Homemade Coffee Creamer

Have I mentioned how much I love coffee?

I really, really, really love coffee. I love the smell in my kitchen in the morning. I love the warmth of the drink on cool fall mornings. And, I have to admit, I love the caffeine. 

I take my coffee with just a touch of cream. 

And since we're trying to make more of our food,

avoid artificial sweeteners, 

and generally, be a little healthier

I decided to make a little creamer.

The results? 

Delicious!

1 pint half and half

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat the half and half over medium heat just until warm. Add the maple syrup and vanilla. Stir well.

Remove from heat and add cinnamon and nutmeg.

Add to coffee and enjoy!

You can also experiment with different flavors. I wonder what it would taste like with a little honey instead of the maple syrup... or just some vanilla... or some chocolate syrup... 

Happy (yummy) Halloween

{this moment}

inspired by soule mama

A Halloween party deserves some yummy, healthy, spooky treats!

breadsticks with halved almonds

severed fingers

apple slices with slivered almonds and peanut butter
monster smiles

Please remember to meet our mama this week, Audra. Have a great weekend everyone!

Meatloaf Sandwiches

I know, I know.

Meatloaf?

Kind of uninspired, right?

But, oh! Meatloaf sandwiches!

They are the ultimate remind you of your mama-forget your worries (or that extra pound)- life is good kind of food. 

And Pioneer Woman's Meatloaf makes really, really good meatloaf sandwiches. 

You can find the recipe here or in
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.

Of course, having a gluten-free girl in the house, as well as a really bad grocery shopper... (I always forget to double check to make sure that everything on my list ends up in my cart. I figure, if I write it down on the list, it should end up in my cart. But it doesn't seem to work that way.)

Anyways.

I had to modify it a bit. 

The result? MmmMmm good meatloaf! 

But even better sandwiches!

Here's what I substituted: 

1 cup skim milk for whole milk, 

3-4 slices gluten free bread (we used Udi's) for 6 slices regular bread

1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground turkey for 2 lbs. of ground beef,

1/2 cup chopped onions
 and 1/2 cup chopped celery

The rest of the ingredients for the meatloaf were the same. 

For the sauce, I used 1 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/3 cup brown sugar. I didn't have any tabasco on hand, so I used some crushed red pepper. How much? A few shakes. A taste. And then a few more shakes.
(Can you tell? I am a very precise chef.)

The end result was a meatloaf that I know I will make again.
And again, and again!!!

Yummy Mama

Our Trendy Mama, Erin, has been busy!

First, she made some darling aprons for Mama and her girl.

Then, the two of them made some yummy

banana bread together!

(check out their recipe below)

Erin's Banana Bread

1 stick melted butter

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

3 bananas (mashed)

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

1/2 cup nuts (optional) - Trendy Mama uses pecans.

Mix in order of ingredients.

Pour into greased bread pan.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Pretty dang easy!! : )

Chocolate Chip Cookies (can be made gluten free)

Do I hear trumpets in the background? A parade going by? Angels singing a Hallelujah chorus?

Because, seriously, these are good cookies.

Opps! No cookies left to take a picture!

The best part? They can be made gluten free and are just as good as the gluten-filled cookies. I served the gluten-free version to some friends who stopped by yesterday -- who are gluten eaters -- and they thought they were good. And helped themselves to seconds.

It's been awhile since I have personally tasted these cookies with gluten. But, I dream about them they are so yummy.

Annie's Mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grab a bag of chocolate chips, an apron from our Trendy Mama, and preheat your ovens to 375.

2/3 cup Crisco

2/3 cup butter (1 stick, plus 3 Tablespoons), softened

(I know, Crisco and butter. These cookies are worth it!)

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 t vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour (or if you're making GF cookies, use 3 1/2 cups gluten free flour- I used Pamela's baking mix. Add 2 teaspoons xanthan gum to the flour.)

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

12 oz chocolate chips (plus a few for eating and a few more thrown in for good measure)

Cream Crisco, butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla together. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the wet ones. Add chocolate chips gently. Roll dough into small balls and place on an UNGREASED cookie sheet 2'' apart. (I promise, ungreased and far apart.) Bake 3 minutes on the top rack. Place cookie sheet on the bottom rack for another 4 to 5 minutes. (For a total baking time of 7 to 8 minutes.) When you take them out of the oven, they will not look done. But they are. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet. If you eat them while they are still hot, they will be gooey in the middle.

Try not to eat them ALL while they are hot.

Rhubarb

Rhubarb- the very name evokes summer for me. Grandma and always grew it in her garden, and I remember eating strawberry-rhubarb pie as a little girl. The tartness of the rhubarb complementing the sweetness of the end of summer strawberries perfectly. It's a delicious tart vegetable - that when cooked, is ice-cream-running-down-your-face yummy. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Rhubarb isn't limited to strawberry-rhubarb pie!

My friends, if you have not mixed rhubarb with another summer fruit, you are missing out.

In early celebration of the transition from summer to fall, we thought some crisp was in order. But not just any crisp. Rhubarb-______ (you pick your fruit) crisp. And what is a fruit dessert without homemade vanilla ice cream? (Or, even better, butter pecan ice cream.) So, friends, add "rhubarb" to your grocery list this week- don't forget the ice cream- and let us know how it turned out!

Rhubarb-Peach Crisp
(thank you Trendy Mama)

6 ripe peaches (or other fruit of your choice. Try apples, plums, raspberries...)

1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped rhubarb

Slice the fruit into bite sized pieces. Mix together. If you are using tart fruit (or just like your crisp sweet), add a tablespoon or two of sugar.

Next, mix:

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1 cup brown sugar (or use 1/2 cup honey or other non-sugar sweetener)

1/2 cup flour (if you are gluten free, either omit the flour and add some extra gf oatmeal or use Pamela's pancake mix in place of the flour)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Then, cut 1 stick of cold butter into the oatmeal mixture. Sprinkle the oatmeal mixture over the top of the sliced fruit.

If you're really feeling daring, drizzle 1/4 cup of melted butter over the top of the oatmeal mixture for an extra carmel crunch.

Bake at 350 for about an hour- or until the fruit is bubbling between the crisp. Let cool a little. (If you can wait that long. If you can't, we understand.) Serve in a bowl with some ice cream!

Check out Simply Sugar and Gluten Free for more really yummy looking goodies!