Spinach Salad

This spinach salad is another simple recipe. It's the perfect dish to bring to a house party or works great when having guests over. You can prepare it with chicken or leave the chicken out. It tastes great both ways. What You Will Need 1.  Spinach (16 oz bag) (you can cut the stems off if you like) 2.  2 Avocados 3.  2 Roma Tomatoes 4. 1/2 Head of Red Cabbage 5.  Boneless Chicken Breasts (about 2lbs) 6. Crumbled Feta Cheese 7. Sliced Almonds (I use the majority of a 3.5 oz bag) 8. Craisins (I use half of a 5 oz bag) 9. 1/2 cup of white sugar 10. 1/3 cup of ketchup 11. 1/4 cup of vegetable oil 12. 1/4 cup of vinegar 13. 2 teaspoons of worcestershire sauce Step 1 Wash Chicken then place on foil in a pan. Brush a little olive oil on both sides of chicken, then season with your favorite seasoning. I used a cajon seasoning here but rosemary is a good choice for this salad. Broil in oven. Step 2 Chop up the cabbage, avocados, and tomatoes. Put the cabbage then tomato and avocado on top of the spinach in a large bowl. Step 3 Once chicken is cooked, pull out from oven and chop up. Allow time for the chicken to cool. Pour chicken on top of mix. … [Read more...]

Chicken Noodle Soup

I love making chicken noodle soup especially since I live in the mountains and it's the perfect food for cold weather. And I love that there is always a lot left over. This recipe is so easy, it's almost embarrassing but I'm going to share it anyway. Some people don't like to cook but if they know it's a simple recipe, they are willing to give it a shot. And it feels good to make something homemade- like you've really accomplished something. What You Will Need 1. Half chicken breasts 2. Carrots (I buy the small bag of pre-chopped) 3. Celery (one package is enough) 4. Noodles (you can use the egg noodles or I like the rotini type-1 box) 5. Wild Rice (I like Uncle Ben's Ready Rice) 6. Seasoning (I use 3 cubes of chicken bouillon) Step 1 Wash the carrots and celery and dice them up. This is the only hassle of the recipe. While I'm doing this, I heat up two pots of water on the stove. Step 2 Wash the chicken and place in one pot. Put the carrots and celery in the other pot. I boil the chicken for a good hour. You want it to cook to the point it's falling off the bone. I cook the carrots and celery about a half hour. Boil the noodles and microwave the … [Read more...]

Tortilla Soup

Another Delicious and Simple Recipe Ingredients You Will Need: 2 tbs olive oil 1 onion (diced) 2 tsp chili powder 2 tsp ground cumin 1 can diced green chilies 2 cups cooked chicken chopped 2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes in juice 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained 32 ounces chicken broth 1 cup water 2 tbs lime juice 1 package (10 ounces) frozen corn kernels Salt and pepper to taste Directions In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium. Saute onions for about 5 minutes.  Add pre cooked chicken, chili powder and cumin and cook another minute or so. Add tomatoes (with juice), beans, broth, corn, diced chilies, lime juice and 1 cup water to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Serve with shredded cheese, tortilla chips, sliced avocado and/or sour cream.   … [Read more...]

White Chicken Chili

Are you a fan of white chicken chili? I have another simple and delicious recipe to share. This white chicken chili has great flavor and is healthy. I made this chicken chili a couple weeks back and have been meaning to post it. As you can tell, I like simple. You can throw these ingredients in a crock pot in the morning and be done with it. By evening, it's all ready to go. Plus, there is usually plenty left. That's another thing I like, having leftovers.   Ingredients: 3 cans of Great Northern Beans (drained) 2 medium onions chopped 3 (4.5 oz) cans of chopped green chilis, undrained 3 cloves of garlic 3 tsp cumin 2 tsp dried oregano 6 cups of chicken broth 4 chicken breasts 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese   Directions: The directions are as simple as can be. Put all the ingredients in a crock pot in the morning, allow 4-6 hours for it to cook. If you don't have a crock pot, you can pre cook the chicken breast then put everything in a pot and boil. Serve chicken chile with chips, sour cream, salsa, avocado or whatever else sounds good to you. Enjoy! … [Read more...]

Healthy Oatmeal Cookie Recipe

When you're craving something sweet but are trying to eat well, these healthy oatmeal cookies are the perfect treat. I didn't know I could make delicious tasting cookies without using butter, oil, or loads of sugar. Wet Ingredients: 3 Ripe Bananas, 3 eggs, 1 Tbsp. of Vanilla, 1 Tbsp. of Olive Oil, 1/2 Cup of Honey Dry Ingredients: 1 Tsp. of Baking Soda, 3 Tsp. of Cinnamon, 2 Tsp. of Nutmeg, 1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar, 3 Cups of Flower, 3 Cups of Old Fashioned Oatmeal  1 Cup of Craisins, 2 Cups of Chopped Walnuts, 1/2 Cup of Chocolate Chips   Directions: Preheat your oven to 350. Mix all wet ingredients together (I used a mixer to make sure I got the bananas mixed thoroughly). Add  the baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Mix in the flour thoroughly followed by the oats, craisins, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Place heaping spoons of mix on greased pans and bake for 8 minutes. Don't over cook, eight minutes is the right amount of time. After 8 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool for five minutes. Pour a glass of milk and enjoy. These are addicting! … [Read more...]

Chicken Divan

This is a recipe Sophia's grandma, Crystal sent me. It was easy to make and came out great. Plus, it's always nice to have leftovers you can heat up another night you don't feel up to cooking. This recipe serves 4 people. What You Will Need 1. 2 whole chicken breasts 2. 2 bags of frozen broccoli 3. 1 can cream of chicken soup (I used the 98%fat free for a lighter version) 4. 1/2 cup of mayonaise (I used light) 5. 1 tsp lemon juice 6. 1/2 tsp curry powder 7. 1 cup of shredded cheese Steps Cook Chicken- remove skin and bones and cut up Cook broccoli, drain and put in bottom of 9 inch casserole dish Place chicken over broccoli Mix soup, mayonaise, lemon juice, and curry powder Pour over top of chicken Sprinkle cheese over the top Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 30 minutes … [Read more...]

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

These healthy chocolate chip cookies will not disappoint you. They are simple to make, delicious, and healthy at the same time. All the ingredients are good for you (besides the chocolate chips). I crave sweets and these cookies do the job. They satisfy my sweet tooth and there is no guilt. If you love chocolate chip cookies, you will most definitely love these!  If you like these cookies, you will probably like my healthy oatmeal cookie recipe you can get here. Ingredients: 1 1/3 cup ground oatmeal {use a food processor or blender to grind up quaker oats to a powder like texture) 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 4 tbsp brown sugar 4 tbsp raw agave 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 tbsp coconut oil 5 tbsp nonfat milk (add more if needed)   Preheat oven to 380. Mix all dry ingredients. Stir in wet ingredients and mix well. A big ball will form- make little balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes. The cookies will look undercooked. Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool for 10 minutes while they continue to cook. I think they come out great. Let me know what you think. … [Read more...]

Is Your Baby a Picky Eater?

My baby is a picky eater! It's one of the most frustrating things; preparing healthy food for your baby/toddler only to have them toss it on the floor or turn their head or keep their mouths shut when you try to feed it to them. When this happens over and over, it gets very discouraging. It's hard not to feel guilty as a mother about what my child is or isn't eating. However, after researching this topic, I've discovered that my daughter’s picky eating is not my because of me. I've learned that picky eaters are born, not created. Although this news is reassuring, I still want to do everything I can to find nutritious foods she likes. When I find something healthy she likes I am  encouraged and want to share it with any one else out there struggling with this same dilemma. This recipe is from my friend Amber who makes all kinds of homemade baby food her baby loves (lucky her). She brought some over the other day and we tested it out on Sophia. She really liked it, which made me feel good. Roasted Bananas and Blueberries Arrange 3 bananas (unpeeled) and 1 pint blueberries on a baking sheet. Roast in a 350 degrees F oven until the berries burst and the banana peels are deep … [Read more...]

Lemon Bars

What You Will Need 1.  1  1/2 cups of flour 2. 1/2 cup powdered sugar 3. 1  1/2 sticks of butter 4. 4 eggs 5. 1  1/2 cups granulated sugar 6. 1/2 cup  of lemon juice 7. 2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon 8. parchment paper Steps 1-3 Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Mix the first three ingredients in a large bowl until mixture is crumbly. Press mixture evenly into parchment lined pan. Bake for 20 minutes until crust is light brown. Take out of the oven. Steps 4-6 Mix together the remaining ingredients until well blended and poor over warm baked crust. Return to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until filling is set and bars are brown around the edges. Pour powdered sugar over the top, slice up, and serve.   … [Read more...]

Baked Apple Pie

This is another very simple recipe. It's so simple my friend and I did it while our babies had a play date. They are 6 and 10 months. That should tell you how easy it is. We did this extremely quick and they came out great. What You will Need 1. 2 pie crusts (we used Pillsbury pre-made) 2. 6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (6 medium) 3. 3/4 cup sugar 4. 2 tbsp flour 5. 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon 6. 1/4 tsp salt 7. 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 8. 1 tbsp lemon juice Step 1 Pre-heat oven t0 425. Place the sliced apples in large bowl (as you can see we didn't completely slice the apples-we had infant children who needed us). Mix all the filling ingredients in the bowl with the apples. Step 2 Place the pie crust in the pie plate. Pour in the sliced apples with the mixed ingredients. Step 3 Place the second pie crust over the top. Press the two edges of the pie crusts together. Cut slits in several places in the top crust. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Cover 2 inches of the edge of the crust with foil after 20 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. When apples are tender and crust is golden brown, pull out of oven and place on cooking rack to cool. Slice up … [Read more...]