Essential Oils and Food

Some people may not know you can cook with doTERRA Essential Oils.  You can!  I wouldn't cook with any other brand though. doTERRA oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG) oils.  Plus you should only consume the ones that have a Nutritional Supplement on the bottle.  

Today I planned a class to teach others about the benefits of doTERRA Essential Oils and when I do that, I always have snacks.  One of the snacks I made was hummus with lemon and rosemary essential oil added.  It is delicious!  If you've never tried it, you should.  Another reason to try it is because it's SIMPLE and will be great snack for the hot summer that is coming.  All you need is a container of plain hummus, 1 drop of rosemary and 1 drop of lemon essential oil.  Place hummus in a bowl that is not plastic.  Mix well and serve with the chips of your choice, celery, or carrots. 

 If you'd like to learn more about essential oils, please contact me.  I love educating people on the benefits of essential oils!

Baby Food Part 2

This is a continuation from the "Baby Food" post.

Not only was yesterday a baby shower, it was a reunion of Meadowcreek friends.  Many of our Meadowcreek Elementary friends have moved on to other opportunities, but we still love to get together.  It is always a joy to spend time together.  If my Meadowcreek friends are reading this, know that I miss you all and look forward to our future gatherings.

As with most gatherings, there is plenty of food.  In addition to the Garden Pasta Salad I just posted, I brought a Spinach Artichoke Dip.  It was really good and I hope you like this recipe as much as I do.

      Spinach Artichoke Dip

• 12 oz can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
• 12 oz frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed out)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 1/2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese

Mix everything saving about 1/2 cup Monterrey cheese. Spread in 1 qt baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 – 20 min.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Baby Food :)

Yesterday, I helped with a baby shower for a friend I worked with for a number of years.  She waited until she found the perfect man for her  and the same for him.  They are a perfect match!  They have been married for a couple of years and now are they are going to receive the blessing of a child.  I am so happy for the two of them.  They are going to make great parents.  Several people came together to create this special occasion and here is the recipe for the pasta salad I took.  I'll post the recipe for the spinach artichoke dip after this one.

Garden Pasta Salad

12 ounces tri-color pasta (cook according to package directions)

·       1 can black olives (drained and quartered)

·       1 large cucumber, diced

·       1 pint grape tomatoes (washed and halved)

·       16 ounces fresh mozzarella

·       2 cups  Italian dressing

      Cook pasta according to package.  Drain.  Add olives, cucumber, tomatoes.  Mix well.  Let cool.  Add cheese and dressing.  Refrigerate overnight.  Stir and serve.  

      

      * You can also add broccoli to the mix if you'd like.  

Yoda-La-He-Oh

 When I was a kid, my mom would make something called Swiss Steak.  I don't think this recipe comes from Switzerland so I don't know why it's called SWISS steak.  What I do know is that it doesn't take long to make and it's good.  That's what I needed tonight.  I stayed up late last night watching a football game and I've been tired today.  Thank goodness for quick and easy recipes.  This one will make you want to yodel.  :)

Swiss Steak

4 piece of cube steak

plain flour (gluten free flour works too)

salt and pepper to taste

1 can of tomato soup

1 small onion, chopped

2 ribs of celery, chopped

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag and mix.  Place the cube steak in the bag and shake to coat.  Put a little oil in a frying pan and brown each side of the cube steak.  Cover the steak with onions, celery, and tomato soup.  Make sure some of the soup gets under the meat.  If too thick, add a little water.  Simmer for about 10 minutes until done.

Winner, Winner, Meatloaf Dinner!

New Year's Day I sat down and wrote out a month of dinner ideas.  I love when I take the time to do this because I don't have to think about what I'm going to have for dinner and I can plan what I need to get at the grocery store.  I can also make sure I have pulled the meat out of the freezer I'll need for dinner before I go to work.  It's one less thing I have to think about when I come home tired.  Tonight's dinner was a recipe I've had for a while, but I had forgotten about it.  It turned out great, not dry at all, hubby really liked it, and there's enough for leftovers!!  WINNER, WINNER, MEATLOAF DINNER!

 

Meatloaf Vegetable Muffin

1 lb. ground beef (extra lean) or ground turkey
1/2 c. oatmeal (uncooked)
1 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
1/2 c. chopped carrot
2 Tb. minced garlic
7 chopped fresh mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
½ c. egg beaters

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Chop vegetables. Saute all the vegetables and garlic in a lightly oiled pan (olive oil) until done, but not mushy. Cool vegetables.
Combine meat, oatmeal (you can use gluten free), cooled cooked vegetables, chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper, and egg whites.
Spoon the meat mixture into a muffin tin sprayed w/ vegetable spray. Top each muffin w/ 1 T. catsup, if desired. Bake for 30 minutes.  Make 12 equal size muffins.