Chicken Gyros, & Greek Inspired Pizza with Tzatziki!

I know it’s been a while since I have posted anything to this blog and I regret that, but the important thing is that I am here now posting up a fantastic recipe for all my followers to enjoy!

Quick rundown of life since I last posted.. been pretty busy with the holidays, recently going back on a diet, and we are in the process of selling our home in Idaho, and purchasing another here in Oregon.  As you can imagine life is hectic, and cooking is not always a top priority these days….. or at least it hasn’t been.  Like I said, I have recently gotten back on a diet (tracking calories) and so I am being forced to take a closer look at my food again and eat at home more often.  Until For the most part I am repeating recipes I have made in the past and know to be lower in calorie, but as I come across others I will try to find the time to post them here again.

The recipe I am going to share with you today is definitely a winner, and by no means does it seem like “diet food”.  It rivals any traditional gyro I have ever had, and by using the chicken and controlling the ingredients by making it at home you are eating much fewer calories.  The process looks a little involved, but it’s more work to type it out than it actually is to make them I promise.  So whether you are dieting like me, or just love gyros I highly recommend making these tasty little treats in the near future!

*sorry if the pics are a bit dark…. I have a new computer and still figuring things out.  Calibration is something I haven’t really gotten to yet, and besides that I haven’t really found the sweet light in the apartment yet anyway

Chicken Gyros

For serving:
4 pita flatbread (I use Smart & Delicious traditional flatbreads)
diced tomatoes (about 8-10 cherry tomatoes)
diced red onion (about 1/3 cup)
parsley (about 1/4 cup, chopped)
feta (I used about 4 T. of the President Mediterranean Herb Blend)

For Chicken:
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
juice and rind of one lemon
2 tsp. red wine vinegar
2 T. olive oil
2 heaping T. nonfat greek yogurt (Fage O%, strained variety works best)
1 T. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 lb chicken breasts, boneless/skinless

Tzatziki:
2 C. nonfat greek yogurt (again the Fage 0% strained)
1 large cucumber, peeled with seeds removed and diced very fine
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste (I like to use sea salt and white pepper)
lemon juice to taste (I use about a T. or so)

1. To make chicken combine the ingredients (other than chicken) in a bowl and whisk together.  Place chicken in marinade and toss to coat making sure it is fully submerged.  Cover and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours or up to 6.

2. To make tzatziki start by dicing your cucumber.  You want to make sure it is very fine since there will not be any processing as in some other tzatziki recipes.  Once you have it all cut up place it in the middle of a stack of paper towels and making a sort of pouch with the towels squeeze as much of  the excess water from the cucumber that you can.  You can repeat this step if you like.  Combine the cucumber with the remaining sauce ingredients and store in an airtight container in the fridge, allowing to sit for at least 2 hours before serving.  The longer it sits the more the flavors will marry as well.

3.  To cook the chicken preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through and juices run clear.  If you are working with thick breasts it can be helpful to pound them out a little before you marinate for faster cooking.  Once done allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing on the diagonal into strips.

 4. Assemble gyros by first warming flatbread in the microwave between some damp paper towels for about 20 seconds.  Place the warmed flatbread in the center of a square of foil on the counter.  Then place 2 T. of the tzatziki, a quarter of the meat, tomatoes, onions, parsley and feta.  Then fold the side over the other just enough for them to overlap in the middle.  Roll up in the foil bringing one end up to the center like you would for a burrito, and then tear the foil partway down all the way around the gyro to expose a bit of it.  This helps hold it together while eating and you just tear away the foil as you go.

 

As an added treat, I am also going to include my own little recipe for a mini pizza I have been enjoying almost daily.  I had extra from making the gyros and needed a lite lunch and this was the result…. the flavor in this little pizza is AMAZING and could easily be made into a full size pizza as well for everyone to enjoy.

Greek Inspired Mini Pizza with Tzatziki

1 flatbread (I use the same from above)
1 tsp. garlic flavored olive oil
course sea salt, just a pinch
dried oregano to taste
garlic powder to taste
Greek or Italian seasoning to taste
4-5 cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 T. Mediterranean Herb Feta
3 T. prepared Tzatziki sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Place flatbread on a small baking sheet and drizzle oil over one side. 
3. Season with the salt, oregano, garlic powder and Greek or Italian seasoning blend to taste.  I usually just take each and lightly tap over the entire thing until it’s covered.
4. Slice tomatoes very thin and arrange on top of your flatbread in single layer leaving a little space between slices.
5. Sprinkle the feta over top.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, and cut into 8 slices.
7. Top with tzatziki by dropping a bit onto each slice

 

Thanks for checking in and I hope you will stick around for whatever I have to share next!

 

Spiced Vanilla Apple Cupcakes with Vanilla Cinnamon Caramel Frosting

Wow, what a mouthful!  And trust me, you are going to want to have a mouth FULL of these!  A while back I made some caramel apple cupcakes, and they turned out good, but I knew they could be better.  After running out of desserts in our house yet again I decided today was the day to play around and see what I could come up with.

Some of the ingredients I used today might not have been my first choice, but I was trying to stick to things I had on hand.  For example, the confetti cake lol…. I would likely use plain white/vanilla next time.  I might also throw in more than the 15 caramels I had on hand, or perhaps even throw in some caramel syrup to really bring the flavor up front and center in the frosting.  Really though, even with the things used everything turned out great, and if I had those things on hand again I would use them in a heartbeat.

These cupcakes don’t rise a whole lot because of the density from the apples  so I recommend filling them fairly full.  When added the cinnamon to the frosting start with a little and add in small increments until you reach your desired amount.  If you are like me and want to save a bit of time, or enjoy a bit of texture in your cupcakes you can leave the apples unpeeled, however I find kids prefer them peeled.  Also, I know most apple desserts call for granny smith apples, but I used some firm golden delicious today and they worked very well, so don’t be afraid to use your apple of choice for this.

Servings : 24 cupcakes                 Time to make : 35-40 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 box cake mix (confetti or white)
• water, eggs according to box directions
• 1/3 cup applesauce (or however much oil the recipe calls for on box)
• 1 1/2-2 tsp. cinnamon
  
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 2 apples, diced 
• 1 can vanilla frosting
• 15-20 caramels
• 1 T. butter
• cinnamon to taste

Directions :

1. Mix cake mix, water, eggs, and applesauce in a large bowl until moist.  Continue on medium speed for 2 minutes.
2. Add cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, mixing well.
3. Fold in apple pieces.
4. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake according to box directions.
5. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
6. To make frosting : melt the caramels and butter in a glass bowl in microwave slowly, stirring every 10-15 seconds until smooth.  Set aside and allow to cool a bit.  Once cooled fold into the frosting until smooth.  Add cinnamon to taste.
7. Fill a piping bag, cut a small hole in the end, and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.  Then sprinkle a tiny bit of cinnamon on top.

Kicking off the Fall Season with some Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins!

Let me just start off by saying WOW!  My house sure smells amazing right now!  Not only were these muffins quick, and delicious, but they were also made from things I had on hand which is always a good thing.  This is especially true when you are trying to bake on a budget so to speak.  Maybe not everyone has cans of pumpkin on hand but I usually have at least three at any given time.

We really enjoyed these muffins, and my only thought is that it could stand to have even more spice to it, whether you use cinnamon or pumpkin spice, or nutmeg or ginger or whatever.  The recipe actually called for 2 Tsp. of cinnamon but I did 1 Tsp. cinnamon and 1 Tsp. pumpkin spice.  I also did 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup brown sugar for these.  I am pretty sure the recipe called for milk chocolate chips, but I tend to prefer dark chocolate so that is what I had on hand.  I don’t think you can go wrong with chocolate though.

I realize Fall has already started, and even the weather of late has been right on track for this great season.  However, in my house it isn’t truly Fall until October when we get to decorate for Halloween and start making all the yummy fall treats.  It’s also the month of my oldest son’s birthday so it’s always extra special now.  Anyway, these were the perfect thing to round out a day of decorating, and I hope everyone else is enjoying their fall as much as we are!

 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Serves : 28-30 muffins            Time to make : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 16 oz. canned pumpkin
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 12 oz. chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine the eggs through oil into a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl combine the flour through salt and then gradually incorporate into the wet ingredients until mixed well.
3. Fold in the chocolate chips.
4. Fill muffin cups (greased or lined)  3/4 full and bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 16-20 minutes.

 

Coming Up!

Hey everyone.  Wow, I know I have been MIA still, but I have a good reason.  My family recently packed up and moved a couple of states west, and are now residing near Portland OR!  Having just arrived last week, we are still settling in and likely will be for some time, but with the lovely Fall weather on the horizon I am getting very excited to start cooking and baking more again.

 

I think I have learned by now not to set a time limit for myself lol, but don’t be surprised if in the near future you start seeing recipes posted up by me again.  Right now we are in a simple, inexpensive mindset when it comes to meals as we settle into a new place in our lives, and with that there tends to be a lot of repeat meals.  So I can’t promise there will be many for a while to share, but when I come across a good one I will make sure to post it on here.  Afterall, I am sure many of you would appreciate something quick, simple and inexpensive for the menu from time to time as well.

Happy Fall!

Day 154 : Raspberry Sauce & Raspberry Lemon Shake

I wanted to make a lemon shake and got the idea to add raspberries, but I didn’t just want to throw whole berries into the mix.  A few years ago I created this raspberry sauce I knew would be perfect for this so went ahead and whipped some of that up and then used a bit of it for the shakes.  You will end up with extra sauce, but it is great over ice cream, on pancakes, or drizzled over cake, etc.  Tonight I used sugar free/fat free pudding because it’s what I had on hand, but honestly I HATE them.  I hate that fake sugar flavor and the feeling it leaves on my teeth, so unless you are dieting (and in that case you are likely aware of the issue and it doesn’t matter) I would suggest using the regular version.

 

Raspberry Sauce

Serves : makes about 1 cup              Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1 1/4 T. sugar
• 1 T. raspberry preserves
• 4-5 T. prepared pink lemonade (I just make a glass from the powder and measure from that)

Directions :

1. Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 
2. Push contents through a sieve to remove seeds.
3. Cover and store in the fridge.

Raspberry Lemon Shake

Serves : 1                 Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 cup vanilla ice cream
• 1 T. raspberry sauce
• 1 1/2 T. lemon pudding mix (instant)
• 1/2 cup milk
• whip cream

Directions :

1. Combine all but the whip cream in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Top with whip cream.

 

Day 153 : Oreo Cloud Shake

You may recognize the name of this one… or at least the cloud part.  My son insisted I name it that after we did so for the strawberry one earlier this year.  If you haven’t guessed by now it has marshmallow creme in it… hence the cloud part.  We used homemade cookies and cream ice cream for this, but I assume store bought would work just fine.  You may find you need a bit more milk though in that case, as the homemade stuff was pretty soft to begin with.

 

Oreo Cloud Shake

Serves : 1-2          Time to make : 3 minutes

Ingredients :

• 3 big scoops of cookies and cream ice cream
• 1/4 cup marshmallow creme
• 1/4 cup (or more) milk
• 1-2 oreos for garnish

Directions :

1. In a blender on high mix ice cream, marshmallow creme and milk until smooth.  You may have to stop and stir a few times to get the marshmallow mixed in properly.
2. Pour into one or two glasses and top with a crushed oreo or two.

Day 152 : Chipotle Lime Mixed Nuts

Since the first batch of mixed nuts turned out so well I have been meaning to try other flavor combinations.  This one tonight turned out well I think, and could only have been better if I had been able to put some pecans in the mix like last time.  However I only had almonds, macadamia nuts, and cashews, so I threw in some dry roasted peanuts to fill things out a bit (I dislike peanuts lol).  I liked using the popcorn seasoning because it already had some salt in it, and likely some sort of butter flavor which really made them extra yummy.

 

Chipotle Lime Mixed Nuts

Serves : makes 2 cups                  Time to make : 20 minutes

Ingredients :

• 2 cups raw mixed nuts (almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
• 1 1/2 T. vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 tsp. chili lime flavored popcorn seasoning
• 3/4 tsp. chipotle chili pepper seasoning

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.
2. Combine nuts, oil, and seasonings in a bowl and toss to coat.
3. Spread nuts out onto the sheet and bake for 15 minutes checking every 5 and giving them a stir.

 

Day 142 : Creamy Lime Cooler

Since the weather never got better yesterday we rescheduled for tonight which meant a quick recipe for me.  I have lots to do yet tonight so I will just make this brief.

The drink is awesome!  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I really like the creamy, but not thick texture and the lime with the pineapple is perfect.  I added the zest of the entire lime, and I really like the little pieces in there for some added texture and of course color.  I also went ahead and put the juice of the full lime in.  I will list the recipe as I made it below rather than the original.

Creamy Lime Cooler

Serves : 1              Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 cup pineapple juice
• juice of 1 lime
• zest of 1 lime
• 2 tsp. powder sugar
• 3 large scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions :

1. Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Day 143 : Southwest Turkey Roll-Up

I am still knee deep in editing so no trips to the store today, but luckily I had a few things on hand just in case I got busy like this.  I had been meaning to try the cream cheese and this seemed like the perfect time.  I actually really liked this and could see myself making it often for lunch.  It reminds me a bit of those tortilla wrap appetizers with the cream cheese, peppers, olives, etc.  But also a little bit like a meat roll up since of course it has meat.  Best of both worlds!

You could use whatever turkey you wanted for this, I just happened to buy mesquite last time.  Also any color pepper would work, but I had a container of the minis on hand.  Since I am watching my calories these days I opted out, but I bet a bit of shredded monteray jack would be good in there too.

Southwest Turkey Roll-Up

Serves : 1            Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 flat out light wrap
• 6 slices turkey 
• 1 T. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 T. southwest flavored cream cheese
• 2 mini peppers, sliced
• 1 green onion sliced

Directions :

1. Spread cream cheese onto wrap, then layer with turkey, cilantro, onions and peppers.
2. Tightly roll up jelly style and cut in half.

Day 144 : Margarito

With so much on my plate this week I just wanted a nice little something to relax with.  Based on what we had on hand this is what I came up with and I think it suits me perfectly since it combines two of my favorite drinks!  You get the fresh mintyness of the mojito mix, and the sweet/sour of the margarita mix.  Throw in a bit of alcohol and you’re set! lol

Anyway, I better get back to work.  So much to do and so little time to do it in!

Margarito

Serves : 1          Time to make : 3 minutes

Ingredients :

• 3 oz. sweet and sour mix
• 2 oz. mojito mix
• 2 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. cointreau
• ice

Directions :

1. In a shaker filled with ice, combine all ingredients and shake til well mixed and chilled.
2. Strain into a short glass with ice.

Day 145 : Taco Salad Nachos

Well I’m back!  Enjoyed my time away, and was able to recharge my batteries so to speak, but not it’s time to get back to things.

Tonight’s recipe is one we’ve made before and it’s perfect for any night.  It literally goes together in maybe 10 minutes, and it’s something the whole family can enjoy.  I know a lot of people have taco night because they are easy…. well these are even easier because you don’t have to assemble tacos and there is no worry about them spilling out onto your plate because they are already in a pile!  You can crunch up the chips and eat it more like a salad or leave the chips whole and eat them as nachos.

I will list our typical taco toppings, but feel free to use whatever you like for yours.

 

Taco Salad Nachos

Serves : 4                Time to make  : 10 minutes

 

Ingredients :

• 1 bag of tortilla chips (For extra flavor try hint of lime, pepper jack, or jalapeno chips)
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 pkg. taco seasoning
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 small can olives, sliced
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup sour cream (fat free)
• 1/2 cup guacamole
• 1 pkg shredded lettuce

Directions :

1. Brown ground beef in a skillet, and drain.  Add seasoning and water and mix.
2. Place chips on the bottom of the plate and layer the meat, cheese, onions, olives, and lettuce on top. 
3. Mix together the salsa, sour cream, and guacamole and pour over the top.

 

 

Thanks for your patience and I hope you will all stick with me!

 

Day 146 : Greek Turkey Burgers

Just trying to eat a little healthier, while at the same time choosing SIMPLE recipes since lately it seems we are always busy.  Burgers of course fit the bill for simple, but aren’t really always healthy.  We’ve tried numerous turkey burgers over the years…. some good and some not as good, but these were definitely some good ones!  Unlike many turkey burgers these remained nice and moist, and full of flavor.

The recipe just calls for olives, but I suggest kalamata olives in keeping with the Greek flavors.  I would also suggest a Mediterranean Herb flavored feta if you can find it.  I tried cooking some of these in a skillet while I cooked the others on my foreman grill since there isn’t much room on there, but the skillet ones didn’t turn out very well.  I am not sure if it’s just that they were too fat, and had trouble cooking through (which is of course necessary for turkey) or if it’s just something with needing to get used to the new stove, but I ended up having to put them on the foreman to finish off.

I served mine on a regular kaiser bun, with mayo and lettuce.  You could put some onion, tomato, even a slice of cheese…. whatever you like really.

 

Greek Turkey Burgers

Serves : 4                    Time to make : 15 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup olives, chopped
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. italian seasoning
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• black pepper to taste

Directions :

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Form into 4 patties.
3. Grill until fully cooked through.

 

Day 147 : Islander Smoothie

I often make a parfait using similar ingredients, and in fact I believe I have shared it here, but today I just felt like having a drink for breakfast.  Normally I have fresh ingredients on hand, but today I was down to some I had frozen from before and I didn’t want to deal with thawing and then cutting them so into the blender they all went.  Add a bit of milk and you are left with a nice thick, creamy, and island inspired smoothie!  Even better yet… it’s healthy!

Sorry for the boring shot… as I said I didn’t have any fresh ingredients for garnish and the frozen one broke in half when I tried to slice one side.  It may look boring but it tastes great I promise!

Islander Smoothie

Serves : 1                      Time to make : 3 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1/2 large banana sliced and frozen
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 container (I think about 6 oz) vanilla greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup low fat milk
• 2 T. shredded coconut (sweetened)

Directions :

1. Combine banana, pineapple, yogurt and milk in a blender and blend on high until smooth.
2. Add the coconut and blend until combined.

Day 148 : Nutella Iced Coffee

Ok, so I know it’s starting to look like I have a nutella addiction…. and maybe I do, but I came up with this the other night and just had to share it with you all!  Although I enjoy making blended frappes at home with my nifty machine I have been craving just iced coffees lately and have been experimenting with new versions of that.  This is simply YUMMY!  Creamy, chocolatey, nutty, and satisfies both my need for dessert and coffee all at once!

I don’t measure when making my coffees, so below are just estimates.  Feel free to add more or less to your taste.

 

Nutella Iced Coffee

Serves : 1              Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (I use hazelnut espresso beans)
• 2 T. nutella
• 1 T. chocolate syrup
• ice
• 2 T. fat free half and half
• milk (top off)

Directions :

1. Brew your coffee, then with that combine the nutella, chocolate syrup, and 2-3 ice cubes (helps it to blend) in a blender on high until well mixed.
2. Fill a tall glass about half full with ice then pour the coffee mixture over top.
3. Add the half and half and fill the rest of the way with milk.
4. Stir.

 

Day 149 : Greek Chicken & Potatoes

This is just a simple and tasty meal that I make fairly often (at least for me).  It isn’t super quick because you have to cut up chicken, potatoes, garlic, etc, but if you cut corners and either prep some of it ahead of time or purchase ready cut ingredients it could be a fairly quick meal…. great for a weeknight.  I hadn’t tried red peppers in it until tonight, but I enjoyed them for the color at least since they didn’t seem to change the flavor all that much.  It could be a good way to sneak in some veggies too.  You may need to adjust the cook time so your potatoes and chicken are both done, but a tip is to make sure they are both cut the same size and fairly small.

 

Greek Chicken & Potatoes

Serves : 4                    Time to make : 45 minutes

Ingredients :

• 2 large chicken breasts, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 C. poatoes, cut into bite sized pieces (I like red for this)
• 1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I also throw in the zest of one lemon)
• 1/4 extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 2/3-1 cup feta (tomato basil works well)

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and lightly spray a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Place chicken and potatoes in dish, and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add garlic (and some sort of veggie here if you like).
4. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and oregano and pour over the chicken and potatoes.  Stir to coat everything.
5. Pour the dissolved bouillon cube over everything and stir again.
6. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until chicken is done through and potatoes are tender.
7. Add the feta at the very end.

 

Day 150 : Spicy Spud Crusted Chicken

This is one of my favorite chicken recipes.  I came across it a long time ago and though the idea was a bit weird to me I fell in love with the taste and texture of this.  It really is easy to make and there is so much flavor!  I haven’t done it yet, but I bet you could do other seasoning blends too and get great results…. maybe italian, cajun, greek, etc.  For the potato flakes I like using regular Creamy Butter style, but you could try whatever you like.  Normally you would cut the chicken into strip sized pieces, but I just pounded mine out a little tonight and left them as whole breasts.

 

Spicy Spud Crusted Chicken

Serves : 4                         Time to make : 40 minutes

Ingredients :

• 3-4 large chicken breasts, cut into pieces
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup instant potato flakes
• 3 T. (basically 1 pkg) taco seasoning
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan

Directions :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Melt butter in a shallow dish and set aside.
3. Combine potato flakes, taco seasoning, cayenne pepper, and parmesan in a second shallow dish.
4. Dip chicken pieces in the butter first, and then roll into the potato mixture making sure to press the coating onto the chicken.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

 

Day 151 : Nanny’s Veggie Dip

While this is not my nanny it must have been someone’s, and IMO she knew what she was doing.  This is a great simple dip that uses things almost everyone has on hand at any given time.  For the purpose of showing just that I went with the dried versions as stated in the recipe, but I bet fresh ingredients could make this even better!  I almost always have onions, parsley, and garlic on hand, as I am sure many others do as well.

I made this today to dip carrots in because I was hoping to keep my caloric intake a little low for the afternoon since I knew we were eating out tonight.  However, once I made it and brought it into the living room to share in a sort of picnic Archer quickly decided he wanted some too, and I wasn’t comfortable with him having the carrots so I asked Jeff to grab some crackers for him to dip.  Tried it with the veggie ritz crackers and it was SOOOO good.  I could easily have eaten a whole sleeve of crackers that way myself.

Anyway, this is great for a crowd, either at a party or maybe a picnic or whatever.  Just make sure you give it some time to chill and let the flavors marry before you serve it.

 

Nanny’s Veggie Dip

Serves : about a cup                  Time to make : 5 minutes

Ingredients :

• 1/2 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/2 cup low fat mayo
• 1/2 T. parsley flakes
• 1/2 T. dried onion flakes
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 T. prepared mustard

Directions :

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well to mix.
2. Cover and chill for a couple hours before serving.

Hello

I am so happy to see that even with my current inactivity that people are still finding my blog and hopefully enjoying all the previously shared recipes. I wanted to say that I have not forgotten about this, and though things are crazy busy right now with my business and getting ready for a family vacation coming up in which we will be gone for a few weeks I just haven’t had the time to dedicate to this that I wish I did. Given all that is going on, I figured it would be best to just wait until we were back to start sharing on here again, so I hope all you dedicated readers will have patience with me for just a bit longer and not give up! We’ve been doing a lot of repeat recipes (when I actually cook) in my house lately so there hasn’t been much to share, but I have many recipes in mind for later on!  We will get back from our vacation towards the end of August so enjoy the rest of your summer and I hope to “see” you all when I get back!

A Hard Decision

After much thought and many nights agonizing over the issue I have decided to lighten the load so to speak and make this blog a bit more casual.  I still fully intend to do 365 days of recipes…. they just won’t necessarily be consecutive.

With the recent hiatus due to oven troubles and having to take a break I actually realized just how much I really needed the break.  This was always meant to be a fun thing, and it was at the start, but with the chaos of life there are just many days I scramble to find something for the recipe that day, and it adds a lot of stress to my day that I just don’t need.

Other people kept telling me not to be so hard on myself and to not worry about missing a day, but I felt like in doing so I would be failing in some way…. and maybe to a point I am, but I have to look at the grand scheme of things and honestly this is not top priority.  A stressful me, makes for a lot of issues that I would rather just avoid at home.

So now instead of making sure to have one every single day I am going to do them as I have a chance, and assume I will end up with a few a week on average this way.  I have to admit, when I started this I knew it would be tough, but I don’t think I truly understood just HOW tough it could get.  I totally commend those that are able to keep up with projects like this every single day.  I also wanted to say I appreciate my readers, and I realize it’s not like you are on the edge of your seat each night waiting for me to post up my newest recipes, but I like to think that there are those that are following me each day.  So I promise to finish this, it will just be a bit longer of a journey than I had originally anticipated!

Thanks for reading and understanding,

Alicia

a.k.a  Culinary Explorer

Off schedule…

Jeff was gone for the day, which threw our schedules way off.  So I had a pretty rough day with the kids and the time I had set aside to do my recipe today did not happen.  Rather than scramble with the kids and try to cook something last minute I am just going to let the day go and pick back up where I left off tomorrow.  Hope you all had a better day than I did!