I did it all for the mookie, cmon, the mookie, cmon, so you can take that cookie…and stick it up your…. Annnnnnd I will be blaming that one on sleep deprivation and a teething child. I apologize in advance for that song sticking in your head for the next 24-48 hours. Georgia has even been singing it…all day. Proper, I know. But listen. You come up with a better name for a muffin/cookie hybrid and I will change the name of this sweet treat in a heartbeat. Continue reading
With the short list of ingredients you’d think this dish has nothing to offer. Throw in the fact that you’ll have it on the table in no more than 20 minutes, start to finish and you may want to just stop reading and get back to your day. But STOP. DONT GO. PLEASE. Just give me another chance. Im begging! Just read one more sentence before you go: Continue reading
There is so much going on out there in the world of food and nutrition. Our society has made some great progress when it comes to educating ourselves on what we are feeding our bodies. The marketing companies have also become even smarter….they’ve got most of us wrapped around their fingers. Whole grain, whole wheat, all natural, gluten free….the minute we see these words we often perk up and assume these things are healthy for us. Wrong. So very wrong. And all of the diets. The Atkins Diet. The Low Carb Diet. The Gluten Free Diet. The Paleo Diet. This challenge. That challenge. The Problem? The word diet, unrealistic guidelines and the notion that a quick fix is on the way. It strikes a cord with me. People, because its human nature, commit to these “diets” and once they get off track for even a split second all hell breaks loose. They either guilt themselves and deprive themselves or completely give up on their “diet” and regress or binge. So if these diets work for you…I apologize. You do what you do and I’ll do what I do. Continue reading
Once upon a time there was a mommy. And this mommy promised her little girl allllllllll day long that after her nap she would wake up to a wonderful treat of peanut butter crunchy bars with chocolate drizzled on top. So when the little girl when down for her nap the mommy headed right for the kitchen…she was so excited to eat the peanut butter chocolate treats herself prepare such an awesome treat for her little girl. She measured and scooped and poured and stirred. The crunchy peanut butter bars smelled amazing. And now came the really fun part….the chocolate drizzled on top! Mommy went to the cupboard to get the chocolate pieces. But she could not find them. She looked high. She looked low. And everywhere in between. She began to sweat. How will I make the peanut butter crunchy bars with chocolate drizzled on top without the chocolate? I know I bought chocolate! And then she became angry. Smoke nearly started coming out of her ears. The mommy had not-so-nice thoughts running through her head of what she wanted to do to the daddy. She realized the daddy probably ate all of the chocolate pieces because daddy has a problem. A problem with consuming everything in sight that resembles chocolate in a matter of milliseconds. He’s like a really friendly chocolate monster. Mommy decided she was going to get a padlock for her chocolate cupboard. Not for the little girl or her baby brother but for her daddy. Continue reading
This pasta salad is something to write home about. I love it because it’s so simple and quick to throw together (especially if you already have the dressing on hand) and it is great at room temperature, warm or even leftover cold for lunch the next day. Continue reading
Things are getting pretty comical around here. The things that come out of Georgia, my 2 year olds mouth sometimes leaves me speechless. She’s so dang busy, too. Running around the house, all day, mommy I’m going to the store, do you need me to pick you up anything …or, okay class, heres how you do a ballerina. It’s constant, the talking. And poor Jude…the kid will not stand a chance to speak until he is 18 years old and out of the house, I’m afraid. But the child loves every bit of her voice…he absolutely lights up when he sees and hears her…its incredibly cool. Continue reading
Oh you guys…you guys. There are no words. This salad is something else. I mean it when I say it is one of my very favorite dishes I prepare. Farro is one of those forgotten grains that I swear you will fall in love with. It’s hearty, full of vitamins and minerals and the texture is just plain awesome. If cooked properly, as in this recipe, it has an awesome chew to it…no mush like quinoa or couscous can give you. This salad is a one dish meal filed with fiber, nutrients, protein and so incredibly much taste it will knock your flip flops off (i can say that, right? We haven’t had snow in over a month.) It’s also wonderful to take to a potluck or picnic…it can sit at room temperature and is such a crowd pleaser! The texture of the farro accompanied by the sweetness of the corn, the freshness of the basil and asparagus, the savory chicken and the tart goat cheese…well..I’ll leave the rest up to you.
Spring Farro Salad
*notes: Farro is simple to find and is available in the natural section of every market I’ve been to. You could also substitute frozen corn in here..but the fresh corn, to me, is one of the best parts about this salad
Adapted by this recipe
Ingredients
1 Cup Semi-Pearled Farro or Spelt Berries
2 Ears Corn
1 Pound Asparagus, woody ends removed
1 Pound Chicken Breasts
4 Ounces Fresh Goat Cheese, crumbled
1 Avocado, diced
1/3 Cup Olive Oil + more for drizzling asparagus and chicken
1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Minced Yellow Onion
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Basil
1 Heaping Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Directions
Preheat the grill to medium high. Bring a 4 quart pot of water to a boil. Stir in the farro, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes or until the farro is a firm texture but cooked through; drain.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, white wine vinegar, onion, basil, dijon and salt. Or add all ingredients to a small jar and shake well. Set aside.
While the farro is cooking, drizzle the chicken breasts and asparagus with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Place the chicken, asparagus and ears of corn on the grill. Cook the chicken for 15 minutes or until cooked through, turning once in between. Cook the corn until the kernels begin to lightly char, turning often, about 5 minutes. Cook the asparagus until crisp tender, turning often, 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken, corn and asparagus and let cool slightly. Chop the chicken and asparagus into bite sized pieces and slice the corn off of the ears with a sharp knife.
Pour the farro into a large bowl and add in the chicken, corn, asparagus, goat cheese and avocado. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and toss lightly to coat. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Can be made one day ahead. Serves 4-6.
My daughter goes absolutely nutso for this stuff. It is so incredibly delicious, quick and simple to make and is a million times more inexpensive and healthful than those preservative-filled, sugar-loaded flavored packs available at the grocery store. A perfect cozy breakfast for this getting-too-cool-for-my-liking time of year.
Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal
*notes: be sure to use gluten free oats if you would like to make this dish truly gluten free. also, as you can see below, the recipe calls for 1.5-2 tablespoons of honey-this is depending on how sweet you prefer your oatmeal. 1.5 is sweet enough for us. and one last thing; if you are sold on those “instant packets” of oatmeal at the store because of ease it is simple to do with this recipe: just place all of the dry ingredients in a sealed plastic bag or air tight container and store it in your pantry for up to 6 months. you can easily portion a lot of these out ahead of time so all you have to do is add water and milk 🙂
Ingredients
1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Water
1.5-2 Tablespoons Honey
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
Pinch of Salt
Directions
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, stir well and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for five minutes or until liquid is absorbed and oats are soft. Serves 2.
So have you heard about this craze thats all over the internet? The “Italian Wonderpot” some like to call it. I have been hearing about this ridiculous sounding recipe from my mom for at least a month. “Honey, you have to try it”. “Make it for Nick, he will love it”. Her and my dad both totally enjoyed it and she clearly wanted to share the wealth with me. But I struggled with the whole idea. How in the world could something like this taste good and keep a good texture? And there is no way this will cook and be flavorful in such a short amount of time. Wasn’t buying it, folks. Not one bit.
Yesterday came and after a week long plan for “pasta Sunday” I had no real plan at all. And with EXTREMELY lazy bones, I thought it might be a good day for this so called Wonderpot. As I headed into the kitchen at 5 o’clock Nick came in. “What do you need me to do?”. And then it occurred to me. Nick is always wanting to help out in the kitchen on pasta Sundays but most of the time my controlling self prefers to do it alone so I tell him I don’t need any help. But today. OOOOhhhhhh today was different. I was not one bit excited about this dish and was pretty darn tired to top it all off. “Actually, this would be a perfect meal for you to make. Its super easy and takes no time at all” I told him. He was signed up before I even finished my sentence; washing his hands and getting the cutting board out-bless his heart. So we decided this was going to turn into Nicks deal..photos and all. I bellied up to his workspace and watched (of course I did give a few suggestions..but ONLY when I was asked, I swear!!).
The bottom line is that we were shocked with the results. Totally, utterly shocked at how something so ridiculously simple could result in such deliciousness. Nickyboy was proud, to say the least. And he should have been…he made some really great changes to the recipe that guided us and it turned out just perfect. The chicken stock adds just the right flavor, the spices are spot on and the parmesan and tiny bit of cream cut the acid of the tomatoes beautifully. You will love this, I swear. And now, I present to you….One Pot Italian Pasta…recipe and photos courtesy of some random cute guy that was in my kitchen 😉
One Pot Italian Pasta
Adapted from this recipe
Ingredients
4 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
14 Ounces Brown Rice or Quinoa Fettuccine
1 (28 ounce) Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
7 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Dried Italian Seasoning
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1 Pound Cooked Ground Italian Sausage
4 Cups Packed Fresh Spinach
1 Cup Freshly Shredded Parmesan
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
Directions
Break pasta in half and add it to a large pot along with chicken stock, olive oil, tomatoes, onion, garlic, italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Give the ingredients a stir, place over high heat and cover. Bring the pot to a full boil, remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium. Boil over medium heat for 7 minutes, gently stirring occasionally to ensure the noodles are not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stir in spinach, sausage, parmesan and cream and bring back to a simmer. Remove from heat and serve topped with red pepper flakes and additional parmesan, if desired. Serves 4+
It was so tough for me to capture a photo that would do this recipe justice. I can very honestly say that this was one of the best dishes I prepared all summer; and so simple too. What a great way to end the season and I’m currently wondering how I can have it just one more time before that beautiful produce is no longer available. The flavor is over the moon good…fresh, sweet, savory, light, cheesy and gooey all in one perfect bite. Full of protein, fiber, vitamins and calcium it’s just the perfect meal in itself. I’m confident your family will love this as much as we did.
Summer Vegetable Quinoa “Risotto”
Ingredients
1 1/4 Cups Uncooked Quinoa
2 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Ear Of Corn, kernels cut off (about 1 cup of kernels)
4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Medium Zucchini, grated or diced small
1 Large Tomato, diced
2/3 Cup Half and Half
3/4 Cup Shredded Parmesan
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
Directions
In a saucepan bring quinoa and chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is cooked and fluffy.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Add corn and sauté for 2 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 additional minute. Add zucchini, tomatoes and their juices and cook, stirring occasionally, for five minutes or until vegetables are just beginning to soften. Stir in quinoa, half and half, parmesan, salt and pepper and simmer over low heat until liquid is absorbed and cheese is melted, about five minutes. Stir in basil and serve. Serves 4
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