Recipes

Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

November 22, 2013 · By Kristin Smith · 2 Comments

They’re called lactation cookies because they’re full of delicious stuff that’s wonderful for nursing mama’s — lots of good-for-you ingredients, some of which have also been shown to help boost milk supply. As a lot of you know, I battled with supply issues with Braden the entire time he was nursing, then again with Mackenzie as she got closer to a year old. I ate a LOT of these cookies (did I mention that they’re delicious??). I promise you, they’re good. Even Adam and my dad gobbled them up.

Two of my friends had babies last week and they’re breastfeeding, so I made them each a batch and delivered them over the weekend. I’ll always trade food for baby snuggles! If you’re a nursing mom, have a friend who is, or just looking for a cookie that’s not awful for you, give these a try!

For more information on the ingredients and how they help, check out this site, which is where the original recipe is from.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 3/4 cup oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup almond or peanut butter (I use peanut butter)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup ground flax seeds/flax meal
3 tbsp brewers yeast
1/3 cup water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups chocolate chips (I use a little less)
1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture, then the nuts and chocolate chips, then the oats.

Place balls of dough onto a greased baking sheet and press each down lightly.

Bake for 12-14 minutes.

From Peaceful Parenting.

Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged: breastfeeding, cookies, recipe

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

July 12, 2013 · By Kristin Smith · 6 Comments

I’ve never been a big fan of sweet potatoes. At least that is what I thought. I’m a super picky eater and they just didn’t look all that appetizing, so I never tried them. Orange and mushy just wasn’t doing it for me. Mature, right? A few years ago, we were at Disney World with Adam’s aunt and uncle and sweet potato chips came as a side with the sandwich I ordered. I tried them, since they weren’t mushy, and they were pretty good. Lately, I’ve been trying to make healthier choices when eating out, so I’v been ordering sweet potato fries instead of regular fries. I’ve become quite the addict too, they are SO good.

We were grilling burgers last night so I decided to try to make some at home. All of the recipes I found were pretty similar and seemed easy enough. One common complaint found in most of the reviews was that they came out mushy, so I tried my best to minimize that. These turned out well. Not crispy like fried sweet potato fries would be, but they weren’t super mushy either. I don’t have specific measurements, I just eyeballed most of it.

Ingredients:

olive oil, for tossing
sweet potatoes, cut into strips (I used a mandoline)
sea salt
black pepper
garlic powder
paprika

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. I didn’t measure and I used just a bit too much salt. It was mostly equal parts with just a bit less paprika.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper/aluminum foil. In a ziploc bag, toss the sweet potatoes with just enough oil to coat. Spread sweet potato strips in single layer on prepared baking sheet – make sure you leave some space between them. Sprinkle the seasoning mixture over all of the sweet potato strips.

Bake until crispy and golden brown. I baked them for 20 minutes, then turned them every five minutes or so. In total, they probably baked for about 40 minutes.

Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Kind of from Paula Deen’s Baked Sweet Potato Fries.

Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged: side dish, sweet potato

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken Soup

April 8, 2013 · By Kristin Smith · Leave a Comment

The original recipe for this makes a thicker chicken mixture and they recommend serving it over rice. I wasn’t a huge fan of it that way, so I add in some pureed tomatoes and make it into a soup. We top ours with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and a bit of fresh cilantro. Super easy to make and absolutely delicious. It freezes really well and is great as leftovers too.

Ingredients

24 oz (1 1/2) lbs chicken breast
14.4 oz can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
1 cup tomato puree
15 oz can black beans
1 bag frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 oz can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)
salt to taste

Directions

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, tomato puree, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top.

Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese and low fat sour cream or greek yogurt.

Based on Skinny Taste Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken.

Filed Under: Recipes · Tagged: chicken, crock pot

Broccoli Salad

March 31, 2013 · By Kristin Smith · 5 Comments

We have made this a few times and everyone always begs for the recipe. It’s incredibly easy to throw together and seriously delicious. We cut the sugar in half from the original Paula Deen recipe. I love Paula and I have a sweet tooth, but it was way too sweet for us. I also like to use low fat mayo, turkey bacon, and low fat cheese to help make it a bit healthier. We’ve also used craisins instead of raisins, or a mixture of both. I think next time I may try adding in some chopped pecans, I love the way they taste with craisins and cheese.

Ingredients:

1 head broccoli
6 to 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup raisins or craisins
8 ounces sharp cheddar, cut into very small chunks
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Trim off the large leaves from the broccoli stem. Remove the tough stalk at the end and wash broccoli head thoroughly. Cut the head into flowerets and the stem into bite-size pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, raisins/craisins, and cheese. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, stirring well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently.

From Paula Deen.