Smoothie Recipes #2

 

Cinnamon Roll Smoothie

 

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup oats

1 T. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 frozen banana

Garnish with cinnamon or cinnamon stick.

 

 

 

Cherry Vanilla Almond Smoothie

 

1/2 cup fresh, pitted cherries (I used maraschino this time)

1/2 cup almond milk

1 - (6 oz.) cherry yogurt

2 T. almonds

1 tsp. chia seeds

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

4-5 ice cubes

 

 

Blueberry Cobbler Smoothie

1/2 cup oats
1 cup milk
1 banana
3/4 cups blueberries
1 T. honey
1 packet of stevia
4-5 ice cubes

Blend oats until ground, then add remaining ingredients.
 

 

 

 

Mango Vanilla Smoothie

1 cup frozen mango

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
 

 

Mixed Fruit Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen mango
1 frozen banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 packet of stevia
1/2 cup milk (add more if too thick)

Garnish with fresh blueberries.

Smoothie Recipes #1

Last month, I did a smoothie challenge and I just had to share some of the delicious recipes we tried. We made all of the smoothies in the Nutribullet that Peter got for Christmas. We absolutely love it as it does a great job and is super easy to clean.

Cake Batter Smoothie

 

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

3 T. yellow cake mix (dry)

1 frozen banana

sprinkles (garnish)

Sunny Tropical Smoothie

1 orange

1 banana

1 cup fruit juice ( I used V8 Splash - peach mango)

1 cup frozen mango

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 tsp. chia seeds

Simple Strawberry Smoothie

2/3 cups frozen stawberries

1/2 banana

1/2 cup strawberry yogurt

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 tsp. chia seeds

4-5 ice cubes

 

Banana Bread Smoothie

 

1 banana (frozen)
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup oats (uncooked)
dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, & salt
splash of maple syrap
(garnish w/nutmeg)

- tasted just like banana bread...YUM!  

Raspberry-Almond-Chia Smoothie

 

2/3 cups frozen raspberries
2/3 cup almond milk
1 T. honey
1/4 cup almonds
2 tsp. chia seeds
2/3 cup vanlla yogurt


 

Lemon Meringue Smoothie

 

1/2 cup vanilla (or lemon) yogurt
2 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 cup milk (any) - I used almond milk
1/4 tsp. lemon extract
1 packet stevia
1 cup ice

- very refreshing! :O)

 

Chunky Monkey

5-6 ice cubes

1 ripe banana

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup milk (any)

2 T. peanut butter

2 tsp. cocoa powder

1-2 packets stevia

1 T. almonds

- this was one of my faves!

Orange Creamsicle

1 frozen banana

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup orange juice

3/4 cup vanilla yogurt

1 orange (peeled)

green smoothies aren't my favorite, but this one was pretty good....

Pineapple-Kale-Banana Smoothie

1 cup water

1 cup kale

1 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 frozen banana

1/4 lime (peeled)

1 T. chia seeds

{healthy} Tropical Smoothie

 

1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1/cup frozen mango
1/2 frozen banana
1/3 cup almond milk
1 T. orange juice
1 tsp. flax seeds
1 T. almonds

- delish!!

Blueberry Mango Smoothie

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 banana (frozen)

1/2 cup fresh mango

1/4 of a lemon (peeled)

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup water

drizzle of honey

- that little touch of lemon makes this very refreshing!

Green Smoothie

1 cup spinach

1/2 cup fresh pineapple

1/2 tangerine

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tsp. chia seeds

(I froze the rest of the pineapple, I think this smoothie would have been even better/colder with frozen pineapple in it).

Aloha Pineapple Smoothie

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 banana

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1 cup ice

- too good to be good for you!!

 

Strawberry Colada Smoothie 

4 oz. fresh stawberries - puree & set aside 

1 frozen banana

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 small vanilla yogurt

1 cup coconut milk

Put pineapple mixture in glass.

Swirl in stawberry puree with table knife. 

 

- this one was delicious!!

 

Grilled Soft Shell Crabs

Normally, we deep fry soft shell crabs, but a friend told me about cooking them on the grill, so we gave her recipe a try!

Line a grill pan with foil, brush the foil with olive oil. Put crabs on tray then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Old Bay, salt, and pepper.

 

Grill on low heat, turning once.

 

 

YUM!!

 

Yellow Squash and Onions [on the grill]

 

 Brush a foil pan with olive oil. Slice squash and onion and put in pan. Drizzle with olive oil and put a few pats of butter on top. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat. Turn frequently with tongs until tender.

 

 

Easy Low-Cal Icy Smoothie

 

1 cup strawberries
1-1/2 bananas
1 can diet 7-up
1 cup ice

Makes 2-8 oz. servings.

 

 

I'm still using my dinosaur blender (32 years & counting).......I really "need" a pretty new blender.....

Crockpot Beef Stew

Now, I've been making the same beef stew recipe for years (it's my mama's recipe), and up until today, never found a recipe that could compare. I was skeptical about even trying another recipe. I mean, when something's good, why mess with it? But, I'm all about trying new recipes, and this one is a winner!

Here's the recipe:

Crockpot Beef Stew

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 lbs. beef cubes
2 T. oil

1-1/2 cups water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 (10-3/4 oz.) can condensed tomato soup
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 teaspoon basil
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2-3 medium sized potatoes - cut into pieces
1 onion - cut into quarters
2 stalks celery - cut into pieces
3 carrots - cut into pieces
1 jar mushrooms or 8 oz. fresh
3/4 cup frozen peas

• Put flour in a gallon-size Ziploc bag. Add beef cubes; shake to coat.
• Heat oil; brown beef cubes then put in crockpot.
• To pan, add water and bouillon cubes. Dissolve and stir; scraping pan to remove bits.
• Remove from heat and add soup, seasonings, and bay leaves. Stir together and pour over meat in crockpot.
• Add potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, and mushrooms.
• Cover and cook on high 4 hours or low 6 hrs. Add peas for the last 30 minutes.
• Discard bay leaves and serve.

Recipe adapted from: Gonna Want Seconds

Grilled Pizza

Now, I've tried all kinds of pizza, but I think this pizza was one of the best pizzas I've ever eaten! If you love pizza and you love to grill, this recipe is a must try! It was super easy and so delicious!

Here's my recipe:

Pizza crust- I pulled out the bread machine and made the basic pizza dough recipe. I use this recipe all the time, it always turns out perfectly.
 

*You can also make your own or make a quick pizza crust from a mix.

 

 

Make dough according to bread machine intructions and once the dough is ready

 

 

 divide the dough in half and press it out flat.

 

Sprinkle with corn meal (or you could use flour) so it wasn't sticky.

 

Brush the grill with olive oil as well as the crust.

 

Grill over low heat until edges start to bubble a little.

 

Turn with tongs and grill a few minutes longer until crust starts to brown.

 

Next, spread pizza sauce on crust and top with your favorite toppings. I used fresh pineapple, green pepper, onion, pepperoni, mushroom, mozzarella cheese, and a little fresh parmesan cheese.

 

Grill a few minutes longer, until cheese melts and veggies wilt a little. Delicious!!!

 

Here are a few more grilled pizza ideas via Pinterest.

 

Shrimp & Pesto

Grilled BBQ Chicken Pizza

Caprese w/ Balsamic



Margherita Pizza

 

White Bean Chicken Chili

We love chili and normally I make the classic red chili with ground beef, but today, I tried a new recipe for White Bean Chicken Chili.

It's very easy (crock pot easy) and very tasty! It's a healthy version of a favorite classic!

-White Bean Chicken Chili-

2-3 boneless chicken breast

(I cooked the chicken until almost done in a little water on top of the stove before transferring to crock pot)

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 onion - chopped
1 *jalapeno - seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 (15 oz.) cans cannellini or white kidney beans - drained and rinsed
3 cups chicken broth (I used the broth from chicken I cooked earlier)

Toppings: shredded cheese (I used Mexican Blend), sour cream, tortilla chips, or any of your favorite chili toppings.

Put chicken in bottom of crock pot. Add seasonings, onion, jalapeno, garlic, and beans. Next, pour broth over everything and cover. Simmer on high 4-6 hrs. or low 6-8 hrs.

Shred chicken and stir before serving. Sprinkle with cheese and your favorite toppings.

 

 

*if you want more heat, add an extra jalapeno, a hotter pepper, or a can of green chilies to the recipe.

 

 

Side Note: I used a (small) crock pot for years and absolutely loved it! It cooked evenly and quickly, and you could remove the pan to brown on top of the stove.

 

It, however, wasn't big enough for all recipes (like the Easter ham of 2013) LOL. (BTW, that ham recipe was delicious!!)

 

So, I put a new, bigger crock pot on my wish list and Nathan gave me this one last year for Christmas.

 

Crock - Pot The Original Slow Cooker

I love all the settings and I really love the size, but it has taken some getting used to as it doesn't cook as quickly as my old crock pot. It actually takes almost twice as long to cook in this one. I have to put things in super early to have dinner ready at a decent time. Maybe I'll get used to it, if not, I may have to start doing some crock pot research! Any recommendations?