Italian Dressing Mix

You will need:
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1 tablespoon onion powder (not onion salt)
2 tablespoons ground dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon ground basil
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried celery flakes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

1) Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir well to blend.
2) Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to six months.

To make dressing:
1) Pour 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil into a glass jar with a screw top lid.
2) Add 1/4 cup white, red, or balsamic vinegar
3) Add 2 tablespoons Italian Salad Dressing Mix
4) Screw lid on jar and shake well to combine. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

GF Peanut Butter Cookies

1 large egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
Flaky sea salt (optional)

Arrange racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat oven to 350°.  Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Beat egg with whisk in medium bowl.  Add peanut butter and sugar and mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
Scoop dough onto parchment lined tray (sprinkle with salt) bake 10-12 minutes.

Crockpot Candy

Ingredients:

• 2 pound white almond bark

• 4 ounces German chocolate bar

• 12 ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

• 24 ounces dry roasted peanuts

Instructions: 

1. Add white almond bark, German chocolate bar, semisweet chocolate chips, and peanuts to slow cooker. Let cook on low for 1 hour without messing with it. After an hour, stir to combine everything. Allow to cook for another hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

1. Drop spoonfuls of the candy onto wax paper and allow to cool completely.

Coconutty Cinnamon Oat Bites - Protein Balls

1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter

1/2 cup all-natural almond butter

1/2 cup honey

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

pinch of sea salt

1 - 1/4 cups Cinnamon Oat 'Kodiak Cakes' mix

1/3 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

1. Mix nut butters, honey, protein powder, vanilla and salt together.  Mix in kodiak cake and coconut.

2. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop into balls and store in the fridge or freezer.  Enjoy.

*Makes 32 Bites

100 cals/10C/5F/4P

Slow Cooker Carnitas

Ingredients

for 6 servings

4 lb boneless pork butt, or shoulder, cut into six equal pieces
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, quartered
3 leaves bay leaf
1 lime, juiced
1 large orange, juiced, save the spent halves


OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
tortilla, taco shell
rice
black beans
salsa
guacamole
sour cream
fresh cilantro
cheese

Preparation

Cut pork into 6 equal pieces. Add it to the slow cooker.
Add salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic, onion, bay leaves, lime juice and juice the orange. Add orange to the cooker as well. Mix together until the meat is well-coated.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the meat pulls apart easily.
Remove the pork and transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet. Shred the pork and spread across the baking sheet in a single layer.
Pour about 1 cup (235 ml) of the liquid remaining in the slow cooker over the shredded pork. Broil for 5-10 minutes until the meat browns and crisps along the edges.
Serve immediately. Great as a filling in tacos, burritos, salads, or nachos!
Enjoy!

Cake Batter Bars

Ingredients
5 cups Vanilla Chex
5 cups of marshmallows
4 tablespoons butter
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons sprinkles

Instructions
Heat a medium size sauce pan to medium low heat, add butter and let it slowly melt. When butter is mostly melted add in the marshmallows and stir them regularly.
When the butter and marshmallows are totally melted add the vanilla extract.
Grab a 9x13 pan (for thin bars, if you want thick bars use an 8x8 pan) and line with wax paper, lightly spray with cooking oil and set aside.
Add the cereal to the marshmallow mixture, stir well, and spread into the pan then top with sprinkles.
Let cool, enjoy.

Sheet Pan Fajitas

These are both easy and tasty!!

Ingredients

1.5 – 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and sliced (see note)
1 large onion, sliced
2 large bell peppers (or 3 small/med ones), sliced
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2-3 teaspoons True Lime, optional
handful of cilantro
1 lime
optional for serving: sour cream, guacamole/avocado, tortillas, rice and beans, etc.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Have a large sheet pan ready (cover with foil or parchment for easy clean-up).

Place sliced chicken, onions, and peppers in an extra large mixing bowl. Drizzle on oil and all seasonings. Toss to coat.

Spread chicken and pepper mixture out evenly on baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes (closer to 20 with convection) until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender. If desired, place under broiler for a quick minute to brown.

Remove from oven and if desired, sprinkle cilantro over everything and give it a big squeeze of fresh lime juice (you might not need fresh lime if you used True Lime, but I say never enough lime.)

Serve with tortillas and traditional fixings, or over a bed of salad or veggies or rice and beans, etc.

*Credit for recipe "Ourbestbites.com"