Go Green Smoothies!

We love to drink these smoothies before breakfast for snacks or anytime.

Put all of the following in your blender:

4 cups of water
Any single or combination of spinach, Kale, collard greens, backyard wild greens (just kidding), just something dark green!!! Pack plenty in your blender

Fruit: There are so many combinations so have fun with it. Here are some we like......
Frozen or Fresh Pineapple, Pears, Blueberries, Strawberries, Peaches, Apples, Bananas
Some of our favorites are Strawberries and Bananas, or Pear, Blueberry & Banana, Or just Plain fresh Pineapple.

Sweeten with liquid Stevia to taste.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spiced Granola

This is to get you excited for the season that is upon us. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

3 ½ cups rolled oats

2 ½ cups puffed rice cereal

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

¾ tsp. salt

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup pumpkin puree

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

up to 1 ½ cups chopped nuts

up to 1 cup dried fruit

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, combine oats and puffed rice cereal. In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until very smooth. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until the oat mixture is evenly coated. Spread on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer.
  3. Bake for 30 minutes. Then turn over the granola using a large, wide spatula. Sprinkle the nuts onto the granola and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until crisp and golden. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center may not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola and let the rest cook until done, 10-15 more minutes. Cool on pan or on a fine wire rack.
  4. Break up granola as desired and toss with dried fruit. Store in an airtight container.

I PROMISE I will post a recipe next. But first, do any of you have a blog that I should know about? I would love to be invited if you don't mind. :) My email is dixiedotsons@hotmail.com.

Love you!
Amy Dotson

Mom's Royal Blueberry Bran Muffins

These are the blueberry muffins Mom makes every Christmas. They are nutritious and delicious!

Combine and Set Aside:

2 c boiling water

2 c All Bran cereal

3 c sugar

1 c shortening or oil

Mix and Add with the Above Ingredients:

4 eggs

1 qt. buttermilk

Then Add:

5 c. flour (Mom usually uses fresh ground white wheat)

3 tsp. soda

3 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients well.

Last Add:

4 c 40% bran flakes

2 c blueberries

Mix well and place in refrigerator. Do not use 1st day. Keep covered. When ready, fill greased muffin pan about 2/3 full in each cup.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees. Batter keeps in refrigerator up to 6 weeks. Cooked muffins also freeze well.

Carrot Chowder

This is my favorite soup. It is a staple meal around here.

1 lb. ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
salt and pepper
--Saute these three, then add:

1 C diced celery
1 green pepper, chopped
2 1/2 C coarsely shredded carrots
1 1/2 C water
1 quart tomato juice (from a can)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
--Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15-30 min. Then add:

2 cans cream of celery soup
--Now serve with fresh grated Parmesan sprinkled on top! YUM!

Romaine and Feta Green Salad

1 C chopped pecans or walnuts
3 T butter
2 tsp pepper
1/2 C sugar
- Saute nuts in butter for 5 min. Don't let butter brown. Then toss nuts in pepper and sugar until coated.

8 oz spinach (can skip and add more romaine)
1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 C dried cranberries
1/4 lb crumbled feta cheese

Dressing:
Blend - 2 tsp sugar
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp oregano
1/2 med red onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 C fresh parsley
1 C canola oil (can use olive)

Toss everything together and Yum! This makes a lot of dressing, can half that.

Brownie Cake - Hinckley Family Favorite

Brownie Cake
1 C butter
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate (Or 6 T cocoa pwdr)
1 C hot water
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 C milk or buttermilk (I make buttermilk with milk and a 1/2 T vinegar)
2 tsp vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan. Add water and boil for 2 minutes. Mix in dry ingredients. Then add rest of ingredients. Beat with mixer until creamy. Batter will be a little thin. Pour into 9x13 greased pan. Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool a bit before frosting. Don't dump out of pan.

Frosting for Brownie Cake
1/2 C butter
2 oz unsweetened chocolate (Or 6 T cocoa pwdr)
1/3 C milk
1 pkg (16 oz) powdered sugar (I add a little bit more than this)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C copped nuts (optional)

- Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan. Add milk and boil until it thickens, careful not to burn it. Add in other ingredients with mixer until creamy. Frost while frosting is still hot.

Snicker Doodles

This is a very good recipe that I have received many compliments on. This makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Cream these indgredients well:

2 c butter

4 eggs

3 c sugar

Add and mix:

4 tsp cream of tarter

2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

5 c flour (add this last)

Refrigerate dough until firm.

Roll balls of dough in a bowl of:

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 c sugar

Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Oriental Salad

This recipe is a tweaked version from the back of the salad dressing bottle.

1 Head chopped romaine lettuce

1-1.5 lbs. chopped turkey breast or chicken

1/3-1/2 cup slivered or chopped almonds

1 chopped sweet bellpepper (red, yellow, or orange)

2 tsp black sesame seeds

Feast from the East All Natural Sesame Dressing (Costco)

Put all ingredients together and toss salad dressing into salad according to taste.

Minestrone Soup

This is a DELICIOUS recipe from my sister-in-law, Kacey. Enjoy. This makes a TON, so you may want to half it.

2lbs. sausage (Jimmy Dean's regular, all natural from Wal-Mart is good)

2 qts whole tomatoes

29 oz canned tomato sauce

8 tsp beef buillion

1 qt water

2 chopped onions

5 sliced carrots

4 stalks celery chopped

Simmer above ingredients for two hours, then add:

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 16 oz can kidney beans drained

1 16 oz can green beans drained

1/2 lb pasta

Saute onions and cook sausage. Simmer indicated ingredients and let the pasta cook in the soup for about half an hour or until tender. However, if time is an issue, just simmer ingredients until vegetables are tender, then add pasta. It should cut off about one hour of cooking time.

Cafe Rio Pork - Rice - Dressing = Cafe Rio Salad!

I LOVE cafe rio, so I was on a mission to get the best pork recipe possible. This is a combination of a few cafe rio pork recipes and my own addition. It's our favorite version of the pork. You may substitute pork with chicken or beef.

3-5 lbs pork loins or pork roast
1 1/2 cans caffeine free coke OR 1 small bottle
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard (heaping)
1 tsp cumin (heaping)
1 tsp minced garlic (heaping)
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)
2 C jalapeno tomato salsa (or your favorite salsa)
1/4 C white vinegar
ground pepper (you know this is a must in all of my recipes)

- Mix all sauce ingredients together. Pour over meat and crock pot all day!

Cafe Rio Rice:
1 C rice
2 C water
3 cubes chicken bouillon
1 T dried onion
1/4 bunch cilantro
1 T oil
1 fresh lime
Cook all together, except for the lime. Squeeze lime in before serving.

Cafe Rio Dressing - 2 delicious versions:
Version 1:
1 envelope buttermilk ranch dressing
1 C mayo
1 C milk
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 green tomatillos (remove husk)
1/2 serrano pepper with seeds removed.
- Blend it all up until creamy!

Version 2:
1 C mayo
1 C sour cream
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 green tomatillos (remove husk)
1 clove garlic
1 jalapeno pepper with seeds removed
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt
- Blend it all up until creamy!

If you haven't eaten Cafe Rio you might wonder what to do with all of this! Start with a tortilla. Layer on top if it: black/pinto beans, cafe rio rice, cafe rio pork, cheese, guacamole, tomato, sour cream, lots of chopped romaine lettuce, cafe rio dressing, crushed tortilla chips. It's called a Cafe Rio Salad! YUMO!!!

Sausage, Potatoe & Cabbage Stew - Rachel Ray

I got this from another blog. It's a Rachel Ray recipe. We never eat sauasage, but I really wanted to try this. So I used very lean turkey kielbasa by butterball. It's a natural, lean, healthier turkey sausage. It's delicious stew and the kids liked it too! Leftovers are even yummier!

2/3 lb turkey kielbasa, cut up
1/2 red onion chopped
2 T spicy mustard
1 1/2 T white wine vinegar
4-6 C chicken broth
1 lb red potatoes, cut up with skin on
2 1/2 C shredded cabbage - I used bagged cole slaw mix
2 lrg carrots grated
salt and pepper (careful w/ salt, sausage is salty)

Cook kielbasa and onion in a pot. Stir in mustard, vinegar broth and potatoes. Put cabbage and carrots in last. Simmer until potatoes are done.

Turkey Meatballs

I was never a meatball fan, until I got this recipe from a friend. These are the best and healthy too!

1 lb ground turkey (can use hamburger but not as good)
1 egg
1 C bread crumbs
2 T Worcestershire sauce
onion salt
pepper

- Mix together in a bowl and shape into small balls (1/2 inch). Place on cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Make sauce in a pot and warm while they are baking. Place cooked meatballs in sauce and simmer for a bit. Then serve over hot rice!

Sauce:
1/2 C ketchup
1/3 C brown sugar
1/4 C soy sauce
1 1/2 T white vinegar

Crock Pot Italian Yummy

This is a recipe that I created myself. Anyone who tries it asks me for the recipe so it must be good. It is one of our favorites!

4 uncooked chicken breasts
1 chopped bell pepper
1 chopped onion
2 chopped zucchini
2 cloves garlic
1 (28 oz.) can chopped tomatoes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 bay leaf (remove after cooking)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook all day, shred chicken and put back. This makes a thick savory soup. You serve it over Jeanette's delicious flat-bread recipe. Put a large piece of flatbread on your plate, pour thick soup over it, then top it with mozzarella cheese. Not time for flatbread? Serve it over rolls or English muffins or a slice of french bread. Flat bread recipe follows:

FLAT BREAD:
4 C flour
2 C warm water
1 T yeast
1 T sugar
2 tsp salt

Activate yeast in warm water. Mix all together. Spray jelly roll pan with pam and press dough out flat into it. Top with 1 cube of melted butter(spread all over) and sprinkle with parmesan cheese (dry or fresh grated) and italian seasoning. Let rise for 15-20 minutes. Bake 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

This is fast, healthy and Yumo!

1 1/2 C Your favorite Salsa (great with salsa verde)
3 C chopped cooked chicken
2 (15 0z.) can white beans
3 C chicken broth
1 can corn
1 tsp cumin

Heat and simmer together. Serve with cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips.

Grilled Chicken with Avocado Cucumber Salad

I found this in a magazine. Heather has tried it too and we both have really like it.

Chicken:

4 chicken breasts

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp ground coriander

Kosher salt (or regular salt)

Fresh ground black pepper

Salad:

1 kirby cucumber with peel, chopped (English cucumber)

1 c grape or cherry tomatoes &/or yellow pear tomatoes halved

1/4 red onion sliced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 Ripe Hass Avocado

Toss Salad ingredients together. Brush Chicken with olive oil, then season to taste with the spices and grill. I just combine all the spices in the olive oil and brush it on the chicken. You can also bake this--I have never grilled it. You can serve these with the salad on top of the chicken, by the side of the chicken or with the chicken sliced on top of the salad.

Tamara's Paella

This is a yummy recipe Tamara gave me. It should serve 6-8 people.

2 pkg yellow safron rice (find it at the grocery store)

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 package sliced mushrooms

2/3 onion diced

Peas

Tomatoes, quartered (or cut smaller if they're big)

1/2 lb fish (white fish and shrimp are great; or chicken, not jumbo shrimp)

Saute onion, bell peppers and mushrooms with the butter you will use for the rice directions. Add water from rice directions. Rinse fish to get rid of strong flavor. When the water is boiling, add the rice and meat. Bring back to boiling then turn the heat down and simmer with lid on for 20-30 minutes. Put peas in about five minutes before the rice is done. When finished, turn the heat off and put sliced tomatoes on top and cover letting steam soften the tomatoes for a few minutes. This is delicious served with toasted french bread and bruschetta.

Gingersnaps

This recipe is a tweaked version, Thanks to Tamara, from Better Homes and Gardens' Cookbook.

2 1/4 c flour

1 c brown sugar

3/4 c butter

1/4 c molasses ( I use Grandma's Robust Molasses in the Green Bottle. Find it at your local grocery store.)

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 c sugar set aside-roll cookies in this

Combine egg, butter, molasses and sugar and beat until very fluffy. It is not necessary to level off the spices, be generous and the cookies will taste great! Next add all spices and mix well. Add flour last and mix in. The dough will be very sticky and gooey. Refrigerate the cookie dough for about an hour or until it is quite firm. Use a cookie scoop preferably to form your cookies. Roll the balls into sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Nine minutes usually seems about right for my oven. If you overcook these they will be crunchy. For softer cookies, take them out even though your better judgement might say...two more minutes.

Rosemary Flatbread FAST!

This is very tasty and reminds me of the bread at Macaroni Grill.

4 c flour (you can use fresh ground wheat flour if you like)

2 tsp salt

2 c warm water

1 Tbsp yeast

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp rosemary

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Stir sugar and yeast into warm water and let yeast grow for about 5-7 min. Grease a jelly roll pan or any pan about that size. Mix flour, salt, rosemary and water mixture in a bowl until well combined. Spread the sticky dough out with greased hands into the pan. Drizzle about 1/2 c olive oil all over the top of the dough and spread evenly with hands. Let dough rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Yum!