CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE

A protein smoothie without the protein aftertaste.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz. Chobani Vanilla and Chocolate Chunk Greek Yogurt

1 package Carnation Instant Breakfast (or use sweetened coco powder)

¼ cup milk (or almond milk)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 scoop peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Put all the ingredients in a blender.  Blend until combined.  For a delicious frozen smoothie, freeze overnight.  This is full of protein and can be a meal replacer.

Basic Ingredients

Ready to Serve

Summer PEACH CRISP

INGREDIENTS:

Peach filling

3 cups peaches, sliced and peeled

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½  teaspoon nutmeg, optional

½  teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon almond extract

1/3  - ½ cup sugar

5 tablespoons flour (or tapioca flour - Instant tapioca may be put through the food processor to make the flour)

Streusel/Crisp Topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups quick oats

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/3 cup white cake mix (optional) (substitute 1/8 cup white sugar)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ cup butter, cubed

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

¼ cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Prepare peaches by washing , peeling and slicing them into thin slices.  Add seasonings, lemon juice, sugar, almond extract, sugar and flour/tapioca and mix together.  Pour into a 8X8 inch baking dish.

In a large bowl, add the flour, oats, cake mix, almond extract, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and brown sugar. With a pastry fork, cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Stir in the pecans.  Melt Butter.  Pour the streusel over the peach mixture.  Drizzle melted butter over streusel topping.  Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 35 – 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let cool about 5 minutes.  Serve warm with vanilla or butter pecan ice cream

Basic Ingredients

Ready to Drizzle with Butter

Drizzled with Butter and Ready to Bake

Just Out of the Oven

Ready to Serve

Enjoy!

CHICKEN, PINENUT AND PARMESAN PASTA

Ingredients:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts – cut into cubes

A few dashes Garlic Herb Mrs. Dash for seasoning chicken

½ cup bacon, crumbled

1 cup peas (cooked)

1 cup sweet bell pepper (chopped and sauteed in a dab of butter)

1 cup toasted pine nuts

½ cup parmesan cheese

½ cup mozzarella cheese

½ cup green onion, chopped

1 box Tri Color Vegetable Rotini pasta (cooked) (Any medium sized pasta works well for this)

1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil (or Garlic Olive Oil – if available)

Directions:

Chop green onion and cut bell peppers. Boil water for pasta and cook pasta as directed.  Cube chicken breasts.  Cook and crumble bacon.  Sauté peppers them in a dab of butter in a sauté pan over low heat.  Cook peas as directed.

Toast pine nuts –  Place pine nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Cook 3 minutes in a 400 degree oven.  Stir, then cook for 2 more minutes.  Remove from oven.

Cook cubed chicken over medium heat in a large sauce pan.  Add the Garlic Herb Mrs. Dash to season.  Cook thoroughly, but do not overcook.

Drain pasta and toss with olive oil.  Mix all ingredients together and serve.  Or if you have picky people at your house, put everything in a separate bowl and let them choose their healthy mix.

Ingredients

Pine nuts - ready to toast

Toasted Pine Nuts

Portioned Ready to eat

BEEF STEW - and a BARLEY recipe

BEEF STEW

BEEF STEW WITH BARLEY

1 package Beef for Stew

2 peeled potatoes

1 peeled and quartered onion

1 small package mini peeled carrots

Seasoning:

Wylers Beef Granules

Onion and Herb Mrs. Dash

Crushed Rosemary

All Purpose Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Brown Beef in sauté pan.Line a large crock pot with a slow cooker by Reynolds.  In the crock pot, first put beef in.  Season with Wylers Beef Granules.  Put in onion quarters, potatoes and carrots.  Add enough water to cover the veggies.  Add seasoning.  Cook for approximately 8 hours or until the meat is cooked and the veggies are soft.

To make barley with the stew, rinse one cup barley.  Add barley to a rice cooker and add 2 cups water.  Season with ½ tablespoon butter and a pinch of garlic powder.  You may also cook it on the range top on a sauce pan stirring occasionally.  It takes about 30 minutes to cook.

CHEESE WEDGE BISCUITS – adapted from Family Fun Cookbook, page 112

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

5 tablespoons butter

1 cup grated cheddar or cheddar/jack cheese blend

2/3 cup milk

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer. 

Add the butter in chunks and blend until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add 1 cup grated cheddar or cheddar/jack blend.

Add the milk and mix until just combined. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface (a pastry mat works great) and pat into a round, about 1/3 inch thick.

 Place the round in a 9 – inch pie plate and cut into wedges. 

Cover evenly with the cheese and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly toasted on the top.  If the cheese has not browned, broil for 1 minute.  Makes 6 large wedges.

SNOW CONES - HOMEMADE (NO SPECIAL SNOW CONE MACHINE REQUIRED)

Strawberry

Strawberry

Peach

Grape

A fun way to enjoy the delights of summer at home.  Inexpensive,  exciting for children of ALL ages.  There is no need to buy one of those fancy snow cone machines that break after a few uses.

Ingredients:

Fruit syrup (strawberry ice cream syrup, Torani syrup – any flavor)

Any fruit flavor Freezer Syrup (liquidy freezer jam), optional
or the Lemon Syrup from http://bakingbanquet.blogspot.com/2012/07/frosty-margarita-frozen-pie-non.html recipe

Crushed Ice

Materials Needed:

Food Chopper , Food Processor, or blender

Plastic Cup

Straw

Obtain some crushed ice from your freezer’s ice machine.  If you don’t have an ice machine, get some ice and put it in a Ziploc bag.  Double bag it and use a meat tenderizer to chop the ice into smaller pieces.)  Place the crushed ice in your electric food chopper, food processor or blender.  Crush the ice until it is like powdery snow.   Pour into a cup using a scraper spatula (I use a silicone one).  Gently form into a cone shape with clean hands.  Pour syrup over the “snow cone” and enjoy.  Serve with a spoon and a straw, if desired.

Ingredients

Shaved Ice in Food Chopper

With a Straw

Cone Shaped

Yum

Watermelon

Peach

Watermelon

Grape

Sour Apple

Cotton Candy

Green Apple

Green Apple

Pomegranate

FRESH PEACH PIE

2 pie crusts (a top and a bottom)

3 cups peaches, sliced and peeled

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/3 - 1/2 cup extra fine baking sugar

5 tablespoons flour (or tapioca flour - Instant tapioca may be put through the food processor to make the flour)

2 tablespoons butter

Put the pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan.  With a fork, poke the pie crust in multiple places to avoid crust bubbles. (tip – as you are peeling and slicing your peaches, put the lemon juice in the bowl that you are placing the peaches in and stir as you add more slices)  Add all the ingredients, except butter, into a large bowl and mix together.   Pour filling into the crust lined pie pan.  Dot  the top of the filling with butter.  Cover with top layer of crust, adding some air vents.  Cook on 400 for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.