Amazing smoothie for pumpkin lovers

One rule about cooking with Girl Scouts: Make sure you are watching what they're doing.

Suddenly, I was stuck with three opened, partially used cans of canned pumpkin after Tuesday's cooking experiment of Pumpkin Pie in a Cup. And with two kids at home, several games and practices on the schedule, and a sick husband, I was pretty short on time.

My solution? Make a breakfast smoothie.

Amazing Pumpkin Smoothie

Ingredients
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups milk or vanilla almond milk
2 drops cassia essential oil or cinnamon essential oil
2 scoops vanilla TrimShake

Instructions
Mix ingredients in blender. Add ice and blend to desired consistency.


Note: This post does include affiliate links, in case you need a source for those ingredients.

Roasted Garlic Three Ways

Roasted garlic may be one of my favorite smells of all. Sure, it may not make me a fan of vampires or co-workers, but roasting garlic makes the flavor sweeter and is a yummy addition to a meal.

When I worked at a newspaper in Kansas City, the writers and I would enjoy roasted garlic as an appetizer at a local Italian restaurant. We loved to squeeze the golden garlic onto bread, or even just eat the cloves as-is.

How to Roast Garlic

If you have not roasted garlic, you are in for a treat. The hardest part is the wait!

Simply cut off the pointed end of the garlic and set into a pan, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cracked pepper. Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes. When cooked, the cloves will squeeze out of their papers like a gooey, amazing mess.

I prefer to roast an 8x8 pan of garlic at once (I know...) so any leftover garlic is covered in olive oil and stored in the refrigerator. I should note we use it quickly, as you do run the slight risk of developing botulism if it sits too long. As a whole, if you finish it in a matter of days, you should be ok.

If you haven't tried roasted garlic on Italian bread, do it. Tonight. If you're interested in some other ways to prepare it, read on. 

Roasted Garlic Butter

This may be the easiest thing to do. Take some softened butter (please use the real thing). Mix in roasted garlic to taste. Enjoy.

Roasted Garlic Rolls

These rolls, made and hand-shaped by my nine-year-old, were incredible as buns for turkey burgers and turned into garlic cheese bread!


Ingredients

2 packages Rapid-rise Yeast

2 cups Warm Water

¼ cup Sugar

½ cup Oil

1 Tablespoon Salt 

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

5-½ cups Flour

2 heads Roasted Garlic, Peeled

2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

2 pinches Kosher Salt

Instructions
Mix water and yeast, stir until yeast dissolves. Add sugar, oil, salt and garlic powder. Stir in flour and let rise once. Knead the dough and fold garlic cloves into it.

Spray a pan with cooking spray, and shape dough into equal-sized balls and place them on the pan, leaving equal space between them. Let rise again (cover with a moist towel if you’d like, to prevent the dough from drying out). Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

After rising, brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle on a little kosher salt and brush with additional butter. Sprinkle more garlic powder on top and bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown.

Roasted Garlic & Green Beans

Ingredients

1 pound green beans
Leftover roasted garlic in olive oil
Salt and pepper

Instructions
This recipe is a deceptively simple one, but absolutely amazing. Drain the oil into a skillet and warm over medium heat. Sautee the green beans. When the green beans are close to completely cooked, add the leftover roasted garlic, stirring, until garlic is warmed. Toss with salt and pepper.

40 ideas for 4th of July parties #summerfamilyfunparty

July 4 - give or take a week - usually means a block party in our neighborhood. It's a great pitch-in where neighbors get together, socialize and shoot off firecrackers.

Looking for some ideas to spice up your Fourth of July celebrations?

Here are 40 recipe ideas to get you going:

On the Grill

• Fiery Glazed Mango BBQ Chicken Skewers
• Best Grilled Chicken
• Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp and Quinoa
• Double-Decker Stuffed Portobello Sandwiches
• Grilled Skirt Steak with Corn Salsa and Black Beans
• Chicken, Nectarine & Red Onion Kebabs
• Sweet & Spicy Smoked Ribs
• Balsamic Honey Grilled Steak Salad
• Fall Off the Bone Ribs
• Grilled Bacon Burgers
• Grilled Honey Dijon Chicken
• Grilled Fish Tacos
• Cowboy Burgers
• Chipotle Chicken Kebabs
• Grilled Peanut Butter Chicken
• Carmelized Salmon Skewers

Super Side Dishes

• Red, White & Blue Nachos
• Practically Perfect Pasta Salad
• Mango Avocado Salsa
• Stacked BLT Salad
• Patriotic Strawberry Bread
• Green Bean Salad Green Style
• Roasted Asparagus Salad with Strawberries and Pecans
• Easy Apple Coleslaw
• Heirloom Tomato Gratin
• Roasted Corn & Zucchini Salad with Chili Lime Vina
• Refrigerator Pickles

Sweet Treats

• Ginger Lemon Ice
• Raspberry Dessert
• Strawberry Ice Cream
• Key Lime Pie Bars
• Red, White & Blue Frozen Fruit Puree Shooters
• Strawberry Icebox Cake
• Berry Parfait
• Stained Glass Jello
• White Chocolate and Fireworks Popcorn
• Red White & Blue Berry Popsicles
• Grilled Pound Cake a la Mode
• 4th of July Tie Dye Fudge
• Fruit Flag Pizza

Drinks

• Patriotic Punch (kid-friendly recipe)
• Blueberries and lemon spritzer 
• Preppy Punch (Non-Alcoholic)
• Beer Margaritas
• Red Wine & Blue Spritzer

Share your favorite July 4 ideas or other inspiration for the #summerfamilyfunparty below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Frittata with Sundried Tomatoes recipe

Frittatas are a fast and simple way to create a breakfast, brunch or dinner option. This frittata recipe was born out of a last-minute need to come up with an idea for a meatless dish for our Monday work lunches.

Frittata with Sundried Tomatoes
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch green onions, whites sliced
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup fresh parsley
8 large eggs, beaten
salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat olive oil in cast-iron skillet. Add onions and cook on medium-low for about 10 minutes. Stir in sundried tomatoes and parsley; season with salt and pepper.

Heat broiler to high. Pour eggs over the vegetables in the skillet. Stir to mix.

Cook eggs on low, scraping bottom of pan towards middle as it sets and letting uncooked egg run underneath. Continue until bottom is firm but top is still moist (about 10 minutes).

Place frittata under the broiler and cook for five minutes, or until frittata is cooked throughout and golden on top.

Serve in skillet warm or at room temperature. Garnish with parsley.

Serving ideas: Pair the frittata with crusty bread or salad.

Free e-books on Paleo Cooking (May 31, 2014)

Paleo cooking is one of the themes I'm beginning to explore in my quest to take better care of my health.

Today I'm sharing these free e-books on paleo cooking on Amazon. Hopefully you can find a recipe or two to add to your repertoire. Enjoy!

Cooking with essential oils: 50 recipes to try

Essential oils are derived from plants - why couldn't - or shouldn't - you use it in cooking?

If you've used it as a dried or fresh herb or spice form, you can likely use an essential oil alternative - which is great in a pinch. I've managed to drizzle some dill essential oil on my salmon as it roasts, drop in lemon essential oils in my drinks and use it to substitute for buttermilk in recipes.

Be warned, though. Essential oils can't be simply substituted for fresh or dried herbs in a 1-to-1 ratio. Here is a great guide for substituting herbs with essential oils:

A good rule of thumb is: 1 tablespoon citrus zest = 8 to 14 drops of essential oil 1 tablespoon dried spice or herb = ½ – 1 drop of essential oil ½ – 1 teaspoon dried spice or herb  =  1 toothpick dip* *Dip a toothpick in the center of the dripper cap and then swirl the toothpick in your recipe or beverage.

For stronger oils such as cilantro, cinnamon bark, lavender, oregano, and thyme make sure to always start with a lesser amount and add to taste. 

If you have a little more time, check out this online cooking class featuring essential oils:

Eat up! Here are some recipes using essential oils to get you started:

Breakfast

Whole-grain blueberry muffins
Granola blueberry crisp
Power bites
Peanut butter protein bars
Lavender blueberry banana bread
"Birdseed" bars
Wild orange and cinnamon pumpkin muffins
Cinnamon almond granola
On Guard pumpkin smoothie

Main dishes

Hawaiian barbecue chicken 

Baked chicken taquitos
Cajun chicken pasta
Almond-crusted orange chicken
Ginger stir-fry
Sun-dried tomato pizza
Grilled halibut with cilantro lime butter
Lemon-orange shrimp kabobs
Roasted marinara sauce
Honey glazed ham
Vegetarian black bean burgers
Basted holiday turkey
Lime chicken and quinoa salad
Healing soup with cilantro and ginger
Roasted marinara sauce

Side dishes

Pasta salad
Garlic & herb canapes
Black  beans and Lime cilantro rice
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
Lemon broiled asparagus
Winter On Guard Quinoa Salad
Rosemary roasted red potatoes
Herbed pasta salad

Dressings & Dips

Citrus vinaigrette
Apple-walnut vinaigrette
Basil dill veggie dip
Italian bread dip
Wild Orange vinaigrette
Dill vegetable dip
Strawberry-lime fruit dip
Pico de gallo with lime essential oil
Lavender balsalmic vinaigrette

Treats & Sweets

Lemon bark
Honey peanut butter popcorn with Essential Oils
Honey lemon cake with lavender icing
Peppermint patties
Strawberry Coconut Cremes
Chocolate bliss raspberry parfait
Luscious lemon bars
Wild Orange Truffles
Whole wheat gingerbread cutouts
Pumpkin pie
Guilt-free apple pie
Strawberry orange sorbet
Tiramisu

Beverages

Strawberry citrus slush
Holiday wassail
Hot cocoa
Strawberry lemonade
Peppermint iced tea

Looking for a source for essential oils? Please consider using my online store with doTERRA essential oils. Email me at goinggreenmama at gmail if you'd like to know about saving 25% off of retail prices.

Use Up Your Granola: Chocolate Chunk Granola Cookies

I had granola to use up, and was not interested in yet another yogurt granola parfait.

Instead we added a little sweetness to our day with this Chocolate Chunk Granola Cookie recipe. I based this off a recipe for Copycat  Kashi Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies I had found on Pinterest, and it was a great way to use up not only the stale granola I had on hand but the chocolate bunnies from Easter. (Yes, it's the same chocolate as those prebagged chocolate chunks you'll buy the rest of the year - just much cheaper after Easter in that packaging!)

Even better, this was portion-controlled, only making two dozen. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chunk Granola Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup vanilla almond granola
2/3 cup chocolate chunks (or chopped chocolate bunnies or bars)

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, butter, egg and vanilla extract together. Add egg and mix until batter is smooth. Mix in granola and chocolate. Drop by heaping tablespoons on greased cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes. Makes about two dozen.

Find more ideas at Fabulously Frugal Thursday, Recipe Writers and Party in Your PJs Linkups.

The best gougere you will ever eat

Meatless meals in Lent always seem to throw me off. It's like it was a surprise that it was Friday. And so I stood on a recent Friday evening, staring at my mostly empty fridge, wondering what meatless dish I could make that could pacify my children.

This gougere recipe is based on a Pinterest find for goat cheese and herb gougere from Eggs on Sunday. I have made another gougere recipe in the past but couldn't find it quickly. We tweaked this recipe based on what we had on hand in our home (and our first fresh herbs of the season!), and the results were fabulous.

Herbed goat cheese mini-gougeres

Ingredients

1 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs, divided
6 oz. garlic and herb goat cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan,  combine the butter, milk and salt and bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour all at once. Whisk for a few minutes, then return the pan to the heat and continue whisking to dry the paste out slightly. Remove the heat from the pan again, switch to a wooden spoon, and add eggs — one at a time — stirring to make sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the goat cheese, Parmesan and chives.

Pipe the batter onto the baking sheets (or drop by the tablespoonful). 

Bake each sheet, one at a time, in the 375 degree F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes, until the tops are nicely browned and the gougeres are puffed. Serve warm, or let cool completely and freeze in a ziptop bag.

Makes about 2 dozen.

Easy Apple Coleslaw (Mayo-free recipe)

I admit I have always hated coleslaw: The runny mayo, the drippy, wilted shreds of cabbage. But this recipe - this changed my viewpoint on coleslaw completely. In fact - don't tell anyone - it may make me a fan of slaw.

I began reading The PrayFit Diet: The Revolutionary, Faith-Based Plan to Balance Your Plate and Shed Weight recently, and was scanning the recipe section in the back. I stumbled on a one-serving recipe for apple slaw that was to accompany grilled pork chops. I took a leap of faith and decided it would work great as a side to the pulled-pork sandwiches I was planning.

Here's how I adapted the recipe for my family of four:

Easy Apple Coleslaw

1 1/2 cups shredded coleslaw mix (cabbage-carrots)

2 granny smith apples

2 carrots

2-3 teaspoons honey (I used blueberry honey, but any other local honey would work)

juice of one lemon

pinch of salt

Shred apples and carrots. Place in bowl and toss with the lemon juice to avoid browning. Add coleslaw mix, honey and salt; toss to combine.

What surprised me most was this coleslaw made fans of the slaw haters (me) and the traditionalists (my husband). 

Enjoy this grilling season!

Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint gooey chocolate cake recipe

Girl Scout Cookies have been my life this past month: It's the curse of the Girl Scout leader.

My dad's birthday was coming up, and we were trying to come up with a unique dessert for Papa's birthday celebration. I remember we used to buy my father Thin Mints for his birthday when we were kids, and so I was on the hunt for ideas on how we could use some of our extra boxes for a good cause.

Inspired by a post doing a takeoff on butter cake with Thin Mints and Andes Mint pieces, we came up with a recipe for an amazingly chocolately concoction that made the birthday boy happy. (Photo at right is it before its baked; it all melts together in gooey deliciousness)

Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint gooey chocolate cake
Ingredients
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 stick butter
1 large egg
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips
1 small can sweetened condensed milk
1 box Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, broken into bits.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
Beat cake mix, butter and egg until dough forms; spread into the pan. Top with chocolate chips then condensed milk. Sprinkle with the crushed Thin Mints.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool before enjoying.

Patriotic Punch Recipe (kid-friendly)

This was a great Pinterest find that I adapted for our Brownie troop campout. The Camporee had an honoring the military theme, so the Patriotic Punch was a great tie-in with that and the Brownie Snacks badge. The girls absolutely loved doing this activity!

(Note for leaders: Yes, we went sugar-free for our survival!)

Patriotic Punch (per person)
Ingredients
ice
3 oz. 7-up or Sprite
3 oz. fruit punch
3 oz. blue Gatorade
12 oz. clear plastic cup

Instructions
Fill cup 1/3 full with ice. Pour in fruit punch to the top of the ice.
Add another layer of ice. Pour in blue Gatoriade.
Fill to top with ice. Pour in 7-up.

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Pecans Recipe

This quinoa dish is another meal derived from my need to eat cheaply. This recipe for Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Pecans was inspired by a recipe I found on the Whole Foods site.

Quinoa with Butternut Squash and Pecans

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
salt and pepper
1/2 cup pecans, toasted

Heat over to 400. Toss butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
In saucepan, boil chicken broth and add quinoa. Reduce heat to low, and cover and cook until broth is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let stand.

Toss together cinnamon, quinoa, pecans and squash in a bowl.

Wild Mushroom and Yellow Potato Pizza Recipe

This Potato Mushroom Pizza recipe was adapted from a recipe in "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking in a moment of panic this week. We were counting the days until payday, and the house was admittedly quite bare. I had made bread for the kids' sandwiches as I had the ingredients, and was looking at the contents of the kitchen counter: a pound of bread dough, four meager yellow potatoes, some garlic. The fridge was even less promising, as we had just returned from nearly a week at our in-laws.

Fortunately I had stumbled on a recipe for Rustic Wild Mushroom and Potato Pizza Provencal. With a few herb changes, some reconstituted dried oyster mushrooms, a cheese swap and omission of sun-dried tomatoes, we had a winner in our house. Adding a drizzle of white truffle oil, a gift from a friend that's been far too long unused, made it even better.

Wild Mushroom and Yellow Potato Pizza
Ingredients

1 pound pizza dough

4 yellow potatoes, thinly sliced

1 cup oyster mushrooms, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oils

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons dried basil

red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

3 oz. Parmesan cheese

white truffle oil (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 500. Saute mushrooms and potatoes in olive oil. Add minced garlic, salt and pepper.

Roll out dough and add toppings and herbs. Sprinkle cheese on. Bake at 500 for 10-15 minutes.* Cool and drizzle with white truffle oil before serving.

* In the book, the authors warn you to turn on your exhaust because of smoking. Since I had omitted the cornmeal as originally called for, I figured I was home free. No such luck. Do turn on your exhaust fan!

Honey peanut butter popcorn with essential oils

Sneak in a little essential oils into your snacktime!

This honey peanut butter popcorn recipe came out of a sick-day request from my daughter, who loves her grandma's peanut butter popcorn recipe. Sadly, we were out of brown sugar, but a little creativity allowed me to sneak in some essential oils and wildflower honey to help with her sinus congestion!

Honey peanut butter popcorn with essential oils
1/2 cup popcorn, unpopped
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/6 cup wildflower honey
2 T. butter
2-3 drops On Guard essential oil blend

Pop popcorn in your popper according to directions. In microwave, melt butter and peanut butter. Add honey and On Guard essential oil and stir; toss over popped corn.

Smoothie Saturday: Clean Eating and the Banana Bread Smoothie

A confession: I read Clean Cuisine: An 8-Week Anti-Inflammatory Diet that Will Change the Way You Age, Look & Feel this summer, and I found it fascinating, and also realized there are a lot of things to implement in my own life. The reality is I am so far behind the curve that I almost need pre-clean eating steps (like a Math 0001) before I could successfully tackle the program in the book!

So I am working on those baby steps. A little less junk food (lately my downfall). Sneaking in a little more fruit in my smoothie since I do so poorly at eating it the rest of the day. Adding a vegetable side dish. I rebooted my subscription to Green Bean Delivery, and I'll be sure to add some leafy greens in the weekly order as well.

One tip I will share from the Clean Cuisine  book: Dates, which I normally don't eat, add thickness and texture to your smoothie without impacting the flavor.

This recipe was inspired by the Clean Cuisine book. Yes, it includes dairy, but I am sure you could substitute any other milk. I was happily surprised to drink something that tasted very much like banana bread!

Banana Bread Smoothie
Blend:
1 banana (frozen; if not frozen, just add ice)
1 c milk 
1/4 c pecans 
2 dates
cinnamon

Smoothie Saturday: Peach Smoothie

I love grabbing all the peaches I can at the farmers market when they're in season, but sometimes I get a bit too many of these juicy fruits. A quick smoothie can make a sweet start to your day and use some of the less than perfect peaches up.

Peach smoothie
Ingredients
2 peaches
1 scoop protein powder
1 c vanilla almond milk

Instructions

Blend all three ingredients together, then add ice and blend until desired consistency.

Smoothie Saturday: Dole Pineapple Whip Inspired Smoothie

Dole Pineapple Whips are apparently the talk of Disney World, and while we missed this treat on our one-day stop at the most magical place on earth this summer, I decided to at least try the treat.

You can find knock-off recipes online, but I thought it very easy to transform it into my morning smoothie.

Dole whip inspired smoothieBlend:
1 c Dole pineapple chunks
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2-1 c vanilla almond milk

Banana Coconut Smoothie (Smoothie Saturday)

This banana-coconut smoothie was a happy accident of trying to clean out my fruits and fridges before we left town on vacation. It's simple but a summery way to start your morning.

Banana-coconut smoothie
1 cup yogurt
1 cup vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup sweeted coconut
1 banana

Blend ingredients. Add ice and blend to desired consistency.

Next time I may try this with a drop of orange essential oil too.

Rock star party cookies

Blinged-out buttery cookies for a rock star party are a must-have! It's also a great way to rid yourself of holiday sprinkles.

Rock star party cookies
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups flour
1 package Hershey Hugs
red decorator sugar (or any other decorator sprinkles)

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs until evenly mixed, then add vanilla and salt.

Stir in flour, about a third at a time, until blended.

Refrigerate dough if desired for easier handling.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into balls, then roll balls into the red decorator sugar. Place on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, then lightly press an unwrapped Hershey's Hug in the middle of the cookie. Cool before eating.

Whole-Grain Blueberry Muffins

A trick I realized when  making this recipe: If you don't have buttermilk you can substitute the same amount of milk with two drops of lemon essential oil. These whole-grain muffins were eaten in minutes.

Whole-Grain Blueberry Muffins
1 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup wildflower honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups milk
2 drops lemon essential oil
1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 400.

In food processor or blender, pulse oats until resemble coarse meal.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a cup mix milk and lemon essential oil.

In another bowl, mix eggs, honey, oil and vanilla until well blended. Mix in milk. Fold into flour mixture. Fold in berries.

Divide batter into muffin cups. Bake 18-23 minutes.