Watermelon Raspberry and Lime Pops

You know those times when you buy a watermelon and it just isn't as good as you want it to be.  You don't want to waste it, but it isn't going to be delicious to just eat.  I have a solution for you - add some raspberries and lime and make popsicles!

It's a genius idea, refreshing and cold it is everything a summer treat could need to be!

The perfect way to enjoy that watermelon that you swore was going to be perfect and then turned out to be a little bit less than. 

Let's Get Popping! Some of the Best Ways to Flavor Your Favorite Whole Grain

One of my most favorite things to snack on in the whole world is popcorn. Since I love to share with you my healthy favorite things, I am going to share with you some of the most delicious ways to top this amazing whole grain.

A whopping 3 cups of air-popped popcorn is a mighty filling whole-grain snack yet only has 92 calories, plus 19 g carbs, 3 g protein, and 4 g fiber.

For the best and most even flavor distribution put half your popcorn in a bowl then sprinkle half your toppings / seasonings and then the second half of your popcorn and then top with the rest of your toppings / seasonings. I like to then put a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and shake shake shake. 

Here are some other ways that I like to top my popcorn. 

Sweet - 

Chocolate Chips ( or any flavor chips for that matter). I like the mini ones. This can get messy, but boy is it ever delicious. 

Cinnamon Sugar - used melted butter or coconut oil and then sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mix. (most of us have one). Try pumpkin pie spice or chai spice as well and sugar and powdered ginger or nutmeg. My mouth is watering just typing this. 

Maple Butter - Mix together 1 tsp of melted butter and 1 tsp maple syrup and drizzle it over your popcorn. It is a good thing this one goes so fast, because it can get soggy. 

Marshmallow - Instead of using your regular crispy rice cereal use popcorn to make these easy treats. 

Mexican Hot Chocolate -  Toss with 1/4 teaspoon each cocoa powder and cinnamon. 

Fruit Salad- Toss with 2 tablespoons each dried cranberries, dried tart cherries, and raisins.

Pumpkin Pie -  Toss with 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1/8 teaspoon each allspice, ground cloves, and nutmeg

Caramel -  In a small saucepan, simmer 1 1/2 teaspoons olive or coconut oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup. Drizzle over popcorn and toss.

Chocolate Peanut - Toss popcorn with 1 tablespoon dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon peanuts.

Swiss Mix - Toss with 1/4 cup mini marshmallows and 1 tablespoon hot chocolate mix.

Spiced Nut - Toss with 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cloves, and 1 tablespoon each sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raw unsalted slivered almonds

Agave Crunch -  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon agave nectar and toss with 2 tablespoons granola and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Savory - 

Barbecue Popcorn - with brown sugar and paprika this recipe is sure to please at your house. 

Garlic Oil and Pecorino cheese - You can use any specialty cheese with this recipe. I find it just fine to omit the salt that the recipe calls for. 

Italian Seasoning - (oregano, fennel, red pepper flakes, marjoram, and basil) with olive oil.  This one tastes like Pizza Popcorn!

Parmesan Parsley - Toss with 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese and 1 teaspoon finely minced fresh parsley.

Truffles - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon truffle oil and 1 teaspoon olive oil and toss

Sesame - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon sesame oil and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons gomasio (toasted sesame seeds and nori seaweed. Can’t find it in your grocery? Use 1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds)

Orange Rosemary - Toss with 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, 1/8 teaspoon orange zest, and 1 dash garlic powder

Vegan Cheese - Drizzle with 1 teaspoon coconut oil and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Lemon Pepper - Toss with 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorn and 1/8 teaspoon lemon zest

You just use almost any prepared seasoning that you have Old Bay with Lemon Pepper and butter is to die for, as well as Caribbean Jerk Seasoning. For all of us ranch fans out there, we can use a packet of Ranch Dressing mix. 

Spicy - 
Spicy Paprika - Toss with 3/4 teaspoon chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. 

Thai - Toss with 1 teaspoon each curry powder and dried basil, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and zest of 1 lime.

Chipotle Chocolate -  Toss with 1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder and 1/8 teaspoon chipotle seasoning.


Cajun -  In small saucepan, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over medium heat. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon each cumin, garlic powder, dried basil, dried thyme, and paprika; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; and 1 dash cayenne pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 minute. Drizzle over popcorn and toss.


Chili Lime -  Drizzle with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and a few shakes of Tabasco. Toss with 1 teaspoon each freshly squeezed lime juice and lime zest, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and 1/8 teaspoon each chili powder and chili flakes

Wasabi -Toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons wasabi powder, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, and 1 finely crumbled sheet nori.

Sweet Chili - Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons honey and 1 dash each garlic powder, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Microwave mixture on high for 15 seconds. Drizzle over popcorn and toss with 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

How can you not love a snack that you can make so many different ways and still be healthy eating it. If you can, use a mister for your butter or olive oil. (or cut it out all together). What a great way to get your daily whole grains! 

Whole Grain Chocolate Waffles

When I whipped these up on Sunday morning everybody thought I was making dessert for breakfast. But the truth is, these couldn't have been more simple or better for us. 

Since I added cocoa powder to my waffles, I was able to boost the flour to 100% whole grain instead of the 50/50 blend that I normally use with all-purpose flour. (Because the cocoa made the waffles a nice chocolate brown and that totally hides the whole grain color from my family. (mostly the teens!)

I sliced up the last of the berries that I had in the fridge and the ones that I had to cut up because one side had gone a little "mushy" got put into a sauce pan and cooked down to make a delicious syrup - who's only ingredient was mashed up berries. 

 

You could serve these with sliced bananas, or other fresh fruits. You could even serve them as dessert waffles and not tell a soul they were eating something really good for them. 

They did turn out a little Cake-y for the waffle purist in our family, but when I heated one up the next day in the toaster over it was crispy on the outside and perfect on the inside....  I might just say these are Better the next day. But I'll need to make a few more batches and do lots more chocolate waffle research. 

Gingerbread Apple Muffins

Gingerbread is one of my favorite things in the whole world.  My dad makes the most incredible ginger snap cookies - which I changed and adapted to a chewy molasses cookie with a lemon glaze and my mom makes a big fluffy gingerbread type cake that we eat with whipped cream and lemon glaze.  I have a lot of food memories that revolve around gingerbread flavors. 

So of course, I had to make these muffins. They are amazing, the addition of the apples makes them just a bit different and you really can't get much healthier in a recipe than this one. 

Chili Lime Cantaloupe

One of the things that I just love about food is finding simple flavor combinations that compliment each other. Taking something simple and adding one or two flavors to compliment it and you having something just incredible. 

This cantaloupe recipe is just that type of experience. My family loves cantaloupe and we eat a lot of it. It was on sale at my local store and so we bought a few of them. Two of them were perfectly ripe and so delicious and got eaten as fast as I could cut them. The third was still a bit on the "green" side, but I had cut it anyway and didn't want it to not get eaten. 

I have had lime and chili with Jicama before and really liked it, although I felt like the Jicama wasn't adding much to the equation, I really love the combo of lime and chili. 

 Ingredients:
1 medium cantaloupe, cut into cubes
fresh lime juice - start with 1/2 and then add to taste
1 Tbsp honey
⅛ tsp salt
⅛ tsp crushed red pepper (add slowly, you can easily get too hot)

Instructions:

Wash your cantaloupe before you cut into it - Trust me! this is an important step.

Cut the cantaloupe in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Use your preferred method to cut the melon into cubes.

In a small bowl, combine the juice of half a lime (about 1.5-2 Tbsp), honey, salt, and crushed red pepper. Stir until the honey is dissolved.

Pour the dressing over the sliced cantaloupe and toss to coat the melon in the dressing.

Serve immediately, or chill until ready to eat.

Glazed Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

This bread is worth making jars and jars of homemade applesauce. 

This makes the most delicious sweet bread. The oatmeal makes it dense and hearty. With Greek yogurt, applesauce, and oats this bread can be a great breakfast on the run. 

Glazed Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs beaten

1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

1 cup applesauce (homemade or chunky style is best)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar (add more if needed to thicken)

1/4 cup applesauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease loaf pan. I used a 9.25 by 5.25 by 2.75 inch metal nonstick loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix by hand flour, oats, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. Set aside.

In another bowl, mix sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla, then stir into dry ingredients by hand until just combined.

Scoop the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 45-48 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and whisk together the powdered sugar and applesauce for the glaze.

When the bread has cooled for just a bit, pour the glaze over the top. It will settle into the cracks and keep the bread moist. The glaze will set, but will remain slightly sticky.

Double Chocolate Fudge Zucchini Whoopie Pies

You are going to be wanting to harvest all your zucchini and all the zucchini growing in your neighbors' yards too after reading this.  If you didn't plant any (like me!) just put the word out that you are willing to take any and all of the buggers and you'll be rolling in them. 

I can't think of a nicer vegetable to bake up into a double chocolate whoopie pie!!

for the cookies: 

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup finely shredded zucchini ( I peeled mine before I shredded them as well) 

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

for the filling:

2 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 small jar marshmallow cream

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

For the cookies, in a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in cocoa powder and sugars. The mixture will be thick and resemble sand-that’s ok.

Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.

Add flour mixture, stirring until moist. Stir in zucchini and chocolate chips.

Drop by large scoop 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. 

Bake for 8 minutes or until almost set. Cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes or until cookies are firm. 

Remove cookies from sheet and cool completely on wire racks.

For the filling, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and marshmallow cream. Beat until fully combined.

Sandwich cookies and filling.

These turn our so rich and fudgey and gooey and marvelous!

You don't need to eat a ton of them to have that yummy treat feeling - in fact, they are perfect for sharing with someone that you love. 

The chocolate flavor is so rich and deep, that you could easily cut down on the sugar and not miss the sweetness, 

Also since the cookie is dense and moist, you could use a whole grain flour and probably not even know the difference.