Cheesy Broccoli Soup

please follow the link to read this 
recipe on my new blog
Spreading Good Tastes

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Mothers Day and delicious muffins!

Happy Mother's Day

 to all you beautiful,

 wonderful moms out there!

I found this little quote on  this morning...so very true...

I also came across a lot of great sounding recipes on  all-bran.ca , using of course All Bran Cereal. I chose to make some muffins and was really happy with the results...we all agreed these muffins were simply delicious and will definitely be making them again!
*I made some minor changes to the original recipe to suit my family's tastes, this is the link to the original recipe Banana Raisin Muffins

Banana Bran Muffins

ingredients:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour  3/4 cup whole wheat flour  1/2 cup granulated sugar  2 tsp baking powder  1/4 tsp baking soda  1/4 tsp salt  4  small, very ripe bananas  1 cup All-Bran Original cereal  1/3 cup skim milk  1 tsp vanilla extract  1/4 cup vegetable oil  1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C)

2. In a medium bowl combine first 6 ingredients, and set aside.

3. In a large mixer bowl peel and mash bananas with a fork, add cereal, milk and vanilla and let sit for 5 minutes to allow cereal to soften.

4. Add oil and egg and beat on medium speed until well combined.

5. Slowly add flour mixture while running mixer on lowest speed and mix until just combined

6. Lightly grease 12-cup muffin tin and spoon out batter evenly into cups. 

7. Bake 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and firm.


*makes 12 muffins

How to regrow your green onions

This is an excellent tip I found on
If you are like me you end up throwing out half the green onion bunch you buy because you simply don't use them enough. Even though they are quite inexpensive to buy it still feels so wasteful. So when I came across this  idea for growing your own on a window sill or outdoors I just had to try it. I happened to have some green onions in the fridge that were actually on their last legs and I was pleasantly surprised to find this actually worked perfectly and was very easy to do.


Step 1:
Next time you are chopping up green onions simply keep the bottom inch to 2 inches of the onion ( the part with the roots attached)

Step 2:
Place the cutting, root side down in a small glass or jar (a clear one is best) and fill with a bit of water, enough to cover the roots. Place the jar on your window sill.



Step 3:
Change the water every second day. In about 7-10 days your onions will have grown enough that you can cut off any tops you need to use in your recipes. Leave the roots in the jar and it will grow back again and again. 




*if you wish you can plant a few in your garden during the warmer weather months and you should get a nice bunch of green onions growing all summer long. (I have not planted mine outside yet but plan on doing so as soon as all chance of frost is gone...better be soon! lol) 

Give this great idea a try!

It's been a few months since my last posting...I've been busy...
very busy...pinning...on
  
Lol ... but it is true, I just love the site and the whole concept of it. I have found so many great recipes, crafts, decor and fashion ideas, as well as endless household tips...not sure if I will ever find the time to use them all but so what...the thrill is in the hunt!
I have started testing a few of my finds, and will periodically share some of my favourites with you. 

*if you are not a member of Pinterest and would like to become one (it is free to join and highly enjoyable!) please leave me a comment below with
your email address and I will be happy to send you an invite 


*this blog has now moved, please visit at my new address to read the latest posts, here is the link:
www.spreadinggoodtastes.com

Take a break and remember..

 

THE TIME YOU ENJOY WASTING IS NOT WASTED TIME...

Gnocchi...easy and delicious!

I LOVE gnocchi! But only the home made ones...store-bought varieties leave a lot to be desired! Fortunately they are easy to make and they freeze so well that there is really no reason to waste your money. This is a basic italian recipe, and adding grated cheeses or chopped herbs and spices can give you some great new flavours. A traditional meat sauce is perfect for gnocchi, but cream sauces and pestos work really well too. When I make a batch, I usually cook  half right away and freeze the rest, uncooked, in small ziplock bags (for single servings). When a gnocchi craving hits you all you have to do is drop them into boiling water and about 2 minutes later they are ready to enjoy!






Ingredients:
3 lbs  potatoes
2 cups flour + more for kneading
1 egg, ligthly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
(optional 1/2 cup grated parmesan)
1 tbsp butter


Directions:
-wash potatoes, place in a pot and cover with cold water to cover potatoes
-bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are soft when pricked with a fork
-drain and allow to cool for 5 minutes
-peel potatoes while still hot, transfer to a large bowl and immediately mash (or pass through a potato ricer and into a bowl)
-add flour, egg, salt and pepper and combine with a fork and then with your hands until a dough begins to form
-turn out onto a well floured surface and form a ball, cut it into 6 pieces
-take one piece and roll it out with your hands on a well floured surface to form a long rope of dough about 1" thick
-cut across it diagonally into 1" pieces to form gnocchi
-repeat with remaining dough
-at this point you can either cook the gnocchi right away or freeze them for future use
-if freezing lay out gnocchi on a lightly floured cookie sheet and place in freezer for about 2 hrs, then transfer to a zip lock bag (will keep well for several months)
-to cook gnocchi, bring a large pot of water to a boil, drop in fresh (or frozen) gnocchi in batches (do not crowd) and cook until  the gnocchi float to the surface (about 1-2 minutes)
-remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl with a tbsp of butter in it, cover and keep warm and repeat with remaining gnocchi


-serve immediately topped with your sauce of choice and a good grating of parmesan cheese


*meat sauce, pesto and cream sauces are perfect for gnocchi


*serves 8 

Do you have a Plan B?

"The most successful people are those that are good at Plan B."                                       ~james yorke