Elvis Frozen Treat

I didn't like peanut butter growing up. It was sticky and stuck to the roof of my mouth. I don't remember ever taking peanut butter & jelly sandwiches to school.

Then one day I decided to get healthy and so I decided to eat some one day when not much else was around. That was the start of my new life. Peanut butter and I have been the best of friends ever since.

I like it in my oatmeal, on my cereal, in milkshakes, licked off a measuring spoon, and I will even throw down a PB&J from time to time. Crunchy and creamy are both my lovers. I don't even care how cliche it all is.

And that beautiful union with banana? That is as close a place to heaven on Earth as I've ever known. And let's throw in some bacon, because trios are better than duos.

Elvis Frozen Treat - 2 servings

3 bananas, sliced and frozen for at least a few hours
1 tablespoon of peanut butter
1 slice of bacon, chopped (turkey or pork)

Spray a small pan with cooking spray over medium. Throw the bacon in when it gets crispy remove. Put your banana and peanut butter in a food processor until it reaches a smooth consistency. Put in a bowl and add your bacon.

1 bowl - 220 calories

Sweet Potato Smoothie

I tried out a sweet potato smoothie a few weeks ago, and unfortunately it was really missing something. So I decided to do my own thing. The orange juice really makes this smoothie, it brightens up the flavor. I oftentimes make this when I have some leftover baked sweet potato and I need to get rid of it, basically, but in a delicious way.

Sweet Potato Smoothie - 2 servings

1 cup of mashed or baked sweet potato (about 1 medium weighing 5-6 ounces)
1 banana
1/2 cup of milk
1/2 cup of orange juice
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (greek or regular)
pinch of salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg
sweetener, to taste
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla

Blend all ingredients.

231 calories per smoothie

Spaghetti Taco Salad

I think one of the most valuable skills in the kitchen is being able to re-purpose leftovers so they actually get eaten and don't just sit in your fridge until they get thrown around. Spaghetti sauce has to be one of the most common leftovers and you don't always want pasta two or three times a week, at least not in my house. 

This recipe is simple and can be thrown together in minutes.And no matter how deep my love for cooking is, sometimes I don't want to do it and I need a nice simple meal that requires very little thought.

Spaghetti Taco Salad - 4 servings

2 to 2-1/2 cups of leftover spaghetti sauce
8 cups of lettuce, chopped
1 cup of cheese

optional: chips

Layer ingredients. That's it. I used a lean turkey homemade spaghetti sauce but you can use whatever you have on hand.

A Note on December

Several things happened to me in December, none of which were particularly good (though I did have a nice Christmas). I will be back to posting recipes soon. I have several I've made in the past couple of days that I'm excited to share. I am committed to posting here, though of course, it is hard to manage this and a full-time, tiring job.

But back to the food for 2013!