Food

Chocolate Dipped Sugar Wafer Cookies

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

chocolate-dipped-sugar-wafer-cookies-2

Chocolate Dipped Sugar Wafer Cookies.

Remember those light, crispy, sweet wafer cookies you loved as a child that came in fun colors and flavors?  Vanilla, Strawberry, Chocolate, even Peanut Butter…  Oh how I loved them!

Grandma would occasionally get them as a special treat, and we would enjoy them as a late night treat on a hot summer night while sitting outside on the swing catching a cool breeze that could not be felt sitting in the overheated non-air conditioned house.

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I hadn’t thought about these sugary treats for years, but I recently stopped in a local candy shoppe where they featured a pair of these sweet little cookies dipped in chocolate, sprinkled with colorful sprinkles, and wrapped in cellophane.   I couldn’t resist trying – even at the crazy price they were asking… several dollars for two little treats.

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Well – OMG – there were delish!  And I realized they would be so easy to make!  So I found them at my local grocery store, where a whole package of sugar wafer cookies cost a whopping 99 cents!

I dipped them in chocolate, sprinkled them with fun Valentine sprinkles, and I’ll be sharing them with some friends I love dearly this weekend!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Broccoli Slaw with Vinaigrette Dressing

/ Jodi / 32 Comments

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Broccoli Slaw with Vinaigrette Dressing.

YUM!  Another wonderful way to enjoy one of my favorite vegetables!

Hubby said we are going to turn into broccoli this week!  We’ve had broccoli sprouts, steamed broccoli and broccoli slaw over the past few days.  I think I could eat it every day.

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This recipe is so easy – especially if you buy the pre-packaged broccoli slaw mix Green Giant makes.

Have you tried it yet?  What do you like to mix into your slaw?

Here’s how I made it:

Broccoli Slaw with Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:broccoli-slaw-with-viniagrette-dressing-1

  • 1 12-oz bag Broccoli Slaw Mix or 6 cups shredded broccoli stems, shredded carrots, and shredded red cabbage
  • Dressing
    • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
    • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp sugar
    • 1 tsp seasoned salt
    • 1/2 tsp dill weed
    • 1/2 tsp celery seed
  • Optional Add-ins
    • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
    • Sunflower seeds
    • Soy nuts
    • Craisins (dried cranberries) or golden raisins
    • Broccoli sprouts

Directions:

Whisk dressing ingredients in a small bowl.

Empty broccoli slaw mix into large bowl.  Drizzle dressing over top and mix thoroughly to combine.  Add any optional add-ins you like.  Refrigerate at least one hour before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Crockpot Honey Balsamic Pork Roast

/ Jodi / 37 Comments

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Crockpot Honey Balsamic Pork Roast.

Oh my dear programmable crockpot – how do I love thee?
Let me count the ways….

All kidding aside, I do love cooking in the crockpot, and I love this new one I got that is programmable and then keeps dinner warm once its done cooking.  They have come such a long way since the first one I got oh so many years ago as a newlywed.  I use it at least once a week – especially in the colder weather months.

This past Sunday was a bit of a cold, lazy day, so this Honey Balsamic Pork Roast was just the ticket for dinner.  That hubby of mine is going to make a pork lover out of me yet!

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A tender white meat pork loin with a full flavored simple sauce that turns into a rich, easy gravy warmed up and filled our tummies – especially with a dollop of mashed potatoes and healthy serving of steamed broccoli.

Just look at that yumminess!  I am beginning to think pork is the “other white meat” Hubby keeps trying to convince chicken-lover me into believing.

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Here is the simple, yet hearty and flavorful recipe I slightly adapted from SixSisterStuff.   Hope you’ll give it a try.

Crockpot Honey Balsamic Pork Roast

Ingredients:crockpot-honey-balsamic-pork-roast-with-onions

  • 2-3 lb. pork loin roast
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 cup beef broth (I made using 1 cup water and 1 beef bouillon cube)
  • 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (I realized I was out, so used Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing – I am the queen of improvising!)
  • 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
  • 1 large sweet onion, sliced (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup flour

Directions:

Place pork roast in crockpot and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Drizzle honey over top of roast.  Add rest of ingredients except for the last two (butter and flour).  Cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-6 hours.

When ready to serve, remove roast to cutting board to rest.  In a small saucepan, melt butter, then whisk in flour to create a roux.  When thickened, pour juice from crockpot into roux, and stir to incorporate and thicken into gravy.  Slice roast and serve with gravy.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

A Shout Out for Sprouts!

/ Jodi / 37 Comments
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Freshly Sprouted Broccoli Sprouts

A Shout Out for Sprouts!

Are you a sprout lover?  I’ve always enjoyed them, but they are not always readily available in my local grocery stores.

I was reminded of them when I recently read Deep Run Roots: Stories & Recipes from My Corner of the South by Vivian Howard and blogged about how to make The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg.   Vivian recommends serving hard boiled eggs for breakfast on a bed of fresh sprouts (broccoli for her).  I didn’t have any fresh sprouts the day I made my “perfect” hard boiled eggs, so I put mine on canned bean sprouts (which was NOT a good choice by the way).

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Freshly Sprouted Green Pea Sprouts

So wasn’t I surprised when a new blog follower here at The Creative Life In Between, RCollab, commented on one of my posts, which made me curious about their blog, and the first post I saw from them was called DIY:  Sprouting Sprouts!  It was as if the blogging gods sent me a gift of inspiration.  Check out their blog for the complete, easy instructions.

RCollab is an abbreviation for Our Collab or Our Collaboration where Colleen and Raphy, a sweet young couple, share their passion and adventures.

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Sprouting Seeds Day 1: 1 Quart Mason Jars and Cheese Cloth

Did you know there are many health benefits of eating sprouts?  The impressive list includes the ability to improve digestion, boost metabolism, increase enzymatic activity throughout the body, prevent anemia, help with weight loss, lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure, prevent neural tube defects in infants, protect against cancer, boost skin health, improve vision, support the immune system, and increase usable energy reserves.*  That’s quite a list – eh?

Additionally, sprouts contain a significant amount of protein and dietary fiber, as well as vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, thiamin, vitamin C, vitamin A, and riboflavin. In terms of minerals, sprouts contain manganese, copper, zinc, magnesium, iron, and calcium.*

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Broccoli Sprouts Day 6

So I was excited to find a sampler pack of certified organic non-GMO sprouting seeds from The Sprout House. It contains a dozen 2-ounce packages consisting of Alfalfa, French Lentil, Kamut, Mung, Daikon Radish, Clover, Green Pea, Garbanzo, Adzuki, Broccoli, Hard Wheat, Black Sunflower, and Green Lentil sprouting seeds.

My first try was the broccoli and green pea, and I love them both.  It was so easy to do, and the price is so right!  I am currently soaking the alfalfa and lentil seeds and can’t wait to try them.

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Chicken Breast on Rye with Broccoli Sprouts

When our youngest son came over on Saturday to help my husband with a project he is working on – an art/photography studio for ME in our home (woohoo!) – I made us some yummy grilled chicken breast sandwiches with muenster cheese, fresh broccoli sprouts, romaine lettuce, tomato slices, and a smidge of Dijon Mustard on rye bread!  They were delish!

Sprouts are not only great to add crunch and flavor and nutrients to sandwiches, they are delicious in salads, in wraps, with hard boiled eggs and to just eat plain!

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Sprout House Assorted Organic Sprouting Seed Sampler

If you want to give them a try, here is a link to where I ordered them:  Sprout House Assorted Organic Sprouting Seed Sampler.   There are simple directions right on the bag similar to RCollab’s instructions.

How do you like to eat sprouts?  Which ones are your favorites?  Can’t wait to hear!

Happy Sprouting!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Organic Facts.net

Cinnamon Pecan Crumb Cake

/ Jodi / 34 Comments
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BEWARE:  This Cinnamon Pecan Crumb Cake is only for the most serious crumb cake lovers!  Are you one like me?  Do you love more buttery, sugary, nutty crumbs than cake?  If so, this is the cake for you!  And I dare say it should not be consumed without a large steaming cup of coffee to wash down the “crumby” goodness.  Be still my coffee crumb cake lovin’ heart!

Let’s take a closer look at all that “crumby” deliciousness…

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Don’t say I didn’t warn you.  This is a seriously “crumby” cake!

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With buttery, nutty, cinnamony wonderfulness, this cake is a serious indulgence justified as breakfast when served with coffee…. but Hubby discovered it works very well as an evening snack when topped with a scoop of Vanilla Caramel Gelato!

If you don’t like your cake quite so “crumby,” you could double the cake batter or half the crumb topping.  Also – be careful not to overbake and dry the cake out – –  unless you are eating it with vanilla caramel gelato or dunking it in coffee.  In that case – who cares!

Diet shmiet – this cake is worth the calories!  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Pecan Crumb Cake

Ingredients:cinnamon-pecan-crumb-cake-piece-2
  • Topping
    • 2 1/2 cups flour
    • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
    • 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
    • 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted
    • 1 cup finely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
  • Cake
    • 1 1/2 cups flour
    • 1/2 cup sugar
    • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 2/3 cup milk
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
    • 3 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.  Prepare  8 or 9 inch square baking pan by spraying with vegetable spray and lining with parchment paper so it overhangs sides of pan. Spray the parchment paper with vegetable spray and set aside.

Make topping by combining flour, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the melted butter. Stir to combine, then add the pecans using your hands to thoroughly mix. Topping should have a loose, crumbly consistency.  Set aside.

Prepare cake by whisking milk, oil, egg, and vanilla in medium bowl.  Add sugar, baking powder, salt, and flour.  Stir until just combined.

Pour the cake batter into prepared pan. Add all of the crumb topping evenly over the batter.

Bake approximately 30 mins.  The cake will rise, and the topping will bake into the cake batter.

Remove from oven and cool for 10 mins. in pan. Run a butter knife along the edges of the pan to loosen cake and lift it out to a cutting board. Cut into 9 squares. Sprinkle with powdered sugar to garnish if desired. 

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*recipe adapted from Garlic&Zest

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

/ Jodi / 34 Comments

perfect-hard-boiled-egg

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

It’s a age old debate, and there are likely as many methods as there are stars in the sky, but I recently tried this method from a great book I’ve started devouring that was recommended by a friend, Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard.  This book is as much a story as it is a cookbook and as much an inspiration as it is picture book.  I am thoroughly enjoying it.  Vivian also has a PBS Series called A Chef’s Life and a restaurant called Chef & the Farmer.

So I tried Vivian’s method and loved it.  Complete simplicity and success.  A hard boiled egg generously topped with more salt and pepper than seems reasonable and a dab of Cholula hot sauce served on a bed of sprouts drizzled with fresh lemon juice = the perfect quick breakfast!

Here’s how to make them:

The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg

Place two eggs in a 2-quart sauce pan.  Cover with cool water to an inch above theperfect-hard-boiled-egg eggs.  Bring to a boil and cook for one minute.  Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes.  Drain the eggs, and run cold water over them until they are cool enough to handle.

If you are cooking more eggs, let sit 12 minutes.  

That’s it!  Simple!  Success!  The perfect food.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

The Ultimate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie & That Something about Baking

/ Jodi / 61 Comments
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The Ultimate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie

The Ultimate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookie

A few months ago, I recall my youngest son, watching me mix together a batch of cookie dough, asking, “Do you actually enjoy doing that?  Seems like a lot of work!”

I thought about it.

It is a bit tedious.

It makes a mess in the kitchen.

I could be binge-watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix or painting or exercising or reading or so many other things.

But…

There’s something about baking…

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There’s something about using Grandma’s old tin measuring cup and reminiscing about childhood summers.

There’s something about the way the house smells like home when you bake.

There’s something about the smiles you know will emerge when hubby sees stacks of cookies cooling on racks when he comes home or comes in from out of the cold.

There’s something about making goody packages to send home with your kids (even though they are grown and on their own and perfectly capable of making themselves).

There’s something about taking a special treat into the office for a long day of meetings and seeing your co-workers’ faces light up.

There’s something about taking a plate of cookies to the Thursday night gang at John’s Bar and watching your buddy eat one cookie before his dinner and two after.

There’s something about trading a cookie or piece of cake with Cliff the mailman when he delivers a package and handful of mail right to the kitchen door (with a treat always in hand for your furry kid).

There’s something about your kids’ friends saying “You make the BEST cookies Mom M!”

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So you see – baking is more than the chore of mixing butter and sugar and flour.  It’s about creating happiness.

When I read a recent blog post by one of my very favorite blog writers, Pam at Catching My Drift, I knew I HAD to try her cookie recipe.  Pam is not a food blogger, but a storyteller – a GREAT storyteller I might add.  And the story she wove about her persistent and passionate quest to recreate her ultimate cookie painted a picture of the most heavenly bite on earth.  Pam tells the story of  how she loves sitting in the Starbucks snack bar of her local Barnes & Noble noshing on the most amazing Reese’s peanut butter cookie while sipping dark Italian roast and paging through glossy magazines.  You must read about her 35-year quest to recreate this cookie and the surprising place she found the recipe.

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Well, dear Pam, we were certainly not disappointed in this Ultimate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie!  It is indeed the ultimate.  It is a new favorite of hubby’s.  And it will now be a staple in my cookie recipe collection!  They are super crispy on the outside edges and tender and  soft on the inside.  The perfect combination of texture and flavor.

Here is the recipe as shared by Pam (which of course I doubled – because I knew I had to share)!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup margarine (I used butter)
  • 1 cup peanut butter (I used Jiff Creamy)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • Candy or chocolate of your choice to mix in (I used 4-6 Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped, and 1/2 cup chopped Hershey’s Kisses.)
  • Sugar for dipping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat first six ingredients until fluffy.  Add next four ingredients.  Blend well.  Fold in chopped candy.  Shape into 1 1/2 – 2 inch balls.  Roll in sugar.  Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with sugared bottom of glass.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until browned on the edges and beginning to crinkle.  Remove from oven, and cool completely on wire cooling rack.  

Enjoy immensely!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Oodles of Zoodles

/ Jodi / 62 Comments

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Oodles of Zoodles.

Has anyone else joined the zoodle craze?

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Low carb, low calorie, gluten free, grain free, wheat free, healthy, nutritious, unprocessed, vegetarian, cheap and and easy ZOODLES!

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Zoodles are zucchini noodles.  Or better put, vegetable noodles made from spiral cut zucchini.  They can be used in so many ways!

I recently purchased a SpiralLife Vegetable Slicer, and couldn’t wait to give it a try.  Super inexpensive at $14.99 on Amazon, it was easy to use, easy to clean, and easy on the wallet.

I made my zoodles to accompany a light dinner of Lemon Butter Chicken this week, and we loved them.

I simply sauteed them ever so briefly in olive oil with salt and pepper and a couple cloves of minced garlic.  After about two minutes, I added a handful of halved grape tomatoes and a generous grating of fresh Parmigiano reggiano cheese.  After sauteeing another two minutes, my zoodles were ready to serve and eat.  Yum!

How are you making your zoodles?

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

/ Jodi / 34 Comments

crockpot-cuban-shredded-beef

It was so cold this past Sunday and hunkering in was the order of the day.  While watching football playoffs (our Pittsburgh Steelers won!), I wanted a no fuss, but warm and comforting dinner to eat afterwards.

Beef chuck roasts are so versatile and cook so tender and juicy in the crockpot.  I make them a variety of ways, but wanted to try something new and different, and this Cuban Shredded Beef was just the ticket!  So yummy over a bed of rice with beans!  We’ll surely be eating them wrapped in tortillas this week too.

A tiny bit of a spicy kick and tons and tons of flavor make this easy recipe a new winner in my book.  And if you can’t get warmed up on the outside, this one will warm you up from the inside out!

I adapted this recipe slightly from Little Spice Jar.

Crockpot Cuban Shredded Beef

Ingredientscrockpot-cuban-shredded-beef

  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 3 1/2 lbs. beef chuck roast
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. oil
  • 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced sweet bell peppers
  • 1 large sweet onion, sliced
  • 2 4-oz. cans chopped green chilies
  • 2 Tbsp. dried oregano
  • 1 Tbsp. salt
  • 2  Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime

Directions:

Make 3 deep “x” cuts into the chuck roast. Insert 3 whole garlic cloves into the cuts. Season both sides of the meat with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the chuck roast and fry on each side for 5 minutes to sear.  Don’t cover the pan as the meat will end up steaming rather than searing.

Chop the remaining 3 cloves of garlic, and add to crockpot along with all the remaining ingredients except for the lime. Cover and let cook on the low setting for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours. When the beef falls apart easily when pulled with two forks, it’s done. Shred the beef with the forks and stir.

Serve over a bed of rice with beans on the side topped with additional cilantro and a few lime wedges. You can also use the shredded beef for burritos, quesadillas or tacos.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Quick & Easy Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

/ Jodi / 29 Comments

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Quick & Easy Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

What a lovely treat it was to make for dinner earlier this week after all of the rich party foods of the holidays.

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After prime rib and tenderloin and rich macaroni and cheese casseroles and haluski and snacks and cookies for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, followed by the generous bereavement food gifts, the New Year’s Eve snacks and New Year’s Day kielbasa and sauerkraut, it was wonderful to make a clean, quick and simple winner winner chicken and broccoli stir fry dinner with whole wheat pasta.

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This is so simple and so delicious, it is a perfect go-to staple for a weeknight dinner.  I’ll bet it would be great with shrimp too for a change up, but I was really in the mood for chicken.  Chicken is the one protein I actually crave.

Here is the recipe as I adapted slightly from what I found at Damn Delicious.  Hope you will enjoy as much as we did.

Quick & Easy Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry

Ingredients:quick-and-easy-chicken-broccoli-stir-fry-1

  • 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 lb whole wheat spaghetti
  • 1 lb broccoli, cut into florets
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
  • Sauce:
    • 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
    • 2 Tbsp.  oyster sauce
    • 1 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
    • 1 tsp. ground ginger
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
    • 1 Tbsp. Sriracha Hot Sauce (more or less for your taste)

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and Sriracha; set aside.   Reserve 2 tablespoons.

In a medium bowl, combine reserved 2 tablespoons sauce and chicken; set aside to marinade.  This can be done several hours ahead to tenderize and flavor chicken.

Cook pasta according to package instructions.   In the last 2 minutes of cooking time, add broccoli.  Rinse and drain well.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet,  add chicken, and cook until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in pasta, broccoli and remaining sauce until heated through and coated, about 2 minutes.

Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi