Cajun Jambalaya

I am starting to become a big fan of the slow-cooker! Just toss everything in and go. Come home to a house smelling like you have spent all day in the kitchen. I usually leave out the veggies, saute them at the very end and mix them in once everything is done. I do not like soggy vegetables, so I found this way keeps them fresh & crispy. In this recipe I mixed all the ingredients together except the green bell pepper. 

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Forgotten-Jambalaya <---link to the wonderful recipe

I made this recipe when I was cooking lunch for my husband's office (long story) and I think this was one of their favorite meals!! It is worth a try. Make sure you use chorizo sausage, it gives the dish a lot of flavor & spice. I omitted the shrimp because they have a strict no seafood policy (well they just don't like how it smells when you heat it up in the microwave).

RAW Carrot Chewies

These are SO delicious, I make them weekly! Great snack with a nice protein punch!

I absolutely LOVE peanut butter. We were playing a couples game one New Years and it was on how well you know your spouse. One questions was what is your spouses' favorite food. Yep, my husband guessed that one right: PEANUT BUTTER! Now mind you, I get the natural kind with no added oils, sugars, preservatives, etc. Found one that I like at Costco, ingredients: peanuts, sea salt, that's it!

Here is a great article on the health benefits of peanuts:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=101

Great website with lots of info on the world's healthies food & how to prepare it. Have that guy's book too!

1/4 cup low-fat granola

1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup

1/4 cup carrots, finely shredded

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raisins

1 Tbp wheat germ

3/4 cup natural peanut butter

~in smal bowl, combine all ingredients

~form into small balls

tip: after adding the PB to the mix I popped it into the microwave for 15 sec to softned the PB making it easier to stir everything together & it worked great!



'Better than Peanut Butter & Jelly' by Wendy Muldawer & Marty Mattare

I was trying to debate if I should raise Audriana (and future kiddos) vegetarian. Finished reading another book 'Disease-Proof Your Child' by Joel Fuhrman which really stressed a plant-based diet, and the ill-effects of meat & dairy. That got the wheels turning because he backed his data with scientific research; I did a library search on how to raise vegetarian children and this book came up. It is a cookbook with quick, easy & nutritious vegetairan recipes that children will like (and the whole family for that matter). This is the 1998 versions, there is an updated edition (2006) but my library did not have it. I really liked this book and the beauty of it is that the older version is under $1 (minus S&H) on Amazon :)