Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad with Feta Cheese

The only thing I have in my winter garden right now is kale, and it is thriving. This salad is such a yummy way to use up the kale.  I love it!!

Massaged Kale and Craisin Salad with Feta Cheese

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/4 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup craisins
3/4 cup small diced apple
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Directions:
1.  Wash the kale and pat it dry.  Slice off the stiff stems below and in the middle of the kale leaves.  This should create a thin "V" in the middle of your leaf.  You want to remove all the stiff stem.  Slice the remaining kale leaves into thin strips.
2.  Place the kale ribbons in a large mixing bowl.  Add the salt and massage it into the kale with your hands for about two minutes.
3.  Toss in the red onions, craisins, apples, sunflower seeds.  In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, and sugar.  Pour over the salad and toss.  Sprinkle Feta cheese over the top and serve.  This salad holds quite well overnight too.  Don't be afraid of saving it for leftovers.

Serves: 6

Recipe Source:  My SIL Shalae who got it from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Egg Nog French Toast

I created this over Christmas break so that my family would help me finish the Egg Nog.  Nobody in my family of 6 likes Egg Nog except for me....and hello...have you seen how many delicious calories there are in Egg Nog?  My body can't afford to drink it all by myself.  So I made this French Toast, and everyone loved it!  Hooray!

Egg Nog French Toast
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Egg Nog
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 loaf of french bread

Directions:
Whisk together Egg Nog, milk, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg until eggs and spices are well blended.  Slice french bread into 3/4 inch thick slices.  Dip each slice of bread in the egg nog mixture and place on griddle.  Flip and cook on the other side.  Enjoy with this cinnamon syrup.

Oatmeal Pancakes

So it's the beginning of 2016, and we have jumped on the "Let's get healthy" bandwagon.  My hubs and I are doing a health challenge where you can't have any sugar (except for 1 cheat day a week), and we have to eat a certain amount of fruits and veggies everyday among other things.  These pancakes were such a delicious way to start the morning and get our fruit in. Plus the kids all like them too.  Another bonus is that they are super filling.  You don't feel like you are starving in an hour or even two hours.  I LOVE these pancakes!

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. honey

2 eggs 

2 1/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

Directions:

Mix dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Mix wet ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl.  Then add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stir until barely mixed.  (The more you mix, the less fluffy the pancakes will be.)  Cook on a griddle or frying pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  

Makes 12 pancakes (using 1/3 cup batter per pancake)

Nutritional Information:

Serving Size: 1 Pancake; Calories: 112; Fat: 2.4 g; Fiber: 2.5 g; Protein: 6 g; Carbs: 16.5 g

Recipe Source:  Slightly Adapted from my Mom's Family Cookbook 

Coconut Syrup

The one, the only, coconut syrup!  This baby deserves it's own post because it is so delicious!  My kids are to the point of refusing pancakes unless this syrup is on them.  It is everybody's favorite syrup in this household.  I even catch my kids trying to drink it straight from the bottle.  It is fantastic stuff and you can whip it up in no time.

Coconut Syrup
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coconut extract

Directions:
Place butter, buttermilk, and sugar in a medium sized saucepan.  Cook over medium heat and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves.  Bring to a boil and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the soda and extract.  It will bubble up.  Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: The Sister's Cafe

Skinny Apple Muffins

I have always loved muffins!  Always!  I love eating muffins for breakfast, lunch, snacks...whenever. The only problem is they are usually loaded with sugar and calories.  I have adapted this recipe from an apple streusel bread recipe I have to make it lighter so that the kids will still enjoy it, but so that you can also afford to eat more than one for breakfast!  Each muffin is just 123 calories!!  (I didn't calculate all the other stats, but if you want them, I will make my lazy self calculate it for you!)  They are still yummy and my kids love them!

Skinny Apple Muffins
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 granny smith apples, peeled and grated
cinnamon for sprinkling
brown sugar for sprinkling

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flours, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
2.  Cream butter, applesauce and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Beat in the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla.
3.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir just until moistened.  Add apples and stir gently to combine.
4.  Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.  Spoon the batter into the muffin tin filling each tin 3/4 of the way full.
5.  Sprinkle tops of the muffins with cinnamon and brown sugar.
6.  Place muffin pan in oven and cook for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Makes about 14 muffins.

Recipe Source:  Kimmy's Creation

Homemade Pumpkin Crescent Rolls

These are so, so yummy and perfect for fall.  I love the orange color the pumpkin gives these rolls.  Fun for serving with soup or eating plain.  This are a delight in your mouth!

Pumpkin Crescent Rolls
Ingredients: 
2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast or 2 packages
1 cup warm water (110-115 F)
1 can (15 oz.) of pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. salt
5 - 5 1/2 cups flour
extra softened butter for brushing (about 1/4 cup)

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water; let stand for 5 minutes.  Beat in pumpkin, sugar, butter, egg, salt and 3 cups flour.  Add enough remaining flour to form a stiff dough.  Knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down; divide into thirds.  Roll each portion into a 12 inch circle; cut each into 12 wedges.  Brush with butter.  Roll up from the wide end and place pointed end down, 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets.  Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  

Recipe Source:  adapted from a Taste of Home Magazine

Baked Oatmeal

So we have this fantastic little cafe in town called CJ's Cafe (Country Java).  Everyone in town raves about their baked oatmeal.  So when my sister was visiting from Las Vegas, she bought us all some for breakfast.  Let me tell you...it did not disappoint.  It was delicious!  

I had to find a recipe to recreate their baked oatmeal so we could have it at home often!  This reminds me of CJ's.  It is such a perfect fall breakfast.  It is easy to put together and pop in the oven.  My kids absolutely love it and would eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner if I gave them the chance.  I made this for our family reunion this summer, and it got rave reviews!  

I included the basic, original recipe.  This recipe can be adapted to you!  Last time I made it, I reduced the butter to 2 Tablespoons and replaced the rest with applesauce.  It is plenty sweet so you could also reduce the sugar.  You could add fruit or nuts before or after cooking.  The possibilities are endless!  Anyway you have it, I guarantee, you'll love it!

Baked Oatmeal
Ingredients:  
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.  In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk and butter.  Stir into oat mixture until blended.

2.  Spoon into a greased 9 inch square baking pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until wet.  Serve warm with milk poured over the top.  

Serves: 9 

Recipe Source:  Taste of Home