oatmeal mason jars

Mango Almond

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup diced mango (approx. half of a small mango)

Directions

In a half pint jar or container, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, almond extract and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Add mangoes and stir with fork until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled. 

Blueberry Maple

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup (more or less to taste)
• 1/4 cup blueberries (or enough to fill jar)

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, and maple syrup. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add blueberries and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled. 

Apple Cinnamon

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, or enough to fill jar

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, cinnamon and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add applesauce and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled. 

Raspberry Vanilla 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon raspberry jam, preserves, or spread
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup raspberries (cut each berry in half), or enough to fill jar

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, vanilla, and raspberry jam. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add raspberries and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or as long as 2-3 days. Eat chilled. 

Peach Melba

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 tablespoons raspberry jam
• ¼ cup chopped peaches

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds,vanilla extract and jam. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add peaches and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Eat chilled. 

Cranberry Pecan

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• Teensy pinch of ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 2 tablespoons whole cranberry sauce (or jellied)
• 1 tablespoon chopped pecans

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, milk, yogurt, chia seeds, cloves and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add cranberry sauce & pecans and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Eat chilled.

Pineapple Coconut

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup lite coconut milk
• 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon honey, optional (or substitute any preferred sweetener)
• 1/4 cup chopped pineapple (fresh, frozen, or drained canned)

Directions

In a half pint (1 cup) jar, add oats, coconut milk, yogurt, chia seeds,  and honey. Put lid on jar and shake until well combined. Remove lid, add pineapple and stir until mixed throughout. Return lid to jar and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Eat chilled. 

Crock Pot Sesame Honey Chicken

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: over 2/3 cup • Old Pts: 4 • Weight Watchers Points+: 4
Calories: 185.5 • Fat: 2 g • Protein: 27 g • Carbs: 13.5 g • Fiber: 0.7 g • Sugar: 10 g
Sodium: 504 mg

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce (tamari for gluten-free)
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp sriracha hot chili sauce, or more to taste
• 1 heaping tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 medium scallions, chopped for garnish

Directions: 

Place the chicken in the slow cooker and season with black pepper. In a medium bowl,combine soy sauce, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, 1 tbsp water, sesame oil, onion powder and sriracha hot chili sauce. Pour over chicken and cook on LOW 3-4 hours.

Remove chicken, leaving the sauce in the slow cooker. Shred chicken with two forks;set aside. 

In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in remaining 1/4 cup water; add to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on HIGH until slightly thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes; return chicken to the slow cooker and mix well.

Serve chicken and sauce over rice and top with sesame seeds and chopped scallions for garnish.

Enjoy!

Dutch Oven Summer Vegetable Tian

• 
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• 1 TBSP oil
• 1/2-1 whole medium onion, chopped (amount depends on your preference and tolerance.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small zucchini, thinly sliced
• 2 small yellow squash, thinly sliced
• 4 large potatoes, thinly sliced (I’ve used russets, red, and Yukon gold with equal success)
• 3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Dried Thyme, to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 C parmesan and romano cheese blend, grated

Instructions

1. At home: Chop onion and garlic and store in a container (bag, tupperware, etc). Slice potatoes, zucchini, squash, and tomatoes. (This is a great time to use a fancy kitchen tool if you have it. Currently, my fancy tool is a good knife and my own two hands.) You can store all these items in the same container if you like, but I like to divide them out. Adding water to the container with the potatoes helps them from oxidizing and changing color. Store all the vegetables and cheese in your cooler and pack the oil and seasonings.
2. At camp: Start your charcoal. You’ll need a total of 24 briquettes, but it’s always a good idea to have a few extra. Sauté the onion and garlic until softened (about 5 minutes). You can do this in the dutch oven over some briquettes or on a camping or backpacking stove.
3. Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and thyme. The majority of the flavor comes from this, so don’t skimp!
4. Cover your dutch oven with its lid. Bake with 10 briquettes on bottom and 14 briquettes on top for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, top with cheese and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the vegetables are soft.
5. Spread the softened onion and garlic in the bottom of a 10″ dutch oven. Place the thinly sliced vegetables in the dutch oven, lining them up vertically around the edges in an alternating pattern. Pack the vegetables nice and tight. I generally do a loose circle, enough that the vegetables can stand up on their own, and then fill in any spaces. Continue this process with a second inner ring 

Cilantro Lime Tilapia Tacos

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 2 tacos • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 319 • Fat: 12 g • Protein: 26.5 g • Carb: 33.7 g • Fiber: 9.7 g • Sugar: 3.6 g
Sodium: 76.2 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb tilapia fillets, rinsed and pat dried
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 2 jalapeño peppers, chopped (seeds removed for less heat)
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 5-inch white corn tortillas (I used La Tortilla Factory Fiber & Flax)
• 1 medium haas avocado, sliced
• lime wedges and cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Sauté onion until translucent, then add garlic. Mix well.
Place tilapia on the skillet and cook until the flesh starts to flake. Add jalapeño peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice. Sauté over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, breaking up the fish with the spoon to get everything mixed well; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat tortillas on a skillet a few minutes on each side to warm (no oil needed). Serve a little over 1/4 cup of fish on each warmed tortillas with a slice or 2 of avocado and enjoy!

Slow Cooker New England Clam Chowder

(serves 8)

Ingredients:4 (6 1/2 ounce) cans chopped clams (including juice)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 stalks of celery, diced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced
6 strips of bacon, cooked and diced
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups half and half

Directions:Add clams and juice to slow cooker.  Add cream of mushroom soup, potatoes, celery, garlic, onion, bacon, basil, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper to slow cooker.  Mix thoroughly until combined.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.  Add half and half and cook on high for one additional hour.  Remove bay leaf before serving.

NOT YO MOMMA’S SHEPARD’S PIE

Note to Linz: takes about 3 hours to make.......make ahead.....30 mins to bake

Shepard’s Pie

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 large red potatoes, 2 peeled/2 with skins cut into 1-inch pieces

2 lbs ground turkey, thawed

4 large carrots, peeled and diced

1 medium sweet onion, diced

1 cup frozen organic sweet baby peas

1 cup frozen fresh sweet corn

1 large zucchini, diced

1 large yellow summer squash, diced

4 large Roma tomatoes, diced

2 tsp fresh minced garlic

1.5 tsp salt (separated)

1 Tbs Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp pepper

1 Tbs parsley

2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese

 In a large pot, bring 5 cups of water to boil.  Prepare the sweet and red potatoes.  Once water boiling, add the cut potato pieces into water.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes until potatoes are soft.

 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 and brown ground turkey in a large skillet.  Place browned ground turkey to the side.  In the same large skillet, add onion and carrots.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until carrots are slightly tender.  Add peas and corn and cook until warm.  Remove from heat.  Return ground beef to vegetable mixture.  Add zucchini, squash, tomatoes, garlic, 1 tsp salt, and Italian seasoning.  Mix wellSince I’m thinking about YOU and your future dinners, this will actually provide you enough to make 2 casseroles (one for dinner tonight ANDone to freeze for later use).  In two 9x3x13, spread turkey mixture evenly on the bottom.

Your potatoes should be getting soft at this point.  Drain the potatoes well and return them back to the pot and then mash them good.  Add 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, and parsley. Mix wellScoop the potato mixture evenly over the top of the turkey mixture.  Use a spoon to smooth the top.  Wrap one dish tightly with clear wrap or apply airtight lid before freezing.  For the dish you’re enjoying for dinner, bake uncovered for 25 minutes until top slightly brown.  Sprinkle cheese on top and return to oven for another 5 minutes until cheese has melted.  Serve warm.

TORTELLINI, CHICKEN, AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Ingredients

• 3 chicken breasts, thawed and cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1 Tbs Coconut or Olive oil
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 8 cups (64 oz) natural chicken stock or broth, low sodium
• 48 oz fresh or frozen tortellini
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 jalapeno, finely diced (optional)
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp parsley

Instructions

In large pot, heat oil over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic, carrots, onion, and celery. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until onions are slightly translucent.

Add chicken stock/broth and bring to boil.

Add chicken pieces, tortellini, bell pepper, mushroom, jalapeno, black pepper, and thyme. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until chicken no longer pink and tortellini tender.

Remove from heat and add parsley.

MULTIGRAIN WAFFLES

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 3/4 cup quick whole oats
• 2 Tbs flax seeds or flax seed meal
• 2 Tbs chia seeds (optional)
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups vanilla almond milk or vanilla coconut milk
• 2 Tbs pure honey or agave

Instructions

Combine all dry ingredients or first 7 ingredients together well in medium-sized bowl. Mix well.

Add milk and honey into dry ingredients and mix well.

Pre-heat waffle iron. Grease waffle iron with light olive oil cooking spray. Pour 1/2 cup batter in center and bake to preference.

Swig Sugar Cookie

Ingredients:

1 C Butter (room temperature)

3/4 C Vegetable Oil

1 1/4 C Sugar

3/4 C Powdered Sugar

2 T Water

2 Eggs

1/2 t Baking SodaCream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs.

Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture.

Mix until everything is combined.  Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.

Roll a golf ball sized ball of dough and place it on your cookie sheet

Now its time to give these babies their signature rough edge.  Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.)  Stick the bottom of a glass in it.  This is going to be your cookie press.

Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball.  You want your dough to spill out over the sides of the glass.  If there is a lip its even better.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes.  They should just barely be browning on the bottom.    Move cookies to a cooling rack.  Once they are cool put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup room temperature butter

3/4 C Sour Cream

Approx 1 2lb Package of Powdered Sugar (I never use the whole thing but love having extra on hand just incase I add to much milk!)

1 t salt

1/4 C Milk

Red Food Coloring

Start by creaming together butter and sour cream and salt.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not frosting like add a splash of milk.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.

Keep cookies in a sealed container until they are ready to serve.  The magic of a Swig Sugar Cookie is that the cookies are cold and the frosting is room temperature.  Frost right before serving (if you make them in advance and need to refrigerate the frosting make sure you give it time to warm up before serving)

1/2 t Cream of Tarter

1 t Salt

5 1/2 C Flour

FRESH SWEET CORN SALSA

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen sweet corn, rinsed with warm water
• 1 (15 oz) can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped (optional if you like your salsa HOT!)
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 packet of dry Italian seasoning dressing (I usually only use half the packet)

Instructions

In large bowl, combine corn, black beans, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, avocado, and jalapeno. Stir gently.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil, and dry Italian seasoning. Stir well and pour over top and gently stir until mixed well. Chill for at least 2 hours prior to serving for best results.

Serve with your favorite chips or on top of tacos.