Footella

This is an utterly simple and delightful recipe with 4 ingredients-no measuring. I am fascinated with the idea of a chocolatey nutty spread, but chocolate is not really my friend. I saw someone on Youtube making homemade Nutella on youtube and it set my own wheels turning on swaps. Buy some fresh raw hazelnuts-put them in your foodprocessor for a long time-you will need to knock down and or scrape the sides of the bowl at intervals, but it will get grond into a moist powder-yes powder, because you do not want chuncks. Once satisfied that the final texture will be smooth, add carob powder-about a quarter to half cup, depending on how many hazelnuts-think of it as adding for color first, then flavor. Now, the mixture will be more powdery. Open the smaller lid and put in about a TSP of either pure Monkfruit Powder or Pure Stevia Leaf---I prefer Monkfruit. Be sure to keep processing and scraping down until you are sure the carob poweder and the sweetner powder is consistenly incorporated. If your mix forms and ball at anypoint -you are amazing and patient! I have become more impatient as I now work a day job that runs on a tight schedule and requires on time perfomance. I take this with me on 4-day work trips-so I am usually pressed for time for meal prepping on my off days. At this point- it is possible to skip the next ingredient if your nut butter is smooth and again forms a ball---I have only had that happen once--So, I add raw extra virgin coconut oil. Then the smoothness with come. I use coconut oil becuase it becomes a solid when chilled--and travels well in my 4-day meal cooler tote. But I would be inclined to use and cold processed nut oil which stays liquid even when chilled if it were to be used at home. When my travel version is done--it could easly be pored inot a parcement lines baking dish, and placed in the freide to become fudge--my husband is crazy about it! it really is a yummy satisfying--but non-addictive treat! for me, and my family---or anyone wanting healthy alternatives to junkfood! I have this on crackers when I am away, or just a small spoonful for an energy bite on the fly-literally. if at home, and I used a quality liquified nut oil insted of a sold coconut oil, I would enjoy it drizzled over pancakes, waffles, and or ice cream...it really hits the spot. Will try to post pictures...Happy flying!

Making Laundry Soap a visual...

Photos of making laundry soap...you can find the recipe online, but I just wanted to place the photos here:

Confetti Spiral Mac N Cheese...and the picky eater in my midst

one package of Tinkyada Brande Brown Rice Spirals
One Package of Lisanatti Brance Rice Cheese alternative grated
(To make grating easier, and mix the butter and cheese evenly into the hot drained noodles, grate 4 to 6 tbsp of cold butter first, which "greases the greater for easier cheese grating, and clean, up)
Dice:
one large white or sweet onion
One sweet red bell pepper
one or two washed but unpeeled Zucchini cut in half lengthwise, then halved 2Xs more, dice into wedges the size of the other diced items, the "points" will wear-off after cooked, and the green part will be square like the red pepper, the color of this dish- Mmm!

Olive out for sauteing


Boil water and start coking your spiral noodles

Saute onions until clear, add diced red bell pepper until combined, then add zucchini
saute and combine just until slightly tender

Drain noodles ( Use a pasta pot with drain holes in the lid....easy) while still very hot add sauteed vegetables and quickly combine, then add the shredded cheese butter mix, and sir un until melted and creamy. Place in an oiled casserole dish, and place in a warm oven until the rest of the meal is ready to serve. I like to put it into my old black Corelle casserole dig ...Beautiful!

So, a few notes, the veggies will come out perfect, and the dish will not become too dry like pail alternative mac n cheese.

Spell check thought that the way I typed onions was "intentions" So the sentence read, "Saute until intentions are clear." I had to laugh out loud because that was so true! it is often the heat and pressure of stress which can expose our motives. Sometimes, people's motives are not what they would seem or appear, and then the heat exposes true intention.

Lately, there has been so much upheaval, but this dish is a healthy twist on comfort food. I have fallen out of my love for cooking. One reason is, I should probably not have carbs after 12 noon, and I should only have about 30 carbs per day at that, because I'm getting old, and rat-a-tat-tat, I am fat. The other reason is, I got me an offspring, who still lives, studies and works from home, who has always had sensory issues when it comes to food and feels free to express utter disgust at just about everything I cook, when I have been creative, and the food is unpredictable. The ONLY cheese dishes he will eat are Italian dishes, or Mac and Cheese, the veggies in this dish made scared him away. My older two would have devoured it as if I was dessert, and then beaten each other to a pulp over the last spoonful. Sinners in the house!!! LOL! MY Husband and daughter LOVED it! Always a story...

In my next post, I will tell another story, about me entering anew season of culinary flexibility coming up...

A Savory Spinach Side

1/2 pack od lean all-natural turkey bacon
one medium onion small diced
1 clove or garlic freely pressed
I package of frozen chopped spinach (One bag, or 2 boxes)
Olive oil
Butter

Saute the bacon in olive oil
as it gets tender-crisp, cut it into 1/4 inch squares
add diced ion, and a little more oil or butter saute until clear
make a hole in the center of the pan, press and add garlic, saute briefly to combine

either pull all this out of the pan or push it to a side and pull the pan off-center so the onion bacon mix is no longer sauteing.

add 2 tbsp of butter, and throw in the frozen spinach, how on a lid and let it sit in the heat for a few minutes until it is getting soft, then saute and mix all thoroughly, then place in an oiled baking dish, and let in a warm oven while cooking the rest of your dinner. You might even spriekle the top with parmesan cheese, we use a rice-based Parmesan cheese.

On lazier nights, I just saute frozen spinach in oil and butter and add parmesan at the end, and that too is good, but the bacon and onion version is outta this world good!

Another spinach hint: We add a layer of spinach and tofu to our lasagna, there are a few ways to get speinach into your diet!