Flourless Peanut Butter Blondies

We're coming to a close on January.  Can you believe it?  This means we're one month into our New Year's resolutions.  The month's not over yet, so you still have time to come up with your own.

These are mine for 2013:
- Spend less on groceries (this means really shopping with a list every time...and less "window" shopping)
- Save more than we did last year
- Exercise at least 3 times per week
- Dedicate more time to strengthening relationships with extended family
- Always give Tyler the benefit of the doubt
- Be gentle with my children, even if they are trying to pick the fight
- Improve my spirituality by making time for meditation and study; lunch time seems to work well

Some of these are easily measurable, making them good goals to keep track of.  The other ones have to be remembered everyday.  It's going to be an awesome year!

What are your goals?

Who says you have to bake with flour!?

Are they gooey and warm and hit the spot and you just can't get enough...yes, yes they are.  I might have made 2 batches over the weekend.


Peanut Butter Blondies 
adapted from Detoxinista's Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

1 cups natural peanut butter (I've used Adams chunky and smooth, both are good)
1/3 cup honey
1 flax egg (1 Tbsp flax meal mixed with 3 Tbsp water - in place of 1 egg)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional - I added them, but without they'll taste just like peanut butter cookies)

Preheat oven to 350.  Lay (un-greased) parchment paper in an 8x8 pan.  In a bowl, mix together all ingredients, then if you're using them, fold in chocolate chips.  Pour the batter into the pan, making sure the parchment paper nicely folded into the pan edges.  Smooth the top and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool in the pan, then lift parchment out with your blondies, and cut.  Makes 16 squares.

*A friend told me she's had these in cookie form and they were good that way, too.

Creamy Almond Butter Freezer Fudge

It was just over a week ago that we buried my 22-day-old niece, Emma Rae.  Her neonatal liver failure got the best of her body.  (See where I first talked about this HERE).  We went to Montana to be with my family and help distract them with my three hooligans.  Everything went as good as possible; her 4-year-old brother even helped carry the casket out of the funeral service.  I'm so glad we got to be there to love and support my brother and family.  

As a mother, I can't imagine the emptiness that my SIL feels.  It's times like these that I'm grateful for the hope and faith of living again as a family after we die.  I really believe they will all be together again.  But right now, it has to be a daily walk, a daily step, and hopefully an inspiration to live better knowing she's waiting for us all to join her.

Moving on to a more delicious topic, these were very good!  Tyler kept on walking past the freezer just so he could snitch another one.

I recently found the Detoxinista and have already tried a couple of her recipes.  I'll report on another one next.  To find the recipe, go to her Creamy Almond Butter Freezer Fudge.

My only note is that I was wondering "why" did I have to include the coconut oil.  So I tried her recipe and then did the same thing, half batch, without the oil.  And surprise!  It didn't work.  The recipe needs the oil or it never sets up.  The almond butter mixture never hardened, so I ate it with apples instead.

Split Pea Soup

Thanks to my sister for this recipe!  I love a good split pea soup and this one didn't disappoint.  It's fun that as she gets older (and graduating from BYU this spring!!) that we get closer together.  I guess that means I'm getting older too.  It's the big 3-0 this year for me.  I used to think that was old.

Split Pea Soup 

From Favorite Family Recipes

1 lb dried split peas

8-9 cups broth (I used 5 cups broth and 3 cups water)

4 carrots, chopped

3 medium potatoes, chopped (I used the 2 I had on hand)

3 celery stocks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients on the stove top and cook on medium to medium-high until peas and vegetables are soft.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I did omit the ham from their recipe.  It was perfect, especially since we ate this when it was raining outside.

Wait.  I live in Portland.  Rain?

Their recipe calls for a crockpot, which you certainly could do and have a stress-free day.  On low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4.

Great Harvest Copycat: Honey Whole Wheat Bread

I love it when I make time to make bread.  There's something about warm bread that none of us can resist...or can you??  I've been making a bread recipe from my friend Sierra for the most part, but decided to branch out this time.  I'd pinned this recipe a while ago and it was totally worth it!  

Honey Whole Wheat Bread
from Eat Cake for Dinner & Find It, Love It, Share It

3 Tbsp instant yeast
4 c. warm water
1 cup honey
8-9 cups whole wheat flour (I ground mine myself)
3 tsp salt
1/2-1 cup optional add-ins (I added 1/2 cup quick oatmeal.  You can add sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, etc)

Combine yeast, water, and honey.  Let sit for 5 minutes or until frothy and bubbly.

Add salt, add-ins, and 5 cups flour.  Mix.

Add remaining flour, 1 cup at a time, until you get a soft dough.  You want the dough to just pull away from the sides of the bowl.  The softer the dough, the more moist the bread.  But if it's too sticky, it's a little gummy.  Knead for 4 minutes on low.

Grease a large bowl and put your dough ball in and cover.  Let rise until double.  I probably let mine sit for at least an hour.

Punch down and shape into loaves.  Put into greased loaf pans (I made 3 loaves from this, but probably could have made 2 larger loaves) and let rise again until doubled.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

*Note that sometimes bread needs more or less flour, so adjust to what your batch needs.

And when it's done, you can smear it with some warm (or cold) Apple Butter!  Seriously, you'll be trying to make up excuses to eat more.  

Apple Butter

If I ever start to wonder what I should be doing with my time, I often end up in the kitchen.  This was hard at first when we changed the way we eat, which is still a learning process, because I was used to making cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, etc.  I had to gather some healthy recipes, but no matter how you eat, it's fun to try new recipes, have suggestions from friends, and spending time on your feet in the kitchen.  It makes sitting down eventually that much more rewarding!  At least for me.

And the good thing about this recipe is that it's really really easy.  I've made mine the the stove-top twice, but it can also be made on low overnight in the crock-pot.  Wake up to your house smelling wonderful.

Thanks to my friend Teresa for introducing me to apple butter.  It's the perfect blend of natural sweetness from the apples and the perfect addition of spices.  It can have added sugar, but I don't think it needs it at all.  Try it without first.

Apple Butter

12 apples, cut into chunks

1 1/2 cups water 

1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

Cut your apples into chunks, peels on.  Put apples and water in a pot with the spices.  Let simmer together until apples are softened.  In batches, blend (this is where I wish I had an immersion blender). Put blended apples back into the pot and let cook down on medium-low until the mixture is thickened.  It should be the consistency of a soft jelly preserve.  Store in the fridge in airtight container...or eat in one night.  

For extra goodness, spread on Honey Whole Wheat Bread!

Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate

We have a new house member.  Angus, a black lab, is hanging out with us for 2 weeks while his owners are relocating.  It's fun to have him around and the kids are enjoying his company.  It's a good trial run for us...would we want a dog in the future?  At the end of this 2 weeks we will be a) attached and sad to see him go, b) say it was fun, but not for us for a while, and/or c) fun, maybe we'll get one of our own.

It will be an adventure.  

I was intrigued by the pomegranates in this salad.  They are so good!  And combined with quinoa had to be good.  I've been wanting more quinoa dishes anyway, so this was a good excuse to cook this awesome super food.  It was a great side salad.

Quinoa Salad with Pomegranate
from Cooking in the Costco Way

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
2 mini cucumbers, diced
1/2 lb grape tomatoes, halved
1 pomegranate, seeds only
1 Tbsp chopped fresh italian parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

dressing
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (I think I might have omitted this...now I can't remember)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add quinoa and toast for 5 minutes, or until the quinoa starts to pop and turn light brown.

Meanwhile, heat stock to boiling in a medium saucepan.  Add quinoa and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

To prepare the dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, comine warm quinoa with cucumbers, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds, chopped herbs, and the dressing.

Serve at room temperature.  (I also had this cold from the fridge the next day and it was good)

Pavlova & Italian Soda Bar

Before Christmas we threw a work party for Tyler.  It was fun to mingle with his work friends and enjoy lots of good food.  From the white elephant exchange we came away with a $15 itunes gift card and a Dali Melting clock...an actual clock, not a painting.

I wanted to make a dessert that would stand up to some oohhhs and aahhhs.  So pavlova called my name!  (This does not quite fall into line with our eating habits, but that has to be ignored this time).    

The presentation of this dessert does all the work for you, because it's probably the easiest dessert you'll ever make.  It's a dessert most often consumed in New Zealand and Australia that is crunchy on the outside and so so light inside.  Top that with some homemade whipped cream and berries.  Heaven in your mouth.  And you don't even feel bad when you've eaten half of it.  Okay, maybe you will.

Pavlova
adapted from this recipe

4 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/4-1/2 cups powdered sugar
Berries of choice (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, etc)
optional - can also add chocolate chips or shavings to the top

Preheat oven to 300.  Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.  This recipe calls for the pavlova to be spread out in a 9 inch diameter.  You can do this by drawing a circle on one side of the parchment and flip over when putting the dessert on (no pencil shavings in your dessert).  I doubled the recipe and spread out probably in about a 12 inch circle.

In a mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form then while continuing to mix, add 3/4 cup granulated sugar gradually and let sugar dissolve.  Add a pinch of salt.  Mix until peaks are stiff.

In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cornstarch together and fold into the egg whites.

Spread mixture in an even layer in a circle on your parchment paper.

Bake at 300 for 1 hour.  Turn off your oven, leaving the pavlova in, and let bake for another 30 minutes.  It should be hard on the outside and moist on the inside.  Let cool completely.

In your mixing bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream until peaks are almost stiff.  Mix in powdered sugar according to taste.  Top your pavlova with the cream and berries.  Stand back and admire your work!

We also had an Italian Soda bar for the party.  It was a good way to have fun drinks!  I found this FREE PRINTABLE that I stuck in a frame and it worked perfect for our guests, most who had never tried this before.  It was a great party and I would gladly host again next year...but I haven't told Tyler that yet.