Green Monster Smoothie

There is a new trend going around about these things. It is blowing up on Pinterest and I’ve seen them a few times on Facebook. I decided to try my hand at them and see what I thought.

I’ve kind of been on a health kick lately (counting calories and such). That’s kind of what piqued my interest on these. I wanted something healthy, yummy, and easy to put together in the morning or for a snack during the day. These are so easy to put together and to change up to your liking also.

Ingredients:
1 cup (or generous handful) fresh and clean spinach leaves
1 frozen banana
1/3 cup yogurt (I used WF Vanilla)
1/2 cup milk

1. Put everything in your blender and blend it on up.

This is 235 calories and makes about 1 1/2 glasses full. I didn’t actually measure it yet, but that is what it serves as in my glasses. I you want it a little thinner you can add another 1/2 cup of milk (50 more calories) and it will probably be two glasses of smoothie.

This is kind of a starter recipe that would be easy to add more things to. Here are suggestions:

1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter (90 Cal)
Some frozen or fresh berries
Cocoa Powder
Flax Seed (tons of health benefits and adds a fun flavor)

Have fun with it!

Raisin Pudding

Growing up I always knew that anytime we had a meal that included rice there was a high likelihood that we would be having some rice pudding soon after. It’s one of my mothers childhood memories, and therefore it became one of mine.

Recently I was over visiting my parents when they offered me some pudding. My mom mentioned that she was trying a new recipe out. Then she told me that she has forever been on a quest to find just the right rice pudding. She has not yet been able to find it. This made me think that maybe I was ready to join in the hunt for her.

Here is my take on a Rice Pudding recipe with a twist of freeze-dried mixed in.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice, cooled
1 1/3 cup whole milk
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp softened butter (I completely melted mine in the microwave)
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup Freeze Dried Raisins
1 cup Freeze Dried Apples (mine were with cinnamon)
Sprinkle of nutmeg

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Put your apples and raisins in a bowl covered in water to reconstitute.

2. Grease a 2 quart glass baking dish with butter. In the baking dish mix the rice, milk, salt, sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs, and lemon juice.

3. Once that is mixed thoroughly, drain the water off of your raisins and apples and add to your baking dish and combine. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and place in your oven.

4. Bake for 1 hour or until set.

Rice pudding is great by itself or you can pour a little milk over the top of it. I ended up sprinkling a little more sugar on top of mine. So add it to taste. You could also serve with a little ice cream on top.

Also, feel free to omit the raisins or the apples. It’s your rice pudding.

*It would be very easy to substitute powdered eggs, butter, and milk in this recipe. Just reconstitute as instructed.
For the powdered eggs: 6 Tbsp powder + 12 Tbsp (or 3/4 cup) of water.
For the powdered butter: 1 Tbsp of powder + 1 Tbsp of water. If you want a little more butter flavor then use oil instead.
For the powdered milk: 7 Tbsp and 2 tsp of powder + 1 1/3 cup water

The pudding on the plate is straight out of the pan with a little sugar sprinkled on top. The pudding in the bowl has a little milk poured over it, is mixed, and has a little cinnamon/sugar sprinkled on top.

French Toast

Ingredients:

Bread
Eggs
Milk
Cinnamon/Sugar
Toppings

1. Estimate 2 eggs per person. This will give you enough extra to feed the extra hungry and probably have a couple slices for leftovers. Mix your eggs and 1/4 cup of milk for each person together. Add the amount of cinnamon/sugar you’d like. Remember you’ll probably have more sugar in your toppings, so not too much.

2. Oil your pan and let it heat up. Cook each side of your toast until done. I usually cook on a med heat so about 3-4 min. each side. Every stove is different though.

Try some different toppings if you’re stuck in a rut. Strawberries and whipped cream was delicious. Peanut Butter and Jam, or Honey is always good. I think I’m going to try a non-sugary one next time and do ham and cheese with some peppers or something. More like an omelet sandwich I guess. There is always just syrup too.

Breakfast Pie

Thank you Patty Green!

Ingredients

1 – 24 oz. pkg Frozen Hashbrowns

10 eggs, beaten

1 lb cooked meat (sausage, bacon, or ham)

1/2 Tbsp Salt

1 cup shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven tot 350 degrees

2. Spread the bag of hashbrowns evenly in a 9x13 pan. Pour the eggs over the potatoes. Spread the pound of meat over that, then the cheese.

3. Cover with foil and back at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

This is a meal that you can prepare beforehand and store in the fridge easily until you are ready to stick it in the oven.

Oven Pancakes

Ingredients

6 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk

6 tbsp butter

1 cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Place butter in a 9x12 cake pan. Melt butter in preheating oven. Watch closely! You don’t want it to go too long and catch on fire.

3. Mix remaining ingredients. Once butter is completely melted pour in your batter. DO NOT STIR!

4. Bake for 18 minutes

You still need to watch this kind of closely. I’ve had it rise clear to the top of my oven before. You might want to lower your oven rack. I usually do now.

Very good with Maple syrup, or fruit and whipped cream!