Personalized Peanut Butter Pancakes

This is a great recipe for kids, this would be really cute to do for their birthday or if they're having another important event to "cheer them on" or just to make them feel special.

2 cups original Bisquick
1 3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 eggs

Stir Bisquick, milk, peanut butter, and eggs until blended.  Pour about 1/2 cup batter into plastic squeeze bottle with narrow opening.  Squeeze batter from bottle onto hot griddle to form a letter.  (Make letters backward so they will appear "right" when pancakes are served.)  When bottom side of letter is brown, pour 1/4 cup batter in circular motion over letter to form pancake.  Cook until edges are dry.  Turn, cook until golden brown.  Serve with peanut butter maple syrup if desired.

Peanut Butter Maple Syrup:
1 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
Heat ingredients to boiling over medium heat, stirring frequently.  Boil and stir 3 minutes.

Shea's Seriously Addicting Homemade Salsa

My good friend Shea has many talents:  crafting, reading, singing, and being an overall awesome mom to her four kids.  She usually brings this salsa to craft night or book club, and I tell you, I have to wait til the end of the night to eat it because if not I will eat the whole bowl!  Sooo good!

1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can diced green chiles
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/3 onion, chopped (add more to taste)
Fresh cilantro to taste
About 1 tsp white vinegar or lime juice (add more to taste)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
Red pepper flakes to taste

Combine in your food processor or magic bullet, whatever you have.  Play around with the seasonings to taste as to what you prefer.

Wilted Spinach, Mushroom and Cheese Sandwich

This recipe is from Stephanie Nielsen.


Do you have bread? Do you have Spinach? How about cheese, onions and mushrooms? These are staples in my home, which means if I have had a long day, I can throw together this sandwich in a hurry, and still really think I put dinner together. It's brilliant! 
Since I made this recipe up, I am not exactly sure on amounts. It is a easy and I am sure you can figure this one out. 

Sautee white onion and mushrooms in olive oil together until soft. 
Add course salt and pepper. 
Meanwhile, toast whole wheat or grain bread. 
Add Dijon deli mustard like and mayonnaise on toasted bread. 
Right before adding mushrooms to toast, add bunch of spinach to mixture and let them wilt slightly add balsamic vinegar and mix around for a few more minutes.
Place on toasted bread with cheese such as fresh mozzarella.

Quick Weeknight Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

A recipe from my sister Kate.  These are sooo tasty!

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Cup finely chopped onion

1 lb ground turkey breast

t
¼ teaspoon salt


¼ teaspoon pepper


¼ teaspoon garlic salt (I used Lawry’s)

1 12 oz bag of Broccoli Slaw (found it at Super Target, saw it at Sprouts also)

1 small can drained water chestnuts

½ Cup Teriyaki Sauce


1 teaspoon sesame oil

Approximately 15 Butter Lettuce leaves (you can also use iceberg lettuce leaves)

1. Place oil into a large 5 qt skillet or other large pan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Brown and crumble until cooked through.

2. When turkey is cooked, stir in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Serve spoonfuls inside lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Cilantro Ranch Dressing

This is a recipe from my sister Kate.  Low-carb, delicious and great for the summer!

3 Cups thinly sliced Green Leaf Lettuce 


¼ Cup corn 


¼ Cup black beans 


8 grape tomatoes, halved 


1 cooked grilled chicken breast 


¼ Cup favorite BBQ Sauce 


¼ Cup shredded mozzarella cheese

 ¼ Cup prepared ranch dressing 


1 heaping Tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro leaves

1. Place lettuce into a salad bowl. Layer with corn, black beans and tomatoes. Dice cooked chicken breast and mix with BBQ sauce. Top over salad and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

2. Place ranch dressing and cilantro leaves into a small bowl to combine. Drizzle over salad and serve.

**This recipe is for 1 large serving, double accordingly**

Marinara Sauce with Linguine

A recipe from my sister Kate.

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 28-ounce can whole or diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

16 ounces linguine

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden but not browned, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and their juices, red pepper, oregano, salt, and sugar. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer (crushing the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon if using whole tomatoes) until the sauce thickens slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.  Cook the linguine according to the package directions. Drain and divide among individual plates. Spoon the sauce over the top.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Greek Salad

My sister Kate's recipe:

2 TBS red wine vinegar

4 garlic cloves minced

1 t dijon mustard

1/2 t sea salt

1/2 t pepper

1/4 cup e.v.o.o.

2 tom, cut into 3/4 inch dice

1 cucumber peeled and halved lengthsie and cut into 1/4 inch slices

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives

1/4 red onion thinly sliced

3 cups marinated tofu “feta”

Salad greens

In a small bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil; set the dressing aside.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and onion. Gently toss in the marinated tofu “feta” and dressing to taste. Serves as is for a side, or on top of salad greens for an entree.

Turkey Meatball and Pasta Primavera

So for some reason I get a lot of good recipes off the backs of the boxes, bags and cans of food I buy.  Here is another good one.  Quick and healthy, my husband and I like it a lot.

1 14-oz. bag frozen turkey meatballs (or regular if you prefer)
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 cup tomato, diced (or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes if you don't have fresh)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (optional)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup grated cheese (asiago, romano, paremsan)

Cook meatballs and pasta according to individual package directions.  Saute bell pepper, onion, garlic and tomatoes in one tablespoon olive oil until soft.  Add the cooked pasta and additional tablespoon of oil.  Stir for two minutes.  Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle cilantro, scallions, and cheese on top.

Honey Lime Enchiladas

We tried these last night and they were so good!  I prefer to use corn tortillas, because I think using flour tortillas for enchiladas just makes them soggy, but you can use any type of tortilla you prefer.  Thanks to my cousin Marianne Dunn for the recipe!

1/2 Cup Honey

1/4 Cup Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 1/2 lbs chicken cooked & shredded
Shredded Colby Jack Cheese
2 10 oz cans Green Enchilada Sauce
1 Cup Half & Half
Tortillas

Stir together honey, lime juice, chili poweder and garlic powder until combined. Add chicken and let sit in marinade for at least 30 min.
Mix enchilada sauce with Half and Half. Spread roughly 3/4 Cup sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Fill tortillas with marinated chicken & shredded cheese, roll up, then place side by side in baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over teh top with more cheese. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

Taco Spaghetti

This was a great variation to your ordinary spaghetti recipe.  Cut down on the salsa if you think it might be too spicy for you (or your kids.)

1/2 package spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1 16-oz. jar mild salsa (like Pace Picante sauce)
1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1/2 cup shredded mexican cheese (cheddar and colby jack)
1/4 cup sour cream

Cook the spaghetti per package directions.  Brown the ground beef or turkey in skillet, add the salsa, tomato sauce and taco seasoning and simmer.  Serve with cheese and salsa.

Black Beans and Polenta

I found this recipe on the back of a Westbrae Natural Organic Black Bean can. The great thing about it is that it's so easy and you probably have everything in your pantry already!

3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 can black beans
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes
Polenta (or cornbread, rice or couscous)

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add everything except the beans and tomatoes. Saute until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and beans and heat until bubbly. Serve over slices of pan-grilled polenta (or cornbread or rice.)

Note: I didn't have any dried coriander so I used fresh cilantro instead (which is what coriander is.) I also served it with couscous because my daughter loves it. You can also season it a bit more to taste. So yummy and healthy!

Seriously good Salsa :)

Does anyone even get on here anymore? If you do, leave a comment on this post so I know that this recipe blog is still alive! Anyway, this salsa is comparable to Chili's salsa, and in my opinion, just as good! And, it's super easy so that's a definite plus!

2 cans MEXICAN stewed tomatoes
1 or half bunch cilantro
1 small can Herdez green salsa
2 cloves garlic (or 1 tsp minced dried garlic)

Put one can tomatoes and cilantro in processor/blender and blend for like 20-30 seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until garlic is no longer in big chunks.

This makes ALOT, but it will stay good in your fridge for about 5 days. Enjoy!

Porcupine meatballs

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 c. uncooked rice
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. onion, chopped
1/2 tsp. celery salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1 egg
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1-2 cans of stewed diced tomatoes (not drained)
1 c. water
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauceSeasonings as desired (oregano, pepper, garlic salt, Tabasco sauce)

Mix hamburger, uncooked rice, water, onion, celery salt, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Add an egg to help hold it all together. Shape into (about 16) balls and place in skillet. In a separate bowl, mix tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, 1 c. water and Worcestershire sauce and pour over meatballs. Heat to boiling. Add desired seasonings. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes. (Add water during cooking if necessary.) Serve over cooked rice.

Avocado-and-Tomato Wedge Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

This is a very fast, easy and surprisingly filling lunch. Enjoy!

Avocado-and-Tomato Wedge Salad With Balsamic Vinaigrette

Rich avocados layered with heirloom tomatoes are highlighted in this tasty salad with a simple vinaigrette.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp. ground mustard
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado
2 medium, firm heirloom tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. minced fresh basil

• In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, and mustard. Season with the salt and pepper and set aside. 
• Carefully remove the skin from the avocado. Cut in half and remove the seed. Slice the avocado into 1/4-inch wedges. 
• Place a tomato wedge on a plate and layer an avocado wedge on top. Continue layering to create a fan shape. Do this on 2 plates. 
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the wedges. Sprinkle the basil on top and serve immediately. 

Makes 2 servings

(And it's vegan!)

Vegan Blueberry Pancakes

Sorry it's been FOREVER since I've posted on here! Since I last posted (as my sister mentioned below) my husband and I have eliminated nearly all meat (except for occasional fish) from our diets. It's been awesome! I don't even miss it! You can read why here if you'd like. Anyway enough about me, who knew there were so many delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes? When I didn't know much about it, I thought "What do vegetarians/vegans eat? Zucchini all day? Yuck! No thanks!" Now that I have been enlightened, these foods are so delicious I don't miss eating meat at all. Find out more at www.goveg.com.  Because eating less meat is: better for the enviornment, better for your health, kinder to animals, and cheaper on your grocery bill!

This is a Vegan Recipe: (if you don't want to go vegan, you can use normal cheese, eggs, milk etc. and these will turn out fine)

Blueberry Pancakes
These fluffy pancakes are packed full of delicious blueberries, and are the perfect start to your day.
2 cups white flour, preferably unbleached
3 Tbsp. sugar, preferably Sucanat
3 Tbsp. baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1 tsp. sea salt
2 cups vanilla soy milk
3 Tbsp. canola or safflower oil
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and sift together. Add the soy milk and oil and mix until the batter is smooth. 
• Ladle the batter onto a hot pancake griddle. Add frozen blueberries. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• Serve with fresh blueberries.

Orecchiette with Roasted Broccoli and Walnuts

I tried this recipe last night from last month's Real Simple magazine. I really liked it, it had great flavor, and is vegetarian! I whipped it up with a simple fruit salad for a healthy dinner.

12 ounces orecchiette or some other short pasta (3 cups)
1 bunch broccoli (1 1/2 pounds) cut into small florets
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (1 ounce)
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, then return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the broccoli, walnuts, oil, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast, turning once, until the broccoli is tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.
3. Toss the pasta with the broccoli mixture, butter, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. (Add more water if the pasta seems dry.) Sprinkle with the Parmesan before serving.

Last minute Lasagna

Why am I the only one posting? haha! Anyway, here's another delicious one from Real Simple! Thanks to my hubby who bought me this cook book for Christmas!

Last Minute Lasagna

1 24- or 26-ounce jar pasta sauce
2 18- or 20-ounce bags refrigerated large cheese ravioli
1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 8-ounce bag shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) grated Parmesan

Heat oven to 375° F.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover with a single layer of ravioli. Top with half the spinach, half the mozzarella, and a third of the sauce. Repeat with another layer of ravioli and the remaining spinach, mozzarella, and half the remaining sauce. Top with another layer of ravioli and the remaining sauce (not all the ravioli may be needed). Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until bubbly, 5 to 10 minutes more.

Thai Chicken Stir Fry

A favorite of mine from the better homes and gardens cookbook.

Thai Chicken Stir Fry
12 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3 tbs dry sherry
2 tbs reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tbs fish sauce (optional)
1 tbs water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbs cooking oil
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 cup bias-sliced carrots
2 cups fresh pea pods (or broccli florets)
4 green onions bias sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts
hot cooked rice

1. Cut chicken into one inch pieces; set aside
2. For sauce, in a small bowl stir together the sherry, soy sauce, fish sauce (if using), water, cornstarch, and red pepper. Set aside.
3. Pour oil into a wok or large skillet. (If necessary, add more oil during cooking.) Heat over medium-high heat. Add ginger and garlic to wok; cook and stir for 15 seconds. Add carrots; cook and stir for 2 minutes. add pea pods and green onions; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes more or until vegtables are crisp-tnder. Remove vegtables from wok.
4. Add chicken to wok; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from venter of wok. Stir sauce; add to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Return vegetables to wok. Stir in peanuts. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes more until heated through. Serve with rice.

Fast, Easy, Delicious, and Healthy! Whole Wheat Spaghetti with zucchini and Tomatoe

Whole wheat spagetti with zucchini and tomato

Whole wheat spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
course salt and pepper
small red onion cut into thick slices
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large zucchini cut lengthwise into sticks
2 plum tomatoes cut lengthwise into strips
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil noodles in salted water
Sautee 3 garlic cloves in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 3 minutes
Add zucchini and 1/2 cup water. Let sit on med. for 10 minutes
Add tomatoes, onions and 1 tablespoon of oil.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Add cheese.

I got this recipie off of this blog: www.cuisinenie.blogspot.com This is her image too. It's really good and healthy and fast! Enjoy!

Lettuce Cups

Feel like going carb-less tonight?  These lettuce cups are low fat, delicious, filling, and take only about 20 minutes to make!

1/2 lb ground turkey 

3 green onion sliced

1 package broccoli slaw

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

2 tbs oyster sauce

1/2 cup water

1 heaping tbs sugar

1 can water chestnuts drained

iceberg lettuce or green cabbage (I prefer the cabbage)

cook meat in skillet.  Chop green onions and add with meat.  When meat is cooked, add broccoli slaw and cook for about 3 minutes.  Add sauces and sugar in bowl and stir.  put in pan and simmer on low for about 15 minutes.  Serve in pieces of iceberg lettuce or cabbage