Pie Squares

Batter:
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 tsp almond extract

1 can of pie filling - your choice of flavor

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix batter together - will be thick and buttery.  Pour half of batter onto a greased cookie sheet.
Spread on can of pie filling.  Dab the rest of the batter on top. Making it look like small dots
Cook for 35-40  minutes.
Drizzle on glaze.

Lazy Cookie Bars

Lazy Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) box yellow cake mix

2 eggs, beaten

5 tbsp. butter, melted

1 bag (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

I love to use the kind that has flour in it.

In your mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix with melted butter and beaten eggs.

This is easier if you have an electric or stand mixer because batter will be very thick.

Stir in bag of chocolate chips.

Spread batter into greased baking dish.

What I like to do is spray my hand with some nonstick cooking spray and then spread the batter around using my hand since the batter is very thick.

Once it is evenly spread out, put in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes.

It will puff up as it is cooking and be golden brown around the edges when it is done.

Allow to cool.

This makes a great base for some ice cream too.

Cook's Notes: The great thing about this recipe is all the variations you can make.

Feel free to use different types of chips or add in nuts. I really love when the holiday baking chips come out. 

Sweet Corn Bread

"This corn bread goes well with just about anything. I always make it when we have chili. The sour cream makes it nice and moist."

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Mix egg, sour cream, milk, and butter in a small bowl. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture until just moistened; pour into prepared baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

"Here's an old-time hamburger and mixed vegetable soup, made the way Grandma made it...if Grandma had a slow cooker. If you can't go home and check on it on a week day be sure to added extra broth at the beginning. A large bag of frozen mixed vegetables can be used in place of the canned vegetables."

Ingredients

• 1 (32 fluid ounce) container beef broth, or more if needed
• 1 pound ground sirloin beef
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can peas, drained
• 1 (14 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 3 carrots, cut into bite-size pieces
• 2 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large stalk celery, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
• 2 bay leaves
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Stir beef broth, ground sirloin, corn, green beans, peas, tomato sauce, carrots, potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, parsley, celery seed, and bay leaves together in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on Low for 4 hours. Check for moisture and add broth as needed. Continue cooking another 4 hours. Season with salt and black pepper.

Speedy Hamburger Soup

"The perfect cold-weather soup: Easy, and so tasty. My family has served this on Christmas night for years. It doubles easily and freezes well. For a meatier soup, double the ground beef."

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water

• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/4 cup dry onion soup mix
• 1 teaspoon white sugar

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, saute the ground beef for about 5 minutes, or until browned. Drain off excess fat.
2. Add the tomatoes, sauce, water, vegetables, soup mix and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Beef and Vegetable Soup

"This is a satisfying, very easy, and delicious vegetable soup to serve anytime of the year. Serve with saltine crackers and chunks of sharp cheese."

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 4 carrots, diced
• 4 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed

• 1 (15 ounce) can peas, undrained
• 1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can green beans, drained and rinsed
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1 bay leaf, or more to taste
• 1/4 cup water, as needed

Directions

1. Crumble ground beef into a stockpot over medium-high heat; cook and stir until beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and discard any excess grease.
2. Stir carrots, celery, and onion into the ground beef; cook and stir until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, tomato sauce, crushed whole tomatoes, undrained peas, corn, and green beans to the pot; season with black pepper. Stir mixture until evenly mixed. Add thyme and bay leaf to the pot. Pour 1/4 cup water over the mixture if needed to moisten mixture, replenishing as needed while cooking.
3. Bring soup to a simmer, place a cover on the pot, and cook, stirring regularly, until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

-1 can of drained and rinsed black beans
-1 can of corn-undrained
-1 can of diced tomatoes
-1 can of diced green chilis)
-1 package of the ranch dressing powder (or make a diy)***
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 Tbsp chili powder
-2 chicken breasts. (I just toss them in frozen)
-1 package of cream cheese.

Basically dump everything but the cream cheese in the crock pot and
Mix. Put the block of cream cheese on the top and cook on low for 6 ish hours or until your chicken is done. Shred your chicken and you're good to go.

We like to eat ours with corn chips.

*** If you don't want to use a ranch packet, add theses seasonings/ingredients
1/2  cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp dried parsley
3/4 tsp dried dill weed
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried onion flakes
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp salt

brownies

1 bag of toll house cookie dough spread on the bottom of a 9×9 pan. Layer on oreos. Prepare a boxed brownie mix and pour over the top. Bake at 350 for 30 min

Easy Oatmeal Breakfast

http://foodmatters.tv/content/how-to-overnight-oats-3-ways?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=HFC+NL+July+9+2015&utm_content=HFC+NL+July+9+2015+CID_24471f1bc4590be48d11b95b5e931285&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor%20Email%20Marketing&utm_term=READ%20MORE

The Key to Smoothies

simplegreensmoothiesThe key to replacing meals with green smoothies is including healthy fats and proteins. Healthy fats and proteins are the way to go if you want to power up with green smoothies as a meal replacement. This combo will keep you feeling full and give you the energy you need to cruise right through ’til your next snack or meal.
STEP 1 // PICK A PLANT-BASED PROTEIN
Plant-based proteins keep your body full and give you tons of energy. They also help repair your muscles, which is perfect for that post-workout buzz. Oh, kale to the yeah!

Hemp hearts
Chia seeds
Plant-based protein powder
Rolled oats
Tofu
STEP 2 // PICK A HEALTHY FAT
Healthy fats protect your heart, keep your energy levels up, boost metabolism, and lower bad cholesterol levels. So please don’t skip the fats. They’re actually really, really good for you! And these ingredients below make your green smoothies extra creamy.

Avocado
Coconut oil
Almond butter
Chia seeds (yep, here they are again! These babies are loaded with healthy fats and protein, making them a great everyday booster)
PART 3 // PUT ’EM TOGETHER AND THIS IS WHAT YOU GET…
Healthy Fat + Plant-based Protein = Meal Replacement Boosters

Green smoothies are the perfect fast food and adding these boosters will save you tons of time in the kitchen and keep you away from any drive-thru food that will wreck havoc on your body. We want you to be healthy and strong!

Use one of these meal replacement booster combos in your next green smoothie. The boosts are measured for our delicious Simple Green Smoothies recipes, which serve 2.

4 tablespoons hemp hearts + ½ avocado
4 tablespoons plant-based protein powder + 2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons almond butter + ¼ cup rolled oats
4 tablespoons chia seeds + 4oz silken tofu
4 tablespoons chia seeds + 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Tropical Tumeric Smoothie

TROPICAL TURMERIC CLEANSER | serves two
2 cups kale
2 cups coconut milk
2 cups pineapple
1 cup mango
Juice of ½ lemon
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger
¼ to 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, to taste

Did you know? Turmeric, another natural liver detoxifier. We most often find it in its dried, ground form. It is a root similar to ginger that is common in Asia and Polynesia. It lends a gorgeous yellow color to curries, mustard, and other foods we consume on a normal basis. But adding in a little extra turmeric into your diet adds big benefits. The curcumin in turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory and has been used in traditional Eastern medicine for centuries to treat all kinds of maladies. Pineapple and mango add natural sweetness as well as fiber and loads of Vitamins A and C.

7 Day Diet Cabbage Soup

heart emoticon 7 DAY DIET WEIGHT-LOSS SOUP (Wonder Soup) heart emoticon

INGREDIENTS

½ head of cabbage, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup white or yellow onion, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
14 oz can basil, oregano, garlic diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
few shakes of black pepper
½ teaspoon salt (optional)

***********************************

INSTRUCTIONS

. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
. Add celery, onions, bell peppers, and carrots.
. Saute until slightly tender.
. Stir in garlic.
. Pour in chicken broth.
. Stir in tomatoes and cabbage.
. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat.
. Cook until cabbage is tender.
. Stir in oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt (if using)
. Taste broth and adjust seasoning if needed.
. Serve and enjoy!

OK so let’s talk about the 7-day diet!! It’s an old diet that has been around for YEARS and revised over and over again. You are likely to find several different version online. Lately these 7-day diets have become really popular. Even Dr. Oz has one.

I NEVER thought I’d like this soup, but it’s so good!

On the 7-day diet you follow a certain eating plan everyday. Along with eating these specific foods you are allowed to have cabbage soup aka wonder soup aka weight loss soup aka miracle soup aka weight watcher soup whenever you’d like. This is what drew me to the 7-day diet because I love that I can eat this soup in unlimited quantities. I HATE being hungry and I will not stick to any kind of diet if I’m hungry. Point. Blank. Period. Don’t forget you MUST drink 8 glasses of water each day. My results vary if I slack on water, but 8-10 pounds is what I usually lose.

Now about this weight loss Cabbage Soup (Wonder Soup), the website (my7daydiet.com) says you should boil the vegetables in water, uh…no ma’am!! I’ve always used chicken broth or vegetable broth with seasoned canned tomatoes and it has never hindered my weight loss. There is NO WAY I would be eating this soup everyday if I made it according to the recipe on the site. Yuck! Throughout the diet I also use salt, pepper, lots of herbs & seasonings, olive oil, and a tad of butter. These changes have never affected my results.

***********************************

So here is a brief overview of the 7 Day Cabbage Soup diet plan.

Remember: This diet should only be followed for 7 days at a time, with at least two weeks in between.

Day One: Fruit: Eat all of the fruit you want (except bananas). Eat only your soup and the fruit for the first day. For drinks- unsweetened teas, cranberry juice and water. (I had coffee, no cream or sugar).

Day Two: Vegetables: Eat until you are stuffed will all fresh, raw or cooked vegetables of your choice. Try to eat leafy green vegetables and stay away from dry beans, peas and corn. Eat all the vegetables you want along with your soup. At dinner, reward yourself with a big baked potato with butter. Do not eat fruit today.

Day Three: Mix Days One and Two: Eat all the soup, fruits and vegetables you want. No Baked Potato.

Day Four: Bananas and Skim Milk: Eat as many as eight bananas and drink as many glasses of skim milk as you would like on this day, along with your soup. This day is supposed to lessen your desire for sweets.

Day Five: Beef or Chicken And Tomatos: Ten to twenty ounces of beef and up to six fresh tomatoes. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water this day to wash the uric acid from your body. Eat your soup at least once this day. You may eat broiled or baked chicken instead of beef (but absolutely no skin-on chicken). If you prefer, you can substitute broiled fish for beef on one of the beef days (but not both).

Day Six: Beef and Vegetables: Eat to your heart’s content beef or skinless chicken and vegetables this day. You can have 2 or 3 steaks if you like, with leafy green vegetables. No Baked Potato. Eat your soup at least once.

Day Seven: Brown rice, unsweetened fruit juices and vegetables: Again stuff, stuff, stuff yourself. Be sure to eat your soup at least once this day.

Stick With The Cabbage Soup Diet For 7 Days…And Look Amazing Later, Too!

Be sure to eat your soup at least once to day.

No bread, alcohol, or carbonated beverages, not even diet soda.

******************************

**Feel free to send me a FRIEND REQUEST or FOLLOW ME. I am always posting awesome stuff!**

Join us here in my weight loss support group on Facebook. We have over 60,000 members and growing!!!>>> Getting Skinny With Courtney

Anti-Smog Pancakes

This dish can open the lungs and help build the blood. It may even clean you out. The 3 Trinity Roots are in this quick dish: Ginger, Onion, Garlic. The 3 Trinity Herbs are in it: Mint, Basil, Parsley. All 5 Yogi Tea ingredients are in there: Cardamom, Cloves, Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Ginger. And, there’s Turmeric for your joints. Plenty of hot Chilies and Black Pepper help burn out the fog, from Stem to Stern. Do not leave out the fresh Jalapenos. The oils help open the lungs. Don’t skimp on the fire!

INGREDIENTS
• 2-1/3 cups Garbanzo Flour (Besan)
• 1 tsp. Clove powder
1 tsp. Cinnamon powder
1 tsp. Cardamom powder
1/4 Tbsp. ground Black Pepper
2 tsp. Fennel seeds
1-1/2 tsp. Caraway seeds
1-1/2 tsp. crushed Mint leaves
1 tsp. – 1-1/2 Tbsp. crushed Red Chilies (some like it hot!)
1-1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black Salt (Kal Namak)
2 tsp. Parsley flakes
2 tsp. Sweet Basil
1 tsp. Turmeric powder
2 tsp. Cumin powder
• 1/2 medium Onion, chopped
3 large cloves Garlic, chopped
1 tsp. finely chopped Ginger root
1-2 Jalapeno Chilies, chopped

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
 Blend Onion, Garlic, Ginger and Jalapenos with 1 cup Water. Mix other ingredients with about 2 cups Water to make a thickish batter. Stir in Jalapeno mixture. Fry in Coconut Oil or Ghee and cook like pancakes. Serve with home made Yogurt. Yields 25-30 small pancakes. ~ ~ ~ From “Foods for Health and Healing” by Yogi Bhajan.

Strawberry Julius

• 8 strawberries, hulled
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt

• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 cubes ice, crushed

Quinoa Salad

Ingredients

12 cups water
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed
5 pickling cucumbers, peeled, ends trimmed, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1 large tomato, cored, seeded, and diced
1 bunch Italian parsley leaves, chopped
2 bunches mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon, juiced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 heads endive, trimmed and separated into individual spears
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced, for garnish
Directions

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa, stir once, and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, over medium heat for 12 minutes. Strain and rinse well with cold water, shaking the sieve well to remove all moisture.

When dry, transfer the quinoa to a large bowl. Add the cucumbers, onion, tomato, parsley, mint, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and toss well. Spoon onto endive spears, top with avocado, and serve

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/quinoa-salad-recipe0.print.html?oc=linkback

Quinoa and Black Beans

2 Tbsps Oil
2 Onions chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups broth
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 cups frozen corn kernels
4 (15 ounce) cans of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup chopped fresh cliantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned.

2. Mix quinoa inot pot and cover with broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Stir frozen corn into the pot and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through.  ix in the black beans and cilantro.

German Pancakes

German Pancakes

6 eggs

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)

1 cup GF flour mix

(3 parts brown rice flour, 3 parts tapioca starch, 2 parts sourgam flour, 1 part almond flour)

½ Tbsp Stevia

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

¼ - ½ cup butter (I used 2 tbsp coconut oil)

Melt butter in 9x13 pan. Put eggs into blender and blend until bubbly.  Add milk, flour, stevia,vanilla, salt, and blend until light and fluffy.  Pour mixture into pan. Bake 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with maple syrup or fruit spread.

Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet Potato Pie

What you need:

·         2 pounds of lean ground beef (other ground animals will work too)

·         1/2 pound of bacon

·         8 eggs

·         3 large sweet potatoes (get 4 just in case)

·         1 large white onion

·         1 large red onion

·         Spices: Cayenne, paprika, garlic, black pepper, oregano

·         1 large deep rimmed skillet or pan

·         Coconut Oil to grease your slow cooker

Food Prep:

1.     Peel your sweet potatoes and microwave them for 2-3 minutes to soften them slightly

2.     Slice your sweet potatoes into 1/8″ slices, or thin like in the picture

3.     Dice your bacon finely and brown it in a pan into crisp pieces

4.     Remove your bacon from the pan and set it aside for later

5.     Dice your onions into large chunks and add to your pan along with your ground beef. Make sure you use a deep skillet or pan big enough to brown 2 pounds of beef and 2 onions.

6.     Season your beef as you wish. I used a generous amount of cayenne, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and oregano.

7.     Make sure your beef is fully browned and onions are translucent.

8.     Beat your 8 eggs in a bowl, blender, or food processor. I use my trusty magic bullet. Add some cayenne and paprika to your egg mixture if you wish.

Assembly:

1.     Grease your slow cooker with some coconut oil.

2.     Line the bottom of your slow cooker with slices of sweet potato. Just enough so that you cover the bottom.

3.     Spoon in a layer of your seasoned beef onto the sweet potatoes.

4.     Sprinkle some of your crisped bacon pieces on top of the beef.

5.     Repeat.

6.     The goal here is to keep layering evenly until you use up your supplies. If you end up with some extra sweet potatoes, I’m sure you can think of a few ways to eat them later.

7.     Once you have finished layering, pour your egg mixture over the top. Trust me on this. The eggs will fall into place and make the magic happen.

8.     Cook on low for 6 hours.

9.     Allow pot to cool. If your ceramic crock is removable, throw it in the fridge overnight. This will allow the dish to congeal and set nice. You can then slice the casserole into pretty pieces like in the picture.

10.   Thank me after you WOD faster or lift heavier things after eating this amazing stuff

Easy Crockpot Breakfast Pie

Easy Crockpot Breakfast Pie

Prep time:  10 mins Cook time:  8 hours Total time:  8 hours 10 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

8 eggs, whisked

1 sweet potato or yam, shredded

1lb US Wellness Meats Pork Sausage, broken up

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried basil

salt and pepper, to taste

any extra veggies you want to put in there: peppers, squash, etc.

Instructions

I greased my crockpot with a bit of coconut oil to make sure none of the egg stuck to it.

Shred your sweet potato. I used the shredding attachment on my food processor to make it super quick, but you could use a grater as well.

Add all ingredients to your crockpot and use a spoon to mix well.

Set it and forget it!! I stole that tagline. I’m gonna get sued. Eeeek.

Place on low for 6-8 hours. I cooked it for more than 7 to make sure the pork sausage was completely cooked through.

Slice it like a pie. 

Breakfast

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pancakes

1/ 3 cup coconut milk or almond milk

¼ cup coconut flour 2 tsp. coconut oil, melted 2 eggs, room temperature 2 tbsp. raw honey 1 tbsp. cocoa powder ½ tsp. vanilla extract 1/ 8 tsp. baking powder 1/ 8 tsp. salt ¼ cup peanut butter   Instructions:       Preheat an electric skillet on medium-high heat. Whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, coconut milk, honey and salt. Gradually whisk in the coconut flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Spoon the batter onto the heated skillet and cook until bubbles form on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Heat the peanut butter in a small microwave safe bowl for 15 to 25 seconds until smooth and creamy. Transfer the pancakes to a plate, drizzle with melted peanut butter.

Chocolate Waffles

Ingredients:    

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

½ cup coconut flour, sifted

6 eggs

½ cup almond milk

¼ cup raw honey

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. salt

Grease and preheat a waffle iron. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and combined. Scoop about ¼ cup of the batter into the waffle iron and cook until lightly browned. Serve with maple syrup, sliced fruit or chocolate chips.

Taco Seasoning

Homemade Taco Seasoning

The Players

• 1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Onion Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
• 1/4 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1/2 tsp. Paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper (optional)

Sherry vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Sherry Vinaigrette

¾ tsp minced garlic

1 ½ tsp Dijon or regular mustard

3 Tbsp Sherry Vinegar

¾ tsp sea salt

1 ½ Tbsp Maple Syrup

4 ½ Tbsp Olive Oil

Quinoa Salad

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/zesty-quinoa-salad/