Imagination is a helpful skill to have, especially when you are pushed against the proverbial wall. Since I was up against that wall many a time, I mastered this at a young age! One instance in particular I was a challenged by a group of kids in school to explain why if I was on a national television commercial for Barbie dolls did I attend school wearing no socks. I told them that I was wearing socks, but they were invisible!

A footnote (or more like a middle note since this isn’t at the end), the story is kind of ironic since Socks is the nickname given to me by my son’s Godfather Quincy Jones. He is the best at giving people nicknames with very special explanations. Mine came from the incredible reworking of the lyrics of the Michael Jackson song “She’s Out of My Life” by my daughter’s Godfather Mark Vieha (a giant in the commercial jingle biz). As I mentioned here before I got married when I was sixteen and a half and the new rendition of the song was played at the bachelor party. The part of the song that goes, “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, I don’t know whether to live or die” was changed to “I don’t know whether to cry or laugh, you’ve got socks older than sixteen and a half”.

I use my imagination often in my cooking as well. And recently have been trying to re-imagine different desserts in a more health conscious way. One success was creating a delicious chocolate pudding using avocados. It is gluten free, sugar free and can be made dairy free as well. It is so creamy and chocolate-y and it is such a treat!  I call it “Chocovado Pudding” and one taste will knock your socks off! And you are welcome to use my “invisible socks” explanation if anyone asks…

Ingredients:

2 large ripe avocados, pitted and pealed

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 Tbsp honey

¼ cup skim milk (or almond milk)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder

Toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

Orange Zest, for garish

Flaky Sea salt, for garnish

 

1. Using a food processor fitted with a metal blade, blend avocados, cocoa powder, honey, milk, vanilla and instant coffee until completely smooth. Then chill, covered, in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes or overnight.

 

2. Transfer to 4 bowls and garnish with coconut, orange zest or sea salt. Serve!

Love,

YDP

 

Apples are the one fruit that have a bit of baggage…skeletons in the closet so to speak. It wasn’t an orange or a mango that Eve was tempted to eat. It was from the apple tree that she ate of the fruit of knowledge. That darn snake and his deception. Lucky for me Ireland has no snakes due to St. Patrick driving them out years ago! And thankfully Ireland has amazing apples and hence an endless supply of recipes to enjoy.

Since porridge is a breakfast staple in Ireland due to the cold damp weather, I have combined the two for a gorgeous treat. I often serve these oatmeal baked apples at brunches (my fav meal of the day) as it is pretty impressive to have the food you eat come served in one of the ingredients! And I’ve made this recipe gluten and dairy free (though regular milk could be used) just to be giving for those who are dealing with certain food sensitivities.

And speaking of giving, my favorite book of all time is “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. It is actually an apple tree featured in the book, so hopefully this positive spin on the infamous fruit will turn the tide of its reputation. If you haven’t read the book, please do! It could change your outlook on life!  It is usually in the children’s book section, though should be in the adult section as well.

My fabulous husband of eight glorious years kindly refers to me as a human giving tree. Like the central character in the book, I too take pleasure in giving to others. In fact, I don’t like to shop or buy anything for myself. My closet can attest to that! I’m still stuck in the 80s! But truthfully, my greatest joy in life is when I buy, make, bake, or create something for someone else. Simply to see the happiness on their faces makes my heart sing.

So try this yourself and you will be amazed at how much more lasting pleasure you feel when you make someone else’s day with a surprise treat. Trust me you will NOT experience slinking back to the department store returns desk because of buyers remorse with those expensive designer high heeled shoes. When you give to another, which is an act of love, you will reap benefits too numerous to count. Why not try it out by making these healthy baked apples and share one with your family, friend, co-worker or neighbor!

Cinnamon Oatmeal Baked Apple

 

Serves 4-6

 

4-6 Large Apples, local variety

2 cups oats

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp soy or almond milk

½ cup applesauce

¼ cup maple syrup

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp melted coconut oil

¼ cup pecans, chopped

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

 

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F/gas 4.

 

2. In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In another medium bowl whisk together the milk, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla and coconut oil.

 

3. Cut top ½ inch off each apple. Use a melon baller or a spoon to carefully scoop out all of the apple’s flesh and core, leaving ¼ inch rim. Add the scoops of flesh from two of the apples (without the seeds) to the wet ingredients. Stir the oat mixture into the wet ingredients. Spoon into the apple “bowls” right up to the top. Sprinkle with the pecans and sugar and bake in a baking dish for 30 mins.

Giving you love,

YDP

 

I’m not from today’s generation that practically gets awarded a gold medal for breathing. But given where I came from I am pleased to have won a few precious things in my life. I have only received one trophy and that was when I won the Little Miss Garden Grove Pageant at six years old. That was long before Honey Boo Boo!  Forty years later I won Most Beautiful for my age from People Magazine.

But what I’m most proud of is winning best tasting Lemon Bars at our church school fair. It wasn’t The Great British Bake Off or Master Chef but never the less each year I made these lemon bars they were pre-sold and there was a line of people waiting for them. They have a buttery flakey base and a nice tart lemony filling. Then the sprinkling of powdered sugar is indeed the icing on the cake! The secret was the fresh lemon tree in my back garden. The zingy bright yellow citrus was bursting with flavor and the lemon bar aficionados benefitted from that tree to table freshness. But there was another alchemy going on just outside the kitchen.

I got married to my first love at sixteen and a half and thought maybe I was going to be lucky and marry my prince without having to kiss a lot of toads. Unfortunately my prince turned into a toad fairly quickly. Things were not good and they were actually about to get worse. From the outside it all looked okay, but that was because I was turning some major life lemons into lemon aid. I was focusing on the positives and turning the negatives into something useful. And cooking was a massive outlet!

I still make my famous lemon bars but I don’t have a lemon tree in the backyard . That is because that house, which was my dream house turned into a nightmare house, was sold in the divorce. And though I haven’t won any competitions with the recipe lately I have won over some new converts. Try out this recipe and you might too!

Ingredients

1 cup (1/2 lb) unsalted butter softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar (plus extra for sifting on top of baked lemon bars)

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp grated lemon zest

6 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp baking powder

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/ 350  F.

2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until creamy; beat in 2 cups of flour, blending thoroughly. Spread mixture evenly over bottom of a well greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile in a small bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs until light. Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until the mixture is think and lemon colored. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, remaining 1/3 cup flour and baking powder; beat until smooth and well combined.

4. Pour lemon mixture over baked crust and return to oven; bake for 15-20 minutes or until topping is pale golden. Place on a rack to cool; while still warm, lightly sift some powdered sugar over the top.

5. When cooled cut into bars, taste and you’ll see that life got a bit better!

Lemony Love,

YDP

 

Growing up I only had one grandparent that was still living. But my Grandpa O’Neill was such a powerful influence in my life he made up for the other three. He and I were besties. Though I had two older brothers I was his favorite. He was the only boy in his family of girls, and then had two daughters, so maybe he was just comfortable with women!

People ask me how I survived a childhood of abuse and neglect. I have three things that have gotten me through. The first is my faith, the second I’ve previously talked about which is food and cooking, and the third is my Grandpa O’Neill. It has been said that if a child experiences love from one person in their lives they have been exposed to an everlasting and eternal feeling that will sustain them. And thankfully I had thirteen years of love before my Grandpa passed away.

Some of my best memories of him are when he would take me for a walk from my house on South side of Chicago to the local bowling alley. We never actually bowled, but there was a vending machine there and he would always buy me my favorite candy Milk Duds!

Now just to say that my Grandpa O’Neill could be a very cranky and critical guy. So don’t think he was all warm, fuzzy, and lovey dovey. In fact he had me in tears quite a few times. Once when I stayed at his house I wanted to cook him breakfast. I pulled up the chair to the stove and tried to make his favorite sunny side up eggs. Unfortunately the egg yolks broke and rather than waste it I decided to make the eggs scrambled. When I served them he was livid! So I offered to go back and try again and he said, “forget it I’ll eat these!” It’s no wonder I became a chef since my first meal  got a scathing review before the patron had taken their first bite!

Over time I eventually learned how to make his eggs just right! And to this day whenever I pass a vending machine and see Milk Duds for sale I have to buy them in his honor! Your turn! What are your favorite memories of a grandparent and what is your favorite candy?

Sweet sweet!

YDP

Some kids wake up in the morning to alarm clocks or the smell of French Toast wafting in to their rooms. When I was a kid I experienced, well shall we say, more colorful awakenings….One morning out of a foggy slumber I was startled by my mom skreaking and running around the house saying, ” The dog ate the pot, the dog at the pot.”

Now she wasn’t referring to a lovely wicker pot that held the hydrangeas plant. She meant POT as in weed, grass, ganja or as its known for the recent legal medical variety marijuana! My mom was a drug dealer. Not typical in the era of stay at home moms that is true. She preferred to deal speed, uppers because that was her drug of choice. But on this occasion  she was rolling in the green grass so to speak. She was “working” in the kitchen with the stuff layed out getting ready to portion into bags and then got up to go to the bathroom. When she was away, our family dog got ahold of it and went to town and ate the whole bag! I don’t know who was more wacked out my mom or the dog! They were both running around.

Thinking of what to do when the buyers called she came up with a great story. She told them that she had baked some brownies with the pot inside and the brownies burnt in the oven. That way, she wouldn’t have looked irresponsible for leaving the pot unattended and the dog was able to save face too (though the look on his face would have give him away for sure!)

So in light of the brownies that never got made here is a recipe that has a  secret ingredient of its own, and its legal! Not to mention that is is gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. That way when you eat it you’ll have loads of energy to run around the house, just hopefully not screaming ” The dog ate the pot.”

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes (600g) Peeled, cut into pieces and steamed until soft

1/2/ of a cup of cashew butter (or any kind of nut butter)

1/2 a cup of  rice flour (100g)

7 oz  mission dried  figs  (cut off tip stems and softened in a bowl of hot water)

4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Green and Black Organic)

3 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp coconut oiil

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F.  Prepare an 8 x 8 baking dish by lining it with parchment paper. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside. Then puree the sweet potatoes in a food processor with the figs.  Put the pureed mixture in a large bowl and add in the coconut oil, maple syrup, cashew butter  and vanilla and give a good stir. Then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients until well combined. Place into the lined baking dish. Bake for approx 20 mins until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Once done remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Let  them rest before cutting them. As an option before cutting them you can also top the brownies with a melted dark chocolate drizzle and a sprinkling of cocoa nibs.

Peace Out,

YDP

Old School Polaroid pictures are the best! This one is pretty special to me as it is from my first ever commercial job. Don’t shoot me, but it was for Kentucky Fried Chicken (back when they used the whole name and didn’t abbreviate it to distract customers that it was indeed FRIED food). The photo is signed by “himself” Col. Sanders! Yes in my previous life I was an actress. This film location was pretty cool too, out on a fancy ranch in Malibu! Growing up we could never afford to eat out, even at places like KFC, so it was a treat to taste the famous chicken and all the other goodies at the Craft Services.

It was amazing that I actually got the job. The audition was what is referred to in the biz as a “cattle call” as there were thousands of kids trying out for the role. How do you get noticed in a situation like that! Well in my case it was what I call A+A. I got the part because of an Accident and Authenticity! The story goes that the casting director happened to walk past me in a frenzy and accidentally dropped a piece of paper from her clipboard. I saw it,  picked it up and ran after her and looking her straight in the eyes with a big smile I said, “excuse me I think this is yours.” I never knew what was on that paper, I’ve never been a nosey person so I didn’t look…but apparently it was VERY important. She thanked me and asked my name. The next day the phone rang and I booked my first commercial job. That accidental and authentic moment got me noticed!

An “Accident” to some might also be considered to be fate, luck, coincidence, happenstance, predestined etc. But basically it’s being at the right place at the right time. Those moments are the ones I thank God for because those are out of my control. But what is in my control is how I deal with them, how I respond. And that my friends is where “Authenticity’ comes into play. It makes no difference your age either. You think authenticity would come easiest to children but I’ve even seen them do things that seem contrived…trying too hard to win people over, “playing the game” and “working the system”. Maybe it has just become such a part of our competitive world. But I believe that when you are a genuine nice person, doing the right thing ,most people see the honesty in that like it is translucent.

I’m not trying to be an expert here giving advice on how to be successful in your career, or  how to win the affections of a potential mate/partner..  but I do want to stress the aspect of authenticity in general. I suspect many job seekers (in any field but particularly in Hollywood) face a sort of desperation. And many will do anything to get that job! They take classes and courses, read books on how to get ahead and influence people. Sometimes it can all be a bit contrived. But I believe those on the other end, the employers for instance,  do sense when people are being real or not. And the same can be said for getting noticed in relationships, neighborhoods, schools, sports teams. etc. Sometimes what sets us apart from others isn’t our looks, education, or talent but simply being ourselves! There is only one of ME and only one of YOU! When you embrace who you are it makes it easier to look people in the eye and smile!

Thankfully these days I am able to afford to go to Kentucky Fried Chicken, however I prefer to make my own version (since I’m ME and my name is Karen) so  here’s the recipe for KFC…

Ingredients:

1 pkg. organic chicken tender fillets

3 Tbsp melted butter

Marinade:

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

¼ cup Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 cloves garlic minced

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Coating:

1 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

¾ cup Parmesan cheese

6 Tbsp plain flour

1 Tbsp thyme

1 ½ Tbsp lemon zest

1 ½ Tbsp dry mustard

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Method:

1. Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces, mix all around to get coated and chill in fridge for as long as possible.
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 450F
3. Mix together all the coating ingredients and then one by one coat chicken and place on a baking tray .
4. Drizzle with the melted butter and bake for 20 minutes, turning the chicken pieces once.
5. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce…mine is honey!

Tasty Love,

YDP

There was a time once when my mom was in a rush to pay the rent. Actually that was a regularly occurring theme. But in this instance she was driving in our family car (a used ice cream truck, for real). Apparently when turning a corner the truck swerved and tipped, and in trying to ‘right the ship’ it was ‘over corrected’ and the truck spun around in a 360. Luckily no one was harmed, but the envelope containing the rent money (all in cash) flew out the door and the wind blew it all over the road. Trying her best, but not able, to retrieve all the money she was late arriving and this explained why the rent was short that month. I can see now the wisdom of direct debit for landlords these days! But my mom was good at her schemes and stories.

Sometimes my eating habits swerve a bit as I am prone to indulging in too much sugar. And when righting the ship  maybe I can go a bit overboard the other way. The key is to get a balance. Not to over correct. At the moment there is a bit of a tiff with certain people in the food industry about this notion. Look I don’t want to cut out the treats all together. So today here is a little something that makes me feel good but also tastes good! It’s loaded with nutrients to give you energy and  its convenient to grab on the go! Which helps if you’re in a rush and/or  have to pick up an envelope of cash that has blown all over the street!

Healthy Brekkie Bites

Makes about 18

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas

2 cups organic gluten free oatmeal (porridge)

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice mix)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 small jar (170 g) of almond butter (or homemade)

¼ cup maple syrup or honey

If desired some mix ins of your choice (dried fruit, chopped nuts, cocoa nibs, chocolate chips, shaved coconut etc)

 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper (or use a silicon pad)
2. Smash up the bananas with a fork until smooth
3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl until it all comes together into a wet mixture. You can add in your mixs in now or after you put on the baking tray.
4. Drop by a large tablespoon the dough onto tray and flatten out a bit. Don’t worry about the dough spreading when they bake.
5. You can add to the tops of the dough your desired mix ins (I sprinkled some with cocoa nibs and the others I put the dried fruit)
6. Bake for 15-20 mins. Let cool on the tray first then transfer to a cooling rack
7. If desired you can drizzle some melted dark chocolate on top. Or you can let me do it for you since chocolate is my life!

Note: These keep for several days or can also be frozen in an air tight container . Also, if the oats are quite large you can pulse a few seconds in a food processor to get them a bit finer.

Stay balanced!

YDP