Easy Honey Peanut Butter

I am obsessed with peanut butter. I could eat it for every meal.


Some weeks I actually do eat it for every meal! I love those weeks!!


Since I am trying to save a little money and always buy organic or all-natural peanut butter, I have decided to start making my own! And it's SO EASY! All you need is some peanuts, salt, and a food processor.


I added honey to mine because I usually end up adding honey to my peanut butter sandwich anyway and this cuts out a step...always trying to save time! I also thought it would be a tasty addition if I wanted to use the peanut butter in cookies or brownies...I'm getting so excited!


The Recipe (Easiest one yet)


1 can of peanuts (you can get roasted, salted, plain...doesn't matter)


pinch of salt


Honey (optional)




How To:


Dump the peanuts into the food processor and mix together until smooth. Add a pinch of salt if needed.

Next, you can add honey to the processor, or mix it together in a bowl. I chose the latter.


Store this for up to a week outside of the refrigerator. In the fridge, it lasts longer. You will need to stir it occasionally...mine won't last that long :)




The results: 


After adding the honey and the salt, the taste and texture were perfect! I can put this on toast or mix it to make cookies! The possibilities are endless!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches!

This past week was kind of rough...coming back after Spring Break and all...


And this weekend Robert and I both ate more chips and fried food than we have all year. We were at the beach...it's a good enough excuse for me!


However, we arrived back in town and were smacked with a tax bill for WAY more than we expected. This led to a "budget" conversation...between my husband and myself, and then between myself and my mother. She's awesomely savvy when it comes to money and gives great advice!


She mentioned that our grocery bill might be a little...over budget. Well...yep.


I usually cook several huge meals per week..I'm married to a big man who loves to eat. Like I said before, he was raised on good 'ole Southern cookin' and his mama spoiled him. He only married me because I could cook...kidding. I think.


SOOO one of my mom's suggestions was to STOP cooking three course meals for dinner every night. When I relayed this to Robert he looked at me like I'd told him we'd be eating dirt for the next 6 months. Seriously.


I decided that I'd make do with the ingredients in my kitchen this week instead of going on my usual weekly shopping trip. Since I'd just gone to Sam's this wasn't incredibly hard. And I usually plan ahead to have certain things handy at all times.


Tonight I was flipping through magazines (Fitness and Cooking Light) and found all sorts of recipes for sandwiches! Luckily, I had bread, chicken breasts, and several other key items. From the handful of recipes in the magazines, I created a brainchild Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich! And might I say, it was absolutely delightful!!


Ingredients:


Bread (I had a loaf on hand. You can use ANY kind of bread that you have available)


Chicken Breasts (mine were frozen)


Sliced Ham (deli fresh or packaged)


Spinach leaves


Sweet onion


Provolone Cheese


Mayo


Sweet Chili Sauce


salt, pepper, Garlic and Herb seasoning, EVOO




How To: 


My chicken was frozen, as always, so I put it in a pot and boiled it until it was cooked through.


Slice the chicken in half lengthwise and put them in a skillet with a little EVOO, salt, pepper, and Garlic and Herb seasonings.


Add slices of sweet onions to the pan, and heat until onions are tender.


I added sliced ham and slices of provolone cheese on top of each chicken slice. Cover and warm until cheese is melted.

Toast the bread. Mix mayo with sweet Chili Sauce and spread on one side of the bread. This adds a little tang that the sandwich needs. You could use the standard mayo and mustard, but that's so elementary school.


Top the bread with spinach, Chicken, ham, and cheese.


Stuff your face.




The results:

Robert was skeptical about sandwiches for dinner...see above. He was "STARVING" and needed some real food fast!


After scarfing down "round one" he turned and said..."Is there a round two?"...meaning..."this was delicious and I would like some more, please"


He ate another full sandwich and asked for another. I told you...big eater.


Another point for me. Guess I'm keeping my man a little longer ;)

Breakfast Smoothies

Robert and I usually have 1-2 of these a day...because they're awesome, that's why.


This is a simple, yet healthy way to start your day. We also enjoy these after a workout or as a meal replacement. I will be drinking LOTS of these this week! 


If you do not have protein powder that you enjoy, I would love to recommend Jillian Micheal's Vanilla Whey Protein. You can find it at Sam's, Wal Mart, and other fine retailers...


The protein has a fairly low amount of calories, but adds an enormous amount of protein to your diet. Whenever I feel sluggish, one of these shakes puts a little pep in my step. 


Ingredients:


Fresh or frozen fruit
* we literally use ALL fruit that works well with vanilla-strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, kiwi, banana, mango...and the list goes on and on and on. 


Protein powder 
* For a snack or after workout I use 1 scoop. For a meal replacement, I use 2 scoops.


Up to 1 C of Water (NOT MILK OR YOGURT OR JUICE..what, do you WANT to add more calories??)


A blender-you need a really good one because you'll use this often




How To:


Well...dump everything in the blender and go at it.


If the fruit is fresh you may want to stick this in the fridge for a while. If it's frozen fruit you're good to go right away. 




The results: 


Well, I've already told you that we drink these on a daily basis. It gives us an excellent source of protein and several servings of fruit for the day. 


GREAT for post-workouts!!

Easy Cheesy Stuffed Turkey Burgers

Turkey Burgers stuffed with cheese? What?!

Oh, yeah!

My hubby went to the Fresh Market yesterday and bought 4 giant cheddar and bacon stuffed burger patties. Although that sounded ABSOLUTELY divine, I had my upcoming beach trip on my mind. 

But I REALLY wanted a burger. Especially when everyone else was eating one.

So I had to think...and I decided that I would make turkey burgers stuffed with pesto, sharp white cheddar, and Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese. 

Although it's not the healthiest thing I could be eating right now, it sure beats those bacon cheddar burgers. 

My bathing suit will thank me on Saturday.

Ingredients:

ground turkey meat (1 lb. makes 3-4 burgers)

Basil pesto (home made or from a jar)

Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese Triangles (at least 2)

Block of Vermont Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

garlic salt, salt, pepper (to season the burger patties)

EVOO (for frying)

Panko Bread Crumbs (optional)

toppings: onion, lettuce, condiments, pickles...the possibilities are endless and are up to you!

How To:

Start by mixing all of your "filling" ingredients together: pesto, Swiss cheese, shredded cheddar. Put them to the side.

Next, make your burger patties. If the meat is crumbling, add some bread crumbs or an egg to make them stick together. 

To make one burger, you should patty two small, thin burger patties-one for the top, one for the bottom. 

I would patty all of these before stuffing them. Makes it easier when you don't have to keep washing your hands.

Take one small patty, slather it with the filling, and top it with another patty. This might seem like a lot of burger meat, but it should still be about the same size as a regular (boring) burger. 

Squeeze the sides down around both patties so that they stick together and nothing comes out. These will be messy, and it all tastes the same anyway, so don't fret if they're not perfect! Season with garlic salt, salt, and pepper.

Pour some EVOO into a saute pan and let it get hot. Place your completed patties into the pan and allow them to cook evenly on both sides. 

For this burger I let both sides get a little burned (crispy), then turned the heat lower to let them cook all the way through. This ensures a nice, juicy burger. 

Once your patties are completely cooked through, pull them off the pan and place them on a paper towel (this gets rid of extra oil/grease that your bathing suit will not thank you for later)

Top them with anything you think would be tasty. Mine had lettuce and ketchup because that's what I was in the mood for. I ate it with a whole wheat sandwich thin to save on carbs and calories. 

If you don't care about those things, then the bakery usually has some fantastic deluxe buns that would rock this burger. 

The Results:

Well, let's see...I had one last night and another one today. Both times it was a delight. 

My friend who was visiting last night also ate half of one of my burgers, and she thought it was delectable! 

You'll have to try them and see how you feel about them. Don't knock it 'til you try it. 

And turkey meat is SO much better for you than red meat anyway!! GO TURKEY! YAY!

Crispy Apple Bread EDITED

If you're anything like me, the thought of giving up bread for any amount of time instantly induces hot flashes and cold sweats. 

I love bread. Any kind. I think it started when I was young. My grandmother still makes her home-made yeast rolls and sourdough bread...and anytime I'm at her house, I go directly to her countertop where I know the warm, soft, freshly baked bread is waiting for me. 

And for those times, bless her heart, that I come unannounced, she always has bread stored in the freezer that is easily pulled out, thawed, and put into the oven with layers of butter. 

Sigh. 

Here's a recipe that I came up with one afternoon when I had eaten about 4 loaves of banana bread and was in the mood for something a little different.

Ingredients:

1/2 C Canola Oil

1 C sugar

2 room temperature eggs

1 C all-purpose Flour

1 C Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

several tsp. of cinnamon

2  apples, finely grated (You don't want these to be super tart or sweet. Fiji and Pink Ladies work pretty well. Granny Smith are a little too tart, and Red Delicious are too mushy)

sugar, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar for the topping

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease one loaf pan

Combine the wet ingredients first: oil, eggs

Then combine the dry ingredients in another bowl: sugar, flour, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. You can mix these with a whisk or a hand mixer. 

Add in the grated apples and gently mix until completely combined. (Grate them on the largest setting...too small and you'll be making applesauce!)

Pour the batter into the loaf pan, and spread it to make it even on top

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, brown sugar, and some softened butter together by hand. It should be crumbly. 

Top the batter in the pan with the crumble mixture until it is covered (how much is up to you!)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Check on this. Just like the banana bread-if they are burning, turn the temp down!

Let it cool on a wire rack in the pan for about 5 minutes

Then pull it out of the pan and let it cool another 5 minutes or so

The Result:

This recipe makes smaller loaves than the banana bread, but are equally as tasty. The crumble on top adds a crispy-ness to the bread that the banana bread doesn't have. 

The insides are soft a gooey, while the outside maintains it's crunch. 

These are great to bake in the fall when the weather is beginning to turn cool. The scents of apples and cinnamon baking would make anyone feel relaxed and comfy. 

This is the perfect COMFORT food! Great for breakfast, snack, dessert...just like the banana bread, it's good any time :)

Easiest Banana Bread EVER!

Last summer I went to the beach with my husband's family for the week. 


Of all the food I ate that week, guess what I remember most? 


The banana bread. No joke. 


I had gone to the beach with all intentions of not eating ANY CARBS! HA! My resolve crumbled after the first bite of this bread. After that, I couldn't stop eating it. I think I finished an entire loaf by myself. 


It really was that good. 


This recipe was shared with me by my husband's sweet cousin. She is an amazing baker! When she told me the recipe, I was like..."Is that it?" 


That EASY. 




Ingredients:


1/2 C Canola Oil


1 C Sugar


2 room temperature eggs


1 C all-purpose Flour


1 C Whole Wheat Flour


1 tsp. salt


1 tsp. baking soda


6-7 very ripe bananas (this seems like a lot, but it makes the bread SO MOIST!)


*you can add in walnuts too if you want!*




How To:


Grease two loaf pans and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 


Start by mixing the wet ingredients together first: oil and the eggs


Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl: sugar, whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, salt, baking soda


Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. You can use a hand whisk to mix this or a hand mixer. Either way is fine. 


Mash the bananas in another bowl with a fork, spoon, potato masher...get my drift? Any means necessary. If they are ripe enough, it won't take much pressure. 


Add the bananas to the mixture and mix well. This would also be the time to add the walnuts if you like. 


Pour the batter into the loaf pans (make sure they're equal so they cook the same)


Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or less. Check on these! If you see they are burning on top, turn the heat down a little. 


Take them out and let them cool on a wire rack. I leave mine in the pan for about 5 minutes, then take them out of the pans to cool straight on the rack. 




The Result:


This bread can be eaten in any way you choose and at any time. Really...breakfast, dessert, mid-day snack. I love it toasted with butter...or with jam, or honey, or peanut butter!!!! 


The outside should have a little crunch to it, while the inside stays nice and moist (those bananas come in handy). This is a really simple bread to make, so if you've never made bread before, this is a great one to start with. 


This bread can also be frozen for up to a month. If you want to eat it by the slice, I'd recommend slicing it before putting it in the freezer so that you can just grab a piece, let it thaw, and broil it or microwave it. 


Happy Eating!

Savory Herb Chicken with Potatoes

God Bless Non-Veggie Eaters. It causes me to get my creative juices flowing! 


I invited my mama and my little brother over for dinner last night and had made up my mind to make spinach stuffed meatloaf and veggies...oops. Forgot who I was cooking for. 


Sooooo....instead I scrounged around the pantry and fridge to get together something fantastic for two of my favorite people in the world. 


I had found these cute little Gemstone potatoes at Kroger on my weekly shopping trip and grabbed them. I grabbed an onion, a sweet potato, chicken, and a bag of frozen green beans. 


Then, I looked around. What was I going to do with this chicken? Do you ever find yourself wondering the same thing? I feel like your options with chicken are kind of limited...until NOW! 


That's why you have me!


I fortunately have several packets of Lipton Savory Herb and Garlic mix and Panko Bread Crumbs. Since my chicken was frozen, I stuck it in a pot with some salt and pepper to thaw while I prepared the rest of the meal. 


I stuck the green beans in a pot, poured some water in, added garlic salt, coarse sea salt, and pepper. My brother made a request for a "buttery sauce", so I stuck some butter in too!


I cut the larger potatoes in half and placed them in a large glass bowl. Cut the sweet potato and onion into small cubes and added them to the bowl. 


Pour some EVOO, salt, and pepper into the bowl and mix (I did it with my hands...better that way and you save spoons!)


Pre-heat the oven to about 425 degrees. Place the potatoes on a broiling pan and stick in the oven until they are cooked through. Depending on your oven and the size of the potatoes, it could take anywhere between 30-40 minutes. Check on these occasionally. 


Once the chicken was thawed, I cut it into small pieces and put them into a plastic bag that contained Panko Bread Crumbs and the Herb mix. Close and Shake ya money maker. 


Add some EVOO to a saute pan and fry the chicken. Since my chicken was pretty much cooked in the boiling water, I left the chicken in the pan about 2-3 minutes on each side. If you're chicken is not cooked beforehand, I would turn the heat down and make sure they're cooked all the way through. 


This meal was a hit with everyone! Although my brother and husband had some reservation about eating the "purple potatoes" (Gemstones), they truly loved them.


Ingredients:


Chicken-Lipton Savory Herb mix packet, EVOO, salt and pepper, Panko Bread Crumbs


Green Beans-fresh or frozen; add salt, pepper, garlic salt (and a little butter if you want)


Potatoes/Onions-Gemstone potatoes, sweet potato, 1 large sweet onion; EVOO, salt and pepper




This wasn't an actual recipe, so please let me know if you aren't clear on something! I'd love to help out :)


morganliner@yahoo.com