My favorite...

I trying to come down from being party central.
I am tired.
So tired.
I am editing party pictures right now...so until I get those posted....I thought I would just mention....
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I am sort of in love.

Pretty sure, at this point...there is NO better food combo, then the mix of FRESH mozzarella, beautiful cherry tomatoes, and sweet basil...drizzled with balsamic! Seriously.
Love.
Can't wait until summer...because when these are FRESH from the garden...
I will be simply weak in the knees!

This is what happens....

When the hubby goes on business trips...
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Kevin left this morning, for Florida.
I guess,

I get a little bored....
And apparently hungry to try new recipes...

He wasn't even gone two hours, when I made this lowfat granola.

Oh it was so good!

Really easy, and really natural and yummy!

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Then I decided to try my hand at granola bars.

Again VERY good...lowfat...and healthy!

I did forget to add the almonds...so they ended up being nut-free, which was a bummer...

But everyone loved them!

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Finally....I was craving a lemon muffin.

So I found a recipe for a healthy lemon muffin (made with greek yogurt),

Added some GIANT, gorgeous blueberries,

And then turned out RIDICULOUSLY yummy!

I added a little drizzle of a lemon glaze that I made...and they were perfect!

The kids just loved them, and they were actually quite healthy.

I finished off my first night, after the kids went to bed and without my husband, like this.

Homemade latte and lemon muffin.

Lonely....but not hungry! :)

YUM!

Hamburger Soup

YUMMMM--Y!

This soup is like childhood memories ladled into a bowl, for me.

So good, so simple. Just all around YUM! Really healthy too. Look at the ingredients...Nothing bad at all. I use either 94/6, hamburger or ground turkey in the soup...because it is marinating in the liquid, it doesn't dry out at all. It is wonderful!

Also, I use the Healthy Request soup from Campbell's. Lower sodium, fat, and NO MSG!

The recipe was passed on to my mom back in 1963. YUP...1963

Hamburger Soup
1 pound of lean ground beef
3 cups tomato juice (100% tomato juice from the juice aisle)
1 cup water
2 cans cream of celery soup
1/8 tsp marjoram
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded carrots

Brown the hamburger in a large pot big enough for soup.
In a separate bowl, mix the celery soup with water.
Add the tomato juice to the hamburger.
Add the combined soup and water mixture.
Stir well until combined.
Add spices.
Let simmer 20 minutes.
Add the shredded carrots and let simmer another 10 minutes.

There are other add-ins that I have toyed with. Onions, and mushrooms. Also adding cheese and/or sour cream on top is quite tastey.

Eat it with a nice crusty piece of bread and you will be even happier.
It is like having a hamburger in a bowl!

This time...I made this flatbread. It from a Weight Watchers cookbook...and it was really good.

BUT

Nothing beats the torn off pieces of french bread!

One Gigantic Cookie

I made this AMAZING....GINORMOUS COOKIE

It was as big as a pizza! It cooks perfectly!
I have tried to make big cookie before...and they are always over done on the edges and undone in the middle. But this recipe....let me just tell you...sooooooo good! So perfect!

I made them as gifts...and they were so perfect and LOVED by everyone!
They fit perfectly on 12" cake rounds that you can buy at Michaels...and then you wrap them up. I am telling you...I will make these every single year for teachers and if there is an event where I need to bring an item!
It is the talk of the table if you do.
***Add a pizza cutter and you just have an AMAZING gift for someone!
Plus, it really is easy to make!
Try it out....you won't be disappointed!!!

This is the recipe that I found HERE

Recipe makes one Giant Cookie

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted and then cooled)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
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1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 butterscotch chips (optional)
You could also add nuts, or m&ms, or anything else you wanted
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together the sugars and the butter. Add the egg and vanilla and cream again. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Line a large baking pan with foil and press the cookie into about a 9 inch circle...it will spread to 12 inches as it bakes.

Bake for 13-16 until the cookie is lightly golden brown. The trick is to NOT overbake.
Let the cookie cool completely on the baking pan so it can have time to stabilize and set up.
Once cool, gently use the foil to lift off of the pan.


Raelyn

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Oven roasting broccoli gives it such a nutty taste.

I love it!
Plus it is so easy.
And healthy.

Seriously....look at that color! It just makes me smile!

I just tossed together about a Tablespoon of Olive Oil, salt, pepper, two cloves of fresh garlic, and some parmesan cheese.
Roast it for about 10 minutes at 350!

That easy....put it in, forget about it while you get plates ready or chop a salad, or whatever.

It really does give it a different flavor too!
YUMMY!