Recipes you HAVE to try!

Chewy Granola Bars

2012-02-09T10:28:00.003-07:00

I don't know about your house, but in ours, granola bars are a necessity. They work as breakfast, snacks, lunch, skipped dinner, whatever we need them to be. Packaged granola bars are expensive, well at least the good kind are.

I set out on a journey to find an alternative, and this is the recipe I have stumbled upon. It's very forgiving, and not exactly a recipe, as much as it is a starting point. I change up the additives/ingredients to suit our tastes, and change the pans I prepare it in, always looking for the next easiest option for packaging and serving.

I know some of you, ie Jessica, have issue with trying something that doesn't have a step-by-step recipe. GET OVER IT, these will still turn out fine. I promise!

2 C organic rolled oats (not the quick kind)

1 C whole wheat flour (sub white, flax meal, wheat germ, oat bran for some or all if you want)

1/2 tsp baking soda

Add random stuff you like in your granola: sunflower seeds, nuts, flax seed, sesame, chopped dried fruits, chocolate chips, poppy seeds, you get it...

Stir above to combine, and add the wet ingredients to follow:

1/3 C honey (more or less to taste, sub some brown sugar, peanut butter, molasses if you want)

1 stick melted butter

Press concoction firmly into a well greased receptacle. The size of the pan will dictate the thickness of your bars/squares/bites.

Bake at 300 degrees for 15-22 min. Time in oven directly relates to pan choice, so keep an eye on them and when the begin to brown and become fragrant, pull 'em out.

You will notice that they puffed up again. Smash the suckers back down nice and flat, give 'em 10 minutes to cool, and get them out of the pan for slicing. If you used the mini-muffin tin for bites, just leave 'em alone. To make it really easy for removal, try using a parchment sling under them in a 9x13, then cut with a pizza roller! After slicing, let cool thoroughly before moving for best results.

Store in an airtight container, or wrap individually for grab and go snacks!

Share here if you come up with any particularly delectable combos!

Chinese Five Spice Roasted Almonds- A DEEE-licious snack!

2012-01-26T08:25:00.001-07:00

Sweet and Spicy Chinese Five Spice Roasted Almonds

2 cups raw almonds
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 packet stevia (or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the almonds with the olive oil. Spread almonds out on a sheet pan in a single layer. (Keep the mixing bowl handy – you will need it again.) While oven heats, mix the spices, salt, and stevia (or sugar) in a small bowl; set aside.
Bake almonds in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and carefully pour the hot almonds back into the mixing bowl. Sprinkle spices over the nuts and toss well with a spoon. Pour the seasoned almonds back onto the sheet pan and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let nuts cool completely on pan. Store cooled nuts in a covered container.

Credit: http://pinchmysalt.com/2011/03/29/sweet-and-spicy-chinese-five-spice-roasted-almonds/

Spiced Quinoa and Chickpeas

2012-01-24T07:58:00.004-07:00

I got this recipe from Allrecipes.com, made it last night for meatless Monday. It was SO good! I omitted the pine nut-- A)because I didn't have them on hand and B) because I'm too cheap to buy them. I ate some hot and cold and it really was delicious both ways.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (or veg if you want vegetarian/vegan)
1 (14 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in hot water and drained (optional)
Directions

Stir together the olive oil, onion, and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the quinoa, curry powder, salt, pepper, cumin, cinnamon, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes until the quinoa is tender.
Once the quinoa has finished cooking, stir in the drained garbanzo beans, toasted pine nuts, and raisins. Serve warm or cold.

Credit: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spiced-quinoa/

Guinness Bread with Molasses Recipe

2012-01-11T14:46:00.002-07:00

This bread is a little sweet a little savory and incredibly easy to make. I think it makes the absolute best cinnamon toast. And, it was the perfect bread to accompany my traditional bowl of New Year's Black-eyed peas and greens.

This is from Babble.com

Guinness Bread with Molasses Recipe
• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 50 minutes

This is fantastic eaten fresh, and nearly as good the next day toasted with some more butter. Do not use stale beer for this recipe, you want the carbonation.

Ingredients
• 3 cups self-rising flour*
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup molasses
• A pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 teaspoon)
• 12 ounces of Guinness beer
• Butter for greasing the pan and painting the top, about 3 tablespoons

* If you don't have self-rising flour, you can substitute using a ratio of 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, plus 1/8 teaspoon of salt, for every cup of self-rising flour. Have made both ways though and got better results from the self-rising flour.

Method
1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan well with butter.

2 Pour the flour, salt and sugar into a large bowl and whisk to combine.

3 Slowly pour the Guinness into the flour mixture. (The “pub cans” are larger than 12 ounces, but they have better carbonation, so I pour most of it out and leave a swig to drink. This has never failed me, but if you are a stickler, use a 12-ounce bottle of Guinness instead.) Start stirring the beer into the dry ingredients, and when you are about halfway done, add the molasses. Mix well, just to combine. Don’t work the heck out of the batter – because that’s what it’ll look like – but you don’t want lumps, either.

4 Pour into the loaf pan to no more than 2/3 full. Pop into the oven immediately and bake for 50 minutes. Since ovens can vary, check the bread after 40 minutes and see if a toothpick inserted into the deepest part of the loaf comes out clean. If it does, you’re done.

5 Let the loaf cool a bit, maybe 5 minutes, and then turn it out onto a rack. Paint it with lots of soft butter, which will melt as you go.

NOTE: I used a chocolate stout instead of Guinness and it was awesome.

Mac and 7 Cheese

2011-12-01T15:50:00.002-07:00

This is the official recipe. I suggest 1/2 this for any small army you might be feeding. Also, I add chipotle peppers in the mix and instead of topping with more cheese I top it with crushed up ritz crackers. You can thank me later...

Mac and Cheese

2 lbs. elbow macaroni
12 eggs
1 cup cubed Velveeta cheese
½ lb. (2 sticks) butter, melted
6 cups half-and-half, divided
4 cups grated sharp yellow Cheddar, divided
2 cups grated extra-sharp white Cheddar
1 ½ cups grated mozzarella
1 cup grated Asiago
1 cup grated Gruyere
1 cup grated Monterey Jack
1 cup grated Muenster
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper

1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until slightly al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to keep warm.

2.Whisk the eggs in a large bowl until frothy.

3.Add the Velveeta, butter and 2 cups of the half-and-half to the large bowl of eggs. Add the warm macaroni tossing until the cheese has melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the remaining half-and-half, 3 cups of the sharp yellow Cheddar, the remaining grated cheeses, and salt and pepper, tossing until completely combined in the large bowl.

4.Pour the mixture into 9 by 13-inch casserole or baking dishes (approximately 3 (3-quart) baking dishes) and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of sharp yellow cheese and bake until golden brown on top, about 30 minutes more.

5.Serve hot.

The BEST Cinnamon Rolls

2011-12-01T15:28:00.002-07:00

I've made a these a few times over the past couple of months when we had guests over for breakfast and they've been a hit every time. I've made cinnamon rolls for years but I'd never used BROWN sugar-- if you've never used brown sugar either then you don't know what you're missing. SO GOOD!

Dough
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk

Filling
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1 For the filling, in a small bowl combine softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon to form a crumbly mixture

2 Sprinkle 1/2 of the mixture over the bottom of a 9x9 pan.

3 In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

4 Cut in softened butter (sometimes your hands are the best tools).

5 Stir in milk to form a soft dough.

6 Roll out dough on a lightly floured into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.

7 Spread the remaining filling on the rolled out dough.

8 Roll up the rectangle, with a sharp knife slice into 18 small rolls (12 if you want them a little bigger).

9 Bake for 20-25 min at 400°F.

Found on food.com

I also top them with cream cheese frosting instead of a glaze because well, cream cheese frosting is too delicious not to be smothered on top of these rolls!

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract and smother on top of freshly baked cinnamon rolls. SO GOOD! Did I mention these are good?

Comfort Food

2011-12-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know many of you are still sitting in the mid 60s and 70s, but some of us are watching it snow and dreaming of hot cocoa, warm bread, and our favorite comfort foods. So, your new assignment this month is to post your favorite comfort food recipe. You have until December 31. I know there is a lot going on this month, but this is an EASY assignment, so I know you can do it. Post away!

Roasted Root Veggies

2011-11-30T08:57:00.002-07:00

Roasted Root Veggies

Ingredients:
Squash
Assorted root veggies (potatoes, yams, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, etc)
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Nuts (walnuts, pecans) (optional)
Goat cheese (optional)
Spices (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F, grease roasting pan (I use coconut oil or butter).

Wash all veggies well. I buy organic and scrub them well because I don’t peel any of them (well, except the onion and garlic). Cut squash in half (or quarters), scoop out seeds, drizzle olive oil over flesh side. Place flesh side down (leave the skin/rind on) in a large roasting pan. Cube all other root veggies (except beets), place in large bowl, toss with olive oil and spices, toss to coat. Pour into roasting pan. Cube beets, place in same large bowl, drizzle with olive oil and spices, toss to coat. Pour into roasting pan. Sprinkle nuts (if using) throughout the mixture.

Bake, covered for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle goat cheese throughout mixture (if using). Replace cover and return to oven for 15 minutes. Skin/rind will easily peel away from flesh of squash when done.

NOTE: William’s version of above recipe: Scrub all veggies. Cut squash in half, scoop out seeds, spread with olive oil, place flesh side down in greased roasting pan. Cube veggies directly into roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover, cook in oven at 350F for 1 hour.

Both versions are delicious 

Pumpkin Guinness Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting

2011-11-30T08:17:00.003-07:00

I stumbled across this recipe on Babble while searching for an alternative to the traditional Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving. It's amazing. And, it is better if you make it a day (or two) ahead of time.

Pumpkin Guinness Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 cup Guinness
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp. baking soda
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup canola or other vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional):
1/4 cup butter, softened
half an 8 oz. (250 g) pkg. regular or light cream cheese
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a Bundt pan really well with nonstick spray.
In a medium saucepan with room for the mixture to foam up, stir together the stout and molasses over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda. Set aside until the foam subsides and the mixture cools slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugars, oil, pumpkin puree, ginger and vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ground ginger, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt.

Add about a third of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Add half the molasses mixture, then another third of the dry ingredients, the rest of the molasses mixture and the rest of the dry ingredients, stirring after each addition just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for an hour, until the top is springy to the touch. Cool for a few minutes, then invert onto a wire rack while still warm. Cool completely before spreading with cream cheese frosting.

To make frosting: In a large bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar, milk and vanilla, beating until the mixture is creamy and well-blended. Add a little more sugar or milk if necessary to achieve a spreadable frosting.

NOTE: I used ground ginger in both places (adjusting the amount) and it was fine. I also used a different Stout (ie not Guinness) and it was great. You can also use something other than a Bundt pan.

Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies

2011-11-29T10:38:00.004-07:00

This recipe was gifted to me by a former co-worker's wife. Re-gifting to you!

Recipe:

3/4 cup of butter

1 1/2 cups of dark brown sugar

2 Tablespoons of water

2 cups of chocolate chips

2 eggs

1/4 teaspoon of salt (recipe says 1/2 t, but I always cut the salt)

1 1/4 teaspoons of baking soda

3 cups of all-purpose flour (recipe says 2 1/2 cups, but I bake at high altitude)

In a small sauce pan over low heat, stir butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips. When the chocolate chips are melted, remove from heat. Pour melted mixture into a mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes. Beat two eggs into the chocolate mixture. Then add salt, baking soda and flour. Now chill your dough for an hour. Roll your chilled dough into balls and place 2" apart on a lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes at 350F. They may not seem done at 8 minutes, but trust me.
For decorating, you'll need mint candy wafers (look for them at a craft store). My friend always uses green mint candy wafers, but I only found white mint at Hobby Lobby. You can also use half of an Andes mint.

As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling rack, gently press a candy mint wafer into the center of the warm cookie. The candy wafer will begin to melt. When the top of the wafer is shiny, the candy is melted and you can spread the candy with a spatula. Sprinkle with green colored sugar and/or chocolate sprinkles.

Or, you can skip spreading the candy and gently press holly leaves and berries (Wilton Holly Mix sprinkles) in the melted candy wafer for a really pretty finished look:

I started a blog that I use to pin things to Pinterest. I backdated posts of projects/recipes to keep as a reference. You can check it out here.

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Brown Butter Sauce

2011-11-16T06:41:00.002-07:00

Butternut Squash Gnocchi with Maple Cinnamon Sage Brown Butter Sauce

I made this with sweet potatoes instead of squash a while back. It was good but I think I did something wrong because the recipe sounded better than it actually tasted. Doesn't the title make your mouth water?

Gnocchi:
1 cup butternut squash allowed to drain for 2+ hours (also pat w/ paper towels)
1/3 cup part skim ricotta
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Brown Butter Sauce:
2 tbsp butter
10 fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4-1/2 tsp salt (your preference)
1/8 tsp/pinch black pepper

Cut butternut squash in half and rub with olive oil. Bake cut side down on a foil covered cookie sheet at 350 for 45 min. Scoop out the flesh and mash the squash. Keep 1 cup for this recipe.

Put squash in colander or strainer for a minimum of 2 hrs (can do this in fridge overnight as well).

Transfer the mashed squash to a large bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, cinnamon, and pepper and blend until well mixed.

Add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. Lightly flour a work surface and place the dough in a ball on the work surface.
Divide the dough into 3 equal balls. Roll out each ball into a 1-inch wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the gnocchi in 2 batches and cook until gnocchi float to the surface, stirring occasionally. Drain the gnocchi using a slotted spoon.

For the Brown Butter sauce: While the gnocchi are cooking melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted add the sage leaves. Continue to cook, swirling the butter occasionally, until the foam subsides and the milk solids begin to brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the cinnamon, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Careful, the mixture will bubble up.

Gently stir the mixture. When the bubbles subside, toss the cooked gnocchi in the brown butter. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
1 serving (approx. 15 gnocchi): 425 cal, 12.75 fat, 6 fiber, 11.75 protein

This recipe is from tastebook.com

Summer Squash Gratin Recipe

2011-11-09T12:17:00.003-07:00

Be sure to slice your potatoes as thin as possible. They get all melty and creamy. Slice them too thick and you'll have trouble cooking them through because the zucchini cooks up more quickly. I use a box grater to shred the cheese here (as opposed to a micro-plane) - you get heartier, less whispy pieces of cheese which is what you want here. I'd also strongly recommend homemade bread crumbs here (see asterisk below).

zest of one lemon

1 1/2 pounds summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1/6th-inch slices

1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves

1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley

1 large garlic clove, chopped

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs*

1/2 pound waxy potatoes, sliced transparently thin

3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, grated on a box grater (or feta might be good!)

Preheat oven to 400F degrees and place a rack in the middle. Rub a 9x9 gratin pan (or equivalent baking dish) with a bit of olive oil, sprinkle with lemon zest, and set aside.

Place the zucchini slices into a colander placed over a sink, toss with the sea salt and set aside for 10-15 minutes (to drain a bit) and go on to prepare the oregano sauce and bread crumbs.

Make the sauce by pureeing the oregano, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes, and olive oil in a food processor or using a hand blender. Set aside.

Make the breadcrumbs by melting the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the butter is wonderfully fragrant, and has turned brown. Wait two minutes, then stir the breadcrumbs into the browned butter.

Transfer the squash to a large mixing bowl. Add the potatoes and two-thirds of the oregano sauce. Toss until everything is well coated. Add the cheese and half of the bread crumbs and toss again. Taste one of the zucchini pieces and add more seasoning (salt or red pepper) if needed.

Transfer the squash to the lemon-zested pan, top with the remaining crumbs, and bake for somewhere between 40 and 50 minutes - it will really depend on how thinly you sliced the squash and potatoes - and how much moisture was still in them. You don't want the zucchini to go to mush, but you need to be sure the potatoes are fully baked. If the breadcrumbs start to get a little dark, take a fork and rake them just a bit, that will uncover some of the blonder bits. Remove from oven, and drizzle with the remaining oregano sauce.

Serves about 8 as a side.

*To make breadcrumbs cut the crust off 2-3 day old artisan bread. Tear into pieces the size of your thumb, and give a quick whirl in the food processor. I don't like my breadcrumbs too fine - and tend to leave the pieces on the large size - more like little pebbles than grains of sand.

SLACKERS!

2011-11-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

You are all slackers. Every one of you. S.L.A.C.K.E.R.S.

There. I said it. I feel much better now.

I am giving you all an assignment. I will continue to give assignments until I see you all have STOPPED SLACKING.

Assignment 1. Due November 30, 2011.

Create at least one blog post. Your topic is: creative and fabulous uses for Squash.

Yes, this is slightly self serving, as I have signed up for a fall CSA membership, and I get a BIG box of random squash each week. So now I am assigning you all to figure out what I should do with it. Deal.

Now POST!

Farmer's Market Green Chili

2011-10-04T20:55:00.000-06:00

For Mark, Fall begins when the Hatch Green Chilis come into season and they start roasting them at the Farmer's Markets. You can smell them MILES away. And you know it is time for a HONKING big pot O' Green Chili. We make ours pork, but you can easily skip the meat if you prefer a vegetarian version. More on that later. Here are the instructions for a good, hearty, Pork Green Chili.

Ingredients

For the stock:
A pot full of chicken stock (I used boxed from Costco, super bonus points if you make your own)
Various stock veggies (carrots, onions, celery, leeks, whatever you like)
Beef soup bones (about a pound)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
salt to taste

Simmer all above ingredients for 1-2 hours. Strain so all you have left is stock.
(If you are making veg green chili, just make a veg stock).

For the Salsa:
5-6 tomatoes
12 or so tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 red onion, peeled and quartered
5-8 garlic cloves (not peeled, but tops cut off)
1-2 poblano peppers
1-2 jalepenos

Roast ingredients under a broiler or on a hot grill until blackened. Seal peppers into a plastic bag to steam, and then skin them. Peel skin off tomatoes and set aside. Squeeze garlic out of cloves. Place all ingredients (except tomatoes) into a food processor. Add a handful or two of fresh cilantro. Puree into a salsa. (RESIST eating it! You want it for your green chili, I promise!)

For the Green Chili:
1-2 pounds of pork roast (I use loin, but shoulder would be good too, depending on your fat preference), chopped into bite sized pieces (obviously, skip this if you want veg)
Your favorite mexican spices (cumin, coriander, oregano, chili powder, etc) for seasoning pork (or seasoning onions if you skip the pork)
a TON of hatch green chilis, roasted, peeled, and deveined (ok, maybe not a TON, but really a lot. We get a quart sized ziplock stuffed full of roasted chilis).
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup flour (divided)
3-5 T olive oil
4 T butter

Season the pork (or onions if you skip the pork) with your favorite flavors. Brown the pork (in batches) in the olive oil. Remove from pan. Saute onions and garlic until soft. Add 1/2 cup flour to the onions and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the green chilis and the stock from above. Add tomatoes (chop if you wish). Add salsa. Simmer for 1-2 hours. Make a roux with the remaining butter and flour. Turn off heat. Add roux. EAT.

I wanted to be cool and take pictures as I made this, but I will admit, it is a LOT of work (but totally worth it) and I just REALLY wanted to eat it. So no pictures. You will have to make it if you want to see it!

I am going to save you all $$$$ on your skin care...

2011-10-04T20:31:00.000-06:00

I am totally not kidding. I am about to save you huge buckeroos on step 2 of your cleanse, exfoliate, tone facial routine. Ready? You need two things. TWO. Powdered milk and corn flour. That's it. You can now throw away those ridiculously overpriced exfoliating machine things, chemical peels, and "scrubs" full of micro particles that will kill you (or something like that... nothing you buy in the store is safe anymore, right?).

Seriously, though. That's it. Make a 50/50 mix of powdered milk and corn flour and keep it in a tupperware in your shower. After you cleanse (you are still on your own for that step), pour a little of the mixture into the palm of your hand, add a little water to make a paste, and scrub. You can leave it on as a mask, too. Your skin will be so smooth and healthy! Bye-bye dead skin cells; Hello GLOWING complexion!

If you want to make a little ahead of time and keep it in your fridge, you can up the ante by blending it with strong brewed green tea and honey. They provide even more antioxidants, moisture, and some antibacterial components. It won't keep long, though, so don't make too much.

Now I expect you all to be naturally glowing and gorgeous and have plenty of money in your pockets!

Pumpkin Spice Latte for ANY day!

2011-09-27T09:48:00.000-06:00

It is Fall, and once it is fall, I FALL for all things Pumpkin (yes, I just went there). And so, I end up giving WAY too much money to Starbucks. WAY too much. Not today. And not anymore. Make your own pumpkin spice syrup (containing ACTUAL pumpkin, not just pumpkin flavor) and say goodbye to Starbucks! (Thanks Bakergirl)

Pumpkin Spice Syrup for Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

1 cup sugar (I used Stevia and Agave Nectar instead of sugar)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (I used WAY more)

1 1/4 cups water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep syrup from burning.

Let mixture cook together until it becomes syrup-y and begins to coat the spoon (for about 10-15 minutes), then remove from heat.

Refrigerate in a heat-proof container. The syrup will thicken a bit in the refrigerator, but will become syrup-y again when heated.

To make pumpkin spice latte, heat syrup with milk (about 2 cups of milk and 2-3 tablespoons of syrup, depending on how much milk or creamer you want to use and how pumpkin-y sweet you want your latte. I usually use about 2 tablespoons syrup + 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream to cut down on the sugar.). Pour into a blender or whisk until frothy, for about ten seconds (to make it thick and prevent the pumpkin from settling on the bottom). Pour into cup and stir in about 1/2 cup or more of strong, hot coffee.

I just added the syrup to my coffee along with my cream. Yum.

We're gonna have a hootenanny!

2011-09-19T09:56:00.000-06:00

A friend of mine posted a picture of an odd looking bread-type-thing a few weeks ago and called it a hootenanny. At first I thought it was just something she made up for fun, but it turns out, it's a real thing! Just google it! Part pancake, part french toast, totally delicious-- AND SUPER EASY!

Preheat oven to 400
1 c milk
1 c flour
6 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick of butter
I added a dash of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients except butter.
Pour in a greased/buttered 9x13 glass dish.
Pour melted butter over, but don't mix.
Bake for 25 min.

Cut up and serve with syrup.

Stuffed chilies

2011-08-17T14:19:00.006-06:00

I'm not sure what provoked me to buy the chilies at the grocery store- perhaps it was the man on the side of the road with the big chili roaster selling roasted chilies. I could probably throw them on the grill or something. I bought a zucchini to grill that night that never got grilled and the chilies sat on the counter. Two days later, I thought, "chili rellenos!" Don't really know how to make those either. So last night as the chilies were wilting, I diced the zucchini with an onion and sauteed both in a little olive oil and cumin. I opened a can of black beans and rinsed them to set aside. Then I diced a block of pepper jack cheese. I microwaved the slit chilies for 5min while I mixed up our third batch of the cookie smores (so easy and such a big hit...see below) and tried not to get the onion flavor on the graham crackers or the beans into the cookie dough.

Then I stuffed the chilies with the veggies and beans and topped with the diced cheese (instead of the marshmallows reserved for the cookies), wrapped in foil and tossed on the grill for 5-10min. I liked the stuffing, but thought my mild chili was bland and decided the mixture could use some diced chilies...until I tried the medium hot chili- hello flavor!

Try it. Fast, easy, fresh & healthy. Mandy, you can sub the beans!

Best Bake Sale item EVER

2011-08-15T14:30:00.003-06:00

The Macaroon.

For some reason, with it's divine texture and tropical flavor, I assumed it must be terribly hard to make. The fact that you only found them in high-end bakeries must make them, somehow, difficult for the non-pastry chef to prepare. Right?

So. Wrong.

I have found the absolute easiest cookie on the planet. You will thank me, regardless of your fondness (or lack thereof) for coconut. You will thank me because someday you will need a dessert for book club, or a last minute bake sale item or preschool snack, and you will be able to make 2 dozen of these little bites of heaven in under 20 minutes.

GO!

Macaroon

2-1/2 C flaked coconut
1/3 C all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 c sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla

Combine coconut, flour & salt

Add milk and vanilla and stir.

Drop by tbsp onto greased baking sheets. Bake 350 12-15 min. Cool on wire racks.

Devour! (or dip in dark chocolate if you have time to spare...oh my goodness!)

Beets

2011-07-28T15:55:00.001-06:00

Yep. You read that right. On our FABULOUS food blog, I am writing about BEETS. I always thought they were those stinky vegetables you could pretty much only eat pickled or canned, and no matter what, you had to HIDE THEM. And they don't hide well (ask anyone in our family about our purple pancakes, even a pound of blueberries can't mask a can of beets).

But guess what? REAL beets, you know, fresh ones farmers pull out of the ground, are actually GOOD. Like really good. No, I am not kidding.

My dad was in town a couple weeks ago and we visited our farmer's market. He picked up a couple bunches of organic golden beets. I was worried. Although, probably not as worried as my husband, who had a built in aversion to beets due to some heinous beet crime his mother committed against him as a child (sorry Gail, but it is true!).

The time came, and my dad pulled out those beets, topped them, and washed them. I couldn't believe what was happening. We were going to eat beets. BEETS! We tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and parsley, wrapped them up in foil, and tossed them on the grill for an hour.

The results? Smooth, sweet, buttery goodness. They are like carrots, but not. Even the kids love them. Andrew had THIRDS! I went back to the market the next week and loaded up on those bunches of organic golden beets, topped them, cleaned them, quartered them and froze them so I can be sure to have them all winter. Go. Find yourself some real beets and see for yourself!

Curried Cauliflower

2011-07-25T23:19:00.000-06:00

I found this on the Allrecipes.com app and added some cooked chicken from those roasted chickens in the supermarket - YUMMY if you like curry!

Ingredients:

1 large head cauliflower, broken into small florets (for someone that is new to cooking, this took the most time)
1 (10.75 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons curry powder

I did not do the 12 wheat crackers or 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Place cauliflower in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender, but still firm (about 10 minutes). Drain, and place in a greased casserole dish. I lined it up pretty even and then layered cooked chicken pieces over it.
In a large bowl, mix together soup, mayonnaise, milk and curry powder. Pour over cauliflower (and chicken). If you want to do the crackers, crush them and mix with the butter. Sprinkle over the cauliflower/mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Enjoy!

If you build it, they will come

2011-07-21T11:15:00.008-06:00

You will hereby love me and hate me...

Start by toasting graham crackers in the oven at 365* for 4 minutes...

Mix up the following:

2/3 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t baking soda

1-2 t vanilla extract

3 cup flour (at high altitude)

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup M&Ms (or chocochips- but I had none)

Drop cookie dough mixture on each graham cracker...

Bake for 5min and then spread the dough flat with rubber scraper & bake another 3-4min...
Add a handful of mini marshmallows and Hershey bar squares & bake until golden brown (I hadn't put dinner in the oven yet so I upped the temp to 375* to move things along and baked another 7-9min) ...
Contain the excitement...
Cut and serve...
I like cookies on the gooey side.

More on reducing meat in your diet

2011-07-19T08:20:00.000-06:00

I love the EWG. They have so much good info for people trying to do better for themselves and for the earth. Here is their report on meat impact, both in terms of environmental and personal health. Post your meal ideas for reducing meat!

At-A-Glance / Brochure - 2011 Meat Eaters Guide Meat Eater's Guide to Climate Change + Health Environmental Working Group

We can't go meatless.

2011-07-14T14:20:00.000-06:00

We can't do it. Not even just one day a week. For one thing, we REALLY like meat. For another, I can't stand beans or mushrooms. That really limits my "meatless" options. And Mark? Well, "meatless" to him means we eat fish. He has to have a slab of meat on his plate if I am going to call it dinner. So "Meatless Monday" is a no go in my house.

But that doesn't mean I am not taking action. In fact, I am pretty sure my actions are adding up to more impact than if I were to just have a meatless day. Instead of "Meatless Monday," we are reducing our meat consumption at just about every meal. I will admit, we still like to have a nice SLAB of beef on our plates occasionally, but even then, I am getting my beef from a local rancher who is very responsible and sustainable in his practices, so I feel OK about it. But on most occasions, I am working on making a little bit of meat go a long(er) way. Here are some of my ideas:

1. Kabobs: last night I fed our family on 2 small chicken breasts, and we felt like we ate like kings. Marinate your chicken and cut it into small pieces. Add your favorite veggies and you are set for a feast!

2. Lettuce Wraps: 1/2 pound of ground turkey goes a LONG way when you also puree a slew of veggies (cabbage, spinach, zucchini, carrots, beets, broccoli stems, etc) and add them to the mix. Then add a little soy sauce and hoisen and you have some excellently healthy YUM to stick in your lettuce. My kids EAT. THIS. UP.

3. Head to the orient. Stir fry (no carb), Lo Mein (wheat spaghetti), and fried rice (brown, of course!) are all excellent ways to use small portions of meat or even leftover meat. You can use just about any meat (chicken, beef, pork, and seafood all work) and you can toss in just about any veggie you have on hand. This is a "go-to" in my kitchen.

4. Fajitas: same idea as kabobs. You have 2 chicken breasts and, between the veggies and the tortillas, you can spread them out to go a LONG way.

5. Fish Tacos: see #4.

6. Chicken Taquitos: Slow cook chicken in salsa (and your favorite seasonings), shred, mix with cream cheese and shredded cheese. Then roll inside of warmed and softened corn tortillas and bake at 425 until crisp. YUM.

What ideas do you have to make a little bit of meat go a long way?

Fabulously Different Coleslaw

2011-07-14T11:21:00.000-06:00

We had this at my MIL's this weekend and Mark and I fought over the leftovers. Then I came home and made it here the next day! It is not your traditional coleslaw. It is So. Good.

Slaw:
1 head of cabbage, shredded (I wouldn't hesitate to sub red cabbage or broccoli slaw or your favorite savory crunchy shredded veggies here)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can water chestnuts, sliced into slivers
1/2-3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2-3/4 cup chow mein noodles

Dressing:
1/3-1/2 cup salad oil
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar (I used 1/4 cup agave)
1t salt
1t pepper
1/2 tube dill paste (I did not have dill paste, and so used 1/2-1t dry dill weed)

Mix and enjoy. (and you will enjoy)

*note: be sure to add your chow mein noodles at the last minute so they don't get soggy. This is not a make it and let it sit coleslaw.

Savory Sweet Cracker Spread

2011-06-27T14:08:00.002-06:00

This is always a hit at parties...

As usual, I don't have exact measurments but I will try to guestimate. Also, I recommend making a double batch, you won't be sorry.

Combine the following three ingredients, shape into a disk shape on the plate on which it will be served

1 package of cream cheese (softened) I use Neufchatel, 1/3 fat and softer
1 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS minced onion

In a sauce pan combine the following ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup of brown sugar
a couple splashes of worchestershire sauce
a full squirt of yellow mustard
1/2 cup of chopped peacans

pour mixture over the cream cheese and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes (or longer) to allow it ot set up. serve with wheat thins and gobble it up!

Curried Quinoa

2011-06-15T06:44:00.002-06:00

Another made up recipe with vague directions...

Quinoa
Carrots
Onion
Salt
Frozen Peas
Olive Oil
Curry Powder
Water
Corn Starch

Prepare Quinoa according to package directions

Sautee Carrots and Onions in Olive Oil, add a dash of salt. (I left my veggies a little crunchy to make it tates fresh) Just before carrots and onions are the desired tenderness, add the peas and a little water, enough to simmer the veggies.

Add Curry Powder to taste, let veggies simmer while doing the next step.

In a cup, mix a little cornstarch and water together thoroughly then slowly add the mixture to the veggies one tablespoon at a time until the veggies thicken up.

Mix veggies and quinoa together, top with a dab of yogurt or sour cream-- YUM!

Polenta of yumminess

2011-06-15T06:33:00.002-06:00

I don't really have a recipe since I made this up on the fly, but it was pretty darned yummy and I highly recommend you try (some variation) of it. :)

Ingredients:

Polenta (I used the kind in a tube from TJ's and sliced it in 1/2 inch slices)
Olive Oil

1:1 Parm Cheese and Cream Cheese (I actually used Neufchatel)
Fresh Basil
Fresh Ground Pepper
Nutmeg (just a pinch!)

Portions should be to taste

Crisp up the slices of polenta in a pan with some olive oil.
Turn on Broiler
While polenta is crisping and broiler is heating, combine the cheeses, basil, pepper and nutmeg in a bowl.

Once the polenta is hot and a little crispy, drain it on some paper towel (if necessary) and place on a cookie sheet. (I used a silpat so I didn't grease it, if you're not using a silpat you may want to spray it with a little cooking spray.) Top the crispy slices of polenta with the cheese mixture and set under the broiler just long enough for the cheese to bubble up.

Enjoy!

Faux Tuna/Chickpea Sandwiches

2011-05-25T13:15:00.000-06:00

A vegan alterative to canned tuna. It's so yummy!

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas or 1 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained
3 TB vegan mayo ( I use vegenaise)
1 TB mustard
1/2 lemon
2.5 Tb of relish
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp kelp granules (You can find this at Whole Foods and they and it is a great source of iodine).
pepper to taste

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, mash the chickpeas with a fork ( I also found that adding them in little quantities in the blender or food processor, also gets them to the right consistency without all the extra work of mashing by hand).
2. Pour out to a medium sized bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix well and serve on your choice of bread. (I like sourdough from the Friday or Sunday Farmer's Market.)

Noodle-less Eggplant Lasagna - More Meatless Monday!

2011-05-24T10:04:00.003-06:00

8oz mozzarella, shredded

15oz. container ricotta

3 lb. frozen eggplant cutlets

4 oz. pancetta, diced small

I cup dry white wine

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

5 cups basic tomato sauce

1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 ̊ F.

1. Bake eggplant per package instructions,reserve. (I had to make my own, slice 3 eggplants egg them, bread crumbs, bake for 10 min each side)

2. While eggplant bakes, make sauce. Heat pancetta in a medium saucepot on medium heat until rendered and crispy. Add white wine and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Add red pepper, tomato sauce, and parsley. Simmer for 5minutes. Reserve.

4. Season ricotta with salt and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve.

5. To assemble, spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1 cup of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Layer 1/3 of the eggplant, followed by 1/2 of the ricotta, and 1 1/2 cups sauce.

6. Layer the next 1/3 of the eggplant, remaining ricotta mixture, and 11/2 cups sauce.

7. Top with the remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella.

8. Cover with parchment and then aluminum foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and parchment and continue to bake until top is browned, about 10 minutes more. Cool 15 minutes before serving to allow lasagna to set up.

Quinoa and Fresh Corn with Scallions - Yummy!! Great for meatless monday!

2011-05-24T10:03:00.001-06:00

Quinoa and Fresh Corn with Scallions
"Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone"

3 plump ears of corn
2 cups stock or water (I used water)
1 cup quinoa, thoroughly rinsed (red quinoa makes for a prettier dish!)
salt and freshly milled pepper
1 tablespoon butter or canola oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/3 cup crumbled feta or grated cheddar

Shuck the corn, slice off the kernels, and set them aside. Reserve your knife and scrape the cobs to get the milk. Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan; add the quinoa, corn scrapings, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Melt the butter in a small skillet, add the scallions and corn kernels, and cook over medium-high heat until the scallions are bright green, about 3 minutes. Toss them with the quinoa. Season with pepper and serve, garnished with the crumbled cheese.

Yogurt Dip Yumminess

2011-05-10T15:24:00.000-06:00

Go to Costco. Right now. Or look online if you don't have a Costco. You must absolutely try Skotidakis Jalapeno Yogurt Dip. It is, by far, the best veggie dip ever. EVER. It would also be so yummy with crackers or on a hamburger (I can't wait to try that) or sandwich/wrap/etc. It is made with seriously natural ingredients and 2 tablespoons has 50 calories and 3.5g fat. But do not think you will stop at 2 tablespoons if you are dipping your favorite veggies (I love it with red peppers). I have consumed about 1/3 of the container (Costco sized) in 2 days. It is SO. GOOD. You're welcome.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution: Creamy Caesar Dressing

2011-05-02T10:59:00.000-06:00

I nabbed this from Jamie Oliver's website. I made a few changes to suit our family's taste. This is a fantastic dressing. The flavor is strong and tangy, and the yogurt really makes the dressing stick to your salad, so you can use a lot less dressing and still get all the fabulous flavor. Eat up!

1 head romaine lettuce, cleaned and chopped

1/3 cup 2% Greek yogurt (I used fat free)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, (plus 1-ounce for sprinkling over the top; optional.)

2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce

1 small clove garlic, minced

Juice of ½ lemon (I used a whole lemon)

2 chopped anchovy fillets (I skipped this, because, for me, there is plenty of anchovy flavor in the Worcestershire)

1/8 teaspoon sea salt (also unnecessary)

freshly ground pepper, to taste

(I would also add a teaspoon or 2 of dijon mustard)

Whisk the dressing together and use sparingly on your clean lettuce. Yum.

Baked panko/ranch /parm chicken tenders

2011-04-05T19:45:00.002-06:00

I'm not so good with measurements when I cook, so I'll wing it. I added approx: 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs 1 T ranch seasoning from the salad dressing packet 1/2 t garlic powder 1/4 c parmesean Mix an egg in another bowl. Dip chicken tender in egg and then in dry mixture. Bake 350F for 15-20min. I moved them to the top rack under high broil for the last couple of minutes. Dip in ranch dressing. Kids LOVE them!

For St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-16T10:07:00.004-06:00

I laughed last week watching Modern Family (duh) when they said "kale is the new spinach". It's my new favorite. Besides Baked Kale Chips, you HAVE to try:

1 bunch of kale, remove stems
1/2 cup water
Juice from 1-2 lemons
1-2 T agave

Blend & strain. I didn't strain the first time and didn't mind chomping up the kale pulp, but I do like it better strained and smooth.

It's full of calcium and antioxidants. I feel so good after I drink this "grassy lemonade" and I think you will too! My 6yr old daughter even tried it this morning and liked it a lot.

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

2011-03-15T11:52:00.002-06:00

Ingredients:

Yield:

Chimichangas

2/3 cup picante sauce or 2/3 cup your favorite salsa
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 green onions, chopped with some tops (about 1/4 cup)
6 (8 inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons margarine, melted
shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
chopped green onion, for serving
picante sauce, for serving

Change Measurements: US | Metric

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 45 mins

1 Mix chicken, picante sauce or salsa, cumin, oregano, cheese and onions.
2 Place about 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.
3 Fold opposite sides over filling.
4 Roll up from bottom and place seam-side down on a baking sheet.
5 Brush with melted margarine.
6 Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until golden.
7 Garnish with additional cheese and green onion and serve salsa on the side.

Here's what I have to say...

This recipe was quick, easy, and tasty, which is really what I am all about. Therefore,

this recipe fall into the category of fabulous to me. There are many ways that I

make chimichangas, and some might be slightly better than this, but these are

by far the best tasting, quick, and low(er)-fat ones that I have encountered.

Enjoy!

Sweet and Sour Caper Meatballs

2011-03-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

Turkey Meatballs (thanks Kate!):
Ingredients:
1 c plain Greek yogurt
2 t ground black peppercorns
2 soft hot dog or hamburger buns
2 t salt
1/4 c whole milk
1 c flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 T olive oil, plus more for greasing pan
1 T basil, finely chopped
2 lbs ground turkey meat
3/4 c finely grated Parmesan cheese (fancy or green canister are both OK!)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line three cookie sheets with foil and grease with olive oil.

1. Mix the yogurt, milk, oil and eggs together in a small bowl. Break the buns apart and place in the bottom of a large bowl. Pour yogurt mixture over the bread and let sit until soft.

2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients except the meat to the mixture.

3. Add the turkey and using your hands, lightly mix together. You don't want the mixture to be completely uniform - chunks of bread and streaks of herbs are OK. Overmixing makes tough hockey-puck-like meatballs.

4. Form into balls of about 1 tablespoon large. Roll lightly and place on the sheet so they are not touching.

5. Bake for 35-45 minutes, rotating halfway through. Meatballs are done when they are slightly browned on the outside. Check a meatball to make sure no pink remains in the center.

6. Serve with Sweet and Sour caper sauce and Rice pilaf or as part of spaghetti and meatballs with red sauce. Extras can be frozen and reheated in the toaster oven.

Sweet and Sour Caper Sauce (thanks Gail!):

Ingredients:
1-2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley
3-4 cups peeled, diced tomatoes (canned is fine)
3/4 t salt
1/4 t cracked pepper
1/2 t basil
2 T sugar or honey or agave
6 T red wine vinegar
4 T capers

Saute onion and parsley in oil. Add all other ingredients and simmer until the meatballs are done. Spoon over meatballs (and rice, yum).

Delicious Banana Bars

2011-02-22T18:31:00.002-07:00

Black-Bottom Banana Bars Recipe

Photo by: Taste of Home

96% would make again

Read reviews (15)

Rate recipe

These bars stay very moist, and their rich banana and chocolate flavor is even better the second day. My mother-in-law game me this recipe, and it's a big favorite with both my husband and two sons. —Rene Wright, Ferryville, Wisconsin

This recipe is:

Contest Winning

15 Servings
Prep: 20 min. Bake: 25 min.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup baking cocoa

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in the bananas. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Divide batter in half. Add cocoa to half; spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Spoon remaining batter on top and swirl with a knife.
Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until the a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool a wire rack. Yield: 2-1/2 to 3 dozen.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (2 each) equals 181 calories, 7 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 31 mg cholesterol, 256 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

This recipe was delicious and easy. I cut back the sugar by about 1/4 C and it was still great. You could easily cut back more if you had seriously ripe/brown bananas. I would also consider adding mini chocolate chips if I were going to take this to a potluck situation, which by the way, it would be great for!

Runners Up

2011-02-07T10:34:00.000-07:00

In my opinion, these two treats might have been even better than the candy balls I posted below. The chocolate-hazelnut thumbprints were a decadent treat, and the Maple-Chile popcorn was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Yummy.

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT THUMBPRINTS

Yield: 28 cookies (serving size: 1 cookie)

Ingredients

4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon instant espresso (optional; I used a packet of Starbucks Via)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts, toasted
1/3 cup hazelnut-chocolate spread (such as Nutella)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Stir egg yolks with a whisk, adding espresso, if desired. Add the yolk mixture and vanilla to butter; beat well. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat at low speed just until combined.

3. Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper; Mine was REALLY crumbly; knead 6 times or until smooth and shiny. Shape dough into 28 (1-inch) balls. Roll sides of balls in nuts, pressing gently. Arrange balls 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Press thumb into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation. Bake, 1 batch at a time, at 350° for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon hazelnut-chocolate spread into center of each cookie.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 104
Fat: 6.5g (sat 2.7g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.4g)
Protein: 1.6g
Carbohydrate: 10.9g
Fiber: 0.8g
Cholesterol: 23mg
Iron: 0.6mg
Sodium: 46mg
Calcium: 11mg

AND.....

MAPLE-CHILE POPCORN

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

Ingredients

Cooking spray
8 cups popcorn (popped without salt or fat; I used Steplanie's brown bag trick)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°.

Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan or other large rimmed baking pan with cooking spray.

Place popcorn in a large metal or glass bowl lightly coated with cooking spray.

Combine syrup, butter, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring just until combined. Cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Pour syrup mixture over popcorn in a steady stream, stirring to coat.

Spread popcorn mixture in an even layer into prepared pan. Bake at 300° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool completely in pan.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 48 (17% from fat)
Fat: 0.9g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.1g)
Protein: 0.5g
Carbohydrate: 9.9g
Fiber: 0.6g
Cholesterol: 2mg
Iron: 0.2mg
Sodium: 79mg
Calcium: 7mg

And the winner is...

2011-02-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

These little babies won the "Sweet" category in Throwdown. They even managed to beat out my Brother-in-law's FAMOUS (and amazing) chocolate chip cookies. These are so tasty, totally easy, and a perfect little treat to satisfy your chocolate craving without totally derailing your otherwise healthy day. Make them. You will thank me.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CHERRY CRISPS

Yield: 36 servings (serving size: 1 crisp)

Ingredients

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups oven-toasted rice cereal (such as Rice Krispies)

3/4 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/3 cup slivered almonds

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Cover a large baking sheet with wax paper.

Place semisweet and white chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl; microwave at HIGH 45 seconds. Stir, and microwave an additional 45 seconds or until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Add cereal and remaining ingredients; stir quickly to combine. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; chill 1 hour or until firm.

Nutritional Information

Calories:68 (44% from fat)

Fat:3.3g (sat 2g,mono 0.8g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:0.6g

Carbohydrate:9.7g

Fiber:0.7g

Cholesterol:0.0mg

Iron:0.3mg

Sodium:6mg

Calcium:7mg

Fast and FABULOUS Southwest Chicken!

2011-01-27T18:27:00.002-07:00

I saw this on the Taste of Home Fb post today, and decided to try it for dinner tonight. It was quick, easy, healthy and flavorful. It was well received by the husband and the kids, and did I mention how EASY it was?

It's a perfect meal in a pinch, 20 minutes to tasty :)

4 Servings
Prep/Total: 25 min.

Ingredients

3 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup salsa
2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

Combine the chili powder, cumin, pepper and salt; rub over chicken. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken in oil on both sides. Stir in the beans, corn and salsa. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170°.
Slice chicken; serve with rice and bean mixture. Yield: 4 servings.

Cooking for 2: Black Bean Chicken with Rice for Two

Nutrition Facts: 1 chicken breast half with 3/4 cup bean mixture and 1/2 cup rice equals 400 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 63 mg cholesterol, 670 mg sodium, 52 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 32 g protein.

Microwave Popcorn.

2011-01-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

Raise your hand if you have never looked at the ingredients or nutrition information on your bag of microwave popcorn. Raise your hand if you buy the 100-calorie bags and think you are eating healthy because it is only 100 calories of whole grains. Raise your hand if you HAVE looked and will not eat microwave popcorn due to the amounts of trans-fats in each serving.

If you haven't looked, look. Most microwave popcorn is saturated in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, to the point where each serving can have several grams of trans fats. Yuck. So much for those 100 calories being "healthy".

You could buy "organic" microwave popcorn bags, but then you have to be willing to shell out the bucks for them. You could air pop it, but then you have to own and store an air popper. Or you could do the old fashioned pop it on the stove method (which is what I like best for the kiddos), but then you have to have the time and energy to do it and clean up after it! BUT, good old Orville now has a solution for those of us who are cash, appliance, and energy challenged: Gourmet Microwave Popcorn, Natural. It isn't organic, and you are still buying into the corn chain (thanks for sticking that to me, Micheal Pollan), but, you are now skipping all the partially hydrogenated CRUD build up in your system. Hooray. And, are you ready for this???? Even the 50% less fat version tastes FANTASTIC! It is really yummy. The whole bag works out to just a little over 100 calories and 5 grams of fat (the whole BIG bag) of yumminess. Oh yeah, and don't forget the whole grains!

Final benefit? Sign up for Amazon's "subscribe and save" deal on it, and you can get each box (3 big bags each) for about 2 bucks. **warning: you have to be willing to store 12 boxes** Once you get the delivery, you just cancel your subscription with no further obligation.

Healthy eating + discount = Happy Mandy!

Cookies on a (calorie) budget

2011-01-20T11:24:00.001-07:00

These cookies are ridiculously good. And a pretty decent size. And have a pretty decent calorie count. And did I mention they are ridiclously good?

Stats per cookie:
Calories: 137
Fat: 8.1g (sat 3.4g)
Carbs: 16.1g
Protein: 2.5g
Fiber: 1.3g

Ingredients:
1 cup of butter (you can save 15 calories per cookie if you replace 1/2 cup with applesauce or pumpkin)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup stevia (I used 1/2 cup Sun Crystals blend of sugar and stevia)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 dollop (about 1/8-1/4 cup) greek yogurt
2 eggs
2 T vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups flour (I only had white on hand today, but the cookies would definitely take a 1/2 and 1/2 mix of white and wheat)
1/2 cup wheat germ (or wheat flour)
1 t baking soda
2 cups chocolate chips (you can save 37 calories per cookie by skipping these. They will still be delicious, but, well, they are chocolate chips. They are worth it.)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars. Blend in peanut butter, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla.

2. Mix oats, flours, and baking soda (I also added a pinch of salt). Incorporate into wet ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop by rounded tablespoons (really, they were bigger than tablespoons) 1 inch apart on baking sheets (to grease or not to grease is your choice... I grease when I don't have parchment on hand). Bake 10-12 minutes (don't overbake: they will appear slightly unset in the middle when done). Cool (if you can wait that long) and eat. Try not to eat all 5 dozen. ;-)

Yogurt Pancakes

2011-01-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

My weird kids do not eat grains or baked goods. It is impossible to get whole grains into them. They sometimes make me wonder if they are, in fact, MY children. However, last night we had breakfast for dinner and these yummy, light, fluffy and HEALTHFUL pancakes got gobbled up. I actually ran out and had to turn people away from the table wanting more (not a bad thing at all). So, try this.

Greek Yogurt Pancakes

Makes 12 4-inch pancakes

Indgredients:

•8 oz. Greek yogurt
•7 tbsp. all-purpose flour (instead of flour, I used Bob's Redmill Multigrain pancake mix, which is simply a lightly sweetened, lightly leavened blend of many wonderful whole grains. I highly suggest it. If you don't have it or don't want it, wheat flour will work just fine to keep them whole grain.)
•1 tbsp. sugar (I used half a T of Sun Crystals: a stevia/sugar blend)

•1 tsp. baking soda (reduce this if you use the pancake mix)

•1/2 tsp. salt

•2 large eggs

•1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (I used more like a Tablespoon)

And of course, add flavor: lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, whatever you like. I did fresh ground nutmeg and fresh ground Saigon Cinnamon. Next time I will add lemon juice.

Directions:

Place Greek yogurt in a medium bowl. Add flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir together very gently. Stop short of the mixture being totally combined. You want the pancakes to have some interesting texture.

Whisk eggs in a separate bowl. Add vanilla to eggs and stir to combine. Pour egg mixture into the Greek yogurt-flour mixture. Stir together gently. Don’t worry about the mixture being totally combined; a little white and yellow swirling is fine.

Pour the batter onto a griddle sprayed with cooking spray, ¼ cup at a time. Keep plenty of room between the pancakes, as they will spread! Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, then flip the pancakes. Cook for another 45 seconds and remove to plate. Repeat with the remaining batter. Top pancakes with fruit or desired toppings (you know, like good old Maple Syrup).

Fabulous

2011-01-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

Because I said I would.

What I did with the first of my $.85 cans of organic pumpkin puree

2010-12-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the recipe as found online. I will give you my changes and comments in blue. Because, really, who can pass up pumpkin waffles??? Not us. Ella actually took a bite and said, "Mom, these are even good without syrup!!"

Ultimate Pumpkin Waffles Recipe

In my mind, the perfect pumpkin waffles recipe channels all the delicious flavor of pumpkin pie into waffle form. After 90 or so batches that have distilled the recipe through countless variations on ingredient proportions and mixing techniques, I’ve developed a waffle I think is truly exceptional. It uses more pumpkin than literally any other recipe available and is wonderfully rich in spices, thanks to a carefully-balanced blend of cinnamon, clove, ginger, and fresh nutmeg. I hope you love it.

It’s not meant to be a good recipe. It’s not meant to be great. It’s meant to be the best…

INGREDIENTS

makes 4 round “Belgian” style pumpkin waffles With my little waffle maker, we got 8 waffles

• 1/4 cup light brown sugar I doubled this and made them super sweet. You could also do molasses or stevia

• 3 Tbsp. cornstarch

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour I think the recipe would hold up well with some wheat flour subbed in

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 3/4 tsp. cinnamon

• 2 tsp. ginger

• 1/4 tsp. cloves

• 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg*

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup whole milk I used "Royal Rich" which is skim milk with some of the water removed

• 1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin I used a wee bit more to make up for the fat I didn't have in the milk

• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and warm I think you could cut this down if you want to make them trimmer

*Grated and lightly packed into the spoon, use 1/2 tsp. Grated and loosely scooped, this is about 1 tsp. of nutmeg. If you have to use pre-grated, dried nutmeg, use 1/4 tsp.

DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly oil the waffle iron with vegetable oil I used butter for better flavor, but the waffles came out a little soggy, and set it to the desired temperature.

2. Combine brown sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Whisk together to break apart the cornstarch. Add the remaining dry ingredients, and whisk to blend.

3. Separate eggs: yolks go in a medium sized bowl and whites get set aside in a smaller bowl.

4. Add pumpkin and milk to the egg yolks. Whisk to blend and set aside.

5. Whip egg whites with a hand mixer on high until stiff peaks form – about 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Set aside.

6. Pour melted butter into the yolk/milk/pumpkin mixture. As you pour, whisk to combine.

7. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix them together until just combined. A little lumpiness is fine. That will smooth out when the egg whites are added.

8. Slide the whipped egg whites out of the bowl and onto the mixture you just prepared. Gently fold them in until no white bits are obvious.

9. Once the waffle iron is heated, you’re ready to pour the batter! In my Presto FlipSide waffle maker, cook time is exactly 2 minutes 30 seconds.

These really were super yummy. I couldn't get the boys to stop eating them. Me either, for that matter! They were a super good "breakfast" form of pumpkin pie. Yum.

Awesome Chai Tea

2010-12-09T18:53:00.002-07:00

I just found a fabulous chai tea, that you all should look for. It's pre-made, in a jar. It's called Bhakti Chai Tea, and it's made in Boulder. I found it on clearance (which blows because they probably won't carry it anymore) in my refrigerated section. It's amazing, spicy, steamy deliciousness in a mug. It puts all other chai tea to shame. Even mixed with almost half milk, it's got a serious kick. If you like chai tea with a personality, look for this brand!

Chicago Italian Roast Beef

2010-12-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

I am posting for Gail. She made this over Thanksgiving and it was DELICIOUS and easy.

Chicago Style Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches

3-4 pounds beef chuck roast

6-8 cloves garlic, whole, peeled

1 TBSP crushed red pepper ( I use more like 2+ tsp)

1 TBSP dried oregano leaves

1+ TBSP salt

2 bay leaves

¾ cup water

2 loaves crusty baguette or buns or whatever bread you like

Make several slits in the beef roast and poke the garlic cloves in the slits.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pan, spray with Pam. Place roast inside. Sprinkle the roast with the crushed red pepper, oregano and salt. Add bay leaves and water.

Bake, covered, in a preheated 275 F oven until tender (3-3 ½ hours). Baste if needed and add more water if needed.

Remove meat from the pan, slice at an angle in thin slices across the grain, or if it is tender enough, it will just fall apart. De-fat the juice.

Serve with sauted onions and peppers and horseradish sauce if desired. We also put provolone cheese on the sandwiches. Super yum.

Serves 8-10

Lemon Banana Muffins

2010-12-01T09:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, these are carbs, but if you make mini muffins, they are 27 calories and .3g fat each (the large version has 143 calories and 2g fat). A nice, sweet, healthful way to curb that craving for sweets! Bonus: the kids LOVE them.

Ingredients:
1/2-3/4 cup agave nectar (you can also use honey or sugar)
2 T canola oil
4 egg whites
1 T vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1 lemon
6oz fat free plain yogurt
2 cups flour (I haven't used wheat in this yet, but I am quite sure it would be wonderful)
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
4 mashed bananas

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Mix sugar, oil, egg, vanilla, lemon, and yogurt
3. Add flour and leavening
4. Fold in bananas
5. Fill greased or lined muffin tins about 3/4 full (should make 8 dozen mini muffins or about 18 regular)
For mini muffins, bake 12 minutes. For regular, bake 25 minutes.

These are also delicious with some fresh or frozen blueberries tossed in. Yum.

Butternut Squash and Creamed-Spinach Gratin

2010-11-22T10:10:00.003-07:00

My brother made this as a vegetable side one year for Thanksgiving and it was a hit. I made it last week and then volunteered to make it for Thanksgiving this year:

3 pounds fresh spinach, stems discarded, or 3 (10-ounce) packages frozen leaf spinach, thawed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter plus additional for greasing pan
3/4 cup finely chopped onion (1 small)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream
4 pounds butternut squash (2 large), peeled, quartered, and seeded

If using fresh spinach, bring 1 inch water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot over high heat. Add spinach, a few handfuls at a time, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Thoroughly squeeze cooked fresh or thawed frozen spinach in small handfuls to remove excess moisture, then coarsely chop and transfer to a bowl.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion mixture to spinach along with salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cream and stir to combine.

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 3-quart shallow baking dish (13 by 9 inches).

Cut squash to separate bulb section from solid neck section, then cut pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices with slicer (I bought a $10 slicing mandolin from Target and it is worth every penny. I also have to wear plastic gloves while I handle the peeled butternut squash- otherwise it zaps all of the moisture from my hands. If you experience the same reaction, get gloves or use a little olive oil to return the moisture to your skin).

Layer squash and spinach mixture in baking dish, using about one fifth of squash and one fourth of spinach for each layer, beginning and ending with squash. Sprinkle top layer of squash evenly with cheese and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter, then cover directly with a sheet of parchment or wax paper. Bake until squash is tender and filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove paper and bake gratin until browned in spots, 10 to 15 minutes, or broil 3 inches from heat, 2 to 3 minutes.

Better than Starbucks Salted Hot Chocolate

2010-11-19T08:37:00.002-07:00

It certainly doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this one out but I thought I'd share anyway...

Milk- cows, soy, almond, whatever you prefer
Hot Chocolate Mix- I make mine with cocoa, sugar and salt according to the cocoa box directions (eyeballing it of course- God forbid I should measure something)
Carmel Flavored Coffee Creamer- of course there's always alternatives, but I'll admit, I'm not stringent about coffee creamer
Kosher Salt- because that's what makes it salted.

Directions:

Heat milk, add hot chocolate mix, creamer and a dash of salt. Stir well, pour into mugs and enjoy!

Skinny Women Don't Eat Quiche

2010-11-09T12:44:00.000-07:00

Or do they?

Yes, yes they do. Now, the new and improved pastry-less but tasty-ful quiche! (Don't be afraid of the non-traditional crust. It isn't a pastry, but it is really nutty and yummy!)

Crust:
1.5-2 cups cooked brown rice
.5 cups of your favorite cheese, shredded (I used a mix of lite swiss, 2% cheddar, and parm)

Mix rice and cheese. Press into quiche pan and up edges to form a crust. Bake at 400 for 5 minutes.

Quiche:
3 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup plain fat free yogurt (I used greek)
3/4 cup grated cheese (I used the same mix as above; use flavorful cheese like feta, pepper jack, swiss, parm, asiago, etc)
salt to taste
pepper to taste (I use white)
1 t paprika
1.2 t granulated garlic
pinch of fresh grated nutmeg
about 10oz steamed and squeezed dry spinach
chopped green onions

Mix all ingredients and pour into baked "crust". Bake at 385 for about 25-30 minutes until set. Top with diced tomatoes.

You can change the quiche a lot by playing with the cheeses, spices, and vegetables. Make it Mexican or Italian night if you don't want plain old quiche!

Anything cooked with this is better:

2010-11-05T11:59:00.004-06:00

Boulder Sausage Premium Italian Sausage Merlot Wine, Asiago Cheese & Sun Dried Tomatoes.

City Market/King Soopers used to stock it but it didn't sell fast enough. Lucky for me, I could often find it with a $1.00 sale sticker and I'd buy 'em up. Unfortunately, I haven't found it on the shelf for almost a year. I special ordered a case (6pkgs) from the meat manager and picked it up Wednesday. I'm not sure any of the packages will actually make it to the freezer.

I made a huge pot of Italian Sausage soup Wednesday night, spaghetti last night and will use it as pizza topping tonight.

Italian Sausage Soup as I make it:
-One box of Organic Chicken Broth
-One bag of Organic Carrots
-2 Organic Zucchini
-2 Organic Yellow Squash
-2 t. minced garlic
-2 cans Muir Italian roasted diced tomatoes (full can, not drained)
-Approx 2 T. Italian Herb Seasoning (I'm not good with measuring when it comes to herbs. I generally start shaking the jar until it *looks* right and then add a little more and then grab two or three other herbs for a few shakes).
-2 pkgs Boulder Italian Sausage Merlot Wine, Asiago Cheese, & Sun Dried Tomatoes
-Sometimes I add Spaghetti Squash or small pasta wheels.

I try to use Organic as much as possible. If you haven't made the switch because it's too expensive, it's probably because you're still buying too many processed foods at the grocery store. Take away all those $3-$4 processed items and you can definitely afford a few more cents for the organic.

I take the point of a sharp knife to slit the casing around the sausage and remove prior to sauteing the sausage in bite sized chunks. I also rinse the sausage after cooking so the extra grease doesn't go into the soup. Dump your sliced veggies, cans of tomatoes, garlic and herbs in a large pot with the chicken broth and let simmer until tender. Add the sausage at the end. I portion the soup into 6-8 tupperware containers and top with an Italian blend of cheese.

If serving immediately, you should probably have some sort of warm crusty Italian bread to go with it!

Oddly delicious pot roast

2010-10-28T21:40:00.002-06:00

Ok, so I made this tonight. It was one of those, "what do I have in my kitchen?" kind of meals and it was DEEEEElicious and very well received by Mom, Gramma, husband and neighbor. Now again, because I don't measure I can only give approximates, but here it goes...

Chuck Roast 2 lbs (or your favorite cut of meat)
1 TBS each- onion powder, garlic powder, season salt, pepper
Few cloves of garlic
One Onion
Chili Sauce approx half a bottle
Guinness Bear 3/4 bottle

Combine spices and apply to meat as a dry rub
Sear the roast in a hot pan with some oil on both sides
Move meat to crock pot
Slightly saute onion and garlic in remaining oil from the pan in which you seared the roast and then place on top of meat in crock pot.

In a bowl, combine chili sauce and beer then pour over roast.

Set temp according to crock pot directions and when it's done you will have a fall-apart, slightly tangy, extremely savory roast!

I served it with mash cauliflower and mixed veg. SOOOOOOOO good!

Meatless Monday- Green Chile and Egg Breakfast Casserole

2010-10-25T13:39:00.002-06:00

My mom picked this recipe up from my cousin and I picked it up from Googling a few of the ingredients. LOVE IT!

Serves/Makes: 8 Difficulty Level: 3 Ready In: 30-60 minutes

Ingredients:
10 eggs
1 pint cottage cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unsifted flour
1 pound shredded Sonoma Jack or Monterrey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cans (4 oz. size) diced green chilies

Directions: Preheat oven to 350. Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients. Bake in buttered 9" quiche dishes or 9x13" baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes or until eggs are firm and inserted knife comes out clean. This dish can be made ahead of time, refrigerated and baked just before serving. It is also good with spinach and mushrooms.

Website wonder

2010-10-25T11:05:00.000-06:00

If you haven't tried the SparkPeople website, I totally recommend it. It is fabulous. It has typical weight loss stuff like healthy recipes, articles, and fitness information, but it does even better than that. You can map out your walking/riding path and save your routes. You can have your recipes analyzed, and it not only tells you the calories, fat, fiber, carbs and protein, but gives you an entire nutritional label for your recipe, including vitamins in it! There are a bunch of other tools and features, but I won't outline them here. I am sure there is a ton I don't even know about yet. Check it out.

Indian-slant Roasted Chicken

2010-10-18T17:45:00.002-06:00

I made a "variation" of this recipe tonight. I didn't have any oranges for zest so I used a splash of OJ instead. I also didn't have any fresh ginger (which is unusual) and well, I guess that's all. The rest, as in: the chicken, the butter and that cardomom, I did have on hand. I probably should have waited to make this when I actually had all the ingredients but...I had already convinced myself that this was what I was making for dinner.

It was pretty good. The flavor wasn't as intense as I had hoped-- I'm guessing that had something to do with the fact that I didn't use fresh ginger nor did I use orange zest, plus I don't eat chicken skin. I'm guessing the skin would make it that much better since you'd get that salty, crisp. I might also add a bit of fresh garlic next time, just because.

Oh, I also made this recipe with a whole chicken not just pieces. I'll definitely make it again...the right way!

# 1/4 cup butter, softened but not melted
# 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
# 1 large orange, zested
# 2 teaspoons grated ginger
# 4 airline chicken breasts, on the bone, skin intact

In a small bowl, combine the butter, ground cardamom, orange zest, ginger, salt and pepper, to taste. Stir together with a spoon until well mixed.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Poke a small opening in the clear membrane between the skin and the flesh of the chicken breast. Glide your index finger through the opening, loosening the skin from the flesh, without removing it completely. You're creating a big pocket in which the butter will sit! Repeat with the other chicken breasts.

Put a spoonful of the butter mixture through the opening you made in the skin of the chicken breast. Once it's in there, smooth out the butter by gliding your finger over the skin, until it's evenly distributed. Repeat with the other breasts. Arrange the chicken breasts on the sheet tray lined with the cooling rack. Wash your hands thoroughly.

If you wish, drizzle the skin with a little oil, for extra crispy skin. Season with salt, to taste. Put the chicken into the oven, and roast, turning the pan once halfway through the cooking time- about 30 minutes. Relax, sip a glass of wine, and bask in the crackling sounds of butter and comforting smell of the roasted chicken!

Chicken is ready when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast, but not touching the bone, registers about 160 degrees F. Remove the pans from the oven and tent with foil. Allow them to rest about 5 minutes.

This recipe is from Aarti Party on Food Network. I'm a huge fan of Indian food and love her take on infusing Indian flavors in American style cuisine.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/i-aint-chicken-chicken-crispy-roasted-chicken-breasts-with-orange-and-cardamom-recipe/index.html

Balsamic Glazed Chicken

2010-10-15T10:39:00.002-06:00

Serves 4

4 - 8 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts or strips
6 cups broccoli
1/8 cup water
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp EVVO

Seasoning Rub
4 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
2 Tbsp water
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp EVVO
Combine the garlic, rosemary, pepper, water, and olive oil. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Rub the chicken with mixture, then cover and refrigerate for 3 hrs or overnight.

Combine 1/8 cup water, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, and 1 Tbsp olive oil and pour half into bottom of a small roasting pan. Place chicken breasts in pan and pour remaining vinegar mixture over chicken. Roast in 350 oven for 30 min or until thoroughly cooked. Steam broccoli and serve on the side.

Sushi rolls

2010-10-11T10:43:00.004-06:00

Now that I've made sushi rolls at home a handful of times, I may never go to another sushi restaurant! My kids have been eating California rolls since they were old enough for solids. Don't feel intimidated...it's easier than you think!

What you'll need:
-Sushi rice (I like the Lundburg brand- found at Vitamin Cottage. I've also found sushi rice at Target) $5-7 bag
-Rice vinegar $5
-Nori sheets (easy to find in Asian food section at most grocery stores) About 10 sheets for $3.50
-Crab (I use the real deal. King crab from Costco has been the best, followed by snow crab- one pack yields about 5 plump rolls...or approx 40 pcs.) $15-20
-Avocado $1.50
-Cucumber (I'm not a big cucumber fan so I either omit the cucumber or replace with carrot) $1.50
-Toasted sesame seeds $3.50
-Wasabi powder (or paste) $4-6
-Pickled ginger $4
-Bamboo rolling mat (I ordered two on Amazon for $3 ea. & free shipping that came with the bamboo spoon) $3
-Plastic wrap $3
-Flat bamboo spoon or similar
-Glass of wine optional

I looked at a rice cooker at Costco one weekend and decided it was too similar to my electric pressure cooker to need another appliance around the kitchen. You can prepare the rice on the stovetop, but I prefer using my pressure cooker. Add 3cups of water, 2cups of sushi rice, set pressure cooker to high pressure for 3min. After 3min, let it naturally release for 10min and then release the remaining pressure. Gently stir rice and add about 1/4cup of rice vinegar (to your tasting). Do not over stir or you will smash the rice kernels.

The crab legs are fully cooked so you can crack and remove the meat or heat in the oven, if preferred. I place the crab legs on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and tent the crab legs with another layer of foil to steam at 400* for approx. 20min. Crack legs and remove meat.

Thinly slice one avocado, cucumber and/or other veggies you'd like to add.

Take a piece of plastic wrap and place it on top of the bamboo rolling mat (so your sticky rice doesn't stick to the mat). Place one sheet of Nori (shiny side down) on the plastic wrap. Spread rice on the Nori, leaving 1/2"-3/4" bare Nori at the top of the sheet. Sprinkle rice with a few sesame seeds. Place your crab (I am generous with the crab), avocado, & veggies horizontal about an inch from the bottom of the Nori. Hold the filling with your fingertips as you prepare to roll the bamboo mat forward (or up and over the filling...tuck it tight). Keep moving the plastic wrap down as you continue to roll or the plastic wrap will roll up inside of the California roll. You don't want to press too hard as you roll or you'll smash the rice. The more rice you use, the bigger the roll. The tighter you roll, the better your fillings stay in the roll when it is cut into pieces. Dab a little water on your finger and run it along the 1/2"-3/4" top edge of the Nori to seal the roll (very important!). You can also run a little wasabi along the edge instead of water.

You'll need a very sharp knife to cut the roll into pieces. I've found that I have more luck with a sharp serrated knife. Cut roll in half. I've read that you should dip the knife in hot water between slices, but I haven't needed to use that step because my knives are sharp enough to cut through without the rice sticking. I usually get 4 pieces from each half and set aside the end pieces to nibble on while I'm make the rest of the rolls.

Now, if you want the rice on the outside of the roll (instead of the Nori on the outside), you place the plastic wrap down first, the rice on the plastic wrap and then the Nori on top of the rice. The rice should cover more area than the Nori so when your roll, the rice will hold the roll together. Place your fillings about an inch from the bottom of the Nori and roll. I sprinkle the rice with toasted sesame seeds on the outside as I roll. It is a little trickier to roll with the rice on the outside and the cutting can be stickier...but you get less of the Nori flavor when it is tucked inside rather than on the outside.

Serve on a platter with a small pile of pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce for dipping.

Prep time: 30min.
Initial cost for all ingredients/supplies if you have none of it at home: approx $50
Each additional prep: approx. $20-25
Now think how much you spend going out to have sushi for 4!

Try it! You won't be sorry. Once you've got the rolling technique down, play with the fillings and type of rolls...and then plan it for your next dinner party. Your guests will be impressed!

Taco Salad (without all the calories)

2010-10-10T19:08:00.002-06:00

1 pound lean white ground turkey
1/2 med onion, chopped
Spray non-stick pan with Pam. Brown turkey and onion using spatula to break into small pieces.
Add:
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

In a large salad bowl add:

1 cup kidney beans, rinse and drain
2 or 3 chopped green onions
1 stalk celery, sliced thin
1 green or yellow pepper, sliced
1 large chopped tomato
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (fewer calories if you omit)
sliced black olives
4 cups shredded lettuce
Toss with seasoned meat and top with:
Salsa
reduced fat sour cream (optional)

What's for Dinner? Want something quick?

2010-10-08T16:36:00.003-06:00

Grilled Halibut (or mild white fish) with Lemon Vinaigrette

Serves 1 so double, triple, etc

7 oz halibut filet

1/2 cup fresh or frozen green beans

1/2 cup fresh or frozen broccoli

1/2 cup fresh or frozen cauliflower

salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette:

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp chopped capers

3/4 tsp chopped shallots or green onion (or I've used red onion)

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingred for vinaigrette in a small bowl and whisk.

Cook fish on barbeque grill or coat a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat over med heat. If desired, sprinkle fish with S&P on both sides and lay on grill pan. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side or until thoroughly cooked.

Steam beans, broccoli and cauliflower.

Spoon vinaigrette onto fish. Serve with steamed veggies.

340 calories, 44 g protein, 14 g fat, 10 g total carbs, 5 g fiber

Introductions

2010-10-08T11:20:00.000-06:00

We (hopefully) have 2 new contributors to the blog. Gail, my MIL, is a fantastic cook and will provide us with what she likes to refer to as "lean and green" meals. I can't wait, since that is the trend we are trying to create in our house. And, Carrie, my SIL, is mostly a veg eater, so hopefully she can provide us with some inspiration for Meatless Mondays! Huzzah!

Bread at its finest

2010-10-07T09:44:00.000-06:00

MAKE THIS. That is all I have to say about it.

Ingredients:
2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/3 cup pureed pumpkin (or butternut squash, but I love pumpkin)
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup agave nectar (you could also use 1/4-1/3 cup honey or 1/3 cup sugar)
1t salt
4 cups white flour
3 cups wheat flour (next time I make it, I will use 4 cups wheat and 3 cups white)

1. Dissolve yeast in water. Add warm pumpkin, milk, eggs, butter, sugar/sugar sub, and salt. Mix well.
2. Gradually add 3 1/2 cups flour (I added the wheat flour first) and beat until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Tuen onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Place in a greased bowl and let rise 1 hour until doubled.
4. Punch down and shape into 3 loaves. **Do not cut down this recipe. You WILL want all 3 loaves. Freeze one if you must!** Place each loaf into a greased bread pan. Cover and let rise 30 minutes until doubled.
5. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. Cool on wire racks, if you can wait that long. Eat with some tasty homemade jam (or, if you are weird like us, some plum-blackberry jamlly).

Mixed Up Vegatable Dip Goodness

2010-10-06T09:08:00.000-06:00

This is another one of those recipes where anything goes. Here is what I did:

Start with:

2 small eggplants
3 peppers: 1 green, 1 red, 1 purple
1 yellow squash
1 clove of garlic, unpeeled

Pierce the eggplants and squash. Roast at about 400 for 30 minutes or so, turning occasionally. Remove eggplants and peppers from oven and place in a ziplock or a bowl sealed with plastic wrap to steam. Remove garlic from oven. Continue roasting squash.

Peel garlic and smash with salt until a paste forms. Place in serving bowl. Peel eggplants and peppers. Chop and place in serving bowl. Remove squash from oven, chop, and add to serving bowl. Add about 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes (you can roast and peel your own: follow the instructions for the peppers or just used canned), a couple of chopped pepperoncini peppers, some capers, and then drizzle with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Add a little salt, pepper, oregano, parsley and anything else that sounds good. Mix it all up.

You can serve this hot or cold. You can add feta, but I don't think it is necessary. It is a wonderful dip with a variety of crackers, chips, and breads.

Simple Goodness

2010-09-30T07:56:00.000-06:00

I made this for dinner last night. It was nothing special. In fact, it is something I have made variations of a million times before. But this version on this night was a hit. Kids had seconds, which is unheard of in our house. Ella even assured me that this meal was better than mac and cheese, and if that isn't an endorsement, I don't know what is.

Chicken and broccoli and noodles

Ingredients:
2 T flour
salt and pepper
1t paprika
1/2 t granulated garlic
2 chicken breasts, pounded and cut into thin strips
2 T olive oil
2 cups chicken broth, divided
broccoli (I also used some sliced purple pepper, red, orange or yellow would also be good)
another 1-2 T flour
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Combine the first 4 ingredients; toss chicken strips in mixture. Coat your pan with olive oil and brown the chicken. Remove the chicken from pan, add 1 cup of chicken broth and scrape up all the good browned bits from the bottom.

Add broccoli to pan and steam for a minute or two (depending on how soft you like your broccoli). In the meantime, combine the other cup of broth and the remaining flour. Add to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, lemon zest and half the lemon juice.

I served this with De Bolles Spinach Fettucini. That is some good stuff. Once the pasta was cooked, I coated it with a tiny drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the lemon juice. I served the chicken mixture over the noodles. It was tasty.

Sangria

2010-09-25T11:43:00.002-06:00

Recently I've been trying to rid my freezer of many things before our move to TX. After going through my shelf of frozen fruit and berries, I was reminded of my absolute favorite sangria recipe. It's cool and fruity, a great way to use up leftover bits of fruit around the kitchen, or from the freezer, and a great item to take along to a potluck or dinner party. It's a real crowd pleaser that can be easily halved or doubled.

It is also a fantastic way to use up red wine that might not be delicious enough to drink straight up, but is still not bad enough to pour down the drain.

Sangria

1.5 L red wine (sweet is good, cheap is fine, any will work)

10 oz grenadine

16 oz cranberry juice

12 oz sweet vermouth

10 oz sugar water (simple syrup-equal ratios sugar to water)

Combine in a large pitcher, glass is best so you can see the fruit floating. Refrigerate until cold.

Add slices of whatever fruit you have on hand. Some of my faves are tart apples, orange rings, peaches and berries. Frozen grapes and strawberries will keep their shape, and help keep it chilled. Store covered up to 48 hours, serve over ice.

saving money

2010-09-23T17:51:00.000-06:00

I like to save money on things. I have joined a ridiculous number of money saving "deal" websites. You have to be careful, because you can get suckered into buying things you would otherwise never buy, but you can also get great deals on restaurants, diapers, and other good stuff that you would regularly spend money on. So, in this post, I will post links to some of the deal sites I belong to. Check them out (and yes, if you use my links for most of these, I get benefits, but mostly I just want to share my fun shopping sites!).

Groupon: one local deal each day (you choose your city). This one is, by far, my favorite. They really like restaurants and yoga. http://www.groupon.com/r/uu3696926

Eversave: like groupon, just not quite as big. http://eversave.com/share/pLn7

Jasmere: online, not local; one deal a day. Some of these are great. http://www.jasmere.com/r/77778761?l

Living Social: one local deal each day; this is where I get the Smiling Moose deals! https://livingsocial.com/redeem_invite/2025383-hippo_?ref=lnk

Plum District: I just found this one today, but it was a diaper deal so I TOTALLY joined. https://www.plumdistrict.com/?ref=uffa892a6b09

Woot: one deal each day. Check out woot.com, kids.woot.com, wine.woot.com, and shirt.woot.com. These guys give you the added benefit of being hilarious.

MotherofaSale.com: one online deal for moms each day.

And then one final money saver, check out http://tns.tellapal.com/a/clk/gNqDt for 10$ off a $25 purchase at TheNaturalStore.com.

Phew! Happy shopping!

Canning

2010-09-15T17:48:00.000-06:00

This is my new favorite website: Pick Your Own

'nuff said.

Pretzels

2010-09-08T06:29:00.003-06:00

1 C milk

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp cooking oil

3 C bread flour

2 tbsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1-1/4 tsp active dry yeast or bread machine yeast

1 slightly beaten egg white

1 tbsp water

Sesame seeds or coarse salt

Add the 1st 7 ingredients to the machine according to the manufacturer's directions. Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough, punch down, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12" x 8" rectangle. Cut into 16 12" x 1/2" strips. Gently pull the strips into 16" long ropes. Shape each pretzel by crossing one end over the other to form a circle, overlapping about 4" from each end. Take one end of the dough in each hand and twist once at the point where the dough overlaps. Carefully lift each end across to the edge of the circle opposite it. Tuck ends under edges to make a pretzel shape; moisten ends and press to seal. Place on 2 greased large baking sheets.
Bake in a 475º oven for 4 minutes (for crispier pretzels, bake in upper half of over 4-5" from the top). Remove from oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350º. Meanwhile, in a large pot bring 8 cups water and 2 tbsp salt to boiling. Add pretzels, 3 or 4 at a time, and boil gently for 2 minutes, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove pretzels from water and drain on paper towels. Let stand for a few seconds. Place pretzels about 1/2" apart on 2 well greased, large baking sheets.
In a small bowl combine egg white and 1 tbsp water; brush over pretzels. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or coarse salt. Bake in the 350º oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets; cool on wire rack.

Pumpkin Soup with Chili Cran-Apple Relish

2010-09-04T12:40:00.002-06:00

While I am sure that you all think it is abnormal, I don't like pumpkin but this soup is great. I add a little extra hot sauce (I actually use cayenne pepper) to give it a little more flavor.

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped (save time and purchase celery already washed, trimmed and cut into sticks, this makes chopping fast work)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning or 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce, or to taste
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1 (28-ounce) can cooked pumpkin puree
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
•
Relish:
• 1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith, finely chopped
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions
Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 or 7 minutes, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in cream and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

While soup cooks, assemble the relish: combine apple, onion, lemon juice, cranberries, chili powder, honey and cinnamon.

Adjust seasonings in soup and relish and serve soup in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of relish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pumpkin-soup-with-chili-cran-apple-relish-recipe/index.html

Molten Chocolate Cake

2010-09-02T13:34:00.002-06:00

Maybe September's theme should be "saving $$ by making it yourself". The latte was a good start. Another item I hate spending $6 or $7 on is the "Lava" cake at certain restaurants. I always thought it was labor intensive to make, or expensive. Certainly something that looks so fancy can't be EASY. Wrong! Here goes...

1-1/4 C sugar, divided

1 C flour

7 Tbsp cocoa, divided ( I like the special dark)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c milk

1/3 C melted butter

1-1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

1-1/4 C hot water

Preheat oven to 350.

In medium mixing bowl combine 3/4 C sugar, flour, 3 tbsp cocoa, baking powder and salt. Blend in milk, butter and vanilla; beat until smooth. Pour batter into 9x9x2 pan. In small bowl combine remaining 1/2 c sugar, brown sugar, and remaining 4 tbsp cocoa; sprinkle mixture evenly over batter. Pour hot water over top, DO NOT STIR. Bake 40 min, or until center is almost set. Let stand for 15 min before serving.

Goes great with the simple vanilla ice cream recipe!

Curb your Pumpkin Spice Latte fever for less

2010-09-01T09:44:00.000-06:00

I can't keep spending $4 for a coffee. I LOVE Pumpkin Spice Lattes, but I have to find a way to get through this fall without personally keeping my Starbucks in business. So I experimented today. What I found? Yum.

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

16 oz brewed coffee
1 BIG tablespoon of pureed pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Sweetener to taste (I used two packets of pure Stevia)
Milk to taste (I used a tablespoon of powdered milk; I like powdered milk for coffee because you can get fat free powder, but because you mix it directly into your coffee instead of into water, it makes the coffee rich and creamy like you used half and half, but doesn't add the fat or take up the space)

Mix it all up and enjoy. Not only is it totally tasty, it is actually GOOD for you. Coffee has antioxidents, milk has calcium, and pumpkin is a super food. You can't go wrong!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

2010-08-31T20:42:00.002-06:00

I am just putting the 1-1/2 lb recipe. If you want the 2lb measurements, just let me know.

3/4 cup Milk

1 Egg

3 tbsp Margarine or butter

3 cups Bread Flour

3 tbsp Granulated sugar

3/4 tsp Salt

1-1/4 tsp Active Dry Yeast of Bread Machine Yeast

1/3 cup Walnuts or Pecans, toasted

1/3 cup Packed Brown Sugar

1-1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tbsp Butter or Margarine

Sifted Powdered Sugar

1. Add first 7 ingredients to machine according to manufacturer's directions. Select dough cycle. When cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down and let rest for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium bowl stir together the walnuts or pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 14" x 9" rectangle. Spread with 1 tbsp margarine or butter and sprinkle with filling. Starting from both short sides, roll up each side into a spiral toward the center. Place, rolled side up, in a greased 9" x 5" x 3" loaf pan. Cover; let rise about 30 minutes or until nearly double.

4. Bake in a 350º oven about 30 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. If necessary, loosely cover with foil the last 10 minutes to prevent over-browning. Remove from pan; col on wire rack. Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens - The Complete Guide to Bread Machine Baking

This one is seriously good!!

French Bread

2010-08-30T18:24:00.002-06:00

I use the bread maker to start it but do not cook it in the bread maker. I suppose you can but I never like the flavor of bread maker bread.

Ingredient: 1.5 lb 2 lb

Water 1 cup 1-1/3 cups

Bread Flour 3 cups 4 cups

Salt 3/4 tsp 1 tsp

Active Dry Yeast of Bread Machine Yeast

1 tsp 1-1/2 tsp

Yellow Cornmeal

Slightly Beaten Egg White

Water 1 tbsp 1 tbsp

1. Select loaf size. Add first 4 ingredients to bread machine according to manufacturer's directions. Select dough cycle.

2. When cycle is complete, remove dough. Punch down. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide 1-1/2 lb dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 10" x 8" rectangle. (Divide 2 lb dough in half; roll each half into a 15" x 10" rectangle.) Starting from a long side, roll up into a spiral; seal edge. Pinch and pull ends to taper.

3. Place seems down, on a greased baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Combine egg white and 1 tbsp water; brush some over top of loaves. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 35 to 45 minutes or until nearly double. With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4" deep across top of each loaf.

4. Bake in a 375^ oven for 20 minutes. Brush with remaining egg white mixture. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes more or until bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from baking sheet; cool on wire rack.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens - The Complete Guide to Bread Machine Baking

Pure and Simple Vanilla ice cream

2010-08-28T15:58:00.002-06:00

2/3 c sugar

2 lg eggs

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp salt

1-2/3 c milk

1 c heavy cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

In medium mixing bowl, beat sugar into eggs until thickened and pale yellow. Beat in flour and salt, set aside.

Bring milk to a simmer in heavy saucepan. Slowly beat the hot milk into eggs and sugar. Pour entire mixture back into saucepan and place over low heat. Stir constantly until the custard thickens slightly. Be careful not to let it boil! Remove from heat and pour through a strainer into a large clean bowl. Allow custard to cool slightly and stir in cream and vanilla. Allow to cool overnight, or until well chilled.

This is a basic recipe from the Ultimate Ice Cream book. It is lower fat than some I have tried, and equally delicious, if not more so. It has a great texture and flavor. It is also a forgiving recipe. Sometimes I use more milk, or more cream...depends on what I have, and what needs to be finished off. Don't be afraid to make slight adjustments based on what you have on hand! Enjoy!

Seriously Simple Maple Glazed Nuts

2010-08-20T16:14:00.003-06:00

Seriously, you can make this fabulous treat in less than 15 minutes using just 3 ingredients!

2 C Nuts (I've use almonds and pecans, I think walnuts would be great too)

1/2 C Maple Syrup

1/4 C Raw Sugar

Toast nuts at 350 degrees 8-10 min, or until fragrant.

While nuts are toasting, combine syrup and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently. Boil mixture for 2 minutes, the add nuts. Stir to coat, and boil additional 30 seconds. Remove from heat, spread evenly over cookie sheet to cool. At this point you can sprinkle with coarse salt if you are a sweet/salty person like me, or just leave plain. Stir around on cookie sheet to separate, cool, and enjoy!

Tangy Summer Veggie Salad

2010-08-20T12:17:00.002-06:00

1 Pint Grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 cucumber sliced and cut in half moons

1 red bell pepper cut into bite sized pieces

1 cup parsley sprigs

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 clove of garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix it all up in a bowl. Let it sit for a least 5 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Crunchy Herbed Chicken

2010-08-20T12:13:00.002-06:00

4 Slices of toasted bread

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley

2 cloves of garlic

Salt & Pepper

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Dijon mustard

4 - 6oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Heat oven to 400

In a food processor, pulse the bread, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper until course crumbs form. Add oil and transfer to a dish.

Spread mustard over chicken and dip the pieces in the bread crumb mixture.

Place on a baking sheet and bake until golden and cooked through (18-20 min)

Cheap and Easy Stoup

2010-08-19T08:46:00.003-06:00

I got this recipe from my mom, she may have ripped off Rachel Ray, but never-the-less, it's super cheap, incredibly easy and ridiculously delicious! With fall coming right around the corner I already made a big batch and froze it so I can be prepared for cool evenings when I don't feel like cooking.

This stoup would also be good over rice, or topped with cheese, sour cream and a little green onion. However, since Brett and I are counting calories we pass on the extras and enjoy it just the way it is.

Also, the cans in this recipe contain extra unnecessary sodium, so if you are down with dry bean (which I use almost exclusively) then you can adjust the salt to your own taste.

20 oz ground turkey
1 onion- chopped
1 bell pepper- chopped
salt to taste
pepper to taste
cumin to taste
Italian Seasoning to taste

Brown the turkey in a large pot, add onion, bell pepper and seasoning- cook through. You can use a little oil for this process since there isn't much fat in turkey, but I just add a little water to (again) avoid extra calories.

Next add the equivalent of 5 cans of beans. I do: pintos, kidneys and black beans. Through in a can of corn (or fresh/frozen) and let it simmer for 1-2 hours.

So easy and so good!

Prep time- about 10 minutes! Cook time- 1-2 hours.

Tilapia Puttanesca

2010-08-17T11:22:00.000-06:00

"Puttanesca" means "whore". Yep, it really does. There are a lot of theories on how "puttanesca" become a sauce. I like the version that says: this sauce can take anything. :-) By anything, I mean, if it is in the fridge and it sounds good, throw it in. I can't give you ingredients, because that will be up to you and what you keep as your staples. Here is how I do it:

1. Saute some onions and garlic in olive oil.
2. Add tomatoes (fresh or canned, diced)
3. Add flavor: roasted red peppers, sweet peppers, capers, olives, pepperoncini peppers, sun dried tomatoes, anchovies (you can saute these in the olive oil, too, if you like), you get the idea. I like to add some of the brine from the different peppers.
4. Add herbs: basil, oregano, thyme; if it sounds good, it goes. You can change the dish a lot by picking and choosing different combos.
5. Add chopped cauliflower (this is the best part... don't skip it; you can add other veggies too, if you want, but DON'T SKIP the cauliflower). Simmer and let the flavors combine (15-20 minutes).
6. Add tilapia (or any type of fish, although I have found the mildness of the tilapia is fantastic because it absorbs so much flavor. *bonus: tilapia is a sustainable fish*) Simmer 5-10 minutes until tilapia is firm.

Serve over pasta or rice or just with bread or salad. I like to top it with feta cheese, but it is also good with parm or just as is. It is delicious.

Pinkberry

2010-07-28T10:23:00.000-06:00

Ok. I have never actually had a pinkberry, so I have no idea if this ACTUALLY tastes like it. But, this is tremendously fabulous tart and sweet and fruity frozen yogurt!

1. Take as much greek yogurt as you want. Use 0%.
2. Add a couple tablespoons of your favorite jam. Don't use too much. You want this to be tart.
3. Add 1/3-2/3 cup of fresh chopped fruit (depending on how much yogurt you took).
4. Plop it all in your ice cream maker.

YUM!

I used sour cherry jam and chopped sweet cherries. A small serving is incredibly satisfying AND very healthful!

Home-made natural face care

2010-06-28T16:30:00.001-06:00

Who wants to spend $20-30 on facial masks, cleansers, and exfoliators? NOT ME! So, head to your kitchen and whip up some face love!

Blend equal parts yogurt, orange peel and lemon peel; use as a mask to help acne prone skin.

Lightly beat an egg white. Add lemon juice. Use as a mask to tighten pores.

Grind up some blue cornmeal into superfine powder. Add a little to the palm of your hand. Mix with water and use as a scrub or a mask to remove blackheads.

Grind up brown rice into a superfine powder. Add a little to your palm, add water, use as a scrub or a mask to help ease oily skin and detox large pores.

Grind colloidal oatmeal, oat bran, and oat flour (or any mixture of 1 or more of these ingredients) into a powder. Add to your palm, add water, and use as a skin buffing wash or mask.

Grind sea salt and colloidal oatmeal to a fine powder. Add to your palm, add water, and use as a skin detoxifier and hydrating scrub.

Make a tea with chammomile, peppermint, and sage or basil (you can add rose water and honey for hydration) and use as a natural toner.

Got more? Add 'em in the comments section!

Dark and Dense Chocolate Sorbet

2010-06-27T20:18:00.003-06:00

Dark and Dense Chocolate Sorbet

2 c WATER

1 c SUGAR

1 c unsweetened COCOA POWDER

Combine water and sugar in a heavy saucepan over med heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Whisk in cocoa and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and pour through a fine strainer into a bowl. Chill in fridge for a couple of hours (if you can wait that long. Stir before poring into ice cream maker. Follow manufacturers directions.

This is a simple treat that yields outstanding results. The sorbet is somehow dense and almost creamy in texture, yet uses no dairy products!

For simple variations add 1/2 c toasted nuts to mixer during last half of batch freezing, add 1 tsp instant espresso along with cocoa powder, or add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract to cooled mixture before freezing.

Farmer's Market Bruschetta

2010-06-22T11:00:00.000-06:00

It doesn't get any better or more summery than this. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

What you need:
A few heirloom tomatoes (choose several different varieties and colors)
A little olive oil
Some fresh garlic, crushed or sliced, depending on your methods (see below)
Some fresh basil, ribboned
A nice loaf of bread (I like ciabatta, but you choose your favorite), sliced

What you need to do:
1. Either steep the garlic in the oil and brush it on the sliced bread, or, if you worry about food poisoning, just brush the oil on the bread, then cut the garlic cloves in half and rub them on the bread. Toast or grill the bread until crunchy.
2. Chop your tomatoes into small chunks. Mix them with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, pepper, and basil to taste.
3. Cram as many tomatoes on each toast as you can and EAT.

Shrimp Kebabs

2010-06-15T18:18:00.002-06:00

1 c fresh cilantro
1 c fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 c lemon juice
2 T chopped garlic
2 t paprika
1 t kosher salt
1/4 t cayenne
1/2 c olive oil
2 lbs extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Preheat grill or broiler to high

Process cilantro, parsley, lemon juice, garlic, paprika, salt, and cayenne in a blender of food processor. Pulse until chopped, scraping down sides as needed. Drizzle in olive oil while machine is running.

Pour marinade over shrimp; marinate 15 minutes.

Skewer shrimp from the tail-end through to the head end. Grill 2 minutes per side.

The book says to serve with creamed corn but I serve with rice.

This is really good (so much so that we served at our wedding).

From Cuisine at Home (Weeknight Menus).

Sweet potato muffins

2010-06-15T12:32:00.000-06:00

Oh the sweet goodness. I made these for my kids (who otherwise refuse to eat sweet potatoes) and they ate 2-3 each! Needless to say, they were a hit. The kids even continued eating them once they knew the "secret ingredient" and then asked me to make another batch!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup Agave nectar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 t vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1 t freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 t allspice
1/2 t salt
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/2-2/3 cup craisens or raisens (I used craisens)
1/3 cup smashed walnuts or pecans

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tins.
2. Whisk together sugars, oil, vanilla and eggs.
3. Add flours, baking powder, spices and sweet potatoes and blend. Don't over mix. Allow the sweet potatoes to be chunky. Blend in the craisens and nuts.
4. Spoon the batter into tins (it will be kind of thick). Bake for about 20 minutes.
5. Eat. Yum.

*notes: if you don't have or don't like agave nectar, you may use about 1 cup of brown sugar total; honey would also be delicious. You may also omit the wheat germ, but then I would add a bit more flour to compensate. The original recipe that I stole and modified called for 4 cups of shredded sweet potato. I hadn't noticed and I steamed and smashed mine. I think it would be good either way, if you don't feel like going through the trouble of smashing.

Banana Souffle

2010-06-13T18:40:00.001-06:00

Banana Souffle

2 ripe bananas

3 T water

1/3 c plus 1 T sugar

1/2 t cornstarch

pinch of cinnamon

4 egg whites

pinch of salt

Butter and sugar 4 4-ounce ramekins. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the bananas, and puree in a food processor until smooth. In a small saucepan, bring water and the 1/3 cup of sugar to a boil. Simmer 4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Add banana puree, cornstarch, and cinnamon to sugar syrup, and stir until incorporated. Set aside to cool completely. (this is important – if you rush it and the mixture is still hot, it won’t fold into the egg whites correctly.) In a stainless steel bowl, beat egg whites and salt until foamy. Add remaining tablespoon of sugar and beat to soft peaks. Fold cooled banana puree into egg white mixture. Pour into ramekins and place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Place baking sheet in oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until puffed up and browned. Don’t open the oven to peek! Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

borrowed from: http://tastyeatsathome.wordpress.com/2009/11/06/banana-souffle-for-holiday-food-fest/

Sunscreen

2010-06-11T16:37:00.002-06:00

Tis the season, and new reports out say that most of the sunscreens we love to spray and/or slather are not just ineffective, but downright dangerous. If you want to know which ones are better, check out this website: http://www.ewg.org/2010sunscreen/.

On that note, if you want to see how your soaps and make-ups stack up, check out the Skin Deep website at http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/. Or, just order from Stephanie! ;-)

New format

2010-06-11T16:19:00.000-06:00

Per Stephanie's suggestion, we will change the format of the blog. Continue to post your fabulous recipes (or post for the first time, for those of you who still haven't... you know who you are!), but now also post your fabulous food finds and fabulous product finds. Pretty much anything goes, as long as it is fabulous! Find a brand of soap you love? Tell us. Find a cool kitchen tool? Spill it. Find a secret website with the best coupons ever? Tell me quick!

Delicious 100% whole wheat bread

2010-06-11T10:53:00.002-06:00

I'm usually not a fan of the bread recipes that contain 100% whole wheat flour. It's too heavy for me. Finally! I found a slightly sweet, very light and fluffy recipe, that works well at my high altitude (where bread making has proven challenging at times). Hope you like it too!

100% Whole Grain Wheat Bread

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

2 3/4 cups of hot water
1/3 cup of oil, olive is fine
1/4 cup of raw sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon salt, sea salt is good
7 1/2 cups (max) of 100% whole grain wheat flour
2 tablespoons of dry active yeast

Directions:

1. Place the first five ingredients in the bowl and mix.

2. Add: 2 Cups 100% whole grain wheat flour. Mix, then add 2 tablespoons of dry active yeast. If your not sure about your yeast proof it in a little warm water first.

3. Add: 4 cups of 100% whole grain wheat flour.

4. Mix until the consistency is some what even. Then continue to slowly add flour 1/2 cup at a time until the dough quits sticking to the sides of the bowl. It should be tacky to the touch. The trick is to have enough consistency to stand up with the least amount of flour so the bread will be fluffy. In any case do not exceed 7 1/2 cups of wheat flour. You can trade one cup of wheat flour for one cup of all purpose white if you wish. Don't over mix or the bread will be tough.

5. When your dough is finished, Cover the bowl and let it rise for about 30-45 minutes. The dough will be larger but it doesn't need to double when using a heavy mixer.

6. Grease two bread pans with Crisco. You can also flour the pans to reduce sticking.

7. Mix again just enough to knock it down at least close to the original size.

8. Drop the dough on a floured surface so you can work the dough and shape it. Roll it in the flour and shape it in your hands to make a nice ball getting enough flour on it so it isn't sticky.

Divide the ball in half and do it again.

Shape the loaves by turning the dough under it's self over and over. When the dough is shaped right the sides and ends will be sealed and all you will see is a nice oblong shaped loaf with smooth sides and top.

Drop the loaves in your bread pans and let them rise until almost doubled. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 36 minutes. If you forgot to preheat 41 minutes. (gas oven)

9. When done turn the bread out of the pan to a rack to cool. You can eat it right away. Don't wrap it until completely cooled. (Condensation will make it soggy) Put in tinfoil to store on the counter. If you put it in the refrigerator it will turn into a brick. Enjoy.

Notes: If you like fluffy brown bread this it. No white flour here. You can use any 100% whole grain wheat flour. I mill my own. This bread is not heavy like most 100% whole wheat breads. If it is you used too much flour and your dough was too stiff. If it flattens out and won't stand up you need more flour. The total amount of flour is usually about 7 cups. This recipe has been in my family for years and we all make it. We make a lot more now that we have powerful mixers and the hand kneeding is bye bye.

Serves: 12

Preparation time: 3 hours

Banana Wontons

2010-06-08T21:12:00.002-06:00

fried banana wontons
2 bananas
13-14 wonton wrappers
ground cloves

slice your bananas in sections about 1 inch across.

1 c oil (canola, peanut, or any other veggie)

powdered sugar for dusting

On a wide dry surface lay out your wonton wrappers, banana slices, cloves and have a small bowl of water ready.

Place the slice of banana in the center of the wonton wrapper, sprinkle with ground cloves.

fold one corner over to the top of the banana slice, dab the corner with a bit of the water, fold the next corner over and so on until the banana is sealed inside.

repeat until all the banana slices are used. Heat up the oil in a medium to small frying pan over high heat. let it warm up for at least 1-2 minutes before gently dropping in a few of the wontons to cook. Cook until brown and crisp, turning halfway through. Once fully cooked, scoop them out onto a cooling rack or plate covered with a paper towel to soak up some of the oil.

We also added some variations to this recipe from Sweet Beet and Green Bean. We successfully added chocolate chips, coconut, cinnamon and slivered almonds to the bananas. Dusting with powdered sugar was good, but for a more decadent and even healthier alternative, I would drizzle with honey or agave nectar and dust with cinnamon sugar.

More than anything I just loved how quick and easy it was, and not ordinary or predictable like some desserts.

Super easy smoothie!

2010-05-31T14:14:00.002-06:00

I'm a coupon whore...and therefore end up with things in my fridge or pantry that I don't really know what to do with, simply because they were free or nearly so. Because of this, I stumbled upon another accidentally delicious recipe.

Remember when you would go to the mall and get an Orange Julius? I have fond memories of these frozen treats-raw egg and all. I recently re-created my own version of this wonderful beverage-inadvertently due to the nearly free half gallon of vanilla Almond Breeze I obtained last week.

Here goes:

In blender combine the following:

1C Vanilla flavored Almond Milk

1/2 C Orange Juice

1/4 C Pineapple Juice

Ice (amount required for desired thickness) perhaps 1C or more

Blend until smooth, creamy and delicious. Possible subs or additions would be strawberries and/or bananas, but I was happy with this as-is.

Enjoy on a hot day, my kids adored it!

Marshmallow-less S'more

2010-05-31T13:45:00.002-06:00

So.....last night we had our first backyard campfire of the season. At our house this means one thing above all others-S'mores season has officially begun. Inspired by a blog about 100 things to do with a banana, I decided to take the lovely yellow skinned fruit outside to the campfire with me. I broke off a piece, roughly the size of a large marshmallow and proceeded to toast it over the flames, watching it slowly carmelize before my very eyes. Then I placed it atop a graham cracker, warmed at the edge of the fire ring, afloat with a Russel Stover Triple Chocolate Mousse square that was melting ever so slowly around the edges. Ladies and Gentlemen...I present to you a marshmallow-less s'more fit for a king. Try it, it will not disappoint.

Simple Quesadillas

2010-05-24T19:28:00.002-06:00

Sometimes a delicious meal doesn't have to be strictly from scratch, doesn't require a lot of ingredients, and doesn't have to take a long time to prepare. Here is one such meal!

Prep Time: 20 min, start to finish

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

8 oz shredded cheddar or cheddar/jack cheese

1 can Muir Glen Organic diced tomatoes and green chilies

1 can black beans

1 chicken breast, diced

salt

garlic powder

chili powder

4-6 whole wheat tortillas

Preheat skillet with a tbsp of olive oil, and add chicken breast. Season with salt, garlic powder, and chili powder. When it starts to brown add tomatoes, with juice, and reduce to simmer. Once the tomatoes/chicken have thickened add black beans and heat through.

In a separate skillet or griddle heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, add tortilla, and cook for 30 sec in hot oil. Fill half of tortilla with chicken mixture, cover with cheese, and fold over like a quesadilla! Once that side is golden brown flip to brown other side (1-2 min approx). Continue to fill tortillas, will serve 4-6 depending on the size of your tortillas.

Serve cut into pizza shaped wedges with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole for dipping.

A Calling:

2010-05-18T10:05:00.002-06:00

Tracy is due in a month! Woohoo!

She is cooking this month (thank goodness for that nesting impulse... it is useful) in order to be prepared for the long 2 months after baby is born when no one will be willing or able to cook. She needs some recipes that "freeze beautifully." Whatcha got?

Individual Chocolate Souffles

2010-05-17T18:53:00.003-06:00

2.5 oz caster sugar
1 oz plus 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
3 fl oz cold water
6 egg whites
powdered sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 375
Lightly butter 6 individual souffle dishes or ramekins
Mix together 1 Tbs of the cocoa powder and 1 Tbs of the sugar
Sprinkle mixture over the bottom and sides of the dishes and shake out any excess

2. In a saucepan, combine the remaining cocoa powder and the cold water
Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly
Pour into mixing bowl

3. With and electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form
Add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are stiff

4. Add 1/4 of the egg white to the chocolate mixture and stir well to combine
Add the remaining egg white and fold gently but thoroughly, until no streaks of whites are visible

5. Divide the chocolate mixture between the prepared dishes, filing them to the top
Smooth the surface with a metal spatula
Run your thumb around the rim of each dish so the mixture will not stick when rising

6. Bake until well risen and set, 14 - 16 minutes
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately

Note: I would recommend using a chocolate syrup or ice cream to sweeten up as they are not sweet. You must eat immediately or they will fall, they cannot be saved for later. :(

24 weeks

2010-05-17T14:25:00.003-06:00

It is 24 weeks until my birthday. I am announcing my goal to the world: I am going to lose 1 pound for each year of my life before that day. Gosh I wish I was turning 25.

Anyone else want in? Post your tastiest healthy recipes...

Pistou

2010-05-17T14:24:00.002-06:00

I got this recipe from my mother in law. It is delicious. I will give it to you as is. I ended up adding celery to the base, subbing zucchini for the green beans (you could use just about any veggies in this) and roasting a chicken to go with/in it.

Pistou

1 cup diced onion
1 leek, white part only sliced
2 Tlb butter
1 cup green beans, cut into 1/2 inch pcs
1 cup diced potatoes
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped and drained
6 cups beef bouillon
1/2 cup spaghetti, broken into 1 inch pcs
2 tsp salt (I cut down by >1/2 as bouillon plenty salty)
1 tsp pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp crushed basil
1/2 tsp crushed thyme
1/4 tsp ground sage
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tlb tomato paste
2 Tlb freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large pot or dutch oven with cover, saute the onions and leek in butter until soft. Add green beans, potatoes, tomatoes and beef bouillon. Cover and simmer gently for 30 min. Add salt, pepper and spaghetti and cook 15 min longer. In a bowl, mash the garlic with the basil, thyme, and sage. Add egg yolk and gradually stir in the oil and tomato paste. Add a little soup to this mixture and stir back into the soup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Better than Granola Bars

2010-04-28T15:39:00.002-06:00

I like to make and keep granola in the house most of the time, but it never seems to last long enough. It's so darned good that it's too easy to graze until it's gone which completely defeats the purpose of snacking on IT instead of, say, a Little Debbie. So today I decided to turn my granola into granola bars.

Preheat oven to 250

1st Step Ingredients:

3-4 c Oats
1/4 c oil
1/4 c honey
1/4 c brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c chopped almonds (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl ensuring every oat is coated. Once combined, lay out on a non-stick or greased cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, stir, and repeat. Oats should cook a total of 60 minutes but must be stirred every 20 minutes to prevent burning.

Remove from oven and add the following ingredients:

1/2 c raisins
1/2 c cranberries
1/2 c chocolate chips

Stir until all ingredients are combined. Chocolate will melt. Return all ingredient to the cookie sheet (covered in parchment or wax paper) press flat and let cool for 20 minutes. Then cut into preferred portion sizes and refrigerate to set.

Store bars in fridge and quickly eat the left over crumbs that didn't adhere to the bars!

So easy, REALLY, and YU-Uh-mee!

Broccoli Rabe

2010-04-23T12:48:00.000-06:00

Broccoli Rabe (or rapini, however you want to try to pass it off as food) is NOT fabulous. Avoid it at all costs. No number of recipes or comments will ever convince me otherwise. Just an FYI.