butter

Broccoli-Cheese Casserole

Arguably the Best Side Dish Ever

This dish is at war with my (natural) standards. C’est la vie. I believe in organic ingredients… I can’t argue against the dependably creamy texture and consistent flavor of Cheez Whiz. I did not create this dish; I was given this gift. What can I say, except that it is a long-time family favorite. I realize that there are currently many natural cheese products with the similar thickness of Cheez Whiz (not available at the origin of this recipe, I’m sure). You do you. There are times when nostalgia and tradition outweigh set Sadie’s rules. (I’m okay with that.) It’s flavorful, indulgent, and incredibly easy to make. There are only 4 ingredients, all of which are easy to store. It also reminds me of almost every holiday table I have ever perused. You can’t replace that.

3 – 10 oz bags of Frozen Broccoli, thawed and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 – 15 oz jar of Cheez Whiz

10 Tbsp Butter (1 stick + 2 Tbsp)

36 Saltine Crackers (1 sleeve)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Crush the sleeve of crackers until about pea size. Melt butter over medium high heat till bubbly and add crackers pieces.

Sauté till golden brown and butter is absorbed.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Lightly pat any excess water from Broccoli pieces and evenly distribute in ungreased casserole dish. (Side note: you can use fresh broccoli, but you’ll need to add a little water.)

Remove lid and heat Cheez Whiz (right in jar) in microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Heat 20 seconds more, or until easily spreadable.

Spread Cheez Whiz evenly over top of broccoli.

Top with sautéed crackers and bake for half hour, until hot and bubbly.

Loving Lately

Be My Vital-tine ❤️

Chocolates?

Flowers?

Nah, BUTTER. I can’t think of anything I’ve been loving lately more than Vital Farms butter. (#notsponsored) It’s smooth, creamy, and tastes so rich it makes Jeff Bezos the jelly. And if you haven’t been eating it, it’s because you don’t know any butter.

Quality is key…The ingredient list is simply this: cream (milk), and sea salt. That’s it. And the cream comes from pasture raised cows, which means they are able to graze on grassy pastures to their hearts content. The butter does not carry the “grass fed” label, but don’t let this discourage you! With their ethical efforts, Vital Farms focuses on humane treatment of the “ladies” and sometimes that means a diet including corn and hay for their well-being. Made on American farms in small batches, this butter carries the high butter fat content, (we now know promotes heart health) and is hormone and antibiotic free. It’s keto friendly, full of vitamins, and recent studies show grass fed butter may reduce the risk of heart disease. (#sponsorplease)

So if you’re trying to butter up your Valentine, I’d suggest Vital Farms (and I know butter than you). Granted it’s a little pricey at around $8 for a half pound, but you butter believe it’s worth it! You can find it at Whole Foods (the first to carry it), Kroger, Target, Walmart and even Amazon! And I want you to buy it, because it’s amazing (and I want them to lower the price).



P.S. If you’ve never topped your steak with a pat of butter, give it a try… It’s SO good. And I dare say, a tablespoon blended in your coffee isn’t just for KETO. It can increase brain function- now that’s love.

Last 2 image courtesy of a greeting card










Sadie’s Fruitcake

I can’t tell you why fruitcake gets a bad rap. Maybe I haven’t eaten a bad one. I can tell you that I could eat this one every day. I’m really proud of it. A blogger friend of mine, Natascha of Natascha’s Palace, made a fruitcake challenge and I accepted. I’ve tweaked this cake to perfection, if I do say so myself. It’s a little sugar, spice and everything nice (with less emphasis on spice or heavy on the everything). This fruitcake is dense and moist and outright delicious. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

As organic as possible:

3 cups flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chopped pecans

1 1/3 cup chopped dates, pitted

1/3 cup dried cherries

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 10 cup tube or angel food pan. (Do yourself a favor and do not choose a decorative bundt cake pan, trust me on this one.) Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a large a bowl. Gently toss the pecans and walnuts in the flour mixture. Next add the dates. I like to toss these carefully (a few at a time) in the flour nut mixture because they are the stickiest. Once the chopped dates are coated with the flour mixture, add the cherries, cranberries, regular and golden raisins, and coconut. Gently toss until all fruit is lightly coated with flour mixture.

In a separate bowl or in a stand mixer, cream butter. Add sugar and beat with the butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated. Add vanilla, almond extract and lemon juice. Mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, a scoop full at a time to creamed butter mixture, until all is combined. (I like to mix this part by hand, to not over-mix.) The batter will be very thick (like the consistency of  a thick drop cookie). Spoon the batter in the prepared pan, and gently even out the top with the back of the spoon or spatula.

Bake the cake for 1 1/2  hours. Remove cake from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the edges of the cake and place onto cooling rack to cool completely before serving.