Birthday Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cups cake mix, I used Betty Crocker Party Rainbow
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups of milk, depending on cake mix and consistancy
fold in colorful birthday sprinkles
can also mash a banana into it, or toss in some blueberries

Then cook the pancakes like you normally do. My kids love these!

Homemade Deoderant

So I have been allergic to the aluminum something or other in all deoderants pretty much ever since I started using it. So over the last 8 or so years I have had to use these silly all natural ones that NEVER worked, I always smelled if I even thought about breaking a sweat! UNTIL my cousin Betsy told me about how she makes her own and it works so great, she never smells, and its so easy to make! She found the recipe from this website: www.edibleperspective.com

I will never go back to storebought stuff!

6 Tbsp organic coconut oil
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup baking soda
4 capsules 400 IU Vitamin E oil
10-20 drops of an essential oil (I used tea tree oil, but this website girl used peppermint and sweet orange, I couldn't find sweet orange) I will probably switch it up whenever I have to buy more until I find a favorite)

Soften the coconut oil in the microwave, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. I store it in a glass jar with a lid. It hardened, but I just rub it between my fingers for a couple seconds to soften it then apply.

Creamy Spinach Dip

1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
1-2 cups fresh spinach, ripped into little pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup freshly shredded parmessan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of paprika
pinch of cayenne
handful of shredded cheddar

In a medium bowl add cream cheese, parmessan, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne. Use a hand mixer, beat until well combined. Add in spinach and bell pepper and beat until just mixed. Spread out evenly into greased baking dish. Top with shredded cheddar and bake at 375 for 15 minutes or until cheese is well melted but not burning.
I liked this with carrots, celery and tortilla chips.

Honey Garlic Chicken

In the middle of cooking this dinner and entertaining 3 kids I realized I was out of honey....so I texted my sweet neighbor then ran next door for a cup of honey. God bless those sweet neighbors. Thankfully she is awesome and buys buckets of raw honey! Just a tip, make sure you have enough of all the ingredients before starting.

8 chicken tenders or 4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp ground ginger
1 tbsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp thyme
2 tsp sage
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine flour and seasonings in medium bowl

then make an egg wash in a small bowl by mixing together:
4 eggs
8 tbsp water

Set chicken out on a plate and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then take each piece of chicken dip into the flour spice mixture then into the eggwash then once more into the flour spice mixture, pressing it hard to get good contact.
Heat a deep skillet on the stove with 1/2 inch of olive oil covering the bottom. Heat under medium, maybe between 4 and 5 out of 10. You want them brown and crispy but juicy in the middle.

For the Honey Garlic Sauce:
In a medium saucepan heat
2 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
Cook over medium heat but do not let the garlic brown
Add 1 cup of honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp black pepper
Simmer 5 minutes
Remove and let cool before serving

Simply pour a spoonful over chicken

This is a tad complicated, maybe it was just my circumstances that made it that way but it was well worth the effort. Such a delicious dish! All 3 kids even ate it!

Cauliflower Buffalo Wings

We love us some buffalo wings and since we have moved so far away from a Buffalo Wild Wings, I have had to improvise. These I founds online and actually satisfy our craving for some good wings but in a healthier way. When we do get away and eat at a buffalo wilds wing's I buy ther bottles of wing sauce for home. If you don't have one close or don't want to use there sauce I would suggest Frank's Red Hot Sauce.

1 head of Cauliflower
2 tbsp cornstarch
2-3 eggs, beaten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Buffalo Wild Wing's mild or medium sauce
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray
In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs and salt and pepper
In another bowl beat your eggs
Break up your cauliflower into large bite size chunks. Toss into a large ziploc bad with cornstarch and shanke until well coated.
Remove each piece of cauliflower from bag and dip into the egg, shaking off excess, then dip into the breadcrumbs, then set on the baking sheet. Continue til done.
Bake for 20-30 minutes. Tender on the inside but browning on the outside.

**Serve with buffalo sauce, ranch, bleu cheese, celery and a beer! Or whatever satisfies your buffalo wing craving!

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I love PF Changs lettuce wraps so this is what I came up with between another online recipe and my own tweaking.

1 lb ground turkey or chicken
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp water
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp + 1 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
dash of pepper
3 green onions chopped
8oz can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
1/4 dry roasted peanuts
10 or so outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

**Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add ground turkey, onion, gralic, salt and pepper.

**Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl mix together: sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Heat in microwave for 20 seconds, then pour over turkey once its completley cooked.

**Add green onions and water chestnuts to the skillet and let cook for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve with cold lettuce leaves.

***I also make a sauce to add on top of the wrap.
In a small bowl mix together
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chili garlic sauce
2 tsp yellow mustard

(If you want it more spicy add more chili garlic sauce, if you made it too spicy add more soy sauce. the redder it is the hotter)

No Bake Energy Bites

1 cup dry old fashioned oats 1 cup toasted coconut flakes 1/2 creamy peanut butter 1/2 ground flaxseed 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips 1/3 cup honey 1 tsp vanilla Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Set in fridge for 30 minutes. Then roll into small bite size balls and store in an air tight container in fridge. Keep in fridge for up to a week. These are the perfect afternoon pick me up sweet snack when the yawn attacks start :-)

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili

Yum yum yum! Definatly fitting for a cold lazy day inside.

1 onion, chopped
1 16oz can black beans, rinsed
1 16oz can kidney beans
1 8oz can tomato sauce
10oz package frozen corn kernels
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes with chiles
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
sour cream, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro are ideal for topping

In your crock pot: throw in all ingredients, stir together, set chicken on top. Cook on low for 8 hours, half hour before serving remove chicken, let cool, then shred and put back in crock pot. We piled this on top of tortilla chips in a bowl then topped with sour cream, shredded cheese and fresh cilantro before digging in!

Gotta love comfort food!

Lemon Garlic Parsley Tilapia

Best Tilapia ever!

1 Tbsp butter
2 large Tilapia fillets
1 Tbsp cajun seasoning
1 lemon, juiced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

A few hours before dinner I set the fillets on a plate, sprinkled the cajun over, then the garlic and parsley then soaked them in lemon juice. Let set in fridge for a few hours. To cook: Heat skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Add fillets and cook about 7 minutes on each side til browning and it flakes easy with a fork.

I served this with rice and garlicky green beans (a few posts back)

Herbed Lemon Chicken with Vegetables

1 tablespoon butter
5 skinless/boneless chicken tenders
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into sticks
1/2 yellow onion, chopped into wedges
5 garlic cloves, peeled
handful of sliced mushrooms
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick wedges
2 cans chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
ground black pepper
garlic salt

In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add chicken tenders just to seal the outside, so 2 minutes on each side. Set aside. In a slow cooker add carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic and mushrooms. Add broth and chicken then seasonings. I'm usually not one to buy fresh herbs but I think the fresh parsley made a huge difference in flavor. Cook on low for 6 hours.

This had such great flavor!

Rosemary Chicken with Vegetables

1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 potatoes, peeled, cut and cubed
1 14oz can chicken broth
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
12 grape tomatoes
handful of fresh trimmed green beans
1 yellow onion finely chopped
1/4 cup white wine
juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 450. In a 9x13 baking dish combine the olive oil and potatoes, coating potatoes in oil. Bake for 15 minutes until potatoes are slightly browned. Add the broth, chicken, tomatoes, onion, green beans and celery. Sprinkle with the sage, rosemary, parsley and pepper. Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.

This had such great flavor and the chicken was tender and juicy!

Lemon-Oregano Tilapia

4 Tilapia fillets
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

brown or white rice (For 2 people 1 cup uncooked rice is plenty)
1 teaspoon parsley

In a bowl mix together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, garlic salt and pepper. Set fillets in baking dish, pour marinade over fillets and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Then heat some olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat and cook fillets on each side 7ish minutes. Fish is done when it easily flakes apart with a fork.

Meanwhile, cook rice according to package instructions. Once done add in parsley.

Good spices for a simple fish dish!

Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries and more....

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 banana,1/2 inch slices

Preheat oven to 375. Spray inside of 9x13 baking dish. Set baking dish on a cookie sheet in case it bubbles over.
In a large bowl mix together oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, half of walnuts, half the strawberries and half the chocoalte chips.
In another large bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, vanilla and butter.
Add the oat mixture to the baking dish. Arrange the remaining strawberries, walnuts and chocolate chips on top. Add the banana slices to the top and pour the milk mixture over everything. Gently shimmy-shake the dish so the milk spreads evenly throughout.
Bake 30-40 minutes until nicely golden brown on top and all the milk has been soaked up.

Tilapia in Spicy Tomato Broth

I was a little iffy trying this one but I was surprised at how tasty it was. I will make it again!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 14.5 oz can no salt added diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 lemon juiced
2-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
salt and pepper
4 tilapia fillets

Heat the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until soft. Transfer the onion to a slow cooker and add the tomatoes, broth, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, curry powder, salt and pepper. Stir and cover. Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Add the fish to the sauce and cover and cook for another hour or until fish flakes easily.

*The settings on my slow cooker are Keep Warm, Low and High. I kept it on low the whole time. Just make sure it gets hot enough, but not super bubbly and burning.

Lime Cilantro Chicken

a few tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup orange juice
1 lime juiced
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until soft. Add the orange and lime juices and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cilantro, salt and pepper. Set chicken in a baking dish and pour marinade over chicken. Marinate for anywhere from one hour to 24 hours. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes depending on how thick chicken is and/or altitude. I served this with sweet potato fries and steamed brocoli and cauliflower. Such a great dinner!