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Chocolate Granola Cookies

These cookies sorta happened by accident. I was trying to make a different cookie (not sure what kind that was either) and I ended up saying, “Hey! Let me see if I can make these taste like granola.” And guess what….I did. I think brownies were invented by accident too. I’m a culinary genius. *Cough* Anyway, these cookies are soooooooooooo good. They’re not your typical type of cookie. They’ve got a bit of crunch to them, and they are a tad bit crumbly – just like granola. Bingo!  [Read more…]

Pumpkin Chip Cookies

Are you tired of cookies yet? Because I’m not! And I’m the one eating all of these….okay, so only part of them – most of them are going into the freezer for gifts……but several are making their way into my tummy (I lost count). Who’s counting anyway? Leave me alone, gosh! ;-)These get a 10 out of 10 from me. They rank right up there with Oatmeal Raisin cookies…..probably because they sorta taste like Oatmeal Raisin cookies, but different. The same, but different. Got it? [Read more…]

Peanutty PB Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are my Daddy’s favorite. I really should make them more often…..but I have this problem – I eat them. Admitting it is the first step in getting well. However if loving cookies is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. Can I get an amen? These are delightfully peanutty….a tad less sweet than most other cookies since I used natural peanut butter with no added sweeteners. I actually like them better than the overly sweet version. It means they pair well with ice cream.  Barry says they taste VERY peanutty….hence the name. Let’s bake! [Read more…]

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Welcome to A Very Cookie Christmas! All this week I’m going to be giving you some awesome cookie recipes that you can make and share for the holiday….or make and eat for the holiday. Sometimes when it comes to cookies, sharing is highly overrated. Around my family I’m sorta known as the Cookie Queen – my cookies rock. However, don’t worry about me getting a big head…just when I start to think that I’m really something, I spill an entire jar of kefir down the drain and then pour maple syrup all over the kitchen table. I’ll give you a few of my cookie baking tips as we go along, so that you too can make awesome cookies. Today I’m sharing my #1 favorite cookie – Oatmeal Raisin.

Before we get started, I want to let you in on a little secret…..all these recipes use whole wheat flour. I know that most of you don’t own a Nutrimill, so I wanted to make sure these recipes worked with regular, store-bought flour. For all these recipes I’ll use King Arthur White Wheat Flour. King Arthur is my favorite brand of store flour. It just seems to be of the best quality. [Read more…]

8 Ways to Use Up Leftover Produce

Do you ever have leftover fruits and veggies that you just don’t know what to do with? When I first got married, I was TERRIBLE about letting leftover produce go bad. Ahem, let me be transparent. I can be bad about letting leftover produce—or even excess produce from our lovely summer garden go bad. And I always feel so guilty. Sure, there may have not been enough leftover green beans or carrots for a side dish for an entire meal, but there must have been something I could have done with that food I let go to waste. Right?

And I’ve discovered there is! Whether it be a spoonful of leftover peas or 5 lbs. or extra carrots from your garden (I wish we had that problem!), there are lots of ways to use up all those veggies without letting them get all moldy in the bottom of the produce drawer of your refrigerator! [Read more…]

Healthy Snack Options

How silly is this – when I first started this journey I though “Oh my gosh! What am I gonna eat for snacks?! AHHHH! I’m going to STARVE!” Well, I haven’t starved yet……and we’re eating pretty well around here. It was suggested that I should write a post about good, healthy snacks that won’t break your budget. If you try to run to the store and buy a bunch of organic snack foods, it will eat a hole in your grocery budget really fast – sorta like that mouse who ate all my decorative corn (stupid mouse). We snack a lot around the Myers house. Especially Annie….okay, so who am I kidding? I’m a snack-a-holic. Annie talks now, so I can’t keep blaming stuff on her. Bummer. One of our favorite snacks is granola bars – which are a LOT better than the version at the store. They are so good; you won’t even know they’re good for you. And they’re really easy to make. I like easy stuff….if it’s terribly complicated, I’m probably not going to do it.

Sometimes I’ll make muffins for breakfast and use the leftovers for snacks for the week….or snacks for a few days, depending on how good they are. I’m LOVING this Banana Flax Muffin right now. Muffins and sweet breads (with whole wheat flour and natural sugars) are a great snack option! Plus, if you’re making them for breakfast then you might as well make enough for snacks. We’re bread lovers anyway. Annie always wants “jelly bread” for her snack and with whole grain bread; I don’t mind giving it to her. Let’s be honest – there isn’t much that tastes better than fresh bread with a pat of butter. Ooo la la!

I’ve always loved cereal – but not with milk. I’m not a milk lover. If I’m going to eat cereal, I eat it with homemade vanilla yogurt  or just eat it plain. Cereal isn’t something we’ve cut out of our diet. I switched to organic cereals instead (I know they aren’t genetically modified). I wait for coupons and then buy them so I don’t have to pay full price. Make sure you follow Deal Seeking Mom so that you can get a heads up on organic coupons which she posts on Thursdays. We eat a lot of cereal for snacks. I might whip up a batch of granola instead of cereal to eat with yogurt – it makes a great snack. My favorite way to eat yogurt and granola is by splitting a banana open (like for a banana split), pouring yogurt in the middle and then sprinkling with granola. YUMMO!

We eat a TON of fruit around here. It makes a great snack, plus if you buy it in season it’s very reasonable. I always keep fruit around the house, even if it’s in the freezer. I like having the option there. Annie would rather have fruit than most other things. Occasionally I whip up a smoothie for us to snack on or I make a batch of smoothie base to keep in the fridge all week. Smoothies are quick and easy….and very filling. I’m just going to be honest about veggies though – while they make a great snack, I’m not a veggie snacker. I am not going to go to the fridge, pick up some broccoli and eat it. I’m just not. It’s not how I roll. I like my veggies cooked unless it’s a salad – and salads aren’t really a snack food. But, if that’s how you roll, veggies are a good option. Watch the store salad dressing though; it’s usually full of high fructose corn syrup.

We snack on nuts……a lot. Annie loves nuts. I have to chop most of them into smaller pieces for her though – because I’m an over-paranoid mama. I try to buy nuts and protein bars on sale whenever I can find them. I keep them in the freezer so they don’t go rancid so fast. Nuts are great paired with dry fruit. Don’t overdo it on dried fruit though. While a little bit is okay, it’s still full of sugar so you don’t want to inhale it. I like buying organic raisins for Annie to eat in the car……just make sure you check your rear end often to insure there aren’t any on your butt. Been there, done that. And cheese. Real cheese. I’m not talking about “cheese product.” What does that even mean? No wait – I don’t want to know. We love just eating some plain cheese – not fat free because I’m not into the whole rubber cheese movement.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Okay, so we’ve conquered cooking a whole chicken without looking directly at it and pretending not to see his legs. And then we’ve used two of the four cups of leftover meat.  What should you do now? Make homemade chicken stock of course!

 

When you make a roast or baked chicken, don’t throw anything away……anything! We’re going to use it all to make some amazing rich-tasting and healthy homemade chicken stock. Oh, and in case you were wondering, you can also use this same method with beef bones, any poultry bones, or pork bones.

Want a tip that you may not have heard before?

We’re going to get out our big stop pot and use up all the leftover bones and the innards to make homemade chicken stock. AND ARE YOU READY FOR MY SECRET TIP? We are going to add two tablespoons of cider vinegar to the pot!! Crazy, right? What does the vinegar do? It breaks down the bones and draws out the calcium into the broth. Let your pot sit for 45 minutes or so to help the vinegar do it’s thang before you start boiling it.  Once the bones and water to a boil, I reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for a long time – we’re talking 12-24 hours!

About an hour before it’s done, you can add some veggies for flavor.

It will give the broth extra vitamins and minerals, plus, it’s very tasty. And guess what? You don’t have to peel anything if you don’t want too! Just wash and chop because we’re not going to eat them. They’ll be skimmed out.

You need a really big bowl and a colander to strain out the veggies and bones from the broth. Remember, you have 16 cups of liquid, so don’t underestimate your bowl size! Pour everything slowly and let the colander catch all the bones and veggies.

Never put hot stuff in your fridge.

Let the broth cool to room temperature. Never put hot stuff in the fridge  Did I mention that? 😉  If you learn nothing else today, don’t put hot stuff in your fridge. It changes the temperature and can do weird things to the stuff you already have in there. When it’s cool, put it in the refrigerator for a couple hours.

If your chicken has a lot of fat, after a quick chill in the fridge, the fat will rise to the top. Some chickens have little or none others have more – just skim it off the cooled broth if you’d like. To store, I like to freeze in individual 1 or 2 cup-sized containers so that you have homemade chicken stock ready to go whenever you need it for a recipe.

How easy was that?

And in case I forgot to mention… not only is homemade chicken stock affordable and delicious – it’s also VERY GOOD for you – full of vitamins and minerals. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

Homemade Chicken Stock

  • Chicken bones and innards from a 2-4 pound chicken
  • 16 cups cold water
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  1. Place bones and other goop in a large stock pot.
  2. Add water and vinegar. Let stand for 45 minutes.
  3. Bring to a boil on the stove. Skim any yuckiness that rises to the top.
  4. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 4 hours.
  5. One hour before it’s done, add the veggies.
  6. Remove from heat when done and let cool for 20 minutes.
  7. Strain and throw away bones and veggies. Let cool to room temperature.
  8. Refrigerate until chilled. You may skim the fat off if you like.
  9. Put into containers for freezing or use in the next few days.

homemade chicken stock

How to Cook Quinoa

Maybe you’ve seen quinoa listed in recipes…..but you passed right over it because you didn’t know what the heck it was – or how to pronounce it. Trust me, I have issues with my pronunciation of tons of things (just ask Barry). If I see a recipe with something weird listed in it, I usually pass it over and don’t give it a second thought (or if it has clam shells in it, what IS that about? Gag attack!)……but please don’t do that with quinoa! It’s not weird, it’s tasty. You say it like KEEN-WAH. I know, I know. This world would be an easier place to live if you spelled things like they were said. Sheesh. But anyway, that’s how you say it. It’s not a grain or a cereal…it’s actually in the grass family. Yep, Stacy’s finally gone off the deep end because now she’s telling you to eat grass. It’s SO easy to prepare…..faster than rice and just a tad bit longer than boiling pasta. Let me show you how to do it and you’ll start cooking it for yourself. You can find it in just about any store, usually in the fancy grocery section (i.e. organic). It’s not cheap like pasta or rice, but it’s not too bad. I like having something different once and a while, especially when it’s good for me. I buy mine in bulk at King’s Produce in Wytheville…..almost anything you can buy in bulk will be cheaper. [Read more…]

Cinnamon Roll Cherry Cobbler

***UPDATE: See this post about our new eating habits. (7/10/11)

This is a Stacy original……sorta. I saw the idea somewhere, but didn’t like the ingredients. So I used the idea, but different stuff. It’s a Stacy Sorta-Semi Original. Go with it. So far we know what a crumble and crisp are, so today let’s learn about cobbler. My mom has always made the best cobbler. I’m guilty of trying to eat more of the breading part….and leaving the fruit. Yes, it was me. I confess. Sorry Mama! American cobblers are “fruit stews with dough dropped on top before baking.” God created them on day 8. They rank up there as one of my favorite desserts of all time….right beside Lava Cake. Don’t confuse them with British cobblers that have a meat filling. If you’re expecting sweet and get meat, your day just might be ruined. They are always best when eaten warm with ice cream. *Slobber* [Read more…]