Crispy Orange Beef

2020 Update:  This recipe gets a lot of traffic. Most people love it and a few have not. Our family still likes the flavor of this dish with the orange sauce and the crispy chicken pieces. I hope you enjoy this too!

One thing I really miss?  Chinese food.  I love the sweet and spicy sauces combined with crispy meats.  The smokiness that comes from the vegetables stir-fried in a blazing hot wok....YUM!

I have seen versions of Crispy Orange Beef on Pinterest several times. My mouth waters with each picture. I finally decided to give it a try and see if I could use "my ingredients" to make a tasty alternative.

I think I did. The beef is fried in coconut oil. I am able to use arrowroot starch in place of cornstarch. I use coconut-aminos in place of the recommended soy sauce.

I was very happy to have this for lunch with a bowl of rice and a few stir-fried vegetables along the side.  The combination of ingredients created a nice blend of flavors. Nothing too over-powering.  Subtle flavors that allow the meat to shine and the orange to be present with each bite.

My inspiration for this dish came from two blogs: Fifteen Spatulas and Table for Two. The links will take you to the original recipe if you don't need to make food adjustments due to allergies and intolerances.

NOTE:  Before you make this recipe, read the instructions. It does say to freeze the meet with coating for 45 minutes. I personally have not tried the recipe by skipping this step. 

Crispy Orange Beef

Makes enough for 2 very hungry adults or 4 adults with rice and side dishes

2 pounds of steak: sirloin, stir fry steak or skirt steak (what you see in the pictures)

2 tablespoons coconut-aminos or soy sauce or gluten-free soy sauce

1/3 cup arrowroot starch or corn starch

1 cup of oil, for frying  (I used coconut oil)

Crispy Orange Beef Sauce, recipe below

1.  Cut meat into bite-size pieces.  I tried to have my pieces about 1inch by 1.5 inches.  Add coconut -aminos or soy sauce to the meat pieces and toss.  Add the starch and coat each piece of meat.  

2.  Using a wire rack inside a cookie tray, spread the meat pieces out in a single layer.  Freeze for 45 minutes.  This helps to dry the meat out and make it crispy when fried.

3.  10 minutes before the meat is done in the freezer, add oil to a large cast-iron pan or dutch oven.  Bring oil to 375 degrees F.

4.  Line a bowl with a paper towel and start frying meat.  Fry until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes)  You can add more oil if you want to coat the pieces and "fry".  I did more of a pan fry on mine and it worked out great.  Remove pieces to a paper towel and continue frying until all the meat is prepared.

5.  To prepare sauce-see below.  Toss sauce with crispy beef pieces, add garnish and serve with rice.

Crispy Orange Beef Sauce

2 tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

3 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1/4 cup of orange rind, sliced very thin

1/4 cup green onion, chopped for garnish

To serve sauce on the side:  Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, whisk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened (about 3 minutes). 

To serve sauce over beef: Add ingredients to a small bowl and whisk.  When all of the meat has been fried, remove oil and toss sauce into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat for 3 minutes. Add beef pieces and stir to coat each piece with sauce.

Written by Sherron Watson

Merlot Meatballs

Back in October I was sent a gift basket that included a bottle of Merlot, along with cheese, crackers and an apple slicer.  At the time I was tending to Finnley and put the bottle under the cupboard for a later date.  To be honest, I forgot about it until I ventured into the kitchen to make these wonderful creamed mushrooms.

I guess I was in the mood for something creamy and warm.  I ended up on Pinterest scrolling though some easy recipes because I was out of some of the ingredients to make the Creamed Mushrooms.

Bummer.

It was a bummer until I found this recipe for Merlot Meatballs by The Midnight Baker.  They sounded easy enough; plus,  I had the Merlot.

The recipe below has been adapted from the original.  I modified it to fit our families taste buds and to use what I had on hand.

Delicious sums up the end result of this dish.   Pre-made meatballs are easy but I think homemade meatballs taste better.  Here is an easy recipe for Homemade Meatballs that I use quite often with a variety of meatball dishes or this recipe for Turkey Meatballs would work well too.

As with some recipes, they tend to taste a little bit better the next day.  The sauce on the meatballs got a bit thicker and the flavors really shined through.  I enjoyed the meatballs but the sauce was the star of this dish.  I highly recommend that you have some fresh bread  (gluten free bread found here) on hand.


Recipe:  Merlot Meatballs
Adapted from The Midnight Baker

Makes 16/18 meatballs

Prep. Time:  30 minutes

1 bag of pre-made meatballs (16-18 count)

1/2 cup diced mushrooms, small

1/2 cup diced onions, small

2 T. butter

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup Merlot wine

1 1/4 cup of heavy cream

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon honey

Loaf of Italian Bread, optional

1.  Bake meatballs according to package directions.

2.  In a large saute pan on medium high heat, melt butter; add garlic, mushrooms, salt/pepper and onion.  Cook until onion is clear. 

3.  Turn heat down to medium, add wine, cream, honey and parsley.  

4.  Add Meatballs and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened.  Sauce should simmer for at least 15 minutes. The longer it reduces the thicker and creamier the sauce will be.

5.  Serve in a large bowl, over noodles, or in individual serving dishes as an appetizer. 

The sauce is too good to waste, use the bread to sop up every last drop.

Written by Sherron Watson

Romanesco with Browned Butter

Look at this beauty!

Romanesco is something I have never used before and when I walked in to Graul's (our local market) and saw this my daughter and I both reached for it at the same time.  She knows me so well.

I honestly had no idea what it was, what it tasted like or if we would even like it.  My luck it could have easily been the pretty version of durian.  Thank goodness it was not.    They had it listed in the grocery store as "neon broccoli" so we had a small clue as to what it was.

My friend told me it was a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. My family loves both of them and I knew I could use it at home.

But how?

How would I use it: soup, side dish, raw or cooked. It took me a few days to decide on this recipe.  It is nothing fancy but it preserved the look of this beautiful vegetable and allowed us to experience the flavor profile with few distractions.

I served it with my homemade parmesan ranch dressing, some bacon pieces and of course, the browned butter.

We served it similar to how you would serve a wedge salad.  I steamed the whole head and then quartered it.  We ate it for lunch or I should say we devoured our quarter.   At first I thought maybe the wedge was too big for one person to eat.  Lets just say if anyone tried to take a bite from my plate, I would bite them.  The browned butter was heavenly and I just don't share browned butter (mine, mine, mine).  I am joking--sort of?

I used the left over wedge to make some broccoli and cheddar soup.  I found in the soup, it does have a stronger broccoli flavor than regular broccoli (just keep this in mind if you use it in soup).

Please enjoy this simple side dish or Romanesco salad recipe.

Romanesco with Browned Butter


1 large head of romanesco
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
ranch dressing, for dipping
bacon pieces, garnish

Instructions:

1.  Trim romanesco of all green leaves and wash well.

2.  In a pot large enough to steam the romanesco, add 1 inch of water and place a steaming basket  inside.


3.  Turn your oven to medium high and bring to a boil. Add romanesco and steam for 12 minutes.  I like mine soft enough to put a fork into the dark "tree like" parts.  The stem may need a bit more time or this can be removed before serving to your guest or family.

4.  To make the butter, I melted butter in a non stick egg pan (it was the perfect size).  Turned heat to medium and browned the butter.  It took about 5 minutes.   The butter smells nutty and there is brown residue on the bottom of your pan.  Remove from heat.  Be careful to not burn the butter--it will ruin the flavor.

5.  Remove romanesco from steaming pot and quarter.  On a plate, add a pool of brown butter or drizzle the brown butter over the romanesco.  I did a little of both. I served it with a cup of dressing and sprinkled the bacon pieces over the top.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Have you missed me?  I missed you very much and I hope to be back on a regular schedule of sharing recipes and updates a little more frequently than I have this past year.

I have been a little busy with Finnley and family.  Our little bundle of joy arrived 3 weeks early and she is such a joy to have in our lives.  With each child I always wonder if I will have enough... enough love and time, to share with one more little person.  I am amazed at how the universe seems to make room in your life for both--time and love--to be shared in abundance.

I had been on bed rest for the prior two weeks due to pre-eclampsia.  I was ready to have Finnley with our family at home in our arms.  On Thursday (9-19) I went to the doctor and with my current high blood pressure symptoms they told me I needed to be back at the hospital at 5pm--we were having a baby!

I thought I was ready--and I was--but then I felt not ready...LOL For a brief moment I was scared, nervous and excited all at the same time. I just wanted to hold her in my arms and kiss her sweet cheeks. I wanted to know that everything was okay. I needed to hear her cry and feel her next to me.

14 hours later she came into the world and we were all thrilled. She weighed 6lbs. 2 oz. and measured 18 inches long. Her little legs never stopped kicking--just like when she was inside of me. The nurses all joked that she might be a soccer player or dancer.

I stayed in the hospital for two days and came home full of energy. With the help of my hubby and older kids we have managed to get plenty of sleep and rest. I am anxious to get back to a schedule and start exercising again.

I gained 23 pounds during this pregnancy and have lost most of it...I am down to the final 8 pounds.  I have to think that my gluten free diet helped with the weight gain and also with the weight loss after she was born.  My other pregnancies I gained 50 pounds and it took me a long time to drop the weight.

One thing that I have been better about this time around is drinking lots of water. I have also increased the amount of vegetables and protein that I am eating.  I still indulge in a gluten free snack or treat once in a while but only on rare occasions.

My Mom makes a wonderful warm spinach salad with bacon dressing that I remember as a young adult. She still makes this for special occasions. Well, I think this is a special occasion and I made it this past week. I added a few of my own additions, like the apple pieces and toasted almond slivers, but that is because I wanted to add some crunch and a bit of sweetness to the tart dressing.

I want to say thank you to everyone that has continued to support this blog and follow along the past two years.  It has been a joy to share recipes, memories and photographs with each of you.  I will do my best to keep posting but my number one priority is and will always be my family.  This precious time I have with my new baby will go by so fast that I want to cherish each moment, each smell, every kiss and sweet smile that she choses to share with me.  

Recipe:  Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

1 Large container of spinach
3 hard boiled eggs, diced small or sliced
6 slices of bacon, diced and fried
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped small
1 small red apple, chopped small
1/4 cup toasted almonds or pecans

Dressing:

grease of fried bacon
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of honey
salt and pepper to taste

Have bacon fried and eggs boiled.

In a large skillet with the bacon grease and heat turned off, add the dressing ingredients. With a whisk, blend well.  If the bacon grease has become solid, then warm until just melted.  When the grease gets too hot it will wilt your spinach.  The flavor will be the same but presentation may not be appealing.

 You want the dressing warm, not hot.

Right before you are ready to serve, toss the spinach with the warm dressing. It takes just a minute for the dressing and bacon dressing to be tossed together.  Do not turn the heat on for this or you will end up sautéing your salad.

Add the remaining ingredients to your salad and serve immediately.

Parchment Poached Salmon Pouches #SundaySupper

Parchment paper and I are very good friends.  We met a few years back and it was the best union.  I cook and it helps things to not stick to my cookie sheet AND it makes these darling parchment pouches.

I guess in a way it's our version of a TV dinner.  You fill half a side of parchment with what you would like and it all cooks at the same time...viola...dinner in 20 minutes.  Now if you are one of those that don't like your food to touch other foods, then prepare the different items in different pouches.  I do this when I make our meat and potato pouches.  I fill a separate pouch with carrots to steam.  Carrots add a very sweet flavor to food and I don't like my potatoes tasting like carrots.

I have very strong opinions about carrots, you may already know this from reading another post. Now in this pouch, I added a few carrots because it married well with the other veggies and I used them sparingly--more for color, I guess.

Our theme this week was Skinny Sunday Dinner. I have not shared any parchment pouch dinners on my blog and thought this would be an excellent fit for a skinny dinner. Lots of veggies, a great quality piece of salmon, fresh herbs, citrus, and extra virgin olive oil all steamed together in under 25 minutes.

I am going to share with you how I prepared my salmon pouch but you can add any veggies you would like, any herbs that you enjoy and any spices that rock your world.  Do you see how this works?  I will prove you with the basics of how to fold the paper, cook the fish and what I used but you have the ultimate control over what is put inside.  The only thing that will take longer to cook is the potatoes unless they are cut up very small.  Other than that...go crazy and create parchment pouches for your family.

I find that many recipes name their parchment pouches and include the term poach. To poach something is to immerse it into the water and gently cook delicate items like fish or an egg.  I think the salmon is probably closer to being steamed with the end result being your salmon and veggies are resting in a small amount of liquid: water, the juice from the salmon, and olive oil.  I went with the popular title and left it as Parchment Poached Salmon instead of calling it Parchment Steamed Salmon.

To add some garnish to my dish I used fresh thyme in the pouch and served the salmon with a few toasted almond slices and a combination of Sriracha Sauce and mayonnaise.

So let's get started with the recipe.  I have included a step by step pictorial of how I stacked my pouches as well as a step by step pictorial of how to fold the pouches.  You will also find a great list of recipes from our Sunday Supper group with the links to other fabulous skinny dishes at the very end. 

Recipe:  Parchment Poached Salmon Pouches

This will make 6 pouches.

1.5 pounds of salmon, cut into 2 inch wide pieces (I was able to get 6 pieces)

2 small zucchini's, cut at an angle into thin slices

2 small carrots, peeled and then using the peeler I sliced curls of carrots

2 blood oranges, peeled and sliced thin

1 lemon, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 cup of spinach PER pouch

1 small red onion, sliced thin

fresh thyme sprigs (about 2 per pouch)

olive oil 

salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

I would have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go.  Cut you salmon into desired servings, find your olive oil and have the salt ready to season.

Tear a piece of parchment paper about 20 inches long for each pouch.  Stack your veggies, fruit and salmon on one side.

Drizzle olive oil over the top (the amount is up to you, some like more than others), season with salt and add the sprigs of thyme.

Using the pictures below,  fold your parchment paper in half; starting on one side, fold the paper over each other and continue around to the other side.  The parchment should not come undone.  Take the end and tightly fold it under the pouch.

Bake time should be 20 minutes.  Rest the pouches for 5 minutes.

Serve the pouches on a plate or remove contents to a plate.  I have included a picture above of the salmon and veggies served on a plate.

NOTE:  To open pouches, I use a pair of scissors and cut down the middle with a few cuts to the left and a few to the right, this allows people to finish tearing their pouches.  Remember there is steam in the pouch, be very careful to not burn your fingers with the first cut.

I started with spinach and sprinkled my onions across them.

I adde carrot curls and the blood red oranges next.

I laid my salmon (wish skin) on top of the oranges.

I topped each piece with lemon slices, olive oil, salt and sprigs of thyme.

This is how the salmon looked before I cooked it for 20 minutes.

This is how they looked when they were done.

To start the process, fold the parchment in half.

Take the left side and fold the first twist next to the salmon, and continue turning and twisting the paper around the contents.

You can see the twisting and turning, continue to do this around to the other side.

 

When you have made it to the other side, take the little tail and fold it under.  I cook 4 on a cookie sheet at a time.

I had some odd pieces left and added smoked paprika, olive oil, and thyme and baked them without any veggies for the same amount of time-20 minutes.

Just take a look at all these amazing Skinny recipes!  A huge thanks to Sunithi, of Sue’s Nutrition Buzz, for hosting us this week!

Sizzling Skinny Appetizers & Soups

• Napa Cabbage wrapped Chinese Spring Rolls by Small Wallet Big Appetite
• #DairyFree Cream of Broccoli Soup by Galactosemia in PDX
• Easy Vegan Lentil Soup by NeighborFood
• Spicy Asian Chicken Noodle Soup by Food Lust People Love
• Tomato Basil Soup by No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
• Skinny Beef Chili by Webicurean

 Healthy Skinny Mains & Sides

• Chicken with Herb Tomatoes and Pan Sauce by Hezzi D’s Books & Cooks
• Kale Salad with Pomegranates, Apples and Walnuts by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
• Skinny Salad Wraps by MamaMommyMom
• Mashed Cauliflower by Supper for a Steal
• Lamb Florentine Burger with Tzatziki by Country Girl in the Village
• Skinny Avocado Egg Salad Wraps by The Daily Dish Recipes
• Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad by Family Foodie
• Parchment-Poached Salmon by Simply Gourmet
• Maddy’s Arugula Salad by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Cauliflower Pizza by Cravings of a Lunatic
• Light chicken enchiladas by My Cute Bride
• Pear Almond Arugula Salad with Honey Vinaigrette by Vintage Kitchen
• Pasta Primavera by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Cauliflower Fried Rice by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Ahi Tuna Salad The Urban Foodie
• Soba Noodles with Edamame and Green Onions by Hip Foodie Mom
• Scallops Hong Kong Style by Magnolia Days
• Slow Cooker Pork and Green Chile Stew by Momma’s Meals
• Roasted Garlic, Chicken & Herb White Pizza by Dinners Dishes and Desserts
• Polynesian Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette by Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Herb Roasted Salmon with Steamed Cabbage & Peas by The Lovely Pantry
• Turkey and Black Bean Taco Burgers by In The Kitchen With K P
• Salmon Tikka Wraps with Cucumber Raita by Soni’s Food
• Slow Cooker Baby Back Ribs by I Run For Wine
• Chipotle Black Bean Burgers with Baked Garlic Home Fries by Curious Cuisiniere
• The Ninja Baker’s Sake & Miso Salmon by Ninja Baking
• Slow Cooker Chicken and Smoked Sausage Cassoulet by The Weekend Gourmet
• Cumin Roasted Cauliflower and Carrots by Mangoes and Chutney
• Italian Sub Salad by Diabetic Foodie
• Swiss Chard and Quinoa Croquettes by The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Broccoli Patties with Arugula and Champagne Vinaigrette by Sustainable Dad
• Raw Kale Salad with Chickpeas and Salmon in Orange Dressing by Shockingly Delicious
• Greek Yogurt Egg Salad Sandwich by Damn Delicious
• Confetti Cabbage and Salmon Wraps by The Roxx Box
• Escarole and Beans by Midlife Roadtrip
• Cajun Black Beans by Ruffles and Truffles
• Caprese salad by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
• Skinny Wholegrain Fettuccine Alfredo with Greek Yogurt & Coconut Oil by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Guilt Free Skinny Desserts & Snacks

• Chocolate Avocado Cake by Gotta Get Baked
• Tiramisu Parfaits by Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Sugar Free Banana Almond Muffins by What Smells So Good?
• Strawberry Coconut Cinnamon Buns by Juanita’s Cocina
• Warm Apple Crumble by Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Dark Chocolate-Dipped Apricots by girlichef
• Homemade Protein Bar Recipe by Masala Herb
• Skinny Chocolate Almond Pudding by Basic N Delicious

Wine Pairing Recommendations for Skinny Sunday Supper by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog.

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing out special skinnified recipes! Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite healthy recipes with us!

Cauliflower and Zucchini Crust for Pizza

I took a huge risk trying this recipe on my family.  Only a few us should not eat wheat and so most of our bread that I make is not wheat free and this would include our pizza dough.

I feared that if I tried this my family would boycott the pizza party.

I had a few odd looks from my kids when I told them what the crust was made out of but the overall response was positive.

It helped that I made a homemade red sauce to accompany the cauliflower, bell pepper and zucchini crust.

Yep, I went there.  To that special place reserved for those of us trying to push the envelope with recipe development.  Could the crust handle two more added ingredients or would it change the dynamics of the crust and create a gooey glob of vegetables.

I guess it was a chance I was willing to take.  My gut told me it would work and it did.

The key to making this crust turn out is "less is best".  You must squeeze out every last drop of water from the vegetables that you can.  I used a towel and wrung it until my hands could not wring any more.  LOL  Next time I may recruit my hubby for this.

Does the crust replace a traditional pizza crust from NYC…heck no, but to those of us that are trying to eat less wheat, less carbs and eat a bit healthier, this is a great alternative to try once in a while.

Recipe:  Cauliflower and Zucchini Pizza Crust

6 cups of raw cauliflower, chopped finely, I use my food processor
1 cup of zucchini, chopped finely, I use my food processor
1/2 cup of yellow bell pepper, chopped finely
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated fine
4 oz or 1/2 cup of cream cheese, soft
1 egg, beaten
1/2 teaspoon of dried italian herbs
pinch of salt

Pizza Sauce, your choice
Pizza Toppings, your choice

I used my food processor to finely chop (rice) all of my vegetables.

Boil one inch of water in a large pot and add veggies.  Cook for 5 minutes.

Line a large colander or strainer with a thin dish cloth and pour vegetables into strainer.  BE VERY CAREFUL if you decide to squeeze the veggies at this point without letting them cool first, you will burn your hands, trust me, I already did the first time.

Two things can be done: let the vegetables cool for 15 minutes or rinse them with cold water.  You decide.

Gather up the edges of the towel and start wringing out the water.  Even when you think you have done all you can do, try again.  It should be as dry as possible.

Take a large bowl and add cheese, cream cheese, egg, herbs and salt.  Mix well.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and dump the "dough" in the middle of the pan.

Using your hands, push the crust until you have the desired thickness.  I went for a 1/4 inch. Your hands will get messy and sticky.

Your crust should look like this before it is baked.

Bake for 40 minutes at 400 degrees.  The crust will have a golden appearance.

Add your sauce, cheese and toppings and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Cut your pizza like any other crusted pizza with a pizza wheel. The crust will be easier to pick up and eat if cooled for a few minutes.

Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie with Peanut Butter Sauce

I have told you before how awesome I think cast iron pans are.  

My love and adoration for them has been bumped up another notch after making this one dessert.

Two weeks ago my husband and his buddies read a book about being wheat free.  They have decided  they would like to cut wheat out of their diets.

Honestly, sometimes you have to just shake your head.  I say this with a ton of love for my hubby but I have been saying this for about 3 years.  This is when I first discovered I had a sensitivity to wheat and some other foods myself and started limiting my intake.  

For the most part I am wheat free and so we have lots of wheat free stuff in our house to eat.  I cook a lot of vegetarian dishes, I make all of my own sauces (most of them without wheat), we eat meat in moderation and try to eat more fish than we used to.

I have kids and so we do have the healthy boxes of cereal (with wheat), I buy pretzels (with wheat) and on occasion I make bread, cookies, cakes and breakfast foods, (all with wheat).

We try to eat wheat in moderation.  With my husband, it is usually a case of being in a hurry and grabbing what is easiest to eat on the run.  Sandwiches, a bag of pretzels, a cookie here and there. The amount of wheat he ate started to add up and his diet was not balanced with fruit, veggies and proteins. He ate almost all carbs and pretty soon his body craved them all the time.

I will say this, just because you drag a horse to the watering hole does not mean it will take a drink.

Period.

I cannot make him eat a certain way just like he cannot make me eat a certain way.  It has to be a choice that you/they/us make. 

He  believes, after reading this book, that he has a wheat gut.  He exercises until he is blue in the face and still he has his Budda belly.

I have watched him struggle with portion control, running, going without and then giving up.

So you can imagine my surprise when out of the blue he made this announcement, another diet.

I want to be that supportive wife, but I cannot babysit my husbands diet.  He would have to make the decision and LIVE by it no matter what food we had in our house.  He had to fight his own temptations to say NO, walk away and make a better choice.

I cannot do that and our kids cannot do that for him.  

I will say this:  I am so proud of him.  He has committed to making a lifestyle change with his eating habits and he is succeeding.

I have admired Cory as he has tackled his eating habits and changed things slowly.  He made himself a success in changing the way that he was feeding his body. 

I know how hard it is making these choices from my own experience.  I was encouraged to go cold turkey.  He recognized that in order for him to accomplish his goal, he would have to give up some of the things he enjoyed having: cookies, cakes and breads.  I explained to him that this was not always the case.  He would have to change what he reached for but not give up completely.  I know this is not new "news" but, we do have many more grains and flours at our disposal than just wheat.  Many of these recipes are healthier for us.  

I went on a quest to find him healthy alternatives to some of the things he had chosen to give up.  In searching, I have found many low carb, vegan  and high protein snacks.  

Choice and change are possible but it does take work, motivation and a desire.  Cory was willing and he had all three.  I just made it easier for him to feel his success by preparing things he can eat, staying positive, applauding his journey and encouraging him every step of the way. 

I may not be able to control what he puts into his mouth, but I certainly am willing to be his cheerleader as he goes through this process.

I am going to share two recipes, one with pictures and the other without (we ate them too fast) that are wheat free and low carb.  You don't have to be on any type of diet to enjoy a yummy and healthy treat. 

I know that it is easier to reach for a bag of this or that, but with a little bit of time and a few ingredients on hand, you can make something that is tastier and healthier for you and your family.

Your friends and family will be amazed after they finish their serving and ask for seconds. They also may be surprised to learn what this delicious skillet cookie was made of as well.

Quite simply, this is a simple recipe in a simple cast iron skillet, with the best peanut butter sauce served over the top to add that gourmet touch.

ENJOY.

Recipe:  Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie with Peanut Butter Sauce

1/2 cup of coconut oil (see note)

1/2 cup of peanut butter

1/2 cup of real maple syrup

1 tablespoon of vanilla

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

3 cups of almond meal 

1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips ( I use bittersweet)

Preheat oven to 350.

NOTE:  Virgin coconut oil will taste like coconut, refined coconut oil will have little to no flavor of coconut.  I used the virgin coconut oil in this recipe.

In a blender, combine the first 5 ingredients and blend for 5-6 minutes.  The ingredients will pull together and make a caramel type sauce.  

I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet.  Add one cup of caramel to the pan.  Add baking soda, almond meal and dark chocolate.  Combine until well blended.  

Using your fingers, pat mix into pan.  Bake 12-14 minutes.  The cookie will be golden brown and puff up.  This is a good sign it is done.

Remove from oven and spread the remaining sauce over the cookie.  

Serve with a bunch of spoons and eat right out of the skillet or dish it up, either way it won't last long.

Recipe: Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup of mashed ripe bananas

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon of baking soda

pinch of salt

1 1/4 cup of almond meal

1/4 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine all of the above ingredients in Kitchenaid or bowl.  Mix together.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough 1 inch apart on sheet.  They don't spread too much.  Bake for 12-14 minutes, they should be golden when done.

Let cool slightly on cookie sheet and remove to cookie rack to cool.

Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

So many things are running through my mind…LOL    This is the list:

1.  I am up way to early…airport run this morning! I should eat some breakfast.
2.  I had to google the word "hash" for this blog posting, only to learn it's not the word I wanted.
3.  I am so excited that our moving trailer will be here on Thursday. I can almost not contain my excitement. Only to be stressed because I am not sure when we will have time to unload it.
4.  I want to share my pictures of our beach visit from Sunday.
5.  I have to go to Food Network and collect a recipe for Rouladen before I forget.
6.  My son overslept while I was driving to the airport.
7.  I have a list a mile long of responses to email that I neglected yesterday.
8.  Grocery shopping needs to get done today, we are out of so much stuff.
9.  I have a photoshoot next week that I need to buy props for this week.
10.  My house looks like a bomb went off in it, thanks to a minimally supervised 4 yo yesterday…LOL

That's just the beginning!  Often times my brain thinks much faster than I have the ability to do.  In fact, sometimes my brain thinks so fast that my words and sentences are not complete…it's one big mess, goulash or stew.

So I will keep this simple and easy.  This is my style. I will start at the top and work my way down.  Do the best I can to accomplish what is on the list.  I won't stress about the things I did not get done, just be glad that I was able to do something today.

I will start with getting this yummy recipe up and posted to my "log".  This is what Isabella called it last night.  We were watching the food channel and she mentioned that I should make what was being made on TV and post it to my "log" for my friends to see and make too.  I thought it was cute.

As you know, on Saturday, I shot a band tournament.  This is a lot of work.  Once it starts you don't get a break.  They come onto the field every 15 minutes for 2-4 hours or longer.  It depends on the size of the tournament.  Ours happened to be a small one, only 6 bands and a performance by the younger kids in the area.  I was at the school from 10am to about 9pm.  I took 800 pictures.  You can imagine how tired I was.

When we finally crashed that night, the hubster and I both decided that going to the beach on Sunday was out of the question…it was a two-hour drive, hot and it would include lots of walking.  These old bones don't work like they used to….LOL

Sunday came and I woke up early and thought..Dang it, I am going to the beach.  I need a break.  I need to go.  I want to go.  I will go even if it is just me.  To my surprise, I went upstairs and announced I was still going to the beach, and my husband had decided the same thing.   I love it when we are so in tune with each other that this happens.  It was a great day!  Not only did we walk a lot but we also rented a surrey to ride around in for an hour.

 I hope you enjoy these pictures of Ocean City, MD.  It is nostalgic to go to a boardwalk with a huge Ferris wheel.  The day could not have been more beautiful, sunny and hot if we had planned it ourselves.  Time spent with those you love is amazing.

So how did I get to this recipe for breakfast?  I love sweet potato anything…fries, bread, mashed….etc.   You name it and I will try it.  Saturday night, we took Drake out to dinner and I ordered a basket of sweet potato fries.  Of course, they insist on ruining the fries with cinnamon sugar (I don't like this).   I order mine plain…just give me some salt and ranch and call it good.  I think I might have been too tired to eat and had to take my fries home.

Sunday morning while deciding to go to the beach, I knew I wanted to eat a big breakfast…something warm, filling and yummy.  I opened the fridge and my first thought was I would warm up the fries and then I thought,  "How about frying up the sweet potatoes like I do with my baked potatoes?"  It worked.  I grabbed a tart apple, some onion and garlic…fried it together and we had the best, tastiest sweet potato mixture with our eggs and toast.

Recipe:  Breakfast Sweet Potatoes

1 order of sweet potato fries, precooked
1/4 red onion, sliced
1/2 tart apple, cubed
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
salt/pepper to taste

You can make your own sweet potato fries by purchasing the sweet potatoes.  Peel the potatoes and slice them into 1/4 inch thick disk (the long way of the sweet potato). Take each disk and cut into 1/4 inch strips.  Try to make them all the same size.  Heat oil in a pan and fry your sweet potatoes.  Drain the fries on paper towels.  Add salt.

With the freshly made fries or leftovers, cut them into 1 inch long pieces.  Cut your apple and onion.  Heat your oil in a frying pan.  Add the garlic, onion and sweet potatoes.  Fry until the onion starts to turn transparent.  Add the apple cubes and continue cooking.  I cooked mine for about 15 minutes total time.  This is pretty quick, you just don't want to overcook your apple and have it get too soft.  You want the crispness and flavor to not be lost.

This can be served for breakfast or as a side dish.  It has lots of fall colors and definitely can be changed to fit your taste buds.  Remember the combination of the sweet and tart are what makes the flavor so good.


If you would like to see Ocean City and how beautiful and unique it is, I have shared a few pictures below.  ENJOY!

You must know that I abhor bridges.  I get sweaty palms, anxiety out of this world and usually do not breath the whole time we are on them.  My biggest fear is drowning in a car going off of a bridge.  Now you know way too much information about me…LOL  But I do love this picture of the Bay Bridge that I took while driving.

The smell of a pier takes me back to my childhood of when we lived in San Diego.  I loved this picture too.  

The sand was so clean.  The beach was not crowded.  We are in off season and the weather was perfect…clear blue skies for as far as the eye could see.

This is down by the Ferris Wheel.  I honestly don't know how many miles the walk it, maybe 3 or 4 miles.

Clams Casino…this was fantastic!

We rented this surrey to drive up and down the boardwalk.  There is no way we could have walked it with Isabella and no stroller.  This was fun!

This lady showed up with her two great danes.  They were so beautiful!  I laughed because they really wanted her bucket of french fries.  LOL

This building is a mess, but in an artistic way.  Inside they sell posters, artwork and paintings.  

You can't go an amusement themed board walk and not get cotton candy.  She struggled with the wind and her hair.  They were both a sticky mess that night.  But, oh she had a good time being in the sand and at the beach.