I haven’t spent a lot of time writing about food and health on the blog, because I feel like there’s already so much information out there, and I don’t really have anything new to add to the conversation. But today I’m really excited to share with you a little something that’s become a holiday tradition in our house.
Two years ago I was trying to think of a gift that I could make, that would be useful and not just more stuff. I started keeping track of our favorite family recipes and printing them into a book and giving them as gifts at Christmas. I still love cookbooks, but I find that I’m looking up recipes on my phone and on my iPad more than ever. So this year I decided to get with the times and produce the cookbook digitally which means I can share it with more people. And that includes you.
But don’t freak out – you don’t need a Kindle or a Nook or an iPad. It’s simply a pdf document that you can view in any web browser (the link to download it is at the end of the post).
But first, here are a few things you should know about this collection of recipes.
I don’t like fussy food. I like fresh, simple things that I can make with ingredients that I already have in my house.
Yes, my kids eat this stuff. They eat what we eat. They rarely eat as much as I think they should, but they don’t starve. Somehow I lucked into this. But nevertheless it’s one parenting thing that I feel like I got right.
I like things that take one pot. We eat a lot of soup.
I also like to simplify instructions down to the basic necessities so there’s not a lot of over explaining. If you want more detail, I’ve referenced where each of the recipes are from so you can always look up the original.
You should also know that I had some health issues in 2012 that caused me to be on a pretty restricted diet and so most but not all of the recipes are gluten free. All are corn free. It is only recently that I have started eating dairy again on a regular basis and even then it’s mostly low lactose varieties.
And as a super special bonus because everyone was so nice about how it went down at the cookie swap. Here is my coconut macaroon recipe straight from Southern Living Classics.
Coconut Macaroons
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1/3 cup sugar
2 egg whites
2 tbs all purpose flour (I usually sub this with gluten free flour and xantham gum)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients. Drop level tablespoons on to greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Makes a dozen cookies
Please share if you have a chance to try any of the recipes. And if you want to hear more from me about food and family, let me know. It’s something I would consider adding into the mix in the new year.
And so without further ado, introducing….
Have a very real weekend.
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