I’ve found some wonderful flavored popcorn recipes and decided to share the recipes one a month for the year!  This month’s offering is Nacho!

Ingredients

10 cups popped popcorn about 1/3-½ cups kernels

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1/4 cup butter melted

Instructions

Place popcorn in a large bowl.

Combine paprika, cumin and parmesan in a small bowl.

Pour melted butter over popcorn, and sprinkle with spice mixture. Toss until all pieces are evenly coated.

ENJOY!

Today’s offering is an easy (!) Chicken Noodle Soup. I found this recipe at Land o Lakes website when I was looking for low-sodium alternates. I haven’t tried this one yet, but it seemed simple enough.

Ingredients

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

3 (14.5-ounce) cans low sodium chicken broth

3 medium (1 ¹/₂ cups) carrots, sliced

2 ribs (1 cup) celery, sliced

1 small (¹/₂ cup) onion, chopped

2 cups uncooked dried wide egg noodles

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt

Pepper

Directions

STEP 1

Combine all ingredients except egg noodles, parsley, salt and pepper in 4-quart saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 5-8 minutes or until mixture just comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, 10-15 minutes or until carrots are tender.

STEP 2

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Stir hot cooked noodles into hot soup mixture. Sprinkle with parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

ENJOY!

Today’s recipe is Red Velvet Bundt Cake in honor of Valentine’s Day!

Ingredients

Cake:

Baking spray with flour

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. table salt

1 cup (8 oz.) unsalted butter, softened

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup whole buttermilk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. white vinegar

2 tsp. to 2 Tbsp. red food coloring

Cream Cheese Glaze:

4 oz. (1/2 package) cream cheese, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. half and half or whole milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

Prepare oven and Bundt pan:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously spray a 12 cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour.

Prepare Cake:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add vegetable oil and beat 1 minute longer, until combined.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop and scrape down the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl as needed.

Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, starting and ending with flour.

Beat in vanilla, vinegar, and food coloring (tint to desired shade) just until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and tap lightly on the counter to release any bubbles. Smooth the top of the batter with a spatula.

Bake cake:

Bake 55-65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the top of cake springs back when touched.

Let cool in pan on cooling rack 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling rack to cool completely.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Glaze:

Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and salt together with an electric mixture on medium speed until smooth. Add half and half and vanilla; beat until smooth. If glaze is too thick to pour, add additional half and half, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

Decorate Cake:

Pour glaze over cooled cake.

ENJOY!

(You all know me by now…if it’s weird, I’m interested!  I found this article on the Organic Facts website.)

Purple Carrot: Nutrition & Benefits

While many people have never heard of – or eaten – a purple carrot, they are deliciously sweet additions to many different meals. The taste of the purple carrots is not the only reason to eat them because they are also packed with a good amount of nutrients and health benefits!

What is a Purple Carrot?

A purple carrot is a color variant of traditional carrots, which bear the scientific name Daucus carota subsp. sativus. While most people in the US and UK are familiar only with orange carrots, purple carrots are far more commonly found in the East, particularly in China and India. However, they were first cultivated more than 1,000 years ago in the region of Afghanistan, and they spread from there. What many people don’t realize is that purple carrots were actually the original form of these globally popular vegetables. Paler colors only originated later, once the carrots were grown in different regions. These uniquely colored carrots are high in anthocyanin, which gives them their characteristic color and a surprisingly sweet taste.

The larger the carrots, the larger the central core, where most of the nutrients are stored, which results in more sweetness. Although the exterior of these carrots may be purple, the center is often yellow or orange. Purple carrots can be used in the same ways as any other carrots – in soups, stews, salads, sandwiches, stir-frys, and as a raw snack. While they aren’t as readily available in the US and UK as they are in Asia, they can easily be found in specialty grocery stores and import stores.

Purple Carrot Nutrition

Purple carrots have a similar nutrient profile to other types of carrots, with a few important distinctions. These carrots are a rich source of dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, manganese, and vitamin K. There is a low level of calories – only 25 calories per cup – and only 5 grams of carbohydrates. When it comes to antioxidants, however, purple carrots have a good lutein and beta-carotene content. Purple carrots also contain more phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, than any other carrot variety, except for black carrots.

Purple Carrot Health Benefits

The most impressive health benefits of purple carrots include its effects on weight loss, chronic disease, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory conditions, vision, and circulation, among others.

Weight Loss

Purple carrots are particularly prized for their place in a weight-loss diet. This low-calorie, low-fat, and high-fiber vegetable is an excellent way to fill yourself up without compromising your dietary goals. Furthermore, digesting all of that fiber can help to speed up your metabolism, which can help with passive fat-burning if you’re trying to shed pounds.

Cardiovascular Disease

With high levels of dietary fiber and antioxidants that can help protect the integrity of the cardiovascular system, purple carrots are great for heart health. The fiber can help to lower overall cholesterol levels, which will lower your risk of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes, as well as cardiovascular diseases. The vitamin C in these carrots is also critical for the strength of the artery and blood vessel walls.

Reduces Inflammation

Research has shown that anthocyanins, which are found in high concentrations in purple carrots, can help relieve many different inflammatory conditions, including arthritis, gout, headaches, and even hemorrhoids.

Improves Vision

Although purple carrots contain less beta-carotene than orange and yellow varieties, there is also a significant amount of lutein and zeaxanthin in these carrots, all of which can help to improve vision. These antioxidants will reduce oxidative stress in the retina, preventing macular degeneration and lowering your risk of cataracts. ^]

Improves Circulation

There is a decent amount of iron in purple carrots, which is great for boosting circulation, but the presence of vitamin C and other antioxidants will also help to prevent breakage and blockage within the circulatory system, ensuring that all your metabolic processes continue normally.

Treats Chronic Disease

The high level of anthocyanins found in these colored carrots means that they are excellent antioxidants; these compounds are able to seek out and neutralize free radicals, which are responsible for cellular mutation and other forms of chronic disease, such as heart diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis.

How to add Purple Carrots to your diet?

Adding purple carrots to your diet is very easy and healthy as well. Here are some simple ways to add them to your diet.

Purple carrot salads: You can dice some purple carrots and add to any salad of your choice

Roasted purple carrots: Slice the carrots and roast them with some olive oil, salt, and pepper

Stir-fries: You can add purple carrots to while making any stir fry along with your favorite vegetables or meats

Carrots and hummus: You can serve sliced purple carrots alongside hummus

Soups and stews: Purple carrots can be added while preparing any soup or stew

There are many ways to enjoy purple carrots, so start cooking and enjoy!

SOURCE: ORGANIC FACTS

JOHN STAUGHTON

I’ve found some wonderful flavored popcorn recipes and decided to share the recipes one a month for the year!  This month’s offering is Parmesan Ranch!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

¾ teaspoon garlic salt

¾ teaspoon onion powder

¾ teaspoon dried parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon dried dill

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup unpopped popcorn kernels, OR 12 cups freshly popped popcorn, unseasoned

Instructions

Measure Parmesan, garlic salt, onion powder, dried parsley, salt, dried dill, and black pepper into a mini food processor (or blender). Pulse until all ingredients are ground into a fine powder. Set aside.

Cube butter and melt (either in a glass measuring cup in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove). Allow to sit for a few minutes.

To pop 6 cups of popcorn at a time in the microwave, pour ¼ cup popcorn kernels in a clean paper sack (I use a 12 ⅜ X 6 ⅛ X 4″ brown paper lunch bag). Fold over the top several times. Microwave on high until there is a 2-second pause between pops (all microwaves vary, but this will probably take around 2 minutes, give or take 30 seconds). Shake the bag so that any unpopped kernels roll to one corner. Tear a tiny hole in that corner and shake out kernels. Pour popped popcorn into a large bowl. Repeat entire process one more time for a total of 12 cups popcorn.

Use a spoon to skim the foam from the surface of the melted butter and discard. Slowly drizzle the clear, yellow, melted butter over the popcorn in the bowl, occasionally stirring with a large spoon to make sure that all of the popcorn is evenly coated. Stop pouring out the melted butter once you reach the milky solids in the bottom of the cup/pan (you may discard these or reserve for use in another recipe).

Sprinkle the popcorn with the Ranch Popcorn Seasoning, carefully stirring and tossing so that the popcorn gets evenly coated. Taste as you go…you may choose to use some or all of the Parmesan/herb mixture, and at the end, you may season with additional salt and/or pepper, to taste, if desired. Serve immediately.

These are TIPS & TRICKS from the insanelygood.com website:

Tips + Tricks

There are a couple of easy secrets-to-success behind this Ranch Popcorn Seasoning.

By grinding the Ranch Popcorn Seasoning into a powder, it distributes the flavors and coats the popcorn more evenly than would be accomplished by simply mixing everything together.

Also, the purpose of only using the clear, bright yellow layer of melted butter is that you’re essentially drizzling your popcorn with clarified butter. And since clarified butter is pure butterfat — with excess water and milk proteins removed — your popcorn is less likely to become wet and soggy. Yay!

Today’s offering is Banana Bundt cake from Southern Living—which combines the goodness of banana bread with the richness of a bundt cake!

Banana Bundt Cake

Ingredients

Cake

Baking spray with flour

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

3/4 cup salted butter, softened

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup packed light brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature

1 cup mashed very ripe bananas

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 tablespoons whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Additional Ingredient

Chopped toasted pecans

Directions

Prepare the Cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 16-cup Bundt pan generously with baking spray. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition.

Beat in bananas, pecans, and vanilla just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared pan, and spread evenly.

Bake the Cake:

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen edges of cake from sides of pan using an offset spatula; carefully remove from pan, and invert onto wire rack.

Cool completely, about 2 hours.

Prepare the Glaze:

Whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl until completely smooth. Spoon Glaze over top of cooled Cake, allowing Glaze to drip down sides. Garnish with chopped toasted pecans. Let stand 30 minutes before slicing.

ENJOY!

Today’s offering looks so good and although it takes a couple of additional steps, it’s still an easy dessert!  Peanut Butter Brownies!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 cup salted butter

3 oz. dark chocolate bar, chopped

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 large eggs

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup peanut butter chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9-by-9-inch square baking pan then line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides. Microwave the peanut butter for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat as necessary until peanut butter is pourable. Pour into the prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Remove the peanut butter layer and transfer to a small sheet tray. Store in the freezer until ready to use. 

Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a medium mixing bowl.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Remove from heat.

Beat the sugar, salt, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Slowly drizzle in the melted chocolate mixture on low speed until combined. Beat in the flour mixture on low speed until just combined. 

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Remove peanut butter layer from the freezer, and place on top of brownie batter. Top with the remaining half of the brownie batter, and spread to even out the top. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes or until puffed, dry to the touch, and set on the top (a wooden pick inserted in the center will not come out clean). Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, about 3 hours. Cut into 16 squares.

ENJOY!

PAT’S NOTE: I think you could probably substitute a box mix for the brownie part—just make the peanut butter layer as described and top with the chocolate and peanut butter chips before baking!  Easy-Peasy!

Since it’s almost New Year’s Eve, I thought I’d share one of my daughter’s favorite party recipes…Rum Balls!

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 75 wafers)

1 cup ground pecans

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons baking cocoa

¼  – ½ cup rum (your choice)

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons water

Additional confectioners’ sugar or crushed vanilla wafers

Directions

Mix together wafer crumbs, pecans, confectioners’ sugar and cocoa. Combine rum, honey and water; stir into crumb mixture. Shape into 1-in. balls. Roll in additional confectioners’ sugar or wafer crumbs. (I have seen these rum balls also rolled in crushed pecans, coconut or candy bits.)  Store in an airtight container.

NOTE: Bourbon may be substituted for the rum if you like.

ENJOY!

Every year I attempt one new cookie.  If the family likes it, I add it to the holiday cookie list.  This year I wanted to try Rolo Turtles.  (At this point, I have not tried them yet, as hubby and I have been sick, but I am going to when I feel better.)

ROLO TURTLES

1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

24 Rolo chocolate candies, unwrapped

For rolling:

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 cup crushed pecans

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and slowly mix until combined.

Measure about 1 tablespoon of dough and wrap around a Rolo candy into a ball shape. Repeat with remaining dough and Rolo candies.

In a small bowl, combine the granulated sugar and crushed pecans. (I used coarsely chopped pecans and no added sugar.)  Roll each dough ball in the mixture until coated on all sides. Place dough balls on the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until set and slightly cracked. Allow cookies to cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

ENJOY!