Cabbage and Rice

 Saute the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes...

 Then add the shredded cabbage and sliced carrots....

 Cook til desired doneness...

 Yummy!  I made a sauce to pour over the top...

 Serve on top of rice...  :)

I tried for the whole month of December to do no meat and no milk products for any meals.  I wanted to see how I felt and how the kids were acting by not giving them the meat and milk products.  Ok, they got milk in the morning, but I stayed away completely!  I am pretty proud of myself too!

We don't normally eat a lot of meat anyways, so it wasn't a huge deal, but wanted to omit it completely! 

Yea, December what not the greatest month to do that "diet"!  haha!!  So I am trying to continue that for this month!  :)

This is really easy and very few ingredients, which makes it cheap, but tasty!  :)


Cabbage and Rice

Heat 2 TBSP coconut oil in skillet...  add chopped onions and garlic, stir and cook about 5 minutes.

Add 4 cups finely sliced cabbage and 1/2 cup chopped or sliced carrots.

Stir fry for about 5 minutes or until veggies are your desired doneness.

Add:
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
dash of pepper
2 t soy sauce
Stir thoroughly until well blended and pour over the cabbage. 
Serve immediately over rice.

Enjoy!  :)

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Dip (or sunflower butter)



I could've eaten this whole batch! It was SOOOO good!  Even healthier if you use the natural peanut butter, but since I didn't have any, I used regular creamy! 

I'm thinking cashew and almond butter would be good, even sunflower butter for those who are allergic to nuts, that way they can enjoy this yummy goodness as well!

I served this with apples, banana and 2 graham crackers.  You could use strawberries, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, etc....  I used what I did since that's all I had!  ;)

Super easy to make, and actually pretty good for you, minus the chocolate sauce, but again, you don't "have" to add it...  It just gives it that little bit of chocolate kick which makes it taste even better!  ;)

Here is a bit of cream cheese, carrots, peanut butter and chocolate sauce

Mix it all up!  Ok, in the green bowl, it doesn't look the greatest, but then again it almost looks like a chocolate shake stirred up REALLY good!  ;)

Here's what I served it with, an egg puff (recipe coming SUPER soon, maybe tomorrow? ;)), that was their "lunch", graham crackers, banana, and half an apple cut into slices.

This lunch was not only EASY, it was GOOD and healthy!  Which y'all know I'm all about!  ;)  Easy and healthy!  That's what I like with 4 littles and 2 more coming!  :)

Peanut Butter/Chocolate Dip (or Sunflower Butter)

1-2 oz cream cheese (depends on how much you want, I use almost 2, but will use 1 next time)
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut, almond, cashew, or sunflower butter
1/4 carrot puree
6 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together until nice and creamy.  Keep in frig until ready to serve, or just start eating it right away like I did!  ;)  Give me some credit, I HAD to make sure it was worthy enough for the kids!  Just make sure you save enough for them!
Notice in the last picture, they only got about a heaping tablespoon full....  ;)  I am not gonna say if that's how much was left, or if I chose to give them only that much!  ;)

Seriously EASY and good!  Let me know how you like it! 

This would be a GREAT game nite snack, make a big bowl of it, serve it with graham crackers, cinnamon and sugar pita chips or tortilla crisps, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, apples, bananas, pears....  Yummy.....  :)

*Just a note, my kids were actually full after eating this and didn't ask for more.  Now, I am not sure if it was because I made them soaked oatmeal for breakfast, so that fills them up even more, or if the egg puff really did the trick with the other goodies!  ;)

Carrot, Broccoli & Cheese Orzo

So since I had everything planned out for my menu, minus tonites meal, I needed something. And I needed it fast! ;) It was a day!

I had everything I needed for this as well! I had bought some orzo about a month ago and bought it for another recipe, and didn't use it. ;)

I've never had orzo before and was pretty excited to try it.

And since we are talking about easy, I am labeling all posts that are easy, so you can see which ones are easy to make and fast! ;) I also think I will post a blog of must haves in your pantry/freezer! I am hoping I can, it may take a while! ;)


Place oil (I used coconut oil), carrots, broccoli, onion, garlic, and orzo in pot (I almost used a whole box, 1 pound, of orzo. If you do, just add a little bit more water to it. I also didn't really measure my broccoli and carrots, i did use one whole head of broccoli though. ;))


Saute for a few minutes...


Then add your water. You could also use half chicken stock and half water, it would be really good, but I didn't have any chicken stock/broth, so I just used water! Next time I will use half chicken broth.


Once all the liquid is absorbed, add the Parmesan cheese (you can use fresh, but make sure it's grated...)


This was sooo good! I wish I had some leftovers! ;)



Carrot, Broccoli & Cheese Orzo

1 Garlic Clove
1 Small Onion
1 1/2 Cups Baby Carrots
1 1/2 Cups Broccoli Florets
2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter or Olive Oil
2 Cup White or Whole Wheat Orzo
1/2 Tsp Salt
3 1/2 Cups Water
1/3 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Place garlic and onion in food processor and pulse to chop. Add baby carrots and broccoli florets to the food processor and pulse, scraping down the sides half way until finely chopped. In a large stock pot, heat 2 tbsp of butter or olive oil and sauté the chopped vegetables, raw orzo and salt for 4 minutes stirring continuously. Add the water to the pot and cook over medium heat for 10
minutes uncovered, or until the liquid starts to evaporate and the mixture thickens. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Serve and enjoy!!!

*I used my Vitamix to chop everthing! SOOOO easy and fast!! If I didn't have a Vitamix, I would've used my PC food chopper!

Carrot Raisin Muffins

I’ve been getting up earlier in the mornings, so I know I have enough time to make different, but healthy things for the kids for breakfast! I was making oatmeal for them, but I know I need to do different things. Don’t get me wrong, they LOVE oatmeal, but I didn’t! So, I guess I was doing it for me too? ;)

So this recipe was in my Vitamix cookbook, and you can TOTALLY make this with a regular blender!

You know what; you don’t even need a blender! You can mix it the old fashioned way, by hand! ;)

This is really good and healthy! Once again, getting some really good nutrients in first thing in the morning! I think I am going to use whole wheat flour next time… The kids gobbled this one down with a smoothie and we were good to go!!! :D


Here's the flour, baking soda,, spices in a bowl


Mix it together


Then add the raisins


Yummy!


Stir it all up....


Carrots all blended by using the Vitamix


Add the eggs...


I used coconut oil, instead of olive oil


Blend it all up....



Add the carrot mixture to your flour mixture


Stir it all up


Drop into paper liners (I use my medium measuring scoop from Pampered Chef, it's PERFECT for this type of thing!! :) If you want a show, I know someone who sells it and can hook you up!! ;))


Here they are ready to go into the oven!


Here they are, all done!


Yummy! They were soooo good! They didn't last long at all! I only made 10, each kid of mine got 2 muffins, and I ate one and my hubs ate the last one! I am thinking I will need to double the batch next time! ;)



Carrot Raisin Muffins
1 2/3 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
2/3 cup raisins
¾ cup peeled, chopped carrots
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
2/3 cup light olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 12 muffins tins, or just line with paper liners.
Place flour, baking soda, spices and raisins in a medium size bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Place carrots in Vitamix, or regular blender. If using Vitamix, select variable 1, turn machine on, increase speed to variable 6. Blend for 6-7 seconds until very finely chopped. Stop machine and remove lid.
Add eggs, sugar and oil to the carrots in the Vitamix container and secure lid.
Select variable to 1 if using Vitamix. Turn machine on, increase speed to variable 5. Blend for 30 seconds until thick and creamy.
Pour carrot mixture into the flour mixture and fold to combine. Spoon the mixture into prepared muffin tin.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool a bit, and serve!

Again, these are really easy, you wouldn’t even need to use a blender to mix this up, and you can easily use a spoon and bowl! ;) Or you could put it in a regular blender if you don’t have a Vitamix.

Let me know what you think!!! Happy cooking and eating!! :D

"Snack Lunch"

We did very easy for lunch today! My kids always love getting the lunchables, but we don't buy those anymore! For a few reasons:
1) Way to expensive
2) Not enough food in them for my kids, so I always have to find more to add to it...
3) Processed meat

Yep, trying to stay away from anything that is processed. Although we do have a bit of ham in our supper tonite, that is if it turns out! ;) The beans aren't getting soft, grr.... Will have to be patient and see what happens...

Now that I TOTALLY steered away from our lunch.... ;)

I've been making the kiddos "snack lunches" for a while now. I used to put in the processed meat with cracker, cheese, and then just add a whole bunch of other things. My kids are kinda pigs, they eat, a LOT... Is this normal? Most kids I know don't eat this much til they are teenagers!

Now I am not saying to not buy the processed meat for lunches, ya gotta do what you gotta do. But for me and my family, we are staying away from those things for now!

So, this is what their lunch was today, and let me tell you, it doesn't have to be just like this, it can be WHATEVER!!! Do you do this for your kids, and if so, what do you put in their "snack lunch"?

These are GREAT for kids who go to school for their lunch as well! They sell those individual containers that look like the lunchable containers! Or you could just put them all in baggies in their lunch bag! I am not sure if it is GLAD or ZIPLOC that sells those containers, but I do know I just saw them last week at Target!

Ok, back to their lunch today, man am I getting sidetracked right now!!! Can I blame it on a rough morning? ;) Or the fact that I need to keep going upstairs to tell me little princess that she needs to stay in bed for her nap.....?

My kiddos had 2 types of crackers, wheat and poppy seed.
I found a big box at BJ's that have 6 different types of crackers! YAH!!!!
Then I gave them a slice of 2 different cheeses, Monterrey jack and co-jack
1/4 of an Asian pear
1/4 of an apple (JAZZ, have you had those? YUMMO!!!!!!!! Nice and crisp, sweet and juicy!!!)
a few carrots, depending on whose plate it was, they got more or less...
a few dried pea pods (found those awesome yummy things at Mom's Organic! MUST get more!!)
a few turkey mini pepperonis (I know, how can you call them pepperoni if they are turkey? Hmm...)
I know what you are thinking, hmm, no more processed meats, um, isn't that what pepperoni is? Yeah I guess, so let me re-state that. We haven't had any processed meat in FOREVER, so I figured I could treat them to these fake pepperoni's. Right? Like I say, ya gotta do what ya gotta do! This is their "treat" for today! ;)


So there ya go! You can mix it up, do little or more... Like I said, depending on whose plate it was, they got more or less... I have one that is allergic to milk products, but she LOVES cheese, so I gave her skinny slices of cheese! For my oldest, she got more because she can pack it in!

Try them and let me know what you think! It's WAY cheaper and you get to be in charge of what they eat!!!


Their "snack lunch"


All of them outside enjoying it!!


Hmm, this is good mom!!!


She wanted to smile, but she was chewing... Notice both hands have something in it? ;)


She had to get low for her pic... This is my stubborn princess.... ;)


My stubborn princess' way to eat her cracker!


My oldest that eats like a teenagers way for her cracker! ;)


My oldest boy, does it like his older sissy!


My youngest trying to figure out why they call it mini turkey pepperoni? ;)


Deep in thought, wondering if he should eat it, or play with it! :D

P.S.
I find that my kids like to eat lots of little servings of different things! It keeps it different for them so they aren't eating the same thing everyday! So you could make these everyday, but mix it up differently every time! Keeps them happy!! :D When the kiddos are happy, so it momma!!! :D