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Showing posts from September, 2015

Pumpkin-Chocolate Babka for #PumpkinWeek 2015

Welcome to  #PumpkinWeek  day 4! One more day. Hosted by Terri from  Love and Confections , nineteen bloggers will be sharing nearly seventy pumpkin-filled recipes over the course of the week. Be sure to come back every day to see all the delicious creations - from muffins to cakes, cocktails, breakfast baked goods, savory pastas and stews, and gluten-free recipes, too. You can also find these great recipes and more on  Love and Confections' #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board ! #PumpkinWeek day 4 recipes: Pumpkin Almond Croissants  from Love and Confections Pumpkin Cake Pops  from Dizzy Busy and Hungry Pumpkin Carrot Cake  from Making Miracles Pumpkin-Chocolate Babka  from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Pumpkin Cranberry Mini Muffins  from Feeding Big and more Pumpkin Dip  from Gluten Free Crumbley Pumpkin Fudge  from That Skinny Chick Can Bake Pumpkin Pie Martini  from The Redhead Baker Pumpkin Spice Creamer  from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks Spicy Pumpkin Sweet

October #Unprocessed 2015

Here we are again at the cusp of October...and the kick-off for October #Unprocessed v.2015. Last year  I signed a (modified) pledge for October #Unprocessed v. 2014 . While I would love to be able to go a month without eating anything processed, that's just not a reality...without a lot of stress on my part. So, instead of setting myself up to fail, I pledged to be more purposeful in my cooking, eating whole foods, and reading labels like a fiend. It's a journey. You can read more about the challenge put out by Andrew at  Eating Rules :  here . The challenge is in its 6th year; this is my 4th year joining the fun and games. And here are some of Andrew's posts that have really helped me decide what I'm including in my family's meals in October and what is verboten! About Sugars and Sweeteners...  click here . Molasses is out; a couple of years I was  misguided by molasses ! About Flours and Grains...  click here . Not that we buy white rice frequently - a

Sad Rhubarb Liqueur for #handcraftededibles

I'm not sad about making this liqueur for holiday gifts. And, I hope my recipients won't be sad either. But I have to share this story, regarding the name of the recipe. When a friend, and fellow rhubarb-fanatic, came over for dinner, I served a rhubarb chutney. He declared, "Do you know why this rhubarb is sad?" I have no idea.  "It could have been a pie." Oh, brother! I sent him a photo over the weekend and asked, Is THIS rhubarb sad? "Yes. It could have been a pie, too." Fine, no rhubarb liqueur for you when it's done! I retorted, exasperated and perplexed. Who would object to rhubarb liqueur!?!? Ingredients 4 to 5 stalks fresh rhubarb 1-1/2 to 2 C organic granulated sugar  1 bottle of vodka Procedure Wash and trim rhubarb. Slice into slices. Combine rhubarb and sugar and stir well to combine. Pour vodka over that, mix well, cover, and let the mixture age in a cool place for 4 months. Stir once a week or once eve

Pumpkin Hummus for #PumpkinWeek 2015

Welcome to #PumpkinWeek  day 2! Hosted by Terri from  Love and Confections , nineteen bloggers will be sharing nearly seventy pumpkin-filled recipes over the course of the week. Be sure to come back every day to see all the delicious creations - from muffins to cakes, cocktails, breakfast baked goods, savory pastas and stews, and gluten-free recipes, too. You can also find these great recipes and more on  Love and Confections' #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board ! #PumpkinWeek Day 2 Recipes: Creamy Pumpkin Soup from Feeding Big and more Gluten Free Pumpkin Snack Cake from Cupcakes & Kale Chips Pumpkin Cheesecake Milkshake from The Redhead Baker Pumpkin Chili from A Day in the Life on the Farm Pumpkin Horchata Cocktail from The Crumby Cupcake Pumpkin Hummus from Culinary Adventures with Camilla Pumpkin Pancakes from Love and Confections Pumpkin Seed Granola from Gluten Free Crumbley Slow Cooker Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Making Miracles Ingredients

#HandCraftedEdibles: Nocino (Green Walnut Liqueur)

In an effort to make all of my holiday gifts this year, I invited some of my favorite foodie bloggers to share recipes for hand-crafted edibles. Over the course of the next twelve weeks, we'll be sharing recipes from libations (this week's theme) to cookie platters and everything in between. Hope you'll follow along for inspiration. Check out  our #handcraftededibles pinterest board . Or the tab on my blog where I'll round up all the posts: here . And, as this is our first post, here's the plan... Week 1: Tuesday, September 29th – Libations, Part I Week 2: Tuesday, October 6th – Spice Blends Week 3: Tuesday, October 13th – Special Diets Week 4: Tuesday, October 20th – Jarred Mixes Week 5: Tuesday, October 27th – Libations, Part II Week 6: Tuesday, November 3rd – Delicious Jams and Jellies Week 7: Tuesday, November 10th – Pickles Week 8: Tuesday, November 17th – Cheese Trays Week 9: Tuesday, November 24th – Go Nuts Week 10: Tuesday,

Spiced Pumpkin-Bourbon Fizz for #PumpkinWeek 2015

#PumpkinWeek is here again and we can't be more excited. Hosted by Terri from Love and Confections , nineteen bloggers will be sharing nearly seventy pumpkin-filled recipes over the course of the week. Be sure to come back every day to see all the delicious creations - from muffins to cakes, cocktails, breakfast baked goods, savory pastas and stews, and gluten-free recipes, too. You can also find these great recipes and more on Love and Confections' #PumpkinWeek Pinterest Board ! #PumpkinWeek Day 1 Recipes: Browned Butter Salty Pumpkin Sugar Cookies from The Spiffy Cookie Caramel Pumpkin Cake from Feeding Big and more Pumpkin Chai Baked Donuts from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures Easy Pumpkin Donuts with Vanilla Cream Sauce from {i love} my disorganized life Gooey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks Healthy Cinnamon-Apple Pumpkin Muffins from Simply Healthy Family Homemade Pumpkin and Sage Pasta from Kudos Kitchen by Renee Pu

Comforting Chicken Noodle Soup

I still don't really know why chicken noodle soup can make you feel better when you're feeling crummy. But it does, doesn't it? I had a fever last night and was still reeling today. So, I whipped up a pot of chicken noodle soup and it was awesome. It does take a little bit of time. But, when you're languishing on the couch, you can manage this. I promise. Ingredients Broth 1 whole chicken 2 carrots, cut into 2" lengths 4 stalks of celery, cut into 2" lengths 5 cloves of garlic herbs (I had some fennel fronds and fresh parsley) Soup chicken meat, pulled from the bones 2 carrots, cut into 2" lengths 4 stalks of celery, cut into 2" lengths 2 to 3 cloves of garlic, smashed olive oil 1 C chopped mushrooms 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and diced noodles (I used some organic spaghetti noodles, broken in half lengthwise) 2 C fresh baby spinach 1/2 C fresh herbs (I used parsley and cilantro) freshly ground salt freshly gr

Pumpkin Citrus Smoothie

To go along with our Buttermilk Pumpkin Scones   this morning, I used the rest of my homemade pumpkin puree for some smoothies. Ingredients  serves 4 1-1/2 C pumpkin puree (how to make pumpkin puree:  version 1 ,  version 2 ) 1 C organic orange juice 1/2 C ice cubes 1 C plain yogurt dash of ground cinnamon dash of ground cardamom dash of ground nutmeg dash of ground ginger 1 T honey Procedure Blend everything together. Serve immediately.

Buttermilk Pumpkin Scones

It's pumpkin time! I'm gearing up for #PumpkinWeek2015 - when a group of blogging friends plan to share tons and tons of pumpkin eats. So, to get in the pumpkin frame of mind, I whipped up some pumpkin puree  last name and used it in breakfast today. So easy. So tasty. Ingredients For the Scones: 3 C flour (I used a white whole wheat flour) 3/4 C organic coconut sugar 2 1/2 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1 t ground cinnamon 1/2 t fresh grated nutmeg 1/2 t ground ginger 1/4 t ground allspice 1/8 t ground cloves pinch of lightly dried ginger 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 C) butter, cold and cubed 1 C buttermilk, cold 1 C pumpkin puree (how to make pumpkin puree: version 1 , version 2 ) 1 T pure vanilla extract 1/2 C pumpkin seeds For the Glaze: 1/2 C organic coconut sugar 2 T orange juice Procedure Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, lightly dried ginger, and

Making Pumpkin Puree {How To}

I tried to hold off till October before flooding my blog with pumpkin recipes. But as I'm busy prepping for #PumpkinWeek2015, I decided that it was time! Last year I showed you how to make pumpkin pure e. That was one method. Here's another way... Ingredients pumpkin or whatever hard winter squash you have olive oil Procedure Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush the inside and the cut edge with olive oil and place the pumpkin cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast until the pumpkin flesh is easily mashable and the skin is easily pierced with a fork, approximately 90 minutes.  Let cool slightly, until you can handle the pumpkin without burning your hand. Scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash until desire consistency.

Salt'N'Peppa Delicata

A friend mentioned that she's been waiting for me to start my annual parade of pumpkin posts. I was trying to refrain till October. And while you already know that I am a pumpkin fiend, delicata squash is probably my real favorite squash. And I really love that this dish is really only three ingredients beyond the squash and about thirty minutes in the oven. But don't worry, the pumpkin posts will begin, in earnest, next week as I'll be celebrating #PumpkinWeek2015 with several blogging friends. Ingredients delicata squash olive oil freshly ground sea salt freshly ground pepper Procedure Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Halve the delicata and scoop out the seeds. Destem, then slice into 1/2" wide slices. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the slices with a splash of olive oil. Spread out the slices on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until the squash is softened and beginning to caramelize. Serve

Product Review + Giveaway: Bob's Red Mill Oatmeal #sponsor

We love oatmeal in my household. I love oatmeal. Now. Growing up, my mom made oatmeal every Monday for my entire life. I'm not joking. There was no deviation. Every. Single. Monday. Of my entire childhood. I refused to eat oatmeal for years after I left my parents' house. And I certainly would never eat it on a Monday! But, gradually, I invited oatmeal back to my table because it is versatile, tasty, and good for you. However, the way I make oatmeal is not a quick breakfast. I usually use steel cut oats, simmer them till tender, season them with cinnamon and vanilla, and stir in chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, and dried fruit. It's a good forty-five minute process. But it is tasty. When Bob's Red Mill contacted me to see if I would be willing to receive and review their brand-new oatmeal cups*, I readily agreed. I've been a long-time fan of the company and their products. At any given moment, you can find at least half a dozen products of theirs on

Sipping Chocolate Tasting at Mutari

 A couple of years ago I supported a kickstarter for local chocolate company Mutari . I love supporting foodie start-ups! We tried their hot chocolate mix we received as a perk for making a donation, but we never made it to the storefront...until this weekend. While Jake was working on the pirate armory for our trip to the Renaissance Faire and R was working on a project for his science class, the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf and I drove up to Santa Cruz and headed over to Mutari. We perused the menu and decided to go with one of their tasting flight. The sipping chocolate flight was described as "darker and more bitter." We went with it. Besides, it came with a mini cupcake from Buttercup Cakes . That cinched the deal for the EKE. He loves anything from Buttercup. We tasted their Trinidad San Juan which had a lighter body and a hint of coffee; their Venezuela Cumboto with notes of vanilla; and their Venezuela Ocumare that was tangy with some notes of citus and