Angel Kisses (or Meringue Cookies)

Motherhood is teaching me a lot of things.  It's helping me improve myself (even if it is a slow and sometimes painful process!).  See, in recent weeks and months, I've learned the hard way that 2 year olds are great at repeating what they hear.  Even when it's not nice.  I'm grateful we don't choose to use swear words in our home, because they would have already come out of our little girl's mouth by this point.  But even so, sometimes we as parents say things we shouldn't (like we call something stupid).  Or just the way we say something isn't the best -- for example, when she earns a time out and I'm at my wits' end and I grumpily say "Go to your room!"  She has taken on that tone herself and likes to try to send us to our room when she isn't getting her way.  Sigh.  And so, I'm trying to do better.  Because, even though my saying "I don't care" isn't always done in a negative context, that's how she always uses it.  And it's not the nicest sounding thing coming from a 2 year old.  Which makes me think it's not the nicest sounding thing coming from her mommy, either.  We also want her to learn that there are appropriate ways to express our feelings, such as saying "I'm frustrated" instead of screaming and yelling and throwing.

Ergo...

We did a Family Home Evening lesson on the words we say and how we say them.  We used a Conference talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland called "The Tongue of Angels" (which you can find by following that link).  It is an amazing talk in so many ways.  I loved revisiting it and having new application for it now that I am a mother.  If you're interested in the lesson I put together, just continue reading after the recipe.  We like to have a treat as part of Family Home Evening, and it occurred to me that meringue cookies have also been called Angel Kisses.  How perfect!!  So I did a search on pinterest and found one I liked.  Let me say that I am not an idea person.  I wish I was super-creative and crafty and such.  Alas, I am not.  So having all of these come together in my mind and work so well together, I know beyond a doubt it was inspiration from the Lord.  I know He knows me and cares about me.  He also cares about my sweet babies.  I want our home to be a sanctuary -- a place where the Spirit can dwell.  A place that is safe from the awful things of the world.  In order to create that, I know the words we speak must be peaceful.  Kind.  Loving.  I am always trying to improve myself, and this is an area I need to work on.  I'm grateful that the Lord knows my heart and answers prayers, both spoken and unspoken.  I'm grateful He helped me put together a short lesson to help our family learn how to communicate more kindly, more gently, and more lovingly.

So here is the recipe for the treat :).  These things are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, by the way.  My lame amateur pictures don't do the cookies justice.

 The original recipe can be found here.  I pretty much followed it completely, except I used a silicone baking mat.

4 egg whites at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips, optional

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Beat egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy. (If using a freestanding mixer, use wire whisk attachment.) Add cream of tartar; beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium-high. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Beat in extract. Gently stir in chips, if desired.

Drop by rounded measuring teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto 2 large foil-lined baking sheets sprayed with no stick cooking spray.  (I used a silicone baking mat with cooking spray just in case ;).)

Bake both sheets of meringues at the same time 45 minutes. Turn oven off. Let meringues stand in oven 1 hour or until completely cooled.  (Mine peeled off these silicone mats super easily!)

So, for the lesson, as I mentioned before, we used Elder Holland's talk.  I only quoted one part from it for the lesson (a 2 year old's attention span is very small...).  "So, brothers and sisters, in this long eternal quest to be more like our Savior, may we try to be “perfect” men and women in at least this one way now—by offending not in word, or more positively put, by speaking with a new tongue, the tongue of angels. Our words, like our deeds, should be filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today.... please know that your Father in Heaven loves you and so does His Only Begotten Son. When They speak to you—and They will—it will not be in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but it will be with a voice still and small, a voice tender and kind. It will be with the tongue of angels."  We also used a scripture from the Book of James:  “For in many things we offend all... if any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.” (James 3:2) since that is one of the scripture references in the talk.

Then we had a little lesson in which I had written words and phrases on little strips of paper.  We helped our 2 year old decide whether those were "happy" or "sad" words or phrases and she got to tape them up on the wall under the appropriate face.

I used more "happy" than "sad" because I think we should focus more on the good.  They are still hanging on our wall so we can refer to them from time to time.

I included phrases that our 2 year old has heard us use that have obviously made her happy, because she repeats them to us inquiringly sometimes so that we'll affirm them.  These include "special girl" and "best friend."  I am grateful that, in spite of some of our hard times, she still knows that she is my "special girl" and my "best friend."  She loves to hear me tell her that it's true.  And I'll tell her forever.  Because it's true :). 

Pumpkin Pie Green Smoothie

Some of you may be aware that I've been on a green smoothie kick as of late.  The truth is:  I'm a terrible vegetable-eater.  I like my food to taste delicious, and veggies that aren't totally dressed up (which sometimes takes some creativity and effort) just don't appeal to me. 

But I like V-8 juice. 

And I like smoothies.

So clearly, getting my veggies in a liquid manner seems to work for me.  And so I've been doing the green smoothie thing. 

Today, I also decided to work on getting rid of some of the (copious amounts of) pureed squash we have hanging around our house.  I'm not complaining about this, as I love having all this stuff at my fingertips for making breads and pies, etc.  It's just that I recognize I need to actually use it ;).  We got squash from our own garden last summer, and we also got a 20-pound winter squash from my in-laws.  Ergo, we have lots of pureed squash in our freezers.

So today I decided to pinterest some pumpkin smoothie recipes.  And lo and behold, I found one that was a green smoothie as well!  So I had to try it.  Even if it isn't fall ;).  I found the original recipe here.  But below is how I adapted it to my personal tastes (and what I had on hand).

PUMPKIN PIE GREEN SMOOTHIE
2/3 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
sprinkle of cloves
sprinkle of nutmeg
1 ripe banana
3 small handfuls fresh baby spinach (probably about 3 cups, loosely packed)
1 tablespoon honey (ours was raw, since we got it from Jeremy's brother who has bee hives)

Add ingredients to blender (I suggest putting everything in but spinach and banana.  Then add the spinach on top and then the banana to weigh it down).  Blend on high (or smoothie setting) a couple minutes until well-blended and smooth.


This wasn't as sweet as some of the green smoothies I've made (like I said, my vegetables have to taste good...).  That's why I added honey initially, because the banana wasn't sweet enough for me.  But once I added the honey, I really liked it -- even though it still wasn't as sweet as other smoothies I've made which have more fruits.  And Lynnaea liked it a lot too.  She came back for more 3 times!  So I say it's a win :). 

Also, the recipe above makes about 3 cups, so cut it back as needed.  I just wanted to make sure there was plenty to go around ;). 

So yep, I used up some squash...  Got in some spinach...  It's all good :)!

Brownie Batter Milkshake

I found this recipe on Pinterest a long time ago.  As in 2 years ago ;).  But until now, I never had brownie mix that I was willing to open and only use a portion of.  But because I now keep THRIVE Fudge Brownie mix in my cupboard for my single-serve brownie snack-attacks...  Well, I actually now have opened brownie mix in the cupboard.

So, obviously I used THRIVE product in mine.  So that's the recipe I'm posting.  However, you can use any dry brownie mix -- as is shown by the original recipe in the link up there...

THRIVE Brownie Batter Milkshake
1 1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cups THRIVE Fudge Brownie Mix

Place all ingredients in blender and blend well until smooth.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup and garnish with brownie bits (both optional).  Enjoy!!


It was creamy and delicious.  The only thing with mine was I didn't blend it sufficiently.  I still had some big bits of vanilla ice cream.  But that's because my toddler had just gone to bed, and I was trying not to make a ton of noise with the blender ;).  Hahaha.


Anyway, it's good stuff if you just feel a hankerin' for something that is totally a calorie splurge :).

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

In keeping with my no-bake summer tradition (except on the days that don't get out of the 70s :)), I decided to make a potato salad.  When I told my husband what we would be having for dinner that night, he did a double-take when I said potato salad. 

See, I'm not a huge fan of potato salad.  Mostly because I don't like mayonnaise much.  So I never made potato salad.  But, while perusing Pinterest one day, I came across this recipe.  And it looked interesting.  So I decided to try it.

Just so you know, I liked it.  I wish I'd had all the ingredients (I was lacking the chives and the cilantro) just so I could taste it as it was written.  But I was too lazy to walk to the garden and clip chives.  And my THRIVE Cilantro hadn't arrived yet (it came later that evening), and I don't like wasting fresh cilantro, so I don't buy the fresh stuff anymore.  Thus, I made the potato salad without those two things.  In the future, I will be sure to add them.  Because I'm pretty sure they would only make it more awesome.

To be fair, I'll also include my husband's opinion.  When he got home that night, he said, "So this is potato salad?"  Hahaha.  Well, he is used to his mom's potato salad, which has egg and black olives and pickles in it.  Her potato salad is good.  I like that she doesn't use much mayonnaise.  But I tried something new.  And my sweetie wasn't expecting that.  He said, "It's not bad, it's just not what I was expecting."

I think my favorite part was the ranch dip dry mix sprinkled on the potatoes after boiling.  Just gave them an awesome flavor!  And I only used 1/2 a packet, rather than the full packet called for in the original recipe.  So, without further ado, here's the recipe as I made it:

6 medium baking potatoes (4 peeled, 2 with skin on), cut into 1" chunks
1/2 package ranch dip mix
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoons cilantro (I omitted)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup to 1/3 cup bacon bits
2 tablespoons chopped chives (I omitted)
garlic powder to taste
pepper to taste

Cover potatoes in a pot with about 1" water.  Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook about 10 minutes or until fork tender. 

Spread out on a baking sheet and sprinkle immediately with ranch.  With a spoon, turn potatoes over and try to stir them together to evenly coat with ranch mix.  Allow them to cool (either on the counter or in the refrigerator).

In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, mayonnaise, mustard, cilantro, garlic powder, pepper.  When potatoes are cool, add them to the sour cream mixture and mix well to coat potatoes.  Stir in cheddar cheese and bacon bits.  Sprinkle with chives.  Enjoy!

French Bread

I think there are few things finer than freshly baked yeast breads.  Seriously, I could live off of bread (well, my taste-buds could, at least).

Some time ago, I found this recipe through pinterest.  The original recipe is found here.  I follow the recipe exactly -- and it is seriously the best bread ever.

I have actually used some whole wheat flower in a batch (I think I subbed 2 cups whole wheat flour for 2 white).  It's still good, but not nearly as divine.

I love this recipe so much, I actually made several batches of it before it got hot here and froze the loaves so we could enjoy it all summer without heating up the house :).  It is that good.

So, without further ado, here's the recipe (but don't say I didn't warn you if you get addicted):

2 1/2 c. warm water
2 Tbls. yeast
3 Tbls. sugar
2 Tbls. white vinegar
1 Tbls. salt
1/3 c. oil (I use Canola)
6-7 c. flour

Mix first 4 ingredients in a large bowl and let sit 3 to 5 minutes until a little bubbly and frothy.

Add salt and oil, stir. Add flour one cup at a time until dough is soft, but firm enough to mold into loaves. Put in greased bowl in the oven with a pot of boiling water (boiling water will help keep dough moist). Allow to rise to top of bowl (about 45 minutes) and punch down. Allow to rise again. Do this 2 to 5 times (as you have time available).

Empty dough out onto a greased surface and separate into two equal parts. Form into rectangular/french bread loaves and slash each loaf on top 3 to 5 times. Allow to rise 30 minutes or until they reach the size you want. Brush with beaten egg. Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 375.

Recipe makes 2 large loaves or 3 medium sized loaves.  The loaves freeze really well.

Tonight I served this with a hearty vegetable soup.  I used a lot of my THRIVE for the soup, making it a fast and easy meal.  You can find that recipe (the way I made it) here.

Spinach Artichoke Pasta

(I need to get new bowls -- so my food "pops" more...)

I'm telling ya... I have a serious Pinterest addiction...  And mostly in the food area. 

Every pay period, when I make my menu list for the following two weeks, I generally like to choose a recipe or two from my "to try" pins...  I'm supposed to be working my way through a binder of collected print recipes too...  But that binder got put out of sight...  And now it's mostly out of mind.

So this was a recipe I found a while back and decided to try, since I had a large majority of the ingredients :) (that's always a good reason!).  I happen to love spinach artichoke dip, so I thought this might be a fun and delicious recipe to try. In fact, this recipe appealed to my tastes so much (visually and taste-ily) that I actually pinned it twice.  This is a Pioneer Woman recipe.  I've seen her stuff a lot, so I'm assuming she may just be a house-hold name ;).

I followed the recipe, with the exception of the crushed red pepper flakes.  I try not to give my munchkin too much heat in her young age.  I did still include the cayenne, though.  I halved the recipe, so here is what I did:

3 Tablespoons Butter
2 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
1 bags Baby Spinach
1 cans Artichoke Hearts, Drained And Halved
1 1/2 Tablespoons Flour
1 1/2 cups Whole Milk
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (less Or More)
1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, Cooked Until Al Dente
1/4 cup Seasoned Panko Breadcrumbs
Crushed Red Pepper, To Taste (optional -- I opted out)

Melt 1 tablespoons butter in a large pot or skillet. Add garlic and throw in the spinach. Stir it around until it's wilted, about 1 minute. Remove spinach from heat and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoons butter to the same pot and raise the heat to high. Throw in the halved artichokes and stir it around until they get a little color, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the artichokes from the pot and set them aside.
Reduce the heat to low. Add 1 tablespoons butter to the pot. When melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk until it's combined. Pour in milk and whisk to combine. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until starting to thicken. Add Parmesan, Monterey Jack, salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir to melt, and if it's overly thick, splash in chicken broth.

Add artichokes and pasta, tossing gently to combine. Gently fold in spinach, then pour the pasta into a serving bowl. Sprinkle the top with crushed red pepper flakes and plenty of Panko breadcrumbs for crunch.
Serve immediately!

Personal Notes:  I used unseasoned Panko, because that's what I had.  I also didn't feel the need to use chicken broth, so I didn't.  I am now realizing I wilted my spinach down too much and probably didn't cook my artichokes long enough...  Her finished product looks way better than mine.

Verdict:  It was good.  Not as stellar as I'd hoped, but still good.  The munchkin loved it -- except the artichokes.  I think some bacon could actually really add some extra depth to this dish (not that I usually have any bacon to include).  I might make it again one day, but it wasn't so awesome that I'd consider it a favorite.  Also, with the ingredients being what they are, it's not exactly the most budget-friendly meal, even though it's meatless. 

Garden Zucchini Cakes

If you've ever grown zucchini in a garden...  You know it's a plentiful crop!  Very plentiful!  I have definitely found a variety of ways to cook and enjoy zucchini.  But, even so, I still end up shredding and freezing a lot to use throughout the year for zucchini bread and zucchini brownies.  And I'm okay with that!  Yumm-o!

But during the summer, we try to enjoy our zucchini fresh and in a variety of ways.  Which led me to finding this recipe on Pinterest.

The recipe is delicious.  Even my toddler likes the zucchini cakes!  So here it is (with my changes):

2 cups shredded zucchini
2 eggs
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs (I used unseasoned, because that's what I had)
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning (Tony Cachere's brand)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 tablespoons flour

Heat skillet over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray (or use a small amount of olive oil).  Add all ingredients into a large bowl and mix together until well blended.  Form the mixture into patties.  When the pan is to temperature, place the patties in and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side.  Serve as soon as possible so they are warm.  I got 9 zucchini cakes from this recipe.

*Original recipe claims they can be frozen and heated up later.  Wrap individually in plastic wrap and then place all of them in a freezer storage bag and freeze.  That and re-heat in a skillet or microwave.  I'm currently trying this, so hopefully it works well!

Yum!

I served these along-side a buffalo chicken pasta salad using THRIVE seasoned chicken strips.  Delicious!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

(Sometimes Blogger annoys me when it doesn't load my pictures right...)

I love chocolate.

With peanut butter.

I love bananas.

With peanut butter.

And chocolate.

So this was pretty much the perfect recipe.  Especially for summer time.

I found this recipe a long time ago on Pinterest.  I've used it often.  Especially when I have frozen bananas.  Because I only like them so ripe...  Once they get really ripe and brown-spotty...  Yuck.  I just have to slice them up and freeze them before they get to that point.

Anyway, this is a link to a recipe similar to the original one I found.  The original one I found disappeared one day.  And this one helped me to remember it after I hadn't made it in a while.  And now I'll record how I have it memorized, just in case I forget it again :).  (My version is a little different... but it works for me, so I keep doing it this way :)).

1 large ripe banana, sliced and frozen
1 cup of milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until bananas are well blended.  The frozen bananas will make it sort of slushy/Frosty consistency -- at least for a little while.

I make mine in a pint-sized mason jar.  Narrow-mouth ones generally fit the blender's bottom stuff.  So I just turn it upside down and blend -- then drink from the jar.  Saves me from having to use the big blender when this is perfect for one:  me.  Well, and my munchkin.  I happen to like her enough to share ;).

This is bomb.  And made with plain basic ingredients.  Many reasons to like it :).  And, in case you were wondering, I'm keeping it.  And plan to make it again and again and again...

Copy-Cat Panera Mac and Cheese

Two things I want to say right away:

1.  I wish I had a different colored bowl to help the mac and cheese really pop.  Because I'm not a fancy food photographer (though I wouldn't mind being ;)...).
2.  I've never actually been to Panera and had their mac and cheese.  So I cannot say if this is a good copy-cat or not.  It's times like these when I need to have my dear friend Stacy living nearby so she can be my taste-tester.  Not only has she eaten the real thing, she also has exquisite taste in things like cheese.

That said...  I have been doing a lot of searching Pinterest for stove-top recipes for summer-time.  And, because I'm a huge macaroni and cheese enthusiast, I am always drawn to pins for macaroni and cheese -- of pretty much any sort.  But when I saw this was a copycat of Panera's...  Well, I've heard the scuttlebutt from Stacy about that stuff.  So I knew I needed to try it.  And we did.

I definitely like that the recipe doesn't call for hard-to-find ingredients.  True, they aren't all ingredients I have on hand all the time, so I did have to do some shopping (mostly for the cheese), but they weren't difficult to find.

Also, the recipe was easy.  And I followed it almost exactly, except for the type of pasta I used (I used shell pasta) and I used salted butter, so omitted the salt.

Here's the recipe:

16 oz pipette pasta or other small pasta shape
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half
4 oz white American cheese, chopped or torn into pieces
8 oz extra sharp white Vermont cheddar, shredded
2 tsp - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (adjust according to your tastes)
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/4 tsp hot sauce (like Frank's)

In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well.

While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a 4-quart sauce pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and has started to bubble, whisk in the flour; cook for 1 1/2 minutes whisking constantly. Gradually whisk in the milk until no lumps remain. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook milk mixture, whisking frequently, until it thickens and bubbles, about 8 minutes.

Remove sauce pan from the heat and by the handful, stir in the cheeses allowing all of the cheese to melt into the sauce before adding more. Stir in the mustard, salt, and hot sauce. Return the sauce pan to the heat and stir in the pasta. Be sure to stir up the sauce from the bottom of the sauce pan and thoroughly coat all of the pasta with sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat until heated through. Serve hot in bowls with spoons.

(Again, recipe is from http://www.smells-like-home.com)

My thoughts:  This is definitely rich and creamy.  And very, very filling.  The recipe claims to serve 4.  Often, in our house, that just isn't the case.  I love macaroni and cheese.  And my husband can eat a lot (though I have no idea where he puts it).  But this is definitely a macaroni and cheese that literally serves 4, in my opinion.  I was beyond full after 1 bowl (the one pictured).  My husband had seconds, but not a huge helping.  And I put plenty away for leftovers.  My toddler loved this too, but didn't eat a lot of it -- again, I think because it's so filling.  She ate everything I gave her happily and excitedly, but didn't want more food when she was done. 

I honestly don't know if I'll make this recipe again.  It was good.  But it may have been a little too rich for me (I'm glad I used whole milk and not heavy cream!).  I will be trying to try the Panera, though...  Just so I know how close this recipe is :). 

Apple Pie Jelly

A few months ago, I was asked to make apple jelly for an upcoming wedding -- to be given away as wedding favors.  I immediately jumped onto Pinterest to find a good recipe.  And this is the one I decided on.

Let me say, this is a great recipe.  It is easy and quick -- and it tastes delicious.  In fact, since I changed the recipe up (just a tad), I decided to give it a slightly different name and call it Apple Pie Jelly, since my husband commented that it tastes like apple pie.  It is very sweet, though.  So if that's not your thing, you may not enjoy this jelly like we do.

So I mostly stuck with the recipe as found.  But I changed the red-hots (cinnamon candies) to cinnamon.  Also, I always double the original recipe.  So the recipe below is the way I make it every time.


5 1/3 cups apple juice (can use cider)
2 boxes pectin
6 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Pour apple juice into a large pot and whisk in both boxes of pectin while heating over medium-high heat.  Bring to a hard boil.  Add sugar and cinnamon.  Return to a hard boil and boil a full two minutes, stirring constantly.

Pour into jelly jars and seal according to your preference.  (I usually water bath my jellies, but these jars are small and the lids cannot be water-bathed, so we are doing a wax seal).

Makes about 63 ounces of jelly (or about 4 pints).

I'm thinking I may be sending some apple pie jelly out in Christmas packages this year...

Burrito Bowls

I've mentioned before that I do not feel the need to use the oven when it is hot outside.  And I also wanted to find some meatless meals in an effort to cut back on our grocery costs (beef becoming more expensive and all...). 

So this was a recipe I found on Pinterest.  The original recipe can be found here.  I mostly followed the recipe, but added a few things and deleted a few.  Prior to our additions, this is a vegan meal, I think.  We added plain yogurt (or sour cream if you prefer) and cheese, though.  Also, I didn't feel like buying a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, so I didn't make the creamy topping.  Which was probably a mistake...

1 cup raw white rice
2 (or more) cups water
1/2 cup salsa
2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups corn (I used a mix of thawed frozen corn and THRIVE corn which I rehydrated)
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
green onions, optional
cheddar cheese, optional
sour cream or plain yogurt, optional
cilantro, optional

Cook the rice (using the water ;)) as you normally would.  When rice is done cooking, mix in the salsa. 

Layer rice, then beans, lettuce, tomato and any other options you choose to add.

Verdict:  Discard.  I wasn't impressed.  Even with our addition of cheese and plain yogurt, this just needed something more.  It was too bland to me.  Maybe I would have enjoyed it more with the adobo sauce.  What I'm learning is that I am not cut out to be vegan.  The food always turns out bland, in my opinion.  Or maybe I just need to experiment more with seasonings.  But... it was a meatless meal, so it did help save on cost...

Crunch Wrap Supremes -- At Home!

Back when I had just started my addiction to Pinterest, I found a pin for home-made Crunch Wrap Supremes.

Call me gross, but I'm a total Taco Bell fan.  (Unless the recent report I read is true...  Then I'll have to stop being a fan.)

Of course, now I don't have to worry about what meat I'm eating, if I make it at home, right?

Anyway, we really like these.  I've made them with shredded cheddar cheese as well as with the canned nacho cheese.  I think I prefer the cheddar.

The one thing that prevents me from making these often is that they are all "hands-on."  It's not a fix-it-and-forget-it type of thing.  But they are easy.  And they do go relatively fast, considering you can only do so many at a time (if I had a griddle, it'd go quicker).

So here's where I found the recipe originally.

And here's the recipe:

1/2 to 1 pound ground beef*
taco seasoning
chopped tomatoes
shredded lettuce
shredded Cheddar or nacho cheese
sour cream*
large burrito-sized flour tortillas (the bigger you can get them the better)
crunchy round corn tortillas

*If I use 1/2 pound of beef, I add a small can (14 ounce) of refried beans to the meat.  I have also used plain yogurt to replace the sour cream, but I prefer the sour cream.

Brown meat.  Drain.  Add taco seasoning to taste.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat.

On a flat surface, lay out a flour tortilla.  Place a portion of the meat and shredded cheese in the center of the tortilla.  Lay a crunchy corn tortilla on top.  Then put a layer of sour cream, lettuce, and tomato.  Fold edges of flour tortilla up and over, working to encase the filling.  I find I usually have to tear pieces from an extra tortilla and place over the lettuce and tomato in order to make the flour tortilla cover the filling completely. 

Spray cooking spray in pan.  Place in pan and cover.  Cook about 1 to 2 minutes.  Then flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

I find that I usually get about 6 crunch-wraps out of this.  And they are filling (I usually only eat one).

Graduation Cupcakes & Diplomas

So for part of the youth activity tonight, we wanted to recognize one of the girls who is graduating.  Because I am a total foodie, I said I'd be in charge of doing something foodie and cute, since we had decided to play board games for the activity.

Being that I'm not super creative with ideas....  I turned to Pinterest.  And it totally delivered.  Although, initially, I was thinking I could bake a 9x13 cake and try to cut it into a graduation hat (this probably would have been disastrous), I found something much better.  (Here is the website with the idea for the hats.  And for the diplomas (though this is just a link to a picture...).)  Graduation caps made out of candy and put on cupcakes!  And then I found little diploma ideas to boot!  So here are the pictures of my caps... and diplomas:

And here's how I did it:

Diplomas:

Little Debbie Swiss Rolls
Curling ribbon

Tie curling ribbon around the middle of each Swiss Roll.  Use scissors to curl ribbon ends.


Graduation Cap Cupcakes

1 box cake mix of your choice (I used dark chocolate)
1 container frosting of your choice (I used vanilla)
mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Hershey's bars broken into squares (could also use Ghirardelli squares, but WinCo didn't have any)
brown mini M&Ms
Chocolate for melting (I used leftover Hershey bar)

Bake cupcakes according to box directions.  Cool completely.  Frost. 

While cupcakes are cooling, unwrap peanut butter cups and have all candies ready to go.  Melt chocolate and put into a small Ziploc bag.  Cut of small corner for piping out melted chocolate.  Using melted chocolate, place a Hershey's square (writing-side down) on top of peanut butter cup.  Put a drop of chocolate in the center of square and place M&M on it.  Allow to dry.  Place on top of cooled and frosted cupcakes (I transported these, so I put the caps on once I got to where I was going).

**  I had intended to do tassels, but got the wrong kind of candy... I was trying Red Vines, since the WinCo didn't have the Rippy Bits that the original poster suggested...  The Red Vines were too stiff.  So I just left off the tassel.  Still pleased with how they turned out :).

Loved these.  And so did the girls, particularly the girl graduating.  She exclaimed (about the Swiss Rolls):  "They look like little diplomas!!!" 

So yeah, I consider this a success.  They weren't hard, and it was fun!

Southwestern Quinoa Salad with Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

So I am of the opinion that, when it's hot outside, and there's no air conditioning inside (unfortunately), the oven should never be used. Which means I think my baking days are probably done until September.  Which is sort of a bummer.  But I'm really not willing to heat up my house for a batch of cookies.  And even less so for lasagna. 

So I've been making my bi-weekly menus with no-bake meals.

And, in other news, we heard and read that something went awry with the beef this year, so there will be less of it.  And, due to the great law of supply and demand, that means it'll be more expensive.  Ground beef happens to be one of our staples.  But since I haven't been seeing it for less than $3.99 per pound (I get the extra lean kind), and since I am still (much to my husband's chagrin) unwilling to discuss eating rabbit...  Well, I have started looking up meatless meals.  And it's not that we eat a ton of meat anyway.  He and I usually eat a third of a chicken breast these days.  But even so...  The ground beef was a staple.  But I don't want to chop off a couple fingers or a leg to pay for it. 

So that's how I wound up with this recipe.  I found it on Pinterest, but this is the site it is on originally. 

* = good source of fiber
 
Quinoa Salad

1 cup dry quinoa *
2 cups vegetable broth or filtered water

¼ cup cilantro, stems removed
1 cup black beans *

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed *
1 tomato, diced *

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
½ lime

½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. Celtic sea salt

8 cups mixed greens

Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

¼ cup cilantro leaves, no stems
½ tbsp. raw (local, if possible) honey (if vegan, substitute with maple syrup or palm sugar)

1/8 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1 clove fresh chopped garlic

1 ¼ tsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

 

1. In a saucepan, combine quinoa and vegetable broth/water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until quinoa softens and liquid evaporates – about 15-20 minutes.
2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare vinaigrette by placing lime juice, white wine vinegar, cilantro, honey, salt, garlic, and Dijon mustard into a blender and processing until smooth. While blender is running, add olive oil in a slow steady stream until blended and thickened, about 15 seconds.
3. Once quinoa has softened and liquid has evaporated, remove from heat, cool, and place in a large bowl.
4. Add remaining ingredients, except for mixed greens, and mix gently to combine.
5. Divide mixed greens evenly among four plates, top with quinoa mixture, drizzle with vinaigrette, and serve.

 

Personal Notes:  I didn't use as much chili powder, since I planned to give some to my toddler.  I left out the jalapeno for the same reason.  I forgot to cook the quinoa in broth.  And I don't understand what is meant by 1/2 a lime in the ingredients for the salad... I squeezed half a lime and used the juice in the salad. Plus I used the lime juice called for in the dressing.  I didn't have white wine vinegar, so used red.  I used maple syrup instead of honey, again because of my 1 year old.  I also ended up adding probably a whole tablespoon of maple syrup by the time it was all said and done.  Rather than drizzle the dressing, I just mixed it into the salad.  After eating this as a main dish, I think -- for me -- it would need to be a side dish if I ever made it again (which I won't -- see below).

 

Verdict:  Discard.  I did not enjoy this at all.  And maybe it was all the changes I made (though I didn't feel they were that drastic).  Or maybe I didn't have enough dressing (I doubled the salad, but not the dressing).  I taste-tested the dressing before adding it to the salad (and before adding more maple syrup) and it was way too vinegar/lime juice-y.  So I added more sweetener.  But I still was unimpressed.  I mean, it wasn't barf-inducing, but I am sad I have so much of it to have to eat.  And I won't be making it again.  I don't know what it was about it, but this definitely was not enjoyable to me.  We'll see what the husband says when he eats it tonight after work.

Cheddar Zucchini Mini Muffins

Ever since Lynnaea became a toddler (which happened before her 1st birthday, though I hate to admit it...), I've wanted to come up with healthy snacks for her.  I felt it was important to get her eating on a regular schedule -- 3 meals and 2 snacks.  But, being that I'm not super-creative and that I'm a first-time mom...  I wasn't very good at coming up with things to offer her for a snack.  (Heck, it took me a while to realize all the meal foods I could give her!). 

So I turned to Pinterest.  Because that's just how I roll.  And I came across this recipe for cheddar zucchini bread. 

I love this recipe for a number of reasons:

1.  It uses some whole wheat flour.  I want Lynnaea to realize that eating "brown" bread is better than eating white bread.  I want her to not throw a fit about eating wheat bread.  We have a lot of whole wheat at our house, because my husband grinds his own wheat to make his own bread.  I also have lots of all-purpose white flour, because I use it for baking other thing.  But still...  I've gotten used to making a lot of things (like pizza dough) with a mixture of both (which this recipe calls for both), and I want Lynnaea to grow up accepting that as just the way it is.  It's better for her anyway.

2.  It uses zucchini.  Which I categorize in the vegetable category.  And this means I can get extra veggies into her.  Plus, I still have frozen shredded zucchini in the deep freezer.  With 3 zucchini plants in the garden already.  And I'm hoping for another amazing harvest.

3.  I read the reviews and noticed I could cut back the salt significantly.  I grew up eating high-sodium foods.  Not a bunch of stuff out of a can, mind you.  But when a recipe (like arroz con pollo) called for a tablespoon of salt...  My mom added a tablespoon of salt.  And until I got married, it never occurred to me that that was a lot.  So I've been trying to cut back on the amount of salt in small ways.  Like using home-made broths in place of canned broths when I have it in the freezer.  Or replacing some of the broth with water.  I mean, I still want my food to taste good.  That's important to me.  But if I can healthify it even a little...  I'd like to do that.  For me, and for my kiddo.

Anyway, here's the recipe.  The only thing I did was bake in mini-muffin tins to make them toddler-friendly.  And I froze most of them, so I can take them out a little at a time.

Zucchini Cheddar Mini Muffins

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated zucchini\
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped scallions
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
3. Add in the zucchini, cheese, and scallions and toss to coat.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs. Add to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into a greased mini muffin tins and bake for 20 - 22 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Cool and serve.
6. * Loaves can be cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap or foil, placed in freezer bags, labeled and frozen for up to 3 months. Place in refrigerator overnight to defrost. 

Note:  I changed the cook time to apply to mini muffins.  Also, I didn't have buttermilk.  But a quick google search will tell you how much regular milk to use, in addition to either vinegar or lemon juice.  I used lemon juice.  Worked great.  And my munchkin loves these.

Avena Drink

Yesterday was the last -- and hottest -- day of our yucky hot stretch (this time).  I'm predicting a hot summer, based on two hot stretches in May. 

So I decided it would be nice to have a cold, refreshing treat in the evening (when the house is the least comfortable).  And since I was browsing through Pinterest and my "liquid yumminess" pins...   I decided making Avena was a great solution!

I actually hunted down this drink online after going to a Mexican place for dinner with my sweetie one night and drinking Horchata.  It reminded me of Avena, which I'd had in 2008 when I was visiting Panama with my dad.  We stopped at a gas station and I purchased a little milk carton of Avena (I think it was Borden brand, but I could be wrong).  I couldn't remember ever drinking it when I was living in Panama years before, but when I tasted it in 2008...  Oh my goodness!  So delicious! 

So I searched online to see if I could find a recipe.  And I hit pay dirt!!!  True, it's not quite as wonderful as the stuff I got in Panama.  But it's close -- and the best I can do.  So it makes me happy :).

And I figured I'd share it, my personal tips, and the link with the original recipe!  And a picture, of course.

 

½ cup old fashioned oatmeal
4 cups milk

1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick

Pinch ground cloves
3 ½ tablespoons sugar

 

Place the water, milk and oatmeal in a medium pot over medium heat and cook about 15 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.

Add the cinnamon stick, ground cloves and sugar and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 more minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.

Place the oatmeal mixture in a plastic container and refrigerate for a least 3 hours.

Discard the cinnamon stick and place the mixture in a blender and blend for 2 minutes. Add more water if you like a thinner consistency.

Serve cold.

 

Personal Notes:  I never have cinnamon sticks, so I just use ground cinnamon and leave it in and blend it in.  I use 1 teaspoon to 2 teaspoons.  This last time, I didn't put as much cinnamon in, and I wished I'd added more (I tend to not measure, so I sprinkled a little shy...).  I think it's better to let it sit overnight (though yesterday I didn't), because it definitely thickens it more.

Black Bean and Spinach Burrito "Wraps"

6 cups fresh spinach, loosely packed
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice or Mexican rice
1/2 cups chopped romaine hearts lettuce
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup salsa or pico de gallo
6 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Kosher or sea salt to taste
6 wraps or tortillas, warmed

Place spinach in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, or use a knife to finely chop the spinach.  In a large skillet over medium heat, add black beans and spinach.  Heat until spinach is wilted, approximately 3 minutes.

Layer spinach mixture, then rice, lettuce, cheese, salsa, yogurt onto tortilla.

Serves 4-6.

Original recipe from skinnyms.com

Personal Notes:  I forgot the lettuce.  Didn't even notice it was missing.  I used sour cream instead of Greek yogurt, because that's what I had.  I bought tortillas that come uncooked and I had to cook them before use.  They were awesome (brand: tortilla land).

Verdict:  Keep.  Easy to throw together and very filling (I only ate one).  Also pretty healthy and a great way to get spinach.

To warm tortillas, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil, place on a cookie sheet and warm 15 minutes while preparing ingredients.

Place spinach in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, or use a knife to dice leaves. In a large skillet turn to medium-heat, add black beans and spinach. Heat until spinach is wilted, approximately 3 minutes.

Evenly distribute spinach and bean mixture in the middle of the wraps (leaving about 2" on one end for folding), add 1/4 cup rice to each wrap, add lettuce, cheese, salsa and Greek yogurt evenly over wraps. Fold wraps over and under on the ends.

Read more at http://skinnyms.com/spinach-bean-burrito-wrap/#WtrZJCXbMoMwKPLQ.99

To warm tortillas, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil, place on a cookie sheet and warm 15 minutes while preparing ingredients.

Place spinach in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, or use a knife to dice leaves. In a large skillet turn to medium-heat, add black beans and spinach. Heat until spinach is wilted, approximately 3 minutes.

Evenly distribute spinach and bean mixture in the middle of the wraps (leaving about 2" on one end for folding), add 1/4 cup rice to each wrap, add lettuce, cheese, salsa and Greek yogurt evenly over wraps. Fold wraps over and under on the ends.

Read more at http://skinnyms.com/spinach-bean-burrito-wrap/#WtrZJCXbMoMwKPLQ.99

To warm tortillas, preheat oven to 300 degrees. Stack tortillas, wrap in foil, place on a cookie sheet and warm 15 minutes while preparing ingredients.

Place spinach in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, or use a knife to dice leaves. In a large skillet turn to medium-heat, add black beans and spinach. Heat until spinach is wilted, approximately 3 minutes.

Evenly distribute spinach and bean mixture in the middle of the wraps (leaving about 2" on one end for folding), add 1/4 cup rice to each wrap, add lettuce, cheese, salsa and Greek yogurt evenly over wraps. Fold wraps over and under on the ends.

Read more at http://skinnyms.com/spinach-bean-burrito-wrap/#WtrZJCXbMoMwKPLQ.99