Banana oatmeal smoothie

Here is a link to a really good banana oatmeal smoothie:

http://www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/banana-oatmeal-smoothie/

We tried it this morning and really enjoyed it. It's really healthy, too. It has almonds, oatmeal and bananas, so it is a good smoothie for those who are breastfeeding. I used regular plain yogurt that I'd made, and it worked fine.

Chicken and asparagus over rice

This is a tasty dish that was inspired by a picture that I saw on the internet. Of course, I took to a whole new level! I liked to eat it with soy sauce.

Chicken and Asparagus Over Rice

2 chicken breasts, cut in pieces
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped very fine
5-6 fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
1-2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 lb asparagus, cut into 2-3 in. pieces
1-2 T. water
3 c. cooked rice or millet

Cook the first four ingredients together in a frying pan with the oil. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Put the asparagus and water in the pan with the meat. Cover and cook for a few minutes until the asparagus is tender-crisp. Serve over warm rice or millet.

3-grain cereal

So, I've discovered a new favorite hot cereal! My old favorite cereal was a 9-grain cereal that my mom got from Honeyville in Utah. But I can't get that very easily, and this 3-grain cereal I can make myself. It also tastes just as good, and I like the texture better. AND as an added bonus, it has millet, a lactogenic grain.

3-Grain Cereal

1 c. whole wheat kernels
1 c. millet
1 c. brown rice

Mix all three grains together and store in an airtight container. To prepare the cereal:

1/2 c. cereal
2 c. water
1/2 t. salt

Crack cereal in blender for 30-45 seconds. Boil water and salt, and add cereal, using whisk to stir it and prevent lumps from forming. Turn on low, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with milk and honey or brown sugar.

Makes: 2 servings

Millet cereal

I just discovered a new grain: millet! Well, I had heard about it, but I finally have eaten it. Since it's a good lactogenic food, I decided to try it. It is supposed to be high in calcium. I found this recipe in my favorite cookbook, Set for Life. The recipe notes that you can soak the millet overnight to make a fluffier cereal. It works great without soaking, too, though.

Millet Cereal

2 c. water
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. millet

Put ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 25-30 minutes. Serve with milk and honey or brown sugar.

Makes: 2 servings

Carrot salad

A month ago I bought a big bag of carrots on sale. Since then it has been an adventure trying to find recipes that use carrots. I have found a few that I liked. One is a great low fat, low sugar salad. The recipe said to chill it for one hour, but I liked it best when it had chilled overnight.

Carrot Salad

4-6 carrots
1 c. crushed pineapple
1/4 c. raisins
3 T. orange juice concentrate

Peel and grate the carrots. Then combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Chill until flavors have mixed together.

Makes: 4 servings

Tuna sandwich filling

Sometimes I get bored with plain old tuna sandwiches. I like to add lots and lots of veggies, onions, pickles, etc. So when I saw this recipe, I was pretty interested. I found this recipe in the Set for Life cookbook, and I modified it to meet my tastes. I also used plain yogurt instead of Miracle Whip or mayonnaise. This is the first time I've tried using yogurt for something like this. It tastes great! I don't like Miracle Whip, and mayonnaise can be so fattening, so it's nice to have found a good alternative.

I ate this sandwich filling in some of my whole wheat homemade pita bread. It was so good! :)

Tuna Sandwich Filling

1 5-oz can tuna
2 c. lettuce, chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped fine
1 tomato, diced
2 dill pickle spears, diced
1/4-1/3 c. nonfat yogurt

Mix ingredients together and serve on whole wheat bread, tortillas or pitas. Yum!