Apricot Nut Bread

This is a "I need something sweet but don't want to feel guilty" kind of recipe. It's good for you and it's filling. And my daughter loves it! That's a rare thing. I have a book called The Green Diet and the author has a website: mygreendiet.com. The book and website have a variety of vegetarian/vegan recipes that taste wonderful. I can't tell you that I eat this way all the time but I do believe in the benefit this kind of diet has on your health. I wish I ate this way more often cause I can tell you from personal experience that I feel great when I do. Enjoy!


Apricot Nut Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup apple juice
• ½ cup all-fruit apricot spread or apricot jam
• 2/3 cup chopped dried apricots
• ½ cup oat bran
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 Tbs honey
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Bring the apple juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add the apricot spread, apricots, and oat bran, let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine the oil, bananas, and honey in a large mixing bowl; whisk well. Add apricot mixture. Add the dry ingredients to the banana-apricot mixture, stirring just until moist.

4. Spoon the batter into a greased loaf pan. Back for 55-65 minutes or until pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love this recipe! My family loves it, it's fun to make around this time of year and it's just so easy.

1 large can of pumpkin (the stuff you buy for pumpkin pie)
2 boxes of spice cake mix
1-2 bags of chocolate chips (I like to use 2 bags and semi-sweet)

Combine all ingredients. Scoop into balls (as best you can) onto a lightly greased baking sheet. The dough is easier to make into balls when it's been in the refrigerator for a while. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-15 minutes (depending on your oven-just keep an eye on them). They are done when the bottoms of the cookie are a darker brown. This makes a lot, like 6 dozen or more.


Daughter rating= 5 (Loved it!)

long time

It's been a while since I've updated this blog. I love new recipes but when I'm trying to find new ones and making them I tend to lose track of my health and weight and forget about eating healthy. Because of this I've once again started the 'eat to live' diet (also known as the Dr. Fuhrman diet). Last weekend we had a little bit of a scare with my blood pressure being WAY too high. I've always had this problem but it wasn't until I got pregnant with my daughter that I realized it was an issue. Since then I've struggled with it. If I don't eat healthy my blood pressure is high. It's as simple as that. I can no longer pretend to not be aware of this and need to make changes. I love food and love when it tastes good. So right now I'm in search of recipes that are vegetarian or vegan that taste good. I won't continue to eat healthy unless I find food that is enjoyable to eat. I have found that the eat to live diet is the quickest way for me to get my blood pressure down so this is one of the reasons for choosing it. I feel good about it though and have a better attitude this time around. So if anyone is reading this and has some recipes to share I would really appreciate it. When I find good recipes that are worth posting than I will share them also. Thanks!

Mmmm, mmmm good recipes etc.

I'm sorry to those that check this blog. I haven't been very good at posting the new recipes I have been trying. But the 4 posts before this were 4 great new recipes that I loved and hope you will too! If you try them I would love to know what you think! I know there have been a couple of you that have sent me some recipes that I haven't tried yet. I haven't forgotten and I still want to try them. So keep them coming and send them to lindsey_pfeil@yahoo.com. I'm also starting to rate the recipe to how my daughter liked it. She's very picky and I'm trying to do new things. She's about 18 months old. We'll see how it goes. Here's how I'm going to rate them. They're not professional sounding at all, but describe my daughter's eating habits very well. She's a number 2 most of the time.

1-Didn't touch it
2- Tried a little but spit it out
3- Tried a little and swallowed a little
4- Liked it!
5- Loved it!

Cinnamon Apple French Toast Bake

Having my husband wake up to the smell of this wonderful breakfast dish was such a treat for me. That is one of the reasons I enjoy cooking new things. This reminded me of a type of cobbler that can be cooked in a dutch oven or a breakfast you would have on Christmas or Easter morning. Mmmm, it was good.

Daughter rating: 4- Liked it!

Cinnamon Apple French Toast Bake

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf (1lb) Cinnamon Bread - cut into cubes (I used Apple Friter Bread I found at Walmart. Leave the bread out for a little while to dry before putting in the pan. It will soak up the egg mixture better)
  
• 1-21 oz. can Apple Pie Filling
• 4 oz. Cream Cheese - cut into cubes (I used about 6 oz.)
  
• 5 Eggs
• 1 ¼ cup Half&Half
• 2 T. Maple Syrup
• ½ t Cinnamon
• Maple Syrup

Method:

Grease one 9-inch deep dish pie pan. (I used a large 9 x 9 baking dish and it worked great)

Divide cinnamon bread cubes in half. Place half of the cubes in the bottom of the pie pan.

Spread apple pie filling over bottom layer of bread cubes. (I ran a knife through the larger pieces of apple, while they were still in the can, so that the apple would be in small pieces in the dish)

Sprinkle cream cheese cubes over apple pie filling and top with remaining bread cubes.

In a small bowl mix eggs, half & half, maple syrup and cinnamon; pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

Remove covering and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes (until golden brown).

Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving.

Slice, drizzle each serving with maple syrup and ENJOY! (my husband and I had it without syrup and it was still good.)

Again, thank you Studio 5 for the delicious recipe!

Hot Corn Dip

My family loved this dip. This is a good one to serve at get togethers as well. It is the perfect blend of mild and spicy flavors and it's very filling. It could also be served up as a salad or maybe a main dish. Sorry, I never take pictures of the new food I make. They don't look that amazing but they always taste delicious!

Daughter rating: 1-Didn't touch it

(I made this dip twice. The second time I did it I used one large can of chicken and that tasted good as well)

Hot Corn Dip

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3-4 ears of fresh corn on the cob (can use frozen if it is out of season. It's about 3-4 cups of frozen corn)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small can of white hominy (drained)
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 pepper in adobe sauce, chopped
• 1 small can of olives, sliced
• 1 cup imitation crab pieces
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, rough chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, divided
• ¼ cup mayonnaise

Method:

Slice the kernels off the cob. Drizzle olive oil in a large pan and fry the corn until golden brown. Add pepper, hominy, onions, garlic and sauté until onions are translucent. Season the vegetables with salt & pepper. In a large bowl mix, sour cream, mayonnaise, adobe pepper, olives, crab, cilantro and ½ of the cheese. Add vegetables to the sour cream mixture, pour in to baking dish, and top with rest of cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to brown. Enjoy with tortilla chips.

Pantry-Friendly Mexican Cooking by LeAnn Bird
www.pantryfriendlycooking.com

Another great recipe from Studio 5. Thank you!

Bowtie Chicken Salad

Another great recipe from Studio 5. This is a great get together salad.

Daughter rating: 2- Tried a little but spit it out

Bowtie Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

• 10oz. Bowtie pasta, boiled until tender
• 3 large chicken breasts, boiled till cooked, cut into bite size pieces.
• 2 cans mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 cups water chestnuts, drained
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup honey roasted peanuts
• 5-10oz. spinach (add spinach before serving)
• 
  
• Dressing
• 1/2cup oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Method:

Whisk all dressing ingredients together

Combine all ingredients except spinach. Place overnight in refrigerator in zip-lock bag.

Before serving: Mix together zip-lock bag ingredients and spinach...serve.

Avocado Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce

I've come to realize I really love trying new recipes. This is a great way of keeping track of all the new things I try and like or not like. These Avocado Egg Rolls I LOVED. My husband not so much. He's a much bigger fan of subtler tastes. I got this recipe from Studio 5 Recipes. Yummy!

Daughter rating: None. We ate this when she was in bed.

Avocado Egg Rolls with Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, & diced
• 4 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped
• 2 tablespoon minced red onion
• 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ t. salt
  
• 6 egg roll wraps

Method:

Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and salt. Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up over the filling.

Fold side corners in and roll toward the top corner. Wet the edges of the top corner with a little water. Then fold top corner over and press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Slice egg rolls diagonally across middle and serve with prepared dipping sauce.

Honey Cilantro Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3-4 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup chopped cashews
• 2/3 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 green onions
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Method:

To make dipping sauce, use a blender or food processor to puree all listed ingredients except olive oil. Blend until well pureed. Then stream in olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to use.

My tip/addition: I added about 4 tablespoons of crumbled bacon to the egg roll mix and I loved it. I'm sure it would be awesome with even more.

Fortune Cookies

I made homemade fortune cookies! Sometimes I see these new recipes or new craft projects and decide I want to try it. Then I get way in over my head. That's what happened with the fortune cookies. After I was finished I'm glad I did them but they were a longer process than I thought and not good to do on a Thursday night, wanting to have them ALL ready Friday morning. The pictures didn't turn out the greatest but you can get the idea. One day I'll put pictures up of each step, because I think that's useful when making these for the first time. I even put little fortunes in each of them, dipped them in chocolate, and put different sprinkles on them. They're not your average fortune cookies. They are sweeter and taste pretty good. They were fun though and Michael took them to work with him on Friday (to celebrate Valentines day since it was on a Sunday). They were a big hit there and I'm glad everyone enjoyed them.

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons water
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• Optional: food coloring or chocolate
• Pam spray

Method:

1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and not more than ½" inch wide. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray two or three 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.

2. 2. In a mixing bowl, on medium speed beat the egg white, extracts, water and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.

3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl.

4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should be thin enough so that it pours off of a spoon, but not too thick that it won't spread easily with the back of the spoon.

Optional: if you want to color the cookies, add the food coloring at this point, stirring it into the batter. Start with just a little bit, as it doesn't take much to change the color. You can also add a few tsps of melted semi-sweet chocolate at the point. Beat well. You can also divide the batter and try a few different things with it.

5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. Some recipes call for you to tilt the cookie sheet to spread the batter, but I like to use the back of a round Tablespoon to spread it out a bit.

6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (14 - 15 minutes). If you take them out and they are not coming off easily you can put them back in the oven for a few minutes.

7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a spatula and flip it over in your hand. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass, wooden spoon or the edge of a muffin tin. Place the finished cookie in the cup of a muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.

To begin with bake only one cookie, then move on to 2, 3 and 4. I don't like doing more than 4, as any more and by the time I get to them they have cooled down and will crack with folding.

These cookies will be hot when you take them out and handle them. Clean, white cotton gloves can be used to avoid injury.

What I did: I dipped mine in different kinds of chocolate when the fortune cookies all cooled off. Then right after dipping them I put sprinkles on them. I put the fortune cookies in the refrigerator to harden and cool.

Click here if you want a video on how to do them.Before being dipped in chocolateIn the refrigerator cooling

Different sprinkles

Lasagna

So last night I made Lasagna for the first time. And I have to tell you it turned out really good and my husband and daughter loved it. Which is saying something because she has been so picky lately. Again I got this recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

Lasagna

Ingredients
1/2 lb lasagna noodles (9 noodles)
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (1-pound, 12-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (3 ounce) package spaghetti sauce mix
2 cups ricotta or cottage cheese
2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions
Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. Pour off water. Place each noodle carefully on waxed paper to prevent sticking together. Brown ground beef. Add minced garlic and pepper to ground beef. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and spaghetti sauce mix. Simmer about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside 1 cup meat sauce and 1/2 cup grated mozzarella for later use.

Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan. Layer one cup meat sauce mixture on bottom of pan. Layer 3 noodles over meat sauce mixture to cover. Layer 1/2 cup cottage cheese, followed by 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese, over that. Repeat layers a total of three times, ending with the reserved 1 cup meat sauce and 1/2 cup reserved grated mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Makes 10-12 servings.

My tips
I would have been more generous with the meat sauce, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese. It still turned out good but next time I'll be adding a little more of everything so nothing dries out.

Mini-Cheesecakes

I also made these for the same baby shower as I did the meltaway cookies. The cupcakes tins I used were even smaller so the recipe went even further. They turned out really good and went pretty fast at the shower. I also got this from The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

Mini-Cheesecakes

Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice (optional)
18 vanilla wafers
1 can cherry pie filling or rasberry pie filling/topping

Directions
In a large bowl beat together cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, sugar, and lemon juice. Put 18 paper baking cups into muffin tins. Place 1 vanilla wafer in bottom of each cup. Pour batter into muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-15 minutes. When cool, top with pie filling of your choice. Makes 18 mini-cheesecakes.

My tips
For the really mini-cheesecakes I used mini vanilla wafers.

Meltaway Cookies

I made these for baby shower. They were perfect because they were so cute and small. The colors for the shower were pink and green so we decorated the tops of them with pink and green frosting. They are really rich but so good and they do kind of melt in your mouth. I got this recipe from the cookbook called The Essential Mormon Cookbook.

Meltaway Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup butter
3/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup flour
1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

Directions
In a medium bowl cream butter until fluffy. Add cornstarch and sugar and blend well. Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed. Drop by small teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet and flatten out with the bottom of a glass. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking). Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (3oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together. Color with food coloring if desired.

My tips
I melted the butter a little because it makes it so much easier to blend with the other ingredients.
I just used my hands to make teaspoon size balls and put those on the baking sheet.
I liked mine a little softer so I cooked them for about 9-10 minutes.
These cookies are pretty fragile.
I used a different cream cheese recipe. This one makes ALOT. I made three or four batches of cookies and still had leftover frosting.

My cream cheese frosting recipe (from my aunt Denise):

Cream Cheese Frosting
1- 8 oz. cream cheese;softened 1 cube margarine 1 tsp. vanilla approx. 1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix altogether.

Overnight Broccoli & Ham Strata

This recipe is a family tradition on Michael's side of the family. They have it on Christmas morning. When Michael described it to me it sounded interesting but good. It seemed more of a casserole than a breakfast. But I wanted to make it for him because he was away from his family for Christmas and I thought this would bring back a lot of memories. Well I'm so glad I did. It was sooo good. Michael enjoyed it so much and it lasted several days because it makes so much and is so filling. That is of course with only two people and a 14 month old. Thanks Mom Pfeil for the recipe!

Overnight Broccoli & Ham Strata

Ingredients 12 slices (firm textured ) white bread 1 bag (1 lb) frozen chopped broccoli – defrosted 1 lb (sharp or mild) cheddar cheese – shredded 2 cups (abt 12 oz) diced cooked ham 6 eggs 3 ½ cups milk 1 tsp. Dry mustard 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbs. Instant minced onion ½ tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp. Pepper

Directions Using a 3 inch doughnut cutter, cut a ring from each bread slice, set aside. Cut the trimmings into cubes. Spread out the broccoli on paper towels to drain thoroughly. In a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, arrange in layers the bread cubes, ¾ of cheese, the broccoli, ham and bread rounds. Top with remaining cheese. Beat together eggs, milk, mustard, worchestershire, minced onion, garlic powder and pepper until well blended. Pour evenly over casserole making sure all bread round s are saturated. Cover and refrigerate 12 hours or overnight. Bake casserole uncovered in 350 degree oven about 1 hr or until center appear set. Cool at least 15 min before cutting into squares to serve. Serves 12.

Classic Apple Pie

For Michael's Christmas pie he chose apple. I had never made it before but it was pretty easy. Of course I took the easy way out and bought apple pie filling. But it's what I recommend if you don't have a ton of time and it's really good.

Classic Apple Pie

Ingredients
Double crust for a 9'' pie (homemade or purchased)
2 cans (21 0z) Apple Pie Filling or Topping

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 9'' pie pan with pie crust. Pour apple filling evenly into crust. Place vented or lattice crust over filling or create decorative top crust using cookie cutters to make shapes. Lay directly on fruit filling. Crimp edges to seal. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F and bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Serves 6 to 8.

My tips
I made slits on the top crust because mine did not come with it. It worked great.

Egg Nog Pumpkin Pie

I found this recipe I think in the summer of 2009. I was watching Emeril and he had a Military Contest. It's actually called Stacey's "I don't have any evaporated milk!" Pumpkin Pie. She was a chef for the military and didn't have any evaporated milk so instead she used egg nog. I love pumpkin pie but this is one of the best recipes I've tasted. It's so moist and has such an amazing flavor. I made this for Thanskgiving and also for Christmas. Michael's mom growing up had all the kids choose a pie to have on Christmas. I thought this was a great tradition and so this is the pie I chose. I can't get enough of pumpkin pie and apparently neither could my husband or daughter. :).

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie


Ingredients
-1 pre-made pie crust
-1 small can pumpkin puree
-1 1/2 cups egg nog, storebought or homemade
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Put the pumpkin, egg nog, eggs, and both sugars into a mixing bowl and mix on low until incorporated. Add salt, vanilla and cinnamon until just incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell and bake in preheated over for 45 minutes.

My tips:
I had to cook mine for about an hour. When it gets a brown spot on the top is when I knew it was done.
I recommend getting a deep dish pie crust because there is a lot of filling.
Stick a knife in middle, when it comes out clean it's ready.

it's been a while

I really don't know who looks at this blog. Especially since I have been so bad at updating it. If you do look at it I'm sorry for being absent for a while. While I make no promises I will try to be better at posting my new recipes. I've started up the eating plan on the eat to live diet again. I do plan on doing better this time around. But I still enjoy trying new recipes and I love to see my husband's face when he tries it and loves it. My daughter is also in the very picky stage so hopefully she'll benefit from these new recipes as well. So my goal is to try 2-3 new recipes a month. I'm hoping to do better than that but I figure if I put the goal low than I won't be disappointed. Anyway. Have a great day!