breakfast 60 Second Chocolate Chip Muffin Let’s talk about Energy… Have you seen mine? Pretty sure it ran off to an exclusive resort in Tahiti somewhere, and is gettin’ rubbed with suntan oil by the one and only Christian Bale… Holy Batman! I’m sure it probably hates me and never wants to come back after that Minnie Mouse party…Especially after little miss received a bicycle and has decided it’s much more fun to ride when mom pushes instead of peddling. Dear Energy, i’m so sorry but I need you back. Mind you I still have a toddler, messy house, new baby to prepare for, and I’m as big as a walrus?! And this walrus is hungry! No more PB&J’s, smoothies, and cereal. Let’s not forget it’s been too long since I wore makeup…And I’m pretty sure I wear the same sweat pants every other (each?) Listen my little Energy, I promise I’ll give you something to come back for. And it won’t require much work from you at all. At least tell me you will think about it? 60 Second Chocolate Chip Muffin Ingredients: 1 tsp. melted and cooled coconut oil 1. 2.
~Apple Pie Cookies You know when you bake an Apple Pie, or any fruit pie for that matter, and you get those oozy baked sugar, chewy-ish bits of leaked fruit that gets all caramelized to the crust? They’re kind of hard to explain..I think they need a name, I’m open to suggestions! Watch them being made right >>HERE! Anyway, that’s my absolute favorite part of a fruit pie! Now I can maintain a pretense of manners, since I have my very own caramelly, fruity, chewy & sticky Apple Pie Cookie all to myself! These Apple Pie-like Cookies are made of real Pie Crust layered with sticky Caramel, and a slathering of Apple Pie Filling, topped with a flaky and adorable Cinnamon & Nutmeg lattice crust..HELLO Fall! Each and every bite offers the very best part of an actual Apple Pie, with all of the convenience of a Cookie! Seriously the best cookie I’ve ever had! To. What you’ll need for 6-8 good sized Pie Cookies: 1 Box of frozen Pillsbury Pie Crust (2 sheets per box) 1 Egg..for egg-wash 2 tbsp. 1 tbsp. Directions:
Cinnamon Apple Butter One of the main reasons why I wanted my boyfriend to get me a slow cooker was so that I could easily make homemade fruit butters. These sweet spreads made of cooked-down and pureed fruits are incredible on their own or spread on different kinds of bread. They're also lovely to bake with and can be mixed into oatmeal or yogurt for a sweet and spicy touch. Fruit butters can be purchased commercially, but I've had a lot of trouble finding brands made without added sugars or sweeteners. It seems silly to me to add sugar to fruit that is already naturally very sweet. I finally decided to just give it a shot myself, using only fresh apples, spices, and unsweetened apple juice. This recipe makes enough to fill a large 24oz jar, which is just where I've been keeping it. Cinnamon Apple Butter (No Sugar Added)This recipe is made without any added sugars to highlight the natural sweetness of the apples and juice.
Fudge by Skinny Ms. The next time you have that insatiable craving for chocolate, take a little time to make our decadent yet guilt-free Slow Cooker Fudge. Made with dark chocolate and coconut milk, Slow Cooker Fudge is as nutritious as it is delicious. Dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure, increase blood flow to throughout the body, and maintain level blood sugar. It is also loaded with antioxidants to ward off cancer causing free radicals. As for coconut milk, it is an excellent alternative to dairy and contains high amounts of vitamins and nutrients to fight illnesses. Click here for the Top 10 Slow Cooker Recipes on Skinny Ms. or 5 Chocolate Treats Under 230 Calories. Yield: Servings 10 | Serving Size: 1 piece of fudge | Calories: 244 g | Previous Points: 6 | Points Plus: 7 | Total Fat: 14 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 0 mg | Sodium: 21 mg | Carbohydrates: 35 g | Sugars: 31 g Dietary Fiber: 2 g | Protein: 2 g Ingredients Directions
Apple Crisp Last night, I got an email. I can’t share ANYTHING about said email but I can say one thing; it’s a life changer. No pressure, right? Well, after I read this email, I (a) nearly threw up and (b) knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. So, like most normal human beings, I decided “hey, I’ll make a dessert in my slow cooker!” Then, my dusty wheels starting turning and it hit me like a sack of bricks (or apples, in this case). After 30 minutes of chopping, peeling, stirring, cutting and mixing, my healthy crock pot apple crisp was all snuggled and tucked into my fancy, schmancy absolutely amazing KitchenAid slow cooker. When I awoke, I was like a kid on Christmas morning. Oh, and it’s healthy! Healthy Crock Pot Apple Crisp Recipe Serves about 8. Ingredients: Directions: Place chopped apples in the bottom of a slow cooker. Nutritional information per serving (about 1/2 cup) Calories: 275Fat: 8 gramsCarbohydrates: 42 gramsFiber: 4 gramsProtein: 2.6 gramsWeight Watchers Points: 7
poached pears -caramel sauce Slow cooker poached pears in caramel sauce From the pantry, you'll need: brown sugar, ginger root, unsalted butter, cinnamon. Adapted from Real Simple, this recipe makes 4-8 servings (1-2 pear halves per person). Ingredients 1-1/2 cups brown sugar1 Tbsp grated ginger root2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces4 firm, slightly underripe Bartlett or Bosc pears1/8 tsp ground cinnamon, for garnish Directions In a 4-quart slow cooker, stir together the sugar, ginger and butter. Peel the pears with a vegetable peeler. Gently toss the pears with the sugar mixture in the slow cooker, and layer them cut side down. Set the cooker to HIGH, cover, and cook for 2 hours, until the pears are tender when pierced with a knife. Pour the caramel sauce into a small sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Place 1-2 pear halves per person on individual plates. [Printer-friendly recipe.]
Banana Brown Betty I’m so honored to be able to host one of my favorite cookbook authors, Robin Robertson, as part of her book tour today! Robin has over twenty cookbooks, writes “The Global Vegan” column for VegNews Magazine, was a contributing editor and columnist for Vegetarian Times, and she’s also written for Cooking Light, Natural Health, and other magazines. At the end of this month, she’s releasing a new cookbook – Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, which includes two hundred convenient, tasty, and animal-free recipes. In addition to being really excited for vegan-specific slow cooker recipes, part of the reason why I’m so happy to be a part of Robin’s book tour is because her Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook was actually the first cookbook I purchased when I became vegetarian and started cooking for myself back in college. I read through a pre-release copy of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker and was equally impressed with Robin’s latest creations. Desserts from the Slow Cooker Serves 4 Soy-free
cedar plank salmon Give your slow cooker repertoire a nutritious makeover. This week, Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen shares her three favorite light & healthy slow cooker recipes. During the cold months, many of us give our outdoor grills a rest. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up that woodsy flavor. All you need to do is get a cedar plank and cut it to fit your slow cooker, something that I had my husband do for me in five minutes. The same plank can be used over and overagain. To prep the plank, char it for a couple minutes on either side over an open flame (I used my gas stove)–you’re looking for that toasty smell and nutty brown color. Get my recipe for slow-cooked cedar plank salmon after the jump. Cedar Plank Salmonby Jaden Hair **This recipe has not been tested or edited by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen** 1 cedar plank 1. 2. 3. 4. Text, photo, and recipe by Jaden Hair See yesterday’s Healthy Slow Cooker Recipe: Moroccan Lamb WIN IT!
Sesame Chicken I’ll admit, I’m a bit wary of slow cookers. Mainly because I’m not the biggest fan of stews and casseroles, which are a crock pot’s bread and butter. However, there’s the odd slow-cooker recipe that wiggles it’s way into my repertoire that is bursting with my favorite flavors. In theory, I shouldn’t really be making stuff like this at this time of year – with summer on the horizon I should be whipping out the salads and BBQ and ditching the traditional winter fare. But today seems gloomy enough to pretend it’s still winter, so winter fare it is. Comforting, convenient and delicious, and at only 420 cal per serve with rice and broccoli, you’ve got a midweek winner on your hands. Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken – Serves 4 Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 4+ hours Place the thighs in the bowl of a slow cooker. Combine the onion, garlic, honey, soy sauce, tomato puree and oil in a bowl, and pour over the chicken. Add the shredded chicken back to the thickening sauce, turning the mixture occasionally.
Easy Crockpot Quinoa Turkey Meatballs Can we talk about a huge issue I had last night? There was… SO… much good TV to be watched. Yes, TV. As in television. It also could have been arguably worse. It was not. I’ve made it no secret that Sundays really aren’t my cup of tea. I mean, Homeland? Are.You.Serious. ???? So because of all this nonsense, Sundays usually involved some sort of fun food. Some sort of comfort food. Some sort of food that warms you to the soul and that fills you up in the way that only Sunday night can. Enter: meatballs. Instead of packing these meatballs with panko (my high-maintenance bread crumb of choice), I used some leftover quinoa stuck in the fridge. But so, I’m sort of in love with this idea now… the whole quinoa in meatballs thing. Extra health in my meatballs? Print Healthy Crockpot Mini Turkey Quinoa Meatballs Yield: makes 40-50 mini meatballs Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 6 hours Total Time: 6.5 hours Ingredients: Directions: {don't skip the browning step!
Pho Give your slow cooker repertoire a nutritious makeover. This week, Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen shares her three favorite light & healthy slow cooker recipes. Slow Cooker Chicken Pho. The nearest pho restaurant to my home is at least 20 minutes away. The slow cooker version of Chicken Pho (or Pho Ga) is a bit different than the stove-top version. The reason why? The chicken parts will eventually be strained out of the soup. A note on the spices: If you head over to an Asian market (particularly Chinese or Vietnamese), you might find a “pho ga” spice pack that contains coriander sees, cloves and star anise. If you feel that the broth isn’t flavorful enough, that’s easy to fix. Chicken Pho (or Pho Ga) by Jaden Hair **This recipe has not been tested or edited by the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen** 1. 2. 3. Text, photo, and recipe by Jaden Hair WIN IT!
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