The Mattress that can be smaller and smaller

The mattresses if not used in the bed are quite large and hard to store. Are you asking why you would have a mattress that you don’t use in the bed? Well the answer is simple. You may have the extra mattress for guests. Not everyone can afford to have a guestroom in the apartment or even a guest bed. That is why people get the folding mattresses.

The advantages of the folding mattress

• It is the best solution when you have a limited space. The mattress can be fold on one or two places and thanks to that it can become very packable package. The Bi folding mattress is the one that folds in the middle. This one is usually thicker and doesn’t have so much flexibility.

• The guest will not have to sleep on the hard surface. You can put the mattress on the floor or on the folding bed. It depends on your options.

• When not in use the mattress is folded into the package and tied together. Like that you can put it in the cabinet or to the attic to store it. You should always put cover over them so it will not get damaged.

• This mattress is also made from the foam material, so if you want to give your guests 100% comfort you can purchase this one. The foam mattress gets formed according to the human’s body.

• You can easily put them into your car and go for a trip. Then you will be always sure that the bed you sleep on has the mattress you prefer.

You get stay relax when unexpected guests arrive because thanks to the folding mattress you will always have a place for them to sleep on.

Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce Review

If you like to do exercise but became bored with same type of old workout routine, then it’s time for try something new. The question is – what workout is effective and at the same time enjoyable to keep your body healthy and fit? The solution is rebounding. Most of the health experts and gym trainer think that it is one of the best workouts now a day and at the same time very enjoyable. It helps to reduce weight and take out the toxins from the body by helping the lymph fluid to circulate throughout the body.

According to the recent studies rebounding help to make one’s body healthier, fitter and more toned. Activating the lymph system it helps to increase the metabolism process. Thus it helps to keep the body free from extra weight. Therefore, try to buy a rebounder from Needak now.

Description of Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce

The diameter of is The Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce about 40-inch. This consists 36 high-quality soft bounce springs, a UV and weather resistive mat and foldable legs with silver chrome. This trampoline also undergoes high quality standard check like any other Needak trampoline. The design has been done considering the durability and convenience.

The Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce comprises with the following tools:

• a transport bag
• a book written by Dr. Morton Walker named Jumping For Health
• a copy of Aerobic Resistance Rebounding article written by Dr. Tina Wellman
• and a DVD of Albert Carter’s Immune System video

It has a stabilizing bar which has a function to provide additional safety while rebounding.
Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce Features

• The trampoline has exclusive barrel shaped spring. There are 36 springs and to protect them they were covered with extra pad. These springs absorbs 85% of the impacts and thus save your spine, knees and ankles.

• It has an exclusive mat made of Permatron material. This material is of superior quality. It is UV resistive and allows a longer life of the mat. And high grade nylon is used for stitching the mat with the frame.

• The diameter of the best trampoline is 40 inches which is larger than any other trampoline.

• It can take weight up to 300 lbs. that is why one can use it regularly. And its 10 inches legs provide high quality and smoother rebound.

• The frame of the trampoline has a lifetime warranty. On the other hand the mat has a 5 year warranty. Therefore, one does not need to be concerned of its defective parts.

• The price of this trampoline is affordable by most of the people.

The Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce and the Workout
If you Google the well known term rebounding you will get results of numerous reviews describing different trampoline. You will be surprised to notice that among them Needak Rebounders are most preferred by most of the people. And health experts and athletes are agreed on its popularity.

The Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce is a product someone never regrets buying. Many of you know the negative impact of jogging or running, they cause the painful pains in jarring joints. On the other hand this exerciser has no negative impact and is enjoyable too. It has less impact on knees and spine compared to jogging and running.

As a beginner you must start your workout gradually. This is very important for rebound workout with Needak rebounder. Start slowly and the build up your time gradually considering your strength and energy. If you take deeper jump for a long time you will have injured spine or sore joints because of carelessness.

The Needak Rebounder Platinum Edition Half Fold Soft Bounce is a durable exerciser covered with lifetime warranty for most of the parts. This is a great purchase as it comes with a carrying bag and DVD tutorials on rebounding workouts.

One-Piece Toilet Reviews

American Standard 2034.014.020 Champion-4 Right Height One-Piece Elongated Toilet

American Standard 2034.014.020 American Standard Champion is a full-sized toilet available in white or linen colors. It has slightly elongated sides for maximizing water usage. The EverClean surface will prevent the growth of bacteria, mold, or stains. It’s made from vitreous china materials.

This toilet can move masses 70% larger than most other types of standard toilets. You won’t have to worry about your toilet plugging up so easily ever again.

The 2 3/8” trapway will also help your toilet to flush fully and completely, not leaving any waste behind.

The American Standard Champion toilet comes with an impressive ten year warranty against defects. In the box is one toilet, and two bolts, but you’ll have to buy the seat separately.

American Standard 2403.128.020 Compact Cadet-3 FloWise One-Piece Toilet

American Standard 2034.014.020 If you’re reading through the best elongated toilet reviews, the American Standard Compact Cadet FloWise toilet is one of the best compact toilets for smaller guest bathrooms, or basement bathrooms.

It’s available in black, bone, and white colors. Despite being compact, it’s still built with a high-efficiency design.

It’ll fit neatly into your small space under the stairs or in the basement.

This toilet is built with the low-consumption of water in mind. It has an EverClean surface that actually prevents the growth of mold, bacteria, and stains, making it easier to clean once a week. Not only does the bowl have EverClean, but the lid and toilet seat do as well.

The plastic is microbial-inhibiting, so you can trust that it’s safe to touch in between disinfecting, or for when young hands touch everything. The lid is also slow-closing, so that young children won’t get their hands hit by rapidly closing lids. This lid will also keep from waking your spouse up at night in ensuite bathrooms.

Toto MS853113#01 Ultimate Round One Piece Toilet

TOTO MS853113#01 Ultimate The Toto Ultimate Round one piece toilet is available in four different color choices, sure to coordinate with sink or bathtub. This toilet features a round shape. It has a chrome plated trip lever, and a soft close lid that won’t hit the seat quickly, so it’s safe to have around smaller children. This toilet has a three inch flush valve, making it more efficient than other toilets.

The trapway is fully glazed so waste doesn’t get trapped, and it stays more hygienic.

The lid will slowly and gently lower down to the seat. The seat is made from durable plastic so it won’t break or crack easily. It’ll be firm when one sits upon it, and it will not shift around.

The Toto one piece toilet has a 2 1/8 inch trap way, so waste will flow through without getting stuck. Water will be drawn into the bowl more quickly.

Its G-Max siphon jet will ensure waste is pushed quickly down into the sewage pipes, and that it’s not going to back up. Flushing will be quieter than with other types of toilets.

Kohler 3810-0 Santa Rosa Comfort Height Elongated 1.28 GPF Toilet with AquaPiston Flush Technology and Left-Hand Trip Lever

KOHLER 3810-0 Santa Rosa The Kohler Santa Rosa Comfort Height elongated gravity flush toilet is available in eight different colors so that you can replace your toilet and match to your existing tub and sink, without having to replace them too. This toilet’s one piece design enables easy cleaning.

It has a comfort height, meaning that for those who have trouble sitting and standing back up again, particularly the disabled or elderly, can utilize a higher seat, making it easier to sit and stand again. The bowl is compact and elongated, so that it fits under smaller ledges or bathrooms, but still have a full-capacity flux system. It uses 1.28 gallons per flush.

The elongated and compact design of the Kohler Santa Rose toilet is perfect for fitting into most smaller bathrooms. The AquaPiston canister moves water quickly into the bowl from three different sides. This enables a more powerful flush, quickly moving the waste down the drain. It promises leak-free performance due to a 90% less exposed seal. This toilet comes with a one-year warranty to back up the product.

One piece toilets have many benefits, including the reduced chance of leaking between bowl and tank, as there are no spaces, or cracks in a one-piece toilet. Choose any of the above five toilets in the Kohler, Toto, or American Standard toilet brands, and you’re sure to be pleased by their low level water consumption, but high capacity flushing systems.

Cow Leather in Soccer Cleats: The Basics

Cow leather is a much more familiar material than the kangaroo leather I discussed in an earlier post. I’m sitting on a leather couch as I write this, so it feels more normal to be talking about the material and its use in soccer cleats.

In this post, I’ll just be covering the basics about good old fashioned cow leather.

In general, cow leather is heavier and less form-fitting than kangaroo leather. It’s more durable though, and is a cheaper material, which is why you often see it in lower-tier soccer cleats.

There are two basic kinds of leather that you’ll see listed as materials in soccer cleats:

Calfskin leather.
Full-grain leather.

Calfskin Leather Comes From… Calves of Course

Calfskin leather is just what you’d expect it to be: leather made from the hide of young cows. The younger animal’s hide is typically stronger and has higher tensile strength (that is, it can stretch more without damage) than leather made from the hides of older animals. check buying guide on best soccer pop up goals

Calfskin leather is a very common in lower-priced soccer cleats, along with some mid-level choices.

Full-grain Leather Means It Comes From a Single Cut of the Material

When manufacturers say their shoes are made of “full-grain leather,” that simply means the leather that made the shoe came from one single piece of hide. The “full-grain” part of it means the material will be stronger, since it doesn’t have seams in it, as it would if two or more pieces had been joined together.

The confusing part is that sometimes soccer shoes list their material as “calfskin leather” and other times they list it “full-grain leather.” So what’s the difference?

In truth, all natural material soccer cleats are made of “full-grain” leather. So it might very well be that your “full-grain leather” shoes could also be made of calfskin. Thus, if a manufacturer chose, they could list the material as either “calfskin leather” or “full-grain leather,” and either choice would be an accurate description.

In either case, you’re probably looking at a second-tier cleat, at best.

In a future post, we’ll cover the fancy new hybrid materials that are on the market now, including Taurus and Galeo leather, along with with Kanga-lite and a few others.

Why Does OBDII Mode 6 Have Varying Views from Technicians?

Technicians, who’ve seen the inception of Mode 6 in cars in the early 2000s, may have varying views about how helpful it is or how limited its usage may be at some point.

At first look, Mode 6 may look obscure and intimidating most especially to amateur technicians. However, there are actually a lot of valuable diagnostic information for those who are willing to learn.

Here are some useful features of OBDII Mode 6:

Literally acts like a weatherman. Test results in Mode 6 can already tell you if there are some components that are performing below specified standards. This allows you to act quickly so as to avoid a Check Engine Light from coming on. This means technicians wouldn’t have to guess what’s messing up with the car.

A busy car doctor on-the-go. There are cases wherein scan tools won’t detect any problem in the car even if there appears to be an issue that needs attention. This happens when a scan tool thinks the issue is not big enough for a Check Engine Light on the dashboard to be turned on. Mode 6 will most of the time identify a type of problem like this and even show a failing test result.

A non-continuous monitor for PCM. Mode 6 allows technicians to easily find out if the powertrain control module (PCM) of a car has been tested and, whether or not, it has passed the exam.

Let’s take a look at some notable limitations of Mode 6:

A puzzle game that’s sometimes hard to solve. Mode 6 is often hard to interpret. Although it’s helpful for some who know how to decipher, its non-definitive nature may be complicated for most technicians. Check our guide on best jump starter

Confusion may literally lead to failure on emission tests. Mode 6 varies from vehicle to vehicle. One vehicle may use current readings to carry out a test, while the other may utilize voltage readings. Incorrect interpretation of data may lead to undesirable results.

Conclusion

Car diagnostics have gone a long way as more and more options are being made available for technicians and regular drivers to utilize. It’s mainly up to the end users to think what’s suited for their skills and knowledge.

For those who are seriously considering learning more about the benefits of OBDII Mode 6, they’re highly advised to invest on a high-end scan tool that can decode information and see valuable information all at once.

While Mode 6 is capable of identifying components that are failing, there’s no better than using common sense in some cases.

How to use hair straightening cream

There are many women who have trouble with their hair because it sometimes becomes frizzy, unruly and unmanageable. Perhaps they need to learn the importance of using hair straightening creams which are available in two basic types. You may want to go for chemical straightening creams or the other temporary hair straightening creams. Your hair can be treated with chemical hair straightening cream and will stay intact for at least an entire month and in some cases several months. If you want to keep the effects for a day then you will go for the temporary hair straightening creams.

How to choose a cream

Since we are all agreed on the importance of hair straightening creams it is important to learn how to select one when you go shopping. Since there are different specifications you need to know the thickness, roughness and how frizzy your hair is in order to choose an appropriate cream. If you hair has just a slight wave or no too much frizz you probably need a simple hair straightening cream which you can apply daily as you comb your hair. Women with extremely tight curls have no otherwise but to go for the chemical based hair straightener. The chemical hair straighteners, which are also called relaxers, provide a longer lasting effect because of the chemical used in making them. If this is your predicament it may perhaps be safer to have the process done by a professional stylist in order to reduce any attendant risks.

How to use chemical hair straightening cream

Using a hair straightening cream is not rocket science and just about anyone can actually get to do it. You need to begin by applying a protective layer of a petroleum based cream over your hair and the n follow with a relaxant which will smooth out the hair. Finally you will apply a moisturizing lotion that will assist in balancing the hair’s pH level. In order to protect your hair further conditioning needs to be done also. If you want to make sure that your hair remains protected the hair straightening cream should only be used at the root and if you have straightened your hair before completely avoid using a chemical based relaxant. Check flat iron reviews before you buy one.

Temporary hair straightening creams

The advantage of temporary hair straightening creams is that it can actually be done at home without much ado since there are very few risks of damaging your hair. These creams are easily available anywhere in the market and since no professional skill is needed in applying them there are no restrictions on their sale. The other advantage of temporary hair straightening creams is that fact that should there be any negative effects they can simple be countered and reversed by immediately withdrawing from using the product.

Conclusion

You can easily manage to have smooth, silky and shiny hair by being able to choose and secure the right kind of hair straightening cream that will be good enough for the type of hair and frizz you have on you.

What does comprehensive mean?

What does comprehensive mean? It means something that covers a very large scope, ensuring that it would be able to cover a lot of area. For more check this

Noun: –comprehensiveness

Adjective: -noncomprehensive

Examples: –

When the engineers had a look at the comprehensive plan was the building, they were able to detect the different kinds of defects and how they would be able to take care of it.
Always conduct a comprehensive survey of the plan and of the area of real estate before you come to a conclusion on the type of building that you would like to have on the particular real estate.
Whenever creating a book or a business, have a comprehensive plan. This way, you will be able to ask the financial institutions for loans, and they would have a good picture about the improvement and the profit projection of your new business.

· Whenever there are talks about launching new software, one has to take into account the comprehensive platforms in the compatibility issues of the software. http://sentencehouse.com/category/j/

Is purchasing artificial Christmas trees beneficial to the environment?

Previously, Christmas trees found themselves to be the mainstay for any Christmas party or celebration. Our house without the Christmas trees was not something that could be thought about, and so were millions of other houses in Christian majority countries. This is the reason why Christmas trees were rapidly depleting from the forest region, and it had also led to a lot of concerns from the environment agencies. However, this was tied to tradition; very few people were reluctant to give up on this.

This is the reason why artificial Christmas trees were introduced, and little by little, people started accepting this product. The best artificial Christmas trees to buy have become an annual celebration for many families, and that has led to the massive decrease in people purchasing the real Christmas trees.

It has not only contributed to the restoration of the Christmas trees in the forest, but people have also been able to enjoy the maintenance and hassle-free artificial Christmas trees in their house. Moreover, some of the people also sell artificial Christmas trees with proper lighting fixtures; therefore there is absolutely no amount of decoration work necessary on your part. On Christmas you need rollaway bed to accommodate guest.

What you basically need to do this to attach the artificial Christmas trees in its stand and get it connected to a power source. After that, there are no worries on your part. Moreover, most of the Christmas trees are required frequent watering, and when you are out of your house in the Christmas to visit friends and family, that can become a very big problem. With the artificial Christmas trees, you would not have to worry about any such kind of issues. Therefore, purchasing the best artificial Christmas trees not only provide a good impact to the environment, but also to your life as

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM PIE

FEEL GOOD MOVE .

We just recently moved! Yay! But even after a month, can you believe I still have some unpacking to do, some organizing and a little rearranging. Picture me, sitting at my desk surrounded by boxes- yep, me still. Hopefully this weekend I can knock them out. So there hasn’t been as much going on in the Feel Good Food test kitchen and as far as baking goes..not too much. Things are finally settling down on the home front though, but before I get into this exquisite Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie that I know you’ll be crushing on, can I do a little post-move reflection? K, thanks.

You know what it’s like after you move – everything is different? It takes a while to get used to the flow of things. The light shines differently through the windows throughout the day. Sometimes you wake up and you kinda have to remember you’re in a different place and you smile cause you know life is better, peaceful. (Or is that just a me-thing?)

I GAVE THIS PLAQUE A FAUX VINTAGE LOOK BY SPRAY PAINTING IT WHITE AND RUBBING ALL OF THE EDGES WITH SANDPAPER. I LOVE THE LOOK!

I know I still open the wrong drawer- where the heck are my spatulas? I am completely re-decorating our new home and moving out of my comfort zone in terms of interior design so that’s really changing things up a lot. I am in this new phase where I wanna try something new, like mixing up traditional design with a little contemporary and being more minimalistic. Changing the way I’ve done the same things and am more open to finding a better way. I’m de-cluttering and not holding on to things I don’t need anymore. <–that wasn’t so easy. I’m having so much fun making-over some decor and furniture and sprucing it up – modernizing them. And with a new place to call our own, it’s a clean-slate. I’m learning how to be more organized than ever and I gotta say I love it. Everything has to have it’s place.

MY NEW IKEA BISTRO SET THAT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I’M BACK IN PARIS ENJOYING THE FOOD AL FRESCO! C’EST LA VIE!

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM PIE

Ok..back to this lovely, creamy, fresh and fruitty pie:)…With so many DIY projects and re-decorating, I’m looking for this recipe to be no-fuss, and nothing but feel-good coolness. Plus, it’s hot, it’s Summer and it’s almost July 4th so it’s time for Ice-Ice Cream baby! And that’s why this Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie is the perfect way to cool off on Independence day while having yourself a good ol’ fashioned palate party. I know that’s exactly what I thought when I first saw Jen’s no-churn blueberry cheesecake ice cream on Pinterest. I couldn’t wait to make it!

Of course, I added my touch by adding maple syrup instead of white sugar, strawberries and turning it into this incredibly gorgeous ice cream pie with an Oreo crust (made with coconut oil instead of butter). And the best part about this ice cream recipe is it’s no-churn so you won’t need an ice cream machine. I’ve seen so many no-churn ice cream recipes out there and I wanted to try one out. I wanted to see if no-churn was as easy and as good without my Cuisinart.
This is my first ice cream pie friends and I found it was a lot easier than I thought. If you love ice cream, fresh berries and cheesecake then you will fall hard for this ice cream.

Add blueberries, sugar, salt and lemon juice to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil, making sure berries pop and release juice. Continue to boil until berry juice thickens. Remove from heat and allow berry sauce to cool and chill completely in the refrigerator.

While berry sauce is chilling, cut a small circle from parchment paper and line the bottom of the pie or tart pan.
For the cookie crust, add the cookies to a food processor or fill a plastic zip lock bag and with a rolling pin smash up the cookies to a fine crumb texture. (The finer the texture the better the crust sticks.) Add cookie crumbs and melted coconut oil into a small bowl and stir with a fork. Once coconut oil is fully incorporated, press the cookie mix evenly into the pan and up the sides. Chill crust in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before filling.

For the pie filling, in a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the room-temperature cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add condensed milk and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Finally, add heavy cream and whisk on high speed until soft peaks form.

Spread half of whipped mixture onto crust. Spoon chilled blueberry sauce over the whipped mixture and add the sliced strawberries. Top with remaining cream mixture, spreading evenly.

Using a knife swirl the blueberry mixture into the cream mixture. Add the remaining strawberries to the top of the pie and garnish in a pretty circular pattern. Cover with foil and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.

Another thing I just love about this Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie is the combination of fresh fruit and cream. It’s so creamy and not overly sweet but fresh and the berries mingling in with the cream is just divine. If it isn’t your new favorite summer pie, the fireworks are on me..:) Happy July 4th everyone!

RED, WHITE AND BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE ICE CREAM

Author: Feel Good Food Blog

Recipe type: Dessert

INGREDIENTS

Equipment

Stand mixer or hand mixer
silicone spatula
medium saucepan
10-inch pie or tart pan
fork
knife
aluminum foil
parchment paper

Pie Filling

2 cups of fresh blueberries
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp raw cane sugar or maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 can of coconut milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1 can condensed milk
8 oz Cream Cheese, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups of strawberries, sliced
1 cup of sliced strawberries

Pie Crust

25 Oreo cookies
5 tbsp melted coconut oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Add blueberries, sugar, salt and lemon juice to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil, making sure berries pop and release juice. Continue to boil until berry juice thickens. Remove from heat and allow berry sauce to cool and chill completely in the refrigerator.
While berry sauce is chilling, cut a small circle from parchment paper and line the bottom of the pie or tart pan.

Cookie Crust

Add the cookies to a food processor or fill a plastic zip lock bag and with a rolling pin smash up the cookies to a fine crumb texture. (The finer the texture the better the crust sticks.) Add cookie crumbs and melted coconut oil into a small bowl and stir with a fork. Once coconut oil is fully incorporated, press the cookie mix evenly into the pan and up the sides. Chill crust in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before filling.

Pie Filling

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the room-temperature cream cheese until creamy and smooth. Add condensed milk and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Add in vanilla extract and heavy cream. Whisk on high speed until soft peaks form.
Spread half of this mixture into pie crust. Spoon chilled blueberry sauce over the whipped mixture. Add the sliced strawberries. Top with remaining cream mixture, spreading evenly.
Using a knife, drag or swirl the blueberry mixture into the cream mixture.
Add the remaining strawberries to the top of the pie and garnish in a pretty circular pattern.
Cover with foil and freeze for 6 hours or until firm.

NOTES

Servings tips: Let the pie stand 10-15 minutes before serving. Soak a knife or serving spatula in hot water before cutting and serving pie.
Presentation: dab a little maple syrup on the fruit on top of pie to make it look fresh and juicy not frozen

Make it vegan: use 2 cups of Coconut milk in stead of heavy whipping cream

VEGAN STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE SHORTCAKE

To all of my vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free buddies – HELLO – are you in for a treat! And this is for you too, who like me, is beginning to look at the healthier side of life. Because over there, the grass is much greener people. I mean everything is green; smoothies, salads, sauces, everything! Just kidding, it’s not all green just greener. You see, since before I started my 21-Day Vegan Challenge, I have searched high and low for recipes that still make your toes curl, your eyes roll back and your taste buds start to breakdance. You know, feel good food!

And what I have discovered is a whole new world of feel good food- Feel Good Vegan Food! Not only does it look delicious and is incredibly tasty but it does a body good- and that makes my heart sing a new melody. My eyes have seen the promised land so-to-speak. I am hooked! I am hooked I said! And I see food differently now. I am pretty sure I could never go back to the way I used to eat. Woah, woah, woah, I didn’t say I wasbecoming vegan, just that I know there is no way I can eat the way I used to. I will be veganish, veganistic..maybe. (I’ll talk more about that on my later post re-capping my 21-Day Vegan Challenge.)

Anyway, today my friends is a very special day because today, I brought a pound of strawberries home from the store and they were perfectly ripened sweet..and beautiful..and succulent and they were actually begging me to make something mind-blowing out of them.

After some feedback from my Facebook friends and family (thanks Dorareen and Stephanie <–you Rock!), and thinking about how I can take this dessert to a whole new experience, I decided to make this Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Shortcake! It’s really the perfect summer dessert isn’t it? I mean, without even looking at a single photo of this beaut, you can just imagine your summer filled with beautiful layers of moist, delicious cake sandwiched by red, plump strawberries and some kind of delectably sweet topping. Word up! You can make it as a layer cake and then assemble or you can make them minis- like I did. But wait, what about the vegan part? The best part, friends, is that it’s vegan, gluten-free, dairy free and so easy to make. Try saying that fast 3 times! It’s the shortcake we all know and love but way lower in calories, fat, sugar intake and glammed up just a bit.

This is fun for so many reasons, but primarily because I get to learn how to make an amazing dessert but with healthier ingredients. Plus, it makes me feel like I’m cheating when I’m not. Ha! Everybody wins in this one. It all starts with a chocolate shortcake made from King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend containing, potato starch, tapioca starch and rice flour. The flour, cocoa powder and all of the dry ingredients get sifted together in a bowl.

Now for the wet ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together the coconut milk, water and vinegar until it has completely curdled. Add the remaining ingredients (sugar, oil, vanilla extract) and whisk the flour mixture in slowly. Beat for one minute then divide the batter into 3 prepped cake pans lined with parchment paper sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake the chocolate shortcake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and cool in cooling rack for 10 minutes. While the cakes are cooling, open the cans of coconut milk, flip them upside down so you can scoop out the coconut cream. Separate the water and add the coconut cream to a bowl with the powdered sugar and beat on high setting for 4-5 minutes. Once the coconut cream is light and fluffy, add the vanilla extract and beat for another minute. <–this stuff is heaven-sent..feel free to hang out here for a bit and savor every finger lick!

Once the cakes have cooled completely, use the cookie cutter to cut out the mini cakes if using the 8-inch cake pans. If using the shallow muffin pans, slice off the domed part of the cake so that each mini cake is flat. Then layer each Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Shortcake as follows:

Layer 1:

chocolate cake

strawberries

whipped coconut cream

Layer 2: repeat—>

What I reealllly love about this chocolate shortcake is its mild chocolate flavor – not overpowering at all. I got a little crazy with the coconut cream, I don’t mind telling you. My mind kept telling me it was regular frosting but I knew it wasn’t, and I wanted to keep eating more of it. I’m a big frosting lover and now I’m pretty sure this is the only frosting I’m rocking from now on. Vegan high-five!!

So go ahead and treat yourself to this beauty, but I warn you, you’re gonna wanna try this a lot! You’ll love how super cool it makes you look when you bring it to any of your upcoming summer pot-lucks, barbeques and pool parties. Oh yeah, you were the cool one that brought that lovely Vegan Strawberry Chocolate Shortcake. Yeah, you’re foodielicious now

5.0 from 3 reviews

VEGAN STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE SHORTCAKE

PREP TIME

20 mins

COOK TIME

25 mins

TOTAL TIME

45 mins

Author: Feel Good Food Blog

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

Equipment:

Stand mixer or hand mixer or bowl and whisk
2 8-inch round baking pans or 2 shallow muffin pans
parchment paper if using 8-inch backing pans
rubber silicone spatula
non-stick spray
flour sifter
tooth pick
cooling rack
4-inch round cookie cutter if using 8-inch baking pan

Chocolate Cake

2½ cups King Arthur’s Gluten Free Flour Blend
1½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup water
1½ tbsp. white vinegar
1½ cups cane sugar
½ cup of coconut oil
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. cocoa powder

Coconut Cream

3 cans of full fat coconut milk (must refrigerate 4 hrs or overnight)
¾ cup powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups ripe, sliced strawberries

INSTRUCTIONS

Vegan Chocolate Shortcake

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour and all of the dry ingredients and sift together in a bowl.
In a separate large mixing bowl, stir together the coconut milk, water and vinegar until it has completely curdled then add the remaining ingredients (sugar, oil, vanilla extract). Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients slowly. Beat for one minute, then divide the batter into 3 the prepped cake pans lined with parchment paper or sprayed cup cake pans.
Bake the chocolate shortcake for 20-22 minutes if using 8-inch back pans or 10-15 minutes if using the cup cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow cakes to cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes then invert onto the cooling racks. Make sure cakes completely cool. Can take up to 20 minutes to cool completely.

Whipped Coconut Cream

Make sure the coconut milk has been refrigerated for 4 hours or overnight. Flip the cans of coconut milk over and cut open the cans using a can opener. Scoop out only the dense coconut cream and set aside the remaining liquid.
Combine coconut cream and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high 3-5 minutes keeping an eye on the cream, until it becomes fluffy and light. Then whip the vanilla extract into coconut cream for 1 minute.

Assembly

Use a cookie cutter around 3-4 inches in diameter and cut out 2 small cakes for each serving if using 8-inch cake pans. If using cup cake pan, slice off the tops of each cupcake so that the tops are flat. Layer the short cake with the coconut cream, strawberries, then shortcake, coconut cream and strawberries. Can garnish with flakes of chocolate or drizzle of chocolate sauce.

PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP – DAL FRY

I traveled to Canada in 2010 to attend technical training and prepare for a class that I was scheduled to teach that year. While I was there, I met so many interesting people and became fascinated with the Canadian culture, landscape, diversity, architecture, language and its amazing food. Canada, did you know you are the reason I discovered another of my first loves?

THIS ALREADY DELIGHTFUL LENTIL SOUP IS COMBINED WITH PUMPKIN!

Well, one day the instructors all went out for lunch and we arrived at what appeared to be an underground mall. It stretches miles as an underworld of commerce and you got it- FOOD! So I lined up behind one of the instructors at a food stand that was selling some odoriffic food and I saw rice. I love rice. I know rice, ok? Puerto Ricans know about rice. (hand on hip, neck swivel and index finger wave). So I ordered the only thing I could pronounce and that was “Butter Chicken”. Okay why not? I love butter and I’ll try anything once. Well, can I just say that “Butter Chicken” did not have “butter” but it was magical and we did THE DANCE and made memories that have lasted a lifetime. I’m sitting there, in the midst of a group of other instructors but for a moment I was alone. And in that singular moment it was just my taste buds experiencing spices and layers and layers of rich, exotic flavors that rocked my world.

Where has this food been all my life????

Then it was served on this fluffy, delicate, aromatic rice. Dude, this was my new favorite food, fer sure.

FUNUGREEK LEAVES ADD SUCH A NICE HEARTY AROMA TO THE PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP.

When I got back to Boca, I raved about this new “Butter Chicken” discovery to my hubby who apparently had discovered Indian food before but never shared the love. Hmmf! Anyway, I Yelped the closest Indian restaurant and found this cute little quaint restaurant in East Boca called Curries and More where we got our Indian on! That was our date night spot and we tried naan bread, masalas, curries, mango lassi, chutneys. It was truly a new foodie love affair that we both got to experience. This food is so rich, flavorful and diverse. The layers of flavor in each dish slayed me every time. Just picture a spoonful of Chicken Tikka Masala going in my mouth, whereupon I immediately close my eyes tightly and take a deep sigh, then let out a grunt shamelessly. MMmmm. Mhmmm. The food was served in these cute little pots. There wasn’t anything I didn’t love about that place.

TO SPEED UP THE COOKING PROCESS, IT’S BEST TO SOAK THE LENTILS OVERNIGHT.

…..They closed down though (sobs..sniffle..wipe) but that’s ok cause earlier this year I finally got the courage to start cooking this amazing stuff instead of buying the Butter Chicken in a jar. I mean really, the layers of flavor in this simple meal seemed to me impossible to achieve, right? I’d think you’d need to have a heritage level culinary skill set that was passed down from 10 generations, or a cherished family handed-down antique chest of exotic Indian spices and recipes to be able to cook this magically. Right?

Nope.

All you need is passion. Passion and the desire to create the most delicious, warm your soul, curl your feet, tickle your stomach kind of food. Which apparently I have P-L-E-N-T-Y of. After overcoming my baking fears last year (look out for a future post on this), nothing really scares me in the kitchen. I’ll tackle anything and Master it. Booyah!

THANKS TO MY FRIEND OVER AT THE COOKING JAR, I AM IN LOVE WITH MY PRESSURE COOKER. THESE LENTILS WERE DONE IN 15 MINUTES!

So what did I do to achieve this mastery level of Indian cookmanship, if you will?

Google of course! Oh, did you think I flew to India and enrolled in a culinary institute? I wish, but Google did me good.

I did the research found several amazing recipes which I nipped and tucked and my Indian culinary journey got a jumpstart.

FIRST YOU FRY THE MUSTARD AND CUMIN SEEDS UNTIL THEY START POPPING.

So I’ve made naan breads, Chicken Korma, Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala and Dal Fry. <–That right there is my favorite. Dal is a type of lentil that you cook and it breaks down into a bit of a mushy consistency. The British could consider it “mushy peas” of sorts.

YOU’LL SAUTE THE ONIONS THEN ADD THE GARLIC/GINGER PASTE AND TOMATOES.

The first time I attempted the Dal Fry, my overeager self didn’t have all of the spices so I improvised. (I’m good at that!) And..it still came out amazing. But after Randy took me to see The Hundred Foot Journey (<–go see this movie asap!!)3 weeks ago, I decided to take this thing to a whole ‘notha level. (Side note: my hubby knows what I like Or does he know me soo well that he predicted I would go ham and buy up all the spices I needed to keep the Indian food comin’?? Hmm. Whatever!) Heeheee. I went to the Little India Grocery in East Boca and did just that. Went ham! I even bought a pressure cooker which I swoon over whenever I use it. If you’re really serious about cooking Indian food you’re gonna need one of those and the following spices and stuff:

Ghee (Indian type of clarified butter)
Kasoori methi
chora and moong dal (yellow and green lentils)
basmati rice (aromatic rice)
asafoetida
garam masala
kalonji seeds (onion seeds)
cumin seeds
black mustard seeds
ginger paste
garlic paste
pressure cooker
tandoori masala (a wonderful mix of spices)
coriander seeds
turmeric
cardamom
chili powder

And I’m sure there’s a lot more to be added but this is what I started with. When making the Dal Fry you can use any type of lentil, and I’ve even used split peas so it’s pretty versatile. To add an extra layer of flavor I added 16 oz of pumpkin. You can use canned pumpkin or cut up your pumpkin in chunks and roast in the oven until tender and mash.

ONCE THE SPICES, AROMATICS AND TOMATOES ARE COOKED YOU ADD THE PUMPKIN AND LENTILS OR DAL.

After I pressure cooked the lentils for 15 minutes I warmed up some ghee and fried the cumin and black mustard seeds. Then I sautéed the onion, added the garlic/ginger paste and tomatoes. Once these are cooked then you add the Dal (lentils) and pumpkin with more motherloving spices- turmeric, coriander, asafoetida! It just keeps getting better and better!

THE DAL HAS THIS WONDERFUL CREAMY, BUT THICK CONSISTENCY.

The fantastic odors that permeate your house can only be eclipsed by the actual taste of these rich, silky, complex flavored lentils. Split pea soup was my favorite but this Dal Fry is now the top runner. This is the like the Michael Jackson of split pea soups- if you will..lol..It has this distinctive fried, smoky taste and all the complex layers of spices.

I made it with Chicken Tikka Masala and homemade naan bread. Might as well go all the way. Cooking Indian food is quite a commitment and I really respect the love, patience and attention given to each recipe. If you can cook Indian food – you can cook! So on with it but be forewarned you will make a huge mess of your kitchen. I used over 22 ingredients in my Chicken Tikka Masala alone! And if you choose to boil your Dal in a saucepan be careful because it will boil over if there’s too much water in the pot. The first time I made the Dal in a regular 6-quart stock pot it took almost 4 hours for them to get to the right consistency (I didn’t soak them overnight) and it boiled over so bad that it spilled inside the vents of my oven door and I had to get Randy to take the whole door apart so I could clean 3 layers of glass! No bueno. Go the pressure cooker route, please, for me and enjoy some of the most aromatic, palette-pleasing food you can have. This recipe takes patience and time- you can’t rush it. You have to make sure the seeds have fried and the onions are cooked and make sure the tomatoes are tender. This is the perfect Sunday afternoon/evening dish. I can just hear your tastebuds begging me for this.

IF YOU LOVE BEANS OR SOUP LIKE I DO, YOU WILL ADORE THIS RECIPE!

Buen Provecho!

PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP – DAL FRY

PREP TIME

6 hours

COOK TIME

30 mins

TOTAL TIME

6 hours 30 mins

Author: Feel Good Food Blog

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of lentils/dal
16 oz of roasted pumpkin
2 – 3 cups water (for pressure cooker)
2-3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of asafetida
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp funugreek/kasuri methi leaves
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
salt to taste
11/2 cups of water

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the lentils overnight then add the lentils to the pressure cook and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. You can also boil in large heavy-bottom pot but may take 1-2 hours.
Once the lentils are ready they should be mushy and well blended where they have no shape.
Bring a pan to medium heat and add the butter or ghee. Once the butter/ghee has melted, add the cumin and mustard seeds until they start popping.
Add the onions and cook until transparent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and the turmeric, asafoetida and fry for 60 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and breaking down.
Add the lentils and pumpkin and stir to incorporate them thoroughly.
Add the water and continue to simmer for another 3 minutes.
Consistency should be thick and creamy.
Add the fenugreek leaves and stir.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.

NOTES

Can be served with jasmin or basmati rice.

ROASTED GARLIC BACON MASHED POTATOES

So what is Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes right? I’ll just stand up for every American right now and say Oh man! we NEED a tub of creamy, buttery, fluffy mashed potatoes to complete the Thanksgiving Day fare. But what about Bacon Garlic Mashed Potatoes though? Like, Oh My Gosh! You have the potato which is probably the most versatile vegetable out there and then you add roasted bacon and garlic and what do you have?

I LOVE THIS GARLIC PEELER I PURCHASED FROM WILLIAMS AND SONOMA! YOU JUST INSERT THE GARLIC, PRESS DOWN AND ROLL THE GARLIC AROUND. IT COMES OUT NAKED..LOL..NO PEEL AT ALL. SUPER CONVENIENT FOR ALL YOU GARLIC LOVERS!

You have perfection, that’s what you have. Perfect Potatoes. I made this dish for the first time last Christmas and…wow!.. I surprised myself at how wonderful these potatoes came out. They were creamy, perfectly salted and the bacon drippings gave the potatoes a dreamy, smoky flavor. The crispy bacon bits in each bite was that memorable bonus that made this dish truly unforgettable. Best mashed potatoes I’d made.. ever.. and ever had..and..I think my guests were happy too cause I’d boiled around 15 pounds of baby red potatoes but it was the fastest dish to disappear!

I LOVE TO USE UNCURED, NITRITE-FREE BACON. ROAST THE GARLIC AND BACON UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN AND CRISPY.

I start off with a thin-cut, uncured bacon (I prefer to use Nitrite-free meats) and a half a head of garlic and roast them with sprigs of thyme in the oven until the garlic has browned and the bacon is perfectly crispy.

THIS IS WHAT PERFECTLY ROASTED BACON LOOKS LIKE.

While I have my bacon and garlic roasting in the oven, I select red potatoes because I like they’re sweetness and are more moist than Russet or Idaho. To be honest, whenever I buy potatoes, those are the only ones I love to use. I peel most of potato but leave a little skin on each and boil them in abundantly sea salted water with slivers of garlic cloves (<- yes MORE garlic). They should boil until they are perfectly tender and fall apart when pricked with a fork and there’s no resistance.

SIMMERING THE COOKED POTATOES IN THE MILK ADD THAT INCREDIBLE CREAMINESS.

Once the potatoes are cooked, I drain the water then return them to medium heat and simmer them in milk, salt to taste and white pepper stirring the potatoes to mix them with the milk. Once the milk has reduced and has been absorbed I remove from the heat.

BREAK APART THE BACON INTO SMALL PIECES AND TEAR APART THE ROASTED GARLIC.

I crumble up the bacon, pull apart the roasted garlic (Oh My Gosh! I could just munch on these forever) and slide the thyme from its stem and mix them all into the potatoes.

REPLACING THE USUAL BUTTER WITH BACON DRIPPINGS ADD SUCH AN INCREDIBLE SMOKINESS AND THAT OVER-THE-TOP FACTOR.

Finally I pour the bacon and drippings into the potatoes. Mash the potatoes to your liking. I like them smooth and creamy but if you like them lumpy you can mash them to your taste.

You can garnish with some bits of bacon and diced green onion.

Oh my gosh you guys, these are definitely show-stopping mashed potatoes! I really hope you enjoy these potatoes as much as our family does and they turn out to be a regular on your Thanksgiving To Do List!

Buen Provecho<3

GARLIC BACON MASHED POTATOES

PREP TIME

35 mins

COOK TIME

30 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 5 mins

Author: Feel Good Food Blog

Recipe type: Vegetable

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

5 lbs of Red Potatoes
16 cups of water, for boiling
2 tablespoons sea salt, to boiled water
1 head of garlic, peeled, ½ sliced
1 package bacon, medium-cut (uncured, nitrite-free)
3-4 sprigs of thyme or 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons white pepper
bacon drippings
green onion for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Add bacon (preferably nitrite-free) a half of a head of peeled garlic and 3-4 sprigs of thyme to a baking pan and roast for 35 minutes at 350 degrees until the garlic has browned and the bacon is perfectly crispy. (Rotate the pan 15 minutes into cooking.)
While the bacon and garlic are roasting in the oven, peel the red potatoes but leave a little skin on each.
Add salt, slice the remaining garlic and add to water and bring to a boil on high temperature. The potatoes should boil until they are perfectly tender and fall apart when pricked with a fork. Once the potatoes are cooked, use a colander to drain the water.
Return potatoes to medium heat and simmer them in milk, cream, salt to taste and white pepper stirring the potatoes to mix them with the milk.
Once the milk has reduced and has been absorbed fully remove from the heat.
Crumble up the bacon, pull apart the roasted garlic and slide the thyme from its stem. Add to potatoes. Drizzle the bacon drippings over the potatoes and mash the potatoes to your liking. Mix well making sure to incorporate thoroughly.
Garnish with green onion or leftover bacon.

NOTES

You can make the bacon ahead of time and add some of the bacon drippings to the water used for boiling the potatoes.

PUMPKIN BANANA MOUSSE PARFAITS

A couple of Thanksgivings ago there was this one dish that stood out for me. It was the first time I’d made a trifle and it was so pretty. I had seen something similar on the web and mustered up my courage to try it. The Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Trifle came out glorious so I decided to duplicate it this year but miniaturize it into parfaits. Parfaits offer portion control and they’re dainty and pretty too.

This recipe is perfect for when you have a little extra pumpkin puree left over from those pumpkin pies. I usually buy the huge cans of pumpkin puree to last me through pie making. These Pumpkin Banana Mousse Parfaits are guaranteed to please even the pickiest pumpkin eater. And hey, if you want to go for the trifle you can just quadruple the ingredients so they can fill up a medium-sized trifle dish. So let’s get right into it.

Pumpkin Butter is the perfect base to start off with or you can combine the pumpkin with the pureed bananas just fine. This delicious dessert has some pretty simple ingredients: pumpkin, bananas, heavy cream, condensed milk, chocolate pudding, sugar and chocolate cookie crumbs but comes out so elegant and beautiful. It’s so easy and quick to make.

If you have a hand mixer or stand mixer you can speed up the whipping cream process or if you opt for good ole fashion whisk in hand you’ll get the same beautiful results but it’ll just take longer.

The Pumpkin Banana Mousse Parfaits are nice and light and perfect after a heavy Thanksgiving Day meal loaded with some motherlovin’ goodness. The texture of the pumpkin mousse is exquisitely silky and smooth and it’s really the condensed milk that anchors the creaminess and sweetness in the pumpkin base. It gives it that “Hmm, what’s in this?” factor! The airiness of the whipped cream turns this pumpkin banana mousse into a dreamboat. Who knew pumpkin could taste this good!

PUMPKIN BANANA CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PARFAITS

PREP TIME

40 mins

COOK TIME

15 mins

TOTAL TIME

55 mins

Author: Feel Good Food Blog

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

Pumpkin Banana Mousse

15 oz pumpkin puree or pumpkin butter
1 banana, pureed
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
15 oz can condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups heavy cream

Chocolate Pudding

2 boxes chocolate pudding
milk (use according to instructions on box)

Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cookie crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine all of the pumpkin mousse ingredients in a small sauce pan (except the heavy cream) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once pumpkin mix begins to boil and sputter, reduce heat to low and continue stirring for 10 minutes then remove from heat and cool completely.
Mix the milk into the chocolate pudding according to the instructions on the box and put into the fridge to set. (Should set rather quickly- 5 minutes)
Add the sugar and vanilla to the heavy cream and mix until the sugar has completely dissolved. Separate the heavy cream in two separate bowls- 2 cups of heavy cream in one and 3 cups of heavy cream.
First whip the 3 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form using a hand mixer, stand mixer or whisk. Fold the pumpkin mix carefully into the whipped cream taking large, round mixing motions around the bowl to maintain the integrity of the whipped cream. Once the pumpkin mix has been incorporated into the whipped cream set aside.
Whip the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Now it’s time to start layering our parfait!
Sprinkle the cookie crumbs in the bottom of the parfait cup, then add a layer of the pumpkin mousse then a layer of chocolate pudding. Sprinkle the cookie crumbs between each layer if you like or in a pattern. Add the whipped cream layer and continue layering until the parfait cup is filled. Top the parfait with whipped cream and garnish with the cookie crumbs, chocolate chips or powdered cocoa.

I LOVE TO USE UNCURED, NITRITE-FREE BACON. ROAST THE GARLIC AND BACON UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN AND CRISPY.

THIS IS WHAT PERFECTLY ROASTED BACON LOOKS LIKE.

SIMMERING THE COOKED POTATOES IN THE MILK ADD THAT INCREDIBLE CREAMINESS.

BREAK APART THE BACON INTO SMALL PIECES AND TEAR APART THE ROASTED GARLIC.

I crumble up the bacon, pull apart the roasted garlic (Oh My Gosh! I could just munch on these forever) and slide the thyme from its stem and mix them all into the potatoes.

REPLACING THE USUAL BUTTER WITH BACON DRIPPINGS ADD SUCH AN INCREDIBLE SMOKINESS AND THAT OVER-THE-TOP FACTOR.

Finally I pour the bacon and drippings into the potatoes. Mash the potatoes to your liking. I like them smooth and creamy but if you like them lumpy you can mash them to your taste.

You can garnish with some bits of bacon and diced green onion.

Buen Provecho<3

GARLIC BACON MASHED POTATOES

PREP TIME

35 mins

COOK TIME

30 mins

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 5 mins

Author: Feel Good Food Blog

Recipe type: Vegetable

Cuisine: American

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

5 lbs of Red Potatoes
16 cups of water, for boiling
2 tablespoons sea salt, to boiled water
1 head of garlic, peeled, ½ sliced
1 package bacon, medium-cut (uncured, nitrite-free)
3-4 sprigs of thyme or 2 teaspoons of dried thyme
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons white pepper
bacon drippings
green onion for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

Add bacon (preferably nitrite-free) a half of a head of peeled garlic and 3-4 sprigs of thyme to a baking pan and roast for 35 minutes at 350 degrees until the garlic has browned and the bacon is perfectly crispy. (Rotate the pan 15 minutes into cooking.)
While the bacon and garlic are roasting in the oven, peel the red potatoes but leave a little skin on each.
Add salt, slice the remaining garlic and add to water and bring to a boil on high temperature. The potatoes should boil until they are perfectly tender and fall apart when pricked with a fork. Once the potatoes are cooked, use a colander to drain the water.
Return potatoes to medium heat and simmer them in milk, cream, salt to taste and white pepper stirring the potatoes to mix them with the milk.
Once the milk has reduced and has been absorbed fully remove from the heat.
Crumble up the bacon, pull apart the roasted garlic and slide the thyme from its stem. Add to potatoes. Drizzle the bacon drippings over the potatoes and mash the potatoes to your liking. Mix well making sure to incorporate thoroughly.
Garnish with green onion or leftover bacon.

NOTES

You can make the bacon ahead of time and add some of the bacon drippings to the water used for boiling the potatoes.

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PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP – DAL FRY

NOVEMBER 14, 2014 BY DORCAS LEAVE A COMMENT

Pumpkin Lentil Soup - Dal Fry

THIS ALREADY DELIGHTFUL LENTIL SOUP IS COMBINED WITH PUMPKIN!

Where has this food been all my life????

Then it was served on this fluffy, delicate, aromatic rice. Dude, this was my new favorite food, fer sure.

FUNUGREEK LEAVES ADD SUCH A NICE HEARTY AROMA TO THE PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP.

TO SPEED UP THE COOKING PROCESS, IT’S BEST TO SOAK THE LENTILS OVERNIGHT.

Nope.

THANKS TO MY FRIEND OVER AT THE COOKING JAR, I AM IN LOVE WITH MY PRESSURE COOKER. THESE LENTILS WERE DONE IN 15 MINUTES!

So what did I do to achieve this mastery level of Indian cookmanship, if you will?

Google of course! Oh, did you think I flew to India and enrolled in a culinary institute? I wish, but Google did me good.

I did the research found several amazing recipes which I nipped and tucked and my Indian culinary journey got a jumpstart.

FIRST YOU FRY THE MUSTARD AND CUMIN SEEDS UNTIL THEY START POPPING.

YOU’LL SAUTE THE ONIONS THEN ADD THE GARLIC/GINGER PASTE AND TOMATOES.

Ghee (Indian type of clarified butter)
Kasoori methi
chora and moong dal (yellow and green lentils)
basmati rice (aromatic rice)
asafoetida
garam masala
kalonji seeds (onion seeds)
cumin seeds
black mustard seeds
ginger paste
garlic paste
pressure cooker
tandoori masala (a wonderful mix of spices)
coriander seeds
turmeric
cardamom
chili powder

ONCE THE SPICES, AROMATICS AND TOMATOES ARE COOKED YOU ADD THE PUMPKIN AND LENTILS OR DAL.

THE DAL HAS THIS WONDERFUL CREAMY, BUT THICK CONSISTENCY.

IF YOU LOVE BEANS OR SOUP LIKE I DO, YOU WILL ADORE THIS RECIPE!

Buen Provecho!

PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP – DAL FRY

PREP TIME

6 hours

COOK TIME

30 mins

TOTAL TIME

6 hours 30 mins

Author: Feel Good Food Blog

Recipe type: Soup

Cuisine: Indian

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

3 cups of lentils/dal
16 oz of roasted pumpkin
2 – 3 cups water (for pressure cooker)
2-3 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 large onion, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 tsp of asafetida
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp funugreek/kasuri methi leaves
2 tbsp. chopped cilantro
salt to taste
11/2 cups of water

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the lentils overnight then add the lentils to the pressure cook and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. You can also boil in large heavy-bottom pot but may take 1-2 hours.
Once the lentils are ready they should be mushy and well blended where they have no shape.
Bring a pan to medium heat and add the butter or ghee. Once the butter/ghee has melted, add the cumin and mustard seeds until they start popping.
Add the onions and cook until transparent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and the turmeric, asafoetida and fry for 60 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and breaking down.
Add the lentils and pumpkin and stir to incorporate them thoroughly.
Add the water and continue to simmer for another 3 minutes.
Consistency should be thick and creamy.
Add the fenugreek leaves and stir.
Garnish with cilantro leaves.

NOTES

Can be served with jasmin or basmati rice.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION TIPS

SEO – what’s that? How important is it really? Maybe you’re not sure where to start implementing your search engine optimization?

SEO can be confusing at first. All you really need to know, is that it’s a strategy that helps your content “get found” on the internet in other words show up as a search result a lot easier when someone does a search on Google. I’d recommend you download theWordPress Yoast plugin and upload it to your plugins menu. This plugin makes implementing SEO a breeze. To help you get your search engine optimization mojo going, this is the handy SEO Infographic I made which you can use to keep track of any SEO tasks.:

(click image to download)