Widsom Wednesday!!

Update: So I haven't tried Egg Plant yet, but I have tried a couple recipes with my second new veggie, Turnips. So far no good. I'm still trying though. If you have any great recipes for Turnips or egg plant I would love to try them. How are you doing with my challenge?

Bananas

Today I am going to talk about the benefits of eating bananas. Most people know that bananas are an excellent source of potassium. But there are many other great benefits from them as well. If you have heart burn, eat a banana. They have a calming affect on the acid in your stomach. Also they are the only fresh fruit that you can eat if you have an ulcer. They help your stomach create a thicker mucus lining. They are high in B vitamins, especially B6 that can help with nerve function. Along with B6 is B12, and when you add those to the high amounts of potassium and magnesium in bananas, they can help the body to recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal when someone is trying to quit smoking. If you are anemic, eat a banana, they are high in iron. They can also help with depression. They contain tryptophan, which is a type of protein your body converts it into serotonin; which is a hormone that is know to make you feel happy and improve your mode. Bananas have a lot of fiber in them and they also promote the growth of good bacteria in the colon. Most people think that bananas are just full of sugar, which they do have a lot of, but really on the glycemic index they are low compared to other fruits and the carbohydrates bananas have, can keep you feeling full longer than most other fruits as well. So there you go, eat more bananas!!! Have a happy healthier week!!

For more info click here, and here.

Teriyaki Sauce

My favorite teriyaki sauce is one that has pineapple juice added to it. Of course it also has the corn syrup and other things in it too. So I've been looking for a recipe that could help start me in the right direction for a yummy teriyaki sauce that has pineapple in it. I never would have thought that my search would lead me to ehow.com, but it did and that is where I found a recipe. I did of course make changes to it. :] I loved how it turned out! I can't wait to use it as a marinade this summer at BBQ's.

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup braggs liquid aminos

2 teaspoons garlic, minced

1/2 cup organic brown sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 20oz can of pineapple tidbits in natural syrup

1/4 cup cold water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

In a sauce pan simmer braggs, garlic, organic brown sugar, rice vinegar and ginger for 5 minutes. Then add the juice from the pineapples, reserve pineapples for later. Boil for 5 more minutes. In a cup mix together cold water and cornstarch. Add to the sauce and boil for another minutes until sauce thickens. Add pineapples to sauce and enjoy!

Teriyaki Sauce with Chicken and Peppers

Ingredients

1 recipe teriyaki sauce

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, filleted

2 sweet peppers (orange, red, or yellow), sliced

2 cups cooked rice, or quinoa

Directions

Place filleted chicken breasts in a 9X13 inch cooking pan. Pour teriyaki sauce over chicken and place in the fridge for 20 minutes to marinate. Preheat oven to 425*F. Add peppers to chicken and sauce. Stir to coat. Cover cooking pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve on cooked rice or quinoa and enjoy!

Pulled Rotisserie Chicken Sanwiches

You know those rotisserie chickens that you can buy precooked and hot from the grocery store? Well if you've ever wondered what to do with them, besides just eating the chicken with simple sides, this is the recipe for you. I loved how easy it was. It came together really quickly. The chicken is already cooked for you. The flavor was delicious and unique, which I think is a good thing. My children and my husband loved it.

Pulled Rotisserie Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 purchased, cooked, rotisserie chicken

1 medium onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil, or butter

1/4 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2 tablespoons molasses

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon organic brown sugar

3 teaspoons diced green chiles

6 whole wheat rolls, or 12 slices of bread, or spelt bread

pickles

cheese

tomatoes

Directions

Cut the meat from the chicken, discarding the skin and bones. Use two forks or your fingers to pull meat into shreds to equal 4 cups.

In a large skillet cook onion in butter or oil over medium heat until tender. Add vinegar, cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in tomatos sauce, green chiles, thyme, molasses, salt, and organic brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken, stirring gently to coat. Heat through. Serve on split rolls or bread with cheese, pickels, tomatoes, or any topings you like and enjoy!!

modified from orgional recipe found here

Fun Food Find Friday!!

The Find Food Find for today is Organic Instant Oatmeal. My kids love these!! They are so handy to have around the house, especially when you have a late morning and need to get a quick breakfast. I also put these in our 72 hour kits. They are sweetened with evaporated cane juice. Try them, you'll love them!!

I bought these at Costco. Kirtland is a Costco brand.

Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Frosting

My mother's birthday was a few weeks ago. I wanted to surprise her with a cake, it's not fun making your own birthday cake (well at least for most people, not me :]). I had lots of lemons in my fridge so when I found this recipe I knew I had to try it. I didn't have to make that many changes to it, which I loved. It is my most favorite cake to date!! It is just HEAVENLY! So light with a slight lemon after taste, so you don't feel like you've just had a million calories. And the best part is you haven't! There is hardly any fat in this cake, only from the two egg yolks. The frosting is by far the best frosting I have ever tasted. It is now my go to frosting for cakes, and it's fat free. Now I know I've said "fat free" so you might be thinking, "there is no way I am ever going to try this cake, it can't be good". Well let me tell you something. My dad is a butter lover. He even puts butter on top of his brownies. He has liked some of the desserts that I've made but never loved them before. After he ate this cake he said how good it was and then said it was the best dessert that I have ever made. So don't take my word for it, take his. :]

Lemon Cake with Lemon Meringue Frosting

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup rice milk

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 1/3 cups kamut flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup applesauce

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 large eggs

1 large egg white

1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice

2 cups strawberries or raspberries

1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice

Frosting

3/4 cups evaporated cane juice

2 large egg whites

3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

For cake:

In a measuring cup add 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice, then add enough rice milk to measure 1/2 cup; stir and let sit for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325*F. Spray 2 8-inch round cakes pans with cooking spray. Dust lightly with flour and shake out the excess. Reserve half of the strawberries, and combine the other half with 1 tablespoon evaporated cane juice and crush with a fork. Set aside

In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with a fork to evenly combine the ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the rice milk, applesauce, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk together eggs, egg whites and evaporated cane juice in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until it holds ribbons, about 2 minutes. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the rice milk mixture in 2 parts, beginning and ending with the flour. Pour the batter evenly into the pans. Bake in the oven until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to cool completely.

For Frosting:

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold an electric mixer bowl above the water. Whisk the evaporated cane juice, eggs whites, water , cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and beat with an electric hand mixer at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 9 minutes. Remove from the heat; beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.

To assemble the cake: Place 1 layer on a flat serving or cake plate, top side down, and spread with the crushed strawberries. Top with 3/4 cup frosting, spreading gently (I was in a hurry, so you can see by my picture that I rushed it and it wasn't so even in between the two layers) on top of the strawberries. Place the second cake layer on top, top side up, and frost he top and side of the entire cake. Decorate with the reserved strawberries. Serve and enjoy your guilt free dessert!

Wisdom Wednesday!!

National Nutrition Month

Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? Well it is. So for our Wisdom Wednesday today I am giving you a challenge. I will also be doing this challenge. So here it is....Try at least two different vegetables that you have never tried before. Experts say that if a child doesn't like a vegetable they will over time if you keep making them try it, over and over again. I'm not sure what two I will pick for my second choice, but I have always wanted to try egg plant. There are so many different recipes that look just wonderful with egg plant. I'm going to start experimenting with that one first. Hopefully I can get a recipe to work well enough that I can share it with you. :] So there you go, get out there and try something new this month. I would love to hear back from you, what you tried, how it tasted, and how you ate it. And remember, happier healthier eating!!

Quick and Easy Chicken

I love this chicken! The first time I made it, it had a spicy after taste. My husband, who loves spicy food, loved it! I thought it was good, but I didn't dare give it to my kids. They don't do that well with spicy food. The version I am sharing with you today is the one that I gave to my kids. It is sweet and savory without the extra kick. If you would like to try the extra kick at the end, just add 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground black pepper to the sauce. I know that sounds like it wouldn't really add any kick because it's just pepper, but trust me it really does. However you decide to make it, just make it, you'll love it!

Quick and Easy Chicken

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasted, cubed

1 large yellow sweet pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large red sweet pepper, but into bite sized pieces

1/2 heaping cup ketchup (gluten free)

7 tablespoons bragg's liquid aminos

1/2 cup honey

6 tablespoons lemon juice

Dash of ground black pepper

1/3 cup cold water

3 teaspoons cornstarch

2 cups cooked rice or quinoa

Directions

Saute onion, chicken, and peppers in butter until peppers are tender crisp and chicken is almost cooked through. In a separate bowl combine, ketchup, braggs, honey, lemon juice, and pepper; mix well until honey dissolves. Pour over chicken and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes. In a cup mix cold water with cornstarch until completely dissolved. Add to chicken mixture. Bring back to a boil and stir occasionally. Boil uncovered for 10 minutes until sauce slightly thickens. Pour over cooked rice or quinoa, and enjoy!!