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| Crock Pot Applesauce |
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| Eggplant Gratin |
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| Eggplant Gratin Sub |
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| Raw Kale Salad |
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| Kitchen Sink Cookies |
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| Chicken and Sweet Potato Thai-Style Green Curry |
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| Crock Pot Ribs with Garlic Spinach and Smashed Potatoes |
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| Crock Pot Ribs held up by beer cans |
I grew up with vegetarian lasagna. My mom always kept it simple with a classic cheese version or occasionally a spinach twist. My meat eating husband has a hard time understanding why any meal would ever go green so I often work to make some sort of compromise sneaking in extra veggies while not eliminating the meat. My newest take on a classic lasagna featured a smoky andouille sausage and eggplant base with a spinach laden cheese layer and my favorite whole wheat no boil noodles by DeLallo. The result was a super rich and thick lasagna that didn’t make me feel like I also needed to serve a veggie on the side.
DeLallo 100% Whole Wheat No Boil Lasagna Noodles
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 160z package of shredded mozzarella
1 8 oz container of ricotta
Shredded Parmesan
1 egg
1 frozen spinach, defrosted and drained of access water
1 eggplant
3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 mushrooms (I used crimini)
½ zucchini
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 pork andouille sausages
2 tbs EVOO
Peal and chop eggplant, mushrooms and zucchini. Heat EVOO in a large saute pan, add garlic, Italian seasoning and vegetables to the pan. Add the sausage (without the casing) and saute for 5-10 min or until the eggplant has browned and broken down and the sausage is cooked. In a small bowl mix together ricotta, ¼ c Parmesan, egg and spinach and set aside. Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with a thin layer of sauce, place one layer of noodles on top of the sauce, cover noodles with the spinach and cheese mixture, then a layer of the eggplant and sausage mixture and a layer of mozzarella. Start the process over again and finish with a layer of noodles, sauce and a mix of mozzarella mixed with extra Parmesan.
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 min covered and another 20 min uncovered.
Tangerine Pistachio Sticky Buns
I saw this recipe in the Martha Stewart Everyday Food Magazine and had to try it. While the store bought dough was not nearly as delicious as the homemade version we made last year the level of effort made up all the difference. They were a great addition to our Christmas morning brunch but since I am a sucker for cinnamon I might have to try this time saving trick with the classic version again sometime soon.
½ c dark brown sugar
½ c shelled unsalted pistachios
5 tbs unsalted butter, melted
all purpose flour for work surface
1.5 lbs pizza dough
⅓ c marmalade (there was actually a recipe for homemade marmalade that came with it but I opted for the store bought version to save time.)
course salt
In a food processor pulse brown sugar and pistachios until ground. Sprinkle the bottom of an 8 inch round baking dish and then drizzle with butter. Roll out pizza dough on a floured work surface. Dough should end up in a rectangle about 12x18. Spread with marmalade leaving a 1 inch border. top with remaining sugar mix, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with butter. Roll the dough starting at the long edge until it resembles a jelly roll. Cut crosswise into 8 pieces and place in pan. Cover and let it rise for about an hour. Preheat oven to 350, place pan on baking sheet and bake for 35 min or until buns are golden brown. Cut around the edges and flip. Serve warm.
This tasty treat has been a staple at our tailgates, parties and now brunches since Sandy came into our lives. We thank her for it and gladly scarf it down every chance we get. Its super easy, delicious and my boys cant seem to get enough so I have a feeling Ill be making it for years to come.
6 eggs, beaten
6-7 yukon gold potatoes
½ onion, diced
2-3 C EVOO for pan frying
salt to taste
Peel and cut the potatoes into thin slices or chunks. Mix the potatoes, diced onions and salt in a large bowl. Heat EVOO in a large non stick frying pan. Pour potato and onion mixture into the pan and make sure the EVOO almost covers the mixture. Cook the potatoes until they are soft, stirring occasionally to make sure they do not burn. If you are unsure if the potatoes are done try to break one with your spatula. If it breaks easily they are cooked. Reserve 1-2 tbs of oil at the bottom of the pan. Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon and allow the oil to drain. Scramble eggs with a whisk and pour in the potato mixture. Stir the egg mixture and pour into the hot pan helping it to spread out evenly. Allow the egg to cook well around the edges until you can carefully scoop it up and check for a browning on the bottom. The inside of the mixture should still be runny. When the desired consistency has been reached take a large plate (larger than your pan) and place it on top of the pan, with one hand on the handle of the pan and the other on the plate, flip pan over and the omelet will fall onto the plate. Place pan back on the range, add a bit more oil to cover the bottom and slide the egg mixture, soft side down, into the pan. Use your spatula to shape the omelet back and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Turn the heat off and let the omelet stand for an additional 2 min in the pan then flip back onto the plate and serve.
I linked this awesome recipe up with A Little Nosh for her Tastetastic Thursday
I definitely have my own style. I am not saying I am stylish, but I roll with it. I would call it comfy classic with a bit of mama chic mixed in. When it comes to my favorite little dude I prefer a slightly more hip version of my same style. I am a sucker for a good pair of overalls but I also cant help but dress the little guy up from time to time. The kicker is, I am a thrifty mama. I almost exclusively shop at discount stores or outlets and even then I usually buy things from the sale or clearance section. I like to think its my good strong Scottish roots that keep me thrifty but in reality it might just be that I am cheap.
I know I am biased but B really is an adorable kid and I think we put together some good looking outfits for shopping on a budget so when my friend Maria from Mummy’s Busy World and Very Busy Mama approached me about sharing little B’s style for her Trendy Tot Tuesday link up I jumped at the opportunity. So here we go, my first attempt at Trendy Tot Tuesday
Lil B’s Style: It sure is some sorta style
Hat: This is our favorite winter accessory and by ours I mean MINE. It doesn’t matter where we are, the park, the store or just out for a jog someone always complements us on it. Its super warm, soft and bonus, its so bright I can’t loose my kid if I tried. Chaos Little Things Hat: http://bitylink.info/gul
Puffer Jacket: OshKosh B’gosh outlet
Shirt: Manchester United Soccer Jersey with a long sleeve white onesie underneath to keep him warm
Pants: Carters Sweatpants
Shoes: Adidas kicks 60% off from the Syms going out of business sale!
These smashed potatoes are the perfect mixture of crunchy roasted and soft mashed ones. The original recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen which is a rocking publication for aspiring cooks. The recipe is super simple and lets face it, I love to smash things!
Yukon gold potatoes
EVOO
Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Rosemary, chopped
Salt and pepper
Set oven to 400. Pierce potatoes in several places and insert garlic slices into the potatoes. I did 3 or 4 slices per potato. Roll potatoes in EVOO, sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary. Bake the potatoes for 30 min or until soft. Smash each potato once with a large fork and continue to bake for 10-15 min.
Mashed potato heaven could describe this truly decadent dish. I love strong flavors and the mix of the sweet roasted garlic and tangy goat cheese really takes these mashed potatoes to a whole new level. I think I could eat them forever.
6 yukon gold potatoes quartered
2 tbs butter
¼ c milk
½ head of roasted garlic (Id probably do more next time because I LOVE garlic)
6 oz goat cheese
Boil potatoes until they are soft. Strain and mash. Mix in the other ingredients and serve. DELISH!
While the highlight of beef stew is usually the beef I am switching it up to highlight seasonal winter veggies making this a more economical and healthy family friendly dish.
1-2 lbs of stew beef- bonus, I had some in my freezer from the last sale at WF!
1 c flour
½ c EVOO
1 lb sweet potato chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 Beets, washed and chopped into 1 inch pieces (tops saved)
½ head of garlic, chopped
½ onion, chopped
1 c chopped carrots
1 c chopped celery
1 can diced tomatoes
1 c dry red wine
2 c stock - beef is preferable but I used chicken because I had it in the freezer
½ tsp red pepper flakes (omit if you do not like spice)
1 tbs kosher salt
Fresh thyme and rosemary
bay leaf
Place flour and meat in a large Ziploc bag and shake until covered. In a large pan heat EVOO and brown meat. When meat is brown place in crock pot. Use the same pan to cook onion and garlic until tender (about 10 min) and then add cooked aromatics to the crock pot. Pour wine into pan and scrape up any drippings left from the meat and onion mixtures. Add the wine and the rest of the ingredients (except for the beet tops) to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4.
Winter gardens bring dark greens and root veggies. They are nutrient rich, budget friendly and when cooked down become a super soft consistency perfect for baby, toddler and adults too. Yes, greens are an acquired taste, but I really love them. I grew up on kale and spinach and was introduced to collards and chard later in life. Now they all grace my table on a regular basis in soups, salads and sides galore.
Collards are traditionally cooked low and slow but I don’t always have time for that so this recipe for quick greens is a great way to go when I’m in a rush.
1 bunch of greens washed and chopped
2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
EVOO
1-4 tsp red pepper flakes
Dressing:
1-4 c apple cider vinegar
1 tbs brown sugar
Salt to taste
Bring pot of water to a boil. Boil greens for 10 min. Strain and set aside. Heat oil in pan and saute garlic until it begins to brown, add greens. Cook greens down, stirring every couple of min for 10 min. Add dressing and mix til incorporated. Serve warm.
Paella
Our friend Sandy is a phenomenal cook, her Spanish roots see to that. She makes some amazing paella as well as a Spanish Omelet that is to die for. On top of being a great cook, she loves wine, discussing food and well lets face it, shes just plain fun. I am so happy that I have gotten to know her better and I can’t wait for our next dinner date! Because she is also amazingly gracious, she agreed to let me share a couple of her favorite recipes with you, my lucky readers. First up is her delicious paella. You can thank me/her later.
Paella is a great one dish wonder that is perfect for large group dinners. Its bright vibrant color makes it perfectly festive and the flavors transport you instantly into vacation mode.
Calamari (cleaned and cut)
Shrimp
Chicken
Chorizo
Scallops
Mussels
Clams
3 c Rice
1 onion chopped
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 large chicken stocks
Generous pinch of saffron threads (Trader Joe’s has it for a decent price)
½ bag frozen peas
For this recipe you will need a large paella pan or skillet that can be placed in the oven. The amount/type of seafood and meat you use can be up to you. Traditionally paella has shrimp in it but I am allergic to shrimp so Sandy sweetly accommodated my allergy and left them out. The sad thing is I LOVE shrimp and can totally imagine how good they would be in this wonderful dish.
Clean and prep all seafood. Steam mussels and remove one ½ of shells and set aside. Cut chorizo and chicken into chunks. Pour stock into a pot with saffron and bring to a slow boil. In a separate pan sautee onion and garlic with some olive oil to make the sofrito or the base flavor for the dish. Once the onions have begun to caramelize add the tomatoes. Fold in the rice until it is coated with the mixture and begins to toast. Mix the chicken and chorizo into the rice. Pour in 6 cups of the stock into the rice mixture and stir for 10 min until the rice begins to absorb the liquid. Add seafood tucking each piece into the rice by pushing it down with a spoon. Bring the entire mixture to a boil and then add frozen peas. Place the pan into the oven and cook for 30 min at 350.
Before serving sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with fresh lemon wedges for some added flare.
Fresh baked goods are the best.They make the house smell yummy and they are the perfect treat with my cup of coffee in the morning. These delicious muffins are packed with nutrient rich calories that can keep you going all morning long.
We always have bananas in the house since B eats one every morning for breakfast. I personally like mine a big on the green side and can not stand to eat them once they get more than a couple brown spots. Since we don’t always make it through the bunch before they get overripe I have taken to freezing the extra ones. They do turn brown and when you defrost them they are super mushy but they still work well for things like banana bread and smoothies (Ill have to share my frozen banana smoothie recipe later.) Waste not, want not! This recipe is an adaptation from Boston’s own Flour Bakery which I love!
1 ⅔ c flour
½ C quick oats
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 C sugar
2 eggs
½ c apple sauce
3.5-4 ripe bananas, mashed (I used 4 frozen)
2 tbs yogurt (I use Brown Cow Maple Whole Milk Yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla
⅔ c walnuts, toasted and chopped
Set the oven to 350 and spray or line a bread pan or muffin tins.
Defrost and drain frozen bananas (if using frozen.) Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Beat sugar and eggs together with a whisk until light and fluffy. Drizzle in oil applesauce. Add mashed bananas, yogurt and vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Pour into a loaf pan and bake for 45min to an hour or 30 min for muffins.
If you are interested in the original recipe for Flour Bakery Banana Bread please click here.
Isn’t breakfast the most important meal of the day? These super easy, and perfectly portioned frittatas are a great way to get a protein and veggie packed meal in as you are dashing out the door or make a great post sleep over party brunch. I use to make a pan of these on Sundays when I was working out of the house so that I could have breakfast ready for the week. I might not be dashing off to beat traffic anymore but I should resume that old habit so I can dash off to chase little B down again.
The best part about these is they are super healthy and totally toddler friendly.
if you are wondering why one has a tooth pick in it. I had a dairy free guest so I made one sans cheese and marked it with a pick while baking.
Personal Veggie Frittatas
EVOO
Frozen hash browns, thawed
6 eggs
1 tbs milk
1.5 c chopped veggies of choice (I usually use a mix of peppers, tomatoes, spinach, mushrooms, summer squash and fresh herbs)
½ c shredded cheese
S&P
Rub muffin tins with EVOO. Cover the bottom of each tin with a layer of potato hash browns. Mix eggs, milk, S&P, cheese and veggies together and pour equal amounts of the mix into each muffin tin. Bake for 10-15 min at 350
We love the They Might Be Giants children’s music. B’s first album was Here Comes Science which features his jams My Brother the Ape and I am a Paleontologist. Since he loves his science, and running around so much we headed over to the Natural History Museum to show him science in action.
He really loved the large mammal room and being able to get up close to all the different animals but the dinosaurs and the ocean life were a close second. I loved having the space for him to run and showing him all the different interactive exhibit pieces. There were “fossils” to touch, electronic and mechanical exhibits to work and we even got his picture taken and then turned into a cave man (hilarious.) I was extremely nervous to take him around at such a young age but once we got there I realized it was the perfect place for us to cruise and learn. Since we are going to be looking for lots of indoor activities to keep us moving this winter I think next up on our museum tour will be the Air and Space or American History museum.
being a giraffe- they have long tounges
Once the crisp fall air hits I begin to crave pumpkin in everything I do. I am certain that the craving doesn’t end before the crocuses bloom so I am still knee deep in my favorite pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin, like other winter squash varieties is super sweet and delicious and have a bonus of being high in the vitavegamins.
A couple of weeks ago, my dear friend Shannon put together a fantastic Christmas play dates for a few of our friends. We had a wonderful time catching up, playing baby games and filling our bellies with delicious holiday treats. One of the yummiest was a wonderfully rich pumpkin mushroom soup that she had purchased from the Back Porch Restaurant in DE, brought home and froze just for us. When I say this soup was decadent I mean it. The perfectly creamy pumpkin laced with the deep umami flavors of the shrooms had me at hello.
Since I couldn’t get the soup out of my head I thought I would try and whip up my own version to see if I could get close to the flavor I was looking for. The version that I ended up with is a bit different but yummy all the same. It was super quick and easy to make and as Shannon pointed out, it would totally be a perfect way to start out a festive holiday dinner in the future.
Pumpkin Mushroom Soup
¼ c Chopped celery
½ c Chopped onion
¼ c Chopped carrot
4 tbs Butter
2 tbs Flour
1 tbs Cumin
3 c Homemade chicken stock
16 oz of fresh pumpkin (baked and strained) or 1 can Pumpkin (not pie filling)
2 tbs honey
Dash of nutmeg
½ lb Sliced mushrooms (I used crimini)
1 c Heavy cream
Salt and Pepper
In a stock pot saute celery, onion and carrot in 2 tbs butter until soft. Add flour and stir until incorporated. Add cumin, stock, pumpkin, honey and nutmeg and blended using an immersion blender. (if you do not have one you can always blend in a traditional blender and then pour it back into the original pot to continue cooking.) Saute mushrooms in the remainder of the butter until they are soft and stir them into the soup with cream. Simmer and flavor with salt and pepper.
*The version that is pictured was done without the blending. The result was a chunkier version of the soup where you could pick out the pieces of carrot, celery and onion. While delicious, I much preferred the super smooth version I had at Shannon’s so I thought the blending would definitely be worth the extra step. My recipe research did lead me to find several versions of this soup that did not include the trinity veggies (onion, celery and carrot) but I really love the extra flavor they bring so I almost always use them when making soups.
