I ran across a picture someone put on their tumblr account that had a bunch of dressing recipes on it.  I tried the Sesame Ginger Vinaigrette as a dressing as well as a marinade for our chicken.  YUM!  I had to triple the recipe though to make enough for both of those.  It calls for peanut or canola oil and I only had canola.  I would like to see the difference the peanut makes.

Triple this recipe if you want enough for a couple of salads and some marinade.


-Whisk together 2tsp grated FRESH ginger, 1 tsp EACH minced garlic and sugar, and 2 Tbs. EACH rice vinegar (I used seasoned rice vinegar) and soy sauce.

-While whisking, slowly add 1/4 C. peanut or canola oil, 1 Tbs. toasted Asian sesame oil until emulsified.
-Stir in 1 Tbs. snipped fresh chives and 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Makes 2/3 C., Each (1 Tbs.) serving: 63 cal., 7g fat, 1g protein, 1g carb.

I made up a salad with chopped carrots, red bell pepper, romaine lettuce, and green cabbage.  I then toasted and candied some almond slices (I did not measure, but just took maybe 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. sugar and put them in a pan on med. heat with probably 1/4 C. sliced almonds.  Continue to stir and they will start to get brown and caramelized.  Take them off pan and put on foil to dry BEFORE they get too dark or they will just become really hard. 

I have marinated 3 chicken breasts in this for an hour, and they did not have near enough flavor.  I have also marinated them overnight and they turned out great.  Cook on the grill, slice and serve on your salad.

I couldn't believe how big of a batch these made when my friend gave me the recipe.  It calls for 12 eggs, 1 lb. butter, etc... I am thinking that the recipe is called Monster cookies because of how big of a batch they make.  I made these today for Father's Day and ended up cutting the recipe into 1/4 of the batch.  And it still makes quite a bit!  I was surprised also that these do not have flour in them.  But, they do have enough peanut butter and sugar to hold anything together!  But they are delicious!!

Here is the 1/4 batch recipe; this makes about 3 dozen:

3 eggs
1 stick butter (softened)
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
1 TBS vanilla
1 1/2 C. crunchy peanut butter (I used Adams Natural Peanut Butter)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C chocolate chips
1/2 C M&Ms
4 1/2 C. Oats (I used regular oats, not quick cooking.  But think it would still work fine with quick ones)

-In a large bowl beat eggs well.
-Make sure the butter is soft and add it to the eggs.  Beat.
-Add baking soda and blend well.
-Add brown sugar and cream together.
-Add vanilla then white sugar and mix well.
-Add peanut butter and mix well.
-Stir in oats, chocolate chips and M&Ms.

Bake 350 for 10-12 min.  (Mine here in Idaho is closer to 360 for 12 min)

Coconut oil.  It is something that people have been talking about for a while now.  It has some great health benefits such as:  It is a great energy booster, and does not change its chemical form when heated (so it doesn't become harmful to you by becoming a dangerous trans fat), it can be used as a hair conditioner and skin softener. We have been using coconut oil to cook our vegetables and chicken in.  I love the way it makes my green beans taste.  We use the Spectrum brand that is organic.  They have refined and unrefined.  The unrefined has a stronger coconut  flavor, but is obviously better for you since it has not been refined.  However, if you can't stand the coconut flavor, the refined is still a good option for you.  I use it in place of vegetable oil/canola oil or butter in many baking recipes and get great results.  The possibilities are endless as to what you can do with it, but HERE is a great article that talks about the energy benefits of it:

This was another Pinterest find.  I was not a huge fan of them the first time we made them.  They tasted more or less like a peanut butter honey sandwich.  I had a bad aversion to bread when I was prego with my last and since then, have had a hard time eating a PBH sandwich.  My husband and kids loved them though and my hubby said they would be great snacks after a long run for him.  So, we tried again.  And now I can't keep my hands off of them.  BUT, they are HEALTHY!! NO SUGAR! Hooray for a healthy snack and one that I made so I know what the ingredients are!  I used to make granola bars, which I loved, but they took a little bit of work with the toasting, cooking the sauce, etc.  And, they had brown sugar and butter in them, which if you only use a little, is not a huge deal.  But, these are so much EASIER and healthier!  The possibilities are endless with the substitutions of nuts, dried fruit and honey or agave nectar as your sweetener.  Have fun and play around with the amounts to fit your needs.  Here you go! 


Adapted from: Smashed Peas and Carrots

No-Bake Energy Bites 

(makes 18-20 bites) We make a DOUBLE BATCH, put it in a 9x13 glass pan (ungreased), push it down to make sure it is all stuck together, cover with saran wrap and put in the fridge for an hour or so.  Then I cut them into small bars and freeze them all in a ziploc bag.  They don't last very long :)

-To make these into our granola bars, I only do 1/2 C. coconut and add 1/2 C. craisins.  Also add about 1/4C.each sunflower seeds, raw cashews, & pumpkin seeds.  Then we add about another 1/4C. more of peanut butter and a couple drizzles of Agave Nectar (similar to honey, but not as thick; has a little bit of a maple flavor too).  That is a ROUGH estimate.  Just play with the amounts of what you and your family like.  This last batch, we also added 1/4C. softened Organic coconut oil (which is a great natural energy booster!).

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter) (Make sure it is a NATURAL peanut butter; as in, no other ingredients except for peanuts and maybe a little salt.  There's no need for added sugar or anything else.  Adams brand is a really great one to use.)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy!  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Found on: Recipe Girl

Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado and Goat Cheese

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

SALAD:
8 cups chopped spinach (1 bag)
1 cup halved cherry or pear tomatoes
1/2 cup corn (frozen, canned, or cut off the cob) I omitted corn and added frozen peas
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 large avocado, sliced
1/3 cup crumbled goat or feta cheese I used feta cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
DRESSING:  I completely forgot to do this part!  Guess that is why my husband kept saying it needed more flavor!  It was plenty moist, but just needed this added zest.  I will try this dressing next time! (My hubby says it was a blonde moment!)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place spinach in a large salad bowl. add remaining salad ingredients.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the salad and toss (a little at a time... as much dressing as you desire).

Source: RecipeGirl.com

 Trying to eat healthy is easier to do for dinner and lunch than it is for breakfast.  Cutting carbs can be so annoying and such a task when all you can think of for breakfast is boxed cereal, or my family's favorite, waffles and pancakes.  Eggs can only be cooked so many ways and eaten so many times in a week.  At least for me that is.  Now granted, these do have carbs, but to me, they are healthier than pancakes or waffles drizzled in syrup and butter and better for you than boxed cereal that has who knows what in it and where it came from.  So, these were a good breakfast for us this week and every single one of us liked them! 

Found on: Gingerbread Bagels




Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Squares
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar (I used 1/8C brown sugar and 1/8C agave nectar; more gooey than the regular recipe probably is, but still turned out fine)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large mashed banana
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Mix together the quick cooking oats, light brown sugar, baking powder, kosher salt and ground cinnamon.
Add in the vanilla extract, milk and egg. Mix the ingredients together.
Then add in the mashed banana and peanut butter. Combine all of the ingredients.
Pour the mixture into a lightly greased 8 by 8 inch metal baking pan. Bake at 350 F degrees for 20 minutes.
Cut into squares and enjoy!

Just to clarify If you found my recipe on Pinterest with the suggestion about using applesauce in place of the brown sugar…Do not use applesauce in place of the brown sugar.
Applesauce is not used as a sugar substitute in baking, it’s a fat substitute.
It’s also a liquid and will mess up the texture of the squares because of the added liquid.
So please use brown sugar, it’s only 1/4 cup for an entire pan. Not that much.

And because I keep getting this question: do not use honey. Honey is a liquid…brown sugar isn’t. The added liquid will mess up the texture of the squares. Honey also causes whatever you’re baking to brown more quickly and you would have to change the temperature and baking time. It also has acid and would need to be neutralized with baking soda.

This was my Mother's Day dinner that my hubby made for me this year.  It was a decent meal and I didn't have to cook it!  Even better!  We did realize that the honey was a little too much though and might try 3/4 cup next time.  We didn't add all of the pepper it called for and will do more next time as well.  Our sauce didn't quite thicken as well as we would have liked, so add more cornstarch.  Good paired with brown rice and steamed green beans with coconut oil.

Found on: Chef in Training


CROCK POT HONEY SESAME CHICKEN
recipe form: Baby Center

(we doubled the original recipe, and even then we still wanted more! This is the doubled recipe)
2.5 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (thighs would be fine too)
Salt and pepper
1 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons diced onion
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon canola oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds
Season both sides of chicken with lightly with salt and pepper, put into crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour over chicken.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours or on high 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, or just until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from crock pot, leave sauce. Dissolve 4 teaspoons of cornstarch in 6 tablespoons of water and pour into crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce.
Replace lid and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes or until slightly thickened.
Cut chicken into bite size pieces, then return to pot and toss with sauce before serving.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles.