MY FOODIE  2015 COLLECTION!!!

MY FAVORITE GRILLED VEGGIES, MY GO TO

CRAB BOIL, EASY AND FUN TO DO WITH COUPLES

NEED A VEGAN SALAD WITH LOTS OF PROTEIN? QUINOA AND GARBANZO BEANS & SPINICH

ITS HARD TO SEE, BUT THIS IS MY 2015 UP DATED VERSION OF CHICKEN & DUMPLINGS
Rosemary gluten free dumpling
Mushrooms
Spinach

ANOTHER VERSION OF MY QUINOA SALAD

 

FOUND THIS LEMON BACKED TURKEY ON PINTRIST
LEMON
ROSEMARY
SEASONINGS

ONE POT PASTA, CHECK THIS OUT ON PINTRIST!! THE ONE POT WONDERS

THIS ONE POT PASTA HAS ITALIAN SAUSAGE ON THE BOTTOM, DONT FORGET
TO USE VEGGIE OR CHICKEN BROTH IN PLACE OF WATER
TONS OF GARLIC AND ONIONS TOO

NOTHING LIKE COOKING BREAKFAST OUTSIDE ON THE GRILL! ITS NOT JUST FOR GRILLING MEAT!
TRY MAKING YOUR OWN STONE PIZZA ON THE GRILL AS WELL

Retro Canning

Tawny Port Cranberry Sauce


Below is a great gift giving idea for the holidays! It's festive, taste fantastic and looks amazing. Package however you prefer. I handed theses out to my close BF's!

I found vintage Christmas looking fabric, it's hard to tell in picture, it simply went well with the canning gift giving idea. Also you can make a lot with very little., I purchased four  bag of organic whole fresh cranberries, 750lt of Tawny Port of your choice, 4 cups of Turbinado sugar, fresh orange juice. The recipe produced 12 half liter Ball Jars. Keep in mind that you can add whatever spices your like ! Get creative, in fact I do something a little different each time! 

Foodie

I live in Southern California, so if the weather hits 60's, we think it's winter! I love the cold, but unfortunately Cali's don't get to experience the four seasons. So when I get the chance to "Play winter" I do! Today started out overcast, so I did my Cali girl thing and pretend it was a blizzard outside, ( my husband did protest the fire place being lit). So I made my homemade banana nut bread, and put together a roast in the crock pot, lit my candles.. Loving the fall and the upcoming holidays. 

Here is a pic of my roast. Grass fed beef, mini carrots, onion, red potatoes.. But the best part is trader joes portobello condensed mushroom! This is how I assemble:

Brown roast in olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt pepper, add to crock pot, (I have the CP that you can brown and cook! So worth the price) then add the portobello mushroom soup, one cup of beef broth,  quartered onion, or pearl onion if you have on hand, I place carrots peeled and kept whole on top of of roast, I prefer the taste of the carrots this way. If cooking on low for 8 hours, I put in the red potatoes then and mix with the juices. I had some zucchini on hand, totally untraditional! I sliced in long lengths, placed on top for the last hour.. My family devoured the stew, and didn't even bother with the salad! 

    

  

Here is the ingredients I used for my banana bread

Friends should inspire you😇

Everyone should find friends, that inspire to be a better person. Friends as they say, "should bring you up not down"... All of us at one time has experienced this, but with age you learn, it's a blessing in getting older!  I have s few friends that inspire me to eat and live a healthy life style.. I'm so grateful to them...

Oats with coconut milk, honey and fresh fruit

Thank you Kathy Jo and Julie from Nourish_Nutrition 🍏🍎🍐🍊🍇

Give Thanks in all things....

Thanksgiving! Since then I have been cooking light meals. Last night I made a Vegetable Frittata with a veggie loaded salad! I cant tell you how refreshing it was to not be overloaded with carbs.. Now that the Christmas Holidays have arrived, think about  between the parties and the eating and drinking, when you are at home make light easy meals, such as hearty soups, salads, frittatas and stuffed baked squash and zucchini!  they are hearty and go with the cozy weather,  but light in calories! A nice way to control the calorie intake.. Also think about drinking hot teas in the evening, they have a detoxifying effect. Below I have listed my favorite soups;

Basil Tomato

Pumpkin Lentil

Chicken Vegetable

Lentil Barley soup

Veggie Chili

Sole white wine tomato soup is amazing

Love it, and I aways serve my soup with a Salad loaded with veggies, and homemade dressing of course!!

Traditional Chicken Noodle soup!

When in a hurry try the one pot past!! Check out Pintrist for different recipes 

   

What is more fun than cooking and drinking wine with friends?

My girlfriends and I decided we wanted to share something from the kitchen that is part of our family history. We started out wtih my girlfriend Laura, whom we like to call Laurrrrra after a couple glasses of wine, LOL.  She decided to share her Italian grandmothers Noni's spaghetti sauce.. Below are some of pics of our night together! Not only was it a great night, great sauce! but most of all great memories! I will keep you posted on our next Family kitchen history night!

Susan, Deborah, Laura, Sharyn

Onions and seasonings

Red AND sweet onion

I encourage to do the same with your girlfriends! Let me know and share your post!!

Happy 2015!

November and December was full of getting together with family and friends, with a lot of laughter and fun. My daughter turned 21! three days before thanksgiving.. 

Then Thanksgiving happend and we decided to do something a litte fun and creative, I let my girls get creative, all I did was pre chopp everything, and then gave it over to them while I was busy in the kitchen! We also did a Bloody Mary Bar, that served as drinks and Appitizers!

BLOODY MARY BAR

bacon wrapped shrimp

pepperchinis

garlic stuffed olives

spiced green beans and asparagus, (yes from my pickling I did a few months back)

carrots

celery

jalapinos

cheddar chesse

monterey cheese 

spicey tomato

and traditonal tomato

   tabasco

   horseradish