Mini Apple Pies

Yesterday we made these yummy Mini Apple Pies from Build A Menu.  https://www.buildamenu.com/recipe/mini-apple-pies-e-friendly
They were so good!  Closest thing to tasting like apple pie since I started Trim Healthy Mama three years ago.  We topped them with Fat Free Redi Whip.  Delicious!  They are an Energizing Dessert if you're following THM.

Egg White Omelet with Berries - Fuel Pull or E page 217

One of my favorite Fuel pull or Energizing breakfasts is to have an egg white omelet.  In this one, I have red peppers and onions in it.  Put that with some fresh berries for fuel pull or another fruit for energizing.  Yummy way to start your morning.

Minty Mango Salsa (E)

Here's a fun Energizing snack.  My mint is really coming up good and I was so excited to make something with it.  I found this great recipe on Taste of Home for Minty Mango Salsa.  I love Mango, so thought it was worth the try.  My family LOVED this stuff.  I served it with some black bean and rice chips that I found.  Here's the hard part.  To stay in the "E" zone for "Trim Healthy Mama" - I had to limit myself to eating only 7 chips.  I just piled the salsa on each chip.  This was a huge hit with my children and they, of course, didn't have to limit themselves to 7 chips.

Here's the link for the recipe:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/minty-mango-salsa

Enjoy!

Great Northern Bean Stew - E

Here's another great Energizing meal that fits on plan with "Trim Healthy Mama."  My family all loves this stew.

Great Northern Bean Stew

1 lb. 90% lean turkey sausage
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 1/2 oz.) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup sliced carrots
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon of stevia
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

In a large saucepan, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pin; drain.  Add the next 11 ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Stir in parsley; cook 5 minutes longer.  Yield:  6 servings.

We served this with a slice of Ezekiel 4:9 toast.

Blueberry Oatmeal (E)

This is my very favorite way to eat oatmeal at the present time.

Made in this way, this is an Energizing meal for Trim Healthy Mama.

Here's how I make it.

Blueberry Oatmeal

1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup water
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/8 tsp. stevia
dash of vanilla extract
dash of salt
1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Combine oatmeal and water and cook until liquid is almost gone.  Turn heat off, add other ingredients.  Stir and serve.  Nice and easy.  I like to cook mine in a cast iron skillet because it helps add iron to your food.

I find that adding the protein powder really helps this meal to hold me over until lunch time.  Even my husband that doesn't care for oatmeal, likes this version.

Grandpa Bill's Salsa

 

When I met my husband, I also got introduced to his step-dad.  Now that he's my children's grandpa, we just all call him Grandpa Bill.  He's a fun-loving grandpa who cares deeply about his grandkids.  Anyway, back on topic.  When I met him, I also got introduced to the most amazing salsa ever.  His salsa.  He is a Native American and has always liked things HOT!  I also love things hot.  I fell in love with his salsa.  But before you stop reading (for those that don't like things hot) - I am making a mild version here.

 

I asked for the recipe and he was so nice to share it with me.  Now I will add here, if I was making this just for me, I would make it with the seeds in and let my mouth start on fire.  After all, my nose runs so much when eating the HOT version that it works sort of like a fire hydrant.  Hehe!

 

It's easy, however, to make this mild so that all types of people can enjoy it, not just us crazy people.  The other day, I made a double batch.  I made some for our Care Group and some for a few recipes I have at home.

 

 

Here's the simple cast of characters:  Remember I was doubling the recipe.  Jalepenos (the bigger they are the more mild they seem to be, the smaller the hotter), fresh cilantro, green onions, crushed tomatoes (you can use fresh tomatoes out of the garden, but if it's winter time, trust me, it's best if you use crushed from the can), salt and vinegar.

 

 

If you are smart, you will listen to this tip.  Put some kind of plastic, rubber, gloves on your hands when dealing with jalapeños.  If you don't listen to this tip, you will later find out why you should have.

 

To make the mild version, chop the stems off and remove seeds.  If you are like me and like it hot, just leave those seeds in.  Make sure you have lots of napkins in stock.

 

Most of the time, I just chop everything by hand, but I was kind of in a hurry, so I pulled out my food processor.

 

Chop the jalapeños up and place in a bowl.

 

Then do the same with the green onions.

Then do the same with the fresh cilantro.  You can use dried, but believe me, fresh is the best!

 

Place all of those ingredients in a bowl.

 

Add tomatoes, salt to taste and a splash of vinegar and mix well.

 

For our care group, I served this in a bowl with some tortilla chips.  For myself, I made some chips using Joseph's lavash bread.  This salsa is great on taco salad, on your eggs and really just on anything that you like salsa on.  I also added some to some avocados and made some guacamole for the Care Group as well.  It was delicious!

 

Grandpa Bill's Salsa

1 - 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
6 fresh jalapeños (deseeded) and chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch fresh green onions, chopped
salt to taste
a splash of vinegar

Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Egg White Benedict (E) Trim Healthy Mama

 

 

There is a very cute little breakfast nook in our town that has some wonderful breakfast foods.  I wanted to duplicate one of their menu items because it fits nicely into the Energizing category of the "Trim Healthy Mama" lifestyle.  It turned out wonderful and is now one of my favorite "E" meals.

 

Here are the cast of characters minus the egg whites and Ezekiel 4:9 bread or English Muffins.  We forgot to put those in the picture.

 

 

First of all, you take some Ezekiel 4:9 bread out of the freezer and toast lightly.  We do this under the broiler in our oven because there are so many of us.

Next up, warm some Canadian bacon slices in a non-stick skillet and set aside.

 

 

Then lightly spray same pan with non-stick spray and add your container of egg whites, salt, pepper and about 1/4 cup of Salsa Verde to the pan and scramble.

 

Take your toasted bread out of the oven.  I heard from a friend of mine that Ezekiel 4:9 also offers English Muffins and I'm thinking that would be divine in this recipe.  However, we used what we had.

 

Next up - finely grate some skim mozzarella cheese with your cheese grater.  You could buy it already shredded, but this is good arm exercise first thing in the morning.  You wouldn't want to miss out on that.

 

Slice up a couple of tomatoes or just one depending on how many you are making.  I tend to forget that everyone doesn't cook for 9 people at a time.

 

Place some Canadian bacon on your toasted bread.

 

Top with some tomato slices.

 

Then add some of the scrambled egg whites to the top.  Never mind the fact that we are messy cooks and scramble some outside of the pan too.  Hehe!

 

Add a little layer of shredded mozzarella cheese right away so it begins to melt.

 

Then top with some delicious salsa verde.  I know it looks a little weird, but trust me on this one, it tastes superb!

 

You can eat up to two slices of these and stay in "E" mode as long as you watch your quantity of cheese.  They are delicious.  A huge hit at our house.  You can use whole eggs for the growing children and even add an avocado to theirs since they are still growing.  But if you want to stay in weight loss mode, don't combine those fats and carbs too much or you'll be sorry.

 

Here's the recipe:

 

Egg White Benedict

 

Serves 3:

 

Six slices of Ezekiel 4:9 bread or one Ezekiel 4:9 English muffin

12 slices of Canadian Bacon

Tomato slices

1 container of Egg whites

1 jar of salsa verde

1 block skim mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

 

Toast your bread.  Heat up the Canadian bacon slices in a non-stick skillet.  Place on top of toast.  Add sliced tomato on top of that.  Scramble egg whites with 1/4 cup of Salsa Verde mixed in along with salt and pepper to taste.  Place scrambled egg whites on top of tomatoes, top with shredded mozzarella cheese.  At this point, you could place in broiler to melt cheese if it doesn't melt on it's own.  Top with some salsa Verde and serve.  Enjoy!