorite holiday, Fall is my favorite season!!! Last year I did the 25 days of Christmas Series and got great reviews and everyone loved it!! So this year I thought instead of trying to think up 25 new things for Christmas time, I would celebrate fall!!!

So in the next 3 months be prepared to see (almost) ALL THINGS FALL!! I am so excited to share my love of fall with you and my dear Kyra this year!! So be sure to stick around, because starting tomorrow the fun begins.

Side note: Kyra slept through the night, I think we may have survived the Jet Lag finally!!!

Yummy Pinterest finds!!!

So as one of my goals for the rest of the year was to try some new recipes...Well its only the 1st of July and I have already found 2 recipes that I wanted to put on my blog because they are THAT GOOD!  And really pretty healthy!! I didn't remember to take a picture of the first recipe as the girls and I were super excited to eat it!!

Chicken and Avocado Enchiladas in Creamy Avocado Sauce

Chicken and avocado enchiladas in a creamy and spicy avocado sauce.

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup salsa verde
• 1/2 cup sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
• 2 avocados
• 1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped (remove seeds for less heat)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1/2 lime, juice
• 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
• 2 avocados, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
• 8 (7 inch) tortillas

Directions

1. Puree the chicken broth, salsa verde, sour cream, avocados, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper, cilantro and lime juice in a blender or food processor.
2. Mix the half of the sauce with the chicken, avocado, green onions and half of the cheese.
3. Coat the bottom of a large baking dish with some of the sauce, wrap the chicken and avocado mixture in the tortillas and place them in the dish.
4. Top the enchiladas with the remaining sauce and cheese and bake in a preheated 350F oven until the cheese has melted and the sides are bubbling, about 15-20 minutes.

 Found at www.closetcooking.com 

Comments: The amount of time it took to prep was longer than 10 mins, that is very inaccurate as it does involve a lot of cutting. But it was so worth it. I did a double recipe and put 1 whole Jalapeno, and one with the seeds out and it was like the perfect amount of spicy!! I made 8 for the 4 of us, and 2 kids. And we all only had one each, the avocado and chicken is very filling.

The other recipe was something I made for Kyra and I for dinner tonight. It was amazing, and very simple to make!! If you saw the pictures of both recipes you would laugh I guess I was feeling green, both are very green meals. I was also lucky that a good friend of mine brought me fresh lettuce from her garden!!!

Baked Chicken Stuffed with Pesto and Cheese (Updated Version)

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 T Basil Pesto with Lemon or your favorite commercial pesto
2 T low-fat sour cream
2 T grated mozzarella cheese
(I used heaping tablespoons of pesto, sour cream and cheese)
2 eggs, beaten (or if they're large eggs one will probably be enough)
3 T finely grated Parmesan cheese
3 T almond flour (or almond meal, but almond flour is better for this because it's more finely ground)
black pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Spray a small casserole dish with non-stick spray. Trim any visible fat from chicken breasts, then put them one at a time inside a heavy plastic bag and pound with meat mallet until the chicken is as thin as you can get it. Don't worry too much about the shape or whether there are some loose pieces, you can tuck them in when you roll up the chicken.

In a small bowl mix together the basil pesto, sour cream, and grated mozzarella. Use a rubber scraper to spread a thin layer of this mixture over each chicken breast, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge of the chicken (so it doesn't run out so much as it cooks.) Roll up the chicken breasts and secure them with a couple of toothpicks. (I roll them so the finished piece is as thin as I can get it so they will cook quickly.)

Prepare two bowls, one with the beaten egg and the other with the grated Parmesan-almond flour mixture, seasoned with black pepper to taste. Dip each chicken breast roll first into the egg mixture and then into the Parmesan-almond flour mixture, patting it on so the chicken breast roll is well-coated with the mixture.

Put chicken breasts into the casserole dish and bake until the chicken is firm and lightly browned. (Start checking after about 25-30 minutes; total baking time will be 30-35 minutes.) Serve hot.

Comments: I made the pesto with the pesto packet from the seasoning section at the grocery store, mixed with sour cream and water until it was all mixed in and smooth! Than I added a handful of the cheese. It worked out well, and Im saving the left over sauce for a toasted turkey wrap later this week.

White Girl Fajitas

     Per request I am posting my recipe. These are my fajita's they are white girl fajita's because I am white and I have no idea how to cook Mexican food but this is my compromise and they have received good comments!!

1 Bag of Frozen presliced and precooked chicken or steak
1 Bag of precut frozen bell peppers and onions
1 jar of Salsa as spicy or mild as you choose
1 tsp of Cummin
2 tsp of Paprika
2 tsp of garlic salt
pepper to taste

Add all ingredients in a pan and cook on medium high until they are all hot. Serve in tortilla's with cheese and sour cream.

So easy to make and takes only about 15 mins to cook. Could be done fresh and probably with better results too!!

Taco Casserole

So I have fed a few people this delicious meal and it was something I found a while back in a recipe book. I have no idea which one it was and so make this all from my memory. But it is a family favorite in our house as we eat it at least once a month.

Finally took a picture of it in all its glory!!

Taco Casserole

1 pkg Crescents

1 lb of hamburger or ground turkey(seasoning)

1 can of beans(we used to do refried, but we have moved to black beans)

Shredded Cheese

Doritos

Shredded Lettuce

Tomatoes

Sour cream and salsa(as toppings)

This is a simple recipe and could be made by anyone. I start by preheating the oven to 375* depending on what the package of Crescents say. Than begin browning the ground beef. Cook this until there is no more red, season as you feel needed. I do salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. But have done Taco seasoning also and that tastes good too. Than stir in the beans to get the flavor into them. Once this is all cooked up, lay the crescents out on the pan (9x13 in) in a flat layer. Than you start layering. You add the beans and meat mixture on top of this. Than you crunch up the Doritos and add them, than you layer it with a thick layer of cheese. Bake them according to the Crescent package.

Once this is done cooking take it out and layer the lettuce, diced tomatoes and more cheese on top and serve with Sour cream or salsa as you see fit. This meal is a great one to include both protein and vegtables!

I hope everyone enjoys our favorite meal!! So simple yet a crowd pleaser. I made this for a friend back in Hawaii and she was shocked to see her kids scarfing it down when they normally don't like taco's!