Orange Carrot Juice

I really liked this juice!  The orange color is so much more appetizing too. 

2 Oranges, peeled
5 Medium Carrots
3 Stalks of Celery

Calories = 211

Spinach Carrot Ginger Juice

So I tried a recipe for lunch today that was entirely veggies.  Bad idea! I could barely choke it down.  I've decided you need at least one fruit in each recipe.  Even if fruit does have more calories you're still looking at less than 300 for the entire recipe (~20 ounces.) If you're juice fasting then three meals at 300 calories is still only 900 per day.  Add in some exercise and you're definitely going to lose weight.....or at least I'd better!  This was my dinner drink and it was probably my favorite so far. I really liked the hint of parsley.  And I'm starting to think you can't go wrong with carrots and celery.  They don't really have strong enough flavors to take over the whole drink.

1 Apple
1 Orange
4 Medium Carrots
3 Cups Spinach (recipe called for Kale but I didn't have any)
1/2 lemon, peeled
3 stalks celery
1 inch ginger root
Several sprigs of parsley

Calories = ~246 (by the way these are the calorie counts if you consumed the whole fruit/veggies.  So just the juice will come out to less because there is some pulp that's not eaten.)

Grapefruit Sunrise Juice

1 Apple
1 Grapefruit
5 medium carrots
3 stalks of celery

Calorie Count = 290

We are trying to do a juice in the morning that contains more fruit.  Then more vegetable based drinks for lunch and dinner.  I really liked this drink.  I actually put 2 grapefruits in this drink this morning. It was too much, but I think one would be perfect.  My husband didn't care too much for this juice because he doesn't like grapefruit.  But I'll make it again with only one and see if he likes that better.  I was surprised that even with 5 carrots it didn't tasty "carroty".  You could probably add more carrots if you wanted to.

Cucumber Lemon Juice

My husband and I recently watched the documentaries Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Hungry for Change.  They both talked about the benefits of juicing fruits and vegetables as a way of getting more nutrients in a concentrated form.  I was a little hesitant but my husband was all for it.  So we purchased a fancy pants juicer and are starting on a 10 day juice fast. We both would like to lose just that last 10 pounds and we're hoping this is just the ticket! We don't believe in all the "nutritional supplement" type diets but this seems like a good natural option. So here's to 10 days of no solid foods, no soda (yikes!) and lots of produce shopping! Wish me luck!

Cucumber Lemon Juice (Juice #1)
2 Apples
4 Stalks Celery
1 Cucumber
2 handfuls baby spinach
1/2 lemon, peeled

***This recipe is a total of 231 calories according to the calorie calculator at myfitnesspal.com

Most of us (we made the kids try it too!) really liked this one.  My two youngest boys didn't care for it too much but they did drink a small glass.  This recipe makes about 20 ounces of juice.  We did three rounds of this recipe.  I drank one whole recipe myself and then the kids shared most of the second recipe, and my husband drank the rest of theirs and a whole recipe of his own! The cucumber and lemon flavors really dominate in this one.  My husband doesn't like cucumbers but he was really going to town on this stuff!  Honestly, it was kind of like drinking summer.  Kind of nice on a cold January night!

Oreo Pudding Poke Cake

I had pinned this recipe on Pinterest almost a year ago and am just now getting around to making it.  It was really easy (next time I'll have my 10 year old do it) and turned out great.  Very moist and yummy.  And with pudding instead of frosting I was able to convince myself that it's a lower calorie dessert....though I'm sure it's still loaded with sugar and calories!

Ingredients:

1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix

Ingredients needed to make cake (usually eggs, oil and water)

2 (4 oz.)packages of Instant Oreo pudding

4 cups milk (2% or higher)

Crushed Oreo Cookies, about 10 (optional)

Directions: 

1) Make and bake the chocolate cake according to the instructions on the box.  

2) Just before the cake is done mix the 2 packages of Oreo pudding and the milk.  You want it to sit for just a few minutes so it is set up a bit but still runny enough to pour.  

3) Take the cake out of the oven and, while it's still hot, poke holes all over the cake with the stick end of a wooden spoon.  

4) Then pour the pudding over the cake, aiming for the holes, and use a spoon to press the pudding down into the holes and then spread the pudding evenly across the whole cake.  

5) Refrigerate for one hour, sprinkle crushed Oreos on top, and then you can eat it!  Any leftovers need to be kept in the refrigerator.  

Original recipe (with much better instructions and pictures!) found here: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2011/07/puddin-poke-cake.html 

This website also has a Boston Creme Poke Cake that looks yummy too.  I'm going to have to try that one sometime soon....or at least sometime within the next year.  That's just the way I roll!

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

I found this recipe via Pinterest.  It's from Martha Stewart.  http://www.marthastewart.com/870103/salisbury-steak-onion-gravy  I may not be a Martha but I made this recipe just fine and it was delicious!   I did change it just a bit but it's essentially the same thing.

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 large onion, diced (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 2 pounds ground sirloin
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 teaspoons plus a dash of Worcestershire sauce
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, plus 1/4 cup for dusting
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth

Directions

1. Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and 1 cup onion. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden brown and caramelized. Set aside.
   
2.  In a large bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup onions, bread crumbs, the sirloin, garlic cloves, bread, egg, parsley, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix with your hands to combine. Divide meat mixture into 6 oblong patties (about 5 inches long and 3/4 inch thick). Dust with cornstarch.
   
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil, and reduce heat to medium. Cook patties, 3 at a time, for 6 minutes, without moving them. Flip, and cook until cooked through, about 9 minutes. Set aside on a plate. Repeat with remaining patties. (I just used two pans...more dishes but all the patties were done at the same time)
   
4. Make the gravy: Add cooked onions and 1 teaspoon cornstarch to same skillet, and stir for 1 minute. Raise heat to medium-high. Pour in broth and a dash of Worcestershire sauce, and whisk until broth is clear and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and return patties and juices to skillet, spooning sauce on top. I'm going to double the gravy recipe next time so there's enough for our mashed potatoes too.
   

Honey Popcorn

This is a recipe I found in one of those community cookbooks where everyone submits their favorite recipes and someone compiles it all and sells it for a fundraiser.  You know the type.  Some of my favorite recipes come from these types of cookbooks.  This particular recipe was submitted by an elderly woman (Ida Winter) who lived on my street and was the secretary at my high school.  Secretly, I was always a wee bit scared of her....but she has some great recipes!

Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
1 c. honey
1/2 c. margarine

Stir these ingredients (constantly) over medium heat until it reaches a soft ball stage.  Definition of Soft Ball - "Begins at 234 degrees if you have a candy thermometer, or when a small amount of syrup dropped into chilled water forms a ball, but flattens when picked up with fingers."  It's not as complicated as it seems.  I don't have a candy thermometer and I was able to figure out soft ball just fine.  Then you slowly pour the candy over popcorn (I used 2 full sized bags of light butter microwave popcorn, but you could air pop it too) while stirring to coat the popcorn evenly.  It's best if you have another adult to help with this step.  So yummy and easy too!