No Bake Cookie Protein Bites--clean simple eats

Ingredients 1 1/2 C powdered peanut butter 3/4 C water 1/2 C raw honey 1 tbsp natural peanut butter 1 tbsp melted coconut oil or butter 1 serving chocolate protein powder 2 tbsp cocoa powder 1/2 tsp vanilla extract dash sea salt 1 1/2 C old fashioned rolled oats Directions Stir powdered peanut butter and water together in a bowl and then add all indredients and stir scoop spoonfuls on to baking sheet lined with wax paper. place in freezer. once set you can transfer to fridge if desired These are my favorite protein bites lately!!!

Easy sweet potato casserole

Ingredients • 1 29 oz can sweet potatoes drained • ½ cup salted butter melted • ⅓ cup milk • ¾ cup sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 2 Eggland’s Best eggs beaten • For the topping: • 5 tbsp salted butter melted • ⅔ cup brown sugar • ⅔ cup flour • 1 cup chopped pecans Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 350f degrees. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes and stir in melted butter, milk, sugar, vanilla extract and beaten Eggland’s Best eggs. Stir until combined well.
 2. Pour sweet potato mixture into a 2-quart (8-inch square) baking dish.
 3. In a bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, flour and chopped pecans. Use a fork or your fingers until mixture becomes small crumbles.
 4. Sprinkle crumbles over sweet potato mixture.
 5. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes until topping is golden brown. Let casserole cool for at least 15-20 minutes before serving. This is important as the casserole will set-up as it cools.

 This was a hit at Christmas! I did melted marshmallows on half.

Chocolate chip cookies

These are Jessi's favorites. They are great I could definitely use them as my go-to chocolate chip recipe. Ingredients 1.5 cup sugar 2 cups brown sugar 1 lb. real butter 3 eggs 2 tablespoons vanilla 1.5 tsp baking soda 1.5 tsp salt 6 cups flour 1 large package milk chocolate chips (for 1/3 the recipe, see comments) Instructions Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside. In a large bowl or countertop mixer, cream together sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla. Slowly add the dry mixture and incorporate fully. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes* (DO NOT OVER BAKE!) One Third of the recipe 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 1/4 stick butter 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups flour 1/3 package chocolate chips *I've found that the trick to gooey chocolate chip cookies is to slightly under-bake them by about 30 seconds or so!

Cheesecake cookies

Cheesecake Cookies (Re-do) These were really good, I want to try them dipped in chocolate too. I gave these to neighbors and made some chocolate chip to go with it on the plate. --be sure to follow the tips Serves: 44 cookies Ingredients 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature) ½ cup butter (room temperature) 1¼ cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2½ cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt Coupons Powdered Sugar Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Beat cream cheese and butter together at high speed until fluffy and smooth; 1-2 minutes. Add sugar to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated and fluffy; 1-2 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla; 1 minute. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir just until incorporated. Do not over-mix. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets; batter will be sticky. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Cookies should be light in color, not browned, and just starting to brown on the bottom. *Length of baking time may vary from oven to oven. Cool cookies on the baking rack for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar or dip in chocolate once cooled.

Crock Pot Potato Soup

Yield: 8-10 servings Slow Cooker Potato Soup This Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe is thick and creamy (without using heavy cream), wonderfully flavorful, and made extra easy in the slow cooker! Me: This was definitely a winner, Rob and I loved it. I'll be using this as my go-to potato soup recipe! Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 4 hours 10 mins Total Time: 4 hours 20 mins Ingredients: 6 slices cooked bacon*, diced 3-4 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes**, peeled (if desired) and diced 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and diced 4 tablespoons bacon grease* (or butter) 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 (12-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, extra shredded cheese, extra bacon, sour cream Directions: Add bacon, 3 cups chicken stock, potatoes and onion to the bowl of a large slow cooker, and stir to combine. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through. Once the soup has slow cooked and is about ready to serve, cook the butter in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat until it has melted. Whisk in the flour until it is completely combined, and then cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Gradually add in the evaporated milk while whisking it together with the flour mixture, and continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth. Let the mixture continue cooking until it reaches a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then it should get really thick. Immediately pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker with the potatoes, and stir until combined. Add in the cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper, and stir until combined. If you would like the soup to be even thicker, you can use a potato masher or a large spoon to mash about half of the potatoes (while the soup is still in the slow cooker) to thicken the soup up. If you would like the soup to be thinner, add in an extra 1-2 cups of warmed chicken or vegetable stock. Stir to combine, then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve warm, garnished with desired toppings. Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (This recipe will not freeze well.) *You can either fry the bacon, cook it in the microwave, or buy pre-cooked bacon. If frying or microwaving, I recommend dicing the bacon before cooking it. And if you are frying it, I highly recommend saving the bacon grease for later and then using it to make your roux (instead of butter). **I highly recommend using Yukon gold potatoes, which have the perfect texture and buttery taste for this soup. But Russet potatoes or red potatoes would also work just fine in this recipe. ***If you would like to make this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable stock, omit the bacon, and I would recommend adding in 2-3 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning for extra flavor.

Fruit Dip

This was AMAZING! 8 oz cream cheese 7 oz marshmallow cream 1 1/2 C whipped cream Soften cream cheese and mix all ing together. I added quite a bit more whip cream. Delicious!

Healthy Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients 3 large chicken breasts, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons of garlic, minced 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 - 1.5 pounds of green beens 2 tablespoons coconut aminos (or soy sauce <-- not paleo) 1 tablespoon sriracha 1 tablespoon chili paste (or more, to taste) 1 tablespoon honey (or more, to taste) salt and pepper, to taste 1 teaspoon sesame seeds optional: crushed peanuts/cashews Instructions First, prep chicken by seasoning with salt and pepper and slicing it into thin, bite-sized pieces. Set aside. Then, prep the green beans but cutting off both ends. Set aside. Prep stir fry sauce by mixing together coconut aminos, sriracha, chili past, and honey in a small bowl. Set aside. Next, place 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of minced garlic in a large sauce pan or wok. Turn to high medium/high heat. Add in chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until partially cooked. Remove chicken and set aside. Place another tablespoon of sesame oil and minced garlic in the pan and turn to high heat. Add in green beans and sauté for about 5-7 minutes or until they begin to soften. Add in the chicken and continue to cook for 5ish more minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through. Once chicken is cooked, add in stir fry sauce and reduce heat to low/medium and let cook down for a few more minutes. Add in sesame seeds and let sit for at least 5 minutes so that the sauce can thicken a bit more. Serve hot. Notes If you like things really saucey, feel free to double the sauce in this recipe! Many readers have done so and loved it.