Homemade Nut Butter

Confession - I'm completely addicted to nut butters. Ask me if you could only eat one thing for the rest of my life and I would tell you peanut butter. Peanut butter will always be my favorite nut butter but almond butter comes in a close second. There are so many delicious varieties out there but they tend to get a bit pricey so I figured why not try making my own. Yes, the nuts themselves still aren't cheap but overall, making your own nut butters is a more affordable option. Plus you can try out different flavors and combinations without shelling out almost 10 dollars for a full jar.

The steps really couldn't be easier either. Place chosen nuts in food processor and blend until smooth stirring down the sides throughout. Depending on your food processor, this should take less than 10 minutes. Of course, feel free to blend less or more to reach your desired consistency.

I'd recommend either roasting your nuts beforehand or buying already roasted nuts. Unsalted are also best so you can adjust the saltiness to your liking. Only have salted nuts on hand? That's fine and actually what I used for this particular batch. In this batch, I also added in a bit of honey (about 1T for 1 1/2 cups of nuts) for a little sweetness.

After the first few minutes of processing, a paste will start to form. Just keep on processing! A few more minutes and you'll start to get at the nut butter consistency you're used to. Almost there! 

When you've reached a smooth and drippy consistency, you can add in your sweeteners, salt and any other flavorings. Cinnamon, vanilla extract and unsweetened coconut is one variation I've loved with peanut butter. For almond butter, some maple syrup and salt is perfection. But really, the combinations and flavors are endless. That's another great thing about making your own nut butter. You can mix and match and find some great combinations.


Just a note, one you add in honey or maple syrup, the butter will return to a thicker, more paste like consistency. Just process for a few more minutes for it to smooth out again. And here you have it. Simple and delicious!

Mom's Turkey Stew

In addition to the requisite turkey sandwiches, my Mom always cooked up a pot of turkey stew to use up all the Thanksgiving leftovers. Filled with tender pieces of turkey and vegetables, the stew is the perfect meal to keep you warm on a cold November night. So when my Mom offered me the rest of the wings and drumsticks from our family's recent Canadian Thanksgiving celebration, I immediately ask her for the stew recipe. Of course she laughed at me saying there was no real recipe but that she just used what was leftover from the dinner and what she had on hand. And this is what I believe makes a truly good cook. No recipe required just years of practice and experience. Not having learned this skill yet, I asked my Mom for the basics and a few tips. Here's what she gave me. Only two steps!

Step One: Create your broth. 

Leftover thighs, drumsticks, wings and the turkey carcass are the base for your broth. Simmered in water, the bones impart a surprising amount of flavor that doesn't require much additional seasoning. Carrots, onions and celery (aka a mirepoix) or any other vegetables you have leftover from your holiday meal add even more flavor and help to fill up your stew. I covered all of these in water, brought to a boil and then simmered uncovered for an hour. I let the whole pot simmer another 2 hours covered before I was satisfied with the taste. I was lucky enough to snag the leftovers from my Dad's grilled turkey which lent an amazing smoky element to the broth. 

Step Two: Add your fillings

Simple enough. Take the bones out of the broth and remove any meat. Having simmered the bones for 3 hours, the meat easily fell off. The meat plus some extra slices of turkey went back into the pot along with some thyme, rosemary, and oregano. I left this to simmer another half hour before adding in some farro and parsley. I cooked it only long enough to soften the farro and then seasoned with salt and pepper. And that was it! Making homemade broth and stew initially seemed intimidating to me but it really couldn't have been easier. 

Serve with some crusty bread and you have a hearty and comforting meal. Hope you enjoy it!