Beach Body Cleansing Green Smoothie

I'm trying this green smoothie recipe to get in shape for summer. Let me know what you think!

You will need:

1 handful of kale leaves (make sure to take the leaves off of the stem) coarsely chopped

1 apple (I used a Gala apple) chopped

2 celery stalks chopped

about 1 tsp. of finely chopped ginger

1 small cucumber chopped

Skinny Quiche Cups

The hubby and I are starting a low carb diet and one of my go-to meals is this super quick and easy mini quiche recipe. I originally found the recipe on Pinterest and it came from this site. I wanted to share the general ingredients that make up the recipe with my friends here on the blog. Make it your own by customizing with different veggie choices. Mushrooms, kale, red onions, and hot peppers could be yummy to experiment with. Enjoy!

Skinny Mini Quiche Cups

• the whites of 6 eggs
• 1/2-3/4 cup of chopped veggies...I used 3/4 cup total of chopped onion, red pepper, and green pepper
• 10 oz. frozen spinach cooked and squeezed dry
• 3/4 cup of cheese (you can use fat free, but I prefer to use a nice cheddar to get my dairy intake for the day)
• Hot Sauce (optional)...I use Frank's hot sauce and do 3 shakes
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and stir. Separate into 12 foil baking cups in a muffin tin.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and you are done! Super easy, low carb, and yummy!

Skinny Spinach Dip With Greek Yogurt

One of my favorite recipes of all time to bring to a party is the Knorr Spinach Dip recipe (found here). This recipe is so yummy but it requires a full cup of mayo and a 16 oz. container of sour cream. While browsing their website I noticed they had a recipe using Greek Yogurt but it still used a full cup of reduced fat mayo (find it here). I've altered this recipe to be more health conscious and I LOVE how it turned out. I hope you enjoy!

Skinny Spinach Dip With Greek Yogurt

You Need:

1 Package of Knorr Vegetable Recipe Mix

16 oz. of Greek Yogurt (I used Chobani)

4 TBS. Mayonnaise

3 Green Onions Chopped

Soft Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (made with pudding mix!)

These are hands down the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten in my life. I originally got the recipe from a friend of mine at work and have tweaked it to my liking and it is AMAZING. You need these...now!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

2 sticks (1 cup) of butter softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 1/4 cup flour (I use 2 1/4 C in Provo, UT but if you're really high altitude add a tad more flour)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 3.4 oz box of Jell-O instant vanilla pudding mix (just the powder mix, don't make the pudding!)
1 package or Ghiradelli or Guittard Semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350
***Tip- Make sure all ingredients are room temperature. This makes a huge difference. So don't add cold eggs or butter; if you do it will come out fine but not as amazing as if you follow this tip!

1. In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar (granulated and brown), eggs, and vanilla extract

2. In a separate medium sized bowl mix flour and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

3. Last, mix in the vanilla pudding mix and chocolate chips.

4. Make spoon fulls about a heaping tablespoon large and drop onto cookie sheet.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE! Start checking them at 10 minutes and if the edges are not brown leave in for more time. The bake time will differ depending on your oven.

Now enjoy!!! Please leave a comment and let me know if you loved them!

Mini Cheesecakes

I wanted to continue sharing some of my favorite holiday recipes on the blog. For me, an ideal holiday recipe is pretty, stress-free, and most importantly delicious! This recipe checks off on all three requirements! My Mom always made these as a part of her dessert spread for Christmas dinner.

Mom's Mini Cheesecakes

Cheesecake Mix:
3 (8 oz.) Packages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
5 Eggs
1 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 300

Mix with mixer and pour into cupcake tins with paper liners. Bake for 30-40 minutes. DO NOT ALLOW EDGES TO BROWN. Remove from oven and let stand until topping is ready.

Topping:
1 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/4 Cup Sugar
Can of Cherry/ Blueberry Pie Filling (Whichever you prefer. I usually do both)

Mix all the ingredients together. Put about a tsp. of topping on each cheesecake. Then, spoon a dot of the pie filling in the center of each cheesecake. Return to oven for 5 minutes. Let cool then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes approx. 24 mini cheesecakes

5 Cheese Mac and Cheese Recipe

As promised I wanted to share this wonderful holiday recipe that has become a tradition in my family.  This 5 Cheese Mac and Cheese is totally worth splurging on caloric intake for and it is a hit with everyone old and young! The recipe was originally found in Patti Labelle's cookbook "Recipes for the Good Life" and can be found here.

Go and make it now! This is comfort food at its finest!

OVER THE RAINBOW MACARONI AND CHEESE

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1lb Elbow Macaroni

8 Tbsp (1 stick) plus 1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Muenster Cheese

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Cup (2 ounces) Shredded Monterey Jack

2 Cups Half-And-Half

1 Cup (8 ounces) Velveeta , cut into small cubes

2 Large Eggs , lightly beaten

1/4 tsp Seasoned Salt - Buy Here

1/8 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a deep 2 1/2-quart casserole.

2. Bring the large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil, then the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni is just tender, about 7 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain well. Return to the cooking pot.

3. In a small saucepan, melt eight tablespoons of the butter. Stir into the macaroni. In a large bowl, mix the Muenster, mild and sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack cheeses. To the macaroni, add the half-and-half, 1 1/2 cups of the shredded cheese, the cubed Velveeta, and the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the buttered casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and dot with the remaining one tablespoon of butter.

4. Bake until it's bubbling around the edges, about 35 minutes. Serve hot.

Oven Roasted Chicken

This is my go-to for when a recipe calls for "X Cups of Cooked Chicken." I've used it to make casseroles, calzones, chicken salad, EVERYTHING. It is super quick and easy and results in a nice juicy chicken breast that is ready to be transformed in any type of recipe.

Only 5 Easy Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 350
2. Rub your chicken in Olive Oil. Good EVOO is necessary in any kitchen.
3. Season with coarse salt and pepper. If you want a more rotisserie style chicken then add a salt based seasoning as well such as seasoning salt or Cajun seasoning.
4. Pop it in the oven for 35-45 minutes depending on the amount you are baking and the size of the pieces. I mostly use boneless skinless and it is the fastest only taking 20-30 minutes on average. If you are using bone-in pieces it will take the full 35-45 minutes. Make sure the juices have run clear and if you're really afraid of salmonella make sure the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
5. Let stand for 5 minutes and then use as you wish!

Tried and True Recipe: Easy No Bake Banana Pudding

One of my favorite desserts for the summer is Banana Pudding. It was always a staple at our family BBQs. This recipe is incredibly simple and does not require you to turn on the oven which is perfect for the hot summer weather. Enjoy!

What You Need:

1 Package of JellO Instant Banana Pudding Mix
3 Bananas (medium sized)
30-40 Nilla Wafers
1 8 oz Tub of Cool Whip
2 1/2 cups of milk

Serves 14 1/2 cup servings (but I am positive everyone will want more than a 1/2 cup because it is just that delicious.)

Step 1: Whisk together the pudding mix and milk in a medium sized bowl for 2 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

Step 2:

Slice your 3 bananas. I sliced mine about a 1/4 inch in thickness. Set them aside for now.

Step 3: Get your serving bowl ready (needs to hold at least 2 qts). I usually like to use a trifle to serve this pudding in because it looks beautiful layered. Put a layer of half of the Nilla wafers on the bottom of your bowl. Flat side up. *I used 40 Nilla wafers. 15 on the first layer and 25 for the second. If you don't want as many wafers use 30.

Step 4: Layer half of your banana slices on top of the wafers.

Step 5: Spoon half of the pudding into the dish and spread evenly. Then repeat steps 3,4, and 5.

Step 6: All of your wafers, bananas and pudding should be used at this time. To finish the pudding top with your tub of Cool whip. Then refrigerate for at least 3 hours. I suggest 4-5 to let all the flavors really blend together.

Then you're done! I added some mint leaves and grapes as garnish. This pudding is a crowd pleaser every time I make it. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Tried and True Recipe: Skinny Poolside Dip

(View my original DesignLifeandStyle post as well as other healthy recipes and much more, here!)

I think Pinterest is an amazing place to find recipes and ideas. However, I have had quite a few unsuccesful attempts at making a Pinterest recipe. I prefer to use recipes that get good reviews on websites or that have already been tried out by my friends or family. So I wanted to share a yummy snack recipe with you! Nic and I had this while watching the Bachelor a couple weeks ago and we LOVED IT! It uses lots of veggies and low fat ingredients so I did not feel too guilty snacking on it. I will for sure be making this in the summer when I am actually poolside! Try it out yourself!

Skinny Poolside Dip

1 red pepper, 2 jalapenos (unseeded), 1 can of corn, 1/2 can diced olives, 16 oz fat-free cream cheese (softened), and 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dip seasoning mix. Mix ingredients together. Serve with crackers or raw veggies.

Getting your beach bod ready for summer? Check out my Skinny Spinach Dip Recipe made with Greek Yogurt!  ...and don't forget to check out my more fashion oriented blog Design, Life, & Style!