Rice Krispy Chicken and Crispy Potato Cubes

 This is one of my kids' current favorite meals. They go crazy over the little potato cubes, especially Andrew, and the chicken is tender and flavorful.  No picture, but two links below for your convenience. A+ blogging right here.

https://ourbestbites.com/crispy-baked-chicken-thighs/

https://www.blessthismessplease.com/extra-crispy-oven-roasted-potato-cubes/

Alphabet Soup

I loved this recipe. Everyone else was pretty meh about it, but I loved it and will definitely make it again, probably not on a night when Andrew and Dad are rushing out to Cub Scouts. I will offer extra dessert to anyone who can spell their name in the soup, and then eats it.

Real life. I don't believe in staging. Not pictured: the crying baby on my lap.

Alphabet Soup

from Happy Healthy Mama

2 T butter or oil

1 onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

1 potato, diced

1 medium sweet potato, diced

1 cup cauliflower florets, or 1 small red pepper, diced

2 quarts chicken of vegetable broth

1 can diced tomatoes, not drained

2 t salt

black pepper to taste

2 T tomato paste

1 cup small alphabet pasta (I used the Prince brand, 69 cents at my local grocery store)

1 cup frozen green peas

1 cup frozen corn kernels

In a large saucepan, heat oil and sauté all veggies about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Add broth, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes. Add pasta and simmer 5 more minutes. Add peas and corn and heat through.

I made this in my instant pot since we cracked our stovetop. I sautéed all the veggies about 5 minutes, then added everything except the peas and corn (I decreased the broth to 6 cups) and cooked on high pressure for 6 minutes. Everything except the potatoes was a little overcooked, so I would try 5 minutes next time.  Let the pressure come down for 10 minutes, then release the rest of the pressure. 

I served this with some delicious cornbread and it was a perfect meal, in my book, but I think you could easily brown some ground beef, turkey or sausage in step 1 or add some cooked chicken with the peas and corn for a meatier option. 

Pretend Lasagna

Lauren saw this recipe in Andrew's High Five magazine and wanted to make it. I got the ravioli on a BOGO sale, but it's still not very frugal or very healthy. It was quite tasty, though, and all the kids ate it and even helped make it. Since lasagna is on my Don't Make list, this was a good substitute.

Pretend Lasagna

jar of pasta sauce (I didn't use the whole jar)
10-ounce package of ravioli (I think I used a 24 oz package and would recommend that size)
shredded mozzarella cheese (called for one cup, but we used more)
optional vegetable layer (we used spinach; you could also use diced red pepper, olive, mushrooms, etc)
parsley flakes

Spoon a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Place a layer of ravioli on top of the sauce. Add a thin layer of cheese, and then a layer of vegetables, if desired. Repeat layers until you use up all the ravioli, then add a final layer of cheese. Sprinkle parsley flakes on top.

Cover dish with foil and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes until the cheese is lightly browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Loaded Enchilada Pasta

I am trying to eat less meat, for both health and financial reasons, so I have been searching for some different meatless recipes. This one was a winner. I've had it bookmarked for a while and finally made it last week. I really enjoyed it and the kids even ate it, although they did eat around the beans.

Recipe from the Budget Bytes cookbook

1 T oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles
8 ounces wide egg noodles
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 cup red enchilada sauce (recipe below)
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup shredded cheddar
cilantro (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, until softened. Add tomatoes and their juices and 2 cup of water. Add the uncooked egg noodles, cover the skillet, and raise the heat to medium-high.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the noodles have absorbed most of the liquid and are tender. Add the black beans, corn and enchilada sauce and stir to combine. Cook for five minutes longer until heated through.

Sprinkle green onions and cheese over the pasta. Cover the skillet until the cheese has melted. Sprinkle cilantro over just before serving.


Red Enchilada Sauce

This recipe makes two cups of sauce. I used one for the recipe above and the other for these black bean spinach enchiladas. 

2 T veg oil
2 T flour
2 T chili powder (I used slightly less to make it milder)
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t salt, plus more as needed

Add the oil, flour, and chili powder to a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk ingredients together. Cook until the mixture begins to bubble, then continue to cook for 1 minute more.

Add the tomato paste, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and 2 cup of water or chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Bring to a simmer until thickened slightly. Whisk in salt, adding more if needed. Remove from heat and serve.

Our Breakfast Rotation

My previous Themed Dinner Planning post has been so helpful that I decided I need a breakfast one too. If I don't have a plan, we end up having cereal way more than we should, so hopefully this helps avoid too much cereal and get breakfast going before the kids empty the fruit bowl every morning.

Monday - Oatmeal

Chocolate Banana Sweetened Oatmeal - still a favorite

Overnight Steel Cut Oats - my favorite way to eat them is with frozen sweet cherries

Plain oatmeal with various toppings - frozen blueberries and sliced banana is the kids' favorite. My current favorite is this cookie in bowl form with brown sugar, craisins, coconut, and if I have them, a few white chocolate chips

Tuesday - Eggs

Scrambled eggs and toast, muffins, or smoothies. Lauren finally likes scrambled eggs, especially since she can make them herself.

Wednesday - Pancakes or Waffles

Perfect Pancakes - my favorite everyday recipe
Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Blender Pancakes - now that I have a decent blender, I can make these
Classic Buttermilk Waffles - I double so I have enough to freeze for another meal
Overnight Buckwheat Oat Buttermilk Waffles - I haven't made these yet, but I really want to

Thursday - Yogurt

I'm not a big yogurt fan, but the kids are, so I'm trying to make it regularly using my Instant Pot, following these tips. We have it with toast, muffins, or granola.

Friday - German Pancakes, French Toast, or Baked Oatmeal

German pancakes seem like a special breakfast, but I find them really easy for a weekday morning since you just mix and stick in the oven - no standing over a griddle or waffle iron. And, I tried to figure the cost and with current prices found that a pan equals just about $1 to make. I cut our 9x13 pan into four pieces and it is devoured fast. I might have to start doubling the recipe soon.

Lauren learned how to make french toast and now thinks she's ready for the Kid's Baking Championship.

Themed Meal Planning

I enjoy meal planning and cooking, but lately, it has become a chore and I have felt the need to simplify. I have friends who have used one or two week meal plan rotations and have had good luck with that, but I like a little more variety. So, this is what I have come up with. Each day has a theme and I simply choose one of the meals on the list for that day and make sure we have everything we need for it. All of these meals are, or easily can be, gluten, dairy and egg free and they are all tried, tested, and approved (by Preston and me - kid approval not necessary). Most of the meals we eat regularly fit into one of these categories, but if I feel like switching it up, I'm in charge and I'll do it. If you can think of any other meals to add to the list, let me know and I'll add it.

Monday - Beans and Rice

Classic Black Beans and Rice
Fiesta Rice
Bean Curry
Mush
Asian Lentils and Rice from Allred cookbook

Tuesday - Soup or Salad (or Taco Tuesday, per Lauren's request)

The Best Ground Beef Tacos
Big Salad
Taco Salad
Spinach Lentil Soup - from Mom's cookbook
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Colorful Chicken and Squash Soup
Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Broccoli and Cheese or Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup - not for us :(
Chicken Tortellini Soup - also not for us :(

Wednesday - Pasta or Potatoes

Baked Potatoes
Cottage Pie
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Spaghetti  - with or without meat
Quick Chili Mac - from Mom's cookbook
Meatloaf and potatoes
Pork chops and sweet potatoes
Potato Broccoli Sausage Dinner - from Mom's cookbook
Veggie Pasta Stir Fry (add chicken or shrimp if desired)
Asian Beef and Noodles - from Allred cookbook
Eggs and Noodles
Loaded Enchilada Pasta

Thursday - Chicken and Rice

Basic Stir Fry
Honey Baked Chicken and Baked Brown Rice
Coconut Chicken Curry
Hawaiian Haystacks
Chicken Fried Rice or this version
12-minute Chicken and Broccoli
Chicken Rice Enchilada Skillet
Crockpot Thai Yellow Curry

Friday - Beans or Quinoa

Refried bean and cheese burritos
Sloppy Lentil Joes
Chili
Vegetarian Asian Lettuce Wraps
Lentils Ole - from Scoresby cookbook
Spicy Pintos
Zesty Veggie Enchiladas
Little Quinoa Patties
Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos
Black Bean Spinach Enchiladas

Food Blogs I Follow

The title of this post may be misleading because there is really only one food blog I follow regularly, but there are others I visit occasionally to see what's new.  It's kind of ridiculous how many food blogs there are out there, and it seems like every time I find one I like, they stop posting.  But here's a list of some of my favorites.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe - The obvious choice. I don't actually make that many of her new recipes (although I did make the double chocolate oatmeal cookies, which were delish), but if you are searching for a good classic recipe, she's a go to.  I have made a few things from there that I didn't love, but chance are good, whatever you make will turn out well. We've been making these granola bites quite a bit lately. Lauren once ate eight in one sitting (or standing). Plus, Mel very rarely has spelling or grammar errors, which is a big turnoff for me.

Pennies and Pancakes - If you are poor, this site is for you. She is not posting any longer, but it's worth perusing the archives for cheap and tasty meals, especially breads. I really like her recipe for hamburger buns, and I have been making her Best Wheat Bread (to use up some hard red wheat) and Grandma's Country White Bread (not actually white, but with white whole wheat flour) lately, and they are both very good. The Grandma's recipe might become my new everyday bread because it holds together much better and I can make thinner slices. Oh, and her refried beans are easier and cheaper than Mel's.

Super Healthy Kids - I occasionally go here to see if there are any new recipes that interest me. They focus a lot on veggies and being well rounded and healthy. My one complaint is that their website is not very easy to navigate.

100 Days of Real Food - Same as above. I only go for the recipes and try to ignore all the organic/natural hype. I like this kale salad and the pumpkin spelt muffins. It's been a while since I found a new recipes from there.


Other sites I have made recipes from, but don't really follow includes Real Food, Real Deals, Two Peas and Their Pod, Budget Bytes, and Tasty Kitchen.


Tell me - what other blogs do you follow or sometimes read?  Not that I need to spend more time online, but sometimes I need some new inspiration.

Feeding a Hungry Husband on the 6-food Elimination Diet (plus Coconut Chicken Curry )

It has now been six months that Preston has been wheat, dairy, egg, soy, seafood, and peanut free. It hasn't been too bad, although Preston might say differently, and we have gotten used to it. The diet is definitely working. It's nice to not spend time making a nice dinner only to have Preston come home, take a bite, and spend the next hour or two in the bathroom trying to work it down (or up) his throat. I would like to say I make him a lot of fancy allergy friendly treats, but the past six months have also been full of sick kids and babies not sleeping through the night, so I keep it as simple as possible. Plus, one time when I did make a cake for him, he said he would rather eat cereal....so I stopped trying very hard after that.

Our food budget has definitely increased and I am trying hard to just not worry about it, while still keeping things as frugal as possible on my end. This is what his diet is like most days.

Breakfast:  Cereal with almond milk. Usually some variety of Chex, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, or Corn Flakes, although there are more options becoming available. This is where most of the increase in our food budget has come from. We go through lots of cereal and lots of almond milk. Almond milk is $1 cheaper at BJ's, so I get it from there as often as possible, but it's still just expensive.

Lunch:  I try to make a dinner that will have leftovers that Preston can take, but it doesn't always happen. If he doesn't have leftovers, he has oatmeal packets and fruit, or buys a salad or rice bowl.

Snacks:  At work, his staples are Enjoy Life bars, Justin's Honey Almond Butter packets, and oatmeal packets. At home, his staple snack is........cereal........with almond milk.

Dinner:  There really are only a few options that are completely off the table for dinner - like pizza - I can't make pizza allergy friendly. Or lasagna. Or quiche. But most other things can be adjusted.  Our staples lately have been baked potatoes, bean and cheese burritos (bean and guacamole on corn tortillas for Preston), basic stir fry, brown rice spaghetti, and any other chicken and rice or beans and rice combination. I have made meatloaf with applesauce and quick oats instead of eggs and bread crumbs. We have also discovered some new favorite recipes, like the lentil, sausage, and spinach soup from Mom's cookbook, and the coconut chicken curry recipe below.

Preston has another upper GI endoscopy in a couple of weeks, and then will probably start adding foods back in one at a time. Six months from now, only one or two of these things will be permanent. That will be nice.


Coconut Chicken Curry from the Budget Bytes cookbook (my changes in parentheses)

2 T vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled (I always used powdered)
1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1.5-2 inch chunks
1/2 t paprika
1/2 t turmeric
1 t curry powder
2 cans coconut milk (I think one is plenty, especially if you use less chicken)
1/2 t salt
6 cups cooked rice (I cook 1.5 cups dry rice and it's about right)
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (I omit because cilantro is way too expensive and I can take it or leave it)

Heat the vegetable oil in large skillet. Add the onion and garlic, and using a small-holed cheese grater or a Microplane, grate the ginger directly into the skillet. Saute about 5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the chicken and continue to saute until the chicken is cooked through.

Add the paprika, turmeric, and curry powder and saute for 1 minute more. Add the coconut milk and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 10 minutes more, or until warmed through. Stir in the salt. Serve over rice. Top with cilantro leaves, if desired.

No Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Jumbles

Maybe you all have or know this recipe already and I'm being redundant by posting it, but just in case you don't, here it is. It is just Scotch A Roos with Cheerios instead of Rice Krispies and no frosting, but absolutely worth making.

I remember going to a park once while we were visiting the Clarks and Aunt MaryAnn pulled some of these out. Years later, when we stayed with the Clarks for a few weeks as Preston was starting law school, these were made several times. I believe Matt titled them, "Awesome." I tried to come up with a more descriptive name. Anyway, they are pretty awesome. Lauren and Andrew are big fans, and Preston thinks these are the only decent use for Cheerios.


No Bake Peanut Butter Cheerio Jumbles

1 c sugar
1 c white corn syrup
1 c peanut butter
6-7 c Cheerios

Mix sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and bring to a full boil. Take off heat, add peanut butter and mix. Add Cheerios and mix. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and cool.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Bars

These bars are tasty. They are similar to baked oatmeal, but hold together well. They are made with simple, healthy ingredients and it makes a large panful. I might try using honey or brown sugar in place of the maple syrup next time, but the maple syrup ones were delicious. I  haven't had great success with homemade granola bars, but I think these are a good substitute.


Cinnamon Raisin Snack Bars  from Real Food Real Deals via SunMaid

2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup applesauce
2/3 cup maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats
2 t. baking powder
1.5 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 cup raisins (I didn't use Sun-Maid...gasp!)

Combine wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in another bowl, then combine. Stir in raisins, then transfer to a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before cutting into bars.

Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

I finally made a couple things worth sharing.  I'll start with this one since you may also be looking for a way to use your abundant tomatoes. We had a bowlful, so I broke one of my own cooking rules and made spaghetti sauce from scratch. It wasn't too bad to make and the sauce turned out pretty well. Lauren had thirds.

Since I had tomatoes and basil in the garden, I doled out the 99 cents for fresh parsley (by the way, what else do I make with fresh parsley?).  The recipe is from food.com, but I don't feel like looking for the link. I found it by doing a Bing search for spaghetti sauce with fresh tomatoes.


Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

4 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped (I'd peel them too)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
grated parmesan cheese

Heat olive oil in a large iron skillet or heavy saucepan. Add onion, basil, garlic, and salt; saute until onion is tender, 5-7  minutes. Add tomatoes, parsley, and sugar; heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring often, or until sauce has thickened. Remove parsley. (Edited to add: at this point, I used an immersion blender to mostly puree the sauce so it was smoother and more like jarred spaghetti sauce.) Serve over spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

I read another recipe that said to add half a carrot to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and add some sweetness, so I did that, and I thought the sauce was almost too sweet. If you do that, I would reduce the sugar a bit.

Five recipes worth making

I have been super lazy about meal planning and cooking lately, doing lots of last minute, what do we have around meals. I am usually good to fix breakfast and I'm always up for baking something delicious, but when it comes to dinner, I just haven't felt like cooking, and I am struggling to eat very healthy.  All I want is anything sugary and carby.  The following recipes have all been hits, though, and bonus: they're all pretty easy and healthy.


1. 12-Minute Chicken and Broccoli from Gimme Some Oven.  This popped up on my facebook feed on one of those days when I hadn't planned anything. It definitely took me more than 12 minutes to make, but not by much and I have made it several times since. It is delicious and I almost always have chicken and broccoli around. I think I have used chicken thighs each time I made it just because they were on hand and they are delicious.

2. Creamy Cauliflower and Cheddar Soup found on Tasty Kitchen. After the initial chopping, this was easy, and soooo good. Preston and I ate the entire pot in one sitting. Yes, I know that means we ate a whole cup of cheese between the two of us, but it also means we ate a whole head of cauliflower between the two of us. It was worth it. I paid too much for cauliflower today so we can have it again tomorrow.

3. Bean Curry from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I have made this a number of times and I like it every time. It is deliciously different from the usual stir fry or beans and rice dish.  It does have one expensive ingredient - garam masala - which cost me around $6 a jar, but it should last for years and you can't really just skip it. I think it is worth the investment. You could also make your own, but then you would have to buy a jar of cardamom, which is $15 a jar, so you choose. I always add the cauliflower and highly recommend it.

4. Pumpkin Bars from Pennies and Pancakes.  I knew I had to make these the first time I saw them and I finally did last week with cream cheese frosting. They were so good. Definitely the best way to use a can of pumpkin. I already want to make them again, but I'm trying to resist. Although with whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, and a whole can of pumpkin, maybe I can convince myself that they are a healthy snack. I only frosted about half and even the plain bars were delectable.

5. Whole Wheat Bread from An Oregon Cottage. I got tired of the other bread I had been making and have been looking for a good alternative. I am still trying new recipes, but this is the one I keep coming back to. I sometimes use honey, but more often use brown sugar and up the water just a touch. I let it rise in a warm oven, then turn in on and bake for 38 minutes. I am planning to start baking several batches a week to fill up the freezer and this is probably the recipe I will use.

Split Pea Soup

Did you know that one serving of split peas contains 98% of your daily value of fiber?  That'll get things moving. Split peas are also a good source of protein, potassium, and many other vitamins and minerals. Basically, you should be eating them.

This is the best split pea soup I've had. It's also easy to make and cheap.

It looks like split pea soup. Surprise!

Split Pea Soup
from the Taste of Home Cookbook

1 small onion, diced
1 T oil
4 cups water
1 can (14.5 oz) or about two cups chicken broth
1.5 cups split peas, rinsed
1 cup cubed cooked ham
3 bay leaves
1.5 t salt
1/2 t dried rosemary
1/4 t dried thyme
1/4 t pepper

Saute onion in  large saucepan until tender. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes to an hour until peas are tender. Discard bay leaves before serving.

Baked Chicken Drumsticks

This dinner earned thumbs up all around the table.  I wish I had a picture of Andrew gnawing on his drumstick. He picked two drumsticks completely clean. Lauren had two as well, but she just ate off the crispy parts and left a lot of meat inside. Preston had two and would have eaten more if there were more. It was unanimously decided that this dinner should go in the regular rotation. Drumsticks are pretty cheap -  99 cents a pound or less - and Preston likes eating cornflakes, so I usually pick up a box when I go to Aldi.  The ingredient list is kind of long, but it is easy to make. Hooray for another winner dinner.

Baked Chicken Drumsticks

from Two Peas and Their Pod from someone else's cookbook

8 chicken drumsticks, skinned

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning (I looked up a recipe online and threw in a bit of whatever ingredients I had)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup buttermilk
Juice of 1/2 lemon

The morning you planto serve these, place the skinned drumsticks in a dish and season with spices. Pour the buttermilk and lemon juice over the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 6-8 hours.


Coating
1/2 cup crushed cornflake crumbs
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs (I reversed the amounts of cornflakes and bread crumbs based on availability)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 400. Place a rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray Mix all coating ingredients. Remove chicken from the fridge and dredge each drumstick in coating. Place on rack, and spray the tops of the chicken with cooking spray. Bake for around 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

                                

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

These are Preston's favorite cookie, so in honor of his birthday, I am posting them today. The recipe makes a ton, and I get tired of scooping cookie dough and rotating sheets fairly quickly, so I usually freeze part of the dough in a log. Beware, though - the frozen cookie dough is really good. I've frozen it before and we haven't gotten around to ever baking the cookies because we ate all the dough frozen. Don't be like me. You shouldn't let your kids eat raw cookie dough and you shouldn't either. But you should make these cookies. They are crisp on the edges and chewy inside.

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

Recipe from Parent's Magazine

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1T baking soda
1T cinnamon
1 t salt
1.5 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1.5 cups granualated sugar
1.5 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 T vanilla
2-3 cups chocolate chips
3 cups rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups chopped pecans, optional (I always opt out)


Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a very large bowl, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add in sugars and cream. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Add vanilla.

Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, and coconut and stir until combined.

Drop by 2 tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving plenty of room around each one.I usually do eight per sheet. They spread a lot, so you may want to mound the dough up higher. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Let cool a few minutes before removing to a rack to cool completely. Package some up and send them to Preston because I don't make them very often since they use 3 sticks of butter and 3 cups of sugar.

Green Orange Julius

The family night classic...reinvented.  This isn't just for dessert though; it's delicious anytime.

I realize the majority of my recent posts involve bananas. Sorry about that if you can't eat or don't like bananas. That's definitely not the case here. Sometimes I buy three bunches a week. If they're on the reduced rack, they're only 25 cents a pound, so I totally stock up.

This would be perfect for St. Patrick's Day, although you'll definitely want to make it year round.

Green Orange Julius

from Foodie with Family


1.5 cups milk, whatever kind suits your preference
1 cup orange juice concentrate
a couple big handfuls of spinach
1 frozen and sliced banana
1/2 t vanilla

Blend it all together until frothy and serve. Serves 2-3.

Chocolate Oatmeal

Try changing up your oatmeal routine with this chocolate banana sweetened version. Now that I'm in my 30's, I can't eat coffee cake and cinnamon rolls for breakfast anymore. I need something lower in sugar and more filling. This fits the bill perfectly and Lauren and Andrew gobble it up, even sans sugar. Sometimes I put some peanut butter on top and it tastes *just* like a no-bake cookie (without the butter and sugar, you know). 

Chocolate Banana Sweetened Oatmeal

-I find that two servings (1 cup oats, 2 cups liquid, and 2 bananas) makes just enough for myself and two kids.

from Tastefully Gluten Free

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 - 1.5 T cocoa powder

1 ripe banana, mashed

2 T coconut flakes (optional)

Combine the oats, milk, and water in a saucepan and turn to high heat. When it begins the bubble, stir in the cocoa powder and reduce heat to medium. Stir in banana and coconut when almost done cooking and serve with desired toppings (more coconut flakes, peanut butter, etc).

Five meals my kids will always eat

I don't take what the kids like into much consideration when I'm planning our meals, but I can usually guess pretty accurately what they will and will not eat. The following are always sure winners.

1. Nachos. I like Mel's recipe for refried beans. It's easy and tasty and it makes enough for three meals. If I have some ground beef or turkey, I brown a third or a half a pound, then I add several big spoonfuls of refried beans right into the pan, mix it all up and add some taco spices. It works just fine without the ground meat as well. Then I layer the bean mixture, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and tomatoes in a bowl. Sometimes I use individual bowls and sometimes I do it family style. Then we dig in with tortilla chips. The bowl is emptied every time.  I serve some carrot and pepper sticks on the side. I also use this mixture for burritos sometimes, but nachos are less messy and they work better for a wheat free diet. This is also the only way my darlings will eat beans without threats being uttered.

2. Salmon (from Aldi and either simply sauteed or baked) and baked sweet potato. Lauren and Andrew love salmon and they ask for it frequently. I wish we could afford fresh salmon and afford to eat it more often, but we do what we can.

3. Baked potatoes. Of course they eat them with plenty of cheese and sour cream and Andrew tries to just eat off the toppings, but I mix them into the potato so he eats a good amount of potato too.

4. Spaghetti. I don't make it very often because I just don't like it that much, but the kids will always eat a plateful. Helpful hint: make life easier for yourself and let your kids eat naked.

5. Big salad. I feel lucky that my kids like salad and as long as there is a variety of ingredients they eat this meal really well.

Other meals that are well received include some obvious ones like hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and meatloaf, which earned me a thumbs up from Lauren the last time I made it. They also like whole chicken as long as they get a "handle." Meals that are not well received include anything with rice (rice and beans, stir fry, chicken and rice), which grace our table at least a couple times a week, and soup.

What are some meals your kids enjoy?

Popsicles

Popsicles are a refreshing treat in the summer heat, and these homemade ones can't be beat!

Really though, these are naturally sweetened, have no artificial colors or flavors and are still cheap. And tasty.  You could totally have one for breakfast. It's basically a frozen smoothie. I always forget to take pictures of stuff, so I'll try to remember the next time I make some.

I have two sets of popsicle molds. Some cheap ones from Ikea (in pink) and a set from Amazon that is similar, but not identical, to these. I prefer the latter, but really any old popsicle mold will do just fine.


Banana Fudge Pops

from Real Food Real Deals (I like a lot of her recipes)

2 cups sliced ripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
2 T maple syrup
1/2 t vanilla

Blend everything until smooth, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.




Strawberry Mango Lime Popsicles

from Cupcakes and Kale Chips

half of one mango
1 cup of strawberries
1/4 cup lime juice
1-2 T honey or maple syrup


Blend everything until smooth, then pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

I'm so glad I discovered boneless skinless chicken thighs. They are much more flavorful and juicy than chicken breasts and they are perfect for the slow cooker because they don't dry out. This is a good summer recipe because it takes about 3 minutes to put it in and about 3 minutes to shred the chicken at dinnertime. And, of course, it's tasty.

This is a picture of the picture from the magazine.

Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken

from May 2014 All You magazine


2 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of extra fat
salt and pepper
1 cup jarred salsa
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1 T honey
3 cloves garlic, minced

Put chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle with salt and pepper all over. Mix the rest of the ingredients and pour on top of the chicken. Cook on low for 3 to 5 hours. Using two forks, shred chicken. Serve on rice, in tortillas, in lettuce wraps or on a bed of spinach. I suggest topping with some sour cream.