Cheery Cherry Pie

Otherwise known as...frozen yogurt pie. I've had this recipe since it came in a magazine when I was about seven years old. (It's hilarious how the original picture dates the recipe!) I loved it when my mom made it for me, but I hadn't had it for almost twenty years....so I decided to try it again. The ingredient list was short-HUGE bonus! 

1 graham cracker crust
1 carton (32 oz) vanilla yogurt
1 can cherry pie filling


If you make your own graham cracker crust, it adds a little bit of time to the recipe, but not much....










After baking the crust, pour in the yogurt.






Place the pie in the freezer and wait...and wait. After the pie is set, slice it and serve with the pie filling on top. Delicious!

Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs

With the large crop of spinach from my garden, I have been setting aside recipes to try with it....One of the recipes that looked good was Rachael Ray's "Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs" from her 365: No Repeats. I made a few tweaks...mostly because my tomato plant isn't producing yet...although it has baby green tomatoes! 

So...start by pouring some olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Heat it until the butter melts...then start frying the potatoes. Cook for about ten minutes, or until potatoes are starting to get soft. Add chopped ham. While the ham and potatoes are frying, fry 4 eggs in another skillet. When the eggs are done, add the spinach to the ham and potatoes so it can wilt down. Top the hash with the eggs and serve!

 Ham and Spinach Hash with Fried Eggs

(Based on Rachael Ray's recipe)

2 T olive oil
3 T butter, divided
2 baking potatoes, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1/2 t. thyme
1/4 t. crushed red pepper
1 large ham steak, finely chopped
4 eggs
2 c spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 t basil

Preheat a large skillet with the olive oil and butter (until the butter melts). Add sliced potatoes to the hot skillet. Season them with salt, pepper, thyme, and red pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then for about 10 minutes. The potatoes should be getting a little tender. Add the ham steak and continue to fry. 

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in a second skillet. Fry the eggs, seasoning them with salt and pepper. After the ham browns, add the spinach and basil to the potato mixture. Toss to wilt the spinach. Top the hash with the eggs and serve.

At Home Date Night

Complete with Games, a Movie, and Snack Food!

My husband and I are trying to pay off our house and my student loans, so we frequently have 'at home' date nights. This one was one of my favorites because we did so much together!

Since it was a Friday night, I thought about what I could cook that would be simple and quick. I decided on snack foods, mainly because I had some avocado to use in guacamole and some green olives to add to a relish tray. Bonus: I had leftover meatballs from Thursday's dinner, so they added some protein!

First, I put the veggie tray together. I made an awesome ranch dip! Use one packet ranch dressing mix, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup mayo, and 1 cup sour cream. It's delicious and the perfect consistency!

Then, I made the guacamole. My secret "quick n' easy guacamole" recipe is 2 avocados, 3 T salsa, 1 T. lemon or lime juice, and 1/4 t. hot sauce. Mash everything together until creamy. Mmm....good!

Finally, I reheated the meatballs and put everything on the table for us to enjoy while we played Sequence. (Afterwards we snuggled on the couch to watch "The Switch." It was a cute movie, but not as romantic as I thought it might be....you just have to see it for yourself to decide.)

Maraschino Cherry Almond Bread

As you know, if you have been reading my other posts, I am trying to make healthier foods for optimal knee joint health. This is not exactly a healthy recipe-but it wasn't for me. I made this for a dear co-worker whose husband passed away last week. When she returned to work, she thanked me for it again and commented on how good it was. So...here's the recipe:

Maraschino Cherry Almond Bread

(Adapted from Taste of Home)

10 oz. maraschino cherries

1/2 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. almonds, chopped

Makes 1 loaf

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coarsely chop the cherries. Reserve 1/2 c. of the cherry juice, adding water if necessary. Cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and the cherry juice alternately to the creamed mixture. Stir in the cherries and almonds. Spread into a greased loaf pan. Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pan to cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Whole Wheat Flaxseed Banana Nut Bread

I love banana bread-don't you? I have a collection of three or four recipes I alternate whenever I feel the urge for some bread. This recipe is by far the healthiest of the three! It should be noted that I enjoy the whole grain flavor of this bread, while my husband prefers my "Gift of the Magi Bread." It is a sweet banana bread chock full of maraschino cherries, chocolate chips, coconut, mandarin oranges, and dates. However.... 

As I mentioned on my last post, after my injury, I researched healthy foods for joints. One of the recommended foods was flaxseed. Also, baked goods and white bread were discouraged. So, I tried to make my whole wheat banana bread recipe a little better for me by adding flaxseed meal. I tried this two ways: The loaf on the left was made by replacing 1/4 of the white flour with flaxseed. The loaf on the right was made by replacing the egg with 1 T flaxseed and 3 T water. As you can see, the loaf on the left turned out best. So, I'm going to give you that recipe-you're welcome.

Whole Wheat Flaxseed Banana Nut Bread

1/2  c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. flaxseed meal

3/4 c. all purpose flour

1/2 t. salt

3/4 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

1/8 t. cloves

1 1/4 c. ripe bananas

2 T. milk
1/4 c. walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In another small bowl, whisk the banana and milk together. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the banana to the creamed butter/sugar mixture. Spoon into greased loaf pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Bake 55 to 60 min. After removing from oven, let sit 10 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Sweet Lemon Salmon with Dill Carrots and Apple Broccoli Salad

This meal was one of my first attempts at making joint healthy meals. I injured my knee over spring break by landing wrong from a fall. Unfortunately, knee injuries are known to cause increased risk of arthritis. Add to that my family history of arthritis, and I decided that I couldn't be too careful when it came to eating the right foods for healthy joints as I age. I started focusing on anti-inflammatory foods-hence the salmon and walnuts. The broccoli, apples, craisins, and carrots are all good choices because of their vitamins and minerals. This is my favorite salmon recipe, so I plan to make it a lot since I have an excuse to make it frequently! 

The wonderful thing about this salmon recipe is the short preparation time. I love how quickly the recipe goes together! So, chop your salad veggies and fruit first. Mix the dressing into the salad and refrigerate until you are ready to serve it. Then, start the salmon and boil water in preparation for the carrots. When you put the salmon into the oven, drop the carrots into the water. The carrots should be done just as the timer dings for the salmon. Since the salad is all ready to go in the fridge-dinner is served!

Sweet Lemon Salmon

(Adapted from Rachael Ray)

3 T. brown sugar

4 T. lemon juice, divided

2 T. vegetable oil

4 6 oz. salmon fillets

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix brown sugar and 3 T. lemon juice. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat with 2 T canola oil. Season the salmon fillets with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. Flip it over and place in baking dish. Cover with sugar and lemon mixture. Bake 5 to 8 minutes in the oven, or until done. (If you have an ovenproof skillet, by all means, flip your salmon in the pan, pour over the sauce, and pop it into the oven. That's what Rachael does!)

Dill Carrots

(Adapted from Rachael Ray)

1 18 oz. bag of baby carrots

2 T. butter

1 T. dill weed

Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Drop the carrots into the boiling water. Simmer the carrots 3 to 4 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the burner and drain the carrots. Return the carrots to the warm pot, adding the butter and dill weed. Stir until butter melts.

Apple Broccoli Salad

3 c. chopped broccoli

1 large apple, chopped

1/2 c. dried cranberries

1/4 c. chopped walnuts
6 T. miracle whip

1 T. vinegar

4 T. honey

Mix together the miracle whip, vinegar, and honey. Place remaining ingredients in medium bowl. Pour dressing on top and mix well. Allow to chill before eating to blend flavors.

Chewy Granola Bars

Have you ever been frustrated at how so many homemade granola bars need to be eaten as cereal instead of bars? They are dry and crumbly,and never fail to make a mess when you try to eat them gracefully. At horse shows, you might as well feed them to your mount so you don't have to wear the crumbs on your shirt! 

So far, this is the best granola bar recipe I have found. They are so chewy and gooey...no need to stress over the crumbles. Best of all, they are chock full of protein-peanut butter, sunflower nuts, and wheat germ, so you can rest assured that you aren't eating a glorified cookie. Have I convinced you to try this recipe?

 First off, like many bar recipes, you want to mix your wet ingredients. I like to melt my butter in a microwave-safe bowl, then throw the sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla on top of it. Mix it well-everyone wants a fair portion of the peanut butter. 



This is where you get to add the good-for-you stuff: oatmeal, wheat germ, sunflower nuts, wheat germ, raisins, sesame seeds, and dark chocolate. Don't you just love that dark chocolate is good for you? 



Okay, mix everything together. Since there is no leavening agent, there is no danger of over mixing. Again, you are ensuring that everyone gets a fair share of the good stuff. Distribute the chocolate as well-no hoarding. 


Press the mixture into a pan. Don't worry about greasing it-there is enough butter in the recipe you don't need extra grease. Many people loyally follow the recipe and grease cookie sheets and pans when there is no need. Most cookie (drop and bar) recipes have enough fat to keep them from sticking without assistance. In fact, if you grease a cookie sheet before baking, your cookies will often have 'fry lines' where the excess oil was.


After baking, allow the bars to cool completely before slicing. Serve with a glass of milk if desired! 

Chewy Granola Bars

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

2/3 c. peanut butter

2 t. vanilla

3 c. quick-cooking oats

1/2 c. raisins

1/2 c. sunflower nuts

6 T. wheat germ

2 T. sesame seeds

1 c. dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350  F. Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Press in 9x13 baking pan. Bake for 15 min. Allow to cool before slicing. Makes 24 bars.

Chicken Crunchwraps

A month or so ago, I tried making beef crunchwraps for the first time. Mmmm.....they were awesome. Well, since then we have used up all of our ground beef, so I had to try using poultry. I shredded a couple of cups of chicken, seasoned it with taco seasonings, and went on from there....

Don't all these ingredients look yummy? I use a burrito shell for the base, top it with some homemade queso sauce, put a tostada shell on, then layer meat, lettuce (add tomato if you have some), sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Now, I am EXTREMELY picky about what I like sour cream in/on. A crunchwrap is not on the approved list. However, I made a couple of them with sour cream for my husband. (Don't ya just love seeing that queso sauce ooze out from under the corn shell?)

Cooking these is a bit of a trick. After you have the layers in place, fold the burrito shell around it. Use a hunk of tortilla from a 6 in shell (you don't need much) to cover the hole in the middle. Then, flip it over and fry in a hot pan until the cheddar cheese melts. This will make your patch and folds stick on the wrap like they are supposed to. Then, flip the crunchwrap over and crisp the other side. Now, for the tricky stuff. I like the inside to be piping, steaming, hot. It doesn't have time to get steamy while the tortilla crisps. So, I like to pop it into the microwave for 30 seconds or so to really heat things up and make the inside all gooey. Enjoy!

Chicken Crunchwraps

1/4 c. salsa

1/4 c. Velveeta cheese

Corn tostada shells

Burrito shells

Soft taco shells (Only 1)

2 c. shredded Chicken, seasoned with 1 t. chili powder, 1/2 t. cumin, and 1/2 t. coriander

shredded lettuce

chopped tomato

sour cream

cheddar cheese

Melt the salsa and Velveeta together in the microwave for about a min. Stir together to make a queso sauce. Spread a couple tablespoons of sauce on 4 burrito shells. Top with a tostada shell. Layer meat, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and cheddar cheese on top. Fold burrito shell around the layers. Cover cheese completely with a hunk of the soft taco shell. Flip wrap into a hot skillet. Toast until cheese melts. Flip and let the other side of the tortilla get crispy. Heat further on lower heat or in the microwave. Serve hot.

Makes 4 crunchwraps.

Breakfast...Girly Style

Breakfast is rarely a big deal at our house. If we are not having something microwaveable, we are having granola bars. That is with the exception of snow days and weekends. So...last weekend I decided to make ahead some breakfast foods for the coming week...then I made some delicious parfaits a couple of mornings....so I had to share both.

"Best Ever Blueberry Muffins"

While I hesitate to dub anything 'best ever,' I do have to admit these blueberry muffins make at least the top three. They are neither too moist nor too dry. Best of all, they are not too sweet. I can't stand eating a muffin that tastes like it should be a cupcake. It makes me cringe to think what is happening to my blood sugar-especially if I wash it down with a glass of juice.

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 c. sugar

4 T butter, melted

1 large egg

7/8 c milk

1 c blueberries, frozen or fresh

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a muffin pan with cups or spray with baking spray. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and butter. (Use a fork if you don't have a whisk handy.) Then, lightly mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Just until blended. Add blueberries and stir about five times to mix them in. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake 18-24 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack. 

"Fruit and Yogurt Parfaits"

These couldn't be more simple to make. I have a feeling they will become a horse show staple because of their simplicity and delicious flavors. As an added bonus, there are a bazillion different combinations possible, so I will share the basic recipe with you and let you use your imagination for the rest.




Bottom layer: fruit (I recommend using a flavor that will complement your yogurt. Use peaches with peach yogurt; berries with blueberry, black cherry, or mixed berry; strawberries with strawberry or strawberry banana...get the idea?)
Middle layer: Granola without raisins. I used an organic oats and honey granola. 
Top layer: Yogurt flavor of your choice. I just scooped out a single serving of yogurt from an individual container. (Remember, complement the fruit on the bottom.)

If you're really hungry, repeat the layers!

Maxi Skirt Remake

Eons ago, I competed in a Rodeo Queen contest. (Actually, it was eleven years ago.) The speech and interview component required a dressy western outfit. So, my mom and I chose a lovely black skirt with star accents in the form of buttons. A couple of years later, I purchased a burgundy skirt in a similar style. Both skirts fell just below mid calf on me. Unfortunately, ten years later, that is no longer the style. However, maxi skirts/dresses are very popular. I did some searching on Pinterest for a dress similar to what my skirts would look like if I put them together. Here is what I found:

Revolve $195

I thought, "I can do this. I can just take apart the skirts and sew them back together in a pattern of black, purple. It will be easy." HA! It was kind of simple, but very time consuming. It took me a week of using a couple of hours in the evening to remake the skirts. This is what I started with. 

I began by ripping out the seams to so I could insert a couple of purple strips in the midst of the black. I also took off the buttons on the black skirt and the lace/ruffles on the burgundy. I chose to use black for the top because it had much higher quality elastic in the waist. After HOURS of using the seam rippers to painstakingly take out the seams, I could begin to sew. The sewing took a long time as well--pin, sew, pin, sew, repeat. Finally, at the end of the week, I had my finished product:

I love the way it turned out! The skirt is a great length with heels. It goes well with the sweater I have on in the picture, a button down black shirt, and a peasant top I like to wear during warmer weather. I can't wait to wear this remade skirt out sometime! My husband assured me it looks great-like I purchased it this way from the store.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Granola bars have always been a big hit with my husband.I love these bars-they are kind of like s'mores with peanut butter and coconut add-ins. These bars are perfect for hauling along to a horse show or trail ride, or just to eat as a snack.

I discovered this recipe in high school, but I tweaked it for microwave use. You can also add in or leave out ingredients as desired. (I frequently omit the coconut and peanut chunks.)

To get started, place 1/4 c. butter, 1/4 c. vegetable oil, and 60 large marshmallows in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Cook for 2 1/2 minutes on high. Stir. Cook for another 2 min on high. Add 1/4 c. honey and 1/4 c. peanut butter. 
Cook for another 2 min, or until all marshmallows are softened. Watch this closely-DO NOT overcook your marshmallows. Stir again when you remove it from the microwave. Make sure all the marshmallows are melted and the mixture is smooth.

Add in 5 c. quick-cooking oats, 4 1/2 c. Rice Krispies, 1 c. crushed graham crackers, 1 c. coconut,  and 1 c. peanut chunks. Stir. (Make sure all of your ingredients are ready to go. If you wait too long to mix, the marshmallow mixture will cool too much to be easily stirred.)

Spread in a 9" x 13" pan for thick bars or a 15" x 10" pan for a more traditional bar. I opted for thick bars. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top and press them into the bars. Let cool slightly before cutting in order for the bars to harden.

Recipe:

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. vegetable oil

60 large marshmallows (1 1/2 pounds)

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. peanut butter

5 c. quick cooking oats

4 1/2 c. Rice Krispies

1 c. crushed graham crackers

1 c. coconut

1 c. dry roasted peanuts, chopped

mini chocolate chips for sprinkling.

Soften the butter, oil, and marshmallows in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes on high. Stir. Cook for 2 more minutes on high. Add honey and peanut butter. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until all marshmallows are melted. Stir until smooth. Add oats, rice cereal, crackers, coconut, and peanuts. Spread in a 9" x 13" or 15" x 10" pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and press into bars.

Boot Socks-Old Sweater Remake

After a series of snow days, thanks to winter storms Q and Rocky, I had clothing remakes on the mind. I spent several hours one day remaking a men's shirt into a halter top and altering the sides on a few other tops. 

I happened to be wearing an old sweater while I was looking for clothing remake ideas. The fabric was snagged in a few places and the edging was tearing away from the shirt. I decided to wash the sweater, hack off the sleeves, and make boot socks with the old sleeves. I did some 'Pinterest Research' on remaking sweaters into boot socks and found a cute idea for edging the top in a coordinating ribbon. They turned out so cute! I can hardly wait to wear them. (If you want to make your own, simply cut off the sleeves off an old sweater and hem the cut edge.)