Orange Dream

So this past week, we went to a friends house to juice some oranges from the tree in her yard. It made some seriously delicious juice that we have been enjoying all weekend. I even decided to incorporate it into our dessert this weekend, so I added a little Vanilla ice cream and made a little treat tasting like a 50/50 bar! You could also make it with whole oranges and get a similar result!

Ingredients:

2 cups orange juice

3 scoops vanilla ice cream

or

2 large oranges

3 scoops ice cream

3-4 ice cubes

*** this version will be a little frothier...

Directions:

Pour into blender and blend!

This is a great treat with whatever fresh fruit juice you have on hand- try peaches, mango/pineapple, or a combination like strawberry orange!

Peanut Butter Pop 'Ems

Oh my GOODNESS!!! These are divine, and if I was totally honest, are better than the "real deal" Resse's cups. They have no sugar and yet are sweet and satisfying when you need a little pick me up- just pop one in for a little bit of heaven! Thanks to Amy Flory for sharing the idea with us, we are enjoying the goodness girl!!!

The Ground Flax seed gives them some texture and more nutty flavor!

Ingredients:

1/2 cups peanut butter (use the natural kind, not Skippy)

5 TBSP ground flax seed

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 TBSP honey

1/2 cup chocolate, I use dark chocolate

** wax paper

Directions:

Your peanut butter needs to be natural because of the consistency and it needs to be chilled (room temp will make it too runny). Add your flax seed, vanilla, and honey stirring it until well blended. You might have to refrigerate your peanut butter mixture if it is too gooey to roll into balls. Once it hardens, melt your chocolate, I used a double boiler (you could also use a glass bowl in the microwave, just watch it to know when it's done and be careful because the bowl might be hot). The using a tsp sized spoon, scoop and roll your peanut butter mixture and drop it into the chocolate, rolling it around with a spatula, then setting it on the wax paper to harden. I had my wax paper on a plate, then transferred the plate to the fridge for it to chill faster. Enjoy, these are delicious!

Peppermint Cookies...

I have to confess, I am a Christmas loving gal- I love everything about the holiday including the desserts, and my favorite--- anything pepperminty! I love the Peppermint Mocha at Starbucks, I love the chocolate dipped thin candy cane thing-ies, I love the Peppermint Joe-Joe's at Trader Joe's (honestly, you haven't experienced Peppermint heaven until you try these!!!)

**Side Note Picture of Peppermint Heaven, Trader Joe's Joe Joe's**

Ok, back on track now----So, I am always (well, that's not true) almost always in the mood to try a new recipe, so when I saw these in a Rachel Ray Magazine and they looked so divine all sprinkled with peppermint goodness, I have to give them a go. They turned out pretty good, so for the sake of not rewriting a recipe, I thought I would just link it here and you can follow hers if you are feeling in the mood for something new and pepperminty! I will include my pictures, because I am a visual learner and thought some of you may be too.

Side Note- She recommends baking cookies for 18 minutes- that will give you a crispy cookie (like an oreo) but if you want a fluffy or chewy cookie, I would remove them after about 10 minutes. You choose... or maybe do a sheet of each :)

5 Minute Fudge

This is one of my favorite desserts to make and give away during the holidays, probably because it's so easy and yet so incredibly tasty! It really only takes 5 minutes to make (REALLY!), refrigerate until it hardens, and then it's ready to cut and serve!

Ingredients:

12 oz chocolate chips

9 oz butterscotch chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Super simple. Put your chips in a glass bowl and microwave them for about 1 minute, stop and stir, and continue in 30 second intervals until the chips are completely melted (be careful, the glass bowl will be hot!). Once the chips are melted and mixed, add your condensed milk and vanilla, give it another swirl, add your chopped walnuts, and mix until it's consistent throughout. Using a 8 x 8 greased baking dish and spatula, scoop the fudge out and smooth until it's evenly distributed. Refrigerate until firm, cut into squares and put on cute Christmas Plates! Wasn't that easy??? and it really was 5 minutes huh??

(Thanks for your request Katy~ sorry it took me so long! Happy Fudging!)

Pumpkin Pie- (not from scratch!!!) and Homemade Whip Cream

Now, I know a lot of you out there are working hard at gettin' food on the table... so here's a little something you can do to cut some corners. With the holidays coming up, kids running around your ankles, and the calendar overflowing, there are some short-cuts that I prefer to take... especially when I am bringing more than one dish (more like 4!!!) to our Thanksgiving Feast! If you want that yummy pumpkin pie that everyone will ohhh and ahh over, here's your ticket- and they'll be amazed, it's still warm in a homemade dish not a store bought container!!! The secret, it's on the back of "Liby's" can!!!

1 can Liby's pumpkin (& follow her recipe plus 1 secret ingredient!)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg ** the one thing I add to the mix

2 large eggs

1 can evaporated milk

Pie Crust- if you have the necessary tools, make your own crust, if not, go out and get your self a premaid, prerolled, uncooked refrigerated pie crust by Pilsbury.

Directions:

Mix sugar and spices together in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat eggs, add sugar mixture and pumpkin and gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Lay your pie crust in a pie dish and push it to the sides of the dish, pour the mixture and bake for 15 minutes on 425 then turn your oven down to 350 and let it bake another 40 -50 minutes until you can stick a knife in towards the center and it comes out clean. Let it cool about 2 hours before serving.

TIP To save your crust from getting too brown, cut strips of foil and cover the crust all the way around the pie, then 20 minutes before it's done, remove them and they will turn a beautiful golden brown!

Don't forget the homemade whip cream!!!

Ingredients:

1/2 pint heavy cream

3 TBSP powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Pour ingredients in a glass bowl and beat on medium-high until it's fluffy! Refrigerate and serve a dollup with your pumpkin pie!

Homemade Apple Pie

Just in time for the holidays.....

My dad is by far the BEST APPLE PIE MAKING MACHINE OUT THERE! Without fail, his pies turn out beautiful and delicious everytime, no buts about that! I love going up for a visit during apple season, you can bet he'll be in the kitchen whipping up one of his famous crispy, warm, toasted, sweet yet a little tart- apple pies... you droolin' yet??? I am!

Ingredients:

6 thinly sliced apples (I do 4 tart, 2 sweet)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP lemon juice

pie crust, homemade or refrigerated, uncooked like Pilsbury

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425. Lay your pie crusts in your pie dish and let sit. Stir together your sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon juice and salt. Peel, core, and slice your apples and add them to the mixture, gently mixing them. Pour the mixture into the dishes and cut your butter into slices and lay them on top of the apples. Cover it with the top crust, seal and flute it. Cover the edges of the pie with foil so that it doesn't burn and remove the foil for the last 15 minutes so it can turn a golden crispy brown. Cut a few slits in the top to let air and moisture escape. Bake it for 40- 50 minutes until the juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust. Remove, let cool for a bit, but serve warm solo or a la mode!

Need some help choosing the right apples? Try these: Granny Smith, Gravenstein, Pippin, Fuij, Braeburn, and Pink Lady

Peanut Clusters

These remind me of my childhood, our sweet neighbor would make them every year for Christmas and bring us a bag of them. They are so so so simple, even the non-baker can whip these up--- and let your kids join in, they are error proof!

Ingredients

1 lb. white chocolate

2 cups rice crispy cereal

2 cups Spanish Peanuts (they have red skins on them and are salted in the snack isle)

Directions

I like to buy the chocolate in chips (Trader Joe's sells white chocolate chips) because they melt faster and more evenly verses a bar, so put your chocolate in a glass bowl (if you are using your microwave) or your double boiler (if you are using your stove) to melt them. Melt them to a smooth consistency (if you are using your microwave, do in increments of 30 seconds and stir in between, should take around 1 minute 30 seconds to melt them). Next add your nuts and cereal, stir lots until everything is evenly mixed and then get out your cookie sheets lined in parchment paper. Using a spoon scoop them in dollops onto the sheet, you will probably need 2 cookie sheets. Stick them in the fridge for about 1 hour to firm up. Package them in cute cellophane bags, Chinese take out boxes, or something of the like and share them with those you love!

** Side notes: I have tried them with milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and I have to be honest, white chocolate turns out the best.... but the others are good too so feel free to mix it up if you want to!

Chocolate & Carmel Turtles

Here the are before going in the oven, all laid out on the cookie sheet...

Close up

Finished Product!!!

Here's something quick and easy, great for a last minute gift- fill up a tin or a jar with these for the holidays- or use them as favors for a shower--- or heck, just eat 'em, they are SOOO good and literally take minutes!

Ingredients:

pretzels, the twisted kind

rolos

pecan halves (you can use different nuts, but pecans turn out the best!)

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 200. Place twisted pretzels on the cookie sheet, unwrap your rolos and place them on top of the pretzel. Fill up the cookie sheet. Pop them in the oven for 4-5 minutes, pull them out and push a pecan half into the center of the rolo. Let them chill in the fridge for about 1 hour, pop them off with a spatula and package them up to share with others!

The last time I made these, my sister-in-law and I packaged them up like this for a baby shower!

Apple Crisp....

Here's an awesome EASY dessert passed on from my sister's recipe stash perfect for the upcoming holidays... it is so yummy, be sure you make enough!

Ingredients

8 apples (4 sweet, 4 sour)

salt

cinnamon

Topping

1 cup sugar

1/2 brown sugar

1/2 butter, soften

3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup oats

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Take out a 9 x 13 pyrex dish. Wash, peel and slice your apples (the most time consuming part) making sure your apple slices are the same so they bake the same. Put them in your pyrex as you go, once you have enough apples to fill your dish to the top, generously sprinkle your cinnamon and give a shake of salt evenly over the dish. Mix it all up, add more cinnamon if needed, then start on the topping. Mix all those ingredients together, spoon it over the apples evenly and bake it for 45 minutes until it's golden brown on top. Let it cool for 5 minutes before cutting. Serve it solo or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Candied Pecans

These are SO, SO, SO good- like, so good that you are supposed to add them to your salad, but you might eat them all before they make it there! Only one requirement to seeing this recipe through unto completion- DON'T STOP STIRRING!!!! And get excited, they are cheaper than buying them already candied in the store--- way to save yourself some grocery money!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped pecans (you could use walnuts too)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

Directions:

First, chop your nuts. Then heat your pan to medium or medium high heat. I put a sliver of butter to prevent sticking and give them a quick stir. Then I added the rest of the ingredients and stirred.... and stirred, stirred, stirred. Don't stop stirring!!! If you do- you will have burnt nuts! You will see the sugar begin to melt, keep scraping it off your pan with a spatula and turn them over and over (I keep a butter knife near my spatula to scrape the melted sugar off the spatula back into the pan). Do this until all the sugar is melted and the nuts are evenly coated, then turn them out onto a piece of foil or wax paper. Let them cool in a single layer then add them to you salad!

Gadget PROMO!!! So, one of my favorite wedding gifts that I received was this awesome cutting board and rounded cutting blade. I am pretty sure it was from Costco, but if you do a lot of chopping, you would love this bad boy. It prevents your ingredients from flying all over the place- jot it down, Christmas is coming!!!

Hazelnut & Dried Cherry Biscotti

Ever since I started this blog, I have wanted to post this recipe. It's one of my all time favorites (do I say that a lot??? I think I love food!). But now that it's cold, and a hot beverage sounds favorable, what goes better with it than some fresh, homemade biscotti??? It's easier than it looks, a little time consuming, but it makes a TON- great for gifts with the holidays coming up... or just to eat by yourself as you cuddle up on the couch with a good movie and a warm mug!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, at ROOM TEMP

3/4 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted & skinned

1/2 cup tart dried cherries

1 tsp grated orange zest

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. On a cookie sheet, pour 1 cup hazelnuts (I buy mine with the brown little skins on them, this will peel that skin off and toast them) and stick them in the oven. You want to stir them occasionally so they don't burn on one side, bake them for 10-20 minutes until the skin starts to crack, then remove them and put them on a cool plate, otherwise they will continue to cook on the cookie sheet. After cooling, toss them onto a clean kitchen towel, fold it in half, and roll them back and forth to get the skins to peel off, this is really easy! Now chop them up (and the cherries too) so that you are ready for them. While you are at it, bump your oven up to 350 for the biscotti and prep your cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter (it must be room temp, it makes a big difference compared to melting it in the micro). Add the sugar and beat until well blended. Add the eggs and beat on low speed, then add vanilla and continue on low speed until all blended. In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon- then slowly add that to the egg mixture, beating it on low until it's all incorporated. Add the cherries, hazelnuts, and orange zest. The mixture will be really soft, so put some flour on your hands and divide your dough into two, making a log out of each one, they should be 4 inches apart, they don't spread much. Shape them into a log/loaf (you will be able to make 2 with this recipe) and put them side by side on a lined cookie sheet to bake for 25-30 minutes until they are golden. Take them out and transfer the PANS to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then cut them on a diagonal using a serrated knife. Lay them on their sides and put them back in the oven for 10 more minutes to harden up. When they come out they will be golden brown and delicious! Let them cool and enjoy or store in an air tight container!

*Recipe taken from the Williams & Sonoma Cookies Cookbook

Zucchini Bread...

grating the zucchini

mixing all the ingredients together

splitting it in two loaf pans

the finished product... with chocolate chips of course!!!

Well, fall is right around the corner, so I thought a new recipe for some yummy warm autumn bread was in order. I had my last huge zucchini left over from my garden, so away we went! I have only tried this recipe once, and it turned out delicious, but I will be trying it again with the hopes of tweaking it a little to lessen the brown sugar and white flour- but for the first spin, I followed the directions as they were (well, almost!).

Ingredients:

1 cup applesauce

3 eggs

2 cups grated zucchini

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup flax seed

Directions:

Really simple. Preheat oven to 350. Mix your applesauce, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and grated zucchini. (You can use your hand cheese grater or your food processor to grate your zucchini.) Then add your flours, baking soda & powder, salt, cinnamon, wheat germ, and flax seeds. Mix that really well. Then, lastly add your raisins and chopped walnuts. Spray or grease 2 bread pans and pour your mixture evenly into both and cook for 30- 37 minutes on the same rack in the oven. Test your bread with a toothpick, if it comes out dry, it's all done! If it's gooey, leave it in for a little while longer.

** So a few modifications that I made, I didn't have walnuts, so I used pecans and they were just fine. And also, you know me, I think everything is better with a handful of chocolate chips :) So one pan had just raisins & walnuts and the other had raisins, walnuts, and chocolate chips! Yum, Yum, Yum!

Homemade Mango Sorbet

Okay, so my hubby is the BIGGEST fruit-loving-ice cream fan in the world so for his birthday this year I thought he would LOVE this for a treat. Happy Birthday my sweet mango-loving honey!

Ingredients:

1 bag frozen mangos (from Trader Joe's)

1 can coconut milk (TJ's also)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup agave (again TJ's carries it)

** I updated this recipe after trying it a few times. I omitted the sugar (used to be 1/2 cup) and lessened the agave (used to be 1/2 cup) and I like it better this way. It has less stuff, more economical, and no sugar!

Mix it all up, put it in your ice cream maker (follow the directions with the machine) or put it all in the Vitamix for a few minutes and your tummy will thank you!

*** I have omitted the sugar in the recipe and I think it still turns out great!

Oat'Nana Pucks....

Oat'Nana Pucks...

the ingredients and mixing....

it will look crumbly like this...

pucks on a cookie sheet :)

yummy goodness all over the face!

Ok folks, stick with me here.  This is a new recipe I tried off of a blog my sister in law sent me, and I really liked the idea of this "snack/cookie/granola/puck" thing. It has no sugar, butter, or cooking oil (just a little bit of coconut oil) and I thought it would be a great little something to snack on throughout the day when my "munchie" signal went off. And it turns out, it has become a fabulous little "treat" for Emery. The only "naughty" ingredient is the chocolate chips, but you could really use carob chips if you wanted to or you could leave them out all together-- but let's just be honest, that would take away from the oat'nana goodness. 

Ingredients:

3 ripened bananas

2 TBSP vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut oil (you could use olive oil if you don't have it, but coconut has such good flavor!)

2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup oat bran or wheat bran (I used oat bran from Trader Joe's)

2/3 cups finely chopped almonds

1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 TBSP cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or carob chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, mash you bananas with a fork and add the coconut oil and vanilla. In a separate bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix them all together. Add your wet ingredients to the dry and continue to mix together until the mixture is well blended. On a baking sheet with parchment paper ( or use a little spray since there is no butter and hardly any oil in the pucks) scoop mixture onto the cookie sheet in small clumps. The mixture will be "loose" and not like dough. Flatten each scoop with the palm of your hand, hence the puck name, and place them about 1 inch apart because they will not expand when baked. Cook for 14 minutes and enjoy the goodness!