Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie

Jana here with a breakfast smoothie that is delicious!  My kids love to help me make smoothies in the morning. They like to think of fun combinations, and things we can add to make them yummy!  Since they are only 2 and 4 years old, some of their ingredient suggestions are 'creative', but don't fall into the yummy category!  I saw this recipe for an Apple Cinnamon smoothie on Pinterest, and decided it would be a great breakfast addition!  It was very tasty, and we enjoyed a flavor that was different from any we had tried yet!

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Smoothie

1 red apple, cored and sliced

5 raw almonds

1 banana

3/4 cup Greek Yogurt

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Process until everything is blended well.

Enjoy!

Kale Fruit Salad

Becca here with another recipe using kale, commonly regarded as the healthiest vegetable of them all!  Kale Chips have been one of my family's favorites for quite a while now, as well as several soups and smoothies using kale, but it was just recently that we tried it in salad form, and it was a hit!  I know it sounds a bit strange to 'massage' your food before eating it, but don't skip that step!  It's a great one for kids to help with, and really helps not only spread the marinade throughout, but also to tenderize the kale quite a bit.  I actually enjoy the salad a bit more the second day, so feel free to make it ahead of time.  My inspiration recipe was from Parents magazine.  I hope you'll give this recipe a try, you can't beat the nutritional benefits, and it would make a great side dish for grilling this spring & summer!  Enjoy!

Kale Fruit Salad

1 bunch of kale (about 8 oz. if you're buying it pre-chopped)
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 small or 2 large lemons (organic preferably, since you will be using the peel for zest also)
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cans, 15 oz. each, mandarin oranges
1 pound strawberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Wash kale and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 1/2"), removing the tough center stalk.  Dry, and place into large mixing bowl.

In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine red onion, zest from lemons (about 2 teaspoons), juice from lemons, dijon mustard, honey, and olive oil.  Use a wire whisk to combine well.  (If you or your children have a strong aversion to raw onions, you may do this step in the blender instead!)

Pour dressing over kale and use our hands to 'massage' the kale for a couple of minutes, until it is coated evenly in marinade, and kale has begun to wilt.  (Remember, don't skip this step, it tenderizes the kale!!)

Add drained mandarin oranges, strawberries cut into quarters, and walnuts and toss to combine.  Enjoy!

Pan-Seared Salmon

Hi everyone!  Today's recipe is incredibly easy and definitely one you'll want to repeat.  As most of you know I have two under two!  So, dinner prep time can sometimes be a challenge.  But let's be honest, having any children at all makes dinner prep sometimes challenging.  Everyone is hungry and waiting!  I am lucky that my almost two-year old loves fish.  For this particular recipe I used a bag of Great Value brand frozen salmon.  It costs around $4.99 and comes with 5 pieces of fish.  That is plenty for our family's dinner, plus left-overs the next day for my daughter.

Pan-Seared Salmon
Ingredients:
1 bag frozen salmon
Extra-virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt
All-purpose Greek Seasoning

Directions:
First, thaw the salmon by running it under warm water while still in the package. While you're thawing the fish heat a few tablespoons of EVOO on medium heat in a skillet on the stove.

Next, season both sides of the fish with the Greek seasoning (or seasoning of your choice) and season only ONE side with sea salt.   Pan fry the fish, 3-4 minutes on each side.  Make sure to cut the fish in half before serving to make sure it is completely cooked!

This fish is great served along side some brown rice or vegetables!  We had ours with baked sweet potatoes, cut up avocado, and peas.

*A note about thawing: I have always thawed out frozen fish using the method described above.  The package says to NOT thaw the fish out while it's still in the plastic.  Perhaps this is a health risk?  If you have a better way to thaw, please share (in a kind way) below! :)

Shrimp Enchilada Soup

Jana here with a soup recipe from a Southern Living cookbook!  Sometimes I wish I could capture in the picture I take how good a recipe was!  Usually if I'm not happy with my picture, I won't even post the recipe. But we liked this one too much not to share!  It has a mexican flair, but also shrimp as an ingredient. Such a good combination! 

Shrimp Enchilada Soup

5 cups chicken broth
3 cups tortilla chips
1 pound medium sized shrimp (peeled and tails removed)
2 4.5 ounce cans green chiles, undrained
1 10 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro)
shredded cheese

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large dutch oven.  Add chips. Leave them in to boil for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in chiles and tomatoes.

2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add shrimp, onion, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until shrimp is pink.  Stir shrimp mixture into broth mixture.  Cook on medium heat until thoroughly heated. (do not boil)

3. Stir in sour cream and cilantro. Top with cheese, and serve.

Enjoy!

Whole Rotisserie Style BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker (plus homemade chicken broth!)

Becca here with a super easy recipe for making a rotisserie style chicken in your slow cooker.  I didn't get a good photo of the chicken before we ate it, but chickens are a bit hard to make attractive looking anyway I think, even if they taste amazing, and I hope you'll try this recipe anyway!!

I love the chickens that you can buy pre-cooked at most grocery stores and warehouse clubs now, but after actually reading the ingredient list on what all the chicken 'marinade' contains, including partially hydrogenated oils, tons of sodium, and several different preservatives, I didn't feel so great about purchasing them anymore.  Whole chickens where I live are rather inexpensive, with their everyday price being just under $1/pound for 'regular' chickens, and just under $1.50/pound for antibiotic free/cage free chickens, my preference.  Don't let the long list of spices in this barbeque style dry rub scare you, it's likely all things that you already have in your spice cabinet, and leaving one or two out or substituting something similiar will still result in a delicious chicken!  I was inspired by the recipe here. With things like this that have several dry ingredients (like my favorite cornbread), I like to prepare several 'mixes' at a time in either reuseable containers or plastic zip top bags, so that when I'm ready to make it again half of the work is already done, and it really takes barely any extra time to measure out the extra meals once you already have everything out.  I actually started my chicken late Saturday night and let it cook on low all night so that it would be ready and waiting for lunch after church on Sunday.   You can't beat the convenience of that!  Don't forget to make a big pot of super yummy homemade chicken stock with the bones & skin too!  You just return those things to the slow cooker after you've removed the 'good' chicken, making this an extra economical recipe.  My method for doing that is here. 

Whole Rotisserie Style BBQ Chicken in the Slow Cooker

1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds, giblets removed if they're included
1 large onion
2 Tablespoons paprika
2 Tablespoons salt (I use Real Salt)
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon mustard powder
1 Tablespoon dried granulated garlic (minced garlic could also be used)
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 Tablespoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon ground red pepper

In a small bowl, combine all spices (everything except for the onion & chicken) and stir well to combine.

Slice the onion horizontally into 4-6 thick slices, keeping the rings together.  You want to line the bottom of your slow cooker with these, so slice accordingly. 

Line the bottom of your slow cooker with the onion slices.  You're making a platform of sorts for the chicken to sit on.

Add the whole chicken, breast side up.  Be sure to remove the giblets first!  The antibiotic/cage free chickens I get at our local store have these in a plastic bag inside of the chicken that's super easy to pull out.  The same type of chicken at Sam's Club is slightly less expensive for me, plus doesn't include the giblets that you're paying for and don't use when cooking a whole chicken, so I get those when possible.

Rub your spice mixture over the top and sides of the chicken.  You want as much of it to stay on the chicken as possible, so just put pour any extra in right on top of, or even inside, the chicken.

Cover the slow cooker, and cook approximately 8 hours on low.  My chicken the last time I made this recipe was five pounds, and I cooked it on low for 12 hours and it was great.  Since you're cooking it with the skin on, and on the onion platform, you can get away with cooking it for a bit longer without it drying out.  I actually like it to be so tender that it pretty much falls apart when you remove it from the slow cooker, since it makes removing the meat from the bone significantly easier. 

Be sure and leave the onions in the slow cooker, as well as returning all of the non-edible parts of the chicken (bones, skin, etc.) to the slow cooker to make a great homemade chicken stock!  The extra seasonings will make it really tasty, and a great base for soups!  I love to cook quinoa in the homemade chicken broth too, it makes it extra tasty.  You can see all the details here.

Taco Pie

Hi everyone!  Today's recipe is a delicious one (it's making me hungry even looking at the screen!).  This is also a very kid-friendly recipe, in my opinion.  Taco pie, bursting with flavor.  It was prepared rather quickly and got compliments from my husband so I think I'll be making it again.  I hope you'll give this tasty taco pie a try!

Taco Pie
Ingredients:
3 TB canola oil
8 corn tortillas, cut in half
1 small white onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic (I use the kind out of the jar)
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 pound ground pork
Salt
1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 4.25 ounce cans chopped green chiles
1 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (I use kitchen scissors to cut mine instead of chopping)
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the tortillas and cook, flipping a few times until crispy on both sides. Set on a paper-towel lined plate to drain.
2.) Add the onion to the skillet and cook until soft, about three minutes.  Add the garlic and cayenne and cook about 30 seconds.  Add the pork and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until browned.  Stir in the tomatoes, chiles, and corn.  Simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes.  Season with salt and remove from heat. Stir in the cilantro.
3.) Arrange half of the tortillas in the bottom of a 9 or 10-inch pie plate.  Top with half the meat mixture and then half of the cheese.  Repeat with the rest of the tortillas, meat and cheese.  Cover loosely with foil and bake until the cheese melts, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!
Sara

Classic Chocolate Cream Pie

Jana here with a delicious dessert recipe!  We've all tasted a chocolate cream pie before, and if you're like me, wanted a second slice!  I was going to be bringing a dessert to a dinner we were having with another family, and something brought 'chocolate pie' to my mind!  I found this recipe through Pinterest, and it did not let me down!!  Our friends and my family all loved the pie, and how rich and yummy it was!  This was not difficult to make, and worth the effort!  Even though I can definitely improve on my meringue skills (as you can see in the picture), I like to have something to work towards!  Oh, and I wish I had a picture of the chocolately inside to show you, but since I was making it to take to a dinner, I don't have one. Trust me when I say it's delicious!

Classic Chocolate Cream Pie

Frozen pie crust
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons flour
dash of salt
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar (separated)
2 cups milk
3 eggs (separated)
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoons vanilla

1. Let the pie crust thaw for 5-10 minutes, then pierce it with a fork several times. Bake it in a 375 degree oven for about 10 minutes. (until golden brown)

2. In the meantime, mix together the cornstarch, flour, salt, cocoa, 1 cup sugar, milk, and egg yolks in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. (save the egg whites) 

3. Once it starts to thicken and clump, add in the vanilla and butter, stirring until combined. Pour this mixture into the pie crust.

4. When the egg whites have reached room tempterature, beat them with a mixer until they're stiff. Next, fold in two tablespoons of sugar.  Put this meringue on top of the pie.

5. Next, put the pie into an oven heated to 350 degrees. This is to brown the tops of the meringue. You will want to watch this closely. It will take approximately 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

100% Whole Wheat Coffee Cake

Becca here with a really yummy coffee cake that is super moist, and a great balance of sweetness - just enough, but not sickening sweet like some desserts can be.  Plus, I use 100% whole wheat, so that means it's "healthy" and guilt-free, right?  All of my kids have always liked to help in the kitchen, and I try to let them when it's at all feasible (although now that there 4 of them 7 and under they have to take turns and have their day to help since I can't quite handle THAT much "help" in the kitchen at one time :).  My oldest daughter has been wanting to do things in the kitchen more on her own, and brought me the recipe that we based this on out of an American Girl cookbook she had "Molly's Cooking Studio."  The original recipe used several things I don't buy, including shortening and white flour, so we had a great conversation about how to easily modify recipes to make them 'better'.  Their instructions were supposed to be thorough for a beginner, but we found them a bit tedious and rewrote those as well to simplify the process (and not get 3 bowls plus the baking pan dirty!)  This classic coffee cake would make a great brunch, tea time, or dessert.  Enjoy!

100% Whole Wheat Coffee Cake

cake:
3 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2/3 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour (I use 100% whole wheat, hard spring wheat that I mill)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

topping:
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 heaping teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425.

In a large mixing bowl (I use our electric mixer), combine 3 Tablespoons of butter and 1/3 cup brown sugar and beat until soft and fluffy.  Add the egg and milk, and beat until thoroughly combined.

Add the remaining dry cake ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt), and stir just until combined; don't over stir!

Pour the mixture into a greased 8x8 square baking pan.

Combine topping ingredients (melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon) in a bowl and mix to combine.

Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Enjoy!

DIY Backyard Brunch

Hi everyone!  Do you remember the DIY silverware holders I posted a while back? You can find them here. Today I thought I'd give you a look at the brunch I hosted, where the silverware holders were used!  This was a smallish gathering I held in my back yard on a table made from old fence boards and two sawhorses.  Doesn't get any easier than that!  We gathered chairs from the porch and inside and assembled them around the table.

The table decor was so easy to put together, once I had my ideas in place.  I wrapped the drinking glasses (which were saved from my own kitchen) with chevron duct tape, found in the $1 section at Target.  I used striped straws (also found at Target, on the party aisle) for the glasses as well.  The dishes are my best china, which I received at my wedding.  The centerpiece was a red bud branch cut the night before and placed in a decorated tomato juice can.

The food table was also easy to decorate.  I placed the "Rosy Retreat" (the name of the brunch, the name came from my personal blog The Rosy Life) sign on the chalkboard to be the focal point.  I created height on the table with stacks of books, and the vintage yellow suitcase.

This was a potluck brunch so everyone simply brought their food and placed it on the front of the table!  Easy and delicious. :)

I hope you'll be inspired to try a backyard brunch of your own!
Sara

Red Beans and Rice

Jana here with a homemade version of Red Beans and Rice!  In the past, I have either made the boxed variety, or had this as a side dish at Popeye's. I like their version, so I wanted to try to recreate my own! This didn't taste exactly like that, but it was SO good!  I mixed the rice (I used brown) in with the bean mixture for the leftovers, and it was even better.  This recipe used dried beans. If you don't remember to soak them overnight, you can do the quick soaking method listed on the back of the bag. This is what I ended up doing, and it worked well.  I found this recipe on All Recipes. 

Red Beans and Rice

2 cups dried red beans
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 pound smoked sausage, smoked
1 cup diced ham
4 cups cooked rice

1. Soak the beans in water overnight.

2. Drain the beans, and add them to a slow cooker. Cover with water, and stir in the garlic, onion, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, and cumin.  Add the diced ham, and cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.  Stir in the smoke sausage for the last 30 minutes.

3. Using a potato masher or a fork, mash the beans as much as you would like. I mashed about half, leaving some whole beans. 

4. Stir in the rice, and serve!

Enjoy!