Is it Stuffing or Dressing? In this house it is Stufessing.

The controversy of calling this dish stuffing or dressing is as old as Thanksgiving.  My best understanding is when you cook it in the bird it is stuffed in the cavity therefore it is stuffing.  When it is cooked in a different pan it is called dressing as in you are dressing the table with food. Typically stuffing in the bird is more moist having sponged up the juices of the turkey. The dressing in the baking dish is a little more dry and I don't mean to say it is inedible but it has not soaked in all the juices of the turkey.   

In our family we called it stuffing, cooking half inside the bird and half in a separate baking dish. When the bird is done we unstuff it mixing into the dressing in the baking dish. You get this beautiful combination of the juicy and peices and crunchy bits. SO GOOD.  Today I am trying a little experiment by doing the baking dish portion in the crock pot saving oven space.  

The cast of characters 

1 roll Pork Sausage 

1 c celery diced

1 onion diced 

4-6 c chicken stock

2 bags herb seasoned stuffing cubes 

2 tbl butter

1 tbl olive oil

salt and pepper

Heat a medium size saute pan over med high heat.  Break the sausage up into small pieces into the pan doing this while it is still raw will make your life easier as it cooks.  

Cook until browned breaking up the sausage even more as it cooks

Remove the sausage from the pan in to a bowl or plate which ever you have handy.  Leave as much as the sausage gresse as you can.  Return the pan to the heat add the 1 tbl olive oil and the 2 tbl butter heating until the butter is melted.  

Add the diced celery and onion sprinkle with about 1/4 tsp salt and a couple shakes of pepper.  Cooking for about 10 min until heated through but the celery should be crisp tender.  

In a extra large bowl (I used my tupperware that's a bowl) Pour in your seasoned bread cubes followed by the sausage, celery and onions mix well.

Carefully pour in 4 cups of the chicken broth while stirring the stuffing mix.  

Pour everything into a crock pot ( yes in my picture that his a chunk of ice.  I had homemade chicken stock in the freezer I thawed most of it but this one chunk was not melting so i just threw it in and it melted into the stuffing) setting the temp to high for one hour then reducing to low for 3-4 hours stir every hour or so.  

As the cook time goes on and you feel you need more chicken stock feel free to pour in a little more until till you reach the consistency you like.  You could also add more aromatics if you wish such as carrots mushrooms.  However I can not vouch how the flavor would be we are very picky in our house about stufessing the year my mom tried to add extra stuff we nearly took her out back and strung her up a tree.

Apple Butter Pumpkin Bars with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

In my family when the Autumn rolls around we make a pan of pumpkin bars about every other week.  It dawned on me the other day that we can get pumpkin year round yet we anxiously wait until October before we make our first pan.  I know we are goofy.  About 8 years ago I saw an episode of Paula Deen's Thanksgiving and she made a Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie.  Thought I would give it a try our family really liked it and now it is the standard dessert at our Thanksgiving table.  A couple weeks ago I thought I would try adding apple butter into the pumpkin bars and see if they were just as good.  They were, now don't be freaked out they will not have the overwhelming flavor of apple just a hint and it keeps them moist.  Making the spiced cream cheese frosting I was just showing off.  :-) You can find apple butter at most major grocery stores either near the peanut butter or jam.  If you are super ambitious you can make your own super easy in the crock pot I have used this Apple Butter Recipe I only start with 2 c sugar and cook awhile and then add more if needed.  If you want to avoid white sugar I have used honey in place of the sugar with great results. You do not have to buy pumpkin pie spice if you have cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove in your pantry.  Check out the Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe I use every year.

Apple Butter Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2c apple butter
1/2c applesauce unsweetened
1 (15oz) Can pumpkin puree
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt

Pre heat oven to 350
In a med bowl mix eggs, sugar, apple butter, applesauce, and pumpkin with a electric mixer until fluffy. In another bowl sift (or mix really well so no lumps of baking powder or soda) together flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice and salt.  Stir into the pumpkin mixture until thoroughly combined.
Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.  Bake for 25-30 until browned.  Cool COMPLETELY before frosting.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
6 oz cream cheese
1 stick butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 c powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl cream the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy add vanilla and pumpkin pie spice turn the mixer to low slowly add the powder sugar a little at a time beating until mixture is smooth.
When bars are cooled spread evenly on top of the cooled bars. Cut the bars into squares.

Apple Overload Breakfast Quinoa and Perfect Pumpkin Quinoa

 I really like Quinoa for breakfast.  When I am trying to stay away from foods that are on my allergy list breakfast becomes really boring really quick. This past week I have come up with a couple new recipes after being inspired by pinterest.

Apple Overload

1/4 c quinoa rinsed very well
1/2 c apple cider or juice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 apple diced into small pieces
1 Tbl apple butter*
1 tbl heavy whipping cream (optional)

In a small sauce pan over med heat combine quinoa apple cider and cinnamon, bring to a boil cover and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat stir in apple pieces and apple butter.  Pour in to bowl and drizzle with heavy cream.

* If you do not have apple butter use 1 tbl unsweetened applesauce 2 tsp honey 1/4 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg.

Pumpkin Quinoa

1/4 c quinoa rinsed very well
1/2 c water
1/2 tsp cinnamon *
1/4 tsp ginger and nutmeg*
pinch ground clove *
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbl pumpkin puree not pie mix
2 tbl pecan pieces toasted **
1 tbl  heavy whipping cream (optional)

In a small sauce pan over med heat combine quinoa water, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove and vanilla. Bring to a boil cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat stir in pumpkin.   Pour in to bowl and top with pecan pieces and drizzle with heavy cream.
* you could use 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
** to toast pecan pieces heat a small pan over med heat add pecans warm in pan for 5-10 min depending on size of pieces. Pecans are optional but they add an amazing flavor

Kiddos Favorite Smoothie

My boys are really into smoothies too, my 2yr even loves to push the button and watch it spin around.  They have tried the Green Monster Spinach Smoothie  and my blueberry banana kale and they like both of them.  However their favorite is my Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana. It is not perfectly healthy but every once in while it is a good treat. I make two versions one quick and simple the other takes more time but taste really good.

1 banana
1/4 c milk
1 tbls peanut butter
1 tsp chocolate sauce
1/2 tsp chia seeds
6 oz ice crushed

In a blender add all ingredients and blend on high until smooth.

1 banana
1/4 c milk
1 tbls peanut butter
1 tbls chocolate chips semi sweet
1/2 tsp chia seeds
6 oz ice crushed

In a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup combine milk and chocolate chips microwave 50% power for 20 seconds stir together if the chocolate is not completely melted warm again in the microwave for 5 sec intervals until mixture is smooth.  Place bowl in freezer for 15 min until cold.  In a blender add all ingredients and blend on high until smooth.

Nutrition info for the version with chocolate sauce.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 203 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  251 Calories from Fat  91

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  10.1g 15%

Saturated Fat  2.6g 13%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  5mg 2%

Sodium  102mg 4%

Total Carbohydrates  37.4g 12%

Dietary Fiber  4.6g 18%

Sugars  22.3g

Protein  7.8g

Vitamin A 2% • Vitamin C 18% Calcium 3% • Iron 4%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Very low in cholesterol
• Low in sodium
• Very high in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin B12

Bad points

• Very high in sugar

Super Smoothie

Smoothies seem to be all the rage right now in this months Eating Well there is an article by  Brierley Wright, about the great benefits of Smoothies read it here.  I have been playing around with smoothies for the last couple months including trying my first with spinach.  Yes the green leafy salad stuff.  If made correctly you can not even taste the spinach.  This week I tried the Iowa Girl Eats Green Monster Spinach Smoothie I LOVED it and so did my lil boys. To quote her " It dose not taste healthy at all!" This morning I was out of spinach so I looked to the next best superfood to replace it with Kale.  In order to mask the green so the lil boys would eat it and boost the superness of it I added blueberries then tossed in some chia seeds for extra vitamins.  Yup chia seeds the same ones that grow in clay pots that look like sheep or human heads.  Someone somewhere decided to take a look them and see if they were nutritious and guess what they are loaded with good things check out an article about them from Eating Well.  


1/2 c vanilla yogurt
In a blender pour in yogurt and milk the add banana in chunks then blueberries kale chia seeds and ice blend on high until smooth stopping scrape the sides down once or twice.

1/2 c milk
1 banana
1/4 c blueberries fresh or frozen
1 c kale rinsed and torn in to small peices
1/2 tsp chia seeds
6 oz crushed ice

 In this nutrition facts I used Yoplait French Vanilla yogurt and whole milk because that is what I had on hand.  You could easily make with almond milk and greek yogurt for a lower fat and calorie count. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 655 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 314 Calories from Fat 42

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.7g 7%

Saturated Fat 2.3g 11%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 15mg 5%

Sodium 129mg 5%

Total Carbohydrates 63.1g 21%

Dietary Fiber 5.6g 22%

Sugars 36.3g

Protein 10.5g

Vitamin A 215% • Vitamin C 156% Calcium 23% • Iron 11%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• Low in cholesterol
• Low in sodium
• High in manganese
• Very high in vitamin A
• Very high in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin B12
• Very high in vitamin C

Blueberry Muffins

I love blueberry muffins. I figured they were one of the casualties when I was told no flour and no sugar.  My cousin told me that spelt flour was alternative for flour in baked goods.  I picked up my first bag the other day and tonight I got out my favorite recipe and rewrote it. :-) Here is the new "healthier" version.

1 1/2 c spelt flour
3/4 c raw sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/3 c applesauce unsweetened
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 c blueberries fresh or frozen**

Preheat oven to 400 f (200 C) Grease muffin tin cups or line with muffin paper
In a med size bowl combine flour sugar salt and baking powder.
In a 1 cup liquid measuring cup measure 1/3 c milk add in cracked egg whisk with a fork to combine then stir in 1/3 c applesauce.
Pour into bowl with flour mixture and mix just until moist all the way through.  Carefully fold in blueberries.  Fill each muffin up right to the top.  Bake in oven for 20-25 min until just the tops are light brown.  Allow to cool in pan for 5 min then remove to wire rack to cool completely before storage.  These are delicious warm or at room temperature.
** If using frozen berries do NOT thaw before adding to batter.  
makes 6-8 muffins depending on size of muffin tins

Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

When I was told about all my food sensitivities I lost a lot of options for breakfast.  I have been eating a lot of eggs. Thankfully we have chickens and we have a plethora of eggs available everyday.  Even I am creative I was getting tired of eggs everyday.  
A few weeks ago my cousin was visiting and I was picking her brain about food sensitivities, 3 of her children have some of the same ones I have, she mentioned that quinoa is a really good breakfast food.  I was excited to give this a try. 
 This past weekend I picked some quinoa up at the grocery store.  Yesterday I did not have to eat breakfast on the fly and had time to tinker around with a recipe.  I went to the web for some inspiration and found that you can treat it like oatmeal.  I came up with a recipe similar to an banana oatmeal.  I made it up and took my first big bite. Yuk I did not know that I was supposed to wash quinoa repeatedly before cooking! 
I retried this morning rinsing my quinoa four times.  The dish was great and even my littlest guy liked it too.  Today I made it with bananas tomorrow I think I will try blueberries and peaches.

1/2 dry quinoa rinsed in cool water changing the water at least 4 time. 
1/2 c water
1/4 c  milk
1/2 tsp Cinnamon 
2 tsp vanilla
1 tbl maple syrup 100% pure or honey 
pinch of salt
1 banana sliced 
1/2 c pecans optional

Combine quinoa, water, milk, cinnamon, vanilla,maple syrup and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 15 minutes until quinoa can be fluffed with a fork.

Pour quinoa into 2 bowls then cover with bananas, pecans, and a few extra drizzles of milk.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size  1 serving (207.9 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories  257 Calories from Fat  28

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  3.1g 5%

Saturated Fat  0.7g 3%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  2mg 1%

Sodium  165mg 7%

Total Carbohydrates  49.0g 16%

Dietary Fiber  5.5g 22%

Sugars  18.3g

Protein  7.5g

Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 27% Calcium 4% • Iron 55%