Leftover French Toast

If you've made too much... layer your pancakes, waffles, or french toast in parchment and place them in a freezer safe Ziploc bag.  You can defrost in the microwave for a minute, then if you like them a little crispier, you can stick it in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes.

Sometimes I make too much on purpose.  I love the leftovers on random mornings.  I also like to plan a special breakfast into our busy work/school week, the time saved, by preparing ahead, allows us to do this.

Homemade Pizza

I love homemade pizza.  Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil... Tonight I made some pizza sauce, too.  I used to buy some great pizza sauce, but I can't find it at any of the stores here locally.  So I set out to make a sauce that my family could love.  It is so easy to make, I don't know why I haven't done it sooner.

This recipe makes enough sauce for 4-6 pizzas!  I was able to put 2 pints in the refrigerator after making 2 pizzas tonight.  You can refrigerate or freeze any remaining pizza sauce that you don't use right away.

Do you have any favorite homemade pizza toppings?  I love fresh spinach, basil, bell pepper, and sometimes pineapple.  If you're going to do fresh leafy greens such as basil or spinach, it's best to lay it down on the sauce, before the cheese goes on.  It will not smoke or dry out that way. 

Fresh mozzarella that comes in the form of a ball tastes nothing like the block mozzarella, so much so that I hate to even call the block real mozzarella.  It tastes incredible fresh and on pizza, so I really hope you'll make the change.  It really doesn't cost that much more!

Homemade Pizza Sauce

28 oz stewed tomatoes*
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Bring the ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring regularly to heat more evenly.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 

*I prefer Pomi brand, which comes in a 28oz box, and is BPA free.

Butternut Squash & Cider Chicken Soup

I did some experimenting last weekend in the kitchen.  Turned out pretty good!  The butternut squash took on a sweet flavor that I thought was much less powerful than the traditional taste.  If I make it again, I think I'd double the parsnips, I just love their taste, and they help cut the sweetness in the broth as you're eating.

I froze this in lunch sized portions.  I had some for lunch on Monday with a hearty whole grain roll.  YUM!

Butternut Squash & Cider Chicken Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small sweet onion
1 cup sliced parsnips
4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced in large cubes (3/4 inch or so)
2 cups apple cider
1.5 cups chicken stock
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 cups chopped cooked chicken

Heat the oil and add the onions and garlic.  Saute for a couple of minutes to allow time for slight caramelizing.  Add parsnips, squash, cider, broth, pepper and cumin.  Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes or so, just long enough for your squash to easily be cut with your spoon.  Add the chicken.  Warm for another 10 minutes, then serve.

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What's cooking up in your house?

Oatmeal Cookies

Two Saturdays ago, the girls and I weathered the storm, Hurricane Irene, at home.  We were very fortunate to have power most of the day.  It went out about a dozen times through the day, but each time came back on within 60 seconds.  We were in the minority, for sure!

We played games, did some crafts, and baked cookies.  It was a good day of mother-daughter bonding.  I altered a recipe that I have from an old cookbook from The Fresh Market, adding in some whole wheat flour (half wheat, half white), and also changing some of the add-ins.

I split the cookie dough in half and in half I added 1 cup milk chocolate chips with 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, and in the other half I added 3/4 cup dried cranberries, zest of one orange, and 3/4 cup white chocolate chips.

These cookies were really tasty, and I could not tell that they were healthier than the original (which I had made once before).

If you make these, please let me know what add-ins you use, and whether you like them.  What would you add in?

"Hurricane" Oatmeal Cookies

2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 cups oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups "add-ins" such as chocolate chips, walnuts, cranberries, white chocolate chips, orange zest or something else!  (I really loved 1/2 milk chocolate chips with 1/2 chopped walnuts!)

Preheat oven to 375.  Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.  In another bowl, combine oats, flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl.  Gradually add dry mixture to wet mixture in stages.  Stir in your add-ins.  Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet (recommend covering with parchment paper).  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

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I recommend baking a dozen or two, and freezing the rest on parchment.  Just put parchment on a cool cookie sheet, put rounded teaspoonfuls on the parchment (not touching).  Place in freezer.  Once frozen, remove from cookie sheet and place in freezer bag.  Next time you want cookies, you take the amount you need out, thaw for 15 minutes, and then bake per the recipe.  No more processed cookie dough from the grocery store!

Mmmmmmmm.... Awesome Healthy Banana Bread

Okay, so most banana breads are good.  The original version of this recipe, that I grew up eating because my mom made it growing up, was so good that I never really loved other people's banana bread recipes.  Sad, but true.  It was just that good!

I have since "healthified" this recipe, and even with ALL of the flour being whole wheat, my husband (and biggest critic of healthy food), LOVES this.  I use King Arthur Organic 100% Whole Wheat Flour.

If you don't use much buttermilk around the house, then a good option for you would be SACO cultured buttermilk.  It's powdered buttermilk.  You can keep this small canister in the bottom back corner of the fridge and it will be there for you whenever a recipe calls for buttermilk.  I recommend you make about 1/2 cup of this before beginning your bread ingredients.  Just mix and refrigerate until it's time to use it.  When it's time for the baking soda/buttermilk, mix together.  It will get kind of foamy, but then you don't get that weird baking soda taste in your bread.

Bananas: when ours get too ripe (black), I peel them and stick them in ziploc baggies, 3-4 per bag, and freeze until I plan to bake.  The night before baking, I place the baggie(s) in the fridge and let them defrost.  When it's time to add them into the mixture, I pour them in, juices and all!

The recipe below is actually a double recipe.  Today I made 1 full size loaf and 4 mini loaves.  You could make 3 full size loaves with this recipe (or 6 mini loaves).

One last thing I would love to share.  Recently a friend told me she made my banana bread recipe (and how she loves it) but being summertime, doesn't really like to eat much of it because she likes cooler foods in the heat of the summer.  (And this summer has been ridiculously hot!)  I told her how most of the time, when I make it, I'll slice at least 1 loaf up into slices and freeze them individually in baggies.  Then, when I get the urge, I pull one out and eat it frozen.  Sounds strange, but it's GREAT!  And, it's nice and cold on a hot day.  Try it sometime!

So, without further ado:


AWESOME and HEALTHY Banana Bread

2 sticks real butter, softened to room temp
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
7 very ripe bananas (black is best)
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda dissolved into 4 Tbsp buttermilk

With a blender, cream butter and sugar completely.  Add eggs and whip up until well blended.  Mix in the bananas.  Using minimal blending (to avoid over mixing the wheat), add in flour and salt and blend until just mixed together.  Mix in baking soda/buttermilk mixture.  Pour into greased loaf pans and bake at 325 for 50-60 minutes (test after 50, plan for an extra 10 minutes if not done).

Enjoy your banana bread!

Happy New Year! 2010

Just a quick note to say Happy New Year!  I've been busy this weekend, taking down the Christmas decor, trying to make places for all the stuff the kids have... and I've also been planning and beginning some new projects to help organize and make things more aesthetically pleasing around here.

Today I used the leftover "New Year" turkey carcass to make turkey broth, and then made a big pot of Turkey soup!  Yum!  It has barley, mixed veggies, tomatoes...  I froze enough for 3 family dinners and 3 individual lunches, and still have enough that I plan to share a meal with some friends.  I really don't have the recipe, but I just wrote down the ingredients that my mom uses in hers.

I also made a pot of Chicken Noodle Soup for freezing.  I love this recipe from Cooking Light which I have made since it was published in 1998.  I absolutely love the flavors in this soup.  I was able to make 1 dinner and 3 lunches from this.

Hopefully things will slow down a bit and I can blog some more.  Hope you had a safe and happy new year celebration.  Here's to a successful and joyful new year!

Sick Kid Soup

So what happens when you have a child that is sick with some sort of stomach bug? Well, naturally we all start with the BRAT diet, right? Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. But then what? It's not like you say, "Okay, kid, you passed the BRAT test, let's make hot dogs for lunch!" Ha ha.

I am not one to buy canned soups, although I have some in my pantry for emergency use. But I'm not a fan of them, typically because they're loaded with sodium and many just don't taste great. I make many types of soups homemade.

So back to the stomach bug... clear liquid diet. Yeah, chicken soup seems like an obvious choice, but I got to thinking some time ago that sometimes it's just not what you want, and same with your kids. So I made this very simple soup, appropriately called Sick Kid Soup, and have had ZERO complaints from the kids, and it's a good transition to eating something other than the BRAT foods. I like it because it's low in sodium, high in vitamins, and isn't too bland. And yes, I have eaten it myself, under similar circumstances.

I also freeze this in some Ziploc soup containers for future use so I'm not having to make a pot of soup every time a child encounters this type of ailment. I had one of those frozen soups come in handy tonight. And my label maker makes a nice label that simply says 'Sick Kid Soup'. That way I know exactly what to grab from the freezer when I need it.

Sick Kid Soup

1 box organic beef broth (or any beef broth you can find with low sodium will do)
1 cup organic veggie ABC pasta

Bring the broth to a boil. Add the pasta and boil until pasta is cooked. Use about 1/2 to 1 cup for a serving, freeze the rest for future use!

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Note: I found the ABC pasta [a while back] at The Fresh Market.

What we ate tonight...

I tried a new recipe tonight, and it was really good. Our girls liked it, too. It all began when I found some ground chicken breast on clearance this weekend, simply because it was nearing the sell by date. I felt like it was too hot outside for a chicken chili, and I wasn't in the mood for Rachael Ray's Mexican Lasagna (which is fantastic), so I started searching online for recipes. You can view the original recipe from the Food Network here, but I will share my version below, where I omitted some ingredients and made some other changes.

Steamed-Chicken Rice Fingers with Dipping Sauce

For the rice fingers:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (buy the ready rice that's pre-cooked)
  
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 1/2 cup grated onion
• 1 can (8 ounces) water chestnuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro leaves
• Spinach leaves to prevent rice fingers from sticking

For the dipping sauce:

• 6 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup (equal amounts of sugar and water heated until sugar melts, then cooled)

Mix together the chicken, egg, onion, water chestnuts, and cilantro in a bowl. Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper. Put rice into a bowl. Shape into 20 "finger" shaped sticks, about the size of a man's finger. Roll each in the rice, then place them on the waxed paper and refrigerate or freeze for at least 1 hour. Once chilled, you can transfer them to an airtight container, separating them with layers of waxed paper, and refrigerate or freeze for future use.

When it's almost time to serve, boil water in the bottom half of a steamer. Line the steaming basket or top half of the steamer with the spinach leaves, place the rice fingers on top of the lettuce, cover, and steam over a rolling boil for about 30 minutes.

To make the dipping sauce, stir together the soy sauce, lime juice, and simple syrup. Serve in small bowls alongside the rice fingers.

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Note: my girls would not eat the dipping sauce, so they had ketchup/mustard. The dipping sauce was good but I could see adding some ginger or something, too. I served with sweet potatoes and green beans.

We ate 10 of them (the girls each had 2, and we each had 3), and the other half I froze, uncooked, for another meal.

Bowl of cherries

I often like to buy cherries in bulk. They are in season right now, so it's the perfect time to stock up the freezer. Cherries are great in place of ice for smoothies. You could also try out your own homemade cherry pie, use them as garnish on a summer drink, serve them over ice cream, or just have a cup of cherries with a handful of almonds for a healthy snack.

In order to freeze cherries, you will need to pit them, rinse clean, pat dry and lay out on a parchment covered pan so that they aren't touching. Place in the freezer until just frozen, then transfer to a freezer safe baggie. Very similar to freezing strawberries!

Many people do not know about the cherry pitter. It's so easy to use. I have the OXO Good Grips cherry/olive pitter, which has a small splash guard. Simply pull off the stem, place the cherry upright in the pitter, and push the pit out into a garbage bowl. Yes, it's a bit time consuming when you need a bunch, but fresh ripe cherries are amazingly tasty. If you plan to keep them in the fridge for more than a day or so, save the pitting until closer to needing them. Once cherries are pitted and washed, they rot faster, as is the case with most fruits.

Cherries also have many amazing health benefits! They contain high levels of antioxidants and many vitamins. My neighbor friend recently shared about his battle with gout, and after many years of searching for relief, heard from a friend that cherries helped their gout. So my neighbor friend tried it. He started eating cherries daily for a week, and said the severe pain and swelling/fluid on his knee disappeared. He says he's been eating cherries daily for the better part of the last 3 years!!! And if he misses a day, he can tell by the reaction in his knee! That's amazing to me!

So add some variety to your fruit selection next time you go to the store, buy some fresh cherries!

Beans & Cornbread with a twist

I really loved this simple meal. I needed something that I could whip up quickly and didn't need to spend a whole lot of time standing over the stove. So, I decided to prepare this simple meatless meal. I think that the combination of the cornbread with the beans was necessary, and my husband agreed.

These were my original recipe ideas, feel free to vary as you see fit for your family. For the beans I used all organic ingredients except for the seasonings. Even with organics, this is definitely a budget meal. After our family of 4 ate, I froze more than six 2-cup containers full. Each 2-cup container is equivalent to a can of beans, so I can pull one out of the freezer whenever I need a "can."

One final note on the beans- don't be intimidated by the seasonings. This recipe makes a LOT of beans and they will NOT be spicy with the measurements listed. It just adds some flavor.

Kelly's Crock Pot Black Beans

1 bag dry black beans
1 32-oz box low sodium chicken stock
2 14-oz cans no salt added diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp dried cilantro
1/2 tsp ground red pepper (cayenne)

Soak the beans in a large stockpot filled with water overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the beans. Put them in a large crockpot. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until mixed. Turn crockpot on low for at least 8 hrs, longer if you have the time. Leave them alone until they're done cooking and tender. Serve!

Kelly's Sweet Cheddar Cornbread

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 can creamed corn
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Combine the mix with egg and milk until just blended, lumpy is okay. Add the creamed corn and cheddar cheese, mix until just blended. Put in a greased pie plate. Bake for 40 minutes. Allow at least 10-15 minutes to cool before serving.

Cantaloupe in a new light

Another fantastic reason to support local farmers: fresh cantaloupe! I bought a huge one this week and it was fresh, tender, sweet, and ready for us to sink our teeth into.

Our family just can't eat a whole cantaloupe. What to do?

Cantaloupes are great because they hold their shape well and don't release their liquid quickly (like watermelons, for instance). So, while with watermelon it's better to liquefy and pour into popsicle molds, an easy thing to do to preserve that wonderful cantaloupe [and it's perfect in-season flavor] is to freeze large chunks on a popsicle stick. They are just as yummy frozen, and quite refreshing as a popsicle. The first bites are a bit hard, but once it's been out for a minute or two, it's perfect.

I recommend getting a cookie pan, and laying a sheet of parchment paper on it. For each large chunk of cantaloupe, put a popsicle stick in about halfway. Lay the cantaloupe in a way that the least amount of fruit is touching the paper, and not touching each other. Freeze. Once frozen, remove from the paper and place in a freezer safe zipper bag, and place back in the freezer until ready to enjoy.

The pic on the right shows frozen cantaloupe pops that are ready to come off the paper and be placed into a bag then back to the freezer! Hope you'll try this next time you have too much cantaloupe!

Easy BBQ Pork Tenderloin

This meal is great for the family-on-the-go. The tenderloin comes out pretty tender, even cooked in the microwave using the instructions below. You can't do "pulled pork" with this version, but it cuts very easily, even with a butter knife.

I've never been a huge fan of BBQ sauce, but I did find a brand that I like, Cattlemen's. Alton Brown of the Food Network actually featured this brand on a show once, and said that it is used in many restaurants across the country. They sell it in a huge jug at Sam's Club. I got roped in once when they were sampling it. Since I have a deep freezer, I bought it, and froze it in zipper bags. If you're freezing BBQ sauce for future use, layer the bags flat on top of each other. Freezing the bags of sauce flat is also great for defrosting, which is very fast if the bag is thin.

One more note: I did this with the Pampered Chef Deep Covered Baker, which is a stone, although I believe that it would work with any covered casserole that is microwave safe. It should fit the length of the tenderloin and not be squished in, nor should the liquid completely cover the meat, but rather come about halfway up.

Easy BBQ Pork Tenderloin

1 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 cup water
1 pork tenderloin

Season your pork tenderloin and trim the fat off. In a microwaveable casserole dish (that has a lid), stir the water and sauce together. Add the tenderloin, coating on all sides. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes on high. Keep covered and let sit until ready to eat, up to 30 minutes.

Great (and healthy) served with black beans and corn, but get creative and do what fits your family!

Were you wondering about the picture? If you're hosting a formal meal, you can visit eHow here to see how to properly set the table. Au revior!

Summertime and Watermelon

Watermelon is so refreshing in the summertime, and I can't think of a better treat at a cookout than cold watermelon!

Last summer I bought a seedless watermelon at the local farmer's market so that our family could enjoy it.
I found that we were up to our ears in watermelon, and didn't want to waste it! So I decided to try something that just popped into my head at that moment.

I began cutting up the watermelon into large chunks, removing and discarding the rind. I then put the chunks into the blender and gave it a whirl, until it was liquified. I proceeded to pour the watermelon puree into ice cube trays and place them into the freezer. Once frozen, I put the cubes in freezer baggies.

Ideas for Watermelon ice cubes:

• Use in place of frozen strawberries in your next fruit smoothie
• Add to your lemonade/limeade as the ice for a FUN new flavor
• Make a watermelon daiquiri (no need for ice, the cubes work as both your fruit and your ice!)
  

I also poured some watermelon puree into popsicle molds. I added NOTHING and my family was able to enjoy the great taste of watermelon, as a healthy treat on a hot day!

So next time you head to the grocery store or farmer's market, don't avoid the watermelon because of it's size, and don't throw any out when you're done eating it- get creative with the leftovers!

Dill Turkey Havarti Casserole

I made this for my family tonight, it turned out great. For the bread I used a multi-grain bread from The Fresh Market bakery. We had leftovers that had gotten a bit stale.

Another tip: Do you have leftover cheese slices from a luncheon and won't be using them for a while? Put them in a zipper bags in individual portions and freeze! Pull them out when it's to use, allow for defrost time if you plan to use on a sandwich. Frozen cheese slices chop very easily for a recipe like this.

Dill Turkey Havarti Casserole

2-3 cups chopped/pulled turkey breast (another idea for those leftovers you put in the freezer!)
3 cups cubed multi-grain artisan bread (a nice firm bakery bread)
1.2 cups chopped or shredded Havarti cheese
1 Tbsp dill weed
1 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp butter, melted
4 large eggs
2.5 cups skim milk
Fresh cracked pepper, to taste (1/4 to 1/2 tsp)

Loosely layer in a 13x9 baking dish the cubed bread, turkey, and cheese. Sprinkle dill over top. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a large bowl until eggs are well beaten. Pour over the bread mixture. Allow time for the bread to soak in some of the liquid- at least 30 minutes. This can be prepared the night before and kept covered in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour. A knife inserted should come out clean or with very little liquid. This should serve approximately 6 adults.

I think your family will love this! Do you love cranberries or raisins with your turkey? Try this recipe with a cranberry artisan bread (such as the one from Great Harvest Bread Co.) or a raisin walnut artisan bread (such as the one at Lowes Foods). No matter how you make yours, I hope you enjoy!

Two ways with Tortellini

I bought a 20 oz package of FRESH tortellini (from the refrigerator section of the grocery store). I had a soup recipe, which I'll share, that only used half of the package, so tonight I served the other half with an organic marinara sauce. I used my microplane to grate some asiago cheese over top- just a bit, since the tortellini is filled with cheese. Note: I have tried tortellini and ravioli that is dried, and there is truly NO comparison to the fresh stuff.


For those of you who have never used a microplane (originally a wood working tool), here are some things you can do with one (and once you have it, you will never want to live without again):

• Zest citrus fruits for recipes
• Grate cheeses (finely)
• Grate fresh ginger for your Asian cooking
• Grate nutmeg
• Dusting and grating fresh chocolate onto desserts

Now as I mentioned, I made a soup with the other half of the tortellini, and it made enough for about 7 servings, 6 of which I put in my deep freezer for lunches and/or a don't-know-what-to-make-for-dinner night. More on freezing in a later post. As for the below recipe, change it to suit you and your family! This is fast, healthy, and easy to make.

Turkey Tortellini Soup

10 oz fresh cheese tortellini
2 boxes organic chicken broth, preferably low sodium
2 cups chopped or pulled turkey breast (did you freeze some when you cooked your last turkey?)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 cups triple washed organic fresh spinach
2 tsp ground tarragon
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Parmesan or Asiago cheese

In a soup pot, boil the chicken broth. Once boiling, add the tortellini and turn the temp down to medium high. Boil for about 6 minutes. Add the turkey, bell pepper, tarragon and fresh cracked pepper, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and add the spinach. Stir and soup is ready to serve when spinach wilts. Grate or cut small curls of the cheese and serve on top of the soup.

Enjoy your meal!

Strawberries, and smoothies in the morning!

Who doesn't love strawberries? I love to pick them every year. I have a favorite farm that I love to go to, they have farm animals for the kids to look at, a fresh produce stand, and of course the best strawberries in the area. You can make so much stuff, and also hull some to freeze whole to enjoy year round. Just hull, wash, lay them out on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and place in the freezer. Once frozen, put them in a freezer safe baggie.

The frozen ones are perfect for throwing into the blender for the perfect smoothie.

Easy Strawberry Banana Smoothie:
1 whole banana
1 cup (or more) frozen strawberries
1 cup skim milk

Blend together for a quick morning drink that will leave you (and the children) smiling.
*If you like, add a container of your favorite yogurt for a creamier texture.

If you have kids, take note: you know those kid's cups at the restaurants, the ones with the lid and straw hole? Take them home, stick them in the dishwasher. Buy a bag of straws, and they make the perfect smoothie cups, you can toss them if they leave the house, or rewash them and use them again if they stay at home!