The blog I rarely attend

Fluffy dairy free pancakes Sadly, I’ve been dairy free due to my nursling who has a dairy issue. This has called for a good bit  of creativeness because dairy is such a big part of my family’s diet. I learned early on that water makes a sufficient substitute for fluffy dairy free pancakes; or almond milk, cashew milk or coconut milk if you want to get fancy. I’m pretty particular about processing and ingredients so I take great strides to make my own or find minimally processed ingredients so sometimes water just has to work. I have also  found that eggs can make up taste when water is used. These pancakes are pretty fluffy on their own but I used large biscuit cutters to make them thick. You could use egg rings as well. If you choose to use to do this, be sure to oil the inside of the rings really well. These are by far a favorite pancake recipe.  Ignore my slightly burnt pastured, home cured bacon. I also use this same recipe to make bacon pancakes which is a...

Homemade Cinnamon Marshmallows I hosted a bonfire and smore’s party back in October. I tried to make homemade marshmallows but they failed. But my friend, Laura brought some of her homemade marshmallows and saved the day. One of our Christmas traditions is include homemade hot chocolate as part of our evening festivities. I was ready to give another try at homemade marshmallow. I checked with Laura about her perfectly formed marshmallows and she shared that she uses Alton Brown’s recipe! Viola! Well, I don’t use or have corn syrup but Laura said she didn’t either. I’m happy to report that I made these marshmallows successfully using Great Lakes Gelatin and we enjoyed them in our hot chocolate. I dressed them up with some cinnamon and they add a wonderful depth of flavor.  I hope you will try making these Homemade Cinnamon Marshmallows. It will be impossible to go back to store-bought ones. Cut them into cubes or use your favorite cookie cutters.  Ingredien...

Velvety Leek and Potato Soup Who knew such a simple potato soup could be so rich and velvety without cream! Wanting something warm after the snowy afternoon, I turned to comfort food dressed up.  Leeks are in the onion family but with a milder taste. The edible portion is the lower half that is white and light green.  This recipe is so easy, I’m almost embarrassed. The velvety texture comes from pureeing this soup and the aroma of truffle oil makes this soup feels like silk on your tongue.  Go make this Velvety Leek and Potato Soup. Be sure you get some truffle oil too. It really dresses up this dish.  Ingredients 1 leek, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 medium potatoes, cubed 4 cups homemade chicken meat stock 1 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp pepper 1.5 tsp sea salt (or more to taste) I didn't measure this. 1 tbsp Lard, butter or your favorite fat Optional 8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped Dried chives Truffle oil May also consider add...

Nourishing Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden has this wonderful soup that can be duplicated at home but with nourishing ingredients. It’s one of my favorite winter time staples. I have adapted the copycat recipe to make this Nourishing Zuppa Toscana Soup. Or you might otherwise know this soup as Sausage, Kale and Potato soup.  Ingredients 1 large onion, diced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 lb pastured sausage (I prefer spicy but mild will work too.) 2 large russet baking potatoes, cut into small cubes 1 bunch of kale, chopped 6 cup chicken bone broth 1 tsp sea salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 cup heavy cream Instructions Brown sausage along with onions and garlic in a large soup pot. Add potatoes and chicken bone broth to pot. Cook on medium heat until potatoes are done (approx 15 minutes). Salt and pepper to taste. Add kale and cream. Simmer for another 10 minutes and serve.

Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas If you need a protein, fiber packed snack, Honey Cinnamon Roasted Chickpeas is an easy one to satisfy a sweet tooth as well! I like to soak my chickpeas overnight in warm water with a bit of whey prior to cooking them. This helps break down the phytic acid.  This is a very forgiving recipe and you can change it up adding your favorite seasoning. If you like spicy, try adding some chili powder. Ingredients 2 cups of soaked and cooked chickpeas or grab a can of garbanzo beans 2 tablespoon coconut oil, melted 1 tablespoon honey 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Instructions Preheat oven to 375°F. Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander. Mix honey, cinnamon, melted coconut oil, cinnamon and salt. Toss chickpeas in the mixture. Spread chickpeas on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or up to 15 minutes longer if you want them crispy.

If you don’t like cabbage, I encourage you to try this recipe before you write it off.  This is my current favorite go to recipe right now and it’s a hit with the whole family. It’s warm, filling and nourishing. It’s much like cabbage rolls but without the work of stuffing and rolling those cabbage leaves but just as good, if not better. This soup reheats well and we enjoy it as leftovers. I also like to add collard greens to this soup but you can leave that out.  Ingredients 1 onion, diced 3 cloves, minced 1 lb grass fed beef 1/2 lb pastured spicy pork sausage 3/4 cup of basamati rice 1 medium cabbage, chopped (core removed) 1 bunch of collard greens (leaves cut from stems and chopped) 1 quart of canned diced tomatoes 2 tbsp tomato paste 4 cups of bone broth (I used pork, but really any will do). 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp Celtic sea salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce Instructions In a large pot, saute onion, garlic ...

Gluten Free Dutch Babies with Peaches Have you ever had puffy pancakes? This is an easy way to make pancakes in one dish and this recipe is packed with protein instead OH yeah baby! Pancakes will never be the same. of a bunch of simple carbohydrates that will leave you hungry in an hour. I use  coconut flour  which is very dense so a little goes a long way. This recipe does call for a LOT of eggs. Of course real maple syrup to top it off is a must. Any fruit will do, but peaches are currently in season and I got a HUGE box from Watsonia Farm at the Chattanooga market for a great price. This is a gluten free recipe as well! I assure you that pancakes will never be the same again after you introduce Dutch Babies to your family. They are so fun to watch in the oven as they puff up and make wave like peaks. This will make enough for 4 people, well maybe 3. Ingredients 1/4 cup of coconut flour (sifted) 1/3 cup of arrowroot flour (You can use cornstarch...

Peach salsa is so fun! Just thinking about it makes my taste buds so happy. You can eat it plain with some  blue corn chips . Or peach salsa can dress up just about any meal. It’s easy to make and it’s amazingly delicious. I like to make lacto fermented foods to add those natural probiotics to our diets as much as possible. The short version of instructions is to chop all of this up and mix it together. Viola! Easy. Then leave it on the counter at room temperature for 2 days so it can ferment. Then transfer it to cold storage if it lasts that long. You should peel the skins of the peaches and tomatoes and the easiest way to do that is to drop them in a pot of boiling water for 30-60 seconds and the skins will just roll off when you rub them. If you haven’t had peach salsa before, you are in for a treat. You can also try substituting mangoes for peaches.  You can dress up any meat dish with scoop of peach salsa. It would be fabulous on fish tacos. Let me know your favor...

I got this inspiration from a pinterest recipe for a dessert. It was grilled peaches with goat cheese drizzled in honey. I highly recommend you do this. It’s an amazing pairing. You just have to trust me on this.  This dessert inspired me to make this Peaches and Goat Cheese Salad which is so ridiculously easy, you must do this now while peaches are in season.  This makes a really nice simple lunch or dinner dish that will impress. This chicken salad is topped with peaches and goat cheese, drizzled in some good  Extra virgin olive oil , and a balsamic reduction, sprinkled with fresh cracked pepper and  Himalayan salt . Himalayan salt is not a must, but it’s a really nice finishing salt. Plus, it’s stacked with so many trace minerals that have been stripped from white salt. A balsamic reduction is one of those fancy terms you often see in nice restaurant.  I’m gonna tell you how to make it at home. This will be one of your favorite new ways to dress up a d...

I have to be honest and tell you, I’ve never been excited to eat stuffed peppers. But when I saw purple peppers offered by  Signal Mountain Farm  at the  Chattanooga Market  on Sunday, I knew I was willing to try again and figure out a way for them to be more exciting. I don’t measure all the time so this is an estimate of what I used. But you should always season to your taste, especially salt and pepper. And feel free to add more goat cheese because quite frankly, this was what makes these peppers a repeat recipe for me. I only made 3 creamy stuffed purple peppers so you’ll want to double or add to this recipe if you are cooking for more. There was some leftover mixture and it’d probably be enough for a 4th pepper. What I used:  1/4 lb of grass finished beef 1/4 lb of mild sausage 1/2 chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, minced (I like a lot of garlic.) 1/2 tsp oregano 1/2 tsp real salt 1/2 tsp pepper 1 cup of cooked rice (I usually make enou...

I can’t believe I ever purchased pre-made Alfredo sauce. It’s so easy to make with only F-I-V-E ingredients and so much more delicious when it is homemade. Have you ever read the long list of ingredients on  bottled Alfredo sauce–more than half of which can’t be pronounced easily? After making it homemade, I could never go back!  I had a hankering for seafood and real alfredo sauce and decided to make Seared Scallops with Squash Noodles, Broccoli in Real Alfredo Sauce. I mentioned one of my favorite kitchen tools when I make  Zucchini Spaghetti  and it’s great for squash noodles too! I love using my  spiral cutter !  Yellow squash has the same nutritional profile as zucchini which includes Vitamin C, folate, potassium, magnesium, and  manganese.  Squash is getting ready to be in full swing and and I picked up some first picks of beautiful squash last week from  Signal Mountain Farm  at the Chattanooga Market on Sunday. I love sea...