Fun Food Find Friday!!

Our Fun Food Find for today is Hansen's Natural Cane Soda. I know I've said this before but, I'm not a big soda fan. We don't really drink it in our home. But there are some occasions that we do have it. One of those is when we go camping. While growing up we always had lots of drinks when we went camping. It's fun to have lots of different drinks and juices besides water. So when I found these I was excited to be able to do that for my kids too! They don't have caffeine. The sugar they use it cane sugar. I'm not quite sure what stage of the sugar that is. But I like that they only have a few ingredients. My kids really like these. I think they have great flavor when they're flat, but I've always liked my pop to be a little flat without so much fizz. :]
You can buys these at the health food stores and at Costco.

Just a side note:
Tomorrow is when I'm going to take my kids trick-or-treating. I always have people ask me what I do about all of the sugar. So I'd thought I would share what I do with you.

I have a Halloween store. I buy toys and little things that I know my kids want. I even let them pick out some of the stuff. If it's a big toy, like one Santa would bring, then that is all they get. If it's a smaller toy they might be able to get more than one. So when they get home from trick-or-treating they use their candy as money to buy things out of my store. I let them also trade me for treats that I've shared with you on Fun Food Fridays, but only a few here and there.

So there you have it, that is what we do with all of the sugar. If we get home early enough I give out my kids candy (after they give it to me for their toys) to other trick-or-treaters that come by.

Wisdom Wednesday!!

I'm sick, so the Wisdom for today is...

When You're sick, drink lots of liquids and get lots and lots and LOTS of rest. :]

Chicken Chili

Now that the weather is getting colder, I thought I'd start cooking some of the delicious soups, stews, and chili's that are out there. When I looked online for a good chicken chili recipe, there were tons. But there wasn't one that I thought sounded good just as is or with a few changes. So I took what I had read and pieced a few together with some of my changes and this is what happened. If I must say so, this is the best chicken chili I've ever tasted! I'm not a huge hot spice fan, and this isn't the hottest, but it did have some heat to it. Just enough to make it a chili and to clean your pallet, but not so much that you couldn't finish you bowl. It is a wonderfully warming chili. Serve it with my Corn Bread found here.

Chicken Chili

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 tablespoon butter

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 15oz can black beans, drained

1 14oz can great Northern beans, drained

2 14oz cans diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 14oz can chicken broth

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon dried cilantro

dash of salt

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Directions

In a large sauce pan cook the chicken in butter for about 5 minutes, then add onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook until chicken is no longer pink in center. Transfer to a large pot on stove top. Add the black beans, northern beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, brown sugar, vinegar, chili powder, cumin, cilantro, and salt. Stir well. Cook on medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Tomatoes

I had to give you two pictures with this recipe. With the cheese on top you just couldn't see all of the goodness from the stuffing. This was heavenly! My son who does not like tomatoes even ate it. The slight spice from the turkey sausage pared with the sweetness from the tomato is delightful and very filling. Most people would serve this as a side, but I would suggest that this could be the main attraction. It has plenty of heartiness with the sausage. Your family or guests will love it!

Stuffed Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 large ripe tomatoes

1 cup crushed Gluten Free crackers (I use these)

2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 small onion, diced

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 teaspoons butter

1 4oz. can diced green chilies

1 recipe turkey sausage, see below

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*F. Cut the tops off of the tomatoes and use a knife to cut around the inside, separating the flesh from the skin. Scoop out the flesh and set aside to use for later. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish. In a sauce pan, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Add flesh from the tomatoes, crackers, sausage, and green chilies; mix well. In the bottom of each tomato put a little cheese. Then fill with sausage mixture. Bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove and top with remaining cheese and return to oven to bake for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

Turkey Sausage

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground turkey

1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon evaporated cane juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

In a bowl combine all ingredients well. In a sauce pan cook turkey sausage on medium high heat until cooked through; continually stirring to break up turkey so that it resembles cooked hamburger.

Fun Food Find Friday!!

Our Fun Find today is Brown Rice Tortillas. I love these!! They taste just like white flour tortillas but they are much better for you. They are wheat and gluten free. These are what I have use in my recipes when it calls for tortillas. Try them I'm sure you'll like them.

I get these at the health food stores in the freezer section.

Apple Bars

Really when you say, bars, it really means dense and moist. These are a little more cake like, but I'm still going to call them bars. They are very sweet and a perfect fall treat. They are nice because they are made with less gluten flour for those of you who are gluten intolerant. And you don't have to sacrifice any flavor either. Oh and don't tell anyone, they are fat free too!

Apple Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup LG flour mix

3 1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 heaping teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon xantham gum

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons applesauce

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

1/2 cup evaporated cane juice

2 cups apples, chopped into small pieces

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice

3 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 cup organic powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and xantham gum. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together organic brown sugar, 1/2 cup evaporated cane juice, and applesauce until smooth. Stir in egg and vanilla. Then add the flour mixture. With a hand blender add the apples and blend for 2 minutes. Mixture will be thick. It will thin out as you blend the apples. Spread the mixture evenly into prepared pan. Mix the remaining cinnamon and evaporated cane juice and sprinkle over mixture. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until bars spring back when lightly touched. Cool in pan. Cut into squares and dust with organic powdered sugar.

Original recipe found here.

Wisdom Wednesday!!

Vitamin A

When you think of Vitamin A, do you think about your eyes? Well most people do and that's because your retina in your eyes need vitamin A to be healthy, to see color. But there are other things that your body needs vitamin A for. You need it for bone growth, healthy skin, cell division, reproduction, and cell differentiation (that's when a cell becomes part of the brain, lungs, or other specific tissue in your body). Vitamin A helps strengthen your immune system. It helps make white blood cells. It helps strengthen the lining in your urinary, intestinal, and respiratory tracts. If these are not healthy then it becomes easier for bacteria to grow in your body.

There are two forms of vitamin A and you get them from two different sources, plants and animals. Most people get it from plants, fruits and vegetables. Some of the foods that are rich in vitamin A include:

Liver

Sweet Potatoes

Carrots

Mangoes

Dried Apricots

Cantaloupe

Spinach

Kale

Peas

Tomatoes

Papayas

Milk

Egg Yolks

Mozzarella Cheese

Beef

Chicken

The good thing about Vitamin A is that if you have a deficiency it is easy to recover from it. You simply have to eat more of these foods. So Happy Healthy Eating!

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A

http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamina.asp

http://ask.yahoo.com/20001011.html

Peach Crisp

This year I put up 1 and a half bushels of peaches. I also made some delicious peach leather. Then I thought what else can I do with these peaches? I love peach cobbler, but I didn't want to get my dutch ovens out. So I found this recipe for a peach crisp. I loved that it didn't have hardly any fat in it, so easy to make changes to. It turned out wonderful! I even took some to a baby blessing and they loved it. I especially like that the crust is a little thicker. I'm one of those people that like the cake part. What a yummy fall treat with peaches!

Peach Crisp

Ingredients

4 cups sliced and peeled fresh peaches

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons organic brown sugar

2 cups LG flour mix

2/3 cup evaporated cane juice

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon xantham gum

2 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 teaspoons evaporated cane juice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F. Spray an 8 inch square baking dish with non stick cooking spray. In a bowl, combine the peaches, orange juice, organic brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Transfer to prepared dish. Combine the flour, evaporated cane juice, baking powder, and xantham gum. Add eggs and butter and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over peaches. Combine the 3 teaspoons of evaporated cane juice and the 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle over crumb mixture. Bake for 55 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve warm.

Two-Bean Tamale Pie

MIA

Sorry I was MIA last week. It was a crazy week to say the least. I'll spare you the details, just know that I'm back and I have some wonderful recipes to share with you. :]

Lately I've been looking for more recipes that are vegetarian. Not that I have anything against meat, I don't. I been wondering how they do it. I know there are a lot of yummy dishes that people make and even some that I've made without thinking, 'let's make a vegetarian dish tonight'. When I came across this recipe I thought it sounded really good, it seemed pretty easy to make, and there were lots of changes I could make to it to make it even more healthy. I've made it a few times. The picture above is from the first time I made it. It was okay but I made it better and forgot to take a picture of the better version. The version I'm sharing with you today. I loved it! It was amazing how filling it was. The slight spiciness of the beans went perfectly together with the sweetness of the corn bread. It just hit the spot. And to top it all off, this is another wonderful gluten free dish!

Two-Bean Tamale Pie

Ingredients

1 medium red sweet pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced

2 teaspoons butter

1 can black beans, drained, rinsed, and slightly mashed

1 can pinto beans, drained, rinsed, and slightly mashed

1 4 oz can diced green Chile peppers

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onion

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Topping

1 cup corn flour

1/2 cup corn meal

1/2 cup evaporated can juice

1/2 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup rice milk

2 eggs

2 tablespoons applesauce

Directions

Preheat oven to 400*F. Grease a *deep 2-quart baking dish and set aside. In a medium skillet cook sweet pepper, onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in pinto and black beans, chili powder, cumin, diced tomatoes, and green chiles; heat through. Spoon mixture into the prepared dish.

In a medium bowl combine corn flour, corn meal, evaporated cane juice, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl combine rice milk, eggs, and applesauce. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and combine well. Pour corn bread mixture on top of bean mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the corn bread comes out clean. Can serve with salsa and sour cream.

*If you do not use a deep baking dish the corn bread will raise and fall over the side of the dish while baking. I like to use my corning ware deep dish.

Fun Food Find Friday!!

Our Fun Food Find for today is Rice Lasagna noodles by De Boles. These are gluten free and have a very yummy flavor. My family doesn't even notice when I use these instead of whole wheat.

You can find these at the health food stores.

Crock pot Chicken Enchiladas

It's fall now, so you can use your oven with no problem. But I still get busy and sometimes I need to make dinner when my kids are at school so I can get stuff done with them when they get home. I love chicken enchiladas. So when I saw this recipe I was more than excited to try it out. And I love how it turned out. It really does have all of the wonderful flavors of my 'cook in the oven' green Chile Enchiladas. The only differences are, there is no rice, it doesn't take as long to put together, and it is a little soupy. These are so delicious, you need to try them I promise you if you like green Chile enchiladas, you'll love them!

Crock pot Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 can chopped green chile's

1 can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can green enchilada sauce

1 can black beans, drained

6 gluten free tortillas, or whole wheat, cut into 3/4 inch strips

2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed into small pieces

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

2 large tomatoes, chopped

2 cups chopped lettuce

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

Directions

Spray a 3 to 4 quart slow cooker/crock pot with cooking spray. In cooker, spread 1/2 of the green chile's and 1/4 of the enchilada sauce to cover the bottom. Spread 1/3 of the chicken over the sauce. In a medium bowl, mix remaining chiles and enchilada sauce with the soup. Arrange 1/3 of the tortilla strips over the chicken in the cooker. Top with more chicken, 1/2 cup of the beans, and 1 cup of the sauce, spreading to the edges of the cooker to completely cover the tortilla strips. Repeat layers twice. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or until the chicken is no long pink in the center. Top with cheese. Cover and cook about 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Serve with tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream.

Fun Food Find Friday!!

Today the Fun Food Find is a cereal, EnviroKids Organic Amazon Frosted Flakes. They are gluten free and oh so yummy! My kids loved them. And the best part is they don't have that many ingrediants. So they are much healthier for you than the normal frosted flakes. I think that they tastes better too.

You can find these at the Health Food stores and on line.

Orange Baked Acorn Squash

A few Sundays ago I wasn't feeling very well. My husband was home and decided that he was going to experiment for me. He found this recipe and then asked me what changes I would make to it if I were going to cook it. He made this amazing Orange Baked Acorn Squash. I had never had Acorn Squash before. I had no idea how it tasted. Well let me tell you, this way is delicious! I love how the orange mixes with the apple to give the squash a nice sweet taste. I would never have thought to put those two flavors together but they work. And they work well! I had some of my family try this. Those who liked squash loved it, those who don't care that much for squash loved it. If you have never tried an Acorn Squash and want to, use this recipe!

Orange Baked Acorn Squash

Ingredients

1 acorn squash, halved and de-seeded

1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed but not diluted

1 tablespoon butter, melted

2 teaspoons organic brown sugar

1 apple, peeled de-seeded and cut in half

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*F. Fill a 2 qt. baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Place squash halves cut side down in the dish, and bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven. In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, butter, and organic brown sugar. Remove squash from oven. Turn squash halves cut side up in the baking dish. Drizzle a little of the orange mixture in the middle of the squash. Place half of the apple in each of the squash and drizzle the remaining orange mixture over the squash, making sure to drizzle on the sides too. Return to oven and continue baking for 25 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!!

Widsom Wednesday!!

Nutmeg

I love ground nutmeg. I love the smell of it. I love the taste of it. Right now while I'm typing this I can almost taste my Banana Bread French Toast. Oh delightful!! Because nutmeg is one of the spices on my love list I was really excited when I came across this article. It states that there are 5 health benefits you can use nutmeg for besides making your food taste scrumptious. For example they say that you can use nutmeg for zits! Yep zits. Make a paste with nutmeg and milk and it can help your zits. For the rest of the list click here, and here's to a happy healthier you!

Roasted Tomato Pasta

I've made the roasted tomato soup so many times over the last few weeks that one night I wondered out loud if there was anything else we could use it for. My oldest son suggested that it would taste really good with noodles in it. He was right! It was an instant hit! Here you have the deliciousness of the roasted tomato soup combined with the heartiness of the noodles. It is a perfect pasta dish and great if you don't want to make grilled cheese to go with it. :]

Roasted Tomato Pasta

Ingredients

8-10 ripe tomatoes, courted and seeded

1 1/2 teaspoon butter or extra-virgin olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 heaping tablespoon, dried basil deaves

4 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 14oz can chicken broth (reduced sodium and fat free)

1 package of noodles, rice or whole wheat, cooked according to package directions

Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tomatoes on the prepared baking sheet; cut side down, and sprinkle with salt. Broil until skins are blistered, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then slip off the skins.

Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onions are very soft. Stir in tomatoes and cook for about 1 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth; return to the sauce pan. Stir in broth, celery salt, honey, and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add noodles and stir. Top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Peach-Mango Smoothie

My husband loves drinks, non alcoholic drinks. When we first started dating he would always mix us up some concoction. Anywhere from a virgin lime margarita to drinks I wasn't sure what was in them, I just knew they were good. So for his birthday this year I wanted to find a drink or smoothie that he liked. One of his favorite fruits are mangos, so when I saw this recipe I was excited to try it. I made it for him for to go with his breakfast, and it was a hit! Pretty easy to do too, which is always nice.

Mango-Peach Smoothie

Ingredients

1 small peach, peeled and sliced

1 mango, peeled and diced

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 cup orange juice, or as needed

Directions

Place the peach, mango, rice milk, and orange juice into a blender. Cover and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses to serve.

Fun Food Find Friday!!

Our Fun Find For Today is Gus Grown-up Soda. If you like sparkling juices you'll like these. On the label it says, "not too sweet" and they're right. They don't have a lot of sugar in them and it is cane, not refined. I love that they contain juice too. My kids like these and so do I.

I bought these at the Health Food Stores.