Chocolate Orange Shake

I used to get those chocolate oranges for stocking stuffers at Christmas. You know the ones...you smack the bottom of the orange on the table and the segments come apart. Then you put one of the segments in your mouth and they're so creamy and delicious. How can they be so chocolatey and orangey at the same time? My first Christmas after my gastric bypass surgery, I wanted my chocolate orange...well, kind of. I wanted that flavor, but definitely not all that sugar and fat. The solution was so simple I can't believe it took me that long to think of it! Now I can have a chocolate orange whenever I want!

Chocolate Orange Shake

1-2 cups ice
1 scoop chocolate protein mix
1 tablespoon chocolate coffee creamer
1 tablespoon sugar free chocolate pudding mix
1 tablespoon no sugar added chocolate Nesquick
1 teaspoon sugar free cocoa
1 tablespoon sf chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon sf fudge topping
sweetener to taste (optional)
2 drops orange extract
4-6 ounces soy or almond milk

Place ice in blender. Add the rest of the ingredients, ending with the milk. Set blender to crush ice, then blend on lowest speed and building up to highest speed until shake is thick and frothy.

Great Northern Beans

Bob and I love beans. And being able to cook them quickly in the pressure cooker just adds to the appeal. Bob was raised eating pinto beans only, so that's what I cook most of the time. But every once in a while I throw in a ringer like great northerns, red beans, or black beans.

Great Northern Beans

1 cup great northern beans
5 cups water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup frozen mixed peppers
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried marjoram leaves

Rinse and pick through beans. Soak in water for at least 4 hours. Drain and rinse. Add to pressure cooker. Add the 5 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients. Cover and lock lid in place. Heat on high until cooker is pressurized. Turn heat down to maintain pressure and cook for 30 minutes. When beans are cooked, take cooker off of heat and let de-pressurize naturally (about 15 minutes). Open cooker and salt the beans to taste.

Note: If you want to cook these beans in a Dutch Oven, follow my directions through putting all the ingredients in the pot. You will not need the vegetable oil if cooking in the Dutch Oven. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil for about a minute then lower heat to simmer. You may cover if you wish, but leave partially uncovered or the beans may boil over. Simmer until beans are soft. Salt the beans to taste.

Smothered Cabbage

This is my Mom's recipe. It's funny how my tastes have changed over the years. I remember walking into my house after school and smelling this cooking and dreading dinner. I took as tiny a serving as allowed and did my best to choke it down. Now I love it...it's one of my comfort foods! I hope my Mom is smiling when she looks down from Heaven and she sees me eating her smothered cabbage.

Smothered Cabbage

1/2 green cabbage, cut into wedges
1/4 cup onion, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil
water

Rinse cabbage and place in Dutch oven. Add onions and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle cabbage and onions with oil. Pour about 1/2 inch of water into the bottom of the pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to high simmer/low boil. Cook until cabbage is soft. Add water during cooking, if needed.