I took your advice.

We bought frozen pitted cherries and our world has changed.

They are so good.  Costco changed the way we eat cherries and they can change your life too.  For this smoothie I kept the ingredients simple and let the cherries be the star of the show.  I rarely use ice in smoothies but this time I did.  So rewarding – but you have to make sure you have a good blender as the ice is pretty tough to chomp thru.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup frozen cherries
• 1/2 Cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 Tsp. real vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. Flax seed, ground
• Handful of ice cubes
• Splash of water

Method

1. Add splash of water, ice cubes and cherries to blender. Blend on high
2. Remove the lid and add the yogurt, vanilla and flax seeds
3. Check for consistency and flavor ( Adjust vanilla and water level if need be)
4. Top with ground flax seed
5. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip:  Simple is often better but you could really add some jazz to this with a hint of banana, pineapple or even some fresh raspberries. 

OK – I am going to get going and get to work.  The jobs are piling up.  Did I ever tell you that I love my job?   The joys of working from home are endless.  Believe it or not, I even feel that I eat healthier at home and pretty much never eat out for lunch.  Kind of fun!  I will talk about some big plans next week in the future of zesty.

Have a great Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Monday!   Why did I make applesauce based muffins?  Well, Saturday we were shopping and the kids were strolling down the aisle with us and all of a sudden I hear…. let’s buy applesauce , let’s buy applesauce.  I was like… ummm OK so I picked up the 6 individual servings of unsweetened applesauce and kept moving.  Later that night after supper, zesty junior asked for some apple sauce.  Immediately within seconds princess zesty asked for the same thing.

After a total of 30 seconds… all I hear was  – oh yuck.  I DON’T like this, I DON’T like this.  Oh dear…. why in the world did we buy it?  Oh I thought I would like it Dad – me too dad.  The muffin was born.

Now, I never seem to have super success with muffins either a:) because they are too boring and dry or b:) because I eat them all when they are baked.  Both somewhat of a problem.  I knew I could not throw this applesauce in the garbage so away I went.

Ingredients

• 1 Egg
• 1 Cup applesauce
• 2/3 Cup buttermilk
• 1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 Cup fancy molasses
• 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tsp. vanilla
• 1 Cup natural wheat bran
• 3/4 Cup ground flax seed
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tsp. baking soda
• 1 Tsp. cinnamon
• 1 Tsp. salt
• 1 Cup chopped apple

Preparation

1. Place oven rack in center of oven; turn on heat to 375°F (190°C). Brush each muffin cup lightly with oil or line with paper liner; set aside.
2. Break egg into large bowl. Measure applesauce, buttermilk, brown sugar, molasses, oil and vanilla into same bowl. Whisk together with egg until smooth.
3. Add bran, apple  and flax seed and with a wooden spoon, stir well. Set aside for 5 minutes for bran to soften and absorb some of the liquid.
4. Measure flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt into separate large bowl. Move applesauce mixture over dry ingredients.  Stir together until combined and no streaks of flour remain.
5. Using ice cream scoop or large spoon, fill muffin cups to the top with batter. Bake for about 22-25 minutes or until golden and domed and tops feel firm to the touch.
6. Remove from oven to rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Lift muffins out of pans and let cool completely on rack.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Muffins can be wrapped individually in plastic wrap, enclosed in an airtight container or large freezer bag and frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Alright, the verdict on the muffins were decent.  They were flavorful and moist but I think I may have mixed the batter too long as the outside of the muffins were kind of tough.  Does anyone know the real trick to making an amazing muffin?  Let me know because I do like to eat them.

Have a great Monday and I will be back on Wednesday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Happy Monday to you!  Did you watch the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Curling Final last night?  It was a great game for sure and came right down to the very end.  Leading up to the game we had both Saturday and Sunday breakfasts.  On Saturday morning, I whipped up a batch of Oatmeal flax pancakes that were so goooooooooooood.  I could not wait for Sunday morning to arrive so we could eat them again.  See we didn’t finish all the batter on Saturday so I just wrapped it up and covered it in the fridge for yesterday.  DELICIOUS!

Pancakes are so simple yet very powerful.  You can do traditional white pancakes with butter and syrup, you could try a whole wheat version, you could whip up a potato pancake or you could try these.

All of the above are good but these oat flax pancakes with a hint of maple syrup will honestly make you smile… I promise.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 Cups milk or soy milk
• 1 Cup Whole wheat flour
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 1 Tbsp. Agave syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Baking Powder
• 1 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tsp. cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Tsp. Vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. Plain Yogurt
• 1/3 Cup Chocolate chips ( optional )

Method

1. In a large bowl, blend together oats and milk and let stand 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, baking powder, flax, salt and cinnamon.
3. To the oat mixture, add the yogurt, agave syrup, chocolate chips and the large bowl of dry ingredients.
4. To make pancakes, use approximately ¼ cup batter per pancake. Cook over medium-high heat on a grill or lightly-oiled frying pan.
5. Serve with maple syrup.
6. ENJOY!
   
   

Zesty Tip: While it’s still hot, spread each pancake with natural peanut butter and let it melt and get oozy. Top with sliced bananas and a drizzle of real maple syrup.

OK another week is about to start so keep your chin up (or down if you are walking so you don’t trip) and have a great day.  I am getting some products in the mail this week to give a try so I should be back Wednesday with some fun information on what the mailman delivered to Zesty.  Enjoy the pancakes if you have time to make them for supper and if not try them when you can.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty