Creamy Berry Fruit Salad

16oz cream cheese, softened to room tempurature

1/4 cup  granulated sugar (or 1/4 c. monk fruit sweetener)

16oz  vanilla yogurt, brought to room tempurature

Chopped Fruit of your choice, for example:

   2 large apples, diced

   2 lbs strawberries, diced

   1 cup frozen blueberries

   1 banana, quartered lengthwise and chopped

BRING the cream cheese and yogurt to room temperature by putting them on the countertop overnight. 

PLACE cream cheese in large bowl, or a food processor with wire whisk attachment.  

BEAT well for 1-2 minutes

ADD sugar   

BEAT until there are no lumps.
ADD vanilla yogurt.  

BEAT for 3-5 minutes until perfectly smooth

ADD apples, strawberries, blue berries. 
REFRIGERATE for 1-2 hours.

ADD banana. Stir. Serve immediately after adding banana to avoid browning

Note: this is a fun treat for bridal showers and baby showers.  

Nut Butter Granola

Only a few ingredients.  Oats and nuts are good sources of vegetarian protein. It is cost effective if the quick oats are purchased in bulk, 25-50 lb. bags. My kids love it!  -Lindsey Scarber

6  c.  Quick or Rolled oats  

1/2 c. sweetened coconut flakes

1/2 c.  coconut oil

1  c.  honey

1  c.  almond butter, peanut butter, or nut butter of choice

1/4  c. water

1/2 - 1  tsp salt, optional

2 c. chopped nuts, walnuts, pecans, almond slices, etc. 

In a large bowl or a Bosch stand mixer, combine the dry ingredients: oats and coconut.  Set aside.

In wide-mouth quart jar, combine all other ingredients. Microwave until soft.

Stir occasionally until combined.

Grease 2 sheet pans, or 1 stainless steel industrial pan 4inches deep

Pour the wet into the dry ingredients. Stir.

Spread granola evenly onto the greased sheet pans. 

Bake at 300° for 25 min.  Use two racks in the oven, if needed. 

Remove from oven. Stir.  

Bake 10-15 more minutes until light golden brown. Granola will be soft when hot. It will get crisper as it cools. Let cool to room temperature. Or, if baking in the evening, turn off the oven and leave in oven overnight to dehydrate and cool to room temperature.

 

Store in an airtight container, such as a used #10 can with plastic lid.  

Serve with milk, raisins, Craisins, cinnamon, yogurt, prepared powdered, milk, or reconstituted evaporated milk, etc.   

Double the recipe:

Use a #10 can of quick oats (about 12 c.) 

Reduced-honey Recipe:  

Remove the 1 c. honey.  Replace with 1/4 c. water and 1/2 c. honey

No-Bake Cheesecake SUMMER DESSERT

1 ½ cups graham crackers, crushed (4.25 oz pkg)

¼ cup + 2 Tbsp butter, melted

3oz pkg lemon Jello, dissolved in…

1 cup hot water

12oz can evaporated milk, chilled             

8oz pkg cream cheese, softened     

1 cup sugar                                        

1 tsp vanilla

 

CRUST: In a pie pan (or if doubled, a 9x13 pan) combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into pan.  Place in freezer.

FILLING: In small bowl, dissolve Jello in the hot water. Set aside. In large bowl, whip evap milk with electric beaters til frothy.  In separate medium bowl combine cream cheese and sugar. Whip while adding to the evap milk. Whip for at least 5 min. Fold in Jello mixture. Add vanilla. Pour filling on top of frozen crust. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Serve cold with blueberry or cherry pie filling as topping.

Adri Burk's Chicken Salad

Oh I love this one!

Cream cheese, softened

Mayonnaise

Canned drained chicken OR boiled chicken OR cooked chopped chicken thigh meat

Finely chopped green onions

Slivered Almonds 

 Finely diced celery

Green grapes, quartered OR canned pineapple drained and chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a food processor, Cream the cream cheese and Mayonnaise. Add all other ingredients. Check the consistency and Taste. Add salt or sweet.

Serve on croissants, breads, rolls or crackers

No-Sugar Chocolate Banana Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large or 4-5 small frozen ripe bananas, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
• 1 Tbsp. nut butter or  peanut butter
• 2 cups whole milk or Half & Half
• Splash of vanilla extract or Almond extract

• Optional: 2 Scoops collagen (paleo) 
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. ground flax seeds
• Optional: 1 handful spinach
• Optional: whipped cream in top

Single-serve overnight Oats Parfait

INGREDIENTS
1 glass wide-mouth Pint jar
1 cup homemade milk kefir (probiotics, calcium, and protein)
2 Tbsp quick oats (fiber, protein, prebiotics)
1 Tbsp chia seeds  (fiber, protein, prebiotics)
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts  (fiber, protein, healthy fat, prebiotics)
1 Tbsp local honey, optional

Add your favorite chopped fruit immediately before eating:
fresh fruit - bananas, apples, pears, strawberries, mango, etc
canned fruit - diced peaches, diced pears, crushed pineapple, etc
frozen fruit - blueberries, strawberries, mango, etc


INSTRUCTIONS
Place all ingredients in the pint jar, except chopped fruit. Stir. Put a lid on it. Place on counter top overnight, or at least 7 hours.  In the morning, add chopped fruit and eat for breakfast, or in the morning place in the fridge for up to 1 week, add chopped fruit right before serving.

NOTE on KEFIR
Kefir has 60 strands of probiotics! When compared to the 3-7 found in commercial yogurts,  kefir stands supreme.  Eating a serving of kefir everyday helps me 'feel full' throughout the day, not eat more than I should, and maintain a healthy weight.  It also helps strengthen my immune system. I could take a supplement-form of probiotics for $30-$60 dollars/month, or I could eat homemade kefir for the minimal cost of the milk used.  

If you want to try kefir, stop by my house for kefir grains, or 'google' a homemade milk kefir recipe!

NOTE on SOAKING WHOLE GRAINS,  NUTS, and SEEDS: 
Many digestion issues such as leaky gut syndrome and IBS can be traced to eating foods that are difficult to digest.
Toxic lectins and phytates, or phytic acids, are anti-nutrients found on the outer hull layer of every whole grain, nut, and seed. Lectins and phytates block the absorbion of many vital vitamins and minerals and harm the fragile intestinal wall.  Soaking whole grains, nuts, and seeds at room temperature, in slight acidity, overnight or at least 7 hours, creates a chemial action that disassembles lectins and phytic acid. Soaked grains, nuts, and seeds are easily digestible, encourage vitamin and mineral absorption, and help prevent symptoms of IBS and leaky gut syndrome.
     -Lindsey Scarber

Banana muffins using a yellow cake mix

3 overripe bananas

3 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil or butter

1 (15 ounce) box yellow cake mix

There are literally only 4 ingredients in this recipe. It can’t get any easier than this.

This simple recipe is great for when you have overly ripe bananas that you need to use up before they go bad and you don’t want to make anything complicated. So make sure to add it to your list of overripe banana recipes! It’s fantastic for school lunches.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prep the baking pan and set aside
2. Mix together the bananas, eggs, and oil then stir in the cake mix.
3. Scoop the batter into the muffin pan and bake.
4. Cool for 13-16 minutes and enjoy!

From cake mix to muffins just like that!

Www.beatbakeeat.com

Party Fruit Dip !

24oz   cream cheese, softened to room tempurature

16oz   plain whole milk yogurt, brought to room tempurature
1/2 cup  granulated sugar (or monk fruit sweetener)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp   Raspberry or Strawberry jello powder, for color



PLACE cream cheese in large bowl, or a food processor with wire whisk attachment.  BEAT well for 1-2 minutes

ADD sugar and Jello powder.  

BEAT until there are no lumps.
ADD vanilla yogurt.  

BEAT for 3-5 minutes until perfectly smooth

Place in your favorite serving dishes. Cover.
REFRIGERATE for 1-2 hours.

SERVE with sliced apples , bananas, pineapple, strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew, etc

Note 1: this is a fun treat for baby showers.  Use Blue raspberry Jello for BOY baby showers

Note 2: when i make this recipe, i bring the cream cheese and yogurt to room temperature by putting it on the countertop overnight. It doesn't alter the finished product

Orange Rolls

    Makes 36 rolls

18 frozen ‘Rhodes’ dinner rolls, freezer section of grocery store

1 cup butter

1  1/3 cup sugar

Orange zest from one orange

1/4 cup orange juice concentrate

1/4  cup water

Grease a sheet pan. Place frozen rolls on sheet pan to defrost at room temperature.

Check rolls. When they are defrosted a little, cut in half to make 36 mini rolls. Position rolls, cut side down, on sheet pan. Let rise.

Meanwhile, heat butter, sugar, orange rind, juice, and water to boiling. Boil 30 sec on MED to MED HIGH, stirring constantly. Set aside to let cool a little.

Pour half the orange sauce over risen rolls.

Bake 325 degrees for 18-22 min.

Pour remaining sauce over rolls after they come out of the oven

Moist Banana Muffins w/o Added Sugar

This is a yummy recipe for day-old bananas. Makes 24 muffins

1 ½ cups mashed banana, about 5 bananas

2 beaten eggs

½ cup milk, or prepared powdered milk

½ cup coconut oil, melted

1-3/4 cup Gluten free 'Wheat Belly' All-purpose Baking mix 

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ cup chopped pecans (optional)

½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

GREASE muffin tins. Do not use paper bake cups. 

PREHEAT oven to 375°

MIX WET INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, mash the bananas. Add the egg, beat it into the mashed banana. Add milk and oil. Stir.  

MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, Mix together flour, baking powder, salt.

COMBINE.  Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.  Add pecans (optional). Stir just until moistened. Spoon batter into greased muffin tin, filling each 1/2 full. 

BAKE in a 375° oven for 15 - 20 min, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 2 min. Remove from muffin cups. Serve warm.

~Apple Pie in a Jam~

Submitted by Lindsey Scarber

Adapted from a Ball Home Preserve Cook Book recipe

I like to double or quadruple the recipe. It's a lovely way to use up those apples!

My husband requests it every time we eat toast.

3/4 c.  Raisins  (I think I put in a little less)
6 c.   Chopped, cored, peeled Granny Smith or other apple
1 c.   Unsweetened apple juice
1 pkg.   regular powdered fruit pectin (1.75 oz/49-57 g)
7 c.   Sugar

1 tsp   cinnamon
1/2 tsp   nutmeg
The juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 - 1/3 c.

In a food processor pulse raisins until finely chopped. Set aside. In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan combine apples and lemon zest and juice. Bring to a boil over high heat stirring occasionally until apples begin to soften (about 10 minutes).

Remove from heat and whisk in pectin until dissolved. Stir in raisins. Return to high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to full rolling boil stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and nutmeg. Skim off foam.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space; remove air bubbles. Wipe rim and apply band and lid until finger-tip tight. Place jars in water bath canner and process 10 minutes. Remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes and then remove jars and cool and store.

Makes about six 8-oz jars, or 3 pint jars.  

Aunt Zelda's Green Drink

4 kale leaves, rinsed

1/2 of a fresh chilled pineapple, or 1 can chilled pineapple and its juice 18 oz.

1 blender

Add kale and pineapple to blender.  Blend until kale is pulverized into teeny tiny pieces. If drink is too thick, add cold water.

My mom, Adri, has a memory of watching Aunt Zelda open her fridge.  The most intriguing thing she saw was the large bouquet of kale sticking out of a bowl of cold water.  Aunt Zelda loved health in general.  She also loved this super food for all of its amazing benefits.

Orange Banana Variation:

4 kale leaves, rinsed and stemmed

1/3 c. orange juice concentrate, I guesstimate

1/3 c. plain yogurt, I guesstimate

2-4 Tbsp whole flax seed

2 bananas, chilled or frozen

2 peeled oranges, or 2 apples unpeeled

some cold water

Add kale and other ingredients to blender.  Blend until kale and flax seed is pulverized into teeny tiny pieces. If drink is too thick, add more cold water.

Green drink mustaches!

I discovered green drinks as a way to help my whole family eat more dark green leafy vegetables and get more Omega 3s, 6s, and 9s from cold flax seed.  (I guess cooking flax seed destroys most of its nutritional value.) My kids and husband love them. Even my 9-12 mo. old baby, who has no molars, can reap the benefits of kale and flax seed (that would be otherwise hard to chew) in green drinks.  I feed it to him with a spoon with breakfast. Hope you enjoy them as much as we have!   ~Lindsey, Lyneer Andersen Family

What are your green drink variations? Please post it!