Blackberry Crisp

1 1/2 cup quick oats

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

Fruit,

8-10 cups fresh blackberries, washed and dried well

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350⁰.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, and salt.

Add the butter and cut it into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or a couple forks until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is evenly cut in. Set aside.

In another bowl, add the blackberries, sugar, flour and lemon juice. Stir until combined.

Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan and spread the fruit mixture on the bottom.

Sprinkle the crisp topping evenly over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes until the fruit is bubbly and the crisp topping is golden (add time, if needed).

Remove from the oven and let the fruit crisp rest for 10-15 minutes before serving (the fruit layer will thicken as it cools). Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream (or lemon frozen yogurt!) or sweetened, whipped cream, if desired

Instant Pot Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, cut into slices

1 large stalk celery, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

¾ teaspoon crushed dried rosemary

5 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup brown/ wild rice , uncooked

1/2 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ c half & half

¼ c cornstarch

½ c parmesan cheese, shredded

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

salt & pepper to taste

Set the Instant Pot to Saute mode. Heat the olive oil, then add the onion, carrot and celery. Saute the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and rosemary. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.

Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine.

Add the chicken breasts, brown rice, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot.

Put the lid on & close the steam vent. Set to HIGH pressure using the manual setting. Set the time to 13 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure.

Once the time is expired, use natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release.

Transfer the chicken breasts to a cutting board, shred with 2 forks, then transfer back to the pot. Turn on saute mode again. Stir together the ½ & ½ & cornstarch & add to the pot. Stir until thick. Stir in the parmesan, parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Perfect M&M Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 6 tablespoons Instant vanilla pudding mix
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips
• 2 cups Mini M and M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugars until well combined. Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing to combine. Mix flour, pudding mix, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to combine. Add chips and m and m's stirring to combine.

With a medium cookie scoop, place dough 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Enjoy!

Amish Friendship Bread

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ t salt

Cinnamon Sugar

• 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Cream together butter, sugar and eggs. 

Add buttermilk, flour, baking soda & salt. 

Divide 1/2 of the batter into two greased loaf pans. 

Mix in separate bowl the 2/3 c sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cinnamon sugar on top of the batter in each pan.

Add remaining batter to pans; sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar on top of each.

Swirl with a knife.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 min. or until toothpick comes out clean when tested.

Cool in pan for 20 minutes before removing from the pan.

Cheesy Doritos Casserole

3 cups cooked chicken chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken)

8 oz sour cream

1 (10.75-oz) can cream of mushroom soup

1 (10.75-oz) can cream of chicken soup

1½ cups salsa or 1 (10-oz) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

1 (11-oz) can of corn, drained

2 cups Mexican cheese shredded

1 (9.25-oz) bag of nacho cheese Doritos

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Crush the entire bag of Doritos and cover the bottom of the dish.

Reserve one cup of cheese. Mix together remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour chicken mixture over the Doritos & stir together.

Bake uncovered for 20 min. Top casserole with the remaining cheese and bake 5 additional minutes or until melted.

Serves 8

Elderberry drink (for immunity)

2 T Elderberry syrup

2 T Apple cider vinegar

2T lemon juice 

2 T Baobab powder 

Stevia powder to taste (1/32 tsp)

Add all to a quart jar. Stir. Add ice & water to the top. 

Fond Baobab here:

(https://store.trimhealthymama.com/product/baobab-boost-powder-11oz-bag/)

Perfect Snickerdoodles

• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg, plus 1 yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 3/4 cup flour

CINNAMON SUGAR MIXTURE

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter, granulated sugar, and light brown sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add in the egg, the yolk, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and cinnamon and mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. Turn mixer to low and add in flour, mixing until just combined.
4. In a separate small bowl make your Cinnamon Sugar by mixing together cinnamon and sugar, stirring until evenly combined.
5. Using a medium (2- tablespoon) cookie scoop portion out the dough and roll into a ball. Then roll each cookie dough ball into the cinnamon sugar mixture until coated.
6. Place on prepared baking sheet about 2- inches apart. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, turning cookie sheet halfway through baking.
7. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 3-4 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 jumbo cookies (w/ muffin scoop- bake 15 min)

Taco Seasoning

• ⅔ c. chili powder
• 6 Tbsp. ground cumin
• ¼ c. dried oregano
• ¼ c. onion powder
• ¼ c. garlic powder
• ¼ c. smoked paprika (or regular)
• 1 Tbsp. salt

Mix together & store in air tight container. 3 T = 1 packet taco seasoning (seasons 1 lb ground beef)

Sugar Free Jello

Courtesy of:

https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/easy-keto-jello/

• 2 cups water
• natural food coloring
• 1/2 cup powdered Swerve Sweetener or 3 T + 1 t Gentle Sweet
• Flavoring to taste (about 1/2 t)
• 1 tbsp grassfed gelatin

• In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the water and enough food coloring to achieve a bright blue. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan.
  
• Whisk in the powdered sweetener and extract to taste. Sprinkle the surface with the gelatin and let sit 3 minutes to bloom.
• Turn the heat on to medium low and whisk until the gelatin dissolves completely. Do not let it come to a boil.
• Divide the gelatin between 4 glass dessert cups (1/2 cup capacity each). Add a few fres berries if desired. Refrigerated 3 hours until set.

Can use 2 packets of THM hydrates in place of food coloring.

I have tried 2 orange packets w ½ t Apricot Flavoring & chopped apricots. 

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup butter, melted & slightly cooled
• ½ cup canola, vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups packed shredded zucchini
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, add the eggs, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Stir until smooth. You might have a few small brown sugar clumps and that is fine.
• Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don’t overmix. Stir in the shredded zucchini until just combined. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the chocolate chips.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean, you might have some melted chocolate chips on the toothpick and that is fine. You just don’t want a lot of gooey batter.
• Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove from the pan. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm. Cut into slices and serve.
•  The bread will keep on the counter, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. This bread also freezes well. To freeze, cool the bread completely and wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before slicing.

Cheesy Garlic Bread

1 loaf French bread, about 1 lb.

1 stick salted butter, room temperature

6 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup Italian salad dressing

¼ cup Parmesan Cheese, grated

3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

Fresh Parsley, to garnish

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Combine the butter, garlic, Italian salad dressing, and 1 cup of the Mozzarella cheese in a large bowl until well incorporated.
• Slice the French bread in half horizontally and spread the top of each half with equal amounts of garlic butter.
• Place the halves on a baking sheet, butter side up. Top with Parmesan cheese, then with remaining Mozzarella.
• Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
• Increase heat to 450° and bake for up to 8 additional minutes, until the top begins to brown. Keep an eye on it during this time.
• Remove and cut into 1-inch slices. Garnish with parsley 

Raspberry Pretzel Jello

• 6 oz package raspberry Jell-O
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 ½ cups salted pretzel sticks, before crushing
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 8oz package cream cheese - softened
• 1 8oz package Cool Whip - thawed in the refrigerator
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 12 oz bag frozen raspberries - thawed in refrigerator

Pre-heat oven to 350°F.

1. Combine 6 Oz packet of Jell-O with 2 cups of boiling water and set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Crush 2 ½ cups of pretzels in a ziploc bag, using a rolling pin.
3. Melt 1 stick of butter than add ¼ cup sugar in saucepan. Add pretzels and mix together.
4. Lightly press pretzel mix into a 13x9 -inch pyrex dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F, then cool to room temperature.
5. While pretzel mix is cooling down, beat 8 oz of cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar on medium/low speed until well-combined.
   
6. Next, stir in Cool Whip using a spatula and mix until well combined.
7. Spread mixture over cooled pretzels and go all the way to the edges of the dish to create a seal. You don't want the jello to leak into the pretzels. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
8. Place raspberries evenly on top of the cream filling and pour Jell-O over raspberries and refrigerate until jello is set.

Honey Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lemon (juice + zest)
• ¼ cup honey

• Preheat oven to 425°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set aside.
• Peel sweet potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces, and add to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper

• Add butter and olive oil to a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and honey. Simmer for one minute on low heat.
• Pour the lemon butter over the sweet potatoes. Toss well to make sure the sweet potatoes are evenly coated.
• Transfer sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes. Check for doneness and add additional time if needed.
• Serve and enjoy. I love serving honey roasted sweet potatoes with broiled salmon and cucumber salad.

Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin

• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Fresh rosemary, optional

RUB:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

SAUCE:

• ½ cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 6 cloves garlic smashed
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• Pat dry pork tenderloins with paper towels.
• Combine in a small bowl the rub ingredients; whisk to combine.
• Take the rub and sprinkle it all over the pork. Use your hands to rub it into the pork well.
• Add olive oil to a large skillet and set over medium heat; add pork and sear for a couple of minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
• Combine the sauce ingredients and add the mixture to the slow cooker.
• Place pork in the slow cooker.
• Add some fresh rosemary.
• Cover slow cooker with a lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 3 hours.
• Check for doneness by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the meat; pork is done when internal temperature reaches 145˚F.
• Remove pork from slow cooker and transfer to a cutting board; cover it with foil and let rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
• Slice and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley and some rosemary

Creamy Tuscan Chicken

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons salt, for the chicken
• 1 teaspoon pepper, for the chicken
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ onion, diced
• ¼ c sundried tomatoes, diced 
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
3. Place the chicken thighs skin side down in the skillet and cook for about 13 minutes to crisp up the skin. Move the chicken around from time to time to ensure it cooks evenly. The skin should be hard to the touch.
4. Flip the chicken, then cook for about another 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from pan.
5. Add the garlic and onion, stirring until onions are translucent. Stir in the tomatoes and spinach until the spinach is wilted.
6. Add the heavy cream, salt, and pepper, bringing to a boil.
7. Add the Parmesan cheese and parsley, stirring until the sauce has thickened slightly.
8. Place the chicken back in the pan, spooning the sauce on top of the chicken.

I have used boneless thighs before, just cook for less time. Can also use canned or fresh tomatoes. Serve over rice, noodles or caulirice.