One thing which we really enjoy eating (and cooking!) are stir fries.  Not only are they delicious, but they can be as varied as the vegetables you have in your veggie drawer and can be quite healthy actually!

 As soon as I saw this recipe over on my friend Pam's blog (On The Bright Side) I knew I wanted to try it.    We like baked beans and we like hot dogs.  I like simple.  This recipe ticked all the boxes!

We don't eat red meat very often, but every now and again Todd really likes me to cook him a pork chop.  Today was the day and I cooked him one of his favourites, Cheesy Baked Chops.  This is a great little recipe.  Simple and easy and built just for two, although certainly it is very easy to multiply it to feed more.

I am really enjoying my overnight oats!   I loved the peanut butter and banana ones and the other day I tried Raspberry Bakewell Oats, with some of the berries from our garden!  Delicious!

One of the young Elders we have here at the moment (male missionary) is a Coeliac.   He's from Sweden and I don't think he has long left on his mission.  We had them for tea last weekend and I baked him a special Gluten Free Almond, Coconut and Vanilla Cake for dessert. 

 























 I don't know about you, but I use Olive oil all the time in my kitchen, for cooking and for salad dressings and for all sorts.   I have been wanting to make a cake using Olive Oil for quite some time now, but just haven't gotten around to it.  It is quite a good oil to use in comparison to others and has many health benefits.   I received this really informative infographic from Jamie's Italian which is filled with  all sorts of useful facts about olive oil and its uses!  I did not realise that there were so many different flavour nuances in the different kinds.  Olive oil is not just for salads or frying!

I find myself feeling quite keen now to do an Olive Oil Tasting party.  That could be quite fun I think, with different breads for dipping, etc.   I'll let you know how I get on!

Note - This infographic is from Jamie's Italian and I received a small fee for posting it.

I had some leftover chicken that I needed to use up today and so I decided to make a tasty stuffing pie for our tea tonight.  This is a delicious casserole/bake, that goes together lickety split and always goes down a real treat.  We especially love it with creamed peas and carrots ladled over top.  SUUUUUUUUUUUUM  Good!!  (Yes I know, bad spelling.  Its called literary license.)

I have one of those husbands who seemingly can eat whatever he wants without gaining an ounce.  Seriously.   He actually has a problem keeping weight on. I, on the other hand, only have to sniff at something tasty and I put on ten pounds.  It makes you sick. The problem is I do a lot more than sniff.  Good food.  It's my only weakness.

 

I'm having a really busy week this week, so quick and easy has been the order of the day when it comes to meal planning.  Dishes that I can just throw together without a lot of effort and that don't take a lot of time.

This new organic bottled herbal tea brand is #refreshinglyhonest

This summer, HONEST®, a new organic bottled herbal tea brand, launches in the UK for the first time, with three low calorie variants that taste “Just a Tad Sweet.”


After almost 20 years of success as the top-selling organic bottled tea in the US, HONEST®will launch in the UK on August 1st, 2016. HONEST®is aimed at those who seek organic refreshment during their busy on-the-go lifestyle. The three variants launching this summer are: Lemon Flavoured Herbal Tea with Honey, Orange and Mango Flavoured Herbal Tea and Pomegranate and Blueberry Flavoured Herbal Tea. Each variant contains brewed organic herbal tea (hibiscus, lemon balm and lemon myrtle, depending on the variant), organic fruit juice concentrates and each variant is sweetened with organic cane sugar.

HONEST®was launched in the US by Seth Goldman and his Yale School of Management professor, Barry Nalebuff. Seth and Barry were looking to fill a void in the beverage shelf with a flavourful but not-too-sweet drink they could enjoy on-the-go as part of an active and healthy lifestyle. They launched HONEST®from Seth’s kitchen in Bethesda, Maryland USA and after 10 years of impressive growth, the Coca-Cola Company invested 40% in HONEST® and acquired the company in 2011.

This is one of those pinch-me moments,” said Honest Tea co-founder Seth Goldman. When we started brewing tea in my kitchen, we always hoped we could help shift peoples’ diets toward organic, authentic beverage recipes that taste “Just a Tad Sweet.” We can’t wait to share our drinks with folks in the UK and are confident the “Honest” name and brand values will translate without the need of an interpreter.”

HONEST® is made in the UK, and is certified organic by the Soil Association. The three variants will be available in 500ML recyclable PlantBottle™ packaging in selected retailers from August.

ABOUT PLANTBOTTLE™
PlantBottle™ packaging pushes the boundaries on sustainable innovation by using ground breaking technology to create a fully recyclable plastic bottle made partially from renewable plant material derived from sugar cane. PlantBottle™ packaging is The Coca-Cola Company’s vision to develop a more responsible plant-based alternative to packaging traditionally made from fossil fuels and other non-renewable materials. PlantBottle™ packaging uses patented technology that converts natural sugars found in plants into the ingredients for making PET plastic bottles. The packaging looks, functions and recycles like traditional PET but has a lighter footprint on the planet and its scarce resources. http://www.coca-colacompany.com/plantbottle-technology


 

Back in my younger years when my children were growing up I used to make a ton of pickles every year to satisfy the family.  I used to can about 52 quarts of Dill Pickles a year alone, along with pickled beets, relishes, chows, chutneys etc.  And jams and jellies too.  It all got eaten.  It's not practical anymore for me to do any of that stuff with just the two of us in the house.  It would never ever get eaten.   i get a magazine every couple of month from the heart association and there are always some recipes in it that are quite healthy. These pickles came from the latest issue.  They are more  like small pickled vegetable salads, feeding just two people, but they're great!  There are four different versions!

We have an elderly friend that I like to bake things for from time to time.   We usually go to visit her a couple of times a week and  I usually bring her something I have baked on one of those occasions.  I get to enjoy the pleasure of baking something and she gets to enjoy the pleasure of eating what I have baked.   As a diabetic I am not really supposed to be eating a lot of baked goods, so it works really well for me as I love to bake. Its a win/win situation really!

I received a new cookbook recently, just in time for the inevitable bounty of cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and other summer produce!  This new book is all about turning those vegetables into healthy noodles. Nourishing Noodles by Chris Anca of Tales of a Kitchen has more than 150 pages of pasta-less noodle recipes and ideas and includes recipes for non-summer produce as well, such as beets, potatoes, and carrots. There are even recipes for using up those broccoli stalks!

There are seven beautifully photographed chapters for recipe which range from the simple to the elaborate, along with helpful information about what Spiralizing is, what you need to do it, how to get started, etc.