Snacks/Sides | Linda in the Kitchen

Category: Snacks/Sides
- Almond Butter
  
  Posted at 8:54 pm by lindainthekitchen
  
  Dec 10th
  
  I love almond butter…but I LOVE homemade almond butter! I just made almond butter for the first time and now I’m never looking back! I used the recipe in the cookbook that came with my VITAMIX 7500 blender.
  
  …it’s almost TOO easy!
  
  Almond Butter
  
  Ingredients
  
  4 cups raw almonds
  1/4 cup canola oil (you may need a bit more)
  
  Directions
  
  1. Place almonds into the Vitamix and secure the lid. Select Variable 1. Switch machine to Start and slowly increase the speed to Variable 10. Use the tamper to press the ingredients into the blade continuously. Blend 1-2 minutes.
  
  2. Stop the machine, remove the lid plug and pour the oil into the almond mixture. Secure plug, select Variable 1, and switch machine to Start. Slowly increase the speed to Variable 8. You may need to add more oil if the mixture isn’t becoming smooth. I added an extra 1-2 tablespoons of oil to smooth it out. I also needed the tamper to help the ingredients to combine. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth.
  
  And Voila! Homemade almond butter! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. For longer storage, you can freeze it.
  
  My favorite way to enjoy almond butter is with some sliced apple, on a piece of toast, or with baby carrots. It also makes a great gift idea for the holidays!
  
  Once we finish this batch, I’m going to try making this almond butter with coconut oil instead – stay tuned!
  
  Made with love, Linda
  
  Posted in Snacks/Sides | Tagged Almond, Almond butter, Vitamix
- Cancer Sucks!
  
  Posted at 11:30 pm by lindainthekitchen
  
  Nov 20th
  
  As we all know…CANCER SUCKS! My friend, Connor, was recently diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic melanoma. I can’t imagine there being many things worse than this news. Connor is one of the silliest, loving guys I know, and I absolutely love him and his boyfriend and his family – they are the greatest, strongest, most inspirational support team you could possibly imagine.
  
  Hospitals are no fun…and Cancer Sucks…these are two things we can all agree on. I think we can also agree that baked goods can make things a tiny bit better. So, I decided to make some treats to take to the hospital. I made my absolutely FAVORITE Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins from Barefoot Contessa. They’re a hit every time!
  
  The second time I visited Connor, I made the infamous Lemon Crinkle Cookies. Lemon was requested, so I had to make these yummy cookies! I use at least 50% more lemon juice and zest than the recipe calls for…I LOVE LEMON! I knew that his family would need some energy, so I made No Bake Energy Bites from Gimme Some Oven, full of oats, peanut butter, toasted coconut, honey, chocolate chips, flax and chia seeds.
  
  Connor’s mother will be running the Boston 2014 Marathon and has set-up a Fundraiser for the Melanoma Foundation of New England, GO TRACY! Please take a moment to read her story and see how much she’s raised for such a great cause!
  
  Here are some fun pictures of me and Connor in Dubai – see how amazing he is?!
  
  GINGER MOVEMENT!!!!!!!!!
  
  Love you Connor xoxxooxo
  
  Posted in Cookies, Muffins/Breads/Scones, Snacks/Sides | Tagged Barefoot Contessa, Blueberry Muffins, chocolate chips, Coconut, Coffee Cake, cookies, Lemon, Oats, Peanut Butter
- Happy Birthday Vince!
  
  Posted at 10:52 pm by lindainthekitchen
  
  Nov 20th
  
  For Vince’s birthday this past Sunday, I decided to surprise him with a special cake…a T-Rex cake! T-Rex is college nickname that has stuck with him post-college…and it’s not going away anytime soon!
  
  For this cake, I ordered the mold online. I bought the frosting and a yellow cake mix (yes, store bought cake mix…but that’s what the mold called for!). Since it was a box cake, there isn’t a fun baking story behind this one, except for the fact that frosting the darn cake took about 3-4 hours to complete.
  
  Et voila, a T-Rex cake! He was more than surprised, and it was a big hit at the party, so I can definitely call this cake a success.
  
  No…we did not ONLY eat cake…there were some finger foods also…not as fun as the T-Rex cake, though! I picked a French Brie Cheese, a Spanish cheese called Drunken Goat (a favorite of mine that Vince now loves also), and some cheddar and salami. Homemade hummus, pita chips, breadsticks and some grapes also made an appearance…yum!
  
  I also made a Whipped Ricotta with Lemon & Olive Oil from Joy the Baker, one of my favorite easy appetizers. It was perfect on toasted sliced Baguettes from The Model Bakery.
  
  Toppings included heirloom tomatoes, sliced cucumber, peppadews (my new obsession), marinated artichoke hearts, fresh green olives and marcona almonds.
  
  Oh, and I forgot to mention, I also made LOTS of Lemon Crinkle Cookies – my favorite!
  
  I made them for the first time a year ago for Vince’s birthday and have made them more times than I can count. They seem to be requested for every occasion now!
  
  It was a beautiful day in Napa, so we had the party in the backyard and made a fire in the fire pit once the sun started to disappear. Overall, it was a great day with great friends and a VERY GREAT guy!
  
  Happy Birthday Vince!
  
  xoxo
  
  Posted in Cupcakes/Cake, Parties, Snacks/Sides | Tagged Baking and Confections, Birthday, Cake, Cooking, Finger food, Home, Olive, Sunday
- Like Linda on Facebook!
  
  Like Linda on Facebook!
- Recent Recipes
  - Meyer Lemon Raspberry Pie Crust Hearts February 14, 2014
  - Soft-Baked Andes Mint Chocolate Chunk Cookies December 31, 2013
  - Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf December 31, 2013
  - Winter Kale Salad December 30, 2013
  - Almond Milk December 29, 2013
- Categories
  Categories
- Archives
  Archives
- Search for:
- Follow Linda in the Kitchen via Email
  
  lindainthekitchen@yahoo.com
  
  Email Address:
  
  Join 677 other subscribers
- Follow Linda in the Kitchen on WordPress.com
- No Instagram images were found.