Spinach Smoothie

This smoothie is awesome and tastes more like a treat than something that’s healthy for you.  Seriously, you’ll be surprised. A great way to start the day! Be careful when you freeze a banana though and peel it first. 

INGREDIENTS
1 frozen sliced banana
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt or unsweetened Greek yogurt
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or other kind of milk)
4 cups baby spinach (or more, or less)

DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients in a blender and serve.

Baked Oatmeal Casserole

I actually made this recipe for a snack this afternoon, but it could also be for breakfast as well. I think that you can easily play around with the ingredients and use a variety of different nuts and berries.  Overall, it was excellent and the boys really liked it!

INGREDIENTS
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup raspberries {any berries work}
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 and generously spray baking dish with cooking spray.  In large bowl, mix together oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nuts, berries and chocolate.  In another bowl, mix together the milk, egg, butter and vanilla extract.  Put dry ingredients in pan.  Add sliced banana and pour liquid over dry ingredients.  Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown.

Whole Chicken in a Crock Pot

This recipe is incredibly easy and definitely a keeper.  I put it in the crock pot when I woke up and cooked it on the lowest setting for 10 hours and it was literally falling off the bone.  So good!!!! 

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 onion
1 large chicken

DIRECTIONS
Combine the dried spices in a small bowl. Loosely chop the onion and place it in the bottom of the slow cooker. Remove any giblets from the chicken and then rub the spice mixture all over. You can even put some of the spices inside the cavity and under the skin covering the breasts. Put prepared chicken on top of the onions in the slow cooker, cover it, and turn it on to high. There is no need to add any liquid. Cook for 4 – 5 hours (for a 3 or 4 pound chicken) or until the chicken is falling off the bone. !

Homemade Chili Mac Recipe

The four of us had this for dinner last night and it was really good.  It’s definitely a meal that’s really easy to put together on a busy night.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb lean ground hamburger
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
chili powder to taste (optional)
1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
1 – 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups beef stock
2 cups elbow macaroni
2 cups mild cheddar shredded cheese
2 cups chopped fresh roma tomatoes, or 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
olive oil
freshly chopped cilantro, as garnish

DIRECTIONS
Preheat a large skillet. Drizzle with olive oil. Add ground beef, onions, bell peppers and garlic. Cook until beef is browned and vegetables are tender.  Add cumin, paprika, oregano, cilantro and salt and pepper to ground beef. Add chili powder at this step if you want a spicier dish. Add tomato paste, kidney beans, diced or canned tomatoes and beef stock. Bring to a boil and add macaroni.  Turn to a simmer and cover. Cook until macaroni is tender, about 10 minutes. Add cheese and mix until blended.

Beef and Barley Soup

We’ve been making a lot of soups lately with the cold, fall weather that we’ve been having.  The four of us had this on Saturday night when we came home from the park, and it definitely didn’t disappoint.  The kids seemed to like it, too.  This recipe called for cooked ground beef, which was great, but I think the next time we make it we’ll use a different cut of beef to make it even heartier.

 
INGREDIENTS
1lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, processed or chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 baby carrots, processed or chopped
3 ribs celery, processed or chopped
1-14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes
1-14.5oz can cut green beans, drained
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
58oz beef broth, divided (4-14.5oz cans)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup barley
salt & pepper
Worcestershire sauce (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat a large soup pot over medium high heat. Add ground beef, onion and garlic, and season with salt & pepper. Cook until beef is no longer pink. Add carrots and celery and continue to cook under carrots are tender, about 3-4 more minutes. Add in tomatoes, green beans, corn, 3 cans beef broth, basil, bay leaf and barley. Season with more salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil then place a lid on top, lower the heat, and simmer for 60 minutes, or until the barley is tender. Add a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce and season with more salt & pepper to taste before serving. *If making ahead of time, you may need to add the extra can of beef broth before heating back up, as the barley will have soaked up the remaining broth.

Honey-Dijon Roasted Potatoes

These were a great side dish and the honey-dijon mustard gave them a nice, new flavor.

INGREDIENTS
1lb red-skinned potatoes, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
salt & pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together oil, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a large bowl then add potatoes and onion and toss to coat. Pour into a non-stick sprayed baking dish then bake for 40-45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, stirring two or three times.

Sausage and Bean Minestrone Soup

This soup was great and tasted very similar to pasta fagoli soup that we love. 

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. Italian sausage, cut into 1” pieces
3 carrots, cute into 1/4” pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 1/2 oz.) lower sodium chicken broth
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed tomato soup
1/2 an onion, diced
1 cup uncooked small pasta such as ditalini
1 can (15 oz.) cannelini beans, rinsed and drained
2 TBS. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup heavy cream
shredded parmesan cheese, optional

DIRECTIONS
Coat large pot with cooking spray; heat over medium heat.  When hot, add sausage and brown for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in carrots and garlic, cook, stirring occasionally until softened.  Stir in 2 cups water, chicken broth, undiluted soup; bring to a boil.  Stir in pasta; reduce heat to low.  Cook until pasta is tender 8 – 10 minutes.  Stir in beans  and parsley.  Sprinkle with cheese if desired.