Spanish Orzo with Olives

I have a love/hate relationship with Spanish rice. I love the idea of it, but at most restaurants it's too bland for me and the rice rarely seems to be done right. Even when I made it at home and I can add all the spice in the world, there's something about it that is just boring to me.

Recently, we were having some of our cousins over and I was doing Mexican because there were 6 adults and 10 children. In my experience, Mexican or pizzas are the best way to please that many children! I was getting ready to make Spanish rice and I realized I didn't have any rice. I was going back and forth about if I should even make it or not since after all, it is Spanish Rice ... blah blah blah ... but then I came across a box of tricolored orzo pasta. Could there be a better substitute for rice?! Okay, I'll keep making it!

As I started prepping, I remembered a Spanish Rice recipe that I have made in the past with Spanish olives. Now, the wheels were really turning!

It was a successful day in the PractiGanic kitchen. My new recipe not only worked out and was enjoyed by all (even me), but it was also made in one pot which cuts down on my pre-party dishes!

Spanish Orzo with Olives

Makes 6 cups

1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz orzo pasta**
2 c veggie broth
1-14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 can green chiles, drained
Juice of 1 lemon
2 T tomato paste
1 t oregano
3/4 t salt
3/4 t pepper
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1/2 c black olives, sliced
1/2 c Spanish olives, sliced

**I do realize that orzo pasta is not a great rice substitute for all my gluten free friends out there. If you want it gluten free, use 1 1/2 cups of quinoa and up the veggie broth to 2 1/2 cups.

In a pot, sauté your onion and garlic in a little olive oil. After about 5 minutes it will become translucent. Add pasta, broth, tomatoes, chiles, lemon juice, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients together. Keep on medium heat and cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8-10 minutes. There shouldn't be any extra liquid in the pot. Remove from heat and add in cilantro, black olives and green olives. Enjoy!

Since I made this for a party, I wanted to make it ahead of time. I prepared it during nap time and stored it in the refrigerator in the pot I cooked it in. About 10 minutes before we ate, I returned the pot to the stove, added 1/4 cup of water so it wouldn't be to dry heating it up again and mixed it until it was warm.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

The last family wedding was a big one. The kids were both in the wedding, as well as Paul. Simon was only 3 weeks old. Of course, two days before the wedding, I got a cold.  I was with all my sisters getting our nails done and the mother-of-the-bride saw that I was not in my normal condition and asked me if I had been taking elderberry syrup. Elderberry what?

On my way home, I picked some up at the local pharmacy. It was pretty pricy, but from what it sounded like, the price would be worth it. I had a few doses and by the time the wedding came, I felt great! That was now four months ago and that little tiny bottle is finally gone. Time to make some from scratch, save a little money and test out a homemade recipe!

This past week, the whole house has had a little sore throat or stuffy nose but taking the elderberry syrup has kept the colds from amounting to anything. I love this stuff!

Elderberries: Elderberries contain a lot of biofavanoids, which can help boost your immune system. They are also an anti-inflammatory which reduces congestion and swelling. Taking elderberries helps shorten your cold and flu by a few days while not letting the symptoms get as strong. Some people actually take elderberry syrup preventatively so the cold and flu never sets in. I ordered my elderberries from Mount Rose Herbs.

Cinnamon: The combination of honey and cinnamon has long been used to fight colds and flu. There is no scientific evidence to back it up, but since the ancient Chinese used it and it has stayed popular until current day, I'm a believer!

Ginger: I love ginger for calming bellies but it also is great at fighting colds by keeling your immune system strong.

Honey: As you may know, I love honey and its amazing healing elements. Honey helps suppress a coughs, keeping honey in its raw form also provides stronger healing by not killing off its natural minerals and enzymes. While it's not essential, try to pick us some raw local honey.

Homemade Elderberry Syrup

Makes 2 cups

3/4 c dried elderberries
3 c water
1 t cinnamon or 1 stick
1 1/2 t grated ginger
3/4 c raw honey

In a pot, boil water, elderberries, cinnamon and ginger. Keep it at a slow rolling boil for about 45 minutes or until it reduces by half. Remove from heat and strain out the berries. Let it cool down for about 30 minutes before adding in the honey.

Dosage: 1/2 to 1 tablespoon for adults and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon for children. Children under the age of one should not take honey. If interested, you can substitute honey with blackstrap molasses

Keep refrigerated in a container. This syrup is sure to last for a couple months.

Natural remedies do not work for everyone so consult your physician for any concerns. I am far from a doctor and I don't pretend to be one on the internet. Elderberries have worked for me and my family and I hope they work for you!

Leftover Mashed Potato and Roasted Garlic Gnocchi

As much as my kids love potatoes, they want them roasted and not mashed. I feel it will only take a little more time until they realize just how great mashed potatoes are, but until then I always have leftovers (I still make enough mashed just in case they decide to change their minds and eat them)!

There are some leftovers that I can not get enough of and for some reason leftover mashed potatoes are not one of them. For me, mashed potatoes need to be fresh! However, I love love love having leftover mashed potatoes because I love love love homemade gnocchi ... and the kids do too!

Gnocchi is surprisingly super easy to make so don't be intimidated by making a 'pasta' dough. That's not what this is at all. You get to throw all the ingredients into a bowl and go to town working them together with your hands. It's fun, it's fast, it's fabulous!

Now, for the roasted garlic. You may be beginning to think that I add roasted garlic to everything and you know what ... you're right! It's delicious and healthy for you. Yes, it's healthier in it's raw form, but roasted is just so good. You don't have to add the roasted garlic to the gnocchi, but I promise that if you do, you won't regret it. It gives the gnocchi the extra flavor and intensity that it needs. So many gnocchi's that I have had are good, but it's only because of the sauce that they are served with. This gnocchi is great all by itself (but a sauce is still a must!).

Leftover Mashed Potato and Roasted Garlic Gnocchi

Serves 6

3 cups mashed potatoes*
1 1/2 c flour
2 medium egg yolks
1 bulb of roasted garlic, mashed
1/2 t salt

*If you don't have that many mashed potatoes, you can use half mashed potatoes and half ricotta cheese. It's equally amazing!

Place all ingredients in a bowl. Here's the fun part ... get your hands in there and start mixing! Once all the flour is incorporated it should have a dough-like consistency. Divide your dough into 5 even balls.

Begin rolling out the balls into ropes with your hands, starting from the inside of the rope and working your hands outwards. I have an 18 inch cutting board and once the rope is about as long as the cutting board, I divide it in two and make 2-14 inch ropes. You want the ropes to be as even as possible so they cook evenly.

Next, cut the rope into 1 inch increments.

Place the gnocchi on parchment paper.

When they are all done, use a fork to make a fork mark in each one. This step is not necessary, but I have found that the gnocchi will hold the sauce better once it's cooked if they have the marks.

Now, it's time to cook or store them. If you are making these ahead of time, cover them until ready to use and place in the refrigerator. They can be made a day ahead. When you're ready to cook them, simply boil salted water and working in batches drop your gnocchi in the boiling water. Once they float, they're done. It usually takes only 3-4 minutes at the most. You can serve them like this, but I find that it's better the transfer them from your boiling water to an oiled pan and lightly sauté them for a couple minutes. You won't regret the added flavor.

Now, top with your sauce and enjoy! My favorite way to have gnocchi is with a brown butter sauce and julienned kale but sage pesto is a close second (plus I try to limit my brown butter sauces to twice a year)! When I'm really rushing around, I will put a little olive oil and nutritional yeast on my gnocchi. All are so good.

To Freeze: If you are freezing them, lay them out on wax paper and place them in your freezer. Once frozen, put them in freezer safe bags for up to one month. When you are ready to use them, thaw them slightly in the refrigerator and cook. It's that easy!

Essential Oils: Your Child's Medicine Cabinet

I have had friends over the years swear by essential oils and I was always interested, but I never would pull the trigger and buy them. The idea of them just seemed very foreign and I just didn't know where to start.

Once I finally bought some, I kicked myself for not buying them sooner. There are so many amazing things that you can do with essential oils: from cleaning to purifying and my personal favorite, healing. They are truly an amazing and powerful medicine! My medicine cabinet is now filled with different oils and when my family starts to get uncomfortable and sick, I reach for them and I feel confident that they will work and good that I am not filling their little bodies with antibiotics if I don't have to!

There's nothing worse than when one of your babies isn't feeling well. You want to do anything to get them better and as soon as possible! If your babies are ailing, below are some oils that may help their ailment! Make sure you use them with caution just as you would modern medicine!

*Always test an oil on your baby before liberally applying it. Take 1 drop mixed with 1 T carrier oil and rub it on your baby's foot. Wait an hour or two to make sure they don't have a reaction.

*Always dilute the essential oil before using it. Again, this can be done by adding it to your carrier oil. I usually do 1 drop of essential oil to 2 T carrier oil. Organic Virgin Coconut Oil is a wonderful carrier oil for young skin. We use a lot of organic virgin coconut oil in this house. I use it as an all-over body lotion for my babies and myself. It is gentle on skin while being anti-viral and anti-fungal. If you're unsure if you have the right coconut oil, it should be bright white and smell like coconuts!

Calming and Sleep Aid: Apply lavender to the bottom of your baby's feet, neck or down their spine.

Cold, Flu and Congestions: Apply pine or fir to babies feet. Equal parts cinnamon leaf, fir needle and sweet orange with a carrier oil. It's a natural Vick's Vapor Rub!Clove and basil also work well once you're babies are at least 2. 

Colic: Rubbing dill on their belly as well on the backs of their necks can help. Use lavender or chamomile to calm them. Most oils that are good for digestion are not safe for use for babies under 2 ... by then, colic is all gone.

Constipation: Rub grapefruit on your baby's belly in a clockwise motion.

Cough: Rub 1-3 drops of pine or fir on your baby's chest, upper back and neck. It is also beneficial to use a diffuser at night with these oils.

Cradle Cap: Rub lavender on their scalp 1 hour before bath time. Olive oil is the best carrier oil for cradle cap.

Diaper Rash Spray: 1/4 c witch hazel, 1/4 c aloe vera, 15 drops lavender, 15 drops chamomile. Spray and relieve!

Earaches: Rub tea tree oil behind their painful ear, down their lymph nodes and down their neck. Put a little lavender on their forehead to calm them. Never apply essential oils in their ears; use mullein garlic drops for that but we're talking essential oils here!

Germ Spray: 1 drops sweet orange + 2 drops cinnamon leaf + 1 drop of fir needle mixed with 3 T witch hazel and 2 t carrier oil

Nausea and Stomachaches: Rub dill on your baby's belly.

Runny Nose: Apply lemon under their nose and on their feet.

Teething and Toothaches: Many people have said to use clove, however, clove is a very strong essential oil and should not be used on kids under the age of 2. If you want to use essential oils for teething, chamomile is the best one for calming, but I would personally invest in an amber teething necklace and leave the oils behind.

Still can't find your answer? When in doubt ... lavender! I use lavender all the time. It's calming and helps your baby relax, it's good for skin issues, aches, pains and allergies. Seriously, it's some amazing stuff!

Make sure you are using 100% certified therapeutic grade essential oils. Oil Fragrances are already mixed with carrier oils and some have fillers and artificial ingredients.

Natural remedies do not work for everyone so consult your physician for any concerns. I am far from a doctor, but essential oils have worked for me and I hope they work for you!

Resources:
Learning About EOs
The Hippy Homemaker
The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Chai Tea Latte Mix - 4 Ways!

One of the things I love about winter is chai tea lattes. I love my tea and I love chai (we have even brewed a Chai Porter beer before ... yum!!!). The one thing I don't love about them is how overpriced the premixes are and if you simply add milk to chai tea, it's just not quite the same. Okay, so that's two things!

A few Christmas' ago, I decided to make a big batch of my own and to give it away to people as presents. It was so easy and I made sure to make enough for myself to enjoy too! Since that first year, I have changed up my spices a little bit to get the perfect flavor. I love the ginger and pepper to give it a little kick and the cinnamon and cardamon completely round the the flavor. It's honestly the perfect mix! I have also made different renditions of it because, well ... I get bored of the same flavor all the time! The explanation is that simple. No matter what you're feeling, regular, vanilla, cocoa or pumpkin, you can make them all yourself!

Now there's no need to pay for one at an overpriced coffee shop! As always, the best things in life are homemade!

Chai Tea Latte Mix

Makes 6 1/2 cups

3 cups milk powder
1 1/2 c unsweetened instant tea
1/2 c sugar
1 c dry powdered non-dairy creamer
2 t cinnamon
2 t ginger
1 1/2 t allspice
1 t cloves
1 t cardamon
1/2 t pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Divide mixture into jars.

When ready to drink, mix 3-4 tablespoons with 1 cup warm water. Enjoy!

Vanilla Chai Tea Latte

Use vanilla creamer instead of plain.

Cocoa Chai Tea Latte

Use chocolate creamer instead of plain and replace 1/4 of the tea with 1/4 c cocoa powder.

Pumpkin Chai Tea Latte

Use pumpkin creamer instead of plain and replace the allspice with pumpkin spice.

My Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets

Gadgets make the world go round ... okay maybe not the world, but my kitchen! Kitchen gadgets make a cooks job easier and most importantly, they save us time. To me, that means they are worth their weight in gold. You'll notice a theme with my gadgets. They all save me time and money.

With Christmas just around the corner you may have those one or two people that are hard to buy for. When in doubt, kitchen gadgets! They are fun and functional. You can't go wrong!

My Top 10 Kitchen Gadgets

1. Joseph Joseph Garlic Rocker $15: This thing is so fast and efficient for mincing garlic. Let's face it, the minced garlic that you buy in the store does not have the same great garlic flavor. It has to be fresh. This rocker goes really fast and saves time getting your garlic really small and time from cleaning the garlic off your hands!
2. Y Peeler: My favorite is the Kuhn Rikon 3 pack of vegetable peelers. There is a potato peeler which is like your normal peeler. They have a tomato peeler that actually is gentle enough to peel a tomato and other soft fruits and vegetables. I use it the most for mangos! The third peeler looks like a carrot and it juliennes veggies. I love this for one for julienning carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, etc. This makes making spring rolls go super fast! You can buy them as a set for about $15 or if you just want one, it's $5. By the way, they stay sharp close to forever!
3. VitaMix: I know what you're thinking, "Way too expensive!!!" That's what I used to think until we finally pulled the trigger! Wait until you have a 30% coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl's or another department store and get one! Now, I realize that this thing paid for itself! Since we juice a lot, the VitaMix uses half the amount of produce as our old juicer. I also can make a lot more from scratch that I wasn't able to before like peanut butter, ice creams, etc. I have the low end, VitaMix 1300 and it does just fine for us. So ... pull that trigger!
4. Thumb Press Food Dishers ... Old School Ice Cream Scoops. If you read my blog, you will know I'm obsessed with burgers. These make perfect, consistent burgers every time and it goes fast. I also love a small one for doing my faux meatballs. They also work out great for baking. 
5. Kitchen Scale: Recently, mine broke and I was seriously lost without it! Escali makes a lot of great ones for reasonable prices. Whichever one you decide to go with, read reviews and make sure that it can go to at least 15 lbs. (you won't regret it). 
6. Mini Colander: How many times do you bring out a great big colander for one can of beans or washing a handful of produce? It's so annoying! I love my little one can colander. I feel like it could stay on the counter sometimes it gets used so much. World Market is the place to pick these up. Only $2!
7. Cuisenart Immersion Blender and Small Food Processor Combo: Again, another item that could sit on the counter. It's used for sauces, spreads, baby food ... everything! I love the tiny food processor that it comes with too. So handy to zip the motor onto it and go. Do you need the combo? Not necessarily, the hand blender alone is half the cost and that's really all you need, but the food processor gets used just as much and you don't need to pull out an entire appliance for doing a couple walnuts or breadcrumbs. 
8. Small Spatulas: One time when we were at the Mustard Museum, they had little spatulas for getting mustard out of the container. Genius! I bought a two-pack. Once I had them, I used them all the time! Most spatulas are just too big for getting around containers and really getting everything out. Now, I think I have about 6 small spatulas! If they're on sale, I can't say no! It's a small strange addiction. Don't judge me!
9. Collapsible Salad Spinner: Getting all the dirt out of your lettuce can be a pain. Believe me, if you don't see it, it's still there! Wash all your greens, all the time! This salad spinner makes it really easy to do and I love that it's collapsible to save room in my cabinet. The bowl also doubles as a serving bowl and who couldn't use an extra bowl, right?!
10. Food Processor - Small and Big. I am obsessed with my food processors. I have my small mini food processor, I also have a 7-cup and 14-cup. Because I make a lot of burgers and things in bulk, I need to have a great big one, but sometimes that's just overkill so the normal size is perfect. Is this excessive ... you betcha, but they get used all the time! This is something you don't want to skimp on too much. I have burned motors of cheap ones in the past. Find one with a good warranty! I like sticking with Cuisenart because this is what they are known for and they do a great job with them!

Honorable Mention:

• Wooden Juicer: Just like minced garlic, lemon and lime juice HAS to be fresh!
• A Good Kitchen Timer
• Pour Spouts 

Happy Shopping!

Raw Beet & Chocolate Ice Cream: Just Beet It!

I love when good ideas don't work out as planned, but they still take you to a really great place. There are so many things in life that we plan and plan for and they just don't work out. We need to remember to wait and look outside ourselves and what we originally wanted and look for the silver lining, which many times is better than what we planned for!

Okay, now that I got that out of the way ... back to food so you can see where I am going with that! I have had a few beets sitting around and staring me down and I wanted to do something different. I wanted to make a dessert. I really wanted to make a beet fudge. With trusty ol' Google, I tried to find a recipe and I couldn't find one. There were plenty of fudgy beet cupcakes and brownies, but no fudge. I just didn't feel like baking though! So, I decided to just go for it and see what would happen.

I got the 'batter' to taste pretty darn good. Now, to see if it would actually set up in the refrigerator! Waiting, waiting, waiting ... it never did! It was a really good frosting though! So, I tried the freezer. Waiting, waiting, waiting ... it obviously froze and tasted good, but if it sat out for 10 minutes it was mushy again. Not exactly the fudge I wanted. So, it sat in my freezer for two days. I didn't know what to do with it. It was so tasty, I could use it as a frosting and make cupcakes, but, I still didn't want to bake.

Then, when I stopped thinking about it, an idea finally popped into my head, "ICE CREAM!" So, I set it out on the counter for a couple minutes, threw it back in my blender and voila ... raw ice cream! The kids downed it for a snack, which I didn't mind them having this ice cream for a snack!

I have since served it on two occasions and both times it went over great. The color is absolutely stunning too which is a great conversation piece, like you needed more to talk about since you're having beet ice cream!. It's so easy to make too. You just ... beet it! Sorry, I couldn't resist, I'm an MJ fan!

Beet & Chocolate Ice Cream (or frosting!)

Makes 4 cups

2 c beets, peeled and chopped
1 c dates, pitted
1/2 c cashews
1 large avocado
3/4 c cocoa powder
1/3 c coconut oil (unrefined, it should be white and smell like coconut)
1 t vanilla
2 T raw honey (use maple syrup to make vegan)

Put all ingredients into your VitaMix or high-powered blender and JUST BEET IT! Okay, seriously, blend it all until it is thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Spread in a 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper and freeze. When ready to eat, take out of the freezer for 10 minutes so it thaws just enough that you can take out the amount the you want. I had to cut mine with a knife. Either whip it back in your blender or form with an ice cream scoop for a pretty presentation!

Best served while listening to Michael Jackson! Seriously, I wouldn't lie about this!

Edamame Burger with Spicy Cilantro Mayo

My obsession lately is toasted sesame oil. I love the taste of it, I love the smell of it and a little bit goes a long way. The subtle flavor is amazing. I have had people ask me if they have to buy toasted sesame oil or if they can substitute plain sesame oil. The answer is, 'Technically yes, but please never substitute this ingredient'. It is more for flavor than purpose!

The toasted sesame oil gives this burger its interest factor. I made them a few times and I liked them, but couldn't bring myself to tell you guys about it because they were a little boring. Then one day, I was making my kids some Baked Tofu Bites and it hit me ... toasted sesame oil was needed! I made the burgers that night and even though I made them the week earlier, Paul thought it was an entirely new burger. Just that one little teaspoon transformed the entire burger!

Edamame Burger with Spicy Cilantro Mayo

Makes 7 burgers

1/3 c quinoa
2/3 c water
1 med carrot
2 garlic cloves
1/2 onion
2 eggs
1 1/2 c edamame
1 1/2 c crushed rice chips (or panko)
1 T tamari
1 T lime juice
1 t toasted sesame oil
1 t minced ginger
1 t mustard
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Spicy Cilantro Mayo
1/4 c vegenaise
2 T cilantro, finely chopped
1 t sriracha
1 t lime juice

Cook quinoa in 2/3 c water. Bring to boil then cover and lower heat. Once water is gone, quinoa should be nice and plump!

Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend. Keep it a little chunky ... but just a little, if it's too chunky, they will fall apart.

Form into 1/2 cup patties and bake at 375º for 10 minutes. Flip and bake for 8 more minutes.

When you are waiting, mix together the sauce ingredients.

DIY Egg and Honey Deep Conditioning Hair Mask

I finally reached the point after baby that my hair has started falling out (between 3 and 4 months for me). I was so hopeful because with my second baby it was just find ... it must be the boys that make my hair fall out! It's really bad this time too. It's the 1/2 inch all around my hair line which is quite noticeable. It's terrible! Not only am I pulling out clumps of hair at a time, but my hair also feel like straw which is a first.

I have tried different shampoos and conditioners, I have tried a different brushes and combs. Nothing seems to work. I have made numerous homemade shampoos and conditioners in the past, but none of them seem to work great for my hair type. I will be the first to admit that the thought of putting egg and mayonnaise in my hair was a little off putting regardless of what people say. But, desperate times call for desperate measures so I was going to try a homemade deep conditioning treatment. If you were to see my hair, you would realize why I have the change of heart. I needed to try something new ... anything!

There were lots of recipes out there so I put a few together to make the best for my hair. I wanted egg yolk because the proteins rebuild damaged hair as well as help strengthen it. I wanted coconut oil because my hair has been so dry that I needed to use a strong moisturizer. I have had many people tell me that they regularly use coconut oil on their hair and love it. Coconut oil will be a bit lighter and give more shine than olive oil. Lastly honey, I wanted honey because it is filled with nutrients that encourage hair growth as well as help your hair retain its moisture for the inside out. There were a few that recipes that would add in a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar for shine but that wasn't my priority and I figured I would get good shine from the coconut oil (which I did).

There are many essential oils that you can use for your hair. I tend to stay away from lemon and lemongrass in my hair because they can really change your color, some people love that though. Here are a few of my favorites.

Essential Oils for Hair:

Chamomile: For fine to normal hair. Conditions and helps scaly scalp. Gives blonde highlights

Lavender: Good for all hair types. Calms the scalp.

Peppermint: For dry hair. Stimulates scalp increasing hair growth.

Rosemary: For oily hair. Promotes hair growth as well as a dandruff treatment.

Tea Tree: For oily hair. Helps dry scalp, dandruff and even lice.

Thyme: Helps treat hair loss

Egg and Honey Deep Conditioning Hair Mask

Good for 1 mask for medium length hair.

3 T coconut oil (needs to be unrefined ... it should be white and smell like coconuts)
1 egg yolk
1 t honey
6 drops essential oils

Melt coconut oil so it is a liquid. Add remaining ingredients and whisk together.

Take sections of your dry hair and begin running the mask through your hair as well as massaging your scalp. Once your hair is completely covered, tie it up in a bun to keep it together.

To increase effectiveness, run a hot blowdryer on it for a minute. Then wrap a warmed damp towel around your head and leave it for at least two-three hours. (Some will leave it on overnight with a shower cap. I got great results in just 3 hours though.)

Rinse with warm water and then wash thoroughly.

I have been doing this treatment once a week, helping my hair get stronger and I'm seeing less breakage and my straw-hair is long gone!

Baked Tofu Bites

When I know it's going to be on the run around lunchtime or it's just a busy day at home I know I need to have an easy lunch that the kids don't have to wait too long for me to make ... it's just not worth the meltdown! My favorite  make-ahead kids meal is Baked Tofu Bites. I can cut and marinade them in the morning and just throw them in the oven when I'm ready. The kids can chow them up quickly. They taste great cold too, so sometimes I'll make them the night before, pack them away and we have a perfect snack, lunch or dinner.

The best part is, there's some leftover for me to munch on when the kids are done!

Baked Tofu Bites

1 14oz block tofu
1 T toasted sesame oil
2 T Mrs. Braggs Amino Acids or tamari
1 T nutritional yeast (optional, but it shouldn't be if you know what I mean ... delicious!)

Press the tofu for a good 30 minutes to get all the extra liquid out. This helps ensure that the tofu can pick up the marinade.

Cut the tofu into bite size squares. Put them in a container with the sesame oil, Mrs. Braggs and nutritional yeast right over it. Close up the container and shake it around. If you have to cook it right away, go for it but if you have time, shake it around every now and again for the next two hours to make sure the marinade is getting over all the tofu. 

Preheat 400°. Spread tofu on an ungreased pan (they have enough oil that they won't stick. Bake for about 45 minutes flipping them half way through. My kids don't like them too tough but feel free to bake up to an hour to get the consistency of tofu you like.

Coconut Almond Snowballs

Some may argue that every occasion needs a dessert. I just don't have the sweet tooth for that. In my life, every occasion needs an appetizer or snack! However, sometimes I get in the mood and I feel like I need a dessert for the evening. Last week was one of those nights.

The night before Thanksgiving, we have a long-standing tradition to get together with one of Paul's friends parents. We only see them a couple times a year and this night is booked for years to come to ensure that we can get together. It is truly a special night that we always look forward to! We usually go to their house, but this year we decided to switch it up since it would be easier with the kids. I knew we would be having our fill of pies and other desserts the next day, but I still thought this occasion was one of those that called for a dessert.

I wanted to stay away from Thanksgiving menu, so I went straight to the Christmas season. It was snowing that day, so it was quite fitting to make some snowballs. I loved them because even as I was taste testing and adding a few ingredients and amounts, they still only took 15 minutes to make.

They are really rich so a little goes a long way! Again, that could be my lack of sweet tooth talking!

Coconut Almond Snowballs

Makes 24

2 1/2 c unsweetened coconut, divided
1/2 c raw almonds
1/2 c honey (use maple syrup for vegan option)
1/4 c coconut oil
2 t almond extract

1/2 c chocolate, optional

In a food processor, puree almonds until they are almost dust. Add 2 c coconut, honey, coconut oil and almond extract. Mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.

Form them into 1 inch balls then roll them in remaining 1/2 c coconut.

Cool.

If you'd like, melt chocolate in a double boiler and transfer to a pastry bag. Decorate your snowballs.

You don't have to keep them refrigerated but they hold up much better if you do ... besides, who wants a warm snowball?!?!