Roasted Veggie Pasta

I got this recipe from my Cooking Light cookbook. I added my recent attempts at roasted veggies. This was sliced zucchini, cherry tomatoes, red onions, yellow squash, and mushrooms but you could do whatever sounded good or was in season.
In a jelly roll pan lay out veggies drizzle olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic or garlic powder and 1/4 cup cooking wine.
Roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
I also added steamed peas after the other veggies were roasted.
Then top over cooked penne pasta (I used a whole wheat pasta).

Dennis said he liked it but would have liked the veggies mixed into a regular red sauce, but I liked it this way just fine. It was light and felt healthy so I enjoyed it. Yum.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

These were another try from another blog I visit and really like. I added 1 Tbs. wheat germ and 1 Tbs. flax which made them very hearty and filling. Yummy, yummy!!

Chocolate Banana Muffins:
Recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup of canola oil
1/2 cup of white sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, and baking powder together in a bowl.
Combine the oil, sugars, egg, and mashed banana and mix until creamy. Slowly add the flour mixture into the egg mixture and stir until just combined.
Spoon the muffin batter into the prepared muffin pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

Strawberry Shortcake

My grandma used to make this on occasion and it is something I start craving in spring time. I use the recipe from my old standby the Red Checked Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book!

Ingredients:
whipped topping
6 cups sliced strawberries (although I never measure, I just cut up what I want)
1/2 cup sugar divided (1/4 cup for bread, 1/4 cup for strawberries)
Splash of vanilla (I added this little bit and it's pretty tasty)
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter
1 beaten egg
2/3 cup milk

Directions:
Stir 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla into cut strawberries and set aside. Stir together remaining sugar, flour and baking powder. Cut in butter until crumbly. Combine eggs and milk then add to flour mixture until moistened. Spread in greased round pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Cool, cut, split and top!!!

Brown Sugar and Banana Muffins

I found another great new food blog called For the Love of Cooking. This is the first recipe I have tried and and it turned out great!!! I didn't use the nuts because my kids don't like them but next time I might do 1/2 with the nuts for Dennis and I.

Brown Sugar and Banana Muffins with Pecans: Adapted recipe by For the Love of Cooking.net (see my sidebar) Original recipe from Southern Living ~ April 2006

• 1/2 cup of butter, softened • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar • 2 large eggs • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 large) • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1/4 cup buttermilk • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 1/4 cups of flour • 1 cup of whole wheat flour • 3/4 tsp baking soda • 1/2 tsp baking powder • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped* Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a muffin tray with cooking spray. Beat the butter at medium speed with a mixer until creamy. Slowly add the brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just until blended after each one. In a separate bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, cinnamon, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in another bowl; add to the butter mixture alternately with the banana mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended after each addition. Do not over-beat. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tray, filling two thirds full. Sprinkle the pecans over each muffin evenly.

Chinese Chicken Salad

I got this recipe from Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 that I just picked up the other day because let's face it, I'm hungry!!! I thought there might be some good ideas and this is one of them!!

Dennis and I both enjoyed this tasty salad, the kids of course turned their noses up to it but what's new?

Ingredients:

10 oz. Brocoli slaw package

12 oz. baked chicken cooled and chopped

green onions chopped (how ever much you like depending on your love of onions)

slivered almonds (my personal addition, recipe called for water chestnuts) I just added what looked good about 1/3 cup.

large can mandarin oranges (drained and chopped)

Lite Ginger Sesame salad dressing

Directions:

Bake chicken in sesame dressing (I just coat and cook on 350 degrees for about 40 -60 minutes). Cool and chop. Combine all ingredients. I just added enough dressing coat. Toss and let sit for at least 2 hours (important step, don't skip). Then enjoy!

Quinoa, Fruit, Nut and Cheese Salad

I found this recipe online looking for quinoa recipes this one looked interesting and I copied and pasted the recipe but forgot to get the website, so sorry to whoever's recipe this is I am not giving you credit but it sure is yummy!!!

Quinoa is another new food to me. It's pronounced Keenwa as my sister says and is made with a 2:1 ratio, so 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water and is basically made like rice. Put in pot and bring to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 15 minutes. I had my doubts but it really is a yummy food I will be using much more often.

Ingredients
2 cups quinoa (prepare as stated above, so 4 cups water. . .)
1 ½ cups green onions, sliced
1½ cups celery, thinly sliced
¾ cup pecans
½ cup walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries
8oz buffalo mozzarella, diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
2 tsp minced garlic
3 T olive oil
4 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp ground cumin

Directions:
Prepare all ingredients and give time for quinoa to chill. Parsley through cumin combine as salad dressing. I used a Pampered Chef dressing mixer. When all ingredients are prepared combine and let chill or serve immediately.
Side note: I didn't have enough pecans so I added some slivered almonds as well that were perfectly yum! Dennis said he would add more of the mozzarella so next time I might do that.

My New Favorite Breakfast!

Seriously this is one of the best things I have ever put in my mouth!!! I don't even know what to call it other than SOO YUMMY! I got this again from Kath Eats and she didn't fail again. Every day she posts all three meals and most mornings is some variation of this bowl of . . .Stuff! She talked about Chia Seeds and I had never heard of them and I was really curious about these breakfast bowls, they looked weird with granola, the weird seeds, and peanut butter??? This week-end I went to the whole food store and located the Chia seeds. I got a mixed version that has apples and cinnamon in it that can be sprinkled in stuff or eaten alone (after mixing with water or milk). I was really excited to try these out but I wasn't sure exactly what Kath did with her bowls so yesterday morning I thought I would just try it out. This is what I did:


1/3 cup fit and light vanilla yogurt
1/3 cup granola
1 Tbs. Chia seeds
1 Tbs. peanut butter
1/2 banana sliced


The chia seeds need to sit for a few minutes so I mixed it up, let it sit and timidly took my first bite. It was so good I couldn't believe it. It may seem overly excited but seriously this was one of the best things I have put in my mouth. Plus, I used Skippy peanut butter and Kath uses the yummy fancy variety of different nut butters that probably makes this dish even better!!! Is that possible??? I was seriously full until lunch and even then I wasn't starving and I had worked out and moved boxes and such to my new house. This is like a miracle breakfast!!



Then, I researched a little better on Kath's site and this is what I did for this morning's breakfast:


1/3 cup yogurt
1/3 cup OATS
1/3 cup granola
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 banana sliced
1 Tbs. Chia seeds
1 Tbs. peanut butter

I combined the yogurt, milk, oats, banana and Chia seeds last night and let is sit in the fridge through the night. This morning I added my granola and peanut butter and again it was so good I can hardly stand it. My stomach is so full and I feel healthy and satisfied. I love this Kath whoever she is, she is a mad genius!!!

This is after all the mix ins.

This is what it looks like out of the fridge after sitting all night.

I was curious about these Chia seeds which I have heard are some new super food and was curious to know more so this morning I looked up and found this:

Chia seeds:
7 Good Reasons To Start Eating Chia Seeds

1.Help weight loss. Chia seeds are popular for weight loss. They reduce food cravings by preventing some of the food that you eat from getting absorbed into your system. This blockage of calorie absorption makes them a great diet helper.
2.Feel fuller faster: They can also help your diet by making you feel full. This is because they absorb 10 times their weight in water, forming a bulky gel.
3.Hydration for athletes: They are also great for athletes because the "chia gel" can hydrate the body.
4.Reduce your blood pressure: There's evidence to suggest they can reduce blood pressure.
5.Omega-3: They are the richest plant source of Omega-3 (the vital fats that protect against inflammation—such as arthritis—and heart disease). In fact, they contain more Omega-3 than salmon!
6.Benefits for diabetes: Because chia seeds slow down how fast our bodies convert carbohydrates into simple sugars, studies indicate they can control blood sugar. This leads scientists to believe chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics.
7.They are easier to digest than flax seeds, and don't need to be ground up.




NO WONDER I WAS SO FULL!!! This is no placebo, it really works to feel full for a long time. I am so happy to have discovered this yummy new food. TRY IT!!!