Tag Archives: Healthy Options

Candy-Alternative Halloween Treats

21 Wednesday Oct 2015

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Candy-Alternative Halloween TreatsHalloween doesn’t have to be filled with candy and other sugary treats! This year, try these homemade snacks you can feel good about.

Monster Mouths

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 medium green or red apples
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup peanuts

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Core apples
  2. Cut each into 8 thick slices
  3. Make each mouth by spreading about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter on an apple slice
  4. Add about 5 peanuts for teeth
  5. Spread another apple slice with about 1 teaspoon peanut butter
  6. Press on top of first apple slice

 Mummy Hot Dogs

INGREDIENTS:

  • 12 hot dogs
  • 1-2 cans prepared dough of your choice
  • 1 egg
  • mustard, ketchup, BBQ sauce for serving

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
  2. Roll out the dough very thin, then use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut skinny strips of dough. Wrap each hotdog. Leave a little bit of open space around the “face” of the mummy. Keep wrapping in a crisscross pattern until covered. Tuck the end underneath the mummy dog (so that it doesn’t unravel during baking). Repeat with all hotdogs. Lay them on on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or baking mat.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the glaze all over the top of each mummy dog.
  4. Bake 18-20 minutes, until the dough is nice and golden brown.
  5. Before serving, dot the mummy dogs with a little mustard, ketchup, or BBQ sauce for the eyes.

Boonanas

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 bananas
  • 8 mini chocolate chips
  • 4 chocolate chips
  • ½ tsp peanut butter (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Peel the bananas then slice them in half.
  2. Try standing them on the cut end and continue trimming the base until they are able to stand on their own.
  3. Press two mini chocolate chips into the banana, pointy side first, about ½ inch down from the tip.
  4. Press one chocolate chip pointy side first into the banana, below the mini chocolate chips.
  5. Serve standing on a plate, use a little peanut butter to help them stay standing if needed.

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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Favorite Recipes, Healthy Lifestyle, Tailgating

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Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken MeatballsThese meatballs are a MUST for any tailgate party. It’s the best part of hot and spicy wings with none of the mess. Even the pickiest eater will love these!

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 3/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
  • 1/4 cup blue cheese dressing

Directions

  1. Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken MeatballsPreheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, Panko, egg, garlic and onion powder and green onions; season with salt and pepper. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1¼-to-1½-inch meatballs, forming about 24 meatballs.
  3. Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 4-5 minutes, or until all sides are browned.
  4. Place meatballs into your slow cooker.
  5. Add buffalo sauce and gently toss to combine.
  6. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours.
  7. Serve immediately, drizzled with blue cheese dressing, if desired.

Source: www.jocooks.com

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4 Ways to Celebrate National Honey Month

19 Friday Sep 2014

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September - National Honey Month

September is National Honey Month and this transition of seasons is the perfect time to highlight and enjoy the delectable flavors of honey. Traveling through the changing colors on the trees in your RV can be a beautiful experience, and honey sure does make it that much sweeter!

Honey is mostly sugar compounds with plenty of nutrients as well. Iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium are just a few extremely beneficial minerals in honey that assist in boosting your immune system and improving your overall health. We’ve rounded up our top 4 favorite ways to celebrate National Honey Month, so check them out and find your favorites!

Cooking with HoneyHoney in Cooking is Perfection
Southern Living has a beautiful collection of honey recipes to tantalize your sweet tooth and elevate ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones. Feel free to try every recipe, or count on our top three drool-worthy eats: the sweet and hearty Honey Glazed Carrots that are easy to make over a camp fire, some home style classic Honeyed Barbecue Ribs, and a crowd pleasing Honey Pineapple Upside Down Cake to end the evening right! Some of the nutrients in honey are lost in cooking, however honey proves to be one of the best natural sweeteners to cook with to help cut back on processed foods and make healthy options easy as pie!

A Lesson in HoneyHoney Bee
Learning more about this naturally derived sweetener can teach you a lot about the environment and the world we live in. Unfortunately, bees are slowly declining in their original numbers due to environmental changes and shifts in the atmosphere. The pollen and nectar on flowers are collected by bees and grown into honey inside bee hives. Flowers also benefit from bees visiting them. Without the bees, flowers will simply degrade down until they wilt. This causes a major slow down in oxygenation on the planet and can have devastating consequences.

One pound of honey is harvested from over 200 million flowers! So plant some flowers (or at least stop to smell them) and allow bees to pollinate and make more honey. 

A Variety of Honey ColorsHoney is Heart Healthy, and Just Plain Healthy
By consuming honey, you may be directly improving your overall health in the process. This comprehensive study analyzed dozens of experiments that focused on specific health benefits from consuming honey. Besides having over 181 natural substances that the human body can absorb, the minerals within honey are a beneficial addition to a healthy lifestyle.

Honey was shown to directly improve cardiovascular health, a major issue among the American population. Lastly, physiological gastrointestinal issues were shown to improve with honey as well. Say goodbye to tummy trouble and eat some sweet honey!

Honey Can Heal
Did you know that by placing honey on a cut or wound can speed healing? In a laboratory experiment, honey was shown to kill many bacteria pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella. This same process can be extremely helpful for surface wounds or painful burns on the skin while traveling. Take a look at the shade of your honey to determine how helpful it is: darker means more antioxidant power.

Did you know that honey was first harvested for consumption over four thousand years ago? Ancient Egyptians and Greeks knew that honey was something special. Today, there are over 300 different varieties of honey in the United States. That’s a lot of sweetness to try! Find your favorite variety on your travels and enjoy National Honey Month!

 

Favorite Fall Recipes

28 Monday Oct 2013

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RV Travel Recipes

No matter where your recreational vehicle takes you, food is part of the travel plan. With many fall activities to enjoy, fast and easy recipes will keep your vacation itinerary right on time.

Steak Kebabs

  • Cube a 2 lb rib-eye steak. Set aside.
  • Mix 1 tbsp. brown sugar and 4 tbsp. soy sauce in a large bowl. Add 1 clove of garlic, squeezed and pressed. Mix in 1 1/2 tsp. cumin, 3/4 tsp. ground coriander, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 3/4 tsp. grated orange zest, and a dash of cayenne pepper.
  • Gradually add 2 tbsp. olive oil.
  • Set aside at least 2 tbsp. of the marinade.
  • Place the cubed steak in the marinade and coat. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes turning the meat frequently.
  • Place meat on skewers leaving space between each cube. Cook over a medium hot grill for approximately 8-10 minutes.
  • Remove from skewers and drizzle with the extra marinade and garnish with mint sprigs or cilantro and serve.

Zesty Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs are a delicious and versatile item. Serve as an accompaniment to any meal, as an appetizer, as a snack, or use leftovers to make egg salad for sandwiches.

    • Boil or steam 4 large eggs. Once cooked, place in a bowl of cold water. Peel and shell under a cold stream of water. Set aside on a platter until eggs are at room temperature.
    • Once cooled, slice lengthwise. Scoop out the yoke, place in a separate bowl and mash with the back of a spoon.
    • Add 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard, 3 tbsp. mayonnaise, and a dash of salt and pepper. Optional: 1/2 tsp. of finely diced onion or green pepper.
    • Mix until smooth. Add more salt and pepper, if necessary or desired.
    • Spoon egg mixture into the round recesses of the egg whites.
    • Here’s the zesty part: instead of sprinkling the top with traditional paprika, use cayenne pepper.
    • Don’t overdo it. Add just enough to spice up the egg.
    • Garnish with diced chives.
    • Alternative: top half the eggs with cayenne pepper and the other half with paprika. Provide a bottle of hot sauce for those who prefer extra zest.

If you have another favorite fall recipe- share it with us! The convenience of Coach-Net and its network of roadside assistance affiliates keep RV enthusiasts cooking from one coast to another.

Cool Down With Fresh Fruit Yogurt

25 Tuesday Jun 2013

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We generally want something sweet during the hot summer months, but the treats available for purchase can sometimes be a little too sweet. They can leave you feeling overloaded. This recipe will help you to cool off with a tasty treat that you can customize. (Tip: You can make this yogurt in bulk and refrigerate/freeze for later use.)

Fresh Fruit Yogurt

Start with a tub of plain yogurt. Some yogurts are pre-sweetened despite being labeled as “plain.” Make sure to read the ingredients carefully before making the purchase!

Next you’ll want to take some fruit, frozen or fresh, and dice it up. Slowly mix the pieces into your yogurt. It may be a good idea to take some fresh strawberries, dice them into bite sized pieces, and freeze them for later. They thaw out in just a few minutes and can help to keep your yogurt chilled. Mango is another great choice, as are fresh blueberries. To sweeten the yogurt, you’ll want to use raw sugar or any other sweetener that you prefer. Taste-test the yogurt after each spoonful of sweetener to make sure that you have the perfect amount. This will create a healthy snack that is sweet, but only as sweet as you like. If you are watching your calorie intake you can ensure that you only have the amount of sugar that you would like to consume.

Strawberry Yougurt

Variations

Try using honey in place of fruit and sugar. Yogurt and honey taste great together! Coffee is another great addition. If you want a really strong coffee flavor, mix the yogurt with instant coffee crystals and sugar. You can even add some cocoa powder for a mocha yogurt flavor. A drop or two of vanilla extract will help bring a little more flavor out of any of these ingredients. This will enhance your yogurt if you feel the flavor isn’t strong enough.

Mixing your own yogurt can prove to be cost efficient, convenient, and fun! This also gives you a chance to experiment with multiple flavors. Mixing your own yogurt is also a great activity for kids. They are sure to enjoy the end result!

Peach Yogurt

Do you have any tips or ideas that will help to keep RV campers cool during the hot summer months? We would love to hear them! Comment below or on our Coach-Net Facebook Page.




 

Unique Picnic Recipes You’re Sure To Enjoy

29 Wednesday May 2013

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Keeping the menu varied on a picnic can be tough, so here are some ideas that will help you to have a great picnic that really hits the spot.

Chili Dog Fries

If you’re tired of plain old hot dogs, try this meal on for size. Take some frozen french fries and cook them in the oven before your picnic. Get your favorite canned chili (or make your own), roast some hot dogs on the fire, and then slice them up and throw them on the fries. Pour the chili over the fries and dogs, and top with shredded cheddar, ketchup and mustard. This meal has a flavor that will remind you of childhood summers.

Potato Chip Chicken

What says summer like potato chips? If you want some lean protein, get some of your favorite potato chips and crush them up in a tray. Now take some egg wash, dip your chicken in it, and roll it in the potato chips. Roast that in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, make sure it’s fully cooked, and then serve with some potato salad for a great picnic main course.

Cool Veggie Wraps

Start with a wrap or tortilla (whole wheat, multigrain, and spinach are tasty and offer a low calorie option), spread mayonnaise, and cover that with a layer of corn, beans, sliced cucumber, and diced onion. Put some fresh lettuce on there, top with shredded Parmesan cheese, and roll it up. This is basically a salad in a wrap. You can grill the outside of the wrap to make it crispy if you like. Just make sure not to expose it to heat for more than the twenty seconds or so it takes to sear the outside of the wrap. This one goes great with a smoothie or a tall glass of lemonade and a handful of kettle cooked potato chips.

Grill Fire

Do you enjoy finding a great spot to picnic? Tell us about your favorite picnic memory below!

Recipe- Healthy Road Snacks

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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While we all climb aboard our Rvs for a great road adventure, more and more of us are concerned about healthy foods. What beverages do we stock? What are the healthiest meals to prepare? How do we make sure we are all eating at least somewhat healthy as we travel across the roadways of America?

We concern ourselves with these thoughts as we stock our RV with chips, dip, pretzels, popcorn and sodas.

Certainly, our main meals on the road are important. These are the times we take time to cook-out some barbecued chicken or cook up a big pot of pasta and garlic bread. There are things we can do to make these dinners healthier. But we may be missing a greater problem. Our snacks.

What about those snacks? You know the inevitable munchies that nag at you while you are driving or are between meals. Are there some healthy alternatives to chips, chocolate and pretzels? What is there to munch on besides nachos or cheese puffs?

Here are a few healthier suggestions for the road. Give them a chance before you dismiss them as a snack that your crew won’t accept.

Fruits

Bananas are a great source of potassium and can almost instantly restore energy to tired travelers. Grapes are easy to travel with and easy to eat on the road. Pack up some blueberries and strawberries and cut up some apple and peach splices for refreshing snacks that will give you an energy boost without compromising your family’s health.

Veggies

Vegetables can be bite-sized, healthy and fun. Chop up some baby carrots, small slices of green pepper, celery, and cucumber and add some creative dips. The dips may be ranch dressing, blue cheese dressing, peanut butter, hot sauces or even mustard sauces. Give your family the chance to try something different and ask them their opinion. You may find some new “loves” for snacks. Don’t forget the veggies that may be a bit more “exotic” like eggplant or squash. Just don’t tell them ahead of time!

Bite Sized Sandwiches

No matter what type of sandwich you create, it can be much more enjoyable when cut in bite-sized pieces. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches cut in quarters, grilled cheese sandwiches cut in quarters and even tuna fish salad sandwiches cut in quarters can create fun snacks that provide energy and a great tasting snack. Give it a shot! Watch the difference cutting sandwiches into bite-sized pieces can make!

The fitness of your family is not the only thing to be concerned about on the road. Coach-Net can provide assurance against mechanical maladies along the way. You have too much invested to not have the security of Coach-Net. Learn more about how we can make sure every vehicle you have on your trip is covered.

Fresh Fruits

Five Campfire Recipes You Are Sure to Enjoy

04 Monday Feb 2013

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If you are eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring to take the first camping trip of the year, take some time to check your equipment and make a list of your favorite destinations. These tasty and easy campfire recipes will help you spend more time admiring the beauty of nature while enjoying delicious foods.

Shish kebabs

Pack some bamboo skewers and cut your ingredients into cubes before you depart to make preparation a snap when you arrive at the campsite.

  • One pound of chicken, beef, or pork cut into one-inch cubes
  • Two large green or red bell peppers, cut into one-inch chunks
  • One large white or yellow onion, cut into one-inch chunks

Arrange the ingredients on bamboo skewers that have soaked overnight in a bowl of water. Arrange the loaded skewers on a grilling gate and rotate them to cook them evenly for about 20 minutes.

Grill Kebabs

Mess-less S’Mores

Building classic s’mores is a fun campfire activity, but they get quite messy after you eat one or two. This is a cleaner and quicker option if you are serving quite a few hungry campers.

  • Pack of 12 tortillas
  • One large bar of milk chocolate
  • Bag of mini-marshmallows

Warm the tortilla in a pan or on a grill over the fire. Add two blocks of chocolate and a handful of mini-marshmallows, then fold the tortilla in half and return it to the fire. Let it warm enough to melt the ingredients.

Quick Foil Fish

Anyone who loves to fish during their camping trips will love this simple way to cook their fresh catch.

  • Aluminum foil folded into a packet
  • Fresh fish, cleaned and filleted
  • Can of diced potatoes
  • ¼ cup of diced onions
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dill weed
  • 1 teaspoon paprika

Lay the fish, onions, and potatoes to the foil packet. Sprinkle on the spices and fold the packet shut. Place the packet on a grill over the campfire or on a bed of smooth, raked coals. Let the fish cook for about 15 minutes.

Singing Apples

Kids and adults alike will love this fun, roasting recipe, which yields a healthy and tasty dessert.

  • Your favorite apples, washed and with the stems removed
  • Equal parts of cinnamon and brown sugar

Poke your roasting fork or a clean, sturdy stick through the center of the apple. Roast it over the open fire until the skin crackles and makes a loud whistling noise. Carefully peel off the skin with a fork, then roll the apple in the sugar mixture and enjoy.

Singing Apples Dessert

Orange Muffins

  • Whole oranges
  • One box of instant muffin mix requiring only water
  • Aluminum foil

Slice the oranges in half and remove the pulp. Prepare the muffin mix, and then pour it into the orange shells. Cover the orange in foil and bake the muffin nestled in the coals for 10 minutes.

If something unexpected happens during your trip, don’t hesitate to call Coach-Net Roadside Assistance for help. Our roadside service can get you back on your way to your favorite campground. We are always ready to assist you!