Super easy smoothie!

I'm a coupon whore...and therefore end up with things in my fridge or pantry that I don't really know what to do with, simply because they were free or nearly so. Because of this, I stumbled upon another accidentally delicious recipe.

Remember when you would go to the mall and get an Orange Julius? I have fond memories of these frozen treats-raw egg and all. I recently re-created my own version of this wonderful beverage-inadvertently due to the nearly free half gallon of vanilla Almond Breeze I obtained last week.

Here goes:

In blender combine the following:

1C Vanilla flavored Almond Milk

1/2 C Orange Juice

1/4 C Pineapple Juice

Ice (amount required for desired thickness) perhaps 1C or more

Blend until smooth, creamy and delicious. Possible subs or additions would be strawberries and/or bananas, but I was happy with this as-is.

Enjoy on a hot day, my kids adored it!

Marshmallow-less S'more

So.....last night we had our first backyard campfire of the season. At our house this means one thing above all others-S'mores season has officially begun. Inspired by a blog about 100 things to do with a banana, I decided to take the lovely yellow skinned fruit outside to the campfire with me. I broke off a piece, roughly the size of a large marshmallow and proceeded to toast it over the flames, watching it slowly carmelize before my very eyes. Then I placed it atop a graham cracker, warmed at the edge of the fire ring, afloat with a Russel Stover Triple Chocolate Mousse square that was melting ever so slowly around the edges. Ladies and Gentlemen...I present to you a marshmallow-less s'more fit for a king. Try it, it will not disappoint.

Simple Quesadillas

Sometimes a delicious meal doesn't have to be strictly from scratch, doesn't require a lot of ingredients, and doesn't have to take a long time to prepare. Here is one such meal!

Prep Time: 20 min, start to finish

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

8 oz shredded cheddar or cheddar/jack cheese

1 can Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 can black beans

1 chicken breast, diced

salt

garlic powder

chili powder

4-6 whole wheat tortillas

Preheat skillet with a tbsp of olive oil, and add chicken breast. Season with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder. When it starts to brown add tomatoes, with juice, and reduce to simmer. Once the tomatoes/chicken have thickened add black beans and heat through.

In a separate skillet or griddle heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, add tortilla, and cook for 30 sec in hot oil. Fill half of tortilla with chicken mixture, cover with cheese, and fold over like a quesadilla! Once that side is golden brown flip to brown other side (1-2 min approx). Continue to fill tortillas, will serve 4-6 depending on the size of your tortillas.

Serve cut into pizza shaped wedges with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole for dipping.

A Calling:

Tracy is due in a month! Woohoo!

She is cooking this month (thank goodness for that nesting impulse... it is useful) in order to be prepared for the long 2 months after baby is born when no one will be willing or able to cook. She needs some recipes that "freeze beautifully." Whatcha got?

Individual Chocolate Souffles

2.5 oz caster sugar
1 oz plus 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
3 fl oz cold water
6 egg whites
powdered sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 375
Lightly butter 6 individual souffle dishes or ramekins
Mix together 1 Tbs of the cocoa powder and 1 Tbs of the sugar
Sprinkle mixture over the bottom and sides of the dishes and shake out any excess

2. In a saucepan, combine the remaining cocoa powder and the cold water
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly
Pour into mixing bowl

3. With and electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form
Add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are stiff

4. Add 1/4 of the egg white to the chocolate mixture and stir well to combine
Add the remaining egg white and fold gently but thoroughly, until no streaks of whites are visible

5. Divide the chocolate mixture between the prepared dishes, filing them to the top
Smooth the surface with a metal spatula
Run your thumb around the rim of each dish so the mixture will not stick when rising

6. Bake until well risen and set, 14 - 16 minutes
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately

Note: I would recommend using a chocolate syrup or ice cream to sweeten up as they are not sweet. You must eat immediately or they will fall, they cannot be saved for later. :(

24 weeks

It is 24 weeks until my birthday. I am announcing my goal to the world: I am going to lose 1 pound for each year of my life before that day. Gosh I wish I was turning 25.

Anyone else want in? Post your tastiest healthy recipes...

Pistou

I got this recipe from my mother in law. It is delicious. I will give it to you as is. I ended up adding celery to the base, subbing zucchini for the green beans (you could use just about any veggies in this) and roasting a chicken to go with/in it.

Pistou

1 cup diced onion
1 leek, white part only sliced
2 Tlb butter
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pcs
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped and drained
6 cups beef bouillon
1/2 cup spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pcs
2 tsp salt (I cut down by >1/2 as bouillon plenty salty)
1 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp crushed basil
1/2 tsp crushed thyme
1/4 tsp ground sage
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tlb tomato paste
2 Tlb freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large pot or dutch oven with cover, saute the onions and leek in butter until soft. Add green beans, potatoes, tomatoes and beef bouillon. Cover and simmer gently for 30 min. Add salt, pepper and spaghetti and cook 15 min longer. In a bowl, mash the garlic with the basil, thyme, and sage. Add egg yolk and gradually stir in the oil and tomato paste. Add a little soup to this mixture and stir back into the soup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.