Pantry Smoothie

Part of the fun of cooking is finding things around your kitchen and creating a delicious meal with them. It’s imagination that has no limits! (okay, you can’t add the kitchen sink to a meal…) Here was my liquid breakfast this morning, a collection of simple things in the pantry and fridge.

Pineapple Orange Smoothie
1 can pineapple rings or chunks
1 can of mandarin oranges (or 1 fresh orange)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Drain the cans and add 1 cup of pineapple (5 rings) or fresh pineapple, if you have it, to the blender. Add the oranges or use a fresh orange. Add the coconut, yogurt, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Garnish with orange and pineapple slices.

A note on organic: 

I don’t talk much about organic foods because 1)it’s so trendy, 2)it can be so expensive, and 3)we don’t get much of a variety of organics at our local grocery stores where I live.
HOWEVER, if you can, buy organic!

If for nothing else, you are looking for the most bang for your buck, so a $1.00 giant cookie and a $1.00 organic apple don’t compare. Or a $1.00 bag of potato chips and a $1.00 cucumber. You get so many more nutrients from produce in general, compared to packaged and processed foods, so organic produce is a bargain in that sense. Also, the latest studies I’ve been reading (from journal articles at the library–I know, nerd-o) have shown significant increases in vitamins and nutrients in USDA certified organic produce as compared to the “regular” produce on the shelves. I have not found a study that didn’t find many more nutrients in the organic versus the regular.
So, if you’re like me, you don’t want to be one of those people in the fiber commercials chomping on apples and carrots all day long…why not eat 3 regular meals with a couple of snacks and get all of your daily needs that way? Okay, that’s my two cents. Cha-ching.

~Laurel~

Pancakes in a Can???

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. It’s called Batter Blaster, and my mom introduced it to me. Now, if you look at my recipe list, you’ll see that I do love pancakes and find deep satisfaction in making them from scratch. HOWEVER, it’s a little tricky to get those perfectly fluffy flapjacks with crispy brown edges. Batter Blaster, LLC, a company out of Austin, is making it easier!

This company doesn’t go in the same category as canned cheese or anything unhealthy. Here’s why:

According to Batter Blaster’s website:
2 pancakes= 80 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 5 grams of sugar
Ingredients include: wheat flour, cane sugar, and other natural ingredients
It’s ORGANIC

Super easy and delicious. So I have learned…don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.

Okay, we need a (simple) recipe to go with it:


Berry Easy Syrup
6 Strawberries, sliced into quarters
3 TB berry fruit jam
1/4 cup fruit juice

step one: In a saucepan on high heat, lightly stir. Heat all ingredients until they start to boil.

step two: When it boils, lower to medium heat and cover. Cook for 5 minutes. Juice will condense down, berries will soften, and will create a thick compote syrup.

~Laurel~

Simply Fabulous Lunch!!

 How about one more entry, shall we?


Sundays are such wonderful days for relaxing, my weekend right now. Growing up, Sundays used to be fun but a bit stressful…WAKE UP, LAUREL! CHURCH!! (Oh, Mom, I’m 15…almost an ADULT…I can just sleep in a little more and–someday–drive myself to church.) LAUREL! I made chocolate chip pancakes!! And bacon and eggs! (Dad, that’s my favorite! But I also love sleep…and I hung out with my girl friends too late last night at Kendra’s house. Man, I wish we lived closer to church…but that’s a sketchy neighborhood. Well, I wish church would move closer to us, you know, the 90-year old building. Could they just pick it up on a big truck and move it to our neighborhood out here in the ‘burbs?? I just need 5 more minutes of sleeeep…) Lau-RUHL! We need to go! (Fine! I’m getting up! But not for you guys who are nagging me, but for God. Yep, God. And my friends. What should I wear? I HAVE TO look cute for church! Hmmm….) *45 minutes later and definitely late for Sunday school* (Finally, I look cute enough. Mom, Dad, could you guys drive? I need to put on my makeup.)


And so the saga continued…and school days were pretty similar, too, since we commuted to my school as well. Heh, needless to say, this Sunday was relaxing. I woke up at noon (yes, I know…) and definitely missed church (sad). I saw God today, just not inside two big wooden double doors and through beautiful stained glass and joyful singing. That’s okay for today. Next Sunday.

Here is one of those unexpectedly tasty lunches. I love soup and sammies more than many, and Matt and I whipped up BLTs (me=BL with extra L) and Pacific Foods Ginger Carrot soup. Yum!

Soup and sammies are great for dinner, too!

Applewood smoked bacon…

 If I’m going to eat a fatty meat like bacon, I’m going to do it up…thick slices of salty/sweet applewood smoked bacon, crisp green spinach leaves and a spicy mayo added to the tastiness. Oh, yes, and always toast the bread! (whole wheat, of course)

A favorite quick dressing for quite a few years…no soupy puddle at the bottom of your salad bowl.

 I added a salad and had just a bit of soup…what a filling, healthy meal! Fresh blackberries and blueberries completed my fruit quota for the day!!

 When you regularly buy produce (some standards, like a bag of spinach, some apples, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, etc., it’s easier to just throw them into your regular meals. It’s a great way to incorporate those new FDA standards…half produce!!

~Laurel~

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