Mexican Lettuce Wraps

My tortillas were in the freezer. I had plenty of cooked quinoa in the refrigerator.  And black beans.  Mexican Lettuce Wraps were born.

If you are just leaning into adding more grains, or eating less meat in general, use 1/2 the meat you normally would and 1/2 quinoa...or rice.  In fact, a wild rice would be really yummy in this recipe, I just had a ton of quinoa to use up and it worked out really well.

Low calorie, virtually fat-free, packed with fiber and protein.  

Kid's rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars

(ate it all with no complaints, but didn't ask for seconds)

Mexican Lettuce Wraps

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

3 cups cooked black beans (or 15 oz can will work)

3 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 cup water

1 pack of your favorite taco seasoning

1 head of lettuce 

Directions

1. In a large frying pan, heat olive oil and saute chopped onion and garlic until onions are translucent

2. Add green pepper.  Cook another 2-3 minutes

3. Add corn and black beans. Cook another 4-5 minutes. Stir mixed food together every minute or so.

4. Add quinoa.  Stir together.  Add 1/2 cup of water and taco seasoning.  Mix well.  Cover and allow to cook over low heat for another 3-5 minutes.

5. Spoon mix over a leaf of lettuce. Add any toppings you'd like (cheese, tomato, olives, etc).  Roll up and enjoy.

No Bake Granola Balls

Super easy and yummy.  What I love about this recipe I came up with is that it's packed with protein and the superfood maca!  Maca, to be honest, is nasty, but it's packed with vitamins, minerals, and protein.  Even the kids love these, though, so I'm feeling good about it.


No Bake Granola Balls

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon maca powder
1/2 cup flax meal
1/4 - 3/4 cup shredded coconut
3 Tablespoons raw honey
1 cup natural nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, sunflower, etc)

Mix all ingredients together.  Place in the refridgerator for approx 20 minutes.  Take out and mold into balls.  Keep refrigerated.  They'll be good for about a week or so.  

These are a little dry.  If you don't like them as dry, add more peanut butter.

Three Grain Salad

I have grown a deep love for grains.  When eaten properly, they can be such a great part of a diet...the true definition of diet.  If you struggle with grains, consider how you are eating them.  Do you know that grains, like beans, should be soaked before cooking them?  They can be soaked overnight, just like you would with beans.  If you find yourself getting bloated after eating grains, trying soaking them before you cook them.  (This isn't necessary for rice.)  Does your stomach react a little bit to quinoa?  Quinoa should be rinsed before cooking as it washes off a natural pesticide found in the grain...so if you aren't rinsing, try that before giving it up.

Some people simply can't eat grains.  Their bodies don't handle them well.  But I believe a majority of people who feel they must avoid grains all together could eat them if they were prepared properly.  Find what works for you.

Tonight for dinner, I made a 3 Grain Salad.  I'm sure it was an idea I had based off of other recipes I've tried, but this is the recipe I came up with...and the kids liked it too.  That's always a bonus.  I used quinoa, spelt, and leftover wild brown rice.  Use whatever grain you'd like.


Three Grain Salad

Salad Ingredients
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 cup corn, thawed
15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
16 oz black beans
4 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups cooked spelt berries
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups wild brown rice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced

Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons raw honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1/5 teaspoon black pepper


Directions
1. Put all salad ingredients into a large bowl.  Mix together.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.
3. Pour dressing over the salad.  Mix together.  Eat as a meal or as a side. 


   

What We Eat...on $75/wk

So, it's true.  I've cut our food budget down to $75 a week.  We live in the Bay Area and have a growing family of 5.  Though my children don't eat a lot at one time, they eat all. day. long.  Marcus is still stunned at how much our little Sammy eats.  Never underestimate the Samster.  She may be small, but her appetite is large, eating every 2 hours, at least.  

But, we don't have teenagers yet, and I understand it will be vastly different as we continue to grow.  I mean, look at my kids in 20 years!  They look hungry (and criminally scary).

Seriously, this freaks me out.  Back to the food.  Because this is all too creepy.

Last week,  this is how we ate:

Monday

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Dinner: Masman Curry with Brown Rice -- meatless.  Potatoes, celery, carrots, onion.  Masman curry lasts a long time.  You can buy the curry here.  My recipe was given to me by an old Thai lady I met at an asian market.  It's so easy!  I omit the fish sauce and tamarind paste because I'm out, and we have found that it still tastes really good.   

Tuesday

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Dinner: chicken salad wraps in homemade tortillas -- 3 chicken breasts fried in coconut oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, other herbs...cut and chopped up.  Lettuce, cucumber, apples, celery, feta cheese.  Drizzle dressing over it.  Put in homemade tortilla (made with coconut oil).  My homemade tortillas aren't beautiful, but they are filling, healthier, and the kids love them!  This was great as left overs the next day as well.

Wednesday

Breakfast: oatmeal

Dinner:  Veggies stir-fry with noodles  (used this for sauce recipe)  YUMMMMMMY!  Even Callie loved it.  It was so good.  Seriously, so good.

from this.......

to this.....

Thursday
Breakfast: oatmeal (big surprise)

Dinner: Beans and Rice.  I got this idea from my sister-in-law, Annie.  Then I altered it a touch.  This, though, has the potential for so many different variations, especially because the kids loved it too.  I made a big batch of it and froze it.  We'll have it again for dinner tonight.  It's a nice blend of citrus, sweet, and spicy.  We all really liked it.

I've been using dried beans.  They are easy to cook up, a lot less expensive, and I know they don't contain anything extra in there to preserve them in the can.


Friday
Breakfast: Oatmeal

Dinner: Eggs
To jazz it up, I added broccoli, a bit o' cheese, peppers, and shredded carrots.  The kids really liked it too.


Saturday
Leftovers

Sunday
Dinner at Grammy and Grandpa's.
Had we not done that, I probably would have done a noodle dish with spaghetti sauce or something simple.


Lunches are pretty standard.  There's always enough for Marcus to take left overs to work for lunch.  I'm lucky I have a husband who not only is supportive and WANTS to eat less meat, but he also wants to bring left overs for lunch.  It's motivating when we're saving money, but also because he sincerely likes our meals.  So, that makes me feel good too.

Callie has been requesting peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

I always have yogurt and applesauce for the kids for lunches and snacks.  They get 1 yogurt a day.  Same with applesauce.  I get a large container of each and divvy it up into these...

It save quite a bit of money.

For snacks we have pretzels, animal crackers, cheez-its, whatever is the best price for the quick go-to snacks.  You need to have those in a house.  We also try to have nuts and raisins hanging around.  The kids eat a lot of fruit and veggies.  If I have a plate of cut up vegetables on the table, they'll eat them as they are playing throughout the day.

For other snacks/treats, though, I'll make brownies (I replaced the butter with coconut oil), many different variations of this granola bar, cookies, popcorn, etc.  I'll bake things up, individually wrap them, and then put them in the freezer.  These items can go into lunches or be used as a quick snack or treat during the day.  Limit: 1 per day.  

This is how we did $75 for groceries last week.  I try to stick to $75, but sometimes I go over if there's a good deal.  I tell myself I have a budget of approximately $350/mth, and try to stay within cents of the $75 mark.

I have found that as I've made this move to $75/week
* I don't overbuy produce and have it go bad.
* I don't buy junk just-because...to have on hand.
* There's not as much mindless eating, because we don't have a ton of stuff laying around.
* We eat WAY healthier.  I'm making our "junk" food by scratch.
* Callie and I are spending more time together baking and cooking, which we've both really enjoyed
* Our tastes have changed for the better.  Salty things are now soooo salty.  Sweet things are often too sweet.  Our bodies aren't craving the same things it did before.
* I feel very fulfilled as a mother and wife cooking these really healthy meals for my family, while saving money.

This may not be possible in every area of the U.S.A.  And as our kids grow and our family changes, this will change too.  But, that's ok.  For now, this is my goal.  We're doing it, and it feel great.

Caribbean Plate

So many different ways to cook this up.  This idea is from my sister-in-law, Annie.  It was so so good.  We loved it.  

This is how I did it:

* Meatless

* Rice: cooked in chicken broth and fresh squeezed orange juice (from 3 oranges).  A few shakes of chili powder, a bit of coconut sugar.  After it was finished cooking, a handful of flaked coconut and chopped cilantro.

* Beans: sautee onion.  Throw in a bunch of black beans (I've started cooking dry beans.  Because they aren't canned, you'll need to add more flavoring since there's no preservative in it.  WAY cheaper and I feel really good about it too).  Season salt, chili powder, whatever other herbs I have.  I did a few shakes of Italian Blend seasoning.  Handful of chopped cilantro.

Serve rice over beans...topped with shredded cheese and lettuce.  I made a ton, froze a large bag of it, and we'll have it again tonight for dinner...a week later.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

These are her words:  

* put some frozen chicken in the crockpot with seasoned salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic, a little orange juice, and sometimes some coconut sugar.  I've also just put some salsa in it before.  Just season it however you like.  When it's done, shred it up.

* For the rice, I use a combo of chicken broth and orange juice for the liquid.  I add chili powder and sometimes coconut sugar if I want it to be a little sweet.  Once it's cooked, I add a bunch of flaked coconut and chopped cilantro.

* For the beans, I like to dice some onion and sautee it before I add canned beans.  My favorite is a can of black and a can of kidney.  Then I just add seasoned salt and chili powder. 

Can be served with chopped lettuce, sour cream, tortilla chips, diced avocado, and/or mango salsa.  It's good no matter what you do

Masman Curry

One of our favorite recipes.  Easy.  Cheap.  Sooo yummy and GREAT left overs.

1 can coconut milk
2 Tbl. of paste  (I don't know what it's called, but you'll see on the container)
3 Tbl fish sauce  (I don't put this in.  Courtney Mangum does and seemed shocked that I don't.  It's not as authentic I suppose, but the fish sauce idea grosses me out, and I still think it tastes the same.)
4 Tbl. sugar
1/2 Tbl. of Tamarine paste
1/4 cup of water
3 Tbl. of peanut butter
raw chicken cut up in chunks
potato
yellow onion
cashew nuts

Mix the milk, pastes, sugar, and peanut butter, and water in pot until it slowly starts to boil.  Stir while it's in the pot.  Put in the raw chicken, onions, and potatoes until done.  

Ok, to make it much faster, I cooked my potatos while I was doing some of hte other prep work, then I put the potatos in when they were done.  The chicken cooks quickly, but the potatos take much longer.  It's not an exact science, this recipe.  It was a home recipe and she just gave me the ingredients.  Sometimes I have to add moer water depending on the boiling time, whatever.  Serve over rice.  We love this stuff.  Well, Marcus loves it, and I really like it.  This is his favorite meal.  I have other favorites, but this was is sure good.  And it's great as left overs too, which is nice.

Delish

Corn and Cheese Chowder

I've made this a few times and am getting requests for the recipe...because yes, it is that good.  So, I'm going to just put it here on the blog.

If you know The Pioneer Woman, perhaps you are familiar with the recipe.  Her Corn & Cheese Chowder is divine.  I did change it up though.  If you want her recipe, go right to the link.  But below is how I made it...it's nearly the same as her recipe.  Basically, I add potatoes and creamed corn...and don't use 1/2 and 1/2 unless I have cream on hand then I'll do half milk and half cream...but when do I ever have cream?  One time.


Jenny's Pioneer Woman's Corn & Cheese Chowder

4 Tablespoons butter
1 whole onion, chopped
3 slices bacon, cooked and cut into pieces
3 whole bell peppers, finely diced (red, yellow, orange)
2-3 cans of corn
2-3 cans of creamed corn
4 good sized potatoes, cleaned and cut in cubes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups whole milk
2-3 big handfuls of whatever cheese you have on hand (I use cheddar or Monterrey Jack)

In a pot, boil cut up potatoes.  You can peel them if you'd like...I normally don't for time purposes.

While the potatoes are boiling, in another large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Cook onions for a few minutes.  Add bacon and cook for another few minutes, then add diced bell peppers and cook for a couple of minutes.  Finally, add canned corn and cook for a minute.

Sprinkle flour evenly over the top and stir to combine.  Pour in broth and stir well.  Add cooked potatoes and cans of creamed corn.  Allow this to thicken for 3-4 minutes, then reduce heat to low.  Stir milk, then cover and allow to simmer/thicken for 15 minutes or so.

Stir in cheese.  When cheese is melted and the soup is hot, check seasonings.  Add salt and pepper as needed.

Buttercream Frosting

The best buttercream. ever.  I keep losing the recipe (as simple as it is) so I'm posting it here so I don's lose it again.


1 c. butter, softened (if it's not soft, cut it up into smaller pieces.  it blends fine)
8 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. milk

In a mixing bowl, cream butter.  Beat in sugar and vanilla.  Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.

* Apple Crisp Muffins

Oh how I love these muffins.  And so does the family.  So, that's great.  These are vegan, but don't taste like cardboard.  Yippee!  They are baking as I type...and I think everyone should make these.  Today.  Happy October.

1.5 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 c. rolled oats

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. raw sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
a dash of nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 c. apple, diced
1/4 c. pure maple syrup


Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease muffin tin or spray paper liners to prevent sticking and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together until well combined. Add applesauce, sugars and maple, then stir until almost combined. add apples, stirring until just combined. Spoon into muffin cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle additional oats and brown sugar over top if desired. Bake 18-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Nutritional information Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 muffin

Amount per serving:

Calories 124; Fat 0.40g; Carbohydrate 28.80g; Dietary Fiber 2.40g; Sugars 15.40g; Protein 1.80g



Recipe courtesty of The Happy Herbivore

Soft Oatmeal Cookies

ooo these are so good!  Thanks to allrecipes.com.  I was making cookies for some people and decided I wanted to do something other than chocolate chip.  Don't get me wrong, I wasn't sick of chocolate chip cookies (I mean, is that even possible?), but I saw my oatmeal sitting there and had fond memories of my childhood favorite cookie.  I was not disappointed with this recipe that I quickly found on allrecipes. 

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. white sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1.5 t ground cinnamon
3 c. quick oats (I used traditional and they were just as yummy)

In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.  Combine flour, baking soada, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture.  Mix in oats.  Cover. Chill dough for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Grease cookie sheets.  Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.  Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar (I didn't do this, but I'm sure it's delicious with the extra sugar)

Bake for 8-10 minutes in preheated oven.  (I cooked for 8 minutes).  Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

5 Chip Cookies

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  Last night, I just have to say, I made the best cookies.  Ever.  Ok, maybe that's a bit dramatic, considering last night I didn't even like them.  It's true.  You know how cookies taste one way right after they come out of the oven, and then another way after they cool?  Well, who doesn't like a warm chocolate chip cookie?  Right?  So, when I took my 5 Chip Cookies out and had one, I was sorely disappointed.  However, this morning, I had another one...oooooh mmmmm.  Divine.  They were delicious.  I only gave them another try because I gave a plate of them to my friends the Williams...and they raved about them, eating the entire plate within roughly 3 minutes.  So, here's the recipe that I found over at Mommy's Kitchen.  And now, I have to control myself beyond my ability to do so.  I'm in trouble staying home from church with (sick) Callie today. 

Picture taken from Mommy's Kitchen. 
Don't they look so yummy?!  My cookies came out fluffy and soft, whereas these look thin and crisp.  Maybe they aren't, but that's the appearance anyway.  How did mine become soft and fluffy?  I think, maybe, because I beat the butter, peanut butter, and sugar longer?  Until it was really fluffy.  Oh, I also only cooked them 9 minutes.  Who knows, though?  The crispy edges with a softer, chewier center sound dreamy too.

Mommy's Kitchen

5 Chip Cookies

1 c. butter - softened

1 c. peanut butter

1 c. sugar

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 c. oats

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2/3 c. chips of each: milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, and butterscotch

In a large bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.  Stir in chips.  Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes.  Cool 1 minute before transferring onto cooling rack.

You won't be sorry that you spent a fortune on all these different baking chips.  I fully intend on making another million of these for all of Samantha's teachers, therapists, and staff at Scribbles & Giggles to show our appreciation.  I mean, I got to spread the love here.  It's now become my duty to let them all taste these.  Enjoy!

Best Bread Recipe

My friend posted this on her blog awhile back.  And, I have to agree, this is the best bread.  Now, I was eager to try this recipe for the following reasons:

* I love bread
* I love homemade bread even better
* I used to make a lot of bread with our dinners, but haven't in a long time
* As a part of my decluttering, I've been debating if I really need our bread machine.  I love it.  I do.  But I only used it to make the dough anyway.  I didn't like making the bread in the machine and how it came out so boxy.  I have a KitchenAid but have never ever ever used it to make bread.  While visiting friends in Utah a year or so ago, this came up, and I was informed how easy it is.  So, this recipe gave me to go-ahead to try it out.  And you know what folks?  It is.  It's super easy to use a mixer to make your bread dough, and I feel so happy knowing that I am going to get rid of a piece of well-used kitchen equipment.  Thank you Marci for getting it for us for our wedding because I truly used it a ton.  But, after 5 years, I may be ready to move on.  (I think.  It's still packed away, so we'll see when I actually pull it out again if I can part with it.)

So, here's the Best Bread.  Give it a try.  As Campbell's would say, it's mmm mmm good.


Combine in mixing bowl:

2.5 cups very warm water (I use 2 cups of hottest H2O from tap and 1/2 c. room temp water)
3 c. freshly ground whole wheat flour
1 T plus 1 t. yeast
1 T wheat gluten (I've never included this actually -- but I haven't ground my own wheat yet.  That may make a difference.)

Stir just until mixed and let mixture stand 10 minutes


Add:


1/3 C half canola oil, half applesauce
1/3 C honey
1 T. lemon juice (no need to be fresh)
1 T sea salt
3 1/2 - 4 C whole wheat flour
1 T dough enhancer (I have also never added this)


*additional ingredients can be added or subbed for some of the flour: flax meal, millet, oat bran, nuts, etc.


1. Knead bowl of mixer (with dough hooks) for 10 minutes. Do not add any additional flour until the end. The dough will look sticky and you'll think, "I need more flour" but wait and it will form a ball. At the end of kneading, the dough should be slightly sticky to the touch, but not stick to your hands. Adjust as needed. Use a little flour to lightly coat the dough, and pull out of the bowl.


2. Immediately divide the dough into two equal portions, and knead each loaf for 30 seconds forming a loaf with no creases.


3. Place each loaf into a greased and floured pan. Let rise approx 40 min.  (until just above the lip of the pan) Make sure you preheat your oven according to when you estimate your bread being ready to put in the oven. (this is critical, bread needs to go in preheated oven...if it is too risen, it will be airy and fall apart, but if not risen enough it will be dense and cakey)


4. Bake bread at 350 for approx 30 minutes. When you tap the top of the bread, it should sound hollow.


5. Remove bread from pan and onto a cooling rack immediately. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting into it and eating a big buttery piece, and let cool completely before bagging (no sweating inside the bag).



*Notes from Courtney: I didn't have the gluten or dough enhancer at first, so I used white bread flour instead. It has an higher level of gluten and results in a better bread. So, if you don't want to track down those extras, just use bread flour. My next step is to get a wheat grinder so I can use the freshly ground wheat flour for the most nutritious bread. (Something that makes Sam sad. He likes white bread and would probably choose Wonder bread if given the option.) Wheat begins losing its nutrients as soon as you grind it, so the fresher the flour the better.

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Banana Pancakes

When Marci asked if I'd choose pancakes over waffles, I went with the waffles.  I mean, I love waffles.  But today, I made some homemade pancakes for the girls.  I'm a homemade pancake/waffle mix girl, but I haven't done it in a long time.  The mixes always leave a chalky feeling in my mouth.  Am I the only one?  Well, when Callie asked me today if she could go to McDonald's house (yes, it's McDonald's house, not McDonald's), I told her no and that we'd make pancakes.  She was slightly appeased, and I was still getting over the fact that my almost 3 year old was asking to go to McDonald's.  I don't think I knew what McDonald's was until I was 7.  We've only been there a couple times ourselves...but I'm kind of disturbed.  Ok...getting back on track.


So, I decided not only were we NOT going to McDonald's (easy one for me there), we were having homemade pancakes.  I wanted to try something new.  I did.  And I love them...so did the girls.  You know when the pancake is so good you don't even need syrup?  Yeah.  Mmm

Whole Wheat, Oatmeal, and Banana Pancakes
1 c. uncooked rolled oats
1 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. brown sugar
2 T. dry milk powder
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
2 c. milk
2 T vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla
1 banana, mashed

This is how I did it.  Mix all the dry stuff together in a mixing bowl.  Put in the wet stuff.  Mix it all together and let it sit for 5 minutes.  Heat up your griddle like you would normally for pancakes and cook same as usual...cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry.  Flip, and cook until browned on the other side.


These are so good and easy. 

I'm not reconsidering.  I think I'm a homemade pancake girl after all. 

Overnight Strawberry French Toast

So yummy and is possibly beginning to be an October Conference tradition.


Makes 8-10 servings

12 slices of day old bread
8 oz pkg cream cheese
1 c. fresh strawberries cleaned and cut up
12 eggs
2 c. milk
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. honey (or maple syrup)

sauce:
1 c. white sugar
1 c. water
2 T cornstarch
1 c. strawberries
1 T butter


Cut bread into 1 inch cubes. Place half into a greased baking dish (9x13). Cut cream cheese into little pieces and place over bread. Top with handful of strawberries sprinkled over bread and cream cheese. Top with remaining bread cubes. Beat eggs in large bowl; add milk, vanilla, and honey (or syrup). Mix well; pour over bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning {Hello Sun!} remove from refrigerator 1/2 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 350. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 25-30 minutes or until center is set and is folden in color.

Prepare the sauce in a saucepan by combining the sugar and cornstarch. Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir constantly and boil for 3-4 minutes. Stir in strawberries and reduce heat; cook for 10 minutes or until strawberries begin to fall apart. Stir in the butter and pour over french toast.

Yummers!

Chicken Baked Chimichangas

I'm not the best cook, but I do ok. And sometimes, I stumble across something that turns out really well, and that makes me happy -- especially when I'm cooking for people other than Marcus and the girls. Yesterday I found this recipe I wanted to try for Beef and Bean Chimichangas, and I tweeked it here, and there, and here some more...and came up with my own Chicken Chimichangas. Super easy and yummy. I had some left over filling so I put that in the freezer -- ready for round 2 some time soon.


4-5 chicken breasts
1 medium chopped onion
1 7oz can green chilies
1 can refried beans
1 can corn
1 can enchilada sauce (Old El Paso is the best, in our opinion)
taco seasoning
whole wheat tortillas
shredded cheese (I used cheddar and mozzerella)
1 T. melted butter


Boil chicken. When cooked, dump water and rinse out pot. Shred chicken with fork. While you're shredding chicken, cook chopped onions in pot. Mix shredded chicken with cooked onions. Mix refried beans with chicken and onion until well mixed. Then add green chilies and drained corn and mix together. Add maybe a 1/2 c. enchilada sauce -- stir in. Sprinkle taco seasoning over mixture...few tablespoons maybe.

Lay out your tortilla and spread mixture over top. Sprinkle a little cheddar and then some mozzerella over mixture. Fold tortilla ends in, and then sides in so it's all ingredients are enclosed. Lay on cookie sheet seam down. Continue until all tortillas are filled and on cookie sheet. Brush chimichangas with melted butter. Pour some enchilada sauce over top. Put in oven and bake 350 for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, shredded lettuce, tomato, etc.

Makes 13 chimichangas.

More on the Bars

Ok....here's something else I should say about those granola bars. Rachel originally created them from a cookie recipe. So, keeping that in mind, they are a softer bar, unlike my other granola bars that are more crunchy. My most recent change to them has been cutting down the sugar and the oats. I want to see how far I can go with the cutting sugar. I found when I used less oats, they were softer for my liking. Applesauce will also make them softer, and it's a sweetner. The original recipe is 1 c. of butter...but I have switched that to 1/2 c. applesauce 1/2 c. butter. I wonder what would happen if I did 3/4 c. applesauce and 1/4 c. butter. Maybe that would be too much. When I cut them up, I usually put them in the freezer so they keep longer. Well, I'll tell you...eating them from the freezer was so fantastic because there is a little chew to them. mmmm

Also, I have friends who kids have peanut allergies. For you guys, you can omit the peanut butter with no problem. Also, omitting the soy powder and water, and flax doesn't make a big difference on the consistency or cooking time.

Rachel is my inspiration. I can't rave enough about these bars. I love love love them and I love love love that my girls love love love them. They are a very healthy snack alternative. Thank you Rachel! Love you too!

Jenny's Rachel Granola Bars

Have you ever been to Ruth's Chris Steak House? It's fabulous. It really is so incredibly good. I've been there once, and the memory alone keeps my mouth watering. The steak was so tender and juicy. mmmm Anyway. The story is that it was Chris's Steak House, but then Ruth bought it. So, it became Ruth's Chris Steak House. Inspired by Ruth's Chris, I have a recipe from Rachel Shepherd. She came up with these yummy granola bars...and I have tweeked them a little bit along the way. I've given this recipe out many times (Rachel, you're becoming famous), and without further ado....

Jenny's Rachel Granola Bars

Cream together
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. applesauce
1 c. brown sugar

Add the following into your creamed mixture:
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2.5 c. wheat flour
1 c. wheat germ (sometimes I add even more)
1/2 c. soy powder (+6 T water)
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
3/4 c. flax seed (I also don't measure this, so I probably actually put in more)
3 large scoops of natural peanut butter

Once this is all mixed in well, add
5 c. oatmeal
a few handfuls of chocolate chips, nuts, or raisins

Mix and put in greased cookie sheet. Pack the mixture in. Bake 325 for about 15 minutes.

Black Bean Enchilada Soup

I feel, recently, that I'm getting much more credit than is due. You see, I have become more frugal, learning to cut our grocery bill quite a bit, eat healthier, etc. But this by NO means designates me as a guru of any kind -- though it does make me feel really cool when people want my recipes and tips. I don't think I do anything unique in my new money saving ways, and I don't find myself particularly creative in the kitchen. But, both of these things, saving money and cooking, I just happen to really love to do. Don't get me wrong though, if I had a sickeningly large budget, I would have a LOT more awesome shoes, more than 2 pair of shorts that fit comfortably, a few more t-shirts, I'd get my hair done more often and it'd be at a nice salon, and I'd consider getting laser hair removal so I'd never have to shave my legs again. Wouldn't that be nice?

I dream of that day...but the truth is, I think if I did have that sickeningly large budget, I'd still do a lot of these things that I'm doing now. I'd probably keep thinking "if I cut here, we can save _____ more each month for our retirement." (Though retirement saving will probably not be happening again until we get a real job.) Does being a saver make one extremely boring? Perhaps. But I also find great comfort in financial security.

Either way, that's who I am. So, back to the original purpose of this post -- (cough cough) -- we, at the Green household have been eating more vegetarian meals for 2 reasons. 1) Meat is expensive. 2) We want to be healthier individuals. I know I've talked about this before, so I won't go into it. But here is a new recipe that we love. Huge Thanks goes to Launi for her Chicken Enchilada Recipe. I took this recipe and just basically replaced it with beans. We love it. It fabulous with chicken, but the beans are super cheap, filling, and yummy. Leftovers are just as good.

Black Bean Enchilada Soup

4 c. chicken or vegetable broth
2 cans enchilada sauce (we prefer Old El Paso)
2 t. chili powder
2 t. taco seasoning
1 onion, chopped
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. fat free sour cream
2 cans corn, drained
2 small cans diced green chilies
3 cans black beans, drained (OR I cook a bunch of black beans so they are ready, then freeze them. Add as many as you want 4-5 cups or so)

Put broth, enchilada sauce, onions, chilies, and spices in large pot. Simmer until onions have cooked down (approx. 10 minutes). Stir in cheese and sour cream until melted in. Add corn and beans and cook until warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

My mom and dad loved this when they came out to visit. I think I made it for them twice. When my mom makes it at home, they don't put in the cheese or sour cream. It becomes more of a taco soup and they don't have the extra calories of the cheese. I haven't tried it yet, but like the idea. Cheese is expensive too, so that would definitely help cut the grocery bill.

Tortillas (revised)

Big Oops! I'm so sorry. So, I made some tortillas this afternoon for dinner tonight, and in the process of doing so, I realized I wrote the recipe down wrong. I put in my one cup of water, and boy was it not mixing well. I don't know what I was thinking...but I just wrote it out from memory, and my memory failed me! So, here's the real recipe that I use.

I do make these from memory, but it's not usually a problem. I definitely don't use 1/2 c. oil. I just a couple tablespoons at best...and I do use 3 c. white and 3 c. wheat flour. Sorry about that folks. Happy tortilla making!

Tortillas

6 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 c. hot water
1/2 c. oil

Separate dough into individual balls. Roll out to desired thickness. Cook on hot skillet. When dough begins to bubble, flip over. Cook an additional 10-30 seconds.

Granola Bars

And until blogger allows me to post pictures, here's my granola bar recipe. These are a big hit now in my ward and with Callie and Samantha. Callie all day is asking for "cookie, cookie"-- not that she gets them everyday. But hey, if she thinks these are cookies, great. Here we go.

2 cups oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup honey
Any dried fruit, nuts, seeds, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, etc.

Mix all ingredients and press into greased pan, 11 x 13. Dough will be very dry and crumbly, but press until dough forms with pan. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes or until edges are browned. Take out, cut, and let cool entirely. Cut into strips and store in baggies.

These vary. First of all, the real recipe calls for 1 c. brown sugar. You can try that if you want, but they were way too sweet for me and plus, that's just a lot of sugar when you have honey in there too. So. I cut that way down. I usually add chocolate chips. I've added peanuts, coconut, and peanut butter. All yummy. I haven't ventured too far from these combination. One hint, I would cut the granola bars when they come out, or shortly thereafter. If you wait until they are cooled, they are really hard. Enjoy!