tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58607447789981104932024-03-13T16:35:49.838-04:00Clean Eating...Simply, My Way!I take clean eating and make it simple. No fancy ingredients you can only get in a health food store, nothing so complicated it takes all day...just a busy mom sharing how she simplified clean eating into something I can feel good about. KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-46792431295231948342016-02-24T18:12:00.002-05:002016-02-24T18:12:18.302-05:00Creamed Corn RecipesWow, there are many ways to make creamed corn.<br />
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There is this way: frying then add cream & stock<br />
<a href="http://eatingcleanandsavinggreen.blogspot.com/2013/04/homemade-cream-corn.html">http://eatingcleanandsavinggreen.blogspot.com/2013/04/homemade-cream-corn.html</a><br />
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and this way: pureeing with milk & cornstarch<br />
<a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/creamed_corn.html">http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/creamed_corn.html</a><br />
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and this way: make a rue then add corn & cream<br />
<a href="http://www.asweetpeachef.com/sides/fresh-creamed-corn/">http://www.asweetpeachef.com/sides/fresh-creamed-corn/</a><br />
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and even in a slow cooker, with cream cheese!<br />
<a href="http://www.cleaneatingcorner.com/rudys-slow-cooker-creamed-corn/">http://www.cleaneatingcorner.com/rudys-slow-cooker-creamed-corn/</a><br />
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and with cottage cheese:<br />
<a href="http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/under-45-minutes/creamed-corn-tuna-spirals/">http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/under-45-minutes/creamed-corn-tuna-spirals/</a><br />
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southern style;<br />
<a href="http://wholesomemommy.com/southern-style-creamed-corn/">http://wholesomemommy.com/southern-style-creamed-corn/</a><br />
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lastly, cause I could be here all night, a version from one of my favorite recipe sites:<br />
<a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/creamed_corn/">http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/creamed_corn/</a><br />
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Going to have to buy a big old bag of frozen organic corn from Costco this week and try each method out. Maybe. Or I'll just stop when I get to one I like.<br />
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Will report back...in the meantime,<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-7291053693777991632016-02-15T17:44:00.002-05:002020-11-10T08:26:01.129-05:00Product and/or recipe to findToday I was CRAVING potato and corn chowder. Caps important there. Craving so much I had to make it right away. Pulled out my trusty recipe that I've had for about 15 years, if not more. Have not made in a long time. Could be why I was craving it? Not sure. Went to my grocery to pick up the ingredients that I didn't have and was very disappointed I couldn't find organic creamed corn. Reading the ingredients on the store brand...I put it back on the shelf. And walked away. No chowder for me, I guess. Go almost to the register...and went back to the aisle and picked up the store brand, rationalizing that they claim all of their store-brand items are non-gmo. Wasn't born yesterday, so of course I don't believe it.<br />
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On a normal day, I'd hit one of the other two groceries in town, in hopes of finding an organic creamed corn. Or I'd trek 20 minutes to a store that would most likely have it. But today it's very very cold (under 20 degrees F) and it's snowing, with an icy mix. Wasn't traveling too far to satisfy my craving.<br />
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While my chowder is a-cookin, I thought I'd ask you all about it. Anyone found an acceptable, clean, creamed corn? Going to do some recipe searching tonight. Put it on my list to search for when I shop. <br />
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But tonight, I had to do it. So this week I might be 85% clean instead of 90%. But still pretty darn good. Rest of the ingredients in the soup are organic. Yes, I use dairy milk which to a lot of people is not "clean." But it's organic...which is clean to me. The recipe came from a published cook book, and I do not have permission to copy it here. But pretty easy to make if you know how to cook. Onions, garlic, sauteed in butter. Add potatoes, spices (marjoram, pepper, dash nutmeg, bay leaf,) broth, and a diced pepper if you wish, Boil, simmer about 20 minutes. Add can of creamed corn, regular corn, and evaporated milk. Boil, simmer for a few more minutes. Remove bay leaves, sprinkle with paprika. Delish!<br />
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Next time I'll try to convince my cravings to let me plan in advance. :D<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVzgx5JD87TudeBvXxLDlv9n8Toq-24ASeB_cPelGPhC1SFqjO8BWysWf-PCI4RCQvliPo_YLy0CEtyLfmlSHxLFkxLA58UEcGAfP8cVc2WvrCt7AuScERwota294dPTrR43gJrdd60th/s1600/IMG_2484.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVzgx5JD87TudeBvXxLDlv9n8Toq-24ASeB_cPelGPhC1SFqjO8BWysWf-PCI4RCQvliPo_YLy0CEtyLfmlSHxLFkxLA58UEcGAfP8cVc2WvrCt7AuScERwota294dPTrR43gJrdd60th/s400/IMG_2484.JPG" /></a><br />
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Happy eating!<br />
Kathy<br />
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<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-86032562403675683742016-01-17T17:07:00.002-05:002016-01-17T17:23:33.905-05:00Baked AppleHappy 100th post!!! <br />
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It's snowing here today, so it got me thinking. Is there anything better, on a cold day, than hot comfort food?<br />
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Here's one of my favorite, simple desserts. Baked apples.<br />
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I modified this recipe: <a href="http://www.thegunnysack.com/bloomin-baked-apples-recipe/">Bloomin Baked Apples Recipe</a><br />
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It uses store bought caramels, which of course are a no-no in my house. So a simple caramel recipe gets poured in the middle instead. And the rest of the caramel goes in the fridge for ice cream. :D<br />
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Step 1: gather your ingredients.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2vIiLWC1nTKb6c243ZGq7-8pZTM8pHP52UTDPB7KCYYGcJP7pJG3dBtQiQa-opgPjcvBR_cW845UEtNyg4pltAMfOOPSaGqV3dUmO4gPzOEICu8zeCHIHzTEHNRJNn8u5upcg0smR5qF/s1600/DSC00003.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio2vIiLWC1nTKb6c243ZGq7-8pZTM8pHP52UTDPB7KCYYGcJP7pJG3dBtQiQa-opgPjcvBR_cW845UEtNyg4pltAMfOOPSaGqV3dUmO4gPzOEICu8zeCHIHzTEHNRJNn8u5upcg0smR5qF/s320/DSC00003.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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I use small apples most of the time, but every now & then, I can find these monsters! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS9t0eKE1Yc3MhlSlYEjseC2WRPE7wQVv-kRgmu62SS8diD5-hfvrgfNwSD_anGYCeOkW00xqjpmbPLUu6jjH8zPwcRkgeInJevQN6fW6mgnDYS2M1pz-U15yDrHN2PQBl6WftqSzuHbp/s1600/DSC00005.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaS9t0eKE1Yc3MhlSlYEjseC2WRPE7wQVv-kRgmu62SS8diD5-hfvrgfNwSD_anGYCeOkW00xqjpmbPLUu6jjH8zPwcRkgeInJevQN6fW6mgnDYS2M1pz-U15yDrHN2PQBl6WftqSzuHbp/s320/DSC00005.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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Those are really good. <br />
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Cut the apples as described in the recipe, pour some caramel in the middle, and bake. Yum!!!<br />
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For the non-regulars, here is my favorite caramel recipe: <a href="http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel_sauce/">Caramel Sauce </a><br />
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Unfortunately I don't have a picture of the apple after it was baked. It was too good, that I ate it before realizing I needed the picture! Ugh...next time, I promise. <br />
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Happy eating!<br />
Kathy<br />
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<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-25406152961020635872016-01-02T11:03:00.001-05:002016-01-03T19:01:24.182-05:00Simple crackers! We love crackers. They are great for snacking, great for a side to soups, wet salads like chicken salad, anything where you need an extra crunch, Originally, crackers were one of my "exceptions" as I thought I would never be able to make them myself, But they ARE so simple to make!<br />
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Right now I am sitting here being absolutely lazy, watching the Food Network. On comes Trisha Yearwood, and what is one of her recipes? Crackers! I haven't tried these myself yet, but as the high temps will be around 30 degrees F today...they may end up in my oven sooner than later. Like in a couple hours. :D<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/homemade-herbed-crackers.html">Trisha's Homemade Herbed Crackers </a><br />
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Home made crackers I have made: simple cheese crackers! <br />
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<a href="http://ahomemadeliving.com/2013/02/homemade-cheez-its/">Cheese Crackers</a><br />
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5 ingredients, you cam make them squares like Cheese Its, or if you have small cookie cutters, like a goldfish. I've made these a few times, and the hardest part of grating the cheese. <br />
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Side note: I haven't tried this recipe, but in the post there are instructions as to how to make little cutters. <br />
<a href="http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/09/homemade-goldfish-crackers/">Home made goldfish cracker cutters & recipe</a><br />
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So I wish I had a picture to share with you, of those lovely little crackers. I make them without even thinking, so the camera never comes out. Maybe I'll just have to make some later today, so I can share a picture with you. So good!!!<br />
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This seems like a perfect day to turn on the oven and make crackers, lots of crackers. Off to take out a stick of butter to soften...<br />
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EDIT: yum!!! <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkZk9BP4oYUfVFWrsjYVHZ1w5ouIoSE75cC3R7D60gRvyEn5O05n9_KTkrBb9xJVnMwkpevrK0grTTu7yfjH2r1YNrHGNz54DI1tX_TVrUrFO-ucV7LpTe9mpaA_rEwEl1TqhkYlfyv_8/s1600/cheese+its.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkZk9BP4oYUfVFWrsjYVHZ1w5ouIoSE75cC3R7D60gRvyEn5O05n9_KTkrBb9xJVnMwkpevrK0grTTu7yfjH2r1YNrHGNz54DI1tX_TVrUrFO-ucV7LpTe9mpaA_rEwEl1TqhkYlfyv_8/s320/cheese+its.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-89259745174157348812015-10-20T15:15:00.001-04:002015-10-20T15:15:56.841-04:00Simply...Macaroni and CheeseI make home made macaroni and cheese quite often, either as a main dish or a side. Probably every other week. At least. To me, it's a very simple process that doesn't require a lot of pots or pans, dishes, or even work. I found this recipe and have adapted it to meet my needs. By meeting my needs, I mean changing it up based on which cheese(s) I have in the house at the moment. <br />
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<a href="http://communitytable.parade.com/65764/donnaelick/one-skillet-20-minute-mac-and-cheese-with-broccoli/">One Pot Mac n Cheese</a><br />
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I'm such a bad blogger that I rarely remember to take pictures when I cook. I'm such a bad blogger I rarely remember to blog. Or I take pictures then never blog about them. But I'm trying to do better. I promise.<br />
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So why is this recipe so easy? Doesn't mac n cheese require a cheese sauce, made separately then added once the pasta is cooked? NOT THIS ONE. The pasta cooks in milk, which turns into the sauce once you add a slurry and cheese. Can you get any easier??<br />
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The original poster has a beautiful picture on the recipe page, so I won't try to copy that. But I DID manage to snap a few while making it last week.<br />
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Step 1: Melt butter in dutch oven, add in spices. Add milk, bring to boil.<br />
Step 2: Add pasta, then a few minutes later add in broccoli.<br />
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Here is the pasta and the broccoli (added a few minutes into cooking) boiling away in the milk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5oyfMxRDXW7hOSVE3aVyu8lmtDfNvJb9J6ENtHBZsXgbosslpzk4YCx-CK4oRSXkVk5UpRPZo5SwcXXUFCf3MunKpllOB3a0e1n6dNYeN4XECwqKgVaImUhTQqydyAwzZ5_RJR7wppq2/s1600/DSC05877.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb5oyfMxRDXW7hOSVE3aVyu8lmtDfNvJb9J6ENtHBZsXgbosslpzk4YCx-CK4oRSXkVk5UpRPZo5SwcXXUFCf3MunKpllOB3a0e1n6dNYeN4XECwqKgVaImUhTQqydyAwzZ5_RJR7wppq2/s320/DSC05877.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 3: While step 2 is happening, grate cheese and make slurry. I use the mason jar the recipe author suggests, but a small bowl works too. Preheat oven.</div>
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Here is the slurry, before mixing and after.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhuuvbPexdl7xSYfro7ujTBq8rNVkFnL1rwWWL1U4hzDuiTitXsXlxD0gMur9K0p0MovtMWsh_srz5sV0wmvX5vFAnAqzlz7yDFWBPhsXWFmPIu7ZwIFHxbSJOfbo49LL7dCFHfv8f348/s1600/DSC05879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhuuvbPexdl7xSYfro7ujTBq8rNVkFnL1rwWWL1U4hzDuiTitXsXlxD0gMur9K0p0MovtMWsh_srz5sV0wmvX5vFAnAqzlz7yDFWBPhsXWFmPIu7ZwIFHxbSJOfbo49LL7dCFHfv8f348/s320/DSC05879.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWRvRnpbV_HLwS9AXTEVACjj5_c_JwyWHA4otuGpGp0yH36LnyS-0kO-BRALsffRuUVXTeZbGY1RfQdo-7e-gmyxEGNn8WL2GoxiX2Rd4zG_0A_GUfD8mWMaTOgs-WyTdzq7Ol7kqB6cs/s1600/DSC05880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWRvRnpbV_HLwS9AXTEVACjj5_c_JwyWHA4otuGpGp0yH36LnyS-0kO-BRALsffRuUVXTeZbGY1RfQdo-7e-gmyxEGNn8WL2GoxiX2Rd4zG_0A_GUfD8mWMaTOgs-WyTdzq7Ol7kqB6cs/s320/DSC05880.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Step 4: When pasta is cooked, stir in grated cheese, then slurry. Sprinkle with extra cheese, then pop in oven till brown and bubbly. My final picture does NOT do it justice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1cSEy937tmiaipxjkDwt19n_xhxyfEyn9j4-wlMUDdEiMY87IhWp1fpfPyTvksDnAJS4MgHSIYw8HCqBWSyodgcy5ebBIWIXlbg6v4zwJ78zourT8lUjqIvDnojX6luJynxjYk2Hogfb/s1600/DSC05881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq1cSEy937tmiaipxjkDwt19n_xhxyfEyn9j4-wlMUDdEiMY87IhWp1fpfPyTvksDnAJS4MgHSIYw8HCqBWSyodgcy5ebBIWIXlbg6v4zwJ78zourT8lUjqIvDnojX6luJynxjYk2Hogfb/s320/DSC05881.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I usually had a huge block of cheddar cheese in the house, but have been known to pretty much use ANY cheese I have in the house. I also vary the pepper added in Step 1, based again on what I am in the mood for. I have never owned the chipotle chili pepper called for in the recipe, so I will use a different red pepper. Make sure you know your pepper though, as you may not need the same amount, depending on the hotness of it. You can also vary the veggie added, again based on what you have in the house!<br />
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Love this simple recipe. And all I have to wash is the dutch oven, the cheese grater, and the jar from the slurry. Which usually goes in the dishwasher...<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-36344584391539304262015-06-28T12:13:00.001-04:002015-06-28T12:13:19.534-04:00Simply...Cobbler!OMG I am so bad. I got up before everyone this morning, made my coffee and tuned into Food Network. <br />
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Little secret about me: one of my weekend rituals is to watch cooking shows every Saturday and/or Sunday morning for my dinnertime inspirations for the upcoming week. First, I tune to my local news station to catch the seven day forecast. That's important this time of year, as summer afternoons can be filled with quick rain showers and thunderstorms. My husband doesn't mind standing next to the grill in the rain, but I do. So once I get an idea of the weather for the week, I'm ready to sit like a lump on the couch and plan my meals.<br />
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So why am I so bad? Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond wasn't on for 5 minutes and I was up making one of her recipes. It happened so fast I didn't take pictures! My husband came down as I was putting the cobbler in the oven, I told him how simple this recipe was, and it hit me. This was the perfect recipe for the blog!!<br />
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I've got a finished shot for you, but since Ree does such a good job with her photographs and documenting her recipes, I figured I didn't really need to recreate that here. A link to her loveliness will do just fine, with a finished shot of my cobbler.<br />
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Cobblers can be scary, especially if you use a more difficult base. Ree points out in the episode that she makes the cobbler that it can be a lot of work should you choose to lay a pie crust over fruit, or if you use biscuit dough (we don't buy the less work, boxed mix of course!) so her recipe is super simple. The hardest part? Waiting an hour for it to bake,<br />
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So here it is:<br />
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1 cup flour<br />
1 cup sugar (I use turbinado for the extra flavor)<br />
1 cup milk (she used whole, I used 3/4 skim 1/4 half and half)<br />
1/2 stick melted butter<br />
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Mix, pour in greased baking dish. Scatter over top your fruit (she used blackberries but I had blueberries in the house so I went with that, as it was an emergency and I had to get this in the oven immediately.) <br />
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She sprinkles 1/4 additional sugar on top (I found that to be too much, so I used less) and into a 350 degree oven it goes for about an hour. Done!<br />
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Not only is is a simple dessert recipe for a busy evening (pop it in the oven while you are eating) but it's a quick dish to make when you have unexpected company coming; 5 minutes of prep and it bakes while you are getting ready.<br />
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Love it! My township is having Fourth of July fireworks tonight, so a blueberry dessert is just the thing to get the holiday week going. If I had strawberries to add too....yummm. May need to hit the farm market later today and make another one. I am so bad.<br />
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Here is the link to view the recipe from it's original source, the lovely Ree Drummond:<br />
<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/blackberry-cobbler-recipe.html">Ree Drummond's Blackberry Cobbler Recipe</a><br />
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My lovely cobbler, fresh from the oven:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qPSoDsgzqrebujgalyzwmyQrXXXhhB8X80nbh9D3yvCnmX38SZg2IR_X5nOnqWrLyvvyUUs80LVNPGmZVCQgK2OZsmuQLZLwWQpvo6KyTltKvPa7PPrFjAmhe8QO72DzOPm5_TcXolIr/s1600/DSC05569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7qPSoDsgzqrebujgalyzwmyQrXXXhhB8X80nbh9D3yvCnmX38SZg2IR_X5nOnqWrLyvvyUUs80LVNPGmZVCQgK2OZsmuQLZLwWQpvo6KyTltKvPa7PPrFjAmhe8QO72DzOPm5_TcXolIr/s320/DSC05569.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Happy eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-31773938889938450642015-06-07T16:48:00.001-04:002015-06-07T16:48:44.517-04:00Sharing the simpleI love Pinterest. It leads me to so many places I may never have found without it.<br />
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Right now I am sitting on my deck, watching the leaves blow in the wind, got my tunes playing, and the laptop on my lap planning my meals for the week. I came across this yummy, simple, clean dinner and wanted to share it with you.<br />
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~Disclaimer~ I have not tried this recipe yet; and even if you don't use the exact ingredients the poster did, it shows you how simple a meal can be. A tiny bit of prep, a clock nearby, and you can sit outside near your grill, enjoy a cold beverage of choice, and maybe even watch or play with your kids in the backyard while dinner cooks.<br />
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<a href="http://www.taylormadebytaylorbee.com/2013/09/grillin-sides-foil-packet-cheesy-red.html">Dinner on the Grill tonight! </a><br />
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Taylor, the original poster, made a simple. dinner all on the grill. Meat, potatoes, salad (yes, I said salad.)<br />
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If you try her recipe, leave a comment and let me know. My main purpose for sharing is to show you the simplicity of it. Her pictures show a fabulous meal, my teen boys would happily eat it (minus the grilled romaine - we'll have to test that out and see, but we love kale chips, so maybe) and I could sit with my glass of wine while it all cooks on the grill. I could even prep it before leaving for work in the morning, then plop everything on when I get home.<br />
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Dinner, so simple!<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-26902451081629647102015-05-28T12:06:00.001-04:002015-05-28T12:06:31.978-04:00Dinner tonight, super simple roast beefDinner tonight was simple. So simple there is no way anyone could possibly mess it up.<br />
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<a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/high-temperature-eye-of-round-roast/detail.aspx">Beef Roast</a><br />
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I have never had a more delicious, tender, moist roast.<br />
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The recipe calls for a 3 pound roast, mine was 2.5 pounds. The only modification I made was shortening the amount of time it sits in the oven. <br />
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This recipe is so simple. Wait, did I say that already? Well, it is. How simple you ask?<br />
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Step 1: preheat the oven to 500 degrees.<br />
Step 2: rub the roast with salt, pepper, and I add smoked paprika<br />
Step 3: when oven is preheated, put roast in (uncovered) and reduce heat to 475 degrees<br />
Step 4: bake for 7 minutes per pound<br />
Step 5: turn oven off, set timer for a couple hours, and walk away. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DURING THAT TIME.<br />
Step 6: timer rings, take out meat and slice. Dinner is ready!!<br />
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See, you can't get any easier. Best part about it, is that you made it with simple ingredients. ALl my spices are organic, and my roast is as well, but yours doesn't have to be. The point is that you did not buy one that was pre-seasoned at the grocery store; you have no idea what they are putting on those meats. <br />
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I like to make this when I have to pick my kids up from school close to dinner time. The oven is on well before dinnertime, and off for a couple hours before, so I can comfortably leave the house and not worry about a hot oven.<br />
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Side dish was some frozen organic mixed veggies.<br />
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This is a next day picture, of what is leftover from last night. I didn't reheat it, just staged it on a plate. Taken with my phone, not the greatest picture, but you can tell how yummy it is. Now, I'm off to have a couple of those slices for lunch!<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
Kathy<br />
<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-75084903628561184142015-05-19T13:49:00.001-04:002015-05-19T13:49:57.483-04:00Header change!! My regular readers may have already noticed, but I changed the heading for the blog. Last week I had a few extra minutes (I KNOW, it can happen!) while sitting waiting for my tires to be rotated to clean up my laptop. I stopped in to have it done on my way to work, so with my laptop on my lap, I figured it was a good time to clean up my hard drive. <br />
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One of the things I noticed was all the recipes I had downloaded, saved, bookmarked, filed into folders, yadayadayada that I never looked at again. Found some really great ones that I will definitely try; but then found some real doozies with ingredients that were never to be found in my pantry. <br />
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One example: liquid aminos. Liquid aminos?? How that is unprocessed I just don't know. But ingredients like these got me thinking. Again. Yes, I do think a lot. For those of you who read my blog often, many of my posts are because I was "thinking." <br />
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The last time I sat here thinking, it was about a conversation with a co-worker and defining clean eating and it led me to take a quick check on my eating habits.<br />
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Which is a good thing. It meant I wasn't thinking about cookies. <br />
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So this latest "thinking" has made me realize that clean eating doesn't have to be nuts, with all sorts of strange ingredients. It doesn't. It just needs to be simple, using real food ingredients to make some delicious meals.<br />
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I've participated in October Unprocessed the last few years, and each year I see all these people making their own cheese, almond milk, even grinding their own flour. At the end of each month, the number of people who post about slipping, falling off their wagons, and can't keep that up is not surprising. People go from one extreme (eating mostly processed) to the other (living off the grid) in one month will never stick with it. It's too overwhelming. I'm not here to encourage those choices.<br />
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I'm here to show the average person, most likely you are a mom, who wants to raise their kids in a healthy way without all the additives that are not good for us. <br />
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So if you are new here, welcome. If you are a regular reader, you are going to see this blog switch to more of a recipe place. I want to show how easy it is to just use whole ingredients to make fabulous food for your family.<br />
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Happy Eating!!<br />
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P.S. If you want that cookie recipe, leave a comment and I'll post it for you.KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-30137049847108969792015-03-19T12:16:00.000-04:002015-03-19T12:16:28.682-04:00What IS clean eating? NOW...I am sitting here eating a piece of pineapple carrot cake I purchased at a farm market over the weekend. OMG so NOT clean. How ironic that I am eating this, while blogging about eating clean.<br />
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Why do I have this round tin of badness? We went out last weekend with my sister-in-law for a wine tasting, and the tasting room was in a small farmers market. Part of the tasting was a coupon for $5 off at the farm market, if you spent $25 or more. Well, it's so easy for me to spend $25 on fruits and vegetables normally. In March in New Jersey, not so much. We're still awaiting all the now to melt. There was a very limited selection, and if the coupon didn't expire in April we would've considered taking the hour drive back to use it at a later date. So around the market I went, picking up apples, lettuce, cucumbers...knowing that none was grown here (well, maybe the lettuce in a greenhouse) but still happy to be coming home with fresh yummies and happily avoiding a shopping trip once I got home. I was a little short with what they had that I wanted...so I came home with a pineapple carrot cake. I was pleased with the ingredient list; nothing but recognizable ingredients, no preservatives, so home it came.<br />
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I think I have been doing this more than I realize. <br />
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Let's look back at the post from November 17, 2102. <br />
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<a href="http://kathyeatsclean.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-clean-eating-rules.html">My Clean Eating Rules</a><br />
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Here was my rule:<br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">My "rule" is this: is it in it's natural form? </b><span style="background-color: white; color: lime; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: lime; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Yes? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">I can eat it.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">No? </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #6a6a6a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;">Why not? How has it been modified? (I am not grinding my own wheat into flour...) How many ingredients are on the label and more importantly WHAT ARE THEY? If I don't know what it is, I WILL NOT EAT IT. With the exceptions above. :) But even in my exceptions, I read labels closely. Minimal ingredients are key for me. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am still following my rule. But I think those exceptions are growing more and more. I still only purchase pasta, cereal, graham crackers, yogurt, macaroni & cheese (see yesterday's post,) will pick up a loaf of bread every now & then if I don't have time to make a loaf for sandwiches, but haven't added anything else back into my pantry that isn't a one ingredient item.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The exceptions are when we are out. I admit I've brought home donuts a few times more than I want to. I'm starting to get lazy and not wanting to put in the effort to bake everything. I loved making donuts in the beginning; it was fun, I was proud; now it's a chore. Am I getting old and grumpy? Not sure. Am I tired from work? Not sure. The thought of the dishes afterwards gets overwhelming, after cooking and cleaning up from dinner. I find that if I bake in the afternoons, on my day off, it's a bit more fun. But overall, I am feeling lazy. I still refuse to bring home a box of cake mix - we won't have cake before that happens - but if we are out instead of going hungry when I don't like choices (like I used to,) I will get that hot dog on the run, or grab a sandwich from Starbucks. I used to plan my shopping trips and errands around eating, and I don't do that anymore. Now it's all about how much can I get in one day in one trip from store to store to store. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Life is moving too fast. I think it's time to slow it down.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14.8500003814697px; line-height: 20.7900009155273px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kathy</span></span>KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-22881476612201761292015-03-17T08:47:00.001-04:002015-03-17T08:47:53.137-04:00What IS clean eating? THEN...Had a conversation yesterday with someone about "clean eating." Was trying to explain exactly what it is, and found that I was having some problems getting her to understand exactly what it was. Why? Cause I was having problems explaining exactly what it was. <br />
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There are so many different definitions, from the die hard "I only eat what I grow" to "I only buy one ingredient foods." Does it have to be organic to be clean? Or is non-GMO enough? Why can't I just buy apples, cook them awhile, throw in sugar & have applesauce instead of buying it - isn't that eating clean? Well, if I could make it myself, it's clean; but just because I can make it doesn't mean I have to - I can buy it. Right? Maybe I'll just stop buying stuff in a box. Okay, I eat clean.<br />
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This makes me think a lot about the title of this blog. CLEAN EATING - MY WAY. Clean eaters all seem to have their own way of interpreting what they consider clean, so how do newbies find their way around this mess?<br />
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If you are a newbie to clean eating, and you stumbled upon my little piece of the internet today, welcome! <br />
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I thought I would take some time and think about what "clean eating" means to me now, and how it's evolved over the years. <br />
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Here is my first post about my clean eating "rules" <a href="http://kathyeatsclean.blogspot.com/2012/11/my-clean-eating-rules.html">My Clean Eating Rules Post #2</a> This is the second post on this blog, dating all the way back to November 17, 2012. Wow have time flown! <br />
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How has our clean eating grown over the last 2.5 years? Let's see.<br />
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I still don't have a pasta maker. We now eat gluten free pasta primarily, as wheat products really bother my hubby's acid reflux. <br />
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I do own and love a bread maker. Love it. Some recipes don't come out perfect in it, but love it. <br />
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Yogurt. My glucose levels have been going up, and my Chobani intake has gone down. I eat them periodically but not on a daily basis anymore.<br />
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I make my own graham crackers as much as possible. They aren't the same, but still good. SO disappointed to find the blogger who posted the recipe has taken down her site. I highly recommend you ALWAYS print out recipes when you find one you like. You never know when a beloved recipe will go bye bye. <br />
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Pretzels. Never took up the challenge of trying to make again, but we rarely seem to eat them. If I buy, I look for an organic brand or one with as few ingredients as possible,<br />
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Breakfast cereals. Hugely fighting this battle with my kids. The battle was easier before I had a teenage driver in the house. Now if he wants something I am not willing to buy, he drives himself there, and buys it. With his own money. All I can hope is that he my teachings will stick somewhere, and come back out when he's a real adult. I know that once he goes off to college that his choices will be limited, so this battle with him is about over. My 15 year old, still complains a bit, but knows he's stuck eating what I buy and gives in much easier.<br />
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Macaroni & Cheese. Still buying organic brands (not the Kraft one though) as the boys need that something to make after school/clubs/gym when I am not home. While my 17 year old is a great cook, I can't expect him to whip up a cheese sauce between school & the gym. LOL<br />
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So that's where I was when this blog started, and where I am now with each category. My ramblings has made this a very long post. I'm going to end this here today; tomorrow I am going to come back with an in-depth look of my pantry, where I have started slipping, and where I have gotten better. <br />
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For now...<br />
Happy eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-32935790294819682022015-01-18T21:55:00.001-05:002015-01-18T21:58:41.289-05:00Fun new cooking showI've gotten myself addicted to a new cooking show on the Food Network, called Daphne Dishes. Daphne is quite funny, being a stand-up comedian and all; is married to a professional chef, and is a personal friend of a friend of mine. Because of that last statement, I tuned into her first episode. And well, I liked her. She seems real, and I like that.<br />
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So today as I watched one of her new episodes (noon EST on Sundays) I fell madly in love with her pound cake with strawberries. My boys won't eat the balsamic strawberries that she made, so mine were plain, and instead of vanilla ice cream I made home made whipped cream, but her pound cake I made as advertised. OMG so good! With five eggs and 1 and 3/4 sticks butter, it's got to be good, right? Yeah...it was. I definitely plan on making this again and again.<br />
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Here is a link to her recipe:<br />
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<a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/daphne-brogdon/butter-toasted-vanilla-pound-cake-with-macerated-strawberries.html?soc=sharingpinterest">Butter-toasted-vanilla-pound-cake-with-macerated-strawberries.html?</a><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/daphne-brogdon/butter-toasted-vanilla-pound-cake-with-macerated-strawberries.html?soc=sharingpinterest">soc=sharingpinterest</a><br />
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Here is a pic of mine; pretty awesome, huh?<br />
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Yeah, I thought you would think so. Tomorrow, should there be any leftovers, I will try toasting it like Daphne does. In the meantime...<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
Kathy<br />
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<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-68661718921529176482015-01-17T10:33:00.001-05:002015-01-17T10:33:11.560-05:00Pots and PansMorning!<br />
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I'm siting here watching Ree, the Pioneer Woman, cook up some very yummy chicken based dishes today. I love watching cooking shows, if not for the recipes, but for the tools they use in the kitchen. I get lots of great ideas for things to add to my already packed drawers and cabinets.<br />
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Speaking of a packed kitchen, is anyone decluttering? My kitchen is already organized, so I am currently cleaning each item as it come up on the challenge; taking out all the pots and & pans and scrubbing down the inside & outside of the cabinet before putting everything back where it came from. I'm not a big "stuff" person, so my kitchen is pretty streamlined. We'll see what happens when next month we leave the kitchen and head into other rooms.<br />
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But I digress. As usual. But not really...since I was talking about the cabinet with my pots and pans, and that's the title of this post, right? Right.<br />
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I love the tools they use on cooking shows; and I find myself wanting each and every one of them. I've been married almost 25 years, and some of my pots and pans have been around that long, but they were high quality when we purchased/were gifted them so they have lasted. And lasted. And lasted! I really want some new ones, but can't justify the expense when I an work with what I have. Sigh.<br />
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So here is my wish list:<br />
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a pasta pot - the kind that you pull up the strainer and the water stays in the pan<br />
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a dutch oven - the kind that you start the meal on the stovetop, then put the whole pot in the oven<br />
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That's it. For now. I'm not asking for a lot, right?? Just a couple items... :)<br />
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Happy cooking!<br />
Kathy<br />
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<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-67147735533107872932015-01-08T11:12:00.000-05:002015-01-08T11:12:13.581-05:00It's Cold. It's Freakin' COLD! Brrr.....that's all I got today. Brrrrrrrrr....<br />
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Lucky for me I don't have to go outside until much later, but unlucky for me it'll be dark then, so it'll be colder than it is right now with the sun shining.<br />
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Thought I would share my morning snack with you today. I've decided to take up yoga again, in an effort to get myself to a better place physically. Over a year ago I bought a yoga DVD set; came with a book showing you how to do each pose, 2 foam blocks, a strap, and a DVD. This time last year I went through the introductory part of the DVD that showed you how to do the combination of poses that they use a lot in the DVD. Things got busy, and well, all excuses aside I didn't look at it again until this past Tuesday. I did the "transitions" part of the DVD, which shows you how they transition from one pose sequence to another. Went a bit fast but...whatever. Then I hit PLAY. Eighteen minutes if way too fast-paced yoga that I gave up after twelve minutes. It was horrible. Same sets of moves over and over, and NOT at all for beginners.<br />
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I really wish I had tried this DVD more completely last year, when I could've possibly returned it, Now I'm stuck with it; may try again one day, but in the meantime I know own two foam blocks and a strap. haha.<br />
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Back to the food...after all, that's what this blog was supposed to be about, right? It's branched off as time has gone on, turning more and more into a lifestyle blog. And I'm good with that. I think that's what I want it to be.<br />
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Small handful of mixed nuts, a wedge of monterey jack cheese, and a couple of strawberries. Yum! Perfect combo to give me energy for some yoga. <br />
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A friend recommended a series on YouTube...so will play one while eating my snack. Then hopefully give it a try!<br />
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I'd love to hear any recommendations you have!<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-5970680850299915502015-01-03T12:05:00.001-05:002015-01-03T12:05:58.711-05:00Happy 2015! Well 2015 is here and time for everyone to make resolutions they won't keep.<br />
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For 2014, my resolution was to spend more time with friends, so something fun each month, and to continue my food journey by seeking out healthier places to eat out. I was pretty successful in the first two; the second was much harder. Luckily I live in an area that is growing in natural foods,<br />
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So for 2015 I am going to continue with 2014 resolutions, but have added one more; decluttering the crap that has accumulated over the years. I found this great site that helps you organize this process by giving you one small task each day. <br />
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Wanna try?<br />
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<a href="http://www.home-storage-solutions-101.com/organized-home.html">2015 Organized Home</a><br />
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It's simple; sign up via e-mail or visit their website daily; you can download a calendar that you can print out each month for your daily task. How much easier can they make it??<br />
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Good luck; let me know how you are doing!!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-45658984731766970842014-12-14T14:56:00.002-05:002014-12-14T14:56:28.542-05:00Working on my Christmas desserts...& Thanksgiving recapI've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what I want to do for dessert this year. I've made four different lists, crossed out more than I've left uncrossed, and re-written the list on way too many scraps of paper. Good thing we are recyclers! I have a few favorite recipes I love to make, but we are such a small group that I feel like I am the one who ends up eating mostly everything.<br />
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I've gained ten pounds since my gallbladder surgery. SIGH. VERY LOUD SIGH.<br />
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A nurse friend told me last night not to stress about it, that my body needs time to adjust, but I know the truth, I've grown lazy and have a tendency to binge eat with no ability to portion control. I need to get off this emotional path I am on and get healthy again! I am realistic and know that this is NOT the time of year to try to change. Too much going on, too much stress with work and life and getting everything done in time. <br />
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So where was I? Oh, yeah.<br />
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For Thanksgiving, I made a wonderful assortment of single serve desserts. Mini Cannolis, mini peanut butter cheesecakes, mini apple pies and turtle cookies. Much easier to watch how much you eat when you are only having a small piece, right? As long as you don't keep going back for more and more, right? <br />
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I had a picture of these yummy desserts on my iPhone, but someone (who shall remain nameless) deleted all the food pics from the Photo Stream in effort to make more room in our cloud storage. :(<br />
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So here are the links for Thanksgiving yumminess (all recipes were made with clean ingredients, <b>of course:</b>)<br />
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<a href="http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/12/reeses-peanut-butter-mini-cheesecakes.html">Peanut Butter Cheesecakes</a><br />
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<a href="http://lexbake.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/mini-canoli-cups/">Mini Cannoli </a><br />
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<a href="http://www.welcome-home-blog.net/2013/07/individual-salted-caramel-apple-pies.html">Apple Pies</a><br />
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<a href="http://pixelatedcrumb.com/2012/01/11/chocolate-turtle-cookies/">Turtle Cookies</a><br />
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Well, I gotta say while I enjoyed not having pies, and doing something different, I think my sister-in-law and her family were disappointed. They expected and wanted pies. I think all the time and effort I put into making all of the above went unappreciated. So next year they will get a boring apple pie and a boring pumpkin pie. Hmpf. I ended up with a lot of leftovers (left a lot at their house too) and some even went in the garbage after a few days. So so much for that.<br />
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Now I am back to Christmas...do I stick with my traditional cookies to avoid disappointment by my guests, or do I make what I want? LOL Or do I do a combination? There are only eight of us; <b>eight. </b> Four adults, three teen boys, and a pre-teen girl. Most who have experienced teen boys would argue that three teen boys = six adults, so I should count them as double. I don't want tons of leftovers, no one wants me bringing plates of cookies anymore (I used to LOVE baking for an entire weekend then giving it all away) so what to do? <br />
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I'm so overthinking this. Kathy<br />
<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-34148163313599014472014-10-28T10:55:00.002-04:002014-10-28T10:55:38.740-04:00Clean Alcoholic Beverages?Sad news today about my favorite shot of choice. :( One the bottle is gone it will not be replaced.<br />
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<a href="http://yle.fi/uutiset/alko_recalls_fireball_liqueur_over_propylene_glycol_concerns/7553390">Alko Recalls Fireball</a><br />
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Sigh. That's all I got. Sigh.<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-14947839988980275472014-10-11T21:38:00.000-04:002014-10-11T21:38:09.976-04:00Gallbladder Removal & RecoveryToday is Saturday. The surgery was this past Monday. I am still living on bland foods, sigh! <br />
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Monday was not too bad coming out of anesthesia. In my rush to get my kids to school and get to my 7am arrival call, I forgot to bring my own crackers with me, so I was stuck eating the saltines at the hospital, along with some ginger ale after the surgery. First soda in...I don't know how long! Months, easily. Maybe even a year at this point. So my day did not start out unprocessed, but it ended that way as I was unable to really eat anything else until late, when I had some home made chicken broth with a few grains of rice floating around in it.<br />
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Tuesday brought more broth and rice, with the rice slowly taking over in the broth to rice ratio, and some home made applesauce.<br />
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Wednesday, I woke up feeling awesome. So good. Steel cut oats with a bit of organic skim milk to thin and a sprinkle of cinnamon for flavor for breakfast. Lunch, well, that's where the problems started. I felt so good I fried an egg, melted two pieces of cheese on an organic english muffin, put a piece of ham in there too, with a small swirl of organic ketchup for flavor. BIG MISTAKE. I can't capitalize that statement big enough. I enjoyed every single bite...5 minutes after finishing it I thought my chest was going to explode. Full blown acid reflux attack. I will save you the details of my pain, but had some applesauce later that night just to put something in my stomach.<br />
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Thursday, still dealing with the aftermath of the bad choice I made Wednesday. Back to rice and broth...at every meal. Applesauce as a snack. <br />
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Friday, still dealing with the aftermath of the bad choice I made Wednesday. Back to rice and broth...at every meal. Applesauce as a snack. <br />
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Here we are on Saturday, almost feeling better. Peach Chobani for breakfast. Melted American cheese (I know, but it's the lightest cheese I had in the house, everything else is very heavy) on whole wheat bread for a modified grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. Broth and pasta for dinner. I made a home made apple crisp <a href="http://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-apple-crisp/">Slow Cooker Apple Crisp</a> for my family for dessert and had a TINY bowl; so far, so good. <br />
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Hoping Sunday is a bit better, as we are heading off to Comic Con tomorrow. Not only will it be a challenge to eat unprocessed, but finding anything that I can eat at all will be tough. I bought a box of Ritz crackers for emergency company during my recovery; I think they are coming with me tomorrow...just in case.<br />
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Happy eating - eat something good for me!!<br />
Kathy<br />
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P.S. The above recipe comes from one of my favorite clean eating sites. I made the recipe as written except substituted turbinado sugar for the sweetener. I love the molasses flavor the turbinado gives to the apples. KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-13767300751603426172014-10-04T15:57:00.001-04:002014-10-04T15:57:17.595-04:00Clean Eating Tailgate MenuGo RU!! Big game tonight against Michigan. We're heading out to tailgate and I just finished packing up my cooler.<br />
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On the menu is:<br />
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Cheeseburgers: grass feed beef with toppings of local bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, ketchup, pickles (last two not made by me but ingredients pass the kitchen test) All toppings are organic.<br />
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Kale chips (local organic kale, EVOO, Himalayan Sea Salt)<br />
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Home made apple crisp (cooked in the slowcooker!!) using local organic apples, spices, turbinado sugar and oats (my rolled oats are not organic but they are single ingredient)<br />
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Fresh squeezed lemon juice (not organic cause I couldn't find any right now) with turbinado sugar.<br />
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Oh, and beer. :)<br />
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Happy College Football Day, and Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-70494148643939822902014-09-30T10:51:00.003-04:002014-09-30T10:52:05.241-04:00October Unprocesssed starts tomorrow!!!Ready for another October Unprocessed? I am!! Well, almost. I found out last Friday that my gallbladder will be coming out on the 6th; so there will be a small crimp in my plans as I recover from my surgery, I won't be doing much cooking (or probably eating) for at least a week. Which means my daily posts won't happen as planned. My diet the first week will be simple foods like broth, pasta, rice; boring!! But it will be worth it in the end to not have to deal with the pain anymore.<br />
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I decided I have a few small goals to meet this month; scaling back my plans for the month but only pushing them off a bit, I still plan on doing everything I planned. <br />
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Goal 1: to learn more about alternative choices to cane sugar. I want to research how to replace cane sugar with honey or maple syrup SUCESSFULLY (I haven't been successful yet, seems the liquid affects the recipe) as well as how to use (or not use) products like date sugar.<br />
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Goal 2: to learn how to successfully replace wheat flours with other types of flours. I used a hazelnut flour in a recipe not knowing you couldn't just substitute it. Terrible results! Apparently it's missing some important part, like a binding agent? I have coconut flour I tried substituting for wheat flour in breading a backed chicken breast - came out terrible. Dry and powdery...blech. <br />
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Goal 3: to learn how to make my own condiments, like ketchup, mustard and mayo. Problem I have is that we use them so sparingly I'm afraid they will go bad before we can use it all. We literally use 2 tablespoons of mayo a week on my son's two ham sandwiches he takes to school for lunch. Most home made recipes say it lasts a week or two. A lot of work for something we rarely use. Mustard is a tablespoon a week at most. <br />
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So I think that's it to start. As I start to feel better, I may adjust my plans, but this may be a shortened "month" for me...<br />
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Good luck everyone, and HAPPY EATING!!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-57026870585056801032014-09-17T09:24:00.001-04:002014-09-17T09:24:51.751-04:00October Unprocessed 2014It's that time again! October Unprocessed via Andrew at <a href="http://www.earingrules.com/">www.earingrules.com</a> - time to step back, think about what you are eating, how it is made, and how we can make our daily lives a little bit better by putting healthier options into our bodies. <br />
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I've been thinking about what I want to get out of the challenge this year; we live pretty much 75-90% clean around here. My teen boys toward the 75% side of the range, my husband falling into the 80-85% range, and myself the upper 90% end. There is something every season that just reels me in. Right now? That darn Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks. :) I know there are recipes out there that are supposed to be just as good, but part of the draw is the fact that someone else is making it for me. :) So what to do for this year's challenge?<br />
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I decided I want to put a little effort into learning more about specific types of foods and cleaning up the options. I want to learn more about sugars, for example. I get questioned on that a lot - "if you eat clean, how can you still use sugar? It's so processed." While I buy organic "pure cane sugar" for some things, turbinado for others, and local raw honey for still more uses, (and there is a bottle of agave on the shelf too) I use it sugar so sparingly I count it as part of my 10% unclean. I want to learn more about other types of sugars, like date sugar, coconut sugar, etc to find some different options and how to best use them so I can change that % a bit.<br />
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Last year I watched a few members of the Unprocessed Facebook group making things like cheese, peanut butter, and almond milks that I was thinking I may try to do something like that as well this challenge. I have a slightly busy month at work, so I'm thinking one per week; it will take some pre-planning and investigating but hoping it will all work well in the end. I'll report back what I choose to try and how each one goes.<br />
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Lastly, my goal is to report in my daily menus - not only to hold myself accountable for staying on track but so you all can hold me accountable for making good choices as well. There will be a small amount of deliberate exceptions I'll post in the beginning; life is too short to deprive yourself of something that makes you really happy, like wine from the winery I work at (they do add sulfites plus it's a job requirement to taste all the wines) and a s'more at our firepit. Marshmallows are made by me though. :) <br />
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It's only September 17th so I have some time to get my plans in motion; if you haven't taken the challenge before I suggest you do, and also to join the Facebook group for helpful tips, ideas, advice and support. <br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-52554128128904692092014-05-22T19:47:00.004-04:002014-05-22T19:47:51.662-04:00Okay, I'm such a terrible blogger!!Yes, I admit it. I am a terrible blogger. I just can't seem to find the time to keep up with all the things I want to do each day. Having two teen boys, two part-time jobs doesn't help either. So I'm sorry! I'm going to try to better this summer.<br />
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So before Easter I was on a hunt for "clean' Easter candy. Have you ever been to this online store? <br />
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<a href="http://www.naturalcandystore.com/">http://www.naturalcandystore.com/</a><br />
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Lots of great choices!!! And not an artificial color in the whole place! Their prices are a bit high, but you are paying for a premium product, so to me it's worth it. Especially when it's just for a holiday. Jelly beans, chocolate eggs, it's all there. Not every product is completely clean, but ALL are better choices than what we can buy in the store.<br />
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Happy shopping!<br />
Kathy<br />
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<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-58654074725785284252014-04-18T21:47:00.000-04:002014-04-18T21:47:35.979-04:00Love this blog!I was cleaning out my bookmarks today and I totally forgot about this blog I found a long time ago. It's called <a href="http://www.anorganicwife.com/">An Organic Wife</a> and Cristina has some really great, basic recipes to replace some of the horrible processed versions.<br />
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She even has a recipe to replace Velveeta. OMG! <br />
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In the immediate future, I will be making my own powdered sugar. So easy!<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
Kathy<br />
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<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-61227850418256879322014-03-19T12:07:00.001-04:002014-03-19T12:07:50.894-04:00Welcome Spring!Tomorrow is the first day of spring and boy I hope that means the cold weather will be gone! As I type, I'm sipping an extra cup of coffee - one more than my acid reflux allows - as I am freezing!! It is so cold. My New Jersey winter has given us more snow that I'd like to ever see in one season again; we've lost spring break from school, and we will have some tired stressed out kids come June. <br />
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But with spring approaching other things start appearing too...wish it was colorful flowers. But alas, it's colorful candy as Easter season takes over the stores. All those artificial colors and flavors calling my kids...jelly beans, marshmallow Peeps, spring colored chocolate eggs...need I say more? Sigh.<br />
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St. Patrick's Day was easy; I have veggie-based food coloring that made everything green; I brined my own brisket for corned beef. And breakfast, a substitute for Lucky Charms: <a href="http://momsbestcereals.com/product/mallow-oats/">Mallow Oats</a> not perfect, but better. And the kids don't feel like they are missing out.<br />
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I am going to work hard trying to find substitutes for my kids this season. I hate to deprive them of things they love, and they understand that their overall health is more important than that squishy, soft, sugary purple bunny, but they are teenagers after all, and peep pressure almost always wins out.<br />
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So let's see what I an find!!<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
Kathy<br />
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P.S. Rita's Ices gives away free cups on the first day of spring each year. I contacted them and they have two flavors free of artificial colors and flavors; Alex's Lemonade and chocolate custard, in case you wanted a free treat. :)<br />
<br />KathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5860744778998110493.post-84964242621957893782013-12-10T12:32:00.000-05:002013-12-10T12:33:25.731-05:00Happy snow day!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well I had planned on going to Costco today to do all my pre-Christmas shopping. The things you can buy now, and put either in the freezer or set aside until you need them. Around here it is so busy in the stores the week before Christmas, I'd prefer to not have to fight my way to the butcher section. <br />
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Mother Nature had other plans for me.<br />
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So here we are, stuck home for a snow day. My 14 year old son & I decided to have some bonding time by searching for cookie recipes on Pinterest. If you have not joined yet, what are you waiting for?? Be forewarned, it is addicting.<br />
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We had an enjoyable time picking out new cookie recipes and decided which old recipes to skip this year. We only have a gathering of 10 people, so I don't need a LOT of desserts. I decided this year to do a small cookie assortment, skip the heavy pies or cakes, this way we could pick as the evening goes on, We're making a mulled wine to serve after lunch, to smell up the house nice and festive. <br />
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If you want to follow me on Pinterest, I am <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/kathismath/">KathIsMath</a> - click on my name to find my page. Some of my recipes are under Christmas 2013; others are in my cookbook and not online. <br />
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If you are interested in my Christmas fun last year, search back by clicking the labels below the post; I had a lot of fun celebrating "The Twelves Treats of Christmas." I'm off to re-write my shopping list with the new ingredients I need.<br />
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Happy Eating!<br />
KathyKathyChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13228484609460263970noreply@blogger.com0