Homemade Graham Crackers

This is my go-to when I have a cookie craving. They are so delicious hot out of the oven and if you want to make a special easy treat for your kids- this is it. They whip up in maybe 10 mins. The only problem is all of the butter, but I tried substituting it out and it just didn't work.

Homemade Graham Crackers

2 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c butter
1/2 c honey

Combine the dry ingredients. Melt butter and then combine with honey. Then combine dry and wet together. Press into a greased jelly roll with your fingers. It probably looks like it won't cover the whole pan, but it will. Bake at 400 degrees for 5- 10 mins. I bake it for 5 because I like my cracker really soft and chewy.

I am trying a new pasta recipe this week and if it is good I will post. My neighbor has given me access to her tomato plants and so I am hoping to snake some fresh tomatoes for it.

Sour Cream Enchiladas on the Skinny

Okay, I totally got this recipe (and the picture) from skinnymom.com, but I tried it and I liked it.  My kids liked it okay (except Jake who vomited in his mouth a little, but if you know Jake you know that's pretty normal for almost anything that doesn't involve sugar) and I served it with rice, beans, broccoli, and bread and butter so that if they weren't going for it they could fill up on other stuff.  That's how I serve dinner every night, so nobody gets yelled at for not eating.

I'm totally cracking up, Heather, because I was just going to make some snide comment about Ginnie and pulling her weight, but you totally included the rest of us, too.  So I'm properly shamed into posting again.  Job done!

Skinny Sour Cream Enchiladas

16 oz. fat free sour cream
1 can fat free cream of chicken soup
1 Tblsp. fresh cilantro
2 1/2 c. cooked shredded chicken
1 c. Mexican Rotel (I just use a whole can.  Honestly, who really measures out 1 cup?  And what do you do with the leftovers?)
1 c. chopped onions
8 low carb tortillas
1 c. shredded jack and colby cheese blend (not to tell you where to shop, y'all, but Costco sells this dirt cheap)
1 can diced green chilies (if you live not in the backwoods of Alabama, you can probably buy these PRE-diced.  Here in Alabama, I gots to dice them myself.)

In a saucepan, mix together sour cream, soup and cilantro.  Heat through (stir constantly!  constant vigilance!) and set aside.  Combine the chicken, rotel, onions and green chilies in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.  Heat until onions are soft and transparent.  Warm the tortillas until flexible (10 seconds in microwave between damp paper towels).  Fill each tortilla with about 2 Tblsp. of the chicken mixture.  Top with a medium sized pinch of cheese.  Roll the tortilla up (I am not kidding the original recipe had a link to a how-to tutorial to rolling up tortillas.  I will not insult your intelligence in this way, because are we Smith girls?  We've totally got this.) and place in a sprayed 8 x 11 dish.  Pour/spread the sour cream sauce over the enchiladas and top with the remaining cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Each serving is 275 calories and 8 grams of fat. 

Enjoy!

Multi-Grain Waffles

I made these for dinner tonight and my family liked them!  I loved them!

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

2/3 cup whole-wheat flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup toasted wheat germ, or cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Mix buttermilk and oats in a medium bowl; let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ (or cornmeal), baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. Stir eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla into the oat mixture. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.
4. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-fourths of the surface (about 2/3 cup for an 8-by-8-inch waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Nutrition

Per serving: 188 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 2 g mono ); 55 mg cholesterol; 30 g carbohydrates; 8 g protein; 3 g fiber; 328 mg sodium; 227 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: 144 mg calcium (14% dv).  Serving information based on 8 total servings of 2 waffles each.

Just a hint, if you don't have buttermilk on hand, put a TBSP of vinegar or lemon juice in a glass measuring cup and then add milk to reach the 1 cup mark.  Stir and let sit for 5 minutes.  For this recipe, I doubled the vinegar and milk since it calls for 2 cups.  Really liked it.  I added flax seed as well. . .just because.

Is it just me, or am I the only one using the blog????

Banana-Berry Smoothie

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups orange juice

1 ripe medium banana, peeled and sliced

1 cup frozen blueberries, blackberries or raspberries

1/2 cup silken tofu

2 ice cubes, crushed (see Tip)

1 tablespoon sugar, (optional)

 

Combine orange juice, banana, berries, tofu and crushed ice in a blender; cover and blend until smooth and frothy. Sweeten with sugar, if desired. Serve immediately

 

Per serving: 135 calories; 2 g fat ( 0 g sat , 0 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 27 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 19 mg sodium; 376 mg potassium

 

This recipe comes from EatingWell.com.  I have made it twice and quite like it.  My kids love it, too.  The first time I made it, I used the silken tofu because I wanted to try it.  Tasted great and I will continue to make it this way.  The second time I made it, I didn't have the tofu on hand and substituted greek yogurt.  It was also delicious.  I added much more ice than the recipe calls for and substituted agave for the sugar.  Enjoy.

Hey! Hey!

I am liking this already! I have 2 recipes to share, but of course no pics. and no nutrition info. but I am sure they are healthy!

Honey Lime Shredded Chicken
3/4 c honey
1/4 c olive oil
1/2 c lime juice
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 med jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
4-6 cloves garlic
2-3 lbs chicken
Combine sauce ingredients and mix well. Throw it all in the crock pot and stir it around. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or 6-8 hours if it is frozen. Shred and serve in burritos, salad, taco-salad-style. It is sooo yummy. My family devours it (minus Jude- but really that shouldn't be a shocker). It is sweet and not spicy so kids shouldn't be turned off by it.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 1/4 c sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 c wheat flour
2 1/2 c oats
2 1/2 c choco chips of your choice

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients and then choco chips. Bake at 350 for 10 mins.

Shout Out to Lindsey!!!

Just throwing out a request for your whole-wheat chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Salmon Marinade



Heidi's post set a high standard!  I didn't have a nice appetizing photo to go along with my recipe, so I did the best I could.

Ingredients

1/2 cup soy sauce
4 TBSP brown sugar
2 TBSP rice vinegar

Mix together and boil for 2 minutes.  Let cool.  Put salmon and marinade in ziploc bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Line cookie sheet with foil.  Put salmon on cookie sheet.  Pour more marinade over salmon and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes.

Suggestions

I use reduced-sodium soy sauce and don't notice a difference taste wise.  Is it much healthier?  I have no clue. 

I usually bake it an additional 5 minutes or so.  I don't like my fish slimy.  The extra baking time helps reduce the slimy-ness but the fish is still very moist inside.

So sorry for all you who don't like fish.  For those who do like fish, I think you'll like this one!  It is one of Trent and my favorites!!!  Our kids won't touch it, but I just throw a few fish sticks in the oven and they seem to be fine.  I usually serve it with a steamed veggie, like broccoli and either brown rice or some sort of rice pilaf.

So sorry, I don't have the nutritional information.  But salmon is a great source of lean protein and also has tons of omega-3 fatty acids.