The Tasty Nest

So I wanted to make Blood Mary's last week when we had that heat wave (global warming at its best!) so I asked my husband to pick up a good vodka on his way home from work.  Little did I know he was going to get a Vermont made vodka! Smugglers' Notch Vodka is amazing!  Is there anything Vermont does not make??

I had also picked up some local horseradish for the drinks and it was made in Vermont as well!  Not to mention tasty!

I made these guys from scratch!  No store bought juice like V8 or just tomato juice.  I used last years canned tomatoes that had spices in them and threw it all in the blender!  Interested?  Read the recipe below!

Ingredients

7-8 cups of homemade canned tomatoes
2 TBSP horseradish (or more to taste)
3 TBSP  hot sauce (we like it hot!!)
1/4 cup lime juice (or lemon is fine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp celery seed
3 TBSP worchestershire sauce

Blend all ingredients well.  Add small amounts of water if too thick.  Then pour into glasses and add your shot or two of vodka and stir.  Mine were spicy and delicious!!

I have a fruit smoothie every morning for breakfast and I love them.  Recently I have seen a few people drinking green smoothies and juicing so I decided to do a post on my favorite green smoothie drink with spirulina!  

What is spirulina? Spirulina (click link for further nutritional break down) is a necessity if you are going vegetarian/vegan.  Spirulina is a microalgae (that's right it is green slime!) that is like 60%-70% protein with all the essential amino acids.  
Spirulina comes in a powder form; be sure to buy organic spirulina as only the highest quality is beneficial and lower qualities can be harmful.  You do not need much of it to reap the benefits!  I only use 1 tsp in my smoothie mix.

Ingredients (all organic)

1 tsp spirulina
1 chopped green  apple
1  chopped banana
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 cup to 1 1/2 cups Eden soy organic soymilk
1 tsp local honey (optional sweetener

Blend all the above until smooth and enjoy!
I use the Cuisinart smart stick for all my smoothies.  The cup it comes with is perfect for a single serving and it works great! When I am done I just rinse the end of the mixer and the cup and it is ready for my next smoothie.  The cup even has measurements on it which is very convenient.  

What? Yup, you have got it!  Banana friggin' split bread!  I had a craving for banana bread last night and ended up with this crazy creation to satisfy my sweet tooth and banana bread love!  I wanted to make banana bread and thought about adding my  frozen organic cherries and it just took off from there!

Use your favorite recipe for banana bread or use mine below then add your favorite banana split ingredients!  Chocolate chips or butter scotch chips, cherries, strawberries, nuts, little marshmallows, crushed pine apple,served with a caramel or hot fudge drizzle on an ice cream scoop on top of the bread slice, coconut flakes, and on and on.  Pick your favorite combo and through it in the bread!  Use 1/2-3/4 cup for each  "topping"  ingredient.  

Ingredients for banana bread
1/2 stick butter
2 eggs
 3 very ripe bananas
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

My banana split "toppings"

1/2 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup frozen organic cherries
1/2 cup crushed pineapple

Mush together all wet ingredients then add dry.  Add fruit topping ingredients last to mix since they will change the color if mixed too much.  Start with the chips and nuts and then add the fruit all at once and mix just enough to combine.  
Pour batter into greased bread pan and bake for 45-55 mintutes on a low setting of 
250 F.  I find the low temp and slower baking helps to keep the bread moist! 

Let cool and top with a scoop of ice cream if you wish with hot fudge and enjoy!!

  I know! I know!   Oatmeal muffins are so boring!  Right?  I admit that when I made these I was trying to make something healthy after the holiday season but I was pleasantly surprised with how good they were!  Trust me you will love them and so will your body.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup oatmeal 1 cup flour (Bob's Red Mill is best)
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or butter)
1 cup soy milk (milk or butter milk works too)
1 TBSP vanilla
1 egg (sub with 1/3 cup applesauce or 1/2 banana)
1 1/2 cup raspberries (and/or nuts, chocolate chips, or other fruit)


Spray muffin tins and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  First mix all dry ingredients in a bowl except oats.  In a separate bowl mix sugar and butter well then beat in an egg.  Add all other wet ingredients (except fruit) and oats.   Mix wet and dry together until fully combined and then fold in fruit.  Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way full and bake for 15-25 minutes.  

This drink is amazing!  It is the perfect beverage to be loved by all at your next harvest party, New Years or for Halloween.  It is so easy to make!  All you need is a crock pot or large pot and a spoon! I promise it will not go to waste!

Ingredients

1 gallon apple cider
1 stick of unsalted butter
 1 handle of Captain Morgans Spiced Rum
3-4 apples peeled and chopped (into rings if possible)
2 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP ground cloves
1 TBSP ground ginger
2 tsp nutmeg


First get out your crock pot and fill it a little less than 2/3 of the way with cider and the other 1/3 with rum. Next turn the heat on high and add all the other ingredients.  Cover, mix occasionally, then serve when butter is melted and drink is hot.  I like to taste test mine before anyone else tries it and maybe add more or less cider or rum and spices.  

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp milk
1 egg
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Raspberry jam or pie filling(preferred)

Combine all wet ingredients (except filling)  and then mix in dry ingredients.  
Chill dough for about an hour.  
Roll the dough onto a floured surface.  I prefer these cookies to be thick but it is up to you and how thin you roll them.  You want them at least 1/4 inch thick when rolled.  Use a circle cookie cutter for your bottoms and cut an equal amount of tops with a hole.  I used hearts on mine but you can use a smaller circle. 
Place bottoms on ungreased cookie sheet with a good spoonful of raspberry filling on top.  Cover with the tops.   Bake at 400 degrees for 8-12 minutes.   The edges will start to brown when ready.  Watch the bottoms they blacken easy! I take them off the cookie sheet with a spatula as soon as they are out of the oven to cool.    

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice 
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 cup chocolate chips (nuts or dried cranberries will do)

Mix together all the dry ingredients and set aside. In another bowl mix together the remaining wet ingredients. Pour wet mixture into dry and combine with a fork until just mixed. Pour batter into loaf pan about 2/3 full and bake for 30 minutes at 400 or until tooth pick inserted comes out clean (less for muffins).

I usually place a side of cream cheese frosting next to them for people who are a little less cautious!
Either way they are tasty and good.  

Ingredients
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,
softened1/2 cup butter,
softened2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. 

How did I find this tasty recipe?  Well back in October my work had an all day training and we brought baked goods to munch on!  When I tried these little bon-bons I had to ask for the recipe!  A few tweeks and here they are on my blog to share with you!  

Ingredients

1 package Organic Newman's Own "Oreo" type cookies (or just use Oreos but I used some organic brand that was awesome from my local Orgo grocery store.)
1 package  Organic Valley cream cheese  
1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips


Instructions

Take yourfood processor and grind up the whole package of cookies to a powder then mix with cream cheese.  Chill for 1 hour then roll into balls and chill for another hour.  Place wax paper on a cookie sheet and take your balls one at a time and dip then in melted chocolate.  

I use a microwave to melt my chocolate really well then I take a kabob stick and roll the balls in the melted chocolate and place on the cookie sheet.  

You can sprinkle on nuts or sprinkles if you want at this time.  I do not like sprinkles myself if I can help it and I have a nut allergy so...  I chilled my cookie balls another hour then drizzled melted white chocolate on them.  I also used mint filled "Oreo" type cookies and put green dye in the white chocolate to mark those.  

You can have a lot of variation with this recipe and create many different types of cookie balls.  I used ginger snaps for the Halloween party I went to and they were very good dipped in chocolate! I even thought of using chocolate chip cookies!  

I had to make these tasty bits for a work function.  Do not ask me what sweets and an all day nurse training  have in common but we were asked to bring in a sweet treat to share so I made cupcakes!

I am far from a cupcake wizard but I thought I would try my hand at making chocolate pumpkin cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting and center!  I did not have a lot of time and I need an easy non vegan recipe so I actually used a box cake mix!  Shhhh! 

Cupcake Ingredients

1 can of Pumpkin
1 box chocolate cake mix (pick your favorite!)
1 box chocolate pudding mix
1/2 vegetable oil
1/2 cup buttermilk (can use regular milk or soy milk)
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips.  

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and fill cup cake tins 1/3 way and put the rest aside until you add filling.

Cheese Cake Filling

8 oz cream cheese
1/3 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix all above ingredients until smooth and creamy and spoon onto the  middle of the cupcake mix in your tins.  Now you can add the rest of your cake mix to top off the cupcakes.   Bake cupcakes at 350 degree for 20 minutes or until tester stick comes out clean.  

Cream Cheese Frosting

(2)  8 oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

You do not have to use the same frosting as I did if you are worried about cream cheese over load but they were good :)  You could easily use a butter cream frosting.. Yum!