Product Review

HappyBaby Organic Puffs - Sweet Potato

Living with an infant that cannot have gluten isn't always the easiest thing in the world. One of the major challenges I ran into was the ever elusive gluten free cereal puff. I searched in my local HEB and Sprouts for the fabled HappyBaby gluten free puffs I had found on the internet to no avail. Then on a chance visit to my local WholeFoods store I saw a container with a HappyBaby label proclaiming "Gluten free!" I was elated and immediately snatched up the one container they had in stock and guarded it jealously on my way to the check out line.

Immediately upon returning home I opened the (very cute) container and popped a puff in my mouth. After all, I want to know what I'm getting my kiddo into. These puffs are delicious! If my daughter didn't like them so much I would eat them like popcorn. They have the perfect balance between melt and crunch for little ones just learning how to chew or those who still simply suck on their foods.

I was not the only one who loved these. My daughter will eat these for hours. I give her about 15 as a snack and she likes to hide them under a panel on her play mat and savor them. I love that they are organic, she loves the sweet flavor. It is truly a win win situation. 

I would recommend HappyBaby puffs to any parent, gluten free or not. They also have Strawberry flavored gluten free puffs, but we have a family history of severe strawberry allergies. As strawberry is a high allergen food I was a bit surprised at this flavor choice. I was advised by my pediatrician, before revealing the family history, not to introduce strawberries until after 1 year of age.

I would rate the Sweet Potato flavor puffs a definite 5 out of 5. They are a great first finger food!

Because I was not able to purchase any other flavors I would rate the HappyBaby puffs line a 2.5 out of 5 overall. 

The true question is, will this gluten free HappyBaby trend expand?

Happy eating!

Tori

Sinfully Sweet - Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Spiced Almond Crust

I wanted to make pumpkin cheesecake last year for the holidays but I was pregnant and on bed rest so other things took over. Not to mention my mom was trying to bleed to death from a tonsillectomy so I had to devise a cold liquid Thanksgiving meal from bed for her ha ha ha. So I decided this year I would take my cheesecake recipe and make pumpkin cheesecake out of it! I made a few tweaks, looked at some recipes for inspiration, tweaked some more and the result was AMAZING! I am a pumpkin pie lover but this may have turned me. I think this is going to become an annual dessert in my house. It is good enough to change the traditional menu.

Spiced Almonds

2 1/2 c raw almonds

1 egg white (Save the yolk for the cheesecake filling later!)

1 tsp COLD water

1/2 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

Preheat your oven to 250º. Then put parchment paper on a sheet pan large enough to lay the almonds in one layer. 

Whisk your egg white just a little bit then add your cold water until the egg wash is frothy not firm.

Toss your almonds in the egg whites until they are all evenly covered then pour them out evenly onto the pan.

Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cloves until everything is nice and mixed. Then sprinkle mixture over the almonds.

Put everything in the oven for an hour stirring occasionally or you will end up like me. A girl with a block of sugary almond brittle. If you forget to stir it's okay, it's going in the food processor any way.

Crust

1 3/4 c ground spiced almonds (I obviously made mine at home but I suspect store bought ones will work fine)

1 stick melted salted butter

Put out your cream cheese and Greek yogurt for the filling so it can come to room temperature. (You'll thank me later!)

Mix the butter and the almonds well in a bowl. If you have made cheesecake before you will not end up with a crumbly crust you need to pack down. If you get goop, you have done it right. Pour your goop into a springform pan lined with parchment paper. (I suppose you could also grease your pan really well, I just love using parchment for cheesecakes. I think it makes the bottom and edges come out much cleaner.) Place this in the freezer to harden and start on your filling.

Filling

3 8oz pacakges cream cheese at room temperature (if they are cold they will be too hard to whip properly)

1 can of pureed pumpkin (or 2 cups if using stewed pumpkin from home, thanks mom!)

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 c Greek yogurt (you can also use sour cream, I personally like the taste with the yogurt for cheesecakes)

1 1/2 c sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Preheat your oven to 350º. Put a oven safe dish of water on the bottom rack of your oven. (This makes it so there is a better level of humidity in the oven to reduce your risk of cracked cheesecake. If you are impatient like me and don't let it cool in the oven it will crack anyway....)

Beat cream cheese until smooth. I use a stand mixer on medium for about 3 minutes, scraping when necessary.

Mix pumpkin, yogurt, and eggs in a bowl until incorporated then slowly while mixing add to your cream cheese. Make sure to scrape down the sides and incorporate all your cream cheese.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cornstarch until incorporated. Slowly add dry ingredients while mixing. Scrap down sides and make sure everything is evenly incorporated. 

Pour filling over frozen crust and bake for 1 hour.

After 1 hour turn off heat and leave cheesecake to cool for 20 minutes in the oven.

Then take the cheesecake and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours to cool (or realize that you won't have it cooled in time for a blog entry, slip it in the freezer, and widen your already lovely crack)

Slice and enjoy!

Cutting tip: Run a long thin knife under hot water for your cuts. Rinse and let the knife get warm between every cut and your cheesecake will look like it was cut by the pros!

I hope you enjoy this cheesecake as much as I do. Now excuse me while I go get seconds! Yummy!

Happy eating!

Tori

Bacon Risotto

To some risotto may sound like a daunting task, others have no idea what I'm talking about. I will warn you this is a fairly time intensive dish. It's best to make it when you truly have 30min that you can spend exclusively at the stove because you will be stirring... and stirring... and stirring... and stirring... Personally I think it's well worth the work. I am a risotto fan! Today's recipe calls for bacon but you can really make it with almost anything. I know a lot of people use asparagus, or mushrooms. I don't like either of those so I improvised!

1/2 lb of Bacon

3/4 c Arborio Rice (an Italian short grain rice that is very starchy, you really can't use regular white rice)

2 1/2 c Chicken Broth - Heated

2 tbsp Cold Butter

1/4 c Grated Parmesean

First things first, cut your bacon into 1/2in strips. Then cook your bacon to your desired done-ness. I like crispy crunchy bacon, it also adds a nice counterpoint to the creamy risotto.

Set your cooked bacon aside to drain on a paper towel and drain your bacon grease into a container for later. At this point I clean the saute pan that I was using to get all the dregs off but if you want you could use a new pan. Pour about 2 tbsp of the bacon grease back into the pan and put it over medium heat.

(If you are a real Italian you will cook a diced onion in the grease right here. I've been too lazy to try it so far, but an aromatic would probably make this lots better. If you're REALLY Italian there is also garlic and wine involved..)

Once it is hot put the rice in the grease and stir for about 3 minutes. This part is important for taste and color, don't skip it! It comes out funny later. I rushed it once and I never ever will again.

Now add in 1/2c of the hot broth and stir continually until most of the liquid is absorbed. Lather, rinse and repeat until all the broth is absorbed.

After all the broth is soaked up turn off the heat and add your cold butter and Parmesan, stirring it in until it is fully incorporated. Then add the bacon, stir, and serve!

Don't be afraid to get creative and try your favorite meats and veggies in your risotto. Have fun!

Happy eating!

Tori