One of my very favorite things about summer is...the rows and rows of apricot, nectarine and peach filled baskets at our local farmer's market! I absolutely LOVE these three fruits because of their gorgeous color, soft flesh and sweet yet tart flavor. And while this particular tart could easily be made with any of these fruits, I just couldn't resist these sweet little apricots!
Grilled Apricot & Basil Tart W/Cashew Sour Cream & Basil Infused Honey Syrup (Grain/Dairy/Egg Free)
One of my very favorite things about summer is...the rows and rows of apricot, nectarine and peach filled baskets at our local farmer's market! I absolutely LOVE these three fruits because of their gorgeous color, soft flesh and sweet yet tart flavor. And while this particular tart could easily be made with any of these fruits, I just couldn't resist these sweet little apricots!
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins
The thing I love about muffins is that you can mix
them up and bake them in under 30 minutes.
Try these anytime you want something yummy
and home baked to enjoy with your coffee.
You probably have all the ingredients in the house.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave.
Add the sour cream, egg and vanilla to the butter.
Whisk until well blended.
Add to the dry ingredients and gently stir until just
combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the mixture among paper lined muffin pan.
Bake until golden, about 16 minutes.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave.
combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Remove from pan. I like them still warm.
Loaded with mini chocolate chips.
Homemade muffins....one dozen to share.
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Muffins
1-1/2 C flour
2/3 C sugar
3/4 t baking powder
3/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
5 T butter, melted
1 C sour cream
1 egg
1 t vanilla
Melt the butter in a medium bowl.
Add sour cream, egg and vanilla.
Whisk until well blended. Add to the
dry ingredients and stir with a rubber
spatula until just combined. Do not beat.
Gently stir in
1 C mini chocolate chips
Evenly divide batter among a
paper-lined 12 cup muffin pan.
Bake @350 for 16-18 minutes.
12 muffins
Enjoy!
Links: Designs By Gollum,
At The Picket Fence, Common Ground
French Country Cottage, The Charm of Home,
My Romantic Home, Stone Gable
Touching Base
First up, I want to say thank you to everyone who has left comments and emails over the past - what, year? I have checked in intermittently, usually when I've come back here to check one of my recipes, and it has been nice to see that my efforts to document my Primal journey are still finding an appreciative audience.
Second, I really want to get back into regular cooking, but we bought a house six months ago and the kitchen is HORRIBLE. The oven is even worse than at the old (rental) house and the stove often loses its flame (but not its gas flow, yikes...) so I have really been avoiding my usual fry/saute cooking methods. BBQ is fun in the warmer weather, but it's icy in Melbourne now. I've been living on frozen food a bit that only needs boiling or baking, and there has been quite a bit of ready-to-eat food too.
So, I'm a long way from the Paleo WOE, but you know what's funny?
I've been losing weight.
I've held on to the massive regain-and-then-some that came from the DepTran horribleness for two solid years, seeing little improvement in my raging appetite and emotional dependency on food. Mostly, I never felt full - my connection to satiety was still broken. I would try fasting and eating to hunger, but nothing was working.
Then, about three weeks ago, I closed my latest play. During this stressful week, I noticed that suddenly I wasn't as hungry; I would eat a little of something - anything, even chocolate - and I would 'know' when I'd had enough! This basic, biological connection had been absent for over three years. And, for reasons I won't elaborate on here, I have a strong feeling that this change is due to emotional reasons, not immediately physiological ones.
So, three weeks of eating 'normally' and I have dropped five kilograms. I'm half-way back to my old 'set point' weight before I originally went low-carb. I would rather eat nothing but primal foods, since I enjoy the other nutrition benefits, but hey! I probably won't keep losing weight once I'm back to the weight I maintained on my pre-2009 junk food diet, but it will be great to get rid of this 'excessive' excess.
Who knows how long this 'normal' appetite control will last, but I will certainly be pleased if its reign is long and joyful! I eat when I'm hungry, and now I can stop easily. Hurrah!
And, when we have enough cash to renovate our kitchen, I'll be able to share my latest yummy recipes with you all - without fear of my oven exploding mid-meal!
reade more...
Second, I really want to get back into regular cooking, but we bought a house six months ago and the kitchen is HORRIBLE. The oven is even worse than at the old (rental) house and the stove often loses its flame (but not its gas flow, yikes...) so I have really been avoiding my usual fry/saute cooking methods. BBQ is fun in the warmer weather, but it's icy in Melbourne now. I've been living on frozen food a bit that only needs boiling or baking, and there has been quite a bit of ready-to-eat food too.
So, I'm a long way from the Paleo WOE, but you know what's funny?
I've been losing weight.
I've held on to the massive regain-and-then-some that came from the DepTran horribleness for two solid years, seeing little improvement in my raging appetite and emotional dependency on food. Mostly, I never felt full - my connection to satiety was still broken. I would try fasting and eating to hunger, but nothing was working.
Then, about three weeks ago, I closed my latest play. During this stressful week, I noticed that suddenly I wasn't as hungry; I would eat a little of something - anything, even chocolate - and I would 'know' when I'd had enough! This basic, biological connection had been absent for over three years. And, for reasons I won't elaborate on here, I have a strong feeling that this change is due to emotional reasons, not immediately physiological ones.
So, three weeks of eating 'normally' and I have dropped five kilograms. I'm half-way back to my old 'set point' weight before I originally went low-carb. I would rather eat nothing but primal foods, since I enjoy the other nutrition benefits, but hey! I probably won't keep losing weight once I'm back to the weight I maintained on my pre-2009 junk food diet, but it will be great to get rid of this 'excessive' excess.
Who knows how long this 'normal' appetite control will last, but I will certainly be pleased if its reign is long and joyful! I eat when I'm hungry, and now I can stop easily. Hurrah!
And, when we have enough cash to renovate our kitchen, I'll be able to share my latest yummy recipes with you all - without fear of my oven exploding mid-meal!
Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!
We have a winner in the
Tumbleweed Pottery giveaway!
Shelby Keith....come on down!
Here's the recipe that started it all....
Beer But Chicken
It originally used a can of beer,
but this is so much easier because you make it
in the oven.
Use your favorite seasoning mix or try this one.
Beer, oil, 3t house seasoning, 3t seasoned salt,
a sprig of rosemary. Rinse and dry the chicken.
Pour the beer into the center well to about 3/4 full.
Add a sprig of rosemary and whatever herbs you
like. I also have oregano and sage growing in my
herb garden, so I added those. Combine the house
seasoning and seasoned salt. Add about a teaspoon
of seasoning mixture to the well.
Rub your chicken with oil and add about 1 t
of seasoning mixture to the inside and
sprinkle another1 t all over the outside.
Slide the chicken down over the well.
Plug the neck opening with a little foil.
Put the chicken cooker into a COLD oven
and then turn the oven to 350. Now...
put you feet up and drink the rest of your beer.
Roast for 1-1/2 hours. until nicely browned.
Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Serve with the juices.
House Seasoning
1 C salt
1/4 C pepper
1/4 C garlic powder
Combine and store in a
large shaker container.
Goes with everything.
Shelby please email me at may222@aol.com...Congratulations!
Gingered Green Beans W/Caramelized Shallots
As I sit in my kitchen, snapping the ends of a big basket of fresh green beans, I keep hearing this voice in my head saying....no wait, almost singing...."Busy girls are happy girls." I remember snapping green beans with my best friend, her mother's voice prompting us like a soothing melodic chime.....but despite her sweet 'chiming' voice, we weren't fooled for a second by the veiled
Paleo/Vegan Butternut Squash Au Gratin W/Crispy Shallots(Dairy/Potato/Grain Free)
Butternut Squash Au Gratin W/Crispy Shallots
Ingredients:
1 pound of shallots (about 2 cups thinly sliced)1/2 cup oil of choice for frying (I like to use organic Spectrum Palm Oil)
Approx 5 lbs of whole butternut squash (about 2 lbs once sliced)*
1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours (not roasted)
1 1/4 or more cups canned coconut milk, water or chicken broth.
Favorite Recipes from My Dad
That's my Dad and my Step-Mom. Today's a very special day. It's my Dad's birthday. I love you Dad!
You may not be aware, but my Dad is a huge inspiration behind most of my creativity in cooking. He's the foodie in our family. He's the one who first made chocolate chip cookies, omelets on Sundays, beef stews in the winter, and rare steaks with Caesar salad all summer long.
When I was little he made most of our breakfasts: usually grits, bagels, or oatmeal. On the weekends it was his famous omelets, fried liver mush (that's some good eating!), country ham cooked in cola, or fried eggs & bacon. One of my favorite cookbooks is his old copy of "The Joy of Cooking" by Irma Rombauer. That's the cookbook that taught me dozens of different ways to make cookies and cakes.
I remember old copies of Gourmet magazine always lying around the living room. I think that's where I get my love of actually reading cookbooks. While I may not try many of the recipes in a cookbook -- I think simply by reading how others make food will broaden your palate. It will give you ideas of new spices to try. Which foods work best together and will help you learn new cooking and baking techniques.
My Dad's also a writer. And while he doesn't always realize it, he's a very, very GOOD writer. He's spent nearly his entire adult career as a journalist and columnist and I know one day I'll see his name on a book. And trust me, no matter the subject... you'll want to read it. You'll be better for it.
Today for his birthday I thought I'd share five recipes from the blog that have been most inspired by my Dad. Many are actually recipes that he used to make quite often that I converted to be gluten-free. You have to cook what you know best. Don't let being gluten-free stop that for you. Because family recipes are important. They carry on traditions, bring back beautiful memories, and make you feel like you're feeding people well. Food with a story is the very best kind of food.
Well of course, The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!
They have to come from somewhere right? While this recipe isn't actually based on my Dad's recipe, it's special to me because my Dad made a LOT of chocolate chip cookies growing up. You knew it would be a good day if Dad decided to make cookies! And this recipes happens to be one of HIS favorites on my blog... which is a very cool thing!
Pancakes.
My Dad made a lot of pancakes on Saturday mornings too. We loved his pancakes. Again... a recipe with a story! Read how my Dad learned to make them.
Caesar Salad.
The ultimate "family" recipe in our clan! This one isn't just made in my immediate family it's shared by my aunt & uncle and their children... every kid in our family loves homemade Caesar salad from a very early age. It's good stuff and there's a good reason why!
Grits Bowls.
Because I can't tell you how many school day's began with grits at our house. My dad loved to make us grits!
GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA!!
Okay, so my Dad didn't make gluten-free pizza when I was growing up... but HE LOVED making us pizza with Chef Boy-R-Dee's Cheese Pizza Kits. By the time he was finished with them, they were full-blown supreme pizzas with green peppers, onions, pepperoni, ground beef, mushrooms, and tons of cheese. It's honestly why I love pizza so much. My Dad loved making those pizzas and the best part was we got to make them with him. He let us add the toppings, shred the cheese, watch the oven, taste the first bite. My Dad knows a thing or two about pizza and while this is a homemade recipe, it's JUST as easy as the Chef Boy-R-Dee version!! Want to buy a gluten free pizza kit that's way healthier than Chef Boy-R Dee? Check out Gallo Lea Organics GF Pizza Kits of Asheville, NC !
And Dad, when I see you later this month, I'm making you this... my favorite chocolate cake (or maybe a vanilla version since Chris doesn't like chocolate!) I also hope you know how great a Dad you are! Never forget that! I'm blessed outa my socks to have you for a Dad and I love for you for way more than all the amazing food you made for us growing up!
Happy Birthday Dad!!