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!

French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup is my favorite slow cooker soup for Fall. It is the first soup I always make when 60 degree weather hits and no matter how big of a batch I make we never seem to have enough leftovers!

My old recipe is listed here: French Onion Soup 

However, searching through Pinterest the other day I found another great recipe - although they are basically the same I think this one is the best one we have tried yet! Of course I changed it around a bit so feel free to look at the original recipe link.

French Onion Soup: original recipe 

Ingredients: 
1/4 cup EVOO

3 large onions (sliced) w/ a pinch of salt
1/4 cup flour
1 cup dry sherry
8 cups beef broth
2 cloves garlic (chopped or use Garlic Garlic)
croutons and swiss cheese slices for topping  

Directions:
1. Heat EVOO  in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onions and salt and cook slowly at low with the lid on until golden brown and caramelized, about 45 min, stirring every 15 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, stir to combine and let cook until it starts to caramelize.
4. Add the dry sherry and deglaze the pan.
5. Add the broth and garlic to slow cooker - then add onion mixture.
6. Cook on low for 6-8 hours

7. Serve with croutons and cheese!  

Pinterest: Monterey Chicken and Pumpkin Poppers

I love all that Pinterest has to offer! There are so many creative ideas and recipes out there and having a place to categorize them together is helpful and fun. It can be addictive but I have also learned so much and use it not just for personal but for my Tastefully Simple Business as well.

Now that I am 28 weeks I am stocking our freezer with great meals for after Lucy is born. I have started to pull lots of recipes from Pinterest to broaden our menu a little bit. We had been craving pumpkin desserts and soups lately so as I find great recipes I "pin" them to our "Add to Menu" board. Make sure to check it out!

Please note that I will post a link to the original recipe but in my kitchen I can't just stick to a recipe so the ones you see here are my own variations!

Monterey Chicken: original recipe

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used Honey Apple Grill Sauce from the Tastefully Simple line)
1/4 cup bacon pieces (cooked)
1 cup shredded cheese (Daiya)
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chilis, drained
sliced green onions

Optional Marinade for Chicken:
soy sauce, EVOO, garlic powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pound chicken breasts to flatten, or cut larger ones in half length wise. Grill chicken until no longer pink (marinaded or not) then place chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Top each chicken breast w/ the remaining ingredients. Please cheese on last to hold all ingredients together. Bake in oven for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is melted. Enjoy!

*** Kitchen Notes: these turned out amazing and were really filling. I just served with a side salad but potatoes, rice or pasta would also go well with it.


Pumpkin Poppers: original recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup milk (used almond milk)

For Coating:
1 cup butter (earth balance, melted)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
(I used Carmel Cinnamon Sprinkles, from Tastefully Simple)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray min muffin tins w/ non-stick cooking spray. Combine all main ingredients and combine. Fill muffin tins and bake for 10-12 minutes. Melt butter in small bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl. Let poppers cool for a few minutes then dip in butter and roll in sugar mixture. Enjoy!

*** Kitchen Notes: these didn't have as much of a pumpkin flavor to them as I wanted because we used fresh pureed pumpkin and left out some of the spices. They were still amazing though!!!

The Joys of Nesting!

Nesting has for sure set in at our house as we have 13ish weeks until Lucy's arrival. I feel her move constantly all day long - I am not even sure she really sleeps much. Moose lays on my stomach any chance he can get as I think sometimes he feels like he has to keep her warm and hatch her like an egg. She often kicks him, hard. He use to jump up and growl at her but now he just looks at me and rolls his eyes. I can only pray they become best friends sooner than later!

Lucy's room is starting to come together. We still need to pick up a few things like a crib mattress, pack n play, storage bins w/ lids for her closet and storage under her crib and of course some more clothes and diapers! Our neighbors are hosting a baby shower this weekend. I can't wait to spend the afternoon with them on Sunday. We are blessed by such wonderful neighbors and the #1 reason we decided to resign our townhome lease for another 12 months. I couldn't bare to think of leaving this community of dear friends as I work from home during Lucy's first year of life.

I deep cleaned our entire house room to room back in August before we had our garage sale. These days I am just maintaining and keeping the rooms clean. We thankfully aren't nick-nack or clutter people but it also means that I often find that I want something to organize and clean and can't find something! So I had to find something else to start keeping me busy along with wrapping up my Tastefully Simple business for maternity leave.

Cooking! 

I have cleaned out both freezers and made lists of what each one holds that are posted on the door. I am more than thankful for the large freezer we have in our basement that Kevin's mom gave to us several years ago. I keep it stocked with veggies, bread, fruits, and meat that has gone on sale. It has saved us so much time and money in the long run.

Now that I have cleaned out the freezers it is time to start stocking them with our favorite meals for when Lucy comes. I know we will have other priorities once she is born and I want to make sure we are still eating healthy and dairy free as much as possible.

I already have it stocked with Vegan Lasagna - Pizza Beer Bread Loaves (2) - Chili - Beef Stew - Millet Muffins - Banana Bread. Today I am adding to the stash with Pumpkin Enchiladas - Chicken Enchiladas - Potato Soup. (click on the item to be taken to the recipe)

Here are today's recipes:

Pumpkin Enchiladas 

Chicken Enchiladas

8 oz of cream cheese (dairy free - found at whole foods) 

½ cup of Sweet Jalapeno Dip Starter - Tastefully Simple Spring/Summer product 

2 – cups of chicken (cooked and shredded)

1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (Daiya Brand) 

4-6 tortilla shells (fajita size or larger) 

Mix cream cheese and sweet jalapeno dip starter, set ¼ of mixture aside (will use on top of enchiladas).  Add chicken and 2 cups of shredded cheese to cream cheese mix.  Fill tortilla shells with desired amount of chicken and cream cheese mixture.  Place in greased glass casserole dish.  Top with the cream cheese and sweet jalapeno dip starter that was set aside.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with remaining shredded cheese.  Put back in oven until cheese is melted.  Top with tomatoes, lettuce, onions and salsa (optional). 

Potato Soup - from Pinterest! 

3 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 chopped onion

4 cups chicken broth

garlic - salt - black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream (I used Green Valley Organics Lactose Free) 

1 cup shredded cheese (Daiya Brand)

green onions and bacon crumbles

Place potatoes, onion, broth and seasonings in slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5 hours. When potatoes are soft mash and mix in sour cream. Garnish with cheese, onions and bacon. 

(photo credit) 

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