Breakfast cookie

I don't know about you, but my kids don't want to take the time to eat breakfast before school. Something easy to grab and eat is key! You don't have to feel guilty about giving them these cookies for breakfast ;)

Ingredients

• 2 cup old fashioned oats, pulsed into flour
• 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• 1/2 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cup cranberries or chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; then in a large bowl, mix together butter, white and brown sugar, eggs, honey, cinnamon and vanilla extract.
2. In a medium bowl mix together oat flour, flax seed meal, baking powder, baking soda and  salt.
3. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients, until all is combined.
4. Mix add-ins into the cookie batter.
5. Spoon tablespoons of batter onto baking stone.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.

Beef and Guinness Stew

Found this recipe on Reluctant Entertainer and changed it up just a little.

http://reluctantentertainer.com/2013/03/beef-and-guinness-stew-for-st-patricks-day/

BEEF AND GUINNESS STEW

YIELD: 6

 

PREP TIME: 15 minutes

 

COOK TIME: 3 hours

 

TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 15 minutes

Incredible St. Patrick's Day meal. Adapted from Traditional Cooking by Darina Allen.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. lean stewing beef, cubed
• 3 T. grapeseed oil
• 2 T. flour
• 1/4 tsp. Wildtree's Rodeo Rub spice blend
• Salt and pepper
• 2 large onions, coarsely chopped
• 1.5 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 small can tomato paste, dissolved in 1 can of water
• 1  bottle Guinness beer
• 4-5 carrots, cut into chunks
• 1/2 lb potatoes, cut into chunks
• sprigs of thyme

DIRECTIONS:

1. Toss beef cubes in a bowl with 1 tablespoon oil. 
2. Season the flour with salt, freshly ground pepper and Rodeo Rub and mix into the beef.
3. Heat the remaining 2 T. oil in a large Dutch oven over a high heat. Brown the meat on all sides.
4. Add the onions, garlic and tomato puree/water, cover and cook gently for about 5 minutes.
5. Pour the Guinness into the pot. Add the carrots, potatoes, and thyme.
6. Stir the stew, cover, and place in preheated oven for about 3 hours.

Assuming everyone likes it, this should be enough for 2+ meals, so I'll freeze the leftovers and heat them up for St. Patrick's Day dinner smile emoticon 

Since I bought a package of almost 4 lbs of cubed beef at Costco the other day, I figured I'd keep chopping and use all of the meat.. I also made 2 other meals to freeze with it. I ended up cutting up 3 onions total + 3 green bell peppers, and using Wild Tree's recipe to make 2 dinners of Steak Fajitas for the freezer. So that's 4 meals, all in 30 mins smile emoticon

Gluten-Free Almond Flour Waffles

Recipe from http://gardentherapy.ca/almond-flour-waffles/

My daughter likes these better than any gluten-free frozen, store bought, waffles we've tried.
She also much prefers them when I make them with sugar rather than honey ;)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup blanched almond flour (or other nut flour)
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons honey (or sugar)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat your waffle iron on a medium setting. Grease as needed, or according to the manufacturer’s directions.

2. Place the almond flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon (if using) in a mixing bowl. Blend together using a whisk.

3. Add the eggs, vanilla, and honey and whisk until well blended.

4. Pour about ¼ cup batter into the heated waffle maker (more or less, depending on your waffle iron) and close the lid.

5. When the waffle is ready, transfer it to a plate and add your favorite topping like seasonal fresh fruit and honey. Seal and store any extra waffles in the refrigerator for a few days, or freeze them for up to a month or so.

I've found that this recipe makes 2 large Belgian Waffle sized waffles.

5 Ingredient Blender Muffins: PB bananna

I made these in my Vitamix and couldn't believe how easy they were to make. I used refrigerated natural PB, which is thicker/harder so I thought for sure it would stick in the blender...nope! It all blended right up really easily. All I had to do next was pour it straight from the blender to the muffin tin. Really can't get any easier than this! Even better, they're gluten free, which means my 6 year old can eat them!

I'll admit, I wasn't so sure about how these would turn out... but both my girls ate one and immediately asked for a second! They're a hit! I liked them too, but I think I might add some chocolate chips in next time ;)

Recipe from: http://www.thirtyhandmadedays.com/2013/10/blendtec_5_ingredient_muffin_recipe/

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural peanut butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 medium sized very ripe bananas
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons honey

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Place ingredients in the blender and blend until well mixed.
• Pour batter into muffin tin greased with coconut oil.
• Bake for around 15 minutes, for full sized muffins. (note: my oven is old and doesn't work as well as it should...I tend to have to add baking time to my recipes, so check yours around 10 mins!)

Potato Leek Soup

I had surgery last week and between the recovery and then going to Chicago, then the girls off school this week, no time to grocery shop! So, scrounging up whatever is in my fridge and ended up with potato leek soup. YUM!

INGREDIENTS

• 2 large potatoes, diced
• 1 large leek, chopped up
• 2 cups broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• garlic, to taste (I used 1 tsp minced)
• salt (and pepper) to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.  cook leeks in butter for about 10 minutes.
2. add all ingredients to a large pot and bring to a simmer.
3. simmer for 20 minutes.
4. using an immersion/stick blender, blend, leaving some chunks.

Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken

Winner winner! :) We all loved this! My 6 year old rarely will eat chicken, but she asked for seconds of this!

Recipe is from Life in the Lofthouse

INGREDIENTS

The chicken coating:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp olive oil

The sweet and sour sauce:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 tbs ketchup
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. preheat  oven  to 325 degrees. 
2. Cut chicken into cubes.
3. Dip chicken into the cornstarch to coat then dip into the eggs.  
4. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook your chicken until browned but not cooked through. 
5. Place the chicken in a baking dish. 
6. Mix all of your sweet and sour sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and then pour evenly over the chicken. 
7. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken every 15 minutes.

Lentil Vegetable Barley Soup

When everyone in the family eats all of their dinner, I know we have a winner!

Recipe and photo credit from Full Measure of Happiness


INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 medium summer squash (or zucchini), halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
• 1 bunch carrots, sliced
• 1/2 C red lentils
• 1/2 C yellow split peas
• 1/2 C barley
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 4 C vegetable broth
• 1/2 t salt
• added water, as needed 

DIRECTIONS

1. Layer ingredients in a slow cooker, in order as listed above. 
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4.
3. Add water as needed (I ended up using a bag of frozen onions and bell peppers and didn't need to add any water).

Porcupine Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb organic grass fed ground beef
• 3/4 C long grain white rice, uncooked
• 3/4 C water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1/2 a chopped fresh onion or 1 tbsp dried minced onion
• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1/2-3/4 jar of organic pasta sauce
• 1 C water
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce

DIRECTIONS

1.  Mix first 7 ingredients together.
2. heat olive oil in a large skillet.
3. Form meat/rice mixture into meatballs, about 1.5 inches (makes about 10 meatballs).
4. Brown in skillet over medium heat.
5. Meanwhile, mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl.
6. Drain grease, then pour sauce mixture over meatballs.
7. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour.

This is a hit with everyone in our family! I send leftovers for DD1's school lunch. One meatball is plenty in a thermos.

Strawberry Bread

We went strawberry picking yesterday morning and were looking for some new recipes to try out with all the berries we picked! How about some strawberry bread?! Yum!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1 1/2 cup sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
•  4 eggs
•  3 cups oat flour (I pulse old fashioned oats in my Vitamix)
•  3/4 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon cream of tartar
•  1/2 tsp baking soda
•  3 cups strawberries, diced and smashed
• 1/2 cup vanilla Greek yogurt

 DIRECTIONS

1. Cream coconut oil and sugar. 
2. Add vanilla and eggs, beat well. 
3. Mix in flour, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. 
4. In blender, blend about 1 cup strawberries with yogurt. 
5. Add mixture and beat well. 
6. Add remaining strawberries mix under blended.
7. Pour into two greased and floured 9×5 pan. 
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 65-75 minutes.

Chickpea Nuggets

http://www.bentolunch.net/2010/10/yesterdays-recipe-chickpea-nuggets.html
Sounded like a good alternative for the kids...so I thought I'd give it a try! :)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 can of chickpeas
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup Italian style bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup creamy Italian dressing
• 1 egg

DIRECTIONS

1. Drain the chickpeas and rinse thoroughly. Pick out any loose "skins".
2. Mash the chick peas till they form a paste.
3. Shred the carrots in a  mini food processor.
4. Combine together, then add bread crumbs, Italian dressing and egg. Mixing together very well.
5. Take about one tablespoon of the mixture, roll it into a ball, then flatten into a nugget shape, repeat.
6. Place nuggets on parchment paper or a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until nuggets are browned on both sides. Turn about halfway through baking.
7. Makes about 18 nuggets, give or take.
8. Serve with assorted dipping sauces.

Homemade Luna Bars

Warning: These are addicting!

Original Recipe is from Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity
Make sure to check out her recipe, which includes cocoa and is rolled in coconut! Both my girls and I actually preferred these w/out the cocoa, despite all being chocolate addicts ;) But it's still worth a try to include it :)

INGREDIENTS

• 15 dates
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1.5 cups raw almonds
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS

1. Put all ingredients in a Vitamix blender (or food processor) and pulse until it combines.
2. Continue processing while pushing down with the Vitamix stir stick thing (I'm all technical here ;) until it forms a nice dark colored chewy textured ball.
3. Remove from blender and roll into small balls (about 1/2 in diameter or so).
4. I put these in a glass container and keep them in the fridge. A batch rarely lasts more than 1/2 a week!

Baked Black Bean and Sweet Potato Flautas

I have to admit that I am the only one in my family who ate these....my girls are still in the stage where their foods have to stay separate. No mixing stuff! And my husband...well, he's picky. And if it doesn't have meat, he won't eat it.

That said, I LOVED these and will be making them again. So so so so so good!

Original recipe from Peas and Crayons

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Flatout flatbreads
• 1 cup of black beans
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 small/medium sweet potato
• 1 cup of frozen diced onions and bell peppers
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried or fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 4-6 ounces of grated Cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• all-natural olive oil spray or plain oil
• parsley [or cilantro!] + fresh veggies to garnish
• salsa, guacamole, and plain greek yogurt (or sour cream!) for dipping 

DIRECTIONS (from above website)

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425F.  
2. Poke a few holes in your sweet potato, wrap it in a slightly damp paper towel, and microwave on high for about 6-8 minutes
3. While you wait, combine corn/peppers/onion with your black beans, garlic powder, cumin, cilantro. 
4. Add the sweet potato [minus the skin] to the rest of your veggies and mix thoroughly.  
5. Add salt, pepper, and any additional seasoning to taste.
6. Next wrap your corn tortillas in a damp paper towel, followed by a dry paper towel, and microwave on high for 30 seconds.  
7. Spray or rub one side of the tortilla with oil and add "line" of veggie filling to the center of the "dry side" of the tortilla, about 1-inch thick.  Top it off with a layer of cheese [as much or as little as you want!] and roll the tortilla.
8. Place on a wire baking/cooling rack
9.  Bake on the middle rack, at 425F, for 15 minutes.
10.  Pile high with any + all veggies you have on hand and serve with plain greek yogurt, salsa, and guacamole for dipping!

Coconut Banana Oat Bread - gluten free

Oh my, this bread is deeeeeeeelicious! If you make sure to use gluten free oats, it's also gluten free :)

Recipe inspired by: http://www.fitsugar.com/Coconut-Banana-Bread-Recipe-18806194

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ¾ cup oat flour (I just put oats in my blender and pulsed until it was flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 3 Large ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup orange juice

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda together in mixing bowl.
3. In separate large mixing bowl combine mashed bananas, brown sugar, and vanilla. 
4. Add eggs and oil and mix together until smooth. 
5. Slowly add in flour and combine until moist. 
6. Add Greek yogurt, milk and orange juice.
7. Add ½ cup of coconut and mix together.
8. Pour into greased 9×5 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle two tablespoons of coconut on top.
9. Bake for about 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean and the bread is golden brown.

*About 115 calories per slice. 16 slices per loaf.

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

Yep, the recipe doesn't lie ;)
From AllRecipes.com: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/the-best-rolled-sugar-cookies/?scale=40&ismetric=0

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/3 cups white sugar
• 2-3/4 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
   

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Cilantro Lime Chicken in the Slow Cooker

Another new family favorite :) This one is from October Morning

I stayed pretty close to the original recipe. This is great served over rice, couscous, wrapped in tortilla, with tortilla chips, or just as it :)

INGREDIENTS

• 2 chicken breasts, diced
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 1.5 cups black beans (I cook dried black beans and freeze them in can-sized portions)
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• juice from 1 or more limes, to taste
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp cumin
• salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Garlic Chicken with Orzo Noodles

YUM! Straight from AllRecipes.com, this is a keeper :)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/garlic-chicken-with-orzo-noodles/Detail.aspx

• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into bite-size pieces

• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
• grated Parmesan cheese for topping
  
  
  1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear. Reduce heat to medium, and mix in the parsley and cooked orzo. Place spinach in the skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.
   

Coconut Avocado Brownies

The batter alone tasted AMAZING!

Recipe inspired/adapted from http://www.kitchen-apparel.com/2/post/2013/01/avocados-part-2-chocolate-avocado-muffins.html#

Smokey Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

From Fitness Magazine: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipe/smoky-black-bean-and-sweet-potato-chili/

I loved this, and more importantly, my girls (3 and 5) loved it too!
I omitted the chocolate and the chili peppers, but only because I didn't have any at home and didn't have time to go shopping ;)
I had forgotten that this recipe was a slow cooker one, and didn't check it until 3 hours before dinner... so instead, I cooked it in a Dutch Oven, on low, for 2.5 hours. Worked perfectly!

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
• 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 15 ounce cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup shreded reduced-fat cheddar
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Coat the inside of a slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine chipotle pepper, chocolate, cumin, oregano, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic, black beans, sweet potatoes, corn, bell pepper and tomatoes in cooker; cook on low 8 hours.
2. Serve chili topped with cheddar and cilantro.

Photo and full recipe credit to http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/

Classic Beef Barley Soup (slow cooker)

From SouthernFood

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup pearl barley
• 3 to 4 medium carrots, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes
• 3 1/2 to 4 cups beef broth
• 2 c. water
• 1 (10 1/2 oz.) can tomato soup (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 c. minced parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic in skillet.
2. Drain well, then transfer meat mixture to slow cooker.
3. Add barley and remaining ingredients. 
4. Cover and cook on high 1 hour, then on low 5-6 hours.

Lunchbox blog label

Kylie has been eating lunch at school 2xs a week this year. For some reason, I find it hard to pack good lunches for her...and it takes me a while to pack them! Next year she'll be in kindergarten (!!!!). That will be 5 lunches and 5 morning snacks (for little Miss doesn't eat breakfast, so it needs to be a good wholesome filling snack) a week for me to pack! Between coming up with lunch ideas and figuring out which lunch container to put it in so that everything fits well in her lunch box, I figured I might as well start collecting ideas.

As I've mentioned before, this blog is mostly for me to refer to while I'm cooking or trying to menu plan. I'm happy to share with others, but don't expect anything fancy ;) I will have this newest "lunchbox" label for lunch and morning snack plans and ideas. Feel free to share you own, I could always use some good lunch box ideas!

I'll be taking pictures, so that I remember which container that lunch fits best in!

First lunch:
Pepita butter with baby carrots, sliced cucumber, and whole wheat crackers. Sliced pears, a yogurt, and an organic apple juice box included as well.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies

This recipe was adapted from Food.com: http://www.food.com/recipe/best-oatmeal-cookies-54351?scaleto=36&mode=null&st=true

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup toffee bits (or chopped pecans...all optional)

DIRECTIONS

1
From Food.com: "This is a very important first step that makes the cookie: combine eggs, raisins and vanilla and let stand for one hour. " I wasn't using raisins, so I omitted that. Just in case it made a difference, I still combined the eggs and vanilla and let stand. I'm pretty sure you do that to keep the raisins nice and moist and flavorful, but just in case...I included this step ;)
2
Cream together butter and sugars.
3
Add flour, salt, cinnamon and soda and mix well.
4
Blend in egg-raisin mixture, oatmeal, and toffee bits.
5
Dough will be stiff.
6
Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet, or roll into balls and flatten slightly.
7
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Breakfast Smoothie

Confession: I don't eat breakfast. I know how important it is to eat breakfast. I drink way too much coffee with way too much sugar, then I'm not hungry, then my blood sugar crashes and I eat everything (crap) in sight. Unhealthy.

I want to do better. I hear myself tell my girls how important breakfast is, but I'm not showing them a good example.

They love smoothies. I love smoothies. What could be easier than smoothies for breakfast?!

Disclaimer: this is for ME, not the girls! I add supplements to it for various reasons, including trying natural remedies for my anxiety, my IBS problems, etc.... If I make this for the girls, the only supplement I include is the probiotics.

INGREDIENTS

• 10 almonds
• 1 medium frozen banana
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• powdered probiotics (I like Genestra Brands HMF-Pre and Probiotics)
• powdered Inositol (vitamin B supplement)
• Tropical Tango Vegan powdered smoothie mix (I use 1 tbsp)

DIRECTIONS

1. Put all ingredients, minus the ice cubes, in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add ice and blend until smooth.
3. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos with Lime, in the slow cooker

Recipe from http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/03/slow-cooker-recipe-for-sweet-potato-and.html


Mmmm mmmm good :)

INGREDIENTS for Filling:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans (or use 1 can (15 oz.) black beans)
• 2 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, diced in 1 inch cubes 
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1/4 cup vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
• 2 T fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• salt to taste

Ingredients for Burritos:

• medium-sized flour tortillas (use whole wheat or low-carb tortillas for South Beach Diet)
• chopped fresh cilantro for serving (optional)
• shredded mozzarella cheese for serving (optional)
• shredded lettuce for serving (optional)
• sour cream for serving (optional)
• lime pieces to squeeze on filling (optional)

 DIRECTIONS

1. Spray a small slow cooker with olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. Put beans, diced sweet potatoes, corn, vegetable stock, lime juice, and spices into the slow cooker.
3. Cook on high for 3 hours, or until potatoes are tender. (I will often steam them a bit ahead of time to speed up the cooking process, about 10 minutes of steaming).
4. Assemble burritos and add toppings as wanted. Enjoy!

Rolled-Oats Chocolate Chip Cookies

I decided to make these on a whim with the girls yesterday. They turned out delicious! I didn't even get a chance to take a picture that's how good they were ;) Seriously, we ate them all up pretty quickly. And then my ILs came over to watch the girls and my MIL ate a few and kept saying how good they were. Yum! Best part, for goooood cookies, these are pretty healthy too!

Recipe was inspired from http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/bevs_chocolate_chip_cookies.html. I made a few changes to the recipe, like not grinding the oats, substituting liquid stevia w/ vanilla in place of sugar, and coconut oil in place of canola oil...oh, and I forgot to add the chocolate chips, but that was an accident and I will be adding them next time! Though I have to say, they were still so good, chocolate was not missed ;)

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 dropped liquid stevia w/ vanilla (I found this at Whole Foods)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix oats, flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. 
3. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. 
4. Add oil, stevia, brown sugar, egg and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. 
5. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined. 
6. Stir in chocolate chips.
7. Scoop about 1 tbsp worth of dough out and shape into a ball
8. Press down onto a baking stone.
9. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Taco Pasta Salad

Made this dish for a dinner playgroup and it is soooooooo so good! I will definitely be making this a lot over the summer :)

Original recipe from http://www.carascravings.com/2009/05/wagon-wheel-taco-pasta-salad.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1lb pasta or choice
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 10oz package frozen corn 
• 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 8oz shredded Mexican-blend cheese
• 1 1/2 cups salsa
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1 avocado, diced

DIRECTIONS

1. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
2. Drain and rinse with cold water.
3. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, corn, tomatoes, salsa, and cheese. 
4. Add the cooled pasta and mix well. 
5. In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin and chili powder. 
6. Pour over the pasta salad, add the cilantro, and mix well. 
7. Season to taste with salt. 
8. Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.