Easy Delicious Spaghetti Sauce

• INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs ground beef2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (to taste)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
ground pepper
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 bottle of spaghetti sauce (like ragu, catelli's, or classico)
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (optional)parmesan cheese, freshly grated (optional)

DIRECTIONS 

1. 1
   Brown the ground beef, onion and garlic in olive oil with bay leaves, oregano, basil, Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.
2. 2
   Add tomato paste, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes.
3. 3
   Stir well and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
4. 4
   Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours for best flavours
5. 5
   Swirl in some maple syrup to cut the acidity. 
   Use sauce to top your cooked spaghetti and pass the parmesan!
   
   
   My kids (and I) gobbled this up tonight!
   Bon Appétit!

Hubby's Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I came home from a walk with my girl friends the other night [with a frozen face and frozen legs] and my husband was waiting to watch our show together with freshly baked chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. 
BOOYEA!!!!!! It's official, he's my favourite.
I quickly changed into my pyjamas, wrapped 3 blankets around me, and snuggled up on the couch with 3 cookies and a large glass of milk. Not to my surprise (cause you see, Blake is an awesome food-maker, cause he is an at-heart food-lover), they were amazing. In fact, I am about to eat another one for my afternoon snack. Jealous? Go make them ;)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS______________________________________________________________________

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbs flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup oats (we use quick oats)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS_______________________________________________________________________

1. Preheat the oven at 325.
2. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients.
4. Mix in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Place rounded balls of dough on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until slightly golden (keep an eye out so they're just perfect to your liking).

Enjoy--with a tall glass a milk!

Cathy

Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup

One of the best soup I've ever made and had, hands down.

Done in less than an hour, and can be made ahead of time in a slow cooker if you want. I love Rachel Ray, she packs her meals full of flavour, and this one is on top of her recipes in my books. I adapted her recipe, and the original is found here.








Sausage, Kale, and Lentil Soup
Serves 4 (very generous portions)
Total time: less than 1 hour (15 minutes prep)

INGREDIENTS_____________________________________________________

• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 pound hot sausage, casing removed*
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 large russet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 3 large cloves garlic
• 1/2 Tbs ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bundle kale, stemmed and very thinly sliced
•  1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup water (minus 2 Tbs) PLUS 2 Tbs cider vinegar (to make a cup total)
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups lentils (you can mix with pearl barley i.e.: 1 cup lentils and 3/4 cup barley)
• 4 cups beef stock (or chicken)*
• 2 cups water

DIRECTIONS______________________________________________________

1. In a soup pot or large dutch over, heat olive oil. Add the sausage, break it up, and cook until lightly browned. Add onions, celery, carrot, potato, rosemary, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook to soften for about 8-10 minutes.
2. Add in the kale until it wilts a bit, about 1 minutes, and sprinkle the nutmeg onto the kale. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the water/cider vinegar mixture. Reduce by half, about 3 minutes, then stir in lentils, stock, and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer the soup until the lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Add water if it's too thick (usually needed if you add in barley).

*Note: you can easily make this vegan by omitting the sausage, and substituting the beef stock for vegetable stock.

Serve with crusty bread and/or crackers.

Bon appétit!

Cathy

Raw Brownie Bites (healthy, delicious, and vegan!)

It's hard to believe that these are brownie bites and healthy.

It's true.

It's probably harder to believe that these actually taste good. Actually, they're delicious. I have a major sweet tooth, and these satisfy that crave. I'm also the kind of person who thinks that junk food shouldn't be healthy. This is my first exception!

Try it, you'll like it…I love them!

Healthy Delicious Brownie Bites

Yeilds: about 24 small bites

Recipe slightly adapted from paleogrubs.com

Ingredients______________________________________________________________

• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• Squirt of agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup (optional)

Instructions______________________________________________________________

1. Add walnuts and salt to a blender or food processor. Mix until the walnuts are finely ground.
2. Add the dates, vanilla, and cocoa powder to the blender. Add the a bit of agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup if you want a bit of extra sweetness) Mix well until everything is combined. With the blender still running, add a few drops of water at a time to make the mixture stick together.
3. Using a spatula, transfer the mixture into a bowl. Using your hands, form small round balls, rolling in your palm. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Enjoy and bon appetit!

Cathy

Healthy snack muffins

I guess it's what I do with my 3 year old daughter, we make muffins! All the time. I actually started doing a challenge called "giveit100" where you video tape yourself doing your goal for 100 days. My goal is to spend a quality 30 minutes a day playing, dancing, baking, reading (whatever she wants) with my little 3 year old girl. She starts school next year, and I have a hard time just playing, so it's a challenge, but one that I am loving and enjoying and realizing is so very important and a priority. We bake a lot together, I've noticed…and she is a pro egg cracker! I coincidentally found this recipe at 100 days of real food….I'm all about 100 these days!

Healthy Snack Muffins
MAKES 12 MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

• 1½ cups whole-wheat flour 
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or half and half with almond extract)
• ¼ cup oil (coconut oil is great for healthy)
• ¾ cup orange juice or apple juice
• About 1 cup of total filling (berries, fruit, nuts, etc. )

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl with a fork or whisk mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and orange juice. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together – do not overmix.
4. Add 1 cup of filling, for example: grated carrot, mashed up banana & nuts, raisins, craisins, oats or mix and match. You can add any kind of filling you'd like!
5. For mini muffins, scoop in 1 rounded Tbs into each hole. Slide the tray into the warm oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature and freeze some for a later date.

Enjoy and bon appetit!

Cathy

Best Ever Tuna Noodle Casserole

I made this tonight, and it was my best tuna noodle casserole ever, such a keeper! I adapted it from here, but made it totally my own and it turned out awesome, according to me of course..

Ingredients:

• 6-8 ounces egg noodles (half of a large package)
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup mayonaise
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/2 to 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cans tuna
• 1/4 cup sharp or old cheddar cheese
• 1/2 squeezed lemon (less than a Tbs if using bottled lemon juice)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the egg noodles in salted water according to al-dente
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a frying pan on medium high, melt some butter and fry onions, celery, and mushrooms until the onions are translucent (about 5-7 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, mix cream of mushroom soup, mayonnaise, and milk in a medium bowl. Add the fried onions, celery, and mushrooms. Stir in the peas, tuna, cheese, cooked egg noodles, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
5. Put the mixed ingredients in a casserole dish, and bake for 30-45 minutes or until slightly browned on top.

Bon Appétit!

Cathy