Eating Clean 12 Days of Christmas -- Buckeye Bark

This is my last post here...from now on, head over to www.eatingcleanandsavinggreen.com!

I had mentioned in an earlier post that I'm usually pretty lazy when it comes to baking. Here's a prime example...I love buckeyes and always make them every Christmas. However, I HATE all the ball rolling and dipping involved, so this year, I opted to make Buckeye Bark. Let me tell you, it was so much easier and I think even better than regular buckeyes. A much more even chocolate to peanut butter ratio ;) 






Buckeye Bark
From Live Sigma Kappa

2-1/2 lbs chocolate candy coating
1 (16.3 oz) jar creamy peanut butter
2 c Confectioners’ sugar
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Melt half of the chocolate candy coating according to the package directions, then spread over parchment paper or a silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Spread to a large rectangle, but not too thin – approximately 1/8″ to 1/4″ thickness. Place in freezer to firm up.

In a large bowl, beat together the peanut butter, Confectioners’ sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Remove first chocolate layer from the freezer and spread the peanut butter mixture over the top. Return to the freezer and melt the remaining chocolate candy coating. Once that is melted, spread it over the top of the peanut butter layer and freeze until set.

Break up the bark into small pieces using a butcher knife. Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.

Eating Clean 12 Days of Christmas -- Fudge

My hubby loves fudge, so I always include it in my Christmas cookie baking especially since I've found this amazingly simple and easy recipe. Remember, I'm a lazy baker? :) I love this recipe because you can add just about anything you want...marshmallows, extra chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, etc.

Easy Fudge
From Busy Cooks

1 (12-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon cream
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, if desired

Place chips and milk in microwave safe bowl. (You can use just the one package of semisweet chocolate chips, or add the milk chocolate chips for a fudge that is slightly sweeter and creamier.)

Microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Microwave, stirring at 1 minutes intervals, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth and thick. Stir in butter and cream until combined.

Pour into greased 8" square pan and cool. You can also melt the chips and milk in a heavy saucepan over low heat.

You can add just about anything to this easy recipe. Stir in a cup of chopped nuts, add a cup of marshmallows after the cooking time is done, stir in chopped dried fruit or some white chocolate chips. Have fun with the recipe!

Eating Clean 12 Days of Christmas -- Cutout Cookies

Don't forget…I’m working on moving my blog over to WordPress and getting my own domain name (woohoo!!). I’ll continue to publish here for 2 more days, but please change your bookmarks to http://www.eatingcleanandsavinggreen.com
 
These are your typical Christmas cutout cookies but clean and all-natural. Bonus, this basic recipe also makes 5 other types of recipes. That's my type of baking...make one dough get six different cookies. Efficiency at it's best :)

Christmas Cutout Cookies
Adapted from Canadian Family
 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Using a half portion of chilled dough, roll out on a lightly floured surface to ¼" thickness.
3. Using a floured cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Transfer to parchment-covered sheet pan.
4. Bake for 8–10 minutes or until lightly golden.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool until ready to decorate with sprinkles, icing and candy.
Dough
This recipe makes enough for two batches of cookies, so we suggest that you always divide the dough in half and wrap each separately.

• 2 cups flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. Combine first four ingredients in a bowl.
2. Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in half the dry ingredients, then add what is remaining.
4. Divide dough in half and wrap with plastic wrap until ready to use.

For the icing...
Start with 2 Tablespoons butter and 2 Tablespoons milk in your mixer. Slowly add in powdered sugar and more milk until you reach a frosting consistency. 

Eating Clean 12 Days of Christmas -- Christmas Sangria

Side note…I’m working on moving my blog over to WordPress and getting my own domain name (woohoo!!). I’ll continue to publish here for awhile, but please change your bookmarks to http://www.eatingcleanandsavinggreen.com

 


It wouldn't be Christmas without a good cocktail right? :) This one is really easy and really good. Plus, you can make it ahead of time and let the flavors meld together even more. 

Christmas Sangria
2 bottles of dry white wine
half 2 liter of Sprite (use Zevia to keep it totally clean)
half bottle of cranberry juice

Mix well and add in whole cranberries or cherries for garnish.

Top Ten Posts of 2013

Happy New Year y'all! Before I look forward to 2014, I wanted to take a quick look back at 2013 and the top ten posts of the year. Will you take a stroll down memory lane with me? :)

10. 100 Cleanest Packaged Foods Awards
9. Santa Fe Chicken
8. Banana Oatmeal Cookie Smoothie
7. Girls Weekend
6. Almost Guacamole and Cheese Queso
5. Crock Pot Beef and Noodles
4. Zucchini Pizza Crust
3. Flat Belly Diet 4-Day Anti-Bloat Cleanse
2. Texas Gold
1. Crock Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

What was your favorite post of the year?

Eating Clean 12 Days of Christmas -- Reese's Cup Cookies

For as much as I love sweets and sugar, you would think I would love all kinds of Christmas cookies. Oddly, though I don't like many of the traditional ones (cutout cookies, thumbprints, Russian tea cakes, etc.). So, when it comes time to bake for Christmas, I opt for the less traditional cookies that I'll actually eat. 

I'm also not much of a baker (I hate following recipes!) so usually I take as many shortcuts as possible (buying store bought cookie dough, using premade ingredients). This year, however, with my clean eating, I decided to make everything as clean as possible, even it meant taking a few extra steps. With my two helpers, it ended up being a great time and we had lots of fun! (Even though one of my helpers...ahem, G....ate half the Reese's Cups :P)

The first cookies we made are my all-time favorites...Reese's Cup Cookies. In the past, I would just buy store-bought peanut butter cookie dough and then add the Reese's Cups, but this year I made the peanut butter dough from scratch so it's all clean. Unfortunately, Reese's Cups aren't totally clean, but I'm invoking the 80/20 rule here because they're my favorite :)

These are so easy....make the peanut butter cookie dough. Roll into balls and put into well-greased mini muffin tins. Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes. As soon as you get the cookies out, press a Reese's Cup into each one and put the whole tin into the fridge, otherwise the Reese's will melt all over from the hot cookie and make a mess. Once they've hardened in the fridge, take out of the tins. Here's the recipe for the peanut butter cookies I used:

Peanut Butter Cookies 
From Creations by Kara

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars till creamy. Beat in eggs. Stir in dry ingredients.

Eating Clean 12 Days of Christmas -- Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

As part of the Christmas season, I want to share with you 12 eating clean and saving green Christmas ideas. They'll include recipes, gift ideas and more and hope they'll inspire you and keep you in the holiday spirit!
 
My family loves hot chocolate so I searched for clean recipes and found a yummy one from Southern Living. I also used this recipe to put together cute little Christmas gifts for the grandparents.

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
From Southern Living
 
1 1/2 cups 53% cacao dark chocolate morsels (I used mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)
1 1/4 cups sugar 
1 cup instant nonfat dry milk
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa (I used regular)

Stir together dark chocolate morsels, sugar, instant nonfat dry milk, and cocoa; spoon into 1 (2-qt.) jar. Store at room temperature up to 1 month.
 

TO MAKE HOMEMADE HOT COCOA: Heat 1 cup milk to 180°; stir in 1/4 cup Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Pie

It had been a while since I had made a dessert. Thankfully, I had to make a dessert for Advent by Candlelight and opted for this chocolate chip brownie pie. I adjusted some of the ingredients to make it gluten-free for my mom and I thought it turned out great. 

Chocolate Chip Brownie Pie
Adapted from Fahrenheit 350
 
6oz. Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Chocolate Candy Bar (I used regular Hershey's bars)
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
 
Melt over med low heat until melted. Whisk in 2 lightly beaten eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla.
Add:
1 cup flour (I used gluten-free flour)
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
 
Stir until mixture is incorporated and smooth. Pour into greased 9" springform pan. Bake at 350°, 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Immediately pour 7oz. sweetened condensed milk over top of brownies. Layer with ¾ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips and let cool before eating.

Garlic Marinated Pork

I usually adapt most of the recipes I use based on what ingredients I have on hand or my prep time. This one I followed to a tee, except I marinated mine overnight, giving it even more flavor! Be careful not to overcook the pork and dry it out.

Served with mashed potatoes and green beans, this was a delicious winter meal.

Pork Tenderloins
From Foodie Sisters
 
1 package of pork tenderloins (2 tenderloins total about 2-2.5lbs)
4 garlic cloves, quartered/sliced/slivered
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon country dijon mustard
4 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or Herbs de Provence
freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take tenderloins out of package. Rinse and pat dry. Spray a 9x13 baking dish and place tenderloins inside. Use a paring knife and poke holes on the top side of the tenderloins, about an inch deep. Place a garlic piece into each hole. Make the marinade next. In a measuring cup or bowl, whisk together everything except for olive oil. Then slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking. Pour marinade over tenderloins. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, basting once halfway through cooking process. Once removed from the oven, let pork rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before cutting in.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

I like the taste of Chicken Cordon Bleu but it's pretty time consuming to make. This casserole is easy and tastes just like the real thing. Plus, this would make a great freezer meal or meal to take to someone who's ill or just had a baby.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

1 whole Cooked Chicken, Bones Removed, Meat Diced Or Shredded (Rotisserie chicken is Excellent, Should Be 5-6 Cups Of Chicken)
½ pounds Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Rough Chopped
¼ pounds Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese
FOR THE SAUCE:
4 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
3-¼ cups Milk (I Used Whole Milk)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1-½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
¼ teaspoons White Pepper

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside. Put cooked shredded or diced chicken on the bottom of the baking dish. Rough chop the ham and scatter it over the top of the chicken. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.

For the sauce:

Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, smoked paprika and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.

Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and top has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Feta-Stuffed Chicken

This one was all the hubby again, he took the original recipe and adapted it based on what we had in the house. It turned out to be a wonderful chicken dish with lots of great flavors (I love the way the feta melts on the grill with the cream cheese). It was super juicy too!

Feta-Stuffed Chicken
Adapted from Skinny Mom

Cheese Mixture
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
2oz. fat-free cream cheese
couple tablespoons finely chopped red onion
dash of garlic powder, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 pounds total)

In a small bowl combine feta cheese and cream cheese; set aside. Using a sharp knife, cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff pockets with the cheese mixture. Secure openings with wooden toothpicks. Grill until cooked through and no longer pink.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Brownies

Chocolate Chip. Peanut Butter. Brownies.
Do I really need to say anything else?! ;)

I adapted these from a recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes. I wasn't in the mood to make cupcakes or mess with frosting, so I just made them into brownies. Heavenly!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Brownies
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup smooth all natural peanut butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine milk and vanilla in small bowl. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in bowl. Beat Butter and sugars in mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and blend until smooth. Slowly mix in peanut butter. Add in flour mixture and blend slowly. When fully incorporated, add milk mixture. Continue to blend slowly. Add chocolate chips and fold in by hand. Pour into greased 8x8 or 9x13 brownie pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until gold and brown on top. (The middle will be a little gooey, but will continue baking when you get them out...you don't want to burn the edges!)

Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken with Avocado Ranch Sauce

This recipe was a little labor intensive, but was really good. I especially loved the avocado ranch sauce! I'm going to try the sauce as a dressing on a taco salad.

You could make it lower carb by leaving out the chips and just using the cheese, mayo and spices on the chicken. Next time I think I'll double the recipe and freeze the extras...two meals for one prep time! :) 


Tortilla Chip Crusted Chicken with Avocado Ranch
Adapted from Bacon, Butter, Cheese and Garlic

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
One 12-ounce bag tortilla chips
4 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
1 C mayonnaise
1/2 T garlic powder
1/2 T cumin
1/2 T chili powder
2 teaspoons lime juice

FOR THE SAUCE:

1 C mayo

1/2 C milk

1 C sour cream

1/4 C all-natural ranch dressing

1 T garlic powder

1 T onion powder

1 teaspoon lime juice
2 avocados
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Put about half of the bag of chips into the food processor and blend.  You should have 2-3 C crushed chips. (Reserve the rest of the bag in case you don't have enough.)  Mix the shredded cheese and the crushed chips together.
Whisk together the mayo, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and lime juice.  Dredge the chicken breasts into the mayo and then into the chip mixture, pressing down to make sure it's all coated.  (Here's where you may need to grind extra chips for coating if you run out.)  When all the chicken is coated, put it in the oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is done all the way through and the chips are crispy.
Blend the sauce ingredients together in a food processor and serve over the chicken.

My 200th Post!! And Win a Gift Card!

I cannot believe this is my 200th post! The year has flown by and I'm so thankful to have you on my clean eating journey! I'm looking forward to even more clean eating and saving green fun in 2014, including exploring clean beauty and cleaning products and trying a whole bunch of new recipes. 

To celebrate and because I'm in the holiday spirit, I'm giving away a gift card to Regal Cinemas. If you've liked my Facebook page here, you're already entered to win :) If you'd like a chance to win, please head over and like me please! Once I receive 50 likes, I'll draw a random winner, so tell all your friends too!

Top Ten Eating Clean and Saving Green Gifts for Christmas

With Christmas only weeks away, (mostly) everyone is getting into the gift-giving spirit. Personally, I love giving gifts. It's the love language I use when showing someone they mean a lot to me and I enjoy the whole process of coming up with an idea, searching far and wide for that gift and seeing the recipient's face when they open it up.

Whether you've been done Christmas shopping since August or have yet to start, I'm here to help! I've come up with the Top Ten Eating Clean and Saving Green gifts for your holiday season. These gifts help you eat clean, save you some green and some even do both!

1. Spa Day -- For that special lady (or even guy!) in your life, consider giving them a day of pampering to a spa or salon that specializes in all-natural and organic products.

2. Subway Art -- Easy and inexpensive, a piece of unique subway art fits all sizes and is a great personalized gift for that special someone. Choose the recipient's favorite song lyrics, poem, Bible verse or quote.

3. Recipe Book -- Compile a list of your favorite Eating Clean recipes to give away to family and friends. You could create a book yourself, or use a helpful site, like Shutterfly or Bookemon, which does all the work for you!

4. Old Window Photo -- Another great personalized gift, especially for a newly married couple, family with kids or parents and grandparents. Again, the possibilities are endless for personalization. 

5. Kitchen Tools -- Every cook needs the proper tools, so consider giving several smaller, handy kitchen items or purchasing a bigger piece of kitchen equipment. Some of my favorites and must-haves...cheese grater, mandolin, spice rack, crock pot, bread machine

6. Stock the Pantry Gift Basket -- I've made all kinds of pantry staples in the last year. Put together a gift basket to stock the pantry of a friend or neighbor. Some to include...brownie mix, cooking spray, chicken stock, pasta sauce, soup or sauce mix,  seasoning salt.

7. Magazine Subscription -- I especially love giving magazine subscriptions because it's a gift that lasts all year! Some of my favorites for clean eating and saving green...All You, Eating Clean

8. Homemade Crayons -- For the kid, or the kid-at-heart. :) Also make a great stocking stuffer.

9. Ice Cream Ball -- Another great gift for kids or families. Fun for all and who doesn't love ice cream?

10. Gift Cards -- Consider giving gift cards to clean and all-natural stores and restaurants like Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Earth Fare, Seasons 52, Aveda, etc.

Crockpot Beef and Noodles

I love comfort food, especially when the weather turns colder. My mom used to make the best beef and noodles when we were younger and I was craving it the other day. I searched for a clean recipe that could also be done in the crockpot (to make my life easier!) and found this one I adapted a bit.

It was delicious! So comforting and warm and yummy. It also makes a lot, so I have a whole other meal in the freezer.  

Crockpot Beef and Noodles

Adapted from Kristi's Recipe Box

2 lbs. stew meat (or any type of beef roast you have on hand, cut into 2" chunks)

2 (14.5 oz.) cans beef broth (I used my homemade chicken stock...choose a homemade or organic broth to keep it clean)

2 cups water

1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning

1 T. minced garlic

1/2 t. onion powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

16 oz. pkg. egg noodles (look for an organic or all-natural egg noodle...I found mine from an Amish store :)

Place stew meat in crockpot and cover with beef broth and water. Add in Italian seasoning, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or on LOW for 8 hours. (With beef in the crockpot, I always opt for the lower and slower) During last 30-45 minutes of cooking, add in egg noodles.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, we've been traveling a lot. I just wanted to take a quick moment to wish all my blog readers a very happy Thanksgiving...I'm so thankful for each of you for coming along in this eating clean journey with me! 

Stay tuned for some exciting things happening soon....hint hint giveaways! :)

Made-from-Scratch Cornbread

Don't get me wrong...I love Jiffy Cornbread Mix just as much as the next person. I, however, do not  like the extra preservatives included in each blue box. So, I decided to experiment and make my own cornbread from scratch. I amazingly had all the ingredients I needed, so I threw these together easily and quickly. 

They turned out great! If it tells you anything, my husband called them cornbread brownies because they were so sweet and delicious :)

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread
From All Recipes.com  
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Girls Night Out at The Melting Pot

The other night, my small group girls and I went out for a much-needed Girls Night Out at The Melting Pot. They were having a Femme Fatale special, where each person could get the cheese fondue, salad, main entree and chocolate fondue for $35.

The cheese fondue course was Bourbon Bacon Cheddar Cheese Fondue, which was lager beer, garlic, mustard powder, Worcestershire, cheddar-Swiss cheese blend, a splash of Jim Beam Devil's Cut Bourbon and bacon pieces. It was AMAZING! Ooey, gooey and creamy with the definite flavor of bacon and Jim Bean. 

For the salad, I had the Spinach Mushroom, which was fresh spinach, baby Portobello mushrooms, red onion, chopped bacon and Roma tomatoes with a warm Burgundy Shallot Vinaigrette. Again, super good! I loved that the red onion was really really thinly sliced, so it gave onion flavor without being over-powering. There were a ton of mushrooms, which was great, and the vinaigrette was tangy and delicious.

The main entree was filet mignon (happy happy sigh), herb-crusted chicken and shrimp and we did the cooking style Coq Au Vin, burgundy wine infused with fresh herbs, spices and mushrooms. I didn't touch the shrimp (I know such a waste...I'm not a seafood eater though!), but the filet and chicken were delicious, especially with the teriayki dipping sauce. 

I unfortunately missed the chocolate dessert round (big sad face!). It was a great meal that was mostly clean and all-natural!

Cheddar and Corn Spoon Bread

I usually don't make a lot of sides with dinner, typically just a veggie of some sort. I decided to branch out a little bit and made this Cheddar and Corn Spoon Bread to go with steak I made the other night. 

While it was good and had a great texture, I think I prefer my Mom's corn casserole. It's sweeter tasting, not as bland and easier to throw together. I think maybe I'll try hers and "clean" it up. Stay tuned! :)

Cheddar and Corn Spoon Bread
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 cup buttermilk (shake before measuring)
3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 large egg whites
1 cup coarsely grated Cheddar 

1. Position a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375°F. Butter a 2-quart soufflé dish.
2. Place cornmeal in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk baking powder, cayenne and salt. Bring milk just to a simmer; whisk into cornmeal until smooth. Whisk in buttermilk, corn, butter, egg yolks, parsley and baking powder mixture.
3. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites just until they hold stiff peaks. Gently fold egg whites and 1/2 cup Cheddar into cornmeal mixture. Transfer to soufflé dish and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar.
4. Bake until top is golden brown and spoon bread is set around edges but still slightly jiggly in center, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.