Oven Fries

 

• Place a  baking sheet in the oven; preheat to 425°F. Combine water, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.

• Cut potatoes into ½-inch-thick sticks. Add to the pot, reduce heat to medium and cook just until starting to become tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

• Carefully remove the potatoes to a clean kitchen towel with a slotted spoon. Gently pat dry, then transfer to a medium bowl and toss with oil. Carefully spread the potatoes in a single layer on the hot baking sheet. Bake, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy, 30 to 40 minutes.

• Transfer the fries to a paper-towel-lined bowl. Let rest for 2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Asian Salad Dressing

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Mayo
  
• 2 tablespoons ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

 Mix together until blended

Never Fail Caramel Frosting

 2 cups brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp light corn syrup 

2 Tbsp butter

2/3 cup cream

cook over low heat until sugar dissolved. Cover cook for 3 minutes while syrup  boils. Uncover and cook until soft ball stage.Cool to lukewarm and beat until spreadable. 

Quick caramel frosting

2 Tbsp. butter

2/3 brown sugar

dash fo salt

1/3 cup of evaporated milk

 

Melt butter in 2 quart pan. Stir in brown sugar, salt and  evaporated milk. Heat until boiling stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. 

2 1/3 to 2 1/2 cup powder sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Add powder sugar stir until spreading consistency. Add vanilla

Choclate Fudge Icing

 1/2 stick  butter

3 cups sugar

1 cup carnation milk

1/2 cup milk

3 1/2 blocks baking chocolate

1/4 tsp salt

 

In sauce pan stir together. scraps sides until reaching soft ball stage. Remove from heat and add:

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon favor

 

BEAT do not stir. 

Buffalo Ranch seasoning mix

 

• ½ cup brown sugar 
•  1/2 c. Dry Buttermilk Powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp sweet, smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne (more if you want it really spicy)
• 3 tbsp garlic powder 
•  1 tbsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tbsp ground mustard
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp black pepper 
•  1 tbsp. Onion Powder
• 1 tsp.   Chives 
• 1 tbsp. Dried Parsley   

   

  Mix all ingredients together. 
  

QUICK Flatbread

3 tablespoons self raising flour

3 TB yogurt

pinch of salt

TB olive oil

mix together knead for a minute. Cut in half. Cook in skillet over medium heat. Cook about a minute or 2

Black Rice Pudding

1 cup forbidden rice
4 C. half and half 
1 cup  coconut milk 
2/3 cup  sugar

Stir together half and half, coconut milk and sugar in a large, heavy saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring until the mixture is very warm and the sugar has dissolved.  Mixture should be very sweet, you can add more sugar if needed. You can use less if you don't want it really sweet. 

Pour the mixture over the rice, stir well being careful not to smash the grains of rice. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 3 hours. The pudding will bubble and the rice will be very soft. Turn the cooker off and let the pudding sit for 30 minutes before serving. 

Serve in individual bowls, can top with cut up fruit.

TAMALE CAKES

 

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups corn sweet frozen
• ¹⁄₂ cup butter softened
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ cup corn flour 
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour  
  

Preheat oven to 400°F
Let thaw corn slightly (still very cold but a little frozen)
Coarsely puree  corn in a food processor.
Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt.
Blend well with electric mixer until smooth.
Add masa and flour and blend well.

Measure 1/2 cup portions and form into 3-inch patties.
Place on a baking sheet and bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes are browned on the bottom.
Carefully flip cakes.
Bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until other side is browned.

Top with salsa and sour cream to taste.
I like to add fajita chicken  and cheese also
My vegetarian daughter adds cheese, salsa, taco sauce and lettuce.  

no bake cheese cake

“Graham Cracker” Crust

    4 tablespoons melted butter (*for dairy free see note below)
    2 tablespoons honey
    1 1/2 cups almond flour, firmly packed
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cheesecake Filling

    2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
    1 cup sugar

Pumpkin Filling

    2 eggs
    15 ounces pumpkin pie mix
    1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
    2 1/2 ounces evaporated milk

In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar. Spread over crust.
In another mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs. Add pie mix, pumpkin pie spice, and milk; pour over crust.
Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, and reserved crumb mixture; sprinkle over pumpkin layer.
Bake 350° 45 minute or until golden brown.
Cool for 1 hour.
Refrigerate 2 hours or until chilled before cutting.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter melts

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Chocolate Peanut Butter melt aways.  I can't find in now but remember that it was 1/2 semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/2 peanut better and a teaspoon of coconut oil.


So when I was craving them I first look on my piniterst for the recipe and didn't find oh well I'll my luck. They where great.  I was craving them but when I started to make them I found that all I had on hand was white chocolate chips! AND guess what they taste like reeses pieces!

I also have tired almond butter too. Almost like a almond joy!! 

I just made Mustard in the MICROWAVE!

Don't worry it does makes more

 then that!

• 1/2 cup water
• 8 tablespoons dry ground mustard

  
  

  
  

  
  

• 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar (optional)
• 1 tsp. arrowroot powder (optional, or replace with white flour, used as a thickener)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch of garlic powder
• Pinch of paprika
 

 

 

Stove top method:

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan.  Whisk to combine. Heat until boiling.  Simmer on low for 10 minutes string  frequently. Once  sauce has reduced to the thickness you would like it remove from heat.  Pour into bottle or jar . Can be  stored   in fridge for up to a month.

 For a more mellow mustard, allow to sit for a few days to become less hot.

            
To microwave: 
 In a bowl whisk to combine. Place into the microwave and heat on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and puree with a stick blender for 1 minute. Pour into a glass jar or container and allow to cool uncovered. Once cool, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Strawberry Smoothie Summer Oats

 1/4 cup uncooked old fashioned oats
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons vanilla favored yogurt
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 cup strawberries  puree *

Directions
 In a half pint jar, add oats, milk, yogurt,  and maple syrup. Put lid on jar.
 Shake until well until combined.
 Add your strawberry puree and stir until mixed throughout. Refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Eat chilled.

*Strawberry puree I made because I had some teeth pulled. That way I had some for for a quick smoothie to drink. I put some fresh strawberries  in blender.  Then ran them threw a strainer to remove seeds (you don't have too ) I frozen the puree for even quicker smoothie!

White French Dressing

1 cup  mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced onion
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. distilled white vinegar
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar

Sweet & Spicy (veggie) burger seasoning

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon Hungarian  paprika
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon pepper 

inspired by  Todd Wilbur's Top secret Fuddrucker's Hamburger seasoning recipe   
A marinade I printed from a pin from  Pinterest plus what was in my cupboard and things I read in comments.  Some said too spicy and really not a big fan of the  too spicy type of food. Thought the marinade was too sweet...

Mandarin Chicken Salad dressing

2 tablespoons  mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar
 1 1/2 teaspoons oil
 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
 1 pinch garlic powder
1 tsp ginger 

Making Almond milk

With all that is said about processed food and additives I have been trying to cut back and eating real food. Even things like almond milk have questionable ingredients. The additive carrageenan; a seaweed-derived texturizer is been known to cause stomach problems . So I thought how hard is it to make almond milk? Plus Care2 had a piece about making non-dairy milks.

The simplest way to explain is 1 part almond 2 parts water.
No more wasting almond milk cause I didn't use it up in 7 days..... now I can make as much or as little as I want.  If I need a cup of almond milk I can use 1/2 cup of almonds and 1 cup water. Plus you can store the extra almonds in the freezer and use the ground almond as almond meal (flour)



1 part organic almonds
2 parts water

Soak the almonds in the water (cover about 1 inch above them) over night or for up to 2 days.

Drain  the almonds from the water and rinse.
Put almonds and the 2 parts water in a blender.

Pulse to start to chop them up. Then blend for 2 minutes.  It will look like milk

Strain with cheese cloth the almond meal.  Press the remaining milk.out of the cheese cloth.

You can add sweetener and or vanilla  if you want.
Refrigerate. This fresh almond milk only last for 2 days but you can make as much and as little as you want. You can always have your almonds soaking for the next batch!!

Sweet and Sour Dressing

1 cup olive oil
 1/3 cup white sugar
 1/3 cup  white vinegar
 1/4 small onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
 1/2 teaspoon celery seed


 In a blender or salad dressing combine together . Blend or shake until emulsified.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

1 Cup Sugar*
1 Large Egg, Slightly Beaten
1 Cup Peanut Butter (Smooth)

*Brown sugar makes them more chewy, white sugar makes them more crisp, and sugar substitutes  makes them crumble. I like to do 1/2 cup of each type of sugar.

Preheat oven to 350
Mix  all ingredients
Drop by teaspoon   onto an un-greased cookie sheet
Bake for 8 to 12 minutes

Honey Mustard dressing

1/3 cup prepared mustard
1/3 cup honey
 2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar 
 1/2 cup mayonnaise
 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

 whisk  together until well blended.  


Very good on sandwiches and salad. I have it for my lunch today..
I even saw a recipe that used Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt (for vegans) instead of the mayo. I might try that seeing how I don't really like or have  mayonnaise in the house all the time.. 

Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup almond butter
1/4 tsp. sea salt
 1 tsp. vanilla
 1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup  chocolate chips
1/4 dried cherries
 1 cup rolled oats

 Heat honey, coconut oil, almond butter, sea salt, and  vanilla in a saucepan over low heat.
 Combine the  dry ingredients  in a bowl. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
 Press into a greased 8" x 8" pan and refrigerate until hardened. Cut into 16 bars.

Inspired by Oparh's  Chocolate Almond Bars 

More like my first break in the morning at work snack...