Avocado and Mango with Yogurt

1 mango
1 avocado
1 individual size Oikos Greek pineapple yogurt
honey
sea salt & cayenne or Tajin to taste (optional)

Makes two servings.

• Slice mango and avocado into long narrow pieces.
• Line up on two plates - alternating avocado & mango.
• If you'd like, sprinkle with a touch of sea salt and cayenne.
• Spoon yogurt in a strip over the top.
• Drizzle with honey.

Stuffed Squash

4 Summer Squash
3 slices of Bacon
4 oz Shredded Sharp Cheddar + extra to top with
4 oz Sour Cream
1/2 Medium Onion
Salt & Pepper

-Bring a pot of water to boil & toss in squash whole. Boil6-8 min until squash starts to soften.

-Drain and allow to cool.

- Dice bacon and onion and saute until onions are browned and bacon is crisp.

- Slice squash in half long ways and scoop out the middle into a mixing bowl. Line the squash shells on a baking sheet.

- Mix the bacon, onion, sour cream, salt (I don't measure - guessing 1/2 tsp?) & cheddar with the scooped out portion of the squash and spoon mixture into the squash shells.

- Top with additional cheese and fresh cracked pepper.

- Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until top is brown and bubbly.

Green Monster Smoothie

This is Seth's new favorite breakfast!

In a blender liquify:

1 cup fresh spinach

1/2 cup pineapple

4 oz. Greek yogurt ( I like to freeze it in ice cube trays.)

Big splash of almond milk

Drizzle of honey

Pour and enjoy! 

Cranberry Cashew Chicken Salad

This has become my signature chicken salad and it's always a big hit! This recipe feeds a crowd, but you can divide it for a smaller recipe.

3 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
3 chicken leg quarters
4 stalks celery - finely diced
8 oz. cashews
6 oz. dried cranberries
mayo
salt, pepper, garlic & basil to taste

- Poach, roast or boil chicken just until cooked through.
- Cool.
- Clean leg quarters off the bone. Cut chicken into 1/2" cubes.
- Add in cranberries, celery and cashews.
- Add in seasonings and enough mayo to moisten, but not to overwhelm.
- Mix thoroughly and chill.
- Serve on your choice of bread, crackers, salad greens or on it's own.

I think it's even better the second day. We eat this year round, but it's great on a hot summer day.

Rainbow Salad

You always hear that you should "eat the rainbow" to get a full range of nutrition and I love to try to get the whole rainbow in one meal. Lately we have been loving Rainbow Salad. I just chop up veggies and place them in a rainbow over a bed of mixed greens. Sometimes I even add feta clouds. In this salad I had:

Red - Peppers
Orange - Carrots
Yellow - Squash
Green - Spinach, Romaine
Blue - Blueberries
Indigo/Violet - Grapes, Dried Cranberries

Delicious tossed with a homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette!

Caramel Apple Cobbler

4 apples - peeled, sliced and cored
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
splash lemon juice
1/2 stick butter
2 cups bisquick
1 cup half and half
1 cup apple dip style caramel

- Preheat oven to 375.
- Spray bottom of baking dish with non-stick spray.
- Toss apples in a splash of lemon juice and put in bottom of dish.
- Top with 1/2 cup of brown sugar, butter (sliced), and caramel.
- In separate bowl, mix 3/4 cup brown sugar, half and half and bisquick.
- Pour batter on top and bake about 30-40 min until top is golden brown and batter is cooked through.

Margarita Watermelon

At the beach we made watermelon margaritas and they were really good, but the best part was the watermelon inside them. I decided to make the watermelon by itself. Yum!

Sliced Watermelon
1 Cup Margarita Mix
1/2 Cup Tequilla
1/2 Cup Watermelon Pucker

Pour liquids over sliced watermelon in a storage container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Hawaiian Chicken Pita Pizza

Easy and delicious.

Whole Wheat Pita Bread (6)
Pineapple
Chicken Breast (2)
Colby Jack Cheese - 12 oz
BBQ Sauce

-Pound chicken breast to 1/4 inch thickness between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Salt and pepper each side.
-Add 2 tsp of canola oil to a skillet and sear on medium heat until cooked through. -Slice in thin strips.
-Place pitas on baking sheet and top with a thin layer of your choice of BBQ sauce. (We love Sweet Baby Ray's.) Add thin slices of pineapple and chicken.
-Bake in pre-heated oven at 400° for 7-10 minutes until cheese is melted and edges are crispy.

Plastic Dough

This cold weather has us searching for some new fun things to do inside and the other day we made some plastic dough.

6 drops food coloring
1/4 cup white glue
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water

-Mix white glue, water and food coloring in small bowl until well blended.
-Combine flour and cornstarch in separate bowl.
-Mix both combinations together until dough forms.

Snow Cream

We don't get much snow around here, so when we do we play in it, build snowmen with it, make snow angels with it and even eat it! Last year, when it snowed, we made snow cream but the sugar granules left me wondering, "Is that sugar or is that dirt?" I tweaked the recipe this year to remove the doubt.

1 cup sugar
1 cup half and half
1 cup milk
1/2 gallon of fresh clean snow

Melt 1 cup of sugar into half and half either in the microwave or on low heat on the stove top. Once sugar has dissolved, put in the freezer for 30 minutes until cooled. Remove from freezer and pour into large mixing bowl with milk. Collect fresh, clean snow and stir in until well mixed.

Homemade Chicken Dog Treats

2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 egg
approx 1 cup chicken broth

Put first 5 ingredients in mixer and mix on low, slowly adding broth until soft dough forms. Take out and knead by hand. Roll out and cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven at 350 for 12-18 min. depending on thickness until golden brown. Store in fridge for 2 weeks or freeze up to 6 months.

Oatmeal Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just like grandma used to make.

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tbsp milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together butter and the sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by milk and vanilla. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, then stir in oats, chocolate chips and walnuts by hand. If you want, chill dough for 30 minutes before serving. Drop 1-inch dough onto the cookie sheet, placing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until light golden brown around edges. Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing.

Low-Fal Blueberry Vinaigrette

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3/4 cup blueberries
3 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 Packets Splenda
1 clove garlic
salt
pepper

Put all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Warm Almond Encrusted Goat Cheese Salad

Baby Field Greens
Grapes
Blueberries
Slivered Almonds
Wheat Germ
Egg
Goat Cheese

- Crush slivered almonds and place in bowl with equal parts wheat germ.
-Slice goat cheese into 2oz. rounds and lightly coat in beaten egg. Then place in bowl to coat with almonds/wheat germ. Place back in egg and then back to almonds/wheat germ to double coat.
- Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 min at 350 degrees.
-Fill a bowl with field greens and top with blueberries and halved grapes.
-Top with warm goat cheese medallion and drizzle with blueberry vinaigrette.

Cranberry Jello Surprise

This is a favorite every Thanksgiving - for my mom, sister and I. Usually we are the only ones who eat it. I think Jello scares people but we love it! My sister even requested it for her baby shower! It is delicious - what cranberry sauce wants to be when it grows up.

1 large package Cherry Jello
1 can crushed pineapple
2 packages cream cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can whole cranberry sauce

• Boil water according to Jello package directions and remove from heat (Use a pretty big pot because you will be adding other ingredients.)
• Do NOT add other 2 cups of water as stated on Jello box.
  
• Immediately add in Jello and stir until dissolved.
• Stir in whole cranberry sauce until dissolved also.
• Open pineapple and reserve juice with a tablespoon or two of pineapple. Stir in the rest with the jello and cranberry.
• Stir in walnuts.
• Pour half of the batch in a 9x13 pan. Put in refrigerator and allow to set. Leave the other half out for now.
  
• Mix 2 packs of cream cheese with reserved juice and pineapple until smooth.
• Spread over bottom layer evenly.
• Pour remaining Jello mixture on top and refrigerate until set.
• Enjoy!

Lentil Soup

Lentil soup simmering away.

• 1/2 bag lentils
• 1 onion
• 1 rib celery
• 2 medium carrots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 c chicken stock or broth
• 2 to 4 oz. Kielbasa

Can easily be doubled for leftovers. Freezes and reheats well.

-Heat oil in pan on medium and saute two diced carrots.
-After about three min. add  finely diced onion, diced celery & minced garlic and continue cooking until softened.
-Add finely diced keilbalsa and saute another minute or two. (I like to cut it semi-frozen.)
-Add chicken stock and one bag of rinsed, sorted lentils.

-Salt and pepper to taste.
-Bring to boil and reduce to simmer until lentils are soft - about 45 min.

Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients:

1lb Chicken
1.5 cups White or Brown Rice
Veggies of Your Choosing (pictured here: Carrots, Onion, 2 Cloves Minced Garlic, Broccoli, Cabbage, Sugar Snap Peas, Red Bell Pepper, Zucchini & Mushrooms)
1 can Pineapple Tidbits.
Store bought Teriyaki glaze.
Oil

Begin steaming rice according to package instructions.

In large saute pan or wok heat 1/2 tsp. oil (I use Smart Balance Omega Oil.) Saute chicken until cooked through and set to the side. Heat 1 tsp oil and saute veggies on Med- High heat, starting with the ones that take the longest and every few minutes adding the next.

Timing looks something like this:

Start Carrots. Cook 3 min.
Add onion. Cook 2 min.
Add Garlic. Cook 1 min.
Add Broccoli. Cook 2 min.
Add Cabbage cook 2 min.
Add remaining veggies. Cook 2 min. (You may add a bit more oil throughout cooking process if needed.)

Add canned pineapple - juice and all - along with chicken and 1/2 bottle teriyaki and mix until heated.

Serve over rice.

Carolina Mustard BBQ Sauce

• 1 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup white or apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• cayenne, salt & pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in saucepan and stir over medium heat until smooth and begins to thicken.

Crock Pot Barbeque - Pulled Chicken or Pork

1 Boston Butt or approx 6 lbs. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
a few garlic cloves, minced
salt
pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar - on pork
1/2 cup water

Put a splash of water in a crock pot with a large pack of chicken breast or a Boston Butt seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and brown sugar. (Vinegar as well for the pork.) Set it on low and cook 8-10 hours. You can test it - when it's basically falling apart when you touch it with a fork, it's done. Drain into a colander and then return to crock and set in fridge just until it's cool enough to handle. Shred with a fork. On the pork you will have to clean out the fat. Sauce with your favorite BBQ sauce ( I prefer mustard on pork and tomato on chicken.) and set back on low heat. Serve when hot.

Quiche

1 pre-made pie crust
4 Jumbo Eggs
2 Cups Sharp Shredded Cheddar
3/4 cup half and half
fillings of your choice (favorites include 1/2 sauteed onion & 1/2 head blanched broccoli or 1 cup fresh spinach and 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms)
salt and pepper to taste

• Pre-heat oven to 400.
• Place crust in quiche or pie pan.
• Fill with cheese an fillings.
• Whip eggs, half and half , salt and pepper for 1 minute.
• Pour into crust.
• Bake approx. 40 min. until quiche is firm and golden brown on top.