Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 10-oz. bag fresh baby spinach 1/2-1 small red onion, thinly sliced 1 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced (you can peel it first if you want) 1 pint strawberries, sliced 1 c. sliced almonds, toasted 1 recipe Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette 1/2 lb. grilled chicken breasts, sliced or diced (optional)

Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

2-3 large lemons (use as needed–you’ll need 1/3 c. juice and 1 tsp. zest) 1/4 c. rice wine vinegar 1/4 c. canola oil 3/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1/4 c. sugar 2 tsp. poppy seeds 1 tsp. grated onion 1 clove finely pressed garlic

Using a Microplane or other fine grater, grate 1 tsp. lemon rind off the lemons. Grate 1 tsp. onion. Place in a small container with a lid. Add the remaining ingredients and shake vigorously. If possible, refrigerate at least an hour before serving. Shake well before serving.

Brazilian lemonade

So I got my new cook book, Best Bites, and it has so many yummy random things to make. Say this one and out of the blue whipped it up. Really easy, but it needs to be served COLD! Put plenty of ice glass to really bring out the flavor. Brazilian Lemonade 6 cups of cold water 1 cup of sugar 6 limes 6 Tablespoons of Sweet and condensed milk In the cook book it makes a point to NOT make this a head of time, that the limes and milk will not keep. Mix the water and sugar together to dissolve the sugar. Wash the limes real good with soap and water, get all that wax off. Cut the ends of the limes off and discard, than cut each lime into 8 slices. Take the first 3 limes and combine with half the sugar water and add into the blender. Pulse the blender 5 times and take the mixture and pour it through a strainer into the pitcher you are serving it in. Repeat with the last 3 limes and water. Add your milk, mix and pour up. Add some ice cubes to get it really cold.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I tried this one last night. Oh my goodness it was soooo good. Served it with ice cream, this was a perfect Sunday dinner dessert. Super Easy!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Recipe from Nestle

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
2 large eggs
1/2 C flour
1/2 C white granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
3/4 C real butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
1 C chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark works best, you might find milk too sweet)
1 C chopped pecans (you are welcome to make it without nuts)

Vanilla ice cream, or sweetened whipped cream for serving (a must! I prefer ice cream)

optional: chocolate sauce (honestly, doesn’t really need chocolate sauce, but it looks pretty!)

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels and nuts. Spoon into pie shell.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack or serve slightly warmed. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Better than sex cake

This is not some healthy dessert like my sisters... But very tasty! :)

Ingredients
1-package devil's food cake mix
1/2-can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
3 bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped (I used Heath bars)
1 tub cool whip

Directions

• Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 in pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.


• In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over th top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm.


• Let cake cool completely then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from pan.

Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread

So I stole this recipe off of a blog a while back and it is by far my most favorite low fat banana bread recipe. Throw some chocolate chips in to make it extra deli sh with a few extra calories, and it is Divine!!!

Low Fat Oatmeal Banana Bread

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp canola or walnut oil
1 large egg, beaten
2 medium egg whites, beaten
3 large bananas, ripe
1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

Chocolate chips and butterscotch chips for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients including the oats and cinnamon.

In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add oil and whole egg and mix thoroughly.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Batter will be fairly thick. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg whites together then fold into the batter.

Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes. Slice loaf into 10 equally sized slices.

Roast Beef sandwich

I am not a person for roasts. Mom made them all the time growing up and I would just eat the potatoes and carrots out of it. But Dan loves roasts and would eat one every Sunday if not for his picky wife. So we comprised. This ain't no Arby's people!

1/2 of a Beef Roast
1/2 cup of water
A couple slices of swiss cheese
onion
hamburger buns
Sweet baby rays BBQ sauce (optional)(more healthy without)

Take the beef roast and water than stick it in the crock pot for 4 hours or until fall apart. Toast your hamburger bun and put the shredded beef, cheese, and slices of onion all together. Dip it in BBQ sauce if you dare!!! WAAAHAAAA! Oh so easy and oh so deli-sh. Have some sweet potato fries and watermelon for a side.

Can't leave alone bars

Yummy, super simply, very small clean up bars. Yes, I couldn't wait to eat it, so you only get to see half of the creation!

1 package of white cake
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup coconut
1/2 cup walnut

mix first 3 ingredients. Press 2/3 of mixture in a greased 9x13 pan. In a microwave safe bowl mix remaining ingredients and melt in microwave 45 sec stir and melt 45 sec more until chocolate chips are smooth. Pour over cake and drop teaspoons of left over dough onto the chocolate mixture. Bake @ 350 for 20-30 min or until slightly brown. EAT EAT EAT. Add some yummy ice cream to over do that treat!