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

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• 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

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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

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• 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

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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

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

Enjoy!

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

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• 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

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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

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

Enjoy!

Skinny Strawberry Trifle

I'll let you in on a little secret... My husband hates Valentine's Day. He is convinced it was a holiday created by Hallmark. And I've never been one to disagree with him. I think I'd rather have random acts of kindness (or love) shown to one another over a forced holiday that says we have to do something for each other. We are both pretty great at being rebels so when everyone is doing something, we tend to walk away for the sake of creating our own mold. :)

So rather than going out to eat with half the town on February 14, we'd rather snuggle up on the couch together after the kids go to bed and indulge in a yummy dessert. This dessert is perfect just for that, and good news... it's a skinny dessert! Feel free to indulge without the dessert!

Skinny Strawberry Trifle
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 10 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 angel food cake (I used store bought, but you can make your own if you want)
• 1 pint of strawberries, sliced
• 3.3 ounce white chocolate pudding box
• 16 ounce Lite Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS

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1. Slice the angel food cake into 15 even pieces. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the white chocolate pudding mix with the cool whip. (OPTIONAL: you can add a little milk to make the mixture a little more creamy. I opted to go without).
3. In a bowl or cup, tear 1/4 of the angel food slice into one inch pieces, add a dollop of the pudding mixture, then a few strawberries. Repeat until you have multiple layers in the dish. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 serving    179 calories   3.6g fat   31.6g carbs    1.5g protein    9.9g sugar   

Enjoy!

Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers

My number one priority for fixing dinners, besides having a well rounded meal, is time. Sure, there are occasions that I bake and cook for fun, but really, with 3 kids ages 5 and under, let's be honest, time isn't plentiful. Not that I'm complaining - my house is always a party - but a party that must be monitored, otherwise I'd have naked kids running around smearing who knows what on the walls. And that's really not the type of party I want to welcome in my home, if you catch my drift.

You will notice most of my dinner recipes posted on this site are easy, or can be prepped throughout the day. Otherwise, we'd be eating take out every night, or I'd be fixing dinner with 3 kids hanging off me. And if I felt up for the extra exercise, I might consider it. But really, by dinner time, I'm usually ready for bed.

This recipe has been a favorite the past few weeks. It's packed with protein, and super simple to prepare. I've even prepped them the day before and left them as patties in the fridge until we were ready to throw on the grill or George Foreman.

Cilantro Lime Turkey Burgers
4 SERVINGS 
PREP: 10 minutes           COOK: 10 minutes            READY IN: 20 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1/4 large red onion (or 1/2 of a medium one)
• 1/2 bunch cilantro
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• juice from 1 lime
• cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a food processor, pulse the red onion and cilantro until it's just past diced.  (You could dice them by hand as well, I just don't like big bits of onion in my burger. I like the taste to be more subtle).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the red onion, cilantro and turkey.
3. Add in the garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Mix together until blended.
4. Divide into 4 equal patties and throw on the grill. Grill for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

NUTRITION FACTS

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*These nutritional facts are for the turkey patty only. They do not include toppings or bun.

    1 turkey patty    197 calories   10g fat   2.3g carbs    21.6g protein    .7g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Subee's Kitchen.

Calabacitas con Elote (Zucchini with Corn)

Fall seems to be the time of year I crave colorful dishes. This one doesn't disappoint! It's a beautiful dish that would be perfect at any Thanksgiving dinner table. It's also perfect if you need a great vegetarian option for yourself, friends, or family. Just add some black beans to this recipe, and it will be a one-dish wonder. Or, feel free to add a little shredded chicken or turkey if you are meat-friendly and this can also be an all-in-one dish for dinner or lunch.

Calabacitas con Elote (Zucchini with Corn)
8 SERVINGS 
PREP: 20 minutes           COOK: 20 minutes            READY IN: 40 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 ripe vine tomato, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed
• Sea salt, to taste
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon raw blue agave sweetener
• 1 lime, juiced
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Lime wedges for serving

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil.
2. Saute the zucchini for about 5 minutes, or until it turns a nice golden brown color.
3. Add the corn, tomato, jalapeño, garlic, sea salt, lemon pepper, cumin, agave sweetener, and lime juice. Stir to combine. 
4. Cover and cook on meduium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the veggies are tender, yet still crisp.
5. Serve topped with fresh cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

NUTRITION FACTS

---

    1 serving    75 calories   3.9g fat   10.6g carbs    1.8g protein    4.2g sugar   

Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Gluten Free Goddess.

Indulgence Moment: Apple Snicker Salad

This salad is a conversation starter and is great for taking to parties. The last party I took this to, everyone was so inquisitive about it, wondering what exactly was in it. I was having to jot down emails left and right so I could send out the recipe to everyone, which is a pretty good sign that it's a a winner!

It is a perfect fall salad and a great way to use all those yummy apples and Halloween candy. (That is, if you have any candy left after you've pilfered through all of your children's candy. But we've nev-er done that...) I usually make this with granny smith apples, but tart red apples like pink lady will work too. The salt, sour mix is a welcomed surprise to almost everyone that eats this salad. I have yet to meet someone that doesn't like it.

Apple Snicker Salad
15 SERVINGS 
PREP: 15 minutes           CHILL: 1 hour           READY IN: 75 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

---

• 4 large granny smith apples
• 16 ounce light cool whip
• 5.1 ounce vanilla pudding
• 1 cup skim milk
• 3 large snicker bars, chopped/cubed

DIRECTIONS

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1. In a large bowl, mix together for 2 minutes the cool whip, vanilla pudding (package only, not prepared), and milk.
2. Core and cube apples, and place in the large bowl with the cool whip mixture. Add snickers and mix together.
3. Chill for about an hour prior to serving.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1/2 cup serving    93 calories   1.1g fat   21g carbs    .7g protein    17g sugar   

If serving for a party, I would prepare the day of. The apples tend to get soggy and won't be as crisp or good if prepared the day before.

Enjoy!