A while ago, I was contacted about trying out and reviewing a new butter alternative spread called Melt Buttery Spread. I don’t usually do reviews, but this new spread caught my interest. It was free of the nasty stuff you usually see in fake butter spreads, and was made from a gluten free blend of non-hydrogenated healthy fats:

• organic virgin coconut oil
• organic flaxseed oil
• organic palm fruit oil
• organic canola oil
• organic high-oleic sunflower oil

Now, I like my butter – so I don’t usually seek out alternatives to this golden nectar from heaven. But like everything, too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. So I decided to give it a try.

The company describes their spread as: “Rich & Creamy Melt® Organic, a butter alternative that is truly delicious. Melt® Organic is the perfect organic blend of the healthiest fats that supports healthy weight when replacing other fats in your daily diet. Each serving of Melt® Organic delivers an ideal combination of healthful saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats for optimal nutrient content and absorption, weight management, thyroid function, heart health, and digestive health. Melt® Organic is certified organic and kosher, and is soy free, Trans fat free, and gluten free. Our products do not contain coloring agents or artificial ingredients of any kind and they never will. Our ingredients are Eco-social, fair trade, and non-GMO.”

I quickly received my sample and couldn’t wait to try it out. Upon opening the container, I was pleasantly surprised at the smooth, creamy consistency, and the mild coconut aroma. My first concern was it’s taste, I knew if it was too coconutty (is that word?) it wouldn’t fly in our house. But the taste was great. It did have a mild coconut flavor, but nothing that was over powering.


Since first trying the spread, I’ve buttered my toast with it, melted it in mac & cheese, sautéed vegetables with it, and the final test – I baked with it.  I decided to use it melted, as a substitute for vegetable oil in an apple bread recipe. The result was fantastic. I couldn’t tell any difference, and I felt good knowing that the fat was all healthy.

Now I just wish I could say the fat on my body was all healthy. You can learn more about the healthy butter alternative and it’s ingredients on their website.

Disclaimer: I was not compensated in any way for doing this review, other than the product I received from sampling purposes.

Apple Bread

Printable Recipe

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup melted Melt buttery spread (or vegetable oil)
• zest of one lemon
• 1 cup whole what pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1-1/2 cups chopped apples
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp butter (or Melt spread)
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp brown sugar

In a medium sized bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oil and lemon zest. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Stir in the apples. Combine the topping ingredients (the amounts are an estimate since I just threw together some ingredients to make a crumb topping). Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan, then sprinkle the topping on top.  Bake for 50-60 mins, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before trying to remove from the pan.  Enjoy!

There are certain simple pleasures in life that make me feel good. Like walking hand in hand with my son, the feel of his trusting grip against my fingers, and the methodical thud, thud, thud of his 4 year old gait, as his too-big rain boots scrape against the pavement.

This was a moment that captured me today, as we made a quick trip to the store to get the ingredients for this dish.  Dark skies and rainy weather are the perfect combination to enjoy another simple pleasure – comfort food.  Macaroni and cheese to be exact.

The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board hosts a Macaroni & Cheese Blog called 30 Days 30 Ways with Macaroni & Cheese, and this year I contributed a recipe for their new project. Every three weeks, they post a new mac & cheese recipe from a featured food blogger on their site.  There were several themes to choose from, and I decided to go with the Decadent Holiday Recipe.

My mind came up with way too many possibilities, and I had a hard time narrowing it down to one concept. I also tried to keep it simple, yet still delicious.  I decided on a three cheese recipe that incorporates Gouda and Fontina cheese, with a crispy balsamic glazed pancetta topping – and a sprinkling of smoked Gouda for good measure. 

While this may not be the fanciest mac and cheese you’ve tried, it definitely qualifies as a delicious decadent holiday dish for me! To see my featured recipe, head on over to 30 Days 30 Ways with Macaroni & Cheese, and you'll see many more delicious recipes too.


 
Three Cheese Balsamic Pancetta Mac & Cheese
Serves 6-8    Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 packages of thinly sliced pancetta ( 3 ounces each)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, separated
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed
1/2 cup half and half, warmed
6 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded
2 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
10 ounces cavatappi (corkscrew) pasta
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a large pot of water over high heat and cover. Roll up the pancetta slices and slice into strips with a sharp knife. In a large pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta strips until just starting to crisp, about 3-4 minutes, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the balsamic vinegar over the pancetta and stir.  Allow the cooked pancetta to drain on a paper towel and set aside.

   

In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When the butter has melted, whisk in the 4 tablespoons of flour.  Continue to cook and whisk the flour for about 30 seconds.  Add the rosemary and continue to cook for another 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the warmed milk and half and half, continue to whisk continuously so that there are no lumps. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer, stirring constantly.

While waiting for the sauce to simmer, liberally salt the pot of boiling water. Add the pasta to the water and cook for about a minute less than package directions.

When the sauce has come to a simmer, stir in the 6 ounces of gouda, and the fontina cheese until melted and the sauce is smooth.  Remove from heat and stir in about 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, or more if you want a more pronounced flavor.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Drain the cooked pasta and stir into the cheese sauce until combined.

Pour the macaroni mixture into a baking dish, and sprinkle with half of the smoked gouda. Top with the cooked pancetta and then the remaining smoked gouda.

 

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the topping is crisp and the cheese is bubbly. If the pancetta starts to get too dark, cover with a piece of aluminum foil. Serve hot.

I’m so excited to be able to contribute another recipe post to the Tasty Kitchen Blog. I’m sure most of you are already familiar with Tasty Kitchen, a great place to find delicious recipes within a wonderful community.

You can browse and submit recipes on their main website, and on their blog they feature different recipes each week.

When I came across a recipe for Ozark Apple Pudding, it immediately caught my eye – since I live in the Ozarks!  I’ve never heard of this dessert (shame on me), but it is so good I will be making this again. It is a rustic, hearty cake that is similar to an apple bread pudding – but better! 

You can find the recipe and my complete Tasty Kitchen guest post here.

I’m sorry it’s been so long since my last post! I’ve been putting a lot of time into developing my photography skills, and as a results I’ve been focusing more on portrait photography lately. But never fear, I won’t be leaving my foodie friends in the dust. Here is a peace offering to get those saliva glands working, this is a truly delicious dessert that is currently sitting in my fridge, making it impossibly hard for me to stick to my diet.

I love Banoffee pie (banana + toffee for those wondering at the strange word), and when I had some bananas reaching the point of no return, I decided to make this dessert that I haven’t had since I left Wales. I wanted to switch it up a bit, so I added a layer of peanut butter chocolate over a toasted walnut-graham crust. Layered with the typical sliced bananas, gooey toffee flavor filling and fresh whipped cream, this really made my day!

Banoffee Surprise Pie
Printable Recipe

Filling:

• 2 (14oz) cans sweetened condensed milk
• 4 ripe bananas
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 6oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup peanut butter

Crust:

• 4-5 tablespoons butter, melted
• 6oz graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
• 2/3 cup toasted walnuts, ground

Place the unopened cans of milk in a large pan and add enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 2 hours, topping the water level to keep the cans covered. Carefully lift the hot cans from the pan and let cool.

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch tart pan or spring-form pan with butter. Place the remaining butter in a bowl and add the crushed graham crackers and ground nuts. Mix together well, then press the mixture evenly into the base and up the sides of the pan. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.

Peel and slice the bananas and place in a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over the bananas, add the vanilla extract and mix together. Place the chocolate chips, 2 tablespoons butter, and the peanut butter in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave on low until the mixture is melted, stirring frequently.
Gently spread the chocolate mixture over the base of the cooled crust (you won’t need all of it), and place in the freezer for a few minutes until the chocolate has hardened. Now spread the banana mixture over the chocolate layer in the pan, then spoon the contents of the cooled cans of condensed milk over the bananas. You may not need to use all of the condensed milk. Top with a layer of whipped cream. You can garnish the top with grated chocolate, chopped nuts, or whatever your heart desires! Eat and enjoy.

I love Guacamole, and yet, it’s  something that I rarely make at home.  I don’t know why. It’s full of heart healthy fat and tastes so good, that I always wonder why I don’t make it more often.


This guacamole isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill guac. It’s packed with vitamin rich fruit! 


Yep. You heard me. Fruit.


Now hold on there a minute, before you start screeching the brakes, it really is worth a try. 
Sweet mangos, juicy peaches, tart granny smith apples, and fresh basil turn this guacamole into something truly special.


I added a little cilantro too, for the traditional zippiness (is that a word?).


Serve with tortillas chips, or if you’re trying to be a little more conscious of your waistline, scoop it up with fresh celery spears or sweet pepper strips.

• 2 avocados
• juice of one lime
• 1/4 yellow onion, diced
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 1/2 yellow peach, peeled and diced
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 1/4 habanero pepper, seeds removed, minced (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• salt & pepper to taste

I’ve been on a sugar cleanse lately, trying to cut back on the baked goodies for a while. So the recipe today is a savory dish that will be sure to please anybody.  I’ve had some fresh herbs growing on my windowsill for a while now, and I’ve been so proud of myself for not killing them – yet.  

If you don’t know by now, I was not blessed with a green thumb, and most of my potted endeavors end in failure. 

However, my dainty green herbs are still going strong, so I wanted to incorporate them into something. I had a bright idea – or what I thought was one – until I discovered it had already been done. Lemon Basil Chicken salad. A quick Google search led me to numerous recipes, and I decided to try one from Paula Deen. I adapted the original recipe a tad to suit my tastes, by adding chopped apple and substituting walnuts for the almonds. The key here is definitely using fresh basil, which adds a lot of flavor.  You could even use plain yogurt in place of the sour cream and mayo if you wanted to.

Lemon Basil Chicken Salad 
(adapted from Paula Deen)

Ingredients

• 4 cups diced cooked chicken
• 1 rib minced celery
• 1 cup chopped apple (I used gala)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds (or walnuts)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I used light sc)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used olive oil mayo)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, celery, apple, basil and nuts. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add to chicken mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill. Serve on a bed of baby spinach for a light salad, or spread on some delicious homemade bread for a yummy sandwich.

I've found a great new website for you all to enjoy. Foodsherpa. What is Foodsherpa you say? Well, let me have them tell you, "Experience an exciting new tasty food item every day through Foodsherpa. We scour food markets, artisan shops, local farms and more across the country and feature one amazing food item daily. You can check it out on our website or receive a daily email and even buy it to enjoy at amongst friends or on your own."

They have such a unique selection of fresh, artisan made foods, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it. How does Cinnamon Pear Maple Syrup sound, or Strawberry Lavendar Jam?

Sounds like pure heaven to me :)

They also have a featured foodie section, and I was so honored when they asked to feature my blog.
You can check out my interview, and browse through some incredible foods on foodsherpa.com