Breakfast Waffle Kabobs and Cinnamon Dip

This had to be written up today, now, asap. Why? Because most mornings getting Jackson to eat breakfast is a struggle. I have to turn on the iPad to distract him (please don't judge) and then I have to basically feed it to him. If left to feed himself, it just sits on his tray, gets cold, and life goes on. The boy isn't a breakfast person.

Enter waffle kabobs. 

I put one on his plate this morning, turned around and it was gone!  Gone!

Once I showed him how to take the fruit and waffle off, dip in the bowl of cinnamon yogurt dip, the boy went to town.

Sweet Potato Paradise Casserole

I have been wanting to try this for a while and finally decided this week was the time to jump in and give it a whirl.  You know, it is one of those recipes I found online but kept putting it off. Well put it off no more! This thing was amazing.

Let me preface - it takes some work up front but it is one of those dishes that you can prep while your kiddos eat lunch (and watch cartoons - am I the only one who does that?). Then you can just pop it in the oven at 5:00 and be ready for dinner.  So it does take some prepping but the outcome is delicious.

Quesadilla Crazies!

I want to take a quick minute and give you some ideas that I have been trying out on my kids.  I wouldn't call this a recipe post necessarily. This post is more of a compilation on a theme we have been working on.  My kids will eat quesadillas most of the time (my 2 year old being the most picky and fickle).  In an effort to vary their diet but also give them something they will actually eat, I have been experimenting with all types of quesadillas.  So here is a list of some of the quesadillas we've had here. I'm sorry for the lack of pictures but I was just thinking today that I should share some of our go-to lunches.

I make all of the quesadillas by spraying Pam in the skillet and toasting for a few minutes on the stove. I have to be careful because if they are too crunchy, the kids won't eat them.

1.  Blueberry Quesadilla

Spread half of the tortilla with Laughing Cow cinnamon cheese spread. Top with handful of blueberries and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I served this for breakfast but it would be a fun lunch too.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookie for Kids (or you!)

So you know I eat my three ingredient cookies everyday (ok usually two a day!) But I don’t feel guilty about that. They are only about 45 calories a piece and made from completely clean ingredients –no dairy, no oil, just deliciousness. 

Well while scrolling through pinterest during our snow days here recently I saw a new twist on the same cookie idea. The difference? These are peanut butter and jelly cookies instead of chocolate chips cookies. Now I love chocolate chips but not everyone in my family is quite as addicted so I thought this might be a good change for them.  And my kids love pb&j so why not a pb&j cookie?

So here is the recipe. It is easy, quick, and you can feel great about your kids having one or two cookies a day if they are made with these ingredients!

Crockpot Steel Cut Oats

Well hello there!

Team ACT has been holding down the fort here at OurGreeneHome while I finished baking the bun in the oven.  That's right, Little Two was born about 2 weeks ago!  This pregnancy was a little tougher than the last, but the adjustment period afterwards has been a TON better!  We are so in love with our newest addition!

That being said, it's now time to break out all of the freezer meals I prepped before Little Two's arrival... way back in December.  This morning it was some steel cut oatmeal I made in the crockpot.  Not last night.  Not this morning.  But waaaay back in December.  And all I had to do this morning was reheat my serving in the microwave and add my favorite topping!  Super easy - super delicious and nutritious!  

Make these beauties one afternoon, freeze, and have a hearty oatmeal breakfast any day of the week!

Chickpea Spinach Burgers - Seriously - I Promise They Are Delicous

Ok we are always looking for variations on burgers in our house because our kids love them.  For our kids we slap a piece of cheese on top and they will eat it up no matter what type of veggies we put in there. I stumbled across this gem the other day and we love it. I know it sounds strange, but give it a try and see what you think.  I like to make mine while the kids eat lunch, store in the fridge, and cook up right before dinner.  

Here's What You Need:

-1 medium onion

-3 cloves garlic crushed

-1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed

-1 bag of spinach leaves

-1 carrot grated

Here is my carrot - I got tired of grating and you can see where I just sliced after a bit!

-1.5 tablespoon soy sauce 

- 1 tsp cumin

- 2 tablespoons of peanut butter

- 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast

-1/2 cup whole wheat flour

(can add in 1 tsp hot sauce, but I leave that out)

Here's What You Do:

1.  Saute the onion in water on a pan over medium heat until soft.  

Then add in your garlic and cook for another minute.

2.  Add in chickpeas, spinach, and carrot and cook until the spinach is fully wilted and the carrot is soft.

3.  Dump all of this into a mixing bowl and add in the soy sauce, cumin, peanut butter, nutritional yeast, hot sauce (if using), and flour.

4.  Allow this mixture to cool (this is where I pop mine in the fridge and finish right before dinner).

5.  In spoonfuls about 1/3 cup full, form the mixture into thick patties and lightly pan fry using extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until browned on both sides.

I served mine up with a whole wheat bun, a bit of spinach on top (you can never have too much spinach), a sweet potato and steamed veggies. I forgot to take a final picture because I was too hungry and these smelled too good.  This meal is delicious and satisfies my need for a juicy sandwich in a healthy way. Come on and give it a try! I want to hear what you think.  

ps - sorry for the pictures. I know I need a better camera than my phone to really make these look as good as they are.  Soon - soon I'll upgrade my camera!

Love, 

We have a new challenge starting up January 27th. I'm so excited because it is obvious (I mean look at those before and afters) that this stuff works. I love seeing my challengers reach the goals they are setting for themselves.  So proud of each of them and I want YOU to be my next before/after success story. Leave a comment here and I'll send you more information.  

Original recipe from here:http://taleoftwovegans.wordpress.com/2009/12/10/chickpea-spinach-burgers/

Frosted Mint Brownies

Welcome to December!  I can't believe it's here already.  We go from Thanksgiving to BOOM. Christmas.  I must say, I kind of like it, but it makes me feel a little more rushed this holiday season.  I have been craving sweets....... but with Little Two I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes, so I can't have sweets (or just have to enjoy them in VERY VERY limited quantities).  These gems are already packaged up and ready to send off with DH to work.  I've had a little bite.  And can I tell you that little bite was AMAZING!!!!! Ahh.  Even better than how they taste is how simple and easy they are to come together!  

Just look.  Yes.  Just look.

Simple & Sweet Sugar Cookies

DH and I have had the conversation recently about sugar cookies.  They're his favorite.  We've been together for over 13 years and this is the first I've heard of it.  You learn something new every day, right?  I've got to admit I love his classic style because I'm all about "doctoring" up everything to the max... you know like triple chocolate fudge and chocolate chips and Oreos AND almonds in my ice cream ;)  The man loves himself a simple sugar cookie with a sugary crust.  Ahh, I'm in love. In honor of his recent birthday, I decided I'd try to make him these.  I have never made homemade sugar cookies, thinking they'd be really hard to make.  We've been settling for the slice and bake variety.  Which albeit are good, but have some weird ingredients.  Yeah. These have sugar, butter, flour, eggs, vanilla, baking soda & the weirdest thing... cream of tartar ;)  I think he about died when he tasted the first one hot out of the oven.  Crunchy from being rolled in sugar and a sweet buttery vanilla flavor... Swoon.  Birthday score for me! This recipe makes A TON.  I got 46 medium sized cookies to be exact.  So... I made 20 and froze the rest for my very own homemade version of the slice and bake variety!  Disclaimer:  I don't have pictures of steps along the way in case these didn't turn out.  The original recipe calls for a stand mixer and mixing "just so" and I didn't have time last night to do all that.  Well, folks, I'm glad to say you don't have to!  These turn out FABULOUS with a little elbow grease!! YAY!

Fun Fall Snack for Kids

It was my turn to make snacks for preschool this week and this always intimidates me for some reason (just being honest). I guess I just want all of those little people to just love it.  So since it was close to Halloween, I looked up some fun fall snacks for the kids.  I stumbled across this Chex mix and apparently the kids loved it.  I made this and stuck it in some little ghost treat bags. Little One said it was very good and I figure that is a stamp of approval.

Doesn't this look delicious?  The wonderful picture is by a friend who made this yummy treat last night after we talked about the recipe together.  She makes it look so good here I'm about to go make another batch of it!

Here is what you need:

1.  6 C of chex mix

2.  1 C pretzels

3.  6 tablespoons butter melted

4.  1/4 cup brown sugar

5.  1 tsp cinnamon

6.  1 C Reese Pieces

7.  1 C mini marshmallows

8.  1 C candy corn

Here is what you do:

1.  Preheat the oven to 275 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.  Melt the butter in microwave (well that's how I did it because I'm lazy).

3.  Combine the Chex mix and the pretzels in a large bowl.

4. Pour the melted butter on top of the cereal and combine until evenly coated.

5.  In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and then pour onto cereal mixture until evenly coated.

6.  Spread the cereal mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

7. Allow to cool completely and then mix in the candy treats!

Delicious!  This is perfect to take to a Halloween Party (which is what I am doing this weekend). It is also great for little treat bags for kids. Even better? Let the kids help you make it.  It is a fun recipe that they can help create.

Enjoy!

Our upcoming challenge and YOU are invited! Leave a comment to get more information.

Original recipe taken from:

http://stickafork.net/2012/10/fall-snack-mix/

Quick and Easy Quesadilla Recipe

This quick recipe is a staple in our house. It is easy to make, versatile, and pretty cheap too.  I whipped this up last night and figured I better get this recipe up on the blog for you guys.

Yum Yum Yum!

So here goes. I changed this up a lot to fit our needs so I took out chili powder and such.  If you want a spicier dish, check out the original recipe at the bottom of the post.

What you need:

1.  1 15 ounce can of pinto beans - drained and rinsed

2.  2 C frozen corn

3.  1 C salsa (we use mild)

4.  1 small onion chopped

5.  1/2 cup veggie broth or water

6.  1/3 teaspoon cumin

7.  1/3 teaspoon ground turmeric

8.  Tortillas, ranch, guacamole, cheese (all optional ways to eat this delicious treat!)

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins

I'm craving sweets.  Real bad.  Lots of sweets.  Anything I can get my hands on really.  And this is happening during one of the worst possible times of the year - Halloween candy is EVERYWHERE!!  I overdid it yesterday and felt it in the afternoon.  But, nonetheless I woke up this morning with more sweets on the brain.  Pregnancy, sigh.  After a quick look on Facebook this morning, I found that Team ACT had posted a picture of her Super Easy 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins and decided it was high time for some pumpkin in these parts!  One problem.  No cake mix.  Doh!  SO, online searching I went.  These from Kitchen Treaty are moist and delicious, just like the pumpkin muffins Team ACT made, but they do require a little more time.  Good news, however, (Miss Team ACT :)) ... they're even better if you add chocolate chips to the mix!!

Freezer Friendly: Homemade Crockpot Chili

Hi there :) Missed you guys! But, do tell.  How much are you loving the easy and delicious recipes from Team ACT?  I tell you what... I am SO glad she is a part of my team! In honor of Fall being Just . Around. The. Corner - let's get some chili cooking!  Set it - forget it - and enjoy it after a long day. I've tried many crockpot recipes for chili.  Some have been better than others, but this one has been my favorite so far.  And it makes a LOT.   I had plenty to serve for dinner to 4 adults and have enough to freeze for later.  We LOVE LOVE LOVED it served over baked potatoes with some cheese sprinkled on top.  This recipe was also the first in which I made my own homemade chili seasoning.  The recipe I found and used was delicious and had a little kick.  The best part about making your own is being able to control the amount and type of ingredients - I used less salt and more hot peppers for the kick.  YUM.

Cheap Crock Pot Beans and Rice

People have commented to me that we eat a lot of beans and rice...they would be right.  We eat beans and rice a ton around our home because they are healthy, filling, versatile, easy, and CHEAP. That's right - we are penny pinchers and beans help us with our budgeting.  So here is yet another of our favorite beans and rice recipes.  I can prep this meal in less than 5 minutes (literally).  No chopping is involved. The most you will do is open a few cans.  

Here is what you need:

1 15 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)

1 15 oz can pinto beans (rinsed and drained)

1 C of rice (I use brown rice - not the quick cook kind)

1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 tbls olive oil

1/4 tsp salt (depends on your tastes - we use this or less but you can definitely do more!)

1 tsp Italian seasons (I was out last night so I used 1 tsp of thyme but any Italian seasoning will be good)

1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder

2 C vegetable broth

If you compare my ingredients to the original you'll see some differences. Those are there because I didn't have what she used and decided I liked my substitutions. You can definitely play around with this and see how you like it. My ingredients picture doesn't include the veggie broth and tomatoes because I forgot them!  Sorry!!!