Category Archives: Foodie

Power Up:: Homemade Granola

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Good morning everyone!! I hope that y’all had a lovely weekend.  Today, I’m going to share one of my favorite recipes. I created this recipe about two years ago as an alternative to pricey store bought granola.  As it turns out, this granola tastes wayy better (if I do say so myself) than pre-packaged versions.  In my effort to eat healthier, I’ve been turning to my homemade granola quite a bit.  Unlike store bought granola, this recipe only has three ingredients!  Yep, you read that correctly- it only has three ingredients: oats, honey, and ground cinnamon.  And trust me, this is some of the most delicious granola you may ever try.  Another great thing about this recipe is that it can easily be altered to be organic by simply purchasing organic oats and local honey.  My favorite way to enjoy it is with a  bit of vanilla greek yogurt, yumm!

                                 

 

Homemade Granola

Ingredients::

4 c. plain oats (not instant)

1/4 c. honey

2-3 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions::

1. Pour oats into a large mixing bowl

2. Fold in honey.  Make sure the oats are coated with honey, mix with a spoon/spatula until they begin to clump.

3. Add in ground cinnamon, use as much or as little as you prefer.

4. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and then spread out granola on the sheet in a thin layer

5. Bake the granola in an oven heated to 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until desired crunchiness

6. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Break apart granola and enjoy!

 

+ Adapt the recipe for a larger/smaller batch by adding in/reducing amount of oats and honey

+ Add in dried fruit, cocoa, and chocolate chips for a sweeter treat

+ Granola will last anywhere from 2-3 months if stored in an airtight container

Food Finds:: Macarons from Forgiving Martha

Posted in Foodie, Uncategorized by

photo credits:: forgiving martha

If you’ve never heard of forgiving martha, I highly recommend that you click on the link and immediately add her to your favorites list!  I promise you’ll visit her adorable blog over and over again to find the most delicious recipes!  She recently posted this recipe for chocolate macarons, and I just can’t wait to try my hand at creating them!  They look so yummy!

Chocolate Macarons
gluten-free
1 cup  powdered sugar
½ cup powdered almonds (about 2 ounces, 50 gr, sliced almonds, pulverized)
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugarChocolate buttercream filling 
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
4-5 tablespoons milk

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) prepared; Set aside.
  2. Grind together the powdered sugar with the almond powder and cocoa so there are no lumps; use a blender or food processor since almond meal that you buy is not finely ground enough.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. Slowly add in the granulated sugar until very stiff and firm and continue whipping about 2 minutes.
  4. Gently fold in the dry ingredients in two batches into the beaten egg whites with a rubber spatula just until there are no streaks of egg white. Fold the batter into the pastry bag and pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1-inch circles (about 1 tablespoon each of batter), evenly spaced one-inch (3 cm) apart.
  5. Firmly rap the baking sheet a few times on the counter top to flatten the macarons then bake them for 12-15 minutes.
  6. Let cool 10 minutes before removing from baking sheet.
  7. To prepare filling, cream together butter and shortening.
  8. Add confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla and beat well.
  9. Add milk while continuing to mix until light and fluffy.
  10. To assemble, spread a bit of filling on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
  11. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze.  David says that should you choose to freeze them, make sure to defrost them in the unopened container to avoid condensation which will make the macarons soggy.

recipe credit:: forgiving martha

Tuesday Tastings:: Quinoa Cakes

Posted in Foodie by

photo credits:: epicurious

Today I’d like to share a new favorite recipe, via the foodie community at Epicurious.  Quinoa cakes (or patties as the recipe refers to them) are delicious protein filled goodness that are super easy to make!  If you haven’t heard of quinoa (pronounced “kin-wa”), it’s a super grain that fluffs up like rice when you cook it.  It’s a great alternative to rice and pasta, and is packed with tons of nutrients.  I made a big batch Saturday night and had a ton left over, so I decided to whip up a batch of cakes with the extra.

Here are how mine turned out::

 Click HERE! for the recipe and shopping list!