Potato Chips

 Chips

• 2 russet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. For best results, use light-colored pans.
2. Use a mandolin to slice the potatoes into thin rounds, slightly thinner than ⅛-inch. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can use a sharp knife, though it will take a little more time and effort.
3. Rinse the potato slices in cold water, agitating them with your hands to remove the surface starch. This step is crucial for getting the chips crisp.
4. Soak the potato slices in water for 15-30 minutes, then drain thoroughly. Pat the potatoes dry with a kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture, ensuring a crisp result.
5. Return the dry potato slices to the bowl. Add olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss the potatoes with your hands until they are evenly coated with the seasoning.
6. Arrange the seasoned potato slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, making sure they do not overlap.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping the chips halfway through. Bake until golden and crispy.
8. Let the chips cool slightly before serving.

Salads

 Taco Salad

We like taco salad but for two of us its to much at one time. The chips get soggy the next day and even though its good its not as good as day 1.

When I make chili as an example I take a bit of the browned hamburger and put it aside. The next day I literally throw a taco salad together. It  makes just enough for two. I also add more veggies. 

Just throw it together. The browned hamburger, cheese, onion, lettuce and I use romaine, chips crushed, taco seasoning and I don't use Dorito's. Throw in anything you like stir it and add more if needed. Top off with French dressing or what ever you want. I also make my own dressing. 

Honey French Dressing:        
                                                             
1/2 cup Organic Ketchup
1 cup Organic Olive Oil  (I use grape seed oil)
1/4 cup Organic Apple Cider Vinegar                  
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Organic Onion (coarsely chopped) (I use powder)
1 tsp Sea Salt (I use Himalaya salt)
1/4 tsp Organic Ground Black Pepper (Don't use)
1 small clove of Garlic (I  use powdered)
Combine everything in your blender and blend until smooth! Will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge, enjoy!

Creamy Cucumber Salad Ingredients:

4 large Cucumbers
1 medium Sweet Onion
1 cup Mayonnaise
 ½ cup White Sugar
¼ cup White Vinegar
 Salt and Pepper to taste

CREAMY CUCUMBERS 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 English cucumbers
• ½ cup Sliced red onions
• ¾ cup Sour cream
• 1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped fresh dill
• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• Pepper to taste
• salt to taste

Chocolate Candy

Homemade chocolate chips 

1/2 cup of cocoa powder - 1/2 cup coconut oil - 1/4 cup maple syrup - Heat together - dump - firm - cut

Peanut butter cups

Line a cupcake pan with liners

Add a bit of melted chocolate then 

Add peanut butter then more chocolate 

Then freeze and eat. 

Mounds bars can be made the same way. Mix coconut with sweetened condensed milk. Then add chocolate then coconut mix then more chocolate then freeze. 

Jello & Pudding, Apple Sauce & Ice Cream

 Chocolate Pudding

1/4 cup  unsweetened cocoa - 1/2 cup sugar - 1 teaspoon vanilla - 2 cups milk - 3 Tablespoons corn starch or arrowroot .  Cook til thickened. 

Homemade jello

Ingredients 

3 cups fruit juice (I use organic cherry, apple or and grape)

1/4 cup cold or room temp water

1/4 cup hot water - not quite boiling 

1.5 tablespoons gelatin from grass fed cows - Amazon

Optional honey - didn’t use 

Directions

Add the gelatin to the cold water and stir until the texture is smooth and consistent. Add the hot water and stir again (this will thin the mixture back to a water-like consistency). Add this gelatin mixture to the fruit juice (sweetened if you so choose) and stir some more.

Then pour your jello mixture into a large bowl, and place it in the fridge to set for at least 2-3 hours (or you can pop it in the freezer if you’re impatient!). Add fruit if you want. Make jello chiffon by waiting till it’s partially set and mixing in whip cream. 

Last but not least, enjoy!

Simple vanilla ice cream

1 & 1/2 cups milk

1 & 1/8 sugar - I used just under a cup

3 cups heavy cream

1 & 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract 

Mix - pour in - 20-25 minutes

Simple chocolate ice cream 

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 cup sugar 

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 

1 & 1/2 cups milk

3 & 1/4 cups heavy cream

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract 

 Combine cocoa powder and sugars. Stir. Add whole milk and use a hand mixer on low to combine. Stir in cream and vanilla. 25-30 minutes. 

Chocolate mint ice cream

1 & 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup chocolate syrup

3 Tablespoons sugar

3 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon peppermint 

1 cup mint morsels or Andes mint chips or peppermint candies

Mix with hand mixer milk, chocolate syrup and sugar. Stir in cream and peppermint. 20-25 minutes. 5 minutes before done add Andes or whatever you choose. 

Ice milk 

4 cups of milk

1 Cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla 

20-25 minutes 

Mason Jar Ice Cream - Good

1 cup heavy whip cream

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

Shake - Freeze - Enjoy

I shake it then put in a small container to freeze. Depending on how big your mason jar is you need to be able to get the ice cream out of the jar.

Apple Sauce

Ingredients 

• ▢ 2 ½ pounds apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces or thin rings (use your favorite variety; I used Granny Smith but Gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Red Delicious, etc. are ok; the more ripe they are the sweeter they are so you may be able to reduce the added sugar)
• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ ¼ cup granulated sugar; or as desired
• ▢ ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed; or as desired
• ▢ 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• ▢ 1 cinnamon stick
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt, or as desired
• 
  

To a large stockpot add all the ingredients, cover, bring to a boil, and simmer the mixture over medium to medium-low for about 30 minutes, or until the apples are very tender. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning. At the end, make sure to taste and if you want it a bit sweeter, add more sugar. You can also add more cinnamon or any of the spices listed below.

Pecan Pie/Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

Mix 2 eggs slightly beaten and 1 1/2 cups pumpkin
Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar (I use my homemade and don't pack it)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (I don't use that much)
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves (I don't use them don't like them)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Blend into pumpkin mixture. Stir in 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk ( I just use my regular whole milk)

Pour into your favorite pie crust

Bake at 425 degree's for 15 minutes, then 350 for 40 minutes. Mine always takes longer to bake. Maybe because I use regular milk. Not sure.

Make your own brown sugar: 1 cup granulated sugar and 1 Tablespoon molasses equals brown sugar

Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups flour  - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1 stick of butter cold  - 4-5 Tablespoons ice water

Butter pie pan. Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter. Add ice water to form dough. Roll out on floured surface.

If prebaking bake at 425 degree's for about 8 minutes. Otherwise fill and bake.

I roll my crust thin so this recipe makes 2 pie crust's. Also I normally use more ice water then what it calls for.

I saw a cute idea where instead of using a top pie crust you can cut shapes to put across the top of pie. I saw one using stars. At Christmas you could use cut outs.

Maple Pecan Pie 

Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups flour  - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1 stick of butter cold  - 4-5 Tablespoons ice water

Butter pie pan. Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter. Add ice water to form dough. Roll out on floured surface. Place in pie pan. 

I roll my crust thin so this recipe makes 2 pie crust's. Also I normally use more ice water than what it calls for.

FILLING

5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 SFilling

• 2 and 1/2 cups (250g) shelled pecans (pecan halves)
• 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon (8g) all-purpose flour*
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (240ml) pure maple syrup
• Whip cream when serving.

Instructions

1. The filling: Carefully spread pecans evenly inside pie crust. Set aside. Whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and flour together in a large bowl until combined and thick. Whisk in the vanilla extract, salt, eggs, and pure maple syrup until combined. Pour evenly over pecans.
2. Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. The pie filling will set as it cools.
3. Don’t forget you can use maple syrup in place of corn syrup with all recipes. And thanks to our Children Jodi and Andrew we will never run out. They make it every year. Of course all glory to God for providing the tree’s.

Hamburger Gravy/Meat balls or loaf

 Hamburger Gravy

1 pound ground beef - 1 tsp salt - 1 tsp pepper - 1/2 tsp garlic salt - 1 tsp minced onion - 4 Tbsp butter               1/4 cup flour - 2 cups milk 

Always prepare whatever your putting gravy over first. If you cook the gravy to long while waiting for your side to be done it gets to thick.

In a skillet, over medium high heat, season ground beef with salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion and cook until meat is done. 

Add butter and melt. Sprinkle flour over the top of beef and stir. Cook flour 1 to 2 minutes. 

Slowly pour in milk and whisk or stir to incorporate into the flour beef. Stir occasionally let it cook until it thickens. About 5 minutes or so. 

Serve immediately over mashed potatoes, toast, noodles or rice. It is good.

Meat loaf or Meat balls

1 pound ground beef, 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs, 1/3 cup milk, 1/4 cup onion diced, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, one egg, 1/4 cup parsley chopped, 1/4 cup Parmesan shredded, salt and pepper to taste. Mix and bake. I do 375 but it says you can do 400 18 to 20 minutes.

Meatloaf - very good too

2 1/2 pounds hamburger/venision

1 1/4 cups plain bread crumbs

1 egg

Ketchup - mustard - barbecue sauce 

My seasoning 

Real onion chopped

Drizzle with avocado oil 

Kombuca

3 qts distilled water - 12 cups. Boil. Then add 1 cup sugar (Should be cheap sugar not organic) and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from burner add 4 bags black tea and steep for 10 minutes then remove and stir. Marylin told me to use more tea bags. 

Cool tea for at least 45 minutes. Then pour into a gallon jar. Cool for another 2 hours. You want it room temperature before you add the scobby. After 2 hours check it. Sometimes I let mine go a bit longer.

After its room temperature in the gallon jar add almost a cup of liquid from the scobby container and place the scobby dark side down in the jar. Cover with a coffer filter and use a rubber band to keep it on. Sit on counter out of sunlight. Let sir 7-10 days.

Make your own scooby

1 cup raw and unpasteurized store bought kombucha. 

1/3 cup sugar

1 qt water

4 tea bags

Make a tea batch with these measurements. Let sit 10 days untouched in warm place. 

Cooking Substitute

You can substitute mayo in your cake for the eggs and oil. 

Example if your just substituting the oil 1/2 of mayo = 1/2 of oil

Also substitute mayo for eggs. 1/4 cup for each egg. 

Self-rising flour is made by adding 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup all purpose flour.

I use healthy oils for baking. I also replace oil for butter. If you want though you can substitute oil by using: applesauce, fruit puree or yogurt. I have used applesauce. If you make brownies and add applesauce instead of oil your kids might complain, mine did.

If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own by adding 1 Tablespoon of either fresh lemon juice or vinegar to a cup of milk. I have made it using the vinegar.

Out of eggs? Use any of these substitutes in place of 1 egg: 1/4 cup applesauce or 1/4 cup vegetable oil or 1/4 cup mashed banana.

Cut a recipe in half: 

3/4 cup is 6 Tablespoons - 2/3 cup is 1/3 cup - 1/2 cup is 1/4 cup - 1/3 cup is 2 teaspoons plus 2 Tablespoons - 1/4 cup is 2 Tablespoons - 1 Tablespoon is 1 1/2 teaspoons - 1 teaspoon is 1/2 teaspoon - 1/2 teaspoon is 1/4 teaspoon. 

Heavy Cream Substitute 

If you need heavy cream for a recipe, make your own by combining 2/3 cup whole milk with 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter. This will give you 1 cup of heavy cream. (I normally don't use unsalted butter and recipes that call for it I just use salted butter.)

Maple syrup instead of corn syrup.

  

Carrot Cake - White Cake - Chocolate Cake & Frosting

My husband’s favorites 

Old Fashion Carrot Cake

Ingredients

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups sugar (I used less then 2 cups and used half white half coconut sugar. Next time will try all coconut).

1 cup canola oil (I don’t use junk oils. I used almond oil or avocado).

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 to 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups grated carrots

FROSTING:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

2 to 3 tablespoons milk

1 cup chopped walnuts, optional 

Optional: Orange and green food coloring

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sugar and oil. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; beat into egg mixture. Stir in carrots.

2. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. I use an oblong cake pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3. For frosting, in another large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting for decorating if desired. If desired, stir walnuts into remaining frosting. 

4. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. If decorating the cake, tint 1/4 cup reserved frosting orange and 1/4 cup green. Cut a small hole in the corner of pastry or plastic bag; insert #7 round pastry tip. Fill the bag with orange frosting. Pipe 16 carrots on top of cake, so each piece will have a carrot. Using #67 leaf pastry tip and the green frosting, pipe a leaf at the top of each carrot. 

5. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Cake

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I use coconut sugar)
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon salt (I don't use that much)
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla (I don't use)
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda AND powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil (right now I have always used avocado oil but sometime I will try almond oil)

Oven to 350 degree's. Grease and flour two nine inch or one oblong pan.
Mix all the ingredients together. Now add 1 cup boiling water. Pour into prepared pan or pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

You can substitute mayo in your cake for the eggs and oil. 

Example if your just substituting the oil 1/2 of mayo = 1/2 of oil

Also substitute mayo for eggs. 1/4 cup for each egg. 

Frosting

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

2 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar
6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tablespoons butter softened
5 Tablespoons evaporated (I use regular milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream butter then add the rest of ingredients. Frost and enjoy. 

Butter Frosting

1/3 cup butter softened
4 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat the butter until fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the sugar. Beat well. Slowly beat in the milk, vanilla and remaining sugar. Beat well. Frost and eat.

White Cake 9 by 13

Cake Mix (Dry Ingredients)

• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour 
• 1 ½ cups (300g) organic cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp fine sea salt

To Make The Cake

• 2 large eggs
• ½ cup (120ml) melted butter or avocado oil
• 1 cup (240ml) milk or milk alternative
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup (120g) sour cream or plain yogurt

Half the cake recipe 

1 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 egg

1/4 cup melted butter or avocado oil

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 sour cream or plain yogurt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk together dry ingredients and store in a sealed jar or bag for up to 3 months (or freeze for longer).

To Make The Cake

1. Mix all the wet ingredients in the dry until just combined.
2. Bake at 350°F for:
3. 9x13 pan: 35–40 mins
4. Two 8-inch rounds: 30–35 mins
5. Cupcakes: 18–22 mins
6. Bundt: 45–55 mins

Please note that the nutritional values provided are estimates based on standard ingredients and calculations. Actual nutrients may vary depending on specific brands and measurement variations used in preparation.