Friday, March 23, 2012

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread:
My kids love pumpkin bread! A few years ago, i created this version of the bread stuffed with vitamins! I always make a double batch thinking i will freeze some....not so much! It gets eaten before it even gets a chance to cool down! This is not a diet bread however, in an attempt to make myself healthier, my family is along for the ride. I try to hide vegetables in anything I can....pancakes, mac n cheese, muffins, cookies and breads! It makes it easier to say yes to that second cookie!
Ingredients:
15 ounce can Organic Pumpkin Puree
4 eggs (or 1 cup egg beaters)
1/2 cup grapeseed oil (or vegetable oil)
2/3 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup carrot puree, sweet potato puree or applesauce
1/8 cup ground wheat germ
1/8 cup ground flax seed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 cups bread flour or cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 7x3 inch loaf pans, or 2 8x3 or 9x3 with cooking spray. Whatever you have on hand, i have even made these into muffins or mini loaves.
2. Mix all ingredients until well blended. (i use my kitchenaid mixer. Batter will be smooth and shiny!
3. Pour into prepared loaf pans.
4. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Regarding the puree. This is where the vitamins come in to play! I always use sweet potato puree, i make my own in large batches and freeze it, but you can use baby food or frozen if you can find it. Feel free to omit the flax seed and the wheat germ if you don't have it on hand.











Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Sausage Stuffed Red Peppers

Sausage Stuffed Red Peppers:
Remember the post for Homemade Sausage ?? I have been using it in a lot of different ways and it just makes everything taste better! This post will show you two different ways, stuffed peppers and ravioli. If you don't get a chance to make the homemade sausage, don't worry! You can just take yours out of the casing or use bulk sausage (not linked)! I use turkey or chicken sausage to make this meal healthier! My homemade sausage has little fat, there is nothing to drain at all.

I also wanted to tell you a little about myself in the kitchen! I rarely measure anything and I do alot of "a little bit of this, a little bit of that"! I find if I make more of one thing, i will just use it in something else! That is what happened with this recipe! I knew we would only eat 3 pepper halves.....so i chopped up the fourth half into the leftover pepper stuffing and used it for my wonton ravioli filling in place of what was posted.


Ingredients:
1 lb Bulk Organic Mild Turkey or Chicken Sausage
4 Cups Organic Baby Spinach
16 Ounces Mushroom Cleaned and Diced
12 Ounces Organic Tomato or Marinara Sauce
2 Large Red Stuffing Peppers
2 Cups Cooked Rice (I use organic short grain brown)
1 Cup Weight Watchers Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
(here's the throw in.....if you want to make the ravioli tomorrow, you will need to also get the wonton wrappers, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and whatever sauce you love with your ravioli. You will need to remove 1.5 cups of the stuffing before you add the rice and cheese. Set it aside, i will tell you how to make the ravioli later! If you are not making the ravioli, ignore the side steps and make four pepper halves!

Instructions:
Spray a very large pan with cooking spray and place on med-high heat. Brown sausage, drain fat. Return to pan, add spinach and mushrooms, saute until wilted. (this is where you will want to remove about 1.5 cups of mixture and put in refrigerator for tomorrow if you are making ravioli). Add cooked rice, tomato sauce (eyeball this, don't put too much in, just enough to get it wet) and 1/2 cup of cheese to pan and allow to heat through. Meanwhile, cut and clean peppers into 4 halves. (dice one half pepper if you are going to be making the ravioli and place in a container to use tomorrow). Spray a square baking dish (for 4 peppers) or a bread dish (for 3 peppers) with nonstick cooking spray. Stuff peppers and place in prepared dish. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Divide and sprinkle remaining cheese on top of each pepper half, return to oven for 5 minutes. Serve with a side salad!






SO...for tomorrow!
Take your diced peppers, saute them until wilted. Add sausage mushroom spinach mixture and cheeses. Go to the wonton ravioli blog page and follow instructions using this as your stuffing!!!! 





Thursday, March 15, 2012

Lentil-Vegetable Soup

Lentil Vegetable Soup:
I came up with this soup a few years ago. It is so easy to make, it makes a lot but freezes well. It tastes like a hearty meaty chili. I know this recipe calls for frozen veggies, please feel free to use fresh as you would like. I have and it works just as well. Sometimes i just need a fuss free soup, and that is when i use the frozen veggies.

Ingredients:
8 Cups Water
1 pkg dried lentil beans
8 Cups reduced sodium fat free organic chicken broth
1/2 bag each frozen peas and corn
1 bag frozen broccoli and cauliflower
1 bag coin cut or chip cut carrots
1/2 head shredded cabbage
1 medium onion, diced
1 green zucchini, diced
8 oz container mushrooms, sliced
3-4 minced garlic cloves
12 oz can low sodium organic tomato paste
1/8 cup Italian Seasonings
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
Place water and beans into a very large stock pot. Bring to a boil, reduce, and simmer for 45 mins or until beans are soft. Add remaining ingredients, return to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-3 hours.


Sorry it's been so long since i have posted. I have been very busy getting the garden plans ready, finding my seeds i saved last fall and gearing up fro spring! I am thinking about posting, in addition to recipes, notes about my garden! Let me know your thoughts......



Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Homemade Sausage

Homemade Sausage...
Have you ever wondered what exactly goes into your sausage? Read the label.....YUCK! I don't use too much sausage, but i love it for breakfast once in a while, or in that stuffed pepper!! I tried to make my own with my KitchenAide Stand Mixer and grinder attachment (i would think you could use a food processor or just a hand grinder). It came out so good i just had to share it! I made mine with pork, but chicken would work just as well. This would best be used as a sliced sausage for patties, crumbled in sauce or over pizza. I could not bring myself to do link sausage, as i think, know pig intestines would gross me out.
Ingredients for Homemade Sausage:
1. 4-5 pound ORGANIC pork shoulder or picnic roast (i have not tried it, but i assume you could use pork tenderloin for a lower fat version, but this one was not greasy at all).
2. 2 Tablespoons chopped ORGANIC fresh sage
3. 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh ORGANIC thyme
4. 1 Tablespoon plus 2 Teaspoons Salt
5. 1 Tablespoon plus 2 Teaspoons minced Garlic
6. 1 Tablespoon Nutmeg
7. 1 Tablespoon Cayenne Pepper (optional, i did not use this but some people like their sausage spicy so i added it to recipe)

Instructions for Homemade Sausage:
I started out with a semi frozen roast (UPDATE: use fresh, but place it in the freezer for a few minutes prior to cutting it) it was easier to cut this way. I trimmed all the fat and cut it into one inch cubes. I placed the cubes on a tray and put them back in the freezer for about 15 minutes because I have read that very cold meat grinds easier. Plus it gave me time to get my mixer and attachment ready, and chop my herbs. While cubes are in freezer, chop sage and thyme and put in a large bowl. To that bowl, add remaining ingredients. Make sure your grinder is clean and ready whatever type you are going to use. Add the pork cubes to the large bowl with spices. Toss with tongs to coat meat and mix well. Working in batches, add cubes to the grinder and grind, using coarse wheel. Shape into four tight, equal logs and place on parchment paper or butcher paper. Wrap tightly. I also wrapped mine with a layer of plastic wrap. There ya have it! Freeze 3 logs....you will want to use the fourth the day you make this! Breakfast dinner??

Now for the pics!
















Since i made this sausage, i have used it for breakfast patties, in pasta sauce, in a mixture for stuffed red peppers, in my homemade ravioli, and as a topping for pizza. It is not greasy or fatty and i feel that it is a healthy alternative to store bought sausage. I use it in moderation. Next time i will double or triple the recipe and use my foodsaver to seal it. I made this in no time at all, it was very easy and rewarding!




Monday, March 5, 2012

Dr Seuss Pops!

No, it's not healthy, not one bit! I made these for my son's kindergarten class Friday for Dr Seuss's Birthday! I posted on facebook to share how cute they were, and many of you asked me for the tutorial! The idea was not my own, i saw it here  on pinterest of course! I made mine totally different though!

 The Cat in the Hat Pops!
 My cat in the hat!
Super Simple! Wet a paper towel, place in the bottom of a bowl. Paper towel should be really wet. Dip the bottom of one of the marshmallows onto the paper towel to get it wet. It does not need to be really wet, just enough so they stick together.
 
Push the wet bottom onto the bottom of a dry marshmallow. Press them together and lay flat to dry. Repeat with the rest of the marshmallows until you have as many hats as you need.

 Cut remaining marshmallows into 3 rounds, you will need one round for each hat. So if you are making 12 hats, you will need four extra marshmallow to cut into 3 pieces.
Sprinkle powdered sugar onto parchment paper. Place the rounds onto the paper. Roll each one to make it flat. 
Using a dab of water again, place the "brim" on each hat! I used my finger to get the entire brim wet. While the brim is still wet, i sprinkled chocolate jimmies around the outside and they stick like magic!
Now place a lollipop stick in each one starting at the brim.
 I then took a wet paintbrush and wet the area where i "glued" the 2 marshmallows together, making a straight line around the hat. I then poured red sugar over the line.


 I painted the top with water and dipped them in the red sugar.

 I let them dry and packaged them up! They were a huge hit with the kiddos!


 Pinned Image