CrazyBusy Mama! (Dot Calm)

Today I’d like to share with you a little blast from the past. I’ve been nostalgically scrolling through old posts from another blog I used to have (I think it’s still there, just sitting dormant), and found this fun recipe. I posted it back in 2007, and am actually thrilled because I’d forgotten all about this green drink (literally…it’s green). The only change I would make to it now is to add a scoop of vanilla-flavored protein powder.

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“Kermit in a Blender”
February 2, 2007

You read that right: Kermit in a Blender.

Kermit in a Blender is my new favorite drink. It’s a terrible name, I know, and you’ll think it’s even worse once you hear what’s in it. Hey…it’s not easy being green, but if you ignore the color, it’s not too hard to drink it.

Kermit in a Blender is a smoothie that is simple as can be. I found a great juice called Mega Green in the health foods section at my local supermarket. First, I’ll tell you what’s in that, then I’ll tell you how to make the smoothie.

The maker is R.W. Knudsen, and Mega Green is in a line of juices called Simply Nutritious. The front of the label says Mega Green is “a juice blend from five concentrates with spirulina, chlorella, green grasses & other green foods.” (Spirulina and chlorella are types of algae.) The juice has a heck of a lot of potassium in it (330mg per 8 oz. serving), which is great for improving your memory, among other things. Take a look at this lovely list of ingredients:

FILTERED WATER (SUFFICIENT TO RECONSTITUTE), APPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, PEACH PUREE CONCENTRATE, PINEAPPLE JUICE CONCENTRATE, BANANA AND MANGO PUREES, SPIRULINA, CHLORELLA, NATURAL GUMS (XANTHAN GUM, CARRAGEENAN, LOCUST BEAN GUM, SODIUM ALGINATE), BARLEY AND WHEAT GRASSES, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), NATURAL FLAVOR, BROCCOLI AND SPINACH POWDERS.

By itself, it tastes like a virgin pina colada being sipped through a seaweed straw, but put it in the smoothie, and you’ve got a tasty breakfast (the “green” taste seems to disappear). Or at least a quick snack.

Kermit in a Blender
8 oz. Mega Green juice
4 oz. apple juice (optional)
7-10 ice cubes
1 banana

Place all of the above in a blender. On mine, I have a “crush ice” option, so I put it on that setting until I no longer see any large pieces of ice whirring around. So give it a go. Mix it up, and share it with a friend.

So far, this drink has a fan base of only two: my 11 year-old daughter and myself. My 12 year-old son, who will not drink it, affectionately calls it, “Kermit Getting Sick by the Lake.” Perhaps we need to think of a nicer (and more appetizing) name….

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It was fun sharing this blast from the past with you. Let me know if you try the drink, or if you have a favorite smoothie recipe of your own.

More blasts from the past to come!
©2010 Sally Dinius
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Sally Dinius is writer-in-chief here at CrazyBusyMama.com, a blog created to inspire and motivate busy mamas everywhere to feel healthy, fit, and in control of their lives. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sdinius, and become a member of the CrazyBusy Mama Facebook fan page by clicking here.

This past weekend has been a particularly trying one for my family. While shopping yesterday, I decided to bypass my health-conscious conscience and bring home a dessert we could all “emotionally eat” that evening…nurturer that I am. And because it’s October, what naturally came to mind was…what else? Pumpkin pie.

I made my way over to the store’s bakery and quickly found the pies. In the past, I’d bought pumpkin pies without so much as a glance at the calorie declaration. Not anymore. Holding one of the pies over my head so I could read the nutrition panel, I almost dropped it when I saw the number: 350 calories per 1/8 of the pie. In other words, if you cut it into eight pieces, the slices are 350 calories each.

(Admittedly, my shock at that number didn’t register nearly as high as it did when I discovered the caloric intake in one little Hostess fruit pie: around 500 calories, give or take, depending on the pie. I haven’t bought one since.)

So, truth be sheepishly told…I bought the pumpkin pie. But because it’s something I bring home so rarely, I flicked the dancing Richard Simmons off my shoulder and put the pie in the cart…determined to find a recipe for a healthy alternative stat.

I think I succeeded, along with a couple other recipes I’ll be trying this week:

	Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Crust from Care2. After a little searching, I found a recipe I just might try. Not only is the calorie count less than half of the pie I bought the other night (just 125 calories per slice for this one), but it’s healthier. The crust is made up of graham crackers and ground pecans (low-fat graham crackers are available), and 1/4 apple juice concentrate combined with 1/4 brown sugar sweetens it. Definitely sounds better for my family than the 1 cup of sugar used in another “healthy” pumpkin pie recipe I found (and quickly discarded) today.
Apple Scones I’m not much of a fair-goer, so when I hear the word “scones,” I think of fall or cottages dotting the English countryside rather than cotton candy, rides, and petting zoos. To me, a good, healthy scone paired with a hot mug of coffee is a perfect way to begin a frosty morning. I liked this particular recipe because, while it uses white sugar, it only calls for 1/4 cup, and wheat germ is one of the ingredients (don’t bypass that one!). The recipe also includes 1/2 cup of buttermilk, but it makes eight scones, so it’s not like each person will be getting all of that fat. (And I think I saw low-fat buttermilk recently…wonders never cease!) No word on the calories in this recipe — just stick to one scone.
	Banana Crunch Muffins Tell ya what — if I make these, I’m hiding them! I go weak in the knees for banana muffins, and it looks like this recipe’s a keeper. Shrink the calorie count even more by using low-fat buttermilk and substituting the chocolate chips for walnuts (okay, okay — keep the chocolate…but do add some walnuts for extra fiber).

*Note: If you can’t imagine going for a “healthy” version of pumpkin pie, at least use Libby’s recipe for their Famous Pumpkin Pie. While it’s still a big 280 calories per slice, that’s 70 calories less than the store-made pie I brought home this weekend. (And if you can’t forego that dollop of whipped cream, at least buy the “light” version.)

I RECOMMEND:

With The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger (host of Food Network’s Healthy Appetite), you can eat that comfort food you’ve been thinking of…without all the guilt. Go ahead…indulge! 320 pages and over 200 recipes. Check it out!

©2009 Sally Dinius
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If you’re a crazybusy mama, finding time to bake for your family can be a near-impossible task. Even if you do have the time after a busy day, you may not want to spend it cooking anything besides dinner. Believe me, I’ve been there.

So, each Sunday here at CBM (CrazyBusy Mama), I’m going to showcase an easy recipe. Lazy Sunday afternoons can be prime baking time, so posting recipes on days like today just seems, well, natural.

Today’s recipe for Magic Bars is a favorite with my family. The Magic Bars recipe was developed by Eagle Brand, makers of Sweetened Condensed Milk, among other things. I find it’s a perfect recipe for cool fall days, and a delectable accompaniment to a glass of milk for after-school snacks.

If you’d like to see more recipes like this one, check out the link to the Eagle Brand cookbook at the bottom of this post.

Magic Cookie Bars from EAGLE BRAND ®

INGREDIENTS
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
* 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
* 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
* 1 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13×9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Source: AllRecipes.com

My notes:

• I recommend using real butter. It just tastes better.
• I break graham crackers into pieces and give them a whirl in my KitchenAid food processor, but if you’re pressed for time, just by the pre-packaged graham cracker crumbs.
• To make these my signature magic bars, I add chopped dates, white chocolate chips (along with semi-sweet chocolate chips), and use pecans instead of walnuts (the recipe doesn’t specify which kind to use, but I’ve tried both and prefer pecans). I also put the coconut on last, and press it all down — gently — with a fork.

Enjoy!

©2009 Sally Dinius (except recipe)
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Highly Recommended:

Travel back to your childhood with the Eagle Brand Classic Recipes cookbook. It’s perfect for finding recipes to make for holiday gatherings. Or…give it as a gift!

Whenever we have a get-together with friends or family, I like to make my hot artichoke and spinach dip (hot as in temperature, not spiciness). There’s nothing quite like the tanginess of artichoke mixed with spinach, cream cheese, parmesan, and garlic, piled on top of a slice of toasted baguette.

Unfortunately, I forgot to make this for our gathering on the 4th of July, but did make it the following day for my family. It’s a treat, and still yummy when spread cold on a piece of toast the next day. A tasty variation of this would be to stir in a little crab meat (or replace the spinach with it).

You can consider yourselves lucky today…I never give this out.

Artichoke Spinach Dip

Combine in a bowl and cream together:

• 2 - 8 oz. pkgs cream cheese (I use Neufchatel, because it has 1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese)
• 1/2 c. mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)
• 1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese (the kind in the bag, not the powdery parmesan that you shake on spaghetti)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. dried basil or 2 tsp. fresh basil
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Add to the mixture:

• 1 - 14 oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 1 c. chopped spinach, steamed and water pressed out with paper towelling (I use frozen spinach — canned spinach is awful and will ruin the dip)

Stir together until well blended. Spray a small casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray, then pour in mixture.

Top with 1/2 c. or more of grated mozzarella cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. I like to place it under the broiler for a minute or two after it bakes to toast the top just a little (not too much, or you’ll burn the mozzarella).

Serve with toasted baguette slices. Can also be served with thin wheat crackers if you’re short on time.

Enjoy.

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Summer is upon us! That means hot days, fun in the sun, and muggy evenings when you don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking. Here’s a quick dinner recipe I came up with for days just like that.

 

CRUNCHY VEGGIE PIZZA

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread

1 avocado

1 orange bell pepper

1 Roma tomato

2 large white mushrooms

1 small head of broccoli

1/2 - 1 cup Marie’s Lite Creamy Ranch Dressing

1/2 - 1 cup shredded low-fat cheese (like mozzerella)

 

Directions:

1. With a bread knife, slice the loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Place on a cookie sheet cut side up, and slide into the oven to broil for 2-3 minutes (watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn). 
2. Remove from broiler and let cool while you prepare the veggies.
3. Chop the bell pepper, tomato, mushrooms, and broccoli into smaller-than-bitesize pieces. Place all into one bowl and stir to combine. 
4. Cut open the avocado by  slicing around the center lengthwise. Scoop out the insides into a small bowl, then mash.
5. Spread the toasted French bread loaf with the ranch dressing. Next, spread each half of the loaf with half of the mashed avocado and top evenly with mixed veggies. (You don’t have to use all the veggies; just what you need. Save the rest to use in a salad tomorrow.)
6. Sprinkle cheese evenly over each half and broil for about 3 minutes (watching carefully).

(Optional prep: Make the pizza as above, but skip the final broil.) 

Serve with grapes and garlic bread sticks on the side. Enjoy!