{Repost} Easy Guacamole for Cinco de Mayo!

 

We'll be enjoying some easy Mexican inspired dishes today!  The Pioneer Woman's very easy - and very delicious - Beef & Bean Burritos.  And of course, I'll be making homemade guacamole using this recipe from the Gluten Free Goddess.   This guacamole is light and fresh and has no onions, which is a bonus because our little Ashleigh Girl avoids anything with onions or even the hint of onions! 

 

For the gauc, I add 2 -3 diced avocados, 1 garlic clove, 10 grape tomatoes (halved), lime juice and some fresh cilantro to my Vitamix and blend until slightly smooth.  Then, it's ready to enjoy!

 

Mary Ellen  

 

 

 

 

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Peach Oatmeal Crumble

Peach Oatmeal Crumble with vanilla ice cream

We've been head over heels for peaches lately!  Peach jam, peach pie, peach ice cream.  This easy peachy delight was something I whipped up on the spur of the moment.  I used two different recipes to create one awesome treat! 

First, I peeled and sliced some locally grown peaches and prepared them using the peach pie filling recipe.  I placed the peaches in a greased pie pan.  Next, I prepared about half the oatmeal mixture from the Pioneer Woman's Strawberry Oatmeal Bars recipe.  I made these bars for the Fourth of July and they were absolutely delicious!  For my crumble, I mixed together 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of oatmeal, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.  I topped my peaches with the crumble mixture and baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  

Enjoy!

Mary Ellen   

Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker!

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

One of my favorite memories as a child, was my Momma making ice cream during the summer.  So, when I saw this recipe in my latest issue of Woman's Day for making ice cream without an ice cream maker, I knew I had to try it! 

Start with the basic recipe for vanilla ice cream:

2 cups heavy cream

1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, condensed milk and vanilla until thick, stiff peaks form (about 3 -5 minutes).

To add fruit:

-Puree fresh or frozen fruit in a food processer until you have 1 cup of fruit puree.  Strain through a fine sieve if desired.  {I used local peaches from our farmer's market, pureed in my Vitamix.  No straining required!}

-Fold half of the fruit puree into the cream mixture until combined.  Spoon the remaining puree over the cream mixture and fold to create swirls. 

-Transfer to a loaf pan or freezer safe container.  Gently tap to distribute mixture and get rid of air bubbles.  Cover and freeze for at least 8 hours, and up to 2 weeks. 

The kids LOVED this!  I will definitely be making this again and trying different flavors!

Mary Ellen

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Quick Meals for Working Moms - Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers

in the Crockpot

Stuffed Green Peppers

Recipe from Easy Crockpot Recipes and Menus

1 (10 oz.) package frozen corn kernels

1 (15 oz.) can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup salsa

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 1/2 cup cooked rice {I used leftover brown rice}

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt {I omitted the salt}

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

6 green peppers, with the tops removed and seeded

Combine all ingredients except 1/4 cup cheese and green peppers.  Stuff peppers.  Arrange peppers in a slow cooker.  Cover.  Cook on low 6 -8 hours (or on high 3 - 4 hours).

Sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese during the last 30 minutes.  Makes 6 servings.

Easy Crockpot Recipes and Menus

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Crockpot Recipe - Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

As a working mom and home keeper, it is still important to me to have a warm, healthy, homemade dinner on the table for my family each night.  It can definitely be a challenge with the rush of the evenings after work!  But, my crockpot is an invaluable tool when it comes to meal times.  That's why I was so excited when the ladies of Living On A Dime released their new e-book, Easy Crockpot Recipes and Menus!

This Chicken Enchilada Soup recipe was an absolute winner and a must try!

Chicken Enchilada Soup
from Easy Crockpot Recipes and Menus
by Jill Cooper

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1-15 oz. can of black beans, drained
1-14 oz. can of diced tomatoes, including juice
1-14 oz. can of chicken broth
1-10 oz. can of enchilada sauce {I made my own using the recipe from Dining On A Dime}
1-4 oz. can of diced green chiles
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. of black pepper {I omitted both}

{These following are listed as optional spices, but I added them all in!}

2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

{I also added in local, organically grown zucchini and yellow squash (diced) from the farmer's market.  Add 1-2 cups additional broth if adding veggies.}

Place chicken in a slow cooker first and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on low for 6 hours {I cooked this on high for 4 hours}.  Transfer the chicken to a large plate and shred the meat with two forks.  Return the chicken to the slow cook and continue cooking for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

  

To serve, place in a bowl and top with crushed corn chips, tortilla chips, sour cream or cheese.  You could also add a scoop of cooked rice to the bowl first.

You'll find this and other recipes in the new e-book, Easy Crockpot Recipe and Menus.  Today is the last day to pick up a copy of the e-book for 40% off!

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{NEW!} Easy Crockpot Recipes & Menus E-Book

Do you find that you're often so busy that it's hard to find the time or the energy to cook? Do you end up hitting the fast food places or even more expensive restaurants more than you should? Eating out is one of the biggest causes of personal debt.  But after a busy day, who wants to come home and spend the time to cook dinner?

Living On A Dime's new Easy Crockpot Recipes and Menus e-Book has been prepared especially for busy moms! It's full of easy recipes and menus that can help you save a lot of money and time preparing delicious crockpot meals in minutes so you won't have to wonder what to cook when you get home.

Simply pick one of the pre-made menus, take a couple minutes to toss some ingredients into a slow cooker and know that you're saving a lot on your food spending. Not only that, you won't have to spend the extra time it takes to drag everyone to that fast food place... and you KNOW what a chore that can be when you're tired.

When you check out the new Easy Crockpot Recipes and Menus e-Book today, you can get it for $7.77, 40% off the regular price.  Don't forget - the special 40% off deal is only good until Monday! Make your meal planning easier-- check it out now!

Easy Crockpot Recipes and Menus e-Book

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Quick Snacks for Working Moms - Stove Top Popcorn in Coconut Oil

Looking for a quick and satisfying snack for the family?  Try homemade popcorn on your stove top!  No special popper is required; a regular skillet will do.  When making popcorn, I use organic, extra-virgin coconut oil.  Unhydrogenated (that's key - so check the label!) coconut oil is a good fat that is high in lauric acid.  Lauric acid has been shown to have anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.  And coconut oil has also been shown to boost metabolism.  If you've been looking for a way to incorporate more coconut oil into your diet, popcorn is a great way to start!

For this snack, add three tablespoons of Nutiva organic, extra-virgin coconut oil to a skillet.  Then add 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels to the skillet.  I usually add a little more than 1/3 cup.  You just want to make sure the kernels are in a single layer.  Cover the skillet and heat over medium high heat.  Give the pan a shake occasionally during popping to prevent scorching.  Remove from heat when popping stops.  Season with sea salt or your favorite popcorn topping and serve.  Although it's pretty tasty without any seasoning at all!  

Enjoy!

Mary Ellen

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Homemade Seasonings

Save money in the kitchen with these homemade spice mixes from Living On A Dime!

*****

Save Money With Homemade Seasonings
by Tawra Kellam
http://www.LivingOnADime.com

Seasoned Salt
I use this one in almost every meal I cook. It saves so much time having everything in one shaker!
8 Tbsp. salt
3 Tbsp. pepper
1/2 Tbsp. onion powder
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Store in an airtight container.

Taco Seasoning
6 tsp. chili powder
4 1/2 tsp. cumin
5 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. oregano
3 tsp. onion powder
2 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients and store in an airtight container. One teaspoon of homemade taco seasoning equals 2 teaspoons store-bought.

Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup dried basil
2 Tbsp. dried marjoram
2 Tbsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. dried coriander
2 Tbsp. dried thyme
2 Tbsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sugar
Combine all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool dark place for up to 3 months.

Cajun Seasoning
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. white pepper
3/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. thyme leaves, dried
1/2 tsp. oregano, dried
Combine ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container.

Fajita Seasoning
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 1/2 -3 tsp. chili powder (vary according to how spicy you like it)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cumin

All Purpose Seasoning
3 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tbsp. dried parsley
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. celery salt
Mix all ingredients together and store in an air tight container.Use on hamburgers, steak, chicken, fish and vegetables.

Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper are frugal living experts and the authors of the Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Dining On A Dime will help you save money on groceries and get out of debt by cooking quick and simple homemade meals. For free tips & recipes visit http://www.LivingOnADime.com , sign up for our free Living On A Dime Newsletter and learn to save more!

Easy Guacamole from Gluten Free Goddess

Tonight we're enjoying this Easy Guacamole recipe from Gluten Free Goddess.  Made even easier with my Vitamix!

Just avocados, grape tomatoes, garlic, lime juice and fresh cilantro straight from my back porch herb garden.
    
This guacamole recipe tastes so light and fresh.  And no onions!  Definitely a favorite in our house for snacking!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Mary Ellen

Lemon Bars Recipe

A yummy Spring treat!  I made these lemon bars for Easter Sunday dinner and they were quite the hit!

Lemon Bars

(recipe shared by a co-worker)

2 sticks butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Additional confectioners sugar for sifting over the top of the bars

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Blend together butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup confectioners sugar.  Pat into ungreased 13x9x2 inch pan.  Bake for 18 to 20 minutes.  Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.  For filling, blend together eggs, sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Pour over baked first layer.  Return to oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until filling is set.  Loosen around the edges, cut into bars and shift confectioners sugar over the top while warm.

Mary Ellen

Small Batch Canning - Strawberry Vanilla Jam

Local, organic strawberries from Vollmer Farm

Canning is becoming one of my favorite ways to preserve seasonal goodness!  Even as a working mom, I've found canning to be a wonderful (and useful) hobby that I can do in the evenings after work or on the weekends.  Last Friday to kick off my weekend, I decided to can some jam using some of the strawberries we picked from Vollmer Farm.  I used the recipe for "Traditional Strawberry Jam" from the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving.  

The recipe calls for 5 cups of crushed strawberries.  Instead of crushing the berries by hand with a potato masher, I used my Vitamix.  Just a quick pulse on low up to speed level 2 or 3 until the strawberries were finely chopped, but not pureed. 

For something different, I tried one of the variations listed with the recipe.  I added half of a Madagascar vanilla bean, split lengthwise, to the strawberries while they cooked.  The bean is removed prior to transferring the jam to jars.  But, it imparts a subtle vanilla flavor to the jam.
 

The best part of canning strawberry jam, having homemade lemon pancakes topped with strawberry vanilla jam the next day for breakfast!  YUM!

Strawberry Vanilla Jam

Recipe from Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving
(Can also be found online here at the Ball Fresh Preserving website)

5 cups crushed strawberries

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 box of pectin {I always use 1 full box of pectin and half of a second}

7 cups sugar

half of a vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 tsp butter {optional - but adding butter to the berries prior to cooking cuts down on the amount of foam generated during boiling}

 -Combine strawberries, lemon juice and vanilla bean in a 6 to 8 quart saucepan.  Stir in pectin until dissolved.  Bring strawberries to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly.

-Add in entire amount of sugar and stir to dissolve.  Bring mixture back to a full rolling boil.  Boil hard for 1 minute, while stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and skim off any foam.  Remove vanilla bean.

-Add hot jam to canning jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Process in a water bath canner for 10  minutes, adjusting for altitude.  When processing is done, remove jars from canner and allow to cool for 24 hours.  Check seal before placing cooled jars in the pantry.  If jars did not seal properly, the jam must be refrigerated immediately or reprocessed.

*This recipe yielded 5 half pint jars and 2 pint jars of jam for me.

Mary Ellen

(Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my disclosure policy here).

Meal Ideas for Lent - Yellow Split Pea Dal

Yellow Split Pea Dal

Add a little international flare to your meatless Lenten meals with this recipe for Yellow Split Pea Dal.

Note:  This recipe is from a cookbook I checked out from our public library.  I neglected to write down the name of the book (silly me!), but I believe it's from Easy Indian Cooking by Suneeta Vaswani.

2 cups yellow split peas

2 cups + vegetable broth

1 medium diced onion

Peeled & diced ginger (a small piece)

2 - 3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons tumeric

Red pepper flakes, to taste

Saute onions, ginger and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.  When onions have become translucent, add red pepper flakes, cumin and tumeric.  Stir to combine.  Add broth and yellow split peas.  Simmer for 30 - 40 minutes until peas are done.  Add more broth (or water) as needed during the cooking process.  Serve alone or over brown rice with Naan.

Mary Ellen

Quick Meals for Working Moms - Spaghetti with Homemade Meat Sauce

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with 

Homemade Meat Sauce

When I think about quick meals to make in the evenings after work, spaghetti always comes to mind!  It's not very time intensive and the kids love it.  But instead of reaching for a jarred pasta sauce, why not make your own?  It's simple and it gives you more control over the ingredients.  My go-to homemade meat sauce is this recipe featured on the Naturally Knocked Up blog (cute name!).  I do make a few changes to make it more to our liking.  I omit the olive oil, Worchestershire sauce and Parmesan cheese.  If we add Parmesan, it's usually sprinkled on after the pasta is plated.  I also leave out the minced onions and use onion powder instead.  Ashleigh is convinced she is allergic to onions (she's not!) and will not eat anything containing visible onion pieces.  And when I'm feeling particularly thrifty, instead of two-15oz. cans of tomato sauce, I'll use one can + a can of water.  The sauce will thicken as the water cooks down.  This recipe serves our family of 6, with one serving usually left over.

Enjoy!

Mary Ellen

     

Tropical Green Smoothie Recipe for St. Patrick's Day

Tropical Green Smoothie

Want to start your St. Patrick's Day (or any day!) off with a little green?  Try this Tropical Green Smoothie!

Tropical Green Smoothie:

1 cup of water {I was going to use almond milk, but the kids drank it all!}
1 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1 cup pineapple chunks, canned
1/2 cup pineapple juice (from the can)
about 1 tablespoon organic, extra virgin coconut oil {from my Earth Fare score}
1/2 - 1 cup ice cubes
Fresh greens, a good handful  {I used Swiss Chard since it's growing in my garden.  But spinach would work as well}.

1.  Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container and secure the lid.
2.  Select Variable 1.
3.  Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10.
4.  Blend for 45 seconds or until desired consistency is reached.

Enjoy!

Mary Ellen

Make the perfect GREEN smoothie with Vitamix!

(Note:  This post contains affiliate links.  Read my disclosure policy here).

Meal Ideas for Lent - Sweet Potato Chili

Sweet Potato Chili

Looking for something other than pasta for your meatless Lenten Friday meal?  Try this recipe for Sweet Potato Chili from the blog Chocolate Covered Katie.  It's gluten free - and delicious!

Mary Ellen

Meal Ideas for Lent - Pasta Fagioli

Pasta Fagioli
from Dining On A Dime Cookbook 

This quick and meatless pasta dish is sure to please! 

Pasta Fagioli

1-15 oz can Great Northern beans (or 2 cups Northern beans cooked)

1-28 oz can stewed tomatoes, sliced

16 oz spaghetti sauce (p. 220) {I use a jarred, organic Marinara sauce from Trader Joe's}

Italian seasoning (to taste)

2 stalks celery, sliced thin

1 small onion, chopped

2 cups small spiral pasta, uncooked

salt & pepper (to taste)

In a Dutch oven combine everything and bring to a boil on medium high.  Turn heat down to low.  Cover pan with lid and allow to cook on a slow simmer for 30 minutes or until pasta is tender.  Stir occasionally.  Serves 6.

You can find this and other great recipes in the Dining On A Dime Cookbook.  On sale now through March 12th for $10.98.  Half-off the original price!  Hurry and get your copy today! 

Mary Ellen

(Note:  The post contains affiliate links.  Read my disclosure policy here).

Meal Ideas for Lent - Asian Vegetable Pasta

Asian Vegetable Pasta

This dish is basically my homemade version of  Vegetable Lo Mein.  This recipe allows for creativity when it comes to the vegetables and seasonings used.  So, it's not really exact.  But it's hard to mess up, so don't be afraid to mix things up!

The vegetables I typically use for this dish are:

Broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

Cauliflower florets (fresh or frozen)

Onions (sliced)

Carrots (shredded)

Cabbage (shredded)

Mushrooms (sliced)

 For seasonings - soy sauce (low sodium), garlic powder, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, freshly ground black pepper and sometimes I'll add in a little toasted sesame oil.

In a pan, saute onions, carrots, cabbage and mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat.  When onions become translucent, add broccoli and cauliflower florets.  Add seasonings to the vegetables, reduce heat and cover.  Cook until vegetables have reached desired tenderness.  While vegetables are cooking, prepare whole wheat spaghetti according to package directions.  Once pasta is done, drain and combine with vegetables in a large serving bowl.  Add additional soy sauce or other seasonings if needed.  Gently stir vegetables and pasta together.

Mary Ellen 

P.S. The ingredients can be bought here with these coupons for Kmart.

Quick Meals for Working Moms - Homemade Sloppy Joes

Homemade Sloppy Joes
with Homemade Sweet Potato Oven Fries

{Reposted from my former blog}

Instead of reaching for a can of Manwich, try this quick and easy homemade Sloppy Joe recipe.  It's sure to be a crowd favorite - especially with the kids!

Homemade Sloppy Joes

{adapted from this recipe}

1lb ground beef {local and grassfed are my preference}

1/2 c diced organic green pepper

1/2 - 1 c diced organic sweet onion

15oz can organic tomato sauce

1/4 c organic ketchup

1/4 c organic barbecue sauce

1 tbsp organic sucanat {or brown sugar}

1 tsp dry mustard

pepper to taste

 

Brown meat over medium heat, then drain fat.  Add diced onions and green pepper and cook for a few minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients, simmer covered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If sloppy joes are too soupy, uncover until desired consistency.  Serve on whole wheat buns along with homemade oven fries.

Mary Ellen

Lenten Meal Ideas - Fish & Chips with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Fish Nuggets with Homemade Tartar Sauce

During the Lenten season, our family will be observing meatless (with the exception of fish) Fridays.  A quick meal for a Friday dinner after work, would be fish and chips.  This sort of falls into the convenience/semi-homemade category.  For ease, I like to use the fish nuggets from Trader Joe's.  But one could certainly make these from scratch.  Simply Scratch has a homemade crispy baked fish nuggets recipe that is on my recipes to try list.  To accompany our fish nuggets, I made an easy tartar sauce using a 1/2 cup of mayo and several tablespoons of my jalapeno pepper jelly.     

For the chips, I made a batch of my homemade oven fries.  Peel and dice 5 russet potatoes.  Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and paprika.  Bake on a greased baking sheet at 450 degrees for 20 minutes (flip after 10 minutes). 

Mary Ellen

Shrove Tuesday - It's Pancake Day!


Lemon Blueberry Pancakes

Today is Shrove Tuesday - also known as Pancake Day.  It's the day before Ash Wednesday, which is the start of the Lenten season.  As a tradition, we have breakfast for dinner on Shrove Tuesday.  With pancakes (of course!) and bacon or sausage and scrambled eggs.  My favorite from scratch pancake recipe is the Pioneer Woman's Lemon Blueberry pancakes.  Using cake flour makes the pancakes so soft and fluffy!  For extra lemon flavor, I substitute lemon flavoring for the vanilla called for in the recipe.  And since the kids aren't fond of blueberries in their pancakes, I make a separate batch with the lemon but sans blueberries.  So good!  Even the batter tastes like a delicious lemon cake batter.  And this year, I'm making the berry butter recently featured on the Pioneer Woman's Food Network show to accompany the pancakes.  Yum!

Mary Ellen  

(Note:  This post contains an affiliate ad.  Read my disclosure policy here).