Canned Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup Growing up my Grandma always had the biggest garden. Literally it was the same size as my house as a child. Her garden is HUGE! My Grandma grows everything in her garden. For example you can find currents, peas, swiss chard, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, green beans, squash, pumpkins and more. It is one of the best places on this earth! Every time some one stops by to visit Grandma in the summer the first place they go is the garden. There is nothing like picking fresh peas and eating them right then and there. Yum! Another thing my Grandma grows in her garden is strawberries and rhubarb. Those two things together are amazing and I usually do as much with them as I can. For example this year I canned Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup, Pie Filling and Jelly! Strawberry Rhubarb Syrup is amazing on pancakes! It is not a typical syrup that you might hear about often but it is still one of my all time favorites! Ingredients: 8 cups diced … [Read more...]
Easiest Healthy Granola Bars ~ (gluten free & vegan)
Easiest Healthy Granola Bars ~ (gluten free & vegan) I absolutely love surrounding myself around so many amazing friends and one of the great things about that is they make some pretty great homemade recipes and aren't afraid to try new things out. Them being adventurous just inspires me that much more to try recipes out as well! Several of my friends have told me about how easy it is to make your own granola bars and it has been on my to do list for quite some time and I have just been putting it on the back burner for too long and after I made these bars I regret not making them sooner! Oh how easy they were to do! So easy that if I can do this, so can you and I will show you how I did it! After many months of listening to my friends talk about what they throw in their homemade granola bars I was starting to make a mental ingredient list of what I wanted in my own bars and you can of course switch things up to add or subtract any ingredients you want to customize how … [Read more...]
Canned Zesty Pickled Asparagus
Canned Zesty Pickled Asparagus Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. Not only do I love the taste but it is also a vegetable that will forever and always remind me of my Mom. I remember how much she loved it when I was a kid. But, it was also one of those vegetables that we did not get very often. It was one of the more expensive vegetables and thus was not one that my parents purchased on a regular basis. Now that I have grown I live in a a town where asparagus grows wild on the side of the road. Every spring you can find people walking up and down the sides of the roads picking asparagus for their family meals. I love being able to do this! Recently I was able to purchase 2 large boxes of asparagus. I was so excited for all the great recipes that I would be able to make. One of them brought me back to my childhood. Zesty Pickled Asparagus! This is something that my Mom and Grandma always canned when I was a child and I had not had Zesty Pickled Asparagus in … [Read more...]
Rosemary Balsamic Ham
Rosemary Balsamic Ham I am a huge fan of ham. There is nothing like a family get together around with a nice Ham Dinner! I know that it is now summer time but that does not mean that I won't be cooking up some great ham dinners for all the family! I love to have guests and huge family dinners in my home and this is one meat that I never get wrong! Yum! Recently I made an amazing Rosemary Balsamic Ham. The flavor was out of this world! I can't wait to try this recipe again! Ingredients: 4-5 lb pre-cooked ham, bone in 5 Tbsp. brown sugar 5 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 4 Tbsp. grainy mustard 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary 2 Tbsp. garlic granules Preheat your oven to 375F 1. The first step to making a great ham is to score it. This will allow for the flavors to soak into the meat. To do this you will want to place the ham in the dish that you will be baking it in. I then take a knife and cut about 1/2" deep into the meat. 2. After the … [Read more...]
Baked “Hard Boiled” Eggs
Baked "Hard Boiled" Eggs I love hard boiled eggs. They are one of my all time favorite snacks. Hard Boiled Eggs are high in protein and low in calories making them a perfect quick healthy snack. I love hard boiled eggs because I can peel and eat them just how they are or I can add them to my lunch time salads! Even my daughter loves hard boiled eggs and often takes them in her school lunches. Because of my family loving them so much I often make 2-3 dozen 'hard boiled' eggs each month. But, all that cooking was getting tiresome. The truth of it was I was either getting them over done or not done enough. That is whey I decided to start baking my 'hard boiled' eggs. I love this idea because it get's the eggs cooked perfectly each and every time. The first thing I do is make sure the baking rack is right in the middle of the oven. Next I pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Then I place the eggs on the baking rack. When doing this I make sure non of them are … [Read more...]
Layered Strawberry Shortcake!
Layered Strawberry Shortcake! Summer time means fresh berries! Oh how I love berries! Especially strawberries! Recently I was in need of a great dessert for a small get-together. As I walked the produce isle I seen the fresh strawberries and instantly knew what I was going to make! Layered Strawberry Shortcake is quick, easy and inexpensive to make! Ingredients: 2 pre-made shortcakes torn into bite sized pieces2 lbs strawberries sliced16 oz whip topping32 oz strawberry pie filling Directions: 1. Layer bottom of bowl with torn pieces of shortcake. 2. Cover layer of shortcake with 1/4 of the strawberry pie filling. 3. Add whipped topping to layer of Strawberry pie filling. 4. Add 1/4 sliced strawberries to layer of whip topping. 5. Start the layers over again until the bowl is filled!! I also have strawberry jam pictured in this photo. You can alternate the jam with the pie filling if you like. I did not use … [Read more...]
Grandma’s Shrimp Salad! #recipe – Perfect for Potlucks and Summer BBQ’s!
Grandma's Shrimp Salad! Growing up my extended family always got together for every holiday. One of my favorite things about getting together for a holiday was enjoying all the amazing food that was prepared. Each year there were many new dishes to try...but there were also those staples that everyone loved but we only got once or twice a year. One of those amazing staples is my Grandma's Shrimp Salad. This is a favorite dish among my family and something we still look forward to enjoying every Thanksgiving as we visit her home. My mouth is watering just thinking about my Grandma's Shrimp Salad! Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb elbow macaroni2 cup Miracle Whip2 bundles green onions8 oz canned shrimpsalt and pepper to taste Directions: 1. Prepare macaroni using directions on package. Drain, set aside to cool. 2. Dice 2 bundles of green onions. 3. Transfer macaroni into serving dish. Add Miracle Whip, diced green onions, shrimp (drained) and stir together. … [Read more...]
Easy to make Shrimp Thai Soup! #recipe
I am great at improvising. It is easy for me to go to the cupboard and pull out this and that and make something out of it. Recently I was in a soup mood.....so I headed to the cupboard and fridge and came up with this concoction! Shrimp Thai Soup is what I shall call it ;) Shrimp Thai Soup I am a huge fan of Thai. Although, I never cooked Thai style food until this year. Now I can't seem to get enough. I am a lover of vegetables and with this Shrimp Thai Soup I was able to add some spice and flair to my vegetables! Ingredients: 3 qt water3 chicken bullion cubes1/4 cup celery 1/4 cup fresh cilantro3 bok choy stemsGreen Onion Bundle diced6 fresh basil leaves8 oz package mushrooms1 lb shrimp2 packages of Thai noodle soup (any flavor) Directions: 1. Fill a large stock pot with water and start to cook on medium-high heat. Heat to boil. 2. In separate pan cook noodles following package directions....just … [Read more...]
Napa Cabbage, Carrot and Mushroom Stir-Fry
Napa Cabbage, Carrot and Mushroom Stir-Fry I love stir-fry. It is one of the most cooked meals in my home. Not only is it healthy with all those yummy vegetables but the combinations and flavors are endless! Recently I decided to make a stir-fry unlike any I have ever made before. This time I cooked with vegetables only which is something I do not do often in stir-fry. I used Napa Cabbage, Carrots and Mushrooms! It turned out amazing and the whole family could not get enough. Ingredients: 1 small yellow onion diced3 thin slices fresh ginger2tbs butter1 lb bag carrots diced1 package mushrooms sliced3tbs soy sauce1/2 c water2 beef bullion cubes3 tbs rice wine vinegar1 small head Napa cabbage sliced Directions: 1. Add onion and ginger to fry pan with 2 tbs butter. Cook on medium heat stirring often until onions are transparent. 2. Add carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, soy sauce, vinegar, water and bullion cubes to fry pan. Heat to boil. Turn down heat, cover and simmer stirring … [Read more...]
Sliced Baked Potatoes With Cheese
Sliced Baked Potatoes With Cheese We are a potato loving family. It helps that my cousin's family owns a huge potato farm and we get the most delicious potatoes ever! One of our favorite ways to prepare them is by baking. It is a healthier option for us and keeps us away from the fryer. Recently I saw a picture somewhere around the internet (I think one of my friends posted on facebook) of Sliced Baked Potatoes that someone baked. I thought this was a brilliant idea and we decided to give it a try. We decided when making our sliced baked potatoes that we wanted something more in them then just salt and pepper so we layered each slice with cheese! Ingredients: PotatoesCheddar Cheese Sliced (about 1/8 inch thick)2 tbs olive oilsalt and pepper to taste Preheat oven to 400 degrees 1. Slice each potato about 1/4 inch thickness. Do not slice all the way through. Leave about another 1/4 inch at bottom that is not sliced. 2. Place sliced potatoes on baking pan. 3. Drizzle … [Read more...]
Eggplant Parmesan Fingers – Kid Friendly Recipe!
Eggplant Parmesan Fingers I used to dislike Eggplant. It was one of those vegetables that I really wanted to like and I used to try it out in all kinds of recipes that would just later get trashed because I could not stand the taste of the eggplant. I was discussing this with my cousin (who runs FarmersWifeRambels.com) and she let me in on her amazing eggplant recipe. I must admit that I could not wait to give this a try as it did not only sound simple and easy but very kid friendly! Ingredients: Eggplant crushed croutons - any flavor1/4 c Parmesan cheeseMarinara Sauce for dipping 1.Use vegetable peeler to peel purple skin off eggplant. Slice Eggplant into thin strips much like french fries. 2. Add crushed croutons and Parmesan cheese to a Ziploc bag. 3. Add sliced Eggplant to Ziploc bag and shake until eggplant is coated with crumb mixture. 4. Dump contents of Ziploc onto baking sheet (I used a cookie sheet). 5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until … [Read more...]
Kiwi Avocado Smoothie!
Kiwi Avocado Smoothie! The days are warming up and that means summer time foods! I am so excited to have fresh product to make smoothie's with! There is nothing better to help you start your day then a fresh fruit smoothie. One like the Kiwi Avocado smoothie pictured above! This week I was lucky enough to have avocado's and kiwi's in the house. As I was trying to figure out something amazing to do with them I thought of this Kiwi Avocado Smoothie.....well kiwi's and avocado's are green....and St. Patrick's Day is this weekend so why not? I had never thought about adding avocado's to my smoothie's before but I must admit this was AMAZING! Ingredients: 1 ripe avacado 2 kiwi's peeled juice from 1-2 lime(s) - depending on how much you love lime ;) 1/8 C coconut water/milk 2 TBS honey 2-3 ice cubes 1. Place all ingredients into Magic Bullet and blend until well blended. I know that I will be making this amazing smoothie long after St. Patrick's Day. It … [Read more...]
Easy to Make Homemade Coconut Chips!
Easy to Make Homemade Coconut Chips! I am a sucker for chips. I don't care if they are potato, tortilla, beets, kale, salad savoy, or anything else! Chips are just amazing. Ok so the truth is, I think I am more addicted to the salt then anything which I know is not the healthiest but that's ok. At least if I am getting my 'chip' fix in a healthy way I guess that should count for something. Recently I came across a recipe for Coconut Chips. I have never, ever seen coconut chips before but since I have been on the coconut fix I knew I had to give them a try! Remember that if you need help getting into your coconut you can read my tutorial here! Ingredients: Coconut thinly SlicedSalt Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place thinly sliced coconut on baking sheet (I used cookie Sheet), Lightly salt. Bake until golden brown on ends about 10 minutes! The coconut chips were very simple to make and they were a huge hit at my house. I love having this low calorie snack … [Read more...]
Delicious Homemade Coconut Bread!
Delicious Homemade Coconut Bread! Oh my I can't get enough of all the coconut lately. It is giving me a chance to cook all kinds of new foods. One of them being coconut bread which is something I have never heard if before let alone made. That is until now! When I was a child I hated coconut. It was one of my Mom's favorite things to cook with. She would purchase anything with coconut in it because she loves it so much. Now that I am getting older I realize that I am starting to like coconut more and more. Recently I have been able to experiment with lots of great coconut recipes. This amazing bread is one of my favorites that I have made. The whole family loved it and I even made some for my Mom. She was thrilled, after all these years of loving coconut she has never made it in bread before and could not wait to give it a try! Ingredients 2 eggs 1 1/4 cups vanilla almond milk (can use regular milk as well but the vanilla almond milk makes it tasty!) 1 teaspoon vanilla … [Read more...]
Healthy St. Patrick’s Day Mac & Cheese! So Easy!
Healthy St. Patrick's Day Mac & Cheese! St. Patrick's Day is my favorite holiday. I know that sounds crazy and I am not Irish so I don't even have that as an excuse. I just love that it is a fun holiday that is not yet taken over by store sales and media. I love the thought that if you don't wear green you will get pinched and I loved all the amazing St. Patrick's Day traditions I had as a child. My Mom used to have a St. Patrick's Day 'pin collection' and every St. Patrick's Day my brothers and I would get to choose what 'pins' and such we would wear to school that day. It was fun choosing my green socks and doing my hair in funky green colors. It was just an all around great time. Now that I am older I still love St. Patrick's Day. Each year I try to make the month of March leading up to the 17th special for the kids. Recently that entailed making healthy green Mac & Cheese. Ingredients: Box of Mac & CheeseMilkBundle Spinach (about 3 cups) - make sure you wash it … [Read more...]