I'm in the mood.

Nothing gets me in the mood to cook and bake more than Fall.


Oh! You thought this post was going to be about getting in some other kind of mood? Scandalous! Sorry to disappoint.

Although, the crisp fall nights and a wedding anniversary does make this girl want to.....cook. (Seriously, what did you think I was going to say?!)

 It's no secret that Fall is my favorite time of year. The cool air, the beautiful leaves, bountiful pumpkins and hot apple cider. Wearing long sleeves, jeans and socks. I love it.

And the change in weather pushes me into hibernation preparation mode. I feel like I should be hunting and gathering to prepare for the winter. I am already dreaming of frosty cold weather and (hopefully) heaps of snow. I may or may not have been humming Christmas songs the other day. But since you don't live inside my head, you'll never know.

Needless to say, I am kind of glad summer is over. Don't get me wrong, summer is great. But three months is plenty of time for sweat summer. It's time to pack away the swim suit and break out the long underwear. Ok, maybe not yet. But soon. I can feel it.

Here are a few fall favorites that get me in the mood. Once again, the Fall mood.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

 Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burritos 

(itty bitty Olive!) 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds 

Also:

Sausage and Greens Soup
Acorn Squash stuffed with Quinoa  (I haven't made this yet. But it's on the calendar for tomorrow night!)
Roast Chicken
Chili

And although I am not usually a flavored coffee fan, I can't wait to get my hands on some Green Mountain Pumpkin Spice coffee. The flavor is very subtle, but very wonderful. I am the proud owner of a Keurig Vue V700 (thanks to House Party!), so I am waiting for the Pumpkin Spice Vue cups to come back in stock.

What are your favorite fall recipes?

We have a winner!

And the winner of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families goes to...............

Commentor #4
underwooddays

Please enter me!! I need a great resource as we start a new diet with Lucia. This is totally new ground for me but I'm feeling motivated and ready for a happy/healthier girl. Great post.

Congrats!! Please email me at ljotritabaugh at gmail dot com to claim your prize. If prize is not claimed within 48hrs, I will draw a new winner.

Winner picked using random.org

Almond Breeze Almond Milk Winners!

And the winners of the Almond Breeze Almond Milk giveaway are.....

(drum roll please)
 
Commentors: 
#6 Teresa Hodek
#2 Stefanie
#7 villda

Congratulations! Please email me (ljotritabaugh at gmail dot com) with your mailing info. If I do not hear from you within 48 hrs, a new winner will be drawn. Thanks!

And thanks to everyone for entering!



Winners picked using random.org.

Got Food Allergies? (giveaway!)

Have I got a cookbook for you!


Thanks to Moms Meet and Kiwi Magazine, I have my very own copy of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families to peruse and drool over. It is chock full of recipes that are allergen free and family friendly. Can't do gluten, dairy, nuts, eggs or soy? They've got you covered, with 120 tasty, allergy-friendly recipes.

We are very fortunate to not have any true food allergies in our family. Pen and I are sensitive to dairy products, so I try to limit and avoid them as much as possible. But it is not a life threatening allergy and something we can easily choose to avoid. Not everyone is so lucky though! We know several families that have children with food allergies and I know they struggle with finding wholesome recipes that the whole family can enjoy together. This cookbook is just what they need! And, Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is not only a great cookbook, but also a great website! It is a wonderful online resource for allergy-free cooking recipes and ideas.

Allergy-Friendly Food for Families is really, a well put together cookbook. The recipes are broken down into; Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert, Snacks and Parties (so fun!). Each section offers a multitude of family friendly recipes that are truly drool worthy. Within each section, each recipe is clearly marked with colorful tabs that indicate which allergens the recipe is free of. And if there are substitutions available to make a recipe safe for that allergen, the tab will also say "option". SO user friendly. There are fabulous food pics scattered throughout the book too, that really enhance the drool factor.

Here are a few recipes that I can't wait to try:
No-Cream of Broccoli Soup (gluten, dairy, nut, egg and soy free)
World's Best Kale Salad (gluten, dairy, egg and nut free)
Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies (dairy, nut, egg and soy free)
and pretty much everything in the dessert section...like Cherry Chocolate Sorbet (gluten, dairy, nut, egg and soy free) *swoon*.

And while some recipes are a little more involved than others, most have pretty short ingredient lists and little prep. Because let's be honest, who wants to slave away in the kitchen for a meal that will be devoured in 8 minutes flat? Oh, that's right. No one.

Another really nice feature of this book is a section titled "Building a Natural, Allergy-Free Pantry". It is full of great suggestions and ideas to keep your pantry well stocked with allergy free ingredients. A very handy resource to have in your kitchen!

I highly recommend this cookbook not only to those who are dealing with food allergies, but to anyone who is looking for healthy, family friendly meals. There really is something in here for everyone. It would make a great gift for a family with food allergies!

Would you like to WIN your very own copy of Allergy-Friendly Food for Families? Leave me a comment and you'll be entered in my giveaway! I will draw a winner on Wednesday, August 22nd. Good luck!


And remember, I am hosting a giveaway for free Almond Breeze Almond Milk! Go check it out!

CSA Love Fest 2012- Week....9?

I'm a bit behind in my CSA Love Fest.  So here's a little photo recap;

Week 6 (7/18)

Week 7 (7/25)-Chris picked up our share this week and forgot to take a picture. Oops.



Week 8 (8/1)

And here we are this week....Week 9:

 

The picture quality on my phone is not great, but hey, at least it's a picture. Not sure what's up with the grey line on the bottom.

Starting 8/1, we added a bread share on to our Whole Diet Share. So from now until November, we will get a loaf of whole wheat bread and one "baker's choice" item with our fruits, veggies, meat and fish. The whole wheat bread is incredibly good, well worth the price alone. But the "baker's choice" items have been phenomenal. Last week we got a loaf of sourdough with herbs....amazing. This week we got a loaf of "Northwoods Bread". A rustic whole wheat loaf with craisins, raisins, agave, walnuts, wild rice and malted barley. Holy crap is this bread good! A slice with a smear of butter is amazing. Throw it in the toaster and smear it with butter and it is out of this world good. We are trying to restrain ourselves and savoring every morsel. So. good.

We've had a great variety of veggies lately and a good amount of blueberries. Chris and the girls love blueberries (you can see them sneaking handfuls while I was snapping away), so they are happy campers.  Chris has been blending them in with his homemade kefir. He says it is amazing. I am taking his word for it.

Here is the run down of this week's haul:
Blueberries
Fennel (I need recipes with fennel, please!)
Green Onions
Salad Mix
Green Beans
Tomatoes
Broccoli
Carrots
Cabbage
Corn
Zucchini
Eggs
Lake Trout
Whitefish
Polish Sausage
Brats
Chicken

Pretty sure I am going to make this Chocolate Zucchini Cake tomorrow. *drool*

Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend....NOT creepy.

Thanks to Moms Meet, I was recently given the opportunity to sample Blue Diamond's new Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend.

 It is a nondairy milk that is a lactose free blend of almond milk and coconut milk. I have issues with dairy products (read: me + dairy = no go. Unless I want to be bloated and in pain for the rest of the day. FUN! Not.) so I jumped at the chance to be part of their sampling program for their shelf stable product.

I was familiar with Almond Breeze and their Almond milk. I purchase and drink it on a regular basis (again, me + dairy = no good.). But I've always purchased the refrigerated product. And occasionally the Chocolate refrigerated product. This bad boy right here:

Let me be honest here, I was a bit hesitant when I read the words "shelf stable". Not gonna lie, it kind of creeped me out. But then the good people at Blue Diamond, informed me that it just means

"Almond Breeze is ultra pasteurized (a high temperature heat treatment) that ensures food is free from harmful bacteria and packaged in sealed sterile cartons with special barrier layers that keep out light, moisture and air."

Oh. That's not so creepy. Actually that's kind of nice. I can stock up when it's on sale and not worry about it going bad. Sweet.

When the package came in the mail, I was excited to see two FULL size cartons of Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend, one unsweetened, one sweetened. I also got two cookbooklets, "The Secret to a Great Smoothie" and "The Perfect Blend of Flavors" which has lots of great recipes and ideas for incorporating the Almond Coconut blend into your every day cooking. I am totally making the Coconut Curry Chicken Skewers later this week. YUM.

So then, it was time. I cracked open the carton of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Coconut and poured myself a little glass. I took a sip. And....it was great! Very smooth, creamy, slightly sweet and just a hint of coconut flavor. I was worried the coconut flavor would be really strong and take over, but it doesn't. It compliments the almond milk nicely. The girls wanted to try some too, so we all had a little "milk" break. Olive wasn't a fan, but Pen asked for more! Which was nice to hear, since she seems to suffer from the same dairy issues I do. And since Almond Breeze Almond Coconut has more calcium than cow's milk, it is an easy way to get our calcium in.

The real test came the next morning. I poured a bowl of cereal, topped it with Almond Breeze Almond Coconut and dug in.......



Raisins and bran flakes have never tasted so good. The cold, creamy Almond Breeze Almond Coconut added a bit of the tropics to my breakfast that morning and it was wonderful. So then I just went crazy. I added it to my coffee (yum). I added it to the girls' oatmeal (double yum) and later on I added a splash to our smoothie (Y.U.M.).

So, long story short, if you are looking for a nondairy, calcium enriched milk alternative, I highly recommend Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend. Shelf stable (remember, not creepy), tropical goodness in a carton. Awesome. You can check 'em out on Facebook too.


What's that?

You ARE looking for a nondairy milk alternative that's calcium enriched? Well, my friend, you have come to the right place. Thanks to Moms Meet and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, I have THREE vouchers to giveaway, each good for one FREE carton of shelf stable Almond Breeze. Just leave me a comment and you'll be entered to win! I will choose three winners on Friday August 17th. Good luck! And may the force be with you!




(I don't know. It sounded good.)

Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product. And all that jazz.

CSA Love Fest 2012- Week 5

Yeah, yeah, it's a little late. Better late than never, right? (Sorry weeks 2 and 4, you were lovely too!)

Raspberries 

BASIL

Green Beans

Turnips

Swiss Chard

Broccoli

Zucchini

Green Onions

Lettuce

Carrots

Kohlrabi

Cabbage

Cucumber

Eggs

BACON!!!!!!!!

Pork Roast

2# Ground Beef

White Fish

Lake Trout

Another fabulous week. The raspberries were gone in two days. So was the broccoli. Purple kohlrabi is the best because "it's fancy". Fish sandwiches. Cole Slaw. Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad (Similar to this one). Used the basil in a caprese salad. Probably going to make and freeze pesto. Lots of salads. Swiss chard and turnips on the grill. Carrots for crunching. Green beans for munching. Eggs for eating and baking the best brownies ever. EVER. Burgers on the grill. Pork roast in the freezer (it's too hot to even look at a roast). Bacon in the freezer. But only because I don't want to eat it all and then be sad because we don't have more. 

Yes, I am hoarding the bacon. Sue me.

CSA Love Fest 2012-Week 3

Here is what week 3 brought us:

Strawberries

Eggs

Leaf lettuce

Pea Tendrils

Swiss Chard

Green Onions

Cucumber

Carrots

Cabbage

Beets (!)

Turnips

Summer Savory (herb)

Whole Chicken

2# Ground Beef

Polish Sausage

Bratwurst

Yum, yum!

The other night we had our first meal made up of only CSA ingredients. Baked lake trout with a side of sauteed veggies (turnips, kohlrabi, zucchini). It was so good! Olive asked when we were going to have fish again, because "I love fish a lot!".

On the menu for this week:

Grilled Porkchops and Bok Choi (from last weeks box) with a side of some sort of cabbage slaw

Hamburgers and Brats on the grill. Maybe with some grilled beets? Or grilled chard? (grilled kale is amazing!)

Roasted Chicken with salad and turnips

Veggie/herb omelets

Lots of fresh salads

Strawberries by the handful

I know I should "do" something with all of the strawberries (jam? pie?) but we love to just eat them as is. Or on waffles, pancakes, peanut butter toast, ice cream, so many options.  Maybe we'll go crazy and have strawberry shortcake...

CSA Love Fest 2012

And so it begins! CSA Love Fest 2012

You may have notice something a little different about our share this year. We have switched farms and are the proud recipients of a Whole Diet Share. The Whole Diet Share runs June-March, with weekly boxes June-November and monthly boxes December-March. During weekly deliveries, we will find a 3/4 bushel box chock full of veggies, fruits, eggs and seasonal goodies like honey and syrup. AND 8lbs of assorted meats. During the winter months, we will find a 3/4 bushel box of storage vegetables and 32lbs of assorted meats.

Our first week brought us:
Salad Mix
Spinach
Kale
Cabbage
Sage
Radishes
Beets(!)
Green Onions
STRAWBERRIES(!!)
Whole Chicken
2# Ground Beef
Lake Superior Trout
Lake Superior White Fish
Eggs


So. Excited.

wordless wednesday.

("mama, we should draw hearts on the whole world, because hearts mean hugs and hugs mean love.") 

Dreaming of Tony Little.

Chris and I need new pillows, stat. Ours went from nice, fluffy and supportive to flat and uncomfortable seemingly overnight. (In actuality, it was more like a matter of months but who's counting?) We've both been waking up with headaches, stiff necks and sore shoulders. A lovely way to start the day.

We are not new to the land of pillow woes. The current pillows are our "new" pillows, purchased this fall. The ones before these, we bought last spring. So, in the last year we have gone through two sets of pillows trying to find "the one". We are sick of wasting money on pillows that only last for a few months.

I am a side sleeper who likes a pillow that is supportive by squishy. Down pillows usually fit the bill. Chris sleeps mostly on his back so likes something a little firmer but still needs to have some squish to it. That's not asking too much is it?

Have we just had bad luck with our last two purchases? The first set came from Sam's Club. They are made of some sort of memory foam and were heavenly at first. But then they stopped bouncing back to their original shape and became lumpy and miserable. The second set came from Kohl's and are down filled. They were everything we hoped for; supportive, squish-able and comfortable. But in the last few weeks they have become flat and so not comfortable.


What kind of pillow do you use? Down? Synthetic? Foam?  Any recommendations? Or should we just deal with it? I guess there are worse things in the world than a bad pillow....

And maybe we just need to get two of these bad boys:

I mean, if it's good enough for Tony Little, it's good enough for me. Plus, it comes with a spandex pillow case. Because nothing says "Sweet Dreams!" like resting your head on a pillow of spandex. Then again, maybe that's why Tony likes it....

Are you there Blog? It's me, Lindsay.

Dear Blog,

Hi! How are you? I am doing well, thanks. I'm sorry I haven't posted lately.

It's not you, it's me.

I've been busy with life and such. I know, lame excuse. And I bet you're asking yourself "isn't this blog suppose to be about the daily nonsense in your life?" Yes. Yes, it is.

Here is a quick recap of the last few months:

January: I turned thirty. Woot! Decided thirty is going to be a delightful, not dirty, year. We went to Hawaii. It was amazing. Spectacular. Beautiful. Warm.

February: We spent the beginning of the month lamenting the fact that we don't live in Hawaii.  It was not amazing, spectacular, beautiful or warm. We celebrated Valentine's Day with lots of heart art. Penny started consistently sleeping through the night. I may or may not have cried tears of joy. 

March: Chris and I left the girls with Grandma and Papa and went to Arizona for a few days. It was sunny. Quiet. Hot. Relaxing. We hiked, we explored, we ate, we slept. Just what we needed. Did I mention it was quiet? 

I am running a half marathon in June. Taking a slow and steady approach to training. My knee and feet are not pleased. Screw them.  I've been running with the girls in the double stroller. May be the smartest training move ever. When I do get to run by myself, it seems so easy!

The girls are a constant source of love and entertainment. Today, Olive boldly proclaimed "Mama, today is my best day ever because we got to have a pretzel AND a smoothie at Target.  Maybe we should do that every day." She'll be four in two months and her birthday wish list includes a scooter (she wants a skateboard for her 5 year old or 7 year old birthday), a Hello Kitty toaster, a hula hoop and a robe. She has started planning her "flower butterfly tea cup" party which seems to involve delicate tea cups and a lot of balloons.

Penny is really starting to come into her own. She is quite mischievous and likes to climb on things. She adores her sister, the dog and eating. Her vocab and communication skills are increasing at warp speed. Today at Target she saw a picture of a  kitty and started yelling "TITTY! TITTY! TITTY! MORE TITTY? MORE? MORE TITTY?" which, you know, was awesome.  She is a bit of an instigator and a fan of pulling hair. Great skills to have on hand when you have a bossy older sister with long hair.

So that's what's up with me, Blog. I hope all is well in blogland.

xoxo
Linds

Move over Cupid.

Who needs a bow and arrow when you've got art like this?

Wordless Wednesday

(Almost wordless anyway.)

We went to Hawaii last week. It was amazing. The end.