Kid Friendly
Valentine’s Day Chex Mix
Valentine’s Day is such a fun holiday for crafts and recipes! I have definitely been in a baking/want to be creative in the kitchen mood (I think I am officially nesting) so this was really fun to create! This mix would be so cute bagged up for a little gift and is a fun way to give a sweet treat that is different than candy!
Valentine’s Day Chex Mix Ingredients:
2 Cups Cheerios
2 Cups Rice Chex
3 Cups Pretzel Thins (break into pieces)
One Package (Approx 9) Honey Graham Crackers (break into pieces)
1 Cup Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Valentine’s M&M’s
Red & Pink Sprinkles
Directions:
- Place the Cheerios, Chex, Pretzels, and Graham Crackers in a large bowl. You want the bowl to be large enough to mix.
- Put the 1 cup of chocolate chips into a glass bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Microwave for 15 seconds and stir. Microwave another 15 seconds and stir. You want the chocolate completely melted, but you need to be careful not to burn the white chocolate.
- Pour the melted chocolate onto the chex mix and begin stirring right away. While the chocolate is still hot, pour the sprinkles and M&M’s into the bowl and continuing mixing.
- Spread the coated chex mix onto a lined baking sheet and allow to cool. Place the chex mix into cute Valentine’s bags to gift or in a Ziploc to keep fresh.
- 2 Cups Cheerios
- 2 Cups Rice Chex
- 3 Cups Pretzel Thins (break into pieces)
- One Package (Approx 9) Honey Graham Crackers (break into pieces)
- 1 Cup Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips
- 1 Cup Valentine's M&M's
- Red & Pink Sprinkles
- Place
Simple, Delicious Homemade Guacamole
This weekend is Super Bowl Sunday which means lots of yummy food! Chips, salsa, and guacamole are staple football game foods – so this year, WOW your friends with this delicious homemade guacamole that is sure to impress! And, you don’t even have to skimp on your New Year health goals with this recipe! Avocados have so many health benefits – check out a few here from Best Health. If you are devoted to stay committed to your health goals, try this recipe with your favorite veggies instead of chips!
Now, I have to give credit where credit is due – I always have my husband make this recipe because it is so delicious when he does! However, tonight was the first time we actually measured out the ingredients together (I’m a recipe follower and he’s more of a wing-it kinda guy in the kitchen), and it was the best guacamole we have ever had! He likes adding more kick to his (see the optional ingredient below) but he knows I like it better without so he usually won’t add it if he knows I want some.
If you are making this recipe for a larger group, I would definitely double (or triple) it, as I’m guessing it will go fast 🙂
Ingredients:
4 Large Avocados
1/4 Cup Pace Salsa
1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
One Lemon
(Optional) Tapatio Sauce (Add to taste)
Directions:
- Cut open avocados, remove pit, and add insides to a large bowl. Mash up.
- Add all other ingredients to the mashed avocados, except for the lemon, and mix together.
- Cut the lemon in quarters and squeeze one quarters worth of juice into the bowl (Make sure no seeds fall into the guac). Mix and add more to taste but do not add
Chili Cornbread Bake
When two favorite foods are combined into a one dish meal, the results are spectacular. This healthy version of chili made with ground turkey meat and black beans is a delicious high protein base for the savory cornbread biscuit that bakes on top. Sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top of the cornbread and broil for 1-2 minutes and you have a fantastic Southwestern style one pot meal.
Ingredients
Chili
1½ pounds ground turkey meat
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
3-4 stalks celery, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tablespoons tomato paste
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 small bag frozen corn, thawed
1 cup low sodium chicken broth (or water)
1 teaspoon each sea salt and pepper
Cornbread
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup ground cornmeal (not stoneground)
½ teasppon salt
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons olive oil (or canola)
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use a large and deep ovenproof skillet and sauté ground turkey, onions, celery and garlic on medium heat for 6-8 minutes. Add tomato paste, chili powder, cumin and oregano and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, broth and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 12-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. While chili is simmering mix together cornbread. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, beat eggs and add buttermilk and oil. Wisk together, pour into dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. Spoon mixture evenly over chili in 8 big dollops. Bake for …
Read MoreBuild Your Own Burrito Bowls – When Dinner Delights
I easily get stuck in a rut with meals. I forget that my three little mouths to feed need a change. Sometimes I get it right, and this week I had success with Build Your Own Burrito Bowls!
You can use any of your favorite Mexican foods – just place each food item in its own bowl with a serving utensil and let your family choose what they want and scoop it themselves into their bowl.
Here are the foods we had for our burrito bowl feast.
Build Your Own Burrito Bowls
Brown Rice
Black Beans
Pinto Beans
Sauteed Kale
Chicken
Grated Cheese
Cucumbers
Sliced Red Pepper
Salsa
Avocado
Tortilla Chips
The girls LOVED serving their own food and ate so many things they never eat! We actually had to stop dinner because they wouldn’t stop eating!
It can be fun to get your family excited about meals again just by changing the presentation of your meals. Try finger food lunch in muffin tins, use cookie cutters to make shape with your foods, make muffin pizza or mexican taco cupcakes.
How do you get your family excited about meal time?
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Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. I like to celebrate the fall season with PUMPKIN, (you may have figured that out by now). Each time I have brought a pumpkin treat to a women’s event this year, I am asked whether or not it is gluten free. So, I have experimented with a new recipe that I just received from a friend and adjusted a few things to make a delicious gluten free, high protein, low sugar alternative to the conventional Pumpkin Bread that I make this time of year. For quick access to a few of my other favorite pumpkin recipes click here for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies(Gluten Free version available in the same post) and Pumpkin Pie Cake. I just made this Pumpkin Pie Cake for my women’s bible study group and substituted a box of Trader Joes Gingerbread cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix and it was absolutely 100% tastier. So here is my newest pumpkin creation. Hope you like it! Enjoy!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond meal flour (or your favorite gluten free flour blend)
1 ½ cups organic oats
3 Tablespoons flax meal
1 Tablespoon hemp seed
1 Tablespoon chia seed
¼ cup whey based protein powder (vanilla or pumpkin flavored)
¼ cup brown sugar or honey
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons almond milk
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade apple butter)
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup slivered almonds
Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until moistened throughout. Add nuts and raisins and stir just a …
Read MorePumpkin Protein Pancakes
The weather might not agree, but Fall is officially here and at my house that means PUMPKIN EVERYTHING!!
These perfect pumpkin pancakes are great for any time of day and packed with delicious protein to fuel you and your kids.
Pumpkin Protein Pancakes
1 cup coconut flour*
1 TBS honey
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 scoops undenatured whey pumpkin spice protein powder
dash salt
1 tsp pumpkin spice seasoning
1 egg
2 cups almond milk**
3 TBS melted butter
Combine all ingredients with a whisk until smooth. Heat pancakes over medium-low heat. The pancakes will take a very long time to cook enough so that you can flip them over.
*I don’t usually like to use coconut flour. I think it made the pancakes really hard to flip. Although tasty, next time I will use a different gluten free flour. Here is a helpful article about replacing coconut flour in a recipe.
**If you do use coconut flour you may need to add more almond milk. I just added more almond milk until I reached my desired consistency for the pancakes.
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Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Mini Muffins
Start the day off right with a power packed breakfast and your day will be more productive and your brain will be able to focus with clarity. These mini muffins make great lunch bag treats and you won’t feel guilty that your kids are having a sweet treat because the fiber and protein offset the small amount of sugar. Make these today and join us as we introduce our Growing Weisser Wellness Wisdom campaign. Check back every day for more details.
Ingredients
1 2/3 cups oats ground into coarse meal
1 1/8 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk ( fat free if possible or use plain Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind
2 eggs
2 cups frozen small Maine blueberries
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse oats in food processor to make coarse meal. Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl. Combine buttermilk or yogurt, oil, rind and eggs in small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour into dry ingredients and stir carefully until just moist. Fold in blueberries. Lightly grease mini muffin tins (makes 3 dozen mini muffins). Bake for 15 minutes until muffins spring back when touched. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired. Cool and remove from pans. Store in airtight container for a week in refrigerator and for a few weeks in freezer.
ENJOY!
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Apricot Bran Honey Muffins
Need a breakfast idea that is packed with healthy ingredients, incredibly delicious and a great way to send your kids off with a nutritious start that first day of school? I reorganized a few of my favorite ingredients into this recipe and I know you will love these muffins.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups chopped dried apricots, about 7 oz (I used sulfur free organic)
2 Tablespoons butter (can use dairy free margarine)
3 Tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup apricot nectar
2 Tablespoons honey
¾ cup oat bran
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (8 oz) carton plain greek yogurt (can use soy or coconut yogurt to keep it dairy free)
1 egg
1 egg white
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Lightly grease a 12 count muffin tin.
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan and place on high heat until it comes to a boil. Turn down to low and let simmer for 3 minutes until apricots are plump and mixture is thick. Allow to cool.
Mix flour, oat bran, salt and soda in a medium bowl.
Wisk brown sugar, yogurt, vanilla, egg and egg white together in a small bowl and add to flour mixture in medium bowl.
Stir together until just moistened.
Fold in apricot mixture and quickly spoon into greased muffin tin.
Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Watch carefully so tops do not brown too much.
Makes 12 muffins.
Serve warm or room temperature.
Store in straight container.
Get Out & Get Refreshed – Summer Version
Are you bored by your schedule and routine? Are you in a rut? Sometimes all you need is to get outside or get out of your routine to get a little refreshment! Here are five fun (maybe NEW) ideas to do just that:
1. Try a New Activity with Friends
A few friends and I have recently been planning to attend a “Paint Nite.” There are paint studios all over where you go and get a step-by-step process to all paint the same picture (and it usually includes wine which is a bonus for many!). We are really excited to go be crafty, spend some quality time together, and try something new – and we get a canvas painting out of it, too! Rachel recently tried the “Ladies Night Out” at her local rock climbing gym with friends! There are so many fun, inexpensive ways to find refreshment.
“Learning something new is a fabulous way to be refreshed. When work can grind you down, something about learning a new activity thrills the soul. It reminds you that the world is bigger than your desk and your to-do list.” John Ortberg
2. Go on a Date somewhere you have never been!
Try that new restaurant you have always been wanting to go to; Find a local, free activity; Go somewhere in the city you have never been; go to a movie in the park; find a yoga event in the park; go to a new exercise class with your spouse or find a video online (try YouTube!)
Join a Yoga Challenge! We are currently doing #BackToBackbendsChallenge on Instagram with @kinoyoga @beachyogagirl and @aloyoga for the month of July! Find the challenge on my profile @bekahb623 to join!
3. Go on a Walk, Run, Hike or Bike Ride; Go to a new …
Read MorePeach Cobbler Sensation-Revealing a new trend in healthy desserts
U-Pick fruit stands are plentiful in the town of Brentwood which is about a 45 minute drive from my home. Almost every June for the past 20 years, I plan a berry, peach or apricot picking adventure with friends. Never in all the years I have been planning and participating in this event have I experienced what happened this year. Some girlfriends and i decided it was a perfect week for picking Olallieberries (similar to Blackberries but it is actually a cross between a loganberry and a youngberry and is cultivated in California and Oregon). The anticipated day arrived and it was sprinkling in my home town, but the forecast for Brentwood was morning sprinkles until about 9 am. We had all been praying for rain so we were glad to have a light shower in the wee hours of the morning but as we drove the 45 minutes towards Brentwood we realized the sprinkling was not letting up as forecasted. But on we went….nothing would deter us from our berry picking. We arrived at our destination only to find that the berry picking ranch was closed. We surmised that they were just waiting for the light shower to let up and then they would open up and we would pick for an hour or two and return home with our beautiful stash of berries. So we drove around looking for other U-Pick places that might be open already. We did find one place that seemed to be opening up but when we approached the farm entrance the owners told us it was too muddy and they were going to close for the day. We were so disappointed but on we drove. We finally decided to stop at the Farmer’s Daughter farm and although we knew they did not have …
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