Our First Garden

Posted on April 4, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

I have been mentioning lately about our quest to find a healthier lifestyle. It has taken about 1 1/2 to 2 years to transition into a more healthy way of eating. I feel like to make better habits stick you should start slow. I think when you try to do everything at once and do it quick it doesn’t always stick with you, at least in my case. You can get burnt out really easily. To get my family to eat more veggies, I started cutting them up really small and adding them in to the food I was cooking. I just add stuff in sometimes and don’t tell anyone. If they don’t make a fuss about it, then I just keep doing it! Kind of like adding that flaxseed to these Breakfast Bars!

When I make my bi-weekly trips to Publix, 3/4 of my grocery cart is filled with fresh produce. Of course, there are no coupons for that and there is rarely a sale in that department. It doesn’t stop me though, I know that is what I want to buy and I know what the cost is, so I just budget that amount. It is amazing how much money you save when you don’t go out to eat anymore. The thing I thought would be the best long term money saving solution was to grow our own produce in our garden.

Our big plan for this garden started at the end of last year. We looked for ideas and figured out what the best plan would be for our yard and our needs. I had planned to start things from seeds, but that plan just didn’t work out and I wasn’t able to get the seeds and get them planted in time. My biggest thing was that I did not want any plants that were genetically modified. I won’t go into all that in this blog, but you should do your own research on GMO’s. After a little searching I was able to find some plants locally that were non-GMO and I was so excited. This is the company I purchased them from, and they have a lot of information about gardening on their site.

On March 22 we purchased all the supplies to make two raised beds and a gutter garden. The business my husband and I own is doing home renovation and handyman services, so I told him what I wanted and he drew up an idea and knew exactly what to do to make it happen. Since my biggest concern was making sure I remembered to water all this stuff every day, he ran some new water lines out to the backyard and installed a sprinkler system on a timer and also added a faucet out there, so I wouldn’t have to drag the hose all the way back to that corner. I figured that would be the only solution to making sure these plants didn’t die in this Florida heat.

We built two raised planter beds.

And then attached them in the middle to some boards to make a gutter garden in the middle.

I saw this idea for gutter gardening circling around the internet and thought it was a fantastic idea. Only the husband said that there is no way we were attaching those to our house because they would cause leaks eventually. So, we decided on doing them raised between these beds. It turned out to be a great idea!

It just so happened that down the street from us they have been excavating some ground for a new parking lot for a building. We have been waiting until we saw that they had dug the ground really far down. When they did, we took our trailer and they let us fill it up with dirt to take home. We added this dirt as filler for the bottom of the beds and gutter system. Then we added a chemical free fertilizer and saturated the soil with it and left it overnight. Then we added organic soil for fruits, herbs and veggies to the top of all of that the next day so that we could get all the plants planted.

Once we got all the plants in we added on two little squares and some lattice to grow a blueberry…

and a blackberry and raspberry bush.

These were the plants when we planted them on the 23 of March.

In this bed we have cayenne peppers, red, yellow and green bell peppers, giant marconi sweet peppers, cherry tomato, pimento pepper, mamoth jalepeno pepper and banana pepper.

In this box we have sweet peas, string beans, japanese cucumber, regular cucumber, okra, zucchini and spaghetti squash.

In, under and hanging from the gutter garden we have dill, chocolate mint, sweet basil, chives, parsley, lemon verbena, peppermint, cilantro, sweet mint, 3 kinds of tomatoes, strawberries, sweet Georgia and Texas onions and lettuce. (After this original picture we added a bottom row of gutter for the onions.) My husband wanted to try the Topsy Turvy planters just to see how they worked. I still need to get terracotta pots for the ones on the ground.

Then we planted a lemon

and lime tree.

We haven’t built the boxes for these trees yet.

Over the last 14 days I have been going out and checking in on things every day. After one week I added the fertilizer to all the top soil of the plants. When I went out yesterday to take some pictures I was just amazed at how quickly everything was growing. Some things have tripled in size in that short period of time. All of the vegetable plants have tiny blooms on them, all the herbs are growing great and we have already picked off some strawberries!

You can see from these pictures how much everything has grown. I had to add in some steaks behind several plants because they were falling over. Just look at all these tomatoes on this plant.

And these lovely little blueberries.

I am still trying to find a couple more types of lettuce to plant in the top middle of the gutter garden. I can hardly wait until they really start producing and we can bring it all to the table! I have been trying to think up recipes now so that I am ready to cook when they are ready.

Posted in Gluten-Free, Our Garden, Tips and Tricks, Vegetables, Vegetarian | 3 Comments

Southwest Chicken Salad

Posted on April 3, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

I worked a little bit in our garden (which I really need to post about) this afternoon. I was amazed to see that in 13 days most of our plants have tripled in size. Everything smells so good and is growing faster than I thought. My favorite of what is ready to eat so far are the mint plants. I have peppermint, sweet mint and my favorite, chocolate mint. This is what it looks like and it smells Uh-mazing!

I go out every morning and pick off a few leaves and then add them to my water. I love it! I am thinking of some sort of chocolate mint mojito would be tasty too!

Anyway, since it’s only April here in central Florida and it’s already like 500 degrees every day, I was sweating my butt off out there. I really didn’t want something heavy on the belly for dinner. I had just picked a bunch of lettuce off this this plant that these awesome clients of ours gave us a couple months ago, and I had some organic baby spinach I needed to eat as well. I figured some kind of salad would be great to have, so I started rummaging through the pantry and the fridge looking for something good.

Isn’t this lettuce lovely? Straight from the garden!

I ran across some taco seasoning and a can of black beans and it got me thinking about some southwest flavors. I just started grabbing a few things and this is what I came up with. Then I remembered that I still had some of those boneless skinless chicken thighs from Whole Foods (by far the best ones I have ever eaten) that I could throw in there.

Let me tell ya, this was so flavorful and delicious that everyone loved it. There were so many great flavors and textures in it and the dressing just really pushed it over the top. It was very filling, while at the same time making your belly happy with all the fresh ingredients. While your chicken is cooking, you can chop up all the veggies and this is done in no time. This feeds about 5 people.

**For the vegetarian version, leave out the chicken

**For the gluten free version, make sure you use a gf taco seasoning

Southwest Chicken Salad

  • a couple of varieties of lettuce, chopped
  • 1 pound chicken, chopped
  • 1 roasted red pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 1 cup corn
  • 2-3 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 avocados, chopped
  • handful of cilantro, chopped
  • taco seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp mayo
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup ranch dressing
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Make up the dressing first and then refrigerate until salad is ready. In a small bowl or large mixing cup, mix all ingredients until well blended. Taste to make sure it suits you. You can add more or less taco seasoning if you need to.

I thought this was so good as a salad dressing, but you could use it as a dip for raw veggies or even chips.

According to your taste, season the chicken with salt, pepper and taco seasoning. Cook your chicken according what type you are using. I used these thighs and cooked them over medium heat in a skillet with about 2 tablespoons of oil, I used avocado. I cooked them for about 4 minutes on each side and they were perfect.

Once it is finished, take it out and chop it all up.

While your chicken is cooking you can chop up your cilantro,

your tomato, avocado and red pepper,

the lettuce,

and get your black beans and corn ready.

Just layer your salad with all these ingredients.

Pour on the dressing.

Stir it up and DIG IN!

Posted in Appetizers, Chicken Dishes, Dinner, Dips and Spreads, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes, Salad, Sides, Southwestern Inspired, Vegetables, Vegetarian | 8 Comments

Breakfast (and dessert) Fruit Bars

Posted on April 2, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

On my quest to get the family eating healthier, we have stopped eating fast food. Well, all except my husband, who would still stop in for breakfast in one of those places every morning. He always gets up right before he has to leave, which doesn’t leave him time to fix something for breakfast. Even though we have things here that can be fixed quickly, he just doesn’t have the time. So I decided that I needed to come  up with something that would taste good and be handheld so that he could just grab it on the way out the door and eat it in the car.

I saw these on an episode of the Pioneer Woman’s new show on Food Network a couple of weeks ago and thought they would be perfect for breakfast. They are very simple to make and only take about 40 minutes between prep and cook time. They are absolutely delicious. You can use any type of fruit you want for the filling. I bought strawberry and blackberry organic preserves for mine. Everyone loved these and they make a perfect on the go breakfast, as well as an amazing topping for vanilla ice cream for dessert, as you can see in this picture. He took vanilla ice cream and added in a banana, caramel and crumbled up these bars all over the top. It. Was. Deeeelicious.

I also added ground flax seed for the added health benefits. You can leave this out if you want, but it is really good for your body. I didn’t even tell my family I added this in there and they never even noticed.

I made the strawberry version two weeks ago and last night I made the blackberry ones for this week.

Breakfast Fruit Bars

  • 1 3/4 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cup oats
  • heaping 1/4 cup flax seed, ground fine (optional)
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • one 12-ounce jar fruit preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Thoroughly butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, flax seed and salt.I used my pastry blender to mix it all up and then ended up just using my hands to make sure everything was well blended.

It should look like this when your done.

Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan.

For both of the preserves I used, I emptied them into a bowl first and used a small spreader to mix them up really well before spreading on the oat mixture. They were both so thick coming out of the jar, that doing this made it easier to spread it across.

Spread with the strawberry preserves.

Then sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly to cover the entire pan.

Bake until light brown, between 30 to 40 minutes depending on your oven. Mine were in there for 35 and it was perfect. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

These are the strawberry ones.

These are the blackberry.

Posted in Breakfast, Cookies, Dessert, Recipes, Snacks, Toppings, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Cilantro Chicken Sausage and Pasta

Posted on March 30, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

Over the last two years I have been slowly making changes to my family’s diet, switching slowly over to more fresh ingredients and eliminating nearly everything that is prepackaged and premade with all those ingredients that are horrible for your body. You have to make these changes slowly, you can’t do this to your loved ones all at once, or their bodies go into shock and they freak out and turn into monsters. Well, not really, but you would think so when you tell them some of the things you won’t be buying at the store anymore. Panic sets in and they start twitching in the aisles.

I am very happy with the progression of this whole process, especially how much better we are eating and just knowing what we are putting into our bodies is making them feel good. I have cut out soda almost entirely (if it wasn’t for those occasional mixed drinks, I wouldn’t drink it at all) and after my coffee in the morning all I drink is water. It has made my body so happy that when I drink anything else it doesn’t even come close to satisfying me. I cook with so many fresh ingredients that about 3/4 of my grocery cart is from the produce section. In order to save money in the long run and to guarantee that what we are eating comes from non genetically modified plants, we planted our own garden last weekend. 36 varieties of Fruits, vegetables and herbs. I am going to do an entire post about that soon.

Because I have always purchased my meats in bulk and have saved so much money, switching the meat we eat to free range and organic varieties has been the last thing I have changed. Until this past week when I started buying that type of meat. I bought some of the Greenwise chicken from Publix and made this amazing dish. We rarely eat anything but boneless skinless chicken breasts, but I decided to get a little crazy and get some drumsticks and thighs. I was amazed at how tender the meat was and how much better it tasted than the non-orgnanic stuff we always eat. So, yesterday I went to Whole Foods to check out what they had there. I felt like a kid in a candy store! The produce department and the meat department were amazing. I could easily spend a small fortune in there.

I purchased some boneless, skinless chicken thighs, ground beef, chicken breasts and this amazing cilantro, pepper chicken sausage. I couldn’t wait to come up with a new recipe to go with it. Last night we had the thighs in an oriental style dish and the chicken was the best I have EVER had. I was so impressed. Yes, buying this type of meat is a little more expensive than you are used to, BUT, it is so much better for you (not to mention the better life of the animals) and tastes so much better that I can justify spending that amount. Plus, when you quit going out to eat fast food or to restaurants all the time, you’ll be amazed at all that extra money you have.

I won’t go into all of the other reasons why I want to go to organic, non-GMO foods and buy only this kind of meat from now on, but if your interested, I recommend watching the show Food, Inc. Then you can do your own additional research. I lost a total of 30 pounds after a bad car accident I was in 2 years ago and I have been able to keep all of that weight off. I am convinced that it has had EVERYTHING to do with all of the changes we are making in the food we are eating.

Now, to the good part. The recipe for this new dish. Everyone loved it, even little Miss Picky Pants, who only eats like 6 things. I still don’t understand how this girl lives in a house where amazing meals are cooked every day and only wants to eat a few things. Thank goodness she won’t be a toddler forever. If she was, it’s possible I could have a complete nervous breakdown, or maybe I already have…

Cilantro Chicken Sausage and Pasta

  • 1.5 pounds cilantro/pepper chicken sausage
  • 2 tbs grapeseed oil (or whatever oil you prefer)
  • 1 cup red, yellow and orange bell peppers, diced
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
  • 10 oz egg noodles (or your favorite pasta)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp white or brown sugar (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Remove chicken sausage from casings and crumble into a large skillet.

Cook over medium heat, breaking up the chicken into small pieces, until turns white. Remove from heat and set aside.

Place skillet back over medium heat and add your oil. Then add your peppers and onion, along with salt and pepper. Cook until veggies have softened and just start to caramelize.

Then add in your can of crushed tomatoes. Stir it around while you scrape off all the tasty bits off the bottom of the pan.

I usually add in a little bit of sugar here just to balance out some of the acidity of the tomatoes, but you can leave this out. Then add the sausage back in. Turn heat to low and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Add your fresh cilantro and stir to combine.

Drain pasta and set aside and then remove meat mixture from heat. Serve over pasta.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we did. This sausage was amazing and so fresh. The next time I get some, I am going to grill it, put it on a bun and top it with some mango salsa!

Posted in Chicken Dishes, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Sauces, Southwestern Inspired | 2 Comments

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Posted on March 20, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

I haven’t been able to get to the grocery and the pickings are getting slim around here. Last night I made a pantry/freezer mish-mosh (similar to this recipe) just trying to get rid of some things. It actually turned out pretty amazing (recipe coming soon). I actually remembered to write down the recipe as I threw things in the pan, which was great, considering that I rarely use a recipe and often forget to measure things out for you guys.

Sometimes not having a bunch of food in the house is a good thing, because it forces me to get creative and use up things that might not get used otherwise. Like today, while I was rummaging through the fridge trying to find something for lunch I found a half a bag of spinach that needed to be eaten, along with some strawberries that were on the verge of going bad. I looked around the kitchen a little more and decided to try to make a strawberry balsamic vinaigrette.

Surprisingly enough, it turned out to be incredibly good! This made enough for about 3-4 salads this size, depending on how much you like to use. It was so easy and quick that I will definitely be making this on a regular basis. In fact, I have some raspberries and blueberries in the fridge that I am going to try next.  I am going to make up a little bit more of this and make a strawberry chicken salad out of it for dinner.

I used grapeseed oil in this because it is good for you and it doesn’t have much flavor, so I knew that it wouldn’t overpower the balsamic and strawberry flavor. You could easily use olive oil if you wanted to.

This brand of balsamic is Gluten Free.

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinaigrette
  • 1 tablespoon grapeseed (or olive) oil
  • 1 tablespoon raw honey
  • 1 tablespoon warm water
  • 4 strawberries, tops removed and chopped

Basically you are just going to throw all of this in a blender or food processor and pulse until the strawberries are pureed. I used the magic bullet because it was the perfect size.

Then you can just serve up on some spinach like I did, I wish I would have had a little goat cheese to top this! Or you could use it for some baked chicken or even pork chops. It is delicious!

 

Posted in Appetizers, Chicken Dishes, Dinner, Dips and Spreads, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes, Salad, Sauces, Sides, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Fish Tacos

Posted on March 19, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

It seems like fish tacos are pretty popular these days. You can find them on the menu at just about any restaurant and there are plenty of versions to choose from. I have been making these for awhile and I have tried several different recipes/versions of them over the years. The first time I made them using a tempura batter. The flavor was good but I could never get them crispy enough. This time though, I think we have a clear winner! These went perfect with the Mango Cole Slaw and Fresh Pico de Gallo. It was the perfect blend of flavors.

I think I have mentioned this before, but I just love frying things in Avocado oil. It is more expensive that regular oil, but the health benefits are so much better than regular frying oils. Whatever you fry comes out with a clean taste and is non greasy when you eat it. If you have never fried anything in it before, you should do some research on the benefits of using it and then pick some up and try it! And, just in case your wondering, it doesn’t make your food taste like avocados. 🙂

This recipe serves about 6-8 people. It is also gluten free if you use the corn tortillas instead of flour!

Fish Tacos

  • 5 cod fillets (or whatever fish you prefer)
  • two eggs
  • corn starch
  • salt and pepper
  • cayenne pepper
  • Old Bay seasoning
  • flour or corn tortillas (corn if your on a gluten free diet)
  • Mango Cole Slaw (clink link for recipe)
  • Fresh Pico de Gallo (click link for recipe)

Cut each fish fillet straight down the center making two fillets and then cut each of those into about 8 pieces each. Just like this below, then set aside.

Ina medium sized, shallow bowl you will crack your eggs and whisk until blended. In another bowl, add about 1 1/2 – 2 cups of corn starch, Old Bay, salt and pepper and cayenne. You can just add in the other seasonings according to your taste preference. I didn’t measure any of this, I just kind of added it until you could see it in the corn starch mix. Use a whisk to blend it all together evenly.

While you are battering the fish, heat up your oil in a large skillet (or heat up a deep fryer). Dip your pieces of fish into the egg, coating well.

Then into the corn starch/seasoning mixture, coating well.

Then repeat that process again so that you get a double batter on the fish. You don’t have to do this, but I love the extra crunchy texture you get when they are fried.

Once they are all battered, you will drop them in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.

Cook them for about 3-4 minutes per side and then remove from oil and let drain on paper towels.

These are little bites of heaven! Once you get them all fried up, lay out your tortilla. I added 4 pieces of fish to each one.

Then top with the mango cole slaw and pico de gallo.

Then fold em’ up and enjoy the heck outta them!

Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Mexican Inspired, Recipes, Seafood, Sides | 3 Comments

Fresh Pico de Gallo

Posted on March 19, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

If you have never made this fresh before, your definitely missing out. There is just nothing that compares to the taste of this. The store bought/pre-made versions just never taste as good as when you make it up yourself.

You can easily add to it or take away from it any other ingredients you want to suit your taste. It is so easy to make and can be used in many dishes, or just served up on some tortilla chips! It tastes like you spent way more than 5 minutes to create! This recipe makes about two cups. I love to serve it on Fish Tacos.

Pico de Gallo

  • 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 2-3 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 of a small red onion, minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • Salt and pepper

Cut up all of your ingredients and add the garlic and salt/pepper. Dump into a mixing bowl, stir all the ingredients until well blended and refrigerate for 1 hour to chill and allow the flavors blend.

Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Dips and Spreads, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Mexican Inspired, Recipes, Salad, Sides, Snacks, Vegetarian | 3 Comments

Mango Cole Slaw

Posted on March 19, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

I can’t believe it has been over a month since my last recipe post. Things have been a little hectic around here. We are a super healthy family, but after not having been sick for over two years, we all got sick! It seemed like just when one of us got better someone else would get it and it kept making the rounds for about 6 weeks! YIKES! We are all better now though, with the exception of the annoying pollen issues, which seem to be worse this year than in any year I can remember.

I didn’t make any new recipes or do anything exciting in the kitchen until just last week, when I finally felt like being creative again! It felt so good to be back in the groove after so long. One of the things I made was Fish Tacos, and I revamped my recipe a little bit. They were by far the best I have ever made. There are three parts to the recipe and one of those parts is this mango cole slaw. I use this recipe in a couple of different dishes that I make, but I had never made it for the tacos. It turns out that it is amazing with them!

This is really easy to make, but it just needs to be made up a little ahead of time so that it can chill and the flavors can blend together. You will need either a blender or a food processor to blend up the sauce for this.

Mango Cole Slaw

  • 1 ripe mango
  • 1 large jalapeno, seeded and chopped (this is optional)
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 3/4 – 1 cup mayonnaise (I have update this recipe to say that I now ONLY use Duke’s Mayo. It is gluten free and by far the best tasting mayo I have ever used)
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or more if your like me and you love it)
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 bag of shredded coleslaw mix

Peel and chop up the mango and place in a medium saucepan.

Add to the mango the jalapeno (if your using) and the vinegar, sugar, water and shallot.

Cover and simmer on low heat until the mango is softened, about 8-10 minutes. Make sure you really keep an eye on this so that it doesn’t burn. I usually stir it once about half way through.

Transfer the mango mixture to a food processor and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Then empty into a large mixing bowl.  Stir in the mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Add the coleslaw mix and toss to coat.

Cover and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Posted in Appetizers, Dinner, Dips and Spreads, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Recipes, Salad, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Easy Garlic Knots

Posted on February 16, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

One thing I love about those little Italian -hole in the wall- pizza places are how good their garlic knots usually are. You know the ones, quiet little restaurants, often in a strip mall, with the little cheap red candle holders on the tables and white paper table cloths. Garlic knots served hot and dripping with buttery garlic. Y.U.M.

So, I am pretty much not the kind of person who makes their own bread and fools around with yeast to make things. It isn’t like I am scared of using yeast to make my own breads…well, maybe a little bit. I don’t know why, it’s weird. BUT, I love garlic knots.

So, two weeks ago I was perusing the fresh baked section of my local grocery store, I saw a little bag of pre-made Italian pizza dough. Immediately I thought to myself, “Self, you need to use this to make some garlic knots!” Of course! Why didn’t I think of that before now?

I was making my Bow-tie Bolognese that night for dinner, so I knew that these would go perfect with it. This is such an easy way to make these and they are really, really good!

Easy Garlic Knots

  • 1 pound bag of pre-made Italian pizza dough
  • 1/2 stick of real butter
  • 2 -3 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

You can find the pizza dough like this in the refrigerated section of the bakery.

Take it out of the refrigerator about an hour before your going to use it and let it sit. Remove it from the bag and punch it down on a lightly floured surface. I was able to cut this into 9 equal pieces. The ninth and missing piece was in the hands of my daughter who brought in her little stool to reach the counter and “help” me cook dinner!

The I put a small amount of flour on my hands and rolled out each piece into a log shape.

Then just hold up each end, tie it in a knot and place it on a baking sheet/pan.

Your going to bake these in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15-18 minutes. I left mine in for about 16 minutes and they were just a little doughy in the middle, just the way I like them.

While these are baking melt your butter and add it into a medium sized bowl. Add in the garlic and the chopped parsley and stir it until well combined. Once the knots are done, immediately add a few at a time into the butter mix and flip them over until all sides have been fully coated.

Place on a plate or platter to serve and enjoy!

Posted in Appetizers, Bread, Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Sides, Vegetarian | 4 Comments

Coconut Almond Chocolate Goodies (and some other candy to make your mouth water)

Posted on February 15, 2012 by ohmygoodygoodness

A few months back I posted a recipe for Coconut Oatmeal Cookies and I talked about my fabulous cousin Chanelle and how her parents own and operate the Mackinac Island Gourmet Fudge Shop. They recently updated their website, and when they did, we ordered a pecan log and a box of turtles, and my mom got a special surprise inside of Peanut Butter Fudge, which is her favorite! I have to say these were the best we had ever had. It was all so fresh that it was like we were right there in the shop eating them.

This is the box they came in.

Pecan Log

Turtles

Peanut Butter Fudge

Then last week, just a week after we had received those first three things, we received a very special package for Valentines Day full of 5 little boxes of goody goodness. I nearly fell over looking at how awesome everything was. We normally always get the fudge every year for Christmas, which is amazing, so it was so nice to sample so many more varieties of the wonderful candy they make. I have to say that everything was good. I am a huge fan of bark in all flavors and this was definitely some of the best I had ever tasted.

Milk Chocolate Nutty Bark (the green ones are pistachios)

Aztec Bark (this stuff was good, it had an almost peppery/spicy kick at the end of the bite)

Dark Chocolate Berry Bark (uh-mazing)

Roasted Pecan Bark with Sea Salt (perfect)

One other thing that came was a box of Coconut Haystacks. Holy Moly they were delicious. And it was lucky that I actually got a picture before they all disappeared.

We are big fans of coconut around here anyway, so these were a big hit. I decided that I needed to try to recreate these for a special Valentines Day treat yesterday. I wasn’t exactly sure how to make them, so I just kind of threw things together from what I had in the kitchen. I love the Almond Joy candy bar as well, so I thought that adding in some chopped almonds would be a great addition. While these were not as good as the ones from the Mackinac Fudge Shop, they were pretty delicious!

I encourage you to support an American small business and check out this website and order something special for yourself or someone else. You will thank me when you receive your treats in the mail!

For the Gluten Free version of these, just use a GF chocolate.

Coconut Almond Chocolate Goodies

2 1/2 cups of sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups of chocolate baking chips (I used a mixture of semi-sweet and dark)

3/4 cup of almonds, chopped

I toasted my coconut this time, but I am thinking the next time I am not going to toast it and see if I like it better. It is good toasted and makes it really crunchy, but I think I want to try if I can get it softer like the Almond Joy.

If you want to toast it, spread out the 2 1/2 cups of coconut on a large baking sheet.

Turn on your oven to 400 degrees and put in the baking sheet. You will want to stand and watch it, because it only takes about 5-6 minutes to get it toasted and will burn very quickly. I had to turn my pan around once in the middle of baking so that both sides browned evenly.

Add your coconut and almonds to a large bowl.

Then melt your chocolate. If you have a double broiler you can use that. Or, if your like me and don’t have one, you can either use the microwave (which doesn’t always work well for me) or you can do this. Put your chocolate in a large glass measuring cup, then place it in a medium saucepan and then fill the saucepan up with water.

Place it on the stove over medium heat and stir constantly until melted.

Then pour the chocolate into the bowl with the coconut and almonds and mix until everything is completely coated with chocolate.

Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Then, using a small metal scooper like this one,

Scoop out the mixture and place it on the baking sheet. When I first tried this, the mixture was too warm to make it stay in a nice rounded form, so I stuck the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour to let the chocolate harden up a little. This made it much easier to get a nice shape out of it.

Continue using the scooper until all of the mixture is used up. Then stick the baking sheet back in the refrigerator for about 20 more minutes until they firm up.

Since it is so warm here in sunny Florida right now, I decided to go ahead and put mine in a container and keep them in the fridge. You can place them into a nice serving dish and make it all fancy if you want to, but they will be gone before it really matters!

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