Breakfast Burritos for the Freeze and Heat Crowd

So I am trying to find ways to make life easier for me in the kitchen. Cooking and freezing foods that can be grabbed out of the freezer and heated up by a crowd of Sasquatches that don't think they can do anything by themselves in the kitchen.
So far I am doing ok. I have frozen individual servings of BBQ brisket. Heat up and eat on a bun. Chili, and Sloppy Joes. Each pouch has just enough for one sandwich. It is working pretty good. So now breakfast. Everyone loves breakfast burritos and so I thought that would be a great grab and heat and out the door breakfast. One problem I ran into is I made the mistake of starting them while everyone was still home. So after I got through making them for everyone to eat right away, I was left with enough to do a few to freeze. NOTE to self, do this when no one is home next time.

I would really call this a no recipe recipe. It isn't brain surgery but worked well and I thought I would put it on my blog.

Here is what I did.

1 lb. applewood smoked bacon, cut into little pieces and fried till crisp and drained on paper towels. Set aside.

Half a bag of frozen shredded hash browns. I just cooked them in a skillet enough to thaw and brown a bit but don't want them mushy. Set aside.

16 eggs

1/2-1 cup salsa

shredded cheddar cheese

Flour tortillas (we used the fajita size, they were a little small. I may try bigger tortillas next time.)

So I fried up the bacon and drained it and cleaned out the pan. I cooked the hash browns in a separate skillet and set off the burner till I needed them.  I added a little butter and mixed the eggs with a tiny bit of water and put in hot skillet and started to scramble them. When the eggs were almost done I added the bacon in and stirred mixing together. Then I turned off the heat and added the hash browns and mixed together. I then added the salsa and mixed. I chose not to layer the burritos as I figured it would be easier to eat them on the go if everything is mixed up (but not over blended where it is mush)

This is the eggs/bacon/hash browns/salsa mixture. Ready to go into the burritos. So everything is pretty cool at this point. I did warm the tortillas up to make them more pliable for rolling.

I scooped a bit onto the tortillas and topped with cheese and rolled.

I then placed them on wax paper placed on a cutting board that will fit my freezer shelf.

Don't let them touch as they will freeze together and you will break or tear the tortillas getting them apart.
I then placed them in the freezer (where they are now freezing) and will put them out in a couple hours and wrap them individually and place in bags marked with date and ingredients. I have a son who doesn't like cheese (I'm convinced he was switched at birth) so I always mark the bags. He is convinced he would die an agonizing death if he bit into anything with cheese in it.

Just take one out and wrap in a paper towel and microwave for a few minutes (the time will vary depending on YOUR microwave) and out the door you go. You can serve with extra salsa and fixings if you are inclined to. I just tried to add everything so that they can eat them on the run.

So that is my no-recipe recipe for breakfast burritos for the freeze and heat crowd.

Enjoy!

Baked Apple Cider Donuts (or Doughnuts)

Who doesn't love donuts? We think it would be so hard to make them that we never consider that it could really be easy and wonderful. I have made regular fried donuts that take hours of leavening etc... and they are wonderful but not quick and easy. These baked donuts are super quick and easy and have all the taste that makes us think of fall. I only think about making them during the fall months although they would be good anytime.
You will need donut baking pans. You can find them at most any large store. I purchased mine at an actual kitchen store but you can get them online as well. Here is what they look like.  They are made by Wilton. You might even find them at a Micheals or Hobby Lobby.

The recipe requires two pans and makes 12 donuts.

Turn oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray tins with a little cooking spray. 

Heres what you will need:
2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Tbl. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon (now this is tricky. The original recipe called for a lot of pumpkin pie spice in this. I think it overpowered the donut. Particularly if you are using my apple butter recipe. So I add cinnamon and just a little pumpkin pie spice. You will have to determine how much you use. now if you are using plain apple sauce you will want to punch up the spice. I would add more pumpkin pie spice if using plain apple sauce. Play with it till it meets your personal tastes. That is the great thing about cooking. We make it our own.)
1/4-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix together in bowl and set aside.

In large bowl add:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple butter (recipe on this sitehttp://triedandtruerecipes-foodiekatz.blogspot.com/2015/10/spiced-apple-butter.html . You can also use store bought apple butter or even apple sauce. The spice flavor will be different but still makes a great donut.)
2 Tbl. melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4-1 cup apple cider (you want your batter to be the consistency of waffle batter or a thick pancake batter. It should pour but not run)

Mix everything together and then add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix. You will want to move quickly as the baking powder starts working right away.

You can do one of two things. Put the batter into a large zip lock bag and snip the corner and pipe the batter into the donut pans about 3/4 full. There is just about a perfect amount of batter for the twelve donuts. Or you can try and spoon it in. This is more messy and takes more time. Tap pans down and place in oven for 10 minutes. Check for doneness (either by pressing lightly or using a toothpick.) If done take out and let cook a couple minutes and then remove from the pan and set on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

After they have cooled completely you will then make a glaze (some like them with a little cinnamon sugar on them. I prefer a glaze.)

glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbl. apple cider

In a bowl that would be good for dunking the donuts in add the powdered sugar. Then start out with
3 Tbl. of apple cider. Mix well. If too thick add a little bit more till it is the consistency you like. I like mine a little thicker so I usually only add 3 Tbl. plus a drop more maybe of the apple cider. Mix well and dunk the donuts half way in the glaze and set back on the wire rack to let the glaze set. You might place some wax paper under the rack to catch any falling glaze. Once glaze has set, store in covered container.
Enjoy!

Spiced Apple Butter

Let me say this was super easy and super delicious. The recipe is inspired by one I read on Laura Vitale's web site. The apple butter is made in a slow cooker. Makes it a no fuss, no muss recipe. I made the apple butter because it is part of the recipe for Apple Cider baked donuts. It would however be good on toast, biscuits, ice cream, pie, dirt mounds, cabbage.....you get my point.
As apple butter recipes go this one is spiced. I think it is perfect, but everyone's taste buds are different. I made one mistake when making it. The recipe calls to put it on low and cook for 8-10 hours. I put it on high and it was done in a couple hours. If you choose to do what I did then watch it close so that it doesn't scorch. With these spices it could burn to yuck easily.

Here is what your suppose to do and then what I did:

6 lbs. granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks and tossed into slow cooker sleeve. (You can use  a mix of granny smith and other tart/sweet apples. I would not use the red sweet apples alone. I don't care for those apples and also they would make it too sweet in my opinion.)

3/4- 1 1/2 cups sugar. (I used all granny smith so I ended up using about 1 1/4 cups of sugar. I tasted it while it was still cooking and adjusted it then.)

3/4 Cup brown sugar

1  Tbl. pumpkin pie spice (now this is a highly spiced concoction. If you are not a fan of clove then you might make your own and make adjustments or use apple pie spice. Whatever works for you. I am fine with the pre-made pumpkin pie spice in this recipe. It doesn't run over the apple in any way in my opinion.)

1/2 tsp. salt

 zest of 1/2 orange (optional)

2 tsp. real vanilla extract



place the cut up apples in the sleeve of the slow cooker and add the sugars, salt, pumpkin pie spice and orange zest (DO NOT add the vanilla yet.) Mix and place in slow cooker. Cover and turn on low and cook for 8-10 hours. This just depends on how long it takes your apples to cook down. You will want to do this right before bed as in the morning you will need to cook the apples with the lid off on high for additional 1-3 hours to thicken it. OR you can do what I did. Ok, so once the apples are cooked down take a immersion blender and blend till smooth. Add the vanilla and stir it together. Taste for sweet/tart flavor and adjust with more sugar if you need it. Turn on to high and place lid just opposit of how it would normally sit (this is just to keep the apples from bubbling and spitting all over the place as it thickens up.) and let the apple butter cook down to thicken. You can decide how thick you want it. Stir frequently to keep the spices from burning.

here is what I did:
after placing everything in the sleeve and placing in the crock pot cooker. Turn on to high and cook for about 2-3 hours. After a couple hours take lid off and stir and check and see if the apples are done. Mine were done and completely mush. I then blended them and added the vanilla. Tasted it and adjusted the sugar. Took the lid and laid it on there sideways and cooked it down stirring it often for another hour or so. Thats it.

place in a container and let it cool. Place in fridge and it will be good for a few weeks or you can even freeze it for later uses.

Chicken Breakfast Sausage (Organic)

So I'm in the mode of trying to make things easier for myself. I am trying my hand at cooking and freezing individual servings of meals for everyone. Since everyone in my family works different hours and you never know when anyone will be home or hungry. I thought I would try and get some meals frozen and easy to grab. In the next year our life is going to get even busier and more hectic so this is a good time to get in the habit of once or twice a month doing a major cook and freeze.
My first attempt was bean burgers and buns. So we will see how those work. Next is for breakfast. Im going to make egg,cheese, sausage biscuits and again freeze them. I have already posted a good breakfast sausage recipe on here. I wanted to try and use just organic chicken breast (as organic pork is VERY expensive.) So this morning I whipped these sausage patties up and they are the BOMB DIGGITY if I do say so myself. So if you are looking for a good, healthy and lean breakfast sausage that tastes like breakfast sausage give these a try.
NOTE: I have one of those FoodSavor machines (I call it the sucky thing) and I am freezing the servings first on trays and then transferring them to the bags and sucky thinging them. You get what I am saying. Then into my deep freeze they go for the "Mom, is there anything to eat" times or "Mom, I'm hungry" times. I'm ready. Bring on the starving adult men in my life.
Here is what I did:

2 lbs boneless skinless organic chicken breasts (it was 2 chicken breasts), cleaned, cut into chunks and processed in food processor till is is smooth. Not pasty but well ground up. No chunks left.
Place in a bowl. In a small bowl mix the following dried seasonings (most but not all my seasonings are also organic.)The seasoning are really to taste. So play with them if this isn't quite to your liking.
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp dried. ground sage
1 tsp. dried savory
1/8 tsp. nutmeg (heaping )
1 tsp. dried marjoram
1 tsp. brown sugar (you could add more. I just don't like a sweet sausage)
1]2 tsp. red pepper flakes

 Pour over the ground chicken and blend, blend, blend (I used my hands. They were clean!) Now after you are sure its all blended together well. Take a pinch of the meat mixture out and fry it in a skillet and give it a taste for seasoning. Make sure it is to your liking. If not then now is the time to adjust the seasonings. It was fine as is for me.  I took two pieces of wax paper and sprayed them lightly with cooking spray (so the chicken wouldn't stick to the wax paper.) I  placed the chicken sausage mix between the wax paper and flattened it out till it looked as thick as I wanted. I then used the same size biscuit cutter as I am using to make the biscuits that these will go on and cut out rounds of sausage. I got 18. Mine weren't super thick patties. I then added just a couple drops of  grapeseed oil to my hot pan and fried the chicken sausage for about 3 minutes per side and placed on paper towels to drain. I did continue to add the oil as needed.Too much oil and you won't get that sausage look on the surface of the patties (if that is important.) I'm very pleased with how these turned out and will be making them again. They taste great. They hit that breakfast sausage spot in taste and they are guilt free as they are lean and organic. Can't beat that.

Enjoy!

Hummus (2)

This is a new and improved hummus recipe. It is improved as I have learned a way to improve the texture of the hummus so that it is not so grainy. Its different in that it has different ingredients and a cleaner taste. Both recipes on my site are good but this one is my latest and maybe favorite of the two. After much research I came up with this version.

Here is what I did.

2 Cans Garbonzo beans, rinsed and place in a salad spinner.
3 cloves of garlic, minced (you can add more to your taste. I just don't want it to be overpowering.)
juice of  1-2 lemons, about 1/4 cup (add this to your personal taste. More or less whatever suits you.)
1 tsp. salt
1 (7oz) container of plain Greek yogurt.
3/4 cup Tahini (I have learned to make my own. It is very simple and I will post a recipe soon)
6 Tbl. olive oil
6 mint leaves
4-6 Tbl. water
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika (you can either add it to the recipe or just sprinkle it on top when serving. Since we don't ever just serve a big platter of hummus I chose to add it to the mix.)

Ok, part of what makes a smooth hummus is removing the skins off of the Garbonzo beans. I had no patience for this in the past. Then I watched a video on youtube (love youtube) and a woman had a great idea. She took the cans of beans and poured them into the strainer portion of a salad spinner ( you know the spinner that spins the water out of salad greens.) She rinsed them and then drained them. She then took her hands and gently rubbed the beans together in her hands and the skins sort of just came off. She didn't do it hard enough to mash the beans but enough that most of the skins came off. She then put the strainer into the bowl portion of the spinner and filled it with water. The skins kinda of float to the top. As she tilted the bowl and drained the water she used her hand to just push the skins out of the bowl. I did this twice to get rid of all the floating skins. Then drain the beans and place in a food processor.

Then add the chopped garlic, lemon juice, salt, yogurt, tahini, evoo, mint and blend well. Stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Next to get the consistency you want you will add water. I ended up adding between 4-6 Tbl. Blend well till it is smooth and no more chunks. Then taste for seasoning. Add the paprika if you want and blend again. Or wait and serve it with paprika sprinkled on top and a little olive oil drizzled on it before serving.
Like I said we just grab it right out of the bowl and so I added it.
Everything here is a personal taste thing. You can add more of something or less depending on what you like. I did try adding cumin to this once as cumin is in a lot of hummus recipes and I have always liked it but I like this better without the cumin. My other recipe has cumin in it. This is just a good clean tasting hummus and we enjoy it a lot. 

Plain/Vanilla/Unsweetened Almond Milk and Chocolate Almond Milk

                                                    

I'm listing my recipes that I use for both plain almond milk and chocolate almond milk. The plain almond milk is just the recipe I use that is basically the recipe everyone uses. It varies some depending on if you want it thicker or sweet etc....
The chocolate almond milk is soooo good and comes from "Raw Food Real World" recipe book. It is the only chocolate almond milk I have ever made and it is delicious. We always use raw/organic almonds.

Here is what I do: You will need a nut milk bag to squeeze the milk out of after you have blended the almonds. I just don't know of another way that will render you a nice nut milk with no grainy bits. You can buy nut milk bags at any health food store or order them on line. You can use multi layers of cheese cloth in a pinch but the bag is much easier.
You need to soak your almonds in filtered water 12 hours. If push come to shove I will do it in less but 12 hours but 12 hours or over night is optimal. This allows the raw almond to sprout.
Nuts have phytic acid.  Phytic acid is also found in grains and legumes.  Just as with grains and legumes, soaking nuts is essential for proper digestions.  When eating nuts that haven’t been soaked, the phytic acid binds to minerals in the gastrointestinal tract and can not be absorbed in the intestine and to many bound minerals can lead to mineral deficiencies.  By soaking, you are breaking down the phytic acid so it can be absorbed properly.  
Nuts also have high amounts of enzymes inhibitors.  This is another reason why un soaked nuts are hard to digest.  Soaking nuts neutralizes the enzymes allowing for proper digestion. (taken from whole lifestyle nutrition web site.)Take one cup of raw organic almonds and cover them in filtered water at least by one inch. The almonds will soak up the water and plump up. When you are ready to make your milk drain the almonds and rinse them well. Next.......

Plain/Vanilla/Unsweetened Almond Milk: I do not like thick almond milk. Most store bought brands are a little on the thick side for me. Its more like drinking cream than milk. BUT! if you like yours thicker than cut back on the water. (If you want 1/2 gallon then double the recipe. That is usually what I make or I would forever be making almond milk.)
Into the blender place the one cup of soaked almonds with 4 cups of filtered water and blend on high speed till the almonds are completely blended up. About a minute or so. I have a Vita mix. I have never tried this with any other blender so I can't tell you how it would work. I imagine if you have a strong blender it will work just fine.
I then add a pinch (tiny pinch) of salt and literally a drop of vanilla. You can use as much or little of the salt and vanilla as you want. You may also add agave or honey or pitted dates for sweetness if you like a sweet almond milk. I personally don't like it sweet and really don't like but a pinch of vanilla.  Add  1 tsp. to 1 Tbl. of lecithin OPTIONAL. More on Lecithin below. Blend again. Pour into a nut milk bag that is over a bowl and wrapping the top of the bag start to squeeze the liquid out of the bag. Do this till there is nothing but dry almond pulp left in the bag. There will be a little foam on the top. I spoon some of this off but don't usually spoon it all off. Pour into a storage container and place in the fridge. This should last you 3-5 days if kept refrigerated.

Chocolate Almond Milk (Raw Food Real World): double for 1/2 gallon, I always do.
Drain and rinse 1 cup of soaked raw almonds. Place in blender with 4 cups filtered water. Blend till smooth. Pour into nut milk bag and squeeze till all milk is out and nothing but dry pulp is left in bag. Rinse out blender and add the newly squeezed milk back into blender. Add

1 1/2 Tbl. raw cocoa powder (this varies depending on how chocolatey you like it to taste. I like it a little less on the chocolate. The original recipe called for 2 Tbl.)
pink of salt
1/2 cup agave nectar or raw unfiltered honey
1 1/2- 2 Tbl. vanilla (I would say start with 1 Tbl. and add till it tastes right for you. )
1 1/2 - 2 Tbl. coconut oil
1 tsp. too 1 Tbl. lecithin (this comes made from soy or from sunflowers.)
Blend till smooth. I scoop the foam as much as I can and then pour into container and store in fridge for 3-5 days.
The original recipe calls for lecithin. It is used as a fat emulsifier. Making things creamy. It is mostly made of soy beans. We ingest a very limited amount of soy and only organic. Usually oganic tofu for some recipe. Other than that no soy.  If I use it I use only lecithin made from sunflowers.  Research it and if you want to add it you can. Add 1 tsp. to  1 Tbl. to the blender with the rest of the ingredients.
Anyway, thats it. Go and enjoy good home made organic almond milk. For us it is much cheaper to make it. We pay around $10 a pound for organic raw almonds. So compared to the carton it is the better way for us to go, particularly since we haven't found an organic brand of almond milk.

Lets talk Lecithin:
One of the issues with home made nut milks is they separate. The fat from the nut and the water separate into what looks unpleasant (like dairy milk gone bad) There is nothing wrong with the nut milk it just needs a good shake or stir and back to beautiful. BUT, if you want keep it more combined and the fat suspended in the water more like a homogenized nut milk would look then Lecithin is the answer. Lecithin comes in soy or sunflower form. You can buy both GMO free but it is a little harder to find organic. I would say do the research. Lecithin has a lot of wonderful health benefits and I would urge you to also research that as well.
Now there is real debate over the safety of Lecithin during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Two thoughts on this is again is be your own advocate and do the research and also speak with your doctor about it. I know that it being soy or sunflower can make a difference. So I leave you with that choice. 
I would not based on my research be concerned if pregnancy or breastfeeding isn't an issue. I think lecithin is a VERY good and helpful supplement. BUT! You do the leg work and decide for yourself.
Your nut milk will not suffer without it other than the inconvenience of halving to stir it to make it look pretty again.

                                        

Black Bean Burger

As we try and eat better and try to eat less meat a good burger is necessary. I have always liked vegetarian burgers, so this was easy for me to enjoy.
One of the problems with black bean burgers is they tend to be mushy on the inside. I worked to try and prevent that. There is a fine line with bean burgers between firm and dry. I think these are just the perfect firm burger without being dry.
A very adaptable burger for sure. We don't eat a lot of bread these days but I do make home made hamburger buns to go with our bean burgers. We also do a little cheese with them as well. Everything we choose is organic if possible. Just another way to up the level of goodness these burgers offer.

here is what I did: You can absolutely half this recipe. It makes about 12

4 Cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup frozen corn, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid
1/2 cup grated onion
2 cloves garlic grated
2 TBl. minced pickled jalapeno
3 tsp. salt (this seems like a lot but between the beans and bread crumbs the salt is needed)
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. ancho chili powder
2 tsp. cumin
3 Tbl. hot sauce (we use Cholula hot sauce)
4 eggs beaten
2 cups dried bread crumbs
One of the things that makes bean burgers mushy is the moisture in the beans. So after rinsing  them, I placed them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. I stirred the beans about half way through to get the bottom moist beans to the top. If you bake them too long they will dry out too much. Better to under bake them then over bake them. Baking is not necessary it is just how I have found to help the consistency. After baking let cool and then place in a food processor and pulse them till they are large crumbles. Place in a bowl.
 Place the sunflower seeds in food processor and process till small pieces and add to the bowl of beans.
Next add the corn to the food processor and process till small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix the ingredients together and add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, salt, pepper, both chili powders, cumin,hot sauce and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. It should be slightly salty (this will be ok as we are adding bread crumbs and that will take care of the saltiness)
Next add the eggs and combine, stir in the bread crumbs (the mixture will be very thick. I sometimes just use my hands if it is too hard to stir.) Let mixture set for 5 minutes and then form into patties.
I use a 1/2 cup measuring cup to scoop out the mix and then squeeze the mixture together and then flatten out and form into a patty about 4" in diameter or about 1/2 " thick or so. Place on a plate till ready to fry.
Heat pan on med heat. Add a few Tbl. of oil and when oil is hot add burgers and fry for about 5 minutes. Turn the patty and fry an additional 5 minutes. If using cheese add cheese the last 2 minutes of frying. I cover the pan and let them steam a little to help melt the cheese. The burgers should be nice and crisp. You don't want to try and cook the burgers too fast as they will be crisp on the outside and still have uncooked egg on the inside. Unlike frying beef patties which cook at higher temps, you want to give these plenty of time to cook and get crisp.
I serve mine on home made hamburger buns with lettuce, tomato, raw onions, and smashed avocado that has a little lime and salt mixed in with it. You can of course use any condiment you like.
Enjoy!

Rustic Hummus

My family loves hummus. I have a son that could live on the stuff. I use to buy a big container of it weekly at Costco. It dawned on me that there was no reason to buy it when I can make it at home for 1/2 the price.
I have tried many different recipes. I have never found one that I loved. They were bitter or just not right. This one is really good.
 To get that super smooth hummus we tend to see you must sit and remove the little skins off of each garbanzo bean. Well after pulling the skins off of about 5 little beans (I had 4 cans of beans rinsed and ready to use) I said the heck with it. We will have rustic hummus. I'm not sitting there and peeling the skins off of 4 cans of beans. So it is up to you on how smooth you want it to look. It tastes the same.
This recipe makes a large bowl. You can certainly half it.
The thing about this recipe is that you can adapt it to your own taste. More of this, less of that. It is a good basic recipe to play with.

Here is what I did:
4 cans garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
1 cup tahini (this is a sesame seed paste you can find at most grocery stores and health food stores. Make sure you mix it well before you use it. The oil and seed butter separate. )
4 lemons juiced
1 Cup extra virgin olive oil + a drizzle or so as needed while blending.
1 bunch cilantro, cleaned and just tear the top leaves off, a little stem is ok. You will be blending it a food processor anyway.
1/2 cucumber, peeled and diced
2 tsp. garlic powder (you can certainly use fresh garlic. This is just easy and works fine in my opinion.)
1 1/2 tsp. salt or more to taste
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cumin
optional- a drizzle of honey if it tastes too tart from the lemon juice. The lemon will mellow some if you want to wait before adding any honey.

In food processor add tahini and lemon juice. Blend and scrape down sides if needed. Add evoo, cilantro, cucumber, garlic powder, salt, paprika, cumin and blend scraping sides down to blend it well. Add half the beans and blend well. Add the other half and blend well. Scrape down sides a few times during blending to make sure it is completely blended. If it is too thick add a drizzle of evoo or a Tbl. at a time of water.  Taste for tartness and add honey if you want to. Just a small drizzle. As I said before the lemon will mellow out. Now taste for seasonings. Add more salt or cumin etc...as needed. You don't want to under salt this or it will be very bland. The lemons and salt are important ingredients in getting the right hummus flavor.
Serve with cut up veggies, corn chips, pita chips or eat it off a spoon. It all works. We love to use it in veggie roll up as the condiment. YUM.
Enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Walnut Bars

My husband and sons love, love, loves these. They are a great grab and go. If you have a sweet tooth, these will hit the spot.  They are pretty easy to make and work great for us.

Here is what I do:
1/2 Cup raw unfiltered organic honey
1/4 Cup organic cold pressed coconut oil
1/4 Cup almond butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 Cup chopped walnuts or half cup walnuts and half cup almonds chopped
1/2 Cup raw organic cocoa nibs (you can use chocolate chips if you want. We just don't want the added sugar. Cocoa nibs keeps it healthier.)
1/4 Cup sunflower seeds
1/4 Cup pepitas ( raw shelled pumpkin seeds)
1/4 Cup dried goji berries (I sit and cut them in half. You don't have to but I like them smaller)
1 Cup organic rolled oats

Place walnuts, cocoa nibs, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, goji berries and rolled oats into a large bowl. Mix and set aside.
Oil an 8x8 baking dish and set aside.
In a saute pan set over med-low heat add the honey, coconut oil, almond butter, salt and cinnamon. Bring to a boil over med heat and let boil about two minutes stirring constantly. This will be your tried and true work. If you boil it long enough the bars will not get soft and messy when eating them room temperature. If you don't boil it long enough they will be a bit gooey. Not big deal. You will figure out what the right amount of time to boil the mixture for is. After the two minutes remove from the heat and add the vanilla and stir well.
Pour over dry ingredients and stir well to combine (I use a rubber spatula for this. It seems to work best and everything doesn't stick to it.)
Pour into prepared baking dish and press everything in tight. Place in refrigerator for two hours. Take out and cut into 12 bars. I them wrap them individually in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator. They will soften some as they warm up while you eat them. Sticky and delicious. 

Vegetarian Mexican Tortilla Soup

This soup is terrific, filling and healthy. It is adapted from "The Food Babe's" recipe. Just like most recipes I take a recipe and then make it my own to suit our tastes. I will give you options in making it healthier if you choose. I also used all organic ingredients where I could.


Here's what I did: (I doubled the recipe)

2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1-2 Cups onion, chopped (I used two small white onions)
1/2 Cup diced cerely
1 Cup diced carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-1 cup green lentils, rinsed (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup but I wanted more so I used 1 Cup to make it heartier)
6 Cups vegetable stock
1 (14oz) can or jar crushed tomatoes (mine were chopped not crushed and they broke down just fine)
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2- 1 tsp. salt (you will taste and adjust seasoning at the end)
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 sprouted corn tortillas **( I did not use sprouted corn tortillas as I couldn't find them. I bought a bag of organic white corn tortilla chips and crushed up a hand full to add to the soup. It is important to use organic corn products as almost all corn and corn products are GMO's. If I can find sprouted corn tortillas next time I make the soup I will give it a try. The organic chips worked great though)

In a large pot heat the olive oil up over med heat and add the onions, celery and carrots. Stir and cook till the vegetables are slightly tender. Add the garlic and cook another minute. Next add the vegetable broth, tomatoes, lentils, jalapeno, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and chopped cilantro. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cover and simmer 30 minutes or so till lentils are tender. When lentils are tender add a hand full of crushed corn tortilla chips(or the sprouted corn tortillas.) Cover and continue to simmer another ten minutes. The chips should break up and dissolve into the soup and thicken it up some. Taste for seasoning.
Serve with optional toppings of :
tortillas chips
monterey jack cheese (I use pepper jack cheese. Organic or course.)
cubed avacado
additional cilantro

Enjoy!

Individual Cauliflower Pizza

Made this today and this is sooooo good that I just had to put it on here for you all to try. I unfortunately can't remember which web site I found it on to give them the credit they are due for this wonderful recipe. I found it by looking for cauliflower recipes on Pinterest.
We are trying to go 95-100% organic without breaking the bank. This was fairly reasonably priced and very easy to make.

Here is what I did:

1 lg. head cauliflower, shredded. (you need 4 cups. The Cauliflower I used made a smidgen more than 4 cups and I used it all.)
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
salt (optional)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup pizza sauce (optional. I did not use it. I just used the slices of fresh tomato)
fresh basil, shreds
12 slices of tomato
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven 450

using a hand grater, shred cauliflower into crumbles. Measure out 4 cups and place in microwave safe bowl.  I had about 4 1/2 cups and just used it all.
cook cauliflower in microwave for 8 minutes. Stir and let cool 10-15 minutes.
Add salt to taste if using, the 2 beaten eggs, 2 cups mozarella, oregano, dried basil and garlic powder and stir to combine.
 Lightly  grease two baking sheet pans. Divide into 12 balls (I used a 1/3 measuring cup and got 11 and that worked fine) Place spaced out on baking sheets and pat each one down to about 4 inch wide rounds. Bake 15 minutes. The edges will char and this is a good thing as it is very flavorful.
Remove from the oven and turn the oven onto broil. Top each with parmesan cheese, shreds of fresh basil and then mozzarella. Top with slice of tomato. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes till cheeses are melted and tomatoes are warmed some.

Home made air freshener spray (throw away that Fabreze)

Once in a while you just need to spray something in the air that smells good. Here is a great way to make your own at home with water and essential oils. Easy and safe. No synthetic fragrances here.

Air Freshener:

2 Cups distilled water (I use tap water if I don't have distilled water)
1 Tbl. baking soda
1 ounce cheap vodka (vodka has a disinfectant element and it also helps suspend the oils in the water)
15-50 drops essential oils of choice

Place all ingredients in spray bottle. Shake before spraying in the air.

Home made multi-purpose scouring powder

I use this as an all purpose scrub where and when needed. I use it in the bathroom in my tub and on the shower walls when needed. It also works great to scrub out my kitchen sink.


Multi-purpose scrub:
2 Cups baking soda place into blender (if you have it use the blender for dry goods, or whatever you have.
1/2 cup shredded bar soap (I use Dr. Bronners unscented bar soap) Add this to the blender with the baking soda
Add 25-50 drops of your choice of essential oil
Turn on blender and blend into a powder and store in container with sprinkle top if you want or just a jar. 

Toilet Bowl Cleaner

Yes, I'm going to talk about toilet bowls. In going natural and home made cleaning items this one is important to me. Germs love the toilet bowl and feeling like it is super clean is important to my mental health. So here is what I do:

1 Cup of baking soda with 10 drops of tea tree oil or a mixture of anti-bacterial EO's mixed added to the baking soda and mixed together.

1 cup white vinegar.

Pour the baking soda into the toilet and then pour the white vinegar in and step back and watch it fizz and fizz. After the fizz settles down take your bowl brush and scrub the toilet. Flush and watch how clean and shiny it is. AND you didn't hurt the environment with toxic toilet bowl cleaner. I clean the rest of the toilet with either the all purpose cleaner or the granite/glass cleaner with alcohol. You can find those recipes here on my blog.

Home made all purpose cleaner and granite/glass cleaner

                                                 

I have been loving my home made cleaners. Here are a couple that I think have proved worthy of using and sharing with you.
I have been purchasing my essential oils from Edens Garden http://www.edensgarden.com/
They are high quality oils and everyone of them they carry are therapeutic grade oils. There are three grades of essential oils

1. Therapeutic grade -the very best
2. Grade B or perfume/comsetic grade
3. Grade C or perfume oils

Edens garden has a oil blend called "Cleaning Blend" this is the one I use the most for cleaning recipes. I also use one called "Thieves" and it is wonderful too. But you can learn some about them and then make use the ones you like best. I love lemon for laundry soap and softener.

Better Than Lysol: I read this off one of the many sites I visit, but can't remember which one.

10 ounces distilled water (I use distilled if I have it if not I use tap water.)
50-100 drops of Rosemary essential oil or other germ killing EO
1 Tbl. plain and cheap vodka (this has germ killing properties but it also helps suspend the essential oils in the water.)

Add to stray bottle and spray and use as any all purpose cleaner. Be sure to shake up the bottle prior to each use to keep the EO's suspended in the liquid. 

Granite/Glass and mirror cleaner: This is probably my most used recipe. This does have Isopropyl alcohol in it. Depending on who you ask this alcohol is ok or its not. I like it cause it is germ killing and evaporates quickly to leave a nice shine. It can have an overpowering alcohol scent when you spray it so used in well ventilated area. The scent disappears quickly.

1 1/2 Cups 70% or higher Isopropyl alcohol
2 1/2 cups distilled water
1/4 tsp. dish soap
50 drops germ killing essential oils.

mix and place in spray bottle. Use on granite, glass, mirrors or any surface you want. I would not use this on wood or anything that the alcohol could dry out but its great on everything else.

Home made laundry soap and softener

I have been knee deep in trying some natural/non-toxic home cleaners. I have been using essential oils/vinegar/alcohol and a few other items I will share. Its cheaper and works better (in my opinion) than the store bought toxic version. My house feels clean, smells clean with no synthetic scents. I'm hooked. So I'm going to share with you a few of the ones that I have found that I think work really well. I will give instructions to go along. This is number one.



Laundry Soap:

1 Cup washing soda (see picture, can be purchased at any grocery store. )
1 Cup Borax (see picture, can be purchased at any grocery store.)
1 Cup baking soda
1/2 bar natural  soap grated. Just use a cheese grater. (I use the unscented Dr. Bronners. You don't have to use unscented. I just like to add my own essential oils.  Its a great brand and easy to find. Most big grocery stores will carry some of the Bronner products and the natural food stores will carry a larger inventory)
4 ounces oxyclean
25-50 drops essential oil of choice , optional

In a blender add all the ingredients and blend into a fine powder. Put in airtight container.
Use 1 Tbl. for normal load
        2 Tbl. for heavily soiled load.
Honestly I use 2 heaping Tbl. for my loads. After some trial and error I feel like 1 Tbl. isn't enough for the completely clean smell I want. You try and decide.

Fabric softener 1:
Pour 1/2 cup  white  vinegar ( I don't cook with white vinegar but it is fine for household uses) in rinse compartment or straight into rinse water.
Your laundry will NOT smell like vinegar when its all said and done. Vinegar will rinse detergent residue and soften your clothing.

To use: Add 1/2 cup to softener compartment or pour in during rinse cycle.

Daddy's Spaghetti Sauce

I'm not a big fan of spaghetti sauce but this one is really great. It is based on a recipe my Dad gave me and I have adjusted the ingredients to meet our taste buds.
Thanks Dad, this is just one more thing you have done for me.

here is what I do:

6 (14.5 ounce) cans of fire roasted tomatoes
4 Tbl. jarred chopped basil (this comes in a little jar just like pre-chopped garlic does. You can also buy it in a tube. I didn't use fresh as it would have taken way to much to get the strong basil flavor I wanted.)
3 heaping tsp. dried oregano
2-3 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. pepper
1 whole tube of anchovy paste
6 cloves or more minced garlic
3 med. shallots small chop
1 1/2 Cups good red wine
olive oil

In a pot add 3 Tbl. of olive oil. When hot add the chopped shallots and stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook another 2 minutes stirring constantly so you don't burn the garlic. Add the dried oregano and the basil stirring. Add the salt and pepper and anchovy paste. Stir and add the canned tomatoes and wine. Stir and bring to a simmer and cover and cook for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Take an immersion blender and blend the sauce smooth if you prefer no tomato chunks. That is how we prefer our sauce.
Enjoy!

Home Made Biscuit Mix (Bisquick)

If you use a lot of biscuit mixes then this is the recipe for you. It is a little heavier than the store bought version but will convert any of their recipes. I just add a little extra liquid. You just have to play with it to get the hang of it.

This will last stored in a tight container for 6 weeks or int he freezer for 6 months.

Here is what I do:

10 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. salt
2 cups crisco (plain or butter or a mixture. I do one cup of each.)

Blend dry ingredients together. Then add the crisco and cut into the dry ingredients till it resembles course crumbs or corn meal. Store in air tight container.

Chicken and Bacon Mac and Cheese

This is a good stove top mac and cheese that you don't have to make a rue for. So for a quick and complete meal give it a try.

Here's how:

16-17 ounces pasta (you can use whatever shape pasta you want to.)
3 Cups whole milk
4 Tbl. butter
8 ounces velveeta, cubed
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
6-8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded 
1/4 tsp. Lowry's season salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas

1 package of bacon chopped into small pieces and fried till crisp. Drain on paper towel and discard bacon grease.

4-5 chicken breasts
Montreal chicken seasoning

season chicken with the Montreal Chicken seasoning and fry in a little oil till cooked through. Remove to a plate to cool slightly. Then cube and place back on plate. Keep any juice from the chicken that gathers in the plate.

Start pan of salted water and cook pasta according to directions. Don't over cook the pasta. While pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce. In a large enough pot to hold the finished meal heat up milk and add the butter. Stir till butter melts and add the velveeta and stir to melted and smooth. Next add the shredded cheddar cheese and gruyere cheese, stir till melted. Add the Lowry's salt and the pepper. Stir in the cooked pasta and add the bacon, chicken (and any juices in the plate) and peas. Stir till all incorporated and heated through,. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Enjoy!

Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

This is a basic and easy fried rice recipe. Makes a great meal with that left over rice (white or brown.)

You want to make your rice a day in advance and let it cool and dry out in the fridge. If you use brown rice you can use it the same day if need be, but spread it out and let it cool and dry out some first. There are a few prep steps but once you get the hang of it, getting it ready wont seem confusing. I prep everything and precook a few things.
One of the great things about fried rice is as you get the hang of it you might find you want more or less of certain things I put in mine. One of the things I don't  use is Toasted Sesame oil. I like it but prefer to not have it in my fried rice. You certainly can add a couple drops if you like.

Here's what I do:

4 Cup day old rice (white or brown)
1 1/2 Cups frozen mixed vegetables ( mine is corn, green beans and carrots). I put them in a strainer and run water over them to thaw and then let them drain till I need them.
12-15 chicken tenders cut into thin strips. I didn't think to weigh how much that is.
1 large onion chopped into 1 inch chunks
3 eggs beaten
4 green onions small chop
2-4 Tbl. regular soy sauce
1/8 + dark soy sauce
fish sauce
grape seed oil
corn starch
salt and pepper
sugar

You are going to start by marinating the chicken. Place chicken in a bowl and  add 1 Tbl. cornstarch, 1/4 tsp. sugar, 2 Tbl. regular soy sauce, 1 Tbl. grape seed oil, dash salt and pepper, 1/8 Cup of water. Mix all this together well getting the chicken evening coated. Set aside while you prep the rest of the meal.

In a bowl place the sliced onion, in another bowl place beaten eggs, veggies should be thawed and draining.

Place all this around the cooking station. Have the bowl with the cooked rice sitting there as well.
Heat wok and add 1 Tbl. oil and put the eggs in and scramble them. Rinse out the bowl you beat them in and dry it out so you can put them back in or get a clean bowl and when the eggs are done but still soft remove to a bowl. Next add another Tbl. of oil and add the thawed veggies and stir around to heat and dry them out some. Place back in strainer and let any liquid drain out ot them. Next add another Tbl. oil and fry the onion till it is crisp tender. You don't want to bite into a raw onion but we don't want them soggy either. Remove them to their bowl. Next add 2 Tbl. oil and when its hot add the chicken and stir fry it till it is cooked and remove to a clean bowl. Now we are ready to pull it all together.
In hot wok add 2 Tbl. oil and then the rice. Stir fry it till its heated and add the veggies. Stir around till the veggies and rice and mixed and veggies are hot. Now add the onion and chicken and mix and stir till everything blended and heated through. 
Add 2-4 Tbl. regular soy sauce, 1/8 Cup or a little more of dark soy sauce, little salt and pepper 1/2 tsp. fish sauce. Mix around and add the eggs in and mix and chop them into small pieces.Take off heat and add the green onion and stir to mix. Taste for seasoning.
Enjoy!

Fireside Coffee

My son Christopher's girlfriend Daniel gave this to us for Christmas. It's easy and absolutely delicious. It's like dessert in a cup. YUM! Now if your looking for healthy this isn't it. If your looking for something hot and yummy on a cold evening this will make you smile. So with sweet Daniel's permission I am bringing it to you.


Fireside Coffee:

2 Cups nondairy creamer
2 Cups instant hot cocoa
1 Cup instant coffee
1 1/2 Cups of sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

Mix and store in container.

To make:

1 mug of hot water
4 Tbl. of mix (or to taste)
Stir and enjoy.

I also think a splash of your favorite coffee flavored alcohol would be great and help warm your insides.

Ham & Bacon Fried Rice

This is amazing, tremendous, spectacular yumminess. If I do say so myself. My family loves, loves, loves Chinese food, particularly fried rice. This is pretty good. There are some small steps to do in the process but its not really hard.

Here's what I do: You can easily half this. I make this much because you know with the Sasquatches here and all.


1 package center cut bacon, sliced into small pieces. (If you don't buy center cut then trim the fatty ends off the bacon and toss them in the trash. We don't want tons of bacon grease.)

1 ham steak, cubed ( I trim all the fat off so that it is just lean meat.)
3 stalks of celery thin chop
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
4 eggs beaten
couple pinch of black pepper
8 cups cooked (white or brown)  rice, cooled (I make mine the day before and leave in the fridge one night to let it dry out. It makes a difference the the texture of your fried rice. Now if I use brown rice I can cool it and use it the same day if I have too. It will work better than fresh cooked white rice. It doesn't have to sit over night and dry out like white rice does.)

2 Tbl. light soy sauce (this isn't light in salt. This is the regular soy sauce we are all use to using.)
2 Tbl. dark soy sauce (This is a thicker, darker, richer soy sauce. It does make a difference in the taste. I would not skip making this if you don't have it but if you can find it do. It helps give the rice that authentic taste. I order mine off of Amazon as no grocery stores near me carry it.)
1 Tbl. Fish sauce (most large grocery stores carry this in the Asian section.)
1/2 C fine chop green onion

Now we have to do some prep cooking first.
Heat your wok/large pan add 1 Tbl. oil (I use grapeseed oil)  Add your beaten eggs and stir fry them till they are done but still soft. Remove to a bowl (I just wash the bowl I beat them in and put them in there.) Next fry the bacon the the wok. When the bacon is crisp and done remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl or plate with paper towels to drain. Next, pour off the bacon grease and dispose of it. Don't wipe out the pan.
 Now add the cubed ham and stir fry till it has heated up and released the liquid in it (ham has a lot of liquid in it and releases it when you fry it. You don't want all that ham juice/water in your rice) Remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon and pour off the liquid as we wont use this.

Next, add the onion to the wok and stir fry till it is crisp tender and remove to a bowl
.
Next, add the chopped celery and stir fry till it is crisp tender and remove to a bowl.

Now we have done all the ingredient prep we need to before we stir fry the rice.

Add 2Tbl. oil to the hot wok and add  the garlic and stir briskly (we don't want to burn the garlic) and then add the rice. Start to stir it around and get it heated through and moistened with the oil. When the rice is hot add the bacon, ham, celery and stir and heat through. Add 2 Tbl. regular soy sauce and 2 Tbl. dark soy sauce, 1 Tbl. fish sauce and stir together. Continue to mix and heat everything up. Next add  eggs and break them up and stir fry into the rice mixture. Now add  the green onion and pinch or two of black pepper and again stir and mix together. Remove to a large bowl.

If you half the recipe remember to half the soy sauces and fish sauce or it will be tooooooo strong. Remember you can always add more but can't take it out. 

 Don't be afraid to try it. Its very good and once you get the hang of some of the prep its pretty quick and easy.
Enjoy!