#325/2 without grain

[mindymaerenee]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Rebecca Minkoff Regan Feed Bag Small Lavender Leather Crossbody Shoulder Bag New.

[crystalgood]

Carving a turkey is an essential part of any Thanksgiving feast. It can be a daunting task, but with the right tools and a few simple steps, you can easily carve a turkey like a pro. In this guide, we'll walk you through the basics of how to carve a turkey, from selecting the right knife to the final presentation. With a few simple tips, you'll be able to carve a beautiful turkey that will impress your guests. [caption id="attachment_5351" align="aligncenter" width="449"] How To Carve A Turkey[/caption] Step-by-Step Guide to Carving a Perfect Turkey Step 1: Preparing the Turkey Before you start carving, make sure your turkey is fully cooked and cooled. Remove the stuffing and set aside. Place the turkey on a cutting board and make sure it is stable. Step 2: Removing the Legs Using a sharp knife, cut through the skin between the breast and the thigh. Gently pull the leg away from the body and cut through the joint. Repeat with the other leg. Step 3: Removing the Wings Cut through the skin between the breast and the wing. Gently pull the wing away from the body and cut through the joint. Repeat with the other wing. Step 4: Removing the Breast Using a sharp knife, cut along the breastbone, starting at the neck and working your way down. Gently pull the breast away from the body and cut through the joint. Step 5: Slicing the Breast Place the breast skin-side down on the cutting board. Slice the breast into thin slices, starting at the thicker end and working your way to the thinner end. Step 6: Serving Arrange the slices on a platter and serve. Enjoy! Tips for Carving a Juicy and Delicious Turkey 1. Start with a high-quality turkey. Look for a turkey that is fresh, not frozen, and has been raised without antibiotics. 2. Brine your turkey. Brining is a process of soaking the turkey in a saltwater solution, which helps to keep the turkey moist and juicy. 3. Preheat your oven. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit before you put the turkey in. 4. Rub the turkey with butter or oil. Rub the turkey with butter or oil before you put it in the oven. This will help to keep the turkey moist and give it a nice golden color. 5. Cook the turkey at the right temperature. Cook the turkey at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes per pound. 6. Let the turkey rest. Once the turkey is done cooking, let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the turkey. 7. Use a sharp knife. Use a sharp knife to carve the turkey. This will make it easier to cut through the meat and will help to keep the turkey juicy. 8. Slice against the grain. Slice the turkey against the grain of the meat. This will help to keep the slices tender and juicy. 9. Serve the turkey immediately. Serve the turkey immediately after carving. This will help to keep the turkey juicy and delicious. How to Carve a Turkey for Maximum Flavor Carving a turkey for maximum flavor is a simple process that will make your holiday meal even more delicious! Here are some easy steps to follow for a perfectly carved turkey that will have your guests raving. First, make sure your turkey is cooked to perfection. A thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 165°F. Once the turkey is cooked, let it rest for at least 20 minutes before carving. Next, remove the legs and thighs. Start by cutting through the skin between the leg and the body. Then, use a sharp knife to cut through the joint connecting the leg and the body. Finally, use a fork to pull the leg away from the body. Repeat this process for the other leg. Now, it’s time to carve the breast. Start by slicing along the breastbone, using a sharp knife. Then, use a fork to hold the breast in place while you slice the breast meat away from the bone. Slice the breast meat into thin slices. Finally, carve the wings. Start by cutting through the joint connecting the wing to the body. Then, use a fork to pull the wing away from the body.

Finally, use a sharp knife to slice the wing into individual pieces. Now you’re ready to serve your perfectly carved turkey! Enjoy! The Best Tools for Carving a Turkey Carving a turkey can be a daunting task, but with the right tools, it can be a breeze! Here are the best tools for carving a turkey: 1. A sharp carving knife: A sharp carving knife is essential for carving a turkey. Look for a knife with a long, thin blade that is sharp enough to easily slice through the turkey. 2. A carving fork: A carving fork is used to hold the turkey in place while you carve. Look for a fork with two long, sharp tines that can easily pierce the turkey. 3. A cutting board: A cutting board is essential for carving a turkey. Look for a board that is large enough to fit the entire turkey and has a non-slip surface. 4. A baster: A baster is used to baste the turkey while it is cooking. Look for a baster with a long, flexible tube that can easily reach the deepest parts of the turkey. 5. A thermometer: A thermometer is used to check the internal temperature of the turkey. Look for a thermometer with a long probe that can easily reach the thickest parts of the turkey. With these tools, you’ll be ready to carve a delicious turkey in no time! How to Carve a Turkey for a Crowd Carving a turkey for a crowd can be a daunting task, but with a few simple steps, you can make it a breeze! Here's how to carve a turkey for a crowd in no time. First, make sure you have the right tools. You'll need a sharp carving knife, a large cutting board, and a serving platter. Next, remove the legs and wings. Start by cutting through the skin between the leg and the body. Then, cut through the joint to separate the leg from the body. Repeat with the other leg. To remove the wings, cut through the joint between the wing and the body. Once the legs and wings are removed, it's time to carve the breast. Start by slicing along the breastbone, then cut thin slices of breast meat. Finally, arrange the carved turkey on the serving platter. Place the legs and wings around the edges of the platter, and arrange the slices of breast meat in the center. Now you're ready to serve your delicious turkey to your guests! Carving a turkey for a crowd doesn't have to be a daunting task. With these simple steps, you can make it a breeze! How to Carve a Turkey for Leftovers Carving a turkey for leftovers is a great way to make sure you get the most out of your holiday bird! Here are some easy steps to help you get the most out of your turkey: 1. Start by removing the legs and wings. Cut through the joint between the leg and the body of the turkey. Then, cut through the joint between the wing and the body. 2. Next, remove the breast meat. Slice along the breastbone, then cut down the sides of the breastbone to remove the breast meat. 3. Now, remove the dark meat. Cut along the backbone and remove the dark meat from the sides of the turkey. 4. Finally, remove the skin. Carefully peel the skin away from the meat. Now that you’ve carved your turkey, you can store the leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer. Enjoy your delicious leftovers! How to Carve a Turkey for a Picture-Perfect Presentation Carving a turkey for a picture-perfect presentation is easier than you think! With a few simple steps, you can have a beautiful, delicious turkey that will be the centerpiece of your holiday meal. Here's how to do it: 1. Start by removing the legs and wings. Use a sharp knife to cut through the skin and joint of the leg and wing. 2. Cut along the breastbone to remove the breast meat. Slice the breast meat into thin slices. 3. Separate the drumsticks from the thighs. Cut through the joint and remove the drumsticks. 4. Cut the thighs into thin slices. 5. Remove the backbone and ribs. Cut along the backbone and remove the ribs. 6. Slice the remaining meat into thin slices. 7. Arrange the slices on a platter. Place the legs and wings on the sides of the platter.

8. Garnish the platter with herbs and vegetables. Now you have a beautiful, delicious turkey that is ready to be served! Enjoy your picture-perfect presentation and have a wonderful holiday meal! The Best Way to Carve a Turkey for Maximum Juiciness Carving a turkey for maximum juiciness is easier than you think! Here are some simple steps to follow to ensure your turkey is juicy and delicious. 1. Start by removing the legs and wings. Use a sharp knife to cut through the joint where the leg meets the body. Then, cut through the joint where the wing meets the body. 2. Next, remove the breast meat. Slice along the breastbone, then use a fork to pull the breast meat away from the bone. 3. Now, it’s time to carve the breast meat. Slice the breast meat into thin slices, making sure to keep the slices as even as possible. 4. Finally, carve the legs and wings. Slice through the joint where the leg meets the body, then use a fork to pull the meat away from the bone. Following these steps will ensure your turkey is juicy and delicious! Enjoy! FAQs: What tools are needed to carve a turkey? You will need a sharp carving knife, a carving fork, and a cutting board. How do you carve a turkey? Begin by removing the legs and thighs. Slice along the joint between the leg and the body to separate them. Then, cut along the breastbone to remove the breast meat. Finally, slice the breast meat into thin slices. What is the best way to keep the turkey moist while carving? To keep the turkey moist while carving, make sure to keep the skin on the turkey while carving. This will help to retain the moisture in the meat. How do you carve a turkey breast? To carve a turkey breast, start by slicing along the breastbone to remove the breast meat. Then, slice the breast meat into thin slices. How do you carve a turkey leg? To carve a turkey leg, start by slicing along the joint between the leg and the body to separate them. Then, cut along the bone to remove the meat. Finally, slice the meat into thin slices. How do you carve a turkey wing? To carve a turkey wing, start by slicing along the joint between the wing and the body to separate them. Then, cut along the bone to remove the meat. Finally, slice the meat into thin slices. How do you carve a turkey thigh? To carve a turkey thigh, start by slicing along the joint between the thigh and the body to separate them. Then, cut along the bone to remove the meat. Finally, slice the meat into thin slices. What is the best way to serve carved turkey? The best way to serve carved turkey is to arrange the slices on a platter and serve with sides such as mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Conclusion Carving a turkey is a great way to show off your culinary skills and impress your guests. With a few simple steps, you can easily carve a turkey and serve it with pride. With the right tools and a little practice, you can become an expert turkey carver in no time.

[woodandgrains]

teriyaki tofu balls

[samueljack1]

BE PREPARED FOR THE FLU SEASON

Older people and those with long term illnesses have increased risk of more serious problems from flu and are also more vulnerable to COVID-19. Both can cause pneumonia, so getting them at the same time could wreak havoc on your lungs. Fortunately, many of the same things that prevent COVID-19 will also help protect against cold or flu (and we should be doing them whenever we get cold or flu symptoms, Coronavirus or otherwise). Here are eight things you can do to stay healthy this cold and flu season (and help keep your loved ones and more vulnerable people in your community safe too):

1. Get the flu jab Getting the flu vaccine is the best thing you can do to reduce your chance of getting the flu; and if you do get the flu, your symptoms will likely be milder and not last as long compared with people who don’t get the vaccine. The flu vaccine is especially important for people who are at increased risk of health complications, like people 65 and over, pregnant women, people with chronic health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, lung conditions, and neurological diseases. This link from the Department of Health has a more complete list of who the vaccine is recommended for and who can get it for free under the National Immunisation Program. If you’re over 65, there’s a specific flu vaccine recommended for you, but it’s not available from all providers, so call ahead to check. While the flu vaccine won’t protect against COVID-19, it will reduce the risk of the double whammy of getting both the coronavirus and flu at the same time.

2. Wash and dry your hands Just like with coronavirus, regularly washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water is one of the best ways to reduce your risk. If you touch a surface in a public place, try not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth without washing your hands first. If you don’t have access to soap and water you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (look for at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol).

3. Keep your distance By now you’ve probably heard that you should aim to leave about a metre and a half of space between yourself and other people to reduce the risk of coronavirus. The same advice applies to reducing your chances of catching the flu (or passing it on before you realise you’re contagious).

4. Stay home when you’re unwell If you have flu-like symptoms, stay home and try to keep space from the people you live with to reduce the chance of passing it on. Wait until you’re well to have visitors over or return to work or school.

5. Clean shared spaces Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces like benches, doorknobs and door handles, tables, fridge doors and toilets regularly. You can use regular household detergent and water to clean, but check the label on disinfectant to make sure it is antiviral and not just antibacterial. You may want to also wipe down your phone, keyboard and other objects that are touched regularly and could be harbouring viruses.

6. Don’t share germs (or personal items where they like to live) During cold and flu season it’s worth taking some extra care to avoid spreading viruses. Don’t share drinks, cutlery, glasses, toothbrushes or towels. Cough into your elbow or a tissue (that you immediately toss out) rather than your hand.

7. Support your body’s natural defence system A strong immune system is the first line of defence against infections such as cold and flu. When you’re healthy and well, your body does a better job at fighting off viruses. •    Make sure you get enough sleep. For most of us that’s about seven to eight hours. For more tips on how to get a good night’s sleep, check out this resource. •    Try to find healthy ways to manage stress. This may mean you need to identify sources of stress in your life and ways to reduce it, such as delegating more, practicing saying no, or coming up with ideas to reduce conflict. Learning relaxation techniques such as controlled breathing, and strategies such as meditation or mindfulness can also help you cope better, as can regular exercise. A mental health professional can also help you learn ways to manage stress better, so reach out if you need more support. It’s much easier to keep up a healthy lifestyle when you’re mentally well. If you’re a Medibank member with hospital cover* you can call 1800 644 325 to speak to a mental health professional for confidential support, advice or information. •    Get your body moving. Physical activity can help reduce stress hormones. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. If you’re not used to it, build up slowly. •    Eat nutritious meals with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and legumes. •    If you smoke, consider quitting. Smoking, or regularly breathing in smoke at home or work makes you more likely to develop infections and experience more severe illness. Support, whether from a free service like Quitline® or your GP, increases the chance you’ll be successful. Encourage family members who smoke to try to quit as well. Contact Quitline® on 13 78 48 or quitnow.gov.au.

8. Be prepared Flu can come on suddenly, and the less often you leave your house with symptoms, the less likely you are to pass it on to others. So you may want to have some essentials on hand: tissues, medicines to help relieve symptoms, ingredients for a soothing drink such as hot lemon, honey and ginger, and a few favourite meals in the freezer, such as a nourishing soup or stew you can eat as you start to recover.

[bleedpurplestayclassy]

The best steak dinner even YOU can make!

Cinnamon and garlic butter-basted, mesquite infused ribeye with riced cauliflower drizzled in a smoked tomato reduction and paired with a grilled ear of corn.

This is my first recipe (happens to be low carb) and I’m really only writing it all down because I winged this whole dish from start to finish and it turned out delicious! I’ve provided process photos to help guide you through this labor of love. I promise the results will be well worth your while. I won’t bore you with some long, drawn-out story about stuff you don’t care about like most recipe posts. If you try this, leave a comment about how you liked it or how you might tweak it in the future.

This is a reverse-seared ribeye that I seasoned with my own blend of ground cinnamon, paprika, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and just a touch of brown sugar. Amounts are non specific, but essentially are equal parts of the whole for a slightly sweet, smoky, salty rub. I finished with some dried rosemary sprigs because I like the aroma they give off when lightly roasted and then toasted on the grill. I paired the steak with some steamed, riced cauliflower that I drizzled with a fire-roasted tomato reduction. I also recommend an ear of grilled corn which I will show at the end.

Ingredients you will need (feeds two adults): 

This was a 12 oz boneless Ribeye cut about an inch thick but you could use any cut you prefer (cooking times will vary slightly depending on fat content, marbling, desired level of done-ness and thickness obviously)

Birdseye Riced frozen cauliflower (easy to steam in the bag)

Ground cinnamon (dash for the rub, and another dash for the baste)

Paprika (dash)

Sea salt (dash)

Ground black pepper (dash)

Garlic powder (dash)

Onion powder (dash)

Brown sugar (dash)

Dried Rosemary (dash)

Clove of garlic (minced)

3 tbs of butter

2 tbs of olive oil

6 oz Nature Sweet Cherubs tomatoes

(Optional) Two large ears of fresh corn in their husks

Season on both sides with the ground cinnamon, paprika, sea salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, brown sugar, and finally, the rosemary. Once you have dusted each side, be sure to press the seasoning into the steak with your hands to ensure a proper crust can form later on the outside of your steak. Let your steak pull in the seasonings over at least 30 minutes but preferably up to 8 hours. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees and pull your steak out of the fridge. Leave on counter to allow the chill to be taken off the steak before placing it in a cast iron skillet (or a baking sheet).

Now for the magic you may have yet to have tried. The reverse sear. This will deliver a perfect medium-rare steak with little to no risk of overcooking your steak and losing the juice that makes steak worth paying up for. Place your steak in the oven at 200 degrees for about 45 minutes (thinner, leaner cuts will be closer to 35-40 minutes) or until you’ve got an internal temperature around 95 degrees. As the oven starts to work its magic, light up your charcoal grill. You will flip your steak over after the first 22 minutes. This will bring the internal temperature of your steak up to the perfect medium rare. After the flip and the full 45 minutes, pull your pre-perfection steak out (pictured below). 

You’ll see some juices that have exited the steak during this process, but don’t worry, the best flavor is still very much in the steak. Drizzle with just a tiny touch of olive oil, as this will help the steak reintegrate some moisture as you let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes (make sure you remove the steak onto a cutting board or it will continue cooking in the skillet). 

While your steak is resting, slice the rinsed cherub tomatoes in half, placing them in a tin foil “basket” and lightly salt them, then seal the basket into a steam pot (pictured below, to the right of the steak).

Place the steam pot of tomatoes on the grill for about ten minutes. This will help reduce the resulting “sweat” from the tomatoes into a tangy, acidic glaze for both our steak and the cauliflower. Now that you’ve let that steak rest, it’s time to sear the outside. Once your grill is up to around 325 around 4 inches above the coals (if you can’t keep your hand hovering above the grill’s grate for more than about a second, you’re probably on the money), slap that steak down and don’t touch it for 2 minutes, allowing those heavenly char lines to imprint themselves onto your ribeye. Flip your steak and leave it for another 2 minutes. Right after this flip is the time to steam your cauliflower for 5 and a half minutes in the microwave. Pull the steak off and let it rest on the cutting board again.

As your steak is resting, use the cast iron skillet you used in the oven and melt the butter into the skillet over medium heat. Add the fresh garlic, pinch of cinnamon and drizzle just a splash of olive oil and infuse the garlic into the butter. When the garlic begins to brown, place your steak in this glorious bath of flavor and tilt the skillet towards you, gathering the butter, garlic and oil for you to spoon and drench your steak for an additional two minutes. 

Immediately remove steak back to cutting board to rest for two minutes before slicing and preparing to plate over your bed of cauliflower. Resting is pivotal to allow the steak to recoup the juices that heat forces out for the first two rest periods, and this third one ensures clean, sharp cuts can be made across the grain to provide the most tender bites of steak you have ever made yourself.

Optional corn: Once you’ve lit your coals, place your ears of corn on the grill after removing about half of the husk’s layers and de-silking the tip of each ear. The corn will essentially need to cook for about 30 minutes, being rotated regularly to ensure even heating and preventing the husk (which should be slightly damp before grilling, from catching on fire and ruining your corn. This picture shows how my corn looked moments before removing it from my 22″ Weber Original Kettle grill.

This picture shows how my corn looked moments before removing it from my 22″ Weber Original Kettle grill. I find this to be delicious as-is, without adding any butter or seasoning, but how you eat your corn is your business.

For plating, I like to slice my steak (which I made more of a medium than a medium rare since I was also feeding my 4 year old son and wanted to ensure he’d eat it with me) across the steak’s grain and then lay it down as shown above to display the two-toned tastiness brought out with the reverse sear. The cauliflower is essentially a loose mound, salted and peppered to taste, and then the tomato steam pot is dumped over the top, allowing the reduced, acidic sauce to soak into the cauliflower and steak. Corn is pretty self-explanatory. Peel the husk off and enjoy. 

[ravenheart915]

Yesss... Fooood. :D Good food, healthy food...  I’ve been thinking this for a long long time, and a friend of mine Miss @raspberryblasphemy posts a lot about healthy living and the such... I love it!! I love reading what peeps do in their days, in their lives... and how they endure through living this life... also got really, super inspired by it, not only by blogging, but also living a “healthier” lifestyle and freely talking about your day, no matter what kind of day you’ve had...

 Well... In the past I’ve had livejournals and blogs on different websites, but I feel they don’t do me justice...they make me feel like nobody reads them...which makes me feel, like I should or *shouldn’t* exist... It’s a strange feeling... ANYWAY. I wanted to start out this blog with a recipe I found in one of my *fairly new* cookbooks...   In the past, my hubby and I have had many health issues, this year has been a doozy- Hubsy has gallstones! Woo - me, I’m just a fatty lol I’m a foodie but also very overweight and I feel the need to change... permanently. So I don’t only need to obviously change my eating habits but also my husbands lol Ugh this is turning into a rant lol 

This is from a book called: The Bold Vegetarian Chef by Ken Charney  (Also describes good eats: Adventures in flavor with soy, beans, veggies & grains)... Sounds pretty neat :D

Now, in all honesty; I’m not a vegan or vegetarian, but I don’t hate on them either, I feel veggies should be a part of everyone’s natural diet so...I love veggies... So with that being said, I’m willing to take a chance from my normal eating habits and change it up a bit, and well... see what happens... 

Carmelized Onion-Sweet potato butter

Info: Perfect for the holidays but great anytime, this spread is used very much like dairy butter and is BEST SERVED at room temperature. Once you’ve tried the recipe as is, feel free to adjust the amount of oil, maple syrup, and tahini to your own taste. No matter what changes you make, remember two key instructions: the onion should be nicely caramelized, and the spread must be PUREED until very creamy. 

1 Large sweet potato or Jewel yam *about 1lb.* 1 Large yellow onion, coarsely chopped 3 TBS Olive oil 1 to 2 TBS maple syrup 1 TBS Tahini 1/4 TSP salt, or more to taste  Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 325* F. BAKE the sweet potato until soft, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool, scoop out the sweet potato, and discard the skin.  2. Meanwhile, in a medium skiller, COOK the onion 1 1\2 TBS olive oil over medium heat until soft and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.  3. In a food processor, COMBINE the browned onion, 1 TBS maple syrup, the remaining olive oil, and the tahini. Puree until smooth.  4. Add the sweet potato, salt, and pepper to taste and BLEND again until very smooth and creamy. Taste and add up to 1 or more TBS mpale syrup if you feel it is needed. Let stand for about 1 hr before serving.  Makes about 2 cups.  I’m planning to try this sometime next weekend, if my blender permits me to puree without any problems - - - So, I should come back on, *will* and let you guys know what it looks like, what it tastes like and the improvements I make on it... Should be fun! :D

This may not be the first post ever, or the first thing I have ever posted on Tumblr; but the one that is most positive... I have a myriad of things on my mind, things that are bugging me like mind ticks burrowing into every thought and crevasse of my mind. I hate it! I also hate it cuz, I feel like if I posted all that now; it wouldn’t be much of a positive post... God I hate adulting... but that’s the way it is now...  

~Raven~

[archive-of-the-guild]

The Lancehead F1 Limbless Crossbow

with its revolutionary Torsion Drive coiled micro-limbs technology, the US-made Lancehead crossbow is a clean break with the past. with almost no lateral bulk, the shooting position is more similar to a rifle. 

The most original feature of the Lancehead F1 crossbow is the Torsion Drive system in which the traditional limbs have been eliminated, replaced by two pairs of coiled micro-limbs (as they are called by their inventor) made from coated carbon steel. In fact, the micro-limbs work like a watch coil spring, storing the 170-lb power needed to push a 325-grain bolt at a speed of 370 fps (112 meters per second) or a 350-grain bolt at 360 fps (109 meters per second) with a 24”/61 cm power stroke. The crossbow can be cocked by means of an aluminum Quiet Crank.

The micro-limbs of the Lancehead 1 crossbow protrude outward a few centimeters and are protected by modified polymer housings to minimize unwanted interference with their functioning. With approximately a 2”/5 cm axle-to-axle width, the Lancehead minimizes string exposure and includes an anti-dry fire safety system.

The shooting position is the same as a carbine, and the bolt release is controlled by a Trigger Tech single-stage trigger assembly with a pull weight of 1100 g.

As standard the Lancehead 1 crossbow mounts a Hawke XB1 1.5-5x32 scope with illuminated reticle, but you can replace it with any other aiming device, of course.

The U-Tune integrated maintenance system allows the user to replace or adjust strings even on the hunting ground by simply using the cocking winch and a few other tools, without having to take the crossbow back to the bow shop.

Accurate up to 45.72 Meters or 150 feet.

[beyondtheequatorfl]

Ultimate Nut-Free And Keto Approved Cookies

Anyone who lives with a nut allergy will tell you, it can be exhausting and disheartening to realize how many delicious treats you cannot have. Likewise, if you’re following the ketogenic diet, the list of unapproved snacks seems decidedly longer than the approved ones. Certainly, your average cookie is far from being keto-approved.

Thankfully we live in a day and age where ingredients are getting more intelligent and versatile, something Beyond The Equator has proven with their range of nut-free, keto-approved products. So you can still treat yourself without breaking your diet or risking exposure to allergens. 

Why Make Your Own Low Carb Treats?

With even an apple using up most of your daily carb allowance while keto, it can be hard to find treats that are keto-approved. While there are a few out there at your local grocery store, they are heavily manufactured and full of additives. The best solution is to make your own at home.  

By making your own keto treats at home, you are more in control of the ingredients and the nutritional content. You are also more able to ensure they are allergy-friendly and prepared in a nut-free environment. If you are keto and allergic to nuts, this is the ideal option and means you can follow the diet without even more restrictions on what you can eat. 

What Can I Use In Place Of Peanut Butter In Nut-Free Keto Baking?

Peanuts and peanut butter are not strictly keto-friendly, a better alternative is seed butter, particularly 5 Seed Butter. 5 Seed butter is low in carbohydrates and higher in protein than nut butters, as well as being packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Simply use it one for one in baking to add the same delicious nutty flavor and moist texture.  

Learn more about our range of 5 Seed Butters and their nutritional benefits here. 

Which Flour Is Best For Keto Baking?

If you’re keen to make nut-free and keto snickerdoodles or other cookie favorites, then you’ll need to find a suitable flour alternative. While many keto recipes feature almond flour, should you have a tree-nut allergy, this of course will not be suitable. 

Sunflower seed flour is the ideal alternative for almond flour. Not only is it similar in texture and color, but it has a nutritionally dense profile for added health benefits. Beyond The Equator Sunflower Seed Flour is: 

Inexpensive, especially when compared to almond flour.

High in B group vitamins, vitamin E, and antioxidants such as phenolic acids and flavonoids. These antioxidants have been shown to improve brain health and help regulate weight.

Neutral in flavor so as not to impact the taste of your recipes.

Naturally sweeter than grain-based flour, helping you reduce the need for added sweeteners when cooking. 

Similar in texture to almond flour or cashew flour.

Significantly higher in protein and lower in carbs than other flours, making it perfect for Keto or Paleo recipes. 

It is vegan, non-GMO certified, and sustainable - using significantly less water to cultivate than grains and nuts.

Recipes

There are so many incredibly creative keto recipes out there, but many will use almond flour. To make any keto recipe with almond flour or a nut butter safe for those with peanut or tree nut allergies 

NUT FREE KETO SNICKERDOODLES

We’ve modified this favorite cookie recipe to also be nut-free for allergy sufferers.

Ingredients

2 cups sunflower seed flour

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

pinch of kosher salt

3/4 cup erythritol granulated sweetener

1/2 tsp baking soda

For the coating:

2 Tbsp erythritol granulated sweetener

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)

Mix all of the cookie ingredients in a medium-sized bowl until a stiff dough forms.

Roll the dough into 16 balls of equal size. (approx. 1.5 inches in diameter

Combine the cinnamon and sweetener in a small dish.

Roll the balls in the mixture until well coated.

Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass.

Bake at 350 degrees (F) for 15 minutes.

Remove and cool slightly before serving.

4 INGREDIENT PUMPKIN SPICE SEED BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients 

1 cup unsweetened 5 Seed butter

¾ cup keto approved sugar substitute 

1 Egg

1 Tbsp Pumpkin Spice

*** These cookies are keto-approved, nut-free, and gluten-free.  Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

Separate dough (roughly 2 tbsp of dough per cookie) and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Use a fork to make a crosshatch pattern on each cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cookies rest for 5 minutes before eating. Enjoy!

CHOC-CHIP KETO, SUGAR AND NUT FREE COOKIES

Recipe modified from one by Chocolate Covered Katie

Ingredients

1 cup Sunflower Seed Flour

2-4 tbsp chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips

2 tbsp powdered erythritol OR stevia equivalent

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2-3 tsp milk of choice, as needed

Method 

Preheat the oven to 325 F. 

Stir dry ingredients very well 

Add wet ingredients to form a dough. 

Shape into cookies

Place on a cookie tray, and bake on the center rack for 10-12 minutes. Let cool an additional 10 minutes before handling, as they are very delicate at first but firm up completely once cool. Enjoy! 

Crunch That Cookie Craving

Enjoying a delicious cookie no matter your health goals or dietary requirements is made easier than ever with Beyond The Equator. For Keto, Paleo or allergen free baking, we have a full range of ingredients to keep you enjoying the things you love. 

As we continue to innovate and add to our range, you can expect to enjoy even more delicious treats. All your favorite recipes can be easily modified with just a few simple switches and as a bonus, you’ll be boosting the nutritional content of your food too. 

Beyond The Equator, taking your favorite cookies and taking them beyond best.

from Beyond the Equator - Blog https://beyondtheequator.com/blogs/blog/ultimate-nut-free-and-keto-approved-cookies via Beyond The Equator

[siglerprescriptiondrugcards]

Brand Names: Armour Thyroid

Generic Available*

Common Dosage Forms:

Tablets (Armour)*: 15 mg (¼ grain), 30 mg (½ grain), 60 mg (1 grain), 90 mg (1.5 grain), 120 mg (2 grain), 180 mg (3 grain), 240 mg (4 grain), 300 mg (5 grain)

Tablets (other brands): 16.25 mg, 32.5 mg, 648.75 mg, 65 mg, 81.25 mg, 97.5 mg, 113.75 mg, 130 mg, 146.25 mg, 162.5 mg, 195 mg, 260 mg, 325 mg

*Corresponding grain measurements are approximately

FDA Indications/Dosages:

Adult hypothyroidism of any etiology:  

Initial: 15-30 mg/day for two weeks, increase by 15 mg increments every 2-3 weeks. Individualize dosage as needed.

Maintenance: 60-180 mg/day.

Congenital hypothyroidism (children):  

0-6 months old: 4.8-6 mg/kg/day.  

6-12 months old: 3.6-4.8 mg/kg/day.  

1-5 years old: 3-3.6 mg/kg/day.

Treatment or prevention of various type of euthyroid or multinodular goiters, including thyroid nodules, subacute or chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, and in the management of thyroid cancer: Larger doses than those used for replacement are required.

*In acute emergency situations (when the oral route is not feasible) use levothyroxine injection as follows:

Treatment of Myxedema Coma: 0.4 mg of levothyroxine given rapidly intravenously, followed by daily supplements of 0.1-0.2 mg given intravenously. Resume oral therapy as soon as the clinical situation is stabilized, and the patient can take the oral dose.

Thyroid suppression therapy: 1.56 mg/kg/day of levothyroxine (T4) for 7-10 days.

Monitor: TSH

Pharmacology/Pharmacokinetics: The exact mechanism for thyroid is unknown although it is thought to be due to protein synthesis control, resulting in: (1) a regulation of growth and development, (2) an increase in metabolic rate, (3) inhibition of the secretion of thyrotropin by the pituitary, and (4) various effects on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.

Drug Interactions: May increase the hypothrombinemia effect of oral coagulants. Cholestyramine may decrease absorption. May decrease the therapeutic effect of digitalis or hypoglycemic agents. Free levothyroxine may be decreased when given with estrogens.

Contraindications/Precautions: Use is contraindicated in patients with diagnosed but as yet uncorrected adrenal cortical insufficiency, untreated thyrotoxicosis, and in patients hypersensitive to any ingredient Use with caution in nursing mothers, in patients with cardiovascular disorders (such as angina pectoris), or diabetes, and in patients currently taking oral anticoagulants. Pregnancy Category A.

Adverse Effects: Adverse effects other than those indicative of overdosage are rare. These include weight loss, palpitations, nervousness, diarrhea or abdominal cramps, sweating, tachycardia, angina pectoris, headache, insomnia, and intolerance to heat.

Patient Consultation:

Do not discontinue therapy without first consulting physician.

Notify physician if signs of hyperthyroidism (overdose) occur.

Transient loss of hair may be seen in children, but recovery usually occurs.

Store in a cool, dry place away from sunlight and children.

If a dose is missed, take it as soon as possible. If it is closer to the time of your next dose than the dose you missed, skip the missed dose and return to your dosing schedule. Do not double doses.

Contact a physician if the above side effects are severe or persistent.

[mindymaerenee]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Rebecca Minkoff Regan Feed Bag Small Lavender Leather Crossbody Shoulder Bag New.

[gethealthy18-blog]

Simple Batch Cooking Meal Plan

New Post has been published on http://healingawerness.com/news/simple-batch-cooking-meal-plan/

Simple Batch Cooking Meal Plan

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As a busy mom, I sometimes feel like I spend hours in the kitchen each day and that I finish cleaning up from one meal just in time to prepare the next.

I’ve learned that a little careful meal planning can greatly reduce the amount of time I spend figuring out what to cook and buy at the store. Plus, it’s saved a lot of time in the kitchen!

Here’s how I’ve started batch cooking on the weekends so I spend less time on dinner during the week. Here’s how you can do the same.

What Is Batch Cooking?

The idea of batch cooking is as simple as the name suggests: it’s just doing a week’s worth of meal prep in one go, so that serving individual meals does not take as long to prepare.

I prefer to do a big batch of meal prep on Saturdays, when the kids are happily playing in the back yard with friends and I have a few hours to spare.

In addition to saving time, I’ve found that batch cooking really increases the chances of sticking to a meal plan. You definitely won’t want to waste those healthy meals you spent time preparing!

Note: I did not include breakfast on this list, since we have a simple 4-day rotating breakfast meal plan that involves various proteins and vegetables and I make those each day.

Batch Cooking Meal Plan Menu

Batch cooking takes a little trial and error to get used to, but once you give a try, you’ll love the time you save and the simplicity. Here’s a sample meal plan to get you started!

Day 1

Lunch: Chicken salad over lettuce with carrot sticks Dinner: Shrimp stir-fry

Day 2

Lunch: Leftover stir fry wrapped in romaine leaves Dinner: Sliced chicken breast served with sliced peppers, onions, and baked butternut squash, reheated on a greased cookie sheet. Serve with a salad.

Day 3

Lunch: Reheat leftover chicken from last night, wrapped in romaine leaves and served with avocado and cilantro. Dinner: Chili with sour cream and cheese (both optional) with a side salad

Day 4

Lunch: Leftover chili Dinner: Eggplant pizza with a side salad

Day 5

Lunch: Leftover eggplant pizza or chicken salad Dinner: Fajita salad

Day 6

Lunch: Fajita tacos (using leftover fajita meat) wrapped in romaine with avocado, salsa, cheese and sour cream Dinner: Reheated meatballs and salad

Day 7

Lunch: Tuna salad on spinach or carrot sticks. Dinner: Whatever is leftover!

Snacks

When you’re in need of a quick snack, reach for one of these ready-to-eat nibblers:

Nuts

Deviled eggs

Sliced cucumber, celery sticks or carrot sticks with cream cheese or a healthy hummus

Tuna salad

Fruit

This grocery store shopping list will give you a rough idea of what to buy for a week. Adjust as necessary. It is designed for two people, so just double (or triple or quadruple) depending on family size.

Produce:

2 avocados

2 heads romaine lettuce, kale, or other greens

1 big bag spinach

4 large sweet peppers, any color

1-3 lb bag onions

Fruit, like berries or grapes

2 zucchini or summer squash

1 bag carrot sticks

2 cucumbers

1 large eggplant

1 butternut squash

Cilantro

Dairy:

2-3 dozen eggs

1 lb butter

1 container (8 oz or bigger) of full-fat, plain organic yogurt (either Greek or regular)

1 package cream cheese

1 block of your favorite cheese (this is optional on everything, so just get what you want)

Sour cream (optional)

(If you’re wondering where I draw the line on dairy, see this post.)

Nuts:

Canned Food:

1 can (organic) diced tomatoes

1 BIG (15 oz or bigger) can of tomato sauce

1 can salmon or 2 cans tuna

1 jar of pasta sauce (check ingredients, no added sugar or grains)

1 jar salsa (check ingredients)

Spices:

Meat:

1 lb frozen shrimp (or fresh, just pre-cooked)

1 package bacon (optional)

2 lbs ground beef or turkey

5 chicken breasts or boneless thighs (I get all meat I can’t get from local farms from ButcherBox)

Frozen Aisle:

2 (1 lb) bags frozen broccoli

Batch Cooking: Prep Day Instructions

It will simplify your life tremendously (and make it easier to stick to a healthy eating lifestyle) if you can pre-cook your family meals in one or two big batches. I try to prep everything on Saturday so it is ready for the week, but you can do simple ingredient prep first and save meal assembly for later.

Single-Step Prep:

Cover the chicken breasts in butter and spices and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cube two of them and slice three.

Hard boil 6-8 eggs (per egg eater in family).

Pre-cut zucchini, squash, onions, peppers, cucumbers, and other veggies. Store in separate containers or bags.

Cut the butternut squash in half and discard the seeds. Cover in 1-2 tablespoons of butter and spices. Bake open side up on a cookie sheet at 325 degrees until soft (usually about 45 minutes). Store in foil for re-heating.

Peel the eggplant and cut into ½ inch slices. Cook on a greased cookie sheet at 375 degrees until well browned on both sides.

Make the salmon or tuna salad by mixing well-drained fish with ½ package of cream cheese and spices like dill. Store closed in fridge.

Meal Assembly:

Shrimp Stir Fry. Heat butter in a skillet and add 1 pre-cut onion and 1 pre-cut pepper, cook 2 mins. Add pre-cut zucchini or squash and cook 2 mins. Add 1 lb frozen broccoli, cook 2 mins. Add frozen shrimp and cook until veggies are tender and shrimp is heated. Add desired spices (garlic, basil, salt, pepper, etc). Right before eating, add ½ package of cream cheese and stir until melted (optional). Here is the full recipe.

Chicken Salad. Use part of the cubed roasted chicken and combine following this recipe. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Chili. Combine 1 pound of the ground meat with 1 can diced tomatoes, ½ can tomato sauce, 1 chopped onion, cumin, and other spices to taste. Find the recipe here.

Eggplant Pizza. Top the cooked eggplant slices with a small amount of tomato sauce, spices, cheese, chopped onions, peppers, or whatever other toppings you like. Store in foil to re-heat. This is also fast to make fresh if you don’t want to make it ahead! So simple I don’t have a recipe for it!

Meatballs. Roll up the meatballs using 1 pound ground meat, Parmesan, garlic, basil, or whatever you prefer. You can also try these Greek meatballs. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350, then coat in pasta sauce. Store covered in the fridge.

Fajita Salad. This one you can prep right before you eat! Heat your remaining sliced chicken breast with remaining sliced onions and peppers in a greased skillet. Season with cumin and serve over greens with avocado, salsa, cheese, and sour cream (optional). Save the recipe to use again and again here.

Deviled Eggs. Carefully slice the hard boil eggs lengthwise and remove the yolks. Mash the yolks with ½ an avocado and season with mustard, dill, or other spices to taste. Scoop the filling back into the eggs and top with bacon crumbles (optional). You can also follow this easy deviled eggs recipe.

Note: The above meal plan is great for any time of year, but I recommend sticking to whatever is in season whenever possible. I talk about my seasonal meal plans in this podcast.

How to Customize Your Batch Cooking Meal Plan

The sample meal plan menu above has worked great for me, but you might not be a fan of all of those options. In that case, you can always customize to create a meal plan you’re excited about! The more you enjoy the meals you’re making, the more likely you are to stick to the plan.

Here are a few other ideas for batch cooking for those busy weeknights:

Make use of your slow cooker or pressure cooker. You can set these up the night before, or have dinner ready super quick in the pressure cooker. Try adding this chuck roast or meatloaf to the rotation! You can also check out these freezer-friendly slow cooker recipes. (If you haven’t tried an Instant Pot yet, you should!… I give my full review here.

Grab a bunch of sweet potatoes. Roast them ahead of time, and then you can slice them for breakfast, stuff them with avocado, of even whip up this sweet potato casserole.

Grab a head of cauliflower. This is another great versatile veggie perfect for meal prepping. Pulse it into cauliflower rice, or roast it in spices ahead of time.

Get basil and make pesto. It only lasts a few days in the fridge, but it makes a great accompaniment to whatever you’re cooking up. This is my basil pesto recipe and I also make pesto with cilantro. Bonus, as a pesto these herbs lasts for up to two weeks without going bad, unlike fresh herbs on their own which only stay fresh a few days in the produce drawer.

Make (and freeze) a big batch of pasta sauce. It’s great for veggie pizzas. You can also use up some ground meat by making it into a bolognese! Get my homemade pasta sauce recipe here.

Got a hodgepodge of food leftover? Make burrito bowls with cauliflower rice, meat, avocado, cilantro, or whatever you have on hand.

Make grain-free paleo muffins! They’re great to have on hand for breakfast, as a snack, dessert, or even as a side dish. I make these grain-free apple cinnamon muffins regularly as well.

Cookbooks That Help

A good cookbook is worth its weight in gold. I use a combination of the following for batch cooking:

The Wellness Mama Cookbook: These are my best 30 minute, 1 pan meals!

Cook Once, Eat All Week: I love these recipes. It gives adaptations for grain free, gluten free, or dairy free diets and has shopping lists and step by step prep lists that my husband or kids can follow. (Have kids take the Kids Cook Real Food e-course first for knife skills, etc.) Tip: I usually double the veggies called for when I use this cookbook.

Real Plans: This app takes the place of my cookbooks most weeks, since it contains all of my recipes and other healthy recipes from some of the bloggers and chefs I love most.

I’ve found batch cooking to save me hours of time each week. If you’re as busy as I am (or even if you’re not but still want to save time!), I definitely recommend giving meal planning and bulk cooking a try!

Also try my batch cooking meal plan for vacation!

Have you ever tried batch cooking? Do you know any time-saving cooking tips? Share below!

Source: https://wellnessmama.com/1106/batch-cooking-meal-plan/

[pet4food]

Top 10 Best Bird Feeder for Cardinals in 2020 Reviews

Birds are beautiful, and when you get they are in your compound, you feel good. But the obvious reason is that, what will you do so that you entice them into your compound? Several people have used many ways of luring them, for instance, putting food outside in troughs and drums. But the disadvantage with these traditional methods is that they will be eaten by many animals and birds that were not in your catchment plan, for instance, squirrels might come in and eat the grains without you knowing. Don’t wait anymore for all these disturbances to take toll you. Change it by buying our products that are destined to take care of all your troubles. They will make sure that it is only the birds that eat your grains. Other feeders will house the birds comfortably. Take time and go through the following best bird feeder that can be found in the market.

10. Perky-Pet Bird Feeder

More info / Buy now at Amazon → This feeder is sure to attract many birds to your backyard. It has an excellent cutting edge that allows the seed to dispense into the tray and stop dispensing once the tray is full. As the birds continue to dine, the seed is replenished into the tray so that it remains full always. It also features the sure-lock cap system, an innovative squirrel proof feature that ensures that the lid is always put, and the squirrels can’t get into the seed.

9. Red Cardinal Bird Feeder

More info / Buy now at Amazon → This is a feeder that has been made with metal alone; therefore, you don’t expect to see any wood or plastic in its construction. It is a product that is destined to last for years and years. The simple wire mesh has the work to make sure that the birds don’t stray out to get avian diseases. A nice one for you to buy.

8. Brome Squirrel Buster Classic

More info / Buy now at Amazon → If you have been looking for a squirrel proof feeder, it is here. The many people that keep birds have confirmed that this is a genuine magic tool. It has openings in the wire grid that align with the seed ports so that they provide birds with access to the seed. When the squirrel tries climbing it, its weight will force the grid down hence closing any access to the seed ports. Buy it and all your birds and seeds will be safe all the time.

7. Deluxe Chalet Cedar Feeder

More info / Buy now at Amazon → It is a feeder that is attach to two baskets that will house 12oz suet cakes. Made from aromatic cedar, the rugged construction is sure to provide you with years of bird watching enjoyment. Moreover, It is also made from non-endangered timber that will make sure that it lasts long enough for your birds to enjoy all the maximum comfort that they need.

6. No/No Wild Bird Feeder

More info / Buy now at Amazon → This is a new merchandise in the market with a new six-inch round shape and a beautiful red finish. Due to its feature, it will attract all kinds of bird to come and feed. No wood or plastic has been used to construct it. Therefore, it will last longer than all the feeders in the market. Buy it and try it out.

. 5. DCF Cardinal Feeder

More info / Buy now at Amazon → This is a versatile platform feeder that can be hung or pole mounted. The 15” dome that it has been fixed with can be lowered to exclude large birds and even protect the feeder from the weather. It also has a platform of 13” diameter that holds the quart of seed, but also has enough room to accommodate suet or fruit.

4. Perky-Pet 325S

More info / Buy now at Amazon → This is a feeder that has the power to attract everything from the cardinals, finches, chickadees, jays, and even woodpeckers. Combining rustic charm with useful functionality, this feeder makes a lovely addition to any collection or a thoughtful housewarming gift if you love birds. This is an elevated feeder that is supposed to be in your homestead.

3. No-Mess Bird Feeder

There is no better feeder for small birds such as parakeets, lovebirds, cockatiels, and even sized birds. There are no wooden parts, so the entire product can be sanitized and re-used without needing a wooden perch. It is better to buy this product when you compare it with others.

2. Mountain Chapel Bird Feeder

More info / Buy now at Amazon → It is a feeder that can hold up to 3.6 lbs of seed and has a natural design with leaf print windows. Also, it has transparent glass seed compartment windows that will make it easy for you to monitor seed levels and keep your feeder clean all through. Adding that, it is the best choice, go for it.

1. Perky-Pet 385-2 2-in-1

It features a 2-in-1 technology that will attract a larger variety of birds. It features an exclusive design that will allow for easy switching from different setting to mix thistle position. The feeder holds 1-pound of seed and has four feeding stations with offsets perches that will allow you to see more birds. Read the full article

[jenroses]

Low allergen, mostly-AIP totally Paleo Turkey Dinner

From http://jenrose.com/low-allergen-mostly-aip-totally-paleo-turkey-dinner/

I did this back in 2014 when I still had energy.

Grain-free, bean-free, gluten-free of course, egg, dairy, soy and nut free. Does contain coconut but wouldn’t have to.  AIP is anti-inflammatory protocol that is more restrictive than standard paleo but may help reduce inflammatory load.

Turkey: We used a 12 pound bird and a meat thermometer, so I have no idea about cooking times. I started prep around 3 pm, it was in the oven by 4, we ate by 7 and the turkey had some time to rest.

1 turkey, fresh or completely defrosted. We used a brined turkey from Trader Joe’s.

12 cooked breakfast sausages (if AIP paleo, please use AIP sausage)

1-2 8 oz packages peeled chestnuts. These are not strictly AIP due to their starch content, but most people don’t have enough exposure to them to develop much sensitivity, so they make an excellent sub for bread in a in-the-bird stuffing for a special occasion Riced cauliflower can also work well as a grain/bread substitute

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 of one onion, chopped into large chunks (smaller is fine, just not necessary)

1/2 bottle of sulfite free organic wine

About 8 oz of bacon fat. (Buy “ends and pieces” bacon from Trader Joe’s, render the fat out at a low enough temp that it doesn’t smoke, save the bacon bits. Slice the brick of ends and pieces if the pieces are too large, before cooking, and they’ll render faster. Do this the day before.)  If you can do dairy, butter or Ghee can be used.

About 6-8 slices of bacon that you tolerate well.

Herbs if desired (but the sausage does most of the seasoning internally): Parsley, italian seasoning, poultry seasoning or herbes de provence.)

Smoked or regular salt

Some carrots or a cooking rack

Preheat the oven to 425 (even if it’s a convection oven…)

Blend any dry spices into a fine powder with the smoked salt before starting. In the cold bacon fat, mash your seasonings and any finely diced fresh herbs you feel like using. Gordon Ramsey recommends lemon zest, we skip that as Shiny does not tolerate citrus well. Mix the fat well. Then use a finger to loosen the turkey skin from the breast–your goal is to loosen the skin without making big holes, you don’t want the fat running out. Do it from both the neck and the butt side of the bird. Put a big lump of herbed bacon fat in each part of the skin that is loosened, and then from the outside massage it flat so the entire skin of the breast has bacon fat under it. Rub the bird inside and out with a thin layer of the fat. Put the bird in a roaster on a bed of whole carrots or a wire rack to keep it up off the bottom of the roaster. Pour the wine over the bird–it is mostly there to keep things moist.   Season the bird with smoked salt, brush with olive oil.

Note: It is easy to do a pork-free, dairy free turkey, this is just one way to do it that is tasty.

Mix the chestnuts, celery, diced sausages and onion chunks together and stuff the bird *only halfway up* so you leave some airspace above it for the turkey to cook more evenly.  The stuffing is mostly there to flavor the turkey and juices so you get a good gravy. You can add fresh sage and other herbs if you desire, to this mix, for the same purpose.

You can put the rest of the onion, the neck, and the giblets in the wine around the turkey. I use a very large roaster, there’s plenty of room.

Insert an oven-safe meat thermometer into the thigh without touching the bone.

Roast at 425 until the thigh is at 160-170 or so, then turn the oven down to 325 and cover the top with a few slices of bacon to keep it from overbrowning. Your goal is 180 in the thigh and 165 in the stuffing. It can rest for a while on the counter after it hits temp.

While that is cooking: peel and cut into chunks sweet potatoes and regular potatoes separately. As a sub for potatoes you can also do cauliflower or mashed rutabagas.  White potatoes aren’t AIP paleo, but the kids like ’em. First boil the sweet potatoes, then remove them from the water and you can do the regular potatoes in the same pot.

  Sweet potatoes:

Super simple: Boil chunks or bake whole, then (removing skin if baked whole) mash (I used an immersion blender) with coconut cream or coconut creamer or coconut milk to taste. Butter is also do-able. Alternative might be the juice and zest of one orange, some ginger and cinnamon, and coconut oil or butter to taste.

  Mashed potato: Mash with fork. Use broth and use a mixer to blend if you want them whipped.

  Green beans: Many options… this time I cooked some bacon (but you could use bacon grease and your leftover bacon bits from the bacon you rendered for the turkey) in a wide pan, and then dumped in dried minced garlic, chopped mushrooms, smoked salt and a pound or so of rinsed, trimmed green beans. Simmered with some water until mostly tender and the water was almost gone, and then added a bit of coconut creamer from Trader Joe’s. That’s totally 100% optional. I didn’t bother rinsing the pan when the beans were done, and cooked the gravy in the same pan.

  Gravy: Using a baster or ladle, get as much of the drippings as you can out of the roaster pan while the bird is almost done. You want the fattiest stuff first.  You will need:

  Turkey drippings

Tapioca starch or arrowroot, whichever you tolerate best. If you do okay with rice, you can use rice flour. You’ll need a bunch of it, how much depends on how much fat there is and how much gravy you want to make

Broth or stock or cooking water from the sweet potatoes or white potatoes if you tolerate those. You’ll need a lot of this stuff. I used organic chicken stock from Costco because we didn’t happen to have homemade handy.

A gravy separator cup is helpful for this but not strictly necessary. You want the fat and drippings to separate as completely as possible, so if you don’t have a separator, you should spoon the fat carefully off the drippings into a wide pan with a decent lip. Sautee pans work pretty well, as do wide, shallow pots. Heat the fat and sprinkle starch over them until you have a fairly thick mix, almost crumbly, and stir constantly until it looks like darkening sand. You want it to brown to golden, but not much farther. Slowly add the non-fatty drippings and keep stirring constantly to avoid lumps of starch. There will be some. An immersion blender can take care of that later. Keep adding and stirring or whisking, making sure you’re getting things up off the bottom constantly. You should get it to the point where it is a little more liquid than you want it to end up–it will thicken a lot. When the turkey comes out of the pan, whisk in the rest of the drippings and use an immersion blender if you want things smoother.

  Cranberry sauce: Add cranberries to a pot, pour in some maple syrup and a bit of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon. Simmer and stir occasionally until it looks saucy and almlost all the berries have burst. About 10 minutes usually does it. Use the smallest pot you can get away with and still stir without sloshing.

[guitarboard42-blog]

Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding

I am an old fashioned girl and the things which bring me the most pleasure in life are simple things and ordinary pleasures. That goes for the way I choose to live my life, dress, keep my home and, most especially, with the things which bring me joy when it comes to food . . .  cooking and eating.

A simple rice pudding falls well within the realms of what brings me lots of pleasure . . .  simple, milky  . . . a nursery type of food.  Comfort food at its very best . . .

This version is a tad bit fancier than the usual in that it boasts a simple flapjack topping.  Now you North Americans might be a bit confused by that terminology.  We are not talking about pancakes here, but about a very British, very delicious oatmeal square/slice that is chewy, sticky and sweet with golden syrup.

Very moreish with a nice hot cuppa.  I have several recipes for them on here, which you can find here.  Scrumdiddlyumptious!  (To say the least!)

The pudding itself involves very few ingredients, some pudding rice (short grained), a bit of sugar and milk, with a dotting of butter.  You might think that it sees like a very tiny amount of rice, but trust me when I say it is the perfect amount!

As you can see it thickens very nicely.  There is also not a lot of sugar, which is a good thing   . . . .

You don't need a lot of sugar in a rice pudding, and let me assure you, that golden flapjack topping is plenty sweet enough!!

You will want to bake it in a shallow baking dish, so that there is plenty of surface to spread the topping over, so that it cooks up perfectly . . .  and crispy oaty beneath the grill.

This really is a most gorgeous pudding!  Todd had seconds, and I found myself sneaking tiny spoonfuls every time I went past it in the kitchen, even after it was cold . . . yes, I am a very naughty girl . . .

I always find it quite magical the way a few simple ingredients, put together properly, can create something so delicious as this pudding. 

I shouldn't be surprised really . . .  just look around us.  We are surrounded by beautiful things that are quite simple really  . . .  and yet not so simple . . . baby toes, rose petals, a robin's spring song, the loving nudge of a wet nose from a beloved furry family member . . .

In any case you need to make this pudding.  I think in North America you can get Golden Syrup online and if you can't find it, you can use corn syrup in it's place.  Golden syrup does have a lovely caramel like flavour however, so if you can get it, I highly recommend.

Flapjack Topped Rice Pudding

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Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

A delicious simple and comforting rice pudding with a fabulous Flapjack Topping

ingredients:

50g pudding rice (short grained like aborio) (1/4 cup)

2 TBS caster sugar

600ml whole fat milk (2 1/2 cups)

1 TBS  butter

For the topping:

25g porridge oats (1/3 cup)

100g golden syrup (1/3 cup)

instructions:

Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 3.  Buter a 1 litre/2 pint shallow oven proof dish really well.  Set aside.

Rinse the rice under cold water.  Dry well with paper towels.  Sprinkle over the bottom of the buttered dish.  Sprinkle the sugar over all.  Pour the milk on top and dot all over with little bits of the butter.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 2 hours, until just golden brown and thick.  Remove from the oven and preheat the grill/broiler.

Gently heat the golden syrup and oats together, just until the syrup thins out a bit.  Drizzle evenly over top of the rice pudding and then pop under the heated grill for about 5  minutes, until bubbling and golden brown.

Let cool for a few minutes prior to serving.

If you only make one dessert this weekend, make it this one. You will really be happy that you did!  Trust me on this! 

Source: https://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2019/04/flapjack-topped-rice-pudding.html

[kissnovel46-blog]

Peanut Butter Kitchen Sink Cookies Caramel, Pretzels, M&Ms, and More

Oh yes, these peanut butter kitchen sink cookies (as in, there’s EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink in them) are amazing! Soft, crunchy, caramelly, delicious!

Weeks ago I asked for your help on Instagram (here’s the plea) to name this over-the-top loaded cookie. And wow, did you ever come through! To the tune of 400+ responses! Even more of you chimed in on this Friday Thoughts post with last minute name suggestions. I have loved each and every one of them (I’ll highlight a few of my favorites below) – and laughed out loud at more than one. You guys are funny. 

But in the end, it seemed appropriate to go with the name that sums it all up in one broad, sweeping title (and by far, the most popular name suggested): almighty peanut butter kitchen sink cookies. 

Soft, chewy, crunchy, sweet, salty, caramelly – this cookie has it all. 

When visiting Montana this summer, my sister-in-law, Erin, made these cookies for us two days in a row (because our greedy hands couldn’t get enough), and I knew immediately my blog wouldn’t be the same until I had a recipe like this on my site. Since then, I’ve made these cookies myself four or five times (including making and serving 150 of them at my cousin’s wedding dinner a few weeks ago), and they have skyrocketed to favorite cookie status. I mean, just look at them! The wow factor is huge.

When I was probably about 10 years old, we lived in Houston, Texas, and my mom had a church responsibility to follow up with the young 19-something missionaries serving in our area. One day she went over there to visit with them (and mostly check to see if their often-neglected apartment was getting cleaned), and they proudly told her they had made cookies and sent them to their families!

Because they had a very sparsely furnished kitchen, she was quite surprised. She politely asked them what kind of cookies they had made. Chocolate Chip. Then she kindly and somewhat gently asked what they had used to make them (they literally only had a couple cereal bowls, plates, and a few utensils). Unabashed, they announced that without the use of a large mixing bowl, they had the brilliant idea to use their kitchen sink to mix the dough! (And then borrow baking sheets from a neighbor.) A few more probing questions from my slightly aghast mom revealed that no, no indeed, the rather grimy kitchen sink hadn’t been scrubbed cleaned before the cookie making endeavor. 

I remember my mom coming home and telling us about this kitchen sink cookie experience and with a furrowed brow wondering out loud if she should somehow alert the families that might be on the receiving end of these cookies?? I have no idea if those cookies ever made it to their destination and what the result was, but I’ve always had a bit of a gag reflex thinking of those kitchen sink cookies from the 1980’s

Thankfully these peanut butter kitchen sink cookies I’m sharing with you today are not literal in anyway (no kitchen sinks were used or harmed in the making of these cookies). They are 100% delicious and totally food safe, I promise. 🙂

If you want to see a whole list of name suggestions, here you go. My 12-year old lovingly compiled this list after reading through the hundreds of Instagram responses. So many great cookie name ideas! I just love you guys. 

Here are a few notable/clever favorites: 

–G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) cookies -Whatcha-Mel-Callsit cookies (hahaha) -What You Find Under the Carseat Cookie (slightly gross but super funny) -Spanx Busters -Pantry Cleanout or Pantry Raid Cookie -Pretzel Monster Cookies -Mary Poppins Cookie (because Mary Poppins is Practically Perfect in Every Way) 🙂

Other than adding in a bazillion extra ingredients, these peanut butter kitchen sink cookies aren’t any more difficult to whip up than your average, every day drop cookie. 

The soft peanut butter cookie dough base is mixed together (in a stand mixer or using an electric hand mixer) with the flour just barely getting incorporated before adding in all those glorious extras.

Why not?? Here’s what’s going on in these cookies so far:

-toasted pecans (I’m normally a don’t-put-nuts-in-my-cookie kind of gal, but they are super tasty in these cookies! Use them!) -peanut butter chips -chocolate chips -caramel balls (I’m talking about the Kraft brand of unwrapped caramel bits similar in size to large chocolate chips; when I’ve been out, I unwrapped soft Kraft or Trader Joe’s caramels and cut them into pieces with my bench knife aff. link…a labor of love that is totally and completely worth it) -M&Ms (I’ve used regular M&Ms, dark chocolate M&Ms, and caramel M&Ms)

I think you could play with the add-ins to your hearts content. What about:

-other chopped up candy bars (the sky is the limit) -pretzels IN the dough vs just pressed on the outside -other types of chopped nuts -coconut

Once the cookie dough is mixed, roll the dough into balls. Because of all the add-ins, the dough balls won’t be perfectly round. That’s ok. All those lumps and bumps just mean extra yumminess. 

Press the top of the cookie dough into the coarsely chopped pretzels and then turn over and lightly press the pretzels into the soft cookie dough so they stick. Again, we aren’t going for perfection here! These cookies have a rustic porcupine-spiked vibe going on, and I love them all the more for it. 

Of course you can eliminate the pretzels from the cookie lineup, but they really do add that salty crunch that is awesome (and they don’t get soft/soggy after baking). 

These cookies will spread just like other drop cookies…but probably not quite as much thanks to all the bulky add-ins. They are meant to be super soft and slightly puffy.

I’ve given some notes in the last step of the recipe directions about how to end up with a flatter cookie if you want (or, conversely, what to do if your cookies are flattening too much). 

Since these cookies have also affectionately been dubbed “clean out the pantry cookies” – I can’t wait to see what other variations you come up with! You clever and adventurous bakers never cease to amaze me. 

Just in case you end up with more cookies than you deem safe for your self-control OR you need to make a bunch in advance, these baked and cooled cookies freeze great (yep, even with the pretzels). I stack the cookies in between sheets of wax paper in a large tupperware and then take them out of the freezer several hours before I want to serve them. Tasty as the day they were made!

After all this talk about PB kitchen sink cookies, looks like I better go grab a couple out of the freezer just to remind myself how delicious they really are. 

One Year Ago: Monterey BBQ Chicken Pasta One Pot Dinner! Two Years Ago: Fresh Zucchini and Tomato Linguine 30-Minute Meal Three Years Ago: Tender Grilled Pork Chops Four Years Ago: Triple Chocolate Zucchini Cookies Five Years Ago: Good Morning Power Muffins Full of Whole Grains and Superfoods! Six Years Ago: Ebelskivers: Puffy Danish Pancakes Seven Years Ago: Cheesy Zucchini Rice Eight Years Ago: Oreo Cheesecake Bites

Yield: 4-5 dozen

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup (8 ounces, 16 tablespoons) butter, softened (I use salted)

1 cup (9 ounces) creamy peanut butter (I use Skippy or Jiffy)

1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar

1 cup (7.5 ounces) packed light or dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups (12.5 ounces) all-purpose flour

1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips (I use semisweet)

1 cup (6 ounces) peanut butter chips

1 cup (7 ounces) caramel balls (see note) or chopped soft caramels

1 cup (7 ounces) M&Ms (regular, caramel, etc)

1 cup (4 ounces) chopped, toasted pecans

2 cups coarsely chopped pretzels

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a couple baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, mix together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well-combined and super creamy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well, 1-2 minutes.

Add the flour and mix briefly until the flour is partly combined. Add the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, caramel, M&Ms, and pecans. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula (or mix very slowly with the electric mixer) until evenly combined.

Scoop out several tablespoons of cookie dough (I use a #40 cookie scoop) and roll into balls. They won't be perfectly round as all those add-ins will create some bumps. Don't stress. Press the top of each cookie ball into the chopped pretzels (and then lightly press the pretzels into the cookie dough to stick) and place the cookie dough balls several inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 9-11 minutes. These cookies stay fairly puffy (thanks to all the add-ins); for slightly flatter cookies, press them lightly into more of a disc-shape before baking or bake at 325 degrees F. If, for some reason, your cookies are flattening too much, try increasing the baking temperature to 375 degrees F.

Notes

The caramel balls I'm talking about in this recipe are the unwrapped soft caramel bits about the size of large chocolate chips sold by Kraft (usually in the baking aisle). When I haven't been able to find those, I unwrap soft caramels (either Kraft or Trader Joe's) and cut into pieces with a bench knife. It's a labor of love, but so worth it for these cookies!

Recommended Products

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Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (inspired from a recipe my sister-in-law, Erin, made for us in Montana this summer)

Disclaimer: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Mel

Source: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/peanut-butter-kitchen-sink-cookies/

[riskcause9-blog]

The aim to perfect | S'mores Brownies

I have no intention of relying on phone photography here, but I am a bit in love with this shot. It wasn't my plan on sharing this recipe either, as snapping the pic was a spontaneous thing, and the recipe was a bit thrown together, in the aim to perfect a birthday wish. But we'll get to that. First, to explain.

My freezer storage is divided into three distinct, but unequal zones. The largest is ingredient storage. It's where I keep nuts and grains, plus seeds and cacao nibs, and things like wheat germ and bran. Flours and shredded coconut. There's fruit from the summer stacked in flat packs, and bananas black-ripe and ready for bread. Ginger root I grate while still rock hard, chiles, and lime leaves. I am rarely without frozen spinach and sweet peas.

The smallest category is full of odds and ends; ice cubes, egg whites, and parmesan rinds. A package of homemade puff pastry, unbaked streusel from when I made too much, discs of pie dough, and bones for stock.

Between the two are the prepared leftovers. There is enough tomato sauce for one pizza, cooked rice, some savoury hand pies, Julia's turkey meatballs, and cakes. A lot of cake. It's not just that the pace of our consumption rarely keeps up with the celebrations around here. It's also one of those rarely-discussed byproducts of recipe testing. The spoils are regularly parcelled for giving away, but a small stash is always kept behind. Right now, my inventory includes the thinnest slice of walnut cake from Divali, a quarter of a vanilla bean cheesecake, bagged muffins, a coffeecake that's a work in progress, and s'mores brownies.

Those brownies though, they're celebratory through and through. Benjamin turned 11 in January. He's all knees and elbows now, and has strong opinions. He's had a thing for s'mores for years, and this birthday wasn't any different. He asked for a repeat of last year, brownies with chocolate ganache and a seven-minute frosting to billow on top. When I've made s'mores cupcakes in the past, the inclusion of graham crackers added essential contrast against all the dense-chocolate-marshmallowyness going on. I like them as rebar in the ganache rather than rubble in the brownie itself. Somehow they make more of an impact that way. Toasting the grahams in the oven crisps them up, the process and effect amped up with a sugar syrup glaze. 

I use my own brownie recipe, but as it was included as a preorder inclusive for my book, I made the squares this week with another favourite, from King Arthur Flour. As advertised, their brownies exist ideally between squidge and cake. You can use my recipe, if you have it, or theirs, or your preferred. One thing I'll say though, is resist the urge to use an intensely fudgey one. When combined with the ganache and the meringue frosting, it is a combination that can careen into headache-inducing real quick.

The brownies are over the top. They bring out the childlike and exuberant, and are the antithesis of refined. They are unbridled and unrestrained, and remind me of the happiest days. Don't let the fact that there were leftovers steer you into thinking they went unloved. Sometimes, you want to make the good things last. And, as brownies never fully freeze, a skinny slice on a Monday midmorning with coffee, falls into that category. 

For the record, that was exactly what I was planning when I took the photo.

Have a great week, pals. xo

TRIPLE LAYER S'MORES BROWNIES

The brownie recipe is this recipe from King Arthur Flour, halved.  The marshmallow frosting owes it loft and stability to Stella Park's revolutionary Easy Swiss Meringue. 

Makes an 8-inch pan

FOR THE BROWNIE BASE

2 large eggs

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons | 55 g dutch process cocoa

1/2 teaspoon medium grain kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

2  teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup | 115 g unsalted butter

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons | 225 g sugar

3/4 cup | 95 g all-purpose flour

FOR THE GRAHAM CRUNCH AND GANACHE

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

8 graham crackers

8 ounces | 225 g bittersweet chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

1/4 teaspoon espresso powder, optional

A good pinch medium grain kosher salt

2/3 cup | 160 ml heavy cream

FOR THE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

4 egg whites

3/4 cup | 150 g granulated sugar, preferably toasted

Generous 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

A good pinch medium grain kosher salt

Seeds scraped from a vanilla bean, or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

METHOD

Make the brownies. Preheat an oven to 325°F | 165°C.

Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking tin, then line with a piece of parchment paper with a 1-inch overhang. Press the paper into the pan and then remove. Line the pan with another piece of parchment paper, then place the first piece, buttered side up, across. Set aside.

Crack the eggs into a bowl. Sift in the cocoa, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Add the vanilla. Beat for four minutes on medium speed (you can do this while melting the butter in the next step).

Place the remaining butter in a medium saucepan. Pour in the sugar. Heat over medium low, stirring, until the butter is melted. Continue to cook until the mixture is hot but not bubbling, maybe 1 minute more. It should go shinier as it heats. 

Stir the hot butter and sugar mixture into the beaten eggs until smooth. Sift the flour over top and mix it in. 

Spread the batter into the baking dish, nudging it to the edges as needed. Bake until the top begins to crack, 32 to 35 minutes or so. Cool on a wire rack.

While that bakes, make the graham crunch and ganache. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small, heavy bottomed saucepan, dissolve the sugar into the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat then simmer for 5 minutes. Brush both sides of the graham crackers with the syrup then arrange on the prepared baking sheet (there will be syrup left over. Save it as a sweetener for coffee, oatmeal, or fruit). Bake the crackers until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once. Set aside to cool then snap into pieces, some small, some large bite-sized.

Tumble the chopped chocolate, espresso powder, and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Once steaming, pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand 5 minutes, undisturbed. After the time is up, stir until smooth, starting at the centre of the bowl and working outwards. Fold in the graham crunch. Pour the rubbled ganache over the brownies and spread to an even layer. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until set.

Finally, make the frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bowl has some clearance. Heat, stirring attentively and scraping down the sides of the bowl periodically with a silicone spatula, until the mixture reaches 175°F | 80°C on a candy thermometer, about 8 minutes. Transfer the whites to the stand mixer with the wire whisk attached. Beat, starting slow and increasing the speed steadily, until the mixer is on full. Whip until the stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla.

Retrieve the brownies from the fridge. Spoon the frosting onto the ganache layer. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to swoop and swirl it to your liking. Toast the frosting with a culinary torch or under a hot broiler—watching it all the while. Let cool and set, then use the cross of parchment to lift the brownies from the pan, then slice and serve. Extras can be refrigerated in their pan, loosely covered with cling film, for 2 days. Or, frozen until firm and then transferred to an airtight container for freezer storage up to a month. 

NOTE: 

Newer:The Exuberance | Strawberry Rhubarb Almond CrumbleOlder:To make it last | Frothy turmeric tea

Source: http://sevenspoons.net/blog/2017/2/12/aim-to-perfect