So this week I decided to actually try recipes I've pinned on Pinterest. I have so many recipes saved (of which approximately 50000 are variations of eggs poached in tomatoes) that I figured it's time I start actually *making* them. I'm also determined to have healthy snacks around the house (with few to no grains and no dairy - these tend to be my dietary crutches). 

This week, I decided on a bit of a theme: nuts and mango, so I surveyed my food board and found a couple of recipes I could try with mostly stuff I have on hand. The recipes I chose are from a couple of my go-to ladies: Sarah Britton (from My New Roots) and Sarah Yates (from A House in the Hills). They both post healthy recipes, often without grains or dairy. I highly recommend anything they post!

So here we go. 

First up:

Sarah Britton's (of My New Roots) Life-Changing Bread

Verdict:

DELICIOUS. 

FILLING. 

EFFECTIVE (if you catch my drift)

I didn't use a silicone loaf pan (they drive me bonkers), but lined my regular baking pan with parchment paper. Instead of flipping it over mid-baking, I just pulled it out of the pan and set it on the rack, paper and all. Turned out great. I also found that keeping it in an airtight container leaves the whole situation... clammy. So I just topped the container with foil so that some air can get in, and I think it's a better storage solution.  I've been toasting and eating a slices as snacks throughout the week, and Boyfriend has even taken some up to work with great success. I sent my mom the recipe and I think she'll adore it. Cannot sing the praises of this recipe enough. I imagine that you could make it a sweet bread by adding bits of dried fruit or savory by adding garlic or tamari. A great base recipe. 

Next:

Sarah Britton's Mango Cashew Sunshine Bites

Verdict:

Delicious. 

Easy. 

I think I over-soaked the mango a bit, because it was kind of squishy, but I'm putting their container in the refrigerator, uncovered, to see if they dry out a bit. Even so, they still held together well enough. Also forgot to add the lime zest, but I didn't miss it. I'll add it next time. Oh - and I did end up adding some honey because I think I added a smidge too much salt. 

Last:

Sarah Yates' (of A House in the Hills) Mango Popcorn Balls

Verdict:

Delicious. Messy. 

I think I might have done this recipe a little bit wrong. Mine came out all kinds of soggy (but still awesome). I did have to do some substitutions (as I don't have any brown rice syrup). Instead of 3/4 cup of brown rice syrup, I did a 1/2 cup of honey + 1/4 cup of ginger syrup. That may have been why the liquids were so runny - maybe brown rice syrup is thicker. Anywho, they're very good, albeit sticky. They're crazy sweet, so they're definitely a dessert item or a snack for someone with a serious sweet tooth. 

Overall, a really good recipe week. I've tried recipes from both of these ladies before with pretty good success. I can't recommend their blogs enough - everything is fantastic! 

I'm thinking of making this a regular feature, so (maybe) keep tuned? :-)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

xo

all photos from My New Roots or A House in the Hills

Nick's Most Favoritest Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lately, I've been getting back into cooking and baking from scratch. Don't get me wrong, we've been eating at home a lot, but I've been cooking more food that amounts to meals, instead of sandwiches or more assembled dinners. 

Last night I made this from Joy the Baker and it was DELICIOUS. There was biscuit dough leftover, so while the whole shebang was baking, I cut the rest of the dough into itty bitty biscuits and baked them in the toaster oven. They were gone by the end of the night, and I was in a butter coma. (If you make the recipe, I suggest only using 2 cups stock and 8 oz more mushrooms. It was a bit runny for my liking, and the mushrooms cooked down a little too much.)

But I digress. This post is about cookies. 

Growing up, my mom only baked for other people (funerals, church functions, new babies, bridal showers, etc). The cookies we got were the somewhat burned and super crunchy cookies. Super crunchy because my mom already made her cookies crispy (GROSS). Any cookie afficionado would agree that the best cookie has a bit of chew - not super soft, not super crispy. A nice in-between texture that will hold up to dunking or being stashed in a baggie in your purse. 

These cookies have that. And they are awesome. 

I honestly don't know where I found the recipe. I think it's a hybrid of several across the interwebs. But I've made them so many times that the bookmarked page in my handwritten cookbook is ragged and stained with butter and other kitchen debris. 

They're super simple and don't require fancy ingredients or weird techniques. 

Make them now!

You'll need:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

12 tablespoons (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 cup white sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.5 cups chocolate chips, semisweet or dark

Salt of preference (I prefer a flaky salt, but Kosher will do. If you're using fancy salts, I wouldn't go any darker than pink or light grey, as the flavor of the salt may interfere and clash with the cookie's awesomeness.)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 330 degrees (a weird temperature, but run with it).

Sieve together the flour and baking soda into a medium-sized bowl. Set aside. 

In your mixer's bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Then add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined. 

Start the mixer on low to medium speed and add the flour/baking soda mixture somewhat slowly (I use a large serving spoon and just add spoonfuls one at a time). Add chocolate chips until just combined. 

(At this point, I like to cover the dough and put it in the fridge while I prep the baking sheets and clear my workspace a little. It keeps the dough firm and malleable. If your kitchen is cool, you probably don't need to do this.)

Prep your baking sheets by lining with parchment paper. 

Take a spoonful of dough and roll into a golf ball-sized ball.  Space the balls a couple of inches apart on the paper, as they will spread while baking. 

After your dough balls are on the sheets, take your salt of preference and sprinkle each ball, making sure to really get some salt on them. If you're using table salt, err on the side of caution, as a little goes a long way. (Since the dough is unsalted and the butter isn't either, this will be the only salt this recipe gets. Don't add a ton, but definitely make sure they're sprinkled well.)

Bake on the center rack for 20-23 minutes. IMPORTANT: these cookies do not brown like conventional cookies. If you're unsure whether they're done, test with a toothpick. 

When done baking, let cool a bit on the cookie sheet, then transfer to cooling racks. Keep on the counter in a loosely-lidded container. 

Yield: about 24 cookies. 

It's fall, y'all.
...well, as much as fall can be in Texas.
A few things I've been digging:butternut squashsoups & stewscrazy-long walks with audio booksthese cookiespumpkin EVERYTHINGthis craft paper



Now if the weather would only turn a bit cooler. While I appreciate the consistently 70* temperatures, I could handle something colder. For serious.

beans, beans, the magical fruit...

So N and I are huge fans of beans. HUGE. Last week, we tried a new recipe. The results were so good that we ate them every single day for lunch and dinner. Bean tacos, beans with butternut squash, beans with cheese, bean soup... we did it ALL. I just have to share the recipe.

Vegetarian Beansadapted from All Recipes
1 onion, peeled and halved3 c dry pinto beans (or 1.5 c black beans, 1.5 c pinto), rinsed1 jalapeño, seeded and minced3 teaspoons minced garlic4.5 teaspoons salt2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper1 teaspoon ground cumin9 cups water
Combine all ingredients in a crock pot.Cook on high for at least six hours, possibly eight. 
After cooking, you can either strain the liquid and mash the beans for refried beans, or keep the whole beans in the liquid for use in soups, tacos, etc.