GAPS Brownies

Great recipe for those on the GAPS diet.

Ingredients:
16 oz almond butter  or 1/2 butter 1/2 almond butter
2 eggs ( I used flax seed. 1 TB flaxseed to 3 TB water)
1 1/2 c honey ( I just did one cup. I like them more dark chocolate.)
1 tbsp vanilla extract (overflowing)
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chocolate drops (omitted. use nuts!)
1 tbs coconut oil melted

Directions:
Mix wet ingredients together. Mix in dry ingredients. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Delicious! Hint for the brownies: Stick a toothpick in the middle. It shouldn't come out clean. You should see a glob of chocolate. Not liquid.And I promise they are done. Enjoy!

German Chocolate Brownie Pie

This pie is way too sugary. But it was guilty-delicious right out of the oven with some ice cream.

Ingredients:
1/2 bag brownie mix
1/2 stick of softened butter
1 C oats
1 C pecans
1 C shredded coconut
1 C caramel sauce

Directions:
Empty brownie mix and oats into a bowl.
Add butter and cut in until a pie-crust dough forms. If too dry, you can add a few tsp of cold water. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

While crust is baking, mix pecans, coconut, and caramel in separate bowl.

Take out brownie pie crust. Let cool 10-20 minutes. Top with pecan caramel mixture. Bake at 350 for 10-15 more minutes.

Add whipped cream and chocolate shavings and then enjoy!

This is to die for!

Chocolate Cookies--Best ever!

These are to die for. I took these to a family reunion, and many asked for the recipe.

I got these from a Martha Stewart recipe, but I didn't keep the original around long enough to make sure. I'll have to make these again to make sure they're the same. Until confirm, these look just about the same.

I used a dark chocolate bar from Venezuela, 70% cacao. Use bars of chocolate. That's what separates it from the cocoa powder cookies. Trust me.

Source http://www.marthastewart.com/339686/outrageous-chocolate-cookies


Ingredients

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Step 1
   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until almost melted; do not overheat. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
   Step 2
   In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in melted chocolate. Mix in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
   Step 3
   Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 to 3 inches apart onto baking sheets. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are shiny and crackly yet soft in centers, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ades. Limeade, Lemonade, Orangeade...

Limeade. The greatest recipe I've found just got three times as cool. I've switched up the citruses. Check out all three recipes. The Limeade tastes like the original Brazilian goodness. The Orangeade tastes like orange creamsicle. The Lemonade tastes like lemon meringue. 

Hardy Orangeade: 
1 large orange, scrubbed and cut in fourths
1/2 C sugar
3 TB sweetened condensed milk
3 C water

Place contents in blender in order listed. Pulse until peel is in small pieces. Strain liquid through sieve to remove rinds. Pour over ice. To get a stronger orange taste, use another half of an orange. Add to liking.



Hardy Lemonade:
1 large lemon, scrubbed and cut in fourths
1/2 C sugar
3 TB sweetened condensed milk
3 C water

Place contents in blender in order listed. Pulse until peel is in small pieces. Strain liquid through sieve to remove rinds. Pour over ice.


Original Brazilian Limeade:
1 large lime, scrubbed and cut in thirds
1/2 C sugar
3 TB sweetened condensed milk
3 C water

Place contents in blender in order listed. Pulse until peel is in small pieces. Strain liquid through sieve to remove rinds. Pour over ice.

Mac N' Cheese - Cheese Sauce

This is a great sauce to pour over elbow macaroni. Kids will love it... and husbands too.

This sauce is delicious. The base recipe came from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/homemade-mac-and-cheese/. I made my own adjustments as always. This recipe is originally for a mac n cheese casserole, but I found that the sauce works wonderfully for normal mac n cheese.  Here it goes:

Ingredients:
for 8 oz macaroni ( mine seemed to double.)
2 C shredded shard cheddar cheese. (3 cups of mild cheddar)
1/2 C parmesan or other cheese (I used mozarella and yum)
2 1/2 C milk
1/2 C heavy cream
1/2 C butter
2 TB blour
2 TB flour
1 pinch paprika

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions. Drain. Hint: Add butter so noodles don't stick to each other as they cool.
2. In a saucepan, melt butter or margarine over medium heat. 
3. Stir in enough flour to make a roux. 
4.  Add milk to roux slowly, stirring constantly. 
5.  Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese is melted and the sauce is a little thick. 
6. Put macaroni in large bowl and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well. Enjoy! Sprinkle paprika if desired.

Alfredo Sauce

Delicious Sauce. We put it over lemon chicken and penne pasta.

Ingredients:
1/4 C butter
1 C heavy cream
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 1/2 C freshly grated parmesan
1/4 C parsley, chopped (preferably fresh)
1 pinch lemon zest/juice

Directions:
In a sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the lemon zest, garlic and heavy cream. Simmer for five minutes. Do not boil. Take off of heat. Add cheese. Stir until melted. Add parsley. Save some for garnish.

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread--Homemade Nutella

This is absolutely delicious. Way better than Nutella. This is an overnight preparation recipe.

Source: I can't find my exact source, but here's another: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/01/09/better-than-nutella/

I've added my variations after learning from experience what works best.
Soak hazelnuts overnight in warm water and a pinch of salt, and something to break up the phytates.
Rinse before using.

Toast hazelnuts in oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Spread nuts on pan an turn over half way through the 15 minutes.

Let nuts cool.

Peel hazelnuts by placing in a bowl with a bowl on top an shaking vigorously.

Blend hazelnuts first, pulsing until it reaches a nut butter consistency, about 3-4 minutes. Scrapes the sides of the blender often so the nut butter can be smooth throughout.

Add syrup, cream, milk, coconut oil, salt, and cacao. Blend 2-3 minutes, pulsing, until all is integrated well. Add vanilla and blend a few seconds more. taste it and adjust to your liking.

Refridgerate and enjoy. Keep in glass jar in the fridge. It keeps for a couple of weeks.

makes abt 2 cups. a pint.