Food Love Archives - Satori Design for Living

Gluten-Free Greek Almond Cookies

Mar

2013

My husband and I are part of a dinner club that meets up once every 6-8 weeks along with eight other couples. Over the weekend the theme was Greek food, and I was on dessert detail for this go-around. We have two people in our group (myself included) who eat gluten-free, and one more who doesn’t eat dairy. It does pose a few challenges, but I was able to find the perfect Greek-inspired cookie recipe that met all the requirements. Served with a mixed fruit platter, the cookies turned out to be a huge hit.

Gluten-Free Almond Cookies

1 cup butter

1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar, plus more for rolling

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

1 cup rice flour (I used ½ cup white, ½ cup brown)

½ cup sorghum flour

½ cup potato starch

1 1/3 cups ground almond flour

½ tsp. xanthan gum

½ tsp. baking powder

pinch sea salt

¼ cup almonds, coarsely chopped

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Slow Cooker Chick Pea Curry

Feb

2013

7 Comments

This week our oven broke down and I’m having to be creative when it comes to meals. Thank goodness for our slow cooker, BBQ, and griddler or we’d be very limited in what we could prepare. Although the breakdown couldn’t have happened at a worse time, there’s definitely a part of me that is excited to finally be replacing the builder-grade appliance that hasn’t worked very well from day one (more on that later).

Because I plan meals at the beginning of the week, I still wanted to try and move forward with what I had selected and prepared for. We always try to do at least one meatless meal per week to save money and be a little more health conscious, and chick pea curry was on my list for Tuesday. Normally this recipe requires stovetop cooking, but I decided I would modify the recipe and see how it turned out in the slow cooker. I’m happy to report that it surpassed my original method and got a thumbs up by all.

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Filed Under: Food Love Tagged With: Dinner Recipes, Recipes

Cookie Exchange Link Party

Dec

2012

14 Comments

One of the best parts of the Christmas season (or worst, depending on how you look at it) is the abundance of goodies. Over the years, I’ve really pared back my baking to keep us from over-indulging. I find that if it isn’t in the house, we don’t eat it. However, to satisfy the sweet tooth in all of us, I do make a few family favorites. Last year it was chocolate almond biscotti and chocolate caramel pretzels. You may also remember it was my first year partaking in a baking exchange, and I was so excited to get some of my friend Sandi’s decadent shortbread and chewy molasses cookies.

This year, trying to be a little more health conscious, I asked my nutritionist friend Karen to share one of her holiday recipes. Karen recently launched her website Nourish With Karen, where you’ll find inspiration for healthier living through better nutrition. Although her website is just off the ground, she does have a few recipes posted, including quinoa chocolate cake (yum!) and sugar cookies made with almond flour.

On Monday, Karen stopped by for tea and brought the most delicious dark chocolate bark I have tasted. To add, it’s full of antioxidants, contains magnesium contributing to serotonin levels, and has less sugar than milk chocolate (as she informed me). A decadent treat providing nutrition- bring it on!

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Filed Under: Food Love, Holiday & Seasonal Tagged With: Baking, Christmas, Handmade, Holiday Cookie Exchange, Link Party, Recipes

Hot Apple Cider for a Cold Hallow’s Eve

Oct

2012

3 Comments

Tomorrow may be Halloween, but it feels and looks more like Christmas outside. I’m hoping it will warm up a bit for the trick or treaters, though I think it’s probably best to bundle up.

Halloween has changed for us over the years, from decorating a couple weeks before and always designing and sewing my son’s costumes, to throwing some decorations together on the 31st and leaving my son’s costumes up to him. I’m not the Halloween scrooge, but since he’s hit high school, it just isn’t a big deal for us any more. However, we do enjoy seeing the little ones dressed up and it’s a good excuse to eat mini chocolate bars. We also like turning on the fireplace and sipping some sort of hot drink while we take turns going to the door. Occasionally, a family needs to warm up and ends up making a pit stop at our house. This year I want to be prepared and I’ve decided to make hot apple cider (with or without alcohol).

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Filed Under: Food Love, Holiday & Seasonal Tagged With: Beverages, Halloween Ideas, Recipes

Fall Comfort Food {Coconut Curry Chicken Soup}

Oct

2012

8 Comments

Isn’t there something comforting about soup simmering on the stove on a chilly fall day? Yesterday, I made one of our family favorites, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect with our first flakes of snow to hit the ground this season. As I look outside my office window right now, heavy winds are blowing snow straight sideways as it comes down. I don’t think I’m ever prepared for the return of cold weather, but fall comfort food somehow makes it a little more tolerable.

Coconut Curry Chicken Soup

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 tbsp. Thai green curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)

2 coarsely chopped garlic cloves

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

¾ cup thinly sliced carrots

2 tbsp. fish sauce

2 tbsp. brown sugar

½ chicken bouillon cube (add more if desired)

1 ½ cups cooked chopped chicken

1 can (400 mL) coconut milk

1 ½ cups cooked brown rice (about ½ cup uncooked)

1 bunch of Thai basil

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Filed Under: Food Love Tagged With: Dinner Recipes, Recipes

Refreshing Summer Drinks Made With Berries

Jul

2012

5 Comments

During the heat wave last week, I searched for some refreshing summer drink alternatives that would still get a thumbs up from my son and his friends, but weren’t packed with sugar and void of any nutrients. Although I’m a water and lemon girl, I understand that sometimes water just doesn’t cut it (especially for teens), and I set out to try some recipes (and create a couple of my own) using fresh organic berries from the farmer’s market.

{via Chatelaine}

Fresh Strawberry Lemonade

2 cups fresh organic strawberries, chopped
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup organic raw honey
1 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 cups purified water
ice cubes

1. Whirl strawberries with sugar, zest and 1 cup water in a blender until puréed. Strain through a sieve into a large pitcher. Stir in lemon juice and 2 more cups water. If mixture is too thick, stir in more water or lemon juice.

2. Pour into glasses and top with ice cubes. Lemonade tastes best the same day it’s made.

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Filed Under: Food Love Tagged With: Beverages, Chatelaine Magazine, Recipes

Last Minute Easter Ideas

Apr

2012

3 Comments

My sister is hosting Easter dinner this year and, as a result, I haven’t decorated my own home one tiny bit. It’s not that I don’t see the significance of the holiday, I’ve just opted to leave everything packed away in our storage room because of our upcoming basement renovation. I have added a few spring details, such as new pillow covers, a lacework lantern, pretty robin’s egg placemats and a few other accessories, but nothing that says ‘Easter’.

Despite my plans to bypass Easter decorating this year, I did come across several gorgeous inspiration photos I wanted to share with you.

My friend Amanda created the most beautiful Easter tablescape.

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Filed Under: Food Love, Holiday & Seasonal Tagged With: Easter Decorating, Easter Ideas, Recipes, Tablescape

Pie in a Jar {a pinterest fave}

Jan

2012

5 Comments

It’s no secret that I love dessert. It’s not that I have to eat a whooping piece of chocolate to feel satisfied. A square of dark chocolate and a handful of nuts will usually do the trick. However, once in a while I love to indulge in something decadent. It’s probably why 90% of my food pictures (titled Yummy) on Pinterest are sweets. I don’t know why I torture myself with these photos and it’s a good thing I’m someone who can exercise a pretty good amount of restraint!

I know I’m not the only pinner with a sweet tooth. In fact, my number one re-pin this month wasn’t a bathroom, bedroom or kitchen. It was a dessert! And, not just any dessert, but a cute little pie in a jar!

{via Babble}

I suspect that people are drawn to this dessert just as much for the presentation as the actual taste. I do love peach pie, but the lattice detailed top in the cute little jar is what sold me on this recipe.

If you’d like to make the little darlings, you can find the recipe here. They also have different variations if you’d like to try another fruit.

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Filed Under: Fab Finds, Food Love Tagged With: Dessert Recipes, Pinterest, Recipes