Comfort Cooking

Lemon Coconut Poppyseed Scones (Gluten free)

2011-05-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

One of the best gluten free cookbooks is this one from Elana of www.elanaspantry.com. It is the standard almond flour cookbook for many people. Not only are the recipes easy to make, they are delicious and nutritious. I have made the scones in this cookbook previously using orange juice, rind and cranberries - delicious!

Today, for my Bible study brunch, I made Lemon Coconut Poppyseed scones adapted from the Chcolate chip scones in the cookbook. Here is my recipe:

Lemon Coconut Poppyseed Scones

2 3/4 cups almond flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
finely grated rind of one organic lemon
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/3 cup coconut oil (that tastes like coconut)
1/4 cup agave nectar
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Stir the almond flour, salt, soda, rind and poppy seeds together in a mixing bowl. Melt the coconut oil gently, then stir into the oil the agave nectar, lemon juice and 2 eggs. Mix well, then pour over the dry mixture and stir until combined. If the mixture looks too wet - like it won't hold it's shape - then add a tablespoon or two of the almond flour.

Drop on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool and serve.

Makes between 12 and 16 scones.

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

2011-05-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

This spring has been cool here in So. Cal. so our soup season has definitely been extended. A few weeks back I was in the mood for a creamy chicken and veggie soup so I scoured the internet for that "just right" recipe. I came upon this recipe and tweaked it just a bit...and it was a hit! I've made it a few times since then and definitely recommend it for its flavor. I've only used wild rice with it, but have used both canned chicken and rotisserie chicken cut up. Either one worked fine in our house. I found wild rice in the bulk section at Henry's. I'm wondering what could be used to make this creamy besides milk for the non-milk people in my family??? I wonder how nut milk would work? Here's my version:

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

6 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup wild rice (which isn't really rice at all)
1 onion chopped
3-4 garlic cloves chopped or pressed
3 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery ribs, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
chopped up kale or baby spinach
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour (I used a gluten free flour blend and it worked fine)
2 cups light cream or 2 cups milk
3 cups cooked chicken or 3 cups turkey, in pieces
salt and pepper
cheddar cheese

Brown onion in some olive oil and add garlic when the onion is limp.
Bring broth to a boil in a 5-qt.Dutch oven.
Add wild rice, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add carrots, celery and zucchini, cover and simmer until vegetables are crisp tender, about 10 more minutes. You can add whatever combination of veggies you like here.
In a small pan over medium heat, melt butter.
Stir in flour and cook, stirring, until mixture is bubbly.
Remove from heat and gradually stir in cream, then stir in about 1 C. of the broth from soup mixture.
Return to heat and cook, stirring, until sauce is smooth, thick and boiling.
Stir sauce into soup mixture.
Stir in chicken, season to taste with salt and pepper.
Cook until heated through, about 1 more minute.
Serve in bowls with shredded cheddar cheese.

Baby Dutch Babies

2011-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

A while ago I posted a recipe for Dutch Babies (or German Pancakes) which our family thoroughly enjoys. They're kinda an eggy, popover, Yorkshire pudding type of dish - and we love any kind of syrup or the traditional butter/powdered sugar/squeeze of fresh lemon juice topping.

Recently I received an email and they had some pictures of very cute baby Dutch Babies made with their mix and in their pan. I knew I had large muffin pans which I dug out of a cupboard and then found my Multnomah cookbook - published in 1978 when I was working there as the Receptionist. It's Mimi Aldrich's recipe. They turned out very cute and very delicious. We added fresh blueberries and some canadian bacon for our Sunday brunch.

This recipe made 18 baby dutch babies and I would venture to say that the average person will eat 3 or 4 of them. They aren't huge.

Dutch Baby Pancakes

5 eggs

1 1/4 cup milk

1 1/4 cup flour

pinch sea salt

Butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place eggs and milk in your blender and blend until mixed. Add in the flour and pinch of sea salt and blend until the flour is all mixed in.

Place a small pat of butter in each cup (this is a large muffin pan - 6 to the pan...not the traditional 12 muffin pan). Place the pan in the oven for 1 minute to melt the butter. Remove from oven and pour 1/4 cup batter in each cup. Place back in oven for 15 minutes. When golden brown, remove from oven and serve immediately. Top with fruit, lemon and powdered sugar, lingonberry sauce or syrup - your choice. I served this with some Canadian Bacon slices for brunch today.

Delicious!! :)

Tuscan Frittata Affogata

2011-01-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

PANIC!! I remembered that I wanted to save this recipe and couldn't find it anywhere!! I had first found it in the Williams-Sonoma catalog and went to their website first...not there any longer since they have a new catalog out! OH NO!! Seriously - this recipe is so yummy and I know I could probably remember it - it's not difficult - but I pretty much want the original and then I'll make my changes from there.

Well - After searching around, I found the page I had torn out of the catalog and am now typing it out here for posterity!! I will also put it a couple other places - like my iPad (I use the program Paprika) as well as my MasterCook file I have on my computer. Can't have too many places for this delicious recipe!

Update: I found the link to it! YAY!

It actually kinda reminds me of lasagne - with no noodles. It's easy to make - WS wants you to purchase their double pans which would be wonderful (and expensive) but Jeff got a set of cast iron pans for Christmas from Caitlin's mom - so I have two cast iron pans I can use to flip it. I've used other similarly sized pans for this recipe so don't let that stop you from making this.

Here's the recipe!

Tuscan Frittata Affogata

10 eggs

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (found this at Costco)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil

8 oz. mild Italian sausage, casings removed

1 small yellow onion, cut into 1/4" slices

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4" slices

1 cup tomato sauce

6 oz. fresh mozarella cheese, sliced

6-8 basil leaves, thinly sliced

Preheat broiler. In large bowl, whisk together eggs, pecorino romano, salt and pepper. In deep half of frittata pan over med-high heat, warm 1 Tbsp. oil. Cook sausage 6-8 minutes. Transfer to separate bowl. Wipe out pan. In same pan over med-high heat, warm 1 Tbsp. oil. Cook onion and bell pepper 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes more. Add sausage to pan; pour in egg mixture. Cook, using spatula to lift cooked edges and allow uncooked eggs to flow underneath, 2-3 minutes; then cook 4-6 minutes more.

In shallow pan over low heat, warm 1 tsp. oil. Place shallow pan upside down on top of deep pan; flip frittata into shallow pan. Cook, covered, 2-3 minutes. Uncover pan. Pour tomato sauce onto center of frittata; gently spread to edges. Arrange mozzarella on top. Broil frittata 3-5 minutes. Slide onto serving plate; sprinkle with basil.

Ok - now for my changes. I have used 8 eggs to make it just a little smaller. So, if you don't need to make quite as large a frittata as this one - just reduce all the amounts and it works great. I sliced up zucchini and sauteed that with the onions. They have a tendency to release water so after the veggies are cooked a bit, either cook off or dump the extra fluid in the bottom of the pan. I haven't used the bell pepper so don't know how that tastes. I also used the 8 oz tomato sauce that has some herbs added - basil and garlic I think. I liked the little bit of flavor it added. Next time I make this I will probably add a couple of hot Italian sausage links to the mild - just kick up the flavor a bit.

This recipe makes great leftovers...it's just a really yummy dish! Enjoy!

On a roll....

2011-01-06T17:06:00.001-08:00

Christmas and New Years have come and gone...and I was sick! Not only physically sick, but sick to know that I wasn't able to enjoy having my family around as I would have if I had been well. Nothing to do about it...it's life. I did get on some antibiotics and am feeling so much better...it must be why I have all this cooking energy.

Another possible reason for my energy is that my sweet son and his even sweeter wife helped me spruce up the house while they were visiting from Oklahoma...so my kitchen seems a bit more streamlined and easy to work in. Alyssa made some valances for my two big windows, Brian put up the hardware and it looks really nice. Between Matt - who did so much work last summer on our home replacing floors and painting - and Brian's help in December I feel really fortunate. Dan is a home repair guy extraordinaire - but has been so busy at work this past year he hasn't been able to keep up with an older home and all the repairs and updates like he would like. So I'm very thankful for my two sons who are becoming home repair guys just like their dad and Alyssa's talents on the sewing machine and help around the house!

Anyway - back to recipes. I am going to try to figure out at least 4 meals per week - and with leftovers, eating out and snacking making up the other meals we'll be covered. Sunday is a good day for snacking...or pancakes...crepes...etc.

This week I made 3 really great dinners - we enjoyed them all.

First off I made Pufferbelly Pot Pie. I found this recipe several years ago in a monthly magazine that is now defunct - called Hometown Cooking. The idea was to take community cookbooks and print some of the favorite recipes out of various cookbooks across the country...interviewing the group that had put the cookbook together. I found some really great recipes this way. One was this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie which is really tasty...all from scratch which I really like. I used to use Campbell's Cream soups for the base for a lot of my recipes...but in the past few years have gotten away from that. Cream sauces are easy to make and so tasty - and you know how much salt etc you've put in them. Also, most Campbell's soups have MSG in them...and we're avoiding that as much as we can. So here is the first recipe. I made it pretty much the way it's written...it's delicious! I used butter in the biscuits rather than shortening and cut them into squares and laid them on top of the creamed part. I also use a natural chicken base from www.soupbase.com.

Pufferbelly Pot Pie

2 14.5 oz chicken broth

2 cups small fresh mushrooms, halved

2 medium carrots -- 1" pieces

2 medium onions -- coarsely chopped

2 stalks celery -- 1" pieces

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup whipping cream -- or evap. milk

2 1/2 cups chopped, cooked chicken

1 cup frozen peas

3/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Homestyle Biscuits

1 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup shortening (I used Kerrygold butter)

1/2 cup milk

In a 5 qt. dutch oven, combine broth, mushrooms, carrots, onions, celery, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Drain vegetables, reserving 2 1/4 cups cooking liquid. Discard bay leaf. Set reserved liquid and veggies aside. In the same pot, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in reserved cooking liquid and whipping cream. Cook and stir over med. heat until thickened and bubbly; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir in reserved veggies, chicken, peas, poultry seasoning, and pepper; heat through. Keep warm while preparing biscuits. Pour chicken mixture into 2 quart casserole. Place biscuits atop hot chicken mixture. Bake, uncovered, in a 400 deg. oven for 18-20 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

Homestyle biscuits: In medium mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in milk until combined. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Roll or pat dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with 2 1/2 inch biscuit cutter.

Source:

"Hometown Cooking, Feb. 2000"

Nutrition: 452 Calories; 28g Fat ; 17g Protein; 32g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 83mg Cholesterol; 647mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

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The second recipe I made was from Rachael Ray's magazine called Lazy Bolognese-Style Lasagna. I did make a few changes to the recipe but not anything major. I didn't have the curly lasagna noodles so I just used bowtie pasta instead. I also left out the nutmeg and cloves. I just don't really care for those spices in a meat dish...just personal preference.

When I was at Trader Joe's getting meat for this recipe, I couldn't find packages of hamburger larger (or smaller) than 1 lb. So, I decided to live dangerously and bought a 1 pound package of hot Italian sausage links to add to the 2 lbs of hamburger. I browned it all up together and then split the 3 lbs of meat in half for 2 meals. So, this recipe did have a bit of a bite to it - but we all thought it was delicious. From now on when I make "gravel" - cooked hamburger to have in freezer for quick meals - I'm definitely going to be adding some hot Italian sausage to the mix to "kick it up a notch!"

I topped this recipe with a package of grated parmesan cheese from Trader Joes...the whole thing. It was very cheesy on top - which we loved - and a good contrast to the bite of the meat sauce.

Here's the recipe as it is in the magazine.

Lazy Bolognese-Style Lasagna

1 pound lasagna noodles -- wavy, broken into irregular pieces

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds hamburger

1 onion -- finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves -- finely chopped

1 small carrot -- finely chopped or grated

1 sprig rosemary -- finely chopped

sprinkle ground clove

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup white wine

2 cups beef stock

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour -- rounded

2 cups whole milk

grated nutmeg

Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente.

In a dutch oven heat the EVOO over medium heat. Add the beef and brown well. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, rosemary, cloves and lots of salt and pepper and cook until tender, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute, then stir in the wine for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and simmer for a few minutes longer.

Preheat the broiler and position a rack in the middle of the oven. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour, then the milk and let thincken enough to coat a spoon; season with salt and pepper and nutmeg.

Toss the pasta with the meat sauce and arrange in a casserole. Pour the bechamel sauce over the top in an even layer. Top with a layer of parmigiano-reggiano and broil in the oven to brown the top. (I baked this at 350 for about 30 minutes because Dan was late from work and I didn't put it in the oven right after making it. It turned out fine...so if you do make it ahead of time, just bake it instead of broiling).

Source:

"Every Day with Rachael Ray"

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The third recipe I made last evening used up the other half of the hamburger/sausage mix. It was a cool night and I was definitely in the mood for some hearty soup. I went on Allrecipes.com and found this recipe which turned out to be delicious: Hamburger Soup. I added corn and peas to the recipe - otherwise it was pretty much what is written here. I used petite diced tomatoes from Hunt instead of crushed tomatoes. There wasn't much leftover - and after a late afternoon snack today - it's gone. I didn't thicken the soup with the flour mixture at the end...after simmering it didn't really need it I didn't think.

Tonight is leftover Bolognese lasagna...hearing calls for "When's dinner ready..."....better scram!

Hope you enjoy the recipes. BTW - I purchased King Arthur Flour gluten free flour mixture and noticed that it thickened up sauce just as well as regular flour. So, that's a nice thing to know!

Also, have had a recommendation for this bread: http://www.chebe.com/. Something new to try!

"Lara" type bars....

2010-11-30T17:00:00.001-08:00

A few months ago I downloaded a wonderful little booklet with all kinds of healthy snacks in it from www.kitchenstewardship.com. If you are looking to make healthy, tasty snacks for your family this little e-book is a great place to start.

One of the recipes my sister tried and encouraged me to also make was the knock off for Lara Bars. Lara Bars are delicious little fruit and nut bars...no added sugar - although dates have plenty of natural sweetness to them. They retail for about $1.29 at the grocery store. Trader Joe's sells them as does Henry's. They're a great little pick-me-up for the afternoon or a good snack to take for those "errand" days. There's also a good variety of them so you have plenty of choices for all kinds of taste buds.

I made two of the recipes last night and didn't quite follow the recipe. I'll post Katie's recipe from the e-book and then write what I did.

Peanut Butter and Jelly

1/3 cup peanuts

1/2 cup dates

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. coconut oil

Grind peanuts in food processor until they are pretty finely chopped. Add dates and cherries and chop until all the food is about the same consistency. Stream in the salt and coconut oil to hold it together. Use medium sized scoop to place on saran wrap, fold over and smash to a nice little round. Store in frig.

I doubled the recipe...however, I didn't double the dates. I used about 6 - had to take the pits out. So, I used 2/3 cup peanuts, about 6 dates, 2/3 cup dried mixed berries (from TJ's) and 1 tsp. coconut oil. They are really tasty.

This is the other one I tried. Again, I doubled the ingredients except for the dates. It's plenty sweet without the extra and the coconut oil (which is so good for you) holds the bars together.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Delight

Grind: 1/3 cup peanuts and 2-3 Tbsp. chocolate chips or dark chocolate

Add the dates and stream in 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

They're so simple to make and if your family doesn't have any nut allergies, they are a simple, tasty treat!

Be sure to visit www.kitchenstewardship.com to download her e-book and get 48 pages of great recipes and ideas for healthy snacks!

Carrot Cake

2010-10-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

One year when my son, Matt, turned 5 years old I bought a beautiful carrot cake for him for his birthday. We had been at a church camp and were away from home so I bought a cake at a nearby bakery. He was so disappointed in my choice - I honestly didn't think he would even notice! I have never been forgiven nor has it ever been forgotten! I never eat carrot cake now without thinking of mom's big blunder!! I'm not sure he ever got to liking carrot cake - but it's always been one of my favorite cakes.

Tonight for our Women's Bible Study Fellowship dinner I made a carrot cake for one of the desserts. There are a few of us who are trying to eat more gluten free so this cake fits the bill.

It comes from Elana's wonderful cookbook "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" which I highly recommend to anyone who is trying to eat healthier. It is filled with nutritious, good-for-you food that everyone can enjoy.

Her Classic Carrot Cake is the one I made this evening with a couple of small changes. I used a traditional (sugar loaded) cream cheese frosting which was VERY sweet - too much for me. I think a sprinkling of powdered sugar would have been just right.

Here's the recipe as I made it:

3 cups blanched almond flour

2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 cup melted butter (I use Kerrygold)

1/2 cup agave nectar

5 large eggs

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup raisins (I left these out)

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1 small can crushed pineapple, well drained

Preheat the oven to 325. Grease and (almond) flour your pan - either 2 round or I used a large square pan.

Mix the dry ingredients (almond flour, soda, cinnamon and nutmeg) in a large bowl. Whisk the melted butter, agave and eggs together and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix until it's all combined. Stir in the shredded carrots, walnuts and crushed pineapple. Pour into your pan and bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool then frost the cakes if desired. I think a sprinkling of powdered sugar would be enough for icing.

I highly recommend Elana's book. She uses a lot of grapeseed oil which I don't care for as much as other oils such as coconut oil, butter, or a combo of 1 part olive, coconut and cold pressed sesame oil (per Dr. Mary Enig's book - Eat Fat, Lose Fat). I don't care for the consistency of the finished product with the grapeseed oil, but that may just be my personal preference. Grapeseed oil is a much better oil than corn, vegetable, canola oil etc. If you can find a source (such as Wildtree) for cold pressed grapeseed oil all the better.

Enjoy the recipe. Next time I'm going to try it with coconut "sugar" and see how that turns out...I'll report back! :)

Peach Puff Pancake

2010-09-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

We really enjoy Dutch Babies or Puff Pancakes or German Pancakes - whatever name you want to give them. They are a dense, eggy, delicious baked pancake that came to the US from Europe. I first tasted them in Portland, Oregon - Elmer's Pancake House on 82nd street - the Original!! There they were served with butter, a fresh lemon slice with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar. The menu warns that it takes 20 minutes to make the pancake - but they are so worth the wait! There were many mornings we enjoyed breakfast with friends at Elmers. It's too bad the original one is gone now - but they are still scattered across the NW and even down here in So. Cal. in Palm Springs - for all those Snow Birds from the NW.

When I worked at Multnomah School of the Bible (now Multnomah University) as the receptionist, the Women's Auxiliary put out a cookbook and in it was Mimi Aldrich's and Irene Scruggs Dutch Baby and Oven Pancake recipes. These were my standard recipe for the years the boys were growing up. Sunday evening was "Breakfast for Dinner" started by my dad when I was younger...the one night he would make dinner - usually pancakes. I would alter between Dutch Babies, crepes (which Elmer's also serves with lingonberries and butter) and Belgian waffles (spread with peanut butter and syrup - our family favorite!)

One day looking through cookbooks I recognized this recipe as a Dutch Baby but with peaches. It immediately became a family favorite...but we like to use fresh peaches...and this morning I had some from the Farmer's Market on Friday...they needed to be used! YAY for this recipe!!

I've made a couple of changes...don't know how it's going to work out. In place of sugar, I'm using palm or coconut "sugar" and sprouted spelt for the flour. In the past I've also made a Dutch Baby recipe gluten free...that recipe can be found here. I'm going to try that one again using some rice flour to see if I can lighten it up a bit...it is quite dense.

The reason I am using sprouted spelt for this recipe is because all flours should be either soaked, sprouted or cultured as in sourdough bread. This breaks down the phytic acid found on grains, nuts and seeds. Here is a good website with links to study this further. I am also going to try to get a sourdough culture going along with my kefir and kombucha....all these yummy things to make!

Anyway - here is the recipe - it's in the oven now and I will add an adendum to this as to how the spelt flour works with this recipe.

Peach Puff Pancake

6 tablespoons butter or margarine
6 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
2 cups medium peaches (1 pound) -- peeled and sliced
Peach preserves
Maple syrup -- if desired

Heat oven to 375º. Spray 2 1/2-quart casserole or rectangular baking dish (13X9X2) with cooking spray. Melt butter in baking dish in oven.

Beat eggs slightly in large bowl with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in flour, sugar, salt, milk and almond extract until smooth.

Stir in peaches into butter in baking dish; return to oven 2 to 3 minutes or until sizzling.

Pour batter over peaches. Bake about 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve immediately with peach preserves and maple syrup.

Source:
"Gold Medal Breakfast & Brunch"

Mmmm...it's smelling delicous...

It didn't puff up like the pancake would if it was made with white flour. But it's still delicious...I might try an extra egg and see if it helps it. It's whole grain flour so it's just going to be a little heavier. Also, the coconut "sugar" doesn't dissolve like white sugar does. The healthy aspect of these changes however out weigh the little bit of heaviness and the peaches add a wonderful flavor to the pancake!

Mounds Bar IceCream

2010-08-17T19:00:00.001-07:00

The other day I tasted my first coconut milk ice cream. It was delicious!! I have been wanting to make my own coconut milk ice cream because I can control the amount and kind of sweetener I use.

This evening, searching around on the internet, I found this ice cream recipe which I have in the ice cream maker right now...can't wait to taste it! Judging from the finger licks, it's going to be just right...creamy, not too sweet and chocolatey! It tastes like a Mounds Bar!

Mounds Bar (Non-dairy) Ice-cream

2 cans Thai Kitchen coconut milk

2/3 cup dark cocoa

1/2 cup palm (coconut) sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. xanthan gum (the recipe called for guar gum which I didn't have so I used the xanthan gum).

Mix all the above in a blender and then pour into your ice cream maker.

I love, love, love my Cuisinart 2 qt. ice cream maker. I have been giving the 1 1/2 qt. maker for wedding gifts just because it's such a great little machine!! So, if you don't have a good ice cream maker I definitely recommend the cuisinart brand icecream maker.

Strawberry Pie

2010-07-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

OK - I'm going to borrow another post from my sister for this strawberry pie! Looks very yummy!! Strawberry Pie - Gluten free, Egg free!

Gluten Free, Low Carb Pizza Crust

2010-06-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

My sister recently found out that she is very sensitive to wheat AND eggs!! What a combo...and she's trying to go dairy free with her two kids. So, she really is learning to be creative in her cooking. We both like to cook and bake so our journeys have definitely led us to places we'd never have thought of before. The good thing is knowing that we are nourishing our bodies by eating correctly rather than damaging them further by eating things that are just not good for them.

Here is her most recent blog about gluten free pizza "dough" made with that ever-so-versatile veggie called cauliflower. Check out her blog!!

http://thewaytohisheart.blogspot.com/2010/06/pizza-gluten-free-and-low-carb-but-not.html

2010-06-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

We love this quiche...I got the recipe from a friend when the boys were very little and have made in many times over the years. It's easy and tasty for breakfast, lunch or dinner/supper. Because we are going gluten free and trying to eat low carb I started to make this without the crust. I have tried an almond flour crust and it just doesn't work well because of the length of time the custard needs to bake. But it's delicious without the crust!! and I love to warm it up for leftovers.

I buy Boar's Head Black Forest Ham because it's gluten free - we have a little market close by that has GREAT prices!! They also have a nitrite free version which is very tasty.

It's in the oven right now - just the kind of comfort food I love for a Sunday evening supper. I like to use the heavy cream from Trader Joes with a little milk in place of the half and half. Dan likes Jarlsberg cheese in his lunch so we buy it in big chunks from Costco and shred that up in place of swiss cheese. The quiche is simple and very tasty. I left the recipe as is so if you want to make the crust you can. I just sprayed the pan with olive oil and left the crust off for our supper this evening.

Kathy's Quiche

CRUST

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons sugar

CUSTARD

1 cup fat free half and half

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 eggs

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

LAYER IN CRUST

1/2 cup swiss cheese -- shredded (I like to use about double this)

3/4 pound canadian bacon -- ham or bacon, chopped

2 green onions -- sliced

Mix crust ingredients together and press into 10" pie pan. If no crust, spray pan with olive oil spray and then layer cheese, meat and green onions next. Blend custard ingredients in blender and pour over cheese, meat and onion. Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes. Let set for 5 minutes before slicing.

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Without the Crust: Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 234 Calories; 15g Fat (58.1% calories from fat); 20g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 208mg Cholesterol; 1065mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 1 1/2 Fat.

With the Crust: Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 464 Calories; 29g Fat (56.5% calories from fat); 22g Protein; 28g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 194mg Cholesterol; 1230mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Wilted Spinach Salad

2010-05-15T20:19:00.000-07:00

Jeff has been taking some culinary classes and has enjoyed fixing dinner for us a few times. He and Caitlyn love watching Food Network and that's where they found this really delicious recipe for a wilted spinach salad. He fixed it for our Mother's Day dinner and the only addition we made was to throw in a bunch of pomegranate seeds which added some pretty color to the salad. We also used crimini mushrooms instead of the portobello. We all loved the recipe and there were no leftovers....kinda fighting about who got the last few bites :). Definitely one you should be trying soon!

Cinnamon Apple GF Dutch Baby

2010-05-02T10:28:00.001-07:00

We are going to have a wonderful summer with Matt, Laura and the baby living with us. Laura is gluten free and Matt finds he feels better when he is as well. So, we are going to be cooking more (or all) GF this summer which will be good for all of us. Kelsey takes sprouted wheat sandwiches to school and the other boys still like their sandwiches. But for the most part we will be cooking GF.

I was on the search for a GF Dutch baby and will continue to look if this recipe doesn't work out. But this one is in the oven and we will see how it turns out. I tweaked it - so we'll see. I found the basic recipe here but added more butter, some palm sugar etc.

Here's my recipe:

Cinnamon Apple Oats Dutch Baby

5 small eggs (I used 5 because they were small and using the oat flour I knew I would need a little lift)

1 cup oat flour (I blended some GF rolled oats in my mini food processor for a couple of minutes to make it as fine as possible

1 cup milk (you can use whatever kind of liquid you want - coconut milk, almond milk etc.)

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup palm sugar **

6 Tbsp butter (I use KerryGold because it comes from grass-fed beef)

1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut in small slices

1 tsp (or to taste) cinnamon or apple pie cinnamon mixture

** I am looking forward to this company (coconutsecret) having an online store so I can purchase their palm sugar.

Preheat the oven to 450.

Blend the oats in the food processor. Add milk, eggs, flour and salt to Vitamix or blender and blend well.

In cast iron frying pan, melt the butter. Add the palm sugar and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the apple slices and cook for a minute or two. Pour the egg mixture over this and place in oven. Set timer for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes lower the oven to 350 for another 10 minutes or so.

You can make a nice syrup with palm sugar while the pancake is baking. Stir 1 1/2 cups palm sugar into a small saucepan along with 1 cup water. Heat and stir until the syrup is smooth and hot. You can also use Grade B real maple syrup.

Serve hot with butter and syrup.

I should have taken a picture of it before it got eaten, but it went fast!! :)

Cookbook Recommendation

2010-04-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

A wonderful, very useful cookbook is Cuisine for Whole Health by Pauli Halstead. She has been a chef for over 30 years and has written a cookbook that is tasty in its recipes, but simple in its format and ingredients. She follows the principles found in Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. I highly recommend this book if you are looking to improve your family's health and well being.

Tropical Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-02-28T17:49:00.000-08:00

These yummy chocolate chip cookies are from Elana's Almond cookbook which I highly recommend to anyone who is wanting to cut out grains from their diet (celiacs, diabetics etc) or just want to eat lower glycemic. I made one simple change to her recipe - substituting palm sugar for the agave. These cookies will make you feel about as warm and fuzzy as you can when you think of warm Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies...but they're so much better for you!

Tropical Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup coconut oil melted at a low heat

1/2 cup palm sugar dissolved in enough water to make 1/2 cup total

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup toasted, chopped nuts

1/2 cup coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the almond flour, sea salt and baking soda together in a medium sized bowl. Melt the coconut oil over low heat and add the dissolved palm sugar and vanilla to it. Mix that up and then pour over the almond flour mixture, stirring so it's all mixed together. Stir in the chips, nuts and coconut and mix well. Place tablespoon size drops of dough on parchment lined cookie sheets and press down to make a disc. Leave about 2" between cookies. Bake for 7-10 minutes and then put on cooling rack to cool. YUMMY!!

I highly recommend her book - lots of good healthy recipes! You can purchase through my link on the right side or go to Elana's Pantry website and order through hers. Enjoy!!

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 146 Calories; 12g Fat (67.2% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 47mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Breakfast Bars

2010-01-31T08:54:00.000-08:00

I've really enjoyed Elana's Pantry recipes and go to them first if I want to bake something for the family. This morning I made these Breakfast Bars but with a few changes. Here's my version of these really delicious bars. You can eat them for dessert just as easily for breakfast.

Breakfast Bars (Gluten free)

1 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted - if necessary)
1/4 cup palm sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350 and grease an 8x8 baking dish. Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl. In a small measuring cup, melt coconut oil and add palm sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine well. Add to almond flour mixture and stir together. Stir in the coconut, seeds and almonds. If you like add raisins or other dried fruit. Press into baking dish and bake for 20 minutes.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 182 Calories; 15g Fat (70.5% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 12mg Cholesterol; 58mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat.

Orange Cranberry Almond Flour Scones

2010-01-10T10:21:00.001-08:00

Sunday morning breakfast...hmmm...good opportunity for something baked and brunchy. I cooked up some Turkey bacon from Trader Joes (with no additives). I find that it doesn't have quite enough fat to make it as crispy as I enjoy it, so I always add about 1 Tbsp. coconut oil (not the flavored kind) and that always makes the bacon perfect. I added a couple handfuls of baby spinach and let it wilt. Mixed in 6 eggs and 1/4 cup of Jarlsberg cheese. I topped mine with 1/2 of an avocado - and it was delicious. Before I started this whole process though, I put some very yummy scones in the oven.

These scones are adapted from Elana's wonderful cookbook The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook. There is a link to it on the sidebar and I highly recommend everyone have a copy of it and use almond flour in place of wheat flour. She has delicious recipes in here and once you get used to cooking and baking with almond flour - which is nutrient dense - you will be able to figure out other recipes. You can google almond flour recipes and find other blogs with recipes as well. Elana's blog is http://www.elanaspantry.com/ and it's a great place to spend some time getting inspired.

These scones are adapted from her Chocolate Chip Scone recipe. I made a couple of changes - using Kerrygold butter (from grassfed beef) in place of grapeseed oil - and added the dried cranberries and orange zest. They are delicious. To make them chocolate chip scones, Elana recommends using 73% cacao chips. I'm going to rework the recipe to use palm sugar (lower glycemic) in place of the agave. Just didn't get to it this morning.

Orange Cranberry Scones

2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup agave nectar**
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dried cranberries
zest of one orange
juice of 1/2 orange

Preheat to 350. In a large bowl mix the almond flour, sea salt and baking soda together. Melt the butter and add in the agave and eggs, stirring well. Mix into the dry ingredients. Add in the dried cranberries, orange juice and zest and mix until incorporated. I used my largest scoop to make the scones and placed them on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 -23 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. They have just the right amount of orange flavor. The scone recipe is a good basic one which allows experimenting with different combinations.
**To substitute palm sugar for the agave I just mixed 1/4 cup palm sugar with about 3 tbsp water and let it dissolve for a few minutes. I don't think the scones are as sweet as they are with the agave - but they are sweet enough.

Nutty Bread from Elana's Pantry

2009-11-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I made this bread from Elana's Pantry and it turned out wonderfully. I'm going to make ziploc bags filled with the dry ingredients and the nut mixture and keep them in the freezer so it's easy to mix together for a loaf of bread. I just enjoyed a sandwich made with this bread and it's delicious! Thanks Elana for a fantastic bread recipe.

Banana Nut Muffins - gluten free

2009-11-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

Matt (the proud new daddy) has asked for some banana bread. He's always been very proud of my banana bread, one time challenging his friend, Drew, to prove his mom's bread was better than mine. So, both moms, not knowing we were entering into a competition, baked our favorite recipe. The boys, being very diplomatic, declared both of us winners!

Since this recipe is gluten free I hope he likes it just as well as the old one. This recipe uses palm sugar which is half the glycemic index of regular sugar (With a GI rating of 35, *palm sugar* compares favorably to other sweeteners including agave (GI 42), honey (GI 55) and cane sugar (GI 68). and with the protein from the coconut flour, almond flour and eggs, it is really a very good nourishing bread. The bananas are so sweet, that you really don't need more than 1/2 cup of palm sugar. I added 1/4 cup chia seeds and let the liquid mixture sit for a little so they would absorb some moisture and not be crunchy. They're so good for you - packing a lot of omega 3 and fiber in them. In place of the butter you could also use melted coconut oil. I just wanted a bit of butter flavor for the muffins.

Banana Nut Muffins

1 C water
1/2 C palm sugar
1/4 C melted butter
3 to 4 ripe bananas (about 2 1/2 cups)
6 eggs
1/2 C sour cream or creme fraiche*
3/4 C coconut flour (sift this)
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 C chopped walnuts

Mix water and palm sugar together in 8 qt. mixing bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the butter, eggs, bananas, and sour cream to this mixture. Set aside.
Sift coconut flour and then stir in the remaining dry ingredients. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix well. Be sure to get all the flour from the sides. Coconut flour absorbs a lot of moisture so as you stir it all together, the mix will become thicker.
I like to use muffin liners for my muffins. This recipe filled 2 12 cup muffin tins plus a little extra I baked in a small bread pan.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

*Creme Fraiche - Nourishing Traditions has a very easy recipe for creme fraiche. Take the best quality and closest to raw heavy cream that you can find. Don't use ultrapasteurized cream. I use the pint plastic bottle with the pink lid from Trader Joes. Pour it into a pint jar and add 2 tbsp. best quality buttermilk to it. Cover and let it sit on the counter for 24 hours or until it is thickened. Place in frig and use in recipes. I like to put a dollop over my soft boiled egg in the morning. It adds some good cultured fat and assures that I won't get hungry as quickly as if I didn't have it.

Pumpkin Pie - the healthy way

2009-11-26T09:52:00.000-08:00

As with all traditional foods, there has to be a healthy way to eat them. It may be more expensive, but the quality of the food you put into your body will definitely cause you to reap the benefits of a stronger immune system, healthy digestive tract etc etc. Of course we want to eat delicious foods as well - so that's my mission - along with many others....to find tradtional foods that taste as good or better than what we are used to.

My mission this morning (should have been yesterday morning, but I was focused on seeing my new little granddaughter) was to make a healthy delicious pumpkin pie. So, I found a couple of different recipes and adjusted them just a tad - and here is the end result.

Elana's Pie Crust from her Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook. I highly recommend this book for healthy eating, even if you don't "have" to eat gluten free.

Simple Tart Crust

1 1/2 cups blanched almond meal
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp. soda
1/4 cup melted coconut oil (my change)
2 tbsp. agave nectar

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Mix the oil and nectar together and stir into the almond mixture. Press into a 9" pie or tart pan. Bake for 7-10 min. Remove from oven and cool completely before filling.

I'm not sure I would bake this crust before filling with a custard that needs to be baked. Next time I'm going to try it without baking first.

Here's the link for the filling I used.

Here's my recipe I used:
Naturally Sweetened without Sugar Pumpkin Pie

1 15 oz. of canned organic pumpkin
1 9-inch pastry crust
¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp coconut oil melted
3 eggs
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup palm sugar (mixed into agave and let sit for a few min)
1/3 cup half and half
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1. In a large bowl, blend together two cups pumpkin, spice and salt. Beat in melted coconut oil, eggs, agave nectar and palm sugar mixture, half and half and cream. Pour filling into pie shell.
2. Bake at 400 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Refrigerate until serving.

This filling made more than my 9" pan could fit, so I will make it in the 10" next time. There was enough crust to fit the 10" as well. Tasting the extra custard that I have pulled out of the oven I wouldn't be able to tell this wasn't the Libby's recipe on the back of the can.

One question that people have and the answer seems to shock people is what about the fat in the whipping cream etc. There are several books I would recommend to read up more on this as well as a couple of websites. The Weston A Price Foundation has a lot of articles and links to read up on tradtional fats vs. new fangled oils/fats.

There are a several good books as well which can be linked to Amazon to purchase on the right side of the page. One is Nourishing Traditions which was written by Sally Fallon, the founder of the Weston A Price Foundation. Another very readable book is Real Food - What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck.

Wishing you a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin Muffins

2009-11-12T15:58:00.000-08:00

I'm trying another recipe for Pumpkin Muffins...one that uses both almond and coconut flour. Here is the blog I found the recipe on but I am going to post my recipe only. You can see the original recipe at that site.

Having been diagnosed as a pre-diabetic, I'm very serious about watching my carbs and keeping my blood sugar from spiking. The easiest way to do this is by eating primarily low glycemic foods, so I am always on the search for ingredients to bake or cook with.

These muffins have all healthy ingredients and the combination of them helps keep your blood sugar low. Coconut oil is one of the healthiest and most healing oil you can use. I purchase my coconut products at Tropical Traditions - oils and flour. I use the Gold label oil in things that I don't mind having a slight coconut flavor such as muffins, and the expeller pressed oil for things like frying eggs or veggies etc. I try to include it in my cooking every day. Coconut flour is high in protein and fiber. A little goes a long way. For one pan of muffins you would use about 1/2 cup of coconut flour. You can find a lot of recipes at www.elanaspantry.com. Cinnamon is a spice that helps lower your blood sugar according to some studies. For me, probably the biggest bugaboo in baking is what to use for sweetener. I haven't baked at all with stevia but there are recipes out there using it. I was using Agave Nectar for a while as there are studies about how it is lower on the glycemic index (GI) than other sweeteners. However, I have found a sweetener which I prefer to use that is lower than Agave and it is palm sugar. It comes from the sap of coconut palms. It has a GI of about 35. Anything less than 55 is considered low. It is also high in amino acids, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc and Iron and is a good natural source of the vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C. For this recipe I made it into a syrup because coconut flour requires quite a bit of liquid. You can find palm sugar online and also at Henry's and Whole Foods. You can even find it in some Asian stores in a solid form. The other flour used in this recipe is almond flour - ground almonds. So, there is a lot of protein and natural goodness in these muffins. Add in the orange goodness of pumpkin and the antioxidants of dark chocolate and you have a real treat - both for your mouth and your body! Here is the recipe as I made it.

Pumpkin Muffins

1/2 cup water and
1 1/2 cups palm sugar OR
1 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 15 oz. canned pumpkin
6 eggs
3/4 C coconut flour
1 C plus 3 T almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp (rounded) ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
2 cups Ghiradelli semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix water and palm sugar together in saucepan and heat until dissolved. Add the coconut oil to this to melt it (OR you can just use 1 cup agave nectar). Mix eggs, pumpkin and palm sugar mixture together in large bowl.
Stir dry ingredients all together. You can use pumpkin pie spice in place of the spices. Adding the chocolate chips is optional but very yummy. I used Dagoba brand - but they are very strong and dark.
I like to use muffin liners for my muffins. This recipe filled 2 12 cup muffin tins plus a little extra I baked in a small glass dish.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

They are very yummy and no one will believe you when you tell them these aren't made with flour and sugar!! Enjoy!!

Spanish Omelette with Potatoes and Chorizo

2009-10-28T11:51:00.000-07:00

I love spanish omelettes - and have a couple of them posted or linked on this blog. I've used russet potatoes as well as yukon gold in the past. Russet potatoes have the highest glycemic count so I don't eat them anymore. I do enjoy red potatoes and yukon gold in moderation. The egg and meat in this "omelette" both help to bring down the glycemic load in this dish. The meat of choice in my house is bacon - so tasty. I have never cooked with chorizo - so it's going to be an adventure!! I may just stick with thick sliced natural bacon though. This recipe is from the Real Simple Food and Recipes site.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), sliced into thin half-moons
3/4 pound red potatoes, diced
kosher salt and pepper
3/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
10 large eggs, beaten
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Manchego or sharp Cheddar
1 small head green-leaf lettuce
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Directions

Heat oven to 400° F.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chorizo, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
Pour the eggs into the skillet and stir to distribute the ingredients. Sprinkle with the Manchego and transfer to oven.
Bake the omelet until puffed and brown around the edges and a knife comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
Divide the lettuce and red onion among individual plates and drizzle with the remaining oil. Cut the omelet into wedges and serve with the salad.

Source: By Kate Merker, May 2008

Pumpkin Coconut Muffins

2009-10-16T17:08:00.000-07:00

We had a taste of fall earlier this week with rain, cloudy skies and cool temps. Today we're back to summer with a temp of 94 but that's the way it goes in So. Cal. There isn't any question what the date shows though, and that's that we are in the fall season. So, along with my apple cider candles and a few pumpkins scattered around, I am making something that tastes fallish - Pumpkin muffins.

One thing about working with coconut flour is that there is a different texture as well as a lingering coconut taste to your baked goods. I like coconut so I don't mind this. Today though, making Pumpkin Coconut muffins, the coconut flavor is greatly diminished and only the texture tells you that this isn't "normal" high glycemic white flour.

Dr. Fife is a leading expert on coconut and the benefits of coconut oil, flour, milk etc. This is his recipe but I am posting my additions. There is a typo in his recipe - the second mashed pumpkin should be sugar I'm quite sure. I also thought it was pretty mildly flavored, so I kicked up the cinnamon and added a couple other spices and changed the type of sugar as well as cut the amount in half. I doubled the recipe since I want to make one full muffin pan (12) instead of just 6.

So here is my version:

Pumpkin Coconut Muffins

6 eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup organic mashed pumpkin
1/2 cup palm sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour sifted
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Turn the oven on to 400. Blend eggs through salt in a blender. Pour into a bowl and sift the coconut flour and baking powder into the bowl. Mix well. The longer you mix the thicker the muffin mix will become as the flour absorbs the moisture. Coconut flour is high in fiber.

Bake for 18 minutes and check with a toothpick to see if the muffins are done. Take out of the pan and cool on a rack. Enjoy.

I'm going to try some chopped up Dagoba chocolate in the next batch...I love pumpkin bread with chocolate chips.

The muffins are in the oven as I type - can't wait to try one!!

Almond Flour Coffee Cake

2009-10-11T09:01:00.000-07:00

I really miss baking and eating yummy coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls, biscuits, etc. etc. But I really do need to be judicious about my diet and have come to terms with the consequences of continuing to eat those foods. Since Laura, Matt's wife, is on a gluten free diet, and her foods are very similar to a pre-diabetics food selection, I've been finding recipes that I can make for both of us to enjoy...the rest of the family just has to eat along. I did promise the kids cinnamon rolls - the real deal - for Christmas morning. And I plan to indulge right along with them! :).

This morning we are headed out to Riverside to enjoy brunch with Matt and Laura so I'm taking a coffee cake made from almond flour along with eggs and bacon. I'm using a recipe found in Elana's almond flour cookbook which is beautiful to look at and filled with healthy, delicious recipes made with almond flour. There is a link to her cookbook in the Amazon book carousel in the side bar. I made a change in the topping of the coffee cake but that's it. I'll put both hers and my version up.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs

Topping:
2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup sliced almonds

My Topping:
1/2 cup blanched almond flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (Trader Joes has walnuts chopped that are just the right size)

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease an 8" square baking dish with grapeseed oil and dust with almond flour.
To make the cake combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients and then combine the two until thoroughly combined. Spread the batter in the baking dish.
Topping: Combine topping ingredients and then sprinkle on top of cake. For My Topping, I mixed the flour and cinnamon together, added the wet ingredients mixing that well and then stirred in the chopped walnuts.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 1 hour and then serve.

I highly recommend her book - not just for gluten free people or diabetics but for everyone. It's full of healthy main dishes, desserts and snacks.

Easy Homemade Chicken Broth...and lessons learned...

2009-09-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to make chicken broth from scratch as I use a lot during the fall and winter months. It would be really nice to have some in the freezer for a quick soup etc. My sisters both make chicken broth from scratch so following their recommendation, I used the recipe in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (which by the way is a fantastic cookbook/reference book and education in itself). There's a link to it in my book list on the right side of the blog.

Here is the recipe:

1 whole free-range chicken or 2-3 lbs of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones and wings
gizzards and feet from chicken (optional). I added the gizzard since it came with the chicken.
4 qts. cold filtered water
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley

(I'm going to skip over the introductory part of the instructions).
Cut chicken into several pieces. (If you are using a whole chicken, remove the neck and wings and cut them into several pieces.) Place chicken or pieces in a large stainless steel pot with water, vinegar and all vegetables except parsley. Let stand 30 min to 1 hour. Bring to a boil, and remove scum that rises to the top. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours. The longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. About 10 minutes before finishing the stock, add the parsley. This will impart additional mineral ions to the broth.

Remove whole chicken or pieces with a slotted spoon. If you are using a whole chicken, let cool and remove meat from carcass. Reserve for other uses such as salads, enchiladas, sandwiches etc. Strain the stock into a large bowl and reserve in your refrigerator until the fat rises to the top and congeals. Skim off this fat and reserve stock in covered containers in your refrigerator or freezer. (End of instructions in book).

I didn't want the meat all mushy from too much cooking (per my sister Ruth's suggestion) so after the chicken had simmered for an hour and a half, I took out the large pieces and cut off the meat to save in the freezer for future meals and then put all the bones and skin back into the broth to continue cooking. I probably got about 3 or 4 cups of meat off this chicken.

The broth was sitting in a pan on the counter cooling down when disaster struck. The dishwasher du jour thought the broth was just "dirty cooking water" and poured the whole pan down the drain while the assistant of the evening watched in horror and was too dumbstruck to yell "Don't do that!!"

So, lessons learned on all sides. Before doing something drastic like pouring something down the drain, please ask. Assistants should find their voice before the whole thing is gone and Mom should put notes and labels on items indicating that this was indeed useful and eatable food.

I have the chicken meat safely in the freezer and hey - it wasn't that hard to do. I'll be making another batch before long with the other whole chicken in the freezer! People are more important than chicken broth and I DO love my kids! :)

Quinoa with Sundried Tomatoes & Chicken

2009-09-03T17:54:00.000-07:00

As always, if you go into Trader Joes in the late afternoon, there's something really yummy cooking in the back of the store. Easy, nutritious and tasty. We really liked this quinoa dish they were serving today so we're making it for dinner to go with our TJ's Angus burgers. Kelsey needs the carbs for her running so this will be a good dish for her.

Quinoa is a seed - a complete protein - and it's gluten free. So, if you're going to eat carbs, quinoa is a great choice. Here is a link that tells a bit more about its profile and benefits.

Quinoa with Sundried Tomatoes & Chicken

1 cup dry quinoa, cooked in rice cooker with 2 cups of water or broth - can also be cooked on stovetop
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 sm. onion sliced
10-12 basil leaves, chopped
1 8 oz jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
1 can chicken
Parmesan cheese

Saute onion and garlic until onion is softened. Add jar of sun dried tomatoes and chicken and mix together. Add cooked quinoa and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Top with Parmesan cheese.

After dinner: Everyone pronounced this good enough to make again. It would taste very good as a side dish without the chicken - or you could serve it cold as a salad. I would leave the basil out until just before serving it if I was going to serve it cold. We didn't add all the sun dried tomatoes to the dish either...seemed a bit of an overkill.

My Vitamix is here!!

2009-08-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my Vitamix came and after I read the instructions and got familiar with the controls I put it to the test. My first veggie smoothie didn't work out so well, but the second one did. I will need to perfect it - but it will be fun to do so.

My friend, Melinda, has a Vitamix and told me how she makes almond milk. So last night I soaked 1 lb. of raw almonds in filtered water and this morning made almond milk. I ordered a nut filtering bag which will remove some of the almond sediment. This is Melinda's recipe:

4 cups fresh water
1 1/2 cups soaked almonds (soaking water poured off)
3 dates (in the refrigerated section at Trader Joes)

Use the variable speed - start on 1 and go up to 10. Blend for approx 2 minutes.

I used the milk this morning for a smoothie for breakfast. I've been purchasing almond milk in the boxes at the store but I'm sure this is less expensive and doesn't have the additives that goes into the boxes.

Breakfast smoothie for 2 - this morning (it varies but this is approximately what I did)

1 cup fresh almond milk
1/2 cup kefir
1/4-1/2 cup coconut cream (I buy this at the oriental store locally but you can use coconut milk or some coconut oil
2-4 tbsp chia gel (I just tip the bottle over and pour some out)
2 scoops Quest Protein powder (scoop comes in the bottle)
1 tsp. Vit C powder (this is equal to 4000 mg Vit C - I'm a big believer in it's immune boosting power)
1-2 cups frozen berries (from the big bag at Costco - raspberries, marionberries and blueberries) 1 fresh nectarine - sliced - skin and all

Place all ingredients into Vitamix in this order and using the variable control, start at 1 and go up to 10. You may need to use the tamper to get the fruit into the milk mixture. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Summer Tomato Basil Soup

2009-08-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was at Sea-Tac right about dinner time. As I was making my way to my gate, I passed a Wolfgang Puck restaurant and picked up some of the Tortilla Soup to eat while I waited for my flight. It was a thick and delicious tomato based soup with a little bite to it. It was served with some crispy tortilla strips and a bit of sour cream. I would love to find the recipe for it...I've been craving it ever since.

One recipe I did remember I had - but have never made - is this one from the Nordstrom Family and Friends Cookbook. I will be making this very soon. I'm also seriously considering purchasing a Vita Mix to be able to make fresh veggie drinks and soups. Still thinking on that one...

The preface to the recipe recommends San Marzano canned tomatoes which I found at Albertsons the other day....very cool.

Here's the recipe:

Summer Tomato Basil Soup

1/3 cup EVOO
5 carrots peeled and chopped
1 lg. yellow onion, chopped
1 tbsp dried basil
2 cans (28 oz each) whole Italian-style tomatoes in puree
2 cans (49 oz each) low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups heavy (whipping) cream
Sea Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. lightly packed fresh basil leaves, cut into fine ribbons

In a 6-8 qt saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the carrots, onion and dried basil and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened, 10-12 minutes. Add the tomatoes, including the puree, and the broth and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Remove from heat. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade. Return the pureed soup to the saucepan, add the cream and place over medium heat. Warm until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into a warmed soup tureen or individual bowls, garnish with basil and serve immediately.

From: Nordstrom Friend and Family Cookbook – p. 57.

Veggie Pork Stew over Quinoa

2009-08-11T19:03:00.001-07:00

I have so many vegetables from my CSA basket...so the question is how to fix them. Recipes do come each week - but so far I've just made my own things.

Tonight I made a variation of the Salsa Verde Chicken bowl from late last year. It is delicious. I started out thinking I was going to make a veggie soup but veered from that when this dish started emerging. You can use whatever veggies you have in your frig.

1 onion chopped and browned in olive oil
1 green pepper chopped and browned
2-3 small patty pan squash quartered and sliced
2-3 small zucchini and/or yellow squash quartered and sliced
1 14 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 14 can sweet corn - or frozen
1 jar Trader Joes Salsa Verde
1 -2 tsp Wildtree chile seasoning (red pepper flakes)
1-2 tsp Wildtree Rancher steak rub (a salt/pepper/garlic mix)
4 garlic cubes (I use the frozen ones from TJ"s)
1 pckg Trader Joes precooked carnitas, shredded

I added all the veggies together and sauteed them for a little bit then added the canned tomatoes and salsa verde. Heated all that together and added the spices to taste.

Meanwhile I cooked 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups of chicken broth in the rice cooker. By the time it was finished cooking, the flavors of the stew had melded together. We topped each bowlful of quinoa and stew with real sour cream...yummy!! Tastes great as leftovers too!

Salmon with Basil Romesco Sauce

2009-07-22T09:58:00.000-07:00

There are several blogs I'm reading on a pretty regular basis and am learning a lot as well as finding great recipes that are low glycemic and very healthy.

We are eating more salmon and other fish these days so I'm always on the lookout for a tasty recipe to vary our diets. I have some fresh Alaskan salmon in the frig for dinner tonight and will be making this dish: Salmon with Basil Romesco Sauce from The Nourishing Gourmet. I have some fresh basil from Trader Joes and organic tomatoes from my CSA basket. I'm sure this sauce would be delicious on any other fish or chicken as well.

I have also successfully brewed some kombucha and have some milk and yogurt starter going...we'll see how these ventures turn out. I should have let the kombucha brew a little longer as it was quite sweet and because of the need to keep sugars low, I need to brew it long enough for most of the sugar to be eaten by the bacteria.

Yesterday Kelsey and I made some mango berry frozen yogurt and ate almost the whole quart in one day. We mixed the whole organic yogurt with 6 tbsp of palm sugar and let that sit to dissolve. Meanwhile, we filled our small food processor with frozen mango berry mix from Trader Joes and chopped it up pretty fine. Mixing that into the yogurt and then freezing the mixture in our cuisinart gave us some wonderfully flavored healthy frozen yogurt.

Nicoise Salad

2009-07-14T08:39:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite salads is Nicoise (Nee-swa) Salad. There's a variety in the ingredients, but it's also flexible. Classic Nicoise salad uses tuna but I've had it at restaurants with grilled salmon and it's delicious.

The other day after I picked up my CSA basket with a pile of green beans in it, I had a hankering for this salad. I've never made it at home - but it's not difficult. Everyone liked it and so we'll be making it again.

One challenge I've found eating low glycemic - which is also low carb - is that my family needs good carbs more than I do. They're active and need the energy to burn- especially my daughter who is running cross country with her high school team. This salad works perfectly with that because of the red potatoes in it. They can add as many as they want to their salad and I can have just a few.

Here are the things I put into each bowl...and customized it for each person. Next time, I will be more prepared and set out the different items and each can build his own. Jamey wanted all the items chopped up finer and made into a chopped salad which would be a good idea as well. But a classic Nicoise salad doesn't do that.

In each bowl:
red leaf lettuce - torn into bite sized pieces
steamed green beans
hard boiled egg
artichoke hearts
steamed red potatoes - bite sized pieces
sliced avocado
tomatoes - chopped or quartered
Wild red salmon or tuna or fish of your choice - grilled (Kelsey had a grilled angus burger as she doesn't care for fish).

A vinaigrette is the classic dressing - we used balsamic vinaigrette from Trader Joes.

Jamey gave me a good idea about cooking the salmon if you choose to do it in a frying pan instead of grilling it. He said the cooks at CPK put another frying pan over the salmon which helps cook it more quickly and retain the moisture. I used Wildtree's Rancher steak rub to season the salmon and fried it in Mary Enig's oil mixture (1 part EVOO, 1 part expeller pressed sesame oil, 1 part coconut oil). I started with the skin side down, seasoning the top. Then flipped it and the skin peeled right off. I then seasoned the now skinned side and briefly browned it when the salmon was finished.

Here are some links to other recipes for Nicoise salad - some with beautiful pictures. They will inspire you!! No Recipes ; Simply Recipes ; Julia Child's Nicoise Salad Julia Child's recipe has a link for a home made Basic Vinaigrette.

Pickled Beets

2009-07-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

Every week in my basket from South Coast Farms is a bunch of beets. They are very sweet and good - but probably not the best thing for me to eat considering the sugar in them. However, I am going to pickle them and I think, from my reading, that that will help lower the impact the sugar in the beets has. I really should be testing my blood to find out how different foods affect me.

So, I'm on the search for some good pickled beets recipes. My first one is here - this looks delicious and easy. I would use palm sugar in place of the white sugar. This one from Martha Stewart looks interesting as well. The Epicurious recipe has some raving reviews. I would definitely cut back on the sugar in this one as some of the reviewers mentioned. The beets we've been getting from the farm are so sweet in themselves, they really don't need any help in that area.

Hmmm....I'll have to make a decision and post which one I used.

Easy Salmon Patties

2009-07-06T20:17:00.001-07:00

If you need a great meal to fix when you don't have time to defrost anything and hubby is on his way home make these salmon patties. I had purchased three cans of wild red salmon from Tropical Traditions so I quickly made patties tonight that were easy and delicious.

Easy Salmon Patties - serves 2-3

2 - 7 oz cans wild red salmon, drained and flaked
1 egg
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/2 young onion grated on fine
some splashes of Worcestershire sauce
salt, freshly ground pepper (or use Wildtree's California Style Garlic and Pepper blend)

Mix altogether, form into 6 patties and fry until brown in 2-4 tbsp. oil. I used Mary Enig's oil blend - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup coconut oil and 1 cup expeller pressed sesame oil. The patties absorb some of the oil, so I added a bit when I turned the patties over. I had some of Wildtree's dill blend mixed up with some mayonnaise and creme fraiche, so we put a dollop of that on each pattie.

Frozen Tart Yogurt Korean Style

2009-07-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

Last summer it seemed that a bunch of frozen yogurt places were popping up all over Southern California. The yogurt is tart and there are several choices of flavors with a lot of toppings to add. You pay by the ounce. We always like the vanilla or fruit flavors such as melon, blueberry or peach. Adding chopped fresh strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and mango on top really made a delicious, refreshing dessert. These yogurt shops are very popular here

However, with my need to cut out sugar and other sweets, I was pretty much thinking the days for this treat were over. However, yesterday I was googling tart, frozen yogurt and a link came up with a recipe. It sure looks easy and so I decided to try this out with my new Cuisinart Ice Cream maker (thank you Vine Prep for the gift card).

Tonight I mixed 1 quart of Trader Joe's European Organic Plain Whole Milk yogurt, 1/2** cup of Navitas Palm Sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla together and started making some tart vanilla yogurt.

Nourishing Traditions encourages eating whole fat dairy products (preferably raw) as they are more satisfying. The process of lacto-fermentation breaks down the milk sugar (lactose) and milk protein (casein). This is one of the reasons why people who are lactose intolerant can often drink fermented milk without the same side effects. My daughter can't drink milk or icecream made with regular milk but has no problem with our smoothies in which I put kefir.

Kelsey came in the kitchen and wanted to add the organic strawberries I had purchased earlier today. We should have chopped up the berries a little more instead of just slicing them, but the resulting "ice cream" is delicious. Using only 1/2** cup palm sugar may not be quite enough for your family, but we're pretty used to not eating real sweet things. It tastes delicious. Remember - this is tart vanilla.

**I edited this post - increasing the palm sugar from 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup. Last night we made this again and put in some chopped up fresh mango. Delicious!!

Sesame Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

2009-07-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe originally used couscous - but with my new discovery of quinoa I will be making it with this nutritious grain from now on. It was a big hit with my family when I made it last summer so I know they will enjoy the revised version as well.

Sesame Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

4 cups water -- divided
1/2 pound shrimp -- peeled and deveined
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 teaspoons oil
1 1/2 teaspoons naturally fermented soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 clove garlic -- crushed
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup frozen green peas -- thawed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Bring 2 cups filtered water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add shrimp, cook 3 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; cut shrimp in half. Cook quinoa in 2 cups of filtered water, seasoned with sea salt for about 20 minutes or until water is all absorbed. A rice cooker works well. Fluff with fork; cool. Combine vinegar, oil, soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic in a bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add shrimp, couscous, lettuce, bell pepper, peas and cilantro; toss well. Sprinkle with peanuts.

Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light

Crispy Almonds

2009-07-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

I have really enjoyed reading and trying to digest and assimilate all the information in Sally Fallon's book - Nourishing Traditions (see link in sidebar to purchase it from Amazon). If you are interested in having your family eat as healthy as possible, her book is a great place to start.

My sister has been soaking her almonds for several years now and I'm finally getting on board with it. This is what Fallon says about why nuts should be soaked before eating:

"...nuts are best soaked or partially sprouted before (being) eaten. This is because nuts contain numerous enzyme inhibitors that can put a real strain on the digestive mechanism if consumed in excess. Nuts are easier to digest, and their nutrients more readily available, if they are first soaked in salt water overnight, then dried in a warm oven. ... Salt in soaking water activates enzymes that neutralize enzyme inhibitors."

So, here is Sally's recipe from Nourishing Traditions for Crispy Almonds (p. 515):

4 cups almonds, preferably skinless
1 Tbsp sea salt
filtered water

Skinless almonds will still sprout, indicating that the process of removing their skins has not destroyed the enzymes. Skinless almonds are easier to digest and more satisfactory in many recipes. However you may also use almonds with the skins on.

Mix almonds with salt and filtered water and leave in a warm place for at least 7 hours or overnight. Drain in a colander. Spread on a stainless steel baking pan and place in a warm oven (no more than 150 degrees) for 12 -24 hours, stirring occasionally, until completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container.

My oven won't heat as low as 150 - so I use my lowest heat which is 170. I find that my gas oven doesn't heat consistently either so it doesn't get too hot. The almonds turn out really yummy and I like to leave them in a bowl on the kitchen counter for the family to munch on during the day.

Quinoa - a Super Grain

2009-06-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I fixed quinoa for the first time. Don't know why it took me so long. It's one of those things that if you haven't tried it - you just put it off and put it off. But once you eat it you slap your forehead and say 'Why haven't I tried this before now???' It was delicious.

My DIL sent me the link to this blog and I found the recipe for this salad on there. It looked delicious so we made a variation of it last night for dinner. Everyone liked it a lot.

I was able to find quinoa at Trader Joes and bought several boxes. If you have a hard time finding it you can purchase online at www.nutsonline.com. I'll be sending some to Brian in Iraq who I know will really enjoy a break from the brown rice I've been sending him. This tastes similar to couscous - but I like quinoa better. And it's better for you. Our family has eaten couscous over the years and has always enjoyed it.

Here is some information about quinoa. I'll be trying some more recipes for quinoa - and the above link is a great place to start!

Strawberry Meusli

2009-06-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the Congo, my siblings and I spent several years at boarding school for missionary kids. We all have fun memories (and some not so fun - like that dull ache of homesickness in the pit of your stomach) of those days. Our days were filled with hikes, climbing trees, schoolwork, sports, and lots of good food. Our moonlight rides in the back of the old truck were fun. We made our own carnivals and special activities. Our midterm picnics where all the families would come visit were a highlight of the semester. It was always held in one of two pine forests - we loved exploring the hills and eating yummy foods. The moms would bring homemade cakes and we would stand in line over and over to eat as much as we could.

Rethy Academy was at an elevation of about 6000 ft., so we usually had a fire in the fireplace and wind blowing through the pine trees around the station. The school had it's own herd of cows, so we always had fresh milk that we skimmed the cream off before setting it on the tables to drink, fresh butter, fresh strawberries, and lots of tropical fruits like guava and mangos.

One of our dorm moms had a heritage from Switzerland and she would occasionally make strawberry porridge or meusli for Sunday breakfast. Some kids didn't like it, but my sister and I loved it. Since I've been reading about soaking grains, this porridge came to mind, so last night I decided to make it. I looked online and there are some places where you can find a recipe - but I just put together the things that I remembered and a couple of additions.

Strawberry Meusli

1 cup thick oats (Bob's Red Mill)
cream, yogurt, half and half, whole milk
fresh sliced strawberries
toasted almond slivers
palm sugar (I found this at Henry's)

Use whatever liquid you want. The oats are going to absorb liquid overnight so you need to have enough to go over the top of the oats by about 1 inch. Add in your sliced strawberries and almonds. I stirred in about 1 tbsp of the palm sugar and it was plenty sweet for me...but again do that to your own taste. Stir it all together, cover and place in the frig overnight. The next morning, stir it again and serve with more milk if you want. You could also add some banana, blueberries or whatever you like.

This isn't something I'm going to eat every morning for breakfast - but it's good for a treat. Something I might add is a Tbsp of Quest Protein powder to give it a boost.

Using whole milk and 4 servings: Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 157 Calories; 4g Fat (22.3% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 25g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 10mg Cholesterol; 38mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Non-Fat Milk; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Yogurt cheese...

2009-06-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

After making my yogurt cheese today and storing the whey for other uses in the frig, I was left with "What do I do with the cream cheese?" I had the palm sugar sitting right there - and since I had tried it this morning with the yogurt - and it was awesomely tasty - I decided to add some to the cheese. Oh, my goodness...how yummy!! I steamed up some beets for dinner and had some of the sweetened cream cheese with the beets...very good - hard to stay out of it's creamy goodness! YUM!!

Yogurt treats

2009-06-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

Last summer, before I knew I was pre-diabetic, my daughter and I loved going to Starbucks for their mango yogurt drink - from Pinkberrys. It was tart/sweet and very refreshing. I liked the mango juice with mine, Kels preferred hers plain. I recently asked a Starbucks employee if this would be back this summer and she said probably not because the machine was a bear to clean.

So, since I can't have it anyway, I need to come up with a tart sweet yogurt drink or icecream for this summer. I found a very tasty plain whole milk, organic, "European Style", thick and creamy yogurt at Trader Joes. I'm letting it sit right now in a strainer so I can get the whey off of it for other recipes. I'll be left with a yogurt cheese. But before I did that I had some in a little bowl and added palm sugar to it along with a little vanilla. I am going to come up with a frozen yogurt recipe - either find it on the internet or experiment with some of this yogurt. It really is a refreshing yogurt - not too tart - even without the palm sugar.

The palm sugar I'm using is from Navitas Naturals - and they say that it's lower glycemic than agave nectar. Here is a blog that talks about Palm Sugar from Thailand.

I'm also very interested in Sue Gregg's recipes for sprouted wheat breads and also the blending recipes that she has developed. I'm going to be looking more into them, but I will need to change a few ingredients. She uses Rapadura which is high glycemic and honey which although I'm sure it has good nutrients, it is also high glycemic. I have to remember that even though something might be "healthy" it isn't necessarily for those of us who have to watch our blood sugar.

She has a recipe for a yogurt pie which I would love to make, so I am going to work on re-doing that recipe into a low glycemic version. I will post my changes once I've made it and is fit for consumption. She has a lot of good recipes though, so I will be checking out her website a bit.

I've added a couple of blogs to my list on the right side of the page as well as a list of my favorite books from Amazon and some of my kitchen tools and small appliances.

Sprouting wheat berries for baking...

2009-06-18T16:14:00.000-07:00

I'm going to try my hand at sprouting wheat berries, drying, grinding and then baking with them. I am learning lots of good stuff here, here and here! I have been spending my time reading from blog to blog to blog and it's been quite eye opening for me.

I have always enjoyed milling my own wheat and making bread with my Bosch - but am just learning about soaking the grain first or sprouting it. Since I changed my way of eating back in February, I only eat sprouted grain bread from Trader Joes - but I would like to learn how to make the sprouted grain flour so I can use it for other things as well.

I am starting out with hard wheat berries - but will probably do a batch of soft wheat next because that is what I prefer to use for muffins and quick breads. Pictures to come when the wheat starts to sprout.

CSA - Community Supported Agriculture

2009-06-18T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'm a little slow learning things - but I guess better late than never. I love researching about living healthier and one thing that kept popping up as I read different blogs were the initials CSA. I finally put together what it was and googled to find out if there was a local south Orange County CSA! We are so far removed from an agricultural lifestyle here in Orange County that I was not very hopeful! However, I am so happy to have found an organic farm just south of us in San Juan Capistrano. I called yesterday and signed up for a weekly basket of fresh fruits and veggies.

My friend Jan and I drove down to the farm today to pick up my basket and for her to sign up.
Walking into the barn, where all the baskets were lined up, was so fun. The earthy smells of the veggies and the beautiful arrangements of the food put a huge smile on our faces and Jan couldn't wait to get signed up as well. Go here to find out more information if you are in the area. http://www.southcoastfarms.com/

I had to take a picture of my first basket. I'm eagerly awaiting the email with recipes that are sent out each week with ideas for how to fix the items in the basket. I also recently purchased this book - "Fresh From the Farmer's Market" by Janet Fletcher (see Amazon Carousel to the left to find this book) which will help me with ideas and learning to cook some new items. I'm also really thinking about saving money for a Vitamix. Jamey has a couple of great cookbooks from his culinary classes which will be a good reference also.

I've never cooked beets, turnips, arugula, or kale before - so these are going to be experimental. Can't wait to try some of the items. There were also some nectarines, pears, zucchini, basil, parsley, red leaf lettuce, apples, oranges and cucumbers. I better to get to "unpacking" my basket and see what's in store for our dinner table!

Chicken Chilequiles

2009-06-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

Here's another great recipe from Trader Joes. We are having this for dinner tonight. I haven't made too many casseroles because of the carb count - usually they are based around pasta or rice etc. It smells good - I'll post how the family likes it.
Added later: we all liked it and my husband said "You can fix this one again!" Later when the rest of the family came home and tried it, they all gave it a thumbs up.

Chicken Chilequiles - Trader Joes

1 bag tortilla chips -- crushed
3 cups chicken -- cooked and chopped 3-4 cups
1 onion -- chopped
1 6 oz bag baby spinach
1 14 oz corn -- drained
1 14 oz black beans, canned -- rinsed and drained
1 12 oz 3 Pepper salsa
1/2 bag cheese blend

Saute onion until soft; add corn, spinach, black beans. (I added 4 cloves crushed garlic). Season with salt and pepper. Layer bottom of 9x13 baking dish with 1/2 of crushed tortilla chips. Add chicken and spinach mixture. Spread salsa over this layer and then cheese. Top with the remaining crushed tortilla chips.Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and brown top for 5 min. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro etc. Serves 8.
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 190 Calories; 10g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 14g Protein; 8g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 215mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 1 Fat.

Mock Potato Soup

2009-06-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

We've been having June Gloom here in So Cal - so yesterday I decided to make some soup for dinner. I found this recipe on the link below the recipe and gave it a whirl. Jamey helped me make it - decided it needed some thyme which he added to the cooking bacon. We told Jeff it was potato soup - just to see if he would notice - and he believed us. But there was definitely something different than my traditional potato soup. Jeff didn't like the smooth texture. I think next time, I will increase the broth and add some chopped up, cooked new potatoes to the soup after I've mashed the cauliflower. I know that will add to the carb count - but the kids need carbs and I can just have a smaller amount and have a salad with it. The flavor was great. The recipe called for heavy cream but I used fat free 1/2 and 1/2. I'm learning more about good fats/bad fats and maybe the fat free 1/2 and 1/2 is worse for you than the heavy cream...gotta look that up. We got 4 servings out of this recipe of about 1 1/2 cups each.

Mock Potato Soup

1 medium cauliflower -- cut into small chunks (20 oz after trimming)
1 small onion -- diced
3 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup fat free half & half
salt and pepper -- to taste
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded -- (pre shredded not recommended)
3 pieces bacon -- fried until crisp and crumbled
2 green onions -- chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- finely chopped

In a large dutch oven, bring the cauliflower, onion and broth to a boil. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is very tender, about 20-25 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree the soup until completely smooth and thick. Add the butter and cream; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the cheese; heat very slowly until melted. Garnish with bacon, green onion and parsley.
Makes about 6 cups or 6 big servings Can be frozen without the toppings
Source: "http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/mock_potato_soup.html" - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 178 Calories; 14g Fat (72.1% calories from fat); 9g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 38mg Cholesterol; 615mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat.

A new book...

2009-06-12T19:44:00.000-07:00

I love to read. I'm happy when there is a stack of unread books on my bedside stand. I usually don't read recipe books for my "before sleep" reading, but this book may be an exception. It's called "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig. The subtitle is "The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats".

I'm really looking forward to reading and learning from this book. When you read a recipe, she will refer to other pages so if you go look at that page you will see another page number referred to - pretty soon you forget what recipe you were looking at originally. This isn't a bad thing - there's just SO much good information. She has sidebar articles throughout the book that are so interesting and informative. It will be a while before I fully assimilate all the things she refers to but it's going to be a fun journey.

In the process of going to links and finding some of the sources she refers to, I have found other blogs that are also talking about and living this Nutrient dense food way. One of them is Food Renegade and another is Kelly the Kitchen Kop. I'm going to add them to my blog list.

I highly recommend this book - you can find it on the Amazon Carousel to the right side of the page.

Creamy Coleslaw with Bananas and Peanuts

2009-06-08T11:05:00.000-07:00

I've put this recipe on the blog before, but I made it for the wedding rehearsal dinner we had at the house last Friday and it was a big hit. Several people said they don't normally like coleslaw, but this was so good. Also mentioned was how unusual to have bananas and peanuts in coleslaw - but how good it tasted together.

To make the dressing I usually add sugar and Best Foods mayonnaise. I decided to risk the changes and used Agave Nectar and Grapeseed oil Vegenaise. No-one complained! :-) Using the agave nectar reduces the glycemic index. I wonder how it would taste if almond milk was used in place of the half and half. It would be thinner but you could add chia gel to help thicken it up. I'll have to sneak that in next time (shhh....don't tell the kids).

So here is the updated recipe:

Creamy Coleslaw with Bananas and Peanuts

3/4 cup vegenaise GSO
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/8 teaspoon ea. garlic pwd, onion pwd, dry mustard, celery powder or seed
dash black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup fat free half & half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 head cabbage -- very finely shredded OR 16 oz package
3 bananas -- sliced
1/2 cup peanuts, dry-roasted

Mix all dressing ingredients together. Pour over cabbage in a large bowl and toss until cabbage is well coated. Add sliced bananas and peanuts just before serving. You'll have leftover dressing, but enough if you make a large salad with 2 16 oz. packages. Just add more bananas and peanuts.
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Serves 8 - Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 178 Calories; 14g Fat (66.4% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 13g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 143mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 2 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Update on Chia Pudding

2009-06-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

The last couple of times I have made this pudding we have used 1 14 oz can of light coconut milk from Trader Joes and then filled the blender with water to make 3 cups liquid. I also let my blender run a little longer (I have a Bosch mixer with a blender). After the pudding is thickened we have stirred in fresh blueberries and raspberries for a delicious treat. The recipe is at Elana's Pantry here.

Cranberry Water

2009-05-31T15:11:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago I went to a class at my doctor's office on how to eat healthy with being a "prediabetic" and was given recipes, information etc. One of the things the nutritionist recommended is that we drink cranberry water. All this is is unsweetened cranberry juice (you can find this at Trader Joes) mixed with water. I actually double this but the basic amount is 1/2 cup juice to 4 cups water. I mix it together in a container and then just leave it on the counter so it's room temperature and drink it throughout the day. Your body absorbs the fluids better if the liquid is room temp or slightly warm. This is a pretty tart drink but not bad.

Recently however, I have discovered liquid stevia (see my amazon store to purchase it) and added 4 drops to my glass of juice. It takes the tartness out of the drink and adds just a touch of sweetness. You can add more if you want it sweeter without any calories or carbs. I have only used powdered stevia in the past and didn't really care for the aftertaste. However - there is no aftertaste with this liquid stevia which makes me really happy...I think I'll be able to enjoy some guilt free lemonade or limeade this summer!! :-)

You can find this at Amazon in the 4 oz size in a two pack. One 2 oz size is going to last me a long time I think. The reviews I've read both on Amazon and at the online vitamin shop linked above give it all good reviews - but warn too much can cause bitterness. It's pretty much something you have to add to taste. Yay for a natural sweetener that's guilt free!!

Vanilla Cupcakes - but....

2009-05-30T09:03:00.000-07:00

not cupcakes this time...I'm making 3 - 6" cakes to test them for the wedding topper for Matt and Laura's wedding cake. The cake pans are so cute! I'm using Elana's recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes and have substituted 1/2 cup butter for the grapeseed oil. I'm a butter fan - love the flavor and I think it will really compliment the coconut flour. The batter tasted delicious! I use Wildtree's cold pressed grapeseed oil primarily in my cooking for the most part.

I thought for the sample I'm making today that I would fill and top this cake with Wildtree's chocolate mousse. There is fruit fine sugar in it - but actually not that much. One Tbsp. has 7 gms carbs in it. When I have made it for parties, I've added 2 tbsp powdered sugar to bring up the sweetness factor a little. The cake is plenty sweet though so I think the mousse will be fine as is. It's a decadent dessert.

For the wedding the cake will be filled with a Bavarian cream frosting and fresh strawberries.

Kelsey nixed the chocolate mousse - she doesn't like it (or chocolate icecream) so we're just eating one of the layers by itself. The butter makes them taste so good.

Chia "Tapioca" Pudding

2009-05-28T21:16:00.000-07:00

Raw Tapioca Pudding with Chia Seeds

I love tapioca pudding and so does my family. But most desserts are off the table for me so I have accepted that. However since finding Elana's Pantry website I'm discovering that I can have a few healthy sweets and they do taste good. One thing is that my sweet factor has come way down...what used to be "normal" for me is now WAY too sweet. So, I appreciated that this pudding is a little bit sweet - really just right. I stirred in some fresh blueberries which added some flavor as well as all the antioxidants of blueberries to the mix. This is definitely a keeper.

I have never used Chia seeds either - just knew about the chia pet. So, it's been fun experimenting with the seeds. We made the 'tapioca' last night and it's all gone today. I took it to work and made everyone try it. Only one mom didn't like it - I think it was more the consistency than the flavor. We made another batch tonight. I also made Chia gel last night and this morning added 1/4 cup to our breakfast shake. We couldn't even tell it was there. It'll be fun to learn to use this as a fat replacement and also supplementing other foods. Fun!!

The best place on the web that I have found to buy chia seeds is www.nutsonline.com. You can read more about the benefits there as well.

Carrot Cake - Low Glycemic, Gluten Free

2009-05-23T14:44:00.001-07:00

I've really missed baking. Somehow, when you know you can't (or shouldn't) eat what you're baking, the joy is really diminished...and my family has been very patient. However, finding Elana's Pantry and all her wonderful low glycemic, gluten free recipes, I've enjoyed baking several different things. My daughter asked me today why I was so into baking gluten free - I do not have celiac disease. The answer is two fold. My son is marrying a wonderful young lady whose mom, sister, brother and she all have this autoimmune disease. And because of my disposition to diabetes, I am not eating any processed flour. The almond flour is low glycemic and fits right into my new eating plan.

So, today I'm trying out the Carrot Cake from Elana's Pantry. I made some changes to the recipe as follows. I used half agave and half yacon syrup (1/4 cup each). Elana has a link to this on her blog. I found it at Vitamin Shoppe. I added 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce and used 3 Tbsp melted butter instead of the grapeseed oil. I like using grapeseed oil - I just wanted to try this combo out. I also left out the raisins as they are not my favorite.

I'm baking this in a 9x13 baking pan at 350. I will post on how this turns out.

Vanilla Cupcakes

2009-05-20T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'm trying another one of Elana's recipes today. We are looking for a good recipe to use for Matt and Laura's wedding cake - one they can feed each other that is gluten free. So, I'm trying her cupcakes with chocolate icing. I doubled the recipe and am making cupcakes with half and a round cake pan with the other half. If this works well, Laura's mom will make 3 6" cakes and take it to the bakery where the cake is being baked and she will incorporate the top with the whole cake. Traditionally, the bride and groom cut from the bottom layer...but no-one cares. The filling will be bavarian cream with fresh strawberries...should be really yummy. I'll post how they turn out.

Later: The cupcakes turned out really good. The cake worked out really well except that next time I will use a round piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan to help get it out of the pan.

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins - Gluten Free

2009-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

One thing I have come to understand as never before, is how badly our society as a whole eats and the why and wherefore of so many diseases in our country. I have been made aware of how late out of the gate I've been in embracing a healthier diet for my family, and also how much I want to share what I've been learning with everyone - NOT just those who have been diagnosed with some disease. I really wish that 2 1/2 years ago, when my nurse practitioner had told me that my blood sugar count was edging up and I needed to be careful, that I had asked more questions and/or she would have told me HOW I needed to be careful.

So, for those of you who haven't been diagnosed with anything and are still deliciously healthy, I would urge you to count your blessings and then find out how to preserve that health by eating healthy food as close to how God made them as possible. Search out low glycemic foods, try to cut out all processed foods (which is NOT how God made them), cut sugar out , ban sodas completely and do a lot of research (start by googling Low glycemic and you will have a good start). As I've been finding out, eating healthy is not depriving you of anything. You are investing in your future and your children's future. I'm listing my favorite recipe websites that give easy, delicious foods on the right side so you can get a start there. Here is my latest website find!!

I have discovered a wonderful website with delicious!! gluten free, low glycemic foods. With my second son's upcoming marriage to a wonderful young lady who is gluten intolerant, I've been on the lookout for gluten free, uncomplicated goodies to bake. And with my search for low glycemic foods, this website marrys the two beautifully. Elana's Pantry is the website and I recommend you check it out thoroughly.

I baked these muffins today - the first baking I've done for my family in months - and they are delicious. They are made with coconut flour which I bought from Bob's Red Mill (see my Amazon store for links). I made them in a mini muffin pan and had to bake them about 15 minutes rather than the 8-10 in the recipe. Could be my gas oven (which I don't like at all) OR because I made a couple of changes to the recipe. I added the juice of the lemon after I microplaned the zest and I added 1 scoop (2 Tbsp) of Quest Protein powder.

Bottom Line: Delicious!! Can't wait for my son and fiancee to try them. My hubby agrees they are delicious as well!

Note: Matt just came in and tried the muffins. I didn't tell him they were GF - just to try them. He and his friend really liked them. When I told him they were GF he was so happy - Laura is going to LOVE these!! :-)

2009-05-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.releasingfat.com/healthy_lifestyle.asp

I would highly recommend the above website to find out more information about a healthy lifestyle and how to release fat! Dr. Strand has written a book called "Healthy for Life" which is a great reference book and has recipes in the back. This website will give you a lot of information as well, including a listing of low glycemic foods and a good Glycemic Index of common foods we eat.

Tomato-Basil Shrimp Skewers

2009-05-08T21:04:00.001-07:00

This recipe came through on an email from Simple and Delicious - a Taste of Home magazine. We tried them out and they really ARE delicious. The chef in the family is going to be making these for Mother's Day this Sunday. He made them for some friends while we were out of town last week and one of his friends emailed today asking for the recipe...it really is that good. It's easy too. We threaded the shrimp on bamboo skewers - about 5 to a skewer. It took more than 6 skewers. I also sprinkled Wildtree's Rancher Steak Rub on them once they were on the skewers...good flavor!!

Tomato-Basil Shrimp Skewers

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons fresh basil -- minced
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds shrimp -- uncooked, jumbo, peeled and deveined

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first six ingredients; add shrimp. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for up to 30 minutes. Drain and discard marinade. Thread shrimp onto six metal or soaked wooden skewers. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink. Yield: 6 servings.

Mushroom Basil Frittata

2009-05-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

This recipe came in an email from a website called Cooking With Trader Joes. There is a cookbook with recipes from TJ items as well. This recipe looked delicious...another low carb high protein meal that you can add other veggies to as well.

Mushroom Basil Frittata

A frittata is similar to a quiche, but without the crust. This version uses criminis, which are actually baby Portabella mushrooms. For a milder flavor, you can use buttom mushrooms, or really any vegetables of your choice.

3 cups fresh Sliced Crimini Mushrooms
3 Tbsp butter
8 eggs
1/3 cup whole milk or heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Quattro Formaggio shredded cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Melt butter in a 10-inch nonstick oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes
3. While mushrooms are cooking, whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until combined. Mix in basil and cheese.
4. Pour egg mixture into hot skillet, over the cooked mushrooms. Place in oven for 30 minutes or until egg is set. Eggs will puff up while cooking but will deflate when you take it out of the oven.

We made this for dinner last night. We thought the 3 Tbsp of butter was too much. Could have used olive oil. We added chopped garlic to the mushrooms as they sauteed and chopped tomatoes added color on top of the frittata. It was an easy meal for a quick supper. The boys would have liked some meat added.

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Strips

2009-05-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for tasty ways to fix chicken and low carb meals. This recipe really fits the bill! It is easy to make and so yummy. We used the George Foreman Grill to cook the chicken tenders which worked really well. I'm not a "hot sauce" fan, but Frank's Red Hot isn't that bad and the Blue cheese sauce with the chicken is a good contrast flavor.

This recipe came from America's Test Kitchen Fast and Fresh 2007.

Grilled Buffalo Chcken Strips

1/2 cup blue cheese -- crumbled
6 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot hot sauce
4 tablespoons butter -- melted
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

Combine blue cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar and celery salt in bowl. Whisk hot sauce and butter in large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup. Add chicken strips to bowl with remaining hot sauce mixture and toss ot coat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill over hot fire until cooked through, about 2 min per side. Transfer to plate and brush with reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with blue cheese sauce.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 297 Calories; 32g Fat (92.9% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 56mg Cholesterol; 569mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Protein Shakes

2009-05-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

One item that I have really enjoyed having in this new eating plan is my protein shakes. I have been using Quest Protein powder which is sweetened with stevia so it's low glycemic...but it tastes GREAT!! I'm so impressed with it. The link to purchase some is here . If you purchase the 1st one and the 2nd one at 1/2 price, it comes to $0.84/per serving. This is a better price than the whey protein powder from Trader Joes and tastes a LOT better.

Here is my favorite shake:

1/2 cup (plus more if needed) unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup unsweetened Kefir (probiotics) (you could use some unsweetened yogurt here as well)
1 scoop Quest vanilla powder
1 cup frozen fruit (peaches, mango, blueberries, raspberries etc)
2 Tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp Vit C powder (2000 mg)

I blend all this together - if it's too thick I just add some more almond milk until it blends up. This fills me up in the morning and I'm not hungry until lunch. Sometimes I've come home from work in the afternoon and just need something to get me through til dinner. I'll just shake up a scoop of vanilla or chocolate in some fat free milk and drink that.

Be sure to read the scientific information about this powder...very interesting. There are a few recipes on the website as well. I LOVE this powder!!

Lately I've been using chia gel in place of the flaxseed. There is a lot of information about chia seeds here and also some recipes including how to make chia gel. It's 2 cups of water and 1/3 cup of chia seeds. Mix well in a bottle and let it sit overnight in the frig. The next morning the chia gel will be ready to use.

Orange, Almond and Avocado Salad

2009-03-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

Eating low glycemic doesn't mean giving up taste by any means. My favorite cookbook that I have purchased is The Complete Idiot's Guide to Terrific Diabetic Meals by Lucy Beale. I've mentioned this book earlier. The recipes look wonderful and I'm excited to try them out. I would definitely encourage anyone who wants to eat healthy and yummy to get this book. I like that it has the GI and GL for each recipe along with carbs, calories etc.

I love avocado and there are several recipes in here with avocado as one of the ingredients. I could easily sit down with a half (or whole) avocado and a little bit of sea salt and spoon the whole thing into my mouth! YUM!! Here's a delicious salad with a GL of zero! :-) This comes from the cookbook I just mentioned.

Orange, Almond and Avocado Salad

2 Tb snipped fresh parsley
1 Tb sugar
2 Tb grapeseed oil**
1 Tb vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 avocado cubed
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
4 cups bite size pieces Bibb lettuce
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions with tops thinly sliced
1/2 cup mandarin orange segments drained.

** Grapeseed oil can be found at wildtreebiz.com .It is cold pressed and still full of the good things nature provides. The grapeseed oil from Trader Joes has been processed with heat and has lost a lot of the good nutrients. Google grapeseed oil to learn more about it.

Preheat the oven to 350. Place almonds on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool before using. In a large bowl, whisk together parsley, sugar, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.Cut the avocado in half. Carefully insert the widest part of the knife blade into the pit and twist the knife slightly. Remove and discard the pit. Slice the flesh of 1 avocado half into small dice while still in the shell. Scoop out the flesh into the bowl with the dressing and repeat with remaining half. Toss gently. Add almonds, lettuce, celery, green onions and oranges and toss. Serve immediately.

Serves 4, 1 1/2 cups per serving; Glycemic Index (not significant); Glycemic Load (not significant); Calories 136; Carbs 16 gms; Dietary fiber 2 gms; Net carbs 14 gms; Fat 16 gms

Julian Bakery....

2009-02-25T20:54:00.001-08:00

A friend called last night and we had a wonderful long conversation about this whole pre-diabetic thing! Thanks Kim for calling! She told me about a bakery in LaJolla called Julian Bakery. It had its beginnings in the small mountain town of Julian, CA - but now has business based in La Jolla. The exciting thing is that this is very healthy, high fiber, low carb bread that is so good for you. I put in an order and can't wait to try it. Go to http://www.julianbakery.com/ to find out more. They bake on Mondays and ship the same day!

Kim gave me great information about counting carbs, some good books to help out with that and answered lots of questions...always learning. Her nutritionist told her to only eat 15 carbs per meal - so that's my goal now...but I need to do some work on figuring out the whole carb/glycemic index thing and how it all works together. But counting carbs like that does make it easy. When I looked at it that way, I realized that almonds may be good for me - but 1 cup of them is net 13 carbs - and a glycemic load of 0. So, I'll have them throughout the day - but will measure them into 1/4 cup portions and be careful in how many I eat overall. Lots to learn.

Healthy Eating...various 'diets'...

2009-02-23T16:12:00.000-08:00

What I'm finding out as I learn more and more about healthy eating is that healthy, sustainable "diets" lead to the same conclusions...whatever name you want to call it...low glycemic, Mediterranean, South Beach, Flat Belly etc. Lean protein, healthy fats, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables and (some) complex carbs as in whole grains,are the best way to eat for a healthy life. My eyes have been opened in the last month as to how badly our society eats in general and how we're compromising our health every day by the rows of grocery shelves that have processed foods in them. It's not that hard to eat in a healthy way - it's just making the decision to do so and then educating ourselves on how to go about it.

Last week as I was discussing my diagnosis with my hairdresser, Christie, she told me that she has been eating low glycemic for a number of years now. One suggestion she made sounded so good I came home and made it that evening. She told me how she'll make pasta for her kids to go with spaghetti sauce, but instead of eating pasta herself, she will steam up some cauliflower and pour the sauce over that.

So, off to the store I went and got a big bag of cauliflower and broccoli (another super food) and for dinner that night Kelsey and I had (leftover) spaghetti sauce over cauliflower with some Parmesan cheese grated on top! YUMMY!! It was so good and so filling. I didn't miss the pasta at all.

My favorite recipe for Spaghetti sauce is my sister Ruth's that you can find here. I chop up my veggies pretty fine so you can't really see them (fussy kids).

One thing that I have noticed with eating low glycemic foods is that I never feel "stuffed." It's a great way to get up from the table - feeling satisfied and ready to tackle the world - instead of sleepy and feeling like you're going to pop.

Hope you try the spaghetti and cauliflower! You'll really enjoy it - I promise!!

A few more thoughts on Glycemic Index etc...

2009-02-14T08:22:00.000-08:00

I found a great website that explains Glycemic Index, Load and how to calculate the glycemic load for a food item. It's not a simple calculation for whole recipes but it will explain it there. Check it out.

Also, just for the record - since starting to eat with GI and GL in mind, I have lost 3 inches around my waist and 4 lbs in 3 weeks. I've never felt hungry because you can snack on low GL foods during the day. You have to keep in mind though, that although nuts are good for you and have a low GL there is fat in them so keep that amount down. I have been keeping a bowl of raw almonds out for everyone to snack on...better than my usual peanut M&M's. Although, if I was going to have a "treat" like that it would be something with nuts since the protein in the candy brings down the load of the sugary treat.

Lots to learn - but it's worth it in the long run.

As far as supplements go, a friend told me about Diaxinol. I'm just taking one a day for now and will see how my numbers are at the end of March when I get my blood taken again. http://coastherbal.com/product_info.php/products_id/285?osCsid=f570266abc34bd8e042ca141184d78df is just one place that sells it. I checked around on the internet and thought this was the best price. But google it and read about it in different places.

I'm also going to try Dreamfields Pasta which has a low glycemic index. I really don't like whole wheat pasta and Dreamfields is made out of durum wheat which is what regular pasta is made from. I found penne at the Ralphs close to me at 2 for $5. I'm going to look for it elsewhere - but I think it's just going to be more spendy than regular pasta. For those of you who want to just keep the load down, you can lower the load by cooking your regular pasta al dente - about 6 minutes! The load goes up significantly the longer the pasta is cooked! Read more about Dreamfields here.

Happy Valentines Day!

Beef Barley Stew with Mushrooms

2009-02-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Cold, rainy weather calls for comfort food! And this recipe is a good one! I love the cookbook this recipe came from - I've linked it below.

Beef, Barley and Mushroom Stew

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 pounds round steak -- bite sized pieces
2 yellow onions -- chopped
3 cloves garlic -- minced
2 cups baby carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 bay leaf
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup barley, rinsed well and drained
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
16 ounces mushrooms -- quartered or halved

Preheat oven to 350. In a dutch oven over med-high heat, warm oil. Add steak and brown 5 minutes. Add onions and garlic and sauted until tender, 5 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients, except mushrooms, and blend well. Cover and bake 1 hour. Stir in mushrooms and bake, covered, until meat and mushrooms are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Remove bay leaf and discard.

Source: "The Big Book of Casseroles"

I'm making some stone ground corn bread from Bob's Red Mill to go with this...should be a yummy dinner. http://www.bobsredmill.com/

Happy Comfort Food!

New way of cooking/thinking

2009-02-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

Well, in the last 3 weeks of this new "diet" I've learned a lot about what causes insulin resistance and eventually...if not taken care of...diabetes. It's definitely a condition that can be turned around by diet which I have every intention of doing. According to what I have read, if a woman's waist line is over 35" you are insulin resistant. Be sure to read the side bar articles as well - lots of good explanations there. This is just one source - there are others on the internet if you google this. I had large babies - 3 of them over 9 lbs - which is an indication of gestational diabetes and the likelihood of developing diabetes as an older adult. The food that is recommended to be eaten are foods/diets that everyone should eat. Complex carbs, protein, lots of fruits and vegetables and as little white flour, sugar, white rice and soda as possible. Good oils such as nuts, avocado, olive oil, grapeseed oil are also important. I knew all that before but now I understand why.

I've learned a lot about the glycemic index and glycemic load. It all makes a lot of sense and we would all be healthier if we ate with this information in mind.

Two books I've found that have been really helpful to me are these: The Complete Idiots Guide to Glycemic Index Weight Loss and the accompanying cookbook: The Complete Idiots Guide to Terrific Diabetic Meals. I really wish the title was different on the second book because everyone would benefit from eating this way. I would recommend these two books over any of the others I have bought and read on the subject. There is a lot of information on the internet too, if you just google glycemic index or glycemic load. The books mentioned have lists of foods with their index and load numbers.

Speaking of good fats, Wildtree is now selling a cold expeller pressed grapeseed oil from a vineyard in Chile. It's very green...I can't wait to try some. They are still phasing it in - but even the oils that are sold now are expeller pressed - but from a vineyard in Italy. Because it's a pressed oil, all the nutrients have been left intact in the oil. GSO helps lower your cholesterol, is high in Omega 6 and can be heated to high temps for things like stir fry. I use it in all my baking as well. Between the GSO I've been using for about a year and a glass of red wine in the evenings, I've brought my cholesterol down from 225 to 185! I was happy to get that number!

Happy Healthy Eating!!

Pre-diabetic...

2009-01-19T22:11:00.001-08:00

Got the word today...I'm pre-diabetic. So, my cooking will change a bit...but hopefully not too much. I need to cut out carbs and sugar etc. It'll be interesting!

Make Ahead Meatballs

2009-01-10T15:59:00.000-08:00

Over the New Year's week we traveled to Portland to visit family. One evening my sister made these wonderful barbeque meatballs! YUM!! She served them over rice. Turns out I had the recipe all along - and I've made them before - just not with this yummy sauce. It's a big meatball recipe and you bag them and freeze them so you have meatballs all ready to throw into that batch of spaghetti sauce you made - or make them into meatball sandwiches or swedish meatballs! It's so nice to have them on hand at the end of a busy day!

Here's the recipe. It's from a Taste of Home magazine from a number of years ago.

Make Ahead Meatballs

4 eggs
2 cups dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons Worcestershire
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 pounds lean ground beef

In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add the next 5 ingredients. Add beef; mix well. Shape into 1" balls, about 12 dozen. Place in single layers in ungreased 15x10 baking pans. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until no longer pink, turning often; drain. Cool. Place about 30 meatballs each into freezer containers. May be frozen up to 3 months. Yield: 5 batches (30 meatballs per batch).
from Quick Cooking - Collector's Edition Ruth Andrewson of WA

My changes: I used 2 cups of quick cooking oatmeal in place of the bread crumbs and 2 teaspoons of Wildtree's California Garlic and Pepper Blend in addition to the other spices. I didn't have the white pepper so didn't use that. I blended all the ingredients together before adding the meat. I used a small scoop and got 130 meatballs in all.

Barbeque Sauce:

2 cups ketchup
1 cup brown sugar
1-2 tsp liquid smoke (more or less as you like it)
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into crock pot. Put 30 meatballs into the sauce and heat for 2-4 hours. You can double this recipe if you like extra sauce for the rice or sandwiches - whatever you use it for.
Note: After I made this recipe tonight, I decided to cut the brown sugar in half. I added some vinegar to it as well. I need to tweak it some more to make it taste just a bit more bbq-ish. Dan's comment was it was like sweet and sour without the sour.

Almond Roca

2008-11-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

A few Christmases ago, a friend brought this Almond Roca into the office where I work. As soon as I tasted it I knew I had to have the recipe! It is so good...and very easy to make. You do need to plan ahead if you are going to give it away since it needs a few hours to cool before you can break it into pieces. Definitely get out your candy thermometer for this recipe as well...and have everything set out and ready to go.

Michelle's Almond Roca

1 pound butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sliced almonds -- divided
1 cup peanut butter chips -- divided
1 cup milk chocolate chip -- divided
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips -- divided

Into two bowls, divide the peanut butter, milk and semi sweet chips and mix them together in each bowl. On a large cookie sheet lined with foil, spread ½ cup of the almonds then 1 of the bowls of mixed chips on top of the almonds. The other 1/2 cup of almonds and bowl of chips will be for the top of the candy which you will spread on after you cook the toffee.

In a 2 quart heavy sauce pan melt butter, add the sugars, and raise the heat to high and boiling. Once boiling, stir constantly. Using a candy thermometer cook until candy is between 310 and 325 . This might take 20 to 30 minutes, the higher the temperature the darker the brittle (and stronger). Don't take off heat before 300*.

Working quickly pour the candy in a thin stream back and forth across the almonds and chips - the goal is to cover most, if not all, of the pan thinly. Quickly, while hot, spread the balance of the chips over the cookie sheet followed by the almonds. Using a sheet of parchment paper, lightly tamp and spread or even out the candy. Refrigerate until cool. Break into pieces. Each recipe will make 7 to 8 gift containers.

Marian's notes: I used the amounts of chips listed...you can add more if you'd like. I boiled the sugar mixture to 315 degrees. Takes a good 4-5 hours to cool in the frig so plan ahead. I left the parchment paper on the candy while it cooled - if you take it off right away, it pulls quite a bit of the melted chips off with it.

Leche Quemada (Burnt Milk)

2008-11-12T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's not the most "appetizing" title for a candy, but this is one of my favorite kinds of fudge...kind of like a brown sugar fudge. My housekeeper, Kelly, is from Mexico and she told me that this is called Jamoncillo (hah-mon-cee'-yo) and that it is made without the nuts and poured into miniature icecream cones for serving. She is going to bring me a recipe for a brown sugar pound cake which I will share with you. She said it tastes a lot like this fudge.

Anyway - this is very foolproof...and very yummy. Try not to eat it all yourself...which is why I don't make this very often!

MW Leche Quemada

2 cups pecans -- small or broken pieces (or use walnuts)
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Place pecans on large glass plate and MW on Hi for 6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Set aside. In 8 c. glass measure, MW butter on HI for 1 minute. Stir in brown sugar and milk until blended. MW on HI for 9 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Beat with wooden spoon until stiff about 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla and roasted pecans. Spread in lightly buttered 8-in glass dish and chill until firm. Cut into squares.

Favorite Fudge

2008-11-10T22:43:00.001-08:00

I am going to post some of my favorite Christmas/holiday candies I like to make. The first one is this fudge that makes me gain at least 5 lbs. It is just the basic one with marshmallow creme but I can always count on it coming out. When I was in 10th grade at Rift Valley Academy in Kenya, we used to try making the old fashioned kind of fudge and it would either sugar or not harden up. I was very discouraged. So, I LOVE this fudge - comes out yummy every time.

Just a note: When I buy nuts at the grocery store, I always bring them home and store them in the freezer. Rancid nuts (especially walnuts) have a really bitter, yucky flavor - so just toss them in the freezer and use them frozen. Another good idea is if you bring home walnut halves or pieces, take some time to chop them up into recipe size and freeze them in 1 cup portions. It's so nice to be able to take them out of the freezer and dump them in your cookie or sweet bread dough...anything to make things easier down the road!

Easy Fantasy Fudge

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 12 oz. pkg. chocolate chips -- (2 cups)
1 7 oz. marshmallow cream
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Microwave butter in 8 c. pyrex measuring bowl for 1 minute. Add sugar and milk; mix well. MW on high 5 minutes or until mixture begins to boil. Stir after 3 minutes. Mix well, scrape bowl. MW 5 1/2 minutes stirring after 3 minutes. Gradually stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Pour into greased 9x13 or 7x11 pan. Cool to room temp. Makes ~ 3 lbs. candy.

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

2008-11-10T17:39:00.000-08:00

My family has always been meat eaters...and this recipe is a favorite. I usually double this recipe so there's enough for my hungry boys. Makes good leftovers too. The reason I say revised is because I increased the amount of gravy this makes so you can have some for your noodles.

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy (Revised)

1 egg
2 10 1/2 oz. French onion soup, undiluted, divided
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons flour
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
6 cups hot cooked egg noodles

In a large bowl, beat egg. Stir in 1/3 cup of soup, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add beef; mix gently. Shape into six oval patties. Brown in a skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside; discard drippings. Mix the ketchup, Worch. sauce, mustard and all remaining soup together and mix well. In the skillet, combine flour and water until smooth; add the ketchup mixture right away and blend in with the flour and water mix; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Return patties to skillet. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Serve patties and gravy over noodles.
Adapted from a recipe in Taste of Home, Dec/Jan 98

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

2008-11-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

I get the Real Simple recipes in my email every week day and am enjoying seeing all the new ideas. This recipe came this week so I made it and everyone liked it. Trader Joes has the sweet potatoes all cut up in 1" cubes so that part is really easy. I skinned the chicken and cut away all the fat I could. Dan is not a sweet potato lover but said this wasn't bad. I think for a side dish, I will try roasting sweet potatoes with some chicken broth, garlic, maple syrup, onion and thyme - the combo was really good.

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

1 3 1/2 -- 4 lb chicken -- cut into 8 pieces
1 yellow onion -- 1 inch wedges
2 small sweet potatoes -- peeled and cut into 1" chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons maple syrup
6 sprigs fresh thyme

Heat oven to 400° F. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry. Arrange the chicken, onion, and sweet potatoes in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Drizzle the oil over the chicken and vegetables and season with the salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Drizzle with the maple syrup and top with the sprigs of thyme.
Roast, stirring the vegetables once, until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Cover Recipe Beef Stew

2008-10-24T17:45:00.000-07:00

I thought I had already posted this favorite beef stew recipe but didn't find it...so here is my favorite beef stew. The flavors are wonderful. I've posted the changes I made to this Cooking Light recipe. It's absolutely delicious served over mashed potatoes! I can't wait for a cold day to make this. It's a good one to double (which this one is already) so you can have lots of leftovers.

Cover Recipe Beef Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 pounds beef stew meat -- cut into 1" cubes
3 1/2 cups button mushroom -- halved
3 cups carrot -- diagonally sliced
2 onions -- coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic -- minced
3 cups beef broth
2 cups red wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon marjoram
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 15 oz. stewed tomatoes -- undrained
1 teaspoon au jus concentrate -- or use beef base concentrate to taste
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook 5 minutes, browing on all sides. Remove from pan. Add mushrooms and next four ingredients (mushrooms through garlic) to pan; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Return beef to pan. Stir in beef broth and next 10 ingredients (water through bay leaves); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Discard bay leaves. Stir in vinegar. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve in a bowl over mashed potatoes. Yield 10 servings (serving size 1 1/3 cup). Modified from a Cooking Light recipe.
Here's what I did. I doubled the recipe to begin with. Browned the beef. While it was browning I sliced the onion and baby carrots in the food processor on the 4 cm. slicing blade. When the meat was brown I started adding everything to the pan - rather than taking the beef out etc. I used beef broth in place of the water, used 4-5 cloves garlic, added marjoram and just a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce. It still seemed to be kind of flat even after I added salt. So, I put in about a teaspoon of "au jus" concentrate from Soupbase. If you've never seen their site it's a great place to buy bases from as well as gravies etc. It's a family owned business too, so you get personal service. The au jus - which I'm sure is primarily a beef base concentrate really added the dimension that was missing. I served it this evening over mashed potatoes as the recipe suggests. It was a great meal on a rainy evening.

Yummy Chicken in the Crockpot

2008-10-12T21:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what to name this recipe. I got it from my sister, Judi, who called it Chinese Chicken. However, I think that name is somewhat misleading as it's not really too oriental tasting. It was delicious whatever you want to call it...and I'll make it again this winter.

With fall here it's time to get the crockpot out and make those tummy warming meals again. So, here is the latest and greatest! I doubled this recipe and it made 3 or 4 meals for us. Our family is at the place where we have lots of coming and going and for us to all sit down at the same time takes some planning. So, this is a good one for those heat up and eat type meals.

Yummy Chicken in the Crockpot

3/4 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 T. cider vinegar
2 cloves fresh garlic minced
1 small onion chopped
opt. Wildtree's Pacific Fusion Sauce

Mix all together and pour over 8-10 chicken thighs in the crockpot. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Like I said, I doubled this recipe using as many thighs as would fit and still be in the sauce. After our first meal where I served the thighs whole, I shredded up the chicken and then served it over brown rice. It was really good. I get the brown rice started in the rice cooker about an hour before dinner.

The Wildtree Pacific Fusion sauce added a little bite and some terrific flavor to the sauce. It's one of my favorite new items!

Edited Nov 10: I made this with a pork roast that I had chunked up in 3-4" pieces. It cooked all day and I shredded it and served it over brown rice with the gravy. It's nice to have a couple of containers of this in the freezer for those days when you need a yummy fast meal. With Trader Joes frozen brown rice (or even white rice cooked in the rice cooker for 20 minutes) and some hot buttered peas you have a tasty, easy dinner.

German Pancake with Buttermilk Syrup

2008-09-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

This morning - Saturday - we decided to make Dutch Baby pancakes OR German Pancake. These are popular up in the Northwest because of the Scandanavian influence. Not too many people in California where I live have heard of them or have eaten them.

We like to have breakfast type dishes on Sunday evenings which is usually when we have this dish - but we had fun making these this morning.

I received this recipe from a friend who now lives in Kansas - Susan P. The buttermilk syrup is sooo good! You can use it for an ice cream topping if you'd like. Be sure to use a large pan as the recipe indicates...it does bubble up high. I would recommend at least a 5qt. pan.

The traditional way to serve Dutch Babies is with butter, lemon juice and powdered sugar. That's how we had them this morning, but Jamey informed me he likes the buttermilk syrup better. Kelsey and I think it's too sweet - so the butter/lemon/powdered sugar was a nice sweet/tart taste for us.

I halved this recipe and baked two. One in my lightly greased cast iron skillet and one in a lightly sprayed clay baking dish. I have successfully made this in a 9x13 baking dish - not halved.

It's a lot of fun to watch the pancake bubble up. The one in the cast iron skillet puffed up better and I prefer to use it over any other container. For our family, I have successfully made individual ones in round cake pans. I have put the portions (in parentheses) for individual dutch babies next to the ingredient . They collapse a bit when you cut them.

German Pancake with Buttermilk Syrup

6 eggs (1)
1 cup milk (1/4)
1 cup flour (1/4)
1/2 teaspoon salt (dash)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine -- melted (1-2 tsp)
Syrup:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Powdered Sugar

Place eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender; cover and process until smooth. Pour the butter into an ungreased 13 x 9 baking dish (8" skillet or cake pan, lightly greased); add batter. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20 minutes (watch after 15 min). Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the first five syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Boil 7 minutes. (Make sure to use a large pan or it will boil over). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Dust pancake with powdered sugar; serve immediately with syrup. Yield:4 servings.

Decadent French Toast Souffle

2008-09-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our first day back at school and we decided to have a little brunchy time with the moms so they could sit and visit and get to know one another. They were also scheduled to go to their children's classes to visit and find out more what was expected as we "team teach" - 2 days at The Vine and 3 days at home.

One of the moms brought this dish and it was a big hit! I didn't taste it - but it is something I'm going to try for the family soon - looks like a treat that you don't want to make too often - but we all need those indulgent breakfasts occasionally.

Decadent French Toast Soufflé
(from Sunset Magazine - brought in by Amber O. with her added notes)

1/2 pound Croissants (2 -3, I use 4 - 5 because I like it a bit more breadlike)
1/2 C Butter, at room temp.
6 oz. package cream cheese, at room temp.
3/4 C Pure Maple Syrup (not the Log Cabin kind)
10 Large Eggs
3 C Half and Half
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I just sprinkle over generously from the bottle)

Garnish with raspberries

1. Tear Croissants into 1/4-inch chunks. Place on the bottom of a 2 1/2 Qt. baking dish
2. In a food processor, combine cheese, 1/2 C butter, and 1/4 C Maple Syrup, whirl until blended. (Or if you don't have a food processor, beat with a mixer until smoothly blended). Cover Croissants with the mixture
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then blend in 1/2 C Maple Syrup and Half & Half. Pour Over Croissant and Cream Cheese. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or up to 1 day.
4. Bake uncovered, in a 350 degrees oven approx. 50 - 60 minutes - until it is richly browned and center barely jiggles.
5. Garnish with berries.

Rainbow Finger Jell-O

2008-07-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

This has been a favorite recipe in our house since my aunt gave it to me when the boys were little. The Rainbow colors are so pretty - but we always enjoy making this for the 4th of July with red and blue jellos. Last night we made this and I will get a photo of the Jello before it's all eaten. Not only is it a fun looking treat, it's also really delicious!

Rainbow Finger Jello

5 3 oz. jell-o, layered in this order:
grape, lime, lemon, orange, raspberry
7 envelopes Knox gelatin
1 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1. Make the following mixture with sweetened condensed milk: Mix together 1 c. cold water and 2 envelopes gelatin. Stir to dissolve. In a 4 cup measure, mix together 1 c. boiling water and 1 can sweetened condensed milk; add gelatin mixture to milk mixture. Set aside.

2. Jello mixture: Starting with the grape jello, in a 2 cup glass measuring cup, dissolve it with 3/4 cup boiling water. Soften 1 env. gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water. Add dissolved jello to softened gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Pour into lightly oiled 9x13 pan. Place in fridge and let set for 20 minutes. Be sure pan is level. Start next jello with same procedure immediately so jello has time to cool. After first jello has set, pour a scant 3/4 cup sweetened cond. milk mixture over it and spread evenly. Let set in fridge for 15 minutes. Layer next jello (lime) over milk mixture and continue alternating jello and milk, letting it set inbetween each layer, ending with raspberry on top. After jello has completely set, cut in squares, then triangles to serve.

Use different color combinations for holidays - red and green jello for Christmas, purple and yellow for Easter and blue and red for 4th of July. Kids of all ages love this recipe!

Creamy Coleslaw with Bananas and Peanuts

2008-06-30T09:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we were at a birthday party at the park and everyone brought salads to share. They were all really yummy salads. Brian O brought an amazing salad with roasted fingerling potatotes, baby green beans and other ingredients. It was delicious.

This is my favorite to take to potlucks - it's easy to put together and kids of all ages like it.

Creamy Coleslaw with Bananas and Peanuts

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon ea. garlic pwd, onion pwd, dry mustard, celery powder or seed
dash black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 head cabbage OR 16 oz. package of shredded cabbage ** -- very finely shredded
3 bananas -- sliced
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

Mix all dressing ingredients together. Pour over cabbage in a large bowl and toss until cabbage is well coated. Add sliced bananas and peanuts just before serving. (Dressing can be used for fruit salad also).
** You'll have leftover dressing, but enough if you make a large salad with 2 16 oz. packages. Just add more bananas and peanuts.

Salsa Verde Chicken Bowl

2008-06-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

Trader Joes always has something cooking in the back of the store...if you need an idea for dinner, just go into the store and you're sure to come out with all the ingredients for a tasty, easy dinner.

Today's sampling was a Salsa Verde Chicken Bowl. Very tasty, very easy.

Instead of sauteeing my chicken, I cooked up a bunch of frozen chicken tenders in my pressure cooker - so I have a lot of cooked chicken for sandwiches, recipes etc.

So, here's what I did.

Saute a med sized onion in some grapeseed oil.
Sprinkle 2-3 tsp. Wildtree's Hot Chili Pepper and Garlic blend and stir in.
Add green and red peppers (chopped) and saute with onion.
Add 1 jar TJ' Salsa Verde and about 1/2 bag of frozen corn - heat through.
Stir in cooked shredded chicken and stir altogether
Serve over cooked rice with sour cream and cilantro.

Kelsey is chomping at the bit for Dad to get home with the sour cream so we can eat! It smells heavenly! Jamey is mad because I'm making a dish with red and green peppers - I didn't know he liked them so well...go figure. There may be some leftovers - not sure though with how hungry Kelsey is!

Whole Wheat English Muffins

2008-06-21T13:13:00.000-07:00

I really enjoy King Arthur Flour's recipe blog and came across this delicious recipe for English Muffins. I pulled out my english muffin rings this morning and got to work. The recipe calls for white flour, but I wanted to see how they would come out with 100% freshly ground whole wheat. I ground the white wheat berries in my new Nutrimill and proceeded to make them in my Bosch mixer. The instructions are detailed and take you step by step. The only thing I added - because they are whole wheat - is 1 T. lecithin powder and 1 T. gluten flour. Otherwise I pretty much followed step by step and am sitting here enjoying a breakfast sandwich with my freshly 'baked' whole grain english muffin.

Here is the recipe from King Arthur Flour www.kingarthurflour.com as I made it with whole wheat flour:

1 3/4 cups (14 ounces) lukewarm milk (I heated in MW for 1 minute)
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) melted butter
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon lecithin powder
1 tablespoon gluten flour
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) potato flour or 1/3 cup instant mashed potato flakes
3 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons SAF instant yeast
semolina, for dry frying

Combine all of the ingredients except the semolina in a mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix till everything is combined, then beat at high speed (using the flat beater paddle, if you’re using a stand mixer) for 5 minutes. The dough will be soft, sticky, and glossy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover it, and allow the dough to rise for about 90 minutes, till it’s just about doubled in bulk.

Heat an ungreased frying pan or griddle over very low heat; a griddle with a thermostat should be set at 300°F. You may want to make one test muffin first, as follows:

When the griddle or pan is up to heat, place one well greased 3 3/4” English muffin ring in the pan, and sprinkle a little semolina inside the ring. Semolina will give your muffins a typical crunchy English muffin crust. (Why not cornmeal, instead of semolina? Cornmeal burns easily. Semolina is preferred, but use cornmeal if you must. Or try using farina, a.k.a. Cream of Wheat.) If you don’t have muffin rings, fashion them from tuna cans, top and bottom removed, washed, and greased.

Scoop a scant 1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) of sticky dough out of the bowl; it’s easiest if you rinse your measuring cup and wet your fingers before adding the dough to the cup. Use your wet fingers to shape the dough into a circle about the size of the ring (don’t stress about being too exact), lay it into the ring, and sprinkle the top lightly with semolina. After 7 minutes, check the bottom of the muffin; it should be a medium-golden brown. If it’s not, turn up the heat; if it’s too brown, turn down the heat. Cook for another 10 minutes, then use a pair of tongs to grab each side of the ring. It might lift right off; if it does, lift it off, set it aside, and use a spatula to gently turn the muffin over. If it doesn’t, flip the muffin over, ring and all; then gently wiggle the ring around till it comes off. Cook the second side for about 15 to 18 minutes, till it’s a deep golden brown. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the interior temperature will be about 200°F. Remove the muffin from the griddle, and gently split it open. If it appears to be done inside, cook the remaining muffins the same way. If it’s still gummy or wet, turn the heat down a bit and cook the remaining muffins a bit longer on each side.

When the muffins are brown on both sides, transfer them to a rack to cool. When completely cool, store in a plastic bag.

Wildtree Sliders

2008-05-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

When Jeff worked for Ruby's we enjoyed going there for lunch to say Hi and to enjoy a plate of sliders. They were Kobe beef - and we don't have that - but they are so yummy. So, tonight we made Wildtree Sliders. Here is the recipe.

Wildtree Sliders

1 lb. hamburger
1 Tbsp. Wildtree's Absolutely Onion Blend
1/4 c. water
Wildtree's Rancher Steak Rub
Swiss cheese slices quartered
King's Hawaiian rolls
Onions chopped finely and grilled in Wildtree's Garlic Grapeseed oil

Mix 1 Tbsp. onion blend with water. Pour over the hamburger and mix in with your hands. Divide the hamburger into 8 portions and pat pretty flat. (When I made these I divided the meat into 16 portions but after cooking they were pretty small. If your beef is really lean, they may not shrink as much and you can make them smaller.) Sprinkle Rancher Steak Rub on both sides and fry in pan until cooked through. Put cheese on top and let melt. Cut open the buns and place one patty into each one. Spread a bit of grilled onion on each bun. Serve immediately. Serves 2 1/2 people - 3 buns apiece.

These tasted very similar to the ones at Ruby's. We really enjoyed them. YUM!!!

Comment added by Vicki Frantz with Wildtree: For a variation.. try FRANK's burgers..
use cajun seasoning on one side and ranchers steak rub on other. or add a little Jalapeno blend to the burger mix!! ;-0
and for a little more zing... saute those onions in the Jalapeno or Chili Pepper GSO !!!

Spinach Pizza

2008-05-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

I have two recipes for Spinach pizza...one that is a deep dish pizza and takes some time to make - but is so worth it and another that I have just found which I want to try. It's a lot simpler - but very different than the first one.

I found this in Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious:

Spinach Pizza

1 6.5 oz. package pizza crust mix (I would rather use my own)
1/2 cup Alfredo Sauce (Isn't it nice that Wildtree has such a simple Alfredo mix to make?)
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
2 med. tomatoes, chopped
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Italian Cheese blend (Trader Joe's Quattro Fromaggio would work great)

Prepare pizza crust. With floured hands, press dough onto a greased 12" pizza pan.
Spread Alfredo sauce over dough to within 1" of edges. Top with spinach, tomatoes and cheese. Bake at 450` for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Yield 4-6 servings (in our house maybe 2-3).

Chicken Tenders

2008-05-05T08:16:00.000-07:00

I've used chicken tenders recently in a couple of recipes and we really enjoyed them. The first recipe was just flour, Wildtree's chicken rotisserie blend, and their Garlic and Pepper California Style blend. I mixed them together, dipped the tenders in buttermilk, then the flour mixture and fried them up in some Grapeseed oil. We dipped them in Wildtree's House dressing - like a ranch. If you want to, you can spice up the dressing with Tabasco sauce.

The other dinner we had last evening was so easy. I marinated chicken tenders in Wildtree's Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette and then fried them up quickly in grapeseed oil. Easy and delicious.

Wildtree's claim to be simple, healthy and delicious are all true. I can get dinner on the table in a very short time and it's good to know it's healthy for my family.

Pop-up Pizza Casserole

2008-04-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

I had fun this evening having Jamey help me make this easy casserole. We decided that instead of cooking the green pepper in the sauce, that we would like it better if we just layered the green pepper (and more of it) on top of the sauce. We also thought we would like to add a package of baby spinach that has been steamed lightly in the microwave and the water squeezed out of it with a towel. We would add that to the top of the meat mixture before the cheese is put on. We thought we would like sausage better than ground beef but only use 1 lb. It was fun working in the kitchen with him...I hope he does that more often.

Pop-Up Pizza Casserole

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup chopped green peppers
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic -- minced
1 dash salt
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 - 2 tablespoons Wildtree Hearty Spaghetti seasoning
1/2 cup water
15 ounces tomato sauce
8 ounces Mozzarella cheese -- shredded
Batter:
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. In a large skillet, brown ground beef; drain off all fat. Stir in next 9 ingredients; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, combine milk, oil and eggs; beat 1 minute at medium speed. Lightly spoon in flour and salt; beat 2 minutes at medium speed or til smooth. Pour hot meat mixture into an ungreased 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with Mozzarella cheese, covering filling completely. Pour popover batter over all and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400 F. for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and deep golden brown. Serve immediately, cutting into squares to serve.

Serves 4-6

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

2008-04-23T07:14:00.000-07:00

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

1 box Wildtree Alfredo Extraordinaire
1 lb fettuccine
1 lb chicken breast
1 c. broccoli, cut into 1/2" dice
1 T. Wildtree Natural grapeseed oil

Bring 4 qts water to boil in a large pot. Add fettuccine. Prepare Wildtree Alfredo according to directions (which are 1 cube butter and 1 c. milk or half and half in a pan. Heat together and add mix. Stir and heat through). In a small saucepan steam 1 c. broccoli. In a large skillet saute chicken breast in 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil for about 8 minutes. Add prepared Alfredo and 1 cup broccoli and simmer for 2 minutes. Add pasta to large skillet and simmer for another minute. Serve with grated cheese.

I used the dried, wider basil noodles from Trader Joes. Next time I will use the regular fettuccine. There was plenty of leftovers for today's lunch and everyone enjoyed it.

Updated Cheesy Tomato Penne Bake

2008-04-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

The other day I decided to dress this recipe up a little bit...add some dimension to the flavors. Below is the new updated recipe which got "this is the best" from the family.

Cheesy Tomato Penne Bake

1 (12-oz.) pkg. penne or rotini pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef, turkey or sausage (out of its casing)
2 (14-oz.) cans petite diced tomatoes
1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 T. Wildtree's Hearty Spaghetti seasoning
1 T. chili powder
a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
1 T. brown sugar
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (I used a mixture of fresh mozzarella and packaged)
no stick cooking spray

Cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350°. Meanwhile, brown meat in a large deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Drain. Stir in tomatoes, tomatoe sauce and spices; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Drain pasta; return to same pot. Add meat mixture; toss well. Add 3 cups cheese; toss again. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture into dish; top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake in preheated 350° oven 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Whole Wheat Bread Baking...

2008-04-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be getting back into baking whole wheat bread. My Whisper mill is tucked way in the back of my cupboard as is my Zo. Both need to be stored closer to the front. My Bosch sits on the counter but isn't used nearly enough. I like to use the Zo to make up the bread and then form the loaf and bake it in a traditional baking pan. This way I have more control of it's rising and baking. Here is the recipe I love using.

Marian's Whole Wheat Buttermilk Bread (2 lb loaf)

2 cups buttermilk
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 tablespoon dough enhancer -- slightly heaped
3 tablespoons vital gluten
5 cups freshly ground whole wheat flour -- (about 3 1/2 c. berries)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon SAF yeast

Put all ingredients into bread maker pan and set on dough if you want to shape it yourself or let it go the three hour cycle.

Yield:
"1 2 lb loaf"

Parmesan Panko Turkey Cutlets

2008-04-03T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm trying out some different spices from Wildtree and having fun doing so. I came across a recipe using panko bread crumbs and adapted it for the Wildtree spices. Everyone liked it.

Parmesan Panko Turkey Cutlets

1 package of turkey cutlets - (I got mine from Trader Joes)
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
2/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Wildtree Rotisserie Chicken blend
1 tsp. California Garlic and Pepper blend
Wildtree grapeseed oil

Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and the two blends. (The grated Parmesan I had in the frig was from Costco - it's the coarsely grated Parmesano Reggiano. So, I put the cheese and blends in my little food processor to process the cheese a little finer.) Heat a frying pan to medium high and pour in 2 T. grapeseed oil. Spray both sides of cutlet with grapeseed oil and then dredge in the crumb mixture. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until cooked through.

You can go to www.wildtreebiz.com to look at the various spices, blends and oils to purchase from Wildtree. All the ingredients are dye free, msg free, preservative free and no anti-caking agents.

I purchased an oil mister/sprayer from Crate and Barrel. You use a pumping action to put pressure in the can - better for you than oil from a can.

Enjoy!

Pizza on the grill....

2008-04-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Last night for dinner we tried something new for us...grilled pizza. The tastes were delicious and I can see this becoming a staple in our house - especially in the summer time.

I first made a double batch of my pizza dough. Here is the single version:

Pizza Dough

2 c. King Arthur unbleached all purpose flour
1 c. King Arthur or Bob's Red Mill semolina flour
1 1/4 c. water
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. Wildtree Roasted Garlic grapeseed oil
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. SAF yeast
(Smart and Final carries SAF yeast as well).

Mix all the ingredients together with a mixer. Flour your counter lightly with flour and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elasticy. If you have a Bosch, put all the ingredients in the mixer bowl, mix well with regular mixers and then use the kneading paddle. Knead for 10 minutes and you're finished and ready to shape. You can also make this in a bread machine very easily...just put it on dough cycle and let it go. Divide into about 6 balls for individual pizzas. Flatten into about 6" circles and put on hot grill. Cover and bake for about 4-6 minutes until the bottom the pizza is browned. Pop the bubbles on top.

Take off the grill, turn over and put your toppings of choice on the baked side of the pizza base. We used the following toppings - but you can use whatever you like.

pizza sauce
sliced tomatoes
fresh mozzarella slices, quartered
fresh basil, thinly sliced

Place back on the grill for another 2-4 minutes until the toppings are starting to melt/heat up and the bottom crust is lightly browned. Eat right away!

The pizzas taste wonderful! You will have to try these for a real treat!

Gruyere-Stuffed Crusty Loaves

2008-03-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from King Arthur Flour! Here is the link.

I'm going to be making the biga tonight and finishing it up tomorrow for dinner to accompany our soup dinner. The weather is still cool enough here in So. Cal. to enjoy soup and bread.

March 30: I made these loaves yesterday. I got ahead of myself and didn't follow directions correctly. Instead of letting the roll rise after filling with cheese and then cutting it into 4 pieces - I did what I always do with my cinnamon rolls and cut it right after I rolled it up. I placed them on the baking sheet and opened them up as instructed. At that point I realized I had missed a step...but I just went ahead and let them rise in a slightly warm oven (100^) and after about 35 minutes rising, took them out of the oven, heated the oven to 425 and then baked them for 20 minutes. They were delicious - especially dipped in Wildtree's European Dipping Garlic oil. YUM!!! Jamey warmed one up for lunch.

While he was eating we discussed what variations we could make with them. We're going to try pizza rolls. We'll chop up pepperoni, use Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio blend (Fontina, Asiago, Provolone and Parmesan), roll the dough out a little thinner and cut them into individual rolls - more like a cinnamon roll cut. Then serve them with spaghetti sauce. I would like to use some whole wheat flour as well which will call for the addition of some gluten flour to help keep them light!

Grapeseed Oil...

2008-03-22T20:52:00.000-07:00

I am just finding out about all the benefits of grapeseed oil. It is one of Wildtree's signature items and I'm really excited about getting the word out about it's benefits and using it ourselves.

Here is what I have found on the internet about grapeseed oil:

http://reviews.ebay.com/Grape-Seed-Oil_W0QQugidZ10000000000744501
HOW TO COOK WITH GRAPESEED OIL
Grapeseed oil is now available for all forms of cooking and is also ideal for salad dressings and mayonnaise. It has no fatty aftertaste and enhances the flavor of food, so it can be used for anything from a tuna salad to delicate party preparations. It has a non-greasy, slightly nutty flavor and will not cloud when chilled. The recommended regular or deep frying temperature is 360¼F. At this temperature, there is no smoking, splattering, nor burnt taste because the smoke point of grapeseed oil is unusually high (over 485¼F) unlike the much lower smoke point temperatures of other oils. Keeping the temperature at the normal range also prevents conversion to harmful trans fatty acids, as does not reusing the oil again. This is a major advantage over other oils.Breaking a vitamin E capsule into stored oil is unnecessary with grapeseed oil because it is naturally high in this vitamin. The presence of vitamin E graces grapeseed oil with a shelf life of at least two years. For the same reason, maximum benefit can be obtained by using grapeseed oil raw. Wouldn’t it be great if commercial food manufacturers switched to grapeseed oil instead of the frequently used products laden with trans fatty acids, designed for profit rather than health? Finally, chips, popcorn treats and even baked goods would be healthy.

GRAPESEED OIL IS HEART-FRIENDLY
Using grapeseed oil in your cooking provides two key nutrients in your diet: vitamin E and linoleic acid. Grapeseed oil has a high concentration (60-120 mg per 100 g of oil) of the antioxidant vitamin E. It is also a highly concentrated source (76%) of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid (EFA) also know as omega-6 acid, so it must be acquired through the diet. It is needed for the production of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances in the body involved in reducing platelets aggregation (blood clotting) and inflammation.Furthermore, grapeseed oil is naturally cholesterol-free. Lowering your intake of saturated fats can help reduce your risk of developing heart and circulatory problems.A diet high in saturated fats can increase cholesterol levels in the blood, leading to hardening of the arteries and other health problems. Among cooking oils, grapeseed oil has one of the lowest levels of saturated fat - only 9%. Substituting grapeseed oil for your usual cooking or salad oil is an easy way of lowering the amount of saturated fats in your diet. Research has shown that "The use of grapeseed oil in a daily diet appears to improve both HDL and LDL levels in weight-stable subjects with initially low HDL levels," concluded David T. Nash, MD, the lead researcher on the study.Another study by the same team reconfirmed the beneficial effect of grapeseed oil on cholesterol levels (Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 1993)
*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Just today I was reading a recipe on The Oregonian FoodDay about some salad dressings for fruit and they were talking about different types of oils to use. One of the oils mentioned was grapeseed oil and they mentioned that it is only found in specialty stores! So, I just wanted to let you know, the specialty store has arrived....www.wildtreebiz.com! Join the Culinary Club and you can shop at 20% off 24/7!

Wildtree Business

2008-03-19T15:53:00.000-07:00

I'm all set up with my Wildtree business website...www.wildtreebiz.com. Planning two tastings next week to launch. Can't wait to get my kit and start tasting things for myself. I'll be scrutinizing my recipes to see how I can improve them with these new ingredients and also adding recipes to my repetoire that incorporate these seasonings, marinades and sauces. Should be a lot of fun!

Wildtree Herbs

2008-03-17T19:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I took the plunge today and signed up with a great gourmet food company called Wildtree. It makes sense to sell something you really like and I am sure these products will be ones I'll be using a lot in my own cooking. The thing I like the most is the grapeseed oils. You can visit the website here: www.wildtree.com. I will have a personal website probably tomorrow...

If you go to this page http://www.wildtree.com/Products/AboutProducts.aspx and scroll down to the bottom, you will see a pdf of the catalog. It will give you a good idea of what Wildtree offers.

Spinach, Potato, and Bacon Frittata

2008-03-15T15:22:00.000-07:00

This recipe came in an email from Cooks Country website. We had it for dinner last night - very simple to make and very tasty. I think next time I will saute some onion and garlic - not too much - just enough to add that extra flavor. I also used Trader Joe's Quattro Fromaggio blend of cheese in place of the goats cheese. It's a mixture of Parmesan, Provolone, Asiago and Fontina cheeses. If I didn't have that in the frig, I would have just used Parmesan alone. Enjoy!

Spinach, Potato, and Bacon Frittata

10 large eggs
3 tablespoons half-and-half
Table salt and ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese
1 bag baby spinach -- (6-ounce)
3/4 pound Yukon Gold potatoes -- peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 slices bacon -- cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips

1. Adjust oven rack about 5 inches from heating element and set oven to broil. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in bowl until combined. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

2. Microwave spinach in large microwave-safe bowl, covered with plastic wrap, on high power until wilted, about 90 seconds. Transfer spinach to clean dish towel and squeeze out excess liquid. Microwave potatoes in now-empty bowl, covered with plastic wrap, on high power until tender, about 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, fry bacon in medium nonstick ovensafe skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to plate lined with paper towel and pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add potatoes to skillet and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, bacon, and egg mixture and cook, using rubber spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until large curds form but eggs are still very wet, about 2 minutes. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly and cook, without stirring, until bottom is set, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle remaining cheese over top.

4. Broil until surface is spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes (eggs should be slightly wet and runny inside). Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes to finish cooking. Slide frittata onto platter and cut into wedges. Serve.

Cheesy Tomato Penne Bake

2008-03-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

Last June I had the fun of carrying Brian's engagement ring back to Oklahoma so he could propose to Aly and give her the ring. If you haven't seen the video of the engagement, you can watch it here on You Tube.

The first evening I got there, Kris, Aly's mom, made this really yummy dish. I've made it several times since and we enjoy it each time. I like to use mild Italian sausage in the sauce. My Army mom friend, Karen, just made it last night for dinner and she and her hubby agree it is a very tasty casserole! And easy too!

Cheesy Tomato Penne Bake

1 (12-oz.) pkg. penne or rotini pasta
1 lb. lean ground beef, turkey or sausage (out of its casing)
2 (14-oz.) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano
1 (15-oz.) can tomato sauce
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
no stick cooking spray

Cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350°. Meanwhile, brown meat in a large deep skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Drain. Stir in tomatoes and tomato sauce (my kids don't like big chunks of tomatoes, so I pulverize the tomatoes a bit in the food processor or blender); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered 8 minutes. Drain pasta; return to same pot. Add meat mixture; toss well. Add 3 cups cheese; toss again. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Pour pasta mixture into dish; top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake in preheated 350° oven 20 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Edited later: for an updated and even better tasting version see here: http://mootiesrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/04/updated-cheesy-tomato-penny-bake.html

King Arthur Flour

2008-03-14T08:22:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite kitchen stores/recipe source/enjoyable reading places on the internet is King Arthur Flour. I would love to live closer so I could visit their store in person. The items I've purchased from them have been well used in my kitchen. The recipe page has been pored over many times! Their all-purpose flour (best price is at Trader Joes) is my first pick. I grind my own whole wheat flour so I haven't used theirs...so can't recommend. (Just a side note - whole wheat flour has all the oils, wheat germ and nutrition in it. If you purchase whole wheat flour off a shelf you don't know how long it's been sitting there and more than likely if it's 2 weeks ago, it's lost a lot of its nutritional goodies and the oils are going rancid. So, I recommend finding someone with a flour mill (I have one), purchasing your own wheat berries and after grinding into flour, keep it in the freezer.)

But back to KAF. They have a variety of mixes that are delicious. You can find anything you need for your kitchen from them and everything is really great quality. Today I discovered PJ's blog and am enjoying reading it. So, I'm bookmarking it and going back to read more. This pizza looks so yummy and I definitely want to try out these cookies! All my favorite ingredients!

One more note about whole wheat flours. There are two types of wheat berries - hard and soft. With the hard there is hard white and hard red. Both of these have gluten in them and this flour is used with yeast. The hard white flour is very mild and my kids can hardly tell I'm using whole grains to make bread. The soft berries don't have gluten in them and make a more tender baked item. Pastry flour or cake flour comes from this berry. Any non-yeast bread such as muffins, biscuits, quick breads etc can be made with soft or pastry flour. I purchase my whole wheat berries from Bob's Red Mill in Milwaukie, OR. It's really nice to have a bag of this flour in the freezer to quickly make muffins or cookies.

Strawberry Salsa

2008-03-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

For an unusual, but really tasty salsa, try this while strawberries are in season. My sister Ruth (The Way to His Heart) passed along this recipe from a friend of hers. Be sure to chop the cilantro just before serving so you don't get that soapy taste.

Strawberry Salsa

2 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro -- minced
1/3 cup Catalina salad dressing
1 Dash hot pepper sauce
Pepper to taste
Tortilla chips

In a bowl, combine the strawberries, green pepper, onions and parsley. Stir in the salad dressing, hot pepper sauce and pepper. Cover and refrigeratefor 2 hours. Serve with tortilla chips. Yield: 3 cups.

Back in business...

2008-03-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

Dan got the gas line hooked up and Saturday our new stove and microwave were delivered. I was thankful that they were delivered early Saturday morning as it took him pretty much all day to get everything hooked up. We're having fun cooking on it and this morning I made a batch of Frosted Banana Bars for Kelsey's Girl Scouts this afternoon. It took a bit longer than I thought it should to bake - so I'm going to have to figure that out. I'll be posting some more recipes soon!

New stove...

2008-03-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well - my JennAir glass top electric stove bit the dust last week after 10 years of good service. So, we are going to replace it with gas. I've never really used gas. When Brian was just a baby we rented a house in the Bay area that had an old gas stove and I hated it! So, I never really wanted to try it again. But looking at the new stoves got me pretty excited about learning how to use one. The things I'm looking forward to the most are these: high heat to cook spaghetti water quickly; no worries if my pans aren't completely flat (which some are definitely not and pretty much unusable on the flat glass surface); the griddle in the middle of the model we have chosen (GE Profile). I like using our large, electric griddle and would use it more often if it wasn't so inconvenient to pull it out. The griddle on this stove is smaller - but then we're a smaller family these days too. It will make a couple of toasted cheese sandwiches just fine and 4 or so pancakes. So, this will be a good change and something new for me to learn to use. I need to be kicked out of my comfort zone every once in a while!

Comfort Cooking

Lemon Coconut Poppyseed Scones (Gluten free)

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Creamy Chicken Vegetable Soup

Baby Dutch Babies

Tuscan Frittata Affogata

On a roll....

"Lara" type bars....

Carrot Cake

Peach Puff Pancake

Mounds Bar IceCream

Strawberry Pie

Gluten Free, Low Carb Pizza Crust

Wilted Spinach Salad

Cinnamon Apple GF Dutch Baby

Cookbook Recommendation

Tropical Chocolate Chip Cookies

Breakfast Bars

Orange Cranberry Almond Flour Scones

Nutty Bread from Elana's Pantry

Banana Nut Muffins - gluten free

Pumpkin Pie - the healthy way

Pumpkin Muffins

Spanish Omelette with Potatoes and Chorizo

Ingredients

Directions

Pumpkin Coconut Muffins

Almond Flour Coffee Cake

Easy Homemade Chicken Broth...and lessons learned...

Quinoa with Sundried Tomatoes & Chicken

My Vitamix is here!!

Summer Tomato Basil Soup

Veggie Pork Stew over Quinoa

Salmon with Basil Romesco Sauce

Nicoise Salad

Pickled Beets

Easy Salmon Patties

Frozen Tart Yogurt Korean Style

Sesame Shrimp and Quinoa Salad

Crispy Almonds

Quinoa - a Super Grain

Strawberry Meusli

Yogurt cheese...

Yogurt treats

Sprouting wheat berries for baking...

CSA - Community Supported Agriculture

Chicken Chilequiles

Mock Potato Soup

A new book...

Creamy Coleslaw with Bananas and Peanuts

Update on Chia Pudding

Cranberry Water

Vanilla Cupcakes - but....

Chia "Tapioca" Pudding

Carrot Cake - Low Glycemic, Gluten Free

Vanilla Cupcakes

Lemon Poppyseed Muffins - Gluten Free

Tomato-Basil Shrimp Skewers

Mushroom Basil Frittata

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Strips

Protein Shakes

Orange, Almond and Avocado Salad

More reading and research...

Julian Bakery....

Healthy Eating...various 'diets'...

A few more thoughts on Glycemic Index etc...

Beef Barley Stew with Mushrooms

New way of cooking/thinking

Pre-diabetic...

Make Ahead Meatballs

Almond Roca

Leche Quemada (Burnt Milk)

Favorite Fudge

Salisbury Steak with Onion Gravy

Maple-Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Cover Recipe Beef Stew

Yummy Chicken in the Crockpot

German Pancake with Buttermilk Syrup

Decadent French Toast Souffle

Rainbow Finger Jell-O