Happy Easter to all my readers/followers! As you go about your day, think about WHY we celebrate! It's not for the candy, food or even the eggs even though there are always plenty to go around and lots to love about the day. Instead, focus on Christ's death from Thursday and his risen appearance Easter morning.
Can you imagine how everyone felt who witnessed that day? How could that change the way you go about your day today?
We're headed off to church to celebrate with our choir by singing in 2 of our church's services then heading to my in-laws to celebrate with the whole family. Should be an amazing day, but I'm trying to keep in the front of my mind the reason why I get to celebrate with them!
What family traditions do you have with your family for Easter?
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Granola- is it really as healthy as you thought?
Ok, well now that you're a little focused you can see that granola is the topic of the day. Since going gluten-free in the last 3 weeks I'm beginning to understand how hard it is for people with allergies like this to eat on a daily basis. No, I'm not allergic to gluten or anything like that but my nutritionist thought it might be good to cut it out since when I added it back in after losing my 20 pounds since July that my doesn't handle it right. For that, I'll blame it on the pcos.
Anyway, off on a tangent I went so back to the granola.....One of the things that my nutritionist suggested was to eat steel cut oats and I found a great deal on them a few weeks ago at a local organic and natural store which I was so psyched to be able to go through- I could spend hours in those places! Since finding such a great deal on the oats, I decided to start making granola to keep on hand and take to work with organic plain yogurt that I can add some fruit to. Well, finding a granola recipe I liked was a little harder than I thought and I finally found one that isn't hard to make, has only 5 ingredients that I always keep on hand and is healthy for me.
Going back to the title of this post- granola isn't always healthy, meaning that sometimes it has so many high calorie items in it or even tons of added sugars and things that aren't healthy that when we eat it and assume that since it's granola, that it's healthy- we're actually doing more harm than good! I've been realizing how many additives are in all of our foods nowadays and if I can make something like this in a matter of 5 minutes of prep and 10-15 minutes in the oven then I'm going to plan on it! Knowing what goes into your food is so important! Why would you want extra additives and things in it that you don't need? Everything I put into my body, I'm responsible for choosing and making the decisions and it's important to me to know that I'm putting only healthy things in. Well, onto the recipe and off of my soap-box regarding the health and etc of society's choices.......sorry, didn't mean to rant at you!
After much ado and searching, I've found my perfect recipe thanks to shape.com and their dedication to finding the top 10 peanut butter recipes (or so they say!). This granola recipe is so easy and has just enough peanut butter to taste it in every bite but not too much to overwhelm since I still want to taste the yogurt and fruit in my lunch or snack.
Peanut Butter Granola
Sprinkled on top of Greek yogurt or enjoyed on its own, this peanut butter granola is made with pantry staples, making it an easy recipe to whip up without making a special trip to the grocery store.
Ingredients:
Makes four ¼ c servings
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. honey
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. oats
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Combine peanut butter and honey in a bowl and microwave until peanut butter melts (approximately 20 seconds). Stir.
Stir cinnamon and vanilla into peanut butter and honey mixture. Add oats and stir until oats are completely covered in peanut butter mixture. Spread out oat mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 7 -8 minutes until granola is slightly browned. Let cool until granola is crunchy.
I love this sweet and crunch recipe so much that I make a double batch. Don't be afraid to estimate the ingredients as you go, tasting, testing and checking as you go for your preferences. I just use a giant serving spoon to measure out the peanut butter, squirt in enough honey to equal the peanut butter, sprinkle in some cinnamon and pour in enough vanilla to make the mixture thin so it coats the oats. It's quite a sticky mess once it's all mixed together but it's soo worth it- especially licking your hands afterewards before the baking part. Of course to test the granola to see if it's done, you have to continue tasting! By the end of the baking and cooling process, I've probably eaten a whole serving without the yogurt but adding the sweet and smooth in with the sweet and crunchy makes for a great treat! Try it out and see what you think!
What's your favorite healthy treat or snack? Is there something that you constantly go back to and will never get enough of because it's just sooo good? Feel free to share and your recipe might be my next favorite!
Anyway, off on a tangent I went so back to the granola.....One of the things that my nutritionist suggested was to eat steel cut oats and I found a great deal on them a few weeks ago at a local organic and natural store which I was so psyched to be able to go through- I could spend hours in those places! Since finding such a great deal on the oats, I decided to start making granola to keep on hand and take to work with organic plain yogurt that I can add some fruit to. Well, finding a granola recipe I liked was a little harder than I thought and I finally found one that isn't hard to make, has only 5 ingredients that I always keep on hand and is healthy for me.
Going back to the title of this post- granola isn't always healthy, meaning that sometimes it has so many high calorie items in it or even tons of added sugars and things that aren't healthy that when we eat it and assume that since it's granola, that it's healthy- we're actually doing more harm than good! I've been realizing how many additives are in all of our foods nowadays and if I can make something like this in a matter of 5 minutes of prep and 10-15 minutes in the oven then I'm going to plan on it! Knowing what goes into your food is so important! Why would you want extra additives and things in it that you don't need? Everything I put into my body, I'm responsible for choosing and making the decisions and it's important to me to know that I'm putting only healthy things in. Well, onto the recipe and off of my soap-box regarding the health and etc of society's choices.......sorry, didn't mean to rant at you!
After much ado and searching, I've found my perfect recipe thanks to shape.com and their dedication to finding the top 10 peanut butter recipes (or so they say!). This granola recipe is so easy and has just enough peanut butter to taste it in every bite but not too much to overwhelm since I still want to taste the yogurt and fruit in my lunch or snack.
Peanut Butter Granola
Sprinkled on top of Greek yogurt or enjoyed on its own, this peanut butter granola is made with pantry staples, making it an easy recipe to whip up without making a special trip to the grocery store.
Ingredients:
Makes four ¼ c servings
2 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp. honey
¼ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. oats
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Combine peanut butter and honey in a bowl and microwave until peanut butter melts (approximately 20 seconds). Stir.
Stir cinnamon and vanilla into peanut butter and honey mixture. Add oats and stir until oats are completely covered in peanut butter mixture. Spread out oat mixture onto prepared cookie sheet and bake for 7 -8 minutes until granola is slightly browned. Let cool until granola is crunchy.
I love this sweet and crunch recipe so much that I make a double batch. Don't be afraid to estimate the ingredients as you go, tasting, testing and checking as you go for your preferences. I just use a giant serving spoon to measure out the peanut butter, squirt in enough honey to equal the peanut butter, sprinkle in some cinnamon and pour in enough vanilla to make the mixture thin so it coats the oats. It's quite a sticky mess once it's all mixed together but it's soo worth it- especially licking your hands afterewards before the baking part. Of course to test the granola to see if it's done, you have to continue tasting! By the end of the baking and cooling process, I've probably eaten a whole serving without the yogurt but adding the sweet and smooth in with the sweet and crunchy makes for a great treat! Try it out and see what you think!
What's your favorite healthy treat or snack? Is there something that you constantly go back to and will never get enough of because it's just sooo good? Feel free to share and your recipe might be my next favorite!
Spring has Sprung!
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| From top left to bottom right: Poker cake, Bear cupcake toppers, Valentines Day cake, Snickers cupcakes, Peek-A-Boo Ducky Cake with edible blanket, Fruit pizza, Nexus cake with minerals from StarCraft, Cow skinned Horsehoe and a John Deere combine tractor. |
Well, it's been an interesting few months and from what you've just seen through the pictures above, it's been a busy few months, and with spring "sprunging" (yes, that's right! I made up my own word!), it's time for me to turn my attention to my blog and starting "anew" throughout my life in general. I'm so excited to share with you a little of what I've got in store and you'll see new additions to the different parts of the blog each week- that's right, my dream is to write on here at least once a week and it's actually written on my calendar which means it should get done as long as the day goes like I want it too....when does that ever happen?!?
Anyway, back to the topic at hand- SPRING! With Easter coming this weekend, I've been focusing on spring-type designs. I'm making a family favorite for our Easter gathering this weekend- Orange Fluff Jello Salad! It's so simple to make and so delectable! Thanks to the Six Sisters at sixsistersstuff.com for sharing their mother's recipe through their blog and when searching for a family event recipe a few years back, I found their site! Check out their site for more amazing recipes, but make sure to come back and see what else I've got for ya!
For today, here's the Orange Fluff Jello Salad recipe from their blog but you can see from my picture that I've added candy eggs on top for that extra Easter-touch! I'm sure the kids will pick those off immediately then the adults can get to the good part- the salad! It's salad so it's healthy right?!?
Orange Fluff Jello Salad Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 large package Cook and Serve vanilla pudding
1 large package orange jell-o
2 cups water
1 16 oz Cool-Whip (lite or fat-free is fine)
1/2 bag mini marshmallows
1 large package orange jell-o
2 cups water
1 16 oz Cool-Whip (lite or fat-free is fine)
1/2 bag mini marshmallows
1 can pineapple tidbits (Any size, depending on your preference)
1 can mandarin oranges (Any size, depending on your preference)
2 bananas, sliced (Optional, put in before serving so they don't turn brown in the fridge)Directions:
Mix together pudding, Jell-o, and water over medium heat until it boils. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate until mixture has thickened (about an hour). Beat until creamy. Fold in Cool Whip, marshmallows, and fruit. Chill about an hour before serving.
What does your family enjoy at holidays? Is there anything that you've found that you've become known for or ask for again and again? I'll be posting some more of my favorite recipes from other blogs over the next few weeks so make sure to check them out....the next one will be my favorite homemade granola recipe- 5 simple ingredients that everyone seems to keep on hand!
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