Lemon Ricotta Pancakes {dairy free}

 Spring Break starts in an hour and I am so excited!  I spent the morning helping out with the school Bunny Hop and with my kids and I had so much fun!  The weather was so springy with the cool morning breeze and the post rain-y air and it just makes me so happy!  But before I go pick up those crazy kids of mine, let's talk about the perfect way to start your weekend, or in our case Spring Break. 

First off, lemons. 

They sort of just scream spring, right?  Every time I go pick lemons off our tree, I think more grow, because we can't get rid of them quick enough!  So I tend to make lemon everything this time of year. A little side bar:  our lemon tree peaks in January, which is winter.  But lemons and lemonade are always tied to Spring and Summer.  Think on that for a minute.  Okay, I know that the are other varieties that produce lemons in the summer.  Anywhoo, lemons are awesome and we should use them as much as possible. 

Second, non dairy!

I've always wanted to make lemon ricotta pancakes, but never have because chances are they would make me sick.  Thankfully, Kite Hill makes the best Ricotta out of almond milk and it tastes JUST LIKE regular ricotta.  My husband can't tell the difference.  It's definitely not the cheapest thing you could buy, but I have yet to see any other company making one.  Also, I feel like I should say, Kite Hill is totally not paying me anything to write this post.  I just am super impressed with their products!  They make this dairy missing girl so happy (and my son, too!).  Last night, my son asked me why God made him allergic to soy and milk and we had a long talk.  But it's questions like that that make me so happy that we live in a day and age where there are delicious alternatives to the things that make us sick.  I am so thankful for people who had the creativity to try making dairy alternatives out of almonds.

  I had some ricotta leftover from when I made this pasta a few months ago and I had the perfect amount for this recipe.  Some recipes took a horrible amount and maybe they made more pancakes, but I just needed a few for a fun before school breakfast for the kiddos and so the recipe I adapted from was perfect.  Plus, they were completely drool worthy.  They were so soft and tasted like the melted in your mouth.  Weston devoured them up and asked for seconds. . . and thirds.  I even froze some for later, and he ate all those a few weeks later!  I will probably make some more using my waffle stick pan so we can just freeze a bunch!  Now that  I think about it, these would probably be perfect for Easter breakfast! 

So go grab your grocery list so you can also enjoy these pancakes.  If you don't care about being non dairy (and that's okay. . . I'm kind of jealous!), you can go back to the original post or just substitute real ricotta and real milk (I think whole is the best for baking) instead of the dairy ingredients. 

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes {Dairy Free}
adapted from grand-babycakes.com

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3 Tbsp sugar
zest from one lemon
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup Kite Hill Ricotta*
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp melted butter

Directions:
Put sugar in a small bowl and add zest to it.  Carefully massage the lemon zest into the sugar.  This brings out the sweetness of the lemon a little bit more.  Add the sugar-zest to a mixing bowl and add the rest of your dry ingredients.  add the rest of your ingredients and carefully mix together.  This is definitely one of those recipes, you want to stop stirring when it is all combined. 

Grease a large skillet and heat over medium high.  Pour batter into pan and cook until golden brown, then flip over and continue cooking until equally golden brown.  Keep doing this until all your batter is gone.  Serve by dusting with some powdered sugar and lemon zest and maybe even some maple syrup. 

*You can find Kite Hill Ricotta at your nearest Whole Foods. 

Memorize Scripture and have fun doing it!

 I got an email last summer from my sweet friend asking me to think of serving in a different way for this year's Bible Study.  I had been a table leader for years and I love it.  Encouraging the women at my table as they dig deep into God's word has been just a sweet thing.  So, when she asked me to handle our Bible memory portion of the study I kind of had a Moses moment.  Seriously.  Me?  I am so bad at memorizing scripture.  I really wasn't sure she had the right person.  But, I felt that nudge to do it, which could only come from the Holy Spirit. . . and well, I love it!  I am having so much fun encouraging these ladies to not only dig into God's Word, but to hide it in their hearts in a creative and fun way.  Bible Memory is NOT boring!  Well, at least it doesn't have to be. 

Can I confess something?

I have always hated memorizing scripture.  Give me details about a story and I can memorize them easily, but word for word repetition.  Not my strongest thing.  Memorizing Shakespeare soliloquies for English classes was my ABSOLUTE least favorite thing to do!  So, when I said yes, I got to work researching ways to make this something that ladies would want to do.  Key word:  WANT.

Scripture memory has to be something you want to do.  Psalm 119 is a really long psalm all about delighting in God's Word.  Verse 11, says the writer hides His word in his heart so that he doesn't sin against God.  I've been reading a little more out of the CSB version and it uses the word treasures.  Right there.  If we desire to be women who love God, who radiate his beauty and grace, we really need to be living out this verse in our lives.  The word treasure brings a new picture into my mind and makes me think about what things I'm treasuring in heart.  Are they taking up the room that should be filled with God's Word?  I know I am so guilty of this!

So, how do we do this? How do we change our mindset to desire this discipline?  Let me share with you some tips that will definitely grow you in this area. . . if you want it.

1.  Start small.  Pick a verse that encourages you.  It doesn't even have to be a long one.  Maybe a little longer than "Jesus wept" though.  Don't make it so long that it overwhelms you.  We just memorized Isaiah 43:19 as a group and it was a verse our whole church was challenged to do.  I have a friend who can memorize entire books of the Bible and it's awesome.  It's also her way of staying sane as a mom to 4 small kids.  She doesn't set out to memorize the whole thing at once. . . she takes it verse by verse.  If you are looking for a starting point, one of my favorites is  Proverbs 3:5-6, because it's all about trusting God and I always need that reminder.

2.  Set a time line & get accountability.  Make your end goal and find someone to recite it to.  Maybe it's your husband or your best friend, but ask someone to keep you accountable.  Break the verse into sections and focus on it piece by piece slowly adding the next section of the verse as you master the previous.  I remember one summer at camp, we were given a page with a whole mess of verses on it to memorize for team points.  We would quickly memorize a verse, recite to the counselor and go on to the next verse.  I'll be honest with you, none of those verses stuck.  They were forgotten as quickly as they were memorized.  The longer you spend memorizing the verse, the deeper into your heart it is carved.

3.  Don't Get Discouraged.  Let me just say that Satan would much rather you fill your heart up with lyrics from The Greatest Showman (not necessarily a bad thing) instead of your verse.  Lies like "I'm too old" or "I don't have time to juggle this too!" will be strong.  Keep pressing in.  Remind yourself that you still have the phone number memorized from your childhood home and memorizing scripture will make you a better mom, co-worker, wife, and friend.

4.  Know your learning style.  This is something I never really paid attention to until I went to school to be a teacher.  We all learn using different methods.  Some of you might learn better by hearing things out loud, so repeating the verse over and over out loud, or recording it and then playing it back, might be really effective for you.  Other's might find more success by reading it over and over or writing it down.  Once you find what works for you,  Go with it.  Have fun!

5.  Post it everywhere.  I like to type my verse out and make it look pretty with graphics and fonts because I know that if it's pretty, I am more likely to pay attention.  I then post it everywhere like the bathroom mirror, the window above the kitchen sink, my computer.  I even use the app Typorama and make screen images for my phone.  I seriously put it everywhere!

6.  Type it out.  Take some time and type it on the computer over and over.  Or download the game Scripture Typer on your phone and play that.  So much fun and it really does help you memorize it! 

7.  Color.  Coloring isn't just for relaxing or for kids.  Find some fun markers and type out your verse in Microsoft Word and make your font outlined and print it out.  Or even better, search Pinterest for some coloring sheets that others have made available.  You could even buy a Margaret Feinberg book and work your way through the verses she uses in there.  It's a great way for you to take the time to memorize and pray your chosen verse on your life or for the people in your life.

8.  Try the 10-10-3 method.  This method helps you to use several learning styles to further carve the verse into your heart.  Read it 10 times to yourself.  Say it out loud 10 times.  Write it 3 times.  Easy Peasy.

9.  Give journaling a try.  Bible Journaling has become quite the phenomonon and while I can't bring myself to painting or going crazy in my Bible, I do keep a notebook for verses.  It's a fun way to practice journaling and get a little bit creative.  Don't be afraid to pull out the watercolors.

10.  Play a game.  Type up your verse and cut into pieces or leave some words out.  Anything that helps you carving that verse into your heart nice and deep works!  Pinterest has tons of ideas!  You can even come up with hand motions! 

11.  Reward yourself.  Maybe a sweet treat that you wouldn't normally buy or a new set of markers.  It doesn't have to be expensive, but treat yourself to something fun when you get your verse memorized. I've been making cupcakes for the ladies in my study, and they are so brave by coming up and saying their verse in front of 40 women!

The goal is to memorize scripture.  It shouldn't feel like a chore, it should be fun!  It will take work and won't simply come through osmosis (darn it!).  Don't get discouraged and quit.  Keep trying and find encouragement in treasuring God's word in your heart!

Do you have any other ideas?  I would love to hear them!

What's for Dinner {February 2018}

 Can I confess something? 

I've been avoiding my computer. 

It's true. 

I've been wanting to write about something and the words just wouldn't come.  So, I put it on hold and now I am working on catching up on my regular posts.  I take it back.  The words came. . . in the shower.  When I sat down the next day, they were gone.  I know I am not the only one.  Right?  So until they come back to me, let's resume regular scheduled posts.  Ones that are guaranteed to make you drool and might even make your kids drool! 

It's that time of the month, where I show you what went down in my kitchen last month.  There was a lot of yummy food consumed and there was a lot of just the basics.  It ended up being a pretty busy month with Weston's birthday, a day at the World Ag Show, Valentines Day, soccer, art club, and more!  You can find more of our go-to dinners here and how I menu plan here.  So let's commence the drool fest! 

Oh and just a reminder, most of these recipes are amazing finds that we tried this month via Pinterest.  There are so many recipes out there and this is where I highlight some of my finds from the previous month.  The pictures and links are not my own. 

Jalapeño Turkey Burgers

I had pinned this recipe months ago and had completely forgotten about the package of ground turkey I had bought the month prior (oops!).   When I pulled the ground turkey out, I knew we were going to have these and they were so good!  These would be super good with a bun, too.  We ate them without because it was one of our whole 30/eat Paleo nights and we really didn't notice the lack of bun.  These weren't too spicey and just were so flavorful.  In fact, most of the recipes we've tried that are whole 30 are so incredibly flavorful that the lack of sugar and grains is really not noticed.  

Enchilada Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I've mentioned before that we try to incorporate as many paleo or whole 30 recipes into our diet.  We have been so impressed with the flavor that radiates from these recipes.  I've been very impressed with Danielle Walker's (Against All Grain) recipes.  One thing that I really miss since my dairy allergy came back with a vengeance after Weston was born was enchiladas.  Also, I really, REALLY like sweet potatoes and the idea of stuffing them with deliciousness is just one of my new favorite things to do.  Jon was getting tired of Buffalo Chicken stuffed tots (well, he didn't say it, but I am sure he was), so I found this recipe and we loved it.  The homemade sauce was so good, I might have just eaten it with a spoon!  I was so happy that some was left for me to eat for lunch the next day!

 Pesto Stuffed Prosciutto Chicken

Ethan loves Prosciutto.  He's become such a foodie and it just makes this food loving mom so thrilled that he is developing a love for good food.  Lately, he has been a lot more brave in trying new things and now he just eats whatever.  So, moms out there who are frustrated with a kid who only wants to eat dinosaur shaped chicken nuggets or hot dogs, I hear you!  I still have one and every now and then he surprises me.  It does get better.  I promise! 

This chicken was so easy.  Oh and I cheated.  Because I am not actually doing a traditional whole 30, and we are just incorporating the recipes into our normal menu plan, I really don't mind taking shortcuts on nights where I just don't have the time to make a good clean pesto from scratch.  I found this one at our neighborhood grocery store and it was delicious and it was pretty clean for being store bought. 

I also should note: if you are buying a pesto from the store, there is basically a 99 percent chance that
there is dairy because of the Parmesan or other hard cheeses.  You know your body and you know what you can handle once the dairy is baked.  Trader Joes has a vegan pesto (I haven't tried it yet), if you need to make a shortcut for dairy free pesto. 

This recipe was super easy and ended up being a pretty easy/low maintenance dinner which gave me time to work on other things while the food was cooking.  Low maintenance and delicious. . .  I call that a win.

Also, I used the Against All Grain recipe from this book.  It's not online, so I am linking you to something that is super similar. 

Cobb Salad
This recipe is one straight from my head.  I've never really written it down, but I was inspired by the chicken avocado Cobb salad that used to be on Panera's menu (sad face).   So, basically it is lettuce, avocado chunks, hard boiled egg, tomatoes, bacon (of course!), and chicken.  My favorite way to make this one super quick was True Story roasted chicken slices.  I also love it with the Olive Garden Italian dressing.  This is so good.  You should make it. 

Side dishes
We made these this month and they were fantastic!  Well, I guess I wouldn't share the links with you if I didn't think so. ha ha!  These were our favorites! 

Lemon basil pasta - this one is actually on my blog and dairy free!  You can easily substitute regular ricotta if dairy doesn't cause you problems. 

Lemon Garlic Asparagus - it is definitely spring around here and asparagus is so cheap right now.  I feel like we've been eating it one way or another for the past few weeks! Also, my lemon tree is on steroids and so I am trying to find all the ways to use them up! There are tons of pins on Pinterest and I have no idea which one I made. And really, they are almost all the same, so be brave and pick one. \

I hope that this helps with your meal planning.  Enjoy and let me know what you are cooking up! 

1 / 2 / 3 /

King Arthur Bake Along: Chocolate Cupcakes

 Warning:  this blog post will make you drool.

Well, it might. 

If you don't like chocolate, I am not really sure what to tell you. Maybe I should apologize because it's THAT good!

Today I bring you the February Bakealong challenge recipe from the King Arthur website.  

Last month's BakeAlong was this delicious Chocolate Mousse layer cake with a raspberries and it looked amazing.  I made it for Valentine's Day and modified the mousse so it was dairy free and it turned it okay.  The cake part though, that's what stood out as the best part.  So, I thought that for this blog post, I would try the cake recipe out and bake it in the form of cupcakes. 

I also needed an excuse to make cupcakes.  Thankfully, I needed some prizes  encouragement for my Bible Study friend to put on their brave pants and say their Bible verse we have been working on for about a month.  No one can resist chocolate, right?  (and if this failed, I don't know what I was going to do!)  And quite frankly, it worked.  Cupcakes make great motivation! 

 And let me be honest with you.  I had even fancier ideas for these cupcakes, but I didn't have enough cocoa to make the chocolate frosting, and I never bought raspberries.  Plus, I was packaging these up the night before and the raspberries would have left a sad impression on these cupcakes if I had put on them on the night before.  So, I nixed that idea. 

Let's talk cake.  Because that really is the star of the show.  This cupcake batter bakes the most incredibly moist cake with pretty close to perfect sponge.  I just want to eat it over and over again (but I won't because moderation).  These also baked really flat tops, which is amazing!  Most boxed cakes will often times give you a dome, which really isn't ideal for frosting.

I didn't have enough cocoa powder, I had to modify the buttercream frosting to make it vanilla.  It turned out perfect and my husband raved on how it wasn't too sweet, but perfect frosting. So, even though they didn't turn out the way I had envisioned this cupcake to go, I think that now have a new chocolate cake/cupcake recipe that will be my go-to. 

 These cupcakes have really been the star of this week.  The ladies at church seemed to like them, my family loves them, and they were the perfect end of the day treat when we all just needed a little pick me up.  I left a few frosted just for Weston and we just drizzled chocolate syrup over the top. . . can't have too much chocolate, right (and not being able to have frosting is kind of stinky sometimes)? 

So, really.  All I can say is that you need these chocolate cupcakes in your life.  Make sure you give some away, because eating them all may result in a tummy ache and well, making some one else's day is just so much more fun than getting a tummy ache!  So, here's the recipe:

Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk*
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp espresso powder**
3 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Carefully measure out your dry ingredients in your mixing bowl.  Add all the wet ingredients carefully and beat at medium speed for about 1 minute until you have a nice smooth batter.  If you are using a stand mixer, I recommend stopping 30 seconds in and scraping the sides of your bowl to make sure it all gets mixed in.  Add your eggs and beat some more.  The batter is really thin and that's perfect! 

Line muffin tin with your favorite liners.  Fill each liner up about half way.  Too full, will give you a muffin top, which is not as much fun with cupcakes.  Bake for 12-17 minutes, depending on your oven.  Use a tester to make sure it comes out clean and touch the top of one and see if it has a little bit of spring.  If it doesn't just bake for a minute to two longer and then check again.

Let cool for 5 minutes before taking out of pan and then place on a wire rack to continue cooling.

I was able to make about 30 cupcakes with this recipe. 

*I am way too cheap to keep buttermilk in my fridge for times like this.  Pour a little less than a cup of milk in your measuring cup and top it off with a bit of vinegar.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes and do a happy dance because you now have buttermilk.  Easy Peasy!

** I use the King Arthur Brand and it is  so worth the cost.  But, you can also substitute the boiling water for a fresh brewed cup of coffee.  The coffee does not give the cake a coffee flavor, but creates a miracle of enhancing the flavor of the chocolate. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
(if you are going to pipe all 30, you might want to double your recipe.  Otherwise, this is enough to spread a bit of frosting on each one.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter (unsalted), at room temperature
pinch of sea salt
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla (or more. . . you decide)

Directions:
Cream together butter and shortening until nice and smooth.  Add sugar, salt and give it a couple rounds on the mixer.  Slowly add milk in to get the desired consistency.  Add vanilla and beat until smooth.  Frost as desired.

I sprinkled mini chocolate chips on each one after each pipe.  If you wait to long, the chocolate chips won't stick. 

Also, the original recipe, found here, has a delicious mousse that would be fantastic if you used it as a filling.  Just an idea. 

Enjoy!  And Happy Baking!

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad {Dairy Free}

 Is it just me, or was this week really long?  I woke up yesterday, totally thinking that it was Friday, and the realization left me completely disappointed until I ordered my favorite Starbucks drink.  Sometimes starting your day with a little treat is necessary, especially when you are about to tackle grocery shopping. . . in the rain.  So, here we are well into our Friday afternoon and it is still raining.  One kid even took advantage of shooting some hoops in the rain after school.  There is no complaining here because I love it and we are in need of it!  My plants are so happy!

Right now I am fighting every urge to go throw on my comfy clothes and snuggle under a blanket with a good book.  . . or movie. . . or both.  I am not picky!

But first,  we should have a little talk about this recipe.  I remember making this pasta back before we were home owners.  Back before we were parents.  Back, when I was just a newly married gal wanting to make her hubby delicious things. Back when my body said dairy was cool.  I'm not sure which magazine I found it in (it was either Food Network or Rachael Ray), but I know it was from the fabulous brain of Rachael Ray and most of her recipes have been really good. 

I haven't made this since because not long after I made this recipe, I got pregnant, had gestational diabetes (goodbye carbs), had Ethan and then had to say goodbye to dairy for good (darn hormones!).  Anywhoo, the past year on so, I feel like there have been amazing new products that make me feel like having a dairy allergy is not so bad.  More expensive, but not so bad. 

Let me start by saying, this blog post is not endorsed by anyone, any company.  It's just me, sharing a recipe, with a product that I love.  Kite Hill is a company out of Northern California that is really breaking grounds in plant based deliciousness.  I have been impressed with everything they have come out with.  Seriously.  I am even sad that they stopped making their brie (Yes, you read that right. . . brie).  One of their products is Ricotta and can I just say how wonderful it is to be able to make lasagna and other cheesey dishes, when using the real deal will make you sick?  I used the ricotta for this recipe and no one noticed that it wasn't dairy free.  My 9 year old gobbled it down and even took some in his lunch the next day!  Can we say win!!!  

So, let's commence the drool fest.

 Drooling yet? This recipe is perfect for a quick dinner (maybe with some grilled chicken), or a show stopping side dish to take to your Easter gathering.  The addition of lemon zest just screams spring!   All you need is some delicious pasta (we like this brand and stock up at Eataly or this brand from Whole Foods. ).  I know it's weird, but the quality of pasta you get will make your recipe just a step up.  From there, you just add some Kite Hill Ricotta, toast some pine nuts, zest a lemon, and julienne some basil.  Seriously easy and just as good for leftovers. 

Lemon Ricotta Pasta Salad
adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
1 package of pasta (I used rotini)
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup of pine nuts, toasted
1 package of Kite Hill Ricotta Cheese
1/2 cup (or more) fresh basil, julienned
Lemon zest from 2 lemons
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.  Drain and toss in olive oil.  Add in cheese, pine nuts, basil and lemon zest.  Toss and then add in salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe is super easy to half (it's what I did for a family of 4, and we had a little bit left over.)

Happy Cooking!