Christmas-Movie-Aholics

The cold weather in South Louisiana is FINALLY here!!! Right on cue as well the Christmas movies on the Hallmark channel are here to put even the biggest scrooges in the holiday spirit. Yes we are cheesy-Christmas-movie-AHOLICS. There's nothing better than a weekend spent curled up on the couch sipping hot chocolate and watching these quite addicting movies. The holidays also mean baking......and LOTS of it in our house. So Tracy & I cranked out some cookies (yes I will admit to baking store bought cookies on a blog about cooking) & casseroles while we watched all the mistletoe smooching & Santa Clause magic. Tonight we will definitely be tuning in for the premier of the cute new movie Northpole so for a quick & easy dinner I decided to take advantage of having some free time to make use of all the extra breads crowding up the fridge & pantry. These egg dishes would be great for a holiday breakfast or a brunch get together.

Ciabatta Bread Brunch Casserole

2 onion poppy ciabatta sandwich rolls
2 zucchini squash
1 2.25oz can of sliced black olives (drained)
8 eggs
1/4c low fat milk
1 10 oz can of rotel  
1/2 tsp Slap Ya Momma (or other Cajun seasoning)
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4c of shredded mozzarella

Cut the ciabatta rolls into cubes and place into casserole dish. Cut the ends off of the zucchini & chop into small pieces. Add the zucchini & olives to the casserole dish & toss everything together. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the eggs & milk. Stir in rotel & seasonings. Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish & mix everything together to make sure that all the bread cubes are coated. Top with mozzarella & bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 mins

 Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl French Toast Casserole

About half a loaf of Pepperidge Farm cinnamon swirl bread
About half a loaf of Pepperidge Farm pumpkin cobbler bread
10 eggs
1/4c low fat milk
1c vanilla Greek yogurt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4c light brown sugar
1/4c pecans

Cut the cinnamon & pumpkin breads into cubes and put into a casserole dish. In a separate mixing bowl whisk together the eggs & milk. Whisk in the yogurt & cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture into the casserole dish & stir together to coat all of the bread cubes. Sprinkle the brown sugar & pecans on top. Cover with foil & bake at 350 degrees for  30-40 mins

Avocado Lime Devils

I hope everyone had a great Easter!! The weather was beautiful for hunting Easter eggs & other than a finger getting shut in the door, the day was perfect. Also, thanks to Paleoing it for the last 2 weeks I have lost 7 pounds & felt a new Easter dress was necessary to celebrate!!! I have found eating the Paleo way to be a lot easier than I though it would be. Like any change in your diet, you have to get used to the adjustment of what you can & can't have, but with the Paleo diet you aren't "giving up" your favorite foods. We haven't bid farewell to sweets or comfort foods, we've just changed the recipe. With Easter this weekend I took an easy classic recipe & put a Paleo twist on it. I absolutely love deviled eggs & in our family they are a holiday staple but all the mayo & mustard is a big no-no. I used an avocado as replacement to get the creamy texture. The avocado lime deviled eggs were ridiculous!!! I'm not sure if I'll go back to the classic recipe.....ever!!

Paleo Avocado Lime Deviled Eggs

10 boiled eggs peeled

2 avocados

3 Tbs of fresh squeezed lime juice

Slap Ya Momma or other Cajun seasoning

Cut the eggs in half & put the yolks into a small bowl. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop the avocado out into the bowl with the yolks. Add the lime juice. Using a fork mash the yolks & avocados together until smooth. Season to taste then refill the egg whites with the yummy green goodness.

No More Ice Cream!!??

I first heard about the Paleo diet from a few of my customers who were on the diet but still looking to take advantage of the "night off from cooking" that my meals to go business offers. So I started my research on Pinterest (of course) & experimented with some different recipes until I was able to add in a few pre-made Paleo dinners to my menu rotations. I had a HUGE response & have continued adding Paleo dishes & even figured out ways to "Paleoize" menu favorites! 

I get a lot of questions from customers about the health benefits of eating Paleo  & how it compares to other diets out there, so I've decided to go a step farther than experimenting with recipes. We are going Paleo!!! Of course the thought of a life without ice cream was quite sad for Tracy....

 & me too because seriously who doesn't love ice cream!!??? 

We decided to kick off our Paleoism officially we'd start with a will power boosting Strawberry Banana Hazelnut "ice cream." To treat yourself for hitting weight loss, fitness, or other goals is necessary in my opinion. This recipe allows you to give yourself a little treat without the guilt!!!

 Strawberry Banana Hazelnut Paleo Ice Cream

Ingredients

4 bananas peeled & frozen

1/4c of almond milk

1 cup of sliced strawberries

1 Tbs of honey

1/3c hazelnuts

In a food processor or blender blend the bananas & almond milk until smooth. Pour into a medium size bowl & stir in the strawberries, nuts, & honey. We poured our mixture into a plastic throw away container then placed it into the freezer for about 20-30 minutes. Then spoons up & enjoy!!

Guacamole Yummy

The warmth of summer is definitely on it's way, even though Mother Nature is having some slight mood swings. In South Louisiana crawfish boils are well underway & the backyard grilling days are here. Whether you're the party goer or the party thrower this recipe for homemade guacamole will make you the hero!!! It's easy, quick, & if you have little chefs running circles in your kitchen like I do, this recipe allows those little hands to help.

Guacamole

Ingredients
1 box of Wholly Guacamole (if you are crunched for time) or 5 avocados
1/4th of a red onion
6-8 roma tomatoes
2 limes
1 jalapeno pepper
4 Tbs of red wine vinegar
1 Tbs Slap Ya Momma seasoning

Begin by washing the tomatoes then cut them up & add to your medium size mixing bowl. Next using the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor. This is a great step to let the kids help with, Tracy Lynn LOVES to use the processor. Once the onions are chopped up add them to your mixing bowl as well.

 

Juice the 2 limes & add to the bowl along with the vinegar & seasoning. Slice the end off of the jalapeno then slice in half longways. If you want a good kick to your guacamole add the whole pepper seeds & all the the processor & chop. If you want a really mild spice level scrape all the seeds out or just use the seeds in half of the jalapeno. Mix those ingredients together. Add the avocados last. If you are using fresh avocados peel, take the pit out & cut into little pieces. Once all the ingredients are mixed together in the bowl you may not even need chips!! This recipe is a family favorite that almost gets eaten by the spoonfuls by itself.

If you are feeling extra crafty, homemade tortilla chips are fun to experiment with. Here is the base recipe we use.

Homemade tortilla chips

Ingredients

1 pkg of tortillas

oil, for brushing

salt

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush each tortilla with a little oil then cut them into triangles. Sprinkle with salt and bake in the oven until browned and edges start to curl. (about 10 minutes, but check them often)