Mediterranean Rice Salad

This comes from the Sunset Magazine. It's very good. Our problem is even though we eat healthy food, we tend to overeat because it's so yummy!

• 1 1/2 cup rice (I just cook mine in the rice cooker)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups chopped spinach leaves
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/2 cup chopped kalamata olives (we often leave this out)
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, pepper, pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon salt. Add riced to dressing and toss to combine. Add spinach toss and let sit until no longer steaming. Add remaining ingredients and toss to combine. Serve at room temp or cold.

Pull-Apart Bread

This is a recipe that I LOVE. My friend Tiff likes to make it for special occasions like baby showers, etc. I have tried this recipe a couple times, and have never been successful. I am going to try it again for Easter Sunday breakfast. Hopefully the third time will be the charm! It is to die for, oh so good.

• 18-20 Frozen Rhodes rolls
• 1 package COOK and SERVE pudding-Butterscotch
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter
• (pecans if you choose and the amount you like)
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup evaporated milk

Combine the pudding, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a sauce pan. Cook over low until melted. Add evaporated milk. Stir in pecans.

In a WELL greased bundt pan, layer the rolls and the sauce. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night or 8+ hours. Remove from fridge and place on counter for 30-45 minutes. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

My first counselor, Joan (who was just recently called to YW), shared these with us during presidency meeting. These are very addicting and good cookies to make when you don't have certain ingredients!

• 1 cup peanut butter (I use creamy)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• dash vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Mix and roll into balls and flatten with fork. Bake 350 for 10 minutes. YUM!

Paleo Plan Banana with Coconut Milk

This really hits the spot when I have a sugar craving, almost tastes like ice cream.

• A banana, chopped
• 1-2 Tablespoons almond butter
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk (Trader Joes)

Pour almond butter over bananas and pour coconut milk over all of it.

ENJOY!

Chocolate Covered Frozen Banana Bites

For a Relief Society Bucket List party, I was supposed to bring a recipe I had never tried before. I was working the whole day, and there was nothing in the cupboards, and I didn't want to go grocery shopping. This recipe hit the spot, and was a HIT!

1 banana
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup chocolate chips
shredded coconut

Melt peanut butter and chocolate chips together in microwave. Chop up banana, dip in chocolate, sprinkle with coconut. Place on wax paper, freeze for one hour.

YUMMY!

Leticia's Yummy Chicken Soup

A friend from church needed some help with some tech stuff, which I volunteered Jeremy for. She served us a very yummy dinner, everything was so good. Here is a recipe I asked her for because it actually tasted so healthy--and it is!

*1 whole organic free range chicken (so the taste is very mild)
*four celery stalks (organic -- don't ever buy celery that is not organic) - chopped
*two organic carrots - diced
*one cup of basmati rice
*two large organic potatoes - diced

Remove with kitchen scissors most of the fat from the chicken and hanging skin. Place it in a pot with hot water and bring it to a boil. Boil for one hour, adding water as it evaporates. Remove the chicken from the pot and remove all the meat from the bones and discard all of the skin. Place chicken pieces back in the pot along with potato and carrots. Boil until the carrots and potatoes are tender. Now add the chopped celery and the rice. Boil at medium heat until rice is cooked.

When you save the left overs, the next day you will have to add chicken broth when you reheat the soup. If you add water, the chicken flavor will be too weak.

Paula Deen's Beef Stew

• 2 pounds stew beef
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 or 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
• 3 large carrots, sliced
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

I usually double this recipe and add a lot more broth. Always feeding a crowd!

Brown meat in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and garlic clove. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, remove 2 cups hot liquid. Using a separate bowl, combine 1/4 cup water and cornstarch until smooth. Mix with a little hot liquid and return mixture to pot. Stir and cook until bubbly. I think I skipped the whole cornstarch step, it was thick enough, and added a few potatoes.