Recipe REVIEW: Homemade Chocolate

There comes a time in every girl's life when she has to put aside all distractions, phone calls, family members, facebook, and well, everything else just to grab a 30 second vacation. There's just something about slipping a piece of smooth, creamy chocolate into your mouth that can't take you away better than Calgon ever did. There's just something about chocolate that makes a girl's heart happy. Even my 4 year old daughter has a special place in her heart for chocolate.

So when I came across a recipe for homemade chocolate, and it came during a time when I needed some chocolate, I was excited to see the ingredients were in my pantry and the steps to making the chocolate were easy. Two very important things for this busy mama.

I have been attempting healthier, carb friendly, Paleo-tastic recipes for chocolate lately, and I haven't been too impressed. I tried making chocolate pudding the other day that didn't involve an avocado, and it just wasn't doing it for me. But this recipe, the one I found for homemade chocolate was great. I changed the ingredients just a tad, mostly because I didn't have specifically what the recipe called for, but it came out great. I then decided to expand the recipe a little bit. And I'm super excited, now, to share with you how you, too, can make chocolate that is going to hit the spot and not leave you sad when you jump on the scale a little later.

Please, please, please check out the original recipe and so many other wonderful tasty treats at "In the Kitchen with Amy Jo." She is a girl after my low-carb, Paleo heart.

Here's my adapted recipe:

Homemade Chocolate

 Ingredients: 
* 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder {Her recipe called for raw cacao powder. Here's a link to a discussion about the difference between cocoa and cacao powders} 
* 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted at room temperature {coconut oil will do this on its own in hot weather}
* 1/3 cup raw, local dark honey. If you use light honey, you can go up more. Dark honey, to me, is super strong, and I didn't want the sweet to overpower the chocolate.
* salt, just a pinch will do

That's it? Uh huh. That is it. For reals. 

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix the cocoa powder and the salt. Use a fork to make sure there are no clumps. 
2. Stir in the melted coconut oil. Stir until smooth. 
3. Stir in the honey. Stir until smooth. 
4. Pour into a parchment lined bowl or container. The thicker you want the chocolate, the deeper the container. 
5. Place container with the chocolate in it in the freezer. Freezer for at least one hour. 
6. Once solid, break into chunks and store in the freezer. Grab a piece when you just really need one. 

OPTIONS: 

1. To lower the sugar intake even more, melt 1/3 cup of coconut sugar in the melted coconut oil. Add mixture to dry ingredients, pour, and freeze. 
2. Add other ingredients. The second time I made this I did a few things differently. 
1. I poured the mixture into two clean ice trays. 
2. In one ice tray, I added some other ingredients before freezing. 
1. I chopped up a Tbsp of coffee beans and put into four compartments in the ice tray. 
2. I put a few craisins in four compartments in the ice tray. 
3. I added a tsp of peanut butter into six of the compartments in the ice tray. 
4. I ran out of dried strawberries, but that will go in the next time I make the chocolate. 

My "Official" Review

Now this is the part where I tell you if it was easy to make, if I liked the taste, and if it made me full. This isn't a meal, so I obviously can't answer the last question, but since this is a review, I'm going to answer these anyway. 

Was it easy to make? Yes, Very easy. It takes only a few minutes to mix together the ingredients. The hardest part was waiting. Oh the torture. 

How did it taste? So. Very. Good. I was surprised. All the other "healthy, homemade chocolate" recipes really had me going, "Eh, I mean, it's okay." This? No, this was instantly a winner. 

Did it make me full? In a sense, it did. When I need chocolate, it's not like I need a TON. Most times if I can just get a little piece, it can hold me over for a good while {unless, of course, I'm having a really bad day, and in that case, two or three pieces will do}. I like that I decided to use the ice trays. That keeps me honest. If I keep running back to the freezer to grab another piece of chocolate, I feel convicted an awful lot sooner than if I were to just keep hacking away at chunks. 

Check out below the pics of my chocolate experiments, and give it shot yourself. You won't regret it. 

Serving sizes 

I don't think this one mixed very well. That shiny stuff is honey. Still edible, though. Yum. 

From left to right: Peanut butter, craisins, and coffee beans 

Store those girls in a freezer ziplock bag and put them away...well, after you grab one or two first. 

Recipe REVIEW: Paleo Pizza

As I continue to work on changing my eating habits to include less carbs and more protein, one of my favorite Facebook Pages to follow is "Just Eat Real Food". This page posts two-three recipes for each meal each day, and this is where I found a link to Humble Foodie's No Scrubs: Paleo Pizza. The picture that was posted with the recipe was so beautiful, full of bright colors and yummy, yummy veggies. I instantly put it in my meal planner on Ziplist.com for Monday night.

Below I will be posting the recipe as I did it as I had to triple the recipe to feed my family of 5, and then check the bottom of my "Official Review". Please go HERE for the original recipe.

Paleo Pizza
Ingredients: 
* 1 1/2 cup almond meal {You can make your own by grinding raw, unsalted almonds into a powder...but don't grind too much; You'll get almond butter.}
* 3/4 tsp salt
* 1 1/2 tsp EACH of dried basil and oregano
* 3/4 tsp dried thyme
* 3 tsp olive oil + extra for oiling pan or stone
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup tomato sauce
* pizza toppings {See note below for my preference}
* Optional: parmesean cheese

Note: My pizza toppings included: 
* 1 cup fresh baby spinach
* 1 green and 1 red bell pepper
* 1/2 cup mushrooms
* garlic powder
* pepperoni slices
* 1/4 cup feta cheese 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325. Oil parchment paper or a baking stone {my preference}
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine almond meal, salt, seasoning, olive oil, and eggs. 
3. Spread the dough onto the parchment paper or on the stone until it is very thin. 
4. Bake for 10 minutes
5. While baking, saute any toppings you desire. I sauteed half of the peppers and all of the mushrooms in  1 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of oregano, 1/2 tsp of rosemary, garlic powder, and thyme. 
6. Remove crust from oven, add sauce and then toppings. Bake for 15 minutes or until pizza is crisp. 

Note: Here is how I layered my pizza after crust was precooked: 

* 1/4 tsp garlic powder

* sprinkle with parmesean cheese and feta cheese

* tomato sauce

* 1/2 tsp oregano and rosemary 

* baby spinach

* sauteed veggies 

* pepperoni

* rest of raw veggies 

* sprinkle with parmesean and feta cheese, oregano, and rosemary 

Because I LOADED up my pizza, the cooking time was 20 minutes. 

My "Official" Review

Was it Easy to Make? Yes. It was very easy to make. I would almost dare to say it was easier to make than regular pizza dough. I started making it at 5pm and we were ready to eat by 545. I'm sure that time would be shorter if I hadn't piled on 10 layers on my pizza. 

How Did It Taste? Very, very good. I warned my husband ahead of time that it wasn't the normal pizza I make. When I do that, he normally politely eats a small amount and then about 30 minutes after dinner gets himself a bowl of cereal or something. Not only did he eat his share, but he got seconds. All but one of my children got seconds. I also got seconds, but I put my seconds on top of about 1/2 cup of fresh spinach. The only reason I did this was so I could save some pizza for the rest of the family. When I came back to see how much I needed to put away, it was all gone. So, yeah, this went over well with my family. 

Did it make me feel full? Yes, but not the "pop the top button of my shorts" full. It was sufficient. I could have added a salad with it, and I sort of did with my seconds, but it wasn't necessary. 

If you are looking for a good pizza recipe that is not going blow your carbs out of the water, I would suggest this recipe. Very good and very easy to make. 

REVIEW: Low Carb Chicken Bacon Crockpot Chowder

I love chicken. I LOOOVE bacon. And it's been just cold enough to merit a good soup for dinner. So when I saw the recipe for Chicken Bacon Chowder cropping up all over all of my low carb/paleo FB pages, I decided it would most definitely be a recipe I needed to try.

I found the recipe on Peace, Love, and Low Carb, one of my new favorite websites for yummy recipes. The author's blog is full of beautiful pictures that makes it so simple to follow. Since I didn't have all the ingredients on hand when I suddenly decided to make this soup, I'll show below what I did, but, of course, please see the original post for details. Then see my review at the bottom where I answer the questions: "Was it easy to make?" "How did it taste?" and "Did it make me feel full?"

So here's my "adjusted" recipe. Please go HERE for the original. I will note at the end of the ingredients and steps what I did differently. There is also a * next to ingredients I changed.

Here's my finished product, served with a low carb, almond flour bacon and cheddar scone

Low Carb Chicken Bacon Crockpot Chowder

Ingredients: 

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 lb bacon
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups water, divided *Recipe calls for chicken stock, but seriously shockingly I didn't have any
• 4 Tbsp butter, divided
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 leek
• 6 oz mushrooms
• 2 Tbsp onion powder *Recipe called for 1/2 large onion. The hubs doesn't like onions, but I like the onion taste, so the powder is a compromise for us. 
• 1 Tbsp flat leaf parsley *Recipe calls for a few springs of Italian Flat Leaf Parsely 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Ingredients in recipe that I did not have so I did not add: 1 shallot, 2 ribs of celery

Directions: This is pretty much word for word from the original. Any changes will have a bolded note next to it. 

1. Turn crockpot on lowest setting. 
2. Chop all veggies. Add the veggies, 2 Tbsp butter, 1 cup chicken stock {I used water}, a pinch of salt and pepper to the crockpot, cover and allow vegetables to sweat for an hour. 
3. Chop up your bacon and cook it until it is nice and crispy {and resist urge to eat half of it}. Set aside. 
4. At the same time, pan sear your chicken breast in the remaining 2 Tbsp butter until they are a nice caramel brown on both sides. They will NOT be fully cooked at this stage. 
5. Remove chicken from pan and cut into cubes. De-glaze the chicken pan with the remaining chicken stock {again, water}.
6. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, cream cheese, and seasoning to the crockpot. Stir until well combined. 
7. Add the chicken and the bacon to the crockpot. Cover and let cook for 6-8 hours. 

She says the entire batch is 38 net carbs. Without the shallot and celery, that might lower that number just a bit. But it ended up being about 10 servings for us, which is roughly 4g carbs per serving. NOT BAD AT ALL. 

Here are some pictures of the soup about 30 minutes into cooking: 

Good and chunky

Nice and creamy

My "Official" Review

Was it easy to make? Yes. It was very easy to make. Putting it together took a little over an hour, and only because you are supposed to let the veggies sweat. That time went by fast, though, by cooking the bacon, cooking the chicken, and then de-glazing the pan. I only had two complaints, but I can't blame the original chef; it's just the way the ingredients cook. 1} I had to scrape the sides of the crock every hour or so because the cream was browning on the sides. and 2}Around the 6th or 7th hour, my chowder suddenly dropped about 1, almost 2 inches in the crock. I was afraid that my entire soup was going to be reduced to creamy veggies and meat before it was supper time, so I added 1 more cup of water and 1 more cup of cream to the soup. Unfortunately, this made my chowder more soup than chowder. So in the future I will either just leave it alone or plan to eat it in 6 hours, not 8. 

How did it taste? SO. GOOD. My house smelled wonderful all day, too. I really, really like this soup. It was very creamy and full of all kinds of yum. My kids loved it, and my husband gave his seal of approval. I honestly think this would be a great meal to make for someone who is sick, has family in the hospital, or brand new parents. 

Did it make me feel full? Yes, surprisingly so. I started to get 2nds {because it's really that good}, but about two bites into it, I realized I was just too full to eat anymore. It may have been that I paired it with a scone that helped with the feeling full part, but either way, I was happy with what I had. Nothing I hate more than having a thick soup that makes me want to take a nap afterwards. And this soup didn't do that. I was just full and happy. Two very good things. 

This recipe is a good one. For sure going on my list of soups for next winter, since spring is starting to peak around the corner. 

Book Review: Spring for Susannah

In her debut novel, Spring for Susannah, Catherine Richmond does a great job playing with my emotions. When I began this book, I honestly thought this was going to be a butterfly story. You know, the girl is mousy and anti-social who develops into a beautiful, confident woman that only the man she ends up falling in love with can pull out of her. And part of plot is just that, a butterfly story. The story quickly changed into an entirely different story that had me reading the book every chance I could get, and wishing I could read the book on the chances I couldn't get. 

Set in the Dakota Territory after the Civil War, Susannah, with no other options, and no place to go, becomes a mail order bride, traveling out to the middle of no where to marry a man she knew only through letters and through the words of his brother, her minister. Jesse, one of the first homesteaders in the Dakota Territory, has a need for a companion, a wife to talk to in a sod house where the closest neighbor is miles away. 

I found myself pulling for Susannah and Jesse. It was always two steps forward, one step back with those two. They depended on each other and Jesse's incredible faith in God to get through a brutal winter, a prairie fire, and an infestation. It seemed every time things would start to look up, something would knock them back. These struggles caused both of them to grow in different ways. By the end of the novel, they had both morphed into totally different characters than when they first began. And I found myself hoping there was a book 2 to this novel, so I could see if their dreams did come true. 

I read books pretty frequently, normally picking up the next novel as soon as I'm done with the first one. Because of that, it normally takes me two or three chapters before I'm immersed in the lives of the characters. NOT THIS BOOK. Honestly, I was sucked in immediately. The first night I picked it up, it was hours before I put it down, and only because I had to get up early. I was impressed by the real emotions Catherine develops in her characters and how real the struggles were. Most novels, the characters deal with one or two conflicts that results in a pretty quick resolution. In Spring for Susannah, the timing was right, the events seemed logical, and the emotions seemed real. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Catherine Richmond's novel and cannot wait to read her next one. 

Happy reading, everyone. 

Book Review: The Key on the Quilt

Stephanie Grace Whitson has done it again. She has written another novel that has captivated my mind and has left me wanting more. I have read Sixteen Brides and Unbridled Dreams, both books capturing my heart. So when I saw The Key on the Quilt, the first book in The Quilt Chronicles series, I grabbed it up fast, brewed me a cup of coffee, wrapped myself in my great-grandmother's quilt, and began reading. 



The story, set around a late-1800s penitentiary in Lincoln, Nebraska, is about three women who come from three very different backgrounds. Each woman comes to realize her true role, her true identity as danger threatens their existence. 

The main character, Jane, is an inmate. Throughout the story, we see how she works hard to just "do her time" by creating a cocoon around herself, barely speaking to anyone, and just going through the motions each day. She is forced, though, to show her true heart to not only the other inmates, but also to the prison matron, the warden, and his wife. We see how she struggles with her past, tries to hide from her present, and is afraid to look towards the future. 

Then we see the story through the eyes of the prison matron, Mamie. She came to this job following her heart's calling after a tent revival. At first she struggles with how she is to minister to the women the rest of the world consider less-than-human. After much prayer and prioritizing the needs of the inmates, she begins a journey of true service, meeting people where they are and addressing individual needs. And we get a bonus story through a very unlikely friendship that teeters on a deeper relationship. 

Finally we get see all of these events through the eyes of the warden's wife, Ellen. She's a southern, well-to-do woman who married a yankee man who had to work hard for what they had. He uproots her well-established life and moves the family to Lincoln. She, too, struggles with her present. What is expected of her as a warden's wife? What does a gentle southern lady like herself supposed to do with women who lie, steal, and kill their way into a prison? Through her relationship with Mamie and with quite a few dangerous events with Jane, Ellen comes to see her true purpose. 

This was a great read. The characters, much like the quilts that are prominent throughout the story, weave in and out of each other's lives, eventually making a beautiful story of friendship, love, forgiveness, and purpose.  Many times I questioned the title of the book, thinking it should have been named Grace Notes, but just like a quilt, the completed project reveals a much grander story than just the individual pieces. 

Stephanie Grace Whitson's second book of this series comes out in the Spring of 2013. I can't wait to see how else she weaves the stories of complicated women into beautiful servants of the Lord.  

100 Calorie Brownie with Coconut Whipped Topping {a review}

Chocolate....mmm....comfort food for my woman's soul. As much as I love chocolate, I know that more than just a piece of dark chocolate a day is not necessarily going to help me lose/maintain my weight. But because I have such a sweet tooth, and I'm normally craving chocolate like it's my life support, I have been trying to find acceptable, healthier options that meet my sweet tooth craving, but won't sabotage my efforts to live a healthier life.

My secret to success? Coconut. Yeah, yeah. I know I'm pretty sure I jumped on this band wagon, but experimenting with coconut the past few weeks has been interesting. I started adding coconut water to my smoothies. I bought up a bunch of cans of coconut milk at Big Lots and have been using the milk in my coffee, oatmeal, and other desserts. Here's the kicker: I don't really like coconut. Well, "imitation" coconut. It always smells like suntan lotion, and it's normally a turn off for me. I do know, though, that I'm coming to like this stuff, adding it here and there. Check the links below for other recipes where coconut is a factor. 

NOW back to chocolate {and really the reason why so many of you are reading this}. 

I found a recipe for 200 Calorie Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae on Pinterest {as I was looking for a way to make coconut whipped topping}, and since it was one of my favorite librarian's birthday, what better way to celebrate than to make brownies that won't make you feel like you have to hit the treadmill for 2 hours? 

We didn't make the hot fudge, the banana soft serve ice cream, or add the cherries, but check the link above for all those recipes. 

Here's the recipe for the brownie and the whipped topping: 

The brownie was in the shape of a rose. I have this nifty muffin tin from Williams-Sonoma...but I don't think they sell them anymore. :{ 

100 Calorie Brownie with Coconut Whipped Topping {all credit is due to Back to Her Roots}

Ingredients: 

Brownie: 

• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce {I made my own since I didn't have any at the house}
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup egg whites {about 4}
• 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 2/3 cups sugar

Whipped Topping: 

• *1 can whipped topping, not lite {see NOTE below}
• 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar 

Directions: 

Brownie: 

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. 
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, whisk together applesauce, vanilla, and egg whites until well combined. 
3. Add flour, cocoa, salt, and sugar until just combined. 
4. Pour in muffin tin and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool for 15-20 minutes. 

Whipped Topping: 

1. Carefully open the cold can of coconut milk {say that 3x fast} without shaking or stirring. Spoon out the top white portion, leaving the coconut water on the bottom. 
2. Whip coconut cream on high in an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes
3. Add in confectioner's sugar and mix for another 2 minutes. 

Assembly: {Uh...duh? But I'll add this anyway}

Once the muffins have cooled, add the coconut whipped topping on top. Eat. Each brownie is roughly 100 calories. 

NOTE: 

The recipe called for a closed can of cold coconut milk which you open when you are ready to mix. After trying out a few "whipped coconut" recipes, I have found the best way to utilize this is to gently open the can of coconut milk the night before and then place in the fridge. For some reason, this helps solidify the milk faster. The can I used for this recipe didn't have the milk and water separate, but I whipped it up anyway. I had to add a little more powdered sugar to thicken the topping enough that it would actually stay on the brownie. 

Other "Coconut" recipes I have tried: 

1. Chocolate Frosting Shots
2. Make Ahead Oatmeal Smoothies
3. Overnight Refrigerator Oatmeal {I must say I have made this with and without coconut milk. The coconut milk made this SUPER thick, and I'm not sure I really like it too much.}
4. Crockpot Pumpkin Oatmeal {I had to actually add a little more honey to it, and then it tasted like pumpkin pie oatmeal. These were super thick and froze well for smaller individual servings}
5. Muffin Tin Smoothies
6. Avocado Chocolate Pudding

Books and Banana Bread

Do I have a special for you today. I stumbled across a book series that I absolutely love on my weekly trip to the library. Lately, I have steered away from the romance novels that are more about the "canoodling" and less about developing relationships. Lucky for me, my local library makes "good, clean" love stories easy to find, with a special sticker on the side. So when I picked up Sweet Caroline, a Lowcountry novel, by Rachel Hauck, I was immediately wrapped up in this world based out of one of my favorite places to visit, Beaufort, SC. I quickly ran back to the library and picked up the rest of the series, Love Starts with Elle and Dining with Joy.

  

All three of these ladies, Caroline, Elle, and Joy, are pushed into a situation where they suddenly have to discover who they are, what their purposes are. Caroline, a people-pleaser, was unexpectantly given ownership of a failing restaurant and has to decide whether to keep it or to drop it and go to Barcelona for an incredible job opportunity. Elle, a free spirit, closes her art gallery with the expectation of moving away to marry the man of her dreams, only to be faced with no man, no job, and no gallery. Joy, the humorous and the local tv show cooking host, can't cook. Now that her show has been moved to a prime time national spot, her secret of not being able to cook is threatened, and she could chance losing everything. 

Each of these ladies not only struggle with discovering their purpose, but they are each faced with unexpectantly developing a relationship with a man...and more importantly, they are faced with their relationship with their Creator. 

These stories were quirky, good stories where I had to put a bookmark at the end of the chapter so I wouldn't keep reading. I was completely engrossed in their lives and the outcomes weren't always 100 percent predictable. 

This is a good beach read or a great coffee, blanket, fireplace read. And I recommend both. 

And now, for a recipe. 

At the end of Dining with Joy, I found a wonderful surprise: a recipe for Banana Bread. Throughout the novel, Joy was constantly reminded of her father's infamous Banana Bread, something he made on a regular basis and was the source of so many memories. I was pleased to find the recipe at the end of the book. I didn't have all of the ingredients, but I sure did have most of it. I tried it, and it was GOOD. So I'm going to share my variation here for you. 

Almost Dining with Joy Banana Bread Muffins Original Recipe Found On Rachel Hauck's site here

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup Turbinado sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 3 ripe, mashed bananas 
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 cup milk, plus 1 Tbsp white vinegar, mixed
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325. 
2. In a large bowl mix flours, sugars, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 
3. In another bowl, mix eggs, bananas, oil, milk mixture, and vanilla. 
4. Add the wet to the dry mixture and blend. 
5. Slowly stir in chocolate chips and peanut butter
6. Pour into a greased muffin tin. 
7. Bake for 40 minutes. 

This is slightly different, but came out great. And it's a good thing I was paying attention to the muffins. The original recipe, which is for bread not muffins, had you cooking for twice as long. I almost went outside for an hour on my hammock while I waited for it to be finished. Thank goodness that didn't happen. :} 

So whip up a batch of "Almost Dining with Joy Banana Bread Muffins", and curl up with one {or all} of these three books. You won't regret it. 

Mini-Mason Jar Key Lime Pies (a review)

NOTE: I am on a mission to try a few recipes in mason jars before The 4th of July and blog about them for you. I want to pack a mason jar picnic this year, so I'll be giving these a shot and letting you know what worked and didn't work. If you have a suggestion or a favorite mason jar recipe, please let me know. I would love to try it out for you. 

Every year the Saturday before Mother's Day, my mother's side of the family has a family reunion. Each branch of the family takes turns hosting the reunion, and everyone is expected to bring at least a dessert and a side. This year my husband decided to make the dessert, which was fine by me, because the reunion fell on a day that I had a ballgame, a birthday party, and a dance recital to go to as well. There would be no time for me to whip up something fancy. My husband used to make desserts (before we got married), worked a short time at a bakery, and his mother bakes cakes and pies to sell for those who know she's awesome at it. I just knew he would represent well.

But, as much as I love him, and his intentions, he didn't make the dessert. I don't think he realized all we had to do, and time was not allowing for something fancy. Luckily, he picked up a box of Key Lime Bar Mix to make a pie. I looked at the ingredients and decided that I could make the bars (not the pies, necessarily) in little mason jars. That way I could pack them up tight, and carry them with me to the ballgame, and then to the family reunion. I must say that it turned out okay. Below I'm going to share with you what I did, and give you tips on what not to do.

Mini-Mason Jar Key Lime Pies


Ingredients:

• A box of Krusteaz Key Lime Bar Mix plus ingredients on box (1/3 cup water and 3 eggs) 
• 10 (4 oz) Mason Jelly Jars If you have not used these before, you must get them. They are adorable, and perfect for little single serving desserts
• Powdered Sugar 

Directions: 

1. Wash and thoroughly dry the jelly jars. 
2. Spoon 1 1/2 Tbsp of crust mixture into each jar. Lightly press down. DON'T PACK like the instructions say to do. This is where I seriously messed up. The packing was really meant for a brownie pan or pie plate, not mini-mason jars. *See the 2nd picture below to see why. 
3. Place the mason jars on a large cookie sheet and slide into a preheated oven to bake as the directions say. I needed to add about 10 minutes for the cooking process before it became brown. 
4. While the crust is cooking, mix the key lime filling mixture. Spoon just below the shoulder of each mason jar. You will not have enough for all of them to go up to the shoulder. 
5. Place back into the over and cook for 28 minutes. 
6. Sprinkle powdered sugar over each mini pie. 
7. Carefully (and with oven mitts on), screw the lids onto each jar and place the jars back into the cardboard box the jars come in to put in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours. If you threw the box away (don't do this, they make great carriers), you can always place the jars into a cool cake pan and put that into the refrigerator. 
8. Display on a nice tray or on a cupcake tier. Just keep in mind they will be heavy if you put them on the tier and could topple over if everyone grabs a jar from just one side first. (Not that I know from experience or anything). 

Everyone said they were really good, and I had to hoard 2 for my hubby before the rest were gone. Some of my family members actually took them home to finish. So, I'm guessing it was a win. Here's what the finished product looks like: 

*The only problem I had was the crust. Because I packed it in, no one could get it out. Everyone was so kind and said it was okay, but as a cook, I felt it was an embarrassing mistake. My husband and dad pulled out their pocket knives and were determined to finish the crust. Here's a picture of someone's pie crust they failed to get. :( 

So when I make these for The 4th of July this year (unless I find something else I would rather bring), I am going to change the crust or just not pack as much. I am determined to make these again. :) 

And here is a picture of my jars on the dessert table of the family reunion. I took this right before everyone filled the rest of it up. I have a family of wonderful cooks! Everything was incredible! 

Some good stuff, right there! 

Food: Starkist Bolder Burger...a "Meatless Monday" Meal

Every Monday, I try to make a Meatless Monday meal for my family. Not only does this help save us money from having to buy expensive meat for every day of the week, but it is healthier, gives us an opportunity to try new foods, and gives me an excuse to use the food I'm finally getting from my garden. And because I only do it once a week, my husband doesn't complain about it so much (like he did a few years ago when I gave up meat for Lent and tried to make a new vegetarian meal every night).

So when this past Monday came along, I was all ready to make black bean burgers for dinner, but I didn't have all the stuff I needed (namely black beans), and I didn't have to the time to make it to the store, but I did have tuna. Ok, I know. Tuna is a fish. Isn't that meat? I don't know. Joe and I have debated it. I have researched it. I have looked for the answer, and I get a legitimate amount of "yes" and "no" on whether fish is meat or not. My personal opinion? I think if you can keep it as a pet, name it, and have to feed and clean it, then it's meat...unless you have a pet rock, but that's a different story. :)

So anyway, I decided we would have a "kind of" Meatless Monday with Tuna Burgers. I don't not really like fish anything. I'm not a seafood (or fresh water food) kind of girl. I know! I live in Charleston, and I don't like seafood? What's wrong with me?! Sigh. My life story. :) Back to the burgers. StarKist has these little seasoned tuna packets that Joe and I love to take with us when we go backpacking. They are light, easy to eat out of, filling, and actually pretty good. On the back of one of the packets (Herb and Garlic Tuna) is a recipe for StarKist Bolder Burgers. I tried it one day, and actually really like it! This past Monday I did not have the Herb and Garlic tuna, so I had to adjust the meal just a little, but I want to share it with you.


Almost Starkist Bolder Burgers (original StarKist recipe found here)
 Makes 4 LARGE burgers or about 6 smaller burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of StarKist Tuna (10 oz) 
• 1 1/2  cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup non-fat ranch salad dressing (I have also used 1/2 plain yogurt too) 
• 2 Tbsp spicy mustard
• 1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning 
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

Steps: 

1. In a large bowl, mix tuna, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, dressing, mustard, seasoning, and egg. Go ahead, use your hands. 
2. Form into patties. Place the rest of the bread crumbs on a plate. Coat each side of tuna patties with the crumbs. 
3. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. They should cook about 3-5 minutes on each side until they are brown.  

Serve on french bread rolls. I like to have a side salad and some sort of steamed veggies to go with it. This meal makes a great lunch OR dinner. Really. It's filling. These would also be really good as mini-patties as an appetizer (oh my goodness! I just thought of that, and watch out, friends who come over for parties! I am going to do this for sure!).  If you suddenly have guests, this is also a really great meal to have ready in a bind. Most of these ingredients are found in most pantries anyway, so it's worth trying. 

Give these a shot. It only takes a few minutes to make (15 minutes TOPS), so it's a great go-to meal on those last minute days. Please check out the links below for information on Meatless Monday and other Meatless Monday meals I have tried. 

1.  Meatless Monday
2. Waffled Falafels
3. Spinach and Feta-Stuffed Calzone
4. Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes  (this link has meat in it, but I made it a few Mondays ago with the ham, and it was still good, just add some more seasoning)
5. Crockpot Pesto Fish (another fish recipe) 

Review: Eva's Restaurant, Summerville, SC

Tucked in between a theatre and a cupcake store is a little restaurant that has been a part of Summerville for almost 7 decades. Stepping in the door is like stepping back in time. It's a place that so many Summerville residents have seen, but not so many have gone in. Why? Well, they run the restaurant just like it has been going since 1944. There's no fancy foods on the menu, they take cash only, and they are open for breakfast and lunch only. Until recently, the last two of those kept me from venturing further than the occasional peek inside the window.

So on a whim a few weeks ago, my husband, who was taking the day off work, my daughter, and I decided to hit the ATM and then get breakfast at Eva's. When I walked in, I immediately thought of my grandmother. Seriously. And not because there were mostly senior citizens in there, but because the atmosphere just reminded me of grandma. It was the type of place of time gone by that I wanted to expose my children to. They needed to learn there was a time where TVs aren't on the walls of a restaurant, there are no "kiddie" menus, and everyone in the restaurant talked to everyone else, including the occasional shout to the kitchen. That was when I decided I was going to become "a regular" at Eva's (pronounced 'E-Vuh's, as I found out. This is not the Eva like the Longoria on TV).

So I called my friend, Janet, and proposed a sort of breakfast club for us girls, Abigail and me with Janet and her twin girls. We decided every other Friday at 9 am, we would going to start making our appearance. This is where we truly learned how old fashioned Eva's really was.

Janet rolls in with her 18 month twins, and she and I scan the restaurant for high chairs or even a booster seat. There is one (1) high chair and two booster seats. Janet asked if the booster has a seat belt. I unintentionally ruffled some feathers when I said, "No. They're the old fashioned kind without seat belts." The waitress, a sassy 60 something year old, who knew all the other customers by name, regular order, and family history, looked at me and informed me about how "old fashioned" Eva's was. She jokingly told us two stories: 1) Someone asked for mushrooms in her eggs. She said, "Mushrooms?! Honey, we don't serve omelettes here." and 2) Someone once asked for cocktail sauce to which she replied, "Cocktail sauce?! They didn't have cocktail sauce back in 1944, why would we have it now?" So we knew our place. Order what's on the menu.

So, laughingly, we ordered eggs, pancakes, grits (the twins' first try; one liked them, the other didn't), and coffee. But there was a glitch with the coffee. They don't have decaf...well, sort of. They have Sanko packets that we were welcome to use. So, caffeinated it was. We enjoyed the rest of the meal with good conversation. The table of 8 regulars that sat at the front of the restaurant came to ooh and ahh over our girls, and I learned that most of the other local shop owners in downtown Summerville ate there on a regular basis. Who knew?

So overall review:

Food: Good. Seriously just like grandma used to make. The lunch, which I haven't tried yet, is a "meat and 3" menu for $7.95. There are other options on the menu that are less heavy and all around $5.

Atmosphere: Love it! It really reminded me of my grandma's house, and I could easily see my granddaddy meeting his friends there every morning for coffee and pancakes.

Prices: Expensive for 1944's taste, but really on the reasonable side for today's standards. You get more than you are paying for.

Service: Once you understand that the waitress is a fun, talkative lady, you are good to go. I think if you aren't expecting to have someone ask about your family and life story, you might be taken back. Otherwise, it was great!

They are only open Monday-Friday from 7am to 3 pm. It would be a great Saturday morning breakfast place, but I think that them being open M-F is part of the charm.

If you get the chance, grab some cash and come enjoy Eva's Restaurant. You won't regret it.

Photo Credit

Our Little Breakfast Club

Wednesday's Cleaning: Make Your Own Cold Remedy

I didn't have a desperate need for any cleaning products this week, but what I did need was a recipe for a cold remedy. The weather outside is beautiful. It's a cool ~65 degrees, sunny, and just pleasant. And despite the fact I have been taking my bee pollen and other vitamins regularly, and I've been drinking plenty of water, spending a few hours outside working in the garden for the past few days opened me up to catching a spring cold. I normally resort to taking a clariton, drinking hot mint tea, and sucking down some local honey like it's nobody's business the moment a cold strikes, but this one hit me in the middle of the night. My throat was instantly dry, scratchy, and just painful. I am going on vacation with my husband in the near future, and I didn't want a silly cold to keep me bundled up in the hotel room, so I began looking for some natural cold remedies to try.

I found one that I had not heard of before: tumeric milk, or Haldi milk. Now before I go and just mix a bunch of spices together and throw in my body, I did a little research on this so-called homemade cold remedy. I found some interesting things:

1. Tumeric apparently has "healing powers". One guy, Arun Shanbhag, on his blog, talked about how he remembers his mother and grandmother using tumeric for all kinds of things, including cuts. He said scientists are linking tumeric to have the same qualities as tylenol.

2. Another site, Eat This!, claims that scientists are now linking tumeric to curing or aiding in the cure of breast cancer.

3. Remedy Quarterly, an online journal, also claims Tumeric milk is a great way to cure a sore throat.

I found quite a few other sites that pretty much say the same thing, so I thought I would give it a shot. The ingredients are simple, already in my pantry, and I was ready to try anything. Here's the recipe (found, pretty much, across the board in all my research) and please read my review at the end before you try this.

Tumeric Milk


Things You'll Need:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
• 1/4 tsp crushed ginger
• 2 black peppercorns
• ground cinnamon
• honey or other natural sweetener

Instructions: 

1. Boil the milk to a boil and add the spices. Bring down to a simmer for about 10 minutes. 
2. Pour into a mug and add a sweetener.
3. Drink before you go to bed. 

It's really that simple. Some recipes called for actual ginger to be crushed, others said it was fine to use the ginger powder. All said to include the pepper. Matter of fact, they said it was important to have the pepper because it helps the tumeric to release the "healing agents". 

This is what it looks like simmering. Just like any time you cook milk, it can burn easily, so keep stirring. 

My evening buddies 

My REVIEW: 

• Okay, first off, there is a reason why all the recipes called for sweetener. It is bitter. Oh man. It surprised me. At first it had the pleasant taste of chai tea. I was all excited to have a new drink, but then seconds later, it hit me with a great big, ew. 

Yeah, this was pretty much my face the entire time I drank it. 

• Did it work? Well, I can tell you, I don't know if it's because I drank warm milk before bed, or if there is a reason you are supposed to drink this before bed, but I was seriously sleepy about 15 minutes after drinking it. And when I went to sleep, I slept hard, for about 4 hours. My dreams were crazy and vivid. I don't know if those dreams had anything to do with the drink or with the book I'm reading, but they were crazy. 
• When I woke up this morning, my throat still hurt. Not as much, but it still hurt. I ended up making me a cup of hot mint tea, and I feel all kinds of better now. 

Now, I have a crazy amount of friends who are into doing everything natural. If you are one of those, and you have tried this recipe for a cold before, please respond to this post. Did I do it wrong? Do I need to drink it a couple of times before it works? Am I way off? 

As for me, I'm not sure I would try this again anytime soon, unless someone can make a good argument why I should. Otherwise, I'm sticking to my mint tea remedy. 

Friday's Reviews: February's NYR Progress

Oh. Ugh. That's right. I am supposed to give an update on my New Year's Resolutions. January was a good kick off. I did decently, but promised to do better in February. And I did! ...at first. Then life happened. I am actually really glad I have decided to review these every month. It helps me make each NYR a NMR (New MONTH Resolution). I assess how well I've done, I see where I have slacked off, and then make a promise to work really hard for the next month to do better.

So below is the list of my NYR (see link above for the original post). See how well, or not so well, I've done.

1. Do a devotion EVERY DAY. I've actually done a pretty decent job with this one. Thanks to the help of my app YouVersion Bible, I have 3 devotions that get sent to my phone and email each day, on top of what I already do. Some days I do more than one, some days I get just one in. 
2. Organize daily schedule. Eh. The last two weeks, I was ON IT!! Before that? Not so much. 
3. Take a break from Facebook one full day a week. I have done this EVERY Sunday! Yay! 
4. Walk every Wednesday and Friday. Ok, if I didn't walk, I DID do SOME exercise. So this is almost marked off. 
5. Bake bread at least once a week. Although I did not always make the bread I set out to do each week, I did make some. 
6. Go to New Orleans. In the plans, money is being saved! Yay! 
7. Go down one dress size. No. And it's getting really frustrating. 
8. Meatless Mondays. Every Monday! It has been fun introducing new ideas to the family! 
9. Speak softer to my children. Funny. As I was typing for Meatless Monday, I stopped to yell at my kids. Ugh. Still working on this! 
10. Be more obvious in my love for my husband. I think so. I think I've done a pretty good job at this! 
11. Make freezer meals at the beginning of each month. STILL not yet. 
12. Go to lunch with my mom once a month. This month's lunch date got cancelled due to a flat tire. Can't blame ME for that, can you? 
13. Pay off a major debt. NO comment 
14. Clean/organize the pantry room. This is almost a daily task. 
15. Clean/organize the craft room.  I actually could make it to my Ab Roller machine, or whatever it's called 
16. Have the youth over Well, sort of. I had a party for the youth, but only 1 could make it. So...April? 
17. Have the college kids over. Planning something for March. 
18. Make a new friend (not an acquaintance, but a friend) I am definitely making acquaintances more important. 
19. Stick to chore schedule. Eh. doing okay with this. Some days we miss, so we double (or triple) the next day. 
20. Stick to reward/consequences chart. Nope. And I'm not happy about this. 
21. Have family worship once a week. We did it one Friday. All the rest of the Fridays have been busy for some reason. I will make it a priority this month. 
22. Take the kids to volunteer at a homeless shelter
23. Visit Connie Maxwell
24. Find a new hobby. I've narrowed the possibilities down (painting or relearning sign language or French) 
25. Have one sewing project a month. I never made it to upholstering the kitchen chairs like I wanted, but I got the stuff to make mine and Abi's Easter dresses 
26. Promote a local business on my blog once a month. Done! See here. 
27. Get a family photo done (professionally). Found a Groupon for this!! 
28. Go to the dentist
29. Have a date with the husband once a month. :) He is super excited about these. 
30. Try a new, exotic food
31. Have a successful garden I pulled, cleaned and bagged 8 quarts of collards! 
32. Read a non-fiction book 
33. Go to bed with a clean kitchen More days than not, this has happened! 
34. Recycle Every Thursday. 

So as I review these each month, I hope this inspires you to review what your Resolutions where. How have you been doing? What is keeping you from meeting your goal? Each month is a new month to try again. 

Happy Friday, everyone! 

Friday's Review: Local Business: Time Well Spent

As I drive up to the quaint little yellow house that is tucked neatly under beautiful oak trees just off a busy cut through road, the excitement rises as I am going to share a special lunch with my special little girl. It's just the two of us today, and I wanted to take her some place just for girls.

Time Well Spent is a little tea room that is in the heart of my little town of Summerville, SC. In the past 15 years or so, I have been to three bridal brunches and countless lunches here, and I love it. When you walk in, you are surrounded by countless beautiful treasures that make great gifts for mom, mother-in-law, little girls, brides, or a special friend. There are tea sets of every size and type, lavendar scented pillows, little figurines of fairies, aprons with pearls sewn on them, earrings, and so on. Off to the side is a large room where guests can sit if the regular dining area is full or it's where you can have private parties. This room is where all the bridal brunches have been for the ones I've been to. If you continue to walk through a small hallway, it opens up to a quaint eating area complete with a fireplace, tea sets, and mix-matched chairs and tables. If the weather is cooperating, there is also seating outside in a beautiful garden surrounded by the azaleas Summerville is known for. When you walk to the back of the house, there are two little rooms full of little surprises. One room has a small table and then vanities along the walls full of costume jewelry that reminds me of my grandmother. The other room is overflowing with dresses of all shapes, sizes, and styles. These two rooms are specially for little girls to come, play dress up, and have a little tea party with their friends.

As for lunch, Time Well Spent, they are known for their Chicken Salad. It is seriously good. Besides the Chicken Salad, they have a rotating list of quiches and salads, most coming with a side of fruit, and all have a side of a popover and homemade strawberry butter. For my daughter, they have a plate of peanut butter and chocolate sandwich, goldfish, fruit, and pink lemonade served in a tiny tea cup and tea pot. They brew their own tea right there with a variety of special teas that can be taken hot or cold.

On the day Abigail and I decided to eat lunch there, it was raining outside, but insides was the quiet sounds of conversations punctuated with the occasional sound of tea cups being placed on plates. Abigail and I enjoyed our lunch and conversation very much and look forward to coming back soon.

If you are in the Summerville area any time soon, make sure to stop by Time Well Spent, it will truly be, well, time well spent.

Friday's Review: New Year's Resolution progress (Jan)

So I was going to review each week how I've been doing on my New Year's Resolutions, but that got a little overwhelming, and there were some weeks I just didn't do so hot. But I still wanted to track my progress for my own sake and for accountability. And if you are inspired to continue working on your NYR, then I've done my job! :)

So here's the list. Beside most will be my comments about this month. Thanks to those have been encouraging!

New Year's Resolutions 2012

1. Do a devotion EVERY DAY I'm doing pretty well at this. I don't hit every day, but pretty close.
2. Organize daily schedule 
3. Take a break from Facebook one full day a week I've only missed one week, and I remembered halfway through the day that I was supposed to take it off. 
4. Walk every Wednesday and Friday If I haven't walked, I've exercised some other way. 
5. Bake bread at least once a week I am AMAZED! I have done at least 1 per week, but averaging 3 per week! 
6. Go to New Orleans Tax return is going to pay for this!! Yay! 
7. Go down one dress size Well, I haven't gone UP a size! That's good, right? 
8. Meatless Mondays. Done! Success! See picture below for one example. 
9. Speak softer to my children I don't know why this has been so hard, but about every other day, I see this on my NYR board, and I am reminded to see them as precious treasures. 
10. Be more obvious in my love for my husband This is also hard when you are stuck in a pattern. I have to constantly look for new ways to show him my love. 
11. Make freezer meals at the beginning of each month I am NOT going to blame my husband for this one, but every time I start, it's just not going to be in the budget. So hopefully February will be better! 
12. Go to lunch with my mom once a month We went to McAlisters! (There's the link to the place) 
13. Pay off a major debt Discussions on which debt to pay off are in negotiations. 
14. Clean/organize the pantry room Almost done! 
15. Clean/organize the craft room
16. Have the youth over End of February, Taco Party!! 
17. Have the college kids over Pizza Night was FUN! 
18. Make a new friend (not an acquaintance, but a friend) I've got a few new acquaintances that I'm working towards being friends. So exciting! 
19. Stick to chore schedule Eh, did a decent job here. Some weeks were better than others. 
20. Stick to reward/consequences chart Ditto above
21. Have family worship once a week Fail. Epic fail. We have taken steps to do it tonight, though! 
22. Take the kids to volunteer at a homeless shelter
23. Visit Connie Maxwell
24. Find a new hobby I'm thinking I may learn sign language or some other language and teach it to my daughter. Is that a hobby? 
25. Have one sewing project a month I made me a dress! Check it out here. 
26. Promote a local business on my blog once a month Ever So Sweet. Check it out here. 
27. Get a family photo done (professionally) 
28. Go to the dentist
29. Have a date with the husband once a month He took it upon himself to surprise me with this! We went to Charleston Beer Works for dinner and then Starbucks for dessert! 
30. Try a new, exotic food
31. Have a successful garden Eh, sort of? I have gotten quite a bit of collards this winter and am preparing for my spring crops this week! 
32. Read a non-fiction book 
33. Go to bed with a clean kitchen Almost every night this happens! It's refreshing to wake up to a clean kitchen! 
34. Recycle Done! So exciting to see the recycle bin get so full and the trash bin barely filled! 

So how are yall doing with your NYR? Have you been successful? Have you given up? Don't! You still have 11 months to reach your goal! Remember you are a work in progress! I hope that my monthly progress check will inspire you to also work on your NYR! 

Below are some pics from things from my list this past month. Enjoy! 

Homemade Sandwich Bread

Cooking Jana Banana Bread with my daughter

Painted this with some friends. Maybe this could be my hobby this year? 

My Walking Buddies

Meatless Monday: Spinach and Feta Stuffed Calzone in homemade pizza dough 

Homemade Hamburger Buns for Sloppy Joe's