Bloom Everyday
Inspiration for Healthy Living.Where to Put Christmas Cards
The best place I love to put Christmas cards is in my living room, on top of a bookshelf or mantel. It displays all of the cards and shows all the love I recieved this year.
Where do you put your cards?
Check out Tinyprints for some great card ideas!
Free Christmas Cards for Bloggers
Goodness gracious – it’s that busy time of year! I will post more soon on some delicious holiday recipes and quick, easy dinner ideas soon.
But I had to share this! Tinyprints is offering 50 free holiday cards to bloggers! Check it out at their website.
Check it out, these cards are so cute!!
Better-For-You Saturday Cinnamon Rolls
This is something I was craving. So I made them! They are so delicious and so easy. I cut out half the fats, and half the sugar. And trust me, you won’t miss it one bit. So satisfying!
What you need…
For the dough:
milk, 3/4 cup just slightly heated
margarine, 1/4 cup softened
flour, 2 3/4 to 3 1/2 cup
instant yeast, 1 1/2 teaspoons
sugar, 1/4 cup
salt, dash
egg, 1 whisked
For the filling:
brown sugar, 1/2 cup
cinnamon, 1 tablespoon
nutmeg, 1 teaspoon
vanilla, 1 teaspoon
margarine, 1/4 cup softened
canola oil, small splash
For sprinkling:
walnut, chopped, 1/2 cup
For the glaze:
powder sugar, 1/2 cup
skim milk, 2-3 tablespoons
What to do…
1. Heat the milk slightly in either them microwave or on the stovetop. Be careful not to scald it. Once it bubble a touch, take off the heat and drop in the margarine. This will melt. Set aside.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast together.
3. Add the wet ingredients, which are the water, egg, and milk. Stir together well with a wooden spoon.
4. Keep adding 1/4 cup of the remaining flour to the mixture until it starts to pull away from the bowl. When it’s not as sticky, turn onto a floured cutting board and knead until it starts to look smooth. This won’t take long. You can add more flour to it if it is still too sticky while knead.
5. Now we have to wait a tiny bit. You have to cover the bread with a damp paper towel. It will rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
6. So while that is hanging out, you can make the filling! Mix together all the filling ingredients except the walnuts (those will be sprinkled on before we roll it up).
7. Now the 15 minutes has passed, roll the dough out to the into a large rectangle. Then spread the filling mixture evenly all over. Sprinkle will walnuts. Roll it up!
8. Cut into 12 to 16 rolls. Place in a non-stick brownie pan or a muffin pan. Now we need to cover this again with a damp papertowel and let it rest until it rises (about doubled), this will be about 20 to 40 minutes.
9. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until brown. Drizzle with glaze when slightly cooled.
10. ENJOY!
Easy Mini Pot Pies
These are fantastic. They are the ultimate pre-portioned comfort food! I made this for myself (a vegetarian) and my meat eating husband.
What You Will Need:
pie crust, your favorite double recipe
carrots, 1 cup, chopped
onion, 1 small chopped
celery, 4 stalks, chopped
peas,frozen, 3/4 cup
olive oil, 2 tablespoons
flour, 2 tablespoon
salt & pepper
crushed bay leaves, 1 tablespoon
basil, 1/2 tablespoon
parsley, 1/2 tablespoon
thyme, 1/2 tablespoon
mushroom or veggie broth, 1 1/2 to 2 cups
skim milk, 1/8 – 1/4 cup
chicken, 2 breasts poached, chopped
1. In a pot, put the oil, carrots, and onion over medium heat. Cook until the carrots start to soften. When this happens, add the celery. Let cook until all veggies have a slight “bite”. Add all the seasonings and herbs to coat.
2. Add the flour and coat the veggies. Cook the raw flour flavor.
3. Add the stock/broth and then splash with milk. Add the peas. Let cook until bubbly and thick.
4. Poach the chicken in some broth or water. Chop into bite size pieces.
5. Line a muffin pan with mini pie circles.
6. Fill those puppies! Half with just the creamy mixture, the other half with the creamy mixture and chicken.
7. Top and bake in 350 degree oven until brown.
8. So delicious!
Cajun Crockpot Chili (Vegetarian)
I love chili. But it’s hard to find a good veggie chili. Here is my favorite chili recipe sans the meat, yet it’s satisfying and thicker. My secret weapon? Refried beans.
Supplies:
garlic, 4 cloves, minced
onion, small, chopped
carrots, 1 cup, chopped
green pepper, medium, chopped
red pepper, medium, chopped
celery, 1 cup, chopped
whole peeled tomatoes (with liquid), 28oz can
black beans, 2 – 15oz cans, undrained
bean tri-mix, 1 -15oz can, undrained
refried beans, 1 – 15oz can
corn, frozen, 1 cup
chili powder, 2 tablespoon
cumin, 1 tablespoon
basil, 1 1/2 tablespoon
granulated garlic, 1/2 tablespoon
pepper, to taste
cayenne powder, 1 teaspoon
cajun seasoning, 1 1/2 teaspoons
1. Combine all ingredients in a crockpot.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours.
3. Top with cheese if desired. And enjoy!
Pizza Two Ways
Here is some easy pizza we made two ways!
Pizza One: pesto, roasted garlic, tomatoes (add at end of bake time), olives, pepperoni for him, parm and cheddar cheese.
Pizza Two:red sauce, jalapenos, olives, pepperoni for him, parm and cheddar cheese.
1. Make my favorite dough or get your favorite (about 1.5 pounds).
2. Split dough into two when done. “Toss” to desired thickness.
3. Top.
4. Bake in 425 degree oven until delicious!
Easy Spicy Cajun Pasta Cream Sauce
So Mark and I picked up some of this spice. We were so excited to give it a try. Be careful though! It’s not so spicy but more super salty. So check out my balanced recipe of spice and creaminess. Perfect on pasta!\
What You Will Need:
oil, 2 tbsp
red onion, medium, sliced
red pepper, half, sliced
pepper
cajun seasoning of your choice, 1 tbsp
red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon
grated parm, 1/8 cup
fat-free half-and-half, 1/4 cup (or more depending on how much you want to make)
pasta water, 1/3 cup
1. In a pan, drizzle some oil.
2. Add the red pepper flakes to flavor the oil.
3. Add the red onions, cook on medium heat to get them soft.
4. Add the red pepper, and cook down ’til they are just soft.
5. Add the cajun seasoning.
6. Next add the half-and-half.
7. Add the parm!
8. Reserve some of the cooked pasta water. This will help loose the sauce up and help it stick to the pasta. Enjoy!
Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese Pasta Bake
Growing up, I loved cheddar and broccoli pasta. So here is my version. I got creative one night in the kitchen, and my husband and I loved this. A healthier version of one of my comfort foods. It’s essentially mac and cheese with veggies – but it is oh so good!
What You Will Need:
pasta, your favorite shape, 3/4 pound
cauliflower, frozen, 1 cup
garlic, 4 cloves, diced
onion, small, half, diced
margarine/oil, 3 tablespoons
flour, 3 tablespoons
skim milk, 2 1/2 cups
extra sharp cheddar, 2 cups
broccoli, frozen, 2 cups, diced finely
grated parm
bread crumbs
salt & pepper
1. Cook the onions in sauce pan until the become soft.
2. Add the garlic, and cook until you can just smell it.
3. Next add the flour, stir until incorporated. Cook off raw flour taste.
4. Next add the milk.
5. Cook until bubbly, stir in cheese! It will be thick and cheesy. Add salt & pepper to taste.
6. Cook the pasta as directed. Add the cauliflower the last minute of cooking in the boiling water to heat through. Drain and return to pot. Add the cheese sauce.
7. Stir in the finely chopper broccoli.
8. Place in a baking dish, top with breadcrumbs and parm cheese. Bake in 375 degree oven until bubbly and top is golden brown.
9. Delicious!
Bloom Everyday 