Creamy Garbanzo Dip with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
2 tsp fresh flat-leaf parsley

Drop garlic through food chute with processor on, process until minced.  Add oil and next 7 ingredients (through garbanzo beans).  Process until smooth, scraping sides as necessary.  Add tomatoes, and pulse 3 times or until tomatoes are coarsely chopped.  Spoon dip into a serving bowl, and sprinkle with parsley.  Serves 12 (serving size 2 Tbsp).

Source: Cooking Light Real Family Food

Heidi brought this dip to Jodi's baby shower, and it was a hit!  I'm excited to try it.

Green Alfredo Pasta

2 cups milk
1/3 cup (3 oz) cream cheese
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
4 cups greens (spinach, kale, swiss chard, etc.)
1 Tbsp butter
1-2 garlic cloves
3/4 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 pound pasta of your choice (I like whole wheat)

1. Blend milk, cream cheese, flour, salt, and greens in a blender until smooth.
2. In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Saute garlic for about 30 seconds.
3. Add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a boil and thickens. Remove the pan from the heat.
4. Stir cheese in and cover. Let stand for at least 10 minutes or longer to thicken.
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain, and add sauce to pasta.  Add walnuts and toss until coated.  Serve with grated Parmesan on top, if desired.

Note: Sauce can be frozen in quart-size freezer bags. Thaw frozen sauce completely and reheat leftovers adding 1 tablespoon milk or water to thin.

Source: Started with this recipe, then decided to sneak in some greens and nuts!

Try #1 - March 10, 2015
I started out wanting to make an alfredo sauce for dinner, and had planned to add broccoli to it.  But... turns out we didn't have any broccoli in the freezer.  So to improvise (and still try to add some green to the meal), I decided to try and blend in some fresh greens.  We had a big bag of spinach/kale/chard mix from Costco, so I threw in a few handfuls of that into the blender.  On a whim, I decided to add some walnuts to the pasta at the end.  Everyone enjoyed the meal, even the baby!  I'm pretty pleased with my sneaky way of adding vitamins to our meal!  Sorry that the picture looks kind of gross.

Whole Wheat Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

1. In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter until fluffy.  Add egg and egg white; beat well.  Stir together flours, baking soda, and salt; beat into creamed mixture.
2. In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon.  Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll in cinnamon and sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  Cookies will puff up and flatten as they bake.  Cool on wire racks.  Makes 5 dozen.

Source: Allrecipes

Try #1 - February 12, 2015
I made these for Abby's class on her birthday, but didn't get a chance to record the recipe.  I can't remember if I stuck with the flour measurements as indicated in the recipe or if I used all whole wheat flour, as many reviewers on the website suggested.  Regardless, these were great!

Red Beans and Rice

1 pound (2 cups) dried kidney beans
2 Tbsp high-heat oil (I used olive oil)
12 ounces Andouille sausage or thick-cut bacon, sliced (I used bacon)
1 yellow onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp dried thyme
1 Tbsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 bay leaves
6 to 8 cups stock or water
Salt, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste
3 cups cooked long-grain rice, for serving
1/4 cup chopped green onions

1. Put sorted beans in a large metal bowl and cover with 3 inches cold water.  Soak at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, adding more water if necessary.  Drain and rinse.
2. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add sausage or bacon and cook until browned, about 10 minutes.  Stir in onions, celery, pepper, and garlic.  Cook until onions soften, about 10 minutes.  Add thyme, paprika, oregano, basil, pepper and cayenne; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Add beans, bay leaves and stock or water to the pot; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.  Taste and adjust seasonings, add salt and hot sauce to taste.  Remove 1 cup of beans to a bowl and mash; return to the pot.  Serve over hot long-grain rice sprinkled with green onions.

Source: PCC Taste, March 2015

Try #1 - March 8, 2015
Pretty good, although I'm pretty sure I've made something similar to this before... It made a ton, so it's great for leftovers!  The kids didn't love it, so I'm not sure how often I'll make it.