V-day Edition

"Reeses" Hearts i made from the recipe HERE . They are better the store bought in my opinion.

The Strawberries are cream cheese stuffed then drizzles with chocolate. I used the recipe from HERE only I added some cool whip to the cream cheese mixture.

Mexican Stuffed Tacos

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 package low-sodium taco seasoning
4 oz. cream cheese
14-16 jumbo pasta shells
1.5 cup salsa
1 cup taco sauce
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup monterey jack cheese
1/2 Cup shredded or diced carrots (Shh! this is our little secret. Its a sneaky way to get veggies in your meals especially for kids)
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350°. In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely. While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Pour salsa on bottom of 9×13 baking dish. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9×13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes, with the foil removed. Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa.

"Healthy fruit snacks"

These are a recipe I found on pinterest and tweeked it to make it a bit healthier. I dont feel so bad letting my 2 year old eat these!

1 cup mixed berries
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup spinach leaves
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 envelopes knox gelatin

In a saucepan combine the berries and water and cook until the berries are soft, about 5 minutes. Place in blender with spinach and blend until smooth. Place back in the saucepan and add the applesauce. Cook and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. In a seperate bowl combine the juice and knox gelatin. Let sit 1 minute. Add to berries mixture. Pour into a 8x8 glass pan. Refridgerate 3 hours or until set. Cut into squares.
Store in fridge.

Spinach has a high nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and especially high in lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, betaine, iron, vitamin B₂, calcium, potassium, vitamin B₆, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. Recently, opioid peptides called rubiscolins have also been found in spinach.

Pomegranate juice provides about 16% of an adult's daily vitamin C requirement per 100 ml serving, and is a good source of vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid), potassium and polyphenols, such as tannins and flavonoids.

Pomegranates are listed as high-fiber in some charts of nutritional value. That fiber, however, is entirely contained in the edible seeds which also supply unsaturated oils. People who choose to discard the seeds forfeit nutritional benefits conveyed by the seed fiber, oils and micronutrients. Juice of the pomegranate may be effective in reducing heart disease risk factors.