Carrot Nut Bread

I used this recipe that I found online.  I made some changes to it and it turned out pretty good; Kevin really likes it with peanut butter on top.  I think next time instead of using all of the oil I am going to use mushy banana instead to make it more moist and healthy.  You could also use apple sauce if you don't have someone allergic to it in your household like I do.

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

3/4 c oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1/4-1/3 c milk

1 1/2 c flour - I used 1 cup white flour and 1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c walnuts

1 cup carrots - about two large carrots

Directions:

1.  Cream together sugar and oil

2.  Add egg and vanilla and mix well

3.  In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts (i read if the nuts are coated in flour they are less likely to rise to the top of the bread)

4.  Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk until well blended.

5.  Fold in the carrots 

6.  Pour into a well greased bread pan

Bake for around 1 1/2 hours at 325 degrees

Let cool and remove from pan

Granola bars

I got this recipe from smitten kitchen and just adapted it a bit to what I like and had on hand.  I like that this recipe doesn't include any butter or corn syrup just good ol' honey.  The big thing I forgot to do was line the pan with parchment paper so I ended up with only a few bars and a bag of what looks like granola.  Nonetheless they are super delicious, so much better tasting then the store bought ones.  Also, if you buy some of the items in bulk really they are not very expensive to make, it really just depends on the nuts you choose to use. 


Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup nuts - sliced/chopped - you can whatever kind of nuts you want. I used a mixed variety.
1 cup shredded coconut, loosely packed (I could only find sweetened but it still turned out well)
1/4 cup ground flaxseed - the original recipe called for wheatgerm but I could not find that to save my life - not even at Trader Joe's
2/3 cup honey
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt - If you accidentally bought salted nuts like I did leave the salt out.
1 1/2 cup dried fruit - any mix you like works
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

I bought a mixed bag of craisins, chocolate chips, and a variety of nuts just cause it was on sale for cheap. Then just seperated it by hands and chopped the nuts up some more.

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter an 8×12-inch baking dish (lacking this, I used a 9×13-inch) and line it with parchment paper. - this is very important

2. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the flaxseed.

3. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.

4. While the mixture is still warm, stir in the honey, vanilla and salt until the mixture is well coated, then the dried fruit. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and press, press, press it in - wet hands work best

5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares — your best serrated knife is great for this.

6. You can store these in an airtight container at room temperature for a week or two,or in the fridge since they get softer at room temp.  It all depends on what you like.

Eggplant and Goat cheese sandwich

I was looking for a way to eat more veggies and I stumbled across this sandwich and I am officially obsessed with it.  It is delicious especially on sourdough bread (another one of my current obsessions). This is the basic recipe but you can modify it and add whatever veggies it want.  I added cooked mushrooms, onions, summer squash, zucchini, and tomatoes.  All worked well. This recipe makes 2 smaller sandwiches

Ingredients:
4 (1/2 inch thick) eggplant slices
olive oil
1 red bell pepper
4 slices sourdough (or whatever you fav is)
2 TBS pesto - I just bought some at the store
1 cup spinach or arugula
pepper
soft goat cheese

Directions:
1. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil lined baking sheet.  Brush both side of the eggplant with some olive oil and top with a little pepper.
2.  Cut bell pepper in half and discard seeds. Place these halves skin side up on the baking sheet with the eggplant; flatten then with your hand.
3. Broil for 4 minutes and turn over eggplant.  Don't turn over the pepper.  Broil for 4 additional minutes and then remove eggplant.
4.  Broil red pepper for 7 additional minutes or until blackened. Place pepper in a ziplock bag and seal. Let stand for 15 minutes; peel and discard skin.
5. Lightly toast bread.  Spread pesto on one slice and goat cheese on the other.  Place 2 slices of eggplant and 1 piece of bell pepper on each sandwich.
6. Toss spinach/arugula with 1 tsp olive oil and black pepper.  Divide this mixture between the two sandwiches

Fresh tomato salsa

This is a really simple and delicious salsa, well I guess it is closer to pico de gallo.  If you want to make it more salsa like you can add a bit of tomato paste to it.  This recipe makes a pretty large batch

Ingredients:
3 tomatoes, chopped - I just used whatever tomatoes were on sale.  mine were pretty big if yours are small add a few extra tomatoes.
1/2 c finely diced onion
1 jalapeno pepper - I used a small one from my plant seeds and all and my salsa came out very spicy.  You could also use 2 Serrano chilies if you like
1/2 cup fresh cilantro - chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons lime juice - about a lime

Directions:
1. In a bowl mix together all the ingredients and chill for about an hour in the fridge before serving.

Sweet potato burritos

I know that the thought of sweet potatoes in burritos does not sound that appetizing but these ended up actually being pretty good not to mention super healthy.  They freeze really well, you can pop them straight into the microwave from the freezer and you are good to go.  They are especially good with a little fresh salsa.  This recipe makes 4 large burritos.

Ingredients:
vegetable oil
1 onion - chopped
2 clove garlic - minced
2 cups black beans - you can probably use whatever bean you like best, but black beans are my favorite
2/3 cup water
1 TBS chili powder
3/4 tsp cumin
1 1/4 tsp mustard
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 TBS soy sauce
1 1/3 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes - I just cooked 1 large sweet potato in the microwave until it was soft and then removed the insides and mashed em together
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
Cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mash beans.  This sucks I like to use a pastry cutter but a fork works too.
2. Heat oil and saute onion and garlic until soft.  Stir in beans.
3. Gradually stir in the water and heat until warm
4. Remove from heat and stir in chili powder, cumin, mustard, cayenne pepper, and soy sauce.
5. Divide the bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the tortillas.  Top with cheese and fold up tortillas.
6. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes in a oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Kevin approved black bean burger

This black bean burger is really tasty and was even approved by my manly meat eater, Kevin, so you know it must be tasty.  These are good fresh but also freeze really well.  So you can have your own cheaper and healthier version of frozen black bean burgers.

Ingredients:
2 cups black beans - I like to cook my own from dried beans but a 16 ounce can of beans works too just make sure you drain and rinse the beans
1/2 green bell pepper - cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 onion - cut into wedges
2-3 cloves garlic - pressed
1 egg
1/2 to 1 TBS chili powder
1/2 to 1 TBS cumin
1 tsp hot sauce
1/2 c bread crumbs

Directions:
1. Mash black beans in a medium bowl.  This can be a pain in the butt, I like to use a pastry cutter but a fork works too.
2. In a food processor, finely chop the bell pepper and onion.  Stir this and the pressed garlic into the mashed beans.
3. In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and hot sauce. Add this mixture to the mashed bean mixture.
4.  Add the bread crumbs and mix well.
5.  Form into patties - you can make them big or small whatever you like.
6.  Grill or broil patties until browned and heated through.

To freeze:  Form patties and place them on a cookie sheet.  Place them in the freezer until firm, about an hour.  Wrap in plastic wrap and place in a ziplock bag. To cook:  take it straight from the freezer and throw it on the grill or under the broil and cook till heated through.

Stuffed pepper soup

This is sooooo much easier than actually making stuffed peppers and it tastes exactly the same.


Ingredients:


1 pound ground venison - you can use ground beef, chicken, or turkey

• 2-3 green bell pepper, chopped - or more depending on your tastes
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 1 (29 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• I threw in some random spices that I like
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup brown or white rice - cooked

Directions:

1. In a large pan brown the round meat. Drain fat and add pepper and onion. Cook until onion is translucent, not letting them brown.  Add garlic in the last minutes not letting it brown.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, spices, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, until peppers are tender.
3. Add cooked rice to soup and let it heat through.
4. Top with cheddar cheese and enjoy.

Thin crust pizza dough

This is a really easy and really good dough for thin crust pizza, which is my favorite type. This recipe makes a about 3 crusts depending on the size of your pizzas.  While it is really easy you have to make sure that you plan ahead because it has to sit in the fridge over night.  It also freezes very well.  When you want to use it just let it thaw in the fridge and you are good to go.  This dough also works wonderfully for things like strombolis or calzones.


Ingredients:

• 1  package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1  cup  warm water 
• 1 1/4  cups  cold water
• 2  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  sugar
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• about 5 1/2 cups flour, divided - depending on the stickiness of your dough you may need anywhere up to 7 cups
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Combine 1 1/4 cups cold water, oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

2. Combine 5 1/2 cups flour, yeast mixture, and cold water mixture in a large bowl.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides and forms a ball. (If you have a dough hook for your mixer feel free to use that instead)  Knead until smooth and elastic (about 2 minutes); add enough of the remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel kinda sticky).

3. Divide the dough in thirds, and place each portion in a large zip-top bag coated with cooking spray. Seal and chill overnight or up to 2 days. 

4. You can use the dough straight from the fridge and you will not have to roll it out.  Simply form it in your hands handing it by one end and let it stretch itself.  Rotate the pizza so that it is even.  Place on a pizza stone and bake at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Tip:  I do not preheat my pizza stone because I feel like the crusts always cooks way before the cheese is even melted that way, also the pizza tends to stick more.  I place the crust on a cool stone and just cook the pizza in a preheated oven and it has turned out perfect multiple times.  Be careful not to press down on the pizza dough when dressing it because otherwise it may stick.

Healthy smoothies

There is no exact science to smoothies, you kind of just have to play around with them and figure out how you like them.  I prefer mine to be more on the frozen side so I regularly use fruit that I have frozen instead of ice because all the blenders I've had have never done well with ice.  You really can put almost any fruit or vegetable that is easily blended into a smoothie, you just have to figure out the best combination.  This recipe is based on one that I have been making a lot lately.  I've never actually measured the ingredients before so these are just my best guess.

Tip for using vegetables:  Always blend the vegetables first with your liquid so that they are sure to get really smooth.  I'm ok with getting a chunky bit of fruit in my mouth but chunky veggies in my smoothie skeeve me out.


Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh spinach or more - I usually just fill up my magic bullet.  Remember if you are using frozen spinach that it has been cooked down so it really is a lot more spinach than when it is fresh so I would half the amount of it you use compared to fresh spinach.

1 carrot - I found the blender handles this best if it has been peeled and then shredded

1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of a liquid (juice, milk, V8 fusion, etc...) - I use orange juice because it masks any bitterness that could potentially be there from the spinach

2 - 4 TBS of yogurt - you can use a yogurt cup or I find it more cost effective to just buy a big guy of plain yogurt.

1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit - As I mentioned above I prefer to use frozen fruit, just make sure you cut it into smaller pieces so it is easier for the blender to handle.  You can use any combination of fruit you want.  I usually use strawberries and something else.  I like to add peaches, cherries, grapefruit, blueberries, etc...  Blueberries help to take away the green color by the spinach. Depending on what fruit you use this smoothie can be interesting colors

1. Blend spinach and liquid until smooth.
2.  Add carrot, blend until smooth
3. Add yogurt and fruit and blend until smooth.  Add more liquid if it is too thick
4. Enjoy getting 1 1/2 servings of veggies and 1 serving a fruit or more depending on what you add!

Jalapeno Popper Dip

This dip is delicious and addictive, although I'm pretty sure anything that starts with a base of mayo and cream cheese is going to be delicious.  Everyone can thank Amy for introducing it to me.  Here is the full recipe but it works just as well if you half it.

Ingredients:
2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese - at room temp. so it is nice and soft
1 c mayo
1 - 4oz can of chopped green chillies
1 - 4oz can of jalapenos chopped
1 c Parmesan cheese
enough bread crumbs to cover the top

1.  Mix all the ingredients together except for the bread crumbs
2. Place mixture in an 8x8 pan and top with bread crumbs
3. Bake at 375 degrees until hot around 20 minutes
4. Serve with tortilla chips or sour dough bread

 

Basic Collard Greens

Collard greens are super good for you and always cheap at the store.

Ingredients:

1 bunch collard greens
4-5 slices bacon
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Remove the ribs from the greens and soak them in a bowl of water to remove all dirt and grit.
2. Cut the bacon up into bite size pieces and cook in a large skillet.
3.  Once the bacon is crispy add the collard greens.  They do not need to be completely dry, the little bit of water still on them helps to cook them.
4.  Cover and cook for around 10 minutes until the greens and soft and the water has cooked off.

Easy Cabbage

 Cabbage is super cheap and good for you.  This recipe is really simple and delicious.  Be careful, cabbage can be deadly on the stomach. :)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1 medium head cabbage, coarsely shredded
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Preparation:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add seasoned salt, cabbage, and onion. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes. Stir frequently. Blend vinegar and sugar; add to cabbage mixture. Stir gently to blend; cook cabbage 5 minutes longer.

Faye's Dog Friendly B-day Cupcakes

 Faye's birthday was on the 13th so we decided to make her a special treat.  I used this recipe but I made a few changes of my own to make it a little healthier for her and just because of what I had on hand at the time.  Stephanie was actually a big fan of these; they really didn't taste that bad and Kevin was a huge fan of the icing I made.  Even more importantly than that Faye was a huge fan she tore her cupcake up.  I also put some cheese sprinkles on top aka grated cheese. You could also top with some kind of shredded meat as well.

1 cup white or whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 brown banana (like you would use for banana nut bread) or 1/4 c applesauce
1 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the peanutbutter, banana, vanilla, honey, carrots and egg together.
Add the flour and baking soda, mix well.
Pour batter into greased cupcake pans.  These make about 6 very full cupcakes.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Icing:
3/4 c peanutbutter
1 six ounce container of yogurt (I used cherry vanilla because it was what I had in the fridge)

Mix the two together well and presto delicious dog friendly icing.

Baked Kale Chips

These are actually pretty good.  Kevin even tried them and said they weren't bad (which says alot, he's normally not really that into my uber healthy cooking).  I think they taste pretty similar to a regular chip.  The only thing is that they only stay crisp for so long after a few days mine were soggy.  Maybe if I stored them in a ziplock bag or cooked them longer they would have stayed crisper. 

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste - I'm sure kosher salt would work fine as well.

Preheat oven to 300°F.
Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs.
Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt.
Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes or even a little longer, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

Soft Pretzels

I channeled my inner Auntie Anne last night and churned out some delightful pretzels that I got from another food blog - which I recommend they have some really tasty looking things on there.  These are relatively simple and I found quite relaxing to make.  They can be a little time consuming.  They are best eaten hot; however, I had some today with lunch and they were still decent not as good of course.  Do not store them in a covered container they will get soggy.  I only made a half batch of this recipe and I got 16 small pretzels from it.

 Makes 16 full-sized or 32 small

2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packet active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt -  I had some pretzel left from the frozen pretzels I eat but i think coarse salt would work well too
cooking spray


1. Pour warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar into a large bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.
2. Add 1 cup flour to yeast, and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add salt and 4 cups more flour, and mix until combined and  until dough pulls away from sides of bowl.  Add another 1/2 cup flour, and mix.. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); mix until combined. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about ten times, or until smooth.
3. Spray a large bowl with cooking spray (I just quickly washed and reused the bowl I made the dough in)  Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides with oil. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
4. Heat oven to 450°F. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray (parchment paper, ungreased, also works). Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each) or 32 if making miniature pretzels, and wrap in plastic.
5. Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. ( I found that rolling pretzels on a plastic cutting board worked much better than my floured counter) Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; eight will fit on each sheet (you may need a third sheet if making miniatures). Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, fill a large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda (and step back, it foams up quickly) and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Reduce to a simmer; transfer three to four pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute on each side. Use slotted flipper (a slotted spoon will work but you may also break a pretzel or two)  to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
7. Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm.

Egg rolls

These are a delicious adventure - especially if you are deep frying them in a pan.  It can be tricky to get and keep the oil at the right temperature, but it is worth it.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups cabbage, shredded - I shredded the cabbage but both Kevin and I agreed that the eggr olls were missing that crunch that we love so we are going to dice it into fine strips next time
• 1 carrot, shredded - see cabbage
• 1/2 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion (optional)
• 1 (4 ounce) can shrimp - I used 4 oz ground chicken, really you can use any meat you want or leave it out all together
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• black pepper to taste
• 1 egg, beaten
• cornstarch
• 20 egg roll wrappers
• vegetable oil for frying - I used peanut oil because it can go to a higher temperature before burning.  I used an entire medium sized bottle of oil.

1. In a large bowl, mix together cabbage, carrots, sprouts, and onion. Stir in chicken, soy sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper.You may want to add some more spices and these were a little bland.
2. Pour beaten egg into a skillet placed over medium heat; cook flat and thin, flipping once, until done. Remove from skillet, cool, and chop finely. Stir egg into cabbage mixture. Sprinkle top with cornstarch, mix, and allow to sit 10 minutes.
3. Mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water. Set aside.
4. Place 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cabbage mixture into the center of an egg roll skin. Dip a spoon into the water and cornstarch mixture, and moisten all corners but the bottom corner. Fold the egg roll skin from the bottom over the mixture, making a tight tube of the shrimp mixture. Fold corners in from the sides, and press to stick against folded roll. Then roll the rest of the way. Repeat with remaining egg roll wrappers. This will take a little practice but is easy to get down.  Remember the fuller you fill them the longer they will take to get hot in the center.
5. Pour vegetable oil into a deep frying pan to a depth of 3 or 4 inches, and heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Carefully place egg rolls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown. Remove to paper towels.Only put in 2 or 3 at a time or else the oil temp will drop too low.
6. Dip in your favorite duck sauce and enjoy.

There are reviews on the website that recommended baking them; however, we didn't try this. Christina said she tried it and they just weren't as good.  We made all 20 or so and the ones we didn't eat I froze.  I will let you know how they turn out reheated in the toaster oven when I eat them.  UPDATE:  After frying them we let them cool and froze them.  They reheat wonderfully.  We reheated them straight from the freezer at 425 degrees for 20 minutes and they were delicious.

UPDATE #2:  We made these again and chopped the cabbage and carrots instead of grating them and it made them much better; although they were slightly harder to roll.  Also I would recommend still grating the carrots because they frequently punctured our rolls since they were so firm.  Overall the chopping of the cabbage brought back the delicious crunch I think of when you eat egg rolls.

Stuffed Shells

This recipe can be halved and still works wonderfully.

Ingredients:
1 box of jumbo shells
4 c ricotta
2 c mozzerella cheese
3/4 c parmesean cheese
2 eggs
1 Tbs parsley
your favorite spaghetti sauce - I used the one that is on this blog and it was delicious

350 degrees for 45 minutes

1. Cook shells according to the directions on the box
2. Thoroughly mix ricotta, mozerella, parmesean, eggs, and parsely together
3. Stuff shells pretty full with the ricotta mix
4. Place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  Place the shells in a single layer and then thoroughly cover with sauce.  Sprinkle the top with parmesean cheese.
5.  Bake for 45 minutes in a preheated overn at 350 degrees

Potato and Leek Soup

Kevin and I made this recipe yesterday.  It is really simple and requires only a few ingredients.  Ours was a little leek heavy but it was still delightful.  It goes especially well with good bread, like sour dough mmmm.  We halved this recipe and it still turned out good with a decent amount of soup. We had three bowls between us and there was still enough left for 2 days of lunch.


Ingredients:
8 potatoes, peeled and cubed - the smaller you cut the potatoes the faster they become tender
4 cups chicken broth - you may want to have a little extra on hand in case it is too thick in the end
1 pound bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 leeks, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
 
1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, bring potatoes and chicken broth to a boil. Simmer until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown but not crispy and brittle. Drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of grease and set aside. Sautee the leeks in the frying pan with the reserved bacon grease 8 to 10 minutes until soft.

2. When the potatoes are tender, stir in the fried leeks, heavy cream and bacon. Stir to blend and remove from heat.  We used a hand held blender to blend it all together into a creamy soup.  You could also use a blender or food processor.  Just beware of blending hot liquids in the glass blenders - it doesn't turn out so well the glass will crack. :)  Serve hot.

Marinara sauce (or Pizza sauce)

I made this recipe for when we made homemade pasta and it was a hit but we decided that it made a really good pizza sauce too.

 Ingredients:
2 (28 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley - 3 tsp dried
4 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon salt
124 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup white wine

With most of this seasonings I added a decent amount more than recommended but of course everything is to taste so add the amount suggested and go from there.

1. In a food processor place Italian tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat saute the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce and white wine.
3. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Kevin's Fabulous Pizza

Kevin has really perfected this pizza crust and it is really delicious.  This dough either makes one very thick crust pizza or two normal crust pizzas.  I prefer splitting in in half for the normal crust pizza but both are good.

Ingredients:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes. 
2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour. 
3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out. 
4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. If you are baking the dough on a pizza stone, you may place your toppings on the dough, and bake immediately. If you are baking your pizza in a pan, lightly oil the pan, and let the dough rise for 15 or 20 minutes before topping and baking it. 
5. Bake pizza in preheated oven, until the cheese and crust are golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. 
* About 5 minutes before the pizza is done Kevin puts butter and garlic powder on the crust, it really adds to the deliciousness of your pizza.

Amy Moody's Homemade Tortillas Recipe

These are super easy and super delicious. Also, they don't require many ingredients and all of them are things you always have around. These were a huge hit during snow pandemonium.

Ingredients:

2 c. white flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil
about 3/4 c. warm water..you might not use it all.

1. Mix all dry ingredients together well.
2. Add olive oil and then some of the warm water.
3. Add more water slowly until it is sticky but dough-like.
4. Knead it for about 1 minute on floured surface.
5. Divide into balls. 18-20 for small tortillas / 10-12 for larger ones.
6. Thinly roll out the dough balls on floured surface as circular as possible.
7. Cook in pan (I did it on my griddle at 375 degrees) on medium heat. Be sure to spray with spray so they do not stick.
8. They cook approx. 30 seconds to a minute per side.
9. Flip with kabob stick or appetizer stick.
10. Put in a warm bowl with lid as you cook. When done cooking you can microwave the bowl with stack of tortillas for 40 sec. just before serving.

Snow Pandamonium Margaritas

For some reason when it snows all I want is margaritas so Silvano and I created our own. This is how the DKM was born and it is absolutely delicious, do not doubt it.

Regular margarita Ingredients:
limes - 7 will yield about a cup of juice
simple syrup - it is very easy to create your own, it is just sugar (preferably sugar in the raw) and water boiled and then cooled
tequila - it is probably best to use a quality margarita but we chose Juarez and it was still delicious
triple sec

Extra ingredients needed if you want a DKM (Diana Klein Margarita)
fresh or frozen strawberries
blue raspberry lemonade kool-aid

1. Juice the limes
2. In a shaker mix ice, 1 oz lime juice, 1 oz triple sec, 2 oz tequila, and 1 oz simple syrup
3. Pour into a glass and enjoy

For a DKM
1. Mix 3 strawberries and 2 oz. raspberry lemonade in a magic bullet (or blender) until smooth
2. In shaker mix ice, 1 oz lime juice, 1 oz triple sec, 2 oz tequila, 1 oz simple syrup, and strawberry kool-aid mix.
3. Enjoy the deliciousness

Spaghetti Squash

SOOO simple and so good for you.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
your favorite pasta sauce

Preheat oven 375 degrees

Directions:
1. Pierce all over the rind of your spaghetti squash - keep it whole, do not cut it
2. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes/lb until the skin feels soft
3. Let stand 5 minutes
4. Place in a baking dish and bake for 1 hour
5. When done it will feel soft. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds. The rest of the squash is easily removed with a fork and it is amazing how much it looks like spaghetti.

Chili Cheese Dip

This is a great last minute, oh shit what can I take to the party, dip. It is so simple, delicious, and unhealthy. When you look at the recipe you might say to yourself oh that doesn't sound that good but man oh man it tastes great.

Ingredients:

• a package of cream cheese - I like to use the Neufchatel 1/3 less fat type because I think it tastes the same
• a can of hormel's chili, I like the turkey with beans - You could of course use some of your own chili for this which would make it a bit lower in sodium and better for you
• enough cheddar cheese to cover the top of the dish
• an 8x8 glass baking dish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Let the cream cheese sit out at room temperature so that it is soft and easy to spread.
Spread the cream cheese in the bottom of the baking dish.
Next, place the chili on top and spread out evenly.
Lastly cover the chili with cheddar cheese.
Bake for 20 min or until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

Easy No Knead Crusty Bread

This bread turns out just like expensive artisan bread at the grocery store. A nice crusty outside with a soft inside. It is really easy you just have to plan ahead.

Ingredients:
1/4 tsp active dry yeasy
1 1/2 cups warm water
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting. I plan to try using whole wheat flour next or a combo of the two
1 1/2 tsp salt
a dutch oven - cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic. I am of course partial to cast iron.

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add the flour and salt, stirring until blended. The dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at least 8 hours, preferably 12 to 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees. If the heat in your house doesn't work like mine you may want it to sit longer or find a sunny or warmer spot to place the dough.
   
2. The dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it. Sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let it rest for about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface or to your fingers, gently shape it into a ball. I had to add a decent amount more flour at this stage, although be careful because I think I overworked my dough a bit. Generously coat a clean dish towel with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Put the seam side of the dough down on the towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another towel and let rise for about 1 to 2 hours. When it’s ready, the dough will have doubled in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least 20 minutes before the dough is ready, heat oven to 475 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the pot from the oven and lift off the lid. Slide your hand under the towel and turn the dough over into the pot, seam side up. The dough will lose its shape a bit in the process, but that’s OK. Give the pan a firm shake or two to help distribute the dough evenly, but don’t worry if it’s not perfect; it will straighten out as it bakes.
5. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and bake another 15 to 20 minutes, until the loaf is beautifully browned. Remove the bread from the Dutch oven and let it cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing.