Fudgy Cranberry Gingerbread “Cake Balls”

If you can make cake balls, you can make these! Aren’t they just adorable?!

I am entering this recipe in the Creative Holiday Recipe Contest hosted by Confessions of a Cookbook Queen and Cookies and Cups! Good luck to me! J

I can’t think of one thing that isn’t improved upon by adding “fudgyness.” These have a really great fudgy texture with tangy pieces of cranberry, and a nice hint of molasses and spice.

The perfect holiday treat. And fancy enough to give as a gift! Imagine a dozen of these little guys nestled together in a cute little Christmas tin. 

For ease,  I used a doctored up boxed gingerbread mix (lots of different brands are available, use your favorite),  or certainly make your own cake from scratch. You must, you just must, make this frosting. 

Fudgy Cranberry Gingerbread “Cake Balls”

1 box gingerbread cake mix

½ cup natural cocoa powder

½ cup milk

8 Tbs salted butter, room temperature

4oz plain cream cheese, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ cup cranberry sauce (homemade or canned, whole berry)

12-15oz milk chocolate

¼ cup very finely chopped dried cranberries

1 Tbs very finely chopped crystalized ginger

Make the gingerbread cake by first following the direction on the box, plus adding the cocoa powder and milk. Bake accordingly and then allow the cake to completely cool.

Put your cranberry sauce onto a cutting board and run a knife through it a bunch on times to chop up the cranberries; whole berries are just a little too big for these guys.

To prepare the frosting, beat together the butter and cream cheese until combined and smooth. Add in two cups of powdered sugar and beat for 3-5 minutes on high. Next add in the last cup of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and the cranberry sauce; beat again for several minutes or until smooth. The frosting should be fairly loose.

*Depending on which cake brand you used, you may have a different volume of cake. To make these come out perfectly, you should use a ratio of 4:1 cake to frosting. For all you mathematically challenged bakers, that’s 1 cup cake crumbs to ¼ cup frosting. Aaaand, 1 cup crumbs plus 1/4 cup frosting makes about a dozen little gingerbread men. 

Crumble the cooled cake into a large bowl and use your hand to make sure it is really broken up into a fine crumb. Add in the frosting and mix with a fork until everything is combined; the crumbs should be moist and stick together easily when pinched together, if they are not, add more cranberry sauce to moisten until they are. Err on the side of too moist rather than not moist enough.

Dump out the crumbs onto parchment paper and form them into a large flat mass- no rolling pin necessary. Press them firmly together and aim for somewhere between 1/4 and 1/2” thick. Go at it with your cookie cutter- I used about a 2” tall little gingerbread man, which turned out just perfect!

Keep your cut-out men covered with a damp towel as you continue to cut them out and prepare the chocolate coating. If they dry out too much, they may loose an arm, or a head, oh my! 

We don’t want any casualties.

Make sure your cranberries and crystalized ginger are chopped super small and ready to go. Melt your chocolate (I used chocolate chips, melted in the microwave, stirring every 10 seconds) and get ready. Also, I did have to reheat the chocolate for 8 seconds several times to keep it runny.

I found it easiest to set the little man in the bowl of chocolate and use a fork to push melty chocolate up around his sides, then flip him over. Then I slid the fork underneath him, supporting his entire person and then gently tapped the fork on the side of the bowl to even out the chocolate and get rid of the excess chocolate. Lastly, I dragged the bottom of the fork on the edge of the bowl to remove the excess chocolate on the bottom. Then I used a paring knife to slide the man off the fork and on to parchment paper to dry. I hope that all makes sense…

The first one I did, I did not have his head properly supported and well, let’s just say it didn’t end well for him.

Add a little sprinkle of the cranberries and ginger- before the chocolate has a chance to set up, of course. 

Happy Baking & Merry Christmas!

Orange & Black Tea Sol Ice Cream

Sol Sunflower Beverage, never heard of it? Think almond milk but made from sunflower seeds instead. And it's full of vitamins, minerals, and good fats.

Try this recipe for a guilt-free summer treat! I just love the combination of fresh orange and Earl Grey tea, and it is especially good with the creamy Sol Sunflower Beverage!

This is creamy, flavorful, and just what you want on a hot summer day!

Orange & Black Tea Sol Ice Cream 

3 cups Sol Unsweetened Sunflower Beverage

1 medium banana

3 Tbs dark sugar (brown, coconut palm, sucanat)

2 tsp orange zest

1 Earl Grey tea bag

2 oz. dark chocolate bar (optional)

1. In a blender combine the Sol Sunflower Beverage, banana, dark sugar, orange zest, and the entire contents of the tea bag. Blend for about ten seconds, or until well-combined.

2. Very finely chop the chocolate into small shavings and add it with the creamy mixture into your ice cream maker and process for 15-20 minutes or until chilled. Serve immediately.

Alternately, if you do not have an ice cream maker, line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, pour in the mixture and freeze. Once frozen, remove from the pan and plastic wrap, place in a blender or food processor and whirl until creamy! Enjoy!

Fresh Coconut & Roasted Cashew Caramel Tart

Are you drooling yet?

salty + sweet caramel
roasted nutty cashew
light + luxurious coconut cream
fresh sliced toasted coconut piled on top...

How about now?

{Pats myself on the back} If I only got to eat one thing for the rest of my life, this just might be it...
Yes, it was that good.

The coconut topping is fresh coconut that you shave yourself and toast in the oven. And there's nothing else like it! In order to get thick, meaty slices, I used a mandolin slicer A regular knife just won't cut it. Haha, get it, it's a slicing joke! For this recipe I used one thin and one thicker setting because I like both the thick meaty slice of coconut and the thin kind-of-curly ones too.

Fresh Coconut & Roasted Cashew Caramel Tart

ROASTED CASHEW TART SHELL
1/2 cup toasted unsalted cashew halves and pieces
1 Tbs brown sugar
½ cup + 2 Tbs flour
3 Tbs cold butter, cut into pieces
5 tsp cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grind cashews in a food processor until a coarse meal is formed, add in brown sugar and flour; pulse until combined and then add in the butter and continue to pulse until the mixture forms a coarse crumb. Slowly add in the water while pulsing until it comes together in a ball.

2. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave some hanging out of the top (to lift the baked tart out when it is done). Press mixture into bottom of the loaf pan and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until starting to turn golden brown. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

SHAVED COCONUT TOPPING

1 whole coconut

1. Remove coconut meat from the shell in large pieces; see instructions here if you need them.  Use a mandoline slicer on both the larger and smaller settings to slice the coconut meat to get both thicker and thinner more curly slice. You will need about two cups for the dessert. Place the shaved coconut on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. (The thinner slices browned quicker, so I removed those first.) 

I always slice and toast extras while I'm at it because I looove toasted fresh coconut as a snack and also on yogurt with fresh pineapple! But I digress...

COCONUT CREAM

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled, not shaken

2 Tbs powdered sugar

1. Open the can and take the top cream layer, in the bottom will be left a clear milky liquid, save that for a rainy day. With an electric mixer, beat the cream layer along with the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Keep this in the refrigerator on stand-by. 

CASHEW CARAMEL

½ cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs light corn syrup

1 vanilla bean

2 Tbs water

¼ cup plus 2 Tbs heavy cream

1½ Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

½ tsp fleur de sel (crushed finely)

1 cup toasted unsalted cashew halves and pieces

1. In a small to medium saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, seeds scraped from inside vanilla bean, and water; add the ingredients carefully and try not to get any sugar on the side of the pan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil without stirring. Continue cooking just until the syrup turns amber in color.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the heavy cream. The mixture will bubble up, carefully stir until it is uniform. Quickly add in the butter and stir until melted and well combined.  Transfer the caramel to a dish and then stir in the salt and cashews. Let it cool completely.

ASSEMBLY

Top the baked and cooled tart shell with the cashew caramel; you should use almost all of it. Top that with almost all of the chilled coconut cream and then top that with lots of toasted shaved coconut slices. Store in the refrigerator; I think this was best served slightly chilled. Keeps wonderfully for several days; you can eat a slice for breakfast three days in a row if you want.... :/

Enjoy!

-Crystal

Blueberry Almond Smoothie with Toasted Almond Sugar Swirl

If you want to make an impressive looking smoothie, this is it! 

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE:

1.5 cups frozen blueberries + 1 cup milk + 2 Tbs almond butter + 1 tsp almond extract: whip it all up. 

TOASTED ALMOND SUGAR SWIRL

1/4 cup greek yogurt + 2 Tbs very finely chopped toasted almonds + 2 Tbs coconut palm sugar 

 Just mix it all together in a small bowl.

Pour your blueberry mixture into two tall glasses, then take a spoonful of the yogurt mixture and press it up against the inside of the glass to the bottom. Release a little pressure and drag the spoon back up. It's really simple! You can go straight up and down or swirl it. It's smoothie art. 

Natural Medicine Center of Wisconsin

Hello Friends!
Natural Medicine Center of Wisconsin is now open for business. Located in Hudson, WI- I am happy to be serving the people of Western Wisconsin and the Twin Cities. Please send your friends and family my way!


www.naturalmedicinewi.com


Natural Medicine: The patients I see have often been to multiple medical doctors and specialists, have had many different tests run, and have not gotten the results they are looking for.  They may not even be looking for a “natural” treatment option, but rather someone with the ability to dig deep and figure out what is causing your problems. I enjoy treating more challenging patients because when they improve, and they always do- it is extremely rewarding. 

    Common conditions I enjoy working with are:
    Thyroid conditions
    Hormone related issues- anything from infertility to PCOS to menopause
    Lyme Disease
    Depression
    Chronic Fatigue
    Diabetes
    Autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis
    Celiac disease and other forms of gluten allergies or gluten sensitivities. 

Chiropractic: I am a Chiropractor who won't have you coming back to my office forever and ever. My goal is to get you well as quick as possible, get you back to doing what you love, and get you out of my office! My treatments are very thorough, and they address all aspects of your complaint- because of this, I can achieve results much quicker than many other doctors.

Spinach-Quinoa Salad

I love quinoa (say: keen-wah). It tastes like a cross between a seed and a grain, like rice- it has a nutty flavor and an interesting and pleasant texture. Use it like you would use a rice, oatmeal or other grain...

Quinoa Fun Facts:
It comes in red, black and tan colors- the difference in taste is minimal; tan is the softest and most plain tasting.
You can get this stuff anywhere now, including wal-mart.
Super-healthy! Very high in protein for a non-meat source, has fiber, lots of vitamins and minerals...
Fast cooking: like rice, use 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa, boil then reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.
Oh so versatile- its good hot, cold and room temperature. Use it in savory or sweet (think oatmeal style).

Spinach Quinoa Salad
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 tsp sea salt
2-3 cups organic baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 english cucumber, chopped
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3-2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3-2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Bring two cups of water to a boil. Add in quinoa and one teaspoon salt. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Make sure there is no water left in the bottom of the pot when it is done...if there is, run it through a strainer. Set aside and let the quinoa cool for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a bowl combine all the veggies, toasted almonds, and the feta cheese.

3. Make the dressing: in a bowl whisk together red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper.

4. When the quinoa is cooled (15 minutes at least), combine it with the veggie mixture. Then pour the dressing mixture over everything. Use a spatula to fold everything until it is thoroughly combined.
Serve warm, room temp, or chilled. Enjoy.

No-Sew Fleece Blanket

So, about 4 or 5 years ago I made my little sister the coolest no-sew fleece blanket: the ones that you tie knots in all the way around. It was made with one of the prettiest fabrics I have ever seen. Long story short, she lost it, left in on a school bus or something... Oh, and she didn't tell me until a year later!

I know she missed it, so this year for her birthday I decided to make her another one- and here it is!

Now I do realize that there are plenty of instructions that exist already on how to do this, but I find that they are often lacking details that can seem unimportant but often make a big difference- either in project outcome or frustration level of the craftee. Also, I learned several things the first time I made one of these that helped for the second one, so I will also mention those.

1. Picking Out the Fabric
Where: here in Eau Claire I would recommend JoAnn Fabric Store because they have the best selection, have the most organized selection, and perhaps most important is that the fleece is always either on sale, or I have a 40% off coupon. Hancock Fabric and Mill End Textiles also have fleece, if you can't find what you are looking for at JoAnn's.

What: you need to cuts of fabric for this blanket- one patterned and one solid color. Don't get two different patterned pieces, it might look tacky. Think of the person this blanket is for and try to pick out what they would like, not what you would like...this is the hardest part- unless the blanket is for you! Once you have chosen your patterned side, take the roll over to the solid colors area and find one that coordinates. Find a color in the pattern side that you like, not necessarily the most prominent color, and try to find the matching color solid.

How: when trying to pick out your patterned side of fleece, don't be afraid to take the ones you are considering off the shelf and line them up next to each other somewhere- helps you keep track of what you have looked at and helps you to decide. Basically, make yourself at home there and don't be shy...

2. How Much Fabric do I Deed?
Good question- who is the blanket for?
Teenager/Adult: I like 2.5 yards. I like my toes to be covered! 2.5 yards fits perfectly on a twin bed. You can go 2 yards, which will make a more square blanket. The width of the blanket will be whatever the width is that it comes in- which is a standard.
Baby: Depending on age/size, 1 to 1.5 yards will do fine. Keep in mind that if it is on the bigger side, the child can always grow into it.

For someone who has never been in a fabric store before: you pick out the roll of fleece you want, take it to the cutting counter, tell them how many yards you want and they cut it for you.

3. What Else do I Need?
A rotary cutting tool and a cutting mat- these make things a lot easier. It can be done with a scissors but it will take you many hours longer and be very frustrating. The rotary cutter and mat are fairly inexpensive.

4. Getting Started
Clear the floor, you need to lay the whole cut of fabric out and you need some room around the edges to work. Lay out one cut of fabric (doesn't matter which one) and smooth it out. Then lay the second cut of fabric on top of it (this is easiest with two people) and smooth both out together. They will likely be slightly different sizes, so lay them as evenly as possible.

5. The First Cut
 The two pieces of fabric need to be cut together to equal the exact same size, and any rough edges need to be cut off. Basically, you will cut the least amount possible from each edge, so that each edge is lined up with the one beneath it, and there are no rough spots.





 









 








 















6. Cut, Cut, Cut
Start at a corner and cut out a 4X4 inch square; do this at all of the corners. You will cut through both pieces of fabric at the same time, so press hard enough. Next to the where you just cut out one of the square corners, make a one-inch wide by four-inch long cut. Continue cutting these one by four "fringes" all the way around the blanket. You should now have fringes cut all the way around the entire fabric with a 4X4 square cut out of each corner.

*It helps to have a cutting mat with one-inch markers so you know exactly where to cut.
*Do some guesstimation! You are cutting fringes...cutting, cutting...you are approaching the next corner. Towards the corner you may need to make a few of the last fringes a little bigger or smaller to accommodate the actual size of your blanket and the fact that it is not perfectly measured. Don't worry about it.


7. Tie, Tie, Tie
Find a helper, it makes this so much faster and easier. This is the most labor intensive part.

Start at one of the long sides of the blanket. Go to the corner, take the first set of fringe in your hand and tie the top and bottom piece together into a knot. Tie it as tight as possible but not tight enough to pull the body of the fabric. You will understand what I mean when you do this. Then tie another knot so that it is double knotted.

Important Note: tie every knot the same way, meaning that if you tie a knot using your left hand over your right, make sure you tie every knot that way. All the knots will fall the same way and be more consistent in color.

Now, skip the next set of fringe and go to the 3rd pair of fringe. You will continue like this, tying knots in every other fringe until you finish the first side. When you finish the first long side of the blanket move over to the opposite long side and, starting at the corner again tie every other fringe set. You should now have both long sides of the blanket with a knot in every other fringe set.

Go to one of the short side of the blanket (doesn't matter which one) and, starting again at the corner tie every other fringe set. Move to the second short side and tie every other fringe set. You should now have every other fringe set tied around the entire blanket.

 



8. Flip!
Now the exciting part! Flip the blanket over and re-smooth it out. Begin again and start tying every fringe that wasn't tied. Still follow the order of: long side 1, long side 2, short side 1, short side 2.

Now, you're done! That's it! Thank God.
You'll never want to tie another knot again...

Entire length of this project: ~ 2-3 hours. I did this pretty fast, it will take you a little longer if you have not done it before.