Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Ok so I love Shepherds Pie, even more so I love this rich Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie even more. I have to say it is one of my most like comfort foods ... EVER !
The addition of sweet potatoes just makes this dish for me, just a hint of natural sweetness brings this dish to a whole new dimension !

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

Meat Mixture :
1 lbs ground beef
1 onion diced
3 garlic cloves
1 package dry onion soup mix
3 cups water
3 cups frozen mixed veggies

Stuffing :
4 cups cubed dry bread
1 onion diced
1 tsp salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika
1/4 melted butter

Topping :
6 cups cubed sweet potatoes
1/2 mayo
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp salt and pepper

First start by boiling sweet potatoes till tender.
Meanwhile, saute up beef and onion in skillet till cooked and tender, add Lipton soup package, garlic cloves and 3 cups water, begin to simmer meat and onions mixture in soup mix till nicely reduced and it has formed a juicy gravy, remember to stir often
Mix cubed bread with diced onions, add melted butter making sure to coat all bread add seasonings until all mixed thoroughly, set aside.
Mash cooked sweet potatoes with mayo, sugar and salt and pepper, with electric mixer until all combined and lumps are gone.
Add frozen veggie to meat mix and pour into bottom of casserole dish, layer with stuffing evenly then top with Sweet potato mash.

Bake at 375 for 20 mins.


* Serve with cranberry sauce, gravy or as is !



Stuffing On top of meat mixture

Meat mixture with juicy gravy and veggies



Love Sierra

Fish cakes

I love salmon and tuna cakes.  I think they are a perfect little snack !
I like eating them as is with tar tar sauce, in a wrap with lettuce and mixed veggies, on the side with rice, or for a special treat we eat them as burgers for a wonderful little fish burger ! So tasty !





Fish cakes

2 tins tuna ( or Salmon ) drained
1 green onion chopped
1/2 dry bread crumbs
2 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp relish
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients, and form into about 8 cakes or so, i usually try to go for 8 nice sized fish cakes.
Heat skillet with a little oil and fry  4- 5 mins on medium heat then flip and continue cooking for another 4 - 5 mins till done and crispy. Serve with tartar sauce or any way you like them !


Tar Tar Sauce

1/3 cup mayo
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp relish
dash of hot sauce

mix everything up till all combined !




* Try serving them with a side salad, or in a wrap with lettuce and veggies, as a burger with you best toppings or with rice.




Love Sierra

My Little Taste Of Greece

Lately I have been travelling around the country via my kitchen ! I asked my Husband where He wanted to go this week and he said Greece.. no sooner than He said Greece was I off and running looking for some lemons, garlic, olive oil and Oregano... Basically staples in the Greek kitchen.
There are so many lovely dishes from Greece, these are just 4 I decided to try. I hope you like them.







 Spanikopita

1 onion diced
4 cloves garlic
1 large bunch of fresh spinach ( or frozen )
lemon zest from 1 lemon
1 egg
2/3 cup goat milk feta cheese
1 tbsp fresh chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
Phyllo dough
melted butter

Sauteed Onions, garlic, spinach

First start by thawing out your phyllo dough in the package it comes in till it reaches room temperature.
Saute onion till soft, add garlic, salt and pepper. Add spinach toss around till onions and garlic are mixed with wilted spinach, cook 2 mins, add lemon zest and dill, let cool slightly.
Meanwhile prepare your phyllo dough, lay sheets out on flat surface, cover with a damp cloth as phyllo will dry out very quickly. Melt butter and set aside.
Once Spinach mixture has cooled slightly add egg, dill and feta, stir till all combined.
Start by laying one sheet of phyllo and crushing entire sheet with melted butter, add another sheet directly on top and repeat butter process, do this step until you have 5 layers of phyllo brushed with butter. Do This twice, so now you will have 2 sets of 5 layers of phyllo brushed with butter.  Evenly distribute the spinach mix at the end of both sheets leaving room at the edges for folding.  Fold sides over spinach mix to seal them up, then roll your pastry tightly to form a log. slice half way through in 2 inch intervals to make it easier for cutting once baked, use left over butter and brush logs with butter. Bake at 375* for 15 - mins or until tops are golden brown and crispy.

Yellow Rice

2 cups parboiled or basmati rice

4 cups water

4 tbsp vegetable soup base

1 tbsp turmeric

1 cup diced mushrooms

1 red pepper diced

1 onion diced

1 carrot grated

3 garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 375*

Saute onions, carrots, peppers, mushrooms till tender, add salt and oregano, turmeric and garlic, saute 2 more mins. Add to large casserole dish, add 2 cups rice and 4 cups water and vegetable base, stir till all combined.  Cover with lid or tinfoil, bake 30 mins, then stir at 30 min. point and remove lid, cook remaining 15 - 20 mins. until rice is done and fluffy.

Lemon Roasted Chicken

4 lemons

1 roaster chicken

6 garlic cloves

1 small onion

1 small bunch of parsley

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Chop onions, garlic, mix with salt and pepper juice of 2 lemons and 3 tbsp olive oil.

Rub all over chicken generously. Stuff chicken with remaining lemon wedges and parsley.

Bake at 375* for 45 - 60 mins until chicken is done and brown yummy and crispy !

Cucumber Tomato and Feta Salad

1 small cucumber peeled and cubed

3 plum tomatoes cubed

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/2 cup diced red pepper

1/2 cup diced yellow pepper

1 cup crumbled goats milk feta

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together until all is coated in lemon juice, finish off with some fresh parsley or dried oregano

I hope you enjoyed these recipes and decide to try these fro your families one day !

Love Sierra

20 Minuite Jam

Ok so I love Jam, but I do not love Jam from stores, never really have. I find it WAY too sweet, and some have WAY too many preservatives in it, and not to mention things that just don't need to be there; i.e food colors.  Personally I love the look of REAL natural Jam, especially a fruit blend Jam, every batch is a different color, its refreshing and satisfying seeing the "fruits" ( tee hee ) of your labor come out the way they were intended.
Did you know that you do not need to use artificial pectin, that a simple granny smith apple or really apple for that matter will do. Adding one apple to your jam batch will give you enough NATURAL pectin to set up your batch of jam.  This is why I love making homemade Jam and preserves. Its so simple and super tasty. Adding apple gives you alot of base flavor, ever wonder why sometimes jam is heavy tasting, way too sweet, or too sticky, its because, there is like 4 .. really 4 - 6 cups of sugar in a  regular batch of Jam, that blows my mind ! The sugar is needed to activate the synthetic pectin, ... so `They`say but you see when you remove the artificial pectin, and add a apple or two you are not only reducing the sugar dramatically you are enhancing your Jams flavor, quality, nutritional value and making a lighter tasting Jam. Apples in Jam do a world of wonder !
I never make huge batches cause this style is so easy, I simply make enough for a month or so, usually never lasts that long, we end up eating it on bread, buns, oatmeal, pancakes, muffins, ice cream and anything else we can find ( tee hee ) .
Oh and I think I should mention, that heavy tasting Jam comes from not having a balance in it, every thing sweet needs a bit of zing to balance it out, add some lemon, lime, or orange zest to your Jams to brighten the flavor, you will be surprised at what a tablespoon or two can do to  your jam... Just try it ... Trust me :)


Apple Strawberry Peach Jam

3 cups cut up washed strawberries
2 apples diced washed and peeled
3 - 4 peaches diced washed and peeled ( depending on size )
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
zest from 2 oranges

Combine everything in a large stock pot, and bring to a boil, once boiled, simmer for 20 mins, stirring occasionally.
If you like a chunky jam leave it as is, if you like a less chunky jam, while your jam is simmering take a potato masher and mash the fruit every so often to break it up, most of the fruit does that naturally through the cooking process, but you can mash it to your liking.
Once Jam has reduced, and the majority of the liquid has evaporated, or jam has come to your desired texture, take off heat and allow to cool.
Store in glass jar or Tupperware, lasts for 1 - 2 months.. if you can keep it around that long :)

Diced up fruit ... Yum !

Simmering fruit, I used a masher to get a semi chunky Jam

Jam on toast ... Yum again !

You can try this with any fruit you want, Jam no longer has to be intimidating, or time consuming.. Take 20 mins. out of your day, diced up whatever fruit you have on hand, add a big or citrus zest sugar and water and get r done !  I promise you will be shocked and possibly a little addicted to a healthier yummier easier hand made Jam !





Love Sierra



The Perfect Oatmeal Cookie !

Ok so I love oatmeal, I love all things oatmeal ! 
I especially love Oatmeal cookies, these are my Oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies !
This is a wonderful recipe, its soft, chewy, tender flattens out like a lace cookie, its just perfect ! 
You can adapt it to use what you havee on hand, thats why i like it so much, you can add raisins, walnuts, pecans, really anything you want.





Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Mix together your butter and sugars until creamed, add eggs and vanilla till combined, stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts.  Stir in flour baking soda, salts and oats until all mixed thoroughly.  Drop by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet or parchment paper lined baking tray, bake for 13 mins at 325* after done let sit on tray for 2 mins before moving to cooling rack.

Variations

• Try adding 1 cup of chopped trail mix
• Add 1 1/2 cups of raisins and 1 tbsp of cinnamon
• Try 1 cup od chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of peanut better and use only 3/4 butter instead
• Use 1 cup of dried cranberries, 2/3 cup walnuts and  3/4 white chocolate chips
• Try 1 cup mixed dried fruit, 1 cup chopped nuts and 1 cup chocolate chips for a perfect fruit nut n chocolate oatmeal cookie

Oatmeal cookies are so great, they are healthy, tasty and can be adapted to whatever you have on hand, thats why I love this recipe.

Try em out on your family, I know you won't have just one !

Love Sierra

Pancakes anyone ?

Who doesn't love pancakes ?
I make alot of pancakes, especially for my children. I like that they freeze perfectly and are a perfect healthy snack when made right. I make big batches when its pancake day, then freeze them for easy access.  What I also like about pancakes is that they are so versatile, you can add any fruit, use any flour, pretty much add anything you want to them.  You can make them sweet, savory healthy and just plain ol' yummy !

• Try adding fresh or frozen diced fruit to your pancake batter or try dropping it onto your cooking pancake on the uncooked side, so when you flip it the fruit will show through on the other side.
• Experiment with toppings, use warm applesauce, powdered sugar, drizzle honey, or try using fresh fruit instead of syrups.
• To make your pancakes healthier, try substituting the flour for whole wheat instead of white, or add in 1/2 cup or oats or bran for added fiber.
• Cut the sugar in half in your recipes, you really don't need that much, especially when using a sweet topping.
• To add a natural sweetness, add grated apple, pear, carrot, sweet potato, or any fresh fruit instead of sugars, it makes for a healthierer pancake

Below are my families best requested pancakes for breakfast, I always have some on hand either in the fridge or frozen for a quick easy breakfast or snack.


Apple cinnamon Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cups milk
1 eggs
3/4 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup grated apple

Combine all ingredients together until mixed, do not over mix, let sit for 10 mins before pouring onto hot griddle.  Add some oil to your skillet and cook on medium to low heat for 6 mins or so or until browned nicely flip and do the same until cooked through, these pancakes are a bit dense, so you want to cook on a lower heat to cook through, on a higher heat will burn the outside and under cook the inside.  Serve with warmed applesauce, maple syrup, powdered sugar or a fresh apple topping.
* Sometimes if I am out of apple I use pear in place of grated apple.


Banana Pancakes with Strawberry topping

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 tablespoon white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

1 tbsp vanilla

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 ripe bananas, mashed

Combine all ingredients together until mixed thoroughly, do not over mix.

Heat skillet to medium heat, add a bit of oil and pour into pan, cook for about 4 - 6 mins on one side then flip and continue to cook til done. Serve with fresh bananas, maple syrup, strawberry topping, or powdered sugar.

Fresh Strawberry topping

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries cut up

1 tbsp water

1/2 cup sugar

Add all ingredients into sauce pan and cook on medium - high heat, bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, and continue to cook for 10 - 15 mins, or just until sauce thickens and reduces to a nice syrup, serve warm or ice cream, pancakes or anything else to make a yummy fresh quick topping.

* Sometimes if I am out of apple I use pear in place of grated apple.

You can do this with blueberries, raspberries, just about any fruit you want.

Carrot cake pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat

1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg, cinnamon and ground ginger
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups  grated carrot

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix thoroughly, do not over mix.
Let sit for 10 mins before cooking.
Heat skillet to medium heat, adding a bit of oil, pour into skillet and cook 3 - 5 mins on each side. Serve with maple syrup, warmed apple sauce, or powdered sugar or drizzle honey for a touch of elegance.

* I love these pancakes, i love how healthy they are for my family, sometimes I substitute the carrot for sweet potato, squash or pumpkin for added veggie for my girls. They love it and have no idea they are eating sweet potato or pumpkin pancakes :)  These freeze very well.


Try experimenting with pancakes for your next breakfast, you won't be sorry, i hope you enjoyed these 3 recipes, and try making your own very soon. Enjoy !

Love Sierra

Taco Salad

Taco Salad with a side of my strawberry tomato salsa



So around here we do tacos alot. I try to keep them interesting and find new ways to re-invent the taco.
Well the other night I decided to go on a limb and make my first taco salad for my family. I have never made the taco salad before, frankly because I never knew how really. I took the time the other day to prep my kitchen and went full steam ahead.. The result was amazing, I made a fantastic taco salad that my family enjoyed plus I also made a Fresh tomato strawberry salsa too ! Who knew it would be so easy, this whole time I was missing out ! I hope you can take the time to try these one day too.

What I love about tacos is that you can be so creative, here are some tips to keep your tacos interesting so your family will keep coming back for more :

• Switch your meats up, you can use beef, ground chicken, ground turkey even fish.
• Throw some beans into your tacos like white or red kidney, navy or black beans for added fiber and a nice creaminess
• Use lettuce leafs as your " taco" a great lettuce to use for that would be romaine, Boston bib, or even radicchio
• Add some veggies to your meat mixture, use bell peppers, spinach, celery, grated carrot, onions or even mushrooms
• Instead of the store seasonings try making your own, experiment with flavors, you can do tacos from around the world when you experiments with spices.
• Make your own salsas, they are super easy and tasty and you can add just what your family likes

Sierra's Taco Salad

1 lbs ground meat
1 can white kidney beans
3 garlic cloves minced
1 small onion minced
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp hot Hungarian paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
6 tortillas
2 tbsp oil
* toppings i.e lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream

Heat skillet to medium high heat, add a bit of oil to pan, start to saute up meat until almost cooked, add in garlic, onion and spices, cook until meat in cooked through and onions and garlic and soft and tender, add in kidney beans and turn heat to medium low and continue to cook until beans are tender and mixture is done.

Tortillas shaped into cups

Brush all 6 tortillas with oil on both sides, fold tortillas on one side and curve bottom to make a "cup " and put into muffin tray to help keep the " cup " shape.  Bake at 400* until crisp but not too crisp just about 8 mins or so.
Once the shells are done, you can begin to form your taco salad.
I layered my Shell with Caesar salad dressing, then grated cheese, then my meat mixture, then topped it off with some salsa and served it with the lettuce on the side and more salsa on the side.
( I kinda love salsa ) But you can serve yours anyway you want.





Tomato Strawberry Salsa



Fresh Tomato Strawberry Salsa

4 plum tomatoes
1/2 red onion
2 green onions
1 cup mixed sweet bell pepper ( i used red yellow and orange )
1 cups fresh sweet strawberries
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt / black pepper
Handful of fresh parsley

Cut up veggies into small chunks add to your food processor or blender and pulse till chunky or your desired texture... and Voila !  Amazing Tomato strawberry salsa !


Salsa is very versatile, instead of strawberry you can add peach, mango even apple or pear, be creative and use what you and your family likes, I promise once you make your first one, you won't stop !



Love Sierra

Homemade Fresh Popsicles !

Now who does not like Popsicles ?   I LOVE them, and so do my children !
Everyone remembers those store bought Popsicles; sure they are yummy but if you have ever read the ingredients, they are loaded with added sugars and preservatives and harmful colors, not to mention int he summer time they can put a dent in your pocket !
I will show you fool proof easy homemade Popsicle how-to's for Delicious Popsicles that will make you and you family smile !













Gather together a couple of things first :

1. Popsicle molds
2. Popsicle sticks, tooth picks, skewers
3. Fruit
4. Juice, tea, water
5. Add ins

• Popsicle Molds can be made out of anything, just be creative. You can use old yogurt cups, old fruit cup cups, ice cube tray, mini-Tupperware meant for salad dressings, small paper cups. If you are using a ice cube trays or any other miss-shaped mold, once your mixture is poured into the tray, cover with tinfoil tightly then poke sticks through tinfoil so that the sticks do not fall over.
• You can use Popsicle sticks, toothpicks, or skewers broken in half, I have even use baby spoons as a handle.
• You can use ANY fruit you want, fresh or frozen, you can drop fresh fruit into the poured mixture so that you have floating fruit in your Popsicles, you can even mash bananas and just use them, it gives a wonderful creamy Popsicle. You can even add pudding to the molds and freeze the pudding to make a creamy yummy pudding pop.
• You can puree just the fruit or add some juice, sweet tea, mint tea, water, even milk, and yogurt. All these liquids can enhance your Popsicles taste and texture.  For a icy Popsicle use more water or juice, for a thicker Popsicle use all fruit and no liquid, for a creamy treat, try adding pudding, milk, yogurt to your fruit, for a softer texture add some sugar or a simple syrup.
• You can add in anything you want, try adding chopped strawberries to your strawberry creamsicle, or chopped cookie bits to a  pudding pop, you can add coconut, nuts, seeds, fresh fruit. 
• You can add layers by making different batches of Popsicle mix pouring in half at a a time freezing then the remainder to create a layered 2 flavor treat !

Here are some recipes I like to use, but you can adjust these to use what you have on hand

Watermelon Mint Popsicle



Steep 2 mint tea bags in 1 cups boiling water with 2 tbsp sugar, cover and set aside
3 cups watermelon

Combine steeped tea with watermelon and pulse in blender till pureed, pour into molds, add sticks and freeze.









Orange Creamsicles

1 8oz vanilla soy yogurt
2 cups orange juice
2 tbsp honey
1 orange peeled and segmented
                                                    
Combine yogurt, orange juice honey and orange pieces from 1 orange in blender, pulse till pureed, pour into molds and freeze.




Creamy Strawberry Dream

2 cups soy strawberry yogurt
4 cups strawberries ( fresh or frozen )
2 tbsp honey

Blend strawberries with yogurt till pureed pour into molds and freeze.
*You can do this with any flavor of yogurt you like and add its matching fruit for a creamy lovely creamsicles. you can also added chopped strawberries to your pureed mix for a creamy chunky treat.


Pudding Pops

1 package pudding mix ( flavor of your choice )
3 cups milk

Mix with electric mixer, pour into molds and freeze.  YUM !
 * Try add in broken Oreo or chocolate chip cookies to your pudding pops for a extra special treat !



Tropical Surprise

1 cup pineapple
1 cup mango
2 bananas
1 cup cantaloupe
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Puree pineapple, mango, banana, and cantaloupe till combined, stir in coconut and pour into molds and freeze.


The possibilities are endless when it comes to Popsicles. Be creative and play around with what you have.  A great tip is yo use what you like, if you like strawberries use them and add different things.  If you like Mint Tea experiment with different fruits to add to it. Try adding in cookie bits or granola to a  creamy Popsicle for a treat.  You can even freeze just sweetened teas or juice for a icy treat. 

Hope these ideas give you the inspiration to try out a batch of Popsicles for yourself !

Love Sierra

Oatmeal please ?

I just simply adore oatmeal. It is quick easy, healthy, and filling, not to mention very healthy for you.  As much as I  love oatmeal I can get tired of plain oatmeal.

Oatmeal as tasty as it is has many health benefits to it.

• Lowers cholesterol
• Aids against heart disease
• Lowers blood sugar
• Has anti-cancer properties
• Lowers blood pressure
• Aids in healthy bowel movements
• Makes you feel full longer which helps with weight loss
• Oatmeal contains a wide array of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and is a great source of protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.
• And simply oatmeal just tastes great !

As a child I can remember being served gummy oatmeal with raisins.  Well my days of pasty oatmeal is gone. I have grown to love and adore this simple oat and adapted it into my diet and my families as well. I came up with 5 awesome new ways to implement oatmeal into your diet that will change your look on oatmeal forever ! ... Hopefully that is !


Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
serves 3

2 cup rolled oats
4 cups water
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 apple diced or grated

Combine oats water apple sugar salt and cinnamon together on medium low heat and heat simmer oatmeal starts to simmer. Once oatmeal starts to bubble take off het keep lid on and set aside. This is my personal trick to not overcooking the oats and making it too thick gluey sticky or pasty. I usually let the oatmeal rest for 3 - 5 mins until most of the water is soaked up, I stir 1 - 2 times. Once oatmeal is to your desired thickness, scoop into your bowls, sprinkle more cinnamon and top with granola.


Maple Baked Oatmeal
serves 3

This has become my treasured week-end recipe, I make it ahead of time on a Friday and warm slowly in the oven Saturday  morning. It keeps up so well, and we top it with fresh or frozen fruit, maple syrup and granola.

2 cups  large-flake rolled_oats
1/4 cup sliced almonds or walnuts
1/4 cup  packed brown sugar
Pinch salt 
4 cups water
1 tsp ground cinnamon

preheat oven at 350*F
Combine all ingredients in a 9x13 baking dish and bake for 30 mins. Once done, let oatmeal sit for 10 mins or so.  Serve with fruit, granola, maple syrup or anything else you like.
*You can add raisins or any other dried fruit you like, and the nuts are optional.
* If you are making this ahead of time, make as directed but only bake 25 mins, place in fridge over night, reheat in oven on 350* till warmed through or reheat individual pieces in microwave. My daughter will eat it cold out of the fridge as is. 


Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal
serves 3

This oatmeal is more like a dessert oatmeal, but it no more sweeter than pancakes drenched in syrup, this is much more healthier for you !  Everything in moderation right !

2 cups rolled oats
4 cups water
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup coconut
1/4 chopped almonds
1 tsp vanilla

Combine oats, water salt and coconut in saucepan and cook on med-low heat until bubbles form, once bubbles form remove from heat and stir in coconut, nuts and vanilla, stir to mix in and let sit 5 - 10 mins with the lid on, once its reached your desired texture top with chocolate chips and more coconut for garnish !  Enjoy !


Strawberry  Mango Oatmeal Smoothie
serves 3

1 banana
1 1/2 cup mixed frozen strawberries blueberries and mango
2 cups almond milk ( or any milk you like )
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients in blender till smooth.  You can substitute the same amount of fruit for what you have on hand, and instead of milk use orange juice, or half milk, half orange juice.
* The oatmeal in the smoothie gives it a creaminess and thickness, plus added nutrients.


Now I saved the ultimate best for last.  This recipe to me is the be all end all of oatmeal as i am concerned.  It gives me everything I could ever want in a breakfast !  We eat this at least 2 or more times a week.


Complete Oatmeal Meal
serves 3

2 cup rolled oats
4 cups water
pinch of salt
1/3 cup oatmeal
3 eggs
9 pieces of turkey or beef bacon

First, preheat oven to 400*F, line a baking sheet with tinfoil or parchment paper, place bacon strips on try and bake till done and crispy.
Meanwhile place rolled oats, water sugar and pinch of salt in sauce pan and bring to a simmer, once simmered take off heat with lid on and let rest.
Meanwhile fry 3 eggs sunny side up.
Scoop oatmeal into selected bowls, top with fried egg and slice in middle so that yolk runs all over oatmeal and stick cooked bacon strips in side of oatmeal. and top with maple syrup...MMMMM!

I absolutely love this, now this may sound weird to sound to some, but try it, its wonderful. It pleases the salty and sweet tooth, plus it has oatmeal, it has to be great right !





This was our breakfast yesterday morning, my daughters is to the left, my husband and I's are to the top and right. We all cleared our bowls !

Granola 3 easy ways !

OK so I have a new love; GRANOLA !

Oh how I love Granola. I use to be intimidated by it to be honest. I always thought you have to cook it for long, or needed all this crazy stuff, and never had the right things to make it at once and basically never took he time to try it.

Lately I have been trying to eat healthier and lighter, I got myself into a health kick for this particular week and was all geared up to loose some extra weight since I had my last daughter.  My family and I had gone to the local farmers market and stocked up on a TON of fresh fruit and veggies to use in place of any unhealthy snacks. I cleaned, trimmed and cut all my fruit, froze the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and pineapple and left the pears, peaches, mangoes and apples in the fridge for easy access. I planned on juicing and making smoothies, and eating fruit for breakfast, but grew tired and needed something new QUICK ! Thankfully my boredom with our usual fruit routine lead me to finally taking the time to make Granola.

I researched sooo many recipes, and came up with 3 recipes that I altered to fit my families needs, and have these on hand on the regular.  Each has a different yet similar and familiar yummy crunchy wholesome hearty taste.

Granola is nothing to fear !  Is is super easy !  Basically Granola is made in 2 steps: heating and melting you liquid/binder and measuring out all your dry add ins i.e oats seeds nuts coconut bran wheat germ... then mixing the two baking in the oven to dry out, which creates this incredible delectable crunchy yummy topping that we now put on homemade ice creams, bowls of fruit, oatmeal, and we top smoothies off with it too, I even catch my dear husband sneaking in the granola bowl with a fistful now and again !

I will post all 3 recipes for you that I make. All have the same method to prepare them.  Once they are out of the oven and cool, mix in dried fruit of your choice or coconut or leave as is like we do here.

I hope you try these, I know once you do, you will always have it, just like we do.


Love Sierra




Peanut Butter Granola

1/2 cup apple juice
1/3 cup maple syrup ( or agave, brown rice syrup, brown sugar )
1/3 peanut butter
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tbsp vanilla

3 cups rolled oats ( i like large flake, but you can use any kind you have )
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oat bran
1 cup mixed chopped nuts and seeds ( i.e sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, soy nuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds..)

Preheat oven to 375*F
Combine apple juice, maple syrup, peanut butter cinnamon and salt in a sauce pan, bring to a simmer on medium heat. Meanwhile measure out your oats, wheat germ, bran and chopped nuts and seeds in a separate bowl.  Continue stirring your peanut butter mixture to melt peanut butter, once bubbles form, stir for 1 more min and take off the heat and add 1 tbsp vanilla.
Once you add vanilla pour entire mix over you oat mixture and stir to coat all oats nuts and seeds. Once mixed thoroughly spread out onto a baking sheet and bake in 15 min. intervals, I set a timer for 15 mins. once timer goes off, i stir the granola in the baking sheet and return to oven for another 15 mins. It usually take 3 sets of 15 mins. to dry it out and get it nice and crunchy, if you like the texture after 30 mins you can leave it. Once done leave on baking sheet to cool, then store in a  freezer bag or a glass jar for storage.  Its stays great for at least up to a month mine never lasts longer than a month !


Maple Orange Ginger Granola

4 cups rolled oats
1 cup mixed seeds
1 cup mixed nuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice

1/3 cup maple syrup ( or agave, brown rice syrup, brown sugar )
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 375*F
Combine maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, orange zest and fresh grated ginger in a sauce pan, bring to a simmer on medium heat stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile in a separate bowl combine oats, seeds, nuts cinnamon and allspice.
Once mix comes to a simmer take off heat and stir into your oats mixtures making sure to coat everything evenly, spread out onto a baking sheet and bake in 15 min. intervals, I set a timer for 15 mins. once timer goes off, i stir the granola in the baking sheet and return to oven for another 15 mins. It usually take 3 sets of 15 mins. to dry it out and get it nice and crunchy, if you like the texture after 30 mins you can leave it. Once done leave on baking sheet to cool, then store in a freezer bag or a glass jar for storage. Its stays great for at least up to a month mine never lasts longer than a month !

Coconut Apple Granola

3 cups of rolled oats
2 cups of coconut
2 cups of chopped nuts and seeds

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375*F
Combine brown sugar, applesauce, maple syrup in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer stirring occasionally. In a separate bowl combine oats coconut and seeds and nuts. Once mix is simmered stir in vanilla and pour over oats nuts and seeds, make sure everything is coated nicely. spread out onto a baking sheet and bake in 15 min. intervals, I set a timer for 15 mins. once timer goes off, i stir the granola in the baking sheet and return to oven for another 15 mins. It usually take 3 sets of 15 mins. to dry it out and get it nice and crunchy, if you like the texture after 30 mins you can leave it. Once done leave on baking sheet to cool, then store in a freezer bag or a glass jar for storage. Its stays great for at least up to a month mine never lasts longer than a month !



I posted pictures of the step by step process of making the Peanut butter granola below, these same directions apply for all 3 granolas.

Oats mixed with seeds and nuts

Simmered peanut butter mixture

Oat mixture with peanut butter mixture

The two combined evenly

Then spread in my baking dish lined with parchment

I hope you all take the time to try one of these recipes, I love them all, each are unique in their own way, and bring a exciting new flavor to ice-cream, fruit, smoothies or just as a simple healthy snack when on its own or tossed with mixed dried fruit.

Everyday uses for the beautiful Avocado

I wrote this for a dear friend of mine. She posed a challenge to me; the different uses for the avocado. I hope she enjoys :)

Not everybody is familiar with the avocado; most don't even know its considered a fruit. The most common use of the creamy green fruit is guacamole. Sure guacamole is great but lets be realistic I can only eat guacamole so much until I don't wanna ever see it again.
I will show you everyday uses to put that silky green fruit into your diet, that you'll love and will hopefully become part of your everyday life.

First lets get into a little bit of info on the avocado; this might help you understand why it is a very important food that should become one of you " go to's " !

• The average avocado contains 300 calories and 30 grams of healthy polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat.
• Avocados have the highest protein content of any fruit.
• Avocados contain more potassium than bananas.
• One avocado contains 81 mcg of lutein, an important nutrient for healthy eyes
• Avocados are a good source of Vitamin E, which is not only essential for the normal functioning of the body but is also a potent anti-oxidant which protects polyunsaturated fatty acids in cell membranes from free-radical attack. Free-radicals are linked to the beginnings of cancer and heart disease.
• It is true that avocados do have a high fat content. Monounsaturated fat, which some studies show to actually help reduce cholesterol.
• Pregnant and breastfeeding moms should choose often, with the recommended serving size being 1/2 an avocado, which counts as one fruit and three fat servings
• The potassium and foliate in avocados also contribute to heart health. The fiber in avocados can help maintain the health of the digestive tract and may aid in the prevention of colon cancer. The high levels of antioxidants in avocados may provide a protective effect against cancers, immune disorders and cellular aging.
• one-half an avocado pear bears double the quantity of fiber than 2 apples put together.
• The vitamins in avocados will also help to moisturize your skin and hair, used as a facial or as a conditioner for hair.
• In earlier times, avocado pulp was used as a hair pomade to stimulate hair growth. Its oil is still used today in several hair and cosmetic products

Ok so now that you know the health benefits of the beautiful avocado, and mind you I only listed a few, there are so many more I did not. Lets get into the real yummy stuff !

1.  Smoothies: I LOVE using avocados in smoothies.  Take 1 avocado, blend with 1 banana, 1 tbsp honey, 1 cup almond milk blend till smooth. Try 1 avocado, 2 bananas, 1 cup frozen strawberries and 2 cups orange juice, blend until smooth. Or try 1 avocado, 1 cup grapes, 1 pear, 2 tbsp honey, 2 cups ice, splash of lime juice, and a pinch of allspice.
2. Salad Dressings: Blending avocado into my fresh salad dressings gives a really nice depth. It makes for a creamy smooth healthy salad dressing. Try these recipes : 1/2 avocado, 1/2 medium cucumber diced, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/4 lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, 1 tbsp honey blend to combine, it will be thick but you can thin it out with 1 - 2 tbsp of water if needed.  Try 1 avocado, 1 green onion, 1 clove garlic, 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp honey, salt and pepper to taste. Blend to combine.  and last try; 1 avocado, 1/2 apple juice, 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 sweetened coconut, 1 tbsp honey, salt and pepper to taste blend till smooth.
3. Spreads: I LOVE using avocado in place of butter, jam, mayo, mustard, peanut butter and just about any other topping you could think of. Try spreading mashed avocado onto a wrap instead of mayo, or for your morning breakfast instead of jam or butter spread creamed avocado on toast and drizzle honey for a special treat. On a burger instead of mayo try using avocado as a rich healthy substitute instead of mayo. My daughters love avocado toast !

4. Sandwiches: Avocado is a lovely addition on sandwiches and wraps, sliced avocado on turkey burgers topped with red onion, Swiss cheese and lettuce.  On a crunchy veggie wrap try adding sliced avocado instead of mayo for a creamy addition to counter act the crunchy veggies. Believe it or not banana and avocado go hand in hand in my book, I love having rye toast with sliced banana and avocado drizzled with.
5. Pizza: Well there are 2 ways you can incorporate avocado into pizza, the first is after your pizza is baked, slice small chunks of avocado all over pizza and a creamy accompaniment instead of a dipping sauce. The second and my most liked is blend 1 avocado, 1 garlic clove, 1 green onion, salt and pepper and fresh parsley and spread on dough top with chicken, red onions, and tomatoes then cheese for an amazing out of this world pizza.
6. Dips: There are many ways to have avocado as a dip that isn't guacamole, try this; Cream together 1 avocado, 1/2 cup sour cream ( i use tofutti's brand soy cream cheese ) layer in a bowl, top with salsa and cheese, serve with tortilla chips. 
7. Nachos: I love nachos, we eat them alot here, they are so versatile and do not have to be loaded with a lbs of cheese and toppings.  We like adding diced avocado to our nacho as a cool treat, or creaming avocado and using it in place of sour cream, i simply mash 1 avocado add a pinch of salt and pepper and you have a better than sour cream that is so much healthier !
8. Baking:  Last but certainly not least. this has to be my best way of using the beautiful avocado. Most people trying to cut the fat in their baked treats substitute apple sauce now a days instead of oil, well.... I love using avocado, it is a million times healthier than oil, and oddly enough it makes your cookies cakes and muffins more moist and less crumbly. In cookies replace half the oil with avocado, and in cakes and muffins you can replace the entire amount of oil for avocado. Now to me that's pretty awesome !

Now lastly i just wanted to say will all these new and inventive ways to add avocado to your diet, I wanted to share my personal best way.
For breakfast I enjoy some brown toast, 1 fried egg, 1 plum tomato sliced and 1/2 avocado in chunks. To me it is a perfect breakfast, the tomato egg and avocado so well together and the crunchy toast tops it off !  Try it one you, you just may surprise yourself !

There is so much information on the avocado, it is so beneficial for us. For so many babies it is one of their first foods, I know my girls loved it and still do.  Women use it as a hair conditioner and facial. It has been used world wide for so many years as  natural healer and beneficial fat and health aid to reduce cancer, speed metabolism, healthy digestion and so much more.
I hope some of these ideas have inspired you to give the avocado another opportunity on your dinner table.

Love Sierra

P.S If I missed any ideas that you use, let me know and I will update my blog for you.