Chocolate Cake in a Mug

Yes you read it right.  I said it. It is:

1. Chocolate

2. Cake

and

3. Can be made in a mug

Oatmeal Freezer Cups - A Quick and Easy Breakfast Option

My kids love oatmeal.  They really do.  They eat it all year round and I admit - I just buy the packs. I've always just done the packs because I am lazy and don't want to clean up the pot afterwards. When I saw the idea of freezer ready oatmeal cups, I figured I would give it a try.  These were very easy to prep and I love that you can do tons of different flavors and combos.  These make a great option for anyone really - hubby, me or kiddos.  My daughter wasn't home when I made these or she would have loved to add the toppings in.  Next time!

Cauliflower "Fried" Rice

This is an awesome recipe a challenger shared with me in one of my recent Clean Eating Challenges.  I was skeptical at first - very skeptical.  Would this be worth having to go through getting the cauliflower in the right format. And would it really tasted like "fried" rice?  But I love trying new recipes so I went for it and the answers to those two questions are yes and no.

YES this recipe is totally worth it and not difficult at all.  

No it isn't like a big bad bowl of fried rice from your favorite Chinese restaurant but it is an awesome substitute for a fried rice dish if you are working towards a clean healthy life style.  

(There isn't anything wrong with the occasional bowl of fried rice from the restaurant but definitely not something we can do all the time so enter cauliflower!)

If you have a food processor this recipe is a piece of cake. If you don't have one - GET ONE. I resisted having a food processor for a while but I finally picked up a $30 at Target and it has opened up a world of recipes to me.  So get a little one today, come home, make this recipe.

Summer Fruity Ice Pops

I don't know about you, but I'm ready for SUMMER!!  This was a long winter and spring has proven to be a damp and dreary one.  I'm soaking up these warm days, as few and far between as they are, until those lasting summer days emerge!  I'm always looking for a freezer pop recipe because the ones in the store... even the fruit ones... are just so dang packed with sugar, sugar, and more sugar!  Is it just me or do they have a weird aftertaste? Why would you need to sweeten already sweet fruit??  So, I was pleasantly surprised to find this little gem of a recipe.  It is a breeze to prepare and delightfully refreshing without all the extra BLAH.

Egg and Cheese Muffins

I have recently been on the hunt for more protein for the kids at breakfast.  A great friend told me how to make these little egg muffins and I love them. They are easy to fix, versatile, and I have left overs for at least another day or two of breakfasts.  I guess this isn't really a recipe but I'm recording it here so I don't forget about these little gems.

As you can see I made mini and regular versions this time so the pictures show the prep for both sizes!

Here's What You Need:

-eggs (One egg per muffin you plan to make. I usually make only 6 muffins at a time)

-shredded cheese

-spinach

-any other veggie you want to throw in

Here's What You Do:

1.  Preheat the move at 360 and spray the muffin pan with Pam for easy removal

2.  Fill the bottom with the veggies you are using.

3.  Fill the rest of the way up with shredded cheese and pat it down a bit.

4.  Whisk eggs together and put into a measuring cup (for easy of pouring).

5.  Pour the eggs over each muffin.

6.  Bake at 360 for 20-23 minutes.

So this time I made 4 regular sized muffins and 4 mini muffins to see if the kids would like them better. Elli loves these things and Jackson did fairly well with the mini ones (I still have to feed them to him) but he got it down.  He isn't a huge egg person so this is a victory for me.  My mini ones were done at 20 minutes and I let the larger ones cook for 23 minutes.  These are delicious straight from the oven but go ahead and put your left overs in the fridge. You can pop them in the microwave for 1 minute the following morning for an easy breakfast on the go.

Versatile? Yes!  Make these with spinach, bell peppers, chopped broccoli - the list goes on and on and on.

Hope this gives you a quick breakfast to get you out of the oatmeal rut.  Oh wait?  Was that just me stuck in the oatmeal rut? Well maybe you'll enjoy it anyway!!

Pizza Puffs

As you know, I'm continually on a quest for fun kid lunch ideas. I just hate giving them the same old peanut butter and jelly everyday. Now don't get me wrong, there isn't anything wrong with a good old fashioned pb&j, but we were eating A LOT of them.  The kids were bored, I was bored, our kitchen was bored. So off hunting I went for new quick and easy lunch ideas.  I've already written up the quesadilla craze we had and we love anything wrapped up in a tortilla but I wanted something that didn't require a tortilla this time. Enter - pizza puffs.

These took me very little time to prep and they only needed to bake for about 20 minutes.  Plus, these little guys provide a great opportunity to sneak in veggies. Today I got spinach in them and my kids never knew the difference.  SCORE!

Here's What You Need:

 -3/4 C flour (I used whole wheat)

-3/4 tsp baking powder

-1 cup shredded cheese

-couple pinches of spinach

-3/4 C milk (I used 2%)

-1 egg lightly beaten

-Pizza sauce for dipping

Here's What You Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a mini muffin tin pan.

2.  Whisk together flour and baking powder.

3.  Whisk in milk and egg. Then add cheese and spinach and stir together. Let this sit for about 10 minutes.

4.  Pour into individual muffin tins.  This was supposed to make 24 but mine only made about 20 so maybe I filled mine too much.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and puffy.

Serve these with a side of warmed pizza sauce for dipping.  

Now the original recipe called for one cup pepperoni as well. We didn't have that so I just left it out but I'm sure it would be delicious in there too. I think you could really chop up any veggies and add them in - red bell peppers, tiny bits of broccoli, green peppers and the list goes on and on.

I had about 20 of these little pizza puffs. My oldest ate two and my son only ate one but he is sick so not much of an appetite.  I kept out about 6 or 7 more for the rest of the week. Then I stuck the other ones in the freezer. I will update you later as to how that turns out. Seems like they would freeze well and be something you can grab at a moment's notice.  

Try it and let me know what veggies you sneak in your kids' lunch today!

original recipe here:  http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/budget-recipes/pepperoni-pizza-puffs

Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

These breakfast cookies are a big hit in my clean eating challenge groups. They are filling, delicious, and kid friendly.  Not only that but these cookies are completely clean and vegan so you know what you are eating and you know it is good for you.  I give these to my kids without any concerns.  I do need to admit - we don't actually eat them for breakfast - we eat them all day long!  I think they would make a great breakfast warmed up with a dab of peanut butter on top but we haven't tried it yet. We usually have these as an afternoon snack or a treat after lunch.  They really are a versatile cookie and you can use whatever you have in the pantry to make it work for you. I am going to include the original recipe but I'm writing up how I make them personally (and you know it is going to include some chocolate).

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.

Chickpea Salad Sandwich

Here is a quick little sandwich idea for you.  Sometimes Pinterest gets the best of me and I find all kinds of interesting recipes to try. This recipe just really jumped out at me as something easy I could make for lunch that would give me some variety too.  So I went for it and I liked it - even more than I thought I would. I love to fix this and have it in mini whole wheat pita with a fresh salad.  It doesn't take more than 5 or so minutes to make but gives you a lunch straight out of a deli!

Here's What You Need:

-  15 ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed

-  spoonful of capers (optional)

I love adding these in - give it an extra kick!

-  2 stalks celery chopped

-  1/2 medium onion chopped

-  big spoonful of vegan mayonnaise (if you are trying to keep it vegan - if not use normal!)

I love this stuff!!!

Here's What You Do:

1.  Mash the beans first (I use a potato masher to do it!)

2.  Add in capers and mayo. If using a processor pulse these with the beans. Otherwise just stir it in!

I added in some green peas we had in the fridge! That is the beauty of this, you can really mix it up.

3.  Stir in the celery and onion

4.  Serve on top of your bread of choice and top with mustard, lettuce or your favorite sandwich toppers

I seriously love to whip this up on a Sunday after church for me and the hubs!  Let me know what you think.  If you are going vegan or mostly vegan, this is a great substitute for your standard chicken salad sandwich when you just crave that comfort food!

Crock Pot Indian Spiced Chickpea Stew

That is quite a long title for quite an easy dish. This isn't the easiest crock pot thing I make because it requires (wait for it) the chopping of TWO vegetables.  So seriously, it is pretty easy in the scheme of things. I like to make this while my kids eat breakfast and let it simmer on low all day long. By lunch my house smells like our favorite Indian Restaurant downtown.  I will definitely include the link to the original recipe. I had to modify a bit yesterday because I didn't have all ingredients on hand, but that is the beauty of this recipe - you can really make it to fit your style.

Here's What You Need:

• 2 cups water and 2 cups veggie broth (or really just 4-5 cups of liquid)
• 1 can diced tomatoes 
• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 can kidney beans
• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped
• 1-2 stalks celery chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric 
• (Ok I messed around with these because they are my favorite spices - check the original recipe for other alternatives)
• salt, to taste
• 

Vegan Blondie Brownie

I hesitate to put the word vegan in the title because I don't want any skeptics.  These things are GOOD - really good. How do I know? I had my father in law try "a brownie" and he liked them. After that I told him they were made from chickpeas and he still ate several more. So trust me when I say, these things are good! So good in fact that I made them again today because I just HAD to have them. And yes, I HAD to have them.  This is actually a quick recipe and I plan on making them often simply because my kids think they are cookies but they are so clean and healthy they can eat them all day and I don't care!

Please please please give it a try - you won't be disappointed.  

Sorry for the lack of pictures - I had a sick kid and couldn't take pictures while prepping but I really wanted to get this recipe to ya!

Here's What You Need:

- 1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained!)

- 3/4 tsp baking powder

- 1/8 tsp baking soda

- level 1/4 tsp salt

- 3/4 cup brown sugar

- 2 tsp vanilla extract

- 1/4 cup quick oats

- 1/4 cup peanut butter

- 1/2 cup chocolate chips 

Here's What You Do:

- Preheat oven to 350

- Blend all the ingredients (except chips) until very smooth in a good food processor (not a blender)

- Mix in chips and scoop into a greased 8x8 pan and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top

- Bake for about 30 minutes

 (they will look a little under cooked when you take them out but they firm as they cool and you don't want them to get hard!)

Please let me know what you think of these. Try them! Be brave!  You will like them - I promise.  

Don't forget our challenge. This thing is awesome! 21 Days to focus on nutrition, clean eating, and how to live a healthy balanced life style.  Comment here for more info!! 

Original recipe here:  http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/05/18/chocolate-chip-blondies-and-theyre-good-for-you/  

Check out her blog - awesome good stuff there!

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!

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

As I have mentioned before, I am constantly working to get the processed foods out of my house and start making my own things for the kids and for me.  This isn't something I'm doing over night. It is a small steady change that I work on. I am busy, my kids are crazy some days, and some days we just need a quick easy snack. But then there are times when I can try out a new recipe and I embrace those opportunities.  This was one of them.  We tried out making the no bake peanut butter bars.  Now you know I posted another peanut butter bar recently here, and this is very similar. The difference is this one is sturdier.  You know for a real snack - a nice heavy snack that will tide you over. The Cheerio one is a bit light and definitely not as filling as this one.  I like both because I like to mix it up.  

Here is what you need:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup honey

3 cups quick cook oats

Here is what you do:

1  Melt the honey and peanut butter over medium heat until smooth

2.  Mix in the oats and remove from heat

3. Stir well

4.  Press into 9x9 pan

5.  Let cool (I refrigerate mine but that is how I like them. They do not have to be refrigerated!)

Verdict? These were delicious and perfect for everyone. The kids like them for snacks, I eat them for a night time treat, and Daddy takes them in his lunch to work.  Score! Clean, easy, and home made. 

Enjoy!

original recipe here:http://www.food.com/recipe/natural-no-bake-peanut-butter-energy-bars-163297?layout=desktop

Easy Side Dishes and Snacks - Make Your Own Chips

I'm really excited about this post because this is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. I have always been too scared to venture out into the world of "make my own chips."  I always thought it would be too time consuming, or my family wouldn't like that, or it would be too time consuming (yes I repeated but time is a big factor for me when cooking).  

Over the holidays however, I had a tiny bit more time to play in the kitchen so I tried out some recipes and what I found is - it isn't that time consuming at all. I mean, yes it takes more time to slice a sweet potato than throw a bunch of frozen fries on a baking sheet. But it doesn't take THAT much more time and in the end, we are being better to our bodies so it is worth it.  

I have compiled here the three recipes I tried and that are now in our permanent weekly rotation. I'm sorry there aren't many pictures. I honestly didn't think that I would post about them (figuring they wouldn't be blog worthy) BUT they are!

First recipe:  Zucchini Chips

Here Is What You Need:

-1 large zucchini

-2 tablespoons olive oil

-Sea salt

Here Is What You Do:

1.  Preheat oven to 225

2.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

3.  Slice zucchini thinly (my thinner slices were crispy and my thicker slices a bit more juicy but I liked both!)

4.  After slicing, sandwich the slices between paper towels and wring out any excess water

5.  Place on baking sheet being careful not to overlap

6.  You are supposed to pour olive oil in a bowl and brush on with a pastry brush. I didn't have a pastry brush so I just drizzled it on top of the slices while they were on the pan.

7.  Sprinkle the salt over the baking sheet.  Do not over salt them because as they cook, they will shrink so putting too much salt initially can make them VERY salty by the end.

8.  Cook for two hours until edges are brown and the chips are crispy and not soggy.

I loved these. We actually ate all of the serving in one evening. I left them out to cool but they never made it to the fridge.  The only thing I don't like about this one is the extended cooking time. Still, if you pop them in during the afternoon, they are ready for a dinner side dish!

Very Easy Quick and Cheesy Cheese Dip

If you follow my posts here, this recipe will not fit the standard. But if you do any challenges with me you will hear me say 100% of the time that my motto is "progress not perfection" and "moderation not deprivation."  My philosophy is that when we deprive ourselves of the foods we love, we end up over doing it later.  Plus depriving ourselves of the things we love is not a way to live!  My health philosophy is about finding balance - a balance between feeding our bodies the things it needs while also enjoying the delicious things the kitchen has to offer us.

So that being said, during Christmas I was in charge of bringing an apetizer to one of our parties.  I decided to make a cheese dip I've heard a lot about.  It was so easy to make and really was quite delicious.  Ok it was very delicious.  So make it for your next gathering and you will be the talk of the party. It seems like it takes more effort than it really does.  I had tons of friends recommend recipes for this and I ended up sampling from all the recommendations and this is what I came up with.  

Here's What You Need:

32 oz Velveeta block of cheese

14 oz can of Rotel diced tomatoes (I did mild but you can choose based on your audience)

1 lb of lean ground beef (you can also use pork or ground turkey)

Some people also add in a cream cheese to make this even thicker or just use the cream cheese instead of Velveeta so there are a lot of variations you can try out here!)

Slow Cooker Cornbread Casserole (did you say it was vegan?)

I love when I try a new recipe and it ACTUALLY WORKS. This was one of those times.  I do crock pot meals on Tuesday and Thursdays because I teach a class at our YMCA and get home late. This is the only way to stay sane at dinner time. I walk in the door from the gym and dinner is ready - perfection.  However, I felt like our crock pot meals were on repeat so I decided to venture out and try a new one. I'll be honest, on the way home I thought - if it is nasty we will order pizza.  But no need because it was just right.

No Bake Energy Bites

I am always looking for something quick and easy as a snack option. I love snacking (and ps snacking is super important for your metabolism).  It is very important that we eat every couple of hours to fuel the fire we have burning from exercise.  Although snacking is important, I am not a huge fan of prepackaged granola bars and things - they are convenient but they never quite do the trick for me. I find myself still hungry after eating things like that and if I'm hungry you better watch out!

Enter - No Bake Energy Bites!

These little beauties only require four ingredients and are delicious.  Now, I know there are other recipes out there for no bake snacks and I plan to try more. The particular recipe I used this time included Shakeology which is the supplement I use as part of my daily routine.  It is PACKED full of vitamins (I don't take any other vitamins actually) so I loved that the recipe included this. I will be trying out other versions of this recipe for those of you who do not use Shakeology. Still, I had to share this one too - it is too delicious to pass up.

What You Need:

1 C all natural peanut butter

1/2 C honey

1 C quick cook oats

1 C chocolate Shakeology

What You Do:

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Combine well.

Roll mixture into about 1 inch balls (should make 24-25 balls)

Refrigerate!  

Delicious. These snacks are perfect for my entire family. They aren't messy so my kids can enjoy them in the car and I can enjoy them when things ARE CRAZY in my house (which is 99.9% of the time). They also make a great late night treat if you are having a sweet tooth craving.

Enjoy!

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.

Vegan Crockpot Quinoa Chili

I made this chili the other night as part of my Crockpot Tuesdays.  I really liked HOW EASY it was - I mean super simple. The only problem for me was it was too spicy. I have zero tolerance for spice (my hubby said it wasn't spicy at all).  Either way, I cut the spice down to half from the original recipe and I still had to add a lot of ranch to get it down.  So I will do this again but will let hubby spice his own afterwards. The recipe made a ton so we have had it for left overs for several days (love it when that happens!)

The original recipe called for chicken but I turned this into a vegan style dish.