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Southwest Spaghetti Squash Casserole
My children have all gone through picky eater stages. Some lasted longer than others, but inevitably, I’ve pretty much forced them out of the pickiness. I decided a long, LONG time ago I would not be a tall-order chef (unless I had a child who had food intolerances or some sort of chronic illness that required a special diet). Believe me, my twins were SO terrible with trying new foods they would throw up just looking at a new food they thought they wouldn’t like. I KNOW the picky factor. In fact my twins ended up going through occupational therapy to help them overcome their food aversion. Keegs gag reflex…
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Almond Joy Chia Pudding
If my husband could replace me with an Almond Joy candy bar, I’m fairly certain he would. The combination of chocolate, coconut, and almond is just his jam. When I created the PB Chocolate Chia Pudding a while ago I knew I would have to figure out an Almond Joy version. I know the PB Chocolate version was a huge hit and tastes WAY more decadent than it actually is. So is this one, it ticks all of the tasty boxes and also is low in fat, carbs, and sugar. This is definitely a healthier, just as tasty alternative to the candy bar. Do you have a go-to chia pudding…
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Strawberry Freezer Jam-3 Ways
Growing up, my parents were big into canning, and my sister caught the bug. Me though, I don’t can. I purchase cans, and I gladly take jars of canned goods offered from my parents, but canning…NOPE. Freezer jam, on the other hand, is well…my jam. I love freezer jam, strawberry my being my favorite, just triple berry is great as well. This recipe will work for both. In the past, I made freezer jam with sugar, but I wanted to figure out how to make it healthier. In my attempts, I was able to create 3 variations, one with honey, one with agave nectar, and one with Swerve sweetener. Each…
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Mango Salsa
With the weather warming up and seasons growing close to change; it is fun to pull out old recipes that excite my tastebuds. While I usually do not discriminate against any type of salsa; sweet/spicy salsas tend to be my favorite. It gives Mexican foods a nice contrast to the usually salty flavors. Pineapple salsa and mango salsa are some of my most favorites. I’ve also made kiwi salsa, which is a fun variation to the typical yellow tropical fruit salsas. Another reason I like this salsa recipe is there are no added oils. Other than a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and granulated sugar, there are no added condiments to…
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Meatless Tex-Mex Bowls
While I am a carnivore at heart, I do love a good meatless meal. The American Heart Association’s recommendations with meat, poultry, and, eggs are 8-9 servings a week. If you are eating 3 square meals daily, then you have to go without meat or animal proteins for more than half of your meals to have a well-balanced diet. If you consume a breakfast burrito one morning that has both eggs and sausage, that is 2 servings of animal protein and you’ve already eaten 1/4 of your weekly recommended animal protein intake. The science behind this is that animal proteins tend to be higher in saturated fats, which is one…
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Coconut Lime Rice
I am always looking for ways to spice up rice and genius hit me the other day when I was listening to this song… Well..technically I was watching Practical Magic and the Lime in the Coconut song came on and that is when the lightbulb occurred. Like most anything else in my life, my genius ideas come from the oddest places. I guess that is just how my brain works. Anyway, I had planned on making oven-roasted Hawaiian chicken kabobs for dinner and decided that coconut lime rice would pair nicely with the kabob flavors.
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Chocolate Avocado Mousse
Avocados in chocolate mousse sound extremely odd to the typical individual. The thing with avocados is that their natural flavor is rather bland. They can morph into almost any flavor you add to them. Their texture is perfect for pudding or mousse. Avocados are very much a food that either you hate or you love. I have a close friend who loathes avocados and she ended up loving this chocolate mousse. Another friend said that this recipe tastes exactly like the chocolate mousse that is served at the Bellagio on The Strip. Either way, this chocolate mousse recipe has been a huge hit with every person I have had try…
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Conversation Hearts
At one point, when I was VERY young, conversation hearts were the best thing in the world…next to candy necklaces. Come to think of it, both conversation hearts and candy necklaces are very similar in taste and texture. Conversation hearts got their start way back in the mid-1800s with a pharmacist named Oliver Chase. He invented the machine that rolled the candy type dough and cut it into pieces. At the time these candy pieces were actually throat lozenges. After a while though, Oliver abandoned his pharmacy and opened a candy company that later supplied the world with those NECCO wafers. Eventually, the NECCO wafers dough was made into tiny…
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Quick Instapot French Onion Soup
Last month was my mother’s birthday. She and my dad flew in for the holidays on her birthday. Her only request was that no one talk politics (her birthday was the day after the finalization of the House Impeachment Hearings). AND…to everyone’s surprise, my dad appeased her; even though my husband sure tried to goat my dad. As I was meal planning for the holidays, I knew I wanted to create something super special for my mom in honor of her birthday. One of her favorite soups is French Onion soup, but I know she is extra picky about the texture and flavors so she rarely finds one that meets…
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Whole Wheat Bread+heart healthy
When my dad was a navigator in the Air Force (30+ years ago), his call-sign was Dough Boy. For the longest time, I thought it was due to his love of all things doughy…donuts, cinnamon rolls, bread, rolls. It was not until I was well into adulthood where I put 2-and-2 together and realized Dough was his name ‘Doug H’. Still, his love of all things doughy has been with him his whole life. After his heart attack and double bypass surgery a couple of years ago, life had to change. My mom began making this recipe to replace the regular white bread that they were used to. This recipe…
