Sweet and Sour Chicken

My husband and I used to love getting Chinese take-out once a week. In the last few years as our eating habits have turned towards healthier options, we've slowly evolved from greasy Chinese take-out no longer tasting good to it just flat out not craving it. I just love how our bodies can respond to our choices!! This is a great, healthy (and cheaper!) alternative.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Ingredients:
-1 20oz can of pineapple chunks in their own juices
-2 Tbs white vinegar
-2 Tbs soy sauce
-4 tsp cornstarch
-1 Tbs ketchup
-2 Tbs grated ginger
-1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
-vegetable oil
-bell pepper, cut into pieces
-prepared white or brown rice

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 c pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple chunks), vinegar, soy sauce, 2 tsp cornstarch, ketchup, and ginger.
2. In a separate bowl, toss the chicken pieces with 2 tsp cornstarch and a bit of salt and pepper.
3. Heat oil over medium heat, then add chicken and cook until browned, about 5 min. Once browned, Remove the chicken and set aside.
4. Add the bell pepper and cook until tender; then stir in pineapple and reserved chicken.
5. Whisk pineapple juice mixture into the chicken mixture and cook until sauce thickens and chicken is cooked through.
5. Serve up top a bed of rice and maybe with a side of dumplings from Trader Joes? :)

Basic French Toast

I've tried so many french toast recipes, including this one for Baked French Toast Cups, but have never been able to master a simple, basic french toast that wasn't too soggy or just plain bland. This recipe is super simple, but it turned out really good. I honestly think the type of bread made the biggest difference. I usually try to make it with whole wheat bread in an effort to boost the nutrient value and quite frankly, that just doesn't cut. Dense white bread is what is needed!

Basic French Toast

Ingredients:
-1/4 c flour
-1 c milk (or eggnog if you want to make it festive or use up leftovers!)
-pinch of salt
-3 eggs
-cinnamon to taste
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1 Tbs white sugar
-sliced dense white bread, like potato or sourdough

1. Put flour in a large bowl. Whisk in milk, then salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat.
3. Soak bread slices in mixtures until saturated. Cook bread on each side until golden brown.

Serving suggestions: butter, agave, maple syrup, fresh fruit, more cinnamon, baked apples or pears, the list goes on and on and on. . .

Chicken Cacciatore

If you haven't noticed, my crockpot has been working overtime lately! With so much going on, I really haven't been in the mood to cook meals in the evenings and I'm preparing for the arrival of our third little one and assuming once he arrives, I'll have to have plenty of good crockpot recipes on hand to get this crew fed!

Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:
-2 c marinara sauce
-1 onion, chopped
-garlic, chopped to your taste
-1 bell pepper, chopped
-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
-2-3 carrots, chopped
-2 Tbs flour
-2 Tbs water
-Prepared quinoa or rice

1. Pour half of the marinara on the bottom of the crockpot. Then add all the veggies, garlic and chicken. Pour remaining marinara over the top.
2. Cook in crockpot for 6-7 hours on low.
3. Remove the chicken from crockpot and chop/shred it to your desired texture.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and water and stir the combined paste into the crockpot sauce. Cook on HIGH for 10-15 minutes until sauce has thickened.
5. Serve chicken and sauce from crockpot over a bed of cooked quinoa.

Carrot Soup with Honey

We went through a bout here last week where everyone was in serious need of an immunity boost. I made this nutrient rich soup in the hopes of bringing everyone back around to healthy. It worked, and it was delicious!

Carrot Soup with Honey

Ingredients:
-Olive oil
-2 onions, chopped
-2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
-3 lbs carrots, chopped
-minced garlic, to your taste
-1/2 tsp dried majoram
-4-6 cups water or broth, or a combo of the two
-2 Tbs honey
-1 tsp nutmeg
-salt and pepper

1. Saute the onion in a large skillet in a bit of oil. Cook until soft.
2. Put in crockpot: potatoes, carrots, garlic, and herbs. Add the onions and oil. Add enough water/broth to cover everything.
3. Cook on high for 1 hour.
4. Turn crockpot to low and cook for 5-7 hours, until veggies are soft.
5. Puree in batches in a food processor (or right in the crockpot if you happen to have an immersion blender!).
6. Stir in honey and nutmeg, season with salt & pepper. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.

Baked Potato Soup

This one comes from one of my favorite blogs, the Crockin' Girls. Check them out and enjoy this recipe!

Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients:
-6 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
-1 large onion, diced
-1 quart chicken broth
-3 garlic cloves, minced
-1/4 cup butter
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 cup whole milk
-1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or colby jack work great)
-Toppings: scallions, bacon, roasted veggies, sour cream, more cheese, etc.

1. Put in a large crockpot: potatoes,onion, broth, garlic, butter, salt and pepper.
2. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours.
3. Use a potato masher or immersion blender to smash up remaining potatoes and smooth out the soup.
4. Add milk and cheese, mix thoroughly.
5. Serve with toppings of your choice!

Lentil and Red Pepper Soup

A little work in the morning (or the night before) and this serves up hot for dinner! Serve it up alongside a green salad, grilled cheese, or some crusty bread. Perfect for this unusually March-ish weather we're currently having here!

Lentil and Red Pepper Soup
Ingredients:
-2 Tbs olive oil (or just a couple turns of the pan)
-1 onion, roughly chopped
-4-6 cloves of garlic chopped
-1 tsp paprika
-2-3 red peppers, roughly chopped
-1 c dried lentils
-5 c water
-2 tsp salt, or to taste
-pepper to taste
-1-2 Tbs white wine vinegar

1. Place onion, garlic, and red pepper in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
2. Put processor contents plus olive oil in a skillet and saute until veggies are tender. Stir in paprika.
3. Put skillet contents into the slow cooker. Add water and lentils.
4. Cook on low 7-9 hours, until lentils are tender.
5. Season with salt, pepper, and white wine vinegar. Serve hot!

Raw Granola Bars

First, I challenge you: If this sounds like something you wouldn't like, I dare you to try it anyway. It's like nothing you would expect. I'm not a fan of coconut or dates, but I LOVE these!

Second, I can't wait to share this recipe with you! This is another recipe from our "raw food" theme week at Mom's Group, made by a friend. I am indebted to her for introducing me to these! What an awesome, healthy, easy-to-make snack for my granola bar loving family.

Seriously, try them...

Raw Granola Bars
Ingredients:
-2 c raw almonds
-3 c shredded coconut
-2 c chopped, pitted, dates
-1 Tbs coconut oil
-the zest of 1 orange or lemon

1. Put the almonds in the food processor and process until they become a fine grain/dust.
2. Add the coconut and continue processing until finely ground. Put the coconut/almond mixture in large mixing bowl.
3. Put the chopped dates and coconut oil in the food processor. Process until they create a paste. NOTE: The coconut oil is extremely important here. Without it, my processor moaned and groaned and almost broke the blade because the dates were too sticky.
4. Add date paste to the almond/coconut mixture. Add zest and thoroughly combine all ingredients. (I found it easiest to take off my rings use my hands.)
5. Press mixture into a 9 x 13 pan. Refrigerate. (You can serve them before refrigerating, but they are super crumbly. Refrigeration helps hold them together.)
6. Cut, serve, and enjoy!
3.

Jan's White Chicken Chili (Crockpot)

I am blessed to know Jan. She is a beautiful woman who loves our family so much and she's an amazing cook to boot. (We should know, we eat dinner at her house every other week!) Traditionally, white chicken chili has a cream sauce base, but this one is broth base and this lighter version is so refreshing. All that, and you can cook it in the crock pot. Does it get any better?

Jan's White Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
-3 + cups cooked chicken*
-1 c onion, chopped
-garlic powder to taste
-2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp oregano
-1/2 tsp ground red pepper
-3 15oz cans of white beans (you choose the variety)
-2 4oz cans of chopped green chilies**
-4+ c chicken broth (add to your desired level of thick/thinness)
-2 c shredded monterey jack cheese

1. Put all ingredients, except the cheese, into a crock pot.
2. Cook 7-8 hours on LOW.
3. Serve in bowls topped with cheese. Tortilla chips also make a nice addition!


*I was going to serve this on a Saturday night. So, on Friday afternoon I put 1 package of frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot with a bit of chicken broth and cooked them on HIGH for 5 hours. When they were done, I shredded the chicken, added the remaining ingredients listed above and stuck the whole crockpot in the fridge. Mid-morning the next day, all I had to do was pull the crockpot out of the fridge and turn it on. Several hours later, dinner was served!
**I used only one to cut down on the spice for the younger members of our family.

Apple Cereal

My awesome Mom's group meets weekly and each week they choose a theme for the refreshments and ask for volunteers to provide them. Always up for a challenge in the kitchen, I signed up for the "raw foods" week. Most of the appealing raw food recipes I found involved dehydrating something at some point. Now that was a little more of a challenge than I was up for this week. Then, happily, I stumbled upon this recipe. It was an interesting combination of ingredients and everyone seemed to enjoy it. While I'm pretty sure I'll never be on an entirely raw food diet (oh, how I LOVE my cooked food, especially in the winter!), this was fun and something I would definitely make again.

Fair warning, I'm not a fan of specifying ingredient quantities in something like this where you can really adjust according to your own tastes, so below is my best guess of what I included but you should feel free to adjust according to your own taste.

Apple Cereal (for a single serving)

Ingredients:
-1 apple, finely chopped
-1 banana, small dice
-1 palm full of almonds, chopped
-1 pinch of coconut
-splash of almond milk
-drizzle of honey
-sprinkle of cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in large bowl and serve immediately (unless you don't mind the appearance of browned apples and bananas!).

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Sorry, no photo for this one, but it really just looked like a traditional meatloaf, nothing special. It was a fun twist on the original with the cheese, though! And packed with veggies, what more could you ask for?

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Ingredients:
-2 cups breadcrumbs*
-1 carrot
-a couple celery ribs
-1 onion
-2 lbs ground beef
-2 eggs
-1/4 c ketchup
-salt and pepper
-colby jack cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400.

1. Cut veggies into 1 inch pieces and process in a food processor until finely chopped.
2. In a large bowl, mix: breadcrumbs, veggies, ground beef, eggs, ketchup, salt, and pepper. I prefer to take my rings off and use my hands to mix the ingredients thoroughly.
3. Press mixture flat into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Place cheese down the middle and then roll the beef around it, sealing all seems so the cheese is "locked" in.
4. Bake until cooked through, about 50 minutes.

*Substitute cornflake crumbs or cooked quinoa for GF version.

Thanksgiving Leftover Ideas

I apologize for not getting this posted sooner. By now, your leftovers are or should be gone (don't keep that turkey for too long, it's not healthy!). I am posting regardless of my tardiness so I can remember these good ideas for next year!

Thanksgiving Stromboli (pictured here)
Roll out refrigerated pizza dough (I prefer the whole wheat version from Trader Joes). Spread leftover cranberry sauce, leftover turkey chopped or shredded thin, and crumbled leftover stuffing. Roll into a log and place on a cookie sheet. Brush the dough with an egg wash (beaten egg mixed with a little water) and bake according to dough directions. Cut into slices and serve.

Homemade Turkey Nuggets
You can easily sub turkey for chicken in this homemade nugget recipe.

Turkey Salad
Ditto on the subbing turkey for chicken in this salad recipe!

Bacon and Date Appetizer

Sorry, no photo for this one, but they were a hit so I couldn't resist posting!

1. Cut the date in half and remove the pit.
2. Fill each half with cheese (cream cheese or laughing cow).
3. Push an almond into the cheese.
4. Wrap with bacon (I cut my bacon strips in 1/2 and that was plenty to go around). Use a toothpick to hold them together.
5. Put them on a baking sheet and broil for 8-10 minutes until the bacon is done. (watch carefully so they don't burn, or set your fire alarm off :))

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

I don't care for pumpkin pie, it's a texture thing. Pumpkin cake, however, now that is something I can get behind. This has a fancy appearance, but is really super simple to make. Trust me and try it!

Spiced Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:
-2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
-3 c flour
-5 tsp pumpkin pie spice
-1 1/2 tsp baking powder
-3/4 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 c sugar
-3 large eggs
-15 oz can of pumpkin puree
-1/2 c whole milk
-1/4 honey
-cream cheese icing

1. Heat oven to 350. Butter and flour a bundt cake pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
5. Beat in pumpkin puree, milk, and honey.
6. Reduce mixture speed to low and gradually add in the flour mixture.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55-65 minutes.
8. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Pour softened cream cheese and let it drip down the sides.

Simple Cranberry Sauce

This is a super simple (are you noticing my theme, I don't like to over-complicate things on such big occasions!) tart relish for the big bird.

Simple Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:
-1 cup orange juice
-1 cup sugar
-12 oz fresh cranberries

1. In a saucepan, dissolve sugar into the orange juice.
2. Stir in the cranberries and cook until they start to pop, about 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, and transfer to a bowl. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Sweet Potato, Apple, Pear Stuffing

A nice and super easy version of this classic. Never been a fan of actually stuffing the turkey, but this variety looks so nice right next to it.

Sweet Potato, Apple, and Pear Stuffing

Ingredients:
-1 c onion, chopped
-1/2 c celery, chopped
-4 Tbs butter
-1 Tbs brown sugar
-1 large apple, chopped
-1 pear, diced
-1 sweet potato, chopped
-6 c seasoned bread cubes

1. Saute onion and celery in butter over medium heat until onions are tender.
2. Stir in brown sugar and add the apple, pear, and sweet potato.
3. In a large bowl, place the bread cubes, then add cooked fruit. Toss together.
4. Add enough hot water to make the mixture moist, about 1 1/2 cups.
5. Transfer to a baking dish, cover and bake at 350 for another 30 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Thanks, Harmony Valley Farms!

Green Bean Casserole

A Thanksgiving classic. Forgo the canned cream of mushroom and green beans and go for this homemade fresh version. Yum.

Green Bean Casserole


Ingredients:
For the topping -
-2 medium onions, thinly sliced
-1/4 c flour
-2 Tbs breadcrumbs
-1 tsp salt

For the beans and sauce -
-2 Tbs salt + 1 tsp, divided
-1 lbs {garden} fresh green beans
-2 Tbs butter
-12 oz mushrooms, sliced
-1/2 tsp pepper
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-2 Tbs flour
-1 c chicken broth
-1 c milk

1. Preheat oven to 475. Spray rimmed cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine ingredients in the toppings list.
3. Bake onions for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.
4. Turn the oven down to 400.
5. Meanwhile, boil beans in a large pot of water for 5 minutes. When time is up, strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
6. In a sauce pan, melt butter and saute mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper for 4-5 minutes.
7. Add nutmeg and flour, cook for 1 minute.
8. Add broth and simmer for 1 minute.
9. Add milk and cook until sauce thickens.
10. Mix beans and sauce together in a baking dish. Top with onions and bake in oven until bubbly.

Stay Tuned...

I haven't posted much lately, but I assure you, my kitchen is a mess and I'm cooking up a storm of new recipes for tomorrow. Will be posting lots soon!! Happy Thanksgiving!

Sweet & Savory Spaghetti Squash

I have squash of all variety coming out of my ears. With only one spaghetti squash on hand, I loved the idea of trying out 2 recipes with one squash. (I simply halved the recipes below and did each recipe for 1/2 of my squash.

Sweet Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
-1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
-2 Tbs brown sugar
-4 Tbs butter
-1/2 tsp cinnamon
-Salt to taste
-2 c broth

1. Combine all ingredients except squash together in a bowl. Rub 1/2 of the mixture in each squash half.
2. Place squash halves in 9 x 13 baking dish. Put broth in pan.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
4. Scrape into strands (still in the shell).
5. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Savory Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
-1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
-1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
-4 Tbs butter
-Salt to taste
-2 c broth

1. Combine all ingredients (just 4 Tbs of cheese) except squash together in a bowl. Rub 1/2 of the mixture in each squash half.
2. Place squash halves in 9 x 13 baking dish. Put broth in pan.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.
4. Scrape into strands (still in the shell).
5. Top with remaining cheese and serve.

Mushroom Potpie

This is a great, hearty vegetarian option, but it if you wanted to meat it up a bit you could definitely add ground beef or sausage.

Mushroom Potpie

Ingredients:
-olive oil
-1 1/2 lbs mushrooms*
-4 carrots, chopped
-3 celery stalks, chopped
-1 onion, chopped
-salt and pepper
-1/3 c flour
-1 1/2 c broth
-1 c frozen peas
-1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

1. Heat oven to 400.
2. Heat olive oil in skillet, add mushrooms, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Cooke, stirring occasionally until the veggies are tender.
3. Add flour and stir constantly for 30 seconds.
4. Add broth and peas; bring to a boil.
5. Transfer mushroom mixture to 8 or 9-inch square baking dish. Lay pastry on top and cut several vents.
6. Bake until the crust is golden, 25-30 minutes.
7. Let rest 15 minutes before serving.


*I like the large container of mini portabellos from Costco.

Another great one from Real Simple!

White Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew (Slow Cooker)

I was recently out of town for 5 days and left my awesome hubby home with both kiddos! In an effort to relieve some of the daily "to do's", I spent some time cooking ahead before I left to make sure they had dinner ready to warm and serve each night. Sorry, forgot to take a picture of this one, but it turned out great. It holds together and freezes well for future use. This would also make an easy and good option for a mercy meal!

White Bean and Chicken Sausage Stew

Ingredients:
-1 lb dried white beans (great northern or navy)
-14 oz chicken sausage*, halved lengthwise and sliced
-4 cups broth
-1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes (do NOT drain)
-1 large onion, chopped
-6 cloves garlic, minced or chopped
-kale or spinach

1. Combine in a slow cooker: beans, sausage, broth, tomatoes,onion, garlic, and 1 c water.

2. Cover and cook until beans are tender, on low 7-8 hours or on high 5-6 hours.

3. Just before serving, stir in the kale/spinach.

*I used a variety that included red pepper and spinach mixed in for added flavor. Chicken sausage comes in a variety of flavors (especially at Trader Joes) and you can mix and match to change up the flavoring in this stew.

Thanks, Real Simple!

Scarecrow Cookies

This is a great craft/treat for a kids fall party since there is a reasonable amount of assembly required. They were a hit with my kindergartener (and her Papa!). Thanks, Mom, for the cute idea.

Scarecrow Cupcakes

1. Cut out sugar cookies. We used an easter egg cutter which was a good shape, leaving plenty of room for the hat and the face.

2. Frost with white frosting.

3. Use 1 1/2 wafer cookies to make the hat.

4. Use 1/4 of a Twizzler rope for hair on each side.

5. Use 2 regular sized chocolate chips for the eyes, a candycorn for the nose, and mini chocolate chips for the mouth.

Tada! Cute.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bark

I'm testing baking some new recipes for the holidays. Let me tell you, This. Will. Be. On. My. Serving. Platter. I totally robbed it from another blog, so check the link here for the full recipe and great step by step directions. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Cupcakes, Caterpillar Style

For my son's first birthday I chose to incorporate an Eric Carle theme, specifically, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. His baby book follows the same theme so I thought this was appropriate.

This was a super easy to execute and it turned out so cute! (If I do say so myself.)

The Head:
Frost 1 cupcake with red frosting. Dab 2 white dot for eyes and insert mini chocolate chips to complete them. Frost on a white smile. I made our antenna out of a purple pipe cleaner that I found in our craft drawer. You could also use construction paper and toothpicks if that is what you happen to have.

The Body:
Frost with green frosting. I let my color not quite mix all the way to create the gradient look you see in the green.

The Board:
I purchased a white foam core board from my local office supply store, cut and glued on colored tissue paper dots and frosted "Carver is One!" with white frosting.

Really, that's it. Fun!

Lentil Soup

It was cold and dreary here a couple of days last week and this family needed some comfort food. This did the trick for dinner and several lunches thereafter. A great vegan/vegetarian option if anyone is interested.

Lentil Soup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound lentils (approximately 1 1/4 cups)
11 cups vegetable broth (can substitute water)
4 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs

1. Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper and sauté until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes with their juices. Simmer until the juices evaporate a little and the tomatoes break down, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
3. Add the lentils, mix to coat. Add the broth and stir. Add the thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Cover and simmer over low heat until the lentils and barley are tender, about 40 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

Sorry, I didn't get a photo of this one, but regardless it's worth your attention. Packed with good-for-you ingredients, this is a fall winner for sure!

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chilli

Ingredients:
-1 Tbs olive oil
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 onion, chopped
-1 sweet pepper, chopped
-2 Tbs chili powder
-2 tsp cumin
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 butternut squash
-14oz vegetable broth
-1 can diced tomatoes
-1 can chilies, chopped
-1 c frozen corn
-1 can black beans
-salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 400. Cut squash in half and place flesh side down on baking sheet. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until soft.
2. Turn squash over and spoon the soft baked flesh into a blender or food processor. Process until pureed, using vegetable broth to smooth it out. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, heat oil then add onion, garlic, and sweet pepper 8-10 minutes until soft.
4. Add cumin, oregano, squash puree, remaining broth, tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Add corn and beans and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper.

If you want to make this earlier in the day, it holds up really well in a warm crockpot!

Bean Curry and Rice

This was unexpectedly awesome. Added bonus: it makes the whole house smell amazing and makes great leftovers!!

Bean Curry and Rice

Ingredients:
-2 Tbs olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-1/2c dry lentils
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-3 Tbs curry powder
-1 tsp cumin
-1 14oz can diced tomatoes
-1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
-1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
-salt and pepper
-8 c. cooked brown rice

1. Prepare the brown rice according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a large pot and cook union until tender.
3. Mix in lentils, garlic, curry powder, and cumin. Cook and stir 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and kidney beans. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
6. Serve over rice.

Zucchini Bread

This is a fun alternative to traditional zucchini bread. It's slightly on the healthier side. It also freezes well; I made it, froze it for a month and then thawed it for a special occasion and it was great! Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread

Dry ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet ingredients:
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup buttermilk (or regular milk with a splash of vinegar)
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini
• semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a 9×4 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with papers OR oil a mini loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy; beat in eggs, yogurt, buttermilk, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Combine well. Stir in grated zucchini and chopped chocolate.
4. Fold flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until combined.
5. Spoon batter into 6 muffin cups (or mini loaf pan) and pour the rest into the 9×4 loaf pan. Bake for approximately 50 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes in the pan. Loosen the sides and remove from pan. Cool loaf completely before cutting.

Fig Spread

Sorry, I don't have a picture of this one. We got figs in our CSA this week and I know a lot of people like to eat them straight up, but I've never enjoyed them that way. They also needed to be used ASAP so I made this spread and it was quite tasty. Had it on some toast tonight and looking forward to slathering it on my pancakes in the morning!

Fig Spread

Ingredients:

-20 fresh figs, stems removed.
-1/4 c water
-1/4 c lemon juice
-1 tsp brown sugar
-1/4 tsp vanilla

Put all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate and serve.

Simple Chicken Crockpot

I'm struggling with what to call this one. Is it bbq? Is it Asian fusion? Is it honey? The answer is a little of everything to create a delicious and super simple chicken crockpot so that is what I settled on! Either way, with the return of the school year and dance class on Wednesday nights, I'm happy to see my crockpot back on the counter for delicious, healthy, easy meals ready whenever we might be.

Simple Chicken Crockpot

Ingredients:
-1 lb boneless, skinless chicken (breasts or thighs work great)
-1/2 c ketchup
-1/2 c honey
-1/3 c soy sauce
-garlic, minced
-dried basil

1. Place chicken in the crockpot.
2. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.
3. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.
4. Serve. I served mine over sauteed peppers and kale and white rice.

It doesn't get much easier than that!

Make-It-Up Spaghetti

I had some veggies that needed to be used up and warm spaghetti just sounded good this week with the cooler temps. The whole family gobbled this one up :)

Make-It-Up Spaghetti


Ingredients:
-1 large zucchini, sliced and quartered
-6-8 tomatoes, roughly chopped
-olive oil
-garlic, minced
-kale
-garbanzo beans*
-small cut pasta
-shredded parmesan
-toasted sunflower seeds

1. Boil noodles to al dente. Rinse and set aside.
2. In a large pan, simmer olive oil and garlic.
3. Add tomatoes and zucchini, let simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in kale and garbanzo beans and simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
5. Mix in pasta.
6. Serve topped with sesame seeds and parmesan.

*This was my source of protein for our meal, but it would also be great with grilled chicken or shrimp.

Cupcakes, Princess and the Frog

Frog Cupcake Toppers

You'll need:
-Green frosting
-White frosting
-Green dots candies, halved
-Yellow starburst candies
-Toothpicks
-Mini chocolate chips

1. Make the eyes: Place a dot of white frosting on the inside side of a halved green dot and then push a mini chocolate chip into the frosting, point side in.
2. Make crowns: Cut 2 triangles out of the top of a yellow starburst candy (see photo), then stick a toothpick into the bottom of the crown.
3. Frost your cupcakes green.
4. Place the eyes and crown.
5. Use white frosting to make a big smile.**

**I am not all that artistic, and I find Pampered Chef Decorate Set to be super easy to use and clean. Highly recommend!

Crown Cupcakes

Print this cupcake wrapper template and modify it to add crown peaks. Frost cupcakes with white frosting, add sprinkles, and cupcake wrappers.

Cupcakes, Baby Dedication

As I'm preparing for my son's 1st birthday, I've been getting lots of questions about my history with cupcakes. I have a huge phobia of baking cakes - they never turn out right. And then when I go to decorate, I much too much of a perfectionist to nail the ENTIRE cake surface without making mistakes that would bug me to no end. I know, it's not normal. But it is what it is and I have found my freedom in cupcakes! Easy to bake, fun to decorate, and if you make an uncorrectable mistake you've only lost one cupcake!

These are the cupcakes I made for my son's dedication at our church. The idea was a flock of sheep, but I still kind of think they look more like sheep dogs :)

Sheep Cupcake Tops

You'll need:
-Large marshmallows, quartered
-Large marshmallows, halved
-Mini marshmallows, halved
-White frosting
-Black frosting

1. Frost the cupcake with white frosting.
2. Stick half a large marshmallow in the middle of the cup cake top.
3. Then, cover the remaining top of cupcake with halved mini marshmallows.
4. Stick 2 quartered pieces of a large marshmallow on for ears (the stick on the inside of the marshmallow should be enough to hold them on, but you can always use a little white frosting as glue, if needed.)
5. Stick 2 halved mini marshmallows on top of the large marshmallow, but behind the ears.
6. Place small black dots for eyes and nose.

Not-So-Bad-For-You Blueberry Muffins

These have been a big hit around here this week. Combined with some yogurt or an egg and they make a decent breakfast. They also freeze well for future need-a-quick-breakfast mornings!

Whole-Grain Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 c. whole-wheat flour
-1 c old fashioned rolled oats
-1/4 c flaxseed
1/4 c nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 c plain low-fat yogurt (Greek yogurt would work, too)
-1/2 c brown sugar
-3 Tbs butter, melted
-1 Tbs grated orange zest
-1/4 c orange juice (or the juice from 1 orange)
-1 egg
-1 tsp vanilla
-blueberries, fresh or frozen

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine in food processor: flour, oats, flaxseed, nuts, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Process until finely ground.
3. Combine in a large bowl: yogurt, sugar, butter, orange zest, orange juice, egg, and vanilla.
4. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and combine gently, do not overmix.
5. Fold in blueberries.
6. Divide batter into 12 greased muffin tins. Bake for 22-25 minutes.

My Turkey Chilli

I've been making this recipe for years. I still remember the first time I made it - Superbowl 2004 - but I can't for the life of me remember where I got it from! I'm not kidding when I say that everyone I share this recipe with makes it their new favorite chilli. I LOVE LOVE LOVE making the first batch of this when the weather starts to cool and the cooler temps combined with college football (and a win for the Hawkeyes!) made today the perfect seasonal debut for this dish.

Turkey Chilli

Ingredients:
-2 lbs ground turkey
-1 large onion, chopped
-3/4 c. red wine (can sub chicken stock)
-4 c. tomato sauce
-4 cloves of garlic, minced or chopped
-1 green pepper, diced
-3 15oz cans of black beans, drained
-7 oz. can chipolte peppers in adobe sauce, pureed*
-1 tsp. cumin
-1 Tbs. cocoa powder, unsweetened
-1 Tbs. peanut butter
-colby jack cheese

1. Brown turkey and onion until cooked through.
2. Add all other ingredients, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes
3. Serve topped with colby jack cheese.

*ALL of the heat of this dish lies in this ingredient. You can use a little, some, or none at all. The past couple of years, I've omitted this ingredient entirely, and served it on the side; this way my 5-year old will eat it and my hubby can add as much heat to his own bowl as he wishes. IF you omit the chipolte peppers/adobe sauce ALSO omit the cocoa powder; the powder is in there to balance the heat and isn't needed if you are leaving the heat out.

THIS DISH FREEZES WELL!!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

This one is a mash up of of few different recipes I've tried over time. It is a surefire hit around here. My daughter's exact words were, "These are awesome!" I was a little uncertain what her reaction would be as she has had plenty of "real" chicken nuggets in her life (i.e. Morning Star, Tyson All Natural) but she gobbled them up and reported to want them again and again. I love that I know exactly what is in these and don't find myself trying to interpret an ingredient list that appears to be written in another language.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
-2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into cubes*
-1 onion, quartered
-1 apple, peeled, cored, and quartered
-1 c whole wheat breadcrumbs**
-whole wheat flour for coating**

1. Put all of the ingredients EXCEPT the flour in the food processor and blend until well mixed.

2. Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Shape the chicken mixture into 24 - 1" patties, and then lightly coat the patties in flour.

(At this point, you can stick the patties in the freezer. When you want to serve them, pull them out and proceed to step 3. I haven't baked them from frozen so I can't tell you exactly how long it takes to warm them through from frozen.)

3. Bake patties at 450 for 5-7 minutes until flour starts to crisp.

*I find the Foreman Grill works best for cooking in this recipe!
**Sub cornflake crumbs and Pamela's flour mix for GF version.

Making Cold Lunch Hot

Adding this Fogo Thermos in the mix blows wide open the options for packing my daughter's lunch! Today it's Annie's Organic Mac n cheese, CSA broccoli, and TJs all beef, uncured hot dogs. She's going to love it! Incidentally, it's what I'll be enjoying for lunch too :)

Thermos tip: If you put hot or boiling water in the thermos and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then dump the water and add the food contents, it will help warm up the thermos and hold heat longer into the day.

Overnight Oatmeal

Our oldest started all-day kindergarten this week and with the advent of this new season in our lives, one of the things I am most concerned about is getting good "fuel food" in my daughter to help her through her new, very hectic and stimulating day. I found a baked oatmeal recipe that sounded intriguing and then tweaked it to my liking. We had it this morning and it was a hit! I halved the recipe listed below to make enough to feed me and my two kiddos but feel free to adjust as it works for your family. I'm not sure leftovers of this would be any good.

Over Night Oatmeal

Ingredients:
-2 eggs
-1/4 cup maple syrup, honey, or agave
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp vanilla
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/4 c. salted butter, melted
-1/2 c. applesauce
-fresh or frozen fruit of your choosing, grated or finely chopped
-1 1/4 c milk
-3 c. Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats

The Night Before...
1. Butter a 2 quart baking dish.
2. Mix all ingredients except the oats in a large bowl.
3. Fold in oats and combine well.
4. Pour mixture into buttered dish and pat in evenly.
5. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic directly on top of the mixture.
6. Refrigerate overnight.

The Next Morning...
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Bake for 30-35 minutes until oatmeal is set and browned on top.
3. Serve hot with a splash of milk and any other favorite oatmeal mix ins (brown sugar, nuts, dried fruit, etc.)

Popsicles, Chocolate Covered Strawberry

One last hurrah for the popsicle stand here at our house. This is a good one and plenty of good stuff inside makes a no-guilt treat!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Popsicles

Ingredients:
-1 c. vanilla yogurt
-1 avocado*
-6-8 strawberries
-2 Tbs. cocoa
-Splash of milk

Dump all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours. Enjoy and good-bye, Summer!!


*Yes, avocado. I promise you can't taste it, but there is so much good stuff added when you include it and it gives a creamier texture. This is a great way to use up an avocado that's gone a little brown, unappealing to look at but still perfectly fine for consuming!

Amy's Super Simple From-Scratch Granola

I straight up stole this recipe from a friend. She granted me permission to post and all I can say is try it. Seriously. Today. It's that good. Thanks, Amy!!

From-Scratch Granola

Ingredients:
-Nonstick cooking spray
-3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
-3/4 cup wheat germ
-3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (You could sub other nuts or seeds here, too)
-1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed (Any frozen concentrate variety will do here. Change it up for a subtle difference in flavor.)
-1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
-1/2 - 1 cup dried fruit, such as dried cherries, dates, raisins, blueberries, or a mixture, halved or chopped if large

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Add oats, wheat germ and walnuts, stirring to combine. Spread in an even layer and toast until mixture is lightly browned, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven.
2. Raise oven temperature to 350 degrees. Stir together apple juice, brown sugar, and oil. Pour over oat mixture; stir to combine, and spread evenly in pan. Bake until oats are crisp, about 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Let cool in pan about 25 minutes; toss with dried fruit. Granola can be stored up to 1 month in the refrigerator in an air-tight container.

Makes 5 cups

NOTE: This easy, delicious treat makes a great gift. Dress it up in a fun container and add a ribbon - viola! Think hostess, teacher, neighbor, family, who wouldn't love it? :)

Garden Salsa

I played around with this recipe a lot last year, but ultimately discovered that keeping it simple was the way to go for flavor, at least that's my preference. There really isn't anything like fresh salsa, and served up top these restaurant fajita leftovers - yum!

Garden Salsa

Ingredients:
-tomatoes, seeded
-onion
-hot pepper
-juice of 1-2 limes
-cilantro

Roughly chop all ingredients and place in food processor. Pulse until items are finely chopped to your desired consistency. Chill before serving.

Start 'em Young . . .

Gazpacho-style Pasta

The cucumbers are literally taking over my world. The garden, the CSA, they just won't stop coming! Many people have recommended gazpacho to me, but I've tried it before and something about cold mush doesn't appeal to me at all. It's not the flavor so much as the texture - bleh! So . . . when I came across this recipe for gazpacho pasta salad, I thought hmmmmm.... I think this might work!!

Gazpacho-style Pasta

Ingredients:
-1 box of small shell pasta
-1 large cucumber, cut into 1" chunks
-1 red pepper, cut into large chunks
-1 yellow pepper, cut into large chunks
-1 sweet onion, quartered
-1 hot pepper, cut into large chunks (pablano, jalepeno, etc.)
-1 garlic clove, chopped
-5-6 tomatoes, cut into small pieces
-2 Tbs olive oil
-2 Tbs red wine vinegar
-salt

1. Cook pasta to al dente.
2. Pulse cucumbers, peppers, onion, and garlic until finely chopped, but NOT pureed.
3. Mix well in a large bowl: pasta, processor contents, tomatoes, oil, vinegar, and salt.
4. Chill and serve.

Summer Pasta

Did anyone else catch Rachel Ray today? I happened to catch the first 10 minutes and it is so great that I did! This morning I was thinking I need to use up some summer squash and some corn on the cob so this recipe played right into my plan. I did roast the squash instead of grilling because it was more convenient for me to be all in the kitchen and not having to run out to grill every few minutes. I also boiled my corn before cutting it off the ears.

Rachel Ray's Penne with Grilled Summer Squash and Sweet Corn

Zucchini "Spaghetti"

With the arrival of my new mandolin today, I am super excited to more efficiently chop, julienne, and deal with the overwhelming amount of produce in my house. First stop, Zucchini "noodles". I've been wanting to try this for a long time but considered it a huge time-suck. Truth be told, it would be without the mandolin! (Seriously, how many times do I have to mention it before you buy one, too?! :) And might I add, this is a GREAT spaghetti option for my g-free friends out there.


Zucchini "Spaghetti"

Ingredients:
-2 large zucchinis, peeled
-marinara sauce
-parmesan cheese
-fresh chopped basil
-toasted sunflower seeds

1. Use the "thin julienne" setting on the mandolin to cut both zucchinis into a colander.

2. Sprinkle the "noodles" with a bit of salt and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. A lot of liquid will drain from the zucchini during this time.

3. Toss "noodles" in a pan over low to medium heat to warm the up; drain excess liquid.

4. Toss "noodles" with marinara sauce, top with cheese, fresh basil, and sunflower seeds.

Enjoy this absolutely GUILT-FREE, CARB-FREE pasta dinner!!

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Have an oversized watermelon in your house and tired of eating it raw? I NEVER would have thought cooked watermelon would be a good idea, but this turned out great! Even my soon-to-be kindergartener (who initially took one look at it and said, "Momma, I am NOT eating warm watermelon!") gobbled it up and asked for more after we coaxed her into taking just one bite. Who knew it was possible to make watermelon juicier and sweeter than it is raw!!

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Ingredients:
-Fresh cut wedges of watermelon
-Spring greens
-Feta cheese
-Balsamic vinegar
-Olives (optional)

1. Sear the watermelon on both sides on the grill (about 2 minutes on each side).

2. Serve topped with spring greens, feta cheese, and sprinkled with balsamic vinegar. (Can add olives if you so desire - my family does not!).

Squashamole

Hold on to your hats, friends. This. Is. A. Good. One. Seriously, this is something I will be begging for come oh say, February! SO MUCH summer squash and zucchini coming in these days, this is a great, delicious, and no-guilt healthy way to gobble it up!! Thanks for the inspiration, RR!!

Squashamole

Ingredients:
-Several small summer squash or zucchini
-2 small onions
-head of garlic, separated but not peeled
-olive oil
-toasted walnuts
-shredded parmesan cheese

1. Slice squash/zucchini and onions lengthwise, toss to coat in olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

2. Wrap garlic cloves (unpeeled) in foil.

3. Grill items from #1 and #2 on low to medium heat for 10-15 minutes, turning halfway through.

4. Combine in food processor: squash/zucchini from the grill, garlic squeezed from skins, toasted walnuts, and parmesan cheese.

5. Blend until smooth. Chill. Serve with tortilla chips.

Delish!

Preserving Fresh Garden Herbs

If you're finding your garden overflowing with more fresh herbs than you can use or give away, try this handy preservation technique.

Step 1: Pick your herbs.


Step 2: Chop herbs and pack them into ice cube trays.


Step 3: Fill trays with water and put in freezer.


Step 4: Pop out your herb cubes and store in a freezer bag. Be sure to label your bags if you're preserving multiple herbs! When you're ready to use, just thaw on the counter or in the microwave on defrost.

All Things Pesto

'Tis the season for fresh herbs, especially basil at our house! You can Google pesto and come up with all kids of recipes and the basic variation is quite tasty. However, I usually take a few liberties in making pesto around here for a variety of reasons...

1. After being introduced to the concept of Spinach & Arugula Pesto, I began to broaden my horizons about what exactly can/should be included in pesto. Now, I tend to use all my "must go" greens when prepping a batch of pesto. I do try to have sweet basil make up at least 50% of the greens included, but I've been known to include carrot tops, spinach, spring greens, and arugula in any combination.

2. Pine nuts are expensive. I rarely use them and instead opt to include toasted walnuts or sunflower seeds. Both of these give an equally "nutty" flavoring and for what it's worth, I can't tell the difference (and neither can my pesto-devouring family).

3. Storage: Pesto freezes very well. Some would recommend omitting any cheese if you're going to freeze it (adding it once thawed) but honestly, I can't be bothered and include it in my frozen batches without complaint. I prefer to freeze pesto in ice cube trays; you can pop them out of the trays and into ziploc bags once frozen and each cube is a handy 1-serving portion.

Marinara

My notes for marinara are more of a process than a recipe, so I'm formatting this entry a bit differently. Marinara flavoring can really vary depending on personal taste, so feel free to add, delete, modify to your own preferences!



When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you tomatoes . . . make marinara? Works for me. This is only a small harvesting from what's available in my garden and CSA at the moment so I've got a lot of cooking to do! (p.s. On another note, I have a bag full of lemons from the CSA in my fridge as well, maybe I should explore that homemade lemonade idea???)

1. Because I also had garden-fresh celery, carrots, and onions available, I started my marinara with a traditional mirepoix. I chopped the celery, carrots, and onion into very small pieces, added a head's worth of minced garlic and some olive oil. Put them over heat for 10ish minutes to let them soften and get the juices flowing.

2. I roughly chopped my tomatoes (for this batch, I used about 1 container pictured above). I like my marinara with bigger chunks of tomato, so that's how I cut 'em. You can dice yours finer if you prefer. Once chopped, add tomatoes to the mirepoix.

3. Add canned tomato sauce to achieve your desired thickness/thinness. I added 1 1/2 cans.



4. Add a generous amount of chopped fresh basil and oregano, brown sugar (I used 1Tbs for the whole pot), and salt/pepper. Let the pot simmer for 45-60 minutes. (Careful it is not boiling, just simmering.) As it simmers, taste and adjust herbs/seasonings until it tastes good to you.

5. When done, you can serve or freeze. See directions below for easy freezing.




Have you ever tried getting sauce from a pot into a ziploc? Not pretty. A good friend tipped me off to this easy and CLEAN method for freezing liquid goods. Shechele, if you're out there, thank you. My kitchen is cleaner because of you.

1. Take a ziploc bag and put it inside of a large measuring cup, folding the zipper over the edge. Use a mug to scoop sauce out of pot and into the bag.

2. Once full, zip most of the way closed, squeeze out excess air and lay flat on a cookie sheet. Put in freezer until solid. This makes the sauce super thin and stackable, great for long-term storage in an overcrowded freezer!