Apple Baked Oatmeal

2 cups oatmeal

1 ½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

¼ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup dried cranberries

2 cups diced apples

3 eggs

2 cups milk

¼ cup brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

Combine oatmeal, baking powder, salt, pecans, cranberries, and apples. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour over dry ingredients and stir well. Pour into a buttered 8x8 pan and bake at 325˚ for 1 hour, until golden brown. (Can be baked ahead and re-heated at 250˚ for 20-30 minutes.)

Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce

1 cup water

1 cup evaporated cane juice

12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

Bring water and ECJ to a boil in a small saucepan. Add berries and return to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently, at a soft boil for 10 minutes, or until berries begin to pop and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat, pour into a bowl and let cool at room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chill until needed.

Mushroom Cranberry Chicken

3 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over

2/3 cup evaporated cane juice

1 1/2 cups water

whole chicken

2-4 cups water

salt and pepper

6 minced garlic cloves

1 chopped onion

2 tsp dried rosemary

1 cup dry white wine

1 lb mushrooms, whole or sliced

Combine the cranberries, sugar and water in a small saucepan. Cover and cook on medium-low, stirring occasionally, until the berries have broken and the mixture begins to thicken (10-15 minutes). Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Place chicken in crock-pot with the appropriate amount of water (according to chicken size) and add remaining ingredients, except mushrooms. Cook until chicken is done, and add mushrooms to the crock-pot about 30 minutes before dinner time.

Serve over couscous, with cranberry sauce on top.

Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa

6 cups whole milk

3 cups quinoa

6 TBSP brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Bring milk to a boil. Add quinoa and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 15 minutes, until 3/4 of the milk has been absorbed. Stir in sugar and cinnamon and cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed (about 8 minutes). Add blueberries and serve.

Banana Bread

3 large or 4 small very ripe bananas

2 TBSP olive oil

1/4 cup honey or maple syrup

1 egg

1/4 cup yogurt

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Mash the bananas with a fork.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well.  Add the dry ingredients and stir just enough to combine, until everything is moistened.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350˚ for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Adapted from What The Bible Says About Healthy Living Cookbook

Green Smoothies

1-2 cups plain yogurt

1-2 handfuls fresh spinach

drizzle of honey or handful of raisins

fruit

Blend yogurt, spinach, and honey (or raisins, if using) together in a blender. Choose any combination of fruit, frozen or fresh, and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, add milk.

Fruit combination suggestions:

*can of pineapple with juice, frozen mango chunks, banana

*cored, quartered apple, 2 bananas

*strawberries (fresh or frozen), banana