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.
Tag: recipes
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:
Burger Swap: Grilled Portabella Sandwiches
This summer switch up the classic burger for a grilled portabella mushroom sandwich. It’s a great alternative to beef that will satisfy the meat-eaters and the veggies at your next backyard cookout. Even grilling newbies can cook one of these little guys!
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.
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.
…read more (you’ll be redirected to my column on hellogiggles.com)
Campfire Chili with Whole Wheat Mountain Bread
This week’s recipe was handed down to me by my mother and now I present it to you, enjoy!
s the weather gets colder, my belly starts to want warm, hearty meals just like this chili. It’s packed with beans and warm spices that make it the perfect meal for this time of year. It’s also hearty enough that you’ll feel full and satisfied…no meat required. And if it’s camping weather in your neck of the woods then you’ll want to take the ingredients along to make this one-pot meal. Just let it simmer over the open fire on these cold Autumn nights and then make some friends because this bountiful recipe makes enough to serve 10. If you aren’t looking to feed quite that many people at once, it freezes great or can be packaged in mason jars* and given as gifts to neighbors and co-workers.
Moisturizing Pumpkin Body Whip
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: September 27, 2012
or those of us in the northern hemisphere, Autumn is officially here! Bring on the pumpkin flavored lattes, bagels, cream cheese, muffins and any other food we can flavor with delicious pumpkin and spice flavors! Mmmm…I love it all. Along with all of those yummy foods it’s also pumpkin season for your skin. Yup, pumpkin for your skin. It is so moisturizing and packed with nutrients that help bring out the subtle glow of your skin.
Next time you’re in the grocery store or at the farmer’s market pick up a pie pumpkin and give this great body whip treatment a try. It’s a great way to pamper yourself after a long week of studying, working or before a big date. Later, as winter weather sets in and your skin starts to get a little dry, use this recipe to rehydrate your skin and even your hair.
This recipe is part of this month’s celebration of the multi-generational traditions of women. It is a classic recipe that goes back generations and uses simple, natural ingredients to soothe and moisturize your skin.
Ingredients:
- A small to medium sized pie pumpkin
- 1 c. full-fat, unflavored yogurt
- 1-2 tbsp. olive oil
…read more (you’ll be redirected to my column on hellogiggles.com)
Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
I still have some leftover bread from last week’s Meat-Free Meal of the Week, the Breakfast BLT. I’d hate to waste such delicious bread so this week I bring you a classic meat-free meal: grilled cheese and tomato soup. You’ve probably already eaten this combination before and didn’t give much thought to the fact that there isn’t any meat in it. I happen to think that those are the best type of vegetarian meals…the kind where you never notice what your “missing”! I’m sure you already know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich and the soup I get is “homemade” at my grocery store, so there aren’t any revelations there. Mostly I just wanted to give you an easy meat-free meal option for when your veggie friends or family stop by for lunch. This is also a great meal for kids and adults who’ve been outside in the chilly Autumn weather and are looking for comforting way to warm up and fill their bellies.
I made my grilled cheese with two slices of white cheddar that I already had on hand. One of my favorite combinations is classic, white-american cheese grilled between two slices of Food for Life, 7 Sprouted Grains bread. My mom likes chives on her tomato soup and sometimes I’ll top it with garlic croutons. What grilled cheese combination do you like? Do you get fancy with the cheese, maybe add some pear slices, or are you more traditional? I’d love to hear about your favorites!
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Care to learn more about being a vegetarian? Click here to read my mini-series: When Veggies Come to Dinner