Cheesy Popeye Enchiladas

Oh, Popeye!

I remember watching old reruns of Popeye the Sailor cartoons with my Dad.  They were so violent and exciting! And all because he ate some spinach! This is the perfect cartoon for children to watch and subliminally want to eat their veggies.  Nice work Dad.

What you need - for the sauce:

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cayenne powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 small can tomato paste

water - enough to make it a sauce

2 swirls of sriracha sauce (optional) but my family likes HOT! 

In sauce pan combine oil, flour and chili powder until cooked.  Add remaining ingredients.  It will be thick, so keep adding water until you get a nice saucy consistency. 

What you need - for the enchiladas:

12 flour tortillas

12 string cheese sticks

12 handfuls of spinach

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Lay a handful of spinach on a tortilla, put the string cheese on top.  Roll up and put into greased pan.  Cover rolled tortillas with the homemade sauce.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Enjoy!

xoxo

Niecerbug

Berry Surprise Smoothie

Well, there goes your social life

Clueless is one of my favorite movies! It reeks of fashion, malnutrition and the epitome of a valley-girl.  I love it!  I thought my healthy smoothie snack would make Cher and Dionne happy! Cheers.

What you need:

1 small container of your favorite Greek yogurt

1/2 c. frozen berries

1 tbs. honey

1/4 c. fat free milk

Put all ingredients into a blender and mix.  Pour into a cup, garnish with a lemon wedge and enjoy! I made this for the boys for an after-school snack.  They had no idea is was healthy and the protein from the Greek yogurt filled their tummy's until dinner.  Brilliant!

xoxo

Niecerbug

Pirate's Up is Down Cake

And that was without even a single drop of rum!

When I think of upside down cake I think of my husband - it is his favorite dessert.  However, this particular upside down cake is not with pineapples or cherries! It is topped (or bottomed) with cranberries and the cake is chalk-full of lemon zest.  Who needs citrus while out at sea? Pirates! No scurvy for those swashbucklers! ARRGH!

You will need to coat the bottom of a cake pan (after it's been sprayed with non-stick oil):

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. melted butter

1 c. fresh or frozen cranberries 

1/2 c. chopped walnuts 

For the cake:

1/2 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

zest of one lemon

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. milk or buttermilk

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla and lemon zest.  Combine the dry ingredients, then add them to the creamed sugar.  Finally add the milk.  Once mixed, pour into prepared pan.  Bake at 350* for about 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Once cool, flip cake onto pretty dish.  Enjoy!

xoxo

Niecerbug