Recipe Monday - It's Spelled "J-E-L-L-O"

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It's spelled J-E-L-L-O!  Yes, that yummy, unhealthy stuff made of sugar, gelatin and colored junk!  I don't remember the last time I ate JELLO because it's such a rare occasion due to how unhealthy it is.  So why am I making a post about JELLO?  Because I found some really awesome JELLO ideas that were too awesome not to share with someone! So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the cool pictures - and then don't let your JELLO craving overtake you!

(In other words, this is a torture post, Mwahaha!)

^^ What an awesome idea!  Turn something healthy into something completely unhealthy!  How creative! 

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 This might really gross some of you out,

but it made me laugh!  

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My favorite!  A JELLO aquarium!  

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Wash out Legos/Mega Blocks and then
fill with jello for Lego Jello!

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          So, now that I have thoroughly tortured you, let me introduce you to a healthy version of Jello. (Well, much more healthy!)  That's right! there is a healthy version and it is delicious!
 

Find the recipe on this website, try it,

then let me know what you think!  

Healthy Jello

~ Missy

Recipe Mondays: Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

Ever want a light meal that won't take a long time to cook?  I get that feeling all the time...ESPECIALLY in the summer!  I just don't want to eat much or cook for long in the heat.  So I am always looking for light, yummy, refreshing meals to cook during summertime.  That's why this lemon garlic spaghetti is so good -- and as a benefit, it is relatively healthy! Serve with a glass of iced tea, some fruit, and maybe a salad and you have yourselves a very quick, refreshing, summer meal!  Check out the link below!

Lemon Garlic Spaghetti

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Natural Homemaking: Juicing

Most people like some type of juice...but imagine having it freshly made! When juice is freshly made (juiced) the enzymes and vitamins are more potent giving you a very healthy dose of many things you need! You can juice fruits and vegetables...and it is delicious!

In April of this year, my husband bought me a Jack LaLanne Power Juicer.  It works GREAT! It is not the most efficient so there is a fair amount of pulp (non-juice) left, but for us juicing once a day, it is very good.  I am not sure what type of juicer Missy and Chip have, but I know theirs is more expensive but also much more efficient.  This saves them money as they use it way more than I do, so it saves them money on fruit.  Since we only do it about once a day, it was better for us to get a more mid-grade quality one and save the money on the machine.

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There are many different recipes to juice, but in reality - have fun with it! We have made melon combos, vegetable combos, and fruit/vegetable combos.  We usually just use whatever we have on hand.  My husband loves carrot juice, so anytime I juice for him, it usually has carrots in it with an abundance of fruit.  I don't usually do as many vegetables, as I tend to put those in green smoothies instead.

Juicing is a great way to get important vitamins and enzymes, while drinking delicious juice of fresh fruit.  It tastes amazing, and it is a great way to begin going a natural, healthy route.

Recipe Mondays - Unique Cinnamon Rolls

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Oh bad.... This is very, very bad!  I'm craving cinnamon rolls, so what do I do? Look up unique cinnamon roll ideas! YUMMY!  

Why make regular cinnamon rolls when you can make them into hearts?!  How fun!

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 Forget making the hearts!  Let's make cute little bunnies!!!

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Ohhhhhhhh! No, forget the bunnies! 

Cinnamon roll waffles! Oh la la!

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Whoa! Change of plans! Drop everything and make BLUEBERRY cinnamon rolls! YUM!

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How about making blueberry bunny, waffle cinnamon rolls in a heart shaped pan?  That would cover just about everything, wouldn't it?

Well, now that I have thoroughly tortured myself by looking at unique cinnamon roll ideas, I'm going to go home and have a salad. ;)

~ Missy

Recipe Mondays: Hot Fudge Pie

Do you like sundaes? Do you like chocolate? Do you like fudge? Do you like brownies?  How about combining ALL of those into one?  Sounds AMAZING, right?  It is...  Because that is what Hot Fudge Pie is for...  Serve it with vanilla ice cream and it is practically to die for!  Enjoy this recipe by clicking on the link below! You won't be disappointed! (Trust me!)

Hot Fudge Pie

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Recipe Mondays: French Silk Pie

**Chocolate lovers beware.  This dessert could be addicting!**

My husband's favorite dessert is French Silk Pie.  When he was at the Coast Guard Academy, every break he came home to visit (before we were married) I would make him this pie for dessert for one of the evenings he had dinner with my family.  I make it as a very special treat now that we are married, too!  It is SO good! :)  And it is really quite simple, as well, especially if you have a Bosch or some sort of food mixer...  A hand mixer will work fine, however!  Here is what you need to mix together!

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French Silk Pie
1 baked pie shell (I make my own, but you could purchase one if you wanted)

3/4 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup pasteurized egg product

Whipped cream
Chocolate bars

• Step 1: Make sure the pie shell is baked and cooled.
• Step 2: Mix together butter and sugar until nice and fluffy.  
• Step 3: Melt chocolate chips (don't over-melt!) then mix into butter and sugar mixture
• Step 4: Add vanilla and slowly add egg product. Mix at high speed while continually scraping the sides of the bowl.  Continue doing this until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Step 5: Spoon or pour the filing into the baked and cooled pie shell.
• Step 6: Top with whipped cream and, if you so desire, chocolate shavings or curls pulled off of the chocolate bars.  
• Step 7: Cover and chill for at least 5 hours (I usually let it go overnight).
• Step 8: Serve cold! It's delicious!

Recipe Mondays: 50 Fun Recipes for Rice Krispies Treats

Want 50 fun and super creative ways to use Rice Krispies? I am by no means saying these are healthy, but they are totally fun and yum! :) I hope to make some of these for special treats as my husband loves rice krispies! Snap, Crackle, and Pop!

50 Fun Recipes for Rice Krispies Treats

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Recipe Mondays: Aussie Bites

Want a healthy snack that you can make and they'll fly off the plate so fast you'll wonder what happened?  Try these Aussie Bites! They are super yummy - and healthy! :)  You can also experiment by substituting honey, apple sauce, and coconut oil for the sugar and butter...making them even more healthy!

Aussie Bites

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Recipe Mondays: Banana-Nut-Chocolate-Chip Quick Bread

If you are like me, sometimes you just hanker for a sweet.  If you are like me, sometimes you want something sweet that is quick and easy to make.  And if you are like me, you often want that sweet to be not tooo terrible for you on top of being quick and easy to make.  It's a high order.  And it's not always possible.  But one recipe that I like to go to in this mood is the Banana-Nut-Chocolate-Chip Quick Bread.  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not claiming this is "healthy."  But I am claiming that this isn't as bad for you as a lot of other sweets that you could go for! :)  Check it out - you might end up finding that you make it fairly often -- if you are like me.

Banana-Nut-Chocolate-Chip Quick Bread

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Recipe Mondays: Breakfast Bars

In my pursuit of finding healthy breakfasts, I stumbled across this website with these yummy breakfast bars.  While I do not usually use them for breakfast, they make great snacks! :)  I like this recipe, because it is also easy to adjust.  You can substitute honey for the sugar and apple sauce for the oil in some cases (though, I've noticed this means sometimes that it doesn't stick together quite so well that way) and you can also add different nuts and fruit and other little things to spice it up! It is not THE healthiest recipe...but they aren't too bad either! :)

 Granola Breakfast Bars

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If you want a much healthier, but slightly different, version of granola bars, I would highly recommend this recipe for Banana Almond Butter Breakfast Bars! :)  It is quite yummy, though it is a little different from the taste I am used to in regards to breakfast bars.

Banana Almond Butter Breakfast Bars

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Recipe Mondays: Strawberry Muffins

If you are like me, you may often have the dilemma of finding a healthy breakfast that can be made ahead of time or rapidly made that morning.  Let me introduce you to Strawberry Muffins.  One of my new favorites, they are tremendously delicious!

Here's what you need to mix up!

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (unbleached)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup honey
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup apple sauce
3/4 cup buttermilk*
1/4 cup orange juice
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees while greasing a 12-cup, normal size muffin pan.

Stir together dry ingredients, mixing well. (We don't want a big bite of baking soda!) Then mix together wet ingredients.  Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.

Drop by spoon into muffin pan, dividing in between the different muffin cups.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or just until golden brown on the tops.  Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring to wire rack.  Serve warm, or cover and serve when ready.  Or you could pop them into the freezer and pull out when needed! I use all of these combinations and they are delicious!

*If you do not have buttermilk, simply mix 3/4 cup of milk with 2 tsp of lemon juice or white vinegar.  This will create "soured milk" which is very similar to buttermilk. :)

I hope you enjoy this great meal!

Not the prettiest batch of muffins I have made, but they were GOOD!

Recipe Monday - Unique Snacks for Kids

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I recently came across several adorable cute and unique snack ideas for kids.  I have not had opportunity to try any of them yet, but I hope to very soon!  

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Do you have any cute

snack ideas for kids? 

 I would love to hear about them!

~ Missy

Recipe Mondays: Baked Doughnuts

I love doughnuts.  I eat them very rarely, however, as they are fried and they are unhealthy.  But if you are going to have doughnuts, why not have a slightly healthier version of homemade baked doughnuts.  They don't taste exactly like the doughnuts we are all probably used to, but they are still good!  Check out the recipe below to try something that is probably a little different from what we are used to making! It is fun to have a little change, isn't it?

Baked Doughnuts

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Recipe Mondays: Pizza Casserole

I love pizza, but sometimes it can be a pain to prep.  At least, that is my opinion.  By the time I make the sauce, make the dough, and then put together the pizza, my kitchen is a mess and it takes quite some time.  But a pizza casserole gives you pretty much the same yummy flavor, with about half of the mess.  It is also something easy to make ahead and throw in the fridge before it is time to bake it in the evening.  So check out this pizza casserole recipe below!

Pizza Casserole

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**Editor Note: I admit that I did shake this recipe up a bit...  I did make my own sauce (buying pizza sauce just...bothers me for some reason).  And I also did more of an Italian sausage than hamburger, just because that is our pizza preference.  Adding some bell peppers, mushrooms, and olives on the top just adds flavor, too.  This is a very adjustable recipe -- so have fun!

Recipe Mondays: Deviled Chicken from Guest Writer, Esther

The best breaded chicken recipe in the world—at least, in my opinion! And it's also healthy for you. My cousin once smelled it cooking, and said that it “smelled like KFC”! I've never tasted KFC before, but I do know that this is really good. Here's the recipe (it came from Feasting Naturally, a GREAT cookbook!):

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Deviled Chicken

14-16 chicken thighs
1 c. unbleached flour
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ c. butter or margarine
2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tbsp. instant onion
½ tsp. salt
2 c. chicken broth

Wash chicken thighs; mix flour, paprika, salt, and pepper and coat chicken in mixture. Brown in butter on both sides until golden and place in casserole dish. Stir 2 tablespoons flour mixture into remaining butter; add mustard, onion, salt and broth. Stir until thick and bubbly, then pour over chicken. Cover and bake 40-45 minutes at 350°F.

Preparation time: 1 hour               Yield: 6-8 servings

Yum... :) Hope you enjoy it.

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Esther is a young teenager living with her family in New Zealand, trying to be a light for Jesus in the small community where she lives. She is trying (with God's help) to learn what it means to be a joyful daughter, sister, friend, and (someday, hopefully!) a wife. She has a passion for writing, and among other things loves enjoying what God has given her: a wonderful family (she has six brothers, all of whom she loves), the beautiful nature surrounding her, and a zillion other things! She enjoys taking care of the family goats, biking, cooking and baking, crocheting and knitting, reading, and playing with her brothers when she doesn't have other things to do. You can find her at her blog, Joyful Maiden.

 

Recipe Mondays: Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I love potato soup. Add bacon and I am...even more in love. And while I don't particularly enjoy it so much on a summer day, in the winter, this is a great recipe to have on hand!  Straight from Disneyland Park, this is a yummy recipe for a chilly day...  And even on a summer day it isn't too bad!  Check out the link below for some delicious Potato Soup!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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Recipe Mondays: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Anyone else like Mexican food and taquitos besides me?  And my husband?  Yeah...we definitely like ours!  So you can imagine I was rather excited when I found a recipe to make them ourselves...  And (no surprise here) -- they are WAY better than the ones from a grocery store!  Check out these easy-t-make taquitos that come completely with directions on how to freeze them and bake after they are frozen!  If you like Mexican food, I do not think you'll be disappointed!  Click on the link below!

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos (from Chef in Training)

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Recipe Mondays: White Chocolate Filled Snickerdoodles

I love snickerdoodles.  And I love chocolate.  And you know what -- if you put those together...you get a killer combination! It is super simple to do...and I was shocked.  When I first saw the pictures, my first thought was "There is no possible way I am skilled enough to do that!" But it was easy!

Sound good to you?  Good! Go check out this recipe here, at Cookies & Cups.  I doubt your taste buds will be disappointed!  Happy Baking!

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Recipe Mondays: Sour Patch Grapes

I tend to like to snack. I am a nursing Mom, who is often on the move, and I just get hungry -- but I don't feel like eating big meals.  The trick is keeping my snacking healthy...and that is not always easy.  So I am always on the lookout for more healthy snacks.  One of my favorite snacks is fruit -- but it is always nice to find a way to enhance the fruit!  So when I found this simple recipe for Sour Patch Grapes, I definitely thought it was a good idea!  I mean, after all -- it couldn't hurt to try!

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I am not always a huge fan of sour...but these were actually quite good.  And fresh! And cold! All good things in my book.  If you are curious, I would really encourage you to check out this recipe here, at Pure Sugar.

And if you are not a sour fan...try this take on grapes.  Simply wash your grapes and pop them in the freezer for 2-3 hours.  Remove from freezer and begin popping them in your mouth!  It is a fresh, cold alternative to eating plain grapes without doing hardly anything!

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Do YOU have a recipe that you would like featured here?  Send us an email to purefemininity@gmail.com and we will post your recipe in our series!  We'd love to hear from you! :)

Recipe Mondays: Graham Cracker Brownies

By now you MAY have guessed that I like taking usual recipes and turning them into...slightly unusual.  For instance, who would have thought of Graham Cracker Brownies?!  I have no idea...but you know what?  They are DELICIOUS!

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Simple, easy to make, delicious, and unusually usual...try this Graham Cracker Brownie recipe out here, at Graceful Little Honey Bee!  I doubt you'll be sorry!

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Do YOU have a recipe that you would like featured here?  Send us an email to purefemininity@gmail.com and we will post your recipe in our series!  We'd love to hear from you! :)