Honey Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Spring time is the perfect time to make homemade dressings for salads. This recipe pairs really well with a strawberry, pineapple, yellow sweet pepper, craisins, sunflower seeds, & spinach salad which we made last night for dinner. I’m looking forward to making it again with fresh local strawberries and adding feta cheese next time.

This recipe yields: 1 cup (16 servings of two tablespoons)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (able one medium lemon)

2 teaspoons of poppyseeds

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a sealable container and shake well before each use.

Store in the refrigerator after each use.

Kitchen Sink Trail Mix

I know I’ve been on a kick with Trail Mix. There are 1000s of variations. I like it because you can easy put together leftovers of bits and pieces of goodies that you don’t have enough of for a full recipe. For example when that one recipe calls for only a half bag of chocolate chips….

This recipe yields 13 cups of Trail Mix

Ingredients:

1/2 cup peptia seeds

2 cups of chocolate chips ( semi sweet or 60% cacao)

1/2 cup of Dehydrated blueberries

1/2 a cup of Craisins

1 1/4 cup of M&Ms ( 10.7 ounces)

2 cups of peanut butter pretzels

2 cups of Cheerios

2 cups of banana chips

2 cups of roasted peanuts

1/4 cup of roasted & lightly salted sunflower seeds

Directions

1. Throw everything in the largest bowl that you possibly have. Mix thoroughly and place in a sealable container.

Orange Sunshine Muffins

I was in the Strip District a few weeks ago, in my safe haven, and I came across this toasted wheat cereal. I found it very interesting and had to pick it up. It is similar to cream of wheat but with more mouth feel.

On the back was a recipe for orange muffins. I adapted the suggested recipe to incorporate ingredients I had on hand. This is a great way to start the weekend with some sunshine.

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon ground Vietnamese cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup wheatena

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 medium orange’ zest

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup honey

1 egg

1/4 cup raw sugar

2 TB lemon juice

1/4 cup craisins (roughly chopped)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. Line 12 muffin tin liner cups with paper liner. In a large bowl combine the Wheatena, flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, & salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together.

In a separate smaller bowl combine the honey orange & lemon, juice, sugar, oil, egg and zest. Add liquid ingredients to the dry batter stir until moistened. Fold in the Craisins. Fill Muffins-tins 3/4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool on wire racks.

This recipe yields 12 muffins

Falafel Waffles with Homemade Tzatziki

 

This recipe yields 8 waffles (7 inches in diameter; using a 3/4 measuring cup)

March is National Nutrition Month! Celebrate with these vegeterian whole grain waffles. This recipe is a great healthier alternative to the traditionally fried falafel you receive at Mediterranean restaurants.

These waffles can be made for breakfast or dinner. They also freeze well.

This recipe was inspired by a Stone Soup Blogger, part of the Food and Nutrition Magazine. I changed out the fat free milk for the unsweetened almond which decreases the calories. I also added fresh parsley as well to add an additional flavor profile.

Ingredients:

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (yields about 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas)

1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons ground Vietnamese cinnamon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

Spray oil

Directions:

  1. Start to heat waffle iron according to manufacture. I had my setting on 6 (there are 7 settings on my All Clad Waffle maker).
  2. In a blender add the 1st nine ingredients and blend until liquid smooth.
  3. In a large bowl measure out flour, and gradually add liquid ingredients to the flour. Whisk until combined, and until the batter is without any clumps. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes or even covered overnight is permissible. I noticed I did not get to pour all the waffles at dinner and waited until the next day after the batter rested in the refrigerator. The waffles had a better consistent and texture to them the next day.
  4. Once the waffle iron is warmed up, spray the iron thoroughly with cooking spray. Place 3/4 cup of batter in the waffle iron (this may vary depending on your waffle iron capacity. Remove the waffles and allow to cool on wire rack or serve right away with homemade Tzatziki.

Craisin maple granola

Granola is very versatile! You can add it to everything or just eat it plain. My favorite is with Greek yogurt and fresh berries.

It is a perfect idea for snacks, breakfast or lunch. Granola is nonperishable so it can be kept in a sealable coming container in your desk at work or in your book bag for a handy hungry nourishment to get you through until the next meal.

Buying prepared granola can get pricy however making it from scratch from home can be fun and less costly, not to much lower in calories! Win, win!

This recipe yields: 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup puffed wheat cereal

1 cup quick or old fashioned oats

1/4 cup craisins

1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon of Vietnamese ground cinnamon

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 Tablespoons of sugar in the raw

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

Predirections: preheat oven to 350.

Directions:

1. Place the first 5 ingredients into a large bowl. Mix to marry.

2. Pour the peanut butter, maple syrup, and sugar in a 2 quart sauce pan and on turn the stovetop burner onto medium high and heat the liquid ingredients until they start to boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla & stir. Pour mixture over the dry ingredients.

3. Pour the mixture onto a parchment pan lined baking dish. Spread the granola out evenly. Bake at 350 for ten minutes and using a spatula mix the granola and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until granola is golden brown. Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cook on wire rack.

4. Once completely cooler place in a sealable container.

Honey Wheat Pizza Crust

Honey Wheat Pizza Dough

Friday night pizza night is my favorite! Growing up this tradition is what my family always did. We would rent movies, order pop, and pizza from our favorite local shop. After we made our movie selection at First Row Video, we would head home and enjoy the night relaxing and laughing in the presence of each others company.

I still love practicing this tradition 30 years later. Even though some things changed such as the movie is generally a netflix selection. Also, now I’ve added the tradition of making the pizza from scratch vs ordering it as take out.

I love this recipe because it makes two doughs which allows for a back up homemade pizza dough to stuff in the freezer and always have on hand.

This recipe yields: 2 Pizza doughs

Ingredients:

1 cup warm water

1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

1 teaspoon honey

3 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 Tablespoon of olive oil

Directions:

1. Place the first 3 ingredients in a small vessel. I usually use a small glass measuring pitcher. Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes.

2. Place the remainder of the ingredients in a stand mixer with dough hook and turn the mix on low speed and mix the flour mixture together.

3. Add yeast mixture and oil to dry ingredients and knead with dough hook for 6-8 minutes and work up to medium speed. Once dough forms a ball, Place the dough on lightly floured surface to knead by hand for 30 seconds.

4. Place the dough ball in a canola sprayed glass bowl to allow to double in size (about 60 to 90 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap.

5. Once the dough has doubled in size place it in the refrigerator to ferment for at least 48 hours.

6. Take bowl with dough out of refrigerator to come to room temperature for at least two hours before baking. Please keep plastic cover over dough.

7. Once the time has elasped, Preheat oven to 500 degrees

8. Roll out into deep dish pan or flat pizza stone.

9. Place the toppings to your liking on the dough and bake the pizza for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Grain Free Dog Biscuits

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This recipe yields :72 biscuits

These are homemade grain free dog biscuits for your furry friends. I made this dog treat recipe  for a furry friend who follows a grain free diet. These cookies are high in protein and every ingredient listed below you can pronounce. Can you say that about the dog treats you buy at the store? I am not so sure.

What does grain free mean? It is more than just gluten free, and just because a product is label gluten free does not mean it is grain free. Grain free eliminates all grains including wheat, rice, corn, barley, and oats.

What are the benefits to grain free treats? They generally are higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates which can help your pet stay fuller longer. Grain free may also help eliminate any side effects if your pet has any allergies to grain.

Ingredients: 

2 cups  Coconut Flour Bob’s Red Mill

1/2 cup  plus 1 Tablespoon Trader Joe’s Almond Meal

1 cup of Jif’s Natural Crunchy Peanut Butter

3/4 cup Chicken Broth

1   Egg

3/4 cup low fat 1-2% milk

1   Egg for glaze

 Directions:

In stand mixer mix together flour, almond meal, egg, milk, peanut butter and broth.  Mix well until a firm dough is formed.  Let dough rest for 15 minutes.  

On a pastry mat roll dough to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut shapes with cookie cutters. The biscuits can be placed close to each other on a baking sheet, they will not rise.  Brush with beaten egg for a shiny glaze and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending on the size.  Move the biscuits to a drying rack and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

For optimal results let biscuits dry on racks overnight.

Red Hot Popcorn

Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Here is a fun homemade treat to make your sweetie. Nothing says I love you like some fresh homemade cinnamon popcorn. This recipes reminds me of my grandma, she always had cinnamon candies on hand in a little glass dish growing up. The original recipe was adapted by a Taste of Home recipe, I modified the recipe since I did not have corn syrup.

Ingredients:

  • 8 quarts of freshly popped popcorn
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 package (9 ounces) red-hot candies

Directions:

Place the prepared popcorn in a large bowl; set aside. In a large saucepan, combine the butter, honey and candies; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Bring ingredients to a rolling boil for 5 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally. Pour the liquid over popcorn and toss to coat. Transfer to two parchment lined 1/2 sheet baking pans. Bake at 250° for 1 hour to hour & a half, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from pans and place on waxed paper to cool. Break apart; store in airtight containers or clear baggies. 

Yield: 8 quarts.

Buckeyes

Growing up, I didn’t like peanut butter. Which if you know me now you would not even believe that statement. I was talking with a colleague at work and we were discussing a Ohio tradition of buckeye candies.

Since we both live in PA now, we found it ironic not too many people are aware of the candy buckeye tradition. Our conversation inspired me to make buckeyes with my mom and sister during our holiday baking extravaganza.

My mom and I looked high and low for a recipe that did not contact graham cracker crumbs which many recipes do especially when you are looking through old church cookbooks. Graham cracker crumbs are just a unnecessary filler, and quite honestly we didn’t have any on hand. We came across one that didn’t and added a few secret ingredients to the dough for a special touch.

Ingredients:

1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)

1 cup of creamy peanut butter (jif)

1 lb of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

1/4 of a bar paraffin wax

1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips

5 oz of milk chocolate ( I used Daffins chocolate family local favorite)

Directions:

Combine the first 4 ingredients and roll into small balls using a size 60 scoop. Place the prepared dough balls in a sealable container. Be sure not to stack the candies. Place in the freezer overnight (or longer); however at least overnight. You want the ball firm and nice and cold for when you dip them i the melted chocolate.

When you go to prep the buckeyes. Start to melt the chocolate and wax in a double boiler. Use a toothpick to dip the prepared peanut butter balls into the melted chocolate***. Place the freshly dipped buckeyes on wax paper and allow to cool completely before placing in a sealable container.

***Friendly tip when dipping with the toothpick, make sure to remove excess chocolate and once you remove the toothpick lightly apply pressure where the toothpick whole is present with a spatula or knife to remove the secret of how you dipped the chocolate. 

This Recipe yields 96 delicious buckeyes that melt in your mouth !

Buckeye Trail Mix

My mom, sister & I went to Amish County in Berlin, Ohio in late November for holiday shopping. The weekend getaway was a new tradition for Black Friday. During our ladies day weekend, I think we found more gifts for ourselves vs holiday shopping for others.

When we were shopping we ran across Buckeye Trail Mix. I thought what a clever idea.  My grandpa loves Ohio State Buckeyes. This blend for trail mix intrigued me. I reviewed the ingredients, and thought well I can make this at home for a Christmas present for him for half the price. Plus I love making homemade gifts. Win, win!

This recipe yields: 8 cups of Trail Mix

Ingredients:

1 cup mini buckeyes (Trader Joe’s sells these)

1 cup roasted salted Peanuts

1 cup of roasted unsalted peanuts

2 1/4 cups craisins

2 1/4 cups roasted lightly salted sunflower seeds

1 cup roasted Peptia seeds

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Use a spatula to mix and incorporate all the ingredients together thoroughly. Portion out the mix as you wish.

I like to place the mix in either snack size ziplocks or mason jars.