Category: Recipes

Peanut Butter Cookies · Recipes · Uncategorized

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

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Okay, so I have been sick the past couple of days.  Head cold.  I have been craving sweets since Wednesday.

So, we have peanut butter, sugar and eggs…so I decided to make cookies.

A dear friend who used to come from Spring Hill college for weekends and breaks had a gluten allergy.  She brought this recipe, and I eventually found it.


Ingredients

  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or splat-mat.

Beat together egg, sugar, baking soda and vanilla in a standing mixer with the paddle attachment or with a hand-held mixer. Beat in the peanut butter. Stir in chocolate chips if using.Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet, pressing lightly with the back of a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly set. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Enjoy!!

Recipes · soup · Uncategorized · WLS

Garlic & Onion Soup

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Having a cold, running nose, head ache, fatigue the past couple of days, I was craving something comforting.  Soup.

With the gastric sleeve surgery soup can be complicated.  Liquid with solids are hard to process, for me anyway.  I wanted something smooth, not chunky like chicken soup.  I came across several Garlic Soup recipes that I found on Pinterest.  I combined or modified them.  Most used 5 large bulbs of garlic.  I only had 1 complete bulb so that is what I roasted.  I liked it, and it was comforting.  David liked it as well.  Subtle flavors.

I roasted the garlic I had in a baking dish with olive oil and covered in foil.  It sweetens the garlic, and adds a nutty flavor.
1 stick of butter, and 3 onions sliced and place in a Cassoulet.  Add salt and pepper.Saute until the onion is translucent.  Add 3 teaspoons of dried parsley, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1 teaspoon oregano and a bay leaf.  Add peeled garlic.Add 4 cups of beef stock.  Bring to simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes.Place in a blender (be very careful – liquid will be hot, or use an immersion blender), and puree.  Add back to the Cassoulet, and add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream.  Bring to a simmer. Serve with sliced Parmesan.  It did satisfy my craving for soup.

Hopefully it will add in my cold recovery.

Enjoy!!

 

 

Meal Prep · Recipes · Uncategorized · WLS

Ahi Tuna Sashimi

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So David and I went shopping at Sam’s Club tonight.  We were seriously in need of groceries.  I know that I am not supposed to shop while hungry so I think I ended up getting everything I saw.  Not really, but close.  I ended up getting lots of different protein for meal prep this weekend.  But I also got a small bit of Ahi Tuna.  It was small, and a little fatty.  I ended up trimming off the fat, and prepping it for some sashimi.

I had some green onions, and I always keep soy sauce and sesame oil on hand. So I chopped the tuna, and added the green onions.  Blended the soy sauce with very little oil.  I have always added a squirt of lemon juice to this blend.  It brightens it I think.  I had some sesame seeds as well.  I added that at the end.

I don’t like a lot of oil, and only used very little.  The rest is just to taste. Sprinkle with seeds, and serve chilled.

I love my Epcot plates…perfect for me sashimi.  Two meals anyway, dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow.

Enjoy!!

 

 

Recipes · Uncategorized

Bourbon Punch

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So back in September, I traveled with two of my girlfriends to New Orleans, LA, for a concert to celebrate my 50th birthday.  We had a ball, just really exploring the city and enjoying the new found energy that I have since surgery.

We discovered the Bourbon House located on Bourbon Street.  Their signature drink was this Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch.  We ordered a couple, and really enjoyed them.  I think all of us were surprised about how yummy they were.

  Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch 
Serves 10
Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch – click here for the original post from Louisiana Cooking.

Ingredients

4 cups whole milk
1 cup bourbon
1/4 cup vanilla extract
1/4 cup Simple Syrup, recipe below
1 pint vanilla ice cream
Garnish: grated nutmeg

Directions

In the container of a blender, combine milk, bourbon, vanilla, Simple Syrup, and ice cream; blend 8 seconds. Pour into glasses, and garnish with grated nutmeg, if desired. By Barry Himel, Bourbon House, New Orleans, Louisiana
Simple Syrup
Serves 10

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Directions

 In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature before using. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 month.
Recipes · Uncategorized

Cranberry Honey Butter Spread

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Cranberry Honey Butter Recipe

I had been seeing on Facebook a post from Taste of Home with this interesting butter that had cranberries, orange, and honey in it.  It looked simple, delicious and something a little different for Thanksgiving.

I doubled the recipe, and added a full squeeze of 1/2 of the orange.  I also used an entire package of dried cranberries.  I liked it.  So did the family.

 

Cranberry Honey Butter Spread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
  • 1/2 cup freshley squeezed orange juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt


Directions

In a small bowl, beat all ingredients until blended. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.Yield: 24 servings.

Recipes · Uncategorized

Brie Bites

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Brie Bites are super easy to make, and most everyone likes them.  Sweet, salty, and crunchy…what’s not to like?  I made these for our families annual Christmas gathering at my friend Julie’s house. I also made Mexican Spinach, and crock pot meatballs.  Those recipes will come later.

Ingredients:

1 package 15 mini fillo (phyllo) shells (I found mine in the freezer section.)
4-6 oz. brie cheese (casing removed; to make removing the casing easier, put brie in freezer for a few minutes, it will also make it easier to cut the brie into cubes)
1 jar of favorite preserves (apricot is shown, but I ran out and used ended up using plum jelly)
Pecan halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place mini shells on a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a splat-mat.
Cut brie into ½ cubes and put one in each mini shell.
Top each brie filled mini shell with a little of the preserve (almost ½ teaspoon). If you choose to add the Pecan, you can place on top of the preserves.
Bake in 350°F oven for 7 minutes or until brie has melted. Be careful to keep an eye on it so shells don’t burn.

I didn’t get a finished picture.

Enjoy!

Bariatric Surgery - My Story · Recipes · Uncategorized

Weight Loss Surgery (WLS), Egg Rolls and Routines

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Well, in my previous post about Egg Rolls, I talked about Carmen learning how to prepare them.  Well…the egg rolls smelled so wonderful…so.

Limitations. I could only eat two of them, and they were somewhat small.  I did choose to eat the more protein filled ones, and tried not to eat all of breading. They were yummy, but not something I can eat everyday.

Choosing what to eat over the holiday break was more difficult than I had planned. Isn’t life that way?  During my normal routine of work (8a-430p), I take a P3 Protien Pack and maybe another snack.  I do fairly well with this routine.  Being around food over the holiday made me want other things even though I had some P3’s to eat.

Everyday, first thing I drink one of these Bolthouse Farms Protein Shakes.  I am in love with the coffee one.  I drink one 15 ounce every morning, and that gives me 30 grams of protein for the day.  The P3’s average 11-13 grams, so that adds to the 80-90 grams of protein I have to have everyday.  I will talk more about my daily schedule in a later post.

WLS has changed how I see food, and really try to look for what benefits the food can give me.  Not just to eat whatever is in front of me.  Protein first, then vegetables and not many of those just yet.  So far, cooked carrots, green beans, and spinach are my favorites that don’t hurt my tummy.

Baby steps…

 

 

 

Recipes · Uncategorized

Egg Rolls

jachancellor1 Comment

To follow up with the request from Carmen for cooking help…she wanted Egg Rolls.

I used to make these in large batches (small children, busy family), and haven’t made them in a long while.

Egg Rolls 

Ingredients:

Nasoya Egg Roll Wraps (what the store had – just get square ones)
1 lb hamburger meat (93% Fat Free)
1 package cabbage – sliced angel hair (for the lazy me)
1 package carrots – sliced thinly (again for the lazy me)
2-3 green onions or scallions, chopped
4 T fresh parsley, chopped
garlic – minced – about 2 teaspoons
ginger – minced or ground – about 1 teaspoon
Soy Sauce (we use the light version)
salt and pepper

Directions:
I mix the cabbage, carrots, parsley, and scallions in a large bowl.

Brown the hamburger meat, drain fat (if any), add garlic, ginger and some salt and pepper.

Mix with the cabbage mixture. Add soy sauce for flavor and moisture. (Be aware, too much moisture, and it will leak out of the egg roll.) Taste it, and add more salt and pepper if wanted. Cabbage should wilt a bit.

Roll the egg rolls per the package directions, and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.

I freeze mine this way, and place them in zip lock bags for enjoyment anytime.

Nasoya brand of egg rolls allows them to be fried or baked. I prefer our baked, so I followed the instructions on their packaging. Brush with oil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until done.

Serve with soy sauce, or a Thai chili sauce (yummy!).

Enjoy!!

Recipes · Uncategorized

Gumbo

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Over the holiday break, Carmen was home for a brief visit from school.   We have had many a discussion on what I used to cook, and how she doesn’t know my cooking ways.  Ha.

Well, I asked (and regretted) what she wanted to learn.  Gumbo.  Great. I know how I make it, but it isn’t truly a traditional gumbo.  She didn’t care, and we went to the store.

img_3966

Ingredients:
2 cups of white onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, green, chopped
1 cup of parsley, chopped
3 small shallots, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
3 cups of okra (we like it)
2 cups of chopped tomato
1/2 can of tomato paste
1 16 ounce package of chicken stock (I always use stock instead of water when recipes call for water in Cajun cooking.)
1 package of Conecuh Hickory Smoked Sausage, sliced (most recipes will call for Andouille sausage, again, we don’t like it very spicy – you can always substitute.)
2 lbs of shrimp (we cheated and got the already peeled, and divined)
1 lb of lump crab
1 lb of grouper (or any large, white fish)
salt and pepper
Cayenne Pepper
Bay leaves (medium – 5)
Shakes of Tabasco
Shakes of Worcestershire sauce
File’ if wanted
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 cup of oil (vegetable)
Cooked white rice

Directions:
Prepare all of your ingredients, so when you begin the roux you will not have time to chop anything. You will be stirring.


First and foremost important item is the roux. The key is to make equal parts of flour and oil. Most will say to heat the pan, then add the oil. I agree. I did not follow the rules to add the flour slowly. I just added it. I also add salt and pepper. Stir until clumps are gone, and then stir over medium/high heat for about 30 minutes or a dark pecan color. Be patient. You will want to speed this up, please don’t.

img_3939
Then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, shallot, cayenne pepper (I don’t add a lot, as my family doesn’t like it really spicy), and stir in with roux. You will want the onions to become translucent or clear in color. Don’t brown them.

img_3944

Then add the sausage and tomatoes and tomato paste. Cook for about 5 minutes, then add one pound of shrimp.

img_3950

Cook until the tomatoes are cooked down a bit, maybe 5 to ten minutes. Then add stock, okra, Worcestershire and bay leaves. Cook for about a hour. You should be stirring about every 15 minutes or so to make sure that nothing is burning.

img_3964

Then add the remaining fish, shrimp and crab. Be careful not to stir too much as the fish and crab will just melt into the gumbo. Add about half parsley, and scallions.

Serve with more parsley and scallions, file’ if you like and Tabasco. We add a bit of rice (mostly gumbo).

img_3966

Enjoy!!

Recipes · thankful · Thanksgiving · Uncategorized

Cooking Frustrations

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Ugh…so for Thanksgiving I bake the biscuits and cornbread muffins for my dressing in advance (so they can dry out), normally on Sunday before Thanksgiving.

So, on Sunday, I was making a new chocolate treat for the family “Rolo Turtles.”  Square pretzels, unwrapped Rolo’s, and pecans.  Place the Rolo on the pretzel, and place in heated oven for 8-10 minutes.  Take out of the oven, and place (carefully) pecan on top (pressing down).  Let cool, and enjoy.

Well, I did those and turned off the oven.  About a hour later, I went to turn on the oven to preheat for the biscuits and muffins, and no heat. Nothing.  I have a gas oven, and the burners worked. Broiler worked. Looked like the heating bulb igniter went out.  This happened before when David was in Afghanistan (it is always when they aren’t home), but was told from the repair guy not to service it, but replace the oven instead if it happened again.

So in a panic, we have been shopping for an oven.  Lots out there, but none that could be delivered and installed before Thursday. Friday or even the following week, no problem. Ugh.

So, in frustration, David started looking up how to repair videos on YouTube. About a hour later, I have a working oven again.  Replacement part ordered from Amazon (for $18) to be delivered on Wednesday (just in case).

But now I want a new oven.  But I want  a lot of things.  Just really THANKFUL that I am able to cook, and enjoy the day.  Oh, and have some dressing.

Blessings,

Jerry Ann