Cherry Walnut Bites

This recipe was passed out at a recent gathering I attended.  I believe it comes from deliciousliving.com.
It's a yummy treat you can feel good about eating.  You won't even know it's good for you by the taste!  Cherries and Cocoa have great antioxidants in them, and the walnuts contain omega-3's.    Enjoy!

2 cups dried sour cherries
8 medjool dates, pittted
2/3 cup walnut pieces
2 Tbs fresh orange Juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
6 Tbs dark chocolate chips
4 Tbs unsweetened shredded coconut, plus more for rolling

Finely chop dried cherries, dates, and walnuts.  I used a food processor to do this, way quicker!  Add orange juice, cinnamon, chocolate chips, and coconut. Mix together with hands, working into a sticky mass.  It should hold together.

With slightly wet hands, roll mixture into balls.  Roll in excess shredded coconut.  Place into an airtight container and refrigerate.  They will become firmer as they cool.

Breakfast Cookies

 

(continuous Joy Photography is me too... oops wrong copyright!)

These are a staple around here.  And who doesn't like cookies for breakfast??  This is a cookie you can feel good about eating.  :-)  It's also gluten free and egg free if anyone cares.  If you leave the chocolate chips out, its dairy free too!  But that might not be as much fun, unless you're allergic to dairy.  

Another reason I love this recipe is because it's so adaptable.  Don't have 3 bananas?  Use 2, don't have coconut oil?  Use Olive Oil.   I've had to make adjustments sometimes, and they always turn out.

These are definitely one of my favorites.

This is adapted from "Bread & Wine" by Shauna Niequist

3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup coconut oil (you want it liquid, so warm it if you need to)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups rolled oats

2/3 cup almond meal**

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

2/3 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mash the bananas, then add coconut oil and vanilla and stir.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  

Form the dough into  12 balls on a parchment lined baking sheet and flatten them a little bit.  Bake at 350 for 14-16 minutes.  

A note about almond meal.  I don't ever buy Almond Meal.  I use raw almonds and put them in the blender or food processor.  For this recipe, it doesn't have to be as fine as what you would buy, and it is expensive to buy it.  I get it as fine as possible, but if there are a few crumb like chunks, it's okay.

What about you?  Do you like cookies for breakfast?  What's your favorite "healthy-treat-like breakfast"?  

White Bean Soup

White Bean Soup

(adapted from Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist)

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 pund carrots, sliced on the diagonal

1 bulb fennel, sliced

4 celery ribs, sliced on the diagonal

8 cups prepared Great Northern Beans or other white bean*

1 tbs rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

Vinaigrette (Dijon, balsamic vinegar, olive oil)

prosciutto, sliced in ribbons

Parmesan, thickly grated, or use a vegetable peeler to get pretty strips

In a dutch oven, soften shallots in olive oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, fennel, and celery and allow them to soften, about 15 minutes.  (If you don't have fennel, you can add some fennel seed for flavor or just leave it out)

Add beans and chopped rosemary.

*Note, I use dried beans and prepare them.  If you use canned, I recommend rinsing and draining them.  But you will need to add some water or broth to compensate.  

Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes, or longer if you have time.  

Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you are using the prosciutto, remember it is salty, so go easy on the salt.  Bacon is really nice with this soup too.  

Mash with a potato masher for a chunky texture.  For a smoother texture run part of it through a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender right in the pot.  I love my immersion blender so that is my tool of choice here.  

Ladle into bowls and top the soup with Prosciutto, cheese, and vinaigrette.  

This is a wonderful comforting soup.  

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

(adapted from Betty Crocker)

One of my favorites ever!  I've made this soup a few times this year, trying to find exactly the right recipe.  And I finally hit it.  Most recipes have you peel and chop the squash, but I roast mine, it's much easier, and gives it a great flavor.

2 tbs butter

2 medium butternut squash

2 large apples, peeled, chopped

1 large onion chopped

2 tbs brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

squash seeds (optional garnish)

nutmeg (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut the ends off of the squash, scoop out the seeds.  I save the seeds and bake them and use them as a garnish.  Place them skin side down on a baking sheet.  Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.  

Once the squash has cooled enough scoop out the flesh.

Saute' onions in a couple tablespoons of butter, until softened.  Add the apples, broth, salt, cinnamon, pepper and squash.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered until apples are soft.  

In batches, pour the soup into a blender, or food processor (I use my vitamix), and process until smooth.  Once it has all been pureed, return to a clean pot and heat until warmed.  Ladle into bowls and top with baked squash seeds and a dash of nutmeg.

Soup, Salad, Friendship

I love my girlfriends.
I love how we all bring something different to the group, we all have unique personalities.  They are a blessing to my life.
Every couple of months we have a girl's night out, or in.  In this case it was in.  I think usually, our time together revolves around food.  There's something sacred about sharing a meal together.

I made soup.  Kelli made salad, Tina made bread and Amy "made" dessert.  This is one of the things that is so special.  Amy, just didn't have time to make dessert.  Or buy it.  But I love that she grabbed some random things from home and came on over, I love that she felt no pressure to perform or bring something.  And guess what?  Nobody cared.  These are good friends.

Our lovely table.

Dessert!!  

Our night was filled with love and laughter.  These women bring refreshment to my soul.

I didn't break out my camera this night... I know, shocking... so I don't have actual pictures of the soups.  But, I will share the recipes with you.  Thanks to Tina for sending me her phone pics to share.  :-)

Butternut Squash Soup

(adapted from Betty Crocker)

One of my favorites ever!  I've made this soup a few times this year, trying to find exactly the right recipe.  And I finally hit it.  Most recipes have you peel and chop the squash, but I roast mine, it's much easier, and gives it a great flavor.

2 tbs butter

2 medium butternut squash

2 large apples, peeled, chopped

1 large onion chopped

2 tbs brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pepper

3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

squash seeds (optional garnish)

nutmeg (optional garnish)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cut the ends off of the squash, scoop out the seeds.  I save the seeds and bake them and use them as a garnish.  Place them skin side down on a baking sheet.  Bake until fork tender, about 45 minutes to an hour.  

Once the squash has cooled enough scoop out the flesh.

Saute' onions in a couple tablespoons of butter, until softened.  Add the apples, broth, salt, cinnamon, pepper and squash.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered until apples are soft.  

In batches, pour the soup into a blender, or food processor (I use my vitamix), and process until smooth.  Once it has all been pureed, return to a clean pot and heat until warmed.  Ladle into bowls and top with baked squash seeds and a dash of nutmeg.  

White Bean Soup

(adapted from Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist)

2 shallots, sliced

1/2 pund carrots, sliced on the diagonal

1 bulb fennel, sliced

4 celery ribs, sliced on the diagonal

8 cups prepared Great Northern Beans or other white bean*

1 tbs rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

For serving:

Vinaigrette (Dijon, balsamic vinegar, olive oil)

prosciutto, sliced in ribbons

Parmesan, thickly grated, or use a vegetable peeler to get pretty strips

In a dutch oven, soften shallots in olive oil over medium heat.  Add carrots, fennel, and celery and allow them to soften, about 15 minutes.  (If you don't have fennel, you can add some fennel seed for flavor or just leave it out)

Add beans and chopped rosemary.

*Note, I use dried beans and prepare them.  If you use canned, I recommend rinsing and draining them.  But you will need to add some water or broth to compensate.  

Cover and cook for 30-40 minutes, or longer if you have time.  

Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you are using the prosciutto, remember it is salty, so go easy on the salt.  Bacon is really nice with this soup too.  

Mash with a potato masher for a chunky texture.  For a smoother texture run part of it through a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender right in the pot.  I love my immersion blender so that is my tool of choice here.  

Ladle into bowls and top the soup with Prosciutto, cheese, and vinaigrette.  

This is a wonderful comforting soup.  

The Great Reveal...

The million dollar question was "when will you're kitchen be done?"  As the saying goes, if we had a dime for every time someone asked us that, we'd probably be at Disney World right now.

Being a home owner, are you really ever finished with projects?  Probably not.  And, there is still some finishing touches yet to be done.  But, if I don't get these pictures up now, it may never happen.  :-)

We started this project in July.  But we didn't just remodel a kitchen, we put on a new roof, remodeled a kitchen, bathroom, and living room, plus painted and re-floored almost the entire main living space.  And, my amazing husband did most of the work himself.  Some projects were hired, and some we had help, but the majority of it was him.  Aside from working on the house, he works a full time job, and was training for the Chicago marathon.  All or nothing right?

Let's start in the kitchen, that's what ya'll really want to see anyway.

Here's what we started with...

Demo day...

I'm telling ya, they don't make em like they used to.  These guys had to tear these cabinets out piece by piece.

Until there was nothing left but the kitchen sink.  And a few appliances.  

One more before:

and, wa lah!

I know, it's amazing!

How about some close-ups?

 This is intended to be a coat closet, however, we used it for a pantry since I didn't have room in the cupboards for my food.  The shot on the right is taken from the half bath directly across from it.

Now I have a real pantry! And it's not in the entry way.  I actually have lockers in the entry way, yea!

My favorite thing about the pantry, besides just having one, is that all those small appliances you see, are actually plugged in!  Frees up my counter space, and eliminates getting it out and putting it back.  

Lockers...

 Again, taken from the half bath.

I used to have a built in desk here:

Another favorite feature... double wall oven!  And I actually use them both.

Want to see the living room?
Before...

How we lived all summer...

And, after...

You can see we tore out the built-ins and moved our desk to the right of the fire place.

Hopefully the mantle will be up before Christmas.

And, here's a peek at the bathroom.  But, it's not finished yet, still need a mirror and maybe some window treatments.
Here's the before.

There it is!  The great reveal!  A special Thank You to my sweet friend Aleisia  for her Interior Design Expertise!  And Thanks to Patti for the initial vision of making my space beautiful and getting me started.  

Thanks for stopping by,

Chellie

Pineapple Coconut Refrigerator Oatmeal

Well Hello world!
Yes, I'm still alive.  Not much time for blogging lately.  As much as I would love it to be a priority, There are just other more urgent things right now.  Mainly my four little ones are keeping me from the computer, and that is not all bad, but oh how I miss this outlet. I know lots of amazing bloggers who stay up in the wee hours of the night, writing and posting... I admire you.  This mama just can't do that right now.   Also, I'm in the middle of a kitchen remodel, so, not much cooking going on here.  Pretty much camping in my house.  But, can I just say, I am SO STINKIN' EXCITED, to be doing the remodel!!  You can be sure I will post pictures.

So last night I made this oatmeal for breakfast and mentioned it on facebook.  Some were asking for the recipe.  Well, that was just the inspiration, or push rather I needed.  So here it is:   I adapted this from The Yummy Life.  I want to try all her flavors.

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup coconut milk***
1/4 cup vanilla greek yogurt (or not greek)
1 1/2 tsp chia seeds
1/4 cup chopped pineapple (fresh, canned or frozen)

Put it all in a jar, or container with a tight fitting lid, and shake it up.  If you're using a smaller jar, you may want to shake it before you add your fruit, then stir the fruit in.  I've done it both ways.  Put it in the fridge, and it's ready to go in the morning.  Top it off with a little more fruit just before serving.

*** I made home made coconut milk by putting 1 cup of shredded coconut and 2 cups of water in my Vita Mix.  Oh my, so tasty!!!

Thanks for reading, I'll try not to stay away so long.  :-)