SoyNut Butter Frosting -Peanut Free for Allergies

When I discovered my son had a peanut allergy last month, I was horrified! I just kept thinking about all the foods my family and I eat which contain nuts!

Since then, I've been reading ingredients like a mad woman. I'm quickly learning what foods are off limits, and what foods are to be eaten during his nap time, and very carefully! I was mostly concerned about peanut butter. It's a staple in our house! It's the item in which my son was taken to the ER after a serious reaction.

Peanut butter is no longer welcome in our house, as we've moved onto SoyNut Butter by I.M. Healthy to protect our son, Kaleb. I'm quite impressed with it to be honest. I highly recommend it for any and all families with children under 3.

For his 1st birthday, I planned a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting! It was quickly tossed out the window, until I found our SoyNut substitute. I took a simple peanut butter frosting I had and just substituted the SoyNut butter. Guests at the party were quite impressed with it's "taste just like peanut butter" comments. Some didn't even know it's wasn't peanut butter!

*This photo from the party was taken by a good friend. She did an amazing job!

Uncle Charlie's Pico De Gallo

A recipe you will LOvE! Trust me. Once you try it, I must hear all about how fabulous it is!

Years ago my husband Charlie and I were visiting his family in Spokane, Washington. His uncle Charlie was raving about this amazing pico de gallo recipe he had. He had me at pico, it's a LOvE of mine!

I was completely baffled and confused when I was handed a chip with this slaw looking mess on top - if my nose didn't crinkle visibly, I sure was cringing on the inside! I have "personal issues in my head" about food. If it doesn't look or smell amazing, my brain jumps immediatly with "Ewww, No!" "Gross!". Over the years I'm beginning to overcome this - thanks to a push shove from the Mr. Well, it was one bite which sold me. I was completely in love with the mix of flavors and textures!

So here I am to share this recipe with you. But, before you crinkle your nose and Ewww me - you've got to give it a shot! As we were told by the "real Charlie", it's amazing on hamburgers and hot dogs. No joking - Hello, FABULOUS!

-Uncle Charlie's Pico De Gallo recipe.

Pico de Gallo

This is the pico de Gallo I use to top my Healthified Crispy-Coated Chicken dish, as well as munch on with chips! Simple pico de gallo never lasts long in this house...

-Pico de Gallo recipe.

Italian Pasta Salad

It's simple and easy, and works with ANY summer dish! I could just sit and snack on pasta salad all day if you let me...

-Italian Pasta Salad recipe.

Healthified Crispy-Coated Chicken

Tonight's dinner was fabulous - again! When I first saw this dish, I fell in love and had to make it right away. The photo presentation alone had me sold. This is the second time I've made it, and it was awesome. I think the first time I made it with oven fries, and some other vegetable. Tonight, I made a side of Italian pasta salad -yum! (See Pico de Gallo post for topping recipe)

Now doesn't this just look amazing?


-Healthified Crispy-Coated Chicken recipe.

Taco Pasta Toss

Now doesn't that look good?? I'm all about tacos and all things taco related! I found this recipe over at KitchenMonki, and it's also a Rachel Ray recipe - cool! Since I'm all about turkey these days, I substituted ground beef for ground turkey. I don't know why the Mr. and I didn't start doing this years ago...it still taste fabulous! It's actually a pretty easy recipe to make, I love the simplicity of some meals. Also, as you notice two beers, I'm sure your thinking...one for him, one for her? Well, nope! Those were for me tonight...poor guy, he's working the night shift this week, so he missed out on this fabulous taco pasta. But, I'm sure he'll enjoy it for lunch tomorrow!

-Taco Pasta Toss recipe.

Annie's Rice Casserole

When someone talks about comfort food, this is one of the few dishes that come to mind - for me personally. I've been making this dish for about 10 years and it never gets old.

Once upon a time, I couldn't cook to save my life! But this, this I could make. It was the extent of my cooking for years... I had one masterpiece, and it was a casserole. I can remember the many years my poor husband would come home from work - we would sit on the couch, and I'd ask, "what do you want for dinner?" I would take out a meat of some sort, and he would make dinner. Yes...no joke, for years this went on. But, as long as he was cooking, we were eating something other than burnt food, or something out of a box! I'm so thankful I learned how to cook...because ever since, my wonderful husband knows what it's like to walk in the door and smell food cooking - good food at that! (I love you Mr. Jenkins) - He reads a blog every so often, so I'd like to sneak that in, since I'm talking about him and all...

This casserole came about when I was living with an ex in Texas...back in 1999 or so. His sister would throw casseroles together - maybe it's because we were poor and this was a simple, cheap meal? All I know is over the years it's a dish I've introduced to many people - referred to as "Annie's Casserole".

Over the years I've changed up the sausage. At first, I used the regular smoked sausage, then, when this recipe was written, we discovered the lite version, but now... we use the turkey version! Yumm...it's still has excellent flavor and it's much healthier! (Why do I sound like I'm selling something? Calling all Kathy Targets! - Sorry, inside joke for some of those reading.)


-Annie's Rice Casserole recipe.

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

This dish seems too simple to be true, but really...it's freakin' fabulous! Thanks to my friend Janet for joining me on KitchenMonki, I got this recipe from her. When I first saw this recipe I thought the name alone sounded really good, but once I read the ingredients it threw me for a loop. I was thinking....it's going to be so bland, it's too simple! This was a last minute dinner idea since tonight's dinner was going to be Cashew Chicken - but...something drew me to this, plus I had the ingredients on hand. I didn't have a can of Diced Tomatoes with Basil and Onion, so I substituted that with a regular can of diced tomatoes, and added dried onions and basil.
    
This is one recipe I will keep on hand for those night I need dinner together quickly! So thanks Janet, we really enjoyed this dish!

-Bruschetta Chicken Bake recipe here.

"Healthified" Pumpkin Bread

If there's one bread I love more than anything....it's pumpkin bread! Growing up, my Grandma Joan always made the best pumpkin bread around the holidays. It's something you would look forward too! It didn't ever last long though...between Grandma, Grandpa, Dad and I - it seemed to disappear quickly.
Now, I'm not one to eat the normal portion size either! So when I realized just how much fat and calories I was putting in as I devoured half a loaf....it kind of made me sick! So when I stumbled on this amazing healthified recipe, I fell in love... The only thing that bothered me was, is it really going to taste good?? Well, I assure you - it's freakin' awesome! A must try if your a pumpkin bread fan, heck - a must try for everyone!! So go check out the recipe at KitchenMonki, and be sure to let me know how it goes.

Nutritional Information - 1 Slice: Calories 190 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 0g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 240mg; Total Carbohydrate 32g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 18g); Protein 3g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 60%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Amanda's Cheesy Eggplant Lasagna

My first experience with eggplant! I've always seen them in the stores, but never imagined buying one and cooking it myself! Usually whenever Cass is with me grocery shopping - if she sees the eggplants she'll always ask to buy one. I figured it was high time to give and and find a recipe using eggplant. I had fun with these, they are so beautiful I couldn't resist a photo before I peeled this babies!  

While I was searching the Jennie-O turkey recipe site, I found this Lasagna recipe. Which you can find over at KitchenMonki. It started off as a pretty gloomy day, then somewhere in the middle of the afternoon the sun peeked out and hung around all evening! Notice the sun glaring in my photo... 

Now I'm fairly impressed with this eggplant lasagna. I was a bit concerned when I noticed they took place of the pasta, but heck...those are just added carbs you don't need anyway! I'm now in search of a new eggplant recipe for next time I buy them! If you have any, your welcome to send them my way.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

This is one of my favorite dinners!  I just love stuffed peppers.....I'm drooling just thinking about how good they were.  In the past, I've always made this recipe with ground beef, and used tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes.  After looking around at different stuffed pepper recipes, I found making just a couple changes made my recipe much better.  I've made them so many times, I know not to make them unless I have the Worcestershire Sauce. For me, it's what makes the recipe!

So here are my stuffed peppers, and you can find the recipe at Kitchen Monki.  Another recent love of mine!!  If I could just get more hours in a day, I could sit down in log in all of my recipes.  One day...one day I'll find the time.  For now, just one at a time.  What I love so much about this site is there's a meal planner as well as an awesome queue where you can place meals your planning to make and make shopping lists!