Scrumptious Egg Salad

My kryptonite… seriously. I love egg salad. Can't get enough. When I make this, I eat like a college student all over again. I actually had a sandwich for dinner last night. That good…yep. Oh and lunch =] I just can't help myself. Kryptonite I tell you. 

Whenever I'd come home from college, I'd have my mom make this for me. So naturally, I learned how to make it so I can make it for me on a regular basis! Me and only me…no sharing. Too good to share. 

What you'll need:

Dozen eggs

Mayo (I use Miracle Whip but the regular stuff would work too)

Yellow Mustard

Sweet Pickle Relish

What you'll need to do:

Boil the eggs. Wait till they cool. Peel em', dice em' up. Add about a cup of mayo, three Tbs yellow mustard, and about 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish. Stir, chill, spread on your favorite bread or toast, and enjoy the crap out of this!

P.S. Yes, that is my fine paper china that I used for this picture. Thanks for noticing =] Only the best for my blog pics!

Color Yourself Happy!

Green Power Smoothie

This is the most unexpected delicious smoothie packed with goodness that you will ever enjoy!

After making this smoothie for my Mom and Stepdad (that's her up there ^. What a foxy lady, right?!) , they've requested the recipe a couple times because it was THAT good!! It doesn't look too appetizing but you really can't beat the taste, or all of the nutritious delights it has packed into it! My husband especially loves this one… I get an order probably about once or twice a week to make it. 

Now, what makes this green you say? Well, some spinach and avocado account for the color. 

What makes it taste so yummy and scrumptious? That would have to be the bananas, dates and almond butter, oh and probably the almond milk since it has a bit of a sweet taste to it.

So what does this not-so-great looking green smoothie taste like? This really blew my socks off the first time that I made it, but it tasted just like……….BANANA BREAD! Sooooooo yummy! You get brain freeze gulping this down because it's such a delightful treat! 

Ok, now that you've got the five cent tour of how good this smoothie is, I'll share my recipe…

Green Power Smoothie

2 Handfuls Spinach

2 Bananas 

1/2 Avocado

2 Tbs Almond Butter

2 Tbs Flax Seeds

6 Dates

2 Cups Almond Milk

Blend it all together until smooth and enjoy!

This will make about three cups, or two large glasses. And, if you use fresh bananas instead of frozen, you'll need to add a handful of ice.

I hope you'll enjoy this smoothie as much as my family and I do!!

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Fresh Squeezed OJ. Yumm!

There's nothing better in the morning than fresh squeezed OJ… I'm not even kidding! You've never tasted orange juice until you've tasted some freshly juiced kind. It's like magic in your mouth! It doesn't need anything, no sweetener, no nothing, it's perfection! 

If you don't like orange juice, try adding some fresh pineapple. Yumm! Make yourself a tall glass of pineapple OJ and enjoy the day. 

I always cut the peels off of the oranges with a knife, trying to leave as much of the white rind as possible since that's where a lot of nutrients are stored. Cut the oranges in quarters, and you're ready to juice! Hope you enjoy!

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The Easiest Veggie Stew!

So whenever there's not much to eat in the house, I always can whip up a delicious veggie stew that is both satisfying and yummy! It's the easiest thing to do and takes little effort on my part, which is a plus!

 The most important ingredient, and the one that makes this stew, is the bouillon cube. So first you need to make the broth. You can add anything that suits your tastes! I always start off with five bouillon cubes and five cups of water in a deep pot, and put that to a boil. 

Then you start adding your spices. I add some rosemary, garlic salt, basil, oregano, and salt and pepper. If you want to add a little spice, add some red pepper. You can seriously add anything that you want here…there are so many different combinations of spices that will make this a different, yet yummy meal! Put this to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes. 

After that has simmered, and the house smells delicious, add your veggies. You can add fresh or frozen, or a combination of both. This is the perfect place to add your Ziplock freezer baggies full of your juiced pulp! So once the veggies have been added, simmer for 30-60 minutes and you're done!! 

That's it! I always add cheese to mine because I'm a cheese fiend, and because it tastes that much more delicious! So easy and so yummy, you'd be crazy not to try it!

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Healthy Black Forest Brownie Pie with Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

So I've recently purchased some coconut flour, and I've really wanted to try it. Naturally it had to be something that would indulge my sweet tooth and be healthy at the same time! As I was looking around my kitchen, I found some frozen cherries, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, and thought to myself… I'm going to make some black forest brownies! But, these won't be just any black forest brownies. NO! These are going to be healthy ones!! So here's what you'll need for the brownies…

Healthy Black Forest Brownie Pie
1/2 Cup Frozen Cherries
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
3 Tbs Coconut Oil
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Almond Milk
1/4 Cup Coconut Flour
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Tbs Flax Seeds
1/2 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Here's how you make em'!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease pie pan.

First you start off with the frozen cherries and the applesauce. Put both of those in a blender and blend as well as you can. (This might not blend too well because there's not much liquid in there yet) Then add the coconut oil and vanilla extract and continue blending. (Again, this may not blend too well) After, add the almond milk to the blender and blend until no big cherry chunks remain. Now you're going to need a separate bowl to mix together the dry ingredients. (Excluding the dark chocolate chips) After the dry ingredients have been thoroughly mixed, add the blended cherry mixture to the bowl. Stir well, and then add the dark chocolate chips. Pour into greased pie pan and smooth so the mixture is spread evenly throughout the pan. Bake for 25-30 min or until toothpick from center comes out clean.

After baking the brownies, I decided that I needed to amp it up a bit and add a little whipped cream. I opted for a healthier style whipped cream than a fattier one. This whipped cream is made up of coconut milk, vanilla, and a little bit of sugar.

In order to make whipped cream out of coconut milk, you will need to chill a can of coconut milk in the fridge at least for two hours. I chill mine overnight so that I know it will be chilled and ready to go when I need it!

So grab your chilled can of coconut milk and open it. There will be some solid chunks of the coconut milk and that is what you'll be using. Spoon the chunky stuff into a bowl and drain all of the access liquid from the can. This is the kind I use, and this is what my bowl of coconut solid milk looks like.

After I put that in the bowl, I grabbed my hand mixer (you can use a stand mixer also, it'd be way easier!) and whip it just like a meringue. You'll need to whip it for a good 5 minutes until peeks form.

Once you're done whipping, add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 Tbs sugar. Give that a good whip and then you're finished!

After brownie is cooled, cut and plate. Drizzle with whipped cream and place a cherry on top! Voila! The perfect healthy dessert! 

P.S. My husband loved this one! He's not one for sweets, so when he says he loves a dessert it really says something! This one's not too sweet so it will make your teeth fall out, and it's not too bitter so you won't enjoy it. It's the best of both worlds and the perfect treat to end your day with!

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Berry-licious Smoothie

This smoothie is super easy to make and can be easily adapted to meet your needs. For the basic recipe, you'll only need some fresh or frozen berries, a fresh or frozen banana, Greek yogurt, honey, and ice. If you use all frozen, like I did, you'll need to add some liquid to the recipe or else it will never blend. I added some almond milk to mine, but you can add non-fat milk, coconut milk, or even water.

I usually like to use a fresh banana because I feel like it tastes better, but here in Korea, the bananas go bad so quickly, I have to freeze them or I would either be throwing a lot of them away or making a lot of banana bread… which is delicious, but not all the time =]

Any kind of berries will work for this. I always try to throw a lot of blueberries in there because of the antioxidants that they possess. But today I grabbed all of the berries that were in the freezer and threw them in! I had raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and cherries.

To up the nutritious value, I like to add some flax seeds to the mix. I know it's not in the picture, but I did add them today…see I forgot about them and then when I went to put the almond milk away I saw them in the fridge and decided to add! You can also add chia seeds or rolled oats for the added proteins and fiber.

Oh! And talk about protein! That Greek yogurt has 12 grams of protein in one of those little cups, so adding that in there is awesome and adds a creaminess to your smoothie. You can also get the creaminess by adding an avocado to your smoothie, say if you're vegan and cannot have dairy.

Now for my easily buildable but totally perfect already if you don't want to add anything else recipe
1 Large Banana (Fresh or frozen)
1/2 Cup of each: (Fresh or frozen)
     Blueberries
     Strawberries
     Raspberries
     Cherries
1-2 Tbs Honey
2 Single Serving Cups of Greek Yogurt (I used Oikos)
If you used all fresh fruits, add a handful of ice
If you used all frozen fruits, add liquid (Almond Milk) until well blended in blender (About 1 Cup)
2 Tbs Flax Seeds

Blend in blender on medium speed and enjoy! I add the liquid about 1/4 cup at a time and blend, just so it doesn't have too much liquid in it. This makes enough for two, maybe...maybe even three people! I always have extra after filling up a cup for my husband and I =]

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Delish Breakfast Juice!

So this morning I thought I would try out a new concoction of fruits and veggies to make a yummy breakfast drink! I was really craving some fruit, so naturally I rummaged through the fridge to see what goodies where in there. I found some grapefruit, apples, grapes, and pineapple…YUMM! Then I had to add at least one veggie, so I grabbed the carrots and on to the juicer I went. Here's the amounts of the fruits that I used:

Bunch of Fruit Juice
2 Large Carrots
2 Small Green Apples
1/2 XL Grapefruit (or 1 small one)
1 Cup Grapes
Large Slice of Pineapple

I know, I know, it's a lot of fruit… but in the morning it can't be beat! Also, I added the pineapple late because I forgot that it was in the fridge so it's not in the picture. Oh and no, those aren't potatoes…I swear! I peel my apples first because they aren't organic (just a little fyi =]). It's really hard to find all organic produce here in Korea, so I'm happy with about half. I mean look at the size of those carrots! Those are some authentic organic Korean carrots…yum! So don't be afraid to try different things! Who knows, you might find a gem like this one!

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Spicy Shrimp Stir-Fry

This is such an easy meal when you're on the go and need something quick. It only takes about 20 minutes with prep and it tastes fantastic! Here's what you'll need…

1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoon soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounces cooked shrimp, tails removed
1/2 cup - 1 cup rice
Whatever stir-fry veggies you like best! I typically use broccoli, carrots, onions, and pea pods

Directions:

1. Boil two pots full of water. One for the shrimps (if they aren't already cooked) and one for the rice (if you don't have a rice steamer). If you do have a rice steamer, then steam away!
2. In a bowl, stir together water, ketchup, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, crushed red pepper, and ground ginger. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in veggies and garlic; cook 2 minutes or until onions start to look translucent. Stir in shrimp, and toss to coat with oil. Stir in sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is boiling and thick.
4. I always add too much water in my rice when I boil it, so at this point I strain my rice and then plate some and add the yummy shrimp concoction on top. Mmmmmm!

Note: If you don't want this dish to be spicy, just omit the red pepper flakes, or use less. Or if you'd like it to be sweeter, just add more honey =] Oh and be careful when you put the garlic in the hot oil… it tends to jump around everywhere and it's really scary haha. And if you're a sauce lover, just double the sauce recipe and you're all set!

Now go and make yourself a delicious meal that will impress your friends and may even impress yourself with your sweet cooking abilities!

Color Yourself Happy!

Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sammys

Oh Em Gee… These are delicious!

http://www.navywifecook.com/2011/11/hawaiian-baked-ham-and-swiss-sandwiches.html

Ingredients

1 12 pack of King’s Hawaiian Original Rolls

1 lb. deli ham, shaved

1 lb. Swiss cheese, thinly sliced

1 1/2 sticks butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 teaspoons of poppy seeds

1 onion, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350. On the stove in a skillet, melt butter and mix in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion and poppy seed. Simmer for several minutes.

2. Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally. Keep all 12 tops stuck together and all 12 bottoms together, kind of like a sheet of bread.

3. In a greased 9×13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and spread 1/3 of the onion mixture over the bottom of the rolls followed by the ham and cheese.

4. Replace the tops of the rolls and spread the remaining onion mixture over top.

5. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes and, once finished, separate for serving.

These were so good! I love Pinterest and I found this yummy recipe on there =] I had some friends over to enjoy them with me and they loved them as well! This sure is a recipe to keep!

Color Yourself Happy!

Juicing Recipes!

I've been searching the web for as many juicing recipes as I could find so that I could choose the yummiest (and healthiest) one's! Here's the long list that I've compiled so far:

Note: Juice everything in the order posted, and I always pour into a shaker and lightly shake to mix everything!

A Pinch of Pineapple

Handful of Kale

3 Celery Stalks

Handful of Parsley

1 Cucumber

1/2 Lemon

2" Ginger Root

2 Green Apples

1/4 Pineapple

Super Detox Juice

2 Apples

1/2 Cucumber

1 Celery Stalk

Handful of Spinach

Handful of Romaine

Garden of Eden

Handful of Kale

3 Celery Stalks

1 Cucumber

Handful of Cilantro or Parsley

2 Apples

1 Pear

1 1/2" Ginger Root

1 Lemon

The Green Cucumber

1 Cucumber

Handful of Spinach

Handful of Parsley

1 Celery Stalk

1/2 Lemon

Lemon Ginger Zinger

2 Carrots

2 Apples

1/2 Lemon

1/2" Ginger Root

Orange Power

5-6 Carrots

2 Green Apples

1 Head of Broccoli

Parsley Surprise

1 Head of Broccoli

4 Carrots

Handful of Parsley

Pineapple Delight

1" Ginger Root

Handful of Parsley

Handful of Cilantro

1/4 Pineapple

Grape-Cucumber-Pear

2 Cups Grapes

1/2 Cucumber

1 Pear

1" Ginger Root

Spinach Grape

2 Handfuls of Spinach

2 Cups Grapes

Apple Green Grape

3 Apples

1 Cup Grapes

1/2 Lemon

Green Drink

Handful of Spinach

Handful of Parsley

2 Apples

Handful of Kale

Headache/Hangover Helper

1 Cup Cauliflower

1 Cup Broccoli

1 Apple

Power Gulp

Handful of Kale

1 Cup Grapes

1 Cucumber

2 Apples

Carrot N'Greens

5-6 Carrots

Handful of Kale

Handful of Parsley

1 Apple

Skin Health

2 Cucumbers

1" Ginger Root

2 Oranges

Muscle Juice

2 Apples

2 Handfuls of Spinach

1/2 Lemon

Bone Health

1 Apple

2 Carrots

1/2 Cup Broccoli

Handful of Parsley

1/2 Lemon

Ginger Root Boost

1" Ginger Root

1 Lemon

6 Carrots

1 Apple

Green Machine

2 Celery Stalks

1 Head of Broccoli

1/2 Cucumber

1 Green Apple

Handful of Parsley

1 Kiwi

Handful of Kale

2 Cups Grapes

Good Morning

1 Small (or 1/2 xl) Grapefruit

5-6 Carrots

2 Oranges

Super 8 Juice 

Small Handful of Kale 

Small Handful of Collard Green

Handful of Parsley 

1 Celery Stalk 

1 Carrot

1/2 Red Pepper 

1 Tomato 

1 Head of Broccoli

Garden Tonic Drink 

Handful of Spinach 

3 Celery Stalks

2 Asparagus Stalks

1 Tomato 

Carrot Lemonade 

4 - 5 Carrots 

1/2 Lemon 

1 Apple 

1 Small Wedge of Red Cabbage 

1/4" Ginger Root

Vegetable 8 

1/2 Tomato 

1/4 Cucumber 

1 Carrot 

1 Celery stalk 

Handful of Spinach 

1/2 Red Pepper 

1/2 Cup Cabbage 

1 Green Onion

Peppers Galore 

1 Green Pepper 

1 Red Pepper 

3 Celery stalks 

1/2 Cucumber 

Handful of Romaine

The 3 C's 

3-4 Carrots 

1-2 Celery stalks 

Small Wedge of Cabbage

Most of these recipes came from all over the internet, and some of them are my own. I do not like the taste of ginger root in my juice, as it tends to burn going down. It has great healing properties, so if you like it, more power to you! These are just some of the recipes that can be found. There are so many juices that can be made, and if you don't like one veggie, just sub it with another =] Oh, and some of you may have noticed that none of these have beets, or beetroot, in them… that's because I cannot find beets at any of our commissaries or food markets here in South Korea. If you are in dire need of some beet recipes, search "juicing recipes with beets" and I'm sure plenty will pop up! Be creative and have fun juicing!

I'd love to here about your favorite juicing recipes!

Color Yourself Healthy!