Another pile of recipes? Uh huh! With valentines day approaching, I wanted to share some lovely treats with you! This roundup of goodies are all gluten-free, and all the recipes I choose to share have 5 or less ingredients, and most are no-bake, so, we're talking super awesome, quick and easy! The collection features some kid friendly treats (though I would love them too!), as well as some "grown-up" treats (though my kids like them too) : ) Basically....everyone will like them!!! Enjoy! Rice Krispie Treat Hearts How darling are these? Find them at Intimate Weddings Heart MacaroonsRice Krispie TreatsThese treats come in 2 varieties: regular with a white chocolate top, and a mars bar, coco pop (or chocolate rice krispie) version! Yum! Find these treats at Mandy Mortimer Skittles marshmallow PopsI mean. what?!?! Pulverized Skittles coat these mallows for a crazy amazing treat! Dine & Dish will show you how it's done! Dark Chocolate TrufflesFlourless Chocolate CakeIt only takes 3 ingredients to get this rich and fudgy cake ready! It's primal too! You'll find the recipe at Gimme Some Oven That's all I have for you today!!! I am not really a "I need a gift!" for valentines kind of gal, but I will take any excuse for a box of chocolates! So, I've told my husband many times that I am the dream wife for valentines day; get me the most cliche gift, a box of chocolates, and I am really happy! Well, as long as I don't have to share with anyone, that is! : ) Happy weekend to you all, happy valentines (or gal-entines day to the single ladies), and I hope you come back to see me here again soon!
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It's Shrove Tuesday, otherwise known as pancake Tuesday! Shrove Tuesday is the day that precedes Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent leading to Easter. The name Shrove Tuesday comes from shrive (to absolve), meaning absolution for sins by doing penance (desiring to repent and to do so by works). The day gets its name from the tradition of Christians trying to be 'shriven' (or having a clean heart) in preparation for Easter. So, some people make a special point of self-examination, of considering what wrongs they need to repent from, and what amendments of life or areas of spiritual growth they especially need to ask God's help in dealing with, and they do so by restricting certain foods (some people now participate in Lent by giving up certain habits that are bad, distracting, or not useful to a full life). On the day before the 40 days of Lent (shrove Tuesday), families would want to use up all the rich foods in their homes (fats, eggs, milk and sugar) because those foods weren't eaten during Lent, and they likely wanted all that yummy and tempting stuff out of the house for the 40 days of fasting for the Lent season! And eventually, it became (for some) to be called Pancake Tuesday because of the fact that pancakes are a pretty obvious dish to make from the ingredients being fasted from! There are all sorts of stories about the real start of "pancake Tuesday", and about different traditions through history and around the world regarding pancake Tuesday. Very interesting stuff! Listen to this one: On Pancake Day, "pancake races" are held in villages and towns across the United Kingdom. The tradition is said to have originated in 1445 when a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire, was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake, tossing it to prevent it from burning. The pancake race remains a relatively common festive tradition in the UK, especially England, even today. Participants with frying pans race through the streets tossing pancakes into the air and catching them in the pan while running. The most famous pancake race, at Olney in Buckinghamshire, has been held since 1445. The contestants, traditionally women, carry a frying pan and race over a 415-yard course to the finishing line. The rules are strict: contestants have to toss their pancake at both the start and the finish, as well as wear an apron and a scarf. Traditionally, when men want to participate, they must dress up as a housewife (usually an apron and a bandanna). The race is followed by a church service (found this story here). Anywho, every year I post some pancake recipe, but this year I wanted to point a few of my own recipes out, and also some super delicious recipes that I love from a few other bloggers! In this round up I've got the perfect (regular) pancake, specialty pancakes, gluten-free and paleo pancakes. There is something for everyone! Just click on the name of the pancake to see the recipe! Enjoy! Perfect Pancake Recipe Easy peasy, simple-as-can-be pancakes From Grace & Good Eats Gluten-Free Pancakes Just a strait forward g.f. pancake recipe (with a few chocolate chips hiding in there)! From Bushel & A Peck Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes Gluten free, and like a large, soft, pancake-y oatmeal cookie! From Chelsea's Messy Apron Baked Pancakes Perfect if you don't have time to stand in the kitchen flipping pancakes! From Eating on A Dime Just a little ditty to close here.....last night while cleaning up from dinner, I took the lid off my slow cooker to get the leftovers out of it, and a ladybug came careening out of no-where and landed right in the food in the crock-pot! And I dropped an f-bomb (that's the f-word, FYI). Confession time. I have a serious potty mouth. I mean, it's pretty bad. I don't say things my kids think are bad, like dumb or stupid, but I sure do say the ones I really don't want them to use! So, last night when I swore about a lady bug ruining the leftovers (I know it's just a small bug, but you agree with me that it ruined all the food?!?), I looked at my husband who's face was saying, "really? An f-bomb because of a bug in the food?" , so I said, "maybe I should give up swearing for Lent?" And, even though I don't always give something up for lent, I am going to do this. I swear more than is useful, and I should tame this beast! So, that's what I'm giving up for Lent! Are you giving anything up for Lent? Are you having pancakes for dinner? Are you sick of all my questions!?! : ) S'mores in February? Is that even a question?!? If you love s'more the way I love s'mores, then any occasion is a s'more occasion! : ) Needing a campfire for a s'more is for amateurs....haha, I take s'moring (the art of making s'mores) very seriously!! I made up that verb "s'moring", but I like it! Wow, anywhoooo......with Valentine's Day approaching, people start thinking about special treats they can make for special people in their lives. I'm not just talking about people in a romantic relationship, either. I'm talking about people who want to show love to anyone they love (or appreciate)! I'm talking about neighbours, co-workers, parents, children, friends--anyone you think could use a sweet little treat to say "you are valued, and I love (or appreciate) you!". Years ago, when we lived in Bancroft, we were invited to a New Years Eve party by a good friend who, at the time, ran a catering business with a friend of hers. That night, they made the most ridiculously yummy and simple dessert--they took store-bought two-bite brownies, smooshed half of a large marshmallow on top of each, stuck 'em under the broiler for a quick melt and roasted top, then drizzled dulce de leche over them. I mean, c'mon! Doesn't that sound amazing! I couldn't get over how yummy they tasted, and how simple they were to whip up! I've been making variations of this dessert now for years, always starting with a store-bought two-bite brownie, and a half marshmallow, then drizzling with melted peanut butter, cookie butter, Nutella, butterscotch, or a dollop of raspberry jam It's easy to make this gluten-free too, as you can now find gluten-free two-bite brownies and graham crackers in most grocery stores. The version I am sharing with you today is a favourite version though. A lovely two-bite brownie, topped with a perfectly roasted mallow, then a piece of graham cracker shoved into it?!? Oh yeah..... Two-Bite Brownie S'mores Ingredients:
Method:
These little treats are the ultimate in lazy-lady desserts!!! Right?!? Bonus (for me) is that I most often get the bag of two-bite brownies for 50% off! Don't know why, but there always seems to be a few bags marked down, so I like to grab one, and put it into a zippered plastic bag and toss it into the freezer until I want to use them. If you do this, just be sure to pull them out of the freezer and let them thaw before you start. **Side note.....because I think gluten-free graham crackers taste like cardboard dipped in sawdust (ok, not exactly, but they are basically the nastiest gluten-free food item ever! P.S., the brand I tried was Kinnikinnick. I'm not trying to bash them, but I want to spare anyone the grief of wasting their money on those graham crackers), I will sometimes cut a gluten-free cookie in half (my sons' favourite are the chocolate vanilla cream kind from Glutino), and I'll shove that into the brownie and mallow. Still really yummy and pretty, but of course that wouldn't make it a s'more anymore though! But hey, if you have found a brand of gluten-free graham crackers that don't taste awful, go with those! And if you want to share your finding with me, please do! Pretty, pretty please! So......I've been trying to wake up early again, like I used to in the "old days" : ) These "old days" are really just a year ago or so, but I sure had gotten used to sleeping until I needed to get my kids up for school around 7:45....then my husband pointed something out to me. He said I always seemed a little less frustrated with my day when I woke up early and got my blog post published. What happens when I wake up with my kids is that I sit down to publish my post after they get on the bus at 9am, and if my post isn't totally ready, I could be sitting at the computer until 10:00....10:30......11:00.......it can take hours and hours to get one single post ready!!! By the time I'd send my thoughts and recipes into the world wide web, I'd feel like my day was half gone--which it basically was!!! So, with time stolen from my day, I felt like everything else I was doing should have already been done, and I was behind in my list of to-do's. So, by evening, I would feel defeated, like I hadn't gotten as much done with my day as I wanted, like I had un-finished business with my day. Bleh. All because I was lazy and wanted to sleep in (.......I love sleep.....).
So, I've started doing something different. I realized that I used to get up early without a problem because I was bursting with ideas for blog posts! I used to publish a post every day! Geepers! I still have ideas, but that purpose that got me out of bed in the morning had faded a smidge....and I needs me a reason to get out of bed early! So, I stopped making my husbands lunch at night, and decided to leave it to the morning. To clarify for any feminists who are having a conniption, I enjoy packing my husbands lunch! I am the meal planner, the budget maker, the "make sure you eat your vegetables!" person in our house....I may also have a slight control issue, and all those things combined mean I want to (need to!) know what's going into my husbands lunch! Saving this job until the morning (and me wanting/needing to do it) means I need to wake up early....like, 5:30 early. This gives me time to make my love some lunch, (and some coffee!) before he heads out the door at 6am, and then I get 2 full hours to work away at my little passion of writing and blogging in my little (tiny!) corner of the internet! This also gives me time to have at least 2 cups of coffee before my kids get up which really seems to make them more lovely somehow..... :) This morning though, I got a better reward....I let our dog out for a wee, and stopped to look into the sky. At 6am at this time of year, the stars and the moon are still out. And I couldn't believe how brilliant and beautiful the sky was!!! I felt overwhelmed by how amazing it looked, and thought, "if I were still asleep, I would have missed this!". I felt so blessed, somehow. I live out in the sticks with no lights from any city to cloud the view of the moon and stars. I felt empowered that I had started my day before my town had even started it's day with the sun. I beat the sun to this day! That's an accomplishment!!! So, maybe you're really not into getting up early......that's ok! The point of my story wasn't to tell you that you should wake up early because I do! The point was really this....what is it that makes you put your head down on your pillow at night and think, "this day was good"? My (wonderful) husband saw that I was more miserable than I should be. He saw that I was getting a lot done in a day, but somehow still feeling crappy about my day when I went to bed in the evening. I hope you have a spouse, or mate, or best friend or sibling or somebody who knows you who can say, "Are you feeling you best? Maybe you should (fill-in-the-blank)? Or, I hope you can step back from yourself and say, "what used to make me feel like I'd accomplished something?". I don't know what that might be for you, but I encourage you to find that thing (uh....within reason....don't do anything illegal or that damages the people around you!). Life isn't about making yourself happy (eeek! I know, I know! How contrary to what we're always being told!!!), life is about purpose. But, get this, well placed purpose will leave you feeling happy. What a trick, eh! I was trying to make myself happy by sleeping in....which left me feeling miserable! But having purpose & waking up, packing a lunch, and sitting down to write before the sun has even thought about coming up? That makes me happy! Well, I've shared/rambled now for too long....and it's probable no one will even read this far....but that's ok! : ) I write for you out there, but I also write for me. This is an online diary of sorts. You get recipes, DIY ideas, parenting tips, or whatever, but you also get my inner thoughts, what my heart lets out when it's going to burst. If you have read this far, thank-you! I honestly appreciate everyone who stops by Bushel & A Peck. I don't know many of you at all, but I like to think we are connected by way of this site. So, if you want to, leave a comment. Let me know you stopped by! Share with me what gives you purpose! Oh, and don't forget to share with me a brand of g.f. graham crackers that aren't terrible too! :) xoxo Granola bar recipe # 3! I first posted THIS gluten-free granola bar recipe back in December 2013, then just this past October I shared THIS recipe for my gluten-free, nut free, & refined sugar free granola bars. The reason I even made the second version was because I wanted a more clean ingredient bar to send with my kids to school, and it was good....for a time.... I mentioned in the post for the second granola bar recipe that my eldest son hates raisins, or any dried fruit at all. That recipe calls for dried fruit puree, and if I didn't get every single little lump of dried fruit pulverized, my autistic son's eagle eyes picked it out! Geez! So then I have this big batch of granola bars, and the girls will eat them and take them to school, but Caleb would not! Then one day I was prepping a butternut squash for dinner, and was cutting out the seeds to wash and roast. When they came out of the oven, Caleb descended on the salty, roasted seeds like an un-welcomed seagull and ate them all!!! I was like "whaaaaaa?" because I had no idea he liked roasted squash seeds! Well, since he clearly liked roasted butternut squash seeds, I thought I would offer him a handful of raw pumpkin seeds to see what he thought. He ate them and his only comment was, "these will not be very salty?" (the kid loves salty snacks and was a little bummed at the lack of saltiness in the raw seeds-but he still ate them!). Then I offered him raw sunflower seeds and he ate those up too, without any comments whatsoever! So, with this new knowledge I thought, "why the heck am I not adding more super-heathy seeds to my kids granola bars?!?" Well, I set out again to make a new granola bar for my kids to take to school, one with more seeds, no pureed fruit, still no nuts (nut-free school), no refined sugar, but still super tasty obviously or else my kids wouldn't eat them!
More Granola Bars!
Nut-free, gluten-free, refined sugar-free & dairy free Adapted from Keeper Of The Home Ingredients:
Method:
***Store these bars in the fridge or freezer*** Because of the sunflower seed butter, and the pumpkin and sunflower seeds, these bars need to stay refrigerated or frozen I am an affiliate marketer for Vitacost which is where I buy these products (which I use to make these bars!). What that means is that if you buy anything from Vitacost through my blog here, I make a small percentage at no extra cost to you at all! I know there are some other great online food companies out there, but Vitacost doesn't take an annual fee (like some other discount food companies do), and if you're in Canada it's the BEST place to get a ton of healthy, organic & whole foods at super-duper prices, and for a low flat fee shipping rate. Trust me, I spent a lot of time trying to find a good health food & product store online that would ship to Canada! Vitacost rant over!!! I just really love them, otherwise I wouldn't go on and on about it! : ) So, these granola bars turn out soft and chewy, just sweet enough, and with nice flavour and crunch from the sunflower butter and seeds. Yumm-o. And they last for quite a while in an airtight container in the freezer, which is great! So, let's move on from granola bars, shall we....? I'm working on choreography for The Belleville Theatre Guild's "The Music Man" right now, and I'm listening to that music a lot because I like to be extremely familiar with the music in a show I'm in or working on. However, I have been distracted and listening to another musical sound track lately because I am obsessed with the musical "Matilda"! Remember the book by Roald Dahl? They made it into a movie in 1996, but in 2010 it opened as a musical in England, then opened on Broadway April 2013.....and it's amaaaaaaa-zing! I mean, you've got this cast of freakin' talented people, mostly children, and it makes me go, "golly"! (actually more like, "gaaaaau-lee!"-see the difference?) : ) Because my random blog here is about whatever seems to pop into my head, I wanted to share a video clip from the 2013 Tony Awards where the Broadway cast of "Matilda The Musical" performed a medley from the show! Can I just say that these amazing kids perform this show 8 times a week, and then do performances like this, or on David Letterman and other late night shows, as well as the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, I mean, geepers x 1000! At the end of the clip you see 4 Matilda's and that's because there are 4 girls who share the role (2 shows per week, and being a stand-by 2 days a week). Why do I know so much about this show? I already told you, I'm obsessed!!! I have always loved performing, but I was pretty bad at it as a child! I still did it here and there, but I wasn't any good. Then there's these kids! Hokey dina! How many more strange expletives can I use here?!? Golly, geepers, hokey dina, golly gee, gee willikers, hot-dog, oh boy, heavens to Betsy, jumpin' jahosaphat K, I'm done. The good news is that "Matilda The Musical" is having it's Canadian premiere in July, so I will get to see it! Two thumbs up! I'm signing off now dear readers! Leave a comment if you'd like about these granola bars, granola bars in general, or your favourite musical! : ) FYI, "Matilda" isn't my favourite musical, "Into The Woods" is, and has been since I was probably 8 or 9 years old! I listened to the cassette tape of the original Broadway cast recording a LOT! Anywho...I digress.... G'bye! So, I happened upon a photo of what looked like a delicious pie called a "chess pie". I looked at the recipe and thought it seemed interesting, so then I do what most people do and Googled "what is a chess pie"....or is it only homeschoolers who want to know everything about everything? N-E-Who..... The all knowing Wikipedia told me that chess pie originated in England (think of all the custard pies they make!), but is known as a Southern U.S. pie. The chess pie is a little different than a regular custard pie though in that it also includes cornmeal. Not sure why exactly, but that seems to be the ticket to make a chess pie a true chess pie! Vinegar seems to be a thing that isn't as standard, but it seemed interesting to have it in a pie, so I wanted mine to include it. And the filling of a true (cornmeal) chess pie is naturally gluten-free, which seemed like a good starting point to making the whole thing gluten-free! I have a lovely gluten-free pie crust that I make, and making the pie filling was simply a matter of taking a few recipes and smooshing them together so that it suited me! And I had seen regular chess pies, and chocolate chess pies, so of course I wanted a chocolate pie, duh. : ) Gluten-Free Chocolate Chess Pie Ingredients: For the pie crust
For the pie filling:
Method:
My gluten-free Caleb ate 2 pieces of pie for dessert, then at bedtime asked for another piece (I said no), and when he saw it at breakfast he asked for it again (...I said no again...)! So, it's safe to say he liked this pie! I made it for guests one evening and they all liked it too (none of them are gluten-free eaters regularly). So, it is a well-received gluten-free pie! The way this pie turns out is like a custard, but without so much jiggle. That doesn't make as much sense as I had hoped it would....but, I'm sticking with that description! You can see that it has a dense, moist, fudgy consistency, and the gluten-free crust has just a subtle taste to it that goes splendidly with the chocolate-y filling. You could also make this pie in a gluten-free pastry crust, or if you're not gluten-free you could make it in a regular pastry crust! Oh, and the name "chess pie" is still a mystery! There are a few ideas as to where this pie found it's name, but no-one seems to know for sure, so I shan't be able to help you there! I feel like it bothers me more than it would others that I can't find a reason for the name though...? Yes? I know there's got to be people out there like me who want to know the "why" behind meaningless things like the origin of a pie name!!! Ok, well, this weekend is the callbacks for The Music Man (The Belleville Theatre Guilds spring 2016 production), and I am looking forward to it! I'm not trying out for the show this year, I'm just the choreographer! Haha, "just"! It's hard work doing choreography! Anywho, I love callbacks because you get to see everyone together that you've narrowed down from multiple auditions and there's singing and dancing and script reading, and everyone is so nervous that it's just so exciting! Have a great weekend whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever you're doing (....I feel like I'm about to start singing a Backstreet Boys song.....yes? Anyone...?) K, g'bye! Hello hello!!! Today I've got a lovely and simple recipe for you! I first made it for my middle daughter's birthday, because her theme was "teal" (yes, just the colour teal!), and I wanted to have something besides just the cake for her and her friends. I was also aware of the fact that the cake I had made was not gluten-free, and therefore my Caleb couldn't have any. Mind you. he's 11 years old and "technically" wouldn't have been invited to the party if it weren't for the fact that he is the birthday girls' brother! But, he's 11 with autism, so, that does change things. And besides, I want to let him have a special treat at a birthday too! So, as per what often happens to me, I thought I had a brilliant idea.....only to Google it and realize someone else had already done it! I think that still counts as my idea though because I thought it up not knowing it had already been done! : ) ' Ok, well, at one of the grocery stores I go to, they had Duncan Hines flavour packs on clearance for $0.10! Woot woot! I love when things are on clearance! I grabbed a bunch, not having an exact plan for them, but knowing I would be using them (they are great to add to homemade buttercream icing, btw!) Anywhoooo, these tasty little bites of sweetness are delightful, pretty simple to make, and BONUS, last for quite a while in an airtight container! After my initial batch for the birthday I made a double batch (using the less pretty colour, but delicious flavour of caramel), and crushed some to put with buttercream into the middle layer of a chocolate cake I had made. Yummm-o x 10000! Anyway, I had too many and just had the extras in an airtight container for, oh, I dunno, a month, with the kids and I just having one here and there. They tasted just as nice at the end as they did in the beginning, so, that's just a little FYI. So, let's get on with it, shall we!?! Meringue Cookies From Duncan Hines Ingredients:
Method:
I loooves me some good clearance! So, what do you think? Cute, right?! And although this recipe involves beating egg whites, slowly adding sugar, piping and a long bake time, everything is simple, right? Does that make sense? Maybe it's not simple and I'm delusional? Please do let me know if I am delusional and you think this recipe is the worst! Be nice about it though. : ) Wanna see Abby's enormous teal cake I made for this birthday? It was a triple layer cake with a simple (though moderately time consuming) swirly/flowery buttercream frosting. Abby said it looked like a hat......and I was inclined to agree. : ) It was clearly not a thing worth sharing about in a post (poor hat cake), well, unless I was sharing about not-so-great piping skills! Seriously, I'm not that great at piping. But it was delicious, and that's important! Well, today we have another birthday party, only for our youngest! She couldn't decide on a theme (she literally changed her mind everyday!!!), so we finally landed on cupcakes as a theme! The common thread in all her birthday ideas was decorating food (it made sense since coming off Christmas where they were decorating gingerbread houses & gingerbread people, and gingerbread trees, yadda yadda). So, her friends are decorating their own cupcakes! I'll make one special one for her to have a candle on to blow out, but other than that, I haven't anything else to fuss over! I love making and decorating cakes, but I am also more than happy to not to! : ) So, I've got decorations to put up while the kids are at school, veggie tray to put together, cupcakes to pull out of the freezer, buttercream to make, and a ridiculous amount of candy to have ready for cupcake decorating! Seriously, I bought waaaay too much candy! Wait, is "way too much candy" even a real thing? Silly me. Happy weekend to all! It's finally gotten to be really wintery in Ontario!!! It was so warm and spring-ish through our Christmas holidays in Brantford, but as we drive home the skies were getting grey and blustery and the temperature began to drop. We got home, got the van un-packed, and it started to snow! The snow makes me want to (and need to in our old house!) wear 2 sweaters, cozy socks and slippers and eat warm, comforting food! In the past I was never a huge pasta eater. I enjoyed it once in a while, but it was never a food crutch for me (I had many others!). But as the fall settled in, I was feeling the need to change up our "usual" dinners, and comfort foods came to mind. COMFORT FOODS!!! I'm not 100% sure why I did that, but I said it out loud while typing it....I also said it like Cookie Monster....oh boy, I'm the captain of the crazy team today! Back to warm and cosy foods.....soups and stews, casseroles and pasta, all warm, made mostly in one pan or dish, and with leftovers for packing into lunches. However, my kids (except the youngest) hate soup, they'll eat stew, but usually with some complaining and suspicious looks at what might be hiding in the dish. They enjoy casseroles, but they're not my husbands favourite.....so, that leaves me with pasta as a good family-approved comfort meal! Side note, I know it sounds like my kids are fussy (and they sure can be!), but they mostly don't like those foods because we hardly ever have them and new foods can be scary (apparently!)! Hahaha, bunch of brats...my husband included! : ) Anyway, this recipe was approved by all (with a tiny modification for the kids--I'll give that to you in the method), and was so, so soooo good! It's creamy, a little spicy, and totally satisfying! I've made this using butternut squash noodles, sweet potato noodles, and spaghetti squash, but zucchini noodles could also be used. Oh, and if you're not paleo, feel free to use gluten-free pasta, or regular pasta! Paleo Creamy Buffalo Chicken "Pasta" Adapted from Brittany Angell Ingredients:
***I prefer to use roasted butternut squash noodles (using THIS spiralizer--it' will spiralize butternut squash without it needing too be soften at all first!), but you can also use sweet potato, or zucchini noodles. If you don't own a spiralizer you can just use roasted spaghetti squash. The amount you need depends on who's eating! I can eat an entire large spiralized butternut squash to myself! Opt for too much than too little though. Leftovers are better than not having enough. For the different cooking methods, see the instructions below!*** Method: ***Start by prepping your noodle***See below the sauce recipe for the how-to!
The Noodles! Butternut Squash- Preheat oven to 400- Cut the bulbous end of the squash off and set aside (you can scoop the seeds out to roast and snack on, and you can also roast that little portion to use in other recipes), then cut the top off the squash, and peel (see how to do this here) I use Blade D with my Inspiralizer for spaghetti noodles. Then I place them as evenly as possible onto 2 baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil. When you're almost done making the sauce, place baking sheets into hot oven to roast for 5 minutes, then take out, toss very slightly and gently, and place pans back into oven for 5 more minutes, switching which level the pan was on for the first 5 minutes. Sweet Potato- Spiralize into spaghetti noodles, and warm a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle olive oil into the pan and place noodles into pan, and cook/saute until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Don't over cook them! Zucchini- Same instructions as for the sweet potato noodles, only cook on a lower temperature, and for up to 15 minutes. They are already soft, but just need to be warmed up and have some of the water evaporate. Don't overcook them! Spaghetti Squash- Preheat oven to 400- The typical way to roast a spaghetti squash is to cut it in half lengthwise and roast. But that's a difficult way to cut a thick and strong spaghetti squash! The easiest way to roast a spaghetti squash is THIS way. Cut the squash into rings, place onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, flipping them over halfway through cooking. You'll end up with nice, long strands of squash noodles, it's a lot easier to get the noodles out, and they aren't as wet as spaghetti squash noodles that are roasted when simple cut in half. Making the sauce is so simple! Two thumbs up! : ) So many photos today!!!! : ) This meal is so tasty though, I needed to (apparently) include every photo I took! Haha, sorry! Well, ok, I really took about 40 more photos than this, so it could have been worse! I hope everyone had a good week! We did at the Van Londersele house! It was my youngest daughters birthday yesterday, and Adam brought a bouquet of flowers home for her and you would have thought she won an Emmy, a Grammy, and a Tony award all at once!! She was so thrilled she could hardly contain it! What a dear. This week also saw temperatures so low that made my nostril hairs freeze (yum), as well as the horses nostril hairs, and the dog had an icicle beard when she got inside! It also required me to fill our outdoor wood boiler 4 times a day! Sheesh! I wore a lot of layers this week, a lot of layers indeed! But, it's all part of the Canadian home that I love, so I take it in stride, knowing that we have 4 seasons that are beautiful and terrible each in their own way! So, this weekend we have the first round of auditions for the new musical "The Music Man" with The Belleville Theatre Guild. I'm pretty excited to get started on this new project! Have a lovely weekend all you good people! Oh, and share with me some of your favourite comfort foods, please and thank-you! : ) Background info: I saw a beautiful recipe on Pinterest from Iowa Girl Eats. It's a pretty simple recipe for Spicy Shrimp & Sausage Skewers. I loved how it sounded, so I was going to make it! I had the shrimp ready, the sausage thawed, skewers soaked and ready....then I was like, "huh....I don't feel like bbq-ing because it's cold and rainy.....", so then I was like, "I guess I could make the skewers and just fry them up in a pan...", then I was like, "If I'm just going to fry these in a pan, why the heck would I take the time to put them onto skewers....?" Oh, the other problem was how small my shrimp were (they were shrimpy, haha, get it?). I couldn't find (or afford!) the really big shrimp that would have made these pretty (which is an important element to me in my meals!), so I was just going to alternate between shrimp & sausage instead of making them look amazing by having the sausage piece tucked into the shrimp (go check out the recipe at Iowa Girl Eats to understand what I'm saying!). Anywhooooooo..... I really added a dash of lazy to this recipe, but I loved how the salad turned out anyway! It still tasted great, and was a real filler! Because I was originally going to eat a salad and have the skewers to the side but on the same plate, (not on top), I wasn't concerned about the dressing for my salad. But once I decided I was going to cook everything and throw it onto my salad, I suddenly needed a perfect dressing for it! I sometimes get a little obsessed about the dressings of my salads being exactly right! When I eat sausage I enjoy it with plain old mustard, so I wanted to create a very mustard-y dressing to go with it. My husband was extreeeeeeemely leery of a "mustard dressing", but he really enjoyed it because it was wonderful! It was sweet and tangy, you could taste the mustard which went really well with the sausage and the spicy shrimp! I also added some sour kraut to the salad....oh man, that was a perfect addition! Winner! Spicy Shrimp & Sausage Salad and Mustard Dressing Makes 2 Huge Servings Ingredients:
For the Salad Dressing:
For the Salad:
Method:
Honestly, this salad is soo good. I want to eat it every day, but alas, we don't have sausage and shrimp on hand in an endless supply! Booo hoo! I know the sour kraut might seem a little weird too, but it added this whole different taste and texture element that created such a fantastic salad! So, if you like sour kraut normally, and perhaps usually eat it with your sausage, then you'll want to add it on this. Just trust me. So, this weekend marks the beginning of our families Christmas holiday! We head South-West today to stay with & visit family. We shan't return home until the 28th, so it's a long haul! Some years the 10 days have gone by terribly, some years it's been amazing, but most years are a mix of the two! Between the kids and not knowing how they'll behave/react/cope, Adam and I trying to (and failing to) properly communicate, and pleasing family & friends it can be a roller coaster ride! But we are always happy to visit for Christmas, and the kids love seeing cousins and it somehow seems to work out. We know the outcome of the time away depends largely on our attitudes, so we've been working on keeping them in check and enjoying the season, regardless of the external factors! Well, so, leave a comment just to say "hey", or to tell me what you think about this salad, and especially to tell me if you tried it! Have a wonderful weekend! I have been sorely lacking in anything Christmas oriented on the blog this season!!! Thumbs down! I have a pile of recipes I've been working on that are not geared towards the holidays at all, I've been busy with art shows & working on paintings, and have just been busy with regular life, so anything that could be even remotely helpful for this busy season just hasn't happened! So, I did have a different post ready for today, but yesterday as I was looking up my own recipes and baking my butt off, it occurred to me....why reinvent the wheel! Some of my favourite, go-to Christmas recipes I posted my first year blogging! So, today I am going to share with you the recipes from Bushel & A Peck that I've been making the last few days! A lot of the recipes from here are gluten-free, but can be easily made gluten-full if you have no dietary restrictions. So, first up, a fantastically buttery whipped shortbread that only have 5 ingredients, and is very customizable! Add chocolate chips, caramel chips, butterscotch or white chocolate chips! How about an entire caramel, or whipping in some finely ground tea, like in my Earl Grey Whipped Shortbread! Yummmyx100000! Making and eating these plain is amazing too, so if you're looking for a strait-up easy, freezable, and crowd-pleasing cookie-this is the bees knees! My buttery cut-out sugar cookies use basic ingredients, and turn out with a nice crisp outside, but with a soft, buttery inside. They can seem like a labour of love because you do need to chill these before cutting into shapes, and the cutting into shapes can seem overwhelming, but it's really simple work that makes a big impression! Iced cut-out sugar cookies are quintessentially Christmas, and I know I personally always look forward to them! This year I used a different icing for my cookies, and it worked wonderfully! My usual icing (pictured above) is tasty and simple, but I needed the icing to dry a little harder so that they could be easily stacked into airtight containers, and this icing did the trick! The recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction, and you can find the recipe in the post with her cut-out cookies. Easy Icing:
Method:
Sally Says, "If it is much too thick, add 1/2 Tablespoon more water. If it is much too thin, add 2 more Tablespoons of confectioners' sugar. If you drizzle a little of the icing with the whisk, the ribbon of icing will hold for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. That is when you know it's the right consistency and is ready to use. If desired, add liquid or gel food coloring. You can pour some icing into different bowls if using multiple colors. If not decorating right away, cover the icing tightly and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days" My fudge (The Easiest Fudge Ever!!!) is so simple, so quick to make, and freezes too, so, why not make a batch and stash it away in the freezer to have available to bring to a party, to serve to guests, or to add to a plate of Christmas treats you're giving away!.......or to snack on when you need a sugar fix! : ) Chocolate & peppermint are flavour favourites, yes? Ok, not to all people, but to those who like them together, these peppermint infused fudge-y brownies topped with crushed candy cane are a beautiful dessert to add to a plate or package of treats! Here's the recipe for Gluten-Free Candy Cane Brownies! More gluten-free treats!?! Yes, sorry! Because my son can't eat wheat, I like to make sure I have a variety of sweets I can bring him so he can wonderful Christmas treats like everyone else! Also, can I say that brining a g.f. dessert to a function isn't a bad idea! There are so many people avoiding wheat & gluten, and why not make a few things that can be enjoyed by them! In my experience, it is always greatly appreciated! So, here are my Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies, they have a nice crisp outside, but a soft inside, and sturdy enough to decorate (my son's favourite part!) These simple, Peanut Butter Macaroons have been included in a few lists for Christmas cookies, including on the Roasted Roost (a list of 50 gluten-free Christmas cookies!!!), and on Only Taste Matters (with a list of 25 gluten-free Christmas Cookies!), and I shall add them here to my own list! I love that these require no baking (just a little stove-top time), use simple ingredients, & stay fresh in an airtight container for up to a week, so they can be made ahead of time (they can't be frozen though). Can we also for a minute just talk about that crazy stack of cookies pictured above!?! I'm not 100% sure how I managed to get them to stay like that, but I did! Haha! So, how's that for a list of Christmas treats! These are all tried and true recipes in my house, so I hope you'll find a few to make and add to your collection must-make holiday sweeties! I hope everyone has a good weekend! xo Nothing says "welcome to the Christmas season" like lasagna! Am I right? It's just so gosh-darned warm & comforting, full of amazing flavours, and it's a great make-ahead meal to have ready for when guests come over! Whenever I made lasagna in the past, I just followed the super simple and basic recipe from Delallo, an Italian food producer's website. It's just the sort of as plain as you get recipe that gives you room to add things, take away things, ya know. We haven't had lasagna lately though. There are gluten-free noodles in the market that I could use, but with me eating limited grains, it would still leave me without something to eat....and the torture of seeing smelling it baking & watching my family eat lasagna without me! Thumbs down! Recently I came across something on Pinterest that made me go, "oh yeah!". Lasagna noodles made from sliced zucchini! I had eat such a thing before, I eat zucchini often, but I had just sort of forgotten about it! So, thanks to Monique over at Ambitious Kitchen, lasagna has been revived in this house! I took the tips and tricks from her zucchini lasagna, and just shmooshed them into my basic lasagna recipe. Enjoy! Zucchini "Noodle" Lasagna Adapted from Ambitious Kitchen & Delallo Ingredients:
Method:
Cheeeeeeese!!!!!!! Sorry about that. : ) Well, that's all she wrote! Is there anything "special" you add to your lasagna that you would love to share with me!?! Please do! Leave a comment, say hello, join me in my "cheeeeeeese" attack, whatever. I am really looking forward to this weekend, friends. We have Adam's work party, which I always enjoy so much! Then Saturday is the Tweed Santa Clause Parade, which Abigail & Keziah get to be a part of on their school float (they are over the moon excited!). Then we'll head over to O'Hara Mill Homestead (a pioneer village of sorts) to take part in their old fashioned Christmas, then Sunday is the Christmas party for the kids (through Adam's work). A lot to do, but it'll be so much fun! I spent this past week being (un-necessarily) upset about a Christmas planning glitch we hit. Truthfully, I'm still feeling upset about the whole thing, but the reason why is because I don't want to let people down, and I love to visit friends and family during the holidays, so I get a little autistic (hate plans changing!!!) when things start to unravel. However, selfish moments like these remind me to reflect on my life, and on what's really important. It reminds me that I am blessed beyond measure to have too many people to squeeze into one trip while we're home for the holidays! It reminds me that, beyond family, I am blessed to live in a country where I am free, my life is not in danger, I live in a beautiful town filled with strange and beautiful people. I have an amazing & handsome husband, and three freakin' adorable (and loud!!!), healthy, bright children. I have friends who love me, and help and support me. We have our smart dog, our beautiful horses, and my new cat who insists on jumping up onto the keyboard while I'm typing!!! My very insignificant problem I'm facing isn't resolved, it likely won't be. We will miss out on seeing family, or we'll be stressed and rushed getting from one place to the other. But I will choose happiness. I will choose to look at a little baby in a manger who came here for me & to rejoice with the angels who welcomed his birth! Thank-you for letting me rant.....I needed that. : ) I feel better about my situation, no resolution in the actual situation, but a resolution in my heart. That's what matters most. Now go make some lasagna. xoxo |
Hi, I'm Amy-Lyn! I am the lady behind this here blog! I live in the sticks with my animals, my super handsome husband, and my
3 amazing kids! Here you'll find things from recipes (gluten-free, paleo, and strait up junk food!), DIY ideas, thoughts on raising a son with autism, and whatever else pops into my brain! : ) Read more about me by clicking here! Want to Stay Connected?
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