Ever Evolving Food Blog

Hello Everyone! I have had this blog for years now, and as my personal life has changed, so have my tastes and eating habits...for the better!! I am now a fully plant-based eater, so my newer recipes will reflect this lifestyle and way of eating.

All of my old recipes will remain on my food blog, of course, so there will be a mixture of the old and the new for everyone to look through and choose. You can always play around with any recipe out there and make it your own, whether it's plant-based or not. There are always other options!
Thanks SO much for following! Happy Eating!

What's Cooking With Melissa

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Palm Tree Treat for Kids

Here is another cute, healthy treat I found on the Internet.  It's amazing what kind of art you can make with fruits and veggies.  This is something you could have your kids help with that would be fun AND nutritious.  My students at school have been loving the creations, and my son has been giving me pointers as I am creating these little masterpieces. Ha ha!  FUN!!



What you'll need:
  • A large dinner plate
  • 1 large carrot sliced thinly
  • 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced 
  • 2 small bananas, peeled and sliced
*Tip: Cut the bananas last so they don't turn brown.

    Tuesday, January 6, 2015

    Ice Tray Meal for Kids

    This is a great way to get kids to eat. I saw this on idea on the Internet and thought I'd see what I could come up with myself.  It was funny because after I made it, I thought it looked really good and almost made one for myself.  I have OCD, so I don't like my food to touch (just like a lot of kids), so I can most definitely see the appeal of this colorful, fun, healthy way to serve a meal to small kids.  I would have added something besides the gummies in that one compartment, but I was saving my kiwi for another project.  Other than those, it's pretty healthy!


    Things you might want to include:
    granola (I used peanut butter.)
    celery
    low-fat cheese
    apple
    Annie's organic Bunnies crackers
    low-sodium, lean turkey sausage
    strawberries
    nuts
    goldfish crackers
    roasted coconut chips
    sugar snap peas
    pineapple
    grapes
    low-sodium turkey jerky
    carrots
    kiwi
    banana
    orange slices

    Friday, January 2, 2015

    Two Birds and a Tree Treat

    I saw this on the Internet and just had to make it myself.  It's so cute and a good way to get kids to eat their protein!  It's a very simple and healthy snack.





    Ingredients:
    1 brown, cage-free egg
    1 Horizon organic Colby cheese stick
    9 green grapes



    Directions:
    1. Boil the egg for 20 minutes, peel, and slice in half. Let cool.
     
    2. Slice the cheese stick in half, length-wise, then make two slits to make the branches.  Be careful or they'll break.

    3. Arrange the grapes around the tree branches to look like leaves.

    4. Cut two triangles of cheese for the bird beaks.

    5. Place one peppercorn on each egg half for the eyes.


    Nutritional Info:
    1 brown egg
    70 calories
    5 g fat
    1 g carbohydrates
    6 g protein
    195 mg cholesterol
    65 mg sodium

    1 Horizon organic Colby cheese stick
    110 calories
    9 g fat
    1 g carbohydrates
    7 g protein
    30 mg cholesterol
    170 mg sodium

    1/2 cup green grapes
    52 calories
    0 g fat
    13.5 g carbohydrates
    0.5 g protein
    0 mg cholesterol
    1.5 mg sodium


     

    Black-Eyed Pea Salad

    To start off the New Year, a lot of people eat black-eyed peas in some fashion or another.  This recipe was given to me by my friend, Brandy. She served it at her New Year's Day Cookout, and it was fabulous!!! It is loaded with Vitamin C, protein, iron, and potassium.  Yum!!!



    Ingredients:
    1 (16 oz) bag of frozen black-eyed peas
    1/4 cup chopped, fresh cilantro
    1/4 cup red wine vinegar
    2 Tbsp grape seed oil
    1/2 tsp salt
    1 cup diced red bell pepper
    1/3 cup diced red onion
    1 cup diced pineapple
    2 cups lightly steamed, chopped kale
    *makes 5 cups

    Directions:
    1. Prepare black-eyed peas according to the directions on the package. Simmer only until al dente, drain, and let cool for 1 hour.

    2. Whisk together cilantro and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl.

    3. Add cooked black-eyed peas, bell pepper, and red onion, tossing to coat. 

    4. Cover and chill for 8 hours..

    5. Add pineapple and kale into the mixture just before serving. 


    Nutritional Info for 1 cup:
    Calories: 208
    Fat: 6.4g
    Saturated fat:  0.42 g
    Polyunsaturated fat: 4.18 g
    Monounsaturated fat: 1.24g
    Sodium: 32.9 mg
    Fiber: 6.5 g
    Protein: 9.34 g
    Potassium: 166.7mg
    Cholesterol:  0mg
    Sugars: 4.4g
    Carbohydrates: 31g
    Vitamin A: 96.5%
    Vitamin C: 123.3%
    Calcium: 6.4%
    Iron: 13.94%