Avocado Pudding

You can make pudding out of avocados. Here are the three varieties that I have tried making. 1. Blend 1 avocado, 1 banana, 4 T cocoa powder, 2-3 T milk, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 t vanilla. I loved this. You may want to add some sugar. 2. Same as above, but with 3 T cocoa powder instead of 4 and an added 3 T peanut butter. 3. Same as #1 but add 1 c greek yogurt and use 1/2 c cocoa powder. Number one is the richest. Number 2 has a yummy peanut butter cup quality and number 3 has a slight tang, which is nice. The greek yogurt also extends your ingredients and adds protein.

I like this

Coconut Butter Cookies

Something delicious happened today. First of all, the other day I discovered coconut butter. We are not talking about coconut oil or cocoa butter. This is coconut butter. Like peanut butter. Only coconut. Anyhow, today I made some. My advice, based on my experience today and what I have read is, it's probably not worth trying to make coconut butter at home unless you have a Blendtec or a Vitamix blender. Okay, so I took about 8 ounces natural coconut shreds that I got in the bulk bin at our Smiths and put it in the Blendtec. Then I increased the speed to 10 and let it run its cycle. Then I repeated this. It turned into a smooth butter. It made a little more than 3/4 of a cup. The best part is what happened next. Coconut butter cookies. I made the "Classic Peanut Butter Cookies" from the Joy of Cooking cookbook, using an equal amount of coconut butter in the place of the peanut butter. The result is a chewy/shortbread texture and the delicious flavor of coconut. Very delicious. Here's the recipe: Coconut Butter Cookies (adapted from The Joy of Cooking) 2 1/2 c flour 1 1/4 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 1/4 c canola oil 2/3 c coconut butter 12 T softened butter 1/3 c powdered sugar 1 c brown sugar 1 egg 1 egg yolk 2 1/2 t vanilla Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In separate bowl combine remaining ingredients. Add dry ingredients to wet. Using a 1 1/2 T scoop, scoop dough onto cookie sheet lined with parchment. Make a crosshatch pattern with the tines of a fork. Bake 350 degrees for 11-15 mins.

Cocoa Powder Ganache

Today I needed to make ganache to frost a cake. I didn't feel like dragging my girls out in the winter wonderland to buy chocolate and cream so I looked up online to see if it is possible to make ganache with cocoa powder. Someone said that it's the only way she ever makes ganache so I decided to give it a try. Here is what I ended up doing and I thought that it looked like and tasted like the real thing. 9 T cocoa powder 6 T butter, room temp. 9 T sugar 1/2 C evaporated milk. Combine cocoa powder and sugar. Add butter. Boil evaporated milk. Pour over cocoa mixture. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk together. Let stand about 15 or 20 minutes to allow sugar to fully dissolve. Use. This was enough for the top of a 9 x 13 cake.

Dr. Laura

This is one of my favorite books. Does that make me weird?

ps--i don't know how you're supposed to give credit for a photo, but this one's from Amazon. Where, by the way, you can buy a copy of this book for a cent.

I like Dr. Laura's way of defending morality and family and telling it like it is. She helps people to make positive life changes to protect their family. I like to read one of her books from time to time to remind me how good I've got it and to give me an attitude check.

What are your thoughts about Dr. Laura?

Popeye's Ice Cream

Do you have a Blendtec blender? Then this is the recipe for you! Although this ice cream contains spinach, I think that if I had been blindfolded and eaten it I would have just thought it was vanilla ice cream. Oh the joyful tastelessness of baby spinach! :)
This recipe is from Blendtec. The changes I made were to use whole milk instead of half and half and sugar instead of agave. My baby loved it so much she was crying when it was gone.
Additionally, if you don't have a Blendtec I think that you could probably prepare it in a traditional ice cream maker by blending the ingredients in your blender--except for the ice. Perhaps use an additional cup of half and half or milk instead. Chill mixture for a couple of hours, then prepare in ice cream maker.
Recipe:
3/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup agave nectar syrup
2/3 c nonfat dry milk
1/2 banana
2 c spinach, lightly packed
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups ice cubes

Put in Blendtec in order listed. Press ice cream button. Serve.

I find it exhilarating that you can be serving spinach-laden ice cream in 2 minutes. What?! This would make such a fun St. Patrick's Day dessert.
Also, you can buy 10-pound bags of pebble ice at Sonic for $1.71.
Enjoy!

Finding the extraordinary in the ordinary

Here are some cute pictures of our cute little people.

In a headband with Mommy

Caught sampling the flour bin

A Sunday morning walk with the littles.

Babysitting

Playing with the button snake after getting all the felts on! (and you can see the aforementioned flour in the background before it was poured in the bucket ;)