Candied peanuts

These candied peanuts were a bunch of work.....why? Well lets just say I quintuple the recipe otherwise they were pretty straight forward.

Because I had such a quantity of peanuts to move around...well lets just say I sort of developed hand arthritis for a few minutes :-).

The candied peanuts were really crunchy and sweet so for all those sugar lovers...this will be right up your alley.

These made it as part of the Christmas gift bags this year. They are really yummy so I hope my friends and family likes them.

Anyhow, this will be my last post of the year since we are bound to TN in a few hours so to my followers, visitors, friends and family MERRY CHRISTMAS. I wish you optimal health for the new year and I hope all of your dreams come true ....I hope mine do :-)

Until next year,
Enjoy!!

On the left picture you  can see all of the peanuts mixed with the sugar and water. I quintuple the recipe :-)They really turned out good :-)

Here are all of the goodies I baked for my friends and family. A lot of work but worth every minute. I hope they like them :-)

This is how I pretty much bagged all of the Christmas goodies. I just used different bows...a very easy way to package the goodies!!

Ingredients

2 cups unsalted raw peanuts
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
a sprinkle of Celtic salt
ground cinnamon or chili powder, optional, I didn't use it

In a wide, heavy-duty skillet, mix the nuts with the sugar and water. Cook the ingredients over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid seizes up. It will take a few minutes.

The nuts will become dry and sandy, which is perfectly normal. Lower the heat and keep going, scraping up any syrup collecting in the bottom of the pan and stir the nuts in it, coating them as much as possible.

As you go, tilt the pan, removing it from the heat from time-to-time to regulate the heat and the syrup, so you can coat the nuts with the liquid as it darkens without burning the nuts or the syrup.

Right before they’re done, sprinkle the nuts with a mixture of the salt and cinnamon, stir them a couple of times, then tilt the nuts out onto a baking sheet to cool the peanuts completely.

Store in an airtight container, where they’ll keep up to a week.

Click here for recipe source here. There are beautiful pictures to help you see the process :-)

Rustic Caramel and chocolate covered apples

This is the first time I make caramel apples and it will not be the last. While I found them to be easy to make there were a few things to keep in mind.

I used organic granny smith apples and regardless of what kind of apples you used make sure you wash them really good with soap and hot water and sand them gently with a fine grit sandpaper to remove the waxy coat so that the caramel can stick.

I started coating the apples without completing this last step and the caramel would not stick....so guess what? I had to sand the apples and let my caramel sit for a while, NOT GOOD!

I had a lot of pictures I was taking while preparing the apples but I lost every single one of them. My memory card would not read the pictures I was taking and the computer wouldn't upload them either so I had to reformat the card and as a result I lost every single shot....about 100 of the them :-(

The pictures that you see here are pretty much of the completed product and not the process. Well at least there is something.

Anyhow, this is going to be my super baking week this week just in time for Christmas gift bag preparation. Excited but overwhelm.......lets see how it goes

Enjoy!!

These caramel covered apples are the bomb. Two or three bites and I had enough :-) It definitely gives you the sugar fix need it!!

 

  These caramel apples were sensational.

These caramel apples are a really nice and sweet TREAT :-) Using the Granny smith apples off sets the sweetness of the caramel and chocolate but you can use any kind of apples you wish.

This is how you can package the apples. Very simple and easy. You can make it fancier by using colorful bows and staff :-)

Ingredients

Makes 10-12 small-medium apples

1/2 cup butter, 1 stick
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup maple syrup
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk, I used organic
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10-12 Apple sticks

Topping

12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips, melted, 1 bag
1 cup pecans, chopped

In a large saucepan set over medium high heat, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar and reduce heat to medium, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the maple syrup, mixing thoroughly, then stir in the condense milk and cinnamon.

Bring to a boil, then cook, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 235 degrees, (soft ball stage however you can reach 245 if you like the caramel layer to be harder) this will take at least 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Immediately dip in the apples. Rotate the apple until it is well coated. Allow excess caramel to drip off then place the apples on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow to cool.

At this stage you can leave the apples as is or decorate them in endless ways. I melted the chocolate in the microwave and used a spatula to cover each apple. If doing this coat one apple at a time with the melted chocolate and immediately follow with the chopped pecans.

Let it sit until the chocolate sets.

Take a peek and look at the link below at bakingdom. She has different type of toppings.

Slightly adapted from here

The ultimate coconut chocolate chip cookie.

These coconut dark chocolate chips cookies have become one of my ultimate favorite cookies. These  are so good I think I am adding them to the Christmas gift bags this year.

I so so love working with coconut oil......It is the first time I have done so and it will not be the last :-) The coconut flavor its just AMAZING!!

These cookies are really easy to make and very versatile. If you don't have coconut oil just use olive oil, although the coconut flavor will not be there. You can also add some nuts into the batter and I think using oat meal in place of some of the flour as well as wheat germ or oat bran would also work.

Anyhow, I think this is a super duper cookie recipe winner. I will be making these coconut dark chocolate chip cookies a lot :-)

Enjoy!!

 On the left picture you can see the coconut oil container....best thing ever!!

These sensational cookies are making it to my Christmas gift bags this year :-) They are awesome!!

These coconut dark chocolate chip cookies are just plain out HEAVEN!! Did I say that already??????

Ingredients

Yields 3 dozen cookies

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
Pinch salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coconut oil, soften at room temperature
1 cup unrefined sugar, you can do 3/4 cup as well.
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon coconut extract or vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips,  most of the times I just use 1/2 cup

Preheat oven to 375F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Beat sugar, eggs, coconut extract and oils until creamy, I do this manually with a wire whisk, no fancy equipment needed here....... Add flour, shredded coconut, baking soda and salt and combine.

Stir in chocolate chips. Place teaspoons (I used a small cookie scoop) onto the baking sheets. Flatten cookies slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until golden brown. Leave on the cookie sheet for 2-4 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutrition facts based on 18 servings which is two cookies.

Melt in your mouth Brownie cookies

These brownie cookies are to die for. After much trial and error I got them right....I am so excited.

These brownie cookies are really chocolaty :-) They practically melt in your mouth. They are also very fragile, since they don't have all of the flour to tough them up.....its ok though...they are really good!

There is not much I can say about these cookies. If you make them just make sure you fold in the flour and melted chocolate gently into the egg batter and for sure let the cookie mixture sit for 10 minutes before baking so that it can thicken up a bit. If you skip this step the cookies won't have the crackle appearance of the brownie cookie!!

Enjoy!!

The left picture depicts the eggs, espresso, vanilla, and sugar after 5 minutes being beaten with the electric whisk, which resulted in a thick egg batter, this is what you want to achieve. The right picture shows you the cookie batter which was also thick after letting the batter rest for 10 minutes before transferring to the cookie sheet.

These cookies are really chewy and chocolaty :-)

Ingredients

Yields 30-32 cookies

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup unrefined sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs

In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the sugar, espresso, eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for about 5 minutes, until thick. 

While the eggs are whipping, place the butter, oil and dark chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler. Heat until the butter and chocolate melt. Combine until smooth.

Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Add the flour and baking powder and carefully fold it in. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Let the batter rest for about 10 minutes until it thickens slightly.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Drop the batter by heaping teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets and bake until puffed and cracked, about 7 to 8 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before removing from the baking sheets.

Parmesan and Romano mashed potatoes

 

These were the mashed potatoes we had for thanksgiving. They were awesome and super simple to make. The only thing you need is a bit of time to boil the potatoes and some arm strength to mashed them.....I actually didn't need none because I asked my husband to mashed them for me :-)

My father in law also loved them. He is from the south, TN, and they eat a lot of mashed potatoes down there, so I was very pleased when he said he liked them a lot.

I always buy organic potatoes. This is one of this foods where you really want to invest a bit more money and get organic, trust me, potatoes are a must. 

I paired the potatoes with chicken cacciatore which was perfect because they had a sauce that went with the potatoes beautifully. You can also see that I didn't peeled them. This way you get more fiber out of them, just make sure you was the potatoes really good before boiling.

Anyhow, I am experimenting with some recipes right now, and started studying full force for my exam as well so until my next post

enjoy!!

Ingredients

3-4 lbs red skinned potatoes, unpeeled, I always use organic potatoes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup Romano cheese, grated
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup milk, organic, and maybe a little bit more depending on the consistency you want
4 garlic cloves, minced
Fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes in a large pot of water. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Continue boiling until the potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain and return the potatoes back to the pot.

Add the milk, cheeses, garlic, parsley and oil and mash the potatoes. Season the potatoes to taste, with salt and pepper and serve.

Inspired from here

No bake double chocolate and prune energy bars

These no bake double chocolate energy bars are SPECTACULAR. I will start by saying that not only these bars are versatile but they are simple to make and super super nutritious.

Do you have high cholesterol? well if you do or know someone that does these bars are the perfect treat. Prunes have the soluble fiber you need to lower cholesterol. I am sure you have heard about cheerios or oatmeal doing such right? That is because they contain soluble fiber (cheerios not that much, oatmeal its sort of ok) but there are other better food options that can lower cholesterol much better, and this is one of them.

Not only prunes have quite a lot of soluble fiber but they are very rich in antioxidants as well.

These bars are a really easy way to get soluble fiber in, not to mention the amount of flax seed meal that it is also included in the recipe and that it also contains tons of soluble fiber :-) THESE BARS ARE A SUPER SUPER POWERFUL NUTRITIOUS TREAT.

Just a little FYI note about how soluble fiber lowers cholesterol: Lowering cholesterol through diet it is pretty simple. Because cholesterol is recycled in the body and it is not excreted the only way you can lower it is by adding soluble fiber foods in your diet. Why? cholesterol will get attached to the soluble fiber and then excreted. It is as simple as that!!

Anyhow, I was thinking of getting my husband some protein energy bars for Christmas. I was thinking of getting them in bulk since they are super expensive. Instead, I am going to make him some home made energy bars using this recipe since he already likes them a lot.

They will be pretty much like these ones but I will add the protein powder he always has for breakfast in the morning so that they can be protein energy bars :-) I will make him a bunch. He is going to be super pleased.......

Well enjoy this super food. They may not look good but they taste awesome :-) or at least we think so.....

Enjoy!!

You can cut the energy bars as you wish. I cut them as squares some times rather than bars :-)

Here you can see one of the first steps. The flax seed, the dark chocolate chips and the almonds already made into a meal texture, all being mixed together. The right picture is after all of the ingredients are blended together in the food processor.

The next step is the peanut butter, prunes and honey. The right picture is after all of the ingredients are mixed together including the previous almond mixture.

Then I pad it down in the square baking pan, place the parchment paper over it and top it with a small plate. I place in the fridge for about 2-3 hours before I cut the bars.

Ingredients

1 lb whole pitted prunes
1 cup raw or toasted almonds
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup flax seed meal
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2-3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons organic peanut butter, you can use any brand you like but make sure it has no hydrogenated oils

Line a 8.5 by 8.5 inch square pan with a piece of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the long edges (you can use any other size square pan you may have). Set aside.

In a food processor, with the metal blade, add almonds and pulse until coarse bread crumbs have formed. Add dark chocolate chips and flax seed meal and pulse until finely chopped. Place this mixture in a bowl and set aside.

Place prunes, honey, peanut butter and cocoa powder into the food processor and pulse until mixture is finely chopped and it comes together nicely. Add previous almond mixture into the food processor and pulse for a few seconds until everything come together.

Press the mixture evenly over the pan and fold excess parchment over the bars. Place a plate to cover the bars, like in the picture, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Transfer the mixture to a cutting board and cut as desired. I keep my bars wrapped in wax paper in the fridge. Unrefrigerated bars are good for about a day or two.

 

Nutrition facts are calculated based on the recipe giving 14 servings. Notice this is high in fiber.

Homemade Christmas gift ideas

Christmas is just around the corner and with that comes giving friends and family what they deserve.....presents and more presents :-)

For some time now I have always kept it simple and home made, and let me tell you, family and friends really appreciate it, as a matter of fact, they really love the home made treats!!

What better gift than home made goodies? Everyone pretty much enjoys sweet treats and more so when these are home made.

It might be a bit more work than buying something and wrapping it but if you plan ahead you can have fun with it, and trust me, your friends and family will really appreciate every effort, let along all of the money you will save ;-)

If you are like me and have a large family this may be the way to go. If you don't mind getting dirty and investing some time in the kitchen, this may be the best option!

I have always chosen simple and tasty treats that everyone pretty much will like. Here are a few ideas that will be included in my give away Christmas bags this year.

Enjoy!

                                                                                 TOFFEE

This is really sinful and a little goes a long way. This is a really really sweet treat :-) 

                                                        IRISH CREAM AND PISTACHIO FUDGE

This was a huge hit last year so this fudge will be a repeat for this one as well. So easy to make is pathetic!

                                                               
                               ULTIMATE HEALTHIER OATMEAL AND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

These cookies are to die for. These cookies don't taste healthy at all, guarantied everyone will love them!! Don't be scared of all the olive oil in the recipe, it really works well :-)

                                                  HEALTHIER BASIC SUGAR COOKIES

If I make these cookies I will be making them coconut flavor with some unsweetened shredded coconut and some real coconut extract. I have not yet decided whether to add them or not!

                                                       CINNAMON SUGARED WALNUTS

I will be making these but with peanuts.....much more economical especially given the fact that I have to make quite a few bags of them :-)

I will pretty much be making double the batch of everything since I have to package these goodies for 9 people. Then I have to take all of them with me for our trip down to TN. It is going to be a busy week for me right before Christmas.....