Category: Yummy Food!

Yummy Food!

Hot Baking Continued

In my last post on baking, I said I would share the newest recipe I had tried from Joy Filled Eats. https://joyfilledeats.com/about/

I use this site the most for my baking recipes. I’ve shared a couple other sites on here as well. You can see them in past posts under yummy food. I always share these sites because I’m not a food blogger, and I really appreciate the work these women have done with these recipes. The first time through a recipe, I always follow the guidelines exactly. The second time, I might try something different to make the recipe work better for me. If so, I include what I found to be helpful when going through the recipe. I always share the link for the recipe in my post, along with pictures that I have taken of the finished product. I want you all to have the original recipe, and the nutrition information that you need. Plus, as a writer, I know I want to give credit where credit is due. And followers are always a great thing! 😉

Who doesn’t love cheesecake? When you put it with fruit and in a bite-size morsel it’s even better. This recipe for Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies is amazing! https://joyfilledeats.com/raspberry-cheesecake-cookies/ and pretty easy to make. I don’t do a lot of cookies because…well…they’re tedious to bake. I go for a bar any day. But this thumbprint cookie is easy to form, non-sticky, and just the right size for two bites. (Okay, a few were just one bite!)

In this recipe is a recipe link for sugar-free Strawberry Jam. https://joyfilledeats.com/fresh-strawberry-jam/ I made this jam with mixed berries, (just like the picture above), and I used this in the cookies. It’s wonderful! I can’t wait to try it on some toast…gluten-free of course! I’m also looking forward to trying these cookies again with the raspberry jam, or the caramel in the thumb-print cookies.

I wasn’t going to put the white chocolate drizzle on top. I was a little tired of baking by that point in time, but I melted some anyway. I don’t have a microwave, by choice. So, when I was melting the chocolate on the stovetop, I refilled my Singing Canary and let the chocolate get too hot. White chocolate seems to be a little more finicky in that area. Anyway, no drizzle was coming out of that mess! So, I just chopped it into little chunks and crumbled over the top. It still tastes delicious!

Cookies just out of the oven. I doubled the recipe. Original recipe is for 12 cookies.
Finished product with white chocolate crumbles.

So, just a reminder. Don’t refill your Singing Canary glass when you are melting white chocolate on the stove. But if you do, and you haven’t burnt it beyond recognition, it can be redeemed in crumbles. These cookies are wonderful, and I’m going to say my new favorite cookie…until the next recipe. Thank you, Joy Filled Eats, for another great recipe!

P.S. Part one of this blog is Hot Baking. I have included information on the Singing Canary and other recipes in that post.

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Yummy Food!

Hot Baking

First of all, a big, “Hello and thank you!” to everyone that has been stopping by and still reading my posts. That’s a real encouragement to me, and I know I’m way overdue on saying something. With great surprise, most of the new followers, and readers have been on the posts regarding food. Keto food to be exact. I’m not surprised about the food part. Eating is a very enjoyable part of most people’s days. And it is for me.

Once again, I will state that I’m not a food blogger. Just someone that enjoys baking…from the standpoint that I get to eat it! I’ve tried some really great recipes in the past couple of years, and I’ve enjoyed sharing them with you all.

So, today was a baking day. With the temperatures in the nineties, my husband mowed the yard and I baked. I don’t know who was more worn out! I know I was definitely cooler inside. When the weather is sultry, my go-to drink is the Singing Canary. I would say it’s my favorite of all the sippers I’ve tried so far, but I have a lot more to try. For those of you that are not familiar with Trim Healthy Mama, here is a link. https://trimhealthymama.com/

Over the past almost two years, I’ve cut refined sugar and wheat flour from my diet. I’ve been going at it very slowly, losing weight slowly. But that’s what I want. This has to be a lifestyle for me…forever! The Trim Healthy Mama books, support group on Facebook, and recipes have really helped me to stick with it. There are many food bloggers that share recipes as well. I have shared those recipes on here a few times now. All this healthy, delicious baking has really paid off for my husband. He is at his lowest weight, and best weight for him since we married almost 40 years ago. And every day we have a baked item for our breakfast dessert! That’s been really great news for my price-reduced-bakery-eating husband. Now remember…those results are his, and maybe not the same for everyone.

As I said, today was a baking day. I began with the Singing Canary…

Doesn’t it look yummy?

This is the actual recipe in the book.

Next, I made the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that I may have shared on here before. They are my husband’s favorite. Just an all-around great bar that keeps well and travels well. I make them almost every week.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars before cutting.

These bars are a recipe from https://joyfilledeats.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-bars/. This is another site I use A LOT! Check out her recipes. I’m sure you will find one, if not twenty that you’ll love.

Today, I also tried a new recipe from Joy Filled Eats. As always it is amazing! But I’m going to share that tomorrow. Because by then I can give a really good review on how yummy it is after I’ve eaten a few.

Stay cool and stay safe. I know the weather is showing more storms to arrive today. This time of year in Kansas is not my favorite! Plus, it never fails to downpour just after the yard is mowed and tidy. Until tomorrow…

Yummy Food!

Dessert Oops!

Many of you have your Christmas baking in full swing by now. And if you don’t…you may be just a bit panicked. After all, Christmas is in just three days!

Three days?!

Wasn’t it just a couple weeks ago when the memes started floating around about the Christmas countdown? It was still in the nineties here…and the Christmas mood was still months away for me.

To say the Christmas season snuck up on me this year is an understatement! But here we are. And delicious food is just one of the items that comes to mind.

Every Christmas, our family grew up with See’s Fudge. I’ve probably posted on here before about it. It’s just that big of a deal for our family. My mother’s mother made it, my mother made it, and I’ve made it every year since I married.

Until last year…when I quit eating refined white sugar. Last year I thought I’d miss it dreadfully…and I missed it a bit. This year, I don’t miss the cloying sweetness of it, but just the thought. I won’t be making it this year. I don’t want the ingredients in the house, but I miss having it for the holiday season, and the little gift canisters I made for family and friends. At some point I want to try a version of it without the white sugar and condensed milk. I have other options to use. But it probably won’t be before summer arrives!

So all that said…I stumbled upon something else that is just as good in my opinion, and I’m going to share it with you all!

Once again…I am NOT a food blogger, or keto-recipe guru. So I don’t have the calorie, sugar, and carb information listed. I don’t particularly worry about all that. But for those of you that need to keep a watch, I do apologize for not having that information.

A recipe I have loved is from this site that I follow. https://mymontanakitchen.com/poodle-doodles/

I have made these many times now, and our family loves them. I have to say I’m a bit lazy when it comes to shaping them, so I always double the recipe, and put it into a 9×13 pan. I place it in the refrigerator while I melt the chocolate and coconut on the stove, (I don’t have a microwave, by choice,) and then I smooth on top. They are wonderful! This recipe does have all the calorie, carb, etc. information that you need if you follow the above link.

This past Sunday, our church was having their Christmas celebration. We had a meal after our morning services. The theme was to be Mexican and Canadian dishes. The ladies did a wonderful job of decorating! Very festive. I made chicken enchilada’s, potatoes, and I tried a dessert.

I spent some time researching Canadian desserts. One that kept appearing in the top ten was the Nanaimo Bar which “is a tremendously sweet, no-bake layered bar cookie from Canada made almost exclusively of packaged ingredients.” Every time I looked at a recipe for this bar, the ingredients for the bottom layer were very close to the above recipe I shared. I thought, why not try to make the bars sugar free? I did, and they were fantastic! I was actually shocked that they turned out so well on the first try.

My version of a sugar-free Nanaimo Bar.

Don’t they look yummy?

I have to say, I have not ever had the original version of this bar. I don’t know if it tastes similar. I just know this was delicious! If you want to give this a try for your holiday baking, here you go:

Make the Poodle Doodle recipe that I shared above. I doubled mine to fit into a 9×13 pan. Chill in the fridge while you mix your second layer.

In a bowl, mix together with beaters:

6 ounces softened cream cheese
6 ounces softened butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar-free sweetener, I use Swerve
1 Tablespoon cream, you can add a bit more if you want it thinner to mix and spread
11/2 teaspoons vanilla

You want it to be frosting consistency. Spread this on the first layer, put in the fridge while you make the coating which is in the original recipe shared above. Again, I doubled the chocolate chips and coconut. I melt my chocolate and coconut on the stovetop until it is nice and smooth. Pour over the top of the second layer and smooth evenly. Work quickly because the cooled second layer will harden your chocolate. I use an offset spatula. If it glops, it still tastes wonderful! As a side note, I use Bake Believe chocolate chips. I’ve come to almost prefer them over Lily’s Chocolate Chips. They are always readily available at our Walmarts here in Kansas.

Now all you have to do is enjoy! My husband and I have had them every day this week for breakfast with coffee for a little dessert after our omelets. If you make this, let me know what you think!

Yummy Food!

Dessert Every Day

All social media sites, blogging sites, and general computer companies…STOP! We older people, can’t keep up with all the changes! Just about the time I get the hang of something new, a team of ‘experts’ come along and change it for the better…they think. I hope I’m doing pretty good, and then the platform is ripped out from under me once again.

That said, WordPress probably is great for some people that are really tech savvy. All the little changes are probably for the better. But I’m under the probably radar. And, just as a side note, I don’t feel that my age of almost 57 is that old. But when my 12 year old grandson is able to show me how to manage sites…it’s a little humbling.

Those two paragraphs were just a little venting to take me to the real post. So yes, the title does make sense now. 😉

I’ve been amazed at how many people have stopped by my site that are enjoying the keto diet. I’ve tried to check out some of your sites, and read some posts. But there is SO much information out there! I could read for days and still be learning more. So thank you keto-people/bloggers! I’m just starting this journey…or I should say taking my time with it. I started a little over a year ago, and I’ve just been incorporating all the information I’ve had over the years with everything I’m learning new.

For me, losing weight was kind of secondary to just eating better. I wanted to feel better, have more energy, rid my body of inflammation, and hopefully lose weight along the way. That has all been happening gradually. I’ve read up on Intermittent Fasting, Trim Healthy Momma https://trimhealthymama.com, and absorbed what our chiropractor has had to say about different diets.

When I began this journey back in August of 2020, I was really concerned about making it through the holidays, and no chocolate. I did make it through the holidays, and did not get pulled away from my eating guidelines. And now, after a little over a year, my chocolate cravings are a thing of the past. At first, that seemed a bit disappointing, but now, not really.

Baking dessert items has been a huge help for me. We have always eaten pretty well. I’ve never purchased packaged items on a regular basis, don’t use very many canned foods, and I make almost all meals from scratch. Salads were a daily meal when our children were growing up, and I usually made my own salad dressing. But desserts had to be not eaten, or enjoyed for holidays and special occasions only.

When I found all sorts of sites that were keto-friendly, and they had desserts, I was thrilled! These days, I bake several times a week. I’ve shared some of the desserts on here, and the sites I’ve found them on. With the holidays right around the corner again, I’ve been narrowing down my dessert menu. (I started out with a rather big list.) My husband has been a very willing taste-tester. Through all this baked-goods eating, he has lost 10 pounds!

My recipe tweaking has me making a Pumpkin Roll that serves 16. Well, it should be 16 people. It doesn’t seem to last long for my husband and I. The recipe I first used served 4, and was microwaveable. I don’t own a microwave…by choice. The recipe also called for almond flour and coconut flour, and almond milk. The recipe is right here for those of you that are interested: https://joyfilledeats.com/mini-pumpkin-cake-roll/. For my recipe, I used a baking blend, which I found to make the cake more moist and easier for rolling my larger version. I also switched out the almond milk for cream, and added a few more spices. It’s wonderful!

The other recipe I would like to make for Thanksgiving is an Apple Cobbler. The same site above has an amazing Peach Cobbler recipe which we love. I have some ideas for the Apple Cobbler that I want to try out. Topped with some of my homemade whipped cream…absolutely delicious!

https://joyfilledeats.com/keto-butter-cake/, foundation for the peach cobbler

Of course I will be checking out some of your sites to find more recipes for Thanksgiving, and everyday use! My only regret is that I don’t have time to try them all! Happy baking everyone!

I would like to say here, that I am not a keto-food blogger. The site above, and others that I follow have the correct nutrition information for the original recipes. I’m not as concerned about that, so switching out a couple things here and there has worked well for me. But if you want to be strict, follow their recipes exactly. Also, as I have said before, I’m extremely thankful for these people that have these sites and have shared their culinary talents. It’s a very complicated, and time consuming process, and they are appreciated!

Yummy Food!

Three In a Day?

Last Friday was a baking day, and most importantly a trying-new-recipes-day.

For me to make three new items was a pretty big accomplishment. They all turned out delicious…as always. So far, most of the keto recipes I’ve tried have been pretty good. Of course there are those that are my favorite, and some that were good, but probably won’t happen again. And with so many to try, that last statement occurs every once in a while.

My first endeavor was mayonnaise. I’ve been wanting to make my own for several years now, but for some reason I had this vision of a labor-intensive not-so-good-tasting glop of stuff I would never put on a sandwich. None of the above applied to this process. I made it in a pint-sized mason jar. I added all the ingredients, and used an immersion blender to combine. It was literally done in about a minute. And, yes it is gloppy, but isn’t all mayonnaise? I used organic olive oil for my first try, and the one I use is a stronger-flavored one for our salads. So, the mayonnaise is a bit bold, but it is still delicious. There are so many recipes for this homemade goodness. Choose your favorite one online. Here is a picture of mine:

The next recipe on my agenda was cake. This recipe was easy to make, and I was wanting that ooey goey butter cake taste. I may have baked mine just a tad too much, but it was still very soft and yummy. There is just a tiny taste of the almond flour, but if this bothers you, use a finer ground version. It was definitely buttery!

See, just a tad too brown on top.

Here is the link for this recipe and tips to make your cake perfectly! https://joyfilledeats.com/keto-butter-cake/

Lastly I tried a new brownie recipe. I will forever be on the search for the perfect-tasting, and texture brownie that is keto. I love chocolate, and brownies have always been a favorite of mine. These were also very easy to make. I was shocked that they used so little coconut flour! If you are not a fan of almond flour, then this recipe is for you. I used the Anthony’s brand mentioned in the recipe, because that is what I had. I did not notice any coconut flavor in these brownies. A major ingredient in these is eggs, and the batter tasted pretty close to those remembered boxed brownies I made so often. I may have undercooked these just a bit, but they are very good.

Coconut flour brownies.

Try your own here: https://www.fittoservegroup.com/low-carb-brownies/

The day was a triumph for me. I don’t normally bake so much when it is still hot outside. Last Friday was nearing 90 or so again. But autumn is almost here, and cooler temperatures will have me in that baking mood. And of course, I have a list of new recipes to try already to go. 😉

What are you looking forward to making? And if you try any of these recipes, please let me know how they turned out. I would love to hear about your adventure. Have a great day!

P.S. As with so many of the keto recipes I’ve tried, a couple days after…the cake and brownies are even better! The mayonnaise is holding up very well too. I do apologize for the wrong spelling of immersion blender in the original post. This was caught by my husband. What was I thinking? Probably not much…and that was the problem! 😉

Yummy Food!

Summery Lemon Goodness

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since I started eating better, and basically applying a lot of Keto-type eating to my diet. I stopped weighing myself long ago because of the debilitating roller-coaster it put me on. I do know that I’ve lost weight, but more importantly I feel so much better! Much of the inflammation I struggled with is gone, and I have more energy.

My husband has also been doing better. He isn’t as strict as I am, but I’ve been amazed that he has enjoyed many of the recipes I’ve tried. I no longer bake with flour or sugar, and I try to stay away from those two items as much as possible.

The community of people that apply this way of eating has been such a tremendous help in my journey. Without the recipes, and the encouragement from others, I don’t think I would have stayed the course. There is so much support out there! Because of this phenomenal support, there are so many sites and groups you can hook-up with.

This post is about the yummy lemon cookies I made on Saturday. I love anything lemon, and I especially love it during the summer months. So my only regret with these cookies is I found them in August and not April!

Easy Keto Lemon Cookies

I’ve printed off several recipes from this group. Another one I’m anxious to try is the Red Velvet Cake. I’ll be ready for the winter months with that one! I was always disappointed that a Red Velvet Cake did not taste more like chocolate, because I always thought that was part of it. It was very interesting to learn of the reason why it doesn’t taste more like chocolate. But I’ll save that for another post…after I’ve tried the Red Velvet Cake recipe. 😉

For now, here is the link for these lovely lemon cookies: https://www.fittoservegroup.com/low-carb-nut-free-tangy-lemon-cookies

At one time I made boxed-cake mix cookies. These lemon cookies, after being refrigerated, had the same softness, and tasted very much like the lemon cake mix. But so much better! These cookies have a freshness that is lacking in anything boxed. The drizzle you put on top really does harden, and it is so good! I’ve kept these cookies in the fridge because of the heavy whipping cream in the drizzle. That coolness just makes these taste better in my humble opinion. For those that are not a fan of almond flour, these cookies use only coconut flour. I was also concerned that the recipe would not make much. After baking/cooking for large families, I always double everything. I did not do that for this first-time-through. The recipe says it will make 24 of these little gems, but I had about 30, and they were nice-sized cookies. I will double it next time though! I want these around for awhile. My husband and I did quite a bit of damage to my supply this morning with coffee.

Another group I follow is: https://www.facebook.com/JoyFilledEats

I have shared a recipe or two on here, and I have made most of my recipes from Joy Filled Eats. I make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars weekly, and I always double the recipe. These were my husband’s go-to snack with coffee or tea while he was still working. They travel nicely and I store these on my kitchen counter for a week at a time. I love the collagen in them, and I attribute that to the amazing finger nails I’ve been growing over the past year. Although those nails are not so good for my writing career! Here is the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars: https://joyfilledeats.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-bars

I know this keto way of life is a really big thing right now. For me, it is very much the way I was eating before I was married…before it was cool. And I didn’t even know I was doing anything special. I just ate as pure as I could, stayed away from anything fried, and didn’t eat flour or refined sugar. I limited fruits to treats, and generally ate some form of protein with them. Any of our children will tell you that their snacks were generally a banana with peanut butter…and the peanut butter was just peanuts. I don’t think any of them enjoy a banana to this day! lol That way of eating worked for me when I was nineteen, and it’s working now.

The absolute best thing about eating this way now, and I say lifestyle most of the time when I refer to it…is the recipes available. A big shout-out to those that take the time to figure out the recipes, take pictures, post about them, and answer questions. You all are loved!

Image by Zozz_ from Pixabay

Yummy Food!

Best Oatmeal!

For almost four months now, I have chosen to not eat flour or sugar. I have also stayed away from too many carbs in the form of potatoes, and other starchy vegetables. I still eat dairy, and protein in the form of meat. I have felt much better. Many of my aches and pains are gone, and I am starting to sleep better as well.

All of those items are huge benefits for me. I know I have lost inches over this time. Clothes are fitting better, and I am able to wear some clothing I couldn’t. I no longer weigh myself. It was becoming an obsession, and was too debilitating for me when I didn’t lose, or I gained…again!

Because I began this journey back in the middle of August, I wanted to get a good handle on it before the holiday season began. I knew I also wanted to find some alternatives to the traditional holiday baking. At one time, before five children, and not much time, I loved to bake. Cinnamon rolls from scratch, brownies, and cakes I decorated. I didn’t use mixes. After children, so much of my time was spent cooking meals, that desserts really took a back seat, and cinnamon rolls were a rare treat. I also didn’t want that much sugar sitting around for us all to consume. 

I have been thrilled to find several sites/blogs that have wonderful recipes. They have almost anything you could think of made with no flour or sugar. The recipes are great for many kinds of diets out there, keto, gluten-free, dairy-free, and Trim Healthy Mama to name a few. I have mostly concentrated on the dessert side of things because that was what I was missing. But now I’m ready to try some other goodies. In this post I’m going to include two links to two sites I use frequently, but there are many others. I want to give a huge shout-out to these women that spend the time working on these recipes so people like me can make them. 

For Thanksgiving this year, I stayed on my plan pretty well. I didn’t have that bloated, miserable feeling of past years. I tried one bite of the stuffing my father made, and the same for the mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and green bean casserole my daughters made. I ate turkey, spinach made with cream cheese and topped with cheese, sweet pumpkin casserole, cranberry sauce, and vegetables with cheese and bacon. For dessert I had pecan pie topped with whipped cream, and pumpkin roll. And I didn’t feel left out, or wanting anything. 

Last night, while drifting in and out of sleep, I was thinking about oatmeal. I know, kind of crazy. Especially for me, since I haven’t eaten it much lately. It was one of those items I had to eat as a child, and made probably too much for my own children. With the oatmeal thinking came the memory of the cranberries in the fridge from Thanksgiving. And then I remembered the sweetened condensed milk there as well. This is the result of those thoughts last night:

 

Our youngest and I enjoyed this for breakfast this morning, and it was delicious! Even better than I imagined in my dreams. Here is the recipe with the two links for the cranberry sauce I made for Thanksgiving, and the sweetened condensed milk that I made for the pecan pie. No processed sugar needed, and I think it tasted even better.

Enough prepared oatmeal for you or two, or more. Top with cranberries and sweetened condensed milk to taste, or for your diet.

https://joyfilledeats.com/cranberry-sauce/

https://mymontanakitchen.com/3-ingredient-sweetened-condensed-milk-thm-s-low-carb-sugar-free/

I also wanted to include another site that I frequent a lot. This is where I got the recipe for the sweet pumpkin casserole. One of our youngest granddaughters loved it!

https://mrscriddleskitchen.com/sweet-pumpkin-casserole/

Again, thank you ladies for some great recipes! I’m looking forward to trying a few more for Christmas. And now I know how to make the best oatmeal!

 

Just For Fun!, social media, Yummy Food!

The Hill Country

For a few years, we lived in Texas. Our two girls were small, under five years old at the time. We started out in San Antonio, and then moved north to Round Rock. By the time our son was born in San Marcos, we were living just outside of Lockhart, Texas. And this was our view across the road from our house, in the springtime.

bluebonnets-4472789_1920

My husband didn’t take this picture, but it is so similar to ones he did take, right down to the barbed wire fence. Around April, the fields would be covered in rolling waves of bluebonnets…and they were gorgeous!

There were so many things that I really enjoyed about Texas. Our time in San Antonio taught us to love Tex-Mex. One of our favorite places to eat was Taco Cabana. At the time they had a fantastic deal on fajitas, and we enjoyed them…a lot. Our little girls weren’t big eaters then. So those fajitas went a long way for our little family.

We spent time on the River Walk. It was beautiful to see during the Christmas season! Lights sparkling around every little turn. The music, the people, and general joy of the season was invigorating and addictive. Check out this little preview of this special place:  https://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/

Of course you can’t go to San Antonio and not visit The Alamo, which it is commonly called.  It was originally known as the Misión San Antonio de Valero.  I was shocked to see it located in the middle of everything. The pictures you normally see make it seem as though it’s in the country. San Antonio has several missions that are worth your time to check out. There is just something about walking around a place that has been such a scene, and vital part of history. For me, walking into The Alamo for the first time was pretty emotional. The walls seem to breathe all that had happened within them. There was a general hush as I know many of the visitors were experiencing the same feeling.

When we lived in Round Rock, we traveled every day to Austin on I-35. Our apartment was very close to that interstate. My husband worked in Austin and we attended church there several times a week. The interstate was busy, and the drivers a bit on the wild side, but nothing like what I have heard of today. In the early ’90’s, there was still a bit of country between Austin and Round Rock, with little places like Pflugerville along the way. I was curious about the census for Pflugerville during the time we lived in the area. It was 4,444 in 1990. The 2018 Census estimate is 64,431. Wow! That’s a lot of growth!

For us, even in the early ’90’s the Austin/Round Rock area was a little expensive and busy. So we moved to the Lockhart area, living a bit on the outskirts. I have fond memories of our time there as well. Our son was born there, our two oldest daughters began their school years there, and we learned about fire ants in the yard. Not a great place to leave your children unattended! Lockhart has a gorgeous courthouse.  I don’t know why, but I was never inside the courthouse, and I wish I had taken the time to see it. http://www.caldwellcountyhistoricalcommission.org/ We were very surprised that many, many movies have been filmed in that area.  We first realized this when we were watching, Where the Heart Is.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbzcodGsaRs. We recognized some of the buildings and the landscape. Lockhart is also known for barbecue. This website has some fantastic information on the area, and says it much better than I. https://austinot.com/lockhart-texas-day-trip.

This post has been a little different for me. I don’t usually do a travel brochure-type of post. But it has been fun to check out the sites I’ve shared with you all here. It’s brought back some great memories, and made me want a road trip to Texas sometime in the near future!

Another take-away I have of Texas in the early ’90’s was the pride of the Texans for their state, and the hospitality of the people there. After living in upstate New York and the Hudson Valley area of that state, Texas was a culture shock. I wasn’t use to strangers coming up to me in the grocery store and wanting to know what I was fixing for dinner that night. This seriously happened a couple times. I had never just chatted in the grocery store aisles about recipes. And when you think about it…what better place to do it? Not to mention that Texas drawl just kind of glides over you like maple syrup on a hot day!

And all of the above because I was thinking about Texas bluebonnets! Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

Yummy Food!

A Chocolate Theme

It’s that time of year when my thoughts turn to baking, and I probably post something about it every year…on about this date. When the leaves turn and begin to fall, and the temperatures cool, I like to be in the kitchen. That feeling of home and coziness usually lasts until about April. Then my thoughts turn to yard work. But I’ll post about that in the spring.

I was scrolling through my pictures on this site, and I found many  featuring chocolate. No surprise there, I do love the stuff. So I’ll share a few on here, just to make you drool as I was a few minutes ago.

You are probably seeing the chocolate theme. Whenever I look for recipes, that’s what I gravitate to. Of course a great, strong cup of this is the perfect combination.

teacup-3637705_1920

A couple of years ago now, my husband told me about Cafe Du Monde coffee. I love it! I’ve always enjoyed very strong coffee, especially with a slice of cheesecake, but that coffee is the best. I put some coconut butter in mine, sometimes some organic cocoa powder and then cream. Yes, real cream. I blend it all together until frothy and put it in my 32 ounce stainless steel cup. It lasts hot for several hours. At least long enough to get me through several thousand words! Here is how they drink it in New Orleans:

cafe-du-monde-848648_1920

You may learn more about this delicious drink right here: https://shop.cafedumonde.com/

Another place I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes is right on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/besteasyrecipems/

I printed off a recipe for cinnamon roll cake that looks absolutely delicious! There was also a chocolate cake recipe that caught my eye as well. I have lots of recipes to try during this winter season. How about you? What are some of your favorite desserts to make?

Yummy Food!

Give ME that Coffee!

I can’t remember if I’ve ever discussed coffee on here or not. More than likely, not. Coffee isn’t a big part of my life, and especially not in the summer. I’m also not a big fan of cold coffee, just something I’ve always enjoyed hot with dessert. I don’t need it in the morning to get me going or to keep me awake. After being pretty much addicted to it when I was nineteen and working second shift, (and any other ones I could), I quit drinking it for a long time. I started having some bad health issues with it and didn’t want to go down that road so young!

Enter Cafe du Monde coffee! My husband has mentioned this coffee several times. It’s a big reason he wants to go to New Orleans. I was looking forward to the historical and beauty aspect of the city, but now that I’ve had the coffee, it will be a definite stop greatly anticipated for me! We purchased some at a Kitchen store on Branson Landing while we were there last week, celebrating our anniversary. It is good stuff! Since I tend to like my coffee strong and not too sweet, it’s just about perfect.

So, even though it’s not a Thursday, I’m going to share this recipe that I kind of threw together after hearing different items people put in their coffee. It is so good, and I’m sipping on a large cup of it right now.

My coffee cup is probably 12-14 ounces, so adjust your recipe accordingly.

  1. Brew a pot of strong coffee, of course I suggest, Cafe du Monde!
    2.Put about a 1/4-1 teaspoon of coconut butter/oil or butter in the bottom of the cup
    3.Add about 1-2 teaspoons of cocoa powder, 1/4-1/2 pack of Stevia
    4.Pour hot coffee over this, about half a cup and stir well to dissolve all the ingredients so far
    5.Add whipping cream/cream or milk/almond milk to taste and then top off with coffee

The first ingredients listed were what I used and the general amounts, but adjust to your taste. It is so yummy! Enjoy!

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