Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes

oil to brush

2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 375. Cut sweet potatoes into strips then coat with oil. Place on baking sheet and bake for 20 min. or until lightly browned on edges. Serve! :)

Delicious Vegan Corn Chowder

In attempt to become healthier, I have been making a lot of vegan recipes lately :) This is one of my favorite soups now! My husband loves when I make it with a little bit of a kick so I will usually make him a pot of his own :) (Yes, he is spoiled!) I hope you love it as much as we do!

3 cloves garlic, minced (you can sub. with garlic pwdr)

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

oil to saute

3 small potatoes

2 small jalepenos (optional)

1 bag of corn

2 1/2 c. milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)

1c. vegetable broth (or 1c. water and 1 bouillion cube)

1/2 tsp. each-chili pwdr, garlic pwdr, onion pwdr

1 tsp. paprika

Salt and Pepper to taste

Add oil to your soup pot and saute onion and carrots. Then add garlic. Then add potatoes, jalepenos, corn, milk, broth, and seasonings. Let simmer for about half hour then serve.

Grilled Flatbread

Everyone will love this easy recipe! You can make a full recipe and if you don't use all the dough you can save it for the next night :) I usually make it all cause my family of 3 can eat all of it! You can vary the seasonings you put in it if you want :)

3 1/2 c. flour ( I use whole wheat for most of it)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. herbs (I use a dry Italian blend but you can also use fresh herbs)
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Mix all ingredients. Knead for 5 min. Cut dough into 4 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a half hour. Roll out dough on floured surface about 1/4 inch thin. Brush with olive oil or butter and grill for 4 minutes on each side or to desired brown-ness!! :) Enjoy!
(I have done this recipe on the stove top and served with soup :))

Health Benefits of Asparagus

Asparagus is top notch when it comes to health benefits! I has so many reasons to add it to your diet!
-Anti-inflammatory
Asparagus contains many anti-inflammatory nutrients which help to combat arthritis, asthma, and auto immune diseases.
-Anti-cancer properties
It is well known that chronic inflammation and oxidation of the body's cells can lead to a variety of different cancers. With its anti-inflammatory and antioxident properties, asparagus is a robust fighter of colon, bladder, breast, lung, prostate, ovarian and other types of cancer.
-Improves blood pressure
-Improves blood sugar regulation
-Improves degestive tract health
-It has a wide variety of antioxident nutrients

Grilled Asparagus

Grilled asparagus is one of my favorite sides when summer grilling! Asparagus is super good for you and is very tasty grilled! My husband and I have made this for people who say they don't like asparagus and they loved it! So give it a try!!

1 lb. asparagus

1/2 bottle italian dressing

Snap the ends of the asparagus and wash. Marinade together with dressing in a plastic bag or container with lid. The longer you marinade the better but I have found myself dumping the dressing on right before grilling! Usually grilling will be just a few minutes each side but it depends on how "well done" you like it :) We like ours almost burnt so we leave ours on for a bit longer :) Also if you didn't have time to marinade, you can put the grilled asparagus back into the italian dressing that you marinated it in for extra flavor!

Baked Oatmeal

This recipe is sooo good and so easy!! The best of both worlds :)

1 c. oil or apple sauce
1 1/2 c. honey
4 eggs
6c . oats
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4c. ground flax
1/4c. wheat germ
2 c. milk
Fruit optional ( My favorites are peaches, apples, and blueberries! You can add about anything and it will turn out great! I've even done strawberries )


Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. At this point you can either bake it at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or you can cover and refrigerate it over night and it will be ready to bake in the morning :)

Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

These are perfect for to go breakfasts :) And delicious for an anytime snack! They are super filling and have very good for you benefits!

1c. whole wheat flour

1 1/2c. oats

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. cinnamon

1/4 c. ground flax

1/4 c. wheat germ

1/2 c. honey

1/2 c. oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. milk

In a medium bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until combined. Set in fridge for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop dough onto baking sheet and bake for 12-15 min. Enjoy :)

Homemade Graham Crackers

I usually try to stick with recipes that I can totally replace the sugar with honey but.... this one is a treat of an exception :) Although this is a lot healthier than store bought :) I am a big fan of graham crackers and especially these ones that I tend to leave a little softer than a cracker :) They would be great this summer to make smores with :) :)

1 c. unbleached white flour

1 1/2c. whole wheat flour

1/2c. wheat germ

1/2tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4c. packed light brouwn sugar

2 Tbsp. honey

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

Whisk flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, mix butter, sugar, and honey together on medium speed until pale and fluffy. On low, mix in flours.

Turn dough into floured surface and roll out 1/4 inch thick. You can also roll between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Cut into desired sized crackers and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 20 min. Then bake for 8-9 min. Let cool and remove from sheet. Enjoy!! :)

Health Benefits of Wheat Germ

You can sneak this powerful punch of vitamins and nutrients in about anything you bake! :) I love knowing that adding this can add so much for my health! If you can buy this raw or in bulk it can be pretty inexpensive. The toasted version that you can buy in a jar is much pricier (if thats a word!). :)

Wheat Germ is rich in:
-Vitamin E- an antioxidant which is good for skin and anti-aging
-Vitamin B's- support and increase metabolism, maintain healthy skin and muscle tone, enhance immune and nervous system functions.
-Folic Acid-Great in aiding cell growth (especially during pregnancy), decrease the risk of cancer
-Omega 3 fatty acids
-Octacsanol-fights against muscular disorders like muscular dystophy, lowers bad cholesterol levels, improves muscular energy and provides endurance during exercise, improves reflexes, improves the utilization of oxygen during exercise.

Grandma's Apple Muffins

I know I say this a lot, but I think these are one of my new favorites!! I took my Great Grandma's apple cake recipe and made them into muffins instead :) They are super wonderful! (Especially warm :))





4c. peeled, chopped apples


2c. brown sugar (or honey)


1 tsp. salt


1 tsp. baking powder


1 tsp. baking soda


1 tsp. cinnamon


1/2 canola oil


2 eggs



2 1/2c. flour ( I used half wheat and half unbleached white)


Mix all ingredients well. Fill greased muffin tin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 15-18 min. ENJOY!

Soft Pretzels

Yum! I love soft pretzels! They are a fun treat for your family, especially on movie nite :)

1 1/2 c. warm water

1 1/8 tsp. active dry yeast

2 Tbsp. honey (original recipe had brown sugar)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1c. bread flour

3c. all purp., unbleached flour

Mix and knead together all ingredients. Let rest for 10-20 min. In the mean time, prepare your soda bath in a shallow dish:

2c. warm water

2 Tbsp. baking soda

When your dough is done resting, cut off a piece of dough and roll into a long rope and shape into a pretzel. You can also make pretzel sticks. Then dip the tops of the pretzels into the soda bath. Place them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Let pretzels rest in the mean time. When oven is heated, bake them for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, get:

4 Tbsp. butter, melted

course sea salt

(you can also make these with cinnamon and sugar and dip in frosting!)

When pretzels are done baking, brush with the melted butter and salt right away.

Then, Serve!!! Enjoy! We dip ours in nacho cheese! :)

Golden Banana Muffins

This is a simple muffin recipe :) I love simple :) And I love muffins! :) Enjoy!!

1 egg

1/3c. milk

1/2c. canola oil

1 1/2c. unbleached, all purp. flour

1/3c. honey

1/4c. flax

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tin. In a medium bowl beat egg, then stir in milk, oil, and honey. Stir in remaining ingredients until well combined. Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan while hot. Yield-1 dozen

Spring Garden Giveaway!!

One of the blogs I follow is having an awesome giveaway! I was excited to see that 8-muddy boots is giving away $5 worth of Pinetree Garden seeds! Check it out if you are diggin' it!!! :)

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I have to give my sister a shout out for this fabulous recipe! :) It is super simple and super yummy- as though you had worked on it all day! ;) Thanks sis!

You will need:

-1 box of 2 premade pie crusts

-1 chicken breast cooked and chopped

-1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies

-1 jar of chicken gravy

-1 lg. potato cooked and diced

Place one of the pie crusts in the bottom of a greased pie plate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add the veggies (I added my own potatoes that were cooked and diced) on top of the pie crust. Add the diced chicken and then pour over the whole jar of gravy. Top with the other pie crust, pinch the edges, and slit the top. Bake in oven for 45 minutes. Let sit for about 10 min. after baking. Enjoy!

Healthy Whole Wheat Soaked Pancakes

These pancakes are my family's favorite! Not to mention more healthy than your usual pancake recipe! (because of the amazing soaking benefits!)

3c. whole wheat pastry flour

1c. milk or buttermilk

1c. water

1/4c. apple cider vinegar

1/4c. melted coconut oil

1/4c. ground flax

Combine all of these ingredients and soak on the counter, covered, for 12-24 hours.

Just before cooking add:

4 lightly beaten eggs

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. honey

Combine well and spoon out desired sized pancakes onto a hot pan or griddle. Flip over after cooking a few minutes. Serve.

This recipe makes 2-3 dozen pancakes depending on size. They also freeze very well in air tight freezer bags.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This bread is as close to a cinnamon roll you can get with out actually making one!! SO delicious... especially warm!! :)

Into the bread machine place all the ingredients in order:

-1c. warm water

-1/2c. melted butter

-4 Tbsp. brown sugar

-1 tsp. salt

-2c. whole wheat flour

-1c. all purp. flour, unbleached

-1/4c. ground flax

-2 tsp. dry yeast

Set bread machine on dough setting. When dough is finished, take dough out and roll out into a rectangle. Sprinkle with 2 tsp. of cinnamon and drizzle 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp. of honey. Optional to add raisens. Roll up dough and tuck ends under. Place in greased bread pan and cover. Rise for 45 min. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Health Benefits of Flax

I love to use flax! I add ground flax to everything I can because it is sooo good for you! That is why a lot of my recipes contain it! Here are just a few ways you can benefit from adding flax to your diet!

Flax fights against cancer ( especially colon and breast ).

It fights against diabetes :)

Improves bowel health :)

It is high in omega-3 fatty acids- which among many things can help people who suffer from inflammatory disorders including rheumatoid arthritis :)

Flax is the riches known plant source of phytoestrogens which aid in natural hormone therapy which can lesson the symptoms of menopause :)

It helps reduce clotting time and makes arteries more pliable, thereby reduces the chance for heart attacks and strokes :)

Eating flax daily significantly boosts your body's immunity against bacteria and viruses :)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

These are a simple, homemade, no preservatives biscuit. They are so easy to make and tasty too!

1/3c. butter

1c. whole wheat flour

3/4c. all purpose, unbleached flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4tsp. baking soda

3/4tsp. fine sea salt

3/4c. buttermilk

(Hint: If you don't have buttermilk, take 3/4c. regular milk and add 3/4 Tbsp. white vinegar)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut butter into flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until it resembles fine crumbs. Add milk and combine. If dough is sticky add a little more flour. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 times. Roll out 1/2 inch thick. Use a floured biscuit cutter or a cup and cut out biscuits. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Place them so they are touching if you like a softer biscuit and about 1 inch apart if you like them crusty. Bake 10-12 minutes. This recipe makes about 12 biscuits :)

Healthy Chocolate Everything Cookies :)

This is my own homemade cookie recipe! All of my favorite things combined into one cookie! :)

You will need:

2c. rolled oats

1/3c. shredded, unsweetened coconut

1/3c whole wheat flour

1/4c. sesame seeds

1/2c. crushed almonds

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

2/3c. olive oil

1c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2c. peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all the dry ingredients in one bowl. Then combine the last 4 ingredients in a seperate bowl. Then add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix. Form into balls and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 8 min. Enjoy!! :)

Crockpot Southwestern Chicken

This recipe is sooo simple and makes the most tender chicken!! Delicious!!

3-4 chicken breast
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 can of black beans (the original recipe used pinto bean, so what ever you prefer)
1 Lg. can of crushed tomatoes
1 packet of taco seasoning (i use low sodium)
1 cup of colby jack cheese

In a skillet on med/high heat with olive oil, cook the chicken breasts for a few minutes on each side. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile dump a can of beans in the bottom of the crockpot. Place the chicken on top of the beans. The chicken will not be fully cooked thru. Then combine the crushed tomatoes and taco seasoning. Pour over the chicken. Cook on high for 3-4 hrs. the last 10-15 min. add the cheese to the top of the tomatoes. Serve with sour cream!

Crunchy Honey Granola Cereal

I tried this new granola recipe because I didn't have some of the ingredients that my favorite recipe called for so here is a new one that I did really like! Of course I did tweak the recipe a bit to fit me!! I can't help it!! You can add or take away any of the nuts, seeds, or coconut from this recipe. When you are making granola it is super flexible so you can add or take away any ingredients and it will still turn out great! Enjoy!! :)

3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/2 c. ground flax
1c. sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, or nuts. Or a combination of all.
1c. shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/4c. olive oil
1c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake a 250 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Homemade Laundry Soap :)

I love making my own laundry soap :) I mean, I love the money it saves me from making it!! I only costs me about $2 to make a 5 gallon bucket! You just can't beat that, plus I do love the smell of it! :) So fresh!

You will need:

-4c. hot water

-1 bar of Fels-Naptha (grated)

-1c. Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda

-1/2 c. Borax

-5 gallon bucket

In a sauce pan, combine grated Fels-Naptha and 4c. hot water. Place on stove Med./Low heat. Stir often. This will take about a half hr. Then fill your 5 gallon bucket half full with hot water. Add your melted Fels-Naptha, washing soda and borax. Stir until dissolved. Then fill the rest of the bucket with hot water and mix well. Let it cool and it will thicken up. I use a measuring cup to scoop out of the bucket when I'm ready to use it. You only need about 1/2c. to 3/4c. of laundry soap per load of laundry depending on the size of the load. This recipe will usually last me a few months!