Enjoy Each Bite

I have enjoyed the Krusteaz brand of cornbread mix so many times that I just wanted to share it with my favorite milk substitute, Almond/Coconut milk blend, unsweetened. The photos tell it all. Follow the box instructions substituting out for the milk and enjoy cornbread with little preparations.

It's always exciting trying new recipes and ideas. Making egg rolls for the first time nearly touched the artistic side of my brain as I enjoyed folding and creating a lovely masterpiece. They turned out tasting good, not the best egg rolls I've ever had, but perfect when accompanied with a sweet dipping sauce. They are very nutrition-filled, so their taste matches that.  I followed this  recipe with several alterations. I used an entire package of egg roll wrappers, which was about 20 egg rolls and the filling was just the perfect amount. In a large skillet, add and saute over MED heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring often: 1 Tbsp olive oil 2-3 cups grated carrots 2 cans (14 oz each) bean sprouts, drained 1 can or 1/2-1 cup water chestnuts (chopped) 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper 1/4 cup chopped green onions 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced (with juice) Add and heat through: 2 cups diced chicken*  In a small bowl, create...

I did a google search last week for non-meat meals to give me some new recipes. I made a white bean soup on Sunday in the crockpot that turned out fantastic and tonight I tried Edamame Wontons. They turned out delicious. The original recipe can be found HERE . This recipe says to boil the wontons. I was curious how they would taste fried, so I did half boiled and half fried. I really enjoyed both, it would be hard to pick a favorite other than just choosing boiled for health. Here's how I made them: Boil 1 3/4 cups frozen organic shelled edamame (soybeans) in salted water for 2-3 minutes.  Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water and drain cooked edamame.  In a food processor/blender, blend together: 1 cup cooked edamame 1 tsp ground ginger 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp minced garlic 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/3-1/2 cup reserved cooking water Stir the edamame paste with remaining whole cooked edamame and one green onion (green top only) chopped small. Lay out wonto...

My husband says this salad is the ONLY way to eat broccoli, a vegetable he could do without. I think it's very tastey as well. I put the original recipe on the blog a while back, but have some photos of it from dinner tonight (Tonight's salad had no bacon and sliced almonds instead of sunflower seeds... still very happy taste buds). Broccoli Salad . Ingredients 2-3 broccoli crowns, just the florets, finely chopped (5-6 cups) 10 bacon slices, crisp-cooked and crumbled 1/3 C red onion, diced 1/3 C sunflower seeds 1/3 C dried cranberries, chopped (golden raisins are equally good) 1/2 C mayonnaise 2 T apple cider vinegar 2 t sugar salt and pepper Instructions In a salad bowl, mix mayo, vinegar, and sugar. Add broccoli, bacon, onion, seeds, and cranberries and stir until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I was feeling like I was in a meal-time slump and wanted something different, so I gave myself a challenge to get one new vegetable at the store this week. I have never cooked eggplant before and don't know that I have even eaten it. This recipe turned out full of great flavors and will be made again! Here's how I made it, with a few alterations to the original recipe. Cut 1 large eggplant in half length-wise and remove center to leave two halves about 1/2 inch thick to the skin. Place two eggplant halves onto a baking dish or sheet. Dice the removed center of eggplant. Saute in 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil: 1/3 white onion (diced) 2 Tablespoons minced garlic After a few minutes, add diced eggplant and saute for a few more minutes, stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add and saute for 5-10 minutes: 1/2 red bell pepper (diced) 1 tomato with juices (diced) Seasonings: parsley, garlic salt, pepper Put about...

In haven't had much time for blogging lately or even to take pictures of my delicious creations, but I wanted to share three new recipes that I have tried with happy success. First, a  Broccoli Salad . Ingredients 2-3 broccoli crowns, just the florets, finely chopped (5-6 cups) 10 bacon slices, crisp-cooked and crumbled 1/3 C red onion, diced 1/3 C sunflower seeds 1/3 C dried cranberries, chopped (golden raisins are equally good) 1/2 C mayonnaise 2 T apple cider vinegar 2 t sugar salt and pepper Instructions To a salad bowl, add broccoli, bacon, onion, seeds, and cranberries. In a small bowl, mix mayo, vinegar, and sugar. Pour dressing mixture over salad and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (at least one hour). And an Apricot Crisp  which served to use many canned apricots from last year's apricot season. I didn't have any walnuts, but any nuts or no nuts works great too. Ingredients for Topp...

These are an easy and tasty addition to a meal. Using my new Simple Slicer from Pampered Chef, I whipped these potato and sweet potato (or yam) chips up in about 20 minutes.  Seasoned lightly with garlic salt and sprayed ever-so-lightly with cooking spray/oil spray. I love how the yam chips curled up and browned so nicely. Both tasted great and were loved by young and old in our house. 

Three good reasons to make this applesauce: Cheap Fast & Easy Healthy - No sugar! Place dehydrated apples into a bowl or directly into your food processor or blender if it can hold a high level of water. Cover the dried apples in water and soak for 5-10 minutes. Pour most of the water into a large cup for use later.  Blend the soaked apples until smooth, adding the soak water as needed to achieve the thickness you desire. Add ripe peaches (I left the skins on) and blend until smooth. Refrigerate and enjoy cold. Homemade applesauce doubles as baby food in our house, but everyone gets to enjoy it too.

I always think it's funny when I discover how easy it is to make some things from scratch. Especially the things that I have depended on Rice A Roni for all these years. One such example, is Mexican or Spanish Rice. I have always used the box rice mixes to make these, until a wise woman taught me otherwise. So, here's how I make it now. In a sauce pan, combine and brown over medium/high heat for about 4-6 minutes: 1 cup white rice 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 onion, diced 1-2 stalks celery, cut small Add water and one can of diced tomatoes (with liquid) to equal 2 1/2 cups liquid total. Add any seasonings if desired (garlic, salt, red pepper, chili powder). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until all moisture is absorbed. Stir and Serve. I'm aware that this photo below is NOT dairy free, but I thought it looked so visually appealing, I couldn't help putting it on here.

Wild rice is one of my favorite types of rice. Here's how I usually make it. In a saucepan over high heat, mix: 2 cups dry wild rice 4 1/4 cups water 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Tbsp Chicken Bullion Seasonings to taste: Italian seasonings, salt, garlic, basil, etc. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for about 30-40 minutes. It is done when all the water is gone and the rice is tender. In the photo above, I mixed in black beans and cooked bacon pieces with some leftover wild rice. I get my wild rice blend from Sprouts Farmers Market bulk foods.

As I was searching recipes for potato salad, I found lots of ideas of yummy ingredients to include. I ended up combining a bunch of recipes and made a delicious and loaded potato salad with lots of great flavors. Here's what's in Loaded Potato Salad: 6-8 potatoes, diced bite size (I used yellow potatoes and left the skins on) 1 cup mayonnaise (I use olive oil MAYO) 2-3 T Dijon mustard 1/4 cup white onion, diced small 2 stalks celery, cut thin 1/4 cup bacon bits 4-5 boiled eggs, sliced 2 T Sweet Pickle Relish Seasonings to taste (salt, garlic salt, pepper, Natures Seasoning blend) Boil diced potatoes for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and allow to cool slightly before adding other ingredients. In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and stir well. Cool in refrigerator before serving.

Wash and chop up all your favorite in-season fruits and enjoy a fresh feel-good side to any meal. This salad has strawberries, blueberries, green grapes, kiwi and blackberries. YUM! And so beautiful too. Most of these fruits were purchased at Superstition Ranch Farmers Market on Main street in between Higley and Greenfield Rd. They often have great deals and great produce at the right times of year.

Sometimes that pasta dish just needs an Italian friend at the dinner table. Broiling french bread to make garlic bread is a great addition to any Italian meal. What you need: 1 loaf French bread (white or wheat) 3 tablespoons olive oil Italian seasonings Garlic salt Slice the french bread at a slight slant creating 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Place the slices of bread flat on a cookie sheet. In a small dish, mix together olive oil and seasonings. Use a small kitchen brush to generously brush on oil/seasoning mixture on each slice. Broil on HIGH for 1-3 minutes until browned and slightly sizzling. Watch it carefully since broiling browns fast.

I was surprised how easy it is to make delicious cranberry sauce! Here's how it's done: In a medium sauce pan, heat together: 1 cup orange juice 1 cup white sugar Once the sugar is dissolved, stir in: 12 ounces of fresh cranberries Cook for about 10 minutes. The cranberries will pop open during this time. Take off the heat and move the cranberry sauce to a serving dish. The sauce will get thick as it cools.

Simple, Healthy and Full of Flavor Dice approx. 5 medium-sized red potatoes and boil for about 15 minutes or until soft but not mushy. While potatoes are boiling, cut corn off 1-2 cobs and about chop about 1/8 cup yellow onion. Once potatoes are done cooking, drain and return to stove on lowest heat. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, Italian seasoning blend, garlic salt, corn, onion and bacon bits. Stir to coat all ingredients in seasonings and oil. Do not over-stir to avoid mushing up the potatoes. Serve warm with garlic toast or breadsticks.

How to make Focaccia Bread (Improved Recipe as of April 2012) In a large bowl, stir together: 1 1/4 cup whole white wheat flour 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white sugar 1 tablespoon active dry yeast (a little more than one packet) 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1 pinch ground black pepper (optional) Mix in: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 cup warm water When it has mixed enough to resemble dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil. (Olive oil not needed for pizza crust) Bake in preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm. Original Recipe fro...