Chocolate Banana Shake

Zack LOVES these we have one everyday when we get back from walking :)

Chocolate Banana Shake
1/2 of a banana sliced and frozen
1/2 packet sugar free swiss miss
2 Tablespoons vanilla protein powder
skim milk

I make this in my magic bullet mug. So I put the milk in last and fill it about an inch from the top and then BLEND. The banana makes it so creamy, when I made it for my younger siblings that slept over a while ago they thought for sure it had ice cream in it :)

Coconut Fruit Salad

Okay this is sooooo good and easily could count as dessrt, a side dish, snack or even breakfast!


Coconut Fruit Salad:
2 cups sliced strawberries
1-2 diced apples
1banana
1 cup grapes cut in half
1 cup Greek vanilla yogurt
a few tablespoons skim milk
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup coconut

Put all the fruit in a bowl, Mix together Greek yogurt, milk and coconut extract. evenly coat fruit with yogurt mixture then add coconut. This is sooo good I can't see myself ever getting sick of it and it conquers my sugar cravings :)

Tropical Tilapia

I DO NOT like fish but it is so good for you. Tilapia is a more mild tasting fish so I don't mind it.

Tropical Salsa Tilapia:
1 Mango, cubed
2 peaches peeled and cubed
1 cup of pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
1/2 cup sliced red onion
Lime juice from 1-2 limes

So all ya do is preheat your oven to 425 make a foil packet, put about a teaspoon or so of olive oil in the packet, place a serving of tilapia in the foil and top with the tropical salsa. Then seal the packet and poke a hole on top, and cook about 10 min or til it flakes easily. Then enjoy with a big yummy salad (yummy salad? yes recipes to come!)

DIETING!!!

Oh my it has been a very long time since I have posted anything. I have been trying to shed the post baby lbs and it is not an easy task. So I am going to start posting my "diet" recipes. Although I have been doing a lot of reading so it's more life style than diet. I don't count calories or anything like that I simply follow the "food rules" by Michael Pollan. I feel so much healthier, energetic, and happier doing this. I had done the hcg a while back and it was SO GOOD for me to learn about sugar intake and it made me realize how ADDICTED I was to sugar. Sugar is EVERYWHERE. I still have lots of lbs to lose but I am confident that I can get them off following the food rules, walking 3 miles a day with my walking buddies and being tortured by the 30 day shred workout videos :)

egg nog

5 cups skim milk
1 small pack vanilla sugar-free pudding mix
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Blend in a blender then chill for a few hours. Then enjoy, Yum yum yum!

Ginger snaps & Pumpkin dip

Ginger Snaps:

Preheat oven 350 degrees

2cups flour
1 Tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sift together in a bowl. Set aside.

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses

mix butter til creamy gradually beat in sugar, egg and molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into butter mixture at a time.

I used a cookie scoop, halved the dough from that and rolled it in sugar (with a little cinnamon)
Place 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet and cook for about 7 min. til tops are rounded and slightly cracked. Cool and dip (and by dip I mean SCOOP) in pumpkin dip....SOOOOOOOOOO YUMMY!


Pumpkin dip:

8oz cream cheese softened
2 cups powdered sugar
15oz canned pumpkin
1 Tablespoon pumpkin spice
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Blend together cream cheese and powdered sugar til smooth. Add remaining ingredients chill 30 min or til ready to serve.

yummy chicken tamale casserole

I made this the other night and it took me 25 min to make!!! Starting with frozen meat!


1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4 ounce) can cream style corn
1 (8.5 ounce) box of corn muffin mix
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies
1 (10 ounce) can of greed enchilada sauce*
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
Sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven 400 degrees.
Combine 1/4 cup cheese, and next 7 ingredient's (through the green chilies) in a large bowl, stirring til moist. Pour mixture in a 9x13 greased pan Bake for 15 min
(While that was cooking I boiled and shredded 2 large chicken breasts.)
Pierce bread mixture when baked, pour enchilada sauce over, top with chicken and cheese cook 15 more min or til cheese is melted (mine was done in 10 min)
Top with sour cream Serves 8


*the original recipe used red enchilada sauce but I thought the green would be better and I LOVED it :)