savoy062

A Vitamix found itself delivered to my front porch. I don't really know how or why, but it did. My loving husband (my sweet, kind, wonderful husband) ordered it without really telling me so it was a big surprise. Our stick blender died and our food processor was on it's last leg. Instead of buying another $100 blender or food processor that is just going to die on us in a couple years he went ahead and invested in a Vitamix.  I saw the UPS truck pull up and I assumed my husband had ordered something from Amazon as he is fond of doing. But as the UPS driver emerged from his truck I saw that he was holding a large cardboard box with big bold letters spelling out "Vitamix". What a surprise! Initially I scoffed at the idea of spending so much on one kitchen appliance but I really do love it. I have been experimenting with it as much as possible. I've been making homemade almond milk, smoothies, pureed soups and sauces. I still have more I want to try, like p...

I used to have marathon cookie baking sessions with my friend Matt.  He made a great molasses cookie and he was kind enough to share his recipe with me.  It's chewy, spicy, and always comes out great.  I know some people will sub out the shortening for butter but to get the best texture shortening is the way to go. Ingredients 1 1/2 cups shortening melted 2 cups white sugar 1/2 cup molasses 2 eggs 4 cups flour 4 tsp baking soda 2 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp salt Mix together dry ingredients Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time then add the molasses.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Dough will be stiff.  Scoop with a cookie scoop or portion out dough into walnut size balls.  Roll dough in you hands to form smooth balls.  Roll balls in sugar, place on a cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Press the dough balls with the bottom of a glass to flatten slightly.  Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minu...

When I saw the Harvest Bites pan by Nordic Ware at William Sonoma I had to pick it up.  Seasonal or novelty kitchen items are rare in my kitchen.  I try to stick with multipurpose items, the basics, but this pan was just too much to pass up. This basic spice cake recipe was printed on the packaging for the pan, I adjusted the cake to be dairy free as well as up the spice flavor.  I hope you enjoy! Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 cup almond milk 1/2 cup oil 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 eggs

These are a favorite in my house.  I always make them at Christmas time to add to cookie platters because they are quick, easy, and budget friendly.  If you like coconut, you will love these cookies. You only need 4 ingredients 8 ounces sweetened flake coconut (about 2 1/4 cup) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 4 egg whites pinch of salt

When my brother told me about smoked deviled eggs he made, I knew I had to try them for myself.  I was planning on smoking a chicken anyway so I added a half dozen hard-boiled and peeled eggs to the smoker.  I smoked them at 225 degrees F for about 30 minutes.  I used apple chips but you can use any wood you like. Once the eggs were smoked and cooled you proceed just like normal deviled eggs.  To make the filling I mixed the yolks with a couple tablespoons of mayo, a teaspoon or so of yellow mustard, a tablespoon of pickled diced jalapenos (with a splash of the vinegar brine from the jar) and salt and pepper.  I topped each egg with crumbled bacon and paprika.  If you have a favorite deviled egg recipe you can substitute that filling in these smoked eggs. The eggs were so amazing.  They are satisfying on so many levels, creamy, smokey, spicy, savory.  They are not much more work than regular deviled eggs but they are so unexpected and different. ...

Dried bananas are a great snack and really easy to make with a dehydrator.  Dried banana you make at home will never taste like the banana chips you can buy at the store, thats because those banana chips are not dried, they are deep fried.  Instead of trying (and failing) to replicate those crispy crunchy fried banana chips, why not try making flattened bananas. You will want to use fully ripened, or even over ripened bananas.  The more black the skin becomes, the sweeter the banana.  Just smash the banana onto the fruit leather tray of your dehydrator and dry them at 135 degrees for about 12 hours.

After a little tweaking I came up with a perfect whole wheat soft pretzel recipe.  These pretzels are soft and chewy, slightly sweet and completely delicious.  They are awesome served warm with spicy brown mustard. I based the recipe on Alton Brown's recipe  but I needed to make it dairy free and I wanted to make it whole wheat.  In my opinion, the egg wash is unnecessary and a silicone mat is a better option that greasing the pan.  Upping the yeast to a full tablespoon helps the whole wheat dough rise to its full potential.  Below is the recipe as I made it. 1 1/2 cups warm water 1 T Sugar 2 t salt 1T yeast 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour 2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 stick Earth Balance vegan margarine 10 cups water with 2/3 cup baking soda Combine the 1 1/2 cup warm water, sugar, salt and yeast.  Stir to dissolve.  At this point you can proof the yeast.  If you know your yeast is viable (fresh and stored properly), you can skip this step, it w...

I had a bunch of raw almonds and needed a snack, like a snack attack came down upon me in a real way.  This is what I came up with. Seasoned Almonds 1 egg white + a drizzle of water 3.5 cups raw almonds 1 teaspoon salt Variation #1 - Cinnamon Sugar 1/4 cup white sugar 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon Variation #2 1/4 cup white sugar 2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 2 teaspoon cumin Preheat oven to 300 F. Beat the egg whites and water until foamy. This isnt anywhere near peaks of any kind but there is alot of air incorporated so there is a significant increase in volume. I beat mine with a fork (by hand) for about 2 minutes. Dump the almonds and egg white fluff into a large bowl and mix to completely coat all the almonds. Sprinkle the salt and whichever seasonings you choose and toss well with a fork to get even coverage. Pour out onto a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 45 minutes. They turned out perfectly roasted but I think the spicy version could have had a littl...