Recipes for a Friend

Baby Girl and I went to a bridal shower today for a really darling friend of hers... and mine!  We were supposed to bring a favorite recipe.  Uh... I forgot!  I feel so bad about that I am dedicating this week's menu to her.  She needs some easy yummy recipes, and these are some of the easiest and yummiest I know!

So let's get to the recipes!


Beef bacon butternut squash - I haven't actually ever made this yet, but it I love squash and I love bacon so how can it be wrong?!  This sounds so incredibly tummy-warming I can't wait to try it!

Black bean avocado quesadilla - I have made these before.  I don't always have exactly the ingredients, but quesadillas are the kinds of thing you can adjust based on what's on hand.


 Potato soup - I just love potato soup!  We used to eat this with crusty bread, but now just toss in some whole wheat hard pretzel pieces!

Maura's BBQ - This is so easy!
2 - 3 pounds of stewing beef, cut up
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 chopped green pepper
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup chili powder
1 TBSP dry mustard
1 TBSP worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

Mix all ingredients except stewing beef together.  Then stir in beef and coat.  Put in slow cooker and cook 6 hours on high or 10 hours on low.  Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

(Edited to add blackstrap molasses.)

Baked chicken and acorn squash -
I will season the chicken breasts with some olive oil and Italian seasonings and bake at 350 about 30 minutes.
To make acorn squash, cut in half and remove all seeds.  Place face down on a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes at 350.

Beef Vegetable Soup

Beef vegetable soup -
Last week I made a rosemary pot roast.  Because the pot roast has onions in it, and some great flavors, I don't really need to add any additional seasoning.

2 cups leftover roast beef, shredded
2 cups mixed vegetables
2 cups vegetable broth
26 oz can crushed tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste 


We will also have some yummies around the house like:

www.thenakedkitchen.com/cinnamon-raisin-braids

Granola - This is a really great basic recipe.  You can make it as is, as I often do, or you can dress it up with some other favorites.

Keep it clean!

Autumn Harvest!

While I surely will miss all the awesome produce we get throughout the summer, I am enjoying that apples, squash, pumpkins, and cranberries are back!  MR made some more applesauce this week.  There is just nothing like the taste of fresh, still warm applesauce on a cool October day!  There is no real recipe for it.  Just core apples and cut them up into chunks and cook them with some water and cinnamon.  When they are soft, grind them in a food mill.  We don't add sugar and we use whatever apples we happen to have.  As you make it, you will find combinations of apples that taste best to you.

When I was in the grocery the other day I saw that they finally had fresh cranberries back in stock.  So I bought two bags!  This morning I made Paleo pumpkin muffins and tucked a few fresh cranberries inside each one.  It gives it a lovely tart little *pop* in your mouth!  I also made some pumpkin donuts.  Half of the batch was just as the recipe is written.  Except I forgot to grease the donut pan so they didn't pop out easily!  Still edible though.  The other half I decided (since my donut pan was such a mess) to add cranberries and bake them in a (greased with coconut oil) mini muffin pan and make donut holes!

I dumped the rest of the fresh cranberries on a cookie sheet and put them in the freezer.  (Freezing them in a single layer in a cookie sheet helps keep them from clumping together in the bag.)  From there, I bag them up and freeze them for baking later.  I use these for baking, not for adding to trail mix or other non-cooked recipes.  But I like tart foods, so I would say these aren't for everybody!

Sometimes this weekend I am going to make Spanish chicken and chorizo.   I am sharing the recipe here but be forewarned, I haven't actually made it yet.  It looks easy yet amazing, so I am hoping for a great outcome.

For some reason, I am guessing it is the shorter hours of daylight, we just are having trouble getting motivated to do a lot of cooking in the evening.  In order to lighten that burden, I want to try to make this week as simple as possible in the cooking department.  If I can, I will pre-make some over the weekend so we just have to heat and serve.

Here's what else I am *planning* for us to eat for supper this week!

Meatloaf with sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms is pretty easy.  I love the flavor of sun-dried tomatoes.  You need to have enough time to cook it, but if the loaf is made ahead of time you can at least save some time that way.

Pizza with whole wheat crust!  We keep Trader Joe's fresh whole wheat pizza crust in the freezer.  There are also tons of alternate crust recipes online if you don't want wheat.  Or you can make your own.  Pizza crust is incredibly easy to make!

Pepperoncini brisket.  Just put a brisket in a slow cooker and dump a jar of pepperoncini (liquid and all) over it. Use a 16 oz. jar for every 2-3 pounds of brisket.  You can serve this shredded on whole wheat buns.

Beef and butternut squash stew sounds very seasonal!  This recipe calls for flour so I will probably sub whole wheat flour.  I think if you want to leave out the flour altogether, you can, but it just won't be as thick unless you add something else to thicken it.  Because this takes 1-1/2 hours to cook, I will make it ahead of time and then we can just reheat it.

It looks like with all these hearty recipes, we will probably also have a leftover night.  The nice thing about that is that if there aren't enough leftovers, we will probably go out for Mexican food!  :-)

One more thing I *intend* to make this week is peppermint patties.  When I crave something sweet, it's nice to have something around that I can eat... occasionally.  I think these are pretty easy to make and you can do it in just a few minutes.

Keep it clean!

In the words of my favorite monster.....

COOKIES!  Cookie Monster stole my heart just for his love of cookies.  And these will definitely creep into your heart.  I was out of town for a couple days and was surprised to find cookies sitting on the counter when I returned. And Clean, at that!

MR took the recipe from our handy dandy Better Homes and Garden cookbook... we have had it since we were married, which is a long time... and cleaned it up!

Aren't they Beautiful!?

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cup old fashioned (rolled) oats

Beat butter with electric mixer for about 30 seconds.  Add molasses, honey, coconut sugar, baking powde,r baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined.  Beat in the flour.  If it gets too stiff, you may have to finish it by hand. (I really recommend a good quality stand mixer, like a Kitchen Aid, if you can.  It makes life a lot easier in the kitchen!)  Stir in the oats.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes.  Cook on a wire rack.  Seal in an airtight container when completely cooled.  These may seem dry at first, but once you let them sit in the container for a couple hours or so, they will be more moist.

It was a long drive home yesterday, so I sure was happy to have such a wonderful and unexpected treat waiting for me!

Stay clean!

Recipes, Recipes, Recipes!

Whew!  A week away did me a world of good.  I am not sure how I am going to wake up before 5 a.m. come Monday morning, but I'll deal with that when the time comes.  For now, just happy to still technically be on vacation.  Also, happy to have the fresh Fall produce we picked up at the farm stand on the way home yesterday.  Plus we bought a big basket of apples last week.  I definitely see fresh applesauce in our future!

So, just getting back from vacation, I have a lot to do!  Better get right to the recipes....  NOTE - These are just the entrees, as you can see.  I will, of course, complement with vegetables!

Burgers on the grill - okay, had to start out with something simple!  We use Trader Joe's whole wheat hamburger buns, but you can wrap them in big lettuce leaves if you prefer.

Pizza - Trader Joe's gets lots of love at our house.  They have a fresh whole wheat pizza dough that we always keep on hand.  We both work long hours with long commutes, so quick and easy is important, but it still has to be clean!

Italian chicken - just chicken breasts rubbed with oil and then seasoned and just grill it!  Serving this with some of that great squash we picked up.

Black Bean Burritos - I haven't actually tried this recipe but I do like black bean burgers and this sounds pretty close so think it's a win.  And it includes sweet potatoes, which I absolutely love!

Chicken salad - we will use leftover chicken, chop it up, add mayo, mustard, chopped pecans, and raisins to make a fabulous chicken salad.  You can pretty much add what you want to get the taste you love.

Prosciutto-wrapped Beef Cubes - OMG... I just love this stuff.  I have posted it before, and will continue to post it.  Ab-Fab!!!  And not as complicated as it looks.

Tortilla Soup - After a long week at work, this is super easy, and super tasty, just what the doctor ordered.  This is a very versatile recipe that you can adjust to taste with your favorite flavors.  We usually add a can of black beans and/or some leftover chicken.

I also plan to make Paleo Cinnamon Rolls, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (uh oh!  Had to strike these out.  I just realized the recipe has brown sugar in it... so very sad!  But I will try to find a new recipe to replace this one...) and Paleo Pumpkin Cakes, but we all know about plans, don't we?!  But I will try!

Keep it clean!

VACATION... but still eating clean!

First, please allow me to recognize all those who died, were injured, or otherwise affected by the rampage at the Washington Navy Yard this week.  I have worked there in the past, not at building 197, but very nearby, and worked on some projects with some folks from there, and also am friends with some employees at NAVSEA.  I do not know anyone personally that was killed or injured, but nevertheless, I have thought about them all every day this week. A lot of my friends and former co-workers were on the Yard throughout the entire day and my heart goes out to each of them.

Mental illness is a huge issue in our world, and I just pray that anyone who is having any kind of issues seeks out help, and if that help is not as forthcoming as it should be, continue to pursue it.  If you have a loved one that you think is struggling, be open with them and encourage them to get the help they need.

This has been a long week.  I'm glad that I am now on vacation.  We usually go away right after Labor Day, because all the usual crowds are gone from the beach but everything is still open.  It got a little delayed this month, due to one thing or another.  But no matter, as long as we finally work a vacation in.  I don't really care about all the normal beach vacation activities.  We mostly ride bike, walk, and kayak.  And we can do that as long as the weather is cooperative.  Whenever and wherever we are on vacation, if it's for more than a few days, we try to get a place that has a full kitchen.  It makes it easier for us to stay on track with our clean eating lifestyle and, mostly, keeps the cost down.  Because, I am cheap like that!  So, for us, in most cases, being on vacation is not difficult when it comes to eating.   But we will also go out to eat some this week.  And I may even indulge in some not-so-clean treats.  Why not?!

This week's menu:

Rosemary Pot Roast (sorry, broken link!)

This stuff is epic!  And at the end of the week, if there are leftovers, this will become sandwiches!

Pasta Pomodoro

Easiest sauce in the world to make.  15 oz can of diced tomatoes plus 1/4 cup of pesto.  Voila!  Pour it over cooked pasta.  I have some chicken tenders that I cooked on Friday that I will pair with this for protein.

Chili

Always a go to because it's easy and has basic ingredients.  Pretty sure you can make this however you want.  Protein (I use grass fed ground beef), chopped onion, tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, and/or kidney beans, spices to taste!

Pizza

We stopped at Trader Joe's and picked up a fresh whole wheat crust.  Makes an awesome pizza!  I actually had some white flour crust recently and it was so boring compared to the whole wheat!

I am working on perfecting clean macaroons. There are some good recipes out there but the ones I have tried so far don't stick together as I would hope.  So there may be a coconut macaroon recipe in your future!  In the meantime, keep it clean!

Easy-Peasy!

This just seems like it has been the craziest week, and I really don't know why.  But it's weeks like this that cause me to break out the simplest recipes I can find.  I really can't bring myself to get too crazy with cooking some nights. So this week you will see a collection of some of the easiest recipes I know.  But, you know, there is nothing wrong with keeping it simple.

PASTA POMODORO
This is so easy, it's ridiculous.  All you need is a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes and 1/4 cup of your favorite pesto.  Mix together and heat.  Serve over whatever kind of pasta you prefer.  You may want to add some grilled chicken for nice lean protein.

CHICKEN FINGERS WITH HONEY MUSTARD
Honey-mustard dressing served over chicken fingers cooked on the grill.  I will serve this with baked acorn squash.  I absolutely LOVE acorn squash and it is so easy to make!  Just cut the squash in half and clean out the seeds.  Lay each half face down on a baking sheet and cook for about 30 minutes at 350.  Squash is done when a fork can easily pierce the skin.  I then turn it over and put a pat of butter in it.  Acorn squash is the green one shaped similar to a giant acorn.

CHILI
A pound of ground beef (or whatever kind of protein you prefer), browned with half a chopped onion.  Then stir in a 15 oz can of tomato sauce or diced tomatoes, a can of drained and rinsed black beans, and a can of drained and rinsed pinto beans.  You can use different beans if you prefer.  Mix in your favorite seasoning.  We often just use chili powder.  Heat through!

We have some other things going on this week that will not require us to cook much, so this is a short menu.  I hope it gives you some ideas for quick and easy, but tasty, foods for your own menu.

For a snack, though, follow the graham cracker recipe at this link for my s'mores. https://cleaneatingitsalifestyle.blogspot.com/2013/06/summertime-is-smore-time.html.

Keep it clean!

SHARE THIS 3-INGREDIENT DESSERT... or not....

Every time I turn around I see yet another "super easy" recipe with "only 3 ingredients" or that is "super easy" on Facebook.  They tell you to "tag yourself so you have this recipe."  The problem is that 1 of those 3 ingredients is usually something like a cake mix... which to me equals about 15 ingredients all on its own!  I really just want to post... in all CAPS... STOP IT!  DON'T DO IT!  But I try to be really polite on Facebook and I know that some people can and want to eat that stuff.  So instead I have finally decided that the best way to combat that is to post this blog with some "super easy" recipes!  Some are 3 ingredients and some are more.  But none of them take long and all of them are awesome.  I am only posting those which I have personally tested so can attest to the ease and the flavor.

So HURRY!  TAG YOURSELF or SHARE THIS so you can keep these recipes handy!  :-)

First, though, have you ever made ice cream from frozen bananas?  If not, you are depriving yourself of an awesome treat.  You can essentially dress this recipe up any way you want, with pretty much any flavors you like.  You don't get a strong banana flavor, unless you make banana ice cream.  You can get a Yonana Maker, which is a pretty handy tool to have, or you can even do it in your food processor.  Every time you have some overripe bananas, just peel them, lay them out on a plate or cookie sheet and freeze.  Once they are frozen, throw them into an airtight container and keep them in the freezer until you are ready for them.  So easy to just take out as many bananas as you need.  I can even buy overripe bananas at the grocery store for a discounted price.  As long as the peels aren't slimy, I'm in!  (I am.. um... frugal like that!)

Banana Berry Ice Cream
2 bananas, frozen
1 oz. dark chocolate
3/4 cup frozen mixed berries

Whiz the ingredients together in your food processor or Yonanas maker.  Done.  Keep leftovers (if there are any!) in the freezer.

Mudslide Fudge Cookies (grain free)
Not very many ingredients, and you likely have them in your house.  Where it says raw honey, I actually just use whatever honey I have.  It's up to you whether the ingredients need to be organic.

Chunky Chocolate Cookies
Don't eat these right away.... allow them to set up after they come out of the oven so they aren't as crumbly.

Cinnamon Raisin Braids
These take a little more time, but mostly to give the dough time to raise.  The real ease comes when you make the dough and freeze some of it for use later!  I personally can't wait and have to make them all at once.  These are so good, your family will not know they are eating healthy!

Peach Cobbler!

MR's Famous Peach Cobbler
My husband truly makes the world's greatest peach cobbler.  Just because we changed to a clean eating lifestyle, was no reason to give it up!  I was eating, cleaned up or not!  When peach season rolled around this year, has attempted to clean it up.  And came up with TWO awesome wins!  You can follow the directions at the link, or you can sub 1/2 cup of honey for the coconut sugar.  Either way works just fine.  This stuff is especially good eaten warm with a little almond milk over it... or maybe make some banana berry ice cream (above) and serve it with it.  Also, you can throw in a handful of blueberries with the peaches!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Larabars
I love larabars for a snack or a treat.  There are multiple ways to make them.  This recipe is a good one, but http://mywholefoodlife.com/ has lots of other ones too.  Check them out!

So now... do you really want to make a dessert that starts with a cake mix?!  Not when there are so many better options around!!!!  Go ahead, enjoy!!!!