Friday, October 7, 2016

Secret Recipe Testing

For well over a year  now, I have kept a secret...I applied for, and was chosen to be a recipe tester for an author's cookbook! Her name is Danielle Walker, better known for cookbooks such as Against All Grain (she follows a Paleo diet, which usually is gluten free, dairy free, etc)

Her latest cookbook was just released a week ago, titled "Celebrations" (drink and food recipes for different holidays and seasons). Last Fall, from about August- December, I received recipes from this book to try making, take pictures of and then submit a review and/or suggestion improvements to the author. It was fun and a little eye opening for me, as I cooked with ingredients I've never heard of before in some cases! I've also never really made Paleo based meals, so I was doing a lot of baking with items like coconut sugar, almond flour...things I don't typically use.

Anyway, it was fun! Here are some pictures from that experience -

One of my favorites! Now that I'm not pregnant any longer I'm excited to make this again - Ahi Tartare.

Carrot Cake (interesting as it used sweet potatoes I believe? I'm inclined to make that again as a healthier alternative to normal carrot cake!)

Biscotti ! I've already made this one again a few times, yum! In fact I have some now I just may eat for a snack :)

Chocolate Pecan pie? I believe.

Aaron helping with our Hot Dog Corn Muffins



Lemon Bars with berries . I'm actually wondering now if the author took the berries off the recipe for the book!

My not so pretty bundt lavender cake

For helping her out, I received a free, autographed copy of her cookbook!


Just to show that recipe testers were generally mentioned in her "thank you" part of her book, but not by individual names

Her autograph and note to me :)

I enjoyed "broadening" my cooking horizons, I'm looking forward to making many more of the recipes in her book!

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