V8 Splash Popsicles

These are so simple and my kids are LOVING these this summer! I love the price! :o)

V8Splash Popsicles

1 bottle of V8 Splash (our fav is the the strawberry)

Pour juice into popsicle molds and freeze overnight. Enjoy your healthy popsicles!

a fun opportunity...

Through a friend, I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger on My Crazy Adoption's website last week. It was fun putting the post together with recipes I've acquired over the past few years. You can view the guest post HERE.

Popsicles!

Can't claim these as my own recipes, but I did tweak them just a bit to our preferences. They turned out GREAT! I love having a freezer stocked with (somewhat) healthy popsicles for my kids in the summer! :o)

These are delicious FUDGE POPS! My tweaking was to replace the brown sugar with Sucanat (dehydrated cane juice). This recipe gave me 18 Dixie cup (3 oz) pops.

These are delicious ORANGE CREME POPS! My tweaking was to replace the ice cream with Blue Bunny vanilla frozen yogurt and double the recipe so I could use the entire can of OJ concentrate. I ended up with 24 Dixie Cup (3 oz) pops.

To Freeze: Set cups in freezer for 1 hour, then insert popsicle sticks. Once completely frozen store pops in gallon size Ziploc freezer bags.

To Serve: Run water over bottom & sides of cup (be care not to get it inside the cup :o) for a few seconds and then tear off cup sides and peel off bottom of cup. The cup should remove easily!

Whole Wheat Tortillas

This blog has been neglected because life happens. :o) Here's a great recipe for whole wheat tortillas that are amazing! I wanted something I can make at home - I'm not happy with the sodium content (or the price) of the store whole wheat tortillas. I found the original recipe on AllRecipes and tweaked it a bit today...

Whole Wheat Tortillas

1 c. unbleached white flour
4 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. canola oil
1 1/2 c. boiling water
additional flour for rolling

Mix flours & salt together in large bowl (or food processor) then add the oil. Mixing with hands or pastry blender until it is thoroughly mixed (looks like tiny crumbs).

Pour boiling water in and mix with fork. If dough is too dry add a bit more water until it sticks together. Transfer to floured board and knead until dough is smooth. Form into golf ball-size balls and place on tray. Cover with damp cloth. Let sit for 1-8 hours (I waited 1 hour and they turned out fine).

Roll each ball on floured board into a very thin circle. Place on hot griddle and watch until bubbles form then flip and cook 30 seconds on other side. If you cook them too long they'll be brittle.

These can be frozen and then thawed for future meals. Enjoy - you may never eat another store bought tortilla again! :o)

Whole Wheat Bagels

This recipe is also from The New Book of Whole Grains (Bumgarner).  It takes a bit of time, but so worth it!  The end result is a dense 100% whole wheat bagel that is delicious spread with fat-free cream cheese!  :o)

Whole Wheat Bagels

1 1/4 c. boiling water

3 T honey

1 T salt

2 T yeast

1/4 c. lukewarm water

4-4 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

Combine boiling water, honey & salt in large bowl; cool to lukewarm.  Dissolve yeast in 1/4. cup lukewarm water.  Add to honey mixture when it has cooled.  Stir in 2 c. flour to develop gluten.  Add remaining flour; kneading until dough is smooth and elastic.  

Shape into 12 balls.  Poke hole in middl eo feach one, pulling gently to enlarge working into donut shape.  cover lightly with dry cloth, let rise 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.  In large pot of salted water, boil bagel 4-5 at a time for 7 minutes turning once.  Bake on ungreased baking sheet 30-35 minutes.

Makes 12 bagels.

To Freeze: Slice each bagel almost completely through and place in Ziploc freezer bag. 

To Serve: Thaw at room temperature, microwave or toaster oven.

Bran Muffins

This recipe is originally from The New Book of Whole Grains (Bumgarner) that I had requested from my local library.  I had been looking for a good bran muffin recipe that was made from whole grains with honey.  This recipe is great & freezes well, too! 

I add 1/4 cup of ground flax seed for extra nutrition. I also add 1 tsp. of cinnamon.  I have made the recipe twice, once with yogurt and once with buttermilk and both taste great!  :o)

Bran Muffins

1/3 c. sunflower oil

1/2 c. honey

1 egg

2 c. whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. wheat bran

1/4. c. ground flax seed

1 c. buttermilk (or yogurt)

Cream together oil, honey & egg.  Stir together dry ingredients and add to honey mixture alternating with buttermilk (yogurt).  Batter will be thick.  

Spray muffin tin well!  Fill & bake 15-20 minutes at 400F.  Check at 15 minutes - that's when they're usually done in my oven.  

Makes 1 dozen.

To Freeze: Cool & bag in Ziploc Freezer bags.

To Serve: Thaw at room temp or microwave.

Blueberry Banana Bread

I have a whole foods cookbook that I LOVE!  It has a great recipe for banana bread I've made before and decided to change just a bit today after finding a package of frozen blueberries in the freezer that I had forgotten about.

changed slightly from the Banana Bread recipe in the American WholeFoods Cuisine book by Nikki & David Goldbeck

Blueberry Banana Bread

1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

1/4 c. wheat germ

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped nuts (I omitted due to my son's allergies)

1/4 c. oil

1/2 c. honey

3/4 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 banana mashed

1/2 c. blueberries

Combine dry ingredients (including nuts).  Combine wet ingredeitns and stir into dry mixture until thoroughly combined.  This will make a THICK batter.  Spread into an oiled 8.5x4 loaf pan.  Bake 45 minutes at 350F or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes in pan; transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.  Makes 1 loaf.

Variations:

• For just banana bread - omit blueberries & add 1 c. mashed banana
• For pumpkin bread - omit blueberries & banana and instead add 1 c. pumpkin puree.

To Freeze: Slice and place in Ziploc freezer bag.

To Serve: Remove from freezer and thaw on plate, microwave or in toaster oven.