Overgrown Mint - What to Do!

Flank Steak with Key Lime and Mint Marinade, Mango Peach Salsa and Roasted Veggies! 

Healthy and Low Carb!  

The mint in my garden is out of control! The stuff kind of grows like a weed anyway but mine is out of the planter boxes and is invading the yard! I harvested most of it to dry and use in soap and tea, and kept some fresh to use for cooking. Key limes were also on sale so I bought a pound of those and wanted to see what I could do with Lime and Mint for this weeks menu. Also, having been gone for a few days meant that all of the fresh fruit and veggies I had in the fridge were about ready to GO so I came up with some recipes to utilize the Mint, Limes and produce - I hate to waste food!

Key Lime and Mint Marinade
Ingredients:
• 1/4 C. Fresh Mint Leaves washed and chopped
• 4 Cloves of Garlic peeled and rough chopped (more if you like!)
• 1/4 C. Fresh Key Lime Juice
• 2 T. Olive Oil
• 2 T. White Wine
• 1 T. Honey
• 1 t. Chile Paste or one small chopped Chile
• 1 t. Fresh ground Pepper
• 1/2 t. Kosher Salt

Throw everything into a small food processor and blend until smooth! This marinade is great for Meat and Poultry. I encourage you to try it on fish but the flavors might be too bold for mild fish.

Score a 2.5-3 lb flank steak on both sides across the grain. Place in a freezer bag and pour the marinade over the steak making sure the whole steak is covered. Marinate for 2-4 hours.

Mango Peach Salsa with Key Lime and Mint
This Salsa goes SOOOO well with the marinated Flank Steak!

Ingredients:
• 1 Ripe Mango peeled and chopped
• 3 Ripe Peaches peeled and chopped
• 1/4 C. Fresh Mint Leaves Minced
• 1 Green or Red Chile roasted, peeled, and chopped. Any works, as hot or mild as you'd like! The Chile I used was about 2 T. chopped
• Pinch of Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste

Mix everything together in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for one hour to let flavors mix!

TIPS and CAUTIONS:

BE VERY CAREFUL when working with Chile Peppers! I like to wear gloves but if you are working with bare hands be sure to not accidentally rub your eyes or nose - it will BURN!

To Roast a Chile place it on the middle of your baking rack and roast at 400 degrees until the skin blackens and starts to separate from the flesh of the pepper. After Roasting the chile wrap it in a plastic wrap for 5 -10 minutes until it is cool to the touch. It will steam in the plastic and this will help you to remove the skin. Let the Chile cool completely since escaping steam can also burn your eyes and nose from heat and Capsaicin.

You can scrape out the seeds or leave them in. The seeds are very hot and will add a great deal of spice to the salsa.

Roasted Veggies!
You can use any Veg that you like - here is what I used:

• 1 Red Bell Pepper
• 1 Yellow Pepper
• 3 small to medium Zucchini (I think this is actually a fruit)
• 1 Sweet Onion
Toss in:
• 3 Cloves of Garlic Minced
• 1 t. Ground Rosemary
• 3 T. Olive Oil
• 1/2 T. each of Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper

Wash the veggies, de-seed the Peppers and remove the skin from the Onion. Cut the pepper and Onions into large chunks. Slice the Zucchini lengthwise.

Toss in the Oil, Garlic, Rosemary and Salt & Pepper. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until the veggies are tender. If you like the veggies less cooked then try 10-15 minutes.

Flank Steak!
Let the Flank Steak come to Room Temperature and remove from the bag. Pat dry with towel paper.

Fire up the Grill and coat the rack with oil. The grill is hot enough when you hold your hand about an inch over it and you can only hold it there for about a second. Grill the steak on about 4-5 minutes on each side for medium.

You can also cook the Flank Steak in a Cast Iron Skillet on the stovetop. Get the skillet nice and hot, coat in oil and cook the steak for 4-5 minutes on each side for medium.

When cutting the flank steak to serve it is best to cut think slices across the grain. This cut of Meat can be tough if cut with the grain!

Put it all on a plate and eat it up! 

You will have lots of leftovers! Steak sandwiches anyone????

Recipes: Avocado Berry Smoothie

This morning I started my day with Key Lime and Grapefruit Whipped Shea Butter Scrub and an Avocado and Berry Smoothie to help my metabolism started after 8 hours of sleep! Eating a balanced breakfast including good carbs, protein and fat can help reduce the risk of weight gain, fatigue throughout the day and muscle wasting*. I need to keep up my energy for soapmaking after all!

This recipe only takes about 5 minutes and is a great way to start your day! This recipe is packed with protein and due to the avocado this does have a fair amount of fat but it is good fat and it will give you sustained energy until your next meal unlike quick burning simple carbs. For your reference I included nutrition info below.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz Pure Almond Unsweetened
• 2 scoop , 100% Whey Protein. NOTE - any protein powder will do. I used EAS Vanilla Whey Protein powder. If you use another protein powder nutrition info will vary slightly.
• 1 cup Strawberries, Fresh or Frozen
• 1 cup Blueberries Fresh or Frozen
• 75 g Avocado(about 1/2 fruit)

1) Wash the blueberries and strawberries. I like to wash fruit ahead of time and freeze it and use the frozen fruit in my smoothies but you can use unfrozen as well, or store bought frozen fruit as long as it is unsweetened whole fruit.
2) Slice strawberries if necessary.
3) In a blender add Almond Milk, Berries, Protein and Avocado and blend on high for ten seconds, and then in 3 or 4, five second pulses.
Serve immediately - 2 servings



Here is to happy healthy mornings!

*Resources: http://www.livestrong.com/article/385504-the-effects-of-eating-a-healthy-breakfast/
http://drerico23.hubpages.com/hub/3-Essential-Thyroid-Diet-Tips-For-Hashimotos-Thyroiditis-Sufferers
http://www.muscleprodigy.com/getting-started-nutritional-secrets-for-fat-burn-arcl-647.html

Last Minute handmade gift ideas

I often find myself making last minute gifts during the holidays - they are perfect for those friends who have everything and are nice to have around in case there are any unexpected guests during the holidays! Here is what I did this year:

1) Flavored liquors make for pretty gifts when packaged in corked bottles! You can get the recipes for these on my blog here. There is still time to make the Chai Whisky which only needs 24 hours to infuse! I used frosted glass cosmetic bottles that I had left over from some R&D but you can find Cork top bottles at most craft stores. Mason jars would also be lovely for packaging. You can make up sticker labels, or a raffia tie with a tag and the name of the infusion would be perfect too!

2) Handmade chocolates are always a hit! Get some nut and dried fruit trail mix and add to melted chocolate to make fruit and nut bars. Trader Joe's Omega Trail mix works well! Wrap in tin paper and a cigar band label or tag label.Good quality chocolate can be found at most health food and natural food stores or get melting chocolate from the your local craft store.  
how to to temper chocolate

For chocolate clusters get some raw nuts, candy them (great recipe here), and then dip the nuts into chocolate and spoon onto parchment paper until set! I made some yummy ones with white chocolate, candied almonds and freeze dried blueberries from Trader Joes! They go great with a blueberry vodka spritzer! (wink)

3) You can NEVER go wrong with homemade marshmallows! I used an easy recipe from the NPR website and the book "Make the Bread Buy the Butter". I added some cardamom to mine, or you can add a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder for chocolate marshmallows or even some peppermint extract! Bags can be found at your local craft store.

Infused Liquors Part One: Recipes & Method

 Grapefruit Lavender Gin,

Blueberry Lemon & Rosemary Vodka and Chai Whisky

A couple of years a go my friend Nikole gave me a jar of vanilla beans with instructions on how to make your own vanilla extract. I was thinking about her and remembered the gift which was the inspiration for these infused liquor recipes! I am thinking I will give them as gifts to my friends who drink alcohol and are looking for something adventurous to try!

In Part One I will show you how to make the infusions and in the second part I will show you some packaging ideas and recipes!

Materials:
32 oz widemouth Glass containers with lids
Small Food Processor
Mortar & Pestle
Herbs, dried fruit, spices and citrus peels

Method:
Prepare ingredients by dry toasting and grinding herbs with Mortar & Pestle, chop or food process dried fruit and bruise fresh herbs and citrus peels. Add the ingredients to your glass jar and fill with liquor. Tightly seal and label. Store in a warm dark place and shake twice a day for 24 hours to one week depending on the strength of the herbs. Strain liquor with a coffee filter and fill glass storage containers.

Grapefruit Lavender Gin
Ingredients:
Peel of one Grapefruit
1/4 cup of Organic Dried Lavender
30 fl. oz. of Gin

1) Peel the Grapefruit rind being careful to avoid the white bitter parts and add to your jar along with the Lavender Buds. 2) Add the Gin. Let sit in a warm dark place for 1 week. Shake the jar twice per day.

Blueberry, Lemon and Rosemary Vodka
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Dried Wild Blueberries (Trader Joes)
Peel of one Lemon
sprig of fresh Rosemary bruised or 1 Tablespoon dried and chopped
30 fl. oz. of Vodka

1) Peel the Lemon rind being careful to avoid the white bitter parts and add to the jar. 2) In a food processor pulse the blueberries and a few ounces of the vodka until the blueberries start to break down. You do not want to form a paste, just break them up a bit. 3) Add the Blueberries and vodka to the jar along with the rosemary and remaining vodka. Let sit in a warm dark place for 1 week. Shake the jar twice per day.

Chai Whisky (or Bourbon)
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Cardamom Pods
1 Tablespoon White Peppercorns
2 Cinnamon Sticks broken up into about 1 inch pieces
1 Tablespoon fresh Ginger chopped (dried pieces are ok or 1 Teaspoon ground)
1/2 Teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 Teaspoon ground Cloves
2 Vanilla Beans washed and broken into 1 inch pieces
30 fl oz Whisky or Bourbon

1) Toast the Cardamom, Peppercorns and Cinnamon until the spices start to pop. BE CAREFUL - the Peppercorns with go up like popcorn if they get too hot! 2) Transfer to a Mortar and Pestle and grind to a coarse consistency just to release the oils. You will have a lot of large pieces of Cinnamon. 3) Chop the Ginger if necessary and add all of the ingredients to your jar and fill with Whisky or Bourbon. Let sit in a warm dark place for 24-48 hours. Shake the jar twice per day.

Stay tuned in a week or so for packaging tips!

For Organic Herbs and Spices:
http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

Ginger and Green Curry Soup

As many of you may know by now I am on a restricted diet due to some food sensitivities to Gluten, Soy, Eggs and Dairy so my kitchen has become a mini food lab for trying out new recipes and modifying recipes I love to make them free of the things I should not eat! Thai curries have been a great inspiration for me with their fresh ingredients and one of my favorite liquids Coconut Milk! I like to eat this soup topped with fresh sprouts and red cargo rice on the side!

 If you have an Asian market in your neighborhood I highly recommend visiting them for vegetables and especially the fresh Ginger root for this recipe. I find that the vegetables at these markets are always very fresh as vegetables make up the bulk in most Asian diets so the produce has a very high turnaround. The veggies at my market are not advertised as organic but since I always find critters in my produce and I take it as a good sign!

 I am always especially excited about the ginger at my local Asian Market. It is always juicy and fresh and they even have Galangal a root in the same family as Ginger and used widely in South East Asia. It has a similar flavor to Ginger but is milder with less heat and slight woody pine flavors. It is used to make Thai Curry Pastes and can be substituted with regular ginger if you want to try and make your own green curry paste. I have seen many recipes but all have the ginger or galangal, garlic, chiles, lemongrass, lime and a spice blend. There are a lot of ingredients on most Green Curry Paste recipes so I like to buy mine pre-made.

Ingredients:
• 32 oz of low sodium vegetable broth from a box or make your own here.
• 1 can (13.5 oz) of Coconut Milk
• 6 large cloves of garlic sliced (or more if you like)
• 3 Tablespoons of grated FRESH ginger root. I like to use a fine cheese grater. Powdered ginger will not give you the heat and sweetness. 
• 1 Tablespoon Green Curry Paste (more or less to your taste)
• 1 Tablespoon sesame seed oil.
• 1 heaping tablespoon of Brown Sugar
• 1 cup rough chopped basil (sweet or thai) 
• 6 green onions light green and white parts, chopped
• Black pepper and Coconut Aminos to taste. (Coconut Aminos is a soy free liquid amino acid seasoning alternative - it kind of tastes like a combination of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and is DELICIOUS! You can use Soy Sauce if you do not have sensitivities)
• Vegetables - you can use just about anything that you have on hand. I am using:
2 Red Bell peppers sliced
3 - 4 cups of Baby Bok Choy cut into 1 inch pieces
2-3 cups stemmed watercress cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 cup whole sugar snap peas
If you are ok with meat you can sub the Veggie Broth for 32 oz. of low sodium Chicken Broth and add one cup of sliced chicken to the soup. 


Method:
1) Wash and dry all of your veggies herbs and spices, cut up and separate into cooking times. Group 1: Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions, Red Peppers. Group 2: Bok Choy Stems and Sugar Snap Peas. Group 3: Basil, Watercress, Bok Choy Leaves. I like to have a few bowls going to hold my veggies as I chop then up since they have different cooking times.
2) In a medium Sauce Pan Heat your Sesame oil and saute Garlic, Ginger, Green Onions and Red Bell Pepper for about one minute to release the flavors - be sure to not burn anything!
3) Add the Sugar, Vegetable Broth, Coconut Milk, Green Curry Paste, Bok Choy and Sugar Snap Peas and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes.
4) Add the Basil, Watercress and Bok Choy Leaves and boil for about 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Parsleyed Quinoa with Oven Roasted Cabbage and Goat Cheese

 

 This recipe is simple but delicious and is perfect for a light dinner (which really should be a smaller meal than it traditionally is). Cabbage is low calorie, high in fiber and antioxidants and a wonderful filling food especially if you are dieting. Quinoa is just awesome, and good source of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese, Vitamins B6, Niacin and Thiamin, lysine, is low in fat and high in protein. Goat cheese is known to cause less adverse reactions than cheese made from cow's milk and has a unique tangy quality that I love!

• 2 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/4 t. salt (optional)
• 1 head of cabbage
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley rough chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more for drizzling
salt and pepper to taste
young chevre (goat cheese) for crumbling over cabbage

1) Preheat oven to 400º.
2) Clean and core cabbage, peel outer leaves and cut into quarters. Place cabbage quarters on a cookie sheet covered in foil with the sliced sides facing up.
3)  Heat olive oil and minced garlic in a small microwave safe container for 30 seconds. Brush on cabbage. Be sure to get an equal amount of garlic on each piece of cabbage.
4) Place cabbage in preheated oven, roast for 45 minutes.
5) Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan bring the 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil and add 1/4 cup of chopped parsley and quinoa and 1/4 teaspoon of salt (if desired). Bring up to a boil then cover and reduce heat to simmer until all of the water is absorbed, 10-15 minutes. The quinoa will appear translucent when done. Keep covered to steam until cabbage is done.
6) When cabbage is done (cabbage should be still slightly crunchy in the middle but tender on the outsides with a nice brown color) sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
7) To serve, place 1 cabbage quarter on a plate with 1/2 cup of quinoa, sprinkle with about 2 Tablespoons of crumbled goat cheese and enjoy!

Last Day of Liver cleanse - White Been Purée with sautéed chard

So I am in the home stretch of the liver cleanse and I am so happy that I did this! I feel wonderful, lost a couple pounds and I think I have kicked my dependence on caffeine for good! I have been eating surprisingly well but have started craving all of the foods I am not supposed to have of course. After today I can re-introduce gluten, dairy, eggs and soy one at a time to see if I have any adverse reactions which may indicate a food allergy. I really hope I am not allergic to dairy - I don't think I could live without cheese! Throughout the day I will post a few of the recipes I have tried during the week. First up:

White Bean Purée with Sautéed Chard
(adapted from A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen by Jack Bishop)

 

Creamy Puréed White beans with roasted garlic perfectly compliments sautéed Onions and Swiss Chard for a balanced healthy snack or side dish to fish or chicken. You can use fresh chopped garlic that has been sautéed for a spicier flavor but I love the mellow sweet creamy taste of the roasted garlic with this. This is delicious, protein packed substitute for starch when following a low carb diet!

Bean Puree:

1 1/3 cup vegetable broth

3 , 15 oz cans of Cannellini or Great Northern beans no salt added (or low salt)

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6 roasted garlic cloves peeled (whole garlic bulb is needed)

Kosher or sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Drizzle olive oil on the garlic bulb and wrap a the whole bulb of garlic in tin foil. Bake in toaster over or regular oven at 400 degrees about 45 minutes.

2. In a medium sauce pan bring the broth to a boil. 

3. When garlic is done remove and peel 6 cloves and place in a food processor with your white beans and broth. You may have to do the beans in batches depending on the size of your food processor. Purée until smooth.

 4. transfer the bean puree back into the sauce pan and cook until thick. Salt and pepper to taste.

Greens:

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves Minced

2 1/2 lbs well rinsed Chard leaves rough chopped, thick stems removed (you can roast the stems so save them if you like!)

1 Teaspoon minced herbs ( I suggest fresh sage or thyme)

1. In a large Stockpot heat oil over medium heat, add onions and cook until just golden. Add garlic and herbs until fragrant - about 1 minute.

2. add Swiss chard, turning in the pot to coat with oil. Cover and cook until wilted stirring occasionally.

Reheat the White Bean Purée is necessary, portion out in to a shallow bowl and top with greens!

I love to top this with slivered almonds as well!

Indian style lentils with spinach

It is the third day of my liver cleanse and I can now incorporate food back into my diet, so I am treating myself to a hearty and healthy dish of fragrant Indian spices mixed with nutritious lentils and spinach! Part of my love of making this is the beautiful aromatic spices and vegetables I get to experience while making the dish - it sure gets my appetite going!

The lentil or dal, is super good for you - high in potassium, calcium and iron, and a good source of B vitamins, phosphorus and copper and we all know how good spinach is! Thanks Popeye!  Lentils are tasty, versatile, easy to prepare and pretty inexpensive making them one of my favorite foods!

The extra chili pepper and fresh ginger makes this dish very spicy! I suggest leaving out the chili if you want a milder spice flavor.

Spicy Indian Style Lentils with Spinach

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup lentils, rinsed
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger minced
• 1 green chili minced
• 1/4 Teaspoon garam masala (An Indian Spice mix which can also be found in the spice section of your grocery store)
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 3-4 cups rough chopped spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1) rinse lentils and pick over for stones.
2) in a small sauce pan bring lentils to a boil in the vegetable broth. Cook until tender about 25 minutes, add more liquid if needed.
3) in 3 T of Olive oil sautee chili, garlic, ginger, tumeric, garam marsala and cumin about 2 minutes
4) add the lentils plus liquid to the sautee simmer for about 10 minutes
5) add spinach and cook until wilted

Serve with brown rice! Makes enough for 2 servings or 4 servings as a side dish. Enjoy

7 Day Liver Cleanse - Day 1

Yesterday I started a 7 day Liver Cleanse supervised by my friend Jim Chialtas a licensed Acupuncturist here in San Diego. The point of the this cleanse is to remove toxins from the body which can lead to adverse health effects, as well as eliminate stress caused by food allergens, diagnosed and undiagnosed. Even if you lead a healthy lifestyle you are exposed to pollutants found in the environment, non-organic and processed foods, and you may have food allergies that you are unaware of, so this is a way to give the body a break for a week.

Before the cleanse we were given a questionnaire that helps indicate toxicity level - I didn't score too well! Based on 60 symptoms and a point scale of 0-4, 4 being the most severe, I scored a 34 which indicates a moderate level of toxicity! I am hoping that he cleanse will improve some of my problems with allergies and congestion and get me on track to eat healthier. I live under the illusion that I am a healthy eater but in reality I munch on potato chips every once in a while, NEED my cup of coffee in the morning, enjoy my wine a little too much sometimes, eat more refined sugars and grains than I would like to and could stand to have more organic fruits and veggies in my diet. I am so happy I already kicked the diet soda!

As far as this weeks diet, we were provided with a rice powder supplement and two capsule supplements as well as a list of detox friendly foods - lots of organic fruits and veggies, lentils, beans, certain nut butters, whole grain rice quinoa, the list goes on. We can NOT have wheat or foods with gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine (except green tea), alcohol, and meat should be organic and limited if ingested at all. Day one and two was an optional fast that I decided to do, so just the rice powder supplement and capsule supplements, as well as herbal tea, water and whole fruit juice but no food. I slept most of the day yesterday but managed to take a short walk and make some veggie broth as a base for some of my meals this week! Today I woke up thirsty and hungry but the rice powder shake satisfied me enough to take a brisk walk - I snuck in a banana and a few raw almonds after the walk and I am looking forward to the next shake!

here is the recipe for the broth:

Vegetable Broth (use organic when possible)

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6-8 celery stalks chopped
1 large onion chopped
4 medium carrots chopped
1 large leek chopped
10 cups distilled water
4 large garlic cloves whole (you can leave the skin on)
handful of fresh parsley
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
handful of fresh basil
skin from two potatoes
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1) Heat oil in a large stock pot on medium heat, add onion, garlic, leek and cook until translucent (I like to get a little color on them as I think it adds a richness to the stock flavor)
2) add celery and carrots cook about 5 minutes.

3) add distilled water and the remaining ingredients to the stock pot, bring to a boil then cover and simmer for about 90 minutes.

4) strain stock squeezing out the liquid from the solid. Let cool, transfer to a container and refrigerate for 2 days or freeze.

I ♥ Beets!

I had never had a beet until a few months ago, as my memories are of the red root and bright pink hard boiled eggs in a magenta pickling broth, not so appealing at 5 or 6 years old, and the experience turned me off of beets until they were recently recommended by a friend! Now I absolutely love them, am tickled by the pretty color and since then, have found out just about all I could about the nutritious pink food! Beets are like the Superman of veggies! According to articles I have read they are high in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and C. Put it up against Spinach and other greens for iron content and Beet Greens are the winner pound for pound! Betacyanin, which gives beets their red color is apparently a superhero against cancer!

Oh, back to the eggs. I wonder if my Mom knew those bright pink pickled eggs and beets are a harmonious combo - Apparently the Choline in eggs and the Betaine in Beets work together to fight inflammation linked to heart disease, Osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes! I don't know what Choline and Betaine are but that is pretty cool!

There are a few precautions as well. Due to the oxalates those with kidney stones or gallbaldder stones should consume with caution and probably if your doctor says it is ok.

I am not an expert and don't want to make claims but you can read all about it on The Worlds Healthiest Foods or by doing a web search for beets  - you will find a lot of resources!

AND - you may see a little red hmm, hmm, down there after eating beets. This is called beeturia and it is a harmless condition that happens to those who cannot metabolize the betalain that makes the beets red. 10-14% of the population suffers from this.

I love that you can eat the whole plant, root and greens - very economical!

Beets are in season in Sothern California right now. You want to look for small unwrinkled beets when buying, though I had some beets the size of softballs last night and they were wonderful - tender and sweet! The were being sold by the bunch rather than the pound so I just bought the Heaviest bunch there was!

I like a simple preparation for the beets and greens, as they have natural sugar and salt so little to no seasoning is required!

Simple Beet salad with wilted greens and walnuts:

It is a great snack on its own but I love to serve this with grilled Firm Tofu drizzled

with Soy Vay Island Teriyaki sauce.

It goes well with the sweet sauce and would also be wonderful with a side of

Cottage Cheese or a portion of grilled Chicken!

• I started with a bunch of organic beets - about 2 lbs with greens, a bunch of organic swiss chard
(6 cups), and a bunch of organic Mustard (6 cups). I strongly recommend organic produce here!

• separate the beets from the greens, peel, slice into 1/2 inch pieces, place in the bottom of a baking pan, drizzle with about 2 T. of olive oil, a pinch of coarse sea salt (optional) and roast at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. You want them fork tender.

If you want to cut some of the fat out, you may also clean them, wrap in tin foil with the skin on and roast until fork tender. (I just like drizzling with olive oil because all the TV cooks do it and it makes me feel fancy) Remember to peel them after roasting!

• While the beets are roasting rinse your greens well! Take out the tough middle stalks on the leaves, either by cutting, or tearing leaves away from stalk. I like to cut to avoid bruising the greens. Rough chop the greens to about 1 - 2  inch pieces.

• Once the beets are done quickly wilt the greens in 1T of olive oil on high heat. This will take about 2 minutes. Beets greens and chard have a fair amount of sodium naturally so season with a little freshly ground pepper.

• Top with sliced beets and about 1/4 cup of chopped walnuts or almonds! Serves 3-4! make sure everyone gets a couple beet slices! I say this because I like to keep them for myself. :)


Enjoy!

Mini Gingerbread Houses stand on thier own!

My attempt at this awesome project from Not Martha. My boyfriend and I did this last night for a fun Christmas Eve project. Boyfriend was sick so I had most of the fun but he was a trooper and hung in until they were all done! He is so sweet!

I rolled my dough a bit too thick (note for next time) so they are puffy and don't sit on the rim of the cup properly, but they are delicious and they stand! Success!

 Below we have (from bottom left to back)

Witches House, Bluth Family Model Home, random unfinished house, Jaws house (see shark fin on top), Spike's house (from Mario Bros.), Easy Turf house, Stripe's house (the gremlin), My Country Bungalow, Patty Peppermint's house

If you live in San Diego you may have seen San Diego Charger

LaDainian Tomlinson's commercial for the fake grass EZ Turf. At first it was the Astro Turf house but after a couple of glasses of wine this seemed funnier - not as funny sober but I do love the color.

Twas The Night Before (the night before)...

Christmas

and would you take a lookie

a feast of sugary treats

Speculaas, cranberry and sugar cookie

ok, I'm not a poet but I love to bake!

These pretty imprinted cookie are Speculaas made with Springerle cookie molds featuring a little boy making a snowman.

  Below are one of my favorite cookies -

a Cranberry Walnut Cake cookie made with milk and lemon juice!

You may recognize this shape from my snowflake soap tutorial. When I find a cutter I like for soapmaking I always buy a second set for cookies!

The dough recipe is from Martha Stewart

Pumpkin Gooey Cake Heart attack version - I promise it is edible!

Ok, I stray from soap but for good reason! This has got to be one of the best freggin cakes in the world! If you love pumpkin, and have a crazy sweet tooth, this cake is the perfect thing to satisfy you - it is to die for - really!

This recipe is from my dear friend Nikole via Paula Dean. Heart attack version calls for an extra stick of butter to be added to the filling but everything else is the same. Paula Deen would be proud!

see original recipe here: Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Nikole's Heart Attack Version Pumpkin Gooey Cake:
Bottom Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons (one stick) butter, melted

 Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 16 Tablespoons (2 sticks) butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar (you may want to do 1 1/2 c. instead of the whole box to cut the sweetness a bit)
  
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

- Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer (I used a spoon and it worked just fine. Just mix well).

- Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

- To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.

- Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together.

- Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well.

- Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Best served warm with lots of vanilla ice cream!  and perhaps a Pumpkin Beer?
This Buffalo Bills Pumpkin Ale is my favorite - made my Pyramid - look for it at BevMo!