Tag: Recipe

Homemade Baby Food: Butternut Squash

LeahLeave a comment

Baby K has had teeth since he was about three months old! Ever since he started showing signs of teething and showing an interest in food, I’ve been doing all the trial and error runs I can with making his food.

I love the convince of store bought baby food, but at the end of the day, it’s super easy to make and takes me less time than it would to get it from the store!

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What You’ll Need

  • 1 Medium sized Butternut Squash

First things first, wash and peel your butternut squash. Then you’ll dice it into cubes. Don’t worry about how big or small they are, everything is going to be puréed.

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Next, throw all of the cubed squash into a pot and cover with water. For me this came out to be about 3 cups. Bring water to a rolling boil and leave until squash is tender (about 20 minutes).

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Reserving the cooking liquid, strain the squash and put into a food processor or blender. Pulse on high or blend until the squash has a smooth consistency.

Incorporate the reserved liquid into the purée until it reaches your desired thickness.

Depending on the size of your squash and how much of the cooking liquid you add back into your purée will determine how much it makes. For me, I used 3/4 of the cooking liquid and got about 32 oz. of food.

The purée can be kept in the fridge for about 3 days or frozen for up to three months! Use any freezer safe container you’d like. I have these ice pop bags from Amazon and freeze in two oz portions!

And voila! Homemade butternut squash baby food.

XOXO,
Leah

Parmesan and Cheddar Crisps

LeahLeave a comment

Happy Monday, y’all!

After several weeks of computer issues, I think I’ve finally gotten it back up and running (fingers crossed)!

Especially in the summer, I love a good crunchy and salty snack to go with a nice cold drink! Popcorn, chips, pretzels, you name it!

With my love of cheese, my latest addiction has been really any kind of cheese crisp, but buying them can get a little on the pricey side. Enter this recipe I whipped up one night, and boom! An easy and way cheaper version of my most craved snack!

What You’ll Need

• 2 Cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• ½ Cup Shredded Mild Cheddar Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Parchment Paper

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You’ll want to preheat your oven to 350°.

Next you’re going to line your baking sheet with parchment paper. This will help your crisps not stick and make clean up that much easier!

In a bowl, mix the two shredded cheese s together until well combined.

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Now you’ll drop heaping tablespoons of the mixture onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet. They don’t spread out too much when in the oven, so I put four mounds in each row.

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Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper right after you take them out of the oven so the seasoning sticks best!

Let sit until cool to the touch and then you’re all set to enjoy your homemade Parmesan and cheddar crisps!

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While yummy on their own, there are also tons of ways to jazz them up; turkey and avocado, in place of tortilla chips for nachos, with eggs and bacon…

What’s your go to snack right now?

XOXO,
Leah

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Leah3 Comments

I have such a big sweet tooth; candy, cake, ice cream, you name it! My husband on the other hand is a little pickier when it comes to the ones he likes. While I will eat pretty much any kind of sweet, he would much rather have something that’s light and not quite so sugary sweet tasting.

Enter these cookies that he had months ago, and I knew I had to figure out how to make them for myself! After much trial and error to get the texture just right, I have a new go to cookie recipe that we both can enjoy!

What You’ll Need

• 1 Box of Lemon Cake Mix
• 1 Egg
• 1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip
• About 1/2 Cup of Powdered Sugar

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Like always, you’ll want to start by preheating your oven to 350°F and having your baking tray ready to go. I lined mine with a silicone baking mat to help prevent sticking, but parchment paper would work too!

Next you’ll combine your cake mix, egg, and Cool Whip in a bowl. Mix all of this together until it’s well combined. The mixture may seem lighter and a little fluffier than normal cookie doughs, but that’s how it’s supposed to be!

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Next you’ll take two spoons and a portion at a time, coat the dough in the powder sugar before placing on your baking tray. Once your tray is full, you’ll put them in the oven to bake for about 10 minutes! Repeat this step until all of your cookie dough has been baked.

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Allow cookies to cool on the tray for a minute or two before moving them to a wire rack to fully cool. Once all of your cookies have been baked, enjoy!

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XOXO,
Leah

Warning: In my experience, it is impossible to eat just one!

Homemade Dog Treats for Ailey

LeahLeave a comment

I’ve shared these on Instagram before, but since I’ve gotten so many messages asking for the recipe I figured I’d write it out for y’all too! This way, your pup can have yummy and homemade treats too!

Note: These are Ailey approved!

What You’ll Need

  • 1/4 Cup of Grated Carrots
  • 1 Tbs of Olive Oil
  • 2/3 Cup of Flaxseed Meal
  • 1 Cup of Mashed Sweet Potato
  • 1 tsp of Salt
  • 3 Tbs of Peanut Butter

If you’re like me, you might forget to preheat your oven from time to time… So, let’s do that first! Preheat your oven to 375°.

Next you’ll want to wash your sweet potato, pat it dry. Rub with butter, and then wrap it in tin foil. I place the wrapped potato directly on the oven rack and cook it for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how large of a potato it is, until fork tender. Once cooked through, mash and let cool.

While it’s cooling I like to get the other ingredients together, measure them out, and get my baking sheet. You can use a non-stick one or just line a regular baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.

You’ll mix all of the ingredients listed in a bowl until well combined. Next is the fun part; shapes!

Depending on how much time I have determines what shapes I put the treats in. If I’m short on time, I’ll use my Tbs measuring spoon and pack some of the treat mixture into it so it forms a dome like shape. If I have more time to spare I’ll form them into hearts! It’s really up to you. You could even use a small cookie cutter if you have one on hand.

Once the treats are all shaped and on the baking sheet, I place it in the oven for about fifteen minutes, flipping halfway through! This leaves them with a slight crunch on the outside, but still soft in the center. If you want them more biscuit like, bake until the treats reach the desired texture!

Let cool before giving to your pup, and there you have it; healthy and easy to make treats that won’t break the bank!

If you make these treats for yourself, tag me in your pictures on Instagram! I’d love to see them!

XOXO,
Leah

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The Perfect Apple Cider

LeahLeave a comment

I have been getting SO many requests for my homemade apple cider recipe since I shared it over on Instagram! Ask and you shall receive! Today, I’m giving you all the details to make it yourself all year round without all of the preservatives that the grocery store versions have!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

First you’ll need 8 Honeycrisp apples, about medium to large in size. You can use different kinds of apples if you’d like, but these are the kind my husband I and prefer.

For spices you’ll need 1 tablespoon of ground Allspice (about 45 berries) 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon (about 7 sticks 2 ¾ inches long), ¾ cup of white sugar, and a pinch of salt.

You’ll need a stock pot to combine and boil all of this in and a lid that fits it. The one I used is 6 quarts, but a bigger one works too!

You’re going to need about 12 cups of water.

For the end, you’re going to need a fine mesh strainer and a second bowl.

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What to do:

Slice your apples into quarters and add them to your stock pot, reserving one for later.

Add your cinnamon, Allspice, and sugar to the pot. Then cover it all with about 10 cups of your water. Reserve 2 cups for later on.

Bring it all to a boil and keep it boiling for about 1 hour. You’ll want to leave it uncovered!

Remember that apple and 2 cups of water I had you reserve at the beginning? This is where you add them to you stock pot!

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Let it simmer for about an hour and a half to two hours.

Remove from heat and let the contents of your stock pot cool before this next step. Trust me, I found out the hard way!

Once cooled enough to handle, you’ll strain the apples from your cider in batches. This takes a little time, but is so worth it in the end! I strain it over the second bowl to catch all of the cider.

Once your cider is strained to your liking, return it to the stock pot, add a pinch of salt, and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

And there you have it, fresh, homemade apple cider!

Enjoy,
XOXO

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