Vitamix Tropical Treat

Travis "threw together" a smoothie this afternoon that turned out super tasty. And even though it contained no pineapple or coconut, it truly tasted tropical! So bear in mind that measurements aren't exact, but here's the basic recipe:

1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 pitted Medjool date
3 Tbs vanilla protein powder
2 tsp agave
2/3 C frozen red grapes
1 1/3 C frozen watermelon
2 whole strawberries
1 heaping tsp frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup ice
water as needed for consistency

Photo credit: Lilly Stuart

Okay folks, here are 3 recipes from a little cookbook called Faves, by Melissa Chappell.  They are some of my, um, Faves.

Lemon Agave Dressing (for salads, ya know)
1/2 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c. olive oil
3-4 T. agave
1/2 t. salt
Optional:  3-4 drops of lavender essential oil

Whisk it up and serve.

Fresh Apple Crisp
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
1/2 c. walnuts, broken into pieces
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. golden raisins
1/4 c. coconut oil
4 t. agave or honey
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt (I add just a dash)

Toss apples in a little lemon juice to keep them from browning.  Mix the rest of the ingredients and put over the top of apples or mix into apples.  Eat right away.

And to add to Bobber's no-bakes:
No Bake No Bakes (makes 15-20 cookies)
4 c. rolled oatmeal
1/2 c. almond butter
1/2 c. coconut oil
1 T. vanilla
6 T. cocoa powder (the good stuff, not baking chocolate)
3/4 -1 c. agave
3/4 t. salt

Mix by hand in a bowl.  Drop by spoonfuls on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Put in freezer until hardened.  Eat and enjoy.

Conference cookies

Charlotte found this recipe on Pinterest when I told her we couldn't "bake" cookies because we were watching General Conference. I gave in when I saw they had no sugar or white flour (Travis could eat them) and we had all the ingredients. We didn't do the glaze on top--busy watching conference, you know--but they were still pretty tasty. We put the rest in the freezer, although they only lasted 2 days; I kinda like 'em frozen!
Double chocolate no-bake cookies

The first blog!  Kaye is contributing 2 recipes:

Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes

from Our Best Bites

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces farfalle pasta (a little more than 3 cups)

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup pesto

1/3 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Place tomatoes and mushrooms on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Toss with your fingers, making sure everything is coated with olive oil.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cook for 12-15 minutes or until tomatoes look plump and some of the skins just start to split.

When the water comes to a boil, add 2 teaspoons salt and pasta, and cook according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, place pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat.  Stir frequently until nuts turn golden brown and look slightly glossy, about 7-9 minutes.

To assemble, toss drained pasta with pesto and Parmesan cheese.  Top with tomatoes and mushrooms and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.

I made this for dinner tonight and felt like a chef.  I didn't even have enough pesto and it was still yummy!

Whole Grain Breakfast Cookies

from allrecipes.com, but fussed with by me

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup ground flax meal

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup almond butter (you could try peanut butter)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/3 cup brown sugar (I use sucanot)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dried cherries (I use craisins)

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix dry ingredients together.

Mix wet ingredients together.

Mix both together in mixer (Kitchenaid, Bosch, etc.--the dough is very thick and heavy)

Scoop up heaping teaspoons of dough and form into balls; lay the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake until lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.  (Watch them closely.  They go from LIGHTLY browned to too brown in a second!  Under-cooked is good.)

Remove cookies from oven and flatten with a spatula.  Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to finish cooling on wire racks.

So good and good for you.  Cookies for breakfast--Yum!