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October 20, 2010

Chocolate Honey Peanut Butter Cups

Megan Telpner has a great perspective on life and posts quite interesting recipes at her blog Making Love in the Kitchen.  A couple of days ago she posted a recipe for "Chocolate Instead of Love Cups" or basically Hazelnut Butter Cups.  I have a similar type of recipe linked here for Yummy Mounds so I figured I'd like these.  However, I was too lazy to make hazelnut butter so I used peanut butter and I like stuff a little sweeter so I added more honey to the chocolate part.  Andrew thought they were a hit so I thought I'd share them here.  Be sure and check Megan's website out too!

Chocolate Honey Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/3 c melted coconut oil
6 T honey (start at 4 and see what you think; with everything put together I wish I had used 4 T...the peanut butter is sweet as well)

Filling
1/4 c peanut butter
2 T unsweetened coconut
1 T honey

In a small bowl mix the filling together.  In a separate bowl, pour melted coconut, cocoa and honey.  Mix until well combined.  Heat more if it isn't mixing together well.

Using small muffins silicone forms (or what any muffin or ice cube trays with pop-out bottoms; the silicone peels back easy), spoon 1 tsp of chocolate (enough to cover the bottom).  Place in freezer 5-10 minutes or until solid. 

Remove from freezer.  Spoon 1/2 tsp (or half of what you put in as chocolate) into each form.  Using fingers slightly moistened in cold water, spread the filling out evenly.  Spoon another 1 tsp of chocolate over the top and put into freezer again for 5-10 minutes.  Enjoy!

NOTE: I used mini silicone muffin forms I purchased at WorldMarket for $2.99.  They don't list them on their website but they look a lot like these on Amazon -just for cheaper! I had 12 but 16 would have been perfect.  Not sure how many you would get of the normal sized muffin forms.

Check out more yummy ideas at Pennywise Platter Thursday!

October 16, 2010

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread

You must try this...immediately!  I adapted Straight From the Farm's Pumpkin Bread to be gluten-free.  Then, we took her suggestion and made French toast out of it yesterday.  Andrew didn't think it would be that great but even he thought it was pretty good.  I thought it was fantastic...and I could usually care less about French toast.  I made a few changes to this recipe because I was lazy ;)  Worked out well.



Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread



8.75 oz gluten-free flour blend (approx. 1 3/4 c.)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp allspice
1/3 c olive oil
2/3 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c pumpkin puree
1 T vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 F and grease one large or two small loaf pans.  Set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder, xanathan gum, baking soda, salt, and spices.

Mix together olive oil and sugar.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add a third of the dry ingredient mix, then a third of the pumpkin.  Continue to alternate these two until all is just combined in the batter. 

Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for an hour or until golden brown and springy to the touch.




For more yummies...check out Slightly Indulgent Tuesday over at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free or Wheatless Wednesday at Naturally Knocked Up!

October 12, 2010

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

This recipe was so easy.  I hate making enchiladas with corn tortillas...even if I dip the tortillas in the sauce they seem to tear.  So, I cheat and just layer them!  I based this recipe on one I found at $5 Dinners.  Not sure why I've never thought of making my own enchilada sauce.  It was definitely an "Oh duh" moment.


Chicken Enchilada Casserole


2 T butter
1 poblano chile, finely chopped
1 anaheim chile, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
2-3 pre-cooked chicken breasts - I used leftover fried chicken breasts
1/2 c quinoa cooked in 1 c. water
6 oz. tomato paste
18 oz water (three cans of water from the empty tomato paste can)
1 T chili powder
1 tsp each of cumin, garlic powder, salt and chipotle powder
1-2 c. corn (I used frozen, canned or fresh would be fine too)
18 small tortillas
1-2 c shredded cheddar (would be totally fine without it though)
  1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Bring water to a boil and add quinoa.  Turn heat down and cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Melt butter and saute garlic and peppers over medium heat in large pan. In separate pan, mix tomato paste, water and spices; bring to a simmer.
  4. Add chicken; cook until heated through.
  5. Add cooked quinoa and corn and 1 c. of sauce.
  6. Spray 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  Put thin layer of sauce in bottom.  Layer with 6 tortillas.  Spread with another thin layer of sauce.
  7. Spread half of chicken mixture.  Sprinkle a bit of the cheddar.
  8. Layer another 6 tortillas and sauce.
  9. Spread remaining chicken mixture.
  10. Layer remaining tortillas, sauce and cheese.
  11. Cover with foil and cook for 20 minutes.
NOTE: This was not spicy...it was flavorful.  Add more spice or poblanos if you want it spicy. 

For more yummy recipes, check out Pennywise Platter Thursday at The Nourishing Gourmet or Slightly Indulgent Tuesday at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

September 5, 2010

Easy Recipes: Lamb and Spaghetti Sauce over Quinoa

With a new baby in the house, we are trying to eat well.  However, we don't always have the time for things we used to.  Thus, "easy recipes."  I had purchased a cheaper package of lamb...not sure now what it was.  Perhaps a lamb chop.  Either way, it was a couple chunks of lamb without bones.  I threw that in the crock-pot frozen and covered it with about half a jar of spaghetti sauce.  Cooked on high for 3 hours and turned it down to low until dinner time.  Andrew cooked up a batch of quinoa, we shredded the meat in the sauce and served it over the quinoa with sauteed green beans on the side.  It was tasty, easy and relatively healthy.  This would work with any meat.  It would be good over pasta, rice or a baked potato as well.

Check out more great recipes at: Pennywise Platter Thursday at the Nourishing Gourmet and the Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!

September 3, 2010

Mastitis...Making the Breast of It

Oh I know, lame joke of a title...my only excuse is I've been married to Andrew for almost 7 years now...and lame jokes are his forte!  

Anyway, back to the issue at hand.  Mastitis...or an infection in the breast.  Seriously, I guess I had to get something after having such an easy pregnancy and labor.  I feel like it wasn't a bad case of mastitis but it did give me fever and chills on Sunday and makes nursing on the left side nearly bring tears to my eyes. And get this, continuing to nurse is one of the ways to keep the infection down. Tylenol or ibuprofen and an antibiotic seem to be making a dent in the pain.  

People make breast feeding out to be this wonderful experience.  You are providing your child with this life giving nourishment...blah, blah, blah.  It is a good thing...however, it's a lot of work.  Hard work.  So, if you see a nursing mother be sure to remember, she's doing hard work! 

Love Letters to My Sons..