Sweet Roasted Almonds

One of our family's all-time favorite snacks. Even the baby loves these. We usually just make them at Christmastime, but now we make them whenever anyone has the hankering for one. They are sooooo easy to make and I love that there are only three ingredients. Well four, if you count the almonds. We give them as gifts at Christmas and Thanksgiving and people always comment how much they taste like the almonds you get at the mall during the holiday season. Well I can tell you this for sure. They are not the same. The ones you buy at kiosks at the mall or at other stores are loaded with corn syrup and other ingredients. Although these are coated in raw sugar, you won't find the ingredients so complicated or so unhealthy. Enough talking. Here is the recipe.

2 cups raw almonds
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons butter (use coconut oil for a vegan treat)
1 cup organic or raw sugar

Spread almonds evenly on rimmed cookie sheet. Place in 350° oven and roast about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until well roasted.

Meanwhile, on medium heat, heat honey and oil to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add almonds; simmer and stir for two minutes, until almonds are evenly coated.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer almonds to a lightly greased baking sheet, or sheet of wax paper and spread in a single layer. Cool slightly. Toss almonds with sugar until coated.

This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled, etc. Great as a compliment to fruit, cheese, and other dishes. Or on their own as we prefer them!

National eclair Day

image credit

June 22nd is National Eclair Day! I like special days like that. Here's an old post I did of Chocolate Eclair Cake that I make every now and then for the kids. It's a good summertime dessert and super easy to make.

Will you be having an eclair today?

Cherry-Almond Smoothie

I am not sure where I came up with this recipe. I found it written in my own handwriting in my recipe binder. So either it's a recipe I found and altered to my own liking, or it's from somewhere else. If you recognize it, please let me know the source!

Cherry-Almond Smoothie

1 cup frozen cherries

1/2 banana

1 cup almond milk

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt (we use Greek)

1 Tbsp. sliced almonds

ice (1/2 cup-1 cup pellets)

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

dinner is served: Macho Nachos

Nachos. This is one of our go-to meals when I have zero desire to think of what to make for dinner. I usually have these ingredients on hand.

Basic Ingredients:
Tortilla chips (we used Costco's organic)
Shredded cheese (Mexican blend, cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.)
Beans (we used S&W chipotle pinto beans for flavor, we also like just black beans)

Optional Toppings:
2 Chopped fresh tomatoes (we used organic)
2 Avocados (a must have for me)
2 finely chopped green onions
a small bunch of cilantro, or to taste
1 cup chopped meat (we used grilled chicken in the ones pictured above, but I prefer mine meatless)
Sour Cream
lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread tortilla chips evenly on foil-covered and rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle desired amount of cheese evenly over chips, about 1-2 cups. If using meat, we put the warmed meat on and then the cheese and then bake. Bake for 5-6 minutes or until cheese is melted. While cheese is melting, heat beans in microwave or on stove top. Spread evenly over nachos. Top with desired toppings. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a lime wedge. Squeeze lime wedge evenly over all and enjoy!

If you don't mind the extra calories, try queso in place of the shredded cheese. Then you don't need to heat anything up in the oven, just make sure your queso, beans, and meat are warm or hot when topping your chips. Delicious. And I love that I can just plop down one pan on the table and everyone can go to town.

mpm: week of May 16th

to see more menu plans or to join in on the fun, go here

MONDAY

fly-off-the-plate pancakes :: cherry smoothies (recipe to come)

TUESDAY

Ina Garten's Broccoli and Bow Ties

WEDNESDAY

Spanish Beef Stew :: rolls

THURSDAY

Cheesy Stuffed Shells :: garden salad

FRIDAY

pizza night :: pita bread recipe :: toppings-asparagus, red onions, mushrooms, etc.

SATURDAY

Cool Italian Pasta :: garlic bread :: watermelon

SUNDAY

 Slow-Cooker Orange-BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches :: garden salad

MPM: week of May 2nd

for more menu ideas or to submit your own this week, go here

MONDAY

Broccoli and Bow Ties :: fresh fruit

TUESDAY

1-2-3 Soup in bread bowls

WEDNESDAY

Spaghetti Carbonara with Spinach :: Bruschetta (recipes for both to come)

THURSDAY

Curried Chicken legs with carrots, rice, and lime

FRIDAY

Pizza night :: Papa Murphy's Take-Out

SATURDAY

leftovers day

SUNDAY

Happy Mother's Day!

Spinach and Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken

Flower Pot Desserts from Pioneer Woman

Mint-Lemonade Slush

I cannot even begin to describe how much I love this time of year. I feel like a bear coming out of hibernation. I've stored up enough hearty winter foods to survive the winter and now I'm ready to be outside and enjoy the light seasonal food of Sping and Summer. One of my favorite things are refreshing drinks, other than water. I love lemonade and this recipe is so tasty and the mint gives it that refreshing quality.

What you will need:

Blender

Water

Ice

Fresh Mint Leaves

Powdered lemonade mix or lemonade (such as Simply Lemonade)

1. Fill your blender about 3/4 full with ice (We like to buy a big bag of ice pellets from our grocery store or from Sonic for making drinks).
2. Add water to about the same or a little less than the level as the ice. If you are using lemonade instead of the powder, omit the water and powder and fill to ice level.
3. Add 3-5 scoops of the powdered lemonade (or depending on brand, fill lid to the 2 quart line with powder).
4. Add 4-6 fresh mint leaves.
5. Blend it until ice cubes are completely blended.
6. Garnish with mint leaves, serve, and enjoy! Perfect for a sunny day.

**NOTES** This is all done by taste, so adjust according to taste.

police bento and bentos 93-96

Even though it is a Japanese police car, I still have to have one or two of these, don't you think? Love this little bento box. Saw it at Wendolonia. You can buy it here.

Speaking of bentos, I've got a few I haven't posted. I'm still being lazy and stressed!

 Easter Bento: Peanut Butter and honey bunny sandwich on Dave's Killer Bread, mandarin orange, baby carrots, Annie's Bunny Grahams (some inside the egg also).

 This is inside the Laptop Lunchbox. Potato and rosemary pizza cut into pieces, Liberte yogurt, strawberry slices, pistachios, and a brownie for dessert. Utensils and a water bottle fit perfectly on the side.

 World's UGLIEST St. Patrick's Day bento: Yogurt cup with rainbow of fruit surrounding it (strawberries, pineapple, kiwi and a couple of rolos at the end for the pot of gold. Half sandwich on the other side with a super UGLY cheese clover on top. haha! Oh well. Sometimes they are just ugly.

A Spring bento for daddy: Ham and cheese sandwich on Dave's Killer Bread, carrot sticks, pistachios, kiwi slices, and a small handful of chocolate kisses.

MPM: week of April 25th

for more menu ideas or to submit your own go here

MONDAY
pizza night (take-out)

TUESDAY
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce :: cantaloupe

WEDNESDAY
grilled cheese and tomato soup from Smitten Kitchen

THURSDAY
My Brother's Tacos from Pioneer Woman :: minted lemonade (recipe to come)

FRIDAY
Cool Italian Pasta :: garlic bread :: watermelon

SATURDAY
leftovers day

SUNDAY
Breakfast for dinner:  fly off the plate pancakes :: sausage :: fruit

Chicken Masala

Hello Food Blogging World. Not up to much, just BUYING A HOUSE. I've been sick the last few days because of the worry and stress of buying a house. I never thought I would see the day and now here I am- a grownup. Our real estate agent made sure there was a garbage bin next to me as we were signing papers because I got really nauseated. It's a funny thing. I don't stress at all about my husband being a police officer, but make me buy a house and face other grownup responsibilities and I need to be given a tranquilizer. It'll be alright. I hope. I'm pretty sure.

Anyway, I knew that on Saturday I was in desperate need of relaxation and comfort food. I don't know how many people would say that Chicken Masala, basmati rice, and naan would bring them comfort, but as I prepped all the food, watched my bread rise, smelled the flavorful rice steaming and smelled the evolving aroma of the simmering spices, all my worries drifted away, and I was smiling. It truly comforted me. That, my friends, is comfort food! What does it for you? I think a number of foods do that for me, but I usually have to go home to my parent's to feel the comfort and nostalgia I long for. I can't always recreate it myself.

This recipe is from a swap. I traded this Indian curry recipe for the one I'm about to share. HF works with another cop that is from England. He loves cooking and especially loves his Indian food. As you are probably aware, England has a huge Indian culture and influence. He gave us his beloved authentic recipe, for our Americanized crockpot recipe, which is still quite tasty. I know you weren't expecting all this yappin', so now I am going to share it with you! Lucky Skunks...

simmering

 side by side basmati rice and masala

 dipping some homeade naan

 homemade naan recipe to come!

CHICKEN MASALA 

24 ounces fresh boneless chicken thighs, fat trimmed off

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 onion, thinly chopped

1 fresh green chile, seeded and finely sliced

1 fresh green pepper, seeded and finely sliced

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp. ginger powder

2 Tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. chili powder

2 (14 oz.) cans of chopped tomatoes

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1 half pint carton of fresh whipping cream

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pan (I use enameled cast iron), and fry the cumin seeds for two minutes until they begin to sputter. Cut the chicken into cubes and cook until white. Add onion, green chili, garlic, ginger and green pepper; fry until the onion color is clear, about 6 minutes. Stir in the curry, cumin, coriander and chili powder and cook for another 6 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomatoes, cilantro, and simmer for as long as possible (a minimum of 5 minutes, but the longer, say an hour improves the flavor). Save a little cilantro for garnish.
3. Just before serving, pour in about half the cream, add more if necessary to change the color from the red of the tomatoes to a creamy pale orange.
4. Serve on a bed of good quality rice that has been washed several times before being cooked. (Costco premium basmati rice is very good indeed).
5. Cheers!

**my notes** The process goes much smoother if you prep everything before you begin cooking. Also, if you are wanting a spicy curry, it is not a hot curry powder you want, but the spicy green chile. If you are using a jalapeno, leave some of the seeds in your curry and that will add some heat. Otherwise, you are going to want a serrano or two, or other chile pepper that packs more heat.

Avocado and Black Bean Salsa

This is HF's new favorite salsa. We are addicted. I've concluded that this salsa tastes good on everything from chips to salads. I got this recipe from a good friend, Kate, who is the queen of amazing salsas. She doesn't have a food blog so it is up to me to share this with the rest of the world. I hope you like it. It makes a lot and is great for all ocassions and gatherings.



Combine the following ingredients in order:

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can white shoepeg corn, drained
1/2 red onion finely chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro finely chopped
Juice from 2-3 limes
4-5 ripe avocados diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 package Good Seasons Italian Dressing, made according to the package directions
1/2 cup sugar

Kate suggests you serve it with Lime flavor tortilla chips. She also said that the ingredients must be added in the order listed or it won't turn out. I don't see why it wouldn't, but it's true she says.

3.14....

Happy National Pi Day!

Did you eat some pie today to celebrate Pi? We aren't mathematicians here in the Fuzz household, but any excuse to eat some pie? We will do so. Today we enjoyed a yummy no bake cherry cheesecake "pie". What did you have? Or what would you have if you were to have some pie?

Read more about Pi day here.  I've been checking my favorite food blogs to see what pies food enthusiasts are making. Here's a bit that the Huffington Post did with some pictures of some popular pies.

mpm: week of March 14th

for more menu ideas or to submit your own, visit orgjunkie!

MONDAY
Taco Salad (leftovers from yesterday)
Quick and Easy Method: crushed tortilla chips on bottom of plate or bowl. Top with seasoned beef or chicken, black beans, tomatoes, avocado, cheese, salsa, sour cream, green onions, etc. Voila!

TUESDAY
John's Chicken Masala (recipe to come)

WEDNESDAY
Cold Italian Pasta :: crusty garlic bread
THURSDAY
Kale and White Bean Soup

FRIDAY
Pizza Night :: veggie pizza (from take out)

SATURDAY
leftovers day

SUNDAY
spaghetti with creamy tomato sauce
Beignets

spring is just around the corner (bentos 91 & 92)

bento for HF: (top left then clockwise)-1 whole kiwi fruit, sliced, chicken sausage with artichoke and smoked mozzarella, english cucumber wheels, and chickadees (like cheese goldfish). Underneath the chickadees are 2 Oreo cookies.

This is an example of another bento in a hurry. I may not be pleased with it aesthetically, but it shows that you can make bentos out of anything lying around pretty much.

Hard boiled egg, frozen blueberries, carrot and cucumber cut into flowers, and 3 Oreos for dessert.

bento #90

I have been such a lazy cook lately! But here is a bento that I am pretty proud of. Daisy was pretty proud to take it to school too.

Left side: yellow tulip cup with pistachios, a hard boiled egg, a silicone cup of kiwi slices, and a little bitty lemon cake bite.

Right side: a couple of pieces of sweet and sour chicken with a giraffe pick, a bed of fried rice with carrot flower on top. The green stem is from a peeled english cucumber. I just used one of the peelings and cut it in strips to create the stem.

bento #89

Bento school lunch in a hurry? No problem. I grabbed two silicone cups. Put a handful of grape tomatoes in one, a stack of cucumber coins in the other. Then I put a handful of Boulder Canyon Rice & Adzuki Bean chips in one corner, and a whole wheat snickerdoodle cookie cut in half in the other corner. I always give our daughter a sports bottle of water to take with her school lunches.

Oven French Toast with Orange Apple Syrup

Can you tell that I love breakfast foods?! This recipe is from Florida's Natural seen here at their website. We liked it very much. For our version pictured above, we used almond milk in place of the milk, and we happened to have fresh Florida oranges (a birthday gift sent from Hale Groves from my Mother-in-law) that we squeezed in place of the bottled juice.

Oven French Toast with Orange Apple Syrup (from Florida's Natural)
Ingredients for French Toast:
•2 eggs
•1/2 cup Florida's Natural® Brand Premium orange juice
•1/4 cup milk
•1 tsp. vanilla
•1/4 tsp. cinnamon
•1/4 tsp. nutmeg
•8 French bread slices, cut 1-inch thick
•1/4 cup melted butter

Ingredients for Orange Apple Syrup:
•3/4 cup Florida's Natural® Brand Premium orange juice
•1/4 cup brown sugar
•1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
•1/2 tsp. cinnamon
•1/4 tsp. ginger
•1 orange, peeled and cut into sections

Instructions:
In a medium bowl whisk together all French toast ingredients except French bread and butter. Dip both sides of French bread in mixture and place in buttered 13 x 9-inch baking dish; pour remaining mixture over bread. Refrigerate overnight or bake. Before baking, drizzle melted butter over French bread. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in large skillet combine 3/4 cup orange juice and brown sugar; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until mixture is bubbly. Add apples, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and ginger. Continue cooking until apples are tender; add orange sections.
Serve over French toast.

bentos 86, 87 & 88

 bento for HF: grapes, regular pringles, string cheese cut into chunks, carrot coins, bridge mix, and a lara bar (peanut butter cookie)

 grapes, lara bar, pringles, cheese, carrots, and 2 gingerbread men

grapes, cheese, strawberry yogurt, star-shaped carrot coins, a turkey and cheese star-shaped sandwich, and a dark chocolate heart.

mpm: week of February 14th

for more menu ideas or to submit your own go here

This is totally late for this week, but I haven't been posting my menus for a while so it's better late than never, right? On Sunday, I made this sweet pork in the crockpot with lime cilantro rice and black beans. I repurposed the meat to use up for 2 or 3 days. I added 1 cup more of salsa and for the black beans I omitted the oil.

MONDAY

Loaded Nachos (I added a little bit of chopped leftover sweet pork). These were delicious!

TUESDAY

Homemade Taquitos with leftover sweet pork. Super easy! {Microwave 10 tortillas inbetween 2 paper towels for 45 seconds so they are pliable. Spread 1/4 cup of desired meat in center of tortilla. Add a sprinkle of cheese and roll up tight. Place seam side down on cookie sheet. Brush taquitos with oil and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve with salsa and guacamole.}

WEDNESDAY

potato soup in bread bowls (recipe to come)

THURSDAY

breakfast for dinner: biscuits n' gravy

FRIDAY

pizza night: veggie pizza!

SATURDAY

leftovers for dinner

SUNDAY

meatball subs :: fruit

valentine bentos

Daisy's school bento: (bottom) heart-shaped sandwich with strawberry preserves (it fit perfectly on the little tray under the lid), strawberry fruit leather hearts. (top) carrot coins in flower shape, silicone heart with pistachios, silicone heart with jumbo olives and a little panda pick, a quarter of a fuji apple with checkered pattern cut out. I put a little baran (bento grass) to separate the apple from the strawberry pocky sticks that you can't really see in the picture. I put a bundle of 8 with a little ribbon for her dessert.

 At home bento for the boys: they are identical. heart shaped turkey and cheese sandwich, pecan sandie on top, cluster of grapes, heart shaped strawberries, and olives on picks.

Bento for daddy: heart shaped turkey and cheese sandwich, pecan sandies, olives, pistachios, strawberries and grapes. Simple, yet it did the job for a Valentine's lunch.

fun snacks for kids: apple smiles

Remember these? My mom made these for me occasionally when I was a little girl, but they had peanut butter spread on the apples instead of honey, like I used in the ones pictured above. We have a kid with a peanut allergy here, so I have to get creative sometimes.

These are super easy to make and pretty much self explanatory.

You will need:

• mini marshmallows
• apples (with red skins preferably)
• peanut butter (we used local raw honey-it was delicious!)

1. Cut and quarter an apple.
2. Cut each quarter into slices of desired thickness (depending on how big you want the lips)
3. Spread peanut butter or honey on one side of the apple wedge. Place your marshmallow teeth on top of the peanut butter.
4. Spread peanut butter on an "upper lip" slice and place on top of the row of marshmallows.
5. Enjoy!

I've been a bad blogger, but I did a guest post a couple of weeks ago over at my lavender ave. It's all about menu planning! Check it out and have a look around. She does a lot of fun things over there.

GOOP

No it's not Gwyneth Paltrow's website, but a homemade concoction for the kids to play with. We've been talking about alien stuff and watching alien movies (kid ones) all week so we made some gross stuff. Goop is cool because it is pliable, cool to the touch, but it is not wet, it's like play dough, but after you've squished it into shape, it flattens again back to its original form. It is NOT edible. The other thing I made after giving into the kids' begging, was green jello. I put a cup of green grapes in it to give it some extra funk and when I pulled it out to serve, the kids pretended to be excited about it, but really they were horrified. It was hilarious. The kids would not eat that jello for anything. When I jabbed it with a spoon and it jiggled, they ran screaming. I guess I haven't exposed them to jello much. Or maybe it was the grapes making their imaginations run wild.

GOOP
You will need two bowls.

Bowl 1:
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 cups white glue
food coloring

Mix together and set aside.

Bowl 2:
2 cups Borax
1 1/3 cups warm water

Pour the glue mixture into the Borax mixture. Mix with your hands and try to get rid of all the clumps. Store in airtight container or plastic bag. If the mixture starts to get clumpy and dry you just squish it around until pliable again. Eventually it dries out and gets flaky and that's when you know it's time to throw it out.

It does remind me however, of one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies, Better Off Dead:

"It's Got Raisins In It ... You Like Raisins" from pudge on Vimeo.

mpm: week of January 17th

to see more menus or to submit your own go here

MONDAY

B:   cold cereal :: milk

L:   parfaits :: toast

D:  Southwestern Grilled Chicken with Lime Butter (this is a family fave we've been making for years) :: couscous :: asparagus

snacks & desserts: apple slices and celery sticks with almond butter :: marshmallow popcorn

TUESDAY

B:  almond & cranberry oatmeal :: almond milk

L:  yogurt with strawberries and blackberries mixed in :: cornbread muffins

D:  Cool Taco Salad (Eating For Life Recipe)

snacks & desserts:  carrots (Bugs Bunny style) :: popcorn :: homemade baked donuts

WEDNESDAY

B:   cold cereal :: milk

L:   pb & j sandwiches :: apple slices

D:  Vietnamese Lettuce Rolls (recipe to come) :: chow mein

snacks & desserts:  popcorn :: smoothies

THURSDAY

B:  steel-cut oats with apples & pecans

L:  crackers & cheese :: celery sticks w/ almond butter :: berries

D:  BBQ Chicken salad (recipe still to come)

snacks & desserts:  toast with jam :: pani popo

FRIDAY

B:  grapefruit :: avocado on toast

L:  pb & j sandwiches :: apples :: almond milk

D:  pizza night :: salad with tomatoes

snacks & desserts:  popcorn :: banana ice cream (frozen bananas-recipe to come)

SATURDAY

B:   oatmeal (maple & brown sugar)

L:   leftovers

D:  weekly leftovers

snacks & desserts:  no bake no bakes (recipe to come) Carrot-Orange Ice Cream (recipe to come)

SUNDAY

B:   cream of wheat :: orange juice
L:   twin sun toast :: strawberries
D:  breakfast for dinner (brinner) :: Sour Cream Pancakes :: sausage

snacks & desserts:  vegies & ranch dip :: creme brulee

lemon cake balls

There is an amazing sweet shop where I live. The owner makes these amazing little cake bites, much like Bakerella's Cake Balls, but they are very small, and amazingly perfectly balanced in moistness, texture, taste, smoothness, and richness. However, they are expensive. So I tried to make my own.

We try to make sweets just once a week, and I was craving something lemony and cakey, so I thought I would make these. I used Bakerella's Red Velvet cake balls recipe as a guide.

Lemon Cake Balls
1 box lemon cake (cooked as directed on box for 9x13 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (I made lemon cream cheese frosting minus the food coloring)
1 package white chocolate bark

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl or into a gallon ziploc bag.

2. Mix thoroughly with frosting. (If you use the ziploc bag you can just squish the mixture without getting your hands messy)
3. Roll mixture into small balls and lay on cookie sheet.
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm.

I found it difficult to coat the cake balls. It got very clumpy for me and thick. When it hardened, it was very hard, unlike my bakery's smooth and soft coating. Also, I don't like the taste very much of the almond bark. So if I do this again I would want a different sort of coating for the outside. I'll have to figure that out. It also seemed like the lemon cake needed additional flavor. I was thinking maybe a drop or two of coconut extract? All in all, it was a fun thing to make and fun for the fam to eat. I could only eat a couple before I had my fill. They are incredibly sweet and rich.