GREEN SMOOTHIES

Back in January my husband and I decided to join the local county YMCA.  One  feature of your membership is meeting with your own personal trainer five or six times.  

I really like my trainer Shannon.  I will be sorry when our sessions are over.  She has been very helpful in planning a good program for me and my recently diagnosed osteoporosis.  

One thing she wanted me to do each morning was to enjoy a green smoothie.  It is supposed to "wake up ... metabolism and sneak in some nutritious greens" in a low calorie, nutrient dense drink.  "... a great way to gently detoxify...body on a daily basis.

One morning when I went for my training session, the Y was offering samples of the basic smoothie.  I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to try it out.  Forgetting about what it looked like (green), I tried a small amount and LIKED IT.  

The basic recipe calls for 

• a blender full of loose leaf, fresh spinach (or the green of your choice)
• 2  cups of water (I use 1-1/2 cups) or milk
• 1  cup frozen fruit (can use fresh fruit--if only fresh fruit is used, add some ice cubes)

You can add

• protein (i.e. powder, 1 tablespoon nut butter, chia seeds)
• supplements (i.e. Omegas, D3, Spirulina, 2 tablespoons ground flax)

You can experiment with the greens!

• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Watercress
• Parsley
• Bok Choy
• Kale
• Collard Greens
• Cilantro

The recipe does make two servings.  I put the second serving in the refrigerator and drank it later.  You might need to stir again in the blender if the ingredients have separated.

Put everything in the blender, and then pulse until everything is blended together.  May have to push (stir) with a long spoon from time to time.

BANANA CAKES

My friend Carol has given me another interesting recipe...this one she got from her daughter. Carol calls them Banana Cakes.  

They taste like a crepe but except for the spices Carol decided to add, they are made with only TWO ingredients .....2 eggs and a banana.





It was hard for me to imagine just these two ingredients would cook something that would hold together, but I trust Carol to not give me a recipe that isn't good.  AND I was right to trust her, I really liked them.

You can't make them much over 3 inches in diameter...they are too hard to flip. That's fine with me though because I am used to making my pancakes "silver dollar" size.

I made a half recipe for just me this morning....Carol does that when her husband Keith doesn't want any. Then when my husband came into the kitchen and saw what I was doing, I explained I didn't make enough for him because I knew he wouldn't want the egg.  

He was intrigued with the recipe so I told him I would try the recipe using his liquid eggs. He told me to go on and eat mine first so they wouldn't get cold and said for me to make the whole recipe for him, if half only made 5 small ones.  

When I made his batch, I added more than just a sprinkle of the cinnamon and nutmeg as Carol does. I ate a bite of one of his and was happy with the extra seasoning.

BANANA CAKES

(makes 10 small "cakes")

2     eggs
1     whole banana
1     teaspoon vanilla extract
"dash" of cinnamon ( a dash is about a heaping 1/8 tsp.)
"pinch" of nutmeg (a pinch is about an 1/8 tsp.)

Cooking spray

Beat  the eggs in a small mixing bowl. (Since I was making a half recipe, I only had one egg.)

Mash the banana in a small flat bowl.

Add the banana to the eggs.

Add vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk well.

Heat skillet over medium heat. Spray with cooking spray.

Pour enough to make a "cake" about 3 inches in diameter (no more than 4 inches for sure).

Cook until the edges are cooked. (Depends on how hot your skillet is as to the length of time this will take...1 - 2 minutes)

Flip and cook on the other side about a minute.







I  sifted a small amount of powdered sugar on mine before adding my sugar-free syrup. (I know that sounds crazy to use the sugar free syrup, but there wasn't much powdered sugar on them.  You can see in the picture above the recipe.)

When I made some for my husband, I used 1/2 cup of the liquid eggs for the recipe.

Here are my cute little measuring spoons for a "dash" and a "pinch". I also have one for a "smidgen".  

My husband added a turkey sausage to his breakfast and some less-sugar strawberry jam I made.

Now we are off to the gym.  Happy Weekend. See you Monday, if we can dig out of all the snow we are supposed to get tonight and tomorrow.

BAKED APPLE CRANBERRY OATMEAL

Ever once in a while, I see another recipe for baked oatmeal.  I love my AMISH OATMEAL and my PUMPKIN SPICED BAKED OATMEAL.  I saw this new one for baked apple cranberry oatmeal the other day and knew I had to try it out.  

I have been eating Total cereal every morning for breakfast because it has 100% of your daily requirement for calcium and I have been ordered by my doctor to add 1500 mg a day to my diet because of my osteoporosis.  I get 1200 mg from my two calcium tablets but one of those I am taking with my Total cereal.  

Since your body can only absorb 500 mg at a time, I feel like I am  wasting taking my tablet with my cereal.  So I got to thinking about eating something different for breakfast -- like this baked oatmeal.

This baked oatmeal is so-o-o-o good.  Every bite is full of apples and dried cranberries.  I am so glad I saw the recipe.

BAKED APPLE CRANBERRY OATMEAL

2-1/4    cups rolled oats
1            teaspoon baking powder
1/4        teaspoon salt
1/4        cup brown sugar blend (or 1/2 cup light brown sugar)
1-1/2     teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2     teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4        cup egg substitute (or 1 large egg)
2            cups fat free milk
2            Granny Smith apples
1/2        cup dried (or frozen) cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray a baking pan 8-1/2" x 10-1/2 " (or 9" round pan) with cooking spray.  This is my new pan I got at Hillcrest Thrift Shop the other day.  I think it is going to become my favorite pan to bake in.

Peel, core, and dice the apples.  I ended up with a heaping 2 cups as you can see.

Wanna see a fast, easy way to dice apples.  Check it out HERE.  I cut them a little bigger for this recipe so after I had the wedges from the apple corer thingy, I only cut once down the middle instead of 3 times.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Stir well.

Whisk the egg, milk and vanilla together in a smaller bowl.

Pour this mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.

Add the diced apples.

And the dried cranberries.  (I made sure they weren't stuck together.  I wanted to make sure they were spread out in the pan.)

Stir well and pour into baking pan making sure the apples, oats, and cranberries are evenly spread out.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the edges turn brown and the center is set.  Set on wire rack to cool a little.

Enjoy!  It is so full of apples still slightly crunchy.  If you weren't concerned about calories, you could add chopped nuts and even chocolate chips.  BUT it is delicious just as I prepared it.

I don't add any milk to my oatmeal when I eat it, but if you do, don't forget to add milk to it before you eat it.

It heats up really well to eat another day also.  I dish out a serving size and heat in the microwave for about 45 seconds.

"BAPPLE" BREAD

Right now I am looking out at a snow covered deck and yard. The roads aren't bad as I just got home from NNL Quilting group....we still haven't finished out Quilt of Valour, but we're working on it. Off to the American Heartland Theater tonight to see Life Could Be a Dream, but dinner first at Ruby Tuesday. Always a fun evening when our little group goes to the theater. Thought I would share with you another great recipe I found and made the other day.

I had some really ripe bananas that I needed to make something with.The peelings were really, really black, but inside they were just yellow.  It really does delay ripening if you separate (pull each one apart) the bananas when you get them home after buying them.  I have had these bananas for at least 3 weeks.  I bought them green, green.  I almost thought they were never going to turn yellow (ripen) and decided next time I would wait until they turned yellow before separating them.  But they finally did ripen. 

This is what they looked like when I peeled them.  I expected them to be black on the inside too, but as you can see they were just right for "ripened" bananas that recipes call for.

This recipe for Bapple Bread is from Mr. Food.  Janice and I went to an estate sale last week and I bought 6 different cookbooks by him.  They were all brand new.  I got them on the second day of the sale for 50 cents a piece.  I haven't had time to look through all of them, but have already found several recipes I wanted to try.

I often use applesauce in place of the oil.  I also decided to use liquid egg for one of the eggs and reduced the sugar from his recipe.

I  took most of this loaf down to Hillcrest Thrift Shop for the volunteers to eat Saturday.  They really loved it.  Hope you will give it a try.

"BAPPLE" BREAD

two great flavors, one great bread.

(and no oil!)

4     ripe bananas (mine were small bananas)
3/4  cup sugar (could use 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar blend)
1/2  cup applesauce (unsweetened)
2     eggs (1 egg + 1/4 cup liquid eggs)
2     cups all-purpose flour
1     teaspoon baking soda
1     tablespoon baking powder
1     teaspoon salt
1     teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray one 9" x 5" loaf pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Place 4 ripe bananas in a mixing bowl and mash with the electric mixer.

Stir in sugar and let it set for 15 minutes. (This picture is before I mixed the sugar with the mashed bananas.)










While the bananas and sugar are setting, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) in a small bowl with a whisk.

After 15 minutes, add the applesauce and eggs. Beat 1 minute with electric mixer.

Then add the vanilla and the dry ingredients; combining thoroughly. (Beat about another minute)

Pour in the prepared loaf pan.










Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes on wire rack.

Remove from pan and continue cooling on the rack.

OVEN FRIED PORK CHOPS

I woke up this morning, the first day of Spring, seeing the sun come up through the leafless trees in our back yard. Looking out my front window in the living room right now, it looks like a gorgeous day to be outside in your shorts and short sleeves. You don't get much out the door before you realize that's not the case. 35 degrees isn't shorts and short sleeve weather. We have snow forecast for tomorrow but one weather man we listen to doesn't think it will do much tomorrow. He's not saying the same for Sunday though.  

Monday, the sun wasn't shining when we got up, but came out mid-morning. That helped when I was sitting in the chair at the dentist getting my teeth cleaned. Actually it wasn't that bad. I am finally growing up in my "old age". It also helps that Linda, my dental hygienic, is great.  

Our winter was so mild until the middle of Feb when within 10 days we got two 10 inch snow storms. I think there is still some snow in the Home Depot parking lot because it was piled so-o-o high, but it is finally gone from yards.

March is teasing us with below normal temperatures generally - although it was 80 last Friday. I am just ready for warmer weather.

While I am waiting (and maybe you too) here is another recipe I found in The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook and cooked Monday night for dinner. They turned out really good.

OVEN FRIED PORK CHOPS

4     Boneless Pork Loin Center Cut Chops (can use bone-in but probably will want to cook longer)
1/4 cup egg beaters (or 1 large egg, beaten)
2     tablespoons pineapple juice
1     tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs (I used my homemade breadcrumbs and added 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a roasting pan and the rack with cooking spray.

Combine egg, juice and soy sauce in a shallow pan with a whisk.

Combine the bread crumbs and seasonings and place in a shallow pan.

Dip each chop in the egg mixture (both sides)

Dredge in the bread crumbs (making sure the entire chop is covered).

Place chops on the rack in a roasting pan and spray the top side with cooking spray. Turn the chop over and spray the other side.





Bake 20 minutes. Turn the chops over and bake 20 more minutes or until done. (20 minutes was perfect for my 1/2" center cut loin chops)

Since I was preparing this for just my husband and me, I reduced all the ingredients in half and just cooked two chops.









My husband told me he thought the recipe would taste good with chicken too. Will have to give that a try. Will let you know how it turns out.

STRAWBERRY SOUP

At our Mexican Train gathering last week, Marilyn served strawberry soup.  No one there had eaten it before.  I forgot my camera, but did have my cell phone to take a picture of it. She said she had found the recipe at allrecipes.com but had reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe.

Strawberry Soup is so delicious....so light tasting.  I actually had two servings, and could have easily eaten more.  

Here is the recipe as Marilyn gave it to me.  The changes I would make follow in the parenthesis.  (Sorry, I just can't help it)

STRAWBERRY SOUP

4     cups frozen sliced strawberries, unsweetened
2/3  cup sugar (I would use 1/4 to 1/3 cup of sugar blend)
1/2  teaspoon vanilla
1/4  teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8  teaspoon ground nutmeg
12-oz container of Cool Whip (I would use sugar-free Cool Whip)
1/4  cup sour cream (I would use fat free sour cream--I bet Greek yogurt would work too.)

Place the frozen strawberries in a large bowl and cover with the sugar.  Set aside until sugar dissolves.

Place strawberries in blender and blend until strawberries are chopped up.

Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and blend.

Remove the mixture to a large bowl and fold in the Cool Whip.

Then stir in the sour cream.

Cover and chill. (Marilyn prepared hers the day before and let it chill overnight in the refrigerator.)

When ready to serve, spoon "soup" into serving cups/bowls. Return unused "soup" to the refrigerator.
  

Be prepared for requests for "seconds".  We did.

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Since I am staying "unplugged" on Sundays during Lent this year, I am wishing everyone a Happy St. Patrick's Day a day early.  I wanted to share with you a "green" cake I love to make that is perfect for a special gathering tomorrow (or actually anytime).  You can also make my mother lemon jello cake that I call my Holiday Cake using lime Jell-O that I shared HERE.  Either one is a great choice.  

I first made this cake last year when I saw it on Pinterest.  I changed the original recipe that I saw to make it  more healthy (?), less sugar, less fat.  I think the word everyone is using nowadays is skinny.  

Whatever you want to call it, this cake is really good and great for St. Patrick's Day.  As with all of my recipes I make, if you aren't concerned about calories (lucky you), you can still follow my recipe, just use regular ingredients.  The 1/2 cup of applesauce took the place of 1/2 cup of oil.

"SKINNY" PISTACHIO CHOCOLATE CHIP BUNDT CAKE

1     box sugar-free yellow cake mix
1     box Jell-o sugar-free, fat-free instant pistachio pudding mix
8    ounces fat-free sour cream
4    eggs (2  eggs + 1/2 cup liquid eggs)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup warm water
2     tablespoons almond extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients except the chocolate chips on low with electric mixer til all ingredients are moistened.

Beat on medium speed an additional minute.

Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Evenly spread the batter in the Bundt pan.

Bake 50 minutes.  Check doneness with a toothpick.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Remove from pan and continue cooling on wire rack.

Can sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar before serving.












193 calories/ 1/12 serving; 3 g saturated fat and 6 g of sugar (part of this sugar content is the natural sugar in the applesauce)

I figured these calories thinking I would cut the cake into 12 servings.  When I actually did cut the cake, I realized I would have more than 12 servings.  So that means my serving size is less than 193 calories.  Yea!!!!

Look at all of those mini chocolate chips.


Enjoy! OH! and Happy St. Patrick's Day.