Shaved Cauliflower Salad

Made In England by Elton John
Elton John and this Cauliflower Salad recipe - what do they have in common?  Well, they both have their origins in England!  And I like them both!  And they're both very interesting!  And I think I'll just get on with telling you about today's recipe!

Last month we went to London.

We had heard about a great exhibit
that the Victoria & Albert Museum
was putting together about
Pink Floyd.
It was going to be called
"Their Mortal Remains"
and all the press about it
sounded fantastic!
We were dying - we wanted to go real bad!
Was it crazy to want to fly across the
ocean to another country over
the love of a rock and roll band?
Probably!
Did we want to do it anyway?
Heck yes, we did!

We threw the idea out to some
friends of ours and they were
crazy enough to think it was worth
it as much as we did!
The next thing I knew,
we were planning an epic vacation
around this Pink Floyd journey.

AND IT WAS SO WORTH IT!

The museum did an outstanding job
curating all the memorabilia.
To make the occasion a little more fun,

we'd found an old photo of the

original Floydians -

Syd, Roger, Nick, and Richard -

and dressed up in outfits like they
were wearing in the picture!

We felt like we were being outrageous -

we barely turned a couple heads!

Haha!  London! 

I guess that city has seen everything!

Honey Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

Cook With Honey by Judy Collins

I was a little dismayed that I had already used Sugar, Sugar by The Archies and briefly considered using it again for this post anyway.  But then I wandered around my iTunes library and found this perfectly acceptable pairing from my Judy Collins collection.  Honey has been on my brain lately.  I'll be telling you why shortly.  But, in the meantime, click on the link in the song title and take a trip to 1973!

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity

to spend the day at my brother and sister-in-law's

bakery and cafe in Bountiful, Utah.

It's called Beehive Bakery and Cafe

and they serve delicious soups,

salads, and sandwiches as well as cookies,

brownies, pies, and all sorts of

goodies to satisfy your sweet tooth!

It was fun to be back in a 

commercial kitchen again!

Honey has been my principal sweetener 

the past several months and I've learned

to use it in both savory and sweet dishes.

My Honey & Spice Pork Roast  is an

example of one of the savory recipes

I've come up with.

And today's recipe is a sweet offering.

Berry Patriotic Rice Krispie Treats

Yankee Doodle Dandy by James Cagney
This was one of my favorite songs to sing when I was a little kid.  I mean, any song that has the word "doodle" in it is going to be fun to sing, right?  Just try to sing this and not feel happy!  And I am certainly happy and proud to be a Yankee.  Not as in the baseball team - but a true Yank!  I've been called a Yankee or Yank when I've been in the southern United States as I've always been a northerner.  I've also been called a Yank when traveling abroad.  And I own it loud and proud.  I hope you're celebrating this great nation this Independence Day!

This might very well be the most

dangerous post I've ever done!

I'm happy to report that my

eyelashes are working just fine 

and doing what they're put there to do!

Let me explain!

Piggy Piggy Tacos

If You're Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have A Fiddle In The Band) by Alabama

Today's post originated as I sat in a taco shop while visiting my daughter in Texas a few weeks back.  I was in the process of thanking the Lord that I was introducing corn back into my diet and that it was going well - and that I got to enjoy the end results of some really great culinary thinking!  A song about Texas was in order.  And this just happens to be one of my favorites!  And if you're gonna eat in Texas - you gotta really like to eat good food!

My daughter and her family

moved to the Dallas area about a year 

and a half ago.

They, in fact, live on the very 

southern edge of Plano.

It's a much further commute to see them

than when they lived in the Salt Lake City area.

And, for this reason,

I don't get to see them as often.

(Insert HUGE sad face here.)

The plus side of the situation

is that we're all getting to know 

a new part of the country - 

well - new to us.

We've visited before,

but only briefly.

Now, the strategy seems to be

that they search and explore

and then, when we come to visit,

they share the best parts of

what they've found.

That's a pretty sweet setup, don't you think?

Honey and Spice Pork Roast

Free Fallin' by Tom Petty
My husband just fell off his chair in shock - I can guarantee that.  I can foresee the future!  I can already hear the "WHOA!" from the den when he reads this.  My children - and grandchildren - across the western United States most likely also issued words of surprise. You see it's a well-known fact in my family that I've never learned to appreciate Tom Petty's music.  But my husband is a fan in a very BIG way!  And because Father's Day is this weekend and he is an amazing father, I give this recipe and post to him.  And all the other men out there who seem to find an emotional connection with this song!

My husband's fierce love of Tom Petty's music

instilled in him the mission to be sure

his grandchildren were fans as well.

He starts young.

Like birth.

Middle Eastern Basmati Rice

Midnight At the Oasis by Maria Muldaur
I've traveled quite a bit but never to the Middle East.  So in choosing a song for this week's recipe I grabbed at the first song that popped into my mind when I thought "Hmmmm.  A song that reminds me of the Middle East....."  It was 1974 and I was 14 years old growing up in a busy steel town in northwestern Pennsylvania.  And this song was the only information I had regarding what life must be like living as a nomad in the desert.  I could picture it - the beautiful oasis surrounded by tall palm trees.  It was all imagery overload for an impressionable young teen.  My mother pursed her lips whenever it came on the radio so that told me that "kick up a little dust" was probably more than shuffling along the sand dunes really quick.  Hahaha!  But this song formed my view of life in the Middle East until well into adulthood.  Too bad I hadn't known about the spices - that would have completed the picture so nicely!

While in Salt Lake City, Utah

recently, we joined my brother and sister-in-law

for lunch at a Middle Eastern restaurant.

I was worried if I'd find something

I could eat within the AIP guidelines.

Luckily there were a few options!

I looked longingly at the bread, though!

Gluten and grains!!!!

I miss you!!!

Sadly, I can't remember what I ordered.

I know it was good.

Apparently not memorable.

But as soon as my husband's plate

came out with the most beautiful

yellow rice on it, I had eyes 

for nothing else!

Beachy Steak Salad

 Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
The recipe I'm sharing today came along at just the right moment - and SAVED me!  Yes - saved me! And as it's a fresh-mex beachy kind of dish, who else could I invite to the occasion but The Beach Boys.  My oldest daughter was the one who narrowed it down to this particular song of theirs.  It is a song of comfort - of soothing.  Which is exactly what happened the moment I ate this for the first time - and every time since.

Who knew salad could be 

a comfort food?!

I always thought comfort 

from food had to include

some sort of velvety

sauce and squishy textured

food that sort of melted

into all the recesses of your mouth.

But apparently not!

So we're over the Rice Krispie

Treat stage - and might I add that 

they all turned out fabulous

and were well received!

But through it all,

I have STILL been doing

that AIP diet.

I am in the reintroduction phase

and it's a slow one so I still won't be

having any grains or legumes until June/July.

Still no tomatoes, potatoes,

cheese, or corn.

Some of those are 

coming up soon though!

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispie Treats

Easy by The Commodores
Hahaha!  I always get a good laugh when I hear this song!  I have a very particular moment attached to it from my teen years.  I'm riding in the car on my way to the mall and it comes on the radio.  My mom is driving.  I'm riding shotgun.  I start to sing along, naturally.  I loved this song.  My mom is listening quietly - or thinking about what she's going to do later, I don't know, she's just quiet.  But, she is, in fact, listening to me sing.  And suddenly starts chastising me for singing such a song!  She was only listening to parts of the words - namely the chorus - where I'm singing "Yeah, I'm easy!  Easy like Sunday morning!"  She pontificated on my poor judgment to sing a song that would lead young men to believe I was a girl of loose morals!  I should know better than that - putting ideas into their heads!  Haha!  And then when the guttural cry at about 2:47 (my favorite part) takes place - and I do it justice - she is completely exasperated!  I cautiously smile and let her know that she needs to hear the whole song and know that I'm not advertising myself at all!  To my surprise, she gave up the sermon and let me enjoy the rest of the song - and even smiled herself!  Haha!  But I share it today because this recipe is soooo easy!  Like a Sunday morning!  Oooooo!

I think this might be the last of the

Rice Krispie Treat experimenting!

My intention was to do another

flavor combination - 

like Coconut Lime -

which would have been awesome!

And even though, by nature,

Rice Krispie Treats are as easy

as it comes,

I wanted something

even EASIER!

Salted Caramel Rice Krispie Treats

No Salt On Her Tail by The Mamas and The Papas
This is a sweet, sweet song from this iconic band of my youth!  It's about letting her go - letting her be free.  And who is "her"?  I guess it could be anybody who is leaving.  And I thought this sweet song was fitting for today's post.  Even though my "baby girl" left the nest years ago, she is getting married.  And that's always a new chapter in a parent's life as well as that of their child's.

This weeks' Rice Krispie treat

took a few turns before it came to 

a final stop in this form!

It's all fun experimenting, though!

I found some Salted Caramel

candy melts at the craft store.

Something told me to buy them.

I listened.

And they were the "win"

in this final version.

Let's talk, for a minute,

about any sweet treat

that's been "salted."

Muddy Buddy Rice Krispie Treats

We're Going to Be Friends by The White Stripes
I LOOOOVE this song!  It recalls school days - early school days for me.  Not because the song was popular in my elementary days - Jack White wasn't even alive back then!  But it's skippy, happy-go-lucky rhythm makes me think of the days when I'd walk over to play at my friends' houses.  There were four of us that were good friends - myself, Kathie, Meg, and Julie - and we lived in a teeny tiny little town in Pennsylvania nestled around the Allegheny National Forest. We loved to jump rope, play house, or meet at the playground.  This song about friends just floods my mind with memories of those childhood friends.  And Rice Krispie Treats are for kids, right?  I'm finding out that that may not necessarily be so!

I'm continuing with my 

Rice Krispie Treat 

experimentation for my

daughter's "wedding cake."

This one isn't too inventive

but I did have to do a few batches to

get the ratio just right.

The first batch was too hard

to bite into.

The reasons were twofold.

Lemon Lavender Rice Krispie Treats

Leather and Lace by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley
Have I ever told you about the time Stevie Nicks and I shared a soul?  No?  Well, I'll save that for another post.  But today I'm sharing a dessert that's scented with lavender.  And in my mind the thought connection goes like this - lavender ~ lace ~ romance ~ Leather and Lace by two of my favorite artists of all time.  Stevie Nicks is spellbinding when she performs.  Don Henley is my favorite Eagle and his voice is balm to my soul.  Another thing about Henley - he reminds me a lot of my uncles in his appearance - hairline, eyes - he could be related.  And that's all I'm going to say about that.

I know Valentine's Day was yesterday

but romance is in the air in my

home right now as my

youngest is getting married in a

couple months!

All the preparations!!

Well, neither she nor her fiancé

like frosting and have 

chosen to not have the traditional

wedding cake.

So what do they like?

Rice Krispie Treats!

Roasted Apples

You Make Me Feel Brand New by The Stylistics
I got desperate today and felt like I just HAD to have a dessert type of food.  So I figured I'd give roasting some apples a try - without any sweetener.  I was expecting average at best.  But folks, I could have cried!  These were sooooo good!  And soooo easy!  And I truly felt new life being breathed into my soul with every bite!  I felt brand new!  And I felt that maybe I will be able to see this experiment to the end!  Sugar Free Roasted Apples - who knew?!?!

There once was a woman who wasn't 

allowed to have sugar for awhile.

This made her very sad because

she LOVED dessert.

Every day she went without sugar

she felt much better

but, still, she missed it so much!

One wintry day, she felt like

she just couldn't handle it any more!

Snowy cold days were usually

when she would make something yummy

and sweet in her oven - 

warming her home and her tummy

at the same time.

With hope and optimism in her heart

she heated her oven to 375 degrees.

She went to her refrigerator to see

if she could find some inspiration.

She also couldn't eat anything with flour

or butter or eggs so it was a challenge.

She noticed that she had an 

abundance of apples in all sorts of 

varieties and colors.

She selected five of them

and washed them and peeled them 

and cut them into big chunks.

She sprinkled them with a little salt

because she knew that doing

that would bring out the sweetness

already in the apples.

Then she added a bit of cinnamon, too.

Then she went to her pantry to see

what other ingredients she was 

allowed to eat that she could add.

She found some coconut oil

and a bottle of vanilla bean paste.

After heating the coconut oil,

she stirred in some of the vanilla

and covered all those apple 

slices with it.

The apple slices thanked her!

The woman placed the apples into

a sprayed baking dish and,

with a prayer in her heart that

the lack of sugar would not

hinder the satisfaction she craved,

she put the dish into the oven.

Within minutes her home

was filled with the scent of

apples and cinnamon - much to the joy of 

the inhabitants therein!

She peeked now and then and

was pleased to see the transformation

of the apples with tiny bits of

caramelization here and there.

The caramel color told her that

the natural sweetness in the apples

was being made even sweeter.

Her spirits soared!

After 40 minutes she

removed the apples and stirred

them around to coat them with the

drippings in the dish.

She scooped some of the 

soft apples into a dish.

"Oh! If I could only have some cream

to go with these beautiful apples!" 

she cried.

But then she remembered

how often she had used

coconut milk to fill the need

for cow's milk!

She warmed some coconut

milk and then ladled a few spoonfuls

over the steaming apples.

She raised a spoon of the

scented fruit to her lips

and tasted her creation.

She made a loud

"MMMMM!"

and then exclaimed

"Oh my goodness!!"

and all those around

became desirous to taste

the apples, too.

And she shared.

She felt like a new woman!

She was filled with hope

and with a new determination

that - if she could have

something that tasted THIS GOOD

and still be within the confines 

of her diet - she would be able to

be completely satisfied!!

Her apples were good!

They were very, very good!

Fit for a queen, even!

With triumph in her voice

she exclaimed, 

"Who needs sugar!!"

"Not I," said the woman.

"Not I," said her grandchildren.

"Not I," said her daughter.

"Not I," said her husband.

And the woman happily dreamt of the next day

when she would roast more apples.

Roasted Apples

serves 5

Printable Recipe Card

5 - 6 apples

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or

beans from half of one vanilla pod

1/2 cup coconut milk, optional

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Peel and core the apples and cut into large chunks.

Coat a baking dish with cooking spray and place apple chunks in it.

Sprinkle with the salt and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Melt the coconut oil and then stir in the vanilla.  Pour over apples and stir to coat evenly.

Place in heated oven and roast for 40 minutes or til starting to brown on edges.

Remove and serve with cream or coconut milk.

Mini Lamb Meatballs in Mushroom Sauce

Hold On by Wilson Phillips

This has been my mantra for 31 days now.  My post will explain further.  But I've been doing something very difficult - for me - with hopeful promise of better days ahead.  And at the end of each day I congratulate myself for making it one more day - and send myself encouraging thoughts to just hold on for yet one more day.  Day by day.  That's how you do hard things.

Right after my last post I went to an 

appointment with my endocrinologist.

I've had concerns with the growing number of

autoimmune issues I've been having.

She had some encouraging words for me

and gave me some homework.

First, to read a book about the root causes of

autoimmune diseases.

Second, to check out something called the

AIP diet - which stands for Autoimmune Protocol.

The book was very clinical and difficult for me 

to get through but I pressed forward

and learned about some hopeful new thoughts

about my situation.

Then I checked out the diet.

This isn't a diet to lose weight -

with which I am very familiar!

This is a diet designed to heal your gut.

It's not meant to be a lifetime way of eating.

It's diagnostic to see what foods

could be making your body ill 

and attack itself.

You begin by eliminating a vast amount

of food from your diet by either a weaning process

or by cold turkey - your choice.

Then you go through a 30 day elimination

phase without these foods - designed to 

give your gut time to settle down and heal.

Then you begin reintroducing foods back

 in a slow and methodical manner.

There are a few differing opinions in

the AIP diet community as to which 

foods are OK to eat and which are not.

But the majority of the foods are agreed upon.

It took me a good long week to

rumble with myself as to how would be 

best to approach this huge undertaking.

I chose to start cold turkey because

I wanted to start getting results faster.

Cold turkey - even though we had a two week

vacation the first part of January!

Was I nuts?!?!?!

Probably - but we are ALWAYS traveling

and trying to find a long stretch of time

where I'd be home just wasn't feasible.

So, January 1, I started.

My list of NO foods are as follows:

Grains

Dairy

Legumes

Soy

Nuts

Seeds

Eggs

Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant)

Shellfish

Canola, sesame, sunflower, flaxseed oils

Sugar

Chocolate (let's pause for the impact with this one!)

The YES foods:

Meats

Poultry

Fish

Fruits

All vegetables that aren't nightshades

Coconut, olive, avocado oils

Animal fats

And I allowed myself Rice

Scary right?

I eat simply now.

And the results?

I feel better than I ever have!

I am beginning to think I've never known

what it's like to not feel bloated and gassy.

It's a beautiful feeling!

Weight loss has been a pleasant 

side effect for me.

Today I start to reintroduce.

I've made up a calendar for when I get to

say hello to all the foods I've eliminated.

Shellfish is my first one.

March 15 is chocolate.

I'm LIVING for March 15!

One of my YES foods is lamb.

I haven't cooked much with lamb

but, when your choices are limited, you 

expand your horizons, right?

I came up with this recipe and am 

really happy how it turned out!

I thought I'd share it in case others out there

might be looking for foods within

the protocol.

Or even if you just wanted to

try lamb and were afraid to try!

I made them mini for my grandkids

(who, incidentally, ate them up!)

but you could turn it into a loaf or larger meatballs!

Mini Lamb Meatballs with Mushroom Sauce

serves 4

Printable Recipe

For meatballs:

1 lb. ground lamb

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.  Shape into mini meatballs and place in a mini-muffin tin.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.

While meatballs are baking make the Mushroom Sauce.

Mushroom Sauce:

8 oz. of mushrooms, sliced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 - 3/4 cup coconut milk (I used light)

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the mushrooms and stir to coat with the oil.  Sprinkle with the salt and cook until they start to get a dark golden brown.  Stir in the chicken stock and cook until it reduces by half.  Remove pan from heat and stir in the coconut milk.  Return to heat and continue to cook it down until it reduces by half.  Remove cooked meatballs from the oven and toss into the pan with the mushroom sauce and stir to coat.  Serve while hot.