Indulgence: S'more Cookies

Nothing says summer like s'mores. Am I right? Or am I right? We love s'mores, but we have one little problem... we don't have a fire pit. It's makes it a little hard to make them the traditional way, and I'm not brave enough to let my kids do it using our gas stove, so these are our next best alternative. :) And though we try to keep things healthy around here, an indulgence every now and again is just fine. Happy 4th of July!

Indulgence: S'more Cookies
24 SERVINGS 
PREP: 12 minutes           COOK: 12 minutes            READY IN: 24 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 heaping cup of mini marshmallows
• 1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares (I used 24 squares, but how many squares you use will ultimately depend how much dough you put on top of them)
• 3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into single squares

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Mix together the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together until nice and creamy.
2. Add in the eggs, one a a time. 
3. Once mixed, add the vanilla. Mix.
4. Add the baking soda, sea salt, and flour. Mix together.
5. With a large spoon, or spatula, mix-in the chocolate chips and marshmallows.
6. Chill the dough for one hour in the refrigerator.
7. Preheat the oven to 375º.
8. One a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper, lay out the graham crackers, side by side. (For step by step pictures, click here).
9. On top of each graham cracker, place a tablespoon of dough on top. (I used my regular sized cookie scoop and it worked great).
10. Bake the cookies for 5-6 minutes, add the Hershey bar to each graham cracker cookie and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Let the cookies cool completely (I threw them in the freezer for about 20 minutes) and cut them with a sharp knife.

Enjoy!
Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

Honey Lime Chicken Kabobs

For nearly the entire summer, our dinners are made on the BBQ. We love spending our summer evenings outside, and dinner seems to be ready in a flash while the kids are happily playing in the yard. :) This is a random creation that we came up with last week, and it's now been declared a favorite. The flavor is sweet with a little kick (thanks to the red pepper) and it's lip-smacking delicious. Two thumbs up across the board, even from the kids.

Honey Lime Chicken Kabobs
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 35 minutes           COOK: 10 minutes            READY IN: 45 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (add more if you want more spice to your chicken)
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
• dash salt

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Cube chicken into about 1 inch pieces.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together soy sauce, honey, olive oil, lime, garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, cilantro, and salt. 
3. Place chicken into the marinade, and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
4. Put the chicken on skewers, and hang onto the marinade.
5. Place chicken skewers on the grill. While grilling, every 3-4 minutes turn the chicken, and baste it with the marinade.
6. Grill skewers for 8-10 minutes, or until done.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 skewer    191 calories   8g fat   6.8g carbs    22g protein    5.9g sugar   

Enjoy!

Banana Pistachio Smoothie

One of my husband's friends is famous for making pistachio smoothies. We have them at almost every friend gathering, which is almost weekly :) Well this last week was nothing different. As they were making it we were waiting for them to add in ice cream (how else would it get the silky smooth texture?). Well it never came. After all the times we've drank this we just realized there is NO ice cream in it. None at all. My husband and baby love these so I decided I had to share! Happy smoothie making!!!

Banana Pistachio Smoothie
4 SERVINGS 
PREP:2 minutes           COOK: 1 minutes            READY IN: 3 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 handful spinach (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 banana
• 2 tablespoons pistachio pudding mix 
• 8-10 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

   1/2 cup   130 calories  3g fat  24g carbs   2g protein   16g sugar   

Enjoy!

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

Memorial Day weekend is THIS weekend. First of all, how did that happen?! Time is going by waaaay to quickly, my friends. And second of all, that means summer weather is coming.... right?? Here in Colorado, we had a snow storm a little over a week ago. And by snow storm, I mean 10 inches. In May. We've only been here for a year, but everyone says it's fairly normal. Good thing it melts quick because mentally, I just can't handle being locked up inside the house yet again due to a snow storm. :) So here's to warm weather and popsicles! I don't know about you, but we practically live off popsicles in the summer. I have a goal of making lots of real food popsicles this year because let's be honest. Otterpops are full of who knows what, and buying real food popsicles in the store would get expensive really quick. Especially when we average about 3 per person around here per day come July and August. Here's a popsicle we made up on the fly. I was tempted to call it a margarita popsicle because that's just what it tastes like. It's super yummy and everyone gave it two thumbs up!

Watermelon Lime Popsicles
8 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           FREEZE: 60 minutes            READY IN: 65 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 cups watermelon, cut up
• 1 lime
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Place the watermelon into a blender. 
2. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the blender.
3. Blend until the watermelon and lime juice is mixed, and looks like a slushy. Add the honey and keep blending for a little bit.
4. Pour into popsicle forms and freeze for about an hour.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    17 calories   .1g fat   4.5g carbs    .3g protein    3.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Meatloaf Muffins

One of my children's favorite meals lately is meatloaf. I make it, and they aren't quite sure of it and then I remind them that it's one of their favorite dishes. Then they try it and sing my praises. It's kind of awesome. But making the traditional meatloaf all the time gets a little old so to mix it up, I make meatloaf muffins. To be honest, the name kind of grosses me out. I think muffins is such a breakfast term. But the name stays. The kiddos love it and it's kind of catchy. :)

Meatloaf Muffins
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 40-45 minutes            READY IN: 50-55 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/4 cup of milk (I used skim, but any kind should work)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoning 
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. In a large bowl, mix together turkey, egg, quick oats, milk, salt, Lawry's seasoning, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley. 
3. Use a cookie scoop to make 12 even meatloaf balls. Roll out and place into a greased muffin pan.
4. Mix ketchup and BBQ sauce in a small bowl. Place a little bit on top of each meatloaf muffin and spread around.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    84 calories   3.4g fat   4.8g carbs    8.6g protein    2.1g sugar   

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Apple Bites

Swimsuit season is right around the corner people! I've definitely procrastinated so its time to hit the gym hard (like the PTFTriathalon) and eat extra healthy. But is it just me or does everything I look at turn into one giant chocolate fountain or candy bar? It's a problem I'm working on.  So to fix that I try to incorporate a little sweets into my diet even when I'm trying to eat healthy so that I don't binge eat later...learned that the hard way :)

In browsing for some sweet treats to make I came across these peanut butter chocolate apple bites. They had me at peanut, so I just had to make them. They are so delicious and hit the spot. Take my advice and make sure you have all these ingredients in your pantry at all times so you will always have a healthy alternative for your sugar cravings.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Apple Bites
makes 16 wedges 
PREP: 5 minutes           COOK: 30 seconds            READY IN: 6 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 apples, cored and cut into wedges
• 1/4 cup low fat peanut butter
• 1/8 cup rolled oats or granola of your choice
• 2 tablespoons semi sweet or dark chocolate, melted (optional)

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Core and cut apples in to 8 wedges each. 
2. Cover each apple with a small amount of peanut butter.
3. Top with oats or granola then drizzle with small amount of chocolate. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 wedge  43 calories  3g fat   5g carbs    1g protein    2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from www.thecomfortofcooking.com

Teriyaki Rice Bowls (Rumbi Copycat)

For awhile now I've been on the lookout for a good rice bowl recipe. We've tried a few - and none have really done it for us. They were all missing that "spark." That was until we found this recipe.

These rice bowls, meant to taste like the Rumbi Hawaiian Restaurant rice bowls here in Utah, definitely have that spark we've been on the search for! Not only did I have most of the ingredients on-hand, but it was an easy recipe that everyone loved. Don't be scared away by the list of ingredients. Once you have all the vegetables cut up and the chicken cooked, the rest is a breeze. (Oh and I dare you not to eat all the rice before it's meal time. Best rice I've had in a long, long time!)

Teriyaki Rice Bowls (Rumbi Copycat)

6 SERVINGS 

PREP: 30 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 50 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

Vegetables & Chicken

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 carrots, peeled and grated
• 3 celery stalks, washed and sliced
• 1 zucchini, chopped into cubes
• 1 1/2 cups chopped broccoli
• 2 cups chicken, cut into bite sized cubes and grilled 

Directions:
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables (carrots, celery, zucchini, and broccoli). Sauté for a few minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve over Rumbi rice with chicken. Top with teriyaki sauce. (Recipe for rice and teriyaki sauce below).

Rumbi Rice

• 2 cups white rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 (14 oz) can coconut milk
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

Directions:

To make in rice cooker, combine all ingredients and gently stir together so beans are evenly distributed. Place the lid on and start the rice cooker. To make in saucepan, combine water, milk, and sugar. Stir in rice and beans and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 18 to 20 minutes (or until rice is cooked). 

Spicy Hawaiian Teriyaki Sauce 

• 3/4 cup Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki sauce (found in grocery store by BBQ sauce)
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

In a small saucepan combine teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, ginger, salt, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and water. Slowly add to sauce (for thickening). Simmer for another minute or two. Serve over rice bowls. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    2 cup serving    614 calories  20.5 g fat   81 g carbs   28 g protein    7 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

Texas Caviar

My husband and I just got back from a week in Florida where the weather was well into the 80's and 90's. Summer can't get here fast enough. I'm already looking forward to barbecue worthy food! I can't wait for the get togethers we'll have this year eating our fresh watermelon and basking in the sun. My favorite! This year I'll have watermelon in one hand and texas caviar in the other because this recipe is definitely going on the menu! It would also be a perfect addition to a Mother's Day buffet this weekend.

Texas Caviar

10 SERVINGS 

PREP: 10 minutes      COOK: refrigerate 2 hours to overnight     READY IN: 2 hours 10 minutes 

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 15oz cans low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 16oz bag super sweet white corn, frozen
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime zest 
• 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 avocados, chopped

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Combine all ingredients except for avocados in a large bowl and mix well. Cover and chill for a few hours to overnight. 
2. Before serving, add avocados and mix gently so you don't mash the avocados. Garnish with more chopped cilantro. Serve at room temperature. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1serving    191 calories   6g fat   28g carbs   7g protein   6g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Once Upon a Chef.

Tin Foil Citrus Chicken

Grilling season is my favorite! Although the weather has been hit or miss here (Colorado), we've caught a couple really great nights that make for fun dinners. Secretly, grilling is my favorite because my husband does all the work while I work on side dishes. :)

This is a lightly flavored chicken that is perfect for a warm day. And it's named citrus chicken, but that doesn't mean it tastes all lemon and lime-y. It's a subtle taste that will leave you satisfied and it would be great cut up for a salad too.

Tin Foil Citrus Chicken
6 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 15 minutes            READY IN: 25 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 pound boneless chicken breasts
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 tablespoon Lawry's chile & garlic seasoning
• 1 tablespoon lemon pepper
• 1 lemon
• 1 lime

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Fire up the girl! Booya!
2. Layout some tinfoil on the counter top (you want it big enough so it can be generously wrapped around the chicken after seasoning).
3. Place the chicken on top of the tinfoil. 
4. Drizzle oil over chicken and toss chicken until it's completely covered in oil.  
5. Sprinkle the Lawry's and lemon pepper seasoning over the chicken.
6. Cut the lemon and lime in half. Squeeze one half over the chicken in the tinfoil. Slice the other half of the fruit and place on top of the chicken.
7. Close up the tinfoil and place on the grill. Cook until chicken is cooked all the way through.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    __ cup serving    242 calories   16.8g fat   .7g carbs    22g protein    0g sugar   

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I've told you about our weekend ritual of having pizza on one of the weekend nights. It's something my kids look forward to every week and it provides us all with some much needed downtime. Though I love the Cauliflower Pizza Crust, changing things up is a good thing too. That's why I'm so happy I stumbled across this whole wheat pizza dough. It's amazing and sooooo filling. It's my go-to pizza dough and my kids love it too!

*As you're making this, keep in mind, I live in high altitude so you may not require as much flour. You can remedy that by adding more water to the mixture, or cutting down the flour to start. I would recommend adding more water. You can do it slowly and once the mixture makes a ball, you'll be good.*

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
MAKES 2 MEDIUM PIZZAS (I usually double the recipe and get 3 big pizzas out of it)
PREP: 10 minutes         RISE: 70 minutes          READY IN: 80 minutes + 15-20 minutes cook time

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour 
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons dry instant yeast
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a mixer, with a flat beater, combine flour, yeast and salt. 
2. Add 1/2 cup water, olive oil and honey to the mixture.  
3. On the mixer, switch out the flat beater for the dough hook. 
4. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of water (and more, if needed). You will know when the dough is ready if all the dough balls up around the dough hook, away from the sides of the bowl, and when you raise the hook, the dough stays on it.
5. Knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic (about 3 minutes).
6. Place back in the mixing bowl, and let rise for about an hour, or until it's doubled in size.
7. Cut dough into 2 (or 4 if you want personal size), and knead into small balls. Let rise for another 10 minutes.
8. At this point, either start prepping your pizza, or freeze dough for later use.
9. If you're making your pizza now, top with sauce and toppings and place in the oven at 350º and cook for 15-20 minutes.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

*Does not include toppings, pizza crust only*

    1 slice (8 per pizza)    96 calories   1.1g fat   18.4g carbs    2.6g protein    0g sugar   

Enjoy!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am always trying to perfect different types of cookies in the kitchen. And to help myself not feel to guilty about cooking up goodies, I try to make them as healthy as I can. And great news, I made THE PERFECT HEALTHY COOKIE!!!

I've tried about everything, and I've failed an awful lot. Trying to use no oil or refined sugar really makes things tough! I've tried substituting applesauce for the oil, but it often times makes cookies way too moist. I've tried putting yogurt in cookies, but sometimes it leaves a bad after taste. I've even tried melting down coconut oil and putting it in my cookies, but depending on the flavor I'm going for, it doesn't work all the time. Anyways, I'm here to tell you, I'm made a darn good cookie. I approve, and more importantly, so do my kids (and my husband!). It seriously won all of us over!!! It doesn't have flour, oil or refined sugar (and only a teaspoon of honey!!! so most of the sweetness comes from the natural ingredients). ***Please note that I do live in high altitude so I would suggest starting out with a little less oats than I did, unless you want a more dense cookie.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
30 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 15-20 minutes            READY IN: 30-35 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 4 cups of rolled oats
• 3 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup vanilla almond milk, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Take the rolled oats and grind them up in your food processor (or use oat flour if you want, but the measurement will most likely be different).
3. In a mixer, combine the ripe bananas, eggs, and milk until combined.
4. Add the ground rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, vanilla, peanut butter, and honey. Combine until all mixed together. The dough will not be completely stiff, it's more the consistency of a muffin mix. 
5. Add the the chocolate chips and mix together.
6. Line cookies sheets with parchment paper, and place the cookies on the sheet (I used a cookies scooper to put on my cookie sheets).
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes, let cool and enjoy!

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 cookie    77 calories   2.3g fat   12.3g carbs    2.2g protein    3.2g sugar   

Enjoy!

Ranch Roasted Chickpeas

Looking for a nice, healthy snack that even your kids will love? Well, look no further! We've been seeing roasted chickpeas all over Pinterest, but decided to put our own spin on it by trying a ranch flavor. My kids are hooked and now we'll try experimenting with other flavors. I love these as a snack by themselves, but also think they'd make a nice addition to a summer salad. I have yet to try that though, as they get eaten way too quickly around our house to last for dinner time.

Ranch Roasted Chickpeas
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 3 minutes           COOK: 45 minutes            READY IN: 48 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 16 ounce can chickpeas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ranch seasoning 

DIRECTIONS

---

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Open the can of chickpeas, drain and rinse. Dry off on a towel. 
3. In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas with the olive oil. Then add the ranch seasoning. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spread out the chickpeas. Place in the oven and cook for 45 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy. If they are still soft, cook a little bit longer. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1/4 cup serving    165 calories   4.8g fat   25.6g carbs    5.6g protein    0g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Modern Parents Messy Kids.

Crockpot Beef Brisket

I don't know if I've ever mentioned it here, but my husband is quite the chef. He's the type that can quickly take a gander of everything in the kitchen and whip up a seemingly effortless dish that tastes phenomenal. He doesn't measure anything, and goes strictly with his gut instincts. And more often than not, he comes to the table with an amazingly flavorful dish that leaves me asking, "What was in that...??" And he usually says, "A little bit of this, and a little bit of that." Which makes it so hard for me to replicate! If there's one thing he's has taught me in the kitchen, it's when it comes to cooking, there's a lot of leeway. I bring you one of my husband's wonderful recipes (with measurements!) that will leave you and your man happy at the dinner table. Oh, and let's not forget about the kiddos, they gobbled this up too!

Crockpot Beef Brisket
12 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes + overnight marinate        COOK: 8 hours         READY IN: 8 hours, 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 4 pounds beef brisket
• 3 tablespoons mesquite seasoning

MARINADE:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup mustard
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium soy sauce
• 5 garlic cloves, minced

DIRECTIONS

---

1. In a medium to large dish (sized to fit the beef brisket to marinade), mix together the marinade ingredients: ketchup, mustard, olive oil, soy sauce and garlic.
2. Submerge the brisket in the marinade, and rotate the brisket until all sides have "soaked" in a little of the marinade. 
3. Rub the mesquite seasoning on the top of the brisket (the part that is exposed, and not submerged in the marinade).
4. Marinate the brisket overnight.
5. In the morning, turn on the crockpot to low, place the brisket in the crockpot and discard the marinade, and slow cook the brisket for 8 hours. 

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    152 calories   13.6g fat   6.8g carbs    2.7g protein    3g sugar   

Enjoy!