Banana Nut Granola

It's  no secret that I love granola. It's such a easy snack, my kids love it and so do I! 

We eat it for breakfast with yogurt,or snack time by itself, or you can even put it on top your ice cream! So today I wanted to make a granola with dehydrated bananas in it. This granola does not have a real over powering banana flavor and tastes wonderful. It's also pretty healthy and contains a lot of proteins, fiber and omega 3s. If you don't have a dehydrator to make the bananas, you can find them at any whole foods market.

here ya go, enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup dehydrated or freeze dried bananas

1/3 cup coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup (100% organic maple, nothing else added)

1/2tsp sea salt 

Chopped pecans or whole almonds, or both

1 cup whole flaxseed

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats 

Organic, dairy free cocoa chips

Raisins

Organic crispy rice cereal(optional, but my kids like it)

1 Tsp ground cinnamon 

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a small sauce pan, warm your coconut oil,cinnamon, and maple syrup on med-low heat until melted down and blended together. Turn off heat and set to the side

In a large mixing bowl, mix together oats, rice cereal, raisins,nuts and flaxseed. Next, pour your syrup over top and blend well. 

Spread out your granola on a cookie sheet bake in the oven for 10-15minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Watch it carefully and make sure it doesn't burn.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool completely, transfer it to a bowl and mix in cocoa chips and bananas. Store in a airtight container. 

I ate mine on top of my vanilla Greek yogurt, it was SO good!

A little about the ingredients:

The maple syrup is a great natural sweetener, it Is a natural sugar that is produced from maple trees, and it gives it a great sweet flavor. It has a lot of health benefits and is better than honey or white sugar. Here is info about the benefits of using maple syrup. 

The coconut oil is a really healthy substitute for butter. You can't taste the coconut at all (I hate coconut so trust me, you can't taste it) Here is info on the health benefits of coconut, it is good for your thyroid also! 

Flaxseed is really good for you! Here is info about flaxseed

Almonds and pecans are a good source of protein!

Easy 5 minute dessert

My last two recipes were good summer time meals on my menu, here is a super easy summer time dessert to go with those meals, or any other meal! This is one of my all time favorite things to make in the summer, it is also perfect for birthday parties or holidays! It is not healthy at all, but its one of those recipes that I don't mess with, because its so simple and yummy!



Cream cheese dip and fresh fruit


Ingredients:
1 block of fat free cream cheese
1 small jar of marshmallow cream
Couple scoops of whipped cream
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional,  I usually make one plain batch and one cinnamon batch for parties)
Any assortment of fresh fruits, like bananas, strawberries, blueberries etc..


Set your cream cheese out until room temp. Place cream cheese, marshmallow cream, whipped cream and cinnamon in a bowl and beat with your blender until smooth. Serve with fruit!

Crock pot BBQ pulled pork

Here is another great summer time meal on my menu! This feeds quite a few people, or if you have a small family you can reserve the leftover for another meal. There are many great side dishes that go well with this meal, some of my favorites are Baked beans , corn on the Cobb, Sweet potato wedges ,And fresh fruit with cream cheese dip( found Here )

Crock pot BBQ pulled pork

Ingredients

Dry rub:

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons paprika

1/2 tablespoon cayenne

1 Tsp onion powder

4 pound shoulder pork roast(completely thawed)

2 cup apple juice

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 onion sliced into long pieces

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

1/2 tablespoon liquid smoke

2 gloves fresh garlic, minced

1 bottle or two-three cups of your favorite BBQ sauce, (I make my own home made)

Directions

Mix the dry rub ingredients in small bowl. Splash a little Worcestershire sauce over top the pork, then Sprinkle dry rub all over the pork roast, pressing into the pork. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight. 

The next day, place your pork in your large crockpot, Combine liquid ingredients, and the garlic in a medium bowl and pour into crock-pot, add onion pieces and cook on med-high heat 3hrs, then low heat another 5 or 6hrs or until fork tender and shreds easily. Brush the roast with cooking liquid every hour.

Turn off your crock-pot, Drain off the juice and Shred the pork with a fork or tongs into bite size pieces. Add BBQ sauce and let it cook another 15 mins or until its all warm. You can also wait and serve the BBQ sauce on the side if not everyone likes sauce on theirs.

Serve on hamburger buns with sweet potato wedges, grilled zucchini squash and corn on the Cobb! Baked beans also go well with this meal, and fresh fruit & dip for dessert, Yumm!!! Another great summer time meal!  

*Freezer tip* you can freeze the leftover pork in a plastic tub or bag,  when your ready to heat it up, let it set out to thaw in the fridge, then place it in a sauce pan on low/med heat.  Add a little BBQ sauce, stir frequently until heated through and serve! 

Crockpot Baked Beans

Aaahh, finally summer is quickly approaching! School is almost out, soon our weekends with be filled with lake days, and a lot of cooking out on the grill. I love summer time, mostly because I love my summer menu and spending time with family. When I think of summer I think about family picnics, trips to the zoo and the plash park, lake weekends and the 4th of July! We have all of that and more planned for this summer. Last summer I was very pregnant and gave birth to my third child, ms hailey jean. So sadly we didn't do much of anything accept prepare for the new babies arrival. We have a lot of making up to do this year, and also I now have a child with a summer birthday in June, yay! (My other two are cold weather birthdays, and mine and my husbands birthdays are both in November) so that means I get to plan a fun summer time party, which I will be doing a post about in the near future.

Anyways, with all the summer activities usually means eating out doors and potluck style meals. I frequently get asked to bring baked beans to just about any family event/holiday, and I have been asked many times for my baked beans recipe. You really can't go wrong with baked beans. I love the smoky flavor they have and they pair well BBQ.

 I have changed my recipe a few times and my most recent way I made it is my favorite. It's so easy, and I created it to cook in a crock-pot to make it easier to transport to parties. It's also nice to turn it to the "keep warm" setting if its going to be sitting out for hours. You don't have to cook it in a crock-pot, but that's the easiest way and it tastes exactly the same as baking them in the oven or on the grill. So, since you asked, here ya go! I am passing on my recipe, enjoy! 

Crock-pot baked beans

Ingredients:

3 cups of dried white navy beans, soaked and simmered until slightly tender

1 1/2 c ketchup

1 1/2 c water

1/4 c molasses

1 large onion chopped

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon salt

1 whole package of bacon, yes the whole thing! Cooked and chopped into bits.

1 c brown sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

Couple dashes of liquid smoke

Directions:

*Pre-soak your navy beans the night before and wash well, or do a quick simmer/soak and rinse*

After you have washed and soaked your beans, simmer them until they are slightly tender, then drain and place them in your crock-pot

Next add onions, garlic, salt, brown sugar, and dry mustard

In a separate bowl combine ketchup, water, and molasses, whisk together.

Add Worcestershire sauce and a few dashes of liquid smoke, stir. Then pour your ketchup mixture over everything in the crock-pot and give it a good stir. 

(Now is a good time to cook your bacon and chop into bits, I wait until about an hour before I'm ready to serve before I add the bacon, that way the bacon stays crisp and doesn't get too mushy.)

Cook on low heat for a couple hours, or until beans are good and soft, stirring occasionally. When you add the bacon, toss in a little of the bacon grease for flavor. Serve!

You can also use pinto beans instead of navy beans. The navy beans are best, but the pinto beans give it a different flavor that is also nice. I just use whatever I have available in my pantry! 

Baked sweet potato wedges

I made these super easy potato wedges to go with my apple sauce pork tenderloin tonight for dinner. My kids loved these! There were no leftovers, just the way I like it! I'm always trying to get them to try new things and eat healthy..r..ish, but most of the time my 5yr old doesn't go for"new food", especially if it doesn't look normal. She claims she doesn't like sweet potatoes, so I made these wedges, called them fries and she gobbled them up and asked for a third helping. She did comment on how they tasted different and sweet, so we call them "dessert fries", which she now loves. 

Here is the recipe, enjoy! 


Ingredients:

• 3 small sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 Tsp dried thyme 
• 1/2 Tsp oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Sprinkle of pepper

Directions:

Peel sweet potatoes; cut each potato lengthwise into 8 wedges. In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes and remaining ingredients; toss well to coat.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake potatoes at 450° for 30 minutes or until soft and lightly browned, turning wedges after the first 15 minutes. Serve!

Lemon Berry Coffee Cake

Yes, another lemon berry recipe. I have been in a lemon and berry kind of mood today!! This is a great recipe and very easy to make. 

Recently I went to Starbucks and seen they had a new coffee cake.  I love coffee cake, and I like to try new things, so I gave it a try. It was pretty SO good! I could eat one everyday! However, I don't like spending $3 a slice.....

So, of course, I got home and started searching for a recipe. I found this recipe for a lemon blueberry coffee cake from the king arthur flour website. It was almost what I was looking for, so I tweaked it a little and the end result was amazing!! Very yummy! I think I could eat the whole thing by myself!

Since starbucks serves their coffee cakes cold(because they come frozen) I'm going to try  freezing a slice tonight and then setting it out to thaw in the morning and see how it tastes. I'm so excited about this recipe and it will save me a bunch of money(sorry

Starbucks). So here is the recipe, enjoy!

Ingredients:

For the lemon streusel-

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

pinch of salt

1/2 cup candied lemon peel (I used the zest of 2 lemons)

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3-4 drops lemon oil, or 1/8 teaspoon lemon extract(I didn't have either of these so I

used a little squeeze of fresh lemon juice)

For the cake-

8 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream, room temperature (I used non-fat, plain Greek yogurt)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh or frozen berries. I used a frozen raspberry,blueberry,and blackberry mix.

Directions:

1) Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" baking pan or two 8" x 2" round pans.

2) For the lemon streusel: In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Gently toss the candied peel until it is well coated. If you prefer smaller pieces of peel, you can pulse the mixture 10-12 times with a food processor at this point. For a bigger lemon "bite" leave as is.

3) Work the softened butter into the flour/peel mixture until it resembles granola, some larger chunks, some smaller. Sprinkle on the lemon oil and toss again to combine. Set mixture aside.

4) For the cake: Cream the butter and sugar until light colored and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Be sure to scrape down the bowl well each time. Beat in the sour cream(or yogurt) and vanilla.

5) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the batter, mixing until combined. Avoid over-beating or the cake will become tough.

6) Gently fold in the blueberries until well distributed throughout the batter. Pour into the prepared pan(s) and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the lemon streusel until the batter is completely covered.

7) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Yield: one 9" x 13" coffeecake, or two 8" round coffeecakes


Let me know how it turns out for you! :) 

Very Berry Lemonade

The other day I found lemons on sale at the market. I picked up about a dozen or so to make home made lemonade. I've always wanted to try home made lemonade, but I'm not a fan of plain old lemonade (unless its frozen Italian ice). So I found a awesome recipe for a pink lemonade made with strawberries. I tweaked it a little and it turned out to be heavenly! I mean...this stuff is the BEST fruity drink I've had in a while. I have a idea to freeze it in ice cube trays to make Popsicles in the summer, also it will make a killer punch for a party! So here ya go, enjoy!





Ingredients:
7 reg size lemons
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar(or stevia if you prefer)
6 cups of cold water
1 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries( I used a blackberry, raspberry, blueberry mix)


Directions:

For the fruit purée-
Place frozen berries in a blender or food processor, add 1/2 cup of sugar, and the juice of 1 small lemon, and maybe a TBSP or two of water, if needed. Purée it until its smooth and pasty. Strain the purée so remove the seeds, use a spatula to help press it through the strainer.

Let the puree hang out in the fridge while you make the lemonade

For the lemonade-
Mix 1 cup of sugar, water and about 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice together in a pitcher. Add the fruit purée and give it a good stir. Drink to your hearts content!


Freezer tip: freeze your lemonade and make home made Popsicles for the kiddos (or yourself). This is also a great idea to keep the lemonade chilled at a party or event instead of watering it down with ice cubes!

Lactation cookie recipe, By sara

Here is an awesome and healthy recipe for lactation cookies. My sister sara made these and they were great! They really do help with milk production. You don't have to breastfeed to enjoy them though! My kids and my husband like them too. Thanks sara for passing on the recipe! 





 Ingredients:
1 cup coconut oil
1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar (use other options for a healthier choice)
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal (can be found at any local health food store)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them
1 cup or more chocolate chips/sultanas/almonds/macadamia nuts (whatever takes your fancy)
2-4 tablespoons of brewers yeast (be generous) 

• there are other options instead of chocolate chips:
   Coconut and banana
  Choc chip and cranberry
  Dried apricot and white chocolate

  instead of regular chocolate chips, I used fair trade organic 425 cacao chips semi-sweet. 

  
  Directions:

  Preparation time is around 15 minutes.
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

  1) Mix together 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes.

  2) Cream (beat well) margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mix well.

  3) Stir flaxseed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine mix. Beat until blended.

  4) Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips.

  5) Add to margarine mixture. Stir in oats then chips.

  6) Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment. Because the dough is a little crumbly, it might be easier if you use a scoop.

  Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies. Makes approximately 6 dozen cookies

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Enjoy!

Beef stew seasoning mix

A while back I started making my own seasoning mixes, mostly to avoid all the sodium and additives, and because I think they taste better! Here is a good, quick recipe for  beef stew mix!




Beef stew mix

1 cup all purpose white flour

2 Tablespoons sea salt

2 teaspoons oregano

1 tablespoon Basil

2 tablespoons black pepper

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes(or Cheyenne pepper)

1 tablespoons celery seed

2 tablespoons onion powder

1 teaspoon thyme

Mix together with a whisk and store in a airtight container

Use 1 To 1 1/2 tablespoons per pound of meat.

Enjoy! 

Ranch steak

This is a recipe I have been making for a long time, I have changed it over the years and now I love it even more! It's not the healthiest recipe, but it sure is tasty! Ive also tweaked it a bit making it a little healthier without the canned cream of whatever's. This recipe goes great with Mash potatoes, corn on the Cobb, fresh green beans and home made biscuits. Mmmmmm, talk about a good old fashioned dinner. It goes on my list of top 10 family favorite meals for sure! The best part is how easy it is and how minimal ingredients there are. So here ya go, enjoy!


Ingredients:
2lbs lean ground beef, thawed and made into patties
(Or instead you can use ground turkey, or cube steak. They all have a different flavor but they are all yummy!)
2 TBSP Hamburger seasoning (I use my own home made, but you can use whatever you would normally season hamburgers with)
1/2 onion, chopped (optional)
1 batch of home made cream of mushroom soup(my homemade cream of chicken with chopped mushrooms added to it) or 1 batch of home made cream of chicken soup http://craftybytb.blogspot.com/2013/02/home-made-cream-of-chicken-soup.html

Directions:

Thaw your hamburger meat and press into patties, add seasoning and onions cook in a skillet until done. 
While your hamburgers are cooking make your cream of soup and set to the side.

When hamburgers are done pour your cream of soup over top and let simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes. 

Serve with whatever sides you want, but mash potatoes are a must! You can also cook this in the oven on 350  instead
Of on the stove top, just make your patties and then line them in a casserole dish and pour your cream of soup over
Top and bake! Don't forget to add the cooked onions if you choose to bake it :) 


Enjoy :) 

Crockpot salsa chicken

One of my favorite meals to cook in the crock pot is salsa chicken. It is SO easy, quick and tastes yummy! My family loves it. Here is the recipe I love!


Ingredients:
4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I now use organic, but the organic is waaay more expensive so I'm looking for a alternate/cheaper chicken that is free range and chemical free, ill update when I find something!)
1 jar of mild picante sauce(I'm now using my home made salsa instead, I'll post the recipe soon!)
2 TBSP of home made taco seasoning(look in my earlier posts for recipe)
1 can of organic black beans(I'm also now using home made black beans I made in my crockpot and froze, they are better than the canned!)
1 bag frozen organic corn(OPTIONAL)This tastes good mixed in, or you can serve it on the side. I've made it both ways and we like it either way.

Directions:
Place everything in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8hrs. Serve over rice. I use organic jasmine rice. It is gluten free and NO GMO. you can find it at homeland or the local health food store. you can also shred the chicken and serve on tortillas like a taco!

Enjoy!

Quick, not so home made pizza

My children love eating pizza, especially at lunch time. I used to buy frozen pizzas, but they aren't exactly the healthiest, with all the added ingredients I can't pronounce and what not. So one day I decided to make home made pizza. The dough turned out awful and well, it was a major pain in the "you know what". (Since then I have found a recipe that is easier and turned out better though)

So instead I buy these whole wheat flat breads in the deli section at crest. They do have some added ingredients I can't pronounce and they are not as healthy as home made, but they are quick and easy and cheap(I'm working on making a homemade flat bread, but these work in the mean time)

So here is how I make quick, semi healthy-ish pizzas for my kids, and myself. I made a taco pizza last night that was to die for!! Ill post that recipe separate 


Ingredients:
Whole wheat flat breads (as many as you want)
Shredded cheese (I use either a pizza blend or cheddar, plus Parmesan)
Pizza sauce (home made is best, but the stuff in the jar works too. I buy organic)
1 Tsp olive oil
Garlic salt, or fresh
1 Tsp Italian seasoning
Whatever toppings your heart desires (I usually do a supreme with sautéed mushrooms for myself, or a Philly cheese-steak with spicy mustard sauce instead of pizza sauce, but my kiddos, who are just like their father, like plain ol' cheese)



Pre heat your oven to 350
Lay out your flat breads on a cookie sheet.

Spread olive oil on top, then sprinkle your garlic and Italian seasoning over it.

Next goes the sauce. Use as much or little as you want. Spread it all around.

Then pile on the cheese and whatever topping you would like.

Bake at 350 for about 10 mins or until the cheese is melted and the edges are slightly brown. Enjoy with a yummy salad and dessert pizza for dessert! Recipe below...


Dessert pizza:
Take your flat bread and spread a little softened butter over top, sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top and bake for about 10 mins or so. Sprinkle with powder sugar and enjoy! Sometimes I whip up a batch of cinnamon roll frosting to drizzle on top, but its good without it too :)