No-Bake Macaroni & Cheese

I know a lot of people are huge fans of macaroni and cheese, but the box mixes usually aren't that great for you. Most of them contain preservatives, processed cheeses, etc. Here's a great recipe to make for your family and friends at any get together that is sure to please!

NO-BAKE MACARONI & CHEESE
4 servings, 1 1/4 cups each
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces whole-wheat elbow noodles, (2 cups)
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli
1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
3/4 cup shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

PREPARATION
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 4 minutes. Add frozen broccoli and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 cups milk in another large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 cup milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk; return to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in Cheddar, Parmesan and mustard until the cheese is melted.
Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the cheese sauce. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat, until heated through, about 1 minute.

NUTRITION
Per serving: 412 calories; 13 g fat (7 g sat, 1 g mono); 37 mg cholesterol; 56 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 7 g fiber; 640 mg sodium; 236 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value), Calcium (40% dv), Fiber (27% dv), Vitamin A (25% dv), Magnesium (16% dv).



-HPK

Add a Little Color to Your Life

Looking for some easy ways to eat more healthy? Make it your goal to eat every color at each meal, or at least one meal of the day. Here's what I had for lunch today: Red, orange, and yellow peppers on a green lettuce salad with blueberries, red strawberries, and red raspberries for dessert!

I also had a grilled chicken breast (no icky unhealthy breading or dressing or sauce added!) but failed to take a picture of it.

So why is eating so many colors important for your health?


First, phytochemicals are found in a lot of natural foods such as fruits and veggies, they are basically super heroes in your food that can help fight sickness, keep eyesight, help memory, just to name a few. These phytochemicals are really only found in natural foods.

Second reason to eat lots of color, FRESH foods are good for you. I applaud any of you who have a vegetable garden you frequently  eat from, or those of you who are lucky enough to be able to grow fruit trees. Foods with unnatural dyes, artificial colors, etc. don't eat them, they have no benefits.

Here are some example of foods you can eat & a few benefits of them:

Orange & Yellow: Apricots, cantaloupe, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and corn are packed with antioxidants that boost the immune system and help ward off age-related eye disease. They also provide an extra dose of Vitamin C, which is important for overall health.

Red: Red fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, cherries, strawberries, watermelon, and radicchio contain lycopene and flavonoids like anthocyanins. These key antioxidants help protect against diseases and different types of cancer.

Purple & Blue: Move better and remember more with a diet rich in blueberries, eggplant, raisins, and purple-fleshed potatoes. Antioxidants in blue foods are proving beneficial for motor function and memory.

Green: Green foods like avocados, asparagus, broccoli, cucumbers, leafy greens, green peppers, and spinach help relieve the effects of serious eye ailments, such as macular degeneration and cataracts. They also help clear the arteries that keep blood flowing to your brain.

White and Tan: What do cauliflower, onions, mushrooms, bananas, and garlic all have in common? They pack an antioxidant punch with phytonutrients that help fight cancer and protect the heart.

Have a beautiful Independence Day Weekend
Happy Birthday America!

-HPK

No Dairy or Soy Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

    Cookies cookies cookies!! That was what I was thinking this weekend and then I devised a plan to reinvent my traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe to make it more healthy. This recipe uses NO white flour, only whole wheat, and oatmeal. My recipe uses a non-dairy, no soy butter for dietary reasons. You could use regular “cow” butter if you wish. What I love about the butter I use besides it being non-dairy, no soy is it is made from all natural oils, so you get a healthy amount of mono- and poly-unsaturated fats when using it. So you probably want the recipe by now right? Well here ya are loves!

Chocolate Chip Cookies - A Healthier Version
Servings - about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup non-dairy butter, softened*
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup non-dairy chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat baking sheets with cooking spray or spread some canola oil over them lightly or put tin foil over them if you don’t like cleaning baking sheets
2. Grind oats in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda and salt.
3. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla (and oil if using regular butter); beat until smooth and creamy.
4. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients, beating on low speed until just combined.
5. Stir in chocolate chips
6. Drop the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls, at least 1 inch apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until firm around the edges and golden on top, about 12 minutes.
7. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes:
1. Make sure whole-wheat flour and rolled oats are thoroughly ground before you begin. If the are not you will have grainy cookies, which are not pleasant.
2. You can store the dough in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months

*If you are using regular butter, you should add 1/4 cup canola oil as well

5 Things Friday

Can you believe it FRIDAY already??? And its a long weekend too probably for most of you, with Memorial Day on Monday. So, here are a few things to think about for the weekend...simple & easy ways to put some healthy lifestyle changes in your life...starting TODAY!!

5 Things Friday:

1. Choose to serve turkey or chicken over red meats like ham, beef, and pork.

*Too much red meat is not healthy for you. I'm not saying you shouldn't eat red meat, just eat it in moderation. Once a week, twice maybe.

*Ground turkey is a great substitute for ground beef if you're thinking about

having hamburgers for the holiday!

2. Salad, salad, salad!

*Start your meal with a salad. I think we all know we don't eat enough vegetables. If you start with a salad, you'll get in some of your needed daily vegetables, and salads are a great healthy way to start filling that stomach of yours up!

*Just remember go easy on the salad dressing. Choose a vinaigrette if possible. Most are low in fat and the best choice. As always, making your own is always the best way to go (NO PRESERVATIVES!!)

3. Get outside & exercise!

*If the weather is going to be nice wherever you may be GO OUTSIDE! Take a walk or go hiking with your family, friends, neighbors, anyone!

*Do some gardening (I know thats one of the things I'll be doing this weekend!)

*Bike riding anyone?!?

*Heading to the lake? Why not jump in and go for a swim?

*Frisbee golf - set up your own course or go to one near your home

*Bocce Ball

*Volleybal

*There are a million more outdoor activities I could list & of course, there are ways to be physically active inside too :)

4. Moderation

*Remember, moderation is key. Just because you are choosing to be healthy doesn't mean you can't eat the foods you love. It means you need to eat them in moderation. Ask yourself, do I really need that second doughnut? I can tell you the answer is most likely NO, if you're still hungry, eat a piece of whole grain toast with some peanut butter on it or have a serving of fruit, whip up a smoothie. The choices you make today will affect your life tomorrow.

5. STATE!

*On a personal note, my brother N is going to State for Track & Field, Sectionals were held last night & he placed 2nd in both of his events, the 110m high hurdles & 300m intermediate hurdles, which means he gets to advance! We are heading up to La Crosse, WI next weekend for the meet & the whole fam is SUPER pumped!

He's the awesome lookin' kid in the middle w/ the white headband. Yay! Congrats N!

One final note, I PROMISE more recipes will come soon :)

HPK

Mother's Day Weekend

So yesterday was Mother's Day, and I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the weekend with my fam :) Pop & I made a delicious dinner for Ma (recipes to be coming soon). But I also got to take some lovely pictures this weekend of the fun times we had, and wanted to share some of the wonderfulness with y'all.

Flowers are blooming.....

...got to spend time with Grandma too :)

...and play with my puppy outside :)

isn't she precious?? i love her

Hope you all had a GREAT weekend too

-K

Sweet Poe-tay-tah Fries

Sweet potatoes are an AMAZING source of nutrients! It is highly suggested you eat them once or twice a week. Personally, I like them...A LOT! And I hope you do too, and if you don't, well, I hope you learn to like them.

My favorite way to eat them is homemade Sweet Potato Fries, and I would love to share an awesome recipe with you so you can cook them right at home!

First, here's what ya need to grab:

A few sweet potatoes, 4 potatoes usually works for my family of six.

and 4T olive oil, 1/2t cumin, 1/2t oregano, 1/2t coriander, 1t salt, 1t parsley, and a pinch or two of fresh ground pepper

Now here's what you need to do

-Go preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

-Spray a flat cooking sheet with olive oil (my preferred way, but you can also use cooking spray).

-Cut the sweet potatoes into thin discs...like this next picture. Or you can cut them in whatever shape you want, if you cut them into discs, these are the fastest way to cook. And make sure all your potatoes are roughly the same size

*Note: The thicker your french fries, the less crispy they will be! so cut 'um thin!

-Next, mix the spices into the olive oil

-Stir the mixture in with the potatoes so they are all covered.

-Place the potatoes on the cooking sheet, pour any extra oil onto the pan

-Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, then flip fries over and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!

*Note, be sure to frequently check on your fries. Depending on how thick/thin you slice them, they may take more or less time, and trust me, burned fries are NO FUN to eat!

Here's the printable version of the recipe...hope you like it as much as I do!

Ingredients:
4 sweet potatoes
4T olive oil
1/2t cumin
1/2t oregano
1/2t coriander
1t salt
1t parsley
and a pinch or two of fresh ground pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Spray a flat cooking sheet with olive oil (my preferred way, you can also use cooking spray).
3. Cut the sweet potatoes into thin discs, make sure they are roughly the same size.
4. Mix the spices into the olive oil
5. Stir the mixture in with the potatoes so they are all covered
6. Place the potatoes on the cooking sheet, pour any extra oil onto the pan
7. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, then flip fries over and return to oven for another 15-20 minutes.

*Note, be sure to frequently check on your fries. Depending on how thick/thin you slice them, they may take more or less time, and trust me, burned fries are NO FUN to eat!

Chocolate Agave Frosting

If you live anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere you probably know that some years spring seems not to exist. Here in Wisconsin we just got snow last week. But...good news is coming! The weather has finally turned more nice. Flowers are starting to bloom, tree leaves are starting to bud...it is wonderful!

I'm so excited to see flowers like this again:

and these:

So because Spring is finally arriving I want to share this wonderful recipe for Chocolate Agave Frosting.

There are a few things I love about this recipe. First, its chocolate, and who doesn't love chocolate every once and a while? Second, its made with agave syrup. If you don't know what Agave Syrup is, I highly suggest you check it out. It is a low GI sweetener, which means you don't get the huge blood sugar spike your body receives when ingesting regular cane sugar or the other various high GI sweeteners. The other great thing is it is 25% sweeter than sugar so you can actually use less of it than you would sugar.

When I made this recipe, I used this cake mix:

Namaste Foods is one of my mixes to use if I don't have time to do everything from scratch. There are no artificial flavors, preservatives or anything, its 100% goodness. Also, it is free of most allergens which is perfect!

Here is the recipe for Chocolate Agave Frosting:
2 cups organic palm shortening
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 cup agave nectar
4 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond flavoring (optional)

Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat with an electric until light
and fluffy. Spread onto cooled cupcakes.

*Notes: When I made this I used the Earth Balance Soy Free Spread since I didn't have palm shortening on hand. It turned out a little runnier than it was supposed to, but you can counter act that by adding more arrowroot powder until you get the consistency you would like. Or, try placing it in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes first. Either way, once you let it set for about 30 minutes, it sets quite nicely. Here is a picture of mine!

annnnnnnd a close up!

Have a Happy Easter tomorrow! Remember that Jesus came to Earth died for you so that you could live :) Oh how thankful I am for that!

HPK

Chicken Wild Rice Tortilla Soup

This may be the best soup I have ever had, so it needs to be shared. I made a few alterations to the recipe, but the inspiration for this recipe come from the pioneer woman...she's amazing and here is a picture of her delicacy:

So here's how you make this amazing baby...

Preheat your oven to 375 F

Begin by mixing cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and a pinch or two of salt

Then take some boneless, skinless chicken breasts...

drizzle a little olive oil over them and then some of the mixed spices (enough to just coat them nicely)

Place them in the oven for about 20-25 minutes or until cooked

Shred the chicken and set it aside while you prepare the soup

Next up, dice some onion, garlic, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. If you have yellow bell pepper, too, that would be positively gorgeous, the more color in your meals the better!

Next, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to a pot over medium-high heat, add in the vegetables, and the rest of the spices you mixed up earlier, then add your shredded chicken

Add a can of Rotel, the whole thing, juice and all (a can of diced tomatoes and a can of chopped green chilies would work fine too!)

Then add some chicken broth. We didn't have chicken broth on hand, so I disintegrated a few chicken bouillon cubes in some boiling water

Throw in 2 or 3 tablespoons of tomato paste. This will give a little dimension to the soup :)

Add a drained can of black beans

You're soup should look a little something like this right now....

Bring to a boil, then bring down to a simmer, and let it simmer for about 45 minutes

THEN! Sprinkle some cornmeal into a bowl of a little warm water, stir

Add this to the soup (and cook for another 30 minutes), the cornmeal will give some more thickness to the soup

During this last 30 minutes, I would recommend cooking your Wild Rice, if you are planning on serving this soup right away.

After that 30 minutes is up, taste the soup, add some more seasonings if you feel it needs it.

Let the soup sit for about 15 minutes before serving. And add in some slices of tortilla (flour or corn) right before serving

Yumm.....

Here is the recipe :)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 1 Hour30 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• ½ teaspoons Garlic Powder
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Diced Onion
• ¼ cups Diced Green Bell Pepper
• ¼ cups Red Bell Pepper
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 can (10 Oz. Can) Rotel Tomatoes And Green Chilies
• 32 ounces, fluid Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 4 cups Hot Water
• 2 cans (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 3 Tablespoons Cornmeal Or Masa
• 5 whole Corn Tortillas, Cut Into Uniform Strips Around 2 To 3 Inches

• FOR THE GARNISHES:
• Sour Cream
• Diced Avocado
• Diced Red Onion
• Salsa Or Pico De Gallo
• Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on chicken breasts, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides. Set aside the rest of the spice mix.

Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Use two forks to shred chicken. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in Rotel, chicken stock, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed—add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to undersalt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Just make it, trust me :)