Pumpkin Cake

Welcome to post #2 for fall. We are having Pumpkin Cake today! Yummy!!

Pumpkin Cake

2 cups of whole wheat flour
1 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of apple sauce
1 cup of canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 stick of butter
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. baking powder

1. Mix the brown sugar, whole wheat flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder together
2. add in the apple sauce and pumpkin puree
3. soften the butter and then add that in and mix well

Preheat oven 350
Bake for 45 minutes in a bundt pan
Let cool

Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

Happy Fall!

So for fall, I am going to post 10 fall recipes. Each recipe I post in October and November will be 100% fall related.

Here is our first one:
(And yes I know it's not healthy, but we can't always be healthy)

8 oz. cream cheese
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. sugar
1 package of instant pumpkin spice pudding
graham crackers

1. Soften the cream cheese and mix into the cinnamon and sugar
2. add in the instant pudding mix
3. place in fridge for 1 hour
4. serve with graham crackers

Ginger Snap Cookies

These are 'OMG melt in our mouth delicious, so delicious cookies'. I know you are going to devour these and then be so mad because there aren't left! Most cookies can be very unhealthy, but if you follow my recipe they will be healthy and so, so good!

Ginger Snap Cookies
1/2 c. apple sauce
1/2 c. white sugar
1 mashed banana
1 egg
2 cups. of whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground ginger
3/4 c. brown sugar

1. mash the banana and then add it to the apple sauce - mix well
2. add in the egg
3. mix together the flour, baking soda, brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon
4. mix your flour mixture with the apple sauce mixture and then add in your ginger
5. cover and place in fridge for at least 1 hour (no more than 4)

Preheat over to 375

Make small balls and place on baking sheet and then use a fork to push down on balls.

Sprinkle with colored sugar if you must for a holiday feel.

Bake for 18 minutes

Chocolate Fruit Salad

So sometimes it is that time of the month you just need some chocolate! But remember when it is that time of the month, chocolate is probably not the best way to go. When you're feeling moody, bloated and like you just gained about 20 lbs in 7 days, you need to eat healthy! But, come on I know you want something sweet too! So this recipe is perfect. It will satisfy your chocolate cravings, yet still give you the feeling that you did something good for your health.

Chocolate Fruit Salad -Servings Size: 2

Banana
5 Large Strawberries
1/2 pint of fresh blueberries
Slices oranges
1/2 bag of semi sweet chocolate (melted in double broiler)

1. slice the fruit as you wish!
2. add the fruit to a bowl!
3. drizzle chocolate over it as if it were salad dressing

Optional - you want add toppings?
Raisins
Chopped Nuts

Man Sandwich - Healthy Way

So I know everyone has heard of the "Manwhich", but normally a "Manwich" is really not that healthy and not good your liver, colon or weight. However, my "Manwich" which I have changed to Man Sandwich is healthy and is good for your body and overall health...but it still is filling and probably will not leave room for any dessert....LOL

Man Sandwich

1 whole wheat pita
hummus
2 slices of thinly sliced mozzarella low fat cheese
2 slices of tomato
2 slices of red onion
3 slices of avocado
1 Morning Star Soy Fake Chicken Patty
squeeze of lemon juice




1. spread a generous amount of hummus inside the pita pocket
2. melt the 2 slices of cheese on the burger and then carefully place inside pita pocket
3. add in the avocado slices, tomato slices and red onion slices
4. squirt in the lemon

Eat Up!!


Optional - Add some soy chips or blue corn chips on the side. 

Summer Fruit Soup

This a wonderfully light soup that will leave you so full of summer love you will be wishing it could be summer all year long. It's a perfect appetizer or even can be served as a dessert.

Summer Fruit Soup

2 pounds of watermelon chunks (which is about 4 cups)
1/2 mango (chunks)
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 c. sparkling (Poland Spring) fruit flavored water

 In a blender - mix them all together. Chill up to 8 hours (or overnight)

Serve with some fresh ginger as a garnish.

Yummy! 

Broiled Flounder with Creamy Lemon Sauce and Steamed Asparagus

So this is maybe one of my healthiest and most nutritious meals yet. I promise that you'll love it. It's good for weight loss, maintaining a healthy weight and just being overall a healthy person. It's all pretty kid friendly - considering what it is.

Broiled Flounder with Creamy Lemon Sauce 
1 package of frozen flounder (the kind I buy normally has 6 pieces in it)
1/4 cup of melted butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 glove of minced garlic
1 tsp. of Worcestershire sauce
salt/pepper to taste

1. bake DEFROSTED flounder in the broiler for 15 minutes
Meanwhile, melt butter in warm pan and add the lemon. garlic and Worcestershire sauce
2. While the fish is still hot pour the sauce over the fish and then sprinkle with your salt and pepper blend

Asparagus
1 pound of asparagus (clean)
olive oil
Parmesan cheese
Onion Salt
Garlic Powder

1. Preheat oven to 450
2. sprinkle olive oil on top of asparagus and mix so it's coated well.
3. sprinkle 1/4 tsp of garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. onion powder (mixed together) on asparagus and pour about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top
4. Bake for 25 minutes

Serve both w/ a glass of your favorite red wine and some garlic bread. Yummy!!!

Summer Squash Casserole

This recipe is a super healthy and super easy one. I know you will love it!!


Summer Squash Casserole

4 cups of sliced yellow squash - mashed
1/2 cup of chopped onion
1 cup cheddar cheese
2 eggs beaten
3/4 c. soy milk
1/4 c. melted butter
salt
35 round crackers - crushed

Preheat oven to 400

1. Mix the mashed squash with the chopped onion
2. add the crushed crackers and cheddar cheese, eggs and milk and butter together and mix well
3. then add the squash/onion mixture and cracker/cheese mixture together
4. spread evenly on a baking dish
5. sprinkle salt over it

Bake in oven for 30 minutes at 400

Vegetable Summer Salad

This salad is 100% dedicated to all veggies that popular and ripe in the summer. I know what is is like to want a food but you cannot get because either it's out of season and not being sold anywhere or it's out of season and costs an arm and a leg. This recipe, titled, Vegetable Summer Salad it a salad recipe that has all your summer veggies. So...they're easy to find, cheep to buy and super yummy to eat!

Vegetable Summer Salad

2 cucumbers
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
1 pint of blueberries
2 bags of baby spinach
1 yellow pepper
1 red onion
1 can of of garbanzo beans
(optional- avocado)

Mix together:
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. of sugar
dash of garlic powder

1. dice the cucumbers, slice the cherries tomatoes, dice the red onion, yellow pepper
2. mix with baby spinach and then add the blueberries and garbanzo beans
3. right before serving add your dressing

Serve! (Serves 6)

4th of July Healthy Salad

2 large bags of baby spinach

1 pint of blueberries

1/2 pint of strawberries - sliced thinly

crumbled up Feta cheese

Dressing 

Mix together some dijon honey mustard, some soy sauce, a little onion salt and brown sugar and dab of olive oil. 

4th of July Healthy Salad

slice the strawberries

wash the blueberries

throw everything into a bowl and mix in dressing, toss and serve! That's it!

Cheesecake Cookies

Cheesecake cookies are so delicious and so simple, I promise you that when you're done making these you will ask yourself why you have never made them before. Here is the simple and healthful recipe...

Cheesecake Cookies
1 package of cinnamon graham crackers
1 package of regular cream cheese
dash of milk
2 tbsp. of sugar
chocolate syrup
crushed Reese's peanut butter cups

1. soften the cream cheese - then add dash of milk and sugar.- Whip it really good!!
2. spread evenly on the graham crackers.The crush the Reese's peanut butter cups and sprinkle over the graham cracker and cream cheese layer - put in freezer for at least 4 hours (or overnight)
3. remove graham cracker and cream cheese and pour in zig zag form the chocolate syrup. Place in fridge for a few hours so it can harden. Serve! YUMMY!!!


Sorry I forgot to take a picture. But it is GOOD!

Graduation Hat Treats

So this graduation season!
I have a neighbor graduating from high school, I graduated high school 10 years ago, my cousins graduated college this year and many other people all around the globe graduated. So in honor of the graduates we will be making GRADUATION HAT TREATS. Yah! Congrats to all the grads!

Graduation Hat Treats

1 package of Peppermint Patties
Peanut Butters
M and Ms
Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
Red Licorice (Not Twizzlers LICORICE)

1. open all the Mini Reese's up and spread across your table
2. Put a dab of peanut butter on the bottom of peppermint patties and then stick it to the cups
3. Cup the Licorice into small pieces
3. put another dab of peanut butter on top of the peppermint patties and stick on the M and Ms and Licorice on top.

All Done!

Oreo Cookie Pie

It's summer! This is a perfect thing to make for when your kiddos come home off the bus on their last day of school!

Oreo Cookie Pie 

4 cups of Turkey Hill All Natural Vanilla Bean

1/2 package of Newton's Oreo cookies

1. soften the ice cream and spread evenly over a baking dish
2. crush about 10 cookies and then sprinkle evenly over the ice cream

Place in freezer for 3 hours.

Repeat these steps 2 more times.

All Done!

Salmon Puff Pastry Rolls

This is a wonderfully light and healthy recipe perfect for lunch or an appetizer. It can be made the day before you are eating it or the day of. It can be served warm or cold. Basically it's a perfect recipe for any occasion, meal, time of day and mood you are in - especially if you are in a healthy one!

Salmon Puff Pastry Rolls
1 box of puff pastry sheets
4 cans of 4 oz. canned salmon
2 tbsp. of light mayo
a dash of paprika, onion powder and pepper
1 egg
sesame seeds

Cucumber Cream Sauce
1/2 cup of sour cream
3 tbsp. of white vinegar
1 tbsp. sugar
2 large cucumbers - peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. of onion powder


1. mix sour cream, white vinegar, sugar, onion powder together - add in thinly sliced cucumbers and cover and place in fridge overnight

Salmon Puff Pastry Rolls

Preheat oven to 350

1. flatten out two puff pastry sheets
2. rub some olive oil on it
3. mix can salmon with mayo and seasonings
4. evenly distribute salmon on puff pastry sheets - then roll it
5. beat egg and brush it over roll and sprinkle sesame seeds
6. place in oven for 35 minutes at 350

remove - allow it to cool enough for you to slice.

Serve with cucumber cream sauce - to serve use slotted spoon so you don't get the cucumber slices, just the taste!

Baked Potato Soup

This is a wonderful soup that will leave all your guest, family and friends full and happy. It's really easy and perfect dish to serve if you want to keep it simple.

Baked Potato Soup
6 white potatoes - peeled and cubed
28 oz. vegetable broth
1 tsp. of onion powder
1 celery stalk
splash of milk
bacon bits
cheddar cheese
monterary jack cheese
green scallions
cooked broccoli florets


1. peel the potatoes and cut into chunks
2. wash and chop celery
3. put celery, potatoes and onion powder and veg. broth into pot
4. bring to boil - lower flame and simmer for 25 minutes
5. puree it. pour back into bowl and splash of milk
6. serve in bowl with a choice of the toppings!

You can allow your guests to choose what they want on top of their soup and what they don't want. It's almost like making an omelet but with soup! Choose your fillings or choose your toppings!

Delicious!

The "Healthy" and "Unhealthy" Watermelon Popsicle

So I saw these on pinterest and I just had to make them! They look like so much fun. There are two ways to have watermelon popsicles at your next summer BBQ. Here are both recipes. One is SUPER easy and one is pretty complicated but totally well worth it!

Easy and Healthy Watermelon Popsicles

Cut watermelon into triangles aka pizza slice looking pieces. Stick a Popsicle stick into the bottom. All done!

Hard and Unhealthy Watermelon Popsicles

1 small watermelon cubed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
handful of crushed ice
1 tsp. white sugar

12 kiwis - peeled and cubed
1 tsp. of lemon juice
handful of crushed ice
1 tsp. white sugar

coconut milk

12 popsicle sticks

1. in a blender blend the watermelon, lemon, ice and sugar together then pour into a popsicles dish and stick popsicle stick inside.throw some raisins inside. put in in the freezer for 4-8 hours
2. then pour a little coconut milk on top of watermelon and place back in freezer for 1-2 hours
3. in a blender blend kiwis, lemon, ice and sugar and then pour in top of the coconut milk. place back in freezer for 1 hour.

Remove and Serve!

Breakfast Casserole for Champions

In April is when a lot of 5Ks and half marathons kick off. It seems like almost every Sunday starting in mid April there is some 5K or half marathon benefiting some worthwhile cause. I am an avid runner - running between 45-65 miles a week, I therefore can appreciate any good run. Before a run you want to have something light - small bowl of oatmeal and some fruit. When you run you don't want anything too heavy in your stomach. However after the race - depending on far you've run you will want to replenish your stomach with something tasty and healthy. This is my Breakfast Casserole for Champions. It's a breakfast dish that is perfect for runners. It will leave you feeling satisfied but not too satisfied where you feel like you just undid your whole run and all the calories and fat you burned.

Breakfast Casserole for Champions - Serve 6
6 Eggs
2 cups of cooked broccoli
1/2 cup of chopped red onions
1 clove of fresh garlic - crushed
1 large tomato chopped
1/4 cup of bacon bits - found in salad dressing aisle
1 cup of shredded Swiss cheese
challah bread - cubed

Preheat oven to 375
1. beat the eggs
2. add in the cooked broccoli, chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic, bacon bits and shredded Swiss.
3. pour into a pan and smooth it out so all the ingredients are spread out evenly
4. bake in oven for 30 minutes - remove
5. place cubed bread
6. bake for another 30 minutes

All Done! Yummy! Serve!

Nutella Smores

Nutella Smores
Nutella
Large Marshmallows
Cinnamon Graham Crackers

Just like regular old time smores - this recipe is the same! First you spread the nutella on the graham crackers, then you melt roast the marshmallows and then you stick it on the graham crackers.

Simple and Delicious!

                                                

Fish Tacos

This recipe may seem daunting and hard but I promise you that if you just take a deep breath and relax and focus on the task at hand you will find that it is actually very, very easy.

Fish Tacos
1 package of frozen fish fillets (I recommend tilapia) - defrost
flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
1 tbps. of melted butter
whole wheat bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese, chili powder, paprika and onion powder
lettuce
slices of tomatoes cut into fourths
slices of purple onion
shredded cheddar and mozzarella mixture (Mexican Blend)

Melt butter on frying pan
1. Pat the fish in the flour well.
2. then dip each piece of fish into the egg and make sure the whole piece is covered in egg
3. coat it with the bread crumb and spice mixture
4. place fish into pan and fry each side for 3-4 minutes

Repeat until all fish is done.

Place the fish on a paper towel.

Place your hard tacos on a plate. Then put the fish, about 5 of the fourths in each taco, a few slices of lettuce, purple onion and about palm size of cheese. Then put a dollop of any condiment you'd like.
(Ranch, Thousand Island, French, Sour Cream, Mayo)

Serve!

Yummy!!!!!!!!

Candy Blondies

Sometimes you just can't eat healthy and need to have a little something sweet. So here it is!

Candy Blondies
1 stick on unsalted butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup of 100% natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup of 100% whole wheat white flour
1 1/2 cups of your favorite crushed candy (M&M's, Butterfinger, Crunch, Heath, Kit Kat, Hershey's)

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking dish  with parchment paper. Lightly grease.
2. In a large bowl combine the melted butter and brown sugar. Mix well and then add egg and vanilla
3. Mix the peanut butter and make sure all wet ingredients are mixed well.
4. Add salt and flour and 1 cup of your candies
5. Spread brownie batter in a the dish evenly and then sprinkle with remaining candies
6. bake for 25-35 minutes- test with tooth pick.

YUMMY!

Butterfinger Blondie 

M&M Blondie 

Candy Corn Blondie