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Friday, February 23, 2024

Foodie Fridays: Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers


I love how quick and easy sheet pans dinners are to make, and I have posted several recipes for them on this blog.  Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers is another variation using ingredients that work well together and cook to perfection in the oven.  Best of all, I usually have most if not all of these ingredients on hand, which makes it even easier to get dinner ready almost effortlessly!  I do have to admit, though, that I never actually use a sheet pan - I always use a 9x13-inch baking pan instead, as I find that I am less likely to toss ingredients all over the kitchen using a deeper pan.  Everything roasts just fine as long as the pan is not overfilled, so I will stick to my pan of choice (I will still call this a sheet pan dinner, though!).

Sheet Pan Gnocchi with Sausage and Peppers

1 lb. precooked sausage, sliced (I used smoked turkey sausage)
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 package (16 oz.) gnocchi (I used pumpkin gnocchi)
2 T. olive oil (I used half garlic-flavored olive oil and half plain)
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
½ tsp. garlic powder (I omitted this)
¼ tsp. salt
⅛ tsp. black pepper (optional)

Add all ingredients to a 9x13-inch baking pan.  Use a large spoon or spatula to toss the ingredients around so that everything is coated with oil and spices.  Spread in an even layer.

Bake at 400℉ for 20-25 minutes, until the gnocchi and sausage are golden brown.

Spoon the gnocchi mixture into serving bowls.  If desired, top with an extra drizzle of olive oil (about 1 tsp. per serving), grated parmesan, and chopped parsley.  Serves 4.

All the lovely colors in this pan just make me happy! 😊

Thursday, February 1, 2024

This 'n That Thursdays: My (Very) Minimal Winter Skin Care Routine

From UC Health

I have never been one to fuss very much about my appearance.  I am more interested in staying healthy  than being pretty (I almost never wear makeup or other beauty products), but as I age I know that my body needs better care than it did when I was younger.  My skin was on the oily side when I was young, so I never worried much about dryness, but now that I am older and live in a very dry climate, I do need to pamper my skin more, especially in the winter.  The tips listed above help to combat dry winter skin (check out the website for more details) but I am still not great about using moisturizing products.  That said, I do use three products to keep my skin hydrated and healthy in the winter, so I thought I would describe these items today as they have worked so well for me.

As I general moisturizer, I could not live without my Amlactin Intensive Healing Body Lotion ($25.34 for a 14.1 oz. bottle) in the winter.  If I don't use this lotion, the skin on my legs becomes dry and flaky, my heels start to dry out, and I develop painful, bleeding cracks around the cuticles of my fingernails, especially on my thumbs for some reason.  I even use this lotion on my neck and face, although I have to be careful not to get it in my eyes as it is irritating.  I have tried other lotions in the winter but they are either not moisturizing enough or they feel too uncomfortably greasy.  Whenever I wash my hands I make sure to reapply this lotion, and I never wash dishes without gloves in the winter as my cuticles will dry out and crack if I do.  I go through two bottles of this lotion every winter but it is so effective that it is worth it.

For my lips, I swear by Aquaphor Lip Repair Stick + Sunscreen ($16.28 for a package of four).  I actually use this product all year round.  It moisturizes and heals dry lips as well as protects them from sun damage with an SPF 30 sunscreen.  I am prone to cold sores if my lips get sunburned, and this sunscreen lip balm helps to prevent this problem as well.


The last product I use for facial skin care is Aveda Purifying Creme Cleanser ($22.00 for a 5 oz. bottle).  It is pricey but I only need to use it once a day in the shower and only a small amount is needed for each washing, so the bottle lasts a long time (probably almost a year for me, and I use it every day).  This product moisturizes my face without leaving any greasy residue.  The small amount I use also covers my neck and even my arms!  I have been using this product for decades now, and I hope Aveda never stops making it because it is the most effective facial cleanser and moisturizer I have ever used.

❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️❤️❄️

February is starting off with unusually mild weather, but that is supposed to change tonight with cold weather returning for the weekend, so I will be faithfully following my minimal but effective winter skin care routine for this month and probably most of March as well.  Stay healthy and moisturized for the rest of this winter, everyone!

Thursday, January 4, 2024

This 'n That Thursdays: An Advent Tea Tin

One of the Christmas gifts I  received was this Harney & Sons Nutcracker Blend Tea Tin ($16.95 for 30 sachets).  I enjoy the flavor of the tea sachets in the tin, but I just love the cute design of the tin itself.  I plan to keep this tin after the tea is gone, and I know exactly how I will be using it.  Advent calendars with little gift slots for each of the 24 days before Christmas seem to be very popular right now.  I have been looking for one that includes a tea bag for each day, but I only like black or white tea and all of the advent tea calendars that I have found include green, rooibos, and/or herbal teas in the collection.  You can also find empty advent calendars to fill yourself, but the nicest ones are expensive and they tend to be rather large, which means yet another decorative item that has to be stored somewhere until next Christmas.

When I got this cute nutcracker tin, it occurred to me that I could use it as a sort of advent calendar.  It has plenty of room for 24 tea bags, and since I drink tea at least once every day I always have plenty of tea bags on hand.  If I start now saving one or two foil-wrapped tea bags from every box I open, it will not take me long to collect 24 of them.  I tend to switch the types and flavors of tea I drink throughout the year, so I am pretty sure I can have 24 different types of black tea by the time we reach the month of December.  Best of all, this compact tea tin is much easier to store than a bulky advent calendar, and I can reuse it year after year.  I am really looking forward to putting this advent tea tin together as the year progresses, and can't wait to start using it when December 1st finally arrives!

Friday, December 22, 2023

Foodie Fridays: Small Batch One Banana Muffins

All decked out in Christmas-colored silicone baking cups!

I used to love to bake, but these days I rarely do so as I must watch my carbohydrate intake.  However, every once in a while I feel the need to bake something, so I try to make small batch recipes since I am just baking for two.  Recently we had one very overripe banana that either had to be used up or thrown away, so I tried a Small Batch One Banana Muffins recipe which turned out great.  I usually find banana muffins to be way too sweet, but by adding 60% dark chocolate chips and coconut sugar (which does not taste as sweet as brown sugar) these muffins were just right.  Next time we have an overripe banana I will make these again!

Small Batch One Banana Muffins

1 C. flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 C. melted unsalted butter (or vegetable oil)
1 overripe banana (1/2 cup mashed)
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (I used coconut sugar)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. dark (or semisweet) chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.  Set aside.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter.  Add the banana and mash thoroughly with a fork.  Whisk in the sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Add the dry ingredients and stir together until a batter forms. Stir until just incorporated (do not overmix).  Fold in the chocolate chips.

If time permits, let the batter sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before scooping so that the batter will rise better while baking.  Spoon the batter equally into 6 greased or lined muffin cups.

Bake at 425°F for 5 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 350°F, WITHOUT opening the oven door, and bake for 12-15 more minutes until domed and set (a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean).  Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before serving.  Serves 6.

Thursday, December 7, 2023

This "n That Thursdays: A Preview of Two Picks of the Year for 2024

Tamarind tree and pods (from Green Paradise)

McCormick and Pantone have just announced their 2024 picks of the year, and they are, to me at least, not what one would have expected, so let's take a look!  McCormick's choice for their 2024 Flavor of the Year is tamarind, which comes from the sweet and tangy pulp in the fruit pod of a tropical leguminous tree (Tamarindus indica).  While you may not be familiar with the fruit itself, if you have ever used Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce you have used tamarind, as tamarind extract is one of the flavorings in the sauce.

McCormick has created a Mexican-inspired Tamarind and Pasilla Chile Seasoning blend with a "sour, savory flavor & mild heat" which will be available for a limited time so that you can try this unique flavor in your own cooking.  I am intrigued enough to consider trying this blend myself.

For their 2024 Color of the Year, Pantone has chosen a shade they call Peach Fuzz, a color which they claim "captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others."  This warm pastel hue, "softly nestled between pink and orange" and "a clean peach tone with a vintage vibe", supposedly evokes both coziness and elegance.  Thanks to all of the current turmoil in the world, the folks at Pantone felt that we needed a warm and gentle color to soothe our anxiety yet still please our sense of style.  While I am not a big fan of pastels, even I have to admit that this peachy shade is indeed a gentle and relaxing color - not one that I personally would want to live with, but I would not mind being in surroundings that include this hue.

So what do you think of these two picks for 2024?  Will you be looking to purchase items that include either one?  If so, enjoy! 🍑🍲😊

Friday, November 17, 2023

Foodie Fridays: Microwave Winter Squash

From this ...

I recently discovered the quickest and easiest way to prepare winter squash purée, and I just had to share it!  I have tried growing butternut squash in my garden here in New Mexico but they do not do well - I would only get a couple of squashes and they were always tiny.  This summer I tried a different variety called buttercup squash and and had a bit more success.  I ended up with seven full-sized squashes - they are similar in size to an acorn squash but shaped differently (see above).

Now that I had my winter squash, I wanted to find the best way to cook them for purée.  At first I thought I would roast them, so I looked up a recipe for roasting, which recommended piercing the squash with a fork and microwaving it first because this would soften the squash enough to cut it in half for roasting.  I did this and discovered that one of the squashes actually cooked through completely in the microwave, so I quickly looked for a method for just cooking winter squash in the microwave.  It turns out that microwaving winter squash is the quickest and easiest way to cook them, and from now on I will always cook them this way!

Use this method if you are looking to make unseasoned winter squash purée, which is what I needed (use this purée in any recipe that calls for canned pumpkin, such as soups and baked goods).  Sometimes at my age I feel like I have pretty much seen everything, so I love it when I learn something new and prove myself wrong! 😄

... to this!

Microwave Winter Squash

1 winter squash (butternut, buttercup, acorn, etc.)

Wash the squash and pierce several times with a fork.  Put on a plate and microwave on HIGH for 5 minutes.  Remove from the microwave and cut in half.  Remove the seeds and strings.

If the squash flesh is soft, scrape it out of the shell.  If the flesh is still hard, place the halves back on the plate, cut side down, and pour 1-2 T. water on the plate.  Microwave on HIGH 5 more minutes.  The squash should soften, but if it is still hard microwave a few minutes longer until soft enough to scoop out of the shell.  Amount of purée will vary depending upon the size of the squash.

Note: If using smaller squashes, you can microwave two at once.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

This 'n That Thursdays: The Best Cozy Comfort Foods from Trader Joe's

Santa Fe Trader Joe's

Even though there is a Trader Joe's in Santa Fe, I rarely get there because it is inconveniently located from where we live.  However, my husband went in for knee surgery recently and the hospital is very close to the Trader Joe's, so I stopped by there on my way home after dropping him off and checked out what they had to offer.  I found some absolutely delicious items that I just had to share, so here I am joining the many bloggers who love to recommend their favorite Trader Joe's selections!

Image from Eat This, Not That!

First up is Trader Joe's Harvest Chili.  Fall and winter are the best times for eating chili, and if I am not making my own then I want to eat this vegan version.  No need for toppings when you eat this delicious concoction, although I do recommend a good-sized piece of firm cornbread to mop up anything that may remain in the bottom of the bowl!  (I also tried the White Bean Chicken Chili Soup and it was okay, but the Harvest Chili remains my favorite by far.)

Mini Spicy Pumpkin Samosas are new to me, but now that I've tried them I find myself craving more.  I suggest serving them with Trader Joe's Chimichurri Sauce, which is cilantro-based but tastes nothing like cilantro - it is the perfect complement to the slight spiciness of the samosas.  I also tried their refrigerated Chicken Tikka Masala, which I found to be better than most prepackaged versions out there, so if you want to go full-on Indian for a meal serve the samosas as an appetizer and the tikka masala as the main dish, perhaps with a simple Indian kachumber salad and some naan bread on the side (I prefer garlic naan myself).

Image from Reddit

I am in love with the French Onion Focaccia Bread with Caramelized Onions & Cheeses available from Trader Joe's.  Serve this tasty bread warm with soup or salad, and use it to clean up the bowl.  No need for butter or olive oil unless you feel the need, as this focaccia bread is moist and flavorful enough on its own.

My love for caramelized onions is once again more than satisfied with the Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Tart, which is a perfect meal choice at any time of the day.  Oh my goodness this tart is tasty!  I served it at lunch with a pear, walnut, and blue cheese salad for all the fall vibes, and it really hit the spot.

We had our first real snowfall this past Saturday, and the temperatures are definitely starting to feel like late autumn.  For me, this is the perfect time for cozy comfort foods, and I highly recommend any of these options from Trader Joe's.  It's time to enjoy cozy season! ☕️🍩🍁🌰🍄🍂🍪🍵