cranberries

I've noticed that during the really rough times in my life, having a supportive group of friends to lean on always helped to make the tough times pass a little more quickly. Not that the pain went away altogether, but the people who cared about me did a great job of keeping my brain and body occupied so that I didn't feel so alone with my troubles. Praying for God's help was always first on my list, but the friends who stood by with a shoulder to cry on or jokes to make me laugh to the point of hurling were often times God's greatest blessing to me. Those friends are my "rough riders"

One of my very favorite "rough riders" is Kim, from Cravings of a Lunatic. I'm not sure if she realizes this, but the very first time I read Kim's blog was just two days after my my mom passed away of complications of Parkinsons Disease. On August 28, 2011, my sweet momma went home to Heaven, after a 5 year battle with a horrible disease. The next day, I was a hot mess. I was feeling MIGHTY depressed and sorry for myself, too...after all, I was now an ORPHAN! My dad had died many years before from heart disease, when he was just 48, and I was only 15. The next day, August 30th, through a strange twist of fate, I decided to browse the Internet for some good recipes to cheer me up. That's when I came across Kim's post for mint chocolate chip ice cream. It was at that moment that the stars aligned and a little orphan girl in Wisconsin was linked up with a little lunatic orphan girl from Canada. Kim's post made me smile for many reasons, and it didn't take me long to learn just how much we have in common. Well, besides our obsessions with bacon and caramel.

You see, Kim lost her Mom to heart disease when her mother was 47, and Kim was 15. Each year on the anniversary of the day her Mom passed, she shares stories and photos of her Mom. This year she joined forces with Jen of Juanita's Cocina, whose life was also touched by heart disease when her stepfather had a heart attack. Jen's stepfather is alive and well more than a decade later, and for that, Jen is thankful every day.

The ladies reached out to other bloggers (myself included) and we're all sharing stories about how heart disease has touched our lives. So today, in memory and honor of "Momzie" (Kim's mom), we share stories and recipes from our hearts to yours. We all hope that you'll share your stories with us today as well.

Since heart disease is hereditary, and it's also a rising epidemic and one of the leading causes of death, I think it's become more important than ever for me to find ways to incorporate heart healthy foods into my diet. This farro salad is one of them.

Often used as a substitute for pasta or rice, farro is a gluten-free grain with a nutty flavor similar to brown rice. It's rich in fiber, magnesium and vitamins A, B, C, and E. In this particular salad, I paired it up with some dried cranberries and some crunchy Granny Smith apple pieces, added a few walnuts for some healthy fat, and tossed it with a citrus & honey basil vinaigrette dressing. I can't even begin to tell you how yummilicious this salad is! I could have easily added a protein like cooked chicken or turkey to it, or even some shaved Parmesan cheese would have been a perfect topping.
I felt like it needed a little more pop of color, so next time, I may serve it over some baby spinach or with some Spring greens.
As simple as it was, I ate a 1 cup portion for lunch and felt INCREDIBLY full and satisfied!

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Orange Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Cream Cheese from ItsYummi.com

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HI LOVELIES

It's time for another installment of Sundays with Joy... Technically I suppose it's Saturday with Joy. I'll be posting my Joy the Baker Cookbook recipes on Saturdays now because I've added another weekly activity into my blogging arsenal. I know, I know... I'm constantly yapping about how busy my life is, so how can I possibly make room for yet ANOTHER activity? Well, I haven't mentioned this to you yet, but I lost my job 2 weeks ago. Boo hiss, right? So the door of employment was closed and until I can find the newly opened window that I've been told to keep a look out for...you know, the one that will include a new adventure to embark on that will bring some bill-paying income into the house, I need to keep my mind and body engaged to avoid self pity and depression from setting in. Enter #SundaySupper.

Each week, the group members are given a theme that we then use to create a recipe around. Tomorrow will be my first post with the group and I can't wait to share the theme and my recipe with you!

But TODAY, I have something that's equally as wonderful to share. It's magical and wonderful and it's likely to cause you to see unicorns in your sleep. It's gingerbread with a yummilicious twist!

The recipe for the cake is the creation of Joy the Baker. It's a flavor packed, spiced up gingerbread with a wonderful sweetness, thanks to the inclusion of orange zest. Get this...It's in cake form. No crisp yet adorable ginger people cookies for me, thank you. These are tall, fluffy pieces of gingerbread....now that's what I'm talkin' about! To make it even better, the cake is topped with the most delicious cream cheese frosting I've ever eaten! Seriously, I couldn't keep my spoon out of the bowl. Joy's recipe (which you can find in her cookbook, or on her blog), is wonderful in and of itself, but I had some extra cranberries left over from Thanksgiving, so I put my blender on puree and went to town. The tangy cranberries helped to tone down the sweetness of the cream cheese and sugar, making this frosting the kind I'd like to drink through a straw on a daily basis. Cranberries are high in antioxidants so that makes this frosting totally healthy. You can tell your doctor I said so. No, you can't give him my phone number. Well, unless he's single and has an adorable smile and a relatively thick wallet. Yes, I'm very happy in my relationship with Brian. No, it's not cheating....it's...it's... Shush now... go make this cake and enjoy it. I look forward to seeing you here again tomorrow

Orange Gingerbread Cake with Cranberry Cream Cheese Frosting

WHAT'S NEEDED

#ingredient#

HOW TO MAKE IT

#instruction#

WordPress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Recipe Type: Dessert

Cuisine: Cake

Author: Chef Becca Heflin

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 40 mins

Serves: 8-12

This light and fluffy gingerbread cake is accented with sweet orange zest then topped with a decadent cranberry cream cheese frosting. It will make the perfect dessert at your holiday table.

Ingredients

[b]FOR THE CAKE[/b][br]
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup unsulphered molasses (not blackstrap)
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons orange zest
3/4 cup warm water
[br]
[b]FOR CRANBERRY CREAM CHEESE FROSTING[/b][br]
1 block (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2-4 Tablespoons cranberry puree, depending on desired consistency of frosting.

Instructions

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour an 8×8- inch square baking pan. Set pan aside.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, spices, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together vegetable oil, sugar, and eggs until thick and pale. Add molasses, honey, and orange zest and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until entirely incorporated. Add the warm water and gently stir until the mixture is smooth and silky. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
If you find that the mixture fills the pan more than three quarters of the way full, transfer to a larger 9 or 10-inch round cake pan, or fill a mini loaf pan with excess batter.
Bake cake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, make the cream cheese frosting.
In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the cream cheese on medium speed. The cream cheese should be as soft and smooth as possible. Stop the mixer.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the butter, and beat the two together on medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add two cups of powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add 2 Tablespoons cranberry puree and remaining cup of powdered sugar. Beat on medium high speed until frosting is smooth and silky. If thinner consistency frosting is desired, add more puree a Tablespoon at a time. If thicker frosting is desired, add more powdered sugar.
Allow cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting the cake.