#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Recipe: Homemade Ketchup {Whole30}

February 12, 2018 · Narrative

Ketchup that tastes the way it should … like tomatoes! Read on for a super simple recipe that will hook you from the very first taste.

Homemade ketchup

If you’ve ever done a round or 5 of Whole30, you know that you become a voracious label reader. After the first week or so, it no longer feels like a chore. It starts to feel like empowerment. They put WHAT in my ketchup?! They use WHAT to make my bacon?!

And the more you learn, the more you want to take control of what you put in your body, and make better decisions for you and your family.

I am seriously a condiment queen. I really don’t think there’s any I don’t like, and whether it’s being slathered on a burger or as a dipping sauce for my roasted potatoes, I’m all about it. But … when you’re doing Whole30, you quickly learn that you can’t have some of your usual suspects when it comes to condiments.

Mostly because of the added sugar, and all the unpronounceable garbage they put into it.

In previous rounds of Whole30, I started making my own mayonnaise (and have ever since, whether I’m on Whole30 or not), and I discovered the most delicious buffalo aioli ever. I also started making my own ketchup, although it took getting to my third round of Whole30 to actually blog about it.

#reallifeproblems

If you read the labels of most ketchup bottles, you will find sugar listed in some form or fashion. Whether it’s listed as straight up sugar or high fructose corn syrup, or more subtly mentioned as a form of sucralose, it’s most definitely there, and usually along with several other ingredients that are not Whole30-compliant.

What to do?

That’s when you start making it yourself.

Like, seriously, if you open up my refrigerator you’ll routinely see an assortment of home bottled goodies, everything from mayo and ranch to ketchup and avocado  dressings.

#CondimentQueen

When you take your first taste of homemade ketchup, the first thing you’ll notice is that it tastes suspiciously like tomatoes. IMAGINE THAT. Tomatoes is totally what ketchup is SUPPOSED to taste like! And if you do a side-by-side taste test, and taste an off-the-shelf version compared to your homemade batch, you’ll all the sudden see how sweet the store-bought version tastes.

Blech.

Homemade ketchup

As long as you have a can of tomato paste in your pantry, you likely have the rest of the basic ingredients you need to whip up a batch of homemade ketchup. It takes literally just a few minutes to whir all the ingredients together in your little food processor (I’m partial to this one and use it ALL.THE.TIME), and you’ll have a nice little quantity to last you for several weeks.

Whether you’re on Whole30 or not, I encourage you to give the homemade version a try. I made some for a fellow Whole30 friend a few weeks ago. She doesn’t like ketchup, but LOVES the homemade version.

Now it’s your turn.

Hungry for more Whole30 recipes?
These Key Lime Energy Bites are the perfect little thing when you’re craving something sweet.
These Buffalo Chicken Meatballs are a favorite. I just made a double batch to bring to a bingo event last week.
I need to update the picture of this Chili, but don’t let that deter you. I make it at least 2 or 3 times a month. So good, Whole30 or not!
Nothing like warm, buttery Avocado Fries!
Cracklin’ Chicken is guilt-free fried chicken (and kid-approved!).
You’ll find yourself making this Madras Chicken Salad again and again.

PS That cute jar I use for my condiments is this one from The Container Store.

…

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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