Microwave Steamed Asparagus

Why do you need to know how to steam asparagus?! Well, it can be messy and time consuming to do it on the stove top and you have to watch it closely with all that steam coming at you and fogging up your glasses! This way is just...well...easy! If you don't have a microwave steamer you may want to invest in one today! I LOVE MINE!!!

Quick and Easy and Healthy!

I use the tupperwave steamer.

Put 1/4 C. water in bottom bowl

Add Colander Bowl

break off woody bottom of Asparagus spears

Rough Chop Asparagus (I cut on an angle into 3rds)

Add Asparagus to the colander and sprinkle with

kosher salt to taste

Add about 1 Tablespoon of butter chopped into smaller pieces and arrange over the spears.

Put on lid and cook on High for 3 to 5 min to desired doneness!

Easy, fast and tasty! ...AND.... The extra butter melts down into the water below so you get just a taste!

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

This recipe also comes from Lindsay Carrick!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini if you have them)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (creamy or Chunky is fine)
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed (some people can taste flax and some cannot but its full of omega 3!)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:
Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Makes about 20-25 balls.
Ali’s Tip:
Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients! Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter. And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed. I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.
Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

• chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
• dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds
• other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.)

Homemade Granola

This recipe comes from Lindsay Carrick!

This was So easy! You just mix it all in a bowl, then bake on a cookie sheet for 10-14 minutes, stirring twice. It'll be golden brown. You can add more honey and syrup to taste. Taste it halfway through the cooking and you can add some then if ya want!

3 C. Oats (old fashioned is better than quick)
1/4 C honey or more- just see if it's combined enough
1/4 C maple syrup
2 TB vegetable oil
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 C chopped pecans (or any choice of nut- almonds, walnuts)
1/2 C craisens
1/4 C coconut

Bake at 350 for 10- 14 min. stirring twice