Strawberry Mango Salsa

Best dessert ever. I made this the other night, and we ate it so quick, I couldn't believe how fast all the chips were gone! And it's the easiest thing ever!

Strawberry Mango Salsa

1 mango, finely diced

8-10 strawberries, finely diced

1 tsp. vanilla extract

couple shakes of basil

one shake cinnamon

Mix well, chill in fridge for a about an hour. Serve with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips:

Cinnamon Tortilla Chips:

3-4 flour torillas

Pam light cooking spray

Cinnamon sprinkle

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Stack the torillas on top of each other, cut with pizza cutter into 8 triangles. Arrange each chip onto the coated sheet, and spray the tops of totillas with Pam as well. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 10-15 minutes until they feel crisp and start to brown.

Banana Oat Breakfast Cookie

Ty and I threw these cookies together the other day and not only were they easy, but they were delicious and nutricious as well! I got the recipe out of a Healthy Living magazine, and the nutritional information was included. I have included them here as well just to prove that these just might be the most healthy cookies you have ever eaten - and liked!

Per cookie: 227 calories, 6 g total fat (1 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol, 77 mg sodium, 37 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 6 g protein

Ingredients:

1 large banana, mashed (1/2 cup)

1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter (unsalted and unsweetened) or regular chunky peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 cup dried cranberries or rasins (I think chocolate chips would also be good in this recipe!)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. In a large bowl, stir together banana, peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. In a small bowl, combine oats, flour, milk powder, cinnamon, and baking soda. Stir the oat mixture into the banana mixture until combined. Stir in dried cranberries.

2. Using a 1/4 cup measuing cup, or a ice cream scoop, drop mounds of dough 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten and spread each mound of dough to a 2 3/4-inch round, about 1/2 inch thick.

3. Bake 14 to 16 minutes until browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months; thaw before serving.

{ Salted Pumpkin Seeds }

We like to make this yummy snack after carving our pumpkins. Soaking the seeds overnight in the salt water really makes the difference. I just adjust the recipe according how many pumpkin seeds we dig out!

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1/2 cup salt
2 cups pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Combine water and salt in saucepan. Cook and stir until salt dissolves; cool. Add pumpkin seeds and soak overnight. Drain thoroughly. Pat seeds dry with paper towel.
Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 300 F until seeds are dry, about 1 hour.

{ Banana Bread }

I love making banana bread in the fall. I know everyone probably has their own recipe, but this recipe is simple and oh so yummy! I just started adding the flax seed and you can't even tell it's in there! Enjoy!

2 C sugar
4 beaten eggs
1 C butter, softened
6 mashed bananas
1/2 C milk
4 C flour
4 T flax mill (optional)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Bake at 350 for 50 - 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. This makes 2 large loafs and then the rest I usually make into mini muffins for the kids. If you do the mini muffins, bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes.

{ FRUIT & VEGGIE SHAKE }

I have started drinking these almost every day to help get all my fruits and veggies in. They are so yummy and my kids even love them!

2 c ice
1 c juice ( I like to use Naked's Mighty Mango )
1 banana
1 pear
1 apple
2 or 3 giant handfuls of spinach

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor and enjoy!
* You can really use any combo of fruit that you like . . . as long as you have more fruit than veggies, you can only taste the fruit! Also, if you freeze the banana first, it makes the texture more like a smoothie.