Granola Balls

We found these over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe and we love them! They are the perfect little snack. I've made a few changes - reducing the amount of honey and chocolate chips - to make them taste more like a snack and less like a dessert. You can experiment with different nut butters and add-ins as well to make your own creation. We've tried peanut butter and almond butter, dried fruit instead of chocolate chips, and adding chia seeds into the mix and they've all been delicious! They come together very quickly and stay fresh for quite awhile. Enjoy!

Granola Balls

You can easily experiment with different add-ins - just try to keep the wet:dry ratio about the same. Let me know what you try! :)

*You can use Rice Krispies if that's all you have; I just prefer all natural crisped brown rice cereal because it's usually just one ingredient and whole grain.

2 c. quick oats
1 c. crispy brown rice cereal*
1 c. natural peanut butter
1 c. ground flaxseed
1/2 c. mini chocolate chips
1/2 c. honey
2 T. coconut oil
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing gently so you don't crush the rice cereal. Mix until well combined. Using a cookie scoop (or spoon/hands), drop rounded balls about the size of a walnut onto a lined cookie sheet. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, then transfer to an airtight container or ziploc bag to store in the refrigerator or freezer. They'll stay fresh for a week or so in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer.

Source: Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Chicken Enchilada Soup

It's kind of ridiculous how many recipes I have on here for taco soup, or enchilada soup, or some variation, but this is another new one and it's the best yet! My little sister Heidi (shout-out!), who happens to be an awesome cook, made this for me and my family last summer when we were visiting her in Iowa.  It was so delicious and I'm not sure why it took me so long to try it out myself.  There are so many wonderful flavors going on in this soup.  It's cooked in the crockpot all day, but then you add lots of fresh vibrant toppings that livens it up.  The whole family loved it!  I'll definitely be making this again.

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
8 oz. can tomato sauce
1-2 tsp. canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
2 c. frozen corn
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. chicken breasts
1/4 c. chopped green onions, for topping
cilantro, roughly chopped, for topping
sour cream, shredded cheese, & tortilla chips, for topping

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until soft, about 3-4 minutes.  Slowly add the chicken broth, tomato sauce, and chipotle chili and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and pour into crockpot.

To the crockpot, add beans, tomatoes, corn, cumin, and oregano and stir.  Add the chicken breasts; cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Remove chicken and shred with two forks. Place back into the soup, taste and add more salt if needed.  Serve in bowls and top with desired toppings.

Source: Skinnytaste

Spaghetti Squash - Two Ways

I have been such a blogger slacker lately, but I have lots of new recipes to add to my "file" here, so hopefully I can get them all up soon.  We've been loving spaghetti squash lately. My kids think it's the coolest thing ever.  A vegetable that turns into spaghetti?!?  Yes, please! We've eaten it two different ways and both have been delicious.  I think the kids favored the traditional spaghetti way, but Jeremy and I thought they were both great. I find if I involve my kids in preparing new things, they are much more likely to enjoy eating it.  I let my boys scrape out the flesh of the squash (the "spaghetti") for me and they thought that was awesome.

Preparing Spaghetti Squash
I've also heard you can roast it whole, but this is the method I've always used.

1 large spaghetti squash
olive oil
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half, using a sharp knife and lots of muscles, and scrape out the seeds and stringy stuff (think pumpkin).  Brush the insides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to an hour, until you can poke through the squash easily with a fork and the inside is soft and tender and strings up easily when scraped with a fork.  Let cool until you can handle it and then scrape out the flesh into a bowl or pot or whatever you're doing with it!

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Parmesan and Herbs

1 T. butter
1 1/2 T olive oil
2 shallots, diced small
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 roasted spaghetti squash, flesh scraped out into stringy "spaghetti"
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
2 T. grated Parmesan
coarse salt and ground pepper

In a large skillet, melt butter and olive oil.  Add shallots and garlic and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in thyme and rosemary and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add squash and toss to combine.  Cook until warmed through.  Stir in parsley and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper.  Serve with additional grated Parmesan.

Source: Martha Stewart

Spaghetti Squash Spaghetti
You can do this with any spaghetti/marinara/bolognese/whatever sauce, this is what we did:

1 roasted spaghetti squash
1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 large onion, chopped small
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 14-oz. can petite-diced tomatoes
1 T. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. sugar
1 T. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt, more to taste
1 tsp. ground pepper
Parmesan, for serving

In a large saucepan, brown turkey with onion and garlic, breaking turkey up into small pieces as it cooks.  When thoroughly cooked, add remaining ingredients (minus the spaghetti squash).  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.  Add to the spaghetti squash and mix until evenly combined.  (If you have too much sauce, just reserve extra for something else; it will depend on the size of your squash). Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Red Curry Lentils

If you're looking to cut back on your meat consumption this year, lentils are a great place to start.  They are a legume, but they cook much faster than other legumes (such as dried beans) - usually in 10-40 minutes.  They also have the third highest protein of any legume or nut, along with a lot of iron, fiber, vitamins and minerals*.  Convinced? Good.

Now on to the recipe...These lentils are amazing!  They pack a lot of heat, which you can adjust if you like, but they also have a TON of flavor.  They are chock full of some of my favorite South Asian spices - garam masala, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and of course, curry.  You can serve them over rice, pile them on some warm naan, or eat them straight with a spoon - I've done all three.  You really can't go wrong.  And if you have leftovers - they are even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.  The recipe is simple and the results are delicious!  Enjoy!

**These were quite spicy - too spicy for my kids, so you may want to start with 1 Tbsp. of curry paste and add from there.  My husband and I loved them, especially topped with gobs of cilantro, but they are spicy, so be warned...

Red Curry Lentils

1 1/2 c. lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 large onion, diced
2 T. butter
2 T. red curry paste**
1/2 T. garam masala
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
a few shakes cayenne pepper
1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/3 - 2/3 c. coconut milk
cilantro, for serving

Cook the lentils according to package directions (usually boil in water for about 20 minutes, until tender).  Set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add the onions and saute for a few minutes until golden.  Add the spices - red curry paste, garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper - and saute for 1-2 minutes.  Add the crushed tomatoes.  Stir and simmer until smooth.

Add the lentils and the coconut milk.  Stir to combine and simmer for another 15-20 minutes.  You can add more coconut milk if the spice is too much.  Serve over rice and garnish with lots of fresh cilantro.

Source: Adapted from Pinch of Yum
*Info from Wikipedia

Roasted Red Potatoes

I make roasted potatoes a lot.  I've never really followed a recipe and so I have never thought to put it on the blog, but they are so delicious I thought you would enjoy them!  They are incredibly versatile - you can use russet or red potatoes (gold don't get quite as crispy) and whatever herbs and seasonings you have around.  We currently have a rosemary plant growing in our backyard, so I use that most often these days, but as you can see in the picture, you can add chives, oregano, parsley, whatever floats your boat.  As long as you have olive oil, garlic, and salt and pepper, they'll be delicious!

Homemade Chicken Stock

If you roast your own chicken, or even if you buy a rotisserie chicken, making chicken stock is a great way to make that chicken go even further!  Some people make stock using the meat and bones, but I find I can get a great stock from just the carcass.  I just remove most of the meat (without being too fastidious about getting every last piece), and throw it in a pot with some onions, celery, carrots and water, and let it simmer away.  I usually get about 2 quarts of stock, saving me big bucks!  I use the stock for soups, gravy, sauces, cooking quinoa or rice, or anything else I can think up.  It's delicious!

Simple Roast Chicken

There is nothing quite like the smell of a chicken roasting in the oven.  I love to buy whole chickens, roast them in the oven, and then use the carcass to make chicken stock.  It's a great way to stretch a dollar!  Whole chickens are usually quite inexpensive, and I find with my little family I can get several meals out of one chicken, plus a couple quarts of stock.  I love doing this in the wintertime especially, when I don't mind heating up the house for long periods of time.  This recipe produces a juicy chicken with a beautiful crisp skin for me every time.  The lemon, onion, garlic, and rosemary give it a great flavor and help it stay moist.  My husband's grandma even puts an apple inside sometimes and that works great too!

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Are you a sweet potato lover?  I used to think I didn't like sweet potatoes, but they have really grown on me over the last few years.  I think I just wasn't used to them, since I never ate them as a kid.  I have come around though.  These are delicious!  I love their vibrant color and their abundance in the stores and markets this time of year.  They have a naturally sweet flavor and roast up pretty quickly in the oven.  We stuck to the basics with this recipe - olive oil, salt, and pepper, but I've seen some that use all sorts of spices from cinnamon to cumin.  Don't expect a crisp crunchy exterior like you get with white potato fries.  These are definitely softer, but the taste they get as they start to caramelize on the pan is delicious!  Enjoy!

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers {and some Halloween fun!}

This was a great simple recipe with lots of flavor.  I think stuffed bell peppers are fun, and luckily my kids thought so too!  This recipe has a lot of great southwestern flavors - cilantro, jalapeno, tomatoes, chili powder, etc.  These are meatless, but you could easily add some cooked ground beef or turkey to the mix if you prefer.  I fancied these up a bit this week by carving little jack-o-lantern faces in a few.  They were a hit!  Happy Halloween!!

Winter Salsa

I LOVE this time of year for many reasons - the cool crisp weather, the apples and pumpkins in abundance, the fall colors, etc.  However, I always find myself missing some of the great summer produce, namely tomatoes.  We eat so many delicious tomatoes in the summertime that nowhere near resemble the tomatoes you find in the stores year-round.  Salsa is one of those things we love to whip up with our summer tomatoes, but if you love homemade salsa all year long, don't fear!  This recipe uses canned tomatoes, and it is really delicious!  In fact, I make it a lot in the summer too, because it's so convenient, taking just a few minutes to whirl together, and it still has that fresh taste from the onions and cilantro.  Honestly, I couldn't believe how good it was the first time I made it and I have made it well over 10 times since.  Enjoy!

Taco Soup (so easy!)

This is a recipe I've been making for a long time, but after a little tweaking, it's finally ready to make its appearance!  My sister gave me this recipe back when I was a single college student and I have made it many times since!  This taco soup is SO EASY, but it's also so tasty and it makes a great meal when you are low on time - or when you're just in the mood for a delicious soup!  I always use ground turkey, but ground beef works great too.  You just cook up the meat with some onions and garlic, and after that it's just dumping in cans and spices.  My husband and my kids LOVE this soup, so for me - that makes it a winner!

Coconut Raspberry Ice Cream {dairy-free}

Another dairy-free coconut ice cream win!  I made this for my husband's birthday and it was so delicious.  You will not be missing the dairy at all with ice cream like this around!  It is SO simple to make - only 4 ingredients.  We used some frozen raspberries we had picked this summer and they gave it such a refreshing tartness that we loved.  Give it a try and I'm sure you'll love it too!

Homemade Corn Tortillas

I am slowly starting to realize that there just aren't enough hours in the day to make every single thing from scratch, but that sure isn't going to stop me from trying!  There are some things you can buy in the store that are somewhat close to a homemade version, but let me tell you, corn tortillas are not one of them.  Store-bought corn tortillas are pretty awful, depending on the brand, and you aren't left with many options other than frying them since they are dry and break apart if you look at them wrong.  So unless you've got a great Mexican market close by, your corn tortilla experiences may not be the best.  BUT...they are SUPER easy to make at home!  I'm not sure why I never tried them before, honestly.  They are way easier than flour tortillas and are quite delicious and addicting!  My boys and I made these together a couple weeks ago and they were great to munch on while we were making and made a delicious taco shell for our chicken tacos that night.

Green Beans with Shallots

As of this summer, my kids love green beans.  And if they love a vegetable, we eat it a lot!  I usually do a quick sauté of green beans with some olive oil and garlic, but I saw this Ina Garten recipe using shallots and decided to get a little fancy and try it out.  It was delicious!  We found ourselves scooping up the shallots and eating them even without the green beans, since they were so tasty.  I modified her recipe a bit to use just one pan instead of two (who wants to dirty two pans for a side dish??), and it's so easy it comes together in a flash.  I love that the green beans still have a nice crunch to them and don't get soggy or chewy.  Give them a try!  They make a great accompaniment to just about anything.

Grilled Salmon with Maple-Soy Glaze

Living in the Pacific Northwest has given us the chance to be near a lot of great seafood!  My husband and father-in-law were able to go salmon-fishing this summer and they both had great success.  It's been fun to be able to treat ourselves to salmon from our freezer whenever the craving hits!  I thought I would try a different recipe every time I made it, but this one was so good, we made it twice.  The combination of the soy and maple syrup gives it a great flavor and an addicting sweetness that you will love!  Kudos to my husband for catching and grilling such great fish!

Granola Bars

I know, I'm kind of on a granola kick lately, but who doesn't love granola?  I have tried SO many granola bar recipes and failed SO many times.  Some ended up as granola since they didn't stay together at all, some tasted more like candy bars, some tasted like cardboard, and some tasted like bricks.  But these!  These finally are a triumph.  They are chock full of deliciousness - oats, almonds, coconut, dried fruit in whatever variety you like, and just enough honey to make them stick together wonderfully!  I used a combo of dried dates, peaches (home-dried!), and cranberries, and loved the flavors.  But you could definitely do apricots, cherries, blueberries, or whatever else floats your boat.  I would probably always use dates as part of the combo since they make such a good glue and sweetener, but the rest you could play around with.  Let me know what you use!  Enjoy!

Loaded Granola

Our family has made a lot of changes as far as food goes over the years, and cutting out processed foods has been an ongoing goal and process.  I make a lot of things from scratch, which means I'm always on the lookout for fantastic made-from-scratch recipes.  This granola is one of them!  I love the convenience of eating cereal in the morning - especially for my husband who leaves for work early, but I hate the gobs of sugar in processed cereals, and the lack of stay-power.  It seems whenever we used to eat cereal, the kids would be starving an hour or two later.  No more!  Now that we've replaced store-bought cereal with home-made granola, we are able to have that convenience and the energy to get through the morning.  Of course, you have to prepare this in advance, but it honestly takes me less than 10 minutes to throw a batch together, and then the oven does the rest of the work.

Peach Salsa

Sick of peach recipes yet?  Just wait, I have more!  This was a fun thing to whip up with our dinner a few weeks ago.  This peach salsa actually only calls for peaches - no tomatoes, which was great for us because I didn't have any tomatoes that day!  It's pretty much pico de gallo, with peaches subbing in.  Extremely addicting and delicious!  You can serve it with grilled chicken or fish, or just dig in with some tortilla chips.  Summer's not over yet with this around!

Fruit Leather

Is anyone else out there swimming in fruit these days?  We went peach picking last weekend and went a little overboard.  We've been eating peaches, freezing peaches, baking peaches, and canning peaches, so we decided to also make some fruit leather!  It was really easy, it just took a long time to fully dry.  Of course if you have a dehydrator, this is faster, but you can just as easily do it in the oven, as we did.  Just set it as low as it can go, and give it a good 6-8 hrs to do its thing.  You can do it overnight, or even do a few hours at a time if you need to run an errand and don't want to leave the oven on.  Just keep the door closed in between.  

Baked Oatmeal with Fruit

I have a problem with oatmeal.  I love oats in baked goods, but I have never liked oatmeal for breakfast.  I have tried oh-so-hard to like it, because I want to, I really do.  But there's something about that gummy texture I can never get past after a few spoonfuls.  I think I finally found a way to enjoy it though - this baked oatmeal.