More Recipes...

So, I was browsing my sister's blog the other day and noticed that she finally updated and put some of her yummiest recipes on there, and you need to check them out! She is a fabulous cook and it very health concious AND very knowledgeable about nutrition. You will really enjoy some of her insights and recipes, we have some the same- probably because we have similar taste buds and most definitely because we swap the good recipes back and forth!

Enjoy and check out some recipes like these:

• Rosemary Garlic Chicken
• Spanish Potato Omlete
• Brown Rice Stuffing
• Italian Fusilli

...and many more good ones where those came from!!!

Almond-Coconut Granola

Here's a quick and easy recipe for granola, you will love it!

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashion rolled oats

2/3 cups sliced almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut

1/3 cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter

6 TBSP honey or agave

1 cup mixed dried raisins, cherries, cran-raisins, or apricots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl stir together oats, almonds, coconut, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, and salt. In a small saucepan melt butter with honey over low heat, stirring. Pour butter mixture over oat mixture and stir until combined well.

In a large jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with a lip on it) spread your granola evenly and bake in the middle of the oven, stirring it halfway through baking. Bake it until it's golden brown for about 15 minutes. Cool your granola in its pan on a rack and stir in dried fruits. You can keep your granola in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 weeks and enjoy it all the time!

Meal Plan for Sept. 7th- 12th

So, we are mixing it up a bit, I got "out of sink" (literally, my sink is out of commission this week, so it will be a miracle if I make meals all week!) but here's what I am planning on:

Monday- Strawberry Salad & Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday- BBQ Chicken Breast, Legs, & Wings, Green Salad, Corn on the Cob

Wednesday- Gremolata Mahi Mahi, Green Salad, and Harvest Grains

Thursday- Black Bean Burritos & Cucumber Salad

Friday-left overs

Saturday- out

When I make my salad on Monday, I will chop enough lettuce for Tuesday and Wednesday as well to cut down on the prep time. To store it so that it stays fresh and crisp, I make sure it is as dry as possible (I use a salad spinner) and then I but it in a ziplock bag with a paper towel in the bottom to absorb any mosture. When I chop veggies for Tuesday's salad, I will chop enough for Wednesday's as well.... you see how this goes--- thinking ahead each day can save you time and effort!

Oatmeal Part 2

So, here's another oatmeal that we enjoy over here (Emery more than the rest of us!) this is the creamy kind, not clumpy like the Steel Cut Oats, this is called McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal, and the best part about it... it is ready in 3 minutes on the stove top! What you say??? Yes my friends, it is true, it rivals toast in terms of a fast breakfast and it is very good for you- soluble fiber, low cholestrol, low fat, and no preservatives like other oatmeal packets... what more could you want?? Throw in some dried raisins or cranberries or sprinkle some fresh fruit or agave on top and you have yourself a hearty and healthy start to your day!

Grilled Veggies & Portabella Mushrooms

So, in my quest to be more productive in my dinner making skills, the nights we BBQ I try to do most of my dinner on the grill. So, I will BBQ a meat and then add things to the grill like squash, peppers, onions, and mushrooms for the veggie portion of the meal. Almost always I take the easy route and do the simple thing: wash and cut my veggies, use a basting brush to apply olive oil or grapeseed oil to both sides so they don't stick to the grill, and then I lightly dust them with the "ol' faithful" seasoning blend of salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Throw those puppies on the grill until your preferred doneness- some like 'em crunchy, some like 'em mushy- you be the judge!

*** For a FABULOUS recipe for portabella mushrooms with a few more ingredients that take a few more minutes, but I am not kidding, they are mouth-watering good, check out my sister's blog!!!!

Homemade Taco Seasoning...

I was talking to my sister in law tonight and we were talking about the yummy goodness of homemade taco seasoning (not to mention the nutritional benefits) so I thought I would post my recipe for it separately (it is posted with my Taco Soup recipe) but just for quick reference, here it is!

Homemade Taco Seasoning: make and store this in an air-tight jar

6 teaspoons chili powder

5 teaspoons paprika

4 1/2 teaspoons cumin

3 teaspoons onion powder

2 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whole Baked Chicken

Here's the chicken rubbed with olive oil and seasoned....

And here's him half eaten because I forgot to take a picture before we dug in!

Here's a great idea for dinner, super easy, inexpensive, and perfect for family and friends. It takes a while to bake, so you have to be ready in advanced, but once it's cooking, you are good to go!

Ingredients:

whole chicken

olive oil/grapeseed oil

s & p

garlic powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Cut away packaging, wash chicken well, remove gizzards from inside the chest cavity and lay the chicken on some paper towels. Pat the chicken dry and place it in a roasting pan or broiling pan. Massage some olive oil/grapeseed oil all over the chicken, and sprinkle with s & p and garlic powder. Pop it in the oven for 1-1.5 hours. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees and juices should run clear. Cut and enjoy with a salad, veggies, or another side dish!