The Peculiar Homemaker

Salsas

2012-01-27T05:59:00.000-05:00

We love Mexican food here. And one of the fun things about taquerias is the salsa bar that they have. Our favorite has about 6 salsas to choose from, as well as pickled jalapenos, radishes, onions, and pico de gallo. So, so good. And so much fun to add to a meal. So for this night, I decided to play around with some of our favorites and try out a couple of new ones, too.

This is chipotle salsa. A surprising hit. It's The Tomato King's new favorite.

Roasted tomatillo salsa. This is the favorite of my kids. It's a Rick Bayless recipe, which is written in a very wordy way. Don't let that turn you off--it's very easy.

My favorite. Tomatillo avocado salsa. Add an avocado to the tomatillo salsa and blend. Easy peasy.

And the old faithful. Roasted tomato salsa .

We're already making a list for the next salsa night. It's a fun, cheap way to bring some new-ness into our meals and make us feel like we're eating something different. Even if it is rice and beans. Again. (are my kids ever going to tire of this????) Good for the budget. Good for the bored mama. Good all around.

Collards

2012-01-26T05:57:00.000-05:00

I love greens. Greens in every form, in every way. Almost everything is done in the garden right now, but the collards carry on. A little promise of spring to come and a reminder that even when it looks like nothing is happening, growth still continues. (as an aside...man, I love that garden and its glimpse into life. not so much the work involved...but I can really appreciate the beauty and lessons that I find there)

So, anyway.. This is my favorite way to cook collards. It will work for almost anything else you get your hands on, too. Chard, bok choy, spinach, escarole, you name it. The only thing I don't like this way are turnips and mustard. But collards are definitely my favorite.

Heat olive oil in a large shallow skillet. Add whole garlic cloves and crushed red pepper flakes to taste (I usually do 4-5 cloves and 2 tsp red pepper flakes). Add chopped collard greens until the skillet is overflowing. Then just quickly stir-fry until they are done. If you like them more done, add 3 T water and cover the skillet for a few minutes. But they are good just stir-fried.

We eat this as a side dish, as a filler for burritos, as a main dish underneath a piece of meat (like a steak or chicken breast). You name it--you'll find a use for these collards.

Chinese Chicken Salad

2012-01-25T05:32:00.001-05:00

In honor of Chinese New Year this week, I thought I'd post one of our favorite not-really-Chinese-at-all recipes.

Chinese Chicken Salad
inspired by an old recipe from Southern Living June 2003

1/3 cup light olive oil
2 T sesame oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp pepper (white if you have it)
leftover chicken...we eat about 1/2 roasted chicken for this, but whatever your family likes..shredded
1 head romaine lettuce
1/2-1 head napa cabbage (depends on size; you want about half and half with lettuce)
1 can mandarin oranges
1/2 bunch scallions, sliced into 1 inch pieces, smaller towards the white
1 package ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded, and crumbled into small pieces
1/2 cup sliced almonds

To make the dressing, whisk together the oils, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings (salt, sugar, pepper) if needed.

To make the salad, add lettuce, cabbage, chicken, oranges, scallions, almonds, and ramen to a large bowl. Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Indian Mexican Fusion

2012-01-24T06:58:00.001-05:00

I checked out a great cookbook from the library last week, 660 Curries. I love, love, love some good Indian food. I also love, love, love some good Mexican food. So, when I saw the recipe for Mexican Indian fusion, using flavors from both, I knew that I had to have it. This recipe takes some time. It requires making the sauce, preparing the peppers, making the batter, then frying. But it's so. worth. it. One of the best new recipes I've tried in a long time.

Potato-Stuffed Peppers in a guajillo chile sauce
For the sauce:
12 dried guajillo chiles
3 cups boiling water
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 t toasted cumin-coriander blend (I used 1 t of each, but you can buy this as dhania-jeera masala)
1 t salt

For the peppers:
1 pound potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 t salt
1/4 cup cilantro
4 cloves garlic
4 fresh green chiles
6 large poblanos or anaheims (but tailor this for your crowd; count on 1-2 per person)

For the batter:
1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 t salt
1/2 t turmeric
3/4 cup warm water (I needed a little more)

Canola oil for frying
2 T cilantro for garnish

To make the sauce, soak the guajillos in the water until soft (about 20 minutes). Take them out and blend until smooth (in a blender), adding most of the 3 cups of water. Strain into a saucepan, then add the salt, cilantro, and spices. Simmer until it's thick enough for a sauce (I just left mine simmering slowly on a back burner while I made the rest of the recipe).

To make the peppers, roast, peel, and then remove the seeds of the peppers. The original recipe called for them raw, but we just prefer roasted and peeled. It's all good. In a food processor, grind the cilantro, garlic, and peppers until very finely chopped. Mix that into the potatoes along with the salt. Then, stuff the peppers with the potato mixture and set aside.

Mix the batter, adding the water slowly, until you get sort of a thick pancake batter. You want it to cling to the peppers.

Heat the oil, and when ready to fry, dip a pepper into the batter, then place into the hot oil. My skillet holds two poblanos at a time, so that's how many I did. Fry until golden brown (cause everything is already cooked; you're just frying the batter). Drain on paper towels.

To serve, top each pepper with the sauce and some cilantro. Enjoy!

Today, I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Check it out!

Meal Plan 1/23

2012-01-23T05:21:00.002-05:00

Another week, another meal plan.

Tuesday: red chili

Wednesday: potluck (we're taking salad)

Thursday: black bean burgers, chips, salad

Friday: potato stuffed peppers in a guajillo chile sauce (recipe coming tomorrow!), rice, beans

Saturday: bean and rice burritos with green chiles (lunch), ribeye, chard, salad, baked potatoes (supper)

Sunday: pasta with broccoli (lunch), sweet potato black bean chili (supper)

Monday: Moe's Monday (I promised my kids that if they'd eat cheap stuff all week, I'd save out enough money for this, which they adore. Lots of beans this week, only to eat more beans at a restaurant. Go figure. )

Meal Plan Monday

2011-12-27T07:38:00.002-05:00

It feels like we need a bit of reality thrown in amongst the new toys and fun and change in schedule, so a meal plan is a great way to get that started.

Monday: big turkey dinner--turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, squash casserole, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, broccoli and rice casserole, rolls

Tuesday: leftovers (yay!)

Wednesday: turkey tettrazini

Thursday: maybe out for Mexican??

Friday: finger food party--inspired by LifeasaMom's mocktail party--artichoke dip, celery/carrots with hummus, stuffed mushrooms, meatballs

Saturday: barbecue shrimp, salad, bread

Sunday: brunch; collards, black eyed peas, rice, cornbread; Texas caviar for a potluck birthday party we're going to

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. Ours was wonderful, and I'm happy to be back in the throes of normal. I can almost see and touch our regular routine! Co-op starts next week... Vacation ends for my husband.... And maybe, just maybe, my toilets will be clean on a regular basis (well, a girl can dream!). Merry Christmas everyone!

Fabulous consignment find!

2011-09-20T08:46:00.001-04:00

Ever get something in your head that you just absolutely need? Yep, me, too. And the rational, cost-cutting portion of your brain just refuses to listen.

This quilt is for that part of my brain. When we moved, I was convinced that I needed a Pottery Barn Kids quilt for my big boy beds. Had to have them. Visited them in the store! But, something about that $130 price tag has held me back. Recently, I decided that I had waited long enough, and I started calling the outlet (a little more than an hour away) to stalk a quilt that I liked. Up there, they are $65, so much better price, but still not cheap.

And, then, I lucked up on this one at a consignment sale for only $15! I'm thrilled. It really works well in this room. Matchy, but not overly so, you know? That's the style I like, so I couldn't be more pleased.

I like this cool detail to go with the gingham bed skirt, found almost a year ago at Goodwill for only $3.23.

It also works well with the rug, another Craigslist bargain, at $25. We had to drive for-ever to get it, but, hey, I still love it. That's what matters, right?

As I look around, the whole room is mostly consignment/Goodwill/craigslist finds, along with a little table from the Store of Mom. This room makes me happy. As does that sweet baby!

So there you go. A little patience rewarded with sweet firetrucks. Nothing better!

I'm linked up to Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures today, too. Check it out!

Leftover remake

2011-08-16T07:08:00.002-04:00

My kids love to eat rice, so we have it frequently. It's great and all, but sometimes... Well, sometimes, I am tired of regular old rice. So, I try to mix it up as much as they'll let me. This was a winner, and we'll have it again.

I started with browning some ground beef, a red bell pepper, onion, and wilting some fresh spinach in a pan.

Added some leftover Mexican rice (just rice cooked with tomato sauce).

And we ended up with this skillet Mexican rice that hit the spot! It's great as is, topped with cheese, or rolled in a tortilla. Whatever floats your boat. But, oh so easy, and surprisingly better than the sum of its parts.

It's Tuesday, so I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. I always find great ideas over there. Check it out!

Menu Plan August 15

2011-08-15T06:18:00.000-04:00

Menu Plan

Friday-- take out burritos

Saturday--leftovers (lunch), grilled steaks, sweet potatoes, cucumber/tomato salad (supper)

Sunday--migas tacos (brunch), neighborhood pool party; we're taking brownies and potato salad(supper)

Monday--eggplant parmesan, salad

Tuesday--taco salad with ground turkey and pinto beans

Wednesday--Thai beef over coconut rice

Thursday--homemade sushi

As always, I'm linked to Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie. Lots of great ideas from so many wonderful bloggers. Check it out!

The aftermath of Mama's Saturday morning sleep in

2011-07-30T10:12:00.001-04:00

Really. No words needed.

Mexican Restaurant Date Night

2011-07-29T09:17:00.004-04:00

A few years ago, my MOPS group had a "favorite things" gathering, where we all stood up and declared our favorite (relatively cheap) splurge. Mine was the beloved Mexican Coke. I still have a friend that teases me about it, but I just have to think that she has never tried my lovely. They are soo good! These are imported from Mexico, where they still use cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. totally worth seeking out. Delicious!

We enjoyed our cokes (let's face it; they were the most important part of the meal!) with another restaurant favorite, shrimp and octopus coktel.

And we ended our restaurant meal with a great dessert--berries and cream. This is whipped coconut cream (the thick part of coconut milk). It makes a pretty decent substitute for whipped cream, and it's as close as I seem to get during these dairy free days.

This was fun, recreating a restaurant special. It allows us to have some special foods, both cheaper and easier. Because, let's face it. Sometimes, not taking little kids to a restaurant--it doesn't cause me to be sad cause I have to cook. It causes me to be thrilled that I don't have to deal with the challenge! Making my favorites at home=win/win. And sharing it with my favorite guy...that is even better!

I encourage you to find something new to cook this week. It'll breathe a bit of new life into your kitchen. And better yet, find a time to connect with the one you love. Even better than new life in your kitchen!

Camping Trip

2011-07-28T07:25:00.000-04:00

This camping trip was earlier in the summer. We had a great time in south Georgia, at the flattest (and hottest, with the biggest mosquitoes) campgrounds we've ever seen. My grandparents and Mike's grandparents are from the same 30 mile area, although my one remaining grandfather doesn't live there anymore. So, we don't really have reason to go down there, but the area is familiar.

Mike's sister was down for a wedding, so we decided to combine a camping trip that we'd been talking about with seeing her.

We also checked out a pretty neat zoo. I think that was the highlight for my boys. The zoo was actually really good. Although this alligator pond was huge and totally squicked me out.

It was a great trip! I'm a wimp, and I've refused to go camping this summer until it gets cooler. But, we already have a trip planned for when the weather cooperates in September (oh, please cooperate!). I can't wait.

Premium Leftovers

2011-07-27T06:52:00.003-04:00

In our house, if you declare something "premium leftovers", then it's understood that they should be shared. Not scarfed down in the middle of the night (!) or first thing while you let your very tired wife sleep in on Saturday mornings. Not that that has ever happened. But just in case.

This dish is one of my favorites and very worthy of the premium leftover designation. It will last for a couple of days, but it never makes it that long in our house. If there is any left over, it is eaten by lunch time the next day. I've been known to eat it for breakfast. So good!

Pea/Corn Salad
3 T red wine vinegar
4 T oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 cups cooked peas (these were pink eye, but anything will work; even frozen)
1 cup corn, cut from the cob (about 2 ears)
1/2 cup chopped basil (to taste)
1/2 onion, diced
1 jalapeno, diced (seeded if desired)

Mix vinaigrette in a medium bowl, whisking until combined (vinegar through sugar). Add peas, corn, onion, jalapeno, and basil. Mix to coat with the dressing. Allow to sit for 30 minutes at room temperature for flavors to mingle. Taste and correct for seasonings if needed. Enjoy!

Very Hungry Caterpillar

2011-07-26T07:32:00.003-04:00

We celebrated Marshall's birthday in style. With a Very Hungry Caterpillar party! It's a beloved book around here, and I love the illustrations. Our big boy bedroom even has Very Hungry Caterpillar curtains. So, with a baby that eats anything that doesn't eat him first....well, we knew that we had the perfect theme.

This sign helped set the mood. It's hard to see in the picture, but each of the circles that make up the caterpillar spell out "Happy birthday to you". I had lots and lots of help in coloring the sign, as everyone got ready for Marshall's birthday.

Will and Mac helped me early in the week by making these cool butterfly table decorations.

Our fabulous birthday boy. So happy to turn one!

For the food, I kept it simple, but still stuff that I knew Marshall liked. Starting with watermelon.

Special drinks. We kept it simple with tea, lemonade, and seltzer.

What does a one year old love most? Why, hot dogs of course! (they were such a hit that they were requested for the 3 year old's birthday, too....and I'm betting that they will show up on the 5 year old's birthday in September)

This was our first occasion that the big boys got to have a separate kids' table, which they loved.

A Very Hungry Caterpillar cupcake cake, of course!

A rare picture of all three, all looking happy at the same time. Yay!

Enjoying cake

And presents!

Happy birthday, little man! This year has flown by so very fast, and we've enjoyed every minute. The verse for your birth and addition to our family has proven so very true.

From the fullness of his grace, we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16

You are a fabulous blessing, and we are very thankful for you!

Menu Plan Monday July 25

2011-07-25T08:38:00.004-04:00

We had a great weekend celebrating the 3rd birthday of a very special little boy. That's him, walking the dog, "on a leash, on our nature walk," which is exactly what he asked for for his birthday. He got it, was thrilled, and I was happy to please him with something so simple. I love that kid!

Friday--sloppy joes, cucumbers, spinach salad
Saturday--turkey and tomato sandwiches (lunch), take out gyros and baba ghanouj (supper)
Sunday--eggs and toast (breakfast), picnic (lunch), hot dogs, chips, strawberries, pasta salad, cupcakes (supper)
Monday--salisbury steak, rice, lima beans, salad
Tuesday--quesadillas for boys, cooking class for Mama
Wednesday--Thai curry over rice
Thursday--McRibs (made with morningstar riblets), cold vegetable salad of some sort, roasted sweet potatoes

As always, I'm linked to Menu Plan Monday over at orgjunkie. Lots of great ideas over there!

Happy Hour Date Night

2011-07-20T07:03:00.001-04:00

This summer, our schedules have been all wonky and off center. Late afternoons at the pool, lots of fresh air, and you get boys that mostly don't nap and have an early bedtime, but occasionally throw you a loop. On this day, everyone had napped, and the baby was still asleep. We knew that early bedtimes were in no way a possibility, so we decided to not even try. We used our friend, the electronic babysitter, to steal an hour alone in the backyard for happy hour. It was indeed a happy hour, and we were better at the end for it.

It started with lovely Arnold Palmers. In the summer, I never, ever, get tired of the fabulous mix of half lemonade, half iced tea. The fact that it has a fancy name is just a bonus.

And some of these great Utz chips. There's a story behind them. When we went on our honeymoon (10 years ago), we bought these chips to eat for lunch everyday with our sandwiches, so that we didn't have to leave the beach. We loved them, and they scream "honeymoon" to us. Alas, they are mostly a northeastern thing, so we've only had them at the beach. I spotted them at Kroger last week, and I think I squealed right in the chip aisle. I texted a picture right to Mike. Such a thrill over chips! I love how a food memory can take you right back to another place. This one made us so happy.

And another date (albeit short) in the books. I love this guy, though, so I'm always happy, even for a stolen hour.

The sort-of Nicoise Salad

2011-07-19T07:10:00.001-04:00

I love tuna nicoise. It screams summer to me, and I love the way the flavors go together. Recently, it was on the menu, and when Mike asked what was for dinner, I proudly announced it. To be greated with "the face". You know the face. The one that tells you that he's not so happy about it. That he might rather have Taco Bell (ah, the insult!). So, I did what an exceptionally loving, wonderful person would do. I switched it around.

Except.

I thought it was the tuna that he was protesting. Turns out he thinks green beans in salad are weird, and it's not the tuna he has a problem with at all. So, he still had to pick around the green beans. Oh, well. At least he hid the face a little better when supper was served (and in the interest of full disclosure, my children ate this meal in completely separate piles; no way would they eat it all mixed together). But I ate it as served, as it was intended to be eaten. And enjoyed every bite.

Chicken Nicoise Salad
lettuce
black olives
cooked green beans
potato salad (don't knock it--it's a great substitute for the traditional boiled potatoes, onion slices, and boiled eggs)
poached chicken
cucumbers
Luxembourg dressing

Dressing
adapted from Marti's at Midday
2 small shallots (I used small fresh onions from the garden--shallot size),chopped
3 tablespoons fresh minced herbs (I used tarragon, lemon basil, and lemon thyme)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon grain mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cups canola oil
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients for dressing except oils in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth and well combined. Add oils in a slow steady stream on medium blending speed to emulsify. You must add the oil slowly so that the dressing does not separate. This dressing is deeeeee-licious! Definitely try it. It's great on any green salad, as a marinade, as a dip. Very multi-purpose, and really, really good.

To build the salad, place a bed of lettuce on each individual plate. Place all ingredients on top of the lettuce, to "compose" the salad. Drizzle with the salad dressing. Depending on who you are serving, this works well as individual salads or in one big platter. It's all good.

Today, I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Check it out!

Menu Plan July 18th

2011-07-18T07:02:00.004-04:00

Friday--haystacks

Saturday--hummus, pita, carrots, celery (lunch), steak burritos with tomatillo salsa, collards, and avocado, peach cobbler (supper)

Sunday--migas (lunch), turkey chopped steaks (topped with ham, cheese, mushrooms, and honey mustard sauce), calabacitas, salad (supper)

Monday--at my mom's house--oh, please let it be BLTs!!

Tuesday--chicken with cajun maque choux, salad, cornbread

Wednesday--black bean burgers, cucumbers, fruit

Thursday--blackened chicken pot pie

As always, I'm linked to menu plan Monday at orgjunkie . Lots of great ideas over there!

My birthday!

2011-07-15T06:52:00.000-04:00

My birthday was in the middle of VBS this year (and actually on Friday, when everyone was exhausted from having so. much. fun. all week), so it was very low key. Which worked fine for me.

Because...it meant that I got to extend the celebration! We celebrated that night with a fancy dessert (well, good; not so sure about fancy) that the family ate so fast there is no picture evidence.

And, then, a week later, I got to celebrate AGAIN with my mom. One of my favorite Athens restaurants (love me some Taco Stand. Even at its worst, it's very, very good), and cupcakes from this neat little cupcake store. Look at those cupcakes! They were HUGE and sweet. It took Will three days to eat his. He'd work on it a while, then put it back in the fridge. Too funny.

And we had fun at Honey's house playing dress-up, too. I can't wait to put this one in the senior yearbook!

Quinoa Salad

2011-07-14T07:36:00.002-04:00

Don't you love how recipes evolve and change? I think it's fun. This recipe started with one that my friend Tammy enjoyed. She's gluten and dairy free, eating almost no processed foods, and she feels great eating like that. She's been a great encouragement for me in the last year being dairy free. So, she loves this recipe for Quinoa Taco Salad from the glutenfreegoddess. And she goes on and on about it so much that I knew I had to try it. I'm glad I did!

I had some black beans and leftover chicken hanging around, so I also added those. I used scallions in place of the onions. And, because we were eating this for a regular supper, not a light meal, I went for a heavier salad dressing. I borrowed the recipe from our beloved Mexican Chicken Salad. It's a balsamic chipotle vinagrette, and it worked very well with this recipe.

So, there you have it. Inspired by something new, anchored with something familiar, and creating something totally delicious.

Quinoa Salad
4 T balsamic vinegar
a little less than 2/3 cup oil
2 chipotles in adobo, minced finely
salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
Juice from 2 limes
1 cup quinoa, cooked in 2 cups water (just like rice)
1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 jalapeno, diced
1 cup cooked, shredded or cubed chicken
1 cup frozen corn
1 avocado, diced
Lettuce for serving
Cilantro for serving

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, chipotles, salt, and lime juice. Add the quinoa and fluff with a fork. Add other ingredients, and carefully stir together. Serve over a bed of lettuce mixed with cilantro. This is good right away or, even better, after a couple of hours in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld.

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Check it out!

Cow Appreciation Day

2011-07-13T07:30:00.001-04:00

This is the first time he got his own kid's meal, and he was so happy about it!

Menu Plan July 11

2011-07-11T07:30:00.003-04:00

Friday--take out burritos

Saturday--lunch: out; supper: Mad Men themed meal of utz chips, pigs in a blanket, and fancy sparkling limeade with basil

Sunday--brunch: eggs, toast, sausage, grits; supper: turkey hamburgers, Texas caviar, sliced cucumbers, fried okra (this was a new recipe and a fail)

Monday--stewed eggplant with andouille, white rice, roasted cauliflower

Tuesday--cooking class for Mama; quesadillas for everyone else

Wednesday--pasta with roasted savory vegetables, salad

Thursday--grilled jalapeno chicken, yellow rice, green beans, salad

As always, I'm linked to Menu Planning Monday at orgjunkie.

Where you come from

2011-06-17T07:22:00.006-04:00

My great-great grandparents settled into a small south Georgia town in the early 1900s. My family would live there until 1981, when my parents moved us to north Georgia (and for many reasons, I'm so glad that they did). Now, none of the family lives there, although my grandmother is buried there, and my grandfather will be buried there, too.

Recently, we went camping nearby, so we drove over so that I could show Mike what I remembered from childhood.

And, we drove past this beauty. I have no actual memories of this house, only stories passed along. It was the McDowell house, built by those great-great grandparents. My second son is named McDowell, specifically to honor the great-grandmother who grew up here.

I was struck by both the beauty and size of the house, but also the realization that in the end, stuff is just stuff. What gets passed along to the next generation sometimes involves stuff (but for my family, it didn't include the house--someone else owns it now), but more importantly? It involves family legacies. It involves the feelings and memories of our childhoods. The values and priorities that were and are important. The importance of a relationship with Jesus. These are the things that stick after 30 or 40 or more years.

These are the things I want to pass along. So, when I look at this beautiful picture of an old house, I hope that I'm reminded to concentrate on the things that will last. To pour into the hearts of three little boys and make them as full as I can. Cause that's the legacy that will stand the test of time.

I recently read Danny Silk's Loving our Kids on Purpose. It was just what I needed to remind me of the high calling that God has given me when he blessed me with these little hearts. I highly recommend it.

No matter what your intentions or goals are as a parent, the fact is that you are cultivating a loving or fearful spiritual environment in your home, and that is what is really influencing your children.--Danny Silk

Cheap Fun

2011-06-16T07:19:00.000-04:00

Our town hosted a wonderful event, Touch a Truck, this spring. For my little boys (and I think my husband, too), this was 2 hours of straight heaven.

We got to sit in the front seat of fire trucks.

Try to operate these cool little mini-dump trucks that empty the trash around the center of the town.

And hold on to the sides of the trash truck like our beloved Tuesday morning visitors.

There were street sweepers, this neat truck with a giant vacuum to clean out the water drains, police motorcycles, ambulances, and more. It was a great morning, and my boys have talked about it ever since. I couldn't ask for more!

Family Photos

2011-06-15T07:03:00.000-04:00

Many, many thanks to Lesley at Sweet Peas and Sprouts Photography for patiently capturing our family recently. We love the way the pictures turned out!

And here's the backstory. These are our very first family pictures. My oldest went through a terrible (awful, very bad!) stage of running away in public from about 11 months old to age 3 or so. And, really, running away just makes it sound cute. It was more like "bolt from your arms, not use any sense, and run as fast as you can". Almost every picture I have of him from those ages is in his high chair or in the stroller. We didn't think that would make for great formal pictures. Just sayin'.

And, then number 2 came along. From a very, very early age, if a stranger so much as looked at him, he cried. And, again, that's a cute way to say "he hid his head and sobbed gut-wrenching, horrid cries until you picked him up and hid him under your skirt". Yeah. Fun times.

But, then, happy Sir Squishy was born. He is the grace that tells me I might not be doing everything wrong after all. He is definitely one that pulls us together and let me know we could handle family pictures. I'm so glad! I love the way they turned out. I can't wait to do it again.

Wedding Date Night

2011-06-14T07:16:00.001-04:00

This date night was several weeks ago, but I somehow forgot to post it. What do you know? Life gets in the way!

When the royal wedding was televised, I knew it'd make a perfect date night. My husband will indulge me by watching pretty much anything on television, but I knew that he has a sweet spot for BBC. When I found out that PBS was televising the BBC feed about the wedding, I knew I had him. It was fun to see the coverage straight from Britain, without the American spin on things.

And what to eat while watching a wedding? Why, wedding food, of course!

We're from Georgia. In the last ten years or so, things have gotten fancier, but the weddings of my childhood memories all take place in the afternoon, with reception to follow in the fellowship hall of the church. No drinking, no dancing. No big meals, just heavy hors d'oeuvres. So, that's the sort of meal I went with. So good!

Every wedding starts with punch, right? I served two kinds. Strawberry vanilla on the left, and for my sweet husband, redneck punch. Aka Mountain Dew. I forgive him. He was a good sport about the wedding!

We had a veggie plate, chips, open-faced chicken salad finger sandwiches, and some meats and cheeses.

And, since, well, there has to be something fried at any good wedding, and well, I didn't want to do the frying, I opted for samosas. You know. Multi-ethnic surprises and all. I justified this because I know that Indian food and curry houses are crazy popular in England.

More veggies. One of my favorite parts of any party food.

And, because it was a wedding after all.... Dessert!! We shared three different kinds from our local bakery.

Many, many thanks to my sweet husband for indulging my wedding love on this Saturday night. I think he enjoyed it, too. What's not to love about a true-life love story?

Summer Menu Planning

2011-06-13T07:09:00.000-04:00

I find summer menu planning hard. It's hot. I don't really want to cook come late afternoon. I don't really want to eat come late afternoon. The swimming pool beckons us until closing time at 6. But, by then, everyone is a crazy starving mess (except me, it seems, cause when it's hot, I'd just as soon pass on eating). My almost-5 year old (can't believe he's so big!) has really blossomed into a big boy this year. And, with that, he EATS. He used to be happy with a few bits of nothing thrown at him. We joked for years that he survived on air and chocolate milk. But, now? The boy wants a meal, as do his two younger brothers.

I'm only at the beginning of my motherhood journey, and now I totally get why so many empty-nesters spend the first several years eating out 5 nights a week. This every day thing gets to you!

But, hey, maybe it's just summer talking. And, I can totally conquer this!! cause, really, what's my other option? So, this week's plan is to find as many make-ahead, cool, foods as possible. We'll see if it works, and I can get back in the game.

Friday--chicken taco salads with black beans and corn (really good!)
Saturday--leftovers (lunch), hamburgers (supper)
Sunday--hummus (lunch), take-out burritos and sno-cones (supper)
Monday--Thai red chicken curry, rice
Tuesday-- hamburger steaks with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, chard
Wednesday--pasta with basil, walnuts, and maybe something else?, salad
Thursday--Savannah red rice, salad

As always, I'm linked to Menu Plan Monday at Orgjunkie with lots and lots and lots of other bloggers.

Early Spring Ramen

2011-06-09T06:14:00.000-04:00

I'm a huge, crazy fan of Ramen. I know, I know. But the cheap, beloved food of college students everywhere is still one of my favorites. With my first pregnancy, I ate the stuff almost every day. These days, I don't eat it THAT often, but sometimes, you just want some ramen.

But how to make it into supper?

Add the ramen to stir-fry. That's how! As always, I just grab whatever is in the fridge, and it somehow works together. This was a few weeks ago, so it was what was growing then. Mostly green. I added some chicken, baby carrots, onions, garlic, ginger, and then, the greens. This was a mixture of broccoli, bok choy, spinach, and scallions. Mixed with a sauce and cooked ramen, it's the perfect easy meal for a warm night.

Stir-fry sauce
4 T soy sauce
2 T rice wine vinegar
1 T brown sugar

Mix well and pour over stir fry just as it finishes cooking. Let everything cook together for an additional 1-2 minutes to thicken. Squeeze lime wedges over individual servings and top with Siracha hot sauce to taste.

Much Anticipated Cheap Fun

2011-06-08T06:21:00.000-04:00

We've had a zoo membership to our local zoo for the last year (it just expired last week). And every time, we would go, my boys would look longingly at the kiddie rides at the end of the zoo. There was a train, a carousel, and a rock climbing wall. We rode the train a few times, but I tried to set up the expectation that we were there for the *zoo*, and the (extra cost) rides were just that. Extra. For special occasions. And, mostly, this attitude worked well for us all year.

My big boys was really, really enthralled with that rock climbing wall, though. Thought it was the coolest thing he'd ever seen. So, when his tooth fell out, and he got some money, he knew exactly where he was going to spend it.

He suited up, and he was ready to climb.

And climb he did! He made it about 2/3 up the wall. Not bad for a not-quite-5-year-old.

Then, he got to rappel down the side of the rock. Lots of fun (and I think a little scary!).

I'm so proud of him for both climbing and learning the lesson of doing fun, extra stuff as a special extra, not an everyday. He's a great kid.

The Perfect Meal for Monday

2011-06-06T07:20:00.002-04:00

We love red beans and rice here. So good it makes your heart sing. My whole life I've heard that you eat red beans and rice on Mondays, so that's what we do. (It's a good, slow cooking, not much attention, meal for washday.) And, don't let it fool you. This sounds (and might look) like a winter dish, but it's completely appropriate in the summer, too. Just use your crockpot for the beans (or buy canned).

First, you cook the beans. These were cooked with a ham bone, so that's why you can see some of the fat in the broth. If you aren't a fan, you can chill the beans, then take the chilled fat off the top. Or be lazy like me. It's all good.

Beans take 2-3 hours to cook stovetop. Or like I said, use your crockpot. I do all day on low, half a day on high (how's that for exact?). Once the beans are cooked, use a wooden spoon to mash about 1/4 of them into the broth. It'll make the whole bean dish thicker.

I prefer the contrasting texture of smooth beans and vegetables that still have some body, so I add everything else at the end. This is 1/2 lb andouille, onions, a bell pepper, and celery (the trinity). Cook all that up, then dump it into the pot of beans.

Serve over white rice (and don't be like me--at least take the time to wipe off the rim of the bowl). The perfect slow cooked Monday dish while you do laundry (you do your laundry on Monday, right??).

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam today!

Menu Plan June 6

2011-06-06T06:54:00.000-04:00

My menu plan always starts on Friday (it's when I generally shop, and it's always payday), and this week is no exception. Except that my husband and my two older boys went on their very first road trip this weekend, so much of the weekend was solo. Ah, the quiet. And the no/little cooking. It was an awesome break!

Summer has hit us very, very full force. It's been in the mid 90s for over a week. We've harvested our very first cherry tomatoes (but no real tomatoes yet), the garden is growing gang-busters (but still limited crops), and we're hitting the pool every afternoon. So, there is a focus on make-ahead, easy, but very filling suppers right now. Swimming makes my boys ravenous! And easy to talk into eating lots of fruits and vegetables right when we get home. I love it!

Friday--free Krispy Kreme for doughnut day plus a Snoball (very, very healthy dinner here!)
Saturday--liverwurst and crackers (lunch), egg and olive (supper), and a bit of dairy free ice cream, too (!)
Sunday--chicken salad (lunch), seafood (crab, shrimp, oysters--yay!) gumbo over rice, salad with tiny pickled beets (local)(supper)
Monday--fresh local (thanks, Mom!) potatoes, mixed greens (kale, chard, beet, turnip), lentil soup, and green salad (veggie plate)
Tuesday--tacos
Wednesday--kofta kabobs, hummus, pita, cucumbers
Thursday--simple pasta with basil and tomatoes, salad

As always, I'm linked up to Orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Quiet

2011-06-05T08:47:00.002-04:00

picture courtesy of my cool mom. Aren't her lilies beautiful?

This week's date night was solo, a very rare thing indeed. My husband took my two older boys to visit his parents for the weekend. This was the first time he's taken them on a road trip, one of the first times the younger has spent the night away from me, and certainly the first time in a VERY long time that I've had two nights in a row all alone.

Ah, the quiet.

It's been a great weekend! I feel so refreshed and ready to jump back into the fray of parenting three sweet little boys who have more energy than anyone should be allowed. And a weekend of no cooking, a long window shopping trip, three farmers' markets to explore, and a huge big thick book. Hey, honey, don't you need to take the boys to your parents again soon??

Interesting links for the week

2011-05-25T06:11:00.002-04:00

I've spent a lot of time the last few weeks researching home school curriculum and options. It seems like such a big decision with so many options. And, then, of course, reality hits, and I realize that this sweet little boy is only 5 years old, we have many years ahead of us, and if something isn't working, we can always change. Doesn't stop me from obsessing, but it does keep it in perspective.

As does my Dennis the Menace son. Yesterday morning, he pulled up freshly planted flowers in the backyard. Cause "Mac like it". Well, of course, he does. ~anyway~

Luckily for me, when I get tired of obsessing over curriculum or sticking to a two year old like white on rice, well, then I get to browse around the internets and find cool stuff. Like this.

My friend Dawn over at Dishing with Dawndi had a great post this week about bloggers she enjoys reading. (I love reading what Dawn has to say, too!) Head over there and check out what she is thinking about.

Emily at Chatting at the sky always speaks to my soul. I love what she has to say about when you feel behind and the expectations we put on ourselves.

My friend Chas at Heritage Acre Homestead posted this recipe that looks so good. And, amazingly, crescent rolls in a can are dairy free. I think these will be okay without the cheese. If they turn out, they just might solve my never-ending, I don't know what to serve a picky, no eggs, little boy in the morning, problem.

And, finally, Lynn at Lynn's Kitchen Adventures links to lots and lots of staycation ideas. Perfect for a long hot summer.

Enjoy!

Potato kale enchiladas

2011-05-24T06:56:00.003-04:00

I love enchiladas. So good! I especially like plain cheese enchiladas from our local Mexican place. The sauce is sooo good, the cheese melty, and they always hit the spot. But...with no dairy, it makes it a little harder to eat enchiladas! So, I remembered an old recipe from Veganomicon that I made once for a vegan relative. They were tasty, but a lot of trouble. The filling was what was great about them, though. Hearty and filling, even without the cheese. And, as kale season draws to a close, a perfect choice.

I topped these with an equally old recipe from Cooking Light, for tomato almond mole. It's a really great sauce that goes together quickly (win!).

And, my potato kale enchiladas were born. I was lazy and just layered these, casserole style. My homemade enchiladas always end up a big, tasty, mushy mess, so sometimes, I just go with it instead of doing the work of rolling them. But, rolling works, too. Whatever you have the patience for.

Potato Kale Enchiladas
adapted from Veganomicon
1 pound waxy potatoes
1 bunch kale washed, trimmed and chopped finely
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup toasted pepitas
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 – 14 corn tortillas
Enchilada Sauce (recipe follows)

Prepare the filling: Peel and dice the potatoes, then boil them until tender. Drain and set aside. Cook the oil and minced garlic over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is slightly browned. Add the kale, sprinke with salt and raise the heat to medium stirring constantly to cover the kale with oil and garlic.

Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted – 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, vegetable stock, lime juice, pumpkin seeds and salt. Use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes. Cook for another 3 – 4 minutes.

To assemble, place a ladle full of sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan. Add a layer of torn corn tortillas, followed by a layer of potato kale filling. Top with another layer of corn tortillas, and top entire casserole with the enchilada sauce.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Garnish with cilantro and white onion rings.

Enchilada Sauce
adapted from Cooking Light, October 2002
1/2 c roasted almonds
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
2 dried Anaheim chiles -- stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1 c chopped onion
1 clove garlic
1 chipotle chile canned in adobo -- chopped
1 1/2 c fire roasted crushed tomatoes -- such as Muir Glen
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cloves
2 6-inch corn tortillas -- torn into pieces
14 1/2 oz chicken or vegetable broth (I used better than bouillon chicken)
1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Place almonds in food processor and process until smooth (about 2 1/2 minutes) scraping side of bowl once. Set aside.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high. Add Anaheim chiles; saute 1 minute or until softened. Add onion and garlic and saute 4 minutes or until onion is lightly browned.

Add chipotle, tomatoes, sugar, spices, tortilla pieces, and broth to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon the mixture into a food processor and process until smooth. Return mixture to pan; stir in almond butter and vinegar; cook 1 minute.

I'm linked to the summer link party at Rhoda's, as well as Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam today.

Menu Plan Monday

2011-05-23T13:06:00.004-04:00

This has been a Monday already! Luckily for me, the Tomato King has a four day weekend coming up, which means an extra set of hands, and (probably more importantly) an extra brain to stay one step ahead of three very curious little boys. Yay for holidays!

Friday--brunswick stew, bread
Saturday--hot dogs (lunch), burritos with chipotle pork, sweet potatoes, collards (supper)
Sunday--tacos with chorizo, potatoes, and eggs (lunch), taco salad (supper)
Monday--curried chickpeas, rice, Indian style eggplant
Tuesday--chicken and rice, salad, chard
Wednesday--fend for yourself! Mama has a shellfish cooking class.
Thursday--burritos with skirt steak, pintos, Mexican rice, and tomatillo chipotle salsa

As always, I'm linked to Orgjunkie's MealPlanMonday. Check it out for lots and lots of meal planning ideas.

Strawberry picking

2011-05-19T14:28:00.002-04:00

We went strawberry picking for the second time this year last week. Will has never been fond of strawberries, but well, there aren't many foods that don't come in boxes and bags that get him excited. We carry on anyway. The other two boys LOVE strawberries. We picked two days ago, and I have less than a cup of berries left out of a gallon. No fancy desserts, no jam, nothing but straight strawberry snacking. I am amazed by how much food our family can put away! It's crazy and fun and a little bit awe-inspiring, too.

I forgot my camera for this trip (thank you for the pictures, Mom!), so I wasn't behind the lens. Which means that there is actual proof that I was along for the fun.

Fancy date night

2011-05-18T05:52:00.000-04:00

We like to mix it up a little bit on Saturday nights. Sometimes we do take-out, sometimes we eat our favorite fast food, sometimes we cook an old favorite, and sometimes, I like to try something new. So, last week, when I was browsing the grocery store, these baby octupus jumped out at me as something new to try. No, really, they did look really fresh and good, and the price was right for something new ($2.99/lb).

If I'm making something new, I usually wait until after bedtime to start cooking, and Mike will come into the kitchen with me and share drinks while I'm cooking. It's not quite him cooking with me, but it's as close as we are likely to get (lol), and it's fun.

I searched the internets, and it seems that they are best either slowly braised or cooked quickly with a sear or grilling. I went for the quick cooking. And, because we love everything better as tacos, I went with a Mexican spin on the flavors.

Since we were going Mexican style, we started the night with virgin margaritas, which is a fancy way to say limeade with a salted rim, but, hey, whatever works, right? One glass is a little darker than the other, because I tend to make flavored simple syrups to mix with seltzer, and I like my drink sweeter than Mike's. The simple syrup (rather than making a pitcher) allows you to customize like that. Fancy.

This is a great picture of the octupus, but alas, after this, my camera battery died, and I have no more. At least I got this one.

These were quick sauteed in a skillet, then mixed with garlic, lime juice, and cilantro. We ate them on corn tortillas, topped with chopped white onion, cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and this killer homemade jalapeno hot sauce from Rick Bayless. So good (really! I'm not just saying that).

Have you cooked something new lately?? What's holding you back? The grocery store is full of great ideas, and if you've got a willing person to share it with, something new can be a lot of fun.

Thanks for peeking into our at-home date night another week!

Stuffed peppers

2011-05-10T07:10:00.001-04:00

For my family, the change of seasons always brings with it new challenges. Kids act crazy, schedules change, and it seems impossible to find time for blogging and other quiet tasks.

And, then, inexplicably, things seem to fall into place (or perhaps it is the eye of the storm!). Still, it's hard to make time for the things that I like in the day in and day out. Ah, life.

And speaking of life. Sometimes, my international market has random great deals. Like bell peppers, 6 for $1.19. I got 18, planning to freeze them, and we ate them all, in a mere 2 weeks time. Guess I had missed peppers since last summer! This was my stove top variation on stuffed peppers. It's hot already, so I avoid the oven as much as possible.

This recipe starts with ground beef and onions, of course. Even if I don't know what to cook, that's how I start. It always turns into something.

A can of diced tomatoes. I'm out of home-canned tomatoes, so Hunt's will have to do until summer. This is the lazy version, with onions, celery, and bell pepper added. Makes life easier.

Leftover rice. I had made this extra on purpose, thinking we'd have fried rice, but stuffed peppers sounded better.

I steamed the peppers for a few minutes until they were tender. Maybe 5 minutes? Not long.

I had no tomato sauce in the house, so I whisked together some tomato paste and water to make the sauce for the peppers.

Stuffed the peppers with the ground beef/rice/tomato mixture, then placed them in the skillet with the tomato paste mixture. I topped the peppers with a little of the gravy/sauce. And, yes, one of the peppers is pepper-less. My husband isn't a huge fan of bell peppers, so he ate one stuffed pepper and one pepper-less pile of stuffing. Whatever works.

I just covered these and simmered for about 15 minutes, until everything was heating through.

They turned out great! I was so pleased to find an oven favorite that translates to the stove-top. Yay for a cooler kitchen!

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam today.

Salsa Chicken

2011-05-04T06:06:00.000-04:00

This meal didn't start out to become this. But, as I realized that I was out of this and that and the other, it morphed into something delicious. Inspired (a little) by my brother's beloved salsa chicken (recipe: Pace+chicken+oven), this turned into an easy, stove top meal that everyone liked.

What's not to love? Tomatoes, black beans, and corn, all cooked with chicken cutlets. I served this pasta alongside, but it'd be great with rice, rolled into a tortilla, or served over some greens (we've got greens going gang-busters right now, so I have greens on the brain). Whatever you choose, it's a great keeper of a recipe. Try it soon!

Black Bean Salsa Chicken
2 cups black beans
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn (fresh is better, but do what you have to do)
1 onion, diced
1-3 jalapenos, diced, seeded if desired
2 cloves garlic
cilantro to taste (I use about 1/2 a bunch)
1-14 oz can diced fire roasted tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
chicken cutlets (I use boneless skinless breasts, cut into thirds with a sharp knife and a steady hand), however many you need to feed the family
oil for sauteing (I'm a canola kind of girl)

Heat oil in a deep skillet until shimmering. Add cutlets, season with salt and pepper, and pan-fry until almost done, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove from pan to a plate and keep warm.

Add onion and jalapeno to skillet and allow to cook briefly. Add garlic, beans, corn, tomatoes, and cilantro, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt (if needed) and pepper. Add cumin. Slide cutlets back into mixture and allow to heat through. Enjoy!

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Beauty and Bedlam. Every week, great ideas, lots of inspiration, plus pretty pictures. What could be better?

Recent date night

2011-04-28T07:13:00.000-04:00

We have had a really pretty spring this year. Lots of warm weather, lots of sunshine, and we've spent lots (just seeing how many times I could use that word) of time outside.

For this date night, we enjoyed our camp chairs in the backyard. We live next door to a little league field, and they were having live music as part of their opening day celebration. Woohoo! Live music for us.

It's the little things.

Yummy toasted saltines with butter, garlic, and parsley.

And lemonade flavored with the end of last season's blueberry lime jam. So good. I don't love this jam on toast (though my kids do), but I really love it in drinks and yogurt. Good stuff.

And that's all it takes. Snacks, special drinks, eavesdropping on music, and great conversation in the backyard with my favorite person. I'm a lucky girl.

Menu Plan April 25

2011-04-25T06:44:00.005-04:00

Last week, we celebrated Easter with my extended family, and we had a ham. A very good ham, I might add, but ham nonetheless. I also swung by Honey Baked Ham this week to buy a bone to make my red beans and rice. So, with all that ham, I decided we'd have something else for Easter dinner. I settled on a slow roasted eye of round roast I saw on America's Test Kitchen. They called it oven roast on a pot roast budget. It was an odd, odd recipe, but it turned out really well, and we loved it. I'll definitely make it again.

Our greens have also prodouced really well this year. I just harvested the last of the lettuce yesterday. I've got collards, chard, kohlrabi, and cabbage in the fridge right now, as well as the lettuce. Lots of greens. :)

Fri-(our last meatless Friday!) bean burritos
Sat-birthday party (lunch), take out (supper)
Sun-ham omelets, home fries, fruit salad (lunch), roast beef , salad, asparagus, sweet potatoes, french bread, watergate salad (Easter dinner)
Mon-red beans and rice (they got bumped last week), salad
Tues-something that involves leftover roast beef and greens, as yet undecided
Wed-meatballs in brown gravy over rice, stir fried broccoli and greens
Thurs-black beans, rice, and chicken, collards of some sort (I bet all this will end up tasting Mexican inspired)

As always, I am linked to orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T06:40:00.000-04:00

As always, a picture with 3 little boys, in a hurry on the way to church, was probably not my best idea. But, they were so darn cute, even if the picture doesn't do them justice. And we thoroughly enjoyed celebrating our special day.

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

Menu Plan April 18

2011-04-19T06:39:00.000-04:00

It's been a busy two weeks around here. Some spring cleaning, breaking into two new playgroups (!), and just the general call of the outdoors. So, a tiny bit neglectful of my blog. Ah, well, life happens, right?

I still menu plan, though. It helps to get my thoughts out, make sure that we're eating things I like, and it certainly helps with the "who can think in this chaos" 5pm blues. This is a good thing.

Friday--beans and greens with farfelle pasta (cannelini beans and spinach)
Saturday--birthday lunch at my mom's, fajitas (supper)
Sunday--hot dogs (lunch), frozen Chinese food (yes, it was bad), eggrolls, stir fry of zuchinni, red pepper, and basil
Monday--Thai chicken salad
Tuesday--Italian sausages, sauteed onions and peppers, pasta, salad
Wednesday--Mike's birthday. Old El Paso style tacos, with ground beef and refried beans, lemon cupcakes, and limeade
Thursday--red beans and rice with ham and andouille, salad, bread

And, even though it's a day late, I'm still linked to Orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday. Tuesday works, too.

Chicken and sausage etouffee

2011-04-07T06:35:00.000-04:00

I love cajun and creole flavors. So cozy, so warming, so good. This is a great one to make for a night when you need a meal in a hurry that tastes like it took all day to make.

It starts with a roux, of course. This is a fairly light colored roux. Just this side of peanut butter colored, I'd say. I make my roux with White Lily flour and canola oil. I just think it tastes better that way.

Once the roux is done, add all the good stuff. Onions and andouille.

Celery with the leaves.

And peppers. I usually use bell peppers, but this time, I had a poblano. That works, too.

Mix all that up, let it cook for a while, then add cooked chicken to the pot. I also added a jar of tomatoes, cause I add tomatoes to everything. I prefer home-canned to this or whole tomatoes, crushed yourself, because they don't stay in pieces like commercially canned diced tomatoes do. They sort of melt into the sauce. Simmer until everything is warm and the flavors have melded, about 20 minutes or so.

Just enough time for a pot of rice to cook. Enjoy!

Chicken and sausage etouffee

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup oil
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 lb andouille, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken
1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, crushed with your hands
hot cooked rice for serving

First you make a roux. Mix the oil and flour together, whisking continually, and cook until it is almost peanut butter colored. Add the andouille, celery, onions, and pepper, and cook until vegetables are tender and sausage is browned on the edges. Add the chicken and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Serve over rice.

Menu Plan April 4

2011-04-04T09:04:00.006-04:00

I'm so excited that it's April. I love this month, almost as much as September, when all the harvest is rolling in. I think I love the change of seasons most of all. April is also a very sweet month for us, with my parents' anniversary, and the birthdays of three of my favorite people--my sweet Tomato King, my mom, and my stepdad. So, lots of cake this month. Yay! I am rolling around some dairy free options for Mike's birthday, and I can't wait to try them out. This is also the first year that my 4 year old has some understanding of Easter, and he's very excited. I'm loving hearing him tell me all about Easter and why we celebrate.

With the change of seasons, we also change the way we eat a little bit. Less oven meals (too hot!) and more main dish salads. I do a few set meals each week , and I think I'm going to change one of them to a salad meal. We'll see. We're also still in Lent, and our family is doing meat-less Fridays, which has been a blessing to us this year.

This week, we are also taking our first camping trip of the season. Two years ago, we bought a new-to-us-but-really-well-used pop up camper. We had a great time in it. Last summer, though, I was pregnant, then had a newborn, plus we moved, so we never made it camping. This year, we have great plans for several trips. This is the first one, to south Georgia, and I'm excited. We're meeting my sister-in-law there, too, so I'm looking forward to seeing her (she's not into camping, so she's going to just come see us and sleep in her comfortable hotel bed.. I'm not sure if I should call her a wimp or brilliant! ~smile~)

But, without further ado, here's the plan for the next 2 weeks:

Friday--omelets with red peppers and chard, home fries, toast

Saturday--leftovers (lunch), sushi (supper)

Sunday--main dish salads with chicken, black beans, and corn (lunch), brunswick stew (supper)--this was a hold over from last week, but I'm glad I finally got to it. Such a hit with our family every time, plus we have leftovers for the freezer

Monday--stuffed peppers, salad, roasted potatoes, beets

Tuesday--pork stir fry with baby bok choy, chard, beet greens, and whatever else I can find over ramen

Wednesday--chicken, sausage, okra gumbo over rice

Thursday--lunch with my mom to celebrate her birthday, then chicken cutlets with mushroom sauce, buttered pasta, salad, any greens left from the week (an easy meal to use up any perishables before we leave for the weekend)

Friday--camping--bean burritos (lunch), vegetarian chili (supper)

Saturday--eggs, sausage, biscuits (breakfast), quesadillas or chicken salad (lunch), hamburgers (supper)

Sunday--pancakes, sausage (breakfast), fast food (lunch), frozen soup (supper)--I'm no fool! Coming home from camping is exhausting, and I need the easiest thing I can muster this night

Monday--black beans and rice and chicken, salad

Tuesday--tortilla soup

Wednesday--salmon croquettes, rice, salad, some sort of vegetable

Thursday--spaghetti

As always, I'm linked to Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie. Lots of great ideas if you need something new!

Brownies

2011-03-31T06:44:00.001-04:00

Sometimes an old classic is all you need. I've been revisiting some of my childhood favorites in the last 3 or 4 months for a few reasons. They're cheap, and my kids love them. That's the top two. But, also, my mom always used margarine, so I know that they'll taste okay dairy free, and she wasn't big on cream, cheese, or the like, so most of them are naturally lower in dairy. It's nice to be able to make something that I *know* will turn out. I've made these brownies twice in the last month. They come from the cookbook of my elementary school. We lived at the beach at the time, and our school mascot was a dolphin, hence the name.

This is one of the first recipes I learned to make. I was 9 years old. In the last 25 years, I'll bet I've made these brownies 150 times. Easy. There were years that they were a weekly or monthly treat. It makes me smile to see the splattered page.

But, it really makes me smile to see the pan come out of the oven! So good. So easy. So cheap. You gotta try these.

Brownies
1 stick butter or margarine
6 T cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 egg for fudgey; 2 for cake like
1 t vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1 cup pecans, chopped (this is optional, but a good addition)

Melt the butter (I do it in the microwave). Whisk in the cocoa, then the sugar. Add in the egg, whisking well to combine, then the vanilla. Stir in the flour. The batter will be thick. Bake in a greased pan at 350 for 15 minutes. The center will look like it's not quite set. This is what you want! As they cool, the center will stay fudgey and delicious. If you prefer a more cake-like brownie, cook for 20 minutes, until the center is completely set.

These are so easy! What are you waiting for??

Bathroom redo

2011-03-29T06:46:00.002-04:00

I've been lazy about posting pictures of our new house (it still feels new, even though we've been here 6 months, so I'll just count it as new) cause, well, each room still has *something* that needs finishing. But, spring is here, and I'm inspired to start finishing all those little projects. Ah, yard sales and sunny days to spray paint. What could be better? So, I'll start with the bathroom. Very exciting, I know. But, it's compact, which means it was finished first, and I like the way it turned out. Which is good. Cause it's the only one I've got. *smiles*

My bathroom has pink and gray tile. Very vintage. Very cool. Very hard to wrap my head around decorating with. So, I started with this fabric. It's a beloved piece from the master bedroom bedding. We bought this with wedding money, and I've yet to find something I like better (I'm on the lookout because my duvet is almost threadbare). So, 10 years later, and I still love it. Better for me, there are small bits of both pink and gray in there, so it really ties the bathroom together.

These hooks are from IKEA. I'm not a crazy contemporary girl, but I like the clean, traditional lines of the hooks, and they worked well for this awkward little spot as you enter the bathroom. The painting above it is from a high school friend. She's a wonderfully talented artist, and I love the piece.

My mom made hooded, monogrammed towels for my boys after I fainted when I saw the prices that they command in the store. As always, thank you, mom!

I'm most pleased with this rug. I debated and debated what to do about a bathroom rug. And, then, one day, I was perusing Young House Love, and I found my inspiration. This version is from IKEA, and it was a whopping $4.99. This is good, because one bathroom plus 3 muddy little boys, one muddy husband, and one muddy dog, well, that's going to equal frequent bath mat replacement. But for 5 bucks, I'm okay with that.

In a house long, long ago, I had this very boring shower curtain. It was "natural", tab topped, and seriously, I think I bought it at Target around 11 years ago. I'm sure it was Target, because 11 years ago, I had that store memorized. I think I had one of everything. Oh, how times will change on you. Next thing you know, you look up, and you haven't been to Target in 6 months. Crazy. Anyway. I dyed that sucker chocolate brown, then added some fringe to the bottom. I like the way it turned out. I'm debating having an initial monogrammed in the middle, but for right now, I like the way it looks.

The room IS pink, so I added some of my childhood pretties. They don't really fit anywhere else in my house, so I'm enjoying them in the bathroom. This is a cross-stitch my mom did for me that was in my room as a teenager. It says "make a joyful noise", and it's one of my favorites.

A little valence. We also have blinds, but we leave them open most of the time. This window is surprisingly well situated, and it is decently private.

This is the view when I want to see some girly-ness and remember that I am a grown-up. This is the rest of my pink pretties from my childhood.

And this is the scene when I remind myself that I share the bathroom with three little boys. These little metal baskets work well for the bath toys. They drain and dry quickly, and their small size keeps the toy numbers in check (cause sometimes I am cramming 3 boys and their toys into one bathtub--not a ton of room in there!).

This shot gives you a good look at what I had to start with--pink and gray, oh my. The little painted milk glass was picked up at a festival a million years ago. I love the happy flowers. Another girl touch in a house of boys.

And there you have it. Vintage 50s fun meets a traditional, use-what-you-have kind of girl. I hope you enjoyed the tour of the most popular room in our house!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-03-28T14:33:00.003-04:00

Last week, I got a little crazy when I bought cabbage, and I still have half of a huge head left. Hopefully a couple of meals of slaw will finish it off. If not, we'll be figuring out even more ways to eat cabbage. I've gotten an Indian meal on the menu, too. I'm excited to tackle several recipes in that. In the past, I've always done one curry, plain rice, and a plain vegetable on the side. Good, but this time, I'm going to see if I can recreate take-out, with several curry options. I love Indian food, so even if it's bad, it'll be good.

Friday--hummus, tabouli, pita bread, carrot and celery sticks

Saturday--out (lunch), chicken nuggets, roasted sweet potatoes, salad, egg rolls (our at-home date)

Sunday--chicken noodle soup (lunch), eggs, sausage, biscuits, potato pancakes (supper)

Monday--slow roasted pork butt, squishy white bread rolls, slaw, sweet potatoes

Tuesday--green bean curry, lentil dal , basmati rice, aloo gobi

Wednesday--enchiladas with roasted chicken, kale, potatoes, and a pasilla almond sauce

Thursday--brunswick stew

Another glimpse of spring

2011-03-26T09:50:00.001-04:00

My Mom's House

2011-03-25T07:19:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been thinking about enjoying the beauty we find in the everyday. This season of life I'm in doesn't lend itself to lots of money to spend on pretty things, nor hours to spend in creative pursuits. But, what it does lend itself to is lots of time to observe the world around me. As my little boys take their time and figure out the world, I have plenty of time to look around and find the beauty around me. So, that's what I'm purposing to do.

Yesterday, we spent the day at my mom's house. Ah, glorious spring! I love, love, love spring in my hometown. When we lived in the mountains, spring was so very slow in coming. It was this incredibly long, drawn out process of one bloom here, one little sprout there, the promise of kale over there. Tedious and slow and a bit crazy making.

But here? Spring comes with a bang! One day, it's cold and winter, and the next? Spring is here! It's hot in the afternoons, you can hear the birds singing, and everything is in bloom. As it should be, of course.

And I'll leave you with my favorite shot...the promise of figs. Oh, figs, I can't wait!

So, go out today. See what you can find. There is beauty that needs us to find it. Look for it!

Chicken and rice casserole

2011-03-24T06:33:00.003-04:00

The very first meal I cooked start to finish was for my 6th grade home economics class. It consisted of chicken and rice casserole (my mom's cookbook called it "chicken supreme"), a can of green beans, and jello no-bake cheesecake. I remember that the family gave me such compliments on it, and those flavors always take me right back. Only thing...chicken supreme is a no-go right now. It has two cans of soup in it, and without dairy, there is no canned soup. What to do? What to do? Cause when you need some chicken and rice, you must figure out a way! This version was really good (surprisingly so), and all 5 of us enjoyed it. Definitely a repeater. I started by browning the chicken. This is most of a cut-up chicken (minus the breasts--I used them in another meal), plus two thighs. It always amazes me how much bigger chicken pieces are when you buy them separately rather than cut up your own chicken. I wonder if they chickens are different breeds...Hmm. Must research this. But, back to the casserole

Once the chicken was brown (you don't want it cooked through, cause it's going in the oven), I toasted the rice in the same pan. Just until the center turns a little white.

Made the sauce. This is margarine, flour, and chicken bouillon (from a jar of better than bouillon ). I think the bouillon works really well here, because it's replacing canned soup. I was afraid chicken broth wouldn't have the stronger flavor I was looking for. I did add about 1/3 cup of coconut milk (the kind that is in the refrigerator section) at the very end to give it a creaminess. It would have been cream if we ate dairy.

Mix the sauce with the rice, then layer the chicken on top.

Once baked, the rice absorbs the sauce and all the goodness from the chicken, and the whole thing is really, really good. It'll take you right back to 6th grade. In a good way.

Chicken Supreme approx 3.5 pounds of chicken pieces (about 6 pieces) 1.5 cups rice 1/2 stick butter (or margarine for dairy free) 5 T flour 3 cups chicken bouillon (you could use chicken broth, but season it well) 1/3 cup cream or dairy substitute such as coconut or almond milk Brown chicken in a deep skillet and remove. Add rice to the same skillet and toast just until the centers of the rice turn white. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter/margarine, and whisk in the flour to make a roux. Allow to cook for 1-2 minutes to get the raw flour taste out, then add the chicken bouillon, whisking continually until the sauce thickens. Add the cream/substitute and stir well. Taste and correct seasoning (salt and pepper) as needed. Add the sauce to the rice in the skillet, stirring well to combine. Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice. Cover the skillet with a tight fitting lid or aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for approximately 50 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and rice is done.

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Lots of great ideas! Check it out!

Italian Wedding Soup

2011-03-22T06:35:00.002-04:00

My sister-in-law is married to a real "Eye-talian" as my grandmother used to say. Her inlaws make gravy on Sunday afternoons, celebrate the feast of Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, and her children count meatballs as their favorite food. Leslie had no choice. She had to figure out how to get her husband the flavors he loved. So, as a result, she is a really good Italian cook. This recipe is one of her husband's favorites.

My children also love it. I think they love the meatballs the most. It starts with really, really small meatballs. I used a pound of ground beef, plus 1/2 pound of pork, and these are the meatballs I ended up with. I counted them, and it was 120 meatballs. That is a lot of balls! My children loved them, of course, so it was worth it (and the soup is darn good! We loved it, too).

Italian wedding Soup

8 cups chicken broth
2 cups shredded chicken
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 T Italian seasoning
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 carrots, chopped into bite size pieces
1 package frozen spinach
2 t dried dillweed
salt and pepper
1/2 pound small pasta--anything works here. Corkscrews, broken spaghetti, elbows, ditalini

Mix ground meats, Italian seasoning, bread crumbs, and egg together until well combined. Form into tiny meatballs and set aside. In a large soup pot, saute onion until softened. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chicken broth, chicken, carrots, spinach, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then drop in meatballs. Simmer 10 minutes. Add pasta, and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through and pasta is done.

**sometimes I make the pasta separately, especially if I think that I've made enough soup for leftovers. If the pasta is already in the soup, the leftovers aren't as good as if you store it separately.

Today, I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Check it out!

Menu Plan March 21

2011-03-21T06:13:00.003-04:00

This weekend, I was down with a 24 hour bug that left me in the bed for, well, 24 hours. My husband is a great dad, a great husband, but, well, let's just say that for 24 hours, everyone ate what was easy and quick and didn't require a lot of work. I'm feeling so much better today, so we're back to our planned meals.

It's a good reminder to me, though, to make sure that I have the fixings for a few emergency, Dad can make them, meals on hand. For us, that's quesadillas, pancakes, and spaghetti. Always important to have in the house. :)

Friday--take out burritos
Saturday--fish tacos (lunch), take out (supper)
Sunday--quesadillas (lunch), spaghetti (supper)
Monday--hamburgers, baked beans, coleslaw, wacky cake (taking dinner to an acquaintance with newborn triplets!)
Tuesday--red Thai curry over jasmine rice
Wednesday--pork chops, my mom's "brown rice", green vegetable, salad
Thursday--moros y cristianos (black beans and rice with a tomato/ground beef sauce)

As always, I'm linked to Meal Plan Monday over at orgjunkie. Lots of great ideas over there!

Mexican Skillet Meal

2011-03-18T08:05:00.000-04:00

A few months ago, I submitted a recipe for a skillet meal to All You magazine. This is one of those easy meals that everyone likes. My kids are huge fans of rice, as well as taco flavors. It's rare to find a meal that all 5 of us willingly eat (I have a child that survives on air, chocolate milk, and peanut butter), so this is a great meal.

It starts, as so many do, with browning ground beef along with an onion and garlic.

Next, I add the rice until it turns sort of white and opaque. You want to slightly toast the rice at this step.

Add the spices, tomato sauce, and water.

After it simmers, serve it up! I make spinach separately to mix with the adult portions in our house. Green is wayyyy too frightening for my young children. *rolling my eyes here* And, I top everyone's with taco toppings--crushed chips, cilantro, onion, jalapenos, and a squeeze of lime. It would also be good with dairy, of course. I'd top it with cheese and sour cream.

All You liked my recipe so much that they declared it a winner! They sent this great non-stick skillet set as my prize. I'll also be in a future issue.

I love the skillets (they work really well), but I really love knowing that I was a winner. Thanks, All You!

Mexican Skillet Meal

1 pound ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 T cumin
1 T chili powder
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
toppings:
shredded monterey jack cheese
crushed tortilla chips
jalapenos
cilantro
diced onions
sour cream
salsa

Brown ground beef in skillet, draining if necessary. Add onion and saute until onion is translucent, about 4 more minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 additional minute, until fragrant. Add rice to skillet, stirring until rice is slightly opaque and white, about 2 minutes. Add in spinach, tomato sauce, water, and spices. Bring to a boil. Place a tight fitting lid on skillet, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook for 20 minutes, until rice is done.

Top skillet meal with monterey jack cheese, cilantro, onions, sour cream, salsa, and crushed tortilla chips, as desired.

Egg and Olive

2011-03-17T06:36:00.001-04:00

One of my old family recipes is so very simple that it's almost stupid. Egg salad with olives. But, the flavors work really well together, and it's a true classic. After 10 years of marriage, I'm *this* close to convincing my husband to try it (and he doesn't like boiled eggs or mayonnaise, so this was a big challenge to undertake). But, really, this stuff is that good. It'll make anyone love eggs.

Egg and Olive (serves 2)

4-5 boiled eggs (depends on how hungry you are)
1/2 cup green olives, chopped
2 T mayonnaise
1/2 t olive juice
salt and pepper to taste (go easy on the salt because of the olives)

Chop the eggs, then mix everything. Egg salad is so intensely personal. If you like big chunks, stir lightly. If you like it more like deviled eggs in a bowl, stir a little more vigorously. Like it creamy? Add a little more mayo. More dry? Then go easy. It's so easy to customize this dish, and it's a great lunch that can be thrown together in 20 minutes (14 of those being the egg cooking time).

I usually eat this as a sandwich or (as above) with toast "fingers". So good. Try it soon!

Junk food date night

2011-03-15T08:15:00.002-04:00

If fried foods make your cringe, you might want to look away.

That said, sometimes I just like fried foods. Okay, if you define sometimes as every day that ends in "y". I'm a child of the south. Even though Paula Deen has a totally exaggerated accent, and she makes ordinary Tuesday food as if it's something special, well, she has a point about the butter and fried foods. The stuff is goood.

So, there you go.

The chief requirement for Saturday night date food is that it has to be "good". This is a hugely encompassing category, but hey, it's our at-home dates, so we can do whatever we want. *wink* This week, I decided that fried was the order of the day.

I made chicken nuggets and french fries. As an aside, when we got married, my husband didn't realize you could make french fries at home. His mother never, ever fried a single thing growing up. She would die if she saw this meal. My own mother? Well, I learned to fry from someone. I don't think she fries anymore, but back in the day? Let's just say that, as children, I didn't realize there were foods that couldn't be fried.

We decided to healthify our fried foods with salad. This is green leaf, cabbage, and green olives (we both love olives).

I just threw the chicken nuggets nad fries in the salad, along with honey mustard dressing.

So good! And the perfect meal for our date of watching a cheesy movie together on the couch. It might seem silly, but I really do love Saturday nights with the Tomato King. It's so much fun to think of a meal we'll enjoy and have time to just talk and enjoy his company. Even if we have to exhaust small children and drink a late afternoon coffee to make this happen. Totally worth it.

Homemade Woodstock dressing

2011-03-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

In my quest for new salad dressings, I came across this one. (again with thanks to my friend Tammy!) It reminded me of a dressing that I used to buy, Annies Natural Woodstock dressing. My local store stopped carrying it, so I got out of the habit of buying it, but I always loved that dressing. So, when I saw the recipe from daily garnish, I had to try it.

So good! This one sounds a little crazy, but it's good, in a very rich, earthy, sort of way. If you like the deep flavor of beets, nuts, and parmesan cheese (yes, I realize those are very different), then you'll like this dressing.

Woodstock dressing
3 T nutritional yeast
2 T soy sauce
2 T oil (I used canola)
1.5 T whole grain mustard
4 T water

Place all ingredients in a jar or cruet, shake well to mix, and enjoy!

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Lots of great ideas over there!

Meal Plan Monday

2011-03-14T07:46:00.003-04:00

I never got last week's menu posted, so I'll do 2 weeks at a time this week.

Friday--take out Indian (pay day!)
Saturday--boca burgers, home fries (lunch), steaks, mushrooms, spinach dip (supper)
Sunday-bahn mi (lunch--take out), biscuits and gravy, eggs (supper)
Monday--hamburger steaks with mushroom gravy, rice, black eyed peas
Tuesday--fried chicken and waffles
Wednesday--stuffing with roasted chicken and sausage, chicken gravy, greens
Thursday--spaghetti
Friday--lentil/rice tacos
Saturday--leftovers (lunch), spatch-cocked grilled chicken, salad, sweet potatoes (supper)
Sunday--eggs of some sort (found a good deal on eggs this week, plus it's easy), rice salad with chicken (supper)
Monday--curried vegetables with dahl from Moosewood Cooks at Home (new recipe)
Tuesday--quesadillas with chicken, spinach, and black beans
Wednesday--porcupine meatballs over rice, greens
Thursday--chicken livers, roasted potatoes or rice, mustard greens

Sausage gravy

2011-03-11T06:51:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite breakfast for supper meals is biscuits and gravy. I didn't grow up with this meal (it's not that common in the very deep south, and my mother isn't a huge fan of white gravy), but I discovered it in my late teens, and I've been a convert ever since.

We haven't had the meal in oh so long, because I was scared to try it without milk. But, my cravings got the better of me, and I decided to go for it last week. It turned out really well.

I started with homemade sausage, just because I'm more likely to have ground pork in the house than breakfast sausage. For sausage, I just season the meat and allow it to sit for an hour or two. I use salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, and garlic, but you can use whatever seasonings you like.

Once the sausage is browned (and I prefer bigger pieces, pretty well browned, but again, that's a personal preference), add flour to make a roux. This sausage was a little dry, so I added about a tablespoon of oil to make it come together.

And, then, I added soy milk. I seasoned with worchestershire sauce and nutritional yeast. I've found these flavors work really well with the soy milk, sort of taking away any funny soy flavor.

I served this gravy over store-bought biscuits (still working on a good dairy free biscuit recipe), with scrambled eggs. Breakfast for a king!

In our house, Sunday nights are almost always breakfast for supper. It's good (for me, at least!) to have such an easy meal to make at the end of a busy weekend. And who doesn't love breakfast for supper? Put it on your menu this week! It'll make everyone smile.

French salad dressing

2011-03-10T06:57:00.001-05:00

For the last few years (!), I've been stuck on one salad dressing. Yes, folks, the redneck in me loves some ranch salad dressing. So good, so creamy, so delicious. And so full of dairy.

So, with the dairy free diet, I've been experimenting with some different dressings. My husband and all 3 boys love Good Seasons Italian, almost to the exclusion of all others. And, it's okay, but it's not something I want to eat everyday. So, on the quest for something new and different, I reverted back to an old, retro favorite. Just as good as I remembered.

French dressing
1/3 cup oil (something light--I used canola)
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water

Place all the ingredients in a jar or cruet, shake to mix, and enjoy.

Celebration Date

2011-03-09T06:03:00.004-05:00

Do you, too, have those competing voices in your head? The ones that say completely opposite ideas? This week, two of those ideas were competing. For some background, my husband works in a commission based job in a cyclical industry. Just what this routine-driven, wash every single Monday of my life, kind of girl loves. Or not. Typically spring and fall are boom times, with long, sparse winters. Last fall was uncharacteristically slow, though, so the commissions have been thin for a long time. This month, though, we got a big check. Best that he has seen since last May. And, I know that the Tomato King has worked really hard (and has changed positions within the company) to make that check happen.

So, the check came, and the voices started talking. I had Dave Ramsey over one shoulder. Pay off debt! Throw it at necessary things!! Debt, people! Debt!!

And over on the other shoulder, I had Gloria Gaither. Celebrate! Make a memory!

So, Gloria won, although in a way to make Dave proud, aka frugal zealot style.

Early in the afternoon, we took our family to Dairy Queen. It's my dear husband's favorite spot, and our family had a lot of fun celebrating his hard work. The baby and I are, of course, dairy free, so we enjoyed a Mr. Misty. It's not as good as ice cream, but unlike someone with a true allergy, I know that my ice cream free time is short, so I don't let myself think about it.

That night, our kids crashed early from their sugar high (hooray! Success!). We enjoyed Cinderella cocktails in my beloved vintage Tervis Tumblers.

With those, we had our favorite spinach dip. Always a winner, and yes, it's just the classic soup mix and water chestnut blend. The old school favorite coordinates with my vintage Tervis, of course.

And, we splurged on these fantastically beautiful t-bone steaks.

And Worcestershire braised mushrooms on the side.

We had such a fun night. After dinner, we watched a cheesy movie on The Tomato King's passion right now. Yes, folks, Dirt. A great end to a day all about celebrating a special guy's really hard work. Gloria was right. Making a memory is always the better choice.

Now, go! Go! Make a memory!!

Ah, Grit Tofu

2011-03-08T06:01:00.007-05:00

I grew up in a college town. As such, there is always someone around experimenting with alternative ways. They have a rocking music scene, and in college, I was introduced to all sorts of styles of music (as well as some classics--I even saw the B-52s in concert!). But, it seems almost required that everyone in town experiments with vegetarianism at some point. And, to help those folks along the way, there is a beloved vegetarian restaurant in town that almost everyone has tried at least once, and most people love. Me? I adore the place, and I never get there often enough.

One of their staples on the menu is called The Golden Bowl. Rice, fabulous tofu, yeast gravy, and stir fried vegetables. Ah, heaven in a bowl.

So, for dinner last week, I made the very best part of this meal--the tofu. In an attempt to make everyone happy at the table, I served it with fried rice and sauteed bok choy. This meal was wonderful. The Tomato King, the baby, and I devoured it. The middle one ate it with ketchup (and gusto--he had 4 servings!), and my oldest child licked it and went to bed determined to have an extra big bowl of oatmeal the next morning. This is a successful recipe around here. :)

This is a great beginner tofu dish. Even if you think you don't like tofu, there is something addicting about the savory, salty, yummy goodness of these little cubes. The double fry technique is similar to what good restaurants use on their french fries, and it really works. Try it soon! You'll be dreaming about tofu, too.

Grit Tofu

1 pound firm tofu
nutritional yeast
soy sauce
oil

Cut tofu into cubes slightly smaller than playing dice. Lightly oil a non-stick skillet and place over medium high heat. Allow oil to heat slightly and add tofu. Toss until evenly and lightly golden born. Sprinkle lightly with soy sauce. Remove from skillet, draining and discarding any excess fluid.

Rinse and wipe skillet dry. Lightly oil and place over high heat. Allow oil to become very hot and add tofu. Saute tofu until very well browned. Sprinkle with soy sauce. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast to coat tofu cubes and, tossing vigorously, saute for a few seconds and remove from heat. Serve immediately.

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday today over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Lots of good stuff. Check it out.

2011-02-28T07:45:00.003-05:00

After last week, I started thinking about our budget, and I decided to increase the amount I allow for groceries. We're not going to turn into spendthrifts overnight, but that extra $20 a week is a needed increase right now, and I think it'll make grocery shopping a little easier. I also have a dear friend (hi Tammy!) that has 3 grown sons of her own. She said a few kind words this week that encouraged me and reminded me that these little boys really do grow and need me to remember that in my budget. So, I'm feeling better about grocery shopping already (and if you've ever been to the store with 3 little helpers, you know that anything that makes you feel better about the process is a good thing indeed!).

Last week, I realized I had been nursing a cold for over a month! Funny how it sneaks up on you, you know? So, I started hitting it hard with some medication plus a homeopathic remedy, and by Thursday, I was feeling dramatically better. I took it easy the whole week, and I'm really amazed by how much more energy I have this week. It snuck up on me, and I didn't realize how under-the-weather I had been feeling. I'm excited to be back to normal (or what passes for normal in the peculiar household).

All that said, let's get to the menu, shall we?

Friday--Thai spring rolls with peanut butter dipping sauce

Saturday--hummus, carrot sticks, and pita (lunch), chicken sandwiches, Texas caviar (supper)

Sunday--Italian wedding soup (lunch), taco salads (supper)

Monday--pumpkin, sausage, and basil pasta, salad

Tuesday--chicken and sausage etouffee over rice(from last week), coleslaw

Wednesday--golden bowl from a beloved vegetarian restaurant in my hometown--a bowl of delicious 80's-ish health foodie tasting goodness (but in a good way)

Thursday--chicken fried rice

As always, I'm linked to Menu Plan Monday over at Orgjunkie. Lots of great ideas over there. Check it out.

Meal Plan Monday

2011-02-21T05:07:00.005-05:00

Grocery prices where I live have been climbing recently. It's time for me to consider increasing my grocery budget, but I haven't done it yet. So, for now, lots and lots of low-meat and bean based meals. Luckily, my kids count beans as their favorite foods (I know! I consider this very lucky as well), so we have them frequently without complaint. And, as always, meal planning lets me look ahead at the week, make sure I have everything I need, then make adjustments ahead of time to keep within my budget. Cause no one wants to eat steak on the first day of the pay period and ramen on the last!

Friday--homemade pepperoni pizza
Saturday--frito chili pie (lunch), chicken tettrazini, salad (supper)
Sunday--omelets, biscuits, sausage, potato pancakes (lunch), gumbo (supper)
Monday--red chilaquiles with chicken and avocado, refried beans
Tuesday--burritos with pinto beans, sweet potatoes, and collards
Wednesday--chicken and sausage etouffee, rice, salad
Thursday--salmon croquettes, rice, butter beans

As always, I'm linked to Meal Plan Monday at orgjunkie. Lots of great ideas over there!

Chicken Marbella Pasta

2011-02-17T08:13:00.002-05:00

I have an acquaintance that keeps kosher. This intrigues and inspires me for a lot of reasons, and I'm forever trying to copy what she cooks. Especially now that I'm dairy free. But, also because she eats every single meal at home. That's a lot of dedication, and that takes a lot of creativity to not lose your mind with boredom and repitition.

So, she recently showed off a picture of the classic dish from The Silver Palate cookbook, chicken marbella. Yum. It had been years since I'd made it, but that picture planted a seed in my head. I knew I had to have it soon.

It started with a package of bone-in chicken breasts. I did not thaw them in time, so I poached the whole four pounds. I ended up with way too much chicken, and next time, I'll cut this down a little. But, hey, you gotta work with what you have.

I sauteed onions and garlic (as every good recipe begins), then added white wine to deglaze the pan.

Let that cook until the wine is almost completely evaporated.

Then, I added chicken broth. Just because cooking is weird like that. First you cook out the liquid, then you add more. Whatever. I just know that it tasted good.

I added chopped green olives, oregano, a little brown sugar, and chopped prunes.

After that whole lot simmered for quite a while, I added the cooked chicken. Don't add the chicken too early, cause you don't want it to be dry and over cooked. Too late, though, and the flavors won't have time to mingle. It's a goldilocks moment.

I served this over fettucini, and it was a winner. I'll definitely make it again. All thanks to that sweet kosher friend. Thanks for the idea, Michelle!

Chicken Marbella pasta
adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook

2-4 bone in chicken breasts (I used 4; next time will use 2)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup pitted prunes
1/4 cup pitted Spanish green olives
1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice
2 bay leaves
2 T brown sugar
2 T oregano
1/2 cup white wine
3 T red wine or balsamic vinegar
cooked fettucini

Poach chicken breasts in enough water to cover. When chicken is done (about 30 minutes), remove from broth, shred meat, and reserve chicken broth.

Saute onion and garlic in 1 T olive oil. Deglaze pan with white wine. Allow mixture to simmer until liquid is almost all evaporated. Add about 2 cups chicken broth to skillet, along with prunes, olives, capers, bay leaves, oregano, and brown sugar. Allow mixture to simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Add chicken to pan, along with vinegar. Add more chicken broth if needed to get mixture to saucy consistency, around 1/2-1 cup. Add cooked fettucini to pan, toss with sauce, and serve immediately.

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Lots of good ideas there!

Valentine's Date

2011-02-16T06:07:00.001-05:00

We are huge homebodies at heart, and sometimes this works to our advantage. When we were dating, Mike could easily convince me to have special dinners at home. When we got engaged, we splurged on a lobster and cooked it at home. Our first few Valentine's days? At home, of course.

These days, that works to our advantage, because our warm fuzzy memories are of cozy dinners at home, just the two of us, and that's what we want more than anything.

So, this year, as always, we added another cozy memory to the bank.

We started with an appetizer that hasn't shown up for quite a while. Little toasts, topped with thin slices of cucumber and cold smoked salmon. These are fantastic. Initially, the idea came from a Barefoot Contessa episode on the Food Network. So good.

My mom and I lucked up on some marked down Meyer lemons last week. I had big plans to do something fancy with them, but they ended up becoming sparkling Meyer lemonade. I told myself that I was just appreciating the flavor. Let's face it. Lazy is as lazy does. But, this lazy tasted really good, and we did appreciate the unique flavor.

And, a classic. Grilled tenderloin, with roasted sweet potatoes (topped with garlic infused kosher salt). It's classic for a reason. So good.

A funny story about my amaretto. I love, love, love some amaretto. And I wanted it to pour over my strawberries this year (which were awesome, by the way). So, I stopped by the liquor store to buy a mini bottle (which is what fit into the budget this week). We live close to a university, so the kid in front of me presented his ID and the cashier scrutinized it for. ever. Then, when it was my turn, he didn't even ask. I walked away all defeated. Do I really look that old? Am I losing my coolness? And, then, I realized. Dude, I was buying a mini bottle. No underage kid would be interested in that. I had given away my age completely. And I reassured myself that I still had it.

Of course.

The strawberries were fabulous, in all their out of season glory. Yum.

And a night with my Valentine? Better than anything else. I love that man with everything I've got. Thanks for making me better at being me, honey. You're the best.

Family valentines

2011-02-15T06:09:00.000-05:00

Growing up, we always celebrated Valentine's Day in some way. My mom always did something special, some years a meal or a dessert, and once I remember a special shirt with hearts all over it. I think it's her favorite holiday. So, it seems odd to let the day pass by. And, I do love some Valentine's Day, so this year, we tried to celebrate all day long. Over the past week, we have worked on memorizing an appropriate Bible verse, and that was our overriding theme this year.

Love one another.
1 John 3:14

I started the day by packing a special lunch for Mike. Isn't this sparkling cider so cute? I found it at Kroger, and I knew that I had to have it for his lunch box.

Our oatmeal got special treatment.

These hearts have been used for many, many years, all through the house on Valentine's Day (I think the first year was 2003). They still bring a smile.

Valentine's presents for three special little boys.

Even the peanut butter got in on the action.

We spent the morning making Valentine's.

Our beloved mascot.

Our table all decorated for a Valentine's supper.

I brought out the special red glasses for this night. The boys were delighted to drink our special drink (which, in all honesty, was Kool Aid. Don't be a hater).

My sideboard decorated for the day as well.

With a sweet picture of two very, very young love birds. This was early in our dating life. I never would have predicted 3 little boys, a house about 3 miles from the apartment we were standing in, and a whole lot of great memories in the meantime.

And, of course, everyone's favorite part....brownies for dessert!

I hope your family's celebration of Valentine's Day was fantastic as well.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T04:33:00.001-05:00

Moo Shu Chicken

2011-02-04T08:11:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, I got the cookbook, Cheap.Fast.Good! It's a really great cookbook for my everyday, needs to be ready in 30 minutes, no funny ingredients, sort of cooking style. Now, I love tackling a big, complicated recipe as much as the next girl. In fact, maybe more. But, on a Tuesday night when my kids didn't take naps, the dog won't stop barking, and my living room needs to be vacuumed again. Well, on those days, I'm not busting out Gourmet. Thirty minutes will have to do.

I also appreciate that the authors of this book cook with a slant towards southern food. When my mom made gravy, it was brown. Not white like those mountain folks. Not red like those odd birds in the northeast. Brown. And it usually came alongside fried chicken. So, those are the flavors that speak to my soul. I was thinking just the other day that it's no wonder our ancestors fried so often. It's so darn easy and fast and good. And, then I thought to myself, okay, that probably totally gives away my roots.

But I digress.

This is a quick, easy meal that everyone liked. Couldn't be better.

It starts with a couple of convenience foods. Bagged coleslaw mix and hoisin sauce. I bought this at the Asian market (hence the writing that I can't read), but you can get it anywhere.

And, it ends beautifully, in what we told our boys were "Chinese tacos". Hey, whatever works, right? I served them alongside store-bought (Trader Joes) egg rolls.

Mu Shu Chicken
adapted from Cheap Fast Good by Beverly Mills
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
8 oz mushrooms, coarsely chopped
16 oz bag coleslaw mix
1 T oil
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 t dark sesame oil
12 small flour tortillas
extra hoisin sauce for the tortillas

Chop chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Heat the oil in an extra deep skillet over medium heat. Add the chicklen to the skillet and cook, until browned and almost cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to brown. Meanwhile, mix the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. Add the hoisin mixture and coleslaw mix to the skillet. Stir well, cover, and cook for about 3 minutes. Heat the tortillas in the microwave or a cast iron skillet. Spread a little extra hoisin sauce in the center of each tortilla. Using a slotted spoon, place about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla. Serve immediately.

Pork Roast

2011-02-02T07:09:00.002-05:00

It's the dead of winter. Which means one thing. We want what we can't have. Of course. In my house, we love some barbecue. Smoked all day, until it's tender and falling apart. Really, nothing could be better. And my husband does a fine job of it. But, for us, barbecuing season is over around Christmas. January and February just prove to be a little cold to tend a fire for several hours. Come spring, we (who am I kidding? Mike) will be back out there barbecuing with the best of them. But, for right now, we make due with this great recipe from the Lee Bros.

It starts with a heavy pot with a well fitting lid. I use this beloved pot from Le Creuset. It's a bouillabaise pot, and it's perfect for everything you can think of. I use it to stir fry, to deep fry, to braise in the oven. I use it for stews and soups, for boiling peanuts. You name it. I've cooked it in this pot. It's my favorite kitchen equipment, and I'm glad that Mike splurged on it one year for Christmas.

But, I digress. First you get a pot.

Brown the pork butt on all sides. This takes about 8-10 minutes per side, so it's not quick. But, it's well worth it for the flavor it brings to the table. This is a really big butt. I think it was about 7 pounds or so.

Once all sides are browned, place the butt so that the fatty side is up. This will help baste the meat during cooking, keeping it moist and flavorful. I pour flavored vinegar in as the braising liquid.

And now the tedious part. Baste. And baste some more. Cooked low and slow, basted forever and a day. The meat will turn out like this. Beautiful brown and crispy on the top, moist and flavorful inside. It will shred with 2 forks, very, very easily.

Serve with your favorite sauce. Winter barbecue. It'll put a little summer on your table, even with nastiness outside.

Oven Roasted Pork Butt
The Lee Bros Southern Cookbook
One large (at least 3-3.5 pound) pork butt, skin on, bone in
1 teaspoon oil
2 cups vinegar barbecue sauce
1 T cane syrup or sorhum (optional, but good)
1/2 cup chicken broth (optional again)
1/2 cup apple cider (optional)

Remove butt from fridge 2 hours prior to cooking to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sear each side of the butt until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes per side, in a hot pan with the oil.
Pour the barbecue sauce over the meat, and heat until the sauce simmers. Transfer to the oven, cover, and bake, basting every 15 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 175 degrees, about 3.5 hours.
Optional part: transfer 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid to a saucepan. Add the molasses, broth, and cider, and bring to a simmer. Simmer vigorously about 6 minutes, until reduced by half. Baste the shoulder the the syrup, return to the oven, and turn the heat up to 425. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes more.
Lazy girl option: uncover the pork, turn the heat up to 425, and cook for 15 more minutes.
Remove the pork from the oven, let it rest for 10 minutes. Carve or pull the pork, and serve with your favorite sauce.

Vinegar sauce
2 cups white vinegar
2 T chili powder (use whatever you like; I like ancho for this)
1 t pepper
1 T salt
1 t sugar

In a jar with a tight fitting lid, put all the ingredients. Shake until well combined. This sauce will keep forever in the fridge.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Lots of great ideas there.

Bowl of yum

2011-02-01T07:07:00.000-05:00

I am in love with the flavors of spicy, bitter, and sweet. Yum. I can't get enough.

As it frequently does, this recipe started with beautiful greens. I'm normally not a fan of kale, but this was really pretty at the market, and it was better than usual. Although, really? How can anything go wrong when quickly cooked in olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes? That would make a shoe taste good.

I marinated some pork in chipotle (just boneless pork loin, sliced thin, rubbed with a mashed chipotle, and allowed to sit for a couple of hours). I pan fried this in a tablespoon or so of oil.

Oven roasted some sweet potato cubes. I let these go just a hair long, but they were fine. Just chop, toss with a little oil, salt, and pepper, then roast at 400 for 30 minutes or so.

We mixed all this together, topped with hot sauce, cilantro, onion, and chopped jalapenos. A burrito in a bowl, if you will, with cheap, in season ingredients.

This combination totally works. You must try it soon. So good.

Today, I'm linked to Balancing Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday. Check it out.

2011-01-31T13:55:00.004-05:00

Last week, I did actually see the bottom of my laundry basket. For a hot minute, that is. My grandfather moved to assisted living recently, and I went and house sat for my mother so that she could go down and see him. I'm in a place where it's hard to travel to see him--not as much money as I'd like, a whole lot of needy little people asking for stuff, and a general sense that a visit from me would be more trouble than good. But, I hate feeling helpless with the situation. So, it was good to get to be a part of taking care of him. House-sitting. Now, that I *can* do. So, we house sat, my mom went down, saw him, finished cleaning out some stuff that needed it, and I feel like I helped. Win win.

This weekend was gorgeous, spring like weather. Today is proving rainy and cool, reminding us that it is still January. I can't wait for spring! But, as always, it's the change and anticipation of the new seasons that gets me. I just love that new feeling.

Friday--chicken marbela pasta (recipe coming tomorrow)
Saturday--out for lunch (thanks, Mom!), salads with chicken nuggets and french fries--supper
Sunday--leftovers (lunch), steak tips with mushrooms over egg noodles, butter beans, salad
Monday--cuban picadillo, rice, salad
Tuesday--catfish, hush puppies, slaw
Wednesday--lentil soup
Thursday--pork chops, butter beans, sweet potatoes

As always, I'm linked to menu plan Monday at orgjunkie.com. Check it out for lots of inspiration.

Chana Masala

2011-01-25T07:35:00.000-05:00

Chana masala is one of the first Indian foods I tried, and I still love it just as much as that first taste (out of a can, so not even that great of a version). According to some of my Indian friends, it's the equivalent of macaroni and cheese. Homey, comforting, but maybe not something that adults eat all the time. And, it's true. When I'm in our local Indian fast food place, I always see the little kids eating chana. No matter, the stuff is GOOD. And I am not too proud to eat little kid food (who am I kidding? I make mac and cheese for me as often as for my boys). Anyway. All that to say, this is good stuff, and if you've never had Indian food, it's a good starting place.

Chana Masala
courtesy of Smitten Kitchen

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 fresh jalapeno, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon amchoor powder (I was out, but it is very good if you have it)
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon garam masala
4 cups tomatoes, chopped small or 1 28-ounce can of whole tomatoes with their juices, chopped small
1/3 cup water
4 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 T lemon juice

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper and sauté over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn heat down to medium-low and add the coriander, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, amchoor (if using it), and paprika. Cook onion mixture with spiced for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes and any accumulated juices, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan. Add the water and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, then stir in salt, lemon juice, and garam masala. (The garam can get bitter if added at the beginning)

I served this with basmati rice, sliced cucumbers, and a tamarind/apple butter chutney (literally half and half apple butter and tamarind paste--easy, but really good).

Today, I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. I get new ideas each week over there. It's fun to see what other people are cooking.

Meal Plan Monday

2011-01-24T07:38:00.000-05:00

Last week, my husband took off Monday for the holiday, and my sister-in-law (plus her mother-in-law) visited us on Sunday afternoon through the day on Monday. It was a lot of fun seeing her, and she thinks my three boys are the best nephews ever, so they love seeing her. But, that little change to our routine threw us off all week. It didn't help that the week before had been Snowpocalypse, and I got awfully used to having another set of hands at home.

Today, I am determined to see the bottom of both my laundry hamper (meaning it's all done) and the baskets (meaning it's all put away!).

But, luckily for me, I had a menu plan. It sounds hokey, but I really love my menu plan, and it takes a lot of the thinking out of the late afternoons, which is a good thing. Somehow, my children can entertain themselves at any time of day except two (and they are a big two!). When I am on the phone (what's up with that??!!??) and, again, when I am peering into my pantry wondering what's for supper. I'm all about removing anything that makes my life harder, so a menu plan is a beautiful thing to remove that stress.

Friday--bean tostadas
Saturday--lunch--out for $2.50 Vietnamese sandwiches at this fun place ; supper--fish tacos
Sunday--lunch--asparagus omelets, sausage, homefries, toast; supper--chicken pot pie
Monday--Italian wedding soup
Tuesday--free Moe's to celebrate a grand opening (woohoo! I'm excited about this one)
Wednesday--Thai red curry with pork, snow peas, and scallions, rice
Thursday--lemon chicken pasta (from Confessions of a Foodie Bride whom I discovered last week through Menu Plan Monday at orgjunkie.com) I don't have artichokes, so I'll leave those out, and I'm not sure what to do about the cream. I might replace it with an alternate milk, and I might leave it out. I'll just see when the time comes.

And that's this week in a nutshell. If you need inspiration for your menus, check out orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday as always. And, even if you make the same things every week, a glimpse onto the plates of 400 different bloggers is always fun.

Meal Plan

2011-01-18T09:38:00.003-05:00

Better late than never, right?

Friday--spaghetti (boring, but our last day of being stuck inside due to snow)
Saturday--marinated grilled quail, baked potatoes, salad
Sunday--chicken parmesan, pasta, salad, bread
Monday--hamburgers, spinach dip, chips
Tuesday--fend for yourself--I have a cooking class. This usually is leftovers.
Wednesday--chana masala, tamarind apple chutney, basmati rice
Thursday--spanish rice

As always, I'm linked to menu plan Monday at orgjunkie. And, as always, my menu plan is the first step in keeping the place running. I couldn't do without it.

Recent date night

2011-01-18T08:04:00.002-05:00

My kitchen has open shelving in the kitchen/dining room. This can be a disaster (everyone can see every.single.thing!), but it's also a blessing. Nothing can hide very easily, that's for sure. When we unpacked, we unearthed our old espresso machine. It'd been packed up for, well, way too long.

So, I talked Mike into busting out some rusty espresso making skills, and we've been enjoying coffee here and there. This Saturday, we wanted to stay up and enjoy our evening, but were exhausted. Espresso was just the ticket for our special drink (and it totally worked--I think we stayed up until 9:30! too funny)

We housesat for my mom, and part of the fun of being over there is enjoying her china. I love, love, love some pretty dishes, and it's nice to be able to set a table with something different.

We had chicken breast cutlets marinated in Texas Pete hot sauce, then quickly sauteed, served over wilted spinach and roasted sweet potatoes. I love the flavor combination of hot, sweet, and slightly bitter. So good.

And, because we're cool like that, we took the opportunity to gorge ourselves on terrible cable shows that we never watch. We had great fun gasping at Hoarders and cracking up at a few others.

Thanks for letting us raid your pantry, Mom!

Clam spaghetti

2011-01-18T08:00:00.004-05:00

Recently, I found myself with these tiny grape tomatoes, just a bit past their prime.

What to do? What to do?

I threw them in a pan, let them get hot and their skins split.

Then, I added 2 cans of clams, their juice, and a little white wine. Let that all simmer and reduce until the liquid was almost gone.

And I added the concoction to a pot of regular spaghetti sauce (I had made plain for my boys). Mixed the clam concoction and the spaghetti sauce, let it all simmer for a while, and easy as pie, it was done.

And easy, easy take on red clam spaghetti.

Snowpocalypse!

2011-01-16T15:10:00.006-05:00

Georgia was totally unprepared for a week of snow and ice. So, we've been hunkered down at home, enjoying the time off from normal life, having a great time playing. And getting dressed and undressed from snow clothing. And washing said snow clothing.

Drinking hot chocolate. And snacks. And lunches. And breakfasts. And suppers. Washing said dishes. And wondering where, oh, where was my at least once a week break from all those dishes.

So, maybe a little cabin fever set in. Just a little. We got out on Saturday for the first time since the previous Sunday. And never had civilization looked so beautiful. There's a reason we live in town. The snowpocalypse confirmed that I'm not meant to spend my days on 40 acres in the country, all by my lonesome. Romantic, sure, but definitely not for me. I'll leave that for Pioneer Woman, thankyouverymuch.

And, I'm glad that next week is back to normal, God willing and the creek don't rise.

Chicken and rice

2011-01-04T08:00:00.005-05:00

This recipe sounded so simple. So boring, honestly. I knew my kids would like it, because they love beans and rice. And, it was easy, so that was good for a fast supper. But, that's all I expected. I took no pictures, cause I didn't think it would be blog-worthy, honestly. And, yet. When it was made, it was excellent! Really, really tasty. Definitely a repeater. And, with the big bonuses that it's insanely easy, and my kids love it. What could be better?

Chicken and Rice
adapted from Rick Bayless's Mexican Everyday

2 cups cooked chicken or turkey (I used turkey)
salt
2 1/2 T ground ancho chile powder, divided
1 onion, diced
1 cup rice
4 garlic cloves
1 1/2 cupes chicken broth
1 3/4 cups cooked black beans
1/4 cup chopped scallions
salsa for serving

Heat the chicken in a deep skillet in about 1 T oil. Sprinkle with salt, then add 1 T of the ancho chile powder. Remove from the pan. Add the onion and rice to the pot. Stir for several minutes, until the rice turns almost white. Add the garlic, remaining 1.5 T ancho chile powder, and cook 1 minute. Add the broth, and about 1 t salt (to taste--less if your broth is salty). Stir well. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook 10 minutes. Uncover the pot, add the chicken/turkey and beans and cook for 12 minutes longer.
Uncover, sprinkle on the green onions. Recover the pot and let stand off the head for 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking in the trapped steam (this is an important step, and it really makes for nice rice).
Fluff the rice, and serve with salsa.

Today, I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Jen is one of my favorite bloggers, and I love all the great ideas that come out of Tasty Tuesday. Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday

2011-01-03T14:29:00.004-05:00

Another Monday, another meal plan. This time of year always feels like such a fresh start, doesn't it?

My husband and I sat down yesterday and developed some goals for the year. Things we would like to see happen, things we'd like to start, and one crazy, impossible, not sure how it will happen financial goal. I can't wait to see how the year turns out.

One thing I am excited about is starting to use is a new cleaning schedule. I'll let you know in a few weeks if it works out well for me. When we moved, we went from a 10 year old house that wasn't particularly well built, but it was well, sorta *new*, to a 1950s very cool, oh so convenient, but, well, sorta *old* house. This means a little less daily cleaning (not too many drawers in the kitchen means less drawers to clean! And 1 bathroom is always quicker to clean than 3), but it also means that I need to stay more on top of long term, deep cleaning. So, all that to say, some changes.

This week, I'm also doing a pantry challenge to make up for some of the excesses of Christmas. Oops. Thankfully, we were less than $50 over budget. If you had known us in our 20s, you, too, would be rejoicing right now!

So, without further ado...

Friday--hot sauce marinated chicken, spinach, roasted sweet potatoes

Saturday--black eyed peas, rice, turnip greens, fried cornbread

Sunday--chili
Monday--taquitos, rice, beans, guacamole, salsa

Tuesday--french dips, roasted potatoes

Wednesday--chicken and pasta soup of some sort
Thursday--hamburger steaks, mashed potatoes, cooked carrots

As always, I'm linked to menu plan Monday at Orgjunkie Check it out!

Simple but oh so good

2010-12-29T07:19:00.000-05:00

Dairy free is stretching me. On the plus side, it turns out that a lot of my calories are from dairy fat. Who knew? Okay, well, I knew. But, I just love some butter and cream and cheese, and I have been reluctant to give those up. This forced diet change might just be good for the size of my rear end.

We can hope.

One of my favorite easy, easy lunches has always been noodles with butter and parmesan cheese. Obviously, not a good contender for now, but I needed a worthwhile stand-in. Some days, I don't have leftovers, and I'm not really going to whip up anything too complicated for lunch.

Enter nutrtional yeast. Yes, the friend of Moosewood. The iconic hippie food. Don't be a hater. It's good, in an earthy, my mom is on a 70s health kick, sort of way.

Mixed with a little margarine and noodles, it becomes a warm, homey, comforting sort of lunch. I topped this with a little bit of red chile flake infused kosher salt, but that's gilding the lily. This is good stuff.

Ah, there are highlights to this dairy free thing after all.

Christmas Presents

2010-12-28T11:30:00.005-05:00

The best Christmas presents this year were the intangibles. I have a four year old, and I'm convinced that this is the best age EVER to experience Christmas. Every single thing was magical and fun, from seeing Santa at the mall to riding the Pink Pig to donating our old toys to Goodwill. Every. single. stinking. thing. It was wonderful to see him jump up and down when he opened a much desired Lego set, and he has played and enjoyed all of his toys for days. So fun.

My husband took off the week before Christmas for vacation, instead of the usual week between the holidays. This was great for us--it really allowed the Tomato King to get in on the excitement of the holidays, without, as he puts it, the post Christmas hangover. It's the 28th now, he's back at work, and I have to say, he has something there.

But...

I got a lot of cool stuff this year, too, so I thought I'd share some of the highlights.

Mrs. Meyers lemon verbena counter spray. I'd read about it over at The Nester, mentioned it to my mom, and voila! I had some to open on Christmas Day. And, yes, it really is all that.

Also from my mom. Anchovy paste. I know, not something you always get excited about, but I actually love anchovies, and this makes it really easy to use them.

This cutie! No, I didn't get him for Christmas, but I did get this awesomely soft, sweet, I want to wrap myself in it, hemp jersey blanket. I love it, he loves it. All is good in the world. And, yes, that's eczema you see on his face, probably due to the cheese I sampled at the Mexican market before I remembered, um, cheese=dairy. Duh.

Kitsch! These might be my favorite present. Vintage Tervis tumblers. There are 2 more, but I was impatient, and they are still in the dishwasher. Very, very (very!) cool, though. Both Mike and I adore these.

Thanks to Jessica at Craftily Ever After, I printed out this very cool JOY picture. A Christmas present from someone who doesn't even know I exist. Everyone loves me. :)

It wouldn't be Christmas without new reading material. I finally own one of my favorites, Cheap Fast Good, so I can stop checking it out from the library. I also got a fabulous cookbook Bon Appetit, Y'all, and this great magazine, Where Women Cook, that was so frivolous and expensive I didn't even ask for it. I was thrilled to read it, though!

New kicks! My old shoes didn't fit well after my last pregnancy, and I no longer have an excuse for not exercising.

I may return these.

And this wasn't a gift for me, but turns out, it really was. Mike has needed glasses for a LONG time. He's just been too *insert whatever word you want here* to go get them. So, with time off this week, he went and got cool new glasses. Yay. Why is this a present for me?? Cause I no longer have to listen to a single complaint about how he can't see. I'm claiming this present all for me. Thanks, honey!

And, to top it all off, we got this great new Flip video camera, which allows my oldest to show just how excited he is over being alive.

Merry Christmas from our Peculiar Household to yours!

2010-12-25T05:17:00.001-05:00

Butter beans and artichoke hearts

2010-12-21T08:14:00.003-05:00

Several years ago, one of my friends shared this recipe, and I've made it off and on since then. She spent the year after college in Spain, falling in love with the cuisine, and when she moved back to Texas, she was all over recreating those flavors. (She's really good at it, too, and now owns a bakery and specialty food purveyor--Christine rocks!). Anyway....because of all that back story, we get to enjoy these delicious beans, inspired by Christine, but remade with what I had available.

It starts with the humble lima. These go on sale for 50% off at Publix all winter long, making this a pretty frugal meal, too.

And like almost all good recipes, this started with a sauteed onion.

This recipe also includes chopped tomato. In the summer, when the tomatoes are insane, I just freeze them whole if we can't eat them. When it is time to use them, I just sit them out and let them thaw for about 5 minutes. After that, you can put them under running water, and the skin will just slip off. Chop and use as normal. They are very handy to have in the freezer if you just need a few tomatoes.

After adding the onion, garlic, tomato, and deglazing with a little wine, add the baby limas and artichoke hearts. Season with cumin, salt, pepper, and saffron (I used turmeric in this recipe, which is totally not the same, but good nonetheless). Let that simmer for about 30 minutes, until the beans are cooked, and the flavors are melded.

This is excellent as a main dish, with eggs poached right in the cooking liquid. This night, however, we ate it as a side dish, which is equally delicious.

Enjoy this fabulous recipe!

Butter beans and Artichoke Hearts
inspired by Christine

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 lb frozen baby lima beans
1-15 oz can artichoke hearts, packed in water
1 T cumin
a couple of threads of saffron or 1 t turmeric
salt to taste
1 t pepper

Saute onion, garlic, and tomatoes in olive oil. Add wine to deglaze pan. Add lima beans and artichoke hearts with enough water to barely cover. Season with cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, until beans are done. Serve as is, or poach eggs in cooking liquid. Serve with crusty bread to dip up all those delicious juices.

I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. There are always lots of great new ideas over there. Check it out!

White Chili

2010-12-16T07:50:00.001-05:00

We recently have had a stretch of really cold weather (for us). It's perfect soup and stew weather. I pulled out this old family favorite. It's so good! The first time I ever had it was in December of 1992. It was featured in Southern Living magazine in a tree trimming party menu (isn't that funny how you remember the weirdest stuff?). I was a senior in high school, and my mom let me pretty much have free reign over the kitchen that year. I had an easy school schedule, and I cooked a lot. I still use some of those recipe regularly, and it still takes me back to that warm, cozy kitchen cooking alongside my mom.

This recipe starts with navy beans or white beans or whatever you have beans. It's flexible.

You cook the beans, then in a separate pot, cook the onions, peppers, and chicken (or in this case, leftover turkey). Again, oh, so flexible. Last summer, I roasted and froze a lot of in season poblanos, and they are awesome. But, canned chiles work well, too. And, just chopped (not roasted) peppers work, too. This is a perfect use for leftover poultry, but you could leave it out or saute raw chopped chicken with the onions and peppers. Like I said, very flexible. (don't you love recipes like that?)

Add the beans to the sauteed onions/peppers/turkey, simmer away, top with whatever you have, and you'll get this fabulous white chili. Try it. It'll become a family favorite at your house, too.

White Lightning Texas Chili
adapted from Southern Living, December 1997

1 lb dried navy beans
2 quarts chicken broth
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T pepper
1 T dried oregano
1 T cumin
1 t salt
3 cups cooked chicken or turkey
3 roasted poblano peppers, chopped
1 cup water
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
shredded monterey jack
sour cream
cilantro
chopped white onion

Soak white beans overnight. Drain and discard water. Add chicken broth and cook until done, 2 hours or so, at a simmer. In a different skillet, saute onion, garlic, spices, and poblanos until onion is soft and slightly browned. Add chicken. Add beans, along with the broth and extra water, if needed, to achieve desired soupy consistency. Simmer for 1 hour, allowing flavors to blend. To serve, top with cheese, chopped pepper, sour cream, cilantro, and onion, as desired.

I'm also linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Lots of new inspiration over there every week.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-12-13T06:39:00.005-05:00

Last week's menu plan went much better. We stuck to the plan almost every night (salisbury steaks turned into meatballs), and it made supper time much easier. That time of night can get crazy (and it's when my childless brother ALWAYS calls...then he wonders why I don't answer), so it's nice to have at least one decision made for me.

Friday: burritos with ground beef, rice, spinach, and poblanos
Saturday: takeout
Sunday: chicken noodle soup (lunch), chilaquiles (supper)
Monday: slow roasted pork butt, pickled beets, macaroni and cheese, slaw
Tuesday: Memphis tacos (barbecue pulled pork, slaw in a flour tortilla), turnips, pinto beans
Wednesday: mu shu chicken (will put this recipe up as soon as I make it)
Thursday: red rice with turkey and black beans, roasted tomato salsa

This week, I'm also going to do a little holiday baking. I'm planning amaretto meringues, sugar cookies, and peanut butter cookies. I'll probably make brownies, too. I want to have a lot of variety this year, and I'd love to have enough to gift some of our neighbors.

I hope Christmas is in full swing at your house, too! For more menu ideas, check out orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Sloppy Joe Bake

2010-12-08T07:26:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe born of need. A fast recipe, a family pleaser, and easy, easy, easy. We had spent the day at the Pink Pig (a Christmas tradition around here at our local Rich's/Macy's store), and everyone was a bit worked up. Tired, cold, and hungry. Sloppy joes sounded good, but we didn't have quite enough ground beef, and we didn't have any hamburger buns. What's a mama to do??

Sloppy joe bake, my friends. Sloppy joe bake.

Never have I been so happy to find a random can of crescent rolls in the fridge. ~smile~ I just made sloppy joes as usual, adding in lentils for half the meat. When that was done, roll over the crescent rolls, bake until brown, and voila! A new family favorite. Seriously. This meal took 15 minutes, and everyone ate seconds. Gotta love it.

Sloppy Joe Bake

3/4 lb ground beef
1/2 cup green lentils
1 onion, chopped fine
1 bell pepper, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 T tomato paste
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
2 T mustard
1 T worchestershire sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 can crescent rolls

Brown ground beef with onions and peppers, adding garlic at the end. Meanwhile, boil lentils in salted water until done, about 15-20 minutes. Add sauce ingredients (tomato paste through sugar) to the browned ground beef. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes as lentils cook. When lentils are tender, drain and add to the sloppy joes. Top with crescent roll dough and bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, until top is golden brown.

This recipe is very versatile. It would be a good one to add more veggies to (grated zuchinni during the height of squash season would work well, as would carrots and/or celery). I tend to add this and that from my condiment shelf--this time, I added a couple of tablespoons of red wine jelly, as well as a couple of tablespoons of homemade chili sauce.

Enjoy!

Thai Red Curry

2010-12-07T07:38:00.003-05:00

My littlest one is a rashy little fellow. We've tried lots of stuff, but I'm at the point where I think it might be my diet. So, I'm experimenting with being mostly dairy free for now to see if that clears it up.

And nothing makes you want macaroni and cheese, cream soups, and ice cream more than avoiding dairy. Of course.

But, I'm trying to experiment with other flavors to make this easier. This was a very easy meal pulled out of Moosewood Simple Suppers. It utilizes a very handy convenience product, Thai red chili paste. Sure, I could make my own, but for now, I'm going to spend my time on other stuff.

It's just a basic stir fry. For this one, I used boneless pork loin, cut very thin (my boys called them "worms"), plus broccoli, green beans, onion, red pepper, and bok choy. When I took my last Chinese cooking class, they were talking about how, in Chinese food, you try to cut all the pieces of the dish in the same shape (in this case, long and skinny). Try it. It makes the dish very pleasing to the eye, and it really does add something to it.

Once everything is cooked, you add the sauce. Which couldn't be simpler. Red curry paste and a can of coconut milk, to taste.

Thai Red Curry
adapted from Moosewood Simple Suppers
1 lb boneless pork, sliced thin
1 large onion, sliced thin
1 T oil
2 T (to taste) Thai red chili paste
vegetables of choice--the original called for snow peas and tomatoes; I used broccoli, green beans, red pepper, and bok choy
1 14-ounce can coconut milk (I used about 3/4 of this)
1/2 t salt
2 T lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a skillet or wok on high heat, sear the meat, in two batches if necessary to not crowd the pan. Remove from the skillet.
Add the oil to the pan, and when hot, add the onions, then the other vegetables. Stir fry until crisp-tender. When the vegetables are almost done, add the curry paste and coconut milk, salt and lime juice. Bring to a simmer and add the cilantro. Taste and add salt if needed (it might). Serve hot over jasmine rice.

As usual, I'm linked to Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday. Check it out!

Meal Plan December 6th

2010-12-06T08:10:00.001-05:00

So, the first part of last week's meal plan went great. And, then, around Monday, I just didn't like what I had planned. Go figure. We ended up having other stuff. So, I'm putting out what we did eat last week (because sometimes I revisit old menu plans for ideas), as well as what I hope we'll eat this week. We'll see if I feel like my plan this week. Oh, and continuing on last week's experiment, I'm eating mostly dairy free (not worrying about small amounts in baked goods and the like), to see if that improves my littlest boy's excema. Seems like it's working. Sob, sob. Oh, Ben, oh, Jerry, I'm missing you already!

Mon: Thai red curry over rice (post coming tomorrow)

Tues: white turkey chili

Wed: sloppy joe bake, broccoli, salad

Thursday: turnips, cornbread, sweet potato, cornbread

Friday: old el paso style tacos (refried beans, ground beef)

Saturday: leftovers (lunch), tacos de pastor (supper)

Sunday: McRib--on the last day (lunch), pumpkin pancakes (supper)

Monday: salisbury steaks, latkes, salad

Tuesday: Cinicinnati chili

Wednesday: roasted chicken, yellow rice, salad, butter beans

Thursday: black bean soup

I'm also planning on making a batch of hummus to eat for snacks and lunch. I made refried beans in the blender last week, and they turned out incredibly smooth. So, I'm going to try that out on hummus and see how the texture is. We have a local restaurant that makes the smoothest, creamiest hummus that is seriously crave-worthy. If I could figure that out, I'd be in heaven!

As always, I'm linked to orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday . So, so many great ideas over there.

Date Night

2010-12-03T07:36:00.000-05:00

Part of our commitment to having an at-home date night means ignoring the rest of the house. I don't know about you, but there is always something to be done. Another project, another email to read, another blog to lose myself in, another magazine to flip through. For Mike, it's a (yet another) podcast on his Blackberry, some raking to do, or some TV to mindlessly flip through.

But, on Saturday nights, we do our best to ignore all those other distractions. Sometimes (okay, a lot of times) we end up watching a movie or a TV show, but we watch it together, both paying attention, not distracted by anything else. We'll pause it a million times to talk about something that it brings up, and it's really a fun night.

I share all this, cause it cracks me up that there are laundry baskets in the background of this picture. But, I ignored them on Saturday night, and you know what? They were still there on Sunday morning!! Amazing.. LOL. And, as is the constant in my house, there were more on Monday and Tuesday as well. We are more important than folded laundry, and the laundry will always keep. I like talking to Mike a whole lot more.

We had these fun retro wedge salads with blue cheese dressing. I'm slowly easing dairy out of my diet (I think my little one is a bit sensitive to it), so this was the end of some goodies in the fridge.

These great steaks.

And fabulous onion casserole leftover from Thanksgiving.

We finished the night with a movie that had good reviews, but we just didn't get. At least, we didn't get it together, right? Here's to a happy date night with your beloved!

Onion Casserole

2010-12-02T07:34:00.001-05:00

For Thanksgiving this year, I volunteered to make this onion casserole that I found reading one of my Silver Palate cookbooks. It looked rich and decadent, perfect for the holidays.

You can see the layers of red onions, white onions, and leeks here. It sounds like it might be too many onions, but the cheeses all meld together to make a most excellent marriage.

We ate the leftovers with a steak for our Saturday date night.

This recipe is a little bit more expensive than my usual fare (okay, a lot), but it is. so. worth. it! Every once in a while, at least. And, thanks to my generous mom, I don't really contribute much to the holiday meal, so it wasn't a big stretch to bring a really great dish for everyone to share.

Three Onion Casserole
from the Silver Palate Good Times cookbook

2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
4 medium leeks, well rinsed, dried and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups havarti cheese, grated
2 (5 ounce) packages Boursin cheese (I used one 8 oz package that was on sale)
1 1/2 cups gruyere, grated
1/2 cup dry white wine

Preheat oven to 350. Make a layer of onions, using a third each of red onions, white onions, and leeks. Sprinkle with havarti. Make another layer, using another third of onions. Top with the Boursin. Make a third layer, using the last of the onions. Sprinkle the top with the gruyere. Pour the wine over the top. Bake for one hour, covering with foil if the top gets too brown.

The recipe said to serve immediately, but this worked fine to cook at home for 45 minutes, travel an hour and a half, then reheat for 15 minutes in a hot oven at my mom's house. It was perfect.

**it also made so much that it wouldn't fit in one dish, so I used my regular 9x13 dish for Thanksgiving, then had a small (6x8) dish that we had for leftovers. The small dish I baked for 30 minutes, then refrigerated. When it was time for us to eat it, I reheated for about 30 minutes at 350. Both ways worked great, with no loss of texture or flavor.

Definitely try this one. Most first time dishes at Thanksgiving are "one timers", but this one will definitely make a repeat performance. And it was really good with beef, so it would be perfect with Christmas prime rib. You'll love it, too!

Fruit vinegar

2010-11-30T07:25:00.004-05:00

Just the other day, I went to reach for the red wine vinegar, and I was completely out. So, instead, I reached for this easy substitute. In fact, I think I like it better. It's fruit flavored vinegar. This one is blueberry, but other fruits work well, too (cranberries, peaches, apples), as well as herbs (basil, rosemary, thyme). I used up the blueberry vinegar in the recipe I was making, so I needed more.

It starts with plain ole' vinegar. I know, I know. It's a foodie faux pas to use white vinegar. But, we like it, and it's also good for cleaning, so I always have it around.

I find bottles everywhere. This one (shockingly) came from a walk down the street on recycling day. I run it through the dishwasher, check for cracks, and there you go.

the lighting in my new house is horrible. I'm working with it, but bear with me in the meantime.

These blueberries were frozen last summer. Just dump them in. Heat the vinegar to boiling (no pictures of this, but if you do it, remember...hot vinegar will clear your sinuses like nothing else), then pour over.

This vinegar will sit for 2 weeks or so, and it'll be ready to use. I usually keep it as is, but you can also strain out the fruit. It would make an easy, elegant Christmas gift, too. It's a great substitute for red wine vinegar, it's good in salad dressings, and it makes a nice ingredient in marinades and pan sauces.

Today, I'm linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Check it out! Lots of fun stuff over there every week.

Menu Plan Monday

2010-11-29T08:10:00.002-05:00

Another successful Thanksgiving! And, just in case you're confused (I was), that's a turkey, put together from a craft kit by a two year old. Yes, mutant turkeys decorated my holiday table this year.

And that two year old was the proudest thing ever. So cute.

I brought home the turkey carcass from Thanksgiving, so I was able to get a couple of meals from that that we'll enjoy this week. Plus, Mike was home over the long weekend (of course), so a little more eating out than usual. Coupled with a quiet Black Friday shopping trip of just me and the baby, I'm feeling like I had a little vacation, too.

Friday--the Varsity (lunch), take out (supper)
Saturday--leftovers (lunch), steaks, onion casserole, salad (supper)
Sunday--out (lunch), turkey gumbo (supper)
Monday--french dips, carrot sticks, cumin-scented lima beans with artichokes
Tuesday--sweet potato/black bean burritos, Mexican rice
Wednesday--cincinatti chili over spaghetti
Thursday--Thai red curry with pork, rice

As always, I'm linked to orgjunkie's Meal Plan Monday.

Thankful

2010-11-24T08:27:00.002-05:00

As I count my blessings this year, I'm thankful for our warm, cozy little house. It's in such a great location, so sweet, so fun, and so me. I think my mom is one of the few people that realize just how me it is.

We lost our last house because of bad circumstances, combined with some stupid financial moves. (not like Vegas stupid, and in different times, we would have been okay, but hey, chance is chance, and you can always lose) So, part of me felt like we would need to pay penance for that and live in a terrible efficiency apartment in the ghetto while we got our acts together.

But, God is GOOD. And that's not what has happened at all. Sure, there is restoration to do. We have some debt to pay off now. It will take us years to save up for another house. But, in the meantime, we are in a great place, just right for us. My children are thriving, my family is happy, and I have to pinch myself that I really live here now.

So, I'm thankful. Very thankful that even in our stupidity, God can make beauty out of ashes.

Thankful

2010-11-23T09:06:00.003-05:00

This week, our Bible verse is 1 Thess. 5:16 In everything, give thanks.

And, so, I thought I'd share some of the things I'm thankful for.

I never thought I'd be the mama of even one son, much less three of them! What joy they bring to my life. What excitement. What energy. I love each and every day with them. Even the days when I escape to the grocery store after dark for a few minutes of quiet. This is really a fun season of my life, and I am thankful.

Tomorrow, I'll share a couple more of the things I'm thankful for. Join me this week as we give thanks to God for all that He has given us.

Unexpected blogging break

2010-11-22T07:39:00.009-05:00

A girl with no camera is a sad blogger indead!! First, it was a lost battery charger (which was so thrilling to find!), and then, it was something wonky with the memory card. But, hopefully, my camera woes are behind me, and things are good. I really love this camera, so I'm hoping for a little more time with it. We'll see. It's probably time to start a Dave Ramsey envelope titled "camera" just in case. Cause everyone knows you must have a camera. There is no blog without one. And, that just can't be.

We travelled to see my inlaws last weekend, getting home late Sunday night (it's a 6 hour without kids, 8 hours with kids drive). And, my husband only works 3 days this week. So a little wonky. Plus, Thanksgiving of course and shopping the day after with my mom. One very good thing for us is that my mom isn't a fan of leftovers. So, we'll get the turkey carcass. Last year, I scooped up that sucker and made the turkey gumbo that I'd read about in lots of magazines and books. And, yes, it was really all that. So, I'm definitely doing that again.

Fri/Sat/Sun--inlaws
Monday--fancy venison stew, wild rice, zuchinni
Tuesday--Mexican rice skillet, roasted cauliflower, roasted sweet potato
Wednesday--fettucini alfredo
Thursday--mostly on my mom (thank you mom!), but I'm contributing a new-to-us three onion casserole. It has Alouette cheese and havarti. It sounds great.

And, just because it's interesting, I'll put what I know we're having. We have about 80% of the old faithfuls, and a few new things, too.
Relish plate--olives, stuffed celery (with onion cream cheese--sounds gross, tastes good), pickled peaches
Turkey
Dressing (similar to Paula Deen's)
giblet gravy
cranberry sauce (it's a little overboard--the smooth kind for my brother, whole berry for most folks, and some years, a jello cranberry "salad" that never gets eaten, but makes great leftovers)
rolls
sweet potatoes
butter beans
this oh so fancy and good cake from a local bakery
(and yes, my family doesn't eat mashed potatoes nor pumpkin pie--we'd tell you those are yankee things. And we might smile. But definitely for yankees.)

Friday--tacos de pastor (pre-marinated meat from the store--an easy meal for a shopping day)
Saturday--turkey gumbo

And, just because, I thought I'd leave you with a picture of this cutie. He's just as happy as this picture looks. He had his moments, but by far the best traveling baby I've had. He's sooo good natured. I feel really blessed.

As always, I'm linked to orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday. I can't wait to see what other people are making for Thanksgiving week.

Tacos

2010-11-09T11:16:00.004-05:00

My family will eat anything in a taco. Case in point.

These are mashed potato, roast chicken, and collard tacos, on flour tortillas. We topped them with cilantro, onion, diced hot peppers (these were late season cayenne peppers from my mom's garden), and a little hot sauce (Valencia).

Sounds bizarre, tastes good. Try it!

I'm linked to Balancing Bedlam and Beauty's Tasty Tuesday. Check out lots of new ideas over there.

Weekly Menu November 8

2010-11-08T08:31:00.004-05:00

Last week was a great, relaxing week with my husband at home. It was so fun to have him here, and we did lots of great family things. We went to the children's museum, lots of time in our neighborhood park/playground, we got tons of projects done in our new house, went to lunch with my mom, and we even threw in a trip to IKEA. What could be better? And, true to form for all of our vacations, we ate out several times and had so much take-out that we were *almost* tired of it by the end of the week. It makes getting back to cooking much easier, though!

We had our first cold snap the end of last week. This week should be beautiful, but it's definitely fall, and we're craving cozy, warm meals. Lots of them cooked in the oven for the double bonus of warming up the house.

Sunday--chicken spaghetti, salad

Monday--slow cooked pork butt, rice, pinto beans, corn tortillas

Tuesday--roast chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, zuchinni, salad

Wednesday--leftover pork in barbecue sauce, collards, black eyed peas

Thursday--chili

Friday--Brunswick stew

As always, I'm linked up to orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday. Check it out!

Pantry Date Night

2010-10-28T06:49:00.001-04:00

This week, our Saturday turned into a longer day than we expected. We went to a farm festival at a local park (a historical 1850s farm), and then we went on a wild goose chase from Craigslist for a rug I just had to have. We ended up a way far, far suburb at 4:00 to get the rug (which is perfect, by the way, and exactly what I wanted and totally worth it). But, that put us getting home right at supper time for the boys (who eat early on Saturday). So, by the time we had fed them and gotten them to bed, we were tired. And neither of us had the energy to grill (the original plan) or get take-out (usually our 2nd choice). So we opened our (very thin, just moved in) pantry to see what we could find.

These drinks are a repeat, but they are so good! I used a spoonful of blueberry lime jam in seltzer with lemon juice (the jam is sweet enough that it doesn't need sugar). Really good.

And, then for our appetizer, we cracked open a can of sardines. Yes, we are that white trash. And proud of it. Well, maybe a little proud. Sardines are always better than we remember, and this was no exception. We ate them with the perfect white trash accompaniment, saltines. Oh yes we did.

And on to the main dish. Nachos with just chips and cheese. Jarred salsa on the side. Some drained yogurt instead of sour cream, cause that's what we had.

We somehow found our football game (go Dawgs!) on the internet, which is way better than the $25 my brother paid for his on pay-per-view. So, we watched it while listening to it on the radio. Cause everyone knows you can't trust strangers to call the game of your beloved team. Oh, no, it has to be the old favorites that you know and love.

And, in the end, our pantry had just what we needed for a great night. Some Georgia football, some time with my husband, and it was perfect. Can't wait for next week.

Gallery Wall

2010-10-27T06:36:00.001-04:00

I'm finding it a little slower going unpacking a house with littles. I have never been a crazy fast unpacker (in one infamous grad school apartment, I just never unpacked at all the 8 months I lived there), but this is worse than even my normal.

Part of it is, of course, that I'm here all the time. And my house has evolved into much more of a home in the last 5 years since I've moved. I've got more stuff, and I've got more motivation to get it the way I like it.

But part of it is definitely 3 insane little children. Who want to be fed and diapered, wear clean clothes, and have a mama that plays legos with them. Crazy.

So, I balance the thngs that need to be done with the things I want to get done. And sometimes, everything aligns, and I actually get some pictures on the wall. And it's a beautiful thing.

I've wanted one of these gallery walls for a while now. My mom has LOTS of stuff on her walls. My walls have nothing on hers. But, she definitely inspired me. The quote in the middle was a Christmas present that I saved for just the "right" place. A stuffed duck from my husband's single, duck hunting days. Some pictures from our childood, our wedding invitation, and a painting my grandmother did. There's also a rooster (my husband's family crest includes a rooster). And a photograph of the town we lived in while newlyweds. I need to add a picture or two of my boys, and I found a handprint of Mike's from when he was 5 that I'll add. But, mostly, I'm pleased with the way it's turning out. I like having all that on one wall. Very fun.

So, slowly, one wall at a time, the place is coming together. We still love it. Still feel God's hand in the move. And that's a good thing. Cause I'm not looking forward to doing it again any time soon.