Lotsa Latkes! Happy Hanukkah!

Just a quick post here to share how I made on-plan latkes tonight.  It was the first night of Hanukkah, and since we have travel coming up this week, tonight was the night.  I seasoned them two different ways, and both types turned out fantastically!



I made them with sweet potatoes and yellow summer squash - completely on plan and barely a crossover!  Let me share the recipe as best as I remember, because I totally winged these.  I used the fine shredder blade on my food processor for the veggies.

Ingredients
3 small/medium sweet potatoes, peeled and finely shredded
Mineral salt
1 small onion, finely shredded
1 cup egg white
1/2 to 3/4 cup baking blend (honestly, I didn't measure)
Seasonings (see below)

In a bowl, combine shredded sweet potato and squash, salt generously, and combine well.  Let sit a few minutes, dump the mixture into a towel, and squeeze out all the liquid (I was amazed at how much came out!).  Return mixture to bowl, season with pepper, and add the shredded onion.  I drained off most of the onion juice but kept some of the liquid in for flavor.

Now, divide the mixture in two.  To the first mixture, I seasoned it with a clove of minced garlic, along with thyme and Herbs de Provence (because this is what I had in my cupboard - you can use whatever herbs you want).  I used a large cookie scoop to portion out my latkes and formed them into balls and flattened them.  I fried this batch of latkes in a combination of refined coconut oil and olive oil (for taste and for the spirit of Hanukkah, during which a small amount of oil is said to have lasted eight days.  Normally I do not cook with olive oil, and you don't have to.)

Keep these warm on a plate in the oven while you work on the second batch.

I went Indian flavors with the second batch.  I added a combination of vindaloo spice and garam masala (they are nearly the same thing but vindaloo has heat to it). You could use your favorite curry powder instead if you want.

I fried this batch in straight up coconut oil.  This entire recipe made 30 latkes that were about the size of sand dollars.  I ate four of them, which adds up to less than a half a sweet potato.  I call this a crossover because these latkes like to absorb oil, and my oil use was generous.  I served them with tenderloin steaks and mushrooms fried in butter.

My hubby asked for applesauce, so I ran down to my root cellar and fetched a jar of Mother Fletcher's Homemade Applesauce (that I canned about five years ago. Shows how much I eat applesauce).  I took a small spoonful myself for dipping.  My, my, these were simply delicious!

Happy Feast of Dedication/Hanukkah/Festival of Lights!

Thanksgiving Travels and a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It has been awhile since I have posted, and for that I apologize.  There has been a bit of a change to my online presence.

Last year, I became a certified Trim Healthy Mama Coach, and maintained my certification for a full year.  When the time came to renew, I decided not to pay the renewal fee because I did not charge one single person for my services.  I taught and encouraged folks, both in person and online, but I just could not bring myself to charge people for it.

I plan to continue doing just what I have been doing, just not as an "officially certified" THM coach.  (Shameless plug:  check out my Instagram page @trimhealthylittleredhen).

Ok, that's done.  Moving on.

Last week, my hubby and I headed south for Thanksgiving with his mom in Hilton Head, South Carolina.  It is oh-so-convenient that my adorable granddaughter - and her dear parents, of course - live in Nashville, which also happens to be the halfway point on our journey south.

Gratuitous photo of granddaughter Everly enjoying an S meal. 
This girl ADORES blueberries... AND food in general, just like grandma.

Anyway, it is also very convenient that my halfway point of Nashville is home to the Trim Healthy Mama retail store. And since I did not pre-plan any Thanksgiving menus to cook at my mother-in-law's house, I simply picked up some THM baking blend and Gentle Sweet, fully intending to wing it with desserts.  But then later, I realized that I did not bring my beloved Trimstastic Holiday Pumpkin Roll recipe with me.

Ugh.

Serene and Pearl to the rescue.  While checking my email in the car, I received a link to their quarterly E-zine, which features 85 holiday recipes, including the pumpkin roll.  (God bless those ladies!!)

Not only was I able to make the pumpkin roll, but I also made the green bean casserole and the cranbrerry upside down cake.

Here is a link to all eighty five of those glorious holiday recipes.  Enjoy!

However, it is confession time.  I had to make the cranberry cake twice, and here is why.

On my first attempt, for some reason I used a springform pan.  And for some reason, I didn't put that pan onto a baking sheet, even though I meant to.  When the cake was done, I opened the oven and was treated to billowing smoke and a puddle of burnt butter on the bottom of the oven.

Attempt number one:  Great Smoky Cranberry Raspberry Upside Down Cake

The cake tasted good, although it had an essence of smokiness to it.  But all the guests were polite about it and ate it without complaining.

Today, however (Sunday) was a day for redemption.  I had some fresh cranberries that still needed to be used up, and I was determined to make that cake again, only with more success.  I used a regular cake pan so that none of the buttery goodness would leak out and burn all over the place.

Let me tell you that the smells coming from that baked cake were simply divine.  We will not be digging into it until tonight, when we get home from the new Mr. Rogers movie.

Attempt number two:  Cranberry Pecan Upside Down Cake.  Jackpot.

It is now Sunday evening.  We are home from the movie, which I absolutely LOVED.  I cried all the way through it.  All of our remaining Thanksgiving leftovers are currently heating in the oven, preparing to be devoured.

I hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday, and I wish you peace and joy during the rest of this season.  Watch for more seasonal goodies soon (especially Hanukkah - my favorite December holiday).