Homemade Rees' Cups!

A few weeks ago, Esther and I held a tea party at our house for a few of the young girls, and their mothers, that attend our church. While we were planning the menu for that special day, a friend sent us a recipe for homemade rees cups! They looked so cute and petite, we just had to add them to the tea menu. If you would like to indulge yourself on a rees, but don't want to feel guilty;-) Then give this recipe a try, its sure to fulfil any chocolate pb, cravings you have!

Homemade, Healthier Peanut Butter Cups

If you use another nut butter, you may need to add more honey. Peanuts are naturally sweet. For that matter, this is definitely a “to your own taste” recipe! And you can easily adjust the sweeter to satisfy you.

3/4 cup of peanut butter, toasted and salted (or use nut butter of your choice)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla (if you are making this gluten free, make sure to use gluten free vanilla)
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/3 cup of chopped soaked and dehydrated nuts, or toasted (I used a mixture of chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds) *
4 ounces of unsweetened chocolate
2-4 tablespoons honey *
1-In a small bowl combine the peanut butter, coconut oil, vanilla, first two tablespoons honey, and nuts. Mix until well combined.

2-Drop by the heaping teaspoon into mini cupcake pans. Place in freezer.

3-Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in the top of a double broiler (or, like I do, in a heat proof bowl that fits on top of a pot you have). Mix in the honey. Bring about two inches of water to a boil in the pot and place the bowl on top. Watch the chocolate carefully so that it doesn’t burn, stirring gently while the chocolate melts. When there are just a few chunks left in the chocolate, take off of the heat and allow it to melt completely.

4-Drop by the teaspoon over the peanut butter mixture and place back into the freezer. Freeze for 20 minutes. Take out, and using a butter knife pop them out. Keep in the freezer or refrigerator and enjoy!

*To toast the nuts, place in a dry pan over medium-high heat. Stir almost continually until they are starting to brown. Take off of the heat.

Del Sisters note: We did not use nuts in our recipe, and they were good anyway!

Also, we would cut down the amount of coconut oil for the PB filling to 2T. instead of 1/4c.

Next time we might double the filling but keep the chocolate amount the same. I personally think that the recipe does not have a very prominent peanut butter flavor....so doubling the filling would fix that problem!

Great Recipe!

Not much cooking going on around our house lately, just the usual everyday kind of stuff, though we have found this really tasty healthy brownie recipe from Green Kitchen Stories! We modified it a little by leaving out the Chai tea and using almonds and walnuts instead of hazelnuts. Try them for a guilt free pick me up for your next afternoon snack or an after dinner treat!

The perfect afternoon snack!

So what do you make yourself after you get back from your sweaty afternoon workout? A smoothie of course!!! What could be more refreshing?!?! This smoothie recipe I came up with about a week ago has all the right ingredients to make sure you are fueling your muscles after winding down from your workout. After trying this recipe you will not want to go back to your original smoothie because this one is so much more creamy then any other you could imagine, the secret ingredient.......cottage cheese, that's right you read me right, cottage cheese! For me cottage cheese is something that is not on my favorite "foods" list but I was needing to eat it because of the extra protein content, after eating it plain a few times I had this brilliant idea, why not put it in a smoothie just like you would yogurt? There both dairy products right, so why not? After pouring it into my cup I a little hesitantly gave it a try, to my surprise it was so creamy, it almost tasted like a frosty and no I'm not joking! Just make sure to blend it well so you don't get those cottage type chunks:-) Enjoy!



Blackberry Peach Smoothie
Serves:1

1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/2-3/4 cup frozen blackberries
1/2 frozen peach
1/2-3/4 cup water
Put all ingredients into blender and blend on high till very smooth, about 1 minute.

Banana on Stick

Skewer a 1/2 of banana on a fondue stick, dip in melted chocolate and roll in shredded coconut, and crushed almonds. Freeze for about an hour............then eat!

~ We made these last week............so yummy and healthy for you! They are kida hard to eat because of the metal stick in the banana, but well worth the cautious eating!

Frozen Banana yogurt with salted peanut butter and maple topping

PB and Banana Frozen Yogurt

1/2 c. frozen yogurt(I took our homemade yogurt, sweetened it and added mashed banana and put into our ice cream maker)

1 T. natural peanut butter

1 T. maple syrup

1/2 small banana, sliced

pinch of coarsely ground sea salt

Place yogurt in bowl. Mix pb and maple syrup together till blended. Pour over yogurt and sprinkle with salt and sliced bananas.

Serves 1

Baba Ganoush

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized eggplants
  
• 1 lemon, juiced
  
• 3 Tbsp. tahini
  
• 1 tsp. salt (add more to taste)
  
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
  
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
  
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  
• parsley for garnish
  

*Serve with pita bread, sliced baguette, veggies for dipping

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2) Using a fork, prick the eggplants (like 5 or 6 pricks all around). Place eggplants on baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Take out of oven, let rest for 10 minutes. Cut in half and scoop out eggplant flesh with a spoon.

3) In a food processor, or mixing bowl, add eggplant, lemon, tahini, salt, pepper, olive oil and crushed garlic. Mix until well blended. Chill for at least one hour before serving. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with parsley and serve with bread or veggies.

Banana Ice Cream

Yesterday evening for dinner Hannah and I made this scrumptious dairy free ice cream. You may be wondering why we had ice cream for dinner? Well, me( Esther) had my wisdom teeth out on Thursday so I'm on soft foods for a while:) So far so good, not to much pain, just a little swelling. Some other foods I have been enjoying have been, chicken broth a coconut,mango, pineapple smoothie and this morning Hannah made a creamy oatmeal pudding! I really like smoothies so it has not been really that bad:)

2 frozen bananas
1 T. peanut butter
1 T honey
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Blend bananas till really creamy. Top with melted peanut butter, honey and vanilla. Serves 2

Hummus

We both just love hummus! Some times I like to make very different flavored hummus but this time I felt like some traditional stuff:)

Place 1 can 15 1/2 0z. of chickpeas in a food processor with the juice of 1 lemons, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 T. tahini, and salt. Process. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. (I first drizzled some good olive oil over the top before sprinkling with the parsley.) Serve with toasted pita. Yield: about 1-1/2 cups.

Muhammara Dip

Our friend found this great looking recipe from Elizabeth Ann Designs and thought that we would enjoy trying it! We finally got around to making it for dinner to accompany our Kofta Kebobs. It was delicious topped on our salad. You can also use it as a spread for bread as in the pictures above. Or as a dip for veggies.

Muhammara Dip

1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained 1 cup walnuts 1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses or fresh lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Pita chips, warm pita bread, or veggies for serving

1. Blend all ingredients except pita chips in processor until coarse puree forms. Season with salt.

2. Transfer to bowl; serve with chips, pita, or veggies.

Cilantro Cumin Dip

Well ya'll, we are updating! We had a couple of things get canceled this week so we had a bit of free time today, enjoy the post!
Cilantro Cumin Dip


1/2c. seeds I used sesame
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1T. apple cider vinegar
1T. cumin
1/8c. chopped onion
sea salt
1/2c. water

Blend all the above ingredients in you blender till smooth..........enjoy with veggies, chips, or add a little more water or olive oil and use as a salad dressing!

Garlic Spinach Spread

If you like garlic this recipe is for you!

Spinach Cashew “Cheese”

1 C Cashews, soaked at least 6 hours

Juice from 1 1/2 Lemons

1/4 C Olive Oil

1 Shallot, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 C Sundried Tomatoes, chopped

1 pinch Sea Salt

2 handfuls of spinach, separated (aprox 2 cups firmly packed)

Drain cashews and place in food processor. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Process until smooth. Add shallot, and garlic. Process until well blended. Add one handful of the spinach. Continue to process until spinach is well incorporated. Remove the mixture from the food processor. Hand chop the remaining handful of spinach and stir in. This is the base spread.

Red Pepper Veggie Dip

We made up this great dip a few weeks ago for a party we had at our house.........with the leftover dip, we used it for a salad dressing.....so good!

2 red bell peppers

1/2c. walnuts

1T. lemon juice

1 clove garlic

3T. tahini

1t. salt

2t. garlic powder

Blend all the above ingredients in a blender till smooth; serve with veggies or pita bread!

Caramelized Onion Hummus

You all have to try this recipe, this recipe is the best hummus I've ever had! So creamy and delicious, with a hint of sweetness from the onions!

Caramelized Onion Hummus:

1 Large - Sweet Onion Diced
1 Tbs. - Chopped Garlic
1 Tbs. - Oil
1 Tbs. - Butter
1 - 15.5oz. Can - Chickpeas ( drained )
¼ C. - Lemon Juice
1 Tbs. - Soy Sauce
¼ C. - Tahini ( sesame paste )
1 Tbs. - Sesame Oil
1 Tbs. - Johnny's Garlic Season
1/2 Tbs. - Honey
¼ C. - EVOO
1 Tsp. - Ground Cumin
Salt & Pepper

Saute onion and garlic in oil and butter until soft and golden in color, this takes about 15 minutes. Place drained peas into the food processor along with all other ingredients except the EVOO. Put the lid on the machine and turn it on low to break up the beans. Then turn onto high and slowly drizzle in the EVOO. Let the machine run until you have a nice smooth consistency. Serve with pita bread, veggies or chips.

Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups wheat flour

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups peeled and grated carrots

1 large apple, grated

1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup flax seeds

3 eggs

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 12-15 muffin cups. Put raisins in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Add the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts and flax seeds. In a separate eggs, applesauce, oil, honey and vanilla together. Add to the flour mixture, stir till evenly combined. Drain the raisins and stir into the batter. Divide the batter among muffin cups, bake for 17-22 minutes till browned and cooked through.

Tahini Garlic Hummus

Recipe to come later when Hannah writes is down:)

1 (15oz. Can) Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans drained/reserve liquid

1/2c. sesame seeds

1 clove of garlic

3T. lemon juice

1t. salt

Place liquid, sesame seeds and garlic in blender, blend on high, till mixed. Add the beans, lemon juice and salt, blend on high speed till smooth.

Store in fridge.

Walnut Raisin Fudge/ Power bites

Well, its really not fudge, but it is in the shape of fudge, and that is the name that the recipe has......so Walnut Raisin fudge it is! I would rather call them power bites though:-)

1c. walnuts

1c. raisins

pinch of cinnamon

1T. honey (opt.)

Blend on high in a blender till clumps form. Press into a loaf pan, and refridgerate for an hour or so. Cut into desired sizes. We actually halved the recipe, and made 4 pieces of "fudge"

Cranberry Fig Crckers

Crackers

Cranberry Goat Cheese

Dries Chopped Figs

Honey

Top crackers with cheese and figs, drizzle with honey.

Tropic Smoothie

Tuesday night after a day of running around all day we came home and went for a walk with Kay , we had a blast singing songs and reciting our scripture from memory,we were so hot when we got back that we decided to make ourselves smoothies! It was very good and very cold, watch out you might get a brain freeze:)

2 frozen peaches

1/4 frozen mango

2 frozen bananas

1/3 c. coconut milk

1 c. ice cubes

Blend till smooth. Top with a little shredded unsweetened coconut!

Two very large glasses

Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Hummus

Hummus is one of our favorite lunch foods and is great for when we are on the go, especially on the days we take music lessons:) The other thing we like about Hummus is that you can change the flavors around, like the other day, Hannah made a roasted red pepper flavor(that's before the very bad thing she did:)! Plus chickpeas are chocked full of good things, they are readily available cooked and dried. Look for a even kaki color, and don't worry about wrinkly outside that's normal.


A couple other tips on chickpeas, try them in your salad with some minced garlic and marinated artichokes, also try subbing them in your meat loaf for some of the meat.
It is also shown that 10 -12 cloves of garlic a day help to keep down bad cholesterol, also it is shown that the some large amounts of garlic enhance the process by which our body's break up potentially dangerous blood clots. And for all those worried about there sodium in take, garlic is essentially sodium free!


Kitchen tips for garlic:
For easy peeling drop in boiling water for 5 seconds
Love garlic but don't like the breath it leaves you with? Chew on a sprig of fresh parsley
Or if you don't that the smell it leaves on your fingers rub them with a bit a toothpaste and rinse







1 can chickpeas 3 T. liquid reserved from chickpeas
1 Head Roasted Garlic
1T. oilve oil
3 T. Tahini
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. red pepper flakes(more or less to your liking)




Pour into blender and blend on high till creamy!

Figgy Nutmeg Smoothie

A few weeks ago our whole family trekked out to a local apple and fig orchard.............and picked to our hearts content! We've had so much fun experimenting with the figs, it was our very first time picking these yummy little treats! Coming soon, a new faze in the Del sisters kitchen!

1/2c. milk

2 figs

1/4t. -1/2t. nutmeg

1/2. ice cubes

1 banana

Blend and enjoy