Confession: I have horrible skin

Ever since I can remember my skin has been oily, splotchy and downright gross. Even the skin on my body is super sensitive. For years and years I've gone back and forth about what I think works and what doesn't. I finally found some things that have been working ok.
For the most part, healthy skin starts on the inside. If I ONLY drink water and keep my sugar intake to a minimum, it really helps. I take a plethora of vitamins and one that I love for several reasons is cayenne. 

My wonderful friend Nikki Sasser had me start taking this when I was experiencing fertility issues (along with some other things) and it's wonderful on so many levels. It helps with circulation and if I stop taking it for a few days my skin gets worse.

I use Clinique for my makeup and soap. It covers the best and is hypoallergenic.  I have their sonic scrubber that I use too. My skin is oily, even in the dessert, so make sure you use their products designed for your skin type.

Every night I've started using Aloe Vera on my face. It helps heal all the break outs and takes the red out of my skin tone. 

I have also had to start using free and clear laundry detergents. If I use a whitener or bleach or anything else with my laundry I break out in a rash. I have tried the all natural ones and even have made a few of my own, but I haven't found one that REALLY cleans great. I have kids so that's not really an option. Their clothes get disgusting.

I didn't realize that it would be such hard work keeping my skin at a happy normal, but what can you do? I am no doctor or scientist. I've just found these things help me. Hopefully you can find some useful tips for yourself. ---Nicole

Zuppa Toscana Soup (In a Crockpot!) With Mom's Parmesan Rolls

Mondays are kind of crazy for me now. Lucy still takes a morning nap and then Lily has dance lessons in the mornings, next its home for lunch time and nap time again. Then at 3:30 I need to be at my mom's house teaching piano lessons and I don't get home until after 6 so it leaves very little time for dinner preparation. I think crock pot meals on Mondays are going to be the main plan for me. I love this soup. I made it a couple times last soup season and was so excited to make it again. It will make your house smell amazing! Your taste buds, tummy, and probably your entire being will feel like heaven.

Zuppa Toscana Crock Pot Soup & Mom's Parmesan Rolls 

(Tastes Better Than Olive Garden's)

Adapted from the recipe I found here:  

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Ground Italian Sausage (Hot or Mild according to your preference)

4-6 Russet Potatoes cut into bit size cubes (I only used 4 since the potatoes I got were HUGE!)

1 Onion, minced

1/4 Cup Real Bacon Pieces (I just got Oscar Meyer precooked bacon and microwaved 6 pieces and crumbled it)

2 Tb. Garlic, Minced (I buy jars of pre-minced Garlic. It has changed my life!)

32 Ounces Chicken Broth

Half a Bunch of Kale (Or Swiss Chard) destemed and cut or torn into bite sized pieces

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tb. Flour

Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Shredded Parmesan Cheese for Topping

Preparation:

1. Brown sausage in a saute pan. While the sausage was browning I chopped up my potatoes and onions.

By the Way I Heart this Frying Pan

2. With spatula separate sausage into bite sized chunks as you brown it.

3. Place sausage, chicken broth, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker.

That's right, 2 of these babies in there!

so much better than using a garlic press or mincing onions yourself

Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and meat.

I used about a cup of water

4. Cook on high 3-4 hours (low 5-6 hours) until potatoes are soft.

This Slow Cooker is My Favorite Cooking Appliance in the Fall/Winter

Now get out your ingredients for the Parmesan Rolls. Melt some butter in the microwave. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  I did 6 rolls. For this about a 1/4 a stick of butter was enough. Dip your roll into the butter and then roll it in the parmesan cheese (about 1/3 a cup) mixed with Garlic Salt. Place your buttered, cheesy roll on your parchment covered baking sheet. Repeat with the other rolls and then cover with saran wrap. Let rise.

30 minutes before serving:

5. Whisk flour into cream removing lumps.

6. Add cream and kale to the crock pot, stir.

Also my favorite whisk :)

7. Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth thickens slightly.

8. Next, while your soup is thickening preheat your oven, take off the saran wrap,  and bake your rolls timing it so they will be done the same as your soup!

9. While your soup is thickening and the rolls are cooking get your bacon pieces ready!

10. Salt and Pepper the soup to taste and add cayenne pepper or crushed red peppers for more spice!

11. In individual bowls top your soup with shredded parmesan cheese and bacon pieces.

Enjoy!

It tasted sooooo good!

Nom Nom Nom

P.S. I actually made this soup last week and froze the leftovers. We had the leftovers last night and it was so yummy! A lot thicker like a thick potato soup with an Italian kick. You could thin it out a little with cream, milk, or a little broth, but we liked it thick. I just took it out of my freezer and thawed it in my microwave for about 5 minutes. Then I put it in my pot on the stove and cut the still frozen chunks up and stirred as it melted. It was delicious! We didn't have any bacon but it still tasted great.

Our leftovers. Yum!

Zuppa Toscana Soup 

Ingredients:

1 Lb. Ground Italian Sausage (Can be Spicy or Mild)

4-6 Russet Potatoes cut into bite sized cubes 

1 Onion, minced

1/4 Cup Real Bacon Pieces

2 Tb. Garlic, Minced

32 Ounces Chicken Broth

Half a Bunch of Kale (Or Swiss Chard) destemed and cut or torn into bite sized pieces

1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

2 Tb. Flour

Salt, Pepper, and Cayenne Pepper to Taste
Shredded Parmesan Cheese for topping

Preparation:

1. Brown sausage in a pan.

2. With spatula, separate sausage into bite sized chunks as you brown it.

3. Place sausage, chicken broth, garlic, potatoes and onion in slow cooker. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables and meat.

4. Cook on high 3-4 hours (low 5-6 hours) until potatoes are soft.

30 minutes before serving:

5. Whisk flour into cream removing lumps.

6. Add cream and kale to the crock pot, stir.

7. Cook on high 30 minutes or until broth thickens slightly.

8. Add salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.

9. Sprinkle on bacon pieces and some shredded parmesan cheese

Mom's Parmesan Rolls

Ingredients:

Frozen Rhodes Rolls

Butter

Parmesan (the kind in the green can is fine)
Garlic Salt or Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Get rolls out a few hours before you plan on eating (according to rise time). Melt your butter in a bowl and pour some parmesan cheese and some garlic salt in another bowl. Mix the parmesan cheese and garlic salt together. Dip roll in butter, coating it completely, then roll in parmeasan/garlic salt mixture. Place buttered, cheesy roll on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Repeat with as many rolls as you desire. Cover with Saran Wrap and let rise according to the directions on the Rhode's Rolls Bag (usually 3-5 hours).

For 6 rolls I used 1/4 stick of butter, about 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese mixed with about a teaspoon of garlic salt. You can adjust measurements according to taste.

After rolls are risen bake according to the directions on your frozen rolls bag.

Eat up!

Thanks for reading!

Deb's Wild Rice Soup

Deb's Wild Rice Soup ( our new favorite )

a dear friend gave me this recipe after I served at girls camp on year.  She had the recipe tied to the box of Uncle Ben's and it was so cute! I changed the recipe just a tiny bit.  Enjoy!

*8 Cups Water (Original Recipe calls for 5, but that was too thick for me)
*Uncle Ben's Wild Rice & Seasoning Packet
*2 Chicken Bouillion Cubes
*1 Tb. of dried chopped onion
*Any Vegetables you like (I usually just add cooked carrots) and sometimes I grate them.
*Cream of Chicken Soup
*8 Oz. of Cream Cheese Softened
*Cooked Chicken (if desired)

Cook any vegetables you want to add in to the soup:

In another pan, bring to boil the water, bouillon, rice and seasing packet and then turn down and simmer 20 minutes or until tender

Then add:

1 TB dried onions and simmer 5 minutes and

Add cream of chicken and cream cheese, cubed 

A trick to soften cream cheese is to heat water in a glass measuring bowl in the microwave 4 minutes and then pour the water out and put the bowl over the brick of cream cheese and let the heat soften it

 Whisk in cream cheese and cream of chicken soup

Add any cooked veggies you like (fresh or canned) like shredded or diced carrots, zucchini, yellow crooked neck squash, asparagus, etc… 

( I only added cooked carrots and I have made it without adding any veggies it was still good )

Then add:

1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (I often used canned or baked or leave out the chicken completely)

It is SO delicious. We devour it. 

Browned-Butter Applesauce Cake with Rum-Butter Glaze (Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!)

Today, September 26th, is Johnny Appleseed's birthday! To celebrate his birthday I thought I'd make this delicious cake for our breakfast. It is my favorite Fall dessert to make.  I got the recipe from my cooking class I took with my friends Erika and Amber a few years ago. The teachers' name is Maryam Chaney and she adapted this recipe from Fall Baking by Betty Crocker.  I adapted it a little as well for my needs. Here is how I do it:

Here are the ingredients you need for the cake:

Cake:
1/3 Cup of Butter (No substitutions)
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Applesauce
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
A pinch of Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Ingredients for the Glaze:

Rum Butter Glaze:
2 Tablespoons butter (no substitutions)
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Imitation Rum Extract
3-4 teaspoons of Whole Milk or Cream
Extra Cinnamon For Dusting over the top

Directions:

Cake:

1.  Get out a light colored saucepan and place on stove. Turn heat up to medium and put sauce pan on stove. Melt 1/3 cup of real butter. I like to cut the butter up into tablespoon slivers and spread it around the pan so it will melt evenly. You can't substitute with margarine or anything else. I like to use salted because yum.  (Have applesauce and sugar measured out and ready to pour in).

2.  Cook and stir constantly for about 3 minutes until butter begins to brown (you will smell a nutty scent and there will be brown bits on the bottoms of the butter mixture).

3.  Immediately remove from heat and quickly stir in sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Set aside.

4.  Combine remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt) in a large bowl. Whisk dry ingredients together so everything is spread around..

5. Dump into applesauce mixture and stir until combined. Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 8" baking dish. I like to use Baker's Joy to spray my pan. It is truly a baker's best friend!

This is is a batter you can lick off your spatula once your cake is in the oven. No eggs and super yummy.

6.  Bake at 350* for 25+ minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Glaze: (Prepare this as soon as the cake comes out so that the cake will still be hot when you pour the glaze on)

7. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat using a light colored saucepan again and with powdered sugar, rum, and milk ready to immediately pour in when butter is browned.

8. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes (it will take less time since there is less butter) until butter begins to brown. You will smell the delicious nutty aroma again and see some golden brown flecks.

9.  Immediately remove from heat  and stir in powdered sugar, rum, and milk until spreadable and smooth.

10.   Pour warm rum-butter glaze over hot cake. Dust cinnamon over the top. I like to put the cinnamon in my hands and rub my hands together over the cake to dust the cinnamon evenly. Let cake cool for 10 minutes to let the frosting set up and then serve warm. Its so hard to wait, but its worth it!

Here I am eating my cake while I write this blog post. Sooooo delicious!

*You can double this recipe and cook in a 9 x 13" pan.

We eat it when its cold too. You can't go wrong. Its so so so SO tasty :)


This can be a tricky recipe to make. You have to be so careful with the butter. You need to watch it like a hawk! If you let it cook a few seconds too long it will burn and be ruined and you'll have to start over with your butter. If you don't let it get brown at all then it won't taste as yummy. So turn your overhead stove light on and have CONSTANT VIGILANCE :).

Here is a picture I got online. Since I have to be so quick with putting the applesauce and sugar in I didn't want to snap my own picture and risk burning my butter!

I keep my applesauce and sugar right by the stove all measured out and ready to instantly pour into the butter once it has reached the perfect brownness so the sugar and applesauce can help it to immediately cool down and stop cooking.

Use a light colored pan so you can see the butter well. After about 30 seconds of your butter cooking it will start to bubble. Stir constantly and quickly so all the butter cooks evenly. As soon as you see some brown bits take the butter off the heat and pour in your other ingredients! It can burn so quickly so you have to be fast.

Here is a link on buzzfeed I found that helps explain the butter browning process pretty well.

Same thing with the glaze, I keep the powdered sugar, milk, and imitation rum all measured out right by my stove so I can immediately dump it into my browned butter once its removed from the heat.

The smell of browned butter is so delicious, like toasted hazelnuts. Your whole house is going to smell amazing!

Enjoy your cake, we sure did. Happy Birthday Johnny Appleseed!

Here is a youtube video you can show your kids about Johnny Appleseed while they eat their tasty cake!


Browned-Butter Applesauce Cake with Rum-Butter Glaze

Cake:
1/3 Cup of Butter (No substitutions)
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Applesauce
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
A pinch of Ground Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Salt

Rum Butter Glaze:
2 Tablespoons butter (no substitutions)
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/8 teaspoon Imitation Rum Extract
3-4 teaspoons of Whole Milk or Cream

Directions:

Cake:

1.  Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

2.  Cook and stir constantly for about 3 minutes until butter begins to brown.

3.  Immediately remove from heat and quickly stir in sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Set aside.

4.  Combine remaining dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt) in a large bowl and stir in applesauce mixture. Pour the batter into a greased 8 x 8" baking dish.

5.  Bake at 350* for 25+ minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6.  Make the glaze.


Glaze:

7. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

8. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes until butter begins to brown.

9.  Immediately remove from heat  and stir in powdered sugar, rum, and milk until spreadable and smooth.

10.   Pour warm rum-butter glaze over hot cake. Dust cinnamon over the top. Let cake cool for 10 minutes and then serve warm.

*You can double this recipe and cook in a 9 x 13" pan.