Spinach Blackberry Salad

 My friend made this salad for a bridal shower that I hosted (it was actually the bride--I made her bring a salad to her own bridal shower!) and I LOVED it. It's sweet and tangy and crunchy, and the feta cheese mellows everything out. This is a great summer salad but we thought it was wonderful in snowy February.

Ingredients:

Spinach

Arugula

Grapefruit chunks

Blackberries

Feta Cheese

Mint Leaves (optional)

Make sure the grapefruit and blackberries are in bite-sized chunks and mix it all together. 

Two hints: I made it once with arugula and spinach but no mint, and once with mint and spinach but no arugula. I personally thought the mint was a little too strong in the salad (I only put a few in, torn into pieces) but my friends didn't notice it. The arugula was a great addition (as long as the arugula is good), but it is ok with just spinach too if arugula is too expensive (it is for me!).

How to Make Oven-Dried Tomatoes

I mentioned how to make oven-dried tomatoes in a previous post, but I thought since I would continue to reference them it would be easier to do a seperate post on them. So here it is...these are delicious, chewy little bites just packed with flavor. We love using them on pizza, in pasta, in quesadillas, etc.

Just chop up some cherry or grape tomatoes into fairly uniform sizes, drizzle them with olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake in a 250 degree oven for several hours, until tomatoes are shriveled and somewhat leathery when you rip them apart. They should look something like this:

Just watch them closely for the last little while, as they go from perfect to burnt somewhat quickly. If you need to, you can take the pan out and remove the ones that are done to let the rest cook a bit longer.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

Right after Wesley's first birthday something reversed and he went from being a bottomless pit for just about any food to being even more picky than Talmage was! But this pasta is a dish that both of my kids gobble up, believe it or not. It is a stand-by for a super quick, nutritious meal. The avocado makes a wonderfully creamy sauce without the addition of cream or butter. We love it!

Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

1 12 oz box pasta (I use whole wheat)

3 avocados, pitted and peel removed

3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or to taste)

freshley ground black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Combine remaining ingredients in food processor and grind until smooth. Toss sauce with pasta and serve warm.

3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

I'm going to give a disclaimer right up front that although these cookies are delicious, I don't think they taste as good as regular peanut butter cookies. BUT, I like these cookies for several reasons: 1) they are super kid-friendly to make, 2) they are a great treat to make if you need to go gluten-free for someone, and 3) the idea is just so novel! They have a nice, pure peanut butter taste with a slightly gritty texture (from the sugar) and a very dense consistency. Basically, they're just pure, sweetened peanut butter. My peanut butter crazy family loves them!

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

Combine and roll into balls. Press criss-cross style with a fork and bake at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes.

Copycat Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning

I don't know about you, but I think having ranch/sour cream dip makes raw vegetable eating about 100 times more manageable. But every time I hand over the nearly $3 for a packet of approximately 1 Tbsp. of seasoning, I feel a little bit irritated. One day a friend gave me a can of powdered buttermilk she said she wouldn't use. I found this recipe online and found it to be quite similar to the packaged seasoning. I mix up a batch of this and keep it in the fridge to use as needed. 1 Tbsp.=1 pkg. of Hidden Valley ranch seasoning, so if I'm doing single servings I just mix 1/2 tsp. or so into some sour cream.



Original recipe from food.com

1/2 c. dry buttermilk
1 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground pepper

Comebine ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until seasonings are crushed and combined.

Whole Wheat Applesauce Blender Pancakes

I love these pancakes! When Grandma and Grandpa were on their mission here, I visited them once and Grandma gave me this recipe. The original recipe actually uses melted butter instead of applesauce, but I prefer using applesauce. It makes the pancakes more dense and gives them a terrific flavor. But they do tend to be pretty flat, so if you prefer fluffy pancakes, I would stick with using butter.

These also freeze well, so I like making a huge batch and sticking them in the freezer for quick breakfasts.



1 c. milk

1 c. whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 c. applesauce

Blend milk and flour for 2 minutes (this softens the wheat and breaks it down). Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Cook on a griddle at 300 degrees.


P.S. I don't really know why I've been on such a posting spree lately, but you can expect it to continue for at least a while longer--I've got lots more recipes in the works! :)

Yummiest Hot Cocoa EVER!!!

I'm kind of crazy about hot chocolate, so I find many excuses to drink it, even during our not-so-cold Houston winters. This one is absolutely delicious! It's rich and creamy without being overly sweet. I've also seen it with baking chocolate used instead of cocoa, but since cocoa is a bit less expensive and I have it more readily available, this one is my preference.

And by the way, YES that is a mug from Brick Oven Pizza in Provo. Consider it a merging of my Utah roots and Texas living. :)

Recipe found here.

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

6 1/2 cups hot water (start with 5 and then add according to taste)

In a large saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Over medium heat, slowly stir in water; heat through, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Hot chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Mix well and reheat before serving.

Enjoy!