baba's vanilla sauce for waffles or pancakes

This vanilla sauce recipe was passed down from my Slovak Great Grandmother, Baba (Bubba), and it was my grandmother's favorite when she was little.  My family grew up eating it on pancakes or waffles. I think it is great on its own, so I don't add syrup or anything else. The vanilla aroma that fills your home will get everyone out of bed and to the table! Serve with MorningStar Maple Flavored Veggie Sausage for added protein. 


Most of the recipes I post are pretty healthy, but I'm not going to pretend this one is. But then again, most of the things you would top your pancakes or waffles with aren't too healthy anyway. 

• 
  
• You'll Need:
• Water 1 cup
• Sugar- 1/2 cup
• Corn Starch- 1 tbsp.
• Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp.
• Butter- 2 tbsp.
• 
  

Mix sugar and corn starch in bowl. 


Bring 1 cup water to a boil. 


Gradually add sugar and cornstarch mixture to water, whisking/stirring constantly. Once all is added, continuing stirring 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. 


Remove from heat. Add butter and vanilla and serve warm.

diy hot oil hair treatment

Our hair gets especially dry and brittle in the winter, but you can do this DIY hot oil hair treatment year-round to keep your hair moisturized and shiny. My stylist taught me this technique to get the same treatment they do in the salon at home. 

How to do a hot oil hair treatment:


1. Put towel in dryer before you get in shower. 


2. Shampoo & rinse hair as normal. 


3. Massage a palm-full (or 2 depending on length & thickness) of natural oil, like olive or almond through hair, (you can also use regular or deep conditioner). Especially saturate the ends, but do not rinse. 


4. Get out of shower and wrap hair in warm towel for 10 minutes. 


5. Rinse hair. 

butternut squash lasagna

After I posted my standard vegetable lasagna, I started dreaming about this decadent butternut squash lasagna. It is one of my all-time favorites, so get out there and try it while butternut squash are still in season! It's creamy and amazing, but surprisingly healthy because the main ingredients are cottage cheese, which is high in protein, and squash. 

One squash is enough for a mini lasagna, with just 2 rows of noodles, but I think for a big 9x13 family size lasagna, it's best to use 2 squash. You can add other veggies like mushrooms or fresh spinach, but this lasagna is amazing on its own. I've have even skipped the onion and garlic before when I was lazy, (gasp!)

Image courtesy of CupcakesforBreakfast.com

You'll Need:

Can substitute 2 bags  frozen squash

Lasagna Noodles- 9

Butternut Squash- 1 whole or 3-4 bags of frozen

Cottage Cheese or Ricotta- 30 oz. 

White/Alfredo Sauce- 1 jar

Shredded Italian Cheese- 1 cup, plus more for sprinkling

Egg- 1

Fresh Basil- 1/3 cup, chopped

Onion-1, sliced

Garlic- 4-5 cloves, minced
Spinach or Mushrooms- optional

Directions

Slice both squash in half and spread olive oil over. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. 

Slice squash in half - scoop out the seeds. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes, or until tender.

While squash is baking, boil noodles according to package, strain. (If adding spinach, add to boiling water last minute & strain with noodles.

Saute onion in a drizzle of olive oil 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes more. Also cook mushrooms or spinach if using. 

When cool enough to handle, scoop out inside of cooked squash. Mash. Stir in onion and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. 

Mix cottage cheese with egg, cheese and basil. Season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. 

Pour some of the alfredo sauce into bottom of sprayed 9x13 pan. Layer noodles, buttenut squash, then cottage cheese and top with a sprinkle of cheese.

Top with more sauce and bake 25-30 minutes at 350.

pasta carbonara

Traditional pasta carbonara includes pancetta and heavy whipping cream along with fettuccinie, eggs and peas, but this vegetarian version is a delicious meatless take on the Italian classic. It's less fattening but still a hearty comfort food. 

You'll Need:

Only 60 calories per serving!

Fettuccine, Linguini or Spaghetti Noodles- 8 oz. 
Eggs-2
Milk or Unflavored Soy Milk-1/4 cup
Morning Star Veggie Bacon Strips- 6
Peas- 2/3 cup
Parmesan Cheese- 1/4 cup or to taste
Garlic- 4 cloves, minced
Parsley- fresh or dried, to taste
Salt & Pepper


Boil pasta according to directions until al dente. Strain. 


Beat eggs and milk together. Season with a pinch of salt.


Cook "bacon" strips in microwave 1 min 15 seconds. Chop. 


Cook peas. (I use frozen and microwave them.) 


Saute garlic in olive oil until tender. Add cooked noodles to pan with cooked garlic. Pour milk/egg mix over noodles. Cook on low heat until the eggs thicken a bit, but do not scramble. Season with salt & pepper to taste.


Add parsley, peas, cooked bacon and shredded parmesan cheese to noodles. Toss. 

vegetable lasagna

Fill this vegetarian lasagna with whatever veggies you like.... or that your kids will tolerate. My favorite vegetable lasagna fillings are broccoli with cauliflower or zucchini with squash and mushrooms. I also encourage you to explore different variations like asparagus, red pepper and goat cheese with white sauce. And this is a perfect dish to sneak spinach into for extra nutrition. You can also substitute 1/2 (or all) the ricotta for cottage cheese for extra protein. I've made this vegetarian lasagna for my entire Italian family and given it to my husband's mostly-carnivorous friends, all with great reviews, so don't worry, it's sure to please. Just make sure it's chock-full of veggies and ricotta, so it's nice and filling. 

You'll Need:

Lasagna Noodles- 9

Spaghetti Sauce- 1 jar 

Mixed Veggies-6 cups, sliced

Ricotta or Cottage Cheese- 30 oz. 

Egg- 1

Shredded Italian Cheese like Mozzarella or a blend- 1 cup, plus more for sprinkling

Italian Herbs: oregano, parsley, basil- to taste 

Garlic- 4-5 cloves 

Onion-1, chopped

Boil noodles according to package. Strain and pat dry. 

Saute onion and veggies in olive oil. (You can also grill or steam...whatever you like!) Add garlic with about 4 minutes left. Cook all until tender. (I boil broccoli & cauliflower with noodles if using.) If using spinach, toss in at the end until wilted. Season everything with salt, pepper and a little bit of dried herbs. 

While veggies are cooking, mix ricotta cheese with egg, cheese, herbs, garlic salt, salt and pepper.

Pour sauce into bottom of a sprayed 9x13 pan. Layer noodles, ricotta then vegetables and a sprinkle of cheese. I spread both sides of every noodle with sauce to prevent it from getting dry. 

Top with sauce and more cheese, if desired. 

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before enjoying. 

irish barley, lentil + kale stew

It doesn't get much healthier or heartier than this protein-packed lentil and barley stew with carrots and kale. For those that don't know, barley is a grain, similar to a pearly couscous. It's thicker and higher in protein than rice and it's great for soups and stews. You'll find it by the bags of rice, beans and lentils.

Lentils- 1 cup
Barley- 1 cup
Red Skin Potatoes- 6 medium or 8 small, cubed
Carrots- 2, chopped or 1 bag of sliced
Kale- 1/2 bunch, chopped
Vegetable Broth/Water- 6-7 cups (or more as needed)
Light Sodium Soy Sauce- 2 tbsp.
Onion- 1, chopped
Garlic- 3-4 cloves, minced

In large pot, saute onion in a drizzle of olive oil for about 4 minutes, then add garlic.

Once both are tender, add in about 5 cups of vegetable broth, lentils & barley. Cook about 7 minutes covered. (I chop potatoes while they're cooking.)

Add potatoes & carrots. Season with salt & pepper. Simmer on medium heat until everything is tender, (add more broth/water as needed).

Add kale and soy sauce and stir. (All broth should be absorbed once cooked.)

Enjoy!

st. valentine's day

I know I'm a romantic, but I hate when I hear people say Valentine's Day isn't real... it is! So who is Saint Valentine? Why do we celebrate Valentine's Day?

Let me take you back to 269 AD.................
Under the rule of Emperor Claudius II, Rome was involved in many bloody and unpopular campaigns. Claudius was having a trouble getting soldiers to join his military. He believed the reason was that the Roman men didn't want to leave their wives and families. So Claudius cancelled all marriages and engagements in Rome.

But the holy priest, Valentine, believed in love and continued to secretly marry couples in private ceremonies. Unfortunately, Valentine was eventually caught. Once apprehended, he was beaten, jailed and sentenced to death.

While imprisoned, a compassionate jailer allowed his daughter to visit Valentine. She visited him frequently and the 2 would stay up and have long talks. It is believed that they fell in looove. On the night before he was to be put to death, Valentine reached out through the bars of his cell window and ripped off a piece of ivy growing up the stone wall outside. On the ivy he wrote, "Love from your Valentine," and gave to the jailer to pass on to his daughter.

Valentine was put to death the next day, February 14th. That is why on St. Valentine's Day, we continue spread his message of love and let the people we care about know how we feel.

[the story of saint valentine, valentine's day]

greek yogurt + granola parfait

It's a new year, and the warmer winter weather is making us all think about spring... and then of course our minds go to summer, bathing suits and losing weight. I wanted to share one of my new favorite healthy lunches I've  been enjoying in my fight against the winter bulge, Greek yogurt and granola parfaits. I eat Greek yogurt religiously, and now I can make it a whole meal. 


I layer vanilla Chobani Greek Yogurt and Kashi cereal for a healthy, protein-filled lunch. For me, eating a smaller lunch is an easy way for me to shed a few pounds, so I pack this for lunch at the office. Pack the cereal in a Zip-loc bag and add right before you eat if you don't want it to get soggy. 


I like when the granola gets soft, so I layer the granola on the bottom of a bowl, then the yogurt, then top with fruit. I only let it sit from that morning until lunch though. 

You'll Need:
Greek Yogurt- plain or vanilla
Granola
Fresh or Frozen Berries
Honey- Optional


You can jazz your parfait up with other yogurt flavors or add fresh fruit, (frozen fruit works too especially if you're packing it, just let it thaw out in the fridge.)


Total Calories: 300
Total Protein: 25g
Total Fat: 3.5g

I choose plain Chobani because it has less sugar than the fruit varieties. I realized the combination of a fruit yogurt and granola had almost my daily intake of sugar. 

sugar cookie jam bars

You can make your own sugar cookie dough if you like, but I'm not a great cookie maker so I prefer to use store-bought cookie dough- like Pillsbury or Toll House. Plus, using store-bought dough saves a ton of time. My favorite preserves to use are blackberry, raspberry or apricot. You can cut them into bars or use a heart shape cookie cutter and you've got an easy Valentine's Day cookie. 

You can also use a box/package of sugar cookie mix- just bake according to box directions.

You'll Need:
Refrigerated Cookie Dough Package (like Pillsbury)- 18 oz.
Preserves, Jam or Marmalade- 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 350.

Spread 2/3 of cookie dough on sprayed cookie sheet.

Top with jam, preserves or marmalade- avoid the edges of the pan.

Crumble the rest of cookie dough on top of the jam. Press down lightly on the dough to get the pieces to connect.

Bake 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

Make extra decadent and melt white or dark chocolate and drizzle on top.

Cool. Cut into bars or use a heart shape cookie cutter.

red pepper + black olive pinwheels

After much debate, I have decided to make these for the Super Bowl party we're going to. They're going to have pizza and wings, so I thought a lighter veggie option would be a good call. These vegetable pinwheels whip up in a snap, and the best part is the only dishes you use are a mixing bowl and a cutting board. Yay! 

I've also cut these into mini wraps for main dishes at events like baby showers. Just cut each wrap into 3 sections and stick a toothpick inside. People have asked if they're from Roly Poly. :)

Makes about 36


You'll Need:
Red Pepper- 2, diced 
Sliced Black Olives- 6 oz. can, drained
Green Onions- 5, chopped
Cream Cheese- 16 oz. (2 packs), softened
Ranch Dressing Mix Packet- 1
Soft tortilla/burrito wraps- 5


Mix cream cheese with ranch dressing packet. Spread all over tortilla, leaving about 1" to the edge.



Sprinkle green onions, red pepper and black olives on top.


Fold in sides of burritos and roll up tightly. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 


Slice into individual 1" sections just before setting out. 




[vegetable wraps, red pepper, black olive, green onion wraps]

italian herb & cheese pull apart bread

This appetizer is great for the Super Bowl- because who doesn't like bread and cheese? Plus, it's super easy if you use refrigerated pizza dough-which I always keep a few on hand in my freezer. There are several flavor variations you can try, but my favorite is Italian herbs and cheese- it's also less fattening compared to a cheddar/bacon combo. 

You can add other fun things like sun dried tomatoes or try substituting pesto for the herbs. 


You'll Need:
Refrigerated/Frozen Pizza Dough- 1,  thawed
Shredded Italian Cheese, (like Asiago)- 1 cup
Mixed Italian Herbs, (oregano, parsley)- 1 tbsp (use more if using fresh)
Garlic Salt or Garlic Powder- to taste or about 1/2 - 1 tsp.
Salt & Pepper- to taste 
Olive Oil- 2-3 tbsp.


Mix cheese, herbs and seasonings in a large bowl. 


Rip pizza dough into little squares and add into the cheese mixture. Toss to combine.


Add olive oil and gently toss to coat. Pour into sprayed cake pan or bundt pan. 


Bake per your pizza dough directions. (Or about 20 minutes at 350.)




[superbowl appetizers, cheesy pull apart bread]

garlicky green beans

I made these green beans with garlic on Thanksgiving and was surprised how many compliments I received on them- because they are so simple. But with vegetables, I think simple and fresh is the best, especially during the holidays in the land of Cream of Mushroom, Mayo and Heavy Cream. So it's nice to have a light, fresh side like these green beans. I was happy they were so well-received. Plus, they're great because the green beans are really the only thing you have to buy- the rest you probably have on hand. 

Image courtesy of Sunset.com

Don't use canned green beans or over boil them to mush. 


You'll Need:
Party Size Fresh Green Beans- 2 32 oz. bags 

Garlic- 4 cloves, minced

Olive Oil- to taste

Salt & Pepper- to taste

Trim ends of green beans. 

Boil each 32 oz. bag 7 minutes in salted water. 

Meanwhile, saute garlic in olive oil. 

Drain green beans, pat dry. 

Toss beans with olive oil, garlic and season with salt and pepper. Can add a little bit of garlic salt if desired. 

[easy Thanksgiving sides, fresh vegetable sides, green beans and garlic]