Run, don't walk

To the store and get any ingredients you are missing to make these:
Blueberry Lemon Rolls

They are so very good. I found my Spring General Conference Breakfast tradition.
Something about lemon zest & blueberries.
First time I've let dough sit in the fridge overnight. What was I waiting for?

4 hours late

Tonight we were going to have brown rice for dinner . . . which I usually bake in the oven. But we weren't going to be home from 1:15 until 5:30, so I started baking it at noon. It was supposed to come out of the oven at 1:00pm . . .

but I didn't remember to take it out until 5pm . . .
when we were at the swimming pool and I was talking to my sister on the phone about what she was making for dinner. 

Nathan was home so he rescued the "browner" rice and quickly threw white rice into the rice cooker. Dinner saved. House not burned down. Crisis averted.

You win some and lose some.

We had this for FHE dessert and it is a keeper.

A little planning goes a long way

Last week I didn't meal plan and it was horrible. I went through all of my "emergency" meals and stressed out about dinner every day.

This week I forced myself to plan the meals for the week on Sunday. It's only Tuesday, but it's going so much better. How come I have to learn things the hard way? I still have one night without a plan, but I am sure I can fill it. Perhaps I should plan weeks at a time so I can just grab a weeks' worth on Sunday and go with it. Hmmm..... will have to consider it.

This was dinner last night, and everyone loved it. It's tricky to find a vegetable to go well with it, but it does have pumpkin in it . . . . we had carrot sticks. We served it with whipped cream, no need for syrup here. I am really into food that you can prep early these days, because I am out running kids around most afternoons between 4 and 6. If you have someone who can take a pan out of the oven for you, (while you are gone driving) this one works. And, if you want to try Pumpkin Egg Nog, this is a great excuse to buy some.

Monday we tried this new salad dressing. Easy to cut this recipe in half. It caught my eye because it uses onion powder instead of cutting an onion. I love any recipe that makes that substitution. Worth it in my book, especially for a small amount of onion.

My favorite food storage meal lately? Mac & Cheese with Rotel Tomatoes & Black beans. We cut the butter in half but make everything else like normal, and add one can black beans & one can Rotel. Served with shredded lettuce on the side . . . so good.

(Hoping the Red Sox win the World Series tonight so we the final won't interrupt trick or treating). How can it be almost November?

Life changing salad dressing

It's been awhile since I've written about veggies at lunch, so here goes:

I pretty much do it every day . . . I don't keep track but I would say that 9 out of 10 or more times I do eat veggies with my lunch. Two Saturdays ago when lunch was pancakes & eggs I did not eat veggies. . . and I could have but didn't.
I have to say it's been a good change.

My favorite lunch veggie is spinach. I buy a one lb. box every time I'm at Sam's. (Unless they are out--then I growl under my breath and have to buy it at another store).  Nathan and I are the ones who eat it most, but if I give my kids an option they will usually eat some kind of veggie. Today one of the older children tried it on a turkey sandwich and enjoyed it, so there is hope.

I found this recipe my Aunt had given me several years ago that I'd never tried. It is a winner because it tastes good, goes well with Spinach and you can keep all the ingredients easily in your house. Drop me a line if you try it and like it, too.

Spinach Salad dressing:

1/3 C oil
1/4 C Lemon juice
2 T. Soy sauce
1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce

I call it awesome. Just fresh enough, b/c of the lemon, just spicy enough b/c of the tabasco. It feels a touch oily . . . but pretty close . . . and it's possible I put in 1/2 C? Can't remember. I confess many times I make it on the fly in my bowl, and it's probably a little heavy on the Lemon juice that way. 

Consciously eating veggies at lunch this year has not made me lose a ton of weight, but I feel better and it's led to other positive changes. Like seeing someone about my back, joining a gym, seeing people I haven't in many years, and taking Barre class. I love it. 

p.s. For my mom & Dad, this recipe is from Aunt Maxine. It's delicious & from family, you should try it.

Asian Slaw

Recipe from our Elementary School cookbook 2012-2013

Dressing:
3/4 C oil
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C white vinegar
2 packets seasoning from Chicken Ramen Noodles

Salad:
1 package broccoli slaw
1 C sliced almonds
1 C sunflower seeds
1 small bunch green onion, chopped
2 pkgs. Ramen noodles, (NOT COOKED), broken up into chunks

Mix dressing well; pour over salad. Let sit for 2 hours before serving.

MY CHANGES:
1/4 oil, 1/4 sugar, 1/4 vinegar
No Ramen seasoning. 1 tsp salt instead.
1/2 C almonds, 1/2 C sunflower seeds.
1 Package Ramen noodles
Cilantro--1/4 cup or so
(Didn't try this time, but I think rice vinegar would be great. Also red pepper).

I've seen this salad before, but it was cabbage instead. I prefer it with the Broccoli Slaw since I am not generally a fan of raw broccoli but like it this way.
My husband commented, "This is my favorite use of broccoli slaw."
Will be taking to all the summer "bring a side-dish" events.

Pesto, pasta, peas

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

This was very, very good. Fresh, light, and awesome. Try it.
I am not a fan of canned Sun-dried tomatoes, but when I saw a bag of dried tomatoes, I thought, "That's right up my alley."
[This link is the exact brand I bought, but I did not buy on Amazon  . . . wonder if that's a better price?]
(I don't like the extra stuff that's added to the canned variety).

At 5:00pm when I still didn't have a dinner plan, this is what I decided to make.

Changes:
I soaked my 3.5 oz bag of tomatoes in 2 cups hot water for about 7 min.
The recipe seems to have left out the amount of nuts--I used about 1/3 C of pine nuts.
Omitted garlic.
Used green onions instead of sweet. Green onions are my fave.

3 of my children liked it . . . I think they were the only 3 that tried it.

Served with sugar snap peas.
So good.

Our kitchen tonight

Had this for dinner.
I loved it and my husband, who did most of the work, said, "We could have this again."
Which means: "Let's have this again!"
I think this would be OK with rotisserie chicken as they mention, but tonight it was perfection b/c of the homemade grilled chicken we had it with.
My favorite part of grilled chicken is the outer surface--browned & a little bit drier. This time the chef sliced each chicken breasts in two pieces lengthwise--

This is not my photo . . .found it on google images

To make more surface area for the grill. Best way ever.
Fresh basil is an important addition--adds to the freshness & depth of flavor.

The under 12 crowd for the most part did not appreciate the red pepper sauce or basil, but it's easy to make theirs without. And the red pepper sauce is the reason I wanted to try it. It did not disappoint. It was so good I think you would not miss the cheese if you left it out.

A certain 11 year old saw that someone was discarding her fresh basil, however, and asked if she could have it. So there is hope.

Today was our neighborhood garage sale. We didn't make a ton of $$$, but enough. My neighbor was selling a copy of this:

After I told her I loved it, she gave it to me. Can't wait to try some of these, the first up on my list is Spinach and Feta Frittata. If you are a young mom wondering how on earth you are ever going to feed your family, this is a fantastic resource. Highly recommend.

Tomorrow we are going to try this.
Some night soon . . . . this, but we will have it with spinach, because it's better.

Spring food

I love spring food--it is so fresh.
If I were you, I would try this, Mixed Greens with Fresh-strawberry-herb-dressing
SOON.

This morning for breakfast I had wilted spinach with scrambled eggs and homemade bread. Heaven in my kitchen.

Dinner tonight (updated)

Chicken burgers: Found the recipe on a package of ground chicken. (Yes, it's twice as expensive as boneless skinless chicken breasts, but it's WAY cheaper than eating out).

Recipe Here

OK, so I didn't follow the recipe but it still tasted awesome.

UPDATED: The main things I did differently were spices: no sage in my house (I like it but am out), and instead of putting the paprika in the flour, I dumped it in with the chicken. I realized my mistake was going to make it TOO MUCH PAPRIKA, so I took a lot of it out. And, then I forgot the cayenne pepper sauce.  So the reason my goof ups weren't written before, is that they were mostly goofups and not intentional changes. My point is--this is a good recipe regardless of whether or not you do it right.

Will be adding this into the regulars & trying again on the grill sometime.

Seis

Someone had a birthday this weekend.

She requested granola, yogurt, and frozen peaches for breakfast.
(I didn't get the granola made on time--BOO. I should have done it ahead of time, I procrastinated).

Scrambled eggs and tortillas for lunch.

Tomato soup, rolls, and cucumbers for dinner.
With brownies & homemade marshmallows for dessert.  
We added hot fudge and toffee bits for fun, not because they were requested.
My parents came. So did my sister, her three children and a friend. It was nice to have company.

Delightful weather added to our weekend.

Diana asked for hair clips and fashion boots, (as opposed to snow boots), and long sleeve shirts. She's delight because she's agreeable. We all agree on that.

Here are some process photos of the marshmallows and the roll dough. Family favorites.
Marshmallows found HERE, and rolls are adapted from HERE.

Assembly line Won Tons

We've been reading a book Bryn had me check out at the library a few weeks ago.

Dumpling Days

It also inspired tonight's dinner: Wonton Soup
(from an Everyday Food Tara gave me years ago. Can't tell you how many recipes I've been storing and saving for "someday." Must try new things.)

It's the story of a first generation American of Taiwanese descent and her first voyage to Taiwan. Since my family has a little Taiwan connection, it's very interesting. Hearing her talk about dumplings made me want to make this recipe I've been keeping around for years. It was nice to have Bryn's company while I made them . . . they took longer that I thought.

She laid out the wrappers and scooped most of the filling, even though this is my hand

Ready to go but protected with a damp paper towel so they don't dry out too much

My Chief Photographer was home teaching so this blurry pic will have to do

My rating of this recipe: Delicious.

Nathan came home at 7 so he ate dinner after us. He said, "Do these taste better because of the book we are reading?"
I don't know if it's that, or just breaking your fast after a long day, but if you haven't made wontons, this is a good place to start--they show lots of pictures demonstrating the steps.
3/5 of my kids liked the whole soup, one only wanted the broth, and one didn't care for it at all. Pretty good--we don't try to please all the palates at once.

I remember watching my mom make egg rolls when I was little and learning how to wrap them myself when I got older. I love deep fat fried wrapped up meat and cabbage. Boiled in soup is also tasty.

(I've decided to check out some Newberry winning authors--I think that's what my friend in Chicago read. I don't read adult fiction for the most part, but I love a well written story so I thought it would be a good place to begin).

Have a great week.

For dessert tonight (UPDATED)

Oatmeal Carmelitas

Haven't made these yet, but tried them (twice) in the past 6 months. Deliciosa! Baking them myself tonight.
(I cut the butter and sugar--a la Tara Hunt but not by half).

UPDATED: SOMEONE TOOK SOME OF THESE TO WORK TODAY. THEY DISAPPEARED QUICKLY, AND THE CO-WORKERS WROTE A THANK YOU NOTE TO BE BROUGHT HOME TO ME. I'M JUST SAYING, YOU SHOULD TRY THEM.

My science (kitchen) experiments

Hot Wheatberry Cereal from Lazy Day Cooking

1 C Wheatberries
5 C water
butter, milk, honey, salt

1) Rinse and sort berries. Cover with water and soak all day, or 8 hours in slow cooker.
2) Cover. Cook on low overnight (or 10 hours).
3) Drain, if needed. Serve hot with honey, milk, butter and pinch of salt.


I doubled this and added extra water because I was afraid of running out. I had plenty.
It turned out great--but I'm pretty sure only the adults in my house want to eat it again. I want more fiber at breakfast but don't love most bran options, so I will be making this again. This is a great way to use wheat if you don't have a grinder.
I think salt should be added in the cooking step, but I don't know how much yet. Will play around with it.



I'm making craisins! Can't wait to see how they compare because we go through a lot of them.

(Keeping it real: For the past several years, I've bought extra cranberries during the holiday season intending to make craisins with them. Then, sometime in January or February when they weren't looking so great anymore, I would throw them out. Yeah for progress!)

Egg-salad idea

For your leftover Easter eggs . . . . 
I tried this sandwich today and it was awesome.
I measured nothing, you will have to guess.

1 hard-boiled egg, diced
olive oil
vinegar
mustard
cilantro
salt
pepper

Sliced tomato

2 slices homemade bread (toasted--that's a bonus of being at home with young children. Access to a toaster).

(I know not everyone loves cilantro like I do, some think it tastes like dishsoap. But if you love it, try this sandwich--it is a keeper. Sidenote: this was my lunch, I didn't try feeding it to today's crowd. I do have one or two children that would appreciate it, but not those who are home today. I might eat this weekly for awhile).

Nancy's Homemade Noodles

Every month I ask for help deciding what's for dinner.
It's a win-win.
They win because they get to give input and we get to eat what they want for one dinner.
I win because I don't have to plan EVERYTHING.

This month, Nate picked chicken noodle soup with homemade noodles, which we ate tonight for dinner.
Some ate none, some ate all, someone went to great lengths to remove all the parsley.

to parsley or not to parsley, that is the question

Nancy's Noodle Recipe:
(yields 1/2 lb dry, 4 C cooked)

2/3 C flour
1 egg
1 TBSP. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oil

Make a well in flour  and add other ingredients. Work with hands folding until it can be cleaned from hand. Cover, let sit for an hour.
Roll and fold 10 times, adding flour each time so it doesn't stick. Roll out to 1/4 or less, cut. Let sit 1/2 hour to dry. Add to boiling water or broth. Boil 5 minutes.

Notes: I use a mixer instead of kneading by hand, and I double because they are good. I think this recipe came from the Joy of Cooking, but is not the same as the version there now.

Nathan copied this years ago over the phone from his mom, on the back of a first year podiatry school schedule. He doesn't really have a favorite meal, but this comes close. He eats it served over mashed potatoes.

Nancy last made it for us when she and Steve came to visit in TX post-Edwin.

I love it because it's simple, good food. Hope you like it, too.

Everyday Food Find

While visiting my sister this summer, I decided it was time to try out some new recipes. Here is one I found this week from Everyday Food (Tara's favorite):

Sesame Carrot Salad
I made this recipe twice this week, once for my family and once for an event. The first time I used canola oil, and the second I used Toasted Sesame Oil . .. . I almost prefer it with canola . . the jury is still out--either way it is tasty. TRY IT, even if you don't have toasted sesame oil or think you would want to buy it.
BEST NEW RECIPE for 2010?
(I never expected to get so excited about what's for dinner, did you? Especially this excited about carrot salad? Never in my dreams.)
TRY IT.


Any great finds lately on your end of the "What's for dinner question?"

Other interesting news:
6 patients on Friday--woo hoo!
Tuesday school begins.
(Planning the first day of school party . . . . balloons are in order. I hope I don't cry, too much. I warmed up yesterday while reading I'll Love you Forever, but will try to hold it together on the big day).

Chicken Tortellini Soup

Because I've mentioned this recipe 2 times in the last month, I am going to post it. It is from one of my mom's friends, and though it isn't copied word for word here, all the essentials are here. (IE, I TOOK OUT THE GARLIC).

Notes: You can easily keep everything in this recipe in your house--making it an emergency meal option with a great loaf of bread. Most of the time, I omit the onion & use "Better than Bouillon" rather than broth.

This is the perfect meal for when you have a leftovers from a rotissiere chicken, are wondering what to do with canned chicken, or are sick and have to make your own chicken noodle soup! Hunt family Favorite. Well, I still have to convince a couple of children that Tortellini are worth eating. Nathan and I like it.

Chicken Tortellini Soup
9oz pkg frozen cut broccoli, thawed
6 C Water
3—10 ¾ oz cans condensed chicken broth
1—10 ¾ oz condensed cream of chicken soup
2 C cubed, cooked chicken
1 C chopped onions
1 C sliced carrots
1/2 to 1 tsp. basil
½ to 1 tsp. oregano
7 oz. pkg tortellini
grated parmesan cheese if desired

In a large saucepan, combine water, broth, soup, chicken, onions, carrots, basil, oregano. Bring to boil—add tortellini. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes. Add broccoli. Simmer additional 5-10 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Serve with cheese.

working out my bugs and granola

I still have a lot to learn about how to blog . . . those whose blogs I read made it look very easy! Be patient while I figure this out . . . I think I worked out the comment issue and our family photo is a little smaller today!! Yeah! Daily progress is all I want!

Yesterday I made granola for the first time. We love it! The recipe is from a link on the lds.org website in the provident living section. It is easier than I thought it would be, but this recipe makes a TON, so if you want to cut it down, do.

Basic Granola
2 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 C water
6 TBSP. oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
10 C rolled oats (uncooked)

In a pan combine the sugar, water, oil, and salt. Heat until sugar is dissolved, but do not boil. Pour syrup over the oats and stir until well coated. Add a little more rolled oats if the texture seems too moist. Place in pans or sheets about 1/2 inches deep. Bake at 425 F, 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Bake 15 minutes longer if you want it crunchier. Makes 11 C. Store in an airtight container.


What I learned: granola can burn . . . . It burned in the spots where it was spread most thinly, so I only threw out part of it. I used 2 large cookie sheets for this recipe, and greasing them is not necessary.