Recycled Crayon Valentines.

Good morning, readers! Happy Sunday to you and yours. I am currently sipping coffee (with coconut oil (my latest obsession) mixed in. So good!) while listening to the rain pitter patter against the window. My favorite kind of morning. Well, besides the rain part. Rain in the spring, summer and fall? Love it. Rain in the middle of the winter? Yuck.

I have some rather shocking news to share. Are you ready?

The other day I was feeling crafty.

As in, I wanted to spend my time working on a craft project with a particular end result in mind. And if you know me, you know this is not normal.

Olive wanted to make something for Valentine's Day, so I went with it. I got my craft on.

We decided on recycled crayons. You've probably seen them floating around Pinterest, Etsy, Target, everywhere over the last several years. Obviously we're a little behind in all things crafty.

With it being a Valentine's Day project, we really wanted to make rainbow heart crayons. So we went off in search of a heart shaped muffin tin, silicon mold, something. I was hoping to find this. And we struck out. We found a silicone mold at Michaels but the hearts were too big for our needs. But I bought it anyway because too big for heart crayons means just the right size for heart brownies. Woot! In the end, we decided to just use a mini muffin pan. And since we already had one at home, we didn't need to purchase one. Score.

Olive and Penny grabbed our crayon box and started going to town taking off all the wrappers. I am pretty sure this was the best day of Penny's life. She was given the ok to pick the wrappers off. She kept asking "I rip the paper? It okay to rip the paper, mama??" In her world, just for that day, I was the coolest mom EVER. I preferred to use a knife and slit the wrapper end to end. But to each their own.

Our crayons were an assortment of old, broken and well loved Crayolas, restaurant crayons rescued from the bottom of the rarely used diaper bag and other misfits. Regular size and the bigger toddler size. It was a motley crew (totally just wrote motley crue. rock on!) and perfect for the task at hand. We made quick work of the wrappers and I started chopping them into small (~1/4") pieces.

When I had about 2 cups of chopped crayons, we filled the (sprayed) muffin tin. Two cups was the perfect amount for a 12 count mini muffin pan. I tried to make sure every cavity had a nice assortment of colors. You could also sort them by color or color families. But we wanted rainbow.

Then we popped them in the oven at 275* for about 9 minutes. I am sure this varies by the size of your muffin tin/mold and the size of your crayon pieces. You want all the pieces to be melted.

After they were all melted, I pulled them out and let them sit on the counter for about 10 minutes. Then I put them in the freezer for another 20 minutes or so to make sure they were cool all the way through and they popped right out.

Now, I'll be honest. They are not the prettiest or most rainbow-y crayons out there. But my two helpers were more than pleased, so I consider it a success! If I were to do it again, I would make sure to use all Crayolas. The cheaper crayons seems to create a film of sorts. Or maybe some were washable? I was able to flake most of it off, so it wasn't a big deal.

And here is the finished product!

No, I did not design the card. But this lovely blogger did and has kindly offered them up for free. Three years ago. See, I told you I am behind the times! They would have been much cuter with heart shaped crayons, but c'est la vie.

So there you go. I was crafty and a) didn't hurt myself, b) was successful and c) am already thinking about our next batch. I am thinking glitter crayons. Or possibly neon. Maybe I'll go all crazy and do both!

Here is the "recipe":

Crayons
Cooking spray
Muffin tin/silicone molds/cookie cutters (place a cookie cutter on a baking sheet, fill and bake)

Take wrappers off crayons
Chop crayons into small pieces (2c. was perfect for our mini muffin tin)
Spray muffin tin/molds
Fill muffin tin with broken crayons
Bake @ 275* for 8-10minutes until crayons are melted
Let cool completely and remove
Eat a cookie to celebrate a successful crafting adventure
The End. 

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

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!

I think I am in love.

Angela of Oh She Glows has done it again.

Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

So good. So, so good.

Plus, Chris made them. So that makes them EXTRA good.

Photo courtesy of moi. You're welcome. Now, wipe the drool off your keyboard.

Family Traditions

(I will admit, when thinking about writing this post, this song popped into my head. And there it sits. On repeat.)

Our little family of four does not have many family traditions. But we are a fairly new family, so I think there is plenty of time to change that. The few traditions we do have seem to center around food and eating together as a family. Nothing wrong with that in my mind! 

Eating as a family is extremely important to me and we try to do so most evenings. I love the time to slow down and connect with everyone. It's our surefire way of making family time a high priority during our busy daily life. By starting this tradition with our kids at a young age (when they don't have a choice, ha!), we are hopefully showing them the importance and value in sitting down and eating together. And if we happen to be eating something fabulous that's even better.

Here are a few of our family traditions.

We make Aebleskivers for breakfast on Christmas morning. Love it. 

Four years ago Chris and I started the tradition of having crab legs for dinner on New Year's Eve. Love this too. 

Last spring we instituted Homemade Pizza Night on Friday nights.We got off track for a while but seem to be getting back into the swing of things again. Really love this. Even though my pizza is now cheese-less.

And the latest and greatest tradition? Sunday night Roast Chicken. We've only done it once or twice, but it was such a warm and delicious ending to our weekend that I think we're going to start doing it more often. And it makes the whole house smell wonderful (if you like the smell of roasting chicken and veggies).

Now, before you start thinking "Wow, aren't you the little Susy Homemaker to whip up a roasted chicken every Sunday!" I promise you I'm not. Just ask Chris. :)  It's really easy. But doesn't it sound so impressive to say you're roasting a chicken for dinner? And it's sooo good! 

I found this recipe on Dinner: A Love Story and love it. It's a very basic recipe that you could spice up a little with different spices/herbs or veggies.  Tonight we are going to throw some beets into the mix. With a side of brussel sprouts. Because we're crazy like that. 

Perfect Roast Chicken

(Adapted from Dinner A Love Story)

 

6 potatoes (anything but baking potatoes), cut into chunks (I used baby red potatoes)
3 medium carrots, peeled, cut into chunks (All I had were baby carrots)
1 whole roasting chicken (organic if you can swing it) about 4 pounds (ours was around 3lbs)
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, pricked several times with a knife
1 small bunch fresh thyme (I also threw some Rosemary in)

Heat oven to 425°F. Arrange potatoes and carrots in a large oven-proof skillet (I used a glass baking dish) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in oven and roast for 15 minutes.

Rinse chicken under cold water (inside and out) and pat dry.  Rub chicken skin with butter and season with salt and pepper.  Fill cavity with lemon and thyme (and rosemary).  Place chicken over roasting vegetables and continue roasting until chicken is a golden brown and juice run clear when thigh is pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven, carve and serve. Enjoy!


What are your family traditions? 

Sweet Potatoes, Hummus and Chocolate.

Oh my. 

I am going to keep this short and sweet. You must make these recipes now. NOW. 

Warm Sweet Potato n' Black Bean Salad

Garbanzo Bean Soup

Giant Double Chocolate Cookies (you're going to need a glass of milk for these bad boys. wowser.)

Thanks to Oh She Glows and Annie's Eats for these amazing recipes. You ladies rock my oven mitts off. 

Avocado Pasta

(source)

Have I ever told you that I love avocado? Like, LOVE avocado? I eat them several times a week and could probably eat them daily without getting sick of the creamy, cool, buttery goodness. 

I like to eat avocado:

straight up with a spoon.

spread on toast.

mixed with a little salt and lime as a dip for chips.

mashed together with salt, pepper and lemon juice, spread on a toasted baguette and topped with tomatoes (aka tomato avocado toasts).

sliced and on a sandwhich.

chopped and in a salad. 

And thanks to Oh She Glows, I now have a new favorite way to enjoy avocado. As a creamy sauce for pasta. Oh. My. Gosh. Avocado heaven. So incredibly easy. I promise once you try this you'll say "Why the heck didn't I think of that?!" I would have taken a picture for you, but once I started eating it I couldn't stop!

15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta

(adapted from Oh She Glows)

Ingredients:

• 1 medium sized ripe Avocado, pitted
• 1/2 lemon, juiced + lemon zest to garnish (I used almost a whole lemon. But I like lemon!)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, to taste (I used 3 and it was quite garlicky, but if you are not a big fan of garlic use 1 clove) (I only used 1 and it was plenty garlickly for me)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
• ~1/4 cup Fresh Basil, (probably optional) (I used ~1 tsp dried)
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings/6 oz of your choice of pasta (I used 3oz of spelt and 3 oz of Kamut spaghetti)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Add in your pasta, reduce heat to medium, and cook until Al Dente, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing the garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Now add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy. (oops. I threw everything in all at once)

3. When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in a strainer and place pasta into a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until fully combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. (I also squirted a little lemon juice on top)Serve immediately. Makes 2 servings.

Enjoy! 

Are you a fan of avocado? What's your favorite way to eat it?

Taste the Rainbow

 A few weeks ago I stumbled across a blog. A simple, humble food/photography/daily life blog that for whatever reason resonated in me. I took some time to go back and read the posts from the beginning and was amazed at how connected I felt to this complete internet stranger. Not to mention, the recipes look fabulous. I am now a follower and am inspired daily by her posts and recipes. 

The blog is Oh She Glows and you should check it out. 

Why?

Because I said so.

Why? 

Because I am the Mommy, that's why. 

Why?

Don't start with me. 

I made this delicious concoction the other day and I HIGHLY recommend that you try it out. So good. And good for you! As always, my adaptations are in blue.

  

Spicy Rainbow Rice and Bean Salad

(adapted from Oh She Glows)  

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 1 tbsp oil of your choice
• 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion (I used red onion because that's all I had on hand)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander (did not use)
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (optional)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 green onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 tbsp Tamari (organic soy sauce) (I used low sodium)
• 1 cup frozen peas (I only used 1/2 c. I am not a big pea fan)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (I finely chopped a half a bag of baby carrots.)
• 1 tsp Earth Balance (or your butter/margarine of choice), to stir in

Directions: 

1. Cook the basmati rice on the stove top according to the package directions.

2. Chop all vegetables and get all of your ingredients ready before beginning this recipe. (Did this while the rice was cooking)

3. In a large skillet, add the tablespoon of oil over low-medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté on low-medium heat until golden. Add spices, garlic, and optional green onion and sauté on low for a few minutes until the spices begin to bubble slightly. Be careful not to burn.

4. Add in the Tamari sauce and the drained and rinsed black beans and stir well. Heat for about 5 minutes on medium heat.

5. Add the frozen peas, grated carrots, and frozen corn and stir well. Heat on low for another 5 minutes.

6. Stir in the cooked and drained rice and a teaspoon of Earth Balance (or butter).

Enjoy! 

Makes ~ 6 cups

I enjoyed this hot off the stove and also cold the next day for lunch. The flavors definitely develop more that longer it sits. I had it for lunch for several days. Yum, yum.

Sorry my adaptations are in such a small font. Blogger has decided that once I change a font size, it shall remain that size no matter how many times I try to change it. Blast you Blogger, blast you! 

I have a confession to make. . .

I like beets. I would go so far as to say I LOVE beets.

It feels really good to have that out in the open. You see, I've always thought I disliked beets. I have even boldly claimed I HATE beets. I wouldn't even try a bite of anything beet related because I was so certain I hated beets.

And it's all my brother's fault.

Once upon a time, many moons ago, in a galaxy far, far away, he made me eat a beet. And not just any beet, a pickled beet. But not only that, he tricked me into eating it. He told me the purpley-red gelatinous looking round slabs on the table at Thanksgiving were jellied cranberries. I ADORE cranberries (yes, the purpley-red gelatinous looking round slabs from a can). So I was all over those "cranberries" like squirrels on a bird feeder. 

Needless to say, one bite in and I realized I had been had. Duped. Punk'd (Except this was in the early 90s and Punk'd wasn't even a twinkle in Ashton Kutcher's beautiful blue eye). 

So from there on out I was a hater. A beet hater. Can you blame me? 

Fast forward 20 years or so and I am now a proud member of a CSA that has a bountiful crop of beets! So I swallowed my pride (fear?) and forced myself to eat beets. And they were good. Excellent. Amazing! 

What is the point of all this random rambling you ask? Well nothing really, other than to say I LOVE BEETS!

Here are a few of the recipes that cultivated my love affair with beets:

Grilled Beets- Peel beets, slice, drizzle with olive oil, s&p to taste, wrap in foil, grill on med until tender and delicious. 45 minutes or so.  (throw in some sliced onion too if you're so inclined)

Beets 'n' Sweets

Chocolate Beet Cake

Beet Greens and Feta Pasta

Enjoy!

The Perfect Fall Soup

It's like a sweater for your stomach. Warm and comforting. Without the annoying scratchiness.

Just go make it. It's amazing, I promise. And who doesn't want a sweater for their stomach?

Sausage and Greens Soup

(Adapted from my CSA newsletter, not sure of the original source)

1lb ground sausage

Garlic to taste (I used 1 giant clove)

1 large onion (chopped) (I used 1/2)

8c. chicken or veggie broth

3-4 c. diced potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1 can evaporated milk (I omitted this because I was planning on freezing it. But then we ate it. oops.)

3-5 c. fresh chard (roughly chopped)

Brown sausage in soup pot and drain all but a spoonful of fat. Saute onions and garlic with sausage in reserved fat until soft. Add broth, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft. Add milk and greens. Cook until tender. Freezes really well, just omit the milk and add once you defrost and heat the soup to serve.

3 out of 3 diners gave this soup two thumbs up. Well actually, one of the diners gave it a peace sign. I don't know if that means the soup was groovy or she was telling us she is two. Regardless, she downed a whole bowl.

The next time I make this I will include the evaporated milk. I know it will be creamy and delicious. I am actually concerned it would be too rich...we shall see! Enjoy!

CSA love

We love our weekly CSA delivery. Seeing that wooden crate crammed full of beautiful summer veggies, fruits, greens and herbs just puts a smile on my face. The possibilities are endless. You can be a purist and eat everything raw, fresh from the earth. Or spend hours in the kitchen lovingly creating gourmet dishes from your bounty. 

We usually stick closer to the raw end of the spectrum. Because really, who wants to slave away in the kitchen in this heat? Except now the heat and humidity has broken, so I am not sure what my excuse is. 

Here are a few of the things we've been whipping up with our CSA loot:

*pickles (cukes, zucchini and probably some hot peppers)

*Beet chips 

*Sauteed greens (swiss chard, beet greens, cabbages)

*Blueberry Muffins

*Penne pasta with Beet Greens and Feta

*Potatoes on the grill with onions and herbs

*Salsa with fresh onions and jalapenos (no tomatoes yet!)

*Green smoothies using whatever fruit we have on hand and a handful or two of greens (banana, orange, lemon juice and swiss chard today)

*Big, beautiful salads with fresh greens and herbs

But so far, my favorite CSA creation has been Chocolate Zucchini Muffins. Chocolate and vegetables. Moist and sweet. But not TOO sweet. Yum!

Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

makes 2 dozen

3 eggs

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. applesauce

1 c. vegetable oil

1/3 c.  unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 c. grated zucchini

3 c. flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two muffin tins.  

In a large bowl beat the eggs. Beat in the sugar, applesauce and oil. Add the cocoa, vanilla, zucchini and stir well.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until just moist. Pour batter into muffin tins filling 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Warm Chocolatey Goodness

(image courtesy of Tasty Kitchen)

A few weeks (months?) ago I saw the recipe for My Granny's Chocolate Cobbler over on The Pioneer Woman's cooking site, Tasty Kitchen. It was love at first sight and I had to make it. Well as with most things these days, I promptly forgot about it. Until last week when I saw my big container of cocoa powder and thought "What the heck is that for?". *lightbulb* 

So while relaxing on the north shore of Lake Superior with my wonderful Mother and Father in law, we decided to whip up a batch. We did not regret it. Topped with a scoop of ice cream, it was heaven in a bowl. 

My Granny's Chocolate Cobbler

(courtesy of Tasty Kitchen)

• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 7 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder, Divided
• 1-¼ cup Sugar, Divided
• ½ cups Milk
• ⅓ cups Melted Butter
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed
• 1-½ cup Hot Tap Water

1. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, 3 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 3/4 cup of the white sugar. Reserve the remaining cocoa and sugar.

2. Stir in the milk, melted butter, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Mix until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 8-inch baking dish. 

4. In a separate small bowl, mix the remaining white sugar (it should be 1/2 cup), the brown sugar, and remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the batter.

5. Pour the hot tap water over all. DO NOT STIR!

6. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set. (I baked for a total of 50 minutes)

Let stand for a few minutes if you can hold yourself back. Serve with ice cream using the gooey sauce to spoon over all.

Enjoy! 

barley & mushrooms

Barley and mushrooms. Not  the typical combo you think of when thinking of baby food. But alas, it happens to be my little girl's all-time favorite meal. 


We first discovered it last spring, when Olive was getting a little more adventurous in her eating. And lo and behold, it was a hit! Not only with Olive, but with anyone who happens to try it! We enjoy it so much that I made it as a side dish this past Thanksgiving. And I am making it for dinner tonight so I thought I would share the  love!


So without further ado, I give you Barley & Mushrooms. 


Barley & Mushrooms
(adapted from Cooking for Baby)


1/2 c. Pearl Barley
1 Tbs Unsalted Butter (I use 2 Tbs)
1 clove Garlic
2 c. finely chopped Cremini mushrooms (I use baby bellas)
1 c. Low sodium broth
1/3 c. water
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 tsp dried or 1/2 tsp minced fresh Thyme


1. In a dry saucepan over medium heat, toast the barley, stirring often, until it starts to brown. (about 4 minutes) Transfer to small bowl.
2.  Melt butter over medium heat in same sauce pan. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid (about 3 minutes). Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes until barley is tender. 
3. Enjoy! 

Yum, yum...kale

Yes, you read that right. Kale. The dark, leafy green you don't really know what to do with. Not what usually comes to mind when you think of "Yum yum", is it?


I have seen tons of cooking/foodie blogs talk about baked kale chips lately. They sounded sooo good. (well anything with the word "chip" in it sounds good to me lately.) So I finally made them tonight and wow, were they AWESOME!


I used this recipe I saw at Smitten Kitchen. But really, there is not much of a "recipe".


All you do is wash and dry a bunch of kale, cut it into pieces (taking out the hard rib/stem), toss with olive oil, put on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 300* for 20 minutes and voila! Crunchy goodness that's actually good for you!


I was *shocked* at how light and crispy these turned out. And they taste good, which I think was the biggest shocker! Even Chris, who isn't the world's most adventurous eater, was popping them in his mouth faster than I could.


Give them a whirl, I think you will be pleasantly surprised! And if not, pack them up and ship them to me. I'll take care of them for you!

Individual Chicken Pot Pies

I saw this recipe for Chicken Pot Pie on Weelicious a few weeks ago and was dying to try it. There is just something about chicken pot pie that makes my mouth water. Me thinks it's the flaky, buttery crust.  This recipe does not disappoint!


As always, my adaptations/changes are in blue.


Chicken Pot Pie
(adapted from Weelicious.com)


*I used a roll of Pillsbury pie crust. Saved a bit of cooking/baking and clean up time! 

Crust:
4 Tbsp Butter, chilled and cubed
4 Tbsp Shortening or Lard, chilled and cubed
1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tsp Salt
2-3 Tbsp Ice Water
1. Place the first 4 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
2. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the water in the food processor and pulse a few times until the dough starts to come together.
3. Place the dough of a piece of parchment or plastic wrap and gather the dough into a ball and flatten into a disk.
4. Refrigerate the pie crust dough for 30 minutes or until chilled.


Pie Filling:
2 Cups or 1 14 oz Can Chicken Broth (I use low sodium)
2 Chicken Breasts, boneless, skinless (about 1 Lb)
4 Tbsp Butter, divided
1 Clove Garlic, minced
1 Small Onion, minced
2 Stalks of Celery, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced (I used frozen carrots)
1 Tsp Fresh or 1/2 Tsp Dried Thyme
3 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp Flour
1 Cup Milk
Salt
1 Cup Peas (I use frozen)
Pepper to taste


1. In a saucepan, bring chicken stock and chicken breasts to a boil, reduce to a simmer, partially covered for 12 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate, reserving the chicken broth, and when cool, cut the chicken into bite size chunks.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic and onions for 4 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add the celery, carrots and thyme and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
4. Melt the remaining butter into the vegetables and sprinkle the flour over and stir to make a roux. Cook for 1-2 minutes stirring to coat the vegetables.
5. Add the milk, reserved chicken broth, chopped chicken and peas and simmer over low to medium for 10 minutes or until thick and creamy. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Place 1/4 of the mixture in 4 10 oz ramekins or 1 large ramekin. (I used 5 8oz ramekins)
8. Dust a flat surface with flour and roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick (about the size of a pie plate).
9. Place the ramekins on the dough upside-down and cut 1/2 inch wider around to make the top crust of the pot pie.
10. Place the cut-out dough on top of the ramekin and gently pinch the sides, pressing it to make it stick.
11. Using the tip of a knife, make 3 slits on top of the dough (to allow ventilation).
12. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
13. Cool and serve.




Enjoy!


(Image from weelicious.com)

Aebleskeebies

 
or whatever they are called.

Chris' family introduced me to "aebleskivers" last Christmas. I have to say, I was quite shocked that it took them 5 years to introduce the doughy goodness to me.

Aebleskivers are little round filled pancakes. You make them in an aebleskiver pan like this:

You fill each well of the pan with batter and filling and let it cook much like a pancake. When the batter starts to bubble, you very carefully flip the half cooked dough ball over. In our house this involves a fork and a chopstick.

I *think* they are traditionally filled with apples or some sort of fruit filling, but we used a cinnamon sugar filling that is heavenly.  Adam and Kelsey introduced us to the recipe last Christmas and we have made them several times since, this morning included. I can see Aebleskeebies becoming a Christmas breakfast tradition in our house. Olive LOVED them. She would scarf one down and with her mouth still full say "more? more?"

The recipes calls for a cream cheese frosting, but honestly, we think that makes them too sweet. They were plenty sweet without it. But, to each their own!

Cinnamon Filled Aebleskivers

(adapted from Williams-Sonoma.com)

Ingredients:

For the cinnamon filling:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes,
    at room temperature (we nuked it until very soft)
  
  

For the cream cheese frosting: (not necessary in our opinion)

• 3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 to 4 Tbs. milk
  
  

For the pancakes:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 cups milk
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking

To make the cinnamon filling:
Stir together the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and, using the back of a spoon, mash the butter into the flour mixture until all of it is absorbed into the butter, forming a paste. Set aside.

To make the cream cheese frosting:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, reduce the speed to low and beat until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 3 Tbs. of the milk and beat until combined, about 1 minute. The frosting should be thick but still pourable; add more milk if needed to thin it. Transfer the frosting to a small bowl; set aside.

To make the pancakes:
 In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the 4 Tbs. melted butter. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions.

Put 1/8 tsp. melted butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan (or spray with cooking spray). Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 1 Tbs. batter into each well. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of the cinnamon filling into the center of each pancake and top with 1 Tbs. batter. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Using 2 skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.

Drizzle the pancakes with the frosting and serve immediately. Makes 35 to 40. (They freeze well!)

Enjoy!


(images from Williams-Sonoma.com)