Greek Yogurt Ice Cream

Greek yogurt of your choice  (1 large tub or 4 single serve cups {6oz})
Whipping cream (organic has no stablizers)
Honey to taste
1 or 2 teaspoons of vanilla

Whip the whipping cream, add vanilla, add honey to taste, mix in greek yogurt, freeze.  You don't even need to put it in an ice cream maker, and it scoops out, remarkably well...

So far, I've used strawberry and vanilla and both are fantastic!!

If you are in a hurry you can use Tru Whip...but I have to say, the real cream is YUM.

Scratch Red Pepper Hummus

My mama made this and shared it with me...and it has been a HUGE hit!!

 

HUMMUS

1 15 oz. can chick peas (rinsed & drained)

1 head of garlic

1 red bell pepper

Sea Salt

Fresh ground pepper

2 Tbs. Olive oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Slice a clean cut off the top of the entire head of garlic (to expose the very tip of the cloves). Loosely wrap garlic in foil with a Tbs or so of water. Place wrapped garlic and bell pepper in baking dish. Roast for 45 minutes. The bell pepper should get pretty dark, maybe even black in places. That’s good!

After pepper has cooled, remove skin & seeds. Slice pepper into strips. Use a blender or food processor for remaining steps. Pour chick peas into processor. Add pepper strips. Squeeze all of that delicious, roasted garlic goodness into blender. Gently pulse until it starts to come together. At this point you can drizzle in olive oil or leave it out. Continue to pulse until smooth dip consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate to let the flavors really mesh.

My favorite cookies of all time. Honest.

(Katie's) Molasses Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup shortening (melted)
1 cup sugar + 3 TBSP
1/4 molasses
1 egg
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

There were all sorts of complex directions about sifting and chilling and stuff...but I don't do that...

Then ball up on your cookie sheet and bake at 325* for about 10-12 minutes.

SPEC.TAC.ULAR

Ice Cream

*sigh*
This has been nasty tricky.  Thankfully, I have found one that doesn't tear up Charlotte too badly.

I got a recipe from a friend that involved Cool Whip.  WOW.  I cannot even begin to tell how how many brands of crazy that brought out in Charlotte.  I mean INSANE.

But another friend volunteered that she thought she saw a cool whip natural alternative in the organic section at Kroger.  Frankly, with all of Charlotte's issues, my BEST option would be actually whipping whipping cream, but that's for another day...

Tru Whip
Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
Almond Milk (or coconut...pick your option)
Throw it in the ice cream maker of your choice.

I used Chocolate Almond milk once it it was pretty yum, too. 

Both Tru Whip and The Eagle brand have milk products in them, but there is less than other options, so it's an improvement...and most importantly, it doesn't make Charlotte nuts.


I'm still trying to work out the freezing kinks to Greek yogurt and just make ice cream that way...as for some reason the milk does not play havoc on her belly in that form...

But these were AWESOME...and I just put ginger snaps in the bottom of the cupcake papers instead of making the crusts...shaved some serious time off the preparation...And I jacked the lime juice way up because I like the "bite"...
http://www.littlebittybakes.com/2012/07/key-lime-yogurt-pie-bites/

I've been thinking about making ice cream with Tru Whip and Greek yogurt...that's the plan for tonight...I'll let you know it it turns out!  :)

Summer is moving in fast!!

Fantastic link to homemade popcicles!!!  Which will be VERY important in a few short weeks!  :)

http://tipnut.com/homemade-popsicles/

You know you've got good friends when...

...They message you ways to celebrate major holidays DYE-FREE!!!

My friend Stephanie posted this on my Facebook page and it made me all kinds of happy, I was already trying to figure out what the heck I'm going to do this year!! 

How to Naturally Dye Eggs!!!

SO trying this!!!!

Scratch Stroganoff

I love stroganoff.  It was a staple, thanks to Hamburger Helper when we first got married.  But in our diet overhaul and Charlotte's allergies, Hamburger Helper is no longer our friend.  And so I decided to experiment on a whim this last week...and here is what I came up with...relying on how it smelled and tasted on the spoon.

Brown lean beef or deer meat
Cook some whole wheat egg noodles

In a seperate pot mix up 2 cups beef broth, sea salt to taste, minced onions (I like dried, but whatever floats your boat), about 1/2 a bottled Guiness, and 1-2 tablespoons potato starch...and let it cool a smidge and add about a cup of precooked dry or canned navy (or northern) beans...

Right before you serve it throw a little plain Greek yogurt on it and mix it up right before you serve it and you seriously can't tell the difference from anything I've had before.  According to my 13 year old son, if you leave out the Greek yogurt, it tastes like Krystals...if that kind of thing appeals to you!!  :)