Ground Turkey Veggie Rotini

Ground Turkey Veggie Rotini

Amazing. That is all....

Just kidding, that's not all. Granted I say many things are amazing, BUT I could eat this over and over again, it was so good.

I used Hunts Organic Tomato Sauce (traditional), the whole can, used some splashes of organic chicken stock, two handfuls of spinach leaves, 1lb of ground turkey, about 4 vine ripe tomatoes, and typical seasonings: salt, pepper, oregano, basil, etc. I simmered the above at a medium to low temp for about an hr or so to really let everything marry. Then I put it all on some veggie rotini. By the way, you may be thinking wow she posts a lot of pasta... Yeah I do and I won't stop! 

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5
Taste: 5/5
Comments: When can i make this again?!

Toddler Review:

Loved it. He's like his mana, loves pasta....

Summary: Toddler approved!

Fresh Tomato Penne

Fresh Tomato Penne

I had planned on making pasta tonight because I found an awesome quinoa pasta and I was excited to try it. And it just so happened that a good friend of mine had gone to the farmers market and pick up some tomatoes and may have gotten too many. She didn't think she would finish them so she gave them to me, SCORE! I included them along with some Vine ripe tomatoes and two handfuls of spinach stirred into Hunt's organic pasta sauce. a couple splashes of organic chicken stock and 1 splash basamic vinegar and a couple pinches of sugar, salt, & pepper. 

Alana's Review 

Ease: 5/5

Taste: by itself 3.5, but with (a lot) Parmesan 5/5

Comments: More Cheese Please! 

Toddler Review: I don't know if he was just enjoying playing with the food and then eating it but he ate almost all of it! 

Summary: Toddler Approved! 

Mussels in Tomato Broth

Mussels in Tomato Broth

One of my my favorite things to do is mosey on around the grocery store looking for food inspiration.  We have a fabulous local grocer here that carries an array of interesting items that you wouldn't find at Walmart or Target. I was walking around today and came upon some frozen mussels which reminded me of this delicious mussels and broth dish at a local restaurant in Virginia Beach. Mussels are pretty cheap, so I decided to try to recreate that dish with my own ingredients. 

Ingredients:

One 28 Oz can organic crushed fire roasted tomatoes

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp parsley 

S&P

8 Oz frozen pre cooked shell-less mussels, thawed

4 red potatoes

Handful of spinach

I started by cubing the potatoes and boiling until easily pierced with a fork, then I drained them. I then started warming the tomatoes over medium heat. I added the chicken broth, garlic, cayenne, thyme, parsley, and salt and pepper and brought to a simmer. Then I added the mussels, potatoes, and spinach. I tore the spinach before adding. Then I let it simmer for 5 more minutes until the mussels heated through, then served with slices of fresh sourdough.

It didn't taste like the mussels and broth at the restaurant (as I expected), but this did taste good and was a different dish than I usually make.

Sarah's Review 

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: Use fresh mussels if you can, the frozen have a different texture, kinda like chicken and a little grainy. Fresh tastes way better (if you can believe it ;). Also I would up the spices. I was a little shy with them since it was my first time making this dish, but it could definitely use more of the spices. 

One Pot Chicken Quinoa

One Pot Chicken Quinoa

Recipe:http://www.cookincanuck.com/2015/09/one-pot-chicken-quinoa-mushrooms-spinach-recipe/

Whenever I hear of a one pot meal, I'm instantly intrigued. If there's a chance I can cut down the number of dishes I'll have to do, I'll take it! Plus this recipe sounded nice and filling, which is perfect for a hungry gal like me. I'd never tried quinoa before so I figured this sounded like a yummy place to start.

I made the recipe according to the directions but halved everything (I was cooking for one plus two meals, so I only wanted to cook three chicken thighs) except for the spices that went on the chicken, which I doubled because I wanted to make sure I tasted them and seasoned the chicken nicely. Now, if you're going to half this recipe like me, write this next sentence down. ADJUST THE COOKING TIME. I had a silly moment where I thought I could cook the smaller amount of quinoa for the same 15 minutes it says, which then made it end up getting totally burnt and I had to start all over. So please, adjust the cooking times. I did 8 minutes of simmering the quinoa with the lid on. I'd also recommend cooking the chicken almost all the way through beforehand instead of just searing for two minutes, because after the quinoa was perfectly cooked, the chicken was totally raw so I ended up overcooking the quinoa so that I could get cooked chicken. It still tasted ok in the end, although the quinoa had an almost gelatinous texture which wasn't the most pleasing. The chicken did taste delicious though, so there's a win! 

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: chicken 4/5 quinoa 2/5

Spinach Greek Yogurt Chicken

Spinach Greek Yogurt Chicken

Parmesan Greek Yogurt Chicken

Caprese Chicken

I decided to merge these two recipes! I couldn't wait to give it a try. It was delicious! Unfortunately, every component (aside from the tomato) was severely overcooked. But I can't be too upset at the cause. I'd overcook all my meals to stare at this face a little longer!

Chicken was tough and I over-reduced the balsamic sauce (AGAIN) and steamed the green beans so long that I ran out of water and burned my pot. AHHH!! And so the green beans tasted burnt. Yuck. But what are ya gonna do. When the baby needs you, you gotta be mom first, chef second! 

You may be wondering why I have that tiny measly slice of tomato on my chicken. I usually split my chicken with my son, and he is not a fan of tomato. I usually do 3/4 the chicken for me, 1/4 for my son and an extra veggie for him in addition to the sides my husband and I eat. I love meat, so I tend to over-indulge. And this is a good way for me to curb my intake. 

This reminded me of Chicken Florentine, but I've never read the recipe for that before, so I'm claiming this as it came directly out of my mind!

 Anyways - Here's my dets!

Mixed together:

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1/4 Parmesan

1/2 finely chopped spinach

Pinches to taste: Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder

Spread over chicken breasts, bake at 350 until cooked thoroughly (aka NOT 50mins to an hour for 1 lb total weight for two chicken breasts)

While baking, I made the balsamic sauce. 

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

2 tbsp light brown sugar

A couple splashes organic chicken stock (and then a couple more splashes to deglaze the pot when I over-reduced)

 Pull out the chicken, place slice of tomato on top, broil a few minutes, then top with the sauce. 

Alana's Review:

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 4/5 (would be 5/5 if I had cooked the chicken correctly)

Comments: Don't overcook the food. =)

Eggs in a Basket

Eggs in a Basket

Today I wanted to share with you my favorite breakfast to make. It's quick, easy, and very filling. I first learned to make eggs in a basket my sophomore year of college. My best friend and I were starving one night while staying up late to study for an exam and she suggested we make eggs in a basket, and that was when I got hooked on them. Seriously, I probably ate them every day for two weeks after she showed me how to make them. So yummy! So here is how to make quick and easy eggs in a basket:

Ingredients: Bread (I used white bread from a local bakery but whole wheat would work well also)

Eggs

Black Pepper

Paprika

First spray a skillet with olive oil spray and set to medium heat. Next cut a whole in the middle of the bread. Back in sophomore year we just used a butter knife and cut around the perimeter, but now I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to make a pretty diamond-esque shape. Whatever you use, just be sure not to cut too close to the edges or they'll break and all of the egg will run out. Butter the edges of the bread on both sides (you can omit this step if you want to cut extra calories, I just like doing it so the bread has a buttery crispness to it). Once the pan is warmed, put the bread in and crack an egg in the middle whole you cut out. Be careful not to break the yolk. Now, the next part is up to what you prefer. For true eggs in a basket (the kind I like), you cook it over easy so the yolk is runny and creates a little sauce for everything, but if you don't like runny yolks then you can cook it through. I've overcooked them before and they are still tasty with fully cooked yolks, so just cook to your preference. For over easy, cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side then flip and cook another 1-2 minutes on the other side. You can tell where the yolks are at in the cooking process if you poke them with the corner of your spatula. If it looks like a waterbed then they're runny. Once they're cooked to your liking on both sides, take them out and sprinkle with black pepper and paprika. Voila!

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 5/5

Comments: As I said above, you can sub whole wheat for the white bread to make this healthier. Also, this isn't a dish to use farm fresh eggs in if you're wanting to make the eggs runny. I'd recommend using pasteurized eggs (the kind you get at the store) versus fresh eggs straight from the chicken. You're safe using pasteurized and eating runny yolks, but farm fresh eggs would be iffy.

Broccoli Tots

Broccoli Tots 

http://gimmedelicious.com/2015/05/17/healthy-baked-broccoli-tots/

Let me first just say... I LOVE broccoli. And after years of carefully including it into my tastiest dishes, my husband finally likes broccoli too! Our toddler, however, does not... yet! So, in effort to recruit him to the broccoli-loving side I decided to try these broccoli tots. If you ask me I'd say I much prefer plain steamed broccoli, but this post is for my little buddy. 

I altered the above linked recipe a little.

2 cups steamed broccoli, chopped finely 

3/4 cup cheddar cheese

3/4 cup finely "chopped" unsalted saltine crackers

To taste: salt & pepper

3 eggs

Mix 'em, mold 'em, bake 'em.

22-25min @ 450 degrees

Alana's Review 

Ease: 2/5

Taste: 3/5

Comments: It was good, and my son ate it. So, it's a win. BUT like I said I like the broccoli by itself better. One nice thing about this is that I was able to freeze the left overs to heat up for baby boy when I'm short a veggie for him come dinner time.

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

http://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2015/09/11/clean-eating-classic-cinnamon-rolls/

This morning I decided to make these whole wheat cinnamon rolls. The picture looked delicious and the blogger said her family thought they tasted better than store bought, so it sounded great to an avid cinnamon roll lover like me. They were easy to make, but they took FOREVER to make. I want to eat ASAP while I'm cooking something, so the time it took to make these made me almost go get donuts at my local donut shop...luckily I persevered and distracted myself with TV so I didn't. Finally they were done and out of the oven. I took a bite and.....ehh. They weren't bad, just not the cinnamon rolls I'm used to. I like my cinnamon rolls fluffy, sweet, and covered with icing. I could live with these not having icing, but it's hard to make whole wheat food "fluffy", so these were just dense little cinnamon rolls. They're not the worst, I'll still eat the rest, but I probably won't make these again. I'm afraid the unhealthy food wins this time.

Sarah's Review 

Ease: 2/5

Taste:2/5

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Chicken Tortellini Soup

One thing you'll notice as you see more soup posts from me is that I really don't care for broth-y soups. I'm a hungry gal, and a bowl of broth with a few pieces of veggies or meat in it is NOT going to fill me up. I say this because it served as the inspiration for this chicken tortellini soup I made. I came across a picture of a chicken noodle soup-esque soup with tortellini in place of egg noodles, which sounded yummy. I started out making using its recipe but soon discovered that the amount of veggies and such were not enough to satisfy me, so I improvised and ended up making a soup of my own stuffed with delicious veggies and chicken and tortellini. Here's the recipe:

2 chicken large chicken breasts

3 medium carrots, sliced

2 stalks of celery, sliced

1 cup sliced portabella mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cans chicken broth with roasted vegetables (see my turkey meatball soup post about this wonderful broth)

1/2 cup water

2 bay leaves

2 tbsp dried onion flakes

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 7oz box dried multicolored cheese tortellini

Handful of fresh spinach

Start out by searing the chicken in a large pot over medium heat with a little olive oil. Once cooked through, take the chicken out and immediately put in the carrots and celery and cook until tender. Meanwhile, either shred or thinly slice the chicken. I decided to get fancy and thinly slice it. Once the veggies are tender, add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms are starting to brown. Once all the veggies are cooked, add the broth, water, bay leaves, onion, and parsley. Turn the burner to medium-high heat and bring soup to a simmer. Once simmering, add the tortellini and cook at a simmer for 15 minutes, or until tortellini are fully cooked. A few minutes before serving, add the spinach and cook until wilted. Don't forget to take out the bay leaves before serving!

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: My boyfriend and I were split on the tortellini. I didn't like them at all, they had a weird, fake cheese flavor to them (they were clean and made with real parmesan though). My boyfriend did like them though, so let me know if you try them and what you think! Otherwise the soup was delicious. Next time I'll try another brand of tortellini (or maybe get crazy and make my own!).

Parmesan Greek Yogurt Chicken

Parmesan Greek Yogurt Chicken

As unappetizing as the picture looks is as tasty as it was. Haha. So, here is my recipe. 

Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Pinches: salt, pepper,  garlic powder, Mrs. Dash lemon pepper

Mix everything but the chicken in a bowl. Place the chicken in sprayed or oiled baking dish. Top each breast generously with mixture. I baked @ 375 for 40-45minutes.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: I liked it very much! It was so cheesy and moist. By the end it was a little too lemony, even for me. My husband doesn't like lemon chicken, like at all. I thought it wouldn't be as lemony as it was. So next time I think I'm going to switch it up and instead of a lemon taste I'm going to use chopped spinach. 

Ground Turkey Shell-less Tacos, Take 2!

Ground Turkey Shell-less Tacos,  Take 2!

I finally got around to remaking my Shell-less Tacos described here: Take 1!

I did everything exactly the same, except I made my own salsa! I used the store bought salsa to flavor the ground turkey like before. I just wanted to make sure my salsa tasted good before I mixed it all up in my food. 

Salsa:

Extra virgin olive oil, heated

1 small onion chopped finely, sauteed

1 & 1/2 tsp dried cilantro

Pinches: salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder

2tbsp honey (in many recipes I saw people used sugar, so this was my substitute)

A splash of organic chicken broth

While I cut up 3 large Roma tomatoes I threw the squishy insides in the sauté pan.

I threw the chopped tomatoes in at the end and turned off the heat but left the pan on the warm burner while I mixed it all together and then prepared the other parts of the meal

Alana's Review

(salsa)

Ease: 5/5

Taste:3.5/5

Comments: less onions, more spice! 

Turkey Meatball Soup

Turkey Meatball Soup

My favorite thing to do is make a big pot of soup at the beginning of the week and take it to work for lunch throughout the week. Unfortunately, I'm super picky when it comes to soup so I usually stick to some variation of chicken noodle soup. Well, I decided I needed to jump out of my soupy comfort zone and try something new, so I decided on a turkey meatball soup (based off of this recipe: http://chefsavvy.com/recipes/turkey-meatball-vegetable-soup/). I'm not a big fan a ground turkey, but it's so much healthier than beef so went ahead and tried this soup anyways. I made the meatballs like the recipe says to but I also added some garlic powder to the meatball mixture to give it a little more flavor. My motto is you can never have too much garlic. After they were done, I added a head of chopped broccoli and 2 chopped carrots and sauteed those until they were tender. About halfway through I also added 4 big baby portabello mushrooms that I had sliced thin. Once the carrots started getting tender, I added the garlic, sauteed for a minute, then added 4 cups of chicken broth with roasted vegetables*, 1 cup water, and about 2 tbsp dried onion flakes. Once this started simmering I added a few dashes of black pepper, about 1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley, 1 tsp chili powder, 2 handfuls of spinach, and the meatballs I cooked earlier and let this cook until the spinach wilted. I then served with some fresh sourdough bread slices. 

This soup was quite tasty after I first cooked it, but it honestly was way better the subsequent days when I took it for lunch. The meatballs had soaked up more broth and all of the flavors had melded together beautifully. This soup is definitely going to overthrow my usual chicken noodle soup.

*So let me tell you about this broth. One day in Walmart I saw they had these cans of chicken broth with roasted vegetables on clearance, and since they hadn't expired I figured I'd give them a shot. These definitely lifted up this soup way more than normal chicken broth would have. It had a fantastic flavor and little bits of veggies in it. Now, a disclaimer, it's not really "clean" broth, but I'm not about to sit around making homemade broths so it will have to be a cheat. Feel free to add homemade broth to this soup, but I really think this broth is amazing and gave this soup a great flavor.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: 5/5

Warm Bruschetta

Warm Bruschetta

The inspiration for this dish came from none other than Alana! My boyfriend and I wanted a snack to munch on while we binge-watched the new season of House of Cards, and I checked up on the blog to see Alana's new post and it looked delicious! If you haven't seen it, go to the next post immediately. 

I've never made bruschetta but had the basic ingredients on hand, so I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm not a fan of raw tomatoes or cold mozzarella, so this is a warmed up version.

I quartered yellow sun burst tomatoes, sprinkled them with salt, and roasted in the oven at 425 for 15 minutes. While that was doing its thing, I sliced a loaf of sourdough bread about half an inch thick and drizzled with olive oil. Once the tomatoes were done, I switched the oven to broil and put the bread in for about 2 minutes. I mixed the tomatoes, mozzarella cheese pearls that I cut in half, garlic powder, dried parsley, and dried Italian seasoning and spooned onto the bread. Then I put it back in the oven at 375 for 3 minutes so the mozzarella could warm through. Once I took them out, I sprinkled with a little pepper and dug in!

These came out wonderfully and were the perfect snack for our night of laziness.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 5/5

Clean Bruschetta

Clean Bruschetta

We had left over spaghetti from last night, so I threw together a classic at our home. I have made this many times, and it's always been unintentionally clean. So I thought I'd share! I like my bruschetta fresh and simple. I ran out of dried basil and dried oregano (AHHH!). So I had to make due with what I had, but typically I would use both of those items.

3-4 chopped Roma Tomatoes (love these)

Fresh Mozzarella, cubed

3/4 cup chopped spinach

Pinch: Salt, Pepper

(Again - I try to use the left over ingredients from previous meals, I had a couple loaves of delicious bread that my husband picked. I used this as my toasted bread)

Brush Olive Oil over sliced bread. 

Sprinkle: Garlic Powder, Thyme, & Rosemary over them

With the oven still hot from reheating my spaghetti, I turned it off and turned on the broiler. 

They did come out a little more burnt than I would have liked, but honestly it was still amazing. This is one of my favorite things to make. So fresh and easy.

Once plated, we dusted with Parmesan.

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comments: Put Oregano and Basil on my grocery list.

Spinach and Tomato Spaghetti

Spinach and Tomato Spaghetti

So, I need to use recipes more to spice up our meals, but in general I love to just wing it and come up with my own recipes. This is my first attempt at clean spaghetti. 

Just like brown rice and whole wheat bread, I cannot stand whole grain pasta... I know, it's kind of hard to eat healthy without liking such major healthy staples. But, in effort to make it clean and healthier, I used veggie pasta. It said it was made with carrot and tomatoes. I'll take it! 

This turned out much sweeter than I expected.I think the pasta played a role, but all in all, pretty good! 

Sauce:

Heated olive oil in a pan

Sautéed minced garlic (removed once cooked)

Sautéed approx 2cups chopped fresh organic spinach

2 1/2 tomatoes

3/4 cup organic chicken broth

Dried 1tsp: basil, oregano, thyme

Pinch: salt, pepper, cilantro

Cook until tomatoes are cooked.

Toss in cooked spaghetti, mix in Parmesan to taste. 

Alana's Review

Ease: 5/5

Taste: 4/5

Comments: When I first tasted it, I liked it, but it seemed kind of boring. All the tastes in the dish were pretty much the same so nothing stood out. I attempted to put some balsamic vinegar in it, of course it'd be much better cooked in the first place still... but that wasn't quite it either. So I put more parmesan on it and that did the trick. Next time, I will put more cheese in the pasta and maybe a little vinegar while sautéing vegetables. 

Pistachio Pesto Pizza

Pistachio Pesto Pizza

My favorite pizza is at a small pizzeria in Tulsa. It has tons of cheese and a pistachio pesto on it, and oh man, it is delicious. I love pesto, especially interesting ones that are based on ingredients other than the classic pesto, so I fell in love when I ate this pizza. Tulsa is a bit of a drive from Oklahoma City, so I decided to try a version of this pizza at home, and it turned out pretty tasty.

I made the pizza crust by mixing 1 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt and 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, and kneading until a dough formed. I rolled it out to about 1/4 inch thickness and baked at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until it was cooked through. The toppings were a thin layer of all natural pasta sauce (not homemade, but it was made whole ingredients), small fresh mozzarella pearls, yellow sunburst tomatoes that I had roasted at 425 for about 10 minutes or so, and pistachio pesto (recipe below). I baked this at 375 for about 8 or so minutes, until the cheese melted. I was impressed with how the pesto came out and all of toppings tasted great together. It can't beat my favorite pizza in Tulsa, but it sure will hold me over in the meantime!

Pistachio Pesto

1/2 cup shelled pistachios

1/4 parmesan cheese

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tbsp water

1/2 garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp orange juice

Pinch of pepper (if pistachios are unsalted, add a pinch of salt)

Mix everything in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: 4/5

Suggestions: Everything on the pizza was fairly soft, so adding some fresh chopped pistachios on top would be delicious for a little crunch.

Caprese Chicken

Caprese Chicken

I used the balsamic vinegar reduction from the link at the bottom. I accidentally reduced it a TAD too much, haha. But it still worked. I also waited a few minutes to take a photo, so the crisp fine lines of sauce had spread. But it tastes a lot better than it looks. And I think it looks pretty good!

This was amazing. I salt and peppered the chicken then seared each side, then baked it. I did the typical mozzarella and tomato topping and broiled them the last 3-5 minutes.  I kept it pretty simple, the only change I did from the traditional recipe is instead of fresh basil leaves, I used dried. I try to cut up our meals for our toddler and I thought it would be easier for him to eat and still get the taste. Anyways, it was great and will be on our meal rotation! I paired it with a simple tossed salad with Parmesan, no dressing. You're able to use the sauce from the chicken. I also toasted some cut bread with olive oil, dried oregano, dried basil, pepper, and garlic powder to serve sort of like a crouton.

Alana's Review

Ease: 4.5/5

Taste: 5/5

Comments: No changes needed! I can't wait to make this again!

http://damndelicious.net/2015/05/02/baked-caprese-chicken/?m

Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Pasta with Garlic Breadcrumbs

Recipe: https://lasvegasfoodadventures.wordpress.com/2010/02/10/pasta-with-garlic-breadcrumbs-pasta-con-pangrattato/

I'm always looking for new ways to eat pasta, it is my number one food group after all. I stumbled upon the recipe above and though, "Oh how fancy!" and had to give it a try. Pasta with toasted bread crumbs, parmesan, and garlic? Sounds like a match made in heaven! I substituted whole wheat pasta and whole wheat panko breadcrumbs, and also used only about a tablespoon of oil. 

I took the first bite: Mmm, delicious! I could taste the garlic, parmesan, and the toasty breadcrumbs. This recipe is getting a 5/5, for sure! Then I took the next bite: Alright still pretty good! And then I took a few more: Wow my mouth is getting awfully dry, I need some water with this. A couple more: So I'm not tasting much besides bread crumb anymore. And I'm so thirsty! Aaand a few last bites: Well, I had to drink a glass of water to get through it, and the bread crumbs started getting stuck in my throat while also flying everywhere as I ate....maybe 5/5 is a little generous.

So what I thought would be a winner turned out to be a dud. The first few bites are great, but then you should just stop because all of those bread crumbs really dry you out. It's quite messy as well, and I'm not a messy eater. As you twirl your fork, those bread crumbs really fly! I think it would be better to make another type of pasta and then sprinkle some of these bread crumbs on top. The texture was nice, there was just too much of it.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 4/5

Taste: 2/5

Chocolate Chip Scones

Chocolate Chip Scones

Recipe: http://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2015/05/05/clean-chocolate-chip-scones

This morning I wanted a special treat for breakfast, so I decided to try my hand at making scones. Not just normal, fruity scones, CHOCOLATE CHIP scones. Can you tell I'm a chocoholic? I found a clean eating recipe on Pinterest and figured I'd give it a shot. They were pretty easy to make, although they were a bit smaller than I was imagining they'd turn out. The scone dough itself isn't a sweet one which provided a yummy contrast with the sweet milk chocolate. (I know, still not using dark, but I have to get rid of these chocolate chips on hand!) The only thing I'd recommend is baking these at 400 degrees instead of 425 like the recipe suggests. I baked them at 425 for 17 minutes (the shortest amount of time the recipe said) and they came out very browned and some of the chocolate chips on top had scorched. They still tasted good after I scraped off the burnt chocolate, but scones aren't meant to be as brown as they turned out so next time I'll turn down the temperature and watch them more closely. Otherwise, a tasty recipe to make!

Sarah's Review

Ease: 3/5

Taste: 4/5

Homemade Chocolate

Homemade Chocolate

Recipe: http://www.bakerita.com/paleo-chocolate-chunks/

I've done it. I have found the most amazing recipe ever. Nothing can ever trump this recipe. It's two wonderful words: chocolate. chunks. And not only is it delicious chocolate chunks, it's CLEAN chocolate chunks! Whaaat?? 

Yes, I was as shocked as you are when I found it. I always thought, "I guess I'll have to either give up chocolate altogether or cheat on my diet" (which of course I chose the latter.) But then I stumbled upon paleo chocolate chunks, and my life has been changed. Now, a disclaimer, I don't know if you can really cook with this recipe. The gal I got it from says she does, but the recipe she took inspiration from says not to (plus it being oil based is telling me not to). So, feel free to attempt it, but don't hate me if it doesn't work. I warned you! 

I was afraid while I was making it that it would have a weird, possibly oily taste. Well, thankfully it does not. It just tastes like delicious dark chocolate! The recipe also couldn't be easier, all you do is melt the coconut oil in a sauce pan, whisk in all of the other ingredients, and chill in a mold in the fridge (I used a small baking pan lined with wax paper.) 

I have many plans for these yummy delights (some of which I'll post soon), but they're fabulous just on their own. I portioned some in small plastic cups to pop in my lunch bag for a delicious, perfectly portioned snack to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Sarah's Review

Ease: 5/5
Taste: 5/5