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.