Cream of chicken/mushroom soup substitute

Okay, I have to admit, this recipe I haven't actually tried yet...but I have been meaning to if that makes up for anything :) I just haven't made anything that requires a cream of soup base and I don't have any nonfat milk on hand...but please try this and tell me what you think (yes (evil laughing) I'm making you be the ginny pig here! jk). I'll also try this soon and post my thoughts on it.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup low-sodium instant chicken bouillon granules
• 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes or 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Blend ingredients

2. Store in an airtight container at room temperature

3. When ready to use, combine 1/3 cup soup substitute mix with 1 1/4 cups water to equal 1 can of soup

Yields 6 cans soup mix

http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-substitute-for-cream-of-chicken-soup-18157

Nikki's Healthy Cookie Recipe

This recipe I got from the website www.101cookbooks.com. (The link to the cookies is http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nikkis-healthy-cookies-recipe.html). Seriously check the website out. The author is a culinary genius with what healthy stuff she comes up with. My husband loves these cookies (and so do the doctors at my office who live off of salad---so high praise indeed!). Almond meal and coconut oil can generally be found at farmer's market grocers, like Sprouts, although I have also seen coconut oil at regular grocery stores as well (almond meal also might be at regular grocery stores, I just haven't ever looked there...). I do cheat and use regular sweetened shredded coconut, because that's what I have on hand.

Ingredients:

• 3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm, so it isn't solid (or alternately, olive oil)
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2/3 cup almond meal
• 1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 6-7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine the bananas, vanilla extract, and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, almond meal, shredded coconut, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, don't worry about it. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 2 teaspoons in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or Silpat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen bite-sized cookies.

Jennifer's Whole Wheat Bread

My mom's cousin, Jennifer, makes the best fool-proof whole wheat bread. The recipe calls for freshly ground whole wheat flour, but as all of us aren't lucky enough to have a wheat grinder, I've also used store-bought whole wheat flour. The original recipe also gives instructions to make the bread using a Bosch bread mixer...I have a KitchenAid. And although a Bosch is on my wish-list for when DH gets out of medical school and loans are paid off (so we're looking at a couple of decades down the road), I've modified the instructions to be for any old mixer.

Ingredients:

6 cups warm water

12-15 cups whole wheat flour, freshly ground

2 1/2 tbsp SAF yeast

2/3 cup honey

2 tbsp salt

1/2 cup oil

1. Pour water into bread mixer. Add 2 cups flour. Turn to low speed and add more flour 1 cup at a time until mixture is pasty (about 8-9 cups total).

2. While mixer continues on low speed, add and mix in one at a time the yeast, then salt, then honey, then oil. Then add more flour, 1 cup at a time until mixture pulls away from sides of the bowl. Set mixer to a med-slow speed and let knead for 10 minutes.

3. Divide into 6 loaves and put into greased loaf pans. Let raise until double, then put into COLD oven and set oven to 350F and timer for 30-35 minutes.

Why blog?

I know there's a lot of healthy recipes websites out there. So why create another? First, I wanted to digitally keep track of healthy recipes I like and easily share them with friends and family. Second, although there's a lot of other health foods sites, I feel like a lot of them dive into the "impractical"---they often go meatless, use tofu, and add lots of green stuff to soups. And while that may be healthy, most of our husbands wouldn't eat that food, let alone our kids! So here's my go at entering the blogging world with healthy recipes and tips and tricks to eating healthier and creating healthier, more wholesome meals.

Now, I'm no culinary genius. I lack a knack for creating my own recipes, but I love finding new healthy recipes...though my "to try" list far outweighs my "tried and true" list. I'm also no health nut. I don't always eat healthy and have slight addiction to Sonic, carbs, and ice cream. That's why I run. And why I try to cook healthy---to make up for when I don't eat healthy :)

Since I'm always looking for new and healthy recipe ideas, please share them! Email me your recipes, and your comments/critiques for the recipes I post. If you send me a recipe, add any additional info, i.e. easy, quick, inexpensive, kid friendly, etc. And if your recipe calls for any unusual ingredient, please share where you found it (I hate finding a new recipe to try and then can't find a key ingredient!).

Here's to good and healthy cooking!