Sparkling Party Punch

2c. Pineapple juice (un-sweetened)
2-3c. Orange Juice
2 2-liters Ginger Ale
1 small bag frozen raspberries
Ice

Pour all ingredients into punch bowl or pitcher and serve.

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Maryann Salad

Salad:
1 bag baby spinach
1 head romain lettuce, chopped
1 bag frozen peas, thawed
8 boiled eggs, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
1 lb. bacon, crumbled
8 oz. cheese (cheddar or colby jack), shredded

Dressing:
1c. mayonnaise
1 c. sour cream
Stir to combine

Layer all ingredients in large bowl starting with lettuce and topping with dressing.

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Easy Coconut Cake

I just made this one up because I was too lazy to make one of the longer versions I found recipes for - but it turned out so yummy and was about as easy as a cake can get.

For Cake:

1 box White cake mix 

Milk (see box cake directions to substitute for water, can also use coconut milk)

Butter, melted (see box cake directions to sub for oil)

Eggs (see box cake directions, plus one additional egg)
1 small package Vanilla Pudding
8 oz. Sour Cream
1/2-1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix up the cake according to the directions on the box including the extra ingredients (one extra egg, sour cream, vanilla pudding and vanilla). 

Bake according to package directions starting with the shortest time to ensure it doesn't get over-cooked (the different ingredients change the batter a bit). Cool completely before frosting. 

For Frosting:

8 oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 c. Granulated Sugar

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 c. + 2 T. Heavy Whipping Cream

1-2 c. Shredded Sweetened Coconut

Cream cream cheese, sugar and vanilla on medium speed until well blended. Add in heavy whipping cream and beat on high until fluffy and stiff peaks form. 

Frost in between each layer and on outside of cake with frosting. Cover outer frosting with shredded coconut - you can also add coconut to middle layers if desired.

**I typically double the cake and frosting recipe to make a four layer cake. 

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Whipped Cream Frosting

8 oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 c. Granulated Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 c. + 2 T. Heavy Whipping Cream

Cream the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla. Pour in heavy cream and beat on high until stiff peaks form.

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Green Curry

1-2 T. Olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into large chunks
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2" thick slices
1 T. lemongrass paste
1 T. ginger, finely chopped
2-3 T. green curry paste
2 kaffir lime leaves, whole
2 13.5 oz cans coconut milk, unsweetened
3/4 c. chicken broth
1-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in narrow 1-2" strips
1 lime, juiced
1 lime, wedged
Salt to taste
1 handful cilantro, finely chopped
Thai basil for garnish
Thai chilies for spice (optional)

Saute onion, pepper and zucchini in olive oil until softened (2-3 minutes).
Add lemongrass, ginger, curry and lime leaves and stir well to combine.
Pour in coconut milk and chicken broth, stir well and heat over medium - medium high heat until it bubbles.
Add in cut chicken breasts and cover pan. Cook 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Add lime juice, salt and cilantro, stir to combine.
Top with Thai basil and lime wedges.
Serve over rice.

Note: We only used 2 T. of curry paste because we like a lighter curry flavor.

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Super easy lettuce wraps

This is one of the fastest dinners I can make and the kids love it.  It is also very healthy.

You will need:
2 small raw chicken breasts cut into 2 inch cubes
1 medium onion chopped into 2 inch cubes
1/3 cup soy vey veri veri teriyaki sauce (more if desired)
olive oil
sesame oil (optional)
1 bag of broccoli slaw- 12 oz (you can use 1.5 bags or more if you want) 
chinese five spice- to taste
soy sauce (optional)
head or romane lettuce just rinsed and leaves seperated
rooster sauce- sriracha


1. Pour soy sauce in the bottom of the blender, add onion and then the chicken.  Blend until it forms a paste.  If it is not blending well you can add a few drops of water.  This works well in the blendtec blender.   You may need to chop smaller in another blender or add more water - the water will cook out.

2.  Coat a wok or skillet with a small amount of olive oil, you can use sesame oil as well for flavor.  This will be about 2 Tbs total.

3.  Add the chicken goop and the broccoli slaw to the skillet and cook over medium high heat until the slaw is tender and the chicken is throurally cooked.  This does not take long as the slaw is sliced very thin and the ground chicken cooks quickly.  Most of the liquid should be cooked off as well .  Add five spice and soy sauce if desired or more veri teriyaki to get desired flavor.

4.  Serve in lettuce shells and top with sriracha sauce.

*** you can use more or less chicken and more or less slaw.  I like extra slaw to strech it out for a larger group- the two chicken breast go very far!

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good for you chocolate chip cookies

These are actually really really good!

Good For You Chocolate Chip Oatmeal "Cookies"

makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients 

1/2 cup coconut oil

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup raw honey (this makes them very lightly sweetened--add more honey if you want more of a sweet cookie)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

3 cups rolled oats 

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup ground flax

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
edited to add
lately I've been adding:
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
extra almonds

preheat oven to 350°

In an electric mixer, combine coconut oil, peanut butter, and honey. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for a few minutes. 

In a separate bowl combine, oats, coconut, flax, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix. 

Slowly add in dry mixture to peanut butter mixture, mixing slowly. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. 

Drop by the spoonful onto parchment, and then smash down with a spoon 

(these don't spread while baking)

Bake for 8 minutes.

Now as tempted as you will to eat these straight out of the oven......don't do it! They LOOK like a cookie. They SMELL like a cookie. But they aren't a cookie, and need to cool first, I promise. 

My kids devoured these after school and begged to take them for their snack tomorrow....so I think they passed the test. 

from here: http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2013/08/my-hunger-games.html

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Greek Yogurt

 I have tried this and it was EASY.  I keep plain in the house to make savory sauces for fish and we added frozen raspberries and agave and the kids gobbled it all up!

What you need to make greek yogurt:

 

From Here: http://www.makegreekyogurt.com/

4 cup or greater glass or plastic measuring cup (with a lid is helpful, but not necessary)
2 Tablespoons live culture yogurt (You can get it from you local grocery store), or yogurt culture packet
If you’re using a yogurt culture packet you will need 2 tablespoons milk set aside in a little bowl for use later.
4 cups of milk, the higher the fat content, the better.
6 cup saucepan or pot
Whisk
Piece of an old tee-shirt, cheese cloth, or a tea towel (the kind that is not made out of terry cloth) Alternatively you can use a special greek yogurt strainer
Optional: 1/4-1/3 cup powdered milk

Making greek yogurt:

Note: These instructions are for 4 cups of milk, but you can make it in larger batches, if you want. 4 cups is just a manageable amount of milk to work with.

Step 1: Scald the milk - Time 3-7 minutes

First you have to scald/pasteurize your milk. This means pouring 4 cups of milk into your saucepan and, over high heat, bring it almost to a boil. This will take about 3 minutes if the milk is at room temperature or 5-7 minutes if it’s just out of the fridge. As the milk is just starting to bubble around the edges of the saucepan, remove from the burner. Put a lid on the pan if you want, and then walk away.
You also have the option of adding the powdered milk now, and whisking it in, or doing it later. It doesn’t matter.

Step 2: Let the milk cool - Time 45mins-1hour

Come back periodically over the next hour or so until the pan has cooled down to about 108-115 degrees. You don’t need a thermometer for this, you can just use your fingers. When you can hold your fingertips to the side of the pan, for ten seconds without burning them you know it is ready. If you didn’t add the powdered milk before, you can add it now, or not at all.

Step 3: Add the bacteria - Time 1-2 minutes

If you’re using yogurt culture packets, now you add the packet to the 2 tablespoons and stir and then pour into the saucepan. If using the 2 tablespoons of live culture yogurt, pour it into the saucepan.
Stir the saucepan of now culture rich milk with a whisk, and then pour back into your glass or plastic cup measure. If your measure cup has a lid, put it on, if not that’s fine.

Step 4: Keep the mixture at 108 degrees - Time 4-12 hours

Turn on the oven light, and turn the oven on to warm. After about 2-4 minutes turn off the oven and then place the measuring cup in the oven. The oven light will produce enough heat to keep your oven pleasantly warm and allow you to peer in at the whole ecosystem you’ve just created.
Walk away for 4-12 hours. During this time you can use a wireless thermometer that will alert you when the temperature is getting too high or low.
When you wake up from the delightful nap you’ve just taken, remove the yogurt from the oven, and turn off the oven light. You can test if the yogurt is done when you tilt the measuring cup and the yogurt moves away from the side in one mass.

Step 5: Strain the yogurt – time 2-4 hours

Now you get to make greek yogurt.
Take the cloth that you have designated for the straining–tee-shirt, tea towel, or cheese cloth–stretch it over top of a bowl. Keep the cloth in place with several rubberbands stretched around the outside of the bowl. Then pour your yogurt onto the strainer you’ve created. Place the bowl and suspended yogurt into the refrigerator. Let the yogurt drain for a couple of hours. The longer you let it drain the thicker the yogurt.
Walk away. Read a blog about how to make greek yogurt and the shift of the US yogurt culture.

You’re done!

When the yogurt has drained long enough, or when you remember that you forgot about it go to the fridge and remove the delicious ready to eat yogurt.
Remove the rubber bands and gather up the edges of the yogurt cloth. Avoid submerging the yogurt in all that delicious whey you’ve drained off. Put the yogurt in an air tight container and refrigerate until you want to eat it.

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