Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies - gluten free

The perfect cookie to dunk in a cold glass of milk. These are a super crisp melt in your mouth kind of cookie. It wasn't until I brought some into work that I realized my gluten free coworker could actually have one too! (ook I'm going to full admit it, I just typed GLUEten... HAHAHA oh yeah I know how to spell...)


I made a batch of these up for our fix it guy. Gotta keep the fix it guy happy right! That way he keeps coming over and fixing stuff for you! :) I mean paying him helps him to come back too... but cookies... those only sweeten the deal!


Almond Butter Oatmeal Cookies - gluten free
adapted from dolcettoconfections.com ... I can't get the website to work anymore though :(
makes 18 cookies

Beat together until light and fluffy
1 1/2 Tbs room temperature butter
1/3 cup white sugar

Then mix in
1/3 cup sucanat (bring on the wholesome sweeteners!)
1/2 cup almond butter (I used maranatha with a touch of sea salt- yum!)
1/2 tsp corn syrup

Then mix in
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Next mix in
1 1/2 cup old fashion oats
1 tsp baking soda

Fold in
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Using a cookie scoop plop onto a silicon baking mat and bake at 325 for 18-20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

Read more...

Breakfast Pizza

Whenever I hear the word "breakfast pizza" I think of my buddy Sean... once maybe 4 years ago he mentioned picking up one to bring to work... because he's the total mayor of the town and knows/ loves everyone. I remember making fun of him because of this... and now whenever I hear/see breakfast pizza... I think Sean!!

OK not that that had anything to do with this post... just felt like sharing :) Awhile ago I received some breakfast pizzas through the foodbuzz tastemaker program. I was excited to give them a try... but was less excited when I saw the fat content... 400 calories, 12 grams fat... hmmm a bit higher than my normal breakfast but I was still up for giving them a try.


They come with a crisper pan and after a minute and a half in the microwave they are ready to eat (but not really crisp). They also suggest making them in the oven... I'd do the toaster over route next time for sure so they were actually crispy on the bottom. The taste was good but definitely sweet. I'd say this would be a dessert pizza for me but kids would probably LOVE it for breakfast as a treat.

My verdict, a sold B.

Read more...

Chocolate Orange Campfire Cake!

Real quick... if you signed up for the jam exchange check your email, you should have your partner sent to you! If for some reason you didn't get an email. Email me ASAP stephchows at gmail.com!

So Jeanne is actually two inches taller than me... I'm just sitting up higher :)

As I said Monday, we made cake on our camping trip, and it was delicious!! Don't get me wrong, it was boxed cake mix, I'm not THAT crazy to lug all of those ingredients along. Only half crazy :) The inspiration came from the blog ljcfyi, and it's the best idea ever. )PS don't you love the total vintage tin camping plate?? It's from my camping days as a kid in the 80's!

Take 4 oranges and cut off the tops, scoop out the innards. NOTE: this will cause every mosquito in the area to dive bomb you... so do it quick and clean up quick! Citranella candles also help.

Next... remember to bring a can opener... or a swiss army knife... open your 15 once can of pumpkin.


Mix said can of pumpkin with 1/2 a box of chocolate cake mix.

Spoon into your orange shells (fill about 3/4 of the way up) and wrap in tin foil.

Place into fire nestled up to all the nice warm embers for 20 minutes. Rotate every so often so they cook evenly.

Remove from embers and let cool a little, and then enjoy!!

The cake was super moist and had an amazing orange flavor infused into it. I'm totally making these again!

Read more...

ADK camping!

So I went camping this weekend with my bud Jeanne. It was awesome. We made cake over the camp fire... yeah you read that right. But I'm too tired to type it up tonight... so instead you get me jumping off of a 12 foot rock we kayaked out to.

I don't know what you are talking about I'm not scared...

OMG what am I doing!!!!

too late now!

glug glug glug

I was scared out of my brains... but I did it! woo wooo!!

Read more...

Apricot Sucanat Jam

We have over 30 people signed up for the jam exchange this year!! Thanks everyone for joining in!!! To celebrate the imminent arrival of lots of jam I thought I'd share this recipe with you. It's made with sucanat from wholesome sweeteners and it's delicious!

The only negative to using sucanat in this recipe is it changes the beautiful yellow/orange color of the jam to a more brownish color... but it tastes 100 times better than using white sugar... so I leave it up to you, beautiful color... or delicious taste? :)



Apricot Jam
by steph chows

8 cups chopped up apricots (pits removed) chop them into around 3/4 inch sized pieces
2 Tbs lemon juice
4 cups sucanat (divided)
1 package low sugar pectin

• Mix 1/4 cup sucanat with box of pectin
  
• Using a large pot, stirring constantly, heat 8 cups chopped apricots plus 2 Tbs lemon juice and pectin/sugar mixture over medium high heat until they reach a full rolling boil (bubbles still happen even as you stir).
• Boil 1 minute (keep stirring)
• Add remaining 3 3/4 cups sugar
• Keep stirring constantly and bring back to a rolling boil for 1 more minute
  
• Remove from heat
  
• Pour into sterilized jars and seal with lids and rings
• Place jars into boiling water for 10 minutes (use your jar tongs don't just drop them in)
• Remove from water and let cool overnight, do not bump them while they cool.

this makes a little over 9, 1/2 pints of jam. So freakin good!!!

And of course here are some labels to put under the screw tops like I do!
click on the image to enlarge it, then right click and save to your desktop. Open and print to fit 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper!


So I'm actually off camping today... can't wait to share all the fabulous campfire recipes we come up with on Monday!

Read more...

Lavash Panini and wedding photos!

I was given a panini press as a gift and I've totally been digging it. Seriously... why not toss everything onto the press?? This particular creation was made using lavash bread. Ever heard of it? It's like a big wrap and it's only 100 calories!

I made lavash pizza pockets. YUM. Sauce, pesto, mushrooms, pepperoni, basil, cheese... wrap it up toss on the panini press and GO GO GO!

Now onto those wedding photos... Taken by Argento Photography

For a few more check out our photographers blog here.

Read more...

Arm Chair

Yeah I know, it's a food blog... but remember that awesome store CSN.com? Well they contacted me again to do another review... I had $70 to burn and I thought about what fun kitchen gadget to get... and then I remembered that we have a pretty full kitchen... and a pretty empty rest of our house... (darn first time home buyer I am!) so amazingly logic kicked in and I decided to buy John a chair! (his "man cave" room is pretty barren at the moment...) Obviously it cost more than $70 but hey that help put a dent in buying it!

It came in a fun big box... the little kid inside of me couldn't help but jump in as soon as it was empty :D



I think it's super comfy! (the chair not the box!) And it's not gigantic like so much furniture is now a days. It would fit perfect in an apartment, but I still love it in our house. John thinks it needs more lumbar support, I think he's being silly. Just a warning, you have to assemble it, it didn't take long and had super easy instructions. I love how it has a little modern/ little retro feel to it :) Kinda like me!

Read more...

Eating paper

Have you guys heard of kale chips? I've seen them being made all over the place but never gave them a try until recently. They are super simple. Wash the kale, rip up into bit size pieces, toss with a little olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Bake at 350 until crisp.


I liked them! I gave John one and he asked my why oh why was I feeding him green paper, and if it was ok if he didn't eat any more. HA So there you have it, one says tasty... the other says paper, I'll let you make them and decide for yourself what you think :D

Read more...

Birthday Cookies

First off today is the LAST day to sign up for the jam exchange... so if you want in do it now!


Today I turn 29 for the first time! I'd also like to say Happy Birthday to my birthday twin Jeanne who turns 29 for the second time today! Why is it that 29 is the number people always joke they are? Hopefully this means it's going to be an awesome year!!

It was a friends birthday just this weekend and she had a rocking party to celebrate her ummm 9th anniversary of being 29 ;) I brought these cookies along for the ride. And oh it was a fun ride!! Hi to all the new friends I made, some of them who make very tasty cocktails ;)

Onto the bad for you cookies!!! Umm I mean... they are so healthy... whole grain... dark chocolate... almond butter... just ignore the stick of butter and cups of sugar will ya :)


Almond Butter No Bake Cookies
recipe by who the hell knows... someone made it up a billion years ago

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 3/4 cup white sugar
2 Tbs dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup almond butter (I used maranatha YUM)
4 cups oats

In a sauce pan bring butter and sugar to a boil, boil for 1.5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in almond butter, vanilla, and oats. Plop tablespoonfuls onto wax paper and allow to cool.

chow your little heart out.

Read more...

Low Sugar Blueberry Cinnamon Jam

First off, if you haven't already go sign up for the jam exchange!!! (You have until Wednesday to sign up!) Ok now onto other chow news...

"It makes me think of blueberry muffins... mmmm"


Blueberry jam may sound weird, but it really is amazing, and with a little cinnamon, it smells like fresh baked goods! I picked 9.5 lbs of blueberries last week... HA i know i know... that's A LOT of blueberries, but you know what, they are almost all gone, and they are so super fresh and good!! The other scary part is I probably ate a good 1/2 pound in addition to that while I was out in the fields :)

The first thing I made with said blueberries was some jam of course... I'll be sending a jar to my jam exchange partner for sure! There's still time to sign up if you want to join in on the fun!! Sign up here.

Now for the recipe, it's super simple to make, and lasts a year.

Blueberry Jam with Cinnamon (a low sugar recipe)
10 cups fresh blueberries (washed and any stems removed)
2 cups raw cane sugar
2 cups splenda (if you don't want to use splenda use 4 cups raw cane sugar)
1 packet sure gel low sugar jam
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice

Rinse blueberries and place into a heavy bottom pot (I used a 5 qt pot) and add in 1/4 cup of white sugar mixed with the package of pectin and lemon juice. Slowly bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Once boiling add in splenda and remaining sugar and cinnamon all at once. Keep stirring constantly and bring back to a rolling boil. Boil for one minute and then remove from heat and place into sanitized mason jars (fill up to a 1/2 inch from the top of the jar - this is where a jar funnel comes in super handy) . Carefully wipe off any spills and place lids and rings on the jars. Use your tongs and place filled jars back into the large pot of hot water, bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. Remove jars with the tongs and let dry on a cooling rack undisturbed overnight. Label your jars and give them to all those people you love :)

Read more...

Bangin Blueberry Muffins

First off, if you haven't already go sign up for the jam exchange!!! (You have until Aug 11th to sign up!) Ok now onto other chow news...

It's been awhile since I've made you all a muffin! Well we need to remedy that for sure. A friend of mine was headed out of town and asked if we wanted to pick up their CSA package while they were gone (ummm yes please!!!). WOW I can't imagine how she and her husband eat their way through the amount of food that was given each week... Case in point: 13 yellow squash! Seriously... 13 of them?? What are we suppose to do with that many yellow squash?? (and that was only one of the many things in the CSA basket for the week!!!)

I'll tell you what I did with all that squash though... I turned them into muffins of course :) And NO they don't taste like squash, it just gives them this amazingly moist wonderful texture.


And if you are wondering the blueberries came from the 9.5 lbs I picked... anyone want to guess what the next featured jam recipe will be??

These are super moist, delicious, and of course have no added fat!
Bangin Blueberry Muffins
recipe by steph chows

Dry- (mix together)
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup splenda or white sugar
1 cup fresh picked blueberries

Wet- (beat together in a separate bowl)
1 Tbs milled flax seeds plus 3 Tbs water (mix and let sit to form a gel) Or use 1 egg
1 1/4 cups grated raw yellow squash
lemon zest
1 tsp lemon juice
1 1/4 cups fat free milk

Optional Topping (mix together in a small bowl)
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 Tbs whole wheat flour
2 Tbs agave nectar (or honey)
2 Tbs chopped nuts (I used almonds)

Pour wet into dry and stir until just incorporated (don't over mix). Place in greased muffin tins and sprinkle optional topping on if desired, bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until done. Give them a little pat on top, if they spring back, they are done.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then remove and continue to cool on a rack.

Perfect for breakfast, snack time, or dessert!

Read more...

It's a fiesta!

First off, if you haven't already go sign up for the jam exchange!!! Ok now onto other chow news...


Fiesta Dip is the best thing ever, no really it is. I love the stuff and find myself making it for John and I even when there is no party in site! It's so simple, chop up some things mix it up and let it marinate over night. You can drain it and serve it as a dip, or you can leave it in its sauces and use it like a very chunky salad dressing :) That's what I've got for you today.


Fiesta Dip over baby spinach leaves. Perfect! Actually if you ask John he'll say "umm where's the protein??" so in his case this is more of a side to a turkey burger or something. I say the beans are protein... but he doesn't' agree they are ENOUGH protein. silly man.


Fiesta Dip
1 can black eyed peas
1 can shoe peg corn
1 red pepper diced
1 green pepper diced (John doesn't like green so I use orange...)
1 red onion diced

Rinse and drain beans and corn

Add: 2 tbs Tiger Sauce (secret ingredient) a MUST (it's near the ketchup in Wegmans... if you have Wegmans near you)
3/4 cup white sugar (I use 1/2 cup splenda)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 veg oil (I used about 3 Tbs instead)

Mix and let stand overnight.

Drain liquid before serving with tostito scoops or other veggies or cucumber slices for dipping. Or don't drain it and serve over spinach leaves like I did above!

Read more...

42 blogs on how to live a healthy life

Check it out I got featured on another blog!

Read more...

Cold Brewed Iced Coffee

When did August get here by the way?? On another note, have I mentioned that I really like iced coffee? Dunkin Donuts is my favorite.. I know I'm so high end classy right? Sometimes I'm too lazy to leave work and drive to a DnD (as I like to call them), so I plan ahead and make iced coffee at work. It takes overnight though... which can suck when you have a hankering and didn't plan ahead.. but if you do, it's awesome :)

How do you take your coffee? I'm a half and half with a little splenda kinda gal.


Cold-Brewed Ice Coffee
New York Times 6/27/07

Yield: Two drinks

1/3 cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best)
Milk (optional)

1. In a jar, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

2. Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk.

It really is just that easy! And you will be so surprised by the taste. Give it a try!

Read more...