Christmas Holiday Treats!

 Every year we make special treats for the family Christmas party and leave extra's for Santa!  I have refined my favorites through experimentation of recipes and practice!  I feel like I have found the best in flavor and variety!  Our all time favorites are Soft Ginger Snap Cookies dipped in White Chocolate, Fluer de Sel (French salted) Caramels, French Dark Chocolate Bark with dried fruit, nuts and crystallized ginger and of course natures best Clemintines!

This recipe for French Dark Chocolate Bark is very simple!

A combination of good semi and bitter sweet chocolate equaling 4 cups

1 cup roasted cashews

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/2 cup sliced peaches

1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger

1/4 cup dried blueberries

1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries

Melt the chocolate in a double broiler over low heat.  Add 1 tablespoon organic canola oil if it is too thick.  Be careful not to get any water in the chocolate or it will ruin.  Prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the chocolate evenly, almost reaching the edges by 1-inch.  Add the nuts first, fruit and then ginger.  Allow to cool or place in fridge to speed up the process.  Break into medium and small pieces and serve!

Soft Ginger Snap Cookies Dipped in White Chocolate

3/4 cup butter at room temp

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons groung ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (Sugar in the raw) for rolling cookies in before cooking

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add the ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Mix thoroughly.  Add the egg and molasses.  Mix.  Add the flour and roll dough out into 1 tablespoon balls.  Roll into turbinado sugar and place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes at 350`.  While the cookies are cooling heat white chocolate in double broiler.  Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment and dip the cookies half way.  Allow the chocolate to cool and harden before serving.

Fluer de Sel Caramels (recipe by Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa)

First, I love this recipe because it is virtually foolproof!  I am not a candy maker by any stretch of the imagination.  It allows you to walk away and do other things, which is very important for me not to have to be a slave to the stove!  So if I can pull this off so can you!  They are so good, my favorite chocolate candy store can't touch this recipe! Word of caution; you may not want to share!

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon fluer de sel (french salt) or sea salt will do too, plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, allowing it to drape over 2 sides, then brush the paper lightly with canola oil.  

In a deep saucepan (6-inches wide and 4 1/2 inches deep), combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil until the mixture is a warm golden brown.  Don't stir- just swirl the pan.  Watch carefully, as it can burn quickly at the end!

In the meantime, in a large pot, bring the cream, butter and 1 teaspoon fluer de sel to a simmer over medium heat.  Turn off the heat when you are ready to add the sugar mixture and pour very slowly.  Be careful, it will bubble up violently!  Stir in vanilla with a wooden spoon and cook over medium heat, until the mixture reaches 248` (firm ball) on a candy thermometer.  (If you don't have one, get one, they are very cheap!)  Stir occasionally. Once they are ready pour them very carefully into teh prepared baking dish and refridgerate for a few hours, until firm.  

When the caramels are cold, pry the sheet from the pan onto a cutting board.  Cut the square in half.  Starting with a long side, roll one piece of the caramel up tightly into an 8-inch log.  Repeat with the second piece.  Sprinkle both logs with extra salt, trim the ends and cut into 8 pieces.  Wrap each caramel in glassine or parchment paper, twisting at the ends.  Store in the fridge and serve them chilled!

 

Carrot Cake with Ginger Mascarpne Frosting

This carrot cake is divine! So many flavors going at one time, with the spices in the cake, the creaminess of the frosting and the heated crunch of the crystallized ginger!  You would have thought you died and gone to heaven!  Recipe found in Barefoot Contessa's "Foolproof" cookbook.

2 cups organic sugar

1 1/3 cups organic canola oil

3 extra-large eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1 pound carrots, grated

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

Ginger mascarpone frosting (recipe follows)

Crystallized ginger (not in syrup), chopped for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400`.  Spray two 8 or 9-inch round baking pans with a non-stick spray.  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar, oil and eggs on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light yellow and thickened.  Stir in vanilla.  In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones.  

In a medium bowl, toss the carrots, raisins, walnuts and 1 tablespoon flour.  Stir into the batter with a rubber spatula.  Divide the batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.  Bake for 10 minutes, lower the heat to 350`, and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes longer and until a toothpick or knife comes out clean.  Cool in the pans for 15 minutes.  then invert them onto a cooling rack and cool completely.  

Place one cake on flat serving plate rounded side down.  Spread half the frosting on the top (not the sides).  Place the second cake on top of the first cake, rounded side up.  Frost just the top of the second cake.  Sprinkle with the ginger and serve at room temp.

Ginger Mascarpone Frosting

12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese at room temp

4 ounces cream cheese at room temp

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger (not in syrup)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream and vanilla together for about 1 minutes, until light and fluffy.  And the ginger and salt and beat for 30 seconds more.

Winter Minestrone with Garlic Bruschetta

This soup is one of the best I have ever made!  It is very tasty, hardy, filling and very healthy!  And the best part is, I made it all pretty much from my garden harvest and food storage!  This recipe comes from Barefoot Contessa's "Foolproof" cookbook.

Good olive oil

4 ounces pancetta, 1/2=inch diced (optional)

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions

2 cups diced carrots (1/2 inch, about 3 carrots)

2 cups chopped celery (1/2 inch, about 3 stalks)

2 1/2 cups (1/2 inch) peeled and diced butternut squash

1 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves ( I have also used dried and it was great!)

26 ounce can or bottled chopped tomatoes

6-8 cups chicken stock

1 bay leaf

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups uncooked small pasta, such as tubetti

8-10 ounces fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup dry white wine (or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar at the end)

2 tablespoon homemade or store bought pesto

Garlic bruschetta and Parmesan cheese for serving

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large heavy pot or dutch oven.  Add the pancetta is using and cook for 6-8 minutes, until lightly browned.  Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the tomatoes, 6 cups chicken stock, bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and allow to simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until the vegetables are soft.  Add the pasta and cook thoroughly.  Add the beans to heat through.  If the soup is to thick add 1-2 more cups of the broth.  Just before serving add the pesto, white wine and spinach, toss leaves until wilted.  Check the flavor to see if it needs more salt and serve with Parmesan cheese and garlic bruschetta from Harmons or make it yourself!

Garlic Bruschetta

1 baguette

good olive oil

1 garlic clove, cut in half length wise

Preheat the oven to 425`.  Slice the baguette at a 45 degree angle in 1/2 inch slices.  Brush both sides with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted.  Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface with garlic.

 

Homemade Herbal Tinctures

I have been reading a lot about growing and using medicinal herbs.  This past fall I decided to try making my own tinctures.  There are many different kinds of recipes out there for different purposes.  The beauty about one herb is that is has a number of properties to help with different kinds of issues.  As a member of the LDS faith I often reflect upon the word of wisdom given to Joseph Smith in 1833.  D&C 89: 10-11 says;

"10. And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature and use of man - 11. Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving".

There are many recipes and combinations you can find out there.  I suggest you do your own research and make your own recipes to fit your needs!  I highly recommend a book by Rosemary Gladstar called, "Medicinal Herbs for Beginners". It is an excellent and easy to follow step by step book!

Here are the steps I took to make my own tinctures.  There are some I have made with vegetable glycerin and water and others I have made with an 80 proof vodka.  The reason why I made some with the vodka is for long tern storage purposes.  Vegetable glycerin tinctures will last for 2-3 years only.

After you have "marinated" the herbs in either a 80-100 proof alcohol or vegetable glycerin for 6-8 weeks it is ready to be put into it's storage containers.  The tinctures must be stored in dark amber bottles.  Go to http://www.industrialcontainer.com/  for an excellent source of all your container needs!  First thing that you must do is sanitize all equipment with hydrogen peroxide and then strain the herbs through a mesh strainer.

Place a cheese cloth on top of another bowl and strain again.  

Pour the strained tincture into an amber bottle for storage through a funnel.

I use blue painters tape to label my tinctures.  It's easy and cheap and I can stick the tape from one bottle to the other when I need to.  I recommend different sizes for different needs.  Rosemary Gladstar also has a great chart in her book for dosages with droppers and teaspoons.  Store in a dark, dry, cool place.

Homemade Cinnamon Maple Granola

So good on top of yogurt, with almond milk or roasted fruit and even ice cream!

4 1/2 cups old fashionedrolled oats

3/4 cups raw shelled sunflower seeds

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped almonds

2 tablespoons cinnamon

1 1/4 cup maple syrup ( I have tried this with agave and it doesn't even compare to the maple syrup!)

1/3 cup organic canola oil
1 cup raisins (optional)

Heat oven to 325`.

Place the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well.  Add the syrup and oil and mix until thoroughly incorporated.  Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, then stir with a flat spatula and continue to bake until it is light and golden brown and dry and fragrant, about 15-20 minutes longer.  Keep an eye out because it can burn towards the end.  Add the raisins and mix.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Can be stored at room temp in a sealed bag for up to a month. 

Roasted Squash, Garlic, Mushroom and White Bean Lasagna

This recipe is so good you won't even miss the meat!  If you wanted to add meat I would bet on an organic sage sausage being a fabulous addition!  Recipe from the cookbook "Spilling The Beans".

Filling:

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chuncks

1 garlic bulb, cloves separated and peeled

olive oil for cooking

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp. butter

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves pulled off the stem and chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup flour

4 cups milk

2 cups cooked white beans or one 15 oz. can

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

9 sheets whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked

2-4 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 450`

Spread the squash and garlic out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with oil, toss with your hands to coat well.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes, until tender and turning golden on the edges.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat a drizzle of oil over med-high heat and saute the onion for 3-4 minutes, until soft.  Add the butter, mushrooms, and rosemary.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for about 10 more minutes, until the mushrooms have released their liquid, the moisture cooks off, and everything is starting to turn golden. 

Sprinkle with flour overtop and cook for a minute, then add the milk, stirring as you pour it in, and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until thickened.  Stir in the beans and Parmesan cheese. 

Reduce the oven temp to 425`.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick spray.  Put a spoonful of sauce into the bottom and spread it around, then add a row of 3 noodles.  Top with 1/3 the roasted squash and a third of the sauce and a little mozzarella cheese.  Repeat 2 more times and cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the foil and top with more cheese and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.  Let rest for 10-20 minutes and then serve. 

Thanksgiving Dinner

This years Thanksgiving dinner was with my mother in law and my husbands brother.  It was small and cozy and I have to admit I made the best turkey ever!  We also enjoyed fluffy mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole with a brown sugar pecan strudel on top, stuffing, french green beans with caramelized onions, rosemary ginger glazed carrots, homemade batter rolls, homemade cranberry sauce and gravy.  On the side we always like to have raspberry jello filled with fresh raspberries and topped with whip cream and little chocolates decorated with fun thanksgiving figures from Cummings chocolates.  To drink we always have egg nog, cranberry juice and white grape juice.  And for desert we enjoyed homemade pumpkin pie with whip cream!  I am willing to share the recipes upon request! :)

Birthday Pies

It was birthday week at our house!  3 out of our 4 children have birthdays all in the month of October on the 21st, 23rd and 25th.  And no we didn't plan it that way, they came when they came!  So we get together every year and splurge on cake and ice cream, but this year I talked the kids into doing pies and I think it may stick!  It's like Christmas in October!  Here are some of our favorite recipes!

Emma's Chocolate Pumpkin Tart (Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts Cookbook)

http://www.marthastewart.com/314415/pumpkin-chocolate-spiderweb-tart

William's Frozen Key Lime Pie (Barefoot Contessa)

http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=74&S=0

Jackson's Apple Supreme Pie

For the Crust:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup oil

2 tbls. milk

Combine flour sugar and salt in a large bowl.  Blend oil and milk with a wooden spoon, stir into flour mixture until well blended.  Pat into 9-inch pie plate.

For the Filling:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbls. flour

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

4 cups peeled and sliced tart green apples

Combine the sugar, flour, nutmeg and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Add the apples and toss even distributing the sugar mixture to coat the apples.  Place into pie shell.  

For the Topping:

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cupsugar

1/2 cup butter

Mix flour and sugar together and cut butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle over apples.  Place pie into a large brown paper bag.  Staple bag to seal.  Bake at 350` for 90 minutes.  It is so good!  Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Fall Roasted Veggies with Organic Rosemary Chicken

This is a fast and delicious recipe to prepare, just give yourself an extra hour for baking!  I used all the vegetables from my garden except for the sweet potatoes.  You can use any winter squash or root vegetable for this recipe.  

1 butternut squash peeled and chopped

2 large sweet potatoes peeled and chopped

4 medium beets peeled and chopped

4 large carrots peeled and chopped

4-6 Yukon gold potatoes washed and chopped

2-4 chicken breasts
2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary

Drizzle EVOO, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh chopped rosemary over the vegetables and chicken.  Bake at 400` for 45-60 minutes uncovered, stirring the veggies a few times during the cooking process.  Serve with a rustic loaf or cinnamon rolls and a big green salad.

Homemade Burn and Wound Salve

This is a great little recipe for cuts, scrapes, burns and more.  There are only 3 ingredients, equal parts Raw Honey, fresh Comfrey (I grow in my back yard) and Wheat Germ Oil.  Blend all ingredients well.  Apply and cover wound with gauze or band aid.  Check on would and add more when necessary when original application has absorbed.  Do not peel off damaged skin, continue to add to wound until it is healed.  Raw honey cools, removes pain and aids in fast healing without scarring and is also an antibiotic.  Comfrey helps to stop bleeding, heels fractures and mends broken bones faster.  Wheat germ oil is nourishing to the skin, is used as an anti-inflammatory and prevents scarring.  The shelf life of wheat germ oil is short so keep this ointment in the refrigerator for up to a month. 

Homemade Lip Balms

 Okay, so this was actually my second attempt.  I finally figured out that putting the lip balm containers into a muffin pan not only eliminated knocking them all over every 5 seconds, but also kept it cleaner too!  For this recipe I literally spent more on the containers www.aromatools.com than I did on the ingredients.  This recipe is good for 100 .15oz lip balms as you see here or 60 1/2 oz. containers. 

Here is the recipe: 

2 cups shredded beeswax

12 oz. coconut oil

4 oz. cocoa butter

4 oz. olive oil or avocado oil

5 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

20-30 drops of your favorite essential oil

Melt beeswax and the next 3 ingredients in a double broiler on low heat or in a large bowl over a pan with a few inches of water in the bottom.  Once the wax and oils have melted together, add the honey and vanilla and essential oil.  Blend together well with a stick blender.  At this point you will want to test the lip balm to see if it is to your liking.  Spoon a little up and place in the freezer.  If it is good and firm then it is ready to pour, if you want it firmer use more beeswax, less firm, use more oil.  Use a plastic syringe to pull up the mixture and fill each lip balm container.  Mix with the stick blender every 3 to 4 times you fill up keeping it consistently mixed.  Allow to cool for 24 hours.  Cap them and keep them in a cool dark place until ready to use. 

Extending The Growing Season... Red Neck Style!

This year we decided to extend the growing season by making hoop houses over 2 of our grow boxes.  I had a different idea in mind when we put these together.  I thought we would be able to fit the pipes into T fittings and it would hold.  However, they ended up snapping and breaking so we ended up doing it red neck style... we had to save the greens before it froze!  We used 8 1/2 inch PVC pipes, 12 small metal brackets with screws to anchor pipe to grow box (see picture below), and wire to wrap the pipes together for 2 boxes that are 8x4. 

Loosely secure 6 metal brackets onto the grow box, 3 on each side, measuring evenly between all 6. 

Slide the PVC pipes into place and secure the screws tightly.

Cut an additional pipe into 3 sections fitted and measured to be secured in between each hoop. 

Fit the 1/2 inch pipe into a T and secure to hoop with heavy duty wire. Pipe must be cut to fit into the 3 T's.

She's secured down red neck style!

You will need the heaviest plastic you can find.  This is 6 ply.  If you can find 8 ply, that is even better.  Cut to fit the box so it hangs past the ground.

Secure with rocks or extra squash...   Be sure to check the weather and give the plants air to breath especially if it gets over 40`, they can cook!

For additional protection you can use a fabric row cover.  I place this over my crops and then put the plastic over the hoops.  I purchase mine at Steve Reagan. 

First Year's Honey Harvest!

My friend and mentor Robin and I are dressed and ready to go with the smoker and our bee brushes! 

 No openings anywhere!

We first smoked the girls really well (keeps them calm and distracted from what we are doing).  Then opened the hive up and started brushing the bees off the frames. We put the frames into another empty box and then covered it with a sheet keeping the bees off.

 The 3rd super was harvested in just a few minutes and we closed it back up again ready to extract!

We collected 7 frames full of honey in a separate box and took it into the workshop closed off tightly so the bees wouldn't smell it and come looking for the thieves! ; )  Ps. The bees have enough honey to get through the winter in the 2cd deep we left for them.  I prefer not to supplement my girls with sugar water if I don't have too, avoiding potential problems in the future like mites...

 Here is the extractor!  3 frames can fit into this baby at a time.  It is hand cranked and spins pulling the honey out to the sides, later draining down through the bottom.  It comes with a hot knife to help cut off the wax capping on each frame.

Here I am cutting the wax capping onto a pan.  I have plans for that wax!

Frames are ready to spin!

 One of my dear friends and her husband came to help!  We couldn't have done it with out them!

 Here is another close up shot of honey comb!  Isn't it beautiful!  You can see off to the right of the frame some darker spots.  That is propolis, pollen protein for the bees.

 

 Once the honey was extracted we poured it through a  mesh screen, into another bucket with a spout.  It was ready to go into the jars!

 Another shot of the screened bucket.

 Getting the last of the "gold"!

We did really well considering it was our first year.  Usually in the first year you are told not to expect anything.  We got about 12 pounds.  Really good years can produce up to 100 pounds of honey per hive with healthy established colonies!  It takes 12 bees their entire life to make 1 teaspoon of honey!  What dedication!  They are such amazing creatures!  I love my bees!

No one was stung during the harvesting process! :)

Elderberry Syrup for what ales you!

 This elderberry syrup is not only delicious but it will certainly keep any cold or flu bug away!  If you are already sick, it will shorten the duration of the illness.  Many herbs require a break from taking on a regular basis, however elderberries can be taken consistently without the body acclimating to it or lessening the effects.  Here is the recipe:

3 cups water

1/2 cup dried elderberries or 1 cup fresh

Bring the water and berries to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 

 Smash the berries.  Then strain through a mesh strainer into a bowl. 

 Add 1 cup raw honey.  Stir well and keep refrigerated in an airtight container.

Give 1/2 to 1 teaspoon every hour to two hours at the first onset of cold or flu.  You can take 1 teaspoon everyday as an immune booster and preventative.

Homemade Laundry Detergent (great for all machines!)

 This recipe is simple and very inexpensive!  You will need:

1 box Borax

1 box Washing Soda

2 cups Baking Soda

1 container of (perfume,chlorine,dye free) Oxi-clean

3 bars grated Fals-Naptha or Ivory soap

 Grate all 3 bars of your soap

In a large bucket mix all ingredients together and seal with a tight lid to keep away from animals and children.  All you need is 2 T. per load, that's less than $20 a year for laundry detergent!

Pumpkin, Rice and Bean Enchiladas

These enchiladas have a nice mild flavor and is a great way to use up the rest of that large 32 oz. can of pumpkin puree leftover from making chocolate pumpkin bread!  I like spicy foods so I left a few more seeds when chopping the jalapenos!

Preheat oven to 400` and coat a 2 quart rectagular baking dish with cooking spray.  

In a large dutch oven heat a few teaspoons of olive oil.  Add 1 onion chopped and 1 jalapeno chopped. Season with a little salt.  Cook until softened.  

Stir in a 15oz. can of pumpkin puree, 1 1/2 cups water. 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Cook and stir until heated through.  Add an additional 1/4 cup of water if the consistancy is to thick.  

In a large bowl coarsely mash drained beans with a fork.  Stir in half of the pumpkin mixture and 1 1/2 cups cooked rice.  Add 1/4 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese.  

Spoon a generous 1/3 cup bean mixture onto a 6-inch corn tortilla and roll up placing the seem side down in the baking dish.  Continue the process until you have done 8 all together.  Pour the remaining pumpkin sauce over the top.  

Bake covered for 15 minutes.  Uncover and sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese and bake for another 10 minutes.  Serve with sour cream and scallions. 

The Garden Dinner

I've wanted to make an entire meal from the garden for a while.  Everything you see here is out of the garden except for the wild salmon of course.  We enjoyed Mashed Potatoes with fresh rosemary, thyme and caramelized onions;  Tomato, Basil Spaghetti Squash with garlic and a little mozzarella; Fall Greens with cucumbers, carrots and heirloom tomatoes and made an Herb Crusted Salmon.  And for desert a perfectly ripened watermelon!  I was stuffed to the rim!  It was all so good!

Herbed Crusted Salmon

This is a combination of fresh herbs of your choice.  I used rosemary, oregano, tarragon and thyme from my garden all equal parts.  Chopped them up finely and drizzled olive oil over the salmon with the herbs.  A little sea salt and fresh cracked pepper for taste and baked at 350` until done.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil

Cut into one large spaghetti squash, halved.  Scrape out the seeds in the middle and place 4-5 garlic cloves in each half.  Drizzle olive oil over the top and cover with foil.  Place onto pan and bake at 400` for 1-2 hours depending on how large the squash is.  

While the squash is baking chop up 2 cups fresh tomatoes and 1/2 - 1 cup fresh basil, 1 cup shredded mozzarella  and salt and pepper to taste.  

Once it is completely cooked through it should be easy to pull apart with a fork away from the tough skin.  Place the warm squash over the tomatoes and basil mixture and mix thoroughly until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

Mashed Potatoes with Herbs and Caramelized Onions

3-4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed clean of any dirt and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces.  

Boil potatoes until soft.  Drain and put back into the pot they cooked in.

Add your choice of either butter, sour cream, cream, milk of any kind, until you have a good consistancy

Add 1 tablespoon or more if you like of fresh rosemary and thyme

Add caramelized onions (cook onions in butter or olive oil with salt and pepper until deep brown, stirring constantly).  Mix well and serve warm.

Healthy Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

This is Emma's favorite treat!  I love anything pumpkin and fall time is the perfect season to get a great deal on pumpkin puree or to even make it yourself!

2 cups spelt or whole wheat flour or a combination of any grain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup organic raw agave

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

4 tablespoons organic canola oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and soda.  Set aside.

In another large bowl mix together with a whisk the pumpkin puree, agave, spices, salt, oil, eggs and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and fold in until just combined.  

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Place the batter into a greased 8 inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350` for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.

Oven Dried Tomatoes

These oven dried tomatoes are so good!  This is a great way to use up all those extra tomatoes you may have on the vine before the first freeze.  I could eat an entire pan if I let myself!

Start with 10 pounds tomatoes, any kind will do.  Halve or quarter the tomatoes so they are about the same size and place in a large bowl. 

Add about 4-5 tablespoons olive oil and balsamic vinegar to coat the tomatoes.  

Add 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and kosher salt and pepper to taste. 

Mix gently with clean hands.

Allow to marinate for at least 4 hours and up to 8 in the refrigerator.  

Spoon out the tomatoes with a slotted spoon.  There will be a lot of juice in the bowl.  

Place on a greased, rimmed baking sheet.  Be careful not to over crowd or stack the tomatoes.

Place in a 200` degree oven overnight.  

Be sure to turn the tomatoes after the first 8-10 hours a few times to prevent burning.

After all that, I packed about 2 of these jars with tomatoes and some olive oil!  

Worth every bite!