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Food

FoodFoodie Friday

Lemonade + Baking Soda Drink (Alkaline Lemon Fizz)

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Brooks has been whipping up the yummiest homemade soda lately — truly so good. We always joke that “Brooks cooks,” and honestly… he just has this natural talent in the kitchen like no one else. It’s the cutest thing. It helps my acid reflux after drinking too much coffee. Have you tried this fizzy drink?

Why the order matters

The fizzing happens when the acid (lemon) and base (baking soda) combine, creating a mild neutralizing effect and a gentle carbonation.

Obsessed with this fizzy drink:

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cold water (8–10 oz)
  • Juice of ½ a lemon (about 1–2 Tbsp)
  • ⅛ teaspoon baking soda (a small pinch is usually enough)
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon stevia or maple syrup (for sweetness)

Instructions

  1. Squeeze the lemon juice into the glass of water.
  2. Add the stevia/maple syrup (optional) and stir.
  3. Add the pinch of baking soda last — it will fizz as it reacts with the lemon’s acid.
  4. Stir gently and drink immediately.

FoodFoodie Friday

How to make strawberry coconut ice cream

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Reid has been craving ice cream, but we’ve been trying to cut back on refined sugar lately. Luckily, I’ve found an incredible recipe that satisfies our sweet tooth without all the guilt!

This recipe has become one of my absolute favorites, and it reminds me so much of the famous Hailey Bieber coconut ice cream sundae from Erewhon—seriously, it’s THAT good! The best part? It’s creamy, decadent, and made with simple, wholesome ingredients.

The secret to getting that rich, velvety texture is to use coconut cream—not coconut milk. Coconut cream is thicker and makes the ice cream super creamy, whereas coconut milk can leave it a bit watery. Trust me on this one, it makes all the difference.

If you have an ice cream maker, this recipe becomes even easier! Just blend everything up in a Vitamix, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker, and let it do its magic. Don’t have an ice cream maker? No worries! You can still freeze the mixture, stirring it every 30 minutes until you get that perfect, scoopable texture.

Whether you’re a coconut lover or just looking for a refined-sugar-free dessert, this recipe is a must-try!

Let me know if you give it a go—I’d love to hear what you think!

Strawberry Coconut Ice cream

2 cups of frozen strawberries

14 ounce can, coconut cream. (Not coconut milk)

1/4 cup maple syrup

Add ingredients to a Vitamix and blend well. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour strawberry cream mixture into a frozen loaf pan for 1 hour. Take it out at the 30 min mark and mix. Otherwise, pour the cream mixture into the ice cream maker and enjoy once it hardens. Garnish with strawberries.

FoodFoodie Friday

15 minute pumpkin pie

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

We made it to PIE SEASON. Do you love pumpkin pie as much as we do?

This recipe makes 2 pies, only has 6 ingredients. I buy all organic, and did I mention it’s the best pumpkin pie that you’ll ever taste?

I chose this recipe because it is so simple. The condensed milk conveniently has both the sugar and milk in it, so it’s a two for one. It doesn’t have any bioengineered ingredients and was so good you could eat it for breakfast.

It only took me 15 min to make, so I’ll have time to create the rest of my Thanksgiving feast!

15 minute pumpkin pie *

1 9 inch pre made pie crust

15 ounce can pumpkin puree

3 large eggs

14 ounce sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

I serve with homemade whip cream and pumpkin pie spice added on top.

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Blind bake the crust for 10-12 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt together.
  • Pour the pumpkin pie mixture into the pie crust and bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Cover edges with a pie shield or foil strips, if desired for even baking.
  • Reduce the oven to 325°F and bake an additional 30-40 minutes, or until the pumpkin pie filling is set. It will have a slight jiggle to the center.
  • Remove from the oven and let cool on a baking rack. Chill until ready to serve.

Have you tried it? Tag me! *Adapted from Soulfully Made blog.

If you want more recipe info, type “foodie Friday” into the search bar.

FoodFoodie Friday

Melt in your mouth chocolate chip pudding cookies

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

This recipe makes about 40 cookies.

Our family is obsessed with these cookies. I knew about this chewy delicious recipe, but always put it off because vanilla pudding mix is full of junk! I finally found an instant vanilla pudding that had 4 simple ingredients, sugar, cornstarch, natural flavors and sea salt. Win! I make it ahead into balls, freeze it for an hour and put in the oven. It is difficult to get to 7 “WOWS” in my family, but these do the trick. Be prepared for the best cookie you’ve ever tasted.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use food nanny kamut flour)
  • 1 box (3.7 ounces) vanilla instant pudding mix or this one
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I use this one)
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Pre hear over your 350. Mix the wet ingredients and then the dry ingredients. Bake for 13-14 min. 

FoodFoodie Friday

Summer Salad I Can’t Stop Eating

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

How was your Memorial Day? We were invited to a BBQ yesterday for Memorial Day and she asked me to bring a side dish.

I love a challenge.

I was craving a greek salad with a twist. I left out any meat since we were attending a bbq with lots of yummy grilled meat. The feta has protein and a delicious kick. Let me know what you think!

GREEK ORZO SUMMER SALAD

1 16 oz package orzo pasta, (I use the one from trader joe’s) cooked and put aside

1 package cherry tomatoes

1 can, black olives

1 package of feta cheese

1 whole bunch of Dill, chopped

1/3 cup red onion, sliced thinly

Drizzle with 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil and 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions: Cut the tomatoes, onions, dill, and feta. Finally, drizzle with oil and salt. Toss and serve.

FoodFoodie Friday

How to make healthy gummy bears at home

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Our family is just a little bit gummy bear obsessed! We love them and buy them daily, so why not make our own? We have done SO many variations. Wanna know some of our family favorites? Phyto reds blend and lemonade blend. I use stevia drops instead of honey and fresh lemon juice as the juice, but it’s totally up to you. Here’s where you can buy the phyto reds – HERE

If you do use the phyto reds, I use one scoop to one cup of water and double the recipe.

Here is the recipe below. I love that it is only 3 ingredients and no bad ingredients! Enjoy and let me know if you make them.

FRUIT JUICE GUMMY BEARS

INSTRUCTIONS 

  • Pour 1/2 cup juice into a sauce pan set on low heat.
  • Add 1 tablespoon honey.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of gelatin.
  • Mix until all dissolved and then remove from heat.
  • Using the dropper, add into your mold.
  • Place in fridge for 30 minutes to cool and form or until solidified. 
FoodFoodie Friday

Cowboy Cookie Recipe

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

I shared these cookies on my stories and so many of you wanted the recipe.

I love these! They’re so yummy, I had 3 today!

I attended a women’s bridal shower, and my sister’s friend Brooke brought these cookies. Immediately, I had to ask her for the recipe. They were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and equally soft yet crispy.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Cowboy cookies

This recipe makes two dozen


1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening (or substitute for 2 sticks of butter)
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
Mix dry ingredients
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 cups oatmeal
1/2 package of semi sweet chocolate chips

Mix thoroughly, bake at 350 F for approximately 8 minutes.

FoodFoodie Friday

Mouth watering Snickerdoodles

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

I discovered this recipe off the King Arthur flour website and fell in love. It reminds me of a melt in your mouth cinnamon and sugar muffin I used to make for brunch about a decade ago in Chicago.

Good memories.

I tried to recreate that very muffin by under cooking it. I came VERY close to recreating them and they may just be better than original inspiration.

What are you waiting for, make these and let me know what you think!

Click here for 3 ingredient dinners, broccoli salad, chickpea dinner (my kids love) and Amy’s pancake we make on weekends.

Buttery Snickerdoodles

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
                3/4 cup granulated sugar
                1 large egg
                1 teaspoon baking powder
                1/2 teaspoon salt
                1 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour or King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

              2 tablespoons sugar
                1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, to taste

               

                To make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.
                Beat together the butter and sugar until smooth.
                Add the egg, beating until smooth.
                Beat in the salt, and baking powder.

  • Add the flour, mixing until totally incorporated.
  • To make the coating: Shake together the sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized zip-top plastic bag.
  • Drop small (1″-diameter) balls of dough into the bag; a teaspoon cookie scoop works well here. Roll/toss the cookies in the cinnamon sugar until they’re completely coated.
  • Space the cookies at least 1 1/2″ apart on the prepared baking sheets. Use a flat-bottom glass to flatten them to about 3/8″ thick; they’ll be about 1 1/2″ in diameter.
  • Bake the cookies for 8 minutes (for soft cookies) to 10 minutes (for crunchier cookies). 

Food

My Espresso Machine

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

I literally sit in my bed in the morning dreaming about my cappuccino that I cannot wait to enjoy. Thanks to my Nespresso Creatista machine. It’s durable, makes super hot coffee and espressos, and heats up the milk like a dream. It has an adjustable espresso option, milk temp and froth level. Love the options to have either a cappuccino or flat white. We are careful to keep the milk warmer clean to ensure the best lattes. I use almond milk and Reid uses regular milk and both works well. If $599 is out of the budget, I also show below the smaller options which we also have for our guest room. At $149, it is no frills and a great dependable cup of joe (or espresso).

Under $200 options

Which is your favorite? Do you own an Nespresso machine?

FoodFoodie Friday

Chocolate Sheet Cake – Birthday Cake

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

The Texas Sheet Cake we make EVERY birthday is finally on the blog! I originally got this recipe from a guy in my Poetry Class at Wheaton College. No joke! He made it for the last class kick off party and I told him I HAD to have this recipe. He quickly wrote it on a napkin, and from there its history. I’ve since shared it with my family, friends and YOU! Let me know what you think!

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Yields 1 9 x 13 cake

2 cups flour (I use Kamut flour)

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325F, mix in a large bowl.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I substitute for a stick of butter)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
Bring the butter oil, powder and water to a boil in a sauce pan. Slowly add to the flour mix and mix well.

Two eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

*When I don’t have buttermilk, here’s the substitute: for each cup of buttermilk, I add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. Stir than let stand for about 5 minutes.

Blend till smooth and add to cocoa flour mix. Pour into a 9 x 13 greased and floured pan. Bake till toothpick comes out clean. Let cook at least 5 minutes before icing. Bake at 325 F, for approximately 25 minutes.

CAKE ICING

1/2 cup butter
3 T. cocoa
6 T. Milk
1 t. vanilla (add to cocoa mixture)
1 16 oz box of powdered sugar

Melt butter and cocoa together in a sauce pan- make sure not to burn it. Add milk to butter mixture. Add powdered sugar to cocoa and milk and mix till there are no lumps.

Pour over warm (not hot) cake and spread smooth

Let me know what you think. This is our favorite birthday cake ever!

Enjoy and let me know how you like it in the comments!

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