Elle Is For Living!

Trader Joe's Spinach and Artichoke Pasta Recipe from Tiktok

This is another "combine a bunch of ingredients" type of dish. So easy and very tasty.

1 Trader Joe’s frozen spinach and artichoke dip

2 cups of cherry tomatoes, quartered

6 cloves of diced garlic cloves

1/4 cup of olive oil

salt and pepper

1 chicken jalapeno sausage chopped up

2 C rotini pasta – cooked according to package

Parmesan cheese to top

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, place everything in a baking dish besides the pasta, sausage and Parmesan cheese and bake for 50 minutes.

While you are waiting for the sauce to cook, cook your pasta according to the directions on the box.

Fry chicken sausage till nicely brown

When the timer is done, mix the ingredients together that are in the baking dish and press down on any tomatoes that are still whole. Combine. Add your drained pasta to the baked sauce and toss.

Top with parmesan cheese and serve.

Elle's Sister's Steak Marinade

This is such an easy recipe as you pop everything into a ziplock bag and then bbq. I love doing it overnight before company comes over so everything is ready - easy peasy! Scroll down for another version that I also love.

Ingredients

1/3 c soy sauce

½ c olive oil

1/3 c lemon juice

1/4 c worcestershire sauce

11/2 T garlic

3T basil

11/2 T. parsley

1t. w. pepper

t. hot pepper sauce (optional)

Place steak in zip lock bag and marinate for at least 6 hours.

BBQ to medium rare.

My Variation

You can use this with "olive oil + whatever seasonings you like".

Olive oil

Lawry's

Garlic Powder

McCormick's Steak Seasoning

Steak

Put all into a ziplock bag and marinade for 6 hours or overnight.

Bbq to medium rare.

Sunday Chat: Control - Anger & Anxiety

Then he said to the woman,

“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy,

and in pain you will give birth.

And you will desire to control your husband,

but he will rule over you.”

Genesis 3:16

What causes quarrels and

what causes fights among you?

Is it not this,

that your passions are at war within you?

James 4:1

If any of you lacks wisdom,

let him ask God,

who gives generously to all without reproach,

and it will be given him.

James 1:5

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit,

whom the Father will send in my name,

he will teach you all things and

bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 14:26

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

And we know that for those who love God

all things work together for good,

for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.

Psalm119:11

How can a young man keep his way pure?

By guarding it according to your word.

Psalm 119:9

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord

and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

Jeremiah 17:7

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests

be made known to God.

Philippians 4:6

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Psalm 56:3

Copycat Panera / Paradise Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Warning: these are DANGEROUSLY good!

Copycat Panera Chocolate Chip Cookies

Servings: 18 to 20 cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not packed, just scooped and leveled with a knife)

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you want the oven ready as soon as you’re done scooping!)

In a large microwave-safe bowl, add the butter and cover with a paper towel (will help for splattering). Melt the butter for 45 seconds to 1 minute until all is melted (no chunks left). You want it hot; it doesn't have to 'pop' but if it does "pop" then it's done - just get it all melted)

Add in white sugar and brown sugar and use a spatula to stir until combined

Add in egg and vanilla, then mix.

Next, add in baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix again.

Add in flour and mix until all the flour disappears into the dough. Note: the dough WILL be wet and sticky, this is normal.

Add the chocolate chips and mix. Allow dough to sit for 1-2 minutes to slightly set so it's not as sticky.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop dough into 1 to 2-tablespoon sized scoops then gently roll into your hands to create a ball. Flatten the tops so that they're a disc vs. a round ball. Without flattening, your cookies will be thicker and more cakey.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. You want them to be slightly brown on top and look slightly under baked (my oven was perfect at 11 minutes).

Remove from oven and place entire pan on a cooling rack. Allow the cookies to cool on the hot pan for 10-15 minutes before removing them. This will allow them to finish baking on the hot pan. Once cooled, use a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

Crispy Roasted Parmesan Potatoes

1.5 lb baby potatoes , halved (about 1.75", 20 - 24 potatoes)

2 tbsp olive oil , plus more for drizzling

PARMESAN MIXTURE:

1/2 cup grated parmesan from the refrigerated section

1/2 tsp garlic powder (or sub with onion powder)

1/2 tsp dried oregano or thyme

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

DIPPING SAUCE (OPTIONAL):

3/4 cup sour cream, or sub with plain yoghurt , or a combination of both

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions/scallions plus more for garnish (or chives)

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix Parmesan Mixture in a bowl.

Drizzle oil in 22 x 33cm / 9 x 13" glass baking dish (Note 2). Tilt pan to spread all over the base.

Scatter the Parmesan Mixture over the base. Spread as evenly as you can. Once sprinkled, do not touch - don't try to spread it.

Place potatoes cut side down, pressing firmly.

Optional: drizzle top of potatoes with a touch of oil or spray with oil, then sprinkle with salt.

Bake potatoes for 35 - 40 minutes or until they are soft and the parmesan crust is deep golden (you can check through the glass!)

REST for 5 minutes. Then use an egg flip to cut between every 4 or so potatoes (i.e. cutting through the parmesan crust which bonds between each potato - see video), then scoop up 4 or so potatoes and flip them upside down so the cheese side is up on a serving platter.

Serve with Dipping Sauce, if using, and sprinkle over extra green onions if desired. Serve as a side dish or as nibbles!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies/Fudge

These shouldn't be called 'cookies' since they aren't at all cookie like with no flour. Once you think of them more as 'fudgey' and don't have the expectation of a cookie texture, then you will enjoy them.

1 cup peanut butter , smooth or crunchy

1 cup , packed, brown sugar

1 egg

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350F (standard) or 320F (fan / convection).

Line 2 trays with parchment paper.

Place 1 tbsp scoops of the dough onto the trays 2" apart.

Dip a large fork in a bowl of hot tap water (stops fork sticking to dough). Press down on the dough. Re-dip fork in water as required.

Put both trays in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through, or until light golden on the surface and golden on the edges. (Or longer if you want crisper cookies)

Leave to cool on the tray. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 - 5 days.

Sunday Chat: Complaining

During the night Pharaoh

summoned Moses and Aaron and said,

“Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites!

Go, worship the Lord as you have requested.

Take your flocks and herds,

as you have said, and go.

And also bless me.”

Exodus 12:31-32

By day the Lord went ahead of them

in a pillar of cloud to guide them on

their way and by night in a pillar

of fire to give them light,

so that they could travel by

day or night.

Neither the pillar of cloud by day

nor the pillar of fire by night left its

place in front of the people.

Exodus 13:21-22

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,

and all that night the Lord drove the sea back

with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.

The waters were divided, and the Israelites went

through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of

water on their right and on their left.

The Egyptians pursued them,

and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and

horsemen followed them into the sea.

During the last watch of the night the Lord

looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud

at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.

He jammed the wheels of their chariots so

that they had difficulty driving.

And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away

from the Israelites!

The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.”

Then the Lord said to Moses,

“Stretch out your hand over the sea so that

the waters may flow back over the Egyptians

and their chariots and horsemen.”

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,

and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.

The Egyptians were fleeing toward it,

and the Lord swept them into the sea.

The water flowed back and covered the

chariots and horsemen the entire army

of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites

into the sea. Not one of them survived.

Exodus 14:21-26

Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea

and they went into the Desert of Shur.

For three days they traveled in the desert

without finding water.

When they came to Marah,

they could not drink its water

because it was bitter.

So the people grumbled against Moses,

saying, “What are we to drink?”

Then Moses cried out to the Lord,

and the Lord showed him a piece of wood.

He threw it into the water,

and the water became fit to drink.

Exodus 15:22-25

So the people grumbled against Moses,

saying, “What are we to drink?”

Exodus 15:24

In the desert the whole community grumbled

against Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 16:1

But the people were thirsty for water there,

and they grumbled against Moses.

Exodus 17:3

They murmured in their tents,

and did not obey the voice of the Lord.

Psalm 106:25

Moses heard all the families standing

in the doorways of their tents whining,

and the Lord became extremely angry.

Moses was also very aggravated.

Numbers 11:10

“How long shall this wicked

congregation grumble against me?

I have heard the grumblings

of the people of Israel,

which they grumble against me.

Numbers 14:27

Nevertheless, some of the people

went out on the seventh day to gather it,

but they found none.

Then the Lord said to Moses,

“How long will you refuse to keep my

commands and my instructions?

Exodus 16:27-28

But while the meat was still

between their teeth and

before it could be consumed,

the anger of the Lord burned

against the people,

and he struck them with a severe plague.

Numbers 11:33

The Lord heard you when you wailed,

“If only we had meat to eat!

We were better off in Egypt!”

Numbers 11:18

They said to Moses,

“Was it because there were no graves

in Egypt that you brought us to the

desert to die? What have you done

to us by bringing us out of Egypt?

Didn’t we say to you in Egypt,

‘Leave us alone;

let us serve the Egyptians’?

It would have been better for us

to serve the Egyptians than to

die in the desert!”

Exodus 14:11-12

These people are grumblers

and faultfinders;

they follow their own evil desires;

they boast about themselves

and flatter others for their own advantage.

Jude 1:16

Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

Philippians 2:14

Do not grumble against one another, brothers,

so that you may not be judged;

behold, the Judge is standing at the door.

James 5:9

Nor grumble, as some of them did

and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

1 Corinthians 10:10

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths,

but only such as is good for building up,

as fits the occasion,

that it may give grace to those who hear.

Ephesians 4:29

Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

that you may be blameless and innocent,

children of God without blemish in the midst of

a crooked and twisted generation,

among whom you shine as lights in the world,

holding fast to the word of life,

so that in the day of Christ

I may be proud that I did not run in

vain or labor in vain.

Philippians 2:14-16

If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint,

I will change my expression, and smile,’

Job 9:27

Give your burdens to the Lord,

and he will take care of you.

He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.

Psalm 55:22

Don’t worry about anything; instead,

pray about everything.

Tell God what you need,

and thank him for all he has done.

Then you will experience God’s peace,

which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and

minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

I call on the Lord in my distress,

and he answers me.

Psalm 120:1

Show me your ways, Lord,

teach me your paths.

Psalm 25:4

Give thanks to the Lord,

for he is good; his love endures forever.

1 Chronicles 16:34

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus

1 Thesselonians 5:18

Let them give thanks to the Lord

for his unfailing love and

his wonderful deeds for mankind.

Psalm 107:21

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

Psalm 103:2

For I know the plans I have for you,”

declares the Lord,

“plans to prosper you and not to harm

you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

And my God will supply every need

of yours according to his

riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Do not be anxious about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your requests be

made known to God.

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts

and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-8

“Therefore I tell you,

do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink;

or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more than food,

and the body more than clothes?

Look at the birds of the air;

they do not sow or reap or

store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

Can any one of you by worrying

add a single hour to your life?

Matthew 6:25-34

Easy Artisan Bread

This is the easiest best bread ever. Without the rising times, it takes <10 minutes of your time. Here are the steps:

Activate yeast
Add flour
Let rise 1 hour
Form into round loaf
Let rise 30 minutes
Bake 30 minutes

That is it! Lots of great variations but plain (how the recipe is written) is FABULOUS!

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour ( 400 grams) plus extra for dusting

4 to 6 quart Dutch Oven or Casserole dish with a lid (has to be able to handle 460F)

MIX THE DOUGH & FIRST RISE (1 HOUR):

Combine yeast, sugar, and warm water in a large mixing bowl (you can also use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook).

Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is foamy.

Turn on your dryer.

After the 5 minutes is up, add flour to bowl. Mix with a sturdy spatula until the dough starts to come together, then add salt and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. For best results, mix until no dry bits of flour remain. Note: This is a relatively slack (wet) dough, so it may seem a bit shaggy and sticky at this point. Don't worry - it will become more smooth and elastic as we go!

Cover bowl with a clean tea towel and let rise in the dryer (not while it is running lol!) for 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.

SHAPE THE DOUGH & FINAL RISE (30 MIN):

When dough has risen, take it out of the dryer and turn on dryer again for next rise.

Lightly flour a large cutting board.

Tip the dough out of the bowl and onto the cutting board. DO NOT PUNCH THE DOUGH DOWN - you want to keep all those nice air bubbles intact.

Shape the dough into a round loaf: Pull each corner of the dough in towards the center (like you're folding an envelope) and repeat until the dough feels tight and begins to resist your folds. Flip the dough over (envelope seams on the bottom) and put it back in the bowl.

Cover with a tea towel and put back in dryer to let rise another 30 minutes or so while you preheat the oven.

HEAT THE OVEN :

While bread is rising, place an empty dutch oven (with the lid on) or I use a white Corning Ware casserole dish with a glass lid, in your oven and heat to 460 degrees Fahrenheit.

BAKE!

When the oven is hot, you're ready to go! Use oven mitts to pull the dutch oven out and remove the lid.

Lay a piece of parchment paper down and tip your bread dough gently out of the proofing basket onto the parchment paper. Make sure the seam side is up this time - this is what will create those beautiful cracks on top of the bread!

VERY CAREFULLY (without burning yourself!) use the sides of the parchment to lift the bread up and place it into the hot Dutch oven/Corning Ware dish.

Put your oven mitts back on, place the lid back on the pot, and slide the whole thing back into your hot oven.

Cook bread for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the lid from your container. The bread should be taller, crusty, and very lightly browned. Continue cooking the bread, uncovered, for 5-15 minutes more until the bread has deepened in color and you have a beautiful brown crust. (I do 5 minutes as we don't like the crust too crunchy).

When bread is done, use oven mitts to pull the pot out of your oven.

Use your parchment paper to lift the bread out of the container onto a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting into it.

Slice, slather with butter, and enjoy!

Asiago

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 cup shredded Asiago cheese, divided (you'll save some for topping the bread)

Rosemary Garlic

2 Tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary

8- 10 roasted garlic cloves, roughly chopped or 2 tsp garlic powder

Wheat Nut

Replace 1 C white flour with 1 C wheat flour

1/2 C sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp flax seeds

AFTER baking, sprinkle with Nothing But The Bagel seasoning, optional

Original recipe with LOTS of detailed notes are at: https://www.lifeasastrawberry.com/easy-crusty-french-bread/

Elle's Mom's Cinnamon Coffee Cake

This is so quick and easy to make and DELICIOUS!

Ingredients

1 beaten egg

2 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C milk

1 C flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

TOPPING

1 C brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbsp flour

4 Tbsp melted butter

1 C walnuts

Combine wet & then add dry ingredients

Mix well and pour into greased 8 x8 pan

Sprinkle with topping

Bake at 375F for 20 to 25 minutes

Elle's Easy Crock Pot Roast

Crock Pot Roast

Ingredients

Roast (I like cross rib)

Lawry's seasoning salt

Garlic Powder

Salt & pepper

McCormick Montreal steak seasoning

Season with lawry's, garlic, salt & pepper and a bit of Montreal steak

Put in crock pot on high and cover

After 1/2 time turn down to low for remainder of time

If you want to add veggie, add after you turn to low

Check if veggies are cooking too quickly you may need to remove to a plate and microwave right before serving to heat

Beef roast size Cooking time LOW HIGH

2-3lb / 1-1.5kg 7-8 hours 3-4 hours

3-4lb / 1.5-2kg 8-9 hours 4-5 hours

4-5lb / 2-2.5kg 9-10 hours 5-6 hours

5-6lb / 2.5-3kg 10-11 hours 6-7 hours

6-8lb / 3-4kg 11-12 hours 7-8 hours

I use the times as rough guides and go more by when the roast is fork tender and comes apart easily.

I sometimes cook my roasts from frozen. Rinse, season and put in crock pot and add a bit more time.

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