tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14616317211768165172024-03-05T18:44:14.909-08:00Sweet FloursAllisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-86749818505991754452012-07-16T09:02:00.001-07:002012-07-16T09:02:00.393-07:00mini magic shell ice cream cones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-wJpPSetAYMYMnyccqb5_3peUGPk6TuXrdPboMKaT8Pr5O8JTXaxekv1CqSJ8HV87xfTAAJsGmGxknP8uYsIZzvdfUKLWRNLGCJ5tuw4KgGNcXj_MB8BhdsZBh4EgYurL_WUt3BLnk-y/s1600/DSC_2189_1224_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0-wJpPSetAYMYMnyccqb5_3peUGPk6TuXrdPboMKaT8Pr5O8JTXaxekv1CqSJ8HV87xfTAAJsGmGxknP8uYsIZzvdfUKLWRNLGCJ5tuw4KgGNcXj_MB8BhdsZBh4EgYurL_WUt3BLnk-y/s400/DSC_2189_1224_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have taken a break from blogging to spend the summer with my family. It has been great enjoying the sun and surf in Newport Beach. I have still been in the kitchen but, it is nice to cook and bake without the worry of photographing and writing. I have been pondering if blogging is something I really have the time and desire to continue. As much as I want to throw in the towel I have used my blog so much this summer looking up past dishes and baked goods. The reason I started this blog was to capture recipes our family enjoyed and those I wanted to make again. Along the journey I lost myself down some trail of sugar, butter and chocolate. I stopped making what we loved and started pumping my family with an excessive amount of treats. I have regained balance and inspiration in the kitchen. There is no better time then </span><a href="http://secretrecipeclub.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Secret Recipe Club</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> time to dive back in. This month I was assigned </span><a href="http://growingupgabel.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Growing Up Gabel</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. The author Camille (I love that name!) is a mother extraordinaire. She manages time to blog, craft, home school, and raise a family. I had so much fun reading each section of her blog. This summer I have been focusing on the family so, when I saw Camille's recipe for homemade magic shell I knew this was a kitchen adventure I could include the kids in. I can not believe how easy and fun this was. The kids had so much fun dipping, covering the cones in sprinkles and eating them. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud19dMZ6e7Z1LxOc-3xAtFhzdh-FG3i9JwKXiMRum1EOvV3bEn_buJEbL-ocUYuBBohN0Plh7CqzgU4eItOyMWF73OiXLlfuHrdf2X_jELcA_01MHpi53l4Y_ei4ks8hLyIlLdna9ZVxP/s1600/DSC_2193_1227_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img $ca="true" border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjud19dMZ6e7Z1LxOc-3xAtFhzdh-FG3i9JwKXiMRum1EOvV3bEn_buJEbL-ocUYuBBohN0Plh7CqzgU4eItOyMWF73OiXLlfuHrdf2X_jELcA_01MHpi53l4Y_ei4ks8hLyIlLdna9ZVxP/s320/DSC_2193_1227_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>mini magic shell ice cream cones</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: </span><a href="http://grwingupgabel.com/2012/06/homemade-magic-shell/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">growing up gabel</span></a><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">ingredients</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/4 cups chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup coconut</span> oil<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 pint of homemade vanilla ice cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">mini cones</span><br />
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Prepare ice cream. Fill mini cones to top edge of cone with ice cream. Pack ice cream in cone and return to freezer for 30 minutes. Place one scoop of ice cream on top of each cone and return to freezer for 30 minutes. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While mini cones are getting firm in the freezer prepare the magic shell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Combine chips and oil in a small pot. Melt over low heat. Allow to cool to room temperature before using on ice cream (or it will melt the ice cream).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Remove mini cones from freezer and dip into the magic shell. Quickly cover in sprinkles and return to the freezer until ready to enjoy cones.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Store leftovers in a jar. You may need to re-heat it if your kitchen is below 76 degrees.</span><br />
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</script>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-79128052233549320452012-06-11T09:00:00.002-07:002012-06-11T09:00:05.252-07:00blueberry oat bran mini muffins<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSjPkSjFaNwvW1BISAGB7hyphenhyphen8HGuG8CNKVmuYWj_XbQ0ZeZ-aL273NERM7u21gVM7xEPQzletAO-L9YKA2ZYtByiCZjxxys9kLugwyI7P1qU5R6KGG7n41IDGeqcbpCsKiw4RxyVT52y6f/s1600/DSC_1992_996_edited-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJSjPkSjFaNwvW1BISAGB7hyphenhyphen8HGuG8CNKVmuYWj_XbQ0ZeZ-aL273NERM7u21gVM7xEPQzletAO-L9YKA2ZYtByiCZjxxys9kLugwyI7P1qU5R6KGG7n41IDGeqcbpCsKiw4RxyVT52y6f/s400/DSC_1992_996_edited-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It appears that the only thing that motivates me to post these days is the </span><a href="http://secretrecipeclub.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Secret Recipe Club</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. It would seem like I don't bake anymore but, if you saw me in person you would know I do. I can't seem to find the motivation to photograph and write. This month I was assigned </span><a href="http://samayalarai-cookingisdivine.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">samayalarai-cooking is divine</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. The author Jayasree does not have a bio but, from what I can tell she is a mother of three that cooks some seriously delicious looking Indian food. In addition to Indian food she features many eggless recipes. I absolutely love Indian food and would have attempted one of the easier dishes but, I did not have access to many of the ingredients. I opted for her eggless blueberry muffins. I only modified the recipe where I could not match the ingredients. Jayasree listed wholemeal flour which when I googled it appears to be the US equivalent of whole wheat flour. Instead of wheat bran I used oat bran. I was concerned that these would be dry but, when I tasted the batter I knew I was in for a treat. The batter was sturdy but, sweet. As soon as these came out of the oven my two year old wanted to taste one. After they cooled she ate 5 mini muffins without batting an eye. She doesn't even like blueberries. If that is not an endorsement I don't know what is. These muffins are not only healthy but, they are extremely tasty. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>blueberry oat bran mini muffins</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: </span><a href="http://samayalarai-cookingisdivine.blogspot.com/2012/04/blu-berry-wheat-bran-eggless-muffins.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">samayalarai-cookingisdivine</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tablespoon flax meal plus 3 tablespoons water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour<br />
1 1/4 cup oat bran </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon nutmeg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 bananas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 tablespoons oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup fresh blueberries</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Soak flax meal in the 3 tablespoons of very warm water. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat the oven to 350.<br />
Line mini muffin pan with paper liners</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Mix the flour, oat bran, baking soda,baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar in a large bowl. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a new bowl mash the bananas with the flax seed powder. Add the milk, oil and honey. Blend with mixer until well combined. Add in the vanilla. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Make a well in the middle on the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Mix until everything is completely incorporated. Fold in the blueberries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fill your Muffin tins with the batter and bake it for 20 minutes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Remove from oven and allow to cool on a rack.</span><br />
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</script>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-47133650792099013812012-05-14T08:59:00.004-07:002012-05-14T08:59:00.541-07:00chai banana carrot breakfast cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaWcOQ33F76-HfBb73SNIvAmK9uSxx3pCTPHRihwIcFAUYTanlV8y0xbQqeCICshd9R6hwk86ggnoprxnW31W-Pu0qjlzixFmRAlfP-rpaFSK-vDCzBi_R7fIHrTgom1IYcMOipv1bEJ3/s1600/DSC_1920_991_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXaWcOQ33F76-HfBb73SNIvAmK9uSxx3pCTPHRihwIcFAUYTanlV8y0xbQqeCICshd9R6hwk86ggnoprxnW31W-Pu0qjlzixFmRAlfP-rpaFSK-vDCzBi_R7fIHrTgom1IYcMOipv1bEJ3/s400/DSC_1920_991_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is </span><a href="http://secretrecipeclub.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Secret Recipe Club</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> time again. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This month I was assigned <a href="http://www.glutenfreewithjudee.blogspot.com/">gluten free a-z</a>. The author Judee is a gluten free, vegetarian who enjoys eating clean and living a healthy lifestyle. Did someone read my mind? This is exactly what I need to be eating right now. I have so many friends and kids of friends who have adapted a gluten free diet. Those who have adapted to this lifestyle rave about the benefits. My five year old even comes home from school saying our snack today was gluten free. The gluten free life style appears to stay. I love learning and exploring new ways to eat that can result in health benefits. Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day so, when I saw Judee's recipe for gluten free, vegan breakfast cookies I knew this was what I had to try. I actually tried to different flavors. My CSA box arrived with strawberries and carrots so, I mixed up up a strawberry banana version and a chai banana carrot. The strawberry banana version were sugar free and they are good but, I added some more spice and gluten free yogurt chips to the second batch. The little sweet chips and spice were just perfect for these. The great thing about Judee's recipe is that it is super adaptable to whatever flavor combination strikes your fancy. I substituted some quinoa flakes for some of the oats. I added in chia seeds for crunch. I think some dried fruit would also be delicious. Get creative and enjoy! I love having one with a cup of tea in the afternoon or in the morning with a cup of greek yogurt. Thanks Judee. </span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: cyan;">chai banana carrot breakfast cookies</span></span></span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: </span><a href="http://glutenfreewithjudee.blogspot.com/2011/06/gluten-free-chocolate-chip-oatmeal.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">gluten free a-z</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Servings: 22 * Size: 1 cookie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Calories: 95 (based on chai banana carrot cookie) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">* Fat: 5.5 g * Carb: 10.5 g * Fiber: 1.8 g * Protein: 2.1 g * Sugar: 2.6 g * Sodium 86.1 mg</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 bananas; mashed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 carrots; shredded</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup coconut oil; melted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cup gluten free oats</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup quinoa flakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tablespoon chia seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2/3 cup almond meal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/3 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon cardamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 ounces gluten free yogurt chips</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 350.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a large bowl combine the bananas, carrots, vanilla and coconut oil. Set aside. In another bowl whisk together the oats, quinoa flakes, chia seeds, almond meal, shredded coconut, cardamon, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in the yogurt chips. Let the dough sit in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes. The dough will firm up and the oats will soften. Scoop dough onto a baking sheet lined with silpat. Bake for approximately 12 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Here is a picture of the yummy strawberry banana version!</span><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-65764737813198779462012-04-30T07:37:00.000-07:002012-05-01T13:14:30.366-07:00quinoa pudding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am still deep in this funk. I need a plan. Plans work for me. Step one in this plan is to get sleep. I have determined that I am just not my best self without sleep. No sleep leads to grumpy mommy and bad food choices. I spent a few hours in the kitchen today prepping snacks and meals so, I don't have an excuse to make a bad choice if I have a sleepless night. Hunger pains hit around 3:00 for me. I am loosely following an exercise and diet plan. This plan encourages a high protein snack under 200 calories which includes a superfood (quinoa). I like the tart and tangy combination of the ricotta and the yogurt but, if you like a sweeter base you could add a drizzle of honey or maple syrup. The quinoa adds a nice crunch and the fresh fruit provides a sweetness to balance the tart and tangy. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>quinoa pudding</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">adapted: vegetarian times</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Servings: 4 * Size: 1 8 ounce mason jar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Calories: 123 (without fruit topping) </span><br />
* Fat: 2.5 g * Carb: 13.5 g * Fiber: 2 g * Protein: 13 g * Sugar: 6.2 g * Sodium 87.5 mg<br />
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1 cup cooked quinoa (1/4 cup red quinoa uncooked)<br />
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese<br />
1 cup non-fat greek yogurt<br />
1 mango diced<br />
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Combine ricotta and greek yogurt. Whisk to combine. Fold in cooked quinoa. Divide pudding between four 8 ounce mason jars. Top each jar with diced fruit. Refrigerate. Enjoy!Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-8114823767102747062012-04-16T08:59:00.002-07:002012-04-16T08:59:00.580-07:00sausage white bean and kale soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI9a4AXSstNw1_C5IH3HA4JFY34D7h1BQ4ACyozJ5m8lzRDivL0pD6cFRxX5xuTu00CZDVHyh0h1zwbx1VhdfyhGaS7CA9AoOzhcJVq38y6zVqjZuOt5nNVNzpYfBfkLUa6uezLyLPkGj/s1600/DSC_1706_978_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaI9a4AXSstNw1_C5IH3HA4JFY34D7h1BQ4ACyozJ5m8lzRDivL0pD6cFRxX5xuTu00CZDVHyh0h1zwbx1VhdfyhGaS7CA9AoOzhcJVq38y6zVqjZuOt5nNVNzpYfBfkLUa6uezLyLPkGj/s400/DSC_1706_978_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is </span><a href="http://secretrecipeclub.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Secret Recipe Club</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> time again. Last month I started my Secret Recipe Club post with this proclamation .... I have been in a health funk lately. Well it has been a month and my health funk has just snowballed into a general funk. Funk is not good. Funk stinks. Between me being sick, my kids being sick, my husband traveling, minor home remodeling projects I feel overwhelmed, frazzled and funky. Do you ever look around at school drop off and think how does everyone have it all together? I know comparing isn't good but, I just want their secret. How do they do it? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This month I was assigned </span><a href="http://laphemmephoodie.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">la phemme phoodie</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. The author is a lawyer by day and a foodie by night. She has a passion for food but, has some dietary restrictions which has allowed her to experiment with wheat and egg free recipes. There were several gluten free recipes on her site that I boo marked but, with my perpetual cold and fresh CSA box at my door I opted for her </span><a href="http://laphemmephoodie.com/2011/01/soup.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">sausage bean and spinach soup</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. I had to swap some of the ingredients based on what was in my box but, she suggested many of the swaps in her write up. This soup is fresh and flavorful yet, extremely comforting with the spicy sausage and creamy beans. A hot bowl of this on a rainy spring night is just what the doctor ordered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My palate and mind has been a bit lost on sugar lane lately. I feel as if I have lost my way. As tempting and beautiful as all of those sugar masterpieces look I am going to work on refocusing my blog on what I love. The food I love to eat and the food my body needs. I need to get out of this funk. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: large;">sausage bean and kale soup</span></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">adapted:<a href="http://www.laphemmephoodie.com/"> la phemme phoodie</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 cups chicken broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cups water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 14.5 oz can italian diced tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 lb italian chicken sausages, casings removed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 leek, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">4 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6 ounces fresh kale, rib removes and chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 cloves garlic, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 lb italian chicken sausages, casings removed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 14.5 oz can italian diced tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">salt and pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">grated parmesan for serving (optional)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Heat the chicken stock, water and diced tomatoes in a dutch oven over medium heat. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a separate pan cook sausage over medium heat until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Do not rinse the pan. Reduce heat to low. Add the leek and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another minute. Add the leeks, sausage and beans to dutch oven. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the kale. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Top with grated parmesan.</span><br />
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<!-- end InLinkz script -->Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-48599587252923128412012-03-25T19:33:00.004-07:002012-03-25T19:52:52.120-07:00honey peanut butter cups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6b5Uarltdk5mblrN_lyWcq5qMv_YpyvGJyhFRkRpS6m0OF9Xho1xsYJPE_YzsDLwLULSNNO0NehiAKrnPl9_3856IBb0CyG8ROgmVp427YHaaIhKy-ZGKkVNObbxrllTu_mpmB5-TvX5/s1600/DSC_1494_963_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img aea="true" border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6b5Uarltdk5mblrN_lyWcq5qMv_YpyvGJyhFRkRpS6m0OF9Xho1xsYJPE_YzsDLwLULSNNO0NehiAKrnPl9_3856IBb0CyG8ROgmVp427YHaaIhKy-ZGKkVNObbxrllTu_mpmB5-TvX5/s400/DSC_1494_963_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My life these days revolves around my kids meals and the potty. I am either in the kitchen preparing meals which is typically peanut butter toast for breakfast and a tortilla with peanut butter and honey for lunch. My kids love peanut butter. They are my kids after all. If I am not in the kitchen then I am in the bathroom with my daughter who is potty training. Don't worry I am a seriously committed hand washer. After a successful potty trip a prompt request for chocolate follows. She loves a tiny piece of milk chocolate. It just made sense to me to combine the kitchen peanut butter and honey with the bathroom chocolate. When I presented them each with a honey peanut butter cup for dessert I became a super mom. The husband was also super happy. He was so happy that I had to hide 12 of them in the freezer. I had plans for those remaining 12. Stay tuned.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>honey peanut butter cups</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">adapted: everyday with rachel ray</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">12 ounces milk chocolate, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 cup peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup honey</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fill a mini muffin tin with 24 wrappers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Reserve the pot of hot water to keep the chocolate liquid, as necessary. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Place about 1 teaspoons of the melted chocolate in a baking cup, swirling to coat about halfway up the side of the cup. Repeat with the remaining cups. Refrigerate until set. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the peanut butter and honey. Transfer the mixture to a resealable plastic bag and snip off one corner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fill the chocolate cups about three-quarters full with the peanut butter mixture, smoothing the surface. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Top each peanut butter cup with melted chocolate to enclose, smoothing the surface. Refrigerate until hardened. </span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-12794081120983981902012-03-12T09:00:00.002-07:002012-03-12T09:00:08.183-07:00breakfast quinoa with a caramelized banana and carrot topping<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu4XJLYf0EciOmRA5HFJ-XlOq0y7ncLFjg-fdOQulfSzklPIG2PW3gijVm422eAm8w1eqm7zFNO5GyqmFNOILY23dnqm6CJ2HYK4ZNXuioyv25WIQqJbHlX0B4dp9xksbvRy0x8NS0JFZ/s1600/DSC_1628_968_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcu4XJLYf0EciOmRA5HFJ-XlOq0y7ncLFjg-fdOQulfSzklPIG2PW3gijVm422eAm8w1eqm7zFNO5GyqmFNOILY23dnqm6CJ2HYK4ZNXuioyv25WIQqJbHlX0B4dp9xksbvRy0x8NS0JFZ/s400/DSC_1628_968_edited-1.JPG" width="400" yda="true" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">It is </span><a href="http://secretrecipeclub.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Secret Recipe Club</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> time again. I have been in a health funk lately. When I was assigned the blog <a href="http://www.healthywithheather.com/">get healthy with Heather</a> it was the perfect kick I needed to get my mind reset on the concept that health is a lifestyle. I am fairly committed to a healthy lifestyle but, it is always inspiring for me to read exercise tips and recipes from another health conscience individual. Heather's blog is filled with recipes, fitness and pregnancy information. Reading her blog made me feel as if I met my perfect breakfast companion. I think Heather enjoys oatmeal as much as I do. We both have oatmeal recipes that include ingredients such as carrots, zucchini, bananas, eggs and chia seeds. I eat overnight oats almost every morning. I never get sick of oatmeal. Breakfast quinoa has been on my radar for awhile but, I never wanted to make it because that would mean no morning oatmeal. Heather's recipe gave me the perfect opportunity to put the oats on the back burner and give quinoa in the morning a try. One word ... bananas! I loved it. I have had it both hot and cold. I have had it several days in a row. The slight crunch is a nice change from the soft oats. It is so easy to prep and it is packed with protein. Take Heather's advice and start your morning off with this nutritious and delicious bowl of quinoa with endless possibilities of variations. My favorite bowl was topped with caramelized bananas, carrots and walnuts. Just bananas!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><strong>breakfast quinoa with caramelized bananas and carrots</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">source: </span><a href="http://www.healthywithheather.com/2010/08/fluffy-chia-and-hemp-seed-breakfast-quinoa/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">get healthy with Heather</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup quinoa, rinsed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 cinnamon stick, broken in half</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cups unsweetened almond milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tablespoons chia seeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tablespoon of butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 banana, sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 carrot, julienned</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tablespoon agave</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The night before bring the quinoa, water and cinnamon stick to a boil in a small pot on the stove top. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed. Remove the cinnamon stick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Separate into 4 bowl, cool to room temperature, cover and place in the fridge for the night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Remove a bowl from the refrigerator and add a 1/2 cup if almond milk and 1/2 a tablespoon of chia seeds per bowl. Give a good stir and let </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">for 5-10 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While quinoa is sitting. Warm up a small skillet over medium heat. Melt butter. Toss the banana, carrot, walnuts with agave and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the mixture to the skillet with the melted butter. Allow the mixture to caramelize by cooking for approximately 5 minutes stirring frequently. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Warm bowl of quinoa in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Top with a quarter of the caramelized topping. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*The quinoa is also great served cold with fresh berries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Something strange happened tonight. The family sat down at the dinner table together and we all ate the same meal. This was a dream come true moment for me. There were no substitutes, no modifications, and no deconstructed versions. Best of all no gripes, complaints or food struggles. Meatballs are a new food for my kids. Meatballs in my mind are a gateway food. Once we tackle meatballs the door to meatloaf and hamburgers open up. We need to continue to love the meatball. These meatballs are super simple and even though pesto is in the name of the recipe the pesto flavor is very mild. The pesto adds nice flavor and a softness to the texture of the meatball. The first night we had the meatballs over pasta and the second night we made meatball slides. A simple healthy meal made in the slow cooker that the whole family will eat is a definite repeater.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>slow cooker easy pesto meatballs</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">source: slow cooker revolution</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 pound ground turkey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2/3 cup plain bread crumbs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2/3 cup fresh pesto</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup grated Parmesan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 egg yolk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 (24oz) tomato sauce (Bertolli tomato and basil)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">salt and pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Mix turkey through egg yolk in a large bowl using your hands. Using a cookie scoop pinch off and roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls. Microwave meatballs on a large plate for 5 minutes until firm and fat is rendered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Add tomato sauce and water into slow cooker and mix. Drain the rendered fat and nestle the meatballs into the sauce in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours. Season with salt and pepper and serve.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-49659434446960661942012-03-05T14:04:00.000-08:002012-03-05T14:04:50.920-08:00chocolate chip coffee muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuq4ySe_dMD2UeWPT7Wb7nwqcaiU10BOYYS4P2vLGBkaXgufDLiTdgqoO2ZfAg6ARIfan_NPmcP0UJg7JcpsYieNU8v-yVgWcmhRl_8n4M4vmPzksztsjnYF5tOT-XihaKPuvlzxrqV0V/s1600/DSC_1565_956_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuq4ySe_dMD2UeWPT7Wb7nwqcaiU10BOYYS4P2vLGBkaXgufDLiTdgqoO2ZfAg6ARIfan_NPmcP0UJg7JcpsYieNU8v-yVgWcmhRl_8n4M4vmPzksztsjnYF5tOT-XihaKPuvlzxrqV0V/s400/DSC_1565_956_edited-1.JPG" uda="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Am I the only person that goes to bed thinking about coffee? I absolutely love my morning cup of coffee. I know I like the caffeine but, I think I just love the morning ritual. Enjoying my steaming cup of coffee on the couch in the morning waiting for my sleepy eyed kids to roll out of their rooms. A snuggle with their warm little bodies and a glimpse of their crazy bedhead gets my morning started. After the kids wiggle free from my arms they always exclaim "mommy's coffee is yucky!" I totally disagree with this statement. I remember thinking coffee was gross until my freshman year of college when a heavy of the chocolate light on coffee mocha started to appeal to me. Up until then I never had coffee but, I loved coffee ice cream. With this nugget of information I decided to make these chocolate chip coffee muffins. Making bigger batches of food these days are helping out tremendously as the kids schedules begin to fill up. Both kids loved these moist muffins. The coffee flavor is present but, not over powering. will be making these again because there is nothing wrong with a cup of coffee and a chocolate chip coffee muffin.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0_Taw9Y9OH3-co6wQy-rMKMeZbBqSrrAJ3Z0M19EmNIRtVszXYXr1GRowtToyrQok58K8ckekIkGBI5QbpJjG9iLTv9VPMCy7s89ALdwLDdeHlAwbxKG2_Kq16TkryCgvbBDhZX-QkdB/s1600/DSC_1566_957_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK0_Taw9Y9OH3-co6wQy-rMKMeZbBqSrrAJ3Z0M19EmNIRtVszXYXr1GRowtToyrQok58K8ckekIkGBI5QbpJjG9iLTv9VPMCy7s89ALdwLDdeHlAwbxKG2_Kq16TkryCgvbBDhZX-QkdB/s320/DSC_1566_957_edited-1.JPG" uda="true" width="276" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>chocolate chip coffee muffins</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">source: cooking light</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2/3 cup whole milk </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5 tablespoons butter, melted </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 tablespoons instant decaf coffee granules </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 large egg, lightly beaten </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2/3 cup sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoons baking powder </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 teaspoon salt </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 400°.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Combine first 5 ingredients.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups lined with wrappers. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until done. Remove muffins from pan immediately; place on a wire rack.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-24813790119872480052012-02-27T21:16:00.000-08:002012-02-27T21:16:44.547-08:00mint chocolate chex treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5z333iyTAVQZZNInmdS8NM_iRrFkIXF0pqRbJL1eyywBrFbLg72N1K8Y-lxKQMiRJEtDimw_Q3_27qO7SH8qL1noHxNHx_0iiDEW8qv4su7rqTzN-A5gvdUAK0HfjaZMnK0A_VqgXh2Xw/s1600/DSC_1435_953_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5z333iyTAVQZZNInmdS8NM_iRrFkIXF0pqRbJL1eyywBrFbLg72N1K8Y-lxKQMiRJEtDimw_Q3_27qO7SH8qL1noHxNHx_0iiDEW8qv4su7rqTzN-A5gvdUAK0HfjaZMnK0A_VqgXh2Xw/s400/DSC_1435_953_edited-1.JPG" uda="true" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I am a nut about a lot of random things. In my kitchen I am neurotic about not wasting food and keeping a clean refrigerator and pantry. I do not like half eaten packages of food to sit around and rot. During a bit of spring cleaning in the kitchen I discovered a bunch of partially used holiday baking products. The chocolate mint combination will not translate in the spring so, I threw chocolate chex cereal, chocolate mint marshmallows and mint truffle kisses together. I was really skeptical of the results when I started t<span style="background-color: white;">o melt the mint marshmallows and the </span>mixture had a grey tone. Grey food is really unappetizing. Once the marshmallows were mixed with the cereal and kisses the grey tone was replaced and things were looking up. We were on our way to Mammoth for the week and because I was put off by the grey tone I almost left these treats at home. Bringing them was a smart decision because they were gobbled up by the adults. The kids thought the mint flavor was too prominent. My type A behavior paid off. Tasty, simple no bake treats and a cleaner pantry which is a win all around.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeU0SbNONz3YTkDM1xQmpJsVRTnyw72ou9Kd8ENj8Se1i9U9bO7J9xI0gjY6hSO9oZhdVStrDcrDdkefBGXDbzvET-IqssPjMf4xCyiixglMwm21-vbiZwOBFC9Fcdys28Y0OSskNsmbY/s1600/DSC_1438_954_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeU0SbNONz3YTkDM1xQmpJsVRTnyw72ou9Kd8ENj8Se1i9U9bO7J9xI0gjY6hSO9oZhdVStrDcrDdkefBGXDbzvET-IqssPjMf4xCyiixglMwm21-vbiZwOBFC9Fcdys28Y0OSskNsmbY/s320/DSC_1438_954_edited-1.JPG" uda="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>mint chocolate chex treats</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">source: sweetflours</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">3 tablespoons unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">10.5 ounce bag chocolate mint jet puffed marshmallows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 cups chocolate chex cereal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cups cocoa krispies</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 cups mint truffle Hershey kisses; chopped</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add mint marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add chex cereal. Stir until well coated. Add chopped mint truffle Hershey kisses and stir until pieces are incorporated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Using a buttered spatula press mixture evenly into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cut into 2-inch squares when cool.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-62602346954582852182012-02-20T20:49:00.000-08:002012-02-20T20:49:00.950-08:00kid's candy cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYq8wFXR-cDgBGulL_6EUIw-8MFa1Zvqm8f8U8007mjAvRcamnDwMsMGnuL8xtIHxmxm_-e75Kd8ZxMowMyyahXNptCLAnl5Pg9-4-luMFpQPUFV1mFzzFulDxN0qA3aMdqqJEfc32dAz/s1600/DSC_1427_951_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixYq8wFXR-cDgBGulL_6EUIw-8MFa1Zvqm8f8U8007mjAvRcamnDwMsMGnuL8xtIHxmxm_-e75Kd8ZxMowMyyahXNptCLAnl5Pg9-4-luMFpQPUFV1mFzzFulDxN0qA3aMdqqJEfc32dAz/s400/DSC_1427_951_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I realized something last week. It kinda broke my heart. I became aware during the lead up to Valentine's Day that some day my sweet boy is not always going to want me as his Valentine. During pick up I noticed that the door was decorated with hearts. Each kid had to explain what love was. Carter nailed it with "love is hugs from my mom". I mean come on he stole my heart. Then I started to glance through the other responses and there it was. A heart with "love is CARTER". A girl with a crush on Carter. what ?!? A very cute, sweet little girl. Of course the minute we got in the car I started in with 20 questions. I got nowhere. He got embarrassed and flustered and just did not want to discuss said crush. My spot in the world felt jeopardized. So I did what any good mom would do and came home and baked up some cookies with all sorts of his favorite candies to solidify my place in his heart for a little longer. We snuggled in our breakfast nook snacking on cookies and milk and the whole world felt right again. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC05CZFS96VkMPSMnRKkHf1RmeC0Hiy-6G4dV_IIfHUxqj957hDCKzw5h2OlPW6mGUuc-xkG-R51wZx8y3PUJSeUw5S7CK9FSzHkjVZ06iBPqjkbt9BF6Cdope4ayVtiUTUucYe0ADKWeF/s1600/DSC_1436_952_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC05CZFS96VkMPSMnRKkHf1RmeC0Hiy-6G4dV_IIfHUxqj957hDCKzw5h2OlPW6mGUuc-xkG-R51wZx8y3PUJSeUw5S7CK9FSzHkjVZ06iBPqjkbt9BF6Cdope4ayVtiUTUucYe0ADKWeF/s320/DSC_1436_952_edited-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<strong><span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">kid's candy cookies</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: food network magazine</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">ingredients</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup packed light brown sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup granulated sugar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon salt </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tablespoon vanilla extract </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup pretzel m&m's </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks or chips ~3 ounces</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup toffee pieces </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 cup peanut butter chips</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">directions</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with silpat sheets or parchment. Whisk the flour and baking soda in a bowl. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on low speed until incorporated, then increase to high speed and beat until light and fluffy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add the salt, vanilla, whole egg and egg yolk to the mixer; beat until thoroughly combined. Add the m&m's and beat for a few seconds until slightly crushed. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Mix in the chocolate, toffee pieces and peanut butter chips. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten each ball. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bake the cookies until the edges are golden brown and the centers are no longer wet, 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-13878886004507814622012-02-13T09:00:00.000-08:002012-02-13T10:10:38.063-08:00buttermilk pancakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCZITwIbECkQizMNT5YdzAQqKn4NHYM7PN_o7o-PI8tGekcfvgIsedyKPFpMRWUIK_-xC_Ur-GbhvIG21p5JaZhCWLBrvmCDTpGdICJZEGnx8lS4_WnqogiHRBDqrRc_JheCNI2583zRw/s1600/DSC_1397_945_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCZITwIbECkQizMNT5YdzAQqKn4NHYM7PN_o7o-PI8tGekcfvgIsedyKPFpMRWUIK_-xC_Ur-GbhvIG21p5JaZhCWLBrvmCDTpGdICJZEGnx8lS4_WnqogiHRBDqrRc_JheCNI2583zRw/s400/DSC_1397_945_edited-1.JPG" width="381" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The </span><a href="http://secretrecipeclub.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Secret Recipe Club</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> is back for the first cycle of 2012. I was assigned the blog </span><a href="http://eggscreamandhoney.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">eggs milk and honey</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. The blog is written by Heather an American mother of four living in England. Her blog is filled with delicious family friendly recipes with glimpses of her family life in England. My motivation to replace processed food in our house this year without total household revolt has not dropped. I have successfully tackled and replaced the breakfast bars. When I read through Heathers blog I came across a recipe for buttermilk pancakes. This was a perfect opportunity to give bisquick the boot from my cupboard. I have to be honest I am not a pancake person. I like a bite but, I am much more and eggs and bacon girl. My kids and husband however, request pancakes at least once a week. I pull out the bisquick do a quick mix and pancakes are on the table. There are always a few left so, I freeze them to pop in the toaster later in the week. This Saturday I changed things up with Heather's recipe which is not much harder then bisquick but, tastes so much better then bisquick. They are light and fluffy with the perfect tang from the buttermilk. There was not a single cake left. My daughter even ate the little crunchy pieces that end up on the griddle. I knew this was going to replace my bisquick box once and for all so, I mixed up a few mason jars of the dry ingredients so, I can quickly pull them out and mix up a batch of perfect buttermilk pancakes.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaPS11T-wTD46E4XB3xwbpV7PA7tDbgUUjEjQ3GzV-tNIP3uXZ0TtmomEQmsek54Zvwy4Yyf1c6zXilUI_WqjrrqSSNvFe9zPSnFy9_6Wyi-SJ59kUb9qtvpgPHJGQjrUMmsrubNZUAlq/s1600/DSC_1407_946_edited-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaPS11T-wTD46E4XB3xwbpV7PA7tDbgUUjEjQ3GzV-tNIP3uXZ0TtmomEQmsek54Zvwy4Yyf1c6zXilUI_WqjrrqSSNvFe9zPSnFy9_6Wyi-SJ59kUb9qtvpgPHJGQjrUMmsrubNZUAlq/s320/DSC_1407_946_edited-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>buttermilk pancakes</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">source: </span><a href="http://eggscreamandhoney.com/2010/09/22/buttermilk-pancakes/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">eggs milk and honey</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ingredients</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoons sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 cup buttermilk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 cup whole milk </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 large egg, separated</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tablespoons butter, melted</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Combine buttermilk and milk into small bowl. Whisk egg white into mixture. Mix yolk with melted butter in separate bowl. Then stir into milk mixture. Dump wet ingredients into dry ingredients all at once; whisk until just mixed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Once the griddle or pan is hot enough, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto a lightly oiled or buttered surface. When the pancake surface starts to bubble and the bottom is lightly browned, turn over. It should take a couple of minutes. Cook until remaining side has browned.</span><br />
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</script>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-56772528975438123912012-02-06T19:54:00.000-08:002012-02-06T19:54:53.404-08:00banana pudding pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhio89HtzAtkS_hEUZtZbNK42X3mngwhGMg9iRDeSgHS4DAPv99rqLrdcipprHL-Z9tUSciE_F1_u0oJhmzZKlaSBV3wEJ-pKA99sdr5_8MKcAdrSMDhMEPCrh3l2sYDAe3LGuSj41ulyPf/s1600/DSC_1411_948_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhio89HtzAtkS_hEUZtZbNK42X3mngwhGMg9iRDeSgHS4DAPv99rqLrdcipprHL-Z9tUSciE_F1_u0oJhmzZKlaSBV3wEJ-pKA99sdr5_8MKcAdrSMDhMEPCrh3l2sYDAe3LGuSj41ulyPf/s400/DSC_1411_948_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The kids are still asking for popsicles every day. You may be thinking popsicles in February what is wrong with this girl. The weather here is unseasonably warm this winter. The past two weekends we have spent at the beach. My kids are wearing SPF 50 and I actually have a little sunburn on my back. Crazy but, incredibly amazing. The kids loved the orange pudding pops but, in my effort to reduce the processed food I looked for another way to achieve a pudding pop with out pudding mix and cool whip. They may have actually liked these even more which is a win for all of us. Perfect southern California winter treat for an afternoon snack or dessert.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>banana pudding pop</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: eating well</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><u>ingredients</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/3 cup light brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tablespoons cornstarch</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">pinch of salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoons vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups diced bananas, (~ 2 large)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6 ounces greek honey yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">10 animal cookies or nilla wafers crushed into small pieces</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt in a large saucepan. Add milk and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally. Boil, whisking constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Allow mixture to cool slightly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Put about the pudding in a blender and add bananas and yogurt. Process until smooth. Stir the crushed cookies into the pudding mixture. Divide the mixture among freezer-pop molds. Freeze until firm ~6 hours.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-13808955608378346092012-01-30T20:27:00.000-08:002012-01-30T20:29:39.883-08:00yellow butter cake with chocolate frosting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTjXUSEstVnrzkYtMeI0vIBZ-1Yh45Ygs8YlH0NqHCoNdPBBfYC772f-BZeeQa_rgkR47BReFgvcZGnKX18gEPMKhii0KZV6jhRsz5OPJ9Ufhbcg6V2f1hJB_8TSOazbA1uCK8Lx2tT7P/s1600/DSC_1338_942_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTjXUSEstVnrzkYtMeI0vIBZ-1Yh45Ygs8YlH0NqHCoNdPBBfYC772f-BZeeQa_rgkR47BReFgvcZGnKX18gEPMKhii0KZV6jhRsz5OPJ9Ufhbcg6V2f1hJB_8TSOazbA1uCK8Lx2tT7P/s400/DSC_1338_942_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, you know how I have been talking about reducing the processed food and sugar in my house? Well that new mantra is cool and all except when it comes to birthdays. I am working on introducing new healthy replacements for many of our sugary snacks and treats but, even I am not at a place where I want to enjoy an agave sweetened gluten free oat cake on my birthday. Maybe in 2013 but, for now we will just celebrate old school with a yellow butter cake and chocolate frosting. This cake is a classic that I am not prepared to screw with at this point. I am not going to lie I have a better yellow cake recipe but, it is super involved and this recipe is simple straight forward and most likely have all the ingredients already in your kitchen. The frosting is down right delicious and so, easy. This is my go to chocolate fudge frosting. Did you know you can make super good frosting in the food processor? Well you can and you don't even have to sift. So if you are looking for a simple yet, delicious and decadent cake for your next gathering this classic may be the way to go. </span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>yellow butter cake with chocolate frosting</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">cake adapted: martha stewart</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">frosting source: sky high cakes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cake:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1½ cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1½ cups cake flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tablespoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">½ teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1¾ cups sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1¼ cups milk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Frosting:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar (no need to sift)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6 tablespoons whole milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tablespoon vanilla extract</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To make the cakes, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Prepare two 9-inch round cake pans with bakers joy. In a medium bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt; whisk together to blend well and set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk. Beat each addition just until incorporated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pans to help remove the cakes. Invert the cakes onto the rack. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting. Level the cakes if necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To make the frosting, place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to incorporate, then process until the frosting is smooth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To assemble the cake, place one of the cake layers on a serving platter. Top with 1 cup of the chocolate frosting and smooth over the top of the cake. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting as desired. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days. Let come to room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-32052852082622990032012-01-26T15:57:00.000-08:002012-01-26T17:45:15.298-08:00slow cooker basic marinara sauce<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqrYto_UJ1l0lV_JJGRPYFxmQPhNyKXndfnFzosEsoHQdTWMD2oI4qqM91mh7YIgfUhEUr4cFGwaALIUQtOCzpCkq4_Jxhx_48BOt34SS1Iobn_iWNDtu-uKMradCvNcmlG78mBLKMw1W/s1600/DSC_1248_818_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqrYto_UJ1l0lV_JJGRPYFxmQPhNyKXndfnFzosEsoHQdTWMD2oI4qqM91mh7YIgfUhEUr4cFGwaALIUQtOCzpCkq4_Jxhx_48BOt34SS1Iobn_iWNDtu-uKMradCvNcmlG78mBLKMw1W/s400/DSC_1248_818_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Now that I am a stay at home mom I am trying to find as many short cuts and tricks to still get a home cook meal on the table without having to leave the park early and spend hours in the kitchen. Learning to master my slow cooker is my personal challenge for 2012. This recipe makes a ton of marinara sauce. I portioned it out and froze it for future meals which helps a ton when you are trying to throw together a quick home cooked meal. Not only is this marinara sauce easy and tasty but, it is the perfect vehicle to hide some extra veggies in the kids meals. We had it one night as written below. There was no revolt which is always a score when introducing a new recipe to my family. The next night I pureed carrots and zucchini and added them into the sauce while reheating it and no one made a peep. This is a great basic sauce which you can use in a ton of different ways and doctor it up to your families taste. Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>slow cooker basic marinara sauce</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">source: slow cooker revolution </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 onions, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">6 garlic cloves, minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tablespoons tomato paste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoons dried oregano</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 anchovy fillets, rinsed patted dry and minced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">pinch red pepper flakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup dry red wine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 28 ounce can tomato sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tablespoons soy sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup minced fresh basil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoons sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">salt and pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add onions through red pepper flakes. Cook until onions are soft and slightly browned, ~8-10 minutes. Stir in wine. Scrap up brown bits and simmer until slightly thickened, ~ 5 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stir crushed tomatoes through soy sauce into slow cooker. Cover and cook for 9 - 11 hours on low or 5 to 7 hours on high.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Before serving stir in basil and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-32170908610466328722012-01-23T00:01:00.000-08:002012-01-23T00:01:02.548-08:00chewy granola bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxn-arptZ86H7q48Ns1td0oqQl53us92COYl7ashtHlWw2bA8Xh_AgFheg_iZIv0pIsqj9-7JKkEY2RKzO-d-4N7Gr_o_GtQ8LU05oWcmdzZCGdyEBi6tFIeCuWcBb8FGMuD7YFraRA7j/s1600/DSC_1295_822_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="291" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxn-arptZ86H7q48Ns1td0oqQl53us92COYl7ashtHlWw2bA8Xh_AgFheg_iZIv0pIsqj9-7JKkEY2RKzO-d-4N7Gr_o_GtQ8LU05oWcmdzZCGdyEBi6tFIeCuWcBb8FGMuD7YFraRA7j/s400/DSC_1295_822_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I stopped buying processed snacks for my kids about a year ago. I am not a health freak but, I started to see how much processed food they were getting outside the house that I made a decision to reduce the total amount by not having any in our cupboards. My kids adapted really well and know to never ask for those items at the grocery store but, I have become known as the mom in the neighborhood with the lame snacks. Apple slices, pears and string cheese are not bringing the kids in the front door. One thing that I continued to buy last year was cereal bars. My kids ask for one about 3 days a week. One morning I was looking at the box and read that there are over 40 ingredients in them. Many of the ingredients I had no idea what they were. Earlier in the year my nutritionist insisted I cut bars out of my every day menu and have them on hand as an emergency food. Why had this correlation with the kids bars not clicked at that time? At this fully caffeinated moment I realized I could do more then ban goldfish crackers. I made a pact to find better replacements for some of the processed foods that still lingered on my shelves. I am really excited to share these over the next few months. We have had a lot of fun in the kitchen experimenting. The granola bars are a work in progress. I started out with this recipe from <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/chewy-granola-bars-recipe">King Arthur</a> which is really good but, there are still many ingredients in this recipe I knew I could swap out. I concocted a loose formula which seems to work and is great because you can experiment with all different flavors. I often use up fruit and nuts I bought for a salad or I have the kids get creative with the bin choices at Mother's. Below are a few flavor combinations that have worked for me but, the possibilities are endless. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3oaYA7ZXmD_mBmFq9mP0T4YAdMq5yWp5GjglGQVfQCg1ZfmYhhvvmAe5tcyBTFmupwo_5igJUFjDwRc8b-yW0wpPlDP7TxsI78MvJGlpIkYaO74WHqOZL_Yq7m8tRT4qEBJbbyO4s7yR/s1600/DSC_1270_821_edited-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3oaYA7ZXmD_mBmFq9mP0T4YAdMq5yWp5GjglGQVfQCg1ZfmYhhvvmAe5tcyBTFmupwo_5igJUFjDwRc8b-yW0wpPlDP7TxsI78MvJGlpIkYaO74WHqOZL_Yq7m8tRT4qEBJbbyO4s7yR/s400/DSC_1270_821_edited-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>chewy granola bars</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">GRAIN (2 1/2 cups)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*suggestions: oats, oat flour, oat bran, wheat germ, quinoa flakes, muesli etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">NUTS, SEEDS, CRUNCH (1 - 1 1/2 cup)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*suggestions: sliced almonds, peanuts, chia seeds, flax seed, brown rice cereal, pretzels, sunflower seeds, pepitas etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">SPICES</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*suggestions: cinnamon, ginger, salt, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">DRIED FRUIT (1 cup)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*suggestions: cranberries, blueberries, banana chips, dates, pineapple, coconut etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">FUN (1/4 - 1/2 cup)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*suggestions: carob chips, chocolate covered berries, yogurt chips etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">STICKY (~3/4 cup)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">* I typically mix two stickies. 1/3 - 1/2 cup of one and 1/4 cup of another. See examples below.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*suggestions: honey, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, agave etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">BINDER (1 cup)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">* I make sure there are at least 6 tablespoons of a fat source. That could be nut butter, coconut oil, melted butter etc.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">* suggestions: almond butter, peanut butter, pumpkin puree, unsweetened applesauce, greek yogurt, apple butter, banana puree, egg whites, melted butter, coconut oil, neutral oil etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Directions:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9x9 pan with a parchment sling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In a large bowl mix together all of your dry ingredients. That includes grains, nuts, seeds, crunch, dry spices, fruit and fun stuff. If you are going to add a bit more stick by way of sugar toss that in here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">In a medium bowl whisk together your sticky sweetener, liquid spices, and binder.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Pour the liquid mixture into your dry mixture and gently fold/mix the two together until all the dry ingredients are coated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Turn the mixture into the prepared pan. Make sure it is spread evenly and then press and pack the mixture down into the pan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Bake for ~30 minutes. The top will get a tad brown. Remove from oven and allow bars to cool in pan for 20 minutes. When bars are cool then place the pan in the refrigerator or freezer for approximately 30 minutes. Once bars have set up use the parchment sling to remove bars and slice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Bars store in an air tight container for a week or in the freezer for 2 months.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Enjoy! Have a delicious and healthy day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Note: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I store them in the freezer as they do get a bit crumbly. If would want them a bit stickier then toss the oats in a 1/4 cup of sugar (brown, white or turbinado).</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you want to boost the protein you could add soy or hemp protein powder. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"><strong><span style="color: cyan;">Banana Honey Carob Granola Bars</span></strong> (The Elvis) - Kids current favorite</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup oat bran</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup wheat germ</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup brown rice cereal</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">2 tablespoons chia seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, crushed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/3 cup banana chips, crushed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/3 cup pretzels, crushed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup carob chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 teaspoon cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/3 cup honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/4 cup brown rice syrup</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup banana puree ~ 2 medium brown bananas</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Follow directions above.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia;"><strong>Almond Cranberry Dark Chocolate Granola Bars</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup oat bran</span><br />
1/2 cup wheat germ<br />
1/2 cup brown rice cereal<br />
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds<br />
2 tablespoons chia seeds<br />
1 cup dried cranberries<br />
1/2 cup shredded coconut<br />
1/2 cup chocolate covered cranberries<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/3 cup honey<br />
1/4 cup brown rice syrup<br />
1/2 cup almond butter<br />
1/2 cup greek yogurt<br />
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Follow directions above.Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-21589811423589700572012-01-18T00:01:00.000-08:002012-01-18T00:01:00.851-08:00french onion soup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwrHM6uQYLZA7F3Rlh54TGe4pvvWcBmgvaBGzKeG140uVgtDxWRfbPShFOTY2naI5acmIQ6ai_2YcZO8J8i3zfxYSeOp8zkEgiNsB7QZHI72Pt-X8LGVxgMtJcKKDApdjVJC9OkkBHk9P/s1600/DSC_1227_812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" kba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwrHM6uQYLZA7F3Rlh54TGe4pvvWcBmgvaBGzKeG140uVgtDxWRfbPShFOTY2naI5acmIQ6ai_2YcZO8J8i3zfxYSeOp8zkEgiNsB7QZHI72Pt-X8LGVxgMtJcKKDApdjVJC9OkkBHk9P/s400/DSC_1227_812.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My dear friend "C" embraces life so, when the reminder for supper club came out and labeled the theme as Tyler Florence, Napa inspired, rustic, localvore and a sparkly NYE redux I giggled but, was not surprised. Most of us in the group spent NYE in our pajamas with greasy pizza, kids and eyes closed before midnight. And when I say midnight I mean the east coast midnight even though we are southern California girls. Pathetic but, that is our reality. In order to not let an opportunity to sparkle pass us by "C" encouraged us to dress in cocktail attire. This group loves them some glitter and some good food. Cocktail hour started with a woo woo cocktail, artichoke fritters and crostini. Tyler Florence can really throw down some vodka, butter, oil and down right yumminess.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The table was localvore inspired with fresh artichokes, oranges and succulents from the farmers market. Very rustic, local, and beautiful. Each place setting had a quote from Tyler which started with "family is the people you spend a great deal of time with, care for and trust...a two-way street". The quote was perfection for this group as I know in my heart I could call any of them at any time and they would be there for me. They feel like family and even though we could have spent the evening munching on the amazing osso buco over creamy polenta with serious and deep conversation we choose to talk about completely ridiculous things like if you could be any celebrity who would you be. Love the family of friends I have choose in life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">I made the french onion soup which was good but, I would increase the onion a bit, decrease the broth a bit and let the soup sit and cool a bit to let the flavors meld a bit more. It definitely tasted better when I reheated it to serve at the house. French onion soup is a bit rustic and comforting yet decadent and delicious in one little bowl of love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>french onion soup</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">adapted: tyler florence</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 large onions, sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 garlic cloves, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 bay leaves</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 fresh thyme sprigs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup red wine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1.5 -2 quarts beef broth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 baguette, sliced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8 ounces grated gruyere</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25-30 minutes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5-10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 8-10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven under broiler to toast the bread and melt the cheese. </span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-50076821160269338182012-01-10T00:01:00.000-08:002012-01-10T00:01:00.682-08:00orange dream pudding pops<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzJ4PrFjEUbxQVZ-DZDMoAP7dws1qJF5rtrswETzCF8iMMjbsxmOYtMYPSMktfDQQAl3YxrdJF7MLvPQQsR2dH1h7gYASzCTWjCTHIM056_-C2wFmrK-ElSbFhGwP8-tQSI8dK3nQZvkh/s1600/DSC_1184_810_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjzJ4PrFjEUbxQVZ-DZDMoAP7dws1qJF5rtrswETzCF8iMMjbsxmOYtMYPSMktfDQQAl3YxrdJF7MLvPQQsR2dH1h7gYASzCTWjCTHIM056_-C2wFmrK-ElSbFhGwP8-tQSI8dK3nQZvkh/s400/DSC_1184_810_edited-1.JPG" width="305" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When 3 pounds of oranges arrived in my CSA box this week I knew I would have to motivate myself with 2012 blog goal #3 (use CSA box ingredients more creatively). I am the only person in this house that eats oranges and while I really do like them 3 pounds is a lot for even this girl. The crazy warm winter days that we have been enjoying has been prompting Carter to constantly request popsicles. I started googling orange sherbet but, then I had an 80s flashback of pudding pops. I loved pudding pops and can vividly remember that thin layer of ice that encased the pop. Once you cracked the ice layer the most creamy center was right beneath. They were delicious. I had all of the ingredients to whip together orange dream pudding pops. Carter and I squeezed the oranges and got mixing. The results were fantastic. There is no thin icy layer but, the pop is just as creamy as I remember. These pops must really evoke dreams because Carter woke up the next day and said "mommy I had a dream last night that you let me eat two pudding pops". True sweet dreams.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>orange dream pudding pops</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: <a href="http://www.glutenfreefive.com/homemade-pudding-pops/">glutenfreefive</a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 large box instant vanilla pudding</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8 ounces vanilla yogurt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cup milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8 ounces cool whip, thawed</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a blender combine pudding, yogurt, juice and milk and blend until combined. Fold in cool whip and pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 5 hours or until firm.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-57479066452429838382012-01-07T15:12:00.000-08:002012-01-07T15:24:14.471-08:00new york style crumb cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jGIJDDkYAWe1uSzXpvK7I82KmLIIPF35STqdSj4smDMYnJzSP7womzHlJdD622o1GWBNO9n_-xQLl-BgqZTBto6spGUrUHthKeOEh8wqI9_HCMbp1KcLpM4asayyXUbF0i8hm1yye1GR/s1600/DSC_1212_806_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3jGIJDDkYAWe1uSzXpvK7I82KmLIIPF35STqdSj4smDMYnJzSP7womzHlJdD622o1GWBNO9n_-xQLl-BgqZTBto6spGUrUHthKeOEh8wqI9_HCMbp1KcLpM4asayyXUbF0i8hm1yye1GR/s400/DSC_1212_806_edited-1.JPG" width="318" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The new year is going to bring a lot of change for me. I don't like change. I resist change. This year I am going to embrace change. When I got married I was a food and fitness fanatic. I truly enjoyed exercise and eating healthy. I still like both of those those things but, I let sugar, butter and fancy cakes creep into my life. What was once a treat became a daily necessity. I no longer tasted and savoured a sweet treat. I craved it and then ate it without even tasting it. This year I am going to return to healthy eating with the occasional treat. Instead if making resolutions I am setting a few goals. In addition to some life goals I have a few goals for this blog. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1.) Return to the archived posts and make things from the past.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2.) Look back and remake something that I love but, dislike the picture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3.) Creatively use and document my CSA deliveries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4.) Recreate an old favorites with a new spin.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">5.) Work on my photography and writing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">To kick off the new year and my return to healthy eating I made this super light and healthy crumb cake. Yeah right! I was in charge of the coffee cake for parent child this week. As much as I wanted to bring in a healthy breakfast cookie or baked oatmeal I wasn't sure how the moms would react so, I fell back on this family favorite. When I was a little girl living in Connecticut we would take my grandfather grocery shopping every week. Each week he would give me the same task of selecting the Entemann's crumb cake with the most crumb topping. I would look over each cake carefully before I made my selection. We would return to his home to unpack the groceries and then share a big piece of coffee cake. Every time I see a crumb cake I think back on this memory fondly. I love when good food evokes happy memories. My mom happened to be visiting when I made this cake and the first thing she said when she took a bite was grandpa would love this cake. Honestly I don't know who wouldn't love this coffee cake. The cake portion is light and buttery and there is no shortage of crumb on this cake. Perfect ratio. I cut this cake into 16 pieces which was the perfect size for a little mid-morning treat for the moms. Hope you enjoy every last crumb.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcJ6JckXKanUr9YxnDEgvJ4632a9HxwownnMi97FG0kwcSInfCqOpZtSrXdNjiqDXjNngQubDyv_nlHedRMbFHN5auAV8bBxzOVzqdaql89lQ4lzLtU3f4dgvVpMKq8kfYDB5u6EdTTiu/s1600/DSC_1180_804_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcJ6JckXKanUr9YxnDEgvJ4632a9HxwownnMi97FG0kwcSInfCqOpZtSrXdNjiqDXjNngQubDyv_nlHedRMbFHN5auAV8bBxzOVzqdaql89lQ4lzLtU3f4dgvVpMKq8kfYDB5u6EdTTiu/s400/DSC_1180_804_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>new york style crumb cake</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">source: cooks illustrated</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">crumb topping</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/3 cup granulated sugar (2 2/3 ounces)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/3 cup dark brown sugar (2 2/3 ounces)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/8 teaspoon table salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and still warm</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 3/4 cups cake flour (7 ounces)</span><br />
<br />
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">cake</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/4 cups cake flour (5 ounces)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 teaspoon table salt<br />
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), cut into 6 pieces, softened but still cool</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 large egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 large egg yolk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/3 cup buttermilk</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">confectioners’ sugar for dusting</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1. Topping: Whisk sugars, cinnamon, salt, and butter in medium bowl to combine. Add flour and stir with rubber spatula or wooden spoon until mixture resembles thick, cohesive dough; set aside to cool to room temperature, 10 to 15 minutes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2. Cake: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Cut 16-inch length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7-inch width. Spray 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides; allow excess to overhang edges of dish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt on low speed to combine. With mixer running at low speed, add butter one piece at a time; continue beating until mixture resembles moist crumbs, with no visible butter chunks remaining, 1 to 2 minutes. Add egg, yolk, vanilla, and buttermilk; beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping once if necessary.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4. Transfer batter to baking pan; using rubber spatula, spread batter into even layer. Following photos below, break apart crumb topping into large pea-sized pieces and spread in even layer over batter, beginning with edges and then working toward center. Bake until crumbs are golden and wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire rack at least 30 minutes. Remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving. Cut into 12 large or 16 reasonable sized pieces. Enjoy!</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-4136222616269219852011-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:002011-12-24T07:00:55.871-08:00malted m&m cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tv0ZN4v__DFC20-E18FA9193-2hTDW2JhiWJAxlsKg15O6guCk5pS-5cV4Vt0d2LIyOZmmS_jbeeNOFFSe3FvpUY-Jr4kvoCtsuXGwtvXkkPI8cS7cunby4hVWjGc3h5nY5oOuN5opr8/s1600/DSC_1001_800_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" rea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tv0ZN4v__DFC20-E18FA9193-2hTDW2JhiWJAxlsKg15O6guCk5pS-5cV4Vt0d2LIyOZmmS_jbeeNOFFSe3FvpUY-Jr4kvoCtsuXGwtvXkkPI8cS7cunby4hVWjGc3h5nY5oOuN5opr8/s400/DSC_1001_800_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The last few days of work I cleaned up my work computer. Taking the bookmarks or files I would need. Sadly after 13 years on the same computer there was not much I wanted or needed. I took my bookclub reading list, my supper club matrix and a few recipes that I had bookmarked along the way (pre-pinterest</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">). I bookmarked these cookies back in 2005! After 6 seasons of still thinking about them and coming back to the url I finally made them. I am sad I waited 6 years to make these cookies. They are a good classic cookie with a little twist with the malt powder. The bake a little thin but, the inside is soft and chewy. The festive green and red m&ms makes them stand out on a cookie plate and just perfect for hands of both kids and adults to enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">We will be leaving a few of these for santa tonight. Rumor is he likes these.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Hope you had a fantastic holiday season. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>malted m&m cookies</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: </span><a href="http://desertculinary.blogspot.com/2005/07/chocolate-malted-mm-cookies.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">culinary in the dessert</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8 tablespoons shortening</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8 tablespoons butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 large eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup malt powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cups m&ms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1/2 cup chocolate chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a large mixing bowl, cream the shortening and butter together. Add both sugars and beat until combined.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each. Mix in vanilla. Add the malt powder and slowly mix until combined. Add the flour gradually and mix just until combined. Stir in m&ms and chips. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Drop dough by tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with silpat. Bake until golden and almost set in the center, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to completely cool.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-23374437520632766702011-12-19T21:31:00.000-08:002011-12-19T21:31:06.207-08:00fluffernutter chocolate gobs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn53YlT6rg2Z9FSCPj9I2ydCU8wxkXNlK-TlR3cTjKnZRHFTVqs5Tbdke_loQO5wXZLHWrvUOn9_4BVIQ_QCqySAw8pxCRVCYyJ5GdIZzqCvkRhT5xad1PqoJHv1m2zgTqJ7FWG1qLJ6MV/s1600/DSC_0991_798_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn53YlT6rg2Z9FSCPj9I2ydCU8wxkXNlK-TlR3cTjKnZRHFTVqs5Tbdke_loQO5wXZLHWrvUOn9_4BVIQ_QCqySAw8pxCRVCYyJ5GdIZzqCvkRhT5xad1PqoJHv1m2zgTqJ7FWG1qLJ6MV/s400/DSC_0991_798_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I just hosted my 5th annual cookie exchange. I really like traditions. I like parties that people can count on each year. During my fall melt down I was thinking that I would just pass on the cookie exchange. Then the calls and emails started rolling in wondering why I had not sent out the evite. It wasn't pressure. It was the kick in the butt I needed. My friends were requesting me to get us all together for holiday cheer. Even though the evite was out I could not get motivated. I wasn't searching for a cookie recipe. I wasn't stocking up on baking supplies to make some of my annual treats. As the day got closer I started to realize I needed to pull it together. I toned down the party. No signature cocktail just a champagne bar and sweet nibbles. After I made a few of the classics (<a href="http://www.sweetflours.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-crack-candy.html">christmas crack</a>, <a href="http://www.sweetflours.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-crack-candy.html">rolo pretzel candy</a>, and <a href="http://www.sweetflours.blogspot.com/2010/12/oreo-truffle-balls.html">oreo truffles</a>) I was feeling the baking high. I was on a roll. Each girl has to bring four dozen of one cookie. I made three new cookies this year and we decided that this was the cookie to offer up at the exchange. It has a little something for everyone. A soft peanut butter cookie, a gooey center, chocolate glaze and a festive appearance. They were really good. I ate four or five. I will definitely make these again but, they were not the cookie that every raved about. I will get to those cookies later this week. My holiday baking started out a bit shakey but, in the end I was really happy my friends got me into the spirit. Note to self for next year ... having four dozen cookies in your house is not a good thing. Especially when champagne is involved. Happy holidays.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPEG5AC73L7QiDVBoT700UGeuuvrBd77so_TUkp_UoNliUY1jpzwb_8Tl4ncKNry59xB6_HgfR9hkjVDIvWY-UMnCRx5KW0r_Q8dtasdqKbXNR0ogAJz9_cQvkre87MRAD9V9v8lrYdUs/s1600/DSC_0994_799_edTMP-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIPEG5AC73L7QiDVBoT700UGeuuvrBd77so_TUkp_UoNliUY1jpzwb_8Tl4ncKNry59xB6_HgfR9hkjVDIvWY-UMnCRx5KW0r_Q8dtasdqKbXNR0ogAJz9_cQvkre87MRAD9V9v8lrYdUs/s320/DSC_0994_799_edTMP-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: cyan;">fluffernutter</span><span style="color: cyan;"> chocolate gobs</span></span></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: </span><a href="http://buddingbaketress.blogspot.com/2011/06/fluffernutter-chocolate-gobs.html"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">bakergirl</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 cup peanut butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup packed brown sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 large egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">mini marshmallows</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3 tablespoons butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tablespoons cocoa powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup powdered sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 tablespoons milk</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Beat<strong> </strong>the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gradually add in flour mixture on low speed. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Place by rounded spoonfuls on a lightly greased cooking sheet and bake for 7-9 minutes, until edges are very lightly browned. Remove from oven, lightly flatten each cookie with a spatula and then using a melon baller press a small bowl in the center of each cookie. Fill each bowl with 4 mini marshmallows. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes, until the marshmallows are melted. Let cool completely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">When cooled completely, make the glaze by melting the butter in the microwave. Stir in the cocoa powder and mix until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Slowly stir in the powdered sugar, gradually adding the milk as needed to get it the desired consistency. Spoon a small amount over the top of each cookie. Sprinkle with holiday decor if desired.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-18756897336538214062011-12-15T14:19:00.000-08:002011-12-15T14:19:48.159-08:00reindeer sugar cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pFSi9hiLrR_tgJsDz7LodlbyZTEnpzKJPZjWrEnPvekCCGE1d3oc1mpI5YWBUTs9OZ7p6Io3MrLxiljqSmKY-H1Sxoz4rCYl-PhvUiRM637SGwuK7GqzD2BsNOweGD79a57LXZd61r-R/s1600/DSC_0955_795_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6pFSi9hiLrR_tgJsDz7LodlbyZTEnpzKJPZjWrEnPvekCCGE1d3oc1mpI5YWBUTs9OZ7p6Io3MrLxiljqSmKY-H1Sxoz4rCYl-PhvUiRM637SGwuK7GqzD2BsNOweGD79a57LXZd61r-R/s400/DSC_0955_795_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I have been trying to limit my pinterest time. I have spent hours upon hours building my dream home. My dream home is incredible. I am ready to move in. Pinterest is such a great source of amazing ideas. I love all the ideas. I hate that I am not creative enough to think of them. I love that I can leverage all these amazing ideas and kinda look like a rock star. Since I could not turn my house into a reality I decided to turn to pinterest for an idea I could actually use today. Carter was share person and wanted to bring a fun holiday snack. I saw these adorable reindeer cookies plastered all over pinterest. I used a basic sugar cookie recipe which turned out both tasty and cute. The kids loved them, the teachers loved them, and best of all Carter and I made them together. I got asked for the recipe. I basically rocked shared day in Carter's eyes. These are a perfect addition to a holiday cookie plate because they have whimsy and kid appeal. Happy Holidays!</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRLlqJE0J_4yZM87rquBVTtAyjS2nzuh9yzNaZ_TkF4XAk4zWFlI_yuHoB445rrfYcZ59wpTeVZPfWj9soG3nDfVhDowvtZ3bJfiTO-FqK9gqYbmrWoxr7LNArUWYeXNg_mjsoxSqj4gg/s1600/DSC_0953_796_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRLlqJE0J_4yZM87rquBVTtAyjS2nzuh9yzNaZ_TkF4XAk4zWFlI_yuHoB445rrfYcZ59wpTeVZPfWj9soG3nDfVhDowvtZ3bJfiTO-FqK9gqYbmrWoxr7LNArUWYeXNg_mjsoxSqj4gg/s400/DSC_0953_796_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>reindeer sugar cookies</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">style source: pinterest </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">recipe source: allrecipes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 teaspoon baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cups white sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 egg</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">mini and regular m&ms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">mini chocolate covered pretzels</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. To make the reindeer shaped face pinch the bottom of the ball before baking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. While cookies are still warm press in the eyes, noses and antlers. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. </span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-13554598875049237052011-12-12T04:59:00.000-08:002011-12-12T10:28:58.584-08:00sweet potato and black bean enchiladas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kMp5vFPVwPvfb-OUUE8aITWomktTNfFKT9DxUcgCM2Qf9FPsOSo7qVIxtHWa97lI6mXwpzyORajVisokRUM3c_5Ho5CkdwBIxraE5n_OuTOVwKkavBAizlfykGbo1EKJHGIME2eLoiCh/s1600/DSC_0924_794_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" mda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7kMp5vFPVwPvfb-OUUE8aITWomktTNfFKT9DxUcgCM2Qf9FPsOSo7qVIxtHWa97lI6mXwpzyORajVisokRUM3c_5Ho5CkdwBIxraE5n_OuTOVwKkavBAizlfykGbo1EKJHGIME2eLoiCh/s400/DSC_0924_794_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">This month of the <a href="http://secretrecipeclub.com/">secret recipe club</a> I was assigned the blog </span><a href="http://sarahbligh.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Biking & Baking</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. Biking and Baking is written by Sarah a resident physician that not only loves healthy cuisine but, also loves road biking. After you look at all of her healthy posts, learn that she is a resident physician and has biked across country with her family you kinda feel like a lazy slug. Sarah's blog could not have come my way at a better time. I have kinda lost healthy inspiration in the kitchen. Her posts motivated me to get out to the produce section and look for colorful, healthy and seasonal ingredients. After much debate I landed on her <a href="http://sarahbligh.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-ole.html">sweet potato enchiladas</a>. Sarah is a vegan so, I did alter the recipe to vegetarian but, tried to stay as true to her recipe as possible. I made a full 8x8 pan of enchiladas and used the extra filling to make 2 large burritos for the freezer. I was not surprised that I loved the enchiladas but, I was shocked that my 2 year old polished several of these off. As much as I love seeing the smile on my kids face when they enjoy one of my baked goods I am absolutely over the moon when they love a healthy meal packed with all the seasonal good stuff. I often underestimate their palates and this dinner reminded me if I don't put it in front of them they won't have the opportunity to experience and enjoy it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy Monday and thank you Biking & Baking and Secret Recipe Club for another fun month:</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>sweet potato and black bean enchiladas</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">adapted: <a href="http://sarahbligh.blogspot.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-ole.html">Biking & Baking</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 large sweet potato, peeled and diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 tablespoon olive oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 can black beans, drained and rinsed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 can green chilies</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 cloves garlic, diced</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon cumin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia;">1 teaspoon chili powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">8oz block reduced fat cream cheese, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup jack cheese, shredded</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups green enchilada sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">12-16 corn tortillas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preheat oven to 400. Toss diced sweet potato with olive oil. Roast potatoes on rimmed baking sheet for approximately 20 minutes. Cool potatoes and divide in half. Coarsely mash half of the potatoes. Add the diced potatoes, black beans, green chilies and garlic to the mashed potatoes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In another bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 cup cheese, cumin, chili powder, cilantro and 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Microwave tortillas approximately 1 minute until softened and warm. Spread 1/2 cup of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a your baking pan (9x13.) Divide filling amongst tortillas, roll them up, and place seam side down in the baking dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle remaining cheese over enchiladas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!</span><br />
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</script>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-65850066356637268682011-12-05T14:45:00.000-08:002011-12-05T14:47:30.260-08:00spicy persimmon brunch cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf8FzuTqVNuudEH-MrhGoj_hCeZoR-O5w0021dFa1UuMx_pkcYG5tnhXH5VtjeSlMfC3dPqY0QoxOaja9KydTtHPw5XJgTJB2KMV2-jawf_xxVDhmluC0nhUnh4m1Qj08s16iiCxSs6LC/s1600/DSC_0893_789_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dda="true" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkf8FzuTqVNuudEH-MrhGoj_hCeZoR-O5w0021dFa1UuMx_pkcYG5tnhXH5VtjeSlMfC3dPqY0QoxOaja9KydTtHPw5XJgTJB2KMV2-jawf_xxVDhmluC0nhUnh4m1Qj08s16iiCxSs6LC/s400/DSC_0893_789_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The month of November was an emotional blurr. After 13 years I left my job. I have started my new life as a stay at home mom. This is absolutely the best decision for my family and I feel so fortunate that we are in a position that allows me this awesome opportunity. I have always known that being a stay at home mom would be much harder then my corporate job but, I had no idea how hard it would really be. My nanny made it look so easy. At the end of day I feel tired down to the bone not to mention I look like a frazzle disaster. Until we get into a groove the me time, baking, bloging, showering, and exercise have fallen to the bottom of the list. Play dates, tennis lessons, story time and the park have risen to the top. I need to find some sort of balance in these whirlwind days. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">GG "great grandma" has a persimmon tree in her backyard. This week a huge box appeared on my doorstop. Her tree is a hachiya tree which produces the acorn shaped fruit that is used for baking. My mother in law gave me one of her favorite junior league cookbooks when we got married. Recently I have read the book cover to cover all the while cherishing the fact that some of my mother in laws favorite recipes come from this book. The book was written in the 70s and while reading the book you can just feel the homeyness of each recipe. These are family favorites that have been passed down from generation to generation. They are not fancy. They are solid classic dishes. In honor of two of my favorite past stay at home moms I made this persimmon brunch cake using my mother in laws recipe and her mother's persimmons. The result was an absolute hit. This is a simple spicy cake. You could spruce it up by baking in a bundt pan but, for our casual meal the 8x8 worked great. There are no eggs in this cake ... weird. I read the recipe several times and no eggs. You add the baking soda to the persimmon puree which makes a gelatin like substance after a few minutes. I have no idea why it does that but, I am assuming this concoction replaces the egg. As long as the persimmons arrive at our door this will be a family favorite baked with lots of love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: cyan; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>spicy persimmon brunch cake</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">adapted: california heritage - junior league</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 1/2 cup pureed fresh persimmon, hachiya variety (see note below)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup butter, softened</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 cups sifted flour</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoons baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span> <br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup cinnamon chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">confectioner’s sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Stir together the persimmon puree and the baking soda in a small bowl until blended and set aside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sift together flour, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt and set aside. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the puree to the creamed butter and sugar. Gradually blend the dry ingredients into the persimmon mixture. Stir in the cinnamon chips, mixing just enough to blend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Spoon the stiff batter into a well-greased and floured 8 x 8 x 2-inch cake pan or 5-cup bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes and turn out onto a rack to continue cooling another 20 or 30 minutes before serving (or serve directly from the pan if using an 8 x 8 x2-inch pan). Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve warm. Cake is also good at room temperature. Cake can be reheated with foil cover for 10 minutes at 325.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Note: A fresh Hachiya persimmon should feel soft and jellylike when ripe. The ripe fruit should feel like a water balloon in your hand. Cut it in half and scoop the flesh from the skin with a spoon. Use a blender or immersion blender to smooth the pulp. Use at once or freeze. The puree tends to turn brown if left, and a small amount of lemon juice may be added if desired, to prevent discoloration.</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1461631721176816517.post-9592293763438117522011-11-16T08:15:00.000-08:002011-11-16T08:15:15.452-08:00slow cooker old fashioned chicken noodle soup<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl9k1WA1ylblNSswrOGtRdvCvxBHQDxTCWPYLJ5RJc0EK9c9R78vTU-d5GkLCWrPyZQLhrz8ATfeTWOVG0-g3Rlth5Cwxd_bp9rac1YE1ptZNAQ8Ri5XxmDh0-Fgow3_QVGtkHIpWnnNz/s1600/DSC_0769_785_edited-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="365" nda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXl9k1WA1ylblNSswrOGtRdvCvxBHQDxTCWPYLJ5RJc0EK9c9R78vTU-d5GkLCWrPyZQLhrz8ATfeTWOVG0-g3Rlth5Cwxd_bp9rac1YE1ptZNAQ8Ri5XxmDh0-Fgow3_QVGtkHIpWnnNz/s400/DSC_0769_785_edited-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Sisters are funny. They are your strongest relationship but, they are also the hardest on you. They can poke fun to no end because they know you are not going anywhere. As I have grown older my relationship with my sisters has evolved and grown and it is truly great. We are all very different which makes it nice to settle into your spot in the family. There are many things my sisters tease me about but, I am not here to talk about that. I am here to talk about how one of my sisters is OBSESSED with her crock pot. My other sister and I send text messages to each other joking about her latest crock pot creations. She is doing everything from breakfast to dessert in the crock pot. I like to make fun of her but, honestly I am kind of jealous. Everything she makes in the crock pot tastes good. She is always saying oh I just threw this and that in and voila dinner served. I throw things in and it is disgusting I mean rubbery, watery meat with bland flavor. Just plain gross. I decided not to hide my jealousy anymore and I asked for The Slow Cooker Revolution for my birthday. The family is starting to get the sniffles so, I decided to try the chicken noodle soup. It does involve a bit more work than toss this in but, the end result truly taste like old fashion chicken noodle soup. It has a deep flavor with soft pieces of juicy chicken and perfectly cooked vegetables. I could not believe this came out of my slow cooker. I kept patting myself on the back. This recipe makes a ton so, I froze half the batch for next time the sniffles hit. I also made a second foil pouch with an additional chicken breast which I kept for lunch. If you like a lot of noodles in your soup you may want to up the amount because this is definitely more chicken heavy. This time the slow cooker paid off. I am not going to swear by the slow cooker like my sister until I pull off a few more slow cooker kitchen wins but, I am off to a good start with my new book in hand.</span></div><br />
<div style="color: cyan;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">old fashioned chicken noodle soup</span></b></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> source: slow cooker revolution</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 pounds bone in, skin on chicken thighs</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">salt and pepper</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tablespoon vegetable oil</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 carrots, peeled and medium chop</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 celery ribs, medium chop</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 onion, minced</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">3 garlic cloves, minced</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 tablespoon tomato paste</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 teaspoon dried thyme</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">8 cups low sodium, chicken broth</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">2 bay leaves</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 (12 ounce) bone in skin on, chicken breast</div><div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1 1/2 ounces egg noodles</div><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">1/2 cup frozen peas</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Dry the chicken thighs with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Brown chicken thighs for ~4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate let cool and discard the skin.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pour all but one tablespoon of the fat in the pan. Add carrots, celery and onion and cook until vegetables are soft ~8-10 minutes. Stir in garlic - red pepper flakes and cook ~30 seconds. Stir in a cup of broth and loosen up browned bits and transfer all to the slow cooker. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Stir in remaining 7 cups of broth and bay leaves to the slow cooker. Nestle the cooked chicken into the slow cooker. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and wrap in a foil pouch. Lay the foil pouch on top of the soup. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">After 4-6 hours remove the foil packet and transfer to cutting board. Transfer the thighs to the cutting board. Let it cool to the touch and then shred into bite size pieces. Discard the skin and bones. Skim the fat off the surface of the soup and remove the bay leaves. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cook the egg noodles in boiling salt water until tender. Stir in the noodles, chicken and peas. Let them heat through for approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if needed and serve!</span>Allisonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08756499061251021973noreply@blogger.com7