Yummy, Healthy Quiche Pie!

Sometimes it feels like we get into a rut with our eating around here. We are all about healthy foods but it can be a little challenging to come up with new things to try. I had been in a baking mood the other morning and decided to try a quiche made with a regular pie crust. It was so good! Huge hit with the kids and not too hard to make so definitely a win/win. Thought it would be fun to share with you all in case you need some new recipe ideas as well.

I started out with a basic pie crust recipe (from my Martha White cookbook) and tweaked it just a little.
1 cup flour (I used sprouted spelt but any kind will probably work....just don't use self-rising)
1/2 tsp salt (I use sea salt since it's really good for you!)
1/3 cup butter (the recipe actually called for shortening but I like using butter instead...and I only had 1/4 cup the first time I made it but it was fine)
3-4 Tblspoons cold water (I ended up having to add more than that)
Heat oven to 400 while making the crust. Start off with flour and salt and mix well. Use a grater to add the butter, it's easier if you do about half at first and blend in, then the rest. You can use a fork or just your hand to mix until the flour resembles small peas. Then gradually add the water until the dough begins to come together and form a ball. Roll out on a floured surface until large enough to cover pie pan then place over rolling pin to move. I like to pre-bake it 1 or 2 minutes before pouring in the filling.

Filling: I used about 6 eggs with a little bit of milk added to make them fluffy. (salt and pepper to taste) After pouring them into the crust I added some chopped up baby spinach, some chopped onion, scrambled sausage (cooked), and grated cheese on top. Back in the oven to cook about 15-20 minutes or until the eggs look done.

That's it!! Super easy and so delicious too. I usually just throw things together without an actual recipe so if you have any questions about amounts then let me know in the comments. Here are a few pictures of the work in progress (forgot to take some while making the crust). Hope you enjoy it!

 

Tyra

Homemade Biscuits & Chocolate Syrup

I promise that I totally intend to finish the "mama wars" series eventually but there's just been so much craziness around here that it hasn't happened yet. For now I just felt like sharing some recipes and this one includes cocoa in the ingredients so you know it's gonna be good! :-)

If you're not from the south (or just in our family??) you might not have even heard of eating chocolate syrup with biscuits for breakfast, or lunch, or supper, or...you get the point. Ahem. Anyway, if that's the case then you have so been missing out! Or maybe you have heard of it but don't know how to make it. If so then this is the post for you. Enjoy!

                                  Homemade Biscuits

2 cups flour (if using self-rising then the next 2 ingredients aren't necessary)
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/3 oil, shortening, or butter
3/4-1 cup milk

Pre-heat oven to 450. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add in shortening and mix until flour is crumbly (if using oil then that step can be skipped). Pour in milk (starting with 3/4 cup) and mix until dough is wet but not too sticky. Can add more milk if needed until good consistency is reached. (practice makes perfect!) Grease a cookie sheet or large cast iron skillet then grease/flour hands and roll a spoonful of dough into a ball before pressing gently onto pan. Keep hands floured between each biscuit so the dough doesn't stick. Cook for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot!

                                  Chocolate Syrup

2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 stick butter

Mix together sugar and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Add milk and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Let cook for about 10 minutes or until it starts to thicken pretty well (be sure to keep stirring often and possibly lower the heat slightly so it doesn't stick). Remove from heat and add in butter and vanilla. After butter is melted in, stir and serve over hot biscuits!

So there's a new meal idea to try over the weekend. It's sure to be a favorite! If you do make it then please come back and let me know how it turned out. Also, if you're into real food or healthy eating these recipes are both easily modified for that! Do you have any favorites to share? :-)

(ps. if someone in the family isn't a chocolate fan ((gasp!)) then making regular gravy is super easy too.....1/4 cup oil or meat grease and a 1/4 cup flour plus salt/pepper to taste mixed together with a whisk over high heat in a skillet. After the flour mixture starts to bubble, slowly add in 2 cups of milk while whisking constantly. Bring to a boil to thicken and enjoy!)

Linking up over at the Modest Mom blog. Click here to read other post on homemaking, modesty, and lots more.

Spaghetti Squash Bake

Here's a new dish we have recently discovered and are loving! Not only is it delish but also helps with us trying to be more grain free around here. Definitely a win-win in my book! I had seen spaghetti squash around blogland and pinterest a couple of times with different ways to cook it but hadn't found one in the stores to try. We finally lucked up last week at Earth Fare and after searching out some recipes I kind of combined them and what I sounded good myself to create this yumminess:

 

 

 

I just cut off one end and then sliced it in half, rubbed with olive oil and sea salt, then placed it cut side down onto a cookie sheet. Baked it at 400 for about 20-25 minutes while I browned some ground beef in a skillet. Added in spaghetti sauce and garlic powder to the meat and spooned that mixture onto the squash. (after flipping over, of course!) Cooked it like that for about 5 more minutes and it was done. You need to test for softness with a fork or spoon to make sure the squash has cooked thoroughly since times will probably vary with different ovens. We also topped with parmesan cheese the first time but didn't have any on hand tonight so did without. It was still great though so whatever toppings you like should work great! We had extra sauce mixture as well that we used for anyone that wanted extra.  

 

So there's our new favorite meal around here! Hope you try it and enjoy as much as we have! Oh, and I forgot to add that Daxton was able to eat it plain and loved it too so it worked as a meal for the whole family. Being that finding foods his stomach can handle is challenging that was awesome! :-) 

Yummy Garden Veggies!

My parents gave us some vegetables from their garden this weekend and then Blake was able to stop at a local farmer's market and get a few more things. Tonight's supper consisted totally of food fresh from the garden and it was so good! Even the kids were crazy about pretty much everything. We will definitely be getting some more fresh veggies in the near future to have other yummy meals like this one. :-) And now for some pictures, just to make you drool.......

                                                      {fried green tomatoes}

                                                      {fry-baked squash}

                                                  {corn on the cob} 

                                                 {boiled red potatoes} 

                                                {red cabbage slaw}

                                                 {raw, sliced cucumbers} 

                                          {first time eating corn on the cob!} 

                                    {showing her teeth.....that aren't there! lol} 

                                           {he's enjoying the corn too!}

Doesn't all that good looking food just make you hungry?! :-)

Chocolate!!

Thought I'd share this quick and easy brownie recipe with you all. You know, cause you can never have too many chocolate options up your sleeve, right?! :) Since we try to eat more naturally because of allergies and stuff, I actually use all organic ingredients in these...and they're still delicious! But whatever you use to make them I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 stick butter (melted)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
3/4 cup flour

Mix sugar and cocoa together and add butter. Blend in eggs then add vanilla flavoring. Stir in flour and pour in a microwave safe dish.(I use a medium size corningware dish) Cook in the microwave on high for 5 minutes and they're done!

Yep, that's right....they cook in the microwave. It's kinda dangerous to have chocolate being that convenient! lol Actually, you can bake them in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes, but I'm not sure why you'd want to and I think they're better the other way.(a little more gooey) Not to mention quicker! Blake and the kids like eating them with homemade whipped cream...which I will post the recipe for another day. But any way you do it, they're just good. :-)