Berry Cheescake Jars
24 ounces of berries (I use a combo of blueberries & raspberries) For the Graham Cracker Crust Layer: 2 heaping cups of graham cracker crumbs 6 Tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup melted butter For the Cheesecake Layer: 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1 cup sugar 1 cup sour cream (entire 8 oz container) 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 4 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest Combine all of the graham cracker crust ingredients (mix with a spoon until butter is evenly coated over crumbs). Divide about half of the mixture into 8...
Read MoreRicotta Honey Cheesecake
12 oz whole milk ricotta 16 oz mascarpone cream cheese @ room temp 3/4 cup natural sugar 1/4 cup honey 1 TBSP lemon or orange zest 4 large eggs Place two 9 x 11 Pyrex dishes filled with water on the bottom rack. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter or coconut oil and set aside. Blend the ricotta in a food processor (with S blade) until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sugar and blend well, stopping the machine occasionally to scrape down the sides. Blend in the honey and zest. Add the eggs and pulse until just blended. Pour the cheese mixture into the...
Read MoreCarrot & Raisin Salad
2 TBSP lemon juice 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil 2 TBSP chopped fresh mint leaves 1 TBSP minced fresh chives pure salt to taste 1 lb carrots (about 4 large), peeled & shredded 1/4 cup raisins (or a 1 oz box) In a salad bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, mint, chives, and salt to taste. Add the carrots & raisins & toss well. __________________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ I’m a big fan of carrot salads, and this is a good one! It’s very easy to throw together, especially if you shoot the carrots through a...
Read MoreFresh Cranberry Pecan Sauce
1/2 cup pecan halves (optional) 1/2 cup Madeira (or other sweet dessert wine such as Marsala) 3/4 cup maple syrup (or 1/2 cup if you prefer tart) 1 tsp ground cinnamon 12 oz (3 cups) cranberries, fresh or frozen Pinch of pure salt Preheat oven to 300. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for 8 – 10 mins, or until fragrant. Remove from oven, let cool for a few minutes, and roughly chop by hand (see notes). In a medium saucepan, combine the wine, maple syrup, cinnamon, cranberries, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil, watching carefully to make sure it does not boil over....
Read MoreCoconut Curry Lamb Stew
1 lamb shoulder roast, square-cut or rolled; or 1/2 leg of lamb roast, or 2 lbs lamb stew meat pure salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 3 TBSP coconut oil 2 medium onions, thinly sliced 2 tsp turmeric 3 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped 2 large carrots, cut into rounds 2 cans unsweetened coconut milk 1 & 1/2 cups water 4 TBSP red curry paste 4 TBSP tamari 5 TBSP natural sugar or 30 drops liquid stevia 4 oz kale, roughly chopped (optional) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bring the lamb to room temp (let sit out about an hour) and cut into stew chunks. Heat the...
Read MoreIce Cream Milkshake
1 cup whole milk 1/2 cup high quality ice cream Fill blender up to the 1 cup line with milk. Add 1/2 cup ice cream (scoop it in until the liquid rises to 1 & 1/2 cups). Blend and enjoy! Serves 1. Optional add-ins: 1 or 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg 1/2 of a banana (and/or other fruit of choice) 1 TBSP coconut oil, melted 1 or 2 TBSP high quality protein powder ________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This is a nice cool treat for summer — especially the exceptionally hot summer we’ve been having here in Upstate NY! ~ Pictured above with...
Read MoreStoring Greens for Ease
I’m not always in the mood (or don’t always have the time) to wash, stem, and chop greens on the fly. For busy days, a home cooked dinner can only happen if I have a few things on hand that I can grab and just toss into a pan. When I came home from the farmer’s market last week with 2 beautiful bunches of fresh kale and 2 bunches of beets (w/ greens attached), this is what I did to make life easy for the rest of the week…. ______________________________________________________________________________ I removed the stems (simply lay each leaf down with the stem facing...
Read MoreCreamy Blue Cheese Dressing
4 oz organic, crumbled blue cheese 6 TBSP plain yogurt (or buttermilk) 6 TBSP high-quality sour cream 1/4 cup high-quality mayo 4 tsps apple cider vinegar 1/2 tsp natural sugar of choice (or 1 drop liquid stevia) 1/4 tsp garlic powder 1/4 tsp pure salt freshly ground black pepper to taste (about 1/8 tsp if measuring) Mix all ingredients together and serve as a dip for fresh vegetables or drizzled over salad. _________________________________________________________________________ SIDE NOTES: ~ This amount fills up a 12 oz wide mouth mason jar (you can mix the ingredients right in the jar,...
Read MoreChicken Noodle Soup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, ghee, or butter 1 medium onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed 3 medium carrots, roughly diced 3 celery stalks, halved lengthwise and roughly diced 4 fresh thyme sprigs (or about 2 tsps dried) 1 bay leaf 2 quarts (8 cups) chicken broth 8 ounces dried wide egg noodles (optional) 1 & 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (optional) pure salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped Place a soup pot over medium heat and heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and bay leaf. Cook and stir for about 6...
Read MoreItalian Wedding Soup
48 small, bite-sized, cooked meatballs (about 1.5 lbs ground beef, total) 2 TBSP butter, ghee, or coconut oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 – 4 large carrots, chopped (2 cups or more) 2 stalks celery, diced (approx 3/4 cup) 4 large cloves of garlic, minced or chopped 10 cups broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable) 1/2 cup dry white wine (optional) 1 lb pasta (any small shape that you’d like) (optional) 12 oz fresh, baby spinach Fresh basil, chopped (as much as you’d like) pure salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional) Make meatballs (or...
Read MoreOrange Gelatin
VERSION 1: 2 cups fresh orange juice, cold 2 cups fresh orange juice, near boiling 3 TBSP non-hydrolyzed gelatin Begin heating 2 cups of the juice. Pour cold juice in a bowl, dissolve gelatin in juice by stirring gently, and let sit for 3 minutes. Slowly add hot juice to cold juice mixture, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until set, several hours or overnight. Serve as is or with heavy cream or fresh whipped cream. For those with various food restrictions, this recipe falls into the following categories: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut...
Read MoreChicken or Beef Broth
Homemade broth – one of the most nourishing foods there is! 5 – 6 pounds animal bones and parts (see notes below) 5 – 6 quarts filtered water (1 qt for every 1 lb animal parts) 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar (or 3 TBSP orange juice) onion, carrots, potatoes (optional) Place animal parts in a large stock pot. Cover with appropriate amount of water. Add vinegar (or juice) and any optional vegetables for flavor if desired. Cover pot and bring to boil. Skim away and discard thick residue that rises to the top (see photo below). Simmer over low heat partially covered for at least 5...
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