Holiday Party - Merry Christmas

I meant to put this up earlier today, but I’ve been busy spending time with my family celebrating (which is the best kind of busy to be I think). I hope you all had a wonderful and merry Christmas (or Friday, for those who don’t celebrate).

Oh, and I did end up making that roasted almonds recipe yesterday. They lasted less than 24 hours, they were so good. I couldn’t stop eating them! So I highly recommend trying that recipe (and I’m going to upload my recommendations and adjustments to the recipe later tomorrow, so don’t forget to check it again. I’m also making fudge tomorrow, hopefully that turns out well too. Anyways, enough from me, enjoy the rest of your Christmas!

Holiday Party - Roasted Almonds Recipe

This year, I plan on doing a lot of holiday baking since my family members who normally do the holiday baking are unable to this year. So while I plan on making old favorites such as pecan pie and sugar cookies, I’m also looking for new recipes to try. I found this roasted almonds recipe and am going to try making it. I’ll let you know how it goes. However, I want to hear about what recipes you plan on trying this holiday season. Feel free to share the recipes in the comments, I’m always looking for new things to try. And if you end up making these, let me know what you think of them!

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 20 min. + cooling

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon egg white
• 2 cups blanched almonds

Directions

1.      In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and seasonings; set aside. In another bowl, whisk egg white until foamy. Add almonds; toss to coat. Add spice mixture; toss to coat.

2.    Spread on a greased foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally.

3.    Cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 2 cups.

Wellness Wednesday - I'm Trying Something New

Since my roommate Anna and I have been trying to get healthier, we’ve started drinking more smoothies for breakfast. So, we decided to expand our horizons and each choose 3 different smoothies to try this month. So, here are the smoothies I found to try.

Banana, Chia, and Spinach Smoothie

(courtesy of What's Gaby Cooking)

Serves: 1

-1 cup unsweetened almond milk

-1/2 cup frozen mango

-1 ripe banana

-1 handful fresh spinach

-1 tsp chia seeds

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend! Add more almond milk as necessary, depending on your desired consistency.

Peanut Butter, Banana, and Oat Milk Shake

(courtesy of Joy the Baker)

Serves: 1-2

-2 cups cold almond, soy, or regular milk

-1 banana, cut into chunks (frozen is ideal)

-1/4 cup peanut butter

-1 heaping tsp honey

-1 tbsp flax seeds, ground into meal

-2 tsp old-fashioned oats, ground fine

Directions:

1. In a spice grinder, pulverize flax seeds and oats into a fine powder. (Use a spice grinder or a clean coffee grinder!)

2. In a blender, combine almond milk, banana, peanut butter, honey, and ground flax and oats.

3. Blend until no banana chunks remain and the mixture is thoroughly incorporated.

4. Pour into a glass, and enjoy immediately.

Mixed-Berry Smoothie

(courtesy of The Healthy Apple)

Serves: 2

-1 cup frozen raspberries

-1 cup frozen blackberries

-1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice

-1 cup brewed herbal tea, chilled

-1 tsp organic ground flax seeds

-2 tsp fresh orange juice

-1 tsp fresh orange zest

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend! Add more orange juice as necessary, depending on your desired consistency.

So, those are my three choices. What do you think? Are you going to try any of these flavors? If so, let me know what you thought! And if you have any smoothie recommendations, feel free to share. Anna and I will share our results next week.

Wellness Wednesdays: Turkey Chili with Corn and Black Beans Recipe

 

This is a recipe that I’ve made several times, and it’s been a big hit every time. I use an extra onion instead of red bell peppers in my recipe, as I’m not a fan of them, but I decided to leave the recipe as is so you can choose whether or not to add them. I’ve added notes in the directions from my experience making this dish, but feel free to mix it up, and let me know how it works out for you!

Turkey Chili with Corn and Black Beans

Wonderful way to warm up from the warm chili and HOT spices!

Ingredients:

• 20 oz. ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 tbsp red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1 can yellow corn
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 1 can seasoned chili beans

Directions:

1.      Brown turkey in large skillet or large, but shallow pot. After 1 minute, add onion, red bell pepper, and spices. (I recommend adding the spices first, then letting the turkey brown a bit more before adding the onion or bell pepper).

2.    Cook until turkey is no longer pink.

3.    Add canned ingredients and bring to a boil. (I recommend adding a second can of tomato sauce, and even the juice from the chili beans to give it a more liquid consistency and to add to the flavor, but you don’t have to).

4.    Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30-45 minutes or until onions and peppers are soft.

5.     If you have some wiggle room, garnish with light shredded jack and/or cheddar cheese, dollop of light sour cream, fresh cilantro, crushed tortilla chips, etc. (I personally prefer adding sour cream and jack cheese, but you can mix it up).

Nutritional Info:

Servings Per Recipe: 8

Amount Per Serving:

• Calories: 212.6
• Total Fat: 6.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
• Sodium: 361.5 mg
• Total Carbs: 21.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.1 g
• Protein: 19.4 g