Operation Fatten Up (Bacon Snacks Round 1)

Because of Tommy's multiple food allergies, he eats a very healthy diet. Now that he's running all over the place, we're starting to worry that maybe he's not getting enough fat in his diet. So we're trying to figure out new ideas for meals and snack time that will help incorporate more fat and calories in his diet. So here comes the bacon. =)

Today I decided to try Bacon Wrapped Apple Slices for his afternoon snack. I tossed apple slices in coconut oil, cinnamon and brown sugar and wrapped them in bacon. What's not to love?! They smelled sooooo good while they were cooking. I used four slices of thick cut bacon, but I think it would be better with 5 slices of regular bacon. Even though the apple slices were very soft after the baking, Tommy had trouble with the peels. So next time I will peel the apple first. 

Bacon Wrapped Apple Slices

1 large gala apple
5 slices bacon
1/2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 425° F
2. Cut bacon slices into thirds. Microwave in paper towels for 2 minutes to partially cook the bacon.
3. Slice and core apple, cutting apple into 15 slices.
4. Toss apple slices in melted coconut oil, cinnamon and brown sugar. 
5. Wrap each piece of apple with a piece of bacon and secure with a toothpick.
6. Bake for 10-13 minutes until the bacon is cooked. Transfer to paper towels and let set for 5 minutes before serving.

The Unfortunate Incident with the Coffee Grinder (Pumpkin Spice Latte Hack)

I stumbled across my favorite way to make a dirty chai latte at home by accident. A loud, horrible, crunchy accident.

A month ago, Ben and I took Tommy backpacking for the first time. We had a great overnight and Tommy absolutely loved it. We didn’t want to take our wedding rings into the wilderness just in case we lost them. So I had the brilliant idea to hide them in our coffee grinder. I had done that before and had no issues. This time, Ben got his ring out of there early Monday morning. Two hours later I got up, exhausted, and went to make my coffee. I pulled down the coffee grinder, added coffee beans, and turned it on. The horrible crunching sound made me sick to my stomach. I instantly knew that I had left my wedding rings in the grinder.

I burst into tears and called Ben. The first thing I said to him was, “What’s the stupidest thing I could have done?”

Unfortunately, I didn’t really think my words through from Ben’s point of view. And that when his wife and mother of his son called you pretty much hysterical and says, “What’s the stupidest thing I could have done?” his mind instantly went to much more horrible scenarios. Like I dropped Tommy on his head on the tile or I got into a bad car accident. So in comparison, munching my wedding rings was pretty minor.

I poured the coffee grinds and ring pieces out onto a dish mat and began to look for the diamonds. It turns out it’s difficult to find tiny diamonds in a sea of coffee grinds. I thought that I had found them all, but I wasn’t sure.

So now I had a dilemma. I was still exhausted and wanted coffee, but I was afraid to use the coffee grinder again. We still had some instant coffee from camping, so I figured that’d do the trick.

The result was much better than I expected. It turns out it was the best dirty chai (chai and coffee/espresso) I had ever made. It’s like half the calories of the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte (even with nonfat milk and no whipped cream), vegan and a fraction of the price.

So yes, I make my Pumpkin Spice Latte with instant coffee. And not the fancy stuff either. Just the cheap Folgers stuff. Trust me, when you add the chai mix and milk you won’t know the difference. Well, unless you have a fine coffee palate, in which case you probably should just stick to real lattes.

And in case you were wondering, the diamonds luckily weren't damaged and the jeweler was able to fix my rings. They look as good as new. Diamond Rings:1 Coffee Grinder: 0.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Hack

(This is for a 16 oz mug)

½ cup milk (any kind)

½ cup pumpkin spice chai latte concentrate

1 cup boiling water

1 packet single serving instant coffee

1. Combine milk and chai mix in a large microwave safe mug. Heat on high for 30 seconds.

2. Stir in boiling water and instant coffee.

It's Finally Fall! (Roasted Squash Soup)

Summertime is nice and all, but I don't tolerate heat well. If I get too hot I get crabby and feel ill. It's not a pretty sight. 

I LOVE fall. I love the crisp cool days and not having to worry about driving in the snow. And there is pumpkin spice everywhere! It was a chilly day, but it's supposed to warm up this weekend so I really didn't want to fire up the furnace and then need the AC two days later. So as I hung out in my house in a sweatshirt today, I decided it was the perfect day for making soup. 

This soup Roasted Squash Soup is so tasty and filling. It's like eating liquid pumpkin pie. Even Tommy loved it and asked for seconds. I served it with homemade Rosemary Bagel Chips. And Wasatch Pumpkin Ale. Yum. 

There is snow on the mountaintops and warm soup in my belly. That's a pretty great fall evening in my book. 

Stay tuned....Tomorrow I'll share the secret to my Pumpkin Spice Latte hack. 

Roasted Squash Soup

2 medium acorn squash
2 cups onion, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp canola oil
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups water
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1 cup lite coconut milk

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Pour oil on a baking sheet and spread, leaving most in the middle.
3. Toss the onions with the oil in the middle of the baking sheet.
4. Cut squash in half and scrap out seeds. Place squash on baking sheet.
5. Bake for 45 minutes until the squash and onion are tender.
6. Let squash sit for a few minutes to cool. Scoop out pulp and discard skins. 
7. In a dutch oven, add the stock, water, salt, pepper, cinnamon, allspice, onions and squash pulp. 
8. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Puree the soup in a blender or use a stick blender. Return to pan and stir in coconut milk. 

Rosemary Bagel Chips

4 smallish plain bagels or 2 large ones
1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry rosemary

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Slice bagels into thin slices.
3. Combine all ingredients on a baking sheet and then spread the bagel slices out flat.
4. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the bagel slices turn brown. Let sit before serving.

Leftover Madness Part 3 (Chicken Pot Pie)

I saved the best for last for our Leftover Madness. Chicken Pot Pie. Ben is what you might call a pot pie connoisseur. That man LOVES anything that's covered with a pie crust. 

Just ask our friends about the infamous dinner at the Mangy Moose in Jackson Hole, WY. (I was barely able to convince Ben not to order another whole pot pie dinner at a fancy restaurant by promising him I'd make pot pie the next week). 

I've made dairy free pot pies before, but this was my first gluten and dairy free pot pie. And I think it was the best pot pie I've ever made. Ben said, "You've made magic again in the kitchen." Pretty great compliment coming from Mr. Pot Pie himself. 

I had trouble getting the pie crust to roll out flat, so I wound up having to take little pieces at a time and press them into the right thickness. It sort of looked like a patchwork quilt crust. 

This pot pie isn't going to win any beauty contests, but it was soooooo good. The crust was even flaky! I used my homemade chicken stock and I think that really made it taste better than the chicken broth from a can I have used in the past. I used potato starch in the crust since I have a ton of that, but I would think tapioca or arrowroot starch would work just as well. I think this dough would be excellent for the bottom crust of a pie where you could just mold it into place. I can't wait to use it for pumpkin pie.

Chicken Pot Pie

One pie crust

2 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 a medium onion, chopped

2 shallots, chopped

1 tsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp potato starch

3/4 cup chicken stock

3/4 cup lite coconut milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 1/2 cup chopped or shredded cooked chicken or turkey

2 carrots, peeled, diced and steamed

1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame

1. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 9 x 9 glass baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, shallots, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for several minutes until softened. 

3. Stir in potato starch. Cook for 2 minutes stirring frequently. Add stock and coconut milk. Stir until bubbly and thickened. Add vegetables and chicken. 

4. Pour chicken mixture into baking dish. Top with crust. Seal edge and cut slits in several places on crust. 

5. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is browned and the filling is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 

Single Pie Crust (Gluten, dairy, corn and nut free)

7 Tbsp vegetable shortening

3/4 cup potato starch

1/2 cup sorghum flour

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp guar gum

4 Tbsp ice water

1. Measure out the shortening into small pieces and freeze for 30 min.

2. Process the starch, flour, sugar, salt, and guar gum in a food processor until combined. Scatter the shortening over the top and process until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the ice water and process until smooth. 

3. Spread a large piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Form the dough into a 4 inch flat disk and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes. 

4. Press into the desired shape, working in small batches if necessary. 

Leftover Madness Part 2 (Turkey Tetrazzini with Spaghetti Squash)

The second recipe in our leftover series is Turkey Tetrazzini with Spaghetti Squash. I have fond memories of my mom making turkey tetrazzini after Thanksgiving. I always feel a little nostalgic when I eat it. The recipe I've made before has a lot of Parmesan and cream cheese, but I'm hoping coconut milk will give it a similar richness. 

It tastes surprisingly like the original. It probably wouldn't survive a side by side comparison  but when you haven't had turkey tetrazzini in a long time it's a great knock-off. And the spaghetti squash is a lot less calories than regular spaghetti. It definitely has a coconut flavor, but it's not too overwhelming. I'm looking forward to making this again with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. Cooked chicken would work just as well too. 

Spaghetti Squash

1 medium spaghetti squash (~2-3 lbs)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Rinse spaghetti squash and pierce several times with a knife.
3. Bake on a cookie sheet for 45 minutes, until you can easily stick a fork through the skin. Let sit for 30 min to cool.
4. Slice in half and discard seeds.
5. Shred with fork to produce strands.

Gluten and Dairy Free Turkey Tetrazzini

1 Tbsp canola oil
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp tapioca or potato starch
2 cups chicken stock
13.5 oz can full fat coconut milk
2 cups diced cooked turkey
1 medium spaghetti squash, cooked and shredded
3/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. 
3. Add celery, onion, shallots, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms brown and onions soften.
4. Add balsamic vinegar and starch. Cook for 2 min, stirring frequently.
5. Add chicken stock and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer.
6. Simmer for 15 min until thickened.
7. Add turkey and spaghetti squash.
8. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Pour tetrazzini into dish. Top with breadcrumbs.
9. Bake for 30 min until the top is browned.

Leftover Madness Part 1 (Lamb and Gnocchi Soup)

I did a lot of cooking this week. And we have a ton of leftover roasted turkey from dinner at a friend's house. Our fridge is so full of leftovers that there's barely room for beer. It's a great problem to have, but I can only eat the same meal so many times in a row before I'm sick of it. 

So now it's time to clean the fridge and re-purpose our leftovers. Part 1 of our Leftover Madness is turning the remaining Lamb and Vegetable Roast into Lamb and Gnocchi Soup. This soup is pretty straight forward, and since it was made from leftovers that cooked in the crock pot all day, the flavors are a lot more developed than you would get from a quick soup. I used the leftover sweet potatoes to make the gnocchi and used the leftover liquid from the crock pot and veggies to make the soup.

For a while, Tommy was eating these gnocchi twice a day everyday. I've tried them with a lot of different combinations of flours and starches, and my favorite are millet flour and potato starch. You just mix all the ingredients together, roll into little logs, slice and boil for a couple minutes until they float. They're easy to make in a large batch and the uncooked gnocchi freeze well. You just pop the frozen gnocchi into boiling water and they just take a few minutes longer to cook. 

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

1 cup mashed sweet potatoes or pumpkin
1 cup millet flour
1 cup potato starch
1 Tbsp flaxmeal or whole psyllium husks
3 Tbsp hot water

1. Fill a medium sauce pot with water and bring to a boil. 
2. Combine flaxmeal or psyllium husks and hot water in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes to gel.
3. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.
4. Knead the dough by hand until it can be rolled into a log. If it's too sticky, add more flour or starch. If it's too dry, add water or stock 1 tablespoon at a time.
5. Roll into 1/2 inch diameter logs. Cut into 1 inch pieces.
6. Boil gnocchi in batches for several minutes until they float. Drain and set aside. Serve with sauce or use in soup. 

Lamb and Gnocchi Soup

1 recipe Sweet Potato Gnocchi
1 cup shredded cooked lamb or cooked Italian sausage
Leftover cooking liquid from Lamb Roast
Water
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
Leftover veggies from Lamb Roast

1. Measure leftover lamb cooking liquid. Add enough water to make it 4 cups. 
2. Add all ingredients except for gnocchi to a dutch oven sized pot.
3. Bring to a gentle boil.
4. Add gnocchi and simmer for 15 minutes.

Note: If you don't have leftovers, use 2 cups beef broth and 2 cups water instead of the leftover cooking liquid and add 2 tsp Italian seasoning. If you don't have any leftover roast, use 2 links of Italian sausage cooked in the pot before step 2. 

Easiest Chicken Ever

Some of my family members and I started a crock pot cooking club. Each Thursday someone picks a recipe to share. This week my mom shared her's friend's recipe for a crock pot chicken and stock. I simplified the recipe a little. I've cooked whole chickens on the rotisserie on the grill and in the oven, but I've never made one in the crock pot before. I can't believe it's taken me this long to try it! 

I used to pick up a cooked rotisserie at the grocery store on a semi-regular basis, but I don't know what they use for seasoning so I'm hesitant to give those to Tommy. Cooking the whole chicken in the crock pot was just as easy as picking one up at the store and it was much more moist. Plus, the crock pot was already dirty, so it was really easy to make stock from the chicken bones.

Now I have a bunch of leftover cooked chicken and homemade chicken stock with ingredients I know Tommy can eat! I'm already looking forward to chicken pot pie tomorrow and using the stock in turkey tetrazzini tonight.

I served the chicken with Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage and Panzanella. It was a beautiful night so we ate outside on the deck. It sure felt like fall with my kitchen filled with delicious smells and the crisp clear air outside. 

Easy Crock Pot Whole Chicken

2 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dry basil

1 tsp dry rosemary
1 large roasting chicken
1 chopped onion

1. Remove giblets from chicken and clean chicken.
2. Place chicken in crock pot. Top with remaining ingredients.

3. Cook on low 4-8 hours.

Easy Crock Pot Chicken Stock

2 carrots, peel and cut into large chunks

2 stalks celery, chopped

Pan drippings and bones from Easy Crock Pot Whole Chicken

Water

1. Add bones back to crock pot.
2. Add carrots and celery.
3. Fill crock pot with water. Leave on low overnight.
4. In the morning, strain and refrigerate or freeze the rich broth.