Mayfly

So how did your holidays go? I hope they were relaxing. Ours was extraordinarily stress free. I don't know what it was- there were last minute gifts to buy and make, mad dashes to the grocery, B had a decent-ish cold- but somehow we stayed calm and collected and found ourselves dancing around to Frosty the Snowman, smiling an awful lot, feeling grateful.

* * * * * * * * *

If only for the sake of having something to visit about, here's a run down of the few gifts I made:

I think I've talked about this before. My kids ask Santa for one gift, we give them one toy, and I make them something. Between their cousins and grandparents they get plenty. Too much, really. So our three gift limit keeps things simpler for us.

For his mommy-made gift J asked again this year for warm jammies. I sewed up a quick pair of fleecey p.j. pants and bought a thermal shirt to go with it.

N asked Santa for an American Girl doll, so her mommy-made gift was a set of matching dresses. I used this pattern for her dress and I made the blouse from this pattern for the doll dress, shortened the bodice and added a skirt.

My nieces, who are also AG doll crazy, each got a little doll blouse (same pattern) and a little doll skirt (no pattern) and a pair of little doll shoes.

My good friend, Andrea, pinned these little toothpaste travel rolls, so I made her a couple.

And our sweet neighbor, who dotes on our kids and left a gift on our porch, got a last-minute batch of these nuts. (I used almonds.) They were SO good. In fact, I think I'll make some more today!

Oh, and worth mentioning. We ate this savory bread pudding on Christmas morning. Oh my lord- it is rich and delicious. Instant tradition.

* * * * * * * * *

So that's it for Christmas. As soon as we enjoy two dinner parties this weekend, it's time for a fresh new year, a fresh start. Time to clean up and purge and get on with things, whatever this new year holds in store for us.

Posted by Alicia at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Hello again.

It's been awhile.

Do you usually stick with the same few cookbooks like I do? I can't help it. My Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book that I received as a wedding gift is well-used and dogeared. As is the Betty Crocker.

When I read online someone raving over a cookbook I usually check it out from my library. Recently I'd read a lot about Mad Hungry: Feeding Men and Boys, and Erin said she loves it. (I'd pretty much trust Erin with my life- she's just one of those people.) I waited quite awhile in the queue for that one, and brother, it was worth it! It's just my kind of cookbook- straight forward, not fussy, hearty food. It's the first cookbook in ages that I've wanted to buy for myself.

Honestly what usually happens is I check out a cookbook from the library and photocopy a recipe or two. (Or print one out from the internet!) If successful, I'll put them into my best cookbook of all time: the three-ring recipe binder my mom started for me when I went away to college. It's just a binder with dividers and blank paper. She gave it to me with several of my childhood favorites already inside. Yet another thing I need to thank my mom for. Fifteen years later, it's stuffed full of my favorite recipes- I've actually had to replace the binder a few times.

Thanks, Mom. : )

Posted by Alicia at 3:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Back when Stephanie posted her recipe on her old blog, we'd eaten plenty of granola but had never made our own. As soon as I printed out her recipe and made my first batch, we were hooked. Now I make it almost weekly. Granola is made of whole, real food. It's filling and more nutritious than breakfast cereal.

My kids like it with a healthy scoop of yogurt. I like it with a few pumpkin seeds, some dried cranberries, finely chopped apple, and milk. It's also just good by the handful on the way through the kitchen. It's so yummy right-out-of-the-oven warm, when the house is still filled with that tempting granola aroma.

Here is my version. I've typed it up dozens of times for friends- at least this way there will be a quick way to find it. Really, it's so easy, after the first few times you make it, you'll no longer need to look at the recipe.

Easy Granola (adapted from a recipe by Stephanie Congdon Barnes):

7 cups rolled oats (not quick oats)
2 cups add-ins (seeds, nuts*, flax, dried fruit**, coconut, etc.) I always just use 1 heaping c. roasted sunflower seeds and 2/3 c. milled flax seeds.
3/4 cup maple syrup*** or honey or a combo (I use half of each)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
a pinch or two of salt

Stir together oats and add-ins (not dried fruit) in a large pan with sides (I use a roasting pan).

Heat oil, maple syrup, honey, canola, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt for a bit and stir. (I always use the microwave for 45 seconds or so. You just need to loosen up the syrup/honey and dissolve the salt.) You can also add some peanut butter here, but I don't. Pour over oat mixture and stir to coat evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350º F stirring every 10 minutes. Add dried fruit after cool. I keep small containers of add-ins (pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, chopped almonds) on the counter near the granola so everyone can dress theirs as they please.

I've never tried any of these, well, because I'm super boring and why mess with a good thing, but here are a few other recipes if you get the hankering:

Molly's Recipe
Stephanie's Newer Recipe
Amanda's favorite recipe from Feeding the Whole Family

*to keep your granola headache friendly, use seeds NOT nuts or peanut butter.

**In regards to headache friendliness, watch out for dried fruit. Sulfites are often used in the drying process. I emailed Ocean Spray and they wrote me back that their classic dried cranberries are fine but that their other dried fruits do contain sulfites.

***Use real maple syrup if you can. Imitation maple syrup is just high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavor and who needs that? Nobody.

Posted by Alicia at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Delicious cookies. The other day a cookie popped into my head- a salty-chocolaty-oatmeal cookie to be exact. Chocolate, you see, isn't a headache safe food, but I had a strong hankering.

So I went hunting on the internet for a recipe, and I quickly bumped into this one. Even with my very lowbrow substitution of white chocolate chips, they are fabulous. Plus the chips' total lack of resemblance to actual chocolate makes them headache safe!

And judging by the comments at her post, if you get all classy and use better white chocolate, they might blow the socks clean off your feet.

Posted by Alicia at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

When N was born, J's preschool director sent us home with a pan of delicious chicken enchiladas with her recipe attached. I've been using that recipe ever since; it still says "Welcome to the world, Baby N!" at the top. A few weeks ago I substituted rice and shrimp for the chicken and also made them headache approved. I hereby claim that they are in no way authentic or gourmet, but they were well received by kids and husband, so here you go:

Shrimp and Rice Enchiladas

Filling:
1 cup brown rice
3 or so tbsp canola or light olive oil
3 green onions, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 can diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
1 diced red pepper (I would add a jalapeno too if I wasn't cooking for kids)
2 cups peeled shrimp (I used frozen)
2-3 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese (NOT the headache approved option)
OR 2-3 cups grated high-quality American cheese* (the headache approved option!)
flour tortillas (corn are yummy too)

Sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 finely chopped green onion
3 small finely chopped tomatillos
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp chili powder (make sure it's MSG free)
a couple of grinds of black pepper
a couple of large pinches of kosher salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried parsley
1 6 oz. can of tomato paste
2 c chicken (or vegetable) broth

Cook the rice (according to the package) but only until slightly undercooked. Drain off any excess water. Dump it into a big mixing bowl to start the filling.

Start the enchilada sauce: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients (except the broth) and cook a few minutes more. Whisk in the broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes until slightly thickened.

Continue the filling while the sauce is cooking down. In a large skillet over medium heat cook onions, pepper and spices in the oil until the peppers are tender. Throw in the thawed and drained shrimp at the last minute and saute for a few more minutes. Stir the shrimp/pepper mixture into the rice and let cool. Stir in 1/2 the shredded cheese.

When the sauce is done, spread about 1/2 cup on the bottom of a casserole dish. Spoon generous amounts of filling into the tortillas. Roll and line them up seam down into the dish. I can usually fit in about 8-10. Top with the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. (The original recipe calls for SO much more cheese. Too much cheese. It also calls for canned enchilada sauce which is extremely iffy in the MSG department.)

Bake at 375º F for 30 minutes until hot and melty and bubbly.

I highly recommend serving with a margarita on the rocks (not headache approved) or a very cold bottled light beer (sort of headache approved.)

*I know that American cheese is barely real cheese, which is why it works as a stand in. Cheese is a potent migraine trigger for many. I buy it at the deli at Whole Foods in big chunks so I can grate it for recipes like this.*

SO there you go. I'm bad at the recipe writing so let me know if something is confusing.

Enjoy!

Posted by Alicia at 4:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Already it's been the perfect amount of relaxing and just the right amount of busy and fun.

Last night we went out for a quick dinner*, ran into some friends, ran into the kids' dentist**, poked around Half Price Books, came home and built a fire outside.

This morning we all slept in, and then N and I made these delicious doughnuts while Brian helped J with his book report.

This afternoon we have plans with friends, and this evening J has a soccer game (on the turf under the lights at the fancy new soccer complex- so fun!).

Happy Weekending to you too!

* With the constraints of my headache diet, fast food is pretty much out for us. We've discovered that Jason's Deli is quick and cheap and has many healthy options for all.*

** It's always so funny for the kids to run into someone out of context. You should have seen their faces when they saw their dentist eating next to us! They even felt too shy to say hello.**

Posted by Alicia at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas. It was Kansas City's first real white Christmas since 1962, and we are loving it. We're still snuggly and snowed in. There are piles of wet clothes and boots by every door and empty hot cocoa cups on every table.

Good thing we have tons of left-overs to keep us well fed. I thought just for fun I'd share two of our holiday food successes this morning:

The Christmas tree appetizer. Spread ranch dip (or any kind you like) in the bottom of a tray and build a tree. My aunt and I did this when I was small, and N and I made this one for Christmas Eve.

Overnight French toast for Christmas morning. I usually make a sausage, egg and cheese casserole, but my small people voted for the French toast. I really like breakfast casseroles for days like this so I don't have to spend the entire morning in the kitchen. We fried some bacon and made a big pot of coffee, and we were set until it was time for the cheese ball, summer sausage, crackers and nuts at about 2 pm. (I think we ate Christmas dinner at about 3:30.)

Anyway, that's all I have today. Next week I'll share some of the handmade gifts I made.

Stay warm, friends. I foresee a sledding expedition in our future!

Posted by Alicia at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Tis true.

We missed (um er, forgot) our annual Saint Lucia Day dinner yesterday. We have been doing a terrible job keeping up with our advent calendar. I'm going to get serious tomorrow and fill the rest of the socks with little activities and stick. to. them. These children of mine get such a kick out of them.

Anyway, since we missed the dinner yesterday, tonight's treat was homemade pumpkin pie by candlelight. My little pumpkin pie connoisseur told me it was the best he's ever eaten. That boy knows how to win a girl's heart already.

Posted by Alicia at 9:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Well, I did it. Yesterday I cooked and cooked and cooked some more.

Sunday I looked over all your suggestions and did a few searches then made myself a game plan and a grocery list. Except for when I sat down and ate dinner with the family, I was on my feet in the kitchen from noon until 9:30 p.m. Yowser!

So here's what I made:

- a extra large batch of pizza/pasta sauce.
- baked pasta with chicken sausage- this is a big recipe- it will feed us 3 times.
- mac and cheese- this made two 9 x 9 pans full. We ate one for dinner last night.
- catalina cranberry chicken- I very loosely used that recipe. I made my own catalina dressing with grated onions, but I did buy a can of cranberry sauce. I eliminated the onion soup, so I added a little garlic salt and onion powder.
- turkey meatloaf- my own recipe. I just throw in whatever I have. I used a pound of ground turkey and a pound of turkey Italian sausage, onions, bread soaked in milk, an egg, ketchup, minced garlic, worchestireshire sauce...
- Irish beef hand pies- I cheated and bought ready-made pie crusts. I think it made enough for 2 meals. J is stoked about these.
- broccoli calzones- I am stoked about these.

What I wanted to prepare, but didn't have time:

- a batch of pesto from my rapidly wilting potted basil from the patio.
- bacon wrapped chicken- I think we'll just have this for dinner tonight. You know how I feel about the bacon.
- vegetable soup- my plan was to make a big pot for dinner and freeze the extra but it didn't happen.

What I think I'll still make this week:

- cinnamon bread- I am making this in the morning just because it looks soooo good.
- banana bread- one plain and one chocolate chip. I have some brown bananas to use up. I'll freeze both loaves.
- pumpkin bread- one to eat and one to freeze. I had three little pie pumpkins on the front porch for Fall and a squirrel took a nibble of one. I'm afraid if I don't cook it soon, it will rot.
- granola. We're just all out. People around here start squawking if I let that happen. ; )

So what did I learn? Well, this may not be the ideal way to go about this. I think the better way is to double the batch of whatever you're preparing and freeze the second half. BUT I actually had a great time (dorky, I know). What else? I think you could put just about anything in a hand pie. I really love the freezer-friendly section at Martha Stewart. And... I am a wimp. Standing on my feet all that time made me tired.

Now we have all these meals just waiting for us! Yum.

Oh, and thank you all SO much for your help, but I didn't put together a big list of resources for you, I'm sorry. I figure you're big kids. You can read the comments on your own. ; )

Posted by Alicia at 10:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Hi there! This photo really doesn't have anything to do with my request, except that it's food, and I have had food on the brain since Thanksgiving.

First a little explanation. One of the biggest things I associate with the holidays is food. Baked goods, treats, warm traditional meals- turkey, ham, big pots of soup. My mom is a great cook. My sister and I were lucky, lucky children. We learned the value of cooking from scratch from her. I really want to create those warm, good smelling food memories for my children this holiday season without wearing myself thin.

Last year a friend of mine organized a little party at Social Suppers. It was great. I went home with about 8 meals all ready to freeze. They were SO handy to have for the busy evenings, and they were all hits with my family. But the part I didn't like was that they didn't really use my choice of ingredients. They weren't made with my frozen local fruits and veggies or anything organic at all. There was plenty of full fat cheese and sour cream involved (which I'm not opposed to but I often try to use lower fat options.) And it wasn't cheap.

I've decided I'd like to do it on my own here at home. Even if it takes a day or two of work, I'd love to have those meals at the ready again this year. So here is what I'm asking of you: Do you have any tried and true make-ahead freezable meal suggestions for me? I have frozen many a lasagna and casserole, but I'm thinking surely there are some other ideas out there.

Keep in mind we are traditional eaters. My children love veggies and are pretty adventurous, but when I cook I make things like chicken and noodles, spaghetti and turkey meatballs, veggie burgers with homemade sweet potato fries, big salads with grilled chicken, homemade pizza. Vegetarian ideas are great, but I'm not very keen on fussy ingredients.

So that is it. Surely some of you can help me. Feel free to direct me to a recipe somewhere online or at your blog or leave it in the comments or email me. I would be forever in your debt. So would my well-fed little family. : )

p.s. I can compile a list in a couple of days if anyone is interested!

Oh! One more thing. When I put my little online shopping list together yesterday I totally forgot about Grace's brand new shop! The dolls seems pricey, but take it from me. They are worth every. single. penny.

Posted by Alicia at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)

Moments after the boys loaded into the car for school, the phone rang. It was them calling- practically still in the driveway. "We want chili for dinner tonight." It's really rainy again and predicted to get colder all afternoon. Yum. I tell them I can't make promises (I don't want to go to the grocery again. I just went.), but I'll come up with some kind of soup.

I think I can pull off the chili if I quick soak some black beans. Even though I've never found anything except a few odd shaped beans, I always sort dry beans because it says so on the bag. Every time I think about just dumping them in, but I don't.

But looky there. I found a tiny little stone.
I'm sure our dentist would be happy about the sorting today.

Posted by Alicia at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

I have been working on a couple of items for my shop, and I have a post about thrifting rattling around in my head, but these things will have to wait. I'm in the kitchen today. A dear friend of mine is having a crisis, and sometimes when you're not sure how to help, you have to stick with what you know: lasagna, spaghetti and turkey meatballs, chicken noodle soup, banana bread.

I'll be back soon with the other stuff. xo.

Posted by Alicia at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Let's get one thing clear. It's seriously lucky that we're naturally thin people (I'll duck while you throw things), because we do not diet. But what we do try hard to do is eat real, whole, homemade foods- local if possible- whenever we can. I like butter, sugar, milk, cheese, honey, whole wheat. I do not like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose anything, artificial sweeteners, enriched flours. This is nothing new, right?

One of our last holdouts is was our very favorite creamer to which we are completely addicted: Coffee-mate Vanilla Caramel. It is full of gross things I can hardly pronounce.

Yesterday, feeling all clever, I had the grand plan to flavor some half and half, and dog-gone-it, it worked! It's yummy. Here's what I did:

I caramelized about 1/2 cup brown sugar + 2 tsp vanilla extract + 1 tsp water in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolved and it was bubbly and thick. I pulled it off the burner, let it cool for about 30 seconds and then slowly whisked in a pint of my favorite half and half. Then I poured it right back into the bottle.

Tasty? Absolutely. Cheaper? No. Low fat? No way. Healthier? It has to be.

Now I'm busy dreaming up some new flavors to try...

Posted by Alicia at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (24)

I am not a gardener. Brian has forced me to say these words aloud this year. But every year I have grand plans and every year I try and every year something goes awry- my seedlings drown (last year), or I forget to build a little fence and my plants become gourmet salad for the neighborhood bunnies (this year). This summer I gave up on everything except for my tomato plants and they actually, knock on wood, are good.

But guess what?! I'll be damned if a few things didn't survive and aren't growing out there! So far we're watching one bell pepper, a few tiny little jalapenos and a bunch of baby cucumbers. There were even a couple green beans. And I mean two beans. Not two bean plants. But it's a start, right?!

I don't really have a black thumb! It's sort of greyish-green!

I have a couple questions:

Can I pick my pink tomatoes a little early and let them ripen on the counter so they don't get swiped by squirrels like they usually do? Will it affect the flavor?
And does anyone local know if we've got much late blight around here?

**********************

Oh, and I have one unrelated question for you. Is there such thing as a custom die punch? I've seen cute little punches at the hobby store in the scrapbooking section, but I want one made of something very specific. I can't find it online. Any ideas?

***********************

Thanks!

Posted by Alicia at 2:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Tended to an injury. That's nine stitches if you're counting. Well, Maw Maw (Brian's mom) did lots of the tending- I mostly marveled at how fast kids heal.

Hung out with friends and ate their yummy food and ice cream made by my sweetie.

Went to the lake with just grown-ups. Drank some beers. Played in the water.

Picked peaches. TONS of peaches. (Note to self: if you let your children pick over a bushel and a half of peaches, it will be expensive.)

Ate peaches. TONS of peaches. Baked two cobblers and a pie for a guest.

Said goodbye to habit. Realized what a wonderful place those ladies have created. Felt thankful to be a part of it.

Hosted lots of out-of-town family for a weekend, and then the girl and I headed to St. Louis with them. Did lots of fun St. Louis-y things.

Rode the train home and found ALL of the laundry done. (Thanks again, sweetie.)

Bought school supplies, ordered a new backpack, got the teacher letter. Listened to the boy call everyone he knows to figure out who got who. Dried a few tears. (His two best friends are in another class.)

Spent a long afternoon at the pool. Slathered on sunscreen but realized they are still getting awfully tan. Came home and made smoothies. Added rum to the second batch for the grown-ups.

Decided wrap-up posts like this make me really think about all of the good things in my life and forget all the mundane and frustrating things. Hooray!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Posted by Alicia at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

Brian, my sweet husband and resident ice cream expert, made this ice cream last night. We had some freezing issues (not enough ice cream salt) so he put the mixture into the fridge. This morning I ran to the grocery for more salt and "refroze" it. It worked beautifully. He used blueberries from the freezer and our favorite milk and half-and-half. Oh, and he used full fat cream cheese instead of the reduced fat the recipe calls for.

Oh.my.god.

I don't know what you're doing right now, but it would be prudent to stop whatever it is and dig out the ice cream maker.

Go.

(Thank you, thank you, thank you, Kayla D. for suggesting this recipe!)

Posted by Alicia at 12:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

You all know how I feel about the local food. I've been wanting to pick blueberries for years, and I've heard a lot about this place. So this morning I checked the picking report, woke the kids up early (8:20, people. I love my late-sleepin' babies.) and we headed out.

Now don't get me wrong. The farm is large and lovely and there's a lot for the kids to do. But oh man. It was crowded. I mean CROWDED. Crowded at 9:30 am. Crowded like 2 bus loads of children and maybe 100 cars. Crowded like if you find a bush with lots of ripe berries, keep your mouth shut, your head down, and pick quickly. More than once I saw people giving each other the stink eye for honing in on their bush.

I suppose I'm just used to the quaint goodness of my favorite strawberry patch, peach and apple orchards. This was a crazy mad house. mad farm. You get the picture.

Anyway, my kids didn't find it very enjoyable, but it was a long drive so we toughed it out and filled a few buckets. And on the very bright side, we're looking forward to blueberry muffins, cobbler and maybe even blueberry ice cream!

Posted by Alicia at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Hello, friends! We have been...

Picking berries and making gobs of jam,

Hanging around outside waiting for fireflies,

Sewing up a few little girlie summer night gowns,

Enjoying the first few raspberries from our own bushes,

And generally easing into summer.

Happy weekend!

Posted by Alicia at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

(I finally had some film developed.)

Most of my plans seem to be in the kitchen today:

• granola and yogurt for breakfast.

• bake a cake for the school carnival cake walk.

• early dinner- spinach & cheddar quiche, baked french fries, spiced apples.

• sneak a brownie when the kids are in bed. (I know you do that too.)

Are you making anything yummy today?

Posted by Alicia at 8:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Last night was book club, and it was here at my house. I love my book club. Have I said that before? It's a great, diverse group of ladies. We read The Glass Castle this month and it was good- sad but interesting- but here's the part I like the best about my book club: We have a strict, NO GUILT policy. If you didn't read the book, you must come anyway. The book discussion only lasts a few minutes, and then it's on to the food and wine and girl talk. It's always a fun evening.

I made this spread to smear on this bread and a peach blueberry cobbler. Mmmmmmm. (If you like olives- make the dip. It's gooooooooood.)

These dishes will have to wait. I need a shower, to run an errand, and then we're going on a lunch date with my mom!

Have a great day.

p.s. Have you seen this website? days with my father
It is terrifically beautiful and thoughtful and heartbreaking. I'm warning you. Have a box of tissues at the ready.

Posted by Alicia at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

Here are the cookies we made Friday.

The chocolate wafers are a new favorite. I made them ahead of time and let the kids frost them with pastel colored powdered sugar frosting, but I saved some plain for myself. They're thin and crispy and buttery- perfect for dunking in hot coffee.

The no-bake nests are the kid favorites. They are tooooo sweet for me. Yowch. They give me those little cramps in my jaw.

Happy (bench) Monday!

Posted by Alicia at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Happy Friday, everybody. Today feels good.

It's a snacky kind of day. Do you ever have those days? This is my lunch. And some friends are coming over in a couple hours to make some cookies and decorate eggs and make a few little crafts. (Plus a little happy hour snacky/drinky for the moms!) And tonight we're headed out to a couple art openings so we're banking on a snacky dinner too.

I'll take photos of the crafts and cookies and show you later.

Have a great weekend!

Posted by Alicia at 12:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

A really big problem. Ask Rachel. She laughed at me today. "You and your goat cheese," she said. I know. I had eaten it in restaurants, but until about a year ago, I had never purchased it. Now I am utterly addicted. I made a quiche with spinach sauteed with a little garlic and goat cheese. It was yummy.

I almost bought a ready-made crust and then I read the ingredients. Ick. Fully hydrogenated lard. Partially hydrogenated lard. And lard. All three on the list. I had no idea there were so many types of lard. Crisco isn't much better which is what I always use for a crust, but oh well.

And also I have a frugal cooking tip for you. If you can catch your bread at stale, maybe even just beginning to mold but before it begins to resemble a 7th grade science experiment, you can cut off the tiny bit of mold and chunk it up. Toss it in a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of seasoning salt (or sea salt and pepper or ranch seasoning or parmesan cheese) and toast in the oven to make very tasty homemade croutons.

That is all. Perhaps I'll "see" you tomorrow.

Ciao.

Posted by Alicia at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

It's Green Week. Just in time to celebrate that Spring is coming and we made it through February without flinging ourselves off any craggy cliffs.

My sweetie just stopped by home for lunch, and I made us the best sandwiches:

sliced red peppers and purple onions caramelized in a little olive oil
a healthy spread of hummus (made yesterday afternoon)
sliced cukes
a sprinkling of salt and pepper
lettuce
on a toasted whole wheat bagel

Deeee-wishous.

Don't forget to stop over at the Noticing Project {2009} to see our new little game... and there's a gonna be a giveaway! : )

Posted by Alicia at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

top: a NP alternate

bottom: fancy breakfast for my sweeties. (make the crepes tomorrow morning without fail. I mean it.)

Happy Valentine's Day!
xx.
oo.

Posted by Alicia at 9:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

she says with a phony French accent, fully aware this is Middle Eastern fare, but she is silly and pictures all chefs like this. wink.

The pitas: This time I used the recipe from my Moosewood cookbook. I am unsure about the logistics of publishing a recipe from a book and I can't find it out there on the web. BUT I have used this very similar recipe before and they were just as yummy. Be sure to keep a close eye as they bake. They can go from golden to charred in a split second. Um yeah, I know this from experience.

And the hummus: My friend Anne Otto brought this recipe back from a trip to Bethlehem. I hope she doesn't mind if I share it here.

2 cups canned chickpeas*, drained or the same amount cooked fresh
2/3 cup Tahina paste
3/4 cup lemon juice (I only had enough lemons for about 1/2 cup and it was fine.)
4-5 cloves garlic, mashed
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cumin
parsley for garnish

Place chick peas, tahina, lemon juice, garlic, salt and cumin in a food processor or blender.
Mix until smooth.
Place in jar and refrigerate.
Just before serving, sprinkle chopped parsley on top. (or a few whole chickpeas or paprika.)

Makes 2 1/2 - 3 cups. This doesn't seem like much but it is!

*I bought the tahini at my favorite Mediterranean market and the nice man talked me into the "good" chickpeas too. They were imported from Lebanon I think.

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I had considered trying to post every day in February to keep my mind off the winter blues, but it's only the 7th and already it ain't happening. So I'll just try to stay pretty active here and maybe it will help a little. K?

Posted by Alicia at 10:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (12)

essential bob dylan on the cd player
big batch spaghetti sauce simmering
bread machine baking
granola toasting
pita dough rising
tahini and "the good chickpeas" (so the mediterranean fellow tells me) waiting to become hummus
4-H pork chops thawing in fridge
little girl (with much improved cough) playing tea party
little dog playing clean up crew

Posted by Alicia at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

First things first. While I was away, there was a party for two children, newly four and newly eight.

Somebody please fill me in. How on earth did that happen?

Well. I don't know. But I do know I couldn't be more proud of them.

p.s. the cake is Molly's yogurt cake (tripled. with a splash of vanilla extract instead of the lemon) frosted with the fluffy white frosting and topped with sparkly sugar sprinkles. I wish I had a slice right now.

Posted by Alicia at 9:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

My mom is having a luncheon. We'll be dining on:

YES WE CANned peach pie (I'm making this one from peaches from summer.)
Intestinal Stimulus Package Chili (ahem. I thought of that one. hee hee.)
Inaugural Cheese Ball
Fresh Administration Salad
Uh, vegetable soup. (we couldn't think of anything clever for that.)

There are moments in history that feel monumental. After soaking in all the MLK coverage yesterday and keeping my eyes glued to the television this morning, it really is emotional to watch it happen.

Posted by Alicia at 10:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

This evening was our second annual candlelight Saint Lucia Day dinner. Last year I made this recipe and was only minimally thrilled. So this year I went straight to the cinnamon roll recipe for the braided bread.

Now that's what I had in mind. Yuuummmmm. As I was trying to explain the significance of St. Lucia to the kids, Brian grinned and called her the patron saint of cinnamon rolls. : )

Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

Posted by Alicia at 7:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

cheddar bacon biscuits.

pear slices dipped in caramel.

knitting.

snuggling.

and for toast and tea in the afternoon.

After reading about Stefani's journey for a good daily bread, I thought I'd share mine. (my recipe not journey- her journey is much more entertaining.)

This is my super basic almost whole wheat everyday bread machine recipe. Now this is not fancy dinner party bread. It's toast in the morning or sandwich in the lunch box bread. Because of this bread we've just about stopped buying grocery store loaves altogether, which I think is a good thing.

Put these ingredients in your bread machine in this order:

1 1/2 C. warm water
1 1/2 T. olive oil
2 T. molasses
3 C. whole wheat flour
1 C. bread flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. active yeast
4 t. vital wheat gluten

Choose the large, normal loaf setting and push start. 3ish hours later- tada! Wholesome warm bread. : ) If I need to make this bread to go somewhere, I set the machine on the dough setting, punch it down, knead it a few times and put it into a bread pan to rise again and bake in the oven. No one has to know you used your machine at all...

If you have a bread machine and never use it, before you give it away or sell it at a garage sale, you must discover the magic of the dough setting. It may just change your mind.

Posted by Alicia at 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

(you like the old school rap, don't ya kids? tee hee.)

Well, it didn't harden up at all, but peach syrup is still pretty yummy. It's especially good served on still-warm bread with a cup of coffee, while laughing with friends and being surrounded by the happy squeals and giggles of little girls.

Posted by Alicia at 9:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

yesterday:

today:

peach freezer jam that didn't set. I left the skins on- figuring it would be fine since I was food processoring them. I wonder if that threw off the acid + sugar equation somehow. I'm going to try the suggestion on the pectin box for resetting the jam right now. Think it will work?

When I called in for back-up, my mom said, "Oh, just serve it over ice cream."

Brilliant woman.

Posted by Alicia at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (18)

Hello, all. I just realized that I haven't posted a thing here since Monday. Sorry about that- we've been awfully busy trying to soak up every last bit of summer.

J and I made the lemon bars. They were yummy. Now they're gone. Just a bit too tart for her, N declared them "not really very tasty", but that just left more for the rest of us. I am sorry I really couldn't sit down and have one with all of you. Wouldn't that be fun?!

And now we're planning a little bit of extended put-up-our-feet time. I'll still be posting at the NP but probably not at Echoes. So I'll see you in a week or so.

Take good care, friends!

Posted by Alicia at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

So whatchy'all been up to?

At night I've been working on a few crafty things (mostly little gifts, shhhhh.) and on a website for a friend, which is so mind-numbingly technical until it is done and then all I want to do is strip naked and do cartwheels in the yard, because I'm so proud of myself. But I'm not there yet. I'll let you know when I am. wink.

Having both kids with me during the day means there's not time to get much done in the studio. I can't see the back yard from in here, but I can from the kitchen window. From the kitchen I can see if she is smiling as he sticks the garden hose down the back of her swim suit, exactly WHO spilled the economy size container of bubbles, or if the squeals are of the delight or terror varieties. The terror ones usually revolve around a bug. The boy has a love of all things creepy and crawly. The girl does not. You know how that equation ends.

Anyway, back to the kitchen. Cooking feels creative and helps keep me somewhat sane-ish. Here are a few of the more successful things we made in the last week:

A small scoop of vanilla ice cream sandwiched between warm chocolate chip cookies. SO easy. SOOO yummy.

Strawberry leathers from this recipe. Ours turned out a little sticky. I didn't spread them thin enough. They were tasty, but I'll try using less sugar next time.

Southwest veggie burgers. Brian invented these. Your favorite veggie burger topped with pepper-jack cheese, sliced avocado, and baja sauce. (we have a weakness for that sauce.) These are best with salt and pepper kettle chips and an ice cold beer.

Big green salads topped with cold peas, dried cranberries, hardboiled eggs, and a sliced grilled chicken breast.

Vegetable stir fry with noodles. On the patio- that's the important part. Sadly, my wok died. The non-stick coating started coming off in big flakes, which is not the kind of seasoning we enjoy, so I'm looking for a new one. (keep dreamin, Alicia.) One pan meals make me happy.

And guess what?! Blueberry season opened today. Woo hoo! We are going to have to go soon. Maybe Saturday morning.

Alright. I'm getting hungry. Time to go start dinner!

Posted by Alicia at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

So Brian will email me any minute and tell me "no one cares what you had for lunch." I know. I really do. But our long weekend was ALL about food and that rarely happens for our skinny little family. Here are a few foodie highlights (in very particular order):

•breakfast at Wheatfields with Heather and Matt. Good rolls, coffee, and company.
•lunch at Local Burger.
•Ben and Jerry's ice cream.
•bloody mary's snuggled up on the couch for this movie. Watch. it. now. (if you haven't already.)

•pork roast in the crock pot Robot Style. Homemade pitas (recipe found via Stephanie) wrapped around a pile of pulled pork, greens, cilantro and "baja sauce". Washed down with ice cold Corona with lime. I'm still drooling over that meal.

•Easter breakfast- Banana crumb muffins, Mr. Dell's Potato casserole, bacon, juice and coffee.
•Smoked ribs (thank you, Brian!)
•pineapple upside down cake (thank you, Dad!)
•marshmallow peeps and jelly beans (thank you, Easter bunny!)

I gotta go now. I need to take a walk. Oy.

Posted by Alicia at 6:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

even if it's just homemade spaghetti and meatballs.

Well I did complete my February quilt square for the Virtual Quilting Bee on time, and I helped out with a birthday surprise for my dear friend, Grace.

That's all I've got. See you later!

Posted by Alicia at 7:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (12)

She's a happy girl. She had her (family) party and opened her gifts, blew out her three candles and ate yummy chocolate cake. Really yummy. Our family favorite, but we only make it a few times a year. It makes all the other cakes feel bad.

It is Black Magic Cake. The coffee makes it deliciously moist. But it's the frosting that makes this one to die for. Sooooooooo good, like two sticks of butter good. And because a few of you asked, here's the recipe.

Fluffy White Frosting:

Cook five tablespoons flour and one cup milk over low heat until VERY thick, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cool COMPLETELY. This is the crucial step. Let it cool for an hour or two. I'm serious. I have had several batches go south because I rushed this step. When it goes south like that, the frosting looks like curdled milk.

Cream one cup room temperature butter or stick margarine (butter is better) with one cup sugar. Beat for several minutes. Beat in one tbsp. vanilla and beat a few more minutes. Add the flour mixture in and whip until light and fluffy. Be patient here too. Sometimes you have to whip for a bit.

Good luck and enjoy!

Posted by Alicia at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

To me, this isn't the right forum for discussing religion. In my little corner of the internet I'd rather celebrate our common goals and interests without alienating anyone. With that said, you may have figured out that we're not particularly religious. BUT I so admire those of you with strong faith and tradition, and we've been slowly trying to create some rituals and traditions that work for our little family.

I decided we should try a special dinner on Saint Lucia Day. This feast day falls on one of our darkest days of the year, and honoring this part of our season by coming together over the warmth of a big meal and candlelight feels right. St. Lucia was said to be kind, devoted, and generous. This is, of course, a hugely simplified description, but those are attributes we can all value, no matter our religious persuasion.

I had a vision of us sitting down enjoying the evening, all relaxed and twinkly, and it went a decidedly different direction: one child moaned about a tummy ache, one fidgeted and complained, there were two unavoidable phone calls regarding the buying and selling of used cars. In the end we did eat a nice meal of veggie chili with all the fixings, fruit, and a pretty loaf of St. Lucia bread. So all in all, it wasn't terrible. I think it's a tradition we can grow into; I just need to set aside my grand expectations.

p.s. Lovely weekending to you all.

Posted by Alicia at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

someone walked down the stairs and yelled at her daddy, "You don't look at me!"
that same someone was angry because she really wanted cereal not waffles. NO! CEREAL!

someone else calmly tried to explain we were out of cereal without losing his cool.
that same someone tried to toast waffles only to find that the toaster is dead.

a third someone had a meltdown because he never has to get dressed before he eats. Never.
that same someone slumps over his oatmeal because he didn't get to stir in the brown sugar himself.

a fourth someone, who last night boiled a chicken carcass, carrots, onion and celery for hours, woke up to a pot of spoiled, cold broth forgotten on the stove top.
that same someone banged around the pots as she poured the valuable broth down the sink.

What to do now? Sigh. Hug the two that have to leave. Promise to shake, shake, shake homemade butter with the boy as soon as he gets home. Snuggle the girl on the porch and wave goodbye. Cancel walking plans. Stay in the jammies. Hang out at home to paint all day (me) and make messes (her). And make Stephanie's granola. Seriously- the smell alone can heal the worst day.

Posted by Alicia at 9:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (17)

Good grief! Must I do everything myself? wink. wink.

These are our favorite oh-so-easy, overnight bread machine cinnamon rolls:

Dough:
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
2 T. butter
1 egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 T. active dry yeast
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 tsp. salt

Filling:
2 T. melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped walnuts-optional (My family doesn't like nuts in rolls.)

Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 T. butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Heat the milk, water, and butter in the microwave. It needs to be very warm, not boiling, and the butter doesn't need to be completely melted. Pour into the bread machine pan and add the remaining ingredients in the order listed. Set the bread machine to the dough setting and let it do it's thing. If you don't have a bread machine, you could do all this the regular way- I'm just not so great at it, so good luck with that.

When it's done, remove the dough, knead it down a few times and roll it out on a floured surface to a large rectangular shape. Brush the melted butter on the dough. Mix the other filling ingredients together and sprinkle evenly over the buttered dough. Roll up and seal the edge with a little water and pinching if necessary. Cut them (I use dental floss- slide it under the rolls, "tie" through the roll to cut them) and place them evenly into a greased 9" x 13" pan. I've found that depending on how thinly you've rolled your dough, 12 or 20 rolls will fit nicely into the pan.

Here's where the overnight part comes in. You can cover them with a towel and let them rise for 30 minutes or so then bake. I'm sure they're even yummier this way, BUT we just don't have the patience in the morning to wait for all of this. I usually make them the night before, cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator until morning. Covering with the wrap in the fridge sometimes makes them sweat a little, but it doesn't seem matter.

In the morning remove them from the fridge, uncover and let them rise a little more (for about 20 minutes). They'll puff up in the oven too- don't worry if they look a little pitiful. Bake at 375º F for 20-25 minutes. While they're baking blend frosting ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth- you want it thick. Add a little more powdered sugar if it's too thin. Frost rolls and serve while warm.

Yum Yum! Obviously they're not super healthy, so moderation, people. please. : )

Posted by Alicia at 9:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

I've been having a hankering for Mexican food, so I put together a little impromptu fiesta late this afternoon- chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice and of course, guacamole. Brian's contribution was a few nice tart margaritas. Certainly everything one might need to end the week well.

I made way too much. Anyone hungry?

{Have a great weekend!}

Posted by Alicia at 6:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

We have temporarily* taken over the care and feeding of my parents' bread maker. My mom has always made homemade bread and I have a few times, but I've never been very good at bread. I'm easily distracted or I get bored and end up botching the rising time. We've really been enjoying this machine. Last night we experimented with the delay setting and woke up this morning to the smell of a loaf of warm, fresh wheat bread.

We've been eating our weights in bread, which by the way, may be increasing rapidly. We've made cinnamon raisin bread, dough for the BEST cinnamon rolls and several loaves of the whole wheat pictured with my lunch here. I know it's not exactly the same, this new fangled machine-made bread, but the ingredients are the same. It makes me feel good knowing that we did make it at home.

Now, to test out my mom's French press coffee pot thingy. Living so close to my parents definitely has its advantages.

*definition of temporarily: until she stomps up to my door and says, "Give me my bread maker back."

Posted by Alicia at 12:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

Between 8 and 8:30 am is my most peaceful time of the day.

Posted by Alicia at 8:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (14)

J's pumpkin. A compost volunteer.

Posted by Alicia at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

I have always loved a nice egg sandwich with cheese (this time muenster) and a sprinkling of pepper on whole wheat toast.

I also love short work weeks- oooo, if only they all were this short.
and play dates. at their houses.

My energy for cleaning is fizzling out, but we're on our fourth car load to Goodwill. I love donating to and buying from second-hand stores. What could be better, really?!

I ADORE this new site. So far it's eerily beautiful and peaceful. Shari's set of black and white photographs is peaceful too. Simply perfect.

Generous people are the BEST. Have you seen how much money the auction is raising? Everything is way out of my price range, but that is quite alright!

I'll be back next week with the last of my handmade gifts and the first tiny baby steps of my new More Art Plan. Happy weekending, everyone! May you all discover, or visit, or do, or create something you love too.

Posted by Alicia at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

another bowl of soup. This time chicken and dumplings.

A warm helping of comforting goodness. My mom made this often when we were kids. No real recipe to it. Cook some chicken and veggies in chicken stock for awhile. Season to taste. Spoon in some biscuit dough. Cover and cook a little bit more. Mmmmmm.


Whenever I get the camera out to snap pictures of food, Brian ALWAYS chuckles and reminds me about Maggie Mason's book. I know, I know. But I'm domestic. What can I say?

Posted by Alicia at 7:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Lately I've been dreaming of soups. stews. chili. On a cold and rainy day like today I just had to have some. A memory of Amy's Potato Cheese Soup popped into my head this morning and refused to leave.

This soup was delicious. (Too bad my photo is not as nearly cookbook ready as Amy's.) It is the perfect comfort food. I didn't have oyster crackers, saltines worked just fine, but as we ate, Brian and I decided that a little piece of french bread cheddar toast laying on the top soaking up the broth would be a perfect touch. Next time. And there WILL be a next time. The kids even ate this soup and I have a heck of a time convincing them to eat most.

I hope the weather stays cool this week. I have more on my mind. Tomorrow? Chicken and dumplings.

Posted by Alicia at 7:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

My mom is incredibly talented. She's artistic and handy and hard working. She's an environmentalist, a nurse, a political activist. The one thing I did not inherit is her cooking skills; she is one outstanding cook. She can whip up incredible meals from nearly nothing. It's amazing.

I asked Brian last night if he was disappointed that I can't cook as well as my mom. He said, "I kind of thought you'd grow into it, but you just didn't." Hhmmpht. Now I'm not a bad cook, and I've always said if you can read, you can cook. But there is some basic meal-whip-together gene that missed me. Must skip a generation. Timing everything well is her other true talent in the kitchen. Everything finishes up flawlessly. She told me once that would come with experience. I've been cooking on my own for how many years? 15? Still hasn't happened.

But I'm trying. Plugging away. Baking bread. Fixing dinners. Making sweets. The organic veggies arrived yesterday (our last week- sniff.) and as she stood there with me in the kitchen looking at them spread on the counter, she made a meal suggestion.

I cooked the tiny little potatoes in a pan with red peppers, onions, and a couple pieces of bacon, added a splash of red wine vinegar, a dash of salt and pepper, and at the very last minute, some chard to wilt in. We ate it with buttered, toasted tortillas. It was pretty yummy. Definitely a step in the right direction.

Thanks, Mom.

Posted by Alicia at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (11)

dismissing early from school for teacher planning day.

walking in the rain. well, some of us scooting.

cutting through the lonely park.

lunching on toasted cheese sandwiches and tomato soup.

cuddling up on the couch for a reading lesson during the little one's nap.
(more about this tomorrow.)

watching the end of "Chicken Little" while the dough rises.

snacking on warm soft pretzels.

with dip.

still to come, dinner with good friends.

Posted by Alicia at 4:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (17)

Wednesday is the day my dad drops off our CSA veggies. We're really enjoying it this year and making a big effort to eat every bit that arrives. We split the subscription with my parents, so they take half of everything.

This evening we had a meal of grilled chicken breasts, carrots sauteed with a little butter and brown sugar, and batter-dipped squash fried in a little olive oil. The kids ate every bit, albeit they both dipped their carrots in ranch dressing. But that's ok. They're terribly skinny little things and could actually use the fat. Tomorrow night we'll finish up last week's green beans and new potatoes with a little onion.

I love our CSA for several reasons. It great to buy local- less energy used and pollution produced from the transport, everything is organically grown, and it's all so darn healthy and yummy. Plus it's cheap, especially since we share with my parents. If I were to buy this produce at Whole Foods all summer, it surely would cost tons more. Mmmmm.

Posted by Alicia at 9:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (11)

Yesterday was J's half birthday. (5 1/2) We made some yummy cupcakes.

J shares his half birthday with the whole birthdays of two very special people, Tom aka Da (Brian's dad) and Jennifer (Brian's sister). Happy birthday, guys! We love and miss you!

We'll eat one of these for you. Well actually, we already have. Several.

Posted by Alicia at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (9)