What’s that? You are going to a Cosby sweater holiday party with your bestie BJ and you don’t have anything to take to the potluck? Looking around the kitchen you notice way, way too many left over pretzel pieces from your other holiday exploits. And so the conversation goes a bit like this:

“Hmmm. I need to bring a dessert. I’ve got pretzels. I love brownies. Safe to say, nothing bad can come of this.”

In fact, these were rather delicious. For those who enjoy the sweet and salty combination, I’d go so far as saying they were a delight. An easy chicken fried rice, goulash, gumbo, kitchen left-overs inspired dessert:

Pretzel Peanut Butter Brownies

Ingredients:

2 cups broken pretzel pieces

1 cup peanut butter, warm + melty

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (Sprinkle the top with kosher salt for a kick when you pull it out of the oven)

1 cup unsalted butter

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups of dark chocolate chips, melty

1 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

6 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter/spray a casserole dish. Place pretzel pieces at bottom of dish. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt and cinnamon. Melt butter. Add chocolate chips and peanut butter until mixed well. Slowly add sugars and mix until no longer grainy. In a third bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir just until combined. Add chocolate mixture. Pour batter over pretzels. Bake for 40-45 minutes. These are better under vs. over cooked, so be mindful of checking them every few minutes after 35 minutes. Let cool. Enjoy!

{But of course, the real winner of a dessert at the Cosby party were the pudding pop shots. Wowzers!}

~K

I’ve been doing a lot of yoga lately. A ridiculous amount, really. Someone once said, “When in doubt, take more yoga.” So be it. I’ve even had one or two of those Elizabeth Gilbert moments toward the end of practice when I’m in savasana and tears are pouring down my face.

Why, hello emotion I’d completely forgotten. So glad you’ve arrived at this very public moment. 

I got myself into a pickle last year with my church when I wrote a note to the congregation’s national magazine defending yoga as part of my practice as a Christian. Let’s be honest — if there are two things in this world that I’ll never simply “be,” it’s a Christian and and a yogi. I’ll always be practicing — each day with a new twist and turn. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it blows your mind and pumps your system full of so many endorphins, you run outside sweaty, exhausted and completely oblivious to snowy weather.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying yoga is a great as God. I’m saying God is so awesome, He gave us ways to connect with the holy spirit — if we so choose. For me, one of those is yoga. Deep in the pigeon pose when I feel like my hiney is en feugo and it is all I can do to take one more breath to stay in the stretch, with sweat pouring down my brow, and then BAM. Grace. Everything releases. My muscles stop spasming. My eyes stop twitching. My breath flows. My heart sings. Doves release and Prince comes out of a cloud to sing one of my favorite songs.

Okay. Maybe not the last part. But I can say regularly practicing yoga (and my faith) means there are days I grind my teeth to get through it and there are others when I feel like I’m soaring. It’s effortless. I walk away feeling like my life is full of meaning, and this yoga/faith practice has something to do with it.

What does a yoga girl give as a holiday present? Pretzels, natch. What? It can’t all be symbolic.

Fold yourself into this recipe and enjoy. It’s simple, elegant and a great holiday treat. For the yogis, the Christians, and everyone in your life who is still practicing.

Yoga Pretzels

Ingredients:

1 bag of chocolate chips — the better quality chocolate, well — the better.

1 tablespoon of shortening

1 bag of giant salty pretzels

Toppings of your choice. I went with coconut. And made a “Mexican spice” batch where I added a dash of cardamom, cinnamon and cayenne.

Directions: Melt the chocolate in the microwave with the shortening. Stir every 20 seconds or so. Remove while the chocolate is still a bit chunky. Stir until smooth. Add spices if desired. Dip pretzel by pretzel in the chocolate, stopping to dunk in your topping if you so desire. (Peanuts, kosher salt, sprinkles, bacon) Place on a cookie sheet covered in tin foil. Freeze for 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Namaste,

K

I know. The title sounds nuts. Bacon is the cliche ingredient in far too many recipes these days. But let me assure you, for those who love a bit of sweet and salt and are willing to try an unconventional dessert — the reviews are astounding. Folks love these cookies.

Ingredients:

Your traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe (I’m a fan of Nestle Toll House’s. Why mess with what works?)

1 pound of bacon, cooked until crispy, drained and broken into dime-sized pieces

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon maple extract

Combine, cook for 8-10 minutes, serve with milk or bourbon. As breakfast or a post-dinner surprise.

~K

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So, this paleo thing means no grains. And the family I’m living with is already living gluten free. When I suggested we make the banana bread recipe on Karen’s site, my hosts agreed. Gluten-free bread? Bring it on.

Off to the market on my bike I went, where I found flax and almond meal. However, because my friends here are gluten-free, not grain-free*, we changed the recipe slightly.

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In lieu of only using almond meal, we used a bit of oat flour too. When I make this bread again, I’ll add another banana. I’ll also add a 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. The texture was great, but the flavor just wasn’t there. This likely has nothing to do with Karen’s recipe and everything to do with our changes. That said, it is a delicious treat after not having a slice of bread for quite some time. With a bit of butter, it is heavenly.

2 cups almond flour

1 cup oat flour

2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

2 Tbsp. honey

3 eggs

4 super ripe, gushy bananas, mashed

1) Preheat oven to 375°F. Whisk dry ingredients

2) Add wet ingredients in a separate bowl and blend. Add mashed bananas.

3) Add wet mixture to dry ingredients and stir. Pour mixture into a well-greased loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes.

4) Let cool; top with butter, or pour a cup of milk over a slice for a dessert. Delish!

Makes 1 loaf.

I will make this recipe again, perhaps adding cranberries or dark chocolate chips. For the $12 bag of almond meal, it makes a hefty loaf and several days worth of breakfast. Not inexpensive, but worthy of the splurge!

~K

*Obnoxious, this way of describing food, isn’t it? Everyone these days seems to have their thing. I’m vegan. I’m ovolactarian. I’m vegetarian, unless the beef is really good. I am fundamentally opposed to how self-absorbed these ways of eating make us. Because for me it is a choice. For some, like my hosts, it is an allergy driven response to eating and not in the least about ego. They’d love pizza. Or a burrito. Or a bagel.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Servings:6

Ingredients:

3 acorn squash — halved, seeds removed, placed flesh side down on a cookie sheet

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 cup of black beans

6 tablespoons of goat cheese

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 pinch of garlic salt

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Roast squash and garlic for 45-50 minutes, drizzled with olive oil. Using tongs, place flesh side up in a casserole dish. Fill with cheese, beans, tomatoes, and sprinkle of garlic salt. Split roasted garlic among the six halves. Place back in the oven for 5 minutes to warm. Optional — use diced tomatoes with jalapenos, or top with salsa.

Healthy, easy and bright. So many great colors on a plate — and a lovely way to make your home smell like Fall’s roasted vegetables.

Reviews:

“Damn good.”

“What chipmunks would eat on vacation in Mexico. Acorns meets Acapulco.” (Okay, I made that up. But it is my review!)

The March recipe is Irish Soda Bread — to celebrate St. Patrick’s command that all snakes be banished from Ireland. (Any man who hates snakes as much as I do is worthy of homemade carbs.)

(Modified) Cook’s Illustrated Irish Soda Bread:

Ingredients:

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in large bowl.

Work softened butter into dry ingredients with fork or fingertips until texture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until dough begins to come together. Add dried fruit.

Turn out onto flour-coated work surface; knead until dough just becomes cohesive and bumpy, 12 to 14 turns. (Do not knead until dough is smooth, or bread will be tough.)

Pat dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches high; place on greased or parchment-lined baking sheet or in cast-iron pot, if using.

Place the loaf on a cookie sheet and cut a cross shape into the top.

Bake until golden brown and a skewer inserted into center of loaf comes out clean or internal temperature reaches 180 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter; cool to room temperature, 30 to 40 minutes

I look forward to hearing about your baking and sewing adventures. Don’t forget to post to the One Yard Wonders photo pool!

Fin, let us know what the sewing project is!

~ K

One of the things I remember most clearly was the new array of foods we were introduced to. Traveling with a dozen other student journalists, we were immediately taken to a restaurant in Tel Aviv upon arrival and the best of Israeli cuisine was showcased. This was long before I’d be introduced to Pita Jungle, my local Tempe haunt, or even hummus for that matter. There were so many interesting and colorful things to try, including falafel.

We soon learned the chickpea is a staple in Israeli cooking because most restaurants keep kosher. No dairy and meat on the same plate or even at the same meal. Imagine how shocking this was to a Christian girl who grew up on cheese burgers? Or even more sacrilegious  for my new Jewish friends — bagel sandwiches with cheese, eggs, and sausage.

My love of Middle Eastern food began with gusto. Falafel stands on the streets were far more appealing to me than hot dogs anyway. Falafel — or Israeli meatballs — are fried balls of chickpeas and spice. They were wrapped in warm pita, with salty pickles and a dash of hummus that made your mouth dance. It was just so very good. When I came home, similar to my exuberance after living in Mexico, I wanted to recreate the adventure through food for my family and friends.

It’s taken ten years, but I’ve finally gotten around to making a falafel recipe worth sharing. My one beef, so to speak, with falafel is that they are typically fried. I don’t do well with fried food. My stomach cramps and I pay for the indulgence for days to come. So, when putting this recipe together, I knew baking would be crucial.

Baked Falafel

Yield: 18 large falafel

Ingredients:

2 cans of drained and rinsed chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

1 handful of spinach (about a cup)

1 handful of parsley (about a cup)

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup pepitas

2 eggs

juice from 2 lemons

dash of paprika

dash of cumin

dash of garlic salt

dash of pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add all ingredients, minus the olive oil, in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is grainy — not runny. Scoop onto greased baking sheets in uniform shapes (an ice cream scoop works well.) Lightly brush tops with remaining olive oil. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden, turning at minute 8.

Serve with quinoa, hummus and a nice glass of white wine. These are incredibly healthy and tasty!

~K

Wondering what to do with all those pumpkin seeds coming out of your jack-o-lantern? May I make a suggestion, including using up a few more of those jars we’re recycling? Wash and dry the seeds {handy instructions} and then consider throwing them into a batch of granola. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein and you are keeping them out of the trash, or compost, by enjoying them toasted instead.

This is my go-to granola recipe. I simply substituted the coconut and craisins for the pumpkin seeds and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Voila — a fabulous snack that has my coworkers and neighbors skipping this week. {Alrighty, it may be the cooler weather we’ve been dreaming about for months and not the granola, but still. Lots of skipping, smiling, and thanking the weather Gods in Phoenix this week!}

~Kelli

So, you are going celebrating a three-day fabulous summer weekend with a BBQ. May I make a suggestion? Take an hour while the meat is marinating, the beer is cooling and the cake is in the oven to make homemade BBQ sauce. This is a family recipe that I can promise BBQ lovers will not soon forget.

My grandfather Trevor has been perfecting his BBQ sauce recipe for years, including many spent in Louisiana where he learned to master gumbo, crepes and a variety of other delicious plates we’ve come to expect at our truly eclectic family table. Plus, it freezes well and is another great way to use up some of those jars you’ve got hanging around — you know, the dusty ones in the back of the pantry.
Double the recipe and you’ll have two great Fall gifts ready to go. Just be sure to leave yourself a couple inches at the top of the jar before you stick it in the freezer. If you decide not to freeze your batch, the sauce will keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
Enjoy!

Pap’s BBQ Sauce

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 green bell pepper
1 large celery stalk
1/4 white onion
3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1/2 can of tomato juice
Cayenne pepper to taste

Directions:
Using a three-sided grater, or your food processor, finely grate the bell pepper, celery and onion. Put the oil in heavy pot on medium-high heat. Add the grated vegetables and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add sugar, vinegar, sauce and juice. Let simmer for 15 minutes and add cayenne and garlic powder. Taste and see if you want to kick it up with a bit more of each spice.
Let simmer for 40 minutes. If the sauce isn’t the thickness you desire, add 1/4 cup of corn starch to a cup of cold water and mix thoroughly before adding to sauce pot. Bring to a boil, stirring carefully. Take off heat.

Adding a dash of liquid smoke is great too!

~K

P.S. Big thanks to Miss Colleen for yet another kind, thoughtful and creative logo! Please feel free to download it here and use it for your own Jar of Renewal projects.

Some people receive business cards when they start a new job. Others place an order, wait a couple weeks and show up to as many meetings in the meantime with baked goods. Business cards may get thrown away after a meeting, but I doubt these gingersnaps ended up in the trash. I’m always trying to figure out a way to make my mark in the business world. I’ve met so many new people during the last two weeks and managed to feed more than a dozen. I think it is safe to say they either think I’m crazy or I’m going to quit to complete my Martha transformation. Regardless, they are sure to remember my name.
Plus, Martha would have hand-stamped her business cards and calligraphied recipe cards to go with the cookies. Not a bad idea, actually…

~K

P.S. Rebecca recently mentioned her sister Shelley made the best gingersnaps ever. Challenge accepted. This recipe isn’t quite there, but I’m working on a couple new variations. When I get the alchemy just right, I’ll post my findings. On another note, it only took me knowing Rebilou some 20 years before I heard her say gingersnaps were her favorite cookie. Mine too. I have fond memories of grocery shopping with my mom as a little girl and her buying a big brown bag of gingersnaps and letting us eat them in the cart. We thought she was so brazen to eat before paying for them. Funny, the things you remember.
What is your favorite cookie?

In my social circle, bean dip is a food group. Rebilou has perfected her bean dip recipe and the Ya Yas have been inhaling it by the pie plate-full since high school. Her secret concoction involves Frito Lay beans in a can, sour cream, cream cheese and gobs of cheese. Sometimes she makes this with fat-free dairy to make us feel better about eating it as fast as we can, occasionally with tortilla chips but more than likely off of our fingers. Of course we drink Diet Coke during this silly snack to only further the nutritional contradictions. Just typing this, my stomach is grumbling and I’m wishing we were sitting in her kitchen with my finger tips burning from poking at the cheese. Yum.

We love us some beans. However, if you also love your skinny jeans, it’s best to eat beans without all the lard and fatty dairy. This weekend I used left-over black beans from the community dinner to whip up my own bean dip recipe. It is by no means a replacement for the Rebilou Pie Plate of Bean Fabulousness, but it is a good low-fat substitute.

Ingredients:
4 cups black beans, canned or cooked
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup of fat free cottage cheese
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 cup diced onion
4 seeded jalape√±os — I like it hot!
Dash of garlic salt

Directions:
Throw in the food processor and pulse until it is your desired consistency. I like it creamy, like hummus. Serve with cut up veggies for a high-fiber, spicy snack that gives a kick of protein too. (It may or may not also be pretty darn good with chips and cheese in a half-healthy version of nachos. Ahem.)

~K

By popular demand, my recipe for the best summer drink and also the only way you’ll ever see me enjoying beer –

Where the traditional margarita and Mexican beer collide to create a Beergarita:

Ingredients:
1 Corona, or other Mexican beer
1 can of frozen limeade
1 tray of ice cubes
¬Ω of limeade can filled with tequila
¬Ω of limeade can filled with triple sec
Limes and salt to taste

Directions:
Blend
Sip
Enjoy
Rinse and repeat

Community dinner: green chicken enchiladas, steak tacos, salad, chips and guacamole, black beans, Mexican rice, cake and lots of great conversation; 15 fed, leftovers taken home, casserole of enchiladas left for a friend in the hospital, and one giant pitcher of beergaritas enjoyed. To add icing to the Olympic cake, we were blessed with an incredible rain storm that sent sheets of water down to cool us all off.
Worthy of hours of preparing, cooking and cleaning when it is sweaty hot? Without a doubt.

~K

Last night was the final community dinner of the Spring season. I hope to resume in the Fall when I’m in a new, larger house where half the crowd doesn’t have to sit outside on the patio furniture.

We had my mom’s Mexican meatloaf. I added a layer of Hatch chiles through the center and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thrilled to have leftovers for this weekend. A cold meatloaf sandwich is pretty close culinary heaven in my book, and no I do not have a mullet.

We also had buttermilk biscuits (which I added way too much baking powder to on accident. Woopsie. Baking power does not equal baking soda), steamed veggies, salad, strawberry pie and chocolate chip cookies.

Spence entertains the crowd. This summer will be his 30th trip to Africa.
There was a steady flow of beer and wine and Spence — my friend from Colorado who is also my Africa travel saint for this summer — brought his iPod with a pretty incredible collection of jazz. It was a lovely night!

~K

P.S. If you have t-shirts you’d like to mail for the Peace t-shirt project, please do! There is still plenty of room. Thanks again!

Tomorrow we are having a potluck at work and I’d signed up for dessert. I definitely got carried away, but the relief I find in cooking is parallel only to running and I just didn’t have the stamina for a long run tonight. Tomorrow’s menu includes Sweet Sedona bundt cake, lemon coconut cookies and Mexican cinnamon brownies — all in celebration of Cinco de Mayo.

Maddy and I had a great time. She is a doll and such a great reminder of the joy of life. I watched her today with her girlfriends and family; I want to be more like her — she’s carefree, confident, strong and sweet to a fault.

Thank you for your kind words about yesterday’s post. My apologies to the Monday dieters cruising through the blog.
~K