Maple Candied Walnuts

These are the yummiest nuts.  They were initially made for my spinach salad, but I also enjoy them as a nice, sweet treat!


Candied walnuts

1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
Large pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups walnut halves

 Combine first 4 ingredients in another heavy large skillet. Bring to boil, whisking. Boil 1 minute. Add walnuts; stir. Toss until syrup forms glaze on nuts, about 3 minutes. Transfer nuts to sheet of foil and quickly separate nuts with forks. Cool.

Spinach, Goat Cheese and Maple Walnut Salad

This salad is our absolute favorite!  I guarantee that you will love it too.  It is so very healthy and tastes unbelievable.  I have a recipe for the maple walnuts on this Blog for you as well.  I roasted my own sweet beets, but you can always buy them at the grocery store. Fresh organic spinach, beets, goat cheese, red onion, pear slices, and maple walnuts with a delicious raspberry vinegarette.  All of these flavors are truely a perfect and unique combination. If you are adventurous, the raspberry vinegarette would be very easy to make, but I bought mine at the grocery store, as I just did not have the time.  Heres to your health!

Ingredients:
1 small pkg plain goat cheese
1 pkg organic baby spinach
sweet beets (cubed)
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 fresh sliced bartlette pears (apple or mandarine oranges slices)
maple walnuts
raspberry vinegarette

Add salad in layers in a bowl and dress with vinegarette. Enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue sauce

I make a lot of food with barbecue sauce involved and I am not partial to all of the garbage that you get in the products at the grocery store, not to mention the prices!  This is a recipe that I have been trying to get just right for a long time now. I don't have to kill anyone for giving this recipe to you all, because it is really so very good that I am willing to share it with my friends. Chicken, brisket, chops, hamburgers, seafood anything really.  I add it to my homemade baked beans too. I hope you give it a try and it becomes your favorite BBQ sauce too!

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
5 tablespoons light brown sugar
5 to 6 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 drops liquid smoke

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to simmer.  Cook uncovered for 1 hour.