Fun Food Find Friday!!

Our Fun Food Find for today is Lets do Sprinkelz. They are the perfect topping for cupcakes, cakes, and ice cream. They taste wonderful! They are not as bright as the sprinkles you normally see at grocery stores. These ones don't have all of the extra food coloring in them. They are gluten free too. My kids love them!

I have bought these at health food stores as well as www.naturalcandystore.com

Turkey Pasta Soup

Sorry about not posting yesterday for Wisdom Wednesday. It was a crazy day. :]

This spring has been so cold and rainy where I live. When the weather is like that outside I like to have warm food inside. This is a wonderful soup. It has lots of flavor and is very filling. Everyone who has tried it has loved it, even my children. :] Another good thing about this recipe is that it is quick. It only takes about 30 minutes to make and you have a wonderful healthy meal!

Turkey Pasta Soup

Ingredients

2 cups uncooked small brown rice or whole wheat pasta shells

1 pound 99% lean ground turkey

2 medium onions, chopped

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

5 cups water

5 teaspoons better than bullion

2 cans white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, cook turkey with onion over medium heat, continually breaking up ground turkey until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute longer. In a separate bowl combine water and better than bullion until dissolved, then add to stock pot along with beans, tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Drain pasta and add to the soup. Cook 5 minutes longer or until heated through and enjoy!!

Original recipe found on tasteofhome.com

Orange Chicken Teriyaki

Here is another winner when it comes to cooking in the crock pot. I think the thing I like the most about this recipe, besides it's unique wonderful flavor, is that I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen. I love when I don't have to go to the store to make something quick when I don't have the time. So here is a recipe for just those occasions. I hope you like it as much as we did. Oh and I actually cooked this at the hotel when we were living there. I hope the aroma didn't bother the other guests too much. :]

Orange Chicken Teriyaki

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or tenders
1 large onion, minced

3 teaspoons garlic, minced

1/4 cup braggs liquid aminos

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

1/4 coup honey

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 unpeeled orange, sliced into thin slices

2 tablespoons corn starch

Cooked rice, or quinoa

Directions

Place onions and garlic in crock pot. Place chicken on top. Mix braggs, honey, orange juice, organic brown sugar, corn starch, and ginger together and pour over chicken. Cover with thinly sliced oranges. Cook on high setting for 4 hours or low setting for 8 hours. When chicken is cooked through serve over rice or quinoa, and enjoy!!!

Adapted from betterrecipes.com

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

The reason 'Easy' is in the title of this recipe is because it is just that easy to make.

I love cooking in the crock pot and having dinner ready, or pretty much ready, when I get home from a busy day. Or when your kitchen and furniture are all over the place. Or when you're living at a hotel. :] This is perfect for one of those occasions. It is packed with flavor and the aroma will make others want to eat dinner with you. Try it, you'll love it!

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breast

3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix, see below

1/2 cup water

Corn, whole wheat, or Brown rice tortillas

Favorite taco toppings

Directions

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. Mix taco seasoning with water and pour over the top of the chicken breasts, coating completely. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 4-6 hours. When chicken is cooked through, use two forks to shred chicken. Serve on your choice of tortillas with your favorite toppings and enjoy!!

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano flakes

1/4 teaspoon paprika powder

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients well. Store in an airtight container.

Source: adapted from betterrecipes.com

p.s. I have no idea why there are so many spaced between the lines. I've been trying to fix my last few posts for weeks and I can't figure it out, so sorry. :] Amy

Fun Food Find Friday!!

With summer coming that means it's time for Carnivals, and Fairs to go to. My kids always want the Cotton Candy when we go to those types of places. So when I found this Organic Cotton Candy by Spun City, I had to order some to see what it was like. It tasted just like any Cotton Candy you would by anywhere. The only ingredient is evaporated cane juice and flavoring.

I found this at http://www.naturalcandystore.com/

I'm Back!!!

I'm Here are You?!!!!

I am so sorry for being gone so long. It really was so crazy, more than I ever thought it would be. We were living out of our house for a total of 3 weeks. Then we lived in a construction zone. Our house is almost finished with all of the repair work. Yesterday was the first time I was able to start really cooking in my kitchen again. I did get to cook and experiment while living with my mom a little bit. I'll share those recipes in the following weeks. Thank you for sticking it out with me. :]

Today, even though it's not Wisdom Wednesday, I wanted to share with you what I've learned about Eating Out.

Have you ever watched the show called "The Biggest Looser"? Well some of the contestants in past years have talked about 'learning to eat out' after they returned home. I'm hear to tell you that that is so true. When you switch to eating healthier or if you have a restrictive diet, you really do need to "learn" how to eat out. With my diet restrictions it is much harder than most people mainly because of the no fat/oils part. So these are some of the things that I've learned. I hope they help you to make healthier decisions when you eat out for fun or if you're forced to. :]

-Ask questions about everything. Most waiters know the answer or will be willing to get the answer for you. I always ask how the chicken is prepared. If it is grilled on a true grill or on a flat surface. If it is cooked on a flat surface it could possibly get grease from previous cooked hamburgers or steaks if they don't clean it off every time in between. I always ask to see the ingredients. One waiter didn't know the answer and she brought me the whole box that their chicken came in. :] You can order things to be changed. If a chicken breast is breaded, they usually put the breading on right before it is cooked in oil. You can ask to have the chicken grilled instead. If it is a marinated chicken, again I ask to see a list of the ingredients and if it came marinated or if they add it to the chicken. If they add it, you can always have them cook it plain or put the marinade off to the side.

-Always explain the reason for asking the questions. I have found that when I tell people that I have a really restrictive diet they are more than happy to help me out.

-Always be kind, say thank you, say please, I would appreciate it if... things like that go a long way.

-Look at the side options. Almost always they will have a baked potato that you can order to your liking. Most places will leave the butter off of the steamed veggies, they are good with just salt I promise. :]

-I always ask how the rice is prepared. Did you know that a lot of places cook their rice in butter and or oil? Well they do, like I mentioned before ASK QUESTIONS!

-Some places are easier to eat at than others. I have found that most steak houses have the best options (at least for me and my diet) to choose from.

I hope these suggestions help you to be more healthy while eating out. Here's to a happy healthier you!!