Stocking Up and Being Prepared

I start a new job outside the home this week.  I'm actually VERY EXCITED about it!  It is a temp to hire job working for a local TV station.  I'm so thrilled at this opportunity.  I hope it will be amazing.  The people seem great.  It's the equivalent of a local PBS station - therefore it's everything I believe in - quality programming, education and community outreach.  I can't wait to learn more and see how I can help. 

I will miss my girls, that is true.  But with V in Kindergarten and L so active and into everything, I realize that they will thrive and love being around other children.  I've laid a good foundation for them this summer but I think we're all ready to return to school in our own respects. 

Since I'm going back to that 8 to 5 job (or rather 7:30 to 4:30 in my new case), I know my time will be less in the kitchen when it comes to preparing healthy, fresh meals.  So I'm doing more work on the weekends to set us up for the week.  I am stocking up and preparing ahead of time so our breakfasts and lunches will be ready to go. 

Yesterday I took three pounds of grass fed meat (combination of beef, sausage and veal) and made eleven burgers.  I also took two cans of wild-caught salmon and made eight salmon patties with it.  I baked about ten sweet potatoes. I made my banana cinnamon pancakes and added blueberries to them for this morning and tomorrow's breakfast.  I portioned out the burgers for lunch and froze the three or four I had leftover for future lunches.


Burgers and salmon patties are made with extras to place in freezer.


Baked sweet potatoes for the whole week.  They just need re-heating. 


Today my plan is to steam broccoli and carrots for our lunches this week.  I will make an egg quiche with vegetables for my breakfast for the next several days.  I will also make my favorite carrot bread/muffins for snacks to enjoy this week. 

On average, I spend about 2 hours in the kitchen on a Saturday and Sunday doing prep-work in the kitchen.  That may seem like a lot to some folks - four hours within two days?!  It's worth it to me though.  There are many hours in a day and I can get that done in the mornings while my kids play together.  Those hours will save me tons of time during the work week. The prep-work I did already will allow me to have the following for this week:

Breakfast each day - Alternate egg quiche and pancake

Snacks - Carrot bread, spoonfuls of peanut butter or almond butter, cheese, grapes

Lunches - Alternate burger and salmon patty with a side of sweet potato and steamed veggies. 
On future weeks, I will make my chicken basil burgers and meatloaf.  Or I could make pumpkin chili or sausage and kale soup.

Dinner - This will vary.  I imagine I will cook two nights a week, something quick like my stir fry or my dirty rice.  The other nights I will just eat a large mixed salad.   

Dessert - I always have my 90% Lindt Dark Chocolate bars on hand!  :-)

One day a week for lunch and dinner I will allow myself to eat out.   Now that I'll be bringing in some income again, I feel justified to spend a little cash to give myself a break in the kitchen.  I will still make healthy choices in what I choose for take-out though as I always do.

On weekends we will have more time for some of my more labor-intensive meals that involve homemade sauces and lots of vegetable chopping.  This would be things like our Mexican Meatza and Baked Cauli-tater Casserole.  

I think this will work great for our family and allow us to keep up our healthy eating habits without rushing around in the kitchen each day.  I will keep you posted here on how we are doing and how work is going. 

Cheers to the start of something new with preparation in place!
Mandy

I'm Still Cooking, But....

Hi there!  I say to no one in particular.  I don't think too many people view this site. 

This blog is for me to have a place to share and view my favorite recipes from the past year.   I have really enjoyed it.  I make these meals all the time for my family.

But I'm taking a break from recipe writing and creating new foods.  I'm still cooking but I'm focused on other things now.  I'm more than just a good cook after all.  I do writing of all kinds - stories, poetry, news articles, etc.  I've always been a creative writer.  I wrote my first poem in the fifth grade and won grand prize at my elementary school.  Ever since then, I've been hooked on this whole writing thing.   I enjoy reading all types of literature but my real passion is to write about real life, what I'm doing, how crazy my kids are, what we do together and more. 

Recently I have had two articles published simply because I wrote them and then pitched my ideas to a few different editors.  I was happily surprised how well received they were.  One is about a creative reading program you can do with your children.  The next one, coming out in September, is about my family's healthy eating habits, how we got rid of all processed foods and how we support our local farmers and farming communities.  I will share that one here once it's in print! 

I'm entering writing contests, from humor topics to essays.  I search every day for a new opportunity.  I can't believe how many free contests exist out there with winners having the chance to receive prize money and be published.  Hell yeah!~ 

In other news - I am also on the job hunt.  After being home with my girls for a year, it's time to enter the work force again.  I'm so glad I have been a stay-at-home mom not once but twice for my family.  It made a huge difference in our health and sanity.  We never could have made the switch to no-processed foods if I wasn't as committed to cooking at home as I have been in this past year.  Now that we have perfected that and that dollars are needed, I am ready to move on to a career.  Wish me luck!  I know that any employer would be lucky to have me.  I just have to find the right place that I will love and want to give my heart and put my determination toward.

So that's what is happening with me.  If you came across this site and liked what you see, thank you!  I will probably still post from time to time but certainly not that often or every week like I was doing for awhile.  Life takes you in new directions and you have to roll with it.

Have a great day.  Keep cooking.  Keep being healthy.  It will pay off! 

Cheers!
Mandy

Festive Flag Fruity Pizza and Happy Fourth of July!

I had an urge to be all Martha-Stewart like today and create something edible, full of holiday spirit and that looked pretty too!  The end result is cute and tasty, not beautiful like her creations but darn good for just little old me and my basic hands. 

This would be a great addition to your barbecues and cook-outs on Independence Day.  No guilt when consuming it either - this one is gluten-free, dairy-free, has no added sugars or artificial preservatives.  So relax and enjoy while watching the fireworks fly!



Festive Flag Fruity Pizza
(Serves 10-12)

For the crust:
1 cup of tapioca flour
1/2 cup + 1/8 cup of coconut flour
1/2 cup + 1/8 cup of pecan flour (or use almond or another nut flour)
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup of warm water
1/4 cup extra light virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp honey

For the whipped topping:
1 can of coconut milk - preferably one that was in the fridge for a day or so
3 Tbsp maple syrup

Decorations for the flag:
1 basket (pint) size of strawberries
1/2 cup of blueberries




Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a 13x9 inch rectangle pan.

To make the pizza crust: In a large bowl, combine the tapioca flour, coconut flour, pecan (or other nut) flour, cinnamon, vanilla extract, almond extract, salt and baking soda.  Mix well.

In a smaller separate bowl combine your two eggs, warm water, honey and extra light olive oil.  Mix well.  Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  Stir until combined.  It should look like a dough or typical batter:



Spread the pizza dough out into your greased 13x9 inch rectangular baking pan. Don't worry if the dough seems thin or barely able to cover the pan.  It will puff up and spread out.



Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until it is lightly browned.  Like this:



Let the pizza crust cool for at least 30 minutes.  Go do something fun - read a book, listen to music. 

After 30 minutes, make your whipped topping and slice your strawberries.

To make the whipped topping: Open up your can of refrigerated coconut milk.  Pour or scoop out into a standing mixer.  Add in the 3 Tbsp of maple syrup. 



Use the beater blade and whip for about five minutes or until it has a creamy texture.  Like this:



Spoon or pour the whipped topping over the cooled pizza crust.  Like this:

Now comes the fun part.  Decorate your pizza into a flag using about 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries and 1 pint of fresh, sliced strawberries.  Make your rows (stripes) and your square (stars).  Then eat and enjoy!



Have a wonderful Fourth of July Holiday!   Our guest room will be full for most of this month so I may be missing in action on this recipe site in July quite a bit. 

Let the summer time fun really begin! 

Fruit and Veggie Drink

I can't really call this a smoothie.  I didn't put enough ice or amount of liquid in there to make it true to a smoothie form.  It definitely is not juice either.  I'm not sure what to call it except for one very tasty concoction that I sucked down in about two minutes flat.  No brain freeze either! 

I suppose I will just refer to it as a Fruit and Veggie Drink.  That's easier to say than Mango-Berry-Banana-Carrot-Spinach Drink.  That seemed just a bit too much to try to roll off the tongue.  This recipe is very sweet but has some nutritious, raw veggies in there.  It has no added sugar.  Did I mention it was delicious? Because it is! 

I don't know what possessed me to make it.  I just wanted to drink my snack instead of spooning out my usual go-to items like yogurt and almond butter. I literally had no plan.  No recipe.  I just looked around my kitchen for available ingredients.  I threw them into my blender and this is the end result.  

So I'm sharing it here before I forget - You'll thank me for this one!  And you're very welcome!



Fruit and Veggie Drink
(Serves 2 - or one for now, one in the fridge for later)

3/4 cup of crushed ice
1 ripe mango - peeled, seed removed and flesh scooped out
1 banana - peeled
1/3 cup of blueberries - rinsed
1 cup of raw, fresh spinach leaves
1/2 cup of raw carrot slices
3/4 cup of dairy or non-dairy liquid (I used 1/4 cup of heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup of organic, whole milk) - you could certainly use almond milk or coconut milk if dairy isn't your thing!

Place the ice at the bottom of your blender.  Then add the mango flesh, banana and berries.  I packed 1 cup of spinach leaves into a measuring cup and tossed them into the blender.  Then I added the carrot slices.  The cup of dairy liquid (or coconut or almond milk) goes in last.  I used a combo of 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream and 3/4 cup of organic, whole milk. 



Now blend for about a minute or two.  I pressed several settings on my device - Stir, Mix, Crush (to make sure my ice didn't stay chunky).  You'll have to follow your instincts as far as what your machine can do.

When everything is well incorporated and liquified, you are ready to pour.  Mine filled up two tall 16 ounce glasses. 



Yes, I realize it doesn't look very pretty.  But I promise you it tastes amazing and refreshing!  It is very filling too.

This one is a keeper so I will continue experimenting with fruits and veggies as drinks.   If I can create another amazing recipe like this, I will be sure to share it here. 

Sweet & Savory Stir-fry, Paleo Pen Pals and My Mishap too!

Earlier this month I signed up to join the Paleo Pen Pals community.  This is a place where those of us following the Paleo lifestyle can network, get to know each other, share recipes and products.  You can read more about the rules and how to participate right here to determine if it's something you might be interested in joining!

My Paleo Pen Pal for June was Michigan-native Jennifer from the site Wine to Weightlifting.  She is this witty, beautiful, free-spirited crossfit super-woman who can do it all.  She follows the 80/20 rule when it comes to Paleo lifestyle.  She lifts heavy things.  She runs (even though she doesn't always like it).  She exercises in these stylish and fun outfits!  She cares for her big dog Ripley who happens to loves carrots and peanut butter treats.  She is really cool, from what I can tell.  I had a lot of fun getting to know her and bugging her with lots of questions. Go check out her site. 

Jennifer sent me a whole box full of goodies.  See below.  

Woo-hoo, I'm special! I sure racked up for my first time with Paleo Pen Pals!  :-)



She even thought to include something for my kids too.  Vivian had fun unwrapping the goodies and enjoyed eating the portable applesauce "Fruity U" that you can drink.

Jennifer even got a little something for our dog too!  Bono loved the all natural peanut butter flavored treats.  Here he is waiting patiently for me to give him some:



The main goodies that I received and use in this recipe are the Coconut Aminos bottle and the pink sea salt crystals. I love, LOVE, L-O-V-E Coconut Aminos.  It's a soy sauce replacement genius.  I've been cooking with it for awhile now but I can only purchase it at one specialty foods store here in Pensacola (Ever'man's Grocery, a co-op).  It's a great place but located about 25 minutes from my home; therefore I just don't get over there very often.  So it was nice to receive a bottle of this stuff from my pen pal.  I use this Coconut Aminos in everything - burgers, eggs, marinades for shrimp and more! 

Jennifer told me she makes a lot of stir fry meals because she wants something fast and easy after a  long day at work and coming home from the gym where she finished an intense crossfit workout.  So in her honor, I wanted to make a new and delicious stir-fry meal for my family.  I think she would approve of this one.  I know my family and I did.... 



Sweet and Savory Stir-fry
(Serves 4)

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound (16 oz) bag of mixed vegetables - I chose California blend: broccoli, cauliflower and carrots
4 to 5 links (12 oz) of sausage (or chicken or other meat of choice) - Love this Al fresco brand!
1 apple, peeled, cored and sliced into small pieces
1/4 cup of Coconut Aminos
1/4 cup of my mango salad dressing (Or try substituting a combo of orange juice and applesauce)
two dashes of sea salt
optional - 1 tsp of bacon grease (I always have some on hand and love to add it to dishes for flavor!)
optional - 1 bag of frozen cauliflower if you wish to serve your stir-fry over "rice"


Coat a large skillet or sauce pan (or Wok if you have one) with the 2 Tbsp of olive oil.  Place on medium-low heat.  Place all your ingredients out on the counter for easy access.

Slice up your sausage (or other meat you are using).  My family's favorite is the sweet apple chicken flavor by Al Fresco.   Toss it into the heated olive oil.  Let that cook for about 3-4 minutes, just until the sausage becomes a little brown.  Open up your bag of frozen vegetables and pour them into the pot with the meat.  Cook for about five to seven minutes.  Stir your meat and veggie mixture once or twice during that time. 



Note: You could easily prepare your cauliflower rice to serve this on while the meat and veggies are cooking!  Follow this easy recipe!

If you like your veggies real crunchy you can lower the heat then add in your sauces here.  If you like your veggies a bit more soft, continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or until desired consistency. 

Add in the 1/4 cup of coconut aminos.  Add in the pre-made mango salad dressing.  (If you don't have this on hand or can't get your hands on a mango, you could substitute part orange juice and part applesauce).  Put two dashes of sea salt in the pan. 

Don't be like me and dump more than a tablespoon of rock hard sea salt crystals into your pan!  Yes I suppose I need a dummy-proof cap on those grinders because when I opened the one Jennifer sent me, I managed to knock 1/3 of the bottle into my stir fry!  YIKES!  WHAT A MISHAP!  Biting into a sea salt rock would NOT be a good thing!

After I cursed a little bit, I decided to laugh about it.  Then I used a collander to help "drain" the crystals from my stir fry meal.  Like this:


            Yikes, who wants rocks in their food!?

After I fished out all the sea salts, I put the rest of my stir-fry back in the pan.  I continued to cook the mixture for another few minutes.  Mix and stir.  Mix and stir.  Mix and stir.  Let the sauce simmer with the veggies for about another five minutes. 



Remove from heat.   Serve this over my easy, primal rice.   Sweet and savory.  A winning combination!



This recipe was kid and husband-tested and approved.   Enjoy! 

I can't wait to meet another Paleo Pen Pal next month and beyond.  It's nice getting to know someone new and hearing about how this eating lifestyle works.  Although for next month, I think I will just suggest that my pen pal and I only swap recipes and not send any products.  This will help me stay within our family's tight summer budget! 

Banana Coconut Cookies (Just 4 Ingredients - Egg-free, Nut-free)

My husband Kirk has been avoiding so many foods to help his stomach heal.  He hasn't been able to eat any cookies, muffins or my usual baked items because they all contain eggs or seeds or nuts of some kind.  I wanted to find a recipe that he could actually eat while following the AIP protocol.  It was going to be my Father's Day gift to him.  I searched nearly 50 recipes and only found this recipe from Empowered Sustenance that fit his current needs.  So I tried it out.  I replaced the coconut oil for the butter from her version.  However, I burnt the cookies and I found them lacking a bit of sweetness.  Also, mine came out flat and oily.  Therefore I decided to change that recipe by adding in some bananas since my husband loves them so much.  I also substituted Coconut Nectar for the honey since it's thicker and has a more molasses-like flavor.  I hoped it would hold the cookies together better.  It did!  And I'm happy with the end result! 

Hubby loved these too! I'm so glad I could find something sweet to make for him.  He's an amazing husband and father.  He deserves a treat from time to time (besides his two girls and me, that is :-)   Best of all these cookies are easy and only require four ingredients.  No eggs or nuts needed!



Banana Coconut Cookies ("Kirk's Cookies")
(Makes 8)

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed - some small chunks are fine!
1 Tbsp coconut oil - do not melt!
1 Tbsp Coconut Nectar (or just use honey)
3 Tbsp coconut flour

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place parchment paper over a cookie sheet pan. 

Mash your bananas in a medium size bowl.  Stir with a fork.  Add in the 1 Tbsp of coconut oil.  Do not melt the oil first.  Just mix it around and in with a fork to incorporate it.  Pour in the Coconut Nectar (or honey).  Blend and mix together. 

Now sprinkle over the coconut flour and mix it in.  The coconut flour should thicken up the cookie dough. 



Spoon the cookie dough in 1 Tbsp measurements onto the non-greased parchment paper.  I was able to make 8 perfect size cookies with this batter.  I used a cookie scooper but a regular spoon should work fine too.  I pushed lightly down on each cookie with a fork. 

Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  The cookies should just be a little bit brown on top.  Bake longer (2-3 minute increments) if they still seem soft in the center.  Or just bake until your preferred consistency or darkness.



Remove from oven and let them cool for at least five minutes.  If you try to eat them or remove them from the paper while still hot, they will fall apart.  Also, a banana chunk hot from the oven could burn your tongue! Be careful.

Also, don't be surprised if they stick a bit to the parchment paper.  Mine did! 



Oops!  Oh well, they still stayed together and they tasted great!


 Maybe next time I'll make a double batch - one for him and one just for me.  



I may even try these with bacon in them too!  Mmm, mmm, everything tastes better with bacon....

Mango Salad Dressing

I love salads.  I eat one almost every day, sometimes twice a day.  How boring you might be thinking!  But honestly I do.  When you find the right oils and vinegars, you can dress up that boring stack of spinach leaves and enjoy every bite you take.

I've become obsessed with my infused oils and vinegars.  I have established quite a collection of them too:

This is in part thanks to a local specialty store here in Pensacola, Florida called The Bodacious Olive.   We love going to this place to sample and purchase a new flavor, especially when our out-of-town family and friends come to visit us.  It reminds me of wine tasting in California.  You've got your little paper cups and even some bread for dipping.  Except this place has more than 20 different flavors of both infused vinegars and olive oils.  Going there and sampling their products is so much fun (and delicious too)!  I have tried nearly all of them, from blood orange olive oil to garlic butter olive oil and from white chocolate truffle vinegar to aged 18+ years balsamic vinegar.  They are all good in their own ways.  You just have to figure out what you'd use the most of and how you'd use it.

However, this little obsession has gotten expensive.  All of those bottles add up ($10 per average small bottle). When you're on a tight summer budget, it's time to start thinking more frugally and to start making your your own! 

So that's what I did.  I had a mango on hand and wanted to try a mango sauce/dressing that would be sweet and tasty on salads.  Thankfully I achieved that! 

Mango Salad Dressing
(Makes one cup - about 6 to 8 servings)

1 mango - peeled, seeded and sliced
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp white cooking wine
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried and crushed sweet basil leaves
1 cup water


Grab all your ingredients and spread them on the table.  It's much more helpful to have everything at your fingertips, ready to pour.



Prepare your mango first by peeling, removing the seeds and slicing it.  Place it in a medium size bowl.  Place all other ingredients into that bowl.  Mix well.  Pour into a blender or food processor. 



Puree until smooth.  Some small chunks are okay if yours doesn't quite liquify. 



Serve over spinach leaves, Swiss chard or any salad green of your choice.  This is really good and very simple to make.



In my next post, I will show you what else you can use this mango dressing for to really enhance a weeknight meal.  Stay tuned! 

Vivian's Fruit Salad

I know posting a recipe for a fruit salad may seem silly.  You just throw a bunch of fruit together in a bowl, right?  How hard is that!?  Yet this one was/is special because my five year old girl specifically asked me if we could make a fruit salad and helped me with every aspect of it. 

Yes my oldest girl, Vivian, helped me chop up and slice various fruits to put it all together.  I asked her what she wanted to include in it.  We tried to find a fruit of every color to incorporate into the mixture.   It turned out amazing so I want to remember that we made this and exactly how we did it so we can call it her own. 

I love you Vivian!  This was delicious and you are an amazing kid and helper to me in the kitchen (and in many other ways too!)  :-)



Vivian's Fruit Salad
(Makes about 6-8 servings)

1 small basket of strawberries - sliced
1/2 banana - sliced (We ate the other half while chopping and slicing, hahaha!)
1 apple, any kind - peeled, core removed and sliced
1 pear - peeled, core removed and sliced
2 kiwi - peeled and sliced
A handful of blueberries, washed
A handful of grapes, washed
2 Tbsp of organic sour cream - optional (you could use a non-dairy substitute like coconut milk or almond milk)
1 tsp of honey - optional
1 slice of lemon, squeezed into the mixture



Do your washing, slicing and chopping of all the above fruit.  Have your kids help out with this.  You'll be surprised at how well they can chop or slice and that they enjoy assisting you too!   Check out my Vivian in action!  :-)



Place all the fruit in a large mixing bowl.  Add in the organic sour cream (or non-dairy substitute) and honey.  Squeeze one lemon slice into the mixture to keep the fruits fresh and from going brown.   Gently mix with a large spoon. 



Place in the fridge for at least an hour if you can before devouring.  The longer you let it sit and marinate together, the tastier it will be! 

Serve it in a fun or cute little bowl.  That makes it even more special too :-)



We ate on this for three days!  It kept up nicely in the fridge and I didn't see any brown spots or mushiness with my fruit.

Get your kids involved in your cooking!!!  I can't say this enough to those who are parents!  It has not been an easy eating path for my five year old.  Age 2 and 3 were really tough for us both!  However, I kept trying and insisting she try new foods -- lots of vegetables and fruits.  After two years, she now asks for things like carrots and broccoli.  By being persistent and having her help me even in small ways, Vivian has become an excellent, healthy eater! 

Enjoy this recipe and enjoy having little helpers in the kitchen too. This is the perfect recipe to kick off your summer!

My Way "Dirty Rice"

I grew up in Cajun south Louisiana where red beans and dirty rice were frequent on the family menus and holiday gatherings (along with gumbo, corn bread and lots of gluten-filled meals).  Now that we're not eating rice or beans much these days, I don't have those kinds of meals often. 

However I can experiment and come up with my own way, my own style of recreating a similar dish to the ones I used to love so much.   Happily and successfully, I think I did it....  I created my own less spicy but still flavorful "dirty rice" that fits my family's needs (no grains or traditional rice and no spices for my husband and little girls who don't like peppery things either!)

This is such a FAST, EASY meal to make on a busy day or when you don't feel like putting much effort into cooking.  I love this simple yet savory dish. 



My Way "Dirty" Rice
Serves 3-4

1 Tbsp extra light olive oil
1 frozen bag of cauliflower (or about 3 cups of chopped, 'riced' cauliflower)
1 pound of ground chuck (or turkey, veal, sausage or whatever meat choice you like)
2 Tbsp virgin olive oil or flavored olive oil of your choice
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar (or other flavored vinegar of your choice)
1 Tbsp onion powder
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp of sea salt

*Note: You may want to start with less seasoning and taste as you go to see if you like more or less.  My family likes a lot of flavor in this meal so I use a variety of flavors to give it flare. 


First, make the "rice" - follow my simple recipe of turning cauliflower into "rice."
After you have your "rice," made, toss it into a skillet greased with 1 Tbsp of the extra light olive oil.  Add in your defrosted one pound of ground meat (turkey/sausage or whatever).  Cook them together on medium heat so the "rice" can soak up the fat and flavor.  There is no need to drain any grease or fat off.  That's the good stuff, remember?  Fat is our friend!  :-) 

Once the meat has browned and your rice has browned too, add in your seasonings.  Start with the olive oil, vinegar, onion powder, garlic powder and oregano.  Stir well and cook for another five minutes.  Then if needed and you want it, add in your Italian seasoning and sea salt.  Cook for an additional two minutes.  Don't be surprised if your "rice" blends in with the meat so you don't even see it much.  That's okay. 



Remove your "dirty rice" from the heat.  Let it cool for a minute before serving.  We usually enjoy  my broccoli chips with this recipe along with a big spinach salad. Yum, yum, good stuff.

Both my girls love this too.  Like I said, this is a fast meal to throw together so I highly recommend it after a long, tiring day.  I hope you enjoy it!

Fruity Ice Cream or Sorbet

I don't know about you but I sometimes struggle with saying no to ice cream or yogurt outings, especially when it comes to my children.  Occasionally (rarely) I will let my daughter have something out at a TCBY or Baskin Robbins type of place.  But for the most part, these days, I try to make my own at home.  It's easy.  It saves us money and of course, most importantly there is no added sugar or preservatives in my brand! 

I have an ice cream maker that I bought on sale last year.  However, even if you don't have an ice cream maker, you can make your own sorbet or smoothie and just freeze it! 

My husband and daughter really enjoyed this recipe.  We can hardly keep any extras of it in our freezer!  It's getting hot here (mid 80's) so I know we'll be eating this more often by July and August.

Fruity Ice Cream or Sorbet
(Serves 4 generously)

2 bananas, riper is better - peeled and mashed
2 cups (1 typical green basket size full) of strawberries - washed, stems off and chopped
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups of raspberries (or one typical small container size full) - washed, stems off and chopped
1/2 cup of applesauce, all natural, unsweetened

**Note that fresh or frozen fruit will work fine. 

Place all of the fruit in a food processor (or a blender).  Blend until it has small chunks but not totally liquified. 

If you have an ice cream/sorbet maker, then follow its instructions for use on how to blend your fruit into the cold, creamy goodness.   Mine takes about 20 minutes to be ready. 



Then I simply scoop it out into four small storage containers and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight until I eat it.



If you don't have an ice cream/sorbet machine, don't worry.  You can simply divide out and pour your fruit chunky liquid into small storage containers and freeze it as is. 



It may not quite have the same consistency/texture as using an ice cream machine but it will taste just the same! 

I've done it both ways.  It's delicious no matter what!  :-)