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Oct 28, 2019

Homemade Pecan Pie Bars

Easy Pecan Pie BarsWhat can I say? This is not a dessert to have every day but for holiday baking, pecan pie is a must. But I prefer pecan pie bars because the bars can be cut into smaller pieces than a round pie and no one should eat big pieces of pecan pie! I always use an oil crust and my oil of choice is cold pressed avocado oil. I tried using maple syrup in the filling but did not like the result so I went with the traditional corn syrup, which, by the way, is not the same a high fructose corn syrup.

I only make pecan pie or pecan pie bars twice a year for Thanksgiving and Christmas and it’s a good thing because holiday recipes can be dangerous to have around. This recipe is really simple with just the basic ingredients so it comes together quickly. What I can’t figure out is why my pecans sometimes rise to the top and sometimes don’t, but these easy pecan pie bars are always so gooey and sweet and delicious. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Oct 24, 2019

Save Cleanup With Wax Paper

Save Cleanup With Wax PaperMy thanks to Annie Y. for sharing this terrific helpful hint. I tried it myself and loved it, especially with my no knead crusty rolls that make a sticky mess on the counter. She said, “I don’t have a large wood board, so I taped a piece of waxed paper to the counter top and floured it, allowing me to work and form the dough easily and making clean up a breeze.” Thank you, Annie.

Oct 1, 2019

I Should Have Called Them Breakfast Bars

Crispy Top Oatmeal BarsEvery time I run out of these delicious crispy top oatmeal bars, I need to make more. They are one of my all time favorites and for lots of reasons. There is no white flour, lots of dark chocolate chunks, and the recipe is easy to put together. The crispy top is the best part, made with pecans, brown sugar, and coconut. I have made the top with avocado oil and with melted butter and there’s not much difference to me.

I like something sweet after every meal, even breakfast, and this is my favorite breakfast dessert. Well, between the fig bars and these oat bars, maybe it’s the fig bars, no,,, the oat bars… oh well. I just love sweets so I have to keep finding  ways to make them healthier. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Aug 25, 2019

Easy One Pan Spaghetti with Cherry Tomatoes

Easy Spaghetti With Cherry TomatoesSome days, the faster I can make dinner the better. Today is one of those days and this easy one pan spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and broccoli takes 18 minutes, including prep. I mean it. I’ve even made it in 16 minutes!

This is one of my easy one pan meals where everything cooks in one pan, including the spaghetti. I use thin spaghetti because it cooks in 9 minutes but if you use regular spaghetti you will have to add a little extra time. Stirring is important to keep the spaghetti from sticking so stir it vigorously to separate the strands.

I rarely drain pasta any more. I’m making more and more one pan meals and besides being less work, there’s less cleanup – Bonus! Cherry tomatoes and fresh broccoli are always available so if you keep them on hand, you can always make an easy, healthy dinner in less than 20 minutes.

Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Aug 8, 2019

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Flour Chocolate Chip CookiesI was surprised how well these turned out. I never thought I could make cookies without flour but for anyone looking to reduce carbs, or wanting gluten-free cookies, you can still make delicious healthier cookies at home. These really are chocolate chunk cookies because I rarely use chocolate chips any more, preferring to use a healthier dark chocolate bar. To get the health benefits of dark chocolate you need a bar with at least 70% cacao and that’s what I use for chocolate chips. I just take a 70% bar and cut it into strips and then the strips into chunks.

Dark Chocolate Chunks for BakingI’m also reducing sugar in my baking these days so these low carb cookies have less sugar and I don’t miss it at all. The texture of cookies made with almond flour is a little more chewy, but I really like it.

I’m planning to try more baking with almond flour and reducing carbs wherever I can so I’ll be posting anything I make that turns out. And these easy almond flour dark chocolate chunk cookies did turn out. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Filed Under: Sweets
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Jun 12, 2019

Easy Cucumber Salad

Simple Cucumber SaladThis is such a refreshing salad to serve in the summer and now is the best time to get crisp, fresh Persian cucumbers. If you can find organic cucumbers, you can just scrub them and leave the peel on. If they’re not organic, it’s best to peel them for this salad.

I slice the cucumbers very thinly, no more than 1/8 of an inch thick, and for the onion, the thinner the better as well. The dressing uses a good amount of sugar but remember that most of the dressing is not eaten. You serve this salad with a slotted spoon and leave the liquid behind so don’t fret about using a tablespoon of sugar.

If you serve this cucumber salad right away it will be quite crisp, and if you refrigerate it for an hour or more, the cucumber slices will soften and absorb a little more dressing. They are good either way but it’s best to serve this salad on the same day.

I wish everyone a fun summer with lots of good, healthy, homemade food, including this cool and crisp, cucumber salad. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

Jun 1, 2019

No Dutch Oven / No Knead Bread

No Dutch Oven No Knead BreadFor anyone who does not have a Dutch oven but wants an easy way to make crusty homemade bread with no kneading and almost no work at all, look what I just made on a baking sheet! It was so easy and the loaf was crusty and delicious.

A Dutch oven with a lid creates steam inside the pot, which produces that crispy crust so I create steam inside the oven by placing a small 5 by 9-inch pan in the oven while it’s preheating. Then when I place the bread in to bake, I pour some boiling water into the little hot pan and whoosh – steam goes all over the place. I close the oven door right away to keep the steam inside and let it bake.

Anyone can make this easy no knead bread on a baking sheet. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

May 26, 2019

Easy One Bowl Apple Cake

Easy One Bowl Apple CakeEverybody stay calm! There is no cinnamon in my crispy top apple cake. You can add some if you like but I tried using cinnamon and I prefer it with just a little vanilla. This way the apples are the star. This is another easy one-bowl recipe for an easy light dessert that I absolutely love. Here’s why:

~ No mixer
~ No butter
~ Uses less sugar
~ Has lots of fruit
~ Minimal cleanup

This fresh apple cake is healthy enough to include with breakfast. (notice I said “with” and not “for!”) 🙂 Be sure to keep the apple pieces small, no bigger than 1/2-inch so they cook through. I use Granny Smith apples. 🍏 You can also make this cake using half whole wheat pastry flour + half all purpose flour and it turned out well. I’m loving my one-bowl recipes and am always looking for an easier way to make my favorite foods. And it doesn’t get much easier than this. With or without cinnamon, this is still the easiest apple cake you will ever make. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones

May 19, 2019

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken & Potatoes

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken & PotatoesI’m so excited to share this easy one-pan meal. It’s Mediterranean eating at its best… healthy, low fat, and full of flavor. The whole thing is ready in an hour so there’s plenty of time to steam some broccoli or make a salad.

When using lemon, it’s best to use a non-reactive pan like Pyrex. I found a 13 by 9 pan at the grocery store for 12.49. The marinade is really simple, using one large lemon but you can use more lemon if you like. Here’s how it looks before cooking:

Greek Lemon Chicken Recipe

I try to submerge as many potatoes into the liquid as possible so they absorb lots of lemon/garlic flavor. About 10 minutes before it’s done, I turn over the potatoes and chicken. Here is it after cooking:

One Pan Greek Lemon Chicken & PotatoesMost of the liquid will cook off and I use whatever juices are left, including the onions, to pour over the chicken for serving. I slice the chicken so the juices go inside all the slices. I love this easy recipe. They say the healthiest diet in the world is the Mediterranean diet and this is it! Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones