Homemade Vanilla Caramel Sauce

I recently made this homemade caramel sauce. I adapted the recipe slightly from Sally's Baking Addiction. It is super easy to make, second time was a charm, for me! The first go around I burned the caramel and butter mixture. You have to be extra careful and make sure you are constantly stirring. I decided to hold back on the salt a bit and added in some vanilla extract.

It turned out delish! Caramel sauce is perfect for a topping on just about any dessert. My kids will be using it on their homemade vanilla ice cream. ENJOY!

1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons salted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
a pinch of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place one cup sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar melts and turns into a light brown color. DO NOT BURN. Stir constantly. Add butter and continue to stir until butter melts. Slowly add in heavy cream. Continue to stir until it bubbles up on the sides. I turned mine down to low when I added butter. I burnt my first batch to I was a bit more cautious this time around.

Remove from heat. Add a pinch of kosher sea salt and 1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Pour into storage container and let cool. Store in air tight container in fridge.

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Homemade Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

These bread machine cinnamon rolls are super yummy! My kids absolutely loved them. The best part...they are made with whole wheat flour!

I have adapted the recipe from About.com

3/4 cups water
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups unbleached, white whole wheat flour
6 tablespoons cane sugar
1/4 melted, salted butter
2 tablespoons dry milk
1 packet active yeast

Filling:

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Add all ingredients to bread machine and use dough setting. (cycle is about 1 1/2 hours)

Remove dough from bread machine & roll out into a rectangle, approx. 10x18". Brush dough with melted butter & sprinkle with sugar mixture. Roll dough, starting at the long end. Pinch seam together. Cut 1" slices and place on a buttered baking sheet. Cover with a damp towel and let rise for another 45 minutes, in a warm place.

Bake 12-15 minutes.

Icing:

3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons hot water
2 cups powered sugar

Drizzle icing over warm cinnamon rolls. Serve!!

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Homemade Creamy Cauliflower Sauce

This cauliflower sauce has replaced Alfredo sauce in our family! I wanted to get really creative with how to get my kids the vegetables they need. We were all unsure of it until we tried it! I have adapted the original recipe at Pinch of Yum, to make it "kid" friendly.

We use this sauce on our homemade pizzas and pasta. The kids absolutely love it. Weird, right? They are getting nutrients and fresh ingredients. No preservatives, artificial colors or flavors. Give it a try!

Medium head of cauliflower
1-2 cloves of garlic (depends on how much you like garlic)
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup milk
2-3 cups chicken or veggie broth (depends on the consistency you want the sauce)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

In a medium sauce pan or steamer, steam cauliflower and garlic, until soft. Add 1/2 cup milk, cauliflower, garlic, pepper, cheese, butter and 1 cup broth to blender. Blend until smooth. Continue to add broth until you reach desired thickness.

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Spring Cleaning, Going Green: Homemade Household Cleaners

Have you done your Spring cleaning yet? I am a little behind. Thought it might be a good idea to remove some harsh chemicals from our household and try some natural cleaning solutions. Essential oils have special properties that can replace the yucky chemicals in store bought cleaners. Lemon essential oil has a fresh scent and can be used to brighten or remove stains. Peppermint oil has a natural pest deterrent and antibacterial property. Tea tree oil has natural anti-fungal, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. (Huffington Post).

Check out how easy it to make your own, natural, non-toxic cleaning products!

A. Antibacterial Cleaner Recipe (peppermint & tea tree oil) by Soap Deli News 
B. Lavender Household Cleaner by Little Green Dot
C. Homemade Hardwood Cleaners by Tip Nut
D. Homemade Carpet Cleaner by Little House Living
E. All Natural Cleansing Spray by Mom 4 Real
F. Citrus Vinegar Cleaner by In Sonnet's Kitchen
G. Drain & Garbage Disposal Cleaners by My Merry Messy Life
H. All-Purpose Green Cleaners by First Home Love Life
I. Homemade Laundry Soap by Yours & Mine Are Ours

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{Recipe} Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Have you ever look at the ingredient list on a ranch bottle? Wow! Modified food starch, artificial flavors and preservatives to name a few unhealthy & unnecessary ingredients. Making simple changes in your families favorite foods can be a step in the right direction. Processed foods just aren't necessary. I love that this recipe has no mayo. Simple. Fresh. My kids really enjoy it!

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1-2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Store in mason jars or any airtight containers. Allow to sit overnight for best flavor!

TIP: make sure to look at the labels! For herbs and powders I used Morton & Basset San Francisco, all natural.

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{Recipe} Homemade Flour Tortillas

I found the best recipe, I adapted, for homemade flour tortillas on epicurious! My husband and I are really starting to take a look at what we eat and especially what we are feeding our kids. It is unbelievable what artificial ingredients and preservatives companies add to our store bought food. Sad, really. It is so easy to make little changes that can go a long way. I admit, cooking from scratch is time consuming. However, it is doable.

Just to give you an idea of what a typical store bought flour tortilla may have in it:

• Enriched bleached flour- enriching the bleached flour is necessary due to processing. Processing the flour removes nutrients. Nutrients required by FDA that need to be present (iron, vitamins, calcium). Enriched products tend to quickly raise blood sugar levels. Chemicals are used to bleach the flour, such as, chlorine and organic peroxides. 
• Hydrogenated oils- trans fats. According to Natural News, "They take these naturally healthy oils such as palm, kernel, soybean, corn oil or coconut oil and they heat it anywhere from five hundred to one thousand degrees under several atmospheres of pressure. They then inject a catalyst into the oil for several hours. The catalyst is typically a metal such a nickel, platinum or even aluminum...The molecules in this new product are now closer to cellulose or plastic than to oil. In fact hydrogenated oil is only one molecule away from being plastic." 
• Dough conditioners- According to Natural Revolution, "Bromide is a dough conditioner found in most flours as potassium bromate...Constant ingestion of bromate in your daily bread may eventually create a thyroid hormone imbalance because iodine is needed for thyroid hormone production. It is also implicated in many cancers. The UK banned bromate in bread in 1990. 
Canada banned bromate in bread in 1994." 
• Preservatives- food additives to prolong shelf life. BHT/BHA, Nitrates. 
• Cellulose Gum- food thickener. Is also used in non-food products such as, toothpaste, water-based paints, detergents. 

 Scary, right!? That is just tortillas! Why not  try something fresh. A recipe with ingredients you can pronounce and understand. Simplicity.

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2 cups unbleached flour (you can use whole wheat flour)
1/4 cup salted butter (cut into pieces)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup warm water
Pastry Blender

Measure 2 cups flour into a medium bowl. Cut butter into flour using a pastry blender, until flour resembles small crumbs. Add oil and water. Using a fork, work mixture into a ball of dough. Place dough on a floured surface and kneed 3-4 times. Wrap in plastic wrap and let dough sit for an hour. 
Divide dough into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion out into a 7-8" circle (or desired size and thickness). Using a floured surface to avoid dough from sticking. Place tortilla in a heated skillet or griddle and cook for 45-60 seconds on each size. TIP: you will know when to flip tortilla when it bubbles.
Store tortillas in fridge or freezer. So yummy!!!

Homemade Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Recently my family and I have made some big changes to what we eat. We are really making an effort to remove processed foods from our home. These yummy, easy to make granola bars are awesome! My three toddlers just love them. An entire pan only lasts about two days around here, ha ha! The best part is fresh ingredients. No preservatives. No added colors/dyes. You can actually understand what you are eating!

I have adapted the original recipe from Inspired Taste.

2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup salted butter, cut into pieces (or unsalted)
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt if you use unsalted butter
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

In a medium bowl, add the rolled oats. Set aside.

In a small sauce pan, add butter, honey, vanilla, and brown sugar. Cook until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture onto the rolled oats. Mix until combined. Wait about 1-2 minutes for the oats to cool. 
When the oats have cooled fold in the 1/4 cup chocolate chips. (they may melt a little). In a 8x8 baking pan, line bottom with parchment paper.

Take granola mixture and press into the baking pan, until tightly packed. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.  Place in refrigerator for 2 hours to chill before cutting into bars. Store in an airtight container or ziploc in the fridge. Store for up to one week. (They will won't last that long if you have kids!!!)

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