Cookie Exchange

This year I am organizing a cookie exchange with women from church. Everyone makes several dozen of their favorite holiday cookie. Then we all get together and trade cookies. You walk away with a whole variety of yummy cookies without having to do all the baking yourself.

My favorite holiday cookies are not only delicious, but they also evoke memories. Due in part I'm sure to the idea that I only make them around the holidays. A holiday favorite for me, taught to me by my mother-in-law, are Nut Tassies. They're like minuture pecan pie bites. Very southern, very yummy! For my chocolate fix, there is nothing like a chocolate crinkle cookie - nice and chewy with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

The cookie that I always want to make, but can never seem to get quite right is the classic sugar cookie. So I'm putting it out there - Does anyone have a favorite sugar cookie recipe that they swear by? What makes it so good?

Broccoli, Bok Choy and Brussel Sprouts

It can be a challenge to eat five fruits and vegetables a day! I have been making a conscious effort to serve my family more vegetables and to try vegetables that we are less familiar with. I am afraid that soon I will have a rebellion on my hands.

Our standby favorite is still broccoli. I love to have steamed in chicken broth. It gives it great flavor without having to add butter and salt.

My family will tolerate green beans. I steam them as well in broth, or just serve them raw in salad - nice and crunchy.

Last night we tried swiss chard sauteed in olive oil with a little garlic and salt. Very nice! The red color is very striking. The trick is to not overcook it or it loses its nutrional value.

Baby bok choy is another nice addition to our menu. Chop it up and add to a spinach salad. Saute with your eggs for breakfast, or add it to your top ramen.

I came upon a very interesting website: http://whfoods.org/foodstoc.php. The world's healthiest foods site lists 100+ foods which should be a part of our diet in order to get our vitamins and minerals from food sources rather than pills. The foods are chosen because they are nutrionally dense, familiar, whole foods, affordable, and taste good, They offer suggestions on how to prepare a variety of foods, the nutrional makeup and recommended amounts of each. There is also a survey that you can take to analyze your own diet and see what is missing.

Check it out!

Farmer's Market Spoils

This morning I took a trip to the farmer's market with my mother-in-law, Lynn. The produce is shifting from the summer crops, such as the raspberries, to the autumn crops, such as the butternut squash. I also found the pretty gourd at the market.

Here is a delicious recipe for butternut squahs soup. (I mix leftovers in the cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese - very sneaky way to get veggies in an otherwise nonnutritional lunch!)

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and chopped
2 14 oz cans broth (vegetable or chicken)
2-3 T butter
1/2 C milk (to thin)
salt and pepper to taste

Optional spices: 1/2 t ground red pepper or 1/2 t nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

1. Slice squash is half lenthwise, scoop out seeds. Chop into small pieces, cutting off rind.

2. Place the squash and broth in a large pot, bring to a boil for 20 minutes or until squash is soft. Transfer squash to a blender, reserving liquid for thinning. Puree veggies, adding broth until desired consistency is reached. Stir in butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Serve warm with crusty bread.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

I made this to take to the Potter's over conference weekend. It was a HUGE hit! A great alternative to pumpkin pie (which I don't care for very much.) This cheescake is light, with just the right hint of pumpkin flavor.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients

26 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed
1/2 C finely chopped pecans
1/2 C butter, melted
4 (8ounce) pkgs Philadelphia Lite Cream Cheese, softened
1 C sugar, divided
1 t vanilla
4 eggs
1 C canned pumpkin
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t gound nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans and butter. Press firmly into bottom and 1 inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.

2. Beat creamcheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar and the vanilla with elextric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, on at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the batter; place in small bowl. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

3. Bake 55 min. or unti center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Cut into 16 slices.

Spaghetti Squash

Walking around the farmer's market yesterday, the beautiful fall squashes are out. I love how many different varieties of squash exist - wonderful colors and shapes!

I picked up a spaghetti squash for dinner, hoping I could fool the kids into thinking their vegetables weren't really vegetables, but pasta! Very tricky huh! Addison didn't buy it for one minute - probably because she saw me scooping the squash out of the shell before putting the marinara sauce over it.

She even asked skeptically, "Did you cook the pasta inside the squash?" Her father said yes and I just bit my tongue.

Dinner Tonight cont. - A Success Story?!

I had an evening tonight where I felt like I had gotten down this whole mothering with 3 kids while making dinner thing! The baby sat in his car seat where he could hear the noise and see his brother. Elias was strapped into his chair with play do. And Addison was at the kitchen table doing homework. In the meantime, I threw together a yummy vegetarian chili that I like. Instead of the normal witching hour (you know, between 5 and 6 when everyone falls apart), we had a quiet hour. Addison finished her homework and violin practice while dinner cooked!

Now that is the success part. The secret here is that I also kept them quiet with yesterday's cornbread, reheated in the microwave. Elias had strawberries and yogurt. And Addison made everyone chocolate milk. So when it comes to actually eating the chili, I may be the only one who is hungry. Douglas will eat it later when he gets home, but he will not eat the leftovers. So, I got to make something I liked, kept the kids quiet and happy, but still did not achieve the goal of making ONE dish for everyone.

SIGH. I guess peace and quiet is a good goal too.

For anyone interested, here is the chili recipe:


Quick Vegetarian Chili with Avacado Salsa

3 t canola oil
1 C chopped onion
1 C chopped red bell pepper
2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chiles
2/3 C uncooked barley
1/4 C water
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable or chicken broth

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven, saute onion and pepper 3 mins. Add next 5 ingredients, cook 1 min. Stir in barley and next 4 ingredients, bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 mins or until barley is tender.

Serve with any of the following: cilantro, lime wedges, chips and avacado salsa.

Dinner Tonight

Well, I think we've just about tapped out our neighbors and friends when it comes to free meals. Our last rotisserie chicken was dropped off about 30 minutes ago. (Can I just say that I love rotisserie chicken.) So now I have to start thinking about feeding my family solo. Yikes! The more people there are to feed the harder it seems to get. I need dinners that are easy, but they must be something Douglas, Addison and Elias will eat because I don't have time to make 3 separate meals!

You wouldn't think that Douglas would be so picky - after all, beggars can't be choosers! But I have to admit I dread his call when he is coming home from work. "Hi honey, I'm on my way home. Is there anything to eat?" Yes, I reply, but I never give the details because I'm usually still coming up with them! Then the question - "What is there?" And somehow, I know that whatever I answer will determine exactly how long it will take him to actually get home. If the answer is acceptable, he'll see me in 20 minutes. If it is not, he has pressing errands to do before coming home. Or, the worst scenario, is the silent pause and the, "I'm just going to pick something up on my way home." Oh the horror! Oh the pressure! We can't have Brie appetizers and Pasta with shrimp and scallops every night! Sometimes you just have to settle for homemade Mac n' Cheese. And yes, Douglas - you must eat your vegetables too!

I don't mean to be too hard on my better half, perhaps I'm just cracking under the "What's for dinner tonight" pressure. Anyone who has to make 3 meals a day everyday will understand.

So my question to anyone who may be listening - What are you FAVORITE standby meals - the meal you turn to when you want something easy that everyone likes. I think mine would have to be spaghetti.

My Favorite Summer Recipe

Red Sauce

This sauce is delicious with pasta, couscous, or rice and beans. Freeze the sauce in single-eriving airtight containers for up to two months.

3 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 onions, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
2 yellow squash, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 zuchinni, halved lengthwise, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 T dried rosemary, chopped
1 T thyme
4 twenty-eight ounce cans peeled, plum tomatoes

1. Saute garlic and onion in olive oil until soft - about 5 minutes. Add carrots, squash, zucchini, salt and pepper to taste, thyme and rosemary. Stirring occasionally, cook until veggies are soft, about 15 minutes.

2. Transfer half the mixture to a bowl, set aside. Gently crush the tomatoes with hands, and add them with juice to the pot. Simmer until thickens, about 1 1/2 hours. Add reserved squash and heat.

Yummy!

Healthy Food Challenge

Callie has laid down the healthy living challenge - a challenge that goes for the next 3 months, beginning August 1st (yesterday) and ending November 1st. Participants track their own progress wih a simple points system, everyone puts ten bucks in a jackpot, and the one with the most points wins.

For me, the 10 bucks just guarantees that I stay focused, not that I win. Certainly the challenge looks easy enough, until you break it down into real life events.

The food portion of the challenge looks like this:

1. Only eat sweets once a week.
2. Eat 3 servings of veggies a day and 2 of fruit.
3. Don't eat for 3 hours before bed.
4. No soda.
5. 8 glasses of water a day.

For me, it breaks down like this:
1. Food is a basic supplement to my sweets habit.
2. Fruit is good - no problem. Veggies, I'm currently getting 1, maybe 2 (if I'm lucky) a day.
3. I snack from the moment I wake to the moment I go to bed (and no, this is not just a pregnant lady thing, though it doesn't help.)
4. I don't like soda, so that's not a problem.
5. The water won't be too hard, I always have a water bottle with me.

So - what I'm going for in this challenge is not perfection but simply improvement. More veggies, less sugar. More meals, fewer snacks. And my final goal: stick to it until the end!

Wish me luck - and good luck to anyone else brave enough to take the challenge.

Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yesterday I made chocolate chip cookies with my children. Elias sat on one side of me and Addison stood on the other. Addison is old enough that she can help measure and add ingredients and use the mixer now. And Elias just tries to copy everything we do, including scooping flour all over the counter. But mostly the two of them just hover like little vultures waiting for the opportunity to eat a bit of dough or to clean off a spoon or a beater. Elias especially has bird like characteristics - lately he has taken to asking for food by opening his mouth wide, bouncing up and down, and saying uh, uh, uh.

There is something very satisfying to me about baking cookies. The smells, the tastes and the actions themselves transport me back to my childhood. My mother made the most wonderful cookies! I loved coming home from school to see my mom in the kitchen, a bowl of cookie dough on the counter and warm cookies on a plate. Mom would let us "sneak" at least one taste of the dough before shooing us out of the kitchen, cookies in hand.

Lately however, I've lost my cookie baking mojo. I can't seem to recreate the soft, chewy cookies that are like my mother's. Perhaps it is the difference in climate, perhaps I no longer eat enough of the unfinished dough! Most likely, I need to adjust the ingredients for living at sea level. All I know is that I long for the cookies of my youth - a little taste of sweet heaven to transport me back to my childhood.

My mom is such a wonderful cook and baker. I love her food and the food that reminds me of her. I hope that my children will develop a love of food and someday look back and remember the cooking and baking we've done together.

Weekend of Indulgences

We traveled this weekend to a wedding. All we did was eat - in the car, at the wedding, at the brunch, at the pool party and BBQ. I have no idea what my children actually ingested. I hope they enjoyed it!

Pretzels
candy
waffles
fruit: mango, plums, banana, melon, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes
soda
bread
chicken
pasta
hamburgers
salsa
chips
cupcakes
more candy
ice cream

Friday

Pancakes w/ butter and syrup
Blueberries

Fruit snacks (Trader Joes)

Tuna sandwich on sourdough w/ lettuce, tomato (Addison ate 1/2 of a 1/2)
Elias – yogurt w/ cheerios (mostly just smeared around his tray)

Fruit Rolls – the really fake one’s and I ate like 3 of them
Weight Watchers ice cream bar (for mommy)

Peanut M&M’s (also for mommy, but I shared this time)
Banana
Grapes

Pasta with parmesan
Breadsticks
Caprese Salad (tomatoes, fresh mozz, basil, olive oil, and vinegar)

Yeah – Elias ate an entire banana today and at least 1/2 a pancake.

Cold Leek and Potato Soup (Vichyssoise)

I wanted something delicious and new that used more vegetables. This is delicious warm or cold, for dinner or for lunch. I like it with crusty bread and a green salad or fruit.

Ingredients
2 T butter
4 leeks, white part only, minced
1 onion, peeled and minced
1/2 lb potatoes, peeled and diced
1 quart chicken stock or water
Salt and pepper
1 C whole milk
Dill

1. Melt that butter and sauted the leeks and onion for 10 mins. Add the potatoes, stock and bring to a boil. simmer for 35 minutes.
2. Puree in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in sour cream or milk.
3. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Serve cold, sprinkled with dill.

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
1 t baking poweder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 C butter
1 1/2 C buttermilk
1 large egg
1 T grated lemon rind
1 C blueberries
Cooking Spray

Glaze: (optional)
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 C powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Combine flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; cut in butter with a pastry knife. Combine buttermilk, egg, and rind. Stir well with a whisk. Add to flour mixture, stir just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

Spoon batter into 12 muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 20 mins. Remove immediately and cool.

Drizzle with glaze if desired. (You can make these up to 2 days ahead and glaze them the morning of . . .)

Thursday

Breakfast:
Blueberry-Peach Smoothies (made with lowfat yogurt and OJ, flaxseed added)
Blueberry-Lemon Muffins (see recipe post)
sausage

What the kids ate: sausage, a taste of smoothie (its not Jamba Juice Mom), a piece of muffin
My seven year old requested an egg overeasy. She had fun smearing it around her plate.

Snack:
100% fruit snacks
left over muffin (still no go for the toddler)

Lunch:
burritos w/ cheese and lettuce
milk (all my toddler would eat)

Snack:
popsicles (its freakin' 100 degrees!)
pretzels
grapes - devoured in minutes

Dinner:
red potato salad (drizzled in olive oil, vinegar and dill)
green beans
apple sauce
milk

What I ate that the kids don't get!
3 pieces of See's Chocolates - yummy