Seasoned Pretzels

 I recently fell in love with seasoned pretzels. They’re perfect with a glass of wine or when you’re in need of a flavorful snack. The store-bought seasoned pretzels I tried were tasty, but they seemed a greasy to me and had a high calorie count. Plus, they are mega expensive! Times are hard and families everywhere are trying to spend less. I’ve come up with a recipe that costs less, contains less fat (healthier?), and are cheaper, by far. I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. Let me know what you think.

 

Seasoned Pretzels

 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups pretzel sticks (about 3/4 pound)*
• 1 egg white
• 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil 
• 2 teaspoons water 
• 3 tablespoons cheddar cheese powder*
• 2 tablespoon dry ranch dressing powder*
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250°F (120°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (A lipped baking sheet works best.)
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cheddar cheese powder, ranch powder, and cayenne pepper until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, oil, and water until fully emulsified. Don’t worry about any air bubbles or froth that forms.
4. Add pretzel sticks to the large bowl and gently toss until completely coated with the egg white mixture. Using 2 silicone spoonulas for this step in a scooping, turning motion, will assure that no liquid remains in the bottom of the bowl and are gentle on pretzels.
5. Sprinkle the dry seasoning mixture over pretzels and continue scooping and turning to evenly coat the pretzel sticks.
6. Spread pretzels evenly on the baking sheet.
7. Bake 20–25 minutes, turning halfway through, until dry to the touch and seasonings are set.
8. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

*Notes:

Aldi has great pretzel sticks that are inexpensive.

The Cheddar Cheese Powder I’ve linked to ($16.99 at the time I posed this) is the lowest unit price I could find. The 2-pound bag is enough to make the above recipe over 20 times. This powder is great for making mac & cheese. It’s good sprinkled on popcorn, too.

The Ranch Dressing Powder I’ve linked to ($4.14 at the time I posted this) contains enough to make 3 batches.

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Almond Cookie Recipe #GlutenFree

 Usually, when people describe their baked goods as “gluten free,” I pause. The phrase usually means the cookies or cakes are dry, or the texture is off, or the flavor needs a little… help. Well, I’m offering this almond cookie recipe that is just scrumptious. Think of these as delicious cookies that happen to be gluten-free.

Almond Cookies

Makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups almond flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Wholealmonds for decorating

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place sugar and butter in a mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add egg and almond extract and beat until fully incorporated.
3. Add almond flour, salt, and baking powder to wet ingredients and stir using a spoon until just combined.
4. Scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet. (I used a medium size cookie scoop.) Press the dough lightly to flatten a bit. Top with almonds and press them lightly into the dough.
5. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until edges are golden.
6. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Fresh Pink Lemonade #Recipe

 It’s hot here on the east coast of the USA. One of my favorite ways to cool off in the summertime is to make a pitcher of fresh pink lemonade. The ingredient that puts the “pink” in this drink is cranberry juice. What are some of YOUR favorite chilled drinks for hot weather months? Leave a comment below.

Fresh Pink Lemonade

6 cups water

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice

2/3 cup cranberry juice

Add all ingredients to a large glass pitcher and stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour over glasses of ice and garnish with lemon slices. Enjoy!

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Roasted Radish and Walnut Salad #Recipe

Have you ever roasted radishes? The high heat changes not only the texture of the radish, but also the flavor. Roasting makes radishes sweet. Try this Roasted Radish and Walnut Salad recipe. I tossed a handful of spring greens into this salad on the second day just to change it up a bit.You can serve it over micro-greens, if you like. With or without the greens, it's delicious!

Roasted Radish and Walnut Salad

2 lbs Radishes, cleaned, ends trimmed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup walnut halves and pieces

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced fine

2 teaspoons lemon zest, yellow part only

Salt to taste

Dressing

3 tablespoon olive oil

3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1.     Pre-heat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easier clean up.

2.     Cut radishes in half (larger radishes can be cut into quarters) and place in a bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt (to taste). Spread radishes in a single layer on the prepared sheet pan and roast until lightly golden, approximately 20 minutes.

3.     While radishes are in the oven, place walnuts in a small, dry frying pan and toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 6 minutes. Remove from heat.

4.     Place the roasted radishes, walnuts, parsley, and lemon zest into a serving bowl.

5.     Pour olive oil, lemon juice, and honey into a small jar. Add salt. Screw on the lid tightly and shake to thoroughly combine the dressing ingredients. Pour dressing over salad and stir to coat. Serve warm or chilled. Serves 6-8. Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Fully Loaded Blondies #Foodies #Desserts

Sometimes, you just need something DELICIOUS. These blondies are loaded with good stuff! I hope you enjoy them.

Fully Loaded Blondies 

5 Tablespoon butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Spray an 8-inch x 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and stir until ingredients are fully incorporated.

Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to thoroughly combine.

Stir in nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. Using a rubber spatula, scrape batter into prepared pan. Batter will be stiff. Press batter into all corners and flatten top evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool. Cut into squares.

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Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter #Recipe

I recently made butternut squash ravioli and I cheated. Rather than taking the time to make my own fresh pasta, I picked up a package of won ton wraps at the grocery story. These Ravioli were utterly delicious! I hope you’ll try this super quick method. No one will notice that you didn’t make your own pasta.

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Makes about 48

1 butternut squash, about 2 1/2 lbs

1 tablespoon olive oil, for roasting the squash

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Salt and pepper to taste

1 12 ounce package of won ton wraps

Sage Brown Butter

1/4 cup butter

10 fresh sage leaves

Directions:

For the ravioli:

1.     Preheat oven to 400°. Carefully cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Discard seeds. Rub squash with olive oil and roast, cut side down, until soft when poked with a knife, about 35-45 minutes. Let cool and then scrape squash flesh out of the peel and place in a bowl. Discard peel.

2.     Mash the squash and add Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, sage, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Stir until thoroughly combined.

3.     Fill each wan ton wrap with a heaping teaspoon of squash filling. Moisten the edges of the wrap with water and fold into a triangle, sealing edges tightly. Continue until all wraps are filled. (Don’t be surprised if you run out of filling or if you have some filling left over. It all depends on how large the squash is.)

4.     To cook: Fill a pot with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt to boiling water, and then gently drop the ravioli into the water. Simmer for 4-5 minutes. The ravioli are done when they float to the surface. Don’t overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches. Drain with a slotted spoon and place on a warm platter. Serve with Sage Brown Butter.

5.  Optional serving suggestion: After ravioli have been simmered and drained, fry them in olive oil, 3 minutes on each side, to give them a crispy texture. Mmmm.

For the Sage Brown Butter:

1.     Place butter and sage leaves to a small sauce pan. Cook over medium low heat until the milk solids turn brown, about 10-15 minutes. Do not overcook. You want brown butter, not burned butter.

2.     Pour butter sauce over the ravioli and serve.

Dust Be Gone! 6 Tips for Staying Dust Free

Every time I turn around, it seems that a new layer of dust has collected on my furniture. Well, I say, “Dust be gone!” The dust in your home is made of carpet and clothing fibers, pet dander, dirt and grime from outside, and, yes, dead skin cells. Here are six simple ways to reduce the dust in your house.

Rugs and Mats, Inside and Out

An outside doormat encourages guest to wipe their feet before they enter your home. An small rug place inside will help remove even more dust and grime from the bottoms of shoes. Place sturdy mats and rugs inside and outside of every entrance to your home.

No Shoes Rule

Make a No Shoes Rule for your home. Remove your shoes and ask guests to do the same. Shoes worn outside carry in all manner of dirt, dust, and who-knows-what into your home. It’s just good manner to remove shoes when you enter your own or someone else’s house.

Magic Moisture

Feather dusters look nice, but they whisk dust into the air instead of collecting it. A cloth is better for dusting. Rather than using a dry cloth, which pushes dust around and causes it to billow into the air (to settle elsewhere), use a damp cloth to remove dust from furniture surfaces. I’m not saying wet… I’m saying damp. Barely dampen your dust cloth with water and wring it out as much as you can. The moisture will capture and hold the dust tight. Rinse the cloth often. Run it through the washer when you’re finished dusting.

Filter the Air

Your HVAC system has a filter that should be changed regularly. Check the owner’s manual of your system and make sure you are changing your filter often enough. It’s better to change it more often than less often, where dust in concerned.

Clean Air Ducts

Every room in your house probably has at least one air register. A few times each year, I use a dryer brush to clean as much of the air ducts as I can reach. There are professional companies that will come in and give your air ducts a thorough cleaning.

Murder the Mites

Dust mites are attracted to the dead skin and pet dander that ends up in your mattress and pillows. Wash your sheets and pillowcases weekly. Wash your mattress pads monthly. And several time a year, vacuum your mattress and run your pillows through a dryer cycle to keep them as clean as possible.

How do you keep dust from collecting in your home? Comment below so everyone can learn something new.