Great Granola! Breakfast Cereal You Can Make at Home

Make your own granola with this easy granola recipe

Homemade Granola with Strawberry Yogurt

Making granola is easier than you might think.  Homemade granola takes about 30-40 minutes to make--did you know that?  Most of that time is hands off time too.  I cleaned my entire kitchen while I made a batch last night.

With homemade granola, you can offer your family a home cooked breakfast that can be made ahead of time.  That means when morning rolls around there will be no prepping, no cooking, no messy kitchen to clean up.

Plus, I find homemade granola to be much more pleasant to the palette than the overly hard cereals at the supermarket.  This granola packs a good crunch without being too hard and a delicate sweetness without leaving you with that sugary aftertaste you get from a lot of cereals.

How to make granola: 

The Ingredients:

4 cups Old-fashioned Quaker Oats
1/2 cup Raw Sunflower Seeds

1 cup Raw Chopped Walnuts

1 cup Sweetened-flaked Coconut

1/2 cup Wheat Germ

1/2 cup Raw Honey

4 tbsp light butter

2 tbsp Natural Applesauce

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 tbsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Salt


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Place oats on large cookie sheets and bake 18-20 minutes stirring halfway through cooking time. Use two cookie sheets if you need to and switch top pan to bottom when you stir the oats.

Melt butter. In a large bowl, stir the honey, butter, vanilla, applesauce and 1/4 tsp salt. Stir in oats, walnuts, coconut, sunflower seeds, and wheat germ. Add oats to mixture.

Spray pan(s) with cooking spray and spread granola on cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes rotating pans and stirring once halfway through cooking.

Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. stop eating it...let it cool!




Even though granola is made with many healthy ingredients, it is high in calories and portion control must be exercised!  I like to eat mine mixed with yogurt rather than milk so I can stretch the granola and get a serving of fruit in at breakfast.

Rather than purchasing fruit flavored yogurt at the store, I mix plain yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit and sweeten it to my own taste.  I love it!  No more artificial tasting flavor!

To make strawberry yogurt, I've been using frozen strawberries.  I will probably switch to fresh during strawberry season.  I simply thaw the strawberries slightly in the microwave and then chop them so they are juicy.  I then mix the plain yogurt with honey and a touch of vanilla to suit my tastes and stir the strawberries in.  You can make a single serving or a batch for the family.  My kids gobble it up with the granola.


We mix yogurt with blueberries, peanut butter, bananas, apples and a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon--even oranges.  The add-in options are really endless.  You control the sugar content and can even use Stevia if you don't want the added calories.

The bottom line is--don't be afraid of plain yogurt.  Flavored yogurt is loaded with sugar and not even enough fruit to warrant a full serving.  Adding your own fruit and sweetener only takes a minute and the result tastes fresh and natural when compared to flavored yogurt.

Start your day with homemade granola and strawberry yogurt and then enjoy the rest of your day with this 1600 calorie meal plan.

Breakfast- 339 Calories

1/2 cup Homemade Granola

1 cup Strawberry Yogurt

Snack- 70 Calories

Hard Boiled Egg

Lunch- 416 Calories

White Bean and Artichoke Dip w/

Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips.

Red Grapes

Snack- 211 Calories

Chocolate Animal Crackers

Skim Milk

Dinner- 543 Calories

Pesto Chicken Breasts

Garlic Cracked Wheat

Side Salad with Italian Dressing

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Cheesy Tilapia Recipe with Roasted Asparagus

Aaaahhhh....spring has arrived and asparagus is on sale!  Oh, how I love the first tastes of fresh vegetable season!  Tilapia and asparagus and cheese just seem like they want to be put together in a great meal, so that's what I did. in ths baked tilapia recipe--creamy and filling with a bit of crunch in the topping, you won't even know it's good for you!

If you've never tried roasted asparagus, do it this spring!  Roasting brings out the natural sweetness in vegetables and creates a nutty flavor in the asparagus.  


Roasting asparagus is very simple
Trim the woody parts off the ends
Wash the asparagus and pat dry
Gently toss with 1 Tbsp Olive oil and 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Place in a single layer on a baking pan and roast in 400 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until crisp tender.


The trickiest part of this meal is figuring out to get both the asparagus and the baked fish done at the same time because they compete for oven space.  I roasted the asparagus first, then removed it from the oven and put the fish in.  Then returned the asparagus to the oven when the fish was almost done so it would be hot.


Here's the recipe for Cheesy Baked Tilapia:
Ingredients:

16 oz Tilapia Fillets

2 tbsp light butter

1/4 cup Onions, finely chopped

2 cloves Garlic 

2 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 cups Skim Milk

1/2 cup 2% Shredded Sharp Cheddar

1/4 cup Sliced Almonds

1/4 cup Whole Wheat Bread Crumbs

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

Thaw Tillapia fillets. Spray shallow baking dish with with non-stick cooking spray. Place fillets in baking dish in single layer. 

Finely chop onion and garlic. Melt butter in sauce pan and saute garlic and onion until tender. Reduce heat. Add pepper and flour and whisk until all flour is absorbed. 

Slowly pour in milk. Turn heat back up and return to a slow boil, stirring constantly. When mixture thickens, remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese until all cheese is melted. 

Pour cheese sauce over fish fillets. Chop sliced almonds until they are crumblike in consistency, mix with breadcrumbs and sprinkle over top. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily

Breakfast- 324 Calories

Almond Power Bar (from Eating Well)

Skim Milk

Snack- 180 Calories

Apple

Sunflower Seeds

Lunch- 370 Calories

Homemade Chili

Cornbread Muffin w/ Honey

Snack- 33 Calories

Carrot Sticks and Grape Tomatoes

Dinner- 396 Calories

Cheesy Tilapia with Almond and Breadcrumb Topping

Roasted Asparagus

Dessert- 288 Calories

Chocolate Cupcake with Butter Cream Icing

Total Calories = 1591

Looking for more recipes for Tilapia?  Check out a few of my favorites:

• Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Tilapia Fillets
• Panko Breaded Tilapia
• Broiled Parmesan Tilapia

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Go Bananas! Banana Muffins

I'd like to make a mini confession....Sometimes I buy a huge bunch of bananas at the store just so they will turn brown before we get a chance to eat them.  Why?  Because then I get to make banana muffins!

I put the brown bananas in the freezer until I get a chance to make muffins.  I like to make a double batch when I make muffins and then freeze the leftovers for breakfast on another day or even several days.  To make a double batch of this recipe, I need six bananas---so when I finally get six uneaten ripe bananas, I, well, go bananas!


Here's the recipe for a single batch (makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients

• 1 cup Wheat Flour, Whole-grain*
• 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour*
• 1/2 cup Oat Flour*
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 3/4 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Cloves, Ground
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 3 medium ripe Bananas
• 1/4 cup Natural Unsweetened Applesauce
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp Canola Oil
• Directions
• In a large bowl, combine the first nine ingredients and set aside.  In another bowl, combine the eggs, bananas, applesauce, and oil and mix until bananas are fully mashed.
  
  
  Stir banana mixture into dry ingredients just until moistened.   Coat muffin cups with cooking spray; fill two-thirds full with batter. 
  
  
  Bake at 375 for 15-18 minutes or until muffins spring back when lightly touched. cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

One of my biggest temptations is warm muffins right out of the oven.  I like to have my cake (or in this case, muffins) and eat them too, so one of my personal eating goals is to eat a serving of fruit at breakfast and not over indulge in the breads/sweets department.   To do this, I eat one muffin and round out my meal with yogurt and fruit. I find this a lot easier to do on muffin leftover days when I simply count out the number of muffins our family will need for the day, wrap them in foil, and reheat them in the oven.

When second helpings are still frozen, I am less likely to overindulge. Warming leftover muffins in foil is one of my favorite tricks.  It beats the microwave any day!  It works best if the muffins have had a chance to thaw, so count out the muffins you will need for breakfast and wrap them in foil as shown below.  Then simply warm in 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes....20 minutes if they are still frozen.

Now this idea is quite possibly genius!  Ready for it?  Before you go to bed, count out your muffins and wrap them in foil.  Now put them in the oven and set your oven to come on in the morning and cook them so you have warm muffins when you get out of bed.  If you are a coffee addict like me, program your coffee maker too.  See, I told you it was genius!

Now here's a smart 1600 calorie meal plan for the rest of the day!
Breakfast- 381 Calories
Banana Muffin
Vanilla Honey Greek Yogurt
1/2 banana, sliced
Snack-219 Calories
1/4 cup Quick Trail Mix
Lunch- 391 Calories
Black Bean Salad Cheese Quesadilla made with Corn Tortillas
Snack- 51 Calories
Grape Tomatoes
Laughing Cow Cheese
Dinner-563 Calories
Pan Seared Teriyaki Pork Chops
Teriyaki Quinoa
Strawberry Pecan Spinach Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Total Calories = 1605
*I make up a batch of whole grain flour using Whole Wheat flour, Oat Flour, and Brown Rice Flour.  I then use it as a substitute for all purpose flour in recipes with great results.  I went into a bit more detail about it in a former post....read all about it here.  Of course, you can always stick with using half whole wheat and half all purpose flour or whatever you have on hand.

 

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Eat Better to Burn Fat

Are you looking for ways to eat better to lose weight?

I came across this article on the internet today from Women's Health.  With these great tips for eating to burn fat, you'll not only burn more fat, but feel fuller!  It's a quick read with pictures--check it out!


15 Easy Ways to Burn More Fat
By Stephen Perrine, Leah Flickinger, and the editors of Women’s Health 

In case you were wondering, each Kitchy Mama Meal Plan contains a minimum of 25 grams of fiber and at least 50 grams of protein from a variety of sources including legumes, dairy, and meat.  Most of the time, I go well over the daily minimum in these categories. 

In addition, I make every effort to keep sodium intake well under 2300 mg/ day with a goal of around 2000 mg/ day.  As for fat and cholesterol, the meal plans average about 53 grams of fat with a concentration on good for you fats--though saturated fats have not been entirely eliminated.  I typically come in way under in the cholesterol category unless there are eggs on the menu.  I eat the yokes cause I can't bear to throw them away!  I figure everything in moderation!

I don't track calcium or other nutrients specifically, but I include calcium sources, fruits, and vegetables in each meal plan. 

Lastly, sugar is hard to track because it is difficult to separate added sugar from natural sugar, but judging by the fact that my dessert posts recieve the highest number of views, my audience isn't ready to give up sugar entirely.  The American Heart Association recently recommended no more than 24g of added sugar per day for women.  When I find a way to track this in my meal plans, I will let you know,  Until then, I will just keep trying to keep sugar in check.

I am not a dieter.  I love to eat and I want to feel satisfied and experience pleasure from food.  I think you will find my meal plans to be well balanced with plenty of healthy choices combined with all your favorite indulgences!

As for the comments in the article about pesticides and eating organic, I have come across this information from other sources and it is the main reason I have started purchasing as much organic produce, meat and dairy as we can afford.  In addition, I use a tea that helps your liver process the toxins in your system.  The basic function of your liver is to process fat, but when it is busy working to rid your system of all kids of other junk, the fat gets stored away.  I'm not a scientist, but this is my very simplistic understanding from what I have read.

Here's the link again...hope you like it.
15 Easy Ways to Burn More Fat
By Stephen Perrine, Leah Flickinger, and the editors of Women’s Health 


To learn more about Zija Miracle tea, contact me for more information.

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Less Processed: Mexican Cornbread Casserole

A couple of years ago my father-in-law made a casserole I had never had before--Mexican Cornbread Casserole.  I was hooked at first bite!  I think I made it three times after trying it that winter.  This winter we have had it twice already (plus leftovers!), but I have made a few changes to reduce the amount of processed foods and also add in a few more whole grains.

The original casserole is made with ground beef, salsa, Velveeta, and a box of Jiffy Cornbread mixed with a can of creamed corn.  My version has a homemade cheese sauce and cornbread made with whole grain flour.

It is still high in sodium and still somewhat processed, but it tasted really great, so I am abandoning more changes for another time!  I do think I could pulse some thawed frozen corn in the food processor and mix a little milk and maybe an egg into the dry cornbread mix and replace the creamed corn, but I haven't tried it yet.  Also, there is a lot of sodium in canned salsa, so look for one with low sodium content.

Here's the recipe for Mexican Cornbread Casserole:
Ingredients:

Meat Mixture:

1 lb Ground Beef, 90% Lean

1 cup Onions

1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

16 oz Salsa, Mild

Cheese Sauce:

2 tbsp light butter

2 tbsp Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup Skim Milk

1/2 cup Fat Free Sour Cream

1 1/2 cups 2% Milk 4 Cheese Mexican Blend

Cornbread Topping:

1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal

2/3 cup Whole Grain Flour Mix

3 tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tbsp Baking Powder

2 cups Cream Style Sweet Corn

Directions:

Coarsely chop onions.  Heat skillet and cook ground beef with onions until beef is browned, salt and pepper to taste.  Drain off excess grease. Transfer meat to a 9X13 baking dish.  Pour can of salsa over meat.

Using same pan that ground beef was cooked in, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium low heat. Add 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until flour is absorbed into butter.  Add milk and sour cream.  Scrape any brown bits off the bottom off the pan and whisk until creamy.  Bring to a boil and stir constantly so milk does not scald.  Boil 1-2 minutes or until sauce has thickened.  Remove from heat and add shredded cheese.  Stir until cheese is melted.  Pour cheese sauce over meat and salsa.

Mix cornbread ingredients together and stir in creamed corn.  Spoon cornbread batter over casserole and carefully spread with a spatula.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until cornbread is cooked through.  If you use a smaller pan, cornbread will take longer to cook.  I cooked mine in a glass 9x13 baking dish and it cooked in a little over 20 minutes.

I came up with a great 1600 calorie meal plan that included this casserole and a cookie!  Enjoy!

Breakfast- 256 Calories

Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie with Flaxseed

Apple Bran Muffin

Snack- 205 Calories

Whole Grain Mini Bagel

Natural Peanut Butter

Lunch- 369 Calories

Pitas with Hummus, 

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce (originally posted as part of Veggie Gyro Post)

and Tomatoes

You get 1 1/2 of sandwiches

Snack- 195 Calories

13 Raw Almonds

Cocoa Fudge Cookie from Cooking Light

Dinner- 624 Calories

Mexican Cornbread Casserole 

Green Beans

(1 1/2 servings...cause you won't be able to stop!)

Total = 1649

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Kid Approved: Crispy Chicken Nuggets

Remember how excited you got about chicken nuggets when you were a kid?  When the school cafeteria served these for lunch word spread around school faster than word that a fight was about to break out!  We would race to the line and wait eagerly as the cafeteria ladies counted out our portion.  Who knows what those things were made of, but we somehow know we had arrived at the good life!

Here's an at home version for Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets that won't leave you wondering what you just ate.  They are pretty simple too.  I whipped these up Saturday night after being away from home all day.  I was dog tired and not looking forward to coming up with a meal my kids would eat, but this standby meal came in handy for us.  Paired with some healthy sides, we had dinner in no time and resisted the urge to order a pizza.

Recipe for Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets:

Ingredients: 1 lb Chicken Breast 1/3 tsp Kosher Salt 1/3 tsp Pepper, Black 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder 1/2 tsp Onion Powder 1/2 cup Wheat Germ 1/2 cup Panko Crispy Bread Crumbs 1/4 cup Lowfat Buttermilk Directions: Thaw chicken completely. Cut into nugget size pieces. Try to cut chicken in similar sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. I cut my chicken in half lengthwise before cutting it into nuggets, so it makes more nuggets. Mix salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder together with bread crumbs and wheat germ and mix thoroughly. Pour buttermilk in a separate bowl. Dip chicken in buttermilk and then dredge in crumb mixture pressing crumbs into chicken slightly. Place a wire cooling rack on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray. arrange nuggets on cooling rack so they do not touch. Bake at 375 for 20-23 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Be careful not to overcook chicken because it will start to dry out. You can turn the nuggets over halfway through cooking for even crispier nuggets

We served the nuggets with some leftover Colorful Couscous and a salad.  You could easily whip up the couscous from scratch as it only takes about 15 minutes to make--start to finish!  My kids like this couscous recipe because of the "fruit candy" otherwise known as dried cranberries.  They think dried fruit are fruit snacks....sssshhhhh don't tell them!

Here is a 1600 calorie meal plan that will bring you back to childhood without sacrificing any adult sophistication---enjoy!

Breakfast:- 316 Calories

Flavored Greek Yogurt Sprinkled with Granola

Scrambled eggs with peppers and onions

Snack- 118 Calories

Kiwi

String Cheese

Lunch- 525 Calories

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich 

on 12 Grain Bread

Carrot sticks

Snack- 110 Calories

Pria Plus Power Bar

Dinner- 488 Calories

Crispy Oven Baked Chicken Nuggets

Colorful Couscous

Garden Salad with Ranch Dressing

Total Calories = 1557

If you are looking for more "Kid Approved Meals," check out this ebook full of 13 Weeks of Breakfast & Lunch Menus that are Kid-Tested & Mom Approved, with Categorized Grocery Shopping Lists Accompanying Each Menu. Perfect for Homeschool Families, Stay At Home Moms, and Daycare Providers.  If you have small children like me and are stuck in the peanut butter and jelly rut, this could be the perfect resource--especially with summer on its way!  Here's the link once again: Kid Approved Meals.

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30 Minute Meal- Cornmeal Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa

This dinner is on the table in well under 30 minutes, so if you are looking for something fast that looks and tastes like you put in a lot of time and effort, Cornmeal Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa is a great choice

I tend to go in spurts with cooking, maybe you do too.  I really do love to cook, but sometimes I get tired of being responsible for cooking, sticking to my grocery budget, and quite honestly I have things I would rather do than spend my evening in the kitchen cooking and cleaning.

On these nights I like simple meals that clean up quickly.  I had been wanting to try this meal for a while, but I never had all the ingredients at once.  This week, mangoes were on sale and the avocados were calling my name, so I whipped up this 30 minute meal complete with Mexican spiced couscous and steamed broccoli.

Since we are talking about being in a rush to get dinner on the table, I'll cut to the chase and give you the recipe so you can get started!

Cornmeal Chicken
1 lb chicken breasts
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4-1/2 cup cornmeal, for dredging
1-2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Avocado-Mango Salsa
1 medium avocado
1 average sized mango
1 Tbsp finely diced onion
2 Tbsp Cilantro
2 tsp raw honey
1 Tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. dredge in cornmeal coating both sides of chicken. Heat oil in skillet--when oil is hot, place chicken in skillet and cook until chicken is brown and loosens from pan. Turn and cook on the other side. When chicken has browned on both sides cover and cook on medium low heat until chicken has cooked through.

While chicken cooks, chop avocado and mango into 1/2 inch chunks. I usually use a spoon to scoop out the flesh of the avocado and then slice it up.  For the mango, just remember there is a long, wide pit in the middle.  Cut all four sides, lengthwise and then go back and cut off any fruit you missed.  Chop onion very finely and chop cilantro. Mix ingredients in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl mix honey and lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.. Pour over mango and avocado, stir carefully so you don't mush the avocado.  All done!.

Serve chicken with baked tortilla strips and top with salsa.  I cut corn tortillas into long strips with a pizza cutter and then bake them in a 400 degree oven until crispy (10-12 minutes or so).

You will need a simple side dish to go with your super fast meal.  I made Mexican spiced couscous because couscous cooks so much faster than rice.  Here are the directions for the couscous:

Mexican Couscous

1 tbsp Butter

1/2 cup Onions

2 cloves Garlic Clove

1 cup Couscous

1/4 cup Medium Salsa

1 tbsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Ground Cumin

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Directions:

Melt butter in sauce pan. saute chopped onions and garlic for 1-2 minute (until fragrant), add spices, salsa, and 2 cups water. Bring water to a boil, add cous cous, remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes to absorb liquid

I threw in some steamed broccoli so we had something bright green on our plates.  I just use frozen broccoli florets and cook them in the microwave for about four minutes---viola veggies.  My son thinks they are called trees...he probably doesn't know what broccoli is.  That could be embarrassing when he goes to school!

Here is a 1600 calorie Healthy Meal Plan that included Cornmeal Chicken with Mango-Avocado Salsa:

Breakfast- 401 calories

3/4 cup Homemade granola

1 cup Skim milk

Snack- 185 calories

6 Dried Apricots

1 oz Pistachios

Lunch- 333 calories

3 cups Oriental Chicken Salad (An Applebee's knock-off)

Snack-160 calories

1 Apple Bran Muffin

Dinner- 549 calories

4 oz Cornmeal Chicken

1/2 cup Mexican Couscous

1 cup Broccoli

Total Calories = 1609

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