Mexican Style Spaghetti Squash

I like trying new recipes that incorporate lots of veggies - and actually taste really good. I was perusing Printerest, looking for dinner ideas, and found this recipe that sparked my interest. I didn't feel like cooking the vegetables or using as many ingredients, so I put my own spin on it and came up with: a Mexican style roasted spaghetti squash bowl topped with fresh salsa and black beans. That's a mouthful. I'm somewhat obsessed with the combination of avocado, lime and cilantro. Cilantro is the crowing jewel to any dish for me. I can't get enough of the stuff! I also like black beans. The flavors are so fresh! You can use whatever veggies you like. 

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1-2 ripe avocados
1-2 Roma tomatoes
Half a yellow bell pepper
Half a small onion (or less, the flavor is strong)
1 can black beans, drained (or better yet, Caribbean seasoned black beans)
Half a lime
Fresh Cilantro
Olive Oil 
Salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut spaghetti squash into 4 pieces. Rub squash flesh with a little olive oil and sprinkle a little salt on pieces. Roast squash, skin side down on baking sheet, for 50 minutes or until strands are tender. 

10 minutes before squash is done roasting, make fresh salsa topping. Drain can of black beans. Dice avocados, tomato, bell pepper, onion and tear pieces of cilantro. Add beans and vegetables to a bowl. Squeeze juice of half a lime into bowl. Drizzle with light amount of olive oil. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt. Gently mix everything together. 

When squash is done roasting, let cool for 10 minutes or until it's easy to handle. Scrape 1 section of squash into a bowl, fluff strands and top with a few spoonfuls of fresh salsa. Enjoy! 

Makes 4 servings. Or, if you're like me, you'll eat two helpings, because it's that good! Refrigerate squash and salsa separately if you have leftovers and enjoy the next day.

Apple Pie Smoothie

I've been seeing a popular smoothie recipe trending on Pinterest, so I gave it a try. I love a good smoothie! This one does taste a lot like apple pie, and it's packed with protein, calcium and fiber. It's very easy to make and is great for breakfast. The source recipe can be found here with nutrition facts. 

Ingredients:
5 raw almonds
1 red apple
1 banana
3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup nonfat milk (I use almond milk)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender. Depending on what type of blender you have, you may need to chop the apple and almonds (our Ninja works great). Blend on high for 30 seconds or until desired consistency. Enjoy! 

Oatmeal Blueberry Muffins

Yesterday was one of those rainy fall Saturdays that makes you want to stay inside and curl up with a blanket on the couch. I was in the mood to do some breakfast baking, so I made "healthier" oatmeal blueberry muffins. They don't have a ton of sugar and the oats and blueberries make them healthy, right? I used frozen blueberries that I hand-picked this summer. Just enough sweetness. Perfect for breakfast or a snack. I used ingredients I had on hand, and modified a recipe I found via Pinterest. I'll definitely have to make them again. 

Ingredients:
1½ cups rolled oats (uncooked)
1 cup milk
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup vegetable oil
2 egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup flour (whole wheat or all purpose)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (if frozen, roll in flour prior to adding)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
Combine oats and milk in a small bowl and soak for 30 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oil, egg whites, vanilla and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Add oat mixture to wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.
Fold in blueberries.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Blueberry Scones

It's blueberry season! I just love fresh blueberries. We live around the corner from a local farm where you can pick your own. That's right up my alley! Does anyone else enjoy picking berries as much as I do? Makes me feel like I'm a pioneer woman. I picked 4.5 pounds! 

Blueberries as far as the eye can see.

The really blue ones were in the middle.

I can (and do) eat them by the bowlful. I froze a bunch too. I also tried my hand at making blueberry scones for the first time. That's my go-to treat at Starbucks or Panera. Those things are good! I was pleasantly surprised to learn how easy they are to make. I've been enjoying them for breakfast. Delish! 

I used this recipe from La Petite Brioche.

Ingredients: 
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 stick cold unsalted butter, grated
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
extra heavy cream for brushing the tops
raw sugar for sprinkling the tops

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix 2 cups of flour, 1/2 cup sugar, the baking powder, orange zest, and salt. Add the cold butter and mix at the lowest speed. Combine the egg and heavy cream and, with the mixer on low speed, slowly pour into the flour and butter mixture. Mix until just blended. The dough will look lumpy.  Add the blueberries to the dough, and mix on low speed until blended.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it into a ball. Flour your hands and a rolling pin and roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. You should see small bits of butter in the dough. Keep moving the dough on the floured board so it doesn't stick.

Shape the dough into a square. Cut the square into quarters then cut again into eighths, diagonally, making triangles.

Brush the tops of the scones with heavy creme, sprinkle with sugar and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are browned and the insides are fully baked. The scones will be firm to the touch. Serve warm with butter and preserves.  


If you love blueberry scones as much as I do, you should definitely try this recipe. It's a perfect way to use any type of freshly picked summer berries.


 

Homemade Pesto with Shrimp and Pasta

Having a food processor has changed the way I cook. I can now make recipes that I couldn't before. My regular blender just didn't cut it (literally) and doesn't have the same chopping/pureeing power as a food processor. 

This week I made pesto for the first time. It was both easy and delicious. There are so many ways to use pesto - mix it with pasta, spread it on sandwiches or panini's, use it as a dip for bread, put it in salads, or make it with chicken. The possibilities are endless. 

Traditionally it's made with pine nuts, but I used slivered almonds instead (which were a fraction of the price). It gave it a nice texture and I hardly noticed the difference. 

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 - 2/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil (depending how thick you want it)
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese 
1/4 cup slivered almonds
salt to taste

Directions:
Add all ingredients to food processor and pulse until desired thickness. Add more olive oil as needed. Use immediately or store in refrigerator. May need to add olive oil after refrigeration. 

That's all there is to it! I made the beautiful pasta dish pictured above with:
half of the pesto
spinach leaves
1 small tomato (diced, skin removed)
cooked shrimp
Girelle pasta (or other textured cut that can hold sauce)
a sprinkling of feta cheese
chopped fresh parsley

A delicious fresh summer meal!

One Mean Quiche

I like to make quiche for breakfast on Saturdays. Today's recipe was probably the best one I've ever made. I had a couple of unusual ingredients on hand, so I made a few adjustments, which turned out to be especially delicious. I even used my scalloped "tart" pan, which baked wonderfully and made a beautiful "crust" edge. You can find my regular favorite quiche recipes here and here. But if you want to kick it up a notch, here's what I did.

Ingredients: 
5 eggs
1 cup of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup Bisquick baking mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup diced ham
1 cup baby spinach (rough chop)
3/4 cup chopped broccoli floretts 
1/4 cup leaks diced and sauteed in a little olive oil for a couple minutes to soften (you could use onions instead)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together eggs, both milks, Bisquick, salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, toss together cheese, ham, spinach, broccoli and leaks. Spread tossed ingredients into the bottom of a greased (sprayed with cooking spray) 11 inch tart/flan pan (or large deep dish pie plate). Pour liquid into pan and distribute evenly, pressing vegetables down. Bake for 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown. Rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.  
 

Iced Blueberry White Tea

Summer is in full swing, and what's better than sitting outside with a refreshing glass of iced tea? I love fresh fruit, especially blueberries. When I found a recipe for blueberry iced green tea, I had to try it. It's made with homemade blueberry simple syrup. I swapped out white tea instead of green tea because I wanted to keep it tasting light. 

Blueberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Directions:
Place blueberries, sugar and water in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Strain solids from the juice with a fine sieve and set solids aside.
Transfer to a jar and store in the refrigerator.

Iced Blueberry White Tea
Ingredients:
8 cups of water
4 white tea bags
1 cup of blueberry syrup (or to taste)
ice cubes
fresh blueberries for garnish

Directions:
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and remove from heat.
Mix in 1/2 cup of room temperature water, add tea bags and steep for 10 minutes.
Remove tea bags and add the remaining water.
Mix in the blueberry syrup until it reaches the desired sweetness.
Chill in the fridge, add ice and enjoy.

So refreshing! I mixed the tea with the blueberry syrup and kept it in the refrigerator for a few days. I just added ice and fresh blueberries to a glass when I was ready to enjoy.
 

Black Bean Hummus

If you like black beans, and you can get past the color of this delicious hummus, the flavor is worth it! I recently tried a vegetarian wrap at a restaurant that had black bean hummus in it. The flavor was so good, and totally made the wrap. I wanted to make it at home with my Ninja food processor. I found a great recipe here and followed it exactly. The fresh cilantro, lime and garlic give it so much freshness. It's great with chips, crackers or on a sandwich or wrap. 

The key ingredient to any hummus (as I've learned) is tahini (roasted sesame seed paste). You may need to search the international section of your grocery store to find it, but it is NOT the same without it. Trust me. If you use a can of regular black beans (with salt) just omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt from the recipe.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, divided
2 tablespoons tahini (roasted sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 teaspoons paprika

Directions:
Place 1/4 cup cilantro, and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor; process until smooth. Spoon into a bowl; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cilantro.

That's it! Enjoy. 

Brownie Cake

I made a brownie cake. It. Was. Awesome. What is a brownie cake, you ask? 

2 boxes of brownie mix, plus 1 container of chocolate frosting = brownie cake. 

Mix up both boxes of brownie mix and pour evenly into two round cake pans (be sure to grease pans well). Bake according to directions (mine took almost 40 minutes). Cool brownies completely. Stack brownie #1 on a cake plate and frost with about half the frosting or so. Stack brownie #2 on top of frosted brownie #1 and decorate top with the rest of the frosting. 

Brownie cake is born. Talk about chocolaty! I used my "frosting gun" with a ribbon tip to make fun designs and added some sprinkles. 

Easy to make and sure to satisfy that pesky sweet tooth! 

Bacon Egg and Cheese Crescent Roll

My husband and I both like breakfast foods. But we really only get to enjoy them on the weekends. Usually, it's some form of eggs, breakfast sandwiches or an occasional quiche. I like trying new breakfast recipes. This one combines our favorites - bacon, eggs and cheese, all wrapped up in a crescent roll. And it couldn't be easier. I found the recipe via Pinterest here.

Ingredients:

1 can of crescent rolls
5 eggs, scrambled
1 cup of shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
5-8 slices of cooked bacon (I used turkey bacon)
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Scramble eggs on stove top. Lay out crescent roll dough in a star formation, on a parchment lined baking sheet (the longer sides of each crescent on the inside with the pointed ends pointing out.)

2. Place cooked bacon around the inside center of the ring. Top with about 1/3 of the cheese, scrambled eggs, salt and pepper, and remaining cheese.

3. Fold pointed tips of each crescent over the filling and join in the center. Press points together to seal.

4. Place in oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice in between each crescent to make 8 individual pieces.

This breakfast was so delicious, even reheated the next day. It's perfect for a brunch or a lazy Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!
 

  

Cranberry Orange Pound Cake

The holidays are over, but I still love all things cranberry. I came across a recipe for Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese Pound Cake by Sophistimom, and I had to try it. This recipe makes two loaves, which is perfect for gifting and keeping one for yourself to enjoy.

I followed the recipe exactly, and it came out perfectly! It may seem like a lot of steps, but it's not as complicated as you may think. Zesting oranges is divine - and you can squeeze fresh orange juice when you're done. I used frozen cranberries (chopped, not thawed) and they were great. Don't skip the glaze either! I love the flavor of tart cranberries with orange. So delicious! 

Ingredients:
2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
zest of 2 oranges
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, roughly chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour two medium size loaf pans, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. When mixer is light in color and fluffy, add in zest. With mixer on low, add in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in cranberries. Divide batter evenly between the loaf pans. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

3. Remove from oven. Place cakes on a wire rack to cool. After about 5 minutes, lay cakes on their sides, and allow to cool for another 5 minutes. Flip cakes onto their other sides and cool for another 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, and let cool on the wire rack. While still warm, drizzle with orange glaze (recipe follows). Serve warm or at room temperature.

Orange Glaze
3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon melted butter
zest of 1 orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Add more juice or sugar to achieve desired consistency.

Thank you, Sophistimom for sharing such a delicious recipe! I'll definitely make this again.

Easy Artichoke Dip

If you're hosting or attending a party, this artichoke dip is one of my all-time favorite appetizers. My sister usually makes this around Thanksgiving and Christmas, but you could have it any time. There's only 3 ingredients, and it's SO simple! Always a crowd pleaser. 

Ingredients:
1 14oz. can of sliced artichokes (in water, not oil), drained and chopped (be sure to trim off any tough edges/leaves)
1 cup of Parmesan cheese (the good kind)
1 cup of Hellmans REAL Mayonnaise (I'm a stickler for real mayo, none of that miracle nonsense)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together and pour into in an oven-safe baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned. Serve with sliced bread, crackers or vegetables. 

You can mix everything ahead (or the day before) and refrigerate until ready to bake. Recipe easily doubles for a larger crowd. Enjoy! 

Coconut Macaroons

When we were in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, I had a delicious coconut macaroon from a little cafe. It got me in the mood for coconut and I wondered if I could make a similar cookie at home. I found a recipe at foodnetwork.com by Ina Garden (Barefoot Contessa). I was happily surprised that they were so easy to make and SO delicious. I probably ended up eating half of them. No joke. If you like coconut, give these a try! 

Ingredients:

14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut 
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve. 

I ran out of parchment paper, so I baked the cookies directly on the tray - I would NOT recommend doing this. These cookies are quite sticky and I had to scrape them off the baking sheet. Next time, I'll definitely use parchment paper.

 

I took them out of the oven when they looked like this - golden edges and a little firm. The insides are soft chewy coconut. Such a sweet treat!

Crock Pot Applesauce

The air is crisp. The leaves are just starting to turn. Apples and pumpkins are in season. Cider and donuts never sounded so good. Happy first day of fall! The autumnal equinox has begun. 

I made a batch of crock pot applesauce last weekend to jump start the changing seasons. It smelled delicious while cooking and tasted even better. It was so easy too! 

Ingredients: 

8-10 medium apples. Variety makes it even better - I used Macintosh (of course), Pink Lady, Golden Delicious and Gala.
3 inch cinnamon stick
5 teaspoons (unpacked) light brown sugar
*optional* 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice and a small strip of lemon peel (I tasted too much lemon, so I would use less next time or omit completely) 

Directions:

1. Peel, core and chop the apples and add to crock pot. Be sure to get EVERY single sliver of peel off. There's nothing I hate more than peels in my applesauce!

2. Add brown sugar and cinnamon stick (and lemon juice and peel if using). 

3. Set crock pot on LOW and cook for 5-6 hours.  

4. Stir apples occasionally, about every 1/2 hour or hour. The apples will eventually start to cook down and become soft. 

5. Around 5 hours, remove cinnamon stick and mash apples to desired consistency. I used a potato masher until they were relatively smooth. 

6. Can and process or refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

After I enjoyed a fresh bowl (or two) of warm applesauce, I was left with one full large mason jar. This recipe is so easy and perfect for all those apples you may have lying around.

Do you have any applesauce recipes? I would love to try some others or see if there's anything I could do differently next time. Original recipe found here.

Enjoy! 

Strawberry Romaine Salad with Poppyseed Dressing

This is one of my favorite salads. It's pretty easy to make too. The recipe is from Wegmans. It's perfect if you have some strawberries laying around. The dressing is what makes it so delicious! 

You'll need 1 container of strawberries, hulled and sliced.

One 10oz package of chopped Romaine lettuce - or I like to use two Romaine hearts and chop them myself.

I use a serrated plastic knife which keeps the lettuce from rusting. Genius.

Dressing ingredients: plain yogurt, white vinegar, mayonnaise (I only use real Hellmann's. End of story), poppy seeds, red or white onion, and sugar (not pictured).

Whisk the sugar an vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

If you're ready to eat, pour all of the dressing on and toss with the lettuce and strawberries. Or, you can make it ahead or to go, by pouring the dressing in to a jar for later (refrigerate) and layering the strawberries on the bottom of the bowl, until you're ready to toss and serve.

This salad is sooo good! And it makes a large potion - perfect for a gathering or family dinner.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup minced white or red onion
1 tsp poppyseed
1/4 cup mayonnaise (or light mayo if you prefer)
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 pkg (10oz) chopped Romaine lettuce (or two Romaine hearts chopped)
1 pkg (16oz) strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced

Directions:

1. Whisk sugar and vinegar in large bowl, until sugar is dissolved. Stir in onion, poppy seeds, mayo and yogurt until well combined. 

2. Add dressing to romaine and strawberries and toss until evenly coated.

Watermelon Mojito

The weekend is almost here - whoo hoo! If you're looking to kick back with some fruity refreshment, try a watermelon mojito. It's now my second favorite summer beverage. My other favorite is a minty mojito, made using my friend Rich's recipe. I follow it exactly, including making a jar of simple syrup to keep in the fridge. That is one GOOD mojito!


The watermelon variation comes from Martha. Her recipe is quite similar, swapping out fresh muddled watermelon instead of seltzer. She uses granulated sugar, but I like to use simple syrup. Make it with or without rum. But fresh limes and mint leaves are an absolute MUST. 


Cheers to summer!

Tazo Iced Passion Tea

 

I was shopping for a box of TZAO Passion tea to make my favorite Shaken Iced Passion Tea Lemonade, when I saw this NEW TAZO *Iced* Passion Tea, in 6 filterbags. Now my favorite iced tea drink is even easier to make at home! Just brew 1 filterbag in 1 quart of boiling water for 5 minutes, then add 1 quart of cold lemonade, and serve over ice. Tastes just like they make it at Starbucks! But without the hefty price. Pure refreshment.

Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

This recipe is a no-brainer-must-try. Brought to you by Martha Stewart (yes, again). Perfect for dinner, lunch or breakfast/brunch. 

 

Anything involving Pillsbury Crescent Rolls is a winner in my book. Add ham and cheese and you've got a crescent roll on steroids. 

We made these the other night for dinner and Andrew loved them. He even enjoyed making them with me and said it was fun. I repeat. He said making dinner was fun. This recipe will now be added to my permanent rotation. I suggest you add it to yours too! 

Roll out the dough triangles. Add a dot or two of Dijon mustard. Top each with a slice of ham, then shredded cheese. Roll 'em up. Brush with a beaten egg. Bake for 12-14 minutes. What could be easier?

You may want to make a double batch. I ate 3 and Andrew ate 5. True story. Here's Martha's recipe for Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls.

Ingredients
1 (8oz) can crescent-roll dough
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1-2 slices cooked ham, cut into 8 2-in square pieces (or just sliced into strips)
1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese, plus more for topping (or cheese of choice)
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
   
2. Open can of dough and roll out. Cut along the pre-scored lines and separate. Spread 1/4 tablespoon mustard over each piece of dough and top each with 1 piece of ham and 1 1/2 teaspoons grated cheese.
   
3. Starting with the long end, roll each piece of dough up toward the point to form a crescent and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Brush each crescent with egg and top each with a pinch of grated cheese. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Serve.
   

Potato, Sausage & Kale Soup

January is national soup month. Did you know that? I love soup. Probably more than the average person. I could eat soup anytime - winter, spring, summer or fall. I was in the mood for potato, sausage and kale soup. Kinda like the zuppa toscana at Olive Garden. I found an easy and delicious recipe at marthastewart.com which I only tweaked a little. It was delicious!

Ingredients 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

5 waxy potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I ended up adding an additional large can of broth, because it got too thick)  

1 bunch kale (12 ounces), stemmed and shredded

12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch half moons (I crumbled 4 sausage patties)

 Directions

1. In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat oil over medium. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and red-pepper flakes; cook unti fragrant, 1 minute. Add potatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. In a blender, puree half the soup (or keep it in the pot and mash with a potato masher by hand, like I did). Return to pot; add kale and sausage. Simmer until kale is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve it with some crusty Italian bread, and I am happy.

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

I know it's bad timing to be posting a cookie recipe after the holidays. If you're anything like me, you ate waaaaay too many Christmas cookies. I love cookies. Especially cut-out sugar cookies. The ones shaped like stars and snowmen with icing and sprinkles get me every time. This year, I wanted to make a batch that were gluten free, so everyone in our family could enjoy them. But I wanted to make really good gluten free cookies. Not ones that tasted like cardboard or something you found in the backyard.

After doing an online search - who am I kidding, it was Pinterest, yet again - I found this recipe with good recommendations, at LivingWithout.com. It was a little complex, due to various special ingredients, but overall, easy to make and just as fun to roll out and use cookie cutters. AND I made royal icing for the first time and LOVED it. The lemon extract is what made these cookies so delicious. Maybe you have a birthday party coming up or you could make some Valentines cookies next month. I'm certainly not making another batch right now because I'd eat them all! 


Ingredients

1¼ cups Mary’s All-Purpose Flour Blend (See below for recipe)
½ cup tapioca flour/starch
1-⅓ cup potato starch (not potato flour) *I substituted Tapioca Flour*
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter or dairy-free substitute, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg or egg-free substitute
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon gluten-free lemon extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, combine first five ingredients. Set aside.

3. In the large bowl of a mixer, combine butter and sugar and beat for 3 minutes until mixture is a pale yellow.

4. Add in egg, vanilla extract and lemon extract.

5. Add dry ingredients, slowly mixing until dough forms. Place bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

6. Remove half the dough and roll out onto a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Use star shapes or other cookie cutters to cut out cookies and place them on prepared cookie sheets. Reroll scraps of dough. If dough becomes too sticky, chill again. Repeat with second half of dough.

7. Bake in preheated oven 12 to 15 minutes until light brown. Remove and let cool thoroughly before handling and decorating.

Mary’s Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Blend

MAKES 6 CUPS

2 cups brown rice flour

2 cups white rice flour
½ cups potato starch (not potato flour) *I substituted Tapioca Flour*
⅔ cup tapioca starch/flour

Mix ingredients together. Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator until used.

Royal Icing

1½ cups confections’ sugar
1 large pasturized egg white or powdered egg white mixed with water to equal 1 egg white
½ teaspoon lemon juice *you can substitute water until it's the consistency you want*
½ teaspoon gluten-free lemon extract
- Food coloring

1. Beat sugar and egg white with electric beater.

2. Add lemon juice and lemon extract and beat until ingredients are incorporated.

3. Separate icing into small bowls and stir in a drop or two of different food coloring, as desired.

4. Chill icing until you’re ready to decorate cooled cookies. Spread icing on cookies, as desired.