Growing up (and for much of my adult life), I hated yams!

Yes, “hate” is a strong word. And, yet, its usage is 100% appropriate here! I literally shivered at the thought of yams. Bleh!

Of course, my only exposure to yams had been to yams from a can! Ewwww! 

Luckily, I eventually discovered fresh yams! Now, they’re one of my favorite foods!

Whether you already love yams…or you’re just now willing to try them for the first time…I hope you love this recipe as much as we do at our house!

Mmm…….

Sweet & Savory Yams Recipe

Serves 4    (Well…serves 4 as a side dish, but 2 of us tend to eat it all as a meal with berries or veggies!) 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 large yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 TBSP pure maple syrup
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Grease a casserole pan.
3. Add yams to the pan.
4. Drizzle with oil and syrup, and sprinkle with spices.
5. Toss to coat evenly.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, stirring at least once. Bake until tender and browned.
7. Season with more salt, to taste, if needed.
8. Enjoy! And be sure to check out our RECIPES PAGE for more delicious recipes!!!!

Do you love lamb?? 

OMG!! Me tooooooooooooooooo!!!!

If you’ve never tried lamb, I highly encourage you to get your feet wet with this recipe!

For one thing, this recipe is SUPER quick and easy and doesn’t require any expensive ingredients (well, except for the lamb). So you won’t have a ton to lose if you don’t turn out to be a lamb lover. 

If you’re new to lamb, I hope you’ll be excited by the punch of flavor that it adds to a dish compared to ground beef! Yummmmmy town!!!

It does cost quite a bit more than ground beef ($2-$3 more per pound usually), buuuuuuuuuuuuut…it’s such a unique flavor that we LOVE adding it to our dinner menu rotation from time to time. 

(Pro Shopping Tip: At our regular grocery store here, ground lamb usually costs $7.99/lb…but…if you live near a grocery chain called Grocery Outlet, they often have it there for just $5.99/lb in our neck of the woods! Does the grocery chain Aldi still exist in places? If so, that may be another good place to check for better pricing.)

Anywhoooo…the original recipe I found that inspired this one actually involved raw shelled pistachios and freshly chopped mint for garnish. That recipe also instructed you to spread yogurt on your plate and then scoop the lamb and rice dish on top of that.

While all of that sure sounded delightful enough, I didn’t have any of those things on hand (and I love lamb on its own)…so I kept things basic. 

Apparently, it was still delicious because… well… Chad and I gobbled up the entire batch!

(Hey, what happens at the dinner table, stays at the dinner table. Right?!?!?!)

Lamb & Rice Recipe

Serves 4     (but 2 of us ate it all! Whoops!) 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb ground lamb
• 1 medium onion, diced (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup uncooked white rice
• 2 cups water

DIRECTIONS: 

1. In a large skillet (that has a lid), brown the lamb (and the diced onion if using).
2. Drain excess grease.
3. Add salt and pepper. 
4. Stir in uncooked rice and the water. 
5. Bring to a boil. 
6. Cover. Simmer over Low heat for 15-20 minutes, until rice reaches desired tenderness and all of the water is absorbed. 
7. Serve with veggies of your choice. We enjoy fresh cucumber slices or Baked Cabbage. 
8. Scarf it down! Mmmmmmm!!! And be sure to check out our RECIPES PAGE for more great recipes!!!!

Don’t worry! There’s no soda pop needed here!

This is just a sweet, creamy and delicious frozen treat that reminds me a bit of when I used to enjoy Root Beer Floats years ago!

Give it a try, and let me know what you think! 

Mock “Root Beer Float” Recipe

Makes ~ 4 cups (serves 2-4)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups ice water (Fill a measuring cup with ice to just below the “2 cup” mark. Then add water to fill the 2 cups completely.)
• 1/8 cup almond butter*
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3 frozen, ripe bananas – broken into large chunks
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract*
• 2-3 tsp honey*

*Check out our FREE Grocery Shopping Guide for our tips on selecting the most additive-free versions of these ingredients.

DIRECTIONS:

Place ingredients into a blender in the order listed above.

This is a bit easier with a high-powered machine (Vita Mix or Blendtec), but you can use a regular blender, as well. You just may need to stop a few times to “plunge” the ingredients down into the blade and scrape the sides of the pitcher.

Blend until smooth, and enjoy!

And be sure to check out our RECIPES PAGE for more great recipes!!!!

Know what’s even better than a thick and tasty smoothie???

       …A thick and tasty smoothie topped with even more delicious goodies!!!

Mmmmm…..mmmmmm….mmmmmm!!!!!

When I first saw an item like this on the menu at our local Costco, I was skeptical. I’ve always loved smoothies, but I had a hard time believing that adding all of these random textures to it would be all that palatable.

Boy…was I… wrong!

I also assumed the granola would get all soggy….but….nope! It’s crunch-ity, munch-ity right down to the very last bite! 

I’ve been HOOKED on this homemade Smoothie Bowl Recipe for months now, so I’m super happy that I gave the whole “smoothie bowl” thing a chance! 

If you end up loving it as much as I do, please leave a comment below!

Smoothie Bowl Recipe 

Makes about 2 cups: 2 small servings  (or 1 REALLY large serving)

*Confession: I usually eat it all!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 frozen, ripe banana (broken into chunks)
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries (we like strawberries and blueberries)
• Toppings of your choice: We like granola and (optional) fresh berries. I bet chopped nuts and seeds would be yummy, too! 

DIRECTIONS: 

Blend water with frozen banana and frozen berries. A high-powered blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec works best for this.

With a regular blender, you may need to add more water and/or stop a few times while blending to push the ingredients down into the blade. Still…totally worth it! Yum! 

Scoop the smoothie into a bowl, and add toppings of your choice.  

If you enjoy this recipe, let us know in the comments below! 

And be sure to check out our RECIPES PAGE for more great recipes!!!!