Broccoli Raisin Salad

As I was beginning to write this recipe post, I kind of felt bad... I don't really understand why this salad has always been called 'Broccoli Raisin Salad' ..what? Did the other ingredients get the short straws and not get the recipe named after them? (I am aware this is extremely neurotic-but still!) I mean, the cashews are probably my favorite part, and the cauliflower is awesome too! So I think they should get a part in the name, but alas...since most people know it by this name I will keep it!

Alright, on to the actual recipe-I am a HUUUUGE fan of this amazing salad... but I pulled up the first recipe I found when I googled 'Broccoli Raisin Salad' and the nutritional stats were jaw-dropping! 1 serving had 447 calories and 33 grams of fat!!! :O I couldn't believe it, I mean I know salads aren't always the figure friendly food some people assume them to be but really... calling something a salad and then having over 400 calories in it?! That should be a felony somewhere!

So I set off to create something a bit more "Blissful" on the nutritional front-and not to brag, but Boy Oh Boy did I succeed! This salad really does have it all: crunch, sweetness, creamy, and just a hint of salty flavor... and the best part- not even 100 calories per serving (and believe me, it's a BIG serving!)

If that wasn't enough to get you to make this, it also has over 130% of you recommended intake of vitamin C, some fiber and a healthy dose of protein!

What are you waiting for?! Go make this delicious side dish!

and there ya have it! Simple, delicious and healthy... what more could you ask for?

Ingredients:

Dressing:

-1/4 cup non-fat Greek yogurt

-1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

-1 TBSP. vinegar

-1 TBSP. Ranch dressing mix

Salad:

-6 cups broccoli/cauliflower (chopped)

-1/4 cup cashews

-1/4 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Mix dressing ingredients in a large bowl

2. Chop broccoli, cauliflower and cashews

3. Add chopped veggies, cashews and raisins to your bowl with dressing and stir to coat

4. Let refrigerate at least 2 hours for dressing's flavors to mature

~Makes 6 (GOOD sized) servings

Nutritional Info (about 1 cup)

Cake Batter Butter

What is better than cake batter?! In my opinion.... umm NOTHING! I love trying to recreate the cake batter taste in just about everything! (recipes coming soon!) I love cake batter ice cream, cake batter shakes, cake batter oatmeal...everything! So I figured I would try my hand at created a version of a nut butter that tastes like cake batter... crazy I know!

After trying a few different variations, I came up with a recipe that any cake batter lover will appreciate! It's great to put on toast, bagels, apple slices, and crackers! (Just to name a few...)

Ingredients (makes about 1 cup of butter) :
-2 cups cashews (I used salted, but if you use unsalted you can always add a little pinch of salt)
-1 tsp. vanilla extract
-1 tsp. butter extract
-1/2 tsp. almond extract
-Sprinkles ...now some people here would put "optional" but NO-this is not optional in any way shape or form.... to get the legit cake batter experience you must add sprinkles to the end result-but then again, how will I ever know :)

Directions
1. Roast cashews on a baking sheet in a 350* oven until they become fragrant.
2. Let cashews cool
3. When they are just warm, put cashews in food processor or high powered blender and blend away! (the warmth from the cashews helps their oils come out a bit easier)
4. Keep scrapping sides of blender/processor until you reach the consistency you like
5. Pour into your jar of choice and fold in sprinkles!

Sooooo good with some crackers! Mmmm Mmm!

Nutritional Info: (2 TBSP of cake batter butter)

Strawberry Nutella Muffins

I'm not really all that into chocolate... I know, I know-many of you probably think this should be considered a sin! But I just can't help it... chocolate has never really been one of my favorite things, but the weird thing is-I love to create food with chocolate! I don't really understand it either-but chocolate creations are just so, what's the word? Pretty...artistic...MAGICAL! They're magical! So time and time again, I find myself creating some treat that I turns out beautifully and people love... but I can't stand more than one bite of!

Oh well, at least all you chocolate lovers out there can benefit from my recipe! :) So without further adu...

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (whole wheat would work exceptionally well also to make these a bit healthier!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup applesauce (can use oil if you feel the need)
1 large egg
1/3 cup skim milk (or buttermilk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped fresh strawberries-washed and diced into small chunks
1/3 cup Nutella - softened in the microwave

and Viola! Enjoy!!!

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to the standard 350* and grease your muffin tins, or use baking liners... whatever floats your strawberry nutella muffin boat!
2. Mix together all ingredients up to strawberries in a nice big bowl-only until everything is moistened ...don't go too overboard with your mixing!
3. Now you can go ahead and fold in those strawberries
4. Fill your muffin tins 1/2 full of muffin batter, then add a dollop of Nutella, and cover with muffin batter until about 3/4 full-I got about 12 muffins, but this will vary depending on your muffin tin size
5. Bake until they pass the infamous toothpick test! (about 15 minutes for those of you with no access to a toothpick or anything that vaguely resembles one)



Nutritional Info: