Gingerbread House Dough

Note: buttermilk made from 3/4 c whole milk and 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar.

Slicing the butter makes it easier to melt evenly and quickly.

Sorry about the odd photos- my camera is not cooperating :( 

With stove on 4, melt buttermilk and sliced butter; slowly stirring every minute. Milk will look clumpy. Remove from heat as soon as butter is melted. 

By pouring the milk and butter mixture back into the pyrex, it'll be easier to measure the molasses by displacement and to clean it later. 

add egg to wet mixture in pyrex

Place spices, salt, bkg soda, and flour to mixer. I used 2 c freshly ground whole wheat flour and 3 c white. 

Stir gently. 

Add wet to dry and blend on 2 for 1 minute, then 3 for 1 minute and back to 2 for a few seconds.

Your mixer will literally stop when the dough is ready.

It will be easy to form.

Mmmm. Good.

Put in a tightly sealed Tupperware or ziplock and place in the fridge at least one hour. 

 

pumpkin chocolate cookies

Preheat oven- 350 F, grease cookie sheet.

Blend oil and butter, eggs, sugars. Then add pumpkin and vanilla and blend well again, scraping if needed. 

Measure all dry ingredients in different bowl. Do a quick stir and add to wet ingredients. Blend thoroughly. 

Using the bread hook is best. 

Add chocolate chips. 

Still using dough hook, mix them in.

Drop by Tablespoon on cookie sheet. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Move to cooling rack and repeat.

It's a huge batch and So amazingly good!

I set some aside for another rainy day.

Balanced Dinner; Chia Pudding

Costco chicken, Easy Psalasami, Lentil

Dessert: Chia pudding, fresh raspberries 

Add pwd garlic, ginger, onion pwd, coarse salt and 1 drop liquid smoke to parboiled spinach. Mix w 1/3-1/2 c coconut milk. 

Blend well. 

Chia pudding- soak 3 T chia seeds in 1/2 c water for an hour. Mix. Add more water if needed. Then add 2 tsp imitation vanilla,  1/2 tsp coarse salt,  2 drops liquid monkfruit sweetener. Mix well. Add 1/3-1/2 c almond milk. 

Mix again. Store in fridge. Makes about 4 servings. Does not last more than 4 days. 

Tip - Use a clean spoon each time you get a serving. The job of saliva is to start the breakdown of food. 

Balsamic Garlic Vegetarian Original Dish

Don't ask me for a real recipe on this. I didn't measure. 

Artichoke hearts, onions, zucchini cooked in balsamic vinegar, garlic, olive oil, basil, and salt - boom. Taste explosion. 

Added to my lentils, black olives and Brussel sprouts which were bland made the perfect dinner.

Only after I had eaten half if it did I realize I should take a photo...

IP Lean Terriyaki Hamburger (no sugar)

Simple recipe. 

Finished cooking, but before thickening teriyaki sayce:

Chicken Enchilladas

My husband is making this dish tonight and it took me forever to find the recipe. So I'm posting it here. :) Now we can always find it.

I don't usually measure anything for this. Many times I open 2 cans of Chicken and just use 8 tortillas, using 1/4 of each can in each tortilla. I just approximate or use the can of soup to measure the sour cream and then 1/2 a can for the salsa.

Chicken Enchilladas
Heat oven to 350 F

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chopped green chilis  or 1/2 c salsa

2 tsp garlic

2 tsp onion pwd

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

1T chopped cilantro

1/4 c diced green onion or 2 T diced dry onion

3 c cooked chicken, diced
1 c sour cream
1 1/2 - 2 c grated cheddar cheese
10 flour tortillas

Prepare 13 x 9 pan w spray. Combine chicken soup, salsa and sour cream. Set some sauce aside (1/2 c.) for top layer.
Place a tortilla on a clean plate or in your hand and layer as follows: 1/3 c chicken, 2 T sauce, sprinkle of cheese. Wrap tortilla and place in prepared pan. Repeat for remaining 9.
Spoon the 1/2 c sauce over the top of the tortillas. Sprinkle a little more cheese on that.
Bake for 30 min at 350 F.

Cauliflower rice

1 head cauliflower

1/4 c avocado oil or sesame oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 c chopped green onions

1-2 T coconut aminos

Boil 4 c water. 

Add chopped head of cauliflower.

Drain.

Chop again so it's quite fine.

Place 1/4 c avocado oil to large skillet.

Heat chopped cauliflower in it.

Add 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tsp garlic powder. 

Sauté until it looks good to you and add chopped green onion right at the end w 1-2 T coconut aminos.

Serve with your favorite Sausage or Chicken (see my Teriyaki Chicken recipe) and a salad.

Hawaiian Style Macaroni Salad

Many people have tried to make an authentic macaroni salad - the kind you get on a plate lunch in Hawaii. Although this is not my favorite kind of salad, I do remember how the right one tastes, and this is the closest recipe I've found. It will be runny, don't worry. It'll set up a little in the fridge and won't dry out as the macaroni absorbs the mayo (Best Foods only - no substitutes).

I changed the original recipe a little - especially pulling back on the pepper. Auwe - way too much!

The vinegar amount is for strained HOT noodles. If you're starting off with strained cooked cold macaroni, decrease the vinegar to half the amount. 

It will be a little runny. Decrease the milk by half if you want it thicker. Or leave it out all together. 

Chocolate Shortbread

Shown with stevia flavored chocolate chips, almonds and walnuts (both raw and unsalted).

Here are three to try:

High-Protein Chocolate Shortbread Bars (No-Bake)

This recipe creates a rich, fudgy bar. 

• Base Ingredients: 80g (⅔ cup) oat flour, 60g (⅔ cup) vanilla vegan protein powder, ¼ tsp salt, 28g (2 tbsp) coconut oil (melted), 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp stevia, 1-2 tbsp liquid sweetener (like maple syrup or stevia to taste).
• Chocolate Topping: 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips and 1 tsp coconut oil, melted together.
• Method: Combine all base ingredients, press into a pan, top with melted chocolate, and freeze until set. 

2. 4-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Shortbread (Baked)

This provides a more traditional, crumbly texture. 

• Ingredients: 1 ½ cups almond flour, 3 tbsp cocoa powder, 3 tbsp melted coconut oil, 3 tbsp maple syrup (use sugar-free syrup for sugar-free).
• Method: Mix ingredients, roll out the dough to 5mm thickness, cut, and bake at 350°F (180°C) for about 10-12 minutes. 

3. Protein-Packed Shortbread Bites

• Ingredients: 1/2 cup almond flour, 3 tbsp coconut flour, 4 tbsp protein powder (vanilla or chocolate), 1 tbsp sweetener (maple syrup or sugar-free alternative), 3 tbsp almond milk.
• Method: Mix, press into a mold, and refrigerate or freeze. 

Tips for Success:

• Protein Powder: Vanilla or chocolate-flavored vegan (pea/soy) or whey protein works best.
• Sweetener: To keep it sugar-free, use stevia, monk fruit, or erythritol blends.
• Dairy Alternative: Use coconut oil or refined, unsalted dairy-free buttery sticks.
• Texture: If the dough is too dry, add a tiny amount of almond milk; if too wet, add a teaspoon of coconut flour. 

Roasted Chickpeas

Crispy, flavorful roasted chickpeas from the Pioneer Woman are easy to make and perfect as a snack or salad topping.

I added the spices and share instructions on how to make things truly from scratch. 

Ingredients for Crispy Chickpeas
Instructions

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (*)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons each: sea salt; garlic powder; onion powder
• avocado oil cooking spray

  

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and   spray a baking sheet with avocado oil.
2. Dry the chickpeas thoroughly on a clean kitchen towel or paper towels
3. Toss the chickpeas in a medium bowl with olive oil and spices until evenly coated.
4. Spread the chickpeas in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, shaking the pan halfway through, until  crunchy.
6. Let cool for at least 1 hour; they will become even crunchier as they cool. Best eaten within 1 day.

OR (*) use an instant pot to cook your own chickpeas. Place 6 c water in pot. Add 1 1/2 c dry chickpeas. Use High Pressure and cook for 10 min with a 20 minute natural release. 

Strain, rinse, pat dry - following the instructions above (step 3).

Tasty Muffins - Applesauce; Oatmeal