Protein Power Overnight Oatmeal

This is a fantastic breakfast you can make before you go to bed and it's ready when you wake up.  It's made to eat cold but I'm not a big fan of cold oatmeal so I pop it in the microwave for 45 seconds to take the chill off.  It's not too bad cold, though!  This recipe was adapted from MyFitnessPal blog. I was able to save almost 100 calories and cut down on the fat.  It's also loaded with potassium, calcium and iron.  What helped save calories and fat? I used Premium Chocolate Peanut Butter (PB2).  It's powdered peanut butter that you add a little water to and you've got yourself some peanut butter with a lot less fat.  It's terrific in smoothies too!

What you need:

2 TB Premium Chocolate Peanut Butter (PB2)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup Kefir Lifeway yogurt, plain (or any flavor you have)
1/3 cup Cashew Milk
1/3 cup apple slices, chopped (smaller the better)
1/4 cup walnuts
1/4 tsp. (or more!) apple pie spice and/or cinnamon

What to do:

Combine all ingredients in a small mason jar and stir well.  Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.  Grab a spoon when you're on the run!

Calories: 378, Fat: 14g, Carbs: 50g, Protein: 14g, Sugar: 17g.

Enjoy!

No-Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bites

These little power balls are amazing!  I adapted this recipe from Skinny Ms.  Her recipe is 203 calories per energy ball but I was able to get the calories down to 178 calories per ball and 11 grams of fat to 9 grams of fat.  With 5 grams of protein and 19 grams of carbs, you'll never know what hit ya!  Maybe it was just in my head but not only could I not eat just one, but if I ate a couple in the late evening, I couldn't get to sleep right away.  And of course, they are gluten free!

No-Bake Energy Bites

1/2 cup dark or bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup natural peanut butter or almond butter
2 cup oats
1/4 cup oat flour
1 medium banana, smashed
1 tsp vanilla (or more.  I always add more!)
Pinch of salt
3 TB chia seeds
1/3 cup honey
1 TB cocoa powder
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

What to do:

In a large bowl, combine oats, oat flour, chia seeds, salt, cocoa powder and coconut.

In another bowl, combine the smashed banana, peanut/almond butter, honey, vanilla and chocolate chips.

Combine both bowls together.

Using your hands, make small balls and place them in a parchment-line container.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Makes roughly 20-23 energy bites.  Freezes well.  Enjoy!


Per energy bite:
178 calories, 9 g fat, 19 g carbs, 6 g protein

Blueberry Banana Protein Power Muffins with Walnuts (Gluten Free)

I don't always want to drink my breakfast with smoothies so I found this recipe from Barbara Bolotte at bodybuilding.com and adapted it to make it gluten free.  You'd be surprised how good these muffins are! They are high in protein, packed with antioxidants, rich in potassium and heart healthy. I swapped out Stevia that the original recipe called for and replaced it with regular sugar, which in turn made the muffins not as sweet and they didn't trigger my sweet tooth.  If you'd like to increase the sweetness to a half-cup of sugar, that would be up to you or use Stevia.

What you need:

1/4 c. sugar
2 egg whites
1 c. applesauce (yup, I used regular applesauce.  If you'd like to use unsweetened applesauce, they won't be as sweet unless you use Stevia)
3 bananas
1/3 c. almond milk
1 1/2 c. gluten-free all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 scoop protein powder (I use Jay Robb egg white protein powder)
1 c. walnuts
1 c. blueberries
Vanilla extract

What to do:

In one bowl, add sugar, egg whites and applesauce until smooth and frothy with a hand mixer.  Add bananas and mix well. Add milk and mix well.

In another bowl, add all dry ingredients and mix well.

Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Fold in blueberries, walnuts and vanilla extract.

Line 20 muffin cups with cupcake liners.  Spray each with non-stick cooking spray.  Add batter almost to the top of the muffin cup.
350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Can you believe each of these muffins are only 125 calories?!?  3 grams of fat, 21 carbs and 5 grams of protein, 9 grams of sugar and they're loaded with vitamins C!

Turkey Lettuce Wraps - Recipe

Here's another tasty and so easy recipe!  My family loves these lettuce wraps and it only takes about 10-15 minutes to make!

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

1 head of iceberg lettuce, sliced into large pieces

1 pound ground turkey

2 TB sesame oil

2 green onions

2 TB ground ginger 

1 can water chestnuts, roughly chopped

2 TB gluten free soy sauce

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

Chopped mint leaves and/or chopped peanuts (optional)

Brown turkey in a large skillet, drain.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until heated through.  Top with mint leaves or chopped peanuts, if desired.  

Place about 1/4 cup of mixture into a large lettuce leaf, wrap and enjoy!

Variations:

Use warm corn tortillas instead of the lettuce leaves or use the turkey mixture as a salad topping.  Substitute ground turkey for ground beef.

Enjoy! 

Jillzy's Mexican Rice - Recipe

I have always wanted to go to culinary school.  I don't necessarily want to work in a restaurant but mostly that I love to cook and want to learn how to cook a more variety of meals and make them better.  I've always wanted to learn to make my own recipes from scratch.  Well, time and money prevents me from going to culinary school for the time being but time and money won't keep me from learning new recipes!  I am officially addicted to the Food Network and Cooking Channels!  My husband gets frustrated with my crazy and all-of-a-sudden new items on my grocery lists and he has to call home and ask what the new item is and where to find it.  Tee hee!!!  However, no one is complaining when I make a killer dish for dinner!

I love making my Mexican rice dish for a quick go-to meal. Most of the time I already have my rice steamed up from another day and all the other ingredients are as easy as opening a can, but this time I've made it even better and more exciting!

Jillzy's Mexican Rice

2 cups brown rice, steamed

1 can unseasoned black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Roma tomatoes, diced (or use a can of Ro-tel diced tomatoes and chilies with juice)

1 Jalapeno pepper, diced (more if you choose)

1 Baby red onion, diced

Ground cumin

Chili Powder

1 lime, juiced and zested

Salt & Pepper

Cilantro

Sour Cream

Red pepper, optional

Steam rice according to directions.  Once rice is done, add the tomato, pepper and onion.  Add juice of the lime and zest.  I eyeballed how much seasonings I wanted which was about a 1/2 tsp of ground cumin, 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1 tsp cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste and a dash of red pepper, 'cause I like it hot!  I added about 2 spoonfuls of sour cream.  Stir and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings as a side dish or 2 servings as a main dish.

Additional add-ons:

Ground beef, corn, green pepper

This picture shows with the Ro-Tel tomatoes with chilies and ground beef.  The fun thing about my rice dish is that you can add whatever you want and season to your own liking.  It's the easiest go-to dish, it's filling and of course, gluten free! Enjoy!

Kale Chips - A Healthy Snack

Ever notice the junky green leafy stuff under a vegetable tray?  That's called kale.  No one wants to eat it but nowadays, kale is no longer considered a "garnish".

Kale is a SUPERFOOD!

Vitamin A: 206% of the RDA (from beta-carotene)
Vitamin K: 684% of the RDA
Vitamin C: 134% of the RDA

It's loaded with antioxidants, lowers cholesterol, contains good stuff to fight cancer and it can help you lose weight.  If I haven't convinced you to try kale, check out the Banana Mango Smoothie (with hidden kale) and a killer Messaged Kale and Currant Salad.  I promise you, you'll love kale!

My next recipe is lighter and crispier than potato chips.  Super easy to make and so surprisingly good!

Kale Chips

2 big bunches of kale, washed and pat dry

Olive oil

Salt

Place kale in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt over the kale.  Massage the oil and salt into the kale and place in an even layer on a baking sheet with parchment paper.

350 degrees for 10-15 minutes

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

I ended up with a lot of very overripe bananas.  I love when that happens.  That means BAKING!!!  I love to bake.  Although I try not to bake a lot since I'm usually the one eating it all, but sometimes life just calls for a little extra treat, and my neighbors usually benefit as well.  I need help eating all the treats sometimes!

I adapted this recipe from Lisa at Healthy Nibbles and Bits.  She's got some great recipes so I had to give this one a try.  It was fantastic and so was my adaptation.  I'd love to know what you thought of this yummy chocolate banana bread!!!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Swirl Banana Bread

2 eggs
5 TB butter, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar (or 1/2 cup sugar total)
2 TB plain Greek yogurt
3 very ripe bananas
1 c. Brown rice flour plus extra for pan
1 c. oat flour
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 TB vanilla extract
1/2 c. chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 - 1 c. nuts (optional)

Cream eggs, sugars and butter until creamy.  Add yogurt, mix well.  Add bananas, mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix brown rice flour, oat flour, xanthan gum, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Slowly add to mixer.  Add vanilla extract.

Spray bread pan and coat with brown rice flour, set aside.

Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high 1 minute.  Stir and add another 30 seconds if needed.  Chocolate doesn't need to be super runny, just soft enough to mix through the batter.

Spread half the batter in the bread pan, add a few large dollops of chocolate.  Use a butter knife to swirl the chocolate through the batter.  Add last half of batter and repeat with remaining melted chocolate on top.

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour

Double Berry Pops

I found this fantastic treat recipe in the Gluten-Free Bible.

Double Berry Pops

2  cups plain yogurt (I used vanilla flavored)
1  cup blueberries
3  TB sugar
6  5-oz Dixie cups (plastic or paper) or pop molds
1  cup strawberries
6  pop sticks

1. Combine 1 cup yogurt, blueberries and 1 1/2 TB sugar.  Blend until smooth.

2. Pour mixture into cups and freeze one hour.  After one hour, add the sticks.

3.  Combine 1 cup yogurt, strawberries and 1 1/2 TB sugar.  Blend until smooth.

4. Pour over blueberry layer.  Freeze for at least 4 hours.  Cover with foil if needed.

5.  To serve, peel away paper cup or gently twist frozen pops out of the plastic cups or molds.

Tips:  Try other flavors such as orange and lemon, using grated lemon and orange peels; key lime and orange, or make the berry pops all one flavor.

These were a huge hit with my kids.  No artificial flavors or aspartame (if using original yogurt brands and not lite), low in sugar and healthy fruit.

Enjoy!!!

Ribbon Jell-O Recipe

This dessert is fantastic for picnics and parties.  Keep in mind, though that it takes all day to make but the results are so worth it!

What you need:

 4 small boxes of jello - any flavor
1 c. boiling water for each color until dissolved
1/2 c cold water
2 c. milk
1 c. sugar
2 pkg unflavored gelatin
2 c. (16 oz) sour cream
2 tsp. vanilla
Glass 13x9 cake pan
Whipped cream (optional)
Crushed nuts (optional)

What to do:

Make sure refrigerator is leveled.  If necessary, place a magazine or a thin book on the shelf so that the jello will set evenly in the pan.

Place first color of jello in a medium size bowl and add 1 cup of boiling water.  Stir until completely dissolved.  Then add 1/2 c. cold water.  Stir.  Pour in glass pan and place in refrigerator to set.

Meanwhile, make the white mixture:

In a large sauce pan, bring 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of sugar to a boil, stirring constantly until all sugar is completely dissolved.  (Do not use a whisk to stir)

Place the 2 packages of unflavored gelatin in a cup and 1/4 cup of cold water.  Stir.  Then add to boiling milk mixture.  Stir until smooth.  Remove from heat.

Add 2 cups of sour cream and 2 tsp of vanilla to boiling milk mixture.  Use hand mixer to mix very smooth.

Divide the white mixture in 3 separate bowls (about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups each).  Set aside.

Once first color of jello is set, pour first bowl of white mixture on top of jello layer.  Place dish back in the refrigerator to set.  Continue making the next color of jello.

Repeat steps until all layers are added and set.

Add whipped topping and nuts if desired.

TIPS:

*You can make all colors of jello at once and allow to sit at room temperature.
*Try different jello colors for different occasions, such as blue and pink for a baby shower, red and blue for a Fourth of July picnic or pastel colors (lime, orange and lemon) for Easter.
*Before adding next layer, touch the top layer to be sure it's not tacky and doesn't stick to your finger.  If it's still tacky, place dish in the freezer for a few minutes to speed up setting.
*You can spread whipped cream over the whole top to finish the jello dessert or use a squirt whipped cream to squirt a little "cloud" on each piece individually.
*This dessert can take all day.  Allow at least five hours or more to finish.

Gluten Free Pumpkin and Apple Pies

I hope everyone had a thankful Thanksgiving!  I helped my mom in the kitchen for two days.  We work well together in the kitchen and I really had a great time.  I learned more about making spaghetti sauce from scratch but I still have a lot to learn.

I decided I was going to make gluten free pies for Thanksgiving this year.  I usually forego dessert since I can't have it but this time, I was not going to skip it.  I found the most fantastic recipe from Gluten Free Girl, which was also featured on Oprah.com.  This recipe had me searching all over town looking for teff flour but never found it.  I eliminated it and used Laura's Artisan All Purpose Gluten Free flour and it turned out just fine.  I also learned that I never want to use shortening again.  Have you ever read the ingredients of shortening?  Ummm.... EWWWW!!!!!  So I found a different brand of leaf lard, which she recommends in her blog but it's pure lard with no soybean oil or hydrogenated oils.  Pure lard. Yeah... gross but using the right kind of fats in a pie crust is crucial and I think this lard made a world of difference.  AND it didn't give me heartburn like Crisco does.

Gluten Free Girl gives wonderful tips on making great pie crusts.  What I like about gluten free pie crusts is that you can't over-knead the dough because there's no gluten.

Even though you can play with this dough and not ruin it, it's not the easiest dough to transfer to a pie pan.  It falls apart so easily, you can't do much with it.  So I rolled the dough on parchment paper, put the pie pan on top of the dough, then slid a cookie sheet underneath.  Flipped it over and voila!  But once I peeled off the parchment paper and let the dough slide down inside the pie pan, it fell apart.  What makes it nice though, is that it's super easy to reconstruct and repair.

I'm terrible at taking pictures during the process.  I always think the end result will be a bust, but you can be sure I'll take pictures if my creation turns out looking good.  Gluten Free Girl shows you step-by-step.  It's fantastic!!!

These pies turned out SOOO GOOD!!!!  I didn't realize that the huge can of pumpkin that I had only made one pie.  Usually they make two so I was off to the store at the last minute buying more pumpkin to finish off the last pie crust.  Then it dawned on me that the can I had was for Pumpkin Mix.  So the pie on the left was made with regular pumpkin where I had to add the sugar and milk, etc and the pie on the right is the pumpkin mix.  I really couldn't tell a difference, except maybe the regular pumpkin pie was a tinge sweeter.  I thought the pumpkin mix looked prettier, deeper in color.

My mom always took the leftover dough, rolled it out and smeared butter all over it and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar.  She'd roll it up and slice it so it looked swirled.  I don't think we ever had a name for it, but man are they good!  Unfortunately, I couldn't do that with this gluten free dough so I made the next best thing:

 
I call them cinnamon sugar chips.  I took the leftover dough and smashed pieces through my fingers to make flat pieces of dough "chips".  Sprayed them with cooking spray and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar.  Bake 350 for about 15 minutes and oooohhhhh!!!!!  They were sooooo good!  I thought they would be good sprinkled over vanilla ice cream but I was so full and tired that night, I just couldn't do it.  Better believe next time, I'll be trying it!

Next weekend, we'll be doing Thanksgiving again with my husband's family.  Of course, I'll be making these pies again.  I never seem to get enough pumpkin pie this time of year.

 

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

I came across a blog that had gluten free peanut butter cookies and she raved so much about them, I had to try them.  Afterall, I'm so stuck on chocolate chip cookies, it's about time I try something new.  They are fantastic cookies and both my girls liked them.  The true test will be what my hubby says about them!  Alex Thomopolous is a food blogger and a professional chef.  Pay her a visit and check out her other fancy and easy recipes.  A little shout out is the least I can to support other bloggers when they give me good ideas.

What you need:
1 c. smooth peanut butter (I prefer natural peanut butter for a better, healthier cookie)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg at room temperature
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

What to do:
Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.  (I used electric hand mixer, or a whisk will do, too)

Roll dough into balls, about a tablespoon size and place on greased cookie sheet.

350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

After 10 minutes, my cookies were still in balls so I took the good ol' fashioned fork and gently pushed each cookie down to get those fun criss-cross marks that peanut butter cookies are so famous for.  Then I continued baking for another 4-5 minutes.

Take cookies out and let cool on baking sheet for 3-5 minutes.  Then gently transfer the cookies to parchment paper or a cooling rack.  Let sit for 10 minutes and they will become a bit crispier.  Trust me, wait the 10 minutes.  They aren't quite as good until they've been cooled to a firmer cookie.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Basic Biscuits

These biscuits are fantastic!  I've tried several other gluten free biscuit recipes and none compares to this one.  At least these didn't come out looking like cookies... uh.. yeah.  True story!

Try adding Parmesan cheese, Italian seasonings or cinnamon to change it up for something new.

Now, this recipe said to flatten the biscuits to 3/4" thickness, which I did.  I don't think it was necessary, although you may have to increase baking time if you leave them high mounds.  I will try that next time.  I also added the Parmesan cheese and parsley.

This recipe calls for almond flour/meal and golden flaxseeds, which are very healthy ingredients.  They have 8g of protein, 9g carbs, 18g fat and 6g fiber.  200+ calories per biscuits.  Yikes!  However, they are a FAR cry from the Red Lobster biscuits so at least you're getting fiber, low carbs and protein out of these babies!

AND!  My kids liked them too.  What more could you ask for?  Try these biscuits with the Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup recipe.  Excellent accompaniment!

What you need:
1 c. almond meal/flour
1 c. golden flaxseeds
3 tsp. baking powder
4 TB cold butter, cut into cubes
4 egg whites

What to do:
Mix almond flour, flaxseeds and baking powder (and Parmesan cheese if using).

Cut in butter until well blended.  Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.

Gently fold in egg whites into flour mixture until well blended.

Spoon dough on a baking sheet and flatten to 3/4" thickness.  Bake 350 degrees for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Makes approximately 9 biscuits.


Recipe from Wheat Belly Cookbook by William Davis, MD.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup - Gluten Free

What's for dinner?  You've got to try this soup! It's filling and very easy to make.  Again, as most of my gluten free recipes I try out, I have my doubts.  I always worry my kids won't eat what I make and I'll hear complaining all through dinner.  As always to my surprise, it turned out fabulous and my kids liked it too!

This recipe calls for Wild Rice, which is a very healthy grain.  It doesn't raise your insulin level and give you a big energy drop like regular rice would.  It's low in carbs (21g), high in protein (27g) and it's only 300 calories!  This soup is fantastic with the gluten free basic biscuits recipe.

What you need:
6 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. wild rice
1 lb. boneless, chicken breast, cubed
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 + tsp lemon-pepper seasoning
2 medium heads of broccoli, cut very small pieces
2 c. half-and-half
Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:
In a large pot, bring the broth to a boil and add the wild rice.  Cover and cook medium-low heat for 20 minutes.

Add chicken, carrots, onion, celery, lemon-pepper seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cook covered for 15 minutes.

Add broccoli and cook for another 5 minutes or until broccoli and rice are tender.

Gradually stir in half-and-half, stirring constantly for 5 minutes until heated through.

Serves 6


Recipe from Wheat Belly Cookbook by William Davis, MD.

Gluten Free Mozzarella Sticks

I'm linking up with Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity for Homemade Monday.

So I've been enthralled by this new book I tripped over at the library, The Wheat Belly Cookbook, by William Davis, M.D.  More posts about what I've been learning about wheat later!  But one of the recipes I found in this book is Gluten Free Mozzarella Sticks.  Oh yum!

I have to admit these little sticks looked a bit leery to me.  My kids kept asking if we were having sausages for dinner.  Then I got nervous.  They weren't going to eat these!  But I trudged on.

 

 



2 TB arrowroot (which I didn't have so I substituted 2 TB of cornstarch)

2 eggs

3/4 c. golden flaxseed meal (which I didn't have so I substituted ground flaxseeds)

1/4 c. grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/2 tsp. crushed basil

12 string cheese sticks

6 TB coconut oil

1c. warm marinara sauce (I used plain spaghetti sauce)

 

In one bowl, mix the arrowroot or cornstarch, flaxseed, cheese and basil. Set aside.

 

In another bowl, beat eggs.

 

I cut the string cheese sticks in half to work with easier but this your option.

 

Coat cheese in egg and roll in flaxseed mixture and repeat.

 

Continue for all the sticks and place on a plate or baking sheet.

 

Freeze for 30 minutes.

 

Heat coconut oil in skillet over medium heat.  Cook 3-6 sticks in the oil for 1 minute or until golden brown and sticks start to become soft.  Place cooked cheese sticks on a paper towel lined plate.  Serve with marinara sauce.  Enjoy!

 

I was really surprised how good these things were!  My kids loved them.  What's so great about them?  No flour, flaxseed is good for you and they were cooked in coconut oil, which is also good for you.  Now you have a good excuse to have fried mozzarella sticks for dinner and not feel guilty!!!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have tried many different variations of gluten free chocolate chip cookie recipes and none compares to my mother's recipe.  All I do is substitute the flour for King Arthur All Purpose flour.  It has a bit of a gritty texture but it's so much better compared to the Bob's Redmill brand.  That's just my opinion.  Either flour works just fine.  I've included the regular recipe along with the gluten free recipe.  Keep in mind, using regular flour does not make these cookies gluten free.

 

What you need:

3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar (this can be cut down by preference)
1 1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 c. shortening
1/2 c. stick butter
-OR-
1 1/2 c. shortening (as much as shortening is bad for you, I'd hate to say it, but using this option makes these cookies a heck of a lot better than using butter!  If you don't mind a flatter, crisper cookie, go for the butter.  The taste is fantastic!)

Beat these ingredients to death until soft and fluffy.  While mixing, add the following ingredients in a smaller bowl:

3 1/2 c. King Arthur All Purpose Flour
1 c. Tapioca Flour/Starch
-OR-
4 1/2 c. King Arthur All Purpose Flour (your cookies will be a bit more grittier) or regular flour
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

Mix dry ingredients together well.

Slowly add dry ingredients to mixing bowl.  Beat well.
Add:
1 1/2 - 2 tsp. vanilla
1 large package of chocolate chips (16 oz.) 
1 TB water
1c. nuts (optional)

Mix well.

Using gluten free flour, chill dough for about half an hour before baking.  No need to chill if using regular flour.

350 degrees for 13-15 minutes using Gluten Free flour or 11 minutes using regular flour.

-OR-

Greased 11x17 pan 375 degrees for 20 minutes, cut into squares.  I have not tested this option with gluten free flour.

Do not double this recipe!

Bacon Wrapped Vegetable Stuffed Chicken Breasts

I'm not the best at taking pictures while cooking, so my recipe blogs may be a bit boring.  But I came across this recipe when I was watching the Weather Channel one Sunday morning.  It made my mouth water just looking at it.  This recipe is so easy that it's not going to come as a traditional recipe style.  So here goes....

What you need:
Chicken breasts
Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
All kinds of finely diced colorful vegetables: red/green peppers, mushrooms, shredded carrots, tomatoes, yellow/green zucchini or squash, etc.
Salt & Pepper, any other spices you desire
Thick style bacon
Toothpicks soaked in water for at least 15 minutes

What to do:

Preheat grill

Lay cling wrap on top and bottom of  chicken breasts.  Pound breasts thinly.
Place cheese and vegetables on center of breasts.
Wrap breasts as tight as possible.
Wrap bacon around breasts.  It took 3 or 4 per breast, mostly to hold the vegetables inside.
Use toothpicks to keep breasts wrapped tightly.

Grill the stuffed chicken breasts on indirect medium heat until 165 degrees internal temperature.  If you're afraid of grease flare ups, you can precook the bacon in a skillet until it's flimsy to drain grease before wrapping around the chicken breasts.

Once done, cover breasts lightly with foil and let sit for about five minutes to let all the juices flow together. 

Add some grilled corn on the cob, grilled zucchini and you've got yourself an amazing dinner!  Who says gluten free meals have to taste icky? 

Cocoa and Coffee Facials

Caught your attention, didn't I?  Is there anything better that go together like coffee, chocolate and a facial?  I love trying new recipes, new ideas and products. This crazy idea of mine was inspired by my 8-year-old daughter and her friend when they had a sleepover the other night.  They wanted to do facials and since I didn't have any store-bought facial stuff, I had to look up recipes that would be good for young skin.  You can read the story here.  So as I was looking up recipes, I found one that cocoa and coffee were the main ingredients.  Caught my attention, too.  Of course, I had to try this when my husband wasn't around.

So, cocoa is actually good for your skin.  The recipe I found said to use unsweetened cocoa but doesn't specifically mention to use dark cocoa.  I've read articles that it has to be real, dark chocolate because milk chocolate is not the same.  Dark chocolate smooths and hydrates the skin and because it contains antioxidants, it helps with sun sensitivity, too.  Milk chocolate doesn't.  Sorry if you're a milk chocolate fan.

Coffee, glorious coffee, takes away puffiness and brightens the skin (hello, caffeine!).  Need I say more?

I will say that this facial mask smells divine!  It really should be used in the mornings.  What better way to start the day with a coffee aroma on your face and chocolate?????  Hello!

Coffee & Cocoa Facial Mask

4 TB finely ground coffee or espresso (instant will work too)
4 TB unsweetened cocoa powder (I recommend the dark chocolate powder)
8 TB dairy product (whole milk, unflavored yogurt, almond or soy milk or heavy cream)
2 TB honey if you have dry skin or lemon juice if you have oily skin.

Mix coffee and cocoa together.
Add dairy product.  I only used 6 TB of almond milk.  I would only use 5 TB next time for a bit thicker consistency.
Mix well.
Add 2 TB of honey or lemon juice
Mix well.
Apply and let dry.  Then wash off with warm water or wash cloth.

This recipe makes a lot!  You can easily half this recipe or invite a few friends over to try together.  You can refrigerate for a few days.

I was surprised that this mask dried just like a regular facial mask.  It felt amazing and felt cooling on my skin.    Be gentle when applying on face.  The coffee grinds act like an exfoliant.  I used some on my hands as well!

This picture just proves that I can have a sense of humor about myself.  I had to talk myself several times into doing this.....

Now, I know what you're thinking.  I thought it too AFTER I applied the mask and thought, oh crap!  What have I done????  Chocolate and coffee are very staining substances! No need to worry.  It didn't stain at all....


I never post photos of me unless I've Photoshopped them.  Yeah, it's a sickness of mine.  I wish I could permanently Photoshop my face for real.  Here's a picture of me before and after this facial.

Before...

After...

You really can't tell a difference in the pictures.  After I used this mask, my skin looked brighter and my hideous acne scars were lessened.  My skin felt smoother and I smelled really good!  :)  Even the pouches under my eyes were almost gone.

I guess the real test will be what my skin will look like in the morning.  If you try this, let me know what you think!


Sources:

About.com
Realage.com

Make Your Own Clothes Soap

Every year for Christmas, my sisters, mom and I try to make gifts for everyone.  Not only does it save a lot of money, but we are big believers in putting our heart and soul into gifts.  In the past, we've made candles, soup/cookies in a jar, decorative potpourri warmer,

pottery, baked goods, just to name a few.  Some of you have read my bust on candle luminaries,

which turned out to be the biggest pain in the rear end that it ended up being a birthday present for my sister.  Ok, that didn't sound too good.  It took about 12 balloons to make 3 luminaries and they still cracked when I looked at them because they were so stinkin' fragile.  The point is that my sister really liked them and I hope they hold up well for her.  Anyway, this year, my bright idea for Christmas presents was to make homemade laundry soap.  Probably one of the best homemade gifts I've made so far.

My kitchen smelled so good for weeks and I actually liked doing laundry.  This recipe, including the jar and scoop only cost a little over $2 per jar to make.  There are up to 56 loads per jar, which came to about 2 - 3 cents per load.  I added Purex crystals to the jar mostly for color but is not necessary.  This recipe will fill four mason jars.

6 cups Borax
4 cups Baking Soda
4 cups Washing Soda
2 bars of Fels Naptha laundry bar soap, shredded
5 capfuls of Purex crystals (optional)

Shred both soap bars in a large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Divide into four mason jars.  You can print this label if you want to give it as a gift.  I've never used Google docs before so if the link doesn't work, shoot me an email jillzy@columbus.rr.com and i'll send it to you in an email.

You only need a tablespoon of soap per load.  Believe it or not, it does a pretty good job.  If you have an HE washer, you'll notice that your cycles won't last quite as long.  It's a low-sudsing recipe which gets your clothes clean but doesn't make your washer work hard.  It's gentle enough for baby clothes so you can save a lot of money by not having to buy Dreft.

Fabric softener is not necessary but since it's winter, I add about a half a teaspoon of softener just to avoid static electricity.  You can even put a squirt of vinegar in your rinse cycle and it will make your clothes super soft.  No, it won't make your clothes smell like vinegar.  Try using it on your bed sheets.  Ahh!!!

Baking soda takes the smell out of your clothes, washing soda softens the water and Borax enhances the soap, and of course the soap cleans.

I would love to hear how you like this soap, or if you have a different recipe, leave a comment below.

Happy laundrying!

Making Liquid Hand Soap

Part of my job description as a stay-at-home mom is to save pennies, cut costs and search for those deals and sales.  Along with that, I also feel that if I can save money by making something, I'm all for it!  Plus, it's fun!  So this time, my brilliant idea was to try some of these recipes for liquid hand soap.

In the last couple of years, I've had issues with my skin and eventually turned to using only Dove bar soap.  Dove soap is also one of the safest soaps out there and I love how it makes my skin feel. So this is what I did to make liquid hand soap.  This first recipe does not work for Dove soap.  See the second recipe below is for Dove.

What you need:

1 - 4 oz bar of soap (any kind will do)
1 gallon of water (distilled is best for longer storage)
2 TB glycerin (optional)
1-2 TB essential oil, olive oil or coconut oil (optional)
Box grater
Large pot (any will do, this will not ruin a good pot)
Wax paper

What to do:

Heat water to almost a boil.  In the meantime, shave the bar of soap over the wax paper.

Turn off heat and add all ingredients.  Stir (or use a hand mixer) until soap shavings are melted.

Remove from heat and let sit for at least 12 hours until completely cool.

Once completely cool, your soap should look like this:

This recipe made the Dial soap really thick and gel-like.  I added about two more cups of water and placed over warm heat until it liquified again.  It didn't take as long to cool off.  I discovered that if you use coconut oil, it will become a bit more like gel because once coconut oil becomes room temperature, it hardens.  So use sparingly.

This soap became just a tad bit runny so if you end up having to add more water, add a little bit at a time until you get the consistency you want.  It smells great and now I have a gallon of hand soap stored in an old pitcher.

On with Dove.  This recipe is different because Dove already contains 1/4 moisturizer.  Using Dove is not as cost effective because you use more soap and less water, but if you're wanting a healthy liquid hand soap, you won't care.

What you need:

1 Dove bar soap per 2 cups of water, 2 bars for 4 cups of water... you get the idea.
1-2 TB glycerin (optional but not needed)
Large pot
Wax paper
Box grater

What to do:

While water is heating to almost a boil, grate the bar(s) of soap.

Add soap shavings to water and remove from heat.  Stir until all soap has dissolved and allow to sit for at least 12 hours.

I did get a little impatient the next morning and put the pot in the fridge.  Yeah, I know.  Somedays, I just don't have the time!  The Dove bars I used got really foamy.  After the soap cooled and the foam didn't go away, I added 2 TB of glycerin and mixed well.  That made it even more foamy.  After the mixture sat for an extra day in the refridgerator, it turned out to be very thick and foamy.

When I put this mixture into a regular pump bottle, it came out like water so it might do better in one of those foam dispensers.  However, I love how Dove feels on my hands over the Dial hand soap.  They both smell wonderful but I probably wouldn't offer my handmade Dove liquid hand soap to company.  At least until I practice more with Dove.

I read that they stopped making Dove liquid hand soap for home-use size and you can only get it in bulk now.  For just shy of a gallon, it's $21.  To buy 4 bars of Dove bar soap cost about $6.89 so you can make a little over a gallon for just under $7 if you make it yourself.



For a 7.5 oz bottle of Dial liquid hand soap it cost about $3.19.  It costs about $4 for 8 bars in a pack.  That means you can get over 8 gallons of Dial liquid hand soap for about $4 if you make it yourself.

Sounds like savings to me!

If you liked what you've read, vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs and We're on the Fence.  Come back and visit again!

Inspired by One Good Thing by Jillee and The Farmer's Nest and Pinterest

NEW UPDATED INFO!

I forgot I had Lysol automatic hand soap dispensers so I popped off the lid of the containers and filled them with the Dove liquid hand soap.  The soap comes out so smooth and easily, I'm gitty as a little girl when I have to wash my hands now.   Apparently, keeping the soap in the fridge keeps the soap super foamy.  Once it gets back to room temperature, it turns into a better liquid form.  Happy washing!

Health Kick Kickstart - Avocado Smoothie

As I gobbled down my late-night kale salad, I'm eager to write about my new smoothie recipe. This smoothie, you've got to try! I'm not a fan of avocado on its own but blend it up in a sweet smoothie, I'm there!  This one was WITHOUT the plastic chunks.

Healthy Avocado Smoothie

One avocado
One apple, peeled and sliced
1 packet of Sweet Leaf Stevia (or 1 TB sugar)
1 c. unsweetened almond milk (or regular milk)
handful of ice

Blend well.  Enjoy.

I've tried this smoothie with regular milk and sugar and no apple and it's good.  I've even tried it with honey instead of sugar.  It just doesn't quite cut it without Stevia and almond milk.  Not only is the smoothie much better for you, it tastes much smoother (like a milkshake) and with just the right amount of sweetness.

I'd love to hear what you think of this smoothie!