pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

A friend of mine gave me this yummy recipe! I tweaked it a bit and made it gluten free. I love that they are not overly sweet--I don't feel sick after I eat one . . . or two or three . . .

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. canned pumpkin
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
0.5 c. butter
1 egg
2.25 c. gluten free flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
0.5 tsp sea salt
1 Tbls. pure vanilla extract
0.25 c. pure maple syrup
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life brand)

Mix all the wet ingredients then add all the dry ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy the fall!

chicken and rice mexican soup (with lime!)

I love to experiment with what I have on hand and I love all recipes that involve salsa, cumin and lime! This soup is delish!

This may look like a lot of ingredients, but most are easy ingredients to open and throw in.

1 Tbls. olive oil
2 c. diced carrot
.5 c. chopped onion
1.5 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cumin
1 can black beans
1 jar salsa verde (I used the 14oz jar from Trader Joe's)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 32 oz. container chicken broth
1-2 limes, squeeze right into the soup (I love the lime taste, but my family prefers I just use one)
2-4 Tbls. fresh cilantro depending on how much you like cilantro
2 c. chopped, cooked chicken
2.5 c. cooked brown rice

In a large pot, cook carrots in olive oil until tender. Add everything else and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let simmer for 1-2 hours.

beefy bean freezer meal

I love freezer cooking and this meal is EASY to prepare and FREEZE!

For my family, I serve this with all the fixings, including soft flour tortilla shells. For me, I simply throw it on a bed of lettuce and call it a taco salad. No gluten, less calories. See those RED looking tomatoes--they are fresh from our garden--yum!

This recipe makes 3-4 meals depending on the size of your family. With our family of 2 adults and 3 kids, I can use it for 4 meals. We eat one and I freeze the rest!

Beefy Bean Burrito/Salad:

3 pounds ground beef 

3 onions, chopped (I actually used dried onion--simpler and my eyes don't water)

12 cloves of garlic, minced (I used Trader Joe's fresh garlic that is already minced)

3 (16oz) cans refried beans

3 (12-14oz) jars of your favorite salsa (I used Trader Joe's Salsa Verde or a fresh red salsa)

3 Tbls. cumin

2 (4oz) cans diced green chiles 

In a large skillet pan, brown the ground beef and drain well. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Simmer at least 15 minutes to blend flavors. Serve with your favorite burrito fixings. Bag the remaining mixture in gallon size freezer bags and label for your freezer. Thaw and warm when you are ready to use. 

I adapted this recipe from The Everything Meals for a Month Cookbook. 

"oatmeal" raisin cookies paleo style

These are so yummy! And so good for you. In moderation of course . . . 

Ingredients:

2 c. almond meal (coarse almond flour that I get from Trader Joe's)

0.5 c. flax seed meal

0.5 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut

0.5 c. raw sunflower seeds

0.5 c. raw pumpkin seeds

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 eggs

0.5 c. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

0.5 c. coconut oil (melted)

1 c. raisins

*Alternate add-in for chocolate lovers: 2 Tbls. unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients. Mix wet and dry ingredients. Drop tablespoon-sized amounts of cookie batter onto your slip-mat, stoneware or parchment paper. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

This recipe (minus the cocoa powder) is take from my new favorite cookbook: Make it Paleo

salsa verde soup

This soup is so yummy! I love anything with salsa or a Mexican flare, and this soup fits the bill!

1 c. cooked and chopped chicken
1 c. chopped carrots
1 can great northern beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can red beans (drained and rinsed)
1 red onion (chopped)
1 Tbls. olive oil
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbls. fresh cilantro or 3 tsp. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cumin
1 orange
1  14 oz jar of salsa verde (I use Trader Joe's brand)
1  4 oz can diced green chilies
32 oz of chicken broth

Saute in oil the carrots and onion until tender. Take the orange and finely shred 1 tsp. of the peel. Juice the orange and add both to the soup. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Bring soup to a simmer and then turn down to low and let simmer for 2 hours. Enjoy!

steel cut oatmeal in the crock pot

The cold weather finally hit us yesterday. I made this yummy oatmeal in the crock pot last night and enjoyed staying warm this morning! This is super easy to throw together!

1 c. steel cut oats (you cannot use regular oatmeal, it will get too soggy)
.5 c. dried craisins or raisins
.25 c. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
.5 tsp. salt
.5 c. almond milk (or your milk of choice)
4 c. water

Throw it all in the crock pot before you go to bed and cook it on low for 8-10 hours. Serves 4. Enjoy!

fat free banana muffins

Oh. My. Goodness. Run, don't walk, to your kitchen now. See those over-ripe bananas sitting in your fruit basket? Grab them. Now.

This is hands down, my favorite muffin recipe. I found it here on one of my favorite healthy eating recipe blogs. I adapted it to make it a little more to my liking and made it into muffins instead of bread--much easier to freeze and grab an individual sized serving. And at only 80 calories per muffin, they are the perfect little snack!

Banana Muffins
(makes 12-14 muffins)
2 c Sweet Sorghum Flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 c almond milk (or regular milk if you aren't lactose free)
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 c agave nectar
1/4 c pure maple syrup
1.5 Tbls fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 c tightly-packed,  mashed banana (measured after mashing--takes about 4-ish bananas)

Combine dry ingredients and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients and mix into dry. Bake at 350 degrees in a muffin liner in your muffin tin for 20-25 minutes. Check with a toothpick after 20 minutes.

This may look like a lot of ingredients, but I can throw this together and get them in the oven in 10 minutes. And my kids LOVE to mash the bananas!

Alternate add-ins:
1/4 c peanut butter
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c raisins
1/4 c walnuts
I haven't added ALL of these things at once, just one at a time. If you add some of these, your muffin will no longer be fat free, but they add a little something special to your muffin!

butternut squash chili

Fall is just around the corner here in California and I love making soups and stews to warm us up!

Butternut Squash Chili

1 Tbls. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lb. chicken basil sausage

1 lb. butternut squash--peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies

1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz) can kidney beans

1 (15 oz) can white northern beans

1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce

1.5 cups chicken broth

1 Tbls. chili powder

1 Tbls. ground cumin

1 tsp. garlic salt

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic. Cook until tender. Add chicken sausage and cook until no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Add everything else. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes. Enjoy!

everything yummy cookie

Whenever I make these cookies, I get requests for the recipe. I think people like eating something that tastes good and doesn't leave them feeling sick or guilty afterwards! So, this is for the friends that keep asking me for this recipe--sorry it took me so long to get it on my blog. Enjoy!

3 c. almond flour (almond meal at TJ's is cheap)
1 c. oat flour (you can just blend oatmeal really well if you don't have this on hand)
1 c. coconut flour (this is a must!)
1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. honey
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup organic raisins
1/3 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (optional)

Mix wet ingredients first, then dry and finally add your raisins and chocolate chips.

Bake at 325 degrees (make sure you don't do 350) for 14-18 minutes (check them!) until they just start to look light brown on top. This recipe will make a big batch. I put them in my freezer and eat them right out of the freezer. This is my favorite way to eat them!

peanut butter chocolate chips balls

Ready for another yummy and healthy treat? Need some extra protein in your diet? Then these are just for you!

1 c. ground oatmeal (just process in your food processor)
.75 c. natural peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
.25 c. agave nectar
.33 c. shredded unsweetened coconut
.5 c. mini chocolate chips (These do have sugar in them, so you don't have to use them. You could substitute raisins. I use Enjoy Life's dairy-nut-soy free chocolate chips found at Whole Foods.)

Process the oatmeal first. Next, add the peanut butter, agave nectar and coconut.  Process. Add the chocolate chips last and process just until blended. Form 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Freeze for at least and hour and then transfer into a ziploc bag and store in your freezer. You can eat these right out of the freezer. Yum! Calorie count is 75 calories per ball. Enjoy!

cashew date balls

Want a sweet treat with little guilt? These are good for you and taste great too! And are so easy to make in a jiffy!

.75 c. raw cashews
1.5 c. pitted dates
2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbls. natural peanut butter
1 Tbls. agave nectar (or honey)
1 Tbls. pure maple syrup (no Aunt Jemima here)
.5 c. unsweetened shredded coconut

Blend well in your food processor. Shape into 1 inch balls (I use my small melon ball scooper). They come out a little sticky, so I roll them in unsweetened coconut and they are perfect. I like to store mine in the freezer and eat them cold. They are not too hard to eat right away. You could store them in the refrigerator as well. They are only 75 calories each--a great snack when you need a little pick me up! Hope you like them!

kale chips

Recently, my friend Gina and I tried out a new restaurant: Baagan. It's completely vegan. I am not a vegetarian or a vegan, I love my chicken and cheese. I was a bit skeptical. But after hearing so many people talk about it, I had to try it. OH. MY. So good! If you go, try the spinach veggie wrap with pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. I've also tried one of their dairy free smoothies . . . also incredible. But what I discovered that I was most excited about was KALE CHIPS. I had never had kale in my life . . . and never had the desire to try it. After trying one of their samples, I bought a 1.4 oz bag for $4. Yes, expensive. I decided to try and figure out the recipe on my own. After a couple of tries, I am enjoying them at home for a fraction of the cost. And I thought I would share with you!

Kale Chips Ingredients:

1 bunch kale

1/2 medium red bell pepper

1 cup raw cashews (soak in filtered water for 8+ hours, drain)

4 Tbls. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/4 c. nutritional yeast (I had to ask for this--found it at Sprouts)

1 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbls. agave nectar (or you could try honey)

Blend everything in your food processor until it is the consistency of hummus. Next comes the messy part. Tear your kale into big bite size pieces (they will get smaller) and put the kale and blended ingredients in a large bowl. Mix really well with your fingers. Below is a picture of what the kale and mixture looks like before it is dehydrated:

I took this picture at night, so it's not the best, but you get the idea.

I have tried making these with my dehydrator and with my oven. Not everyone has a dehydrator on hand, but never fear, as your oven will work! Ideally, I like the consistency and crunch better with the dehydrator. The oven makes them a tiny bit more crunchy. 

With a dehydrator: I make these at dinner time the night before and let my dehydrator run overnight, so it's about 12 hours. Just check them and you'll know when they are done.

With an oven: Set your oven to it's lowest possible temperature. Mine only goes down to 170 degrees. I baked them for approximately 10 hours.

Kale is one of the best vegetables you can eat if you are trying to get more protein in your diet! And it has a ton of other benefits as well. If you are local, be sure and try out Baagan restaurant. The owner is really nice and remembered my name on my second visit! A huge, delicious sandwich wrap is only $6 . . . and I would pay more . . . they are that good! Have a great day!

Italian Dip

My friend Tanya shared this recipe with me a few years ago and it's always a hit wherever I bring it. It involves a little chopping and shredding, but it is SO worth it!

Ingredients:

1 lb. monterey jack cheese, shredded

2-3 roma tomatoes, chopped in little pieces

1 4oz. can black olives, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, chopped

1 4oz. can diced green chilies

1 medium jalapeno, finely chopped

1 package Italian dressing mix (then make according to directions with oil and vinegar, no water)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. Pour dressing over and mix well. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with the chips of your choice. Pictured here, I have Trader Joe's Rice and Black Bean chips. Yum!

lentil bean dip

You are going to want to RUN to Trader Joe's for this recipe! It is SO EASY and SO GOOD! This is all you need to buy:

A gal in my homeschooling group made this for us a couple of months ago and I have made it several times since. Everyone raved about it when she made it! It's healthy and it takes minutes to make. You just dump everything in a bowl and stir! I served mine with organic corn chips and carrots. You could serve it with your favorite bread or pita chips too. (Also, you don't have to buy pre-cooked lentils, you can cook them yourself and save a little money.)Yummy!

p.s. Everything doesn't have to be from TJ's--not everyone has one near them--just bruschetta, lentils and feta--whatever your favorite brands are!

Don't forget, you have until Friday to leave me a comment on my last post if you want to be in on the magazine giveaway. Have a great day!

cheesy ham and broccoli bake

Our family does not eat much pasta, my kids don't like macaroni and cheese, but they loved this dish! It is pretty easy to put together and you can make it gluten and lactose free! I experimented with a few different recipes until I put together the ingredients in a way that was healthy for me to eat and yet yummy so that my family would eat it.

Ingredients:

4 cups brown rice pasta (measured dry)

1.5 cups diced ham (I use nitrate free ham found at Whole Foods)

1.5 cups chopped frozen broccoli

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tbls butter

3 Tbls gluten free flour

10 ounces lactose free milk (or regular if lactose isn't an issue)

1 cube vegetable bouillon

.25 tsp salt

3 Tbls plain yogurt (or sour cream if it doesn't bother you)

1. Cook pasta according to directions

2. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour until it has absorbed the butter. Slowly add the milk and stir until the sauce is thick and smooth. Add the bouillon and stir until dissolved. Season with salt. Stir in the plain yogurt. Stir in HALF the cheese.

3. Chop the ham into bite sized pieces. Chop the broccoli into bite sized pieces. Stir both into the sauce.

4. After the pasta has finished cooking, rinse and drain. Add the pasta to the mixture. Stir well.

5. Transfer entire mixture to a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

turkey and hummus wrap

Looking for a healthy, low calorie lunch you can make for yourself? This is one of my favorites lately!

Brown rice tortilla from Trader Joe's (gluten free and so good for you) 130 cal.
Sliced oven-roasted turkey from Costco (nitrate/nitrite free) 90 cal.
1 Tbls hummus of your choice (my favorite is Trader Joe's Tomato Basil) 20 cal.
1 oz aged cheddar cheese 110 cal. (you can use a lower fat cheese if you want less calories)
Lettuce and tomatoes--these calories don't count!

Total calories: 330

Put it all together, wrap it up, and you have a YUMMY lunch! Enjoy!

minestrone soup

Feeling cold today? I am freezing . . . well, freezing by California standards anyway. Here is something that is sure to warm you up! I had some girlfriends over for lunch the other day and they all asked me for this recipe . . . so, this is for you girls!

1.5 c diced carrots
2 c diced zucchini (2 medium zucchini)
.5 c diced red onion
6 cloves of garlic (I used Trader Joe's minced garlic in the jar)
2 cans diced tomatoes (or only one if you aren't a huge tomato fan)
1 can tomato paste (this is a key ingredient!)
1 can kidney beans or white northern beans
2 tsp salt
2 Tbls dried basil (I use 6 cubes of the frozen basil that you can get at Trader Joes or I use a half cup of fresh basil if I have it)
2 tsp dried oregano (again, I use fresh if I can--tastes even better)
8 c chicken broth

Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in large pot and add onion, garlic, carrots and zucchini. Cook until soft, stiring frequently. Add spices and cook two more minutes. Add the remainder of your ingredients and turn your stove top to low. Cook for 2-3 hours uncovered.

Add ins
I frequently add half a pound of mild italian chicken sausage from Whole Foods. I didn't have it on hand when I made it this day. Occasionally I will add some gluten free pasta. If you do this, add another cup of water as the pasta soaks up a lot of the liquid.

Hope you like it!

freezer cooking

When I had my second child 4.5 years ago, I wondered how I would ever get anything done . . . especially things like cooking. I wanted to continue to cook healthy and not break the bank either. So, I asked my husand to get me a freezer for the garage . . . I had one two days later that he purchased off of Craigslist. I started doubling recipes whenever I cooked so that I could stockpile meals in the freezer. I just used my own recipes . . . I didn't realized there were books out there dealing with this very topic . . . until recently.

My neighbor and I got together yesterday and made 32 meals in 3.25 hours. We each took home 16 meals. We didn't make 16 different recipes, we made 7 different recipes. This is what my freezer looked like after I stocked it . . . and I still have room for more!

What I am most excited about is that I have meals to get me through the month of December . . . which means I will have more time to spend baking cookies with my kids, wrapping gifts and doing Christmas stuff! The other great thing about freezer cooking is that I always have a meal on hand if someone I know is in need.

Here are a couple of books I recently discovered that are so helpful in getting you started in the process of buying in bulk and cooking a months worth of meals in a day:

The Everything Meals for a Month Cookbook
This book talks about bulk cooking and has recipes organized by type and servings for 4-18, with all the measurements broken down for you.
Once a Month Cooking Family Favorites
This book is broken down into cycles. You choose a cycle that you like and the book gives you the shopping list and recipes for that cycle. Really easy! This book even has a gluten-free cycle.

Do you make freezer meals? Have any favorite recipes or books? Leave me a comment or if you have a recipe link from your blog, please share!

I am working on some new layouts that I will be sharing soon . . . well, soon is a relative term . . . but my deadline is in two weeks, so it will be before then! Have a great Monday!

lime-marinated chicken with salsa

I found this recipe in the book, Flat Belly Diet. I can't say I have a flat belly yet, but this recipe sure was good! I altered it by leaving out the onion and the jalapenos. I served it over brown rice. Yum!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)

3 Tbls lime juice (about 3 limes)

2 Tbls olive oil

1.25 tsp ground cumin

.25 tsp kosher salt

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 c chopped avocado

.5 c chopped fresh cilantro

1. Put chicken into a ziploc bag.

2. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, oil, cumin and salt. Transfer 2 Tbls of the marinade to a medium glass bowl. Pour the remaining marinade into the chicken bag. Seal and turn to coat--chill for AT LEAST an hour.

3. Meanwhile, add the tomatoes, avocado and cilantro to the bowl with the lime marinade. Toss gently to mix. Cover the bowl with wrap and chill.

4. When you are ready to eat, grill the chicken and serve over a bed of rice or fresh greens. Pour salsa mixture from bowl all over your chicken. Enjoy!

chicken and rice soup

Being limited to 15 foods makes for some interesting recipes . . . here is one I came up with last night . . . and it's good! It's THICK soup, more like a porridge or stew. Tastes good and digests easily. And it's quick to make. Hope you like it!

1.5 cups diced organic carrots
.5 lb cooked organic chicken, chopped
3 cups cooked white rice (you could use brown as well)
1 can (15oz) light coconut milk from Trader Joe's (this is what makes it yummy!)
4 cups organic chicken broth
3 Tbls fresh cilantro or 3 tsp dried
1 tsp salt

Saute the carrots in a little bit of olive oil for 10-15 minutes or until slightly tender. Add everything else and bring to a boil. Turn to low and let simmer for 1-2 hours with a lid on. Check on it a few times and add a little water if it starts to get too thick.

Have a great Monday!