Sweet Potato Pie

Normally I would consider this a fall or winter pie.  But, today I am making it with a tropical twist, Caribbean spiced rum.  So, don't let this overlooked vegetable stay off your menu in the spring or summer.  This pie is similar to pumpkin but, this a lot lighter and a bit more fluffy due to the whipped egg whites folded in.

2  9-inch unbaked pie shells (traditional size)
2 large sweet potatoes (boiled then pureed to equal 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup of brown sugar
2 tablespoons light molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs separated (yolks from whites)
1-12 ounce can Milnot
2 ounces Puerto Rican rum


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Peel and cube sweet potatoes and cook till soft in boiling water.  If pie shells store bought thaw on counter.  When sweet potatoes cooked drain water and puree with hand held speed mixer.  Measure out 1 1/2 cups of puree place in large mixing bowl.  Add brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, and nutmeg.  Mix in 3 slightly beaten egg yolks, the Milnot, and the rum.  Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the other ingredients.  Pour into two unbaked pie shells.  Bake 40 minutes with edges covered with foil until last 20 minutes.  It is done when a toothpick comes out clean.  
Recipe adapted from Food Favorites of St. Augustine
Serves 16
Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style 
Show-Licious Craft Showcase at Sew-licious Home Decor

Spring Thyme

I had the delight of reviewing a new book titled Spring Thyme by Bittersweet Walnut Grove.  Bittersweet Walnut Grove is a heart warming project book series sharing crafts and recipes, with sweet memories of priceless farm life from the Midwest.  Spring Thyme has recipes with ingredients straight from the garden.  Classic comfort foods (gluten-free) to satisfy a hardworking appetite.  It also has prairie tips for garden helpers such as homemade weed killer and plant boost.  There are many instructions to create useful items such as an infant's bib, a garden tool belt, or strawberry sugar scrub.  Other craft projects included are appliques, a stuffed rabbit, and an old-fashioned strawberry pin cushion.  
 

photo

All recipes, projects, and crafts are centered around the spring season.  The book was a delight through and through with memories of farm life that reminded me of my own farm upbringing.  The book is full of very useful recipes, projects, and crafts.  It is sure to be a favorite you reach for again and again.  

This book series began with the #1 best selling title Winter Thyme created by a Mother and Sister team.  The book is filled with family photos and tips from family members, Kristy from Life n' Reflection, her sister Tiffany, and mother Reta  .  You may get your own copy for Kindle here.  

I couldn't wait to try a recipe from the book!  I made the White Chocolate Strawberries for Easter.  They were a hit!

 

White Chocolate Strawberries

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

8-12 whole fresh strawberries

Prep:

Wash and dry strawberries

Directions:

Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time until smooth.

Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate by holding onto the leaves.  Make sure to tap off any excess chocolate before placing on wax paper to dry.  Allow to dry for 2 hours.  Store in an air tight container in the fridge.

The strawberries I used were huge.  They were really pretty on the transferware platter for Easter.  

Thank you Kristy for the copy of Spring Thyme!  I can't wait to make more recipes and crafts from the book!  I truly appreciate you letting me review your wonderful book!

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

Whole Foods Wednesday at Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 

Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free 
The Weekend re-Treat at The Best Blog Recipes

Spring Tea '13

You know when to prune your roses right?  When the forsythia blooms.  Our forsythia has not bloomed yet.  It is still trying to snow here this week!  Soon, spring will come soon!

I am very excited about these gluten/flour free muffins!  They taste like cake to me because I haven't eaten any cake in maybe two years.  So, I was excited to find this recipe that was so similar to a cake that I could eat.  Unlike flour, I dare you to try to over eat these!  They are made of mainly eggs and coconut flour and they are so full of protein you will be full for awhile after eating them.  A perfect breakfast muffin because they will keep you full till lunch.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

1 lemon, juice and zest

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Whisk  the eggs, coconut oil, pure vanilla extract, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest together in a large mixing bowl.  Sift the coconut flour, salt, and baking soda and stir until well combined.  gently fold in the blueberries.  

Line your muffin pan with natural parchment muffin papers.  (The printed ones from Wilton will stick to your muffins).  Scoop 1/4 cup of the batter into each lined muffin cup and bake for 26 minutes.  You can stick a toothpick in them just like regular cake to test if they are done.
Yield; 12 muffins
 * To make Strawberry Lemon Muffins just replace the blueberries with 1 cup of fresh strawberries chopped up into small pieces. 

I was so happy with this recipe that I also made it in strawberry.  They were even sweeter than the blueberry muffins.  Love them!

Sherry
I will link this to:

Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage 

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life

Table Top Tuesday  at A Stroll Thru Life

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Whole Foods Wednesday at Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free 
Share the Shelter at A Sheltering Tree

Shepherd's Pie

I made this dish for St. Patrick's Day, being that it originated in Ireland.  I created it as I went by combining two recipes and I made it with a dual topping.  On the left side you have the traditional mashed potato topping and on the right side you have a low-carb mashed cauliflower (mock mashed potatoes).  I made it like this to attempt to share the dish with my family and still have a dish I could eat with the allergies I have.  You could make the dish with all mashed potato topping or an all mock mashed potato topping (cauliflower).

Ingredients:

11/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound of ground beef

5 spring onions, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon coconut flour

3/4 cup water

1 tablespoon parsley

If an all potato topping:

8 potatoes (medium sized)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

If an all cauliflower topping:

1 head of cauliflower (about 4 cups)

4 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee

1 tablespoon coconut milk

1/4 teaspoon rosemary

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Grease an ovenproof baking dish with 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil.  In a medium skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the spring onions until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the ground beef and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add the cumin, salt, and paprika and cook over medium heat until the ground beef is cooked through, another 15 minutes.  Drain the grease from the ground beef and add the water and stir in the coconut flour.  When well mixed, remove from the pan and put into the prepared baking dish. Meanwhile boil the potatoes, and or cauliflower until fork tender.   

For potato topping:  Drain water and add the butter, milk, and garlic powder and whip with a hand held mixer till desired consistency, adding more milk to get smooth mashed potatoes if needed.  

For cauliflower topping: Drain the water and place the cauliflower in a food processor.  Add the coconut oil or ghee, coconut milk, rosemary, thyme, and salt.  Puree until smooth and creamy.

Spread your cauliflower or potatoes evenly on top of the ground beef in the baking dish. 

Sprinkle the parsley on top of this and bake for 20 minutes.  

Yields: 6

*Optional- There are a lot of variations to this dish and you could add shredded cheese to the top of the potatoes/cauliflower before baking or a few tablespoons of garlic butter. 

**If you make it like I did above with a half and half topping just divide each topping recipe in half and spread accordingly on top of ground beef and bake. 

So, how did my family react to this Shepherd's Pie with a split topping.  I got my diet friendly serving out first and had the cauliflower topping on mine and the rest of it was devoured.   I never heard a complaint.  Someone had to have eaten the cauliflower but, they never noticed.

 Don't forget to go here to enter for this fantastic giveaway from Eco Natural Soap!

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 
Whole Foods Wednesday at Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free

A Little Tea for Breakfast

I wasn't going to let St. Patrick's Day slip past and not do a little something related to it.  So I pulled out my one tea set that has a little Irish theme to it. 

I am having an Apple Streusel Egg Muffin.  This is a flour/gluten/wheat free muffin so the main ingredient is egg. 

This is a new way of eating to me so it takes a little getting used to.  I normally am not an egg lover.  So to embrace a baked product made so heavily with eggs takes an adjustment.  Unlike the pancakes I made last week, this muffin taste like eggs right out of the oven.  It tasted like a sweet quiche.  After the muffins cooled off they tasted better.  Much more like the apple and other flavors.  I might try this recipe again with bananas and see if I like it more. 

The tea set was purchased at TJ Maxx 2 years ago, the pattern is Grasslands Road.  The Mug is by Pfaltzgraff the pattern is Weave.
  Sherry
I will link this to:

 Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage 

A Return to Loveliness  at A Delightsome Life 

Tea Cup Tuesday at Martha's Favorites

Tea Cup Tuesday at Artful Affirmations

Table Top Tuesday  at A Stroll Thru Life

Country Whites Weekend at The Country Farm Home and Old Time Farmhouse

Gluten Free Coconut Flour and Banana Pancakes

These pancakes are awesome!  I am on a special diet for allergies and I can't eat grains, but I can eat these.  How much you appreciate a food that has been missing from your diet for two years when you can't eat it.  This would work for many diets, Paleo, low-carb, SCD, Gluten Free, and GAPS.

To get the most nutrition out of my eggs I have used these Omega-3 eggs. 

Look how fluffy and delicious these pancakes are only with 2 tablespoons of coconut flour.
This recipe was adapted by me from the SCD.  It is gluten/wheat, soy, dairy, tree nut, and peanut free.  ( Coconut is in the palm family and it is actually the seed of a drupaceous fruit, not a tree nut.)  This is a 1-2 serving recipe for creating a meal for the one person in the house that can't eat like everyone else!  That would be me.

Coconut Flour and Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 banana (mashed)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1 tablespoon coconut oil

Beat eggs, mash banana and combine.  Add vanilla, salt, honey, and coconut flour.  Mix well.  Drop on a hot skillet with coconut oil already melted over medium heat.  Let the pancakes cook through.  They won't bubble exactly like wheat flour, but they will puff up.  Check frequently and turn when the pancake has had enough time to cook through and not burn.  Serve with honey.   

Refrences:
Coconut refrence:
http://www.faiusa.org/page.aspx?pid=378
Diet refrence:
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/

  I have been in search of a list of foods to eat to go with my allergies for two years and it seems to be getting easier to find foods I can eat.  More and more information is being shared everyday about the increase in allergies and ways to survive it.  The more I learn the more I will share.

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 
Whole Foods Wednesday at Whole Lifestyle Nutrition 
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor and Gluten Free

A Healthy Winter Side Dish

I made a healthy side dish today that was so easy I had to share.  This is roasted broccoli and cauliflower.  I love it all caramelized and crispy, almost bordering on burnt.  

This is so easy and quick.  I picked up a bag of Winter Mix from the local grocer and just poured a serving into a baking dish.  I put it in frozen and drizzled it with olive oil.  I preheated the oven to 425 degrees and cooked it for 35-40 minutes, stirring it at least once maybe twice, just to check and make sure it doesn't burn.  I salted it and served.  I made this for one serving.  If you make the whole 1-pound bag it says it would be five servings.  I love that it is from the garden to the table, even in the midst of winter.

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage  

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Sometimes I just like to put all the ingredients for a lasagne into a crock pot and wait for it to cook.  This way I don't have to dirty a lot of pans to create one of my family's favorite Italian dishes.  

Ingredients

1 pound of ground chuck

1-28 ounce jar spaghetti sauce

9 lasagna noodles

1-15 ounce ricotta cheese

2 teaspoons of dried Italian seasoning

3/4 cup of water

1-4 ounce can of mushrooms (optional)

3 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded)

Cook beef and Italian seasoning in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until beef crumbles; drain.  Combine spaghetti sauce, mushrooms, seasoned meat, and water in a bowl.  Layer thinly in bottom of lightly greased 4-quart electric slow cooker: 3 uncooked lasagna noodles, sauce mixture, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese.  Repeat for each layer (around 3 layers).  Cover and cook on high setting for one hour; reduce heat and cook on low setting for five hours.  Can do ahead and store in fridge.  

Serves 6-8

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage  

Caprese Pizza Dip & Roasted Garlic

I had a get together this weekend and I served two Italian themed appetizers that were worth sharing.  The Caprese Pizza dip was a big hit.  Oven roasted tomatoes line the bottom of this dip and the top is bubbling with all of the flavors of your favorite Caprese pizza.  

Ingredients

1 pint grape tomatoes (2 cups halved)

1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cloves Garlic (minced)

1-8 ounce block of cream cheese (softened at room temperature)

10 ounces mozzarella cheese (shredded)

1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated)

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves (chopped)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil .  Place tomatoes halves on the baking sheet, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt, then bake for 16 minutes.  While tomato halves are roasting, mix softened cream cheese with mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan.  Stir in fresh basil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and mix well to combine.  Place the tomatoes at the bottom of the baking dish, top it with the cheese mixture.  Sprinkle with remaining parmesan, sprinkle the tablespoon of olive oil on top of this.  Bake for 22 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly.  Serve immediately with crackers, chips, or crusty bread.
Serves 4-6

Roasted garlic is another appetizer you could use with any Italian/Mediterranean dish.

Roasting the garlic brings out the sweetness and cuts the bite out of it.  You can take a knife and spread the garlic right from the bulb onto a piece of crusty bread.  When cooked liked this, it is very soft and creamy.  Another way to use it, would be, to remove the garlic from the bulb and mash it into a stick of room temperature butter.  This would make a nice garlic butter spread.

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients

2 or more heads of garlic 

2 tablespoon of olive oil for every head of garlic

Freshly ground pepper

salt

Cut off the top third of the head of garlic and remove any loose skins.  Place each head in a compartment of a muffin tin and pour two tablespoons of olive oil on top of each head.  Add fresh cracked pepper and salt.  Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake for one hour at 400 degrees.  Spread on French bread.

 Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

Maple Mustard Pork

I have been noticing that pork has been on sale a lot.  With the great prices, it was time for me to get it on the menu.  I have used this maple and mustard marinade for several years.  It has been a family favorite each time I have made it.  This works for pork chops or steaks.  

Maple Mustard Pork

Ingredients:
6 Pork Steaks
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Mix the marinade well in a small bowl.  Place the pork in a gallon size zip lock bag and pour the marinade over it.  Seal the bag removing as much air as possible.  Knead the marinade all over the pork till completely covering it.  Place on a plate overnight in the refrigerator.  I like
to cook the pork on a medium hot grill or in a medium hot cast iron skillet.  I cooked this on each side in a seasoned cast iron skillet 10 minutes (each side) or until the juices ran clear.  

Sherry
I will link this to:

Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm 

Strut Your Stuff Saturday at Six Sisters Stuff 

Homemaking Linkup at Hope In Every Season 

Finding the Pretty & Delicious Linky at Your Home Based Mom  

On the Menu Monday at Stonegable 
Rooted in Thyme Simple and Sweet Fridays
Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style
A Pinteresting Party  at Tutus & Tea Parties

Home at Rose Chintz Cottage