Agave?!

Just learned that Agave isn't all it's cracked up to be!!! WHAT?! Glad I use raw honey most. However, I thought it might be a good tid bit to share here. http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/7-healthy-ingredients-you-should-never-eat As I continued to research I was shocked at what I found! http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/ Here again is yet another link. This one however gives you far more information! So to those of you I have told to use this I apologize! Trash it and buy yourself some raw honey!!!

Black Bean Soup

Again, I got this recipe from my friend Darcy. It sounded great and I couldn't wait to make it! I did tweak this one a little more cause I wanted to add a little bit more vitamins to it. I knew since part of it was blended it was the perfect recipe to sneak in a few more veggies! :) This recipe should however come with a warning.....Take Beano before eating! Hilarious but true!  Also, the original called for cayenne pepper and my  little ones can't take the heat so I swapped it out for black pepper. If you like heat, add in some tasty cayenne!

Ingredients

1 carrot roughly chopped
2 C baby spinach
1 Red bell pepper roughly chopped and seeded
1 onion roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
1/2 C cilantro
1 tomato
1/2 C corn kernels
1 lime juiced
1 Tbs tomato paste
3 C chicken broth
Plain Greek yogurt
avocado

Directions

Saute the carrot, spinach, red pepper, onion, garlic, pepper, cumin and salt in a large pot until carrots are soft enough to blend. Add in tomato paste, broth, cilantro, tomato and 1/2 of the black beans. Blend completely with a hand blender. Add in the corn, lime juice and remaining beans. Heat through and serve topped with Plain Greek yogurt and avocado! Oh it is sooo good!

Minestrone

Can I just say YUMMM! I have never been the hugest fan of this soup, but since we have started eating healthier my taste in general has changed so I thought I would give it a shot! OMIGOSH! Love it! I think you all will too!

Ingredients

5 Cloves garlic crushed
2 onions diced
2 cups diced celery
5 carrots sliced
2 C chicken broth
2 C water
1 Can garbanzo beans
4 C tomato sauce
1/2 Marsala cooking wine
1 can kidney beans drained
1 can cut green beans drained
2 c baby spinach
3 shredded zucchini ( or about 2 cups)
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
1 Tbs fresh oregano
1/2 lb (1/2 a box) slightly under cooked whole wheat shell pasta

Directions

In a large pot saute garlic, onion, celery and carrots until onion is translucent. Add broth, wine and sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat and add beans, spinach and zucchini. Cook for about 15 minutes to allow flavors to marry. Add in slightly under cooked pasta and allow another 3-5 minutes for it to finish cooking. Serve sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.

Corn Bread

We had chili for my husbands family's Christmas. I thought corn bread went well with chili so I decided to make a recipe! My in laws really seemed to like it and asked for the recipe, so here we go!

Ingredients

1 C whole wheat flour
1 C cornmeal
1 Tbs dough enhancer (If you don't have this, just add an extra 1/2 tsp baking soda)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 Tbs raw honey
1 egg beaten
1 c plain Greek yogurt
1/2 C milk
1/4 C applesauce

Directions

Mix all dry ingredients well. In separate bowl mix all wet ingredients well. Mix wet into dry. Bake in an 8x8 inch greased pan at 400 degrees for 25 min. Make sure a tooth pick or knife comes out clean after poking the center. It is definitely best served hot and fresh! Note: If you like a drier corn bread use only 3 Tbs honey.

Crazy Good Breakfast Cookies

My friend Darcy gave me this recipe. There were parts that she tweaked and parts that I tweaked. I tried hers and she tried mine. Both super good!  I eat a few of these for breakfast in the morning...and then for dessert at lunch...and maybe a couple for a late night snack....yes, I eat like 6 a day lol! Darcy used dried cranberries in hers and I prefer that over the raisins I used in mine. The reason I used raisins is that I couldn't find a single dried cranberry that didn't have sugar added. I mean I looked everywhere and there wasn't a single one. BOOO! So, I opted for some organic raisins that had no sugar added. Also, you will have to keep an eye on the coconut in this. Most coconut is sweetened. You really have to look hard for one that is unsweetened. I got mine at the Neighbors Market in New Paris. Enough babble...lets get to the goods!

Ingredients (P.S. I recommend making a double batch!)

1 1/2 C rolled oats
1 C unsweetened coconut flakes (aka shredded)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/2 C slivered or shaved almonds
1/2 C dried fruit (preferable unsweetened)
1/2 C dark choc chips
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 C applesauce
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Mix everything together....no rhyme or reason necessary! Drop by heaping tablespoon or large cookie scoop on to sheet and bake for 17 min at 350 degrees. Now....The recipe Darce gave me said to bake on parchment paper....which she did and it went fine. Mine however did this....

LOL! No, I am not kidding when I say I had to peel parchment paper off of each cookie before I ate it! I suggest baking on a normal cookie sheet. No paper. However, if you are feeling wild, go for it! :)

Pasta Sauce

Blended to make it kid friendly

Ok, this really could be used over something other than whole wheat pasta. It would be great over Chicken as well! MMM....This is my favorite sauce to date! There really isn't a good amount of protein in it, so I would suggest using just as what it's named...sauce. I am planning on posting a load of recipes today, so to conserve some time I am not going to write too much about the foods, mainly just post the recipes to get em up! Hope you all enjoy some new food!

Ingredients

2 Jars/cans whole tomatoes (I used my canned tomatoes from my garden, but canned from the store would be fine too)
1/2 C White cooking wine (If you have kids or are nervous about the alcohol, no worries! What little is in there cooks out!)
1 large yellow onion diced
8 cloves chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 Red bell pepper diced
1/4 C fresh chopped basil

Directions

Empty one full can and one drained can of tomatoes into a large, high sided skillet. Crush them down a little bit with a potato masher or I like to use my Pampered Chef mix n chop. Add in the remaining ingredients and let simmer for a full 30 minutes. Now here is where your options come in. My boys freak at the sign of something green and Nahum refuses to eat onions. (What they don't know won't kill em right?) I blend mine up with a hand blender until it is smooth. However, if you like it a little chunky, eat it up and forget the blender. Here is a before and after pic. You decide how you want yours!

pre-blendage :)..See above for blended up goodness!

Well hello again!

I know Christmas is over. It's just been that long! :)

Yeah, I know, I think it's been a month since I have blogged. Who knew Thanksgiving to Christmas could steal so much time?! I decided that I wasn't going to blog if it was going to interfere with my family and well, The past month, it would have! I didn't even post on the adoption blog! Just because I haven't blogged doesn't mean I haven't cooked.....I have an arsenal of recipes just waiting to be posted! I honestly don't even know where to start. Which recipe first?! Probably whatever pictures my lovely husband gets edited first! :) Here are just a few I have to add as soon as I get pictures downloaded from the camera....hopefully within the next year! :)

Pasta sauce
Corn bread
Amazing breakfast cookies
Minestrone
Black Bean Soup
Green Chile Chicken Burgers

The list could continue, but I have no idea where I wrote the rest of my recipes. I NEED A RECIPE BOX!!!! It is quite pathetic really. I use any scrap piece of paper, old card, Nahum's school papers...Whatever I can find at the time I am creating. I lose so many recipes! You should see all of the food pictures in my blog picture folder. It is insane! And....only about 75% of them actually make the blog cause I lose the recipe! Someone help me! :) Stick with me here folks, I am working on getting back into the swing of things and hope to have a few up within the next few days!