French Toast Casserole

Another one of those things that is just easier to bake in one dish instead of dipping and flipping for half an hour while holding a 20lb kid. Honestly I think I prefer it to regular french toast. French toast has never been my favorite but my hubby likes it so we have it from time to time. Well I had this at a baby shower and decided it was worth it to make at home, so the next weekend when little boy woke up a hour before eveyone else i put this together and then played until hubby and little lady finally woke up.

8 pieces of bread

4T butter 

1/3 cup brown sugar 

2 eggs

1/2 to 2/3 cup milk

1/2 t vanilla

In a  8x9 pan melt your butter in your oven while it preheats to 350. Then sprinkle on the brown sugar. Place one layer of bread on top (4 pieces fit perfect in my pan). Beat up your egg, milk, and vanilla pour half on top of the bread and layer another 4 pieces of bread. pour on the rest of your egg mix and sprinkle on some cinnamon. Then bake for about 40 minutes. I served mine with some homemade apple sauce and it was fantastic.  

You want the egg to absorb into the bread so you can do this the night befor if you think about it, or just let it sit for a couple minutes before putting it in the oven.

I used wheat bread the first time which was great but then I used a soft load of sourdough and it was SO yummy. I'm loving sourdough and use it all the time now, either the soft bread loaf or the artisan, each are good on their own way. 

Pumpkin Sausage Soup

This stuff was good. Surprisingly good, like my husband went back for thirds kind of good.

http://livewellnetwork.com/My-Family-Recipe-Rocks/recipes/Pumpkin-Sausage-Soup/9151664?pid=9154406

Pumpkin sausage soup adapted from My Family Recipe Rocks

• 1 pounds breakfast sausage (preferably homemade)
• 1c sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 package baby bella mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 3 cups pumpkin
• 2 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 can coconut milk

Directions

In a large stock pot,  Add chopped sweet yellow onion and sliced mushrooms. Cook until onions become translucent. Add breakfast sausage and brown. Once sausage has browned add spices, herbs, salt and pepper. Stir in canned pumpkin and mix well.
Add chicken broth, mix well and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 hours (the longer the better, to allow the mixture to reduce a bit and the flavors to meld together).

Ketchup

It all started with avoiding ketchup with HFCS and now we have progressed to this...

Not to toot my own horn, but it's pretty delicious. And totally sugar free.

Ketchup
4oz tomato paste
1 T apple cider vinegar
1/2 T dijon mustard
2 T water
1/8 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
a pinch of ground clove
1/8 t garlic powder

Optional: 1T maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a pint mason jar. Mix well. put the jar in the fridge so the flavors will marry (they like to get frisky). use on everything, hotdogs, hamburgers, meatloaf, fries, eggs, mac and cheese... (i think that last one is weird but my husband sure likes it)

This should last up to about 7 months in the fridge.

Three bean salad

I made this one day for a picnic with the fam and my husband loved it so much he requested that i make it again to bring to our friends luau the next weekend. Thankfully it was well received there too. I'm pretty sure that makes this one a keeper.

3 Bean Salad
1/2 can great northern beans (just freeze the other half of the beans)
1/2 can kidney beans
2 handfuls of green beans snapped into bite size pieces*
2 green onions (or a slice of red onion finely diced)
1/4 c cider vinegar
2 T olive oil
1T honey
1/4 t ground mustard
1/4 t garlic
salt and pepper
other spices you may like to add: a pinch of cayenne OR chopped fresh basil OR chopped fresh parsley

First saute the green bean pieces with a spritz of olive oil and some salt until they have a little color on them, about 5-8 minutes. Then in a bowl stir together all your dressing/spice ingredients. top with all three kinds of beans and toss to coat.

*I guess if it's not green bean season you could use canned and skip the saute...but canned green beans taste rubbery to me so i'll only be making this with fresh beans.

Easy scratch Mac &Cheese

I can't remember the last time I had box Mac and cheese. Growing up my mom always made a big batch from scratch and with the exception of maybe having it at a friend's house I never ate the kraft kind until my hubby and I started living together and he thought it was a staple for the pantry. We ate it for a while but I'm not sure I ever really acquired a taste for it. The best way to make real Mac and cheese is to make the cheese sauce and add it to cooked noodles, but that requires one of two things, either you use two pans or you cook the noodles then put it in a dish so you can use the same pan to make your cheese sauce to dump on top of your noodles. Since I'm working with one hand most of the time I'm getting food ready I opt for the one pot easy way.

2cups noodles (1/2lb)
2cups milk
1Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt and pepper (each)
1 tsp ground mustard (or sweet paprika)
1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh grated cheese

Mix all but the cheese in a pot and bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to simmer and let it cook till the pasta is al dente (like 8 minutes). Stir occasionally so the noodles don't stick together. When the pasta is done turn off the heat and stir in the grated cheese. Cover and let the cheese melt.

Don't get to stuck on only using cheddar adding just a bit of other cheeses really amps up the flavor.

carrot cake muffins

The night after my son was born I ordered my dinner at the hospital and got a piece of carrot cake to top it off. It Was Delicious! I just kept thinking, why do I never make carrot cake at home?! So I did some searching and found a great recipe. I opted to make muffins out of them because it had to be in single serve sizes or my husband laziness wins and he doesn't eat the stuff I make. These turned out awesome, this recipe is a keeper.

Combine:
1c wheat flour
1c all purpose flour
1t baking soda
1t baking powder
 1/2t salt
1t cinnamon
1/4t grated ginger
1/8t nutmeg
 1/2c Brown sugar

In a separate bowl combine:
2t vanilla
2T oil
2 eggs
2 1/4 c carrots large grated
 1/3c milk
1/2c Apple sauce (no sugar added)
1/2 cup raisins (I did half golden raisins have regular)
 1/4 c chopped nuts (pecans are traditional but almonds or macadamia work to)

Gently stir it all together
 Bake at 350 for 20- 25 minutes Makes 12 muffins

While those are baking you can make some frosting
2T butter (softened)
 4T cream cheese (softened)
1/2c powdered sugar
Beat all ingredients together well.

poppy seed dressing

Not the healthiest dressing but at least you're getting everyone to eat some greens. I had a whole big bowl at a bbq with steaks stuffed mushrooms baked potatoes and watermelon. Usually people skip the salad but this is all that was left. Dressing 1/3 c red wine vinegar 1/3 c oil 1/2 c sugar 1tsp salt 1tsp ground mustard 2tsp poppy seeds Salad 1can drained mandarins 1pk mixed greens 1/2c walnuts /almonds/or pecans Optional: add bits of red cabbage or other veggies.

English Muffin Bread

If you like english muffins but want an EASY way to make them try this out. The texture is fantastic and makes awesome toast, fry up an egg and sausage and you've got a mean breakfast. The recipe makes two loafs so I like to slice up one then put it in a ziplock bag and into the freezer.


5 1/2 c Flour (3c all purpose and 2 1/2c whole wheat)
4 t instant yeast
1T salt
1 1/2 T sugar
2 3/4 c warm water

Mix together all the dry ingredients and then stir in the water, mixing well. Allow the dough to rise then pour into two 8x4 loaf pans. Allow the dough to rise again in the pans so that it reaches the top.
Bake at 350' for 45 minutes, until golden brown. (optional: brush with butter 10 minutes before they finish cooking)
Allow the bread to cool completely before cutting, like two hours. They are very moist when the come out of the oven, especially in the middle. After the are fully cooled they will slice well.

Adapted from   http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/02/moms-english-muffin-bread.html

Dark Chocolate Almond Biscotti

The minute i finished the last of these delightful crunchy itallian cookies I knew I had to make more. And the next morning hubby was sad he didn't get any with his morning choffy/coffee. I've been wanting something lately but couldn't figure it out until I ate this. It take a little more time then just drop cookies but it's so worth it. You can dunk it in your coffee like hubby, tea like me, or milk like my two year old. All of them are fantastic.



1/4 cup soft butter (1/2 of a stick)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I used my new homemade vanilla extract. I'm in love. Never buying vanilla from the store again!)
2 cups flour (i used half whole wheat half all purpose)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup toasted slivered almonds and dark chocolate chunks (don't measure them together while the almonds are still hot! you don't want melted chocolate)

Directions:
Beat together the sugar and butter till light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes on medium speed with your mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, then both the extracts, until incorporated, about 30 seconds.
Using low speed on your mixer, mix in the dry ingredients.
Stir in the toasted almonds and chocolate chunks. (to toast the almonds just put dry slivered almonds in a pan and toasted on medium heat for about 2 minutes until the start to become fragrant and lightly golden)

Split the dough in half and using floured hands and a lightly floured counter shape the dough into two 2"x13" loafs and place on a lined cookie sheet
Bake at 350' til they are golden, about 30-35 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, lower the oven temperature to 325'

Transfer the loafs to a cutting board using a wide spatula or two. Slice each loaf on the diagonal into 1/2 inch thick slices using a serrated knife. Lay the slices about 1/2 inch apart, cut side down.

Bake until the slices are crisp and golden on both sides, about 15 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Enjoy that delightful crunch. 

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen cookbook (cuz I never follow recipes. I'm a rebel like that yo)

No bake granola bars

These were pretty delicious and will definitely be making them... repeatedly, perhaps I'll play with different filling ingredients.

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup local honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips 

Directions:

Toast the oats in a pan for 4 or 5 minutes til they are slightly fragrant. In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In the same pot you used for the oats, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2! minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Dump in the dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Press down into an 8" X 8" pan nice and tight. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly (or melt chocolate and drizzle on top. Cool on a counter top to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Store at room temperature.

Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don’t seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have made them too thin or you didn’t pack them in tight enough or didn't toast the oats enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they’ll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try reducing the butter to 3 tablespoons and really packing them down.

Raspberry Chia Seed Jam

I love jam. I'm appalled at the ingredients list on some jam labels so a few years ago I decided to just start making my own jams. Though it was once a year of boiling, cooking, adding pectin and then canning it took time. Especially since I like a variety of flavors. 

I do Not like "jelly" I'm a jam girl though and through, which means I leave the seeds in for strawberry and raspberry jam. I even neglect to take the skins off of grape jam in favor of just blending it up really well. Since I like the little bits of seeds in it anyways I decided to try a new method using chia seeds. IN case you aren't familiar with chia seeds when you mix them with some water the begin to form a jell. One of those, absorb 10x their weight in water kind of things. I'm thrilled with the result of this jam because now I can whip up a batch in about 5 minutes. I still need to try with other flavors that don't typically have seeds like peach and see how well I like it but if all goes well I may not need to can jam every again!

Raspberry Chia Seed Jam
1 1/2 cups frozen raspberries
3Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp water
1 tsp real vanilla extract

Put the berries in your bullet/blender and microwave for 2-3 minutes. Then blend them up good. 
Add remaining ingredients and blend for another 10-15 seconds. Remove the blender top and put a lid on it and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour to jell. 

Note: I like seeds but not chunks. If you like chunks skip the blender and jsut mash it with a fork or something then stir it up real good. 

It's a new year.

Do you ever stop to think about how what you do goes against what you know? why do we do that to ourselves sometimes? The research is out there and I have really resisted acting on or being vocal about some things that I've discovered in my effort to be healthy and teach my kids about the importance about being healthy.

This year (and actually last year too) I read the "Earths Children" series. It's a fictional series about cave people. I didn't think I'd like it but my husband talked me into reading them and as corny as it sounds it's changed me. It's made me think about the way we live today and just how much processing and added chemicals we are surrounded by. There have been many seemingly simple lines in the books that have just lingered in my mind. "There [is] something to be said for letting quality be it's own adornment."  Though in the passage it is speaking specifically about wearing the fanciest clothing for special celebrations I feel it really applies to so many things. I want my life to be filled with quality, whether that is in my food or the products I use.

There is no doubt we've made a lot of progress scientifically just over the last 50 years but a lot has been forgotten over the last 50 years too. It's great that we have cow milk and organized farming and antibiotics and can just buy everything that we need. But the amount of chemicals we absorb and ingest is a real problem, not because any of these advancements or chemicals is bad but because of the amount we expose ourselves to without even thinking about it. We all know that taking antibiotics too much builds a resistance and requires stronger drugs in the future. The government should be regulating these things to keep us safe...but we don't want the government making decisions for us....UGH some people don't realize how contradictory they are. We need to regulate these things ourselves. I'm not saying that the government is or should stay out of these issues, there are subsidies that I personally find completely ridiculous but we'll not go into that. What I am saying is where we spend our money matters. And we need to think about it more. We need to decide how much of our money we spend in local businesses, what kind of products are acceptable to use/consume. I would never call myself a "patriot", I really don't have strong feelings about country loyalty, what I do have strong feelings about is logical economics. I can't expect there to be good jobs in my community, state, or even country if everything that I purchase is made or produced in other countries. who's safety regulations are going to be different from the USA by the way.

I stumbled across a website that listed the ingredients of beauty products and the toxicity or safety of each chemical and links to more information about the how and whys about it's connection with endocrine disruption (which includes reproductive/developmental disorders and thyroid disruption) or cancers or any number of other issues. Some things I'm entirely not concerned about like allergic reactions and that kind of stuff, it's good to know but I'm not going to stop buying products I like because there are people that have allergic reactions to using it. I do on the other had have a problem with my shampoo messing with my body's ability to regulate my hormones. Especially since I am growing a little fetus right now, anything that could cause developmental disorders is a big deal to me. So now anything with -parabean I don't use. Even fragrances is a tricky phrase because companies don't release the specifics but they can contain phthalates or other toxic/harmful chemicals. I'm not going to be getting all fragrance free products but I will be taking that into consideration when it comes to how many added fragrance products I use.
The way I see it there are plenty of other times that I am exposed to possible endocrine disrupters; in plastics in pesticides, etc that I should limit these things what I am intentionally putting on mu body whether it's in lotions, make-up, or cleaning products.
People wonder why so many more babies are born with physical or mental developmental disorders, well take a look around and think about how the world has changed. The way we use chemicals (hair, nails, make-up, food), the way we interact with each other (teaching social interaction instead of just letting our kids figure it out on their own), the way we handle problems (feel something unpleasant? we've got a medication for that). While I agree that finding cures for ailments is worthy of our time and attention, we can not neglect the cause of each ailment. Benjamin Franklin said it best when he said "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

Sometimes we don't know where we are going until we get there.

{End Rant} :)

Candied Almonds

We got some candied almonds last year at Christmas time and when it started getting close this year i decided we needed to have more so I made my own.

3c almonds
 3/4 c sugar
 1 1/2T cinnamon
 1/4 t salt
 1/4t dutch processed baking cocoa
 1/4 c water

 Combine all ingredients except almonds in a large skillet, turn on heat to med-hi heat. Add almonds and stir til it starts to crystilize (about 10minutes), cool on wax paper or a cookie sheet.

Brussel sprout salad

I never once had brussel sprouts when I was growing up. Honestly I was afraid to try them as an adult. I mean really who do you know that raves about brussel sprouts? We'll these brussel sprouts are great! How could they not be fantastic, they are cooked with BACON!  I've made these too many times to count this past year. We'll eat them with eggs at breakfast or as a side dish at dinner. They even reheat well.

Brussel Sprout Salad

-3 slices of bacon
-1lb brussel sprouts, cored and shredded
-red onion, sliced thin, about 1/4 cup worth
-sea salt and pepper

Slice bacon into bite size pieces and place in a large skillet. Cook on med-hi heat for a minute or two then add the sliced up brussel sprouts and onion. sprinkle with some salt and pepper.
Cover and stir occasionally until the sprouts are tender but still nicely green, 5-10 minutes. Squirt a bit of lemon juice on top just before serving.

Optional toppings add a handful of toasted almonds or parmesan cheese.

Peach Cobbler

Another Autumn favorite. I just love cinnamon, the smell, the flavor, it's just so good.

Peach mix:
Drain 1 large can of peaches and put in a 6 cup pyrex rectangle (reserve 1cup of juice)
In a sauce pan combine your 1 cup peach juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a dash of cloves
a dash of nutmeg
Bring to boil and slowly pour in cornstarch mix (2T cornstarch mixed with about 1/4 cup Cold water)
Cook for 2-3 minutes until it thickens a bit. Pour over the peaches.

Crust:
either use a can of refrigerated buscuit dough or
mix together 1-1/4 cup flour,
2T sugar
1-1/2tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Cut in 1/4 cup softened margarine
Stir in 1 beaten egg and 1/4 cup milk

Knead on a floured counter top until it isn't sticking any more. Roll it out to the size of your pan and put on top of the peaches.

Bake at 400'  for 15-20 minutes

Lasagna

This is my favorite way to have lasagna. It freezes well and even with the two of us we are happy to eat the leftovers for lunches.

1/2lb browned 80/20 ground beef
14.5 oz can diced garlic and onion tomatoes
4oz tomato sauce (or other veggie puree like squash)
season to taste (these amounts are just guesses)
1/2t garlic powder
1/2t salt
1/2t pepper
1/2t onion powder
1t oregano
2t parsley
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles
approximately 2 cups cheddar cheese and 2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb cottage cheese, small curd


Brown 1lb of hamburger  letting half of it cool and store in the fridge for another dinner.
Mix 1/2lb browned ground beef with diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings.
pour a little of the tomato mixture on the bottom of a 2.75qt glass Pyrex rectangle. Layer on 3 or 4 uncooked noodles, breaking to make them fit. Scoop on a nice even layer on cottage cheese then a layer of the beef tomato sauce then the cheddar and mozzarella cheese. Continue to layer like this until you have three layers of noodles topped with sauce and cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 90 minutes at 350'
Remove the foil and broil for about 2 minutes to get the top cheese lightly browned.
Allow it to cool for 10 -15 minutes if you want it to stay in a nice pretty stack when you try and put it on your plate.

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin cookies are a must have for fall. Here is my go to recipe that never disappoints.


Pumpkin Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1tsp milk
2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips



Bake at 375 for 10 minutes
They will not look 'done' but I promise they are, just let them cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before using that spatula to get them off.

Crepes

So super easy. My husband was mad that it took like 3 years of living together before I made them. We had them fairly regularly growing up so it just seemed like a normal to me but he was amazed. Couple things to know about making crepes; 1)make them in a glass bowl it just turns out better but don't ask me why 2)if you mix it up and let it just sit in the fridge 12-24 hours it honestly tastes better when you cook them, again I'm not sure why but it truly makes a difference.

Crepes
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla

whisk everything together in a glass bowl and cover/put a lid on it, leave it in the fridge overnight and make them in the morning. Get out that small 6" pan that comes in all pan sets and spray or melt a little butter over medium heat. Pour in 1/4cup of the mixture and tip/roll the pan around so that you have a nice super thin layer. leave it on the heat for a minute or two just until it cooks enough to slide around the pan when you shake it. Now pretend you are a skilled short order cook and use your wrist to flip the crepe into the air to turn it (spatulas just don't work well trust me) You'll get good at this after making the dozen you'll devour, each hot off the grill rolled up with just a bit of butter and sprinkled with powdered sugar...or jam, or fruit and whip cream.
So yummy.

Lime cooler cookies

I love lime...and lemon, this works equally well with lemon. I especially like making them in the winter time. They are like little buttery citrus cookies.

Cookie Dough
2 cups butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 c cornstarch
2 T lime zest (i use the small holes of a cheese grater, only get the colored stuff if you get too deep into the white it starts to get bitter)
sugar

Lime Glaze
1 c powdered sugar
2 T lime juice

Beat everything up together. Shape dough into 3/4 in balls, place 2" apart on the cookie sheet. Press bottom of glass into dough then dip into sugar, press balls to 1/4" thick.
Bake 10 minutes at 325'F
cool completely (30 minutes)

Mix together powdered sugar and lime juice into a not too smooth glaze. spread glaze over cookies. Allow the glaze to firm up and you can stack the cookies together.
Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Fruit Salad with honey lime chia seed dressing

You can really use any fruit that you like but here's what I did.
about 4 cups diced fruit - 1 small granny smith apple, strawberries, pineapple, purple grapes
1/2 of a large lime juiced
1 big scoop honey (about 1-1/2 Tbsp i'd say)
1 Tbsp chia seeds

Dice up your fruit into nice little chunks and put in a bowl. In another bowl stir up the lime juice, honey and chia seeds, pour over fruit and toss together. You have no idea what you are missing, this is the BEST fruit salad dressing and so healthy!

Chia seeds are loaded with Omega-3 as well as a fair amount of omega-6 and since it's a seed obviously it has tons of fiber. (FYI: 1oz of chia seeds is about 2 Tbsp) I love to put chia seeds in my smoothies and I have a fantastic recipe for raspberry "jam" that takes 5 minutes to make and has no added pectin. Check it out here