From the Kitchen: Homemade Elderberry Syrup and Elderberry Gummy Bears

Is it just me, or is the flu worse this year than normal?!  With 2 family members with asthma and an infant in the house, I am super paranoid this year!  Any of the 3 of them are likely to end up hospitalized if they catch the flu due to their health conditions.  We are being extra careful this flu season, which has meant making a few changes (in addition to getting our flu shots): we remove our shoes at the door to avoid tracking germs across the floor; we all wash our hands immediately when returning home from being outside or in public, and we are staying home as much as physically possible to minimize our exposure.  This means no playgrounds or indoor play areas; switching off which of us goes to church to keep the kids out of childcare; and eating at home as much as possible to avoid public places.  

I recently learned about elderberry syrup and its natural immunity-boosting properties.  I am not normally one for "natural" remedies but, like I said, I am desperate to keep my family flu-free, so I figured it can't hurt anything.  You can buy elderberry syrup pre-made (Nature's Way and Gaia Herbs are two popular brands), but it is easy and less expensive to make at home - and you can control the quality of the ingredients by using all organic.

I'm not taking the elderberry syrup since I'm breastfeeding (there isn't any known contraindication, but there also aren't studies proving it's safe, so I'm abstaining), and baby M can't have any since she's under 1 and it contains honey...but hubs and C are going to take a daily dose for the remainder of flu season.  

Lots of people take it in syrup form, but that seemed potentially messy with a 3-year-old (it's dark purple); when I found out how easy it was to make gummy bears out of it, that seemed like the obvious method for us - I knew C would jump at the chance to have a piece of "candy" daily!

You probably won't be able to find some of the ingredients (especially dried elderberries) locally, but luckily they are sold online!

Elderberry Syrup

Yield: 2 cups (approximately 32 1-tablespoon adult doses or 96 1-teaspoon children's doses; makes a one-month supply for one adult; you may wish to double or triple this recipe if making for a family)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup dried organic elderberries (Frontier is a well-known brand)

1 organic cinnamon stick

2 teaspoons organic dried ginger root

4 whole organic cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground organic cloves

2 cups water

1 cup raw organic honey

Put the dried elderberries, spices, and 2 cups of water in a small saucepan (uncovered) and bring to a boil.  Cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the liquid reduces by half.  Remove from heat and allow to cool until warm.  Use a strainer to remove the berries and cinnamon stick while pouring the liquid into a glass jar.  Stir in 1 cup of honey.  

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container (it should last 6-8 weeks).

Dosing:

For maintenance/preventative: adults - 1 tablespoon daily; children: 1 teaspoon daily

During illness: increase frequency to every 2-3 hours (using same doses as above)

Note: should not be given to children under 1 year, as it contains honey.  No studies exist on the effects on breastfeeding or pregnant women, so they should refrain from use as well.

If your kids don't like taking it straight (from a spoon or medicine cup), try mixing it into applesauce!  Or if you want to take the foolproof approach like me, make it into gummy bears :)

Elderberry Gummy Bears

Yield: 105 approx 1" gummy bears

Ingredients:

2 cups elderberry syrup (see recipe above)

3 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin

Oil spray (coconut, vegetable, etc.) - for greasing molds

Silicone gummy bear molds (these are slightly larger than other gummy bear molds)

Warm 2 cups of elderberry syrup (the whole recipe prepared per above) in a small saucepan, being careful not to boil.  Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the syrup, allowing it to fully soak (will no longer appear white).  Use a whisk to stir in the gelatin until smooth.  

Spray the gummy bear molds lightly with an oil spray to prevent sticking (I did not do this the first time and mine stuck to the molds!) and place on a cookie sheet or other hard surface to allow for easy transport after molds are filled.  Use a dropper to fill each gummy bear mold with the gelatin syrup mixture, placing in the refrigerator for 2 hours to set.  

Gently remove each gummy bear from the molds and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Dosing:

For maintenance/preventative: adults - 3 gummy bears daily; children: 1 gummy bear daily

During illness: increase frequency to every 2-3 hours (using same doses as above)

From the Kitchen: Pioneer Woman Baked Ziti

It is hard to go wrong with a Pioneer Woman recipe!  We had several friends over for dinner recently; since it was a Friday night, I needed something I could prep in advance since I didn't want my kitchen to be a disaster from trying to cook something on Friday after work.  This was perfect - I prepped it on Thursday night, refrigerated it overnight, and popped it in the oven when I got home from work on Friday.  My house smelled delicious but my kitchen stayed clean!  This recipe makes a TON (we had 6 adults and ate less than half of it!); I froze the other half (unbaked) and used it for a quick weeknight dinner a few weeks later.

Pioneer Woman Baked Ziti

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Servings: 12 (this recipe made a large Corningware casserole and an 8x8" Pyrex for me)

Ingredients:

1 16-oz box ziti pasta

1 lb ground Italian sausage

1 lb ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, diced

1 28-oz can whole tomatoes in juice

2 14.5-oz cans tomato sauce

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 15-oz container ricotta cheese

1 16-oz block mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

Directions:

In a large pot of salted water, boil the ziti noodles according to package directions until just shy of al dente (otherwise they'll be mushy after baking the ziti).  Rinse it under cold water (I add ice cubes) to cool it down and stop the cooking process.  Set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, saute the ground Italian sausage, ground beef, minced garlic, and diced onion until the meat is well browned.  Drain excess fat.  Add the canned whole tomatoes, tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.  Salt and pepper to taste, stir well, and let simmer for 25-30 minutes.  Set aside 3-4 cups of sauce in a separate bowl to cool.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, 2 cups of grated mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, and egg.  Add the cooled, cooked ziti and the cooled meat sauce that was previously set aside and stir to combine.

In a greased casserole (e.g., Corningware) or glass (e.g., Pyrex) dish, add half of the pasta mixture.  Top with half of the remaining sauce and half of the remaining grated mozzarella.  Repeat with another layer of the pasta mixture, the rest of the sauce, and the rest of the grated mozzarella.

Bake at 375 degrees approximately 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.  Allow to sit 5 minutes before serving.

Click here to see my other Pioneer Woman recipes!

From the Kitchen: Maldon Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

My sister-in-law made these cookies for a girls' night - they are SO good!  I am a sucker for the sweet/salty combo.  The Maldon sea salt is what completely makes these cookies - I bought it on Amazon, but they also sell it at Central Market locally.  They're huge, crunchy flakes (as opposed to crystals) of salt - they give a perfect salty crunch to these cookies!

These cookies are made using frozen dough; the recipe below yields a large batch (40 cookies), so the dough is perfect to make in advance and pull out of the freezer for homemade cookies in minutes!  I freeze the dough on a cookie sheet and, once frozen, transfer the dough to a freezer Ziploc bag.

Maldon Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from Draper James
Yield: 40 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup butter (two sticks), room temperature

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

Maldon sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

Place the oatmeal in a blender or food processor (I used a Magic Bullet) and blend until it's a fine powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the 2 sticks of butter, brown sugar, and sugar, and mix on medium speed until fluffy.  Add the vanilla extract and 2 eggs, and mix until well combined.  Add the dry ingredients (oatmeal powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon), and mix until just combined (do not overmix).  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a cookie scoop (I use this one), drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet.  Place in the freezer for at least 1 hour (the cookies are baked using frozen dough).

To bake, preheat the oven to 350.  Place frozen cookie dough on a greased or parchment-paper lined cookie sheet, sprinkle with Maldon sea salt, and bake for 12 minutes.  The cookies should be lightly browned on the edges but soft in the middle.

From the Kitchen: Pioneer Woman "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever"

It's hard to go wrong with a Pioneer Woman recipe - they are all SO good (probably because they're so unhealthy, but I try not to think about that).  I needed a dessert for last weekend when we had some of B's high school friends over for dinner; however, I was helping a friend out by watching her 3-year-old son while she went to a funeral that day, so I needed something I could make a day in advance.  This was my first time trying this Pioneer Woman cake, and it was delicious - and tasted great even though it was made a day ahead of time!

All of the Pioneer Woman's recipes are scaled to feed a small army; this is a halved version of her recipe so that it makes one 9x13" Pyrex-sized cake.  (Her original recipe makes a whopping 18x13" sheet cake that "feeds 24".)

Pioneer Woman's "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever"

Serves: 12 (makes one 9x13" Pyrex cake)

Ingredients:
Cake:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 heaping tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (you can use regular milk + 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar instead)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
• 7 tablespoons butter (7/8 stick)
• 2 heaping tablespoons baking cocoa
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use cooking spray to grease a 9x13" glass Pyrex baking dish.

In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter.  While the butter is melting, measure 1 cup flour and 1 cup granulated sugar into a mixing bowl.  Add 2 heaping tablespoons of baking cocoa to the melted butter in the saucepan.  Stir, then add 1/2 cup boiling water.  Allow the mixture to bubble for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and pour into the mixing bowl over the flour and sugar, and stir to mix.

In a measuring cup, pour 1/4 cup buttermilk.  Add 1 egg and beat with a fork.  Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and stir to mix.

Pour the milk/egg mixture into the mixing bowl and stir.  Pour into the greased 9x13" baking dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

While the cake bakes, melt 7 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.  While the butter melts, finely chop 1/4 cup of pecans.  (If you don't like nuts, you can just omit.)  Add 2 heaping tablespoons of baking cocoa to the melted butter in the saucepan.  Stir, and allow the mixture to bubble for 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and add 3 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.  Stir, then add 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar.  Whisk the icing until no powdered sugar clumps remain.  Stir in the chopped pecans.

Pour the icing over the warm cake, spreading evenly.  Allow to cool slightly before serving (or, if you're like me, make it a day ahead of time and warm in the oven.)  This cake is great served with vanilla ice cream!

Click here to see my other Pioneer Woman recipes!

From the Kitchen: Homemade Acai Smoothie Bowl Recipe

I am super late to the acai bowl game - having had my first one at a local restaurant this weekend - but now they're all I can think about!  B had never even heard of acai bowls, which are basically a thick smoothie in a bowl, with toppings, eaten with a spoon.  Even though they're a glorified smoothie, something about eating it with a spoon instead of drinking it through a straw (as well as the fact that the toppings require chewing) makes it much more satisfying and filling.  I love that they're full of healthy ingredients, too!  I made my own homemade version for breakfast on Sunday, and they were just as good as the restaurant version - even my 3-year-old happily devoured 3 servings of "purple ice cream!"

You will need a strong blender for this recipe - I have a Vitamix, which is totally worth the hefty price tag for the use we get out of it making margaritas, homemade baby food purees, hummus, soups, and now, acai bowls :)  Look for a certified refurbished or open box Vitamix on Amazon to save some money!

Homemade Acai Smoothie Bowls

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1 3.5-oz packet frozen unsweetened acai puree (this comes in a 4-pack for $4.49 at Trader Joe's in the frozen fruit section.  You can also find it at Whole Foods or online from Amazon, shipped in dry ice)
1 banana, cut into chunks and frozen (can also use a non-frozen banana, but the end result won't be quite as thick)
5-6 frozen strawberries 
1/2 cup milk of your choice (you can use cashew or almond milk for a vegan alternative; I used regular milk because that's what we had)
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter (I use Laura Scudder's peanut butter, which has no added sugar)

Toppings:
Granola (I used Trader Joe's Pecan Praline Granola)
Shredded coconut (I used Trader Joe's sweetened shredded coconut)
Chopped fruit (strawberries, bananas, mango, blueberries, etc.)
Chia seeds (I was out but these would be good sprinkled on top!)

Run the frozen acai puree packet under hot water for 15-30 seconds to thaw it enough to break into large chunks.  Put the first 5 ingredients (acai puree, banana, strawberries, milk, and peanut butter) in a strong blender and blend on high until smooth.  The texture should be thicker than a smoothie, but thinner than ice cream - add more milk if necessary to achieve the appropriate texture.  Pour into a bowl and add your choice of toppings.

Interested in more breakfast recipes? Check them out here!

From the Kitchen: Easy Quiche

This easy quiche is one of my go-tos for an easy breakfast, lunch, or dinner; I frequently bring it to new moms when I'm delivering dinner as a bonus breakfast item (since I thought breakfast was the hardest meal to pull off after C was born).  It's nothing special since hardly any part of it is homemade - but it takes less than 10 minutes to assemble and pop in the oven, and less than an hour later, you have a finished quiche on your hands!

The recipe is super flexible in that you can use whatever cheese, meat, and/or vegetables you prefer (or, if you're like me, have on hand and need to get rid of).  It is a great way to use up leftovers, especially since eggs and milk are almost always on hand!  Except for the eggs and milk, the specifics and the quantity of the other ingredients (cheese, meat, vegetables) is flexible!  My go-to is to use frozen chopped spinach, which I microwave to thaw it and then squeeze out the extra water, along with turkey breakfast sausage.  When in a pinch, I use the Jimmy Dean precooked turkey sausage crumbles, which you can find with the packaged lunch meat and hot dogs at the grocery store.

I use frozen deep-dish pie crusts if I'm taking the quiche to someone else, just for the convenience of the disposable pie pan that they come in; if I'm making it for my own family, I usually use a refrigerated pie crust in a deep dish pie plate.  I find that regular-depth pie plates come too close to overflowing!

Easy Quiche

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pie crust (frozen deep-dish pie crust or refrigerated pie crust)
3/4 cup (more or less) grated cheese (my go-to is cheddar, but anything works!)
(optional) 1 cup (more or less) chopped meat (e.g., ham, bacon, breakfast sausage)
(optional) 1/2 cup (more or less) chopped vegetables (e.g., spinach, mushrooms, bell pepper, green onion; thaw and drain excess water if using frozen)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

If using a refrigerated pie crust, press into the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.  If using a frozen deep dish pie crust, no need to thaw.  Evenly spread the chopped meat and/or vegetables around the bottom of the pie crust.  Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the meat and/or vegetables.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs, milk, and salt and pepper until well blended; pour into the pie crust on top of the meat, vegetables, and cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until no longer liquid in the center (it will still appear slightly jiggly but should be firm when pressed).  Let cool at least 5 minutes before cutting into 6-8 slices.

From the Kitchen: Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers

These are one of my go-to meals for friends with new babies, particularly if they ask for 'healthy' meals or are gluten-free.  They can be delivered unbaked and will last in the fridge for a couple of days until they are ready to bake and eat them!

Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Yield: 12 pepper halves (serves 6-10)

Ingredients:

6 bell peppers
1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cups cooked brown rice, cooled (I use Trader Joe's frozen brown rice because I hate cooking rice!)
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies OR fire-roasted tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic salt, divided

Directions:

Wash, remove stems, seeds, and membranes, and halve the bell peppers.   Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Boil the bell pepper halves in batches (I can fit 6 at a time) for 3 minutes, then remove with tongs and drain in a colander.

In a large nonstick skillet, brown the ground beef or turkey and the chopped onion.  When the meat is nearly cooked through, add the chili powder, cumin, and 1 teaspoon garlic salt.  Drain the grease, then set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, gently mix together the black beans, corn, brown rice (make sure it is cool!), diced or fire roasted tomatoes, 1 cup of cheddar cheese, and 1 teaspoon of garlic salt.  When the ground beef/turkey and onion is cool, add it to the bowl and mix it in.  

Spoon the filling into the bell pepper halves, mounding the tops.  Place the peppers in a greased Pyrex baking dish (I can fit 8 halves in a 9x13" Pyrex).  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese on top of the peppers (if desired).  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the peppers are heated through.

From the Kitchen: Homemade Salsa (Vitamix!)

I am embarrassed to admit how many "meals" Blair and I have made out of tortilla chips and homemade salsa in the last week.  Fresh salsa is just SO good, and screams summer time to me!  The recipe below makes a ton, so you can share it with neighbors and take it to pool parties to become the most popular person around :)  

Homemade Salsa

Yield: a LOT....approximately 8 cups

Ingredients:

1 white onion, quartered
2 red bell peppers, stem and seeds removed
2 jalapeno peppers, stem removed (for medium spicy; less if you want a milder salsa)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 bunch cilantro
8 large tomatoes, quartered (I think the on-the-vine variety give the best flavor)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Note: I used my Vitamix blender to make this salsa, which powerful enough to blend the ingredients without me chopping them first, and large enough to blend the salsa in one batch.  If you use a regular blender, or a food processor, you may have to pre-chop and/or process in batches and mix together at the end in a large mixing bowl.  The directions below are for the Vitamix.

Directions:

Place, in this order, the quartered onion, 2 bell peppers, 2 jalapenos, 6 cloves garlic, 1/2 bunch cilantro, and 4 quartered tomatoes, into the blender.  Add the spices and lime juice. Blend at a speed of variable 5, using the tamper to press down on the ingredients, until everything is well blended.  

Add the remaining 4 quartered tomatoes and blend at a speed of variable 3 until the salsa is blended but still chunky (don't go overboard or your salsa will be totally liquid).  

Store refrigerated in mason jars or other airtight containers.  Eat within a week or 2 - unless you properly can it, it won't last as long as store bought salsas due to the lack of preservatives!

From the Kitchen: Coconut Oil Popcorn

My friend Leslie introduced me to this recipe (if you can call it that) for making popcorn.  I LOVE popcorn but I'm not a big fan of the microwaved-bag variety...and previously the air-popped popcorn that I had made was dry and flavorless.  This coconut oil popcorn is delicious, easy, and health(ish)...coconut oil is better than using butter, right??  Don't worry, it does NOT taste like coconut (my husband is addicted to this popcorn and he despises coconut).  It tastes buttery, salty, and delicious!  We may or may not eat this popcorn, along with apples and cheese, for dinner....like once a week.

First of all, you need to introduce these things to your life:

Coconut Oil Popcorn

Ingredients:

1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1 tablespoon coconut oil (I use Trader Joe's)
Coconut oil cooking spray (I use Trader Joe's. Most grocery stores also carry the PAM brand)
Popcorn salt (I use Morton's.  You can also use regular salt - I like the ultrafine popcorn salt because it sticks well!)

Directions:

Put 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large glass bowl (mine is a Pyrex bowl).  Heat it in the microwave until the oil is melted, 30-60 seconds.  Add 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels to the coconut oil and swirl to coat the kernels.  Place in the microwave and cover with a vented lid or plate (This is important! You will have a giant mess in your microwave if you don't cover the bowl!)  Cook for approximately 3 minutes and 15 seconds (your microwave may require more or less time than mine....listen for the popping to slow down considerably).

Remove from the microwave using oven mitts (the bowl will be crazy hot).  Spray the popcorn with the coconut oil spray and immediately sprinkle with (a lot of) popcorn salt.  Cover the bowl and toss to coat, repeating as necessary for the desired amount of salt.

From the Kitchen: Pioneer Woman French Toast Casserole

This post combines two of my favorites - the Pioneer Woman and brunch!  I've made this French toast casserole for brunch many times, including last weekend when we had our neighbors over.  It's great for groups because it's easy to make in large quantities, and even better because it can be prepped in advance and assembled and baked in the morning.  The streusel crumb topping is cinnamon-y and crunchy, the French toast is soft and thick....topped with syrup and served with fruit (and maybe a mimosa...), this recipe is everything I love about brunch.  Definitely a crowd pleaser!

French Toast Casserole

Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Yield: 10-12 servings
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 loaf thick, chewy bread*
8 eggs
2 1/4 cups milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed.

*French, ciabatta, or sourdough bread are good options.  You canNOT use normal sandwich bread for this - the texture won't be right.  When I have leftover French bread that is just going to go stale (or even if it's already stale - it doesn't matter), I'll tear it into bite-size chunks and put it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer to save for this recipe!  Or, if you spot a loaf of day-old French bread on Manager's Special at the grocery store, it's perfect for this!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13" Pyrex dish with cooking spray.  Tear the loaf of bread into bite-size chunks and spread evenly in the pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla.  Pour evenly over the bread, ensuring that all of the bread chunks are wet (press lightly with your hands to soak up the egg mixture if necessary).

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cold cubed butter using a pastry cutter until the butter crumbly - the size of peas.  Spread the topping over the top of the bread mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove from the oven and serve with syrup or powdered sugar.

To prepare in advance:

Tear the bread into chunks and place in the greased Pyrex dish; cover.  Make the egg mixture and store in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator.  Make the crumb topping and store in a Ziploc bag or Tupperware container in the refrigerator.  When you are ready to make the casserole, simply pour the egg mixture over the bread, then top with the crumb topping, and pop it in the oven!

Click here to see my other Pioneer Woman recipes!