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Nitro Cold Brew Coffee

One of my favorite pleasures in this world is nitro cold brew coffee. I fell in love with it in the Strip District several years ago. “We Come from France” is my all time favorite flavor. You can get this beautiful concoction at Allegheny Coffee. The blend is vanilla & creme brûlée 😍. The texture is so creamy, smooth, & milky without any cream added to it. Then on top of all that it is infused with nitrogen. So you can get a keg full of it (and I have!). This addiction can be an expensive habit.

Or my boyfriend Chad can brew you up our blend of the perfect marriage of Peruvian Coffee, which is sweet with chocolate, & nutty smooth accents. We add pure vanilla extract from penzeys and creme brûlée extract to the brew to mimic the coffee house blend. I now prefer our blend compared to Allegheny Coffee’s brew. Bonus we make it decaf due to my desire to lessen my caffeine intake. I am already highly strung. No need for additional caffeine.

Ingredients:

60 grams of high quality ground coffee

4 cups of filtered water

32 ounce size mason jar

Pure vanilla extract taste

Creme brûlée extract to taste

Directions:

1. Place the ground coffee in a large mason jar. Add 4 cups of water.

2. Let the coffee rest on the counter top at room temperature for 12 hours.

3. After the time has elapsed. Strain the coffee through a fine strainer and/or use a coffee filter.

4. Discard the coffee grounds (our plants love the coffee grounds especially the Swedish Ivy). Using a funnel, pour the coffee back into a clean mason jar. Make sure to add additional water back to the strained coffee to equal 4 cups of total liquid. Some of the liquid is lost due to the absorption of the grounds.

5. Place the coffee into a stainless steel whipper add a few drops of vanilla and creme brûlée extract. Place the lid on the whipper and add nitrogen cartridges. Twist to let the gas release, lock, and shake it like a Polaroid picture.

6. For optimal results let the coffee chill for a few hours before adding the nitrogen cartridge.

7. Wait for pure magic to transpire as you pour your first cup. 😋

Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes

Summer time means homegrown tomatoes! Chad and I’s tomato plants are 7 feet tall.

We planted over a hundred plants in the rooftop garden this year. So now that they are ready to be picked we cannot keep up. One of our favorite things to do is slow roast them in the oven (that is when we are not eating them right off the plants!). Yum! We grew a variety of small heirloom plants so many vibrant colors of the rainbow with various flavors and textures.

We also love to give the tomatoes away. We probably give more away than what we keep. Sharing is caring ☺️

Roasting and freezing them help us enjoy them all year round.

This is such a simple recipe! All you need is time.

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 pints of ripe tomatoes (we like to grow the smaller variety)
  • Olive oil or canola oil spray
  • Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 250 degrees
  • Prepare a 1/2 sheet baking tray with either rack insert or lined silicone mat
  • Wash & rinse the tomatoes with water
  • Cut the tomatoes in half & line them on the sheet pan cut-side down.
  • Place the pan in the oven and let them roast for 2 hours at 250 degrees.
  • Once time has elapsed remove from oven and let cool. Place the tomatoes using a funnel into ball jars. Store in refrigerators.

I love to place this on top of my salad, eggs, or in a wrap with hummus. Or just eat by the spoonful 😋

Salt & Pepper Cashews

 

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The holidays are here! That brings the cold weather. Friday was winter solstice the shortest day of the year. Warm up and bring in the holiday cheer with these spicy cashews.

I love making homemade gifts for the holidays. I made these for my mom and dad in mind. They love salt and pepper pistachios and I thought they would love salt and pepper cashews just as much since it is their favorite nut. These look super cute in mason jars with holiday trim or you can set out at your holiday party for the guests to snack on.

Ingredients :

1 tablespoon of canola oil

2 teaspoons of ground garlic & pepper blend ( or 1 teaspoon of ground garlic & 1 of ground pepper)

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 pound of raw cashew pieces ( Trader Joe’s is a good place to find nuts)

Directions

1. Heat a large sauté pan to medium heat. Add oil, spices, and salt. Let the spices heat and become aromatic. ( This takes about one minute). Continue to stir to prevent the spices from burning.

2. Turn the stove to low heat, add cashews and continue to stir for 4 minutes on low heat.

3. Remove from heat and let cool.

4. Once cooled completely place in air tight container. Fits perfectly in a pint mason jar.

Vanilla Bean Hummus

I tried a new twist on hummus two weekends ago! I was able to sample a few dessert hummus flavors and I think I ate the whole 8 ounce container of the vanilla bean in a weekend. I was out of town and I’m not sure you can locate the brand locally so I thought I’d give it a whirl.

Yields 18 servings 2 tablespoons

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of drained chickpeas

1/8 teaspoon of baking soda

1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon Milled flaxseed

1 1/2 vanilla beans, the paste

1/2 teaspoon off ground Vietnamese Cinnamon

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

7 packets of truvia or sweetener of you choice)

1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Directions:

Place the first 9 ingredients in the food processor and purée to cream. Gradually add the almond milk until you reach the desired creamy texture to your liking.

Refrigerator for a few hours or overnight for optimal taste.

Garlic Scape Pesto

Spring is the time of year for garlic scape season. They are popping up at all the local farmer’s markets. In the past I never used the scape of the garlic shoots. After I learned about their use I couldn’t believe I had wasted the beautiful greenery all these years. This recipe is just one way to enjoy the garlic flavor goodness.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pine nuts

3/4 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Roast pine nuts in a sauté pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes (until fragrant).

2. Place all the ingredients into the food processor (except for the olive oil)

3. Start the food processor and gradually add in the olive oil. Continue pulse until combined about 20-30 pulses.

This pesto is tasty with bread, veggies, pasta, pizza, or just on your fingers.

Enjoy!

Honey Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Spring time is the perfect time to make homemade dressings for salads. This recipe pairs really well with a strawberry, pineapple, yellow sweet pepper, craisins, sunflower seeds, & spinach salad which we made last night for dinner. I’m looking forward to making it again with fresh local strawberries and adding feta cheese next time.

This recipe yields: 1 cup (16 servings of two tablespoons)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (able one medium lemon)

2 teaspoons of poppyseeds

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a sealable container and shake well before each use.

Store in the refrigerator after each use.

Simply the Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

If I haven’t said it before, I have made at least 30 different versions of chocolate chip cookies. That said this recipe below is by far my most requested recipe!

In fact it’s the only recipe I have memorized by heart because I have made it so many times. I have been fine tunning it for years. My mom always says I don’t like to share my food but I do love to share my recipes! This one is for you Kathy 😊!

We are gearing up for our yearly Topsail NC road trip and I asked my nephew what cookies I should make. Despite I already knew the answer before I asked the question… CHOCOLATE CHIP Aunt Nelli ❤️.

This Recipe Yields: approximately 5 dozen cookies using number 60 scooper.

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter  (room temperature)

¾ cup brown sugar (not packed)

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 small (96g) box jell-o vanilla instant pudding or white chocolate

2 large eggs (room temperature)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (penzey’s single strength)

2 3/4 cups All purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

1 (12 ounce) bag semi sweet chocolate chips (I used Aldi Brand this time but ghirardelli is always a winner too)

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream together the butter, pudding, and both sugars. On a slow speed, add the eggs (one at a time), and vanilla extract to incorporate.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually on  a low speed add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.

3. Lastly add the chocolate chips. Mix until the chips are spread throughout dough evenly.
4. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.

5. After 45 minutes have elapsed preheat oven to 350. Keep the dough in the refrigerator. Prepare 1/2 sheet baking pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

6. Drop on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I use a number 60 scoop to make them uniform.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes; longer for really large cookies. (13 minutes is usually the trick to my oven)

Let the cookies sit on the pan for about a minute and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy because they won’t last long !

Lucy’s Dog Bisuits


Lucy is my 17 week old English Blockhead Lab. Before I ventured back to Pa my boss in NC made Lucy treats for the road trip. She loved them! My boss was kind enough to share her recipes with me. I believe this is a combination of Gunther’s Blend, her Schnauzer.

I compiled a few recipes into one. Once these are devoured I will make another batch and post.

These have to sit overnight in the oven and Lucy girl knew it and wouldn’t stop barking at the oven. 


I did let her sneak one. After all she is a good girl!


This recipe yield 123 mini dog bone biscuits (1 1/2 inch)

Recipe:

3 cups of whole wheat flour

1 cup Oat brand

1 1/3 cup Corn Meal

1 cup natural crunchy peanut butter

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup skim milk

3 eggs, separated (one is for the egg wash)

Canola oil (optional for soften up the dough)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Parchment paper line two half sheet cookie sheets. Set aside. 

2. In a large bowl mix together first three ingredients (all the grains). Set aside.

3. Place the peanut butter in a medium bowl microwave for 30 seconds stir and repeat once more. Add the milk and chicken stock to the melted peanut butter.  Lightly beat two of the eggs in small dish and add to the liquid ingredients and whisk together.  

4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry using a spatula mix until no dry residue remains. Cover with bowl with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rest for 15 minutes. 

5. Once the dough has rested lay a few hand fills of the dough on pastry mat or lightly floured surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into 1/4 inch thickeness and cut the biscuits out. Now I did add a teaspoon or two of the oil on my hands and worked it into the dough. The dough is dry. I added it to prevent cracking. 

6: Place the cut outs on the prepared baking dish. I was able to fit 45 per sheet pan using a 1 1/2 inch mini bone cut out. You can use any shape you want. The local dog bakery here in town uses circles. I found one antique cut-out  in the shape of a bunny I’ll use next time. 

7. Before placing in the oven brush with egg wash. The thicker you cut them the longer they need to bake. I went on the thicker side and baked mine for 20-23 minutes. 

8. Let the cookies dry on a drying rack. Once completely cooled and oven cooled as well place the biscuits back on the baking sheet and let dry out over night in oven. 

9. Next day place in airtight container and share with fur friends. 

Pumpkin Oat Bars

We had a special birthday in the office the other day and one of her favorite things to eat is pumpkin flavored treats . Luckily I still have a stock pile of puréed pumpkin in our freezer from our generous neighbors . I love using pumpkin purée in baked goods.

Sometimes I like to add it as a mystery ingredient for moisture and other times I like it to be the star of the show . Puréed pumpkin is a very moist and packed nutrients. It is a perfect substitute to swap out some unnecessary fat with oil or butter in a baked good. Pumpkin is high in vitamin A and bonus only 30 calories per 1 cup cubed. 

Ingredients:

1 cup pure puréed pumpkin

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup puffed wheat cereal

1 cup raw sugar

1 oz chocolate hazelnut spread

1/2 cup peanut butter 

1/2 cups dried craisins
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 by 9 baking dish with foil. Spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Thoroughly mix together in a large bowl the first 7 ingredients and then fold in the dried cranberries. 
3. Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Spread the batter evenly into the baking dish. 
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 
5. Allow to cool, cut into 16 bars, and enjoy!

Lemon Ice Box Pie

 


This year I was in charge of the pies and rolls for Easter. My mom hosted Easter dinner and allowed me to help with these few items to help her in the kitchen.  I love baking so I was anxious  to try a few new recipes.  

I love using my grandma’s pie dish so I was pleased to make the pies. It makes me feel like she was with us this year sharing the meal and memories.

Ingredients:

Crust:

16 Lemon Flavored Oreos

3 TB unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8 ounce) packet of 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 can (14 oz) of sweetened skim condensed milk

1/4 cup of egg white substitute

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 TB boiled (this will take about 3 lemons)

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp gelatin

Directions:

1. Place the Oreos in the food processor and pulse. Slowly add the butter and incorporate.

2. Place the mixture into a standard pie dish and press into dish. Place the dish into the refrigerator and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes.

3. In the meantime prepare the filling. In stand mixer beat with paddle attachment the cream cheese, egg substitute and sweetened condensed milk.

4. Mix 3 TB of the hot lemon juice and dissolve the gelatin in the hot juice. Mix the gelatin until it dissolved. Set aside.

5. Add in the lemon juice and zest to the cream cheese mixture, then fold in the gelatin mixture.

6. Pour the filling into the pie dish, cover with saran wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Keep chilled prior to serving