Chuck Roast

I always use to cook my Sunday roasts in the crock pot, but I switched to this recipe and I'm never going back. 

In Missouri my friend Sarra made the most delicious roast I have ever eaten (sorry Mom, lol). I asked her how she did it and she said the trick to really good flavored roast is to use chicken broth, not beef stock. Interesting. Since then I begged her for the complete recipe, along with the seasoning she used. We both get our roasted garlic herb seasoning from Sams club (it's weber brand), but I'm sure you could use any. I also thought it was fun she cut her potatoes into steak fry wedges rather than quartering them. 

*Quick Tip-Put the celery stalks in the center and lay the roast on top of the celery and this will keep it from sticking to the bottom. It will go to mush and not be good to eat, but it serves a good purpose and adds good flavor too :)

Chuck Roast

Recipe from Sarra Bauer

chuck roast (around 5 pounds or so)

6 big or 8 smaller potatoes, cut into steak fry wedges 

6-8 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-4 pieces (or around 2 cups baby carrots)

a few celery stalks 

roasted garlic herb seasoning

salt and pepper

1 1/2- 2 cups chicken broth

Season the roast on both sides with salt and pepper and with the garlic herb blend. Spray a large rimmed baking pan with nonstick. (don't use a roasting tray you want the roast to sit in the broth) Lay the seasoned roast in the center of the pan (on top the celery if you can) and arrange the veggies around the roast. Sprinkle a little of the seasoning on the veggies too. Add 1 1/2- 2 cups of chicken broth. Cover with tinfoil and bake at 400 for 4 hours. If you are using smaller than 5 pound roast you might need to cook it for less time.

Barbecued Burgers

(Updated from 2009)
I love these burgers! They are so juicy and yummy! It does take extra time to make the barbecue from scratch, but it's super yummy, sweet and tangy. Please don't ruin it with any other condiments like mayonnaise or mustard. (but ultimately it's your choice I guess lol) I like mine with a tomato, maybe some lettuce, and extra barbecue sauce drizzled on top. If you end up with extra barbecue sauce you can make a barbecue chicken pizza or squirt chicken.

Barbecued Burgers
Makes 6 burgers

Recipe from Taste of Home Backyard Grilling

Sauce:

1 cup ketchup

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup molasses

2 tsp mustard

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp liquid smoke

1/8 tsp pepper

Burgers:

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup oats

1/4 tsp onion salt

1/4 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

6 hamburger buns

choice of toppings

In a small saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients (sauce) and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside 1 cup barbecue sauce to serve with burgers. In a bowl combine egg, oats, 1/4 cup remaining barbecue sauce, onion salt, garlic salt, and salt and pepper. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 6 patties and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (this ensures that they will stay together on the grill) but you can skip this step if you need to. Grill covered, over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a thermometer reads 160 degrees, basting with the remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce during the last 5 minutes. (I baste before flipping, so I put it on top the burgers, flip them over and then baste again on top and grill until they are done). Serve on buns with toppings and reserved sauce.

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

I know, lemonade is for summers right? Well when you have had a month of inversions and it keeps snowing and snowing and snowing, I think a little bit of summer is just what's needed to lift the spirits! So refreshing and just amazing! Mmm Mmm!

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade
Makes about 8 cups of juice

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 5-8 lemons)
1 cup sugar
2 cups sliced, fresh strawberries

Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a blender and blend for about 30 seconds to combine. Add the strawberries and puree or pulse until the strawberries are at the desired chunkiness. I liked the strawberries slightly chunky but my husband preferred it to be more smooth – blend to your own preference!
Pour the lemon/strawberry mixture into a pitcher and add 4 cups of cold water. Mix well and serve chilled.

Recipe Source: from Mel @ MelsKitchenCafe

Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas

Oh my gosh these were amazing! I literally went right from the table to the computer to post them. My sister gave me the recipe and said they were amazing without cheese so I decided to try it out. Usually that isn't the case, but these really are amazing without any dairy AND they are also vegetarian too- so saves you on your grocery bill too. My family finished the entire pan, so if you have more than 4 to serve, you may want to double the recipe. 
*Note: My sister said these were really spicy, but I always rinse my green chilies in a strainer and didn't think they were spicy what so ever. Trust me I would have heard complaining. So if you like them spicy dump them in, if you want to take off some of the heat just rinse them first-works like a charm.

Pineapple Black Bean Enchiladas
Recipe adapted slightly from my sister Brooke at foursisterskitchens
Makes 6-8 enchiladas

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup- 1 cup chopped yellow onion (I used 1/2 cup)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 bell pepper. I used mini so about 15 of those)
1 (20 ounce) can of Pineapple Tidbits, drained (keep the juice)
1/3 cup Pineapple juice, reserved (from above)
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 ( 4 1/2 ounce) can chopped green chiles 
1 tsp Salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 (10 ounce) can mild enchilada sauce (red, not green)
8 flour tortillas (8 or 9")

Heat oven to 350 and spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray. In a nonstick skillet heat oil and add onion and red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in Pineapple, beans, green chiles, and salt. Cook and stir until well heated. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cilantro.

Spoon and spread about 1 Tbsp enchilada sauce onto each tortilla. Then spoon in 1/2 cup- 3/4 cup of the vegetable mixture over sauce (I did 3/4 c) Roll up tortillas and set them seam side down into the pan. 

Mix the reserved 1/3 cup of pineapple juice with remaining enchilada sauce and pour over the entire surface of enchiladas.  Spray sheet of foil large enough to cover baking dish with cooking spray and place sprayed side down over the dish, seal tight.

Bake for 35 minutes until sauce is bubbly. Garnish with extra cilantro.

*Note to Bake with Dairy: These enchiladas don't need sour cream or cheese, they are that good! But I know some of my readers still like to add cheese so if you do, just add 2 cups of cheese to the mixture (with the cilantro) and then top the enchiladas with an additional cup of cheese and bake as directed.

Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins

I made these yesterday for breakfast and they were super yummy. Every few bites you get a moist drop of applesauce goodness :) My sister was wondering if you could do all applesauce and no oil, but to me 1/4 cup oil is nothing compared to what's in other stuff. These are still super healthy in my book, and if you try with all applesauce let me know!

Applesauce Cinnamon Muffins

Makes 12

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 egg

1 rounded cup applesauce (so a little more than 1 cup)

1/4 cup veggie oil

Preheat to 375. In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the egg, applesauce and veggie oil and stir only so that everything is moist and mixed evenly. (As with all muffins you don't want to over mix). Grease 12 muffin cups and divide the filling between the cups. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes....or 20 if you need to, but don't over cook! Mine were done at 15 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Sliders

I love my favorite BBQ Sandwich (this rootbeer pulled pork one), but recently my sister shared with me her BBQ Chicken Sliders and the were awesome! I like using pork because it doesn't dry out like chicken, but this recipe here is just as tender I promise! Must be the coke. I used diet coke because that's what I had on hand and I also had to cook it on high for half the time because I didn't think about it soon enough. I would recommend the coleslaw on top, and my sister uses Hawaiian rolls in the deli isle, but regular hamburger buns work fine too.

Barbecue Chicken Sliders
Recipe from my sister Bre

4 boneless chicken breasts
1 bottle of BBQ sauce of your choice
1 can of coke
1 clove of garlic
1/2 tsp of pepper or 1 tsp depending on the kick you want
1/2 tsp of kosher salt
1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
coleslaw of your choice
slider rolls or hamburger buns

Mix all ingrediants into crock pot, then add chicken breasts, cook on low for 6-8 hours. Pull apart chicken, toast rolls, top with coleslaw and more bbq sauce if you'd like!!!



Blueberry Streusel Muffins

 

I first fell in love with these in a college cooking class I took, but I had always been afraid to substitute the milk for soy milk and the butter for dairy free margarine. I went for it and they turned out awesome! Most blueberry recipes out there call for buttermilk, so just know that this one tastes great with soy milk. It also doesn't have large amounts of sugar, but the streusel topping adds the perfect sweetness. Today I used fresh blueberries and they tasted great, so you don't have to stick with frozen if you have some fresh around. So yummy!

Blueberry Streusel MuffinsRecipe from Shawna Shirley
Makes 12 Muffins

1 cup soy milk (or rice or regular milk)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1 cup frozen (thawed and drained) blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Steusel Topping:
2 Tbsp firm dairy free margarine (or butter)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon

For the Streusel: In a medium bowl cut margarine into flour, brown sugar and cinnamon using a pastry blender until crumbly

Preheat oven to 400 and grease the bottoms of muffin cups. Prepare streusel topping and set aside. Beat milk, oil, vanilla and egg in a big bowl. Stir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once just until flour is moistened. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among 12 cups and sprinkle each with 2 tsp topping. Bake @ 400 for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pineapple Grilled Chicken

My sisters and I have a cooking blog we share called www.foursisterskitchens.blogspot.com It's not dairy free, but there are some recipes like this one that are. My Mom posted this last week and she raved over how yummy and tender the chicken was. Don't mind the picture, it was with her cellphone :)

Pineapple Grilled Chicken
Recipe from Melody @ foursisterskitchens


One pineapple
2 skinless chicken breasts


Cut the top and the bottom off of the pineapple then cut down the sides and set aside the rest (keeping the sides) Take your skinless chicken breasts and flatten between some plastic wrap with a mallet until they are about an inch thick. Season them to taste, whatever you like- salt, pepper, allspice, etc. Now sandwich each chicken breast between the pineapple sides and tie together with cooking thread (or something that won't catch on fire on the grill). Place them on a hot grill and cook on medium for about 15 minutes per side. You can even scoop out some of the cooked pineapple after and serve it on top. 

Sweet Potato Fries

These fries are so yummy and crispy thanks to the little bit of sugar. I think after I made these I went and bought a big frozen bag of sweet potato fries from the frozen section and they sat in my freezer because I couldn't even get my kids to eat them and finally had to throw them away. My point is that these don't taste like those yucky soggy ones you buy frozen!

Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe from Melanie @ melskitchencafe

3 large sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place two rimmed baking sheets in the oven while it preheats and while you prepare the potatoes (about 10 minutes). Peel the potatoes and slice the potatoes into about 1/4- to 1/2-inch strips or wedges. Try to keep most of the pieces the same size so they bake evenly.
Place the potato strips/wedges in a ziploc bag or bowl. Toss the potatoes with the oil. Add the seasonings and mix until the potatoes are evenly coated.
Carefully remove the hot baking sheets from the oven and divide the potatoes evenly among the two sheets, taking care the potatoes are not touching so they have plenty of room for the air circulate to circulate and bake evenly. Also, try to leave any excess oil in the bag or bowl so the potatoes don’t get too soggy while they bake.
Bake the potatoes for about 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, if desired, until they are tender and well-browned. Serve immediately.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Chicken Pasta Salad

This is my go-to pasta salad recipe for any barbecue or picnic. I don't think there's a contest as to how many rare and weird ingredients you can throw into a pasta salad, so just stick to a few ingredients you know your family loves, and it will intantly become a favorite. We use to beg my mom to make this salad for us all the time, and now my husband does the same to me. Traditionally we always use Ranch salad dressing. I'm sure there are lots of dairy free salad dressings out there that would be really yummy, but my son's all time favorite is Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing. 

Chicken Pasta Salad

Recipe by Melody Blaser

1 package of tri-colored spiral noodles

1 pound chicken cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup celery, sliced (or more to your liking)
1 cup frozen peas, thawed (or more to your liking)
salt and pepper to taste
your favorite Italian dressing (or ranch if you have no allergies)


Cook the chicken (seasoned with some salt and pepper) in a skillet on medium-high in some olive oil until browned and cooked through. Cook the noodles as directed on the package and drain. I usually put my frozen peas in the strainer and drain my noodle water over the top to help them thaw. Mix the noodles, chicken, celery and peas in a bowl. Pour with dressing and chill. I always add more dressing when I'm ready to serve it too.

Rice Krispie Treats (and Fun Easter Egg Suprise Version)

I love rice krispie treats! I always use the recipe from the back of the box but they always say to use 6 cups of cereal and I never use that much. If you use about 5 cups of cereal to the big bag of marshmallows you can a much softer chewier treat!

So with Easter and Spring coming you have to make these little hidden suprise eggs with your kids. We filled ours with jelly beans since the original calls for m&ms. Here's both recipes just incase you don't know how to make the regular kind.

Rice Krispie Treats
Recipe adapted from Kelloggs

3 Tbsp dairy free margarine/butter, or butter
1 package (about 40) regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini
5 cups rice krispie cereal

In a large saucepan melt the margarine/butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Add the rice krispies cereal and stir until well coated. Using greased hands press firmly into a greased 9X13 pan and cool completely before cutting. You can add sprinkles ontop before they cool for a fun twist.

Hidden Suprise Easter Egg Treats
Recipe adapted from Kelloggs

1 batch Rice Krispie Treats above
12 plastic snap apart 3 x 2 or bigger easter eggs (I only had 3 which is fine, just takes longer)
bag of jelly beans or any dairy free candy
frosting, decorating gel or sprinkles, optional for outside

*My Notes*
 Because the treats are hot I went ahead and filled each half with the mixture and then once it was cooled a bit my kids got to form the hole in the center, pop them out and add the candy, etc. I found that if you take them out of the mold too early it will loose the egg shape, so let them cool a bit more on the wax paper before you take them out.

Make a batch of Rice Krispie treats as directed above.
Clean, then coat the inside of plastic eggs with cooking spray. Using greased hands, firmly press about 1/4 cup of the mixture into each plastic egg half. Use your fingers to make hollow center in each half. Remove from molds. Place on wax paper and cool slightly. Place jelly beans in one half of the egg and then gently press two halves of each egg together until they stick. Cool completley. If you want you can decorate the outside with frosting, decorating gel or more candy or sprinkles (the sprinkles will stick better if you do it while they are warm). Have fun!

Stained Glass Cookies

(The plan was to have these up for Valentine's Day, sorry! You can use them for anything though, so here it goes.)

The original recipe I found this from was on Kraft, but I thought the cookies were yucky...so now I just use my favorite sugar cookie recipe and follow these directions. You can use any sugar cookie recipe, or I listed my favorite one too. Super fun for any occasion and the kids love em.

For the Cookies:

2/3 cup dairy free margarine, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 Tbsp soy milk

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

In a large bowl beat margarine on high 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt and beat until combined, scraping sides occasionally. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla. Beat in the flour. Chill for at least 1 hour so it's not too sticky.

For the Cutouts:

2-3 rolls of lifesavers candy

Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface roll out to about 1/4-1/2 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and then trace smaller versions of each cookie shape on the dough (or use tiny cookie cutters or pie cutter shapes) leaving at least a 1/2 inch border of dough from the inside shape. Cut out and remove dough from the center of each shape; set aside. Place all the cookie cutouts on baking sheets covered with tinfoil. Now crush each color of candy seperately between 2 layers of wax paper with a mallet (you can use a plastic baggie but it will most likely rip from the sharp candy pieces). Spoon crushed candy inside centers of cutouts. Bake 6-8 minutes or until candy is melted and cookies are lightly browned. Cool cookies completely before removing from foil.

*Note: This last time I made them they didn't have the "stained glass" look because I overfilled the candy thinking that would be better, but it wasn't because the candies were all gummy. When you fill the holes in the centers of your cookies just fill to the same thickness as your cookies. They will shrink down when they melt but that's okay!

Sizzling Sesame Beef

(I always use my own pictures, but sometimes dinner time is a bit crazy and in this case there weren't any leftovers by the time I remembered a picture, so picture source: Good Housekeeping)

Whenever I find recipes I think I might like out of magazines I tear them out and put them in a drawer next to my cookbooks. I finally got to organizing that drawer this past week and am I ever glad I did or I might not have found this recipe. It's simple and yet delicious. I love the flavors of everything and that it's a well rounded healthy meal. It has definitely been added to our family favorites for sure.

Sizzling Sesame Beef

Recipe from Good Housekeeping Magazine Jan 2010

Serves 4

1 pound beef sirloin steak 1 inch thick

1 cup jasmine rice

2 green onions, white portions cut into 2 inch chunks, green portions thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed with press (or chopped very fine)

4 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce

1 pound broccoli florets

Place the steak in freezer and prepare rice as label directs. Meanwhile in a large bowl (this will be for the broccoli when it's cooked), combine 1 Tbsp sliced green onions, 1 tsp garlic, 2 tsp sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp salt; set aside. In a 12 inch skillet, heat 1 inch water to boiling on high.

Take cold steak out of freezer and cut across grain into thin slices. In a shallow bowl, combine 2 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, green onion chunks and the remaining garlic. Toss the steak slices with this mixture, coating evenly and set aside.

By now the water in the skillet should be boiling. Add broccoli and cook 3 minutes or until just tender. Drain well. Place in the same bowl as the onion-garlic mixture and toss well. Cover to keep warm.

In the same skillet heat the remaining 2 tsp oil on high until hot. Add beef in single layer; cook 2 minute. Stir in remaining sliced green onions and 1/8 tsp each of salt and pepper; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining 1 Tbsp soy sauce. Serve with rice and broccoli. (I drizzled the rice with a small amount of soy sauce too)

Original Chex Party Mix

Chex mix is such a great snack, especially for the kids. The orginal chex mix bag that you buy does have dairy warnings on the label, so a while back I found this recipe and was so excited to make my own dairy free. When I was living in Utah I actually borrowed the equipment from the cannery, made huge batches of this stuff and canned them in #10 size cans. Just in time for the super bowl- enjoy!

The Original Chex Party Mix
Recipe from Chex
Makes 24 1/2 cup servings (or 12 1 cup servings)

3 cups corn chex cereal
3 cups rice chex cereal
3 cups wheat chex cereal
1 cup mixed nuts
1 cup bite-size pretzels
1 cup garlic-flavor bit size bagel chips or regular ones broken up
6 Tbsp dairy free butter or margarine
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

In large microwavable bowl, mix cereals, nuts, pretzels and bagel chips; set aside. In small microwavable bowl, microwave butter/margarine uncovered on high about 40 seconds or until melted. Stir in seasonings. Pour over cereal mixture; stir until evenly coated.
Microwave uncovered on high 5-6 minutes, thoroughly stirring every 2 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

Banana Bread

Everybody loves some banana bread right! Even my pickiest little eater ate at least 4 slices. This time I made one loaf regular, and one loaf with some walnuts. Another classic from my Grandma Lill- what would we do without her (or her recipes :)

Grandma Lill's Banana Bread
Recipe from Lillian Rydalch

1/2 cup dairy free butter or margarine, softened

4 mashed bananas

4 eggs

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 t soda

1 t vanilla

1/2 t salt

1 cup nuts (optional)

Mix the softened butter, mashed bananans and eggs together. Mix the dry ingredients together and add the wet ingredients. Fold in the nuts if you want them. Mix well. Pour into 2 greased bread pans. Bake @ 350 for 40 minutes.

No-Bake Energy Bites

My sister posted these on our other blog we have and I tried them today. They are super yummy and quite addicting I might say! I thought they would also be a nice healthy snack for the kids since I'm trying to sugar-detox the whole family after the holidays :) Perfect for allergies since there's no dairy and no egg. The Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips are perfect for this because they are already mini.

No Bake Energy Bites
Recipe from Brooke Salcido @ Four Sisters' Kitchens

1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup mini dairy free chocolate chips
2 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together really well. Let chill for about 30 minutes. Roll into balls and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container (they'll keep about a week)

Pasta e Fagioli

I've been making this for a few years now ever since my sister in law shared it with me. The nice thing is you can really change the quantities to suit you and your family just like I did when she gave it to me.  The best part is it will make your kitchen smell amazing! I served it tonight with this hearth bread (with some olive oil and seasons to dip), and sparkling cider for the kids. It felt like the perfect Italian dinner!

Pasta e Fagioli

Recipe adapted from Kelli Melin

Serves 5-6 (you can cut it in half easily)

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dried onion flakes or 1 green onion, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cans great Northern beans, drained well

1 cup chicken broth (I make it using chicken bouillon cube)

2 cans diced tomatoes with juices

1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary

1 Tbsp parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups dry small pasta shells, cooked al dente and drained

Cook the noodles if you haven't already. Heat up oil and saute onions, carrot, celery and garlic until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the beans, broth, tomatoes and juices, and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, stir in pasta, parsley and salt and pepper. Simmer covered about 5 minutes.

Sliced Skirt Steaks with Rice and Beans

This was heaven. I've had the recipe sitting on my cute cook book holder all week and have been so excited to make it. It took 4 stores to find skirt steak, but I'm glad I didn't settle for anything else. I was scared to ruin the steaks since they are so thin....you can see I cooked mine to medium, but they would taste even better with some pink or red in the center. So so so delish, especially with the rice and cilantro.

 

Sliced Skirt Steaks with Rice and Beans

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Serves 4

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup white rice

4 green onions, chopped

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained

4-5 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp hot sauce

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp mustard

1/2 tsp of each- garlic powder

                           chili powder

                           red pepper

                           salt

                           parsley
1/4 tsp pepper

1 1/2-2 pounds skirt steak

2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded

2 ripe avocados

a handful of chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 limes

Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the rice and bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and cook for about 12 minutes over low to medium-low heat. Stir in the green onions and black beans, replace the lid, and cook for 6 more minutes.

In a shallow dish, combine the hot sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, 3 Tbsp olive oil and the seasonings. Coat the steak and marinate for 10 minutes. Heat outdoor grill to medium-high.

Brush the jalapenos with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the meat and jalapeno on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side (I cooked mine 5 and it was a little much). After you turn the meat and jalapeno, halve and pit the avocados and place them on the grill to char and mark. Remove meat, jalapenos and avocados to a platter and let the meat rest for a few minutes, tented with foil, to settle the juices.

To serve, thinly slice the steak on an angle. Divide the steak slices among 4 plates. Serve with an avocado half, a jalapeno half, a sprinkle of cilantro and some halved tomatoes. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over each dish. Serve the black beans and rice alongside.

Sliced Potatoes

This is pretty simple, but it's also the only way my kids will eat potatoes- so I had to post incase any of you have the same problem! :) You can use regular or red but I think reds cook up a bit faster and have more flavor.

Sliced Potatoes

1 potato per person
olive oil
salt and pepper

For reds you can leave the skins on. Slice each potato to about 1/4 -1/2 inch thickness. On the cutting board you can salt and pepper the slices. In a large skillet heat up 1 Tbsp olive oil. Cook the potato slices on medium heat until they are tender, turning after 3 minutes or so. Add olive oil if they are sticking. My kids love these with ketchup of course.

Pumpkin Muffins

 Looking through my recipe box I realized I had 4 recipes for pumpkin bread/muffins. Determined to find out which was best I made all 4 recipes last night and held a taste testing. The winner was my favorite pumpkin bread I already posted here, but this recipe was the runner up so I decided to post it too since it makes a little bigger batch and is really easy to remember. Chocolate chips are optional-I usually make up a pan of muffins for the kids without the chocolate chips, then add chocolate chips and pour the rest in a bread pan. Also you can substitute applesauce for the oil too if you want to make it a bit healthier and I always use fresh pumpkin (how to here) but you can use canned plain pumpkin as well.

Pumpkin Muffins
Recipe from college-can't remember who!

3 cups pumpkin (either fresh or canned plain pumpkin)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil or applesauce
4 cups sugar
6 eggs
4 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp of each:
                       baking powder
                       baking soda
                       salt
                       cinnamon
                       nutmeg
                       cloves
1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour into greased muffin tins and bake 20 minutes or greased bread pan and bake for 45-60 minutes.

Pumpkin Bread

Fall is my favorite season for many reasons: weather, clothes, colorful leaves, family fun, beautiful scenery and of course pumpkins.  You can find the tutorial here on how to use fresh pumpkins. It doesn't matter if you choose fresh pumpkin or canned pumpkin, this recipe is sure to warm up your kitchen and your family, and definitely give your home that fall aroma it's been begging for.

Pumpkin Bread

makes 2-3 loaves

2 eggs
4 cups pumpkin
4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
5 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp salt
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (optional)

Combine the eggs, pumpkin, sugar and oil together. Mix the spices together with the flour and add one cup at a time to the egg and pumpkin mixture. Gently fold in the chocolate chips if you choose to add them. Pour into 2-3 greased loaf pans and bake @ 325 for 1 hour or until the middle is cooked and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes, then take out of the pan and cool on wire rack.

Note: This bread freezes really well. Wrap in tin foil or saran wrap and then put in a freezer ziplock bag.

You can also make muffins- bake @ 325 for about 20 minutes.

Fresh Pumpkin

I usually use canned pumpkin with all my recipes, but my mother in law spent Halloween with us and showed me how to cook up the pumpkins after the kids were done with their festivities. I'm not a wasteful person and it always breaks my heart every year I toss the pumpkins into the trash. I don't know why I've never cooked them before, but rest assured I will be from now on.

To cook the pumpkins: Cut up the pumpkin (after it's been gutted) into big chunks and cover with water in a big cooking pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour or so. You'll be able to tell when the pumpkin is cooked because it will get darker and no longer look raw. After that you can peel off the skins and mash, puree or do like I did and throw it into your kitchen aid with the flat beater. Let the pumpkin cool and then you can put 1 or 2 cup amounts into freezer bags so you can enjoy pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins all season long- yum!

Hotdog Mummies

I'm sure you've seen this idea before because it's been around a long time, but I just had to share anyways. I started making these when I was student teaching a high school cooking class. The high school students loved them just as much as my little kids do. I made them tonight with refrigerated bread sticks, but they didn't taste as good as when I make them with crescents. You can also just use your favorite roll or bread stick recipe as well if you are worried about different allergens in the prepared stuff.

Mummy Hotdogs

package of hot dogs

refrigerated crescent rolls

ketchup and mustard

If you are using the crescent rolls take them out of the package (they will be in the triangles but still together) and press the seams so you have one big sheet. Take a pizza cutter or a knife and cut strips about 1/2-1 inch wide. Take one strip at a time and wrap around each hot dog leaving a little spot for the head and eyes to stand out. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes until the dough starts to brown. Once you take them out of the oven you can make little eyes with some mustard. (I used a toothpick)

Spider Snack

Here's a fun little snack for Halloween! Stick one of these in your kids lunch box and put a big smile on their face :)

The options are endless- Use an oreo type cookie, (regular, double stuffed or mint) or 2 round ritz type cookies with peanut butter in the middle. Use pretzel sticks (either halved like mine or whole for long legs) or red or black licorice rope strands. Make the eyes with m&ms, raisins, craisins, smarties, etc. and make 'em stick with some extra peanut butter, some cream from the cookie or some frosting. Fun!

Coffee Cake Muffins

I'll be honest and say that I have always avoided every recipe that called for buttermilk because I didn't know what to substitute. Well now I know, so bring on these yummy muffins! You and your kids will love these because they have streusal in the centers. They will love them even more if you serve them with chocolate milk! (They do have dairy free chocolate milk out there)

Note: To make 1 cup dairy free buttermilk: Put 1 Tbsp vinegar in a one cup measuring glass. Add enough soy or rice milk to equal the one cup. Stir and let stand for 5 minutes. (This recipe only calls for 1/2 cup so only use half :)

Coffee Cake Muffins
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook
Makes 12 muffins

3 Tbsp all purpose flour
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp dairy free margarine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup dairy free margarine

1 beaten egg
1/2 cup buttermilk (see my note above)

Preheat oven to 400. Grease twelve muffin cups or line with paper baking cups; set aside.
For topping, in a small bowl stir together the 3 Tbsp flour, brown sugar, and the 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Cut in the 2 Tbsp margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set topping aside.

In a medium bowl stir together the 1 1/2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, the 1/2 tsp cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the 1/4 cup margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
In another bowl combine egg and buttermilk. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy)

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each one-third full. Top with half of the topping, the remaining batter, and the remaining topping. Bake at 400 for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups and serve warm.

Curry Grilled Chicken

This chicken is sweet, tender and tasty and the leftovers are perfect to have cut up on a salad the next day. Don't let the curry scare you off if you are like me and not a big fan of curry flavor. That's just one of the 10 spices so it doesn't over power it at all.

Curry Grilled Chicken
Recipe from Nancy Ode

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 1/4 pounds)

In a food processor combine the first 10 ingredients until blended. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken and turn to coat. Seal and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Drain and discard marinade. Grill the chicken, covered, over medium heat for 6 minutes on each side or until the juices run clear.

Crispy Red Potatoes

I love love love these red potatoes and make them quite often. My kids just eat them right up dipped in ketchup of course. Perfect complement to any grilled meat this summer. I found this recipe a few years ago, and that's when I realized the trick to getting crispy (and fully cooked) potato wedges- boil them first. Also I make these so much that I make a huge batch of the seasonings and put them in an empty season jar labeled "red potato seasoning". That way you just toss the potatoes in the olive oil and sprinkle to your own liking whether you want the flavors hot or mild.

Crispy Red Potatoes

serves about 4

8 red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 Tbsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot bring 8 cups salted water to boil. Boil potatoes 2 minutes. Strain and toss the potatoes in a bowl with oil. Add seasonings. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden crisp.

Caribbean Rice

Oh man is this rice good and packed with flavor! Your family will be going crazy over the aroma it causes in your kitchen :) I couldn't find the Mrs. Dash flavor it asked for in my grocery store, so I just used the original blend in mine and it turned out fabulous. If you want a rounded out meal broil some chicken seasoned with 1 tsp of the Mrs. Dash to serve along with the rice. I also love to serve this rice with these Asian Chicken Skewers. I've also made it with green bell pepper and corn instead of peas- you can really use whatever you have.

Carbibbean Rice

Recipe from Family Circle Hometown Favorites

Serves 4

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 tsp Mrs. Dash Caribbean Citrus seasoning (or use Original Blend)

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup uncooked brown rice

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1 small yellow pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Place broth and 3/4 cup water in a medium-size saucepan and bring to boil. Stir in 1 tsp of the citrus seasoning, salt and the rice. Reduce heat to low. Cook, covered for 30 minutes. Stir in peas, yellow pepper and scallions (leave some if you want to garnish). Cook for 15 more minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Kale Salad

 If you are sick of the same old salad, you have got to give this a try. I had never eaten kale before my sister gave me this recipe to try, and I have to say I just love this recipe and make it almost every week now. When you buy kale in the store it's a light green in color and kind of firm, but after you massage it with salt like in this recipe, it takes on the color and consistency of spinach. It's definitely healthy and super good for you, but don't let that throw you off- it has the perfect combination of flavors and gets even better after it's been refrigerated a few days. Like my sister suggested, I make a batch and then eat it for lunch througout the week. (if I'm prepared I won't try to eat all my daughters mac and cheese :) I make mine with almonds and crasins- so delish!

Kale Salad

Recipe from Bre Hamideh

1-2 bunches kale

1 tsp salt

1/4 medium-small red onion, thinly sliced or diced

1/3 cup chopped almonds or nuts of choice

1/3 cup craisins or dried fruit of choice

1 large avocado, diced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Soak kale in water to loosen any dirt. Wash individual leaves as you de-stem them (pull leaf away from thickest parts of stem) Shake dry. Chiffonade leaves (stack, roll and slice into thin ribbons) and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle salt all over kale and, using your hands, massage kale for 3-4 minutes. After about a minute you'll notice a big difference in the leaves-they'll start to soften and turn dark gream almost as though you were steaming them. When done, drain off any liquid that collects on bottom of bowl (if any). Add nuts, diced avocado, onions and craisins to bowl. Pour olive oil and apple cider vinegar evenly over bowl of goodies, then toss with tongs until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

 This oatmeal is so delicious! I'll admit I like the instant oatmeal because it's quick and easy, but once I found out how much sodium those little packets have, I decided to start making it myself. My daughter who hates oatmeal LOVES this recipe and asks me to cook it for her almost every morning. It's so delicious and packed full of fiber and protein. I make mine with vanilla soy milk, but the original calls for almond milk. Also if you don't have pure maple syrup you can use honey. I've made it both ways, but the maple syrup is my favorite for sure!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Recipe from Jillian Michaels

4 servings

1 cup soy or almond milk

1 cup water

1 cup rolled steal cut oats

2 small apples, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup or honey

1/3 cup pecans, chopped

Combine milk, water and oats. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce to low and cook and simmer about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile in a small saucepan combine apples with 1 Tbsp water, cinnamon and 1/2 tsp syrup or honey. Cook over medium until apples are soft and liquid is reduced to a syrup, 3-5 minutes. Stir in the pecans and cover to keep warm. Once oatmeal is done, stir apples and nuts mixture into the oatmeal and pour 2 tsp maple syrup or honey over. Stir to combine. Put in 4 bowls and drizzle the remaining 2 tsp over the top of each bowl.

*Leftovers- once refridgerated, add a splash of milk, microwave and stir

Spaghetti O's

 I'm not afraid to admit that I like easy quick meals every now and then (especially when my husband has been out of town for 5 days). My mother in law bought me some of these pasta noodles at the store when she was visiting for the holidays and told me I could use them to make home-made spaghetti-Os. If you didn't know already the Spaghetti-Os you buy in the can are packed with dairy, so that's why I had to share this idea! Tastes exactly like the canned stuff (but with way less preservatives and sodium and no milk) If your family eats 2 cans of tomato soup when you make it, then double the recipe using 2 cans and 2 cups noodles- simple as that. Yes, I know I could always make my own tomato soup, but sometimes I just don't have that kind of time. If you want to try making tomato soup from scratch there are a lot of recipes out there like this one that will do the trick...or you can use a can- nobody will judge you I promise! (especially me)

Spaghetti O's

Serves 2 adults or 4 kids

1 cup triple O rings pasta (like the one here)

1 can condensed tomato soup

1 can water or soy milk (I use water)

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the pasta and cook for about 5 minutes or until mostly cooked. Drain. Put the pasta back into the pot along with the condensed soup and water and bring to a boil over low-medium heat until heated through and the noodles are tender. Salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.