Tropikale Smoothie

Yellowbrick Cafe

1 whole banana
1/2 cup pineapple
3/4 cup mango
12 oz milk
2 stems of kale 

Use frozen fruit for a quick cold drink. Blend and enjoy! 

Sunny's Book Club Fruit Salad

Recipe Found HERE

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Water 

Juice Of 1 Orange 

Zest Of 1 Orange 

2 whole Vanilla Beans, Caviar Scraped Out (or 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract) 

4 pt. Strawberries, hulled and halved 

2 pt. Blueberries 

2 cups Red Grapes, halved 

2 cups Green Grapes, halved 

Mint Leaves 

Place the sugar, water, orange juice and orange zest into a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-20 to thicken slightly. Set aside to cool, then store in the fridge until cold. 

Mix together all the fruit in a large bowl and pour the syrup over the top, tossing gently. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas

The chicken mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated.

Recipe Found HERE

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you'll need about 6 chilis)
4 vine-ripened tomatoes (about 1-1/4 pounds), seeded and diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons honey
2-1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken (white and/or dark rotisserie meat)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
6 10-inch diameter flour tortillas
4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Lime wedges, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the chipotle peppers and tomatoes. Cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture is thickened, stirring often, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the scallions, honey, chicken, salt and cilantro. Keep warm.

Heat a sauté pan/griddle over medium heat and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Lay a tortilla in the pan and heat until hot to the touch but not crisp (air pockets may form). Flip the tortilla over, then sprinkle 2/3 cup of the cheese evenly overtop, being careful to keep it off the pan.

Spread a generous 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture over half of the tortilla. When the cheese is mostly melted, fold the tortilla over to cover the filling and form a half-moon shape. Cook until the tortilla is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted, adjusting the heat as necessary, a few minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Let the quesadillas rest a few minutes to allow the filling to set, then cut into wedges. Serve with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.

Note: If you have a large griddle, use that to make the quesadillas so you can make a few at a time. Also, be sure to serve your quesadillas hot of the pan (or off the griddle), otherwise, they’ll get soggy and the cheese will harden. If this does happen, you can pop them in a 350 F degree oven to heat them up, but they won’t be as crisp and gooey as they are fresh.

Chicken Nachos

Recipe Found HERE

You can easily prepare the chicken the day before or in the morning, to throw together later. One pan is enough for about 4-5 people. 

FOR THE CHICKEN
2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus 1 tablespoon sauce from can
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded cooked chicken, from 1 rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

FOR THE NACHOS
1 (13-oz) bag tortilla chips
7 cups (28 oz) shredded Mexican blend cheese
2/3 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)
1/4 cup finely sliced scallions, from 2 to 3 scallions
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL)
Guacamole
Sour cream
Limes wedges

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE CHICKEN
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and saute, stirring constantly for 1 min (garlic can burn fast). Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary.

Add the tomato sauce, chipotle peppers and sauce, sugar, cumin, oregano, and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken and cilantro.

FOR THE NACHOS
Preheat the oven to 425°F and set two racks in the center of the oven. Arrange the tortilla chips in a single layer, overlapping slightly, on two 13 x 18-inch baking sheets. Spread the chicken evenly over the chips, followed by the cheeses. Bake until the cheese is melted, 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the nachos from the oven, then sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately, passing the guacamole, sour cream, and lime wedges separately.

Make-Ahead Instructions: The chicken mixture can be made in advance and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead of time. Warm the chicken to room temperature in the microwave before assembling the nachos.

Fresh Guacamole

Recipe Found HERE

3 avocados, ripe
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3 Tablespoons, fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh lime, juiced
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt, salt to taste


Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit and skin and place in a mixing bowl. Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you'd like.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir together.

To store or make ahead:
Place your leftover guacamole in a storage container and pat it down firmly with a spoon so it’s nice and flat on top. Add about 1/2 inch of cold water on top. Place the lid on the storage container and store it in the fridge. When you want to enjoy the guacamole, drain the water off the top, give it a stir and you’re good to go.

Basic Vanilla Granola

Vanilla yogurt with blueberry jam mixed in and topped with crunchy vanilla granola or enjoy the granola dry, even throw in a few chocolate chips! 

Sunny A.

Recipe Found Here

4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup honey
1 egg white
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F, and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment, or sprayed foil.

Place the oats, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl and toss to combine.

Stir the melted butter, honey, egg white and vanilla, and pour into the oat mixture. Stir together until well-combined.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet, spreading it out in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until the almonds look lightly toasted.

Cool completely on the baking sheet, then transfer to an airtight container. Keeps for 2 weeks at room temperature.

Serve over yogurt with other toppings:
strawberries, kiwi, banana, blueberries, shredded coconut etc

Cinnamon Orange Granola (NY Times)

Sunny A.

2 1/2 c old fashioned oats
2 1/2 c unsweetened cornflakes
1 c sliced almonds
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c honey
1/2 c real maple syrup
1/4 c canola oil
zest of 2 large oranges
2 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 325.

In a large bowl, mix oats, cornflakes, almonds, salt and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.

In a small saucepan combine honey, maple syrup, canola oil and orange zest. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat. Add vanilla.

Pour hot liquid over dry ingredients and mix well. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread evenly.

Bake until golden brown and evenly toasted 15-20 minutes.

Remove baking sheet from oven and place on cooling rack to cool. Mixture will be soft and sticky while hot but will dry and become crisp as it cools.

When granola is room temp, break apart and store in an airtight container.

Note: a trick to tell if you have baked your granola long enough: remove a small spoonful of granola from the oven and let it sit for a few minutes until cooled. It should cool quickly. If it is nice and crunchy, you know you can remove the rest from the oven.

Serve over yogurt with other toppings:
strawberries, kiwi, banana, blueberries, shredded coconut etc

Double Chocolate Banana Bread or Muffins

Recipe found here 

3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup (115 grams) butter, melted
3/4 cup (145 grams) brown sugar (I use dark here; either light or dark work)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (about 6 ounces or 170 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips

Heat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or spray it with a nonstick baking spray. Mash bananas in the bottom of a large bowl. (You’ll have a little over 1 cup mashed banana total.) Whisk in melted butter, then brown sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Place baking soda, salt, cinnamon (if using), flour and cocoa powder in a sifter or fine-mesh strainer and sift over wet ingredients. (My cocoa is almost always lumpy, so this is essential for me.)

Stir dry and wet ingredients with a spoon until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks or chips.

Pour into prepared pan and bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out batter-free. Muffins bake 15-20 min.

Cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert it out onto a cooling rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. The banana bread will keep for up to 4 days at room temperature.

Pictured with Pumpkin Muffins 

Pumpkin Muffins

I use all whole wheat pastry flour instead of a white/wheat combo

Recipe found HERE 

2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) AP white flour
1 cup (5 ounces) whole wheat flour (King Arthur white wheat)
2 cups white granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
1/2 unsweetened applesauce
4 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk (or water)
1 to 2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (optional), 2 cups is better 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pans or three 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pans or muffins pan (makes about 28 regular size).

In a large bowl mix flours, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together. Set aside.

In a medium bowl whisk together canned pumpkin, oil, eggs and 2/3 cup buttermilk, until well combined and stir into dry ingredients, just until the dry ingredients are moistened and no dry streaks remain.

Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter in prepared pans. Bake the bread for 50 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake muffin tins 18-25 minutes. I dump muffins out after just cooling 1-2 minutes to make sure the bottoms don't get too done.

Remove the bread from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Run a knife gently around the edge of the bread and turn the bread out, right side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

May freeze. After cooling, wrap the bread in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

***Cool Veggie Pizza***

Recipe Found here

1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups assorted fresh vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cucumber, green or red bell pepper, tomato, green onions, mushrooms, carrot, zucchini or yellow summer squash

Preheat oven to 350°F. Unroll crescent dough; separate into eight triangles. On Large Round Stone with Handles, arrange triangles in a circle with points in the center and wide ends toward the outside. Using lightly floured Baker's Roller®, roll dough to a 12-inch circle, pressing seams together to seal. Bake 12-15 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from oven; cool completely.

In Classic Batter Bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic pressed with Garlic Press and dill weed. Season with salt and black pepper; mix well with Small Mix 'N Scraper®. Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over crust.

To prepare vegetables, coarsely chop broccoli or cauliflower with Food Chopper. Dice or slice cucumber, bell pepper, green onions or tomato using Utility Knife. Slice mushrooms using Egg Slicer Plus®. Grate carrot using Rotary Grater. Crinkle cut yellow squash or zucchini using Crinkle Cutter.

Sprinkle vegetables over pizza. Cut into squares with Pizza Cutter; serve using Mini-Serving Spatula.

Yield:
10 servings of

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 190, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 260 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tips:

All-Purpose Dill Mix or Italian Seasoning Mix can be substituted for the dill weed, if desired.

Cucumber Salsa

(Johan G.)

2 cucumbers, chopped (no seeds)
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup green bell peppers, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (no seeds, this is optional)
1 small onion, chopped
1 to 2 Tbsp lime juice
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 tsp minced fresh parsley
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt

Mix everything, cover, refrigerate. Sometimes I use dried parsley and cilantro, as well as garlic powder, if I don't have them fresh. Served well in a flour tortilla!

***Soft Chewy Caramel Popcorn***

(Jenn H.)

1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup white corn syrup
1 15oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 teaspoons salt (fine sea salt)
3 gallons popped popcorn (1.5 cups of kernels)

Prepare the popcorn; I use an air-popper. The popcorn doesn't require extra butter or oil, since you'll be covering it in caramel.Use a cooling rack placed on top of a baking sheet to spread the popcorn over and let any un-popped kernels fall through. Set aside popcorn in several large bowls.

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan, stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Add sweetened condensed milk slowly and simmer stirring constantly. Bring almost to soft ball stage (about 220 degrees), remove from heat and add vanilla and salt. Pour over popcorn and slowly turn over to cover popcorn in caramel. Makes about 20-30 popcorn balls.

Pumpkin Muffins - healthy

(Anne B.)

Cover ½ c. raisins in hot water and set aside (optional)

Combine in a bowl:
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
½ cup loosely packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
scant teaspoon ground ginger
couple of shakes of ground cloves
couple of shakes of ground nutmeg
2 Tablespoons ground flax meal

Add all at once:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 very ripe banana
½ cup applesauce
2 Tablespoons honey

Stir only until moistened. Drain raisins and add in.

Spoon into greased or papered muffin cups, makes 12 nearly-full muffins.

Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Beanland Banana Nut Muffins - healthy

(from Beanland blog)

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Combine in a bowl:
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoonbaking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Combine in the vitamix (or any blender) until soupy:
2 Tablespoon flaxseed meal (ground flax seed)
3 Tablespoons water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Pour wet into dry, and mix just until combined. This is when the rising starts, so make sure you don’t mix out the bubbles. Be gentle when you spoon into 12 muffin cups (greased or papered).

Top each muffin with two or three crumbled pecans and some brown sugar. Put them in the oven immediately (again, so they stay light).

Bake for 15-20 minutes until they spring back a bit when you touch the center.

Date Nut Pop 'Ems

(Anne B.)

1 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
10 dried medjool dates, pitted
1 Tablespoon cinnamon



Put the nuts and seeds in a food processor and let it go 30-60 seconds depending on the texture you like. The longer it blends the smoother and easier it is to shape into balls. Add the dates and cinnamon. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon for “plain” treats and 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons for cinnamon-y treats.

You can also add 1 Tablespoon of cocoa powder at this point for a really decadent treat.

Food process for another 10-20 seconds or so, until everything is well-incorporated. Then wash your hands and make pop 'em balls! Store in refrigerator.

recipe found here

Popcorn

3 Tablespoons oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
salt

Put oil and popcorn in a heavy pot over medium high heat with lid cracked. When popping slows turn off heat and salt to taste.

Fresh Fruit Kabobs

(Heather C.)

Much more popular than a regular serving bowl of fruit, these will go extremely fast! You can make a day ahead and cover in the fridge with plastic wrap. Use any fruit you want, but rememeber some like apples or bananas will turn brown.

1 bag grapes
1 container strawberries
1 pineapple
1 extra large cantaloupe, or 2 small
1 bag long wooden skewers

Cut strawberries in half and slice pineapple and cantaloupe in small chunks. Start wooden skewer with:

3 grapes
2 cantaloupe chunks
2 pineapple chunks
2 strawberry slices
2 cantaloupe chunks
3 grapes

Place on large platter to serve, makes about 20.

Apple Dip

Light cream cheese tastes just as great. This is an easy recipe to double.

1 package cream cheese, 8 ounces
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 bag Toffee bits

Mix cream cheese, sugars, and vanilla with electric mixer. Add toffee bits and stir by hand. Dip in apples!

Pico de Gallo

(Pioneer Woman Cooks blog)

5 plum (Roma) tomatoes (firm, not soft)
1 small onion, or half of 1 large
3 jalapeno peppers
1/2 - 1 bunch cilantro
1 fresh lime
salt
tortilla chips

Cut the ends off the jalapenos and chop them into a small dice. To reduce the spiciness discard seeds from the peppers. Place peppers in a large bowl. Do not remove seeds with your fingers, the heat of the pepper seeds can burn your skin if rubbed in, use a small spoon or wear gloves! (can you tell that comes from my personal experience)?
Dice the tomatoes and onion and add to bowl with jalapenos. Chop up a nice-sized bunch of cilantro. You can cut off the long stems before you start, but there's no need to peel the leaves from the stems. Chop cilantro until it's relatively fine, but not minced. Add cilantro to bowl and stir.
Cut lime in half and squeeze one half or the whole lime over the mixture in the bowl. Add salt to taste, remember the tortilla chips or other accompaniment will likely be salty. Stir all and serve with tortilla chips. Store in container in refrigerator (I like to chill mine at least 1 hour before serving, but you don't need to).

If you don't finish eating it as a dip, it makes a great quesadilla filling too!
Quesadillas too!
whole wheat flour tortillas
cheese
pico de gallo

Place one tortilla in frying pan over medium heat. Add cheese and pico and then place one more tortilla over top and heat until cheese melts and it's as crispy or soft as you like your quesadilla to be. Yum!
recipe & photo found here