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Feb 24, 2014

Thanks for All the Thumbs Ups

BeefStewThumbsUp_2

It means so much to me when anyone takes the time to post a comment about one of my recipes. So I just want to say “thank you” to all of you who let me know that by sharing my home cooking, I’m making a difference. I don’t allow ads on this site or accept any sponsors so the only reason I created this place was so I can share what I love. So thank you for your comments and please continue to send your feedback on my recipes. I appreciate it so much!

Now, a little trivia…

~My most popular recipe on Youtube is Pepperoni Pizza with over 190,000 views.

~My most popular recipe on Pinterest is Beef Stew with over 50,000 pins.

~The recipe that generated the most comments on this site is Cabbage Rolls.

~People from 143 countries have visited this site.

~The number of people who post,”You look so familiar. Have you ever been on TV?” – five. 🙂

I wish you all good health and happy cooking!

Jenny

Filed Under: General
1 Comment
Feb 21, 2014

GIANT Breakfast Cookies

Healthy Breakfast Cookies

OMG! I love these breakfast cookies so much! They are so healthy and each cookie has over four grams of fiber! Let’s talk about what’s in them… and what’s not. First of all, there is no butter and no white flour. There are lots of oats and whole grain flour, and then I add some high fiber cereal or wheat bran for even more health benefits – and crunch. They are sort of chewy and crunchy at the same time. The prunes not only add fiber, they help keep the cookies moist. Dark chocolate does have health benefits…. and it’s chocolate!  Now some info on the ingredients:

~Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour is not the same as whole wheat flour. The pastry flour will make a lighter cookie.

~Oats: I use Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats, not quick-cooking.

~Cereal: I use Smart Bran (from Whole Foods) or Kellogg’s All Bran Original or plain wheat bran.

~Oil: I use avocado oil but they also work with  extra light olive oil or canola oil.

~Chocolate: Dark chocolate has antioxidants so the darker the better. I use dark chocolate chunks, usually a 70% dark chocolate bar.

~Prunes: They are not all the same. Moist prunes keep the cookie moist so I use Sunsweet Premium Prunes in the round can or St. Dalfour French Prunes in a jar. If you can’t find these prunes, try pouring boiling water over regular prunes, cover and let stand for 15 minutes, then drain and chop. Without moist and sticky prunes, these cookies will be dry.

Why should you make this cookie? It’s all about the fiber in this healthy breakfast cookie, which contains lots and lots of soluble and insoluble fiber. The benefits include everything from lower cholesterol, protection against colon cancer, heart disease & stroke, reduced risk of diverticulitis, hemorrhoids  & diabetes as fiber slows the absorption of sugar, more stabilized blood sugar, less constipation, easier weight management because fiber keeps you feeling full longer… but if you increase your fiber, it’s also important to drink plenty of water for it to assimilate properly. But enough about fiber. Make this cookie. Try it. It’s so good, you’ll be doing what I do and having it for dessert too! – Jenny Jones  Click here for the recipe.

UPDATE Feb. 27th:

In case anyone finds their cookies to be dry, please make sure to use moist prunes and not the typical ones that are more common. If you can’t find these prunes, try pouring boiling water over regular prunes, cover and let stand for 15 minutes, then drain and chop.

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Feb 14, 2014

Fall-Off-The-Bone Ribs

I want everyone to see how easy it is to make baby back ribs with tender meat that falls off the bone. There’s no mystery to making those barbeque ribs we all love, the ones where you have to catch the meat as it falls away from the bone. It’s easy. But if you’re impatient, you will have to change your ways to make tender ribs because you really need to slow cook them first. But there’s nothing to do during all that time while you wait for the ribs to tenderize.

Oh wait… there is something to do. Call the neighbors over for a barbeque! Middle of winter? Snow on the roof? No problem. You can do it all in the oven. In fact, there is so little clean up if you do it all in the oven, that has become my favorite way to make ribs. By using a disposable foil pan, and working on foil or wax paper, the only thing to wash is your sticky fingers from my amazing sauce (yes, there’s a recipe here for that too), most of your face, and the white shirt you should never have worn on rib day.

So don’t wait for summer to enjoy my fall-off-the-bone ribs. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Filed Under: Videos 16 Comments
Feb 10, 2014

Gluten-free pancakes

IanzGurrl asks… Just found out the hubby is gluten-intolerant. Could I make your blueberry buttermilk  pancakes (and would they still be yummy) with rice flour?

My Response… The short answer is yes. I had never used gluten-free flour before so I bought some at the grocery store and made my pancake recipe using King Arthur Gluten Free Flour… this one…

img_8566I did some research and they say you have to add xanthan gum to rice flour to add body for baking but this flour made really good pancakes. It does contain some added starches so maybe that’s all it needed for pancakes. I made plain buttermilk pancakes and one with blueberries and they came out great. I ate all three!

IMG_9332If your rice flour has no starches added, you may need to add some or just try the flour I used or one with added starches. Next, I’m going to try baking a cake with gluten-free flour. Fingers crossed!

Feb 4, 2014

Easy Turkey Chili

Easy Recipe Turkey Chili

Any dinner that all cooks in one pot is for me! And if it’s low fat, healthy, easy to make, and tastes yummy, I have to share. Sure I use a can, a box, and a carton but it’s all good. The can is the red kidney beans. They provide fiber, calcium, and help reduce cholesterol. The box is Pomi strained tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes have lycopene, a great prostate protector and wrinkle preventer. The carton is unsalted chicken stock which is handy for my 30-minute chili. I try to use my own homemade chicken stock in this recipe but the carton is easy to keep on hand. This really is quick and easy chili but it tastes like it cooked for hours.

It’s hard to mess up this easy recipe so feel free to make it your own. Here are some other suggestions… 1) You can use ground beef instead of turkey but keep it lean. Use ground sirloin. 2) Use a different tomato product like canned crushed tomatoes or stewed ones. 3) Use a spicier chili pepper like habanero, if you dare. 4) Spice it up with some cayenne pepper or hot sauce.

For my taste, this is just the right amount of spice and just the right amount of easy. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Feb 1, 2014

How Long to Keep Spices

Vicki asks… How long should spices be kept? I never know when to throw out and replace so I seem to have multiples. I don’t know if they are any good when I need something.

My response… They say not to keep spices for too long because they lose potency over time, but I have had some for almost ten years! So when I use the older ones, I just use more. I probably should replace some of my older ones but it’s hard to throw away an almost full bottle. (Btw, I still have 25-year old bottles of makeup!) Sure, there are guidelines for spices but I go by how they smell and as long as it smells like it’s supposed to, I use it. There is clearly no definitive answer to this quandary. Here’s a guideline I found on the Spice Islands website:

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But on the Spice Hunter website they say:

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Here are some tips:

1. Lose the spice rack. Store your spices away from direct light or heat. The worst place would be out in the open on the back of the stove. I store mine in a drawer.

2. It’s a good idea to mark the bottle or tin of spice with the date you opened it.

3. Never shake herbs or spices out of the bottle directly into something you’re cooking – that’s the quickest way to steam and spoil your spices.

4. To test a spice’s potency, rub some in the palm of your hand. If it smells good, it’s good. That’s what I do.

Jan 30, 2014

Caramelized Onion-Roasted Red Pepper Dip

Caramelized Onion Dip with Roasted Red Pepper

Are you ready for Super Bowl Sunday? I’m pretty sure it’s a football game but I just watch for the commercials, then I leave the room when the  ball-throwing starts. If you’re looking for healthy snack ideas for this weekend, here’s one you’ll love. It’s my Caramelized Onion-Roasted Red Pepper Dip and this combination of richly caramelized sweet onions and roasted red pepper makes a unique, delicious, intensely flavored dip that may sound complicated but it’s really easy to make. I use bottled roasted red peppers. You could roast your own peppers… but I don’t. Jarred ones are ideal for a dip so the only work is to caramelize the onions – that’s something you can’t buy. Serve this amazing dip and I promise you everyone will love it and probably ask for the recipe.

It’s easy. First you caramelize the onions (which you can do the day before) and then you put them and everything else in a food processor. It’s that simple. In fact, the dip will taste even better if you make it all the day before. So…. let’s see…. you can cook the onions tomorrow, finish the dip on Saturday, and let it marinate in the fridge until Sunday. This delicious recipe raises the dip bar from the old days when we all made onion dip with a package of onion soup mix and sour cream.

This dip is not only tastier, it’s way healthier too. Red onions are full of anti-aging compounds that reduce inflammation and may protect you against cancer, stroke, and memory loss. By using reduced fat sour cream and fat free yogurt, you’ll have a low-fat and healthy dip to serve with crudite or maybe some nice reduced fat chips. Happy Super Bowl Sunday! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Jan 28, 2014

How To Make Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

How To Make Hard Boiled Eggs Easy To Peel

I make a lot of hard boiled eggs.  A lot. There are some in my fridge right now… perfect, easy to peel, no green ring, hard boiled eggs for snacking, breakfast, deviled eggs, and egg salad. I’ve learned a few things about how to make foolproof hard boiled eggs so here’s what I know…

1) Really fresh eggs will be harder to peel so use your older eggs for boiling.

2) Place eggs in a pot and cover completely with cold water.

3) Do not crowd too many eggs in the pot or they may not cook.

4) If you see a stream of bubbles coming out of an egg in the cold water that means it’s cracked. Remove the cracked egg and save it for cooking.

5) Add ½ teaspoon of baking soda to the water. If you don’t have baking soda, use salt.

6) Bring the water to a full, rolling boil.

7) Cover the pot and turn off the heat, leaving the pot on the warm burner.

8) Set a timer for 17 minutes. Prepare a bowl of ice water.

10) After 17 minutes remove the eggs from the hot water using a slotted spoon and place them in the ice water for 2 minutes. They will still be warm inside after two minutes.

11) Serve immediately or keep refrigerated.

11) Freshly boiled, warm eggs will be easier to peel than cold ones.

12) Peeling them under running water makes peeling easier.

13) Start to peel at the fat end of the egg for easier peeling.

So that’s all I know about making perfect hard-boiled eggs. Now here is why I eat them: Eggs are a great source of….

~Protein, B vitamins, and minerals.

~Choline, which reduces inflammation, protects against breast cancer, and supports brain health.

~Lutein and Zeaxanthin to ward off macular degeneration.

~Sulphur for shiny hair, strong nails, and glowing skin.

~New research tells us that egg yolks contain dietary cholesterol but they do not raise blood cholesterol. For the latest research on eggs from Prevention Magazine, click here.

So that’s everything I know about making perfect, easy to peel, no green ring hard boiled eggs. Now here’s as quiz: Q: Why do brown eggs cost more than white ones? A: Because the hens are bigger and it costs more to feed them. Nutritionally, there is no difference.

Jan 24, 2014

Choose Red Onions

RedOnionsAlmost every dinner I cook starts out with onions and garlic. But the taste isn’t the only reason to eat them. There are lots of health benefits from both onions and garlic but when buying onions, there are more reasons to choose red ones.

Cancer protection: Red onions have 30% more cancer fighting compounds than white.

Brain boost: Red onions provide quercetin, a flavonoid that helps keep your memory sharp and fights free radicals.

Inflammation: Red onions have twice the antioxidants of white onions to help reduce inflammation.

NOTE: Most of the flavonoids are concentrated in the outer layers of the onion so peel as little off the outer skin as possible to get the most benefits.

Jan 23, 2014

Flaxseed Muffins

Homemade Flaxseed Muffins

How do I love this muffin? Let me count the ways…

1)  Fiber. Lots and lots of fiber to keep you full longer and help with weight loss.

2)  Heart-healthy olive oil. Who makes muffins with olive oil? I do!

3)  Flaxseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids to protect the heart.

4)  Flaxseeds are rich in lignans, which protect against breast and prostate cancer.

5)  Flaxseeds reduce inflammation.

6)  Flaxseeds have lots of antioxidants.

7)  Super easy recipe.

Even if they didn’t have this many health benefits, I would still eat these flaxseed muffins because… well they are darn tasty. – Jenny Jones

Click here for the recipe.