Homemade Pasta Sauce

I made up this recipe tonight while making sauce for Eggplant Parmesan. You won't believe how delicious and full of robust flavor this sauce is! The oils give such a better flavor than dried or fresh herbs. 

Now, just a disclaimer - I am not suggesting that you go and buy Basil, Oregano, and Rosemary oils at the health food store and use them in your food - many of those are labeled for aromatic use only and/or say DO NOT INGEST. Young Living essential oils have supplement labels on them (if you peel up the corner of the label) and are GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) for ingestion. If you would like more information about Young Living click here or email me. :)

Homemade Pasta Sauce

1 lb. ground beef or turkey

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 28oz can tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

1-2 drops Young Living Oregano essential oil

2-3 drops Young Living Basil essential oil

2-3 drops Young Living Rosemary essential oil

Cook meat and onion until browned. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes. I added my oils one drop at a time, then tasted the sauce before adding more.

Here is the Eggplant Parmesan recipe too, because I don't want to forget it. It was that good!

Eggplant Parmesan

2 small eggplants, peeled

1/2 cup flour (I used white spelt flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs

2-3 Tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil

1 recipe of pasta sauce (recipe above)

2 cups Mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 cup Parmesan cheese

Cut eggplant into very thin slices (no thicker than 1/4 inch). Salt slices and let them soak in cold water for 30 minutes.

Drain eggplant and rinse in cold water to remove salt. Pat dry.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line two baking sheets with foil (for easy clean up) and let preheat in the oven.

In a gallon sized bag mix the flour, salt, dried oregano, dried basil, and garlic powder.

Crack eggs into a shallow dish and beat with a fork.

Once baking sheets are hot, carefully remove them from the oven and drizzle oil evenly on them. Tilt the pan to spread the oil to the edges.

Quickly dip eggplant slices into egg and then dredge in the flour mixture. Carefully place each slice on the hot baking sheet.

Bake for 5-7 minutes, then flip slices and bake 5-7 more minutes or until lightly browned and crispy.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.

In a 9x13 baking dish spread 1 cup of pasta sauce. Layer with half of the eggplant slices. On top, add another cup of sauce. Spreading evenly over eggplant. Top that with 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and 1 cup Mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers of eggplant, sauce and cheeses.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until cheese is golden brown.

Lemon Cupcakes

Today I'm participating in the Essentially Summer Recipe Series that has been going on this week. I am looking forward to trying lots of new recipes! Sondra finished up yesterday's Main Dishes with her Veggie Lasagna.

To start off the Desserts today, I'm excited to share this recipe for Lemon Cupcakes. I have made these cupcakes for 5 different events and they always get rave reviews - they are quick and easy, and they are yummy! Win-win! :)

Lemon Cupcakes

Yield about 20 cupcakes

Ingredients

for the cupcakes:

1 yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup water

1/3 cup oil

5 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil

zest from one lemon

for the frosting:

1/2 cup softened butter

3 oz softened cream cheese

6 cups powdered sugar

3-4 drops Young Living Lemon Essential Oil

2-3 Tablespoons milk

To make cupcakes, preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake pans with paper liners. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together on low for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.

Divide the batter evenly between prepared cupcake liners, filling each half full. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make frosting, cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, lemon oil, and milk (start with 2 Tablespoons and add more if needed). Mix on low until combined and then beat well on medium speed. Frost cupcakes. Store in the refrigerator.

I love adding oils to many recipes. I hope this series inspires you to add some flavor with your oils!

Are you ready to jump in to this wonderful world of caring for your family with therapeutic grade essential oils? The time is now! Click here to learn more or contact the person who introduced you to the “Essentially Summer” blog recipe series! :)

Next up is Becky at Rooted Blessings with Paleo Key Lime Cheesecake. Yummy!

Be sure to check out all the great recipes in the "Essentially Summer" blogger recipe series.

Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits

Photo credits: taken from google images (michaelscomments.wordpress.com)

Everyone who tries these cheese biscuits says that they taste just like Red Lobster's! They are a huge hit every time I make them, not to mention, they are super fast and easy to make!

Cheese Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp dried parsley (opt.)

In a mixing bowl combine bisquick, milk, cheese and garlic. Stir mixture until well combined.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls (my cookie dough scoop is the perfect size) on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

In a small bowl melt butter in the microwave. Stir in garlic powder and parsley. Brush mixture over biscuits as soon as they come out of the oven. Cool a few minutes on the baking sheet, then serve warm.

Hope you enjoy!!

Gluten-Free Brownies

My blogging friend SnoWhite posted this recipe on her blog awhile back. I finally got to make them this week! They are so yummy and no one would ever guess that they have no flour in them. There is one special ingredient...Jacob tried to guess, but couldn't get it right...

Black beans!!

I know it sounds weird, but don't write it off til you try them!

Gluten-Free Brownies

1 can (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 T olive oil (I used vegetable oil because I was out of olive oil)
1/4 C cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C white sugar
1/2 C chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 8x8 or 7x11 pan (I used 7x11).
2. In your blender, combine the beans, eggs and oil. Then, puree the mixture. Scrape down the sides several times to make sure everything gets evenly pureed.
3. Add in the cocoa, sugar, baking powder, pinch of salt and vanilla and puree until smooth. Scrape down the sides again to get everything mixed in.
4. Pour the brownie mixture in the pan.
5. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of the brownies.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Hope you enjoy! The brownies will be gooey and have a different (but good!) texture.

Super Easy Key Lime Pie

This is one of the easiest pies I've ever made! It always gets rave reviews too! It's kind of a go-to dessert when I need something fast or spur of the moment since I usually have all the ingredients in my pantry.

What's neat about this pie is that you don't have to make it Key Lime, you can do Lemonade, Strawberry, or whatever Kool-Aid flavor you have a hankering for at the time you want to make it! Every flavor I've tried has been a hit with all who tried it!

I almost forgot to mention that a cashier at Walmart told me the recipe several months ago. She saw that I was buying Lemonade packets and cream cheese (for completely different things) and she said I just had to try this pie.

Super Easy Pie

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 packet (any flavor) Kool-Aid

1 (8oz) carton cool whip

1 graham cracker crust

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese until smooth. Add condensed milk and Kool-Aid, beat well. On low speed of mixer, whip in cool whip until fully combined. Spoon into crust and smooth out to edges. Freeze for 3-4 hours before serving. Store leftovers in freezer.

Enjoy!!

A little diversion

I'm taking a little break from cleaning today. Tomorrow Jacob will be home for most of the day so he can help me load up all the leftover yard sale stuff that's currently piled in our living room.

So I decided to share a recipe today. I've only made these muffins twice, but seriously, we think they are the best blueberry muffins ever! The reason this recipe caught my attention is that it doesn't call for any milk, which is perfect for me since I can only use goat milk which I haven't had on hand for awhile.

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

2 c. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. orange juice

2 T. vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (8oz) ctn. vanilla yogurt (I just measured 8oz out of my big container)

1 egg

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

1 T. sugar

1. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl; make a well in the center of mixture.
2. Combine orange juice, oil, vanilla, yogurt and egg; stir well.
3. Add to dry ingredients, stiffing just until moistened.
4. Gently fold in blueberries.
5. Divide batter among greased or lined 12 muffin pan.
6. Sprinkle tablespoon of sugar evenly over tops of muffins.
7. Bake at 400 degrees for 18 minutes or until golden.
8. Remove immediately from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

I tried a streusel topping this morning, but we decided that we like just the sugar sprinkled on top. The streusel topping was too sweet.

Hope you enjoy!

Aunt Juanita's Cake

This is a super easy super yummy cake! The recipe originally came from my great-aunt Juanita. It's basically a Butter Pecan cake. What makes it unique is that you put the icing in the cake...believe me, it turns out sooo moist!

1 butter pecan (or plain yellow) cake mix

1 container coconut pecan icing

1 cup water

5 eggs

3/4 cup oil

Grease a bundt pan and preheat oven according to cake mix package directions. In a large mixing bowl, beat all ingredients for 30 seconds on low and 2 minutes on high. Scrape sides of bowl often to make sure everything gets mixed in evenly. Pour into greased bundt pan. Bake according to directions on box or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan about 10 minutes then turn out onto a cake stand or plate. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar before serving.

Chocolate Fix

Today I have been craving something chocolate...like cookies or brownies. A piece of dark chocolate just would not do! Since I have food allergies and I have to use a special kind of flour (expensive flour I might add), I was hoping to make something that didn't use flour. So I googled "flourless brownies" and I found this recipe. I tweaked it a little to suit my taste and this is what I came up with to satisfy my chocolate craving!

Flourless Chocolate Brownies

• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 cup butter
• 2/3 c. sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds (I used a mixture of almonds, pecans and walnuts)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Over low heat in a heavy saucepan melt butter and chocolate together. Take the pan off heat and add the sugar and vanilla. Let the mixture cool a little.

Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture, then add the ground almonds (I ground up the nuts in my food processor. They were still a little mealy, but you don't want to grind them too much and make butter!)

Turn batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan and bake 25-30 minutes (I baked mine for 30). The edges and most of the top will have set but it will still be a bit wiggly in the middle when shook. Allow to cool and then cut into 16 pieces and serve. Brownies will be fudgy and gooey.

Super yummy!!

As you can tell, I had a itty bitty taste. I'm waiting til Jacob gets home to have a big one! But I had to try them while they were still warm!

Green Smoothies

I love green smoothies! They give me so much energy! Some people think it's strange to drink spinach, but I promise, these smoothies are not gross! You can't even taste the spinach.

All I do to make them is throw a handful of fresh spinach in the blender with a half cup or so of juice (I like oj best). Blend that up really well then add any kind of frozen fruit and blend again until smooth. You can use fresh fruit instead of frozen, but add a few ice cubes to thicken the smoothie. Here are some of my favorite add-ins:

• frozen banana
• frozen strawberries
• frozen pineapple
• flax seeds
• fresh apple slices
• carrots (add at the beginning with the spinach & juice)
• yogurt
• sliced almonds

Depending on what you add, you can get up to 2-3 servings of fruit/veggies in this smoothie! Can't beat that!

I wanted to share some pictures from today too. Kaitlyn has been here all day and my little brother, Joshua came over this afternoon. They had fun playing together!

Yummy Chicken & Rice Casserole

This casserole is a big hit in our family and at church dinners! I've changed the original recipe a good bit to suit our tastes. I love that this recipe doesn't use cream soups (a rare find when it comes to casseroles!), so it's gluten free!

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
salt & pepper
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pkg mushrooms, sliced
2 cups chicken broth (I use gluten-free)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1-1/2 tsp salt
1 can Rotel (tomatoes & chilies), slightly drained
1-1/4 cups raw long grain rice
1 tsp each Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, paprika, & garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium high. Sprinkle a dash of salt on the bottom of the pan. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces on two sides, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Add a little more salt to the pan (and more olive oil if needed) after every batch. This will help prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan. Remove chicken pieces and place in baking dish. Note: the chicken does not have to be cooked through, only browned.

In the same sauté pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, add the onions, and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add onions to baking dish.

Raise heat to medium high, add the sliced mushrooms. Dry sauté them (no need to add butter or oil), allowing the mushrooms to brown lightly, and release some of their moisture. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish.

Add chicken stock, milk, sour cream and salt to sauté pan. Whisk together over low heat until blended. Add the raw rice and rotel to the casserole dish, then carefully pour the sauce mixture over top. Add the seasonings to the dish. Stir the mixture so that everything is evenly distributed in the casserole dish.

Cover the casserole dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in a 375°F oven for 45-50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before removing foil. If the casserole is still too liquidy, let it cook a few minutes more, uncovered, until the excess liquid has evaporated away.

Approx 6 servings (the leftovers taste great too!)

Check out other great gluten-free dinner recipes here.

Homemade Pizza

We love pizza! Because I have food allergies and can't eat regular flour, I have to make my own pizza crust. Soon after we were married I started experimenting with different recipes. This recipe is definitely the best! It is the quickest, easiest and tastiest! I originally got this recipe from Crystal at Money Saving Mom but I've made a few changes. Go here to see the original recipe.

Pizza Crust:

1 pkg dry yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp vegetable oil (I use olive oil sometimes too)

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp (each) oregano, basil, & rosemary (if you don't have separate spices, you can substitute Italian seasoning)

2 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in water. Add remaining ingredients except flour. Mix well.

Stir in flour & knead until dough is smooth.

I knead in my bowl, but you do it on a floured surface as well.

Roll out and press onto a greased pizza stone or pizza pan

Add your favorite toppings.

This is the combination we like best: Ragu pasta sauce, pepperoni, cooked & drained sausage, peppers, onions, and mozzarella cheese. Look here for some creative topping ideas!

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until crust looks crispy and slightly browned. Enjoy!

Be sure to check out Life as Mom for more frugal ideas!