Homemade Greek Yogurt Dip

Homemade Greek Yogurt Dip

Our family LOVES this dip for dipping their apple slices and other fruits in or even as a spread on muffins, graham crackers and more! My Husband is especially distraught if the dip is getting down to unacceptably low levels or disappears altogether. I do my best to keep the supply at a constant to appease the masses.

(Note: I ALWAYS double the recipe because it is such a favorite and goes FAST!)

Ingredients:

• 2- 6 Ounce Containers or 1 1/2 Cups Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 Cup Peanut Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

  
Directions:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir them together. 

Sprinkle the top of the dip with a bit more cinnamon, then enjoy the dip with apple or other fruit slices. 

You can also use it as a spread on muffins, graham crackers, and more. 

Party guests find this delicious treat to be favorite as well!

Also, drizzling a bit of melted dark chocolate over the apples and/or adding some chopped nuts, makes for quite an amazing dessert too!

 Homemade Greek Yogurt Dip

 Homemade Greek Yogurt Dip Party Platter

 Enjoy!

-C

Oil & Vinegar Dressing

Oil & Vinegar Dressing

This dressing is quite flavorful and not just for your salads. I enjoy marinating cucumbers in it, pouring it over freshly sliced tomatoes and mozzarella, dipping fresh veggies in it, and more!

 Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• 1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon Basil
• 1 Tablespoon Oregano
• 4 Garlic Cloves (Chopped)
• 1/2 Tablespoon Minced Onion
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a jar (I use a mason jar) and mix well. Allow it to sit in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours so the flavors all blend together. Be sure to mix the dressing well again, prior to each use.

Oil & Vinegar Dressing

Enjoy!

-C

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins

These muffins contain no sugar, but instead use honey and the bananas themselves, to sweeten them.

Note: If you don't care for nuts, just omit them and make the recipe as follows.

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 2 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Shelled Walnuts

Wet:

• 2 Eggs
• 4 Bananas
• 1/2 Cup Honey 
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
• 6 Ounces or 1 1/2 Cups Greek Yogurt

  
Topping:

• 1/2 Cup Finely Chopped Shelled Walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk them together.

Place all wet ingredients in the mixer and mix them until they are well blended.

Then, add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix them completely to form the muffin batter.

Lightly grease a muffin pan or use muffin liners and fill each cup 3/4 of the way full.

Sprinkle the tops of each one with the finely chopped shelled walnuts and place them in the oven.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.


Yields: 24 Muffins

 Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins

Enjoy!

-C

Grilled BBQ Chicken & Spinach Whole Wheat Quesadilla

Grilled BBQ Chicken & Spinach Whole Wheat Quesadilla

I used the Whole Wheat Tortilla recipe to make these Quesadillas and they were delish!

Ingredients:

• 2 Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 3 Tablespoons Barbeque Sauce
• 1/4 Cup Onions Sautéed w/ a bit of Salt & Fresh Cracked Pepper
• 1/2 Large Grilled Chicken Breast (cut into small pieces)
• 1/2 Cup Fresh Spinach
• 1/2 Cup Shredded Colby Jack Cheese

Optional Toppings:

• Shredded Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red Leaf, Romaine)
• Diced Tomatoes
• Fresh Guacamole
• Sour Cream or Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

Heat a skillet on medium heat.

Lay one whole wheat tortilla on a flat surface and spread the barbeque sauce across the top, coating it. Add the sautéed onions, grilled chicken breast pieces, fresh spinach and sprinkle the colby jack cheese on top.

Transfer the whole wheat tortilla with the toppings to the skillet and place the second whole wheat tortilla on top.

Allow it to heat for a few minutes, then flip it over until the contents are hot and the cheese has melted.

Once it is done, place it on a plate and slice it, like you would a pizza, into 8 triangle pieces.

Add shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream or plain greek yogurt and fresh guacamole on top or on the side if you'd like.

Whole Wheat Tortillas

 Grilled BBQ Chicken & Spinach Whole Wheat Quesadillas

 Fresh Guacamole

Enjoy!

-C

Whole Wheat Tortillas

Whole Wheat Tortillas

We use tortillas A LOT in our meals. They're great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a snack! However, they get quite expensive to buy in larger quantities and the store brand versions have so many added ingredients, it's ridiculous. So, I finally sat down and made my own. They were SO easy to make and they are definitely better than anything you can find in the stores!

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
•  6 Tablespoons Coconut or Avocado Oil
• 1 1/4 Cups Warm Water (heat in microwave for 45 seconds)

Directions:

Place the whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Wisk them together completely.

Add the oil and blend the mixture together with your hands. Then, add the water and knead all ingredients together until the dough becomes thoroughly mixed and forms a ball.

Place the ball of dough back into the bowl, cover it with a towel and allow it to sit for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, pull out the large ball of dough and divide it into 10 smaller balls of dough, all roughly the same size.

Place a skillet on med heat.

Take one ball of dough and flatten it into a circle-shaped tortilla using a rolling pin. You want it to be fairly thin, not thick, but take care not to make it so thin that it rips or tears.

Once you've rolled it out to the right size, place it in the skillet. After about a minute, flip it over and allow it to cook the other side for another minute to minute and a half. You don't want them to burn, so be sure to keep watch over them. Once it's done cooking, store it in a lidded container (I used a glass lidded dish) to keep them soft and warm while you cook rest.

Repeat the process with the other 9 smaller balls of dough. Once you're finished, you can use them right away in your meals.

If you'd like to save them for later, you can place them in a storage bag and store them in the refrigerator. If you'd like to freeze the tortillas, separate each tortilla with parchment or wax paper, to make individual removal easy, and place them all in a storage bag in the freezer.

Yields: 10 Tortillas

 Dough ball formed after mixing all ingredients together.

 Dough ball after being placed back in the bowl, covered with a towel and allowed to sit for 20 minutes.

 One of 10 smaller dough balls flattened into a tortilla and ready to be cooked in the skillet.

 Whole Wheat Tortilla cooking in the skillet.

Completed Whole Wheat Tortillas being stored in a lidded container to keep warm and soft while the rest cook.

 Enjoy!

-C

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes (No Sugar)

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

 We try to limit our sugar consumption to as close to none as possible and eat as healthy as we can. So, I make most of our food from scratch to ensure we get only the ingredients we wish to consume in their most natural, nutritious state. 

I've made a lot of pancakes in my life, but I must say, and my Hubby and Boys agree, that these were some of the best I've ever made. Hands down.

Note: I double or triple the batch so that we have extras we can freeze, then heat and eat, throughout the week.

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 1 Teaspoon Allspice

Wet:

• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Pumpkin
• 3 Tablespoons Honey
• 1 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

Directions:

Place all dry ingredients into a bowl and sift them together completely. Place all the wet ingredients into a bowl and mix them well. Then, combine the dry and wet ingredients together thoroughly. Heat up a skillet and melt butter on the surface. Use a ladle to pour the pancake mixture onto the hot skillet to create 4 pancakes. Allow them to cook until bubbles form across the top of the pancakes, then flip them over and cook for another few minutes, until the center is cooked through. Serve them with Organic Maple Syrup and a little fresh fruit on the side.

Yields: Approx. 16 Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes with Organic Maple Syrup and Fresh Fruit

Enjoy!

-C

Fresh Fruit "Ice Cream" Topped With Chopped Almonds and Dark Chocolate

Fresh Fruit "Ice Cream" Topped With Chopped Almonds and Dark Chocolate

We all love ice cream in this house, but it's not exactly the healthiest of treats. The sugar content alone is enough to steer my interests elsewhere. Besides, if I'm going to have a sweet treat, I'd rather it be from a natural source, such as fruit, honey, or dark chocolate. The best part? This tasty little treat is good for you!

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Assorted Fresh Fruit Chunks
  (I purchase my fresh fruit, chop it into chunks, and store it in the freezer so it can be readily accessible. This time around I used: Pineapple, Cantaloupe, Strawberries, and Blueberries; but I mix up the combinations all the time, depending on what I have on hand.)

• 1 Banana

• 6 Ounces Greek Yogurt

• 1 Cup Pumpkin

• 2 Tablespoons Honey

• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
  

Optional Toppings:

• Chopped Almonds

• Chopped Dark Chocolate

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Pour the blended mixture into a container and allow it to freeze. It's good to give it a day, or so, to allow it to freeze thoroughly. Once it is frozen, scoop it out into a bowl and top it with the chopped almonds and dark chocolate.

Blended Fresh Fruit Mixture ready for the freezer...

  

Optional Toppings: Chopped Dark Chocolate and Almonds

Fresh Fruit "Ice Cream"

 

 Fresh Fruit "Ice Cream" Topped With Chopped Almonds and Dark Chocolate

Enjoy! 
-C