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Showing posts from April, 2014

Beef Stew {Electric Pressure Cooker Recipe}

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We've had a bit of a cold spell here in the last few weeks and all I've felt like eating is warm, homey, comfort food. You know that food that makes you want to curl up with a blanket, some fuzzy slippers, and a good book. Well this recipe is where it's at. Let me just tell ya. If you're not eating it in your slippers, you'll for sure and for certain want to run and get them the minute you're done. I don't know how to convey to you how much I love this beef stew recipe. It's taken me years to find one that is worthy to post and this is like the exclamation point of all those years of waiting for it to come into my life. Normally when I share a pressure cooker recipe I like to share some alternate cooking methods for those of you without pressure cookers. I'm sorry to break it to ya this way, but you are totally on your own on this one. Adapt to your hearts content, but I don't think you'll be able to replicate the amazing-ness that comes from...

Vanilla Pudding {Honey Sweetened}

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I love me a good pudding. To me it spells H-O-M-E. It's amazing how easy it is to make from scratch and so much tastier, but still most people buy the boxed stuff from the store. This pudding is a Healthy Family Cookin' original, adapted from the pudding that my Mom made for us growing up. So many variations are possible - chocolate, banana, coconut (I bet you could think of more), but I think my all time favorite is the original vanilla pudding. Make sure you're prepared with a real vanilla extract. No imitation stuff please. It will make all the difference in the taste. We make this pudding A LOT. And each time - oh yum. I've adapted it to be honey sweetened so there is no processed sugar. We love to use it on top of a warm, honey-sweetened, whole-grain cake. Seriously it's melt-in-your mouth delicious without leaving you with the after affects that comes with processed sugar. I know you'll love it to. Vanilla Pudding {Honey Sweetened} Printable Recipe *Makes ...

Perfect Thick-Crust Bready Pan Pizza (and Cheese Bread)

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While a gluten-free thin crust pizza is fairly simple and easy to buy or make from scratch, one of my real challenges has been a perfectly bready, crusty, chewy, thick crust.  They either turn out gummy or crumbly.  But I have finally broken through and created what is close to a perfect crust.  It is crispy on the bottom, chewy and bready in the middle.  I started with Simply Gluten Free's recipe for easy gluten-free french bread (it is my go-to bread recipe, and turns out an amazing loaf).  I left out the xanthan gum and added 3 teaspoons milled chia seeds mixed well with 6 teaspoons hot water.  See my post on substituting chia for xanthan gum for details on this substitution.  The chia gives the crust a chewier texture without the "gum" aftertaste.  Use a 12" cast-iron pan, if possible, or a 12-inch cake pan will do (but won't get the bottom as crispy).  Don't use a teflon coated pan; it can't take the heat.  You will need an ...

Honey Glazed Chicken Legs

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Yum. This recipe is one of those that when you make it, you crave it again the next day and the next and the next. Tender, juicy chicken seasoned with a honey barbecue-like sauce. Melt in your mouth tender. I served it with steamed frozen green beans and these garlic smashed potatoes  and it was the perfect combination. Seriously, make this dish. It's out of this world good. Enough said. Honey Glazed Chicken Legs Printable Recipe *Serves 4-5 people *This dish can be put together ahead of time. Just follow the steps to put it together and instead of baking immediately, let the chicken legs marinate in the sauce for up to 24 hours before baking. When ready to bake, rotate each chicken leg and bake as directed in the instructions. INGREDIENTS: 2-1/2 lbs. chicken legs 3/4 Cup honey 1/2 Cup soy sauce 1/4 Cup ketchup 2-3 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper Preheat oven to 350 F. Sprinkle chicken legs with salt and pepper on all sides. Put them in a foil-lined baking dish with high side...

Frugal Friday: Spring Break Staycation

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Vacations are fun, aren't they? But the costs can be a huge burden for a family trying to stay on budget. This year for spring break, we decided last minute to change our plans and have staycation. I'm really excited. Not only will it save us a bit of money, I actually think it will be more fun. Today I'll share some of our ideas for our spring break staycation and hopefully hear some of yours also. My husband found some fun on our last day trip adventure.  The Family Hotel - I got this idea from a neighbor whose kids are grown. She said they had a family hotel when their kids were little and they loved it. She put room numbers on all the rooms in the house. Then in the master bedroom they set it up with pillows and sleeping bags like a big hotel room and camped out in there for their staycation. I loved that idea so we'll be doing that for ours. We're also going to have room service. I'll give the kids a card to fill out the night before with what they want fo...

Quick Pão de Queijo (gluten-free cheese bread)

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This was the first version of the Pão de Queijo I made, and it was mighty tasty.  I have since learned the wonder of a more traditional recipe, which takes longer but is well worth it in taste and texture!  But sometimes, you just want some Pão, and you want it now. When that happens, this blender recipe works beautifully: (photo from allrecipes.com) They were scrumptious, but need a few notes and modifications.  A lot of the reviews were from people who lived in or visited Brazil, so I give those reviews much more weight. The biggest complaints in the reviews were from Americans who were expecting these to turn out like bread or biscuits.  Tapioca starch has two textures:  crispy and rubbery.  You can make them more airy by using a stand mixer for four minutes before scooping, but the super-chewy center is how it is supposed to turn out.  Make them smaller than the recipe calls for (1-2 tablespoon scoops instead of 1/4 cup) to balance out th...

Fresh Asparagus Pizza

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We love pizza. We make it every Friday night. Our boys look forward to the traditional pizza/movie party that we have and us parents do too. If you've never made pizza before it might sound hard to do, but I'll tell you a secret. It's one of the easiest meals that I make all week long. Honestly. It comes together so fast. That's why we do it again and again. Every single week.  For the kids the pizza is ALWAYS the same. Pepperoni. Just plain pepperoni. That's what they want. That's what they love and I make it for them every week. It's our one meal a week that is EXACTLY the same and they count on that (unless for some reason we run out of pepperoni or something, heaven forbid).  Our kids love that consistency. But there's no way on earth that I'd be able to eat pepperoni pizza every single week. BORING! So we always make 2 pizzas (unless we have friends or family or neighbors over which we often do, we'll make more). Pepperoni for the kids and s...