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A spice for when you are feeling fancy. < Back Northern France Spice Mix Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: Multiple Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 10 teaspoons dried tarragon 1 ¼ teaspoons powdered bay leaf 5 teaspoons dried thyme ½ teaspoon ground cloves 10 teaspoons dried chervil Preparation Combine all in a blender and process until well powdered. Seal in an airtight container. Previous Next

This is the absolute best roasted chickpeas recipe. The foolproof method results in flavorful, crispy chickpeas that turn out perfectly every time! Delicious on top of Greek Salad! < Back Crispy Roasted Chickpeas Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 30-40 Minutes Serves: 1.5 cups Level: Beginner About the Recipe This is the absolute best roasted chickpeas recipe. The foolproof method results in flavorful, crispy chickpeas that turn out perfectly every time! Delicious on top of Greek Salad! Ingredients ½ Tablespoon Olive oil Spices (of your choice) 1.5 Cups of Chickpeas Preparation These perfectly seasoned roasted chickpeas are an easy, flavorful and healthy snack. I also love serving them alongside some of my favorite Mediterranean dishes like this delicious baked falafel, hummus chicken, Greek meatballs, hummus and pita bread, and this tzatziki sauce. Crispy chickpeas are my favorite way to add more protein and fiber to a meatless salad – especially this greek salad! Roasted Chickpeas Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions These roasted chickpeas are really versatile. Olive oil: Any oil works well in this recipe, my top suggestions are olive oil and avocado oil. Spices: I have included my favorite spice mixture for this recipe – but you can adjust the spices to your liking. Chickpeas. I use canned chickpeas for ease. If cooking your own, you will need 1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas. How to Roast Chickpeas I perfected the method to make perfectly crispy chickpeas every single time! Follow the steps and don’t skip any! Begin by very lightly greasing a baking sheet – preferably with spray olive oil or avocado oil – then set it aside. Next, drain and thoroughly rinse the chickpeas (if using canned). Then, thoroughly dry the chickpeas. I suggest turning the drained and rinsed chickpeas onto a paper-towel lined plate and patting them dry. It’s important they are completely dry to achieve maximum crispiness. While the chickpeas are drying, mix the spices together in a small bowl. Once the chickpeas have been thoroughly rinsed and dried, bake them “naked” for 15 minutes without any oil or seasoning on them. This way they begin to crisp up before they absorb any of the olive oil. After 15 minutes, remove the chickpeas from the oven, drizzle ½ Tablespoon olive oil over the chickpeas, and stir until they are evenly coated. If necessary, slowly add more olive oil until all the chickpeas are lightly coated with olive oil. Once they are evenly coated with oil, add the spices to the chickpeas and stir until evenly coated. Then, continue baking in the preheated oven for 10 more minutes before removing them to stir the chickpeas again. Return the stirred chickpeas to the oven and bake them for an additional 5-10 minutes, until desired crispiness is achieved (a total of 35-40 minutes of baking). Then, turn off the oven and crack the door so it’s slightly ajar. Let chickpeas cool in the oven to achieve maximum crispiness Store/Freeze I suggest storing these in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can freeze them as well, but you will likely need to re-crisp them in the oven after they thaw. To re-crisp the chickpeas If you live somewhere humid or your home has moisture in the air, you may need to re-crisp the roasted chickpeas after storing them. To do this, just preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and bake them for 2 to 5 minutes. Previous Next

< Back Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix Easy, delicious hot chocolate! Previous Next

< Back Apple Pie Filling Classic and simple apple pie filling Previous Next

You'll never want to buy syrup ever again! < Back Homemade Maple Syrup Prep Time: 1 minute Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: -0- Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 2 cups sugar (2 cups white, OR 1 cup white and 1 cup brown, OR 2 cups brown) 1 cup water ½-1 tabkespoon of maple flavoring – more or less to taste (I don’t measure) 1 tablespoon corn syrup (do not measure this, just pour out a "glop") (optional) Preparation Add all ingredients and stir periodically until it comes to a full boil. Serve on French toast, waffles, pancakes, or anything else that requires syrup. My favorite combination is 1 cup white sugar and 1 cup brown sugar. The brown sugar just makes it have a little richer flavor. The real reason that I like that combination is so that I don’t forget the recipe; I just have to remember 1:1:1 (white, brown, water), flavoring and a glop – very simple. The corn syrup is optional, but I add it because it is a science trick that won't allow the two different types of sugars to combine and crystalize. This is especially helpful if you have leftover syrup and store the excess for another day. Previous Next

Better than homemade noodles and we love noodles! < Back Danish Dumplings Prep Time: 15 min Cook Time: 5 min Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 4 Tbsp. Butter or margarine 1/2 cup Boiling water 1 tsp. salt 2/3 cup flour 1 tsp. sugar ¼ tsp. Nutmeg 2 eggs Preparation Bring butter and water to a boil. Add flour and seasonings all at once, stirring continuously. Cook until mixture leaves the sides of the pan. When cool, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with a spoon until they are all incorporated. Dip a tablespoon into the hot soup so that the mixture won’t stick to the spoon and then scoop up a tablespoon full and drop into boiling broth or soup. Do not cover. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes - they are done. Serve hot. So good.

My mom’s delicious 'Loaded Deviled Eggs' recipe is the star of my family's Thanksgiving dinner. Here's how to make the easy dish. < Back Loaded Deviled Eggs Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Serves: 16 Level: Beginner About the Recipe My mom’s delicious 'Loaded Deviled Eggs' recipe is the star of my family's Thanksgiving dinner. Here's how to make the easy dish. Ingredients 8 large hard-boiled eggs 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard or regular yellow mustard (based on preference) 1 teaspoon of sweet pickle relish ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2-3 tablespoons of Kraft Sandwich Spread (you can use Mayo as well, but add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and an extra ½ teaspoon of sweet pickle relish) A pinch of salt Smoked or sweet paprika for garnish (season to your liking) Preparation To make, you'll need: 8 large hard-boiled eggs 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard or regular yellow mustard (based on preference) 1 teaspoon of sweet pickle relish ¼ teaspoon black pepper 2-3 tablespoons of Kraft Sandwich Spread (you can use Mayo as well, but add ¼ teaspoon garlic powder and an extra ½ teaspoon of sweet pickle relish) A pinch of salt Smoked or sweet paprika for garnish (season to your liking) The recipe also offers optional toppings, including one to two dashes of Tabasco sauce and bacon bits. Instructions: Boil eight large eggs for 10 to 12 minutes on a stovetop. Let them cool for another 10 minutes. Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half, scooping the cooked yolks into a large bowl. Mix the egg yolks, mustard, sweet pickle relish, black pepper, and Kraft in the large bowl. Stir until the ingredients are mixed thoroughly. Use a spoon to scoop the yolk mixture into the halved eggs. Sprinkle paprika and chopped chives for garnish. Previous Next

Juicy honey garlic pork chops with caramelized edges ready and on your table in less than 15 minutes! smothered in the best 4-ingredient sauce! < Back Easy Honey Garlic Pork Chops Prep Time: Cook Time: 12 Minutes Serves: 12 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Juicy honey garlic pork chops with caramelized edges ready and on your table in less than 15 minutes! smothered in the best 4-ingredient sauce! Ingredients 4 pork chops bone in or out Salt and pepper, to season 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup water (or chicken broth) 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, or any white vinegar) Preparation This Honey Garlic Pork Chops Recipe is so easy you won’t believe it when it’s done! No marinating needed, this recipe is an incredibly quick and delicious way to serve bone in or boneless pork chops — seared until golden then simmered and broiled (or grilled) in the most amazing honey garlic sauce! THE BEST part are those crispy, charred and caramelized edges! How to cook pork chops Boneless OR Bone-In chops can be usedSeason chops just before cooking to ensure they stay tender and juicy while cooking. Preheat your heavy-based pan or skillet and get it nice and hot before adding your chops.Sear for 4-5 minutes each side until crisp and golden. The juices in the chops release into the sauce while broiling, creating even more flavor and quantity of sauce to serve with your pork. pork chop marinade — no marinating needed! Melt butter in the same pan as the porks were seared in to keep those flavors going into the sauce, then add the rest of your ingredients. Cook until the sauce reduces down and thickens slightly (about 3-4 minutes). Don’t cook for too long or the honey will reduce down completely, leaving you with a dry pan. (If that happens, just make another batch of sauce only to serve later.)Baste pork generously with the sauce, then broil/grill for 1-2 minutes, or until edges are slightly charred. baked pork chops If you prefer oven baked pork chops, we’ve included directions in the Recipe Notes! INSTRUCTIONS Preheat the oven broiler (or grill) on medium-high heat. Season chops with salt, pepper and garlic powder just before cooking. Heat oil in a pan or skillet over medium high heat until hot. Sear chops on both sides until golden and cooked through (about 4-5 minutes each side). Transfer to a plate; set aside. Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Sauté garlic until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the honey, water and vinegar. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook until the sauce reduces down and thickens slightly (about 3-4 minutes), while stirring occasionally. Add pork back into the pan, baste generously with the sauce and broil/grill for 1-2 minutes, or until edges are slightly charred. Garnish with parsley and serve over vegetables, rice, pasta or with a salad. NOTES Baked Pork Chops: Preheat oven to 390°F | 200°C. Sear seasoned chops in a hot oven-proof pan or skillet over medium-high for 2 minutes per side -- get them crisp. Remove chops and make your sauce following the recipe above (Step 3). Baste with sauce and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, or until reaching your desired doneness. Broil/grill for 2 minutes to get those caramelized edges! Previous Next

Soft serve is one of my favorite summer treats, and I was excited to try the pineapple version. < Back Pineapple Frozen Dessert Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cook Time: 10 Minutes Serves: 4 Level: Beginner Ingredients Frozen pineapple chunks Pineapple juice Defrosted cool whip Honey Preparation The pineapple soft serve ice cream recipe is simple: blend frozen pineapple chunks with a bit of juice and cool whip until smooth. I was surprised by how rich and creamy the soft serve turned out, and the pineapple flavor was delicious. It’s the perfect treat on a hot day! If you’re in the mood for something a little different, give this pineapple soft serve recipe a try. It’s easy to make and is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth. Thanks for reading, and we hope you enjoy the recipe! What exactly is soft serve Pineapple ice cream? This is a simple recipe that is made by using pureed pineapple, heavy cream, milk, and a small amount of sugar. It is an extremely refreshing treat for any time of year. What is the Pineapple Ice Cream made with? The recipe contains heavy cream, milk, sugar, and pureed pineapple. A very simple combination for a delicious dessert. What does Pineapple Soft Serve taste like? The flavor will be Pineapple in this recipe. That is what makes it so refreshing. Can I add or substitute other flavors? You certainly can! Any other fruit flavor will work in this recipe as long as the fruit is pureed first. However, you could also make this into a Butter Pecan or Chocolate or even Maple flavored Soft Serve. Instructions: Step 1. Start by adding 3 cups of frozen pineapple chunks into a blender or food processor. Step 2. Then, add 6 oz of pineapple juice. Step 3. Next, add 1 cup of defrosted cool whip. Step 4. Lastly, add 2 tbsp of honey. Step 5. Blend until well combined and smooth. Step 6. Put the mixture into a piping bag, and pipe it into four separate serving containers. Previous Next

Grandmas easy delicious cake! < Back Apple Chip Cake Prep Time: Grandmas easy delicious cake! Cook Time: 50-55 mins Serves: Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 3 cups flour 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoon vanilla 2/3 cup oil 2 eggs 4 cups coarsely chopped pr grated raw apples 1 cube margarine 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup chopped nuts ½ cup flour Preparation Mix above ingredients and pour into greased and floured 9” x 13” pan. Mix topping and sprinkle over top of batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 to 55 minutes.

< Back Mile High Biscuits These biscuits make the ultimate biscuits and gravy or better yet, they go really good with homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Who says that eating food storage is yucky? I’m thinking that it is nothing but yummmmmy! Previous Next

I love a good deal, don’t you? I also love to purchase in bulk and “put food up” for another day. So, when the opportunity came to purchase a box of oranges from a youth baseball fundraiser at a really good price, I couldn’t resist… but what to do with 20 pounds of oranges? Find 28 uses for oranges, of course! < Back Uses For Oranges - Never Waste Another Orange Prep Time: N/A Cook Time: N/A Serves: N/A Level: Beginner About the Recipe I love a good deal, don’t you? I also love to purchase in bulk and “put food up” for another day. So, when the opportunity came to purchase a box of oranges from a youth baseball fundraiser at a really good price, I couldn’t resist… but what to do with 20 pounds of oranges? Find 28 uses for oranges, of course! Ingredients Oranges Preparation Read on to learn how to prepare, zest, chop, squeeze, and liquidate oranges in 28 useful ways. Preparing Your Oranges The first thing to do is wash the oranges before you use them – you are going to eat or zest them, so you need to get rid of the dirt and nasty chemicals first. Fill a sink with warm water and add vinegar. Don’t worry too much about the ratio – a big “glug” of vinegar to half a sink of warm water will do. Let them sit for a few minutes and then rinse. I washed enough for several days and left the rest until I wanted to use them. The wax coating that they place on them helps protect the oranges so they will last longer. 28 Uses for Oranges Eat them! Oranges are a healthy snack with low calories. You can’t beat them for a midday boost. - 86 calories in a large orange- 65 calories in a medium size orange- 45 calories in a small orange How can you use a whole orange without waste? Simple…place the washed orange in the freezer. Once the orange is frozen, get your grater or vegetable peeler, shred the whole orange (no need to peel it), and sprinkle it on top of your food . Sprinkle it on your salad, ice cream, soup, cereals, smoothies, noodles, spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi, fish dishes….the list is endless. All of the foods will have a wonderful taste. (This works well with lemon and lime too) Make orange zest. Make herbal tea . Traditionally, orange peels are used internally in teas to help with stomach cramps and as an appetite stimulant. Make orange zest and freeze it with water in ice cube trays . Use it for flavorful drinks on a hot day or to add some zing to your daily water routine. Make old fashioned marmalade ! It’s a great addition to your food storage. Dry and powder the rinds . Make natural citrus cleaner with orange rinds and white vinegar. This was my favorite thing to do with the leftover orange peels, now I have orange scented vinegar to clean with. It’s so easy, you’ll never throw away an orange peel again. Garbage Disposal sweetener – Keep the vinegar orange peels in a jar on the counter and put a few down the disposal every time you use it. We always have extra eggs, and now that I have a box of oranges, I can make Honey Sweetened Orange Curd . This stuff is fabulous! You’ve got to try it over ice cream. Clean your sink . Oranges can be used to safely clean most surfaces. Cut an orange in half and dip it lightly into a dish of salt. Scrub the inside of your sink with the salted orange. Rinse thoroughly. Then use it for #9 so your drain will smell nice too! Even an orange that has already been juiced will work with this technique. Make an orange pomander . The citrus scent is pleasant and is a great mix of cloves, which repel moths. Here’s how: Use a toothpick and make holes in an orange. Fill the holes with whole cloves. Bake the oranges on low for an hour or until they harden. After cooling, decorate with ribbon or string to form a sling for the orange. Hang in your closets, your bathrooms, your kitchens , or where you keep litter boxes. I like to put several of these in a decorative bowl in my bedroom. Make an orange peel face mask . Grind dried orange peels to a powder and add it with an equal part of water (or milk) until you have a paste. Apply as a face and body treatment. This can be done with other citrus peels as well (lemon peels, grapefruit peels, etc) to make a variety of masks! Keep your brown sugar lump free . Oranges can deter brown sugar from hardening. Place a two-inch wide orange peel piece, pith and all, in with your brown sugar and keep in an air-tight container. The skin puts moisture into the air inside the container, keeping the air damp. Fire Starters - The oil in orange peels is volatile, use this to your advantage and make your own fire starters. Squeeze the oil of orange peels onto a bundle of dryer lint. To start a fire out camping, put some dried orange peels with the kindling under the larger wood. Wave goodbye to toxic chemical fumes for a not-so-budget-friendly camping item. Make delicious homemade oil for use on a salad – give them as gifts, or just keep for your own kitchen. Place bits of orange peel (pith removed) and dried cranberries or a sprig of your favorite herb, into a decorative bottle and fill the remainder with extra virgin olive oil. Close the bottle and place it in a dark place. Remember to gently shake every few days. After several weeks the orange peels and herbs will impart a wonderful flavor to the oil. Remove the herbs, decorate and give! Make citrus sugar: Use fresh twists and add them to sugar, combining them in a jar. Let the oil from the peel infuse the sugar, and after a few weeks remove the peel. Make citrus extract powder: Make zest or twists (lemons, limes, oranges, or grapefruit) being sure to remove the pith and allow to dry, about three or four days for twists, less for zest. Put in a blender (or spice grinder) and pulverize into a powder. Store in a clean jar. Keep cats away from your garden or houseplants. I’ve heard that cats don’t like the scent of orange. Try placing dried rinds around your prized plants and see what happens. If the cats are really stubborn, dry out some coffee grounds (as much as you can get) and mix them with freshly grated orange peels (you want the peels to preserve their strong smell for an effective cat repellent); mix everything with soil from your garden and add the mixture to the places turned by cats into their litter boxes or around plants. This natural cat repellent will send the message to any feline trespasser to keep away while being non-toxic to kids and dogs. Compost it of course! Just be sure you don’t overload the compost bin with citrus. Putting the entire box in would be a bad idea and a waste of other great products you could be making! Reduce the odor in your trash area . Placing orange peel at the bottom of your trash can, before putting the bag or bags in, is said to reduce odor and discourage insect infestation. Make candied orange slices. Make an infusion of honey with orange peels by placing twists and letting the flavors steep for a few weeks. Speed up the process by slowly heating them on the stove, being careful not to bring it to a boil. Remove the peels and store in a clean jar. Dry and grind the orange peels. Place into a mason (glass) jar and cover with clear grain alcohol (like vodka), warming it first will yield more oil.-// Shake vigorously for a few minutes and repeat every couple of days.-// After two weeks, strain the mixture through a coffee filter, reserving the alcohol.-// Place it in a shallow dish, cover with cheesecloth, and allow alcohol to evaporate, what’s left over will be orange oil. Note: For this use, and any other uses for oranges that require the peels, use only organic fruit. Most non-organic oranges exceed pesticide limits and their peels are coated with the cancer-causing fungicide imazalil . The same goes for all other citrus fruits, including lemon, lime, and grapefruit. Try making your own orange oil extract : Caution! Orange oil is flammable and very corrosive. For most cleaning purposes, a quarter of an ounce mixed in with a quart of water should be enough to get the beneficial results. Always spot test before applying in quantity. For those scorched pots and pans, boil several orange rinds in them. Let everything sit for an hour or so, and gently clean with dish soap as usual. Rinse off. Your kitchen will be smelling heavenly fresh too. So, it’s a win-win (if using the rinds is too much of a hassle, replace them with baking soda for the same effect). Make orange juice (lots of it!). This might sound like a no-brainer, but when your pantry is overflowing with oranges, it is the most sensible thing to do. And don’t worry about the excess juice going bad. It should last in the refrigerator for up to three days and up to four months in the freezer. Make natural pectin for your jams and jellies. Not everyone is a huge fan of gelatin (I’m looking at you, our health-conscious or vegan readers). You can swap the gelatin with homemade pectin. Fortunately, the white, fibrous part of orange peels also known as the pith is chock-full of the right stuff. Just remove the pith, chop it finely, place it in a cotton muslin drawstring bag and let everything boil in the jam. Turn an orange into a natural exfoliator . Dip a half orange into coarse sugar and gently exfoliate your skin with it. The sugar will remove dead skin cells boosting skin regeneration while the juice in the orange will feed your skin from the outside in. Oranges are rich in nutrients that are a boon for the skin such as vitamin C and E, antioxidants, and zinc. Give your skin some much-needed TLC at least once a week. Frequently Asked Questions How does orange peel remove dark spots? The active ingredients in oranges are Vitamin C and natural AHAs, which have a direct effect on the human skin’s dark spots. They basically help those spots to heal and moisturize the skin to return it to its normal properties. What happens if you eat oranges every day? Due to the high amount of vitamin C that can be found in oranges, we don’t recommend eating them every day, and especially not if you have the habit of eating them in large quantities. Basically, they can cause abdominal cramps, and could also lead to diarrhea, as well as other stomach problems. Also, you should take note that oranges are not exactly low in calories, so eating several per day can result in an exponential weight gain. Can you eat oranges if you’re diabetic? The American Diabetes Association has listed citrus fruits among Diabetes superfoods. According to the association, citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are full of fiber, vitamin C, folate, and potassium, which would help benefit a healthy diabetic eating plan. In short, yes, you can eat oranges if you’re diabetic, and they’re actually recommended. Is orange good for high blood pressure? Citrus fruits, including grapefruit, oranges, and lemons, may have powerful blood-pressure-lowering effects. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds that may help keep your heart healthy by reducing heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure. In short, yes, oranges are great if you have high blood pressure. Is one orange a day enough vitamin C? Oranges contain 53 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams. One medium orange delivers 70 mg of vitamin C. Other citrus fruits, such as grapefruit, mandarins, and limes, are also good sources of this vitamin. However, the recommended daily vitamin C is between 65 to 90 mg per day, with the upper limit being 2000 mg per day. Previous Next