Ginger Spice Cookies

So I've had a fetish lately with gingersnap cookies. I've already posted a good recipe, low-fat too, but I came across this recipe last week, and I just had to share. Definitely the best one I've found so far. The edges are crispy, and the insides are soft. They are amazing!


No, this would not be a good time to point out that I have Gestational Diabetes. Guess what? Sometimes I cheat. It keeps me sane. Okay, I cheat way more than I should. But I digress--the point is that these cookies are stinking delicious and you should make them. Today.

The whole website 'Our Best Bites' is a great resource for meal ideas and just really good food. I don't know how those girls stay looking so good with all of the amazing food they make. And I'm not going to lie--that chocolate cake on their homepage right now looks so super tempting. Maybe I'll make one for myself on my birthday when I brake my chocolate fast. Oh yeah.



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Veggie Sandwich

For you, Alesha.

This is one of my all-time favorite sandwiches.

2 slices whole wheat bread with Miracle Whip
sliced avocadoes
sprouts
grated carrots
sliced pickles
sliced tomatoes
toasted sunflower seeds

Season with Spike (it's like a season-all, you may have to go to a health food store to find it. Sorry, I don't know what else to use--it kind of makes the sandwich)

Serve with tortilla chips

Obviously not a photographer, sorry

Enjoy!


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Cinnamon Rolls!!

I make THE best cinnamon rolls. I'm not kidding. I figure I can say that because it's not my recipe, so I really don't get any credit. I took a cooking class in college that required a research project. One team set out to find the perfect cinnamon roll recipe. Well, they did. I was lucky enough to snatch myself a copy.

Dough:

2 Tbsp active dry yeast

1 tsp granulated sugar

1 cup 110 degree water

1 C. warm milk

2/3 C. melted butter or margarine

2 eggs-slightly beaten

2/3 C. granulated sugar

2 tsp. salt

up to 8 C. bread flour

In a small bowl dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in warm water; set aside.

In a large bowl mix together milk, 2/3 C sugar, melted butter, salt, and eggs; add yeast mixture and 4 cups of bread flour to mixture; beat until smooth; stir in enough flour to form a slightly stiff dough.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface and knead for 8 min.

Place dough in a large greased bowl, cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface into a 15x20" rectangle.

Brush 1/2 cup melted butter over dough

Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over dough:

3/4 C. brown sugar

1/4 C. white sugar

2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Tightly roll up dough and pinch edges together to seal.

Cut into 1 inch slices

Coat the bottom of a 13x9x2 baking pan with cooking spray.

Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan; cover and let rise in a warm place for 45 min.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let cinnamon rolls cool slightly and coat with desired frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

1/3 C. softened butter

4 oz. cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 drops almond extract

1/2 tsp corn syrup 1 Tbsp milk

2-4 C. powdered sugar

Powdered Sugar Frosting:

1/3 C. softened butter

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

3 Tbsp milk

3 drops almond extract

2-4 C powdered sugar

*Hints: When letting the dough rise, I turn my oven on to warm. I cover the bowl with a warm, slightly wet towel, stick it in the oven and then turn the oven off. It rises twice as fast.

I cut the roll with dental floss--it works great without smashing the dough.

I cook my rolls a little under the suggested time.

I never have almond extract on hand, so I've never used in in the frosting. I usually make the powdered sugar frosting and then add 1-2 Tbsp cream cheese.

Enjoy!

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Canning Fool

Am I allowed to say that I like canning?

Cause I do.

Call me crazy.

There's just something about planting a seed

Watching it grow

Reaping the fruit

Peeling and boiling and processing

And finally storing it away for winter like a silly little chipmunk

This year:

Tomatoes---11 Quarts, 14 Pints

Salsa---21 Pints

Peaches--16 Quarts

Pears---9 Quarts

Apricots---6 Quarts

Still Left to do:

Applesauce

More Pears

Grandma's Chili Sauce

Something tells me it will be a little less enjoyable when I am trying to sustain a family of seven. But hopefully by then many hands will make light work :)

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Stephanie's Salsa

The past two years I've canned salsa with my sister-in-law and it is good! Here is the recipe she uses:

1 Gallon Diced Tomatoes
2 Large Green Peppers
4 Jalapeno Peppers
1 1/3 C. White Vinegar or Lime Juice
2 12-oz cans Tomato Paste
1 T. Sugar
3 T. Salt
1 1/2 T. Garlic Powder

Blanch and peel tomatoes. Dice or puree ingredients to desired consistency. Mix together and warm in pot. Ladle into heated jars. Steam bath for 20 minutes.




I prefer the white vinegar to the lime juice myself, and I usually don't use all the jalapenos. NOTE: use gloves when you're cutting the jalapenos! I spent several hours with my fingers in buttermilk last year. Just trust me--it BURNS! If you don't like your salsa very spicy, remove all the insides, especially seeds, before adding to the salsa.


Thanks Stephanie!

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Stocking Up

Twice a year our local grocery store has a case lot sale. All of their "bulk" food storage items go on sale and we try to stock up on things that we use consistently. We have been counseled by our church leaders to store food for emergencies. But we're not talking 72-hour kits here.

"Acquire and store a reserve of food and supplies that will sustain life. . . . As long as I can remember, we have been taught to prepare for the future and to obtain a year's supply of necessities. I would guess that the years of plenty have almost universally caused us to set aside this counsel. I believe the time to disregard this counsel is over. With events in the world today, it must be considered with all seriousness."

L. Tom Perry

Since we've been married, the Mr. and I have tried to accumulate what food storage we can here and there; pulling a year's worth of food out of nowhere costs a pretty penny, so we've had to do it slowly.

I've always been a bit overwhelmed by it all; knowing what and how much to buy, how to store it, and especially how to rotate it so that we actually use what we buy. For my birthday this year my Mom got me this book:



I love it! No, I am not being paid to endorse this book. I wish. At the front of the book is a list of all the food you need for a one-year supply, and how much of each you need per adult in your family. So I wrote out a list, did a quick inventory, and figured out what we still needed for the very basics. We actually had a lot more than I thought. I then went to my handy-dandy Macey's case lot sale with some moolah we set aside for this sort of thing and went nuts. Well, half nuts, really. That's all that would fit in the cart. Then I did my normal grocery shopping, and filled up another cart. And next week I'll do it again.

I'm grateful for inspired leaders. Now if:

-The Mr. ever lost his job
-There was a local natural disaster
-There was a world-wide disaster
-Food prices spiked
-Use your imagination

We would be a little better off. That Joseph in Egypt really knew what he was doing (If you don't know what I'm talking about, see the musical. Or, you know, read the Bible).

Plus, the salt containers make great building blocks. Just sayin'.

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Delicious Nutritious Zucchini Bread

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture. I adapted a zucchini bread recipe I found online, and we like it a lot.


3 eggs
1/3 C. vegetable oil
2/3 C. applesauce
1 C. packed brown sugar
2 C. grated zucchini
2 tsp vanilla
1 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. whole wheat flour
1/4 C. oats
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C. raisins

In a large bowl combine moist ingredients. Mix well. Add dry ingredients and stir. Add raisins.

Bake at 350 for 1 hr or until a toothpick comes out clean.

*I doubled the recipe--it doesn't make very much, and who only needs to get rid of two cups of zucchini at a time? Also, we put the batter in a cake/casserole pan and it turned out really moist and nice. Check halfway through; it only took 30 minutes to bake.

Enjoy!

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Grilled Zucchini

I have spent a lot of time working on this recipe--perfecting the measurements, ingredients, and cooking time, so do enjoy.

Slice zucchini length-wise. Marinade in italian dressing for 30 min to several hours. Cook on the grill until it's done.

What's that? I should put out a recipe book? Oh yes, my friends, all in good time.



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Homemade Yogurt

Warm a quart of milk on the stove, until it is almost boiling. Allow it to cool until lukewarm. Add two to three tablespoons of starter (you can buy this at a health food store, but it is easier to just use store-bought yogurt. Make sure it has active cultures in it. I like use Activia) and mix gently. Cover, wrap tightly in a towel, and leave in a warm place for 8 hours.

I usually just leave the yogurt in my oven overnight. I'll heat it up and then turn it off before I put the yogurt in. The yogurt will be a little soft-set. I use skim milk, and I think it would be thicker with 1 or 2%. It's a great way to have yogurt without the ridiculous amount of sugar and additives.


Enjoy!

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Nom Nom

So yesterday I decided to can some apricots. The Mr. brought some home after he ran his crazy 1/2 marathon on Saturday (straight up a mountain. What a man.). I don't know what I was thinking trying to do it while The Bug was awake. It had the potential to be a ginormous disaster.

In fact, however, it turned out to be really fun. At first I tried shoeing him outside to play with the dog. That only worked for a few minutes; he wanted to know what I was doing. So, I showed him what I was doing. And then he helped. First I would hand him the apricot halves and he would put them in the jar. Then he wanted to half the apricots, and he had his own way of doing it, too. He would basically smash the apricot until he could see the pit and then he'd pull it out. You can tell which jars he filled himself, because they look more like jam and less like apricot halves.






I have to say, I am surprised at how much he understood, how well he followed directions, and how delightful it was to work with him. Even if it added a teeny tiny bit more stress and some extra cleanup time, it was totally worth it. Besides, it's not really about canning apricots, is it?

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Pasta Primavera

I just tried this recipe for the first time last week, and we loved it. Lots of veggies, good sauce. There isn't much sauce, though, so ration carefully if you're trying to be healthy. If you don't care about being healthy, just make double! The pasta in the picture ishalf regular and half wheat because, well, that's what we had. Once again, I got the recipe from this great site.

Ingredients

1/2 cup broccoli florets (small tips)
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced zucchini or yellow squash
1/2 cup sliced red or green peppers
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup evaporated fat-free milk
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces thin pasta (angel-hair or spaghetti)
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a large pot fitted with a steamer basket, bring about 1 inch of water to boil. Add the broccoli, mushrooms, zucchini, peppers and peas. Cover and steam until tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pot.

In large saucepan, heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat. Add the steamed vegetables and stir or shake to coat the vegetables with the garlic and oil. Remove from heat but keep warm.

In another large saucepan, heat the butter, evaporated milk and Parmesan cheese. Stir over moderate heat until somewhat thickened and heated through. Stir continuously and don't scald. Remove from heat but keep warm.

Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (tender), about 10 to 12 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly.

Divide the pasta evenly among individual plates. Top with vegetables and pour the sauce over the vegetables and pasta. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

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Banana Hotcakes with Spiced Syrup

This is a new recipe for our family, and I love it! They've got a lot more food value than regular pancakes, and the Bug loves them.

I got the recipe here.

Ingredients

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup water
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup whole-wheat (whole-meal) flour
1/2 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup 1 percent low-fat milk
1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1 banana, peeled and mashed
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, cinnamon stick and cloves. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves with a slotted spoon. Set the syrup aside and keep warm.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the oats and water. Microwave on high until the oats are creamy and tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar and canola oil. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Whisk to blend.

Add the milk, yogurt and banana to the oats and stir until well blended. Beat in the egg. Add the flour mixture to the oat mixture and stir just until moistened.

Place a nonstick frying pan or griddle over medium heat. When a drop of water sizzles as it hits the pan, spoon 1/4 cup pancake batter into the pan. Cook until the top surface of the pancake is covered with bubbles and the edges are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook until the bottom is well browned and the pancake is cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Repeat with the remaining pancake batter.

Place the pancakes on warmed individual plates. Drizzle with the warm syrup and serve immediately.

The recipe says it serves six, but we can polish them off between the three of us. I usually serve them with fried eggs to add some protein. Enjoy!


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Shrimp Curry

Ever since I had Gestational Diabetes when I was pregnant with The Bug, my blood sugar has been a little high. I've been trying to find ways to eat healthier and lower my sugar/carb intake. I came across the GREATEST website from the Mayo Clinic that has a whole bunch of recipes for diabetics. The good news is that the way diabetics are suppose to eat is the way everyone is suppose to eat, so it's just plain healthy no matter how you look at it. I have been impressed by the recipes. They are all tasty and my family gives them a thumbs up, too. I will likely be posting a lot of their recipes as I try them.

Shrimp Curry

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 shallots, minced
2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tomato, peeled and seeded, then diced
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup chicken stock, vegetable stock or broth
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1 stalk lemon grass, tender bottom 4 inches only, quartered lengthwise
1 1/4 pounds large shrimp (prawns), peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup shelled edamame
1/2 cup diced mango
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonade

Directions

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, ginger and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato, curry powder and coriander and simmer until the tomato begins to soften, about 1 minute.

Add the stock, coconut milk and lemon grass. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. Remove from the heat.

In a nonstick saute pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, sprinkle with the turmeric and cook for about 3 minutes. Turn the shrimp and cook until pink and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Add the wine and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Add the curry sauce to the pan, raise the heat to high and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to medium, add the edamame and cook until the edamame are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the mango and salt and stir to combine. Discard the lemon grass.

Divide the curry among warmed individual plates and garnish with the basil.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipes/RE00070

* I couldn't find lemon grass at the grocery store, and I didn't want to pay for coriander for just one recipe. I just added a little lemon juice. It was still good. I served it with rice. P.S. The picture is not of this specific recipe.



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E-Z Smoothie

Okay, so I didn't make this smoothie. It just so happens that I am totally incapable of creating such an enticing photograph. But, I can tell you how to make a delicious smoothie that will look like this.

We love smoothies at our house, and they are just so easy to make.

Here is the recipe for my default smoothie:

1- 6 oz yogurt, any flavor
1-banana
5-6 strawberries, fresh or frozen
1-2 Tbsp fzn orange juice concentrate

add milk to desired consistency
sometimes I add a little vanilla, too

You can really play with this one, as there's not much you can do to mess it up (although I don't recommend adding maple flavored oatmeal as a thickener...love you Babe :)

Blueberries and raspberries are great in it. Sometimes I'll put in two bananas and make a really creamy shake. You can also sneak a little fresh spinach in there, and it still comes out tasting pretty fruity. One of my favorites is using a pina colada yogurt flavor and adding pineapple and some cream of coconut. SO good!


Enjoy!

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Tomato Basil Sandwich

Toast one side of a honey wheat bagel. Top with sliced tomatoes and cottage cheese. Season with garlic salt and basil.

As the Bug would say, Nom Nom.

Yummy, healthy, filling, and easy--you can't go wrong with that combination.



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