Key Lime Smoothie

Don't be scared by the color it doesn't taste green at all! Key lime is one of my favorite flavors. This smoothie is sooo refreshing! Make sure to blend very well to avoid a gritty consistency from the lime peel. Double the recipe for more servings to share :) 
1 banana
1/8 to a 1/2 avocado
1 med. lime(juiced) + 1 wedge with skin on (or 2 - 3 key limes juiced + 1/2 key lime skin and all)
1/4 C. milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. stevia powder
1/2 C. non-fat greek yogurt
1 tsp. ground flax seed
2 C. (or more if you like) Spinach
1 C. ice

Add ingredients in order listed and blend very well. Add ice and blend to desired consistency. Serve immediately. Makes 1 smoothie

Razelberry-Lime Smoothie

With summer coming on I'm really loving a cool refreshing smoothie! This one is sweet with a little tart kick.

6oz or 1/2 bag frozen raspberries

1 C. fresh strawberries

1 C. spinach

1 banana

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

2 key limes - use juice of 1-1/2 limes and 1/2 a lime skin and all

Handful of ice

1/4 tsp. stevia powder

Add water as needed

Blend and enjoy!!

Crunchy Crumb Chicken

I was really surprised how good this tasted since I created this recipe and used left over cereal crumbs! Usually my creations take about 20 revisions before I'm satisfied to post them lol!

4 skinned chicken drumsticks - thawed

1 or 2 cups dry cereal

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dry parsley

2 egg whites

Pre-heat oven to 350*. Line a baking pan with tin foil and grease. In a zip-locked bag mix cereal, parsley and seasonings. Lightly beat the egg whites in a bowl.

Dip the drumsticks in the egg whites then toss them in the bag with the cereal until they are coated all over with cereal. Now place the drumsticks in your baking pan. Cook for 30 mins then check them and turn them over. They will usually need baked for another 30 mins. When done the juices will run clear and the cereal will be golden brown.

Amazing Whole Wheat Pizza Dough + Toppings

This was incredibly easy to put together and actually tasted good. I thought it was going to have that "healthy" taste but it really wasn't too bad. I'm going to experiment with different toppings and seasonings. The toppings I put on it was just what I had in the kitchen. I baked mine on a pizza stone and I really liked how it turned out.

Dough recipe:
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp dry parsley (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl combine flour, wheat germ and salt. Make a well in the middle and add honey and yeast mixture. Stir well to combine. Cover and set in a warm place to rise for a few minutes.
4. Roll dough on a floured pizza pan and poke a few holes in it with a fork.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until desired crispiness is achieved.
6. Add toppings of your choice and put in oven for another 10 or until top is golden brown.

Pizza dough: Calories: 121, Total Fat: 0.9 g, Cholesterol: 0.0 mg, Sodium: 287.7 mg, Total Carbs: 25.9 g, Dietary Fiber: 4.2 g, Protein: 4.9 g

Toppings I used:
1/4 C. Prego Spaghetti Sauce
1/4 C. Asparagus, fresh
1/2 C. Spinach, fresh
1/4 C. Black Olives
1 Salad Onion
1/2 C. Turkey, Ground
1/2 C. Mozzarella Cheese, part skim milk

Spread sauce over pizza dough and sprinkle the rest of the ingredients evenly all over. Bake at 350 *F for 5 to 10 min. or until cheese is melted.

These toppings: Calories: 49, Total Fat: 2.6 g, Cholesterol: 14.1 mg, Sodium: 108.9 mg, Total Carbs: 1.7 g, Dietary Fiber: 0.4 g, Protein: 4.8 g

Beautiful Hard Boiled Eggs

This is how I hard boil my eggs. They turn out really nice each time.
-Tips for hard boiled eggs-
-Let eggs sit on counter for 30 min to come to room temp. Helps them not crack and they seem to peel easier.
-Use older eggs. They peel easier then fresh eggs.

-How to make hard boiled eggs-
Place eggs in a good sized pot with enough room so they don't bump into each other. Cover eggs with cold water until its an inch above the eggs. Cove the pot with a tight fitting lid. Place pot on burner and turn on high. Bring to boil (approx. 6 mins) checking often. Once the water has come to a full boil move pot to a cold burner. Why do we do this? If you allow the eggs to cook in boiling water for several minutes, the egg white will toughen and become rubbery. Egg white solidifies between 140ºF and 149ºF, and the egg yolk will coagulate between 149ºF and 157ºF. This temperature is much lower than the boiling point of water (212ºF). Add 1 tsp. of salt to water, this helps the shells peel and it doesn't make them salty. Keep the pot covered and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 30 mins. As soon as the 3o mins is up place the eggs in a bowl of cold ice water or let cold water run over the eggs. Let the eggs sit in the cold water for 25 mins this will prevent the greenish colored ring from forming around the eggs. The green color results from a chemical reaction between the iron in the egg yolk with sulfur found in the egg white. To peel the eggs gently tap them on a hard surface to crack the shell then peel the shell off under cold running water. Well there you go, hard boiled eggs!

Egg Salad Sandwich

This works well for a quick and tasty lunch.
1 Hard boiled egg (chopped)
1 Tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
1/2 tsp sweet relish
1/8 tsp dry mustard
1 greed salad onion chopped
dash of salt and pepper
about 6 leafs of spinach
2 slices bread of your choice
In a small bowl mix egg, mayo, relish, mustard, onion, salt and pepper. Taste, if necessary adjust seasonings to taste. Cover one side of bread with spinach leafs. Spread the mixed egg over spinach and top with other slice of bread.
Calories 121, Protein 8 g. for egg spread only

Broccoli & Spinach Quiche

Wow the flavor is amazing!! Its not too runny. You can try adding all kinds of vegetables for different tastes. Easy to make :)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup red onions, chopped
- 1 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg white
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
- 1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or more to taste
- 10 oz frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well-drained
- 1 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup spinach, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF. Spray Pam into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch pie pan, dust flour in pan.
To make filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bowl and add ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, egg whites, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well and fold in broccoli. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and level surface with a wooden spoon; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and chopped dill.
Bake until a knife inserted near center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. 147 calories per serving.