Almond butter

4 oz unsalted almonds
1 t melted coconut oil
1/4 t kosher salt

Blend in food processor until creamy.

Next time I want to try adding in a handful (or more) of chocolate chips!

Sweet Corn and Caramel Frozen Yogurt

This recipe is a big experiment! But I have to document it so I know what I did if it turns out great!  Or so I know what not to do again if it's a big flop!

But so far I think it's gonna be just fine.

For the frozen yogurt:

I used 3 cobs of corn. Shuck and wash the corn, and cut all the kernels off. Scrape the cobs to get as much of the liquids as you can.

Put the corn kernels in a sauce pan with 2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of brown sugar.

Bring to a simmer, and let simmer for 5 mins.

Remove from heat and let the mixture sit/cool for a bit... 5-10 mins? longer is fine too. Depends on whether you are distracted or impatient!

Puree the corn mixture in a blender or food processor.  I gave it a good minute or two. Then I kinda felt like it wasn't doing anything more, so I called it done!

Put the mixture in a bowl in the fridge to let it cool for an hour or so, and move on to the yummy caramel!!


For the caramel:

1/2 cup white sugar
4 T unsalted butter
1/4 t fresh ground sea salt
1/4 cup whole milk

Melt the sugar in a dry sauce pan, stirring to break up lumps and help it melt evenly. By the time it's melted it should be a nice brown color. Remove from heat, stir in butter until it's all melted. Stir in salt and milk (or heavy cream), and return to the stove. Bring back to a simmer and cook another minute or few until it's a good caramel color. Don't stick your finger in it for a taste. It smelled so good I just wanted to eat it out of the pan. But don't do it.

I put a sheet of parchment paper in a bowl and sprayed it with cooking spray. Then poured the caramel onto the parchment paper and set it aside to start cooling. (Put it in the fridge if necessary, but not for too long. You want it to still be liquidy, but not warm.) We will return to this yumminess in a little bit...


Back to the ice cream... I mean frozen yogurt:

When the corn mixture is cool, stir in 1 t vanilla, 1/4 t sea salt, and 2 cups of greek yogurt (or regular yogurt that has been strained overnight or 8-12 hours)

Whisk this mixture until it's smooth, and add to ice cream maker.  Freeze for about 20 mins or according to manufacturer's instructions.

When it's frozen, put it in a freezer safe container and pull out the caramel.

Pour/scoop the caramel onto the ice cream, and swirl it gently to mix it up.

Put the whole thing in the freezer for an hour or so to firm it back up.

The verdict is still out... It's good, but I wouldn't say it's great. I like the idea though!  And I mostly wanted to experiment with the yogurt! I think it worked great, but it definitely adds a distinct yogurt taste to it!

Menu Plan Monday (or thursday!)

Thursday is better than nothing, that's what I have to say :)

And I did actually cook dinner the last two days, I just didn't plan out my week, so it's not as bad as it could have been!!

Monday - doctor's appointments - take out from the local italian place

Tuesday - Pork Shoulder and Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes

Wednesday - Grilled Rib Steaks seasoned with shallots and garlic

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Pasta Alfredo

Saturday - Out for the day - going out to eat

Sunday - Picnic/Barbecue after church

Menu Plan Monday Aug 6th - it's been a while!

Well, it's been a while, but I'm actually gonna cook dinner this week!  My LO is 8 weeks old and I'm finally feeling ready to get back in the swing of "normal" life!  Maybe I'll actually get something done if I can quit staring at this sweet face :)

Here's my attempt at getting back in the saddle:

Monday - Returning from out of town - eat on the way home

Tuesday - Cheesy Cornbread Chili Casserole

Wednesday - Marinated Grilled Chicken and Crock-pot Mac 'n' Cheese

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Smoky Skillet Cacciatore

Saturday - Rotisserie Chicken, corn on the cob, and salad

Sunday - Leftovers again or out to eat with friends

Pomegranate Ice Cream

Today I decided to try pomegranate ice cream in my ice cream maker. Mine is only a 1.5 quart maker so I had to keep it about a quart of liquid. Unfortunately I never took a picture of the end product...

I wanted to keep it super simple, so here it is:

1 cup 100% pomegranate juice
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cups half and half
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Mix everything together. I measured and mixed in the same bowl.

Add to ice cream maker and churn 20-30 mins.

If you want it to be soft, eat it right now!  Otherwise, spoon it into a freezer safe container and freeze for an hour or two until harder.

I love the tangy-ness of adding the lime juice. Next time I will probably cut down on the sugar. Maybe 3/4 cup.
This might be my favorite of the ice creams that I've made so far!


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Coincidence? or Sunshine?

Yesterday was rainy and dark, and I spent the whole day feeling sad, unmotivated, and just down in the dumps!

Today the sun is shining and it is absolutely the perfect temperature out! I went for a walk at lunch time with my hubby. And I just feel happy, and ready for almost anything.

Does the weather really have that much power over my mood? Or does it just so happen that I got enough sleep last night and the previous few nights I had been lacking? I got some exercise, so now I have more energy and motivation?

If it really is the sunshine that inspires happiness and motivation, how do I bottle this and use it on cold and/or rainy days?   I hate feeling so depressed and unmotivated, but I can't seem to figure out what to do about it on days when I feel that way.  And on days when I do have motivation, I can't pinpoint exactly what is different.

I don't need or expect to feel happy all the time.  But when I'm not, I would sure like there to be a good reason for it, and a clear path of how to get back to a place where I can be happy, content, motivated, and actually pleasant to be around ;)

So what do you think...  Coincidence? or Sunshine?


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Menu Plan Oct 17th-22

I've been home alone the last two weeks, so I haven't done much cooking. It's no fun cooking for yourself!! I've had lots of wonderful friends invite me over or go out somewhere with me, but the occasional night I've stayed in has consisted of really exciting dinners such as.... toasted english muffin with peanut butter!  Stunning!

This week I'm finally getting back in the swing of things. I am so happy to have my hubby back home. It's been very lonely without him, especially since I could rarely have any communication with him. I don't know how people do it with their husbands gone for months or years at a time. I was going crazy without having him around, and it was only 2.5 weeks!

Ok, on to the menu for this week!

Monday - Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Pasta and Quick & Easy Alfredo Sauce
 --I love this alfredo sauce! It's quick, it uses ingredients I almost always have around the house, and to me, it tastes amazing. It may not be *quite* as good as REAL alfredo sauce, but I love that it is so easy and pretty much fool-proof to throw together! I always add extra garlic... mmmm

Tuesday - Cheese Steak Sandwiches (crockpot)

Wednesday - Gumbo with Chicken & Italian Sausage  (crockpot)
--I looked for a while to find a good gumbo recipe, and kinda pulled several together to create this one. I think it's exactly what I was looking for! dont' forget to add the roux at the end... gives it that something extra special!

Thursday - leftovers

Friday - Argentinian Pork Tenderloin  (cooking the pork in the crockpot)

Saturday - leftovers again, or out to dinner with friends!


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