Smoothies!!!

I visited with a dietitian this week to discuss healthy eating, and as part of my cardiologist's plan. We talked a lot about things I already knew- broccoli has less calories per cup than gummy bears- WOW!!  Who'd have thought, right?  But we also had a talk about probiotics!  

She explained to me there are bacteria all throughout our bodies that help us absorb the nutrients from what we eat.  From our mouths to our lower intestines, these tiny bacteria break down our food so we can take advantage of all the iron, potassium, and minerals our bodies need!  The absence of these bacteria can lead to a host of issues including depression, weight plateau, headaches and anemia!  Not to mention the myriad of benefits probiotics have for children!!  (http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/27-probiotic-benefits-children).  Just one problem.  I hate yogurt.  Like really hate it.  SO, she recommended I put it into a smoothie for a morning breakfast- something I usually skip anyway.  

On day 3, my smoothie included kale, something I'll go into depth about at a later time!  It was DELICIOUS.  I couldn't taste my yogurt OR the leafy greens I threw in!  It was so good, my kids have started eating these health packed "milk shakes" for breakfast every morning too!  I'm including two recipes on this post I've tried and loved.  Feel free to experiment.  I've been buying frozen fruits, but I'm also using whatever I can find at the farmers market and freezing what we don't eat day one.  My rule of thumb to avoid bitterness is two fruits per veggie I add.


Kale and Strawberry Smoothie (pictured)

1/2 cup organic greek yogurt -live cultures- that's important
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 handfuls frozen strawberries
1/2 banana
1/4 frozen peach
2 leaves kale

Blend until mixed well.  Enjoy!


Banana and Almond Smoothie
1/2 cup organic greek yogurt with live cultures
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 banana
8 dry raw almonds
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 frozen peach
handful organic baby spinach

This one was a less sweet than the strawberry version, but it had a nice robust nutty flavor!

No matter what you decide to blend, just remember to throw in a dark leafy green!  The darker, the better!  And in the cases of spinach and kale, fresh beats frozen for nutritional content!

ENJOY!!

Easy Sauteed Chicken

Easiest meal born out of necessity! I forgot to eat after a long day and was about to order pizza, when I decided to stick with my clean eating plan, closed the window and walked into the kitchen. After all, I could eat sooner and healthier if I made something instead! I had a chicken breast and several veggies to work with. I chose mushrooms and squash because they are softer veggies, so they'd cook fast. It turned out to be SO good and is one of my favorite meals now! Necessity is the mother of invention!!

Ingredients:
3 oz chicken breast
1 small yellow squash
4 mushrooms washed

Put about 1 tsp grapeseed (or olive) oil in a pan over medium high heat. Chop chicken into bite size pieces and throw in the pan. I recommend letting them brown before you flip them. During that time, chop your veggies. You can use whatever you have on hand. Toss veggies into the pan with the chicken. Now is about the time to flip your chicken. I then used a vegetable boullion I got from a Wildtree rep, although I imagine you can use any clean version from the grocery store. Stir the boullion in and add 1/2 cup of water and put the lid on. This should create a large amount of steam that helps flash cook your veggies. When veggies are soft and cooked, allow to sit for 3-4 minutes with no heat or lid. The water should create a yummy veggie "gravy" for your meal. Enjoy! You can add rice or noodles, but this was plenty for me without the extra carbs!

Homemade White Sandwich Bread- Bread Maker Version

Ok, I'm just warning you.  This bread is ADDICTIVE.  It's soft and chewy on the inside, light and flaky on the outside: all in all, the perfect homemade bread.  What I love about this bread is you most likely have the ingredients already, it's remarkably easy to make, and it's sturdy enough to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on.  I know, because I've already had two.  It also freezes well and for the first time, I didn't have my husband ask me to "please just buy our bread."

I went with a bread machine version because, let's face it, no one has 48 hours to make homemade bread.  This recipe takes 4 hours (depending on your machine) and does all the work for you with a bread machine.  Andrew bought me a WONDERFUL bread machine. (this one here: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-SD-YD250-Automatic-Bread-Dispenser/dp/B00005QFL0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380062841&sr=8-1&keywords=panasonic+bread+machine) and I can't say enough amazing things about it.  So far, I've made pizza crusts and bread, but there's the options to make cakes, dessert breads and even french bread.  With this machine, I have the option to select an XL loaf- which I do- and then I cut it in half and I have two loaves to slice for sandwich bread.  So really, each loaf comes out to costing around $.30.  WAY better than the $1.49 minimum for bread at the grocery store PLUS I know all the ingredients.  Which in my book, is still better although it's white bread.  I'll be trying this out with white wheat flour to see if it works as well.

Note:  This bread contains no preservatives, so it doesn't last on your shelf as long as a store bought loaf would.  I'm using what we didn't get to to make bread crumbs and bread pudding, but I recommend freezing what you won't use in 2-3 days.  It defrosts well, so there's no point in not freezing it anyway! :)

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp WHITE sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 cup luke warm water (I try to keep it between 105-110*)
2 1/2 tsp active yeast

Put all ingredients in machine as instructions dictate.  (This usually means dry ingredients first).
Use sandwich setting.  Allow to cool completely before slicing.

I recommend slicing it BEFORE you freeze it.  Just makes it easier when it's time to defrost and you're in a hurry!  I even made a sandwich for my daughter with frozen bread that thawed by the time lunch rolled around!  I don't like chancing things like that, but it turned out just fine! :)  Enjoy!!!


*Update!  Made this same recipe but subbed white wheat (wheat pastry) flour in for the all purpose and it is AMAZING!!  Try it with a healthier flour on your next batch!!

Fruit Roll Ups

My kids are always asking me for fruit snacks and fruit roll ups.  They're shiny, sugary, and basically a shot of red food dye.  There's a ton of research linking food dyes to hyperactivity in kids.  This article from WebMD lines out the most famous.  http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/childhood-adhd/food-dye-adhd.  Kids snack foods are full of these potentially harmful dyes, so I wanted to produce an alternative.

My challenge was I have no food dehydrator.  My kids LOVE fruit.  Bananas, apples, grapes.  None of these do they like dehydrated.  Since we don't really eat jerky either, I couldn't justify paying for a food dehydrator for the occasional fruit roll up.  If you have one, this will be worlds easier for you.  Either way, it's good to know it's possible.

All measurements are approximate!  I just added until it tasted good to me! I also used frozen strawberries thawed since they were less expensive than fresh.

Ingredients:
2- 8 oz bags of frozen strawberries
1/8 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice.

Start by lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Puree strawberries until smooth.  You can't have any chunks.  Transfer the strawberries to a pot on the stove.  Preheat your oven to 170*.  Add the sugar and the lemon juice to your strawberry mixture in the saucepan.  Stir well and heat.  I used medium high heat.  Cook about 12 minutes until your mixture resembles a jam.  Stir as you heat to keep it from scalding.  When the mixture is jammish, transfer it to the parchment lined pan.  Cook in the oven at 170* for six hours.  Check it after 3-4 hours.  If the consistency is right, you can pull it out.  It took 6 hours for mine to be right.  Cut in strips, roll up and store in an airtight jar.

When they're in the oven, they'll look like this!

I hope you enjoy these!  They're not exactly like the store bought ones since they're more fruit leather than sugar roll up, but they're delicious all the same!  Enjoy!!

Pizza Crust

This is actually the first post I have no photo for.  The reason:  it was eaten so quickly I didn't get a chance to photograph it!  I'll try to remedy the situation when I make it again!  What I love about this crust recipe is that you make it to your family's taste, it's easily frozen and makes for a quick meal even your husband can make!

I made four different crusts using my bread machine.  I froze all four and two days later defrosted one to use for pizza.  My husband told me it was the best pizza he'd had in a long time.  That's saying something because as a former employee of Pizza Hut, Andrew is hard to please pizza-wise. This will ensure you'll never spend money on a Pillsbury pizza crust again!  You can have homemade crust for less than .50/pizza that tastes better and has less artificial ingredients!

Get creative and clean out that fridge.  For the crust, do you prefer a garlic taste or an Italian Herb?  Toppings can be anything you have left over- from peppers and mushrooms to breakfast sausage or spinach.  Try making it with whole wheat flour, or spread cornmeal on the bottom before it's baked!  It's so easy, even a husband can do it! ;)

Dough Ingredients: Makes two 9x13" pizzas
1 1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried garlic, garlic powder or 2 cloves minced finely.
1 packet active dry yeast (or 2 1/2 tsp)

Add all ingredients to bread machine in the order given.  Use crust setting on machine. Add water if the dough is too dry.  When finished, divide the dough in 1/2 and wrap each ball in a piece of wax paper.  Seal inside a gallon ziploc freezer bag.  To use: thaw, roll onto pizza stone and top with favorites.  Bake until crust and cheese are lightly browning.  For a crisper crust, bake crust alone approx 8 minutes before topping and returning to the oven.

Enjoy!

Applesauce

You'd be surprised what's in commercial apple sauce.  Apples are naturally sweet.  Why add additional sweeteners?  The recipe I have is so easy, you'll be amazed.  If it's not sweet enough for you, feel free to add a bit of brown sugar- but try to steer clear of white sugar which is more processed.

Ingredients:
4-6 apples (I use Granny Smith for a more tart flavor, Braeburns for a more sweet taste)
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup water or natural apple juice (I use water)

Simmer apples, cinnamon and water on your stove top.  Don't be alarmed that your apples aren't covered- the apples release juices as they cook.  When the water is fully heated- just shy of boiling- turn the heat down to low.  Stir occasionally until apples are soft.  Transfer the mixture to your food processor and puree to desired consistency.  You can add more water or applesauce if needed.  Taste and add sugar if needed.  Can or place in fridge.  Use within 7-10 days unless canned or frozen. :)

Enjoy!

Chicken Stock/Soup

I love homemade chicken stock.  Nothing tastes quite as good- and I hate spending $2.50 or more for a few cups of the stuff Swanson makes.  But that's mostly because I'm cheap. :)  A pot of chicken stock helps you stretch your dollar!  You use all stuff you'd likely throw out anyway to make a savory broth that fills your house with delicious smells and your freezer with usable chicken stock!  Once I explain this, you'll never go back to buying store bought again!  Unless of course, it's in a stock emergency. ;)  I make stock the day after I roast a chicken, but if you don't have time to do the two things sequentially, just freeze your bones until you're ready. :)

Ingredients:

Chicken bones from a roast chicken

2 carrots

2 onions

1 tomato

handful of fresh parsley

thyme, fennel, celery seed and garlic to taste

2 peppercorns.

Throw everything in the pot and add water til you are about 5-6 inches from the top.  No need to peel the carrots.  Just slice the tomatoes and onions before tossing them in.  The tomato's real purpose here is to give the broth a beautiful color.  Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, turn down the heat and allow to simmer on the lowest setting for 6 hours.  If you're freezing the broth, you can allow it to cool and then transfer to a freezer safe bag or can.  If you're canning it, pour the hot broth into the jars and use a water bath to seal.  (Thanks to Bonnie for explaining that for me!)  To use stock as a soup, simply add noodles when heating to serve.  This will keep the noodles from becoming mushy and denigrating.  

Enjoy!