Banana Oat Shake

I found this on a blog and I love it, it fills me up until well into the afternoon. Sometimes I add strawberries or other fruit to mix it up, but I like it straight up with banana too.

1/2 c. plain vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. oats
1 banana, cut in fourths
2 t. honey
2 t. ground flax seed (i add this for my omega-3)

Enjoy!

Per Alpha's Request

Got together with such a great group of people last night and made mozzarella cheese and then made pizza with it. Got this pizza crust recipe from Elaine, I adore it, and, after last night, some other people do too. So here you go Alpha and others. No rising time necessary. Enjoy!

1 pkg dry yeast [=2 1/4 tsp]
1 c. warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil [or olive oil]
2 1/2 c. flour

directions:dissolve yeast in warm water, then add oil to water.combine dry ingredients.add water to dry ingredients. beat vigorously 20 strokes.let rest 5 mins.

bake 20-25 mins at 425 degrees

Fresh Strawberry Bars and Hello

Hi everyone, I'm Robyn. I'm Ellen's cousin (by marriage) and I was excited to see this blog. I'm a stay at home mama, I love to blog, I love cooking and am excited to share recipes with you girls. I've already seen some yummy ones on here that I want to try.

Here is another way to use up strawberries... or an excuse to buy the flat! I made these bars for book club when I hosted at my house the other night, and they were a huge hit. Girls even asked to take some home for their husbands. Perfect for me, since I didn't feel compelled to devour the rest of them the next day! It's like a peanut butter blondie with a big dose of summertime on top. They're great because I usually have all the ingredients on hand...

The only notes I have for the recipe is to be sure and use freezer jam, and also, I used crunchy peanut better because that was all I had, but I think it gave the crust more texture, so I used it again the next time, too. I think you could bake a little longer than the time required, depending on how things are looking. I also served it with some fresh whipped cream on top.

Fresh Strawberry Bars (via BHG magazine)

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup strawberry jam
  
• 4 cups small whole strawberries, halved or quartered

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil beyond the edges. Set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and peanut butter on medium to high for 30 seconds. Beat in sugars, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

3. Spread dough in prepared pan. Bake 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned and toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.

4. Cool completely on rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Spread jam and top with berries. Cut into bars. Serve at once or refrigerate up to 6 hours. Makes 24 bars

Nutrition Facts

Calories 225, Total Fat (g) 10, Saturated Fat (g) 5, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 4, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 33, Sodium (mg) 143, Carbohydrate (g) 30, Total Sugar (g) 18, Fiber(g) 1, Protein (g) 4.

Easy, Healthy Dinner

There is nothing I love more than a simple, inexpensive, healthy dinner. It really doesn't get simpler than this. This recipe is kind of an obvious one, but we love it so much I wanted to share it any way.


Sweet & Sour Chicken Bowl


chicken breast (however much you want)
brown rice
brocolli
pineapple tidbits
sweet & sour sauce (we love this kind - plus it is only $2)

optional:
onion
peppers


Cut up chicken into cubes and cook in frying pan with olive oil. Meanwhile, cook rice on stove or in rice cooker. Steam brocolli and cook whatever other veggies you want to add in. Put rice in bowl, add chicken, brocolli, pineapple, and other veggies and pour on sauce. Voila! That's it.

**Tip for buying chicken: buying organic or all natural chicken really is more economical. Have you ever noticed how regular chicken seems to shrink when you cook it? It is because regular chicken is generally smaller because they don't let the chickens grow to full size before they kill them so they end up pumping it with saline to make it appear bigger. I noticed this on my own and then had it confirmed when Jared worked for Winder Farms and they used it as a selling point for their organic chicken. Not to mention it tastes better and you can feel better when you eat your chicken knowing that was treated well!

double stuffed sweet potatoes

• pre heat oven to 350/400 (whatever you think best)
  
• cut sweet potatoes in half and brush with olive oil
  
• when they are nice and soft take them out and spoon out the inside
• put in plastic bowl
• add in a couple spoonfuls of cream cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• a little bit of curry powder
• a sprinkling of anise seeds
• mix it up
  
• put back in potato skins
• sprinkle cut chives on top
• put back in oven for a little bit
• serve with plain greek yogurt, black beans and rice, and some sparkling water and you are set!
  

seriously SO good.

tasty chicken burritos

2-4 frozen chicken breasts 
1 Cup salsa
1 Cup chicken broth
1 can corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
package taco seasoning (if you're just using 2 ckn. breasts, the don't use the whole package)

place everything in the crockpot and cook on low 4-6 hrs. ( or if you're in a hurry... on high for 2.5 - 3 hours) 
Serve like a burrito in a flour tortilla with cheese and sour cream

( I also serve it with avocado and I squeeze a bit of lime on my burrito) 

feeds 4-6 people

( not spicy. very tasty.) 

Help!

Dear Recipe Friends:

I need cooking help. Jared and I are having a couple and their little girl over from our ward tonight for dinner and I'm not sure what I should cook. I don't know them very well so I need to cook something that is pretty mellow-tasting (not too spicy or too risky, etc.), but that is healthy and that a 2 year-old would also like. Any ideas??

I know that you guys are up to the challenge (that is, if my cooking friends actually check this blog periodically).

Thanks!
Elle

Melt-in-your-mouth Strawberry Muffins

So because Heather has already shared two awesome recipes, I started to feel like a slacker so I'm sharing a recipe I tried out over the weekend. Jared's dear mother and sister stayed with us over the weekend so I was excited to try out this healthy muffin recipe I found very unexpectedly on the foil of our organic, Stonyfield yogurt tupperware. 

I am not a huge muffin fan, but this recipe looked fruity and moist enough for my liking. Not to mention, I always buy a few more strawberries than I ever end up eating so I figured this would be a good way to make use of them. These muffins really did melt in my mouth, just for the record. 

Enough talk, here is the recipe: 

Ingredients: 

1 c all-purpose flour

1 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c sugar

1-1/2 t baking soda

2 eggs

1 cup Stonyfield Farm yogurt (or any vanilla or plain yogurt, I'm sure)

1/4 c butter, melted

1 t vanilla

1 cup chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and baking soda. In another bowl, mix eggs, yogurt, butter and vanilla. Toss strawberries into the flour mixture. Then pour yogurt mixture into flour mixture and stir. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden brown. Yields: 12 muffins

Nutrition facts: 

Calories 150

Calories from fat 45

Total fat 5g

Carbs 24g

Protein 4g

Fiber 2g

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

Lettuce

Spinach

Avocado

2 cans mandarin oranges

Mushrooms

8 oz bacon cooked, dried & chunked 

2 hard boiled eggs

Dressing:

(sooo yummy) 

1/2 C sugar

1 tsp. Dry mustard

1 tsp salt

1/2 C olive oil

1/2 C veg oil

1/2 C vinegar

1/4 C grated onion

blend and add 1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds

love, heather ferg