30 Second Chocolate Sauce

When I made my 2 Minute Fudge Frosting a few days ago, I had the idea to put it on cookies. I always keep a package of animal cookies around for quick toddler snacks. The rich, creamy chocolate flavor was just begging to be a cookie dip.

This afternoon, while the kids were having their snack, I threw together an even quicker, dippier version of the frosting. It's thin and saucy, and -if possible- a little bit richer.

Let's face it. When you need chocolate, 2 minutes is 1 and half minutes too long.

I've spent the rest of the evening thinking of delectable applications for this simple sauce. Fresh strawberries with whipped cream. Pancakes. Apple slices. Granola and yogurt. PB toast. Oatmeal cookies. Peach slices. Cherries. Hot oatmeal. Waffles. Ice cream. Blueberries and cream. Yogurt-berry parfait.
Endless possibilities

2 TBS cocoa powder
2 TBS powdered sugar
2 TBS + 2 tsp melted coconut oil
Small pinch sea salt

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and beat with a fork until smooth. Serve as a dip or a sauce.

The One-Dish Method

Washing dishes might be my least favorite chore. After ironing. Which I don't do. The only thing I like less than washing dishes, is having them piled up in my sink and on my counters. In the heat of the Louisiana summer, dirty dishes can lead to very bad nastiness in an absurdly short time.

I cook all of our meals and with a family of 6, dishes pile up at light speed. Some days, I felt like I never got more than 3 feet from the sink all day, and they just kept coming!

I had a couple of problems:

#1. No dish washer. No where to hide the dirties, and all the labor is manual.

#2. A huge sink. I love my triple sink, but it can hold an enormous number of dishes.

#3. Very little counter space. Real estate is so limited that a single stack of plates takes up half my workspace.

#4. An almost unlimited supply of dishes. We have over 3 dozen plates alone. We won't even discuss my collection of antique glass bowls, platters and bake ware, all of which see regular use. And, of course, there are cups, glasses, jars, plastic storage, pots and pans, and so on and so on and so on. You get the idea.

I triple sparkly heart love my dishes. Truly. Sometimes I just gaze at them in admiration.  We don't use paper products, even for guests and holidays. Our friends tend to have as many kids as we do. We really do have a use for all those dishes. So those are staying. I may not add any more (many more?) but I'm not not giving them away.

I'm not adding more counter space. I don't need MORE mess.

I love my sink. I would like it to be usable.

I don't like dishwashers. I would rather wash by hand.

I needed a solution to tame the insanity without a major overhaul of our lives.

So, I devised the One Dish Method.

I started off with the cup problem. I sat down with the 2 oldest kids and we did a little math. Our family was using more than 40 cups each day. A bit excessive, wouldn't you say?

I assigned each family member a reusable water bottle. ONE. They are washed and refilled repeatedly throughout the day as needed, and live next to the water dispenser. No more lost cups. Ever. Each person has his own color or name written on the bottle in sharpie. Everyone is responsible for their own bottle. Even the 1yr old keep track of his own bottle.

Juice, soda, coffee, etc, we do use a regular cup. These are for water only. But, we are almost exclusively water drinkers, so this has nearly eliminated the cup problem.

Here are a random sampling of bottles, hanging out in their home, waiting to go to work.

The water bottles worked so well, I decided to expand this program to include dishes.

I pulled out one plate per person-2 adult sized dinner plates for myself and my husband, 3 divided plates for the kids, and one enamelware plate for the baby, one bowl each-ceramic cereal bowls for the grownups, small glass bowls for the kids, and an enamelware bowl for the baby, and one appropriately sized fork, spoon and set of chopsticks per person. Actually, I used generic chopsticks. I didn't want to deal with matching them. I stacked everything neatly in middle of the table, with the utensils in a mason jar. Done! These are all the dishes we need for any given meal.

When it's time to eat, the kids hand out the necessary items. After dinner, everyone carries their own stuff to the sink. The kids wipe down the table. I wash and replace, and that's it.

AH. So much better!

We still have access to all of the dishes. I didn't pack anything up. They are available if we need an extra plate of whatever. I did sift through all of the chipped and cracked dishes that I had been hanging on to just in case. We no longer need them.

Sometimes less is more.

2 Minute Fudge Frosting

So yummy, so fast. Who needs a cake? You will want to eat this right out of the bowl. Super rich. Not too sweet. Look how beautifully glossy and shiny it is!

This recipe is one generous single serving. I used it to frost Chocolate-Covered Katie's One Minute Chocolate Cake.  Here's what's left of the finished cake. It's a little too rich and delicious to eat all at once. Pace yourself.

2 TBS cocoa powder

2 TBS powdered sugar

2 TBS melted coconut oil

2 tsps milk ( I used vanilla almond milk)

In a small bowl, combine cocoa powder and sugar. Blend completely.

Add coconut oil. Stir and mash until it forms a thick, smooth paste.

Add one tsp milk. Mash into paste completely.

Add second tsp milk. The paste will begin to melt. Beat with a fork or whisk until smooth and glossy.

Frost cake immediately. If placed in refrigerator or if the kitchen is cool, it may harden. warm in microwave for 15 seconds and stir until spreadable before using if this happens.  



Quick and Easy Kolaches

The Strawberry Papa, D, Made these for breakfast this morning. If you are wondering what a Kolache is...I don't really know. D says it's similar to Pigs in a Blanket. It seems that every bakery and donut shop in the South has their own version of kolaches, and none bears any resemblance to any other.
D spent his early childhood in his grandfather's bakery in Houston. The bakery was known for it's kolaches. D modelled these after his childhood memories, minus the waking up at 4am.
This will probably be the simplest recipe you will  ever see here in Strawberry Land. D makes these on the weekends so I can sleep late. The little Berries devour them.

2 cans of large flaky biscuits
1 package of hot dogs (or sausages, though D insists hot dogs are more authentic)

Preheat oven to 325F.

Cut hot dogs in half. Roll one biscuit around each hot dog half. Bake 8-10 minutes or until perfectly golden brown. Serve warm.

Tortilla Casserole

My 9 year old named this. The 6 year-old suggested Fruit Taco Combo. He argued that tomatoes are a fruit. I didn't think that name was entirely appropriate, even though he made an excellent point, and olives and chilies are also fruit.

All 3 verbal kids declared it "Delicious" and the baby licked the plate. High praise for the kids who routinely ask "Are there beans in this?" and make their excuses when I (almost always) say yes.

This whole dish costs less than $5 and takes under 30 minutes to make, including baking time.

Approximately 8 corn tortillas
1 large can refried beans
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 small can tomatoes with green chilies
4 oz Mexican style shredded cheese
1 small can sliced black olives

Dice onion and garlic. Sautee in oil until tender. Remove from heat. Add tomatoes, stir.

Layer into casserole dish, 4 tortillas, half of the beans, half of the tomato mixture, and half of the cheese. Repeat layers, and top with olives.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, until melty.

Serve with shredded lettuce, diced fresh tomato, salsa, and guacamole, as desired.

20 Minute Turnip Soup

This soup is super easy, deceptively tasty and a perfect use for the extra turnips in your CSA basket or garden. It's a perfect autumn soup, but I have the AC cranked up and we are enjoying it today for lunch.

2 turnips with greens
2 carrots
1 box broth, 2 cans stock, or the equivalent

Dice turnips and shred greens. Slice carrots. Add veggies and stock to a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until tender.

BLT Wraps

My children had the Mini Croissant BLTs for lunch ( I had one, too. Had to taste-test, you know), but I wanted a lighter option, so I had this.

Lay out one leaf of lettuce-any kind, this is green leaf, my favorite. In the center, lay 2 half slices of tomato and 2 strips of crisp bacon. Fold over each side of the lettuce, and VOILA! one-handed lunch.

It tastes decadent, but it's only 91 calories! Most of the fat, calories and carbs in a traditional BLT come from the bread and mayo. This wrap has neither and still tastes delicious. I'm going to go have another :)

Mini Croissant BLTS

Slice Mini croissant.

Add a small piece of lettuce, a half slice of tomato and a half slice of crispy bacon.

Aren't they pretty? Perfectly sized for small children.

Cajun Lasagna

This is inspired by Rachel Ray's Sloppy Lasagna. The trick is to break up the lasagna noodles, cook them and then mix the sauce and noodles together, layer with cheese and bake up the whole thing. It's so much faster than traditional lasagna. My oldest loves it so much, we have different versions of lasagna twice a week.

1 pound regular lasagna noodles (or other pasta)
1 pound of fresh sausage-Cajun if you can get it
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 carrot, shredded
1 can tomatoes
1 can tomato puree
Fresh herbs or Italian seasoning
1/2 pound mozzarella, shredded
1/2 pound cheddar, shredded

Boil a very large pot of water. Cook pasta till just tender. Drain. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium pot, cook sausage (removed from casings), onion, garlic, and carrot over low heat with a tbs of olive oil if needed, till sausage is no longer pink and veggies are tender.

Add tomatoes, puree, and herbs. Simmer till heated through.

Combine pasta and sauce. Stir to combine.

Heat oven to 350*.

Spoon half of mixture into a casserole dish. Top with half of each cheese. Repeat layers.

Bake 20 minutes of until cheese is melty and gooey.  Cool slightly and serve with a big green salad.

No poo- an easy alternative to shampoo

You may have heard of the no-poo movement. There are multiple alternatives to chemical laden, commercial shampoo and conditioner. This is the easiest and most accessible.

First, why no-poo? I know some of you are having visions of stinky, dirty, flea-infested hippies. Life without shampoo? How? Why?

Shampoo is laden with nasty chemicals. Here is a list of ingredients commonly found in shampoos. Shampoo begins with a glycol base, to which toxic foaming and clarifying agents and fragrances are added.

Shampoo creates a lovely foam, which is tactilely pleasing, but also strips hair of natural moisture and oils. This dry, rough texture necessitates the use of conditioner. Conditioner coats hair in a waxy, sticky residue which first makes hair look shiny, glossy and smooth, but quickly attracts dust and dirt requiring the use of more shampoo.

Shampoos labeled "Natural" and "Herbal" are not necessarily better than conventional shampoos. Often herbal ingredients are added to the usual base, which improves the scent and possibly the texture, but does nothing to reduce toxin exposure. Truly toxin-free shampoos are expensive and require research to identify.

No-poo eliminates the coating and stripping cycle. A simple cleanser is used, followed by an acidic rinse (more on this later). No-poo can be extremely inexpensive, and easy. This method is foolproof. You can make your own products from 3 ingredients in your kitchen in a matter of seconds. You can adjust the mixtures to meet your specific needs.

Let's get started. You will need 2 containers. The picture above shows 2 travel sized squeeze bottles. I'm not sure where I aquired these. I think they came in a package with something else. I would suggest avoiding glass in the shower, for obvious reasons.

Fill your first container halfway with baking soda. Fill your second container halfway with either white or apple cider vinegar. I prefer apple cider vinegar, if I have it on hand. Any vinegar will work in a pinch.

Top each container off with water. If you like, you can add a drop or two of body safe scented oil or essential oil to the vinegar. Citrus and spice scents are especially adept at masking the pickly odor.

To use, wet hair thoroughly. Apply baking soda mixture to the crown and hair line. You may mix it with less water to make a paste, or more water to make more of a liquid. It won't froth or spread well like shampoo, so you may have to experiment a bit to find the dilution that works best for you. It will separate as it sits. You can see it starting to separate in the picture above, in the time it took me to turn on my camera. Massage it in and rinse well in warm water.

Next, apply the vinegar mixture to the full length of your hair. Let it rest for a minute or so and then rinse. If it stings, dilute it more.

That's it. Simple enough, right?

Now, let's talk a little about how it works.

Baking soda is a cleanser. It's great for a multitude of surfaces, bathtubs, sinks, pots, laundry and hair. It can be harsh and drying if overused. You may find that you can cut back on washings to every other day, once a week, or even less, if your hair is very dry, coarse, and/or curly (like mine).

Vinegar is an acid. Each individual hair is covered in an outer layer called the cuticle. The cuticle is made up of smooth little scales, not unlike a snake. Daily wear and tear cause these little scales to lift away from the body of the hair, giving the hair a rough surface and a frizzy, unruly appearance. The acid in the vinegar smoothes the cutile layer back down, returning the smooth, snaky texture. If your hair is super smooth, you can skip this step, but I like this part even better than the baking soda part.

What about smelling like a salad? The scented oil that you may have added will mask that smell, as I mentioned earlier. But even if you don't use it, the vinegar smell will evaporate, leaving behind the unadulterated scent of clean.