tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29344078068997730452024-02-18T23:33:09.794-07:00cher stuffCherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.comBlogger393125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-19597368920265370862016-06-05T16:36:00.001-06:002016-06-05T16:49:40.389-06:00date & super-seed olive oil muffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A lot of life happens in six years - the good, the bad, and the ugly as the saying goes. Some things change and others stay the same. Kids grow up, hair gets greyer, fat gets a new reputation, sugar is the Real Villain, kale has waxed in popularity to be replaced not once or twice but several times by the new 'It' food. One of the things that has remained constant for me is the love I have for these date muffins (the very first recipe I posted back in 2010). The recipe though is one of the things that has changed and so to be fair, I am revisiting it to make the updates. I also must confess that I am afraid that the dear little things didn't get a fair shake way back in the beginning and they are really so so good + so full of really healthful bits that I wanted to give them another shot at some limelight. There is rarely a time that you could check my freezer and not find a bag of these little gems in there. I like them hot and fresh to be sure, but frozen? maybe even better. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I always make these as mini-muffins now - which means they are exactly 1/4 the size of their bigger counterparts. It also means that they are the perfect size to tuck in for a snack on the go, perfect for little hands, perfect for when I <i>need</i> a little 'something' and the next meal is further away than I want it to be. In my book they are also so delicious that they make a great dessert option on a night I find I just really want something a bit sweet to finish a meal.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The way I organize the details of my history (in my mind) is in relation to the significant, momentous milestones. I place events on the timeline of my life and experience by whether they happened before or after marriage, the births of each one of my five children, and the even larger watershed of before or after Merin's death. Muffins are not terribly critical to place in the scheme of one's life but</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> these were one of the before-Merin things. I made them for her as a healthy, protein-rich snack for after ballet class. At the time she was looking for healthy alternatives to the chocolate bar that she was so often tempted by when she hadn't had time to eat between her school work and dance class (so they pre-date the original post by several years, in case that matters - lol). I think of her laughing as she grabbed a couple on her way out the door to the studio and calling her thanks along with the never forgotten "love you mom!". So I always think (in happy </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">colours) of Merin when I make or eat these. They are part of the texture of my life in a small but happy way.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>date & super-seed olive oil muffins</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 1/2 cups rolled oats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup milk (or alternative - I use almond or coconut milk)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3/4 cup sprouted whole grain spelt flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 tsp cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3/4 cup chopped pecans</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 cup flaxseed meal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 cup hemp seed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3 Tbsp chia seed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">14 medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about 3/4 cup)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/3 cup olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup prune puree (exactly one small container of baby food prunes)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 cup palm sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/3 cup unflavoured full fat Greek yogurt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">optional: 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Preheat oven to 400 F.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Combine oats and milk and let soak. In a large bowl combine spelt four, baking powder, soda, sea salt, cinnamon, pecans, flaxseed, hemp seeds, chia and dates. To the soaked oats add the eggs, oil, prune puree, palm sugar and yogurt. Stir to combine and add to the dry ingredients. Mix gently to incorporate everything but don't over-mix. Spoon into lined (or buttered) muffin tins. Makes 12 regular muffins or 48 mini-muffins. Bake until firm and golden - about 20 minutes (regular size) or </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">15 minutes (minis).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">* If you opt to add protein powder please choose one that does not include artificial sweetener. I prefer to use stevia sweetened protein powder. Also if you choose a whey based powder I think it is important to use one from pasture fed cows. </span></div>
<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-66021237920940161562016-05-23T15:16:00.001-06:002016-05-23T15:17:14.485-06:00lazy rosy rhubarb<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">the original + a gluten-free, refined sugar-free variation</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Of all the fruits of my garden I truly believe the one I most eagerly anticipate every year is beautiful, bountiful, tart and juicy, red rhubarb. Perhaps that is because it is the first brave perennial to push its shoots through the still cold soil towards the light, mostly though I just really like rhubarb. I like the plant with those ridiculously large and luxurious leaves and gorgeous ruby stems, and I <i>love</i> the pucker-up tartness tempered with some sweet. I prefer rhubarb desserts unsullied by other anything. No strawberries, raspberries, or apples in my rhubarb pies, cobblers, scones, or tarts. And to tell the truth I can't think of any 'fruit' dessert that appeals to me more than rhubarb. (A strange thing that because I wouldn't be me without an apple a day, some blueberries somehow for breakfast, or a large chunk of juicy watermelon in the summer.) Of all the rhubarb sweet endings to a meal my favourite is lazy rosy rhubarb. From our littlest little to the ones with the most years to their credit, we all love lazy rosy rhubarb.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was certain I had posted a recipe for lazy rosy rhubarb because it is just the best way to end a meal when rhubarb is in season. It is the reason to squirrel away as much of the rhubarb harvest as possible in the freezer (without ruining the seasonal enjoyment) for winter treats when spring seems an eternity away. In fact I was so certain that when a friend asked for the recipe I suggested they search here for it and was dumbfounded to be told it wasn't here. I was still so certain that I searched through all the old posts right back to the start and it is not here. There are recipes for other rhubarb wonderfulness and it was good to be reminded of some that I had totally forgotten about (<a href="http://cherilitchfield.blogspot.ca/2013/07/baked-vanilla-yogurt-with-rhubarb.html" target="_blank">baked vanilla yogurt with rhubarb and blueberries</a> - how does one forget about that?! and <a href="http://cherilitchfield.blogspot.ca/2013/06/individual-rhubarb-maple-custard-pies.html" target="_blank">individual rhubarb maple custard pies</a>) but no lazy rosy rhubarb.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I first stumbled across the recipe when my kids were very small. It was in one of those collections of favourite recipes that come stapled together in booklets; gathered from family and friends and shared with love. I have no idea where this particular collection came from and the stapled together booklet has not survived a couple of moves to and from Japan, plus another to Vancouver and back to Calgary so I can't credit the original author if they were even recognized to begin with. All I can say is that we have been blessing their name for years with every bite. It is one of those super simple, quick and easy, good to have in your back pocket recipes. <i>Plus </i>it is a little bit magic. It ends up nothing like you expect it will when you start out and is so much better than the simple sum of its parts. If all of this doesn't inspire you to try it I give up. There is no hope. Clearly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>lazy rosy rhubarb</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rhubarb sauce:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 cups diced rhubarb</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 cup water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp vanilla</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender - about 10 minutes. Stir in nutmeg and vanilla.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1/2 cup butter in a deep 9" baking dish (I always use ceramic but after thinking about it that is probably because it just looks prettier) in the oven while it heats. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">While the butter is melting combine:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2/3 cup milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">About now the butter should be melted and starting to foam. Take the baking dish with the butter out of the oven. Pour the batter evenly over the butter. DO NOT STIR. Top with 3 cups of rhubarb sauce. Again DO NOT STIR. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour or until nicely browned. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a generous pour of fresh cream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>the gluten-free refined sugar-free lazy rosy</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(for those who prefer to avoid refined sugars and gluten - not dairy free*)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rhubarb sauce:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 cups diced rhubarb</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 Tbsp water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 tsp ground nutmeg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp vanilla</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Combine and bring to a simmer over a low flame. Watch it carefully so as not to scorch your rhubarb. Simmer until tender, Stir in nutmeg and vanilla.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Melt the butter as per the original recipe. For the batter combine:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 cup gluten-free flour mix**</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2/3 cup honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 Tbsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/3 cup coconut or other nut milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pour the batter evenly over the butter. DO NOT STIR. Top with 3 cups of rhubarb sauce. Again DO NOT STIR. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour or until nicely browned. Serve with a scoop of dairy-free ice cream.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*This doesn't work well with butter substitutes. If you can't have butter... (I am so sorry, truly).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">**Use any good cup for cup gf flour mix - perhaps Bob's Red </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mill or <a href="http://cherilitchfield.blogspot.ca/2012/02/quadruple-coconut-muffins-with-dark.html" target="_blank">my gf mix</a> (at the bottom of the post).</span></div>
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Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-29243359481302588642016-03-17T19:53:00.000-06:002016-03-18T09:52:32.281-06:00triple chocolate banana bread <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yesterday a friend gifted me two large bunches of ripe bananas - perfect for baking. She had bought a full box of bananas, what she thought was 9 bunches but discovered was in fact twice that many when she got home and realized that there were two layers in the box. Her plan was to dehydrate the bananas and it was a good plan. The flaw in the plan was the amount of time it takes to dehydrate bananas and the volume of fruit that she had to process. I was happy to take some of the bananas off her hands. And in my turn I was surprised at how much baking I could get out of two large bunches - two batches of banana bread (coconut <a href="http://cherilitchfield.blogspot.ca/2013/05/the-banana-bread-that-inspired-oatmeal.html">banana bread</a> and triple chocolate), one banana cake, and a full 48 mini <a href="http://cherilitchfield.blogspot.ca/2013/12/banana-chocolate-supermuffins.html">banana chocolate chip supermuffins</a>. The house smells heavenly, the kitchen was a glorious mess for the better part of the day, and I have banana goodness to share with one and all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The other banana recipes are in the archives here and I think they are still hard to beat but this triple chocolate banana bread is definitely a contender. Next time you have some nicely freckled bananas wondering when and what you are planning for them, give this recipe a thought. It may not be quite as healthy as a smoothie but oh my, ever so much tastier.*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I used a mix of light and whole grain spelt flours for two reasons - I love the taste of spelt and I am trying to use heritage or ancient grain varieties when I bake as opposed to the more readily available modern strains of wheat. You could of course use regular white flour or a mix of white and whole grain wheat flours. If gluten is a problem for you, a gluten-free flour mix works very well. There are several good options easily available, I prefer to mix my own (referenced in the super muffin recipe).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You will likely figure this next bit out on your own but in case you have amazing self-control and can wait until this bread is absolutely cool, you need to know that it is really very, very good when warm. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>triple chocolate banana bread</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3/4 cup light spelt flour </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup whole grain spelt flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 tsp baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup cocoa powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 cup cacao nibs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/4 cup sprouted ground chia seed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3/4 cup dark chocolate chips</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 medium ripe bananas</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3/4 cup coconut palm sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Prepare two small (6.75x3") loaf pans or one larger (9x5") pan by oiling the ends of the pans and lining the pans with parchment paper strips, allowing the paper to overhang the sides.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Whisk the dry ingredients (flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, cacao nibs, and chocolate chips) together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mash the bananas. Whisk in the eggs and add the vanilla, sugar, and cooled melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry and stir just until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Push the batter into prepared pan (or pans) and bake at 350 for 45- 50 minutes for two small loaves or 60 minutes for one larger loaf - or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in pans for 20 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">*<i>no disrespect intended to smoothies - we drink them daily but seriously, no matter how good they may be they are not this good ;)</i></span></div>
Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-3429453410359550002015-11-18T07:00:00.000-07:002015-11-21T21:37:28.210-07:00turkey soup | post-feast or anytime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>for Eden</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I sincerely believe the best reason to roast a turkey is the soup that follows. I like turkey just fine but turkey soup? I have no words. Not one to really describe how comforting and yet divine a good homemade turkey soup is. From the aroma as the broth cooks to the last sip of that broth when the bowl is empty, there is nothing quite like it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Posting a recipe for such a humble and beloved bowl of food may not be strictly necessary but sometime a roadmap is helpful. I offer this in that spirit. Turkey soup is never exactly the same from my kitchen; sometimes it is full of noodles, other times barley or rice or potatoes. Often I add broccoli. But always onions, celery, thyme - and usually carrots and parsley. Like I said - a roadmap. A direction to go, a place to start, to gain confidence that you cannot mess up a good pot of fresh turkey broth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I start of course by making the broth. There are any number of recipes for making broth but this is mine. After the turkey is carved and quite clean I put the carcass in a large pot and cover it with water. Toss in an onion that has been been quartered, 3 or 4 stalks of celery along with some celery leaves, 2 large carrots (scrubbed and quartered), and a few sprigs of thyme. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to a very low simmer. Cover and simmer for at least 3 hours. The longer it simmers the more goodness you get out of the bones - and there is a lot of goodness in there! When you judge that it has simmered enough, remove from the heat and let cool for about 30 minutes. Strain the solids from the broth and discard. At this point unless I am making soup for a large crowd I portion it into quart (4 litre) containers and freeze the broth for use later - other soups and recipes that call for broth, or simply to enjoy as a 'bone broth'.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't be afraid to add a little water at the end of the cooking if you feel like quite a bit of the broth has evaporated - just taste and adjust.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>basic turkey soup pattern</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4 cups turkey broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 onion, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 stalks celery, sliced </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 Tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 large carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1/2 cup chopped curly parsley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 sprig of fresh rosemary</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1 cup of dried pasta or noodles (any shape you fancy)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2 cups chopped turkey meat</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In a large pot saute the onions and celery in the butter for a few minutes - just until beginning to be tender. Add the broth and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add the carrots, pasta and turkey. Cook until the pasta is done and the carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Season to taste.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Note: Because the broth is not salted you will want a generous amount of salt (roughly 2 tsp) or the soup will taste really flat. If you are using a good sea salt you needn't be afraid of the salt. (also along that line, if you are not eating a diet of mostly processed and refined foods salt is probably not an issue. Excuse me while I climb off my soap-box and put it away. lol)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you want to use rice or barley instead of the pasta decrease the amount to 1/2 cup. If broccoli is sounding good to you and you have some in the fridge, about 3 cups chopped is perfect. A drop or two of sriracha sauce makes a nice change on occasion or a grating of good Parmesan. </span></div>
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<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-88597250421803281322015-11-11T07:30:00.000-07:002015-11-11T13:17:00.614-07:00in Flanders Field...<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #444d57; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">November 11 | </span><span style="color: #444d57; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Remembrance Day. As a child in school I made red construction paper poppies with the other children in my class. I went to the school assembly and stood at attention with my classmates at precisely 11:00 AM for one perfect solemn minute. I learned the words to the poem written by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae "In Flanders Field", seeing in my mind a tranquil field of beautiful poppies - knowing that what we were commemorating was solemn, even sacred, but not beginning to understand the depth and breadth of commitment, sacrifice, and love entailed. Even now, decades later I feel I only glimpse fleetingly the honour of those who have served so selflessly throughout history to protect the life, freedom, and liberties of loved ones and beloved country. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444d57; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The following letter is a very tender and articulate expression of love, faith, and sacrifice written by Major Sullivan Ballou to his wife Sarah. He died a week later, at the First Battle of Bull Run. He was only 32. As I read it I cannot believe other than that it echoes the feelings, hopes, and thoughts of countless others. I am profoundly grateful that my father, my sons, my husband have not been among those who have written similar letters home, and I am even more humbly grateful for those who have fought (</span><span style="color: #444d57; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">my father-in-law, uncles and great uncles among them)</span><span style="color: #444d57; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> that my close and dearly loved ones have not needed to.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444d57; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This November 11 I pledge to think more deeply as I remember all the brave men and women who have served and now serve that I may live a life of freedom and plenty in this wonderful land of Canada. I pledge to honour them with the choices I make and the life I live.</span></div>
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<img alt="BallouPortrait" src="http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/sullivan-ballou.jpg" height="371" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: right; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 15px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="250" />Camp Clark, Washington</div>
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My very dear Sarah: </div>
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The indications are very strong that we shall move in a few days - perhaps tomorrow. Lest I should not be able to write you again, I feel impelled to write lines that may fall under your eye when I shall be no more.</div>
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Our movement may be one of a few days duration and full of pleasure - and it may be one of severe conflict and death to me. Not my will, but thine 0 God, be done. If it is necessary that I should fall on the battlefield for my country, I am ready. I have no misgivings about, or lack of confidence in, the cause in which I am engaged, and my courage does not halt or falter. I know how strongly American Civilization now leans upon the triumph of the Government, and how great a debt we owe to those who went before us through the blood and suffering of the Revolution. And I am willing - perfectly willing - to lay down all my joys in this life, to help maintain this Government, and to pay that debt.</div>
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But, my dear wife, when I know that with my own joys I lay down nearly all of yours, and replace them in this life with cares and sorrows - when, after having eaten for long years the bitter fruit of orphanage myself, I must offer it as their only sustenance to my dear little children - is it weak or dishonorable, while the banner of my purpose floats calmly and proudly in the breeze, that my unbounded love for you, my darling wife and children, should struggle in fierce, though useless, contest with my love of country?</div>
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I cannot describe to you my feelings on this calm summer night, when two thousand men are sleeping around me, many of them enjoying the last, perhaps, before that of death -- and I, suspicious that Death is creeping behind me with his fatal dart, am communing with God, my country, and thee.</div>
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I have sought most closely and diligently, and often in my breast, for a wrong motive in thus hazarding the happiness of those I loved and I could not find one. A pure love of my country and of the principles have often advocated before the people and "the name of honor that I love more than I fear death" have called upon me, and I have obeyed.</div>
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Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.</div>
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The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me - perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar -- that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.</div>
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Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.</div>
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But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night -- amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours - always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.</div>
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Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again.</div>
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As for my little boys, they will grow as I have done, and never know a father's love and care. Little Willie is too young to remember me long, and my blue eyed Edgar will keep my frolics with him among the dimmest memories of his childhood. Sarah, I have unlimited confidence in your maternal care and your development of their characters. Tell my two mothers his and hers I call God's blessing upon them. O Sarah, I wait for you there! Come to me, and lead thither my children.</div>
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--Sullivan</div>
Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-57445108092897321662015-11-07T14:16:00.002-07:002015-11-07T14:16:29.601-07:00sourdough stuffing | post-Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Here in Canada we have celebrated the harvest and given thanks for many and manifest blessings. In our house that celebration demands (a word chosen with deliberation) a fairly strict menu. I sometimes peruse with longing the many offerings for variation on the Thanksgiving feast theme - some verging on exotic, others simply needlessly complicated - but I have stopped suggesting we add anything to the table for that meal. Stopped because the table is full as is with dishes that not one person in our crowd can stand to see replaced or changed. Call it tradition - and happy family. Nothing wrong with any of that. So although in one sense our menu is strict, there is nothing at all austere about it. It is simply very well defined.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the dishes that I have played with in the past is the stuffing. Recipes abound that are so enticing to me and I have tried more than a few of those ideas but in the last four or five years I have settled on a simple sourdough stuffing that is universally approved and devoured on Thanksgiving Day. Nothing about it is wild and crazy except the straight-up goodness. Any bread that is a day or two old is very good in this recipe but a nice mild sourdough loaf makes all the difference in the world we think. I cross my fingers every year that I can harvest the fresh herbs from my garden and most years I can - even on the years where we have had more than a few frosts the herbs bravely struggle on to the last. I realize that is not an option for everyone but it is sure fun for me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have decided that we all prefer stuffing that is not cooked in the turkey so that is the way I do it but this stuffing works beautifully either way. The huge advantage of not stuffing the bird is that it roasts a lot faster and stays more moist - seems like a win/win to me. Just pop the stuffing into the oven as you pull the turkey out to rest and the timing is perfect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I offer no picture of the stuffing after baking for the simple reason that at that point there was no waiting for photos to be taken and after the meal there was not a crumb left. It looks pretty much like the first photo but nicely golden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The celebration of Thanksgiving may be done for this year but truly giving thanks and finding the joy of gratitude daily is always before us. The list of things for which I am grateful is long but among those at the top of that list: faith, hope, family (each and every wonderful, weird, beautiful, strong person from littlest Margo to David), health, friendship, my garden, my home, and the joy of sharing all of that. Thanksgiving may be behind me but Christmas is ahead. I love this season of joy and sharing, of counting blessings and then desiring to share them. Whenever or however you celebrate your gratitude may it be with good food and loved ones - and maybe some sourdough stuffing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(As I proof-read this I have to wonder why we don't just have stuffing more often? Like right now.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">10 cups sourdough bread, torn into smallish pieces (about 1 1/2 standard size boules)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup unsalted butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup chopped celery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 medium onion, diced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4 Tbsp chopped fresh sage leaves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups turkey broth*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tsp sea salt</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup dried cranberries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup roughly chopped pecans</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a large skillet melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook until it is beginning to become tender. Remove from heat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Put the torn bread 'cubes' into a large bowl. Add the parsley, sage, thyme, cranberries, and pecans. Add the butter, celery, onion mix and toss. Pour the turkey broth over, season with salt and pepper and toss again. Bake (covered) in a buttered 9x13 pan or ceramic ceramic casserole dish for 20 -30 minutes at 350 degrees F.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* I make a broth with the turkey neck, a carrot, 1/4 of an onion and about 3 cups water that I simmer for an hour or so early in the day of the turkey feast. Strain the solids out and it is good to go. If you prefer to use a canned chicken broth, adjust the amount of salt to about 1 tsp.</span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-61517407013258602482015-08-20T21:05:00.000-06:002015-08-20T21:05:14.608-06:00garden harvest gnocchetti with fresh corn and tomatoes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulzDyX7X2PgopenlaMLxJ4h5wBQWXatCJ-YExeDQ1ahtHK8h0HyYMs_eskUbN9jIkiTXZz5TX3mKQ2Qd0YGmhS4qRiwsBJFNfuCt0ViJSu9R8dkHR-fuf4spBiAA2QBtZcILE78NeFcQ/s1600/IMG_0559.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjulzDyX7X2PgopenlaMLxJ4h5wBQWXatCJ-YExeDQ1ahtHK8h0HyYMs_eskUbN9jIkiTXZz5TX3mKQ2Qd0YGmhS4qRiwsBJFNfuCt0ViJSu9R8dkHR-fuf4spBiAA2QBtZcILE78NeFcQ/s640/IMG_0559.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpq3kxj5JqsO4Kxk52xCIYBPpQm_3S7h8g0AdQ0CeJeRUkvSEqv4eUEanG5w1oUo6oGNLGNdPI-US44kd72qtWG5Sr6oECFPNE8tQmKBfCuKP_UwtXtvP2S5r2WaVbu45zVuan_NVr5ME/s1600/IMG_0563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpq3kxj5JqsO4Kxk52xCIYBPpQm_3S7h8g0AdQ0CeJeRUkvSEqv4eUEanG5w1oUo6oGNLGNdPI-US44kd72qtWG5Sr6oECFPNE8tQmKBfCuKP_UwtXtvP2S5r2WaVbu45zVuan_NVr5ME/s640/IMG_0563.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has been a considerable time since I have been excited enough about what was on my plate to jump up from the table and grab the camera mid-meal. Our meal this evening was (as it commonly is) a bit of a gamble. You know, the kind of combination of what is in the larder that should be good but may not be in the end. Happily this was not only okay but pretty amazing. David (religiously underwhelmed and scrupulously reserved with praise) not only commented three times that "this is really...mmmmm, really good!" That may not sound like a high recommendation but trust me, it is :) He followed that with the advice that I should record this one. Combining that with Jonathon's regular complaint that I need to post some simple recipes that everyone can cook (he is "tired of waiting" lol) and I did grab the camera for a mid-meal mini-session. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One would think with the plethora of recipes so readily accessible in various platforms that gambling with dinner is not only unnecessary but plain dumb. The problem is not a lack but rather a surfeit. I am fatigued by the shear abundance of choice - should I refer to a cookbook, or Pinterest, or one of my many 'favourite' blogs, or even Instagram for inspiration. Perhaps one of the collection of magazines piled in the ceramic hibachi next to the kitchen counter? It is somewhere around this point that I (mentally) throw my hands in the air and decide to make a "big salad" (it is summer after all and who wants to turn on the stove?) or resort to a tried and true and simple option. Or... gamble. With an unknown combination of what is on hand.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As what is on hand is most always a healthy assortment of vegetables and grains it really isn't a big gamble. It is hard to go too wrong. This gamble of garden harvest and gnocchetti paid off in a big way. I think it will slot very nicely into the regular rotation of tried, true and simple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I used some heavy cream in this but you could use half and half if you prefer. If you need a dairy-free option substituting reserved water from cooking the gnocchi would be a good bet. Make you own gnocchi if you like or choose a shelf-stable package from the market, include the Italian sausage or skip it for a meat-free meal. I stripped the kernels off fresh corn on the cob but feel free to use frozen if that works better for you. The rest is dead simple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>garden harvest gnocchetti with fresh corn and tomatoes</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 onion, roughly chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 cobs of corn, stripped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 large sweet Italian sausage, casing removed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">500 gm package gnocchetti </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 good handfuls of baby spinach and arugula</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan - about 1/3 cup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6-10 fresh basil leaves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp butter or ghee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cook the gnocchetti in salted boiling water until they float. Drain and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pour the olive oil and drop the butter or ghee into a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften. Add the sausage, crumbling it as it browns. When the sausage is almost cooked add the corn kernels and allow them to brown a bit, then toss in the cherry tomatoes. A few good twists of pepper and a flick or two of salt fits in well about now. Cook for only a couple of minutes then add the gnocchetti, tossing everything together. Drizzle the cream (or reserved pasta water) over the pasta mixture and toss again. Add the greens (spinach + arugula) and turn them into the mixture to wilt. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and some torn fresh basil leaves. Dinner is ready. That easy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span id="goog_1901667996"></span><span id="goog_1901667997"></span><br /></span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-22224189369641187272015-08-09T14:48:00.002-06:002015-08-09T15:11:34.833-06:00salted cucumber ice cream <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having gotten out of the groove of blogging on a (semi) regular basis I find overcoming the accumulated inertia requires much more effort than I want to summon most of the time. The good book I am reading, the garden I am tending, the children I am loving, the friend I am with, the simple meal I am enjoying - all extend a much greater pull than getting back to the computer and making myself find the words to articulate thoughts, experiences and yes, even recipes. The instant gratification of Instagram and the over-abundance of newly minted nutritional experts sharing ever more ambitious and exotic recipes - and (semi-suspect) nutritional advice - have each in their own way pulled me further away from this place that I once found such joy in. But the very fact that this has been an endeavour that I did once so love has caused me to reconsider my absence. The original motivation to post here was to record memories, recipes, creations and experiences that were in some way significant to me, to offer those things to anyone who might be interested in sharing them with me but specifically to the people I know and love - those near and dear to me. As I have considered continuing or not, I have realized that my motivation and desire has remained consistent. It is all too easy to become caught up in quantifying who is reading my offerings and to assign value to the whole enterprise (including my thoughts) based on that, to fall prey to the competitive part of my nature and give away the joy of creating, considering and sharing. Although writing again feels an awful lot like trying to push a boulder uphill from a standstill, I find that I have a strong desire to get that boulder rolling. If I am the keeper of my stories, then I must share them or they are nothing but smoke and mirrors - vanishing in the mists of time. Those stories may not be of interest to the world at large but the world at large is not reading them nor I am I writing for that audience. This is for me - for my loved ones. I am not an expert anything, not a professional something-or-other; I do find living well a quest worth engaging in and one that brings me joy and fulfills my life. So take my stories and ideas in that light, understanding that I know that I know only a small part of what there is to know but that the pursuit of excellence and more knowledge is a good reason to push that boulder up the hill. To find joy in every new day, each new taste, and all the good and bad that seasons a life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All that to explain why it has taken me three months to push the boulder far enough that I am finally sharing this ice cream recipe. As is the case so often when reading a recipe for something outside of the regular box, my initial thought was "huh! weird." But it is that very outside-the-box-ness that makes this ice cream so wonderful. It is intriguing and fresh and begs another taste and then another ten. It is also the most beautiful soft green in colour. If you like salted caramel ice cream then you will love this - it is all that with freshness on top. Persian cucumbers are a must in this recipe.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The original recipe is from Tasting Table. I scaled it down in volume so it will work in my ice cream freezer and changed the method so that it works if you do not have a juicer (as I do not). I have also included an alternative method that works if you have neither a juicer or an ice cream freezer. No excuses ice cream!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*disclaimer - this is neither dairy-free or sugar free, it is not health-food but it <i>is </i>free from preservatives and gluten and any unknown additives, so it is probably an awful to better for you than commercial ice cream. Just saying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here's to hoping I can overcome inertia and really get rolling again. This seems like a great place and way to start.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>salted cucumber ice cream</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(from Tasting Table with a few changes)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 can sweetened condensed milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups whole milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup heavy cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 Persian cucumbers, chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">sea salt to taste - about 1 1/2 teaspoons</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Put the chopped cucumbers into a blender container and process on high speed until liquified. Pour the result through a fine-mess strainer into a bowl. Measure 1/2 cup of the cucumber juice and set the remainder (if there is any) aside for a smoothie or whatever later. (The solids in the strainer can be put to the same purpose or discarded.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Combine the cucumber juice, condensed milk, milk, cream, and salt in a bowl. Taste as you add the salt, starting with 1 teaspoon and adding more to taste - maybe more than you would initially think. Chill the mixture in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight to allow the flavours to mature and to give your ice cream machine a solid chance for success.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pour the mixture into the previously chilled (actually frozen - as in been in the freezer for a good 24 hours) bowl of your ice cream machine and spin until it looks like a good soft-serve ice cream - about 30 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a freezer-safe container (a loaf pan works very well), cover and freeze until the ice cream is firm, 2-3 hours. Serve and enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is no reason that you cannot enjoy this straight from the spinning (soft-serve style). I like being able to scoop it into a pretty ball. And it is nice to not have to melt so quickly when served. But either way is fabulous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Alternative method for no-churn ice cream</i>: Mix the condensed milk, milk, cucumber juice, and sea salt. Chill for 2 hours or overnight. Whip the heavy cream and fold the cucumber mixture and whipped cream together. Pour into a freezer-safe container, cover, and freeze until firm - about 6 hours or overnight.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-32873668781724791842015-06-21T16:07:00.001-06:002016-03-17T20:32:31.653-06:00k reed<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren't trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom." </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>- Umberto Eco</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I remember standing on the edge of the roof of our house when I was a very little girl. My dad was standing just below me with his arms outstretched, telling me to jump. There was no fire, no emergency - just a warm summer evening and for a reason that is long forgotten I had been on the roof, probably with him. From that edge the distance from me to his arms seemed very far and very scary. I was afraid to jump. He prompted me again and I gathered my courage and jumped, never doubting that he would catch me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A few years later, at a July 1 celebration in his hometown of Hillspring Alberta I was lined up with all the kids my age to run a foot race. I wanted so badly to run and to win. The starter called "On your marks, get set....GO!" and someone pushed me hard from behind. I veritably exploded off my mark and ran my hardest. I don't remember if I placed (and if I had the start could have been called cheating) but all I knew was that my dad gave me the best start he could.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that is the way it was all my life. My dad was my safe place - wise, strong, warm, loving - and he was the wind at my back - pushing, encouraging, teaching and when the occasion warranted, demanding. Demanding in the best way that I give my all. He taught me to strive for excellence - that if a thing was worth doing it was worth doing well. He told me that if I wanted something badly enough I could get it - and in my experience he has generally been right. He taught me to read, to play tennis (poorly but that was <i>not</i> his fault), to ride a horse, to weed the garden, to love God, to serve others. He whistled while he worked and loved to work. He had a song for every situation and a smile in his eyes for those he loved. He loved my mom and I knew it through and through. He taught me by his example to be a person of integrity and to live with honour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think I must have been a daddy's girl from my first breath. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know others have had and do have fathers as wonderful as mine but none has ever had better. To be told that I in any way am like my father is wonderful. He died long before I wish he had and when he did I thought I wasn't ready to be without him but although I miss him still I realize that I had been well prepared to walk on my own. I love this picture of the two of us - just a snap but when I see it I remember the safe warmth of his hug and love between us. From my earliest memory he called me his Pride and Joy ( being the loving father he was I am guessing he had four others) and I knew I was. I hope I am still. I feel very blessed to have had such a father, one who taught me well in all the odd moments with many little scraps of wisdom that I cherish always.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-77339916899544627502015-06-02T22:10:00.002-06:002015-06-02T22:12:48.135-06:00olive oil, sea salt & vanilla granola<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Turns out everyone is making olive oil granola but I didn't know that when I made this a few months ago. (oh well, she said) This is my take on what it looks like is a trend. Granola is having a moment. Another one. It is cool again after being cool and then not, a bit like Birkenstocks. One cannot really blame the granola for a fall from grace - really I would have to point to the commercialization and mass-production of what really ought to be made in small batches and is best made in home kitchens. Churned out by the ton it loses all the goodness and most of its charm, packaged into cardboard boxes and retaining only convenience. After that batch of blame there is the whole fiasco of low-fat, bad fat and the cascade of misinformation that characterized most nutritional theory for the past generation. I find it refreshing to read the more current (well- researched) thinking - that we need (good) fats, much less sugar, high quality carbs and protein for a healthy life. Go figure, eating whole and entirely satisfying food prepared simply is best. Our grandparents and their parents did it without thinking because that is all there was. Laziness and convenience have opened up a Pandora's box of options for us in recent decades until we have eaten ourselves into a nightmare of ill health and over-weight*. .... I will climb down off my soap-box now and we can just talk about how much we love granola. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I do love granola. It is a great hand-snack or breakfast bowl. Fast, easy and infinitely variable to make there is always a large glass canister in our kitchen filled with one flavour or another. The standard for years and years at our house has been a fabulously fragrant and delicious cinnamon granola loaded with nuts and seeds and all kinds of goodness and health. But I am ever curious and eager for something new so when I recently embarked on an intense affair with olive oil that went beyond the usual pastas and salads and bread dip, granola was only logical. Cinnamon granola will always have a place in my heart and kitchen but you need to know that olive oil, sea salt and vanilla make an absolutely addictive version of the venerable mix. I am quite honestly obsessed and I proselyte my wares to any and all. I have been so eager to share that I have taken small tasting bags of it to social events (questionable behaviour I know but if you tried it you would understand). This granola is salty and chewy and tastes like olive oil, no mild oil wanted here. And clumps and bunches. Chewy salty-sweet bunches. Eat it out of hand, grab a cluster on the way past the jar, sprinkle it over a bowl of pure white, creamy, plain Greek yogurt or load that bowl of yogurt up with diced apples, a generous couple of handfuls of granola and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Grab your Birkenstocks and get your hippie on! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is not much that I would even consider retrieving from the '70's but granola? oh ya.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This truly amazing granola (I did say obsessed) fuelled day after day of walking and walking and walking on a recent and equally amazing trip to Japan - well-worth the bag space and weight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For this granola you really do want a superior and full-flavoured olive oil, something nice and green. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>olive oil, sea salt & vanilla granola</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 cups large flake rolled oats</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 cups flaked almonds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup green pumpkin seeds (pepitas)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup hemp seed heart</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup sunflower seeds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp vanilla powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp flakey sea salt (I used Maldon's)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup maple syrup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup brown rice syrup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup coconut palm sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tsp vanilla</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups raisins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mix the oats, almonds, pepitas, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, and vanilla powder in a large bowl. Combine the olive oil, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, coconut sugar, and vanilla in a small bowl and pour over the mixture in the large bowl. Mix well - get your hands into it if need be - add the raisins and mix some more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Spread evenly in the parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 350 and bake for another 15 minutes or until nicely toasted. Remove from oven and cool in the pan before transferring to a container to store.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* For an interesting read try <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/The-Big-Fat-Surprise-Healthy/dp/1451624425">The Big Fat Surprise</a> by Nina Teicholz. Then relax and enjoy your full-fat yogurt and olive oil granola bowl, Birks optional.</span></div>
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<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-1850484275447452342015-05-24T15:53:00.002-06:002015-05-24T15:53:32.305-06:00Enslaved to Saved : The Metaphor of Christ as our Master<h3>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is an entirely new adventure for me - this writing a book review. I haven't written a book review since I was in school and have no desire to publish how long ago that was. I have read literally a ton of books since then but any reviews have been kept between me and myself. When Reid approached me to participate in the blog tour for his book I was immensely flattered and mildly overwhelmed as scholarly discussion of this type is not my usual day-to-day. I was also intrigued by the opportunity and although b</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ook reviews are outside the normal scope of this blog I </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">am very happy I accepted his invitation. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This book is not long; it is meaty and not a fast read. I savoured my way through it, pausing to consider and evaluate my response to his thoughts at least once every page. He develops his theme thoroughly and well leaving one satisfied and well-converted to the humble nature of our relationship to Jesus Christ.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have long been a fan of Neal A. Maxwell's writings and teachings - his turn of phrase and beautiful economy of language - and one thought that I have turned over in my mind often and often is that the only thing we have that is truly ours to offer on the altar is our will, all the rest is the Lord's already and anyway. There is a thoughtful exploration and development of this theme through the theme of slavery and freedom. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As residents in a modern (western) world with all the emphasis we place on freedom, individuality, personal expression and rights the idea that we have only true freedom through being slaves (total indebtedness to one who has redeemed us from sin) is opposite the norm. Reid convinces his reader that although we can make a personal determination as to whether we will accept or pass on what is offered us by Christ the price has been paid and we are His. Our enslavement to him provides us the ultimate freedom that we enjoy as his heirs and without the bondage that inevitably accompanies sin. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The book explores these concepts against a backdrop of the historical context of slavery and manumission; the analogy becomes sharply clear and very important. I would recommend </span><u style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Enslaved to Saved</u><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to any student of the New Testament, the life of Christ and the Gospel he proclaimed. It will be a treasured volume in my library - sure to be well-thumbed and dog-eared before long.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">W. Reid Litchfield is an intelligent, articulate, accomplished and well-educated individual. A Harvard educated endocrinologist, the recipient of many Top Doctor awards, a wise father and tender husband, he is also my much-loved and admired brother-in-law. Writing a book review for anyone has potential for issues but when that someone is a someone you care about and desire to retain a healthy relationship with ... I am sure it is easy can see the potential for disaster there. Having no desire to perjure myself I am happy to report that I had no need to.</span></div>
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Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-74847489421844461322015-03-20T17:28:00.000-06:002015-03-20T17:28:02.109-06:00eat cake <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>raspberry-ricotta cake</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And just like that, with no explanation and no apology I am here. I hesitate to say 'back' because I don't want to over-commit. Nevertheless my <i>intention</i> is to be back. I have (quite obviously) seriously considered not returning to this endeavour. There have been all manner of reasons not to but in the final analysis those reasons don't hold quite enough weight and the scale has tipped ever so slightly in the direction of picking up the threads. So here I am holding a few tattered threads that I will attempt to weave into something of a whole cloth again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This cake, <i>this cake</i> is one of those cakes that does not demand attention. The quiet, elegant beauty standing somewhat aloof and shyly at the side of the room while the sticky, gooey, sparkly (totally unworthy and flashy) upstarts grab the focus. But if you give it even half a chance you will fall in love. Far more interesting in taste and texture than your average unassuming white cake - if you are like me you will be making this cake over and over again because you just can't get enough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The ricotta adds a moist richness and depth of flavour without making the cake heavy. Fantastic warm with cream straight out of the oven I think it is even better on day two. I initially used some sweet, soft ripe pears as the fruit. Trial two was with apples. Three - frozen sweet cherries. And finally, for the fourth try I resorted to the original recipe as written in Bon Appetit and used frozen raspberries. Don't ask me which is liked best because I can't decide. Today my answer would likely be 'raspberry' because that is what is sitting on my counter right now but a week ago it would have been pears. And two days after that? Why cherries of course!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The changes I made to the recipe are very minor - a little more fruit, a different sugar, a touch more salt.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This cake reminds me a teeny tiny bit of a treat we used to buy from the convenience stores (I know - horrors!!) when we lived in Osaka ages ago. I can't remember what it was called but there is a map of Hokkaido on the wrapper. I loved it then and want to remember it as being wonderful - but I am afraid that if I were to try it now I might wrinkle my nose. For sure this cake is umpteen times better. Make yourself a batch of fresh ricotta - or go buy a tub - but make this cake. Tonight. And eat it all weekend long. You could share it with a friend. Or not :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>raspberry-ricotta cake</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(<i>from Bon Appetit - with the most minor of changes)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup raw cane sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp grey sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 large eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 cups ricotta</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup unsalted butter - melted</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/4 cups frozen raspberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray or butter a 9" round cake pan and line bottom with parchment paper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. In another smaller bowl combine the ricotta, eggs, and vanilla stirring gently until smooth; fold in dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in melted butter. And finally fold in 1 cup of frozen fruit - being respectful of the delicacy of the berries. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the remaining fruit over the top. No need to press it into the batter as the cake will rise around it while baking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bake until golden brown, firm to the touch and a tester inserted into the centre comes out clean - about 55 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before turning out of the pan.</span></div>
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Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-90695935023815408912014-07-18T20:34:00.000-06:002014-07-18T20:34:46.814-06:00persian lentils and brown rice with mint<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have been having a bit of a fling with mint recently. I can't believe that I have overlooked what it brings to dishes beyond the obvious combination with chocolate. I have been meaning to share recipes for several salads for (obviously) weeks now. This salad is one that I made three times in 10 days and really didn't bother to take a good pic of any one of those times. I apologize. With all the beautiful food photography scattered all over every site it seems like a mark of disrespect to offer anything less but although I would eat this salad three times a week pretty much all summer, mine is not the only palate to please in our house. David loved it too but he loves variety even more, so I have reluctantly moved on - minus a decent photo - and agreed to rest this salad for at least a bit. Sad really because it is tasty, easy, and has the quiet virtue of being inexpensive. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The combo of brown rice and lentils creates a complete protein. The addition of greens is obvious but the mint makes the salad much more interesting than one anticipates from the unassuming appearance. It changes character slightly when saved overnight but it is by no means a change for the worse. A big bowl of this nicely feeds a crowd at a BBQ or picnic or waits patiently in the fridge for a few days of lunches for an intimate twosome. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I found the recipe in a publication that I used to read faithfully when I was young and newly wed but have ignored for years now for publications that are ... shinier. Shame on me for forgetting old friends - I have recently discovered that there is plenty on offer within. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>persian lentils & brown rice with mint</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(adapted from Family Circle magazine)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup brown jasmine rice (uncooked)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2/3 cup red lentils</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp pomegranate molasses*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 cups baby spinach</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup fresh mint, sliced thin</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup chopped dried cherries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup pecans, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup crumbled feta</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cook rice as per package directions or (if you have one) use your trusty rice cooker on the brown rice setting. While the rice is cooking bring some water to a boil in a medium size pot. Add the lentils, return to a boil and cook for 6 minutes. (This is a good time to use a timer because you don't want mushy overcooked lentils here.) You are also going to want to watch it carefully because it <i>will </i>get foamy and boil over if you take your eye off it for long. When the timer goes off drain the lentils and rinse under cold water for a few minutes until they are cool. Add the cooled lentils and cooked rice to a large bowl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Whisk the olive oil, pomegranate molasses, and salt together. Pour over lentils and rice, stirring gently to coat. Fold in the spinach, mint, cherries, pecans and feta.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*Pomegranate molasses is likely an ingredient that doesn't lurk in your pantry. It wasn't in mine but this recipe was one too many recipes that I had seen requiring it and pushed me over the edge to buying a bottle. It sounds incredibly exotic and hard to find but you may be lucky enough to find it (as I did) in the foreign foods aisle of a supermarket. If you have no desire to own a bottle you can substitute 2 tsp of honey mixed with 4 tsp of pomegranate juice for the 2 Tbsp of pomegranate molasses.</span></div>
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<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-35837476327294300342014-05-25T21:37:00.001-06:002014-05-25T21:37:42.287-06:00rosemary sea salted brownies <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>gluten-free, refined sugar-free</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If I was to worry about posting seasonally appropriate topics and recipes I would probably be looking for .... not this post. I defend my choice thusly: chocolate is <i>never</i> out of season. It is the food equivalent of fashion's black - goes with everything. Should I need to hedge my bet I would point to the rosemary I picked from my garden which must surely confirm seasonal appropriateness. <i>If</i> I was to need to justify myself.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last spring in Vancouver Jonathon introduced me to the pleasures of Beaucoup Bakery. The very first treat that caught my eye was a beautiful chocolate cookie with rosemary. It was even better than it looked and I mentally filed the concept for future reference. This spring Jonathon has a shop of his own and a few weeks ago he had an order of very special chocolate from Mexico, including this beautiful bar of rosemary dark chocolate. I had been fine-tuning a recipe for spicy brownies when he sent me a bar of the rosemary chocolate and as good as the spicy brownies were I suspected there was a better direction. I was right - the time on the spicy version was not a waste because it simply meant that these were perfect from the first batch. I love the piney, minty-ness of rosemary and it is a perfect partner to good dark chocolate. Toss is a bit of cinnamon and top it with a sprinkle of flakey salt and I dare you to stop at one. I made a batch for last week's Sunday dinner dessert and on Friday Eden told me she couldn't stop thinking about them. Pretty much says it all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have made this with butter twice and once with coconut oil replacing the butter. Both versions are very good so if you and dairy do not get along well by all means make it with the coconut oil, but my strong preference is to use good butter. Taste and texture were both superior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>rosemary sea salted brownies</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup almond flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 Tbsp coconut flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp cacao</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp fine sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4.5 oz chopped dark chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup coconut sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 large eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">leaves stripped from a 3" sprig of rosemary </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp flakey sea salt (such as Malden's)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Line an 8 inch square pan with a parchment paper sling and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a bowl combine almond flour, coconut flour, cacao, cinnamon and fine sea salt. Set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Combine the chopped chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir constantly until almost melted then remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes - this will finish the melting without burning the chocolate. Add the honey and coconut sugar and stir gently to combine. Gently stir in the eggs being careful not to over-beat. Add the chopped rosemary and stir the mixture into the dry ingredients, mixing just until everything is incorporated. Push into the parchment lined pan. Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and sea salt. Bake at 350 degree F for 28 minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Easy and fast - to make and to eat :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-65654543601797994522014-05-18T21:21:00.000-06:002014-05-18T21:27:46.992-06:00no-bake chocolate cookies : re-invented <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>gluten-free, refined sugar-free</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This story wanders a bit - or maybe a lot. Kind of like a new puppy, easily distracted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I grew up on no-bake chocolate cookies. No-bakes and chocolate puffed wheat squares were my kryptonite - I could and would eat either one without discipline and to the point of illness. Needless to say the next generation (my children following my shining example) was no different. No-bakes are the obvious answer to every question. Or they were.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Health issues introduced our family to a new eating paradigm and I hadn't even looked at that well-exercised recipe for a good long time, long enough to have forgotten exactly what was in them. A week ago our family grew by one (we now have an adorable grand-dog) an event certainly deserved to be celebrated. Celebration = food so I offered to bring a treat when we went to meet Mark and Tiffany's puppy. As time was short my mind inevitably went to our fail-safe, no-bake chocolate cookies. Then I looked at the recipe. I may have gulped and certainly grimaced - 2 cups of white sugar!!! 2! I just could not do it. I argued with myself and still couldn't. Really, <i>two</i> cups of white sugar in roughly 30 cookies. That's a lot of sugar. A lot of plain not good sugar. Tasty, easy, gluten-free and full of sugar. Bah! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Not one to be undone by a couple of cups of sugar I determined that although I may be tempting fate by playing with a recipe as sacred as this one, it had to be done. That or toss the recipe entirely. It seemed a worthy gamble and at the end of the effort all agreed that it was. In fact, the reinvented cookies were universally approved as the preference. Lest anyone be mislead these cookies are <i>not </i>healthy doppelgängers for the originals - they are chewier in texture and deeper in taste. More dark chocolate than milk. But even the littlest of our clan loved them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I think we should christen them Bailey cookies in honour of the new puppy. They are good enough to have a name of their own (not just 'the healthy no-bakes, you know...') and Bailey (the Brittany) is cute enough to warrant a cookie named after her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">David liked these well enough to stand jealous guard over them. Deacon liked them well enough to request a blog post a week after the fact. The pictures are reflective of no intention to post but I cannot withstand a request from a 10 year old. Really, I cannot :) What grandmother worth her salt could?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>bailey cookies</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(adapted from my mom's recipe for no-bake chocolate cookies circa 1960)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup honey</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup coconut palm sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup butter</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup milk of your choice, I used coconut milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6 Tbsp cocoa</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp vanilla</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> 3 cups quick rolled oats</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup chopped pecans</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Combine the honey, palm sugar, butter, milk of your choice, cocoa, and vanilla in a large heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and immediately add the oats, coconut and chopped pecans. Mix well. Using a 1" cookie scoop drop in mounds onto parchment paper (or foil) to cool and set - about 1 hour. (A brief stint in the fridge will shorten that time somewhat.)</span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-23452311810359752762014-05-08T20:54:00.000-06:002014-05-08T21:44:50.104-06:00morrocan super salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has been a while. 'Nuff said. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">onight for dinner I made a salad so full of virtuous super-foods that I really feel like I should charge up a mountain or something ridiculous. Sweet potatoes, beluga lentils, red quinoa, pumpkin seeds, pecans, pomegranate seeds, chickpeas all tied together with a spicy/sweet dressing to give it a kick. One of the best things I have put in my mouth in a while. I made a mountain of dirty dishes in the process and really can't think of any shortcuts in that regard but the making is simple if multi-stepped and well worth the dish washing. The recipe advises it will feed 6. I would add that would be six very hungry people who love quinoa and lentils and all the rest of the good stuff. But that is all to the good because it means left-over salad for a lunch or two. I served our salad over a bed of baby kale, chard, and spinach because I have decided if you don't eat leafy greens for breakfast, lunch, and dinner there is just no way you are going to eat enough of them in a day. Besides, it looks pretty and tastes better.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I found the recipe yesterday morning. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of my most beloved personal indulgences is reading - anytime really - but specifically reading a magazine while I eat breakfast. While I was thus indulging yesterday morning (and finally catching up on the important business of getting up to date with my publications) a very pretty salad caught my eye. Thinking that fresh pomegranate seeds would be as scarce as hen's teeth this time of year I didn't expect to experience the salad any time soon. Short story: I was wrong - but about as happy to be wrong as I have ever been. If you can be as lucky as I, make the salad with pomegranate seeds. If not, try blueberries. (That's my plan for next time - and I know that next time will come soon here.) The original recipe called for fresh mint but what little mint is managing to show its brave self in my garden is just to small to snip so I subbed some mint tea leaves I have in the pantry. Fresh would be better but the dried was good.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I probably won't be charging up a mountain tonight but I feel virtuous enough to justify eating something wild and crazy for a treat. Plus having a tube of Harissa paste in the fridge just makes you cool. That and beluga lentils.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>morrocan super salad</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(from Style at Home magazine, renamed and ever so slightly adapted)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">honey harissa dressing:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup coconut oil, melted</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp honey</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp old-fashioned seedy Dijon mustard</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 tsp orange zest</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 tsp harissa paste</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 tsp cardamom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 tsp ground cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">salad:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 540-ml can chickpeas, drained and rinsed</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup beluga black lentils</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup red quinoa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 green onions, sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup pumpkin seeds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup pecan halves, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp dried mint leaves (or 1/4 cup chopped, fresh mint)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup dried cranberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 cup fresh pomegranate seeds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Toss 1/4 cup of the dressing with the diced sweet potatoes and spread the potatoes out on one of the baking sheets. Toss 2 Tbsp of the dressing with the chickpeas and spread those out on the second baking sheet. Put both sheets into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are tender.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fill a small pot with 4 cups of cold water and the beluga lentils. Bring to a simmer and cook until the lentils are tender - about 20 minutes. Drain and rinse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fill another small pot with 4 cups of water and the red quinoa. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 12 minutes. Drain and let dry in the sieve for a few minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While all of this cooking is happening add </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">the green onions, pumpkin seeds, pecans, mint leaves, and cranberries</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> to a large bowl. When the sweet potatoes are done remove them and the chickpeas from the oven and add to the large bowl along with the cooked lentils and red quinoa. Drizzle with the remaining dressing, add the pomegranate seeds and toss to combine. Serve over leafy greens. Or don't. </span></div>
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<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-67557578311215572662014-04-08T21:46:00.000-06:002014-04-08T21:46:02.570-06:00quinoa cacao bar <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>gluten-free, refined sugar free</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have been largely absent here - for reasons good and less good. A little bit lazy, a lot of busyness that is pure and simple of little interest to anyone, not even me. One of those periods in life where every day speeds by and at the end of it you wonder what it was that you did. This silly fire thing drags on - more boxes come back from the restoration company but little else happens. We still have no laundry room and the house still has a lingering odour of electrical fire. The smell is masked when I cook and we are strangely accustomed to it but when I return home and the house is quiet that unpleasant, sharp smell is easy to identify. You would think it would be motivation to cook a little more but the boxes that are stacked in corners, the bare floors, the disorganized pantry all leave me feeling like we are simply stopping here and so we eat meals that are healthy, simple and fast - but uninspired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I spent several days last week unpacking the last 33 boxes. Many of the boxes contained treasures that I had forgotten we had - I am scratching my head over where the cleaners found some of it and then scratching more over why it was deemed worthy of restoration. Boxes of memories ... photos and old handmade Mother's Day and birthday cards from my kids that made me laugh out loud, the contents of Merin's dance bag that I cannot bear to part with - all two dozen bodysuits (or more!) plus tattered warm-ups - that I wept over. Toys and tiny clothes, study aids from school in Japan, box after box. All unpacked now and safely put away, the memories and the goods. It was cathartic - not particularly easy but in the end good. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the middle of the unpacking and muddle I felt a Pooh-bear like need for a little something. Honey is good but it wasn't quite the something that my particular tummy was wanting. Chocolate however was just the thing. A couple of weeks earlier I had tried a beautiful bar that was almost perfect. Well, really it was but I just had the urge to fiddle a little and so I fiddled and I think it was perhaps just a little more perfect. Licking the spoon I knew that Merin would have loved these and I smiled. It was a good end to a bit of a hard day. <i>(after 3 1/2 years I am surprised at the tenacity of grief - that and the oddness of what triggers the longing. I am content, even happy, but I realize more and more that I will simply miss the joy Merin is until I see her again)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These bars are very, very good as soon as they harden but <i>if </i>you can give them a chance to 'cure' they are even better. A day is good - three best. Just tuck them at the back of the fridge and hope nobody (including yourself) notices they are there. Both times I made them I thought they got significantly better with a period to cure. The recipe is originally from a blog that is new to me and I am so happy to have come across it. Lots of great ideas and very pretty pictures. Seriously - I dare you to scroll through and not want to make every single recipe she has posted. I certainly can't find one that I don't want to try!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>quinoa cacao bar</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>( from <a href="http://wholeheartedeats.com/">Wholehearted Eats</a>, with a little bit of fiddling)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup virgin coconut oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp almond butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp coconut flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2/3 cup raw cacao powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup maple syrup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/8 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups puffed quinoa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup dried cranberries </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup pistachios</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Line a 9x9" pan with a parchment paper sling and set aside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a medium saucepan melt together the coconut oil and the almond butter. Stir in the coconut flour, cacao, maple syrup and salt. Add the puffed quinoa, cranberries and pistachios. Mix well and pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Add another couple of tablespoons of cranberries and pistachios to the top to make it prettier, pressing them into the chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until hardened. Wrap for easy grabbing when on the go - you won't regret the time.</span></div>
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<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-19188584638457469342014-03-19T20:35:00.001-06:002014-03-19T20:35:51.061-06:00stumped<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have lost my groove. It is gone - who knows where or why? - and I have been waiting for it to come back as quietly as it went. Today I am tired of the waiting and so I am pursuing the mysterious motivation to share whatever it is I have previously taken such delight in sharing. I could blame it on the dryer-fire or the ongoing restoration project that is frustratingly stalled. It could have been the brand-new fridge sitting in the middle of my kitchen for a few weeks that chased my groove away (I am notorious for needing every element in its rightful place before I can be creative) or the empty pantry that short-circuits so many kitchen adventures before they even begin. I find myself paralyzed by the incredible abundance of healthy recipes beautifully photographed that fill untold numbers of food blogs and wonder if the world really needs another entry in that class. Somedays I love the old-school look of the blog and other days I think it really needs an overhaul but that thought completely overwhelms me. Whatever the cause I have missed being involved in this endeavour and so here I sit, fighting the temptation to check my Pinterest feed or see what is newly posted on Instagram in an effort to procrastinate the exercise of writing. I confess I have gotten lazy and the only way to get my groove back is to get ... grooving?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Tonight's dinner seems like a good place to start. This morning my plan for dinner was a kale salad with beets and roasted salmon. Simple, undemanding, healthy. Certainly nothing to write about. And then. Then I saw this recipe on Food 52 and it just had to be what was done with the kale and the salmon. I was so right. This is better than good and almost as easy as the easy plan that wouldn't have been news of any kind. Sometimes the day just ends up a lot better than it begins.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Turns out this recipe was inspired by one of Heidi Swanson's recipes from <u>Super Natural Everyday</u>. I in my turn have made minor changes to the recipe that Ashley Couse published on her lovely blog <a href="http://bloomandnourish.com/">Bloom & Nourish</a>. Granted my changes are truly minor but aren't those little changes that we make when we cook what gives a recipe our signature, a personal flavour? I like a touch of heat to make things interesting but another might find that level of spice either entirely bland or too intense. My preference for food with virtue colours the dishes I choose or create. Feeling free to add or subtract from a recipe or an idea is what makes being in the kitchen gratifying and fun. Sometimes things work out amazingly well, other times not so much but every time I learn something for another day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>crispy coconut kale with roasted salmon, sweet potatoes & coconut rice</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(adapted slightly from <a href="http://bloomandnourish.com/">Bloom & Nourish</a>)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup brown basmati rice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup coconut milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 cup coconut oil, melted</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp roasted sesame oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp Tamari</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp sea salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp Sriracha sauce</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" cube</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp smoked paprika</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp grapeseed oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 bunch kale, ribbed and chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 lb salmon fillet</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Combine the rice with the water and coconut milk and cook. (I confess to having a rice cooker for so long that I would have a hard time managing or knowing what to do without one. It is just what happens when you live in Japan - everyone has one like everyone here has a stove.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While the rice is cooking turn the oven on to 400 degrees F. Using a small tightly lidded jar combine the coconut oil, sesame oil, Sriracha, sea salt and Tamari. Close tightly and shake well to emulsify. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Toss the cubed sweet potatoes with the grapeseed oil then spread on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and smoked paprika and slide the lot into the oven to bake for about 25 minutes or until tender. Turn or stir the potatoes once during roasting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Give the coconut oil dressing another good shake and pour roughly 2/3 of it over the chopped kale and coconut flakes. Mix well so that everything is well coated and spread on another baking sheet. Set aside.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Drizzle the salmon fillet with a couple tablespoons of the remaining dressing. Add the salmon and the kale to the oven with the sweet potatoes and roast for the last 15 minutes or so of the sweet potatoes baking time. Remove from oven when the kale is crispy, the salmon flakes easily and the sweet potatoes are tender. Serve the salmon on a bed of coconut rice topped with crispy kale and sweet potatoes. And be amazed.</span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-77526061371243236002014-03-12T20:36:00.000-06:002014-05-18T21:21:46.513-06:00'detox' salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Detoxing is so in-vogue these days that it is almost uncool. To be ahead of the curve is hip but when something hits the mass and everyone is doing it, that whole cool factor kind of evaporates. Nevertheless and regardless of how effective this salad is as a detoxifier, I am addicted to it. I came across the recipe on the daily feed from Chatelaine a couple months ago, added it to the queue, and finally made it a month ago. Since then I have made five batches of this salad - it makes a large amount (about 10 cups) and I can honestly and safely say that I have eaten most of all five batches myself. I can also honestly say that I kind of wish I had! I sent a sample to my sister and she sent back a text:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"had the salad last night. It made me think of summer and gardens"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the tail end (fingers crossed) of this incredibly long, cold, hard winter I really can't think of anything better to say about the salad. That it also happens to be chock-full of incredibly healthy ingredients is simply a bonus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This salad is not 'pretty' but it is ever-so-delicious. A food processor is an asset here but not vital. If you don't have one your chopping skills will get a workout but it is still worth it. I made a few small changes to the recipe I first read - among them a shredded beet and some olive oil. In or out, you really want to try this.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">detox salad</span></b></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(from Chatelaine - barely tweaked)</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 heads broccoli florets, stems removed and florets chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 head cauliflower, stems removed and florets chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4 medium carrots, shredded</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 medium golden beet, shredded</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup dried cranberries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup raisins</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6-8 stems fresh parsley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6 Tbsp fresh lemon juice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 Tbsp maple syrup (or to taste)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Put the broccoli florets and parsley into the bowl of the food processor and process until fine (just a step away from making it into a paste). Add to a large bowl.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Process the cauliflower until fine and add to the bowl with the broccoli and parsley.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Using the shredding attachment process the carrots and then the beet. Add these vegetables to the others in the bowl. Stir in the cranberries, raisins, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, maple syrup and cinnamon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is delicious right away. It also saves well for several days worth of lunches and snacks.</span></div>
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<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-10227709739718204222014-03-02T09:42:00.000-07:002014-03-02T09:46:44.792-07:00cranberry-pistachio biscotti<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Any kind of travel originating from our house equals a cooking frenzy prior to take-off. Doesn't matter if take-off actually includes flight or only a road-trip, we travel like royalty. By that I mean we take our own 'plate' and 'linen' or at least our own food. The days of loving fast-food junk and gas-stop snacks are so far in the distant past as to be impossible to recall, and airport fare is only to be ingested to stave off imminent starvation - real starvation, not just the I'm-dying-of-hunger feeling that hits about 4 hours post-dining. So the day or two before we (or in this particular case David) leave I bust out the bowls and pans, make a terrible mess and a wonderful aroma, ending the day with a triumphant feeling of accomplishment and a bunch of travel-friendly eats.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When the destination is Japan our bags always include gifts for friends and colleagues there. Every trip we deliberate over what to take - the problem being that in our minds every cool thing that anyone could want <i>comes </i>from Japan so what could possibly be a welcome gift? And every trip we arrive at the same conclusion: everyone eats so .... something delicious. Here is where problem 2 raises its ugly head - what is delicious to one may not be delicious to another, especially (but not exclusively) when there are culture gaps. For example, the Japanese find many of our sweet treats cloyingly sweet and very unappealing while we North Americans need to train our palates to appreciate the subtleties of their very excellent deep dark chocolate. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Then of course, it must travel well and arrive not only fresh but pretty, or at least not a melted mess or a pile of crumbs. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Happily I have happened upon a few options that are now tried and true to the point of being eagerly anticipated by the recipients. One of the stops David makes every trip is the office he headed while we lived in Tokyo. The staff there have a particular fondness for this biscotti and have requested the recipe. This post is for the "office ladies" at COFI Japan.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This recipe is a long-time favourite at our house. I started making biscotti when I happened on the intriguing recipe in an adorable little cookbook of cookie recipes by Mary Engelbreit (1998). The first batch was a big hit and as the process is fast, super simple, and yields a nice amount for the work a household star was born. David loves these crunchy, dunkable cookies at least as much as the COFI staff. I have tried a few other options for the add-ins (most recently cacao nibs, dark chocolate, and tart dried cherries - a combination I thought most promising but David prefers the cranberry-pistachio duo). I was interested to find a recipe that promised to be the penultimate biscotti recipe published in Chatelaine magazine before Christmas 2013. That recipe was only grains away from the one I had been using but even so, I wondered if those grains would be the difference between .... I don't know what?! Naturally I tried the Chatelaine recipe and wouldn't you know it? those grains did make all the difference. I keep the sweet little M.E. cookbook but won't be looking back for the biscotti recipe. The only change I make to the Chatelaine recipe is to add a smidgeon of almond extract.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although the recipe was published as a Christmas cookie, we have liberated it to whole-year status. The red and green of the cranberries and pistachio does make a lovely statement wholly in keeping with a Christmas theme but I ignore that element and celebrate the nutritional goodness of both add-ins as daily requirements. To be sure, these are not to be eaten for your health but mental health is important too, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just have to say that although I don't love the actual trip, I <i>do </i>wish I was in Japan with David right now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>cranberry-pistachio biscotti</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(from Chatelaine magazine)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 1/4 cups all-purpose white flour*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 tsp baking powder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup granulated sugar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 eggs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp almond extract</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup chopped pistachios</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 cup dried cranberries</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and heat your oven to 325 F. Stir the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until very creamy - about 5 minutes. Beat the eggs in 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in the flour mixture and then the pistachios and cranberries. The mixture will be a bit dry but should hold together. Gather the dough together and divide into two. Using your hands shape the portions into logs that are roughly 1" high x 2" wide on the parchment lined baking sheet. If the dough sticks to your hands (and makes you a bit crazy) you can dampen your hands with cold water - just don't use too much water, <i>dampen</i> is the key. The logs should be about 3 inches apart.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bake until the tops are firm and golden - about 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool until you can handle them (about 10 minutes). Using a serrated knife cut into diagonal slices about 1/2" thick. The next bit is a little like playing dominoes - stand the slices on their edges with space between them on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and continue baking for 20-30 minutes more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">These keep very well. If they have a chance :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">* Gluten-free flour mix works very successfully here. Another option that I like is to use 1 cup of cornmeal and 1 1/4 cups flour or gluten-free flour mix. I have a particular love for the crunch of cornmeal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-76251725896728313852014-02-14T18:53:00.000-07:002014-02-15T15:45:31.120-07:00'Fireman' Dave and the dryer-fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One phone call I never expected to get was the one I got from my normally cool, collected, do-it-myself husband. The call that went like this "Cher! There is a fire in our house. Call the fire department." Verbatim. No extra (or possibly helpful and potentially calming) details, just the bare bones.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had started my Monday morning January 20 the way I normally start Mondays - by stripping the bed and sorting the laundry. I almost never neglect the wash on Mondays, it is one of the ways I keep on top of the things that need keeping on top of. The first load in the machine is the bed linens. I did the other regular everyday things while that load ran through the cycle, changed the linens to the dryer, started another load in the washer, grabbed my list of errands and groceries for the week, and headed out the door to take care of business. The call came when I had been gone for about 45 minutes. Fortunately David was home working and due to his cool-head and penchant to do-it-himself, he extinguished the fire just as the fire trucks rolled up to our door. Two fire trucks and a police cruiser as well. Lots of huge firemen trudging through our house making sure all was as well as it could be.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So. This is another one of those experiences that remind me how little I know and how self-involved I tend to be. If I had heard that a friend or acquaintance had had a dryer-fire, I would likely have thought to myself "well, that stinks!", assumed that a new dryer was in the works, and probably little else. It sounds like such a little event. And in the scheme of events it really is little. But like a paper cut that stings every time you get your hand wet, it really is aggravating. We are coming up to 4 weeks pretty quick here and we are far from back to normal. We spent the first two weeks post-fire enjoying a staycation in a lovely bed and breakfast courtesy of our insurance company while two restoration contractors began the business of remediating the damage from the thick black repellently stinky smoke that filled our home. Every single soft item on our home (and I mean everything that was not nailed to the floor with the exception of the sofas) was removed to be cleaned off-site. The removal alone took a couple of days. All our electronics were removed to be cleaned. Then every hard surface, every book and picture, had to be wiped down. The laundry room has been gutted. The ceilings will be scraped and redone. The carpets have been cleaned. There have been four massive 'air scrubbers' exchanging the air in our house every 15 minutes night and day and still it smells of fire in here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A week ago we got the first of our goods back. 223 bundles of hanging and I don't know how many boxes but lots!! I have spent hours every day in the meantime unpacking, cutting the id tags off each unique piece and trying to put things back where they live. It has been tedious in the extreme but I remind myself that I am so fortunate to have my home and my things. If David had not been home the chance is very great that by the time anyone on our quiet street even noticed there was a fire here, it would have been beyond too late. So I plod on, finding the odd treasure and of course the odd things that one keeps simply because it is easier than deciding what to do with them. Those things are set aside (now beautifully clean) to find new homes with someone else. In a few weeks I will have a rebuilt laundry room with new appliances and the stink of an electrical fire will (hopefully) be a memory.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are a few lessons here. The first is easy to see - DON'T leave home (or go to bed) with any appliance running but especially not a washer, dryer, or dishwasher. The risk is simply not worth the convenience. Next lesson - know where the shut-offs are for said appliances and then make sure that you have a fire extinguisher and know how to use it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But the most important lesson I have been reminded of again, is that it is not ever so real as when it has happened to you. It doesn't matter if it is small or large, life-changing or just a nuisance, I think I am not alone in my tendency to be too blind to the 'paper cuts' and disasters of those around me. It is far too easy to ask for understanding and tolerance, for support and comfort for what concerns me but deny those same needs to others because I haven't made the effort to get out of my skin and feel their worries, to understand why they feel stressed, to know that they need love and maybe more than just a little help. Our paper-cut-disaster has been really relatively painless - a big nuisance and a whole lot of work to be sure - but we have lost nothing that matters. We have our home and it will be beautiful and orderly again. Much of what was destroyed can be replaced and what cannot will not leave a hole in my life. We have one another and each precious member of our family. We have the opportunity to get up and work and learn and grow with each new day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Can't say I won't be happy to get the rest of my stuff back - I am pretty tired of one pair of boots and the shoes I wear for my daily walks (hardly fashionable). First world problems. Small potatoes. At least I have shoes. I do like shoes though....</span></div>
<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-60987756037705367612014-01-13T20:05:00.000-07:002014-01-14T19:20:48.234-07:00beautiful borscht<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I may be reading too much - looking outside at the falling snow I feel all War-and-Peace-ish and Dr Zhivago-y - and everybody is writing about detoxing and healthy livers and resolutions to eat <i>healthy </i>forevermore. Of course when I went to the market the bin of beets was both homely and beautiful. It was too perfect a storm; I could feel romantic and virtuous at the same time if I made a pot of borscht.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beautiful borscht (has to be just about the prettiest soup) always makes me think of two things. Russian winter and Merin. The Russian connection is fairly obvious but I should perhaps explain Merin. Mike's paternal grandparents came to Canada from Poland and his Baba made borscht. I know this because after one trip to visit her in-laws Merin came home with a few Mason jars filled with the pretty soup and shared it with me. Prior to this sharing I was not a fan of the beet soup but Baba's soup opened the door. After that shared lunch I tried my hand at beet soup once but I was not impressed and didn't revisit the idea until the other day. I had been reading about the myriad health advantages of wonderful beets (an important source of betaine and folate, loaded with potassium, some magnesium and even a little vitamin C - beets are believed to be an excellent liver tonic and blood purifier) and, to be sure, we love beets whether cooked or raw. Soup is an easy answer to a fast, healthy lunch and absolutely obvious in the cold, cold, snowy winter. And so, borscht.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some years we have a pretty bare and very brown winter. Other years it snows often - snowflakes falling for hours and hours in a thick curtain. This is one of the years when if one counted wealth in terms of centimetres of snow, Calgary would have to be acknowledged as having an absolute embarrassment of riches. It is snowing yet again today. Beautiful, big flakes drifting down and piling up, adding to an already abundant blanket and deep drifts everywhere. My little vegetable garden has a two foot fence around it (to keep the rabbits out) and today the top of the fence is officially buried. There is a lot of snow. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have never been to Russia - unless reading counts (doesn't) - but I imagine it to be beautifully snowy in winter and (thankfully) ever so much colder than it is here today. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having concluded that borscht had to be made I searched my cookbook collection and my favourite spots online for a likely-looking recipe. I read reviews and made my own calculations. But really there wasn't much of a contest - who wouldn't be won over by "Dr Zhivago Borscht"? It was a very wise choice. I may not be a borscht connoisseur but I do know good soup and this is good soup. If you don't have a good recipe for borscht - or even if you do - you really ought to give this one a try. I found the recipe on Food 52 - always a good bet - and made a very few, small modifications.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The soup has a wonderful fresh, slightly sweet taste (as one would expect from beets). I like to add a tsp or so (to taste) of apple cider vinegar to my bowl along with another sprinkle of fresh dill. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of sour cream as well. David likes some chopped smoked sausage in his bowl. Many recipes for borscht include shredded cabbage. I dislike overly cooked cabbage but cabbage is very highly thought of in the detox circles, so I decided to shred some very finely and added it to the hot soup the second day we had it. It cooked just enough but not too much. This recipe makes a generous large pot of soup. Enough for several lunches and even a jar or two to share.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Virtuous new year food. Romance. Merin and Russia. Who knew all that could be in a simple bowl of ruby soup?</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">beautiful borscht</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(adapted very lightly from Food 52)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">10 cups water</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 Tbsp grapeseed oil</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 large onion, finely chopped</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 bay leaf</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 large beets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 medium carrots</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 medium-large red potatoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 large celery stalk, sliced into thin moons</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh dill</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2-3 tsp sea salt</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">freshly ground black pepper</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Optional add-ins:</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">apple cider vinegar</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">sour cream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">finely shredded green cabbage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">chopped smoked sausage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">finely chopped fresh dill</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Add the water to a large heavy pot and set over low heat. Add the oil, chopped onion, and bay leaf. Peel the beets and cut into quarters. Add the beets gently to the water and continue to prepare the other vegetables.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cut the carrots into rounds and the potatoes into 1/2" cubes, adding each to the pot as they are ready. Add the celery slices and lemon juice. Increase the heat a bit (to a medium-low) and cook until the beet pieces can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Carefully scoop the beets out of the cooking pot and let them cool slightly - about 2 minutes for easier handling. Use a box grater if you must but if you have a food processor this is a good time to pull it out. Using a large hole on your grater or attachment shred the beets, returning the shredded beets to the pot. Cook for a further 10 minutes. Add the dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. </span><br />
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<br />Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-38097845963641703392014-01-07T22:57:00.002-07:002014-01-07T22:57:36.958-07:00gingerbread cake <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had determined during the Christmas frenzy that there was little or no point in posting any of my modest efforts - the whole "coals to Newcastle" thing - and then I remembered gingerbread cake. I made some several times during the month of December, each time vowing to post the recipe and each time being defeated by an utter lack of time. A sorry excuse I know, but there you are. I offer it now because eating gingerbread cake should not be confined to the festive season. When I was a child it was a favourite winter treat in our house, served with a generous helping of whipped cream and some of our Nanking Cherry jelly to make it pretty. I think I must have been married before I realized that most people ate it once a year if that (such a shame!) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Gingerbread cake is comfort food dessert. Simple, homely, warm, and absolutely unpretentious it is the food equivalent of a warm throw. In my mind the picture that always accompanies thoughts of gingerbread cake is softly falling snow seen through the window with a fire burning brightly in our big stone fireplace, nary a Christmas tree in sight. If you try it I think you will see the merits of regular cold-weather gingerbread consumption. I cannot understand why the comforting warmth of cinnamon-y, spicy delights must cruelly stop dead on January 1 - January is the coldest, dreariest month of the year and openly begs for every morsel of warmth we can scrounge. Right now most of North America would heartily agree!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For years I have made the same recipe for gingerbread cake that my mother made but this year I wanted to make a gingerbread cake that everyone in the family could enjoy - in other words, gluten-free and hopefully refined sugar-free. The refined sugar-free wish was a good idea and the gluten-free option was better than any gingerbread that came before. I added three kinds of ginger (ground, candied, and fresh), used Alice Medrich's method (in a food processor), and made the best gingerbread of my life. No hyperbole. Just the plain, simple, homely truth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>gingerbread cake</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>(adapted from the recipe we made at home)</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2 cups whole grain gluten-free flour mix*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 1/2 tsp cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp ground ginger</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4" piece of fresh ginger, grated</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 cup of finely chopped candied ginger</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 tsp cardamom</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 tsp cloves</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp baking soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2/3 cup coconut palm sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup molasses</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 egg</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/2 cup hot water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cut the fresh ginger into 1/4"slices and add to the bowl of a food processor, pulse until finely minced. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor bowl and process for 10 seconds. Scrape the bowl and process again for 5 seconds. The batter will be thin. Pour into a 9x9" baking pan that has been buttered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, until the cake springs back when you touch it lightly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Serve warm or at room temperature, with a nice pillow of fresh whipped cream and a pretty spoonful of your favourite jelly on top. (We like to split the cake and add a little more cream between the layers.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">*If you prefer to use regular unbleached white flour simply substitute it cup for cup. </span></div>
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Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-31649693133268165082013-12-29T16:32:00.001-07:002013-12-29T16:32:36.417-07:00your (chocolate) - and eat it too<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We all know the adage about having cake - that one cannot have the best of everything, or at least everything one wants. Most of the time that is sadly all too true but every once in a while, maybe only one time out of a million, you get to have your cake and eat it too. This is one of those times.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I wasn't planning to blog this up today. Someday because it is certainly something to share but not Today because (as the photos attest) I just wasn't <i>prepared.</i> But as I was enjoying my snack of apple and chocolate, reading and relaxing for the first time in many days, I realized I simply couldn't not. Something so fast, delicious, and healthy demands some press. Now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I must give credit where credit is due and it is due here - this is an invention of Eden's. She is currently adhering to a very strict diet in an attempt to right a few health wrongs she has been suffering. Sugar of any variety - natural, unrefined or otherwise (except what occurs naturally in fruit) - is definitely not on the plan. She is for sure my daughter though and no treats make a very sad girl, especially during this festive season when we are all eating our heads off. She was craving a treat one day, looked at what was 'allowed' and what was in her cupboard and this concoction was born. Made of coconut oil, raw cacao, a little sea salt and some spice there is nothing in here that is not plain awesomely healthy. I will add here that I was sceptical about how delicious it could be without even a drop of sweetener; after one taste I was converted.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We <i>love </i>this exactly as is but we are big fans of richly deep dark chocolate. If you find it is not sweet enough to qualify as a treat just add a little honey or maple syrup to taste. I would start with a teaspoon of either - if I was going to mess with what I figure is pretty perfect :)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Coconut oil is incredibly 'responsive' to room temperature. Today room temperature is a little on the cool side so what remains of my chocolate 'dip' is more like fudge than a dip. No matter, it works for me. I could have warmed it in a little bowl of warm water for a minute but I just wanted my apple slices and some chocolate asap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have tried two flavour options thus far - vanilla, cinnamon, and sea salt or cayenne pepper, ginger, and sea salt. Can't say which I prefer. A slice of apple, an orange section, a strawberry or pear, all those have accompanied a smear of coconut oil and cacao on the slide to my tummy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>eden's coconut-cacao dip</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup virgin coconut oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3/4 cup raw cacao</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp pure vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1/4 tsp grey sea salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1 tsp true ground cinnamon</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Using a spoon blend the ingredients together into a smooth paste.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Store in a covered jar. (But it won't need to store long. Promise.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Eden makes her 'treat' in individual size batches but being the lazy cook I am and knowing that I/we would want a very ready treat I made a larger batch. Even at that, we might have enough for the rest of the day. It was certainly nice to pull it out for a snack with my read this afternoon.</i></span></div>
Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2934407806899773045.post-43262244680571295952013-12-14T16:42:00.000-07:002017-02-23T16:25:46.030-07:00banana chocolate supermuffins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am revisiting one of the very first recipes I posted when I started this blog. Seems fair enough to me - I receive constant notifications of updates to apps and software. The reason for the revisit is valid and not simple laziness. I have learned a lot about what is good and what is not (the pendulum will keep swinging) in terms of nutrition and have accordingly made changes to the original recipe. I didn't realize how changed it had become until I was making them with someone and they pointed out that what I was doing was <i>not </i>what I had written and <i>why had I not told them!?</i> The changes are small but add up to a much better muffin - in fact these muffins are so loaded with incredible power morsels as well as being extra-ordinarily delicious that the name simple begged to be upgraded to 'supermuffin' (power muffin being over-used and sadly inadequate).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">These muffins are <i>not </i>cupcakes masquerading as a healthy snack. They are moist and thickly studded with chia, hemp and flax seeds snuggled up right next to rich dark chocolate and chopped pecans - more dense than light but a long way from being a dry and tasteless doorstop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If gluten-free is important for you it is easy and successful to replace the spelt flour with your favourite gluten-free mix. When doing that I prefer a whole grain gluten-free flour* mix because just substituting an empty of nutrition gf mix for a nutritionally superior (even if it is not tolerated) sprouted whole wheat or spelt flour seems like a bad deal to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Let your bananas get nice and freckled before baking them into supermuffins - or anything else for that matter - the taste is so much sweeter and richer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia";"><b>banana chocolate supermuffins</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1 1/4 cups oatmeal</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/2 cup sprouted whole grain spelt flour (substitute gluten-free flour here if you wish)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/4 cup ground flaxseed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/4 cup chia seed</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/4 cup hemp seed hearts</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/2 tsp salt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1 tsp baking soda</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">2 eggs</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">3 medium ripe bananas, mashed</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/2 cup agave syrup (or honey)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/3 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">1/2 cup chopped pecans</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">2 cups good quality dark chocolate chips</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">Preheat oven to 375 F. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">Whisk together oatmeal, flour, flaxseed, chia seed, hemps seeds, baking powder, baking soda, and pecans. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">Combine eggs, yogurt, bananas, oil, and syrup. Fold into dry ingredients and add chocolate chips. Bake in greased muffin tin at 375 F for 22 minutes. Makes 12 large muffins.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "georgia";">Update: we have found we love these baked as mini-muffins. The recipe as written makes 48 mini-muffins. They freeze beautifully and are actually super good frozen. (Maybe a little odd? Give 'em a try before you judge.) The mini size is often just the perfect bite for when you want something to feel a gap or need a bit of energy. Also perfect for tiny hands.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">* </span><i style="color: #392822; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 18px;">Note: I make my own blend of flours. This is the mix I use. It can be substituted cup for cup for all purpose flour.</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;"><b>whole grain gluten-free flour mixture</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;">200 gm brown rice flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;">150 gm sorghum flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;">50 gm almond flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;">50 gm potato flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;">250 gm sweet rice flour</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;">150 gm arrowroot</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #392822; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 18px;">150 gm potato starch</span>Cherihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13906470457493601212noreply@blogger.com9