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Homemade Food Gifts: Chocolate Peppermint Peanut Butter

By Christen on December 4, 2011 in Foods & Recipes

I love homemade food gifts because they are fun to make, unique and usually quite tasty!

Lately, I’ve been having lots of fun in the kitchen making peanut butter and trying new things.

The only thing (other than strong coffee) I love almost as much as chocolate and peanut butter? Peppermint!

All you need is 4 ingredients to make a delicious, beautiful homemade food gift (if you can stand to give it away!):

Peanuts
Dark chocolate chips
Peppermints
Peppermint extract

1. Make your chocolate peanut butter. (see directions here)

2. Put peppermints in ziplock freezer bag and crush. (I used a knife) Crush them smaller than this picture shows. Next time I will definitely crush them into smaller pieces.

3. Put chocolate peanut butter in a mixing bowl and stir in 1/8 tsp peppermint extract.

4. Fill mason jar about 1/2 way with chocolate peanut butter and then add a layer of crushed peppermints. Add some more peanut butter, then add a layer of peppermints to the top.

If giving as a gift, include the directions to stir well before eating. Enjoy this homemade food gift as a spread on crackers or English muffin. Or straight out of the jar!

{Linking up to Life Made Lovely}

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Chocolate Peanut Butter {a new twist}

By Christen on November 26, 2011 in Foods & Recipes, Indulgences

Chocolate peanut butter is delicious. Seriously.

So, why not find some fun new ways to make it even more tasty?

After you have made your chocolate peanut butter, turn it into pretzel peanut butter!

Make the chocolate peanut butter!

Break up some pretzel pieces and stir them into the peanut butter!

I spread this on my mother-in-law’s delicious homemade bread (thanks, Linda!) and it was delicious!

Mmmm.

I like pretzels, but they aren’t something I normally love.

But I loved this chocolate peanut butter variation and it was a fun little kid-friendly snack for the kiddos!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Recipe

By Christen on November 22, 2011 in Foods & Recipes

If you’re like me and get a puzzled look on your face while trying to decide whether you like chocolate or peanut butter more, then this chocolate peanut butter recipe is for YOU!

Here’s the great thing: it requires two (that’s right, just two!) ingredients. Guess what those are!

That’s right, peanuts and chocolate chips!!!

This is almost as easy as when we saw how to make peanut butter before. Just one little extra step.

What You Will Need

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

2 cups honey roasted peanuts

A food processor (I used my Vita-Mix)

I used a store-brand honey roasted peanuts and Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips that are oh so good!

Add ingredients to the Vita-Mix or other food processor.

Process until smooth. With the Vita-mix, I processed it twice just to get it extra smooth!

Look at the beautiful, smooth peanut butter it produced!

And….this would make a wonderful food gift.

This chocolate peanut butter recipe can save you money (store-bought chocolate peanut butter can be quite pricey) and allows you to control the ingredients that go into it!

Enjoy!!!

{Linking up to What’s Cooking Wednesday, Craft Catwalk, This Chick Cooks & Life Made Lovely!}

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Lima Bean Recipe {Baby Limas and Pancetta}

By Christen on November 16, 2011 in Foods & Recipes

In our family, lima beans are good any ‘ole way, but I love finding new ways to prepare a food I’ve cooked a million times!

This lima bean recipe is very easy and can be used as a side dish or a non-traditional main dish, as it contains pancetta.

Pancetta, an Italian bacon, is somewhere between ham and what I think of as “regular” bacon.

Here is the package that I found:

Here’s all you need to make it:

2 1/2 cups baby limas

4 oz pancetta

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons of onion powder

1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth

black pepper

salt

1. Chop or cut pancetta into small pieces.

2. Brown the pancetta on medium heat until it gets a little crispy.

3. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside.

4. Add the olive oil to the pan, along with the onion powder.

5. Once the oil has heated, add the baby limas and sautee for a couple of minutes.

6. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. After it has boiled, reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes.

7. Add the pancetta back to the skillet and add the pepper. If the limas are drying out, you can add a little more broth. Let the limas simmer for about 15 minutes.

This is what you’ll end up with!

{Recipe inspired by this recipe}

If you’re in a cooking rut, this is a delicious lima bean recipe!

{Linking up to Life Made Lovely!}

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

By Christen on November 9, 2011 in Foods & Recipes, Indulgences

In case you haven’t figured out by now, I love pumpkin. And I don’t just love it for the taste, I also love all of the Vitamin A that I sneak into my family’s diet!

Lately I’ve been making pumpkin butter, light and crustless pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!

I found a wonderful recipe for them, but it wasn’t quite healthy enough for what I know will be the Little Buddy and Little Stinker’s breakfast some days. So, I did some tweaking until it was not only fairly healthy, but very tasty!

Here’s what you will need:

Dry ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour (I use King Arthur’s Unbleached White Whole Wheat Flour)

1 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

1 egg

3 egg whites (or 3/4 cup egg substitute)

1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup canola oil

Mix in at the end:

1 cup chocolate chips

Get started making these delicious pumpkin chocolate chip muffins!!!

1. In one bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

Oh, and a little lion came to take a peak!

2. Combine all of the wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

3. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix only until moistened.

4. Stir in chocolate chips! Mmmm.

5. Fill greased muffin pan cups about 1/2 – 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 18-21 min. Be careful not to overbake!

This recipe yields about 24 muffins or 12 muffins and one small loaf.

Nutrition Highlights

Serving size: 1 muffin

177 calories, 5 g fat, 21 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein

Enjoy!!!!

{Linked up to Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try & This Chick Cooks!}

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Healthy Crock Pot Recipes: Cranberry Barbeque Chicken

By Christen on November 2, 2011 in Foods & Recipes

This cranberry chicken is one of those recipes that I couldn’t wait to share with you, because it’s one of my all-time favorites!

The perfect combination when it comes to cooking for the fam: easy AND healthy.

For our family, I know that if I try to prepare a complicated meal every night of the week I will not only be exhausted, but very frustrated. And that’s why I love this healthy crock pot recipe.

If you don’t do much crock pot cooking already, you are missing out on a (usually) simple, delicious way to cook. So this would be the perfect recipe to get started!

A friend gave me this recipe a few years ago {thanks, Carly!} and I did alter some things to make it a little easier. Because I do love easy.

What You Will Need

4 Chicken Breasts (boneless, skinless)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tsp onion powder

16-oz can of whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup barbeque sauce (I always use Sweet Baby Ray’s original)

1/4 cup worcestershire sauce

1. In a bowl, mix the cranberry sauce with the barbeque sauce.

2. Add worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and onion powder and mix.

3. Lay the 4 chicken breasts in the crock pot and cover with the sauce mixture.

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (I always do close to eight) or high for 4 hours.

This is sure to become a favorite of your healthy crock pot recipes! Enjoy!

{Linking up to Recipes I Can’t Wait to Try & This Chick Cooks & Life Made Lovely!}

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No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake {crustless and light}

By Christen on October 31, 2011 in Foods & Recipes, Indulgences

This no bake pumpkin cheesecake is perfect for anyone who:

LOVES pumpkin as much as I do.
Needs a little “desserty” type of thing every now and then.
Wants to keep it low-cal.

Here’s what you will need:

1 1/2 cups 100% pure pumpkin (canned)

4 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp sugar

1 (8 oz) package of fat free cream cheese, softened at room temp

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup light whipped topping

Miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips, to taste (optional)

Directions:

Mix together pumpkin and softened cream cheese. Add honey and sugar, then add pumpkin pie spice. Gently mix in the whipped topping.

Serve in individual dessert bowls and top with mini chocolate chips.

Tip: It’s best when served very cold!

{Linking up to Life Made Lovely!}

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4 Healthy Ways to Eat Homemade Pumpkin Butter

By Christen on October 25, 2011 in Foods & Recipes

In an earlier post, I showed you how to make homemade pumpkin butter.

Now, what do you do with that delicious jar of pumpkin-y goodness?

Here are 4 very simple, but delicious ways to eat pumpkin butter:

1. Greek Yogurt with Pumpkin Butter

Greek yogurt is not only delicious, but a wonderful source of protein and Calcium! In fact, the Cabot lowfat plain Greek yogurt I buy has (in one cup) 150 calories, 22 grams of protein (the same amount as about 3 ounces of lean meat!), 40% of your daily calcium along with 25% of Vitamin A, D, C and E!

2. Waffle Topped with Pumpkin Butter and Yogurt

Pumpkin butter and yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt) can be a wonderful topping for waffles.

Be sure to choose a whole grain waffle for maximum nutrition! This would be a very good balanced, nutritious and delicious breakfast.

3. Cottage Cheese with Pumpkin Butter

Cottage cheese is another one of those great non-meat sources of protein!

Always choose either low fat or fat free versions. One 1/2-cup serving of low fat cottage cheese has only 90 calories and 13 grams of protein.

4. English Muffin Topped with Pumpkin Butter

Pumpkin butter is perfect on top of an english muffin or toast!

Again, choose a whole grain bread. My all-time favorite is Food For Life’s 7 Grain english muffin.

{Linking up to This Chick Cooks & The Thrifty Home}

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Pumpkin Butter Recipe

By Christen on October 20, 2011 in Foods & Recipes

Fall is in the air, and if you’re like me, you are craving pumpkin-flavored-everything! Then again, I crave it year round (as I also do listen to Christmas music year round).

I found a pumpkin butter recipe and decided to give it a little twist!

What You’ll Need:

1 15-oz can of pure pumpkin

1/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup apple juice

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix all ingredients together in a crock-pot and cook on low for 6 hours.

(Excuse the bad lighting on the above picture…it was nighttime when my pumpkin butter was ready!)

Did you know that the canned pure pumpkin is filled with Vitamin A?

Each 1/2 cup serving of the pure pumpkin has only 40 calories, but 5 grams of fiber and 300% of your daily Vitamin A needs!

I’ll be posting some fun and delicious ways to use your pumpkin butter!

{Linking up to The Thrifty Home & This Chick Cooks & Life Made Lovely!}

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Gnocchi and Chicken Soup

By Christen on October 12, 2011 in Foods & Recipes

I have discovered a new food that I love: gnocchi!

I had seen a package of gnocchi in the pasta aisle of the grocery store, but never known what you are supposed to do with it.

Well, the gnocchi we used is made with potato, but I have read that other types do exist!

If you are in need of a dumpling-like comfort food to warm you on a cool fall or winter day, gnocchi is your food.

Here is a simple, delicious dish you can make using gnocchi:

Gnocchi and Chicken Soup

Here’s what you’ll need:

4 chicken breasts

4 cups chicken stock

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 carrot cut into small pieces or shredded

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup fresh, chopped spinach

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp thyme (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

1 16-oz package of potato gnocchi

1 Tbsp cornstarch (optional

1. Roast the chicken breasts until thoroughly done.

2. Saute onion, celery, garlic and carrot over medium heat in olive oil.

3. Add chicken stock, chicken (if you want to cut up the chicken and eat it in the soup), half and half, salt, pepper, and thyme.

4. Bring to a gentle boil and add potato gnocchi. Boil for 4 min and then turn down and let it simmer for 15 minutes.

5. Add spinach and cook for about 3 minutes longer.

6. If you prefer a thicker soup, add some cornstarch dissolved in water and boil briefly.

Enjoy the warm goodness of gnocchi and chicken soup!

(adapted from this recipe)

{Linking up to Life Made Lovely & This Chick Cooks}

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1. Make your chocolate peanut butter. (see directions here)

2. Put peppermints in ziplock freezer bag and crush. (I used a knife) Crush them smaller than this picture shows. Next time I will definitely crush them into smaller pieces.

3. Put chocolate peanut butter in a mixing bowl and stir in 1/8 tsp peppermint extract.

4. Fill mason jar about 1/2 way with chocolate peanut butter and then add a layer of crushed peppermints. Add some more peanut butter, then add a layer of peppermints to the top.

Share and Enjoy

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What You Will Need

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Here’s all you need to make it:

1. Chop or cut pancetta into small pieces.

2. Brown the pancetta on medium heat until it gets a little crispy.

3. Remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside.

4. Add the olive oil to the pan, along with the onion powder.

5. Once the oil has heated, add the baby limas and sautee for a couple of minutes.

6. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. After it has boiled, reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook for about 10 minutes.

7. Add the pancetta back to the skillet and add the pepper. If the limas are drying out, you can add a little more broth. Let the limas simmer for about 15 minutes.

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Here’s what you will need:

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What You Will Need

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Here’s what you will need:

Directions:

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1. Greek Yogurt with Pumpkin Butter

2. Waffle Topped with Pumpkin Butter and Yogurt

3. Cottage Cheese with Pumpkin Butter

4. English Muffin Topped with Pumpkin Butter

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