{Instant Pot} Spaghetti Squash

Jana here with another easy, healthy Instant Pot recipe!  If you aren't familiar with what an Instant Pot is, we have a basic tutorial here. I was SO happy with how the spaghetti squash turned out. The one I cooked was about 4 pounds, and the cook time may vary a few minutes if the squash you are cooking is larger or smaller. The squash easily came out in these 'noodles' with a fork once it was done. We prefer to eat spaghetti squash slightly al dente (with a small amount of crunch), so if you want yours to be completely soft, you might increase the cook time by a few minutes. There are many options for what to eat with this. You can do spaghetti sauce, or pesto. I made a homemade pesto (recipe coming soon!), and we added mushrooms and smoked brisket. A healthy, delicious dinner that we all enjoyed!


{Instant Pot} Spaghetti Squash

1 spaghetti squash (3.5 to 4 pounds*)
1 cup water or broth

1. Pour 1 cup of water in the Instant Pot, then place the trivet in.

2. If the spaghetti squash you have will fit whole, you can poke a few holes in one side of the squash, and place the whole squash on the trivet to cook. If it is too big (or just as another option), you can cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds/inside, and place both halves on the trivet.

3. Close the lid, and cook on Manual mode for 15 minutes. Use QR (quick release - release the steam and open) once it has finished cooking. Check the squash to make sure it easily flakes out with a fork. If you aren't satisfied with this, you can let it cook for another 2-3 minutes on Manual mode.
Enjoy!

*If your squash is smaller than 3.5-4 pounds, I would suggest decreasing the cook time to 10 minutes. Squash can become watery and mushy if it is overcooked.

Sauteed Bacon & Fresh Spinach

Becca here with one of my family's favorite side dishes.  In fact, when I made this again a few nights ago, I had almost everyone asking for seconds, and it was all gone, even though I had used a full pound of fresh spinach!  I really think even two pounds of fresh spinach wouldn't have had any leftovers either!  This is a super quick and simple recipe, with just two ingredients, bacon and spinach.  It really is delicious though, and a great way to get a lot of veggies in really easily.  Don't let the two full packs of bacon in the photo scare you away, I just use half of one pack, but wanted to picture my two favorite bacons.  I always use either the Oscar Mayer "Natural" one without nitrates, or Farmland Naturally Hickory Smoked "Double Smoked" (my very favorite, but it does have nitrates, etc., and the Oscar Mayer is almost as good, though more expensive).  I like to go ahead and cut up, and then freeze, the other half of the package of bacon, so that it's ready to go next time I have a full tub of spinach to use!

Sauteed Bacon & Fresh Spinach

1/2 of a 12-16 ounce package of your favorite bacon
16 ounce package of spinach (I always use this Taylor Farms Organic Baby Spinach from Sam's Club)

I use kitchen shears to quickly cut several slices of bacon at once into small, bite sized pieces.  Add them to a large pot.

Stirring occasionally, cook the bacon on medium-high (I usually do 6.0 on my stovetop that has a range from 1-10) until it is browned and crispy.

Immediately start adding big handfuls of the spinach, until all 16 ounces have been added.  It will seem like a ton of spinach, but will quickly cook down.

Cook for an additional five minutes, gently stirring occasionally, until the spinach is bright green, and wilted.  Serve immediately.

Be careful not to overcook, you don't want it to be dark green and mushy!!

{Instant Pot} "Baked" Sweet Potatoes

Becca here, with a quick "Instant Pot" pressure cooker recipe/tutorial.  I have been an avid Instant Pot user for seven years now, and am actually on my second Instant Pot, after an unfortunate incident with the lid being left too close to our gas stove, and melting.  When we had a major water leak at our home, requiring my family of myself, my husband, and our five kids, to live in a hotel for exactly sixty nights, my Instant Pot is the one kitchen thing I brought with me, and enabled us to eat somewhat normally some of the time, while living in a hotel!  I'm super excited that they have become really popular lately, and recipes are showing up all over, so I thought I would add some of my favorites to the mix now that it's something many more people have in their kitchens!

One thing that I commonly use mine for is to make perfect "baked" sweet potatoes.  To get great results, with non-mushy sweet potatoes, you'll want to get out the steam rack that came with your instant pot.  It looks like this, once placed into the bottom of the stainless steel pot insert (which I have two of, and often use each of them every day!).  You want to make sure that it is feet side down.  Pour in 1 cup of water.  The water will not be touching the bottom of the steam rack.

Insert sweet potatoes.  It is okay to stack them up, as long as the lid will fit on without touching them.  I can generally fit about five pounds of sweet potatoes in mine at one time.   I have a larger than typical family, so this is two meals worth for us.  We usually eat them 'baked' the first meal, and then I put the leftover ones into a square casserole dish with a bit of maple syrup, cinnamon, and sprinkled with pecans and coconut oil on top, for an oven-ready side dish for another meal.

You want to cook the potatoes for 30 minutes at high pressure.  You may do that by pushing either one of two buttons.  Either the Bean/Chili button I'm pointing to here, OR

the "Soup" button I'm pointing to here.  You could also manually set the pot to high pressure for 30 minutes, but I'm not sure when you would go to the extra trouble when either of these buttons work perfectly with preset settings!

The Instant Pot will pause for a moment, and then switch to the screen reading "On".  This means that it is heating up, and building up pressure.  This will take several minutes.

When the Instant Pot has reached the correct temperature and pressure settings, it will start counting down the remaining time "at pressure".  I think this is confusing to people sometimes, because a 30 minute setting actually takes quite a bit longer, allowing for the Instant Pot to heat up and reach pressure, and then naturally release pressure, unless you're in a hurry, and to a quick pressure release.  These are often abbreviated in Instant Pot Recipes/Groups as NRP (natural release pressure) and QPR (quick pressure release).  Natural pressure release simply means that you don't do anything at the end of the cooking time, and let the Instant Pot automatically switch to the "warm" setting, and open the pot to eat when you're ready.  Quick pressure release means that you move the valve on the top of the pot, to "open" to let the big burst of heat and pressure out, so that you can then safely remove the lid and eat, before the pot has naturally and slowly let the steam and pressure out itself.

At the end of the cooking time, the Instant Pot automatically switches to a "warm" setting, where the screen looks like this, and it counts up the warming minutes, or hours, if applicable, and slowly starts lowering the pressure.  Because it is an airtight and sealed environment, I have found that even something like rice can stay on the warm function for several hours without any loss of quality at all.

What are your Instant Pot questions or recipe requests?  Or favorite tips?  Let us know in the comments here, or on our Facebook Page!!

{Instant Pot} Cauliflower Rice

 *This is a great recipe to have children help you make!

Jana here with another really simple, and very versatile recipe you can make in your Instant Pot!  Many people are trying to cut carbs in their diet, and this recipe is an easy way to do just that. Using a head of cauliflower, you can make a rice substitute!  My family ate it this time as a type of 'rice bowl', along with mexican seasoned (DIY taco seasoning here) shredded pork, beans, lettuce, salsa, Greek yogurt (we substitute plain Greek yogurt for sour cream), etc.  Instead of shredded pork, you could also use shredded chicken, or ground beef. When the cauliflower rice is mixed in with all of these other ingredients, it truly was just as good (or better!) as rice would have been!  My children all enjoyed it a lot!

There are many other uses for cauliflower rice, as well. Most recipes where you would typically reach for rice, give the cauliflower rice a try!  Some ideas include: chicken curry, red beans and rice, or creamy chicken over rice.

{Instant Pot} Cauliflower Rice

1 head cauliflower
1 cup broth or water
salt and pepper

1. Place the trivet in the bottom of the IP, and pour the 1 cup of liquid into the bottom.

2. Cut the head of cauliflower into small florets, and set those on top of the trivet.

3. Secure the lid of the IP (making sure the valve is pointed towards the back- Sealing), and push Manual, Set the timer for 4 minutes.

4. Once it has reached pressure, and cooked the 4 minutes, most the pressure valve to Venting, to do a quick pressure release.

5. When the pressure is released, carefully open the lid, and remove the florets. Put them in a bowl, and use a fork to cut them into rice like pellets. Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let us know!

German Lentils with Sausage

Becca here with a recipe (no photo, sorry, we ate it before I got a picture!) that my family really enjoyed.  I recently did a big freezer cooking session, and adapted this recipe to be both freezer and Instant Pot (electric pressure cooker) ready.  I have used an Instant Pot for many years; I'm actually on my second one, after the first had had an unfortunate incident with the plastic part of the lid coming in contact with the hot stove-top and melting.  When we had to leave our home last year and stay in a hotel for 60 nights, because of a water leak, my Instant Pot was the one thing from our kitchen I took with me to the hotel.  I love the popularity they have gained in the past few years; my newer model Instant Pot has several great features that my original one did not, one of them being the "saute" button.  This was my first time using saute, and I'm wondering why I haven't before.  I was able to brown the sausage, and then cook the meal all quickly, and in the same stainless steel (no toxic chemical non-stick finishes!) pot.  My family all really enjoyed this recipe, and our youngest son that is a new eater even had seconds, as did most of the kids!  The seasonings were delicious, and had just enough of a distinctly different taste, to make the recipe unique.

The recipe makes a generous portion; my family of seven, with several large appetites in the bunch, ate it for a meal once, and had enough to accompany lunch the next day, with the five kids and I each having a small portion.  I will include the directions for making up a double batch to keep in the freezer, as I did, below the recipe.


German Lentils with Sausage

1 pound dried brown lentils
Orrington Farms Chicken Base or 'Better Than Bouillon' (use package instructions, see amount needed for 10 cups of water)
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

10 cups water

4 cups grated carrots
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
21 ounces Kielbasa Sausage or Ham, diced

Place diced Kielbasa Sausage (or Ham) into the instant pot.  Stir on 'saute' setting until browned.

Add remaining ingredients, stir, and cook on meat/stew setting.

Enjoy! -Becca


To make ahead and freeze:
Multiply all ingredients times the number of meals you want to freeze.
Put top ingredient section (lentils, chicken base, and spices) into a quart bag, and label with recipe name.
In order, place the grated carrots, worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, and then diced sausage into a gallon bag, and label with recipe name.
To prepare the dish, follow the recipe above (the sausage needs to be on top of the freezer bag, so it can be browned first, before adding the other ingredients!)

Pea Salad

Becca here with a recipe that both my husband, Samuel, and I grew up eating!  I remember my mom making this as a side dish that my dad particularly enjoyed.  Samuel's paternal grandmother also makes a very similar salad, and often served it as a main dish for a quick meal when we lived right down the street from them and I was home alone a lot because my husband was traveling for work.  I am going to give a 'recipe' because I actually measured out what I used last time I made it, and I'm sure you can find a similar recipe written out somewhere, but I have never seen it in print; it's definitely a "little bit of this, little bit of that" type recipe that you can be creative with, depending on what is in your fridge, in season, or what your family's tastes prefer.  I like to make a double batch, and serve it as a quick main dish once, and then use the leftovers as a side dish, or for my husband's lunch to take to work, depending on how much is left!  I love that I can make it when I can find a few minutes of time during the day, and have dinner mostly finished when that time rolls around.  Enjoy!

I also wanted to mention that in case you missed it, I used rafflecopter to select a winner of the Redmond Real Salt giveaway and it was announced via our Thrice the Spice Facebook Page, Emily Marsh was the winner.

Pea Salad

16 ounces frozen peas (Mimaw, Samuel's grandmother only uses Le Sueur canned peas, and that saves a step of cooking the peas, so use what you prefer!  You will need two cans of peas.)
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped (I use purple onion normally)
1 cup cheese, in small cubes, or grated (I use sharp normally, and prefer cubed, but grated is quicker)
2-3 hardboiled eggs, finely chopped
2-3 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (optional, but definitely delicious!)
2/3 cup mayonnaise (I use Vegenaise or olive oil mayo)
Salt & Pepper to taste (I use Real Salt, amount will depend on what kind of peas you used, if you used bacon, etc. :)


If using frozen peas, cook according to package instructions.  Drain cooking water off, and rinse peas in cool water.

In a large bowl, combine all other ingredients (cooked peas, onion, cheese, boiled eggs, bacon, mayonnaise).  Gently stir to combine.  Taste, and add salt and pepper as necessary.

Serve immediately, or, for best taste, let chill in the refrigerator, covered, a few hours or overnight to let flavors mingle.

Layered Enchiladas {freezer friendly}

Becca here with a recipe I've made many, many times.  In fact, I nearly always have one of these casseroles in my freezer (photo is of them unfinished) because it makes a great, quick meal  with the addition of a salad or veggie.  With beans, meat, cheese, and corn tortillas, it has all the makings of a great Mexican meal, one that I know my kids will always enjoy eating.  Feel free to adapt the meat mixture to your family's preferences; you can easily make it extra spicy, use extra beef or beans, etc. to customize it to your family's tastes!  I adapted the recipe from "Fix, Freeze, Fast!"  Enjoy!

*And don't forget to enter our giveaway, on the Crustless Spinach Quiche recipe below.  It ends 5/30/14!

Layered Enchiladas

6 pounds ground beef

4 bell peppers, chopped and seeds removed (I like multi-colored peppers)

4 onions, chopped and seeds removed (I like purple onions)

6 cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups your favorite salsa or picante sauce

4 cups tomato sauce

12 cups cooked pinto beans (I use dry beans I cooked in the pressure cooker, canned is fine also!)

2 teaspoons cumin

2 Tablespoons salt (I use Real Salt)

60 small corn tortillas (I use 5 per layer, times 2 layers, per casserole)

12 cups shredded cheese (I prefer sharp, your favorite is fine!)

6 large baking pans, 9x13 size (I use glass, or love these pans from Sam's Club, 30 for $6.48!)

plastic wrap & foil

In a large stockpot, brown beef, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, until beef is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.  I have cooked this in the slow cooker on high for several hours also, chopping the meat and stirring the mixture every hour or so.

Drain meat to remove excess fat.  Stir in remaining sauce ingredients (salsa, tomato sauce, pinto beans, cumin, and salt).  I like to taste the mixture here and make sure I don't need to add more seasonings; if you're using canned beans they're going to be saltier than using dried beans, for example.

Line your baking pans up, and place enough of the meat mixture to cover the bottom of each pan.  I scoop it out with a 1 cup measuring cup, and usually use about 4 cups.

Top each casserole with a layer of corn tortillas; I use 4 whole, and one torn into half to cover the pan evenly.  Cover with 1 cup of cheese per baking pan.  Repeat the layers, finishing with cheese (meat, corn tortillas, cheese).

Cover finished, cooled casseroles with plastic wrap, and then foil.

Freeze until ready to use.  Then, defrost overnight in the refrigerator.  Remove plastic wrap and foil, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until center is heated through, and the edges are bubbling.  Enjoy!

Crustless Spinach Quiche + Redmond "Real Salt" Giveaway!

Becca here with one of my 'staple' recipes to share today!  After my apologies for the 'technical difficulties' on the blog this week, that were, technically, all because of my human error.  A migraine that had me out for a full 24 hours, combined with a day trip out of state to a theme park with my family plus several other family friends, theater costume measurements, horseback riding lessons, nursing home visits, Bible Studies, and regular homeschooling, chicken, garden, and household managing of a 6-person household meant that the blog fell through the cracks this week, so I'm sorry!

I DO have one of my "go do" recipes to share on the blog today, AND a giveaway for products my house is never without!  In fact, I searched twice to double check that I hadn't shared this recipe already, I couldn't believe I hadn't already posted it!  This crustless spinach quiche is a great recipe that I've served at any meal, for any occasion.  I've served it to a large crowd at birthday parties, taken it to friends that needed a meal, and fixed it at home when I needed to go to the store and we just needed a quick and filling dinner with what was left in the fridge.  My notes on the original from allrecipes date back to April 2007, so I've been making for at least 6 years.

Feel free to substitute with a similar veggie or cheese; in fact, this time, in the quiche pictured here, I used Pokeweed instead of spinach!  I had precooked it, after two friends' mothers, separately, helped the kids and I identify it, and I had thorough cooking instructions from one of them, plus read a lot online, and then followed the normal recipe from there.  A tip on all quiches, is to let them sit for about ten minutes after you remove them from the oven, to allow the eggs to set, so then you can cleanly and neatly slice it!  My kids all 4 love this quiche, I hope you'll give it a try!  Recipe follows giveaway info!

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you've probably noticed that I usually, in the ingredients list, mention that I use "Real Salt" for our household salt.  So when I was placing an order recently, and for Earthpaste also, which my daughter had been begging for again, since we'd been out for a few weeks with the recent move we had, I contacted Redmond and asked if they would be willing to do a giveaway, and they said yes!  So I'm super excited to be giving away the price package above!

In a one line explanation, I like to tell people that Redmond Real Salt is like using whole grains instead of white flour.  And it tastes SO much better I think; like to the point where white table salt at a restaurant or something has a funny after taste to me now even!  They have a super informative website here with a great video  and online brochure explaining the health benefits of a real salt.  As they say,

"Real Salt comes from an ancient sea bed in Central Utah, where for more than 30 years we've delivered completely natural sea salt -- nothing added, nothing taken away. That means you get more than 60 trace minerals in a delicious, healthy salt that is never chemically treated, bleached, or kiln dried."

So the winner will receive a 10 ounce container of Real Salt, as well as 4.75 ounce each containers of Organic Garlic Salt and Organic Onion Salt, both made with Real Salt!  They also have a seasoning salt, and a 26 ounce 'refill bag' size of Real Salt that I usually purchase (at amazon, vitacost, directly from Redmonds, or at my local health food store, depending on what is more convenient for me at the time!)

Redmonds also has a line of "Redmond Clay" products that I also use regularly and love.  The winner will receive a 10 ounce jar of the powdered clay also!  Their Earthpaste toothpaste is made with the Redmond Clay, xylitol, Real Salt, menthol, and essential oils, and is the only toothpaste 3/4 of my kids even like!  It doesn't have any foaming agents, and is safe to swallow also.  We've tried all of the flavors, and they like them all, although spearmint is their very favorite.  I like the convenience of the clay already hydrated in a tube for a first aid cream, and it really does seem to draw the toxins out of burns, bites, and stings, which we've had plenty of since moving to the 'farm' especially!

"Redmond Clay is a completely natural bentonite clay, extracted from the earth and brought to you in its pure, natural state. Redmond Clay is available as a fine powder, pre-hydrated gel, or in easy-to-swallow capsules.  Redmond Clay™ remains as pure today as it was when the Fremont indians discovered its uses long ago. As our world returns to more natural lifestyles, more and more people keep Redmond Clay in their medicine cabinets, first aid kits, and purses. Discover for yourself the healing benefits of Redmond Clay."

I've included lots of links above, and their websites are full of informative videos, graphs, and articles I'd encourage you to check out if you're interested; they really are products we use everyday at our house, and I'm excited for one of you to get to try them!  To enter, just use the rafflecopter below!  Notice one of the entries you can do once per day!  Contest ends 5/30/14.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crustless Spinach Quiche

5 eggs

1 Tablespoon butter (or oil)

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 (10 ounces) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and drained well

1-2 cups shredded cheese (I like sharp cheddar, amount is your preference!)

1/2 teaspoon salt (I use Real Salt)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, heat butter (or oil) and onion for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent.

Add (cooked and well drained) spinach, and stir continuously and cook an additional couple of minutes until the water has all evaporated out of the spinach.  Remove from heat. 

In a large bowl, beat eggs until well blended.  Stir in salt, pepper, cheese, and  spinach mixture.

Pour into a lightly greased 9" pie plate, an cook at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until center has set. 

For best results in slicing, let quiche sit for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven.  Enjoy!

Cool Overnight Oatmeal

Becca here with a recipe that's a perfect start for these days that are starting to be warmer.  It's been well documented here on the blog that I notice my children and I have a better start to the day with a good, hearty & nutritious breakfast, but I'm not naturally a "morning person," And with four little ones that usually all need help with something first thing in the morning, diapers to change, etc. plus the chickens, rabbit, cat, and dog that all need fed also, getting a good breakfast for five on the table (before 9:00 anyway :) can be a bit of a challenge.  I had actually seen a similar recipe to this overnight oatmeal in a magazine and thought I saved it, but then we moved, and I hadn't been able to find it, so I was super excited when my friend Analucia brought me a recipe she'd picked up at Whole Foods and thought I'd like it, for overnight oatmeal!  It literally takes minutes to mix up the night before, and would be perfect for a child to help with (or do on their own)!  The end result the next morning is super creamy, and has tons of possibilities for flavor, varying the type of dried fruit, or even leaving it out entirely to top with the fresh fruit that will be available soon!  The first time we had it my kids weren't sure about having 'cold oatmeal' but the second time they were expecting it, and enjoyed it even more!  My adaptation of the recipe will serve my four kids (with big appetites especially now that we live on lots of land!) and I twice.  My personal favorite combination is to use dried mango, and unsweetened, dried coconut!  Enjoy!


Cool Overnight Oatmeal


4 cups old fashioned oatmeal (not quick oats!)
4 cups milk (I normally use coconut or almond milk)
1/2 cup chopped, dried fruit (or leave out, and top with fresh fruit just before serving!)
1/2 cup chopped nuts or unsweetened, dried coconut


In a large bowl with a lid, stir well to combine all ingredients.  Cover, and refrigerate overnight.  May be served cool (our preference!) or warmed.

Falafel aka: chick pea patties

Becca here with a recipe that is a great quick and easy weeknight recipe that my kids love.  I know that chick pea patties sound a bit strange, but I don't think you would ever, ever guess that a bean is the main ingredient.  They have a great light, almost fluffy texture, with a savory flavor.  We love them with guacamole or diced avocado on the side, or just plain.  My child that can be slightly particular lately likes them with ketchup.  But all four of my kids really like these "bean patties" as they call them, and I feel great about the protein and other nutrients they're getting in a super quick and easy meal.  I grind chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans, of hummus fame!) in my mill, but you can buy garbanzo bean flour also.  Bob's Red Mill sells it nationwide; this (admittedly nontraditional) falafel recipe adaption that I've made is based on one on their website. 

2 cups garbanzo bean flour

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda 
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. onion powder
4 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup hot water


Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Add the lemon juice and hot water to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Let the mixture rest for 10 minutes.


Meanwhile, on a large frying pan or griddle, heat a small amount of oil on medium-high heat until hot (I use about a Tablespoon of butter or coconut oil). Add the falafel batter by the tablespoon and flatten slightly. Cook on both sides until golden brown.  Enjoy warm or at room temperature.

Tomato Corn Salad

Becca here with a yummy dish that can be served a number of ways - as a side dish, dip for chips, or main dish.  I saw the idea to get the creaminess by blending some of the corn from this book and thought it was a great one.  It has some similar ingredients to the Black Bean Salsa our Grandma is famous for, but a slightly different taste.  They would be great to serve side by side at a party!  The salad does well keeping overnight in the fridge also. 

4 cups of corn
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
salt & pepper, to taste
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered, depending on size
1 whole purple onion
1 Tablespoon dried basil

Combine 1/2 cup corn, lemon juice, and mayonnaise in food processor or blender, and pulse until creamy and smooth.  Add in olive oil, salt, and pepper while blender or processor is running.

In a medium bowl, toss together remaining ingredients (corn, tomatoes, onion, and dried basil).  Gently stir in dressing and enjoy!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets {Dairy Free, Gluten Free}

Becca here with a recipe that I'm super excited to share!  I've tried several homemade chicken nugget recipes over the years, with mixed success, but nothing that I liked well enough to make again, and definitely nothing I liked well enough to share here.  However, after changing this recipe quite a bit, I finally have one that my family all loves, and is really easy to make also, which I appreciate, of course!  A bonus for those of you that have food restrictions is that it is both gluten and dairy free also!  One recipe makes three half-sheet sized pans (like pictured above) of large nuggets, so I've included freezing and reheating instructions at the end also.  I hope you'll give this recipe a try, it's a definite winner in my family!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets
{Dairy Free, Gluten Free}

8 cups of really tender cooked chicken, a mix of dark and white meat (I buy the hormone/antibiotic free 2 pack of chickens at Sam's Club and cook both of them together in my large slow cooker overnight on low, let it cool, and then remove the meat that is literally falling off of the bone.  See this post for more information on that and how to make chicken stock from the leftovers too!)
5 large eggs
1/2 - 1 cup mayonnaise (depending on what kind of chicken you've used, see recipe for further instructions)
1 Tablespoon salt
8 cups plain puffed rice cereal (this is unsweetened, just plain puffed brown rice, nothing else added.  A big bag is $1 at Walmart on the cereal aisle, with the more natural/organic cereals.  It makes a great first finger food for babies too, my original intent for buying it!)


Preheat oven to 400.

In a large bowl, combine chicken, eggs, mayonnaise (start with 1/2 cup) and salt.  Use a large fork (or pulse in a food processor if you have one) to shred chicken and stir to combine all ingredients.  Add more mayonnaise, up to 1/2 more, until mixture will easily stick together and form patties.

Place puffed rice in large zip top bag, and hit with a rolling pin until at least half are crushed (a great job for a child, my boys love doing this part!)

Form small nuggets or patties in desired size.  Dip into partially crushed puffed rice, flipping over to coat both sides, gently patting so that it sticks.

Place onto silicone mat or parchment paper lined baking sheet.  When full, bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes, flip all nuggets over, and bake an additional 8-10 minutes.  If you're serving immediately, the edges and rice on the outside should be a dark golden brown and crisp.  If you're going to be freezing them for later, remove them from the oven when they're just starting to get a slight golden color so they aren't dry when you reheat them later.

Serve plain, or with your favorite nugget dipping sauce!  Enjoy!

Freezing Instructions:  Place cooled-to-room temperature nuggets into airtight container or zip top bag, and freeze.  To reheat, defrost in refrigerator overnight.  Set out about 30 minutes before ready to bake.  Reheat in 400 preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until heated through and crisp on the outside.  I don't recommend reheating in the microwave, as the outside doesn't keep its' crispness that way.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies {gluten & dairy free}

Becca here with a recipe that I'm sure will become a regular in your family's treat rotation!  In fact, as I was making these the other day, I thought I'd double check and make sure that I had posted the recipe, and was shocked to see that I hadn't yet! 

By the way, if you haven't checked out our 'search' box, you're missing out!  It is just under the "About the Sisters" on the right sidebar, and you can search by ingredient, recipe title, keyword, etc., making it super convenient to find what you're looking for, it's my most-often-used feature of our website! 

Back to the recipe, I've been making it for many years, it's super convenient, and makes a perfect sized amount of cookies, an even dozen.  The cookies have a great texture, you would never guess that they are made with just 3 ingredients and are flourless.  It's also a great recipe to have kids help with, since there are only three ingredients that are easy to remember and measure, and even the youngest ones can help making the crisscross marks with a fork and sprinkling sugar on top!  I use organic no sugar added (100% peanuts only) peanut butter, so I think other nut or seed butters (such as almond or sunflower) would yield a good result also, as several readers have reported great results with these peanut-free substitutions in the always popular Breakfast Cookies and Powerballs.  Enjoy!

1 cup peanut butter (I use organic, 100% peanuts, no sugar added)
1 cup sugar (I use free trade organic)
1 large egg
Additional Sugar for sprinkling on top, optional

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, stir all ingredients well to combine thoroughly.

Drop by large spoonfuls onto silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  I usually make 12.

Use a fork to smash down in perpendicular directions to get the classic crisscross look and flatten the cookies a bit.

Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Bake at 350 for just 6-8 minutes, or until edges are just barely starting to turn a light golden brown.  You don't want to overbake or get an actual browning going, they get dry and crumbly that way. 

Enjoy!

Swimming Rama {Freezer Friendly, Makes 3 meals}

Becca here with a recipe I'm so excited to share with you!  Although it isn't really much to look at, my husband said that he likes it better than his favorite Thai Restaurant, and we had it three times in one week!  Yes, it really is just that tasty!  Plus, it has a short ingredient list, and is both gluten free and dairy free.  Like I said about another of my family's favorites, also freezer friendly, Chicken Curry, this is a great introduction to curry.  Not too spicy or 'weird' tasting, but definitely distinctive and delicious!  Side note, curry isn't an actual spice like cinnamon or basil, it is a mixture of spices that can range in color anywhere from a deep yellow, to orange, to a deep red color, depending on the region of the world that it is from.  Each obviously has a very distinct flavor, and most do have dried chilies, but "curry" can mean a very wide range of things.  As for the name Swimming Rama, I wasn't able to find an origin or meaning, other than it is a traditional Indian chicken dish, made with a red curry, peanut and coconut sauce.  This is a recipe I really hope you'll try, and not let the unique name or short ingredient list scare you off, for the price of one entrée at your local Indian Restaurant, you can have an entire dinner to feed your family, and it tastes just as good!  My inspiration recipe was from Fix, Freeze, Feast.  Enjoy!

Swimming Rama
{freezer friendly, make 3 meals}

8 cups cooked chicken
1 jar (4 ounces) Thai Kitchen red curry paste *see note below
3 cans coconut milk
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon salt (I use Real Salt)
1 1/2 cups peanuts, crushed (I put them into a zip top bag and hit them with a rolling pin)
9-12 cups cooked brown rice
For Serving:
1-2 cups of fresh spinach per family meal

Combine sauce ingredients (cooked chicken, red curry paste, coconut milk, honey, and salt) into large saucepan, and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to boil.  Remove from heat.

For serving immediately, layer cooked rice, a handful of spinach, and then chicken sauce to cover.  Top with crushed peanuts, and serve.

For freezing, let chicken sauce cool to room temperature, and divide into thirds in gallon zip top bags.  Add 3-4 cups cooked rice, if desired (I have frozen the ingredients together and separate, both work fine.  Freezing them separately makes a neater presentation, but it tastes great either way!).  Place a smaller bag of 1/2 cup of crushed peanuts with it (I like to staple the bags together through the top above the zipper).  Defrost in the refrigerator overnight, and follow above instructions to heat and serve.

*Note on red curry paste - Thai Kitchen is the most widely available red curry paste, carried by Walmart, etc. on the aisle with Asian foods.  However, it is a very mild curry paste.  If you're using another brand, I would start with 2 Tablespoons and taste the sauce before increasing the amount of red curry added.

Freezer Friendly Coleslaw

Becca here with a yummy coleslaw recipe that's great to make for a crowd, or to freeze some for later!  And yes, at first I was skeptical about freezing coleslaw too, but it really does work!  I will note that if you use a coleslaw mix containing purple cabbage, the natural color in the cabbage will turn all of the coleslaw a bit purple, but it really does taste great!  This is more of what I would consider a "German Style" coleslaw, more vinaigrette based, as opposed to more mayonnaise based, creamy, "American Style" coleslaw.  This coleslaw would make a great side dish that is easy to transport to a picnic, family gathering, church potluck, etc.  Or you could have a German Food night and serve it with one of my favorites, German Bratwurst Dinner in the Slow Cooker.  The celery & mustard seed is what gives it the distinctive coleslaw flavor, so be sure and don't leave it out! You can use those same seeds to make easy homemade refrigerator pickles also! My family really enjoys this coleslaw, I hope yours does too!

Freezer Friendly Coleslaw

2 pound bag of coleslaw mix
1/4 cup dehydrated onions (or 1 large onion, minced)
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons celery seeds
1 1/2 cup sugar

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, water, mustard seeds, celery seeds, and sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Let boil for one minute.

Let cool to room temperature (or in the refrigerator overnight).  Give it a stir, and then pour vinegar mixture over cabbage, stirring well to combine.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Alternatively, store in airtight container in the freezer, defrosting in the refrigerator the night before ready to use. 

Cashew Chicken Mango Salad

Becca here with a really delicious salad that's perfect for these warm months!  I was inspired by this recipe, and found it super family friendly too, with tasty toppings like mango, cashews, chicken, and avocado.  If your kids are really resistant to the idea of a salad for dinner, you could easily serve the toppings separately in a muffin tin for a fun, healthy meal without preparing something different for them.  I make the dressing when I'm in the kitchen already earlier in the day, and use chicken from the freezer I've already cooked and frozen mango, so the salad comes together really quickly.  I use this method to quickly get nice looking chunks of avocado out of the peel with just a paring or even butter knife.  I think you'll enjoy this salad, it tastes like one from a nice restaurant for a fraction of the cost!

Cashew Chicken Mango Salad

*amounts are approximate, and to taste & your family's preference!

10 cups your favorite lettuce (we get the organic spring mix from Sam's Club every time we go)
2 cups cooked chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
3 cups diced mango (I usually use the frozen mango, mostly defrosted)
2 avocados, cut into bite size pieces
2/3 cup roasted cashews

Dressing:
1/2 cup lime juice
6 Tablespoons honey
4 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine dressing ingredients into tightly lidded container (I use a pint canning jar) and shake well to combine thoroughly.

On each serving plate or bowl, place a generous layer of lettuce, and top with chicken, mango, avocados, and cashews.  Top with dressing.

Refrigerate any leftover dressing to use later!

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!

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.

DIY: Roasted Red Peppers

Becca here with a great way to roast your own red peppers!  The flavor is amazing, and if you come across a great deal on red bell peppers, like I did on these organic ones, you can't beat the price either.  The "hands on" time required is quite minimal too.  I read a variety of sources to figure out the "best" way to roast and then store the peppers, since I had a pretty large quantity of peppers, and used this post this most.  They can be stored in the freezer for several months, or you can remove the peel, cut them, and pack them into a jar & add a bit of oil, for the roasted red peppers you may be accustomed to buying in a jar at the grocery store.  The uses for the peppers are limitless; we like them in pastas, on pizza, in hummus, in soups, and I use them as a sort of garnish on veggies sometimes to add a bit of color.  I love having them already prepared in the freezer, it's easy to just remove the portion that you need, and convenient to have on hand. 

Roasted Red Peppers

Preheat the oven to 500.

Stand the pepper upright on a cutting board.  Holding onto the stem, cut the "good" part of the pepper away from the core and seeds.  I usually do this in 3-4 large pieces, as you can see pictured above. 

Place the peppers skin side up on a large baking sheet.  Put into the oven on the very top rack and turn the broiler on. 

Broil until the skin is nice & roasted (black) in places, like you see above.  Depending on how hot the oven is, how thick the peppers' skin is, etc. this usually takes me 12-18 minutes.

If you're going to use the peppers immediately, put them into a tightly sealed container to "sweat" until they cool so the skin will be easily removed, and then use as desired, either in a recipe or to pack in oil and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

For freezing, I stack the peppers between layers of wax, parchment, or freezer paper (whichever you have is fine!) and place them in a large zip top or other airtight container until ready to use.  Then just remove the number you need and let them sit out & defrost for a few minutes; the skin will be easily removed. 

Rice Chantilly

Becca here with one of my very, very favorites that our Mom used to make when we were growing up!  I use brown rice, but other than that the original recipe is intact.  Thanks to Google, I learned its' origins are likely from the March 1986 issue of Southern Living Magazine.  I always make rice cooker full of rice, since the leftovers give you a great easy start on this dish, as well as, "Cross Family Fried Rice" and Sausage Egg Breakfast Fried Rice.  I like to double this recipe also, as Rice Chantilly is just as good, if not better reheated the next day.

Rice Chantilly

3 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup sour cream (see note*)
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided (I use sharp)
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

In a lightly oiled 8x8 pan, combine rice, sour cream, 1/2 cup of cheese, and ground red pepper.  Stir well to combine, and smooth the top evenly.  Top with remaining cheddar cheese, and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until heated through.  Enjoy!

*I use the 'regular' sour cream, as it has just 2 ingredients, versus 8-10 with chemically sounding names in the 'lowfat' version.