Quinoa

Ben and I have recently been trying out Quinoa. So DELICIOUS! We have also been experimenting with meatless meals and Quinoa works perfectly for that. This recipe for Crispy Quinoa Cakes is delightful and packed full of veggies. I used carrot because I didn't have any sweet potato and goat cheese instead of feta. Who knew a veggie quinoa dish would taste so great?

While I'm at it, I think I'd better post this link to the Quinoa Goat Cheese Risotto. Also scrumptious! Just don't forget to rinse your quinoa...I didn't realize I was supposed to. Hopefully we won't experience any adverse stomach issues as a result.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes? Seriously??

Okay friends, my disclaimer here is that these are not good for you. Along the lines of eating straight up donuts for breakfast...while delicious, they probably aren't something you should be consuming on a regular basis. That said...you've GOT to try them! They will change your life! (NOT exaggerating!) Ben is addicted to Cinnamon Rolls and I love pancakes in general, so this genius is not going to be helping our waistlines. 

You can find the recipe here.

All you do is make your favorite basic pancake recipe and then swirl a cinnamon-butter-sugar mixture inside while frying them. As if that wasn't enough deliciousness, you top them with a cream cheese glaze.
Note: It really helps to have some kind of squirt bottle for the actual application of the cinnamon mixture. 
Once again, let me say, these are ridiculously tasty. Try them. You will love them.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake

Lately I have been in love with all things pumpkin! This recipe came from my friend, Tracy Belt. I haven't actually tried it yet, but I will be this week, so I'll let you know how it goes.


2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground cloves
1 pinch ground nutmeg
whipped topping (I make mine homemade, but you can get the store brand kind)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

Sweet and Sour Pork

I really like Sweet and Sour Pork, but I've been trying to find a good flavorful alternative to breading and frying the pork. Once again Emeril pulls through! This recipe was fantastic! I halved the red pepper flakes and it still burned my gourd off, so I suggest using a tiny bit, because you can always add more. I also added carrots when I cooked the peppers and onions which was a tasty addition. But the sauce was really good!

Here's the link: Emeril Lagasse's Sweet and Sour Pork

Chewy Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

Tis the season for tasty cookies! Try these ones out!

Chewy Sugar Cookies

2 ¼ flour

½ t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

½ t. salt

1 ½ c. sugar

2 oz cream cheese cut into 8 pieces

6 T butter, melted and warm

1 large egg

1 T milk

2 t. vanilla

Mix 1^st four ingredients, set aside. Cream butter, cream cheese, and sugar, lumps may remain.  Add oil, egg, milk, vanilla, whisk till smooth.  Add flour, mix until just combined.  Make into balls, roll in sugar, place on parchment on cookie sheet, and flatten with bottom of a glass.  Bake until edges are set and beginning to brown.  350’  11-13 minutes, rotate tray after 7 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes.

IF you'd like to do Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies instead, just change the recipe with these three steps...

½ c. + sweetened coconut chopped fine into flour mix.

1 t. lime zest to butter mixture

1 T lime juice in place of 2 t. vanilla

Enjoy!!

Homemade Buttermilk

It's so easy! Buttermilk is so expensive! And we go through SO much buttermilk in a month I don't know why it has taken me all my life to learn this...

To make buttermilk.

1. Buy buttermilk. For the last time though! You have to have something to start with...

2. Get cleaned quart jar.

3. Fill quart jar to second notch, or one cup of buttermilk in quart jar.

4. Fill remainder of jar with milk, preferably whole, but I use what is in my fridge, which is 1 or 2%.

5. Put a lid on it.

6. Shake the jar a bit to combine buttermilk and milk.

7. Set on counter for 24 hours.

=

BUTTERMILK!

A friend told me how to do this process, but I just did a quick search and found this link which provides  a bit more detail.

Mint Tea

Does anyone know anything about making homemade mint tea. I have some delightful smelling mint growing in my yard that grows so well I'd like to tear it out... But I wondered if there was an easy, tasty way of making a drink out of it. I found this recipe online... What do you think? Any suggestions? Any other ideas of what I can do with this stuff?

"Using fresh mint, hers was spearmint. Take 6 new leaves from the top of the plant, take 2 cups of cold water ,bring to boil,add the leaves and simmer for a minute or two remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of orange juice and honey to taste. Strain into pretty tea cups or mugs .Makes two servings. YUM
You can use less dried mint, about 1 teaspoon or to taste. Dry the larger leaves. Peppermint is good for upset tummys too"