Spaghetti Sauce Stew

Ma would not have had the option to buy a jar of good spaghetti sauce but since I do I am happy to make my life simpler by doing just that!

Finding a good sauce can be tough. You have to read the ingredients carefully. Anything with "sugar" or "canola oil" is not coming home with me!  Nothing modified or partially hydrogenated is going to cut it either. I also don't want any added starches. I just want veggies, spices, and olive oil please. Turns out this is a tall order!

Trader Joe's makes a roasted garlic sauce that meets my criteria but it is not organic. I have found a good plain basil and tomato flavored sauce at Sprouts that was organic but I cannot remember the brand. I will update this post with this info next time I buy some. This time I used a non organic brand from Costco that fit the bill of only including real ingredients.

Easy & Delicious: Fritattas!

Here is the secret to the perfect easy Fritatta!  We eat these ALL the time since they are so easy and yummy.

Use a skillet that can go in the oven. We have a Kirkland brand enameled cast iron skillet. It only cost about $50 which is a steal when compared to other brands!

Preheat the oven by turning the broiler on so it is ready to go.


Chop/cut up everything that will be going in your fritatta and melt your oil of choice in the skillet (butter or expeller pressed coconut oil is best). With our cast iron we use medium/low heat (# 3 out of 10 numbers)

Easy & Delicious: Baked Squash!

I love squash but honestly I do not have the time to wash it, cut it, gut it, peel it, chop it, just to be able to cook it! Luckily I figured out a way to get the same creamy hot baked goodness with limited prep time: just poke some holes it, throw it on a foil lined baking sheet, and bake the darn thing whole!

The results have been impressive! So far I have tried this with a BIG almost 6lb kabocha, a small pumpkin, and a HUGE spaghetti squash.

The baking time depends on its size and thickness of skin, but the temp I always use is 350 degrees.

For the kabocha I poked some deep holes in the top and cooked it for 1 hour. Then I flipped it over and cooked it for 30 minutes more.

When it came out I let it cool and then I sliced it like pie and easily scraped off the seeds and stringy parts. There was so much that I cut it all in slices and stored the extra in the refrigerator.

It was great for a quick snack for the baby, or a yummy treat for me. To warm it back up you can take out a slice and cover it in coconut oil or butter and throw it under the broiler for a little bit.

The other great thing about baking the squash whole this way it the benefit of warming your kitchen or in my case the kitchen and living room. There are some bonuses to having a small house sometimes!

This is also a great way to collect all of your squash seeds to save for roasting!

Last night I warmed our house baking one of our decoration pumpkins left over from Halloween. I poked some holes in the top and baked it 45 minutes and then turned it on one side and baked it for about 20 minutes more.

As you can see from the pictures below Jad was VERY happy about his fresh pumpkin treat this morning! I even threw some of it into an omelet I made him for his 2nd course and he happily gobbled that up too. I am sure Ma would approve!

Easy & Delicious: Hand Dipped Coconut Cinnamon Apples on a Stick

Ma would have used real homemade caramel but she didn't worry about things like too much sugar. For those of us looking for a dairy-free, sugar-free (well the apple has sugar ;0) ), alternative these coconut apples on a stick hit the spot!

Hand Dipped Coconut Cinnamon Apples on a Stick

small or mini sized apples
coconut butter
coconut oil
cinnamon
lolly pop sticks or wood skewers

Scoop coconut butter into a small prep bowl, custard cup, or small ramekin. The size depends on the size of your apples. You should be able to fit your apple all the way inside the bowl. Scoop enough coconut butter to fill the bowl as high as your apple will be when you are dipping it in the bowl.

Melt the coconut butter in the microwave. Start with a low power and only 20 seconds at a time, stirring it each time until you have the creamy consistency.

Add a little coconut oil to the mix to thin it out.

Sprinkle your desired amount of cinnamon into the coconut butter and mix well.

Pierce your apples with your stick of choice and get ready to dunk them in your mix! Coat them well and lay them on a plate or tray lined with wax paper. Put them in the refrigerator to let the mix harden. This usually only takes about 15 minutes.

Enjoy!