Fat-free Smoothie Popsicles

Pour yougurt smoothie into a popsicle mold and freeze. It is that simple! By making your yogurt out of powdered milk you will save lots of money and it will be fat-free. We have been eating these up all summer long!

Crustless Quiche

When you need a quick dinner in a flash or something a little special for breakfast or brunch, this is the recipe to turn to. It is so versatile since you can choose whatever fillings you sprinkle on. I always sprinkle in a few dehydrated onions and green peppers

Bubbling Hot Lava Chocolate Fudge Cake

Who can resist a warm chocolate cake that bubbles up with it's own hot fudge sauce? No one at our house! This is a recipe that tastes fabulous, but is very easy to make. Don't we all want a few more recipes like that?

Peanut Butter Passion Bars

Today I will share with you another one of our favorite bar cookies. As usual, I made over the recipe to include bean puree to add protein and fiber and reduce the fat. I also made the sweetened condensed milk using my powdered

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

We've had a couple of chilly days even though the daffodils are blooming and the calendar tells us its Spring. This creamy chicken noodle soup is one of our family's

Lazy Lasagna Bake

Sometimes we are in the mood for lasagna, but don't want to go to all the work. This dish is a great solution to that dilemma. I never have Ricotta cheese at the house and sometimes

Blackberry Sour Cream Squares

I taught a powdered milk class the other day and had many ladies request the recipes I had as tasting samples. It was hard for any of them to believe that this delicious, nice-enough-for-company dessert was made using powdered milk

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

A bowl of this comforting chicken and wild rice soup will make anyone feel better! The addition of brown rice makes this soup just a little more healthy and the white sauce mix leaves out all the fat. That means it can count as one of your "better for you" meals you've resolved to make this New Year. I created this recipe the other night because I was in the mood for something new. Everyone at my table - all 6 of them - gave me a thumbs up and asked for seconds - that's a winning recipe in my book! Hopefully your family likes it too.

The leftovers freeze well so don't hesitate to make a large batch while you are at it. It will give you an easy day down the road.

Apple Orchard Pancake Mix

I just developed a new mix to store in my pantry that allows us to enjoy the tastes of Fall. If you are lucky enough to have fresh apples on hand, you can leave the dry apples out of the mix and just add 1 large chopped apple to your pancake batter. 

Pantry mixes add convenience to my life, but they also work great as gifts. Add a cute tag and enjoy sharing the healthy goodness!

Apple Orchard Pancake Mix

For the mix, place the following dry ingredients in a ziplock bag or layer in a quart jar.

1 cup whole wheat flour (I used white wheat flour)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk powder

1/2 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup chopped dried apples

Add:

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

To make: Pour your mix into a bowl and add the wet ingredients. Mix well. Allow to sit about 5 minuets to allow the apples to re-hydrate a little. Add some more water if batter appears too thick. Cook on a hot griddle just as you do regular pancakes.

Sally Lunn Bread

I tried a new recipe this week. I know that doesn't come as much of a surprise to those of you who know me - I seem to always find a recipe that peaks my interest. This recipe I found in an older cookbook at my family's cabin a few weeks ago. It caught my attention because it was listed under the bread section, but the only words in the title were "Sally Lunn." I wondered why someone's name would be listed as the title of the recipe. Little did I know how famous this recipe is or the long history behind it.

Now that I've peaked your interest, you are welcome to read more of the history of Sally Lunn bread  here.

I know now why it is famous and I'm wondering why I've never had it before. The texture reminds me of cornbread and it is oh so tasty hot from the oven, smothered in butter and drizzled with honey. It would be great served with chili or bean soup. We had it with beef stew . . . delicious!

There are a few recipes that call for yeast instead of baking powder. Now I want to try one of them and see how it compares. I'll let you know when I do.

Sally Lunn Bread

5 Tbsp butter, softened
2 Tbsp sugar
3 eggs
1 cup milk (3 Tbsp milk powder and 1 cup of water)
2 cups flour (1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the milk and mix well. (If using powdered milk, add the water now and add the milk powder with the dry ingredients.) Add the dry ingredients. (I have used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 cup of white flour and it is still very good.) Pour into a greased 8 1/2x4 1/2x3 inch loaf pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. Slice and serve warm with plenty of butter. Honey is good also.

Best Ever Cheesy Squash Burger Bake

Summer brings lots of zucchini and squash to those of us who plant a garden or to those of us who have neighbors who plant a garden. The first few weeks the kids and I search each day, eager to find new ones to pick. After a few weeks, the novelty wears off and the kids are tired of all the ways I try and hide zucchini in everything I make. 

Knowing I had a basket full of squash on the counter and another ten growing in the garden, I decided to get creative. I came up with this recipe that doesn't hide the squash at all. The squash is the main ingredient! My husband and kids sat down to the dinner table quite sure they would want peanut butter sandwiches for a snack real soon since they wouldn't like dinner. They were skeptical to say the least. Little did they know. . . dinner was delicious! They all asked for seconds and emptied the entire 9x13 pan.

Cheesy Squash Burger Bake
4-5 summer squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 lb hamburger, browned
Nacho Cheese Sauce - double recipe
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup bread crumbs

Use zucchini, yellow squash or patty pan. If your squash are larger, slice in half and scoop out the seeds before slicing. You want enough to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cook sliced squash, onion, and green pepper in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain. Place in 9x13 pan. Top with browned hamburger. Make a double batch of the nacho cheese sauce recipe and pour over the squash. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 5 minutes or cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until heated through and squash is tender. Mix bread crumbs with melted butter and spread on top of casserole. Place under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to brown. Serve and enjoy!

Nachos
5 Tbsp white sauce mix	1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup hot water	1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
⅛ tsp pepper	½ cup Mozzarella cheese, grated
1 tsp dried, minced onion reconstituted
In a saucepan, whisk white sauce mix and water together and cook until smooth. As sauce begins to thicken, add remaining ingredients. Serve over tortilla chips. Top with chili, spiced hamburger, sliced black olives, salsa, etc. You can use pepper jack cheese for a more spicy sauce.

White Sauce Mix
Mix up a large batch—believe me, you'll find a million uses for it. It will become a great time saver.
3 cups non-instant dry milk powder	2 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
Mix together and store in an airtight container. Use in any recipe that calls for making a white sauce using milk, butter and flour. It is a completely fat free alternative and tastes great! It will store for up to 5 years on the pantry shelf.

Whole Grain Waffle Mix

When strawberries are in season, waffles with strawberries and whipped cream are always a request at our house. We have a few waffle recipes I use. One is an oatmeal waffle and one is for pumpkin waffles. Here is our other favorite - just a classic whole grain waffle. To make it go quickly in the morning or at night for dinner, I always keep a few mixes on hand.

Combine the dry mix with the wet ingredients right in the blender. Process until smooth. Add a little more water if it appears too thick. (Only do a single size batch in your blender - a double batch is just a little too big - trust me on this one.)

Pour into a heated waffle iron and cook until done (3-4 minutes).

Allow to cool on a wire rack - this keeps the bottom waffle from getting soggy before you have enough made for everyone. You can also freeze any leftovers once they have completely cooled. Then they are ready to pop in the toaster another time.

Whole Grain Waffle Mix

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp sugar

5 Tbsp dry milk powder

Add:

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups water

Pour the mix into your blender and add the wet ingredients. Blend until smooth. Add a little more water if the batter is too thick. Cook on a hot waffle iron. Feel free to sneak in a little more nutrition, by substituting 2-3 Tbsp ground flax seed in place of some of the all purpose flour.

(You can make a large batch of the basic mix. Then just measure out 2 1/2 cups of mix to make one batch of waffles.)

There you have it - go grab some of those fresh strawberries and enjoy! The waffles are also great with maple syrup or homemade freezer jam. Yesterday we enjoyed them with homemade blueberry syrup - that is a post for another day. I'm sure your mouth is already watering and you have your own ideas of what you will put on top of these wonderful waffles!

Here's my latest and greatest attempt at a whole grain pancake that doesn't require eggs. The battery is dead on my camera so you'll just get to imagine how good they look. I'd wait until I could take pictures again, but that could be forever with as crazy as my summer has been. I decided you would probably rather get the recipe now and not wait on photos. Enjoy! Whole Grain Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour	1 Tbsp baking powder
1 cup rolled oats	1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup corn meal	5 Tbsp dry milk powder
1/4 cup sugar	Approx. 1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp cinnamon	2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the water and mix well. Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes to soften the oats. Stir in the vinegar just before baking and add more water if needed to give you the right consistency. Cook on a hot griddle. This recipe can easily be turned into a large mix. Just multiply the recipe of the dry ingredients by 6 or more and store in an air tight container. To use: Measure out 3 cups of mix and then add the water and vinegar as in the recipe above.

Pepperoni Pizza Braid

This is a fun way to trade up your traditional pizza night. I always make two when I do this because they freeze well for my husband to take for lunch or for me to reheat another night for a quick dinner.

Begin with your favorite pizza dough. I made a double batch of my garlic breadstick dough. Each braid takes the same amount of dough as one pizza.

Roll out into long rectangles  - about as long as a jelly roll pan.

Spread with a little pizza sauce down the center.

Add your favorite pizza toppings. I made one with pepperoni and olives and one with sausage and olives. We also like using Ranch dressing in place of the sauce and adding chopped ham, bacon bits,green onions, and diced tomatoes. Feel free to get creative here. If you like it on pizza, you'll like it in this recipe.

Top with a little shredded cheese.

Use kitchen scissors to cut around the edges as shown, going in only as far as the sauce.

Tuck in one piece at a time, alternating sides as you would with a braid. Be sure to tuck the ends in well.

Place both loaves on a jelly roll pan. Allow to rise about 10 minutes. Bake at 350° F for 25–30 minutes. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil before baking the final 5 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with pizza sauce for dipping if desired. To freeze: Remove from oven after 25 minutes of cooking. Allow to cool. Wrap in a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze. To use frozen loaf: Thaw and wrap in foil. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350° F for 10–15 minutes or until heated through.

Brush with melted butter after removing from the oven to keep the crust nice and soft.

Slice and enjoy!

10 Grain Bread

I've been playing a little with one of my favorite bread recipes. You'll find the recipe for Fabulous Homemade Bread here. Before now I had only tried adding oatmeal or ground flax seed to the dough. This last week, I tried adding a 10 grain cereal mix I found in the bulk section of our local grocery store. If you don't have a bulk section, check in the hot cereal isle. I'm sure there is something similar - it may not be 10 grains, but perhaps 7 or 9. I just added the 10 grain cereal mix in place of the oatmeal called for in the recipe.

Here is the dough after it has risen a bit. You can see all the little grains of healthy goodness.

Here it is after baking - golden brown and delicious!

My husband couldn't wait for it to cool. We sliced it piping hot which sometimes doesn't give such good results. This loaf sliced up nice even when it was steaming. Many times it just mushes into hot bread goodness which still tastes divine, but doesn't make for a great presentation photo.

Go ahead - add the grain mix or seeds you're craving in place of the oatmeal in my recipe. I think you'll agree it's a little slice of heaven!

Protein Filled Pumpkin/White Bean Pie

Some of the best recipes arise out of the need to pinch hit in the kitchen. By "pinch hit," I am referring to when you need to substitute one ingredient for another. This pie is a perfect example. I was short on frozen pumpkin by about 1/2 cup so I thought about what other ingredients I had that would take on the flavor and texture I wanted. "Aha," I thought, as I opened the freezer, - "white bean puree!" It was as delicious as ever and no one even noticed I added all that protein and fiber.

Begin by rolling out your pie crust. I happened to have one in the freezer - it made a quick dessert to prepare! My family loves just about anything made from pumpkin. For my favorite pie crust recipe, click here. For pictures of how I roll it out, click here. Place the prepared pie crust in the fridge to keep it cold while you mix up the filling. A cold pie crust will cook up more flaky which is what everyone loves!

Whisk all the filling ingredients together.

Prepare a piece of foil to place around the edge of the pie, covering the crust so it won't burn while the filling cooks. Fold a square piece of foil in half and cut as pictured above.

Open it flat.

Place a baking sheet on your oven rack to catch any spills. Place your prepared pie crust on the baking sheet. Pour your filling into the crust.

Carefully cover the edges - it doesn't need to be tightly crimped down. Just shape it enough that it will stay on while you slide the pie in and out of the oven.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove the foil.

Bake an additional 20 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Allow the pie to cool before serving.

Pumpkin/White Bean Pie

Prepared pie crust

1 1/2 cups pumpkin or squash puree (canned or frozen)

1/2 cup white bean puree

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 eggs, slightly beaten

6 Tbsp dry milk powder

2/3 cup hot tap water

Whisk together the hot water and milk powder until no lumps remain. Add remaining ingredients and whisk well. Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover the edges of the crust with foil for the first 25 minutes of baking to prevent over browning.

Meat Pasties

Meat pasties are basically single serving size meat pies. History tells us that miners used to take them in their lunches in place of a sandwich. It is one way to trade up the way you serve beef or chicken stew. I've done them with canned meats and dehydrated vegetables and they turn out deliciously! I also use items from my freezer sometimes. This time, I mixed frozen peas and carrots with hashbrown potatoes. I stirred in some precooked hamburger and then made a thick gravy using reconstituted powdered milk, flour, beef bouillon, onion, and garlic. I mixed all of this together for the filling.

Roll out pie crust (I always keep some in my freezer ready to go.) and place filling on top.

Fold over and crimp the edges well. Cut a few slits for ventilation. (These pasties can be frozen at this point for up to 3 months.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until the crust is lightly browned.

Enjoy with your favorite side dish - we opened some bottled fruit to make it an easy night.

Ham and Corn Chowder

Who can resist a bowl of hot, creamy chowder on a cold winter night? This is one of our favorite recipes!

Combine onions, carrots, potatoes, and corn in 4 cups of hot water. Add bouillon. I used dry onions and carrots with fresh potatoes and canned corn. This soup is great using all dried vegetables as well. You just may need to add a little more water.

Whisk white sauce mix and 2 cups of hot tap water together in a bowl. For the white sauce mix recipe click here. I use the white sauce mix in all my cream soups - it is a huge time and money saver!

Pour the white sauce mix into the soup a couple of minutes before serving. Stir and allow soup to boil for 2 minutes to thicken.

Stir in cheese, ham, and bacon bits just before serving. Enjoy with a nice hot roll or slice of homemade bread. Oh, it's one of my favorite tastes of winter! There's no better way to chase away the chill of the evening.

Ham and Corn Chowder
1 cup chopped onions (½ cup dry)	½ cup + 2 Tbsp white sauce mix
1 cup diced carrots (½ cup dry)	2 cups hot water
2 ½ cups cubed potatoes (1 ¼ cup dry)	2–3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 can whole kernel corn, drained	2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
2 tsp chicken bouillon	10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
4+ cups water
Cook vegetables in 4 cups water and bouillon until tender. Whisk white sauce mix and 2 cups hot water together in a bowl. Pour into soup. Stir until thickened. Stir in cheese, ham, and bacon bits just before serving. Using dehydrated vegetables may require more water. Add enough to make the consistency you like. I always use the precooked real bacon bits in this recipe to make it easy.

Pumpkin Waffle Mix

We have a new favorite mix - inspired by the change in the weather and our family's love of anything pumpkin. I created this recipe the other morning and we loved them! Even reheated this morning from the freezer, they were great. I will be making a few mixes of these to keep in the pantry with my other muffin and waffle mixes.

In our waffle iron, it took 4 minutes to have them come out nice and golden. I used frozen pumpkin which doesn't have as orange of a color as the canned pumpkin so yours my be more of a pumpkin color. When cooking them, allow them to cool on a wire rack, this helps the bottom ones not get soggy. I cooked up a bunch when my older daughter was ready for breakfast. She leaves an hour ahead of my younger boys. I just left them cooling on the counter.

When my boys were ready to eat, we just warmed them in the toaster - delicious!

I bagged up the 4 that were left to freeze for my husband to eat for breakfast another day. He leaves way early for work and usually takes breakfast with him. He popped them in the toaster this morning and shared with me how much he loved them - he agreed I should keep mixes for them in the pantry. 

Give them a try - they just may become a new family favorite for you too.

Pumpkin Waffle Mix

For the mix, place the following dry ingredients in a ziplock bag.
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used hard white wheat flour)
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/2 Tbsp dry milk powder
Use a sharpie pen to write the wet ingredients on the bag so you can quickly add them when you are ready to make.
Add:
1 1/2 cups water
1 egg
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup canned or frozen pumpkin

To make: Pour your mix into a bowl and add the wet ingredients. Mix until all lumps are gone. I used a wire whisk to help it go faster. Cook in a heated waffle iron that you have greased well. You may need to add a little more water depending on how thick your pumpkin is. This made about 10 waffle squares. With the whole wheat flour they are very filling so this was enough for my crew.

Enjoy!

Variations: I haven't actually tried any of these yet (I didn't want to wait to share the recipe though since it is so good!) but from experience with other recipes these should all work.

Think about the consistency of canned pumpkin, anything with that consistency will work fine in this recipe.
Applesauce
Mashed sweet potato
Mashed butternut, acorn, hubbard, or banana squash
Mashed bananas

Just substitute it straight across for the pumpkin or do 1/2 and 1/2 if you want to. They will all taste great!