Easiest Holiday Fudge

Easiest Holiday Fudge 

You need:

1 1/2 c semi sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 c milk chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 1/2 c chopped walnuts
2 tsp vanilla

 Line a 8 inch square pan with wax paper, or foil.  In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips, add milk and stir constantly until incorporated. Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla and walnuts. While still hot, pour immediately into lined pan.  Place into refrigerator for at least 2 hours to completely cool and set recipe. You might have to go longer.  When firm, remove from wax paper or foil, and cut into 8 rows by 8 rows for 1" pieces.

Variations to this recipe can be any 1 1/2 c chopped nuts you prefer (ex: almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, or cashews). Or you can make this very festive by using crushing up candy canes instead of nuts.

I have found this recipe, if I watch sales and use coupons during holiday season, is very cheap and easy to make! Chocolate chips are frequently on sale! This makes  this fudge, for me, a perfect addition to holiday gift plates! It actually is Frugal, in that the recipe is so inexpensive, and the candy so rich, it goes a long way- it makes for a fantastic gift without high cost! Allowing me to share the season without a huge cut in my budget. :)

Back to Real Food and loving every minute of it!

Yay! We have a kitchen again! 

Love love love getting back into the kitchen and enjoying REAL food again!
Everything is so yummy when it's chopped fresh and cooked right! 

Tonight my hubby is making fajitas with homemade Mexican Rice and beans.
The Recipe for Authentic Mexican Rice can  found here:  Homemade Mexican Rice.

The fajitas really are simple- a matter of taste, really. Use Steak, chicken, or pork, cut the meat into small strips. Set aside.  Chop garlic, onions, bell peppers and jalapeno. Saute vegetables in olive oil until tender over med heat, add meat and brown. reduce heat, lid, and cook for 15-20 minutes until the meat is tender and done thoroughly ( varies depending upon which meat you choose to use.)  Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with warmed tortillas.

Tonight is perfect example of how it has been since we moved here. I was the helper- and happy to be "chef assistant!" Yay! During our 3 months away, we all missed real food so much!  We would sometimes  talk about what we should make first once we had it all back! Discussions debated between lazagna (last night),  or  pork chops(night before),- even meatloaf  made it in there!  The kitchen is now a new sparked interest, and REAL food is the only thing on the menu!!Watching the family now-  Every dinner is now a team effort in cooking! And I am loving the help in the kitchen! It has been wonderful!Yay!!!!

 Hope you've had a great week!





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Who's hungry in the heat?!

In my neck of the woods, it is just too hot to be hungry.
Our local temperatures and weather are causing warnings to be issued. Excessive heat can be scary.
 I push the liquids and have written a reminder about the heat: Summer is Here!

Summer is a time to careful and mindful of others. 
It's a time to be understanding of family, and patient as a Mom.
Kids can get cranky.
Adults can get cranky, and routines can dissolve right along with anything melting out in the sunshine.
I love our meal times together. I haven't been cooking a lot. My whole family seems to be nibbling a lot. Which is fine. It's just as a Mom, it seems for me hard to get used to.

So I question, Why do our appetites go down with the heat?  

It's actually not an easy answer to find; at least I didn't come across it so easily. But I did find some answers. Now, I am not a professional, but as I personally understand it-  in the cold weather our bodies need the extra nutrients in order to create and maintain our core temperatures of our bodies. However, in the excessive heat- the opposite is true. Our bodies have to fight to cool down our body's core temperature and fight to maintain a healthy temp. It does so through liquids, sweating, and naturally cooling. Think of an evaporative cooling system- water is pumped outward onto pads and air blown by picks up the moisture and cools down the air. Sweating and our bodies is very much like this. Water (Sweat) is poured outward and air blows by thus cooling the skin. It is vital part of being able to maintain health in the heat.
As gross as it sounds- In the excessive heat,  you actually want to sweat! Your body will crave liquids to perform and maintain this function. When it doesn't have enough you will become dehydrated. If you eat instead of drink fluids, your body's systems have to divert blood flow and fluids to process the food, and this takes away temporarily from your body's ability to maintain it's natural cooling system. That's why you get a nauseated feeling, after eating heavy in the high heat. Your body wants to reject this function and continue maintaining your core temp. Your body is in a kind of survival mode at that time, and will give you clues to help you be at your best.

Now, yes, you must eat in order to survive- but during the high heat of the day- it might be wise to avoid heavy foods. Eat small, eat light, and try to listen to your internal voice as to weather or not you need food or a glass of water.  Foods with a lot of water content are fantastic- small portions- snack on watermelon, tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh berries. Salads!  Infuse water with fruit and gain the extra nutrients naturally. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. Nibble, allow kids to nibble. It's okay to divert off the normal routine. safer and healthier for everyone!

Rest when you need to. Water water water, fluids fluids fluids.

Have fun, Be smart about it. Be safe!

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Bacon Wraped Fresh Green Beans

First step with green beans is washing them. I soak them in the sink in water with 1/4 c vinegar then rinse and clean them by snapping off stems and any pieces that are going bad or getting tooo soft.
Next I blanch them, meaning I boil them in a sauce pan in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Then I drain the water and put the beans into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. 5 min. Drain from ice water. In bowl, toss beans with 1 tbsp.  olive oil and seasonings of choice. I like garlic and herbs, or Italian seasoning mix.

Grease a baking sheet. Take a piece of bacon, wrap it around a bunch of the green beans - about 5 beans per wrap. set on baking sheet. Fill baking sheet with wraps and bake in oven 400 F for 15 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked. Doesn't take long.

Enjoy! We are having it with roasted chicken tonight. :)

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Whole Wheat Crisps – perfect snack!

Whole Wheat Crisps – perfect snack!

In food processor combine: 

1 c whole wheat flour

4 tbsp. real butter, cut into small chunks

 2 cups shredded cheese (jack, cheddar, Colby- whatever your favorite is)

 1 tsp. salt

Pulse until mixture looks like pebbles.

Then, As you pulse, slowly add in 2 tbsp. warm water. 

Now, pulse until begins to come together into large lumps- this happens quickly.  Remove from food processor and hand form into ball. 
(You can do this by hand as well with a pastry cutter if you do not have a food processor.)

Pinch off small chunks and form into marble size balls. Line baking sheet with marble sized balls about an inch apart. Smash with finger into place- into small tiny flat circles. (little ones love to help with this part!)

Heat oven to 325 f. Place in center rack. Bake about 15 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool and eat!  Yay!  Really good with spinach or avocado dip!  Or just snack!  ( Teen approved)

Quick Ideas for Breakfast

Quick Ideas for Breakfast
A fast and easy breakfast does not have to include high sugars or processed cereals. Here are some simple ideas:

Fresh fruit and yogurt
An apple and piece of toast w/ 1 tbsp peanut butter
Oatmeal topped with honey and fruit or berries
Slice of melon and cottage cheese
Eggs: scrambled, fried, egg sandwich, omelet, hard boiled, poached
Breakfast burrito with egg, cheese, sausage and salsa
Whole wheat pancakes served with honey drizzled, or maple syrup
Whole wheat waffles served with real maple syrup or molasses
Breakfast smoothie with fresh fruit and yogurt
French toast served with apple sauce
Toast with yogurt cheese or cream cheese and berries 

Asparagus Italian Style

Asparagus  Italian Style

¾ cup water

½ tsp. salt (optional)

3 tbsp. olive oil or real butter

1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley

Dash of pepper

1 lb. fresh asparagus tips

Bring water to boil in med sauce pan, add salt, olive oil, parsley, pepper, and asparagus. Return to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking for about 3-4 minutes. Drain and serve.

Asparagus with lemon and cashews

Asparagus and Lemon Cashew Butter

1lb fresh asparagus spears, washed whole

1 sauce pan boiling water

¼ cup real butter

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

¼ cup organic cashews halved or chopped

In sauce pan of boiling water, cook asparagus until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain. Place in serving dish. 

In small pan, melt butter over low heat, add in lemon juice and cashews. Simmer on low for about 2 minutes to incorporate flavor. Pour over asparagus and  top with small amount of lemon zest if desired. Serve.