Taco Dip for Chips

Tortilla chips are loaded with carbohydrates and fiber. A combination that can give you extra energy to get through the day. They also offer dietary fiber which can help reduce cholesterol in your diet and may reduce risk of heart disease. Packed with essential minerals such as magnesium and phosphorus. Great source of fiber as well. 

                                                 

Taco Dip

8 ounces cream cheese, softened*

1 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)

¾ cup salsa

2 teaspoons each cumin and chili powder

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper

1 cup Mexican blend cheese

1 cup chopped iceberg lettuce

1 tomato, chopped

¼ cup sliced black olives

Optional toppings: minced red onion, chopped cilantro, pickled jalapeños

In a large bowl, whisk the softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, salsa and spices until it’s fully smooth. The mixture will start out chunky, but keep whisking until the cream cheese is fully smooth. (It takes a few minutes, so be patient!)

Place the cheese mixture in the bottom of a circular glass pie plate or other circular dish. Smooth into an even layer.

Top with the cheese, chopped lettuce, chopped tomato, black olives, and other optional toppings. Serve immediately with tortilla chips, or refrigerate until serving. (Leftovers last up to 3 days refrigerated.)

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Take your dog for a walk

The one thing that most of us and our 4 legged family member the dog can do together and make you both feel better.  It offers you both to get out and exercise and enjoy fresh air. Walking your dog may or should be a bit more exciting than walking alone. You may even enjoy it so much that it does not seem like exercise but something that you look forward to. In fact the dog may look forward to getting out and spending time with you as well. However, getting the walks to turn into routine will take a bit of work and in this post I would like to share with you a few different tips and tricks for taking your dog on a walk. 

The walks with your dog should benefit both yours and the dogs health. First of all walking will help with your weight control and it will also help control your dogs weight. Before the first walk you will want to find the right collar and leash. Choose so that it is not too tight or too loose for the dog either one of those could hurt the pet. Start on short walks that take 15 to 20 minutes to start this will help the dog get used to taking regular walks. 

Dogs that are simply left at home often can easily get bored leading to destructive patterns. Allowing your dog to go on walks with you gives them something to look forward to and gets them out to see, feel and hear nature. You will want to use firm directions on the walk to let the dog know where to go and what he can and can not do. Heres to taking a walk with your dog may you both enjoy it. 

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Sweet Potato and recipe

 Sweet Potatoes may surprise you as large, starchy, sweet tasting potato part of the morning glory family and often used to make french fries, potato chips as well as casseroles and other dishes. 

sweet potatoes grow underground like other potatoes and store water, energy, starch and carbs. Sweet potatoes are known as tuber plants and work like carrots, beets, parsnips and turnips. The sweet potato plant is native to central and south America. Some may think that sweet Potatoe is another word for yam. This is a totally wrong statement as yams and sweet potatoes are not even related. Yams are related to grasses and lilies native to Africa and Asia and as they grow develop rough dark bark like skin. In addition, some yams com in a variety of colors. However, sweet potatoes develop smooth skins. 

The recipe we are using to salute sweet potatoes is

                                                                    Sweet Potato Balls

1 lb sweet potatoes
½ cup glutinous rice flour
¾ to 1 cup white rice flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Place in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes until soft. Transfer to a large bowl and mash with a potato masher.
Add glutinous rice flour, white rice flour, granulated sugar, and baking powder to the mashed sweet potatoes. Mix with a spatula until a soft dough forms. If dough is still a little wet, mix in some additional white rice flour. Dough should be soft but not sticky.
Pinch a little dough from the bowl and roll between palms to form a 1-inch diameter ball. Repeat until all dough is used up.
Fill a medium sized saucepan with 1 inch vegetable oil over medium low heat. Gently drop a few sweet potato balls into the hot oil. Fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden brown. Sweet potato balls should float when cooked. Remove with tongs and drain on a metal strainer. Repeat until all sweet potato balls are cooked.
Serve immediately.

recipe resource here

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All About Grapefruits

Texas grapefruits were always in our house during part of the year. I had an uncle Bill who would travel to the state of Texas to visit and bring back large sacks of oranges and grapefruits. We had both yellow and pink grapefruits and boy were they tasty. February is national grapefruit month the purpose is to remind individuals to eat and enjoy citrus fruit because they are not only tasty but they offer great nutrients as well. 

Did you know that grapefruits were not always plants that grew wild in the United States?? Barbados was the first place in the 1700s that the grapefruit was found. It was a mix of the pomelo fruit and sweet orange. The grapefruit plant  would travel through the west Indies before making it to the United States in 1800s. 

There are parts of California and Texas that are warm enough to have a year-round season for growing grapefruit. There are parts of Florida and Arizona that also grow grapefruit with shorter seasons. In addition, other warm parts of the world grow grapefruit as well. Since they are growing in so many places it makes it even easier to find a grapefruit to eat. 

Grapefruits help build up a faster metabolism and lowers cholesterol

Helps flush out toxins and leads to better skin. 

There is 73% of needed daily vitamin C in just 1/2 of a grapefruit. 

You should try to have a healthy nutritious grapefruit for part of your breakfast, a snack or serve one up as dessert. Grapefruits are perfect for sharing with their large size they are easy to half then separate the sections with a fork or spoon. In fact, there is a grapefruit spoon designed to enjoy and make eating grapefruits easier. 

Enjoy a healthy and nutritious grapefruit as part of a breakfast meal, for a snack or even as dessert. And, many times, grapefruits are so large that they can be shared with a family member, roommate or some other friend! Cut the grapefruit in half to eat it and enjoy it by separating the sections with a fork or spoon. Some people even appreciate having a special spoon with jagged edges that can be used just for eating this fruit.

When I eat grapefruit, I sprinkle sugar on top to combat against the sour flavor some grapefruits have. Other people though use salt instead of sugar. 

Did You Know:

The individual that came up the name of this fruit was a Jamaican farmer. He offered the name grapefruit as the pieces of fruit grew like a cluster of grapes. Clusters of grapefruits can have as many of 25 pieces of fruit. 

  

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welcome home birds

 Have you seen them yet?? You know are friends with feathers that travel south for winter. Yes our bird friends will be back soon if they have not arrived all ready. This winter was not as cold as some we have had in the past but hopefully spring weather is coming and to me the birds are part of the spring community. February is the time of year when the birds often start arriving back to their homes after their long journey. Our goal should be to welcome them home with food and water as we will be ready to listen to their lovely voices. In fact, National bird feeding month was established in 1994 

While not everyone feeds the birds through a feeder it is clear that some do. In addition, you may want to feed those pesky squirrels as well. 

Wide-mouth Mason jar and band

Crafting wire (or strong ribbon)
Spoon with a fairly flat handle
Secure the band on the jar
With the Mason jar upright, hold the spoon against it. The spoon’s handle should be pressed against the side, and its bowl should be up above the top of the jar. This will create a little ledge for the squirrels to stand on
Wrap wire around the jar and spoon handle to secure them together
Find a fence or tree for your feeder. Use more wire to attach it and hold it in place

Squirrel FoodSquirrels love walnuts, hickory nuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds and peanuts with the shells on. Make sure you only give them raw, unsalted varieties.

Tip: Make sure you place your feeder where you can see it from a window. Watching the squirrels — and other animals — stop in and feast will be so much fun for the whole family. Meanwhile, your birds will be enjoying their own yummy treats!

Earlier in the month individuals were watching for doves and cupids when love was in the air but there are more feathered friends coming in the shape of wild birds. A mixture of one part of vinegar and nine parts water is a good solution to clean out the bird feeders. Bird baths are great for the birds to get water for drinking and bathing. In addition, bird baths will help birds maintain their healthy feathers to help them in flight. 

While you are getting ready for the birds to come why not make up some easy feeders that the entire family can help with. 

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click the link above for directions 

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Hot Breakfast Recipe

 

Breakfast is the first thing in the morning and several people believe that it is the most important meal of the day. Some may consider cereal a delicious meal that hits the spot or perhaps it is a bagel with cream cheese. A protein bar on the run is what some may consider breakfast as well. However, are those breakfasts good enough?? Let me ask you have you ever took the time to enjoy a hot breakfast. 

Breakfast is often said to be the most important meal of the day, and that’s why so many of us make a point of getting up in the morning and pouring ourselves a bowl of our favorite cereal. If not cereal, than a cold bagel smeared with cream cheese, and if we’re in a particular hurry, then we’ll have a protein bar or one of the many breakfast bars on the market to see us through the day.

National Hot Breakfast Month encourages us to break this cycle of coldness and start the day off HOT! Here is a great recipe that will fill you up but not take a lot of time to make. 

1/2 pound bulk lean turkey breakfast sausage

3 large eggs

4 large egg whites

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups chopped fresh spinach

tap here

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon pepper

6 whole wheat tortillas (8 inches), warmed

Salsa, optional

In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles, 4-6 minutes. Remove from pan.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and egg whites until blended. In same pan, add eggs; cook and stir over medium heat until eggs are thickened and no liquid egg remains. Remove from pan; wipe skillet clean if necessary.

In skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spinach, tomatoes and garlic; cook and stir until spinach is wilted, 2-3 minutes. Stir in sausage and eggs; heat through. Sprinkle with pepper.

To serve, spoon 2/3 cup filling across center each tortilla. Fold bottom and sides of tortilla over filling and roll up. If desired, serve with salsa.

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Quick and easy Cherry Twinkie Dessert

 

Cherry Twinkie Dessert 

 Because of time restraints I love to find easy to make desserts that the whole gang will love. Yes, I love desserts that take more time, but these easy ones are the ones that the kids can get in the kitchen with me to bake and we still have enough time to enjoy each other's company and go anywhere we need to be. 

 

• 14 Hostess Twinkies 
• 2 pkgs of cherry gelatin
• 2 cups hot water
• 2 pkgs instant vanilla pudding
• 1 cup cold milk
• 1 container of whipped topping
• 1 jar maraschino cherries

• Place 14 Twinkie in a 9x 13 pan.
• Dissolve the cherry gelatin in the hot water and pour evenly over the Twinkies.
• Sprinkle on some chopped cherries.
• Mix the milk with the pudding.
• The mixture will be thick.
• Carefully spread pudding over the Twinkies.
• Spread the whipped topping over the pudding.
• Garnish with more chopped cherries. Chill overnight then cut into pieces.

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Freezer Mini Meatloaves

 

This recipe is freezer friendly as you can make it and freeze or eat it right away. Compact in size to give you that great little bite that we all deserve. 

FREEZER MINI MEATLOAVES

3 lb hamburger

2 stuffing mixes

2 c water

2 t Italian seasoning

1 c pasta sauce

1 c mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix the first 3 ingredients with seasoning. Press into 24 muffin cups. In each cup make a small well place sauce into the wells. Bake 30 minutes or til done. Top with the cheese and bake 5 more minutes Cool.

Flash Freeze individually on cookie sheet til firm and then you can transfer them to a large baggies.

To serve: warm in microwave or oven

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Happy Presidents Day

 Our founding fathers were not proud individuals who wanted to be saluted or recognized in a special way. Yet the people of the United States normally overruled.  So to recognize all presidents that have served our country a special day known as Presidents Day was created.  Many have taken the day and broadened it into a sales bonanza of sorts. Thus taking all the history the holiday was to stand for away for some. 

Washington paid little attention to his birthday. His diary shows no visitors or special day occurrence rather. it showed Washington hard at work as he normally was.  Martha may have a few of the younger generation like nieces and nephews in to share care but that was normally it. However, Washingtons peers in government would celebrate his birthday. 

In 1832 Congress made up a committee that would plan a national parade and festival to celebrate. It was not until 1879 that the date was made into a legal holiday for federal employees to benefit. 

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National Chocolate Mint Day with recipe

 February 19th is known by some as chocolate mint day. The US National Confectioner's Association started this special day being chocolate mint day. Mint has always been valued by different people societies for different reasons. The ancient Greek and Romans valued mint due to its ability to aid in digestion and freshen the breath. The Mayan and Aztec societies loved all things chocolate. The normal way to get chocolate in the beginning was in a drink. It was in these chocolate drinks that individuals would add mint, cinnamon, and other flavored spices. However, it was not until sugar was added to the chocolaty drink that mint became the desired add in. 

In the mid 1800s chocolate mints were commonly advertised to the public. In the 1900s these mint-like candies were served in tea houses and dining rooms to help with good breath and digestion. The york Peppermint Patty candy would come along in the 1940s. The craving for chocolate mints has not slowed but continues to grow. You can find them in movie theater candy bars. Mint chocolate chip can be found in the ice cream shops. Spend a night in a hotel and you may find chocolate mint candies left out for you. In addition, one of the best Girl Scout Cookies is known as thin mint cookies. 

buttery crackers, 1 sleeve (like ritz)

chocolate chips, 1 bag

coconut oil, 1 Tbsp

peppermint extract, 1/2 tsp

sprinkles

1. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper or a silicone lining.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave the chocolate chips and oil in 30-second increments at half power, until melted. Stir between increments.
3. Stir in the peppermint extract.
4. Carefully dip a cracker in the chocolate, coating both sides.
5. Remove with a fork and let the extra chocolate drip off.
6. Place on wax paper.
7. Add the desired sprinkles.
8. Refrigerate for a few minutes until the chocolate is hard.

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