Category: Recipes

3 Simple and Tasty Breakfast Ideas

9/4/2018

3 Simple and Tasty Breakfast Ideas
By: Charissa

Sometimes a family can get stuck in a breakfast rut. Sometimes we think we don’t have time to make a healthy breakfast, and sometimes we might even forgo breakfast all together.

To hopefully encourage you and inspire your breakfast menu, today I’m sharing 3 simple and tasty ideas.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal is such a great breakfast choice because of the wide-variety of ways you can embellish this tasty, hearty meal. My family often enjoys peanut butter and fruit in their oatmeal.

Some other toppings and additions to consider are: honey, brown sugar, maple syrup, slivered almonds, canned pumpkin, and raisins. Preparing oatmeal in the microwave takes just a minute, so even in a time crunch, oatmeal is a simple option.

Egg Burrito

Eggs are a great way to start the day, and adding them to a burrito makes them portable.To create the burrito just scramble a couple eggs, season as desired, and then wrap them in a tortilla shell. Some tasty additions to this burrito can include: avocado, salsa, cheese, and crumbled sausage.

Yogurt Parfait
Does this sound too fancy? It’s not. It looks fancy, but it’s very easy and super delicious.

Pick your favorite yogurt and dish it into a bowl or cup. Then add some fruit like blueberries and strawberries. Sprinkle some granola on top the fruit. You can even add a little honey for a sweet kick.

I think any three of these breakfast choices will be crowd-pleasers in your family, so give 1 (or all) a try this week!

Feel free to share your favorite breakfast options in the comments below! The more ideas the better!!

Charissa was born and raised on Cape Cod. After 9 years away from the Cape, she and her husband returned home to start their family. A former 5th grade teacher, Charissa has spent the last 12 years at home with her 3 children while working various part-time jobs. Just about a year and a half ago she decided to pursue something she had been thinking about for many years; she started a blog! She loves sharing her passion for living a full life without all the busy over at http://www.thenotsobusymom.com/. You can follow her on Facebook and Instagram (@thenotsobusymom) to learn more.

Healthier Donuts for the Kids

7/13/2017

By: Pamela

When your child is obsessed with #donuts you make a healthy-ish version using spelt flour, agave, coconut oil, protein powder, eggs, unsweetened applesauce. Check out this delicious kid approved recipe below.

Recipe:
1c spelt flower
3 scoops protein powder (I used orgain vanilla)
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/8 t pink Himalayan salt
Mix together dry
Next:
2 eggs
1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce
1T avocado oil
1T vanilla
3T agave
Mix together wet. Then add to dry

Then Bake 15 min at 375 in a donut tin.

Create the glaze: Glaze is 1/4 c dark chocolate with 1t coconut oil melted. Dip top in this then sprinkles.

Do you have a special recipe to create a healthier version of your favorite treat? Share below

Pamela is a working mom to an adorable little baby girl. She originally hails from Falmouth, but currently resides on the North Shore with her husband, daughter and their 2 dogs. She is still extremely active in the Cape Cod community and travels down here a lot. She has an incredible amount of experience in the marketing field as well as the health care field. Currently her focus is on healthy living and fun creative projects. She loves being outdoors, spending time with her family and friends as well as a Cape Cod favorite: the beach!

Peanut Butter Eggs

4/25/2017

Peanut Butter Eggs
By Molly

It is spring time now and Easter just passed which means Reese’s Easter Peanut Butter Eggs are on sale. I love peanut butter and chocolate and I use to love Reese’s Easter Peanut Butter Eggs but now can’t bring myself to buy them. But I came across a recipe from Minimalist Baker that I thought I would try with a few modifications. I think they came out really well next time I might use Green and Black’s 70% dark chocolate instead.

Peanut Butter Eggs
Modified from the Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

3 pitted Deglet Noor Dates
½ cup raw almonds
1 cup roasted ½ salt TJ peanuts
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
6oz Enjoy Life Mega Semi Sweet Chunks
¼ cup almond pulp or extra peanuts

Directions:
1. Add dates to a food processor and process until only small bits remain. Next add almonds and peanuts to the food processor and mix until they turn to meal – a few small chunks are OK.
2. Next add peanut butter in 1 Tbsp at a time (8 Tbsp) until the mixture forms a loose dough. If it seems too wet to handle, add almond pulp or more peanuts. If it seems too dry, add more peanut butter. Refrigerate for 5 minutes so it's easier to shape.
3. Scoop out large rounds of dough - heaping 1 Tbsp - and form into an "egg" shape. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop in the freezer to harden for about 20 minutes.
4. In the meantime, melt your dark chocolate over a double boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments. Then work in small batches to coat the "eggs." Take just 1 egg out of the freezer at a time for dipping - otherwise they'll get too soft to dip well.
5. To dip, drop eggs one at a time into the chocolate, flip once, pick up with a fork and gently tap on the rim of the bowl to remove excess chocolate. A little excess is OK. Place back on the parchment-lined baking sheet and pop back in the freezer to set.
6. Repeat until all eggs are dipped, re-warming chocolate as needed.
7. For optimum freshness, store eggs in an air-tight container in the freezer or fridge until serving.

What are your favorite Spring recipes? Have you tried any new recipes?

Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant
I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me atmollyhubner@gmail.com.
Plus follow me on Instagram
www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/

Healthy Corn Soup

2/6/2017

Healthy Corn Soup
By Molly

On Friday I really wanted something warm and different for dinner so I decided to make some corn soup. A couple years ago my mom had made a yummy corn soup but I didn’t have the recipe or fresh corn. I did a quick google search but none of the recipes I found were what I was looking for so I decided to just to try my own thing based of what I had seen and had available at home. It turned out well and I served it with millet and steamed kale... yum.

Healthy Corn Soup
*3 cups of frozen corn thawed
*3 cups of cold water
*¼ tsp of salt
*2 TBS of cashews (14g) soaked in enough water to just cover them

In a Vitamix puree 1 ½ cups of corn with 3 cups of water. Pour mixture into pot with rest of corn bring to a boil. Once boiling add salt and simmer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes put soup back in Vitamix with cashews and blend for about 30 seconds then enjoy. Makes about 5 ½ cups of soup.

Have you tried any new recipes recently?

Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant
I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com.
Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/

This Weeks Food Discovery Healthy Cookie Dough

1/17/2017

This Weeks Food Discovery Healthy Cookie Dough
By Molly

Since I stopped eating raw eggs about 5 years ago when I was pregnant with my son and now eggs altogether I really missed cookie dough. So this past weekend I tried making a healthy version of cookie dough modified from Katie Chocolate. Both my kids and I love the recipe and think it tastes like “real” cookie dough. If you are not use to less sweet recipes try this one. This is how I made my cookie dough:

Ingredients:
*One 16oz can of chickpeas drained
*1/8 tsp baking soda
*1 tbsp plus 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
*1/4 cup peanut butter
*1 and 1/4 cups (7 oz) pitted dates
*1/3 cup chocolate chips
*1 cup oats

Instructions:
In a bowl, cover the dates with 1/2 cup water. Let this sit for at least 8 hours or microwave for 1 minute then let sit for 10 minutes. Then add all ingredients (including the dates’ soaking liquid), except chocolate chips, to a food processor (for best results, not a blender) and process until very smooth. Hand mix in chocolate chips. Chill for at least an hour

What are your favorite dessert/snack recipes that use beans?

Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant
I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com.
Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/

Healthier Eating

1/9/2017

Healthier Eating
By Molly

So after last weeks blog post you may be wondering what does my family eat for meals/snacks. I will break it down by meal. But first we mainly buy grains and dried beans in bulk from Amazon Subscribe and Save and Purcell Mountain (only beans) for produce, other fresh goods and frozen goods we mostly get from Trader Joe’s.

Breakfast:

During week the adults eat oat groats with cinnamon (ceylon) and a banana (we like the Bob’s Red Mill ones). The kids eat a fruit with chunky monkeys, oat bars, peanut butter packet, rice cake, Larabar or like, frozen whole grain waffles or Barbers whole grain animal crackers.

On weekends the adults oat groats or eat tofu scramble (tofu, caramelized onions, mushrooms and greens sauteed together) with homemade muffins or whole grain homemade waffles/pancakes. The kids have fruit and the waffles or pancakes (we always freeze the extras for another weekend).

Lunch:

I eat Peanut Butter sandwich, a fruit and a veggie (usually Santa Cruz PB, TJ’s sprouted grain bread, an apple, and a carrot).

My daughter eats lightly salted corn chips, Midel Graham Crackers, or lightly salted rice cake with a fruit and sometimes a nut protein.

My son fruit and corn chips, crackers, bread, rice cake or a bar of some sort.

My husband eats dinner leftovers and/or PB sandwiches.

Dinner:

We usually eat beans, a whole grain and a green or other veggie. On the weekend we might have lentil loaf with squash or a home made Indian or tomato sauce dish.
The kids have to choose a veggie and grain or bean (they like chickpeas best) but when we have lentil loaf with squash or a home made Indian or tomato sauce dish the kids have a veggie and pasta or a little meat.

The beans we like are chickpeas, Christmas Lima beans, Jacob’s Cattle beans, Giant White beans, lentils, black beans, Borlotti beans, split peas, Scarlet Runner beans and Baby Lima beans.

Our favorite grains are quinoa, millet, buckwheat and bulgar but we also enjoy rye berries, spelt, brown rice and Sorghum.
The adults favorite green is TJ’s Organic Tuscan Kale. We try to eat lots of different veggies as well as sweet potatoes, and squashes.

Snack:
A snack always starts with a fruit/veggie or something that contains a fruit. Here is a list of store bought snack we get.

Larabars or bites
Midel whole grain graham crackers
Barbar’s whole grain animal crackers
Plain popcorn
Nuts
Annies bunnies
Rice cakes
Peanut butter packet
Dried fruit
Apple sauce

Homemade snacks:

Carrot sticks with homemade hummus (3c chickpeas, ¼c tahini, 2 cloves of garlic and ⅛c lemon juice all processed in the food processor)

Homemade baked good (I bake in bulk and freeze most of it so we almost always have some in the freezer)

We drink mostly water, water with apple cider vinegar, and seltzer water. I do drink a cup of coffee every morning with homemade almond milk (I like it better than store bought). For more great Whole Food Plant Based healthy eating tips check out Dr. Greger.

What are your go to healthy meals?

Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant
I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com. Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/

Welcoming 2017

1/3/2017

Welcoming 2017
By Molly

As a new year has arrived I am sure lots of you have set/ are setting goals for the year. A common one is to eat healthier. My family and I start this journey a few years ago and now we mainly eat a Whole Foods Plant based diet. For more info on a Whole Foods Plant based diet checkout this site
https://www.forksoverknives.com/what-to-eat/.

I know when most people eat “healthier” they miss baked goods and treats and eatting these and not have enough time derail their healthy eating. To save time I highly recommend getting an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot that is how I cook all my beans, most of my grains and also occasionally veggies, squash and sweet potatoes. For baked goods I am going to share below some of my family's favorite healthy goodies.

Oat bars
8 oz dates in 2 C measuring cup, fill with 9 oz water, microwave 1 min
2 tsp vanilla
100g Flax, finely ground in blade grinder
1 C walnuts + ¼ tsp salt in food processor
5 C rolled oats + ~1C of almond pulp (or 6C oats)
~250 g chocolate (8x35g green and black bars)

In food processor put drained dates (save water for later), walnuts and salt grind until smooth add some of the saved water if necessary. Add Vanilla and mix more.
In separate bowl combine ground flax, oats and almond pulp. Add in the date/nut puree and mix then mix in chocolate. We bake them in oiled muffin tins (easy portion control) at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes 24.

Chocolate Cake
1/2 C coconut flour
1 C cashews
8 oz dates
1 1/4 C cocoa
~100 grams of dark chocolate (3x1.2 oz bars Green & Black 70 chocolate)
1 TBS vanilla
1 C water
1/16 tsp salt

In food processor grind cashews and dates until smooth adding water as necessary. Add in the chocolate and vanilla blend until smooth. Then add rest of ingredients and blending adding rest of water slowly until smooth. Spread out cake in 8 inch oiled (or parchment paper on bottom) cake pan. Bake 15 mins at 350 degrees. Cool then refrigerate for at least an hour before slicing.

Chunky Monkey Cookies
Adapted from myrecipe.com

3 bananas nice and ripe
2 cups oats
1/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup cocoa
1 tub of unsweetened applesauce (about 1/2C)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Beat bananas in a large bowl until smooth, then stir in remaining ingredients. Let batter stand for approximately 20 minutes, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Raw Brownies
Adapted from Whole Foods Market recipe

1c almond pulp
6oz dates soak in 3 oz of water
4 oz pecans
4 oz walnuts
39g ground flax
1tsp vanilla
1oz Cocoa

Drain dates and add the water to the ground flax; let sit for 10 minutes. In food processor grind drained dates, and nuts until smooth. Add the rest of ingredients and grind until smooth. Press batter into silicone muffin liners and refrigerate or freeze until set and you are ready to enjoy them.
Makes 12 about 2oz brownie cups
Variations use a cup of oats or coconut flour instead of a cup of almond pulp or a cup of nuts.

What good healthy recipes help you to keep eating healthy?

Molly Hubner
Usborne Books & More Independent Educational Consultant
I am always looking for people to join my Usborne team, host parties (Facebook or home), or just share these wonderful books! For more information visit my website or contact me at mollyhubner@gmail.com.
Plus follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/mollyhubnersusbornebooks/

Tasty Tuesday Monkey Bread

2/23/2016

By: Amy

I have made this awesome, definitely not from scratch, monkey bread a few times for birthday parties, gatherings and holidays and it has always been a huge hit! What I love especially about this recipe is that it is super easy and you can get up early, throw it on and it will be done by the time you are ready to eat! This is a staple in our house every year on Christmas morning or on snow days!

2 cans Grands! Cinnamon Rolls (5 per can)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Open each can of cinnamon rolls. Reserve the icing. Cut each rolls into 6 pieces.
Place the granulated sugar and cinnamon in bowl (or you can use a Ziploc bag). Add the cut up cinnamon rolls (the pieces will fall apart a little) to the bowl/bag. Toss and shake to coat the pieces with cinnamon sugar.
Stir together the brown sugar and melted butter.
Spray your crock pot with nonstick cooking spray. Place half the dough pieces in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour half the melted butter mixture over the top, then add the rest of the cinnamon roll pieces and the rest of the melted butter.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on high power for about 2 hours. (Check it at one hour, then again at one and a half hours, just to be safe.) The edges will start to brown, but the top will still be a little gooey looking. Turn off the slow cooker and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. (Note: Not all slow cookers are the same. Mine has a high 4 hour setting and that is what I cooked mine on while monitoring it.
Let it sit for 5-7 mins.
Optional: Drizzle the icing that came with the rolls over the top of the monkey bread in the crockpot, or pour it over the monkey bread after you have put on a plate.

Please note that because everyone's crock pot is different, you will need to monitor it the first time towards the end to ensure you don't overcook the edges. By uses a spoon starting at 30 minutes prior to being done, you can separate the dough from the edges to ease any burning that may occur.

Tasty Tuesday Banana Bread

2/16/2016

Tasty Tuesday Banana Bread
By: Pamela

I am always in search of tasty and somewhat healthy recipes to help incorporate into our daily meals. This banana bread that we made using healthier options really hit the mark for us! We hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups spelt flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt

3 ripe bananas mashed
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 c Greek yogurt
8 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Directions

Melt butter and mix in sugar.
Add eggs and vanilla
Add bananas and greek yogurt
Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and then add to wet ingredients.
Put in a baking pan and top with 1/2 cup of pecans (optional)
Bake 350 for 50-55 minutes.
Cool and serve.

Tasty Tuesday: Homemade Chicken Soup with Bone Broth

2/2/2016

By: Pamela

I am so excited to begin blogging as part of the Cape Cod Moms team! I hope to share some tasty healthy recipes as well as other fun things along my journey. We recently made this delicious homemade chicken soup with our own broth and it was a huge hit not only for our family, but the friends we shared it with as well. Whether we are experiencing cold temperatures or the unusually warm and sporadic El Nino temperatures, this soup is sure to be a tried and true go-to meal when you need some comfort food! Hope you all enjoy!

Ingredients:
Quinoa
Celery
Whole Chicken
Carrots
Onion
Garlic
Salt

Directions

Slow cook large chicken all day.
Then I used half the meat for a dinner and shredded the other half and set aside. (If you use a small chicken then just shred it all)
Put the bones with chicken still left on the bone into the slow cooker with: a chopped onion, 3T chopped garlic, 2T salt
Slow cook for another 4 hours with 3 cups of water.
Strain through so you're left with just broth.
Add 1 cup quinoa pasta, one small bunch celery chopped, 1 small bunch carrots chopped, and the shredded meat back in crockpot with 2 c water and the broth you made.

***Add quinoa 15 mins prior to serving so that quinoa does not dissolve.

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