Moscow Mules with Homemade Ginger Ale

Alcohol is frowned upon in the anti-candida diet.  But if you (like us) do indulge, vodka is the way to go because it's distilled and has less sugar/yeast/gluten than wine or beer or other spirits.  That being said, what can you mix with vodka that isn't a veritable sugar-bomb?!  And, FYI, I'm not about to drink disinfectant on the rocks.

So I made a homemade ACD friendly ginger ale and made us some sort-of healthier Moscow Mules. 
YEE HAW!!!

• 3/4 cup ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups water
• 2 Tbs vanilla
• 1 Tbs lemon extract
• 3/4 tsp stevia powder
• Sparkling mineral water (unflavored)

Put the ginger in the water and boil on high for 10-20 minutes until the liquid reduced to half or less.  Strain and put liquid in a jar.  Let cool in the fridge.  Add vanilla, lemon and stevia powder.  Mix with sparkling water until you get the right taste.  Store concentrate in the fridge.

To make the Moscow Mule:

• one large jigger of vodka
• 2 ice cubes
• juice from half a lime
• ginger ale
• lime rind

Put the first three in a heavy bottomed glass and top it off with ginger ale.  Garnish with lime rind.  Stir and enjoy.

Quik N Dirty Sticky Buns

These sound so good, I don't care if they are totally unhealthy.  I'm probably going to make these Easter morning or some other lazy weekend AM when I just want something that makes my house smell heavenly.  I wonder if there is a way to make biscuit mix ahead of time because the only thing I'm leery of in this recipe is the processed packaged biscuits with their myriad of unidentifiable ingredients.  Although, considering this is a LAZY day breakfast, I'm not willing to slave over dough - no matter how healthy it would be.

Anyhow, on with the recipe...

1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and thinly sliced into 10 pieces
1 medium banana, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 7.5 oz tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Heat oven to 375.

Drop a piece of butter in the bottom of 10 compartments of a muffin tin.  Arrange the banana slices on top.  Sprinkle the pecans and brown sugar over the bananas.  Top each compartment with a biscuit.

Bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Place a baking sheet on top of the tin while the buns are still hot.  Carefully flip the tin over, tapping the bottom to release the buns. 

Transfer to a platter, serve warm.

Save Money DIY Vanilla Extract

It's been a week of simple yet profound discoveries.

Today I started some homemade vanilla extract.  I bake a lot, so I end up using a ton of this stuff and it's not cheap (around $5 for a 2oz bottle).  The solution: make your own.  And, like many things, it's so much simpler than I would have imagined.

Step 1: buy some whole vanilla beans in a jar (usually come 2 or 4 to a jar).  This will run you about $12 but it's worth it in the long run.

Step 2: take the beans out and slice them lengthwise over a sheet of wax paper.  Don't cut them in half, just slice them open to expose the vanilla bean goodness within. 

Step 3: put the open beans back into the jar, chopping them so they fit.  Make sure to scrape all the little seeds that might have fallen out onto the wax paper into the jar as well. 

Step 4: fill the jar with vodka.  Bottom shelf is fine here.

Step 5: let it sit in a dark cupboard for 2 weeks, shaking it up every day or two. 

The great part about this is that the longer it sits in there, the stronger the flavor will be.  And as you use it up, just keep adding new vodka.  Replace the vanilla beans every 6 months or so to keep it potent and fresh.

Mmm..homemade DIY cheap and good-for-you vanilla extract.

Easy Cookie Dough Muddy Cups

I got this recipe from my friend, Jill.


1 tube of prepared sugar cookie dough
1/4C cocoa powder (I used 1/8C dark cocoa)
cookie crumbles
4 pudding packs
gummy worms

Mix the cookie dough with the cocoa until well mixed.  My hand mixer actually died - burnt toast - on this so I would recommend mixing with your hands!
Roll the dough into 18 balls (about 1 inch)
Spray a muffin/cupcake pan and press the balls into the bottom of the cups and up the sides somewhat.
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes let cool in the pan for 10 minutes then pop them out.

Then scoop in pudding, sprinkle with cookie crumbles and hide a worm in the "mud".  Adorable and delicious!

I'm making these for a meeting tomorrow and, in retrospect, I probably should have waited until tomorrow morning to fill the cookie cups because now I have to put them in the fridge.  I don't know if that is going to make them soggy (I hope not!).

There's Always Room for Jell-O (shots)

My friend Jill turns the big 3-0 tonight.  I was told to bring pupus/a snack (no brownies, tacquitos, or local food) so I went with Jello.  SHOTS!  Party on.  Feels like Flunk Day, Knox friends.

Jill is a friend from my Christian moms group so I'm hoping that this won't be a misunderstood gift/social faux pas.  It's an "80s Party" so I'm going under the assumption that anyone who throws a party themed after the most excessive decade of the last century is probably looking to get trashed (or at least buzzed). 

Using vodka, I made watermelon, strawberry banana, and peach.  I also used tequila with lime jello to make margarita shots and now the whole fridge smells like a morning after in Mexico.  I am so curious what those will end up tasting like.

Frozen Yogurt Smoothie Pack Recipe

I love those Yoplait Smoothie Mix things but they are so darn expensive! And, although the ingredients are good, there are still a few things in there I find questionable.

So, with strawberries being on super sale this week, I set out to make my own smoothie packs. Here's how I did it.


Cut up bananas and strawberries. Freeze on wax paper lined cookie sheet (this helps them not turn into a solid mass of frozen fruit).
**The browner bananas are ones that I had previously frozen into the aforementioned glob and had to thaw out and refreeze.


Make some plain yogurt (or use plain/vanilla yogurt with live cultures) - mix with vanilla extract. Freeze in ice cube trays.


Place about one banana and 6-8 strawberries worth in a quart size plastic freezer bag. Add 6 ice cubes of yogurt.


When the time comes, mix with 8oz of milk or juice and enjoy your creation! Yum yum!


On second thought...you might want to try 2 cups of liquid because our smoothie turned out more like melting ice cream and I was more than a little concerned my blender wouldn't be able to handle it!

Healthy Delicious KID FRIENDLY Recipes and Links

I made this awesome Oatmeal Blueberry Bread from Super Healthy Kids a few days ago. The loaf didn't make it 24 hours. It was devoured! Breakfast, dessert, snack, whatever it was - it was good.

That started me on a little baking spree. Today I am trying:

Rhubarb Applesauce (also from Super Healthy Kids - I love Amy's blog!!!)
I'm so excited about finding a use for rhubarb that doesn't also involve half a bag of sugar.

Applesauce Cake from Mothering. Mr A is not a fan of cake but I'm curious and have been craving coffee cake lately.

I also made a pizza last night with a 100% whole wheat crust, thanks to my Breadman breadmaker. I think the trick here is to use a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten for every 2 cups of wheat flour (I made it without a few months ago and it was a disaster - last night it was a success).
I was bummed that my vegan cheese alternative - the one that says "IT MELTS!!!" directly on the front of the package - didn't melt. The pizza ended up looking like it was covered in shredded carrots! But, in the "cheese's" defense, it certainly tasted like a cheesy pizza.

Candy Sushi made from Rice Krispie Treats

CANDY AND FRUIT ROLL UPS... (the pile of bills is unnecessary but adds a certain je ne sais quoi)


PLUS RICE KRISPIE TREATS...


EQUALS CANDY SUSHI!!!

I got this idea from Mommy Knows (and here's a link to the tutorial). It's super easy, super delicious, and super cute! Perfect for parties and potlucks.

Yogurt Maker Success Story and Recipe

The yogurt maker is a total success! I have made at least 3 batches of delicious, nutritious soy yogurt and they have all been awesome. Ikaika is eating yogurt everyday and I've even been able to sneak some for myself too.

Here's how I did it.

1) Heated a quart of soy milk on the stove until it was steaming and bubbles were forming on the top but it wasn't boiling. (I've learned that there is really no taste difference in the final product between regular and vanilla soy milk)

2) pour the heated milk into a pitcher and let it sit in the fridge until it gets to somewhere between 120 and 90 degrees. I've been using the thermometer that came with the yogurt maker (but I've heard you can guesstimate this by sticking a finger in the milk and if you can leave it there for 10 seconds but the milk is still warm, it's probably right).

3) mix a little of the warm milk with 2 tablespoons of active culture yogurt, either store bought or some leftover from the last batch you made. Mix it up and then pour it back into the pitcher with the rest of the milk.

4) Pour this into the 7 little jars and put the lids on tight. Load em into the yogurt maker, plug it in and let it sit for 5-6 hours.

5) Put the delicious jars of probiotic goodness into the fridge and enjoy at your leisure!

I've been stirring a teaspoon of ground flax seeds into Ikaika's daily cup of yogurt and he seems to love it. I was surprised that, unlike store bought yogurt, this stuff (even plain) isn't sour or tangy. Also, because the soy milk isn't going to be as thick as regular milk, you have to be careful then stirring things in or it might get runny. But, overall, this is an awesome, healthy, dairy free treat and I am still shocked that it's so easy to make!

Yo Yo Yogurt - benefits of probiotics and healthy yogurt recipe for kids

Yogurt is a nutritional powerhouse, packed with B-vitamins, calcium and magnesium. The real star of yogurt is the live active cultures, or probiotics, which regulate flora in the intestines. These beneficial bacteria help everything from digestion to the immune system. Cultured dairy products have been used for centuries as a health food throughout the world, but the familiarity and availability of yogurt makes it one of the most popular choices for kids.

Beware of heavily sugared yogurts that lack probiotics. These products have little nuritional benefit for children and are essentially desserts. I recommend using plain yogurt and customizing it with your own fruits and sweeteners. Also, always chose a whole milk variety for children under 2, they need the fat for brain and nerve development.

Yogurt blends easily with other ingredients, making it one of the most versatile foods in the fridge. Try adding half a cup to a smoothie or using plain yogurt instead of mayonnaise in tuna salad. Or try this pumpkin pie variety and sneak in some veggies!


PUMPKIN PIE YOGURT

1/2 C plain yogurt with active cultures
1/4 C canned pumpkin
1 tsp (heaping) fruit-only apricot preserves
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Mix and enjoy!



I just got this yogurt maker today - its an older model and didn't come with any instructions! Has anyone used one of these? How does this work?!