Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce By Dawn Carter From AllRecipes.com

I define clean eating as a diet full of natural whole foods. Think about eating foods that look the same on your plate as they do in nature, with little to no processing or other ingredients added. Like an apple, cucumber, tomato, etc. If I can get organic, then all the better, but I don’t always. I have to remind you that I’m a vegetarian, or rather a pescetarian (I eat fish or pesce it Italian), so I don’t have the image of a cow or chicken sitting on my plate. But if you do, then try to buy organic, grass fed, free range, or farm raised products.

I’ve been trying to come up with nutritious, filling recipes that are clean and appeal to everyone. This is tough to do in my house, with all the child eaters (yes my hubs is considered a child eater), but this one actually worked. You see, my family loves pizza (mostly) and I’ve been craving a slice of pizza pie, but I didn’t want to blow my resolution. So, I decided to make a slice that would satisfy my family, my craving and my resolution… and let me use my newly made pitas! That’s right… I made pita pockets… yes from scratch! They are soo easy and oddly rewarding when they actually puff up. Are you wondering why I don’t just buy them at the store? Well, I looked at the ingredient list on the pre-made ones and didn’t think they were clean, according to my definition. So I found a recipe and made my own. See my blog post here. Bonus: They make a GREAT thin crust for pizza!!!

Pita Pizzas By Me

• Pita Pockets (1 per person)
• 1 can organic crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon garlic
• Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
• Optional toppings: mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoni, onion, sweet peppers, banana peppers, etc.
• Oregano

1. Cut the pita along outer edge to create to thin crusts. If you like a thicker crust, skip this step.
2. For a crispier crust, broil your split pita until just slightly browned or toasted.
3. If you like smooth sauce, blend the crushed tomatoes and garlic into a smooth puree.
4. Spread sauce onto each pita crust.
5. Top with mozzarella, oregano and optional toppings.
6. Bake at 350ºF until cheese is melted.

So, I found a deal on a cooked refrigerated rotisserie chicken at Publix. You’ve got to LOVE a deal!! Well, you do if your into frugality, like I am! So, I bought it to use on my kids’ lunch salads, but after picking all the white meat off, I just couldn’t throw away the carcass with all the dark meat and skin. So I went to Betty and found a chicken broth recipe. Now she, of course, used the entire chicken, but I improvised, which I happen to be so good at doing. I’m sure my hatred of being told what to do plays a roll in my improvisation. That’s right, not even Betty can boss me around so there… (insert raspberry sound here)!!

Chicken and Broth By Betty Crocker

• 1 cut-up whole chicken (3 to 3 1/2 lb) So My chicken was precooked rotisserie and I had already rescued the good white meat. So I used the rest of the chicken parts.
• 4 1/2 cups cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 medium celery stalk (with leaves), cut-up
• 1 carrot, cut up
• 1 small onion, cut up
• 1 parsley sprigs

Remove excess fat from chicken. In Dutch oven or stock pot, place chicken, giblets (except liver) and neck. Add remaining chicken and broth ingredients; heat to boiling. Skim foam from broth; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about 45 minutes or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

So I kind of just threw whatever I had into the stock pot and let it cook away. I’d give you details, but the hubs if gonna be reading this and what he doesn’t know (that I threw in all the stuff he hates… spinach, sweet peppers, cauliflower & broccoli) can’t hurt him (and in fact, will save his life). Also, instead of salt and pepper, I added a little of the Montreal Chicken Seasoning. After cooking it for several hours, I cooled it and put in freezer bags and popped them in the freezer. 

It smells wonderful! And I don’t like chicken. I’ll let you know what the family thinks when I use it.

Unbelievable Rolls By Sherlie at All Recipes

• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm milk, water, sugar and salt. Remove from heat, and mix in the eggs and yeast.
2. Measure flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the flour, and pour milk mixture into it. Do not stir. Cover with a lid, and let stand for 20 to 30 minutes. So just about 25 minutes into this rise, I heard a “POP” that scared the crud out of me. It was the lid popping off the bowl due to the pressure from inside the bowl. I took this as my cue that it was done. 
3. Pour melted margarine into flour, and mix well. Add more flour if too sticky. Knead lightly. Cover, and let rise for 20 to 30 minutes. Again, the “POP” was my sign, and yes, it scared me again!
4. Shape the dough into rolls, and place on a baking sheet. If you want to freeze them, do that now!! Then, when you’re ready to use them, move them to the refrigerator the night before, take them out in the morning and let them rise on the counter. 
5. Let rise again for 20 to 30 minutes.If using the freezer rolls this may take longer, just be patient.
6. Bake rolls in a preheated 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) oven for 15 minutes, or until done.

This were the best rolls I’ve ever made!! Not the best I’ve ever tasted, but definitely the best my hands have created! AWESOME!!!!

So normally, I’d have my cottage cheese with some sort of crackers, or if the crackers are gone even some (GASP) chips would do. But crackers and chips are not on the nutrition plan. Plain cottage cheese is just so…  so boring! As I was staring into my fridge, I saw the newly purchased, unopened cottage cheese, sitting right beside the newly purchased Pink Lady apples, and I had a brainstorm. OK, maybe it was just a passing shower. But I thought to myself “Hey, I could totally cut my apple with my handy dandy corer, slicer and then scoop the cottage cheese into the center, and I could add some cucumber slices or even some chopped walnuts or pecans.” Yep, I was right, it was AWESOME!!!! And so healthy!! Here’s the recipe and the nutritional facts…

Recipe:

• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese, look for a low sodium variety
• 1 fresh apple, washed, cored and sliced
• 1 teaspoon chopped pecans, optional

1. Use a apple corer/slicer to prepare your apple. Cut the center core out leaving a spot for the cottage cheese. TIP: sprinkle some lemon or lime juice over the apple slices to prevent it from turning brown.
2. Scoop the cottage cheese into the center and top with pecans.

Nutrition:

• Calories: 164
• Total Fat: 5.3 grams
• Cholesterol: 15 mg
• Sodium: 400 mg This will depend on the variety of cottage cheese you use
• Carbohydrates: 18.9 grams
• Fiber: 2.3 grams
• Sugar: 15 grams
• Protein: 13.6 grams

Get your apple corer slicer at Target.

While I was browsing through my pantry, I came across a package of extra wide egg noodles that I must’ve purchased for a holiday meal that, surprisingly, never got made. Hmm, noodles… what can I make with noodles? Well, since my son was fighting off the beginnings of a cold, yes… again, I decided to make some good ole’ fashioned chicken noodle soup. After scanning the freezer, I came across a couple chicken breasts that were begging to be rescued from their Arctic vacation in Freezerville. Done!! So I have noodles and chicken, all I need is a recipe. Now, I know that I could easily have come up with my own concoction, but why not grab the Betty Book and knock out another one of those recipes. So “What’s in your pantry?” Challenge… Check! Betty Crocker Challenge #497 Chicken Noodle Soup… Check! This is SO SATISFYING!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup) I also added celery because it just seemed right. I didn’t want the carrots to be lonely without their friend celery.
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken My chicken breasts were frozen from their Arctic vaca so I had to thaw and cook first. I added a step below in red to explain.
• 2 cups uncooked egg noodles (4 oz)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon parsley flakes I omitted this because I used Grill Mates® Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper I omitted this because I used Grill Mates® Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
• 1 dried bay leaf I omitted this because I used Grill Mates® Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
• 5 1/4 cups chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons) I only had one box of chicken broth so I added extra water and  some Grill Mates® Montreal Chicken Seasoning. 

Bananas Brooks By Kim Brooks

• 1 Banana, peeled and sliced in half lengthways You can slice it horizontally, but it doesn’t look as ooh-la-la
• 1 – 2 teaspoons Honey How sweet do you want it? 
• Cinnamon
• Optional: Walnuts, Pecans, Almonds or even Coconut Go nuts…coconuts!! I crack me up!!

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Place the sliced banana in a baking pan or place on aluminum foil.
3. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle cinnamon and chopped nuts, if desired.
4. Cover the pan with foil or if using the foil fold it into a pouch around the banana.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

I don’t know what Bananas Foster tastes like, but these are absolutely DELISH!!!! This may be my go to dessert from now on!!!! Seriously, you MUST TRY IT!!!!

I admit it… I make New Year’s Resolutions!! [Pause for gasps] And, to make matters worse… I make birthday resolutions, too!!! [Insert blood curdling scream here] There I’ve said it… maybe verbalizing it will make me stick to one of them for longer than a week! Eeeh, probably not, but hey it was worth a shot right? My resolutions are usually the same as the majority of the human population…

1. Get moving
2. Eat better
3. Save money
4. Be nicer
5. Blog more regularly

Follow the directions on the package of oatmeal you chose to determine oat to milk ratio and cook time. Top with honey, cinnamon, blueberries and nut of choice. ENJOY!!!