German Sausage and Barley Soup (Graupensuppe)

Mel and Tammy1 Comment

Fall is finally here woohooo! I am beyond excited for cozy soups, stews and casseroles. I’ve been researching for a delicious sausage recipe in honor of Oktoberfest, and came across this excellent soup on www.oliviascuisine.com. It’s a bit cooler in Southern Cali this week so I jumped on the opportunity! I just adjusted a bit by adding in kale for some extra vitamins and crumbled in the crispy bacon at the end. My family absolutely loved it…so tasty and hearty, yet still light. Enjoy this on a nice cozy night this Fall!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Low fat, heart healthy, diabetes friendly. anti-inflammatory, low carb

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One-Pan Roasted Pork Chops

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Who doesn’t love a one-pan dish? Easy clean up! I found this recipe a few years back in my Rachael ray magazine. It’s super easy, healthy, and delicious! My kiddos always enjoy this meal too! You can make it kidney friendly by “leaching*” your potatoes to take out some of the potassium! If you want a quick, week-night meal, then please try this! Thank you Rachael Ray! As always, you are my inspiration! Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kidney-friendly, kid-friendly

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Easy Homemade Lemon Ricotta and Artichoke Pesto Spread

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Tammy and I whipped this up on one of our Sunday Fundays and I was surprised at how super easy and fast it was! Not to mention how impressive it is to say that you made homemade ricotta! Even though this is a “cheat meal” it still feels very light, especially when you enjoy the spread on wheat baguette slices. You will love how creamy and bright this tastes. We combined recipes from different sites as 2 layers for the spread and wow it was magic. Thank you to heathercristo.com and framedcooks.com for these amazing recipes!

 -Melanie and Tammy

Health tips: Cheat meal

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Seared Ahi Tuna Salad

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Tuna…center-cut ahi tuna…on sale again at Sprout’s! $5.99 a pound!  This is when I make this salad (and my tuna tartare). Wish I can take credit for this one. Thank you Willow Arlen for this delicious meal! Growing up, I thought I hated tuna. But, oh, how I’ve changed my mind! There’s not much else to say, except that it’s delicious and I think ya’ll should try it! We all could probably use a little more tuna in our lives! 😉 Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: diabetes-friendly, low carb

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Benihana’s-Style Shrimp and Magic Mustard Sauce

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The Benihana’s shrimp appetizer and “Magic Mustard” sauce is one of my favorite parts about going to the popular restaurant…besides the onion volcano! =P I actually ask for a double serving of the mustard sauce because I love to soak everything in it, including my fried rice. I want to be able to enjoy it more often without feeling the guilt, so I decided to experiment and create a lighter, yet still very tasty version of the sauce. After you taste this sauce, you will want make extra and keep it as condiment staple in your fridge!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Low fat, heart healthy, diabetes friendly, low carb

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Tuna Salad with Dill and Capers

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Tuna salad-stuffed tomatoes were one of my favorite meals growing up. It was one of the few healthy meals I actually got really excited about when I saw it on my plate! This is my take on tuna salad…which is pretty similar to the ingredients I absolutely love in egg salad. The strong, yet bright flavors of Dijon, dill, lemon and capers really make this pop! And what’s great is you can keep this low-carb if you stuff it in a tomato like my mom did, or you can eat it on some wheat bread or crackers. Either way, you will love it!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Low carb and diabetes friendly without crackers or bread, low fat, heart healthy, anti-inflammatory

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Buffalo Chicken Salad

Mel and Tammy1 Comment

Hot summer days equals light, healthy meals! The hubby wanted buffalo wings, and I wanted something lighter, but something that would hit the same bells and whistles! When I told him I’d be making my buffalo chicken salad, he was very happy. He LOVES this salad! You can always buy your own blue cheese dressing, but I like to make my own dressings from scratch because you can control the quality and quantity of ingredients. My husband does NOT like blue cheese dressing; the moldy cheese, it freaks him out! However, he does love feta cheese. So I make his “blue cheese” dressing into a “feta cheese” dressing. I still prefer blue cheese, so I divide the base mix into 2 bowls-one for me with blue cheese, and one for him with feta cheese. Feel free to make your own! Or you can always go out a buy  a bottle. They have great yogurt-based dressing in the produce section. Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kidney-friendly, diabetes-friendly, low carb

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Easy Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

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If you want to serve up an elegant, yet quick and easy appetizer for a get together, this is your recipe! It would also be perfect alongside some meat. I saw various versions of this recipe around Pinterest and finally decided to make it my own. It seriously only takes about 15 minutes to whip this up and will not disappoint. The creaminess of the Laughing Cow cheese and thin crispy saltiness of the prosciutto will satisfy your taste buds without the guilt!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Low carb, low fat, heart healthy, anti-inflammatory, diabetes friendly

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Snickers Rice Krispie Treats

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I saw the video for this scrumptious recipe on the Food Done Good FB page and just had to try it! Snickers is my absolute favorite candy bar and what could be better than pairing that with a childhood favorite, Rice Krispie Treats!? This recipe is super easy and quick, and will make any adult or kid super happy. Plus, it makes a pretty large batch for a get together. Bite into these yummy sweet and salty treats soon!

 -Melanie

Health tips: Cheat meal, kid friendly

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Grandma’s Swiss Cream Steak

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Top sirloin was on sale at Stater Brothers last week for $2.99 a pound! That is a smokin’ deal! Now, what I’m about to say has nothing to do with this particular recipe, but is important to reiterate; make friends with your butcher! When top sirloin is on sale for $2.99 a pound, you buy a ton of it, have your butcher grind it (twice), and divide the ground sirloin into 1 pound portions! BOOM! Ground sirloin for $2.99/lb (then you take it home and freeze it in the 1 pound portions). You can’t even buy ground chuck for that price! Okay, my rant is over…now, onto my grandma’s recipe. So, I bought pounds and pounds of top sirloin; I had the butcher grind some of it up, then I cut some into steaks and froze it, and lastly, made this recipe. It all began when my father-in-law invited us over for dinner a few weeks ago and made Beef Stroganoff. I haven’t had Beef Stroganoff in a loooong time. It was soooo good! I wanted more! So, I was looking through my late grandma’s old recipe catalog and found this priceless baby. I want to share it with you all because it reminds me of Beef Stroganoff.  I called my daddy and told him I had found the recipe. I gave some leftovers to him and of course, he totally enjoyed it! It’s not the healthiest of recipes, but I tried to re-vamp it to make it a tad more healthy. In a way, I think of this as a gift to you all! I hope you make it and enjoy it!

 -Tammy

Health tips: kid-friendly, cheat meal

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This is my grandma’s actual recipe…doesn’t it look like a grandma’s hand-writin’? priceless!

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