Not So Good

Yesterday I attempted 2 new things and was disappointed by both. The first was a cinnamon walnut loaf which turned out dry and the other was homemade BBQ sauce, which tastes too much like tomato. Both need work but I'm hopeful. A few tweaks here and there and I think they will turn out just fine.

More to come later!

Applesauce!

I do have some "real" crock pot recipes, but I want to do a few test runs before I post those since it has been awhile. I've got some roasts from our co-op sitting in the freezer begging to be made. In the mean time, here's one that I make often...

10- 12 organic apples

2-4 cups water

Peel and core apples. Cut into large chunks and place in crock pot with water. Cook over low heat of high heat until you can stir the apples and they fall apart. For a smoother applesauce, I bend my in a blender for a few seconds.

Just for variety, I tend to use different apples every time. Rome apples make a really tasty sauce as they are a good mix of sweet and tangy. Or throw in a few different types and see what you get.

Almond Butter

Rory eats almond butter as if it were going out of style. One night I stumbled across (OK stumbled is the wrong word...I was desperately looking for a way to make his habit less expensive) the website for Once Again nut butter. Guess what?!?! They sell it by the 9lb tub (click here)! I ended up buying 2 different 9lb tubs because it made sense when looking at the cost of shipping. Anyways, it ended up saving us a nice chunk of change AND we never run out. Now Rory can add as much to his smoothies as he wants or eat it to his heart's content.

Because sometimes, a girl just needs some chocolate!

Coconut Hot Chocolate

1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp agave nectar
pinch of salt
3/4 c coconut milk

Mix cocoa, agave, salt and 2 tbsp coconut milk together until thoroughly mixed. Add remaining coconut milk and pour into sauce pan. Cook over medium/low heat until steaming. (Or microwave.)

Serves 2

The coconut milk I use is from Harris Teeter and is richer than some of the other brands. It seems to be almost a cross between coconut milk and coconut cream. Regardless, it makes this a very decadent hot cocoa!

Artichoke Chicken

I keep the ingredients around for this easy chicken dish because it is so easy to make and cooks up fairly quickly. On the days that I have to work and Rory cooks, this is one of the ones on his list!

1 can artichoke hearts

1 can diced tomatoes

1/4 c capers

1 c red wine (optional)

2 tbsp minced garlic

fresh ground pepper

4 large chicken breasts

water

Do not drain the artichokes or tomatoes. Put into a large pot with the capers, wine, garlic, and some pepper. Bring to a boil. Add chicken and enough water so chicken is submerged. Turn heat to low-medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through (time varies depending on size of chicken breasts). Remove chicken from pot. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce it until it is a nice chunky sauce.

Serve chicken with a generous amount of the artichoke sauce.

Sometimes I'll add sour cream, cream, or cream cheese to the liquid for a richer sauce.

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

1/3 c olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp red pepper flakes

3 tsp minced garlic

Toss all ingredients into a large bowl. Marinade all day (optional). Put into a roasting pan and roast at 375 for 45 minutes. Stir 2-3 times while cooking to ensure even browning.

Our meat and dairy

An Amish Entrepreneur's Old-Fashioned Approach

The above article talks about the farmer that supplies our co-op in NC. If you are looking to take your nutrition to another level, purchasing free-range grass fed meat is one way to go. It can be pricey depending on where and how you shop. There are, however, ways to cut down costs. For example, cow pooling. Mark's Daily Apple recently posted info on ways to find a cow pool (click here).

Biscuits and Gravy

Last night I was chatting with my mom while on my way home from work and she challenged me to make a paleo (+ dairy) version of biscuits and gravy. I had some ideas rolling around in my head and couldn't wait to give them a try. As soon as Aubrey took her first nap today, I gave it a go. They turned out much better than I was expecting and I would say they are even better than the "real" thing!

So Mom, this one's for you!

Gravy

2 egg yolks

1/2 c cream

1 c steamed cauliflower

1/2 tsp salt

generous amount of fresh ground pepper (tsp? maybe...I just added enough for my liking)

1/2 lb sausage, cooked

1. Whisk yolks and cream together in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture can coat the back of a spoon fairly thickly.

2. Pour into blender and add cauliflower and salt. Blend on high until thoroughly combine.

3. Return gravy to saucepan and add sausage.

4. Season with pepper to taste (typical country gravy has a decent amount of gravy).

5. Cook over medium heat until hot.

6. Serve over biscuits.

**I use 1/2 lb sausage and this makes quite a "meaty" gravy. I prefer it that way, plus it ups the protein content a little.

Biscuits (adapted from Elana's recipe in her Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook)

2 tbsp grapeseed oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp vinegar

1/2 tbsp water

1 egg

1 1/4 c almond flour

1/2 scant tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1. Whisk together oil, honey, vinegar, egg and water.

2. Add almond flour, salt and soda. Mix well.

3. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter onto pan. Slightly flatten with palm of hand.

4. Bake at 350 for 15 min or until edges start to turn light brown.

Yield: 6

My mom is coming to visit for my birthday at the end of this month. Can't wait to make these for her!

Pancakes! (yes, these are legal!)

1 small sweet potato

3/4 cup raw almond butter

2 eggs

1/4 c water

1/2 very ripe banana

1. Cook sweet potato (I peeled and diced mine then boiled it until knife tender).

2. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high speed until thoroughly combined.

3. Cook on skillet over medium heat. (Flip pancakes when batter begins to darken).

I found that a smaller size works a little better.

I've made several attempts at pancakes and this is by far the best I've done yet. The banana lends it a nice amount of sweetness without going overboard. We ate these with strawberries and a big plate of fluffy scrambled eggs.

One way to save a little money!

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808

Great info here on foods that you should buy that are not organic.

brownies!!!

1 cup raw almond butter

1 egg
1/2 cups agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

With a mixer, blend the almond butter and the egg. Add the agave and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add remaining ingredients and beat on a low speed until combined.

Grease a 8 or 9 inch round pan. Spoon batter into pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Rory and I enjoyed these just after midnight last night. It was the perfect way to ring in the new year! 09 was an amazing year (we welcomed little Aubrey Rose into the world) but 2010 just seems like it will be full of excitement. Here's to making the most out of every moment!