Julie’s Protein Balls

Ingredients

1 c natural PB (creamy or crunchy)

1 ½ c rice crispy cereal

½ c honey (little less)

1 tsp vanilla

¾ scoop vanilla protein powder

Optional:  mini chocolate chips

From Juile Gerrard

Roasted Green Beans

Roasted Green Beans 

• 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 3/4 lbs fresh green beans, trimmed
• 1/2 tsp onoin salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• ground pepper

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat.  Add grean beans and seasonings to skillet.

Cook until desired tenderness, 5-10 min.

How to Reheat Steak

How to Reheat Steak: 

• Preheat oven to 250
• Place whole stake on a rack set over a baking sheet.  
• Splash a little water or beef broth on top.
• Reheat for 20-30 min.  Or until temp is at 110 on meat thermometer. 

from the pioneerwoman

 Mexican Ground Beef Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs olive oil

• 2 Tbs minced garlic

• ½ medium yellow onion, minced

• 2 large bell peppers, diced

• 1 lb ground beef

• 3 Tbs taco seasoning

• ½ c tomato sauce

• 2 Tbs green chilies (opt)

• 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 c quick-cooking brown rice *white works, too

• 1.5 c beef broth

• ½ c MX shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Heat oil over medium/high heat in large skillet.

• When oil is fragrant, add garlic, onion, and pepper.  Saute 3-5 min.

• Remove veggies and keep warm. Add ground beef.  Saute for 7-9 min until fully cooked.  Mix everything together in pan.

• Add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, chilies, black beans, cook a few min. 

• Add quick cooking rice and broth.  Bring to a boil over med/high heat.

• Once boiling, turn down to low and cover.  Let simmer for about 20 min, (or only a few min. if using white rice) until rice has absorbed most of the liquid.

• Sprinkle cheese on top of skillet.

• Serve with chips and salsa.

*From fitfoodiefinds.com / Emily

Monster Cookie Bars

 

Monster Cookie Bars

Yield: 24 Bars (9X13-inch pan)

 

Prep Time: 15minutes mins

Cook Time: 25minutes mins

Total Time: 40minutes mins

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• ⅔ cup (141 g) granulated sugar
• ⅔ cup (141 g) packed light brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (255 g) creamy peanut butter
• ⅓ cup (75 g) salted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (255 g) chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cups (300 g) quick oats
• 1 cup (198 g) M&M's

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9X13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter and butter. Mix until creamy and well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, baking soda and oatmeal. Mix well.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan and press lightly into an even layer. Sprinkle the M&M's evenly across the top and gently press them into the dough.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are golden and set. Let the bars cool completely in the pan. For a cleaner cut, refrigerate the bars before slicing and serving.

©Mel's Kitchen Cafe — https://www.melskitchencafe.com/monster-cookie-bars/

• Jelly roll pan:  Make 1 1/2 the recipe.  Bake 23 min to be gooey.  Perfect the next day though.

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients

•  1 c butter
• 2/3 c white sugar
• 2 c flour
• raspberry jam
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1-4 tsp milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Beat butter and sugar until creamy.  
• Add flour and mix until dough comes together.  (It will be a little crumbly, if it's too crumbly add a few splashes of milk.)
• Roll dough into 1" balls and place on cookie sheets about 2" apart.  
• Use thumb to press down and make a dent in the center of each ball, then fill with jam.
• Bake in batches for about 14 min; allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes. (don't let them get brown or they will be too hard)
• Mix powdered sugar and milk together in zip lock bag until smooth.  Cut small corner of the bag and drizzle lightly over warm cookies. 

From Amelia Lusk

Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes

CAKE: 

1 strawberry cake mix with ingredients that go with it EXCEPT, replace 1/4 c water with 

1/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice

Bake into 21-22 cupcakes

FROSTING:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 c butter, softened

2 Tbs lemon juice

2 tsp zest

1 tsp vanilla

5 c powdered sugar

Mix cream cheese, butter, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla.  Add 3 c powdered sugar and mix, then 2 c and mix.  

Mashed Potato Soup

 

• Ingredients:
• 2 Tbs Salted Butter
• ▢½ small Onion diced
• ▢1 Tbs All-purpose flour
• ▢2-½ cups 2% milk
• ▢3-4 cups Leftover mashed potatoes
• ▢salt and pepper to taste
• ▢1 tsp Dried parsley
• ▢½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• ▢4 slices Cooked Bacon diced, or ham chunks

Instructions

• In a large stock pot melt butter on medium heat.
  (2 tablespoons Salted Butter)
• Then add in onion. Caramelize until golden brown mixing periodically, for 10 minutes.
  (½ small Onion)
• Once the onions are golden in color add the all-purpose flour and mix well until the onions have been coated with the flour mixture.
  (1 tablespoon All-purpose flour)
• Pour the milk into the pot and stir for one minute.
  (2-½ cups 2% milk)
• Then add in the mashed potatoes. Mixing until all the potatoes have broken up. Cook on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are smooth. Taste the soup and add salt and black pepper if desired.
  (3-4 cups Leftover mashed potatoes,salt and pepper to taste)
• Ladle into bowls and top with dried parsley, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, and cracked black pepper. Enjoy!
  1 teaspoon Dried parsley,½ cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, 
• (4 slices Cooked Bacon)

Banana Shake

Blend: 

1 frozen banana

1 c milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

sprinkle of nutmeg

Homemade PB Granola Bars

1 1/2 c creamy/chunky peanut butter

1/2 c + 1/3 c honey/maple syrup/brown sugar

1 egg

2 Tbs canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 c instant oats

3/4 tsp salt

2/3 min chocolate/PB chips

• In a large bowl, beat the PB, honey, egg oil, and vanilla until blended.
• Add oats and salt and mix well.  
• Stir in chips.  Batter will be sticky.
• Transfer to a sprayed 9 x 13" pan.  
• Bake at 350 for about 17 min, until edges are lightly browned.  
• Cool on rack.  Cut into bars.

Ericka's Rosemary Candied Pecans

 2 c halved pecans

2 Tbs freshly chopped rosemary

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbs sugar

3 Tbs maple syrup

1 tsp coarse salt

Mix together in large bowl and spread out on parchment paper on large baking hseet.  
Bake at 375 for 7 min and then flip them over and roast another 5 min.

Spread out flat to cool and sprinkle a little more salt and rosemary on top.

Mitzi's Chocolate Cake and Whipped Cream Frosting

Mitzi's Chocolate Cake and Whipped Cream Frosting

2 c whole wheat flour

3/4c cocoa powder

1 3/4 c sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c buttermilk

2 eggs

1/2 c coconut oil

2 tsp vanilla

1 c boiling water

Frosting:

2 c Whipping cream

2/3 c (?) powdered sugar

In bowl, pour whipping cream and add powdered sugar.  beat until it is firm.