Popeye Dip...err.. Spinach dip!

This dip was inspired by a popular TV chef.  I won't say who, and if you guess correctly, there is no prize. But, the dip sounded good, so I made a few tweaks to their recipe to make it my own.

Ingredient list:

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Med Onion
• 2 Tbsp Flour
• Garlic Powder
• 1.5 cup of milk
• Dry ranch dressing mix
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 6 oz cooked chopped spinach
• Pitas for serving

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of butter (if using unsalted, add some salt), 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and 1 medium onion diced. Once the onions start to soften, sprinkle in  2 Tbsp flour. STIR, STIR, STIR.  You should now have paste like consistency.

Slowly add in 1.5 cups of milk.  You want to do this slowly so it doesn't get cakey.  Then, stir in half a packet of ranch flavored dressing mix.  Sprinkle in some garlic powder.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.

Then add in half a block of cream cheese (4oz), 6oz of cooked chopped spinach, and 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.  Once the cheeses have melted, place in oven safe serving dishes.  I used ramekins, which allowed for portion control!  YAY! Sprinkle some additional cheddar cheese on top, and baked for about 30 minutes.  I served this dip with toasted pitas, but you could serve with veggies if you are trying to be more healthy, or baked chips.

One Pan Lettuce Cups

As you know, I'm a new Mom.  And what does a new Mom, or any mother for that matter, not have enough of?  This isn't trivia kids.  It's time.  The answer is time!  So if I can make a healthy dinner that is super easy, and requires only one pan, I am so SOLD.

Grab a pan with high edges.  Not sure if there is a special name for said pan, but you know what I'm getting at!

In your pan brown 1 lb ground turkey.  Once the turkey has browned, drain, rinse, give some to your baby, and place the rest back into the pan.  Add a can of rinsed black beans, taco seasoning (store bought or one you have created yourself), salsa, and corn.  I eyeball the seasoning and the salsa, and I used frozen corn and again eyeballed it.  You could also pre-cut peppers and onions and add them to this dish, but I didn't this particular time.  Let this cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

As it's heating through, grab your Boston lettuce otherwise known as Bibb lettuce, or if your store is out of this lettuce like mine was, Iceberg lettuce will do just fine.  Gently peel off the layers of the lettuce and make little cups out of them.  Of course this is after you have rinsed your lettuce.  Once your meat mixture is cooked, place 1-2 spoonfuls in each lettuce cup.

Add you toppings as you desire.  We used shredded cheese, salsa, and plain Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream).

This recipe is fast, easy, delicious, and keeps the pile of dishes down.

"This is one of the best lunch sandwiches I've ever had."...with a smoothie on the side.

After making this sandwich, after my husband's first bite, he said, "This is one of the best lunch sandwiches I've ever had."  So I know your next question.  Well, what was it?

It was a grilled cheese.  A really REALLY good grilled cheese.

You'll need:

• 2 pieces of thick bread.  I used honey wheat Arnold bread.  It's hearty.
• 3 slices of cheese (you decide which cheese you want to use)
• Guacamole (2 avocados and McCormick Guacamole mix)
• 2 pieces of cooked bacon
• Butter - or if you're like me, and you can't believe it's not butter - you can use that :-)

First prepare your guacamole.  Spoon out the goodness from two large, ripe avocados (remove the pit).  Mash with a fork, and stir in the mix.  Put in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.

Spray your griddle (or pan) with olive oil spray.  Next time, I would probably use some coconut oil instead, as coconut oil is my new obsession.  Butter the outsides of your bread and place them butter side down on the griddle.  Layer on your cheese, cooked bacon, and your guacamole.  Once the outsides of the bread are toasted, form a sandwich and plate. Add veggie straws for a little extra sumptin' sumptin'.

For the smoothie, simply blend:

• 1 banana
• 1 cup of frozen mango chunks
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 cup of milk (whatever milk you like)
• A healthy splash of vanilla extract

If you have extra avocado leftover, you can always add that to your smoothie too!  Happy eating!