Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant

This turned out really yummy!  We took the zucchini and eggplant we'd grown in the garden, sliced them, drizzled  Natural Grapeseed Oil on them, then sprinkled the Lemon Rosemary Blend over them, and placed them on our George Foreman Grill. Once they came off the grill, we sprinkled Parmesan cheese over the top.  Delicious!

Gingerbread Cake

Sean used my gingerbread recipe this week to make yummy gingerbread. He used Natural Grapeseed Oil instead of  butter and oil mixed to make it a healthier version.  The boys eat it right as it comes out of the oven, so it doesn't last long. Also see my post on my Gluten Free Ginger cake, if you are gluten-free.


Gingerbread Cake

3/4 cup brown sugar (we vary-- sometimes we use dark, sometimes we use light)

1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup ginger syrup ( we use The Ginger People- see picture)
1/4 cup plus 8 tablespoons Natural Grapeseed Oil
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

1 tablespoon ground ginger ( I love OXO  Grind it Ginger - you grind the ginger fresh on the spot!)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the sugar, molasses, syrup, oil and eggs. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, spices and salt.  Stir in water. Pour batter into greased pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes.

Half eaten gingerbread cake!

The Ginger People make me happy!

Spiced Peach Muffins

Finished Spiced Peach Muffins

I love, love, love King Arthur Flour. I have been using their flours for many, many years. I have several of their cookbooks and many of their recipes can be found on-line.  I often alter the recipes.  King Arthur Flour's Spiced Peach Muffins Recipe  calls for vegetable oil and, of course, I used Wildtree Natural Grapeseed Oil!  Instead of All-Purpose flour, I used Organic White Whole Wheat flour and added 1/4 cup extra milk to make up for the fact I was using whole wheat. Lastly, I added one extra teaspoon of cinnamon because I just LOVE cinnamon.  White Whole Wheat has the same nutrition as Red Wheat, but doesn't have the same strong taste. Since I didn't have any dark brown sugar left, I just used light brown sugar.  The dark brown sugar gives it a richer, deeper molasses taste. I sprinkle the top with coarse sugar. 

Oil, Milk and Eggs. Don't you love the color of natural, expeller pressed grapeseed oil!?

In the Mixer

Add the fresh diced (unpeeled) peaches

In the muffin pan!

Almost Like Grandma's Frittata

My grandmother came over from Italy as a small child.  I never met her because she died before I was born, but her recipes were always served at my house.  One of my favorites is frittata. I'm just too lazy to spend the time backing it in the oven, so here's what I do to create the same taste in my frying pan!

Today, I used zucchini from my garden-- an Italian Heirloom zucchini called Lungo Bianco.  I grew them from seed and I have to say, they are yummy!  I sliced  half of a zucchini and a quarter of a small onion.  I sauteed the onion and zucchini in Wildtree's Natural Grapeseed Oil until they were soft.  I added two scrambled eggs, salt, pepper, a few shakes of parmesan cheese with two pinches of Wildtree Hearty Spaghetti Sauce Blend. Scrambled them around until they were cooked and YUM! It tastes just like grandma's frittata!

Zucchini I picked this morning

Finished Almost Like Grandma's Frittata

It isn't as pretty as grandma's, but it sure tastes the same!  Enjoy!

Quick HCG Diet Approved Omelet

As I said earlier, I am working on my second round of the HCG Diet.  So far I have lost 30 pounds using the HCG Diet!  Once I get to the second stage (3 weeks of just low carb and not just low carb and low fat!), I can add  whole eggs and CHEESE to this recipe


I made an egg white omelet for lunch today using the Garlic & Herb Blend. It was divine!  Since I am still in the first stage of the diet, I wiped the pan with the  Natural Grapeseed Oil -- just enough to keep the eggs from sticking.  While the pan was coming to temperature, I added salt, pepper and the Garlic and Herb Blend to my eggs, tossed them in the pan to cook.   Looking forward to the second phase and my continued Low-Card maintenance!  Again, this is my second round with the HCG Diet (Miss Utah used it!).   Between the rounds, I maintained my weight by eating low card M-F and allowing myself to eat what I wanted on the weekends.  As the blog progresses, I hope to share more of my HCG Diet Approved Recipes using Wildtree Products and also share my low carb recipes, too.  I've just started building my blog, as you can see by my recipes I posted today. I have Christi working on a very cute blog design, too, and I can't wait to see the new design go live.  If you like my blog, click on her link for more information. She also designed our Family Blog!

Jamaican Jerk Pork & Rancher Steak Rub

Pictures will be here soon!  In the future, I hope to make video tutorials and picture tutorials (hey, I just started the blog about an hour ago and the pork was already in the oven! ~laughter~) This morning, I placed the dry Jamaican Jerk Seasoning blend on the pork loin and placed it in a preheated 225 degree oven.  A few hours later, I turned up the heat to 275 degrees while I mixed together natural grapeseed oil and more Jamaican Jerk seasoning together.  I basted the pork loin with this mixture and I have to tell you that the smell is heavenly!

Two hours later, I increased the heat to 350 degrees and will let the loin bake, covered, until nice and tender. Jennifer (you will see her recipes posted here from time to time) is coming over for dinner tonight and bringing a salad.  I'm going to make roasted potatoes using one of the Wildtree blends (I'll update later as this is a masterpiece in progress) and a veggie. 

Sean, who has recently turned 15, loves steak.  He likes to grill it on the George.  Today for lunch, he rubbed his steak with natural grapeseed oil, then rubbed in the Rancher Steak Rub onto each side before grilling.  It was delicious.

Joseph started his meal off with dipping oil and bread. He is addicted.  He experimented with the Roasted Garlic Grapeseed oil, the Natural Grapeseed oil and the Basil Pesto Grapeseed Oil. His favorite was Roasted Garlic Grapeseed Oil with a bit of fresh cracked pepper.  He is only 13 and already becoming a food snob like me!