Beer Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes (not dairy free)

Since it is towards the end of the month we are trying to use up lots of items from our pantry and sometimes that means getting creative. I actually look forward to this time each month because often our best dinners and new recipes come out of random things in the kitchen. This morning I realized I had 6 potatoes, 1/2 lb ground sausage, 1/2 onion and some soy milk to use up. I knew I wanted to use up those potatoes before they started to sprout even though I knew I could freeze the sausage and onions for another month.

My next thought was to look in the pantry and see what I had Tastefully Simple wise - one of the best parts of the business is experimenting with the products and coming up with new recipes. It keeps me excited about the business and the opportunity that I can provide people. I found a sample pack of Bountiful Beer Cheese Soup - a product that I am still playing around with. I have found that when I want soup I can thin it out with a little extra beer or milk or leave it thick to pour over our Bountiful Beer Bread. The only ingredients it needs is beer and milk or you can always omit the beer and add the extra milk. I often don't suggest it to clients as just a soup but offer all the other ways you can use it. I was so happy to find another fun way to use the product today and can't wait to share it with my November hosts!

From the ingredients I had I did a 1/2 recipe, but listed below is for a full recipe since as a client you can only order it that way.


Beer Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 package Bountiful Beer Cheese Soup
1/2 cup beer
4 cups milk (I used soy)
1 lb ground sausage
1 onion, diced
10-12 potatoes, sliced thin

Directions:
* Thinly slice potatoes and place 1/2 of them in slow cooker.
* Cook ground sausage and onions - when browned add beer cheese soup mix with beer and milk. Whisk to mix and heat until it starts to thicken.
* Pour 1/2 of the mixture over potatoes and add rest of potatoes, then finish off by adding the rest of the soup sausage mix.
* Cook in your slow cooker on low for 5 hours or until potatoes are soft.

*** Please note this recipe is NOT dairy free - the Bountiful Beer Cheese Soup does contain a powdered cheese. I did the best I could by using soy milk instead of regular as I really wanted to experiment with a product my clients really love!

Egg Drop Soup

We eat a lot of Chinese food at our house. It is such an easy and affordable way to go dairy free plus we love experimenting with different recipes. I had been craving a really simple Egg Drop Soup and happened to have some edamame and frozen egg rolls to use up.

I found the original recipe on Mommypotamus. A great blog for parenting and fun recipes. I of course adapted it for us - for example my recipe doesn't have celery in it only because I didn't have it on hand. However, this turned out amazing and reheats great as well.

photo credit 

Egg Drop Soup - original recipe 

Ingredients:
1 diced onion
1 TBS coconut butter
1 teaspoon soy sauce
8 cups chicken broth
2 teaspoons sesame oil
8 eggs, beaten
salt and pepper to taste
chopped green onion for garnish

Directions:
* Add coconut butter to medium-sized pot and warm adding onions until soft.
* Add chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil and bring to a boil
* Stir in egg gently
* Use salt and pepper to taste and add green onion before serving

Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash

Here is another fantastic squash recipe - this time using Acorn Squash!



Sausage and Apple Stuffed Acorn Squash - original recipe

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash - halved and seeded
1 TBS EVOO
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 lb ground sausage - hot
1/4 cup diced onion
1 diced apple - granny smith
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
1 egg - beaten

Directions:
* After you have halved and seeded the squash drizzle with EVOO and garlic salt. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour. (fill pan w/ a small amount of water to cook the squash in, helps prevent burning)
* Make stuffing: fry sausage and remove from pan, in drippings from pan fry onion and apple until lightly browned.
* Combine onion and apple mixture to sausage and add breadcrumbs. Season to taste.
* Stir in beaten egg.
* Fill squash halves with stuffing mixture - they should be slightly mounded.
* Return to oven and bake, covered with foil for 20 more minutes.

Homemade Applesauce

I love shopping at Sprouts Market. Even though there really isn't one in our neighborhood I find it worthwhile with their great deals on meat and produce to drive the 15-20 minutes one way every other week to catch their double add Wednesdays.

This past week they had four types of apples on sale for 0.49 a pound - such a GREAT deal. I went in and bought about 15 lbs of apples - so about 45 apples total. I was on a mission to cook them down and make applesauce. It freezes so great and tastes way better than any kind of store bought. I ended up buying 1/2 and 1/2 of red gala and green golden delicious. A mix of variety is often the key to a great tasting applesauce.

Homemade Applesauce

8-12 apples - peeled and cored, diced into 1 inch pieces
1 cinnamon stick
2 slices lemon peel
5 TBS brown sugar
small amount of water to cover bottom of pot

Combine all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low until apples are soft. Use potato masher and mash to desired consistency. This freezes great and also lasts in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

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I also wanted to cook a large batch down without any seasoning/spices in it for Lucy. Since it freezes so great I can cook the apples down and mash/puree them and freeze for when she is ready to start on that type of food. My goal since I have the luxury of working from home with my business is to make most to all of her food. It is a great way to save money being really affordable - plus I know what is entering my child's body.

Apple Puree for Lucy

8-12 apples - peeled and cored, diced into 1 inch pieces

Cover apples in a large pot with water. Let simmer on low until soft. Mash or puree - freeze or serve fresh.

Here is a great website I have been scooping out for when we are ready to start making Lucy's food. Also where I got the helpful info on making her apples.
Homemade Apple Baby Food
Wholesome Baby Food

Squash... Fall Medley

I love Fall! I could have Fall weather and foods year round and be so happy with life. I especially can't wait for when squash goes on sale. There are so many different things you can do with squash making it both a savory or a sweet dish. I often prefer my squash to be on the savory side but every once in a while I can top a butternut with butter and brown sugar and that is amazing too. 

I was searching on Pinterest this week for a new recipe using a beautiful butternut squash I picked up at Sprouts. I happened to have all the ingredients on hand for this recipe and I added onions and garlic to the original recipe and so glad that I did! It doesn't really have a name but it tastes amazing. 

Fall Medley - original recipe
Ingredients

• 1 medium/large zucchini
• 3 cups packed chopped fresh spinach
• 1 small butternut squash
• 4-5 slices double smoked bacon 
• 1/2 medium onion
• 1 TBS garlic (minced)
• 1 tsp EVOO
• 1 tsp cumin
• Zest & juice of 1/2 medium lemon
• Small handful of chopped almonds (other nuts or seeds would likely work also)
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Peel the butternut squash, remove seeds and cut into stripes
3. Toss butternut squash cubes in EVOO
4. Roast squash at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown at the bottom
5. While the squash is in the oven, prepare the rest of the dish
6. Cook the bacon, drain and set aside
7. Using the same pan, saute the spinach and onions on low heat with the cumin, garlic, salt and pepper for ~5 minutes, or until wilted
8. Chop the bacon, add to the spinach and set aside
9. Make zucchini noodles using a spirooli (if you don't have one, cut ribbons using a vegetable peeler)
10. Toss zucchini noodles with lemon juice, lemon zest
11. Cut the squash into bite size cubes
12. Add squash, bacon and spinach to the zucchini
13. Top with chopped almonds

Kitchen Notes:

The original recipe makes the dish sound more like a salad to be eaten cold. I much preferred it heated up and with the addition of the garlic and onions going for a more savory dish. Make sure to go light on the lemon flavor, it can become over powering quickly - unless you like it that way! 

I am also thinking about reheating the leftovers in the oven topped with parm cheese! 

Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies - Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread

Today was a cookie making day! I had bought Chocolate Mint Chips a couple weeks ago when I was really wanting something sweet for dessert. I brought them home and stuck them in the freezer and had pretty much forgotten about them. :)

When I found them last week on my big freezer clean out I thought they would be great for cookies and I could make some to freeze for Christmas. I'm assuming even with my parents and sister here for the holiday that I personally won't be doing a ton of baking with either a newborn or almost baby here.

I also had a great coupon that went with a sale at Sprouts a couple weeks ago for Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread. It is a great butter sub and with a $2 off coupon and their Buy One Get One Free sale it was too good to pass up. We weren't sure what we would think of it but had it on our list to try as we are always looking for good Vegan Butter subs.

The overall verdict of the Coconut Spread is that it for sure has a coconut flavor and one that doesn't really go good with garlic bread and savory dishes but is great on the morning with toast and jelly, great with peanut butter and perfect for baking yummy desserts.

Here is my chocolate chip recipe and below is my new creation with the coconut spread and chocolate mint chips!

Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Earth Balance Organic Coconut Spread 

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

4 tsp. vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 (12 oz) pkg. chocolate mint chips 

Directions:

* Cream coconut spread and sugars until smooth

* Beat in eggs and vanilla

* Add dry ingredients; mix well.

* Stir in chocolate mint chips.

* Bake on greased cookies sheet at 375 for 5-7 minutes.

Makes 6 dozen cookies

Normally I would NOT make 6 dozen cookies and I half this recipe but the wonderful husband happened to call right as I was mixing these up and I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing because I was of course given him my FULL attention :) and ended up with ingredients mixed up for 6 dozen! He had no complaints of course and now I can for sure freeze some for the holiday. As long as I get them hidden in the freezer before he arrives home! He takes the myth of eating for two seriously these days - for himself!

Mama Mia Baked Penne Pasta

We are LOVING the new Mama Mia Marinara Sauce from the Fall/Winter line at Tastefully Simple. It is one of our dehydrated seasonings that you add 1-2 TBS to a 15 oz can of diced tomatoes or tomato sauce. I love the spice that it has and compliments any kind of pasta or pizza perfectly!

Last night we enjoyed Mama Mia Baked Penne Pasta and I made a double batch so we could freeze one for when Lucy comes! Here is the recipe:

Mama Mia Baked Penne Pasta

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground beef
4 oz penne pasta
1 TBS Mama Mia Marinara Sauce Mix
15 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded parm cheese (vegan if you choose)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degree. Brown ground beef and drain. Prepare pasta while beef is browning. Add Mama Mia seasoning to tomato sauce and ground beef, bring to a simmer. Drain pasta and add sauce mixture. Spread in a greased 2 quart baking dish and bake for 20-30 minutes. Top w/ cheese!