food – Page 2 – katie: normal girl

Easy Cinnamon Peanut Brittle

This time of year always puts me in the mood for peanut brittle but not just any peanut brittle…I want cinnamon peanut brittle.

There are so many peanut brittle recipes out there, so if you already have a favorite, you can try this take on it by just adding cinnamon to your existing recipe. If you don’t have a favorite then I’d love for you to give this version a try. It makes a yummy treat that can be wrapped up and given as gifts to your co-workers, family, and friends.

You’ll need:

– 1 1/3 c. sugar
– 6 1/2 oz. shelled, salted peanuts
– 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
– butter to grease cookie sheet and spoon backs
– two metal spoons

Thoroughly grease a cookie sheet with butter, being sure to cover the entire bottom and sides. Next you’ll need to prepare for cooking the sugar. Once the sugar is ready you’ll need to add the peanuts and cinnamon, stir and pour into the cookie sheet pretty quickly so have everything you need (peanuts, cinnamon, metal spoons) setup and ready to go.

Winter Sipping: Spiced Tea Latte

Grab your scarf and gloves, it’s time to get all bundled up for winter, and because your insides need to be warmed up too, it’s tea time! The spice in this winter tea will get your blood pumping and warm you from the inside out. A dash of vanilla and whipped cream balance out the spice and provide that hint of sweetness that you expect this time of year.

For each cup you’ll need:

Mulling Spices for Apple Cider

This is a great last-minute Thanksgiving idea and a fantastic way to naturally scent your home with the smell of Fall. You can buy pre-made mulling spice mixes but they can be a bit pricy, so I just make my own and save it in a mason jar.

Candy-Dipped Apple Sundae Bar

This is my favorite new Fall dessert! It’s the perfect communal dessert for parties, with or without kiddos. And, oh the varieties of yummy-ness that you and your guests can create!

I provided chocolate fudge and caramel sauce to dip the apples into, then I provided a variety of sweet and salty topping choices. For a final bit of yummy, I also set provided small containers of sea salt, pumpkin spice, and dried orange peel. If you’d prefer to serve something with less sugar, you can go healthy and provide warm peanut butter or honey for dipping instead of caramel and chocolate and swap the candy for dried fruit and granola. The possibilities are endless!

Here’s a list of what I provided:

Weekend Gardening Project: Plant a Mint Bowl

In the comments of a recent post, one of my readers mentioned the mint that was exploding out of her garden. It reminded me of this post and what fun it was!

Summertime Treat: Flavored Ice Cubes

These yummy ice cubes can be used in your lemonade, mixed drinks or brew some sun tea for a fun summertime treat. The unique flavors will be a fun addition to your summer parties and picnics.

Simple Summer Recipe: Mango Salsa

Now that you’ve learned how to dice a mango, what to do with it? You can throw the pieces of one mango into about two cups of your favorite pre-made salsa for tasty semi-homemade recipe. I like to pair mango with a medium or hot salsa because the sweet, cool fruit cuts the heat a little.

If you’re in the mood to make salsa from scratch, give this easy recipe a try.

Cutting Mangos Can Get Dicey

Mango season is almost over, so be sure to scoop up a couple of these yummy fruits the next time you’re in the store. When selecting a mango, pick one that is firm with just a small amount of give. You want a firmness between an apple and a ripe peach.

If you haven’t sliced a mango before, then you may not realize that there is a large seed in the center. You need to be careful to avoid cutting the seed because it’s very hard and your knife could slip and…well…bad things man…bad things. Also, don’t cut too close to the seed because the fruit around it is fibrous and not very tasty. Check out the pictorial below for some tips on how to dice a mango!

Now that you have this wonderful bounty, what shall you do with it? It’s tasty as-is, or you can toss it together with some raspberries and blueberries for a fancy fruit salad. There’s mango martinis, mango smoothies or one of my favorites…mango salsa.

No matter what you pick, it’s bound to be delicous because these little guys are at the peak of freshness and flavor through the end of the month.

Enjoy!

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Mushroom and Green Bean Soup with Gremolata

This week’s recipe was inspired by a recipe from Vegetarian Times magazine.

was in the mood for soup this week so I went combing through all of my recipes and found this great one with noodles, mushrooms and green beans…some of my favorite foods. This is another recipe that is easy to whip up if you have a last minute vegetarian or vegan guest coming for dinner. It also makes a great, low-calorie, low-sodium meal for anyone who’s trying to watch their waist line before the holiday eating season begins!

From the Pantry:

2 tbs. olive oil
6 c. low-sodium vegetable broth
3 c. no-egg wide-ribbon noodles (these are similar to egg noodles which are vegetarian friendly but not vegan friendly, feel free to substitute with your favorite noodle)
¾ tsp. dried Herbs de Provence seasoning mix (if you can’t find a premade mix, use any combination of earthy flavored herbs like, sage, rosemary, thyme and savory)
kosher salt to taste

From the Garden

2 ½ c. (6 oz.) portabella mushrooms, chopped into large chunks
1 medium sweet onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
1 ½ c. green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ c. fresh Italian parsley
1 clove garlic, peeled
2 tsp. grated lemon zest

Use a large soup pot to saute the onion and mushrooms in the olive oil until the onion is soft and slightly browned. Add the Herbs de Provence and the green beans and allow them to cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Add the uncooked noodles and allow them to boil gently for 7-8 minutes (or the time according to the package directions for the noodles that you have selected). While waiting for the noodles to cook in the soup, make the gremolata by finely chopping together the parsley, garlic and lemon zest.

Once the soup is ready, serve hot and top each serving with 1-2 tsp. of the gremolata. The original recipe called for a scoop of mascarpone cheese to be stirred in just before serving but I wanted to keep the recipe vegan and low-cal. You could top the soup with a bit of shaved parmesan cheese but then you’re not vegan anymore (but still vegetarian). It’s up to you how if you’d like the cheese but I thought it was quite tasty without it. Just a bit of kosher salt sprinkled on top and I was happy!

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Care to learn more about being a vegetarian? Click here to read my mini-series: When Veggies Come to Dinner

Homemade Holiday Gifts: Cinnamon Peanut Brittle

I have studied herbalism for many years and enjoy using the knowledge that I have gained to create both simple and complex herbal remedies, delicious teas, tisanes and brews, and to make natural skin and hair care products. I get to share a lot of this knowledge in my weekly column on hellogiggles.com as The 21st Century Herbalist. Once a week I like to repost the column here, just in case you missed it!

Original publish date: October 11, 2012

s we continue to celebrate the multi-generational traditions of women, I can’t help but think of all of the wonderful recipes that have been passed down through the women in my family. This time of year always puts me in the mood for peanut brittle but not just any peanut brittle, I look forward to my great-grandmother’s cinnamon peanut brittle. It’s that little bit of cinnamon that makes this treat feel unique to my family and always makes me nostalgic.

The cinnamon tree is native to India and can now be found in many parts of the world. The bark has long been used as a delicious flavoring in many types of food but it also has many medicinal benefits too. This spicy bark is warming and works as a mild, yet effective, digestive aid. It also has antiviral properties that make it great for fighting infection.

There are so many peanut brittle recipes out there, so feel free to just add a bit of cinnamon to one of your favorites. If you don’t have a favorite, then I’d love for you to share in my family’s tradition and make the version below. It makes a yummy treat that can be wrapped up and given as treats to your co-workers, family and friends.