Feeding a Finicky Family

Scones! Tea Time with the Girls

2011-12-11T09:17:00.001-08:00

And, this one is a family favorite...

Scones. A tradition. A delicacy. A delight... and a much requested recipe:

Preheat oven to 400

2 cups flour
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream (1/2 & 1/2 or whole milk will suffice)
1 egg
Dried fruit of choice

Mix dry ingredients together in mixer. Cut in cubes of cold butter, add egg when crumbly. Keep mixing until dough ball forms. If sticky, add more flour & titch more sugar.

Pour dough ball onto sugared pastry board. You may also use counter top, if you're blessed with one that doesn't have grout. OR, lay out parchment paper, and do your kneading over the non-stick surface.

Flatten and fold dough repeatedly with the heels of your hand. Make a rectangle, and press in dried fruit of choice. My favorite right now is Craisins, but I've been known to use golden raisins, regular raisins, Calmyrna figs, or apricots.

Flatten & fold in fruit several times, until you reform your rectangle. Use biscuit cutter to cut out scones. Lay on baking sheet, and brush with a mixture of cream & a dash of sugar on top.

Bake in 400 degree oven for approximately 15 minutes. Don't go anywhere, though...you need to catch the scent of delightful "ready" scones... sometimes it's at 12, sometimes at 18 minutes...depending on how well heated your oven is.

Enjoy with a spot of tea and honey, slathered in butter or clotted cream. Ahh... I think I'll go make some now.

Cheerio!

More Doggie Treats

2011-12-10T13:57:00.000-08:00

Here are some MORE yummy dog treats we discovered...whether or not they are PERFECT doggie treats? We'll letcha know!

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (regular, if your pup has allergies)
1/2 c. milk (skim, 2%, whole or powdered)
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 large egg, beaten
2 TBSP./Small amount of flavoring (bacon drippings, chicken or beef stock, juice from a can of tuna — your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray or grease a cookie sheet. Lightly flour a surface to roll the dough out on.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

3. Add the flavoring you selected and the beaten egg to the bowl and mix well. Note: This is a pretty stiff dough. If you find it to be too stiff to work with, just add a touch more of the chicken stock (or whatever else you’re using).

4. Roll out the dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Use a pizza cutter or a few different, bone-shaped cookie cutters to cut the dough into the desired size.

5. Bake for 30 minutes and let cool before treating your happy dog to its new favorite biscuits recipe!

This One's for the Dogs: Peanut Butter Dog Treats

2011-12-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

So, the girls wanted to go nuts at Dollar Tree, buying presents for our pooches. But, I convinced them that we could make something equally, if not more fantastic:

Here's what I found: Home Made Peanut Butter Dog Treats!

1 c. flour
1/2 c. milk (2% or skim is just fine)
2 TBSP. Peanut Butter
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 egg white
1 TBSP. chicken broth or stock
1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and lightly spray or grease a baking sheet.

In a mixing bowl, add the first 6 ingredients and stir. Once you’ve gotten them mixed well, add the baking powder. Continue mixing until everything’s combined.

Using a tablespoon, drop spoonfuls of the mix onto your greased cookie sheet.

Pop them into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until they’re a nice golden brown. Cool and serve!

Roasted Ratatouille with Feta

2011-10-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

In honor of meatless Monday, I decided to make Ratatouille Crepes. That was before I realized I had about a quarter cup of milk on hand. Plan B turned out quite well though. And in spite of the initial push back on the eggplant, the only thing left on the little plates were a few pieces of pasta. All veggies had been devoured.3/4 lb eggplant (about 4 Persian eggplants are my preference)3 nice sized tomatoes2 zucchini (I did one green and one yellow)1 red bell peper1/2 onion2 garlic clovesChop all vegetables coarsely. Mince garlic. Combine in a large (very large) bowl with about 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, about 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Spread out in a shallow baking pan (a high rimmed cookie sheet or jelly roll pan works well) and roast in your oven at 450 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables smell really really good. Remove from oven. While the veggies are roasting, cook 1/2 to 3/4 pound of nice chunky pasta (like penne or something).Once the pasta is drained, add veggies, 2 Tablespoons each of fresh minced basil and fresh italian parsley, about 1 tablespoon of olive oil and about 4 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. I LOVE Pastures of Eden feta from Trader Joes. It is mild and creamy and not too salty. Mix it all together and serve.I also took a package of trader joes pizza dough, spread it out in a nice shape, slathered it in olive oil and sprinkled it with garlic powder, sea salt and italian herbs. Then I cut it into 1.5 inch strips and served it like breadsticks along with a nice simple salad. Went quite well with a red Sancerre. My new fav.

UNBELIEVABLE dessert - chocolate chip cookie dough brownies

2011-06-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Yield: 32 brownies

Prep Time: 30 min + cooling time

Cook Time: 25 min

These brownies are a major treat for cookie dough lovers... figuring out what wine to pair this one with... for when MAMA REALLY NEEDS A TREAT!!!

ingredients:

BROWNIE:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour

COOKIE DOUGH (EGG FREE!):
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chips + 1 teaspoon shortening for drizzle, optional

directions:

1. Prepare the brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray. In a medium glass bowl, melt chocolate in the microwave in short bursts of 30 seconds; stir after each burst and remove from microwave when melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Mix in melted chocolate. Blend in flour and mix just until combined (don't over-mix). Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake 25 to 35 minutes. Watch closely and remove from oven when toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool completely.

2. Prepare the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to combine butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in flour just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Spread cookie dough over the cooled brownies. Refrigerate until the dough is quite firm. It's okay to speed up the process and place it in the freezer too. The firmer the dough, the easier it will be to cut into neat squares. Use a sharp knife to cut the brownies. You may need to wipe the knife off with a paper towel in between cuts since the fudgy brownies and cookie dough will tend to stick to the knife a bit. These brownies are best to serve placed inside cupcake papers and served with a fork.

4. If you'd like to add chocolate drizzle on top, melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of shortening in the microwave; stir until smooth. Scoop the melted chocolate into a zip baggie and snip off the corner. Squeeze the bag to drizzle the chocolate on top of each brownie. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.

Source: RecipeGirl.com

Another Banana Bread Recipe

2011-06-07T20:59:00.000-07:00

There's already one of these on here, but this is a new one I've tried a few times to RAVE reviews. Granted, its basically banana cupcakes when you make muffins because of the sugar content, but hey! You can make banana cupcakes! You could probably reduce the sugar a little if you want to be more healthy, but then also consider reducing the oil to lessen the liquid content.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour one loaf pan, or 12 muffin cups.

1.5 cups plus two tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

sift to combine. set aside.

2 eggs
1 cup sugar

mix on medium high speed for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is light yellow and forms a ribbon when you pull the beaters out.

1/4 cup oil

reduce speed to low and pour oil into mixture in a slow stream.

4 organic (smallish) bananas (about 1.5 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla

add bananas, yogurt and vanilla to mixer and continue beating on low speed until combined.

fold in dry ingredients.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes for muffins and 45 to 60 minutes for a loaf.

Chicken Tacos on Soccer Night

2011-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

What do you do when it's soccer night, and everyone is punchy and grumbly by the day's end? PLAN AHEAD!

You'll need:

1 bag frozen chicken breasts or tenders
1 jar of your favorite salsa
Tortillas

Seasonings:

* Cumin

* Garlic Salt

Throw all into crockpot & cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

When you get home from soccer/dance/horse back riding lessons... open crockpot and remove chicken. Shred (all you need to do is poke lightly with fork, and it falls apart).

Let the little ones set the table for your fiesta... serve with refried beans, Mexican rice, and bowls of toppings (*shredded cheese, *lettuce, *guacamole, *sour cream, *chopped tomatoes/onion)

Devour.

Pasta with Beet Greens and Raisins

2011-04-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

This was inspired by a Sunset Magazine recipe. I made a few changes (of course) and I think there is lots of room for variation, but the basics are unusual and yummy. After I convinced Kate and Mariah that the "lettuce" wasn't gross, they actually ate it. The raisins really helped encourage them to try.

* 1 package uncooked pennette (or penne, or whatever you've got)
* 1/2 cup raisins
* 3 tablespoons oil (not olive - something like safflower*)
* 4 cups coarsely chopped trimmed beet greens (the tops from about 3 nice sized beets)
* 4 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
* 2/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
* 1 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 tsp fancy french sea salt because its really strong)
* a few grinds of black pepper

Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain. I used whole wheat penne and it was really great in this (I have used whole wheat pasta before and not liked it, but this time it really worked).

While pasta cooks, place raisins in a small bowl; cover with hot water. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain. (or let stand until you realize that it's time to add them and then drain them. Its not an exact science)

While pasta cooks and raisins soak, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add greens and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until greens are tender. Stir in pasta, raisins, almonds, salt, and black pepper; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if desired.

VARIATION IDEAS:
You could also add some apple chicken sausage to meat it up, or maybe some sauteed chicken. Or, if you wanted to get fancy and serve it at room temp, you could add some chevre once it has cooled a bit. That would be yummy with the raisins and almonds.

*A NOTE ABOUT OLIVE OIL:
Ken recently found out that you should not use olive oil for sauteing. The reason? Olive oil becomes carcinogenic at high temperatures. Reason enough for me to switch to something more heat tolerant. The suggested substitute is grape seed oil, but that was super expensive at the grocer store. I went for safflower, and aside from smelling a little like popcorn when I started to heat the pan, it was not so different from what I am used to. I think I'm going to save my olive oil for salads and dipping. Seems a shame to waste it on sauteing anyway.

Super Blue Cheese Dressing

2011-02-06T09:05:00.000-08:00

This is destined for fame. I finally figured out how to make LaRocca's restaurant style blue cheese dip/dressing.

Here's what you need:

Costco Blue Cheese Crumbles
Light sour cream
Mayonaise (olive oil)
Garlic, crushed
Salt to taste

Add a mass of blue cheese to a Cuisinart.

Dump in about half a container of sour cream.

Throw in a few dollops of mayonnaise

Crush and dice and add the garlic, as much as you dare!

Salt to taste

Whip into frenzy. Add more sour cream to make more liquid or less for thicker dips.

Eat with blackened chicken, as dip for chicken wings, serve with all salads. Devour. Lick the bowl. Make more.

Enjoy!

Experimental Saag Aloo

2011-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

We had a jar of masala simmer sauce from Trader Joes and a package of chicken breasts that had to be used. Of course, we'll just make some saag aloo to go with it right?

The web is woefully lacking in quality saag aloo recipes. This is my experiment with what seemed to be the simplest, and most intelligent version:

First make garam masala - not as challenging as it sounds:

* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
* 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Surprisingly, I had all of these ingredients in my pantry. I felt a little like a cooking rock star.

oil
butter
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion chopped
1 large potato peeled and diced
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
1 400 gram bag of frozen chopped spinach
1 tsp chopped honey pickled ginger (or you could use fresh ginger or dry ginger and some kind of acid like lemon juice or a splash of vinegar)

First saute 1/4 tsp of cumin seeds in about a tablespoon of oil and a tablespoon of butter until starting to brown. Then before the butter and seeds burn (that's what happened with my first attempt - whatever you do, don't go looking for ginger at this point) add the chopped onion and saute until it is translucent and just starting to brown. Next add the potato, garlic, tumeric and garam masala. Saute until the potatoes start to brown and revel at the amazing Indian food smell you have just created on your kitchen stove.

Once the potatoes have started to brown, add the spinach. Once it has melted, add more water in small batches and keep stirring until the potatoes are soft. At the very end, because I felt like something was missing I added in a tsp of chopped honey pickled ginger and a half teaspoon of salt. I stirred and mixed and mixed and stirred until it looked just right.

It was fantastic!

However, the girls did not even touch it. Of course they hardly touched their gnocchi either and that is their favorite dinner. Instead, they wrestled on the banquet bench until I yelled at them. That was not fantastic.

Once I finished dinner, I had a few more ideas about what I might have done to round out the flavor a little. Definitely one to keep experimenting with.

Delectable Blackened Chicken

2011-01-24T19:31:00.000-08:00

Oh, my goodness. Where do I begin?

I had this at a party and dreamed about it ever since.

Here's what you need (and pay attention! because the sugar, salt, and pepper get divided between the rub & the sauce...):

1 Tablespoon paprika

4 teaspoons sugar, divided

1-1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used a chipotle red pepper as a substitute, which was FANTASTIC)

1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons pepper, divided

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1-1/3 cups mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

________________________________________________________________________

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, thyme, lemon-pepper, cayenne and 1/2 to 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir together until combined.

Take your chicken and give it a good pat with some paper towels to make sure it's totally dry. THEN, take handfuls of the rub, and massage into breasts, BOTH SIDES, until well covered. set aside.

In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, water, vinegar and remaining sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk together until mixed well. Taste, because it's delicious. Taste it again. Cover and chill 1 cup for serving. the remaining sauce is for basting while cooking.

Grill chicken, covered, over indirect medium heat for 4-6 minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with remaining sauce.

Serve with reserved sauce....

I also served this with Zatarans (sp?) black beans & rice and a nice mixed veggie, some corn muffins. Let's just say, the whole family sat down to eat together, talked about our day, everyone had generous helpings of everything and there was only enough left overs for Daddy to take a blackened chicken sandwich and rice to work for tomorrow. I was most disappointed about that, after looking quite forward to a blackened chicken Caesar salad. NEXT time I double the recipe.

Happy eating, everyone!

4 servings

Enjoy :)

Sumptuous Banana Milk Smoothies

2010-12-07T14:36:00.000-08:00

What's a mom to do when there is NOTHING that sounds good for breakfast?

Seriously, my oldest would eat only bacon if I let her. Then, SOMEONE discussed with her where bacon comes from, and guess what? Suddenly, no more interest in bacon. I can't really feel bad about this. Not really. The child needs to have something healthy to start the day.

So, after a round of "do you want this?" or "What about this?" and, just when I was about to command: "You're eating the oatmeal and liking it!" We came around to a solution that was both healthy and filling.

Banana Milk Smoothies - or, Mama is tired and the girls need protein.

* 2 cups milk
* 2 bananas
* 1 pkg Vanilla Instant Breakfast

Blend, serve in Princess Straw Cups
Goes wonderfully well with heaping handfuls of dry cereal.
Seconds, please! :)

Traditional Holiday Roast Beef

2010-12-07T14:10:00.000-08:00

No holiday gathering is complete without the traditional Roast Beef. Just think about it for a second. Mmmm.

The distinct scents of succulent, flavorful roast greets your guests as they walk through the door. Hugs and back slaps precede the trek to the kitchen to peek into the oven to see what's cooking.

"What's in the oven?" They'll ask...

"Oh, just a roast," you'll blink back with an easy smile.

"Mmm."

Have them bring side dishes and desserts. Toss a quick salad and top with a balsamic vinaigrette you've prepared from the Temecula Olive Oil company's compliment of infused oils & vinegars.

Grab a loaf of bread from the local bakery--I suggest Great Harvest Grains "Cheddar Garlic Loaf. All dressed and perfectly coiffed, as you pour a glass of wine for all, take jackets, and know that not only does the house look great but you do, too. Why? How is this possible?

Because you've prepared the most easy holiday feast in the universe.

You’ll need:

Your butcher’s cut of Prime Rib Roast - Approximately ½ pound beef per guest
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbs butter
1 clove crushed garlic

· Seasoning rub made from of: 1 tsp each: Thyme, Montreal’s Steak Seasoning, Lemon Pepper, Parsley

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Rub your roast first with olive oil, and then pat all over with the seasoning blend until crusted with herbs. Sear all sides of your roast in EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), crushed garlic, and butter until golden brown, turning every few minutes.

Place the rubbed, seared roast in roasting pan--fat side up. Drizzle with EVOO, and cook approximately ½ hour per pound, inserting meat thermometer to ensure proper temperature is reached.

Serve with Mashed or Sweet Potatoes, Roasted Root Vegetables, tossed salad, and pair with a peppery bottle of Ruby Syrah.

Christmas is Coming Brittle!

2010-12-05T16:07:00.000-08:00

Cuz, baby, it's cold outside!

The Chargers are losing. The kids--after helping "clean out" their toys to find donations for those less fortunate than us--have rediscovered a slew of toys. One ZuZu pet. One remote control car. One pair of fuzzy Duck Puppets (which they are currently tormenting their father with).

And, while there are many creatures stirring inside, I have had time to make a batch of Spritz Cookies (recipe coming) and this fantastic "Christmas is Coming Brittle!" Some call it Saltine Brittle. There are about a million recipes online already. But, this is what I'm making with found ingredients as we have yet to descend on the local grocery store for our annual baking break the bank trip.

Here's what you need:

Enough Saltine crackers to cover the bottom of one cookie sheet.
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 bag Toll House Milk Chocolate Chips

Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet first with Parchment Paper.
Cover baking sheet with tight little rows of saltines.
Then, in a pan, melt your butter over med-high heat.
Add in the brown sugar to the melted butter, and stir until boiling.
Keep stirring for about 3 minutes until everything's all nice and bubbly.
Add your vanilla at the end, give a few more good stirs.
Next, pour bubbly mixture over top of the crackers. Make sure it's all nice and evenly covered to the edges. Best if no part of the crackers are showing.
Shove the tray into the oven, and let it bubble there for about 5 minutes. This gives you about enough time to wash the pan, and pretend you can't hear the Chargers throw ANOTHER interception or miss another 50+ yard kick.
Drag bubbling tray out of oven, and liberally sprinkle chocolate chips over mixture. Using a paddle knife or spatula, spread melting chocolates evenly over top of the goop covered crackers. Make sure it's all covered up good.
Cool.
Defend the tray of cooling candy. This is the tricky part because the kitchen smells so good. The little ones wander over in search of "good deeds to do" or other ways in which they can "help." But, it's really, really hot--so shoo them away.
Ideally, this creation should cool for 2-4 hours. 6 is better. 12 would be best.
Crack apart into sections, and hide some for after it's been devoured.

Seriously, one recipe I saw for this said that it was impossible to determine shelf-life of this candy, and I can't agree more. It's THAT good.

So, happy holiday season, moms! readers! and author friends!

~Ashley
His Darling, now available...

Don't forget to pop on over to download a copy of Tessa Takes a Chance... a free read, on me, in case you haven't already! If you have, let me know and I'll point you to a copy of Sparks Still Fly!

Suddenly Sloppy Joe's!

2010-09-23T11:11:00.002-07:00

Sloppy Joe's - inspired by Disney Family Fun Slow Cookin' Recipes!

So, my freezer is PACKED. P-A-C-K-E-D full of food. So stuffed that I cannot even BEAR to think about what to cook. I know we have fixings for a month in there, but what? Chicken? Beef? Pasta?

Perry's been balking at too much chicken lately. I didn't know there was such a thing. I could eat chicken all the time and never bat an eye. Though, I think I heard Rachel cluck this morning. So, I got to thinking ground beef might be the way to go today.

I remember when my mom made Sloppy Joes. I can't recall if I liked them or not. Drippy, fun to eat sandwiches where no one gets fussed at for making a mess, served with a roll of paper towels within easy reach? Sounds like heaven for my youngest. For my oldest...heaven only knows.

Time to make: 15 minutes

Ready In: 4-6 hours
serves: 4-6 (hopefully!!)

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cups ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tbs packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1 tablespoons vinegar
1/8 tsp chili powder
Toasted hamburger buns

Directions

Cook and stir ground beef, onion and garlic in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until beef is browned and onion is tender. Drain and discard fat.

Combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, mustard, vinegar and chili powder in 4 1/2-quart CROCK-POT® slow cooker. Stir in beef mixture. Cover; cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours. To serve, spoon mixture onto hamburger buns.

Here's a Disney Family Tip
Don't worry about making big batches of food in your CROCK-POT® slow cooker. Instead, plan ahead to freeze the leftovers as individual portions. Just reheat a single serving in the microwave for fast meals or impulse snacks.

OOOH! good one. As soon as I can spy space in my freezer, I'll try it. HOWEVER, leftovers are actually consumed in this house the day after, usually. Reheated leftovers? Anyone? I'm thinking maybe, no.

Chili Relleno Bake!

2010-09-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

I scoured the cookbooks yesterday in search of this recipe, instead, found a variation online. The original recipe came off a can of Rosarita Refried Beans...and this has some zingy updates that I liked. Ellie, for once, let me crack and separate the eggs--and watched while the Kitchenaid mixer frothed the eggwhites for us. Really. There's NOTHING to be afraid of with egg separation if you own a Kitchenaid mixer.

Ingredients

Pam cooking spray
3 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (7 ounce) cans diced green chilies
1 (16 ounce) cans rosarita vegetarian refried beans
1/4 cup onions, chopped finely (optional)
1/3 cup salsa verde (optional)
2 cups cheddar, monterey jack pepper cheese OR 2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used cheddar)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Spray 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Beat egg whites* in small bowl until stiff peaks form.
Whisk egg yolks in separate bowl; fold into egg whites.
Add Flour into eggs until just combined.
Fold in green chilies.
Spread beans over bottom of dish.
Layer chopped onions over beans and make sure to get sides.* (we didn't use onions...Perry & the kids not a big fan of crunchy stuff in the beans... ugh)
Spread layer of salsa verde, smoothing into the sides.
Mix all the beans, onions and salsa verde together.
Top with half of the egg mixture, spreading evenly.
Sprinkle with half of the cheese, then remaining egg mixture and remaining cheese.
Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Mine got nice and toasty on top after about 25 minutes, so it depends on your oven. This REALLY dresses up a side dish. And, my Spanish friends have always told me--you can tell a great restaurant by their Chile Relleno. Casa De Ludwig serves up a mean one!
Also--as for my finicky family? Rachel had a corn dog, apple sauce, and cheddar cheese with a side of tomatoes. Ellie ate a taco with her daddy, tried the relleno bake, and informed me "I liked the crunchy top and the beans. Didn't care for the green stuff."
NOTES:
*How to separate an egg: Crack and peek into egg over your bowl, weight the yolk side to one half, let whites drip down, turn yolk into other half of shell, when white is all in the bowl, return yolk to other bowl. If you want to be more heart healthy, go 1 yolk to 3 egg whites for this recipe. I made it with all 3, though. Delicious.Oh! and another trick! don't turn the whites more than you have to, once they're all frothed up. Keep it light and fluffy!

Flank Steak with onions

2010-08-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

This was a quick dinner that we cooked after kids had eaten. We finished just in time to put them to bed. We enjoyed it with a Nuit-Saint-George from one of our favorite wineries that we are trying desperately to get in California. Dinner was perfect, even though the girls popped out of their room every 5 minutes with another request:

Bavette a L'échalotte: Bistro Steak with Shallots and Red Wine Jus

We substituted the shallots for a yellow onion (because that was what we had) and served it with a combination of peas, broccoli, sugar snap peas and spinach because those were the frozen veggies we had in the freezer.

It is important to note that we had a thinner steak than the recipe called for (the same kind you can easily find in the U.S.) so we carmelized the onions longer and didn't put the whole thing in the oven. We cooked it a little longer on the stove top. Perfection! We ate every last bit. I guess we should have made more. We're still remembering it.

The kids might have enjoyed it too, but we were not really interested in finding out.

Need to Cook in Summertime...Why Not Corn Chowder?

2010-08-06T20:41:00.000-07:00

So, tearing through the refrigerator, the confounded urge to make something out of nothing surrounded me. Filled every cell of my being. There had to be something I could make that could fill the empty spot inside. Something...comfortable. Soup. That was it. I'd seen a recipe in a Parent's Magazine the night before. Something that called for corn.

Inside the crisper, six neatly wrapped ears of corn, and beside it, rolling in the back of the drawer lay a lonely yellow onion. Yes. I could make this work.

Summertime Corn Chowder:

Ingredients

6 ears fresh corn
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices bacon (preferably thick-cut), chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
4 cups low-fat milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions

1. Shuck the corn, then stand each ear up in a bowl and use a knife to scrape off the kernels; set aside. Put the cobs, 1 cup water, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a 4-qt. pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the water bubbles gently, cover, and cook for 20 to 30 minutes. Leave the cobs in the pot until you are ready to make the soup, then discard them, reserving the corncob stock

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until it begins to render its fat and turn golden-brown, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, another 5 minutes or so.

3. Add the milk, reserved corn kernels, and bacon and onion to the stock, and bring to a boil; lower the heat so that the soup bubbles gently. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until the corn is tender, about 10 minutes

4. Whisk the cornstarch in a small bowl with 2 Tbs. water until smooth. Add to the soup, stirring until the soup thickens, about a minute. Taste, adjust the seasoning, garnish with parsley, and serve.

The whole corn chowder preparation was therapeutic for me, I have to admit. With all the bubbling, sizzling, and chopping, I really reached some sort of summer cooking nirvana. I was out of corn starch, opted instead for flour with a pinch of salt.

I also substituted salt and cracked pepper for Lawry's Garlic Salt and fresh Costco Lemon Pepper in generous portions. Tasting, bubbling, adding some of this and that, and it made for a delightful meal with a side salad and glass of Chardonnay.

Next time, I'll let the bacon get crisper, I'll add in some cheese, and I'll time it better with something the kids will actually eat, like chicken fingers.

I Want to Cook! Who's Gonna Eat It? Why Do I Care!

2010-08-06T17:22:00.001-07:00

Yes, today I was confronted with information... heartbreak. Pain. Agony. Angst. Friends in need. My own mom dealing with her grief in Arkansas, going through my grandparents' home.

I got out the kitchen aid. I frowned around the kitchen, in search of ingredients, and saw some bananas in need of attention. Done. I started mixing up a batch of Banana Bread.

Ellie wanted to help. I doubled the batch, allowing her to crack eggs with her delicate touch. Seriously. The kid is amazing. Almost five, and though I have her crack them in separate bowls, there's not a shell to be seen.

We used:

6 Bananas
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups Sugar
4 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
dash of cinnamon
dash of sugar to top

In the mixer, let the bananas mash up, but not too much.
In a separate bowl, whip up the eggs in a frenzy. Add to bananas until combined.
Then, stir together dry ingredients and slowly shake into mixing bowl until mixed.

Pour into bread pans, either that have been lined with parchment, or sprayed with cooking spray. Top with sprinkled sugar and dashes of cinnamon.

Bake at 350 for one hour and just hold the kids off until it's done. Mine want to break down the oven door!

Banana Bread rising in the oven, hungry misses shooed out the door to the pool with their daddy, I finally had some time to think. But that's only half of it. The second thought came that my starving little waifs and their dad would all expect to be fed upon return.

But I still had the urge to cook...a recipe burning a hole in my pocket, and bread to deliver as soon as friends in need returned...

Paris Sole Family Style

2010-07-08T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Fish:
---------
2 whole sole from Poissionniere Bleu (heads and all!)

1/2 thinly sliced lemon
about 1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 tsp salt

1 egg
about 1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt

about 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (i used old not very good pita that I briefly toasted after crumbling)
2 garlic cloves
1 or 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp salt

Fillet the fish with a great deal of discussion and angst and the instructional video from BBC. Congratulate the fillet-er once he or she has successfully created 8 boneless fillets.

Marinade sole in lemon slices, white wine and salt for about 1/2 hour.

In a shallow bowl whisk together egg, milk and salt.

In a separate shallow bowl combine bread crumbs, finely chopped garlic cloves, dill and salt.

Dip fish in egg mixture and drip dry. Dredge fish in bread crumbs and set fish on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper. In a non stick pan, heat 2 tbsp oil and 2 tsp butter over medium high heat. Carefully place 4 of the fillets in the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the fish once, and finish cooking. Keep the fish warm in an oven on a baking dish.

The Veggie:
--------
Coarsely chop about 1 large courgette (zucchini) for each three people eating. Count children as adults! They love this. Saute courgettes in olive oil and butter until its just a little brown.

The Salad:
----------
Red leaf lettuce or whatever it was we found at the market that was so yummy. Add chopped tomato, oil, vinegar, dill salt and pepper. Toss.

YUMMMMMMM.

Honey Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2010-02-05T15:31:00.001-08:00

oven at 350

1/2 stick of butter
1/3 cup white sugar

cream

1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

mix

in a separate bowl combine

1 cup oats
1 cup flour (I use half regular half whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (maybe more if you think you need it)

Add to butter, sugar, egg, honey, vanilla mixture and mix until combined.

3/4 cup golden raisins (or whatever dried fruit you have on hand that sounds good)

Mix to combine

Distribute in walnut sized scoops on cookie sheets. Flatten them just a little.

Bake for about 15 minutes. Let them cool on the pans for about 5 minutes then transfer to a rack to cool.

Holiday Appetizers - Cheese Puffs

2009-12-29T09:41:00.001-08:00

Thanks to the Pioneer Woman www.thepioneerwoman.com - this appetizer struck a chord from my youth.

I vividly remember a New Years Eve party my parents threw in the late 70s where we made these cheese puffs. We frosted bread with this cheesy mixture, and my sister and I ate more than our fair share!

Finally found, this recipe will be part of my impromptu New Years gathering - either before Ice Skating or after...

Thanks, Ree!

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 loaf Crusty French Bread, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
½ sticks Butter
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 whole Shallot, Minced
1-½ teaspoon Dijon Mustard
8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese, Sliced
1-½ cup Grated Cheddar Cheese
Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
2 whole Egg Whites, Beaten

Preparation Instructions

Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute. Add Dijon and stir to combine. Reduce heat to low.

Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add grated cheddar and stir until melted. Turn off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in egg whites.

Dunk bread cubes in cheese, coating thoroughly. Place on a nonstick baking mat or sheet of waxed paper and freeze for 20 minutes, uncovered. Remove frozen chunks from tray and place into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place frozen cheese puffs on a baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat or parchment paper, and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Candy Treats - Caramel Nut Truffles

2009-12-19T07:50:00.001-08:00

Just saw this one this morning - of course, it's far from "Wendy Safe" - sorry, Wen! But, perhaps there's something that you can figure out to non-emulsifier it up...

We need:

Caramel Hershey Kisses
1/2 cup cream
Crushed nuts
Pam Spray

Unwrap bowl full of caramel hershey kisses
Pour over enough cream to cover
Microwave 15 seconds
Stir
Cool in refrigerator for 4 hrs

Spray hands with Pam
Ball up a palm full of chocolate
Press another kiss in the center
Roll in nuts

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Spaghetti con Zucchine

2009-11-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

While Kate insists tonight that she does not like zucchini (since when?) she devoured the spaghetti and kept telling me how much she loved it while she ate! Ken and I both thought it was good enough to serve company and it was super quick to make too!

Serves 4
1/2 lb spaghetti
3 medium zucchini (about a pound)
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
a few fresh basil leaves (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare spaghetti according to package directions. Make sure not to overcook it because at the end, you have to stir and stir and stir to make the creamy sauce.

Slice zucchini into thin rounds with the skin on. Saute the zucchini in 2 tbsp of olive oil until tender.

Reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water before draining the spaghetti. Chop butter into cubes and put in the bottom of the pan you used to cook the spaghetti, or in the bowl you plan to serve the pasta in. Place the spaghetti on the butter, add a little of the reserved pasta water and stir until the butter is completely melted. Alternate grated parmesan and reserved pasta water until it forms a creamy sauce on the spaghetti. Taste to make sure you have enough cheese. After the spaghetti is prepared with the butter/cheese sauce, add the zucchini and any oil left in the pan. Toss well to incorporate sauce into zucchini and zucchini into spaghetti. Serve with salt, pepper and chopped fresh basil leaves.

Halloween Treats!

2009-10-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Or, as I like to say, the knee bone's connected to the thigh bone... the thigh bone's connected to the hip bone...

AND in honor of our little "Naughty Skeleton" I'd like to share this yummy halloween treat -- Funny Bones! Please visit Epicurious for all the info... but basically, here's what you'll need:

1 package white chocolate chips (2 cups)
Pretzel sticks
mini-marshmallows (about 1 cup) -- the really teeny tiny ones...

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.

2. Place the chips in a double boiler over just-simmering water and melt, stirring frequently. I suck at melting chocolate, anyone will tell you. I also don't own a double boiler. I use 2 pans, one over a larger one, and do my darndest not to singe my arm hair in the process. This'll be fun with the kids. I think an equally fun thing would be to use the fondue pot, but I don't have one of those right now either. Come to think of it, I haven't had a fondue pot since Wendy & Ken's fondue party about 12 or 13 years ago. Wendy?? Where's my fondue pot??? (kidding).

3. Stick marshmallows onto both ends of the pretzels, with the marshmallows’ flat sides parallel to the pretzel. (This will be the kid's thing to do. What's the over/under on the kids eating all the marshmallows, sucking off the chocolate, and leaving me with slobbery stumps of salt-free pretzels? 20 minutes?

4. Dip each pretzel in the chocolate and lift out with a fork, letting the excess drip back in the bowl. (See note above. And, if we survive 20 minutes, I ask you. WITH A FORK??? Hands in chocolate, chocolate on clothes, on floor, in hair...hmmm maybe this recipe isn't the best idea...)

Lay the bones on the baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden the chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or at a cool room temperature.

Yes, Epicurious. We will store the leftovers. I however don't think there will be any. Erp. Will post the results after we make this later today... Off to fetch kiddos and go to Walmart to buy supplies. And material for Rachel's Ghost Cape and Ellie's Naughty Skeleton costume.

Pray for me.

Homemade "ice cream" in 30 minutes flat

2009-10-06T16:21:00.000-07:00

How to manage the perpetual request for sugary treats... every mother's constant struggle - right? Well mine at least. In a fit of creative inspiration, I concocted this "ice cream" recipe that I can feel good about serving as an afternoon snack. Its a great recipe for the kids to participate in too.

2 bananas
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

Mash bananas and mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into ice cream maker and wait to freeze (about 20 minutes depending on your ice cream maker). Serve. Smile when they say "I Love Ice Cream" knowing that its good for them too. I guess if you don't want to keep plain yogurt on hand (I do because I love it with trader joes lemon curd and frozen blueberries) you can sub the yogurt, honey and vanilla for vanilla yogurt. Also, I used whole milk yogurt which I'm sure helps the creaminess of it.

Mama's Makin Meatloaf!

2009-10-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

Well, last night we had meatloaf. I love meatloaf. It's my ultimate comfort food--thoughts of mom in the kitchen, scrunching it together, chopping onions, letting me help by adding the "secret ingredient"... (read cheddar cheese!)

ahhhhhhhhhhh

But, I have daughters who view this sort of meal with disdain. So, what's a mama to do?

Fun it up!

I prepared the meatloaf as usual...
Preheat oven to 350

In Kitchenaid mixer (or large stainless bowl) add:

1 lb ground beef
1 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup finely diced onion

Mix.

Press 2/3 of ground beef mixture into foil lined loaf pan, and create depression in center
Fill with generous amounts of shredded cheddar cheese
"Top" with remaining beef mixture
Cover top with barbecue sauce (It's delicious, I promise)
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.

When 13 minutes to done... fill a pan with pilsbury ready-made buttermilk biscuits
Turn up heat to 375 and finish cooking.

They should be golden brown by the time the timer goes DING!

And, we use instant mashed potatoes, but if you feel the need to boil them and mash them yourself, have at it. Crash Hot Potatoes would also work well here, but are harder to FUN UP.

I diced the meatloaf, gave each kid a biscuit, and created "mashed potato men" with a baby carrot nose, and eyes, and broccoli arms.

I should have done ghosts, I thought afterward, but my daughter insisted the "mashed potato men" were great.

There was laughter. There was harmony. No one argued. Everyone ate. Including their dad. AND, we made it to cheer leading practice on time. Overall, this one was a slam-dunk. Adding to the Fall Arsenal!

Fall Crock Pot Creations - Chicken n Dumplings

2009-09-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Two Rivers author T. Greenwood, we are having Chicken & Dumplings tonight!

Publisher's Weekly had this to say about Two Rivers: "Greenwood is a writer of subtle strength, evoking smalltown life beautifully while spreading out the map of Harper's life, finding light in the darkest of stories."

Here's the recipe....super easy:

put in Crockpot 4 boneless breasts seasoned with:

poultry seasoning
salt and pepper

add:

chopped celery
onion
carrots
small can of peas (drained)
one can of cream of chicken soup
one can of cream of mushroom soup
half a can of chicken broth.

Cook on high for four hours or so... When you have about two or three hours to go, turn to low, and thicken the liquid with cornstarch if necessary, shred the chicken (without removing it from the pot).

Cover the entire thing with refrigerator biscuits...buttermilk Grands work great. (These would be the infamous "Tammy's Biscuits", I assume!)

Cook for another couple of hours.

MMMMMMMM.

Let's see. If I start this...NOW, I can make it in time for dinner. Will let you know how the munchkins enjoy it. And the husband. As you all know, the most finicky eater of all. Should work well for Gymnastics Wednesday!

~Ash

Entertaining finicky children - Home Made Fingerpaint

2009-09-11T19:37:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my friend Michelle Green, here is a recipe from her grandmother...

Enjoy!

2 cups flour
2 cups salt
3 cups cold water
beat until most of the lumps are gone
add 2 cups hot water
pour into bottom of milk carton or coffee can
add food coloring

:) it makes A LOT! enjoy!"

2009-08-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

In honor of Danielle Thorne's new title: Turtle Soup -- debuting with Awe-Struck E-books in the Fall 2009 list:

I give you:

Turtle Soup's Cherry Whip

1 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 large 16-ounce container of whipped topping

Drain the pineapple.

In a large bowl mix the pineapple, cherry pie filling, and sweetened condensed milk.

Gently stir in the whipped topping until blended and smooth. Cover.

Chill in refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight before serving.

It's a Wrap!

2009-08-26T18:23:00.001-07:00

Tonight's meal plan called for wraps. See me, standing in front of my refrigerator. Watch, as I frown at the breadbox.

No fancy sun dried tomato or spinach wraps today, so I reached for the tortillas. Now, what to put in them?

I had turkey slices, and sliced ham.
I had bacon.
I had a red onion.
I had cheddar cheese, and blue cheese.
I had a bottle of ranch, and a bottle of Fresh and Easy blue cheese dressing (yum!).
I had tomatoes, fresh off the sad looking vine.
I had some kalamata olives.
I had lettuce to shred.
And, I had some salsa.
Finally, I located a box of crackers. Yes, that's right. Crackers.

Huh? That's a lot of ingredients that don't really match. What do we get when we put these things together?

1 (Almost) Cobb Wrap
1 Southwestern Turkey & Bacon Wrap.
And, instant lunchable dinner for two.

Almost Cobb Wrap:
(Regrettably, I did not have an avocado).
Slice turkey thin.
Crumble bacon.
Crumble blue cheese.
Dice red onion.
Shred cheddar cheese.
Shred lettuce.
Dice tomatoes.

Spread out wrap
drizzle top with blue cheese dressing.
Pile turkey, bacon, cheddar, red onion, tomatoes, lettuce, a bit more dressing, olives, and finally blue cheese crumbles.
DEVOUR.

For the Southwestern Turkey Bacon
Spread out wrap.
Combine 1 part salsa to 2 parts ranch.
Spread above "sauce" on wrap.
Pile turkey, bacon, cheddar, tomatoes, onion, lettuce (unless you're feeding Perry), and more cheddar.
Melt for 30 seconds in microwave.
Serve extra sauce for dipping.
Make another, he wanted seconds.

For the kids:
Fun up turkey & ham by using cookie cutter small shapes.
Do same for slices of cheddar cheese.
Serve with tomatoes and crackers.
Clean up crumbs!

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

2009-08-18T13:48:00.001-07:00

Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I've been searching for this recipe forever... had to post it IMMEDIATELY upon finding... & link back to Recipe.com - of COURSE.

Ingredients
1 10-ounce package fresh baby spinach leaves, rinsed and well-drained
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeÃ±o peppers, shredded (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese (3 ounces)
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, well-drained and chopped
1/2 cup chopped red sweet pepper
Toasted Pita Chips (recipe follows) or thinly sliced French bread and/or assorted crackers

Directions
1. In food processor*, process spinach in small batches until finely chopped. Transfer spinach to a colander set over a bowl or sink; let drain.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder and pepper with an electric mixer until combined. Add 3/4 cup of the Parmesan, the Monterey Jack and Swiss cheeses. Beat until combined. Stir in chopped spinach, artichokes and sweet pepper. Transfer mixture to a 2-quart oval or an 11x7x1-1/2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
3. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven about 35 minutes or until heated through. Serve with Toasted Pita Chips. Makes about 8 cups (sixty 2-tablespoon servings)
Toasted Pita Chips
Split 5 large pita bread rounds in half horizontally. Using a sharp knife, cut each pita half into 6 wedges. Arrange wedges in a single layer on two ungreased baking sheets. Coat pita wedges with nonstick cooking spray. If you like, sprinkle lightly with paprika. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until wedges are crisp and golden brown. Makes 60 chips.
To tote
Cover casserole with a lid; cover tightly with heavy foil. Transport in an insulated carrier or container. Serve within 1 hour. Place pita chips in tightly covered storage container.

Meal Planning - Week One

2009-08-16T17:51:00.001-07:00

This week, we have packed full pantry, a well stocked freezer and fridge, and this mama has a new goal -- I'm meal planning for the entire week.

I've seen it done. I know I can do it. I have a 5 year old starting kindergarten, and life's about to get busy.

The one thing I can control, is what we're having for dinner. My experience lately is, if I have dinner ready without canvassing the audience, chances are - everyone will eat. I've inspected the cupboards, the freezer, and the pantry. Here is this week's meal plan:

Sunday: Stromboli's w/ Pepperoni, mushrooms, & olives
* pack a snack: Juice box & Granola Bar

Monday: Stromboli leftovers w/ Pasta Side Dish & dinner salads for mom & dad
* pack a snack: Juice box & cheezits pack & grapes

Tuesday: Barbecue Pork Sandwiches, fries, and baked beans
* pack a snack: Juice box & Pub Mix

Wednesday: Fish Tacos (Fish sticks & fries for the girls)
* pack a snack: Juice box & cheese crackers & raisins

Thursday: Chef Salad with Grilled Chicken (chicken strips, ranch or barbecue sauce, and veggies for the kids)
* pack a snack: (water bottle / juice box, granola bar, & raisins)

Friday: Hot Dogs & Hamburgers
* pack a snack: (holy cow - week one and I'm ALREADY foreseeing a snack-rut! Help!)
Saturday: Pierogies & Broccoli

Sound good? We'll see how it goes. My goal is to not go shopping for anything other than milk, orange juice, and bananas.

Oh, and send healthy snack ideas for my little miss!

Bumper Crops of Zucchini and Tomatoes?

2009-07-28T15:13:00.001-07:00

Try this amazing, summer "Recession Garden" Treat...

This one actually brought rave reviews by the whole family -- everyone found something to like about the seared zucchini, the light pasta, and of course -- I enjoyed it along with a lovely Pinot Grigio from Southern California's award winning South Coast Winery

You'll need:

Thin sliced Zucchini
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbs EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 tbs butter
liberal amounts of Parmesan cheese

Bow-tie pasta - prepare per directions

Bring olive oil and butter to bubbly
Toss in clove of garlic
Sautee zucchini approx. 3-4 min
Right when it starts to "brown" - dust with salt & Parmesan cheese

Once pasta finished, drain and toss with bit of salt & olive oil
Serve Zucchini over the pasta along with crusty bread

If you have a ton of grape tomatoes like I do, you can also slice those in half, and serve as a side salad - with chunks of mozzarella, fresh basil leaves, and equal parts olive oil & balsamic vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Apple Crisp

2009-07-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here's one that I love and plan for making for the kiddos tonight for dessert:

Slice up one to two apples per person - thin or thick, your preference
juice from 1/2 lemon - fresh from your lemon tree (note - if you don't have one, you need one).

Dump sliced apples into casserole dish. Squeeze lemon over top - no seeds, mind you!

In a separate bowl, create mixture of:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 tbs flour
1 tbs cinnamon
1 tbs sugar

Cut butter into brown sugar, flour, cinn. and sugar until a crumbly mixture.

Dump over top of apples. Pat down until even.

Cut thin pats of butter to place around top of the mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream, using sauce as topping.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Enchilada Skillet

2009-07-14T12:33:00.000-07:00

You'll Need:

* 1 tbs olive oil/1 tbs butter for flavor
* 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into chunks
* 1 can chicken broth
* 1 can Cream Of Chicken soup
* 2 tbs flour
* 6 flour tortillas, cut into pieces
* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* ½ cup salsa

Music/Media of Choice: Swap favorite CD’s with your best friend and dance to a different tune!

To Create this Magnificent Meal:

- Heat oil & butter in large deep skillet, add chicken and cook thoroughly – about 7 minutes.

- Mix broth, soup, and flour until well blended. Add to skillet gradually, stirring all the while. Add tortillas, and stir to fully combine ingredients. Bring to bubbly boil. Simmer for about 3-5 minutes.

- Sprinkle top with cheese & cover until cheese melts. Top with salsa & serve with Zesty Refried Beans! Ole!

Lemonade on the Rocks!

2009-06-24T08:57:00.000-07:00

Here's another Lemonade recipe...

The kids'll love this one!

Alright, you started it! Here's Dani Thorne's lemonade. It ROCKS!

1 lemon, cut into quarters
2 to 3 tablespoons of sugar
1 cup of water
1 mason jar filled halfway with ice

Cut and squeeze juice from lemon into mason jar and ice. After squeezing, put one of the lemon quarters into the jar. Add two to three tablespoons of sugar. Fill jar with 6 to 8 oz of water (the ice should raise it to about 3/4 to the top of the jar). Put the lid on and shake for two minutes.

Drink immediately!

daniellethorne

Southern Style Homemade Lemonade!

2009-06-24T07:06:00.000-07:00

Here is a truly southern way to make the best lemonade ever. I reduce the sugar a bit as we like it just a tad tart.

Perfect Lemonade Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup sugar (can reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 cup water (for the simple syrup)
1 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 cups cold water (to dilute)

Method

1 Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved completely.

2 While the sugar is dissolving, use a juicer to extract the juice from 4 to 6 lemons, enough for one cup of juice.

3 Add the juice and the sugar water to a pitcher. Add 3 to 4 cups of cold water, more or less to the desired strength. Refrigerate 30 to 40 minutes. If the lemonade is a little sweet for your taste, add a little more straight lemon juice to it.

Serve with ice, sliced lemons.

Serves 6.

Thanks to my friend, Dixie (and what's more southern than that!)

Gnocchi and Pie

2009-06-08T19:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight's special request was pie. Berry Pie to be specific. Its super easy, but still, I had 45 minutes to get dinner ready and two toddlers who wanted to help. So I opted for Trader Joes Gorgonzola Gnocchi that takes just 7 minutes to make. Of course, I had to embellish.

Gorgonzola Gnocchi with Spinach and Crimini Mushrooms
One bag Trader Joes Gorgonzola Gnocchi
One package of Brown Crimini Mushrooms washed and cut in half
Half a bag of baby spinach

Saute the mushrooms in olive oil - they can be chopped up more than in half if you prefer but I was holding a baby at the time so in half was a good as it was going to get. When they are cooked, add the package of Gorgonzola Gnocchi. I didn't bother adding the tablespoon of oil that they said to add because I figured that between the moisture from the mushrooms and the oil I had already put it, we were clear. Once the gnocchi looks finished (all of the clumps of frozen cream sauce are melted) add the spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Takes about 15 minutes.

Three Berry Pie (or Google Berry Pie in honor of Noddy)
1 package of frozen pie crust from Trader Joes
1 1/2 packages of Very Berry frozen berry mix from Trader Joes
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn starch

Defrost the pie crust (be sure to take them out of the box) and the berries for about a half an hour. Or if you're not that together, stick the pie crust on top of the stove while you preheat the oven to 375 and defrost the berries for 2 minutes on 6 in the microwave. This plan works well for me. Combine the berries, sugar and corn starch. Line the bottom of your pie plate with one of the pieces of the pie crust. Fill with berry mixture. Cover with other pie crust, crimp and poke. This is a fun one to do with a three year old but a one year old really can't manage to do more than make a terrible mess and fall off the stool. Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 50 minutes with the edges covered with foil or until it looks bubbly.

Tiny Potatoes

2009-06-06T22:45:00.001-07:00

Do we really need another potato recipe? Probably not. This was a special request from Ken because he loved tonight's potatoes.

Small Creamer Potatoes cut into tiny chunks (like 1/4-1/2 inch pieces)
olive oil
sea salt
garlic powder
smoked paprika

Combine everything in a bowl - use lots of olive oil and sea salt, a little garlic powder and a little smoked paprika. Cook in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes (just about the same amount of time that it takes to cook the fish sticks from Trader Joes - Yum!)

Corned Beef Part Deux - Mac and Cheese Mish Mosh

2009-06-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today for lunch I made Kraft mac and cheese. Of course I can't just serve it as it comes out of the box. Its just not in my nature. For goodness sake, I was adding mushrooms and broccoli to my Ramen in college!

I had some cooked peas, so of course those went in and I was about to zap a couple of hot dogs and chop them up when I saw the left over corned beef from earlier this week. Hey! Its almost hot dog flavored! It was a hit. So much so that Kate, who refused to eat it at first because she had already decided she wanted to have cereal for lunch, actually asked for some after she "finished" her cereal! (By finished I mean she drank all of the milk out of the bowl with a straw and then took about three bites of the actual cereal - the rest is sitting in the refrigerator for when she asks for a snack. We'll see how that goes).

Anyway, here's the recipe:

Mac and Cheese with Corned Beef and Peas
The most important thing to remember with this recipe is to ignore the instructions on the box of mac and cheese. It always comes out so watery and slimy. Most of this recipe is according to taste and look. If it looks good, its going to taste good!

One box of Kraft Mac and Cheese (or whatever works for you)
butter
milk
1/2 to 1 cup of cooked peas (I love trader joes organic frozen peas - they are sweet and tender and big and crunchy all at the same time!)
1/2 to 1 cup of chopped corned beef (cut up into little pea sized cubes)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of shredded cheese

Cook the noodles until they are tender. Drain. Add a pat of butter, the bag of cheese and stir over low heat until combined. Add milk until it looks creamy. Add the peas and corned beef. Keep stirring and heating. Add more milk if it starts to look to sticky. When it seems hot enough for you to serve, but too hot for the kids to eat, add the shredded cheese and stir. You'll probably add more milk again to make it creamier and to help the cheese combine so this will cool it down again.

P.S. This goes great with a bottle of beer. I happened to have Michelob ultra left over from previous visitors, but I don't think it matters. Is it bad that I'm drinking at lunch?

Corned Beef and Cabbage

2009-06-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Ok - I know. How weird that nice a jewish boy from BH and an original valley girl living just outside of weho with their two little girls would opt for corned beef and cabbage for dinner in early June. Here's the thing. We were at Costco on Friday (Ken's birthday treat since he loves Costco way more than any normal person should) and they were sampling Corned Beef. The girls LOVED it - they asked for more! So of course we had to buy some.

Here's the low down on our menu for tonight:

Bill Bailey's Corned Beef Brisket (in the refrigerator section)
Cook it for 7 minutes in the microwave - straight from the freezer. Directions are on the box. Couldn't be easier.

Sauteed Cabbage
Here's the recipe - http://www.home-ec101.com/back-to-basics-sauteed-cabbage/. We cheated and got a bag of shredded cabbage. Evidently its actually good for you!

Mashed Potatoes and Peas
Some nice small potatoes like Yukon Gold or creamers are good, but any will do. Boil them Mash them. Add some cooked peas, milk to make them as creamy as you like, butter and salt to taste.

Seriously, everyone ate well, and we didn't even starve them all day!!!

P.S. I don't know what wine would go well with this because the BV Signet Collection Cabernet I had open really didn't work - it did go nicely with the dark chocolate I used to sedate myself with before bath time though.

I love my kids, but...

2009-05-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a lunch I will NEVER EVER MAKE for them.

We don't own a Bento Box - nor do I serve my daughter's sushi.
Rachel, not for lack of trying.
Ellie, for fear she'll love it as much as I do.

http://bit.ly/lm8l9

Homemade Bread - no seriously...

2009-05-20T17:03:00.000-07:00

So this has become a totally fail safe way to entertain Kate while I start dinner. I just set her loose with the ingredients and the mixer and somehow she manages with just a little supervision. Plus she loves kneading the dough and its totally safe for her to take tastes of it.

Hot Crusty French Bread

The rapid rise yeast is the key. I've been adding a tablespoon of sugar too.

Pioneer Woman - Crash Hot Potatoes

2009-05-19T10:30:00.000-07:00

In honor of All or Nothing's release (shameless plug inserted here)

I'm posting this recipe for Pioneer Woman Potatoes. They just look AWESOME. I'm not overly sure that pioneer women had access to olive oil. IN ANY CASE...

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

I just love how this site is laid out, the images just make me want to reach in, and recreate this fantastic meal. I'm going to get some rib eyes tonight, a head of iceberg lettuce (does anyone eat iceberg lettuce anymore? We're totally romaine over here...)

At any rate -- Rachel loves beef. Ellie loves beef. Perry & I do, as well - so should be a fun, albeit expensive dinner for all. Shoot. Maybe I should go for flank steak. Any suggestions?

Let me know your thoughts!

Chicken Kabobs - a grilled delight!

2009-05-05T18:56:00.001-07:00

Chicken Kabobs, Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Veggies!

Well, tonight was Cinco de Mayo and we roasted chicken kabobs - in a lovely olive oil, white wine, and spice mixture.

I blended cayenne pepper, garlic salt, and cumin - and sprinkled it over cubed chicken breast, interspersed with diced red onion, green pepper, red pepper, gold pepper, and mushrooms.

Dredged it all in a mix of olive oil and white wine...

Grilled over med/hi flame - for about 10 minutes total, turning as needed. I tossed the mushrooms on separate - and grilled them just rolling around on the barbecue.

WONDERFUL flavors. Served up with instant mashed potatoes for a REAL treat. Girls picked at the veggies, ate the chicken & potatoes with their virgin margaritas (lemonade & mint leaves) We enjoyed, w REAL margaritas, of course! :) Happy Cinco de Mayo!

L.'Authentique - seriously???

2009-04-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Ok, so at the suggestion of the manager at the new Trader Joe's down the street, I tried this wine. I can't remember if it was $4 or $5, but whatever. Its a red table wine from France. Really bold, a little on the sweet side for a French wine. I thought it was ok on the first day. Today is the 3rd day it was open (vacuumed in the fridge) and when I tasted it today it was even sweeter. Very cherry. Verrrry bold. Then my mom tells me that French table wines are traditionally cut with water. WHAT? I've never heard of such a crazy thing, but I'm totally willing to try it. So I do. IT WAS FANTASTIC!!! I have no idea if this would work with another wine, but it made this glass refreshing. I really enjoyed drinking it with my salad and avocado egg rolls from cheesecake (it was such a takeout night tonight). Who knew??

Chicken Kabobs & Rice Pilaf... Yum!

2009-04-20T14:53:00.000-07:00

Last night called for a barbecue. A perfect night for it, truly - warm, breezy, lovely. I got pre-made chicken kabobs, with green and red peppers, and red onion... I drenched them in my own mixture:

White Wine & olive oil, crushed garlic clove, sprig rosemary from rosemary bush by the front door. (drink rest of bottle with mineral water while barbecuing. :)

Perry was watching a baseball game. The girls were playing on their swing set - I only had to run out and push a time or two. Bliss.

The rice took about 20 minutes - truly, I'd prefer steamed white rice for next time. A fave of my mom & dad's, we really could do without the extra work.

I broiled a few slices of La Brea olive bread along with, and next time will make sure to toss a few mushrooms on the grill for some added flavor.

My FAVORITE summer time barbecue... Didn't even require extra sauce, which for Perry is a HUGE vote in my favor.

The girls ate dino chicken. THEY CHOSE DINO CHICKEN over grilled. *sigh*

At least they ate the veggies. ;-)

Do Cheap Wine Reviews Fit Here?

2009-04-16T11:47:00.000-07:00

So I purchased this bottle of zin from Trader Joes on a total whim because it had a cool label and it was only $4.99. Unfortunately it was pretty bad and gave me a terrible headache the next morning to boot. So I started thinking, wouldn't it be great if there was a site that reviewed cheap wines from places like Trader Joes and Costco? I found a ton of them. The problem is the reviews are long winded and confusing. I think it would be more fun if we had our own personal reviews (like one from Ashley about the Costco wine she currently loves).

Now what do I do with 3/4 of a bottle of bad zin?

Terri's Famous Tuna Casserole

2009-03-03T14:35:00.000-08:00

Last night Ken wanted something with Tuna - his suggestion was tuna sandwiches but I really wanted something more dinner like. Then he said, how about Tuna Casserole!?! So I called my mom and while we were on the phone, she gave me instructions. Dinner was a hit.

Of course my mom's super easy version involves using Campbell's Cheddar Cheese Soup, but since I can't have that, (and didn't have it on hand) she gave me the slightly more foodie recipe (can tuna casserole be a foodie dinner?) Everything is pretty flexible in terms of amounts so just make sure you taste as you go.

2 cups dried elbow macaroni (cooked)
2 cans of tuna (drained)
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 tbsp flour
1.5 c milk
3 ounces of cheddar cheese shredded
3 ounces of freshly grated (not the kind in the can) parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp powdered sage
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt

In a sauce pan (or the same pan you used for the macaroni) melt the butter and saute the onions on medium heat until they begin the carmalize. Add the flour to the mixture and cook for about a minute. Very slowly add the milk stirring the whole time. Once the milk is added and the sauce is smooth (or relatively smooth) add about 2 ounces of the cheddar cheese and about 2 ounces of the parmesan cheese. Stir until melted. Add the mustard, sage, garlic powder and salt to taste (keeping in mind that tuna is kind of salty to don't make it too salty. Combine the macaroni, sauce and tuna and transfer to a casserole dish. Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and bake in the oven at 350 until its bubbly (about a half hour). Serve with a nice crisp green salad! The leftovers are even better the next day!

Recipe For Life

2009-01-15T07:22:00.000-08:00

It's a new year, and time to prioritize for all of us. This was an e-mail forward this morning that touched my heart - and seemed like a good recipe for moms dealing with finicky eaters...and stresses of every day life. Read it, and be blessed! Let's all make this recipe today, shall we? :)

Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
Talk to God about what is going on in your life. Buy a lock if you have to.
When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to__________ today. I am thankful for______________
Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
Try to make at least three people smile each day.
Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the present moment.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.
Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
You are not so important that you have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'
Forgive everyone for everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
GOD heals everything - but you have to ask Him.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch!!!
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for_________. Today I accomplished______.
Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
When you are feeling down, start listing your many blessings. You'll be smiling before you know it.

Holiday Sausage Balls

2008-12-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Mom's Holiday Sausage Balls are a family favorite. Great to snack on when you're in a hurry, or baking sweet treats, and the girls just inhale them. Like a cheesy, sausage biscuit, they melt in your mouth.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

To make:

* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 2 cups bisquick baking mix
* 1 pack of Jimmy Dean uncooked Sausage

Toss ingredients into your KitchenAid Mixer, if you're lucky enough to have one. Mix until it sticks together, and all biscuit mix is combined.

Roll into individual balls, and bake for 15 min. Turn each, so they don't bake to the pan. Return to oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Voila! Keep them within easy reach! eat cold, or reheat for 15-20 seconds in the microwave. Delicious!

Good eating, everyone!

Mom's Amazing Chili

2008-12-16T09:45:00.000-08:00

My mother always saved chili for a rainy day - and who am I not to follow in that tradition? She'd pull out the electric wok - a gift of the 1970s, no doubt - and set to bubbling her amazing recipe which I'll share with you now.

* 2 pkgs Lawry's Chili mix
* 1 pkg thinly sliced deli ham
* 1 lb ground sirloin
* 1 1/2 cans stewed tomatoes
* 2 cans pinto beans
* Lawry's garlic salt to taste
* Lemon Pepper to taste
* Costco's Tuscan Spice Blend - a new personal favorite
* 2 bay leaves
* EVOO
* 1 tbs butter
* Marie Calendar's Cornbread Mix - made, per directions. Marie knows what she's doing.

Sautee together: EVOO, Butter, Thinly sliced and diced deli ham, and a dash of Tuscan Spice Blend.

Place in crock pot: Deli Ham (post sauteeing), 2 cans pinto beans, 2 bay leaves. Cook together for 2-4 hours, on low.

Cook ground sirloin with garlic salt, tuscan spice blend & lemon pepper. Drain & place in crock pot after beans are "done". Add in chili mix packets, stewed tomatoes, and stir until powder dissolved.

Simmer for another 2 hrs.

Serve it up with the following Chili Toppers:

* Shredded Cheese
* Diced green onions
* Sour Cream
* Salsa or diced tomatoes
* Crumbled Melrose Parmesan Croutons

Serve with Marie Calendar's Cornbread, for an added crowd pleaser. I keep a pack of this mix in the cupboard for emergencies. It's a kitchen staple! Perry loves the costco dinner rolls, so that's what he eats with it.

I also make a Caesar salad with dressing from Fresh & Easy, crumbled Melrose croutons, fresh parmesan, and diced tomatoes.

What did the girls eat of this? Umm. Cornbread. Rachel likes the sour cream and the cheese. Basically, they ate hot dogs while we slurped up bowls full of chili. Perry is not a cornbread fan, so he ate it up with some yummy costco rolls.

What can you learn from this? Well, leftovers are delicious. Enough for us to have for two meals. The Tuscan Spice blend is too spicy for the girls. Ellie would have eaten it if she hadn't had a tummy ache. Rachel--well, you never can tell. Maybe next time she'll love it. :)

Good eating!

Give me a little Quiche!

2008-12-13T08:07:00.001-08:00

Quiche is a favorite of my family's - and by my family - I mean the Rather clan. Maybe it's the English thing. Or the Scotch-Irish thing. It certainly isn't the German thing, as Perry will tell you, he's not a Quiche fan.

My favorite quiche recipe comes from the days I catered for a small coffee shop in Tucson, Arizona called "Cuppacinos."

For Ashley's Veggie Quiche, you'll need:

* Pillsbury Ready Made Roll Out Crust
* 6 eggs
* 1/4 cup 1/2 & 1/2
* Julianned Red Pepper
* Yellow Banana Squash, Thinly sliced
* Italian Squash, Thinly sliced
* defrosted, squeezed out, chopped spinach
* 1 cup cheddar shredded cheese
* 1 cup swiss shredded cheese
* 1/3 cup minced onion
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 tbs EVOO
* 1 tbs butter
* pinch of salt & pepper

Using a spring form pan, if you've got one, line bottom with one crust, and tear 2nd crust in half, building up the sides.
Bake crust in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, until golden (poke bottom with a fork, if it puffs up)
In a heated pan, drizzle EVOO and melt butter
Sautee onion & garlic together
Add red peppers & squash & zuchini, tossing with salt and pepper

Defrost (do not cook) chopped spinach, and squeeze out all extra water (salt leaves liberally)
Place in pan with sauteed veggies and stir together.

Place veggie mixture in browned crust.
Top with shredded cheese.

Whisk eggs and 1/2 & 1/2 together, and pour over top, poking down into the veggies for even distribution.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, until top is firm to touch.

Serve up with a caesar salad! If you have a Fresh & Easy nearby, pick up their caesar dressing! it's divine...

Happy Eating!

German Pancakes for a Tree Trimming Breakfast!

2008-12-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

German Pancakes are a tradition of my hubby's family. So, in honor of our German heritage, here's the scoop on a fantastic, fluffy, buttery treat.

You'll need:

* 3 large eggs
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp almond extract
* 2 tbs butter
* 2 tbs lemon juice

Fruit jam (we like Grape)
Powdered sugar to taste

NOTE: Drag out your cast iron pan for this one! I just toss the ingredients into the Kitchenaid mixer, and let it do all the dirty work.

Heat oven to 400.
Place butter into cast iron pan, and put it in the oven until butter is melted.

Whisk eggs until frothy.
Whisk flour into eggs until smooth (no lumps).
Add in milk, salt, and almond extract.

Remove cast iron pan (filled now with melted butter) and pour in frothy pancake mixture. Drizzle with lemon juice and place in oven. Bake until pancake is puffed up, and golden brown at the tips.

Spread jam over top, and sprinkle generously with the powdered sugar! Use cookie cutters to cut into fun shapes - if you have toddlers, or they may balk at the presentation. Aye! yai! yai!

Enjoy this tasty, fun treat!

Shout Out For Recipes

2008-12-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

Hello, family and friends of Feeding a Finicky Family!

Please let us know how you feed your finicky eaters... and how well your family received them? Did they clean their plates and ask for seconds? Did they push their plates away in disdain? Did you have to coerce them into eating a final bite before dessert?

We want to know!

I Want My Baby Back Baby Back RIBS!

2008-12-06T09:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, guys... this is one from the Finicky Family Cookbook. AND a huge hit with the girls. Best of all? Easy Peasy!

You'll need:

* Baby Back Pork Ribs - Fresh, not frozen
* One yellow onion, sliced
* One can chicken broth (or 2 cups water, w/ 2 chicken bouillon cubes)
* One crushed clove garlic
* One bottle KC Masterpiece Barbecue Sauce (Wendy likes Sweet Baby Janes, right, Wen?)
* Salt / Lemon pepper

Sides:

* Ore Ida French fries (salted, and dusted with Parmesan cheese)
* Coleslaw
* B & M Baked Beans, heated through
* Marie Calendar's Mix Cornbread, for extra credit

Dust off that crockpot! fill with chicken broth, sliced onion, garlic clove.
Cut up ribs in 4 0r 5 pieces, lay meat side down.
Crank up the heat to high for at least 2 or 3 hours - or cook on low for 5-ish hours
One hour before serving, turn meat side up, and spread barbecue sauce on top. Cover and turn to low.

15 minutes before serving, place ribs on baking sheet and cover with more sauce. Place in oven along with the fries.

Keep ribs in oven until sauce bubbly, and thick.

Serve, and watch your little ones go to town! Ellie was delighted, as no one fussed at her for getting sauce all over herself. :)

Enjoy! and let us know how you liked it!

Fish Tacos - De-Lish!

2008-12-03T08:57:00.000-08:00

Did I mention that my friend Alina gave us the world's best fish taco recipe? If you are a costco shopper, this is the quick and easy dish that I can serve up in a jiffy. I was never a fish stick kind of gal. My mom never served them. I look at fish sticks with the same disdain I show to liver and onions, and any other odd assortments of German foods that Perry seems to call his own "comfort food."

At any rate - pay attention to the brands. Brands are key. Gorton's fish sticks are not to be purchased. Under ANY circumstances!

* Trident Ultimate Fish Stick - Alaskan Pollack
* Jack's Fresh Salsa
* Ranch Dressing (wendy, you'll have to do some evaluating here -- could be, you could mix the salsa with sour cream...)
* Corn tortillas
* Avocado slices

Heat fish sticks in oven, as directed
In a bowl, mix together the salsa and dressing - to taste. Should be - salsa creamy
Over flame, turn corn tortillas until they are softened. Watch your fingers!
Slice avocados, thinly

In your corn tortilla, lay 1 1/2 fish stick per tortilla
Drizzle with salsa mixture
Place avocados on top

ENJOY! Perry ate 3 and would have had more. Lovely with refried beans!

Banana Pancakes

2008-11-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

This one is so easy, it really doesn't need an official recipe. And the best part is, the kids can help make the batter with only a little supervision. OH I ALMOST FORGOT - I'm a total pancake snob (thanks Dad) and I really enjoy these pancakes.

Serves 4

3 Bananas (the riper the better)
3 Cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
2.25 Cups water

Mash the bananas (or better yet, give the kids a potato masher and let them do it), add the pancake mix and the water and stir. Best to get the water and mix combined yourself before you let the little ones stir it all together. Once the water isn't so splashy, give each kid a 20 second turn by all counting to 20 together.

Now just cook the pancakes!

Divine Chicken Divan

2008-11-19T18:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this is one of Mom's recipes - though I've managed to simplify it into a quickie 30 minute meal:

* 1/2 chicken breast per person
* 1 cup cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup bread crumbs
* Garlic Salt - Lawry's
* 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise
* 1 tsp curry powder
* 1 tbs butter
* 1 tbs EVOO
* 1 package frozen broccoli
* Rice - White or Jasmine - 1/2 cup per person

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle chicken with Lawry's garlic salt and place in between wax paper, or in a gallon freezer bag.
Flatten chicken breast (I like to pound mine with a mini cast iron pan).
Pan fry chicken in 1 tbs EVOO and a smidge of butter (about 3-4 min per side)
Place in casserole dish
In a med. size pan, heat Cream of Chicken soup, sour cream, mayonnaise and curry powder until warm, and pour over chicken breasts
Cover with shredded cheddar cheese and breadcrumbs - top with small drops of butter or margarine

Serve with broccoli and rice, and hot sourdough rolls - or bread of your choice.

If your kids are like mine, they won't eat if the chicken has sauce on it, or if any food touches anything else. Improvise! I saved some cooked chicken before it was "sauced," and sliced that up for them. I let Rachel eat her rice with soy sauce, as is her favorite, and made Asian Veggies instead of broccoli tonight, because they LOVE the mini corn - and broccoli is still an option for us.

Enjoy! :)

Avgolemono & Provolone Grilled Cheese

2008-11-06T10:19:00.000-08:00

Kate didn't like the soup, but she did eat the grilled cheese - I think that to be more kid friendly, it would be better to cut down on the lemon juice. Of course if you're kids are big lemon fans, then go to town.

Avgolemono (Greek Lemon Chicken & Rice Soup from Real Simple)

Ingredients
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup long-grain rice
2 cooked chicken-breast halves, skin discarded and meat shredded
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Preparation
Heat the broth and rice in a large saucepan to boiling. Reduce heat to simmering; cover and cook 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Add the chicken. Remove the soup from heat and cover. Whisk the eggs and lemon juice in a medium bowl until frothy. Remove about 1 cup hot broth from the soup and slowly add it to the eggs, whisking continually. Slowly stir the warmed eggs into the soup. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with a slice of lemon.

Grilled Cheese (see oven grilled cheese recipe)
Whole Grain Bread
Sliced Provolone

I'm In! And it's all because of my oven grilled cheese sandwiches...

2008-11-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

Oven grilled cheese is so easy, I don't know why I didn't think of it before my daughter's first birthday party.

Ingredients:
bread (two slices per sandwich in whatever flavor goes with your cheese)
cheese (whatever kind you like - I like to combine flavors of cheese)
margarine or butter (I prefer soft margarine because its easier to spread)

Instructions:
1. Put a cookie sheet (or two) in the oven on a centered rack and preheat the oven to 450.

2. Spread margarine on one side of each slice of bread (this will be the outside).

3. Slice cheese (or unwrap the slices or whatever).

4. When the oven is heated, place ALL slices of bread on the cookie sheet margarine side down (this speeds up the process and eliminates the need to sit in the kitchen with an open oven flipping sandwiches).

5. Cover each slice of bread with one layer of cheese.

6. Close the oven and wait for the cheese to melt and the bread to toast (4-5 minutes).

7. Take the cookie sheet out of the oven, combine the slices of bread to make a sandwich and voila! You've got at least three perfectly grilled cheese sandwiches all at once!

Stay tuned for my favorite cheese and bread combos...

Planning Dinner Early - Chicken Parmesan

2008-11-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

The girls are playing hooky today.

Rachel is humming Beethoven's 9th Symphony - thanks Little Einsteins. Ellie is building a house out of blocks. I'm wondering if I'm insane for keeping them home, but I'm feeling better and truth be told, I needed them today. Too many dreams of being out of control of my life. Time to do something about it.

So, what a better time to think about what's for dinner? I believe we'll have Chicken Parmesan today. I'm in the mood for a good, healthy meal with lots of options for eating. It'll take a good 1/2 hr to prepare, and another 15-20 minutes to cook - so this is a meal worth waiting for!

SO, here's the skinny:

* 1 chicken breast per person
* Egg Whites
* Bread Crumbs, toasted
* Herbs (oregano, garlic salt, lemon pepper to taste)
* EVOO
* 1 tbs butter
* Spaghetti Noodles
* Classico Pasta Sauce with Basil
* Mozzarella & Parmesan cheese to taste

Mix toasted breadcrumbs with herbs, place on plate
Dredge chicken in egg white and roll in breadcrumb mixture
Pan sear chicken in EVOO and melted butter, approximately 3-4 minutes per side (Careful not to turn too frequently - if breadcrumbs come off, add more).
Prepare Spaghetti Noodles and heat pasta sauce
Place cooked spaghetti in a casserole dish
Top with cooked, breaded chicken
Pour over with pasta sauce
Heap generous handfuls of cheeses
Heat at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese melts

Devour with a tossed salad and fresh baguette

Election Night Pizza

2008-11-05T07:03:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a strange day. A restless day -- which when you're supposed to be resting is a challenge, indeed.

Never have I been more relieved when Perry called to tell me he was picking up Pizza... YAY!!!

Still, if you've got a finicky child, even Pizza can be difficult. So, what's a parent to do? Again, like we've mentioned before, presentation is everything. That is why we've invented: Pizza Fries

* Pizza w/ toppings of choice

Slice into thin strips
Arrange in a "Flower," "Sunshine," or "Child's Name" on plate.

Watch it be summarily devoured.

EVERYONE ate, and had peaches for dessert. Surprised? Not at all.

What do do when they don't want what you've cooked?

2008-11-04T07:50:00.000-08:00

This one used to run me around like a short order cook. One minute, they ask for something specific. By the time it's ready, you hear a chorus of: "I don't want that!"

Well, I'm guilty. I used to fall into the trap of answering, "Well, what do you want?"

No More!

I read something that changed my life, and made my daughter and I reach an understanding. This is the meal I affectionately refer to as "The Alternative."

A. You eat what we are eating - and by "We" I mean me, and whoever else wants what I've made. (Could be, but is not always Perry and Ellie.)

B. You get cold cereal.

I told Rachel that for the first time last night, while I presented her with Soup Night. She balked. We didn't have Chicken Noodle. (I'm aghast. I always have Chicken Noodle in the house. Except for last night. So, she was left with the option of Tomato, which she doesn't care for, and I KNOW that.)

Therefore, I said. Fine. No more throwing an endless supply of hot dogs at the girl. No more wasting money throwing away half of a kid's frozen dinner after she's picked at the chicken nuggets. If she doesn't eat the dinner I've served, she gets a nice bowl of cereal with milk.

And know what? She grinned at me. She chose her honey nut cheerios, and she went to town on them. At a whole bowl and asked for seconds, with a glass of orange juice. Well balanced in the morning, well balanced at night, too. WITHOUT THE FIGHT!

I'm on cloud nine. So, whoever the mom who gave me that idea, many thanks! It works!

Soup Night!

2008-11-04T07:28:00.000-08:00

Well, last night was a meteorologist declared "Soup Night."

I love that. Fall's here. It's time for wonderful dinners that heat up your belly and give you the warm fuzzies. In my opinion, those are things like: Beef Burgundy, Mom's famous Chili, or my personal favorite, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches -- which was last night's fare of choice.

* 1 can Campbells Tomato Soup
* 1 cup milk

Whisk milk into condensed soup, until blended. Heat over medium flame, until steaming hot.

* Buttered Bread
* American Cheese Slice (1 1/2 per sandwich)
* 2 slices crispy bacon per sandwich

Heat over medium flame until bread is golden brown and cheese melted.
Slice length wise with pizza cutter to make "Fun Strips!" for dipping!

(Wendy - please add your instructions for how to make multiple Grilled Cheese Sandwiches at once in the broiler. You're the genius who figured that one out while I bark at little girls to back away from the hot stove top!)

At any rate - scrumptious dinner, made fun for little girls by slicing the sandwiches into strips, using a pizza cutter. EXCELLENT for dipping.

Would Rachel eat her fun, dipping tomato soup and grilled cheese? NO. Did Ellie? ABSOLUTELY. She all but licked the bottom of the bowl.

So, now the question of the day is: How to avoid being a short order cook for your kids?

Burritos!

2008-11-03T07:44:00.001-08:00

Well - that went pretty well with only minimal food "manipulation."

Due to the fact Perry (bless his heart) put the Taco Casserole in the oven without a generous topping of cheese, and neglected to add the sour cream which was sure to make the meal a hit... it didn't have the...um, visual that we were going for.

With my kids, it's all about the presentation. If it doesn't look good enough to eat, then you might as well not even try.

SO... instead, he made a quick adjustment, and served "Instant Daddy Burritos!"

* Flour Tortillas
* Prepared Refried Beans
* 3 Cheese Mexican Cheese

Wrap like a diaper, roll, and serve.

These were summarily devoured by both girls. Who knew?

Battling Post Halloween Sugar Rush - AKA Sunday

2008-11-02T09:48:00.000-08:00

Well--it starts at the tender age of three.
I ask my DD what she wants for a snack, and she decides on a Reeses Peanut butter cup. What do I do to counteract this? I tell her to share. Aye yai yai. What is this world coming to! Now, my older DD insists on an equally sugary snack for herself.

But, that's what happens when the trick or treat bags are overflowing, we had nowhere near the amount of trick-or-treaters that we anticipated, and now...I've decided.

This is the week that I insist upon nutritious food for my family. Starting with Sunday. So - meal plan for the Ludwig Household:

Sunday: Taco Casserole with Spanish Rice
* 1 lb ground beef
* 1 pkg taco seasoning
* 1 can refried beans
* 1 can diced green chilis
* 1 can chopped black olives
* 1 jar salsa (El Torito)
* 1 container light Sour Cream
* 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
* 1 pkg fresh tortillas
* lemon pepper, garlic salt to taste
* 1 tbs EVOO

* 1 pkg Rice A Roni Spanish Rice
* 1 can chopped whole tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Brown ground beef with dash of lemon pepper and garlic salt. Drain, and prepare with taco seasonings, as instructed on package.

Prepare refried beans, by cooking in pan over medium heat. Add handful of shredded cheddar cheese, and about 1/3 jar of salsa. Stir until cheese is melted and remove from heat.

In a casserole dish, pour EVOO to grease bottom.

Layer pan in the following order:
* Tortilla
* Beans
* Ground Beef
* Chilis
* Sour Cream
* Olives
* Cheese
* Repeat until you reach the top of casserole dish.

Top with cheese and bake for 20 minutes, or until the top cheese is nice and bubbly.

Serve with Rice A Roni Spanish Rice, cooked per instructions and enjoy!

This should have leftovers to spare, but I'll happily take suggestions for Tuesday/Wednesday.

Love, Ash

What to Cook?

2007-09-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

The recently published work: What's For Dinner - or Feeding a Finicky Family - is an e-book, which for the time being is available FREE OF CHARGE for the first 10 people who answer this note.

What's for dinner?

How many times a week do you call friends or family to in search of or to share a recipe for a perfect meal?

How often is it when you find yourself staring hopelessly in front of the refrigerator or cupboards in a vain attempt to find the makings of a meal?

With me, a working mother of two toddlers, this was happening just about every day.

Regardless of how much time you have, or don’t have – this is a quest we all must face. Included are:

• Pantry Basics to make each meal suggestion work
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
• I Just Can’t Cook Tonight Ideas
• Sides
• Desserts
• Party Time Tidbits
• Toddler Treats
• Family Fun Recipes

Each recipe includes a suggestion for music to download, or a television show to catch up with while you’re preparing your dish of choice!

No time to cook? Some suggestions for healthy “cheats” from your local takeout restaurants – to make a “to go” dinner feel more homemade.

So, what’s for dinner? The first 10 to answer this post - You get to decide!