foodie: homemade "ice cream" (and you don't need an ice cream maker!)

whenever i see recipes for ice cream on other blogs or on foodgawker, i always pass them over because (1) they often are labor-intensive, and (2) i don't have an ice cream maker.  so, you can imagine how excited i was when i found a recipe for "ice cream" with just one ingredient...yes, just one!  and, to top it off, it's healthy.  go figure.

if you're craving the cold, creamy goodness of ice cream, it's only a few simple steps away.  and, you don't even have to feel guilty about it.

here's what you'll need for one bowl of homemade ice cream...

1 banana

cut the banana into 1 inch coin, put on a plate covered with plastic wrap and put into the freezer for at least 2 hours.

put the cut, frozen banana into your food processor and blend until it magically begins to resemble a scoop of hard ice cream.  amazing!

(i jazzed mine up by adding 1 tbsp peanut butter into the food processor with the banana, and also topping my finished ice cream with another tbsp of melted pb.  delicious!  did i mention that i ate this for breakfast?!)

after getting bit by the "ice cream" bug, i decided to try another combo.

1/2 banana (i used fresh, which gave it a more sorbet-like consistency, but you could use frozen, too)
1/2 cup cherries, frozen

same deal.

and again, peanut butter makes everything better!

foodie: cookie dough dip (and it's healthy!!!)

if you're anything like me, cookie dough has an almost magnetic appeal.  why does the dough taste even better than the cookie?!  well, as you might imagine, i was delighted when my sister shared a recipe for healthy cookie dough dip with me.

the dip has a very special secret ingredient, that perhaps you best not share with your fellow eaters until after they've tasted the delicious dip.  any guesses???...

the secret ingredient is chickpeas.  yes, that's right...beans!

i made two cookie dough dip variations (both inspired by this recipe).  here's what went down...

peanut butter chocolate chip

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1/4 cup no-sugar-added peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp soy milk (skip for a thicker dip)
1/3 cup chocolate chips

put all the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) into your food processor, and pulse until it resembles the texture of cookie dough.  mix in the chocolate and serve with fresh fruit like sliced apples and strawberries or graham cracker dippers.

white chocolate ginger coconut

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (you could also use chickpeas)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
scant tsp ground ginger
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup shredded coconut (i used sweetened)
1/3 cup white chocolate chips

again, put all the ingredients (except the white chocolate chips) into the mixer and blend.  add in the chips and serve with fruit, graham crackers...or a spoon!

not only is this dip delicious, it's pretty healthy (compared to the real deal), and it's gluten-free, grain-free and vegan.  not too shabby!

foodie: peanut butter banana sandwich cookies

i made this dessert a few weekends back to take to our friends' house.  i had never made them before -- and kind of made-up the recipe -- so, needless to say, i was pleased when they turned out well.  (i had to hide them from craig so he wouldn't eat them all before the party! lol)  even better...they're gluten-free, and if you use agave nectar instead of honey, they could easily be vegan too!

here's what you'll need for 6 sandwich cookies...

cookie:
1 mashed (over-ripe) banana -- about 3/4 cup
1/2 cup creamy organic peanut butter
2 tbsp honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup)
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

filling:
1/4 cup chocolate morsels
2 tbsp peanut butter

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. mix all the cookie ingredients together until combined.

2. divide mixture into 12 cookies (so that you can make 6 sandwiches), and place them on a non-stick baking tray.

3. bake for 11-13 minutes, until cookies are just slightly browned (you'll see the coconut browning).
4. remove from oven, and allow to cool.

5. while cookies cool, melt chocolate in microwave and combine with 2 tbsp peanut butter.

6. spread filling evenly on 6 of the cookies (you can gently press the cookies flat if you want a more uniform surface to spread the filling on), and then top each with another cookie.

fyi - this is a very, very doughy cookie.  it has the texture and taste of nearly raw dough -- which is exactly how i prefer my baked treats : )

you can store these in the fridge for up to 5 days.  (want to see the recipe that inspired this one?  check it out here.)

enjoy!!!

celebrate st. patrick's day!

happy (almost) st. patrick's day!!!  every year my parents host an awesome st. patty's day party.  it's open to family and friends, and this year's celebration is even bigger than usual - with upwards of 35 honorary-irish.  in celebration of my irish heritage (50%, baby!), i wanted to share a few things to get you in the green-wearin', whiskey-drinkin' mood : )

drink this...




credit {here}

irish ale cocktail

• 2 oz irish whiskey
• 3 lime wedges
• 3 oz ginger ale

1. add whiskey and squeeze lime wedges into glass.
2. fill with ice and top with ginger ale.  stir to incorporate.

wear this...

i feel like {this} is what kate middleton would wear to a st. patty's celebration : )

eat this...

recipe {here}

after you've had your fill of irish soda bread and braised cabbage, these sweet treats would be the perfect way to end the night.  you can't go wrong with homemade caramel-dipped, white chocolate coated marshmallows!  yummmm!!!

happy st. patrick's day! 

may the enjoy the luck o' the irish : )

foodie: sinfully delicious cake pops

i had a 1/2 dozen leftover brownies that were just ok, so i decided to reinvent them into something deliciously spectacular.  enter my idea to make brownie/cake pops.  if you're looking for a something divine that can be delivered to your mouth on a stick, you must make these.  they are mmm mmm good.

what you'll need (and feel free to use what you have in the pantry)

1/2 dozen brownies
1/2 cup frosting (i used whipped vanilla because that's what i had)
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
3/4 cup butterscotch morsels (obviously, you could just go with 100% chocolate if you want!)
sprinkles
straws or popsicle sticks

this recipe made 14 cake pops

1. mash brownies and then mix in frosting.  roll mixture into ping-pong sized balls.  (if the mixture is too tacky to work with, you can refrigerate it for 30 minutes to make it easier to work with.)  line a baking sheet with parchment, and place balls on the tray and then put in fridge for 30 min.

2. melt 2 tbsp of chocolate and get your straws/popsicle sticks ready.  take the balls from the fridge and dip the sticks into the chocolate and then insert into the balls.  put them in the fridge again to let the chocolate set for 20 min or so.  (the chocolate on the stick will act as "glue")

3. put your chocolate chips and butterscotch morsels into a microwave safe bowl and heat until smooth.  in the meantime, put your sprinkles in small ramekin to get ready for dipping. get your cake pops from the fridge, and dip them into the chocolate butterscotch to coat them.  then dip them into the sprinkles for extra decoration!

4. you can put your pops upright into a block of styrofoam, but i didn't have any handy.  instead i laid some on their side and put others standing-up on the parchment-lined baking sheet.  both methods worked fine.  once all your pops are coated and decorated, put them back in the fridge for 30 min - 1 hour to allow the chocolate to set.

these are best enjoyed at room temperature, so remove them from the fridge at least 30 minutes prior to enjoying them so that they aren't super hard when you bite into them!

be warned: they are dangerously good!!!!!!!!

weekend menu: happy birthday, mom!

today is my mom's birthday. we're heading out to dinner at a fabulous restaurant that has a gorgeous river view, then we're heading back to my parents' house for birthday cake - chocolate orange ganache tart - and presents.  and tomorrow i'm cooking a b-day brunch - biscuits with scrambled eggs, caramelized onions with rosemary and bernaise.

food and birthdays seem to go hand in hand.  there's something about delicious food, good conversation, and a well-mixed cocktail that makes any celebration better!

mom's favorite cocktail: gin gimlet

i think mom would love this variation: ginger pear gimlet

mom's birthday cake: chocolate orange ganache tart

this deliciously rich ganache tart has an orange wafer crust and is sprinkled with toasted nuts - recipe {here}

mom's brunch: biscuits (with eggs, chicken sausage and caramelized onions)

 photo credit & recipe {here}

happy, happy, happy birthday, mom!

foodie wednesday: blueberry & lemon tart

i was tasked for making the dessert for our girls' night this evening.  i'm meeting up with my former boss and co-worker for an evening of hors d'oeuvres, wine, home cooked dinner, wine, blueberry & lemon tart...more wine?

i tend to be more of a cook than a baker, so i decided to keep it simple.  fresh blueberries, lemon curd and (store bought) pie crust : )

1 pint blueberries
10 oz jar of lemon curd
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 egg
2 pie crusts (yes, two)
1 tbsp sugar in the raw

1. preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. in a bowl, combine lemon curd, egg and zest.

3. fold blueberries into lemon mixture.

4. for a free-form tart, spray baking tray with non-stick spray and create a foil ring to support the crust.  (if you want to make a more traditional tart, use an 8 inch tart pan.)

5. lay both crusts over foil ring and fill indented center with blueberry/lemon filling.  since the filling has a tendency to run, you need two crusts to support it for a free-form.  you could probably get away with just on crust if you're using a tart pan.

6. fold edges of crust up and over filling and "pinch" to secure the folds.  if it seems stable, you can remove the foil ring.

7. sprinkle crust with sugar.

8. bake for 45-50 min until crust is golden brown.

allow to cool before serving.  you can even pop it in the fridge to make sure the filling sets.

i haven't tasted it yet...because i'm bringing it tonight...but it smells divine!  i mean really, you can't go wrong with blueberry & lemon anything in my book.

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