Egg Nog Ice Cream

On Friday (June 25th) we celebrated Half Christmas! Weird you might say? No no, it's awesome! It was complete with Christmas music and all (okay we didn't put the tree up or anything but still!) I really wanted egg nog, but have you ever tried to find egg nog in the store in June? It's impossible! So I improvised...

I decided to make homemade egg nog and I thought it would be fun to make it into ice cream since it is summer after all! :)

Egg Nog Ice Cream

4 eggs, room temperature

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 t. nutmeg

1 c. cream

3 c. milk

2 t. rum flavoring

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan with a wire whisk to make sure eggs are well incorporated. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches about 160 degrees F. Mixture will look like this (excuse my poor excuse for a whisk):

Pour mixture into a bowl, cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Stir, and then freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. And voila:

This was the perfect treat for our Half Christmas celebration...or anytime!! Enjoy.

Brownie "Fudge"

Okay, second post of the day... :) I've been a little anxious today because my husband is taking a HUGE test that will have a significant impact on his entire career!!! Suffice it to say, I needed chocolate! This recipe also came from H.E.A.B. and it's great. It's especially great for kids because, as a mother, I don't feel so guilty feeding these tasty treats to my kids.

Brownie "Fudge"

1 box brownie mix

2 c. canned pumpkin

Seriously, that's it! Mix together and spread into a greased 8x8" or 9x9" pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. Let cool and then store in the fridge.

Next time, I'm going to add a dash of cinnamon, too! You could also throw in some chocolate chips or m&m's or nuts or peanut butter swirled on top or whatever you feel like! Go crazy! Enjoy.

Sweet & Spicy Omelet

I must be on a breakfast kick or something, but I totally love breakfast food! I actually had this for lunch today and it was delightful. It sounds weird but I loved it. The ingredient that makes this omelet sweet and spicy is pepper jelly. It's made just like any other jelly but instead of fruit, it uses jalepeno peppers.

Any brand of pepper jelly will work, but this is what I used today:

Sweet & Spicy Omelet

1 egg

1/4 c. egg substitute (or two egg whites)

1 T. milk

1-2 oz. cheese (about 2 good slices)

1 T. pepper jelly

salt and pepper

In a bowl mix egg, egg substitute and milk. Pour mixture into a heated, greased skillet and scramble a little. Flip the entire omelet (like a pancake) so it cooks on both sides. Once flipped, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cheese, then spread with pepper jelly (I just sort of spooned it on in little globs.) Fold over and heat until cheese melts.

If you're not a big spicy person, feel free to use fruit jelly for a nice sweet omelet (a wonderful idea that I read on H.E.A.B.) You can also just use three whole eggs if you prefer. Enjoy!

Banana Bread...In a Bowl

Yum yum yum! That's what I have to say about this tasty breakfast. It tastes just like banana bread, but without the regret!! :) And aside from being delicious and healthy, it takes only minutes to prepare!

Banana Bread...In a Bowl

1/4 c. oat bran

1/2 c. water

pinch salt

1 ripe banana

1/4 c. chopped walnuts

1-2 T. pure maple syrup (or brown sugar)

In a small saucepan, cook oat bran, water and salt for about 2 minutes or until it starts to get thick. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl. Top with sliced banana, walnuts and syrup. Then drench with milk! Enjoy.

Apple Carrot Slushee

This was breakfast this morning! It is my own version of an ICEE from the gas station. It has no added sugar and it has a serving (or maybe several servings) of veggies in each glass. This is perfect for hot summer days and the kids will love it!

Apple Carrot Slushee

6 large carrots, washed

2 large apples, washed and quartered

8 large cubes ice (give or take)

Juice apples and carrots in a juicer. Blend juice with ice in blender.

I love this recipe because it combines fruits & veggies with water (in ice form, obviously!) We all know how important it is to eat our fruits & veggies, but we often don't drink enough plain old water! Water is especially crucial during these hot summer months. So sit back in your lawn chair and drink a tall glass of this delicious slushee!

Don't be afraid to mix and match different fruit and veggies, too. Try using your favorite combination or let your kids go crazy and make up their own concoction! Enjoy.

Apple Cinnamon Stovetop Oatmeal

Oatmeal is the best. It's a filling breakfast that is very versatile (plus it's super cheap). This recipe tastes like a warm and comforting baked apple! So lovely.

Apple Cinnamon Stovetop Oatmeal (adapted from my Rachael Ray cookbook)
Makes 4 large servings
 

1 1/2 c. old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 c. milk

2 c. water

1/2 t. salt

1 large apple (I used fuji)

3-4 T. agave (or brown sugar)

1 t. cinnamon

1/4 c. ground flaxseed

In a large pot, combine oats, milk, and water. Heat on high until it boils.

 Meanwhile, core and chop your apple. I like the skin on, but you could peel in if you want.

 Once oats start to boil, turn heat down to low and stir in remaining ingredients.

 Heat on low for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

 Serve with additional milk.

I already knew that I would love this because I am an oatmeal lover, but I was curious to see what my kids would think about it. They ate it right up. It's such a delicious (and really nutritious) way to begin the day. Enjoy!

Sushi & Wonton Chips

Okay so I don't actually use any raw fish, but this sushi is so fun and yummy! Get the kids involved in picking the veggies. The beauty of this recipe is that you can really choose whatever ingredients you want.

Sushi

sticky rice:

1 c. short grain rice

2 c. water

2 T. seasoned rice vinegar

Cook rice and water in rice cooker or on the stove. Pour cooked rice into a 9x13" baking dish and stir in vinegar while rice is still hot. Let cool. (Below is a picture of the vinegar that I used and it turned out great.)

filling:

carrots, julienned

avocados, thinly sliced

cucumbers, julienned

cooked shrimp

imitation crab

seaweed sheets

Press rice onto seaweed sheet (enough to cover.) Then add desired fillings in a line and roll tightly. Slice into 3/4" pieces and serve with soy sauce and/or wasabi.

I happened to have some egg roll wrappers in the fridge, so I also made some wonton chips. They are very simple to make and are very delicious.

Wonton Chips 1 package wonton skins (or egg roll wrappers, quartered)
oil or cooking spray
salt


Preheat oven to 375 F. Lay wontons side by side in a single layer on greased cookie sheet. brush with oil (or spray with cooking spray) and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

I hope you enjoy sushi night as much as I do!

Philly Cheesesteak

I always love an easy dinner. Sometimes I'm so burnt out by 6:00 that I just need a quick and easy meal that takes little to no effort. This recipe was given to me by my friend (because we're always asking each other what we're making for dinner!) I would've thought that a Philly Cheesesteak would take a lot of time, but this couldn't be simpler. Plus it's delicious!

Philly Cheesesteaks

1-2 T. olive oil (vegetable oil works too)

1/2 onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

1 lb. deli sliced roast beef, roughly chopped

8 slices provolone cheese

4 whole wheat buns, split

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and pepper and cook until tender. Add roast beef and heat until warm and juicy. Keep warm. Meanwhile, arrange 2 slices cheese in each bun. Top with meat mixture so cheese can melt. Serve warm. Enjoy!

I had leftover meat and it kept very well in the fridge. In fact, it tasted pretty darn yummy the next day!

Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are not just for Thanksgiving! I love to make them all the time for any occasion. Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A and fiber (just to mention a few of their benefits.) They're great served as a side or a dessert. This recipe could be used as either!

Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

1 large sweet potato, baked*

cinnamon to taste

salt to taste

Remove skin from sweet potato. In a large bowl, mash all ingredient with a potato masher. Warm through in microwave, if needed. Enjoy!

*Wash sweet potato and pat dry. Wrap in aluminum foil and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 1-2 hours (more if needed) until soft. You can bake several at a time and keep extras in the fridge!

Avocado Quesadilla

Today I was trying to think of a nutritious, kid friendly lunch and this is what I came up with:

We like to have quesadillas for lunch so I figured I'd throw some avocado in there to make them a little more nutritious. It would've been even more healthy with a whole grain tortilla, but we didn't have any... :) I served it with some Terra Sweets & Beets (chips made from beets and sweet potatoes!)

Avocado Quesadilla

1 tortilla

2 slices cheese

1/2 avocado, mashed

Melt cheese in tortilla in a microwave. Spread with avocado and roll it up! Enjoy.