Since most of us around here have either gone Gluten Free or have reduced/eliminated most grains – we thought it was time to give QUINOA a try. I wanted my first attempt cooking QUINOA to become a regular breakfast staple.  Apple Pie Quinoa was just the thing to win over dear hubby and at least one of the kids.  I cook this recipe on the stove top.  Sometimes I make a double batch, pour it up in those little half pint jars and let them cool before sealing them.  On the go breakfast is now easy and healthier for us.  The little jars can be reheated and taken along for the ride to work or school or where ever. This batch will make about 4 1 cup servings, or fill 8 half pint jars.

• 1 cup rinsed organic quinoa
• 2 cups water, or milk, or unsweetened coconut milk
• dash salt
• 1 small tart apple cored and diced into small bits (peeling is optional)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to suit your taste buds)
• 1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1-2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar OR 1-2 Stevia packets (I like to use Toffee Flavored Stevia Drops)

In a medium sized sauce pan, add the rinsed quinoa and the water or milk, along with the diced apple.   Bring mixture to  boil then reduce to a simmer, cover, and continue cooking seeds until they are translucent and have spiraled a bit (10-15 minutes).  Watch pan carefully and do not let quinoa boil dry.  A little extra water can be added if needed. When grain is cooked, add the salt, cinnamon, nuts, butter, and brown sugar or Stevia.  Best served warm.  Someone here put real cream over the top of theirs.  I heard it was yummy!

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Tags: apple pie, Breakfast, Gluten Free, quinoa

These are a family favorite around here.  Nobody will ever know they are Gluten Free unless you tell them.  I adapted this recipe just a bit from Dr. Axe’s cookbook.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 24 muffin cups with cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl mix the following:

• 1 3/4 cups Bob’s Gluten Free Flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

In a separate bowl add the following, using a wire whisk to blend:

• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup maple syrup or honey
• 1/2 cup grapeseed oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk or yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.  Then add the following:

• 2-3 ripe mashed bananas
• 1 cup chocolate chips (mini chips work best)
• 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

Use a 1/4 cup measure to fill muffin cups lined with cupcake liners 2/3 full.  Place in preheated oven and bake approximately 20-25 minutes or until muffins are golden brown and fully cooked.

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If you were raised in the South, you probably are familiar with the term “HISSY FIT.”  A HISSY FIT can be “pitched” or “thrown”.  In my childhood, I would often hear a friend refer to his or her mom pitching a HISSY FIT.  This simply means that someone or something had caused Mom to become quite agitated with said person or circumstances to the point where Mom would be come hot with anger and in a temper, throw or pitch a fit. I only know of 2 people who ever caused my own Mom to “pitch a hissy fit.”  One was my Dad.  I’m not telling who the other person was.

The name of this recipe is quite fitting since it will smack  your taste buds with a passionate dose of heat.  It can be used to dip crackers, corn chips, or even veggie sticks for those Low Carbers out there.  Whatever you choose to dip, this recipe is a welcome change to the typical Rotel/Velveeta dip.  It was a hit here at a family gathering.  I first heard of this recipe from Texas Recipes.com and of course changed it up a little.  There are different versions out there though.

Add the following to a preheated crock pot:

• 16 oz sour cream
• 8 oz Velveeta Cheese
• 1 cup Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, or White Cheddar Cheese
• 8-16 oz cooked pork sausage (mild or HOT to suit your taste)
• 1/2 cup diced green onions
• 1 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• salt and black pepper to suit your taste

Stir ingredients occasionally until cheeses are melted and ingredients are well blended.  Serve with corn chips, saltines, or sliced veggies.  Leftoever dip can be stored in fridge and reheated in the microwave or crock pot IF there are any!

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Tags: cheese, dip, hissy fit, low carb, sausage

These Easter Egg Bird Nests are a tradition at our house.  This is another fun recipe the kids enjoy helping me make each Easter.  They are incredibly tasty and equally easy to make.  They don’t last long so make a batch and enjoy!

• 1 12oz package of Chow Mien Noodles –slightly crunched
• 1 12 oz package of chocolate chips
• 8 oz (1/2 pound) white almond bark
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 package malted Easter eggs, (multi colored)

In microwave safe bowl melt chocolate chips and white almond bark.  Microwave a minute at a time, stirring after each minute.  Repeat process until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Then add the peanut butter and mix well.

Next add the chow mien noodles and stir until all noodles are well coated.

Tear off a couple of 18” sheets of wax paper.

Using a ¼ cup measure, scoop out some of the chocolate noodle mixture.  Drop mixture onto wax paper.

Use a spoon to finish shaping the nests.  Our nests were 3-4” in diameter.  Use the back side of a spoon or scoop to make the “bowl” of each nest. Drop 3-4 malted eggs into each “bowl” of the nest.

When nests have hardened, remove them from wax paper and transfer to a pretty serving dish.  These are quite festive  served atop edible Easter grass.

Printable Recipe

Easter Egg Bird Nests

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I intended to create a corn beef and hash recipe for St. Patrick’s Day, but did not need to pay $20 for a beef brisket cut at the grocery.  Here’s a poor man’s version of an Irish beef dinner called Irish Skillet Beef.  The bacon and cabbage compliment the tanginess of the seasoning and mustard.  All you need is some Irish soda bread and you’ve got yourself a complete meal.

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup fresh diced onion
• 2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 pound Ore Ida Hash Brown Potatoes O’Brian
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 2 Tablespoons Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon course ground black pepper
• 4 cups shredded green cabbage
• 4 strips cooked crumbled bacon

In a small mixing bowl, combine the beef broth, apple juice, white vinegar, yellow mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Whisk to blend and set aside.

In a large iron skillet, brown the ground beef with the fresh diced onion. Drain any excess grease. Add the vegetable oil and hash browns to the beef and onions. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until hash browns are lightly browned, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add the liquid mixture and the shredded cabbage and bacon and cook another 5-10 minutes over medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve immediately while hot with some Irish soda bread.

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Ever had a fried Hershey Bar?  They are incredible!  We made these on our last camping trip of this season.  How can one go wrong with fried batter and chocolate?  I used 2 of the large 4.4 oz size bars (I regular, one Special Dark) and scored each along the retangular lines printed on the bar.  There are no words I can think of to describe these delectable chocolate treats.  Appreciation and comprehension will only come by tasting these for yourself.

• 3 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 ½ teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 medium eggs
• 2 large 4.4 oz Hershey Bars cut along score lines (the family preferred Heshey’s Special Dark)
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Directions:

In a deep medium skillet or deep fryer, heat the oil over medium-high heat until temperature reaches 375 degrees. (Use a deep-fat thermometer).

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and add the milk, vanilla, and eggs; whisk until smooth.

When oil reaches 375 degrees, the pieces of scored Hershey bar can be dipped in batter. Using a small set of tongs or a fork, carefully lift the battered piece of chocolate out of the mixture, letting excess drip off chocolate.  Place dipped pieces of chocolate into hot grease, being careful not to splatter grease.  Fry 6-8 pieces at a time in skillet. Use tongs or fork to flip battered chocolate if necessary.  Fry pieces until golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes.  Remove fried Hershey bites from hot oil and drain on layers of paper towels.  Sprinkle fried Hershey bites with powdered sugar.  Serve while bites are still warm and have lots of milk handy!

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Here’s an easy variation of Best Brownies.  I’ve added some instant coffee and frosted them with a mint butter cream icing.  Perfect for Valentine’s Day!  Bake them for all the people you love who also love coffee, or just bake them for yourself.  Enjoy!

• 2 sticks melted butter
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup instant coffee crystals (1/2 cup if you like your coffee strong!)
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1 Tablespoon peppermint extract
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.  Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add the butter and instant coffee crystals. Microwave for a minute or until butter melts.   Mix butter and instant coffee until coffee crystals are dissolved and well blended.    Add the sugar and mix well. Next add the eggs and mix well.  Add vanilla and peppermint extract and blend.  Finally add the flour mixture and stir until well blended.  Pour brownie batter into a greased 13×9 baking dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Remove brownies from oven and cool them completely before frosting.

For the frosting:

• 2 pounds  of powdered sugar
• 2 stick butter
• 4 Tablespoons milk or cream
• 1 Tablespoon peppermint extract
• 4-6 drops red food coloring

In a deep bowl add the soft butter and powdered sugar.  Mix on low speed with electric mixer until butter is well blending into powdered sugar.  Add the peppermint extract and the milk.  Whip on high speed until frosting is fluffy and spreading consistency.  Add another Tablespoon of milk to make icing a little thinner if desired.  Add enough red food coloring to make a pink tinted frosting.  Ice brownies.  Chill slightly before cutting into squares.

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How is everyone doing keeping their resolution to becoming healthier?  Remember it takes about 3 weeks to change a behavior pattern.  Keep on keeping on!  I believe we have to keep our menu choices healthy and tasty and have enough variety that we do not get bored.  I’m here to help with the variety.  So this week, I’ve created a new breakfast shake – Banana Split, made with VISALUS (click link for purchasing info) sweet cream protein powder.  This shake passed the kid taste test at our house. I’ve never seen them down a shake so fast.  But don’t worry – although it tastes like a Banana Split, it’s still packed with protein and nutrients and low on calories.  Here’s what you need:

• 1 serving of VISALUS Sweet Cream Protein Powder Mix – (2 scoops)
• 1 cup ice cubes (more or less to suit the thickness to your liking)
• 2 1″ Banana chunks (fresh or frozen)
• 2 Frozen Strawberries
• 1 Tablespoon peanut butter
• 2-3 Maraschino Cherries
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, or almond, or skim, or soy milk

Add all the ingredients above to a blender and mix until smooth, varying the shake’s smoothness by adding more/less ice or coconut milk. Top with the following for garnish is desired:

• 1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Hershey’s syrup
• 1 Tablespoon Redi-Whip Topping

Approximate nutritional content with the syrup and cream topping – 320 calories, 17 grams protein, 13.5 grams carbs, 7.5 grams fiber, 14.5 grams fat.

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Tags: banana, banana split, clean eating, diet, Protein Shake

Almost 3 years ago, one of our teenage sons decided to give up soda.  Yay for Micah!  We are so proud of him for making healthy choices at such a young age.  I rarely buy soda or even make sweet tea anymore.  Once the body gets used to being hydrated with adequate water, I believe cravings for sugary drinks go away and one begins to really enjoy drinking water.

You can infuse your water with just about any type of fruit and your favorite herb leaves.  Since cucumber is recommended for detox why not slice an organic one and add it to a couple of quarts of water along with some lemon slices and mint leaves?  We also like the flavor of fresh basil (oh how I miss my basil plants in the garden) infused in our water.  I like to place the cucumber slices, lemon slices, and about 8-10 leaves in 2 quarts of water along with some ice and fill our beverage dispenser.  I like to leave the dispenser just setting out on the counter during the day.  More water can also be added as needed.  Or the dispenser can be placed in the refrigerator for filling empty glasses through out the day.  We find this combination very refreshing.

The cucumber and lemon slices and herbal leaves should most likely be discarded after 24 hours.

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Tags: detox, diet, flavored water, helathy, infused water, water

Happy New Year everybody!  Now is the time when many folks are ready to get serious about healthy habits. One way to a new you this year is to give some serious thought to what goes in your body for breakfast. So many traditional breakfast foods work against our healthy goals we set.  Sugary cereal, donuts, bagels, pop tarts, frozen waffles or pancakes, jelly on biscuits or toast, gravy, “nutri-grain” bars – check the ingredient list for an eye opening smack in the face.  These traditional breakfast foods are nothing more than genetically modified grain and sugar. And such nutrient empty foods leave most eaters with a sugar crash by mid-morning while helping their bodies store more and more fat.

On a hectic busy morning my default breakfast is a healthy protein shake.  It is possible to create a tasty shake packed with protein and nutrients that is also low in sugar.  I like to buy Pro-Optimal Whey vanilla powder from www.mercola.com.  MERCOLA’s (click link for info) protein powder is all organic whey protein, 90 calories per scoop, non GMO, and very low in carbs.  Many friends of mine like VISALUS MIX (click here to order)  which is non GMO soy based protein.  And Xingular makes a LEAN shake also packed with non GMO soy protein. Once you pick a healthy protein powder that tastes great. you will be on your way to countless healthy combinations.  Here’s one of my favorites – Orange Creamsicle Shake:

In a blender or Vita-Mix place the following

• 1 cup unsweetened SO coconut milk, (can also use rice or almond milk)
• 1 cup water – can add more or less to make shake thicker or thinner
• 1 serving of your favorite protein powder mix
• 1/4 cup OJ
• 2 packets TRUE ORANGE (ordered mine from AMAZON.COM) but stores carry TRUE LEMON and TRUE LIME packets as well
• 2-3 drops Orange Oil
• 2 packets Stevia

Pulse all these ingredients together in a blender until smooth.  You can add more water or coconut milk to achieve desired consistency.  Add real cream if desired (but 1 Tablespoon has approximately 50 calories).

When I make this shake using Mercola Pro Optimal Whey Vanilla, and the SO unsweetened cooconut milk, the shake has over 20 grams of protein, less than 5 carbs, and under 140 calories and keeps me feeling full all morning long.

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