Mango Lassi

I made this for an afternoon snack yesterday and it was a big hit with the whole family! It's a snap to throw together and very yummy! At the time I made it, I didn't have plain yogurt, so I used the vanilla yogurt I had on hand and then skipped the honey - no one seemed to think it tasted funny, so this is probably an okay substitution. :)

Cherry Vanilla Oatmeal ~ page 36

I have a chipped tooth that prevents me from eating anything hard, chewy or crunchy until I get it fixed. So, as soon as I saw this recipe I thought...there is something I can eat! (I sure miss my bagels!) I have been making several of Ellie's smoothies for the same reason. I'll get those posted soon.

Anyway, this was really yummy, the cherries add a very sophisticated taste that I didn't expect, a little tartness. By the time I splurged on the dried cherries I didn't feel like buying special jam, so I went with what was in the fridge using plum jam.
I usually think most sweets are too sweet, but this wasn't the case here, I actually had to sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top. Overall, it was very good, and made enough for me to keep in the fridge and eat on for breakfast the next couple mornings as I continue to baby this cracked tooth! --Carissa

Sloppy Joes ~ page 91

These were a hit at my house! I didn't have pinto or red beans like she called for in the recipe, so I used black beans. I made it a couple hours before dinner and just left the sauce on low on the stove till dinner time...made getting dinner on the table super fast when Adam got home.

I toasted the buns on a griddle with a touch of butter...I would recommend that, it helps keep the bun from getting soggy while you eat it. The only change I did to the recipe was to add a tablespoon or so of ketchup to the sauce so it had a more tomato-y taste. It made enough for me to freeze the leftovers for dinner another night. My husband said it tasted healthy, but that it was really good. My kiddos gave it 2 thumbs up also. Give it a try! --Carissa

Linguine with Shrimp and Vegetables (p. 161)

Another yummy dish! Very simple to make with lots of fresh ingredients. I used whole wheat and regular pasta together - find my kids will eat the whole wheat if I sneak it in with the regular otherwise it seems to taste like cardboard! As I was preparing this I thought it might be tasteless as so many healthy recipes can be but it was really good with lots of flavor. Leftovers were good the next day!!

White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip (p. 73)

So I jumped right in and started cooking when I got my new cookbook. Lots of yummy, healthy recipes!

I like hummus so much I thought I'd try this similar but different variation. Very easy and roasted garlic has such a sweet savory flavor. I used 3 smaller pods of garlic and the dip had a nice garlicky flavor but not too strong. I did not have white pepper so skipped that and thought it needed a little punch - maybe Tabasco. Next time would definitely add the white pepper and Tabasco! Served with pita chips and carrots, celery and snap peas. Flavor was even better the second day! Yum!

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

I just ordered my cookbook yesterday, and I am so excited. My mom made these cupcakes recently and they were very tasty.

Let's get cooking!

Just thought I'd remind everyone to be getting your new cookbook...for those of you who haven't heard it is by Ellie Krieger..."The Food You Crave" (The one where she is wearing an orange sweater on the front cover!)

I just got mine in the mail a couple days ago used from Amazon for $10 plus shipping, so it wasn't too bad. I have been reading through it and my mouth is watering! There are some mighty yummy looking recipes in there! I can't wait to dive in. Let's do the official switch over to the new book around the middle of July, how does that sound. That gives everyone 2 more weeks to get it. If you want to start posting sooner, that is fine, I just thought we needed a date to shoot for so we are all starting about the same time.

In my flipping through the book I noticed that.... as a group we will get to test yet another meatloaf, more mashed potatoes, and even mac and cheese. It will be interesting to see how these healthy versions compare to the fat loaded versions of Ina and PW! So, let's get cooking. --Carissa