Meatloaf

I LOVE meatloaf!!! When I was a kid and my mom would ask me what I wanted for dinner on my birthday I would say meatloaf, I would still say meatloaf today! My hubby and Little Foodie are not big fans of meatloaf but since I cook most of our meals so that they appeal to their taste, once in a while I like to cook something that is my favorite. This meatloaf was super moist and Little Foodie said it was really yummy! I adapted this recipe from one found on allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

• 1 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/8 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup tomato juice
• 1 dash liquid smoke flavoring
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 2 dashes liquid smoke flavoring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the beef, onion, oatmeal, cornmeal, bread crumbs, salt, sugar, egg, tomato juice,1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke and vinegar. Mix together thoroughly and place mixture into a lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
3. In a separate small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar, mustard and 2 drops liquid smoke and mix thoroughly. Spread over the top of the meatloaf.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately45 minutes.

Chili in the Crockpot

I make chili differently each time I make it, I have never really used a recipe, I kind of just pour in the ingredients and let it cook up in the crockpot. Yesterday morning I started a big pot of chili that we would later enjoy with friends while watching football. I decided to finally write down what I put in the chili so I could keep a record of what was added. This is a meat-free version but you could add cooked ground beef if you like. We like to serve our chili over rice and then I set up a toppings bar with sour cream, shredded cheese, diced onions, hot sauce and some type of hot peppers. Enjoy!

1/4 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons of dry minced onion
2 tablespoons of cumin
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
2 diced chilies in adobo sauce (comes in a small can, usually found near the taco seasonings)
32 oz of Tomato or Veggie Juice
40 oz can of Kidney Beans (rinsed and drained)
32 oz can of crushed tomatoes
32 oz can of diced tomatoes
small can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a large crockpot and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Enjoy!!

Oven Fried Chicken Drumsticks

Sometimes you just need a little fried chicken, Little Foodies loves the crunchy skin! I HATE frying foods, I detest the smell that it leaves in the house and not to mention the clean up but I enjoy the taste of fried chicken. The solution is oven fried chicken, it still has the crispy coating but a lot less guilt and clean-up. Enjoy!

• chicken drumsticks
  
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• cooking spray
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.
   
2. Place flour in a shallow plate or bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put the bread crumbs and paprika in another shallow plate or bowl and beat the eggs in another bowl.
3. Dredge the chicken piece by piece in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs, until all pieces are coated. Add the chicken to the dish and spray with cooking spray (the cooking spray will help crisp the chicken). Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.

Pound Cake and Lemon Ice Cream

If your New Year's resolution was to loose weight then you should probably not read this recipe, but if you want to impress dinner guests or you have a lot of self-control then read on. This is the first time I have made pound cake, I thought it would be hard but it was super easy and soooo yummy!!! The original cake recipe called for sprite but we don't usually buy soda, I had a mystery bottle of cherry coke in the pantry so I substituted it for the sprite. I also made some super yummy lemon ice cream that went terrific with the cake. I adapted the cake recipe from on of my favorite blogs, thepioneerwoman.com. Enjoy

Lemon Ice Cream

1 cup of milk
3/4 cup of sugar
2 cups of heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp of lemon extract

Mix all ingredients together and then follow directions that come with your ice cream maker.


Pound Cake

• 3 sticks Butter
• 3 cups Sugar
• 5 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Butter Flavoring
• 2 teaspoons Lemon Flavoring
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup of soda
  

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream butter. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition. Add butter and lemon extracts and mix well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add soft drink, then mix together until combined. Scrape sides of bowl, then mix briefly.

Pour into a greased Bundt pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake is no longer jiggly.

Remove cake from oven and invert pan onto a plate until cake drops out.

Cauliflower Au Gratin

I have had a head of cauliflower in my veggie crisper since Christmas, although I am pretty sure it would have been happy to stay in there a little longer, I needed the room so I created a yummy side dish. It was a big hit at the dinner table! Enjoy!

1 head of cauliflower broken into pieces
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of milk (I used fat free milk)
1 log of goat cheese (break into hunks using a fork)
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 and spray a casserole dish with cooking spray. Place the cauliflower pieces, heavy cream, milk and goat cheese in a large bowl add the salt and pepper and mix. Place the cauliflower mixture into the baking dish and place in oven for 30-40 minutes, cauliflower should be fork tender and sauce should have thickened. Enjoy!

Cranberry Chocolate Almond Bars

Cranberries aren't just for jellied cranberry sauce, they are perfect in breads and desserts. I adore cranberries, I always have a few bags of cranberries in my freezer. Little Foodie has been enjoying a little square of this dessert each day when she gets home from school, she enjoys it warmed up in the microwave "so the chocolate gets all melty". I adapted this recipe from one found on bakingbites.com. Enjoy!

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup silvered almonds, divided
1/2 cup of chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease an 8×8-inch baking pan.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Mix in chopped cranberries, chocolate chips and slivered almonds. Dough should have a cookie dough-like consistency.
Spread dough into prepared pan using a spatula to push it into the corners. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool completely before slicing.

Making your own Salad Dressing

One of my many resolutions for the New Year is to continue making more of my own foods, including salad dressing. There are so many dressings on the market and you can find a lot of dressings that claim to be healthy but something about making it from scratch makes it not only taste better but it makes me feel better about serving it to my family. I posted this recipe along with a salad recipe in September but this time instead of adding sugar I added honey. Enjoy!

1cup Oil

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar

1/2 cup of honey

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

mix all ingredients in a shakable container, mix and enjoy!

Cheesy Baked Potatoes

The portion size on this plate looks huge, well it is huge, it is my hubby's plate. For some reason I always take a pic of my hubby's plate since he usually gets the largest portion and his plate always looks the best. Little Foodie usually has a tiny Little Foodie portion and buy the time I fill my plate I am rushing to the table and the food gets tossed on the plate. Last night was a meat-free night, you could add bacon to the potatoes but don't tell Little Foodie that was an option or I will be in big trouble. Little Foodie loved the cheese sauce, the potato and the kale; she adores kale but broccoli is not her favorite. I adapted this recipe from one found on one of my favorite food blogs, eatathomecooks.com. Enjoy!

• baking potatoes (either baked in the oven or in the microwave)
  
• fresh or frozen broccoli and some kale
  
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 3 Tbs. flour
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper
• 1tsp of garlic powder
• a dash of Worcestershire sauce
  

Cut the broccoli into bite site pieces. Place the broccoli and kale in a steamer and steam until broccoli is tender but not mushy.

In a skillet, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for a minute. Gradually whisk in the warm milk. Let it cook over medium heat until it begins to thicken a bit. Stir in the garlic powder, Worcestershire and cheese, letting it melt into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

Split the baked potatoes open. Top with broccoli/kale and cheese sauce.

It's Not Easy Being Green!

As a family we have some pretty strong beliefs about what it means to be "green" and let me say it can sometimes be hard for other people to understand why we believe in eating organic and trying to live a more self-sustainable life. My hubby and I don't make a point of lecturing other people about buying organic but if asked we will be happy to share our thoughts. We recently had a friend asked us why we buy organic and for each point we made, he had an argument against it but in the end he understood where we were coming from. We are certainly not perfect, depending on our shopping budget there are times when I purchase food items that are not organic but I ALWAYS make sure I only buy organic dairy products and meats no mater what. Little Foodie came home last night and asked if she could PLEASE go to a school spirit night at a local fast food restaurant, she had valid points on why we should go and she even argued that of all the fast food restaurants this one seemed like the safest choice- what is a mother to do. I don't want to make my child feel like she is not allowed to participate in these types of activities but I also don't want her to think that one fast food restaurant is better than another, they all buy their meats from factory farms. That being said I want to be the type of parent that shares my beliefs with my child and also the type of parent who listens to my child and understands their point of view; so tonight we will be showing our school spirit.

Orange Cranberry Bread

I had two very ripe oranges sitting untouched in the fruit bowl so I found the perfect recipe. This bread smells so yummy when it is baking and as soon as it cools it will be tucked away in the freezer. I adapted this recipe from one found on bakingbites.com. Enjoy!

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup of sugar
3/4 tsp of baking soda
3/4 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
3/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp of orange zest
2 tbsp of canola or veggie oil
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly grease a loaf pan. Mix together the flout, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the orange juice, zest, oil and egg and mix until just combined. Stir in the cranberries and spread evenly into the baking pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely before slicing.

More Banana Bread

I have some weird addiction to finding new banana bread recipes, I found some great ones that I will make repeatedly but I still have a desire to find even better recipes. This recipe has a layer of brown sugar and nuts in the middle and it taste similar to the sugar coated nuts that are sold at festivals. Little Foodie and my hubby have asked for this every morning for breakfast and I hid one loaf in the freezer. I adapted this recipe form one found on allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

• 1/2 cup margarine, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4-5 mashed bananas
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Cream the butter or margarine and cream cheese together. Gradually add the white sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the mashed bananas, vanilla and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add flour, baking powder, and soda; mix until batter is just moist.
2. In a small bowl, mix together chopped pecans, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
3. Divide 1/2 batter into two greased and floured 8x4 inch loaf pans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over batter in pans, and top with remaining batter.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Chicken Sandwich w/ Mozzarella & Italian BBQ Sauce

This is not your ordinary chicken sandwich, the sauce is so yummy! I grilled my chicken on the outdoor grill and I doubled the sauce recipe and used it the next night to make a pasta dinner with the leftover chicken and sauce. I adapted this recipe from one found in the Rachel Ray magazine. Enjoy!

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus more for drizzling
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• One 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (yum!)
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 4 pieces skinless, boneless chicken breast, each halved horizontally into 2 cutlets
• 12 thin slices smoked mozzarella cheese (1-pound ball)
• whole wheat rolls
  

1. Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. In a medium saucepan, heat the EVOO, 2 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock and heat through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and lots of pepper. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 7 to 8 minutes.

2. Drizzle the chicken with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Cook on the grill pan, turning once, for 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and layer 1 chicken piece with 2 mozzarella slices, another chicken piece and another mozzarella slice. Repeat 3 more times to make 4 double-decker chicken stacks. Tent with foil for 1 minute to soften the mozzarella cheese.

3. Place the chicken on the roll and top with the sauce, you can add fresh basil if you have some on hand.

Easy Pot Pie

When I was in elementary school I LOVED when it was chicken pot pie day, there was something about those tiny tins filled with warm creamy goodness and not to mention the buttery crust, yum! It has been so cold here lately I was in the mood for some comfort food but I didn't want to make my own crust, not that I haven't made a from scratch pot pie but they can be a lot of work. I found and adapted this Campbell's recipe for an easy pot pie and Little Foodie couldn't get enough of it, she said it was so creamy and delicious! I doubled the recipe and baked mine in a 9x13 baking dish. Enjoy!

• 1 (10.75 ounce) can Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)*
• 1 (9 ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
• 1 cup cubed cooked turkey or chicken
• 1 cup cubed cooked potatoes
• 1 refridgerated pie crust
  
• butter flavored cooking spray
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Mix soup, vegetables and turkey and place in a greased 9-inch pie plate.
3. Place pie crust over the turkey mixture and press into the sides of the pie plate. Spray top of crust with cooking spray. Bake 30 minutes or until golden.

Breakfast Cookies

Who wouldn't want cookies for breakfast and you won't even feel guilty giving them to your Little Foodie! They are packed with dried fruit and healthy oats and this recipe makes enough to enjoy some now and freeze some for later. I adapted this recipe from one found on allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

• 1 cups brown sugar
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup prune puree (jar of prune baby food or you can use applesauce)
  
• 2 tablespoons water
• 5 egg whites
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and pour in the canola oil, prune puree, water, egg whites and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Stir in the raisins, walnuts and apricots. Roll into golf ball sized balls. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets and flatten to 1/2 tall with wet hands. These cookies do not flatten very much while baking.
3. In the preheated oven, bake 8 minutes for chewy cookies 10 to 12 minutes for dry cookies. Cookies will not get crisp. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Bacon-and-Kale Soup

I love to make soup for dinner, it simple and filling, and Little Foodie who was not much of a soup fan is really beginning to enjoy the variety of soups that have been cooking up in our kitchen. Each day in the afternoon Little Foodie will ask me what we are having for dinner, when I told her we were having soup with bacon in it she ran upstairs and got some paper and a pen and promptly made a list titled "why I love bacon"; she is a strange kid but I do love her so! You need to use a good quality thick cut organic bacon for this recipe, it makes all the difference in the flavor of the soup. I adapted this recipe from one found in the Rachel Ray magazine Enjoy!

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 1/3 pound smoky bacon (about 6 slices), chopped
• 1/2 pound red potatoes, cut into small cubes
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound kale , stemmed and shredded or chopped
• 6 cups chicken stock
• One 15.5-ounce canned beans ( I used black beans), rinsed
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• Grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for serving

1. In a soup pot, heat the EVOO, 1 turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, onion and garlic, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add the kale, cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the chicken stock, beans and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls with the cheese on top.

French Breakfast Puffs

If you are a fan of cinnamon toast than you will LOVE these little puffs of goodness!! Great for a chilly morning with a big cup of coffee or hot tea. Little Foodie enjoyed these so much that she was licking her fingers after eating two! This recipe was adapted from one found on allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons margarine, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 12 muffin cups or line cups with paper muffin liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, cream together 1/4 cup sugar and shortening. Beat in egg. Stir flour mixture into shortening mixture alternately with milk. Beat well. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. While muffins are baking, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.
4. Remove muffins from oven and muffin pan. Immediately, dip the tops of the muffins into the melted margarine, then into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Repeat with each muffin, until all muffin tops are covered. Serve warm.

Sweet Onion Dip

This New Year's we decided to stay home were it was warm & cozy! I made a few appetizers so we could have a mini celebration at home. This is a simple yummy dip, much better than any of the store bought dip or stuff from a packet. Next time you have a hankering for some dip to go with your chips or veggies, give this a try. This recipe was adapted from one found on marthastewart.com. Enjoy!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Large Vidalia/or any sweet onion , finely chopped
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 ounces reduced-fat bar cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar (white wine or apple cider)
  
• Thick cut potato chips or assorted veggies, for serving

1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
2. In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Chill dip until slightly thickened, about 1 hour; or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Serve with chips or veggies.

Chocolate Waffles

YUMMY!! Enjoy these waffles at your own risk, they are full of chocolaty goodness and may make your Little Foodie run around the house like a crazy child. I adapted this recipe from one found on allrecipes.com. Enjoy!

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  

1. Preheat waffle iron. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cocoa. Stir in milk, eggs,and butter until mixture is smooth. Mix in chocolate chips :)
   
2. Spray preheated waffle iron with non-stick cooking spray. Pour mix onto hot waffle iron. Cook until golden brown. Serve with your favorite REAL maple syrup.
   

Curried Cauliflower Soup

I wish this is how my soup looked but alas it was a beautiful pale yellow that did not photograph well but it did taste really yummy! I had two heads of cauliflower that I had planned to roast for Christmas dinner but I made so many other dishes that I passed on cooking the cauliflower. I searched online for cauliflower recipes and I was surprised to find so many cauliflower soup recipes, I found and adapted this recipe from one found on allrecipes.com. Little Foodie is not a huge fan of soups but she really enjoyed this one! Enjoy!

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 onion, cut into chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, halved
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  
• 1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon curry paste (you can add more depending on your taste)
• 1 tablespoon of turmeric
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• curry powder
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Place the cauliflower, onion, and garlic on a baking sheet, sprinkle with curry powder and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 30 minutes.
2. Bring vegetable stock, coconut milk, and curry paste, turmeric and nutmeg to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the roasted vegetables, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Carefully puree the soup in a blender until it has reached your desired consistency, serve, and enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

I am always on the lookout for breakfast recipes, although Little Foodie will on the very rare occasion eat boxed cereals she much prefers homemade breakfast foods. I always have lots of oats on hand so this was the perfect recipe for a cold winter morning. I adapted the recipe from one found on allrecipes.com. Enjoy!!

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs (if you want to cut the fat use only the egg whites)
  
• 1/2 cup melted butter (or you can use applesauce)
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in raisins, walnuts and coconut. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon!

I love a good Brussels sprouts recipe!! I made this one as a side dish for our Christmas dinner. My thought was that if people heard the word BACON they would ignore the word Brussels sprout and they would be more eager to try it out. I was right, even my sister who HATES Brussels sprouts enjoyed this dish. I adapted this recipe from one found in the Rachel Ray magazine. Enjoy!

• 3 slices bacon, chopped ( I used organic turkey bacon)
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan
• 1 shallot or small yellow onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
  
• Salt and pepper, to your taste
• 1 cup chicken broth

Brown bacon in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, 1 turn. Add shallots to the pan and saute 1 to 2 minutes. Add Brussels spouts and coat in oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook Brussels sprouts 2 to 3 minutes to begin to soften, then add broth. Bring broth to a bubble, cover and reduce heat to medium low. Cook 10 minutes, until tender. Transfer sprouts to a serving dish with a slotted spoon and top with cooked bacon bits.

Eating Organic

For the past few years our family has made a commitment to try to eat organic. We have strong feelings about the way animals are raised, and in the words of Little Foodie "animals should have a good happy life before we eat them". This year we decided to find a local farm where we could purchase our Christmas turkey, I searched online at http://www.localharvest.org/ and found a farm about an hour from our house at http://www.ourspringfieldfarm.com/. Although the turkey was a little pricey, it was so yummy and when you cook a turkey that is fed a natural diet (not corn) the turkey is much juicer & moist. We had a delicious turkey dinner and we felt good about the life our turkey had before he became our family meal. Make a resolution this year to try to buy more organic, grass fed meats; your family, the animals and the environment will be much happier!