On a quick side note, What did you think of the Guest Blog Post? I just Love Nichole! Hopefully next week, I will be trying out another recipe she shared with me. It sounds so YUMMY! Do you like the idea of having Guest Blog Posts? Do you have a new recipe you have been wanting to try? Or a family recipe you would like to share? What about a fun craft? If you would like to be Guest Blogger, just fill out out the Contact Form and we can talk about it!
I have really been wanting to make Home Made Applesauce. I have the apples & everything I need. The only problem, my camera has been experiencing a slow but painless death. It is almost 10yrs old and has taken thousands upon thousands of pics & videos. It has been a good & faithful companion. It has been there to record all the ups & downs of the first 5 yrs of Lil man's life. It has taken pictures of my crochet work to allow me to advertise. And it has allowed me to show you guys the various adventures in cooking, crafting, etc. My new camera should be getting here this weekend. It is kinda fancy for a Point & Shoot. So there will be a learning curve. But what better way to practice than to take pictures of The Applesauce Adventure :) So, with all that being said, let's have a moment of silence and gratitude for Cameron the Camera. ................Thanks. Hopefully, I will have the Applesauce Adventure ready for you by Monday.
On a quick side note, What did you think of the Guest Blog Post? I just Love Nichole! Hopefully next week, I will be trying out another recipe she shared with me. It sounds so YUMMY! Do you like the idea of having Guest Blog Posts? Do you have a new recipe you have been wanting to try? Or a family recipe you would like to share? What about a fun craft? If you would like to be Guest Blogger, just fill out out the Contact Form and we can talk about it!
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I’m Nichole Myers, a SAHM of three wonderfully crazy boys and a military spouse. I recently began a new chapter in life… one without wheat in my diet. In March I discovered through allergy testing I’m allergic to wheat. So, I’m learning how to adjust what I eat to eliminate wheat. I have started to cook healthier meals for our family consisting of mostly fresh vegetables, steak, and chicken. I enjoy baking, but obviously most baking includes wheat… so, I’m starting to try recipes that call for wheat flour and substituting Rice Flour. My first recipe to try this substitution on is my dad’s Short Cake recipe for Strawberries & Short Cake. Here is the original recipe: Short Cake Ingredients Dry: 2 cups flour 2 Tbsp sugar (my dad adds a little extra) 3 tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt "Liquid": 1/2 C butter or margarine 1 egg 1/2 C milk for individual cakes or ¾ cup of milk for 1 large cake Directions: 1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees 2) Sift dry ingredients together. 3) Cut in butter or margarine 4) In a separate bowl beat one egg. 5) Add milk 6) Mix egg/milk mixture into flour mixture. Mix well. 7a) To make individual cakes use a non-stick baking sheet. Drop a large spoonful of batter on the cookie sheet. Place approximately 2” apart. (makes about 16 individual cakes) Bake 10 minutes 7b) To make one large cake: grease a 9” pie plate, put batter in pie plate and Bake 15-18 minutes You can eat plain or top with fruit & whip cream. We used Strawberries & WhipCream **For my wheat free (gluten free) version I used 2 cups of Thrive Rice Flour (in place of the regular All Purpose Wheat Flour). I also added 1 tsp of Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum to the recipe as well. I used a little over 2 Tbsp of sugar as well. I kept the rest of the original recipe the same.
I am very excited! We are doing some new things here at The Cooking & Coffee Cafe! I now have a Pinterest Board where I will pin all the recipes that we post here on the blog. Introducing... The Cooking & Coffee Cafe Pinterest Board.
Also, I will be having guest bloggers! They will share their experiences with new food recipes, crafts, etc. Our first Guest Blogger will be my friend (and cousin) Nichole M. She has been exploring the Gluten Free Lifestyle. She will be reviewing a recipe for Gluten Free Shortbread to make Strawberry Shortcake. Can't wait to read all about it! So as much as I have been enjoying my Fruit Infused water. I have been told by my Dr to stop (temporarily). I have had throat issues for several years, but they have gotten considerably worse this year. And for whatever reason, the infused water seems to irritate it. So I am only supposed to have plain water (and coffee) until I can go to an ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat) Doctor and get some things squared away. But don't worry, this doesn't mean I can't blog about other things like meals,etc. I just wanted to give you all a heads up. :) Since I can't post my actual experiences with Infused Water, I thought I would give you some info on the various ingredients you can combine to create your own (and some of the health benefits). Keep in mind, I am NOT a Dr, nor do I guarantee these items/combos will work for you. Nor that they will even taste good to you, since everyone's taste buds are different. (had to put in that little disclaimer) Citrus Sensation by Dr Oz-Many women suffer from uncomfortable bloating. Whether caused by eating too much salt or a hormonal fluctuation like menstruation, water-rich foods such as lemon and cucumber can bust bloat. Next time you’re feeling bloated, try this citrus-infused recipe. You don’t even need to refrigerate it – it can last on the counter for up to three days! Ingredients
Pineapple-Strawberry Cooler by Dr Oz- Need a spa day? This fruity infused water is more than just refreshing – it can help you relax. Sage has been used in aromatherapy for relaxation for years. This drink is the perfect way to unwind at the end of a long day. Ingredients
Tangerine Weight-Orade by Dr. Oz- This drink is packed with metabolism boosters that will help you lose weight fast! Just one cup of green tea is enough to jump-start your metabolism, while tangerines stimulate the genes that help burn fat and mint adds calorie-free flavors. Delicious and fat-burning, this drink is the best of both worlds. Ingredients
Below are some from Prevention.com Sweet-Tart- Ingredients
Strawberry Basil Blast Ingredients
Apples And Cinnamon Ingredients
Grape Melon Medley Ingredients
Berry Blast by Dr. Oz This flavor-filled water will keep you looking young! Dark berries and pomegranate seeds are rich in the antioxidants you need to help protect against aging. Skip sodas and sugary drinks and opt instead for this naturally sweet longevity-booster. Well, I figure that is enough for now. Can't wait to get the go-ahead from my ENT Dr, so I can try out some of these yummy combos.
Here is another Infused Water Combination i am trying. I wanted to try a Berry Infusion, but I didn't have any fresh berries on hand. Then I remembered I had a bag of frozen berries that I use for my breakfast smoothies. Genius!! Berry Medley Infused Water
Ingredients: Strawberries Blueberries Red Raspberries Blackberries Directions: You can use fresh berries. I used frozen berries that I had in my freezer. It is up to you how many of each type of berry you want to use. Let it infuse for 6-8 hours. Don't wanna miss out on my amazing blog posts? Have no fear! You can now subscribe to get email notifications whenever I have a new post. Just look on the right hand side of the blog, there is a subscribe option now. I feel so official now. Hee hee!
I have seen all the posts on FaceBook and Pinterest for "infused" water, etc. Lemon was the most frequently mentioned. A couple weeks ago, I decided to give it a try. Anything is better than plain water...right? Maybe Not. Well, I didn't have any lemons handy...so I tried using my "lemon juice concentrate" . Ummm, yeah, not gonna do that again. So it has pretty much been plain water for 2 months. Until now! Remember my friend Ms. Kim, that has been helping me in my Cooking Adventures? Well, she has actually been helping me throughout every aspect of my entire QUEST. Yesterday, she & her awesome kids stopped by bearing gifts. The main gift was a 'Water Infusion" bottle that she had found at Walmart and purchased for me. It is similar to this one: Cool Gear 28oz Infusion Water Bottle. She also had a lemon & some limes for me (real ones-not concentrate hee hee). She recommended I try a Lemon/Lime/ Cucumber Infusion to start. Luckily, I have cucumbers on hand for all my salads. Today, I chopped up the lemon, limes and cucumber and put them in the infuser. Now it is sitting in my fridge doing it's thing. Not sure what the process is officially called...maybe just "infusing". Can't wait to give it a try! Lemon Lime Cucumber Infused Water
Ingredients: 1 Lemon 2 Limes 1/2 Cucumber Water Directions: This is NOT an exact recipe. I just chopped up the lemon, lime & cucumber into small pieces. This should make enough for several rounds of infusions. I put as much of each that would fit into the infuser. Since it is my first time, it is trial & error. Once I taste it, I will have a better idea of how much of each I want to put in for my personal preference. Water, Water, and more Water. As I mentioned in a previous blog post, about 2 months ago, I decided I needed to actually drink water. I realized that for several years, I had not been drinking ANY water (unless you count what was used to brew my coffee). It was all soda & coffee. Ok, so I would occasionally drink a glass here and there but nothing really worth mentioning.
I decided I had to drink at least 64ozs of water every day. Not sure why I chose 64ozs. It just seemed like a good number. I know it isn't quite enough to meet the recommended "average", but it is close. And I had to start somewhere. It was really hard in the beginning (confession: 2 months later & it is still hard ). I am very particular about water. Simply stated...I generally don't like water. The only time I "like" water, is if it's really cold or steaming hot. I am also not a fan of "powdered" drinks. This has made my water goal kind of hard to follow through on, however, I am trying really hard to do it anyway. Because I was drinking so much water, I just didn't have enough room in my belly to keep drinking coffee & soda. Quitting both is just not gonna happen. But One of them had to go. It was a VERY hard decision. I finally decided to quit drinking soda. It has been almost a 1.5 months since I drank a Dr. Pepper. I admit, I still miss it. And yes, I had major withdraws! Headaches, crankiness, etc. After a couple weeks, I decided to try a little sip of one and it was kinda gross. So whenever I am craving a Dr Pepper, I just remind myself how yucky it tasted. My Cooking Adventures are actually only a part of my overall QUEST for being healthier. I realize "being healthier" is a rather broad & generic term. For me, it means the following:
1) Eat less processed/frozen meals- This is where the cooking adventures come in. And by frozen, I am not referring to meals that I prep & freeze. I am talking about the ones you buy frozen at the store. 2) Eating more fruits-I like most fruits, so this is pretty easy 3) Eating more vegetables- I generally dislike most veggies. I do love potatoes, corn, and green beans. To me, most veggies taste like dirt, literally. I have really been working hard on adding salads & veggies to my lunches and dinners. 4) Eat less CARBS-We are major pasta eaters in my house. We (me & Lil Man) also like to bake frequently. And if you read #2, you might remember that I mentioned my love for potatoes and corn, etc. ..sigh...So this is a really hard one for me. 5) Drink more water-About 2 months ago, I decided I needed to actually drink water. I realized that for several years, I had not been drinking ANY water (unless you count what was used to brew my coffee). It was all soda & coffee. So I decided I had to drink at least 64ozs of water every day. Not sure why I chose 64ozs. It just seemed like a good number. (I will be writing more about my water journey in the next post). 6) Exercise more- The only real "exercise" I get is playing with Lil Man. Definitely not enough. However, now that summer weather is almost here to stay, we will be putting up our swimming pool. It is a big above ground setup. Once that is up, I will be swimming a lot. Most likely everyday. I also hope to starting walking the neighborhood with Lil Man. So there you have it. A breakdown of my over all QUEST for HEALTHY(ier) LIVING. Today I will be starting a bit of a difficult (aka nerve racking) cooking adventure. I am going to try & combine 2 new recipes into 1. The first recipe is Garlic and Herb Beef Roast and Potatoes. The 2nd recipe is Cross Rib Roast. I am definitely nervous, but I am also excited to give this a try. Normally I post the recipe I found and then add my notes to it. But since this is a Combo, I am just going to post my "own" recipe using pieces of both of the recipes linked. I will be doing all the prep tonight so that hubby can start the Crock Pot before he goes to bed. (he is working 12s this week so he doesn't get home until abt 4:30am). Wish me luck! Ingredients
Directions 1. Put roast in a 5-7 quart crock pot. 2. Brush roast with balsamic vinegar. 3. Make a paste with remaining ingredients (not including broth, carrots, potatoes, celery & onions) and apply to meat. 4. Add broth. 5. Cover and cook on Low 5 hours. 6. Add potatoes, carrots, onions and celery. 7. Cover and cook 2 hours or until vegetables are tender. |