Gluten Free

Favorite Pumpkin Granola

Sharing our favorite pumpkin granola recipe below. But first:

You guys. I have a son in college. Does anyone else feel weird about that?

No, this has nothing to do with my Pumpkin Granola recipe (except that maybe I should be sending some to him in a care package?) I guess I just needed to get it off my chest. Truth is, I just sat down at a coffee shop to put this post together, and got side tracked on Instagram (it happens.) When I saw that my college son, who has not posted any actual photos from college yet, had just posted something, it stopped me in my tracks.

My boy. He’s totally a college student. He has tons of friends and he’s a bit of a goofball, and he loves his classes and his life is everything I ever dreamt it would be. (and yes, he proudly invests in the stock market for himself and his ~~brothers~~ “clients.” )

But the thing is, ten years ago this kid was in 4th grade, reading Hardy Boys books, and a year ago he was home eating my homemade granola while filling out college applications, and now he’s in college thousands of miles away from home. And I miss him. But that’s just part of the whole cycle of life thing, right?

It happens, Moms. They grow up. Then they go away and we miss them.

So make them granola while they’re around.

That’s really all the deep mom wisdom I have for you today.

Now on to the granola:

Really, we should all be making granola this time of the year because we can bake ALL of the warm and cozy flavors of fall right into it: Pumpkin. Cinnamon. Maple. Toasty pumpkin seeds (or nuts of your choice). Just typing all of those words might have made me drool a tiny bit. (which wouldn’t be a big deal if I weren’t sitting in a coffee shop. Oops.)

This granola is wonderful topped with cold milk, or a dollop of yogurt and an extra dash of cinnamon. And if you still need an extra nudge for making it, stop a second and consider that heavenly moment when you snag the irresistible chunks off the pan straight out of the oven, into your mouth. (go ahead and imagine, we can wait…)

Need I say more?

In case you’re new to homemade granola or have any hesitations…I have good news for you: I’ve made many versions of granola over time, and it’s really hard to mess it up. There’s a lot of wiggle room for switching out ingredients, and even cooking it so it’s a little more…or less, done. This pumpkin batch is no exception.

Note: I took these photos a full year ago with plans to share the recipe back then. (hold up: JOSIAH took these photos for me a year ago. That was back when he was still living in my home and not away at college, and in case you missed it before: These kids really do grow up.) Anyways, somehow the post fell into the blog dashboard where it hibernated for an extended winter season. So recently I pulled it back out, played with some variations of it, and finally landed on the family favorite. This will explain why the ingredients in the recipe may not appear exactly as you see them in the photos. (Main difference: I’ve added pepitas (pumpkin seeds) to today’s recipe. You’ll love ’em, but of course they are not required.)

Nuts or no nuts, just remember — IT’S FALL, and pumpkin granola is way too easy to make to NOT make. (you get my point, right?)

Here’s the printable recipe, AND…(for the first time ever!) I’ve included the nutrition facts as well. **I’m using a new recipe app so I hope you like it!

Pumpkin Maple Granola

Course Breakfast or snack

Cuisine healthy snack!

Keyword granola, pumpkin granola

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 9

Calories 232 kcal

Author Monica

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raw pepitas
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degree.
Mix the oats, nuts, and salt together in a large bowl.
Whisk the wet ingredients and spices together (pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.)
Pour wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Spread the granola mixture onto a large nonstick jelly roll pan or baking sheet. (I like to cover my pan with parchment paper for easier cleanup.) Make sure it is spread out enough to cook evenly.
Bake for 15 minutes, then stir. Check again every ten minutes after that. Mine is usually done by 25 minutes, but some ovens may require longer cooking. Look for toasty and browned, but not dark.
Eat warm, or store in an airtight container for about a week. ENJOY!

Nutrition Facts

Pumpkin Maple Granola

Amount Per Serving

Calories 232 Calories from Fat 81

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 9g 14%

Saturated Fat 5g 25%

Sodium 69mg 3%

Potassium 208mg 6%

Total Carbohydrates 32g 11%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 11g

Protein 4g 8%

Vitamin A 63.5%

Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 4.3%

Iron 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

I hope you’ll make it for your family, or pack it up and send it to someone you love and miss. 🙂

Let me know how you like it, and as always…I truly appreciate it when you pin and share with your friends on social media!

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Kale, Pear, Gorgonzola Salad: Fall is in the Air.

by Monica 5 Comments

Well Hello, and Happy September!

September is so great because it is the lead-in to autumn. Fall!

And fall…whether real, or (in my case) only imaginary, is the best!!

If you’ve been around a while you know that I am a big fan of fall. I always have been. In my dream life I spend every September through November somewhere with crisp autumn air and falling leaves… (it’s only fair that the tables are turned and I get to be jealous of some of you for a few months a year, right?…)

Instead, every year I do what I can to create a micro climate of fall in my home: I turn on the A/C and pull out my fake pumpkins. I light candles which fill my home with cinnamon, apple, and pumpkin scents (this has been my favorite for years: Yankee Candle Large Jar Candle, Home Sweet Home) And I play jazz or big band music to boost the mood. (I call it the Starbucks effect.)

And eventually I will get to all of the cozy, comfort foods of fall as well: My Perfect Pumpkin scones….Carrot ginger soup …my personal favorite (healthy (Mexican) squash casserole (<–that thing is SO good!) and of course the very best layered pumpkin dessert...

But not yet.

I mean it may be September, but for Heaven’s sake — it’s not November. We need to slow down a little. It’s still warm outside (ok really hot!) here. So let’s ease our way into the season. There will be plenty of months ahead for comfort food.

Instead, I suggest we kick of the season the right way, with FALL SALADS! Seriously, there are so many wonderful fall flavors we can use to transform a boring green salad into a wonderful autumn masterpiece. I am a huge fan of fall salads!

Today I am sharing one of my favorite salads because it’s pretty much foundational to your fall salad repertoire. (or it should be if it isn’t!) This is great for weeknights or a party. You can pair it with salmon, or a burger (we did that last night.) You might already make something like this, though the apple cider vinaigrette is pretty special and worth checking out.

In the coming weeks I hope to share a few other salads which celebrate the colors, textures and flavors of fall. (thinking: butternut squash, beets, nuts and seeds, and more cheese…. 🙂 ) I’m so excited!

So…say it with me, would you? Salad is the new (early) fall.
(no offense mashed potatoes. We’ll get to you soon enough. 🙂 )

Find the printable recipe below. This is enough for a regular size family (which mine isn’t, so I usually add a little more –especially of the fun toppings!) Also, notice there are plenty of options for switching out ingredients as you like!

Kale, Pear, Gorgonzola Salad

Course lunch or dinner

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 6

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

6 cups crunchy kale leaves chopped into bite-size pieces. (I like baby kale pre-washed in a bag for this)
1 crisp pear or apple
1/2- 3/4 pumpkin seeds Walnuts are a great option here too.
1/3 - 1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola bleu cheese is great here, too.
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Dressing:
3/4 cup apple juice or cider
4 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 1/2 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Instructions

Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Refrigerate (can be made ahead and chilled!)
Peel and core pear and slice into small pieces.
Combine kale, pear, pumpkin seeds (or walnuts), gorgonzola, and cranberries.
Toss salad with dressing and top with an extra sprinkle of cranberries, gorgonzola and seeds. Serve.
ENJOY!

Side note on serving bowls: My new favorite thing is to serve side salad in individual bowls! Last summer we had dinner at our friends’ home in California and that’s how they served salad. I wondered then – where had I been all these years!? It’s brilliant! It’s easier to eat salad in a bowl than on a plate, we all eat more salad when we use a bowl, and it’s way more fun. (Cheers to the Koelsch family for the friendly dinner tip!)

Enjoy September my friends! But remember: There’s no rush. Enjoy some salad and take a few final after dinner strolls…

If you, too, love a fall salad, leave a comment and tell me about it! And I truly appreciate it when you share recipe posts by pinning or using the social media buttons below! Thank you so much.

See you back here soon!

Aloha,
Monica

Cookie Dough Balls {inspired by Oh She Glows Everyday.}

by Monica Leave a Comment

I don’t know about the rest of you, but in the heat of summer, cooking is just not high on my priority list. Who wants to think about a hot stove when you feel like you live in a hot stove? We’ve been eating a lot of quinoa salads, yummy burrito bowls, and anything that can go on the grill.

Oh, and ice cream. Obviously.

But kids still need snacks, right? So I’ve been trying out some new recipes for snacks that: A) kids like, and B) have some nutritional value. 🙂 You might remember that I keep energy balls on hand as much as I can. I love them because they’re packed with nutrition, and the kids love them.

I’ve been meaning to try the Oh She Glows Everyday Cookie Dough balls for a while now, so I finally made them this week. And, Oh my glow! They are amazing. Because they are made with cashew butter and cashews (no other nuts) they have a distinct flavor…buttery, creamy…So good! My boys even had to admit they taste a lot like legit cookie dough. Score!

I followed the recipe from the book almost exactly, except my cashews were roasted, not raw…Still seemed to work out just fine! Once again, I highly recommend this book as it is packed with YUMMY, plant-based recipes that the whole family loves.

Here’s a link to the book on Amazon: Oh She Glows Every Day: Quick and Simply Satisfying Plant-based Recipes*

Here’s the printable recipe: **I doubled these, as I double pretty much everything because I am feeding a house full of ~~hungry animals~~ teenage boys. (But then again, do you ever regret doubling a recipe for cookie dough? )

Cookie Dough Balls {inspired by Oh She Glows Cookbook.}

Course Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Oh She Glows

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon Raw Cashew Butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 Tablespoons mini-chocolate chips

Instructions

In a food processor, combine the cashews and oats and process until a fine flour forms, 30 to 60 seconds. (Don't process too long or cashews will turn to butter!)
Add the dates and process again until they are finely chopped.
Add the maple syrup, cashew butter, vanilla, and salt. Process until combined. The dough should stick together when you press it between your fingers.
Pulse in the chocolate chips until combined.
Line a large plate with parchment paper. Remove the blade from the food processor, and using your hand, grab a tablespoon of dough and roll it into a small ball. Repeat.
Chill the cookie dough balls in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
ENJOY!!

You can find more great recipes at the OhSheGlows site!

Note: Since I don’t always find cashew butter at the market, here’s a link to my favorite brand on Amazon: Classic Cashew Butter by Justin’s, Only Two Ingredients, No Stir, Gluten-free, Non-GMO, Responsibly Sourced, 12oz Jar*

I’ve got some fun stuff to share next week, so meet ya back here, ok?

Big blessings and Aloha!

Monica

*Affiliate link: This means that if you click on some links that I share and purchase a product, I will receive a small commission on that purchase! Thank you for supporting my blog that way! 🙂

Mile High Black and White Freezer Fudge, (Inspired by Oh She Glows Everyday)

by Monica 6 Comments

Sharing my love of the Mile High Black and White Freezer Fudge from Oh She Glows Every Day Cookbook.

True story: When it comes to sweets, fudge is my favorite. I’d trade most cookies, cakes, or pies for a simple ~~pan~~ piece of chocolate fudge. I could eat it every day.

But I don’t. Of course. I might make fudge once or twice a year, and that is usually during the holidays. Because, there is pretty much nothing at all healthy about fudge, and like it or not, adulting means making grown-up choices like: don’t eat all of the fudge.

Until recently. I got the Oh She Glows Every Day Cookbook (find it here –> Oh She Glows Every Day: Quick and Simply Satisfying Plant-based Recipes –that’s an Amazon affiliate link. ;)) AND, after trying about 5 amazing dinner recipes (you guys have to get this book!) I decided to see for myself if the MILE HIGH BLACK AND WHITE FREEZER FUDGE could taste anywhere near as good as it looked.
(her pics are of course way better than mine, but still….)

And boom!

This stuff did not disappoint.

This fudge is buttery, and rich…mouth watering, delicious. But it’s filled with things like: Cashew butter. Almond butter. Coconut Oil. Raw, toasted nuts…

I would not lead you astray here.

Rich? Yes. But it is so incredibly tasty that a small square after dinner (or lunch, or ok let’s be honest: breakfast ) is a most wonderful treat.

Here’s your printable recipe:

Mile High Black and White Freezer Fudge, Inspired by Oh She Glows Everyday

Course Dessert

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 24

Author Angela Liddon -featured on monicasanson.com

Ingredients

ROASTED NUTS:
1/3 cup raw almonds finely chopped
1/3 cup raw cashews finely chopped
For the vanilla-Cashew Fudge:
1/2 cup plus 2 T. coconut oil at room temp.
1/2 cup plus 2 T raw cashew butter homemade or store bought
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
large pinch of sea salt
For the Chocolate-Almond Fudge:
1/2 cup coconut oil at room temp.
1/4 cup almond butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Large pinch of fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a 9X5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
Roast the nuts on a baking sheet for 10-14 minutes, until lightly golden. Let cool.
Make the vanilla-cashew fudge:
In a bowl, stir together the coconut oil, cashew butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined and smooth. (You can use an electric mixer for this, but I didn't need to.)
Spread the batter into prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the roasted nuts and gently press them down to adhere.
Place pan in the freezer.
Make the chocolate-almond fudge:
In the same bowl as you used for the vanilla fudge, combine the coconut oil, almond butter, cocoa powder, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
Stir well until smooth (again, you can use a mixer.)
With a spatula, spoon the chocolate fudge mixture over the vanilla fudge layer and spread it evenly. Scatter the remaining nuts all over the top of the fudge and lightly press down. Freeze for at least an hour, uncovered, until solid.
Slice into small squares and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer. (up to a month.)
ENJOY!!

May I recommend you whip up some of this fudge for your own Mother’s Day treat? Then you just tell your family it’s WAY TOO HEALTHY and that THEY’LL HATE IT FOR SURE.
(It’s worth a shot. :))

Happy Mom’s Day to all of you! You are amazing. You are strong. You are beautiful. You are loving and giving and forgiving, and you do so much on any given day that no one but God in Heaven would ever know. (and rest assured He does.)

So go grab these healthy ingredients quick, and make some fudge. Then kick back and boss everyone around for a day. 🙂

PS Your mom might want some fudge too.

XO
monica

PS I’d love to hear what you are doing/eating/enjoying for Mother’s Day. Share in comments?

PPS Did you just start craving chocolate? Try these sugar free, gluten free, moist and delicious brownies. 🙂

Sweet Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Parfaits

by Monica 5 Comments

healthy cinnamon apple yogurt parfaits, great for breakfast, snack, or dessert

So it’s September.

And though some of us are still sweating in summer-weather, September puts me in the mood for all kinds of fall flavors.

Beginning with apples. Growing up in Washington state, our family had a few apples trees, and every year my mom and grandma would spend a couple of days making all things apple: apple pies, apple sauce, and just slicing and freezing apples for year-long snacking. (So good!)

Since it still seems a wee too soon for sweet, hot, baked goods, I thought I would ease us into the season with some sweet cinnamon apples, nestled in a cool, yogurt parfait. It’s really a win-win. You get the tasty cinnamon apples (and the awesome smells to fill your home!) and you also get the refreshing, healthier yogurt, and a crunch of granola.

Pretty much irresistible.

{About the granola: I don’t know why I haven’t published my own recipe for basic homemade granola yet, but this one from Cookie + Kate is very similar to what I do. You’ll love it! You can also check out my peanut butter coconut granola, but that may not go so well with apples and cinnamon. ;))

Also…because we typically have a few (hundred) bananas on our counter, I decided to caramelize some bananas to throw in the mix as well. It was a winning combination.

The result was a delicious dessert. Or breakfast. Or afternoon-snack — as it ended up being, because no one in my family wanted to wait for the other two options

By the way: If you’re going to make these, may I recommend cooking up a few extra apples and bananas for later? Because a little bowl of these + a dollop of whipping cream or ice cream? = Heaven.

Try these soon and let me know what your family thinks!

Printable recipe below:

First a Note: You really can adjust your cinnamon apples in many ways. You can go light or heavy on butter and sugar. I like to use equal parts brown sugar and coconut sugar (which is less sweet, but has a nice flavor.) I know some people cook their apples with only cinnamon, which of course is much healthier, but probably not as tasty. 😉 As always, play with things and find what is best for your family!
ALSO: If you decide to add bananas, use the same amounts of butter and sugar to caramelize them as you do the apples. Go for it!!

5 from 2 votes

(Healthier) Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Parfait

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4 large or 6 small

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

2-3 granny smith apples cored, peeled, and chopped into small pieces
1-2 Tablespoon butter by taste
2-4 Tablespoon brown sugar or combine with dark coconut sugar (start with less, and add more to taste!)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 cups vanilla yogurt
1 cup granola your choice

Instructions

Core, peel, and dice apples
Heat a medium skillet on medium, and add butter, apples, brown sugar, and sea salt
Stir frequently and turn heat to medium low until apples are tender; about 8 minutes
Lay out apples on parchment paper to cool completely.
Once cool, layer in serving dishes: yogurt, apples, and granola to your desired serving size.
ENJOY!

Happy Fall to you all, and see you back here soon!

Family Favorite Energy Balls.

by Monica 17 Comments

Energy balls are one staple snack food I have in my fridge almost all of the time.

I shared a recipe for our favorite energy balls within another post a couple years ago, but as I am cleaning up my archives, I wanted to give the recipe it’s very own post.

It is worthy. 😉

Energy balls are perfect for breakfast, a snack, on-the-go, or late night…Kids love them, and they are packed with great ingredients.

They take a little time, but the end product is so worth it.

The awesome thing about this kind of treat is that there are endless variations…I suggest you experiment, and find what your family likes best.

The good news is: I think they satisfy every diet I know of: Clean, Gluten free, Organic, Paleo, dairy free, and totally Raw! If that doesn’t fit your diet then I don’t know what to say.

(Just as important: they taste really good!)

Here’s the printable recipe:

5 from 1 vote

My Favorite Energy Balls

Cuisine healthy snack!

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

My Favorite ENERGY BALLS
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups organic oats
1 cup dates finely chopped
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup finely shredded coconut optional
1-2 Tablespoons chia seeds flax seeds, or your choice of nutritious extras (optional)
1 cup crushed walnuts or your choice of nut.
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup organic mini dark chocolate chips or chips of your choice.
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon optional.

Instructions

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium bowl, combine oats, dates, shredded coconut, nuts, and chocolate chips. (I like to use a food processor to make sure everything is chopped very fine.)
In another bowl, or in a medium sauce pan over low, combine the peanut butter, agave nectar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Combine well. (It isn't necessary to heat it, but it might make it easier to combine well.)
Pour the gooey mixture over the oats mixture and blend well. At this point you may find the consistency too dry or wet...Add more of any ingredients that you like.
Using your hands, roll into bite-sized balls, packing them in as tight as you can. Place finished balls into the refrigerator to firm up, and store in an airtight container.
NOTE: You can also spread into a baking pan and cut into pieces! Your choice. 🙂
Enjoy!

Enjoy!

As always, I’d love it if you would pin, and share so your friends can get in on the conversation and the recipe!

Much Aloha,
Monica

Easy Roasted Vegetables

by Monica 3 Comments

I’ve been slightly obsessed with roasting vegetables lately. And since my promise to you has always been to share what our family is actually eating, I figured I ought to share. We’ve been eating roasted veggies along with all kinds of things: With fish, steak, garden burgers, or just on their own as leftovers for lunch. (Mmmmm)

Roasted veggies are so easy, and so, so good.

I think most kids appreciate roasted veggies, especially if you nail the whole slightly-crispy, plenty-of- salt thing. Roasting can turn a boring piece of broccoli into irresistible finger-food, and I’m not even exaggerating (I had to bat my boys hands away just so I could take these pictures.)

All you need are veggies, (almost any veggie can roast up nicely) a mild oil, (I use olive oil but I think avocado or coconut oil would be great, too) and salt and pepper. I love a bit of rosemary and thyme, so I give a generous sprinkling of each of those as well.

The only minorly-tricky thing about roasted veggies is how long to cook them if you want to roast a variety of veggies at the same time. I found this article over at The Kitchn site to be super helpful on many levels, but as for cooking times, they had two suggestions: Either roast two separate sheets of vegetables — one for harder vegetables that require longer cooking times, and one for those that don’t need as much time. OR, roast your veggies in stages…As in, begin with the harder veggies, and fifteen minutes in, add the carrots and broccoli, and then near the end toss on the thinner veggies that will cook quickly.

The other great reminder from the article is to use a big enough baking sheet to leave some space between the veggies. (Another option is to divide them onto two sheets to bake more evenly.) As you can see from my pics, my baking sheet was pretty fully-loaded…almost too packed. Keeping some space in there allows the veggies to really get crisp and “roasted” as opposed to more of a steaming-effect if they are close together.

The best tips I have are to cut the vegetables into fairly uniform size, and then to toss them in the oil and seasonings before placing them on a baking sheet. This coats them evenly, and will help you avoid them swimming in too much oil, or being too dry. Also, check them about every 10-15 minutes. They’re done when a fork goes into them easily, but for best flavor — keep cooking until you see crispy edges on the vegetables. 🙂 Also: Don’t be afraid to douse ’em with more S & P before you serve them!

Hope you love them, and please share with your friends using social media share buttons, below! (thanks!)

Also, just a reminder: I love to hear from you in comments! 🙂

Aloha, and see you soon!
Monica

PS more veggie ideas? These quinoa quinoa veggie bites are so yummy (and a great way to use up leftover quinoa.) Also, these burrito bowls these burrito bowls are delicious with roasted veggies!

Grandma’s Quick and Easy “Pantry Soup.”

by Monica 8 Comments

As I mentioned in last week’s post, my son Josiah and I took off last week for a quick visit with my family in Gig Harbor, Washington. We made the visit to attend my Uncle’s funeral, so we knew the visit would be a combination of happy and sad. The weather was supposed to be cold and rainy, but we were pleasantly surprised by quite a bit of sun. If you’ve been to Gig Harbor then you know that it’s hard to beat the beauty there on a clear day. Here’s the view from my parents’ front porch:

As usual, Mom and I exchanged a bunch of text messages before we travelled, and also as usual, she included the question: “So what do you guys want to eat while you are here?”

Which is just one of a million reasons to love my mom.

And look at the view from her kitchen. A chunk of my heart lives right exactly there.

Anticipating freezing my buns off while also thinking of comfort food, I suggested perhaps soup would be good. Then, knowing how busy the week would be I suggested a recipe that was first passed down from my mom’s Aunt, which we’ve finally decided to call: “Pantry soup.” As you can guess, most of the ingredients in this recipe are things you already have in the pantry.

Pantry Soup has all of the goodness of home-cooked comfort food, with the sneaky fact that it is quick and easy.

The only real “cooking” part is browning some ground beef (or turkey, which I most often use) at the beginning. If you are in a rush or want to do something different, you can always cut up a fully cooked sausage, or use leftover meat from another meal.

My mom began by browning ground beef with some onions, celery, and peppers. My mom cannot (read: cannot) brown ground beef without adding onions, and oftentimes also celery, and peppers. She’s old-fashioned like that, and I fully appreciate it. {Don’t tell my mom, but I often just brown the meat and forget the other stuff. Life’s busy, man. }

Once the meat is browned it’s all about opening some cans and dumping. If you choose to add noodles, they should go in near the end with just time enough to get cooked. (because we used gluten-free noodles, it is extra important they don’t stay in too long…GF noodles tend to turn gummy pretty quick.)

^^Hi Dad! (He made the gluten-free cornbread to go with the soup. He’s pretty great, that guy. ;))

^^If you close your eyes you might just smell my mom’s kitchen right about there…

My favorite thing about this soup is that you can vary it all kinds of ways depending on what cans you have on hand. I always add beans (kidney, great northern, garbanzo…whatever I’ve got), and I love something tomato-y: We added a can of diced tomatoes, but real tomato soup is a great addition to this soup as well. Besides that we dumped in a can of Progresso Vegetable soup, and a can of tomato sauce.

It’s all about cleaning out the pantry.

The other thing I love is that you really don’t need to add any seasonings to this soup. All of the canned soups provide more than enough flavor.

Top that soup with some shredded parmesan, and you’d think you just sat down at an Italian restaurant. Or at my mom’s house (which is even better.)

**Note: My mom added some mushrooms in there as well, which I love, though I don’t usually include them, because: Picky kids. Again, no rules–add what you like!

Your family is guaranteed to love this, so I hope you’ll give it a try soon.

Here’s the printable recipe: (note: For a big group — like my own family — I double this!)

Grandma's Quick and Easy "Pantry Soup."

Course lunch/dinner

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 8

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef turkey, sausage
1/2 onion diced
1/4 cup peppers diced
1/4 cup celery diced
2 cups broth or stock
1 can beans of choice
1 can tomato soup vegetable soup, or your choice of soup
1 can diced tomatoes or tomato soup
Any other cans you like or leftover veggies, or frozen veggies....
1 cup uncooked pasta of choice or a handful or 2 as my mom would say...See where I get it from?
parmesan cheese for topping

Instructions

Place 1 Tablespoon oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onions, celery, and peppers to the pot. Add ground beef and combine well. Cook until crumbly and browned, about five minutes.
Add the broth and all of the cans. Stir well and allow to heat through, about 10 minutes.
Add noodles and bring to a low boil, just until done, about 5-7 minutes.
Turn heat to low and simmer until ready to serve.
Top with Parmesan cheese and ENJOY!

Share in comments!? If you make a version of Pantry Soup, I’d love to hear what you put in it. ALSO: What’s your favorite comfort food? (Especially if it’s something your mom makes!)

Now, who wants to sit out on that porch ^^ with me and stare out at the harbor? (Hard to believe I’m already back in Hawaii…but the trip was truly wonderful, and I’m so thankful for the time we had there.)

With Aloha,
Monica

PS Love soup? One of the most loved is my Thai Peanut Chicken Coconut Soup . If you like ginger, coconut milk, and carrots, this one if for you! For a little more fancy style minestrone, Monica’s Mini-Meatball Minestrone is hard to beat! 🙂

3 Burrito Bowls Your Family Will Love

by Monica 12 Comments

When you serve a meal that makes your kids say (and I quote) “I could eat this every single night!” you know you did something right.

But when that meal happens to be filled with:
healthy protein,
a rainbow variety of veggies,
wholesome (gluten-free) grains,
and it is served in one simple bowl (hello easy cleanup) then you’re basically high-fiving your own bad self.

So let’s talk burrito bowls.

Rice bowls?

I don’t know, call them what you like, but they are our family’s latest dinner obsession.

Bowls are the new burrito. Bowls are pretty much all of the ingredients inside a burrito, piled on top of a bed of rice (or other grain).

Here’s the base ingredients to make a killer bowl:

RICE (quinoa, or any mix grain you like)
PROTEIN (chicken, steak, shrimp, beans, tofu…you choose.)
CHEESE (if you like – and any you like. Cheddar, goat cheese, pepper jack… or skip it. No biggie.)
VEGGIES (May I recommend: tomatoes, corn, sweet peppers, onion, baked sweet potato, roasted broccoli, and then of course fresh romaine, kale or any leafy lettuce chopped up well.)
DRESSING (Up to you. Ranch, balsamic vinaigrette, your choice. Or forget the dressing.)
AVOCADO. (Not required, but highly recommended.)
FRESH CILANTRO (and/or any herbs/toppings you like.)

The key with burrito bowls (as with life,) is to have a few things prepped ahead of time. A rotisserie chicken can save you a lot of time, but I often just grill extra chicken breasts (or steak) to have on hand for such a time as this. I try to put rice in the rice cooker ahead of time so it’s ready and waiting. (though the packets of pre-cooked rice are nothing short of genius.) Also (for the veggie bowl) I baked sweet potatoes the day before, and refrigerated them to cube up and toss on the bowls. (and then kissed my self the next day.) Most of the other veggies are raw, but there are no rules: I added roasted broccoli on the veggie bowl, and you could also toss on any other cooked veggies that you happened to have on hand. (the creative use of leftovers is a worthy mom-goal.) Even if you’re smack out of fresh anything–a can of beans, salsa, and some cheese will do the job. Bowls are boss, I’m telling you.

Today I’m sharing three of our favorite bowl combos, but the possibilities are endless. In fact, my favorite idea is having a burrito-bowl-bar, where everyone loads up with what they want to make a custom burrito bowl. Who wouldn’t want to come to that party?

BARBECUE CHICEKN BURRITO BOWL (Our family favorite)

My bbq chicken bowl begins with brown rice, which is topped with rotisserie chicken slathered with bbq sauce, a spoonful of black beans, 1/4 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese, a few colorful tomatoes and sweet peppers, kale, romaine, onions, fresh cilantro, avocado, (optional: drizzle with a bit of ranch dressing.)

CHICKEN TACO BURRITO BOWL:

This chicken taco bowl starts with brown rice, and is topped with taco-seasoned shredded chicken breast, shredded cheddar cheese, corn (thawed from frozen,) sweet onion, tomatoes, kidney beans, romaine lettuce, cilantro, a drizzle of ranch dressing, and a lime wedge to squeeze on top. Mmmm.

ALL VEGGIE BURRITO BOWL: (A personal favorite!)

My veggie bowl begins with a delicious blend of whole grain, chia seeds, barley, and flax (I discovered the packets at Costco recently and my quality of life went up immediately.) On top of the rice blend is broccoli — roasted with olive oil and sea salt (YUM!), sweet peppers, colorful tomatoes, Okinawa sweet potato cubes (you can use basic sweet potatoes, too!) and kale. I drizzled a bit of balsamic vinaigrette on top as well as some fresh cilantro. So good! (Side note: Some garbanzo or any other bean would be a great addition to this one–adding more protein as well.)

My boys love these. Even Levi, who is ridiculous about veggies, devoured his taco bowl without more than three or four picky moments. (that’s really good, trust me.)

You know what else I love? These things are so beautiful to look at.

I thought about framing some of these pictures because: that color! Healthy food is so pretty.

Ok now. I’m done.
Go make some bowls and make your family happy!

If you are already a burrito bowl boss, I hope you’ll comment and tell us what you like to put on yours. If not then just talk to me about your weekend: Doing anything fun? Whatcha cooking?

As always, thank you for pinning and sharing! 🙂

Have a great one!

XO
Monica

4 Ingredient, 5 Minute (no bake) Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

by Monica 25 Comments

Our boys are currently going through a stage called eating everything all of the time.

I’m not sure what’s going on, but it’s testing both my creative cooking abilities and our budget.

So it may not surprise you that I’m a sight to behold at Costco.

You can’t miss me: I’m the one with groceries piled high and spilling over the edges of my wagon. (I know most of America calls them “shopping carts” but here in Hawaii they are “wagons.”) I’ve never been gifted with organizational skills, so that adds to the half-hazard-overflowing-wagon-scene. The other problem is I don’t get to Costco as often as I ought to, so by the time I go, I need it all: Meat, cereal, paper towels (which alone would take up the whole wagon), shampoo, dog food, some Christmas candy (it’s not too soon, right?) and everything else.

As I push my wagon to the checkout line, (hardly able to see over the top) people stare at me, curiosity in their eyes. Or is it sympathy? Or maybe admiration (I must appear very strong?) And there’s always some well-meaning older Uncle that will remark “You must be really hungry, hehe…” or “You feeding an army there sister?” I just smile, trying not to run ~~smarty-pants~~ the funny Uncle over…

Then in the parking lot, as I try to make my way to the car, it never fails something falls off the front of the wagon, giving me one last chance to make a scene. I stop traffic, run around to scoop up the laundry detergent, or case of water bottles or the big box of tampons while trying to figure out a place to shove them for the last twenty feet until I make it to my car. Most often in my self-conscious-rushed state I can’t find anywhere to put the item, and decide to just carry it in one arm while pushing with the other, which ends up an even worse scene than before.

Yeah…I’m sorta a mess at Costco.

By the time I get into my car I am sweaty and exhausted and feel kinda like I ought to be greeted with a gold medal and a cold beverage.

But instead I just have to load all of the stuff into the car and drive home. (Thank goodness for hungry boys at home to help unload.)

I don’t know why I just painted that humbling picture of my Costco-self, but I guess I’m just thinking about how much my boys eat and the fact that I’m always looking for:
ONE. MORE. HEARTY SNACK RECIPE.

I have two teenagers in the house currently, and Luke will be a teen in a few short months.

I know people warned me about this stuff, but it’s no joke: Teenage boys can eat. And surfing for hours at a time only adds to the pure starvation.

So in this house it’s all about meals, followed by meals, followed by a bowl of cereal, and then “do you have any snacks, Mom?”

Besides fresh fruit from our property, I often make energy bars/balls or Uncle (Dr.) Ted’s nut bars. Yes, there are the daily smoothies, and I love to bake muffins or bread too.

But then there are days where I just want to make something the boys love, but skip the chopping, grinding, blending and fussing. Days where I can’t take the time to get all involved in the kitchen, but I know the boys need something yummy and filling.

AND THAT, my friends, is where these four-ingredient peanut butter oatmeal bars are just PERFECTION.

You can literally whip these up in five minutes flat. And…you very likely have all of the ingredients to make them in your pantry right NOW.

There is no baking, blending, or even heating.

You just stir ’em up, put them in a pan, and refrigerate for an hour (or skip the fridge and let kids dive in with a spoon already.)
My boys absolutely love these bars.

I hope you make them and your kids love them too.

My original inspiration for this recipe came from this post at 100 Days of Real Food. I’ve played around with a variety of cereals in them, and really you cannot go wrong. In this batch I used the Special K with dark chocolate chunks which I happened to think was delicious. (Last week I made them with Cheerios and they were excellent too.)

Here’s the printable recipe:

5 from 2 votes

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars {no bake}

Course Breakfast, snack or dessert

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Servings 12 -16

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup peanut butter or nut butter of choice
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 1/2 cups uncooked oats
1 1/2 cup cereal of choice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and spread in an 8X8 (or 9X9) inch pan (lined with parchment or wax paper for easier cleanup.)
Press down and refrigerate for one hour.
Cut into squares and ENJOY!

Let me know how you like them. And if you ever happen to see me at Costco, feel free to offer a hug. (though I’ll totally understand you if you pretend you don’t know me. )
With Aloha,

Monica

Tropical Mango Salsa.

by Monica 3 Comments

Isn’t this such a great time of year? The sun has been popping out all over the place, (I mean, besides just in Hawaii) and everyone seems to be a little extra happy. Plus, Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and despite the fact that my five-year old accused me of making up the holiday (“Mother’s Day isn’t a real holiday MOM!”) indeed it is a real holiday and it’s an important one, and I’m not gonna let any smarty-pants five year old take that away from me. (amen?)

Well, spring and summer put me in the mood to grill, and one thing I love to grill is FRESH FISH. If you love fish, (or even if you don’t) then I’m so excited for you to try this delicious tropical mango salsa.

But first:

Here’s an example of what happens when your teenage son is your photographer. You ask the kid to send you over a photo file of mango salsa, and he does. Along with a little bonus shot:

This critter’s been hanging around our backyard for the last week or so…just chilling on the branches..showing off with that whole color-change thing (which for all of the science classes in the world I’ll still never understand) and being carried around by a bunch of #homeschooled boys who have a bad case of “I’ll do anything to avoid one more algebra lesson.”

But I’m really not here to talk backyard creatures or homeschooling or even how veryburntout we all currently are. (because we are.)

I’m here to tell you about this yummy, refreshing, and very versatile mango salsa.

This mango salsa is really perfect paired with fish. Of course it’s great with chicken, or just a big bowl of chips for that matter, but I just have to say that it pairs especially well with fish. And I’m trusting you to trust me on this one.

I serve it with fresh ahi or mahi mahi, but I know it would be great on halibut, tilapia, or salmon. Served with a little rice pilaf and a fresh veggie, this will not disappoint.

The flavor combination here is pretty perfect: A little spice from jalapeno peppers with a hint of ginger, cilantro, a sweet touch of honey, and a zest of lime…Add the crunch of red pepper, plenty of firm and juicy mango (the star of the show), and (in today’s batch–) banana and pineapple. I always say the banana and pineapple are optional, but if you’ve got them on hand, go for it. (We happen to have a few {hundred} extra bananas that I’m trying to use up at the moment.)
Print and Pin this recipe for your summertime barbecues. (and so your friends will find it too!)(thanks! )

Tropical Mango Salsa

Course snack or dinner

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

1 cup chopped mango
1/2-1 cup diced pineapple
1/2-1 cup diced banana
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
2-3 green onions finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced jalepeno pepper
1-2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger to taste
2 teaspoons honey

Instructions

Combine everything but the banana in a medium bowl and mix well.
Refrigerate for thirty minutes.
Just before serving add the diced bananas.
Use on top of fresh fish, or in heaping spoonfuls on top of tortilla chips
ENJOY! 🙂

Hope you love it and let me know how it goes, k?

And I’d love to hear from you: Do you cook fish at home? If so, how do you prepare it? What kind of fish do you get where you live?
ALOHA!
Monica

PS Coconut macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi? Right here!
Are you a ginger lover? Try homemade ginger Juice here. Gingerbread baked oatmeal here! And Carrot ginger coconut soup, here!

The Best Gluten Free Muffins: Banana, Berry, or Your Choice Add-ins

by Monica 3 Comments

So, it seems that I’m surrounded by Gluten free folks these days.

My poor bread-loving father was diagnosed with Celiac disease five years ago. My dear friend Jules, who I spend a lot of time with, is also gluten-free. And we’ve recently brought into our crazy family life a part-time helper (“family assistant” though her title is still up in the air) named Morgan who is also hashtag-gluten-free.
(and yes, you’ll hear more about Morgan here in the days to come, and yes, you’ll adore her.)

So like it or not I seem to find myself eating #gf most of the time as well.

And most of the time I don’t mind it.

My friend Jules is a pro at gluten-free baked goods, so I asked her to share the recipe for her amazing muffins. She’s often making these and feeding my boys and sending treats home for me (though lately she’s been sending them to my dad instead because apparently she knows the way to a man’s heart.)

She passed the recipes along, and I baked up a whole big bunch and they are FANTASTIC!!

So, I thought it only proper to pass them on to you as well.

Because by now you’re probably all hashtag-gee-to-the-eff as well, right?

The first recipe is a basic applesauce muffin base, and you can add in anything you like (or nothing at all–the texture is moist and the flavor is sweet with a hint of apple and cinnamon). I added fresh raspberries and walnuts and they were wonderful.

The second recipe is for the banana muffins. Bananas are so great because you hardly need to add a thing and they’re auto-moist and sweet and yummy.
Jules said she originally found the banana muffin recipe at the lovely site, livesimply, though it may have been altered a little along the way.

Speaking of bananas, here’s a random (shocking) bit of family trivia: My own mother hates bananas. Hates…as in: Will not touch.
(I may never understand her.)

Here are the printable recipes!

The Best Gluten Free Muffins:

Course Breakfast, or dessert, Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 12

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
3 eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup real maple syrup
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Blend the wet ingredients in a small bowl
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Combine wet and dry and mix well.
Pour batter evenly into 12 large muffins tins (it usually makes a bit more than that.)
Lake for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Let cool, and enjoy!!!

The Best Gluten Free Muffins: Banana

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 12

Author www.monicaswanson.com-adapted from livesimply.com

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups almond flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
1/2 cup raw honey
1/4 cup whole milk yogurt plain or vanilla
3 very ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients well
In a small bowl, combine wet ingredients
Add wet to dry, and mix well
Pour into lined or greased muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes
When toothpick comes out clean and the tops or golden brown, remove from oven
Let cool
ENJOY! 🙂

Hope you make them and love them. And share them with all of your #glutenfree friends, of course.

In comments, let me know if you are gluten-free as well. And if so: if you have Celiac, because you feel better, or what’s your #GF story?

Also: I love it when you PIN and share on social media so other folks can find my yummy recipes as well!

XO,

Monica

PS All photos taken by my handsome and talented first born, Josiah.
Side note: I encourage you to subscribe to Josiah’s hand-made web site. He only posts about once a month, but if you are a subscriber, you get a free download of a screen saver for any device you like featuring his one of his beautiful Hawaiian photographs.

YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY (My dad’s very favorite): Gluten free cinnamon rolls 😉

Tropical Smoothie Bowls: Make your own Acai, and Super Green Bowls

by Monica 7 Comments

So, let’s start this one with YUM!….

If you’re not hooked on tropical smoothies and smoothie bowls yet, then let’s just get this party started, shall we?

Smoothies and smoothie bowls have been popular in Hawaii for years, and if they haven’t hit your neighborhood yet, then just give it some time and…they likely will. But no need to wait, you can start making your own smoothie bowls right at home!

A smoothie bowl is basically all of the goodness of a fruit smoothie, with a little more density, and a spoon. It’s good for those who want to slow down and enjoy their food. (which would do us all some good, right?) The most common smoothie bowl is made with Acai, the superfood from Brazil. These dark berries are known to be full of great antioxidant properties, and have a sweet and slightly tart flavor. Blended with other berries, or frozen banana and a touch of apple juice or coconut milk, you can customize acai however you like.

Of course my boys love to drop $8 for one at a food truck by the beach, but thanks to frozen Sambazon packets (found at health food stores and even Costco), Acai bowls are really easy to make at home. (Make them at home, boys!)

A typical acai bowl is topped with granola, banana slices, and shredded coconut. Berries (fresh or frozen) are a common topping as well. Then a nice drizzle of honey to top it all off and it is pretty irresistible.

Since I love a green smoothie, I have found green smoothie bowls to be my favorite. Combining the sweetness of fresh pineapple, with kale and/or spinach, almond butter for protein, and the fatty acid benefits (and creamy texture!) of avocado, green bowls are pretty much a perfect meal. (they taste like sweet creamy pineapple. really!)

Smoothie bowls are one food trend that I hope never goes away.
My kids love them, and I love all of the good stuff that I can ~~sneak~~ put in them.

And on them…

Because yes, Levi will eat a green bowl if there are chocolate chips on top. 😉

So print a recipe (or two!) and enjoy.

And as always, please pin and share ^^^ so you friends can enjoy these recipes too! 🙂

5 from 1 vote

Green Tropical Smoothie Bowls

Course breakfast/snack

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

1/4-1/2 ripe avocado
2 medium ripe bananas previously sliced and frozen
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
2 large handfuls spinach or kale or mixed.
1 Tbsp flax seed meal optional
2 Tbsp almond butter optional
TOPPINGS:
Shredded coconut
your choice of nuts or seeds
fresh or frozen berries
sliced bananas
Chia seed and/or flax seed
Granola
Chocolate chips

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a blender (Vita-mix for best blending) Combine until smooth and consistent texture. Pour/spoon into bowls, and finish with favorite toppings.
Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

Acai Bowls or smoothies

Course Breakfast, snack or dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 -3

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

2 packets of frozen acai concentrate I buy Sambazan at Costco
2 frozen bananas
1/2 cup fresh pineapple optional
1/2 cup apple juice or milk of choice optional--for bowls I do not add liquid, for smoothies I do.
Ice also added for smoothies only
TOPPINGS:
shredded coconut
granola
sliced bananas
honey
berries or other toppings as you like

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in blender (or vita-mix for best results)
Spoon into bowls or pour into glass.
Add toppings.
ENJOY!

Comment below with any questions, or what kind of smoothie or bowls you have discovered! If you make them at home, what do you put inside?
We’ll be standing by with our banana-phones waiting to hear from you…

XO
Monica and her crazies.

PS All photos, compliments of my handsome and talented son, Josiah Swanson (<—-check out his website, and enjoy his photos and his writing.)

PPS For more of our favorite smoothies, click HERE! 🙂
For favorite JUICING recipes, click HERE.

White Bean Chicken Chili. For Cowboys and the rest of us.

by Monica 8 Comments

I started playing with a recipe for White Bean Chicken Chili last fall. I love all of the spices and flavors in chili, and wanted to master my own chicken-version. With just enough spice, diced green chilis, and corn.

Then last December Bryan Jennings was on island filming the latest Walking on Water movie called “Surfers and Cowboys,” and Dave and I invited the whole crew to our place for dinner. The whole crew, including the surfers, and the cowboys. And when I say cowboys I mean the PBR kind–(Professional Bull Riders, in case you don’t speak cowboy)–with big shiny belt buckles, deep southern drawls, and scars to prove that they’ve been to a rodeo or two. They were a hoot! (One of them, Thad, had the best mullet I’ve seen since eight grade.)

Well, since I was on a white bean chicken chili kick at the time, without so much as a second thought, I decided that I’d whip up a batch of my chili for the dinner party.

You already guessed it I’m sure, but I tend to get myself in trouble when I do the whole “without a second thought” thing.

I was making chili for a bunch of cowboys from Oklahoma. What WAS I thinking?

It wasn’t until I was literally ladling the chili into the cowboys bowls that it occurred to me that I was serving these guys a meal that their mommas probably won blue ribbons for at the country fair. I bet cowboys eat chili from birth.

Fortunately, these were true gentlemen. And either they really did like the chili, or their skills went beyond bull riding into the charm department, because they raved about my chili. (Really!) One of them even said (and I quote) “This is better than my Grandma’s, and my grandma makes the best chili in the world.”

My day? Made.

Since I had also made a huge batch of cornbread, the cowboys demonstrated for us all the right way to eat chili and cornbread:

First, you cut a piece of cornbread in half, then lay it in the bottom of a bowl. Scoop the chili right on top of the cornbread, then top with sour cream, and cheddar cheese.

Since I don’t believe in arguing with bull riders, I followed suit. Yum!

I’ve made this chili about twenty more times since that night, and each time we laugh remembering those sweet and funny cowboys and all the fun we had eating chili and cornbread together. Those cowboys know how to tell a story.

This is a crowd pleaser, a family favorite, and something that absolutely belongs on your weekly meal rotation. Plus, it’s easy! If you’ve got a rotisserie chicken, or can cook up some chicken breasts in advance, it’s as easy as opening a few cans of beans, tossing in some spices, and your’e there. Cornbread, optional. (In the photos I baked up a batch of cornmeal biscuits, and those worked out really well too.)

PS I always double this recipe. Mostly because it seems every time I cook it, we end up with unexpected guests (the smell must travel! :)) but also because leftovers are pretty perfect too.

5 from 1 vote

Family Favorite: White Bean Chicken Chili

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

4 cooked chicken breasts shredded or cut into small pieces. OR one rotisserie chicken, cut up.
4 cups chicken stock. I go light on the stock, and if I double the recipe, I do not add more stock. we like our chili thick. 🙂
1 Tbsp. olive oil.
1 medium onion diced.
2 cloves garlic minced.
2-3 15 ounce cans of white beans. (Great Northern, or Cannelini) Choose how beany you like your chili. 🙂 You can leave the juice in it.
1 4 ounce can mild diced green chilis, with liquid.
1 cup frozen corn or one can (15 ounce) canned corn. Drain liquid.
2 tsp. dried oregano.
2 tsp. ground cumin.
1-2 tsp. chili powder. to taste
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Toppings: sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Pour olive oil into a large Dutch or pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until tender.
Add chicken stock and the rest of the ingredients, combining well. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
Taste, and adjust seasonings to your preference.
Serve in bowls and top with sour cream, shredded cheese. Goes great with chips or corn bread and salad!
ENJOY!

**side note: Corn is optional. The batch in these photos has a lot of corn, (and my boys like it that way,) but you can add as much or little as you like. Flavor is great either way.

Let me know how you do!

Aloha,
Monica

PS Here’s a little trailer from the Surfers and Cowboys movie. Coming soon to a rodeo near you. 😉
(I’ll let ya know when it’s available!)

Surfers and Cowboys Trailer from WalkingOnWater on Vimeo.

Easy Crockpot Burrito Bar

by Monica 11 Comments

I used to try to think of creative, lovely, or unique recipes to make and share here on the blog. Like this dinner and this dessert…(and those are both really great recipes.)

But somewhere along the way, I decided that maybe you’d benefit more from my showing what we really eat.

Like: All of the time.

So, I decided that I would go ahead and share anything that we eat a lot around here…
Even if it isn’t the healthiest in the world. Or the most unique.
Or the prettiest…

Because let’s face it: Some of the most delicious food isn’t that pretty. (example A ^^^)

When I’ve made something around 8346 times, and everyone is still excited when I tell them I’m making it again? It’s got to be good.

And that is exactly the case with these crockpot chicken burritos.
I make ’em a lot.
And we like ’em a lot.

Did I mention how EASY they are!?
SOOOOOO EASY!?

These are as easy as throwing a bunch of chicken breasts (frozen is fine!) into the crockpot with a jar of salsa, and walking out the door. Like All day long.
Eventually you add a can of black beans, and if you’re feeling really fancy, some corn (frozen is fine!) and you’re done. Give it thirty to sixty minutes to get hot…and serve!
(quick note: You absolutely CAN add the corn and black beans from the start–I have done that many times! I just add them later if I happen to be around.)

This is the meal I make if I know we’re all headed to the beach for the afternoon.

Or if I’m just feeling lazy.

Because when we walk in the door, (or I get up off the couch,) I can toss the condiments all into little bowls. And slap some tortillas on the table, and I say “Pray and eat!”

And we do.

The boys love that it’s a “make your own” kind of meal.
I love that it’s easy.

These really do belong on everyone’s weekly rotation.
Great for guests, sleepovers, and rainy Monday nights. Just announce it is a burrito bar night and they’ll come running!

**One more note: As always, there are countless variations in this recipe. In this particular batch I got really fancy and tossed diced green peppers into the pot, as well as chili powder, cumin and salt and pepper. But that was seriously the first time I have added anything except salsa and black beans. (and no–no one noticed. haha.)

Here’s the printable recipe:
(Note: The amount of each ingredient can vary a lot. This isn’t the most exact recipe. 🙂 I always plan extra for leftovers! You’ll have to figure out what works for your family.)

5 from 1 vote

Easy Weeknight Crockpot Chicken Burritos

Course dinner

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

CROCKPOT RECIPE:
4-5 medium chicken breasts
1 12-16 ounce jar of your favorite salsa
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 can of corn or 1-2 cups frozen corn, by taste
optional: 1 small can diced green peppers and seasonings (per your personal taste:) 1-2 tsp chili pepper, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. cumin,
Tortillas flour, whole wheat, corn--your choice
CONDIMENTS:
shredded lettuce
sour cream
Shredded cheddar cheese
Diced tomatoes
Tortilla chips

Instructions

Place chicken breasts in crock pot. (optional to cut them into smaller pieces before cooking, or at the end.)
Pour salsa to cover chicken.
Cook on low 6-8 hours, or on high 3-4 hours. (All crock pots cook a bit differently, so go by your cookers settings.) Make sure chicken is cooked through.
About an hour before serving, add a can of corn, (or frozen) and a can of black beans, drained. (you can add corn and beans from the beginning as well. Either way turns out fine!)
If chicken is still in large pieces, use a knife or kitchen scissors to chop or shred into bite-size pieces.
Place crock pot and all condiments out and let everyone make their own burrito.
**Use slotted spoon to serve as the crockpot ingredients get really juicy. This is both delicious and messy! 🙂
ENJOY!

Hope you love them!
And have a great start to your week!

ALOHA!
Monica

PS Need dessert? Try these low-fat oatmeal, banana chocolate chip cookies (they’ve been one of my biggest recipe hits! :))

Baked Gingerbread Oatmeal, Two ways. {Gluten-free}

by Monica 5 Comments

I’m trying to figure out if it is normal develop brand new tastes or cravings in the middle of your life. (?) I’ve never really thought about it before, but I guess I assumed that by now my taste buds have probably made up their mind about most things.

But I must be wrong, because out of nowhere I have recently developed a brand new obsession:

GINGER!

It all started a few weeks ago with the first head cold I’ve had in a long time…and a stop at our local Coffee Gallery. Now normally I’m a coffee person. I drink a cup (or four– Just kidding–no not really kidding) every morning of my life. But when I have a cold, I don’t crave coffee drinks the way I normally do. So, on that day when I stopped at Coffee Gallery, I decided to order a “Ginger Tonic.” I remembered a friend ordering one a few years ago and a tiny sip of hers told me it was super strong in the ginger department, with just a bit of honey to (not quite but almost) balance it out. I didn’t really like it.

But I knew that strong ginger would be good for what ailed me, so this time I ordered that ginger tonic, steaming hot.
AND it tasted SO good!

The next day I went out of my way to go by and get another one.
Two days later I tried one iced: Delicious! Soon, I was craving ginger…

So, while shopping at Costco last week I was pretty excited to discover a jug of “Hawaiian Ginger Rush” in their fresh juice department. I couldn’t buy it fast enough. And when I got home I couldn’t drink it fast enough. Hot, cold…mixed with cranberry, or bubbled with seltzer water.

Now I just wonder why it took me so long to fall head-over-heels for ginger?

Needless to say, since I’ve had it on my mind to create a new breakfast recipe to share here for the holidays, I knew it had to have some ginger in it.

I happen to have a favorite recipe for baked oatmeal that I made last winter and topped with caramelized bananas and cream. It was a huge hit with the family, and I’ve been dreaming about recreating it ever since.

So, (you know where I’m going with this…) I had the brilliant idea of introducing my baked oatmeal to my new best friend, Ginger….

And indeed–it was a marriage made in heaven!

I healthied it up by adding flaxseed, almond milk, and maple syrup + dates to make it good and sweet. (PS no one and I mean NO ONE noticed the flax or the dates, in case anyone’s nerves need calming.)
This recipe is gluten-free, and such a healthier alternative to most of the baked goodies around the holidays!

I served the first batch piping hot, and topped it with a drizzle of maple syrup and cold eggnog. {EGGNOG!}
Repeat after me: Christmas in a bowl!

Delicious! Warm and hearty, with just enough spice, mellowed out by that sweet noggy cream. (did you just drool a little? Goodyoushould.)

The second batch I wanted to try serving as a snack cake or dessert. So, I let it cool a little and cut it into pieces. Then I served it with freshly whipped cream.
Ohmygosh! Fabulous!

This would go great as part of a Christmas brunch.
Or have some on hand for those afternoon visitors who you know are hoping you will offer a little treat with a cuppa joe.
Because gingerbread does pair well with coffee too. 🙂

Either way, make some this holiday!
And until then, pin and share this so all of your buddies will get to try it too!

Oh—and just FYI: The Coffee Gallery does ship amazing local Hawaiian Coffee….Which might make for a very special Christmas gift for someone on your list! (I don’t think they can ship their Ginger Tonic, but I know you’ll try it next time you’re in town…!)

Aloha,

Monica

Print the recipe here:

5 from 1 vote

Baked Gingerbread Oatmeal, {Gluten-free}

Course breakfast or snack/dessert

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free oats
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs beaten
4 Tablespoons molasses
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped dates optional, but yummy! raisins would work well too!

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients
In another bowl, whisk the eggs and add the wet ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and fold in the dates
Spray an 8 X 8 inch pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper
Pour batter into pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean from the center of the pan.
Dish into bowls and serve hot with maple syrup and milk or egg nog
OR cut into pieces and serve with whipping cream or on its own
ENJOY!

PS If you’ve developed any new favorite tastes or cravings as an adult–tell me ’bout it. And do you love GINGER?

PPS Last year’s eggnog cheesecake bars were a HUGE HIT on the internet! Try them here! 😉

Healthy Butternut Squash Mexican Casserole

by Monica 6 Comments

It’s Thanksgiving week. And here I am posting a Mexican casserole.

What IS wrong with me?

I’m really not trying to throw the Universe out of order, but I figure that there’s a few more days left before Thanksgiving. And you might just want this for a warm, sweet and savory weeknight meal.
And if nothing else, you can always just Pin it for later!

The truth is, I’ve been wanting to share this recipe for two weeks, and it keeps getting pushed aside. And after my last post, which was a little heavier, (and brought on more colorful commentary than usual) I am just in the mood to post something safe and neutral to start a new week.
So if you hate squash or casseroles, please go easy on me. (Or at least don’t blame it on homeschooling; I promise there is no relationship between this recipe and my kids being homeschooled. 🙂 )

Moving right along: Do you love Mexican flavors as much as I do? And Mexican dishes seem to make for the best family dinners! Everyone loves Mexican food.

And squash? Who doesn’t love squash?
(Ok, two of my kids don’t, that’s who—but they will by the time I’m done with them.)

So when I bought a big butternut squash a few weeks ago, I knew I had to find a creative use for it.
I had Mexican on my mind…
And we all know how much I love one-pot meals, right?

As soon as I put this together, I knew it would be joining the Family Favorite Dinner Rotation Club. (“FFDRC.” And yes, I did just name that.)
Please give a warm welcome to the newest member.

Of course I’ve made it two more times since, tweaking this and that…and I feel 100% confident that anyone who tries this will absolutely love it.
Whether you’re a squash-lover or not.

The key to this dish’s fabulous flavors is roasting the squash, onion, and seasonings first.

As always, I encourage you to try tossing any ingredients into this recipe that you might have on hand. Extra veggies? Yes! (I’m looking at some carrots and leftover green beans in my fridge…) Maybe a jalepeno jack cheese in place of cheddar? Try with or without the chicken….You just can’t go wrong!

The only rule is: There are no rules.

Print this baby, and carry it around until you make it.

Healthy Squash Enchilada Casserole

Course Healthy Mexican Casserole

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

1 Medium-sized butternut squash peeled and diced (OR buy the pre-peeled and cubed squash at Costco! :))
1 yellow onion
1 poblano pepper cored and sliced
1 jalapeno cored and sliced
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
2 chicken breasts cooked and diced, OR 1 cup shredded chicken. (optional)
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup corn frozen, fresh, or canned--drained.
1/4 cup cilantro chopped finely
1 cup fresh kale or baby spinach cut into small pieces
1- 11/2 cups salsa
1 small can mild green enchilada sauce
2-4 to rtillas depending on pan used. *Use corn tortillas to make this gluten-free.
1 and 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Place diced butternut squash, sliced onoin, jalapeño, and poblano pepper in a baking dish and toss with olive oil, cumin and salt and pepper. Combine well. Roast veggies in the one for 40-45 minutes, until it smells wonderful and squash is tender.
Lower oven temp. to 350 degrees
Transfer roasted vegetables to a large bowl and add the chicken, 1 cup salsa, beans, corn, and cilantro.
Prepare baking dish by spreading half of the can of enchilada sauce on the bottom. (I like to use a round dish that fits a tortilla perfectly, but you can use any size and simply cut tortillas into smaller pieces for layering.)
Cover the enchilada sauce with one layer of tortillas. Top tortillas with 1/2 of the vegetable mixture, then 1/2 cup cheese, and chicken, if using chicken.
Add one more layer of tortillas, the rest of the vegetables, and then the kale or spinach.
Top with 1/2 cup cheese, and then drizzle the rest of the enchilada sauce over the top to keep moist.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through and a little bubbly.
Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve.

Recipe Notes

I have made this in two layers as my recipe suggests, or in three layers. Either way is good. I personally do not like my casserole to be very tortilla-heavy, so I prefer the two layer version.

Let me know how you like it, and as always pin and share to spread the Aloha! 🙂

XO,

Monica

Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls

by Monica 5 Comments

Please don’t tell me you’re already over all of the pumpkin everything.

I know, I know, people get really into pumpkin this time of year, and some find it a bit overkill.
But not me. I love pumpkin. As far as I’m concerned, pumpkin could just set up camp and move in for good. It’s such a mild, sweet, comforting flavor…Who says it should only be welcome from September through November? I might just have to start a petition.

But I will say…After baking a few loaves of traditional pumpkin bread (hello sugar + fat,) and drinking my fair-share and then-some of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes (Or PSL’s as my boys affectionately call them, because apparently 13 isn’t too young to fall in love,) I started to crave a healthier option for my fall/pumpkin cravings.

So, I took my Favorite Energy ball recipe, and simplified. Then I added a heaping 1/2 cup (I’m pretty sure it was closer to a full cup,) of canned pumpkin, and 2 heaping tsp.’s of pumpkin pie spice. And I did a little happy dance because I had a really good feeling…

And I was right. Fantabulous. Truly and really. You’re gonna want to make these today.
I put mine in the refrigerator (it’s still in the hot/humid/I need to complain-zone here,) and two hours later, offered them to my family. And they got big thumbs up. In fact, the flavor is so good, and the pumpkin added such a nice moisture to these that I might add pumpkin to my energy balls year-round now.

I can break an unwritten rule as good as the next guy.

Happy Fall to you!

Hope your family loves them too!

Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls

Course dessert/snack

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

heaping 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped dates may substitute raisins or craisins if you prefer.
1 Tablespoon chia seeds optional
1/3 cup slivered almonds or other nuts of choice optional
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Optional Add-in: 1/4 cup mini-chocolate chips

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixing well.
Roll into bite-sized balls and place on a plate or cooking sheet
Refrigerate til firm and cold
ENJOY!
**Keep in refrigerator for up to a week for best flavor.

Oh–and don’t forget that when you Pin and Share, the world becomes a happier place.
🙂

Do you have a favorite FALL/PUMPKIN treat? Tell me about it! Let me know in comments, below. There’s always room for more around here!

See you soon with a very packed post!

Aloha,
Monica

Barbecue Chicken Salad

by Monica 12 Comments

This salad is so much a staple in our diet, I’ve never even thought to post it.

It’s my go-to, family-favorite, crowd-pleasing dinner.

I mean, I’m pretty sure I’ve made it more than any other meal in our family’s history (unless you count PBJ’s, obviously.)

But when I serve it to guests, they often ask me for a recipe.
And I’m like “A recipe!? There isn’t one…” as if everyone out there makes barbecue chicken salads. Off the top of their heads.
But maybe not?

I do clearly remember the first time I discovered it. I was in high school and my mom and I went to lunch at Red Robin. (btw–we don’t have Red Robin in Hawaii, isn’t that sad?) Anyways, we ordered their Barbecue Chicken Salad and we loved it so much that we just sat there and stared at it and then began discussing how EASY it would be to make it at home.

So a day or two later, we did just that. And then we did it again. And again. And again. And we never stopped.

Anyways, if you do not already make a barbecue chicken salad on a regular basis, may I suggest that you begin? It’s not hard at all…And if you are able to chop a few ingredients ahead of time, then it’s really easy. I like this salad best with chicken hot off the grill, but honestly, you can use leftover rotisserie chicken (heated up just before serving,) or cold cubed chicken. Or leave out the chicken and let the beans be boss. Its the mixture of barbecue flavor, and cold veggies that make this salad special. Or maybe it’s the avocado and corn. Or the black beans, cheese, and chips. Oh, I don’t know what makes it so good.

But one thing I do know: When I make this–my boys eat salad like a girl on a diet. (shh, do not tell them I just said that.)

You can, of course, throw in extra chopped veggies (I often use colorful sweet peppers, cucumbers, or carrots.)

I usually serve this with a side of dressing made of half barbecue sauce, half fresh ranch dressing. Tossing it in the dressing is pretty incredible (just make sure everyone looks at the pretty salad before you toss!) (and crunch up the chips and toss those in too!) Personally, I think that if you slather the chicken real good with barbecue sauce, you don’t even need dressing. All of those flavors mix up and give it plenty of flavor and texture. But I’ll let you decide.

As for the salad underneath all of the goodies…you can really use whatever you like. I love a chopped salad, combining kale, romaine, cabbage, spinach, and this particular salad also had some arugala. Yum!

Even if you now have fall weather, (and quit bragging, I’m sweating over here!) you’ll still love this salad. Served with hot chicken and a warm loaf of bread, it is great year-round!

Hope you try it! And Pin it! 🙂

5 from 5 votes

Barbecue Chicken Salad

Course Salad

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

4-5 cups mixed greens of choice
1-2 chopped tomatoes
1 medium ripe avocado
1 cup corn frozen or fresh
2 large chicken breasts cooked and slathered with barbecue sauce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can black beans drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra barbecue sauce
1/4 cup fresh ranch dressing
tortilla chips to garnish

Instructions

Clean and dry salad greens of choice, and place in the bottom of serving bowl
decorate as you like with each of the ingredients.
Optional to use chicken breast hot off the grill, reheated, or cold.
garnish with tortilla chips
Combine barebecue sauce and ranch dressing and serve it on the side, or toss if you prefer.
ENJOY

With lots of Aloha,
Monica

Papaya Bars {Gluten Free & Honey Sweetened.}

by Monica 17 Comments

I get really happy when I get to create something delicious with the fruits we grow on our property.
Even on the most stressful day, cooking relaxes me. And it’s a good thing, because with four growing boys and a hard working man around, I do a LOT of cooking.

The beauty of our tropical climate is that most of the fruit on our property grows year-round. But right now, it seems like everything is abundant: Bananas, avocados, pomelo, and papaya…Lots of papaya.

Well, for a long time now, my boys’ favorite treat has been LEMON BARS. It’s what they always ask for if we go to a special cafe or bakery.

And I don’t know why it took me so long, but suddenly–last week, out of the blue, I had this GREAT IDEA: Why not make a PAPAYA VERSION of a LEMON BAR?

And that was the best idea I’ve had in a long time.

Now my boys have a new favorite treat.
And plenty of it.

I fiddled my way through three different versions of this recipe, each time exchanging some ingredient that I didn’t feel good about, with something I did.

And sure enough, the results were amazing.
Shockingly amazing.

The great thing about papaya is that it is so naturally sweet, you don’t need nearly as much sweetener as a lemon bar requires.

It was really easy to switch out honey for sugar, almond flour for white flour, and coconut oil instead of butter.

My family did a taste comparison of the different versions.
They all preferred the healthier version!
Seriously. I wouldn’t lie about this.
YES.
THAT. GOOD.

*someone tell me you love the rainbow unicorn as much as I do* (It’s a very old IKEA tray I took from my Grandmother years ago–)

One note on sugar: The batch I made with ONLY honey, had a slightly more moist (jiggly,) texture than the one I tried with sugar. (I tried hard to think of another one than “jiggly,” sorry, just couldn’t.)
My personal favorite–using 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup honey. You can play around and decide what you like best!

4.5 from 2 votes

Papaya Bars {Gluten Free and Honey Sweetened.}

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

CRUST:
1/2 cup almond meal flour can use reg. (all-purpose flour.
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg white
FILLING:
1/2 cup honey or sugar, or a combination of the two.
1/4 c. almond meal flour if sub.w/ reg. flour, use just 2 T.
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup papaya puree
2 large eggs
2 tsp. lemon juice
TOPPING:
powdered sugar optional.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line an 8X8 pan with parchment paper.
In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, combine coconut oil and almond flour.
Add maple syrup, shredded coconut, almond flour and salt.
Mix until well combined, remove from heat and stir the egg white into the mixture, combining well.
Transfer to prepared pan and carefully press down firmly.
Bake 8-10 minutes, checking for it to turn a light golden brown.
Meanwhile, begin preparing the filling.
Remove the seeds from 2 medium papaya, and place fruit in a blender or food processor.
Turn on medium and mix until a smooth consistency.
Pour into a large bowl, and add eggs, almond flour, lemon juice, honey, and salt. Using a wire whisk, combine until glossy and smooth.
Pour filling over the hot crust, and transfer back to the oven for remaining 20-25 minutes.
When done, the filling will appear set.
Cool in the pan on a cooling rack until it reaches room temperature.
**Best kept covered in a refrigerator.

Please PIN this to save for later. Share with your friends, and…just try making these!

This time of year you should be able to find good papaya in most areas. (If you can’t find any, come by our place, and grab one of ours. Or twelve. ;))

(If you’re a papaya lover, you might also like to try my papaya pie and my papaya coconut cake .)

With Aloha,

Monica
(and her miniature food inspection assistant, Levi)

Quinoa, Peanut Butter, and Oat Cookies.

by Monica 12 Comments

I confess: When it comes to cookies–I get in a rut.

I’ve been making my low fat banana oatmeal chocolate chips cookies, A LOT, for a couple of years now, and they really are so good. But I wanted to put some healthy ingredients together to come up with a new go-to cookie for our family. It’s time for a new cookie-rut.

I have zeroed in on making a cookie from quinoa, because we use so much of it, (like in This Salad, and in These meatballs,) and it seems like there is always just a couple of cups leftover. Clearly it makes sense to to turn leftovers into cookies. amiright?

After many attempts, I finally did it. I mean–I really DID IT! These cookies are absolutely delicious…and I’m happy to tell you that they have no bad fats or processed sugars.

Introducing the new It-Cookie in my household:

it took me many tries to nail these cookies because: Quinoa…well, it does have its own unique texture, doesn’t it? You can’t just toss quinoa into any old cookie and have it turn out well.

It turns out that the secret to this quinoa cookie success is using both real maple syrup, and chopped dates. These hold their shape, are moist, and full of flavor.

Side note: If you happen to NOT be a date lover– (first: what’s wrong with you?) it will be ok. These CAN BE done without the dates. They just might turn out a tiny bit more crumbly. (and not nearly as delicious–but we can agree to disagree.)

If you’ve got cooked quinoa on hand, these are actually really quick and easy to make. And the good news is–there isn’t anything in them to feel bad about.

Unless you feel bad about things like mini vegan dark chocolate chips, in which case we should probably have a little talk.
Mini dark chocolate morsels are like mini-love-nuggets from heaven.

I hope you’ll try these! Your family will thank you for making amazing cookies, and you’ll feel good about them too.

Side note #2: If you must leave out the chocolate chips, no problem. (I made a batch when I accidentally ran out of the chips. and they were still very tasty!)
*Just do not–I repeat–do not, leave out both the dates and the chocolate chips because then we maybe can’t be friends.

Like anything with chocolate chips, these are best served with cold milk. On a sunny lanai.

Have a great week!

I’ll be battening down the hatches (or whatever you do) in anticipation of a couple hurricanes that are reportedly headed our way. We are all hoping it turns to a tropical storm which passes mildly, except my boys, who are all like “YAY!! BIG STORM–BRING IT!” Haha.

Talk to you soon!

Aloha,
monica

PS Pinning and Sharing help spread the ALOHA…Thank you so much!!

Quinoa, Peanut Butter, and Oat Cookies.

QUINOA PEANUT BUTTER OAT COOKIES (w/ dates and mini choc. chips.) www.monicaswanson.com

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 7

Author Monica Swanson

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. real maple syrup
1/3 cup chopped dates pitted 🙂
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips I used vegan dark chocolate.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine quinoa, peanut butter, maple syrup, chopped dates, oats, and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix on low-medium until well combined.
Stir in vanilla and chocolate chips. Place rounded scoops onto a baking sheet (option to line it with parchment paper.)
Bake 15-20 minutes, let sit for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then cool on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.
ENJOY!

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls

by Monica 7 Comments

PEANUT BUTTER BALLS: Four ingredients. Easy to make. Super satisfying.

Welcome to one of my happiest happy places.

These little guys have been a favorite in my house since…Well, since I was in my own mom’s house.
Maybe you grew up with them too? (I’ve been surprised by how many of my friends never heard of them, that’s why I’m here now.)

They were a childhood favorite of mine, and somewhere in the old-photo-files there is even a photo of a stack of them with a candle on top, next to a buck-tooth girl with a big grin. I chose them in place of birthday cake, because I loved them THAT MUCH.

And I’m guessing my mom was quite pleased with such a request.
Because they’re so EASY to make.
And really, quite healthy–at least compared to birthday cake!

The other fun thing about these little fella’s is that it’s best to get your hands in and really mix things up…and kids pretty much love that job.
Some kids love it more than others, and I won’t mention names, but I happen to have one particularly tactile son…

Peanut butter balls are great to keep on hand in the fridge or freezer. Then you can pull them out, and POP them in your mouth for a little sweet treat that pretty much melts in your mouth.

(Warning: Serious addiction factor here.)

One bite of these brings me back to my childhood kitchen. Which is a really happy place to go.

Keep in mind that these are also great rolled in shredded coconut, or just about anything you like: Nuts? yes. Chocolate sprinkles? Oh yes.

And I didn’t plan these photos to be Patriotic, (my table still had decor from the bridal shower last week, :)) but with all of the red and blue and the stars, we might as well suggest you whip some of these up for a Fourth of July celebration. Which, if your life is moving as quickly as mine, could be here in like the blink of an eye.

So, pin it, save it, and make them now to practice for later.

What one treat, smell or recipe brings you back to a happy childhood place?

Have a great day–see you soon!

ALOHA,
Grommom

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Honey Balls www.monicaswanson.com

Course snack/dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup honey
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups powdered nonfat milk.
approximately 2 cups flake cereal or your choice to roll them in. Any cereal, coconut, nut, etc.

Instructions

Combine the first three ingredients well. Using hands is encouraged, but not completely necessary. A good spoon will work too.
In a ziplock baggie, or however you like, crush the flake cereal until it is fine.
Roll the PB/honey/milk mixture into bite-sized balls, and roll them into the crushed cereal.
POP in your mouth!
ENJOY! 🙂

Family Favorite Fish Tacos

by Monica 10 Comments

Does your family have some favorite meal or food traditions? Like pizza on Fridays, pancakes on Sundays, or maybe something like breakfast in bed on birthdays?…

Well, somewhere along the way, Taco Tuesdays started happening in our family.

And that is kind of a big deal, because we haven’t had a lot of food traditions in our home up until now. It’s not that I don’t like the idea–I do. It’s more that I’m inconsistent and lack organizational skills, haha. But somehow, most Tuesdays over the past few months, I seem to find myself making some sort of taco.

And our family’s favorite? FISH TACOS, by a long shot.

I have always LOVED fish tacos, especially at our favorite local Mexican Seafood Restaurant, Luibuenos. But I never used to have the confidence to make them myself.

All of that changed after my sister-in-law, Janelle, made fish tacos for us while they were visiting. They were SO good, I made sure she left me with the recipe. Over time I have tweaked that recipe a little here and there, and ended up with our family’s absolute favorite taco dinner.

Our kids’ prefer these to any other taco. They ask for them a lot, and there is never a morsel of fish left after the meal. We wipe it out no matter how much I make!

The combination of flavors in these tacos is really perfect. Hot fish with cool sauce…a bit of spice mixed with the zest of lime…crunchy cabbage with soft avocado…I’m not kidding, my taste buds get worked up just describing these tacos. I give you my word: You, and your whole family will love them.

Oh, did I mention–they’re also really easy to make!

I serve these a little different every time: This week I had a batch of red and white quinoa which I turned into a fiesta salad (adding corn, black beans, shredded cheddar, as well as olive oil, garlic, lots of fresh lime, and good dash of salt and pepper.)
Sometimes I serve the tacos with vegetarian refried beans from a can, or spanish rice. Sometimes fruit.
Sometimes just tacos. Because tacos alone are pretty awesome.

I recommend using fresh fish when you can, but if frozen fish is your best option–go for it.

I also personally prefer a stone-ground corn tortilla, or even a whole wheat version, but these really work on anything. Using corn tortillas turns them into a completely gluten-free meal.

That crema–it is SO GOOD! It is one of the rare occasions that I actually use mayonnaise. 😉 (Note: I have tried making it with plain greek yogurt and it was quite good that way as well. Just not exactly the same, haha.)

I hope you’ll PIN this, PRINT it up, and then dish it up–for the love of your family.

5 from 1 vote

Family Favorite Fish Tacos

Favorite Fish Tacos, with Lime-Cilantro Crema

Course lunch/dinner

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 9 minutes

Total Time 24 minutes

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS: recipe to serve four---Our family needs about one and a half of this :.)
TACOS:
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 pound fresh fish fillets. We usually use Ahi, or Mahi Mahi, but red snapper or other flakey white fish would be great.
cooking spray
8 to rtillas of choice
*toppings:
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 to matoes finely chopped
1 avocado finely chopped
INGREDIENTS:
CREMA: recipe makes plenty, no need to double.
1/4 cup mayonnaise can substitute with plain or greek yogurt.
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or 1 tablespoon dried cilantro.
1/2 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. ground chili pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
Juice of one medium lime or lemon.
1 tsp grated lime or lemon rind.

Instructions

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
To prepare crema, combine all ingredients well in a medium bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
To prepare tacos, cut fish fillets into bite-sized pieces. Place them on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking oil.
Combine cumin and next four ingredients in a small bowl. Then sprinkle fish with spice mixture and use a spatula to spread it evenly around all sides of fish pieces.
Bake fish at 425 degrees for 9 minutes, or until fish flakes easily, but is not tough. (check it early.) Stir fish to spread the spices even more evenly.
(Heat tortillas as desired.)
Divide fish evenly among tortillas. Top each with cabbage, cheese, avocado, and creme.
ENJOY!

Do you do Taco Tuesdays? Or, do you have any consistent food traditions in your family?
Inspire me, I dare you!

XOXO
Grommom

Another favorite fish recipe: Mac-nut crusted Mahi Mahi.

Hugs and Kisses. A 3-Ingredient Mother’s Day Treat.

by Monica 5 Comments

It’s beyond a busy week here. To make up for our craziness, I decided to make a treat that is SO SIMPLE, it even fit easily in the middle of our chaos. Fifteen minutes and done. Not lying.

And I thought THIS would be a super fun Mother-son, or Mother-daughter, or Mother-anyone thing to do this week, because it is all about HUGS and KISSES. And chocolate. And we all know that those are three of the most cherished things in a mother’s life. (just don’t make us tell you in what order, haha.)

Wait a sec—I almost forgot the salt. Hugs, kisses, chocolate, and SALT!? I can’t take it. Too much goodness.

I actually found this little recipe idea in a Focus on the Family Kid’s Magazine called Clubhouse Jr., so don’t give me too much credit for the brilliance. Levi and I stumbled on it over coffee and Sesame Street around 6:30 AM yesterday.

And in case I’m not the only one to overlook the obvious–the magazine explained that the pretzel shape is supposed to represent a mommy’s arms when she gives a great big HUG. (awww)
Top that with chocolate KISSES, and hello Mother’s Day.

Check it:

THREE INGREDIENTS Hugs and Kisses:

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Lay small pretzels out on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil. (I used gluten free pretzels. They’re super crunchy, we love them!)

2. Place (unwrapped) chocolate KISSES on each pretzel. Little hands love to help with this step.

3. HEAT IN OVEN FOR 3 MINUTES.
Remove from heat and immediately press M&M’s onto each chocolate. (I chose Peanut butter M&M’s because: hugs, kisses, chocolate, salt, AND PEANUT BUTTER!? I die.)
*Little hands need to be careful around the hot baking sheet here. My older boys were good help though.

and it just gets purtier and purtier…

and purtier…NOW QUICK-Before you start popping them in your mouth (ok, one or two is reasonable,) STICK THE PAN IN THE FRIDGE!
Let it cool for about ten minutes.

Then find a handsome server…

…and make happy memories.

This is just the sort of treat that helps make up for a week where you’re a little busy, and a lot out of your mind.

Pin it for Mother’s Day Ideas!
Share it with friends.
Have a great week!

XO
Grommom

Quinoa, Chickpea, Avocado Salad…

by Monica 4 Comments

I’ve confessed before that I am not a good lunch mom. Lunches stump me. Bore me. I have very little interest or enthusiasm for most lunch options, at least as far as eating in my own home goes. (Take me out to lunch and I’ll love you forever. But then again take me out anywhere, and….well, you know.)

However, *Newsflash*. I have begun to keep a regular supply of cooked, and chilled quinoa in my fridge which, when tossed with all kinds of flavorful and healthy ingredients, make my midday meal something to look forward to. My boys love it, and we don’t get tired of it.

My most recent combination has been a recurring lunch favorite for us all. And I think you’re going to love it.

I’m not sure what the rest of the world thinks of quinoa, but I’m pretty much one hundred and ten percent positive that it’s no passing fad…it won’t be leaving my kitchen anytime soon, that is for sure.

And when you toss it with avocado, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and nice squeeze of lemon…hello taste buds. That is some GOOD EATING. Wait, don’t forget the chickpeas–they give the perfect crunch. Or is it punch? They add something special. Then the rest is really up to you. Finely chopped kale about always goes in my quinoa…Some fresh cilantro…Tomatoes are lovely. (Remember my rule about salads: There are no rules.)

But if you want to follow a great recipe, then you can try this one. It’s really good.

Quinoa, Chickpea, Avocado Salad...

Course Salad

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

QUINOA CHICKPEA, AVOCADO SALAD
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups quinoa
4 cups water or I prefer to use organic chicken broth for flavor.
1 can garbanzo beans/chickpeas drained, and rinsed.
1 large avocado ripe, but still firm, cut into bite-size pieces.
Approximately 1/4 cup olive oil. I honestly just pour it on and add as I think it needs more...go by your preference!
1 diced tomato
1 cup kale or leafy greens of choice chopped well.
1 garlic clove minced, or a teaspoon of minced garlic. (more to taste.)
salt and pepper to taste.
Juice of one large lemon.
Fresh cilantro or any herbs that you like for flavor.

Instructions

Follow directions on your quinoa, but usually it requires 2 cups dry quinoa with four cups water. I like to use organic chicken broth for a bit more flavor, but water is fine, too.
Bring to boil, then simmer for about fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
Once the quinoa is cool, toss all other ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Combine well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Goes great with grilled fish, chicken, or as a lunch all on it's own! YUM! Enjoy!

Let me know how it goes!

With Aloha,

Grommom
PS Another amazing quinoa (main dish) salad.
PPS Whatever you do, don’t miss yesterday’s post with a $100 UVSkinz giveaway!

Easy Coconut Rice with Papaya and Pistachios

by Monica 6 Comments

I have a theory about people…

Most people fall into one of two categories:
They are either of the PASTA-persuasion, or more RICE-oriented.

Which one are you?

I like both, but I’m definitely more of a rice girl. I LOVE rice! I prefer it mixed up with flavors and textures…Fried rice being an absolute favorite, and coconut rice being one of our family’s favorite treats! We always order it at Thai restaurants.

I decided it was time to make my own coconut rice, and add some tropical mix-ins as well. I started with Jasmine rice, then mixed in a little brown rice to try to healthy-it-up a bit. (jasmine alone would probably be more authentically coconut-rice like.) But this turned out amazing! I love love love this recipe! It will be a new go-to for our family meals! It is coconuty sweet, with just enough crunch…Oh, you have try it!

Easy Coconut Rice with Papaya and Pistachios

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 4

Author monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/3 cups chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tsp. salt.
2 cups rice. Jasmine or white (I mixed brown rice in, and it was fine!)
1 cup chopped papaya or mango, chopped into bite-size pieces.
1/2 cup pistachio nuts shelled.

Instructions

DIRECTIONS:
Combine chicken broth, coconut milk, salt, and rice in a medium size saucepan.
Bring to boil. Lower heat, and simmer until the moisture has been absorbed.
(cooking time will depend on type of rice. Jasmine will cook in about fifteen minutes, brown rice may take up to forty minutes.)
Remove from heat, and let cool just enough to handle.
Stir in papaya, and pistachios.
Serve warm as a side dish with fish, chicken, or just about anything!
(*also good served as a cool rice salad.)

So, let’s take an Unofficial poll–are you a pasta person, or do you prefer rice? Let us know in comments! (*you can also share how you like your rice or pasta? Plain? with soy sauce? Marinara or plain with some butter…? Mmm, I’m getting hungry just talking about all of it!)

Papaya lovers: Check out my papaya coconut cake, papaya pie, and also some yummy papaya-berry tropical crisp! Mmmm!

**As always, don’t forget to pin this baby!

Much aloha…Until next time,
Grommom

If you’d like to receive email notifications of EACH POST, or a WEEKLY UPDATE of posts, fill in your email below! Aloha-

Simple, Quick-Rise Cinnamon Rolls {Gluten-free or Regular}

by Monica 51 Comments

The holidays may be over…But long live the Cinnamon Roll!
Amen?

I know I know, I should be sharing some healthy recipe for all of you New-Years Resolution types who are trying to behave well for AT LEAST the month of January…But since I made my fourth batch of these this morning, I felt that the honest thing to do would be to share.

And really, they tasted just as good to me this morning as they did on Christmas morning. Maybe even better.

Everything in moderation, right?
I mean, I only ate ONE smallish one for breakfast.
(Ok, maybe one and a half.)
(…give or take another half…but it doesn’t count when you’re just picking it out of the pan, right?)

So what got me started on cinnamon rolls?, you may ask. Well, you might remember me mentioning in this post that I was looking for a gluten-free recipe for cinnamon rolls to serve on Christmas morning. Since my dad has Celiac Disease, I wanted to do something special that he too, could enjoy.

But the other problem I had was that I waited until WAY past bedtime on Christmas eve to get serious about making these.

And when you’re a mom of four high-energy boys, come way-past-bedtime Christmas eve, YOU ARE VERY TIRED. And very much not in the mood to do anything for anybody. Especially if that anything requires kneading, rising, and waiting. Just no.

Therefore, my criteria became two-fold as I hunted for a recipe:
1. Gluten-free
2. As fast and easy as possible.

So, I searched the internet for any recipe that combined “gluten free” with words like “quick” or “easy.” I found a few, and then (like usual,) I kind of winged it, knowing Dad would love me even if I failed.

And call it a Christmas miracle–They turned out amazing!

My dad said that they were the best gluten-free cinnamon rolls he’s ever had (and I have a feeling he has tried a few,) and requested a second batch for New Years. The filling and the frosting were wonderful. These are my new go-to recipe, whether I’m making them gluten-free or not.

So as not to be misleading, I’ll admit that the gluten-free version do not puff up nearly as much as the regular (seen above.) Bummer, but that’s just how it is!
This recipe puffed up way more than any others I’ve tried, especially considering the fact that they barely has time to rise before baking them.

GLUTEN-FREE BATCH:
Look inside! I promise you: A very nice texture!

REGULAR BATCH:

(pre-frosting,)

Frosted with vanilla bean frosting…

Here’s the printable recipe. Remember, if you are not on a gluten-free diet, you can make them the exact same way using regular, all-purpose flour, and you can leave out the Xanthum gum.

See you soon!
Aloha,
Grommom

4.67 from 6 votes

Simple, Quick-Rise Cinnamon Rolls {Gluten-free or Regular}

Simple, Quick-rise Cinnamon Rolls {gluten-free or regular} at www.monicaswanson.com

Course Breakfast, gluten-free

Ingredients

DOUGH:
1 cup warm milk
2 tsp. quick-rise yeast 1 standard packet.
2 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour.
3 tsp. xanthum gum
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cold butter cubed into small pieces.
FILLING:
1/4 cup butter melted
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
FROSTING:
1 oz. cream cheese
2 Tablespoons butter softened
1 vanilla bean scraped out and mixed well, OR 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp. corn syrup
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup powdered sugar or a little more depending on consistency.

Instructions

DOUGH:
Stir yeast packet into warm milk with a pinch of sugar and set aside while you prepare the dry ingredients.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined.
Cut cold butter into dry ingredients until it forms pea-sized pieces.
Pour warm milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until dough just comes together. Use hands to work it just a bit, and then lay out on lightly floured surface.
Roll dough out to be about a 16 X 20 inch rectangle.
Spread melted butter over the dough evenly, and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Carefully roll up keeping it fairly tight. Cut off uneven ends.
Cut roll into pieces (usually makes eight,) that are approximately two inches long.
Place into a greased baking sheet and cover with clean kitchen towel.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place pan of rolls on top of warm oven to rise slightly while it preheats.
When oven is heated, remove towel and bake fifteen-eighteen minutes, and tops are lightly browned.
Mix all ingredients for frosting in a bowl and whip into smooth.
Spread frosting over warm rolls and serve.
ENJOY!!

Eggnog Cheesecake Bars: Regular or Gluten Free.

by Monica 3 Comments

I may not have my act totally together for Christmas yet, but at least I know what I’ll be serving for Christmas dessert.

GLUTEN-FREE EGGNOG CHEESECAKE BARS!

**The Captain Surfs giveaway winner, announced at the bottom of this post!

By the way, have I ever mentioned my strange habit of experimenting with new recipes when we have company? You could call that unwise, or even foolish. I prefer “gutsy.” Ha. I guess it happens because I get excited when we are having people over, so I want to make something special…which lands me on Pinterest…where I get even more excited, and then next thing you know I’m whipping up Eggnog Cheesecake bars for the very first time, just before friends arrive. The inspiration for this one was found at browneyedbaker. (whose inspiration was Martha Stewart.) I was, (as usual),an ingredient or two short, (it called for Brandy and I didn’t have any,) so it’s slightly different, but it still turned out very-much maahvalous.
If I don’t say so myself.

I plan to make a gluten-free version of this for Christmas, so I’ll include both options in the printable below.
BTW–Have I mentioned that my dad was diagnosed with Celiac disease just over a year ago? This means that he is now 100% gluten-free.
BTW–Have I even mentioned here that my parents arrived last week to spend the next TWO months on island!? We are so happy–It’s way more fun with them around!
Well, I’m just filling you in on all sorts of fascinating information today, aren’t I?

So, this holiday, our family will be eating gluten-free everything. Unless you count sugar cookies (not my dad, just the rest of us.) And maybe cinnamon rolls.
Side note: I’m on a hunt for a good gluten-free cinnamon roll recipe for Christmas morning, so let me know if you’ve got one!

Dessert is covered though, because these gluten-freed style cheesecake bars make for a perfect Christmas dessert. Or snack. Or breakfast–if you’re like me.

Print this out, and try it for your family!

EGGNOG CHEESECAKE BARS
@www.thegrommom.com
–inspired by www.browneyedbaker/Martha Stewart.

CRUST:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs. (*gluten-free version: Use store-bought gluten-free cookie crumbs, or make your own with ginger or graham-flavored GF cookies.)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar.
4 Tablespoons butter, melted.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan, then line with parchment paper. Set aside.
Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press into the bottom of the pan, and bake until the crust is just brown around the eyes, 12-15 minutes. Let cool. Leave oven on.

CHEESECAKE:
3/4 cup granulated sugar.
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature.
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup eggnog.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour (*Gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose, gluten-free flour.)
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus extra for dusting
1/4 teaspoon salt.

Beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar, and beat for a couple more minutes, until smooth. Add the eggs and the egg yolk, eggnog, and vanilla, and beat again until completely combined. Beat in the flour, nutmeg, and salt, and combine until smooth, and creamy, and dreamy…

Pour the filling in over the crust. Set the pan INTO a larger pan (I used 9X13) and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until just set. Carefully remove the baking pan from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least three hours, or overnight.

Cut into bars, and lightly dust the tops with ground nutmeg. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
ENJOY!

NOW!!!! How about a winner for our AWESOME THE CAPTAIN SURFS GIVEAWAY!?

TAMMY GIUSTA!!!! You are the winner! Congratulations!! Get in touch with me so I can get you your prize! 🙂
Much Mahalo to all of you for the great comments, and also to The Captain himself for offering such a sweet giveaway!
See you soon!
Grommom

PS Have I mentioned how much I love you guys!? I really do. See ya soon!

Homemade Magic Shell

by Monica 10 Comments

I’m not claiming originality here.
However, where I lack in originality, I make up for in enthusiasm.

Some of you have seen homemade magic shell on Pinterest, Facebook and all over the place, and you’ll find this post to be old news. In fact, some of you have probably been bottling this stuff up for years, and just forgot to tell me.

Others of you (LIKE ME) might just live under a rock and somehow missed the magic shell memo. And (like me) you might have assumed that the magic shell that our kids beg for from the grocery store is full of crazy chemicals that will live in our digestive systems for hundreds of years. So you just avoid buying it.

And then one day, one week (for me it was Monday, LAST WEEK,) you suddenly discover on Pinterest that people are making magic shell in their own homes…And it is as easy as—
TWO INGREDIENTS!!! TWO SIMPLE INGREDIENTS, and NO strange chemicals!! None.

And then, (if you’re like me) you say, “OHHHH MYYYY…” And you stare out into space and wonder Why didn’t anyone tell me about this before!? And then you begin to question everything you’ve ever believed in life, and wonder if really, your world will ever be the same again. Ever.

Or that might just be me.

And though I’m aware that this is old news to some of you, for the rest of us, I simply had to share the (not) secret to the magic— from my kitchen to yours.

YES—You too can make Magic Shell at home…to your and your children’s’ hearts’ content! (With no chemically ridden guilt attached.)

Here’s the TWO INGREDIENTS:

ONE CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS, blended with 2 Tablespoons coconut oil.
To make it: Combine the two ingredients. Microwave 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave fifteen seconds, stir. Repeat until smooth and melted. Keep at room temperature in a sealed container for up to a few weeks.

**As you may notice in the above photo, my coconut oil jar is empty. That’s evidence that I’ve made a LOT of magic shell lately. And you can rest assured that since this photo was taken, I have purchased a Costco-size coconut oil so that there is truly NO LIMIT to the magic shell making in my home.

To give credit: I wish I remembered where I first discovered homemade magic shell, but in all of the excitement, it is kind of a blur. I have referred to GimmeSomeOven’s lovely magic shell post, and Coconut Mama takes it a step further and even replaces the chocolate chips.

And if you’ve lasted this long into this post, then you may be happy to hear that there is a part II of my magic shell musings…
I have a follow-up post where I will share with you a couple AWESOME WAYS that we have been using our homemade magic shell.

I mean, in case you get bored of the old fashioned way.

Which might just be impossible.

See you soon with more magic.
Until then–pin it. Share it. Make it. Love it.

Aloha!

Grommom

Coconut Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi {Gluten Free or regular}

by Monica 8 Comments

From the ocean…to our table….Now THAT’S what we’re talking about.

Remember THIS 40 pound Mahi Mahi catch?

Well, besides being the highlight of my boys’ summer—That catch turned into approximately 32 fabulous meals! {Four meals, each serving eight people (my family and my parents!)}
We loved every one of them, and I plan to share at least one more recipe here, but today–I just have to share this Coconut Macadamia Crusted fish recipe. It is SO good, and soooo Hawaii!

If you don’t have Mahi Mahi nearby, don’t fret–You can use any flakey white fish. I think halibut would be great–but feel free to try something else.

My Mom and I were playing around with an old recipe she had, and we tried it two ways: One we dipped in flour and egg, then a panko/coconut/macadamia crust before cooking, and the other we substituted a Gluten free flour combination, eggs, and then Gluten free bread crumbs in place of Panko (my dad has Celiac Disease so we do a lot of GF when they are here!)

The recipe is really simple, though there are a few steps, so being organized in advance is the key. Also, we cooked some in olive oil stove top, and broiled some. Honestly–both were great. I like to broil because it is less messy, but there may be a tad more crunch when you fry it.

Marinating the fish in either pineapple juice or our local Huli Huli sauce for at least an hour was the first step. **We love Huli Huli, but I am guessing you can’t get Huli Huli sauce everywhere. (Does anyone from outside Hawaii get Huli Huli sauce at your local grocery store?) If you’re not familiar with it, Huli Huli is similar to a teriyaki sauce, but has a very liquid consistency…it’s used a lot here for marinating chicken, etc. Both marinades worked out just fine!

Then the fish goes on to the dipping assembly line: FLOUR, eggs, then the panko/coconut/mac nut/seasoning mix.

Finally, it is either fried in hot oil, or broiled on high for about 10-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. (Ours was pretty thick.)
This fish has such a great flavor, and texture–you’ll love it!!

The first time, we served it simply with brown rice, and salad. (We were so focused on getting the fish right we didn’t want to complicate our lives with the details…)
The next time, we went with stir-fried vegetables, and—Mmmmmashed potatoes. Hello yumminess:

A pretty perfect tropical dinner if you ask me.

Can’t you almost just taste that sweet/salty/crunchy/nutty crust?

I hope you’ll try this! You can always play with the crust–switch it up depending on what your family likes and what you have available. If you don’t have mac nuts, you could try another crushed nut as well.

Coconut Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi {Gluten Free or regular}

Cuisine Dinner

Author www.monicaswanson.com

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS:
4-6 filets of Mahi Mahi
Pineapple juice or Huli Huli sauce for marinade.
1 cup flour for coating fish
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup Japanese style Panko or GF bread crumbs
1/4 cup crushed macadamia nuts
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
2 T olive oil for pan-frying

Instructions

Place fish in a baggie or container with either Pineapple juice or Huli Huli sauce to fully cover it. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour to marinade.
Prepare three bowls for coating fish:
ONE with flour (or for gluten free version--use your choice of gluten free flour substitutes--we used coconut flour.)
ONE with three beaten eggs
ONE with combination of panko (or GF bread crumbs,) chopped mac nuts, shredded coconut, as well as Salt and Pepper and Paprika.
Turn on broiler to high, or put oil in pan and place over medium-high.
Coat each piece of fish in flour on all sides. Then dip in eggs so that it is well coated. Next dip in the coconut/macadamia nut mixture and make sure that all sides are thoroughly covered.
Place fish on broiler pan, or in hot oil on stove top. If broiling, watch it closely, but it should be done in close to ten minutes. IF frying, cook two-three minutes per side and check to see when it is flakey. *Don't over cook!
ENJOY!!!

This fish would also be excellent topped with a mango salsa.

I’m thinking that THIS summer dessert would go pretty perfectly with this fish too!

With MUCH ALOHA to you all!

Monica

Gluten Free

Pumpkin Maple Granola

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Kale, Pear, Gorgonzola Salad

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Cookie Dough Balls {inspired by Oh She Glows Cookbook.}

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And boom!

Mile High Black and White Freezer Fudge, Inspired by Oh She Glows Everyday

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(Healthier) Cinnamon Apple Yogurt Parfait

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My Favorite Energy Balls

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Grandma's Quick and Easy "Pantry Soup."

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So let’s talk burrito bowls.

4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars {no bake}

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I’m here to tell you about this yummy, refreshing, and very versatile mango salsa.

Tropical Mango Salsa

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The Best Gluten Free Muffins:

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The Best Gluten Free Muffins: Banana

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So, let’s start this one with YUM!….

Green Tropical Smoothie Bowls

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<span class="mceItemHidden" data-mce-bogus="1"><span></span>Acai Bowls or smoothies</span>

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Family Favorite: White Bean Chicken Chili

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Like: All of the time.

Easy Weeknight Crockpot Chicken Burritos

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GINGER!

Baked Gingerbread Oatmeal, {Gluten-free}

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Healthy Squash Enchilada Casserole

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Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls

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Do you have a favorite FALL/PUMPKIN treat? Tell me about it! Let me know in comments, below. There’s always room for more around here!

This salad is so much a staple in our diet, I’ve never even thought to post it.

Barbecue Chicken Salad

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Papaya Bars {Gluten Free and Honey Sweetened.}

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Quinoa, Peanut Butter, and Oat Cookies.

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4 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls

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Family Favorite Fish Tacos

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Quinoa, Chickpea, Avocado Salad...