Keep It Fun And Healthy

The locally grown market has had apples for some time now. I wanted to make something with them but knew I wanted it to be something I have never made before. So why not try to make homemade applesauce! It turned out to be a great decision! The combination of smelling the apples cooking all day and then being able to eat a big ole tablespoon right out of the crockpot once it was done was all worth it. The whole process was very easy but time consuming. My hand was tired of peeling apples by the time I was finished. I peeled and then sliced them with the apple slicer. I added all the ingredients to the crockpot and turned it on low. Applesauce 8 medium apples any type (I used 10 because some were small) 3/4 Cup water 1 Cinnamon stick 1 Lemon peel Juice of 1/2 a Lemon 5 Teaspoon brown sugar Place all ingredients in crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Stir apples occasionally. Sit back and smell the apples. Take out cinnamon stick and lemon peel and enjoy! Makes about 4 cups.

I bought some pumpkin seeds last week to put on my salad and I wanted to find another way to use them.   I saw a recipe for using pumpkin seeds on tilapia this week and thought it sounded so good. And it was! I think this is my new favorite tilapia recipe. Tilapia is a very mild fish, that’s why I love it so much. It cooks really fast and it contains Omega-3 which is good for your heart! Throw your pumpkin seeds in the food processer with garlic cloves, parsley, and bread crumbs. Brush your fish with olive oil Sprinkle the tilapia with your crust Bake at 375 degrees for 15 min. I paired it with a side of sweet potatoes and brown rice! Pumpkin Seed Crusted Tilapia 2 Tablespoon Pumpkin seeds (I used salted but unsalted will work just fine) 2 Tablespoon Italian bread crumbs 1 Teaspoon  dried Parsley 2 clove Garlic ( or one large clove) Olive oil 3 tilapia filets   1. Preheat oven to 375. Crush garlic with knife. Place seeds, bread crumbs, parsley...

How does warm chocolate pudding topped with whip cream sound right now? I know, right! It sounds perfect. I love the taste of the warm, creamy, chocolaty pudding. Now I know that a box of pudding is quick and easy to make but by spending just a little extra time mixing all of these ingredients together you can control the sugar and calorie content. Pour 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1/3 sugar, and salt in to medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile in another bowl mix cocoa power the rest of sugar and milk and cornstarch. Then add this mixture in with the boiling mixture.   Boil until thick then take off the heat. Add your vanilla. Let it cool for a couple minutes and enjoy with a spoon full of whip cream. Warm Chocolate Pudding 1 large egg 2 1/4 cups nonfat milk 2/3 cup sugar, divided 1/8 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 teaspoon vanilla extract   Lightly beat egg with a fork in a medium bowl. Combine 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/3 ...

Oh man I forgot how much I love Fall squash! Tonight I used these to make a delicious dinner:   I got acorn squash at the locally grown market this week and wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do with it. Lacey sent me this recipe and I immediately knew that I was going to make it this week. I’m so glad I did because this one is going in the recipe book. I started out by cutting them in half and scraping the seeds out. Put about 1/2 inch of water in your cookie sheet and place the squash face down. Bake on 375 for 45 min. While your squash is baking sauté your turkey sausage and chop your veggies. Place in rest of your veggies and beans in with the sausage and simmer. Kyle helped me cook and of course he said “this isn’t enough meat”. I told him that after all the beans and vegetables were mixed in that he wouldn’t even notice. And he enjoyed every bite! We heated up some corn tortillas and made it a meal! This will defiantly be a regular Fall recipe. Southwester...

Who doesn’t love a good ole homemade pizza? I wanted to share with you an easy recipe to make your own crust. You may think you don’t have the time to whip up your own pizza crust but you’re in for a treat. You probably have most of the 6 ingredients already in your panty. I decided to go to one of my happy places for some fresh shrimp for a pesto shrimp pizza. Look at that shrimp! To make the crust start by mixing together yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Mix all other ingredients in larger bowl. Add the yeast and mix well. Once ingredients are mixed well, form dough into a ball. Place a damp towel over bowl and set aside for 20 min. After dough has set for 20 min. Fold dough and few times then roll out on pizza pan. As you can tell I’m a fan of square pizza. Drizzle a little olive oil on crust and top with your favorite ingredients and bake. Bake 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 min or when cheese is melted. I love pizza and I think this is one of my favorites. I used fresh pest...