Strawberry Milkshakes...

With fresh strawberries galore, I thought I would make a Strawberry milkshake for my husband on our stay-at-home-date-night. Now, I must admit I automatically thought I wouldn't like it (hence I didn't make one for myself!) because I had childhood memories of "strawberry FLAVORED milkshakes or ice cream" and thought it would taste fake and overly sweet--- but my oh my, was I pleasantly surprised---- the real thing tastes SO different.... it was delicious, give it a go for yourself!

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh strawberries (you can use frozen if you must)

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

3-4 ice cubes

** 1 TBSP honey (if it's not sweet enough, but mine was perfect without!)

Directions:

Dump it all into your blender or Vitamix, give it a whirl, and enjoy! My husband thought it would be fun to top with whip cream... but he'd probably like to top a lot of things with it! And don't overestimate the delish and timeless dessert of a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate and freshly sliced strawberries- that's a real crowd pleaser as well!

Love Bananas?? Cut your strawberries down to 1/2 cup and add 1/2 a banana! Get Creative!!!

Strawberry Short Cake from Scratch...

We have had a ton or ripe, juicy, delicious strawberries around here (thanks to my husband who farms next to the best strawberry grower in town!!!) so we have been making many-a-dish (or dessert!) with our fresh strawberries!!!! Here's a recipe for old fashion shortcake, we served it at a shower, it's prefect for guests and makes about 12-16 cakes which you can leave whole or slice in half.... here's what to do.

Ingredients for Short Bread:

3 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

Ingredients for Whipping Cream:

1/2 pint heavy cream

3 TBSP powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

**Don't forget your fresh strawberries!!!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder- stir well. Then add your heavy cream and your cold butter (not melted) you are going to cut your butter into the batter with a knife. Keep mixing and cutting your batter until you feel like it's well combined (you are still going to see nuggets of butter in there, they will melt together with the rest of the dough when you kneed it). I used a plastic thin cutting board, sprinkled with a little flour and turned my dough out onto it. Kneed your dough for about 2-3 minutes, this is where you will really see if coming together. With a large spoon, scoop dollops of dough onto a cookie sheet and bake for 15- 20 minutes until the edges are golden. Immediately after taking them out, remove them from a baking sheet (so they stop cooking) and place them on a rack or wax paper, sprinkling the tops of them with a pinch of sugar.

Next make your whipping cream in a chilled bowl, beat all ingredients together until your whipping cream begins to peak. Cover and chill until serving.

And last, slice up your strawberries. Mine were super sweet so I didn't add any sugar, but I pre-cut them so they could marinate in their own juice for a while. If yours aren't really sweet, add a spoonful of sugar, stir, cover and refrigerate until serving. Unfortunately I totally spaced and forgot to capture a picture of the finished product, but it looked similar to this to give you an idea!

Homemade Waffles

OK folks, sorry about the serious delay in posting recipes.... I realize I have been M.I.A. for the last few months- but I have good reason. I have been eating things lately that most normal people wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole... things like lemon yogurt, pickles, bean burritos, apples, and eggs, tons of eggs... because this is how I eat when I am pregnant. I have the worst morning/all day sickness again with this baby (#2)--- I don't even want to cook, I don't want to eat, I don't even want to think about food--- which doesn't go well with trying to keep up with a blog centered all around food! But I am entering into week 15 and hoping the sickness is coming to an end (with my daughter is tapered off around week 16.... maybe one more week to go!!!!) So here are a few little things I have managed to make in the past 3 months.... just little recipes & ideas until I get my cooking apron back out during the week :)

Homemade Waffles

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup oil or butter

1 TBSP sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt

* I use 2/3 cup brown rice flour and 1/3 cup coconut flour and Kerrygold butter to be more specific! You can also double the batch and freeze the other half for a quick breakfast later on in the week.

Directions: Super simple, pour everything into a bowl, whisk until all the clumps are gone, and pour into a HOT (and oiled/sprayed) waffle iron. Serve with a side of fresh fruit, real  Grade B maple syrup, or caramelized apples (recipe coming soon!) ** Made about 10 waffles in my grill (which you can freeze or refrigerate and toast for later!)

Roasted Parmesan Parsnips

Here's a new way to cook parsnips, thanks to the fabulous blog Sprouted Kitchen! She has great ideas and AWESOME pictures, take a gander when you have a free minute- she makes cooking meals into an ART! These Roasted Parsnips are soft and gooey thanks to the parmesan cheese, and yet bursting with flavor with all the different herbs--- they were so yummy I could have eaten them all myself!!!

Ingredients:

4 Parnips, peeled & chopped

1 egg white

1/2 TBSP dried Oregano

1 TBSP Rosemary, finely chopped

2/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, fine

s & p

Directions:

Super simple. Peel & chop your parsnips, put them in a bowl. Separate an egg white and toss the parsnip sticks in it, then add your seasoning and give it another toss, then add your parmesan (I had to chop mine be cause it was shredded and needs to be a fine consistency). Toss it all together, pour it out on a roasting pan or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and cook for 20-25 minutes on 425 until they are golden and done to your liking! You can serve plain or with a marinara sauce.

Toasted Flat Bread...

Get them before they're gone!

Here's a yummy treat, a great compliment to any salad really. Take a piece of flat bread, lightly butter it or use a little olive oil evenly, then add some Garlic Salt and sprinkle some parmesan cheese and put it in the oven on Broil for a few minutes (watch it, it will cook quickly and can burn easily!). Then slice it up and serve it as a fun crunchy side to a salad.

Cooks Quickly and perfect for a last minute meal!

I love Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Flat Bread. It is really soft and chewy, and is great for many things. I use it to roll up sandwiches, even sandwiches for kids- it makes a great peanut butter, banana, & honey sandwich all rolled up and chewy! Give it a whirl!! You're gonna love it!

Carrot Cake with Creamy Frosting

This tasty little treat is just in time for Easter!

So my daughters 2nd birthday is this weekend and I was looking for a yummy recipe that was light on the sugar and BIG on flavor- so I combined 2 -3 different recipes and came up with this little treat. They are flavorful and filling, they are dense like a normal carrot cake and yet unusual with the addition of the lemon zest and nutmeg. You can make this in a loaf pan or cupcakes or perhaps even in a sheet cake. The frosting has no sugar and you can make it as sweet as you like by adding more or less honey.

Directions:

Super simple. Take out your cream cheese brick so it can soften while you prep. Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl, then your wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Then add your dry ingredients into your wet and mix thoroughly. Now, if you use a pan you may want to spray it first or rub some butter on it to prevent sticking, I used cupcake liners and it was fine, but if you are concerned about them sticking to the cupcake liners you can add 2 TBSP melted butter to the recipe. Bake them at 350 and keep an eye on them- cupcakes took about 15-18 minutes (use a toothpick to test them) and a loaf pan could take up to 50 minutes or more. Sorry I don't have better time estimates- I ALWAYS forget to set my timer and end up watching everything by eye!

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour, I used whole wheat but you can use white

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 TBSP cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/4 cup applesauce (I substituted apple sauce for oil)

1 1/2 TBSP Molasses

1 TBSP vanilla

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1 1/2 tsp lemon zest

2 cups freshly grated carrots

Frosting Ingredients:

1 brick of cream cheese

1 tsp cinnamon

3-4 TBSP honey (or more to taste depending on how sweet you like it)

1 drizzle of vanilla

Pesto Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes, & Artichoke Heart Pasta

Now that's a mouth full! Here's a simple pasta, easy to throw together in a pinch using the recently posted Pesto recipe. It's super simple and very flavorful!

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds pasta, I used brown rice pasta

3 chicken breasts, baked

1/2 jar sundried tomatoes, julienne sliced

1/2 jar marinated artichoke hearts, divided

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

pesto sauce

Directions:

First get your chicken baking, I cooked 3 breasts in a pyrex dish (sprayed with Olive Oil) and seasoned with s & p and garlic powder on 400 for about 30- 40 minutes (check center before removing from oven, time will vary due to thickness of breasts). Next get your water boiling and your pasta cooking (per directions on the pasta bag). Then make your pesto sauce and then start combining things as they are done. Drain the pasta, cover it in the pesto sauce, chop your chicken, add your sun dried tomatoes & artichoke hearts and toss in some fresh parmesan and you are ready to serve your hearty and tasty pasta! Ta-duh!!!

Chocolate Fix

Here's a tip. Let's be honest, sometimes throughout the day or even when you are done with your tasks at night, you need a little chocolate fix. You don't need a whole bar, just a square, a snip-it, a morsel that soothes that inner chocolate gland that's sounding like an alarm. I know this alarm well, so it makes me extra conscious of the treats I keep in the house, this being the only one I bring home, it's my one cheat. So let me spill the beans. I buy the Dark Chocolate "Pounder Plus" from Trader Joe's. It's more than a pound of dark chocolate (72% cocoa) goodness that comes in perfect, little bite size squares. I chop it up on my cutting board and store it in a little jar on my butcher block- out of constant sight, but not in a secret hiding spot... somewhere in between the two. Then when the moment hits, I simply indulge in my chocolate fix, replace the lid, and carry on as I was before! Only one rule for me: only one trip to the chocolate jar each day.... that's not to say that there haven't been days when those sneaky fingers of mine grab a second piece on that solo trip though!


** And if you prefer, they carry Pounder Plus in Milk Chocolate too!

Kale Chips

This is an idea that has been floating my head for awhile- I have had a few friends tell me about the idea and I have seen it a few times in cookbooks or cooking sites, and well, I am just now getting around to posting it! It's super easy, takes little effort, and is an easy way to incorporate dark green veggies into your diet- NOT TO MENTION that my child ate almost the whole plate herself- they have the crunch and crispy flavor of a potato chip- your little ones will probably like it too!

Raw Kale with Grape Seed Oil and Sea Salt

Baked Kale or "Kale Chips!"

Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, rinsed & patted dry

2 TBSP grape seed oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

I rinsed my kale then chopped it into 3 inch pieces (you can chop or tear it) then I through mine in my salad spinner. I removed the tough stems before putting them in a bowl with the oil and salt. Toss them well and then lay them on a roasting sheet or cookie sheet to bake for 20 minutes on 325. Bake them for 12ish minutes, then with a pair of tongs, turn them over and bake for another 8- 10 minutes until the edges are browned and the leaves are crispy. Serve them immediately as an appetizer or a side, they don't stay crunchy for too long, so gobble them up quick!

Orange Dream

So this past week, we went to a friends house to juice some oranges from the tree in her yard. It made some seriously delicious juice that we have been enjoying all weekend. I even decided to incorporate it into our dessert this weekend, so I added a little Vanilla ice cream and made a little treat tasting like a 50/50 bar! You could also make it with whole oranges and get a similar result!

Ingredients:

2 cups orange juice

3 scoops vanilla ice cream

or

2 large oranges

3 scoops ice cream

3-4 ice cubes

*** this version will be a little frothier...

Directions:

Pour into blender and blend!

This is a great treat with whatever fresh fruit juice you have on hand- try peaches, mango/pineapple, or a combination like strawberry orange!

Peanut Butter Pop 'Ems

Oh my GOODNESS!!! These are divine, and if I was totally honest, are better than the "real deal" Resse's cups. They have no sugar and yet are sweet and satisfying when you need a little pick me up- just pop one in for a little bit of heaven! Thanks to Amy Flory for sharing the idea with us, we are enjoying the goodness girl!!!

The Ground Flax seed gives them some texture and more nutty flavor!

Ingredients:

1/2 cups peanut butter (use the natural kind, not Skippy)

5 TBSP ground flax seed

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 TBSP honey

1/2 cup chocolate, I use dark chocolate

** wax paper

Directions:

Your peanut butter needs to be natural because of the consistency and it needs to be chilled (room temp will make it too runny). Add your flax seed, vanilla, and honey stirring it until well blended. You might have to refrigerate your peanut butter mixture if it is too gooey to roll into balls. Once it hardens, melt your chocolate, I used a double boiler (you could also use a glass bowl in the microwave, just watch it to know when it's done and be careful because the bowl might be hot). The using a tsp sized spoon, scoop and roll your peanut butter mixture and drop it into the chocolate, rolling it around with a spatula, then setting it on the wax paper to harden. I had my wax paper on a plate, then transferred the plate to the fridge for it to chill faster. Enjoy, these are delicious!

Lemon Saffron Chicken...

Taste buds ready for a new flavor, getting tired of the same ol', same ol??? Give this a whirl, super easy, fun new flavors, and minimal ingredients... inspired by my Persian Cooking Diva of a sister-in-law who introduced me to cooking with Saffron!

Ingredients:

1 package of chicken tenders or breasts

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 TBSP Grape Seed Oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

a pinch of saffron

Directions:

Pour all ingredients into a dish or Ziplock bag and add chicken tenders (or quartered chicken breasts). Let them marinate for at least 5 minutes (up to 15) and then pour it all into a large skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides, the marinate will be soaked up by the chicken and evaporate until all you have left is the chicken strips. I love the rich yellowish color and the flavor of the saffron combined with the lemon juice and garlic, it's great by itself or wrapped up in a sandwich or wrap. ** In the picture I served it with sweet potato fries and roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower. But with the left overs I chopped it up and put it in a spelt tortilla with arugula, cucumbers, and some balsamic dressing!

** Saffron can be purchased at Trader Joe's (look for Spanish Saffron) or other stores, it's a little pricey, but a little bit goes a LONG way!

Fruit, Granola, and Yogurt Parfait

Here's what my Valentine concocted for me this year, it was quite tasty and pretty cute, way to go Honey! Thanks for sharing YOUR recipe with ME!!!! (he found it himself, I was quite impressed!)

Granola:

1 cup old fashion oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds

3 TBSP oil or butter (if butter, melt it first)

2 TBSP honey

Fruit:

8-10 strawberries, diced

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup pineapple, diced

or substitute any of the above with raspberries, blackberries, bananas, or more!!!

2 cups plain yogurt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350, mix all your granola ingredients together and spread them out on a cookie sheet baking for 18- 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove immediately from the cookie sheet (so it doesn't keep cooking) and put it in a bowl. Mix your fruit up and scoop it into the bottom of a glass parfait dish or tall glass, then continue to layer it with yogurt and the granola as much as you would like. This recipe will make approximately 4 servings.

And if you need some cheering up in the kitchen or a little giggle.... this story should do the trick!

My sweet husband wanted to surprise me and make me this for breakfast, but ran into a little snag if you will, when he realized he shouldn't have pre-cooked the oatmeal for the granola!!! In his defense he did show me the recipe which DID say "1 cup oatmeal" instead of a more accurately "1 cup oats"... so he had to dump the first batch and start over for round #2... what a trooper! (And yes, he gave me permission to share the story and the picture!! )

Check out batch #1:

Homemade Apple Sauce

Here's a recipe for those who have a high-tech blender, like the Vitamix or Blendtec. Now, don't think I am getting all fancy on you- it's a real no brainer- so simple you won't believe it. I came up with this the other day when I was making some delicious muffins that called for apple sauce and I didn't have enough on hand- so I made it fresh- here are the measurements if you should ever find yourself in such a predicament or if you have a hankering for some homemade apple sauce...

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 TBSP water

Directions:

Blend. That's it.

*** When choosing your apple decide whether you want tart or sweet sauce- Granny Smiths, Pippins and Jonagold will give you tart sauce while Fuji, Gravenstein, and Gala will give you a sweeter sauce and are more common when making sauce. If your tart sauce turns out too tart, add a pinch of sugar or honey to sweeten it up!

Don't forget about little ones or babies- this is a great, healthy, all natural, homemade treat! I used to even boil some kale and throw it in there with it to add some greens for more nutritional value! You can disguise anything in apple sauce!

Cauliflower & Brussel Sprouts....

I adapted this recipe from one I previously posted on Roasted Brussel Sprouts- it's nothing fancy, just threw in another veggie with it- this time it was cauliflower and it was delicious! I quartered my brussel sprouts (because they were huge!) and then cut the cauliflower into small chunks and tossed them all with some Grape Seed oil, 3 cloves of garlic, and s & p. I roasted them on a roasting pan (or cookie sheet lined with parchment paper) on 4oo for about 15- 20 minutes. Then I served them with a drizzle of balsamic over the top- they were delicious! Great combination and great way to introduce more veggies to your pallet!

Pesto Sauce

A few weeks ago I posted a quick dinner idea from Trader Joe's, Genovese Pesto Marinated Chicken- and my goal was to come up with a do-it-yourself version that turned out SO SO SO good! Now pesto sauce is really easy to make- it takes minimal ingredients, very little talent and is bursting with flavor, not to mention really reasonable on the ol' pocket book. There are lots of different options of what to do with the sauce, so get creative... baked chicken, pesto pizza, or maybe some tasty pasta??? Feel free to share your ideas too!

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh basil

2/3 cup olive oil

2/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup pine nuts

5 cloves garlic

s & p

Directions:

This is super easy- put all the ingredients in a food processor (or Vitamix!) and blend until it's a creamy consistency.

***Once you have the paste made, you can add it to cooked pasta and throw in some chopped baked chicken and sun-dried tomatoes or you can coat some raw chicken with the sauce and bake it on 400 for 30 minutes and serve it over or along side a bed of pasta. When I last made this I served it with a side of roasted brussell sprouts and cauliflower with a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar and the flavors and juices all ran together into a wonderful concoction!

Raw Chicken Breasts Coated in Pesto Sauce before baking for 30 minutes on 400

Oil of Oregano... a diamond in the rough!

Okay, this is my newest find, and I am so EXCITED about it! I am just sad to know that I am just now discovering it. I wish I had know about it in years past, especially when I was teaching!!! Anyhow, for those of you who have not met, without further a-do, I present to you... Mr. Oil of Oregano.

This little bottle packs a big punch and helps ward off sickness like nothing I have tried before. It blows Airborne and E-mergency out of the water by a long shot. It is completely natural and is derived from wild oregano plants (much different than the oregano we cook with) and is considered a purifier to the body and an excellent early defense mechanism when you feel sickness coming on. It destroys bacteria especially in the skin and the digestive track, increases respiratory health, aides in sinus congestion, and strengthens your immune system remarkably. It also is know to calm and aid in digestive issues and calm irritated gums or itchy skin. If you have kids, work around kids or with the public this is a great item to keep in your medicine cabinet.

If you are in the need for an immune booster, consider purchasing this oil (make sure you get the right kind, Carvacol concentration that is at least 70 %) and be sure to dilute it in a bit of water or juice (when used internally) or oil (when used topically) because of the high concentration levels. You can use olive oil or coconut oil as transfer oil (I used a drop of this in a tsp of coconut oil on my daughters face when she had a bacterial rash on her chin). If you end up taking this supplement continuously then you may need to look into an iron supplement because it can block iron absorption over a long period of time (so thus not recommended to pregnant moms to take continually). The ONLY down fall to this fantastic little gem is the strong taste and burning in your nose feeling you feel for about 30 seconds afterwards (I felt compelled to be a straight shooter with you my readers!) But you would rather a nasty taste for a few seconds or a nasty cold??? That's what I thought!