No-Bake Energy Bites

I got this idea from a blog called Smashed Peas and Carrots via Pinterest. I changed it a little. These are oh-my-gosh-these-can't-be-healthy good!
Ingredients:
1 cup oatmeal (quick cook)
1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut butter(I used raw almond butter and sunbutter mixed together)
1/3 cup honey
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (you can get these without hfcs, but be prepared to pay twice as much)
1/4 cup pecan pieces -chopped to medium fineness
Mix everything in a bowl and roll into small balls
Store in covered container (in fridge for longer shelf-life)

Winter Fruit Salad

I've made this twice in the past week...we really enjoyed it!

Winter Fruit Salad {adapted from Food.com}

1/3 c sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/3 c pineapple juice
1/3 c orange juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 whole pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 (11 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
3-4 apples, unpeeled (I used Granny Smith and Gala)
2-3 bananas, sliced

In a saucepan, whisk to combine sugar and cornstarch. Add pineapple juice, orange juice and lemon juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; set aside.

 In a bowl, combine pineapple chunks, oranges, apples and bananas. Pour warm sauce over the fruit; stir gently to coat.

Cover and refrigerate.  Can be made a day ahead of time and refrigerated and will not brown.

Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls

I'll admit it....I'm afraid of my bread machine. Every time I try to make something it's a disaster. So, when I decided to try Cinnamon Rolls for Christmas morning, I was skeptical. I thought there was something wrong with my machine. But finally....success!! These rolls are incredible and not difficult to do. They are definitely a special occasion recipe but oh, so yummy!

Follow this link to the recipe: Bread Machine Cinnamon Rolls.

Brown Bag Turkey

My friend, Julie, has convinced me to try this recipe. This will be my first time to make a turkey....

1 stick butter, melted
12-24 lb turkey, defrosted completely
salt/pepper
large clean brown paper bag (preferably one without ink or handles)
stapler
large roasting pan

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat entire inside of bag with melted butter using a pastry brush. Rinse off bird and take giblets out of cavity (Toss or use for later). Salt and pepper bird generously. Place bird inside bag (breast side up) and staple bag shut. Put bagged bird inside roasting pan. Cook in oven for 11-14 minutes per pound (roughly 3 hours). Do not let the bag touch the heating element in the oven. No need to baste or peek at bird. Check thickest part of bird with thermometer, should read 165F to be done. A lot of turkeys with the pop-up timer overcook the bird. Those timers pop up around 180-185F. 165F is the minimum internal temperature that all poultry should be cooked to. This method will produce a juicy golden brown roasted turkey. The butter makes the skin crisp and keeps the bird moist while cooking. This differs from the plastic oven bags because those actually steam the bird while the paper bag roasts it. After turkey is done, remove from oven and let rest in bag 15 minutes (this allows the juices to redistribute throughout the bird and it won't dry out when you cut it). You can then use the drippings in the pan for gravy or check here for a delicious Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy recipe....it is awesome and creates a stress-free Thanksgiving!

**Feel free to add any herbs or seasonings to this recipe. I haven't and it comes out great! I also have not stuffed the bird while using this recipe so I do not know what the results will be.**

Skinny Chicken & Rice

This recipe comes from Skinny Crock Pot. I made this yesterday, and it was yummy!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
Yield: 9 Servings
Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup wild rice blend, uncooked (wild rice, long and short grain brown rice)
2 (thawed) chicken breasts fillets, skinless, cut into 2” pieces
1 cup chicken broth, fat free, low sodium
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste
NOTE: If you like extra spice in your dish, use “Fire Roasted Tomatoes” as a substitute for diced tomatoes. The rice used for creating this recipe was Lundberg Wild Blend.

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions and bell pepper and sauté on medium low heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice and continue to sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and add the remaining ingredients, except chicken, stir to combine. Place chicken in the crock pot and pour ingredients from the skillet over chicken. Cover and cook on low 4 hours.

Snicker Apple Salad

Got this recipe on Pinterest. If you can even call it a recipe, it's soooo easy!

Ingredients:
Small cool-whip
bag of snickers (little bite size or you can cut snack size or larger into pieces
2 peeled, cored, diced granny smith apples

Directions: Mix all in large bowl

See what I mean? Yummy, too

Acorn Squash

Think of how yummy a sweet potato is smothered in cinnamon and brown sugar and multiply it. This is SO YUMMY.

Prep Time:
5 Min

Cook Time:
1 Hr

Ready In:
1 Hr 5 Min

Ingredients

• 1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• (I also sprinkled cinnamon)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Turn acorn squash upside down onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven until it begins to soften, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
3. Remove squash from the oven and turn onto a plate so that the flesh is facing upwards. Place butter and brown sugar into the squash, and place remaining squash over the other piece. Place squash in a baking dish (so the squash wont slide around too much) while baking.
4. Place squash in the 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven and bake another 30 minutes.

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/acorn-squash/detail.aspx