One-minute Breakfast Ideas

Looking for some breakfast ideas? Here is a link to a list of some quick ideas: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442463463

I will be working on posting the recipes from the handout of last night's Relief Society Meeting over the next little bit.

Relief Society Meeting

Just a reminder that our Relief Society Meeting is tomorrow night - Wed, May 25- at 7pm.

See you there!

Slow Cooker Egg Casserole with Sausage and Red Pepper

Here is a recipe for Slow Cooker Egg Casserole with Sausage and Red Pepper

Slow Cooker Egg Casserole with Sausage and Red Pepper

Ingredients

1 pound Italian sausage
4 slices bread, torn into pieces
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
½ cup red onion, chopped
12 eggs
¼ cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium skillet, brown the sausage. Drain and set on paper towels until ready.
2. Spray the bottom of your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Add bread pieces, diced red pepper, chopped red onion and browned sausage to the base of the slow cooker.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and sausage in the slow cooker. Set on high and cook for four hours.

Enjoy this slow cooker egg casserole with sausage and red pepper with some fresh fruit. Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Egg Recipes

I am still looking for good recipes using eggs for our Relief Society Meeting next week. If you have any you would like to share with the ward, email me at sprasmussen at gmail.com or comment on this post. Thanks!

Eggcelent Eggs

Our Relief Society Meeting for this month will be on May 25 7pm at the church.

Do you have a recipe that uses raw or hardboiled eggs?

May’s recipe class will be about Egg Recipes and we would love your recipes!

If you have an egg recipe to share, please get it to Samantha Rasmussen by Sunday, May 22.

Email: sprasmussen at gmail.com

Or you can comment on this post :)

Leftover Ham

Sorry its been so long since I've posted! Since many of you might be having ham this weekend for Easter, here is a link to a post with 7 recipes to use up your leftover ham.

Have a Happy Easter Weekend!

Coconut Oil

I have been reading a lot about coconut oil because of the questions about it brought up at the last Relief Society meeting.

Coconut and palm oils are the only plant oils that contain a high percentage of saturated fat, however, they are also high in lauric acid. Lauric acid actually raises HDL cholesterol in your body which decreases risk of heart attack and stroke. When using coconut oil, make sure that it is virgin coconut oil as hydrogenated coconut oils contain trans fats which are not very good. There are tons of claims for different health benefits that come from using coconut oil but there is little research to back the claims at the moment. Just remember to be moderate in your use of any oil/fat as they are high in calories.

If you want to read more about coconut oil, I found the following 2 articles to be informative:

Coo Coo for Coconuts: http://isacksrd.com/?p=792

Once a Villain, Coconut Oil Charms the Health Food World: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/dining/02Appe.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

RS Meeting for March

Mark your calendar! The Relief Society Meeting for March is March 17. There will be a pasta bar, cupcakes to celebrate the birthday of Relief Society, and a special speaker. Nursery will also be provided.

National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month - this year's theme is "Eat Right With Color".

Different foods add a variety of color, texture, shape and flavor to meals and snacks, as well as different nutrients. Vary the color on your plate to provide a festive and nutritious meal.

Here are some ideas of different colored produce:

• Green: avocados, apples, grapes, honeydew, melons, kiwi, limes, artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, green peppers and leafy greens such as spinach
• Orange and deep yellow: apricots, cantaloupe, grapefruits, mangos, papayas, peaches, pineapples, carrots, yellow peppers, yellow corn and sweet potatoes
• Purple and blue: blackberries, blueberries, plums, raisins, eggplant, purple cabbage and purple-fleshed potatoes
• Red: cherries, cranberries, pomegranate, red/pink grape fruit, red grapes, watermelon, beets, red onions, red peppers, rhubarb and tomatoes
• White, tan and brown: bananas, brown pears, dates, white peaches, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, parsnips, turnips, white-fleshed potatoes and white corn.

Go to http://www.eatright.org/NNM/ for some recipes, games and quizzes. (I found a pdf of recipes on their home page, but it is also in the "Nutrition Education Resources" section)

Heart Healthy Recipe Book

For a 156-page recipe book of heart healthy recipes put together by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, go to the following link:

http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/other/ktb_recipebk/ktb_recipebk.pdf

Heart Healthy Recipes

To find several recipes that are Heart Healthy by the American Heart Association - Go here (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/Recipes/Recipes_UCM_001184_SubHomePage.jsp).

The Mayo Clinic also has a ton of Heart Healthy recipes on their website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heart-healthy-recipes/RE00098

Picky Eaters

Go here (http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442462194) for a short article giving some ideas for tackling that picky eating phase.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Looking for a snack? Here are 5 healthy ideas:

1. Peel a banana and dip it in low-fat yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.
2. Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese and top with raisins for "ants on a log."
3. Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.
4. Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.
5. Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.

Red Velvet Pancakes

Here is what we will be trying for breakfast this morning...This would be a fun breakfast idea for Valentine's Day!

Red Velvet Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 large egg
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon red food coloring (or more if you want them more red!)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, sour cream, food coloring and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix just until combined.

Pour about 1/3 cup onto medium/high griddle and lightly brown on both sides.

http://www.zupas.com/index.php/2011/02/recipe-red-velvet-pancakes/

RS Meeting Tonight

Sorry I haven't posted much this year...I guess that's what happens when you have a baby :) Anyways, just wanted to remind you all that we have our Relief Society Meeting tonight (Wed, Jan 19) at 7pm. See you there!

French Toast Casserole

I saw a post for this recipe before Christmas- we tried it yesterday and it was delicious!

French Toast Casserole

5 cups bread cubes
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon margarine, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2. Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Here is a link to the original post: http://www.mormonmommyblogs.com/2010/12/tasty-tuesday-christmas-french-toast.html

Frosty Recipe

Yes, I know it is winter but I have been craving ice cold drinks lately...I blame it on pregnancy :)

Here is a recipe for my current favorite cold drink.

Frosty

Combine in blender:
1 1/2 to 2 cups ice water
1 1/2 cup Nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 to 2/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 to 1 1/2 trays ice cubes (I just add ice cubes until it is the consistency I want)
2 Tbsp oil for emulsification

Pumpkin Squares

I keep meaning to post the recipe for Pumpkin Squares - this is the dessert we had at our wonderful Relief Society Meeting last week.

Sorry I haven't been the greatest at posting stuff lately :)

Pumpkin Squares

Whip together:
16 oz pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 2/3 cup sugar

Sift together:
2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and frost.

Frosting:
Cream together:
1 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
Add 1 lb powdered sugar and 1 tsp vanilla
Mix until creamy and frost cooled pumpkin squares.

Reminder

Don't forget about the Relief Society Meeting - Wednesday, Dec 1 at 6:30pm. Join us for a program and dinner. Nursery will be provided. Also, you can bring any donations for The Child and Family Support Center that evening.

Child and Family Support Center of Cache Valley

The Child and Family Support Center in Cache Valley needs our help! They are a 24 hour crisis nursery which helps over 3,000 children under the age of 12 each year.They are in desperate need of warm jammies, socks, supplies for new babies, and cleaning supplies, but any donations would be greatly appreciated. They are happy to accept gently used items, so this might be a good time to go through your kids' closets - they need things for children under 12.

Please donate any new or gently used items by December 1. You can drop things off with Natalie McNeil, Karma Waite or Cheryl Bodily or you can bring any donations to the Relief Society Meeting on Dec 1.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

Blake (my 2 year old) and I made these tonight. They were super easy and very fast - perfect for little kids to help with :)


The recipe calls for the cookies to be frosted, but we didn't take the time to make frosting - they still tasted great to me!

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

1/2 cup melted butter
3/4 sup sugar
2 eggs
6 Tbsp cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour

Mix melted butter and sugar, add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoons on a medium-hot waggle iron, grill with the lid down. Cook for 1 minute. cool then frost. Makes about 2 dozen.

Roasting a pumpkin

I found this tutorial on roasting a pumpkin. They also talk about making pumpkin puree and they have links to some pumpkin recipes at the bottom of the post.

Have a Happy Halloween!!!

http://www.zupas.com/index.php/2010/10/how-to-roast-a-pumpkin/

Announcement

I just posted 23 recipes from this week's Relief Society Meeting, so scroll down and enjoy! Thanks to everyone who contributed!!!

~Samantha Rasmussen

Money Saving Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole

Money Saving Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole

4 cups sweet potatoes, mashed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cups milk
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

Topping:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
chopped pecans, opt

Mix first six ingredients together and spread in a 9x13-inch dish. Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes approximately 10 servings. This can be made the day before and baked the next day.

http://moneysavingmom.com/2008/11/thanksgiving-on-a-budget-sweet-potato-casserole-and-make-ahead-mashed-potatoes.html

Angie’s Homemade Donuts

Angie’s Homemade Donuts

2 cans of biscuits
Granulated sugar
Vegetable oil

Use a cap from a 20oz soda (or something similar) to make a hole in the center of each biscuit. Heat 3 inches of oil on medium/high. Place donuts and donut holes in the oil for about a minute on each side, until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to soak up the excess oil. Put some sugar in a small bag, add the warm donuts to the bags and let them shake, shake, shake until the donuts are coated!


http://www.5dollardinners.com/2010/10/angies-home-donuts.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+5Dinners+%28%245+Dinners%29