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Showing posts from May, 2013

Blueberry Lemonade

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  I recently discovered Blueberry Lemonade at the local grocery store. I had to try it, of course, and discovered a refreshing delight. I figured it can't be that hard to make so I gave it a shot and set it before my taste testers. They approved  :) so I'm sharing it with you.   It looks more red than the bought stuff does but I suspect food coloring to have something to do with that and I opted not to use any.   15 lemons, sliced thin 4 cups blueberries ¼ cup sugar Stevia,  amount in personal preference 8 cups ice 20-24 cups water   Slice the lemons and place into a large kettle. Add the sugar and Stevia and with your hands squeeze the lemon slices and mix well till a syrup forms. Let set for about 15 minutes. Squeeze lemons again and remove fro the kettle. Remove seeds as well.   Blend the blueberries and push through a sieve. Discard pulp and add the liquid to the lemon juice.   Add ice and water. Add more Stevia if necessary.    

Coconut Chia Granola and Things That Make Me Happy

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I've been out of granola for quite a while and really missed having it around. I had ingredients for this one in the cupboard ever since I had bought a box with the same name at Costco. It's amazingly delicious! While I didn't have all the correct ingredients listed on said box and no measurements for anything, (I like to guess and experiment :) I'm quite pleased with the end result and look forward to fresh fruit and Greek yogurt parfaits once again! 6 cups Rolled Oats 2 cups Shredded Coconut ¼ cup Ground Golden Flax Seeds 1 teaspoon Sea Salt   Mix together in a bowl.     ¼ cup Olive Oil ¼ cup Butter 3-4 Tablespoons Cane Sugar 1 Tablespoon Baking Molasses 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract   Coconut Shavings, optional ¼ cup Chia Seeds   In a small saucepan combine the butter and oil. Heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Stir in molasses and stir well. Add the cane sugar last and stir over low heat until it boils. Boil for

Simply Roasted Chicken Legs and Veggies

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  Lin and I went out with friends last night to celebrate an anniversary, but I still wanted the kids to eat a decent, filling supper without spending a lot of time on it. This fit the bill quite perfectly and was very tasty too!   I had been to the grocery store in the forenoon and picked up some chicken legs quarters and some McCormick Perfect Pinch Original Chicken Seasoning . I seasoned the chicken in the forenoon with plain sea salt (to tenderize) on all sides and refrigerated it until late afternoon.   The Pampered Chef Bar Pan was perfect for this recipe. Spray pan with oil, arrange 4 Chicken Leg Quarters and fill in the spaces with Red Potato Chunks, Carrots , and Shallots that have been tossed in Garlic Oil and seasoned with the chicken seasoning .   Bake at 400° for 1 hour. Test chicken for doneness with an instant read thermometer. Push into thickest part of the thigh not touching any bone. It should read 165°. The garlic oil, seasoning, and the dripp

Tropical Berry Coconut Chia Smoothie & A Family Mountain Weekend

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  If you need a quick breakfast that will last a long time this one is filling and yummy. I had some fresh fruit that needed to be used (Mangoes, Strawberries, and Pineapples) and had recently cracked open a Coconut and was looking for a way to use it up. I decided the quickest way to use everything was a smoothie. It was fast, really yummy, and filling.   1 Cup each of Pineapple Chunks, Mangoes, and Strawberries 1 Cup Pineapple Juice ½ Cup Coconut meat w/Coconut water ½ pkg. Advocare Berry Meal Replacement Powder 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds   Place all ingredients into a blender (magic bullet) and blend till smooth. Serves 2.     Enjoy!                                                                                                We enjoyed a good weekend at the family cabin in mountains with Lin's family.   lots of four wheelin' - always a favorite! :)   cousin time   Serena reading to her younger cousins   and

Black Raspberry Vanilla Swirl Cheesecake

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mmmmmm, yumm! I was recently asked to bring a cheesecake to a family gathering, something with raspberries. Usually when I get a request like that my mind is either drawn to one of my favorites (White Chocolate Raspberry) or I get the urge to create one that I've never made before. Knowing that my Father In Law loves black raspberries I decided to create this one just for him. Back in March I had buried some Vanilla Beans in white sugar in a Tupperware container, marked the date on top and stuck it into the cupboard and forgot about them. The ingredient Vanilla Sugar had been dancing around in my mind for a while and I thought I would at least prepare it so I have it on hand when an inspiration hit me. When the label Black Raspberry Vanilla Swirl popped into my head I knew I was prepared. :) I had an abundance of black raspberries last year and instead of freezing all of them whole I had blended and sieved some of them and froze just the pulp. This came in handy to