Cooking/Recipes |

Health from the Inside Out

Posted on May 20, 2013 by Terry

I cannot express how excited I am to share this website with you today. This feature has been a long time coming and I am thrilled to share this amazing woman, mentor, personal trainer, fitness instructor, nutritional therapy practitioner, motivator and my friend with all of you.

If anyone was to ask me to describe Debbie Abbott I would simply say she is a ray of sunshine. Always smiling, upbeat, funny, inspirational, warm and simply beautiful. Her beauty radiates from the inside out and I believe a huge part of that is due to her diet.

Debbie believes in Real Whole Foods (RWF) and has a passion for research when it comes to nutrition. She has really changed my life, my diet and the way I think about food. Over the past year I have taken two of her nutrition courses and participated in her RWF challenge. I learned so much about how my body uses food, how it breaks down food, how my body is changing with age and how the food industry hides chemicals in “healthy” labels. Having a family history of pancreatic cancer, a child with ADHD and two children with Galactosemia (a rare metabolic disorder) nutrition and how we eat is critical for our health and future. Debbie has been an incredible mentor, a resource and a support though all of these challenges.

While Debbie has been sharing her vast knowledge of food and nutrition via her email distribution list for awhile now, she recently launched her website Rock Solid Nutrition & Wellness and now everyone can benefit from her knowledge, research and passion for a healthy living. We wanted to share it with you, if you are interested in learning more about food and how it impacts your body please pay her a visit!

Wishing you health and wellness!

Pin It

Posted in Cooking/Recipes, Healthy Eating, In the Kitchen Series, Low Carb, Paleo | Tagged fitness, health, healthy recipes, nutrition, paleo eating, Real whole foods | Leave a comment

Simple Strawberry Freezer Jam

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Christy

***Don’t forget to enter our current giveaway {here} for a copy of 31 Days to a Heart of Hospitality, by Edie at Life{in}grace. I just finished it the other night, and it’s really wonderful! Hurry, because the giveaway ends on Thursday, April 18th! ***

Strawberries are in season, and they are beautiful, sweet, and inexpensive right now. When I was little, we used to have a strawberry patch in our backyard. We’d pick a few quarts, then my parents would make jam, and we’d have strawberry shortcake for dinner. Well, now I buy my berries at Publix, but the tradition continues!

Freezer jam is SO easy. If you’ve never made jam or jelly before, then start with freezer jam. There’s no cooking, and I think the results taste WAY better than the cooked jams and jellies. It’s also prettier–a bright red instead of a brown-red. The trade-off is that you have to freeze the jam until you’re ready to open and use it, and then it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. It will last up to a year in the freezer, though, so if you plan ahead and make enough, you’ll never be without!

Start by buying a package of fruit pectin and some jars. I like the small jars for jam (about 1/2 c.) because they’re nice for gift-giving. If I have extras, I just fill them with my Aunt Diane’s hot mustard recipe {here}.

I’ve seen two kind of fruit pectin in stores. I’ve always used Sure-Jell in the past (it comes in a box like Jell-O), but this year I tried Ball’s version. The package looked like this, and was right next to the canning jars and supplies at the store:

The jam recipe is on the back of the package. If you use Sure-Jell, then there’s an insert inside with ALL kinds of jam recipes. These tell you how much fresh fruit to buy and how much sugar you need. Strawberry jam only requires strawberries, sugar, and pectin. One pound of fresh strawberries will yield about 2 cups of crushed berries for jam, so buy accordingly.

I made a double batch of jam, so I started with four pounds of berries. I washed them, hulled them, and cut them in half. To mash them, you can use a food processor, blender (I used my Vitamix), or a potato masher. I like my jam to have only small chunks of fruit, so I process the berries a bit longer.

Using the exact amounts of crushed berries and sugar is so important to having your jam jell. If they say 2 cups of crushed berries, then don’t skimp. Buy an extra pound of berries just in case and plan to have strawberry shortcake or fruit salad for dinner!

The Ball pectin required a little less sugar than the Sure-Jell recipe; however, it also didn’t thicken quite as much. Sure-Jell requires you to boil water and add the pectin; Ball pectin just gets mixed in with the sugar and fruit. My husband likes the Ball recipe better but I like the Sure-Jell recipe better (they also have a sugar-free version for diabetics), so we are a split-decision household.

Mix the pectin, sugar and fruit together according to your package instructions:

And then pour into the prepared jars (I wash mine in the dishwasher to sterilize them):

The jars usually sit at room temperature on the counter for up to 24 hours while they set; then you pop them in the freezer or send them down the street to the neighbors.

Plan ahead and bake bread the same day you’re making jam–we had homemade sourdough bread with ours and it was slap-your-momma good! We also had strawberry shortcake with the leftover puree, or at least, angel food cake with strawberries (I guess that’s not technically shortcake). My kids were in heaven, and my husband accused me of thwarting his diet, yet again!

Speaking of kids, freezer jam is a great recipe to make with them. It’s hard to mess it up, there’s no huge pot of boiling water and hot fruit on the stove, and the results are pretty much immediate.

Later in the summer, I highly recommend peach jam–it is amazing–and I always make hot pepper jelly, too, although that uses the traditional cooking and water bath and is a bit more difficult. This is a great place to start with Jam Making 101!

I dressed a few jars up with jute twine to send to the neighbors:

So easy! Now, go forth and whip up a batch!

Thanks for stopping by.

Pin It

Posted in Cooking/Recipes | Tagged freezer, fresh, jam, strawberry | Leave a comment

In The Kitchen: 6 Fast and Delicous Freezer Meals

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Terry

Here is what was purchased for the “Big Cook”. I spent approximately $135.00 for everything and got approximately 24 freezer meals

**Don’t miss our current giveaway for vinyl house numbers…CLICK HERE TO ENTER**

A few weeks ago my dear friend Amanda and I decided to get together for something I like to call “The Big Cook”. I am not sure why I choose that title as there was more prepping than actual cooking but that is the name that stuck. Amanda and I are both expecting our third baby and knew we needed to create an inventory of healthy and wholesome family meals that could easily be reheated or simply cooked in a crock pot. Knowing what lies ahead (sleepless nights and the demands of 3 hungry children!) we planned out six healthy and EASY recipes that will feed our families over the next few months. Amanda has since welcomed a beautiful baby girl- congratulations to her and her wonderful family!

1. Enchilada Chicken (No Pre-Cooking Required)

This was a new recipe that I took a gamble on and it sure paid off. I am not one to typically use canned/processed sauces but I gave it a try for this recipe. The key was to keep things simple and easy since we were trying to accomplish so much in one afternoon. It is a fantastic recipe although I do hope to come up with an alternative unprocessed sauce for my next “big cook”.

Ingredients:

I bought a large sleeve of chicken and made this meal x 4. It took very little time to prep the vegetables and assemble.

3 boneless chicken breasts
1 can enchilada sauce
1 sliced onion
1 sliced bell pepper
1 can of black beans
3/4 cup cheddar cheese

Freezer Meal Directions:

Place all ingredients in a gallon zip lock freeze bag.
Freeze

Cooking Directions:

Thaw freeze meal
Place in crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours until chicken is falling apart.
Shred chicken with a fork and serve with your favorite fixings.
Fixing Ideas: corn tortillas, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, avocado, rice (fixing of your choice)

Image Courtesy of Tasteofhome.com

2. Cincinnati Chili (makes 3 freezer meals)

Image courtesy of AllRecipes.com

Don’t be afraid of the cinnamon or chocolate as this recipe is fantastic and it is a staple in my home. My husband and my oldest son love Cincinnati Chili. You can make it as spicy or mild as you and your family prefers. Typically, this chili is served over pasta however I usually eat mine over spaghetti squash or simply in a bowl. Sour cream, raw onions, cheddar cheese, oyster crackers and/or Fritos are popular toppings for this savory chili.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 LB ground beef
2 TBSP butter, coconut oil or bacon grease
1 large onion diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp dried oregano
3 TBSP cocoa powder (you can add more to your taste preference)
1/2 tsp allspice
3 TBSP Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
4 cups chicken or beef stock
2 TBSP cider vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar (can be omitted if you don’t like to add sugar)
1 can kidney beans (can be omitted or substituted for other beans)
Salt to taste

Freezer Meal Directions:

In a large dutch oven heat your butter/oil. Add in onions until soft. Add the ground beef and cook until browned. I usually use a potato masher to ensure the ground beef is broken up.
Stir in all the spices and combine until fragrant.
Stir in the tomato sauce, broth and beans. Stir to combine.
Laddle chili into 3 freezer bags and freeze.

Cooking Instructions

Take chili out of freeze and defrost.
Place contents into crock pot on high for 2 hours or stove stop for 1 hour.
Accompaniments: Spaghetti/pasta, cheddar cheese, sour cream, Fritos, oyster crackers, chopped raw onion

3. Slow Cooker Shredded Beef (this made 2 meals and does not require pre-cooking although I chose to do so)

Image Courtesy of mykitchenaddiction.com

I have made this 3-4 times over the past month as it is simply tender and delicious comfort food at its finest. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to figure out the right way to cook a pot roast but it was worth the trial and error. There is no turning back now, this is by far my favorite comfort meal.

Ingredients:

3lb chuck roast/pot roast
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 packet of Lipton onion soup mix
2 tsp black pepper
Beef Broth (optional)

Freezer Directions: I usually follow the cooking instructions below because it takes a long time to cook. That way, I can simply defrost and reheat for a quick and easy supper.

Pour soy sauce, onion soup mix and black pepper into freezer bag. Mix the ingredients together until combined.
Place roast inside bag and freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

Defrost Meat and place in crock pot.
Add water or beef stock until roast is almost covered, approx 1/2 inch from top of roast.
Cover and cook for up to 22 hours on LOW. Yes, I does say 22 hours but I have never had to cook it for that long. I typically put it in the crock pot at night and by mid morning it is done (12-15 hours or cooking). I do this the time is necessary as it will make the roast fall apart deliciously and it give the liquid time to adsorb and concentrate into the meat.

4. Oven Baked Shredded Pork Shoulder:

This is another long roasting recipe that really pays off to have to in your freezer. I typically place the roast on low in my oven overnight and wake up to tender and delicious shredded pork. I make a variety of dinners with the shredded meat like: pulled pork sandwiches, pork carnitas and sometimes a pork & sweet potato frittata. It quickly reheats for a fast and tasty dinner.

Ingredients:

Large pork shoulder or boston butt pork roast
Salt and pepper

Cooking Directions:

preheat over 225
Liberally cover the pork shoulder/roast with salt and pepper
Place in oven on middle rack and allow it to cook from 8-16 hours.
You cannot mess this up, leave it and allow it to just gently roast.

Freezing Instructions:

Remove pork roast from oven and allow it to cool so you are able to handle it.
Shred pork and separate into 3-4 zip lock freezer bags
Freeze until needed
Defrost when ready to use, place in crock pot on low with desired flavorings/sauces to reheat.

5. Muffin Tin Meatloaf (No Pre-Cooking Require)

Image Courtesy of My Blessed Life

I love to use muffin tins when making and freezing meatloaf as it is so easy grab the exact amount you need for a quick and easy family dinner.
The recipe below says that it serves 8 although I got almost 24 muffin sized meatloaves. If you prefer to keep your meatloaf to one pan, you probably will get 2 medium sized loaves from the recipe below. I cooked my muffin tin meatloaves and then froze them. I simply pull them from the freezer and reheat when needed.

Ingredients:

3 lb ground lean beef
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 small green pepper (chop finely)
1 small onion (chop finely)
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp hot sauce
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce, divided

Cooking & Freezing Directions:

Combine first 9 ingredients in large bowl, stir in 1 cup tomato sauce.
Shape mixture into 2 loaves or place in prepared muffin tin. Wrap loaves tightly and freeze for 1 month.
Remove from freezer and let thaw overnight in fridge.
Heat oven to 350. Place meat loaf on cookie sheet pan. Pour 1/2 cup tomato sauce on top. Place 4 bacon slices on each loaf. Bake for 1 hr and let stand for 10 mins before serving.

6. Cheddar Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

5 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups frozen yellow corn
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 qt half and half
3 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1/8 ground white pepper

Cooking Directions

Prick each potato several times with fork. Place in microwave for 20 mins until soft.
Peel potatoes and cut and mash.
Melt butter in dutch oven on medium heat. Add onions and corn and sauté until tender. Add flour, stirring till smooth. Place in potatoes, half and half, and all remaining ingredients.
Cook for 15 mins-30 on medium/low heat until all ingredients are well combined. Soup should be thick due to the “smashed” potatoes.
Top and garnish with cheese, bacon, crushed and green onions.

Freezing Instructions

Cool the soup and divide evenly into freezer bags. Freeze until needed.
Pull from freezer, thaw and reheat on stove top for a wonderful & creamy soup.

Bon Appetite!

Pin It

Posted in chicken, Cooking/Recipes, Healthy Eating, In the Kitchen Series, Low Carb, Paleo, Uncategorized, Whole Foods | Tagged beef, chowder, corn, crock pot, freezer, freezer meals, Healthy Eating, Pork, Recipe, Slow cooker, vegetables, Vegetarian | 3 Comments

The Best Make~Ahead Cinnamon Roll Recipe EVER!

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Christy

It’s December 26th, and there’s a good chance you’ve exceeded your maximum caloric intake for the day/week/month/year already. BUT, don’t we get to feast until the New Year and then start our diets?!

This is the best cinnamon roll recipe EVER, and I have made quite a few, including my grandmother’s (delicious) and Pioneer Woman’s (also yummy). There are a couple of reasons I like this one so much. First, the dough gets mixed in a bread machine. While I make lots of bread from scratch, sometimes it’s nice to be able to dump the ingredients in the bread machine and do something else while it does the work. Yes, you can mix the dough by hand if you don’t have a bread machine. Second, you can make the rolls the day before, cover the pan and let them rise in the fridge overnight. Then bake and frost the next morning (I also make the frosting the day before) and enjoy. Third, they are slap-your-momma good. Seriously! Why not try them for your New Years’ Day breakfast? That way, if your head aches from too much champagne, all the work is already done for you.

I claim no credit for this recipe. I found it on my favorite recipe site, AllRecipes.com, where it has 4,916 reviews and a five-star rating. That means there are over 314 million people in the US alone who don’t know about this recipe! And what about the rest of the world?! Out of the goodness of my heart, here it is:

Clone of a Cinnabon by Marsha Fernandez (click to go to original recipe)

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2-1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2-1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (you can use the fancy kind if you want, but it’s great with the plain old grocery store brand)
chopped pecans, if desired (because they make my husband happy)
1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting:

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.
After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. (Christy’s note: add chopped pecans if you’d like. My kids prefer not to have nuts, so I do half and half). Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). (Christy’s note: This is where I cover them and put them in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, I take them out and let them come to room temperature and rise for up to two hours, and then I bake them).
Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and salt. (Christy’s note: I make the frosting the day before, too, and store it in the fridge. Pull it out when you take the rolls out to rise the next morning). Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

I bake these a little longer than 15 minutes, sometimes up to 18-20 minutes. I try to find the balance between letting the tops get too brown and having the uncooked doughy center (I hate that!). These are SO delicious, and I usually serve them with fresh strawberries or pineapple. You can thank me later!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pin It

Posted in Christmas, Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining | Tagged best, bread machine, cinnamon roll, frosting, holiday, make ahead, Recipe | 4 Comments

Vegan Oatmeal Flax Spelt Cookies are Perfect for Fall

Posted on November 6, 2012 by Terry

Check out my new favorite fall cookie that my dear friend Alison turned me onto. She is an amazing friend and an excellent chef. She gave me one of these cookies the other day and I was simply hooked after one bite. She found the recipe on this cool blog called on No Meat Athlete. They provided some really nutritious recipes that are design to fuel vegan athletes and really encourage whole foods. These cookies are wonderfully nutritious but they are still a dessert and should be eaten in moderation. A good way to control this is by freezing half the batch. They will taste just as good a month or two from now:).

Vegan Oatmeal Flax Spelt Cookies courtesy of No Meat Athlete

Ingredients:

3/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup turbinado sugar

1 1/2 cups ground flax seed

1/4 cup applesauce

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups spelt flour (I modify this and use only 1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cups oats

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup dried currants or other raisins

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the spelt flour, oatmeal, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Beat the coconut oil with a whisk until smooth. You may have to microwave it to soften the oil a bit. Whisk in the sugars, then stir in the flax seed. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix until uniform.

Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Fold in the currants.

Using an ice cream scoop, place large mounds of cookie dough on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten the cookies with your palm so they are about 3 inches across.

Bake for 16 minutes, turning the pan around about halfway through baking. Makes 15 large bakery-style cookies.

Posted in Autumn and Fall, Autumn/ Fall, Cooking/Recipes, Healthy Eating, Uncategorized, Whole Foods | Tagged Coconut Oil, cookies, Fall baking, Fall Desserts, Flaxsead, Oatmeal, Raisins, Turbano Sugar, Vegan Dessert | Leave a comment

Whipped Apple Cider Martinis {Halloween/Fall}

Posted on October 20, 2012 by Amy

Oh Yum!!! If you need anything more to like about Fall, here is the perfect drink to toast the season. In my house, as soon as the apple cider hits the stores this drink becomes a one of our favorite adult treats.

I have mentioned my husband’s talent for bartending previously, he concocted this drink with the fixings from an ‘Apple Cider Bar’ we had at an Engagement Party we hosted last year. The couple liked it so much they served it as their “Signature Cocktail” at the wedding! It’s always a hit.

You can tweak this to your liking, and I apologize to those who don’t drink alcohol, you could obviously play around with whipped cream and apple cider but using the flavors in the alcohol really is what gives this drink its fun flavor.

You need apple cider (obviously), I typically use Trader Joe’s but any kind is fine, and “Whipped Cream” Vodka and “Buttershots” Liquor.

You also need ice, a shaker with a strainer, and ice cold martini glasses, something we seem to always have on hand in our freezer! I coated the rim of this glass with a sugar/cinnamon mix to make them a little more festive.

To make the drinks: Mix 2 parts vodka to 1 part buttershots in the shaker (with some ice) to your liking, then pour in the apple cider and shake well–very well–you want the ice to break up a bit and chill the drink. I would recommend 2:1 on the liquors then at least 2 parts cider–but that still may be too strong for some, so adjust accordingly. Be warned: these are strong drinks–just like a classic martini. This drink is also a great after dinner/dessert drink because they are on the sweet side.

And, if you are hosting a Halloween Party, you might notice these drinks coordinate perfectly!

Hope you enjoy a perfect Fall weekend!

Cheers!

Stay in Touch!

Pin It

Posted in Autumn/ Fall, Cooking/Recipes, Entertaining, Halloween | Tagged apple cider, bartending, cocktail, drink, entertaining, Fall, Halloween, martini, vodka | 2 Comments

Autumn Apple and Curry Chicken Salad

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Terry

I just had the pleasure of chaperoning my son’s kindergarten field trip to a local apple orchard. Look at those delicious red apples! I ate quite a few while walking around and they were quite tasty. While savoring the sweet Autumn flavor it gave me a creative new take on chicken salad I couldn’t wait to try out when I got home.

Apple picking, the perfect fall activity!

Fall is by far my favorite time of year and apple picking is the perfect fall activity for adults and kids alike. It isn’t really the picking for me but all the goodies I get to bake and cook when I get home. This recipe is going to be a fall must have in my house as both my kids and hubby loved it. My hubby isn’t really into savory but he devoured this salad last weekend during a fall hike. It really captures all the wonderful flavors of the fall season. It is a great option for kids lunches or served on endive at your next fall gathering. It is sure to be a crowd pleaser who ever the audience.

Ingredients

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup sliced walnuts, almonds or pecans (I used walnuts)
1/2 cup good mayo or nonfat plain greek yogurt
1 teaspoon curry powder (I love curry and used a bit more to taste)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup freshly picked crisp apples, diced
1/2 cup pears or grapes sliced and diced (optional, you can double the apple if you prefer but I did add the pear:)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
the juice of one lemon
Mixed greens or crackers for serving

Directions

Bring the broth and water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add chicken to broth and simmer, covered, for 6-8 minutes. Turn the heat off and let chicken stand in the cooking liquid, covered for another 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, cool and dice into 1/4-inch dice.
Toast the almonds, walnuts or pecans in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant and beginning to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, mix together the mayonnaise (or yogurt), curry powder and lemon juice. Fold in the chicken, raisins, nuts and apples and pear (and/or grapes).
Season with salt and pepper (And extra curry if you like it strong like I do).
Serve with crackers or mixed greens and enjoy!

Pin It

Posted in Autumn and Fall, Autumn/ Fall, chicken, Cooking/Recipes, Healthy Eating, In the Kitchen Series, Low Carb, Paleo, Uncategorized, Whole Foods | Tagged Apple, Chicken, Curry Chicken Salad, Fall, In the Kitchen, recipes | Leave a comment

The Perfect Fall Dessert: Rum Raisin Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Terry

The Perfect Fall Dessert!

This cake is perfect for fall and one of my favorite cakes to serve. This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa Parties so you know it is amazing. It is perfect for breakfast, brunch or dessert. The rum maple glaze screams fall and the raisins and walnuts add the perfect balance of crunchy sweet. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do.

Pre-heat over to 350

Baking Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Grease Baking Pan, then flour

Soak the golden raisins in 1/2 cup of rum.

Cream together the butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes

Add the eggs

Add in vanilla & sour cream

Sift together the dry ingredients: Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt. Add flour to batter.

For the Struesel:

Combine the Struesel Ingredients

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, optional
1/2 cup rum
3/4 cup golden raisins

Add in the Rum soaked Raisins and Walnuts

Layer the struesel and the batter in your floured baking pan

Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees, cool for 30 minutes

For the Rum Maple Glaze:

Rum Maple Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
2-3 tablespoons of rum

Mix all ingredients together until glaze is runny (may need to add in a few drops of water)

Yummmmmm!

Rum Raisin Sour Cream Coffee Cake- ENJOY!!

sharing this recipe at~

Centsational Girl

Posted in Cooking/Recipes, In the Kitchen Series, Uncategorized | Tagged Baking, brunch, Cake, Cake Flour, Coffee Cake, dessert, Fall Desserts, Raisin, rum, Rum Raisin, Sour Cream, Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Walnuts | 3 Comments

In the Kitchen Series: Grilled Tzaktiki Chicken, Tzaktiki Cucumber Relish and Homemade Hummus and Chips

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Terry

Grilled Chicken Tzatiki

This is an excellent summer dish I recently spotted on Pinterest (I think I may need to get some therapy since I am fully addicted to that site). The ingredients are fresh and flavorful and I would definitely serve this at small gathering of friends. This recipe calls for pita bread but you can skip that ingredient if you are trying to avoid carbohydrates.

For more info about this recipe please visit Style at Home.

The yogurt gives this marinade it's tang.

For chicken marinade:

1/2 cup plain yogurt

2 tbsp honey

2 tsp fresh lemon juice + 2 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp hot sauce

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Pinch salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions

To prepare chicken marinade, whisk all ingredients except chicken breasts together in a bowl. Combine marinade with chicken breasts in a large zip-lock bag, seal and gently shake to evenly distribute marinade over chicken. Place in refrigerator and chill for 2 to 4 hours.
Grease grill and preheat to medium-high. Remove chicken from zip-lock bag and discard marinade. Grill chicken breasts until cooked through, about 10-15 minutes (each grill is different). Remove chicken from grill, let rest for a few minutes and slice thinly on the diagonal. Lay chicken slices on top of each pita (or no pita for those who are following a low carb diet). Serve with cucumber salad and garnish with a little extra yogurt and serve.

For cucumber relish:

This salad works with any meal- it is just fresh, simple and tasty.

1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

Pinch salt

1 cup seeded, finely diced tomato

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

6 tbsp coarsely chopped and pitted black olives

4 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh parsley

2 tbsp coarsely chopped dill

1 garlic clove, minced

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

Lay cucumber slices in a sieve placed over a bowl and sprinkle with pinch of salt. Leave for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until cucumbers soften and their liquid begins to drain into the bowl. Stir occasionally.
Mix all ingredients together and chill in refrigerator for a couple hours.
Serve with Tzaktiki Chicken

Why buy store bought hummus, it is SIMPLE to make and so very tasty.

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (depending on taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.
Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.
Add a small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional).
Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

I made my own pita chips by baking left over pita in the oven with olive oil. They were just as good as any bag of chips I have ever purchased and my kids loved them.

: Combining all three recipes created the perfect Tzatiki Platter.

Posted in chicken, Cooking/Recipes, In the Kitchen Series, Low Carb, Paleo, Uncategorized, Whole Foods | Tagged Chicken, cucumber, Hummus, Middle Eastern, Olives, Pita Bread, Tzaktiki, Yogurt Sauce | Leave a comment

In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane: Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

Posted on July 18, 2012 by Terry

Click on the "In the Kitchen with 11 Magnolia Lane" Button to read about our new series

Middle Eastern Vegetable Salad

Middle Eastern Salad Courtesy Ina Garten

I have to give credit to Amy for sharing this tasty and healthy little salad with me. It is perfect for summer, a wonderful side to share at your next pot luck and a high protein vegetarian meal tossed in one bowl. This salad comes from the Barefoot Contessa, How Easy Was That cookbook. She is my personal favorite food network star, I have all her books and I really enjoy everything she creates. This salad will not disappoint you so bon appetit!!

: Chick Peas are super high in folic acid, zinc and molybdenum (helps the body detox naturally).

Ingredients

10 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 pound ripe tomatoes, seeded, cored, and 1/2-inch-diced
1 hothouse cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and 1/2-inch-diced
1 can or jar (12 to 16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/3 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup good olive oil
8 ounces good feta cheese, 1/2-inch-diced
Toasted pita bread, for serving

This is a one bowl meal and allows for easy clean-up!!

Directions

Place the scallions, tomatoes, cucumber, chickpeas, parsley, mint, and basil in a large salad bowl and toss to combine.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1-teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to make an emulsion. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing gently to coat all the vegetables. Add the feta, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Serve the salad with the toasted pita bread.