Here’s yet another recipe to spring up from the Cooper kitchen!

This gluten-free recipe makes the most wonderfully fudgie cookies you can imagine. In addition to being awesomely chocolatey- they are also fat free! These cookies do an amazing job at satisfying my (Holly’s) insatiable chocolate cravings! And you know what? These could NOT be any easier to make!

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

(adapted from KingArthur.com)

• 2 1/4 c. confectioners sugar
• 1 c. cocoa powder
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350*
2. Place all ingredients in mixer- mix until combined
3. Drop batter by tablespoonfulls onto greased cookie sheet
4. Bake for 8 minutes

These cookies are delightfully airy with an intense chocolate taste! The middle of the cookies is fudgy, while the outside holds a slight crisp. This batter has unlimited potential for mix-ins:

• crushed peppermint candy (holiday themed!)
• espresso powder
• toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc)
• coconut flakes

Just to show you a peek into what it takes to get a good blog picture:

I used one of Daniel’s dress shirts draped over our coffee table. I dragged the coffee table closer to a window to get some natural light. I also had to keep Silas’ little wet nose out of the pictures, which is harder than you might think. All of this work for a decent post for everyone to read Now GO make these cookies!

Have you checked out our Recipes page yet? Go try some recipes and let us know how they turned out!

This weekend, we had the opportunity to head back to Louisville to spend some quality time with our families. We stopped in to say hello to my bro, sis and mom (and their crazy animals: Chip and Pico). Then, we headed over to Daniel’s mom’s house to celebrate our brother-in-law’s birthday. Rachel and Tim (Dan’s sis and bro-in-law) recently added a new member to their family: Evie. (You can see more about the crazy adventures they have with Evie here: http://dayswithevie.blogspot.com/)
Evie is a tiny husky-shepheard mix that Tim and Rachel rescued from the shelter. She was a very sick little puppy, but now she is healthy and as energetic as can be! I’m pretty sure the rest of the post will focus on the dogs, so I’m gonna give Tim his “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” shout-out now before I get too distracted….

Okay, back to the important stuff.Evie has mad hops. She can jump even higher than this picture shows (that’s the birthday boy, Tim).

Despite Evie’s possession of razor-sharp puppy teeth, this is what would happen when Silas came near her. She would play dead. Just like an opossum. After many “sniffs”, Evie finally became comfortable around her Cousin Silas.

The two shared lots of kisses. Hey, this is Kentucky!

Soon enough, after playing for hours on end, the two pups were tired and it was time for us to head back home.

If you want to hear more about Evie and her parents, be sure to visit their blog. Evie had an adorable way to say goodbye to you… and Silas wanted to share his special way of saying “adios” as well…

His best side

I have another recipe for you- but that will have to wait a few days. This post is about Mowgli- our gangster cat.

Daniel recieved a call during the summer of 2008 (the summer Daniel and I started dating) from his friend Jake, saying that he found a kitten at the neighborhood park. Daniel called me, knowing that I loved all things furry. I encouraged Daniel to go pick up the stray kitten and I headed over to his house.

This is what Mowgli looked like when we found him: skinny, black and crusty. His eyes were sealed shut with mucous, and you could see nearly every bone in his tiny little body.

This is one of my all-time favorite pictures. We nursed Mowgli to health. He is about 4 weeks old in this picture (according to the vet). Mowgli had developed herpes in his eyes- causing them to develop abnormally. He had corneal ulcers (nasty, I know. Don’t Google it, I warned you). The ulcers caused the pumps that keep the fluid in the lens of the eye clear to stop working. Therefore, Mowgli has cloudy eyes.

Mowgli at 8 weeks. Mowgli lived with my family until Daniel and I had to go back to school. At my college, animals were not allowed in the dorms. But Dan was in an apartment, so he had the privilege of raising Mowgli!

Mowgli was raised around a dog, so he doesn’t mind Silas’ doggy antics. Mowgli was confined to the apartment until Daniel and I got married- and then he transitioned into an indoor-outdoor cat. We joke that Mowgli came from the streets, and now he’s back in the streets.

Mowgli loves to hang out in and near the gutters in our neighborhood. Right before we got married, Mowgli mysteriously chipped one of his teeth. Then, a few months after we got married, he got in a scuffle with an unknown animal and now sports a tear in his ear. He’s hardcore.

And now, a few more pictures to show that I really do love Mowgli (but I really love Silas more, which is why he is included in some of the photos)

Home made almond butter is a delicious alternative to peanut butter. Roasting the almonds adds depth of flavor to the final nut butter.

Roast 2lbs. of almonds (if not already roasted) at 300* for 20-25 minutes. Check every 10 minutes to ensure that almonds don’t burn!

Let your roasted almonds cool for at least 20 minutes! (I wouldn’t suggest using roasted and salted almonds- there is just too much salt. You could use almonds that have a sugary coating, but you may have to add oil to the almond butter as it processes)

Put your almonds in the food processor and let it run for a LONG time. Scrape down the sides of the processor to ensure that every little bit of almond-goodness gets processed. I think our processed for about 15 minutes total.  During the last few minutes of processing, we added about 1 tsp. of kosher salt. I’ll be adding more to my AB as I use it, I like my nut butters SALTY!

You can spice up your almond butter by adding a little molasses, cinnamon and clove to give it an autumnal flavor. You could also add a little cayenne pepper and honey for a slightly sweet and spicy version! I also plan to utilize our fresh AB in a batch of “Snickerdoodle Dessert Hummus” created by the fantastically brilliant Wannabe Chef

P.S. Check out our new “Recipes” page featuring any and all recipes we’ve posted on the blog! Check back often to see what’s added! I’m thinking about doing a “meal plan” page as well, good idea or not?!

Tonights dinner was put together in about 40 minutes. Better yet, it tasted awesome AND we have TONS of leftovers! I’m calling this chili “soup” because it wasn’t as thick as a chili. However, next time I may try making this in the crock pot where it can thicken and cook for a few hours!

Vegetarian “Chili” Soup

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 2 small to medium zucchini, medium dice
• 1 can black beans (drained)
• 1 can pinto beans (drained)
• 1 can diced tomatoes w/juice
• 1 can diced tomatoes w/green chilies
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (may omit)
• sea salt & black pepper to taste

1. In a large pot, heat oil- add onion and garlic, stir frequently, cooking until onion is translucent and garlic is soft (about 4 minutes)
2. Add cumin and chili, cook for about one minute (spices will release their delicious fragrance)
3. Add zucchini pieces and entire can of tomato paste, stir frequently- cook about 3 minutes or until tomato paste is a deep red
4. Gently stir in black & pinto beans, diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes w/chilies
5. Add 2c. water (or vegetable broth) and bring soup to a boil
6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes until liquid has reduced and zucchini is cooked through
7. Serve with cheese and cornbread (see recipe below)

Gluten Free Cornbread

• 1.25 c. white or yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 c. brown rice flour (see TIP)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1.5 c. milk (we used 1%)
• 0.5 c. water
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 400* and grease a cake pan (or cast iron skillet, if you have one). Place greased pan in oven while it heats.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in large bowl
3. Mix milk, water and lemon juice in a seperate bowl, allow milk to sit for 5 minutes (you’re making your own buttermilk!)
4. Beat eggs into milk mixture
5. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix
6. Open oven, pour batter into preheated & greased cake pan (it should sizzle!)
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes until top is golden brown
8. Serve with butter and honey

I should also tell you to serve this with a great beer if your husband likes beer. Daniel chose “Fade to Black” by Left Hand Brewing Co. and the smokiness and richness of the beer went along great with the meal!

These are probably the most simple doggie treats to make. Flour, cornmeal, eggs, broth and oil- that’s it. Silas had a buddy over to play today- so I thought I’d whip up a batch of treats for them both.

• 1/2 c. cornmeal
• 2 c. whole wheat flour (AP is fine)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 c.  chicken, beef or vegetable broth
• 3 TBSP canola or vegetable oil

1. Blend cornmeal and flour together in a food processor
2. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, broth and oil.
3. Turn on food processor, add wet ingredients to dry. Process until dough comes together.
4. Sprinkle cornmeal on a cookie sheet.
5. Transfer dough to cookie sheet and roll out the dough until most of the pan is covered.
6. Cut treats into desired shapes (we used a knife to score our treats into square shapes, I added a hole in the center of each treat so they’d look pretty).

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

And the best picture of the bunch…

This recipe is a knockoff of “Hawiian Ginger Chicken Stew” that I found online. However, in the original recipe, there was nothing Hawiian about any of the ingredients. In true Cooper fashion, I adapted the recipe and added a little of my own flair!

Ingredients

• 1 lb Chicken, cut into 1 inch cubes (boneless & skinless, or just do the work yourself and save $)
• 1 TBSP Sesame or canola oil
• 2 inches fresh Ginger, minced
• 4 Garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 1.5 TBSP Lemongrass (can use store bought or mince 2 stalks fresh)
• 1/2 cup dry Sherry (didn’t have- used 1/4c. Rice Wine Vinegar, 1/4c. Water and 1 TBSP Lemon juice)
• 1 Chicken Bullion cube + 1 cup of water (or 1 can reduced sodium Chicken Broth)
• 1.5c. Water
• 3 TBSP reduced sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Sriracha chile-garlic sauce (to taste)
• 2 cups frozen Spinach (one 12oz package)

Directions

1. Cook chicken pieces in 1 TBSP sesame oil until cooked through (use large pot)
2. Remove chicken with tongs and set aside
3. Add a touch more oil to your pot, add ginger and garlic, cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant
4. Add sherry (or substitute) and lemongrass; scrape up any brown bits
5. Add broth and water, bring to boil for 5 minutes
6. Stir in soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce and frozen spinach
7. Allow spinach to thaw, add in the chicken and any juices
8. Add water to thin soup if desired

Serve alongside sushi rice or rice noodles!

Happy Sunday! Two posts in one day! I think this is a new record! After attending church and learning about forgiveness today, I decided to do some cooking for the week. Featured in the previous post are Gluten Free Protien-Oatmeal Bars! These bars are a perfect wholesome snack that will certainly tide your hunger with the powerful combo of whole grains and protein!

Since starting Financial Peace University, we’ve been on a budget, and I’ve found it easy to make our weekly meal plan based off of what we have on stock and what is reasonably priced at the store. We also take into consideration who will be home in the evenings for dinner. If we’re both out of the house until 9pm, I always plan to make a dinner that will give us leftovers on the previous night!

• Sunday: Roasted Tomato & Black Bean Soup with Brown Rice and Avacado
• Monday: DIY
• Tuesday: Hawiian Ginger-Chicken Stew
• Wednesday: DIY
• Thursday: Baked Ocean Perch, Brown Rice & Vegetables
• Friday: Out of Town
• Saturday: Out of Town

Anyways, onto the star soup of tonight:

Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup

I found a wonderful recipe online, but since tomatoes aren’t in season right now, I thought I’d take a few shortcuts to make this delicious soup!

Ingredients

• 2 cans Fire Roasted Tomatoes
• 2 cans Black Beans (drained and rinsed)
• 5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 avocado

Directions

1. Saute the garlic in the olive oil until garlic is soft.
2. Add beans, tomatoes, broth and chili powder.
3. Simmer for 40 minutes or until desired thickness is achieved.
4. Slice avocado and serve on top of soup.

You can also add cheese or sour cream on top of the soup, and feel free to add other spices such as cumin or hot sauce!

Hello friends! I was searching for a recipe today to make as a snack for the week! I’m juggling two jobs- one as a front desk receptionist at Body Structure Medical Fitness Facility, and one as a nanny to 3.5yr old triplet boys! Last week, I made a gluten free version of the Double “P” Puppy Treats for myself (they’re human friendly and quite tasty when rolled in sugar+ginger powder prior to baking!)

I thought about making another cracker sort of treat for this week, but alas, I was out of gluten free flour! I was checking out a few blogs last night and found a recipe for GF Oat Squares, but my Google search today didn’t lead me to that same recipe so I made this one up!

Ingredients

• 2 cups steel-cut gluten-free oats (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup milk (used skim)
• 2 eggs
• 3 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder (I used the “Smart Sense” brand found at Kmart, we had a gift card)
• 1/3 cup honey (local and raw!)
• 1.5TBSP ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Whisk wet ingredients together
3. Add in the protein powder & whisk.
4. Add in the oats, mix. (The batter will be pretty runny)
5. Pour into an 11x7in oiled pan (or use foil and oil the foil!)
6. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until edges are browning and center isn’t jiggly.

These have a wonderful vanilla flavor! I can imagine stirring in coconut, nuts, raisins or chocolate chips and peanut butter into the batter for a sweet treat!

My recipe yielded 14 bars, I stored half away in the freezer and I’ve got half sitting in the fridge- ready to grab as I dash out the door!

I read a lot of blogs. One of the blogs that I’ve been reading for a long time now is Oh She Glows. Angela is a wonderfully talented baker and Entrepreneur (check out her Glo Bars!) Besides her awesome baking and blogging skills, Angela tells about her hilarious cat, Sketchie. Just go to her blog and watch a few of the videos she has about Sketchie. He is an awesome cat!

We followed her recipe for Happy Thanksgiving Pumpkin Butter, however, I didn’t have any apple juice (we used water) and we only used 1/2 cup of sugar in our version. Our final product wasn’t nearly as silky smooth as it looks in Angela’s photos, but I can assure you that it is DELICIOUS!

If you don’t feel like standing over the stove for 30 minutes, you can also do a quick Google search for microwave pumpkin butter recipes! This is soooo delicious. Thanks Angela!

And because no post is complete without a picture:

Engagement picture from January 2010, taken by my bff and Bride-to-Be Kristen Miller