Oatmeal Coconut-Lime Chewies

Do you ever dance around your kitchen while you gobble up cookies that you are baking? No?!?! Well then you haven't tried these babies! Seriously delicious.

You'll dance as you are juicing and zesting the fresh lime - because it smells so fresh and good. Then when they are baked to a golden-chewy-crisp and you taste them you'll do another dance cause they are so mouthwatering delicious. And then you'll do an extra little jig because you made them with whole wheat flour - and you feel validated for eating more! Oh yeah!


Oatmeal Coconut-Lime Chewies

1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 C. butter, softened to room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lime zested and juiced
2 1/2+ C. whole wheat flour
(if it seems to sticky from the lime juice (some limes are juicier than others) add a few Tbsp - 1/4 C. flour)
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined (silpat or parchment) baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned. If you want them crispier bake a few minutes longer.

Recipe Source: www.melskitchencafe.com with adaptations by Alycia R.

Creamy Chicken & Spinach Alfredo

Creamy, Yummy, Savory Goodness! I love pasta and especially white cheesy sauce. This concoction is mouthwatering and worth every calorie!


Creamy Chicken & Spinach Alfredo
By: LuLu - lulusrecipebox.blogspot.com

1 lb cooked chicken breast/tenderloins, cut into bite size chunks
½ bag + spinach (as much as you like - it shrinks down a lot)

Sauce:
2 C. heavy cream
1 C. milk
2/3 stick of butter (you can probably get away with ½ a stick)
1 C. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder or 2 small cloves of fresh garlic, minced
2 oz cream cheese or 1/3 less fat cream cheese

In a sauce pan saute garlic in a few tablespoons of the butter, when it's cooked and fragrant, melt the rest of the butter in with it on low heat. Add the heavy cream and milk, bring to a light simmer, slowly add freshly grated Parmesan cheese - stirring constantly. Add garlic powder if you didn't use real garlic. Bring back to a light simmer and simmer 20 minutes on low (this helps the cheese roast and get really yummy). Add cream cheese and simmer 5 more minutes - the cream cheese helps to thicken it up a little bit more. You can season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Add ½ bag of spinach and 1 lb cooked chicken breast/tenderloins, cut into bite size chunks. Simmer until spinach is shrunk up and cooked.

Serve over cooked linguine or other favorite pasta. Or for a gluten-free variety serve over cooked rice or gluten-free pasta (make sure your Parmesan cheese is also gluten-free).

Note:
You can make this with several variations.
1-Creamy Chicken Alfredo, make the sauce with cooked chicken added - served over pasta
2-Creamy Italian Herb Alfredo, just the plain sauce with your favorite Italian herbs (parsley, basil, oregano, etc.) added and served over pasta.
3- Combine the above two variations.....the possibilities are endless, play around and have fun!

Tuna Cheesewiches

I debated on whether I should post this or not, because it's so simple. However, the whole reason I am doing this blog is to share our family favorites and also to have them preserved for myself. So here it is. Let me know how you like it. We LOVE these for lunch. It's kind of our Saturday/Sunday lunch when we are both home.


Tuna Cheesewiches
Bruce G.

1 can tuna, drained
1 1/2 - 2 Tbsp mayo
Sliced cheese (pepper-jack and cheddar are our favorites)
4 slices bread

Set oven temp to broil. In a small bowl mix tuna and mayo. Evenly distribute tuna mixture on top of bread slices. Top with cheese. Place on a broiler pan or cookie sheet and broil until cheese is melted and starting to bubble - don't go far, they are done pretty quick .

Fresh Salsa

I LOVE fresh salsa. It's sooooooooooooo good for you (besides the fact that you usually eat it with chips) and it's pretty addicting. I like it with a bit of a kick and once I start I just can't stop. I think the spicy factor is what keeps me at it. This recipe is great, you can make it as mild or hot as you like. My uncle Bruce is the creator of this recipe, and he taught us how to section a lime for making it! The lime is brilliant in this! Hope you love it as much as I do.


Fresh Salsa
Bruce & Jen B.

8-10 Roma tomatoes
1 onion (we use 1/2 red and 1/2 medium yellow) OR 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1 whole lime, peeled and sectioned
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of cilantro (leaves only)
1 jalapeno (with no seeds, 1/2 the seeds, or all seeds, depending on how spicy you want it)
Salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Wash all ingredients and remove any stems or bad spots. Cut tomatoes in quarters, set aside. Cut onion into small sections, set aside. Add half tomatoes to food processor and pulse til they are as chunky as you like them in salsa, and pour into mixing bowl. Next pulse onion til it's finely chopped and pour into the same bowl. Then with the last half of tomatoes I like to pulse them til they are pretty thin and add everything else, puree it pretty good. You can do this as pureed or chunky as you like. When everything is done being processed in the food processor mix it together in the mixing bowl and add salt and pepper til it reaches your liking.

Notes:
In case you have never sectioned a lime....here is how it goes. With a sharp knife cut the peel (including the white layer under the peel off). You'll have a nice juicy looking lime, then cut on both sides of each lime section until they can fall out. You'll be left with the outsides of each section, I like to squeeze any extra juice out of that as I can, and discard the rest.

Also, this is best served the day you make it. Onions have a tendency to be more potent the next day. Use within 2 days.

Taco Salad

This taco salad is one meal that my husband and I never tire from. It appears on the dinner table at least once every two weeks, sometimes weekly. I love how fresh it is, and how scrumptious and comforting it is to eat. I try to resist licking my plate. I should stop doing this before my kids pick up on mom's bad habits.

Taco Salad
By: Steven & Lindsay

1 lb lean ground beef
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1/2 sweet or white onion, chopped (optional)
1/8-1/3 cup water
2-3 Tbsp Taco Seasoning (add to taste)

In 12 inch skillet brown and scramble beef with onion and garlic over medium-low to medium heat (I like cooking it on a lower heat setting because the meat is more tender this way). Cook until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain meat in colander and return to skillet. Add diced tomatoes, beans (drained and rinsed), taco seasoning, and water (Add as much water as you like, it will thicken a little bit). Mix together well and heat through.

Serve with:
-Fresh green salad (green leaf or romaine lettuce is best)
-Cilantro leaves
-Green onions
-Olives
-Shredded cheddar cheese
-Tortilla chips
-Sour cream
-Salsa
-Ranch or Cilantro Lime Dressing (will be posting in the future)

Build it in whatever order you please. Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Option: Use my taco seasoning recipe (linked above), and make sure your tortilla chips are gluten-free

Homemade Maple Syrup

Since I was a child I've never really had a love for syrup. My mom says it's because the stickiness would climb my fork and get all over my hands. I was a clean freak as a child, just as I am now, and couldn't handle the sticky mess. Makes me laugh.

Now that I am older and can eat without making a sticky mess I do like syrup. I really only care for it on french toast though. The reason for that is: french toast doesn't soak up the syrup since it's kind of sealed with the egg mixture. Pancakes and waffles soak up all the syrup and make it a little to soggy for my liking.

Since I've been married my husband has always made his own syrup from scratch. Until recently I haven't had it on anything but french toast. But I have decided that I do like it, just not too much of it so I can still have a crispy waffle.

Anyhow, I think it's fun that he makes syrup and it's really tasty! Hope you'll enjoy his yummy recipe too!

Homemade Maple Syrup
By: Steven

1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water

Combine above ingredients in small saucepan. Stir frequently, bring to a boil, remove from heat, add 1/2 tsp maple flavoring and a pat of butter. Stir. Enjoy it!

This stores well in the fridge in a dressing bottle or a pint jar. Makes a little more than 2 cups.

Goes great on Potato Puffers and Whole Wheat Pancakes or any other syrup needed dish.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Growing up in my mother's house we had hot breakfast pretty frequently. Call me spoiled? Yes, I think I was and I want to do the same to my kids when they are old enough to feed more than just milk. I am a firm believer in eating a healthy breakfast to start off your day.

My mother-in-law told us a story once that illustrates why it's important to eat a good breakfast. I hope I have all the details right. Her friend was in charge of a scout group and they went for a hike one day. Some of them charged right up the mountain and others were just too tired and weak to keep up the pace. She asked a few of them what they had for breakfast. I forget what the one who ate healthy had exactly. All I remember was that he had some protein and carbs and was full of vigor as he hiked. While one particular boy who was struggling had had a doughnut for breakfast - carbs and sugar. I just want to pat parents on the back when they send their kids off to school or activities with a healthy start in their little tummies.

Enough of my rambling.

This pancake recipe is something that we make pretty often around our house. It is also pretty much the same as the one my mom made, I just always use whole wheat flour and have added a little baking soda to make them fluffier.

Hope you enjoy a healthy start to your morning!

Whole Wheat Pancakes
from Mom
Makes 4-6 medium size pancakes - serves 2-3

1 cup whole wheat flour (I use fresh ground whole white wheat)
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
3/4 cup milk (you can add a little extra if you like thinner pancakes)

Combine all the dry ingredient in spouted bowl, mix well. Add oil, egg, and milk and whisk together until smooth. Cook on a greased griddle on medium-low to medium heat. Flip when bubbles start to appear but haven't popped yet.

Serve with butter, syrup, jam, peanut butter or anything else you like on pancakes.

Corn Chowder

I love recipes with fresh ingredients! It makes me feel good when I eat it, and I feel pretty good about myself when I've spent time making sure my family eats healthy. This chowder is yummy for any day, cold or not. And you can't have a bowl of chowder without a slice of this fresh bread, they compliment each other so wonderfully.


Corn Chowder
From: Maureen
Serves 8-10

5-6 celery ribs, chopped
1 large sweet onion, diced
7-8 med-large carrots, sliced
10-12 large red potatoes or medium russet potatoes, diced
3/4-1 lb ham, diced (I like to buy 3-4 thick slices at the deli and slice it myself)
2 - 2 1/2 C.+ milk, depending on how thick you like your chowder
8 oz. frozen sweet white corn
Garlic salt/salt and pepper to taste

1. In a non-stick skillet add 1 Tbsp olive oil and heat over medium heat. When skillet is hot add celery, onion and carrots, cook until tender. (Cook them as tender as you like them in your soup)

2. Add potatoes to stock pot and cover with enough water to barely cover the potatoes. Bring water to a boil and simmer potatoes for about 15 minutes, until they are tender enough to be mashed. When they are done, drain 1/2-3/4 C. water out and mash 1/2-3/4 of the potatoes, leave the rest in chunks.

3. Add cooked veggies to the potato mixture. Stir. Leave on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the stock pot.

4. In same skillet you cooked veggies, add diced ham and brown over medium heat. The browning helps bring out the juices and flavor of the ham. When ham is browned add it to the veggie/potato mixture.

5. Add 1 cup of milk at a time, stirring and heat slowly. Add as much milk until it's reached desired consistency (2-2 1/2 Cups is usually plenty - also depends on how much water you left in the pan from cooking the potatoes).

6. Add frozen corn and stir. Simmer until corn is cooked. Add garlic salt/salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.

7. Server and enjoy!

Notes:
If you don't feel like peeling potatoes, then don't do it. This soup is great with peeled or unpeeled potatoes. The peel adds extra nutrition. Just scrub them good and cut off any bad spots before dicing.

I like to buy 3-4 thick slices (3/8" thick) of ham from the deli and dice it myself. I think that ham is a bit better tasting than buying pre-diced ham.

Lemon Chicken Pasta {Light & Delicious}

This recipe comes from my husband's cousin. He is very creative, he paints and creates some of the best food we have tasted. We love his recipes!

This dish is mouthwatering and is one of our favorites! My husband and daugther LOVE it, and so do I!  We all want the leftovers, if there are any. 

Lemon, spiced vinegar and oregano go together so wonderfully. There are several reasons I love this dish:
1. It's simple and quick to make
2. It's healthy
3. It tastes so yummy
Why shouldn't I love it? And I'm sure you will too! 

Lemon Chicken Pasta

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

---

1 pound chicken, cut into bite size pieces

4 tablespoons butter

2 lemons, zest from one, juice from both

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

¼ teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground

4 cups egg noodles

Directions:

---

Cook egg noodles according to package directions.  

In a non-stick skillet add butter and chicken pieces and cook until almost done.  Add the lemon zest (from one lemon), and juice from both lemons, vinegar, water, oregano, salt, and pepper, simmer chicken in sauce until cooked through and about half the water has evaporated. Add the chicken/sauce mixture to the noodles and stir to combine.  Serve warm!  

Enjoy!

Notes:

1. I like to buy raw apple cider vinegar. I've found it at the regular grocery store and at Health Food Stores. We buy BRAGGS apple cider vinegar.  It has what they call 'the mother', it's basically sediment from when the vinegar was made. The flavor is so much better than your regular store bought, filtered, vinegar.

2. Make this gluten-free by serving with rice instead of pasta or choose a gluten-free pasta

Recipe Source:  lightly adapted from Jon Jensen

Lemon Chicken Pasta

This recipe comes from my husband's cousin. He is very creative, he paints and creates some of the best food we have tasted. We love his recipes!

This dish is mouthwatering and is one of our favorites! My husband and daugther LOVE it, and so do I!  We all want the leftovers, if there are any. 

Lemon, spiced vinegar and oregano go together so wonderfully. There are several reasons I love this dish:
1. It's simple and quick to make
2. It's healthy
3. It tastes so yummy
Why shouldn't I love it? And I'm sure you will too! 

Lemon Chicken Pasta

Printable Version {Click Here}

Ingredients:

---

1 pound chicken, cut into bite size pieces

4 tablespoons butter

2 lemons, zest from one, juice from both

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)

¼ teaspoon black pepper, fresh ground

4 cups egg noodles

Directions:

---

Cook egg noodles according to package directions.  

In a non-stick skillet add butter and chicken pieces and cook until almost done.  Add the lemon zest (from one lemon), and juice from both lemons, vinegar, water, oregano, salt, and pepper, simmer chicken in sauce until cooked through and about half the water has evaporated. Add the chicken/sauce mixture to the noodles and stir to combine.  Serve warm!  

Enjoy!

Notes:

1. I like to buy raw apple cider vinegar. I've found it at the regular grocery store and at Health Food Stores. We buy BRAGGS apple cider vinegar.  It has what they call 'the mother', it's basically sediment from when the vinegar was made. The flavor is so much better than your regular store bought, filtered, vinegar.

2. Make this gluten-free by serving with rice instead of pasta or choose a gluten-free pasta.

Recipe Source:  lightly adapted from Jon Jensen

Potato Puffers

This past weekend was the first time I'd ever had potato puffers. They were life changing! Really, I loved them. They were sort of pancake-ish, but a bit chewier. So delicious! They were very filling and a great breakfast. This is a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. This recipe comes from Steven's great aunt. It's a family favorite recipe and it was fun to try it out.

Potato Puffers

Printable Version {click here}

Ingredients:

---

2 eggs

1 teaspoon. salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon. baking powder

¼ - ½  cup milk

2 cups mashed potatoes

Directions:

---

Mix flour, eggs, salt, baking powder and ¼ cup of milk with hand-mixer until smooth.  Add 2 cups of mashed potatoes and beat til smooth.  Add more milk if it seems to thick to make into pancakes, it should be much thicker than a normal flour-based pancake.

Plop batter in about ¼ -  ⅜  inch patties. Fry in hot fat (butter is best) until they are cooked through and golden brown. Serve with syrup.

Note: We like these for dinner with omelets and fruit.  

Source:

---

My husbands Great Aunt, Jane S.

Bowtie Lasagna Skillet

One of my husband's favorite meals is lasagna. I also like lasagna, but hate how many pans and bowls it takes to make it (I don't want to wash that many). There is a pan to cook the meat, a pan to cook the noodles, a bowl for the cheese and egg mixture, and then the casserole dish to bake it in.

A while ago I was reading the back of my Kraft Parmesan cheese bottle when I saw a recipe for a bowtie pasta with ricotta and mozzarella cheese, etc. It sounded a similar to lasagna, so I thought I'd change it up and make a lasagna skillet, thus, reducing the number of pans and bowls and still producing a wonderful tasting meal. We really really enjoyed this meal!

Bowtie Lasagna Skillet
adapted from kraftfoods
Serves 5-6

2 1/2 C. Mini Bowtie Pasta
1 lb. Ground Beef
1/2 C. Onion, chopped
1-2 Cloves Garlic, minced
3/4 C. Cottage Cheese
1/4 C. Parmesan Cheese (real Parmesan is best, but you can use the powdered kind)
1 C. Mozzarella Cheese, grated
1 26-oz can Spaghetti Sauce
Salt and Pepper as desired

Cook pasta according to package directions. In skillet brown ground beef along with onion and garlic, cook meat through. Drain grease from meat and return to skillet. After the meat mixture is fully cooked add the cooked pasta, then add cheeses and spaghetti sauce, stir until mixed and heat through 5-10 minutes. Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.