Healthy Berry Smoothies!

Smoothies:

1/2 cup frozen berries of your choice

1/2 frozen or fresh banana

Scoop of Yogurt

Pinch of Spinach if you'd like to add some vitamins

1/2 tray of ice cubes

1 cup milk

Sugar to taste

Throw it all into a blender and pulse it on high until it's well blended. 

There is not chemistry to a smoothie so be creative! Add and subtract what you like or don't like.  We like to add a little yogurt and spinach just for their extra nutritional value. We used to think people who did that were crazy hippies but we've since learned that you can't taste it and it's good for you!

Black Bean Hummus

Black Bean Hummus:

1 can black beans (rinse)

3 cloves garlic

1/8 cup onions

1 pinch red pepper flakes

1 pinch black pepper

1 pinch seasoned or plain salt

1/2 T Olive Oil

Rinse your black beans and place them in a food processor (a blender may work just as well). Peel your garlic cloves and toss them in as well. Chop up your onions and add them in and sprinkle in your seasonings.  Pour in oil. Blend until your Hummus is smooth. It'll look like a think paste or dip. 

You can spread this on a tortilla for quesadillas or eat with crackers, pitta bread or even veggies!

Black Bean Quesadillas are great with a spread of this dip, cheddar cheese, and avocado all on a flour tortilla! You can microwave them for a soft treat or grill them if you like them crispy! Dip in some home made salsa and enjoy! 

Teriyaki Chicken

Teriyaki Chicken Ingredients:

Frozen or Fresh chicken tenders or breasts

Yoshida's Teriyaki Sauce

Garlic

This is so easy you won't believe it! Simply pull out your crock pot, plug it in. Place your chicken (enough for your family) in the crock pot. Pour in your Yoshida's Sauce just enough to make sure all chicken's are at least half way in the sauce (they will all shrink and be submerged in the sauce). You can throw in some garlic powder or cloves if you like but it's good just the way it is.

Cook it on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3 hours.

When your finished you have a few options. You can eat it with rice, mashed potatoes or on Chicken Burgers!


Chicken Burgers are great with pineapple rings on top, red onions, lettuce and a little mayo on the bun!

Crab Alfredo

I got back into my food rut and I'm trying to climb back out! It's hard not to get into those silly ruts.

Tonight I decided to go with a crab dish. I haven't made one yet and thought it would a nice change. Unfortunatly, I went with imitation crab. In the past, I have had imitation crab in salads and whatnot and have loved it. I learned tonight though, it's best to go with real crab when heating it.

Other than the texture of the imitaion crab this meal was amazingly tasty and I'll make it again for sure!

3 T butter
2 T flour
2 cloves garlic (next time I'll use three)
3.5 cups of milk (about)
2 oz cream cheese
2 t black peper
pinch of curry powder
pinch of oregano
pinch of fresh basil leaves
3/4 box of medium size pasta shells

I did the basic white sauce. Melting the butter, adding the garlic then the flour. Then I added in my milk and seasonings. Started my noodles since my water was now boiling in the other pot. Just before my white sauce started to boil I threw in the cream cheese and stired it until it was melted. Finally I added in the crab meat. After about a minute I dished it up and we both enjoyed our new fancy crab dish!!

3 months without a repeat meal

When my husband and I were married, I went about a month without repeating a meal. I was excited and decided to go on 2 months. Then three. Finally, I HAD to repeat some of the meals because they were just so good and I wanted to eat them again. Sadly, I wasn't blogging at the time and did not keep track of all those meals. I'm pretty upset that I can't remember what 75% of them were. Here is a list of what I remember though:

This is a list of all the things I remember making...




Pork chops in cream of chicken soup with rice

Sweet and sour meat balls and rice

Fajitas

Beef enchiladas

Creamy chicken enchiladas

Beef Tacos

Chipoltle chicken tacos

Smoky Sweet Potato Stoup

Potato Soup

Chicken and Cheese Crescent Chimichangas (Eric's Favorite!)

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Beef Lo Mein

Tuna Pasta Bake

Chicken Devan

Tuna and cheese braid

Steak and potatoes

Chili

Nachos

Vegi Stir Fry

Kielbasa and potato skillet

Phad Thai

Stuffed Pasta Shells

Pot Roast

Chicken Salad Roll ups

Chicken Bundles

home made Chicken BBQ pizza
 
And those were the greatest 3 months of dinners we've had!

Tilapia Tacos!

Before I even left for the office, I knew I was going to be making Tilapia for dinner. My plan was to have it with a side of rice pilaf. Well, once the fish hit the pan my plans some how changed without me realizing it. Suddenly I was creating what would become the greatest fish tacos ever!

I just cooked 3 fillets in extra virgin olive oil. Then I added some frozen corn and about a 1/2 cup of salsa. I glanced up and saw chili pepper my family had sent me from their garden. I cut it up and threw it in too.

After pulling out some flour tortillas, salsa, cheese and sour cream we enjoyed this amazing masterpiece. Yum! I'm making this again!

Stovetop Popcorn!

I received an amazing Back to the Basics Popcorn maker as a wedding gift. Sadly, I hadn't used it until last week. I thought it was going to be a little more difficult which is why it took me a year to use it. I was AMAZED at how simple and quick it popped the popcorn! It was cooked within a minute! I'm never buying bags of popcorn again! Seriously, this pan made it so easy and fun!

You just need a popcorn pan ($20 at Target or Walmart). Pour in about 1 Tablespoon of oil and place 2 kernels on the bottom. Turn the stove on med high. Once the kernels pop, add in 1/2 cup of kernels and turn the handle as they pop!

Once it was finished we sprinkled a little salt and pepper on top. So yummy! 

 

Cool facts:

• Popcorn is a really healthy snack (just don't add extra butter)
• It's full of fiber and low on callories
• You can season it with salt, pepper, parm. cheese, sugar and cinnamon... the list goes on!
• Selena Gomez likes her Texas style: about 10 drops of tabasco sauce, salt and dipped in pickle juice!
• It's SUPER easy to make!