Homemade Scones Recipe

I was feeling crafty and was itching to bake, so what says I'm crafty more than a big batch of scones? Nothing, that's what. I was also feeling lazy, so I bought a delicious box mix. I conveniently took a picture of the back of the box (you're welcome). I substituted half&half for the heavy cream to give this recipe a healthier edge.

I loved this recipe because it was a blank slate to whatever flavor I wanted to create. I made two batches of scones, cranberry orange and vanilla chocolate-chip. Nom, nom, nom.

              

For the cranberry orange dough, I threw in fresh cranberries and ground orange peel. The chocolate-chip batch included mini chips and a few dashes of vanilla extract.

Warning #1: Scone batter is addictive and tastes way too delicious for its own good. I was contemplating not cooking them and just eating the dough but realized Dough Boy is not a sexiest of looks.

Warning #2: The batter is also very sticky when diving it up into triangular scone shapes. 

Be patient and eat dough when frustrated :)

               

Voila! Homemade scones.... kinda. 

Happy New Years!

Healthy Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough Dip

Merry Christmas! I'm so happy to be on break from school aka I have time to blog! I also have time to bake again which I always try so hard to do at school, but graduate school had increased my liking for frozen meals and anything microwaveable. So even more reason to indulge myself in yummy home cooked holiday meals. 

I have a small family, but we cook like we're the Duggars. My mom and aunt are constantly wanting to make and buy more food. We should change Merry Christmas to Merry Eating Olympics. I'm always hearing "ah but don't you think we should make another pie" (no, we already have 5) and "do you think we'll have enough food (there's only 7 of us, mom, and we have enough food to feed a small country)." We eat well to put it simply. I try to keep up with my exercise so my body doesn't go into a temporary food coma, but sometimes it is inevitable.

Anyways, this year I have taken it upon myself to help with the cooking. So, after careful consideration from Chef Aunt Ree Ree (her name is Laurie, but I could never say it as a child so she has been dubbed "Ree Ree") I have been graciously assigned.... dip (and also the breakfast basket which I'll elaborate in my next post!) I will make the greatest dip of all man kind. 

I have been dying to make this chocolate-chip cookie dough dip which is made from chickpeas. It's simple and healthy and I'm all excited to lick the spoon.

     What you'll need:

• A 15-ounce can of chickpeas

• 1/8 tsp. salt

• A pinch of baking soda

• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup peanut butter (or nut butter)

• 1/4 cup milk (or soy milk)

• 2/3 cup brown sugar (or Stevia.... I actually didn't use either because the dip was sweet enough)

• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.... I used Minis, they are the perfect size for this recipe!

     What to do:

1. Combine all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) in a food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is smooth and reaches a texture that is similar to cookie dough. 

2. Stir in the chocolate chips. 

3. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. This dip goes great with graham crackers or fruit!

CasiNO or CasiYES?

Merry Christmas! 

I have a trivia question for you.

Q: What does a casino and this holiday season have in common?

A: Blinking lights and disappearing money, ahhhhh haha!

My dad and I had a bonding day yesterday which consisted of a fun-filled bus trip to a casino. We left bright and early, and I found my father and I to be the only ones on the bus without a walker or oxygen tank. Nevertheless, our fellow bus goers were a rowdy bunch and ready to party. I was hoping to win back some cash that I spent on gifts for my boyfriend and family. Come on, big money!

I can count the amount of times I have been to a casino on one hand, but I can definitely see how people get addicted. The lights. The sounds. The whole place is filled with dollar-eyed individuals looking to get lucky.... most who park their wheelchairs in front of slot machines for hours on end. I swear, when I'm old and immobile I hope the epitome of a good time isn't a blinking slot machine.

Fun fact, not to be gross, but casinos have really impressive toilets. These things have a sanitary plastic cover that changes for each user. Spiffy.

Anyways, I was feeling lucky. Every machine looked the same and my dad and I had no idea what we were doing. My first game of choice is shown below... for some reason I was drawn to it.

Here goes nothing. Another thing I learned, losing money works up an appetite! Luckily, casinos like to adorn themselves with great restaurants. I was happy to find that the menu had some healthier options; I ordered the grilled veggie wrap, nom nom nom! It was fantastic!

Luck Lady finally caught up with us and......

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I didn't know what I was doing, but hey, I'll more than take it. 

This trip definitely helped take me out of Christmas shopping debt. Gambling is always more fun when you're winning, but I could never allow myself to do it on a regular basis. More than anything, it was a fun experience to have with my dad. 

I love winter break and how it allows me to spend time with those I love the most.

Enjoy the holidays everyone! Recipes are coming soon, let me know if you're cooking/baking anything yummy! Guest posts are always welcomed! Merry Christmas :)

DO YOU, TOFU?: About Tofu & How-to Cook it

Repost! I just love tofu and want you to, too (you just said tu-tu, ha!).... even if you don't like it, I'm happy you tried it. Substitute it into your holiday menu and say ho-ho-ho to to-fu-fu-fu!

Though it doesn't feel like it, Christmas season is upon us and I have been super duper busy. I have a ton of recipes that I'm eager to share this week, too! So stay tuned and enjoy this wonderful season!

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A year ago if you'd say tofu, I'd say no thanks. It's white, jiggly, and kinda mysterious (I mean how do they make that stuff anyways?). Well, I decided to get over my judgmental attitude and give it a try. Tofu is a great low-fat meatless alternative. It's made from soybeans, so it's packed with protein, iron, calcium and other health benefits. Yay for tofu!

I don't have any fancy tofu recipes, so I thought I'd keep it simple and saute it with some fresh vegetables. Below is the brand of tofu I used; I like that it's a lighter version so it cuts some calories while still keeping all the flavor (well, as much flavor as tofu can have). I'm going to jack-up the tofu with spices to revamp its plain reputation. 

I picked a zucchini, some tomatoes and onions from my garden and sauteed them in a separate pan. Note: Instead of slicing the zucchini, I used a potato cutter to make zucchini ribbons; I cut until I reached the seeded and then threw the core away. It give the zucchini a linguine/noodle look. Its a fun way to change up textures especially at the end of the summer when I have sliced up more zucchinis than I can count. I cut the tofu in cubes and sprinkled it with oregano, basil, and black pepper. I cooked the tofu on high so it would acquire a nice crisp.

I kept flipping the tofu until it turned a nice brown and sauteed the veggies until cooked. My dad said the kitchen smelled pretty darn good,...especially since it was, gasp, tofu (he isn't ready yet to trade in his juicy steak for jiggly tofu but, he did try it!...there's still time to convert him).

Once cooked, plate and eat! So simple and, yet, so good. Congrats tofu, you've overcome your plain stereotype and proved yourself a tasty, meat substitute. I say don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case...a tofu by its tofu-ness. Give it a try and it may surprise you. Team Tofu!

Happy Holidays!

The Organic Industry Structure

As I was chipping away at my 2 year IMC capstone (I'm using Stonyfield Farm as my topic, yay!), 
I came across this chart. Veryyyyy interesting my dear Watson... check it out! 


I promise I'll be posting more after finals week is complete! 


Good luck to all who are enduring this stressful week, hang in there!

Pumpkin Pie Yogurt

Hello all. I apologize for the lack of posts. Undergraduate and graduate work has been consuming my every minute; and, sadly, my creative juices recently have been sucked right through a bendy straw. However, today is a wonderful day because it's December 1st without a flake of snow on the ground and I can finally take a breath and relax. 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Turkey Day and enjoyed time with their loved ones. I was feeling reminiscent of the holidays and craving some pumpkin pie this morning. Well, I didn't have pie and it was terribly sad; however, I did have yogurt. Hmm. Can I make yogurt taste like pie? Probably not but I can try, dammit. 

I'm adding: pumpkin seeds  

                  + cinnamon 

                  + chia seeds 

                  + flax seeds 

                  + agave nectar to my vanilla Greek yogurt

                  = a whole cup of yummy

The seeds give it a pumpkin feel , the cinnamon enhances its pie-like taste, the seeds add a crust-like crunch and the agave gives it an umph of sweetness! Plus it's way healthier than indulging in half a pie (not that I would, ahem, do such a thing....)

FUN FACT ALERT!

Cha...cha...chia! Yes, these are the same seeds that have been used to grow hair on Chia Pets. You're probably thinking ew and wondering why they're on my yogurt. Yes, they are edible and surprisingly packed with nutritional benefits. For a visual, they are the little black rounded seeds below.  These little guys are provide a huge kick of fiber and can keep you full for hours. They also have more Omega-3 fatty acids than flax seeds. They'll have you doing the cha-cha all the way down the health food aisle.

Spice up your bland yogurt and you'll be satified until Christmas dinner--- then I highly encourage digging into the real thing, I will.

Enjoy!