Peanut Butter No Bake Ice Cream

Yeah, you read that right and yes, I know ice cream isn't typically baked.  When I am referring to no bake here, I am talking about the hubby's favorite cookie, No Bakes that I mentioned in my Cookbook Memories post.  After a disappointing run on Saturday, he asked for them, and I was happy to oblige. It was a nice treat and is so easy to whip up that it's a quick dessert.  But by Sunday, we were ready to use them up and stop tempting hubby every time he walked by the bin of them.  Add that to the fact that I was stressing out and craving ice cream and Peanut Butter No Bake Ice Cream was born!  I decided to make a peanut butter ice cream base and then chop the remaining two no bakes into small pieces and mix in at the end.

Ready to go!  So, before I put it into the ice cream machine, I made the ice cream base by blending it in the vitamix.  I almost let it mix too well and it started to thicken in there because of the heavy cream.  Oops!  So, just a few whirrs of the blended and then pour into your ice cream maker.  If you don't have a maker, I would imagine you could freeze in a bowl and just stir it often.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Base

• 1 c peanut butter


• 1/2 c sugar


• 1 cup heavy cream


• 2 1/2 c milk (I used skim because that's what we had, but any kind would likely work)


• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Once it was almost frozen, I added the no bake pieces.  All that was left after that was to eat it.  Wow, tough job!

So, the next time you're feeling down, remember, ice cream cures A LOT of things!!

 

Layered Chocolate Donut

We are blessed to have a great neighbors in our neighborhood.  I mean, there are also the ones that I think every neighborhood has.  The ones who make you a little crazy and you have to just sometimes shake your head, but, luckily, the good ones make up for the crazy people.  Our next door neighbors are great.  We have similar philosophies on growing food, and sharing back and forth a variety of things; beer, eggs, vegetables and even gardening equipment.  We're glad they're our neighbors.:)  So, after being given 4 dozen of eggs over the past few weeks, in addition to some homemade rye beer he made, I thought it would be nice to deliver a treat to them.  I sent over a large bag of our swiss chard from the garden, and that's nice and all, but who doesn't want some chocolate in their life?  So, first I had decided to make muffins.  But what kind?  Blueberry?  Maybe.  But that was a little so-so.  And then I found a recipe that made up my mind.  From Two Peas and Their Pod I found a Chocolate Chip Muffins that was it.  Perfect.  With one change.  I made mine into donuts.  It made 12 donuts and they looked nice.  But this was a thank you for being a great neighbor kind of baked good.  It needed something more.  Glaze.  That's what it needed.  So, I set to work, melting chocolate, melting butter and then carefully dipped each donut into the yumminess.  For the glaze, I used a little less than 1/2 cup of chocolate chips blended with a tablespoon and a half of melted butter.  Dip the cooled donuts in and let set until cool.

Don't you wish we were neighbors?

 

Only a few more days now...

I am stressing.  Seriously stressing about my race on Saturday.  I'm grumpy and irritable on top of that because I just am.  I love being a child care provider, but at times the unpredictability of it can bring out the negative in me.  But I am working hard to stay positive.  At least I had a good run last night and actually for real made dinner and dessert.  Not that I don't usually make dinner but this was a whole-hearted effort on my part to make something that the hubby isn't a fan of into a favorite - which for this meal was couscous.  Guess what?  I did it.  He loved this meal. 

It's a healthy meal too, and didn't take a lot of prep time on my part.  I did make it easier on myself by having roasted chicken cooked and frozen and ready to go once thawed.  I like to roast a chicken a few times a month to have chicken ready to go in the freezer with the added bonus of stock that I freeze separately so it can be used with or without the chicken.  So, after taking that out of the freezer, I assessed what other veggies I had that were complementary to each other and here's what I came up with...

Chicken & Veggie Couscous Bake

• 2 cups of cooked couscous - I used plain but flavored would be okay too


• 1 cup of cooked and shredded chicken


• 4 medium carrots, diced


• 1/2 medium onion, diced


• 1 c shredded zucchini


• 1 c white mushrooms


• 1/2 c shiitake mushrooms


• 1/4 c roasted cherry tomatoes, I had these on hand from some I made a bit ago, but any type of tomato should work, even fresh.


• 1 T minced garlic


• 1 t salt


• 1/2 t cumin


• 1/4 t hot-shot (red and black pepper blend)


• 1 T Kickin' Chicken seasoning blend


• 2 T butter, olive oil would work also

I sautéed the veggies and spices until everything was crisp but cooked, and then I added the chicken and cooked all of it through and let it thicken a bit.  I then layered the chicken veggie mixture with the cooked couscous in individual ramekins and cooked for about 20 minutes at 325.  Just enough to let the flavors settle into each other.

To serve, flip ramekin onto serving dish to retain molding effect.  Not necessary but it looks nice!

He said he thought it lacked heat, but this is coming from the man that a Chinese restaurant we frequented dubbed "dragon mouth" so take his suggestion to add heat lightly.  I thought it was perfect.  I love tasting the veggies and being able to identify each component without too much spice to kill the flavor.

So, then, I went just above and beyond.  I mean, shortbread is awesome just being shortbread but then to make it into Nutella shortbread?  What?  I will confess that I made them because of the hubby's current addiction to Nutella but I have had more than my share of those little gems.  They are just so good, it's like you can't walk by the counter without sneaking one out of the container!

Nutella Shortbread Squares

• 1 c butter, softened


• 1/2 c packed brown sugar


• 1/2 c Nutella


• 1 t vanilla


• 2 c flour


• 1/4 t salt

Start by creaming sugar, butter and Nutella.  Add in vanilla once everything's incorporated well.  Mix flour and salt into butter mixture and blend. At this point you could roll the dough out and cut shapes for a more consistent shape.  Instead of that, I pressed the mixture into a 9 X 13 pan and pricked the tops with a toothpick all over to prevent puffing.  I baked in a preheated 300 oven for about 25 minutes.  Once removed from the oven, I scored the cut lines gently and let it cool.  Once cooled, I cut into squares and enjoyed that first pop of heavenly chocolate hazelnut flavor in my mouth. If I make these again - wait, who am I kidding, when I make these again, I'd like to add some cocoa for depth and maybe some chopped hazelnuts on top for crunch.

Nutella is truly a wonderful thing!

 

Oatmeal Bars

Hello, Monday!  And it's raining too?  Oh, and almost the end of April and it's calling for snow showers?  Of course it is.  Well, you can do whatever you want outside, because we are cozying up in here!  We're putting our Monday routine on hold and watching a movie wrapped up in our blankets and cuddling.  These are the days that I love what I do more than anything else.  Spending time with kids reminds you to appreciate the little things like a movie on a rainy Monday morning.  Even if you've seen the movie what seems like a thousand times.  It's never old for them.  :)  But first, we're having some oatmeal bars.  Yummy, healthy and easy for little hands to handle?  Great recipe!!



I adapted this from my baked oatmeal bars, and I used some leftover Better Oats oatmeal I had hanging around that my kids didn't get to over the winter. It could be adapted without it but you'd need a bit more sugar I think.

Oatmeal Bars Recipe

Preheat oven to 350

• 2 packets oatmeal, any flavor really.  I used maple and brown sugar


• 3 1/4 c quick cooking oats


• 1 1/2 c flour


• 3/4 c brown sugar (could use up to a cup if not adding instant oatmeal)


• 1/2 t salt


• 1/2 c applesauce


• 1/2 c oil


• 2 eggs


• Optional - add dried fruit.  I added cranberries, but raisins, currants, anything would work.  If you leave it out, consider adding some cinnamon for flavor.

Mix all ingredients together.  Spread into a greased 9 X 13 baking pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool for a few minutes and then cut and serve.

You don't need a rainy, chilly Monday to enjoy these bars, but if you do have one of those days, these are the prefect antidote.

A Tale of Dinner

Really, these dinners couldn't be more different except that they were both delicious!  I thought of giving each dinner it's own glory, but sharing is an important skill, so they will need to play nicely.  Can you tell that I am a preschool teacher/referee?  It just can't be contained, I guess.  Last week, I went menuless.  I know that's not a word, but still, you know what I mean.  One whole week without a plan of what to make when?  I mean, how was I supposed to figure this out? Every time I started to work on one, something happened.  It was just a week of interruptions and paperwork.  The boy's 11th grade homeschool evaluation is coming up in a week and I needed get all of my files in order, go through his assignments, find any missing books for the list; you get the idea.  Gotta love that paperwork.

On top of that - the marathon is in ONE week.  How am I supposed to concentrate on menus when I know that I'll soon be running 26.2 miles, and I have not one person to blame but me!?!  Or, I could just blame the hubby because he says that every bad decision I make or don't like the result of I blame on him.  I don't know what he's talking about, but I will say that he is the one who showed me this marathon when I must have been at my absolute weakest and I couldn't help myself except to register.  It just can't be my fault I decided to torture myself in this way, can it?  I just can't decide if I'm talking myself into running it or out of running it most of the time.  Some days it's both.  Today?  Well, let's just move on to the food.

Anyway - dinner each day this week was planned something like this:

Hubby - "What's for dinner?"

Me - "I don't know.  What do you want?"

Hubby - "Ugh.  Do I have to decide every night?"

Me - "We could have spaghetti.  Oh no, we just had pasta.  We could have tuna melts?  Oh no, we just had something similar to that.  We could have burgers.  Oh wait, I didn't make buns..."

Hubby - "Can you decide what we do have, can make and haven't just had before you tell me and make me hungry for something we don't have?"

Me - "Grumble, grumble, grumble (sometimes under my breath)"

At which point I usually come up with something that works. I don't know if I've worn him down and he'll accept anything at that point or if he just really likes what I come up with.

Which on  Thursday night was a meal from my childhood - Boiled shrimp, Steamed Swiss Chard, Baked Sweet Potato & Hushpuppies



It was a great, put together at the last minute meal.  And a good reminder that good food doesn't have to take a long time and is almost always quicker than take out.  Not that we don't still enjoy some take out from time to time, but when you can eat like this...why do it all the time?

Friday night we were out running some errands and I talked the hubby into going to our favorite Mexican restaurant.  And by talked into, I mean that I was getting grouchy because I was hungry and he wanted to salvage the evening.  I think I'm learning...

So, we went and had wonderful food as always!  My favorite there is the Pineapple Chicken Fajitas.  I love them so much and so does hubby.  He's a Shrimp Enchiladas kind of guy there but he even said that next time he thinks he's ordering the fajitas.  They bring it out, hot, sizzling and steaming in a hollowed out pineapple shell.   Excuse my droid's photo quality, but you get the idea...



So, tonight we decided that we'd like to have the Pineapple Chicken Fajitas again..so we did.  I made them at home and they tasted pretty close.  I cheated and used taco seasoning blend but I wasn't sure of the components of their seasonings and thought it was a good place to start.



As far as a recipe...pretty simple.

Pineapple Chicken Fajitas

• 2 large chicken breasts, cubed


• 1 c  fresh pineapple chunks, canned should work as well


• 1/2 c pepper strips


• 1/2 c diced onions


• 1-2 T taco seasoning


• Oil for frying


• Warmed Tortilla shells


• Any toppings you might want

Cook chicken sprinkled with taco seasoning in frying pan over medium-high heat.  Once cooked, add pineapple, peppers and onions and cook until vegetables are tender.  Spoon onto warmed tortilla shells and add any toppings you like.

Now, I better go and work on next week's menu... :)

Coconut Muffins with Banana Butter

You ever just have an idea so fantastic you have to wonder if it will actually work?  Well, I do all the time, and so far I'm about 50/50.  :)  But this time I won the lottery...cause it's a great combo of recipes.  Just thinking, a coconut muffin with smooth banana butter on top and the whole thing is pretty healthy?  I think that sounds a lot like winning the lottery.

First, I made coconut muffins.  I was going to make coconut cupcakes for Easter and it didn't happen.  But, I still had all the supplies on hand so I was determined to try something healthier that had the delicious coconut scent and taste.  And, coconut muffins were born!



Coconut Muffins - makes 10-12

• 2 cups flour


• 1/3 cup sugar


• 3 t baking powder


• 1/4 t salt


• 1 15 oz can of unsweetened coconut milk


• 1 egg


• 1/4 c oil


• 3 T coconut oil


• 1 1/2 t coconut extract


• 1/3 c shredded unsweetened coconut (If you use sweetened, you might want to cut back on the sugar unless you want a sweeter muffin)

Combine all ingredients except coconut and mix until smooth, but don't overmix, and then add coconut and gently incorporate into batter.  Fill greased or lined muffin tins about 2/3 full and bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes, or until browned.



Banana Butter

• 2 ripe bananas


• 1 tsp lemon juice


• 1/3 c sugar


• dash or two of cinnamon

I used my vitamix to blend together all the ingredients, but any mixer or blender would work.  Once everything was smooth, I put in a saucepan and brought to a gentle boil.  I stirred constantly until the color changes to a golden color.  Cook a few minutes longer and then remove from heat to let cool and thicken.  Serve with muffins, or would make a great ice cream topping too!

 

[caption id="attachment_578" align="aligncenter" width="719" caption="Too much deliciousness I guess. It lasted about 20 minutes!"][/caption]

 

 

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes and Biggest Loser - wait, what??

I think I've mentioned over the course of the past year or so that my hubby is a fan of snickerdoodles.  The snickerdoodle cookie sandwiches were a major hit around here and I was determined to make something even better.  (I know, I have a type A personality, it's a blessing and a curse.  Always looking to improve things is good example of that dilemma!)  Last night I was in the mood for cake.  But I told hubby that I wanted something out of the ordinary, not peanut butter, not chocolate, but something we don't have all of the time.  Then it hit me - well, first I actually was thinking something like caramel pecan cupcakes which I decided to just tuck away and figure out a recipe for another day - but, then it hit me - snickerdoodle cupcakes.

I knew hubby would approve so while Biggest Loser started in the background - anyone else see the irony of that??? - I set to work.  While I'm mentioning Biggest Loser, let me mention that I think this is the first season that I don't care who wins cause this season just sucks.  Big time.  They have effectively ruined my longest standing favorite show.  At least I now have Grimm which I faithfully sit and wait for every Friday night.  I know it's over the top, never could happen in real life sort of stuff and I guess that's why I love it.  I'm odd like that.

Anyway - back to the cupcakes!  I found a few recipes online and ended up morphing them into one.  The one I most closely used was Brown Eyed Baker's recipe.  I think she has the same sort of obsession with snickerdoodles that my husband does because she has more than one version of snickerdoodle goodies on her blog.  :)  A nice resource to be sure!!  And I only changed a bit here and there...swapped skim for the whole milk and cut the sugar back by about 1/4 cup.  It's a great recipe and I wouldn't expect any less!

So here's what I came up with...



Are you hungry?  Good thing, cause they're tasty little cupcakes!

I made a cinnamon cream cheese frosting only because we have a serious love for cream cheese frosting.  We did debate about vanilla vs cream cheese and of course cream cheese won!  (Insert appropriate shocked face here)  I don't really have a recipe for frosting.  I used softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and added dribbles of cream until I got the consistency I wanted.  Then I added a dash of cinnamon and my frosting was ready!

The cupcakes were a bit more involved, but not much!  I hope you have a chance to enjoy them soon!  I sent some in with the hubby at work last night just to avoid as much temptation as possible around here.  I know we run and bike a lot but the baking still can wreak some havoc on a figure :)

Happy Wednesday everyone!

 

 

 

Off to a Good Start

You ever have a Monday that just feels so good it's hard to believe it's Monday?  That was my day yesterday.  I mean, it was just a GOOD day.  I love those.  I wonder if sometimes it's my approach to the day because I just started the day feeling good and that's how it went.  Only bad part of my day was one of those good/bad things.  My hubby works the night shift and he sleeps all day.  Well, usually he does if things go according to plan...yesterday was not one of those plan days.  But it meant that I had a reason to make lunch for me!  Usually I am a pb&j or larabar kind of person when lunch comes around.  I'm just so thankful that the kids all lay down for a bit of quiet time that I don't want to spend my whole "lunch break" making and eating lunch.  However, when the hubby's up, I like to at least make lunch worth him losing sleep.  So,  I made a white pizza.  And not just a white pizza but a white pizza with tomatoes and spinach on it.  Can you say yummy?  Cause it completely was.



I mean, what a beautiful pizza!! I made a basic pizza crust and then topped it with ricotta cheese, minced garlic, sa few sprinkles of Italian seasoning salt and then fresh grated Parmesan and Mozzarella on top of all of that.  I had to add some fresh spinach and halved cherry tomatoes to finish it out.  It smelled so good while it was baking I couldn't wait.  It was completely worth it.  So, I was able to share some extra time with the hubby as well as justify a beautiful lunch like that for both of us.  The bonus?  My pizza recipe makes two crusts so the daycare kiddos had fresh pizza today and I only had to make dough once!  Yay for me!  Okay, okay, yay for them too, they were pretty excited.

To make the day better, I headed out in the evening for my new Monday night women's cycling group and did about 27 miles on the road bike.  So much fun!  It was my first time ever riding on the roads alone to get to the group meet up (usually I drive there) and I was beyond proud of myself for just getting out there!  I am a little timid on the roads but quickly overcoming it.  Riding with a group has been a big help to my riding.  I'm looking forward to more Monday night rides and just getting even more comfortable on two wheels.  It was so hot that riding was preferable to running and I felt good about accomplishing it.  Our plan is to do more local rides to get groceries, etc and I need to be completely at ease for that to happen.

I love weeks that start with so much good that you just know it's going to be a that kind of week.  My little sister got a job which was great news, and that means I get to spend more time with my niece and nephew in the mornings before they get on the bus so I'm excited.  I love that I can have that time with them and I know she's relieved to have found work after she's been looking for so long.  See, it really was a fantastic day?

And Tuesday wasn't too bad either...I made some brown rice pudding that was pretty awesome.



Super simple too!  Mix 2 cups of leftover rice, it doesn't have to be brown rice, that's just what I happened to have.  Mix with 2 cups of milk, or do like I did and use some delicious homemade almond milk.  Add a few dashes of ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup sugar and bring to a gentle boil.  Simmer for about 20-25 minutes until it's thickening and the liquid is mostly absorbed.  Let it sit and cool for about 10 minutes before serving.  You could add raisins if you like, but I didn't have any on hand.

Here's to a beautiful Wednesday tomorrow to keep this wonderful week rolling along... I hope your week is going well and that you can find the beauty in your days!

Apple Crisp Ala Mode

I love ice cream...there is just something about it.  I think I could eat it every day and never get tired of it.  One problem.  Milk and I?  Not friends.  So, I have enjoyed ice cream fully knowing that I would pay for it later with stomach pain and still, I ate it.  Crazy?  Yep.  I have a problem.  But, last year, we broke down and bought a Cuisinart Ice Cream machine.  Best purchase in a long time.  I made almond milk ice cream to my heart's content and enjoyed every bite!  Yet, part of me still yearned for the real deal.  :(  But this year...we are buying our milk and cream from a local dairy and they have their own ice cream.  I wondered...would it make me sick?  And even if it would, I had to try it.  Guess what?  Not sick at all.  Hmmm.  I wonder if the overly processed stuff just couldn't compete in terms of quality.  So, I decided to make some ice cream with their milk and cream and still no sickness.  Let me tell you, I am in heaven now.  Fresh, creamy ice cream at the drop of a hat and it tastes so good!!

So, what happens when you take this?



And a little of this?

 



Well, it becomes this of course!

 



I am a huge fan of our creamery milk.  Especially when I sit down to a dessert like this.  I would have never thought that changes in our diet would allow for wonderful foods like this to be friends again.  What a bonus!

So, my recipes are pretty basic.

Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups cream, preferably grass fed, organic

2 cups milk, preferably grass fed, organic

1 - 2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar, preferably organic

Mix with a whisk until sugar is dissolved and put in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions.

 

Apple Crisp

4-5 apples, cored, sliced and peeled, organic if possible

2 T butter

1 1/2 cup oats

1 t cinnamon

2-3 T sugar, preferably organic

Mix all ingredients except apples and cut butter into dry ingredients.  Toss apples into mixture and put into a greased pie pan or shallow baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

 

Easy recipes but what a wonderful taste.  I couldn't wait for leftovers!

Comfort Food? Check!

Sometimes life just starts to get the best of you.  It becomes overwhelming to the point where you feel suffocated - afraid to do anything because it seems like nothing is working.  Luckily for me when I feel like that I am blessed with a sister who's always there to listen and a husband who understands that I'm not insane, just need some time to feel like it and then I can get back to normal.  The last few weeks have felt like walking through a fog.  The motions were there, the intent was there but my heart was missing.  It's funny, as I was struggling through another day yesterday I read a quote that made me really pay attention.  I can't find the actual quote now that I want to find it but it essentially said that if you can't put your heart into what you're doing, then it's worthless to be doing it.  Wow.  Like a splash of cold water to the face I woke up and started to really think.  What was I doing?  Was I doing anyone any good just pretending to be okay?  So I prayed and thanked God for the millionth time that I am blessed with the life I have, and thought about each word and meant it from my heart.  I truly felt the fog lifting around my heart and was more thankful than I'd been even a moment before!  What does this have to do with comfort food?  Everything.

Comfort food is food that comforts us.  It's a dish that reminds us of love, whether it's a dish at a restaurant that holds memories or something that was made by a relative for you as a child.  Whatever it is, you feel loved when you eat it.  It means something to you.  And when I was struggling through, heartless (for lack of a better word)  I am not sure how much comfort was felt through my foods for my family.  They were healthy, homemade and sustained them, but there is more - there should be more - to the foods we create and nourish our bodies with.  So, what did I make today?  Comfort food at it's finest!  Sausage, Kale and Potato soup as well as Homemade Cherry Pie for my awesome hubby.



Soup is always a comfort food.  There's something about a steaming bowl of it that just takes the warmth of love and wraps you up in it.  Another plus to this soup?  It reminds me of Olive Garden where so many of the hubby and I's dates.  It's all good memories.  And the cherry pie?  Well, it's only the hubby's FAVORITE dessert ever.  Before lava cakes, brownies, no bake cookies...all of it pales in comparison to cherry pie.  But this pie is even more special.  It is the first, yep, you read that right, the first ever truly homemade pie for me. Not only did I make the filling from scratch (super easy!) but I also made a lattice top crust. I was determined to come back with a bang!



So, if you ever start feeling like nobody cares what you're doing remember that you always matter to the people around you, and they care more than you know!  Be thankful for the little things in your life and don't let the stresses start to overwhelm you.  Here's to cooking with love and lots of heart!

Carrot Cake Cookies

Ever have a craving for something and just not enough time to make it?  In the past, a craving like this would have sent me to the store in search of whatever it was but not this time.  I really was craving some carrot cake and then it came to me...carrot cake in the form of a cookie!  How simple, and easy and, well, quick.  So, I did a quick search and found a recipe that looked perfect at Very Culinary.  So, I set to work and the batter was so yummy that I almost stopped right there and didn't bother with the baking.  But, of course, I did bake them and it was a delicious, chewy but tender cookie and you could really taste the carrot, which I loved.  The only change I made this time was the omission of raisins since the hubby doesn't like them and one change I wished I'd made was to add some chopped walnuts.  I will definitely do that next time and I'm thinking of trying some dried cranberries in it too.  Time for some experimenting!

I also didn't make them into sandwiches, instead choosing to top them off with that wonderfully sweet tart cream cheese frosting (and my ode to the missing walnut!)  The perfect bite sized dessert and I didn't have to wait 45 minutes of baking and another 45 minutes of cooling to enjoy it!

Homemade Chocolate Pecan Spread

I love nutella.  My son loves nutella.  My husband had never had nutella.  Huh?  Really.  Hmmm.  Well, there was a little left in the container, so I figured I'd let him try it and, of course, he loved it.  I then told him we were out of it so there was no more but promised to get more.  That was 3 days ago and I've not been back to the store so no nutella.  Yesterday he asked for some toast with nutella and I had to tell him that I still hadn't gotten any.  Insert a lousy feeling here, cause that's how I felt.  Lousy.  I know, I expect too much from myself but I was upset that I'd not been able to make time to get some even though I had gone out to go bike riding with a group of ladies and left him at home for what seems like the zillionth time.  I know he doesn't really care, but I do.  Is anyone else like that?  So, this morning, he was saying how he'd sure like some nutella.  Yeah, he's the guy who likes to tease...and so, knowing I didn't have any, he didn't really expect it, but he should know me better than that!  I tossed some dark chocolate chips and some pecans with a little sesame oil in my vitamix and voila!  a spread was born.  It certainly wasn't a smooth as nutella but it was tasty!  I wish I had thought to snap a pic, but trust me, it looked good!  Little bits of pecan among the chocolate all melting on a warm piece of homemade toast.  I want a slice right now actually!

I wanted to share with all of you because it's important to remember to experiment, try something new and never be afraid to give something a try!  I love tossing things together and seeing what happens.  And you better believe that I will be working on perfecting that recipe and then I WILL be sharing photos and an actual recipe.  It's now on the to-do list.  I'm thinking of making it more of a mixed nuts kind of spread because I love all of the nuts too much to leave one out.  :)  And, by making it myself, I know exactly how it's made and what goes into it - both points that make me very happy!

So, what do you buy that you could totally make yourself with a little creativity or imagination?  I'd love to know!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Carob Chips

I am not sure why I've never thought of this before because we love peanut butter and love oatmeal cookies but together?  Huh.  Just never thought of it.  But then, I was trying to think of something different to do as a sweet treat - not a dessert but something to satisfy that occasional sweet tooth for us and the daycare kiddos and came across this recipe.  I was shocked at how much sugar was being called for and almost didn't make the recipe, but then I decided to get to work doctoring it up and making it a bit healthier.

And while I was mixing I had a flash of inspiration to add in some carob chips for good measure.  I did split the batch up - half with and half without chips in case it was a disaster.  I can tell you, it wasn't.  But either side of the plate was good so we didn't mind.



Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies, inspired by Allrecipes (and of course all ingredients that I use are organic, but that's up to you)

1/2 c  shortening

1/2 c butter, softened

3/4 c packed  brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

1 c peanut butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 c flour

2 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 c quick cooking oats

Cream butter, shortening, peanut butter and sugars.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one.  In separate bowl mix flour, salt, baking powder and oats and add to the butter mixture.  Mix well.  If you like you can add chocolate chips at this point.  Drop by teaspoonfuls and bake for 10-12 minutes in a preheated 350 oven.

 

 

Easter Sunday Thoughts and Reflections

[caption id="attachment_543" align="aligncenter" width="441" caption="Such cute cookies!"][/caption]

I feel like life is just too busy sometimes.  I had to actually sit down and cry the other day because I just felt that overwhelmed.  I hope I am not the only person who does this.  I am sure that in these moments my husband must think he's married a babbling idiot, but I just felt like I was just a failure because I had a to-do list taller than me and I had neither the time or, let's be honest, inclination to make it all happen.  So I cried.  Felt a little better.  So, then I cried some more.  Still didn't feel like myself but at least I was on the right path.  Holidays tend to do this to me, and I know I'm not alone there.  This was an even more special holiday because I wasn't the one hosting the meal.  My little sis and her family just moved into their new house two miles down the road and she was excited to do Easter dinner.  And I was excited for her.  I chose a few dishes I really wanted to make and we were all set.  Except that my dishes didn't work out so well.  I bought all the ingredients for my coconut cupcakes and egg custard pie, and then, I bought them.  Yep.  Me, the homemade, "do everything I can myself" blogger bought dessert.  Something had to give and the day that baking sends me to tears is not a good day to bake.  Nothing good would come of that.  I consoled myself with the fact that I was still making my scalloped potatoes, a dish that's tried and true, as well as fruit salad.  Easy as can be, right, and hard to screw up?  No.  Not even close.  I screwed them up. How?  I don't know.  I baked the potatoes as long as I always do, put them in the fridge overnight, and then popped them back in the oven while I ran for an hour to get them evenly heated up.  And some of the potatoes were RAW.  Crunchy, starchy, and raw.  I was so upset.  Or maybe it was complete embarrassment?  Whichever it was, I wish I'd bought them too.  Oh, yes, and my fruit salad?  Half frozen.  I was having trouble finding fresh organic fruit for everything I wanted so used a frozen organic triple berry blend and thought it would thaw much quicker than it did.  Oh well, I guess it will go well in our smoothies in the coming days.  But, I still loved being with my family.  I loved seeing my father and his wife.  I loved seeing my daughter (who looked completely beautiful!) with her boyfriend.  And I was reminded of how wonderful it is to have my sister and her family so nearby now.  We are so close and having her a half hour away was okay but it's so nice to go on a run by her house and just know she's right there.  Lovely.  Having my husband and my son there with me and all of us together just enjoying the day mostly made up for my failures in the kitchen this weekend.   My life is a wonderful one, even when it is a mess of plans and that ever ticking clock of the calendar with schedules, appointments and whatever else makes us crazy.  And how could you possibly have a bad day looking at these cookies my sister and her kids made?

[caption id="attachment_544" align="aligncenter" width="405" caption="My favorites...the opposite carrot twins. :)"][/caption]

I thought they did a great job and have to say that I've never ventured into the world of royal icing so maybe it's time they showed me a thing or two.  I love those kids and I love that my sister is one awesome mama.  I'm glad she's in my life.

So, no pics or recipes of anything I've made.  You don't want that, seriously.  I have to break out of this funk that I've been in and get back to creating some food love in the kitchen.  Tomorrow is my last day off and I think I've got a day of puttering around the house planned along with some cooking...  It's going to be a long hours kind of busy week with parent conferences so I will be sure to really enjoy my day!

Hope you all have a wonderful week.  :)

Chocolate Coconut Donuts

I love making donuts for the daycare kids.  They're always so excited when I saw we're having donuts, and that makes me feel good because I know they'll enjoy it.  But, beyond that, I know that I'm making it fresh for them and that it contains good ingredients.  When I saw this post at Sweet Mornings, I knew that I wanted to give them a try.  We weren't disappointed at all.



They were a wonderful combination of moistness, and then the added texture of the coconut kept it from being a gummy taste that sometimes happen when a batter is too moist.  I didn't really change the recipe at all from the original, so I'll just send you on over there to check it out.  The only swap I made was melted coconut oil in place of the butter, but that's up to you.  I really wanted that coconut taste!  But don't wait long to make them because they are really that wonderful!

Since the hubby isn't a fan of the texture of coconut, but likes the taste, I added two donuts to the pan before adding the coconut just for him.  The taste was still wonderful and because of the coconut oil, it still had that chocolate covered coconut bar all wrapped up in breakfast kind of taste to it.

What a beautiful start to a day!

 

Doing Some Grilling...with a Couscous salad on the side

I love when the weather starts to change and you can just tell that summer is just around the corner.  We've had some pretty summer-days in recent weeks, but this past week was a chilly one.  Enjoying the weather is at a premium after rainy, foggy mornings have been the recent status quo.  So, this morning I headed out on my long run - almost 13 miles - and even though it was a damp morning, the temps were perfect and I started to think about doing some grilling for supper.  When I made it home, I asked the hubby if he was up to bbq chicken and baked sweet potatoes, which I knew would be a yes but then I mentioned cooking up come couscous salad.  He wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about that.  Although he's pretty up for trying my new creations, my last attempt at couscous was a boxed mix about three years ago and it wasn't a success to put it nicely.  So, I've shelved the couscous discussion but couldn't resist buying some from the bulk foods room of our little natural foods store.  I promised he didn't have to eat it if he hated it and did some searching for a recipe, and came across this one.  Perfect!  Just a few tweaks to fit my family like taking out the garbanzo beans because hubby and beans don't get along and taking out the onion since I didn't have any on hand and then adding in some garlic powder and a bit of salt.

I made it about 2 hours before dinner, enough time to head out and do some gardening.  I love that my little garden is coming along so well.  Today I took a brave step and planted rows of organic sweet corn on the bottom of our hillside.  It's an experiment that I'm hoping does well and pays off but if not, it wasn't that hard.  So now my garden includes peas, broccoli, spinach, chard, three kinds of tomatoes, strawberries, carrots, green onions and green beans.  I will try to get some cucumber and squash seeds in the ground before too long but am just not sure of where they're going.  But I'm getting sidetracked....back to the couscous salad!

Here's what awaited us at dinner...

It was perfect and light but filling at the same time.  Hubby thought it was good, but bland so he added some hot sauce.  I don't understand but I don't really try to either.  We don't share palates, that's for sure.  And, just to be sure you're really craving some grill time...



I know, the picture's not my best, but the chicken looked so perfect that I just wanted to share it!

Here's my adapted Couscous Salad Recipe:

1 cup of uncooked couscous cooked according to directions and fluffed

1/2 cup or so of chopped cucumbers

1 chopped tomato

sprinkle of sea salt across salad

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

3-4 sprigs of mint finely chopped

2 T of lemon infused grapeseed oil....this was my answer to the lemon and olive oil combo in the recipe.  You might not have this on hand, I just happened to.

Mix together and let sit for two hours in refrigerator before serving.  I think it could have used an extra hour really, to be well chilled.

Hope you enjoy it!

Sheri

Tropical Almond Meal Muffins

A friend of mine recently headed to the beach on vacation and I had to stay behind.  It is the only explanation I've got for my recent rash of tropical themed smoothies and muffins.  I love coconut, pineapple and any other tropical type of fruit that's available.  Frozen mango has been a big favorite of mine lately and I wish I could put it in everything!  But there is no mango in these muffins.  I restrained myself.  I made these for the daycare kids...they're loving the almond meal breakfasts (see my almond bread post here) and I thought I'd try something different, but similar.  In an attempt to bring some sunshine to our morning, I created a tropical almond muffin.    I did add a bit of flour to get my muffins to rise, but it would work I'm sure to leave it out and adjust things a bit to be gluten free.



I did this pretty loosely, so I apologize.  I was in one of those "dash of this, sprinkle of that" sort of moods.  So, feel free to make adjustments to the batter based on how wet it looks, etc.

Preheat oven to 350 F

2 cups of fresh almond meal strained from my milk

1/2 cup of pineapple tidbits

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup pineapple juice

1/3 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

2 tsp baking soda

Mix all ingredients together and put into greased muffin tins or cups.  I used my silicone muffin liners because I've found that they work well with the heavier batters like the almond meal tends to create.

I baked for about 25 minutes until the muffin center was set and a toothpick came out clean.  I started checking at about 20 minutes though because I didn't want to overcook them.

The kids loved them!  I think every single person had 2 muffins.  I know that's a winner!