Crock Pot Sneaky Mac

Do you have kids (or others in the household) who don't like to eat things that are "good for them"?  Unfortunately I do.  In an effort to get some good stuff into my kids, I have to get a bit sneaky at times.  Usually it backfires and they can detect a difference in the food, but this mac and cheese recipe works every time.  

Enter the chickpea a.k.a the garbanzo bean:

          

Certainly not every kid's favorite, but definitely full of good stuff! 

Here is what you need to make my incredibly quick and easy mac and cheese recipe:

 ~2 cups shredded NY sharp cheddar cheese

~1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted - I have forgotten the butter before and it turns out just fine, with less fat!

~1 can (12.5 oz I think) evaporated milk- I use fat free

~1 cup of pureed chick peas- You could use a can of chick peas and puree them, but I prefer to buy dried chick peas and then puree the whole bag, separate them and freeze them in one cup portions.  You may also want to start with only 1/2 a cup in your recipe so the kids won't notice and gradually add more each time.  It is good to get any of the loose skins from the peas out before pureeing.

~16 oz box of macaroni, cooked and drained- any shape will do.  I've been using whole wheat pasta, although the kids do grumble about that.  They still eat it though.

~1/2-1tsp. salt depending on your taste preference

~1/2 tsp. black pepper

~1 cup milk- I use skim, any will do.  I usually just poor in the milk to the top of the macaroni without measuring it.

Caution: 

The following pictures do not do the smell or flavor of this dish justice.  Hopefully the joy on the children's faces in the last picture will win you over.

Spray your crock pot with non stick cooking spray before adding your ingredients!!

Add the cheese, butter, evaporated milk, salt, pepper and chick peas to the crock pot while you cook your macaroni.

Don't worry, the chick peas will disappear into the sauce as the mac and cheese cooks.

Add in the macaroni and milk.

Stir everything together and cook for approximately 1.5 hours on high or 3-4 hours on low.  Keep an eye on it to be sure it isn't burning on the edges.  Personally I like the crispy, burnt bits, but my kids hate it.

And here it is!  Yum, yum, yummy!

Don't their "cheesy" smiles say it all??  I used to make this recipe without the chick peas.  The kids like it more when I put the chick peas in.  It adds some really great flavor.  Just recently I let them in on my little sneaky secret.  They are still eating it and have agreed that "healthy" doesn't have to mean icky.

Tutti Frutti Banana Bread

 Warm. Moist. Yummy!  There is almost nothing better than banana bread fresh from the oven.  I have a favorite go to recipe that I make and embellish.  I named this loaf Tutti Frutti in honor of the coconut that I put in it.  I wish I could share a piece with all of you out there reading!

But since I can't, I thought I'd share my recipe.

Tutti Frutti Banana Bread

3 mashed, ripe bananas                           

1/3 C shortening                                      

2/3 cup sugar                                          

2 eggs      

1 3/4 C white whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream the first four ingredients together.  Add the remaining dry ingedients and mix together well.  Don't forget to grease your bread pan.  I use cooking spray.  Bake until the center is firm, approximately 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack about 15 minutes before removing the loaf from the pan.

extras that I added to this loaf: 

1/4 cup coconut flakes

1/2 C golden raisins

1/4 C flax seed meal

1 tsp. cinnamon (Sorry, but I usually add this to everything!)

I would have loved to have added pecans as well, but my oldest is allergic to all tree nuts.  After he ate a piece of this bread we also decided that he is allergic to flax seed.  And I thought he was just kidding the first time he had it. ;o  We know for sure now! Thank God for Benadryl!



Enjoy!

Check back later.... I'll be posting my Sew Mama Sew giveaway!!  I can't wait until tomorrow to check out what everyone else is giving away!

So Simple Cake

Mmmm... chocolate cake!  You'll never guess how I made this!  

All you need is 1 cake mix, any flavor you would like and 10 oz. of diet soda.  Just mix the two together and bake the cake as directed on the cake mix box.  No eggs and no oil!  I usually use Diet Dr. Pepper or Diet Sunkist depending on the flavor of my cake.  This is just one of the Weight Watcher's tricks I've learned for cutting calories and fat.  It tastes almost like the real deal.  It even gets my almost nine year old, B's approval so it must be good!  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Now, if only I had some fat free Cool Whip!

baking and a little sewing

WHAT IS THIS???

Just a birthday cake gone wrong... but it tasted so good!  Tomorrow is super hubby's birthday and we had a little celebration for him tonight.  I tried to make a blueberry coffee cake look more festive by making it as a layer cake, but the food coloring and I had a minor fight.  It may look like a swamp monster, but like I said, it sure tasted good!

Here is the whole cake.  It is one of my favorite cake recipes. Usually I put it in a 9x13 pan.

Here is the recipe if you'd like to try it.  Please avoid using food coloring though!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

1/2 c shortening

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 c sugar

4 c flour

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

4 c blueberries (I use frozen)

Mix first four ingredients and then slowly mix in dry ingredients.  Add in blueberries.  The mixture will be very thick.  Spread mixture in a 9x13 in. pan.

TOPPING:

1 c brown sugar

2/3 c flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 c shortening or butter

Mix topping into crumbs and put on top of batter before baking.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

I also have a friend who has a birthday tomorrow, too.  I made her a cute little needle book.  She likes to sew, too.  I know that she will appreciate it.