Nut Free Granola Bars

These are a fave of my two kids and the little girl I watch.  When they run out I have to make more ASAP!

Dry Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup white wheat flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Wet ingredients:

1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup honey

2/3 cup butter, melted

Extras: unsweetened coconut, chia or sunflower seeds, raisins, etc.

Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment, leaving overhand on all sides to remove bars later.

In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and whisk until combined.

Melt the butter in an oven safe dish.  Add vanilla and honey and stir until combined.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and push down evenly using a spatula or more parchment (or your clean hand).

After it's mixed we choose to add 1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes and 1/4 cup chia seeds. You could also add flax, raisins, other dried fruit, etc.  Yum.

Cook for 18-20 minutes.  The longer I cook mine they are firmer and hold together better as bars but they can get a bit drier too.

Remove bars from pan using parchment and cut into bars once they are totally cooled.

I store in individual snack size baggies in the freezer. I put all the snack size bags in one big gallon bag and store the big bag in the freezer. This way I can grab one and put in a lunchbox or give to a kid on the run.  They eat them right out of the freezer too.

Modified from https://snapguide.com/guides/make-nut-free-chewy-granola-bars/

Mom's Vegetable Soup

My mom made a variation of this vegetable soup when I was little.  When I asked for the recipe she listed a few items with no amounts and no confident memory on the ingredients, so after making it many times this is my version of her recipe!  She used to use this "tube" that came with some dried beans and spices, so this is my version with regular spices.  Hers had this tiny little pasta in it and I don't have that in mine since my kids like to dunk bread in their's.  It is husband and one-child approved.  The other one ate it but told me she didn't like the potatoes in it because they got mushy.  I could understand that and they could easily be left out (the parsnips get a little soft too but my husband said he liked those and the potatoes in there).  Feel free to add chopped peppers or celery or any other favorite vegetables.  This soup is very versatile! Don't skip the spices - they give it flavor without heat.  If you like heat add a little cayenne or red pepper flakes. In my house my heat loving hussband has to do that at the table :)

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped green beans, fresh - rinsed and chopped 

1 cup diced carrots, fresh - chopped (and peeled if not using baby) - (I can't get enough carrots in my soup so I would use even more)

3 parsnips - rinsed, peeled and chopped (optional)

1 small or 1/3 large sweet potato, washed, peeled and diced (optional)

16 ounces beans (I usually use a can of kidney or black but any would do!)

16 ounces corn

1 can diced tomatoes (chopped fresh works fine too)

1 can chilis

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 26 ounce jar your favorite pasta sauce (I use Victoria)

fresh garlic - 3 cloves, minced

S&P - freshly ground

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

a sprinkle oregano

2 bay leaves

1/8 teaspoon ground thyme

Directions:

Chop your vegetables (green beans, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and anything else you are using) and add to the crockpot.  I sometimes do this the night before to save time in the morning.  

If using canned beans and corn rinse and add to the crockpot.  Add diced tomatoes, chilis, chicken broth, and pasta sauce.  

Add minced garlic cloves, freshly ground salt and pepper, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and thyme. Stir everything together and then nestle the bay leaves into the soup. 

Cook your soup on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.  We like ours with tortilla chips, fresh bread or cornbread or a light salad on the side.

I've been meaning to add spinach at the end, guaranteeing my children won't eat it, but I forgot.  Let me know how it comes out if you try that.

Eggroll wrapper lasagna

This is a tasty lighter alternative to lasagna that was a hit in our house.

Ingredients:

1 ball or log of fresh mozzarella

1 container (15 ounces) ricotta cheese

1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated or shredded

3 cooked sausages, chopped (we grilled ours the night before)

1 jar (26 ounces) of your favorite pasta sauce

1-2 cups, fresh spinach (rinsed)

one egg

dried basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (leave these out if you have picky kids like me)

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 package eggroll wrappers

shredded carrots or chopped peppers, optional

Directions:

Chop up the mozzarella, reserving 8-10 slices for the top. Combine the chopped mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, egg, 1 tsp dried basil, red pepper flakes if using, minced garlic, salt and ground pepper and shredded carrots or chopped peppers if using in one bowl. I ended up putting it all but the spinach in the bowl (including the sausages and sauce) and that worked out just fine too!

Prepare a 9 x 13 pan by pouring a half a cup of sauce on the bottom of the pan.

Cover the sauce with egg roll wraps (ripping them as necessary to fit pan)

Layer with half the cheese mixture and top with more sauce and half the sausage if you didn't accidentally mix it all together like I had.

Add the spinach as the next layer.

Top with another layer of eggroll wrappers

followed by the rest of the cheese mixture, sausage and sauce.

Top that with more shredded parmesan

and slices of fresh mozzarella.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Add more sauce if desired and serve with a salad.  Warning you can eat more of this than regular lasagna!  Let me know if you try it what you think!

Simple but delicious Chili in the Crockpot

This is our third chili recipe on the blog so you can tell my family likes chili.  It is something that cooks in the slow cooker and is ready when we are, plus I know my kids will almost always eat it.  This recipe was a big hit.  It had just the right amount of flavor without the kids complaining it was spicy (my husband always adds extra spices at the table!)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)

half onion, chopped

three cloves garlic, minced 

1 can kidney beans

1 can black beans

1 can tomato sauce

1 can tomatoes (or fresh, chopped)

1 can chilis

1 can tomato paste 

2 Tbsp chili seasoning (divided use)

1 cup and 1/4 water (plus more depending on thickness of chili)

I used this recipe from budget bytes to make my seasoning this time. This is the recipe for what you would need for one pot of chili. I always at least double it and save what I don't use for next time.  

Budget Bytes Homemade chili seasoning

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cayenne

1/4 ground pepper

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Brown the ground beef in a skillet with the onions and garlic.  Add salt and pepper and 1-2 tsp chili seasoning. 

Once browned, using a slotted spoon transfer the meat mixture to your crockpot.  Add remaining ingredients to the crockpot, including the remaining ~ 1 Tbsp chili seasoning.  Add more or less water depending on the thickness preference of your chili.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

We served ours with whole grain penne, freshly shredded cheddar and sour cream. (I also added shredded lettuce and carrots to mine).  You could also serve this with tortilla chips, in burrito bowls with rice, over salad, or straight up just chili.

My kids, even the picky one, ate THREE bowls each!  This is definitely going to be added to the rotation for fall and winter crockpot meals.

Healthier Delicious Eggrolls

Healthier delicious eggrolls, baked in your oven. Ready from start to finish in less than 40 minutes.

You need these in your life.  They are delicious. And you don't have to feel guilty eating them.

Ingredients:

1 bag coleslaw (about 4 cups)

1 cup shredded carrots

3-4 green onions, diced

fresh garlic (2 large cloves) 

garlic powder, a dash for shrimp

1/2 tsp ground ginger, plus a dash for shrimp

ground pepper

2 Tbsp soy sauce plus a splash for shrimp

cooked shrimp (I used frozen previously cooked shrimp and defrosted in water)

a little salty so leave out the salt until the end and then add to taste

eggroll wrappers (found in the produce section)

Directions:

Put the coleslaw in a microwave safe bowl with 2 Tbsp of water and microwave for two minutes. Add shredded carrots, green onions, minced garlic, ground ginger, pepper and soy sauce and toss together.  

Dice up the cooked shrimp in another bowl and add more ground pepper, a dash of ground ginger, garlic powder and soy to add flavor. I added a little salt as well but you may want to add this at the end to taste since the soy also adds salt.

Add shrimp to mixture

How to Prepare and Roll and Eggroll:

Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray.  Take an eggroll wrapper and place on a clean, dry surface facing you like a diamond.  

Put a few spoonfuls of filling in the approximate middle (slightly lower than the center).  Use a dab of water on your finger like glue to seal the eggroll wrapper at each step as you go.  Roll the bottom up and tuck under the filling.  

Fold in the two sides, using water to seal edges

 and then finish rolling and seal the seam.  

Carefully move to the cookie sheet, where you will place the eggroll seam side down.  Continue with additional wrappers until you run out of filling.  Spray the tops of the eggrolls with cooking spray.

Cook at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.

Dipping Sauce:

This is the dipping sauce I made to go with them.  Rather than eat them as a roll we put them in a bowl, cup them up with a knife and fork, and poured some sauce on top.   This sauce complimented them well. I didn't add any salt as indicated in the original recipe as there was enough salt in the eggrolls to not need any more in the sauce.

All Recipes - sweet-and-sour-dipping-sauce

These were a hit with everyone in my house. We will definitely be making them again.  Someone is even taking one to lunch tomorrow and will eat it cold!  That's dipping sauce in the mini bottle, cooked carrots, a babybel cheese and a piece of healthier lemon cake (recipe to come).

Easy Homemade Pesto

We made pesto a few times this summer and man, nothing beats homemade.  I made it a few times, using both the thai basil I had grown and the traditional basil my neighbor grew combined or on their own, mixed with just a few other ingredients.  It is amazing served over warm pasta with freshly cooked shrimp and halved cherry tomatoes.

Our home grown basil (it looks like this because it was in a square tupperware)

Processing in the food processor

Added to hot whole grain pasta with shrimp and tomatoes - amazing!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (we used homegrown basil- thai basil was awesome too!)
1/4 cup pine nuts
2-3 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (or throw in in chunks and process with basil)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Add basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper to the food processor and pulse until combined. Add cheese and pulse until incorporated.  If eating immediately serve over pasta with shrimp and halved cherry tomatoes.  If freezing, place in a freezer safe container with room to expand and freeze.  When ready to use, defrost in refrigerator and use as indicated above.


This recipe was based on the following recipe:   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/basil-pesto-recipe2.html

"Refried Beans" in the crockpot (or bean soup!)

Here is a great recipe that I made combining recipes from Real Fit Real Food Mom and 100 Days of Real Food (I love both of their blogs!) and making my own adjustments and additions.

If you mash with a potato masher it makes a nice "refried" bean consistency that is great in a bowl with toppings, as a dip, added to salad, served on nachos, or made into a quesadilla.

If you use your immersion blender it makes a lovely bean soup!

Both my kids ate this!  They didn't know there were all those great chunks once I either smashed them or blended them and then covered in cheese or put between two tortillas.

You really can use any kind of dried beans for this.  I have used pinto, black or 16 bean mix and all came out great. My favorite is a mix of the three.
Don't let the fact that it looks like the bottom of a fishbowl deter you.  I promise it will taste amazing when it's all done. 

DO go heavy on the seasonings.  If you don't these will be bland.  My measurements are approximate but I typically end up adding more of everything.  The seasoning is what makes these beans.

We eat these straight up with toppings (lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and greek yogurt or sour cream), with the toppings and mixed with rice or protein to make a bowl, in a quesadilla, or on homemade nachos.  Last time we had company we served it as a dip!

Ingredients:
Add to crockpot:

• 1 onion, rinsed, peeled and diced
• 2 1/2 cups dry beans, rinsed (I've used 16 bean mix, pinto or black beans but our favorite is a combination)
• 1 can of chopped chiles
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 2 cups chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 4 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

After beans are cooked:

• 1 Tbsp (or more) taco seasoning (homemade recipe from Real Fit/Real food mom)
• more cumin, Salt, Pepper and garlic powder to taste

Directions:

1. The night before rinse and soak your beans. (There seems to be mixed information on whether or not you need to soak them but we do soak them.)
2. The morning of, rinse your beans one last time and put in the crockpot.
3. Combine all ingredients listed initially above in the crockpot.
4. Cook on high for 8 hours.
5. Drain the excess liquid (you may want to reserve some until you're sure you have the right consistency that you want).
6. Mash remaining beans with a potato masher and add taco seasoning and additional seasonings to taste. Go heavy on the seasonings or the beans will be bland.  If you want soup use an immersion blender instead of a potato masher. Leftovers can be frozen or kept in the refrigerator.