Fudgy Chocolate Chunk Brownie

 These are very rich and very good.

via https://www.somethingswanky.com/fudgey-chocolate-chunk-brownies/ 

Ingredients

•  1/2 cup butter, softened
•  1 cup granulated sugar
•  1 tsp vanilla
•  2 eggs
•  1/4 tsp baking soda
•  1/4 tsp salt
•  1/2 cup all purpose flour
•  1/2 cup cocoa powder
•  2 cups chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare an 8x8 baking pan by lightly spraying it with nonstick cooking spray and/or lining it with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the butter and sugar until combined. Mix in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time.
3. Mix in the baking soda and salt.
4. Add the flour and cocoa powder. Mix until batter forms.
5. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Let cool completely before cutting and serving.

Poppyseed Balsamic Vinaigrette (for strawberry spinach salad)

 I LOVE strawberry spinach salad and I love trying new quick mix in a jar vinaigrette's. This one was super tasty. 

via https://www.wellplated.com/spinach-strawberry-salad/

For the Poppy seed Dressing:

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper

Mix together in jam jar (makes enough for a large salad)

Strawberry Salad

Spinach

Sliced strawberries

sliced red onion

feta cheese crumbles or asiago chopped up 

pecan pieces

I sprinkled in some blueberries

If I had it I would add sliced avocado as well

Chocolate PB Overnight Oats

Did you know you can HEAT overnight oats? Seriously. I haven't been thrilled with chilled overnight oats but 30 seconds in the microwave and they're SO good! I do like to use alternative milks but did these with regular and they were just divine. We all loved it. 

OATS-in a jar or mug

• 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk (or sub other dairy-free milks, such as coconut, soy, or hemp or even just dairy milk)
• 3/4 Tbsp chia seeds
• 2 Tbsp natural salted peanut butter or almond butter (creamy or crunchy // or sub other nut or seed butter) I just used Winco creamy.
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup (or sub coconut sugar, organic brown sugar, or stevia to taste)
• 1/2 cup rolled oats 
• 1/2 TSBP cocoa powder

TOPPINGS optional

• Sliced banana, strawberries, or raspberries
• Flaxseed meal or additional chia seed
• Granola

Mix up all the oats and make sure they're submerged. I liked doing it in a mug. Placed plastic wrap overnight and heated in the morninging. 

via: https://minimalistbaker.com/peanut-butter-overnight-oats/ 

Healthier Banana Chocolate Chip Bars

These are so yummy. They don't usually survive the day if I make them in the morning. I can't seem to see if I've posted this before. Hope I haven't repeated. My nieces have some serious food allergies and at one point were allergic to nuts, soy, wheat and egg and these were one thing we found could be allergy friendly. Not only that they're delicious. And can totally be made with items that don't fit all those food allergies. 

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups gluten free oats (or not)
• 1/2 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder (or not)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 medium ripe bananas
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (gluten free, if desired)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (or sub melted coconut oil or butter)
• 1/4 cup honey (agave nectar or maple syrup if vegan)
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)
• For chocolate drizzle:
• 2 tablespoons chocolate chips (vegan, if desired)
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
• I just sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top as they cool so I don't have to make a drizzle. 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9x9 inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. To make oat flour: Place oats into blender or food processor and blend for 1-2 minutes until oatmeal resembles flour. You may need to stop blender and stir oats a couple of times to ensure that all oats have been blended. 
3. Transfer oat flour medium bowl; whisk in baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; set aside.
4. Place bananas, vanilla, applesauce, and honey into blender; blend 1-2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add to oat flour mixture and mix until just combined.
5. Gently fold in 1/3 cup of chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly with rubber spatula. 
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Cool 10-15 minutes on wire rack.
7. Prepare drizzle by adding 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips and coconut oil in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high 30 seconds; stir well to combine then drizzle over the top of bars. Cut bars into 16 squares and enjoy!

via: https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-banana-bread-chocolate-chip-oat-breakfast-bars-vegan-gluten-free/?fbclid=IwAR1Qnje1UdAi58hIHL9FWQ3CKfBwbW4WSpuP4oyzWTuah9RdW82XhGOp7pQ

Buttermilk Syrup

 This is recipe I've been making for years. It will change your life if you haven't had it. I HATE regular pancake syrup now and will never go back. I do multiple versions of this depending on sweetness level and I've found over the years as it stores in the fridge it crystalizes so I've made a double batch sugared down recipe that isn't as thick but is still just as good. If you don't want it dark just don't boil it as long. And whatever you do you ALWAYS. I REPEAT ALWAYS! USE THE LARGEST POT YOU OWN. It grow!

BUTTERMILK SYRUP: Thick original version

• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Buttermilk Syrup: Lighter and bigger version (2 quart mason jars ish)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups buttermilk

1 stick butter

3 TBSP corn syrup (I guess)

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vanilla

Add all the ingredients to a big cold pot and melt and bring to boiling. I start on medium and work may way up. It tends to curdle the buttermilk if I dump it into a hot pot. 

Wait to add the vanilla after you've boiled it for about 7 minutes or until it's a nice Carmel color.

Serve warm. Store in fridge and microwave when ready to use. Leave room at top of jar as it will grow a bit once heated again. 

Sausage Cranberry Stuffing

Really good. Omitted the apples, would do less cranberries. We precooked the sausage and added back in with fat.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 1 pound of pork breakfast sausage
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons of fresh sage minced
• 2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary minced
• 2 tablespoons of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped (I left this out)
• 1 large golden delicious apple cored and diced (or whatever apple you have, or leave out)
• 3/4 cups of dried cranberries (maybe 1/3 to 1/2 cup)
• 2 cups of turkey or chicken stock
• 6 cups of dry unseasoned bread cubes (I used a whole loaf of French bread cubed and baked at a low temp until dry.
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large sauté pan, heat onions and celery over medium heat until softened. Add sausage, breaking up as it browns. Once sausage is cooked through, season with salt, pepper and stir in fresh herbs. Then stir in diced apples, cranberries, bread crumbs and stock.

2. Transfer stuffing mixture to a 9x13 baking pan that has been sprayed with non stick cooking spray, drizzle melted butter over stuffing mixture and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 25 minutes covered, then for another 20 uncovered until stuffing is lightly toasted. Sprinkle with additional fresh herbs before serving.

   
   

   Modified slightly recipe from number-2-pencil.com

Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken and Rice Ginger Soup)

2 tablespoons olive oil 
1 onion, diced 
2 cloves garlic, crushed 

1 piece of ginger (2 inches or so) peeled and sliced

1/2 rotisserie chicken deboned and chopped into bite sized pieces

black pepper salt to taste

6 cups broth or chicken bouillon and water

1 cup rice

1 lemon

toppings: sliced green onions, lemon slices, fried garlic 

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir the onion, garlic, and ginger in the hot oil until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, rice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on medium for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to check sticking. Top with toppings can also add a splash of fish sauce if you'd like.