I love salad! Salads are fun to eat, versatile, and I don’t have to feel guilty about eating them! And thank you to Rachael Ray for coming up with this salad that we have eaten over and over in my house. I want to share it with you. Sliced Steak Salad with Bloody Mary Vinaigrette. All the flavors you love from a Bloody Mary, turned into a salad. Original recipe found here. Thank you Rachael Ray….Family Apron loves you!
-Tammy
Health tips: kidney friendly, diabetes friendly, low carb
I’m really excited about this blog post! I cannot wait for you all to try it and hear your feedback! I know it’s hard for some of us to make time to cook. So this is an easy way to kill two birds with one stone! Make a Crockpot full of chicken and use it for two dinners, maybe even three. One Crockpot of chicken will make my modified version of Rachael Ray’s Chicken Enchilada Suiza Casserole and my Chicken Tortilla Soup. And if you want to throw an extra chicken thigh or two into the slow-cooker, you’ll have enough for a third dinner…maybe tacos or panini’s. Just add the chicken to the Crockpot before you leave for work. When you come home, your chicken will be done and you can make two or three healthy meals! You’re welcome!
-Tammy
Health tips: diabetes-friendly, kidney-friendly, low-carb
Our followers ask, and we answer! You would love a chicken salad recipe you say? Well here is my take on two of my favorites! Chicken salad two ways- sweet and savory! Try my chicken salad with apples, celery, and grapes OR my buffalo chicken salad! Both are a delicious, healthy lunch or snack! Make it for a party, make it for your lunch, or take it to go!
-Tammy
Health tips: diabetes friendly, kidney friendly, low carb, kid friendly
Why, oh why are carnitas sooooo delicious?!?! Is it the meat itself? Is it the tortillas you put them in? The fixin’s? Or a combination of it all? For whatever the reason(s), I love to make a slow cooker version of this yummy pork. It’s inexpensive to make and can feed a ton of people. In fact, if you have a nice little crowd over, you might want to think about making my carnitas for super bowl. Enjoy!
-Tammy
Health tips: kidney friendly, diabetes friendly
Sometimes I want something sweet for breakfast and sometimes I want something savory. Either way, I try to have a healthy, filling breakfast to start my day. I like balance and my breakfast toast with a hardboiled egg is the perfect savory breakfast to start my day.
-Tammy
Health tips: diabetes friendly, kidney friendly*, low carb
We asked all of our followers what recipes they would love to see more of in this coming new year. One of the requests was for stuffed bell peppers. Since its winter (and I was thinking comfort food), I decided to make my stuffed bell pepper soup. By using no or low salt ingredients, this recipe is also great for someone who has kidney disease. And if you have diabetes, you can lessen the amount of rice you add to your soup for a lower carb option. So enjoy this guiltless soup! Oh, and if your kiddos love stuffed bell peppers, they will love this soup too!
-Tammy
Health tips: kidney friendly*, diabetes friendly, low carb**
Tomatoes, garlic and basil, oh my! These three things go together like a good three-piece suit. Throw in a few extra ingredients, and you have yourself a delicious topping to add onto a cute little piece of toasted bread (which toasted bread itself is actually called bruschetta).
I work at an elementary school…yup, I’m a teacher! We were celebrating birthdays for the month of December. I needed something I could feed a ton of people with. I decided to create a “build-your-own bruschetta bar”. Basically, I put out a pile of little sliced pieces of toasted baguette (bruschetta), and tons of toppings (classic tomato bruschetta topping, roasted garlic, 3 different kinds of goat cheeses, jams, pesto, herbs, and honey). Super simple, but super fun! Heck, you can even have your guests bring a topping if you’d like. If you are entertaining for the holidays, this is an easy, yet elegant way to feed your friends and family. Add a few bottles of wine/champagne, and you have yourselves a sweet holiday party! Cheers!
-Tammy
Health tips: kidney-friendly, diabetes-friendly, vegetarian
If you enjoy sweet and savory flavors, then this is the recipe for you. It reminds me of the flavors of a bbq sauce; sweet, smoky and full of flavor.
I’ve been spending a lot of money on food this holiday season (which I love), but I needed an inexpensive meal to make. And since chicken was on sale this week, I picked some up. Thighs and drum sticks on sale for .89 a pound! Can’t beat that! This recipe is cheap and cheerful, super simple to make, and smells super delicious while it’s cookin’ up in the oven! I added some smoked paprika to this dish, but the next time I make, I’m going to cook the chicken in my smoker. I only wish I would have thought of this one myself! Enjoy!
Thank you Mrs. Happy Homemaker for the inspiration!
-Tammy
Hope you all had a fabulous Thanksgiving. I had a gut-busting great time with my family. Our day was filled with delicious food, good company, karaoke, and of course, lots of wine! And now that I have gained a few pounds; I wanted something a little lighter this week. I decided to make macadamia nut crusted chicken salad. Holy heck-a-roo, was it good! I could not scarf it down fast enough. I decided to make the chicken two ways (baked and fried); if you want it healthy or healthier, it’s up to you! Both were delicious. And the honey mustard dressing was oh, so yummy! Enjoy!
-Tammy
Health tips: kidney-friendly*, kid-friendly
I’m on Thanksgiving break and wanted something that I didn’t have to feel guilty about eating. I know that for the rest of the week, my family and I will pretty much be indulging! And since many of you know, I am obsessed with pumpkin; I wanted to create a healthier version of pumpkin bread. My recipe does not contain a lot of fat and has less sugar. I replaced a lot of the fat with unsweetened apple sauce and Greek yogurt (this gives it the moisture). My recipe contains some brown sugar, but some of the sweetness also comes from the apple sauce and a touch of organic honey. It’s also made with organic whole wheat flour. Feel free to add a glaze if you wish. I love this bread with just a dab of butter…it is bread after all, not cake (wink, wink). My family really enjoyed these fall flavors and says it tastes even better since Thanksgiving is just around the corner!
Health Tips: kidney-friendly, kid-friendly, lower fat
Family Apron 