YUMMY "SUPER SHAKE"

I went to the Hearts at Home convention for moms last weekend, and I listened to a great speaker talk about "Habit-Based Nutrition for a Healthier You." She had a lot of great tips and habits to live by. I am really working hard in this area of my life, not only for me, but for my family. Anyhow..... She shared a "Super Shake" recipe that is not only yummy and refreshing, but also helps you get some of those veggies into your diet that are hard to do. I switched things up a bit, but here is my adapted version of the recipe:

8 oz. coconut milk (though you can use any kind of milk you want - I liked the cocunut milk because it added more "sweetness" to it)
1/2 frozen banana
1 TBSP Peanut Butter
1 6oz carton of light yogurt (I used Dannon Light and Fit Toasted Coconut Vanilla because that is all I had on hand, but you could also use just plain vanilla)
2 cups crushed ice
2-3 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves

Throw in a blender and mix until smooth.

I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was! I think I'll be making one at least every other day. Mmmmm...good!

CRUNCHY HONEY MUSTARD CHICKEN TENDERS

I had thawed some chicken yesterday and then didn't end up using it, so I needed something quick and easy to make tonight that used chicken breasts. This recipe fit the bill perfectly. I will definitely be making it again!

Ingredients:

1 package uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 ¾ pounds)

½ to ¾ cup honey mustard

1/8 tsp table salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

4 Tbsp butter (or more if you’d like)

2 cups (approx.) crushed cornflake crumbs

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into strips (or at least cut into smaller pieces).

2. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Put honey mustard dressing in one container and the crushed corn flakes in another.

4. Dip the chicken in the dressing and then in the corn flakes.

5. Place your coated chicken into a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

6. Melt about 4 Tablespoons of butter and drizzle it over the chicken before baking.

7. Bake the chicken in a preheated 425 F oven for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

8. Serve with honey mustard as a dip if desired.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH DIP

Woah! Want something to satisfy that sweet tooth without ruining your diet? Here it is, folks! This cookie dough dip is wonderful, addicting, and won't pack on the pounds. It's another goodie from Chocolate Covered Katie.

Punkin and I made it together yesterday, and we ended up just eating it ...ummm....from the bowl with spoons! Oops! No dipping for us....just straight from the bowl, baby! :) I even ate it for my breakfast this morning. Okay, no judging, people. It does have oatmeal in it! :) Now, it does have a very odd main ingredient in it that you just don't want to mention to anyone you are serving it to. They'll never know the difference if you don't tell them. My husband got into it when he got home from work yesterday. I asked him how he liked it, and he agreed it was very yummy. But he said, "Why in the world would you make a big bowl of cookie dough just to eat? Especially when you are trying NOT to eat that kind of stuff right now!" I just grinned and said, "Because I CAN! It's healthy!" He kinda raised his eyebrow like, "Yeah, right." Then I told him what was in it and he said, " And I ATE that?" Ha! :)

Here's how I did it:

• 1 can chickpeas (drained)
• 1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
• tiny bit over 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 T milk
• 2/3 cups brown sugar
• 3 T oats
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips) to a good food processor (not blender), and blend until very smooth. Then mix in the chocolate chips.

Delicious! I'm going to make some more this weekend! She also has a complete sugar free recipe for this dip HERE, but I didn't have any pitted dates on hand, and it does take 8 hours of soaking the dates first.

YUMMY CAKE BATTER PUPPY CHOW

Oh my deliciousness! I made this today for our Moms Night Out tonight, and I hope I don't eat it all before I get there! :) Here is my version of the recipe. You can go HERE to see the original.

Cake Batter Puppy Chow
Makes 5 cups

5 cups Chex cereal (I prefer the Rice Chex)
1 12 oz. pkg of white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups yellow or funfetti cake mix
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp oil, optional
sprinkles, optional

1. Melt white chocolate according to the package directions, adding 1 tbsp of oil to thin.
2. Pour melted white chocolate chips over the cereal in a medium sized bowl with lid (if possible) and mix together so cereal is completely coated.
3. Pour the cake mix and powdered sugar in the bowl with the coated cereal.
4. Put a lid on the bowl and shake until the cereal is evenly coated. (If you don't have a bowl with a lid, dump everything into a large ziploc bag, seal, and shake.)
5. Optional: Add sprinkles for decoration.

This was seriously so much better than I imagined it would be. Be careful.....once you start, you can't stop!!!

PUMPKIN OATMEAL....KINDA

If you have never heard of Chocolate Covered Katie, let me introduce her to you. She has a great blog of recipes that are delicious but healthy. Some of her ingredients may seem a bit odd, but you gotta just go with it! You won't be sorry! If you serve her recipes to family or friends, just let it be a little secret between you and Katie as to what is really in it! :)

I made this recipe for my breakfast this morning. I doubled the recipe, thinking I'd save half of it for tomorrow. Ummmm....well, I ended up eating half of it for breakfast and the rest for lunch! It was so yummy! (Of course, I LOVE pumpkin. If you don't like pumpkin, this one isn't for you.) I call it Pumpkin Oatmeal. She calls it Pumpkin Bread in a Bowl.

1/3 c canned pumpkin (or cooked pumpkin)
3/4 c milk (or vanilla yogurt)
1 cup flake cereal (bran, corn, etc. or even oatmeal!)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
sweetener (such as stevia, sugar, or even maple syrup)
optional: chocolate chips, pecans

Blend all ingredients together. The cereal will have a thin consistency at first, but if you leave it in the fridge (after blending) for even just 10 minutes, it starts to get really thick!
If you’re using the optional pecans or chocolate chips, you can either blend them right in or sprinkle them on top after serving.

I used brown sugar in mine. I just put in about a Tbsp at first and then kept adding small amounts to my taste preference. I used corn flakes and regular milk and it was yummy, but I think next time I may try the vanilla yogurt and oatmeal ideas. Ooh! I'm already looking forward to using up the rest of the can of pumpkin that is now sitting in my refrigerator!

LIL' CHEDDAR MEATLOAVES

We love these at our house...even my 3 year old and my husband who has never liked meatloaf in his life! I make a double or triple recipe and freeze what we won't eat for dinner that night. (Freeze them without the sauce on a wax paper lined cookie sheet until frozen, then put them in a ziploc bag to store. Make the sauce and add it to them whenever you actually thaw and cook them.) Then, when I don't have time to make dinner, I go and take out however many little loaves I want, quick mix the sauce, and stick them in the oven.

Lil' Cheddar Meatloaves

1 egg
¾ c. milk
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
½ c. quick-cooking oats
½ c. chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. lean ground beef

Sauce:

⅔ c. ketchup
½ c. packed brown sugar
1 ½ tsp. mustard

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into 8 loaves and place in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Spoon over loaves. Bake, uncovered at 350º for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and meat thermometer reads 160º. Makes 8 servings.