Morning Glory Muffins

My friend Ande put out a request on Facebook for a healthy muffin recipe that included apples and/or carrots. Bingo! I have one! The original recipe came from Calyn which I modified just slightly.

Morning Glory Muffins

Mix together:
2 1/4 cups flour - I use whole wheat but you can do some white and some whole wheat.
1/2 cup sugar - you can also use raw cane sugar or sucanet
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 3 medium)
1 cup chopped apple (about 1 medium - gala and fuji taste the best)

In a separate bowl mix:
1/2 cup honey
3 eggs
3/4 cup oil (or melted butter)
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients unti just moist. Fill muffin tins (makes 12 generously sized) and bak 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Refrigerate after 1 day and they will keep for a week. They also freeze well.


p.s. If you want to make this even healthier, you can substitue 3/4 cup of ground flaxseed for 1/4 cup of the oil. Flaxseed is great for lowering cholesterol. I know from experience!

Quinoa Chili

I got this recipe from Clare, who goes to my church. I modified it slightly, in case she is reading this. :)

Quinoa Chili

1 TBLS olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green pepper, diced
1-2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed in warm water and drained
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1-2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 + cups canned kidney beans

Heat oil in skillet on medium heat. Add onion, salt, garlic, green pepper and spices; saute 5 to 10 minutes. Add rinsed quionoa and stir in. Add corn, tomato sauce and water to onion/quinoa mixture. Simmer together 20 minutes. Add kidney beans; simmer another 10 minutes.

If chili is too thick, just add water until it is to your liking.

Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado, corn chips, green onions.

NOTE: quinoa can be found in the bulk food section at Fred Meyer and Central Market (Seattle area stores).

Ruby Relaxer

I found this recipe at Kitchen Riches. Thanks!


2 T. Malibu coconut rum
2 T. Vodka
2 T. Peachtree Schnaps
5 T. Cranberry Juice
6 oz. Pineapple Juice

Mix and fill remainder of glass with ice.

Chicken Rigatoni

My 5 1/2 year old son loves this recipe! He asked for it all the time. It has lots of spinach in it, which is a very good thing. My 3 1/2 year old also like it.

I found the recipe on Scribbit's blog. I use a bit less garlic and a bit less milk for the sauce.

Spaghetti sauce

1/2 pound ground beef
1 cup frozen, chopped onions (or one small onion, chopped)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 zucchini or green pepper, diced
1/2 or 1/4 jar of marinara sauce (I like the ones loaded with vegetables such as Ragu Chunky Garden style Combination which has mushrooms, diced tomatoes, green peppers, onions, carrots, and zucchini).
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
8 oz. can of tomato sauce
small can of tomato paste
15 oz. can of diced tomatoes

1. Brown the ground beef and add onions and garlic. Drain well.
2. While the beef is cooking, chop the green vegetable of choice. Add to the beef mixture. Cook until the vegetable is softened.
3. Add the seasoning, sauce, paste and tomatoes.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Serve over your favourite pasta and add some parmesan cheese on top.

Crock pot Black Forest Cake

From Fix it and Forget it 5 ingredient favorites

Ingredients:
20 oz can cherry filling (Lite or regular)
18.25 Box Chocolate cake mix, butter style


1. Preheat slow cooker on High for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, spray interior of baking insert, designed to fit into your slow cooker with non stick cooking spray.

3. In a bowl, stir together pie filling and cake mix until mix is throughly moistened. Spoon into insert.

4. Place insert into slow cooker. Cover insert with 8 paper towels. Cover slow cooker.

5. Cook on High for 1 3/4 hours. Remove paper towels and cooking lid. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. Remove baking insert from cooker. Serve cake warm directly from the insert.

Thanks to Jen in WA for this recipe.

Beef with Rice and Spinach

Prep time: 5 min.
Cook time: 40 min.

- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 cups canned crushed tomatoes
- 10 ounces spinach, thawed
- 3/4 cup white rice
- 1 tsp. dill weed
- 1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, saute beef, onion and garlic over medium high heat about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until beef is browned and crumbly. Drain off excess fat and stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until rice is tender.

NOTE: the beef will appear pink after simmering even though you have cooked it thoroughly. It is just a weird thing that happens. Don't worry. :)

Veggie Lasagna

This recipe was printed in Parents magazine. I don't remember the month.

Prep time: 20 minutes

1 package (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 container (15 oz.) part-skim ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt, divided
1 cup shredded carrots
3 cups firmly packed shredded zucchini
1 jar (26 oz.) roasted garlic marinara sauce
8 to 10 regular lasagna noodles (not the no-boil variety)

1. Remove 1/2 cup cheese from a package of shredded mozzarella and set aside. In a bowl, combine remaining mozzarella, the ricotta, eggs, Parmesan, and 1/2 tsp. salt.

2. Cook carrots in microwave for 2 minutes. Stir into cheese mixture and set aside. In another bowl, stir remaining 1/2 tsp. salt into shredded zucchini.

3. Spray 5-quart slow cooker with vegetable cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup sauce on bottom. Gently break 2 noodles to fill and cover bottom. Spread 1 cup cheese mixture over noodles. Top with 1 cup shredded zucchini, then spread 2/3 cup marinara sauce over zucchini. Add another layer of noodles, and repeat layers of cheese mixture, zucchini, and sauce. Add a third layer of noodles, and top with remaining cheese mixture and zucchini. Top with noodles and remaining sauce, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup reserved mozzarella cheese. Cook on high for 3 hours.

Makes 8 servings.

My chili recipe

Ingredients:
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 medium onions (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
1 red pepper (chopped)
2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
8 to 10 fresh mushrooms (sliced)
1 19 oz can of tomatoes (I know this size is hard to find in the US.)
1 10 oz. tin tomato soup
1/2 14 ounce tin red kidney beans (I usually use the full can)
a smidgen of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
lots of pepper
grated cheddar cheese for garnish

Directions:
1. Cook ground beef well and drain excess fat; set aside. In the same pan saute onions and mushrooms until tender; season with pepper to taste.

2. Combine beef, onion mixture, red and green peppers and tomatoes in large pot(Use a crockpot if bringing to a potluck). Add tinned tomatoes, soup, beans and spices.

3. Simmer to blend flavours; peppers should be tender and liquid evaporated to consistence you like. Check seasoning and serve with grated cheddar and a fresh roll/bread.

Serves 6.

Russian Tea

Russian Tea
from Sheila Elaine Lemley Orndorff Galford
from Melissa's blog

Ingredients:

8 cups water
2 cups sugar
12 ounce frozen orange juice
2 lemons (juice of)
1 quart can unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tbsp whole cloves
5 tbsp tea or 2 double bags or 4 small tea bags

Directions:

Boil Water, cloves and tea.

Simmer 5 minutes-strain.

Add juices, sugar and boil 8 minutes.

Serve hot or cold. Keep refrigerated

Cosmopolitan

4 parts citron vodka (Don't skimp. Get good stuff.)
2 parts triple sec (Or cointreau if you don't mind spending a few extra pennies.)
2 parts cranberry juice
1 part lime juice (None of that bottled stuff. Keep fresh limes handy. One drink takes one lime.)

Old-fashioned lemonade

I got this recipe from Kelli. Thanks!

Old-Fashioned Lemonade

4 lemons
3/4 cup sugar
4 cups cold water

Cut lemons into thin slices, remove seeds. Place slices in a large non metal bowl; sprinkle with sugar and let stand 10 minutes. Press lemons with the back of a spoon to extract juice.

I actually got out my potato masher and gave them all a good squeeze. I got way more juice that I usually do just squeezing lemons into a pitcher.

Transfer mixture to a pitcher and add water. Stir and then remove lemons. Serve over ice.

Iced mochas

Note: I haven't tried this yet, so I can't vouch for it. When I do try it I will likely leave out the chocolate. We'll see.

ICED MOCHAS

1 to 1.5 cups coffee... pour into an ice cube tray and freeze
2 cups milk (you can use skim.)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chocolate syrup (the reduced-sugar works fine.)

Combine all in a blender, pulse until frothy, and enjoy!

Thanks to Amy's Cooking Adventures.

A perfect cosmopolitan

Chill your glass with ice. In a shaker, combine ice, three ounces vodka, one ounce Cointreau, and a splash of cranberry and lime juice. Shake well, strain, serve, enjoy and repeat.

- source: Robert, a bartender at New York City's Four Seasons hotel (Oprah's website)