SUMMER SMOOTHIE POPS

The summer weather is here and it is blazing hot where I live. There is nothing better than a healthy and refreshing, fruit smoothie to chase away the summer heat. A fun way to crank your smoothie's chill factor up a notch is by creating smoothie pops. All you have to do is grab your blender and blend some of your favorite, frozen fruits (strawberries, blueberries, peaches...etc.) along with some vanilla yogurt, skim milk or almond milk and a banana. Once you have created your smoothie, then pour it into popsicle molds and freeze the molds in the freezer. Now you have ice cold smoothies on a stick. Enjoy!

St. Paddy's Punch

Everybody gets to be a little bit Irish on St. Patrick's Day don't you think? It is a holiday that celebrates triumph over famine and oppressors. If you have ever overcome anything in your life then celebrate that. I am posting a recipe for a yummy St. Patrick's Day Punch that can be served to all of your party guests. Enjoy! Oh, and don't forget to wear a tad bit of green so you won't get pinched. Aren't these green, party shoes adorable? Cuter than a shamrock or a leprechaun hiding beneath a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. LOL

PADDY PUNCH

2 liters of Gingerale or Sprite
1 qt. lime sherbert
1 large can of chilled pineapple juice
1 large container of frozen lemonade

In a large punchbowl, stir together all ingredients until the sherbert and frozen lemonade melts and makes a milky green punch with foam on the top. Garnish with sliced lemons and marischino cherries if you desire. Serve chilled in clear glasses.

A TISKET A TASKET...WHAT'S IN THE BASKET?

A tisket a tasket....what is in the basket? Why pumpkins of course. It is that time of year when people enjoy making pies for get togethers and holiday gatherings. What says "FALL" more than a pumpkin pie? Pumpkins are full of vitamins and pumpkin pie can be a healthy treat when it is made a certain way. Here is a healthy pumpkin pie recipe. Enjoy

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
8 oz. skim milk
3 egg whites
2/3 reduced fat graham cracker crust
3/4 cup of Splenda or Truvia (sugar substitute) I use all natural "Stevia" to taste
2 egg whites (for the crust)
A dash of pumpkin pie spice

Pre-heat oven to 425. Mix pumpkin, milk and egg whites together until smooth. Gradually stir in Splenda, Truvia or Stevia. Add pumpkin pie spice to taste. Pour into crust and spread evenly. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then turn the oven down to 350 and bake for 45 minutes. The last 5 to 10 minutes of baking you can take egg whites and beat them.....then brush the egg white mixture around the sides of the crust to make the crust nice and crisp.

QUICK & EASY SNOW DAY SOUP

My area is supposed to be getting a tad bit of snow today. This will be the second snow day we've had since December and I'm amazed because I live in a place where snow is as rare as a 2 dollar bill.....(and yes that really is a picture of a rare 2 dollar bill that I saved as a kid from 1976).

On chilly days like this, I like making something warm and comforting for the family to eat for dinner. Early this morning, I preprared a little SNOW DAY SOUP. I think making soup in the morning and letting it simmer on "low" in a crock pot all day lets the flavors really meld together. Even picky soup eaters will like the taste of this soup.

This recipe is hearty, healthy, quick and easy because some of the recipe items are frozen or canned. Canned items do tend to have a larger sodium content so here is a good tip......anytime you use canned items, pour the canned item into a strainer and rinse the item with water. This will help to lower the sodium content a bit.

SNOW DAY SOUP

1 package of Knorr Tomato & Vegetable soup base

1/2 of a 13.25 oz. box of Barilla Whole Grain Penne Pasta

1 can of diced tomatoes

4 cups of water

1 can of Cannellini or Navy beans

1 can of Red Kidney Beans

1 can of corn

1 package of frozen vegetables (your choice)

Optional........

1 dash of dried basil

1 dash of garlic powder

1 dash of onion powder

1 dash of red or black pepper

Directions: Place all of your ingredients in a crockpot and let it simmer on high until fully cooked then lower the crockpot to the "low" or "keep warm" mode. Serve and enjoy!

NUTS ABOUT THE HOLIDAYS

The holidays are upon us. Hmmmmm, what could you give to co-workers, your children's teacher or bus driver, the mailman or a neighbor? Over the next few weeks I will randomly post some easy, homemade gift giving ideas. Nothing says thoughtfulness like "homemade". Combine homemade items with something that pleases the tastebuds and you've got a winner. This is a recipe that your recipients will just go NUTS over....unless they are allergic to nuts that is.


SWEET PECANS

1 egg white

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 c. sugar or brown sugar

Dash of vanilla extract

3/4 tsp. salt

2 tbs. water

1 pound pecan halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250

Lightly butter baking sheet

Beat egg white until foamy

Mix in cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, salt, water and pecans

Stir until coated

Spread on the baking sheet

Bake for 1 hour and stir every 12 minutes

Put cooled nuts into a glass jar with a lid or holiday tin. Put a bow on the top.

EASY CROCKPOT CANDY APPLES

This is a fun recipe that I came across. Candy Apples can be eaten whole or sliced up and divided. Either way they are a fun treat for upcoming holdiay parties or even for gift giving. We all know of the the big, expensive Candy Apples sold in confection stores. Why not make your own?

2 (14 ounce) packages of caramels
1/4 cup of water
8 apples
8 sticks
Toppings: mini marshmellows, nuts, candy sprinkles, mini chocolate chips


Grease a strip of wax paper (enough for all of the apples)

Crockpot: combine caramels and water in the crockpot. Cover & cook on high for 1 hour. Stir frequently.

Wash and dry apples. Insert sticks. Turn crockpot on low. Dip apple into crockpot and coat entire surface. Place on greased wax paper to cool. Once caramel sets (tacky to the touch), roll in toppings of your choice. YUM-O!

YUM-O EASY SATURDAY PANCAKES

During the week, the breakfasts in my house usually consist of items that can be eaten while walking out of the door or driving in the car but Saturdays are SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE kind of breakfasts. I think it is important to have family meals together as much as possible. We ususally do this each day at Dinner time but Saturdays are our "Family Breakfast" mornings. My son's favorite is PANCAKES so I have to keep plenty of pancake mix on hand. Here is a recipe to make a good quantity of instant pancake mix to store. It really makes things quick and easy. This mix is good for approximately 80 4 inch pancakes. My crazy pancakes end up being all different sizes ranging from small to large (as you can see in the pictures) so I never get 80 pancakes. You can get up ahead of the family and make the pancakes quickly. If the family isn't ready to eat yet and/or you want to go back to sleep for a little bit, place the pancakes in a TORTILLA WARMER. Your pancakes will still be nice and warm when you are ready for them.

RECIPE FOR HOMEMADE INSTANT PANCAKES

12 C sifted flour
4 C instant dry powdered milk
3/4 C baking powder
3/4 C sugar
2 T. salt
Keep in: Air Tight Container or Large Zip Lock Bag

DIRECTIONS:

1 1/2 C instant homemade pancake mix
1 egg
2 tbsp. oil
Dash vanilla extract (optional)

Mix ingredients and pour onto a hot greased skillet. When bubbles form on the top, flip and brown the other side. Remove from the skillet and place in a TORTILLA WARMER until ready to eat. ENJOY!!!!!!