Recipe Revamp

I really struggle with cooking and eating healthy in the winter. The extra hours indoors create boredom which leads to too much snacking and just wanting to eat more "comfort foods" (meaning unhealthy stuff).  I'd been asking friends for some ideas and also found some of my own on Pinterest over the past month that I've tested on the family with some good success.  Here are a few that we tried and liked:

Oven Omlette with Sweet Potato Crust - good for any meal of the day!

Fiesta Quinoa - nice to have a dish you can serve cold and eat over multiple days.

Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole - all my kids ate it...nuff said!

Parmesan Chicken Bake - very similar to my go-to artichoke chicken recipe...also good.

Asparagus, Ham and Mushroom Strata - everyone liked (skipped the mushrooms and it was still great)

Pasta Isabarte - I didn't have olives and used capers and it was tasty.

Baked Chicken with Pesto and Cheese - what I'm hoping to make tomorrow for dinner...

Send me your recipes if you have any winners...we love trying new dishes in this house!

 The kids enjoyed a visit from Grammie and Pap Pap yesterday afternoon.  We finally seem to be rounding the corner of some persistent sniffles and have everyone back to full health here, which I really am thankful for.  Derrick is chomping at the bit now for spring to come and set up his mini greenhouses with the kids today.  Let the 2015 Garden Season begin!  I can taste the fresh kale already!

The sights and smells of summer

 Have I ever mentioned how much I love summer?  Ha...I know, it's a little like a broken record.  Let me just take one minute to toot my own horn here...my flowers look SOOO good this year.  OK, there's my minute...now I will make an admission...all I did was dig a hole in the ground and stick them in in the spring...the rest is good old nature.  I do love looking out the window and seeing these beautiful dahlias though.  I'm sold on dahlias, I've never had anything grow this well in my yard before.  I may just have to plant even more next year!

Our pastor was talking about our uniqueness as human beings today, and just how mind-blowing it is that every person has a different, completely unique finger print.  I feel equally impressed when I stop to admire the things in nature and realize how intricate, delicate and beautiful they are, such as the petals on a flower. I do not do this nearly enough...take a breath, pause from the busyness of it all, and appreciate the beauty that surrounds me.

We've been plowing through the peaches in the last week.  Made some peach jam, eating lots of them fresh of course, and tonight I made these grilled peaches with cinnamon honey butter, which I thought were quite amazing!

First attempt at growing roses...smells amazing!

Comfort Food

Well if there's one thing that depresses me more than ANYTHING else, it is the month of February.  Sorry for all you winter-lovers, those with February birthdays or those who live for Valentine's Day.  For me...I'd just assume it got wiped from the calendar.  It might help if I lived in a warm and sunny place, not Western PA...but I don't.  It might also help if I hadn't gotten sick...yet again.  I am soooooo done with winter and cloudiness and cold!  And February. 

OK, done ranting.  I've been trying to bring some warmth into my life in the last few weeks by trying a few new recipes out and here's what I've found. 

This Pumpkin Apple Soup (weight watchers!!!) is SOOO good.  I made a big pot of it today and both of my kids loved it.  That makes it 5 Stars in my book.  Reese even had three helpings!!!  I had some canned pumpkin in the fridge to use, so I used about 1 lb. of that and 3 lb. of butternut squash I'd cubed and frozen last fall.  It tasted REALLY good.

I made this quinoa pilaf yesterday, minus the chicken.  The coconut oil gives it a nice flavor.

These pork chops were also very yummy and very easy to make.

And winter must be almost over because Derrick started planting our garden last weekend.  And there are already some plants coming up.  A sure sign of spring on the way...can't wait!!!

What's cookin...

Just a couple new things I tried this week:

I made this Tortilla Soup earlier in the week (thanks Martha!!) and it is quite yummy.  This is a meat-free variation, and very hearty.  I added a few extra crushed chips on top and a little grated cheese.  Will definitely be making this one again!

I made these chicken strips for the kids.  They were easy and fairly healthy and tasted yummy.

Easter Treat

I made my first coconut cake for Easter tomorrow using my Barefoot Contessa cookbook.  I can't wait to try it!!!!  Had to throw in a few birthdays while I was at it.

Pirates for an afternoon

I tried out these Bran Muffins this week and they are quite tasty.  Reese even helped me make them!  She's quite the little "helper" in the kitchen these days.  She even decided to crack the egg right into the mixing bowl when I turned my back for 30 seconds?  It wasn't a total disaster, but her egg cracking skills do need a little work.

I decided to reward the kid's good behavior this morning by letting them pick out a treat from the dollar section in Target.  Reese, not-surprisingly, picked out a packet of stickers.  Carter picked out a "Pirate Sword"...just what we need around here.  So the rest of the afternoon he was consumed by all things Pirate.  We constructed a "Pirate Fort" out of blankets and chairs and I spent an hour hunched over in our little fort reading books to the kids.  For some reason it is way more fun reading books in the semi-dark.  Carter even grabbed a couple flashlights so they could shine them on the pages while I was reading.

Worthwhile

I made a pot of this Baked Potato Soup tonight for dinner.  Both kids ate it...it is pretty darn good.  I even cut out some of the unhealthy stuff and it is still quite tasty.  I didn't do the bacon at all, just used a little olive oil to sautee the onions.  I also used skim milk instead of cream.  I used my new immersion blender to puree it at the end...it was AMAZING.  SO much easier than spooning it into my stand-up blender.  Thank you "Santa" !!!!  Give the soup a try...it is great for a cold, winter night.

A worthy read is Heaven is for Real  by Todd Burpo.  I was transported into a new understanding of what Heaven will be like...and this is after intensive study of Revelation last year.  This book is truly incredible and I think would be an encouragement to anyone, especially someone who has suffered the loss of a loved one or a miscarriage.  I am still reeling from it.

Dough...

 Kids are still sick....weather is still yucky....trying desperately to keep them entertained while maintaining some of my own sanity.  A friend recommended I try these salt dough ornaments the other day, so we made a batch last night.  They painted them and this morning we put hangers on them and the kids ran all around the house decorating first our Christmas tree, then my ornamental tree and a house plant...it was pretty funny.  They are VERY excited for Christmas this year.  It's nice to see them both understanding it all for the first time.

 Today I had a hankering for some pasta and meatballs so I made these gnocchi for dinner.  They were SO good.  Carter even noticed and said, "These are different from the other gnocchi...I like them better."  So glad they worked out on my first attempt.

Time for some Dough...

A few I've tried over the past week:

San Francisco Sour Dough Bread....need I say more??

I've been making these 30 minute Rolls at least once a week...so yummy!

Celery stuffing for Thanksgiving tomorrow....hope it turns out well.  I added carrots and crushed garlic to mine.

Made these Chocolate Cookies with the kids a few days ago.  They are SO good...I made some into thumbprints with strawberry preserves in the middle.....

I can't take credit for these but Derrick made these Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup that were quite amazing.

This is not "dough" but I made this Chicken Parm variation last week and it was easy and good also.

DIY Friday

I've seen some cool ideas for DIY projects lately as I'm trying to catch up on the stack of magazines that have been building up in my basement all summer.  Wanted to share some of the best ones to hopefully inspire myself to make a few before I forget about them.

This DIY website has some great ideas.  I like the sandals she embellished if you scroll down the page a little.  Also loving this bracelet...I'm sure it's more involved than she describes to make, but I still may give it a try for something different.

Back to our Super Hero Craze...may make these capes for party favors too due to the easy-factor.  Now I just need to raid Derrick's closet for old t-shirts.  I mean...I better go buy some t-shirts so I can get started.  wink wink...

These fabric flowers looked fairly involved, but Oh So Cute.  May try to make a few to adorn some of Reese's plainer t-shirts.

These bathtub crayons were on my radar also...although I'm not sure where to buy the glycerin soap they mention.

For all the kids' artwork that piles up around the house and is hard to throw away, here is an awesome idea to repurpose some paintings!!

Now that our basement is ALMOST FINISHED (can you even believe that...so exciting!!!) I am thinking of ways to decorate.  I thought a cute pennant might brighten it up for the kids' play area and found this one and this one (Love this blog!!!) to start for ideas....

For some mealtime inspiration...some dishes I tried (with success) this week were:

Spinach Basil Pesto...great to add to leftover pasta or for a super easy meal.
Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs...finger-lickin' good!

Share your project ideas with me too...always love a good project!!!

Be Careful What You Pray For

We were expecting a delivery from UPS Freight today somewhere between 12 noon and 6 pm.  I told Carter so of course all day he was incredibly excited about the "BIG truck" that would be stopping at our house with a package for us.  Well, at dinner, Derrick mentioned in our prayer, "We pray that the BIG Truck would get here soon."  And wouldn't you know, 10 seconds after Amen, we could hear it coming down the street.  Of course both of my camera batteries were completely dead or I would have taken pictures.  Carter was SO amazed by the truck...it was an 18 wheeler...he had to go up and touch it about 20 times.  It was incredibly cute.  Reese was a little more wary of it, not quite getting within touching distance but still pretty close.

I made this Acorn Squash Soup recipe tonight with the abundance of acorn squash coming from our garden.  The funny thing is, we didn't plant a single acorn squash this year.  I'm assuming they all came up from the compost??  Anyway, no one eats them but me, and we had 4 sitting in the pantry and more ready to pick outside, so I tried it and it is SO good.

ACORN SQUASH SOUP
2 acorn squash (about 1 pound each), halved and seeded
1 cup peeled, chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)  (I didn't have the leeks and just threw in an extra carrot instead)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 cups fat-free chicken broth (I used 2 cups and 1 cup water and it was just fine)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup skim milk (they called for half-and-half)

Heat oven to 450 degrees.  Arrange squash cut side down in a  baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Pour in 1 cup water.  COver with foil and bake for 45 minutes or until soft.  Scoop out the pulp.  Transfer pulp to a blender and puree until smooth.  In a large caucepan over medium-low heat, cook remaining vegetables in preheated olive oil 5 minutes, or until tender.  Stir in pureed squash, broth and spices, cover, and simmer 40 mintues.  Uncover and stir in maple syrup and milk.  Simmer 5 minutes more to heat through.

Makes six 3/4 cup servings

152 calories (that's with half-and-half), 4 g protein, 29 g carbohydrate, 4 g fat, 4 g fiber

Today is a day for big cooking projects as we also are, as I type, making our first batch of tomato sauce.  I tried this recipe tonight...hopefully it turns out well.  Our tomatoes did not do well this year, for some reason, so we will probably not get as much as last year.

Healthy Muffins

Vegan Banana Muffins
Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
3 very ripe bananas, mashed well
1 cups bread flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 cup skim milk, mixed with 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar **
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup chopped walnuts and/or chocolate chips (optional)
** I used skim milk but obviously if you want 100% vegan you have to use almond or soy milk which is what the recipe originally called for.  I just didn't have any on hand.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 8×4 bread pan with non stick cooking spray, or lightly coat with margarine.   For muffins: Place paper liners in muffin pan and fill muffin cups 3/4 full.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Cream together the oil, applesauce sugar and maple syrup. Add bananas, milk and vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix well. Pour batter into pan. Bake for an hour to an hour 10 minutes.  If baking muffins, bake for approximately 30 minutes, 15-20 for mini muffins.

The kids helped me make these today.  They really had fun with it and LOVED eating the mini-muffins afterwards.  They are really good.  I just hand-dropped in 3 or 4 chocolate chips into each muffin to make them a tad sweet but not entirely unhealthy.

Chocolate...oh how sweet...

 Perhaps in retrospect it was not a good idea to let the kids lick the spoon, spatula and beater after making a chocolate pie last night.  Perhaps....but boy did they enjoy watching me make it, knowing they'd get a little taste.  And if you could  have seen how they savored every little bite...well you would have let yours do the same thing.  The aftermath was indeed a sticky, chocolaty mess...but how else do you involve children in early cooking lessons?

It is the priceless smiles they flash me sometimes that keep me going during the times that are really tough.  We had a difficult day yesterday with moodiness, hitting, biting...pretty much you name it on the attitude list.  But at least we were able to end the day on a sweet note.

Kids eating raw veggies??

Yes, carrots and celery to be precise...they are eating them like they're candy and here's how.  I made hummus yesterday and they LOVE to dip things so I gave them each a little bowl of the hummus to dip their veggies in and they really like it.  Here's the recipe:  (I doubled it...we are big hummus eaters I guess!)

1 15 oz. can chick peas
2 TBS fresh lemon juice
2 TBS tahini
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt

Drain the peas, reserving 1/4 cup liquid.  Rinse and drain.  In a blender combine the liquid, peas, lemon, tahini, garlic and salt.

Serve with toasted pita bread or fresh veggies!

A Keeper

I tried these Creamy Mashed Potatoes out on the kids last night and it went pretty well so I'll share:

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes, cubed
• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 ounces light cream cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 cup skim milk

Directions

1. Place the potatoes into a large pot and fill with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender enough to easily pierce with a fork, about 10 minutes. Drain and mash partially, then add the butter and milk. Continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the cream cheese, chives and dill.

Discovery

Last night, after a thorough investigation was conducted, a source was found for the ants that were crawling in our garage.  A sad but true fact is that the warmer days of spring also mean the return of bugs.  We've already seen a resurgence of stink bugs on the warmer, sunny days. (not that there have been many of those)  On one trip to the zoo a month ago I killed at least 4 of them in the van during the drive there and back.  Don't ask me how or why they are in the van.  Well, last night's discovery topped this....easily.  After unloading some groceries, Derrick discovered that my car was infested with ants.  I place 100% of the blame for this on my children, who so graciously dump bits of their snacks all over my car every time we drive somewhere.

Now that I've talked about something really appetizing, let me share some more recipes with you.  Haha!

This Ham and Potato Soup is a great go-to recipe for cooler days (or whenever).  I use skim milk and it still tastes rich and creamy when you puree it like the recipe calls for.  Love it!   Even without the ham, it is still so yummy.

Since summer isn't far off, I'm already dreaming of making more of this Tomato Bisque.  I did can it last year and still have some left over...ohh, maybe I'll have that for lunch today....  I used fresh chopped tomatoes rather than the canned and just skim milk rather than cream.

This Red Lentil Soup was really tasty.  I would leave about 1/3 of it out (not puree it all) next time.

Since it's another cold rainy day here today, I may try this recipe.  Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple and Red Lentil Soup.  Maybe having that many components will be over the top...but I'll let you know.

Friends?

We have reached a milestone...at long last, after 20 long months of thinking my children would never be friends...FINALLY Carter is starting to like Reese.  Dare I even utter the words.  She is so cute these days, following him around like a little puppy and calls him "Tah-tuh".  She always wants to be where he is, even if it means he is going down the biggest slide at the playground...she's right there behind him.  Even when he's learning to ride his bike, she has to take a turn right after he's done because she wants to be like her big brother Carter.  And he is getting along with her...he wants to do things for her, asks for her when he doesn't know where she is, and they play together for more than 10 minutes at a time without fighting...be still my heart!

Dressed up for a Gala on Saturday

Beer Bread

3 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbs. Sugar

1 Tb baking powder

1 1/2 tsps salt

12 oz. beer

1 egg, beaten

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat over to 375 degrees.  Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.  Add beer (no sips!) and stir with a fork until just combined.  Turn dough onto a floured surface; knead quickly to form a ball.  Place break on a baking sheet and confidently slit an X on top with a serrated or very sharp knife.  Brush loaf with egg wash.  Bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yield 12

Per serving: 163 calories

32 g carbohydrates, 4 g protein, 1 g fat, 1 g dietary fiber

I baked up a loaf of this bread yesterday with Carter's "help." It is super easy, very quick and really tasty.  Give it a try if you have 5 minutes and a bottle of beer!

Pancakes!!!

Having a craving for pancakes today and I whipped up this recipe that was really tasty!

Peach Pancakes and Chai Syrup

2 15 oz. cans peach slices (juice pack)

1/2 cup whipping cream (I just used skim milk)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups oat flour or whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 recipe Chai Syrup (below)

Fresh or frozen peaches, chopped (optional)

1. Drain peaches; reserve 1 cup juice.  In blender process peaches until smooth.  Transfer to bowl; stir in cream and eggs; set aside.

2. In large bowl combine flours, brown sugar, baking powder, spices and 1 tsp. salt.  Add peach misture.  Stir just until moistened.  Pour 1/4 cup batter onto hot, lightly greased griddle; spread to 4-inch circle. Cook over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes per side.  Serve with Chai Syrup and chopped peaches.  Makes 6 servings.

CHAI SYRUP:  Cook and stir reserved juice, 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch over medium-low.  Add 2 spiced chai-flavor black tea bags; cook and stir over medium until slightly thickened; cook and stir 1 minute.  Discard tea bags.

If peach isn't your thing, Pumpkin Pancakes  are a tasty treat any time of year.

These Blueberry Flax pancakes are a healthier take.

A Keeper

I whipped up this chicken recipe yesterday for dinner and it was SO good...just had to share.  It is easy, only a few ingredients, very fast to make and bake...what more could you ask for???
Artichoke Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 (15 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (I used fat free)
• 1 pinch garlic pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, and garlic pepper. Place chicken in a greased baking dish, and cover evenly with artichoke mixture.
3. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear.

DIY Living

 In the age of "Made in China", it can get a little frustrating sometimes, (at least for me), trying to find something that is made locally and is good quality.  I think my quest to live more healthy has made me more conscious of everything I buy, not just food.  I've started taking on the mindset of, "Let me see if I can make that myself."  And often times, I surprise myself...it's not that hard to MYO and it's rewarding and fun.  From homemade bread to Halloween costumes...here are a few of my DIYs that have turned out alright.

 I already posted about my pillow covers but I love them and they were sooo easy to do.  I'm sure I saved a bundle making them myself and in a fabric that can be washed (2 kids!!!).  I can make new ones to cover the same pillows at a later time if I get tired of these.  I made a set for our bedroom also and they look great.  Covered over some other pillows I wasn't using any more and....voila!

Thanks to friend Mama K I tried out the homemade Christmas ornaments this year and they were so much fun.  Carter loved helping me cut them out and the cinnamon/apple smells amazing on the tree.

We made two sets of this beanbag game (corn hole) this summer, one for us and one as a gift.  They were rather involved...Derrick had to build the platform (he found all the specs for it online) and I helped paint it and made all the corn-filled bean bags.  These retail for $100 in the store, or more...we figured the homemade version cost $25 total.

I saw the cute name letters in various catalogs when I was searching for ideas to decorate my kids' rooms.  So I went to Joann and bought the unfinished letters and decorated them myself.  Probably about $5-10 per kid...whereas they cost $10 per letter at Pottery Barn Kids.  It's an easy way to customize/decorate the kids' bedrooms.  I'm trying to use it to teach Carter how to spell his name now too...letcha know how that goes.  :)

The Pottery Barn Kids version

 I have had to buy maybe two loaves of bread since summer started.  Our bread machine has been a great investment and I love the home made bread.  We don't have to worry about all the additives, preservatives and high fructose corn syrup.  It is healthy, full of whole wheat and fiber...what more could you ask for.  We also save our chicken carcasses after roasting a chicken and make our own chicken broth, and of course we canned a TON of tomato sauce, salsa and soup this summer too.

And vinegar...I can't leave that off the list.  Vinegar can be used for a plethora of things...it is such a versatile substance.  I dilute it in this spray bottle I got for a few bucks at Target and use to to clean all my floors, counter tops, windows and mirrors.  It's much safer for the kids and pets to be walking on than some harsh chemicals.  I use it to clean the bathrooms, it can be used as a fabric softener, and can even be used as a hair rinse.  You save money on chemicals and it's more eco-friendly...how can you lose???

 The final DIY I used for Christmas gifts this year was an organza flower brooch.  I had seen them for sale in White House Black Market for $24 in the fall.  I looked around online and figured out how to make them.  These were fairly time intensive but it was a fun project.  If you haven't yet received one, be forewarned...I made a lot!  :)