Cauliflower couscous

I am just sitting down to lunch and I thought I'd share a few more of my favorite Whole 30 recipes that have made the cut into "regular life food." I guess I can't really call them "recipes" since I don't have good catchy names for them. I'll do my best.

Curried Cauliflower Couscous (say that 5 times fast)

Cauliflower couscous (also called cauliflower rice) is an example of something I'd never heard of before, but now realize that tons of people eat it. Voluntarily! Even despite the fact it makes my house super smelly for an hour or two after making it, I really like it. It tastes like rice to me. And it's very fast to make--definitely faster than rice! I've never liked cauliflower but I realized that's because I only ever had it in frozen mixed vegetables. Duh, of course I didn't like it.

So--take a head of cauliflower, break off as many florets as you want and put them into a blender or food processor, and pulse it a few times quickly so that it's very finely chopped, with the consistency of couscous or rice. Don't blend it so much that it purées. 

Then you can sauté it or roast it. I like roasting it. Spray down a cookie sheet with olive oil, add the cauliflower, spray it again, add salt and pepper, and roast 10 minutes or so at 400 degrees. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon, turn up the heat to 425, and roast for another 10 minutes, checking once in a while. For my purposes I think it's done when it starts browning a little on the edges.

And my favorite way to flavor it (although salt and pepper are just fine--also there are all kinds of other ways, like adding cilantro and lime, or garlic and butter, or whatever sounds good):

-Finely chop an onion. Sauté the onion in olive oil, with some salt and pepper, for several minutes until the onion pieces are translucent and very droopy = caramelized. I don't think you can cook an onion for too long. The droopier, the better (IMO), because it's sweeter.

-Add some chopped garlic. Stir and cook for a minute or less.

-Add lots of delicious curry powder. (To taste. I add a lot. I just sprinkle it straight from the thing.)

-Mix it up with the cauliflower. TA-DA!

I like to put this on top of wilted spinach (put a gigantic handful of spinach on a plate and microwave it for 1 minute until it looks like a normal human-sized portion), and top it all off with a fried egg. Yum! It practically took longer to type this all out than it takes to put the meal together. #winning

Smoothaise

Please enjoy my Sean Blumberg reference there in the title. "Smooooothaise." If you've never watched Felicity, might be time to start.

Anyways I'm a smoothie person. My smoothies have evolved over the years and currently this is my favorite recipe.

Bangarang Green Smoothie

-Start with a few big handfuls of fresh spinach or kale or both. Fill up the blender jar basically.

-Add a very ripe banana. (Two bananas are also fine if you want it thicker and sweeter; frozen bananas are fine but if you're doing frozen then add it later instead; an avocado is also fine)

-Poor in half a can of coconut milk (or as much as you want)

-Add a little water as needed, to thin

-Blend all of this until it's a lovely bright green liquid that takes up about half the blender jar.

-Add a cup or two of light-colored frozen fruit. Usually I use a bag of mixed frozen fruit that has mango, pineapple and peaches. (If you add strawberries it will be brown, which is fine I guess but mentally I don't like a brown smoothie unless it's chocolate. If you add blueberries and blackberries, great, it will be a cool deep purple color but it will taste more tart. Which is fine, depends on your mood, and also you'll have to call it Bangarang Purple Smoothie, just to warn you.)

-Blend everything.

SO GOOD!!! The coconut milk takes it over the top in my opinion. I'm in a coconut milk phase which is a lingering side effect of Whole 30. There could possibly be a BPA issue with this since it's canned but I haven't found a boxed coconut milk, of course I haven't tried that hard to look for one. My friend makes her own coconut milk with some sort of combo of desiccated coconut and boiling water and swears by it. Maybe I'll try that someday. Goya brand is cheap and good, but there's another brand, called Thai something, in a red can, that is creamier and only about a dollar more.

If my kids and I all have a glass, there's usually still some left over, and I put them in these silicone freezer pop molds with lids, which are awesome and my favorite thing. Google silicone freezer pop mold and you'll find them.

Anyway, it's seriously so good and decadent and fresh-tasting. You don't even notice the greens. Bangarang.

Pineapples, pineapples

Piiiineapples. Piiiineapples. I want to eat my pineapple, I want to eat my pine. I want to eat my pineapple, I want to eat it where I like.

I've been making this a lot lately. I cut the recipe out of a Real Simple magazine almost 10 years ago, which was actually a recipe for pork kebabs with pineapple salsa on the side, and while I'd made the pork part of the recipe before, I finally made the salsa for the first time sometime this past year.

Ingredients

• 1 pineapple, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 
  
• Directions

1. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the pineapple slices for 2 minutes per side. Cut into a small dice, discarding the pieces of core. (Eliza's note: this would be way tastier grilled on a charcoal grill, but being a lazy son of a gun, I've only ever cooked the pineapple slices on a broiler pan under a broiler set to high--maybe not as complex of a flavor as it would be with the charcoal, but it still has a grilled, cooked taste.)
2. In a bowl, combine the pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt. Serve immediately (warm) or chilled.

It's good on top of grilled chicken (which is how we ate it on Sunday) or as a side to any grilled meat, or as a dip with chips.

I know people who don't like fruit salsa or any kind of cooked fruit. Well, that's just crazy talk. I could eat this entire recipe myself. And I have. And I did. This week. Started as a side dish on Sunday, dabbled in it throughout the week, and finished it off with Triscuits just today. Sure, my mouth hurts a little now, but that's life.

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chili-rubbed-pork-kebabs-pineapple-salsa-10000001074374/

Picnic

Made these guys a picnic dinner to eat together at the park and once we all sat down to eat, they promptly announced they'd be moving over to a different table. "Bye!" Meanwhile Lars ate a fistful of blueberries, declared himself done with dinner, and ran off.

Also they refused the delicious chicken salad that I made, except for Theo who eats everything. Yet they liked the rubbery imported April watermelon which they had somehow convinced Matt to buy. All in all, pretty typical.

Delicious Chicken Salad

-Chicken (I used leftover rotisserie, you could use whatever)

-plain yogurt (plain Greek would be good)

-sliced almonds

-diced celery

-garlic salt

-pepper

-curry powder

Mix the ratio of chicken: vegs: nuts: yogurt that you like. Season it a ton. I ate mine on a lettuce leaf but I also like it on Triscuits. Or in a pita pocket.

I don't know why my kids don't like chicken salad. Is it because they're not middle-aged women? Well, I liked it as a kid. I'll keep trying.

These pretzels are making me thirsty!

Matt was out of town on Valentine's Day and I was in a bit of a mood. A bad mood, to be more specific. So after a tantrum or two I decided to make heart-shaped pretzels (all together now: "THANKS, PINTEREST!"). My mom used to make pretzels when I was a kid and let me roll and shape them, but I hadn't done it in years.

Theo and Ida loved rolling out pieces of dough in little snakes and attempting heart shapes (the ones pictured above were shaped by me). I try to let my kids help with cooking and baking but often lose patience. This is definitely a fun one to do with kids though, and extra fun to make them into hearts, or whatever shape. Bonus points if you put them in baggies and pass them out to neighbors--the cold fresh air and contact with humans helps with the moodiness.

Without further ado, Barb's pretzels:

1 1/2 T yeast
1 1/2 c warm water

1 tsp salt

1 T sugar
4 c flour (I only had a cup of all-purpose so I added 3 cups whole-wheat, and it worked fine)
1 egg, beaten
coarse salt (I used kosher salt)

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Add salt and sugar, blend in flour, knead until smooth.
Roll strips into ropes and shape as desired. (kids can spend a long time being entertained by this step...unless they're Lars, in which case they will probably just try to eat the dough)
Place on greased cookie sheets; brush on beaten egg. Add salt.

Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes. Mix equal parts honey and mustard for a dip if you'd like, or eat them plain.

I don't remember exactly but I think these made about 3 dozen-ish.


 


P.S. A good way to spend a solo Valentine's Night is to catch up on the latest Nashville and then re-watch old ones. OH, NASHVILLE!

Another freezer meal

Picture is unrelated, Robbie just sent it to me and I thought it was funny. Tiny Ida at age 2 with super-sweet bangs.

Another freezer meal I love and cook all the time lately is...well, I should make up a name for it. When I write out the week's menu I guess I call it "pasta with sausage and veggies."

Boil some pasta. My favorite for this is gemelli...again with the white pasta. It's just good. But you could also do whole-wheat penne or rotini. Or orecchiette, or bow-tie or whatever you want...

Get some chicken sausages (cooked or uncooked) and stick them under the broiler (if cooked). When they look good to you, take them out, let them rest and slice them into rounds. If they are not fully cooked to begin with, you should bake them at 350-400 until they're done, and add the broiler at the end for a few minutes. If anyone has suggestions for where to get organic fully cooked chicken sausage, let me know. My desire for organic battles with my desire for convenience sometimes. Because...it's sausage. Who knows what's in there?

Either in a cookie sheet or Pyrex in the oven (400ish) or in a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop, heat some olive oil and saute (or roast) sliced mushrooms, squash (butternut or yellow or zucchini, or all three), and whatever other vegetables you like. Sliced onions or sweet potatoes are good. Also add garlic and whatever seasoning you feel like (red pepper flakes, TJ's brand Mrs. Dash, or chili powder). Cook until you like the way they look. The mushrooms will make it a little syrupy/saucy.

Toss everything together with some Parmesan and black pepper. Serve it with fruit and/or raw vegetables on the side.

My kids and I love this meal and I make it all the time. It freezes really well in a Ziploc bag.

Matt is kinda "eh" on it--his loss.

This is the night, it's a beautiful night...for leftover pasta!

Lately on my Wish List of Pretty Boring Things is a deep freeze. My freezer is always stuffed. Someday I'll get one, and stuff it with dinners, produce, and cow parts.

Have you ever bought bulk beef straight from a farm? I really want to try it. Not that we eat that much beef. But I think I would eat more if it were the real deal.

For now I am using my little freezer which does the job OK. I freeze a lot of stuff. Fruit, vegetables, butter, bread, muffins, cookies, cookie dough, and, dinner. At least once a week, whatever I make for dinner I freeze the leftovers immediately and therefore always get at least 2 meals if not 3 out of it, without having to deal with immediate leftovers. Am I the only one who gets tired of leftovers 3 days in a row? But frozen leftovers from a month ago, I can deal with. Sometimes I make extra to begin with, other times we just eat less of whatever dish, depending on the size of the recipe. This works especially well in the winter, when we want to eat lots of saucy, cheesy, meaty things for dinner to warm us up. and give us heartburn.

Some of my faves to freeze are: any kind of beans and rice; any kind of soup; any kind of sauce; any kind of pasta dish; any kind of casserole. Here's one I made a month ago and we just had the second (defrosted) half of tonight.

Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti (via Real Simple)

Ingredients
12 ounces ziti (about 4 cups)*
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pound lean ground beef**
kosher salt and black pepper
1 26-ounce jar marinara sauce***
1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (about 4 cups)
1/2 cup ricotta ****
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
1 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)

Directions
Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain it and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the beef, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with a spoon until it’s no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.

Toss the pasta with the meat mixture, marinara sauce, spinach, ricotta, and ¼ cup of the Parmesan.

Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or 4 large ramekins. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and the remaining ¼ cup of the Parmesan.

Freeze immediately, or bake until the cheese melts, 12 to 15 minutes.

If freezing, remember to bring the casserole to room temperature before baking uncovered; or bake covered with foil until warm, then bake uncovered, 12-15 minutes.

---

*We have whole-wheat pasta maybe 80% of the time that we eat pasta. I have never found whole-wheat ziti. You could do whole-wheat penne instead. I really like ziti though, and I like the excuse to use starchy white pasta once in a while. Besides, even if it's whole-wheat, pasta isn't really that good for you. So, that's that!

**If you're on the east coast, Wegmans Organic brand has grass-fed ground beef which I think is really tasty and not too pricey.

***Wegmans also has a great basic marinara sauce with few ingredients and no added sugar. I have been pondering the whole BPA-tomatoes thing as of late. (Tomatoes absorb BPA readily.)(The linings of pretty much all cans and mainstream jar lids contain BPA.) But not so much that I've started canning my own spaghetti sauce. Especially since I don't want to drop tons of money on BPA-free canning jars.

****Did you know you can make ricotta out of milk and lemon juice? (cream and salt optional) Yeah, not there yet either. Someday. Maybe.

Dinner...it's what's for dinner.

This is Real Simple's picture (link is with the recipe below). I didn't take pictures of my own food because who does that? Weirdos. OK, if I had remembered to, I would have.

My mom gave me the book Dinner: A Love Story and I found it charming. I devoured it in just a couple of days. Not literally of course. But it's an appropriate figure of speech if you like puns. Am I right? I actually kind of hate puns. But I use them anyway. It's genetic. (Using them, not hating them.)

Here are a couple of recipes I have tried recently that I think are great for family dinners. They are simple and inexpensive and tasty. And inexplicably they both involve sausage. I don't generally like sausage but I like it in these dishes. Actually in the beans and rice one, I don't actually eat the sausage because sausage + beans is too much protein for me personally all at once, but I like the flavor it gives the dish.

The first one, Red Beans and Rice, is from Family Fun magazine. The first time I made it with this apple-chicken sausage from Wegmans and kidney beans and it was pretty mild. The second time I made it I used andouille, a spicy pork sausage, and regular red beans. It was still yummy but pretty spicy. Here is my version with just a few small adjustments from the original. We had it with oven-roasted asparagus and naan or rolls on the side. Also, I froze about half of it in Ziploc bags to eat another night.

Red Beans and Rice (from Family Fun)

• 1 T olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 16-oz can reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• bay leaf
• 1 t dried thyme leaves
• 4-6 drops Tabasco
• 3 cans small red beans or kidney beans, rinsed
• 1 pound reduced-fat smoked sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• 6 c hot cooked brown rice

• In a large pot (I used a 6-qt frying pan), warm the oil over med-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and saute until very soft (8+ mins); add garlic and saute 1 minute.
• Stir in the broth, bay leaf, thyme, hot sauce, and beans and bring to a boil. Partially mash the bean mixture with a potato masher.
• Stir in the sausage, then cover the pot and reduce heat to med-low.
• Simmer covered for 10 minutes, then uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf and serve over rice.

Note: I can only eat so much sausage so I just had a few bites of that and focused on the beans, which I loved. But the boys liked the sausage a lot, especially Lars. Theo doesn't love beans or rice but he gamely ate the whole thing. Ida liked the rice.

Second note: Matt hasn't tried this yet. I think he refuses to on principle because the first time I made it I asked him to try it about 10 times and it probably got annoying.

Recipe number two...I was excited to try this because I loooooove grilled peaches. I thought it would be a good Sunday dinner because it looked easy and fast and we usually get home from church at about 4:30. It was easy and fast and we were eating by 5.

Chicken Sausage and Peach Skewers with Green Beans (from Real Simple)

• 1 pound green beans, trimmed (we used fresh but frozen could work in a pinch)
• 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard (we used "spicy brown mustard" which is what I had in the fridge)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• kosher salt and black pepper 
• 4 fully cooked chicken sausage links, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used pre-cooked garlic chicken sausage from Wegmans)
• 2 peaches or plums, pitted and cut into wedges
• 8 ounces baguette or French bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 5 cups) 

• Soak 8 small wooden skewers in water for at least 10 minutes. Heat grill to medium-high. 
• Steam the green beans in a steamer basket in a large saucepan until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. 
• In a medium bowl, mix together the mustard, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the green beans and toss to combine. 
• In a large bowl, toss the sausage, peaches, and baguette with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; thread onto the skewers. (note, I actually forgot this step until after I had skewered everything, so I just brushed on oil and ground the pepper over everything)
• Grill the skewers, turning occasionally, until the sausages are heated through and the bread is toasted, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve with the green beans.

Note: We discovered we were out of charcoal so we baked the skewers on a broiler pan in the oven instead. We started it at 400 and I turned it up to 500 after a few minutes.

Second note: I LOVED this dish and so did Theo. He and I each had second helpings of everything. I was surprised at how much I liked the mustardy beans. Ida was "meh" although she ate all the bread since she could eat croutons all day and that's basically what grilled bread is. Lars loved the peaches (of course) and eventually the sausage. Matt said he "didn't dislike" it. Too bad because I thought we had struck a winner. Three out of five isn't bad though!

Chicken tikka masala

Theo and Ida recently learned where meat and poultry comes from. It doesn't seem to bother them. "Chicken is made out of chickens," they regularly inform me as we sit down to dinner. "Ham is made out of pigs, steak is made out of cows," etc. Thanks, guys.

Next on the ward cookbook docket:

Chicken Tikka Masala from Alexandra C.

We LOVE this, despite its long list of ingredients. Delicious.

part 1
1 c plain yogurt
1 T lemon juice
2 t ground cumin
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt
1 t pepper
1 T minced fresh ginger
3 chicken breasts cut in bite-sized pieces

parts 2 + 3
1 T butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeño pepper, minced (seed the pepper first if you want it less spicy.)
2 t ground cumin
2 t paprika
8 oz tomato sauce (or 4 oz sauce and 4 oz diced tomatoes)
1 c heavy cream
1/4 c fresh cilantro

1: In large bowl, combine all ingredients for part 1. Cover with wrap and marinate in fridge for at least an hour.

2: If grilling, thread chicken onto skewers and place on oiled grill. Grill 5 mins each side. If using stovetop, simply add chicken (discard marinade) to oiled grill pan or skillet until fully cooked.

3: Melt butter in pan over med-high heat. Sauté garlic and minced jalapeño, 1 min. Season with cumin, salt, paprika. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 mins. Add cooked chicken and simmer for 10 mins.

Serve with basmati or jasmine rice and garnish with cilantro.

If we're having people over I double the recipe. It's good to double anyway because it keeps well for leftovers.

This would be good with curried chickpeas on the side along with naan and grilled bell peppers and some kind of salad (other than the 2 different cucumber salad recipes I have tried which both failed miserably...but cucumbers just seem to go with spicy food). I am definitely in need of good side dish recipes because I tend to make the same sides over and over. Suggestions welcome, especially vegetable dishes. Steamed broccoli, for example, is to be found on our table the majority of nights per week (either that or raw baby carrots...always a hit). I also like roasting broccoli. But I should probably branch out past broccoli, even though it's the only vegetable Theo reliably likes.

Tonight I am attempting calzones with TJ's pizza dough. Surprisingly I have never made calzones. We'll see how that goes. It certainly doesn't seem complicated--put ingredients on the dough, then fold in half and pinch together--but that's never stopped me from messing recipes up in the past.

Sweet pork tacos

My ward Relief Society printed a cookbook a couple of years ago which I actually use quite frequently. In these kinds of compilations (and really in most general cookbooks) there are always the ones that I would never in a million years consider cooking, and a few that seem promising but turn out to be...not so good. But there are also several recipes that I find myself going back to over and over. I decided I want to post a few of them. Here's one we had last night.

Sweet Pork - from Susan F.

3 lb. pork roast

1 c. dark brown sugar (I use 1/2 c.)

1 c. Worcestershire sauce (I use a little less...maybe 3/4 c.)

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. ginger

1 chopped onion

1 tsp. salt (I don't add this)

1 tsp. chili powder

1 can enchilada sauce

Another cup of brown sugar (I use 1/2 c.)

Cook all ingredients except the enchilada sauce and the second cup (or 1/2 cup) of brown sugar in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours. Dump out the juice and most of the onion, shred the pork, add the enchilada sauce and additional brown sugar and cook on low for one more hour.

I am not really a big "sweet pork" person but I like the simplicity of this recipe. It is quick to prepare, easy, and basic. My kids like it too. Does an entire cup of sugar help the cause? absolutely. Last night we had it in tacos with sliced avocados and Monterey Jack and my kids actually ate the tacos as presented to them instead of pulling them apart and filling up on the tortillas. I was especially happy because Theo normally won't eat avocados. Maybe he's seen the light. Maybe all it took was a whole bunch of brown sugar.

Curried chickpeas

For dinner yesterday we had an old standby, cilantro steak kabobs (generally reserved for weekends because although I really like it, it is a little bit labor intensive and so I almost always ask Matt to make it--nice of me, right?), and I decided that I wanted another protein dish. I used the Google function where you enter in what ingredients you have and it pulls up recipes for you, and this was one of the top recipes. You never know how a Google-search recipe might turn out but hooray, this was a winner!

Reasons to like it: I had all the ingredients for this already in my pantry and fridge. It would also be good as a main dish with any rice--jasmine is my current favorite. It was super easy and quick to make--took like 20 minutes start to finish. It was flavorful without being too spicy, and the texture was good. (Sometimes I think chickpeas can be kind of grainy or dry.) I don't actually know if my kids liked it or not, but I'll keep making it anyway.

For sure I would double the recipe next time if serving more than 2, though, especially because this kind of food stores well for leftovers.

Curried Chickpeas

Serves 2 as main course, 4 as a side dish

• 12-14 oz can chickpeas
• 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro, lightly chopped (I had to laugh at this, because what does "lightly chopped" even mean? You either chop it or you don't--right?)
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon or lime juice
• 1 shallot or 1/3 cup purple onion, minced or diced (I used purple onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (I used 5 or 6 cloves, chopped)
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (I used 1/4 tsp...IMO, too much cayenne and the whole thing tastes like cayenne.)
• 2+1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. vegetarian fish sauce or soy sauce (I used soy sauce)
• 2 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying
• optional: 3-4 Tbsp. coconut milk

Preparation:

• Heat up a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 Tbsp. oil plus the shallots (or onion) and garlic. Stir-fry 1 minute.
• Add all of the dry spices (except the pepper), plus whatever sauce you're using (fish, soy, or veg. fish sauce). Also add 1 Tbsp. water. Stir-fry together briefly.
• Add the chickpeas and continue stir-frying until they are covered with the spice mixture and are nice and hot (about 5 minutes). If they become too dry, another Tbsp. water.
• Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice, black pepper, and most of the fresh cilantro. If desired, also stir in 3-4 Tbsp. coconut milk.
• Do a taste-test. Adjust the salt level by adding a little more soy or fish sauce if not salty enough. If too salty, add another squeeze of lemon or lime juice. (I added more lemon juice)
• Top with any remaining cilantro and serve hot with rice. ENJOY!

I didn't use coconut milk because I didn't want to open an entire can just for 3 tablespoons and then have the milk go bad before I remembered to use it. But it would be easy enough to plan the next day's meal to include coconut milk, which is what I'll do next time. (coconut rice anyone?) I think coconut milk would be a perfect way to sweeten this just a little.

Anyway. Tasty and easy and cheap and pretty healthy, for an Internet recipe it was a nice surprise.

(Side note, now after reading the word "chickpea" over and over I can't get Nell's voice out of my head. "Chickapay")

Soup, soup, soup

Yesterday for dinner we made a perennial favorite winter dish...

Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup - Real Simple

(modified)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (4 cups) (I buy the pre-cut at Wegmans because when you subtract the weight of the peel it ends up being almost the same price with much less work)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (left over from Thanksgiving, score)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1 bunch spinach, thick stems removed (4 cups)
• Orzo (as much as you want)(my addition)(make sure there's enough broth: orzo ratio)
• Chicken or vegetable broth (I substitute this for the original recipe's water...tastier IMO)(I use the biggest can or box of broth you can buy at the supermarket, can't remember the amount.)

Directions

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until soft, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes.
• Stir in the squash, thyme, and broth and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.
• After the soup has simmered, stir in the beans and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted and the beans are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper to taste

We had it with refrigerator biscuits (Real Simple suggests sprinkling Parmesan on them before baking, which we have done before; but however you dress them up, they still came out of a can) and sweet potato fries (SPs also leftover from Thanksgiving). My kids ate zero soup, a biscuit or two, and tons of fries. Oh well. They've eaten the soup before, or at least Ida has.

Sweet Potato Fries (thanks Holly)

Julienne a sweet potato and arrange fries on a cookie sheet; spray with olive oil spray and sprinkle with kosher salt; bake at 425 10 mins; stir; bake 10 more mins. I am flexible on the time; I just keep checking occasionally until they look done. Also I don't peel them.

We haven't made SP fries since last winter and it reminded me that we should have them all the time. Totally cheap, mostly healthy and my kids love them. I still have 1 or 2 we didn't cook at Thanksgiving so we'll be eating them again this week. One large sweet potato is just about right for our family of 4 but we could certainly eat more if pressed.

One thing I particularly like about this dish is that besides the squash and if you use dried thyme, it could all come from your pantry or freezer (spinach)(gross but I'm just saying). Also I like the fact that it's really easy to make.

I thought about making salad which would have been one more item on the table that my kids didn't eat. To round it out I would suggest some fresh fruit or maybe something like sugar-free applesauce if you are low on the fresh stuff.

Guten Appetit, mein Liebchens! (definitely never learned the plural for Liebchen.)

*image from Real Simple. I really did make this meal but I don't ever see myself taking a picture of food I have made.

Breakfast for dinner

Kind of a long one--sorry. I tend to get long-winded about things I love--like breakfast.

A simple habit I got into this year which has been surprisingly revolutionary was Theme Nights. You know, lots of people do it--Crockpot Night, Taco Night, whatever. I was never organized enough to do it but finally I did. And it has almost single-handedly turned me from a dinner-hater into a dinner-tolerator. (maybe even a dinner-lover.)

Monday - Ethnic Night (Mexican, Indian, etc.)

Tuesday - Pasta Night

Wednesday - Pizza or Sandwich or Leftovers Night

Thursday - Breakfast Night

Friday - Soup or Salad Night

Saturday - No-Cook Night (call it Raw Night if you want to sound really edgy...this used to mean that we went out for dinner but that kinda got pricey so now it just means fend for yourselves and don't cook. Unless you're nuking a frozen dinner from TJ's)

Sunday - Easy Night (often translates to Crockpot, or Matt cooking, or both)

Generally I go grocery shopping on Friday mornings so I make up a list on Thursday nights. On one side of the paper I write down menus for Friday-Thursday of the following week. On the other side I separate grocery items by the area I will find them in the store (produce, dairy, etc.) and list everything I will need for those meals, Matt's lunches, and snacks for the kids, and nothing more. Then I try to keep myself from picking up stuff that's not on the list.

Another reason this was helpful was that I made Thursday officially into Breakfast Night. It was getting to the point that I really had no idea how many times I week I served my kids breakfast for dinner...but it was too often. Sometimes we'd go a few weeks without BFD but on desperate weeks we'd go 2 or 3 nights in a row. This way, I don't have to feel guilty because I think Breakfast Night once a week is just fine and dandy, especially because I have some favorite healthy recipes so that it doesn't feel like Dessert Night.

Usually we have some kind of eggs cooked with vegetables, served alongside toast, French toast, waffles, or pancakes. And smoothies for dessert. Caveat, I do have a weakness for maple syrup. My kids eat waffles and pancakes without syrup but I always crave some on mine.

I have already posted about Whole-Wheat Waffles and Banana Pancakes, so you can follow those links for the recipes if you would like. They are definite favorites. The pancakes are especially good because they are sweetened by bananas, no added sugar. Sometimes I top pancakes or waffles with yogurt, sometimes with fruit. Often I mix frozen berries in with the batter. The other night I noticed I had some cream that was about to expire so I topped my waffles with whipped cream. (Theo was skeptical; Ida couldn't get enough.) So maybe not the healthiest meal but it was a nice (and sweet) change and who wants to waste a half cup of cream?

Other breakfast-for-dinner staples for us are French toast, omelets, and smoothies. My standby French toast is:

1 egg, beaten

1 slice bread

dash milk, dash cinnamon

Let the bread soak up the egg; cook in a pan. Top with preserves or fruit spread or real maple syrup.

My standby omelet is:

4-5 eggs (this is to serve me and both kids)

Grated cheese

Pesto

Large handful of spinach

pine nuts and/or sundried tomatoes (optional)

Mix it all in a bowl, then pour into a nonstick skillet. Flip when able.

It's nice to vary it with other sauces and vegetables: I like scrambling eggs with pico de gallo and jack cheese with black beans and avocado on corn tortillas. But spinach and pesto are by far my favorites. My cousin Karen makes Pizza Eggs for her kids--leftover pizza chopped up and mixed with eggs. Yum. Which reminds me--cold pizza from the night before is just about my favorite breakfast. Am I alone in this?

My standby smoothie recipe is:

A few large dollops of plain yogurt

1 or 2 bananas

1 or 2 large handfuls of spinach

1/2 - 1 cup of frozen blueberries

1/2 - 1 cup of frozen blackberries

1/2 - 1 cup of frozen strawberries

1 - 2 tablespoons each of flaxseed, wheat germ, wheat bran, oatmeal, etc.

Blend, adding milk if thinning is needed.

Sometimes I make smoothies even more desserty by topping them with my favorite TJ's granola. Ida's not a fan (not surprising since she still only has 6 teeth) but Theo loves it.

Yum. I want breakfast for dinner right now.

I guess breakfast for dinner does seem pretty desserty. But if you use whole grains and limit sugar, at least it's healthier than boxed mac'n'cheese which, make no mistake, is what we had for dinner tonight.

Which reminds me. I watched an episode of Alias yesterday in which Arvin Sloane used the phrase "Make no mistake." and I made a mental note to use that phrase a lot more often.

Anyway what are your favorite healthy breakfast recipes? I'll add them to my (very limited) arsenal.

P.S. Kids eat free on Tuesday nights at IHOP. What, it's not like we go there. OK, actually we do go there every few months or so and I LOVE IT! At least, I love the Harvest Grain Pancakes which is what I always get, so I can't vouch for anything else. I ignore most of the add-ons (sausage, gross--eggs, good!) but all that really matters is that my kids are happy and I don't have to clean up.

P.P.S. McDonald's flapjacks. They must mix in some kind of addictive ingredient. I LOVE McDonald's flapjacks.

Tomato, tomahto

Two of my favorite tomato recipes lately. Since they each have almost a stick of butter in them I guess you couldn't exactly call them "healthy" but otherwise they pass muster. And they are certainly simple and inexpensive.

I have been using canned tomatoes like crazy lately. I finally realized how disgusting store-bought tomatoes were, and since I have never had enough sun to grow my own, canned is the way I've had to go.

1) Sauce

Have you seen this floating around the blogosphere? It is everywhere. Bonny directed me to it on another blog and then all of a sudden I kept seeing it pop up at random places. So easy. Maybe a little boring but it's sweet and light and just buttery enough for me.

Serves 4

28 oz whole peeled tomatoes from a can
5 T unsalted butter
1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved
Salt to taste

Put the tomatoes, onion and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then lower the heat to keep the sauce at a slow, steady simmer for about 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing the tomatoes against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat, discard the onion, add salt to taste, and keep warm while you prepare your pasta.

Of course any pasta is good with this sauce; we like cheese tortellini or ravioli (Costcooooo) for the added "oomph" of protein, plus they are easy for kids to eat. I love long pasta personally but my kids struggle with it. They can do it but it makes a huge mess. So while I give them long pasta for practice now and then, generally I stick with penne, orecchiette, rotini, whatever is easy to stab with a fork.

To me the hierarchy of deliciously cooked vegetables goes: grilled > roasted > steamed. Since I don't have a grill I roast a lot. To roast broccoli, put it in a pan with a little olive oil (maybe add garlic) and roast at 400 until it looks good to you. To roast zucchini, put it in a pan with olive oil, garlic, chili powder, and Parmesan, and roast at 400 until it looks good to you. When roasting veggies, stir frequently.

Serve with artisan bread.

2) Soup

Got this Martha Stewart recipe from Hannah and Robbie; similar ingredients to the sauce and just as buttery and light. So easy, and also inexpensive. If you ignore the butter, very healthy. And deeeeelectable.

Makes 6 cups

6 T unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
24 oz canned whole plum tomatoes
3 C homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken or vegetable stock
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring, until onions have softened, about 15 minutes. (Eliza's note: I always caramelize onions almost to the point of overcooking to make sure they are sweet enough)

Add tomatoes, chicken stock, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until tomatoes, onions, and garlic are soft, 10 to 20 minutes.

Working in batches, transfer soup to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth (or use an immersion blender). Return to saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until soup is heated through. If soup seems too thick, stir in some extra stock to thin. Serve immediately.

Also serve this with artisan bread. To me soup seems to need salad rather than cooked vegetables on the side. So throw a salad on your plate while you're at it.

I love these meals. I don't know what captivates me about the tomato sauce so much, maybe that it is so fresh and so easy and feels less like cheating than opening a can of Classico. It is a little bit acidic. The butter helps with that though. The longer you let it simmer, the better it tastes. If you are going to be home in the afternoon, I recommend starting it earlier and reheating it for dinner time if you need to go anywhere, to help with the acidity.

Enjoy, my tomato-loving friends. (non-tomato-lovers: I'm sorry.)

Peanut Oat Chocolate Chippers

I would like to switch gears temporarily from cooking to baking. I love baking so much more than cooking, although cooking is really growing on me, because it is so exact, you just have to follow the directions, and timing isn't that big of a deal. And I almost always already have whatever ingredients I need in my pantry. Baking. So easy. (Also it helps that I never bake anything fancy or try to make it look nice.)

So this is my favorite cookie recipe but I haven't made it since Theo was old enough to notice. Sad...it's so delicious. Flourless, crunchy, sweet and salty. Make it today. Make it today and think of me!

Peanut Oat Chocolate Chippers

(recipe courtesy of Becky Miller)

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

6 cups quick-cooking oats, uncooked

1 6-oz package semisweet chocolate chips

1 18-oz jar CHUNKY peanut butter

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

Beat butter and peanut butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Combine oats and baking soda; add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tbsp onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350* for 9 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 7 dozen.

Maybe you are thinking what I thought when I read this recipe. 7 dozen?? Who even knows how many 7 dozen is?? I sure don't. But anyway, it has been so long that I don't remember exactly but I think it makes 7 dozen smallish cookies.

Several people have followed up with me about Theo's peanut allergy test. I announced a while back that I was getting him tested at his 3-year-old checkup. Well, my doctor suggested going to an allergist and getting a skin-prick test instead of the blood test he does at his office. This way we'll get a more accurate result. But I have not yet taken Theo to an allergist and this is why:

1) I hate going to new doctors.

2) I HATE making appointments, regardless of whether it's a new or old doctor.

3) I'm not super motivated because--other than not being able to make Peanut Oat Chocolate Chippers--I have kind of gotten used to avoiding peanuts. (I still eat peanut butter regularly, but only at night or during Theo's naps.)

4) I just realized this today...I am a tiny bit scared of the test result.

In the past couple of months Theo has accidentally had very small amounts of peanut butter a couple of times and has been totally fine. This brings my hopes up, and I feel like going to an allergist might dash them. How's that for denial? It's not just a river in Egypt, you know. (My little brother used to give me the "river in Egypt" line when he was very young...like 5 or 6...how weird that I just thought of that.)

Anyway. This post was supposed to be about the best cookies ever and it turned into an admission of my denial. Which I guess is an oxymoron. I think it's time to end this post. COOKIES!

Oven-roasted veggies

This is my dinosaur of an oven. Yes, it is ancient. But it is double. It is an ancient dinosaur of a double oven and it is my favorite thing about my otherwise not so loveable kitchen. I'd say I use the double oven (meaning 2 ovens at once) probably every other day if not every day.

So anyway, this recipe is sort of fallish/wintry. Granted it is springtime now so your thoughts are probably turning toward grilled corn on the cob. (I know mine are. And grilled peaches...yum...) But just in case you are in the mood for something cozier; besides, we had this a few weeks ago and it is still fresh in my mind.

Roasted Veggie Medley (from Parents mag)

Ingredients
1/2 pound tiny potatoes, quartered
1 cup small butternut squash pieces (I sometimes buy the prepackaged fresh squash at Wegmans that is already chopped...because butternut squash can be a pain.)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
2 tablespoons olive oil
Red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Directions
1. Mix potatoes and butternut squash pieces. Toss with balsamic vinaigrette and olive oil; roast, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Add red bell pepper pieces and roast 10 minutes more, or until tender. Garnish with fresh thyme.

We love this. I like to pair it with...well lots of things actually, but if we are sticking with veggie, then try serving it with whole-wheat penne tossed in pesto sauce, Parmesan, and pine nuts.

OR, here is a recipe that I haven't actually tried with the balsamic roasted veggies but I have had it with roasted broccoli and I feel like it would work with the squash, because it is also somewhat fallish. And it's also from Parents mag...

(if you are feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of a balsamic-pumpkin combo, I think that pumpkin penne is quite yummy with roasted broccoli. For roasted broccoli: put broccoli in a pan. Put some olive oil on top. Roast it at 400 for 10-15 mins, stirring every few mins, or until it looks good to you!)

Pumpkin Penne

Ingredients
1 12 oz. box whole-wheat penne
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (or a small onion, or 1/2 tsp. onion powder)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pumpkin-pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat oil on medium. Add shallots; cook and stir until tender, about 3 minutes. Whisk in broth, evaporated milk, pumpkin, spice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Toss pasta with sauce. Spoon into bowls and top with parsley and cheese.

Serve with artisan bread, of course!

Delicious pizza

Remember this guy? Kinda gross, I know. I don't want to buy pizza from a guy whose toes are showing and is the chest hair really necessary?

Moving on, if I had to live on anything for the rest of my life, I would choose pizza. The toppings would have to have variety, of course. The best part about pizza is that you can basically put anything on it and it is delicious. We eat pizza almost once a week.

I have yet to find a crust recipe that I love so the jury is still out on that. I've been meaning to try Nie Nie's whole-wheat crust (I use her waffle recipe All The Time and love it) But given the fact that a pound of pizza dough costs about 40-50c to make, and a pound of refrigerated pizza dough from Trader Joe's costs 99c to buy, I am not too worried about finding a recipe. Because for 50 cents I will buy the ready made. YUM! I will give credit where credit is due: I heard about this pizza dough for years from Jessica and Hannah and Robbie. Finally one day I tried it and have never looked back. (unless I want pizza but haven't been to TJ's in a while, in which case I go for the tried and true flour-salt-yeast combo because I always have those ingredients on hand.) It's in the refrigerated section and looks like this. The whole-wheat version is pretty nutty-tasting IMO but if you want hearty, go for that.

Also a tip from Hannah and Robbie was a garlicky version of margherita: no sauce; just sliced tomatoes, minced garlic, fresh basil, and sliced fresh mozzarella. Delectable.

A few topping variation ideas:

-canned or fresh tomatoes, garlic, spinach or zucchini, mozzarella
-marinara sauce (if you don't mind butter, here's this easy recipe, found it first on Bonny's blog), garlic, sliced ham, broccoli (or pineapple if you're like me and LOVE Hawaiian pizza), mozzarella
-pesto, garlic, grilled chicken and/or pine nuts, mozzarella and parmesan

-tomatoes, garlic, avocado (otherwise known to me as food of the gods), bacon, Monterey Jack

-garlic, sweet onions (caramelized), sliced pears, blue cheese

Endless.

In addition to this lovely all-in-one meal I like to serve salad...and here I go again with the ready-made but it is cheap and delicious and just a little sugary...I love TJ's spinach-salad-in-a-bag with Craisins, candied pecans, blue cheese and raspberry vinaigrette. Could I gather these ingredients myself? Yes, but I would only save about a dollar. I also like the classic strawberry-blueberry-spinach-walnut-red onion combo with poppy-seed dressing. (not available in a bag at TJ's but if it were I'd buy it.)

Lastly the bread. I make this bread every week (4 loaves in one batch and the dough can be refrigerated for 2 weeks) and need to branch out to the whole-wheat version and other varieties but the regular sourdough is just too easy. Go here for instructions. Embrace the bread. Love the bread. It is embedded into my life now. It also works as pizza dough in a pinch.

Anyway, so there is today's meal. Pizza, salad, bread, and it's all homemade if you factor out TJ's, which is practically homemade in its cheapness and loveliness if not its elbow grease. About $10 total for this meal, actually more pricey than I would have thought but it's still more and healthier food than you'd get at a pizza place. We always have tons of leftovers. Another typically Terrill meal without meat but fresh, healthy, and DELICIOUS.

More pizza topping ideas, please!

Cuban Black Beans and Coconut Rice

This is not a crafty or cooky blog by any means and I definitely don't have any step-by-step photos for you, but this coming week I wanted to share with you some of the meals we like to eat that meet the following criteria: (1) healthy (2) inexpensive (3) easy to make.

To start, here's a favorite, which is super easy and we are eating it tonight: Cuban black beans and coconut rice, an amalgam of a couple of Real Simple recipes. I've already made the beans and will do the rice an hour or so before dinner. What I especially love about this recipe is that when I was making my grocery list I realized I already had all the ingredients in my pantry, except for the bell pepper.

We eat a lot of beans/legumes because they are cheap and delicious and we don't eat much meat so they are a good source of protein. My kids don't actually love beans yet but I am working with them on it...

Coconut Rice:

• -1 cup of your favorite rice. I like to use Rice Select Royal Blend Whole Grain Texmati Brown and Wild Rice with Soft Wheat and Rye. I wonder what the jingle for that product would sound like.
• -1 15ish-ounce can of coconut milk

Cuban Black Beans:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped. Note: In general I am snobby about using fresh (chopped not minced) garlic, BUT Robbie and Hannah converted me to Spice World Minced Garlic. If you haven't used it, it is yummy, FAST, and actually cheaper per ounce than fresh garlic. I still like the taste of chopped better than minced but it's worth it not to have to chop it. And, I like the name Spice World.
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 15.5-ounce cans black beans, rinsed
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• vegetable or chicken broth (optional)

Directions

Cook the rice according to the package directions, substituting coconut milk for 1 cup of water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt (*OPTIONAL if you use broth...see "water" note below) and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook for 1 minute.

Add the beans, oregano, and 1 cup water. (*Side note, I like to do vegetable or chicken broth instead of water...for most recipes, actually. If you do this you can go easy on the salt in the earlier step.) Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and smash some of the beans with the back of a fork to thicken.

This is good as an entree if you are not a big meat eater, or as a side dish for some yummy grilled chicken or beef. Tonight we are having it with corn tortillas and strawberry-pecan-spinach salad on the side. And I promised Theo that we would make cook'n'serve pudding for dessert...not that I needed that motivation because I love pudding, plus I have an entire extra gallon of milk in my fridge that I bought by mistake. ("Now you're eating giant punch bowls of cereal, three meals a day. You're washing your face with milk. Bringing cats in from all over the neighborhood. 'Hurry up and drink it! Come on, it's almost time!' ")

If you are looking for blogging material, consider this an invitation to post on your own blog this coming week your favorite recipes that are (1) healthy (2) inexpensive (3) easy to make. Leave a comment with your blog URL if you are doing it, or just put your favorite recipe in the comment box.

I will try to post some recipes every day next week but it may be spread out over a couple of weeks instead. Anyway I am always looking for new recipes and I know I'm not the only one! I know there are lots of food blogs out there but who has time to read all of those?

A break and a request.

(If you're not interested in my complaints, scroll to the bottom of this post for today's Reader Challenge! Reading between the whines, you might call it. )

(Oh heavens, I am my parents' daughter.)
Unfortunately, I need a short blogging break. Actually, I need a short break from a lot of things, but blogging is the easiest to let go of. Between sick kids, increased hours for Matt at work, increased hours for me at work...for which I'm NOT getting paid...yet (I say "yet" because the possibility of near-future payment is really the one thing that's keeping me hanging on here...barely...as much as I love the work), church callings, and welcome-to-summer! humidity, I have been letting go of many things that matter.

When I feel overwhelmed, my first stage is Denial. I find myself eating Frosties for lunch, leaving my scriptures completely untouched, starring every e-mail instead of responding, buying and selling strollers, staying up late watching movies, letting the garbage pile up until Matt finally takes it out himself because he can smell it when he walks in the house, and spending my nap times reading "tragic blogs" (as Matt calls them) instead of normal things I could do, like: taking a nap myself, or eating a normal lunch, or cleaning up this dump.

If you're worried about me, don't be. This post will show up on Tuesday but it's actually Monday and I'm writing this after taking Ida's temperature and, you got it, eating a Frosty for lunch. Things always look worse when people have fevers and my stomach is full of sugar. I have lots of pictures to post and stories to tell, so I'll be back on June 1. If you're bored until then, I won't recommend any tragic blogs for you, but instead I suggest eating a good meal for me. Then--

here's the important part of this post!--

leave a comment with your favorite healthy, yummy recipe. It can be a meal or a snack. Nutritious is good, fast is good, filling is good; please bless that your contribution has these three things. (Or at least one out of three.) I need menu-planning help and I need it now. I'll be checking back daily so you'd better have something tasty for me!

Oh and feel free to post as many recipes as you want! What should my comment goal be? Is 20 recipes too much to shoot for? What about 50? (probably kinda high.) Help me get there with just one recipe from your arsenal! I believe in you!

See you next week!

The bonnest of pains

Have I blogged about this yet?

Here is a book that is so popular, I put it on hold at my library almost 2 months ago and I am currently number 18 in the queue. What the heck.

But all is not lost. Many of the recipes are online (lots on their blog), and I've only made two of them anyway (basic boule and honey whole-wheat). I've tried artisan loaves and pan loaves and want to move on to the naan (made in a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop) and pizza dough soon.

I don't have a stand mixer and I have little patience/time/skill for kneading by hand, but I made a goal to start baking my own bread this year. This method has been my answer--maybe a temporary answer, but it works. You can mix this dough with a spoon...or with your hands...and you don't have to knead it at all. And it is yummy. I recommend it to one and all. Especially to people who are scared of baking bread. If you are anti-shortcut, well, then maybe this isn't the method for you. But I like it. For the basic recipe (flour, water, yeast, and salt), you can make two batches at once, keep it in a large Tupperware in the fridge, and use it to make 8 loaves of bread over the next 2 weeks.

A few caveats: If you want a sourdough taste at all, you need to mix the dough at least a day before baking it. If your kitchen is air-conditioned, it needs a few hours to rise. And the one thing I still have trouble with is getting the dough from the pizza peel to the stone without either flipping the whole thing over or shaking it into a scary, bulbous shape, and also without getting cornmeal all over the oven floor. But it generally tastes good anyway and so far my oven still works. Virtually foolproof!