Juicing!

I recently discovered juicing fruits and vegetables. At first I was very skeptical about throwing a cucumber into a juice with sweet apples and peaches, but soon after I tried my first green juice I realized that vegetables taste completely different in a juice than they do when eating whole! Often times when you make a juice with fruits and veggies, the vegetables are a background flavor with delicious fruit as the overwhelming taste. I love juices. They taste great and can be made in so many ways!

We use a Jack La Lanne Juicer, it's great!

I have many juicing recipes to share, but the most fun thing to do is make up your own!

This first one is the best to try before any other! It is called "Sherbert Lemonade" and is an amazing version of lemonade. It tastes a million times better than store bought lemonade. 

It is very simple: 2 green apples with an inch of lemon. 

lemon, apple, ginger and beet.

When juicing leafy greens, like the kale pictured, you want to pair it with a fruit that will help the juicer extract the liquid. If you don't put them together then the juicer will just shred most of the leaves without getting much out of it.

This is my favorite green juice: kale, broccoli stem, cucumber, zucchini, beet, ginger, apple, lemon, orange and carrot; then blended with banana.  

This is the lemon ginger zinger: carrots, apple, lemon, ginger.

These two pictures are the same juice, the first one shows it about to be blended with banana :]

Berry blast: strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, zucchini, beet, ginger, lemon and apple.

Lemon, orange and apple; added chia seeds.

Mango, orange, apple, lemon.

Apple, strawberry and banana.

This is my favorite juicing recipe site:

http://www.juicemaster.com/us/recipes/juices

Jason Vale is a great coach for juicing.

Reduced Fat Banana Choc Chip Muffins

These are dangerous. I can eat a whole batch in a day, which totally defeats the purpose haha.

-Ingredients-

-3 overly ripe bananas

-3/4 cup white sugar

-1 egg

-1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (instead of butter!)

-1 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/2 tsp salt

-1 1/2 cup flour

-Directions-

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Mash the bananas well in a large mixing bowl.

-add the sugar and egg while continuing to mix.

-add the applesauce and then slowly begin to add in the dry ingredients, letting the batter build up.

-mix in the chocolate chips! (best part)

-distribute into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Whipped Pumpkin Dip

I love this thick and rich dip on cinnamon graham crackers. It is a great fall treat!

-Ingredients-

-1 (15oz) can libby's pumpkin pie

-1 (3.4oz) box of french vanilla instant pudding. The SF kind even tastes good in this.

-1 8oz tub of cool whip light or fat free

-1/4 cup of brown sugar

-Directions-

-Mix everything but the cool whip and then fold the cool whip in. 

Easy and beyond delicious!

Simple Yet Wonderful Greek Pasta Salad Dressing

I am a pasta salad fiend. I have always wanted to make my own salad dressings and have finally found the first one I really love.

-Ingredients-

-1/2 cup olive oil

-1/2 cup red wine vinegar

-1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

-1 1/2 tsp dried basil

-1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

-3/4 tsp black pepper

-3/4 tsp white sugar

-Directions-

-mix all ingredients in a bowl.

-I like to use elbow pasta, kalamata olives, feta cheese, green onions and salami in my Greek pasta salad. 

Allrecipes.com gave me the dressing recipe!
They have a video on making it! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/greek-pasta-salad-i/

Chocolate Mousse!

Do you like to be daring and adventurous with your food? This recipe asks people to step out of their comfort zone and happily surprises them with delicious creamy rich chocolate. Don't let a little tofu scare ya ;]

-Ingredients-

-12.3oz silken or firm tofu (Mori-Nu lite leaves no aftertaste!)

-1 tsp cocoa powder

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-2 tbsp milk of your choice

-1/8 tsp salt

-1 1/3 cup chocolate chips

-2-3 tbsp agave syrup

-crust is optional if you want it to be like a pie. I would try graham cracker :]

-Directions-

-melt chocolate in pan.

-throw everything into a blender until smooth.

-pour into a crust or dish! Yep, it's that easy!

Credit: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2011/09/06/the-ultimate-chocolate-fudge-pie/

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

These delicious patties of goodness are very filling and fun to make! When I dip them in marinara sauce and add chunks of creamy avocado it reminds me of eating...bread sticks actually. So for you gluten free rock stars out there missing the taste of yummy bread sticks, try this.

-Ingredients-

-2 cups of cooked quinoa

-2 large eggs

-1/2 cup chopped carrot

-1 cup sliced green onion

-1/4 tsp black pepper

-2 cloves garlic, minced

-1/2 cup parmesan

-2 tbsp flour (or red mill GF flour)

-1/2 tsp seasoning salt (I like Lawry's)

-Directions-

-Cook quinoa in vegetable broth or low sodium chicken broth. (always rinse quinoa thoroughly before use)

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

-mix together all ingredients except quinoa and stir until smooth.

-add cooked quinoa and mix until evenly distributed.

-in a mini muffin tin distribute batter so it fills each cup to the top.

-bake for 13-15 minutes.

Energy Balls!!

**Update: I am making these tomorrow morning and have been able to calculate the nutritional facts thanks to my SparkRecipe Calculator. I love that thing!**

If you love snack bars/energy bars or whatever you want to call them, then you will love this recipe. Everyone I have given a taste to has raved about how good they are. In fact...I'm eating one right now, haha!

-Ingredients-

-1 cup dry old fashion oatmeal

-1 cup dried cranberries

-1/2 cup ground flax seed
-1 scoop protein powder (mine has 25g protein per scoop and is chocolate flavored)

-1/3 cup honey

-1/2 cup peanut butter (heaping)

-1 tsp vanilla

-1/2 cup soynuts
-1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
-You can change up the ingredients a lot! The nutrition facts will change, however. 

-Directions-

-Combine dry ingredients in a deep bowl.

-add peanut butter and mix well.

-add honey, mix.

-add vanilla, mix.

-roll into about 15 balls and place in Tupperware, then refrigerate.

-proceed to lick the honey/peanut butter mixture off your hands. 

Thank you Melissa Bender for this wonderful recipe! benderfitness.com

Crock Pot Picadillo

This recipe is by far my favorite type of taco meat. I am not a huge meat fan but I could eat this on its own. I am making this tomorrow for the Seahawks game! I can't wait to show my parents this blissful concoction. 

-Ingredients-

-2 pounds of lean ground beef

-1 cup of minced onion

-1 cup diced bell pepper (I like red)

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-1/4 cup minced cilantro

-1 small diced tomato

-8oz can tomato sauce

-1/2 to 1 cup of pimento stuffed green olives

-1/4 tsp garlic powder

-1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

-2 bay leaves

-salt&pepper to taste

-Directions-

-Brown the meat in a skillet on medium heat and season with salt. Then once the meat shows no redness, drain the grease.

-add onions, garlic and bell pepper to the meat in the skillet and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

-transfer the meat to the slow cooker and add tomato, cilantro, tomato sauce, 1/4 cup of water, olives and then add the spices.

-set slow cooker on high for 3 to 4 hours.

-discard bay leaves before eating.

You'll have a good amount of leftovers if only making it for two! But that's all the better.

I must give credit to Skinnytaste.com for supplying me with this recipe! :]