Pumpkin Spice Blondies.

by Filed Under: Brownies, Candy, Desserts, Halloween, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Snacks, Yogurt Leave a Comment

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I feel compelled to make this disclaimer… if you’re looking for healthy clean eating, this is NOT your recipe. I have to be honest, I don’t eat refined sugars or processed anything but I realize that’s my choice and sometimes an indulgent, fun treat is good when you’re a kid and I have two of them so here it goes!  I spotted these Pumpkin Spice M&M’s yesterday and thought they would be fun in some pumpkin spice blondies.  So I bought a bag and off I went.  It’s a fun treat for the fall season. Again, everything in moderation.

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— Knead to Cook

Muffin Pan Mini Apple Pies.

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Brunch, Desserts, Holiday, Holiday Baking Ideas, Party Foods, Pies, Snacks, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day, Vegetarian 15 Comments

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Get your fork ready…

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Yesterday  made me stop and really examine the last two weeks of my life.  I’m unsure if I’ve been really blessed (I’m leaning towards this) or someone is out there gunning for me.  Two weeks ago I had a fairly routine operation on my finger resulting in a case of staph infection that landed me in the hospital with IV antibiotics and another surgery to flush out any remaining staph bacteria.  The worse case scenario, the docs told me was that I would have a pic line installed and have to go to the hospital every single day for IV antibiotics for 30 days.  Thank heavens this wasn’t the case.  I walked out of the hospital with oral antibiotics and have been healing up, dealing with the pain of the surgery.  This, the docs said was because I was in great shape and I’m very healthy.  Okay great.  Plus, I have been granted permission upon discharge to continue training, something very important to me and my mental health.  I gain great enjoyment from working out and it is a simple way of keeping the endorphins flowing and me happy.  Win!  Win!  So yesterday I headed out about 5:20 am for a ten mile run.  I’m training for a half marathon that I have yet to determine (yes, I need to get on this).  As I just hit the 9 mile mark, very close to my home, a car that didn’t see me (because the driver wasn’t looking in my direction) hit me.  I was fortunate to act fast and catapult myself over his hood and land on the other side of the car.  It all happened in slow motion.  I landed on my feet and was partially in shock that this happened and that he was driving away!  He then must’ve got a glimpse of me running towards the car and stopped.  His comment “I never even saw you.”  Are you kidding me?  I turned and ran home finishing my ten miles in record time and a bit in shock.  Long story short, I walked away from a car hitting me. I remember my hands on the hood of the car and thinking is this for real?  The engine roaring underneath my palms, I was blessed with the thought of jumping on the hood an getting legs out of the way. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.  So I’m going with blessed!  I escaped two situations that could’ve left me very injured or even dead.  So what did I do… I shook it off, relished my ten mile run and made mini pies for my family.  One-handed I might add.

I really prefer to live under the radar but lately that’s been quite difficult!

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— Knead to Cook

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake.

by Filed Under: Breads, Breakfast, Cakes, Desserts, Party Foods, Quick Bread, Snacks, Vegetarian 6 Comments

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This was the first recipe I executed by myself this weekend.  I truly miss using both of my hands!  One finger bandaged really throws a wrench into being a recipe creator/blogger!  With that said, I created this super delicious recipe on Sunday.  It was well-received and just kicks my addiction of pumpkin up that much further my radar.  I love, LOVE, LOVE it!  And pair it with some dark chocolate and you have a winner every SINGLE time!  My intention was to make this in a bundt pan until I remembered that I threw mine out and never replaced it (add that to the list) so I made it in a round spring form pan.  Worked perfectly and would also be great in muffin tins or a loaf pan.  My daughter also topped this with Wilbur buds (local chocolatier) but extra Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips on top would be fun to if you wanted to make it extra special.

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— Knead to Cook

Bill’s Watermelon Lime Martini.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

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We LOVE watermelon in our house.  And I realize, as school returns this week that my love affair with the fruit is wrapping up *sigh* as summer comes to an end.  Today, while grocery shopping, I picked up probably my 20th of the season and it was beautifully ripe and perfect.  My husband got to working at his new bar and whipped up this delightfully refreshing cocktail in honor of the watermelon.  Perfect to serve at a garden party, bar-b-que or for us, a s’mores night with friends around the fire.  Also perfect for a Labor Day party.  *Always drink responsibly.  

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— Knead to Cook

Grilled peach salsa.

by Filed Under: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Grilling, Party Foods, Pork, Salsas & Guacamole, Seafood, Snacks, Vegetarian, Wheat Free 1 Comment

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I feel like my house is filled with peaches!  Not a bad problem at all if you ask me.  These fuzzy coated fruit are a fave here and we’ve already made a gratin and smoothies with them.  Next up… a grilled peach salsa to top your favorite protein. My family is having this with grilled pork tenderloin while I’ll be eating it with some tilapia.  Honestly so good, bust out a bag of tortilla chips and have it as a dip too.  Farm fresh and eating clean sans any guilt or preservative-packed salsas from the grocery store.  Takes only minutes to grill and prepare.  Keeps for up to 3-4 days in the fridge and only gets better as the flavors have time to “mingle” in the fridge.  Totally vegan too!

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— Knead to Cook

Spinach Pistachio Orzo Salad with Greek Yogurt Balsamic Vinaigrette.

by Filed Under: Italian-inspired, Party Foods, Pasta, Salads, Side dish, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette, Yogurt 3 Comments

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Today was a very special day for my oldest daughter.  After three years, and two rounds – her braces finally came off before she started school.  She is thrilled and rightfully so.  So while grocery shopping, she asked for an orzo salad and it was a perfect idea because we have an open house at my youngest daughter’s school tonight.  I happily made this earlier in the day, letting the flavors mingle while it chills in the fridge and can be served at room temperature or straight from the fridge.  I’m serving this along with some grilled chicken tonight.  Leftovers also make a great lunch for tomorrow.

Ingredients:

 

Dressing:

1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
1 tablespoon of good quality olive oil
2 teaspoons of a good quality dijon mustard (I use Maille)

Salad:

I package of whole wheat orzo, cooked to package specifications
1 cup of fresh spinach leaves, roughly chopped
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
1/4 cup of red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup or more if you prefer, shelled pistachios

Directions:

Dressing:  Whisk all of the ingredients together.

Salad:  Once the orzo is fully cooked, about 9 minutes, rinse with cold water.  Drain.  Place the pasta in a large bowl and toss with the other ingredients minus the nuts. Dress with vinaigrette and give a good toss.  Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least one hour or more to let the flavors mingle.  Add the pistachios prior to serving.  Serve along side fish, chicken or pork – or whatever protein you are having.  Serve up leftovers as lunch the next day.

 

— Knead to Cook

Cherry Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. {clean eating}

by Filed Under: 4th of July/Patriotic, Desserts, Frozen Pops, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Vegetarian, Vitamix 5 Comments

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Okay the dog days of summer are here and that calls for ice cream, right?  Of course!

My clean eating journey continues but that doesn’t mean I can’t have ice cream (or at least a healthier version of it).  PLUS no ice cream maker required! I love that this creamy “ice cream” hits the sweet spot plus bananas are filled with fiber and potassium, cherries are a natural anti-inflammatory fruit (we can all use that) and the creaminess… oh you had me at the first spoonful.  Great treat for the kids too!  Also a perfect way (without making banana bread) to use up ripe bananas.  Go grab your bananas and get them into your freezer~ you’ll be so happy you did!

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— Knead to Cook

Gazpacho.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Gluten Free, Mexican, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Soups, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 4 Comments

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I love making vegetarian dinners for my family.  It’s important to me to do this a few times a week.  This one, I admit, is super easy when you have a bounty of fresh tomatoes flowing from the garden daily.  I typically make salsa or roast my tomatoes for sauce but I thought it would be a nice night for a cold soup with some crusty bread and tons of flavor!  If you love salsa, you will totally flip over this soup.  Also, great to make the night before or a few hours before dinner and let the flavors mingle while chilling.  Also great for an appetizer idea served in tall, thin glasses as shooters.  You can top this with fresh sliced jalapeños or cold shrimp would be perfection too!  Plus another great thing about this recipe, no heating up your kitchen and preparation is super fast!   Vegan.

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— Knead to Cook

Shrimp Salsa.

by Filed Under: Appetizers, Dips, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fish, Gluten Free, Mexican, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Salsas & Guacamole, Seafood, Side dish, Snacks, Vegetarian, Wheat Free Leave a Comment

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Lately I haven’t been eating any meat, actually it’s been quite a few months since I have.  I haven’t had a taste for it so I adjust my sails and go forward.  I’m sadly not a seafood lover but I do love, and have since I was pregnant with my oldest 15 years ago, cold shrimp.  Not cooked shrimp, it has to be cold.  I actually think I love the spicy cocktail sauce more than anything (the shrimp being a venue to get that to my mouth) but as of late, I started venturing out of my comfort zone and this little dish is now one of my favorites that I cannot stop eating.  Hashtag addictive!  Ha ha.  This is the perfect salsa to serve with tortilla chips, as a side or straight up out of the bowl like I do it.  It is so good and so refreshing.  It also proves my point once again, clean eating can be easy, quite tasty and fun.  Plus the longer this has to sit in the fridge, the tastier it becomes.  Easiest recipe ever!

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— Knead to Cook

Farfalle Garden Pasta Salad with Lime Cumin Dressing.

by Filed Under: Party Foods, Salads, Vegetarian, Vinaigrette 1 Comment

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I make many different pasta salads throughout the summer.  It is the most versatile dish you can make and it helps you to use up whatever veggies you have in your veggie bin before a trip to the farmer’s market.  This is my creation for today – again, omit or add whatever you have on hand or love.  Make it your own.  Pasta salad is perfect for leftovers – just keep it covered in the fridge and it will last for several days and the longer it sits, the better the flavor.  My family loves it for lunch.  Protein, dairy, fiber etc… this is a great meal all by itself too, especially on these hot summer evenings.

For a fun idea:  Serve in a hollowed out bell pepper.

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— Knead to Cook