Holistic Instincts

Thanksgiving is almost here and I planned to write another pumpkin post, but then I remembered pumpkin isn't my favorite flavor!  Instead, today I am sharing with you my absolute favorite pie recipe, one so good, that my daughter asks for this pie instead of cake on her birthday.  It is THAT good! This recipe started out as a strawberry/rhubarb pie but since I never actually have rhubarb on hand, this became just a strawberry jam pie.  And I am sorry to say I don't know enough about food science to explain why the filling actually becomes jam-like, but it does and it is the best!  Once baked and cooled, I cut this pie into 4 pieces and I eat my slice straight out of my hand.  No fork needed!  Luckily, this pie only makes an appearance twice a year or we would be in trouble..... In my past life, I always used a premade pie crust for pies, but I found that gluten-free prepared crusts sometimes have an odd flavor.  Now, I always use ** Brittany A...

I love to bake, but unlike regular cooking, I just never think about creating a recipe for a baked treat. I have 4,123 cookbooks that allow me to produce plenty of legit Paleo desserts and other yummy treats as it is.  And since some Paleo-approved ingredients may be pricy, risking a batch of something only to have it fail just does not appeal to me.  But last weekend, my son mentioned having a craving for a doughnuts.  And I mentioned that conversation to my husband.  And doughnuts was ALL he could talk about that weekend. But I do have a confession to make:  I am not an all-things-pumpkin kind of person.  You know that type of person, right?  The one that count down the last of the summer days just to get into flavored coffees, ice cream, and who knows what else?  I don't know!  I mean, I  like pumpkin pie well enough, but maybe because Thanksgiving only comes around once a year and I do not have to think about it again for anoth...

Sopa de albondigas literally means meatball soup.  And I know.....meatballs?  In soup?  Yes, please! In Mexican homes, this bowl of comfort is actually just called albondigas, and it gets a boost of flavor with addition of mint (traditionally yerba buena ).  And again, yes, mint!  This soup does not include the usual chile pepper added to many Mexican dishes, so it is not spicy.  But a spicy salsa is usually expected to be served along with the soup so that diners can add some kick to individual bowl. One of my favorite things about this recipe is that the meatball are cooked right in the stock pot, along with the liquid and vegetables, so the dirty dish level is kept to a minimum. Feel free to vary the vegetables here - I always use diced carrots, celery, and some sort of squash but a bit of diced potato is quite nice here.  Mexican cooks usually leave the veggies in large chunks - I prefer a smaller, neater dice.  If you prefer your sou...