Chocolate Waffles

On Tuesday, it was National Waffle Day.... No we did not have waffles. I had actually started a dinner of a Chili Soup with Sweet Potatoes in it. I could have punted and save it for Wednesday, but how often do I have dinner started..... RARELY..... The chili was very good. I really like the sweet potato in it.

SO.... on Wednesday, I made waffles for dinner. I know that in the past, I have featured a recipe for my sister's waffle/pancake recipe. Those are also quite delicious, but these chocolate waffles are just somewhat different. O my goodness. Delicious. And they could definitely be made into ice cream sandwiches with some sliced fruit and chocolate sauce on top. That would be out of this world. Breakfast for dinner, breakfast for dessert or just for breakfast. We had chocolate waffles, over easy eggs, turkey bacon and a fruit smoothie for dinner. My Husband said it was the best dinner of the week. He is really not a complicated eater and is totally spoiled. Was this a perfect low calorie dinner, NO, but is was not horrible. Moderation during the day, and a hard work out in the morning. All is good.

I did not have any whipped cream, or I would have thrown that on top.

The Smoothie was a fruit theme with Chocolate Almond milk.

Chocolate Waffles

adapted from several recipes

Ingredients

6 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder, HEAPING

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup milk (I used Almond Milk)

Directions

Warm up waffle iron and spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, add melted butter and sugar. Mix together. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla extract. Add flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Start to mix gently, pour in the milk. Continue to mix until totally incorporated and few lumps appear. 

Pour into your waffle iron and cook until firm. I place the extra waffles in a low temperature (250 degree) oven while the other waffles cook. 

Eat up and enjoy with some good maple syrup and fruit.

Just a few basic ingredients

The batter will be thick. 

There are no pictures in the waffle iron. I forgot

Good to Target or Walmart, get an inexpensive waffle iron and MAKE your own Waffles

Forget -- Eggo waffles, those are not real. 

This was a complete meal that went together quickly. 

Your family will find it FUN to eat breakfast for dinner. 

LIVE OUTSIDE the BOX. 

Heavenly Brownies

Healthy ~~ Absolutely NOT

Delicious ~~ Absolutely YES

If people think brownies are just some same old dessert, these brownies will knock them out of the ball park. Oh my goodness. Can brownies be sent from Heaven. I believe so. AND these are a snap to make. 

DISCLAIMER: 

You will not lose weight eating these brownies

You may get a sugar buzz eating these brownies

And though there are several food groups involved in these brownies, they do not fit any meal plan

What you will find though, these sinfully delicious brownies may make your spouse love you more, your friends will want to hang out with you more and they will plain and simple, bring a smile to your face as you eat them. I like a lot of different sweets, but these are just really good. These are a current favorite. 

Heavenly Brownies

These nuggets of love contain a brownie on the bottom, marshmallow middle and a cocoa krispies, chocolate, peanut butter topping. WOW... a combo platter to make anyone smile. This recipe makes an 8 x 8 pan, for a regular family or friends, this is good. If you were making them for a tray or large group, please double the recipe and use a 9 x 13 pan.

Heavenly Brownies
adapted from chocolatemoosey.com
Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips (divided - 1/2 cup & 1 cup)
20 large marshmallows
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup cocoa krispies

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line an 8 x 8 pan with tin foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, add the butter and the unsweetened chocolate. Place in microwave for 1-2 minutes until melted. Check and stir after 1 minute. Remove from microwave, stir in sugar. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and flour and mix together. Batter will be thick, stir in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

Spread batter into pan and bake for 22 minutes. The brownies will not be completely done, but remove from the oven and place the marshmallows on top. Return back to the oven and bake for another 6 minutes. The marshmallows will be soft and smashable. Spread the marshmallows over the brownies.

As your brownies start to cool, using the same bowl, gently melt the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and peanut butter in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir together until melted, add cocoa krispies and spread over the brownies. Let the chocolate layer harden before cutting. 

Brownie batter in ONE bowl.

 20 large marshmallows place on top

slightly baked and ready to be smashed down

Just use your spatula to smash the marshmallows out

Chocolate and Peanut butter for the topping

Mix together and melt in the microwave. Then add the cocoa krispies

This is what the topping looks like

 Totally cooled and chilled brownies

Look at the marshmallow screaming EAT ME!!!

These cut so nice and tasted amazing

TAKE ME.....

Purple Cleanse

OMG .... I found a new color. NO way. Can it really be. I am such a dork. And I love it. Besides always eating spinach, I ventured out of the box. I purchased a package of Kale, Chou, Frisse. This working me into a kale world. I may or may not ever get completely there, but I am trying. During the week for lunch, I eat a salad almost every day. I mixed the Kale, Chou, Frisse mixture with the Spinach, very good. It has added more flavor naturally to my salad. People, add some spunk to your food. This is a simple no calorie way to add flavor without adding fat or sodium.

This drink has Acai in it. Acai is considered a super food. Loaded with fiber. I read today that Acai is NOT considered a weightloss. Disapponting, because I want everything to help me lose weight. Chocolate, cookies, potato chips.....That is the purple color. There is NO way this drink could stay green.

There is a slight hue of green, but it was purple.

I was at Sur la Table and purchased this cute tea towel. I am sure it will be in more photos.

The funny thing is, no dishes or hands will be dried with this towel.

Purple Cleanse

adapted by ME

Ingredients

1 cup of water

1 packet frozen Acai concentrate

1 green apple, chopped

1 fresh ginger, thumb nail piece

1 cup spinach

1 cup kale, Chou, Frisse

1 cup ICE

1 squirt Agave Nectar (optional)

Directions

Please all ingredients in the blender in the order listed. Blend for 1-2 minutes. The greens will take a bit longer than usual. Add the Agave Nectar if you would like it a bit sweeter.

If you are not on board with the Kale Blend, just use all spinach

The Acai came out of the freezer section at my Grocery store. 

There are 4 packets in this package. This was reasonably priced.

Each package is only 80 calories.

You can add it to water or a smoothie, to make any sort of drink

The Kale, Chou, Frisse blend is delicious. And not difficult to eat. 

This made two large drinks. 

I really enjoyed the flavor

Check your head first

Yesterday, I posted another green cleanse drink with my vacation photos. Then I went back and view through several blogs....

OK ... too much sun in Florida, too much snow and cold weather in Illinois.. I do not know, but basically green cleanse 5 and 6 are pretty much the same recipes. I really do not know how this happens. All of these green cleanse recipes have the same base, but by using a different flavored orange, or not as tart of an apples, or way more spinach, you can alter these recipes..There are so many different ingredients you can add to make this your own. I really try to always do something a bit different.

Again, this is why I just have to laugh at myself. Do not take life to serious. It is all good.

What I really want you to think about and strive for, is healthy drinking and eating. Life is not perfect everyday, we all have temptations that enter into our lives. Work through it, and get back in the saddle.

I really think, I just love my Vitamix so much and want to make different or the same drinks.

Green is GOOD..

They are suppose to work with your memory, I need more drinks....

Thanks everyone.

Green Cleanse - 6

Last week, we were in Florida to see my Mom. It was a great trip. We celebrated my birthday for many more days. I was lucky to see my sister and her family. She has the best looking boys. 

We tried very hard to eat some what healthy. I made green cleanse drinks for most days. I could tell when I did not drink one. My Mom made us fresh orange juice everyday. That was also delicious. Pulp and all, I did not care. There are no cool drink pictures, I was on vacation. We stopped at a Whole Foods one day. I purchased Goji Berries. Those are a work in process. There is a different taste there, but they are a super food. We ate in a few days, the eating out was a killer. Grouper is the fish for that area, and it was fantastic. Grilled, fried, in tacos, on a bun, anyway it was good. BUT.... the cold slaw, potatoes (french fries) and desserts were KILLERS.

Pina Colada Ice box cake. Homemade and DELICIOUS

A beautiful sunset that day

Just a gorgeous sunset

My Mom and I celebrating my Birthday with cocktails

Birds. 

My Florida sister. I love hanging out with HER

Green Cleanse - 6

Adapted by ME

Ingredients

1 cup of water

1 juiced lime

1 green apple, chopped

1 orange, peeled and chopped

1 piece fresh ginger

1 1/2 cups fresh spinach

1 cup ICE

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Blend until smooth.

Just a few items for a fantastic clean healthy drink

Everything is cut up and ready to go

A perfect combination of Healthy flavors

Back on track again. A Coconut Jack's glass, shell and limes, make it all good

From toes in the Sand to....

THIS is what we came home to. I HOPE we are done for the season.

Green Cleanse - 5

How many GREEN drinks are there???? And she was Afraid... Good Lord. I am drinking one of these everyday. I truly like how they taste, and the vitamin packed goodness I am ingesting. Not really sure if my face is glowing. With the harsh winter and it only being March, I am quite pale. In a few day, my Husband and I will be heading South to visit my Mom. There will be beach pictures posted. alcoholic beverages consumed, loads of fresh fish and seafood eaten, and not enough green cleanse smoothies drank. I will try, but when you are out of the normal element, things go to crap. 

We will also see my Florida sister. I really look forward to seeing her. It has been awhile. She has also been cleansing and eating better. It will be fun to compare drinks while we are sipping on "cocktails". There is also a song that will be sung also while we are down there..... toes in the water, a$$ in the sand.....

While surfing the internet lately, I have noticed several recipes using oranges. I wanted to try something before we went on Vacation. My Mom always goes to the farmers market and gets fresh oranges every week. She is big into juicing. Awesome source of Vitamin C. This recipe was delicious, but I figure fresh oranges will be the bomb. 

This is a quick easy recipe. I am still liking how fresh ginger tastes. It add that fresh punch to your recipe. 

 Which one is greener? 

There is NO crap or preservatives in this drink, all natural

Green Cleanse 5

adapted by ME

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 green apple, cored & chopped

1 orange, peeled, cut up

1- 1 1/2 cups fresh spinach

1 lime, juiced

1 fresh ginger, nail size

ICE

Directions

Place all ingredients in a high power blender in the order listed. Blend for 1-2 minutes until smooth. 

Just a few ingredients. The spinach was busy and did get in the original picture.

There is no fancy chopping. Keep it simple

That darn spinach. Was not ready to be Vitamix.

The greens and orange are coming together. 

A fantastic drink is starting to form

I am really glad I tried this drink with the orange.

Opening more doors people. Moving outside the box.

Carrot Cake Smoothie

For my Husband's birthday in January, I made a fantastic Carrot Cake. It is his absolute favorite. Sadly, his cake tasted fantastic but was not photo worthy. It was supposed to be a goose, but looked like the Loch ness monster. Things are funny sometimes. Embrace the slight bombs and move on from there

When I came across this recipe, I thought ... a delicious dessert for a meal in a glass. PERFECT for us. It is a heavy drink. You cannot slam this one. But, a great source for a meal replacement. And it is not loaded in calories or fat. A great treat that is not bad for you. LOVE it.

I made this smoothie last night. So drinks fall together quickly, this one had prep. It actually gave it time to bring the flavors together. So instead of a bowl of cereal, I had a "drink" this morning. I felt full for hours.

It was not a bright orange color. Kind of blah, but it tasted amazing

Carrot Cake Smoothie

adapted from dishingupdirt.com

Ingredients

2 cups almond milk

1 tablespoon chia seed

2 frozen bananas, peeled

1 cup carrots, slightly cooked & chopped

5 dates, pitted

2 tablespoons almond butter

1 cup oatmeal, old fashioned

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 shake of nutmeg

1 fresh ginger, nail size

1 squirt agave nectar

Directions

Place almond milk and chia seeds in blender to soak. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Peel and chop carrots. Place in bowl of water and microwave for 3-5 minutes. Softened. Not overcooked.

Drain water and let carrots cool. Place in blender. Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed and blend away. 

There are also OPTIONS to add or place on top. 

~~ raisins

~~ coconut

~~ walnuts

This also made two large drinks. Do not let the glasses mislead you. It could be 4 medium drinks.

This is a full list of items. There is some prep work for this smoothie

Let the Chia Seeds soak in the Almond Milk for 5-10 minutes

Microwave the carrots for 3-5 minutes. 

I did these for 4 minutes. Make sure your blender is capable.

Since this was done the night before, I did not let me carrots cool completely. 

I really feel this drink benefits with sitting overnight. The flavors meld together

If I was funner, I would have place a carrot in the glass. 

Working on my photography skills. It is what you think of later on.

Loaded with so much goodness, I could go on and on.

WELCOME to March. Do some yoga and try a new recipe. 

Hopefully the weather will get warmer where you are at.