Spinach Ricotta Bites

I found this recipe on Weelicious YEARS ago and I still make it regularly. It's one of my favorite breakfasts and snacks. My daughter will eat them too, which is a huge win. I get 24 minis but you can also make it in a regular muffin tin and have larger servings, just adjust cooking time accordingly.

Spinach Ricotta Bites

2 Tbsp Butter
1 Small Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, minced
2 Large Eggs, Beaten
1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
1 10 Oz Pkg Frozen Chopped Spinach, defrosted and drained, or you can cook fresh spinach in with the butter and onions and then drain it
1/4 Tsp Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the onions for 4 minutes until tender.
3. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute then set aside to cool.
4. Whisk eggs in a bowl and stir in ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.
5. Once combined, stir in spinach, salt and cooled onion and garlic mixture.
6. Pour the mixture into lightly greased mini muffin cups.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is set and golden on top.
8. Serve.

Butter Stuffed Dates

You might think I'm crazy for this one. I thought it sounded crazy when I first heard it, but I was intrigued enough to try it and now I am in LOVE. These satisfy the sweet and salty cravings, and the butter satiates for quite a while so you don't just crash from the sugar rush. Amazing. You have to try these. The idea originally came from my butter-obsessed friend Rashell. :)

Butter Stuffed Dates

Remove the pit from a medjool date and slice it open lengthwise. Scoop some good quality grassfed butter inside and close it back up. Sprinkle with a little salt and enjoy.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

We added chocolate chips to the pumpkin muffins and they were so good! Love that combo.

Pumpkin Muffins

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg beaten  
1/2 cup Sugar or Honey, or just a few drops of Liquid Stevia
1.5 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or any combo of white/wheat)  
3/4 cup Flax Meal  
1 tsp Baking Powder   
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt 
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon
1 can Pumpkin
2 Apples, peeled and diced
Raw Pumpkin Seeds, if desired
1/2 cup or so of Chocolate Chips
Milk, optional

Preheat oven to 350*.  Prepare muffin tin with paper cups or spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Mix butter, egg and sweetener with electric mixer until combined.  Add pumpkin and apples, mix well. Add dry ingredients; blend well. Add chocolate chips and raw pumpkin seeds, if desired. Add milk a tablespoon at a time to moisten if needed.  Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Bake 20-25 minutes until they just start to brown and spring back when you touch them.

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is like my regular healthy muffin recipe, only subbing a can of pumpkin for the banana and adding a little pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.

Pumpkin Muffins

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg beaten   
1/2 cup Sugar or Honey, or just a few drops of Liquid Stevia
1.5 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or any combo of white/wheat)  
3/4 cup Flax Meal  
1 tsp Baking Powder   
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt 
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice or Cinnamon
1 can Pumpkin
2 Apples, peeled and diced
Raw Pumpkin Seeds, if desired
Milk, optional

Preheat oven to 350*.  Prepare muffin tin with paper cups or spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Mix butter, egg and sweetener with electric mixer until combined.  Add dry ingredients; blend well.  Add milk a tablespoon at a time to moisten if needed.  Spoon into prepared muffin tin. Sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on the tops, if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes until they just start to brown and spring back when you touch them.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cranberry Muffins

These muffins were really good, once we got over the drier, more crumbly texture from the GF flour. They actually tasted more like cookies, and they were DELICIOUS with butter spread on top. We joked that you should just frost them with butter. OK it wasn't a joke. Do it.
 
GF Chocolate Chip Cranberry Muffins

1/4 cup Butter, melted
1/2 cup Sugar or Honey, to taste
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Flour - I used King Arthur GF Blend
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Baking Soda 
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1/4 cup Milk or Buttermilk
1/3 cup Chocolate Chips
1/3 cup Dried Cranberries

Preheat oven to 325. Prepare a muffin tin with spray or paper liners.

Mix butter, sugar or honey, egg and vanilla with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chia seeds. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix just until combined. Add milk and mix until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and cranberries.

Drop batter into prepared muffin tin and bake until done - about 10 minutes for mini muffins but longer for regular size muffins. Cool and enjoy!

5-minute Strawberry Ice Cream

 My kids LOVE to make homemade ice cream in the Vitamix. I usually use stevia instead of sugar. So easy, I always have the ingredients on hand, and it takes no time at all!

Quick Strawberry Ice Cream

1 10oz pkg frozen Strawberries
1/2 cup Plain Yogurt
Liquid Stevia to taste

Blend frozen strawberries with yogurt. Add stevia to taste - start with about 10 drops and taste, adding 1 drop at a time, mixing and tasting until it's just right.

Paleo Granola Bars

I made a Paleo version of my kids' yummy granola bars and they turned out great! I was surprised that my kids liked them as well, even though they are all nuts/seeds. Usually they are leery of that, especially those green pepitas, but they scarfed them up.

Paleo Granola Bars

2 1/2 cup Raw Seeds / Dried Fruit (I used Ground Almonds, Ground Walnuts, Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds, a Dried Berry Mix and Dried Cranberries)
1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
3 Tbsp Almond Butter
2/3 cup Honey
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray a small jelly roll pan with cooking spray. (The medium bar pan from Pampered Chef is the perfect size for this recipe)

Mix nuts/seeds/fruit and coconut in bowl, set aside. Combine almond butter, honey, vanilla and salt in large sauce pan and heat until melted and well mixed. Add nut/fruit mixture, stir to combine, and pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 15 minutes, then cool completely. Cut into bars and keep in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Layered Mexican Dip

 
This is our favorite GAMEDAY food!

Mexican Taco Layer Dip

1lb ground beef
Taco seasoning (use a packet or make up your own with cumin, chili powder, etc.)

Beans, optional - Black Beans, Refried Beans, whatever beans you like, or skip them

2 cups Sour Cream or Plain Yogurt or a combination
Taco seasoning (one packet's worth)

Tomatoes, diced and/or Salsa
Lettuce, shredded
Cheese, shredded (cheddar, monterey jack, colby/jack mix, whatever you like)

Green Onions, optional

Brown ground beef. Drain, add 1/4-1/2 cup of water and the taco seasoning. Stir well and let thicken. If using black beans, you can mix them in.

Mix taco seasoning with sour cream or yogurt. Spread into the bottom of a 13x9 inch casserole.

If using refried beans, you can add them here.

Layer on the ground beef, and then the tomatoes, lettuce, cheese and green onion. Add olives if you like. Anything goes!

Refrigerate if not eating right away. Serve with chips, or on a salad.

Homemade Granola Bars

My kids devoured these homemade granola bars in no time! Happy Mama over here!

Homemade Granola Bars

2 cups Granola
1/2 cup Raw Seeds / Dried Fruit (I used Pumpkin and Sunflower Seeds, and Dried Cranberries)
1/2 cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut
3 Tbsp Almond Butter or Peanut Butter
2/3 cup Honey
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray a small jelly roll pan with cooking spray. (The medium bar pan from Pampered Chef is the perfect size for this recipe)

Mix granola, seeds/fruit and coconut in bowl, set aside. Combine almond or peanut butter, honey, vanilla and salt in large sauce pan and heat until melted and well mixed. Add granola mixture, stir to combine, and pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle some chocolate chips if you like. 

Bake for 15 minutes, then cool completely. Cut into bars and keep in airtight container in the refrigerator.

Banana Lizard

Do you remember the Banana Caterpillar I posted before?  My husband hates making it because it takes time to put the peanut butter between each slice of banana, and is a little messy. So he suggested that the kids might like him to make them a Banana Lizard.  Oooh. Aaah, If Daddy suggests it, they'll do anything. Sound familiar to anyone else? :) Anyway, the Banana Lizard was born! It's easier, faster, AND it comes with extra chocolate chips. Lucky kids.

Banana Lizard

Spread peanut butter (or almond butter, or some other butter) down the top of the banana, so that the curve is aiming upwards. Use dabs of peanut butter for the four legs, to help hold it up. The Lizard gets chocolate chips for eyes, a tongue, and then two more down the back because Daddy was feeling generous.

Raw Brownie Bites

This recipe was shared on a local group and I loved it! It was kid-approved as well. :)

Raw Brownie Bites

1 cup Almonds (raw)
1 cup Dates (pitted)
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

I threw it all in my vitamix and processed until it was combined well. Then you can press it into a pan and freeze, but I chose to make mine into bites by using a small cookie scoop. I put them in mini muffin cups and froze until they were firm. Yum! You can roll them in nuts or shredded coconut too if you like.

Hidden Spinach Fruit Smoothies & Popsicles

This is my saving grace as a mother of picky kids.  They have no idea there's spinach in this smoothie and they gobble it up.  I make a giant batch and freeze whatever they don't drink into popsicles.

LOVE the VITAMIX for this!  I can put everything in and then blend it up and it's super smooth.  I use that thing almost every day for something.

You can throw anything you want in, of course.  I find that in order to use spinach, I must use yogurt - it helps the texture and it lightens the color enough that the blueberries can color the whole thing purple. I use plain yogurt.

Bananas need to be good and ripe, and often that is enough sweetness.  I'll add a little honey if I feel like it needs it but don't always put it in.  If I have ripe bananas I won't be able to use in time, I peel and freeze them in zip bags and use them for smoothies or muffins another day.

Frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries are a staple here.  Frozen peaches are good, too.

If I have oranges I'll peel and orange and throw it in.  Yes my vitamix pulverizes the seeds!

I love to add some Great Lakes grass-fed gelatin as well for extra protein. This stuff is so good and easy to add to anything since it doesn't gel up. (If you want the kind that does gel, for jello or gummies, you'll want the red can.)

Let me know what you put in your smoothies!

Pizzadillas

I had one of those quick moments of genius that occasionally strikes.  Tortilla, pizza sauce, cheese, stick it in the toaster oven, then fold it in half and cut it into wedges.  That's it! :)

Cheesy Bean Dip

Protein is always a challenge for me to get into my son, but he loves refried beans.  He won't eat my homemade beans but likes Old El Paso's beans.  I get the vegetarian kind so there's no lard.  I'm now able to mix in cream cheese and chickpeas and he has no idea!  I'm a happy mama, even if he is eating chips too.  Balance, right?

Sneaky Bean Dip

1 can Refried Beans (or homemade, of course)

1/2 cup Chickpeas, rinsed and drained

4 oz Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Shredded Cheese (any kind, I use colby jack)

Puree all ingredients except the shredded cheese in food processor or blender.  (Love my vitamix for this!)  Transfer mixture to a saucepan and heat on medium-low.  Add cheese and stir until melted and heated through.  Serve with chips or just a spoon.

Pop Your Own Popcorn

When we decided to stop using the microwave, one of the things we had to figure out how to make was popcorn.  It was pretty easy to heat up food on the stove or in the toaster oven, but popcorn was something we had to figure out. We considered buying an air popper, but have been trying to get rid of the "uni-taskers" in the kitchen so we really wanted to figure out how to use what we already had. There was a bit of trial and error but we've arrived at our favorite method and the popcorn is so good!  And SO CHEAP!

Here is the pot set that I use: a Rival 3 quart pot with lid, and the steamer that fits on it.  I love this for steaming veggies but it also works great to make popcorn, because you need to be able to let steam out without having the popcorn go flying out of the pot.

You don't have to have the steamer insert - just a pot with lid will work, you'll just have to be careful releasing steam to keep the popcorn in.

Pop Your Own Popcorn on the Stove

1. Put just a bit of oil* in the pot, cover and heat on medium-high for about a minute.

2. Add popcorn kernels.  1/2 cup is about right for a 3-quart pot.  Replace lid.

3. Keep one hand on the lid and use the other to shake the pot frequently, to keep the kernals moving.  You want them to heat up without burning.

4. Once you hear a couple of pops, remove the lid and keep the steamer insert on.  If you aren't using the insert, lift the lid slightly (about half an inch) to release some steam.

5. Continue shaking the pot to keep the kernels moving.  As you shake it, unpopped kernels will fall down to the bottom while the lighter popcorn stays on top.  It will start to go crazy popping!

6. Listen as you shake - when it sounds like there aren't many more kernels left to pop, and peeking inside shows the pot is pretty full, remove from heat and pour the popcorn into a bowl.

7. Check the pot to see if there are any burnt bits and wipe them out before adding butter.

8. Melt butter* in the hot pot.

9. Pour popcorn back in, put the lid on and shake it around to ensure good butter coverage.  

10. Pour back into the bowl, sprinkle with salt*, and enjoy!

 * Coconut oil is really good for this, unless you have a coconut-hater who might be able to taste it.

** You don't have to use butter or salt, of course.  Feel free to season your popcorn with whatever seasoning you like!

Yum.  Homemade popcorn for a fraction of the cost of buying it or even microwaving it.  And no artificial colors!  Did you know the delicious popcorn sold at Target has yellow food coloring in it?  Crazy.  I buy Kerrygold butter which is naturally yellow and I think my popcorn looks just as pretty. :)

Let me know if you try any other flavor combinations!  Butter and sugar for kettle corn?  Coconut oil?  Figure out a way to make it cheesy?  Tell me in the comments!

Banana Caterpillar

Or callipitter, as my kids call it.  It's one of those words that is too cute for me to correct.  My mom used to make these for us.  I think she used raisins for the eyes.  I use chocolate chips.  Whatever.  


I'm always looking for ways to get protein into my kids and peanut butter is a common way.  These are also great with almond butter and sunflower butter.


Banana Caterpillar!


Just slice a banana and put your filling of choice in between each slice.  It's messy and makes me hands smell like bananas but it makes my kids happy so I do it.  :)  Chocolate chips make great eyes, or you can make your kids eat raisins if you must.  Haha.

Muffins (make 'em as healthy as you like)

This recipe is adapted from a friend. You can put just about any fruit or veggie in them.  I've grated zucchini and carrots in it, used strawberries, blueberries, etc.  


Muffins (make 'em as healthy as you like)


1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg beaten 
1/2 cup Sugar or Agave, or just a few drops of Liquid Stevia
1.5 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour (or any combo of white/wheat)
3/4 cup Flax Meal
1 tsp Baking Powder 
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2-3 Bananas, very ripe (if they are large 2 is ok, but 3 is better if they aren't)
2 Apples, peeled and diced
Mix-ins like Blueberries, Cranberries, Chocolate Chips, etc. as desired
Milk, optional

Preheat oven to 350*.  Prepare muffin tin with paper cups or spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Mix butter, egg and sweetener with electric mixer until combined.  Add dry ingredients; blend well.  Mix in fruit and whatever else you're adding.  Add milk a tablespoon at a time if needed to moisten if needed.  Spoon into prepared muffin tin and bake 20-25 minutes until they start to brown and spring back when you touch them.