Morning Glory Muffins

Another healthy breakfast treat. These can be made in large batches, popped in the freezer, and enjoyed anytime! Recipe slightly modified from a top-rated one on allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

Morning Glory Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 apple - peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup apple sauce
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• (1/2 cup chopped walnuts - optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil (or line) 18 muffin cups.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, apple sauce and vanilla.
3. In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in carrots, apples and raisins (and walnuts, if using). Stir in apple sauce mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden. ENJOY!

Raspberry Smoothie

Here's a calcium-rich recipe to get your day started. Enjoy for breakfast, or any other time of the day, if you'd like! Enjoy!

Raspberry Smoothie

• 1 ripe banana, peeled
• 1/2 cup fresh (or frozen) raspberries
• 1/2 cup vanilla whole-milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp honey

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Sweeten with more honey, if desired. ENJOY!

Shredded (Stewing) Beef for Tacos

Here's a recipe for super easy, but super tender, taco meat. My Aunt mentioned the other day that she cooked up a whole bunch of stewing beef to use in tacos, by slowly cooking it on low in the oven. I knew I needed to try this, but since we are in and out a lot during the day, I thought I'd use my slow cooker, so I didn't have to leave the oven on while not at home. This is a great way to use up a generally cheap cut of beef. By the time it's ready to serve, it literally falls/shreds apart with a light touch of a fork. And the taste is wonderful! Enjoy!

Shredded Taco Beef

• 2 lbs stewing beef
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 recipe from blog for Taco Seasoning

1. Place beef in an even layer in slow cooker. Mix cornstarch with cold water, then pour over beef. Sprinkle meat with taco seasoning, and gently toss to combine, making sure meat is still in an even layer. Put lid on slow cooker, turn to low, and leave for 8 hours.
2. After 8 hours, shred beef in slow cooker with forks. Stir to mix in juices with the meat. Serve with taco shells and all the fixin's. ENJOY!

Parmesan Quinoa Cakes

Okay, this recipe is similar to the other recipe for quinoa patties that I posted earlier...... BUT - this one uses ingredients found in almost any kitchen, year round. We don't always have fresh herbs on hand, and while dried is a good substitute, I am not a fan of dried thyme, so would much rather eat it fresh (which I don't currently have). These ones also have less filler (ie. breadcrumbs and extra eggs). Here's the new quinoa cake recipe. These were VERY declicious and thoroughly enjoyed by all members of the family. Enjoy!

Parmesan Quinoa Cakes/Patties

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 1 egg, lightly beatened
• 3/4 cup finely grated paremsan cheese
• 3 tbsp AP flour
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 tsp each salt and pepper
• few tbsp olive oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, except for the oil. Once fully combined, allow to sit a few minutes.
2. Pour oil into a large skillet and head on med-high heat. Form quinoa mixture into patties, then place in hot oil in skillet. Fry on each side for a few minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat until all patties are browned. Serve (w/ Garlic Aioli) and ENJOY!

Garlic Aioli

Jamie Oliver has a recipe for garlic aioli that sounds wonderful. However, I have yet to convince myself that it's okay to eat raw egg. I think I'd be okay with it if my boys weren't eating it, too. For now, I will use store-bought mayo (*gasp*) and make my aioli as adapted below. Enjoy!

Garlic Aioli

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• lemon juice, to taste

1. Using a mortar and pestle, smash garlic with 1/2 tsp of salt, until it's "pasty". Remove any fleshy parts that won't smash down.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together mayo, mustard and lemon juice. Add smashed garlic then sprinkle with s&p. Taste and season as necessary. ENJOY!

Healthy Frappuccinos

If you are a frappuccino lover, then here's a recipe for you! This recipe (from laaloosh.com) is a low-cal alternative to the high-priced drinks found at your local coffee shop. Save yourself some money AND extra calories, by whipping this up in no time at home. Enjoy!

Healthy Frappuccinos

• 2 tbsp instant coffee granules (regular or decaf)
• 2 tbsp fat free coffee creamer (vanilla or any other flavour)
• 1/2 cup fat free milk
• 8 - 10 ice cubes

1. Blend everything together until smooth. Add a little (natural!) sweetener, in desired. ENJOY!

Healthy Blondies

Another recipe from chocolatecoveredkatie. This one is truly a healthy dessert choice AND it's gluten free! Serve these at your next dinner party and see if anyone notices they aren't the real thing. Enjoy!

Healthy Blondies

• 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 250g can, drained and rinsed) *OR white bean of choice*
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• heaping 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• optional: 1/3 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients (except chips) until very smooth. Mix in chips, and scoop into a greased 8×8 pan.
2. Bake in preheated oven for 38-40 minutes. You want the blondies to look a little undercooked when you take them out, because they’ll firm up as they cool, and you don’t want them to get hard. Let cool, slice, serve and ENJOY!