Clean Banana Choc Chip Ice Cream.

Serves 4 . Gluten Free, Vegetarian and Refined Sugar Free!

Ingredients:

• 2 x Bananas, sliced and frozen overnight
• 1/2 teaspoon Cacao Powder
• 1 tablespoon Natural Peanut Butter
• 2 -3 tablespoons of Cacao Nibs

Method:

1. Remove Bananas from the freezer and let them soften slightly.
2. Mash with a potato masher until broken down.
3. Add cacao powder and peanut butter and beat with an electric beater until smooth.
4. Stir through Cacao Nibs and place back in the freezer for 15-20mins.
5. Remove and serve with some fresh berries!

Hope that you all have a fantastic day

Yummy, Healthy, Overnight Oatmeal

My breakfast this morning was SUPER-YUMMY and easy!  Here is what I did:

1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup 0% greek yogurt
1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
1.5 tsp Truvia (or other plan approved sweetener to taste)
1/2 cup berries

Mix it up the night before and enjoy cold for breakfast. 

Note:  This is super-yummy and I am doing Trim Healthy Mama right now and according to that book, this is an FP breakfast!!  Woohoo!

Grain-Free Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Granola Bar

Ingredients

2.5 cups assorted nuts and seeds
1 cup dried fruit
2 cups shredded coconut
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
splash of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
generous sprinkle of cinnamon
some more cinnamon

Roughly chop 1 cup of the nuts and seeds. Place in a bowl.

Use your food processor to pulse the other 1.5 cups of nuts and seeds into a finer “chop.” Add to the bowl.

Add your fruit.

Stir in the dried coconut.

In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine oil, honey, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon. Cook until the mixture bubbles, then pour over the fruit/nut mixture.

Stir to combine completely.

Press your mixture into a parchment-lined pan of some sort. Press HARD.

Cool 2-3 hours, then remove from the pan and cut into bars.

 

 

Oatmeal Muffins (with yogurt)

1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup vegetable oil or softened butter (optional)*

2 large eggs

*If you leave the oil out, you can reduce the calories in your muffins by about 30%; the flavor will still be excellent, but muffins won't be quite as tender, and won't keep as well should you happen to have any left over.

Preheat your oven to 500°F.

Blend together the dry ingredients as long and as vigorously as you want. If you use a little whole wheat flour in your mixture, it's easy to tell when everything is thoroughly mixed.

Beat the liquid ingredients together -- milk, oil or butter, and eggs -- until they are light. If you have a 2-cup liquid measure (one with a lip above the 2-cup mark) it makes mixing the liquid ingredients very easy. Most eggbeaters will fit right in the cup, so you can use it both as a measure, and as a small mixing bowl.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Take a fork or wire whisk and blend the two for 20 seconds -- no more! The secret to light and tender muffins lies in this final blending. It's OK if you've left some lumps that look as if they want more stirring; they really don't. So, no matter how hard it is, resist the impulse.

Fill cups of a lightly greased muffin tin two-thirds to three-quarters full. Place muffins in the oven and immediately drop temperature to 400°F*. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are done.

Yield: 12 muffins

*When you put muffins in a very hot oven and immediately drop the temperature, you help create the high peaks that make them so appealing.

 

 

Corn Fritters

My family loved these!  They were really good both savory or with a little added sugar and sprinkled with some icing sugar.

1 can cream style corn
2 tbsp. sugar (optional)
2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk

Sift dry ingredients together then add egg to milk and mix with dry ingredients.

Fold in corn then drop spoonfuls into hot fat and fry until brown on both sides.

Drain well on paper towels.

 

 

No Fail Tea Biscuits

I made these for the kids and they loved them.  I cut them in semi-circles and called them "Moon biscuits" and the kids were very excited by them. 

 Preheat oven 450 degrees F.

• 4 cups of flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup of margarine (2 blocks)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup of milk (I like a wetter batter and used 1 1/4 cups)

1. Whisk together first four ingredients to blend together.
2. Then cut in margarine until it looks like cornmeal.
3. Add eggs to milk.
4. Bring all ingredients together with a fork, turn on to floured counter and knead a few times.
5. Roll or pat out until 1/2 inch thick.
6. Cut with floured cutter.
7. The thickness of dough and size of cutter determines the cook time, I start peaking at about 12 minutes. But they should be done between 12-14 minutes.

 

 

Banana Bread Pancakes

I made these for breakfast for my kids and they LOVED them.  They were light and fluffy and tasted like banana bread.  They were a HUGE hit.  

 

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/8 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed

1. Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil and bananas.
2. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

 

 

Creamy Chocolate Brown Rice Pudding

3 cups cooked brown rice
3 cups milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar (optional if you don't like it too sweet)
Instant Chocolate pudding (experiment with different flavors )

1. Combine rice, milk, pudding and sugar. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 30 minutes, stirring often.   
2. Pour into serving dish. Serve hot or cold.

Makes 6 servings.

 

 

Cornbread

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cornmeal, yellow or white

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon sugar, optional

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 3 large eggs

• 1 can (approx. 15 ounces) cream-style corn

• 4 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation:

1. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan. Heat oven to 425°.
2. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs; stir in the cream-style corn and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until blended. Spoon into the prepared baking pan.
3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown and the cornbread springs back when lightly touched with a finger.

NOTE:  I did mine as cornbread muffins and served with a  big pot of homemade chili!

 

 

 

Sauteed cabbage (paleo/primal)

I love to use leftover cabbage this way.  It is simple and YUMMY!

1 small cabbage sliced into 2inch by 1/4 inch strips.
1 onion diced
1 carrot shredded.
1/2 package of bacon


brown bacon, onion and carrots in a large deep pan.

Add cabbage saute on high until the cabbage softens and browns.

barley, beans and broccoli for one

.5 cup pearl barley
1 cup water
a little olive oil
1/2 onion, coarsley chopped
1/2 cups cooked white beans (drained)
sea salt
1 cup broccoli, roughly chopped
a little cheese (vegan cheese is good here)
1/2 cup veggie broth
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp each of garlic powder and onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Bring the water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add the barley and a pinch of salt, return to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the barley is tender.

While the barley is cooking, saute the onions in a medium skillet for about 5 minutes, or until soft.

Add the white beans, and heat through. Set aside.

When the barley is tender, stir in the broccoli and simmer 5 minutes. Combine with white beans with green onion. Stir and add sea salt to taste.  Stir in grated cheese until melted and serve.  (good garnished with chopped green onion)

This made two big bowls and was so good, my daughter ditched her pizza to steal some of mine. 

Btw, Home to 4 kiddos is hosting a GIVEAWAY.  Be sure to drop by and check it out.

Low Carb Breakfast Casserole

I wanted to make a breakfast casserole that didn't have bread in it.  So I looked into my fridge and checked out what was hiding in there and this is what I came up with:

• 1 zucchini
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 cup finely chopped, baby spinach
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 package of bacon, chopped
• 12 large eggs
• hot sauce
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

seasonings:

• 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika (plain paprika would be fine)
• 1 tablespoon of chili powder
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 tablespoon of cumin
• Salt to taste (I happened to have smoked salt and used about a tsp)

1. Cook bacon in oven in roasting pan, drain bacon grease into a bowl.
2. Use some bacon grease to cook up all the veggies (except spinach) with the seasonings.
3. Drain veggies and combine with bacon, spinach, eggs and hot sauce to taste.
4. Pour this mixture back into the roasting pan (the bacon having been cooked in there to begin with has greased it even though you drained the bacon grease out).
5. Cook at 350* until just set in the middle (about 20 min in my oven)
6. Spread both cheeses over top and put back in the oven just long enough for the cheese to melt.

NOTE:  This was a huge hit with my family.  Everybody had seconds and even THIRDS!!  I will definitely be making it again.

 

Sharing this on Homestead Barn Hop!

Snowball Oatmeal

I had so much fun turning oatmeal cookies into a bowl of oatmeal, I thought I would try again with the snowballs my mom used to make when I was a kid.  This is my attempt.

1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
6 cups water or milk
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I used medium), plus extra for sprinkling
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

Combine ingredients into a pot and cook until it has reached desired consistency.  Dish up into bowls and sprinkle coconut on top to serve. 

Oatmeal Cookie Oatmeal

This oatmeal is a bit of a treat, but it was a HUGE hit with my kids.  I simply put all the seasonings and add-ins that I usually would put in oatmeal cookies and added them to their oatmeal and they each at THREE bowls of oatmeal without stopping!

2 cups oatmeal
4 cups water (or milk of you prefer)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice (I planned to use this but was actually out and left this out)
1/2 - 3/4 cups sugar (adjust to your preferred sweetness)
1 cup raisins

(I added 1/2 cup of trail mix as well because I had it on hand, but this is completely optional and I may not add it next time if I don't have any around or I may add some nuts instead)

Simply combine ingredients in a pot and cook over medium until it has reached desired thickness.  I garnished with a little cinnamon sugar on top and the kids were thrilled with it.

Oatmeal Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups white flour
• 1 1/2 cups oatmeal
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup veg. oil
• 3 eggs

1. Combine ingredients really well and whisk until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled frying pan over medium high heat.
3. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.
4. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Pumpkin Oats Soda Bread

Pumpkin Oats Soda Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tbsp ground cinnamon (less if you don't like cinnamon as much as we do)
2 packets instant oatmeal (single serving size)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in pumpkin, cinnamon and one packet oatmeal. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Mix in the baking soda and flour. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with remaining packet of oatmeal (I would recommend making a struesel with the oatmeal, brown sugar and some butter).
3. Bake in preheated oven for 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean

NOTE:  this turned out nice and light and fluffy and was a HUGE hit with everyone.

Coconut Macaroons (Paleo/Primal)

Coconut Macaroons (Paleo/Primal)

Ingredients
Oil spray for greasing baking sheet
4 egg whites, at room temperature
2/3 cups granular sugar substitute or 1/4 cup honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated unsweetened coconut
1/6 cup sliced almonds

Instructions

Heat oven to 325F.
Spray two baking sheets with oil spray.
With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat egg whites until medium peaks form.
Gradually beat in sugar substitute, vanilla extract and salt.
Turn speed up to high and continue beating until stiff (but not dry) peaks form.
Using a rubber spatula, fold in remaining ingredients.
Drop tablespoon-sized mounds of mixture onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake 15 minutes.
Cool on sheets 1 minute before carefully transfering to wire racks to cool completely

Simple Muffins

I was out of eggs this morning and wanted to do some baking for the kids.  But I found this recipe to make for breakfast for the kids.  It was a huge hit! 

Simple Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
nonstick spray
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add water and oil. Mix together. Place baking cups in a muffin pan or spray with nonstick spray.
3. Pour mixture into cups. Bake for 20 minutes.

How many you make depends on how big your pan is and how much is poured into each muffin.  I doubled the recipe and slightly overcooked my first batch in the oven. So, I cut the time back to 20 minutes and it was perfect.

Lottie Moon Cookies

As a part of our celebration of the Chinese New Year, we are having a chinese feast and we are making as a treat some Lottie Moon Cookies.

Lottie Moon’s Sugar Cookies

When Lottie Moon first arrived in China as a missionary, many of the Chinese children were afraid of her. So Lottie made the children cookies to help them trust her. At first, the children would not eat the cookies. They thought the cookies would poison them!

Finally, the children could not resist. They discovered that the cookies were not poison after all—they were delicious! Soon the children wanted Lottie to be their friend. They began calling Lottie “the cookie lady.”

(makes two dozen)
2 cups flour
½ cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbs cream
Preheat oven to 425. Beat together the butter and sugar. Add the egg and mix well. Add the flour and cream. Make round shapes and place them on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes.