Supper-Time Sunday

Hello friends! I hope your eats were delicious and nutritious this week. We had a crazy sort of week and so I don't have a ton of new eats for you but I have a couple. So here we go! 

__________________________________________

10-MINUTE STOVETOP GRANOLA

Recipe courtesy of Yes, I Want Cake

I love granola but it is expensive and a lot of time it has a ton of added ingredients that I would prefer my family not consume. However, making it at home can take several hours and I would definitely prefer spending those hours on something other than granola.

When I saw this recipe for 10-minute stovetop granola I new that I had to try it! My cute hubster LOVES granola and I was pretty sure my babies would enjoy it on their Activia yogurt as well. I was happy that it called for clean ingredients. The only added sugar is in the Craisins - I will probably use Deluxe Raisins next time so that I can enjoy the granola as well without any digestive repercussions. Unless someone knows where to buy unsweetened dried cranberries at a good price?

But back to the recipe! It really came together sooo quickly and was positively delicious! I don't think I will ever be able to make granola the long way again.

I made a few changes to the recipe. I used coconut oil instead of butter and I only had ground flaxseed on hand so I used about 1/4 cup. I used pure maple syrup instead of the honey and my unsweetened coconut is in ribbons but it worked just fine.

PIN IT!

___________________________________________

NAUGHTY NUTTY "NOODLES"

Recipe courtesy of Delightful Taste Buds

This is a recipe that you may have noticed has been on my meal plan for a long time. In all honesty, when it came time to make it it just didn't sound good to me so I never actually made it until today. I whipped up a batch and the kids and I sat on the floor with 3 forks and we munched away while watching Wreck it Ralph.

It turned out really good although I felt like the lemon was a bit overbearing. I love lemon, don't get me wrong, but next time I think that I will only use 1/2 a lemon to let some of the other flavors shine.

One of the best things about this recipe is its versatility. I, for once, didn't have carrots on hand so instead I grated up a fuji apple. The sweetness of the apple was a great compliment to the other flavors of the dish. I also used 1/2 green cabbage and 1/2 purple cabbage.

Some of the other changes that I made: I used reduced sodium Tamari instead of coconut aminos. You can use whatever soy sauce you have on hand. Be careful about the oil you use in the beginning. 1 tbsp of oil is too much to cook 2 eggs in a skillet. I would start with nonstick oil and then add 1 tbsp of oil when you are ready to add the onions to your pan. 

This dish tasted a lot like similar Asian noodle dishes that I have had at various restaurants and it is definitely worth a try for an easy and healthy meal!

PIN IT!

________________________________________

QUESTIONS FOR MY DEAR READERS:  Have you ever made homemade granola? What is your favorite meatless meal?

Loves...Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

I gotta say... of all of the posts that I do these ones are probably my favorite. I really love sharing all of the delicious eats that we have been able to enjoy lately with my lovely family and friends - and all of you that I don't know but would love to! We had another great week of eats this week!

__________________________________________

FRUIT SWEETENING PASTE (PURE FRUIT SWEETENER)

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of Primally Inspired

I have to talk about this one first because it is the one that I am most excited about. When you are sugar intolerant it is easy to feel that your options are very limited - because they are. When I saw this all natural fruit sweetening paste on Primally Inspired I knew that I wanted to try it out!

Our local Winco Foods has a large section of bulk bins and I was able to get all of the ingredients for this paste from there. The recipe says that you can use any amounts of any combination of dried fruits so, really, the sky is the limit. I got the recommended fruits and made sure none of them were listed with added sugar. (Another great benefit to Winco Foods bulk section - they list the ingredients and nutritional information on all of their bins). I got 0.47 lbs Deluxe Raisins for $0.36, 0.36 lbs Dried Apricots for $1.23, 0.57 lbs Dried Adriatic Figs for $1.18, and 2.94 lbs Dried Whole Pitted Dates for $1.46. Total weight = 4.34 lbs for $4.23. Pretty awesome, right? 

What is even more awesome is that it tastes DELICIOUS! My husband had some spread on a piece of toast and I had some spread on my Tone It Up Protein Pancake at breakfast IMMEDIATELY after I finished making it.

And if that weren't awesome enough... We ended up with about 40 ounces of the finished product ~ 40 ounces for $4.23. If you buy honey at Sam's Club it costs $12.80 for 80 ounces. And pure maple syrup (grade A) at Costco is over $13 for 33.8 ounces. This is a delicious and very cost effective alternative!

You can see that we have already dug into the smaller jar

I am so happy to have this all natural product to sweeten my eats with and to finally have something that resembles jam again! 

PIN IT!

_________________________________________

SUPER THICK SHAMROCK SMOOTHIE

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of Lauren at Oatmeal After Spinning

There have been a lot of St. Patrick's Day eats going around right now. Since today is St. Patrick's day it seems to make sense, right? Well it is no fun to be left out of favorite traditions when you are trying to eat healthy so there have been a lot of copycat shamrock shakes going around as well. I even blogged about one last week that we enjoyed.

However, this one takes the cake for me. I loved this recipe and made it twice this week. One time I hoarded it for myself as my lunch and hid away from the kids so I wouldn't have to share. The second time I was feeling more generous so I made the same amount but distributed the goods throughout my little family so everyone could enjoy it. Cute hubster is not a fan of peppermint but even he enjoyed it!

I made a couple of changes to this recipe. The first time that I made it I didn't have a frozen banana or peppermint extract.... so instead I used 1 whole small banana and pure mint extract. I used 1/2 tsp mint extract (*DISCLAIMER! Only use this much if you like STRONG mint flavor!) and I used frozen kale instead of the spinach. It got incredibly thick and I ate it in a bowl just like mint ice cream - DIVINE!

When I made it for the family I actually had peppermint extract. I kept my other changes the same but used 1/2 tsp peppermint extract. It was pretty good still but I liked the strength of the mint extract and will probably continue to use it for my own hoarding smoothie purposes.

Overall this is, by far, my favorite copycat Shamrock Smoothie!

PIN IT!

__________________________________________

CROCKPOT JAMBALAYA

Photo + Recipe Courtesy of With Just a Bit of Magic

This is a recipe that my wonderful sister-in-law posted about and I knew that I wanted to try it. I love Jambalaya but usually can't eat the ones that you get at restaurants around here because they are made with noodles. (No gluten for me!)

I had a bit of a hectic day and didn't get the ingredients for this one in the crockpot until there were only about 4 hours left to dinner time. I placed the ingredients in my "depths of Mordor" crockpot and set it to high hoping that it would be ready in time. 

Well, it was and it wasn't. The brown rice is extremely finicky about when it will cook right and it was still a little crunchy by the time it was time to eat dinner. We didn't mind it and we ate the jambalaya anyway. Cute hubster took the leftovers to work and didn't mention any bad crunchiness so I assume it was fine.

What we particularly enjoyed about this recipe was the delicious flavor. I used all natural Sweet Apple Chicken sausage and the contrast of the sweetness with the hot sauce we added to our bowls was divine. 

I didn't want to buy fresh thyme so I used 2 tsp dried thyme instead of the 2 tbsp fresh that it calls for. I also didn't want to spend the money for the shrimp so we just left it out completely. If you have a food processor the chopping of the veggies for this dish is a cinch, otherwise it would be a bit time consuming. 

*Side Note: I have found the PERFECT method for cooking even the most finnicky and stubborn of brown rice:

COOK THE PERFECT BROWN RICE

Photo + recipe courtesy of Pinch My Salt

Seriously. This technique has NEVER failed us. We love it!

Overall, this jambalaya recipe was very good and if I am in the mood for jambalaya again I will probably pull this recipe out of the archives; however, there are so many other recipes out there that I want to try that unless I am specifically craving jambalaya I will probably not revisit this recipe.

PIN IT! (Jambalaya)

PIN IT! (Brown Rice)

____________________________________________

CARROT CAKE OATMEAL

Recipe courtesy of Life After Bagels

I love my morning oatmeal greatly and I am always interested in finding new ways to switch things up. I used to love carrot cake greatly when I was still eating sugar and gluten and so this recipe particularly caught my eye. Especially since this is a great way to add some veggies to the most important meal of the day!

And it was delicious! Very hearty, flavorful and filling. However.... I did change several things about the recipe.

I didn't want to bother cooking steel cut oats so I just used my normal 1/2 cup of gluten free old fashioned oats. To that I added all of the gratings of 1 medium carrot, 1 small banana (sliced), 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional), and a large sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice. I cooked it on high in the microwave for 3 minutes and then added 2 tbsp of unsalted almonds to the finished product. Like I said, it was delicious and it was quite sweet enough for me with the carrot and the banana to not need the additional maple syrup.

I am sure the original recipe is just as delicious - this is just what worked for me!

*Note: If you would like to see a picture of this recipe, the recipe itself, or pin this recipe please click on the "Life After Bagels" link under the title above. This link will take you directly to this particular recipe on Life After Bagels site.

_____________________________________

QUESTIONS FOR MY DEAR READERS: What was the best thing you ate this week? Are you doing anything special with your food for St. Patrick's Day?

Loves...Shayla

WIAW: Monday Eats

I have another WIAW for you this week! These are my eats from Monday this week. Mondays are a bit unusual in our house because I have school in the evening so I usually have to throw something together that I can eat on the go. Again, I apologize for the Smartphone photos. Easy and convenient doesn't necessarily equate to beauty in photography...

______________________________________________

BREAKFAST 7:20 AM

Cocoa Protein Apple Oatmeal

I know that it doesn't look very appetizing and, truth be told, a lot of people probably wouldn't like it. It isn't very sweet and is VERY thick. But I love it and it was my breakfast so that is all that matters! I mix 1/2 cup gluten free old-fashioned oats with 1 scoop of my vanilla plant protein powder and 1 tbsp ground flaxseed. I add 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/2 apple (chopped). I thin it out with water and cook in the microwave. Usually I add almonds as well but I completely forgot today so oh well!

_______________________________________________

SNACK 1 10:35 AM

Banana Yogurt

I know that the perspective on this one isn't really great. The bowl my oatmeal is in is from our "normal sized" bowl set. This one is actually a little bowl that you can buy for kids. They come in fun colors, all neon. 

Anyways! I decided to go with something a little bit different today. I am horrible about my calcium intake and so I wanted to make sure my snack included some calcium. I sliced a small, frozen banana and put it in my mini chopper with about 1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt. I added a splash of pure vanilla extract and a few sprinkles of Saigon cinnamon and chopped away until it was smooth. I topped it with some chopped, unsweetened coconut. 

This picture is actually the one I made right after I made mine for my girl [A] because she determined she had to have some. I didn't have a second frozen banana so I just used one off the counter for her. I definitely liked the frozen banana version better but this one was good as well.

_________________________________________________

LUNCH 1:55 PM & DINNER 5:00 PM

Deconstructed Sweet Apple Burger & Baked Sweet Potato Fries

This turned out to be quite the creation! I started with a large sweet potato and peeled it. I cut it in half and put a big slit in each half. Then I wrapped each half in a sopping wet paper towel and microwaved it for 3 minutes. After it was finished I cut it (very easily) into fry sizes, tossed with a little EVOO, chili powder, minced onion and freshly ground black pepper and stuck it in the oven at 375. I think I let them cook for about 30 minutes.

While those were roasting up I used my handy Kitchen Aid attachment to grind a pound of chicken. I also put 1/2 red delicious apple and a large handful of spinach right through the grinder. I mixed that all up and added 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1 egg, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1/8 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp tarragon, and 1 large shredded carrot. I made up six patties and cooked them on a griddle with nonstick spray until they were done. I placed one patty on a bed of organic spinach leaves, spread some classic hummus on it, topped with a few banana peppers and some yellow onion and enjoyed!

I wanted to make a lot so that I would have enough for lunch and dinner when I am running out the door to get to class. For dinner I had exactly the same thing as pictured above. I didn't eat half of that for lunch and half for dinner. Sometimes I will do that if I make something big enough but this was only 1 burger atop the spinach and 1/2 sweet potato worth of fries. It was very filling but 1/2 of it would have left me hungry. Plus making extras meant that I was able to make chicken sandwiches for my kids for lunch as well. I also had 3 bites of a red delicious apple my girl [A] had been munching on. I'll be honest... I'm not a big fan of red delicious apples! They aren't crunchy enough!

__________________________________________

I don't eat after 7:00 pm because of my resolution for Lent and so this was it for the day! 

QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Have you had any delicious eats lately? I could definitely use some new breakfast and lunch ideas! Spread the love to me!

Loves...Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

Time for another recipe round up for this week!

BAKED SOY LEMON CHOPS

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Allrecipes.com

This is an extremely easy recipe that comes together in no time. I read in the reviews that many people suggested cutting back on the amount of soy sauce. Since I only had 1/3 cup of Tamari this was really convenient for me; however, I was still very disappointed about the amount of marinade that was leftover. I put my chops in an 8x8 pan and there was enough marinade for at least twice the number of pork chops this recipe calls for.

Tha being said, the flavor was really good and instead of basting the meat we just turned the chops over. Cute hubster loved it. There are enough recipes out there to try that I wouldn't do this one again but it is a delicious and easy recipe if you are looking for one!

Pin it!

_________________________________________

PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE PUDDING CAKE - IN THE CROCKPOT!

Recipe + Photo are courtesy of The Sister's Cafe

I love easy desserts. Even though I can't eat them I love making them for other people. This was the perfect option for my little girl's birthday. It came together so quickly and cooked perfectly in the crockpot. I can't say how it tasted because, like I said, I can't eat it but it got great reviews from the people at the party. I got the impression that it is really rich and a little goes a long way but people still really liked it.

I didn't change anything about this recipe and followed the cooking time exactly. 

Pin it!

__________________________________

BANANA OAT BREAKFAST COOKIES

Recipe + Photo courtesy of Watching What I Eat

I made these for my babies one morning when I wanted to change up breakfast. That wasn't such a great idea because they take quite a while to prepare and by the time they were ready I had had to find something for the kids to munch on anyways. BUT! They were well worth the wait. They were chewy and perfectly sweet. In fact, I felt like they were the closest cookies I have found that don't taste like a "healthy cookie" if you know what I mean.

I followed the recipe except that I omitted the walnuts and added 1 scoop vanilla protein powder and 2 tbsp ground flaxseed for some extra nutrition. The kids liked them but I think that mom and dad liked them more. 

Pin it!

______________________________________

QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Tried any amazing recipes lately? Share the love with me!

Loves...Shayla

What I Ate Wednesday

You see these around the web all the time and I wanted to join in the fun! The eats that I chose to share were from Sunday, February 17th. Weekend days can be scary and don't usually reflect the normal eating patterns you follow but Sundays aren't really like that for me. Now if we were talking Date Night Fridays... :0)

_______________________________________

BREAKFAST 9:55 AM

Tone it Up Protein Pancake topped with homemade almond butter and 1/2 banana (sliced), "lemonade"

I put "lemonade" in quotations because all it really is is 1/2 lemon squeezed into 24 ounces of water with a little bit of stevia to help take the super sour edge off. And I am just not sure if there is a way to make protein pancakes look really pretty; however, they taste so delicious that it doesn't even matter. This has been my go-to breakfast for the last couple of days ever since I got a new protein powder:

I am loving this stuff and since it is not sweetened with any artificial or refined sugars it is great for me! The scoop that it came with was HUGE so I replaced it with a smaller scoop that I had from a previous protein powder. This recipe is courtesy of SarahFit. The only things that I do differently are that I just use the whole egg instead of only the egg whites and I add water if I need to to thin it out. 

I don't like wasting the egg yolk but also... here is a bit from Livestrong about Egg Yolks:

"An egg yolk provides almost 2 mg of highly absorbable lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids beneficial for eye health. The Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University suggests consuming 6 mg of dietary lutein and zeaxanthin daily. An egg yolk provides 27 percent of the adequate intake, or AI, of choline for adult women and 21 percent of the AI of choline for adult men. An egg yolk also offers 17 percent of the RDA of selenium and 9 percent of the RDA of phosphorus."

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/544071-calcium-and-egg-yolk/#ixzz2LCIf1ULM

Anyways... onto the eats!

_______________________________

SNACK 12:35 PM

1 can low-sodium V8 Vegetable Juice, 1 rice cake with lowfat cottage cheese

This is one of my favorite snack combos. I get the low sodium Quaker rice cakes and I love the Darigold 2% fat cottage cheese that you can buy in a big tub at Costco. The V8 juice is refreshing and a wonderful way to get 2 servings of veggies during a snack.

___________________________________

LUNCH 2:20 PM

1 small bowl leftover Picante Chicken and Black Bean Soup topped with lime juice and green onions, 1 small braeburn apple (sliced) with ~1 tbsp all natural peanut butter, 1 organic carrot

I almost always start lunch and dinner with a carrot. I have a big bag sitting in a very accessible place in my fridge and I munch away at it while I am prepping food. It helps me to not mindlessly munch on other less healthy things and helps to take the edge off of my hunger. I also really like the Braeburn apples because they are a bit sour instead of super sweet like the Red Delicious or Jonagold apples. 

__________________________________

DINNER 5:45 PM

Kyle's Favorite Beef Stew

My lovely mother made us this wonderful stew for dinner. The recipe is from Allrecipes.com. It was DIVINE! The broth had an almost sweet taste to it and it was hearty and delicious with the beef tender. YUM!

She didn't dredge the meat in flour at all so that it would be gluten free for me. She didn't use any of the real onions (just the onion soup mix) and just added 1 tsp onion powder. She used red wine vinegar instead of the burgundy and just poured the onion soup mix on top of everything in the crock pot.

______________________________________

DESSERT 6:20 PM

Chili Maple Cinnamon Popcorn

My friends who know me really well know that it wouldn't be a "What I Ate" any day without some popcorn. I LOVE popcorn. Love love love it. I air pop the popcorn and add melted coconut oil. This particular popcorn is sprinkled with pure maple syrup, cinnamon, chili powder, and sea salt. I definitely had more than just this one small bowl. 

_____________________________________

WATER INTAKE (Whole Day)

24 ounces "lemonade" + 84 ounces normal water = 108 ounces total

Not my best water intake but pretty good for a weekend day. It is harder to drink water away from home when I don't have my trusty orange cup with me. 

________________________________________

QUESTION FOR MY DEAR READERS: Is there something that you eat regularly? A favorite meal or snack? Share your ideas with me!

Loves...Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

Overnight Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats (Slow Cooker)

Rating: A

Hearty and delicious - this recipe is definitely a keeper! Since I don't eat added sugars if I can avoid it I didn't add the brown sugar to this recipe at all. I doubled the cinnamon and substituted the butter for coconut oil 1:1. My family just added pure maple syrup to their portions when it was done. I ate mine with just the sweetness from the apples. You also have to be really careful about cooking time. Although this calls for 7 hours mine only took 3 in my INSANE crockpot. 

LINK: http://jamiecooksitup.net/2012/03/overnight-apple-cinnamon-steel-cut-oats-crock-pot/

Instant Mug 'O Mac in the Microwave

Rating: ...B-?

This is a really great idea for a toddler who loves macaroni and cheese. They get to have their favorite dish and you get to feel more confident that they aren't eating a bunch of preservatives and added colors. That being said, however, this technique didn't work for me. I bought a big box of noodles from Sam's Club and I guess the noodles are too "premium" quality for microwave. I had to cook them on the stove top after all. Which is fine. Abrielle still loved it. Maybe you'll have better luck!

LINK: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2012/05/17/instant-mug-o-mac-cheese-in-the-microwave/

Pasta with Fresh Garden Tomato Sauce

Rating: A+

We have established that I haven't liked tomatoes for my whole life, right? Well I had no anticipation that I would like this but I was making dinner at my parent's house in exchange for my mom cutting Jake's hair. I decided to try it and WOW!!!! I absolutely loved it. Love love love love love. We topped ours with feta instead of parmesan cheese and didn't drizzle any additional olive oil on it. We had it again the next day on top of bread, and again a few days later. It is amazing. Make it. Soooo easy and wonderful!

LINK: http://www.marthastewart.com/904229/pasta-fresh-tomato-sauce

Chocolate Protein Power Balls

Rating: A+

These are excellent! I made a big batch and keep them in the freezer. I take 2 of them with me to eat after a big workout or eat 1 occasionally for a snack. The only substitution that I made was to use natural peanut butter instead of almond butter (I didn't have it). LOVE the flavor, texture, everything!

LINK: http://www.damyhealth.com/2011/04/damy-health-protein-power-balls/

Thai Turkey Burgers

Rating: A+

We have had these twice now. Once I made them with ground chicken and the second time I did turkey. Both were fabulous. The sauce is a perfect combination of sweet and spicy and they are very filling. We will make these again and again!

LINK: http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/best-healthy-recipes-around-world?page=9

Baked Cinnamon Breakfast Bites

Rating on cooking technique: A-, Rating on crowd consumption: A

These were quite easy to make and seemed to be a great hit at the party I took them to. My husband tried one for me and said they were great and my aunt asked me for the recipe for them. The only change that I made was to use cake flour instead of just all-purpose flour. If you don't have it on hand you can make it by measuring out 1 cup of all-purpose flour and taking out 2 tbsp of it. You then replace those tbsp with 2 tbsp of cornstarch. It helps them to be a little bit lighter and not quite so dense. 

LINK: http://ohmysugarhigh.com/scrumptious-baked-cinnamon-breakfast-bites-recipe/

NOTE: I didn't actually taste these so I can't give you a rating on taste... I can only tell you what others told me!

Clean Eating Gingerbread Waffles

Rating: A-

I really like gingerbread... although Jake does not. I decided to try these anyways and I really liked them. It calls for 5 cups milk and I only used 3 although next time I will probably use 3 1/2 because they turned out very thick. Still delicious. I need to draw your attention to the fact that the recipe calls for NO added sugar. I like them this way and only topped mine with fresh banana slices and peach slices. That was perfect for me. My kids loved them also. I think it could use a little bit of salt added to the batter but otherwise I think it is great.

LINK: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-ginger-bread-waffles/

Clean Eating Turkey Rice Bowls

Rating: B-

These were okay but were honestly kind of bland. We remedied this situation by adding Sriracha to our portions but it isn't one that I would make again. And if I did I would use fresh pineapple and not canned. But I don't plan on making it again. Maybe you'll like it better?

LINK: http://www.thegraciouspantry.com/clean-eating-curry-pineapple-turkey-rice-bowl/

The "Best" Snickerdoodle Cookie

Rating on cooking technique: A-, Rating on crowd reception: A

These were pretty easy to put together - Abrielle and I did them together. I refrigerated them for too long though and I had to leave them out for a while before they were not too hard to roll out. However, if they get too warm then they flatten a lot more while cooking. They are a bit finicky like that. But my hubby and our neighbors loved them and so I will probably make them again.

LINK: http://www.lovintheoven.com/2010/03/even-better-snickerdoodle.html

Supper-Time Sunday!

Homemade Ketchup

Rating: A

I have a hard time with ketchup because it almost always has high fructose corn syrup in it. Since I react badly to HFCS I usually just avoid ketchup altogether; however, I have some recipes that call for ketchup and wanted to have an option. Now I know that they make ketchup without HFCS but I wanted to try my hand at making my own. It was surprisingly easy and I had all of the ingredients on hand. It was really tasty too. I even omitted the extra tsp of sugar and just went with the agave/honey. I didn't think it made very much so I will probably double or triple the recipe next time around but I would definitely like to make it again!

LINK:  http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/06/homemade-ketchup.html

One Minute Paleo Flax Muffin

Rating: F

I'm sorry... I have made microwave flax muffins before that I liked but this one was terrible. The bread part had an awful flavor and called for WAY too much flax seed. I tried to stir it really well before baking and still had a bunch of leftover flax at the bottom of my cup. I will definitely NOT be making this recipe again. Maybe you will have better luck?

LINK: http://preppypaleo.blogspot.com/2012/08/one-minute-paleo-flax-muffin.html

Egg White Crust

Rating: A

I have made this recipe twice now in two different ways. I have no egg protein on hand so the first time I just used whole wheat flour and flax seed. I mixed it up with some garlic and italian spices and topped it with hummus, cottage cheese and a bunch of veggies. VERY delicious! The second time I used my vanilla whey protein powder in place of the egg protein and topped it with cottage cheese, mashed blueberries and peach slices. ALSO very delicious! This recipe is a keeper for sure.

LINK: http://www.oatmealafterspinning.com/2012/08/15/my-very-first-wiaw-egg-white-crust-veggie-pizza/

Healthy Homemade Graham Crackers

Rating: B-

These were fun to make but I probably wouldn't make them again. They aren't the easiest things in the world to put together and they aren't as tasty as boxed grahams. Now, I think that this can be easily fixed with a few tweaks - you can up the amount of sugar that it calls for or add other things to it like cocoa. When you cook it make sure to not overcook. I overcooked one batch and they crumbled like crazy. The second batch was much softer and tastier, especially with milk, but still lacking in something. Also, make sure you roll out the dough REALLY thin because they do rise in the oven and my second batch was more like soft cookies than crunchy grahams. Good luck if you try it!

LINK: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/healthy-homemade-graham-crackers/

Quinoa Fruit Parfait

Rating: B+

This was a tasty idea and I loved the cinnamon/vanilla/greek yogurt layer. I actually made mine with raw oatmeal and cooked oatmeal for my mom and sister. I haven't tried the quinoa but I would be willing to. It isn't the best thing that I have ever had but it was decent.

LINK: http://www.edibleperspective.com/home/2011/7/20/why-you-make-extra-quinoa.html

Supper-Time Sunday!

Banana Pudding Poke Cake

Rating: A+

Okay, maybe I am a bit biased but my all-time favorite "guilty" dessert is banana pudding. Why? I have no idea. Something about the flavor combination. Is this a healthy dessert? No. However, you can improve the recipe in many ways. When using a boxed cake mix the oil can be completely replaced with unsweetened applesauce. I have done it twice now and both times it turned out the most gorgeous boxed cake I have ever made. Secondly, if you whip your own whipping cream you get to control the amount of sugar that goes into it and it won't have a bunch of yucky additives like high fructose corn syrup. I added a layer of freshly sliced bananas between the pudding and whipped topping and it was soooo delicious. Everyone raved about this dessert at my baby boy's birthday party. Yummy!

Link: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/06/banana-pudding-poke-cake.html

Pasta with Cilantro-Peanut Pesto

Rating: F

No, I am not kidding. This dish was terrible. The lime zest was completely and totally overwhelming - So badly that you couldn't even taste anything else (and there are a lot of other ingredients that should have strong flavors!) This was bad enough that we rinsed off the noodles to try and save dinner and we could STILL taste the lime. Wow. Steer clear of this one. 

Link: The site is down right now so I can't get the link but if you really want to try this one here is the link to my pin on Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pin/206954545347039565/

Zucchini Lasagna

Rating: A+

This meal was so tasty and I thought it tasted a lot like normal lasagna. I didn't miss the noodles at all and, even though the cute hubby wouldn't admit it, I don't think he did either. It came out with the most amazing pops of flavor. I used ground chicken instead of shredded and I ran out of zucchini and so I used part yellow squash. Ironically, we liked the yellow squash best. It takes on an almost cheesy taste to it. We will absolutely be making this dish again.

Link: http://munchercruncher.blogspot.com/2011/05/seasons-are-lil-bit-different-in-sunny.html

Oatmeal Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Candy Bars

Rating: A- on flavor and texture

Sound healthy? Surprisingly, they are very respectable for a dessert. All natural ingredients and no added sugars except for honey (which isn't processed nearly as heavily as white sugar) and whatever sugar might be on your dried cranberries. These had a very rich and creamy flavor and texture and a little bit goes a long way. Unfortunately, a long way isn't very long for me when it comes to sweets and even after just a little bit my body went into "sugar shock" and I felt sick to my stomach for the rest of the night. *Sigh* So even though these were delicious I probably won't make them again. I bet you would enjoy them though!

Link: http://amy-newnostalgia.blogspot.ca/2010/05/best-recipe-ive-ever-messed-up.html

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Rating: B

I really like the concept of this "cookie" and it turned out pretty good. I made a blueberry version and did agave instead of maple syrup. I also didn't have vanilla yogurt and so I added a tsp of 100% vanilla whey protein powder and just used plain, nonfat yogurt. It was tasty and I enjoyed it, however it didn't keep me feeling full for very long. That is a deal breaker for me and breakfast so I won't make this one again for me but maybe for my kids?

Link: http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/?p=2583#.UAlqqbRDwrc

Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake

Rating: A+ according to my husband

I have to confess... I didn't actually eat this one. My baby sister turned 7 yesterday and specifically requested a "Special Shayla Dessert" and she wanted chocolate cake. I knew that she would love this cake although I don't personally eat Oreos. Once again, you can replace the oil in the cake mix for unsweetened applesauce 1:1. My sister had 2 BIG pieces of this cake and my husband went on and on and on about how good it was. He doesn't normally like cake but he said this one was so perfectly moist and the perfect amount of sweet without being overbearing. I added a layer of whipped topping on top of the pudding after it had completely set (8 ounce container) and I think that that is what balanced the sweetness out. 

Link: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/07/puddin-poke-cake.html

Tijuana Tortas

Rating: A+

I cannot possibly say enough to praise this meal. It comes together in no time at all (like 5 minutes) and is incredibly tasty. I think I had it for 4 or 5 meals over the course of 2 days because we loved it so much. The avocado mixture is really what makes it. The limey, oniony creaminess is just a burst of flavor. I didn't want to search for pickled jalapenos so I used chopped banana peppers instead. I am actually planning on making this again tonight. Really. We also didn't hollow out our whole wheat sub rolls - we just ate these like sandwiches. I know that that is cheating and not really a torta but they were fantastic, nonetheless. And meatless too!

Link: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/tijuana_torta.html

Supper-time Sunday!

Chicken Coconut Curry

Rating: B-

We love curry around here and I was excited to try this one out; however, I didn't feel like it lived up to our curry standard as it was written. It was bland and too thin. I added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and  about 1 1/2 more tsp curry powder and still topped my portion with Sriracha. What can I say? We like things spicy. I think that this dish has potential and my mom is going to try it with curry paste instead of ground curry powder. My husband liked it just fine and we might do it again but it definitely wasn't a favorite. 

Link: http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2008/11/coconut-chicken-curry.html

Banana Vanilla Protein Pancakes

Rating: C

These ones had an okay flavor but they were really dense. They had a strange texture... it was like a mix between a pancake and a cookie. Too hard. If you are looking for a protein pancake that resembles a normal pancake really closely... this is not the one for you. I won't make them again.

Link: http://www.pbfingers.com/2012/05/26/banana-vanilla-protein-pancakes/

Peanut Butter Banana Oat Pancakes (Vegan)

Rating: B

Her method for adding the bananas is CRAZY!!! They made the pancakes fall apart and they were SOOO unmanageable I was going insane. The texture is really good and very much like a normal pancake despite being vegan and the peanut butter flavor is quite strong but good if you really like peanut butter. We just topped our pancakes with bananas after they were cooked and didn't add them to the uncooked batter. I also didn't have buckwheat flour or vanilla soy milk. Instead we used all wheat flour and regular milk and just added 1/2 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder. Not vegan, but it works. :-)

Link: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/06/peanut-butter-banana-oat-pancakes.html

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Rating: A-

This is a wonderful basic recipe for pancakes. My mom didn't have baking soda on hand so we had to use baking powder and they did NOT fluff up, but we added 1/3 cup blueberries and 1 tsp lemon extract to the batter and they had an AMAZING flavor. They were my dad's favorite. I think you could add a bunch of different flavors or fruits to this one or just top them with it afterwards. We will definitely repeat this one. 

Link: http://www.everydaybelle.com/2011/06/greek-yogurt-pancakes/

Banana Chips

Rating: B-

This was a link on Pinterest that doesn't link to anything but a picture so here is the "recipe": 

Slice banana into thin chips, dip in lemon juice, and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake for 2 hours @ 200 degrees and flip. Bake for another 1.5-2 hours or until crisp. (They wont be totally crisp in the oven, but will harden as they cool) IMPORTANT STEP: Spray the cookie sheet with PAM

These were decent but the cooking method caramelizes the bananas and makes them really sweet. I could only eat three before they were too sweet for me. They weren't easy enough or good enough to warrant repeating for us but it is a good healthy treat.

Greek Yogurt Blueberry Banana Bread

Rating: A

Oh  my deliciousness! This one was a great one. The whole family loved it and my husband had 3 pieces after it came out of the oven. I didn't have pastry flour but so I just used normal whole wheat flour. I used agave instead of the brown sugar. And I also didn't have vanilla flavored greek yogurt so I just used my plain, nonfat yogurt and added 1/2 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder to my batter. It was just the right amount of sweet without being overly sweet.

You have to be careful about cooking it. Banana bread bakes REALLY fast on the outside and gets very dark. Mine got a little bit too dark for my liking on the outside but I was diligent about checking the inside so that it wouldn't be raw. Mine took about 55 minutes and the outside was BORDERLINE too dark. But it was still yummy and we will definitely repeat it. 

Link: http://nosugarsweetlife.com/content/greek-yogurt-blueberry-banana-bread

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

Rating: A

This was a lovely and easy breakfast to put together for the family. We all enjoyed it and I didn't add any extras to the dish except for a little bit of cinnamon. It really doesn't require any sweetener since the banana sweetens it nicely. I didn't add the coconut oil but wouldn't be against trying it. I made mine in individual ramekins for easy serving to the family and topped with a bit of plain Greek yogurt. We will definitely repeat this one!

Link: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/03/22/banana-bread-baked-oatmeal/