Crock Pot Saturday!

Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ Recipe ( click for recipe!)

This is the second time making this deliciousness! It's a hit. Lots of leftovers for the next day and the next! Put on some whole wheat buns and you are all set.

We had a side of Roasted Garlic Lemon Broccoli too. Amara's choice! I was not too sure about this, but I really like it. She loves the burst of lemon flavor she gets in every other bite. ( click for recipe). I have made this about 3 times now, once without the lemon, but I think it's best with the lemon. I love lemon.

Saturday's are usually reserved for some junk food for lunch and sometimes even dinner. Today we did have take out pizza for lunch, but we were being mindful of getting in a good healthy dinner.

Winner Winner- turkey dinner!

I always wait until the last minute to make dinner on time. Well, there really is not an on time in this house, but eating by 6pm is usually how it goes. Once again I waited too late, but came up with something that is hopefully good. It's cooking as I type.

~Turkey meatballs ( lean ground turkey, bread crumbs, minced garlic, cheddar cheese and taco seasoning) I don't measure anything-ever.

~ Sweet potato fries. One savory Cajun and one cinnamon sugar mix. Yep, REAL sugar! ;-)

~ Broccoli ( olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper-lemon juice after it's roasted)

The best part about dinner? Amara helped with the whole meal! She is now doing the dishes ( for real!!!).

I did not want to turn the oven on today as it is super hot and humid outside and in our house ( no A/C), but I will survive. Sweating while cooking was worth it with my Lil' Chef in Training!

I only wish I had a good idea for a dessert up my sleeve!

Zucchini-Blueberry Muffins

I am on a muffin kick! The only thing I did differently is I added a banana. I also only used 1/8 of both of the sugars. I think the banana made up for my reduced sugar strategy. Come to think of it I omitted the 1/4 c sugar by accident-oops! I also used 2 handfuls of blueberries ( a bit more than the 1/3 cup called for) They were really good. I liked these better than my last effort too. I am not sure if it had anything to do with the extra banana and blueberries, but this recipe made 15 muffins, not 12.

SERVES 12 , 12 muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1/2 of one large zucchini)
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup white flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 egg
1/4 cup white sugar, plus
1/8 cup white sugar
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice or lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash vanilla
1/3 cup blueberries
Directions
1Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and grease a muffin pan with pam.
2Combine zucchini, applesauce, oats, flours, egg, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl (use a spatula to mix, it will make things easier).
3Let this mixture sit for about 15 minutes.
4In the meantime, mix together the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
5Fold this into the first mixture.
6Stir in blueberries and add a dash of vanilla.
7Scoop the batter into muffin pan and sprinkle with cinnamon.
8Bake for approximately 25 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
9*You can also double the recipe and still make only twelve, to make larger, heartier muffins.

Banana-Zucchini Muffin Recipe

Well I finally made the muffins I have been talking about for weeks!
They turned out pretty good. They were very moist!
I needed one more banana but I only had 2. They probably would have been a touch sweeter.
I also added cinnamon, vanilla, ,raisins and wheat germ.
Miles loves them. I like them. Matt does not hate them and Amara does not even know I made them!

18 muffins ( recipe also here )
Ingredients
1 cup zucchini, grated (I leave the skins on and use the food processor)
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed (about 3 bananas, I leave it a little lumpy)
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
1.Oven at 350°F.
2.Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.
3.Mix banana and zucchini. Add brown sugar, egg and applesauce. Combine well.
4.In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, oatmeal, salt and walnuts.
5.Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, stirring until just combined.
6.Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7.Let rest for 5 minutes, and then cool on rack.

Tips on Tuesday-What's so good about EVOO??

There are a lot of types of olive oil out there. I don't mean brand names though. Extra Virgin, Virgin regular, Extra olive, Extra oil...you get the picture.

Scientists have found that the compounds in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) may block a protein that encourages breast tumor growth. Sounds good to me! EVOO is usually the most expensive of the bunch, but the extra cash is probably worth the benefits. Rachael Ray swears by this stuff! As annoying as she can be; she has some killer recipes that are easy to make!

EVOO is also more flavorful then the rest because it is the least processed. It comes the very first pressing of the olives so it keeps a higher amount of the great antioxidants called lignans than the pure, light, or virgin varieties. To get the most out of your EVOO, seal the bottle tightly after use and store in a cool, dark place.

Super Simple EVOO Dressing Recipe:

Whisk EVOO + the vinegar (equal parts) +1 tbsp. Dijon mustard + some black pepper & fine sea salt (to taste) and, if desired, some minced garlic, red onion, scallion and/or shallot.

For added sweetness, a spoonful of concentrated OJ and honey is good too......

**How much you use of each ingredient depends on how much you want to make.** I am not known for my measuring!

News you can use..bugspray or sunscreen?

Which one do you apply first?? I thought this was a great question proposed in Fitness Magazine (July/August 09). I am sure they won't mind that I borrowed their answer!

According to experts the answer is sunscreen! Because sunscreen sets a film on the skin, you want the bug spray to be on top. Make sure the sunscreen is completely dry before you top it off with the bug spray.

Choosing a repellent that does not contain ethanol alcohol will ensure that the sunscreen does not break down.

Here is a great "recipe" for bug spray!

I have not tried it yet, but plan to!

If you try it...please comment back. I would love to hear from you!