Mushroom Fries with Creamy Horseradish Dip

I really love mushrooms. They're fat free, low in carbs and calories, and high in a lot of vitamins and minerals

(www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=97)

Even though they're super delicious on their own, I can't help but love them even more when they're battered and fried and served with a creamy horseradish dipping sauce. 

I mean, why not take a healthy, natural food and make it terrible... 'Murica

I knew there had to be a way to make a similar but healthier dish. 

Here it goes... 

Grain-free, Dairy-free Portobello Fries with 

Creamy Horseradish Dipping Sauce!!

ARTS AND CRAFTS: Kids' Craftroom Redo on the Cheap (part 5)

All of the big projects are done now. The space is brighter and more defined. The Wigglets have 3 separate playhouses and a whole art wall. It's looking good, but I still have a LOT of boring blank space to fill; most of it is cold, hard concrete, too.

Off to the fabric store for inspiration...

Stuffed Zucchini

I has some leftover quinoa and lentils from other recipes I had made today, so I decided to throw them together as a stuffing for some baked zucchini boats. I have to say, it turned out even better than I expected!

This recipe was quick and easy, inexpensive and super healthy. 

Better Eggs Benedict

I was in the mood for a hearty, eggy breakfast. I wanted to keep the vegetables in there, but I didn't want to do another vegetable pancake today. I scavenged my refrigerator and inspiration hit... Eggs Benedict!

A breakfast of Eggs Benedict was always a treat growing up. It has everything going for it: salty, chewy, crunchy, creamy and slightly tart. The version I was accustomed to also had a lot of processed ingredients, nitrates and preservatives. I knew I could do better.

I had leftover grain-free buns from the other day, eggs (of course), a bunch of random vegetables and condiments. So I hit up ol' Chef Google for help...

 I may have dislocated my shoulder while patting myself on the back this morning, but it was totally worth it!
This version starts with a toasted grain-free bun, chewy/salty kale strips, and a poached egg topped with a super easy Hollandaise sauce...

Not sure if I'm more proud of the meal or of the photo. I actually took that pic with my phone! Yay me!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

I LOVE potato pancakes, but I was looking for a way to amp up the nutrition and flavor today. 

So, I give you...

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

with Maple Cinnamon Dipping Sauce

Grain Free Focaccia-Style Bread

This bread recipe is super easy, and can be made in about 20 minutes (give or take oven pre-heat time). It's grain free, dairy free and it has a great texture and flavor. It's high in protein and fiber and low in carbohydrates.

You can make it as a single loaf (like focaccia) or divide it up as pictured for sandwiches...

ARTS AND CRAFTS: Kids' Craftroom Redo on the Cheap (part 4)

I still had my paint supplies out, but I was running low on my free paint. So I decided to paint a border around the floor. I figured it would brighten up the boring concrete a little and would also help define the space (play area versus craft area vs off-limits area). I started out just planning on making a sidewalk design around the outside. This would give them a path between their houses. Plus, I was planning on putting an area rug in the middle anyway. No point painting something that's just going to be covered up.

My take on an classic Indian dish (Aloo Gobi)

Sometimes inspiration hits at the strangest times. Case in point, I was watching "An Idiot Abroad", the Ricky Gervais series (you MUST watch it!!). I made it to the second episode where Karl visits India. Suddenly, I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I wanted Indian food for dinner. I did a quick google search and compared the recipes to my pantry items. After a few ingredient adjustments, I settled on this version of Aloo Gobi. It was exactly what I was looking for: healthy, hearty, and easy to prepare. Plus, it's vegetarian/vegan and grain free (if you're interested)

(Confession: This photo was from a google search because my cooking skills are MUCH better than my photography skills. However, this photo looks just like my dish did... minus the fancy garnish)

TEMPLATE: Make your Own Labels (Tattoo Motif)

Here is a template page for labels with an old school tattoo theme.

Just [Right Click] the picture and save to your photos or your documents.

Then, you can open in either "Paint" or "Word" and add your own wording to customize.

Either print onto adhesive backed paper, or print on regular paper and tape or glue to your bottles!

ARTS AND CRAFTS: Kids' Craftroom Redo on the Cheap (part 3)

My basement is fairly large. It runs the entire length of the house, but doesn't have any dividing walls. Like most basements, it's used as my catch-all storage. That being said, it's probably not a good idea to let kids have free reign down there. I couldn't put up actual walls, because as I said in my first post, I didn't want anything permanent or even semi-permanent, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money.

Also, I didn't want to box these kids in, I just wanted to define their space a little. So, how do I provide a barrier, make it fun and keep it cheap? PLAYHOUSES! Those are definitely fun. There's no point exploring the rest of the room is they have their own little world to play in. But, cheap? Hmmmm

GUEST POST: Homemade Laundry Detergent

So fresh and so clean, clean...

The only thing I hate worse than doing laundry is paying for laundry detergent. Thank goodness for this recipe. When I made this recipe, I cut the amounts in half, making one gallon. That amount filled my old, empty laundry detergent container and cost about $1. The original detergent (ALL free and clear) cost about $10... that's a significant savings for a few minutes of work.

TEMPLATE: Make your own labels (Art Nouveau Motif)

Here is a template page for some Art Nouveau style labels to use for your homemade products.

I LOVE This style. It originated in the early 20th century and had a resurgence in the 1960s and 1970s...

Just [Right Click] the picture and save to your photos or your documents.

Then, you can open in either "Paint" or "Word" and add your own wording to customize.

Either print onto adhesive backed paper, or print on regular paper and tape or glue to your bottles!

Recipe: Side Dishes part deux

If you've been following along with my ramblings, you now have some leftover crock-pot chicken, homemade chicken broth, Spanish rice and some Latin style black beans. Sounds like the makings of a delicious soup to me!!

Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup

Easy Recipes: 2 side dishes for 2 meals

Made a Mexican themed dinner the other night and decided to make everything (mostly) from scratch...

I served the following recipes as side dishes to pan grilled burritos stuffed with seasoned ground beef, black olives and cheddar cheese, topped with a little sour cream and Tapatio hot sauce. 

The BF isn't a fan of Mexican food (he HATES cumin), but he asked me to write these recipes down so that I'd be able to make them again.

Note: A bad side effect of making up recipes on the fly is not being able to reproduce them... Oops. 

Good thing I have a blog to save all my recipes now!

Latin-Style Black Beans

1 c Dry black beans, soaked per package directions

1/2 onion, chopped

3-4 strips bacon, chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

2 Tbls cilantro (fresh, if available)

pinch Cayenne pepper

salt to taste

Rinse and drain beans

Return beans to pot, add 3 c hot, salted water

Bring to boil. Cover halfway. Reduce to simmer for 90-120 minutes (until beans are tender and remaining liquid is thickened)

Fry bacon until crispy. Add onions to bacon pan and saute until soft. Season mixture with cumin, chili powder and pinch of cayenne. Stir over heat for another minute or two to release the flavors of the dried spices. Add onion/bacon/spice mixture and cilantro to cooked beans. Stir to combine.

Spanish Rice

1 Tbls Olive oil

1/2 onion, chopped

garlic, minced

1 c rice (brown is most nutrient dense)

1/3 c tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes (I had some roasted, pureed and frozen from last season)

1 2/3 c chicken broth (home-made if you have it)

1/2 c diced tomatoes (also frozen after last season)

salt and pepper

Add olive oil to pot, heated over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender.

Add dry rice and continue to cook over medium heat until golden and slightly puffed (about 5 minutes)

Add tomato sauce and chicken broth and salt (to taste)... homemade broth may need more salt

Bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 minutes (until all water is absorbed)

Stir in diced tomatoes

Each recipe makes about 6 servings. Save 2 servings of each if you can. Posting a soup recipe tomorrow :)

TEMPLATE: Make your own labels (Black and White Outlines)

Here is a template page of the simple Black and White labels that I use for my homemade products.

Just [Right Click] the picture and save to your photos or your documents.

Then, you can open in either "Paint" or "Word" and add your own wording to customize.

Either print onto adhesive backed paper, or print on regular paper and tape or glue to your bottles!

Homemade All Natural Wood Polish

Just like in my Laminate Floor Polish post (1/17/14), I used [Brand X] products for furniture dusting and polishing for a really long time. I was happy with the results and I loved the way it smelled. On the positive side, [Brand X] furniture polish doesn't have to be periodically stripped and reapplied. On the negative side, it still contains a laundry list of chemicals and the MSDS states:

"Hygiene measures : Use only with adequate ventilation. Wash thoroughly after handling."

Plain and simple, I just don't want to use chemicals if I can avoid them; especially on surfaces where I might put food that I plan on ingesting... my dining room table, for instance.

So, now I make my own...

ARTS AND CRAFTS: Kids' Craftroom Redo on the Cheap (part 2)

Last time I posted about this project, I had just painted all of the walls in (FREE) white paint, gathered from a friend's house...

Seeing the room as a blank canvas gave me the idea to keep that theme for the kids. I would do most of the room in white with some black outlines, and they could use the entire space as a coloring book, when we weren't doing other activities.

GUEST POST: Miracle Laundry Whitener and Stain Remover

I may BE a dirty hippie, but I don't want to LOOK like a dirty hippie.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE white shirts. I love button-ups, t-shirts, beaters (yes, I called them beaters), but they never seem to STAY white. God forbid, if the underarm area gets yellow, I'm not wearing it. In the past, these shirts would sit in pile on my closet floor, or get turned into rags, but then my friend Jasmine shared her recipe for a MIRACLE WHITENER AND STAIN REMOVER. It seriously removed sweat stains in old workout shirts. This recipe is amazing, and it fits my requirements for EASY, INEXPENSIVE and EFFECTIVE