Baking vegetables brings out the natural sweetness in them and with summer right around the corner these would be perfect to put a vegetable pan right on the grill and you have a simple side dish.  The secret, however, is in the sauce! Start by trimming the ends off fresh Brussel Sprouts and tossing with Olive Oil and Sea Salt. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 30 minutes or until brown and tender

While sprouts are roasting, mix 1/4 cup. Pure Maple Syrup, pinch of Sea Salt, 2 TBSP. Olive Oil, and 2 squirts of Dijon Mustard – I know I’m so accurate but what’s the fun in that? Eyeball and adjust to your taste!

Pour the mixture over the warm sprouts and toss. Serve immediately and enjoy : )

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Ingredients

• 2 cups Almond Flour
• 1 TBSP. Cinnamon
• 1 tea. Baking Soda
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas-mashed
• 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tea. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with foil wrappers (these work best for non sticking).  Mix Almond Flour, Cinnamon and Baking Soda in a large bowl and set aside.

Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add mashed bananas, Maple Syrup, Vanilla and water. Add mixture to dry ingredients and stir till all is moistened. Pour mixture in muffin tin- I used an ice cream scoop to keep it equally proportioned. Bake for 20-25 mins and top is brown.  This recipe made 12 muffins but can be made in loaf pan (bake for aprox. 45 minutes)

Serve warm with fruit and enjoy!

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I found this super easy and festive treat from SuperHealthyKids.com that I had to make right away. The recipe called for 4 ingredients and hardly any time to put together. I started by halving a banana and inserting  a Popsicle stick into each half. I was going for a bigger ghost pop instead of the mini ones the girls from Super Healthy Kids made. Next, freeze the bananas till firm-took about 30 minutes- this made dipping the pops easier in my opinion. I dipped the frozen pops in Organic Vanilla yogurt and rolled each in Coconut, I was going for a finer texture so I did blend the coconut before rolling.  Top with two chocolate chip eyes and a booing mouth and you have a healthy after school treat! My kids went crazy for these and have already been asking  me to make more, I can feel better about letting them indulge in candy Halloween night knowing I gave them something healthy and still fun throughout the month!

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Now, don’t get me wrong… I love fudge,truffles and cookies, but sometimes we need a little break from all the sweets. My favorite snack or treat is Granola and I add different spices and ingriedients to go with any Holiday. Since I was making this for Ballet instructors I decided to stick with a Nutcracker theme.

I started by preheating my oven to 250 degrees and in a large bowl adding 3 cups of Old Fashioned Oats along with 2 TBSP of Cinnamon, 1 TBSP of Pumpkin Spice, and 1/4 c. + 2 TBSP. of Brown Sugar.

In a small bowl combine 1/4 c. Canola Oil, 1/4 c. + 2 TBSP of Pure Maple Syrup and 1 tsp Salt.

Add the wet to the dry and mix till all combined, at this point I added a 6 oz. container of chopped Pecans.

Pour onto a large sheet pan and cook for 1 hour and 15 mins., be sure to stir every 15 mins for even coloring!

When the granola is COMPLETELY cool add a cup of dried cranberries and a cup a White Chocolate Chips.

Now fair warning, this is HIGHLY addictive so make an extra batch : )

 More Homemade Granola on TodaysMama:

Carrot Cake Granola

Seven Wives Inn Granola (Peanut Butter!)

 The Great Granola Recipe (Super Healthy)

The post Winter Wonderland Granola appeared first on YorkMama.com.

Meanwhile, I was rummaging through the cupboards looking for a side. My family lives on Whole Wheat pasta and there was no way I was eating it another night. I did however find 2 packages of Uncle Ben’s 90 second Brown Rice. I heated both packages and added it directly to the chicken/pepper mixture.

To add flavor and bind everything together, I added Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Basil and Crushed Tomatoes (just enough to coat everything).

To my surprise, the WHOLE family loved it and I had no leftovers. Dinner was made in 15 minutes and we all had happy bellies : ) Hope you’re all enjoying your back to school ventures and not spending dinnertime in the drive through!

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I’m actually a fan of the hussle and bussle of running around to school, play dates, and ballet classes (I’m sure I’ll be slapping myself by January for saying this.) The main problem I have with back to school and all the craziness that comes with it is meal time. My daughter is 4 and everyday is becoming a challenge with her, she would eat anything I put in front of her until the age of 3. Now, she doesn’t like any of her old favorites and eats like a snail! Unfortunately, I don’t have 2 hours for her to finish a meal before school and I can’t rely on a nutritious snack at school unless cupcakes and donuts are now a part of the daily requirements and I missed the memo.

I’m trying to think of fun and quick breakfasts that can be taken with us if needed, smoothies are quick and fun but I was thinking of something with more substance. I came across a recipe on allrecipes.com for “Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins” and by the looks of my rotting overly sweet bananas on my counter I knew this was going to be a fun recipe to play around with.

I started by whisking 1c. Unbleached All Purpose Flour and 3/4c. Whole Wheat Flour (the original called for all white flour but I wanted to add some fiber and filling power), 3/4c. Sugar, 1 tea. Baking Powder, 1 tea. Baking Soda, 1/2 tea, Salt  and I added 1 TBSP. of cinnamon

In a small bowl mash 1c. (about 2 large) Bananas and put aside

In a sperate bowl whisk 1 egg, 1/4c. Canola Oil, 1/4c. Apple Sauce (the original called for 1/2c. oil, I wanted to cut down on the fat), 1/2c. Yogurt (sour cream or milk would work just as well) and finally 1tea. Vanilla Extract

Add the  egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir till moist, don’t overmix!!

Next, FOLD in the bananas. After tasting the finished muffins you’ll realize this is key : )

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 mins., I had 12 perfectly made muffins when done

This recipe was so quick and the muffins have a cakey moist texture. Next time I’ll be adding Walnuts for hubby and I and Peanut Butter Chips for the kids!! The kids loved them just as they were which is a huge success in this house, back to school is looking sweeter and sweeter : )

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Here’s the mix:

Start by combining the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to remove any lumps and keep the batter fluffy

Next, in the microwave heat the Sunflower Butter and Banana in a separate bowl till soft.

Mix the sunflower butter and banana together till smooth and clump free, whisk the egg and milk into the mixture and add to the dry ingredients. Heat a large skillet or flat griddle and pour on 1/4 c. batter, top with chocolate chips (tip – when I put the chocolate chips on I take a fork and push them into the batter so the choc. won’t burn when flipped!) Wait till you see bubbles and flip.

Pile them on a plate and serve with warm REAL Maple Syrup!

These fluffy protein packed pancakes will keep you full for  hours and your families bellies very happy, hope you enjoy!

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I will admit I have tried several homemade pizza dough recipes in the past and they have always came out bland and rubbery. A year ago I found a recipe on Food.com that would take my household’s love for pizza to whole new level. Not only was the dough made with Whole Wheat Flour but it requires no rise time–can it get any better!? I did add my own touch to the recipe by adding spices to the dough and mixing the ingriedients by hand instead of a mixer.

Here’s what you need:

Next, add the olive oil, salt, and both flours (at this point I added garlic powder and dried basil) using your fingers combine till a ball forms. Flour your counter surface and knead till a smooth ball forms. I’m lazy and I hate messes so I just threw some flour into the bowl and kneaded the ball in the bowl. It worked just as well : )

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and let the ball rest for about 10- 15 mins. (Hey, it’s better than 2 hrs!). Roll out the dough on a greased pizza pan and dimple the dough with your fingertips, drizzle with Olive Oil and bake for 10 mins. ** I love my dough on the crispy side, I always bake the dough for 10 mins. BEFORE adding the sauce and toppings. Go by your preference!**

Add your topics of choice and bake for an additional 10 mins. or till the cheese has melted

This recipe is so versatile, quick and easy to make. I’m not the best baker but even I can do this. Spring and Summer is right around the corner and this will be a fun one to make on the grill with kids or even entertaining with adults! Pop open some bottles of Wine or Beer and you have a budget friendly dinner party : )

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Since I was used to eating fast food, boxed Macaroni and Cheese, and Hamburger Helper, my palate still craved those foods at times. I know with all the sodium and preservatives it would not be a wise choice for myself and my family, and yet I still get those lingering cravings to this day. Food is comforting and especially what we eat as a child can hold in a lot of memories. I was on a mission to recreate my favorite boxed meal and keep it healthy, affordable and quick.

I always had a love for Hamburger Helper, in particular the Cheeseburger Macaroni.  The noodles and cheesy sauce is what lured me in each time. I found a recipe on Food.com and tweaked it for my taste and the results were amazing! (The original recipe can be found here)

Start by making the “Seasoning Packet”

• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 2 tsp. Onion Powder
• 2 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Dry Mustard * The original called for 2 tsp. paprika, but I prefer mustard on my burger : )  *
• 1 tsp. Sugar

Mix all dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside

In a large skillet, brown 1 lb. of 97% lean Ground Beef or ground Turkey. Add 1 1/2 c. Whole Wheat Elbow Pasta, 1 c. of Hot Water, 2 c. Fat Free Milk, and the reserved “Seasoning Packet”. At this point, I also added two squirts of Ketchup * What can I say, I like Ketchup on my burgers!*

Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 12 minutes. The last 3 minutes of cooking add 1 c. of Shredded Cheddar Cheese (I used 2 % Mild Cheddar)

Stir, cover and cook till Macaroni is tender (about another 3 mins.) Remove the lid and let sit for 5 mins, the sauce will thicken ( just like the box version!)

The results brought back so many childhood memories, the whole dish took less than 20 mins. to prepare and the taste was even better. I love being able to recreate meals that I feel good about serving to my family. Homemade doesn’t always have to mean expensive and hours of cooking! Try experimenting with a not so healthy family classic meal,  you might be pleasantly surprised and your heart will thank you : )

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I keep my meals simple during a Holiday and put a little spin on it to make it appear gourmet. My favorite weekend breakfast is French Toast, it truly is comfort food at its finest. To keep it special I’m adding Butternut Squash- trust me on this, the color and flavor is earthy and comforting.

Start by combining Eggs (use 1 egg per 2 slices of bread)

1/4 c. pureed Butternut Squash (cut  squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and roast face down at 400 degrees for 45-50 mins. Remove flesh and puree in food processor.)

Pure Vanilla Extract (approx. 1 Tbsp)

Cinnamon (again eyeball it, use as much or as little as you’d like)

Splash of milk (can you tell how precise I am in the kitchen!?)

Coat both sides of bread in mixture and brown both sides in a Nonstick pan or Griddle

Serve with warm Maple Syrup and of course Butter : )

This is such a simple way to show someone how much you care about them.  Food is very comforting and means so much more when made with love and not from a restaurant line cook. The smell throughout the house is warm and sweet, just the way love should be : )

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