Healthy Habits & Some Recipes

I'm always on the look out for good healthy snack foods (since the after school snack routine around here is more and more like a stampede at the feeding trough and I don't even have teenagers yet!)  The two recipes below have been big winners this week.

I've also finally got some spirulina as I mentioned back in this post. I'm pretty sure it's kept me functioning through the last 6 weeks of the nastiest chest cold of my life. Mornings aren't pretty 'round here as I desperately try to eject the junk that's eternally rattling around in my chest. I feel like I've tried just about everything in the book now.

Incredibly, D hasn't caught it - maybe it's cause he drinks this every day... Honey & Apple Cider Vinegar - there's definitely something to that.

Anyway, enjoy some healthy snacks this week! (And a quick dinner idea for that leftover steak you don't know what to do with.)

xo

Date-Nut Bran Muffins (adapted from Grandma's recipe)

2 C boiling water
2 C All Bran (little twiggy cereal)

1/2 C vegetable oil
1/2 C coconut oil (or applesauce)
2.5 C sugar
4 eggs

5 C whole wheat flour
4 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

1 quart Greek yogurt (original recipe calls for buttermilk)

4 C bran flakes (didn't have so I used part quick oats & wheat germ,  plus more All Bran)
1-2 C chopped dates
2 C walnuts (or pecans)
1 C coconut

Combine and set aside All Bran and boiling water. Beat oil, sugar & eggs. In separate bowl combine flour, soda, powder & salt then add to oil/egg mixture alternately with yogurt/buttermilk. Mix in soaked bran. Add flakes, dates, nuts & coconut & mix. Pour into greased muffin tins, filling almost to top then bake at 400 F for about 18 minutes. (Huge recipe. Store covered in fridge for longer freshness.)



Almond Granola (adapted from Keeping Up cookbook)

1/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C honey
1/3 C oil
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla
3/4 - 1 t almond extract
4 C old fashioned oats
1/2 C flax/linseed
1/2 C coconut
1 C slivered almonds

Whisk together sugar, honey, oil, salt, vanilla & extract until well combined. Fold in remaining ingredients. Spread onto rimmed baking sheet and bake at 300 F for 10 minutes. Stir well, then bake 10 more minutes until lightly browned. Remove, stir again and cool completely before storing in covered container.

Thai Beef Salad 

1-2 leftover steaks, frozen
Salad (lettuce/spinach, tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, peppers, etc.)
Dressing (mostly sweet chili sauce, with fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil and white wine/rice vinegar to taste)

Thin slice steak and stir fry it in some hot oil until warmed (I caramelized a sliced onion and some celery right before throwing in the steak) then lay it on the salad and apply a generous amount of dressing. We ate ours with a scoop of white rice as well. Scrumptious!