August Foodie Penpal REVEAL!!

Stephanie sent me my Foodie Penpal package for August...and she rocked that box! First, how pretty is this card? I love it! The design and the colors are just too fabulous :)

And now, on to the food...Stephanie sent me an awesome array of goodies! The sun dried tomatoes have already found themselves in a sauce with whole wheat ziti pasta.

The muesli mix is going to go great in my overnight crock pot recipe. It looks like there are raisins and nuts in the mix :)  Almond butter is always a favorite of mine, so these little packets are going to work with me for some afternoon snacks. The naked peak trail mix...sadly to say, I have already demolished this bag. Gone.

The mushroom risotto looks like it's gonna be rich and awesome. And if you have read my Black Bean Brownie post, you know that black beans make me nervous...I'm never sure if I will like the dish that they are in. These black bean chips? Wonderful! They would make a great taco salad chip. Thanks Stephanie!

I sent my package to Jillian over at Good Morning Sweetums.
She has recipes AND crafty stuff :) Check it out!

Are you interested in getting a cool foodie package? Check out The Lean Green Bean to sign up!

Avocados: The better fat choice

While avocados do have fat in them, the fat is a good fat. 

Mayo has fat but is the bad kind of fat. 

Choose the avocado instead of mayo!

Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls

This is such an easy recipe, especially if you have some blueberries that you need to use up. I took the cresent roll dough in a sheet, spread out some brown sugar and white sugar, blueberries and some butter. Roll it all up tightly and slice. Bake based on the instructions on the package. Drizzle some icing (1 cup of powdered sugar and 1 tsp water) on top and enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Ice Box Pickles

Parsnip "Fries"

I am so sorry to say that these were so good, that we ate them all before I realized that I hadn't gotten a picture of the final product! I promise...they looked great!

I took 4 parsnips, washed them, peeled them and cut them into "fries".

Toss them with some olive oil and seasoning (I used an all purpose seasoning).

Heat oven to 450 degrees and lay parsnips on a baking sheet or pie dish. Cook for 10 minutes, then stir and cook for another 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday: Tomato, Basil and Mozz

Strawberry Bruschetta

 A very yummy dessert that is easy enough for kiddos to help make!

I used the store bought french bread dough. Bake it off using the package instructions and let it cool, but leave the oven on. Then slice the loaf into 1/2 inch slices (or thicker if you'd like) and place on a baking sheet.

Mix a cup of Chobani Vanilla Yogurt together with a sprinkle of cinnamon and 1/3 cup of brown sugar. Spoon some yogurt onto the bread slices. Heat in the oven for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Layer with sliced strawberries and a drizzle of honey (even mint leaves for garnish).

Enjoy!

Pork Quesadillas

Check out the Pulled Pork Recipe here! Using the leftovers, I heated the pork and 1/2 red onion, sliced in a skillet. Transfer this mixture to a dish while making the quesadillas.

Spray the pan with cooking spray and toss on a tortilla. Top with shredded cheese and some of the heated pork/onion mixture. Top this with another tortilla until the bottom tortilla is browned...a minute or two. Carefully flip and brown on the other side. Cut into triangles and serve with salsa! Easy dinner - Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Shredded Pork

3 pounds of pork shoulder or pork butt (I used a netted pork roast)

1 medium onion, diced

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons paprika

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 - 15 ounce can pineapple (I used pineapple chunks)

Salt and pepper

**If you like a thicker sauce, add 1/4 cup tomato paste**

Combine all of the ingredients and pour over pork in a slow cooker. I turned mine of for 10 hours. Once it is done cooking, I cut off the net and shredded the pork with two forks. Serve this on any type of bun or bread. Look for leftover quesadillas in a day or two!

Tropical Rice Cookies

Ingredients



1 1/2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked

1 pgk (14oz) flaked sweetened coconut

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

1 can (8 oz) crush pineapple, well drained

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
Prepare rice according to package directions. Cool.
Combine all ingredients, mixing well.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with non stick cooking spray.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, remove cookies to wire racks. Cool completely.